Normally I use my blog to write about things in doing and things I feel like sharing about the world of rock and metal. But as a 20 year NY Rangers fan I need to get my thoughts out and maybe there’s others feeling or thinking the same. And while I hope to write a week from now calling myself a mook the truth of the matter is the NY Rangers season is most likely ending with a result no Rangers fan expected.
But looking back on the season you can say that getting to the Stanley Cup Finals is an amazing act. The Rangers started the season looking like the season was already over as it begun. Loosing games in a fashion no body had seen for years. And yet they kept battling. And that battling got them into the playoffs.
Once in the playoffs no one expected the Rangers to get out of the first round. Yet they did. They beat the Flyers. Then they came back to beat a Penguins team that had the Rangers beat dead to rights. The Canadiens tried to bully their way through the Conference Final and the Rangers prevailed.
Now, as a write this the Rangers are down to the Kings 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final and only once in the history of the NHL has a team come back to win Lord Stanley down 3-0.
Did the blown call in Game 2 when Lundqvist was obviously interfered with? Yes. Did it change the outcome of that game? Yes. Did it change the series? Possibly. But the truth is the Rangers might’ve just tempted fate too much this post season and the Kings have had things go in their favor the whole post season.
Then there is the part of me that thinks superstition. And this is where some of you might stop reading or thing in a Rangers fan grasping at excuses. But there’s one thing that’s been on my mind as for superstition that we’ve all been reminded of as it’s been 20 years since the NY Rangers hoisted Lord Stanley. It was 20 years ago that the Rangers defeated the curse if 1940, a cup win that was 54 years in the making. But are we now 20 years into a new curse. When the Rangers won it all in 1994 there’s one call that seems to now be haunting at us Rangers fans. Sam Rosen, long time game broadcaster, announced as the clock counted down in 1994 “The Rangers are the Stanley Cup Champions. And this one will last a lifetime.”
Is that my generations curse. Sam Rosen saying it’ll last a lifetime. And if so whose? His? The teams? The youngest fan of that year? It’s those words that might become the new haunting words of all NY Rangers fans.
Whatever it is, as a NY Rangers fan I’ve waited for 20 years to see this run again. This team got us this far. After 7 years of no playoffs followed by early eliminations. This team somehow got things going to get us this far. And as I am pretty sure I’m shaving my playoff beard off soon and putting my jerseys away without a celebratory wearing of we did it I still proud to be a NY Rangers fan, even if we might have Sam Rosen to thank for a new curse.
Thank you NY Rangers for a great run, and despite a history making turn around, here’s to next season.
