New York Rangers doing their best to take us all back to a happier place
It’s a MARTY PARTY! We have been treated to some superb and welcome nostalgia by the New York Rangers over the last few days.
With the NHL and the rest of the sporting world on complete lockdown due to the coronavirus, the New York Rangers have taken it upon themselves to satisfy our hockey cravings.
And they have been doing a stellar job.
With no actual games to cover and who knows, maybe we would have been gearing up for the playoffs right now, the Blueshirts Media Team have instead taken a trip down memory lane in order to serve the people.
More from Blue Line Station
- Blake Wheeler’s Broadway Calling: Why He Chose the Rangers
- Rangers’ Playoff Redemption Recipe: Grit and Fresh Hopes
- Rangers’ Roster Chatter: Who’s Making the Cut and Who’s in the Penalty Box?
- Jacque Plante Trade Tree Between the Rangers and Canadiens
- These Rangers must learn Peter Laviolette’s ropes before they can fly
In conjunction with the MSG Network, the Rangers have been reliving the incredible and unforgettable Eastern Conference Finals from 2014.
Yes, that series.
It was a period of time that will forever occupy a special place in the heart of all Rangers fans, no matter the vintage.
For a young (I’m old now) Rangers fan at the time and living in the UK, I cling to that breathtaking series against the Montreal Canadiens in 2014.
While The Great One helped ignite my passion for hockey, it was the likes of Martin St. Louis, Dan Girardi and Brad Richards that really helped to fuel my love affair with the Rangers, a deep-rooted passion that began way back around 2008/2009 thanks in part to Brian Boyle of all people.
But it was that crazy Eastern Conference Finals in 2014 that really stands out as one of my favourite memories as a Rangers fan.
Despite not being in The Big Apple at the time or at Madison Square Garden for any of the games, I felt truly connected to the Rangers and my fellow Blueshirts during that series.
It was incredible from start to finish and that feeling of making a long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup Final is one that will be hard to match.
Until, of course, this current vintage led by Igor Shesterkin, Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad take us back to the promised land (hopefully).
And watching the wealth of nostalgia on the Rangers’ Official Twitter feed over the weekend just brought all those beloved memories flooding back.
From THAT save by Henrik Lundqvist to Marty St. Louis’ overtime winner in Game 4 to final seconds of the series-clincher in Game 6, we were treated to some spine-tingling moments that will never leave us.
That’s what made the weekend so special and so meaningful.
With the world in a state of flux right now and things changing on an hour-to-hour basis due to COVID-19, we all need an escape.
For many of us that is sports and, without any actual playoff hockey to look forward to right now, it was a welcome distraction to be able to immerse myself in what was one of the most glorious chapters in the recent history of this storied franchise.
That’s why the Rangers Media Team did such a sterling job too.
Because, not only did they flood social media with a wealth of pictures and videos from that series against the Canadiens that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, but they also took us inside that locker room.
Uploading clips from old favorites such as Dominic Moore and Dan Girardi, we were all given a tantalizing reminder of just how special that group was.
Then, for me, it was more significant to hear from Marty St. Louis who will go down as one of my favorite Rangers of all-time.
He helped to really spark my love for hockey and he was pivotal in that series, displaying the kind of heart and spirit that comes with pulling on that sacred jersey.
It was just special to forget for a moment what is going on in the world right now and instead transport myself back to the glory days of 2014.
Those were special times to be a New York Rangers fan and there will be more special times ahead in the not so distant future.
It’s important we remember that.