Rangers Finally Solve Islanders In Instant Classic

I remember it clearly – two seasons ago, the Rangers and Islanders met at Nassau Coliseum in a mid-April game that had tons of meaning to both teams’ playoff chances. (It was the lockout year so they were still playing regular season games in mid-April.) The two teams played what some called the best game in recent history between the rivals, a 1-0 overtime victory for the visitors on a Dan Girardi goal. I remember it not because of who scored but because I missed the game for a friends’ wedding. There hasn’t been a game as good between the teams since that night. After last night, I don’t think we can say that anymore.

Yes, 6-5 is a far cry from 1-0 but that doesn’t mean the game wasn’t a classic. It was. From the opening seconds to the closing minute, fans of both fanbases went through highs and lows as they watched their team battle. The only thing both fanbases could agree on at all times? Neither could take their eyes away from the game for even a second. Doing so probably made them miss a pivotal moment in this ridiculous affair.

All day, all the Rangers kept saying was they needed a good start against the Islanders. Focus on the start and maybe there would be a different outcome. And they got a great start…the Islanders that is. Derick Brassard lost the opening faceoff, the puck went into the Rangers zone where Cam Talbot went behind the net to move it. He moved it alright, right onto the stick of John Tavares who was starring at a wide open net. Eleven seconds in and the home team had a 1-0 lead. I think saying that was not the start the Rangers wanted would be the understatement of the season.

It didn’t get better as the Islanders basically pounded the Rangers the entire first period allowing the Islanders to take 22 shots (actual shots, that doesn’t include missed or blocked shots) as well as score another goal to take a 2-0 lead less than 12 minutes into the game. Honestly the Rangers were lucky it wasn’t worse at that point.

Then with five and a half minutes remaining, a miracle happened – the Rangers beat Halak with an actual goal. I have no idea what Dan Girardi was doing behind the Islanders net but he was and he passed the puck to Ryan McDonagh who one-timed it into the net to cut the Islanders lead in half. And that’s how the two teams went to intermission. Neither team deserved it to be a 2-1 game.

But it was giving the Rangers the opportunity to take advantage of yet another slow start. They didn’t as just 1:20 into the period, the Islanders regained their two goal lead. I can come up with any excuses I want but simply put, it was a stinker by Talbot. There’s no reason a soft shot from the blue line should get past him. As with the first goal of the game, there was nothing his five teammates on the ice did to deserve the minus that went along with that goal against.

At that point, things really didn’t look good. Islanders fans were chanting “you can’t beat us!” and I’m sure some Rangers fans were starting to think it might be true. I know I was sitting there saying I will take any team in the playoffs except the Islanders. (By the way, I don’t care what anyone says, I still feel that way even after the game. I can’t take seven games of that.)

But the Rangers refused to give up. Maybe the chant woke them up. If it did, they’ll never admit it. Less than two minutes later, Derek Stepan got the puck to Chris Kreider on the wall who ripped one past Halak to get the Rangers back within one. Before Rangers fans could think if maybe the tide was turning, it officially did as just 23 seconds later, Ryan McDonagh had his second of the game on a blast Halak probably should have had. (Notice a pattern here?) The goal gave the captain his first multi-goal game of his career. No, I couldn’t believe that either but it’s true.

Unfortunately the Rangers never make it easy as two minutes later, Stepan would take his second stupid penalty of the game. (The alternate captain would have an interesting night – two penalties plus being at fault for a too many men on ice one added to a goal and two assists. Good thing he didn’t get benched for the first part which happened early in the game.) The Rangers would technically kill the penalty but the Islanders would score right as Stepan exited the box to regain the lead.

The good news was that would be the last goal the Islanders would get in the second period. The bad news was the Rangers wouldn’t get any either but that allowed the visitors to once again have a chance as they were only down one goal going into the final twenty minutes. You know that incredible stat about the Rangers leading after 40 minutes? The Islanders numbers aren’t as good.

Of course the home team would strike first, this time a little less than four minutes into the period. (Maybe by the time these teams get to game seven of a playoff series, the Rangers won’t allow the Islanders to score early in a period.) This one we can blame on Dan Boyle as he played with the puck at the Islanders blue line leading to a turnover and a 3-on-1 the other way. There was only so much Matt Hunwick and Cam Talbot could do. The bad part was the Rangers had actually carried play in the third until that point.

But the boys didn’t give up. Three minutes later it was Chris Kreider passing to Derek Stepan to make it 5-4. Yes I was as shocked as everyone else that Stepan shot the puck and didn’t look for another pass. I’m guessing that’s how he beat Halak as I’m sure he expected a pass just like the rest of us.

Less than two minutes later, a miracle happened. Marty St. Louis found the back of the net for his first goal in 16 games. You would think there would be relief on his face after scoring. Instead it was straight determination, not caring what that goal meant for him or the team. The look on his face said it could’ve been a meaningless goal in a blowout either way. But it wasn’t. It allowed the Rangers to once again overcome a two goal deficit while tying the game at five.

Of course it didn’t come without controversy as the Islanders felt Kreider tripped an Islander player allowing for the puck to go back the other way. They may have had an argument. Fortunately the referees disagreed and didn’t call anything. What amused me was Capuno said after the game that the non-call was the turning point. A non-call right before a goal that made it 5-5 causing your team to blow two two-goal leads was the turning point. Yes, the non-call didn’t help matters but that’s like the Rangers saying the goal 11 seconds in was the turning point for them. A lot of other things happened that had just as much if not more affect on the outcome of the game.

So with a little over ten minutes remaining, the score was tied at five. Oh and remember the 22 shots the Rangers allowed in the first period? Shot total was 40-40 at that point. This is why I couldn’t take a seven game series of this.

At that point I wasn’t thinking next goal wins but that maybe the game winner would be the Rangers taking their first lead. I was right as four and a half minutes later, it was Kevin Klein to the rescue as the defenseman blasted one off a pass from Derick Brassard to give the Rangers a 6-5 lead. Can we all agree it’s a good thing Klein’s contract isn’t up this year?

The remaining four minutes were not easy to watch as the Islanders desperately tried for the equalizer. The closest they came was hitting the post in the last minute and somehow, miraculously, the Rangers walked out of Nassau with their first win against the Islanders this season. Was it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. Goaltending and defense was horrible for both teams. But how nice is it to see the Rangers actually outscore a team in a run-and-gun game like that? And they did it without Rick Nash getting a single point.

It’s game like that which lead to tweets like this from rival beat writers:

Rangers are impressive. Keep winning without Hank. No weaknesses. Just a solid team that you don’t particularly want to play in the playoffs

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_Trib) February 17, 2015

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By the way, Josh Yohe covers the Penguins (for those who don’t know). Not sure I agree completely with that but you can’t deny this team is impressive. I still would like to have Lundqvist back soon. But until then, as I said when he went out, the playoffs aren’t a question only their position is. And right now they have a legit chance at first in the conference. (If they win every game in hand, they are ahead of everyone but the Canadiens.) Who would’ve thought that back on December 7th when the Rangers trailed both the Penguins and Islanders by 12 points?

 

(Photo: Melissa Andus)