Summer ChangeUp Thread: All-time Under Appreciated Rangers
Hey gang, it's getting to that point in the summer where nothing is going on and we're waiting for Traverse City.
So it got me thinking of a possible fun thread to start. Who would you rank as an under appreciated Rangers, why are they under appreciated, and who would agree/disagree with these picks/ I thought of a few just to start;
1. Sergei Zubov-The man in my avatar; led the 94 team in scoring and was involved in pretty much every important moment during the 94 playoffs (watch game 5 vs. the Caps, Game 6 vs the Devils, Game 7 vs. the Canucks). Reasons he doesn't get his due; was pretty much the same to the Rangers as Kevin Mitchell to the 86 Mets, Colin Campbell, being foreign?
2. Tomas Sandstrom-Pretty much carried the team during the low budget "New York" jersey era and put up great numbers. Reasons he didn't get his due-played on mediocre teams, didn't really have too much playoff success other than 1986 for this reason.
3. Mike Rogers-Had one marvelous season and a few really good ones as an undersized first line center. Reasons he didn't get his due-lack of playoff success due to the Islanders, was injured for 2 of 4 years in the playoffs.
Everyone on the 1928, 1933, and 1940 Stanley Cup Championship teams.
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"Trust me I'm an expert, I watched 13 rangers games on NHL center Ice this year through streaming." -Starburst
"I don't even understand what the point of all this arguing is. Are you guys hoping that the other side is going to have an epiphany and go 'Oh, OH! You're right, we ARE going to lose this series!'" -Crease
My time as a Rangers fan is far too short, but I don't think Marty Straka gets the respect he deserves. Jagr is my favorite player, but he had chemistry with both Straka and Nylander, he didn't just carry them.
Everyone on the 1928, 1933, and 1940 Stanley Cup Championship teams.
This x 100000000000000000
Under appreciated by both the Rangers organization and its fans.
Some might say "who cares I wasn't alive then". I feel its important to know/learn about the club's history to make a stronger connection to its present and future.
Like anything else.
Were most of us alive to see WWII, for example? No, but its important to learn about it and how it shaped the world we live in today.
There should be banners in the rafters honoring some players from those eras.
Frank Boucher
Bill Cook
Fred Cook
Ivan Johnson
Ott Heller
Neil Colville
Lynn Patrick
Bryan Hextall
Just to name a few who lead those teams.
Certainly if Adam Graves deserves a banner, so does Frank Boucher who won 2 Cups as a Ranger player and a 3rd as coach/GM. And Bill Cook who captained 2 Cup winning teams for the Rangers.
1. Sergei Zubov-The man in my avatar; led the 94 team in scoring and was involved in pretty much every important moment during the 94 playoffs (watch game 5 vs. the Caps, Game 6 vs the Devils, Game 7 vs. the Canucks). Reasons he doesn't get his due; was pretty much the same to the Rangers as Kevin Mitchell to the 86 Mets, Colin Campbell, being foreign?
I don't think anyone doesn't appreciate what Zubov was and did for this team.
The Mitchell comparison is off. Mitchell was a bit, role player. Zubov was the Rangers leading scorer in the regular season. He was much more important to the Rangers than Mitchell was to the Mets.
Without him we don't acquire Mark Messier and the future considerations that become Jeff Beukeboom.
Any intelligent Ranger fan appreciated Zubov, how could you not after the year he had when Leetch was injured. The problem was Neil Smith wasn't an intelligent Ranger fan and Craig Patrick was.
I do think people appreciate what Zubov meant to the '94 team, but I will say that I don't think enough is made over the fact that the Zubov trade is really one of the dumbest things this franchise has ever done. You're talking about one of the better offensive defensemen to ever play this game. Really a shame that we missed out on that career.
Some other names I'll throw out: Gartner, Fleury, Nemchinov, Mathieu Schneider (always thought he got an undeservedly bad rap), Daniel Goneau
Everyone on the 1928, 1933, and 1940 Stanley Cup Championship teams.
Abso-friggin-lutely. The Habs are criticized for honouring their past too much while the Rangers should be vilified for not honouring it enough. Bill Cook was among the best to ever play the game and yet ask 97% of people at the Garden and they have no clue who he was.
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