If you’re a Rangers fan, you already have a gut feeling that this is one of the best regular seasons in team history, and you also have a feeling that this is one of the best regular seasons. maybe. Anyone It’s ever happened in New York.
And this is the problem:
you’re right.
Thanks to detailed research by a wonderful Post reader named Jim Berman, we can safely say that all of that is true. After the Rangers beat the Red Wings 4-3 in Detroit on Friday night, their record is 52-21-4 with a .701 scoring percentage.
By the NHL’s own calculations, scoring percentage is as close to winning percentage as the Rangers have never had a scoring percentage above 70% since 1926.
They approached twice. They finished at .699 in both 1970-71 (49-18-11) and ’71-72 (48-17-13). Even the two Rangers teams that have won the Presidents Trophy since it was first awarded in 1986 have not been able to reach that point. The 1991-92 team finished with a record of 50-25-5 (.656), and the 2014-15 team finished 53rd. -22-7 (.689).
And when you cast your net wide, you appreciate those numbers even more.
baseball
Not surprisingly, the Yankees were the most New York team to hit .700 (excluding football), in 1927 (110-44, .714) and 1939 (106-45, .702). ) in 1998 (114 wins). 48, .704). Not surprisingly, all three of his Yankees teams won the World Series, with him dominating the Pirates, Reds, and Padres in four games.
In the 65 years the Giants occupied Upper Manhattan, they accomplished that only once, in 1885 (85-27, .759 batting average) — and surprisingly, that was with the Chicago Whites. They were only 2nd in the National League, two games behind.stockings (And for 139 years, Giants fans have been lamenting, “If only there was a wild card…”) The Dodgers won 13 pennants in the 64 years they played in Brooklyn starting in 1884. The closest he came was in 1899 (101-47, .682) and in 1953 (105-49, .682).
And perhaps as evidence of how difficult a task it is, with the exception of the 1998 Yankees, New York’s most dominant team since World War II, even the 1986 Mets had only a third They only won two games, but they weren’t far behind. Game (108-54, .667).
hockey
The Islanders won four Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983, but of those four championships, only the 1981-82 team was over .700, and in fact, their scoring/ His winning percentage (.738, record of 54 wins, 16 losses, and 10 draws) is the highest. After early scares by the Penguins (who needed a miracle comeback in Game 5) and Rangers (who ended up winning in six games), they defeated the Nordiques and Canucks 8-0 to reach the cap. Their third cup. Interestingly, the Islanders also reached a batting average of .700 (51-15-14, batting average of .725) in 1979, but famously lost to the Rangers in the conference finals.
The Devils have won three Cup championships and reached the finals twice, but the closest they ever came was last year (52-22-8, .683). And neither the NHL’s classic New York Americans nor the WHA’s New York Raiders/Golden Blades could come close.
basketball
The Knicks have accomplished that only twice since opening in 1946. Not surprisingly, this legendary team won his first title in 1969-1970, going 60-22 (.732) and then winning the playoffs with a winning percentage of .631. In the 1992-93 season, the Knicks played against the Bulls (60 wins, 22 losses, batting average .732), but lost to the Bulls in six games in the conference finals.
The Nets never accomplished that, but Dr. J’s 1974-75 team went 58-26 (.690) before being upset by the Spirits of St. Louis in the ABA Eastern semifinals. .
football
Due to the nature of its short schedule, football is something of an outlier when it comes to this, and in fact, the Giants have actually done it 19 times in 99 years. Super Bowl eras include 1986 (14-2), 1989 (12-4), 1990 (13-3), 2000 (12-4), and 2008 (12-4). It has been held five times. The Jets did it three times: in 1968 (11-3), 1969 (10-4) and 1998 (12-4).
Vac’s Blow
I heard story after story about Honey Russell, Walter Dukes, Richie Regan, and the rest of the 1953 Seton Hall Pirates from my friend Pop Bill Hammersley, who also played for the NIT championships. I grew up listening to it. So it was just cool to see the Pirates take the bookend trophy home to Walsh Gym.
And on that note: Video of Shaheen Holloway comforting Indiana State’s Robbie Avila and telling him to “keep your chin up” after the game reaffirms Holloway as a coach in every sense of the word. ing. And he’s a great coach.
Remember Morne Davis, the pitcher in the 2014 Little League World Series? After playing softball at Hampton, she is now a graduate student in Columbia University’s sports management program. One of the teams Davis beat that summer included Trey Maker, now a senior pitcher at Fordham.
Godspeed, Pat Zachry. It was a burden for him to forever wear the tag “Trade for Tom Seaver,” but he won three straight years with some of the worst teams in history from 1977 to 1980, and in four seasons the defense A rate of 3.01 was recorded. Back then, there weren’t many good reasons to go to Shea Stadium. Zachry was one of them.
hit back vac
Michael Keneski: As for OG Anunoby’s continued absence due to injury, it’s scary to even think that the Knicks might have their own Ben Simmons.
vacuum: That’s a 100% fair idea. I think the most important difference is that Anunoby actually seems to like playing basketball.
Scott Wolinetz: Hey Mike, I watched the Rangers and Devils battle on Wednesday night. I’m sure Reg Dunlop is somewhere smiling on the sidelines!
vacuum: It’s safe to say, “They don’t want you to score!” They want blood! ”
@drschnip: If Steve Cohen fired Carlos Mendoza after 16 games, like George Steinbrenner did with Yogi Berra, would Mendoza refuse to return for Old Timer’s Day?
@Mike Vac: Do you think he will play in 16 games? (Just kidding! Just kidding!)
Jeff Dugan: When will Tom Tobodeau realize he can’t keep playing with players as long as he has? Will he ever learn?
vacuum: I think Stan Van Gundy said it best Thursday night. The choice is either to play less time with the players or win fewer games. And is it really a choice?
