Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. It’s all Jacob Trouba’s fault, am I right?
UGH!
If there was one point, and following one of the busiest days in franchise history, that I tried to stress the most on Friday night (https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/12624-2/ ), then it was this – these 2024-25 New York Rangers are nothing more than a bunch of paper tigers.
But after today?
They are just chasing their tails.
No less than 48-hours after picking up their second win during their last eight-games played, and their first victory attained in the “POST TROUBA ERA” too – and come Sunday afternoon – the Rangers were no better than they were when they still had a captain around to take all the blame.
Paper Tiger?
Such a phrase implies that while being exposed against every top team in the league (these here Rangers are 0-7 in “litmus test” games this season), then against the bottom-of-the-barrel franchises, the Blueshirts always handle business.
And as it were in their recent losses to the Blues and Flyers – and once again – the Rangers were on the wrong end of the scoreboard during Sunday’s 7-5 fiasco against the “krappy” Kraken.
Just to show you how fast that everything can change in this league and/or for a team, then back on Sunday, November 17th, which isn’t even a month ago, then these Rangers, at the time playing guest in Frasier Crane’s home city, shut out these very same Kraken, 2-0. (Complete report here: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/111724/ )
Fast-forward to December 8th, and these two teams, still the same minus one captain, and a pair of squads who actually started the same two goalies from the previous match played, had a very different outing.
Perhaps most concerning for the Rangers in this 7-5 Seattle smashing is the fact that they had every advantage in the world going into this contest.
Not only do the Blueshirts, on paper (and we know how that goes), possess the better roster; but they were also starting the extremely reliable Jonathan Quick in net, while the Kraken featured the worst goalie in the league today, the 1-8 (now 2-8 after this mess), Phillip Grubauer.
Funny enough and both teams were forced to start their back-up goalies today, as CZAR IGOR was away from the team in order to witness the birth of his second child (more below), while Kraken starter, Joey Daccord, was unavailable due to illness.
But it’s not like any of this mattered for the soft-as-shit Rangers on the scoreboard.
Another advantage that the Blueshirts had when entering this game, was the fact that even while they’ve been on the east coast for the past week during their jaunts to Carolina, Long Island and New Jersey, was that body-clock wise, this 1PM EST start was basically a non-orthodox 10AM puck drop for this Pacific Division club, NHL franchise #32.
In other words, despite a major home-ice advantage, a huge discrepancy in talent among the two goalies featured and a Ranger team that lied to you when they told you that things had changed for the better on Friday – none of it mattered one iota on Sunday – as the Blueshirts fell – and they fell big-time – in this 7-5 disaster.
I thought this loss to Seattle was another clear-as-day reminder that this team is flawed, heavily flawed at that – and as said following the Trouba trade – the biggest flaw wasn’t addressed after successfully threatening – then shipping – the captain to Anaheim.
In other words, as long as Mika Zibanejad still remains – then there’s no shot in hell that this franchise will ever win their fifth Stanley Cup.
Missing Mika’s post-game remarks, featured at the end of this tome, cemented such concrete facts.
And just to jump ahead a bit, then what does it say when two players who don’t wear a letter on the front of their jerseys, the veteran and maybe soon-to-be future captain of the Rangers, Vincent Trocheck, and the sophomore stud, Will Cuylle, have more bass and anger in their voices than the people who are actually supposed to be the leaders on this team, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox and Zibanejad?
But don’t worry – and as explained in-depth on this site before (check the archives if you don’t get this reference) – then none of this will ruin Chris Drury’s Christmas.
Granted, things on Sunday weren’t all bad – but when you have been watching this team long enough – then you knew that it was only a matter of time before things would take a turn for the worst.
During a first period which M$GN’s Sam Rosen described as “GOOD PACE JOE” no less than five-times in five-minutes, and it was evident that the Rangers had some jump to them.
But of course, perhaps the ultra unorthodox puck drop start had negatively impacted the Kraken too.
In what you thought would be a sign of good things to come, then at just the 3:38 mark, Reilly Smith, coming off his best game as a Ranger just this past Friday night, scored a “clean-up” goal.
1-0, good guys, just like that.
However, while this was a nice goal for Smith, in reality, this score was just the proof in the pudding that Grubauer has been going through it, hence his 1-8 record, 3.56 GAA and .870 save percentage when entering this game.
And wouldn’t you know it, all of these numbers, except for the most important one, LOSSES, took another hit for the Krakhead in a game where the Rangers scored five, but where Grubauer’s Gang scored a touchdown – and then for good measure – kicked an extra point into the empty net too.
This first of five allowed for Grubauer was basically all on him. After all, Smith’s end result was the product of Mika missing wide as usual, Miller getting to the point and sending the puck deep, and then Smith finding himself with nothing but a vacated net to tap the puck into.
Now with the early one-goal lead, and the Blueshirts continued upon their initial dominance.
In a period where the Rangers out-shot the Kraken at a 2:1 clip (officially, 12-6), they very easily could’ve had three or four times as many shots as their visitors.
And heck, they could’ve scored a power-play goal too, but following a slashing penalty assessed to Matty Beniers at the 6:18 mark, it was a stupid Filip Chytil goalie interference penalty at the 8:08 mark that officially made the anemic Rangers’ power-play 0-1.
Somehow, and in someway, and if not miraculous too, but despite all of the horror from this season – and the Blueshirts’ penalty kill, ranked second-best in the league, is the only thing to have remained strong and consistent throughout this season.
The Rangers, who should have pumped in more goals than the lone score that they recorded in this period, felt pretty good about themselves as both teams took to the locker room come the first intermission.
However, and in perhaps a harbinger of what was to come (and as I’ll describe below – all of Sam Rosen’s never-ending reverse curses too), but it was Seattle that finished this first frame a tad stronger than the Blueshirts.
In what may arguably be the worst twenty-minutes of Rangers’ hockey this season (and what does it say that there are about 38838348348 different candidates for this distinction?), and just fourteen-seconds into the second stanza, and Ryan Lindgren was boxed for elbowing Beniers.
Come the 1:46 mark, and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had a lot of success against the Blueshirts when he was in Columbus, scored the Krakhead power-play goal.
1-1.
To their credit, although this will be forgotten – and as it should be; but akin to the game against Pittsburgh, and this goal allowed (temporarily) awakened the Blueshirts’ beast.
Just a minute later, and Chytil put forth one of the best individual scoring plays of the season, and as he did here at the 2:50 mark.
Sadly, this play will somewhat be forgotten too, or at least buried down deep, due to the final result.
Now up 2-1, Panarin drew Brandon Montour for cross-checking at the 4:31 mark. Ironically, just sixteen-seconds later, and it was #16 himself, Panarin’s center, Trocheck, who scored the 3-1, good guys, power-play goal.
At the time, you were a little excited, but also reminded that the Rangers SHOULD HAVE been winning this game – and big-time at that.
After all, they had every advantage in the world – and where heck – I didn’t even mention yet that the Kraken never truly had the option of pulling Grubauer either – as with Daccord sick, the opponent was forced to dress an emergency back-up goalie (EBUG).
And I won’t lie.
Similar to another perennial playoff pretender, a Rangers’ Original Six rival to boot, then it would’ve been so on brand for Michael Matyas, the EBUG on this day, to enter the Kraken net – and then beat the Rangers – and as David Ayers (Carolina) once did to the Leafs.
As we approached the half-way point of the game/second period, then not only were the Rangers leading 3-1, but they had limited the Krakheads to only an eight-ball of shots on goal.
Up next you may ask?
Another Rangers’ implosion.
During the final nine-minutes of this period, and the Kraken not only more than doubled-up their SOG total to seventeen – but they also scored a trio of goals in the final 5:54 remaining.
Brandon Tanev made it 3-2 at the 14:06 mark. Eeli Tolvanen then tied the game no less than ninety-seconds later.
And as you were just hoping to get out of this period still even, then Oliver Bjorkstrand ruined such plans with only 36-seconds remaining.
What once was 3-1, good guys, was now 4-3, bad guys – and just like that.
As Laviolette would later say after the game (full remarks included below), the Rangers were in the position to prevent all of these opposing goals – but his players just didn’t do their jobs.
However, the bench boss would never mention Lindgren, Miller or Mika by name.
After all, the word “accountability” is not in the head coach’s vocabulary.
The Rangers, who you thought would come out as pissed-off when entering the final frame trailing by one, did no such thing.
Rather than displaying anything that resembled a killer instinct; instead, it only took the Kraken one-minute, right on the dot, to push their lead to 5-3, following a goal scored by Vince Dunn.
I’m not making this up:
Morgue $quare Garden got so quiet from this point on, and for the next twelve-minutes or so, that you could actually hear fans making their post-game dinner plans.
And after a game like this, perhaps fentanyl was on the menu too – as only lethal drugs would allow you to escape this terror.
I’ll get more into this during the GAME REVIEW, but of the many Kraken that Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti were verbally blowing all game, and it was Shane Wright who got the biggest of blowjobs from these two blowjobs themselves.
I’m not making this up either:
Despite the Rangers trailing by two goals – and these two bozos were still singing the good name of Shane Wright – and they may as well have thrown their panties at him when he scored the 6-3, bad guys, goal – the game-winner no less – and as the fourth-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft did at the 11:13 mark.
Do you want to make life-changing money?
Then here’s my advice:
Live bet on any Rangers’ opponent who Sam and Joe are fawning over. It’s virtually a lock that the player will score – and as Dunn, Wright, Tanev and Bjorkstrand all did on Sunday.
With the scoreboard now reading Seattle Touchdown, Rangers Field Goal – and come a little under 9:00 remaining – and many fans started to hit the exits.
These were the most astute Ranger fans in the building – as they knew there was no coming back from this.
Bonus for these early-departing Blueshirt backers?
They didn’t have their hopes defecated on either – as the Rangers would soon shit on the dreams of every remaining fan left in the overpriced hunk-of-junk venue.
With 7:33 remaining, and as I was expecting Missing Mika to score his routine “A-Rod Goal” here; instead it was the other failure of the Minus Men, Miller himself, who did.
6-4.
At the time, not many were impressed – that is – perhaps for the Rangers themselves.
In a game where the Rangers out-shot the Kraken to a tune of 37-22, ten of these Blueshirts’ SOG came during the final minutes.
As you were wondering if the GAG LINE 2.0 would ever get on the board with an even-strength goal against the weakest goalie in the league – they soon did just that – as Lafreniere, with his linemates assisting, made it 6-5, bad guys – and with an ample amount of time left, 5:03 officially, to tie the game.
For the next five-minutes of real-time, 3:17 of game clock – and I’m not exaggerating – the Garden was rocking – and where keep in mind – thousands of fans had already left.
M$G got so loud after Lafreniere’s goal, so loud where if you didn’t know any better – then you would have thought that you were watching a playoff game.
But like every Rangers’ playoff series since 1995 – come the end of this game – and the crowd went home, and like Rosen’s balls after praising Kraken, severely deflated.
The Blueshirts did have their chances to complete the comeback, but when you have a useless piece of shit who can’t hit a wide-open net from a foot away, and as Zibanejad, after recently doing this in Philly back on Black Friday, did again here; then do you really have a shot?
For a franchise where their players speak like they are the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees, but in reality, play like the New York Jets – then like Mr. Rodgers’ horrible pigskin team – the Rangers found a new way to lose on Sunday.
Yanni Gourde, with 1:46 remaining, sealed the deal with his 7-5, bad guys, empty net goal.
Ironically, but also sadly – and the Rangers played more defense when trying to defend this shot than how they did during the previous six Kraken scores.
Equally as pathetic as the Rangers on this date?
The M$GN broadcast – and where for as bad as they usually are, Sieve “Instagram Hockey” Vagistat, Senile Sam and Jumpin’ Joe were at historically horrific levels.
But just like how Laviolette shelves Lafreniere from his first power-play unit – and M$GN does the same with Dave Maloney – who for whatever reason – is cast to the shadows – and in favor of the worst back-up goalie in franchise history.
At this time, let’s get the disclaimer segment out of the way before pressing any further.
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-six down, fifty-six 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?
In case you missed it, then here’s where I last left off – one of the busiest days in Blueshirts’ history:
NYR/PIT 12/6 Review: Chris Drury Whacks Rangers’ Captain Jacob Trouba In Favor of The Mancini & “Cappa Di Space” Families; CZAR IGOR Reaps The Benefits With Richest Goalie Contract in NHL History, Recapping The Busiest Blueshirts’ Day Since May ’21; Big Apple Takes a Four-Point Bite Out of The Steel City Too, GAG LINE 2.0 Heat Up; Trocheck For Captain, Quarter-Pole Report Card, Mika Refuses To Waive NMC; More Trades Incoming & Much More
Following Friday’s mania, and with a back-to-back scheduled on Sunday & Monday, then I was surprised to hear that the Rangers actually practiced on Saturday afternoon.
Not that such a practice did them any good.
Attending the practice was the former Duck, Urho Vaakanainen – and a new Ranger who begins this fresh Big Apple chapter whilst on the injured-reserve.
Gone from the roster in a corresponding move was Matthew Robertson – who for whatever reason – re-signed with this team over the summer despite never receiving a chance.
In a LAVY’S LOUNGE mainly featuring Trouba related questions (we’ll miss him, but we needed to change, and blah-blah-blah), then here’s what the head coach said prior to today’s game:
By now, you know the deal:
Drury never talks to the paying fan-base, as rather than that, and during the rare times when he does publicly speak, then he only talks to the worst crop of reporters in New York sports’ history – and not face-to-face either – as instead, all of these “press conferences” are of the Zoom variety.
And of course, despite having multiple cable networks, a myriad of social media networks, a website, the Pony Express, you name it – and the Rangers will NEVER share these Drury chats with us.
They know that they don’t need to – as M$G is always sold-out – so there’s no incentive in illuminating the fans – as the club would rather leave all of their suckers in the dark.
Based on what these terrible ten-finger mooks transcribed, then it was more of the same from Drury – a whole lot of lying – and especially when he said that he didn’t hear what Trouba had to say about his trade during both a public press conference, and later an interview that aired on ESPN during the Rangers/Penguins game.
Please.
Drury actually believes that we’ll buy this crock of shit?
He pulled another scumbag move (but it is business) on another one of his team leaders, this time on the captain – and Drury wasn’t aware that Trouba expressed his disdain over it – and even going as far to say that the general manager “threatened” him?
And if Drury wasn’t lying about this (and I think he was), then what does it say that he’s so out of the loop that he doesn’t even know what’s going on in his line of work?
When speaking about his multiple Blueshirt backstabbings, Drury said, “It’s my job to try and do everything we can to help our team. There are things at our disposal in the CBA. I’m not trying to mess with players. I’m just trying to do the best I can to move the team forward.”
In another telling quote, Drury, who ever since 2008, won’t let this team “ruin his Christmas,” suggested that he was going to take a break all the way through the holiday season when he said the following:
“We’re certainly not opposed to making more changes, but, big picture, with that said, the team’s been through a lot the last couple weeks, and certainly this week. I’d like to let the dust settle a little bit.”
There’s a whole lot of dust already settling on Zibanejad and Miller these days.
Heck, you’d need a power-washer to remove such dust!
When it comes to re-signing CZAR IGOR to his deal that will probably end with the goalie elsewhere, ZOOM ZOOM, when also denying that Trouba’s removal had anything to do with it, Dury said:
“They just kind of happened to come together at the same time, in the same week. There was no effort to have it done together, or have us move on from Jacob, and then now we could sign Shesterkin. Clearly, with the contract we just signed him to, it speaks volumes of what I think of him, as a goalie, as a player, as a person. We’re lucky to have him. We had no interest in seeing where the market went come July 1st.”
My response?
Will Drury even be here on 7/1/2025?
At 10AM Sunday, game day, and the Rangers announced that Connor Mackey had been recalled.
Obviously, this call-up wasn’t exactly a vote in confidence for Robertson.
This recall also told us that Vaakanainen was still unable.
However, the bigger recall on Sunday was when the Rangers announced that Dylan Garand had been promoted from Hartford.
Such news meant that something had happened to either CZAR IGOR or Jonathan Quick.
While that was the case, it was good news as opposed to bad news, as it was quickly reported that CZAR IGOR’s wife was in labor with the couple’s second child.
I had to laugh at this.
After all, the Blueshirts’ beat had no clue about this story at all!
And that’s why I refer to them as a bunch of “birdbrains” too.
And let’s face it – all the likes of Wince & Mollie are qualified to do is post pictures of the meals they devour – as they are not hockey reporters at all.
As Sieve Vagistat would say, then the Blueshirts’ beat are nothing more than a bunch of “Instagram influencers” – and in no way, shape or form to be confused with any sort of real journalist and/or reporter.
I mean none of these people have realized that Mrs. Shesterkin has looked larger in the belly than usual during the past month?
What, did they just think that she was pigging-out on Borscht?
Furthermore, are none of these dolts close enough to a man who they see every day, where if such a relationship existed, then CZAR IGOR would casually mention to them that he was excited about becoming a two-time dad?
Most importantly, and knowing what happened to CZAR IGOR’s drop in play following the birth of his first child – then don’t you think that this news may be a reason, if not the sole explanation, of why #31 is coming off the worst stretch of his career, his first five-game losing streak, and where such a streak was only snapped this past Friday?
Hugh Delano, Walt McPeek, this Blueshirts’ beat are not.
Here was Laviolette’s line-up for the twenty-sixth 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/Vesey
FIRST PAIR: Lindgren/Fox
SECOND PAIR: Miller/Schneider
THIRD PAIR: Jones/Mancini
STARTING GOALIE: Jonathan Quick
BACK UP GOALIE: Dylan Garand
DAY-TO-DAY: Brett Berard
IR: Uhro Vaakanainen
WIFE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE: CZAR IGOR
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Jonny Brodzinski and Connor Mackey
BOX SCORE time.
The following graphics and information come from ESPN.com:
SCORING:
PENALTIES:
TEAM STATS:
GOALIES:
|
NYR
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 21 | 6 | 15 | .714 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 57:57 | 0 |
|
SEA
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 37 | 5 | 32 | .865 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 0 |
At 12:30PM, it was revealed that Sieve Vagistat had left the hole he was hiding in, as following his dumbass remarks from Monday against the Devils – he went social media silent.
Since this was a solo Vagistat performance, I soon returned my remote to NFL on FOX and then awaited until 1PM to flip back.
Seriously, this M$GN broadcast is the worst in hockey – and only the Rangers would have an ex-Islander goalie, a man of 46 career games, as their lead analyst.
But I’ve talked about this topic before – and about 9767986967689698 zillion times at that.
Once Sam & Joe appeared on our screens, and as I was expecting Rosen to say, “OH JOE, IT’S THE FOURTH OF JULY SEASON JOE AND CHRIS DRURY HAS TRADED AWAY RANGERS’ CAPTAIN ART COULTER IN A FIREWORKS MOVE JOE,” and such a thing wasn’t said.
Instead, these two jackals put on their lip balm and got straight to work on the Kraken cocks of Shane Wright and Vince Dunn – and where wouldn’t you know it – both would later score goals – and for good measure – Wright’s score was the game-winner.
And as I was wondering who was the moron who scheduled the Giants, Jets and Rangers to play all at the same time, Gangrene had given up a touchdown before the Blueshirts’ 1:08PM puck drop.
Come the end of the afternoon?
It was a trifecta of terrible losses for all three locals – aka – the same old shit.
GAME REVIEW time – and where I’ll try to make this as brief as possible as I just don’t have the desire in me to relive all of this horror.
FIRST PERIOD
As noted in the intro segment, then the Rangers did do a well enough job of challenging the worst goalie in the league during the early stages – but at the same time – their efforts only produced one goal.
After a stop on Fox twenty-seconds in, Grubauer, who watched the GAG LINE 2.0 go wide more times than not, got a break at the 1:15 mark, when a Lafreniere-to-Panarin try hit the boards.
As Rosen was feverishly shrieking, “GOOD PACE JOE” at only the three-minute mark, then I accurately predicted on Twitter that M$GN, and unlike ESPN, WOULDN’T be interviewing Trouba at intermission.
After that, Mika flubbed, Miller got the puck and Smith scored the game’s first goal:
Smith with Goals in back to back game. #NYR lead 1-0 pic.twitter.com/3TNowUZZAm
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) December 8, 2024
1-0, good guys.
I’ll give credit to Miller and Smith here, as both stayed with the play after another errant and erratic miss from the alleged “elite” $8.5M center.
Following the goal allowed by Grubauer, we were then reminded by Sam & Joe that Daccord was sick – and for the fifteenth time.
I don’t know if Daccord had diarrhea or not, but I sure know that’s how the Rangers would play for the majority of this game.
At the 6:18 mark of the game, this is when the Rangers’ received their first power-play – but when Zibanejad is still your featured player on your first unit – then you know how that goes.
0-1 on the PP – and one that was shortened by Chytil’s dumb penalty for skating into the worst goalie in the league.
I should also make mention that Grubauer went down for twenty-seconds or so – but since Seattle had an EBUG on their bench, then the NHL concussion spotters didn’t bother to do their jobs.
Following the Rangers’ successful penalty kill, Sam and Joe then went right back to telling us how great the Kraken were – and keep this in mind for later.
After that, and I’m not making this up, Sam & Joe then gave us their “State of the Chicago Blackhawks” report – while on the ice – the GAG LINE 2.0 were attacking with 7:20 remaining.
Seriously, do these two ever spend more than ten-seconds calling what’s going on in front of them?
Here you have Lafreniere coming close to scoring and all I heard about was Taylor Hall and Connor Bedard.
If Sam & Joe feel the need to talk about the rest of the league while the Rangers are attacking, then start a podcast like everyone else. Heck, write a blog!
Down to 3:26 remaining and Trocheck almost doubled the lead, but a puck that hit Jamie Oleksiak’s skate took a Seattle bounce.
A minute later and Quick made his best save of the game, and as he did on Gourde – and a Gourde who would wind up scoring the contest’s final goal too.
As we got under two-minutes remaining and Rosen, and in a shocker, actually talked about a Ranger.
But for the Hall of Fame announcer, all of his remaining credibility was removed when he told us about how excellent Zibanejad has been this season – and where I couldn’t believe Rosen was saying all of this junk with a straight face.
The only way Rosen could save face after these remarks was if it was his intention to sell Mika to the rest of the league.
And of course, then after such fake news commentary, Rosen, and in nanoseconds, then went right back to talking about the Kraken – and where I’m not making this up – he started doing birthday shout-outs for every member of the Seattle roster – and while yes, you know it – the Rangers were attacking at the time.
Grubauer racked up a dozen saves this period, with his last stop taking place during the final second, on a Lindgren, hammer-of-a-shot, one-timer.
We remained at 1-0, good guys, after twenty-minutes – but where as my commentary from the time even said – the score should have been lop-sided, and in favor of the Rangers, too:
1-0, good guys, after 20. 1P Thoughts:
— This game is making me Sleepy in Seattle. Hockey should always be played at night – and not against the two local NFL teams too.
— Rangers are far superior, but only have one goal against the worst goalie in the league. Lots of blown…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) December 8, 2024
SECOND PERIOD
After a video package that featured Sam Rosen receiving the Lester Patrick award earlier this week, and an award that elicited responses of “Who’s Lester Patrick?” from the birdbrain Blueshirts’ beat; Micheletti then told us that “U.S.A. Hockey is fabulous.”
In a response, Rosen let an “OOOOOOOHHHHH” so Italian and goombah sounding, that I thought it was Paulie Walnuts from “The Sopranos.”
Come the end of this period?
The Rangers were whacked themselves.
Following Lindgren’s early penalty, the Kraken then went on their power-play, and when trying to block a shot, Zibanejad broke his stick.
The Kraken now five against four, and Mika’s broken twig too, then went down-low, 2 vs 1 on Fox, where at the end of it, Chandler Stephenson found Oliver Bjorkstrand for the 1-1 equalizer.
There wasn’t anything that Quick could do on this play.
It was also noticeable at the time that Laviolette was furious and up-in-arms – but I think it was more about the penalty assessed to Lindgren than whatever his second-best PK in the league were doing.
Up next?
Arguably the best individual goal of the season – and even if Chytil’s linemates also assisted on this PURE THIRD LINE GOAL:
Let’s watch that Chytil magic from the start. #NYR pic.twitter.com/b83TwiiPxC
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) December 8, 2024
2-1, good guys.
Chytil beat three guys in his own end when clearing a puck, found Cuylle, Cuylle dished to Kakko and the Finn then found the Czech for this beaut.
But alas, this is a Rangers’ team that’s known for getting hopes up and then letting all of them down, which is my way of saying that it’s only a matter of time before #72 is injured again.
And right after that?
The Montour penalty that set up a Rangers’ PPG:
It’s a power play goal!
Vincent Trocheck puts the Rangers up 3-1 👏 pic.twitter.com/0CIp3ZqOJb
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 8, 2024
3-1, good guys, and with 15:13 remaining, following Trocheck’s clean-up score.
This was also the peak for the Blueshirts – and a wake-up call for the Krakheads too – who previous to today, had never won a game at M$G.
Leave it to “Lavy’s Lot” to reverse that course.
As we hit 12:51 remaining, and to Rosen’s credit, he did say at the time, “remember that save,” as Grubauer had stopped Smith while on a breakaway.
And yep – had the Rangers scored here – then at 4-1 – I don’t know if Seattle mounts their comeback.
But “shoulda, woulda, coulda” talk is from the realm of losers – and also three words that sums up this Rangers’ season thus far.
Come 11:23 remaining, and with the Kraken still sitting on only eight shots on goal, and Trocheck accidentally caught Montour up high with a follow-through – so no penalty – but with a Kraken defender ailing on the ice – and neither Panarin, nor Mancini either, could take advantage.
Grubauer, again, the worst goalie in the league today, stopped both of them.
Poignant commentary from yours truly at the time – and while everyone was celebrating what they thought would be a smooth-sailin’ Rangers’ win?
This tweet:
Let’s see #NYR beat a top team – 0-7 in litmus test games this season. A game like this strengthens the Paper Tiger argument. https://t.co/0NnH7lBgMR
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) December 8, 2024
With Seattle still sleepy and idle; Rosen then went right back to singing the good name of Shane Wright.
Why he thought that any Ranger fan would want to hear this is beyond me – and furthermore, knowing his own history with jinxes – then why Rosen would say it is even more ludicrous.
You don’t have to wait until April to retire Sam.
And take Joe with you.
Micheletti, and where Rosen’s senility must be contagious, then confused Lafreniere for Trocheck – and you know it’s bad when it’s Sam correcting Joe too.
Following a big Grubauer save on Vesey with 7:35 remaining – and NO – I’m not making this up either, and Rosen, and for only god knows why, started talking about his love of the Hughes’ brothers again.
WHAT THE HELL SAM?
Again, why Rosen felt the need to play with his schmekel when talking about the Hughes’ brothers is only a question that he can answer.
And a few seconds after that?
Down to 5:54 to go, and the Rangers, defenseless against the Kraken speed, namely Mika and Lindgren, were beat down low, as Tanev scored the 3-2, bad guys, goal.
It also kind of feels like if you’re willing to take some shots and get roughed up behind the Rangers’ net, then you will ultimately prevail too.
A minute-and-change later and we saw a similar goal scored, as this time, and with 4:26 remaining, Tolvanen knotted things at three-all.
It’s tough to blame Quick for these three goals allowed – but yeah – this was his worst game as a Ranger – and he didn’t really make any of those “extra saves” that we’ve grown so accustomed to either.
However, I don’t have one negative word to say about him either – as he’s more than out-performed during his two contracts with the Rangers.
Plus, this is all about how bad the skaters are – and not the goalies – as usually, as in 99.9% of the time, it’s the backstops who keep the Rangers in all of these games.
Lavy, who wasn’t asked about this in his post-game interview, then started to feature his fourth-line more – as this was the only trio that gave it their all on each shift played.
In a response, Micheletti informed us that “Brandon Tanev works hard Sam.”
As noted earlier, Sam and Joe had the pom-poms out for Wright all game.
In the waning seconds of the period, the Kraken had an o-zone faceoff – and a draw that Wright won.
This then set up a deflection goal for Bjorkstrand, his second of the game, for the 4-3, bad guys score.
To close the period, Cuylle, one of the few that doesn’t get any disdain from me, and hell, if he wasn’t so young, then maybe he should become the next captain too; #50 then tried to pick a fight with Montour – but the refs got there before the gloves could be dropped.
The only punching at this time was from yours truly – as I was punching the stuffing out of my pillow over this game.
We remained at 4-3, bad guys, at the horn.
Here’s what I said at the time:
4-3, bad guys, after 40. 2P Thoughts:
— At least Cuylle cares about this Paper Tiger team.
— #NYR were absolutely dominating this game and somehow they are on the wrong side of it.
— Krakheads had an eight-ball of shots at the half-way mark of the game – got a blast and…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) December 8, 2024
THIRD PERIOD
Just to explain to you how quiet M$G was until the failed comeback began; then very early into the period, and Seattle just held the puck behind their own net when completing a line change.
More times than not, as in 100% of the time, then whenever a road team does this, then the home crowd vociferously expresses their disdain with a vigorous amount of booing.
Also noticeable from the dead-as-a-doornail crowd, but masses who didn’t have much to work with either?
Not one “POTVIN SUCKS” chant/whistle – and while I don’t like this chant/whistle anyway – can you remember the last time when you DIDN’T hear it ring out at M$G?
Oh yeah – last game against Pittsburgh.
As Rosen was going on-and-on about how great Vince Dunn was, then like clockwork, the 2019 Stanley Cup champ scored the 5-3, bad guys, goal at just the one-minute mark.
Again, and I know it sounds like that I’m making every excuse in the world for JQ32 – but I found it hard to hang him for this goal allowed too.
After all, and just as he’s been doing all season, and once again, there was Miller getting the hell out of the way and not blocking a shot for his goalie.
This is also the second time in as many games where Miller has done this – and where I’m also led to believe that this is who Laviolette was speaking about, when not naming names either, when he said that his team was in the position to win, but didn’t make the plays when required.
Both Miller and Mika need to go, PRONTO.
Up next was more nonsense from Sam and Joe.
Micheletti once again informed us that “Seattle works hard Sam,” where right after, and I’m not making this up either, then both Sam & Joe told us how much the Kraken suck without using the word “suck” verbatim.
You can’t make this up – as previously, as in just 40-minutes earlier, these two were raving about Seattle.
As I was wondering how bad this Rangers’ free-fall would get, especially since they shut out this very same team on the road just over three-weeks ago; the GAG LINE 2.0 were stopped by Grubauer with 16:00 remaining.
Down to 13:30 remaining, and with the Kraken maintaining their two-goal lead, Tanev came up limping after blocking a Panarin shot, to which Miller replied, “see, that’s why I don’t block shots, ya silly animal!”
And have I mentioned that Miller is a pending UFA – and one also seeking a raise this summer too?
As you could hear fans discussing whether they wanted Italian or Chinese for dinner; Grubauer made his first true tough save of the period, and as he did when he stopped Kakko with 11:35 to go.
During this stoppage and M$G played Limp Bizkit songs – which was timely – as I wanted to “Break Stuff” too.
With 10:40 remaining, and this moron, Mika Zibanejad, had all day to shoot at an open net – and when he did – he went wide. This was exactly like his same play against Philly – but unlike that shot against the Flyers – he just went wide and didn’t hit iron.
Now, and with 9:00 remaining and again, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP (I think that I’ve used this phrase twenty times now), and Sam Rosen was woefully lamenting that Jared McCann hadn’t scored for the Kraken.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU SAM?
WHAT RANGER FAN WANTED TO HEAR THIS SHIT?
Instead of waxing poetic about McCann’s past, perhaps Rosen should have been pondering, if not all-out fuming too, about the Rangers having NO ACCOUNTABILITY, having surrendered five straight goals, and on their way to their seventh loss in their last nine games played!
Down to 7:31 left to be played and this is when Miller scored what I thought would hold up as an A-Rod, 6-4, bad guys, goal.
Instead, it was the start of a get-your-hopes-up, only to crush them, lame comeback.
The GAG LINE 2.0 scored a PURE LINE GOAL, and as Lafreniere did with 5:02 remaining.
This is when the remaining patrons left in the Garden came alive – and as noted earlier – you would’ve thought this was a Game 7 playoff match by how loud it got.
Then again, perhaps we’re not used to hearing M$G getting loud these days – so that’s why this uptick in crowd volume was so noticeable.
Until Gourde scored his empty-netter with 1:46 to go, the 7-5, bad guys, final score too; then prior to that and the Rangers had an all-out chaotic and frantic attack – and where at the end of it – I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that Grubauer had shat his pants afterwards.
But this attack, a failed one, was also a reminder that these games are sixty-minute tilts – not five-minutes of hockey – and where an old adage also reappeared too:
“Too little, too late.”
There have been worse losses sustained this season (Buffalo and St. Louis stand out), but this was just as brutally horrific to endure – especially since the Rangers blew a two-goal lead in this game – while also giving up five straight.
Here’s a heated, and unusually short-and-curt, Laviolette after this dreck:
Laviolette knew that his players failed him – but he wouldn’t name names.
If there was any interview that drove me up a wall, up a wall so high that I could drive my car across the ocean with Mika in the trunk to Sweden right now, then it was what #93 said:
I just wish that Mika cared about this team in the same way that I do.
And is he on the heroin and meth when he said, “we played well and can take a lot out of this.”
You played like shit!
And WAIVE THAT NMC too!
Seriously, is there a reason why Drury won’t give Mika the Goodrow/Trouba treatment?
Again, to get Mika to waive his NMC, then Drury must tell him that he has played his last game as Ranger, and until he waives his NMC, then it’s nothing but regular viewing parties from the press box.
And based on all of the farting Wince does after all of his eating, coupled-in with Mollie’s Kamala Harris like cackling too – then give Mika one game in the press box – and then he’d accept a trade to Tahiti if that’s what it took to get him out of there!
Up Next For the Rangers: 7PM Monday night, an Original Six match-up with Chicago.
I’d expect some line-up changes – as something has to give.
Up Next For Me: Monday night’s blog may be delayed a bit – as I’m working a long-shift at work and may not be able to watch the game until it’s over.
Up Next For You: 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!
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
