Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. I’m still in a state of shock!
Perhaps like many of you, then yours truly was also expecting a Rangers’ loss on Saturday night.
However, and as previously printed in this space – then that’s why I will still maintain low expectations with this team this season – as that way – I can only be surprised and never be disappointed!
Ride the wave!
Suffice to say and the Blueshirts had a lot going against them when entering Saturday night’s showdown in Sin City.
While I believe that the days of “The Vegas Flu” have long been cured for the other 31-teams in league; but outside of both terrible travel and potential partying, then the Rangers were also without their best player on special teams, the longest-tenured Blueshirt at that too, Chris Kreider.
Also M.I.A. was Filip “Where Am I?” Chytil – who despite his regular bi-monthly bouts with brain trauma – he had been the best skater for the club during these past three-weeks.
Of course, and on the other side of things, was the best club in the league, these here Vegas Golden Knights – and a team who was looking to turn things around after suffering their worst defeat of the season in their last game played (a 4-0 loss to the nomadic Islanders).
And I haven’t even mentioned yet that the Rangers hadn’t won two games in a row since Veteran’s Day either!
Despite all of these mitigating factors that could have gone against them; the Blueshirts soundly defeated the Knights by a final score of 2-1 – and where this was a complete, and team-wide, sixty-minute effort – aka a Rangers’ rarity!
Riddle me this Batman:
The now “streaking” Blueshirts, who have taken bad loss after bad loss all-season, including losing to three teams who were last place in the standings when they played them (Buffalo, Chicago and Nashville – and all on M$G ice too) are now 4-1-1 in 2025.
A 2-1 win over the Bruins on January 2nd kicked things off. A 7-4 loss to the Capitals on January 4th was the only game of this year thus far where the Rangers didn’t receive a point afterwards. A 6-2 revenge win in Chicago on January 5th kept hope alive. A spirited 5-4 overtime loss on January 7th, as given to them by Dallas, at least allowed the Blueshirts to walk away with a point.
For a 2024-25 Rangers’ club that’s given us way too many “WORST LOSS OF THE SEASON” candidates – not only have they just strung two wins together for the first time in a long time – but after these pair of wins against New Jersey and Vegas – and the Blueshirts now have two “BEST WIN OF THE SEASON” contenders – and FINALLY at that.
But of course, this game, the Rangers’ 42nd of the season, and the first of the final half of the campaign as well, doesn’t excuse anyone from the first half either.
It’s true that you can’t change the past and that you can only take care of business in the present; but the past isn’t erased from the standings either.
We’ll get more into the standings at the end of this, but spoiler alert:
The Rangers didn’t gain any ground after this win – as instead – all this best win of the season meant is that the team had kept pace.
This is my way of saying that I still feel it’s all “too little, too late” for these 2024-25 Rangers – but for the fans who disagree with me – well I did open up this intro explaining why I have low expectations!
In other words?
Keep on surprising me!
As noted, then I thought that the Rangers would lose on Saturday night, because in addition to everything else written above – then this team has a special knack of getting too high on themselves following their rare wins – which in turn – usually means that they take off the next game afterwards.
This was not the case on this night of January 11th, 2025.
In a game that started off slow, as we only had two SOG on the board after nearly eight minutes of action – and both from the home team – up next was 52-minutes of back-and-forth hockey – and where all of it was riveting.
I know that it’s only Game 42 – but no joke – if you didn’t know any better, then you would’ve thought that this was a playoff game.
Both teams were physical, played defensively oriented, blocked shots left-and-right, finished every check – and for as cliche as it sounds – battled for every inch of ice too.
I also think that the officials deserve a tip of the cap too, because after they called a pair of ticky-tack penalties on either side early into the second period – they pretty much swallowed their whistle afterwards, as they adapted to the game in front of them – and better than that – just let the players play the game that they wanted to play.
Heck, even Matt Rempe was allowed to hit opponents without the fear of referee repercussions too!
On a date when a lot of the Black-and-Blue Blueshirts played in the annual alumni game earlier in the day (more on this below) – these Rangers, now a dozen-years removed from that era, paid homage to them.
They even paid tribute to the recently deceased NBA legend, Dikembe Mutombo (who is featured in tonight’s blog header photo) as well – and as their twenty-one “NO NO NO” blocked shots would suggest.
Crazier than the team picking up over one blocked shot for every three-minutes of play?
I felt that the official NHL statisticians missed a few in their accounting – as it felt like the Rangers blocked one or two Vegas shot attempts whenever the home team entered their zone.
And it was also a “blocked shot” that set up the first Rangers’ goal!
After Vincent Trocheck was falsely accused of holding Tomas Hertl at the 6:08 mark of the second stanza, the Blueshirts’ penalty kill nearly defended his honor – but were unable to bust the Knight’s power-play as if they were a blackjack dealer.
At the 6:16 mark, a Mark Stone shot attempt was whacked by Braden Schneider – but the defensive play led to a negative result – as the puck was then able to trickle behind CZAR IGOR.
1-0, bad guys – a goal that #31 had no chance on – and the only legal puck that went behind him on this night.
Just seconds removed from leaving the box, and the man who should be captain of this team, #16, then watched Keegan Kolesar trip K’Andre Miller, which in turn, led to the only Blueshirts’ power-play of the game.
They made it count.
As Miserable Mika’s one-timers continue to go everywhere but to the back of the net; he shot another puck that had corner boards written all over it, but prior to the potential collision of rubber-meets-wood – instead we had a collision between rubber-and-cup – as another one of Mika’s pathetic one-timers missed its intended destination – and as a result – caught Trocheck in the family jewels.
And hey, I guess we did have a meeting of rubber-and-wood here – although I’m not so sure if Trocheck was erect at the time – and after this play – he may have ED for the next few weeks!
Trocheck, whose genitals had to be throbbing after taking a 100 MPH one-timer in his most sensitive area, finished the play.
While wincing in pain and now with a voice that resembled Mickey Mouse; Trocheck watched the puck drop from his balls to the ice – and then immediately potted it behind an off-guard Vegas goalie, Ilya Samsonov – and a netminder who was presumably sympathetic and grossed out after seeing this.
1-1.
This Trocheck power-play goal, his 14th tally of the season, was scored at the 9:54 mark – and where despite the tied score – it were the Blueshirts who were the far superior team at this point.
Vegas picked up their game from this point on – but the Rangers never relented either.
In game where the Blueshirts will need the biggest ice bath possible afterwards; the team continued to block shots, clog lanes and gridlocked the Knights as if they were the Long Island Expressway at rush hour.
As the two teams battled, and I mean battled, it was a new fourth line, one featuring three players formerly of Hartford, previous ‘Pack captain Jonny Brodzinski flanked by the two giants, Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe, that produced the third goal of the game – and the final one too.
At the 5:57 mark of the third period, and following an outlet pass from Rempe to JONNY BROADWAY – and it was MR. ED who made a jackass out of Samsonov with a deflection goal.
2-1, GOOD GUYS.
CZAR IGOR?
In his second game back from injury, he took a page out of the book from another franchise goalie, Henrik Lundqvist (who also played at the alumni game), as he pretty much echoed “THE KING OF COMMENTARY’s” most famous quote spoken during the peak of his powers:
“GIVE ME TWO GOALS AND I GOT THIS!”
The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner, who didn’t have much work during the first twenty-minutes (six saves), sure had his work cut out for him in this do-or-die third period – and where I wouldn’t say this, but many are – in this “MUST WIN GAME” too.
(I only use “MUST WIN” when mathematically applicable.)
CZAR IGOR, and much like the team in front of him, decided to DO, and not DIE, and following the Edstrom goal – it were these final 14:03 – crunch time – where he shone at his brightest.
At this point in the game, Edstrom’s goal was the only shot on goal that the Blueshirts had in this period.
The Knights?
They totaled a dozen SOG – and where only a meaningless shot on goal late in the game, from Schneider, was the only save that Samsonov had to make in this third period.
As I’ve said for a while, and as you all know too, then if the Rangers have a shot in hell of making the playoffs – then winning once there – then they need their best player to be at his best – and especially now with his annual injury out of the way.
CZAR IGOR was just that – and especially during the final 2:55, following an unwise hooking penalty assessed to Urho Vaakanainen – and a blatant infraction committed against Willy Karlsson.
The Knights, again, the best team in the league, had a power-play to close the game – and once pulling the goalie during the second half of their man-advantage – a 6 x 4 attack too.
CZAR IGOR, and the Blueshirts’ penalty killers too, stood tall.
As the final horn went off, 2-1, GOOD GUYS – and without doubt, and with all respect paid to the win against the Devils – THE BEST WIN OF THE SEASON.
Put it this way:
I’ve already summarized this game for you at this juncture, and I haven’t even brought up the likes of Sam Carrick who broke-up a Mark Stone & Jack Eichel 2 x 1 try; Edstrom missing some time after sacrificing himself in front of a 100 MPH Shea Theodore slapshot; Rempe breaking his ass and maximizing his limited minutes (6:02); the hungry Jonny Brodzinski trying to maintain his spot in the line-up; and the returned Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Lindgren, Will Borgen and Braden Schneider picking up a game-high three blocked shots a piece – and where for Borgen – his best game as a Ranger yet.
Kakko who?
At this time, let’s get the disclaimer segment out of the way before talking about everything else following a rare and exhilarating Rangers’ win – and their second consecutive victory since the first week following the World Series.
However, I do want to remind you that this disclaimer has always implied that the Rangers would reach the playoffs.
In other words, and for the first time in four seasons as well – it’s now high time to start judging these guys in the regular season too.
After all, there may be no post-season in New York this year.
Here is our 82-game mantra, which is also known as my 33-word daily disclaimer, that I post on this site after every game played:
“WHATEVER THE RANGERS DO FROM NOW UNTIL THE TRADE DEADLINE DOESN’T MATTER. THEY CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY WHATEVER THEY DO FOLLOWING THE DEADLINE AND BY WHAT THEY DO IN THE 2025 PLAYOFFS!”
In other words, forty-two down, forty to go, and then the real hockey, the only games that matter, begin.
But at this rate – will the Rangers even be there for the real hockey?
I still wouldn’t bet on it.
In case you missed it, then here’s where I last left off – the Blueshirts’ biggest win of the season yet:
NYR/NJD 1/9 Review: Sam “I Am” Carrick Closes Out The First Half of the Season With An Overtime Thriller; Blueshirts Finally Beat Devils, Path to the Playoffs, CZAR IGOR and Matt Rempe Return – But No One Knows What’s Up with Filip Chytil, SPECIAL TEAMS SWING GAMES, Arthur “Kakko” Kaliyev Debuts, Florida’s N.Y. Transplants Get a Winter Classic Game, Zac Jones On His Way Out, Mid-Season Report Card, “Unlicensed” Streams & More
Since the Rangers are always in the news, then come Friday, a day after their best victory of the season (3-2 OT against the Devils), and the Blueshirts were once again making headlines.
As “Lavy’s Lot” was enroute to Sin City, then it was announced that Bo Groulx had joined them – while Brett Berard was left behind:
UPDATE: Bo Groulx has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack and Brett Berard has been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) January 11, 2025
At the time, the speculation around this transaction was in regards to the never-able-to-stay-healthy, and perhaps one day future vegetable too, Filip Chytil.
Since everyone and their mother believes that “The Concussed Czech” is suffering through another bout of brain trauma (and you can directly blame the Rangers for this – as they aren’t denying any of this discussion either), then this left the Rangers one center short for this three-game road-trip out west – where following Saturday night’s match in Las Vegas, the team will then travel to both Utah and Colorado.
Ironically enough, boarding the Blueshirts’ bird to The Strip was not only Chris Kreider (he can return against Colorado once removed from the injured reserve), but Chytil himself.
Due to the fact that “mum’s the word” whenever speaking about what’s presently plaguing Filip Brittle – then we don’t know with a degree of 100% if Chytil is currently concussed or not.
But if you were in Vegas on Saturday night, and as many Blueshirt backers were – then the safe bet to place was on Chytil having another concussion.
That said, I wasn’t shocked at all when I heard that #72 had traveled with the team – as this is the same club that earlier this season, flew Chytil some 6,000 miles round-trip to Alberta when the team was playing through their Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary swing.
As said then – and as I’m repeating now – no doctor in the world would recommend anyone with a concussion to fly – much less travel six-thousand miles.
(But of course, doctors paid by the team, and who want to keep their jobs, won’t side in favor of caution that much either.)
And what happened when Chytil was in Alberta?
He skated by himself on two occasions and that was that – and he could’ve done the same thing at the team’s training facility in Tarrytown, NY.
With Chytil’s status up-in-the-air, and much like he was physically on Friday, then the Rangers needed a spare center in the event that another middle man received an injury during this road-trip – and where Mika’s heat-missile at Trocheck’s nuts almost created such a scenario.
Enter Bo Groulx, now wearing #21 for the Rangers (Et Tu Goodrow), and a center who has been playing well enough in Hartford.
While I understand the need for Groulx; however, what I most disagreed with was the decision to tell Brett Berard to pack his bags – and then have him take the three-hour drive to Hartford.
After all, Berard is one of the rare Rangers to give a complete effort in every game that he’s played in this season, and without question, and along with linemate Will Cuylle, has been a pure energy player too.
If it were up to me (and can you imagine if it was?), then I would’ve just cut bait on Kaapo Kakko 2.0, the Rangers’ latest reclamation project, Arthur Kaliyev.
Granted, while Berard didn’t need to clear waivers like Kaliyev would have been required to; at the same time, the Blueshirts are in no position to experiment with other team’s failures (Los Angeles), nor have the luxury to give anyone a second chance either.
They have blown their chance with their terrible record over the past two months.
Had this been the Rangers of last year, who were well on their way into winning the Presidents’ Trophy, which in turn, also meant that a playoff berth was long sewn up – then they could tinker-and-toy around with different things, in an attempt to create their best roster stew for the postseason.
But that was then and this is now – and doing the same old thing with another bust from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is insanity.
Then again, this entire 2024-25 season has been insane – including Laviolette’s refusal to allow Zac Jones to play once this year.
Of course, the most insane thing we’ve seen this season is this team beating the Devils and Knights in back-to-back games – which doesn’t help a case for Jones’ return either.
Prior to the club of today having their morning skate in Vegas, then the Rangers of old, including many players from the last glory run (2012-2015) or what I would describe as “The Henrik Lundqvist Era,” hosted the Isles’ alumni – and in a first – at M$G. (In the past, this game has usually been played on Long Island, including in towns such as Long Beach and East Meadow.)
I was told that this game actually aired on M$GN (another first), but since I’ve been stalling and have yet to cancel Optimum – then I was unable to see it.
(However, I am going to try to find a stream of it on Sunday – as I do enjoy watching these things – that is – unless I can get Verizon Fios to my home in the next several hours – as they are offering a cheap-as-hell deal for all Optimum subscribers.)
I don’t have an exact attendance figure for you, but according to people who were there, then the entire lower bowl was sold-out.
All revenue generated from the contest was then donated to both the Garden of Dreams and the Isles’ charity of choice, the Northwell Health Foundation.
While not officially retired yet, but the youngest player between these two alum, Cal Clutterbuck, had the best showing amongst all, as he scored a hat trick – and where funny enough – something that he never did when active as an NHLer.
In the Rangers’ 4-2 loss, Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle, two men who have worked for M$GN during the past two-years too, scored goals against goalie Kevin Poulin.
Eric Cairns scored the empty netter for baby brother.
Of course, while you would’ve preferred a Rangers’ triumph; but obviously, it wasn’t about that.
From the people I talked to, and from what I read on social media too, then everyone had a good time.
It was also nice to see Lundqvist returned to the Garden pipes.
As he has done previously since being forced to retire in 2021 with a heart condition (and later, a surgery required as well), then the official ambassador of both the Rangers & M$G today had a blast playing in this exhibition game – and just like everyone else involved too.
This game marked his first back at M$G, and where prior to Saturday, he previously played during the 2023 Hall of Fame game and in another charity game for the Blueshirts.
But I must say, seeing the likes of Lundqvist, Boyle, Callahan, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, Michael Del Zotto and others out there – well – it made me feel old!
Heck, then outside of Lundqvist, who has me beat by three-months, then I’m older than all of these players.
Behind the bench for the Blueshirts in a coaching role was a man whose #4 should be retired by the franchise today, Ron Greschner.
Congratulations to everyone involved for having another successful event for a good cause.
Following the 4-2 matinee final at M$G, some 2,500 miles away in Las Vegas and the 2024-25 Rangers held a pregame skate.
Chytil was not skating with the team, as instead, and as it was in Alberta, he was left to his lonesome.
Groulx was in-attendance, in his spare role.
With Berard now back with the Wolf Pack (and where I expect that he’ll return to the team once they return home), then Jimmy Vesey, who was scratched against the Devils, slotted back in.
Remaining in the line-up was Matt Rempe.
Following the practice and Laviolette confirmed that Chytil was unable to play on Saturday night, while also confirming all speculation about the Groulx/Berard swap – injury insurance for a center.
(Take note that Lavy confirmed this Groulx/Berard chatter, but would not deny if Chytil had a concussion.)
In other line-up news, then Carrick, following his heroics against the Devils, was promoted to the third line.
This move eventually proved fruitful – and especially when you consider that new fourth-line center, Jonny Brodzinski, assisted on tonight’s game-winning goal – while Carrick, in his new spot, prevented one himself.
Here was Laviolette’s line-up for the forty-second game of this 2024-25 season:
FIRST LINE: Panarin/Trocheck/Lafreniere
SECOND LINE: Cuylle/Mika/Smith
THIRD LINE: Vesey/Carrick/Kaliyev
FOURTH LINE: Edstrom/Brodzinski/Rempe
FIRST PAIR: Lindgren/Fox
SECOND PAIR: Miller/Borgen
THIRD PAIR: Vaakanainen/Schneider
STARTING GOALIE: CZAR IGOR
BACK UP GOALIE: Jonathan Quick
IR: Chris Kreider
DAY-TO-DAY: Filip Chytil
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Zac Jones and Bo Groulx
BOX SCORE time.
The following graphics and information come from ESPN.com:
SCORING:
PENALTIES:
TEAM STATS:
GOALIES:
|
NYR
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 30 | 1 | 29 | .967 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 0 |
|
VGK
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 26 | 2 | 24 | .923 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57:59 | 0 |
Since I have yet to get rid of Optimum (that’s my job for Sunday), then it took me about fifteen minutes to find an illegal (or “unlicensed”) stream of tonight’s M$GN broadcast.
I should have just waited another fifteen-minutes, as that way, I could’ve skipped right to Sam and Joe!
I’m not going to waste my time on detailing another dreadful Vagistat pregame show.
The guy just sucks and brings nothing of value to the table.
And I still don’t get why that whenever he’s absent, then M$GN has no problem giving viewers a better pregame show, one devoid of all self-promotion and bullshit charts; but whenever the worst goalie in franchise history is there – then it’s nothing but 30-minutes of Vagistat jerking off to his made-up arts & crafts, charts & graphs.
As I was waiting for tonight’s game to start, then I was flooded with social media notifications in regards to a rare event, akin to winning the powerball – Kaapo Kakko had scored two goals in Seattle’s 6-2 win against the worst team of the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres.
When reading this stuff, tweets/postings from mainly young fans, then I wondered about the following:
If social media was around twenty years ago, then would young Ranger fans on Twitter been celebrating like it was New Year’s Eve every time whenever Jamie Lundmark scored a goal for the Coyotes?
(To be fair, when I was a teenager, then I also thought that Manny Maholtra would become the second coming. Oops.)
To close on this topic, as it’s late and I have gone on far too long already, then when it comes to Kakko – he could go on to score 98767867879679869679867986 goals for the Kraken – and I would still believe that he just didn’t have the makings of becoming a New York varsity athlete.
He’s not the first athlete in this city to flame out, then (and perhaps temporarily) find low-level success in a low-pressure market.
And he won’t be the last either.
“OH JOE, WE’RE IN NEVADA JOE, THE BUNNY RANCH JOE!” and “Sam, fellatios are fabulous Sam” opened the broadcast (okay – I’m making this up).
In reality, Jumpin’ Joe wasted no time when singing the praises of Sam Carrick – and this song is presently #1 on the charts in Rangerstown, USA today.
Rosen, in a response, then just made every Vegas pun possible – while M$GN played some cheap stock rap music about the city.
GAME REVIEW time, and due to the late hour, just the important stuff.
(And if you want the complete play-by-play, then check out my Twitter feed over at: https://x.com/NYCTheMiC )
FIRST PERIOD
Just fifteen-seconds in, and we had our first “OH NO” moment, as following Missing Mika’s 9856756685678567856785th turnover of the season, Ivan Barbashev almost scored.
Following the save and Vegas gave Sam Rosen a video, where they congratulated him on his forty-years of service.
In what I found most amusing, if not admittedly heart-warming too, was when the innocent and senile old man remarked, “OH JOE, I’VE MADE IT TO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF VEGAS!”
At the 2:30 mark, this is when Edstrom gave up his body – and risked having his face broken too – when he dove and blocked Theodore’s 100 MPH clap bomb.
Here’s the clip:
Edstrom has left the game after blocking this shot. #NYR pic.twitter.com/SXOoVBhhB2
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) January 12, 2025
Edstrom left the game after this – but he would return at the start of the second period – and then go on to score the game-winner in the third!
As Rosen told us no less than 91-million times tonight that Reilly Smith used to play for Vegas (but Rosen always said that he was an “Original Knight” – rather than the phrase that everyone else uses, including the team themselves – “Original Misfit”), the soon-to-be retiree then shrieked at the 4:00 mark, “OH JOE, GOOD PACE JOE!”
Bless Sam’s heart.
And he’d soon be proven correct, as following the initial feeling out process, both teams picked up steam.
As Rosen then gave us his Ode to Howden at the six-minute mark, CZAR IGOR caught a break when screened, as Whitecloud missed a net.
During this tribute to Howden – and it was never mentioned why he was traded.
Furthermore, later on in the game, and when Sam & Joe did their “THIS IS YOUR LIFE: JACK EICHEL” two-man show – including talk about Eichel’s departure from Buffalo – and it was never brought up how the Rangers could have landed the center – but they didn’t want to move Mental Mika and the UNTOUCHABLE (and legendary great), Vitali Kravtsov.
What could’ve been.
The Knights, who had two SOG at this point, then saw the Rangers get their first at the 9:02 mark, as newest Ranger, Arthur Kaliyev, much more noticeable tonight but nowhere close to being a game-changer either, gave Samsonov his first piece of work following a spinorama attempt.
At the ten-minute mark, the Rangers then had their best scoring chance, as second-newest Ranger, Will Borgen, definitely a game-changer tonight, fired a puck at Samsonov – which then led to three separate rebound tries for Smith – and where the ex-Knight couldn’t stuff-in any of them.
Maybe it was the pressure of this game that had been circled on Smith’s calendar all year – but this was his worst game of the season – as he had several chances to score but turned his stick into splinters from his tight grip on all of them.
Following a Rempe-led forecheck, including a big hit on Hague, the Knight took umbrage and tried to bait-and-goad the REMPESTEIN MONSTER into taking a stupid penalty.
Number 73, true to his words from earlier this week, declined and then continued to play his strong game.
Down to 6:30 remaining, and after being previously out-shot 2-0, it were now the Rangers out-shooting their “Original 31 Rival,” and as they were, 8-2.
A minute later – and my Howden anytime goal prop almost cashed – but CZAR IGOR wasn’t allowing me to make a profit off of this usual ex-Ranger trend.
Come ninety-seconds remaining and here’s what I said at the time:
Carrick breaks up a Barbashev/Stone 2 x 1 – remember that for later – robbed a goal, 1:30 to go #NYr
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) January 12, 2025
Here’s the defensive play of the game – and during a sixty-minute affair full of them:
Sam Carrick been a star lately #NYR pic.twitter.com/GwUaLZsrbD
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) January 12, 2025
Following a Cuylle miss (side of the net), we remained nil-nil after twenty.
Here’s what I said at the time:
Scoreless after 20. 1P Thoughts:
— An excellent road period. #NYR out-shoot them too, 11-5.
— Carrick is gaining Steven McDonald Award votes – hell of a 2 x 1 stop against VGK’s best.
— I get it Sam Rosen – Smith once played in Vegas.
— Rempe has shown maturity.
— I’ve…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) January 12, 2025
SECOND PERIOD
I must say, that during the first intermission, then I found it hysterical when Vagistat was making his “LOOK AT ME, I KNOW LUNDQVIST” jokes when talking about the alumni game – as after all – this moron played for both the Rangers and the Islanders – and as is often the case – neither one of them requested his services.
Gee, I wonder why?
Similar to the first period and Vegas almost scored within the first fifteen-seconds of this one too, but Borgen, again, in his best game as a Blueshirt, successfully made a last-ditch effort on an Eichel shot – thus deflecting the puck away from CZAR IGOR.
After that, we then saw CZAR IGOR’s best save of the game.
At just the 58-second mark and Pavel Dorofeyev was left alone, point blank and center, two feet out from the Rangers’ net.
In a response, CZAR IGOR said “Nyet” – and where all he was missing was Mutombo’s famous waving finger of denial.
Following another big Rempe hit, where in a response, an impressed Rosen proclaimed, “OH JOE, REMPE HITS SO HARD THAT YOU CAN HEAR THE GLASS RATTLING FROM UP HERE;” Zero Zibanejad coughed up another puck, which as a result, led to Big Game Borgen blocking a down low, 2 x 1, backdoor pass.
I’ll take Trouba’s replacement over pigs flying in cold hell Kakko goals.
As we surpassed the five-minute mark of this period, then this is when this regular season contest really started to feel like a playoff game – nothing but defense – and where you had to earn every puck possession too.
As Rosen, and for whatever reason, was laughing about Tomas Hertl lighting up Marty Biron in his last game as a Ranger (and the best thing to ever happen – because as a result – this opened up the door for “THE GOAL BUSTER,” my favorite goalie and yours, CAM TALBOT), then this is when Trocheck was questionably penalized – and where Vegas captain, Mark Stone, took advantage of this ticky-tack call:
Mark Stone slides one home past Igor for his fourth goal in five games 📈 pic.twitter.com/dz13ZiKCQd
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 12, 2025
1-0, home team.
Down to 12:55 remaining, and Smith, who had previously flubbed during a 2 x 0 rush in the game prior, now had a 2 x 1 odd-man rush with Cuylle by his side – and where he then missed the net on his attempt.
OO-FA!
Right after that, and Kaliyev had a chance of his own – but he “Gauthier’d” himself out of it.
Come 11:30 remaining and this is when Kolesar tripped Miller – and where Rempe vocalized his displeasure with the Knight’s offense.
I really thought that the officials were going to ban Rempe for life after this – but thankfully – they let Rempe run his mouth and play then continued.
Now on the power-play – and this is when Mika said “no more kids for you” to his first line center:
The movement of this Power Play is unreal. ( i hope Trocheck is ok) #NYR pic.twitter.com/2yGxaYMmIi
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) January 12, 2025
1-1.
And ouch.
Craziest thing about this?
Trocheck missed one shift (Carrick subbed in) and after that – he never missed another.
HOCKEY PLAYERS.
WARRIOR.
Me?
If I got hit like this at my job, then I’d take off for six months – and file a worker’s comp claim too!
I gotta say, I was cracking up when Micheletti was tearing Mika a new asshole for never hitting the net on these awful and routine one-timers – but come the end of the game – he had changed his tune and was praising the dry-haired hippie for his assist.
Perhaps a M$GN producer got into Jumpin’ Joe’s ear.
And had Trocheck been hurt after this?
Then no one would be laughing about this failure in the #93 jersey – and where it was also ridiculous when Rosen was praising the man robbing the team of $8.5M annually today for a “six-game point streak.”
In reality, Trocheck’s octave levels jumped up six spots.
On Zibanejad’s next shift – he missed the net again.
At this rate, I don’t care if the Rangers get nothing in return – they just need to get this albatross off of the books.
I rather see Bo Groulx.
Down to 5:00 remaining and the Rangers were out-shooting the Knights at a 2:1 clip, 24-12.
And if you didn’t know any better, then you would’ve thought that the Rangers were the best team in the league, while Vegas was the squad desperately trying to cling onto for dear playoff life.
Following CZAR IGOR getting a much-needed freeze, a minute later, down to 3:55 remaining – and Moron Mika missed the net again.
But he won’t be held accountable.
Such a logical idea is only reserved for Zac Jones.
The Knights would go on to hit two posts as they continued their attack (and one that never ended following the Trocheck tying goal) – and where they almost got a late dagger – but a home team goal was waved off – as the clock had already expired – and as it did just one second earlier.
Whew.
1-1 after forty-minutes.
Here’s what I said at the time:
1-1 after 40. 2P Thoughts:
— #NYR get a break at the end there, but they have been the better team throughout – even if VGK came on ever since the Trocheck PPG.
— Can’t use “MUST WIN” yet – but everyone else in the East that needed points pretty much got them.
— They are…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) January 12, 2025
THIRD PERIOD
Entering the final frame in the other city that never sleeps – and this is when this game became the CZAR IGOR show – a one-night only residency at the T-Mobile Arena.
There weren’t that many scoring chances early on, as rather, it was nothing but big hits and crazy collisions.
Miller ate a big hit from Barbashev but popped back up. Cuylle crashed into the boards hip-first and never missed a shift.
As Vegas was applying the pressure, it were the Blueshirts who burst first:
Starts from the reverse hit from Will Borgen..Tick-tack toe. From Rempe, Bro to Edstrom. #NYR pic.twitter.com/CtP0tqOPMf
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) January 12, 2025
2-1, GOOD GUYS – AND GIVE IT UP TO THE FOURTH LINE!
While Edstrom deserves the credit for the deflection goal (duh), but it should also be mentioned that this was Rempe’s first assist/point of the season too.
POINT MACHINE!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Brodzinski, chomping at the bit after a month in the press box, continues to capitalize on his opportunities too.
Right after the goal, as in just eight-seconds later and Smith tripped his former captain.
And by the way that Smith was playing tonight – then I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had taken off his Rangers’ jersey, only to then reveal a VGK one underneath – ala the nWo.
The Blueshirts’ PK blocked what felt like a half dozen shot attempts here – and where come the end of these two-minutes – CZAR IGOR wasn’t required to make a single save either.
As Vegas continued to tilt the ice – and where the Rangers bent but never broke too – then Panarin almost had the insurance goal – but his shot with 7:50 remaining hit iron.
The final five-minutes was CZAR IGOR at his best – and where with 3:29 remaining – this is when Schneider registered the second-and-last Blueshirts’ SOG of the period.
After that?
CZAR IGOR slamming the door during the final 2:55, first during a Vegas 5 x 4 power-play, then during a 6 x 4 attack and lastly during a 5 x 4 empty net attempt.
It’s only one game and this doesn’t excuse a lot of what we have painstakingly endured throughout the majority of this campaign – but regardless – and this was the best win of the season – but one that didn’t really impact the standings that much either.
The Blueshirts, now four-points shy of a playoff spot but five-points away from being the worst team in the East too, held serve with this win – as the Bruins, Senators, Flyers, Blue Jackets and Islanders also won on Saturday.
In addition, and the Canadiens picked up a point too following their 2-1 overtime loss to Dallas.
The playoff window isn’t (mathematically) closed on the Rangers just yet; but between three-point games (OTL point) and these teams playing each other a lot during the final stretch (which means that one of them are guaranteed to earn two-points on any given night), then it’s going to be extremely difficult.
Furthermore, and with nine teams jockeying for two wild card spots – and outside of the Flyers -then I don’t see who is really in sell-off mode either (a lot of these teams are looking to snap playoff droughts, including Detroit, Ottawa and Montreal) – which will only hurt the Blueshirts’ chances of beefing up their roster – and where sellers, due to all of the competition, should make out like bandits.
While the Rangers can ill-afford to lose anymore games, then there are four-games that they need to win as this season continues – a quartet of matches against the Blue Jackets – and another team looking to rain on a playoff drought – and the most inspiring and feel-good team in the NHL today.
These two Metro “rivals” are scheduled to play on 1/18 (@M$G), 2/8 (@CBJ), 3/9 (@M$G) and on 3/15 (@CBJ).
These four games are also net four-point games in the standings – and with the Blue Jackets presently holding the second wild-card spot – then the Blueshirts will need to bust out the broom – or else they will just cannonball down further in the standings.
I think that we all know that the only realistic path to the playoffs is via the wild card – as the Rangers aren’t going to catch Washington, New Jersey or Carolina.
Compounding matters is that the Rangers’ softest stretch of the schedule is long behind them, one that they absolutely loused up too, as the next time when the Blueshirts play an easy team “on paper” (and we know how that goes), is on February 22nd, when they travel to Buffalo (and where the Sabres have already blown out the Blueshirts this season).
Time permitting, then I hope to further explore this subject sometime late Sunday/early Monday, when I publish my 11th annual “Mid-Season Report Card.”
Should you be reading this before that blog is posted, then feel free to send in your trade ideas – as I’ll share some of my own too.
And in something for regular readers of this site?
I finally got a new computer, one that I’ve yet to open from the box and then set-up – but soon enough – and the days of using this dino machine, with Windows 98 installed, will be no more!
Up Next For the Rangers: A well-deserved Sabbath Sunday of rest following all of their blocked shots and physicality – followed by a practice on Monday – then Game 1 of this soon-to-be historic rivalry featuring the Blueshirts and the former Arizona Coyotes.
Of note: The Rangers, who have played a lot of back-to-backs and two games in three nights lately, got a break with two off-days here.
In other words, if this game against Utah was the second half of a back-to-back – then I wouldn’t have liked the Rangers’ chances – as they took a beating in this one.
Up Next For Me: Some sleep, phone calls to Optimum and Verizon and then hopefully a Mid-Season Report Card blog.
Up Next For You: Enjoy this win – as we haven’t had these events lately.
And oh yeah, this too:
PLUGS TIME! (Buy a book and support my Rangers’ induced therapy bills. After all, I don’t run ads on this site!)
My fourth title and tenth book is now available!
“The Top 100 Villains of New York Rangers History,” is now available for sale!
For complete information, please visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/rangerkillers/
My second plug of tonight’s blog – the mandatory plug for my book, “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden.”
As mentioned previously, the book is now available in hardcover, in paperback and in Kindle formats. To purchase a copy of the book, visit this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Rangers-Rafters-Madison-Square-Garden-ebook/dp/B09CM5N2WD
For those still looking for signed paperback versions of the book, I have re-ordered more copies. I now have a few signed copies for sale at $25 a pop (includes shipping price) through me directly. Here is all the information on that:
Order “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden” Book Today
My four-volume set of books, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is a game-by-game recount of the Rangers 2021-22 campaign.
My second title as an author, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is now available in eBook, paperback and hardcover formats.
To obtain signed copies, visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/onegamebook/
To purchase all four volumes on Amazon, visit: Amazon.com – “One Game at a Time.”
The greatest volume-set of books on Rangers’ history today!
“Tricks of the Trade – A Century-Long Journey Through Every Trade Made In New York Rangers’ History,” a four-volume set of books that meticulously covers every trade made in franchise history, is now on sale.
All four volumes of the title can be purchased on Amazon.com and are presented in three different formats – eBook, paperback and hardcover.
To purchase Volume I: Conn Smythe (1926) – Craig Patrick (1986), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume II: Phil Esposito (1986) – Neil Smith (2000), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume III: Glen Sather (2000-2015), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume IV: Jeff Gorton (2015) – Chris Drury (2022), visit Amazon.com
To purchase signed copies of all four volumes, visit https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
If you haven’t already, subscribe to this blog for the next update:
Don’t forget to order my four-volume set of books, “Tricks of the Trade!”
If you don’t order through me, all four volumes are now available on Amazon.com
For more details, check out: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
Thanks for reading.
LET’S GO RANGERS!
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on the Tweeter machine
