Most Disappointing Team in Recent Times

[NYR94]

I voted 92-93 for most disappointing, but man did the 97-98 season suck. What little good news there was got permanently destroyed when Lafontaine and Keane collided. Remember Tim Sweeney and Johan Lindbom and washed Kevin Stevens?

 

[RangersFan]

Couldn't vote for this season because I think a lot of us realized how flawed this team was even with the run last year. The 91-92 season is what essentially made me a Rangers fan. And 93-94 solidified it for life. Though it's not "recent" 92-93 is the biggest disappointment.

 

[LokiDog]

I’m going with this year’s team simply because, while others may have underperformed or disappointed worse, this is the most unlikable team I recall watching in my life. The complete lack of give a damn we saw in the middle of the season, and still see some nights, genuinely surpassed my threshold for tolerating them. It’s why I want a 70% turnover of the roster. Aside from guys like Carrick, Rempe, Edstrom, Berard, Otthman who are role players or rookies… Cuylle and Borgen didn’t come across as totally heartless? Maybe a healthy Trochek as a 2/3C is still fine with me. The rest? Just really sullied any feelings of loyalty or good will I had for them.

Which isn’t to say I wasn’t beating the drum about their flaws for the last few years either. It’s the way they just quit and showed their entitled collective asses. I’ve never had such a hard time liking my team.

 

[bobbop]

I go back a lot further than 1993. This is the most disappointing team in my lifetime.

That’s saying a lot.

 

[Beliveau]

I go back a lot further than 1993. This is the most disappointing team in my lifetime. That’s saying a lot.

Agreed. Been watching since 1969.

 

[Uglybstrd]

I voted this year, but I was super pissed and disappointed they lost to NJ in the playoffs two years ago.

 

[Row I Goon]

This season.

There’s been unlikeable teams before but the current trifecta of unlikeable, expensive and straight up ambivalence was the tipping point.

 

[Beliveau]

This season. There’s been unlikeable teams before but the current trifecta of unlikeable, expensive and straight up ambivalence was the tipping point.

@Row I Goon Nicely written.

 

[markymarc1215]

Couldn't vote for this season because I think a lot of us realized how flawed this team was even with the run last year. The 91-92 season is what essentially made me a Rangers fan. And 93-94 solidified it for life. Though it's not "recent" 92-93 is the biggest disappointment.

Ditto. I started watching in 1989 but that 91-92 team converted me from a casual fan to a die-hard. That was the most exciting and enjoyable Rangers team I've ever seen. Do you remember the Caps game in DC just after Christmas where we came back from a 6-1 deficit to win the game?

It would have been amazing to see Jan Erixon, Mike Gartner, James Patrick, John Ogrodnick, Darren Turcotte, Kris King, Paul Broten, Tie Domi, Doug Weight, Tony Amonte, and Beezer hoist the Cup. Damn you Ron Francis!

92-93 was more disappointing because we crapped the bed with prime Messier, Gartner, Graves, and Leetch on the team. We had two #1 goalies. We had a ton of extra players which lead to some tension as well. The team basically had a coup to get Roger Neilsen fired, led by Messier. I remember Messier getting heavily booed in his last few games at the Garden that season.

I also remember the frustration of seeing Kovalev and Weight healthy scratched or on the 4th line in favor of talent such as Mike Hartman, Randy Gilhen, Steve King, Phil Bourque, and John McIntyre.

Overall, the 92-93 was the biggest disappointment for me just because of how exciting and likeable that 91-92 squad was. The current team is a big disappointment, but as many have mentioned, this ia just not a likeable team at all.

I included 01-02 mainly due to the expectations that Lindros would return to beast mode with a full season off. I think the Rangers were in 1st place for a few months until Lindros got another concussion. After that, he didn't come back as the same player.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

I do think Rangers make the playoffs in the 01-02 season had Lindros, Messier, and Richter were healthy. Who knows, they could’ve beaten that paper tiger Bruins team like Montreal did. That probably was the best of the dark ages teams. I know the 03 team was closer to doing it, but a Bure on his last knee, Lindros declining, and Richter’s concussion problems were too much to overcome.

 

[markymarc1215]

The flaws were there last season. Our powerplay and come back victories pushed up to a 1st place finish. We didn't look like a first place team through-out the season. Playoffs came and because of how many games it took fan bragged that we crushed Washington. We looked pretty awful against Washington. A loss right there would have brought all expectations back down for this season. In 1992-1993, we came off a president trophy winning season and fell hard.

I don't think I view this season as disappointment. I view this team and the surrounding players highly unlikeable.

EDIT: The season after our cup win would be viewed much worse had we not made playoffs by 1 point.

94-95 was the repercussions of trading Weight, Gartner, and Amonte. Glenn Anderson left. Noonan was decent but Matteau was a non-factor offensively. Tikkanen was sent to St Louis for an underwhelming Petr Nedved. The team just felt weird from Day 1. They had no real scoring depth beyond Graves and Messier (and briefly Pat Verbeek).

 

[NCRanger]

I go back before 1993 as well. The first season I followed them on a daily basis was the 1981-82 season, which was a few years before Sam's first full season in the TV booth. Unfortunately, for Sam, one of the most disappointing teams was the one he saw his first season. 1984-85 was a BAD year, even though if that team was ever 100% healthy and played with the full roster, they probably were a half decent team. There were a ton of long term injuries, guys not giving 100%, and just a stench over MSG that year. The fallout was next season having Ted Sator as coach, Pierre Larouche sent to the minors along with Mike Rogers, Pavelich quitting, and Ruotsalainen whining.

I'll agree with the point about the 1991-92 team being better than the 1993-94 team. That team obliterated opponents. They'd throw 6-7-8 on teams without blinking. Had that idiotic work stoppage not happened, the Rangers probably would have steamrolled through the playoffs. Ended up, the Devils weren't pushovers after a momentum break, and some asshole named Brodeur showed up in goal. Then, and I will go to my grave saying this, the Pittsburgh Penguins rolled the dice and gambled that over a 5 game series the Rangers losing Adam Graves would hurt them more than the Penguins losing Maryo. The Penguins bet paid off. There is no way that Maryo's wrist was broken. If it was, he would not have come back against Boston and dominated from the minute the puck was dropped.

The way that season ended plus Messier being a dick toward Roger Neilson created the 1992-93 disaster. Leetch deciding to get plastered and shattering his ankle thanks to his buddies dropping him didn't help.

To look back now and see how the stars perfectly aligned for 1994 to happen...it really shouldn't have happened.

Some of those trades weren't necessary. It set up disappointment for the rest of the decade. A good team just wasn't good enough to get past the Penguins and Flyers. Desperation moved left the system bare creating the Dark Ages.

I won't go through that nightmare, but I do believe those teams were closer being decent than history might show. There was always an injury or some bad luck that forced Sather into making another desperate move.

All that said, this season is the most disappointing for me. Players looking like they don't give a shit. No changes from the coaching staff. Inconsistent goaltending at best. I don't know if these guys are Charmin soft mentally, or just don't care enough to give 100% every night. What these guys have done is drive some fans to want to watch a team full of no-talent third line assclowns with speed (Vinnie Hinastroza and Athansiou types) put up a 69 point season next year. That's what really pisses me off. I don't know what's worse, watching supposedly good players play like shit, or watch shitty players try hard and still lose more than they win.

 

[haohmaru]

The biggest disappointment of this year is the shesterkin contract.

The biggest disappointment this year is effort AINEC

 

[duhmetreE]

This team is imo the most disappointing

Just embarrassing effort. I honestly don’t remember the effort of 92-93. Results were not there but what this current team does on ice, at any given period/game, is about as disappointing as it could get.

I honestly don’t care that they’re playing. If I’m home, I may have them on in the background but it usually gets shut off after the 1st period

 

[McRanger92]

This team is imo the most disappointing

Just embarrassing effort. I honestly don’t remember the effort of 92-93. Results were not there but what this current team does on ice, at any given period/game, is about as disappointing as it could get.

I honestly don’t care that they’re playing. If I’m home, I may have them on in the background but it usually gets shut off after the 1st period

92-93 Leetch had a freak injury and missed a lot of time. Believe there were other injuries. The effort from this team has been unacceptable all season. tarnished the legacy of a few guys on the team for me.

 

[zlev]

the 92-93 was already not that good before Leetch got hurt, they were like 18-14-4 or something. played awful defense. to me the 15-16 team was the most disappointing, after two deep runs and then they stunk. when this years team started the year with Trouba and Lindgren still on the roster I already had no expectations.

 

[Larrybiv]

I can't remember those specific years. So, I'm going with the here and NOW. I am so very pissed about last night's debacle, a total "el foldo". I mean, Micheletti laid out the PLAN, and what did they do? 1:37 of 2 man adv. And they don't even get a shot on net? At least 5 went wide!! They wanna blast away, instead of getting it ON net, and being tough around the crease looking for the garbage goals. That would be too exhausting for this team. I've literally had enough. Not wishing them to lose the rest of games, but I would be laughing in my jock strap if they didn't get IN by a single point. They could easily point at this Anaheim loss.
Follow Philly's lead, fire Lavi, and sign Torts PRONTO. Then watch the magic.

 

[Larrybiv]

The years I especially remember were 1969 through I wanna say 74. Those teams were pretty damned solid. Year after year, I thought they'd win it all headed by the GAG line, Steady Eddie and Gilles V.
Also, that miracle team of 79'. 2 game lead, I believe a 2 zip lead in game 3, and then everything went haywire losing to Montreal, one of my most hated teams. Thought they were finally gonna win one. Disappointed yes, but not because of pre-season expectations or lack of effort. That shit didn't happen back in the day, that's WHY I said this year has been pathetic beyond repair. (Most probably, anyway)

 

[Boris Zubov]

Ditto. I started watching in 1989 but that 91-92 team converted me from a casual fan to a die-hard. That was the most exciting and enjoyable Rangers team I've ever seen. Do you remember the Caps game in DC just after Christmas where we came back from a 6-1 deficit to win the game?

It would have been amazing to see Jan Erixon, Mike Gartner, James Patrick, John Ogrodnick, Darren Turcotte, Kris King, Paul Broten, Tie Domi, Doug Weight, Tony Amonte, and Beezer hoist the Cup. Damn you Ron Francis!

92-93 was more disappointing because we crapped the bed with prime Messier, Gartner, Graves, and Leetch on the team. We had two #1 goalies. We had a ton of extra players which lead to some tension as well. The team basically had a coup to get Roger Neilsen fired, led by Messier. I remember Messier getting heavily booed in his last few games at the Garden that season.

I also remember the frustration of seeing Kovalev and Weight healthy scratched or on the 4th line in favor of talent such as Mike Hartman, Randy Gilhen, Steve King, Phil Bourque, and John McIntyre.

Overall, the 92-93 was the biggest disappointment for me just because of how exciting and likeable that 91-92 squad was. The current team is a big disappointment, but as many have mentioned, this ia just not a likeable team at all.

I included 01-02 mainly due to the expectations that Lindros would return to beast mode with a full season off. I think the Rangers were in 1st place for a few months until Lindros got another concussion. After that, he didn't come back as the same player.

91-92 was the most disappointed I've ever been at the end of a season, simply because it ended with such a thud. It was so gut wrenching to go out that way.

That was my favorite Rangers team til this day, even more than the Cup team. I've brought up that Caps game numerous times around here. That bunch had an ability to light the scoreboard up at any given time, seemingly out of nowhere, plus they were tough as hell. Everything went right that season until that 2 1/2 week player strike right before the playoffs. They were playing so well, but came back rusty as hell when things started back up.

 

[OthmannOut]

Why is this year disappointing? We are going to win the Stanley Cup .

 

[Cusedog2]

This team did seem to set an NHL record this year for calling out a lack of effort in post game interviews. It also appears they set new marks in the sheer number of players showing up to training camp not in physical shape to start the season. So yeah, coming off a Presidents Trophy season this has been the most disappointing team for me.