In Final analysis, Eddie O likes L.A.
Twenty is a nice round number. At least the way Eddie Olczyk sees it.
Thirteen just wouldn’t have the same ring to it. Neither would 11, five, or even six.
“How ironic,” Olczyk said Tuesday over the telephone, “How ironic.”
How true. Twenty years later, Olczyk, a member of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion Rangers, was preparing to work his eighth Final as NBC’s No. 1 NHL analyst. After all these years (OK, it’s not quite 54) the Blueshirts are back with another rare opportunity to float up the Canyon of Heroes.
A case can easily be made that his current gig carries a lot more status than the role Olczyk played with those ’94 Rangers. Yet making that proclamation would neglect an important fact. Despite his part-time playing status, and being way down the food chain compared to the Messiers and Richters, Olczyk was the leader of the inspirational wing of those Rangers — a band of veterans known as “The Black Aces.”
Mark Messier led the Rangers in so many ways that incredible season, but Olczyk and the “Aces” were bricks in the morale-building operation, too. Guys like Glenn Healy, Mike Hudson, Mike Hartman, Peter Andersson, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovtsev and Nick Kypreos provided depth and direction. Some of them also shared the distinction of not exactly being loved by coach Mike Keenan.
And for a few moments over the telephone, the broadcaster in Olczyk went on the down low, and a trace of the “Aces” remaining inside popped up and out. He was comparing the ’94 team to the current Rangers squad but cut himself off to make a clear and direct point.
“Look, if you are asking me who would win between us and this Rangers team there is no doubt we would have our way,” Olczyk said. “And we would decide on how many games it would be.”
It would be hard to make a counter claim, especially because Alain Vigneault’s team has not hit the promised land yet. And the way Olczyk sees it, the only Cup the Rangers will be drinking out of is the one in their kitchen cupboards.
“The Kings in six,” Olczyk said. “In the playoffs the Rangers have not faced a team that is this big, that is this deep, and plays this type of style. The Rangers are going to have to try and find a way to grind out some goals and grind out some chances. ... The Rangers have the speed to play in the Western Conference, but the Kings’ size, heaviness and strength down the mid- dle, at the center ice position, gives them the advantage.”
Olczyk’s prediction will rub some Rangers loyalists the wrong way. Tough. If you are looking for home cooking, tune into MSGulag’s playoff studio shows. Consider that a plug. Besides, Olczyk also played a season in L.A. late in his career.
Olczyk’s professional opinion should not be confused with a case of amnesia concerning his Rangers past. Despite Olczyk’s realistic broadcast style, it’s impossible for him to forget what it meant and still means.
“No, I never could separate. Even though my role on that ’ 94 team was very small, I will be proudly tied to the Rangers and winning that championship forever,” he said.
That old-time feeling returned right after the Rangers eliminated Montreal at the Garden.
“It was surreal to watch that celebration. It brought back a lot of memories. Where we sit in the new catwalk there at MSG it’s hard not to look to my right and see that (championship) banner all the time,” Olczyk said. “Look, I always will be a part of that team. It’s an emotional time for sure, to see a team you helped win a championship now has a chance to do it again.”
And do it in a battle of the country’s two biggest television markets. This is a huge spot for Olczyk and his mates, Mike (Doc) Emrick (due to a death in his family, he will miss Game 1 and be replaced by Kenny Albert) and Pierre McGuire.
There will be a bunch of casual eyeballs tuning in. The NBC crew has the added challenge of making sure it knows what’s going on without dumbing down the telecast for the hard-core fans. Olczyk, who also is one of the Blackhawks’ TV voices, is aware of the increased spotlight but doesn’t adjust his game.
“I just continue to do the job I’m allowed to do on a nightly basis. I talk about the game and tell people why,” he said. “In a series like this it’s more about excitement than anything else. I don’t know if there’s any more pressure, but the nerve aspect is always there on the big stage.” For Olczyk, this time around, it’s a stage full of memories. The same for everyone who took that ride in 1994. The player is now a broadcaster with a shot at putting captions on history being made.
“Just trying to tell a story,” Eddie Olczyk said, “and not be the story.”