New York Rangers’ fans have received plenty of criticism for failing to support the team on Sunday night. That’s missing the point.
When I arrived at the New York Rangers’ first home playoff game of the year, their home struggles from 2015-2016 meant nothing to me. I did not think of past issues with goal scoring, or how New York had been booed before.
I heard Baba O’Reilly blaring through the Madison Square Garden speakers. All I could see was a sea of white towels waiving around me. Goosebumps ran down my arm and reminded me why I love hockey so much. I was set for the second post-season game of my life, and I thought nothing could ruin the high.
Then the Rangers started playing. If we can call it that. The first period included mostly the Montreal Canadiens earning some alright chances on Henrik Lundqvist, but failing to score. The crowd stayed into it despite the lack of chances by the Rangers, assuming a feeling out process was happening.
However, when the second period began and the Rangers sat back even more, the crowd followed the Rangers’ lead. As New York failed to control the puck, the fans found nothing to cheer for. Henrik Lundqvist was the only player making any noticeable contributions.
We all know the story from there. The Montreal Canadiens gained the lead and never looked back. New York’s fans turned on the team, booing them for their lack of energy. Montreal left the building with a 3-1 win, New York left with questions of why they can’t win in their own building, and why the fans couldn’t make more noise.
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Where Was All The Noise?
I don’t know how it sounded on TV, but admittedly the Garden was quiet for the majority of the night. Once the Rangers showed they weren’t going to change their style of play in the second period, the fans were left with nothing to cheer for.
We attempted to manufacture some noise through various “Let’s Go Rangers” chants. Henrik Lundqvist gained his fair share of “HENRIK” chants, well deserved compliments for his heroics. But every time the fans thought they had something to cheer for, the Rangers quieted the crowd.
The close calls were limited. The zone entries were non-existent. New York’s speed took Easter off, while the skill had other plans last night. It was like watching ice skating tutorials rather than watching hockey.
But throughout it all, we wanted to cheer. Every time a Ranger picked up the puck, the crowd sat ready to erupt. But New York turned it over, made a pass into an empty spot, or allowed the Canadiens to gain control. The tremors turned into silence, and eventually into boos.
Blaming the fans for the team’s ineptitude even on the smallest scale is an act of lunacy. The fans paid at least $150 to watch professionals play a sport for a living. This was our escape. The professionals did not do their jobs.
I’d have loved nothing more than to have been responsible for the Rangers winning a hockey game. Trust me, I tried. I tried “Let’s Go Rangers” chants and I even yelled some advice to Alain Vigneault at one point. He did not hear me.
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Fans do not create scoring chances. Fans do not push the pace of the game. We wanted to be loud. We all went to the arena expecting to be loud.
The Rangers performed a magic trick on Easter and turned their fans into crickets. Perhaps next time they can try playing with the puck for a few minutes and seeing what happens.