Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. Throw a parade! The Rangers have won THE TOILET BOWL!
After all, not only did Adam Fox score his first goal of the season in the club’s 28th match (an empty-netter no less!); but Mika Zibanejad scored his second power-play goal of this 2024-25 campaign too!
“WE WANT THE CUP!”
And for those who can’t detect sarcasm, then let me make it clear:
NO, this win didn’t change anything.
Instead, it only increased already heightened concerns for a team that needs the jaws of life for their hopeful and successful retooling.
(And I would’ve loved had Zibanejad skated to center ice after this game – and then accepted “THE TOILET CUP” from TNT’s Paul Bissonnette. I also wouldn’t mind if Chris Drury flushed Mika from this roster either! Sell high!)
I know what my season-long disclaimer says, I understand that a “win’s a win,” and I’m also aware that these New York Rangers were in a desperate need of acquiring two points in anyway that they could get them; but despite all of that – and I can’t remember the last time when I was so unimpressed with a Blueshirts’ victory.
Obviously, this season has not started in the fashion that the Rangers wanted it to – and now, at the 33% mark of the campaign – and it just feels like you’re waiting for the bottom to fall out.
Then again, if the loss to the Blackhawks from Monday night was rock-bottom – then there was no more ground left to hit.
POSITIVE THINKING!
This 3-2 victory over the pathetically lowly Sabres was pretty much more of the same for Lavy’s Lot during these past six-weeks, although this time around – the Rangers found a team much worse off than them – and akin to how the Blueshirts have picked up five previous wins this season over Detroit (three wins) and Montreal (two wins).
The Sabres, who somehow, steamrolled these same Rangers at M$G just a month ago by a 6-1 final, are experiencing their own rock-bottom. After all, they entered Wednesday night on a seven-game losing streak – and for as bad as the Blueshirts have been this season – even they haven’t sunk that low.
Once again and I felt this win over another bad team strengthened my “PAPER TIGER” commentary about these 2024-25 Rangers – a club 0-7 in “litmus test games” this season, but also a team that despite this past weekend, beats the dregs of the league when matched.
Put it this way:
The Blueshirts, who took a penalty just twenty-seconds into the game, later scored on a power-play of their own – and SHOCK – it was Zibanejad who struck first – and as he did at the 7:01 mark.
The Rangers, now up 1-0, didn’t score again until there was just 6:31 remaining in regulation time.
In other words, for about a 46-minute stretch there, then the Rangers maintained a one-goal lead against one of the very worst teams in the league – and a Sabres team experiencing their roughest patch of the season too.
And until things got interesting late, then you can see why Lindy Ruff’s team was so bad.
(There’s also something to be said about not blowing out your opponent either – especially since more energy is exercised in these one-goal affairs – and energy that you could use come the playoffs.)
The Sabres, who never recorded a shot during their two power-plays, had sent twenty shots wide by the time two periods were concluded – and where nearly half of them were from point-blank range.
The Rangers, after their initial power-play score, then went 0-3 on their final three tries, and where on the last one – the Sabres had about 7678686869 chances to beat CZAR IGOR.
It was without question that the Blueshirts were the most dominant team between the two squads that played in the TNT decreed “TOILET BOWL GAME” (and with both fart and flush sound effects also included by the national broadcaster).
As the Sabres shot nearly everything high-and-wide, and as if they were paying tribute to Scott Norwood, then it were the visitors who out-shot the home team, 12-7, in the first period, then 12-8 in the second stanza.
Then the third period happened.
The Blueshirts, who haven’t been exactly that “hot” during the final twenty-minutes of games, lived to such a reputation again, as despite having a power-play in this final frame (the Sabres did not) and it was the home team that out-shot their Winter Classic rivals to a tune of 16-5.
For you math majors, then that meant with the game on the line, then it were the horrible Sabres who out-shot the Cup Pretender Rangers at a clip of a little over 3:1.
While CZAR IGOR wasn’t tested much throughout the first 45-minutes or so, he sure as heck had to answer the bell time-and-time again – and where all Blueshirt backers could do at the time was root for the clock to tick-tick-tick to triple-zeroes.
A puck-luck Reilly Smith goal, which was actually scored off Owen Power’s skate, put the Blueshirts up 2-0 with 6:31 to go.
At the time, you sat back in your chair a bit – but you also knew that it wasn’t over yet.
After all, we’ve seen this rerun episode before.
Eighty-seconds later, and now down to 4:51 remaining, the Sabres, who just attacked, attacked and attacked during the final ten-minutes of the game, finally broke CZAR IGOR’s shutout – and as Owen Power did, following a puck that hit iron before crossing the goal line.
2-1.
As we got under three-minutes remaining, Ruff took his timeout, pulled his goalie (UPL – and by now – you should know those three initials), but during a Sabres’ o-zone faceoff, it was the Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck who cleanly beat Peyton Krebs at the dot, that then set-up Adam Fox for the l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ng DOWNTOWN, JULIE BROWN, empty net goal.
3-1 – but there was still 2:02 remaining.
The Sabres, who I guess to their credit, didn’t go down lightly, saw Tage Thompson return the game within one-goal – and as he did with just 38-seconds remaining – and go figure – on another Buffalo shot that hit iron before crossing the goal line.
3-2.
I can’t lie.
At the time, then I was sure as hell that the Sabres would find one more 6 x 5 score.
Despite one last strong Sabres’ surge – and the Rangers held on – hence escaping Buffalo with a win.
Perhaps sadder than CZAR IGOR getting touched for two goals late, thus preventing a shutout while also damaging some of his stats?
Because of the big-name performances (Zibanejad had one goal and a team-high five SOG, Fox had a three-point night and Panarin & Trocheck chipped in an assist each), then the true heroes of this game, the newest incarnation of the Blueshirts’ fourth line, may have their efforts fall to the wayside amongst all lede stories in Rangerstown, USA.
Despite what the box score says (although Sam Carrick did assist on Smith’s goal) – and the combination of Carrick, Brett Berard and Adam Edstrom were EASILY, and BY FAR, the best line that Lavy had at his disposal on this night.
This line not only drew three penalties, but while skating with Lindgren, they then saw their defenseman draw one of his own.
As a result, this line drew four separate man-advantages for the Rangers – but they didn’t get any power-play time as a reward either.
It should also be stressed and stated that during the majority of their shifts – then they spent the bulk of their time attacking in the Buffalo zone too – including during a frantic third period where the team’s top-six looked utterly helpless against their foes.
Three fourth-line players, where all three of them are barely making over the league-minimum, were easily my top three stars of the game – and unlike the goal scorers tonight – I don’t think that the Rangers would have prevailed without them.
At this time, let’s get the disclaimer segment out of the way before rapid-firing through everything else.
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 – and one that I even need to read a few times over in order to calm myself down:
“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, twenty-eight down, fifty-four 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?
You make the call.
In case you missed it, then here’s where I last left off – the Rangers becoming the worst team in the league:
NYR/CHI 12/9 Review: ROCK BOTTOM! Blackhawks Scalp The Worst “Tampering” Team in The NHL Today; Miserable Mika & Minus Miller Pick Up Assists For Another Opponent, Lavy Has Lost His Players; Heat Up The Seat For Quenneville, WAKE UP DRURY, CZAR IGOR Should’ve Stayed Home With His Newborn, Blueshirts On The Wrong Side of History (Again), Another Terrible, Yet “Hard-Working,” M$GN Broadcast, Therapy Needed & More
After cementing their status as the worst team in the league today on Monday night, then a day later, Tuesday, the Rangers had their league-mandated day off, following their pair of back-to-back losses sustained by the likes of the Kraken and Blackhawks.
As you were just waiting for any sort of move – a roster transaction, a new head coach, any sort of life; then nothing at all transpired on Tuesday.
Come Wednesday, and now in Buffalo Wing Land, the Blueshirts held a morning skate, where during it, it was revealed that Laviolette wasn’t going to change a thing – unless you count tinkering around with his second power-play unit, one that averages about ten-seconds a game, as a major development.
I just don’t get it.
What more does Drury and Laviolette need to see?
However, I’ve made my opinions on this topic well known already – and I don’t have the strength in me to say it all again.
In a trio of off-day stories away from the present team, then on Tuesday, the soon-to-be 36-year-old, Kevin Shattenkirk, announced his retirement.
As talked about long-form before (https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/8119/ ), then it’s tough to think of any other player in Blueshirts’ history that had as much as a “Murphy’s Law” career than the hometown kid did.
Shattenkirk, who pretty much left somewhere around $25M in guaranteed money on the table when he first signed with the Rangers, was hoping to join a Blueshirts’ blue line with Ryan McDonagh.
Then injuries happened.
Then “The Letter” happened.
And at the end of it, then the buyout of Shattenkirk’s contract happened.
But there was also an ironic twist – and a non-Asian “Happy Ending” too – as Shattenkirk did wind up winning a Stanley Cup with McDonagh – but with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And for a guy like #22, who once turned down $25M during the prime of his career in order to sign with the Rangers – then that one Stanley Cup win was more than worth it.
After all, he was already a rich man by then!
Here’s Shatty’s two-page retirement press release, and courtesy of his official Twitter/X account:
Thank you to the game I love. ✌🏼 Deuces pic.twitter.com/QYvpHlOOhk
— Kevin Shattenkirk (@shattdeuces) December 10, 2024
Congratulations to double-deuces, as while things never worked out as intended for him in New York, he was always a good soldier, but playing for a losing side.
And he wouldn’t be a bad addition for the M$GN either, should he look to get into broadcasting like many of his peers.
As the Rangers were in the air on their way to Buffalo, then Spittin Chiclets had a busy Blueshirts day themselves, as the Paul Bissonnette hosted podcast had both Larry Brooks and Sean Avery on as guests.
During an hour-long interview featuring the scribe and the Rangers’ alum, it were Brooks’ comments, featured above, that got the most buzz – as he alluded to the fact that Mika Zibanejad has mental health issues and lets all of the negativity to get to him.
Of course, playing better would eliminate the voices in his head, but at this stage of the game – who knows if that will ever happen?
Without trying to sound cruel, but if Mika can’t block out the Big Apple critics, then perhaps he’s not suited to play here then.
He’s playing in one of the league’s biggest markets, and despite nothing but softball beat reporters, and he’s still letting everything eat him alive.
And you can also suspect that he’s not a fan of the leaks that have stated that he refuses to waive his NMC too.
When it comes to this story, it goes with the job, and especially when you’re a high-paid athlete in a city that’s at the point of starvation when hanging around and waiting for one of the big-four sport teams to deliver a championship.
In a way, handling the New York high-pressure cooker is a job requirement for any Ranger – and just like how you wouldn’t want someone with Parkinson’s to be your heart and/or brain surgeon – then you don’t want a Blueshirt who can’t handle stress either.
And it’s not like Zibanejad is just enduring a rough stretch now – as he hasn’t been very good, nor has he even come close to earning his ungodly $8.5M annual salary during the past two seasons.
Perhaps waiving his NMC, and accepting a trade to a smaller media market featuring an NHL franchise that doesn’t have high expectations like it is the case here, would be best for his mental health.
Last but not least, but as a result of the Flyers victory in Columbus on Tuesday night, then for the first time this season – the Rangers were outside-looking-in at a playoff berth.
Granted, while the Blueshirts have two-games in-hand over their I-95 rivals, the orange-and-black; at the same time, the Rangers were only four-points better than the worst team in the conference, while twice that amount, eight-points in total, away from the third Metropolitan Division seed.
But that’s what batting .200 in your last ten-games played will do to you – sink you to the bottom of the standings.
Here was Laviolette’s line-up for the twenty-eighth game of this 2024-25 season:
FIRST LINE: Panarin/Trocheck/Lafreniere
SECOND LINE: Kreider/Zibanejad/Smith
THIRD LINE: Cuylle/Chytil/Kakko
FOURTH LINE: Edstrom/Carrick/Berard
FIRST PAIR: Lindgren/Fox
SECOND PAIR: Miller/Schneider
THIRD PAIR: Jones/Mancini
STARTING GOALIE: CZAR IGOR
BACK UP GOALIE: Jonathan Quick
IR: Uhro Vaakanainen
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Jonny Brodzinski, Jimmy Vesey and Connor Mackey
BOX SCORE time.
The following graphics and information come from ESPN.com:
SCORING:
PENALTIES:
TEAM STATS:
GOALIES:
|
BUF
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 27 | 2 | 25 | .926 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57:35 | 0 |
|
NYR
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 31 | 2 | 29 | .935 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 59:58 | 0 |
I have some bad news to report back to you about tonight’s NHL on TNT broadcast.
There was never one moment where any of their staff informed us if the Sabres were hard-working or not, nor did we ever find out who was young and good looking either.
Such pearls of wisdom are always dispensed by Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti – who thank god – I didn’t have to hear from tonight.
Right away, and Biz opened by declaring this game, featuring one team on a seven-game losing streak and the other losers in eight of their last ten, as “THE TOILET BOWL.”
This theme continued throughout the entire broadcast – and all that was missing was poorly made photoshops by yours truly depicting such action!
(I also wished that I watched this game with my young nieces – as like Uncle Sean – they would have loved all the toilet talk too!)
After confirming that he’d be following Alex Ovechkin around whenever “The Great Eight” comes within five-goals of breaking his all-time record; “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, said that he felt the whole Jacob Trouba ordeal was “baffling” – and especially since the Rangers were so high on him when they named him captain just two-years ago.
Gretzky also opined that CZAR IGOR’s recent contract situation was a “major distraction” too.
Biz, who as noted earlier, just interviewed Larry Brooks on Tuesday, said that he felt that Chris Drury has no one to blame but himself, while also believing that the Rangers’ GM had created hostile vibes throughout the locker room by releasing what’s now known today, and eternally too, “THE MEMO!”
Since we’ve talked about this topic a lot on this site, then I found it interesting when Anson Carter said that he was aware how families can create stress and turmoil on young players. Carter said he first took notice of this when he began his NHL career, which is why he waited later in life to start a family of his own.
To be clear – I AM NOT CRITICIZING ANYONE FOR GETTING MARRIED AND HAVING KIDS.
But I do think that for all of these recent fathers – it’s obviously a major life adjustment – and of course, and just like any other parent – a tough balance to find too.
And as noted before in this space, Derek Jeter, a man who you all know, also refused to get married and have kids when he was active with the Yankees – as he said, and many times over at that – that a family would negatively distract his playing career.
And once he had a wife and kids?
Then the less said about his time as an executive with the Florida Marlins, the better!
As far as anything else worth sharing with you from this pregame show, then I thought it spoke volumes when it was Vincent Trocheck – and not one of the team’s multiple alternate captains – that handled the usual pregame interview.
More times than not, and as in 99% of the time, then during these pregame chats, it’s usually comedic and light-hearted, as the player and Bissonnette go back-and-forth with each other, usually talking trash – and as both Biz & Brad Marchand did last week – and in what was one of the most entertaining bits of the season – if not the best.
There was no laughing or smiling from Trocheck during this interview – who perhaps may wind up as the next captain of the Rangers – although I’m sure that Zibanejad, who usually ducks the media after bad losses, was around after this win.
After a brief TNT recap in regards to how bad the Sabres were, we were then introduced to the TNT B-Team – Darren Pang, Brendan Burke and Jennifer Botterill – which was kind of telling, as usually, the Rangers’ get the A-list treatment.
But for those wondering, Edzo was in Seattle last night, while Kenny Albert called the Knicks’ home game while this game was going on.
And it’s not like the Rangers, nor the Sabres either, deserved the best TV tandem in the league today anyway.
GAME REVIEW time – and let’s make it quick (or at least for me) – as I’m pressed for time tonight.
(For the full play-by-play, then check out my Tweeter/X feed, over at https://x.com/NYCTheMiC)
FIRST PERIOD
As Motorhead’s “THE GAME” blared from the Buffalo speakers – and as we got a look at the crowd too – then it was apparent that tonight’s make-up consisted of 50% empty seats, 40% Ranger fans and 10% Sabre fans.
And when both teams were playing bad?
Then it was tough to figure out who was doing the booing!
Just 20-seconds into the game, and Zibanejad took a lazy penalty when he tripped Jordan Greenway.
And had Mika done his usual disappearing act for the rest of the game, or had the Sabres scored here – then you’d hear a lot more about this stupid infraction.
The Sabres’ power-play, ranked 30th-overall in the league, now tasked to beat the NHL’s second-best penalty killing team (I’d still rank the Rangers over the league’s best Predators – because unlike Nashville – New York scores short-handed goals), failed during this early gift of an opportunity.
Heck, they didn’t even register a SOG – and where it was also apparent at this time that Buffalo moves the puck like the New York Giants offense moves a football.
Following the kill, and the Blueshirts’ top-three lines all had chances to get on the board, but between UPL making saves (three quick ones), Buffalo blocking shots, and pucks that were sent nowhere near the net – and we remained scoreless.
You also know that the Sabres are horrible when Filip Chytil is winning d-zone draws against them too – and as he did for the first time at the 6:00 mark.
Speaking of Chytil, he almost pulled off some deja vu from over this weekend, as he blew by three Sabre defenders and then almost scored. While no goal scored during this time around, this play was encouraging regardless.
At the 6:40 mark, the Sabres registered their first SOG – and an easy save for CZAR IGOR too.
A few seconds later, the 6:53 mark officially, and Edstrom drew Clifton for interference – and YES – this penalty drawn was the result of the aggressive fourth line attacking all game.
Eight-seconds later, and following a failed Power clear, this is when Mika scored his second PPG of the season in his 28th game played:
Mika Zibanejad strikes on the powerplay 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zq25G4cFMQ
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) December 12, 2024
1-0, good guys.
And I’m not even going to waste my breath in countering “THE MIKA MAGIC IS BACK” mob – and a gathering of gullible goons who were also celebrating the fact that this was Zibanejad’s 300th career goal.
After all, he should’ve hit that milestone two-years ago.
Let’s see Mika do it again.
Then again and again.
And for a first – let’s see him do it against a good team.
After all, both of his PPGs this season have been scored against beyond brutal teams (Montreal and Buffalo).
But to be nice, and while this doesn’t mean much either considering the competition, then this was his best game of the season – which also doesn’t say much either.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Mika?
Of his four of five SOG, then 80% of them were one-timers – and where 100% of his one-timers taken ACTUALLY HIT THE NET.
For a game dubbed as “THE TOILET BOWL,” then this fact almost made me shit my pants!
The only “bad” thing about this goal scored?
This means that Mika will remain on PP1 – while Lafreniere and Cuylle will never get a chance with the top quintet.
To sum it up, Lavy will now feel justified in his poor decision making.
As noted above – then this was it for Ranger goals until crunch time – again – not something to write home about.
The Rangers had their chances for sure, but UPL grew stronger after denying all of them.
And if it wasn’t for the fact that the Sabres couldn’t hit the net to save their lives either, then I’m not so sure if the Rangers would have left Buffalo with smiles of relief on their faces.
As the game progressed, the Sabres did string together some extended o-zone time – but again – couldn’t hit the net during these chances.
Miller, like Chytil before him, tried to go 1 x 3 at the half-way mark of the period – and he almost scored here too – but UPL came up with the save.
In one of many instances of “the announcer’s jinx never failing;” then as TNT was going on-and-on about Trocheck being the third-best center in the league at the dots – #16 lost an o-zone draw.
But TNT was right – and Trocheck (18 of 31) finished 58.1% at the circles – and he also set-up the game-winning goal too following a d-zone draw.
During an in-between the benches segment where you thought that Darren Pang was going to go spend another two-hours in glee when relaying that Panarin once sipped from his Gatorade cup; Laviolette told the former goalie that he felt relief by getting the first goal – and boy – does that say a lot about the present state of the Rangers.
Carrick drew the second Blueshirts’ power-play of the game with 8:58 to go, as Ryan Johnson tripped him up while he was attacking.
During this power-play, a Mika one-timer actually hit the net (but didn’t go in), while the PP2 crew got a crack at with nearly a minute remaining.
It should be noted that it was clear-as-day that it was Laviolette’s intent to give his PP2 time as much as possible, as we pretty much saw an equal share of ice time distributed among the two five-man units.
But as noted earlier – only Mika’s PPG was the only score during the Rangers’ four tries.
As Pang told all the kids at home to bet on the Sabres’ live money line (how’d that work out?); a Mancini shot from the blue line, with 4:00 remaining, almost led to a goal, but Buffalo was able to clear both Trocheck and Panarin from the net as they were salivating for a rebound try.
Forty-seconds later, and on a wraparound attempt, and Greenway, a pain in the Rangers’ ass on this night, hit the post.
In a game that was boring at times, we remained at 1-0 through twenty-minutes.
Here’s what I said at the time:
1-0, good guys, after 20. 1P Thoughts:
— #NYR may have finally found a team worse than them.
— SOG, 12-7, Rangers too.
— Mika looks like a different player – but you have to consider the opponent here too.
— Sabres are a mess – and that empty crowd is very telling too.— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) December 12, 2024
SECOND PERIOD
This period was nothing but horseshoes – lots of close ones – but no ringers.
And unlike in horseshoes – you don’t get any points for coming close.
As Pang presented a riveting segment with buffalo wings in his mouth (at least he got quiet afterwards), then UPL made a tough save on a Mika-to-Schneider try 30-seconds in, while then fighting off a Lafreniere shot a minute or so later.
On Lafreniere – I think he’s going through it – but of course – so is the whole team.
I guess what I’m getting at here is that I don’t think that his huge and guaranteed money has changed him – he’s just slumping a bit – as many of his shots aren’t hitting the net as much – and as they were earlier this season.
But heck, even when he enters a cold-snap – then he never gets as cold as Mika.
Again, the Sabres couldn’t do anything right this period – as they looked like they were doing a “Three Stooges” routine when fumbling around with every puck imaginable.
Just four-minutes in and Power badly turned over a puck, and once recovered, Alex Tuch had CZAR IGOR beat dead-to-rights on a breakaway – but missed the net.
And right before the five-minute mark, and the name escapes me – and this Sabre tried a between-the-legs pass with nothing but white ice in front of him – another Buffalo turnover.
As I was still wondering about how in the hell did this Sabres team beat the Rangers 6-1 a month ago; then around the nine-minute mark, UPL made a pair of robbery saves – one on Trocheck, then another on a Mika-to-Kreider one-timer – and a play that was exactly the same as Mika’s turnover from Monday when behind the opposing net.
Fresh out of a TV timeout and Ruff did his interview with Pang, where he said the obvious, “we were awful in the first period and we need to hit the net. You score goals when you hit the net.”
Ruff apparently subscribes to the K.I.S.S. method!
As both teams continued to flounder on every chance given; Schneider started a scrum following a CZAR IGOR save, and where immediately afterwards, Kreider jumped into the mix. Both Miller and Mika did their usual hugging act – so old habits die hard.
Down to 5:49 remaining and this is when Lindgren drew Greenway for holding.
UPL continued to shine, as he stopped another Mika one-timer, and was then able to stop Lafreniere while screened.
End result?
A 1-3 Rangers’ power-play against one of the worst teams in hockey.
In what could’ve been a turning point moment; Greenway, who had previously crushed Miller (I didn’t think the hit was bad in real-time), then went to Igor’s net with 1:47 to go.
As Greenway released the puck, he then bowled over Lindgren too – and where #55 obviously wasn’t thrilled with this play either.
Fourteen-seconds later, and with these two still on the ice, and Lindgren held Greenway, thus giving the Sabres their second power-play of the game.
Mind you, at the time and despite how bad Buffalo was/is – and this was still a one-goal game.
Plus, you can’t expect the Rangers’ PK to be perfect every night either.
But they were tonight, as the Blueshirts ultimately killed off the first 1:33 of this power-play at the end of the period and then killed the final 27-seconds of it to begin the third period.
One-nil after 40.
Here’s what I said at the time:
1-0, good guys, after 40. Sabres start P2 on a 27-second PP. Thoughts:
— Mika’s best game as a Ranger this season – but of course – that doesn’t say much either.
— I knew Buffalo was bad, but I didn’t realize how bad they were.
— Still, it’s a one-goal game – so what does…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) December 12, 2024
THIRD PERIOD
Prior to the start of this period and this is when Biz went all-out with “THE TOILET BOWL” stuff – and even equated this game to a shit you’d take after eating bad Mexican food.
Since I’m 42-years-old – but have the maturity level of someone thirty-years younger – then I found all of this to be high-brow comedy – and to the highest degree of intellect too.
I must also confess that I howled like a mad-man when Biz said, “WE GOT SKIDMARKS!”
But sad to say – he wasn’t wrong either.
Following a CZAR IGOR swaggalicious BESSIE save to end the Sabres’ PK, then this is when TNT reported that K’Andre Miller was missing from the Rangers’ bench.
As said above – I didn’t think Greenway’s hit on Miller was that bad – and apparently no one else did either – as not only did TNT not have a clip of it – but neither did the 79867867867867896986786 people on social media who always have video of everything!
As the period progressed and this is when the Rangers, on Twitter, announced that Miller was done for the night due to one of those lovely and describable “upper-body” injuries.
And we won’t know the severity of this injury until the Blueshirts practice next either.
This period, as talked about in the intro above, was pretty much all Sabres – and CZAR IGOR too.
After their power-play had expired, and this is when JJ Peterka fired a shot off of Shesterkin’s mask, a shot so hard that it loosened his straps.
But unlike during other plays like this – the refs said “PLAY ON” – and I had no problem with this either, as I’ve always hated “THE HOLTBY” – and if a team is attacking after a save like this, then play should continue.
After what felt like a minute’s worth of an attack and CZAR IGOR got his freeze & mask readjustment.
2:07 in and this is when the fourth line drew their fourth power-play – and as Berard did when Johnson held him.
This was arguably the worst non-SHG allowed power-play of the Rangers’ season.
For the next two-minutes, the Sabres had glorious chance after glorious chance to tie the game – but CZAR IGOR was able to stop everything – while Buffalo continued their nasty trend of missing the net on 99.9% of their shot attempts.
And there was also a huge <CLANG> heard around the building too, as after Kreider blew a tire, Clifton went up ice, made a move on Mika – and then fired a shot so hard at the post that it even woke up Sam Rosen from his slumber at the senior home.
You would’ve thought that you were watching Team Canada on this Sabres’ PK – and against your local pee-wee team’s power-play too!
And after watching all of this?
My following real-time remarks:
Lavy should just play the fourth line every other shfit, 15:00 to go #NYR
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) December 12, 2024
Say it with me – another long shift in the Sabres’ zone from the #NYR fourth line, 14:15 to go
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) December 12, 2024
As this game continued to press on, what once was the Sabres paying homage to “The Washington Generals,” now turned into another Ranger goalie “trying to steal a win.”
And when CZAR IGOR was stopping everything, this is when Islander homer, Brendan Burke, said “Shesterkin, in five career games, has never given up more than two goals whenever playing in Buffalo.”
Had this game been contested under an unorthodox 65-minutes, rather than the standard 60 – then this streak may have been broken tonight too.
Come 10:24 remaining and Lafreniere got away with a blatant trip. In turn, Nicolas Aube-Kubel crushed Trocheck into the boards, where in a response, the odds-on favorite to become the next captain in franchise history dropped the gloves.
While Trocheck didn’t win this fight, it was nice to see him back up his words too.
That said, in a one-goal game entering its latter stages, then this Trocheck-for-Kubel talent trade-off favored the Sabres.
Buffalo was all over the Rangers for the next four-minutes – but it were the Blueshirts who wound up scoring – and as Smith did following this “fluke, but they all count the same” goal:
Reilly Smith makes it 2-0! pic.twitter.com/w1F40qs8UV
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 12, 2024
2-0, good guys.
Smith got the goal here – but don’t get it twisted – this never happens without Carrick – as he got the puck, fought off a few defenders, got the puck to Fox, Fox shot it and there was Smith for the accredited goal after a bounce off of Power’s skate.
CRUNCH TIME CARRICK strikes again!
But alas, the Sabres, and for as bad as they are, didn’t give up either.
With 4:51 to go and during another all-out attack, Power rung one off the iron and beyond Igor.
2-1.
Come 2:35 remaining and after CZAR IGOR fended off another Sabres’ attack, this is when Ruff called his timeout – and when he pulled his goalie too.
The Rangers iced the puck twice during the next thirty-seconds, but following the second icing call – Trocheck cleanly won a draw and Fox, from pretty much his own goal line, found empty twine in the other end.
3-1, good guys – but it wasn’t over yet.
As Burke did his best Sam Rosen announcer’s jinx impression, and as he did when he said, “The Rangers haven’t given up one 6 x 5 goal this season” – BOOM – just as the words escaped his lips – and Tage Thompson, and like Power before him, hit iron first, then found the goal line last.
3-2, good guys.
For a game that earned “THE TOILET BOWL” moniker – then you wanted to puke into the porcelain.
But the Rangers, and despite another last desperate Sabres’ attack, held on.
3-2, good guys, your final – and a win that didn’t change anything besides the team’s placement in the standings.
As I write these words some four-hours removed from the final result – and the Rangers haven’t uploaded any of the post-game press conferences to their YouTube page.
But I’m sure that Mika was the first player to greet the media – and like he always does during the rare times when he scores.
Up Next For The Rangers: Two days off, Thursday and Friday, before another back-to-back set – Saturday at 1PM against the Kings at M$G, then back on the road in St. Louis on Sunday.
I am left to suspect that Quick will get the start against the Kings – duh.
It should also be interesting to see if the Rangers get their revenge on the Blues after St. Louis embarrassed them on home ice two-weeks ago.
Then again, the Rangers didn’t exactly extract their pound of flesh from the Sabres tonight either.
Up Next For Me: BED – and perhaps one more trip to THE TOILET BOWL too – as I have to piss out this whiskey and beer again!
Up Next For You: Do some holiday shopping, which means…
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
