I started becoming a Ranger fan in 1993 or so, mostly because my Dad is an Islander fan and I was a brat. So here I am today, a Ranger fan. He’s still an Islander fan, although he admittedly doesn’t follow as closely as he used to. We still try to go to at least one Isles/Rangers game per year, though.

I started become a fan during the best time to be a Ranger fan. The Rangers were about to win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. The team had great players that would become legends. I didn’t understand the concept of gutting the team for a Cup run, and I wondered why the 1995 version was so terrible in comparison.

The 1997 run to the Conference Final was almost as magical as the Cup run in 1994, if only because it was so unexpected. The Wayne Gretzky hat trick. The five game demolition of the Devils. So much fun to watch. Yea the Legion of Doom broke the Rangers, but it was still fun up until that point.

Then came the dark ages. From 1998-2004, the Rangers were a laughing stock. There were $80 million rosters and no playoff appearances. They weren’t even close. They were a train wreck. Finally, in 2004, the team was gutted and the rebuild started.

This trip down memory lane started because of an observation I saw on Twitter the other day, and restated in Adam Herman’s eulogy of the Rangers: There is an entire generation of Ranger fans that have never seen this team as a “bad” team. Most born after the 1994 Cup run may be too young to really remember how bad the Rangers were until after the lockout.

We expected that 2005-2006 season to be a disaster. What was an aging Jaromir Jagr going to do? Michael Nylander? Really? Martin Straka is still in the league? Who the eff is Marek Malik? Kevin Weekes is the goalie? May as well bring back Mike Dunham.

But then the unexpected happened. A kid by the name of Henrik Lundqvist, a budding generational talent, stole the starting job from Weekes. Straka-Nylander-Jagr was the most dynamic line we’ve seen since the GAG line (admittedly before my time). Jagr broke records. Hank began setting records. The Rangers made the playoffs. It didn’t matter to me that they got crushed by the Devils. They made the playoffs.

They did the same thing in 2007. Except this time they had a cupcake matchup as the #6 seed, facing the Southeast Division champion Atlanta Thrashers. I was in my first year of grad school. When Jagr sealed Game Four with his empty netter, I almost broke my neck celebrating. That run, though, was cut short. Stupid Chris Drury.

Brendan Shanahan arrived that offseason, making the Rangers deeper. They finished as the #4 seed, and had another date with the Devils in the playoffs. Sean Avery made his presence felt. His attempts to screen Martin Brodeur led to the “Avery Rule.” Little known fact: The Rangers lost that game, the only one they’d lose that series. Then they ran into the Penguins.

The 2009 playoffs were horrible. The Rangers blew a 3-1 lead and lost to the Caps. Stupid Donald Brashear. I’m still convinced that late and dirty hit on Blair Betts was the reason why the Rangers lost the series.

2010…..skip. Stupid Olli Jokinen. (It’s not his fault by any means, but he’s the scapegoat for missing the shootout attempt.)

The 2011 playoffs gave me the greatest experience at a playoff game to date. I was in the crowd for “Can You Hear Us?” It was great, until the third period. I was so shell shocked by the result that I didn’t move after Jason Chimera’s goal. Security actually told me to leave. True story – ask Becky. She was at the game with me.

It wasn’t until 2012 when it all started coming together. The Rangers overachieved for most of the season, but then they made their run. Dan Girardi’s slapper from what felt like the hash marks to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead in Game Seven against Ottawa. Marian Gaborik’s 3OT winner against Washington. Joel Ward’s bone-headed high sticking penalty. Brad Richards and 6.6 seconds. Marc Staal’s winner. Stupid Adam Henrique.

The 2013 playoffs had a similar feel. A seven game win over the Caps. Too bad the Leafs pulled a Leafs and blew the three goal lead against Boston. They rode that momentum to the Cup Final. The Rangers didn’t even stand a chance.

Oh my what fun 2014 was. Dan Carcillo and his heroics against Philly. Coming back from down 3-1 against Pittsburgh. Martin St. Louis’ courage and emotional spark that propelled the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers lost in five, but four of those games went to OT. It could have been a lot different.

Then came 2015, which we now realize was the beginning of the end for the Rangers. A five game win over the Penguins. A dramatic comeback against the Caps. Down 3-1 in the series, Ryan McDonagh wins Game Five. Chris Kreider scores a pair in the first in Game Six. Derek Stepan wins it in 2OT in Game Seven. But then came the Tampa series. The first time Henrik Lundqvist lost a Game Seven at home.

The Blueshirts were humiliated in the 2016 playoffs. Then got lucky in the 2017 playoffs, getting an easy matchup against Montreal in the first round. They blew their chance to beat another easy matchup against Ottawa, as the roster holes and poor coaching started to take its toll.

The Rangers are heading in a direction that an entire generation has never seen before, and one that is all too familiar for the majority of the fan base. The 2004 fire sale was needed, but also gut wrenching. We are going to see fan favorites move on, and we should expect that they won’t return. We might see another legend moved. The generation older that I certainly has more heartache and has seen their fair share of legends get traded.

Selling at the deadline is a tough but necessary move for a club that needs to retool desperately. The club in front of them is slow and indecisive with the puck, two things that don’t work in today’s NHL. Add on some bad contracts, and you have a team that needs to reset. The team won’t tank, but it’ll look somewhat similar.

It’s been 12 straight seasons of great Rangers hockey. There are memories that I’ll have forever. I’m looking forward to the new generation of kids that will get this club another Cup. Thanks for everything, 2005-2018 Rangers.

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