from Neil Best of Newsday,

Savor this, Rangers fans, because nothing like it ever has happened before.

The team's near-total takeover of the modern New York-area sports media agenda has been remarkable to behold for those of us in the minority of Americans who recognize hockey as the best spectator sport.

1994? Sorry, no. As memorable a ride as that was, the Rangers had to share the stage with the Knicks.

1979? Sorry, no. As much as the Rangers-Islanders semifinal riveted the region, followed by the Rangers facing the Canadiens in the Final, it happened 27 years before Twitter, eight years before WFAN and three months before ESPN.

This is unprecedented, and it is reflected not only in talk radio buzz but also in TV ratings.

So jazzed is New York that an average of 3.7 percent of area homes watched Game 7 of Kings-Blackhawks Sunday, nearly as high a rating as the 4.8 in Los Angeles. (Chicago averaged a 22.7 for Game 7, by the way, which is why Blackhawks-Blueshirts would have been even better for NBC.)

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