Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
It is a big game day for the New York Rangers today, as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers in game six. The Rangers can move on to round two with a win tonight, with the Rangers currently leading the series three games to two. The Flyers versus Rangers rivalry has taken on a new level of intensity this year. Both teams won two regular season games and an intense post-season chance to fight for the Stanley Cup. The close fight for home ice advantage in the Metropolitan Division in the 2013-2014 season along with the history between these two teams has led to an intense battle between these two teams.
The Broadway vs Broad Street rivalry has been in the making for years, starting out in 1974 when the Rangers fell to the Flyers in the Semifinals, in game seven after taking a too many men on the ice penalty in the closing minutes. Five years later, the Rangers took revenge on the Flyers, winning their post-season meeting in only five games and outscored the Flyers 28-8. In 1980, the Flyers and Rangers met again in playoffs, making it the third time in eight years the two teams met. This time, the Flyers eliminated the Rangers in a 4-1 series of games, and only fueling the bitter rivalry between these two teams.
The 1980’s may have been the biggest rivalry era for the Flyers and Rangers, meeting. in the playoffs six times in seven years, and in consecutive years from 1985-1987. In the five games from 1982-1987, the Rangers took three of the series, and in 1983 the Rangers swept the Flyers in a 3-0 series. In the following meeting of the two teams in the battle for Patrick Division Champion in 1985 the Flyers took revenge against the Rangers and swept them with a 3-0 game series. In the 20 years since the 1987 meeting between the Ranges and Flyers in the battle for the Stanley cup, they met only three times; 1987, 1995 and 1997 and in all of those series the Rangers have lost to the Flyers. The current post-season meeting is the first one in 17 years, but as you can tell has a long-standing history.
Not only are the previous meetings between the two teams a reason for the rivalry, but also the players have a rivalry between them. More specifically, Daniel Carcillo and his history with the Flyers. Carcillo played for the Flyers from 2008 to 2011, when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks who moved him to the LA Kings before he became a New York Ranger on January 4 of this year. Carcillo has proven to be a fighter. He has 87 fights and 92 points in his NHL career, and has only added fuel to the fire concerning the battle between the Flyers and Rangers. Carcillo and Wayne Simmonds, of the Philadelphia Flyers, have had multiple confrontations both in regular season and in playoff season, the most memorable one being on January 12 when the NBC microphone picked up some colorful words flying between the two players. Carcillo had some key moments in the game last Tuesday, including a debatable third period penalty, a goal, and an epic celebration afterwards.
The battle between these two teams continues tonight with game six, but won’t stop there. You can count on this rivalry only heating up in the upcoming seasons and hopefully leading to some great hockey between the two teams. Well that’s all I’ve got today folks. Enjoy the rest of the day and remember LETS GO RANGERS!