poll: most memorable moment in new york rangers history

[yave1964]

Lots of great and not so great hockey out of Broadway, here are IMHO the greatest moments in Rangers history:

 

THE GUARANTEE: MESSIER PROMISED WIN OVER DEVILS

 

the 1994 Rangers were a well built team that looked destined to win the cup or if not at least make the finals, the Devils led by Brodeur had other plans and led the series 3 games to 2. Everything looked ugly until Messier guaranteed a victory in game six which he personally delivered with a third period hat trick in the eventual 4-2 victory. Two days later the club won again to make the cup finals.

 

BECAUSE ITS THE CUP: WINNING THE CUP IN 1994

 

  This was followed by a tougher than expected 7 game series against the upstart Canucks. The Rangers, led by Messier and half of the old Edmonton Oilers squad, (Glenn Anderson, Kevin Lowe, Essa Tikkanen, Adam Graves, Jeff Beukaboom and Craig Mactavish, the brillliant offensive and defensive combo of Brian Leetch and young Sergei Zubov, and the solid netminding of Mike Richter who went a ridiculous 42-12-6 to carry the team, it was a perfect postseason as they swept the Islanders and then bested the Capitals before back to back brutally tough but wildly entertaining series against the Devils and then the Canucks to win the cup. Mike Keenan did no wrong, Leetch win the Conn Smythe leading all scorers with 34 points.

 

ESPO AND THE SWEDES TAKE 1979 RANGERS TO CUP FINALS

 

Fred Shero came over from the Flyers to lead this underachieving team, and Phil Esposito came from the hated Bruins i to help put them over the top. WHA superstars Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg signed big free agent deals and holdover Pat Hickey had 34 goals. young Ronnie Duguay and Don Murdoch were regulars on the ice and at Club 54 as hockey players and sex symbols, and John Davidson split time with Wayne Thomas before taking over between the pipes come postseason and shaving a goal a game from his regular season performance. The Maloney boys, Don and Dave as well as Ron Greschner had peak seasons as well.

 

They finished 3rd in the division before sweeping the Kings, crushing the Flyers and upsetting the young and hungry Islanders to advance to the Finals agaisnt Montreal. Davidson stole game 1 before the clock struck twelve and the Canadiens went on to win the final four to finish off their great dynasty. But this Rangers team was a tough, free spirited bunch perfectly handled by Shero.

 

1971-92 GAG LINE LEADS CLUB TO CUP FINALS

 

The GAG line (goal A Game) of Vic Hadfield, Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert led this club, along with brilliant superstar defenseman Brad Park (24-49-73). The GAG line scored 139 goals in the regular season, nearly 2 a game, and nearly outscored the rest of the team combined. Ed Giacomin was a star in net coming off a Vezina season he followed it up by leading the team past first the defending Champion Montreal Canadien club in six games and then besting the Hawks in a sweep before falling to one of the greatest teams ever in the 71-72 Bruins. A largely forgotten club, well built solid all around.

 

BRIAN LEETCH BRILLIANCE, LAST DEFENSEMEN WITH 100 POINTS IN SEASON

Ray Bourque? Nope. Nick Lidstrom? Never. Pronger? Please. The last defenseman in NHL history was the incomparable Brian Leetch who scored 102 in the 1991-92 season on the way to capturing his first of 2 Norris trophies. The epitome of a puck moving d-man began his career with a Calder trophy in 88-89 (23-48-71) and then put up eye popping numbers the rest of his career.  brilliant yet fragile superstar and a true class act on and off the ice.

 

2013-14 STANLEY CUP FINALS AGAINST THE KINGS

 

King Henrik finally made it to the finals last year, a mediocre squad put it all together in the post season after going 45-31-6 in the regular season. Little Mats Zuccarello led the offense in the season (19-40-59) and even littler Martin St. Louis came over at the deadline to provide a spark. Ryan McDonagh established himself as a solid, near brilliant blueliner with a tremendous future, Rick Nash led the team in goals with 26 and Lundqvist, very ordinary in the regular season found a new gear come April and May.

  They begun the post season by besting Pennsylvania, first the Flyers in 7 before the Penguins in the same amount of games. They finished off the upstart Canadiens in six before being crowned by the Kings in 5. Alain Vigneault deserves a ton of credit for the job he did with this team.

 

Well there it is. Opinions? Votes?

 

 

 

[J0e Th0rnton]

The guarantee I think. Pretty damn big memorable moment. I don't think he used those words, but he confidently stated they would win the game and then came up big.

 

Created this annoying habit of reporters asking the captains if they "guarantee" a win, but it was a dumb awestruck moment of personally going into Final fantasy limit break in a game and series they were losing which he guaranteed they would win, and scoring a hat trick in the third period.

[radoran]

IMO, the guarantee is part of the Cup win in 94

[Yorick]

The Guarantee, of course.

 

Also, the easiest opponent to beat for the LA Kings in this year's playoffs.

[jammer2]

  John Davidson was spectacular leading his team to the finals in 79...but met the powerhouse Canadians and were throttled. I'll never forget little known Cam Connor scoring in double OT to give the Habs the lead for good. While that was cool, I'd have to go with the actual cup victory, 50 years is a long time, who can forget the Ranger fan with the sign "just once more before I die"...LOL, that was a great moment!

[radoran]

John Davidson was spectacular leading his team to the finals in 79...but met the powerhouse Canadians and were throttled. I'll never forget little known Cam Connor scoring in double OT to give the Habs the lead for good. While that was cool, I'd have to go with the actual cup victory, 50 years is a long time, who can forget the Ranger fan with the sign "just once more before I die"...LOL, that was a great moment!

I'm beginning to know what he felt like...

[jammer2]

I'm beginning to know what he felt like...

 

 Was thinking the same thing when I posted it, just one win from the Eagles or Flyers would do me....just one damn championship!!

[yave1964]

@jammer2@radoran

C'mon you guys had the Howard/Utley run for the Phillies. My Dad is a Cleveland sports fan, life long, the last time they won anything the Jim Brown/Paul Brown led Cleveland Browns won it all in 1964, that was even before the super bowl, it was fifty years ago, the year that I was born. He says if the Cavaliers win one with Lebron or the Browns with Manziel he isn't even sure if he can count it.....

[jammer2]

@yave1964  I'm a Tigers fan. I always cheered for the Phillies from afar....but back in the day, I just knew they would never play each other, unless a minor miracle happened and they played each other in the World Series. With the advent of inter-league play, I had to choose, and it was not close. I come from a LONG line of Tigers fans. I did wholeheartedly cheer for Mike Schmidt and Charlie Hustle when they played the Royals....and who can forget the pitter patter sign language from closer Tug McGraw (was there ever a better baseball name than that)? Mike Schmidt was the best all round infielder to ever live, and Lefty....Steve Carlton, we will never see another left handed pitcher like that, apologies to Mr.Price.

 

  I did get to see my Tigers win the World Series, when I was in high school in 1984, so I was almost an adult. The problem is, as much as I love baseball, it's a direct cut below hockey and football for me, so the absolute all encompassing joy was not there...I would weep like a baby if the Eagles or Flyers won a championship, yet....when the Detroit Tigers won, I was just happy, no tears of joy....no missing work the next day...just happy.

[DaGreatGazoo]

For me, it's being at a nationally televised Rangers/Flyers game.  Maybe during the Fox--glow puck era--.  HUGE, and I mean HUGE fan brawl behind the Rangers bench during a TV timeout.  Such a beauty that both benches and everyone on the ice were watching.  

When it was over...they threw out 2 rows of Rags fans and not a single person wearing O/B.

 

Yea, that was a precious moment.  Still brings a tear to my eye. That's my most memorable moment of the Rangers.  Screw that 1994 season. 

[yave1964]

@yave1964  I'm a Tigers fan. I always cheered for the Phillies from afar....but back in the day, I just knew they would never play each other, unless a minor miracle happened and they played each other in the World Series. With the advent of inter-league play, I had to choose, and it was not close. I come from a LONG line of Tigers fans. I did wholeheartedly cheer for Mike Schmidt and Charlie Hustle when they played the Royals....and who can forget the pitter patter sign language from closer Tug McGraw (was there ever a better baseball name than that)? Mike Schmidt was the best all round infielder to ever live, and Lefty....Steve Carlton, we will never see another left handed pitcher like that, apologies to Mr.Price.

 

  I did get to see my Tigers win the World Series, when I was in high school in 1984, so I was almost an adult. The problem is, as much as I love baseball, it's a direct cut below hockey and football for me, so the absolute all encompassing joy was not there...I would weep like a baby if the Eagles or Flyers won a championship, yet....when the Detroit Tigers won, I was just happy, no tears of joy....no missing work the next day...just happy.

My Grandfather introduced me to pro sports, a lifelong Detroit Sports fan, he moved to Ohio with GM in the late fifties, but still rooted for the Tigers, I ama Reds fan but grew up listening to Ernie Harwell on WJR with my grandfather and then Bruce Martyn and the Wings in the winter, Kaline, Cash, Freehan, Horton, Northrup, Lolich (he hated McLain) and the 68 Tigers and the Billy Martin led squad of geezers that almost won it in 1972.

I remember the 1984 Tigers, wow what a start, 35-5! Talk about coasting since May, they had four months to set their postseason rotation!! What an amazing club. Do you know I think they are the last team to win a world series that has no hall of famers? Though how Trammell is not in is a crying shame.

I remember the 1987 squad very well, Sparky's best job ever managing. Absolutely no bullpen, somehow they caught the Jays the last week of the year and won the division on a 1-0 shotout by Tanana against Jimmy Key, I believe, on the last day of the season. I watched those games over the final week with my grandfather in the hospital who died of cancer the night that Tanana pitched the shutout. We watched the game earlier in the day and he drifted off that evening. I can still remember my Dad coming by to tell me.

So yes, Detroit sports in general have a soft spot for me. I still thank Larry Herndon for his shot off of Key for the only run of the game.

[jammer2]

@yave1964  Geez man, you brought back so many memories. I just love my Tigers. How much, enough that I watch on average 160 of 162 regular season games, it's a rarity that I don't at least tape it and watch it after work....even if it's a 15-0 blow out loss, I wanna see what happened and why. I was in high school for the 84 team...and didn't have the access that I have today, I had to read the summaries the next day many times, just no internet or coverage in Windsor. This was before Fox changed the landscape. I once had 7 uncle's from my Mom's side, only 2 live today, but the Tigers are the common theme in each and every one of their lives. Their dad, my Grandfather was a lifelong Tigers fan....his dad was a Tigers fan...it goes on and on, from the very inception of the franchise more than 100 years ago, my family has been there every step of the way. My Great Great Grandfather watched Ty Cobb play quite often....that one blew me away.

 

 I just love Michigan sports in general. I feel empathy for the long loyal and ever suffering Lions fans, always hope the Pistons do well....and even the Wings, if the Flyers were knocked out, I would cheer for Stevie Y...one of the best ever. I cheer for Penn State, but if they are out, I always flock to the Maze n' Blue....and I hate the Spartans....and would NEVER, under any circumstances miss their annual game. I know how very much it means...and it means a lot to me also. Michigan sports is where it is at!!