What Else Will the New York Rangers Borrow from the New Jersey Devils?

I was on youtube this past week, when I came across the single most ridiculous comment I think I have ever read in my entire life. 

I was looking for an HQ version of Jason Arnott’s Game 6, 2000 Stanley Cup Final game winning OT goal, when I stumbled across an argument between Devils and Rangers fans, on a blog supposed to be celebrating the New Jersey Devils 2000 Stanley Cup Finals victory over the Dallas Stars. 

Imagine an argument between Devil and Ranger fans on a blog site meant to celebrate a cup victory!   

Although I certainly do not want to tar all Ranger fans with the same ludicrous brush, there was one comment in particular that I felt was representative of not only the New York Ranger’s lowest level fans, but Neil Smith, and Ranger organization’s excuse making during this same period. 

To make my point I feel its best I reprint the comment in its entirety.

“I’d rather lose and play exciting hockey than win and play this $%$^&*^ trap.  The Devils bored the league to death and were a nobody team.  At least our games were fun to watch. Gretz, Bure, Lindros and co. played some serious barn burning hockey.” 

My claim that I’d found the single stupidest comment every placed on a NHL message board or blog sound hyperbolic now?   

When I first read the comment I did a double take, as I was certain I hadn’t read, what I’d in fact just read.  But there it was, staring at me, begging for my attention. This fan, calling himself something along the lines of the Ranger Menace, claimed that he’d preferred failure while playing quote exciting hockey, than success while playing, quote boring hockey. 

He obviously also preferred his team finishing behind the Devils each of the past 13 seasons; preferred his team’s failure to make the playoffs seven straight seasons during the period immediately preceding the lockout, and their inability on even one occasion to make it past the Eastern Conference semis, since their 1994 Cup win.  

But I suppose making the playoffs 12 straight seasons, 14 of 15, advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals on four occasions out of a possible 9, taking 3 Cups during that period, and being considered the second most successful NHL franchise of the past 20 years or so, also pales in comparison to playing exciting hockey, or should I say barn burning hockey the 90’s blue shirts played. 

Devils fans have lots to be jealous about! We were certainly bored to death winning all those cups. If the definition of a nobody team, is one that wins championships, then I suppose we were just that.  

I’d have dismissed this comment, till I saw how many fellow Ranger fans agreed with the post.     
 
After reading the comments made by a half a dozen or so Devil detractors, I sat down to dinner with my wife, where she, a budding hockey fan in her own right pointed out something quite interesting. 

Not only have the Rangers borrowed a half dozen or so of the Devs home-grown talent over the past decade and a half, they are now playing the same brand of hockey Devils’ management have been preaching for the past two decades.  

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