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On September 27 in Rangers history: Birth of the best rivalry in sports

What happened on September 27 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 1972 one of the best rivalries in sports was born. It marks the date of the first game ever between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders. It was a preseason game, but it was the first time the Islanders ever played in their inaugural season at the Nassau Coliseum. The Rangers won, 6-4.

11,053 fans turned out for the game with estimate that the crowd was split 50/50 between fans of the Rangers and supporters of the Isles.