An opponent for NYC supremacy

The competition between New York Islanders and New York Rangers continue in 2021-22 season. Rangers won their first game at UBS Arena last Wednesday, 4-1. There were many moments that added to the animosity between the state’s rivals. Let’s take a look back at some of the moments that have contributed to the ongoing conflict over the 49 years that franchises have competed against each other.

Song ‘Potvin Sucks’

In a game between Rangers and Islanders on February 25, 1979, Blueshirts forward Ulf Nilsson received a header from Islanders defender Denis Potvin. The Rangers forward broke his ankle and he is sidelined for the rest of the season. Not only has animosity increased further between the franchises after the incident, but the Rangers fan base has never forgotten what happened in that game more than 40 years later.

Related: Rangers & Islanders Rivalry

Younger Rangers fans will need to google what happened to understand the origin of the spell that pops up in every Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. To keep in mind an incident like this is a testament to how deep the conflict between two organizations vying for dominance between the fan bases in New York is. Nilsson believes the shot from Potvin is legitimate.

“Back then, living in the New York area, you had the Yankees and the Red Sox and you had the Rangers-Islanders. So I understood where all those feelings were coming from. Ulf got hurt and they blamed me. Then we went on and won four Cups in a row, and every year it seemed like we were going through the Garden to get there,” said Potvin (from ‘Potvin Sucks’: Origin of the song synonymous with Rangers- Islanders, The Athletic, June 23, 2020).

“It’s not just anyone they’re cheering for. He was a great player, the leader of the best team, and Rangers fans probably saw their best chance of winning the Cup disappear when I got injured,” said Nilsson (from ‘Potvin Sucks’. : The origin of the song is synonymous with Rangers-Islanders, The Athletic, June 23, 2020).

Rangers beat the Islanders in the Semifinals, 4-2, later that year in the post-season but would lose Montreal Canada, 4-1, in the Stanley Cup Final. During the 1980-81 through the 1983-84 seasons, the Blueshirts were defeated by the Islanders in a series of consecutive season after season. The Islanders will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals and win three Cups in each of the four seasons they have beaten Rangers in the knockout stages. It’s a fair assessment given that the Rangers-Islanders rivalry has solidified over this four-year period. While the song ‘Potvin Sucks’ may be outdated For some fans, this incident will never be forgotten among the many moments that define the rivalry.

Ken Morrow’s goal sends Isles to Patrick Division final 1984

During the period following the 1983-1984 season, the Rangers and Islanders won the Prince of Wales Conference Division Semi-Final series. The best series of matches was drawn with a 2-2 scoreline leading to a decisive fifth game between the two opponents. Game 5 is a highly competitive game between the Blueshirts and the Islanders that will last overtime to win the series.

The game drew 2-2 into extra time and the crowd at the Nassau Arena in Uniondale, New York, eagerly anticipated the winning goal to end the series. Defender Ken Morrow was the winner for the Islanders to seal a 3-2 win in the 5th Half for his team. The Islanders beat Rangers again in the knockout stages by winning the series 3-2. They will win their Conference Finals and Finals series against the Washington Capitals and Canadianiens, before losing Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.

Rangers play Islanders at Yankee Stadium

During the 2013-14 season, two of the Rangers’ regular games were held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, as part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series. match against the Islanders, taking place on the evening of January 29, 2014. The competition will continue in an unfamiliar outdoor environment.

Related: Revisiting the Kingdom of the Islanders: Moves of the First and Last Squad

The game was still tight between the two teams when the score was tied 1-1 in the third half. Striker Dan Carcillo will disrupt the game in Rangers’ favor, as he scores the winning goal for the Blueshirts in the final stages. The Rangers would go on to beat their arch-rivals, 2-1, and claim another victory in the battle against New York.

NS The Rangers-Islanders rivalry unlike any of the other four major sports among New York-based teams. The New York Yankees and New York Mets play in different leagues in Major League Baseball (MLB), although they play each other in a handful of games on a 162-game schedule. The New York Giants and New York Jets compete in different conventions in the National Football League (NFL) and play against each other every four years during the regular season. The Brooklyn Nets were known as the New Jersey Nets prior to 2012, and their rivalry with the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is still fresh in terms of two teams in the same sport. New York City’s sports market.

The Rangers and Islanders Team has Fighting togerther for decades to claim their place as the top New York team in the NHL. There have been many great moments between the Rangers and the Islanders in the decades that the two teams have played against each other. Teams will be looking to establish more memories during the 2021-22 season.

What are some of your favorite moments in the midst of the Rangers-Islanders rivalry? Write your favorite moments in the comments section below!

Matt covers the New York Rangers, contributes to the Rangers Weekly and Rangers Daily Download installments, and has previously contributed content including news and rumors Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins articles for The Hockey Writers. To see more of Matt’s articles, visit investment portfolio. For interview and podcast requests, follow Matt on Twitter appear at the end posts.