30th anniversary of the 1986 NYR Playoff Run!

[cwede]

Any trade made that season was fine with me, to be honest.

TRUTH!

Best record in the league, and a Cup.

yes, Gartner was still scoring that late in career, but Anderson was playoff proven, and had chemistry with Mess, all those times they dropped Kovalev to 2d line C

I hated that Turcotte and Jeep weren't still around for the ride, but Larmer did make a difference, and made Keenan happy.

Amonte had a better career than Matteau or Noonan, but they were great in playoffs

Marchant was at beginning of career, and MacT was so much older, but at the dot he was so reliable

 

[NickyFotiu]

TRUTH!

Best record in the league, and a Cup.

yes, Gartner was still scoring that late in career, but Anderson was playoff proven, and had chemistry with Mess, all those times they dropped Kovalev to 2d line C

I hated that Turcotte and Jeep weren't still around for the ride, but Larmer did make a difference, and made Keenan happy.

Amonte had a better career than Matteau or Noonan, but they were great in playoffs

Marchant was at beginning of career, and MacT was so much older, but at the dot he was so reliable

I did not think Glen really did that much for us and I was a big Anderson fan for his career. He was so far past his prime.

 

[Boris Zubov]

The Gartner-Anderson trade nearly came back to bite us in the Devils series in '94. We were 6-0 during the regular season against NJ, & Gartner was a big part of that. His speed was a huge factor in breaking the trap.

The only thing that Glenn Anderson did in that series was rile up Bernie Nicholls in Game 5 so much that he shot the puck at Glenn after the whistle & got suspended for Game 6. Nicholls actually had a very strong series against us.

 

[Edge]

The Gartner-Anderson trade nearly came back to bite us in the Devils series in '94. We were 6-0 during the regular season against NJ, & Gartner was a big part of that. His speed was a huge factor in breaking the trap.

The only thing that Glenn Anderson did in that series was rile up Bernie Nicholls in Game 5 so much that he shot the puck at Glenn after the whistle & got suspended for Game 6. Nicholls actually had a very strong series against us.

I've always tended to believe this (though it's impossible to prove).

I felt that the Rangers struggles in the later two rounds of the playoffs was due to the amount of speed they lost at the deadline. I know Keenan's philosophy was that he needed bigger, stronger players for the playoff grind, but the team lost A LOT of speed by moving both Gartner and Amonte.

What made things harder was that Anderson was painfully past his prime and Noonan and Matteau were limited in their upside. Grind or not, the Rangers essentially gave up 70-80 goals worth of talent for maybe about 55 goals worth of talent (at best at that point). That's a huge difference.

I've long maintained that a properly used Gartner and Amonte would've negated the few times Anderson had to step up and the Matteau OT goal. I would also argue that the Rangers could've acquired the bottom six role players they needed without trading two top six right wings. But of course there's no real way to prove what I'm saying.

But I will say that had a bounce gone slightly different in either game 7 (or Messier not been able to hold the team together despite Keenan's best efforts to implode), those trades would've been crucified and ranked among the worst in team history.

 

[Boris Zubov]

I've always tended to believe this (though it's impossible to prove).

I felt that the Rangers struggles in the later two rounds of the playoffs was due to the amount of speed they lost at the deadline. I know Keenan's philosophy was that he needed bigger, stronger players for the playoff grind, but the team lost A LOT of speed by moving both Gartner and Amonte.

What made things harder was that Anderson was painfully past his prime and Noonan and Matteau were limited in their upside. Grind or not, the Rangers essentially gave up 70-80 goals worth of talent for maybe about 55 goals worth of talent (at best at that point). That's a huge difference.

I've long maintained that a properly used Gartner and Amonte would've negated the few times Anderson had to step up and the Matteau OT goal. I would also argue that the Rangers could've acquired the bottom six role players they needed without trading two top six right wings. But of course there's no real way to prove what I'm saying.

But I will say that had a bounce gone slightly different in either game 7 (or Messier not been able to hold the team together despite Keenan's best efforts to implode), those trades would've been crucified and ranked among the worst in team history.

Neil Smith was a horrible deadline poker player. Trading Amonte away for 2 third liners was unpardonable, winning the Cup or not. I can only assume that he was trying to out-do Espo.

He soiled his reputation further 2 years later when he gave away Nordstrom in the pre-playoff Flyers panic. He must have been having season long nightmares of being swept & severely manhandled in the '95 playoffs. So ironic when we faced the Pens in round 2. The skill game we relied on all that season was abandoned to play a hard fore-checking style that was ill suited for the 3 slow, over the hill guys we got in return from the Kings. Not to mention the slow older guys we already had on the roster. I'm looking at you, Luc Robitalle.

 

[Tawnos]

I've always tended to believe this (though it's impossible to prove).

I felt that the Rangers struggles in the later two rounds of the playoffs was due to the amount of speed they lost at the deadline. I know Keenan's philosophy was that he needed bigger, stronger players for the playoff grind, but the team lost A LOT of speed by moving both Gartner and Amonte.

What made things harder was that Anderson was painfully past his prime and Noonan and Matteau were limited in their upside. Grind or not, the Rangers essentially gave up 70-80 goals worth of talent for maybe about 55 goals worth of talent (at best at that point). That's a huge difference.

I've long maintained that a properly used Gartner and Amonte would've negated the few times Anderson had to step up and the Matteau OT goal. I would also argue that the Rangers could've acquired the bottom six role players they needed without trading two top six right wings. But of course there's no real way to prove what I'm saying.

But I will say that had a bounce gone slightly different in either game 7 (or Messier not been able to hold the team together despite Keenan's best efforts to implode), those trades would've been crucified and ranked among the worst in team history.

Maybe that's true and maybe that isn't. We have a tendency to think about teams as a collection of individual players, but there's more to it than that. The formula matters. Now, of course it's granted that it didn't seem like there was much of a formula issue on a team that was first in the league basically from December on.

We know the formula that was the Rangers in the 94 playoffs worked. We don't know that the formula without those trades would have. Don't forget that a team with Amonte and Gartner on it, which also won the President's Trophy, got bounced in the 2nd round just two years earlier.

 

[Bluenote13]

In hindsight the 92 team had great talent but wrong timing. Young guys were still not ready, and the defense was world's better in 94 with Zubie, Lowe and Potsy.

Without Zubov and Kovalev making up for the traded skill we'd still be waiting.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Without Zubov and Kovalev making up for the traded skill we'd still be waiting.

Kovalev may have had his best seasons production-wise in Pittsburgh, he never had a better stretch of hockey than the one he had in the 94 playoffs.

 

[Edge]

Maybe that's true and maybe that isn't. We have a tendency to think about teams as a collection of individual players, but there's more to it than that. The formula matters. Now, of course it's granted that it didn't seem like there was much of a formula issue on a team that was first in the league basically from December on.

We know the formula that was the Rangers in the 94 playoffs worked. We don't know that the formula without those trades would have. Don't forget that a team with Amonte and Gartner on it, which also won the President's Trophy, got bounced in the 2nd round just two years earlier.

No question, it's all hypothetical.

Still, I don't think it's any coincidence that the team seemed to really struggle with NJ and Vancouver, and barely made the playoffs in 1995. That was a lot of skill to lose in a relatively short period of time.

Obviously you take the Cup and you don't look back. But there's certainly a nagging feeling that this team could've been an Eastern Conference equivalent to Detroit had it not become so desperate in 92-93 and 93-94.

It's insane to think how much depth those teams had.

 

[Tawnos]

No question, it's all hypothetical.

Still, I don't think it's any coincidence that the team seemed to really struggle with NJ and Vancouver, and barely made the playoffs in 1995. That was a lot of skill to lose in a relatively short period of time.

Obviously you take the Cup and you don't look back. But there's certainly a nagging feeling that this team could've been an Eastern Conference equivalent to Detroit had it not become so desperate in 92-93 and 93-94.

It's insane to think how much depth those teams had.

I don't think the regular season in 1995 is anything more than the shortened season causing some havoc on momentum, as evidenced by their takedown of the Nordiques in the first round. The Flyers were a new paradigm in the league. The Rangers Cup was a last gasp of 1980s style hockey.

Personally, I think if we are talking long term repercussions, trading Weight hurt us more than anything we did in 1994. We tried to make up for it by bringing in Nedved, but he was too inconsistent.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Willie Huber scoring the backbreaker against the Flyers in Game 5. You could hear a pin drop. Forgot who it was who started the play, but Huber never joined the rush or took chances. Then he comes out of nowhere to give them the lead.

 

[Edge]

I don't think the regular season in 1995 is anything more than the shortened season causing some havoc on momentum, as evidenced by their takedown of the Nordiques in the first round. The Flyers were a new paradigm in the league. The Rangers Cup was a last gasp of 1980s style hockey.

Personally, I think if we are talking long term repercussions, trading Weight hurt us more than anything we did in 1994. We tried to make up for it by bringing in Nedved, but he was too inconsistent.

I'd probably argue that the Amonte trade produced just as much of a hole on the wings as the Weight trade did down the middle.

The Rangers spent the better part of the next 6 years trying to find a permanent solution on the wings - Kovalev, Verbeek, Robitaille, etc. etc.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Willie Huber scoring the backbreaker against the Flyers in Game 5. You could hear a pin drop. Forgot who it was who started the play, but Huber never joined the rush or took chances. Then he comes out of nowhere to give them the lead.

That was glorious. The game was never close after that.

Huber was much maligned in NY, but he was outstanding in the '86 playoffs. Played way above his head.

 

[JanErixon20]

Willie Huber scoring the backbreaker against the Flyers in Game 5. You could hear a pin drop. Forgot who it was who started the play, but Huber never joined the rush or took chances. Then he comes out of nowhere to give them the lead.

I remember having a good feeling in that game early on, I think Mark Osbourne scored early right after coming out of the box. Good way to start. And Kelly Miller with one of two ENGs to clinch it.

It was a great night.

 

[Bluenote13]

The trade that brought Huber, Blaisdell and Osborne was one of our better 1980's trades. None of those guys were spectacular but the added needed depth, though, I was crushed when Duguay was traded.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

The trade that brought Huber, Blaisdell and Osborne was one of our better 1980's trades. None of those guys were spectacular but the added needed depth, though, I was crushed when Duguay was traded.

I was crushed when Mio was traded!

 

[Bluenote13]

I was crushed when Mio was traded!

His moustache could not be denied !

 

[NickyFotiu]

The trade that brought Huber, Blaisdell and Osborne was one of our better 1980's trades. None of those guys were spectacular but the added needed depth, though, I was crushed when Duguay was traded.

It killed me when they traded the very underrated EJ.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

One forgotten highlight, Bluenote. The McPhee Tocchet fight. One of the best fights in Ranger history, and a reason why George McPhee will always hold a special place in my heart.

Oh absolutely and I didn't forget it I was just hoping someone would mention it so we can talk about it maybe somebody can throw up the video if that doesn't pump you up for the playoffs nothing does.

Tocchet was beating the snot out of everyone that year, McPhee gave him a beatin.

Ask and you shall receive:



Good tussle.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

The Esposito years are painful, but are mitigated by the eventual Cup a few years later.

The season that hurts the most is 1987-88. Not that it was my senior year in high school and I was going to get the playoff games as a graduation gift (uncle was a STH), but that team was playing some incredible hockey in the second half of the season. Then Leetch came after the Olympics, and that team looked like it had a chance to do something in the playoffs. Finish 10th overall and get jobbed out of the playoffs...
(...)

Stupidly, teams made or missed the playoffs solely based on their rankings within their division.

The Rangers missed with a 36-34-10 record.

The Leafs were in with a 21-49-10 record.

 

[Edge]

If McPhee were 3 inches taller and about 30 pounds heavier, he'd have been a legend.

Guy was fearless.

 

[Roo Returns]

The trade that brought Huber, Blaisdell and Osborne was one of our better 1980's trades. None of those guys were spectacular but the added needed depth, though, I was crushed when Duguay was traded.

Weird trade, but the 80s were a weird time for the Rangers.

Duguay had a really bad 1982-83 (like Dubinsky 2011-12 bad) but put up two 80+ point seasons playing with a young Yzerman.

Pretty much all the players in this trade were done by liek 87 or 88.

The only one who really lasted was Osbourne but for some reason Esposito traded him to Toronto. I remember him coming back to the Rangers for the 94-95 lockout.

 

[Bluenote13]

Duguay had great chemistry with Yzerman, then with Mario on Pittsburgh. Then he played briefly with Gretz, that's pretty impressive.

I skated with Duguay once, playing pickup Roller hockey in California at the beach.

 

[Edge]

Weird trade, but the 80s were a weird time for the Rangers.

Duguay had a really bad 1982-83 (like Dubinsky 2011-12 bad) but put up two 80+ point seasons playing with a young Yzerman.

Pretty much all the players in this trade were done by liek 87 or 88.

The only one who really lasted was Osbourne but for some reason Esposito traded him to Toronto. I remember him coming back to the Rangers for the 94-95 lockout.

Back then a lot of guys saw a noticeable decline by their late 20s early 30s.

We got away from that for a number of years, and I'll spare everyone my thoughts on why, but I think that's going to be the norm again --- at least more than it has been in a long time.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

I skated with Duguay once, playing pickup Roller hockey in California at the beach.

I saw Ron Duguay drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's. And his hair was perfect.