With a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Islanders were able to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was a victory felt across the five boroughs, as it marked a rare occasion for New York-area sports that hasn’t occurred in nearly 30 years.
With the Islanders clinching a playoff spot, all five of the greater New York City area’s hockey and basketball teams — the Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils in the NHL, and the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets in the NBA — have made the playoffs for the first time since 1994.
The spring of 1994 was special for New York sports teams:
- The Rangers won the Stanley Cup to end a championship drought of more than 50 years — going through the Islanders and Devils in the process.
- The Knicks made the NBA Finals but lost to the Houston Rockets.
The Guy Report 