The Islanders-Rangers Rivalry

If you’re looking for something to watch Tuesday night, there’s a heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden. It isn’t Ali-Frazier, but how the New York Islanders and Rangers are playing, it isn’t too far off either.

The marquee matchup pits the first-place Islanders versus the white-hot Rangers, winners of 12 of their last 13 games. The game is the latest installment of a blood-rivalry that began in 1972 when the Islanders first began play out in Nassau County, less than 30 miles from the heart of New York City and home of the Rangers. The all-time series sees the Rangers with a 122-109-19 edge during the regular season, but the Islanders have won five of the eight playoff series versus their rivals. It’s also worth noting that since 1972 the Islanders have appeared in five Stanley Cup Finals, winning four while the Rangers have appear in three Finals, winning one (maybe you heard about it, in 1994?)

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There have been broken ankles, shaken ambulances, fisherman jerseys, 11-second overtime winners, slashed necks, and everything in between. The only parties that may have hated each other more than the teams were the fans in the stands.

While the rivalry has always been there, it took on more of a “hey, we are both from New York so we must hate each other” vibe in recent years. Tuesday’s game is the first time that both teams have faced each other while considered elite since, I don’t know, the 1980’s? Surely not during the 1990’s when the Islanders completed the transition from model franchise (you know, the Dynasty years of the early 80’s and all) to laughingstock. And to be fair, the Islanders did it to themselves.

Despite this, the rivalry always mattered. Maybe it mattered more to the Islander fans because for so long management didn’t field a competitive team so games against the Rangers were at least a way for us to puff out our chests after a win and stop the mocking, even if just temporarily. But don’t think for a second Ranger fans enjoyed losing to the Islanders or weren’t a little bit more excited when they beat them. No one wants to lose to their little brother (even if that little brother burst onto the scene and had four Stanley Cups within a dozen years while you watched in abject terror…it hurt Ranger fans…I know it did.)

As someone whose rooted for the Islanders his whole life and whose first memory is watching Dale Hunter cheap-shot Pierre Turgeon in the 1993 playoffs, the Islanders-Rangers games always felt a little more special to me since there wasn’t much else to cheer for as an Islander fan. Yes, when you’re watching your team mired in another last-place season, nothing is really ever that fun. But when you can go out and smack the Rangers in the mouth for 60 minutes? That’s always fun. It’s why the rivalry always mattered to me. It was always a reason to be proud of the team and put the spotlight on the Islanders in the area, if only for a day. What can I say? When you haven’t witnessed a playoff series victory in 22 years, the little things get you excited.

New York City is a Rangers’ town. Their long history and generational fans will always keep it atop the area’s hockey interest. As an Islander fan it’s okay to accept it and just let it be. We’ll never turn New York City into Islander country, but there’s no doubt that the Islanders success so far this season and upcoming move to Brooklyn have caused a few more people to start wearing the blue and orange around town. The change is noticeable, especially during a down-time for the area’s other sport teams. Just another notch for the Islander-Ranger rivalry that it’s heating up again at a time when New York City needs it.

While New York is known for having multiple teams in a league, nothing gets the blood boiling more than Islanders-Rangers. They aren’t just cross-town rivals like the Mets and Yankees or Giants and Jets whose play against each other seems like more of a novelty. Islanders-Rangers has always been a division rivalry so these games actually mean a heck of a lot in the standings. Plus, it’s hockey, so that makes in inherently better as well.

Tonight is the second of five games between the two this season (the Islanders won the first meeting 6-3 in October) so we’ll get to experience the hype three more times the second half of the season. Even the players and coaches are buying into it as Ranger coach Alain Vigneault said it should be a “classic.” With the recent play of both teams, expect the game to live up to the billing.

Don’t let anyone try to tell you this rivalry isn’t real and isn’t important. Need further proof? Check StubHub where the cheapest ticket on sale Tuesday morning was $267. $267…for a hockey game in January. Yes, there is no question this is the hottest ticket in town. And if we’re lucky enough to get a Islanders-Rangers playoff series come April? Yes, start saving those pennies now.

The Islanders-Rangers rivalry may have been dormant for a while, but it never truly went away. Tonight at Madison Square Garden, you’ll see why.

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