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Former Rangers center recalls goal that made him feel ‘like 1’ with MSG fans
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- Former Rangers center recalls goal that made him feel ‘like 1’ with MSG fans
Dominic Moore scored one of the most iconic goals in New York Rangers history back in 2014. His second period tally in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final was all his good friend Henrik Lundqvist needed to secure a 1-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens and send the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 1994.
It wasn't Game 7, so the Rangers did have some wiggle room. But the pressure was on them to finish off the Canadiens after taking 2-0 and 3-1 leads in the series.
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The Rangers already missed an opportunity to eliminate the Canadiens, losing a sloppy Game 5 at Bell Centre 7-4. Then in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden, unheralded Canadiens goalie Dustin Tokarski matched Lundqvist save for save for nearly two full periods.
So, you don't think the Garden Faithful was on edge with the looming possibility of the Rangers heading back to Montreal for a decisive Game 7?
"The tension in the arena was through the roof. Everyone's on their feet, scoreless game, a game away from the Finals, first time in 20 years. The tension in the building was just palpable," Moore recalled in a recent conversation with Forever Blueshirts on the Rink Rap podcast.
If you were inside The Garden as Game 6 moved along on the night of May 29, 2014, you knew that there was a real good chance the first goal might just decide the outcome. So, when Moore buried a Brian Boyle feed at 18:07 of the second period, following an outstanding shift below the dots by New York's fourth line, it felt like famed spoked ceiling could be blown into outer space.
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Yes, the roar was that loud.
"So, to get that goal, when it went in, that tension was just unleashed, and as the goal scorer, it just went right through me," Moore explained. "I remember turning around and just having this view of the whole side of the arena just going bananas, and I just felt like one with the whole building. Truly unique, special experience."
Dominic Moore was proud to 'protect the house' for Rangers in Game 6 of 2014 ECF
Andy Marlin-Imagn Images
As Moore pointed out, that goal was huge, but "There was still a lot of hockey left in the game."
In fact, before the second period ended, Brad Richards took a hooking minor at 19:47. Moore played a big part in killing off that penalty. And when the game neared its conclusion, Moore was out there protecting the one-goal lead, something he takes great pride in even to this day.
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"I think the other most memorable part of that game was knowing it was my job to close things out, win face-offs at the end of the game, protect the house," he shared. "What an honor to be able to do that. And to have the seconds tick down and then rush back to Henrik to celebrate, that was a special night."
You know the rest of the story. The Rangers lost to Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final that spring. Though the series was over in five games, the Rangers lost twice in double overtime and once in the first OT.
But that doesn't take anything away from the memorable run the Rangers pieced together, nor the Game 6 heroics of Moore that lifted them back into the Cup Final.
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