NEW YORK, NY – Eighteen years ago to the day, Mark Messier, captain and inspirational leader of the New York Rangers made a guarantee before Game Six that the Rangers would beat the Devils. The New York Daily News published a giant bold headline on the back page which read, “Mess Sez We’ll Win”. The New York post wrote on their back-page headline “We’ll Win Tonight” even though Messier made his guarantee the day before. New York won Game Six and Game Seven en route to the Final and a seven-game victory over the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup.
There will be one player who was on the ice that night in Game Six in 1994. Martin Brodeur was a twenty-two year-old rookie that season and the Devils were having their best success since the season when a certain referee was asked to “go have another doughnut”, an event that was followed by a game in which replacement referees entered the ice from the stands and wore yellow player practice jerseys to call an official playoff game. Not sure what kind of doughnut Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld was suggesting to Don Koharski that night, might have been one with custard, but the year was 1988.
Brodeur played remarkably well and kept an overachieving Devils club in contention to win the series despite the heavy firepower of the New York Rangers. A wrap around goal by New York forward Stephane Matteau came at 4:24 of the second overtime at Madison Square Garden for a 2-1 win in Game Six and tied a knot in the series.
The dramatic play-by-play call by radio announcer Howie Rose sounded something like this:
“ Fetisov for the Devils plays it cross-ice…..into the far corner. Matteau swoops in to intercept. Matteau behind the net, swings it in front. HE SCORES! MATTEAU!! MATTEAU!! MATTEAU!! STEPHANE MATTEAU!! AND THE RANGERS HAVE ONE MORE HILL TO CLIMB, BABY! BUT IT’S MOUNT VANCOUVER! THE RANGERS ARE HEADED TO THE FINALS!!!
Matteau admitted to tapping the Prince of Wales Trophy with his stick blade before the start of the overtime period, violating a superstition of modern-day NHL players not to touch the Conference trophies before the ultimate prize has been won. It was Matteau’s second game-winning goal of the series. He scored at 6:13 of the second overtime in New Jersey to end Game Three giving the Rangers a 3–2 victory and a 2–1 series lead.
After that 1994 Conference Finals loss in Game Six and the Rangers clincher in Game Seven, the Devils didn’t have to wait long to taste a vintage from Lord Stanley’s chalice. It has been said one must struggle to achieve the goal and fall short before achieving greatness, to experience what it takes to reach the pinnacle. The following season, Brodeur and the Devils dominated the post-season with a 16-4 record on their way to winning the Stanley Cup, the first of three in a nine-year stretch.
Fast-forward to a new and nasty series where coaches snipe at each other nightly from the bench and the media room, where opposing players follow their coach’s lead and send vicious hits to unsuspecting players all in an effort to send a message.
The early dominance from the Devils in Game Five, the comeback by the Rangers in the middle 30 minutes of the game and the late go-ahead goal to give the Devils the lead have set the stage for a fantastic Game Six.
The Rangers have proven they can win on the road and in a season where home advantage has been significant only in the familiarity the home team’s players have with getting their regular parking spot at the arena, the pressure is clearly on the Devils to clinch at home. They might be overwhelmed by the Rangers.
New York coach John Tortorella will have his team prepared like no group of warriors ever to do battle. Expect a strong, fast start from the Rangers and a much better game from Henrik Lundqvist to tighten up the holes he showed in Game Five. The Devils are strong, but desperate teams have a way of coming back and winning, taking control of what they believe they own. That’s where the Rangers should seize control of the series with a convincing message to the Devils at the Prudential Center.
No one is issuing guarantees, but there is a better than average chance the series will be decided in New York at the Garden on Sunday night.
Contact: dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
Follow me on Twitter at @DMMORRELL
Related
You must be logged in to post a comment.