The Rangers vs Islanders Rivalry Is All That's Left Of NY Sports
New York baseball season came & went quietly. New York football & basketball couldn’t be any worse. So this is the perfect time for the Rangers & Islanders to be peaking as they collide in what I subjectively dub the best rivalry in the greatest sport there is. Even when these teams have been terrible, fans are hyped whenever they square off. Now, for the first time in a long time, both look to be legitimate noise-makers in the East. The Isles sit atop the Metro while the Blueshirts are 6 points behind the conference-leading Bolts with games in hand on everyone ahead of them. Despite blowing a few 3-goal leads last month, the Islanders haven’t crumbled like I’ve expected. 5-2 in their last 7 including a pair of OT wins that seem to be their specialty. The Rangers have reeled off 5 straight wins, including a Cali sweep, and have dropped just one of their past 14 games. Something’s gotta give tonight.
I honestly don’t know how Barstool’s darling Isles are doing it. Outside of a ridiculous November, Halak fucking sucks. Take out that month and he’s sporting a 2.5+ goals-against & sub-.900 save percentage. Awful. Yet somehow the team in front of him manages to keep finding ways to win. There’s no better squad in 1-goal games, extra hockey or the skills competition & that’s what has separated them from most of the league. They obviously have some talent – JT, Okposo, Strome, Nelson, Boychuk etc. have been outstanding. Guys like Martin, Clutterbuck & The Hammer are invaluable to them. Still, at even strength or up a man they’re mediocre & their PK stinks. Wins are all that matters though, and it speaks highly to the grit & fight of the NYI that they’re still sitting pretty at the halfway point. Whether or not it’s been smoke & mirrors remains to be seen down the stretch.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have been downright dominant. Lundqvist has been unreal (19-6-3, 1.97 GAA, .928 SV%, 5 SO) since the Isles hung a 6-spot on him the last time they met at MSG. Vezina-caliber numbers. Once Mac Truck & Stepan got healthy, the rest of the squad has followed Hank’s lead. They score a ton & defend just as well. Nash is a Hart candidate. Both special teams are top-10 units. 9 of their last 11 wins have been by 2+ and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Their lack of bangers like Matty Marts is offset by AV taking advantage of one of the fastest rosters in the NHL. The Blueshirts dictate pace and opponents simply can’t keep up. There’s still a ton of hockey left, but there’s little reason to doubt that as long as they’re healthy it’s still their conference to lose.
As for tonight, I can’t lie – it doesn’t mean a whole lot for these teams big picture but there’s no way I want Isles fans who’ve been mutes for years chirping about how their squad silenced the red-hot Rangers. A 13-1 run loses a lot of its luster when the raggedy rival next door makes it 13-2 during a rare whiff of success that’s got them thinking they’re a threat. Losses for the Blueshirts are coming, but it can’t be this one. It’s time for the upstart Islanders & their fanbase to get knocked down a peg by the true class of NY hockey. They simply don’t match up. Hank for days in goal. Boychuk wouldn’t crack the Rangers top-4 & no forward besides JT would be a lock for a top-6 spot. Don’t get me wrong, the arrow is pointing up – but the Isles aren’t there. Not yet. Consider tonight a learning experience.
Rangers 4-1