NYR/COL 11/20 Review: AVALANCHED! Colorado’s Top Stars Show Up; New York FAT CATS Go MIA (As Usual), Blueshirts’ Surprisingly Shocking Special Teams; But The Same Old End Result, Sully’s Changes Produce OO-GATZ; First Line Finishes As a MINUS-TWELVE, Early Losses Piling Up, Another Cash Grab Gimmick Jersey, M$GN & More

Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. I guess that this game was also “played on paper.”

And it was played on the ice too – and where Colorado put up a touchdown against New York’s field goal.

Heading into Thursday night, then this match featured the best team in the league, perhaps a generational one at that, the 13-1-5 Colorado Avalanche, hosting the struggling-to-keep-their-head-above-water New York Rangers, who at the time, sported a 10-9-2 losing record.

As I brought up on Tuesday night following the Blueshirts’ loss to the Vegas Golden Knights; then prior to puck drop – and I thought that there would be a slight chance that the Rangers could sneak out a win here.

What a fool-hearted notion!

For me, then I just thought that the Avalanche were due to lose a game, and with this league being one of pure parity – then “why not the Rangers?”

Come the end of the match?

Then it was “Why, Rangers, Why?” –  as in – “why are they doing this to me?”

And this too:

“Why am I wasting my precious and limited time by recapping these games?”

Want more?

Then for the rotten cherry on top, then following this 6-3 drubbing in Denver, and as a result of all other games played on Thursday, November 20th, too – and the Rangers now sit dead-last in the Metropolitan division:

In the Rangers’ most recent loss, then it was a lot of the same old – sans for one thing – the following:

The Blueshirts were actually pretty damn good whenever on special teams on Thursday night – and more impressive than that – against the best team in the league to boot.

The Rangers received two power-plays in this contest – and cashed out on both occasions via a pair of J.T. Miller “Chris Kreideresque” goals – as the captain was committed to crashing the crease and then looking for tips/deflections/rebounds once there.

The Blueshirts were also a man-down on SIX, count ’em, six, separate instances – and where they killed off five of these Avalanche power-play tries.

Crazy enough?

On the lone Colorado man-up goal, scored by who else-  former Islander Brock Nelson; then the Blueshirts arguably had their best penalty kill yet – that is – until Nelson, following two Ranger short-handed chances, beat CZAR IGOR with minimal time remaining on the Avalanche man-up – and the lone shot of this particular Denver power-play.

Sully’s special teams were special on this night – but that’s where the glass half-full talk ends for the Rangers.

Everything else?

Garbage – or as you know it as:

SAME OLD RANGERS!

A down-and-out & desperate Blueshirts’ bench boss, Mike Sullivan, decided to shake-up his lines tonight, in an attempt to get this putrid top-six going at even-strength.

My reaction in real-time when this news first broke during the traditional morning pregame skate?

The following:

MacKinnon must be shaking #nyr https://t.co/RtzZEJwAyw

— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) November 20, 2025

By the end of the night, then Nate The Great was the scorer on record on ANOTHER end of the period/late goal allowed by the Rangers – a 1-1 equalizer/red-lamp job with only 26.2-seconds remaining in the first frame.

For an encore, he scored once more – a 4-3 go-ahead goal – and just thirty-seconds after the Rangers had rallied to knot the game at three goals a side.

This Mack-Truck goal also held up as the game-winner.

Conversely?

Then the $11.67M man, the guy that every female M$GN intern fears (and as previously noted on this site, then due to the “Panarin Policy,” and that’s why you don’t have any pregame interviews from road games uploaded to the team’s official YouTube channel anymore), finished as a season-low MINUS-FOUR!

And say what you want about a stat that’s almighty to some, antiquated to others, but this -4 rating DOES speak to Panarin’s performance from this match.

Worse than that?

Then Panarin, who allegedly is supposed to bring people up with him, SUNK everyone else instead.

Despite a pair of power-play goals, and his new linemate for this match, team captain J.T. Miller, also finished as a minus-four.

Ditto Vincent Trocheck.

And for that matter, ditto Adam Fox, who spent more time on the ice with Panarin in this game than he had done in the twenty-one games that preceded this particular bout.

Panarin was so horrendous tonight, that even Sullivan was forced to speak about the greatest free agent signing in franchise history – but one who also looks shot-to-shit during the final season of this seven-year pact:

“I’ve had a lot of conversations [about playing defense] with Artemi throughout the course of the season. We don’t expect him to be the best defensive player out there, but everyone’s required to play defense – and that’s the conversation that we have. Everybody’s got to be committed to play defense to a certain level or it’s going to be hard for us to win consistently.

“The conversations that I’ve had with him is just recognizing when those situations are when you’ve got to lock down. Everybody knows he drives offense, he’s a talented player. But I think he’s also capable of defending when he’s committed.”

No offense to Mr. Sullivan, most likely a future Hall of Fame coach (and as opposed to a Blueshirts’ Beer-Bellied Blogger) – but when has Panarin driven the offense once this season?

All he’s done is drive Ranger fans mad!

There are about 767867986798679867986786 zillion reasons why the Rangers lost on Thursday night, including, but not limited to, the following:

— All of Colorado’s big guns showed up. The N.Y.C. FAT CATS didn’t even have a pea shooter.

— “FUN FACT?” Then the last time a member of the Rangers’ top-six scored an even-strength goal was five games ago – as it was J.T. Miller, at the 3:31 mark of the first period, against Tampa, on November 12th, to do so.

— You simply can’t win if your top guys can’t score – as once again, it was another member of the bottom-sextet, Adam Edstrom, who scored “The Lone Ranger” even-strength goal on this night.

— The Avalanche’s speed was unrivaled and unmatched.

— No joke? Then the last time that I saw a team so fast, physical and skillful was during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs – and a tournament that the Colorado Avalanche won – and a Final that also denied the uber-successful Tampa Bay Lightning from pulling off a three-peat.

— The Rangers couldn’t keep up with the home team tonight – and more times than not – then the Avalanche made their opponents pay for every mistake made.

— The Blueshirts, and for the third consecutive game, finished with only nineteen shots on goal. To compare, and the Avalanche finished with thirty-five shots on goal – and that figure doesn’t include the two rings of “Igor’s Iron” (both by Cale Makar) either.

— I don’t think that I have to explain this to you any further other than to state it – but when Carson Soucy (3) is your team-leader in shots on goal – then you’re probably not going to win many games.

— You’re also not going to win many games when two of your top centers, Mika and Trocheck, don’t register a SOG. Ditto when Panarin and Lafreniere only record one SOG a piece.

— Sully’s Squad nearly spent 20% of the game short-handed (and if Nelson didn’t score a PPG, then it would’ve been 20% on the nose – and rather than the 19.85% that it wound up being) – and from the department of “No Shit Sherlock” – you can’t win most games, and most certainly not against a powerhouse like the Avalanche, in this manner.

— The Rangers’ head coach also got caught with his pants down when up against another future Hall of Famer, the Charles Rocket doppleganger, Jared Bednar.

— For whatever reason and Sully decided to start a rookie third pair of Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow. In a response, Bednar, and whenever he had a chance, made sure to have all of his top players out against them.

— Funny enough? While the Avalanche sure had their chances whenever against Morrow & Robertson – but this pair did their job – and as their balanced zero plus/minus rating would attest to.

— And as is always the case – or at least 99% of the time – and the Rangers don’t finish.

— There were several instances where the Rangers could’ve scored on an odd-man rush or during a breakaway opportunity – and each time – and there was the former Devil himself, Scott Wedgewood, to deny all of these tries – that is – sans the Edstrom goal.

— Conversely? Then once Wedgewood did his job, then the puck soon found itself into the back of CZAR IGOR’s net – and where for #31 – he did hold the Rangers in there – that is, until he didn’t.

— While the goalie wasn’t the biggest culprit in this latest catastrophe (nowhere close to it), but that said, and once again, and the highest-paid goalie in hockey finished with another horrid stat line (4 GAA, .879 save percentage).

I don’t know if the Rangers were teasing themselves and/or the poor souls who still remain as “Blueshirt Believers” (these people side with WIN NOW over REBUILD) – but they did hang in there.

But it was all smoke-and-mirrors.

Samuel Girard interfered with Jonny Brodzinski just 2:19 into the match.

Seven-seconds later, and Miller, cosplaying as Zibanejad’s BFF (CK20), pounded a rebound past Wedgewood for the 1-0, good guys, icebreaker.

While the Rangers struggled to challenge Wedgewood at even-strength play – but they also didn’t allow that much to the best team in the league.

But sadly, and once again – and the Blueshirts also failed to record a double-digit SOG total in any period, as in this match, they were out-shot 10-6 in the first frame, a disgusting 14-4 in the second stanza and then 11-9 in a final frame where the Avalanche outscored them where it mattered most – and by a tune of 4-1.

As the first period progressed then the Rangers killed off a pair of penalties – and where CZAR IGOR only had to make two saves during these four-minutes of man-down time.

While none of the big name Avalanche could beat Igor on the power-play – they most certainly did at even-strength.

With just 26.2-seconds remaining in the first period – and MacKinnon made sure that his team wouldn’t go empty-handed to the locker room.

1-1 – and an opposing goal allowed that just completely erased what had otherwise been a strong Rangers’ road period.

The second period was a nightmare for the Blueshirts – but it didn’t start that way.

At the 3:58 mark, Sam Carrick may have picked up the greatest assist of his life, as while on a 2 x 1 with Adam Edstrom – and the only consistent Blueshirt on this roster stretched his stick around a Colorado defender, made the clean pass – and blammo – not only Edstrom’s first goal of the season – but his first goal scored in nearly a year too (due to his injury sustained last season).

2-1, good guys.

For Edstrom, a healthy scratch in Sin City – then this had to feel rewarding.

But sadly, and as noted, and THE SWEDISH CONDOR would wind up as the only Ranger to score a five-by-five goal on this night.

While not exactly another true “end of the period goal allowed,” but in reality it felt that way; as come 2:45 remaining, and Cale Makar was able to tuck one, via the wraparound, against CZAR IGOR.

2-2.

From this point on?

Colorado wasn’t effing around anymore.

The end of this period felt like a never-ending Avalanche power-play – and where despite their minimal gains whenever a man-up – and it was during these final two-minutes where they looked like the Montreal Canadiens from the 1960s and 1970s.

The beginning of the end of this at the time 2-2 tied game began just 51-seconds into the third period – as Colorado picked up right where they left off – and in turn, Will Cuylle got caught tripping Artturi Lehkonen.

And this is when Nelson scored his 3-2, Avalanche, power-play goal – and only after the Rangers had muffed several short-handed chances to boot.

At the 9:27 mark, Chris Drury’s nephew, perhaps a youngster who also spends all day jerking off on ZOOM, a one Jack D., tripped Braden Schneider.

In turn – and despite how flat-and-slow New York looked against this rocket-fueled Colorado club – and all it would take is one more power-play goal to tie the match.

And that’s what happened – as once again – there was the captain to tip-in another goal – and this time – off of the blade of Adam “I’m Glad I Won My Norris Trophy Before Makar Hit The Scene — Holy Brad Park Batman!” Fox.

As a result of Miller’s 3-3 equalizer at the 10:18 mark of this period, then this meant that the Rangers not only had previously held a pair of one-goal leads – but they were also able to make a one-goal comeback too.

The latter lasted all of thirty-seconds.

Following another failed Rangers’ odd-man rush in the Colorado end – and boom – who else, but former league MVP, Mr. MacKinnon, to bang home a puck that Makar just smashed the post on.

4-3 – and as noted earlier – your game-winner.

I wouldn’t say that the Blueshirts “valiantly” tried to return serve once more – because once MacKinnon scored here – and that was it – white towel city.

In a play that brought you to tears, and whether they be tears of hilarity or tears of frustration; then once CZAR IGOR was pulled with 1:27 remaining – then boom – and before CZAR IGOR could even throw one leg over the boards – and BLAMMO – Makar scored his second goal of the game, this time of the empty net variety, for the 5-3 edge.

For whatever reason, and perhaps Sullivan had a prop bet on either a Makar or MacKinnon hat trick, then the head coach elected to pull his goalie once more.

With thirteen-seconds left to be ticked – and there was Ross Colton to score the Denver touchdown, with his 6-3 empty-netter.

While sometimes I try to avoid engaging with fan feedback after games (I don’t want anything said to warp my own opinion – which is why I usually try to read all feedback only after I’m done writing these GAME REVIEW blogs); but since I had some time to kill between the end of my shift at work and punching out – and I did read some of it.

I bring this up because I saw a whole lot of “they hung in there with the best team” and “they could have won.”

I didn’t really agree with any of that.

While I’m not accusing the Avalanche of taking the Rangers lightly; but at the same time – then it did feel like they were playing with their food a bit.

Heck, it also felt like the Avalanche wanted to find a way to challenge themselves too – as whenever the Blueshirts were on the brink of doing something positive – then BOOM – there was Colorado to zap all of their hopes and dreams of that.

At the end of the night, then perhaps it were these two disgusting words, and a phrase that no player or coach believes in either, that ultimately proved true – “SCHEDULED LOSS.”

However, and the Rangers have had plenty of “unexpected losses” this season too (and that’s why they play all of their games on the ice – and not on paper), including seven on home ice and a few more to less-than-stellar teams too (Calgary being the biggest).

Just a shade over a quarter of the season and the Blueshirts have dug themselves into a big hole – that is – only if you’re still in the WIN NOW camp.

For fellow REBUILDERS?

Then it may be only a matter of time.

We still have a few more things to cover tonight, but at this time, and in case you missed it, then here is where I last left off – the Rangers loss in Sin City:

After another loss on The Strip on Tuesday night, then the Rangers took off on Wednesday.

Come Thursday morning and now in the Mile-High City, and the Blueshirts had a morning skate.

Two things were revealed from this practice.

One, whatever had ailed Big Billy Borgen had returned, and in turn, he was back to a “day-by-day” status.

Two, Sullivan thought that mixing-up his top-six would solve his team’s woeful even strength scoring issues.

You already know how that went.

Here was Sully’s line-up for the twenty-second game of this 2025-26 season:

FIRST LINE: Panarin/Trocheck/Miller

SECOND LINE: Cuylle/Zibanejad/Lafreniere

THIRD LINE: Sheary/Laba/Brodzinski

FOURTH LINE: Edstrom/Carrick/Raddysh

FIRST PAIR: Gavrikov/Fox

SECOND PAIR: Soucy/Schneider

THIRD PAIR: Robertson/Morrow

STARTING GOALIE: CZAR IGOR

BACK UP GOALIE: Quick

DAY-TO-DAY: Will Borgen

HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Urho Vaakanainen and Jusso Parssinen

LTIR: Matt Rempe

BOX SCORE time.

The following graphics and information come from ESPN.com:

SCORING:

PENALTIES:

TEAM STATS:

GOALIES:

Due to my own personal time/schedule, the fact that I pretty much covered the entire game above and since my computer seems to battling HIV right now; then as a result, our quickest GAME REVIEW segment of this season yet.

However, then if you want the complete play-by-play, then as always, check out my Tweeter/X feed here: https://x.com/NYCTheMiC

Let’s get this over with.

FIRST PERIOD

— Gavin Brindley, who later left the game during this first period due to injury (he never returned – which also meant that Colorado beat-up New York with only eleven forwards), almost connected with Ross Colton on a 2 x 1 just seventy-seconds in – but the shot attempt just missed.

— This was just our first example of Colorado’s speed and ability.

— Miller scored his rebound, “Tribute to Kreider,” PPG at the 2:26 mark.

— 1-0, Blueshirts.

— The Rangers then killed off a pair of power-plays – and where at the time – it did look like they were playing for one another too, and especially at the half-way mark of the period when Zibanejad, Cuylle, Gavrikov and Robertson were fighting off five Avalanche from CZAR IGOR’s net.

— But as it goes – and nothing good lasts long in Rangerstown, USA – and with 26.2-seconds remaining – MacKinnon’s equalizer.

— This was also the goal that Panarin created – and why Sullivan was forced to speak to the likes of Mollie “OMG OMG OMG HE SHAVED HIS HEAD TWO WEEKS AGO AND HAS BEEN BLANKED FOUR TIMES SINCE” Walker after the game.

1-1 after twenty-minutes.

Here’s what I said at the time:

1-1 after 1. 1P Thoughts:
— #NYR special teams perfect – 1/1 PP, 2/2 kill – but again – nothing at even strength
— Said it earlier – would be on brand if the Rangers pulled off this upset in this wacky league.
— Laba continues to impress.
— Not much from the line changes.

— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) November 21, 2025

SECOND PERIOD

— After Alexis Laissez Faire missed the net off a wide-open rush, then on the next Rangers’ possession, Edstrom scored:

Big time goal for #NYR Adam Edstrom.

Great poise by Carrick to hang onto it for a second and get it around Burns’ stick.

Also a strong bank pass by Schneider. pic.twitter.com/DWnsF0GYzH

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 21, 2025

— 2-1, Blueshirts.

— Edstrom’s goal, scored at the 3:58 mark, also doubled-up as the first Rangers’ SOG of the period. They wouldn’t get their second SOG until just a tad over ten-minutes later.

— After Makar hit the post, then Wedgewood made his third save of the period, on Soucy, with just 4:43 remaining.

— CZAR IGOR, very busy this period (13 saves), then gave up a goal that I’m not so sure that an in-his-prime Dominik Hasek would have been able to stop either:

Another turnover from 10 leads to the Avs game-tying goal.

Bad turnover, but also 3 incredible players making a hell of a play on the other end.

This is why they’re the best in the league, best players being the best players. pic.twitter.com/7bcaCbSUEe

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 21, 2025

2-2, then followed by 2:45 of what felt like a Colorado power-play.

(I also felt that Jonny Lazarus’ description of this goal was 100% accurate.)

But that’s where we remained after forty-minutes.

Here’s what I said at the time:

2-2 after 2. 2P Thoughts:
— SOG 24-10, Colorado, so #NYR on pace for 15 SOG after back-to-back games of 19 SOG.
— NYR are hanging in there against the best in the league – but it’s the same old story – their top stars score, the Rangers FAT CATS are MIA.
— Nowhere close to a…

— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) November 21, 2025

THIRD PERIOD

— The Rangers’ PK, then 3/3 at the time, couldn’t make it a flawless 4/4.

— And this fourth penalty kill was shaping up to be the best PK of the quartet (no SOG allowed) – but then Brock Nelson happened:

So many frustrating plays tonight.

39 and 93 go for a shorthanded scoring chance.

Both loop around the net, don’t come back hard and change on the backcheck.

Brock Nelson had nothing but time. pic.twitter.com/fShgVV1mtV

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 21, 2025

— 3-2, home team – and where just previous to this – Carrick had a pair of short-handed odd-man rushes – but couldn’t score (and really that’s not what he’s here for either).

— At the 4:30 mark – Lafreniere couldn’t score while on another breakaway.

— Yawn – as once again – he’s in the midst of another ten or more games goalless drought.

— Down to 9:42 remaining and this is when Miller scored his second PPG of the evening.

— 3-3.

— Then, and just thirty-seconds later – and this is when MacKinnon scored his second – and game-winner – goal of the match:

Nathan MacKinnon scored another beautiful goal.

Are you surprised? pic.twitter.com/Z8dPJaxme9

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 21, 2025

— 4-3, them.

— I thought that CZAR IGOR was kind of flailing around here – but when you have the Makar/Mack tandem creating chaos all-night – then sometimes you’re trying to make that one extra play.

— It didn’t work out here.

— Speaking of Makar? Then not only did he have two goals scored tonight, but he also had a game-high nine SOG, to go along with his two <DINGS>.

— Did. You. See. Adam? (RIP Larry Brooks.)

— Down to 8:18 remaining and the Rangers were being out-shot 2:1 (30-15).

— Two-minutes later and Mr. NDA turned over the puck while on a 3 x 1 odd-man rush with Miller and Fox.

— The Rangers didn’t help their chances to comeback when Brodzinski was boxed for holding Landeskog with 3:54 remaining.

— While the Blueshirts did kill off this penalty – the Avalanche also killed two-minutes off of the clock.

— And once the Rangers were able to pull Igor?

— Then BOOM – as in two-seconds after Igor vacated his net – and Makar scored.

— 5-3, which was then followed by 6-3, your final, after Colton’s add-insult-to-injury empty netter.

The Blueshirts, after wins over the Predators (11/10), Lightning (11/12) and Blue Jackets (11/15), have negated this previous three-game winning streak with a present three-game losing streak (Detroit, 11/16, Vegas, 11/18 and Colorado, 11/20).

They will conclude this current three-game mountain road-trip on Saturday night in Brigham Young’s favorite city.

Of Note: This game features a 9PM EST puck drop.

The newly branded Utah Hockey Club began this 2025-26 on a strong note, but they are now currently on a season-low four-game losing streak.

And come midnight Sunday?

Then that’s where I’ll expect the Rangers to be at – on a four-game schneid.

After all, who better than the Slump-Buster Blueshirts to end the losing in the land where Karl Malone and John Stockton are kings?

Prove me wrong.

It’s bed time for me, which for you, means your favorite segment, which brings us to…

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!

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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