NYR/CGY 11/21 Review: Same Old Rangers Fail Another Litmus Test Against a Top Team, Kakko Aces His New Audition As a Potential 3C; The Tomfoolery Centering Filip Chytil’s Pending Return, CZAR IGOR Forced To Make 46 Saves; Cuylle = A Tkachuk Brother From Another Mother, Sixteen-Seconds, Crying About Referees & Holding Nobody Accountable Not Enough, The M$GN Presents “T$N” Broadcast & More

Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. I am not surprised.

As noted throughout this season in this space, a myriad of times at that, and in what’s become a trend – if not a lock bet too – then if the Rangers are playing against a top team – then you can forget about seeing a sticks-up salute and victory.

Such an occurrence once again transpired on Thursday night during the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Flames – and had the Blueshirts featured a bottom-of-the-barrel goalie in-between their pipes – then Calgary may have put up a ten-spot on the board.

Heck, even against an above average goalie, if not better than that – and the Flames may have still put up a touchdown – and then kicked the field goal too.

Instead of kicking the field goal, and sans a sixteen-second brain-fart late into the second period – and the Flames just absolutely kicked the Rangers’ ass.

Prior to this contest and I have talked to no end about the Blueshirts’ inability to beat any team that reached the playoffs last year – but with one exception – the Toronto Maple Leafs – and where even seconds removed from that particular victory – I put no stock into it.

As said then and as I’m saying again now – the Leafs, who have now eclipsed and surpassed the Rangers’ previous 54-year Stanley Cup drought (Toronto is set to make it 58-years without a championship come this Spring), are bigger Cup Pretenders than their Original Six rivals are over in the States.

Away from the blowing leafs in Toronto, and the Rangers, now 12-5-1 following Thursday’s loss in Calgary, are 0-3 against teams that reached the playoffs last year – Winnipeg, Florida and Washington – and where in each of these three losses – the Blueshirts looked absolutely befuddled.

Funny enough, and in something else that I’ve previously discussed in-detail on this site, and the Calgary Flames, a franchise in a state of disarray, as the city has become the least desirable in the league (hence all of their frequent trades and roster departures), are presently second-place in the Pacific Division.

For a team that missed the playoff cut-line by a mile last season, and where many expected the Flames to be doused to the bottom of the standings this year too (M$GN’s Joe Micheletti brought this up no less than five-times during Thursday night’s broadcast); then without question, the players have bought into the message that both head coach, Ryan Huska, and general manager, Craig Conroy, are promoting.

Keep in mind, this is also a franchise, and within the past three-years too, has lost the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Jacob Markstrom, Sean Monahan, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, and yes, even the sadly recently deceased Jonny Gaudreau too, among others – yet here they are – all buying in and nearly atop of the top-heavy PST division.

What am I getting at?

The following:

The Rangers are now 0-4 against any team currently holding a playoff berth this season – and again – I’m not counting the win over the fugazi franchise that wears blue-and-white – and much like the Blueshirts themselves.

(And throw away the win against Vancouver too – as they were missing three of their top stars – and a club who also started a third-string goalie as well.)

What are those two words again?

Oh yeah, this pair:

PAPER TIGER!

Simply put, while it’s nice to rack up all of the points in the standings against the never-will-be’s of the league; but at the same time – you’ll never see these teams when it matters most – the playoffs.

And I guess since I just mentioned that p-word – playoffs – then at this time, I should get our 82-game mantra out of the way at this juncture too – aka, 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, eighteen down, sixty-four to go, and then the real hockey, the only games that matter, begin.

Aside from the Rangers’ inability to beat anyone half-way decent this season, then it was more of the same old shit from “Lavy’s Lot” in this 3-2 loss, and let’s bullet-point the ways:

— Rely on the goalie, on this night CZAR IGOR, to make over forty saves and then just pray that someone catches fire.

— Young Guns outperforming the Fat Cats, as this time, not only was it Alexis Lafreniere outshining Chris Kreider, but it was also Will Cuylle who was easily the second-best Ranger on this night, and only a runner-up to CZAR IGOR.

— Taking stupid penalties, and while the Blueshirts’ PK is tops in the league, it was just a never-ending and unorthodox trip to the sin bin, including infractions that featured CZAR IGOR tripping eventual game-winning-goal scorer Connor Zary, a failed challenge and an unsportsmanlike conduct from Vincent Trocheck, after he argued with an official.

Speaking of the referees, and while I wouldn’t champion their cases for the Hall of Fame; but at the same time – I never heard the head coach, and his players too, do so much crying about the zebras, and as they all did, both during and after the game.

While the Rangers were valid in some of their debates; to me, all of this traced back to one word that I’ve been using a lot of this season – ACCOUNTABILITY.

Zibanejad takes games off for weeks on end? No problem.

K’Andre Miller leaking goals left-and-right? Who cares?

All of this whining about the officials once again made me question Laviolette (I will still never understand why Lafreniere isn’t on the first power-play unit – and I’ll end this talk here – as I’ve already spun this record about the failed dee-jay about a million times during this year of 2024); as rather than accepting both responsibility and accountability, instead, the focus of his energies during his post-game interview were on the men who don the black-and-white stripes.

While I don’t think that a Sidney Crosby trade to New York will ever happen (although I’d love to see it), then perhaps all of the tears that the Rangers shed over the officials will increase the odds of this swap ever transpiring.

The crux of the waterworks centered around what was and what wasn’t a hand-pass.

It was this play, from the 8:29 mark of the second period, where as a result, the Flames went up 2-0, that triggered all of it:

Coaches challenge for a Glove Pass. (They count the Goal. #NYR pic.twitter.com/NkIHXK0VEL

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) November 22, 2024

In real-time, I thought that the officials got it right – at least from the perspective of letting play continue – and then assess had a goal been scored.

With a goal scored, such an assessment was then required.

Even after watching the replay about a hundred times over – and I still think that this play was a 50/50 thing.

Put it this way: Had the roles been reversed, and had the Rangers scored in this fashion, then I’d be livid had the goal been wiped from the board.

Similar to goalie interference calls, and a play like this is also exclusive to the eye of the beholder – as you never know what the refs will do.

But lost in everything, including from Laviolette?

The Rangers, as a collective group, S-U-C-K-E-D, that is, except for a few, including CZAR IGOR, Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere, and long before this play ever took place.

In the first period alone, the Flames out-shot the Rangers 20-5 – and if it wasn’t for the Blueshirts’ goalie, then you’re looking at a three-goal deficit at best.

By the time this Yegor Sharangovich goal was scored, a power-play goal at that, as Panarin was in the box for slashing – and the Flames were out-shooting the Rangers by a 3:1 ratio, 30-10.

To sit here and bawl your eyes out about the referees when you were getting your dick kicked in all-game prior to this play – well that just tells me that no one has learnt anything from these recent failures – aka Ranger playoff runs from the past three-seasons.

Down 2-0 at the time (a Matt Coronato goal from the first period was the only puck of twenty that got past CZAR IGOR), and to their credit, and the Rangers were able to douse some water on the red-hot Flames.

An Alexis Lafreniere goal, scored at the 16:37 mark, brought the Blueshirts within one – and where again – in a game that the Rangers never belonged in anyway – and you can thank CZAR IGOR for keeping them in it too.

Sixteen-seconds later and Will Cuylle, once compared to the Tkachuk brothers, and who only grew stronger comparisons to these unicorn siblings of the league following this match, tied the game at 2-all.

Calgary bench boss, Ryan Huska, wisely took his timeout in order to settle everything down.

While the Rangers would get their chances, the Flames recorded even more.

By the time the game was over, and the Flames out-shot the Rangers, 49-29, and where Calgary goalie, Dustin Wolf, only showed that he could be a “Big Bad Wolf” during sporadic Blueshirt offensive outbursts.

A Connor Zary goal, scored with 9:25 remaining, held-up as the 3-2 game-winner.

And when CZAR IGOR was pulled with two-minutes and change remaining?

The Flames had about ten different chances to put the game away – but “Ranger’d” things up by not sealing the deal – including when Jonathan Huberdeau hit the iron on a lazy shot from two feet out.

Following the game and I heard even more excuses in regards to this loss, but where of course, complaining about the officials trumped all.

Among the other excuses included was that the Rangers had a tough flight (their flight to Calgary was delayed a day, due to snowy weather), the elevation in Alberta takes some time to get used to and how this was the third game during a four-game trip.

But that’s what all of these remarks were – EXCUSES.

And let me be clear:

No one expects these guys to go 82-0 – but at the same time – it would be nice to see them beat an upper-echelon team once this season too.

Is that too much to ask?

The Detroit’s, the Montreal’s, the San Jose’s and the Seattle’s of the world won’t be playing when these games truly matter.

Again – PAPER TIGER.

And this to boot:

PROVE ME WRONG – and where I have yet to be disproved too.

Funny enough, the Rangers, who are now 0-4 in “litmus test games” this season?

They have become a litmus test themselves, and where teams like the Jets, Capitals, Panthers and now the Flames, all felt better about their futures after dominating the Blueshirts.

In case you missed it, then here’s where I last left off – the Rangers’ 4-3 win in Vancouver:

NYR/VAN 11/19 Review: Adam Fox Out-Duels Quinn Hughes in Battle of Elite Norris Trophy Winners; Blueshirts Eke By Canucks, No Chytil (But He’s Coming Back), No Problem: Brodzinski & Co. Stand Tall Amongst All; Third Line Carries Team on Rare GAG LINE 2.0 Off-Night, CZAR IGOR’s Stats Take a Beating; But Why I’m Not Concerned, Secondary Scoring Shows Up, M$GN & More

Following Tuesday’s victory against the walking-wounded and talent-depleted Canucks, then come Wednesday, the team had the day off – and where snow in the area delayed their travel plans too.

A day later, Thursday morning, the Rangers, now in Calgary, participated in an A.M. skate.

The dumbest thing, and as talked about before on this site, was that Filip Chytil was with the team.

While he didn’t skate with his teammates, he did skate by himself following the team’s practice.

Again, this begs the question of why did the Rangers fly a player, one with a deep history with concussions, some near 3,000 miles, just to have him skate by himself?

What, was Chytil desperate to get his mouth around some highly regarded Albertan beef?

They have steakhouses in New York too you know!

But seriously – he couldn’t skate on his own at the team’s training facility?

And even if he does dress on Saturday night in Edmonton – for a player with his history, and let’s not forget, while the Rangers are saying he wasn’t concussed – what we do know for a fact is that was/is injured – then what’s the point?

(Holy horrible grammar Batman!)

It’s not even Thanksgiving – and once again – the Rangers are rushing a player back into their fold.

That doesn’t seem like a wise strategy for the Spring of ’25 – and then hopefully – at least four-games/wins in the early days of the Summer of ’25 too.

As far as any other pregame news prior to puck drop; then it was announced that Lavy would be rolling out the same line-up that he used during the past two games of this current road-trip.

And I still wonder if Chytil enjoyed his Albertan meats with Ruhwedel and Leschyshyn while upstairs.

Here was Laviolette’s line-up for the eighteenth game of this 2024-25 season:

FIRST LINE: Panarin/Trocheck/Lafreniere

SECOND LINE: Kreider/Zibanejad/Smith

THIRD LINE: Cuylle/Brodzinski/Kakko

FOURTH LINE: Edstrom/Carrick/Vesey

FIRST PAIR: Miller/Fox

SECOND PAIR: Lindgren/Trouba

THIRD PAIR: Jones/Schneider

STARTING GOALIE: Jonathan Quick

BACK UP GOALIE: CZAR IGOR

HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Leschyshyn and Ruhwedel

DAY-TO-DAY: Filip Chytil

BOX SCORE time.

The following graphics and information come from ESPN.com:

SCORING:

PENALTIES:

TEAM STATS:

GOALIES:

Since I was still at work when this game began, then yes, I missed tonight’s M$GN pregame show.

But you know the drill Part I:

Even if I was home, then I wouldn’t have watched it anyway, as the useless tool, Sieve Vagistat, was left all by himself to plug all of his made-up ANALytical bullshit.

Come 9PM, and with nearly all of my work completed at the real j-o-b, then I took my dinner break and tried to watch this game on the Gotham Sports App.

But you know the drill Part II:

This service NEVER works, and since this service is as useful as Mika Zibanejad on PP1, then I was forced to watch this game on a crystal clear, never to be buffered, illegal stream.

Meth > Gotham too.

And just as the puck was about to drop, Sam and Joe then told us how much Calgary sucks, how they are so bad, why they should be relegated to the ECHL; but where right after such talk, Micheletti then informed us, “CALGARY WORKS HARD SAM.”

I’m still waiting to hear the one player and/or team that Jumpin’ Joe DOESN’T think that works hard.

With a tip-of-the-cap to Gump Worsely, then perhaps the answer to that question is the easy one:

The Rangers.

GAME REVIEW time!

FIRST PERIOD

It’s late, which is my way of saying, “do I even need to recap these first twenty-minutes?”

In two words, “CZAR IGOR,” as he amassed 19-saves by the time the first intermission began.

Speaking of the goalie, kudos to Stan Fischler’s favorite backstop for not allowing a goal in the first minute of a game too.

At least one negative trend was snapped tonight.

Speaking of “The Maven,” and where I can’t get enough of his daily “PIGGY IGGY” stuff too (even if I don’t agree with it – then I still find it hilarious anyway), then if you haven’t already, check out his latest book, where like mine, is a perfect stocking stuffer for the Ranger fan in your life this Christmas:

As far as Fischler’s reaction to PIGGY IGGY CZAR IGOR’s showing in this contest?

The following:

The @NYRangers #IgorShesterkin, who allegedly wants to be the NHL’s highest-paid goalie, made 46 saves at Calgary. But that ugly 47th save was missing on #Zary‘s
eminently stoppable bad angle shot. Piggy Iggy worked hard for his $, but his mates needed one more stop.
Never came!

— Stan Fischler (@StanFischler) November 22, 2024

In what started out during his first shift, and then continued throughout the entire match too, was when Adam Fox received vociferous, if not violent at times too, booing.

I was kind of surprised about this.

While I know that Fox once spurned Calgary, because like many others, he wanted no part of living in the city; it’s been years-and-years since that decision.

Furthermore, if Fox is going to get booed like this, then Flame fans will have no lungs if they treat everyone else who wanted no part of the franchise – and as they do with the 2021 Norris Trophy winner.

Does Matt Tkachuk receive boos from these fans?

And while we all know how admirably Calgary came out for the Gaudreau family after he was tragically murdered (just pure class from these fans – and I really mean this); would they be booing him today, had he not been killed (and that’s what a drunk-driving accident leading to death is – MURDER), after his decision to jettison off to Columbus of all places?

I just hope that these same fans boo the hell out of Jacob Markstrom once the Devils get there.

And yes – that Gaudreau family tragedy will never escape me either – and I do want to make it clear that I respect Flame fans – as they did one hell of a job when remembering one of their former, and sadly now fallen, sons.

In perhaps the biggest announcer’s jinx of the game, then as CZAR IGOR had recorded his fourth save in a span of two-minutes, and Micheletti said, “Sam, Peter Laviolette is very satisfied with his team.”

While Lavy spent a lot of time crying about the officials after the game; at least he also added, “we got out-worked.”

Following Wolf’s first save of the game (2:54 mark) on Trouba; M$GN then ran a highlight reel featuring all of the TROO TROO TRAIN stops made in Canada’s rodeo city; as previously, there had been four monster Trouba hits made against the Flames in recent seasons.

But just none tonight.

Not even four-minutes into the game and Sam and Joe gave us their “STATE OF THE FLAMES” report, but sadly, didn’t give us an “OLD FRIEND” shout-out to Kevin Rooney, who at the time, forced the Rangers into icing a puck.

CZAR IGOR boosted every plus/minus stat in front of him tonight, including just five-minutes in, when he stopped a Zary who had just blown by the fourth line and second defensive pair.

SOG total at the time? 6-1, Flames.

As Sam and Joe continued to don their Calgary gear, while also waving their Flame pom-poms too, they then had a “THIS IS YOUR LIFE: MATT CORONATO” segment.

Nearly on cue, and Coronato, from Long Island (Huntington – and as a Nassau County resident myself – I believe you need a passport to visit Suffolk County, where Coronato is from), scored the first goal of the game:

My goodness, Matt Coronato 🤫

What a rip from the kid 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZW9W5kP1hr

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 22, 2024

1-0, bad guys, following Coronato’s top-shelf roof-job against CZAR IGOR.

I know that many, especially critics of CZAR IGOR’s current contract negotiations, want to blame the goalie for every goal allowed (while also calling for the five Rangers on the ice to go to the gulag too – so at least their disdain is equally doled out); but to me, this was solely about Coronato delivering.

After all, the other team is paid to play too – and I just thought that Coronato earned his cash here.

Vesey almost had a chance to tie the game right afterwards, but he made one move too many, which then allowed Kevin Bahl to get the puck away as #26 was about to put one in from the paint.

I should also mention that the Rangers, now with four SOG with some twelve-minutes remaining, never got another SOG this period – although the official statisticians later counted a clearing pass, one that went to Wolf, as a SOG – the Blueshirts’ fifth-and-last attempt at the Flames’ net this period.

At the half-way mark of this frame, CZAR IGOR stopped a Huberdeau-to-Zary odd-man rush, where as a result, he was now on pace for sixty saves.

Sam?

“GOOD PACE JOE!”

Coronato almost scored again with 7:52 to go, but again, those two-words – CZAR IGOR.

Come 6:44 remaining and Zary had CZAR IGOR beat, dead-to-rights too, but wound up hitting the iron. In a response, CZAR IGOR, who can be catty and vicious at times, tripped the Flame to give us our first power-play of the match.

During this successful penalty kill, and it looked like Zibanejad took a puck to the gonads, although others thought it got him in the chest:

Mika blocks a shot and goes str8 to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/6yqLqCuxfO

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) November 22, 2024

This ended Zibanejad’s first period, but he’d return once the second stanza commenced.

And since he played/returned, then I guess he’s still okay if he wants baby #2 in his household – and where speaking of that number – he played like a steamy pile of number two too!

“OH JOE, $8.5M A YEAR JOE. HE’S THE DRIZZLING SHITS JOE!”

(And when I bring up Sam and Joe more than usual – then that tells you what this game was.)

After Lafreniere ate two huge hits with 3:55 to go (and he never was derailed once taking them); CZAR IGOR prevented Bob Backlund from scoring a chicken wing goal.

(I love my old-school WWF references!)

A few seconds later and Edstrom slashed Kuzmenko as he was driving to the net.

End result?

A 2-2 (100%) Rangers’ PK – as the top man-down units in the league did it again – and where yes – the goalies are a large reason why this PK is so successful.

During this Calgary power-play, and this is when Sam and Joe really got on their hands-and-knees and praised everything Flame hockey, including right down to the beer vendors at the Saddledome – but again – and outside of CZAR IGOR – then the Rangers didn’t give these two buffoons much material to work with.

1-0, bad guys, after twenty-minutes.

Here’s what I said at the time:

1-0, bad guys, after 20. 1P Thoughts:
— SOG 21-4 – home team. Two ways of looking at this, either the Flames gas out or Rangers wake up at INT. FWIW, #NYR usually respond after these shit starts.
— Mika does have balls – at least based on his reaction after taking a puck…

— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) November 22, 2024

SECOND PERIOD

I wound up being proven correct about my prediction made at the end of the first period – the Rangers usually rebound after these flat and horrid starts.

But admittedly, I didn’t see it going down as it did – but once the game was knotted at two goals a side – I didn’t care.

I just wanted the win.

I would also like a billion dollars deposited into my bank account – or hey – at least a new computer – but such wishes, much like hoping for a Blueshirts’ victory, were burnt by the Flames.

With Mika back, and the Rangers sitting on what was pretty much a SOG drought of nearly 13-minutes – and pretty much nothing had changed – as the Flames continued to hem through the Blueshirts’ zone, where as a result – CZAR IGOR had to make two saves within the opening 45-seconds – and both on former Devil, Yegor Sharangovich.

Just five-minutes into the period?

CZAR IGOR had already amassed eleven saves – so over two per-minute for you math majors.

Following two CZAR IGOR saves shy of a baker’s dozen, and the Rangers did wake up a bit, as Wolf stopped Trocheck, and after that, a Vesey slap shot too.

For good measure, Smith then soon hit the iron.

Come 11:52 remaining, this is when Panarin slashed Martin Pospisil (and where whenever Rosen pronounces this surname, it sounds like “PISS POT”), which then led to the Sharangovich goal that Laviolette is calling “THE HAND PASS HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD!”

Also taking the most umbrage with perhaps this most dubitable call?

Vincent Trocheck.

Following a LOOOOOOOONG review, perhaps longer than it takes you to read one of these GAME REVIEW manifestos, Laviolette’s challenge was rebuked, which as a result, gave the Flames another power-play.

The Rangers made short work of this one, and for the league’s best PK, they were now 3-4 – or 75%.

Down to eight-minutes remaining, and the SOG total you may ask?

36-11, Flames – so to cry about the officials is still the work of an impish fool in my eyes.

Adding to the pain, was when right after a Panarin-to-Trouba try that went ever so wide, is when Sam and Joe pulled down their pants, looked at each other in the eyes, and then sang the good praises of “SENILE SATHER.”

“OH JOE, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE GLEN SATHER TODAY,” said not one Ranger fan EVER.

But that’s what Rosen said.

After Micheletti told us how fabulous Sather was (he never mentioned that the former GM/HC/TP/Dolan Advisor didn’t win shit in 24-years with the Rangers), CZAR IGOR crept close to forty-saves.

Rosen’s reaction?

Praising the organization for flying in Chytil, and his concussed dome too, some 3,000 miles in order to skate on an empty rink.

Moronic.

More moronic?

When Rosen sung the good name of the Gotham Sports App – a service that much like the hairs on Micheletti’s forehead – is losing customers daily.

As the Rangers were being pummeled, I then had to laugh when Rosen shrieked, “OH JOE, BLACK FRIDAY JOE! A RANGERS’ AFRICAN-AMERICAN SALE JOE!”

Okay – he didn’t say the second sentence – I was just checking to see if you’re still with me!

Down to 4:00 remaining, and between all his plugs and other nonsense, Rosen then started previewing Saturday’s game against Edmonton.

But to be fair – I didn’t blame Rosen – as this game had “L” written all over it.

Not so fast.

Up next, the pair of goals from Lafreniere and Cuylle:

Laffy gets one back! pic.twitter.com/mZn8H9g1qz

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 22, 2024

2-1, bad guys – and for the man who is not allowed on the first power-play unit – Lafreniere’s eighth of the season.

WILL CUYLLE TIES IT IN CALGARY! pic.twitter.com/7S0gh7fAcG

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 22, 2024

2-2!

While Cuylle gets all the credit in the world for his seventh goal of the season (three more than the center who is paid ten-times as much as him – and where Cuylle doesn’t get 1:30 of PP time during every man-advantage attack either), but I must mention a player who I’d still trade tomorrow, Kaapo Kakko.

By now, everyone and their mother, and perhaps Senile Sather and Sam Rosen too, know that Filip Chytil ABSOLUTELY SUCKS at the circles.

Ever since his full-time NHL employment, and the Czech has been the worst center at the dots, not only on the team – but in all of the league!!!

However, since Chytil was playing well until his latest brush with a bump to his head, then he’s been in the line-up every night.

But despite looking good previous to injury – he still can’t win a faceoff to save his life.

The response?

Laviolette has been using Kakko, more and more, to take draws – and especially zone faceoffs.

And even with a decent center at the dots on this third line, JONNY BROADWAY – and Lavy kept using his Finn to take faceoffs.

End result?

A six-of-nine (nice) showing – good for 66.7% – and 66 times better than Chytil’s success rate too!

While Kakko didn’t get an assist here (Miller and Fox did), it was his o-zone faceoff win that set-up this quick goal – and the Rangers’ second in a span of sixteen-seconds.

But sadly, and despite Lavy cutting his bench a bit (Brodzinski and Edstrom took the brunt of it), that was it for Ranger goals on this night.

Alas, the Blueshirts also had chances to get one more in this period, but after Cuylle broke his hole and beat out an icing – Kreider failed on a 2 x 1 odd-man rush just as the horn went off.

2-2 after 2.

Here’s what I said at the time:

2-2 after 2. 2P Thoughts:
— I said 20 minutes ago that I thought #NYR would comeback, as they usually rebound after these slow starts, but this isn’t what I exactly meant – but I’ll take it.
— Cuylle has done what Laf and Kakko never did – come out hot & suffer no sophomore…

— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) November 22, 2024

THIRD PERIOD

CZAR IGOR had to make two saves within 25-seconds – so the opening to this final frame was identical to the two that had preceded it.

Then, and at the 1:03 mark, the Rangers, who at this point, had to kill four penalties, finally received a power-play of their own – and where I thought that Coleman’s boxing for “goalie interference” was a tad questionable.

But you won’t hear Lavy, nor his players either, complain about this gift – and an early X-Mas present too – an opportunity to grab the lead in a game that they had no business winning.

Wolf, not much tested much at this stature, made three short-handed saves and that was that.

The elite Zibanejad once again failed on the now 0-1 power-play.

But he does hug hard (Joe)!

At the 6:44 mark, and following a hand-pass called against the Rangers, Trocheck blew his lid.

I get it – he was mad about the Flames’ second goal.

That said, I wonder if he was a letterman (captain or alternate), then would have he been sent to the box, for unsportsmanlike conduct, after crying to the referees?

But he’s not, and as a result, the Flames then went on the power-play for the fifth time.

The Rangers killed this penalty.

Now batting .800 when a man-down, I thought that the Rangers would pick up some momentum.

Wishful thinking.

Nearly two-minutes removed from his team’s failed power-play and Zary scored the eventual, 3-2, bad guys, game-winner:

Connor Zary makes it 3-2!#Flames
📹: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/kgGKl0oycp

— Mackenzie Grafton (@mgrafton37) November 22, 2024

I am led to believe that CZAR IGOR would have wanted this one back – but when you make 46-saves – then how can you complain about this one going in?

This goal also marked the first time where both Kakko and Cuylle were on the ice for a goal allowed this season – and since we’re eighteen games down – I’d say that’s pretty, pretty, pretty good on them.

Cuylle would later channel his inner-Tkachuk, by shooting pucks and not giving f**ks, when going after several Flames, most notably Blake Coleman, but such sparks were never reciprocated by his teammates.

When CZAR IGOR left the net with 2:30 to go, the Rangers sure as hell challenged Wolf – but much like their stagnant power-play – could never score.

Funny enough, the Flames had about 98678678689 chances to call game, via a potential 4-2 empty-netter, but they kept missing the net every time – and Huberdeau looked like an asshole too.

3-2, bad guys, your final.

Another perspective from this game?

The final result was swung by special teams – and not referees.

The Rangers couldn’t score on their power-play, nor 2:30 worth of a 6 x 5 attack, but the Flames found a power-play goal during their one of five tries.

But keeping Lafreniere stapled to the bench will sure promote accountability to Zibanejad during his never-ending and maddening chances on PP1.

Here’s a truncated account of Lavy’s post-game interview, and one where the Rangers edited out a lot of his tears too – hence the short run-time:

Up Next For The Rangers: A Saturday night match in Oiltown. Note the 10PM EST start time.

I should be back with a GAME REVIEW after that game, the fourth-and-final contest of this road-trip – but it may be late – as I’m going out (and may even attend) the Notre Dame game at Yankee Stadium (7:30PM kickoff).

Up Next For Me: While I have that feeling about this team whenever your parents say, “I’m not mad at you, I’m just disappointed” – I shall press on – and now go to bed – and sleep this loss off too!

(After all, the reason above all else why I write these daily tomes? To vent – and to purge all negativity from my system too!)

Up Next For You: Your favorite segment, and help bolster a Blueshirts’ brother’s X-Mas account fund too, you know…

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