Lou Capozzola-Imagn ImagesNobody in hockey is more articulate when reflecting on the playoffs than Mike Richter, goaltending hero of the Rangers 1994 Cup victory.
The Philadelphia native opened up to author Ross Bernstein for his superior book "Raising Stanley – What It Takes To Claim Hockey's Ultimate Prize." Here's Mike on "defining moments."
"There are so many cliches surrounding what success really is these days. But one of the things that is very apparent is that it rarely happens by accident. To win the Stanley Cup you have to go through an 82-game schedule and then play at the highest level for another two and a half months of playoff hockey – which is such a grind.
"When the playoffs start it's a totally different mind-set. It's two-and-a-half-months living like a monk. You play, you sleep, you wake up, you have a training meal, you practice, you sleep, you wake up, you play and then you do it all over again. You become so aware of everything you put into your body, everything you thought about, and how you took care of your body.
"In 1994 we had two of our four playoff series go to seven games, with a couple of games going into double overtime. To survive all of that, to stay healthy and focused, requires a lot of preparation as well as a little bit of luck.
"Winning a championship is a fantastic thing, but being pushed in order to fulfill your potential is really the most satisfying thing at the end of the day!"