Honorable Mention to the 1984-90 New York Islanders. The Denis Potvin and Mike Bossy era gave way to the Pat LaFontaine era. 6 seasons, 5 Playoff berths, but only 2 Playoff series won.
Honorable Mention to the 1987-88 New Jersey Devils. The 1st Playoff run for the team, not counting 1978 as the Colorado Rockies. They clinched a berth on the final day of the regular season, then beat the Islanders in the 1st Round (the only time these 2 teams have ever met in the Playoffs), then beat the Washington Capitals to reach the Finals of what was then called the Prince of Wales Conference, before falling to the Boston Bruins in a controversial 7-game series. It would take them 6 years to win another Playoff series.
Honorable Mention to the 1992-94 New York Islanders. After 2 straight Playoff misses, they had an inspiring run to the 1993 Conference Finals, then lost to the Rangers in the 1st round the next year. Then came Mike Milbury, and 7 straight Playoff misses.
10. 2011-12 New Jersey Devils. They beat the Rangers in a great Eastern Conference Finals, but lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Los Angeles Kings. This remains the Devils' only season with a Playoff series win since 2007.
9. 2011-15 New York Rangers. 4 seasons, 3 trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, 1 trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. But let's be honest: This was a lucky team. It didn't have anywhere near the talent of the Rangers Cup Finals teams of 1928-29, 1932-33, 1937, 1940, 1950, 1972, 1979 or 1994.
8. 1947-50 New York Rangers. Made the Playoffs in '48, missed in '49, got all the way to overtime of Game 7 of the Finals in 1950, but lost, then missed the Playoffs for the next 5 seasons.
7. 1977-84 New York Rangers. 7 straight Playoff berths, and a trip to the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals, including a Semifinal thriller over the Islanders. But the Montreal Canadiens were too strong for them that time, and the Islanders were too strong for them in '81, '82, '83 and '84.
6. 1966-75 New York Rangers. 10 straight Playoff seasons. Got to the Stanley Cup Semifinals in 1971, the Finals in 1972, and the Semifinals in 1973 and 1974. Then got upset by the upstart Islanders in 1975, and it all fell apart.
This team may have had more talent than any Ranger team except the 1994 Cup winners: Goalie Eddie Giacomin, defenseman Brad Park, and the "Goal-a-Game Line" (the GAG Line) of Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield. But they ran smack into the Henri Richard and Yvan Cournoyer Montreal Canadiens, and the Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito Boston Bruins.
5. 1940-42 New York Rangers. The Broadway Blueshirts won the Stanley Cup in 1940, and finished 1st overall in 1942. At the time, there was no Presidents Trophy for doing that, but having the best overall record in the regular season was considered nearly as important as winning the Cup. Then World War II's manpower drain caught up with the Rangers, and in the 76 years, they've been to just 5 Stanley Cup Finals, winning exactly 1 of them.
4. 1926-33 New York Rangers. 8 seasons (the 1st 8 in franchise history), 2 American Division titles, 4 trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, 2 Stanley Cups. The 1st great hockey team in New York history, advertised as "the Classiest Team in Hockey." Yes, the Rangers. This was a long time ago.
3. 1992-97 New York Rangers. 6 seasons, 2 regular-season Division titles (1992 Patrick, 1994 Atlantic), 2 Presidents Trophies for best regular-season record, 2 trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, 1 Stanley Cup (1994). Talent-wise, this team was better than the Cup-winners of 1928, 1933 and 1940. And yet, so many stars, so little results.
If the Vancouver Canucks had won that Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, think about how Ranger fans would have reacted. Mark Messier would have gone from "The Messiah" to the greatest failure in the history of New York sports. They could have taken him downstairs to Penn Station and literally run him out of town on a rail. And then, instead of "78 Years, 1 Cup," it would be 78 years, no Cups!
2. 1995-2003 New Jersey Devils. 9 seasons, 5 Atlantic Division titles, 4 Eastern Conference Championships, 3 Stanley Cups. They weren't as star-laden as the '94 Rangers that delayed their rise by a year, but they were more accomplished.
1. 1978-84 New York Islanders. 7 seasons, 5 Patrick Division regular-season titles, 3 Presidents Trophies for best overall regular-season record, 5 straight trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, 4 straight Stanley Cups.
Love 'em or hate 'em, but, for sustained excellence, this was the best hockey team ever based in America, better than any the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings or the Pittsburgh Penguins -- and certainly the Rangers -- has ever produced.
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