New York Hockey: The Game in the Stands

By Mike Russo

I have been frequently attending New York Ranger games for years. The atmosphere in Madison Square Garden is electric for every game.  You can tell New York City loves this hockey team and the crowd in the Garden is always pumped up.  But the game I attended on January 31 was extra big; it was against the Rangers’ rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes.
  
 MSG was jam packed with both Rangers and ‘Cane fans, so there was tension in the air.  Fights already broke out between drunken fans and the puck hasn’t even dropped for game time!  I could tell even if this hockey game wouldn't be enjoyable, this crowd would be amazing to be a part of.  The game itself was incredible, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist played incredibly, stopping nearly every Hurricane shot and shutting them down.  The Rangers were flying around the ice and were able to score 2 quick goals within the first period by Rick Nash and Dominic Moore.  The Garden was absolutely booming and I was all jacked up with my friends enjoying the night.
  
Me being a huge Ranger fan, I was ready to jump all over the Hurricane fans in Madison Square Garden, because this was Rangers Town and they were in enemy territory.  And to my wonderful surprise, in the row in front of me was a couple of Carolina fans, a guy and a girl.  I figured they were together so I decided to let them be for now, until the 2nd period started and I had a couple $11 beers in my system.  I heckled those fans until I was blue in the face; I made a bunch of new Ranger fan friends in my section.  The game itself was amazing, with the Blueshirts walking away with a 4-1 win and not without me starting a “Let's Go Rangers” chant that filled the Garden.