Long gone are the days of the NHL where bitter division rivals like the New York Islanders and Rangers would meet eight times in one season — four games at each side’s home arena.
“That’s when you really started to hate each other,” Islanders veteran forward Zach Parise reminisced on Wednesday ahead of his team’s matchup against the Rangers at UBS Arena.
It’s the only time this season that the Islanders host their crosstown rivals and the first of just three meetings between the two all season. Such is life in the new NHL, which features at least a home-and-home series with each of the other 31 teams in a season — even if it comes at the cost of playing fewer games against division rivals.
The Islanders play the Rangers this season as many times as they do the Ottawa Senators or Montreal Canadiens or Detroit Red Wings of the Atlantic Division while having to face other Metropolitan Division foes like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals four times.
“Yeah, it really is [disappointing],” Mathew Barzal said. “I wish there were a couple more. It should be automatic having something like this a couple more times a year. Just spread it out. It’s good for the game of hockey and good for New York sports.”
The Islanders-Rangers rivalry is one of the fiercest in the sport, worthy of a place alongside other historic clashes like that of the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. The two New York clubs have squared off 325 previous times dating back to 1972 with the Rangers holding a 153–143–19–10 advantage.
Parise is no stranger to playing the Rangers in a rivalry setting having spent seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils.
“They’re pretty similar,” Parise said of playing the Rangers as a member of the Islanders compared to his time with the Devils. “I got to play them in three playoff rounds, a conference final. But that good rivalry is still there… there might be a little more history here but it was a really good one with the Devils too.
“They’re always fun, road or home… Both spots have a good atmosphere, good energy in the building regardless of where the teams are in the standings… It’s too bad [we’re not playing each other more this season].”
