I don't care what the records of these two teams are but the Rangers-Islanders rivalry is as classic as they come. During the seventies it was just excruciating to see the upstart Islanders doing so well while all of us Ranger fans sat in agony. Ranger fans still rejoice in knocking out the Islanders in the quarterfinals in 1979 after the Islanders finished the season with the most points, Trottier was voted MVP and Bossy scored 69 goals. Thank you John Davidson. It took them until 1980 to win the first of their cups. After their run of greatness the Islanders deal with the devil was over. They have been the doormats for quite some time and I really have no sympathy for them. Potvin SUCKS!!!!
I took my wife to her first Rangers game at Madison Square Garden back in 2003. They were playing the Anaheim Ducks or as they were called then, The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. In the second quarter, the fans started to chant, Potvin SUCKS!!! and my wife wanted to know who this Potvin character was. I had to explain to her the whole Potvin story. My wife was amazed at the passion of Ranger fans.
So on Monday night when the Rangers beat the Islanders 7-2, I was very excited. It is always nice to see the Islanders on the losing end of a Ranger-Islander game and a drubbing to boot.
Speaking of rivalries, the Rangers take on the New Jersey Devils tonight in another rivalry. The Devils to me are the Islanders of the 90s and 2000s, they were always putting a good team on the ice while the Rangers stumbled along. Thank you hockey gods for 1994. If not for 1994, it would of been unbearable to have to have seen the Islanders parade the cup and then have to watch the Devils parade it in 1995, 2000 and 2003. At least us Ranger fans paraded for one year and one year is better than none.
No comments:
Post a Comment