from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,
This is the kind of showdown for which Hockey New York, New York hungers. It is the Rangers and Islanders competing for a playoff spot in a race that very well may go into the final week of the season.
But don’t blink when these two clubs hook up at the Garden on Thursday. Because this will mark the final meeting between the clubs this season under a broken NHL schedule matrix that minimizes intra-divisional matchups.
Three is all we get this season. Three installments of the Battle of New York. Count’ em: three, which means not one over the nearly four months remaining in the season after the Islanders had taken the first two meetings within two weeks bridging October and November.
But that’s not all (well). For when the Rangers play in New Jersey on Jan. 7, that will mark three-and-out for the 2022-23 Battle of the Hudson in a year in which these two teams are competing for a tournament berth.
The absurdity of the NHL schedule matrix knows no bounds.
Isles blew this game in our home arena. (I heard on the broadcast NYI had won something like 18 of last 23 games at MSG - but too lazy to fact check it) NYI Still won the season series 2-1 but the Isles did not trail until that winning Rags goal with less than 3 mins in regulation.
That said - it is criminal that NYI only has 3 games each vs the Rag$ and Devils. These games are so spirited and the NJD/NYR games are often doozies as well. It hurts more than losing to Toronto. It also seems a waste to have a NYR/NYI game at this time of the calendar. Because the college kids are home for Christmas - makes sense to schedule a non-rival game for a DEC 22 tilt. That game will sell out in all 3 buildings - even if the teams are not good at the time. Have rivalry games in OCT / January and April spread it out!
This is a game when Trotz would have locked it down. The Isles have a good team - but so are 11 other teams in the conference who I feel have a shot at a spot (DRW are one of them) But getting back to the point of the article - I would like to see 5 or 6 games vs. division rivals. And 6 games each between the Isles/Devs and Rag$. Saturday Night rival games at the old Coliseum followed by a Sunday Night rematch at the Garden/Byrne Arena were to my youth what Hockey Night in Canada with TOR v MTL games must be like in Canada. The buzz is there in the building for all those games and the league would do well to enhance that going forward. Every year - MLB always schedules 4 or 6 games (home and home) with the Mets and Yanks. It is wise business.
Having all 3 Metro area teams in the playoffs would not suck! I wonder if it has ever happened?
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