AI ranks the NY Islanders and NY Rangers rivalry among the league's best
Like it or not, AI is becoming a commonly used tool in society. As hockey fans, sometimes we like to use AI for fun concepts.
Last year a user on X used ChatGPT to determine the best NY Islanders of all time, and now, it has determined the best rivalries in the NHL.
Ranking fourth on the list is the Battle of New York between the NY Islanders and the NY Rangers.
Locally, we know how much every one of these games means to fans. Whether battling for playoff position or during a down season, the intensity of these games allows for bragging rights against friends, family, and co-workers until the next time the two meet. For those living in New York, it's the only city in the NHL with multiple teams, making it truly unique to have blue and orange - and blue and red (or sometimes red and black) mixed into one bowl.
One Rangers fan on X by the handle of @82straightws, recently created a post saying which NHL teams are "property" of other teams. Essentially which teams "own" other teams, and he listed the Rangers as owners of the Islanders.
Well what makes this such a great rivalry is since the Islanders' inception in 1972, the head-to-head rivalry has been about as close as it could be. The Islanders have accumulated 300 points in 293 matchups, while the Rangers have 305.
The Islanders were the league's dominant team in the 1980s, winning four consecutive Stanley Cups and losing in the Cup finals while going for number five. But since then, the well has dried up, as the Islanders haven't been back to another Stanley Cup Finals, reaching the Conference Finals just three times (1993, 2020, 2021).
Since the Islanders became an NHL franchise, the Rangers have just one Stanley Cup in 1994 but have participated in the Conference Finals ten times (1979, 1981, 1986, 1994, 1997, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2024).
Even though neither team has made it to the Stanley Cup Finals this decade, the two teams have competed in two of the five Conference Finals.
Whether you feel the matchups are friendly or feel like life and death, the rivalry is in a great place and has been for decades. So whether you prefer to chant "Potvin sucks" or "If you know the Rangers Suck clap your hands," it's good to see the rivalry is acknowledged among others.