On this day in Rangers history, Mark Messier delivered on a bold promise to extend the 1994 Eastern Conference Final to a decisive seventh game. Prior to Game 6, Messier made a guarantee to reporters: “We will win tonight.”
Staring the prospect of elimination in the face, the Rangers fell behind by two goals in the first period of Game 6. Goals by Scott Niedermayer and Claude Lemieux had put the Devils in the driver’s seat, only needing to hold on to their lead for the remaining 40 minutes to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Goaltender Mike Richter moved heaven and earth to keep the Blueshirts in a game that was going entirely New Jersey’s way. Late in the second period, a Messier drop pass allowed Alexei Kovalev to fire a shot through traffic and past Martin Brodeur. Suddenly, the Rangers were given a lifeline with little more than a period left to play.
The Devils’ skates appeared slowed in the opening minutes of the third period. Sensing this, the Rangers employed an all-out offensive charge. Kovalev fed a net-bound Messier and the captain deceived Brodeur with a backhander to even the contest at 2-2. With 2:48 gone in the third period, it was now anyone’s game.
Messier would strike again nearly 10 minutes later. Brian Leetch and Kovalev orchestrated a fancy give-and-go into the offensive zone. Leetch dropped off the puck to Kovalev near the top of the left face-off circle. Kovalev blistered a hard shot that Brodeur could not handle. Who was there to collect and score the rebound? Of course, it was No. 11.
Improbably, the Rangers had scored three unanswered goals to gain a 3-2 lead. Messier and Co. weren’t done yet. With Brodeur pulled for an extra skater and the Rangers killing a Glenn Anderson slashing penalty, the Devils had a 6-on-4 advantage with 1:50 remaining in regulation.
Messier won a defensive zone face-off – but the Devils wing John MacLean gained the cleared puck behind Richter’s net. MacLean attempted to feed Lemieux with a centering pass. Instead, the puck found Messier’s stick. Messier saucered a long-distance shot across three zones and into the empty net to complete his hat trick.
“Do you believe it? He said we will win Game 6,” play-by-play man Gary Thorne announced. “He has just picked up the hat trick.”
The captain had delivered on his guarantee. Against the odds and down two goals on the road, the Rangers earned an unforgettable 4-2 victory to bring the series back to Madison Square Garden for Game 7.
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