Recent from talks
Islanders–Rangers rivalry
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Islanders–Rangers rivalry
The Islanders–Rangers rivalry, also known as the Battle of New York, is a National Hockey League (NHL) rivalry between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers. Both teams play in the state of New York, with the Rangers in the New York City borough of Manhattan, and the Islanders in the Long Island county of Nassau near its border with New York City borough of Queens. They are two of the three teams that play in the New York metropolitan area, the other being the New Jersey Devils who play in Newark, New Jersey.
Like the Knicks–Nets rivalry of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the old Dodgers–Giants rivalry of Major League Baseball (MLB), the two teams are in the same division and thus play several matches together each season. In contrast, the New York Yankees and New York Mets are in different leagues while the New York Jets and New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) are in different conferences, and as such those teams meet rarely, either during interconference or championship games.
The rivalry was established in late 1971, when the National Hockey League awarded a second franchise in the New York metropolitan area. With the impending start of the World Hockey Association in the fall of 1972, the upstart league had plans to place a team, the New York Raiders, in the then-new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County. The NHL did not want competition in the nation's largest metro area, so despite having expanded two years before, the NHL awarded franchises to Atlanta (which ultimately failed and moved to Calgary) and Long Island to preempt the WHA. The fledgling New York Islanders had an extra burden to pay in the form of a $4 million territorial fee to the nearby New York Rangers. In the 1974–75 season, the Islanders made their first postseason appearance while the Rangers qualified for the ninth straight season. The two teams met in the preliminary round. The Islanders won game one in Madison Square Garden, but the Rangers tied the series at one by defeating the Islanders 8–3 on the road. The Islanders won the series 2–1 as they beat the Rangers 4–3 11 seconds into overtime on J. P. Parise's goal at the Garden. In 1979, the teams squared off again in the playoffs, but this time in the semifinals. The Rangers took game one on the road, but the Islanders tied the series with an overtime win. The Rangers took game three at home, but once again, the Islanders tied the series with another overtime win. The Rangers won games five and six to end the Islanders' season, but lost to Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final.
The two clubs would battle once again in the semifinals of the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Islanders won the Stanley Cup the previous year, and looked to defend their title. Islanders devastated the Rangers by sweeping the series and winning all four games by at least three goals. The Islanders were crowned Stanley Cup champions once again as they beat the Minnesota North Stars in the Final. The next season, the teams met again in the playoffs, this time in the division finals. The Rangers took game one on the road, but the Islanders won the next three. The Rangers struck back to win game five on the road, but were eliminated in game six. The Islanders swept their opponents in the next two rounds and won the Stanley Cup for the third straight year. The teams met in the division finals yet again in the 1982–83 season. The Islanders took a 2–0 series lead by winning two home games, but then the Rangers tied the series at two by winning their home games. The Islanders won games five and six to move to claim their fourth straight Stanley Cup. In the 1983–84 season, the teams fought in the division semifinals. The Islanders took game one, but the Rangers won games two and three 3–0 and 7–2 respectively. The Islanders won game four, and then won the series 3–2 with an overtime win. This time, the Islanders moved on to the Final, but lost in a rematch to the Oilers. The rivalry remained intense throughout the late 1980s, but only during the regular season. Islanders fans often mocked the Rangers by chanting "1940" to tease them about their Stanley Cup drought, one of the longest championship droughts in NHL history and all of sports.
In the 1989–90 season, the teams met in the division semifinals yet again. The Rangers took games one and two at home, but the Islanders battled hard to win game three in double overtime. The Rangers ended up winning the series 4–1 but lost to the Washington Capitals in the second round. After Islanders legends Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies, Brent Sutter, Pat LaFontaine, John Tonelli, Bob Bourne and Bobby Nystrom retired or left the team, the Islanders did not achieve the same success as they did in the 1980s. The Rangers on the other hand, acquired key players like Mark Messier and Adam Graves, as well as drafting key players including Brian Leetch and Alexei Kovalev. The two teams met in the playoff during the 1993–94 season in the conference quarterfinals. The Rangers swept the Islanders, outscoring them 22–3, and then beat the Capitals, New Jersey Devils, and Vancouver Canucks to win their first Stanley Cup since 1940. That was the Islanders' last playoff appearance of the decade. The Rangers gained Wayne Gretzky who helped them back to the conference finals in 1997, but they were eliminated by Philadelphia.
During the 2000s, the Islanders made only four playoff appearances. The Rangers missed the playoffs eight straight years (including the 2004–05 lockout), prior to signing All-Star Jaromir Jagr, and qualifying for the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers made it to the second round in 2007 and 2008 with the help of Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The Islanders made it to the 2007 playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round.
Announced in 2001, the Pat LaFontaine Trophy was awarded to the winner of the Islanders–Rangers regular season series; it is unclear whether the trophy has been acknowledged by either team since the early 2000s.
The Rangers had an eight-game home winning streak versus the Islanders until the Islanders beat them in a shootout on February 14, 2013. This was balanced by the Islanders winning four games in Madison Square Garden during this time.
Hub AI
Islanders–Rangers rivalry AI simulator
(@Islanders–Rangers rivalry_simulator)
Islanders–Rangers rivalry
The Islanders–Rangers rivalry, also known as the Battle of New York, is a National Hockey League (NHL) rivalry between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers. Both teams play in the state of New York, with the Rangers in the New York City borough of Manhattan, and the Islanders in the Long Island county of Nassau near its border with New York City borough of Queens. They are two of the three teams that play in the New York metropolitan area, the other being the New Jersey Devils who play in Newark, New Jersey.
Like the Knicks–Nets rivalry of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the old Dodgers–Giants rivalry of Major League Baseball (MLB), the two teams are in the same division and thus play several matches together each season. In contrast, the New York Yankees and New York Mets are in different leagues while the New York Jets and New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) are in different conferences, and as such those teams meet rarely, either during interconference or championship games.
The rivalry was established in late 1971, when the National Hockey League awarded a second franchise in the New York metropolitan area. With the impending start of the World Hockey Association in the fall of 1972, the upstart league had plans to place a team, the New York Raiders, in the then-new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County. The NHL did not want competition in the nation's largest metro area, so despite having expanded two years before, the NHL awarded franchises to Atlanta (which ultimately failed and moved to Calgary) and Long Island to preempt the WHA. The fledgling New York Islanders had an extra burden to pay in the form of a $4 million territorial fee to the nearby New York Rangers. In the 1974–75 season, the Islanders made their first postseason appearance while the Rangers qualified for the ninth straight season. The two teams met in the preliminary round. The Islanders won game one in Madison Square Garden, but the Rangers tied the series at one by defeating the Islanders 8–3 on the road. The Islanders won the series 2–1 as they beat the Rangers 4–3 11 seconds into overtime on J. P. Parise's goal at the Garden. In 1979, the teams squared off again in the playoffs, but this time in the semifinals. The Rangers took game one on the road, but the Islanders tied the series with an overtime win. The Rangers took game three at home, but once again, the Islanders tied the series with another overtime win. The Rangers won games five and six to end the Islanders' season, but lost to Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final.
The two clubs would battle once again in the semifinals of the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Islanders won the Stanley Cup the previous year, and looked to defend their title. Islanders devastated the Rangers by sweeping the series and winning all four games by at least three goals. The Islanders were crowned Stanley Cup champions once again as they beat the Minnesota North Stars in the Final. The next season, the teams met again in the playoffs, this time in the division finals. The Rangers took game one on the road, but the Islanders won the next three. The Rangers struck back to win game five on the road, but were eliminated in game six. The Islanders swept their opponents in the next two rounds and won the Stanley Cup for the third straight year. The teams met in the division finals yet again in the 1982–83 season. The Islanders took a 2–0 series lead by winning two home games, but then the Rangers tied the series at two by winning their home games. The Islanders won games five and six to move to claim their fourth straight Stanley Cup. In the 1983–84 season, the teams fought in the division semifinals. The Islanders took game one, but the Rangers won games two and three 3–0 and 7–2 respectively. The Islanders won game four, and then won the series 3–2 with an overtime win. This time, the Islanders moved on to the Final, but lost in a rematch to the Oilers. The rivalry remained intense throughout the late 1980s, but only during the regular season. Islanders fans often mocked the Rangers by chanting "1940" to tease them about their Stanley Cup drought, one of the longest championship droughts in NHL history and all of sports.
In the 1989–90 season, the teams met in the division semifinals yet again. The Rangers took games one and two at home, but the Islanders battled hard to win game three in double overtime. The Rangers ended up winning the series 4–1 but lost to the Washington Capitals in the second round. After Islanders legends Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies, Brent Sutter, Pat LaFontaine, John Tonelli, Bob Bourne and Bobby Nystrom retired or left the team, the Islanders did not achieve the same success as they did in the 1980s. The Rangers on the other hand, acquired key players like Mark Messier and Adam Graves, as well as drafting key players including Brian Leetch and Alexei Kovalev. The two teams met in the playoff during the 1993–94 season in the conference quarterfinals. The Rangers swept the Islanders, outscoring them 22–3, and then beat the Capitals, New Jersey Devils, and Vancouver Canucks to win their first Stanley Cup since 1940. That was the Islanders' last playoff appearance of the decade. The Rangers gained Wayne Gretzky who helped them back to the conference finals in 1997, but they were eliminated by Philadelphia.
During the 2000s, the Islanders made only four playoff appearances. The Rangers missed the playoffs eight straight years (including the 2004–05 lockout), prior to signing All-Star Jaromir Jagr, and qualifying for the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers made it to the second round in 2007 and 2008 with the help of Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The Islanders made it to the 2007 playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round.
Announced in 2001, the Pat LaFontaine Trophy was awarded to the winner of the Islanders–Rangers regular season series; it is unclear whether the trophy has been acknowledged by either team since the early 2000s.
The Rangers had an eight-game home winning streak versus the Islanders until the Islanders beat them in a shootout on February 14, 2013. This was balanced by the Islanders winning four games in Madison Square Garden during this time.
Recent media