Maven's Memories: Backing In and Booting Out the Rangers in 2003

Coming off a tumultuous seven-game playoff against the Maple Leafs in the spring of 2002, the Islanders had reason to believe that they had the goods for yet another postseason run.
That was the primary goal for everyone in the organization, from GM Mike Milbury to coach Peter Laviolette right down to the stick boys.

To ensure that his smaller, skilled, Islanders would not be pushed around, Milbury acquired tough Jason Wiemer from Florida as well as Eric Godard who had been groomed on the Bridgeport AHL farm team.
"We're not going to be a fun team to play against," Mike warned.
The GM recalled -- with not much enjoyment, mind you -- that the intimidating Torontonians had manhandled two of his best players, captain Michael Peca and defenseman Kenny Jonsson.
Both had been injured as a result of cheap shots. Peca came out of the tournament with a busted knee while Jonsson suffered his fourth concussion.
When the 2002-03 camp opened in Lake Placid, the club seemed well fortified in goal. Chris Osgood would be the starter, backed by Garth Snow. Waiting in the wings was netminding prodigy Rick DiPietro. Meanwhile, Milbury pared down his roster and all hands hoped that the club could repeat the previous season's winning spurt from the gate.
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Early Days of Islanders TV
The Amazing Nights of Wade Dubielewicz
Frans Nielsen, Sultan of Shootout
Shorthanded Swede Anders Kallur
Stan's Fans: The Amazing Polatoffs
Billy Smith's Origin Story
Butch Goring's Wise Words
Garry Howatt: Toy Tiger
Maven's Haven
But this time, it wasn't in the cards. A long losing streak cost them traction while coach Laviolette continued to manipulate lines in an attempt to restore the motivation of yesteryear.
One "solution" was provided by the National Hockey League office which scheduled games against the hated Rangers. A 3-1 victory over the Seventh Avenue Skaters proved to be a tonic.
"Let's face it," said gritty forward Dave Scatchard, "any time we beat the Rangers means we've got a better chance to make the playoffs."
Scatch had a point. After all, when it came down to the homestretch, the Blueshirts and the Nassaumen figured to be galloping neck and neck for the final qualifying spot.
Spicing up the rivalry -- not that any more gasoline needed to be added to the fire -- was the fact that erstwhile Isles hero defenseman Darius Kasparaitis now was wearing the Rangers blue and ex-Isles hero Bryan Trottier was behind the bad guys bench.
When the teams collided in Uniondale on January 21, 2003, it was a head-on crash with an aura of white heat that enveloped the warm-up, pre-game skate. To call it a Pier Six Brawl On Ice would be a gross understatement but there's no disputing how the fuss all began.
Notorious Rangers disturber Matt Barnaby committed the first no-no by crossing the "peace barrier," otherwise known as the center red line. That, in effect, was the Visitors' declaration of war."
Like a pinball bouncing off a flipper, Barnaby first bumped Isles miniscule forward Jason Blake and then hulking goalie Garth Snow. While accidents will happen, there was no question among the home fellows that this was an act of war.
Zachary Weinstock, co-author of the up-and-coming Islanders 50th Anniversary Commemorative history, reported that the initial hostilities multiplied in size and scope by the respective benches.
"Then," noted Weinstock in his book, Rangers vs. Islanders -- co-authored by The Maven, "Blueshirts basher Sandy McCarthy basically invaded the Islanders zone and checked Islanders towering defenseman Eric Cairns, his old nemesis. The teams came together for some pushing and slashing."
With peace eventually restored, the Rangers narrowed the Islanders cross-county playoff race with a 5-0 win. However, the two points proved a pyrrhic victory for the embattled Rangers coach, Trottier. A week later he was a booted Blueshirt, exiting with a 21-26-6-1 record. Sather figured he'd get time-and-a-half for overtime and took over Blueshirts bench.
Weinstock: "Fans of both teams looked to purge the Blueshirts' 'Trottier Era' from their brains immediately. That he ever worked a minute in the New York Rangers organization was basically forgotten by the teams' third meeting, March 3, 2003 at Madison Square Garden."
In the interim, the New York-New York playoff derby continued as a super-sidebar for Met Area fans not rooting for the New Jersey Devils. With Sather replacing Trottier, the local race took on a new flavor.
Or, as one reporter observed, "Slats was a way better master of chirping than Trots ever was!"
Undeterred by Sather's vociferous vocabulary, Laviolette's lads kept their telescopic eyes on the Finish Line. Osgood was a big help in December with a 1.41 goals against average and .946 save percentage.
Then there was the long-awaited return of the rehabbed Captain Michael Peca. The defensive ace immeasurably improved the penalty-killing. It had been a slovenly 25th in the league in November but by the New Year it had climbed to 11th overall.
Not that everything was coming up roses. Laviolette's offense-oriented style was challenged by Peca who asserted, "We have to have a defense--first attitude."
In a sense that was irrelevant compared to the eruptions that took place in Uniondale on January 21, 2004. Once again the Rangers made trouble -- big trouble -- when the Visitors' hard-charging Bobby Holik bulldozed Osgood, leaving the crack goalie with a knee sprain. Re-enter, Ricky from Bridgeport.
Not only did Osgood go down but the Isles began faltering and that left Milbury wondering whether his club had the goods to make the postseason for two years running.
Nevertheless, by the All-Star break, the Nassaumen still had their heads above water. They were above the .500 mark (24-21-5-2), but their schizophrenic behavior braked their attempt to break free for the final race to the postseason.
At the trade deadline, Milbury shocked the media by dealing Osgood to St. Louis for prospect Justin Papineau. That, of course, was the break DiPietro long had anticipated, leaving Ricky and Garth to man the pipes for the duration.
"It's good to have solid ground here," DiPietro told the press. "Now I can become a real part of this team."
He showed it on St. Patrick's Day night in Toronto coming up big enough times to allow his mates to come from behind 0-3 to tie the game, 3-3, and annex one big point at an even bigger time in the stretch.
Then, Papineau -- playing like a big-leaguer in Bridgeport -- was promoted to play left wing with Peca, giving the line some new energy.
Peter Botte and Alan Hahn: "The Isles needed just a pair of wins over the weekend to bury the Rangers and claim the final playoff berth in the East."
But the coup de grace was not applied. The Blueshirts were alive, kicking and on April Fool's Day they invaded the Coliseum for what would be the most important game of the campaign for each team.
Not that anyone had to broadcast it, but the contest was in such a ne plus ultra category that coach Laviolette convened his players at a Long Island hotel on March 31st, the eve of the decisive encounter.
"Peter's strategy worked for two periods" said one beat newsman with tongue well ensconced in cheek. "Trouble is that hockey still is a three period game."
As it happened, the Rangers exploited the final 20 minutes, scored twice and stayed alive via a 2-2 tie. But as Botte-Hahn pointed out, Sather's sextet "was on life support."
Sure enough, the Islanders clinched the coveted final playoff berth when the Blueshirts were beaten by the Devils in the Rangers' second-to-last game of the season. It marked the sixth consecutive year that MSG's team missed the playoffs.
Not only did Snow's skaters transfer their rival to the NHL dumpster but the Isles GM also had the perfect squelch when asked if he had any final message for Sather.
"Yeah," Milbury concluded. "Tell Slats that I'll leave him two tickets for our first home playoff game!"