It stays that way (2-0 and rocking) for a long time, thanks to Mike Richter standing on his damn head yet again. And there's something about this team that just won't let you give up hope. This isn't like any of those other teams, that folded at the sight of John F****** Druce or Bob Errey or Ken Morrow or some such. Regardless of how cynical you were, how pessimistic you knew you could be, well, this team was different. Mark Messier had guaranteed victory. And even if he wasn't quite sure how he was gonna pull it off, you had to believe him.
They just needed one before the third.
And they got it. Messier led a rush up the ice, gained the blueline, and dropped the puck to his right to Alexei Kovalev, shifted from second-line center up to Messier's right to try to create a little more offense. Kovalev carried to the boards with no one on him; he faked a shot to get the defense to the ice, got a couple of strides closer to the net, and rifled it past Brodeur at 18:19 of the second.
Regardless of what anyone tells you, that was the most important goal of the playoff year.
And that sets the stage for the reason, ultimately, I have a white No. 11 sweater hanging in my closet right now.
And Howie Rose describes Messier's natural hat trick a hell of a lot better than I ever could (and I've tried).
"Brian Leetch stickhandles past Carpenter, headmans on the right wing to Kovalev, moving in over the Devil line, cuts to the slot, feeds Messier, backhands he SCORES!" (Messier 8 (Kovalev, Leetch) 2:48)
"Kovalev's got it, cross-ice Leetch, moving to the New Jersey line, drops it for Kovalev, left-circle slap shot save, rebound SCORE! MESSIER! MESSIER has cashed in the rebound with 7:48 to go in the third period, and the Rangers take a 3-2 lead!" (Messier 9 (Kovalev, Leetch) 12:12)
"Off the draw, Lidster winds it around, not out, Messier gets it back, shoots it all the way Down AND SCORES! MESSIER hits the open net with a minute-45 to go in the third period! THAT'S the hat trick for Captain Mark Messier!" (Messier 10 18:15 (sh))
Short version: Promise Kept.
Incidentally, near the end of the game, pugilist Bernie Nicholls (he was in this series, anyway) nearly sets off a brawl after running several Rangers and, touching up for the delayed penalty, firing the puck in the general direction of Glenn Anderson's head (Anderson had taken a dumb slashing penalty on Nicholls minutes earlier, the minor that set up Messier's shorthanded heroics). Anderson gets an unsportsmanlike minor and a misconduct; Nicholls gets a double-minor for roughing and for high-sticking. Time of the penalties: 19:40.
Hopefully Devils fans in attendance enjoyed that. It was the last time that they could chant that number with any significance behind it.
NYR 0 1 3--4
NJD 2 0 0--2
(Series tied, 3-3)
Goals: NY--Messier 3, Kovalev; NJ--Niedermayer, Lemieux. Assists:
NY--Kovalev 2, Leetch 2, Messier; NJ--Niedermayer, Nicholls. Goalies:
NY--Richter (30 shots-28 saves); NJ--Brodeur (35-32). Power plays: NY--0 of
3; NJ--0 of 3.
Mike ("And the Rangers have made it to Friday." --Howie Rose) Fornabaio -- mef17@oocities.com
Click here for the next date -- May 27 -- or, click here to return to the 5YA index