By Dr. Lee M. Miringoff
This week I found myself at Madison Square Garden checking out Ranger Blue. They didn’t disappoint with a 6 to 3 win over the expansion team (I guess I’m a little too much of a traditionalist) New York Islanders. “Gooooaaallll… Hey, Hey, Hey!” Rangers fans know what this means. I was able to follow most of the action but didn’t actually see the goal cross the crease until the score reached 4 to 2.
My one and only hockey game prior to last night was March 21, 1965, a mere 46 years ago. No one ever accused me of being a rabid hockey fan. But, that game was memorable. You can make up your own version of the old joke “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.” Because what I saw back then, didn’t much resemble a hockey game. The Toronto Maple Leafs trounced the hometown Rangers 10-1. I recalled the score being 11-0, but memory clearly plays tricks on you with the passage of time. Was this the biggest trouncing in Ranger history?
Ok, maybe hockey isn’t in my blood. My visits to MSG over the years have been for several political conventions where the outcome is pretty much known in advance or for competitive events, like the Westminster Dog Show, where the contestants have more bark than bite. Will last night’s victory start a trend not only for this wayward hockey fan but for this potentially play-off bound team? Will the Rangers hoist the Stanley Cup this year at MSG as others have become their political party’s nominee or won Best in Show? Will I ever attend a Knicks’ game?