Why we hate the Islanders (a history lesson)
By Steve Paulus
New York Rangers fans were happy that the Islanders were crushed by the Lightning 8-3. Here’s why.
The Islanders were demolished by the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday night. The final score was 8-3 , a very satisfying result for many longtime Blueshirts fans. While that could be seen as poor sportsmanship or just being mean spirited, there is a reason why fans of the New York Rangers hate the Islanders.
This article is meant for anyone who was born after 1975. If you are 45 or younger, you may pity the New York Islanders since they have endured almost three decades of ineptitude. But Ranger fans have long memories and anyone who lived through the early 1980s will know what I am talking about. Fans older that 45 can read on and shudder as we relive those bad highlights.
Blue Line Station recently conducted a Twitter poll asking what was better, the 22nd overall first round pick and the Islanders advancing or the 23rd overall pick and the Islanders losing. The results were unexpectedly close.
Ugh, what a choice! The Rangers get the 22nd overall pick if the Islanders win their series against the Flyers. The pick drops to 23rd overall if the Islanders lose. Which do you prefer? Is moving up one position in the 1st round worth seeing the Fishsticks move on?
— Blue Line Station (@BlueLineStation) September 5, 2020
54.4% of the 193 folks who voted were in favor of see the Islanders lose, but it also meant that almost half were okay with the Islanders winning and moving on to the Conference Finals, one step from the Finals. Sure, it meant moving up one slot in the draft, but really?
Why the hatred for the Islanders? In the early 1980s the Islanders tormented the Rangers while winning four straight Stanley Cups in the process. No matter how well the Rangers played they inevitably would run into the Islanders dynasty and their season would come crashing to a halt. Four straight years, from 1981 to 1984, the Islanders ended the Rangers’ season. It was awful.