Wayne Dillon C (1975-1978) Nick Fotiu LW (1976-79,1980-85) David Shaw D (1987-1991)
Today in NYR History May 25
1994: "The Guarantee"
Mark Messier delivers on his guarantee that the New York Rangers will defeat the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final.
"We will win tonight," Messier tells reporters with the Rangers down 3-2 in the best-of-7 series. His words are splashed on the front pages of newspapers all around the city.
With the Rangers down 2-0 late in the second period at Brendan Byrne Arena, Messier sets up Alex Kovalev before intermission to cut the deficit to one goal. He ties the game early in the third period, puts New York ahead with 7:48 remaining and caps his performance by shooting the puck the length of the ice into an empty net to give the Rangers a 4-2 victory.
"I felt that [guaranteeing a win] would be a great way to let my players know that I believed we could go in there and win Game 6, because we had beaten them six times during the regular season -- three times in their building," Messier said.
The victory evens the series at three wins apiece with Game 7 at Madison Square Garden two days later, meaning the Rangers don't have much time to celebrate.
"Winning the game was a good feeling, but we didn't have long to relish it," Messier said. "All we had done was send the series back to the Garden, and we knew that Game 7 was no sure thing."
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