10 Notables In Islanders-Rangers Rivalry

 

Quentin Streets (The NewsMarket)

 

October 21, 1972

The Islanders and Rangers met for the first time, less than one month into the Islanders' inaugural NHL season. The Rangers' Vic Hadfield scored the rivalry's first goal, at 10:06 of the second period, and the Blueshirts recorded a 2-1 victory at Nassau Coliseum.

April 11, 1975

J.P. Parise's goal at 0:11 of overtime gave the Islanders a 4-3 victory at Madison Square Garden in the deciding game of the best-of-three preliminary round series. The Islanders were making their playoff debut in just their third season in the NHL.

December 23, 1978

The Islanders' Bryan Trottier turned in the greatest single-game performance in the rivalry's history, recording eight points (five goals, three assists) in a 9-4 victory at Nassau Coliseum. Only Toronto's Darryl Sittler (10) has scored more points in a game. Trottier tallied an NHL-record six points in one period (three goals, three assists in the second period).

February 25, 1979

The Rangers' Ulf Nilsson suffered a season-ending ankle injury following a hit by Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin. The incident has never been forgotten by Rangers fans, who continue to voice derisive chants invoking Potvin at each Rangers home game.

May 8, 1979

The Rangers, led by the heroics of goaltender John Davidson, eliminated the Islanders in six games of the Stanley Cup Semifinal with a 2-1 victory at Madison Square Garden. The result was the biggest upset of the teams' eight playoff encounters - the Islanders had finished the regular season with the most points in the League -- 116, 25 more than the Rangers.

April 20, 1983

Islanders center Bob Bourne turned in one of the most enduring individual plays of the rivalry, scoring on an end-to-end rush in Game 5 of the Patrick Division Final. The Islanders won the game 7-2 to take a 3-2 series lead and clinched the series in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden.

April 8, 1984

The Islanders generated the most notable comeback in the rivalry's history.
Trailing the Rangers 2-1 in the best-of-five Patrick Division Semifinal and needing a win at Madison Square Garden to extend the series, the Islanders trailed Game 4 by a 1-0 score entering the third period. They responded with four answered goals in the final period and skated off with a 4-1 victory.

April 10, 1984

In what many describe as the greatest game played in this great rivalry, the Islanders got a goal from defenseman Ken Morrow at 8:56 of overtime to defeat the Rangers 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum in the fifth and deciding game of the Patrick Division Semifinal.

April 5, 1990

A 2-1 Rangers victory at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 of their Patrick Division Semifinal was marred by the concussion suffered by Islanders star Pat LaFontaine. The Rangers went on to win the best-of-seven series in five games.

April 24, 1994

The Rangers completed a sweep of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal with a 5-2 win at Nassau Coliseum. The Rangers went on to capture the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1940.

They Said It

 

"They call it the "Battle of New York" and they're not kidding. Few rivalries in sports are more intense and physical than the one between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders." -- Ken Rappoport, Associated Press, April 16, 1994

"The rivalry has taken on a life of its own." -- Islanders general manager (and former longtime Rangers player) Don Maloney, April, 1994.

"I've been here only four years but whenever the two teams are this close in proximity, the fans overlap and that's what makes the rivalry - the fans. The games are always intense." -- Islanders player Ray Ferraro, April 16, 1994.

"Then there's the Rangers against the Islanders, the Battle for New York, one of the most intense rivalries in all professional sport. Their home rinks are roughly 20 miles apart; their fans invade each other's buildings and follow each other's fortunes through the same news media outlets; their 22-year history is filled with old grudges and spiteful mob chants." -- New York Times writer Joe Lapointe, April 16, 1994.

"This is the best sports rivalry in New York. Has been for two decades." -- New York Times columnist George Vecsey, April 16, 1994.

"The history of the Islanders has been linked to that of the Rangers since Roy Boe presented the residents of Madison Square Garden with the first check for allowing him to share the territory. Now the current representatives of the franchise will be tested in the crucible of the most passionate sports rivalry in New York.... Only the Rangers and Islanders have dueled again and again and again for area supremacy, providing New York with enduring images." -- Newsday columnist Joe Gergen, April 15, 1994.

 

 

© Andris Jansons (HV)