On May 8 in NYR history: Messier’s 100th playoff goal

What happened on May 8 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 1995, Mark Messier scored the 100th playoff goal of his glorious career in the New York Rangers’ 8-3 win over the  Quebec Nordiques in the second game of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals.  The game was in Quebec in a series won in six games by the Rangers.

Messier scored on the power play midway through the second period to give New York a 4-1 lead.

Messier became the third player in NHL history to scored 100 playoff goals, joining Wayne Gretzy and Jari Kurri, his Edmonton Oilers teammates.  Messier would finish with 109 goals, the second most in NHL history  behind Gretzky.

Graves gets punished

in 1992 on this date the NHL handed down the penalty for his slash that broke Mario Lemieux’s wrist in Game Two of the Rangers’ Patrick Division Finals series with the Penguins.  Grave had been given a two minute minor penalty, but after a hearing with NHL Executive Vice President Brian O’Neill, the was suspended for four games.

The suspension would begin with Game Four of the series.  The Rangers had a 2-1 lead when Graves was suspended and would not win another game in the series, losing in six games.

The Penguins were irate that he didn’t get a stiffer penalty, but he league ruled that the slash was “not deemed as a deliberate attempt to injure.”  They did say that it “fell into the category of being extremely reckless and careless,” and that was the reason for the suspension.

A Hart Trophy for Rayner

On this date in 1950, Rangers goalie Chuck Rayner won the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player.   The trophy is awarded to the player judged to be most valuable to his team and Rayner certainly fulfilled that category, taking the Blueshirts to Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final.

Rayner was a Second Team All-Star for the fourth place Rangers, finishing fourth in the league in goals against average (2.62) and shutouts (6).

He was the second Ranger to win the Hart following Buddy O’Connor in 1948.  He is one of only seven NHL goalies to win the Hart Trophy and was the second to do it in NHL history, the first since Roy Worters of the New York Americans in 1929.

Today’s birthdays

There have been 22 NHL players born on May 8 including three who have played for the New York Rangers.

Kevin Hayes was born on this date in 1992 in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  Now with Philadelphia Flyers, Hayes was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, but became a free agent out of Boston College and signed with the Blueshirts in 2014.   He spent five years in New York before being traded to Winnipeg at the deadline in 2019.   He signed a big contract with the Flyers that summer.

Jussi Markkanen was born on May 8, 1975 in  Imatra, Finland.  Drafted by Edmonton in the fifth round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.  He became a Ranger when he was traded to New York for Brian Leetch, yes, Brian Leetch.   It was a strategic move for both teams The Rangers got a backup goal in Markkanen and signed Leetch when he became a free agent that summer.  The OIlers got a compensatory pick when Leetch (their property) was signed by New York.  Markkanen played most of the season with the Rangers before he was traded back to Edmonton along with Petr Nedved for Dwight Helminen, Steve Valiquette and a draft pick.

Corey Locke was a center who was born on this date in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. Drafted by Montreal in 2003, he played one game for the Habs in 2008 before signing as a free gent with the Rangers in he summer of 2009.  He spent most of the 2009-10 season in Hartford, appearing in three games with the Rangers.  He signed the next season with Ottawa as a free agent and finished his career in Europe.

The numbers

The Rangers have never lost on May 8, winning all five playoff games that they have played on this date.

Playoff games: 5
Wins: 4
Losses: 0
Overtime wins: 1
Winning percentage: 100%