Your Favorite Non Finals/Cup Rangers Team of All Time?

[Keirik]

I figured I’d throw the question out there while we wait for the preseason. You can’t pick the 94 team or any team that went to the finals. Should be a decent amount of choices and variation here.

 

 Just some recent choices. Last year’s 21/22 team? 05/06 Jagr led post lockout team? 11/12 Torts 24/7 team?  96/97 Gretzky led Rangers? Something older? Ozzy? Lol 

 

 

[siddious]

05/06 season. First time in my life I could actually be proud of my team. And Jagr is a beast. Hanks first season. Etc…

[josh]

So, the 2002-03 team had

Bure

Lindros 

kovalev

Anson Carter

Czechmates

Barnaby

Messier

Leetch

Kasparitis

 Purinton

Richter 

 

they lost fleury and york from the previous season but I had some high expectations 

[Bugg]

1984; pushed Islanders to brink, and but for Barry Beck betting wiped out, might have done it. Brooks was a great coach. If they win game 5 in OT, who knows. 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Bugg

[Keirik]

For me, it was the 11/12 team. Henrik in full prime, went to a ton of games that year, the 24/7 documentary gave some very cool info, our first winter classic, Gaborik was a beast, that WSH series with the Gaby triple ot winner was sweet, Richards later in series tying it late and Staal winning in ot while I was at MSG. Kreider coming in for the playoffs. Just a fun year all around. Until….well you know but still. 

[Sod16]

1969-70: Last year of glorious blue sweaters (with no name on back) at MSG.  In first place before barrage of injuries hit in March.

 

1970-71:  Probably the best of the Francis teams.  The following year's team was not as tight defensively and that made a big difference.  Tkaczuk's prime did not last that long, but he was in it.  The series of in-season trades that brought Stemmer, MacGregor and Rolfe from Detroit made this a fantastic team.

 

1991-92:  The year started with Mess, in a Ranger's uniform for the first time!, skating out to take the captaincy.   Falling in hockey love with Adam Graves.  A lot of great guys who got axed before '94.  And yes, they were perfectly well built for a Cup, which they would have won absent Ron Francis's 80 footer.

 

1996-97:  The vision of the Great One as a Ranger tearing it up for two playoff rounds was enough to make this list.

 

Note: I'd say 2011-12 was more frustrating than anything else.   The team was like a caged beast under Torts, and too bruised and bloody from his style by the time they got to Game 4 of the semis to go further.  

[Pete]

2 hours ago, Sod16 said:

1969-70: Last year of glorious blue sweaters (with no name on back) at MSG.  In first place before barrage of injuries hit in March.

 

1970-71:  Probably the best of the Francis teams.  The following year's team was not as tight defensively and that made a big difference.  Tkaczuk's prime did not last that long, but he was in it.  The series of in-season trades that brought Stemmer, MacGregor and Rolfe from Detroit made this a fantastic team.

 

1991-92:  The year started with Mess, in a Ranger's uniform for the first time!, skating out to take the captaincy.   Falling in hockey love with Adam Graves.  A lot of great guys who got axed before '94.  And yes, they were perfectly well built for a Cup, which they would have won absent Ron Francis's 80 footer.

 

1996-97:  The vision of the Great One as a Ranger tearing it up for two playoff rounds was enough to make this list.

 

Note: I'd say 2011-12 was more frustrating than anything else.   The team was like a caged beast under Torts, and too bruised and bloody from his style by the time they got to Game 4 of the semis to go further.  

They wouldn't have gotten that far if they weren't playing that style. 

[RichieNextel305]

2005-2006 was amazing. It came out of no where. Jagr had the best single season I have ever seen a Ranger have. Henrik exploded on the scene. You knew they likely weren’t going to win a Cup or anything, but it was such a fun season. And the beginning of a new era.

 

2011-2012 was, and honestly still is, the most shocked I’ve ever been to see the Rangers get eliminated. We were the top dogs a good chunk of that season. We had Gaborik scoring over 40, Henrik better than he ever was, Callahan almost scored 30, Richards was clutch, so many wild and crazy memorable wins. I still can’t believe that group didn’t win. I still say if the Nash trade happens at the deadline, we win the whole damn thing. Nash was lousy in the playoffs, I know. But I still feel having him just tossed into the fire would have given us a bit more of a jolt. That team ran out of gas because they didn’t know how to finish teams off when they should have. Ottawa took them 7 when in reality we should have beat a team like that in 5. And the Caps we put down on the floor countless times (3OT loss and the Richards/Staal game) and we let them off the mat the next game. They were beyond tired by the time they ran into a Devils team that, while they were better than them, Jersey was much more fresh. That year still hurts; I believe we really passed up a great chance to win a Cup.

[SaveByRichter35]

Sadly I have no recollection of that 05-06 season.  I missed everything from January on because I was in boot camp.  My friends wrote me letters about this new superstar goalie we have that led Sweden to a Gold Medal in the Italy Olympics.  That's about it.

 

11-12 was fucking gut wrenching.  That loss suuuuuuuuuuuuucked.  This past postseason was shades of that year, unable to put teams away when they were down.

 

I remember being very fond of iirc was the 97-98 team that lost to the Flyers in the ECF.  The FLY line, Richter was a fucking stud that year.  I have this vision seared into my memory of what I believe was the series clinching goal.  Richter going right to left, stacking his pads and not getting there in time and his skate ended up being stuck in the goal netting.  

 

Obviously this past season was a wild run that pretty much none of us, especially Pete(lol), saw happening.

[Br4d]

96-97

 

Was the last year that Messier and Leetch were both still star caliber and Gretzky was just fun to watch.  I wish I had paid more attention to the Oilers in Gretzky's early years.  We're never going to see a talent like him again. 

[Keirik]

1 hour ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Sadly I have no recollection of that 05-06 season.  I missed everything from January on because I was in boot camp.  My friends wrote me letters about this new superstar goalie we have that led Sweden to a Gold Medal in the Italy Olympics.  That's about it.

 

11-12 was fucking gut wrenching.  That loss suuuuuuuuuuuuucked.  This past postseason was shades of that year, unable to put teams away when they were down.

 

I remember being very fond of iirc was the 97-98 team that lost to the Flyers in the ECF.  The FLY line, Richter was a fucking stud that year.  I have this vision seared into my memory of what I believe was the series clinching goal.  Richter going right to left, stacking his pads and not getting there in time and his skate ended up being stuck in the goal netting.  

 

Obviously this past season was a wild run that pretty much none of us, especially Pete(lol), saw happening.

It’s funny you mention that about friends mentioning Hank. One of my closest friends that I’ve known since we were 7 years old had lived in Sweden when Hank was drafted and still in the SEL and used to constantly tell me how good Hank is going to be. He hammered it home so much that it didn’t even take me by surprise when Hank stole the crease his rookie year. Felt more like a formality to me, similar to how it kinda felt with Shesty as well. 

[Pete]

9 hours ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Sadly I have no recollection of that 05-06 season.  I missed everything from January on because I was in boot camp.  My friends wrote me letters about this new superstar goalie we have that led Sweden to a Gold Medal in the Italy Olympics.  That's about it.

 

11-12 was fucking gut wrenching.  That loss suuuuuuuuuuuuucked.  This past postseason was shades of that year, unable to put teams away when they were down.

 

I remember being very fond of iirc was the 97-98 team that lost to the Flyers in the ECF.  The FLY line, Richter was a fucking stud that year.  I have this vision seared into my memory of what I believe was the series clinching goal.  Richter going right to left, stacking his pads and not getting there in time and his skate ended up being stuck in the goal netting.  

 

Obviously this past season was a wild run that pretty much none of us, especially Pete(lol), saw happening.

What's seared in my memory about that Philly series is Lindros manhandling Messier and grabbing a loose puck for an ENG that sealed the deal. Clement basically called it a changing of the guard while nutting himself. 

[LindG1000]

10 hours ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Sadly I have no recollection of that 05-06 season.  I missed everything from January on because I was in boot camp.  My friends wrote me letters about this new superstar goalie we have that led Sweden to a Gold Medal in the Italy Olympics.  That's about it.

 

11-12 was fucking gut wrenching.  That loss suuuuuuuuuuuuucked.  This past postseason was shades of that year, unable to put teams away when they were down.

 

I remember being very fond of iirc was the 97-98 team that lost to the Flyers in the ECF.  The FLY line, Richter was a fucking stud that year.  I have this vision seared into my memory of what I believe was the series clinching goal.  Richter going right to left, stacking his pads and not getting there in time and his skate ended up being stuck in the goal netting.  

 

Obviously this past season was a wild run that pretty much none of us, especially Pete(lol), saw happening.

 

I will never, ever forget that game 6 against the Devils in 11-12. Went to the bar super early with a few of the guys, all in sweaters, screaming our heads off, thought that game was in the bag. Then OT. Then fucking Adam fucking Henrique fucking fuck. I just put my head down on the bar and didn't move for long enough that the bartender came by, looked at me, and gingerly took the glass from my hand and refilled it. 

 

I really loved that 14-15 team too. Thought for sure we were going all the way and we just died in the conference final.

[Albatrosss]

2 hours ago, LindG1000 said:

 

 

 

I really loved that 14-15 team too. Thought for sure we were going all the way and we just died in the conference final.

i think everyone knew that we were overmatched by LA.  It was only up to Henrik to stand on his head steal every game

[LindG1000]

2 minutes ago, CCCP said:

i think everyone knew that we were overmatched by LA.  It was only up to Henrik to stand on his head steal every game

That was the Lightning ECF loss. We'd have faced Chicago.

[Albatrosss]

1 minute ago, LindG1000 said:

That was the Lightning ECF loss. We'd have faced Chicago.

nvm  

[BrooksBurner]

Call it recency bias, but I have to go with last year’s team. There were next to no expectations regarding playoff success, which amounted to almost pure joy with as little “bitterness” as possible when finally losing. On top of that we had/have a very bright future with highly skilled players who are near the top of the league at their positions. It was the full package without winning the Cup.

[Keirik]

1 minute ago, rmc51 said:

Call it recency bias, but I have to go with last year’s team. There were next to no expectations regarding playoff success, which amounted to almost pure joy with as little “bitterness” as possible when finally losing. On top of that we had/have a very bright future with highly skilled players who are near the top of the league at their positions. It was the full package without winning the Cup.

A ton of truth there. Once we got to the 2nd round it was all gravy. Beating Carolina was *chefs kiss* amazing. I just keep shaking my head though with how beatable Tampa was. We had them. Then bam. 

[BrooksBurner]

2 minutes ago, Keirik said:

A ton of truth there. Once we got to the 2nd round it was all gravy. Beating Carolina was *chefs kiss* amazing. I just keep shaking my head though with how beatable Tampa was. We had them. Then bam. 

It was winning Games 1 and 2 then losing Game 3 how they did where 99% of the losing bitterness came from. I would have had almost zero bitterness if the Lightning just blew them out and swept them instead.

[Ozzy]

1 minute ago, Keirik said:

A ton of truth there. Once we got to the 2nd round it was all gravy. Beating Carolina was *chefs kiss* amazing. I just keep shaking my head though with how beatable Tampa was. We had them. Then bam. 

 

You called it, big man.  I remember when we blew that game 3, you turned to me and said THAT was the turning point right there.

 

Dead on, dude!

[Bugg]

3 hours ago, LindG1000 said:

 

I will never, ever forget that game 6 against the Devils in 11-12. Went to the bar super early with a few of the guys, all in sweaters, screaming our heads off, thought that game was in the bag. Then OT. Then fucking Adam fucking Henrique fucking fuck. I just put my head down on the bar and didn't move for long enough that the bartender came by, looked at me, and gingerly took the glass from my hand and refilled it. 

 

I really loved that 14-15 team too. Thought for sure we were going all the way and we just died in the conference final.

End of that series was pretty much "ARE YOU FUCKIN' KIDDING?". Team got there playing black&blue, but was out of gas vs. NJD  because of that. 

[Blue Heaven]

27 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

 

You called it, big man.  I remember when we blew that game 3, you turned to me and said THAT was the turning point right there.

 

Dead on, dude!

Turning point was actually the last 10 minutes of Game 2.....John Cooper made an adjustment, Fans chanting "Shesty's Better" as Nick Paul scored with 2:00 left and never looked back.  

[Ozzy]

3 minutes ago, Blue Heaven said:

Turning point was actually the last 10 minutes of Game 2.....John Cooper made an adjustment, Fans chanting "Shesty's Better" as Nick Paul scored with 2:00 left and never looked back.  

 

I thought we won game 2, Blue.  I probably blocked it out!  LOL  I thought if we took game 3 we would've been up 3-0, and we fucked the duck.

 

Keith pegged it at the bar...told me that was our chance to put it away, and bury them.  We missed.

[Blue Heaven]

1 minute ago, Ozzy said:

 

I thought we won game 2, Blue.  I probably blocked it out!  LOL  I thought if we took game 3 we would've been up 3-0, and we fucked the duck.

 

Keith pegged it at the bar...told me that was our chance to put it away, and bury them.  We missed.

Rangers did win Game 2, but you started seeing the tied turn in the 3rd period.  

[Slobberknocker]

the 83/84 team.  was a senior in highschool 2-2 going into game five.  we take the lead by gresh and bossy scores at 19:49 to knot it.  scoreless second 1/1 split in the third,  (bossy actually gets called for an elbow).  morrow beats us in o.t.

 

isls still had that killer team and we hung with them which would what be considered a non playoff team today.

 

was a fun season that year and the last time the rangers and islanders played a meaningful playoff series.  94 was a joke.

 

you young guys havent lived until you have watched a deep playoff hockey series isles vs rangers.  you thought met / yank was good.   pfft.

Edited September 20, 2022 by Slobberknocker