Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. Throw a parade – the Rangers finally won a game!
The Blueshirts, following four consecutive losses during this present eleven-game stretch where they will see nothing but playoff-bound and postseason seeking squads, were able to eke by a beat-up Wild team on Thursday night via a 3-2 overtime final.
In my eyes, and I also saw many others of my “Blueshirts’ Brethren” commenting in a similar fashion – then not only was this victory “boring” – but it was more of the “same old shit” too.
For example, in another non-mathematically applicable “must win game,” then you got nothing out of “THE FAT CATS,” as Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and newest addition Alexis Lafreniere, were held off of the scoreboard.
Heck, Lafreniere is still looking for his first goal in his past thirteen games – and where it feels like he’s had thirteen streaks of going ten games or more without a red lamp lit.
While Vincent Trocheck, a “FAT CAT,” but only by association, scored – it was also his first goal scored in the team’s past dozen games played.
The goal, which was assisted by the most likely winner of this year’s Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, Will Cuylle (and where this award has never meant as little in its near 40-year-history as it does today), gave the Rangers something that they haven’t seen in a dog’s age – the first goal of the game – and better than that – a rare lead too.
The other scorer in regulation time on behalf of the Blueshirts?
None other than JONNY BROADWAY, government name Jonny Brodzinski – and where his goal, which put the Rangers up 2-1 at the time, was assisted by depth defenseman Zac Jones and fourth-line forward Matt Rempe.
The game-winner in overtime you ask?
Duh, Braden Schneider – another depth defenseman – as once again – the FAT CATS weren’t able to make a difference with their season on the line – and not even against a team missing most of their best players – while also playing their worst hockey of the season no less.
In more of the same old stuff, then the Rangers’ power-play, 0-3 on the night, remains absolutely dreadful.
How bad was it?
The Wild have the second-worst penalty kill in the league – yet the Rangers rarely bothered Minnesota whenever they were a man-down.
As a result, and the Rangers’ power outage is now two of their last twenty-six.
Since this team can never make things easy for their fans, then in a new wrinkle – and the only department where the Rangers have been consistent in this season (in a positive manner), their penalty kill – it went 2-4 against the league’s 21st-ranked power-play.
And if you look at the final score, then yes, all of the Wild’s scoring took place during special teams.
What’s that phrase again?
Oh yeah, this one:
“SPECIAL TEAMS SWING GAMES!”
Fortunately for the Blueshirts, and while their special teams play left a lot to be desired – and their putrid man-up & man-down teams didn’t swing them out of points in the standings.
And you can thank the players barely making the league minimum for that.
Then again, the soon-to-be highest-paid goalie in the league, CZAR IGOR, was pretty damn good too.
On a night where that wasn’t that much flow to either side’s game, and the two goaltenders, CZAR IGOR and Filip Gustavsson, had impressive showings.
Following a first period where each backstop went flawless, it was Gustavsson who had made three ten-bell saves among his dozen stops in total. Conversely, CZAR IGOR, who finished with a bakers’ dozen of “NYET’s,” wasn’t really tested that much – but he did his job whenever tasked.
As Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti did everything but talk about the game in front of them tonight, as instead, we had sixty-minutes of non-stop chit-chat about everything Minnesota hockey related; then at the 6:45 mark of the second stanza, it was Trocheck who drew first blood.
After originally missing on his initial shot, the man who many campaigned to take over for Jacob Trouba as the next captain in franchise history stuck with the play – and then beat Gustavsson.
1-0, Rangers.
As each team traded successful penalty kills, we remained with this 1-0 score after forty-minutes of “action.”
The third period was not a strong showing – that is – when it comes to the officials.
For the second consecutive game, and just 1:55 into the final frame of this affair – and we had another REMPUTATION penalty.
This time, #73 was boxed for not moving out of the way as Devin Shore skated into him.
Rather than just allowing this game to proceeded unmolested, and instead – the officials boxed Rempe for interference – and despite the opponent initiating contact by skating into him.
At some point, you have to wonder when the players’ association and/or Rangers’ management will speak up for Rempe, as these bullshit penalties are stacking higher than the Blueshirts’ losses this season.
As the Rangers went on their kill, then it looked like they would escape these two-minutes unscathed.
But since these are the “Bad News Blueshirts,” then, and with only just one-tenth of a second left on the Minnesota man-up advantage – and there was Marcus Johansson to tie the game at one-all.
The Rangers, who as you know, need wins in the most desperate of ways, would of course get nothing out of the players eating up the biggest chunk of their payroll.
Needing a hero, and while playing in front of sixty family members and friends (including his wife and small children) – and there was JONNY BROADWAY taking a drop-pass from Zac Jones and beating Gustavsson at the 6:38 mark in order to return the Rangers’ one-goal lead.
2-1, Blueshirts – but by now – you know that good things don’t last in the Big Apple.
Just twenty-seconds after the go-ahead goal – and Jones, who had just set-up the Brodzinski strike, was boxed for high-sticking the only Minnesota scorer of the game at the time, Marcus Johansson.
Worse than that and Jones had drawn blood, thus giving the home team 4:00 worth of power-play time when attempting to retie the contest.
And come the 8:42 mark – and that’s exactly what Frederick Gaudreau did – via his 2-2 power-play goal.
The Rangers, now 1-3 on the penalty kill, were able to survive the next two-minutes to finish with a 2-4 showing.
As the clock ticked down to 10:00 remaining, 5:00 remaining, 3:00 remaining and 1:00 remaining – and it was the Wild, now with a lively crowd cheering them on, that were the aggressor.
Thankfully Part I: And CZAR IGOR, who has been hit-or-miss this season (and just like his team), was able to prevent another heart-breaker of a loss.
As the two teams returned to the ice for overtime, a trio featuring K’Andre Miller, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider couldn’t score on their first possession, which in turn, allowed the Wild to catch the BFF’s, MZ93 and CK20, out there for an elongated amount of time.
Thankfully Part II: The Wild couldn’t capitalize on this advantage.
Thankfully Part III: Schneider soon did.
Just 1:51 into the bonus time, and B-Schneids, on the ice with J.T. Miller and Panarin, was able to drive to the net – and once there – BOOM – beat Gustavsson with a backhanded top-shelf goal.
3-2, Rangers.
3-2, your final – and a much-required two-points netted in the standings – and even more so following Columbus having their heads handed to them during their 4-0 shutout loss to Vegas.
For the “Blueshirts’ Believers,” and I don’t criticize you if you are one of these folk, then the Rangers are right back in the mix of things.
(And don’t forget about my bet with Stan Fischler either!)
For people like me, who just refuse to buy into this team anymore this season – then it’s more of the same – keeping hope alive – and where only a kick to the balls and heartbreak will follow.
Here is our 82-game mantra, which is also known as my 33-word daily disclaimer, that I post on this site after every game played:
“WHATEVER THE RANGERS DO FROM NOW UNTIL THE TRADE DEADLINE DOESN’T MATTER. THEY CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY WHATEVER THEY DO FOLLOWING THE DEADLINE AND BY WHAT THEY DO IN THE 2025 PLAYOFFS!”
In other words, sixty-six down, sixteen 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?
Magic Eight Ball still says “highly unlikely.”
In case you missed it, then here’s where I last left off – the loss in the ‘Peg:
NYR/WPG 3/11 Review: J! E! T! S! – JUST END THE SEASON! Blueshirts Extend Losing Streak To Four Games; Continue Free Fall in Playoff Race, Bozo The Bench Boss Can’t Push the Right Buttons; Can’t Find An Even-Strength Goal Either, Officials Provide No Help; But That’s Not An Excuse Either, Brutal M$GN Broadcast & More
Since I’m short on time again tonight (as previously noted, then I’m logging a boffo amount of overtime hours at the real j-o-b – but yet, I still remain loyal while also faithfully pumping out these blogs at the expense of sleep); then I don’t have the time available to link you to about fifty different manifestos that I’ve written this season – and where all in them – I have been championing for the Rangers to re-sign Jonathan Quick.
On Wednesday, the good news finally came down – the three-time Cup champion and future Hall of Famer will spend a third season in New York.
Here’s what the Rangers officially had to say about the deal – and courtesy of https://www.nhl.com/rangers/news/rangers-agree-to-terms-with-goaltender-jonathan-quick :
I’ve written so much about Quick over the years, including listing him as one of my top one-hundred “Ranger Killers” in my new book (link for purchase included at the end of this blog); but needless to say and JQ32 has been one hell of a player for his boyhood team.
This one-year pact, where Quick will turn forty-years-old during it, carries a $1.55M cap charge – or in other words – less than 2% of the team’s salary cap for the 2025-26 campaign.
One more time – I’ve been asking for Quick to get his extension for some time now – so I have nothing negative to say about it.
For the naysayers, and I do see their point, then this news, while good for Quick, isn’t promising for the soon-to-be 23-year-old upstart in Hartford, ‘Pack goaltender Dylan Garand.
While it’s impossible to know what Garand will one day be capable of at the NHL level; then while this news may delay his hopeful debut in The Show – then it’s not the end of the world either.
At worst, Garand will have to spend one more year howlin’ with the Pack.
Other future scenarios?
Then perhaps he gets a call-up next season; as after all – CZAR IGOR is always good for one lengthy injury per-season.
And while I’m not rooting for this at all – then who knows – maybe the springs that Quick collected at the proverbial fountain of youth expire next season.
Should that be the case, then Garand gets his call-up and the Rangers can very easily get by this Quick contract too.
But for the here-and-the-now, then re-signing Quick was a no-brainer.
He wants to be here.
His family lives here.
He wants to spend the final years of his career with his favorite team – and rather than chasing a fourth Cup elsewhere.
While we didn’t hear him say it himself; then during tonight’s broadcast and Sam & Joe mentioned how Quick was nervous about his future.
Quick told them that he wasn’t sure if he’d be brought back, citing his age while also alluding to Garand.
Once presented a contract and Quick, who also said it had been in the works since the deadline, was “quick” to sign it.
In a perfect world, then the NHL would extend roster sizes to include a third goalie, thus eliminating the antiquated practice of “emergency back-ups” – aka “E-Bugs.”
After all, no other sport in the land grabs a beer-leaguer out of the stands and asks them to suit up for them.
In such a scenario, then Quick’s presence around Garand would most likely produce dividends – and just as it has for other “Baby Blueshirts,” including, but not limited to, Matt Rempe, Will Cuylle and Brett Berard – a trio of players who have spent time dining (and in Rempe’s case – living) at Quick’s humble abode in Connecticut.
Long-story short? (Easy for me to say!)
Then this had to be done – and I’m glad that we don’t have to bring it up anymore.
For whatever reason, and following four straight losses – and the Rangers had off on Wednesday.
Aside from the Quick news, then the only story that came to the light on Wednesday was the fact that Arthur Kaliyev, after getting crushed twice by Luke Schenn during Tuesday night’s loss in Winnipeg, had flown back to New York for medical attention.
As human beings, then yes, we all hope that Kaliyev heals and overcomes whatever injury that he is.
As Ranger fans, then Kaliyev won’t be missed.
On Thursday morning, the team had an AM skate prior to their match with the Wild.
The biggest news from the practice was that Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere had been flip-flopped – and for the first-time since May of 2023 (the first-round loss to the Devils – and what’s Akira Schmid doing today – UGH!) – and the first-overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was back at his natural position – left-wing.
As Lavy had previously done with Missing Mika, and several times over at that, including his current role where the alleged first-line elite center is now a second-line bum at right-wing – and Bozo The Bench Boss is prioritizing the needs of one player at the overall expense of his team.
Trust me I understand – Lafreniere needs some time in the press box.
But if Lavy wasn’t going to scratch Mika, then why do so to Lafreniere?
Plus, and at this juncture of the season – then I doubt that we’ll see #13 wearing ear muffs once being placed upstairs with the annoying likes of Wince & Mollie.
The Rangers have made their bed – and as you know – prematurely re-signed Lafreniere to a monster contract – and one that is currently scaring the bejesus out of every Blueshirt backer today.
And even if you feel that Rangers’ GM Chris Drury should trade Lafreniere over the summer, then who is going to answer the call for a player teetering on the “bust label” – and one that’s locked in for the next seven seasons at $7,450,000 per?
Egads.
In the interest of everyone – management, the coaching staff, the team, Lafreniere and most importantly, the fans too – then we need Lafreniere to have an off-season for the ages – followed by a 2025-26 campaign where he not only surpasses all of his career-highs – but shatters and obliterates them too.
As far as anything else?
Then for a team that’s still preaching “playoffs,” and both Juuse Parssinen and Calvin de Haan, who were acquired when Dumbass Drury traded away Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey for them, were scratched for the third consecutive contest.
Here was Laviolette’s line-up for the sixty-sixth game of this 2024-25 season:
FIRST LINE: Panarin/Trocheck/Cuylle
SECOND LINE: Lafreniere/Miller/Mika
THIRD LINE: Kreider/Carrick/Berard
FOURTH LINE: Othmann/Brodzinski/Rempe
FIRST PAIR: Miller/Borgen
SECOND PAIR: Vaakanainen/Schneider
THIRD PAIR: Soucy/Jones
STARTING GOALIE: CZAR IGOR
BACK UP GOALIE: Quick
LTIR: Adam Edstrom
IR: Adam Fox
INJURED: Arthur Kaliyev
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Calvin de Haan and Juuse Parssinen
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
|
| 28 | 2 | 26 | .929 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 61:51 | 0 |
|
MIN
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 31 | 3 | 28 | .903 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61:51 | 0 |
Once again and I apologize – as I don’t have the time tonight to do a full-length GAME REVIEW.
(But hey, and despite being on three-hours of sleep – and an early call time tomorrow too – and I still managed to pump out 5,000 words! So even my shortest manifestos run longer than anything else that you’ll find Rangers-related on the internet!)
However, if you want my complete play-by-play of the match, then check out my Tweeter feed over at: https://x.com/NYCTheMiC
Since I don’t have the time to recap all of the agony that Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti provided tonight, then to say it here – and once again – they did everything but talk about what was going on in front of them – and as I predicted would be the case last time around when I wrote to you.
For all of the ear-bleeding that we’ve sustained this season from this bumbling duo – then it has to happen – as Saturday will be the last chance for us:
A Sam Rosen and John Davidson reunion.
Heck, if Chris Drury can make trades with the man he once stabbed in the back – and as he did last season when he took in Jack Roslovic from Columbus – then all bad blood can be forgotten about for this MUST SEE event – and one that would rival the former reunion of Mike Francesa and Chris Russo!
As far as anything else M$GN broadcast related, then tonight was the second-and-final “Garden of Dreams Fundraiser” of this season.
As predicted last time – and as of this writing where not all of the final numbers have been released – and not only did this fundraiser not crack $100K in donations – but it’s trending to be the least amount of money generated yet – and that covers over 25 different charity drives for Dolan’s philanthropists.
And I don’t get this either:
If you’re going to have a night like this, then why not have your biggest draw, one of the team’s greatest living legends today, current M$GN employee Henrik Lundqvist, in-house in order to push/promote/sell the event?
Instead, “The King of Commentary” was MIA, while the worst goalie and analyst in franchise history, Sieve Vagistat, was left to his own devices.
I’m sure had Lundqvist been there, then he’d at least be good for an extra $20K.
But as noted last time, the biggest reason why these two fundraisers this season have been the least received all-time is because the team is bad – and as a result – people are tuning out.
The M$GN v. Optimum Altice battle did no favors either – as some Ranger fans have not returned to these broadcasts ever since these two greedy entities reconciled last month.
Again – wah-wah-wah – my real-life job.
In turn, just what I said following each period in real-time – but don’t fret – I’m off this weekend, which means that full-length GAME REVIEWS will return for the games against the Blue Jackets (Saturday) and Oilers (Sunday).
FIRST PERIOD
Scoreless after 20. 1P Thoughts:
— I can’t remember the last time #NYR entered a second period without giving up goal in the first.
— Both goalies have been strong, but FG has made more difficult saves (SOG 13-12, Wild)
— Both teams are 0-1 on the PP.
— Good effort, but…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 14, 2025
SECOND PERIOD
1-0, #NYR, after 40. 2P Thoughts:
— The PP is about to be 0-3 – against the league’s second-worst PK – and 47-seconds away from being 2 of their last 26 too.
— Rangers have been the better team – but the Wild are the walking wounded.
— Lafreniere has 0 SOG. Panarin 1.
—…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 14, 2025
THIRD PERIOD
Ahem #NYR https://t.co/DqN5ct9tIZ
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 14, 2025
2-2 after 60. OT is required. 3P Thoughts:
— Special Teams Swing Games, Minny PP 2-4, #NYR 0-3
— Nothing from the FAT CATS – fourth line best line again
— I’m surprised Zucc hasn’t scored yet.
— Rangers are 0-4 during this 11-game stretch against top teams – losers in…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 14, 2025
OVERTIME
Here’s Schneider ending the four-game schneid:
BRADEN SCHNEIDER SHOWS OFF HIS HANDS TO WIN IT FOR THE RANGERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GMqAeFlxvP
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 14, 2025
Up Next For The Rangers: Their next biggest game of the season – Game 67 in Columbus – and where following it, and with fourteen games remaining – and the Blueshirts could regain full control over their playoff fate.
But how long it shall last is anyone’s guess!
After all, do I have to remind you what happened the last time when the Rangers had the second wild card?
One day and poof!
Up Next For Me: Zzz – or at least three hours of it!
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
