Garry Howatt vs Ed Giacomin

[tank3ful]

I remember this game like it was yesterday. The Rangers were losing 3 to 0, when they benched Gilles Villemure and brought in Eddie. After this fight, the Rangers scored 3 consecutive goals, and nearly one the thing before regulation ended. Eddie lit a fire under his teams butt, to get moving. 10 seconds into overtime, JP Parise scores ,and the lslanders win their first playoff series ever!  Historic moment for them, and the end of the Emil Francis Ranger era.

[dzanier]

I was 3 at the time so I don't recall (I know my rangers history though, and Isles as well), but I know that the Rangers were leading 2-0 going into the third period of Game 1 and lost 3-2 (That's just inexcusable), they won Game 2 on Long Island 8-3 (it was 3-0 seven minutes in & 6-1 at the midway point of the 2nd period),a nd in this game they tied it up with three goals in the 3rd (the 2nd & 3rd scored 14 seconds apart by Fairbairn & Vickers at 13.27 and 13.41 respectively). Whatever way you

[dzanier]

slice it the Rangers had the momentum at some point in every game and heading into the final game and in OT. The Isles deserve credit but the Rangers should have won this series. I don't know if they underestimated the Isles or what but the Rangers had more skilled players. Maybe, as was often said about the Rangers before this series and up till the 94 Cup, their players just weren't mentally or physically tough enough.

[BMTH8521]

Ed Giacomin is my friends uncle NO JOKE!

[3131Mets]

Just the goal it is the only known video.

Show called birth of the islanders

[dzanier]

A young Ron Greschner. It was his first season.

[3131Mets]

Just saw actual broadcast of parise goal on show called MSG

Vault

[dzanier]

The whole game or just the goal? I would love to see that game.

[buffalobraves9]

Villemure was better anyway.

[MrJuha82]

DRAW

[ggtrains]

take the mask off Eddie....unbelievable.

[djn3131]

Where did this come from?

Would love to see game from start to finish.

Also have only seen Parise Goal in slow -Mo

[weaselsuit]

Time to go to Detroit Eddie... Sorry!

[switchhitter08]

EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE!

[RRaquello]

I didn't see this game (no TV in NY) but heard it on the radio. If I remember, the Isles were leading 3-0, THis happened at the beginning of the 3rd pd.. Howatt got rooked on the penalty calls after this fight, the Rangers eventually tied the game and the Isles won on JP Parise's OT goal. The end of the Rangers & beginning of the Islanders. I heard the game on WMCA and the Islander's announcers went nuts after this. It was a long time ago, and I had never SEEN it before. Pretty cool.

[winyguy]

I heard the game on WNEW and the Rangers Announcers, I could not believe it, When the Islanders scored in OT.

[floralparkkid]

Eddie Giacomin was the best Ranger goalie of all time and one of the best in NHL history. Nobody made more clutch saves than Steady Eddie!

[winyguy]

You believe it.

[wickedbuzzproduction]

@floralparkkid -- maybe the greatest goalie in Rangers history but of all time...lol!!! get serious dude.

Gary Howatt must have had alot of respect for Steady Eddie cuz he probably could have knocked old Eddie out if he really wanted to.

[dzanier]

Well, he is in the hall of fame. Some might consider him among the greatest 30 goalies ever. Lot's of goalies are in the HOF,I don't know the exact number, but you could make the argument that if you're in the HOF you're among the greatest goalies ever. I know some people, and I'm one of them, who think Mike Richter could either be number one or number two on the all-time Ranger list. I think Richter and Eddie are numbers 1 and/or 2 irrespective of order.

[Envelope86]

Flash forward five years, and Howatt once again played it smart in the playoffs: after Gillies fought O'Reilly twice, Howatt draws the moron into a third fight, exiting a key player from the game. They don't make em like Howatt anymore!

[ekimfloom]

You're right because noone that small gets a look anymore unless he can find the net 40-50 times a year...

[goisles]

And then there was JP Parise

[dzanier]

That was the beginning of the fun for the Isles & the end of a pretty good run of Ranger teams that were legitimate contenders (losing in the finals in 72 & in the Semis in 71, 73 & 74). I'd love for someone to upload the Parise goal. I've never seen it except for real slo-mo replay. I've a friend who was at that game and he tells me that he's never heard a silence at MSG like when after Parise scored 11 seconds into OT. If I'm not mistaken the Rangers were down 3-0 at one point in that game

[goisles]

I think you are right. If I remember correctly they were down 3-0 in the second and 3-1 in the third. Anyway, this was really the begining of what would be 10 extremely exciting years of hockey in NY. As much as I hate the Rags, they had damn good teams in the late 70's (upset the Isles in the Semis in '79 after the Isles won the Presidents trophy) and some great playoff series in the 80's (Kenny Morrow in '84 comes to mind).

[winyguy]

The Rangers were down 3-0 at one point in that game, But the Rangers came back in the third person to tied the game at 3-3.

[dzanier]

Yeah I know. I did not see the game (I was only 3) and have never seen a replay of it, assuming one exists. This is one game I'd love to see from beginning to end. A really bitter end unfortunately.