Rick Nash has his eyes set on the Stanley Cup

New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash looks on against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. Photo Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews

Rangers forward Rick Nash may be second in the NHL with 38 goals, but his sights aren’t set on the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, given annually to the league’s leading scorer – his mind is solely focused on winning the Stanley Cup.

“I think the biggest deal for me is winning a Cup,” Nash said Friday at Rangers Casino Night, a Garden of Dreams charity event. “Personal success doesn’t matter to me. I want to do everything I can to help the team win a championship and at the end of the day, that’s all I’m worried about.”

Oddly enough, the two objectives are intertwined. Nash has arguably been the Blueshirts’ MVP this year, carrying the scoring load and letting everyone else fall into place behind him. He leads the NHL this season with 29 even-strength goals and leads the Rangers in points with 60.

If the Rangers are going to be successful in the playoffs this year, Nash is going to have to continue to put the puck in the back of the net. They fell short last season, losing in the Stanley Cup Final to the Kings – a series in which Nash failed to record a single point in five games.

But last season is over and done with, as Nash’s current total of 38 goals are just one shy of his 39 points from a year ago. He’s found his scoring touch again and has shown that he can be the top-line forward that the Rangers thought they were getting when they acquired him from the Blue Jackets.

So, given Nash’s incredible season and the Rangers’ deadline blockbuster for defenseman Keith Yandle, is this a “Stanley Cup or bust” year?

“I think every year is a bust if you don’t win the Stanley Cup,” Nash said.