The history was not overbearing, and the significance of the moment is not what made this one sting so much for the Islanders.
No, this 2-1 loss to the Rangers that was the last one in the regular season for these two teams at the Coliseum was a tough one because it was two points — two points ceded to a rival and, more importantly, two points ceded in the standings.
“There have been so many games here, and there have been so many bragging rights in the rivalry over so many years,” Islanders captain John Tavares told The Post, referencing the previous 129 regular-season matches between these two clubs at the old barn, along with another 19 in the postseason, going back to its simultaneous opening with the franchise in 1972.
“Whatever place that [game] has, I just think it was an important two points in the standings,” Tavares said. “It certainly was a big game, especially with the way the division is, games in hand and whatnot.”
Those games in hand would be four them belonging to the Rangers (41-17-7), who seemingly have given up on playing games without gaining at least a point — and given up on playing games that aren’t entirely entertaining. A run of 12-2-3 without starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist has placed them just one point short of the Islanders (43-22-4) for tops in the Metropolitan Division.
And it was only through suppressed grins that the Blueshirts were able to deny relishing the opportunity to be spoilers on this historic night. Instead, they’re looking ahead by staying in the present — preparing for another long spring run by not getting sucked into the big picture that they’re the hottest team in the league.
“It was another playoff-type game,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “It’s about finding ways, and that’s what we did.”
Just like in the postseason, this game was tight, physical, and pockmarked with moments of opportunity that were either converted or missed, and hung heavy over the rest of the game.
And like so many big games, it was not decided by a bounce, although it surely looked that way. When Rick Nash just tossed a puck toward the net at 2:50 of the third period, it deflected off of Ryan Strome’s stake and past goalie Jaroslav Halak, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
But was that it? Was that going to be the game-winner on a night like this, a night when 16,170 rabid fans cheered in antagonistic sign-song at one another, sending the security guards from section to section in hopes of keeping things at least moderately civil?
“In a game like that, a playoff-type game,” Isles coach Jack Capuano said, “Nash gets a puck to the net, and it’s in the back of the net. That’s what it’s going to come down to.”
But that’s forgetting all the chances, both missed and converted, that came before that. Like Kevin Hayes wonderfully powerful breakaway move 11:35 into the second period, protecting the puck from Thomas Hickey and turning to sweep one in and tie it, 1-1. That had negated another powerful move, this one by Isles rookie Anders Lee, 9:35 into the first, when he barreled by Dan Boyle and jammed one in for another early Islanders lead — just as they had done in the first four meetings this season, the Isles having won three of them.
“They came at us again very hard in the first period, and Cam kept us in,” Vigneault said of his goalie, finishing with 29 saves in his 16th start of the 17-game absence of Lundqvist. “I thought after that, we got our working boots on.”
The Islanders won’t be able to forget Josh Bailey’s failed breakaway late in the second period easily denied by Talbot, nor the 2:46 of power-play time in the third that could hardly direct a shot towards Talbot.
“Our power play was nonexistent,” Capuano said. “We didn’t shoot any pucks.”
So this is it for the regular season between these clubs in this building, and if this is it for good, the rivalry went out with a bang. But with both of teams eyeing the postseason, no one is saying it was the last ever.
“Whoever we play, whatever our challenge is, we’re going to accept that and thrive off that,” Tavares said about the playoffs. “If we see these guys again, we would be looking forward to something like that. Obviously, we would want to change the outcome.”