The Rivalry

And so it begins.

Islanders-Rangers. Does it get any better?

Clearly, the Isles-Rangers rivalry is the class of New York. The Yankees and Mets play six times a year. The Giants and Jets play twice per decade. That leaves the Islanders and Rangers.

And what a rivalry it is. These teams play eight times a year, each carrying the intensity of a playoff battle. Contrary to popular belief, not every game is a bloodbath, but they're the best eight games either team plays all season. And when both teams are at the top of their respective games, when playoff spots are on the line, this rivalry shines brighter than ever. Lately, we've been blessed with two competitive teams who play the game the right way. They also just happen to be constantly fighting for their playoff lives. This only helps the rivalry. Even though you despise the other team, you secretly hope they're on their A-game just so you can stick it to them and their fans one more time.

That ties into the main reason a blog like this can exist. As hockey fans, we don't just root for our one team; instead, we root for the game. We live and breathe hockey. We watch every game we can watch and we read anything we can that covers the game. As such, most New York hockey fans are very knowledgable about both teams. You might hate the Rangers, but you know all the stories surrounding the team. You might only watch the Islanders to see them lose, but you're still watching and you're still learning about them. With this in mind, it's only natural to carve out a space on the Web that covers both the Rangers and Islanders. We might hate each other, but we all know that short of winning the Cup, the best thing we can do in a given season is humiliate our biggest rivals.

If you're looking for a blog that will educate you about the team you hate as well as the team you follow, this blog is for you. If you're looking for a site that will be biased to both sides of the rivalry, yet will simultaneously call a spade a spade, this blog is for you. If you're looking for a blog that will embrace the battles of two teams who will likely be hitting the golf course within two weeks of each other, this blog is for you. In short, if you're a New York hockey fan, this blog is for you.

Welcome to The Rivalry.