What Is Your Biggest 'Missed Opportunity' as a Rangers Fan?

[RichieNextel305]

We’ve come a long way since the Dark Era. I really remember getting into hockey a lot during the 96-97 season. It was when I started watching every game religiously with my grandpa and my uncle. It’s when I went to my first few games. Even got to a playoff game vs. New Jersey that year. We were 3 years removed from a Cup, we had Wayne Gretzky centering our SECOND LINE. It was a really sweet intro to the sport that would soon conquer my life.

 

And then…..nothing. Emptiness. This team sucked every fucking way you possibly could for the next 8 years. They brought in bad players. Has beens. Superstars who came to collect a check and go home.

 

Then, we lost a year. And in the door before that lost year walked a motivated Jaromir Jagr and a fresh faced Hank. And honestly, since then, this franchise has had some memorable years. The Sweet Caroline Rangers that almost won a division. The Black and Blueshirts. The AV-led Rangers who almost went to back to back Cups. We’ve seen division titles. Presidents Trophies. A Conference Championship. Many trips to the Conference Finals. More Game 7’s than any of us could have ever possibly hoped for.

 

All of that. But sadly, no Cup. No night to party. No winning the last game of the season, popping the champagne and watching the team we all love so much circle the ice with the best trophy in all of sports. 
 

So my question is this: of all of our close calls, of all of our “we were right there” moments and seasons, which one is the one do you personally have above all as the one that makes you physically sick to your stomach?

 

For me, and I’ve said this many times, I go back to 2012. Listen, they all hurt. But this one is the one that really bothers me the most. Henrik was better than he ever was or would be. Same for Gaborik. Same for Callahan. Richards was at his Broadway best. The young defense really came of age. Everyone bought into Tortorella. He was right in that sweet spot where teams are really listening to him before eventually tuning him out. I think what stung the most was losing to the Devils. I hate them, I think, more than I hate the Islanders. It was a good Devils team, I’m not saying it wasn’t. But we were better. We were deeper. Henrik owned that team. The issue was the exhaustion. We let Ottawa and Washington hold on way too long. Once we saw NJ, the gas tank was on E and that team was hungry to eat us alive. And they did. They had a hatred for us that we couldn’t match. And an intensity. It really sucked to see such an incredible season end that way, with that goofy, fair weather fanbase chirping away as the season ended.

 

I still stand by my line of thinking that if we did what we had to do against a truly inferior Ottawa team and then buried Washington earlier, we beat the Devils and then I truly think we get by a Kings team that was hot, but was, like us, learning how to win too. Going into a potential Final with them in 2012, the experience factor wouldn’t have been there the way it was in 2014.

 

Thats just how I see it.

 

So, what about you? Which year really sticks in your memory as a missed opportunity? I know I’m gonna see a lot of 2014 and 2015. I figured I’d change it up a bit.

Edited July 31 by RichieNextel305

[Rangers1994]

I go back to the Summer of 1997.  The Rangers should have both re-signed Messier and signed Joe Sakic on July 1.

[Pete]

5 hours ago, RichieNextel305 said:

We’ve come a long way since the Dark Era. I really remember getting into hockey a lot during the 96-97 season. It was when I started watching every game religiously with my grandpa and my uncle. It’s when I went to my first few games. Even got to a playoff game vs. New Jersey that year. We were 3 years removed from a Cup, we had Wayne Gretzky centering our SECOND LINE. It was a really sweet intro to the sport that would soon conquer my life.

 

And then…..nothing. Emptiness. This team sucked every fucking way you possibly could for the next 8 years. They brought in bad players. Has beens. Superstars who came to collect a check and go home.

 

Then, we lost a year. And in the door before that lost year walked a motivated Jaromir Jagr and a fresh faced Hank. And honestly, since then, this franchise has had some memorable years. The Sweet Caroline Rangers that almost won a division. The Black and Blueshirts. The AV-led Rangers who almost went to back to back Cups. We’ve seen division titles. Presidents Trophies. A Conference Championship. Many trips to the Conference Finals. More Game 7’s than any of us could have ever possibly hoped for.

 

All of that. But sadly, no Cup. No night to party. No winning the last game of the season, popping the champagne and watching the team we all love so much circle the ice with the best trophy in all of sports. 
 

So my question is this: of all of our close calls, of all of our “we were right there” moments and seasons, which one is the one do you personally have above all as the one that makes you physically sick to your stomach?

 

For me, and I’ve said this many times, I go back to 2012. Listen, they all hurt. But this one is the one that really bothers me the most. Henrik was better than he ever was or would be. Same for Gaborik. Same for Callahan. Richards was at his Broadway best. The young defense really came of age. Everyone bought into Tortorella. He was right in that sweet spot where teams are really listening to him before eventually tuning him out. I think what stung the most was losing to the Devils. I hate them, I think, more than I hate the Islanders. It was a good Devils team, I’m not saying it wasn’t. But we were better. We were deeper. Henrik owned that team. The issue was the exhaustion. We let Ottawa and Washington hold on way too long. Once we saw NJ, the gas tank was on E and that team was hungry to eat us alive. And they did. They had a hatred for us that we couldn’t match. And an intensity. It really sucked to see such an incredible season end that way, with that goofy, fair weather fanbase chirping away as the season ended.

 

I still stand by my line of thinking that if we did what we had to do against a truly inferior Ottawa team and then buried Washington earlier, we beat the Devils and then I truly think we get by a Kings team that was hot, but was, like us, learning how to win too. Going into a potential Final with them in 2012, the experience factor wouldn’t have been there the way it was in 2014.

 

Thats just how I see it.

 

So, what about you? Which year really sticks in your memory as a missed opportunity? I know I’m gonna see a lot of 2014 and 2015. I figured I’d change it up a bit.

For me it's not about the seasons, it's about the drafts. 

 

Jessiman, Brendl, Lundmark, McIlrath over Tank, Sanguenetti over Giroux, Andersson, Kravtsov...and then the bad luck, Cherepanov and Kakko. This team has taken big swings and whiffed more than a lot of others. 

 

If they drafted better, those other seasons of opportunity might not have been misses. 

[RichieNextel305]

9 minutes ago, Pete said:

For me it's not about the seasons, it's about the drafts. 

 

Jessiman, Brendl, Lundmark, McIlrath over Tank, Sanguenetti over Giroux, Andersson, Kravtsov...and then the bad luck, Cherepanov and Kakko. This team has taken big swings and whiffed more than a lot of others. 

 

If they drafted better, those other seasons of opportunity might not have been misses. 

Cherepanov. Man, that’s another one that stings. Guy was doing shit in Russia similar to guys like Bure and Kovalchuk. So unfortunate.

 

He would be like 35 now. Had it worked out, good chance he would still be on this current Ranger team. Things may be looking different.

Edited July 31 by RichieNextel305

[Ozzy]

51 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said:

Cherepanov. Man, that’s another one that stings. Guy was doing shit in Russia similar to guys like Bure and Kovalchuk. So unfortunate.

 

He would be like 35 now. Had it worked out, good chance he would still be on this current Ranger team. Things may be looking different.

 

Yeah, I gotta go with this one too!  That was absolutely heartbreaking.  This case wins out for me by far.

[Br4d]

I think the biggest missed opportunity was trading Brad Park plus for Phil Esposito.  Our defense basically sucked defensively for 4 seasons after that deal.  We took a big step down from being a contender to being an also-ran.  It was the beginning of an era where the Rangers were always promoting and rarely winning.

[Sod16]

2 hours ago, Br4d said:

I think the biggest missed opportunity was trading Brad Park plus for Phil Esposito.  Our defense basically sucked defensively for 4 seasons after that deal.  We took a big step down from being a contender to being an also-ran.  It was the beginning of an era where the Rangers were always promoting and rarely winning.

We were no longer a contender when the trade was made.  Our defense and goaltending had been declining for years, we had barely made the playoffs on the last day the year before, and we had gotten off to a terrible start when the trade was made.  Still a bad trade, but not really a missed opportunity.

 

I interpret the question to be your personal missed opportunity as a fan as opposed to the Rangers missed opportunity while you were a fan.  I'd say missing the famous 9 goal game to get in the playoffs in 1970.  It looked so bleak that I went on a nature outing that day.

 

Two points come up as the Rangers biggest missed opportunity.  First, losing a one goal game in the semis in Chicago in 1971 with the path to the cup clear after Boston had been upset.   (I've discussed this with Uncle Larry who very much agrees).  Second, blowing a late 3-1 lead on the Ron Francis 80 footer when a win would have put up 3-1 in 1992 with nothing but inferior teams after that series between us and the cup.

[Albatrosss]

12 hours ago, RichieNextel305 said:

We’ve come a long way since the Dark Era. I really remember getting into hockey a lot during the 96-97 season. It was when I started watching every game religiously with my grandpa and my uncle. It’s when I went to my first few games. Even got to a playoff game vs. New Jersey that year. We were 3 years removed from a Cup, we had Wayne Gretzky centering our SECOND LINE. It was a really sweet intro to the sport that would soon conquer my life.

 

And then…..nothing. Emptiness. This team sucked every fucking way you possibly could for the next 8 years. They brought in bad players. Has beens. Superstars who came to collect a check and go home.

 

Then, we lost a year. And in the door before that lost year walked a motivated Jaromir Jagr and a fresh faced Hank. And honestly, since then, this franchise has had some memorable years. The Sweet Caroline Rangers that almost won a division. The Black and Blueshirts. The AV-led Rangers who almost went to back to back Cups. We’ve seen division titles. Presidents Trophies. A Conference Championship. Many trips to the Conference Finals. More Game 7’s than any of us could have ever possibly hoped for.

 

All of that. But sadly, no Cup. No night to party. No winning the last game of the season, popping the champagne and watching the team we all love so much circle the ice with the best trophy in all of sports. 
 

So my question is this: of all of our close calls, of all of our “we were right there” moments and seasons, which one is the one do you personally have above all as the one that makes you physically sick to your stomach?

 

For me, and I’ve said this many times, I go back to 2012. Listen, they all hurt. But this one is the one that really bothers me the most. Henrik was better than he ever was or would be. Same for Gaborik. Same for Callahan. Richards was at his Broadway best. The young defense really came of age. Everyone bought into Tortorella. He was right in that sweet spot where teams are really listening to him before eventually tuning him out. I think what stung the most was losing to the Devils. I hate them, I think, more than I hate the Islanders. It was a good Devils team, I’m not saying it wasn’t. But we were better. We were deeper. Henrik owned that team. The issue was the exhaustion. We let Ottawa and Washington hold on way too long. Once we saw NJ, the gas tank was on E and that team was hungry to eat us alive. And they did. They had a hatred for us that we couldn’t match. And an intensity. It really sucked to see such an incredible season end that way, with that goofy, fair weather fanbase chirping away as the season ended.

 

I still stand by my line of thinking that if we did what we had to do against a truly inferior Ottawa team and then buried Washington earlier, we beat the Devils and then I truly think we get by a Kings team that was hot, but was, like us, learning how to win too. Going into a potential Final with them in 2012, the experience factor wouldn’t have been there the way it was in 2014.

 

Thats just how I see it.

 

So, what about you? Which year really sticks in your memory as a missed opportunity? I know I’m gonna see a lot of 2014 and 2015. I figured I’d change it up a bit.

i cant remember that far back, so I will just say "last season".  I think we would've had a real shot at the cup if Drury traded for some talent at the trade deadline.  Settling for two retards in Roslovic and Wennberg really blew our chances.  

[Valriera]

Last season. Ultimately the team was good enough to win the cup, clearly. We lost to a great Florida team, but we left a lot on the table. 

[Jdog99]

Game 1 vs. Kings...about the 3 minute mark left in the first...we're already up 2-0...coming down the ice with an odd man rush and barely miss scoring a goal to go up 3-0...instead the kings score before the end of the period. of course they end up taking game 1.

 

If we score that 3rd goal, its a different game, one that we likely win...and then likely a different series.

 

So a single unexecuted play that could've been the difference between winning and losing the cup.

 

Perhaps an exaggeration though given we were mostly dominated in that series.

[Bugg]

On 7/31/2024 at 11:49 AM, Br4d said:

I think the biggest missed opportunity was trading Brad Park plus for Phil Esposito.  Our defense basically sucked defensively for 4 seasons after that deal.  We took a big step down from being a contender to being an also-ran.  It was the beginning of an era where the Rangers were always promoting and rarely winning.

They got to a Finals in 1979. Espo was a big part of that.

 

What is fair is if you weigh Middleton+ Park+ Ratelle > Espo+Vadnais+Hodge

 

Some have contended Espo showed up and read the riot act to the country club and that was a big reason why Gilbert, who was the same age as Espo,  retired almost immediately. And that Middleton in NY was a big part of the party animals in NYC. Can say Ferguson was an inferior GM to either Emile Francis or Fred Shero. 

[RichieNextel305]

53 minutes ago, Jdog99 said:

Game 1 vs. Kings...about the 3 minute mark left in the first...we're already up 2-0...coming down the ice with an odd man rush and barely miss scoring a goal to go up 3-0...instead the kings score before the end of the period. of course they end up taking game 1.

 

If we score that 3rd goal, its a different game, one that we likely win...and then likely a different series.

 

So a single unexecuted play that could've been the difference between winning and losing the cup.

 

Perhaps an exaggeration though given we were mostly dominated in that series.

I don’t think we were dominated. We had a lead in every game of that series except Game 3. We had a 2 goal lead in 3 of the 5 games. The Kings just had the know-how that we didn’t.

[LindG1000]

1 hour ago, Jdog99 said:

Game 1 vs. Kings...about the 3 minute mark left in the first...we're already up 2-0...coming down the ice with an odd man rush and barely miss scoring a goal to go up 3-0...instead the kings score before the end of the period. of course they end up taking game 1.

 

If we score that 3rd goal, its a different game, one that we likely win...and then likely a different series.

 

So a single unexecuted play that could've been the difference between winning and losing the cup.

 

Perhaps an exaggeration though given we were mostly dominated in that series.

 

I'll riff on this. If McDonagh didn't break Zuccarello's head.

[4EverRangerFrank]

My biggest missed opportunity was getting married in ‘94 on the day of the parade. I thought that I could take the train into Manhattan, waive to the boys and make it back up for the wedding at 6. My (soon-to-be) wife knew me better. She knew if I went to the parade that I’d be shit-twisted for the wedding. She predicted correctly. 

[siddious]

20 minutes ago, 4EverRangerFrank said:

My biggest missed opportunity was getting married in ‘94 on the day of the parade. I thought that I could take the train into Manhattan, waive to the boys and make it back up for the wedding at 6. My (soon-to-be) wife knew me better. She knew if I went to the parade that I’d be shit-twisted for the wedding. She predicted correctly. 

Reminds me of a guy I used to play pickup hockey with.

For years we had a great group of dudes who would play Sunday morning from 9am-2pm. Always a great turn out and good competition. One week a guys like “hey I might have to leave early…. I’m getting married at 3pm”

 

Guy put on his tux on the bench and headed straight to the church

[Sod16]

4 hours ago, 4EverRangerFrank said:

My biggest missed opportunity was getting married in ‘94 on the day of the parade

Me too  I worked at the corner of Broadway and Wall and my office window opened and faced Broadway, allowing for dumping paper etc.  I had to go to Houston on business that day.

[Keirik]

The biggest "missed opportunity" in my opinion was not winning a cup while Lundqvist was our goalie. If there ever was a Ranger that flat out deserved a cup, it was him hands down. 

 

It's insane to think he never won one. 

 

[BrooksBurner]

Biggest missed opportunity was not picking a different team as a kid. I’m stuck for life with a losing franchise now

[LindG1000]

1 minute ago, BrooksBurner said:

Biggest missed opportunity was not picking a different team as a kid. I’m stuck for life with a losing franchise now

I think I speak for most of us when I say that we resoundingly agree that you should have picked a different team.

[BrooksBurner]

1 hour ago, LindG1000 said:

I think I speak for most of us when I say that we resoundingly agree that you should have picked a different team.

[Br4d]

3 hours ago, BrooksBurner said:

Biggest missed opportunity was not picking a different team as a kid. I’m stuck for life with a losing franchise now

 

It could be worse.  You could have picked the Jets over the Giants due to a twice crippled QB who won a Super Bowl before you picked them.  Then you could have watched 50 seasons of putrid play before coming to your senses.

 

The Rangers have been easy to watch by comparison even though they're the third most successful team (measured in Stanley Cups) of the three in the tri-state area.

[Parsley]

Finals vs. the Kings. Nightmares til this day. Could have easily won games 1 and 2. 

[BrooksBurner]

55 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

It could be worse.  You could have picked the Jets over the Giants due to a twice crippled QB who won a Super Bowl before you picked them.  Then you could have watched 50 seasons of putrid play before coming to your senses.

 

The Rangers have been easy to watch by comparison even though they're the third most successful team (measured in Stanley Cups) of the three in the tri-state area.

Very true. I’m batting 2 for 4. Giants and Yankees. Rangers and Knicks. Knicks might be close though 

[Scott]

2 hours ago, BrooksBurner said:

Very true. I’m batting 2 for 4. Giants and Yankees. Rangers and Knicks. Knicks might be close though 

Gotta hand it to the Knicks the one thing I don't think they can be accused of very rarely if ever is leaving anything on the table.  

[Albatrosss]

59 minutes ago, Scott said:

Gotta hand it to the Knicks the one thing I don't think they can be accused of very rarely if ever is leaving anything on the table.  

Unlike the rangers?