1994 NY RANGERS VS. NEW JERSEY

‘THE GUARANTEE’

TRangseruesaresopfnreonmutnhadene1rin9c9pr3er-ae9s4iBnlguleyshriretsstlaerses HE NEW YORK frfaensh boaffsea. pTlahyeOofrfigminisasl. SFiaxilutereamwohna’tsnd’ot . wTohne r“th1ive9a4Sl 0taf”annltesayuoCnnutspairnin5ig4hyoteluyatrsbf.arToshimse. bReatntgeerrsluGcMk Nanedil Sbmetitehrexhpeeaclths fcrloumdesa tcaalpentatiend MlinaerukpMtheastsiienr-, steaarddyegfeonaslteemndanerBMriakne RLiecehttcehr, kZusobpohvoamnodrenebwlulyelianceqruSirerdsgleici scoring winger Steve Larmer.

MIKE RICHTER: (New York Rangers

was inTh1e94p0ri,oarncdhyaomuphioenars,hip

goalie)

“u5Op0Kby,esaionrgsit, 5twh4ae. snE4a5c91hy,”yeteaharersn,ittihteennddss luitptlgeemttionrge aemlitbtlaerlroaussdienrga, anndda tyhoeulsaasyt,f“oWureldl,eOcaKd, eI sw.”aBsun’ttyhoeure own it, because it’s your organizthaatitohnisatnodryyoasurqujoibcktoaschyoanugcean.

MARK MESSIER: (New York Rangers

any team chamNpoiponersshoipn bwyins

captain and center)

wthienmis etolvhesa.vTeheeveornylybowdayyfeyeolu pthraiotriitt’sy thoediroraesspmouncshibaislityheoyr amcanynyffyoecrautrsh, wneehtveeeatrmhce.hrIanitntwgheaadtsrftrehogemard, yfierastryIepalrayIepdla. Iyecadmoer tihnewlaitsht tghaelvsaanmize ftohceutseoafmtrtyointhgetobest oaevfpemarrytbaobfditlyhitefye,sltooilmumtpiaoknre,tsaunrtdeatnhdat year was no different.

The biggest off-season change in New York: hiring ‘Iron’ Mike Keenan, known as the toughest taskmaster coach in hockey.

tKoeoekncaonnwtraoslaofcoevnetroylthgiunyg. Hhe

NEIL SMITH: (New York Rangers GM)

possibly could. was very goOondeaotfwthaestthriandg-s he

RICHTER:

pinrgetotny wa reellp-euatarntieodn. tAhsastowoans myoaurbthleosuagnhdt hsecrmeaigmh,thleosdeidhnis’t. He’d lower his voice, be very yeqxoupuieeatcatdniatdy. Pomlfeafnywtbyheeoenfvoyetonhuegdrivitedimn’ets, phe’odploesoeuhtiasnmdagrebtlepsreatntdy pcaelrlsonal when you didn’t expect

THE ONLY WAY YOU WIN IS TO HAVE TEVHEARTYIBTO’SDYTHFEEIERL RESPONSIBILITY OR PRIORITY – Rangers captain Mark Messier

otitiuc. Iertstwoseiagsnaginfoidcoadmn. taHldyeehkoaeurpdrtepurrstahocna-n maybe we were used to.

It was similar to

BRIAN LEETCH: (New York Rangers

wtwioahnsaatglwoaiendghatwodebhweaecrroden,gftrohoianttgaht-eo

defenseman)

srekalteu.pRtigckhtinawouayr pI rnaocttiicceeds.aI balewstaypsrabcetliiceevseodfManikyecroaanchthe tI’hveyhwade.reTnh’etylownegr, ebufatsyto, aund mexoevceudtingonesatcohpd. Irfilylothuewweareynh’te iwt angtaeind., Hyoeupsutsohpepdedbuatntodndsid on players, myself included, right away, so it made for an interesting start.

There was a level oqfueitxepseacttiastfioedn,twhahticwhais ngeovoedr.

RICHTER:

Because then you have a team that’s working so hard in ptiroanctihcaetatnhde ginamthespsroempaertaim- es

SseTeEmVEedLeAaRsMy.

He always saw you

ER: (New York Rangers

cboenttteinr urainthgetrotghraonwgaenttdinggeto

right winger)

a level and flatlining it for a while. He’s always seen more

iancthuiaslplylasyaewrsinthtahnemthseeplvleasy.ers

I set the objective for the

MIKE KEENAN: (New York Rangers

tehamt oibnjeocutrivfeirwstams teoetwining,tahned

coach)

tefSrhmtoaambnt rliesaDyctaeoCydub1tpu.h.iWleMdhnaaaorthtkiicodgonhemferireingseihtxwetpliyethctoateioxner, tbmutotrheaet nmeeragnysaynodumhoarve qWueahliatydpalaloytooufteoxfpearciehnpcleadyer. oprlabyeersnwtohtohheafdinwalotnhatht eI hCaudp coached before. So they knew I wasn’t going to let up, but that Ianwdoguilvdebteheremspaencotfpupl orfttuhneimty taondmmakaektehteiarmowadnjaudstjumsetmntesnts cAoDllAeMctiGveRlyAVwEhSe:n(NweweYhorakdRatnoge. A lot of times when

rs

opponents came in, we were

left winger)

uthpebeynad coofuthpelesgeocaolnsdbpefeorrioed, because we came out of the

ogaf tehatnwd aresallmy ipnldaysedt .thPatrt iwt awsadsebvreoloupghedt ,inanbdy pMairkteo, f bcoeucapuleseshyioftuskwnerwe,ni’ft ywohuartftirhsety tnoeeodtheedrtpolbayee, rhse. would move

Keenan was tough, but he was a perfect fit for the Rangers, particularly because he jived with Messier. Never before had a captain understood Keenan’s philosophy so well.

I had experience coaching him in the Canada

KEENAN:

aACnundpd,atbhtoertunhs, tiwnle1’vd9e8lb7wuiailtnhadeb1ao9cnh9d1. Iotdhiderhanvde amveornygismt tphoertaenamt . irafebhllaetitohnocsuohgmihpmtwwuinethihchatidmetw.oHimtehawmkaees hsoemsiteaandtjtuostemllemntes.. He wasn’t

He came in with a mission and a vision and really

MESSIER:

scfreaotmtphtebhyceosfuihroswtedifnaoygr touhfsetartaepiaanmriandge down the ‘Canyon of Heroes.’

There was no hockey psoarIasdheo, wnoedfoaobt agsebfraollmpa1r9a4d0e,,

KEENAN:

what it would look like if we wreolynoin Na eYwanYkoereks.’ Wcheahmapdiotonship parade.

The Rangers dominate the first half of the regular season, but Keenan isn’t satisfied with his group of players. He worries the team isn’t built to win in the playoffs, so he pressures Smith to make major changes. At the trade deadline, in a flurry of activity never before seen and not seen since, Smith turns a firstplace team on its head. He trades young sniper Tony Amonte to Chicago for grinders Stephane Matteau and Brian Noonan; sends Todd Marchant to Edmonton for faceoff specialist Craig MacTavish; and, in the biggest shocker, deals Mike Gartner to Toronto for Glenn Anderson in a swap of future Hall of Famers.

It’s like men and Christmas shopping. When SMITH: dgioftyso?uOgnoCohurtisatnmdabs uEyvey,oruigrht? Bfwoehrcesanoumsyeoeuyo’onrue ,gwyeoatnutitngtgeotsmtohmaekebetehssiutnrge wdehailc.hYopula’rce whasittinhge tboigsgeest sale and then, finally, you decide. This is what happened in the NHL.

THEY REALLY LIKED OUR TEAM, DIDN’T THEY? THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 10 OF US. THE REST? GONE – Rangers goalie Glenn Healy

Keenan kept saying, “Don’t be seduced by our RICHTER: success, the playoffs are a different ballgame, you need the toughness, you need the depth, you need the experience.” He was very clear about that. Neil had to pull the trigger at some point. The easier thing would have been to do nothing. We lost some great players and great people, but we added great players and people that bfiittwbhetattewr. e needed perhaps a

I really encouraged NI keniletwo mthaekpelathyoersse,tsroadtheast, awnads KEENAN: a big advantage, because we cfoarmues,uwphwicithhwoanseacovmerpyleimteploinr-e tant line: Matteau, MacTavish and Noonan. I had coached

against Craig before in the Cup final against Edmonton. I knew ahnimd, aonf dcohuisrswe,oIrkcoaancdhehdisMpalatyteau and Noonan in Chicago. wSoewdeidwn’etrkeno’twg.eTtthiengEdpmeoopnleton Oilers all knew Craig well, and lpelsasyeLwrahsre,msnoetrhitkewnyeacwsamktihenedinCo.hfisceaagmo

We were sorry to see guys leave that were part of

MESSIER:

tohasteyeegaur,yasncdomwe iwne. Arenhdaapspy we all know, that’s part of the business. We all know what we’re signing up for, and you just move on.

GLENN HEALY: (New York Rangers

bus thIactamn roercnainllggeinttCinaglgoanrythe

goalie)

and going to practice and lookimnygsoenlf,th“We bowus, tahnedytrheianlklyinligkteod owuerreteoanmly, daibdonu’t t1h0eyo?f”uTshoenre trhaedbeuds!.ITt’hseovresrt!? Gone! You’re

The retooled Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy and storm IitnshlraotnoudtgeahrlstahagenadifinrWssttastthhweiongNrtooeuwnndCYsaoporik-f the playoffs, losing one game tals. The Eastern Conference final, however, is a different beast. The Rangers draw the New Jerlseedy Dbyeviclos,acahriJsiancgquyeosunLgemteaairme and a quartet of future Hall of iFnamneetrsa:ndroSolkaivea FMeatristionv Bplruosdethuer two Scotts, Stevens and Niedermayer, on defense. The Devils finished second behind New York in the standings. The stage is set for a closely contested series.

We had beaten them every game in the regular

LEETCH:

season, so we had confidence. Tcohuenytperl aytteadckthsattydlee,fceanlsl iivte the trap, call it whatever you want. But they forced you into playing the whole ice, and when you dumped it in, Marty s(Bhor odt eituri)gwhtobualdckgougteat nitdapnudt it on someone’s tape going the other direction.

Year after year, I continu

KEN DANEYKO: (New Jersey defenseman)

ahlalyvehteoardethfenmdeitd,iIahaenadr,“Itsratipll” aBnudt thearte’s’sthneowfaacytuwael ewvoidne.nce teovebramckeanntiyotnhsinwgeuwp.eNreoboondeyof tNahsHesuLtmoinpp-otsiucoornrwiinsingynoteiunagsmiytsebianrcstkh. Taenhde jwuisnt dtheafetnwda.yW. Tehlle, ywoourcda“nt’rtap,” tJaahtcaiqt utwoeostrhLdiesimndaoiyur.erHdsetrinellescsvhienurgcskalieds obnycseo.mThebatowdya.s manufactruoroemd as a team, sTtharetyinpglafyreodmstohwe ell

RICHTER:

gsooeof rayileopasulnanadynged.orH,utehtev.rwMeonauasgrwthgyhrteihsnaetahpihenlaewtylhloaasftfs. BrodeurWlivhe,nitIwaassfweaart.cBhein- g

HEALY:

cbayuhsiemhse lcfo, aunld wheinntehaerlsyerdiieds. amazing. TThheedirefbeancskiveencdowreas

RICHTER:

tdheafet nthseyanhdadgothaeltren, dwiintgh athned pthoenysicboiluitldy oshf utht eteirafmorsdwthoaewrrdnes.s,

Whereas the first two

LEETCH: series, we were able to skate wanads cnroetasteo ompupcohrtautnriatcieksm, iteet, ubupt-aint dw-adsodwenfignaitmeley amnodriet an and work out of the corners.

You didn’t have to owMnoaerrioyrLatewbmoouigetouaaxBl,sbr,eutthttetHhgueaylml goeerta

RICHTER:

could be quickly out of reach if they get much more than that. They were so solid defensively and in goal, so everybody became a threat under those pciurtcupmucsktasntocetsh.eBneernt.iJeoNhnicholls tMhaecmL.eSatnepwhaasnpelaRyicinhgergrweast for always a threat given his shot aBnudt thhies agbuiyliwtyhtowreaasddaoipnlgayi.t tahllewgausyCwlahuod’seaLceampiaebulxe. gHoea’lsscorer, but he understands how to get under your skin.

The series pits two close friends head to head: Messier and Daneyko.

Growing up with Mark, knowing him since we

DANEYKO:

were 10, we were dear friends. HItemwaaksesinitmhyarwdeadtdtinmgepsawrthye. n you’sreeclpolsaeyetorssdoomietbaolldtyh. eBut time with friends and former Twhteeharenmert,ematownadptaeslMass,yaoatrnhmkdebumyecohihnuagatroldsmnetaeor.ksoetf mthe, ablel-itnimg ae dgerefeant spelmayaenr,sI, for couldn’t have any sentimental mindset if I was going to be able to stop him.

STEPHANE MATTEAU: (New York

physical seriesI.tAwnadseampohtyiosnic-al,

Rangers left winger)

ally, it was very hard. It was a rollercoaster.

It’s a seesaw series. The Rangers jump out to a 2-1 lead but drop the next two games by a combined 7-2 margin, including a 4-1 letdown at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers trail 3-2 in the series, one defeat away from perpetuating the 1940 curse. During their off-day practice before Game 6, they expect the media will grill them. Messier, the captain, stares down a scrum. The New York Post’s Mark Everson asks the first question.

I don’t know for certain

MARK EVERSON: (New York Post

reporter)

theatfiIrwstaqsutehsetioonne. Iwchoouladsnk’etd swear on a bible I was, but pmeeo.pItlewsaesemnotoatphliannknietdwfaishing expedition. The answer qwuaessmtionre. important than the

STAN FISCHLER: (MSG Network

punchy, likeTthhee is very .

hockey analyst) Post

The sense I got was that I

Toronto Sun

wouldn’t say Everson suckered him into the comment, but somewhere along the line he kind of lured him into making the prediction.

I had no plan. I don’t think anyone was looking

EVERSON:

faonryathJionegNliakme aththatm. Tohmeerentwoerre enough issues going on in that dressing room to go chasing stories left, right and center. So tIhwinaksnI’tasekxepdechtimngsaonmyeththiningg. Ito the effect of, “What’s going to turn this around?”

Messier’s answer: “I know we’re going to go in and win Game 6 and bring it back here for Game 7. We have enough talent and experience to turn the tide. That’s exactly what we’re going to do in Game 6.”

A few of us looked at each other and said, “Hmm.

EVERSON:

NoI fcootwhualidts, mtyhoaaukt ekanagoulwiattr?la”en(stltaeouer?gyhosu).t Idsetchlartaatiporno?mItiswea?sIns’thsatida, “I oguf ardaenctleaerait.i”oInt.was just kind

Messier made the comment, which I believe was

FISCHLER:

aIsosdmoasnes’wtetrhhtaivtnetk,aaiktsewnitaoasupatpsoepfaurceondngetienxtt, . hperiandtl.iBneust.of course that made

It was misinterpretevedr, baelclyaugsueahraendtiedena’tvaictuoaryll.yHe

KEENAN:

swaaids ,in“Wtheewdirllewssiin.”g Wrohoemn, haend Iwhaaspepxepnredsstiongbehisnctohnefried,ehnece ianyhtihs itnegamelmsea. tAensdmoofrceotuhrasne, tlwihnietehsmiteth,deainandeinxitNbdeeawcyaaYmnoerdkhcrearantda-inly owfahsimfueslaleydinbgyi t.he speculation

It was putting the onus and confidence on his

DANEYKO:

team. That’s what you’re supposed to do. And Mark, being the leader he is, is going to put that pressure on himself. whether heIwcoaunltde’dvepiacskleds ohrim

EVERSON:

mHiussatnarsdwoern whiosuhlda’mvesbaenednw, ich. “We’ll win.”

What transpired in the papers and the guarantee

MESSIER:

didn’t put any more pressure nonI hmaydsealfroenamdyepthuat to try and find a way to win that game. my editors,I“sHamidmto,

EVERSON:

yloooukmataythwisasnttotroy and see what you theinmk.”toYothuejucostnatelenrtt, basusthy.eMy’arenyvesrpyorts, tmharonuygshto. Srioesyoguoijnugst vaelerryt gthoeomd .aTt hrueny’-re onuinTrghpewapitehrn.setxutff atday,

Messier’s image engulfs the entire front

page of the New York Post sports section. The paraphrased quote, in block letters: “WE’LL WIN TONIGHT.” Manufactured by the media or not, ‘The Guarantee’ is real now.

We didn’t have the IFtawceobuolodkhsa, vTewbitetenrsabllaocvketrhen.

MATTEAU:

our phones. The only clip of gpuaypewrsoualvdaicloamble iwnatsh,ea moerdniaitnhge aNnedwpYuotrakllptahpeecrlsiposrfNroemw Jwearsetyhepraepfeorrsyoonutthoerteaabdlei.tIot r not. I never read them.

I don’t know that many of us even knew he had

LARMER:

said that until after the fact. A lot of the times during the playoffs, you don’t tend to read ftohceunseownswpahpaetrysotuhantemedutcoh.bYeou doing that day.

It was big. It was a

moment. There was a great bit

RICHTER:

oanf dan, htiocnipeastiloy,nwfoerwthereeglamugeh, ing about it once everyone found out what took place. Mark was pretty funny about it. He just smiled, and everyone whaavseliykoeu, “dOohnem?y” god, what

BERNIE NICHOLLS: (New Jersey

of whWatehaebssaoildu,tjeulsytgboetcwauinsed

center)

York, right? It’s headliitn’seNs.ew about the mMeasrskagwinasg vheruysgeodod

RICHTER:

with the media, but this one was hilarious because it was so

out there.

It was a positive thing, but it was taken in jest.

KEENAN:

The next day when we came in, we were all kibitzing with Mmyarskel,fh, iasntdeawmemalaltheasdanadbit of a laugh. It was diffused pretty easily amongst that group.

Mark took a lot of heat for it, but he was good.

RICHTER:

dHiedno’wt nanedticitiptaotealhlyo,wprboibgatbhley story was going to get, I think clhionenewfsiadosef,tnh“cYieneaiknhin,tghI ihmsatovereaemaab.l”soonlgutehe thing we weIrtewuapsne’ttasboomuet-.

NICHOLLS:

I don’t even think it was a motivational thing for us. We just understood what he was tdaenoadimnpg.l.HaHyeewf’seetllhls.eWthceaepysttsaihlilnoduoidlfdnthw’teiinr think they would win. We felt we were tghoeinbgetotewr tineaGmamaned6 if he guaranteed it or not. eTbwahwcehhkraaeottEwfhwfveateahswrsniysag’bt.soMoaiddneoyygsisnwwtiogeao.rhnrarteypdphktone’nesdew.

EVERSON:

Nobody puts words in his

tmhoeugcthahme. sHes.etasbelteu. pTitmhe ptoiepcleasyon

Once the game iIsnthagaridtneadth,loloutscoekftieylyxppeenesrooiuef gnshicteufoaprtliamoyn-es, , MESSIER:

aYonud htrayveantod setxaeycuintethaegmamome ent tpolatnhefreonmd.the start of the game

The puck drops on Game 6 at New Jersey’s Brendan Byrne Arena, and it’s all Devils in the early going. Riding a raucous home crowd, they blitz Richter and the Rangers. First, Niedermayer’s pass attempt from the top of the circle deflects off the blade of Rangers center Sergei Nemchinov’s stick, right through Richter’s legs. Nine minutes later, Lemieux tips Niedermayer’s one-timer from the slot through Richter’s five-hole. The Devils lead 2-0.

Lemieux scTohredmtohme esenctotnhdat

RICHTER:

Igowaal,sIjudsidt ns’htalkoionkgamt tyhheebaedn, ch. because I was like, “Don’t pull mwien. Ithfeise.lLgerte’astc.aWlme’rdeogwon.”na

You have to stay in the moment, and I wasn’t

KEENAN:

wreaflse.cWtiengwuepreondowwhnat2t-h0e, asncodre thaetrMeaiskoenRiitcwhtaesrownalys i2n-c0rewda-s ipbolretiunnniteyttaongdegt asvtaebuislizaendoapn-d get back in the game.

Richter was incredible. I still don’t know if he gets

DANEYKO:

enough credit to this day for how good he was. That game was all but over. all know, wMaiksefaRnitcahstteicr, ianstwhe

GRAVES:

hreisgubleasrtsheoacskoeny, bfourtwhehesnavietd meant the most, when it was playoffs or World Cup or Olympics. The bigger the game, the better he played.

The Rangers retreat to their dressing room trailing by two after one period. They’re discouraged but not ready to quit.

When the first ptheerihoadllefnrdoemd,thweeRwaenrgeerdsown

FISCHLER:

room, and there was a lot of stheouRtaingeinr stihdeeh. Malelwssaiyerfrmomay hI caoveulbdene’tntoelnl,eboufttihtewgausyas. tIcthleaoorootkiocemdsc.leiIktnewe tahsetnsheoetgyiucweyasebnwltei.rneto fighting among themselves. It was very noisy. If I was a Rangers fan and heard that, I would’ve said, “Holy Christ, they’re done.” I think at that point, Messier took over the tehaemsefnrosemIKgeoet.nan. That was frustration Iatco2u-0ld. WseeegMotarbke’-s

DANEYKO:

hind the net once, and he was filezrueadst.erBrauthetedtih,sae, lhmpeloawystearsdehameguiosyr,atwlh-heo mwasnyabaltehtleotcelsimcabnoduot tohfait. NHoet carried them the second part of that game.

The Rangers settle down early in the second period. Keenan decides to juggle his lineup, adding some electricity by placing dynamic youngster Alex Kovalev on a line with Messier.

I did double-shift wAanlaedsxh.yIeokuwnaegsw, hahetehrwaedaasta.flWroethsohefn, lheIegdsi,d

KEENAN:

thraut,sitt. gAasvae ruessmulot,rtehoeyffecnosmiv-e bgoinaelsd. Afolrexsormeaellvyemryadime paodritfafenrtaesncoeffiennuseppwinasg ctohnecaenrtneeads. far

Late in the second period, following a Devils turnover, Messier gains the zone. He leaves a drop pass for Kovalev, who fakes a slapshot, then unleashes one, beating Brodeur to the blocker side. The Rangers cut the lead to 2-1 by the second intermission.

When Alex scored, tIyeosaaumidw,,aL“nMeetatncoh,cf,o‘Mnr taealsilsnt’,haoennpdoeuorple RICHTER:

g‘ZeutbAblye’xa. WndhGeraev’desh,ethceonmyeou hfpriloammy,s?ah”gaJruredsat,tyagocuoymctaopnlh’etativenetp,imlaanyidear,te that can get demoralizing for athjeobotthoecrotnetaamin. Ycoerutaminayguseyts,out bsiutut athtieorne’asgtahiantswt ahgarceka-at -tmeaomle.

Game 6 was an all-timer, but Game 7 was almost as good, with the Rangers winning in double-OT to advance.

He was a young,

DveArNy EgYifKteOd: player. He was another guy you had to watch with the ability and the puck skills and what he was capable of. That was his coming-out party of having a real good, successful career. He was a star-type player in the making.

He was so capable of breaking out at any moment

RICHTER:

ansdh,ootfactotuhresen, hdeodf itdhethpaetrwioidth that starts to build momentum dfooruubst ai ndthmeiarymbeinpdu. t a seed of

The Messier takeover kicks into overdrive in the third period. Kovalev threads a pass through the Devils’ defense, Messier collects it and sneaks a backhander past Brodeur. It’s a 2-2 tie.

Mark’s first goal in the third was, for Marty, just a

NICHOLLS:

really soft goal. He came down on his off wing, and it was aopbiancikohna, tnhde. Mgraerattyesist,ginoamliey in the history of hockey, and we’d gotten this far in the playoffs

of Marty, but it happens, fluky goals, soft goals. It

because

was a goal that probably never sdhido.uIltdjuhsatvsenhoawpbpaelnled ,frboumt it there.

I don’t think Marty was off, because they were

KEENAN:

some pretty spectacular goals. lAelfetxwoafsf tahfeabriuglhotuws ignogals,haonodting Mark’s was a fabulous goal. Mthaorutgyhptl.aHye dwparsevtetyrywseolli,dI even as a youngster. Very consistent.

Roughly 10 minutes later, Leetch feeds Kovalev, who fires a snapshot. Brodeur kicks a fat rebound right to Messier, who stuffs it home to put the Rangers up 3-2. The captain has the tying goal and go-ahead goal.

Trailing late in the third, the Devils get a power play. They pull Brodeur for a 6-on-4 advantage. Messier intercepts a pass in front of the net, corrals the puck and fires it the length of the ice into a yawning cage. It’s a natural hat trick, all in the third period. The score is 4-2. The Rangers force a Game 7. Messier has delivered on ‘The Guarantee.’

I didn’t think about theatpsutockryinagthaienlausnttmil hineuttoeok

RICHTER:

tooroskoaanbldintdwwirlreidstasrhooutnfdroamnd basically our slot, and it lands “saHonmdoleIy’wms-h-le-o,rohekeai’nrsogguoantndintacgegoneitntegar, ice, gportedthicetegdamitewhaitntnreicr,ka.”nHdeh’se h(leaaudg.hTsh).eI pwuacskjwusatssnh’taekvinegn miny, alnrdeaydoyuwknrietwtenth. e story was

So you make the tgahnueadrtyahonirutdesepc,oeirtriemotdah?kreSserhgieoauadlssllyiin?es,

HEALY:

Hthoewsemgraenaytopflaunssh, avnedhtahdey tnheevegrecaotmeset tloeafdrueirt ionns?pTohrtesn mwiatkheas hthaetmtriacnkd, osneahlistohwend,eianl the third. Never discount what I‘M’veslse’asranyesd. .That’s one thing

He’s as good a compweatsitionrsapnodrtlse.aIdf eyroauswtheereren’et ver

DANEYKO:

fporceupsaerde,dittowpalsatyrohuimbleh.ard and

What was so cool was, when that goal went in,

RICHTER:

Mark came over, and he didn’t ginodtiovitdhueablse.nHcehjaunsdt huighg-efdivtehe wahsolaepmeridfedclteeonfdthinegbteontchha.tIt tghaemre awnadtcshionogthtihme sghoootv, earnd then continue on and come over to the bench, and you could see the expressions of eavsemryubcohdcye:le“Hbroalytios-n--a!”s Iit was laughing.

It was as close a team as I’ve ever played on.

GRAVES:

Looking back now, for all of us, you go, “Holy s---.”

NICHOLLS:

Not only did he guarantee it, but the bastard scored three goals, too. As a fan of hockey and an athlete, I go, “Good for you.” I’ve always loved great athletes doing great things.

The epic series comes to an epic end in Game 7. The Devils tie the game with eight seconds left in the third period at MSG, and Matteau scores in double overtime to send the Rangers to the Stanley Cup final.

That was the best stheoriuegshI’wveeelvoestr. pTloaygeodsienv,eenven

NICHOLLS:

ignamdoeusb, tlheroeveeirntiomve,rthimate’s, one unbelievable as an athlete.

That was a heck of a series. It had star power,

DANEYKO:

HgoaalltoefnFdaemrseersv,etrw, aonodfithweabsest tnhaestgya. mAlel.the stuff I love about

When Matteau scored the goal to win the

MESSIER:

sinetroie, s“W, I himatm’sendeixat?e”lyFoswr uitsc,haendd

for myself personally, I just fell tbhaocskeosnituoatthioenfascbteIfhoraed. bOebevni-in wtoouegsdleyit,dib,tybwutahtseyaoDnueavdmiolsnai’ztnisntight etfehweelarieyng alonndgr. eIts’ts othneypoluaryolafufsr,eilts’stoGoame as7on, ydtohqueu’rcieceklpe.lbaryaitnigontwoasdasyhsorlatter,

The Rangers defeat the Vancouver Canucks in another enormously entertaining seven-game war. The curse ends. Messier hoists the Cup for the New York fans. The Rangers are NHL champions for the first time in 54 years.

feeling to seItewgaesnearnaatimonaszionfg

MESSIER:

Sfatnans ltehyaCt ufipnainllyNgeowt tYoorskeeatnhde oimcnea.MnIytawfdaianssos,naalSilqfiefueloalornneggGddarrreedaaemmn foforr mtaisoawn yealnpl.deIofdoporlena’itlnoththionefktohwregoaprndlaiszyace-arns dtheescferieblienwg hthaat thtarpapnespnierdedanbdeclatuesr.eToof thiastdwaiyn, ,wmea’rneyayllevaerrsy alplpthrecpiaetoivpeleo,fntohteoenflfyortthsefrom players, but the Rangers orgaptnhoizasatstmiiboalned,. ealtlhtahtecwh amy tphioronusghhip,

You felt like, “Wow, I can pay these people back for

RICHTER:

gthoeoidr sfeueplpinogrt.o” Isthwaraes tahraeta. Illty

mwaesntawprhetnty‘Mdaemssn’ gcototlhme oC-up and bthreoyugwhetriet hovoeprptinogthaendfans touching it.

No one will ever know whether ‘The Guarantee’ made the difference between winning or losing the Cup in 1994. But considering whoewre,cilto’ssepotshseiblfien. al two series

It would never hurt. IMf athrke pfellatyaebros uret cthoegngirzoeudpw, thaetn KEENAN:

that was important. MNIaCrHkOgLivLeSs:tIhdaot nsp’tetehcihnkinsoth. Ief dnroedsisnfif’netgrkenrnocowem. aOabbnovduiotthuites,ltywh, eoitrewld’sas wjuasst mtreyai ngt to bue.ilAdshaisleteaadmer,uhpe. And regardless if it came out in spaugbelipceorrfencottly, hcelemaratdoethies gmueys-, tso ctheanoguet.cIonmsteawdaosnf,’t“Mgoeisnsgier “gOunareaonftethees agrweainte,”sittcwapoutaldinbseo,f 6t.o” vicatollr-ytiminealceraudcsiahlisGtaemame There are all kinds opflapysiyncthooilto. gAicnadl iftadctiodrns’ttmhaattter FISCHLER: to anyone who read the thheatdMlinaerkowr raesakdinthdeopf rseudcikcetrioend aIts’ksingtohsiamyianlgeiatdbinygaqruepesotritoenr. right there on the page.

– with files from Ronnie Shuker

– Devils center Bernie Nicholls