Fortunately, there were no olive trees planted on the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum acreage late in the 1980's
Nor were there any around Madison Square Garden although it was -- at least in name -- a Garden.
And a good thing too, because if any landscaper suggested that both teams share an olive branch -- or similar peace symbol -- during the 1989-90 season, laughter would be heard all the way to Gardiner's Bay.
Describing diplomatic relations between the Nassaumen and the Blueshirts in 1989-90, co-author of "Rangers vs. Islanders," Zachary Weinstock called it, "The Epitome of Hatred."
The feudin', fussin' and fightin' seemed destined to last for an eternity and certainly in the first meetings of the new '89-'90 season.
Maven's Memories: Isles-Rangers Feud: Heating Up Into the 1990s
Stan Fischler recounts the heated meetings between the Isles and Rangers in the 1990s
© B Bennett/Getty Images
© B Bennett/Getty Images