Back in 2005, the Rangers selected defenseman Marc Staal out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, with the 12th pick. In a late NHL Draft due to the lockout finally ending, I didn’t even know where the Rangers selected. Jury duty called.

After having my Dad tell me that the Penguins won the lottery to select future Hall Of Famer Sidney Crosby, I was irate. The Rangers dropped out of the top 10 due to the weighted lottery system they had. It figured. After nearly a decade out of the playoffs, even then, they couldn’t catch a break.

Looking back at how that draft played out, getting Staal turned out to be one of the best things to happen for the Rangers. They needed help on the blue line. So, the Senators’ mistake of taking Brian Lee ninth benefited the Rangers. If you take a closer look at who went before Staal, aside from Crosby, Bobby Ryan, Carey Price, and Anze Kopitar, they wound up with a pretty good player. One who would become a staple on the playoff contender Blueshirts, which featured future Hall Of Famer Henrik Lundqvist.

For Staal, he had a good career as a Blueshirt. A gritty player with size and reach who played with edge, he ranks sixth on the all-time franchise games played list with 892. Five more than Lundqvist, who had his number retired. While everyone chanted, “Hen-rik, Hen-rik,” in salute to the King, Staal was right there for most of it. Along with Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, and Anton Stralman, they comprised a strong top four on defense that made the Rangers tough to beat.

Nicknamed the Black and Blueshirts due to their penchant for sacrificing by blocking shots and delivering big hits, they laid it all on the line. That tenacious style led to three trips to the Conference Finals. That included defeating the Canadiens to win the Wales Trophy in 2014 before a raucous MSG. It was the best game I ever attended. The Rangers’ only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994.

If it weren’t for the sacrifices Girardi, McDonagh, and Staal made during that run, it wouldn’t have been possible. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the way that team rallied around Marty St. Louis following the untimely death of his Mom France. They made franchise history for the first time by rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to come back and defeat the Crosby/Malkin Pens in an emotional second round. There was the St. Louis goal on Mother’s Day, which was fitting. The Garden shook.

Then, the clutch saves from a locked in Lundqvist in preserving a 2-1 win to stun the Penguins in Game 7. St. Louis set up Brad Richards for the series clincher on the power play. When Lundqvist wasn’t stopping everything, he had gritty efforts from Staal, Girardi, and McDonagh. They blocked shots and did whatever it took to win.

Without that core on the back end, there’s no deep playoff runs in 2012, 2014, and 2015. The latter of which remains mind-numbing for loyal Blueshirt fans. If it’s true that Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Rick Nash, Jesper Fast, St. Louis, Mats Zuccarello, Brian Boyle, and Dominic Moore were key parts to the team’s success up front. The same can also be echoed for Girardi, McDonagh, Staal, and Stralman on defense. They logged the important minutes.

When Staal was bought out following 2019-20, it was a predictable move. With Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox, and Jacob Trouba arriving, it was time to move on from one of the true warriors the team has had. If you are one of those naive fans who only cites puck possession stats, ask Crosby about what it was like going up against Staal. Or did you forget the cross-check he delivered to the back of Crosby’s neck in that memorable second round series?

After spending two seasons with the Red Wings helping guide Moritz Seider, Staal joined older brother Eric in Florida. A player who was thought to be done following his final year on Broadway has been a staple for the Panthers.

He’s played in every game, including all 82 during the regular season. Then, all 16 in a postseason that’s seen the Cats stun the Bruins, dominate the Maple Leafs, and then sweep the Hurricanes even though every game was decided by a goal.

There’s Staal still logging key minutes under veteran coach Paul Maurice, who forgot more about hockey than the corsica crowd that doesn’t get it. He’s had Staal team up with Brandon Montour on the top pair. While Montour finds offense due to his speed and skill, Staal plays the same rugged style he always has. That means thumping opponents and even getting in extra shots during scrums while playing his position well. He’s not the fastest, but he makes up for it with intelligence and experience.

With Maurice able to play the 36-year-old Staal over 20 minutes, mostly at five-on-five, that’s allowed him to have Gustav Forsling team up with Aaron Ekblad for a good second pair. They’ve been superb during the Panthers’ Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Even the third pair featuring physical force Radko Gudas with Josh Mahura has been solid. That’s allowed Maurice to trust all six defensemen.

While the dominant Matthew Tkachuk is deservedly getting all the headlines for his unbelievable postseason, the Panthers are also here due to the play of that defense. They aren’t making many mistakes. Instead, they’re doing a good job boxing out in front of Sergei Bobrovsky, who’s been brilliant since taking over for Alex Lyon against Boston. Bobrovsky has rediscovered the form that led to two Vezinas in Columbus. Along with Tkachuk, he’s in the conversation for the Conn Smythe.

The Panthers have a good offense. With Tkachuk leading the way with a remarkable three overtime winners and the unbelievable series clincher with over four seconds left to end the Hurricanes’ season, they boast the most dominant forward left in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His 21 points (9-12-21) rank second in the postseason behind Roope Hintz (10-14-24) of the Stars. Nobody’s been more clutch.

Teammate Carter Verhaeghe certainly has delivered in critical moments. None bigger than his overtime winner to beat the Bruins in Game 7 of the first round. He had a couple of big ones against the Leafs. His three game-winners trail both Tkachuk and Joe Pavelski.

Aleksander Barkov has been superb overall. The former Selke winner has only been on for one goal against at five-on-five. The Florida captain’s play sway from the puck has been outstanding. His 14 points have come within the way he plays. His line with Verhaeghe and former Ranger Anthony Duclair has been effective since Duclair returned. He adds that extra speed and plays more responsibly.

The Panthers have gotten key contributions from Sam Bennett and Nick Cousins. Bennett centers Tkachuk. A foreign concept in Calgary when he was behind Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund. Now, Bennett is more than just a gritty center who finishes checks. He assisted on Verhaeghe’s sudden death winner to end Boston’s season. A play made possible by the hard work of Tkachuk.

There’s the solid play from Anton Lundell, Sam Reinhart, and Eetu Luostarinen. Reinhart’s scored some big goals while Lundell plays a two-way brand of hockey. Luostarinen wins battles. They’re a good third line.

Even the elder Eric Staal is effective when the fourth line is sent out. The former Stanley Cup champion has provided energy while playing with Ryan Lomberg and Colin White. Lomberg scored a key goal in Game 4 set up by White and Staal.

It must be an interesting dynamic for both Eric and Marc to be chasing the Cup. They once had a short-lived stay together when the Rangers rented the older Staal in 2016. It didn’t work out. This time, the brother reunion might. They bested Jordan Staal and the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. The handshake and acknowledgments were great between the three brothers. It was one of those cool moments.

Can the Panthers go all the way? It’s their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since 1996. They certainly have great chemistry and good balance. They’ll await the winner between the Golden Knights and Stars. Vegas will have a second straight chance to wrap up the Western Conference Final tonight.

If he were to win the Cup, it would be pretty sweet for Marc Staal. Especially after being written off by many pundits. He’s still got that warrior mentality that teams need at this time of year. That is a key ingredient for succeeding in the playoffs. We’ll see if it is a storybook ending for the well respected Staal.