New York is a different type of sports town. It’s such a giant city that it has multiple pro teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. However, there’s very little bad blood between opposing teams — except in hockey. While the Knicks, Yankees, and Giants are the clear “A teams” in the city, fan support is a lot more split between the pair of NHL teams, the Islanders and Rangers.
The latter team has more history, being founded 50 years before the Islanders. Helping the Rangers’ cause is playing home games at the famed Madison Square Garden. Islanders don’t carry the same amount of history, but they match the Rangers in the number of Stanley Cup trophies they’ve won at four.
Just like fan support is split, so is the all-time series, and split right down the middle. Both franchises have an even 163 wins in the regular season and playoffs. That tie will be broken when the two collide on Wednesday, November 21.
As of late, though, this rivalry has been one-sided affair in favor of the Isles. They’ve won eight in a row against the Rangers, which is the longest win streak in this feud. Islanders are also 12-1 since the 2015 season. The Blueshirts at least get the next game at home in MSG to turn things around.