PROGRAMMING NOTE: Due to a hectic work schedule, then I haven’t had a chance to proof-read this yet. Once this message is removed, then you’ll know that the “blog finalization process” is complete – and where I think that you’ll get the gist of everything anyway below too!
Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. And this is why I don’t get my hopes up with this team anymore!
After all, then you must recall my near nine-month war cry, you know, this:
By now, and you know where I stand – I’m TEAM TANK!
That said?
Then after the Rangers not only won four games in a row – but gave a complete sixty-minute effort in all of them – and I really wanted to see their winning ways extend to five consecutive matches.
After all, while I’ll be the first to tell you that NDA Panarin is the greatest free agent signing in franchise history, then I’ll also be the first to tell you that I don’t respect him much off of the ice.
And isn’t it amazing Suzyn how he has now apparently learned English over night, now some 3,000 miles removed from New York?
Funny how that happens!
What wasn’t funny was what we saw on Monday night, when the Rangers, who seemingly were scoring four, five or six goals on any given night ever since the Olympic break concluded, could only manage one against the L.A. Kings, and a goaltender, Darcy Kuemper, that’s not exactly known as a world-beater.
In what was a money on the board game for Panarin & Co. (although the financial figure wasn’t disclosed – those damn NDA’s!), and the silver-and-black attack easily handled the Blueshirts, and as they did by a 4-1 final.
In a way, then this game was very much like the one Kings played on Thursday night at IBS on Long Island, as they squeaked by the Islanders by a 3-2 decision.
The Kings scored three goals in the third period, managed the opposition in the second – and then saw the baby brother pick up a pair in the third – while also just missing on several equalizers in the eventual orange-and-blue one-goal loss.
A few days and miles removed from Thursday night – and the Kings nearly completed the same script.
A Drew Doughty goal, scored after the Rangers iced the puck several times, took place at the 13:29 mark of the match.
Assisting on the quick strike following a Kings’ o-zone faceoff win was no other than NDA Panarin.
In what was a hard-working, yet a slog of a first frame at times, and the Kings maintained their 1-0 lead when entering the second stanza.
The Hollywood men were also able to stave off a Rangers’ power-play in the first twenty-minutes of action too.
For a Silly Sully Squad that gave up 21 SOG a piece in both the second and third periods in their last game played (Saturday’s 4-2 win over Minnesota – and including a whopping 21-1 SOG difference in the final period), then what we saw during Monday night’s second period may have even been worse than that.
After all, at least the Rangers held a 4-1 lead on Saturday – and as opposed to this 4-1 loss that transpired some 48-hours later.
The second period was just a disaster for the Garden tenants.
In a time-span of just 28-seconds and the Kings scored a pair – a Mikey Anderson rebound goal at the 4:31 mark, then an Alex Laferriere power-play goal, via a batted puck, at the 4:59 time-stamp.
2-0, Kings.
3-0, Kings.
The Rangers?
After getting two shots off during the first minute of the second period, and after giving up these two scores too – and they didn’t put another shot on goal until fifteen minutes later.
In total, the Rangers, who were once being out-shot 15-2, “improved” the second period SOG stat to 16-3.
To open the third period, where the Blueshirts were already 0/1 on the power-play and 1/2 while short-handed, soon received their second power-play of the game – and as they did just 75-seconds in when Laferriere board Matthew Robertson.
Come the 2:29 mark – and the Rangers made it interesting – as they not only saw Vincent Trocheck tip in a blast from Adam Fox for the 3-1 PPG – but the red-light in the building also woke up the previously dormant M$G crowd.
As it was for the Islanders on Thursday night and as it was for the Wild on Saturday night – and it was now the Rangers turn to mount a comeback.
While the ice most certainly tilted on behalf of the Blueshirts – but they could never strike within one.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying though, as Kuemper made a bevy of tough saves – while also hearing a double-doink go behind him – courtesy of Gabe Perreault.
But on a night where the Rangers could’ve stuck it to Panarin, while also feeding into the “WE’RE BETTER OFF WITHOUT HIM”stuff that’s been bantered about the streets of Rangerstown, USA – and the top-six couldn’t do anything at even-strength.
Zibanejad was a game-low minus-2 – and never registered a SOG.
Also receiving negative-twos in their box scores were Captain Culture, Perreault, Trocheck, Lafreniere and even Fox himself – and numbers that reached this low level following Trevor Moore’s 4-1 empty-netter scored with just 1:48 remaining.
If there was any positive takeaway from a Rangers’ perspective, then at least they tried in the third period.
A positive individual takeaway?
Then while Tye Kartye had his career-high consecutive point streak snapped at five games tonight – he also remained extremely noticeable – and in all three zones too.
Another positive?
The Rangers’ post-game send-off to future Hall of Famer, and a 2014 tormentor too, Anze Kopitar, who on Monday night, played his last game at M$G:
What a moment between former teammates Anže Kopitar and Jonathan Quick 🥹 pic.twitter.com/gf7KxNHSzi
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 17, 2026
As Kenny Albert said on the broadcast – then the bond that Quick and Kopitar have (as two-time Stanley Cup champions) will never be broken.
For American-born Ranger fans?
Then at least we’ll never forget this season – but only because of what Team USA did over in Italy!
These centennial Blueshirts?
OO-FA!
Here’s where I last left off – the Rangers getting their fourth in a row in Somaliapolis:
NYR/MIN 3/14 Review: Where The Wild Things Are! Rangers Continue To Roll; Reach Longest Winning Streak Yet, Ace Litmus Test/Deter Draft Lotto Dreams, Another Complete Team-Wide Effort; CZAR IGOR Masterclass Too, Kartye For McDonald Award (I Kid, I Kid – Or Am I?) M$GN, NDA Panarin Up Next & More
Prior to the game and both teams held morning skates.
Nothing changed from the Rangers’ end – and as you’d expect with the team riding their best winning streak of the season yet (four games).
Over on the L.A. side, then of course, the Blueshirts’ bird brain beat promoted NDA Panarin – never once bringing up his alleged sexual assault, the M$G cover-up and how he didn’t want to give Chris Drury a team discount during his negotiations with the franchise earlier this season.
After saying that his departure from New York felt very “quick,” Panarin, about his stay and the fans, also remarked, “[I’ll miss] The energy. Obviously, the history. People. Even [when] they boo us after seventeen seconds at the start of the game. That’s why I like it.”
“Thank you for everything. It was a great time.”
As far as the game ahead of him went, Panarin, slyly remarked, “I hope he [Igor Shestyorkin] has a bad night tonight. Sorry, New York Rangers fans.”
The Blueshirts’ beat ate all of this up – and where even after the game, they were fingering themselves silly when Panarin told them – SHOCK – he now has an iPhone with an Instagram app installed on it!
STOP THE PRESSES!
Here was Silly Sully’s line-up for the sixty-sixth game of this wretched-and-rotten 2025-26 season:
FIRST LINE: Perreault/Mika/Lafreniere
SECOND LINE: Cullye/Trocheck/Miller
THIRD LINE: Kartye/Laba/Sheary
FOURTH LINE: Raddysh/Edstrom/Chmelar
FIRST PAIR: Gavrikov/Fox
SECOND PAIR: Robertson/Schneider
THIRD PAIR: Vaakanainen/Borgen
STARTING GOALIE: CZAR IGOR
BACKUP GOALIE: Quick
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Brodzinski, Parssinen and Iorio
IR: Matt Rempe
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
|
| 25 | 3 | 22 | .880 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58:57 | 0 |
|
LAK
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 22 | 1 | 21 | .955 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 0 |
Tonight’s game was the team’s annual Pride Night – but where as opposed to recent years, including the cancel culture years – and this one wasn’t as in-your-face.
After all, then there were no rainbow jerseys being promoted, men dressed up as women screaming at you to respect them, or anything else like that.
I’ve covered this “celebration” many times before on this site, so there’s no need to do it all over again.
By now, you should know my opinions on it, but if you don’t, then in short, I’m not a fan of it.
I don’t care what consenting adults do (as long as it’s legal – NO KIDS!), I don’t care if an adult wants to change their body parts around and I don’t care what bed a consenting adult sleeps in.
But I also don’t believe these events are necessary in sports.
There’s just no reason at all for any parent to take their kid to a hockey game then have to explain what any type of sex is, and no matter if it’s straight, gay or mentally ill.
Ron Duguay, a proud grandfather, and currently still battling against stage four cancer, feels the same way as I do – and he made his view clear on Sunday during this Tweeter/X post:
@NYRangers @NYR_PR @Delta supporting & in supporting encouraging Transgender lifestyle
Have you not been reading & watching the news ??? What if a situation was to occur at the @TheGarden ? What then ?How can a professional, none political entity like a sports team sanction… https://t.co/dMSWyM4PN4— Ron Duguay (@RonDuguay10) March 16, 2026
In case that tweet didn’t come out, then here’s what the long-time fan-favorite said in black-and-white:
“To the New York Rangers and Delta (their sponsor):
[You are] supporting & encouraging Transgender lifestyle.
Have you not been reading & watching the news ??? [The mass shootings.}
What if a situation was to occur at the The Garden?What then?
How can a professional, none political entity, like a sports team, sanction this stuff on families especially with kids ??? Most people don’t want to celebrate a group’s sexual life style at a game.Can you just keep it to a nice family night out celebrating & enjoying their sports team ?”
The returning champion, Henrik Lundqvist, who missed the bi-annual “Garden of Dreams” fundraiser on Thursday night, was back on-air – and better than that – no Sieve Vagistat alongside him!
This was bad business all-around to me.
After all, and as noted on Thursday night, then the charity drive drew a record-low ($40,000).
Whether Lundqvist was busy or not I don’t know, but obviously, then in order to draw the most money, then you need to have him there.
Who booked this shit?
And how ironic that Sieve Vagistat was the company pitchman during the fundraiser, but was nowhere to be found on “PRIDE NIGHT?”
Hmmm!
As Lundqvist and Giannone were previewing the game, then I thought to myself that it would’ve been funny, and as a result of NDA Panarin’s return & celebrations for people who get sex gender operations, if M$G changed “PRIDE NIGHT” to “LAW & ORDER SVU SEX CRIMES Night.”
I can hear it now:
The first 10,000 fans in-attendance will receive signed 8 x 10’s from Mariska Hargitay, Ice T and Chris Meloni!
As noted last week, then in reality and the first 10,000 fans in-attendance tonight received fanny packs (once referred to in the 1990s as “fag bags”) – and where officially, Kenny Albert called them “travel pouches.”
And when I heard the phrase “travel pouches?”
Then couldn’t you refer to a ZYN as the same thing?
As far as the hockey stuff went during the pregame show, then Lundqvist, who had been in the same position as CZAR IGOR countless times before (playing a former teammate/current friend), said that #31 would be hellbent on preventing an NDA Panarin goal.
Lundqvist added, “I’d rather pay for dinner than allowing [a former teammate/current friend] to score.”
At the end of the day?
CZAR IGOR made sure no bread was baked – but Panarin did a get a point via his secondary assist – and more importantly than that – a win over the Rangers & Chris Drury too.
GAME REVIEW time – and you know my usual spiel – which includes how if you want my complete play-by-play, then check out my Tweeter/X feed over at: https://x.com/NYCTheMiC
Everything else below will be clips and whatever else that I haven’t mentioned yet.
Let’s roll – and let’s roll fast – as I do have to be up early tomorrow for some O.T. at the real J-O-B!
Plus, and I had to work overtime on Monday night too – and where I’m presently writing this very sentence at 2:08AM EST – and on St. Patrick’s Day to boot!
The horror!
FIRST PERIOD
To open the broadcast, Dave Maloney told us that he just coached a charity game for a local gay hockey club. Albert then pushed the “hockey is for everyone” stuff – so I guess if Zibanejad wants – he can now have that mental illness surgery and then try to win a championship with the Sirens!
Following a great rendition of our National Anthem as sung by Sydney Quildon, Trocheck won the first draw of the game.
It was also at this time when Albert and Maloney informed us that the best scorer in L.A. today, Adrian Kempe, was a late scratch due to an illness.
No matter for the Kings in this game – and on a night where Queens were celebrated!
Just fifty-seconds in and CZAR IGOR picked up right where he left off in Minny – as he denied the retiring Kopitar on a breakaway chance.
By the three-minute mark – CZAR IGOR now had four saves to his name.
While the Rangers’ six SOG from this period doesn’t really scream at you, then for Darcy Kuemper – then half of his sextet first period saves were all-out robberies.
At the 5:40 mark, Perreault forced a turnover in the Rangers’ end – then only to see Kuemper rob Noah Laba in the other end.
It was also around this time where Kartye was already noticeable – as he was forechecking in one end – while pinning guys into the boards in the other.
In a “THAT’S SO NDA PANARIN” moment, then at the 7:25 mark, Panarin turned over the puck after one of his crazy cross-ice passes to nowhere.
Down to 11:18 remaining, Quinton Byfield, who most certainly out-played Alexis Lafreniere tonight, tripped his 2020 NHL Draft Class rival (Lafreniere went first, Byfield went second – and you may have heard about this before too).
Prior to the Rangers’ power-play commencing, and where this was our first stoppage in about seven-minutes of game-time too and this is when the Blueshirts honored Panarin with a video package.
Kuemper made another one of his robbery saves during these two-minutes – as he made a huge stop on a point-blank Lafreniere one-timer.
That save also saved as the only save Kuemper had to make during this now 0/1 Rangers’ power-play.
Following another clean Kuemper save, this time on Miller with 8:05 remaining – and it was apparent how dead the crowd at M$G was.
I guess the four-game winning streak didn’t juice anyone up – but then again – then prior to the four-game win streak and the Rangers’ playoff chances were zero percent.
After it?
Still zero percent!
Down to 7:50 remaining and Kuemper made his third-and-final robbery save of the frame – this time on Perreault.
While Perreault didn’t register any points tonight – he still played well – as he got pucks to the net – and he had that double-doink too.
Come 6:31 remaining?
Doughty’s goal after multiple Ranger icings:
BOOM! pic.twitter.com/JnGmnLhH75
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 16, 2026
1-0, visitors.
As we hit 4:00 remaining, the Rangers were playing well – but they only had five SOG.
They are just prone to having these games where the shots on goal don’t come at all.
Another good chance, but another example of another opportunity not going for a shot on goal?
When Jaroslav Chmelar, via his favorite move, the backhander, just missed the net by an inch with 1:40 remaining.
1-0, them, through twenty-minutes.
Here’s what I said at the time:
1-0, LA, after 20. 1P thoughts:
— SOG are 8-6, LA, so not exactly a barnburner.
— Crowd seems dead, thought they’d be crazier for the Panarin return.
— Lots of blocked shots from both side, hence the low SOG totals.
— Panarin has a secondary assist but the Doughty goal…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 16, 2026
SECOND PERIOD
As I was hoping to hear this exchange, “SECOND PERIOD, WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR HERE JOE?”, followed by, “A fabulous TRANSITION game on Pride Night Sam!”, then Miller won the first draw of this here second stanza.
Just forty-five seconds in, Miller and Cuylle put pucks on net.
After that?
Fifteen minutes of a Rangers’ SOG drought.
And with not much doing, we can just skip to the goals.
Here’s Anderson’s 2-0 goal:
Big Mike Anderson! pic.twitter.com/6sxFZk4kDf
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 17, 2026
2-0, visitors.
Right after the goal and Trocheck took his customary penalty – this time for high-sticking Byfield.
And Laferriere, who set-up the previous goal, batted in the next Kings’ score:
That’s just good hand-eye coordination 👍 pic.twitter.com/8UeQTiDDw1
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 17, 2026
3-0, visitors.
As a result of all this scoring and Laferriere, Byfield and Anderson all had multi-point performances to their names.
Down to 10:47 remaining, the Kings, just in the Rangers’ zone all period, saw Robertson hook Jared Wright.
Panarin had about five chances to get a point here, but between whiffing on a one-timer, CZAR IGOR making a few saves and the Rangers coming up with a few blocks – and the Blueshirts’ PK escaped unscathed during these two-minutes.
CZAR IGOR made his 20th save of the game, on Moore, with 6:00 remaining – and where crazy enough – he’d then only have to make two more during the next twenty-six minutes.
3-0, them, through 40.
Here’s what I said at the time:
3-0, them, through 40. 2P Thoughts:
— Is the tank back on?
— #NYR had a 15:00 SOG drought there.
— SOG, 23-9 them
— Boo birds are back – how long before the “FIRE DRURY!” chants return?
— Rangers look like me playing NHL 26 online against a a teenager – can’t touch the…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 17, 2026
THIRD PERIOD
As noted above, the Rangers drew a power-play at the 1:15 mark, and some 1:14 later – and this is when the Blueshirts scored their first-and-only goal of the game – the Trocheck tip on the Fox blast:
Vincent Trocheck scores on the deflection to cut into the Kings’ lead 👀 pic.twitter.com/x6Ve3jrRIp
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 17, 2026
3-1, L.A.
M$G, and like the Rangers, woke up a bit here – but despite all of the Blueshirts’ chances and momentum – could never cut anymore into the Kings’ lead.
After the Kings, got a clear when having all five of their skaters on the ice for over two-minutes, and as they did at the 5:15 mark, then this is when Albert and Maloney told us that voting is now open for this year’s Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
As noted before, then yours truly, and like many of you, would still vote for Sam Carrick.
But since he isn’t an option anymore – then I’m voting for Tye Kartye!
But who will, and in reality, win it?
Yep, you know it’s coming – Mika Zibanejad – the face of a failed season!
As far as anything else worth noting, then Perreault’s double-doink, off the crossbar and post, took place with 7:55 remaining.
In crunch time, the Kings clamped down, as the Rangers really didn’t challenge Kuemper too much after this.
CZAR IGOR was pulled with 2:36 remaining and under a minute later, just 1:48 left in regulation and this is when Moore sailed in his 4-1, them, empty-netter.
It’s also worth mentioning that with the game now over, then down to 1:17 remaining and Scott Laughton gave Laba cheap punch.
Running when attempting to defend his new rookie teammate?
My 2026 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award winner, Kartye himself.
4-1, your final, from what was basically a drab-and-dreary game.
All in all?
Then this loss wasn’t the end of the world either.
After all, then the TANK may have returned into effect!
HELLO GAVIN MCKENNA!
Up Next For the Rangers: Another dance with the Devils – and against an American-born hero who always thrives against them too – Captain America, #86, Jack Hughes.
Up Next For Me: My pillow isn’t just calling for me – it’s screaming for me!
Up Next For You: Your favorite segment and mine, you know…
PLUGS TIME! (Buy a book and support my Rangers’ induced therapy bills. After all, I don’t run ads on this site!)
My fourth title and tenth book is now available!
“The Top 100 Villains of New York Rangers History,” is now available for sale!
For complete information, please visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/rangerkillers/
My second plug of tonight’s blog – the mandatory plug for my book, “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden.”
As mentioned previously, the book is now available in hardcover, in paperback and in Kindle formats. To purchase a copy of the book, visit this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Rangers-Rafters-Madison-Square-Garden-ebook/dp/B09CM5N2WD
For those still looking for signed paperback versions of the book, I have re-ordered more copies. I now have a few signed copies for sale at $25 a pop (includes shipping price) through me directly. Here is all the information on that:
Order “The New York Rangers Rink of Honor and the Rafters of Madison Square Garden” Book Today
My four-volume set of books, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is a game-by-game recount of the Rangers 2021-22 campaign.
My second title as an author, “One Game at a Time – A Season to Remember,” is now available in eBook, paperback and hardcover formats.
To obtain signed copies, visit: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/onegamebook/
To purchase all four volumes on Amazon, visit: Amazon.com – “One Game at a Time.”
The greatest volume-set of books on Rangers’ history today!
“Tricks of the Trade – A Century-Long Journey Through Every Trade Made In New York Rangers’ History,” a four-volume set of books that meticulously covers every trade made in franchise history, is now on sale.
All four volumes of the title can be purchased on Amazon.com and are presented in three different formats – eBook, paperback and hardcover.
To purchase Volume I: Conn Smythe (1926) – Craig Patrick (1986), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume II: Phil Esposito (1986) – Neil Smith (2000), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume III: Glen Sather (2000-2015), visit Amazon.com
To purchase Volume IV: Jeff Gorton (2015) – Chris Drury (2022), visit Amazon.com
To purchase signed copies of all four volumes, visit https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
If you haven’t already, subscribe to this blog for the next update:
Don’t forget to order my four-volume set of books, “Tricks of the Trade!”
If you don’t order through me, all four volumes are now available on Amazon.com
For more details, check out: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/tricksofthetrade/
Thanks for reading.
LET’S GO RANGERS!
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
Kartye seems to be benefiting from a change of scenery, like many formers Rangers do when they light it up after leaving. Good for him, it’s nice to have something to look forward to with this team.
As for the Steven McDonald award the only viable candidate I can see would be Cuylle (with his large number of hits), then someone outside like Sheary or Raddysh (not that they’d really deserve it). No idea who will get it though, voting is a fickle thing.
As much as a surprise the 4-game run was, I’m not expecting much for the remainder of the season, your motto in mind. At least the kids are getting a chance to play.