Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. This 2024-25 campaign can’t end soon enough.
Thankfully, there are only thirteen games and less than a month to go for these gutless and yellow-spined Blueshirts – mainly a collection of overpaid pigs – and then the book will be closed on them for good.
And come April 18th, the day after the conclusion of this 99th season in franchise history – and it NEEDS to be pink slip season for everyone.
That includes general manager Chris Drury, head coach Peter Laviolette, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere – and yeah – I’m now finally here with most of you too – Christopher James Kreider.
Simply put – it’s time to blow it up – and as noted many times over on this site ever since the 2024 Eastern Conference Final loss to the Panthers – it has to start with the core – and it’s time for a whole new regime too.
After all, how many times have I said in these pages that last year’s playoff loss will always go down as the peak, the zenith, the climax, of this core that’s already got two coaches fired – and where a third will soon join them?
Off puck drop tonight – and this will be a short GAME REVIEW blog for me.
As repeatedly noted on this site recently, then I’m logging a ton of overtime at work.
Not only did I work a 12-hour shift on Tuesday – but I have to work a sixteen-hour shift tomorrow (Wednesday) – and with a 6AM start.
These preceding three-sentences?
Then I put more effort into writing them, about 79867986798678 times more at that, than the Rangers did in this inexcusable 2-1 loss to the Flames.
I’m not exaggerating or trying to be funny at all when I say this:
Officer Steven McDonald, Mr. Extra Effort himself, must be rolling in his grave after this horrendous criminal offense against hockey.
Outside of CZAR IGOR, and to a lesser extent, the usual suspects, the fourth-liners – and the Blueshirts gave the middle finger to all of their loyal and devoted fans on Tuesday night.
Such a middle finger should be extended from the fans to every Ranger in Lavy’s top-nine – and of course – to Bozo The Bench Boss himself.
CLOWN SHOW!
I can’t lie – and I must get this off of my chest too:
For the first time in my life, then I was actually rooting against the Rangers – and where these feelings really intensified after a two SOG second period.
Despite a 2-1 score at the time, which is how the game concluded too – then I didn’t want these Blueshirt bums to be rewarded with an epic comeback victory.
Instead, I wanted these dogs, the bitches that they are (how fitting – after all – it was “Women’s Empowerment Night!”) – to have their red clown noses rubbed into their own feces like a scalded canine.
Simply put?
They didn’t deserve it – and where such lack of an effort shouldn’t have been awarded at all – because had they won – then they would think that they could get away with this garbage all of the time.
Let me set the stage for you.
As noted last time around, then the Rangers entered this home match with a day of rest, having all of Monday to rest and relax at their humble abodes.
Conversely, the Flames, whom reside some 3,000 miles away in Calgary, Alberta – and in an inferior country no less, had just played the night before – and where they were drubbed by the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 6-2 final.
The jet-lagged Flames, who didn’t arrive to NYC until 4AM Tuesday morning, were weak for the wear, and where in addition, they were going to start a back-up goalie, bordering on AHL status, Dan Vladar.
And do I need to tell you the plight of the Blueshirts – you know – a team fighting for their playoff lives – or at the very least – that’s what they tell us every day?
Despite these two teams in similar situations in the standings – teetering for a playoff berth in their respective conferences – and it were the road dog Flames that just dominated the home favorite (-280) Rangers.
Yes, this game was decided by a one-goal difference – but there were two reasons why this score was 2-1 instead of 5-1, 6-1 or 7-1 – and as it deserved to be.
The first reason was CZAR IGOR.
The second reason was also CZAR IGOR, who just didn’t allow the Flames to finish after creating about 986786679876 turnovers, where as a result, it was like “NRA Night” at M$G – a non-stop shooting gallery.
Desperation?
What desperation for the Rangers?
After being out-shot 15-5 in the first period, the Blueshirts were then out-shot 10-3 in the second stanza and then 11-5 in the final frame – or a total of 36-13 overall!
The Blueshirts’ paltry 13 SOG, and where I’d reckon that all but two of them were just lazy lobs at the net in order to create something, was their second-lowest SOG total of the season – as they had previously only recorded twelve SOG against the Devils at Christmastime.
But unlike the Devils, a healthy-and-true contender at the time – and the Flames are nothing of the sort.
I hope that you don’t think that I’m exaggerating for effect – but for sixty-minutes, and outside of the goalie and the fourth line – and the Rangers pretty much told their fans to go fuck themselves – and where as you may know – then I only use the f-word sparingly on this site – as this way – it has meaning when I do use it.
And boy do I mean it right now:
Fuck you Blueshirts!
If you can believe it, then the Rangers actually struck first – but where I even said this in real-time on my Tweeter/X account – on a fluky play.
However, all goals count – and with the lack of offensive numbers these days – then you’ll take any goal that you can.
At just the 1:13 mark, and after Flames’ d-man MacKenzie Weegar had lost his edge and skate blade – and there was Urho Vaakanainen to set-up Artemi Panarin for the 1-0 Rangers’ lead.
And outside of CZAR IGOR, who went 34/36 in net – but where it felt like he made 1,000 saves – and that was your lone Ranger highlight.
For the next 58:47 – nothing but Flames – and where the Rangers, not even for a second, ever seemed interested in dousing them.
Calgary just had their way with the Rangers all-game – and in every which way imaginable.
The Blueshirts never cared to play defense – and they were as careless with the puck as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor with a chainsaw.
But at least the star of “Home Improvement” (and not the former Ranger of the same name) was just playing an act.
For the Blueshirts?
This was real.
Also authentic?
The slap in the face that they gave to all 18,006 of their fans in-attendance.
(And just imagine the poor schmuck who can only afford to go to one game a season, the kid going to his first game, hell everyone – who paid big money to watch this crap.)
Down 1-0 after the fluky goal allowed – and Calgary, despite all of the unfortunate circumstances not in their favor, wasn’t going to be the butt of anyone’s joke for the second consecutive night.
The Blueshirts, jokesters themselves, seemed to relish in their role of clowns.
As said in real-time (https://x.com/NYCTheMiC/ ), then about a few-minutes after Panarin’s lucky goal – and you could feel the Flames’ equalizer coming.
The Rangers didn’t play defense. They couldn’t connect on passes. They ran away from contact.
They were checked out.
As a result, and at the 10:22 mark, Nazem Kadri tied the game after CZAR IGOR had previously made two saves with no Ranger interested in grabbing a rebound.
And once the Blueshirts find themselves up against a team that’s not like them – INTERESTED IN COMPETING – and that’s that – and where all of the sad and hollow post-game interviews soon follow.
For the third time in less than eight days – and once again – we had a “REMPUTATION” penalty.
At the 17:46 mark of this same here first period and Matt Rempe was boxed for elbowing Jake Bean.
Granted, while this penalty assessed was much less egregious as it was when compared to his last two “offenses” – but either way – and this elbow screamed “FAKE NEWS.”
It became even “FAKER NEWS” later on when J.T. Miller was blatantly speared and slashed in the ball-bag at the end of the period – yet no call at all.
But prior to Miller taking a blade down low – and just seventeen-seconds into their power-play – and with only 1:57 left in the first twenty-minutes of Rangers’ “action” too – and there was Matt Coronato left alone to put the Flames ahead 2-1.
Remember how the Rangers’ penalty kill was ranked first in the league back in December – then only to fall fourth-overall just a week ago?
This latest PPG afforded now ranks them ninth-overall in the league.
In other words, their greatest strength, the only positive asset that’s remained consistent all-season, has now been sapped.
(But at least it’s not as feckless and as ineffective as their power-play.)
Entering the second period with this same 2-1 score that held throughout – and where another bad call against Rempe led to the game-winner too (but don’t get it twisted – this loss is 100% on the Rangers – and it had nothing to do with officiating) – and despite Zibanejad showing some fire to the refs after Miller’s sack took a shot – and the Blueshirts responded by saying, “who cares?”
As CZAR IGOR was doing everything in his power to make this a game – the players in front of him, most notably the FAT CATS, weren’t having any of that.
The Rangers, as noted above, finished the middle portion of the game with only three SOG – and where I think the statisticians felt bad for them – as I only counted two.
One of those shots?
A Zibanejad one-handed short-handed try.
After doing nothing at this point in the match, and again, still down by a goal; then come the 12:43 mark and the Rangers received their first (and eventual only) power-play of the game after Martin Pospisil was boxed for interfering with U.V.
FYI: The Flames’ PK is ranked 28th-overall in the league. Their penalty kill on the road is ranked dead-last.
And of course, you know what happened next – as the Flames’ PK made short work of the Rangers’ near $50M PP1 unit – and then 1:20 later – devoured the Blueshirts’ PP2 unit too.
As a result, the Rangers’ PP are now two of their last twenty-eight.
But don’t worry:
Lateralette will keep the same players out there – all while keeping Rempe firmly stapled to the bench.
After all, who needs screens, deflections and tips while on a power-play anyway?
Not Bozo The Bench Boss!
When the horn sounded for the second intermission – then there was never a “Oooh, that was close moment.”
Such a trend continued into the final fame – and again – against a back-up goalie who only saw a baker’s dozen of SOG tonight – sans for one Panarin-to-Kreider one-timed try – and even then – and Vladar was squared-and-ready.
As jeers and boos just rained down upon the ice, and where such vocalizations were never meant for the goalie either, then down to 2:24 left in regulation – and CZAR IGOR, the only one who truly gave a damn all game, was sent to the bench for the last-ditch 6 x 5 act of desperation.
Perhaps Laviolette should have kept CZAR IGOR out there – but as the team’s sixth attacker/skater.
After all, and in the event that you didn’t know this – then the Rangers are the only team in the league to have not scored a 6 x 5 (empty net attack) goal this season.
Impressive.
But this shouldn’t surprise you either – and as their god-awful power-play would suggest.
The only last thing “of note” was that Blake Coleman’s empty net goal, scored with nine-seconds remaining, was called back after a video replay review ruled that the Flames were offside.
Whoop-dee-do.
2-1, Flames, your final.
I still can’t recall another Rangers’ game in my lifetime, where a team with so many high-paid players, ones that are even are alleged of being “elite,” came out as flat as this, gave no effort like this and just didn’t have a care in the world under circumstances like this.
As a result, the Blueshirts are right back to where they are used to being in the standings – outside looking in – and where everyone else is catching up to them too:
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-nine down, thirteen 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 is now saying “LOL!”
In case you missed it, then here’s where I last left off – the expected loss to Edmonton:
NYR/EDM 3:16 Review: Rangers Fail To Protect Wild Card Berth; Get “Diddy’d” Via Late Oil Spill, No More Luxuries, Bozo The Bench Boss Refuses To Make Power-Play Adjustments; Special Teams Swing Games (Again), Don’t Blame The Refs (But They Stunk Too), Strong Defense; No Offense From The Fat Cats, M$GN & More
Following the Rangers’ back-to-back set over the weekend, then come Monday – and the team had the day off.
On Tuesday morning, GAME DAY, the Blueshirts held an A.M. practice.
After yours truly wondered what was up this past Sunday, in regards to Arthur Kaliyev (https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/31625/ ), who had been injured last week in the loss against Winnipeg, then we finally an update about his status – and it wasn’t a positive one for him – as he’s done for the season.
While specifics of Kaliyev’s injury weren’t released, it’s suspected that he suffered a broken shoulder after being crushed by Luke Schenn.
As written in this space before, then from the human element, you hope that he makes a full recovery.
From a Rangers’ perspective, then this loss really doesn’t mean anything – and where it’s highly unlikely that you’ll see Kaliyev with this club next season either.
In other news, Bozo The Bench Boss altered his line-up – but of course – not in the area that needs most addressing – the team’s putrid power-play.
Instead, Juuse Parsinnen, who had been scratched for the past handful of games, returned to the line-up, while Brennan Othmann was told to take a seat.
Big picture, shaking around the bottom-six won’t make much of a difference – as after all – it are the team’s top players, the FAT CATS, that haven’t amounted to much this season.
However, this was an indictment of Othmann, who in a dozen or so NHL games played during his career, has yet to garner a point.
Speaking of the fourth line, then come the conclusion of practice and every Ranger congratulated Matt Rempe at center ice.
While the cause for the celebration wasn’t confirmed, then it is thought that the Big Friendly Giant had earned himself a contract extension.
And such a deal has been a long time coming.
After all, and among recent Ranger draft picks, then who has developed and progressed further in his role than Rempe?
Certainly not the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil (concussed again and out in Vancouver), Lias Andersson, Vitali Kravtsov, Brennan Othmann, so on and so forth.
The only recent Rangers’ draft pick to acclimate and develop faster than Rempe is another hard-hitting type, the most likely winner of the 2025 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, Will Cuylle.
Joining Othmann in the press box were Carson Soucy and Calvin de Haan – as these two defensemen, received in deals for Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith, remain as healthy scratches for a team that still throws around the word “playoffs.”
What a general manager!
Here was Laviolette’s line-up for the sixty-ninth game of this 2024-25 season:
FIRST LINE: Panarin/Trocheck/Cuylle
SECOND LINE: Lafreniere/Miller/Mika
THIRD LINE: Kreider/Carrick/Parssinen
FOURTH LINE: Berard/Brodzinski/Rempe
FIRST PAIR: Miller/Borgen
SECOND PAIR: Vaakanainen/Fox
THIRD PAIR: Jones/Schneider
STARTING GOALIE: CZAR IGOR
BACK UP GOALIE: Quick
LTIR: Adam Edstrom
DONE FOR THE SEASON: Arthur Kaliyev
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: Calvin de Haan, Carson Soucy and Brennan Othmann
BOX SCORE time.
The following graphics and information come from ESPN.com:
SCORING:
PENALTIES:
TEAM STATS:
GOALIES:
|
CGY
|
|
Dan Vladar#80
|
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 13 | 1 | 12 | .923 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 60:00 | 0 |
| NYR |
|
SA
|
GA
|
SV
|
SV%
|
ESSV
|
PPSV
|
SHSV
|
SOSA
|
SOS
|
TOI
|
PIM
|
| 35 | 2 | 33 | .943 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 57:36 | 0 |
Again, I’m up against the clock – and where furthermore – the Rangers don’t deserve as much space and time in my life as they usually do on a daily basis.
This will be a short GAME REVIEW segment below – and where I’ll just give you what I said at the end of each period.
However, if you want my complete play-by-play from this fiasco, then you can find all of it on my Tweeter/X account, as I recapped everything in real-time here: https://x.com/NYCTheMiC/
Quickly, and before getting there, then just some comments about the M$GN broadcast:
— Tonight was “Women’s Empowerment Night” – and where no Ranger was empowered.
— It’s just too bad Sam Rosen, after plugging “Pride Night” a few weeks back, didn’t give us a detailed description on the differences between biological women and transgender women – as that would’ve been more entertaining than this slog of shit on ice!
“OH JOE, SURGERIES JOE! OUTTIES BECOME INNIES JOE! HORMONES JOE!”
“SAM, BREAST IMPLANTS ON A MAN ARE ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!”
Ugh.
— Sieve Vagistat was left to his own devices tonight – so I didn’t watch any of the pregame, intermission or post-game segments. My condolences and sympathy for the people who did.
— As said on this site in the past – then I believe that Joe Micheletti is joining Sam Rosen out the door at the end of this season. After all, it’s time for an all-new M$GN crew. But I will say, and I don’t know for a fact if he’s leaving or not, that Jumpin’ Joe had no problems calling out the Rangers for the pieces of shit that they were in this game.
— The topic of St. Patrick’s Day was brought up – but where Sam & Joe didn’t explain what “The Irish Flu” is – nor did they outright say that the Rangers looked both drunk and hungover either.
And let’s blow through this GAME REVIEW – and if you’re still reading these words – then thank you.
For a writer who always gives you all of the adages, then here’s another:
“Misery loves company!”
FIRST PERIOD
2-1, bad guys, after 20. 1P Thoughts:
— Panarin scores a fluke goal and it’s all downhill from there.
— Flames easily could have scored a TD this period, instead, they get the safety.
— SOG 15-5, not in favor of #Nyr
— Another bad penalty called against Rempe has the GWG…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 18, 2025
SECOND PERIOD
2-1, bad guys, after 40. 2P Thoughts:
— WE HAVE A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT – Sam Rosen hasn’t told us yet if Yegor Sharangovich is a former Devil or not!
— Another shit effort from #NYR
— CGY played last night, have the worst special team units in the league, yet are just…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 19, 2025
THIRD PERIOD
2-1, Flames, final. Pre https://t.co/pbL0K5NsMb blog – if I even do one (have a double-shift tomorrow – and a promotion coming my way too!)
— I’m kind of glad #NYR didn’t come back – they didn’t deserve it at all. They deserve to be embarrassed and ridiculed – that is – sans…— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 19, 2025
I said after the wins against NSH and NYI that #NYR had 11 straight games against teams looking for a playoff spot. They are now 2-5. Four more losses to go.
— BlueCollarBlueShirts (@NYCTheMiC) March 19, 2025
One last final thought.
I said up top that I thought this was the worst loss of the season – and perhaps the worst in my lifetime too.
Yes, there have been blowouts, washouts, all-out ass-kickings, etc – but in all of those games, the Rangers were either the weaker team, entered the game under unfortunate circumstances (schedule, injuries, etc), and at the very least – showed effort – and even if it was only minimal.
This loss was none of that – and it’s only compounded even more so because of this “playoff race.”
Do you know how bad this loss was?
Not only are season ticket holders scrambling to unload their remaining tickets right now – but the Rangers’ next game/loss, scheduled for this Thursday night against Toronto, feature the cheapest get-in prices of the season – as I’m currently seeing ducats running for as low as $75.
And do you know who will be gobbling up these tickets?
Leaf fans.
Up Next For The Rangers: A Toronto team, that much like this Calgary team on Tuesday night, will be entering M$G having played the night before.
The Leafs host the red-hot Colorado Avalanche, a team that just decimated them two-weeks back, and will then make the same flight to the Big Apple as their Western Canada counterparts just made.
So in theory, the Rangers will once again have the advantage.
But in reality?
Most likely a 7-3 Leafs’ win.
Up Next For Me: A long day at work – but hey – I’m also getting promoted tomorrow. That’s more money earned – and money that I will NOT be spending on Ranger games for the remainder of this season!
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
