Rangers @ Islanders on Tuesday is the biggest game this season in the NHL

[Anglesmith]

OH man, the stakes couldn't be higher. Two teams clinging by the skin of their teeth to a 99% chance at making the playoffs. A loss, and the odds of making the playoffs could become an unimaginable 98% (rounded down). A win, and we may yet witness one of the most ridiculous come-from-ahead playoff runs we've ever seen. If the Rangers win, then Tim, the unfortunate diehard Islanders fan working in the mail room of a Manhattan publishing company, will have to endure at least a day's taunting from his buddies. If the Islanders win, then Paul will have to cancel his Wednesday morning round at Bethpage to avoid people mocking his Rangers club-head covers.

In my opinion, the biggest games of the season are:

1) Playoff games
2) Games which influence who gets into the playoffs
3) Games for spots within the playoffs
4) Everything else

So this fits into spot #3. Now, given the Eastern Conference basically has its 8 playoff teams already set, you can make the argument that this might be the biggest game of the Eastern Conference this season. But in the league? Give me any combination of Dallas, Colorado, Vancouver, Calgary, LA and San Jose and the game is much, much bigger.

 

[RiceCooker]

I'm a Ranger fan but Let's not get crazy, outside of NY, I'm not sure there are many people who care about this game

 

[londonHK]

Is this a "I think New York is the centre of the universe thing and therefore everything happening in New York is the most important thing ever" thing, or just a team homerism thing?

 

[Teemu Salami]

2 good teams playing -> Game of the season.

 

[Anglesmith]

Is this a "I think New York is the centre of the universe thing and therefore everything happening in New York is the most important thing ever" thing, or just a team homerism thing?

No, he raises some points which are valid. The two teams are good, the rivalry is good, and the building is... historic. So the atmosphere will be good. But what is lacking in this game is simply having something on the line. The outcome of this game means very little.

 

[Honey Bear]

Regular season.

I don't want to sound like a debbie downer, but it's the regular season and it's one game. Right now, I'm not even sure if this would really affect the playoffs.

The east will be a dogfight in the playoffs too, almost anyone can come out of the east similar to the west.

 

[saillias]

I'd rather watch a Tampa-Habs game

 

[londonHK]

No, he raises some points which are valid. The two teams are good, the rivalry is good, and the building is... historic. So the atmosphere will be good. But what is lacking in this game is simply having something on the line. The outcome of this game means very little.

All those things are true, but there's a huge leap from those factors to "biggest game this season" that doesn't make any logical sense. I was just wondering if this was team homerism or a geographical ego-centric view of the world thing, because otherwise it just comes out of nowhere.

 

[Anglesmith]

All those things are true, but there's a huge leap from those factors to "biggest game this season" that doesn't make any logical sense. I was just wondering if this was team homerism or a geographical ego-centric view of the world thing, because otherwise it just comes out of nowhere.

It's homerism, and all fanbases are prone to it, not just New York.

 

[SeidoN]

didnt the last NYI/NYR game get super hyped for nothing

 

[londonHK]

It's homerism, and all fanbases are prone to it, not just New York.

Absolutely. But this example was right in front of me and I couldn't resist.

 

[nmbr_24]

IMO they are the two best teams in the entire Eastern Conference, at least right now. They're major state rivals. It's being played in the loudest and most rabid arena in the NHL. It's going to be extremely intense. I can't think of another matchup this season that had all of these ingredients.

I think it will be a good game, everything else you said is pretty much just an exaggeration.

 

[IAmBobo]

IF you need to advertise it like this then it's obviously not the biggest game of the season.

You need to beat the leafs in order to claim best team in the east

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

I'd hate to see how cocky Isles fans get if god forbid they win a single playoff round for their first time in 22 years.

 

[CherryToke]

 

[FirewagonChange]

Teams fighting just to get into the playoff picture is more exciting than teams fighting for conference superiority?

Winning the conference means nothing, but sneaking in the playoffs means everything?

Does it really take a conscious effort for someone to appreciate anything outside of a fight for a playoff spot? I guess so..

 

[potsos]

Ok. I mean, I don't agree, but... ok.

 

[FirewagonChange]

As far as the snow we'll just have to see by tomorrow afternoon. The weather stations love exaggerating East Coast storms because of the viewers it brings in. Been going on for years.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Agree with the OP. People want to be obtuse and just look at the standings based on this year. It's not about just the here and now and where the teams will finish in the seedings.

It's more than that. It's a team with a rivalry history and finally the one that's been irrelevant for ages is rising fast and is now among the League's elite. A running joke of the Rangers fans invading Long Island isn't that funny anymore.

Oh, and it's gonna be a great game.

 

[Anglesmith]

Teams fighting just to get into the playoff picture is more exciting than teams fighting for conference superiority?

Winning the conference means nothing, but sneaking in the playoffs means everything?

Does it really take a conscious effort for someone to appreciate anything outside of a fight for a playoff spot? I guess so..

What makes a game "big?" In my opinion, it is having something on the line that the teams are fighting for. Yes, getting into the playoffs means much, much more to any team than finishing ahead of their rivals in the standings.

 

[Islander Prophet]

I really hope the blizzard doesn't screw this up... I want to see this game in full intensity!

 

[JS91]

Oh man this is without a doubt the greatest game of the whole season, playoffs included. AINEC.
Seriously though, it's a regular season game between 2 playoff bound teams and the result won't change anything anyhow. Not sure why it's such a big deal.

 

[RiceCooker]

Oh man this is without a doubt the greatest game of the whole season, playoffs included. AINEC.
Seriously though, it's a regular season game between 2 playoff bound teams and the result won't change anything anyhow. Not sure why it's such a big deal.

Like mentioned, it's more of a big deal to hockey fans in NY....like Mets-Yankees is to baseball fans in NY.
Usually if you like one team, you hate the other.

 

[aemoreira1981]

I will be surprised if this game is not rescheduled. About 2 feet of snow is forecast if not more.

 

[Lomez]

Silly. Not even close, although the OP's wide-eyed enthusiasm is vaguely endearing.