Well I can speak more of the early to mid 1970s than the later years. I was a season ticket holder in the old blue seats (section 432, row B, seat 9...alas long gone).
There are many parallels between the early 70s teams and the teams of the last few seasons and it is a comparison that I think about a lot.
We were an elite team in the early 70s, for a bunch of years one of the top teams in the league, just as we have been the last few years.
We just could not get over the hump to win the Cup, same as this team. 1972 was our year, but the injury to Ratelle killed us. Losing your #1 center, at the peak of his career and having a career year, was a hurdle we could not get over. I can still see, in my mind's eye, Dale Rolfe taking a slap shot from the left point and it hitting Ratelle's ankle in front of the net. The silence is the Garden was "deafening." Two years ago was "our year," we had the best team in hockey but were derailed by all the injuries, especially to our D. We could not overcome those injuries.
In the early 70s, we had a great HOF goalie....just as popular with the fans as HL is today.
We were a finesse team in that era and, for the most part, have been over the last few years.
Some differences: the "window" for that team lasted longer than the window has for this team (and I am one who believes our current window is closed). That team followed a classic development curve that lasted almost a decade: bad team builds with youth, become good and then elite, has its window, but then the core ages and the team falls back from elite to good, good to missing the playoffs. Those teams had 4 HOF players: Gilbert, Ratelle, Park, and Giacomin. Not sure how many,if any, aside from HL, will have similar careers. Aside from HOF players, we had so many other quite good players: Tkaczuk, Billy Fairbairn, Steve Vickers, Vic Hadfield, a tremendous 3rd line of Stemkowski, Irvine, and MacGregor. I don't know if that team was as good defensively (although it may be sacrilege, for me the heart of this team was the fact that we had 3 legit #1 D....McD, Girardi, Staal....I know and I agree, Girardi and Staal are significantly diminished). We had Park plus some other good D (Rod Seiling, very underrated, Jim Neilson, Dale Rolfe), but this team was better.
One other factor that made that era was special. Hockey was growing by leaps and bounds in NYC: an elite team, a new building, a thriving junior league, more radio and TV coverage, and the sense that hockey was the "coming sport." There was a real sense of excitement around NYC with the Rangers. As successful as the current team has been, I'm not quite sure that the atmosphere around it permeated out to the general public. Those 70s teams did. Going to MSG was exciting...there was always a buzz around going to a game.
In 1976 I moved to the far northern suburbs, to far to go to games and still get to work the next day. But I rarely missed a game on TV. When the Francis era team collapsed, the Rangers were able to rebuild fairly quickly with a young core: JD in goal, Don Murdock, Pat Hickey, Lucien Deblois, Mike McEwen, Dave Farrish, and others. 79 was absolutely fun. Beating the upcoming Islanders, winning the first game of the final in Montreal, being up 2-0 in game two before it all came crashing down. Fun team with Esposito, Carol Vadnais, Anders Hedberg, and others.
But here is my question that I address to younger fans (I was in my twenties during the Francis era). It is something I think about often. Even though the Francis era teams never won the Cup, and usually disappointed in the playoffs, I remember the era quite fondly. From others who were around during that time who I have talked to, most feel the same: a special era of Ranger hockey.
How will those of you who are younger remember the current era? We came close, didn't win, and now we have to retool, rebuild (whatever term you want to use). Will you remember this great run of the last few years fondly, as I do the Francis era, or as a frustrating, disappointing era? I've thoroughly enjoyed these last few years. My expectations for the coming season and years is lower, but these teams of the last few years? Among my favorite Ranger teams.