
A single moment in time. It can mean so much, yet so little. Something as monstrous as the creation of a universe, or something as miniscule as a drop of water collecting on a leaf. It was such a moment in time that a small, black object began to fall. The puck came down for what seemed like an eternity, although in actuality it was merely a second or two. However, once it hit the cold hard surface, covered in snow grated off of the surface of the ice, slicked with sweat dripping from the grown men waiting feverishly for the most important moment in their lives, that small rubber disc spawned a clash of two pieces of wood, both vying for the right to win the puck for their owner, to win the puck for their team, to win the puck for their city, to win the puck for their country. As the puck fluttered harmlessly to the side, an entire arena full of people suddenly came into being. An insurmountable burden had been lifted, and after 54 long years, the Stanley Cup had returned to New York City.
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In 1989, Neil Smith was hired as the general manager of the New York Rangers. He inherited a team with young stars Mike Richter and Brian Leetch, but much work needed to be done before the Rangers were Cup contenders. Sergei Zubov was drafted in 1990 to complete the defensive tandem with Leetch. In 1991, Smith acquired both Mark Messier and Adam Graves, key components to the Rangers’ playoff picture, and at the trade deadline of the 93-94 season, the Rangers acquired Craig McTavish and Glenn Anderson from the Oilers, to push for another Presidents’ Trophy. The team cruised past the Isles and Caps, and after falling behind to the Devils, 3-2, Captain Mark Messier made his famous guarantee, and scored three goals in the third period, along with Stephane Matteau’s epic double overtime goal in game seven, as the Rangers went on to win the next two games, and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, in hopes of breaking the curse that haunted Rangers fans everywhere they went.
Although the Canucks won the first game in New York in OT, the Rangers bounced back. They won the second game at home, and the next two in Vancouver. The Rangers then came back home, hoping to win the Cup in front of the New York faithful for the first time ever. However, the Canucks took an early 3-0 lead. Just as soon as the Rangers tied it up in the 3rd, the Canucks fired back and won the game, 6-3. The Canucks brought the series back home and pounded the Rangers 4-1, sending the Rangers reeling and pressuring them at home in the always magical game seven. Leetch and Graves sent blue up 2-0, although Trevor Linden punched one past goalie Mike Richter to halve the lead. Messier then scored on a power play, but Trevor Linden cut the lead yet again. The Rangers then proceeded to kill time, frantically dumping the puck into the Canucks zone with mere seconds left, as the players began the motion of jumping off of the bench and racing towards Richter. However, the referee called icing with a second and a tenth left, and the celebration was cut short.
As the puck dropped on the final play, Craig McTavish knocked it away, and Madison Square Garden simply burst. A 54-year curse had been broken, and New York City was in all its glory. Brian Leetch was named the first American born and non-Canadian born player to win the Conn Smythe, and Mark Messier had captained two different teams to Stanley Cup championships. It was the defining moment in Rangers history.
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