Greetings and salutations everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. Let the (real) games begin!
For a BEST IN THE WORLD BLUESHIRTS team that’s checked off every box imaginable this season, a new box revealed itself on Tuesday night – their opponent for the first-round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – the Washington Capitals.
For Ranger fans, you may be familiar with Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson and company.
(And if you’re not, then you’re in store for something special at the end of tonight’s tome!)
Also very familiar with these men from D.C.?
Peter Laviolette, who prior to his Big Apple arrival, coached the Capitals for the past three-seasons and then “amicably” parted ways following Washington’s 2022-23 playoff miss.
While winning the Stanley Cup has always been the goal for everyone associated with this club – and no matter the four teams that the Rangers will have to overcome along the way in order to reach their final destination; regardless, you’d have to think that Big Pete and his players will have a bit more of an extra incentive when matched-up against the current bench boss’ former team.
(You also have to think that Laviolette’s familiarity with the Caps gives the Rangers an advantage too – or so I believe!)
And while the MVP of NYC, Artemi Panarin, may have forgiven Laviolette for condoning the actions of Tom Wilson from some three-years ago – there isn’t any Ranger around from that fateful night of May 3rd, 2021 that’s extended an olive branch to #43 in Washington red.
Furthermore, and with so many story-lines entering this series, there’s also that Alex Ovechkin guy – a future Hall of Famer – and one of the biggest “Ranger Killers” of all-time.
And since I’m riding a grand old high right now – and solely due to the present state of Rangerstown, USA; for new fans who may not exactly be aware of all of the recent history between these two teams – then I will also conclude tonight’s blog with two free sample chapters from my tenth book, “The Top 100 Villains of New York Rangers History.”
There’s a lot to get into, and as mentioned last night (https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/41524/ ), I haven’t been doing much sleeping lately, so let’s get right into all of it!
During the past 48-hours, and during two separate “LAVY LOUNGES” too; the head coach has rubber-stamped his approval when speaking about the youngest player on his roster – and the man whose merchandise is the number one seller in the league today – Matt Rempe.
In a way, drawing the Capitals was the best thing for both Rempe and his fans – as Washington is full of heavyweights.
Also playing into Rempe’s favor?
The Capitals feature the oldest roster in the NHL – where as a result – they are also one of the slowest teams in the league too.
(And in a way, and with hindsight being 20/20, you can point to Caps’ coach, Spencer Carberry, leaning into this fact – as once the team started focusing on staying back and playing defense – this is when their run to their eventual playoff berth began.)
While the Penguins (and we can talk more about their failure in the future) are also old and veteran-laden; at the same time, they do feature a ton of speed and skill – and if you’re not aware of all of the the damage that the Sidney Crosby line has inflicted upon the Blueshirts during the past several seasons during his third act (first act being his early years and first Stanley Cup win, the second act being his prime years where he won two more championships) – then you my friend, need to get your head out of your five-hole!
Granted, and as said many times before – it never mattered to me who the Rangers drew in the first-round – because ON PAPER (and we all know how that goes) – the Capitals play right into the Blueshirts’ hands.
(The only team that worries me? The Vegas Golden Knights, as the 2023 Cup champs have dominated the Rangers during the past three seasons – including sweeping the 2023-24 season series by an aggregated score of 10-3. But we can worry about VGK v. NYR should that become the ’24 Final!)
While it’s true that the Flyers are inexperienced and young, they were one of the hottest teams in the NHL prior to their mid-March collapse.
Plus, who wants to go up against John Tortorella when you don’t have to?
The Red Wings, whose “Yzerplan” now resembles the Hindenburg, feature a mix of youth and veterans – and unlike the Capitals who had two cracks at entering the playoffs (the third seed in the Metro or second wild-card seed) – perhaps Detroit fell victim to circumstance, which in this case, are the top-four of the Atlantic – the Bruins, Panthers, Leafs and Lightning.
While at the end of the day it’s up to the Rangers to handle their own business – and against all else too; the Blueshirts may have landed themselves with the most perfect opponent possible (and again – ON PAPER) in this first-round match-up with the Capitals.
Put it this way:
Of the four teams who still had a shot of facing the Blueshirts in the first round when entering all games played on Tuesday night; the Penguins had a +6 goal differential, the Red Wings had a +4 goal differential and the Flyers had a -26 goal differential.
The Capitals, and despite the late-season heroics from goaltender Charlie Lindgren, and who has become another example of why that Darcy Kuemper contract is horrendous (and I even predicted at the time that D.K. was lucky that there weren’t that many goalies available in the summer of 2022 – which is when he first signed that ridiculous five-year deal worth $26.25M overall), finished the 2023-24 campaign with the worst goal differential of any playoff team in the modern era – a staggering minus-37.
For comparison, of the sixteen teams now at the golf course – and rather than at the rink – eleven of them finished with a better goal differential than the playoff-bound Caps.
And yes, I know – goal-differential, and much like any other stat recorded during the regular season, doesn’t mean anything now – but when you look at this series, we’re talking about a Top-Five team in this department (the Rangers finished as a +53) against the worst team still alive in this category.
For the math majors out there, that’s a total goal discrepancy of 90 scores between these two Metro foes.
And oh yeah – I led this segment by talking about a potential Rempe v. Wilson fight(s) too!
What I’m getting at is that Washington, no strangers to bullying the Blueshirts in the past, will do everything in their power, brute-force power at that, to slow down the Rangers.
After all, the Caps aren’t going to beat the Rangers with their speed and skill.
And with power-plays at a premium during playoff play – the Blueshirts are going to need someone on the ice to counter-act Mr. Wilson.
Sorry Jonny Brodzinski – and maybe Jack Roslovic too in the event that Filip Chytil is ready – but Matt Rempe MUST be in Lavy’s Line-Up for the first game of the series.
After all, Wilson isn’t the only face-puncher and bruiser that the Blueshirts will have to worry about.
In one of the most criticized NHL Entry Drafts in Rangers’ history, which took place in 2010 and under the “wisdom” of Senile Glen Sather – the Blueshirts selected defenseman Dylan McIlrath with their tenth-overall pick.
And while one day, it’s my plan to write a book covering and meticulously detailing every draft in Rangers’ history; but for now, and in case you have been living under a rock or in jail during the past fourteen-years – then you already know how this pick was wasted – and especially since players like Cam Fowler (#12), Jaden Schwartz (#14), Vladimir Tarasenko (#16) and about 25 other prominent players followed the Rangers’ selection of McIlrath.
Known as “THE UNDERTAKER,” and due to his big fights (but he never reached a Matt Rempe level, nor was he ever as versatile and skilled as #73 has been today), McIlrath, mainly a career AHLer, wasn’t long for the Rangers.
By 2016, and following 38 games played with the varsity team over the course of four seasons (but we’ll always have that St. Valentine’s Day Massacre game against the Flyers when McIlrath got revenge on Wayne Simmonds), he was soon shipped off to Florida in exchange for Steven Kampfer.
Since that time, McIlrath has bounced in-and-out of the NHL.
The Undertaker first signed with the Caps in July of 2021 – and has mainly been part of their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, ever since.
Today?
McIlrath has played in three games for the Caps this season – and most notably on Tuesday night – a MUST WIN GAME for Washington.
And wouldn’t you know it – he picked up an assist in Washington’s biggest win of the season.
While who knows if McIlrath will figure into Spencer Carberry’s playoff line-up; should that be the case, then this is just more of an incentive for Laviolette to use Rempe.
In a comical, yet truthful interlude, this series is also tailor-made for the biggest mush in town, and the man who knows the genealogy of every player in the league too, Sam Rosen.
For an announcer who gets a raging hard-on whenever speaking about members of the alumni, players born close to M$G and who is (and who isn’t) related to who, then one look at the Caps’ roster and then you know that Slammin’ Sammy is going to have a field day.
Obviously, Rosen will have to gush over Alex Ovechkin – as there’s just no other way.
However, and what has to have Rosen’s pants wet as the Atlantic Ocean as you read these words, this series features the crown jewel story-line for the Hall of Famer – a BROTHER v. BROTHER series.
Seriously, Rosen, who may have been around at the time, would have rubbed himself red-raw when talking about the first brother vs. brother fight in mankind – Cain vs. Abel.
On one side of the equation is the HEART AND SOUL Ranger, defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
The other side?
Caps’ goaltender Charlie Lindgren.
Ryan Lindgren, born on February 11th, 1998, is presently 26-years old, and as you may know already – reached NHL superstardom much earlier than his older brother – as big bro Charlie, now 30-years-old, was born in the same Minnesota state as his younger sibling on December 18th, 1993.
Some of these first-round games will receive national broadcasting rights, which is to say that I’d expect a camera planted by the faces of Bob and Jennifer Lindgren, the parents of these brothers, and whenever these games are aired on TNT and/or ESPN.
For Rosen?
He’s not going to be able to contain his excitement about this blood-on-blood battle.
To step aside from the familial DNA aspect, and to just look at the goaltenders – CZAR IGOR has a significant advantage over his peer in the barrel.
If you don’t consider past playoff experience and career games played too; then here’s how the goalies have fared in 2023-24:
CZAR IGOR: 36-17-2, 2.58 GAA, .913% and 4 shutouts.
Chuck Lindgren: 25-16-7, 2.71 GAA, .911% and 6 shutouts.
Granted, while these numbers are similar, and with both men playing their best hockey of the season right now too; CZAR IGOR has every edge imaginable over Ryan’s brother.
And that’s not a knock against the Caps’ goalie either – it’s just the way it is.
After all, CZAR IGOR entered the NHL with the hopes of becoming a starter who could win the Vezina Trophy and the Stanley Cup from the jump.
He has the Vezina.
Conversely, Charles has mainly been an AHL journeyman who has now found lightning in a bottle today – and who has also benefited from the poor play of Kuemper too.
Let’s continue to look at the other players on the Caps before fully exploring Wilson and Ovi.
Place your Long Island bets now on these two things:
How many times will Sam Rosen mention that Adam Fox is from Jericho, NY – and how many times will he mention that Sonny Milano is from Massapequa, NY?
“OH JOE!”
And don’t forget about the Connecticut-born Max Pacioretty either – and a player that Rosen and Micheletti completely fawned over several times this season – despite, you know – “Patches” not having played a full NHL season since the tie era!
I also expect Rosen to confuse the Caps’ Dylan Strome for former Ranger Ryan Strome no less than ten-times too.
But to be serious, and to their credit – the Caps do have a formidable roster.
But it doesn’t fare well in comparison to the Rangers’ roster.
As alluded to earlier, the Capitals, while kicking-and-clawing to clinch the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, are old.
The days of Nicklas Backstrom are over too – one of the biggest losses for Washington.
Evgeny Kuznetzov, one of the heroes from the team’s 2018 championship run, is now in Carolina.
While T.J. Oshie remains – he’s not the same player that he once was either.
It’s funny.
Going into the season, it felt like the Caps had one goal – find as many players as possible to feed Ovechkin in his chase for Gretzky’s all-time goal record (894).
The playoffs?
It just didn’t feel like that was the main goal, or at least not from the moves made by D.C. management – and as the team’s trades prior to the deadline will tell you.
After previously selling off Dmitri Orlov and Garnet Hathaway last season, this year, Caps’ GM, Brian MacLellan, traded away Anthony Mantha (VGK) and Joel Edmundson (TOR) for a slew of draft picks.
In essence (and in reality) – prior to this year’s NHL Trade Deadline, and with the team struggling a bit at the time (no one expected the Capitals to be here) – Washington found themselves in a rebuilding pickle.
While not wanting to blow the whole thing up, as they do need players to get Ovechkin some goals (he now has 852 goals – so 42 more to tie 99 and one more after that for “The Great Eight” to surpass “The Great One”); the Caps constructed a middle-of-the-pack roster, while also keeping an eye out for their future – the Post Ovechkin Era – and where it also seems like Tom Wilson is being groomed to succeed Ovi as the next Capitals’ captain.
Come Game 82 of the season – the Caps got the best of both worlds – Ovi inching closer to Gretzky – and at least two lucrative playoff gates.
But they also got the BEST IN THE WORLD BLUESHIRTS – and a pissed-off Panarin too.
You can check out this site’s archives for everything about Panarin, Ovi, Putin and Navalny (start in 2021) – but needless to say – with the recent murder of Navalny – you have to think that this series, and as it is for Laviolette facing his former team – is a bit personal for Panarin.
How can it not be?
To go further back into history, and when it comes to these two teams (and a little bit of Ovechkin too)?
Here’s how the two teams have fared against each other in the playoffs – and thanks to Wikipedia for the copy-and-paste assist too!
| Postseason history | |
|---|---|
|
While it wasn’t until 2013 when these two teams joined the newly formed Metropolitan Division, as previously during the “Henrik Lundqvist Era,” the Capitals played in the Southeast Division, while the Rangers played in the Atlantic Division; in the last five playoff meetings between these two teams featuring iconic Hall of Famers, Lundqvist and Ovechkin, the Capitals took the first two series’, while the Rangers took the final three.
Why bring this up?
Because in a way, and with Lundqvist now long retired and Ovechkin still active (and imagine if Lundqvist didn’t have his heart issues – as these two were scheduled to play together for the 2020-21 season), maybe we are currently experiencing “THE CHRIS KREIDER ERA” of Rangers.
After all, for the longest-tenured Blueshirt, whose #20 will join #30 in the rafters of M$G one day, this series will mark his fourth playoff meeting with Ovi’s Caps.
And unlike Lundqvist (3-2), Kreider’s Rangers are undefeated against Washington – and they’ll hope to keep it that way too!
While it’s Trouba, the other “GREAT EIGHT” in this series, that wears the “C” in New York – it’s Kreider who has been a team-leader for much longer than that – and who has been through many more playoff wars with the Rangers than Trouba ever has.
If there’s any active Ranger that deserves to hoist hockey’s holy chalice over their head more than Kreider – then I can’t think of one – and with all due respect paid to everyone else.
Simply stated?
We’ve experienced every high and low with Kreider during the past dozen years, and for perhaps the future all-time leading goal scorer of the franchise – we’ve seen the kid from Boston College grow up into a man right in front of our own very eyes.
And with the way that sports work today – you don’t get many players who last with one team throughout the duration of their careers – much less a player who made his debut twelve-years ago, which took place during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“The Henrik Lundqvist Era” was a great one – but much like another fantastic era of Rangers’ history, “The Emile Francis We Did Everything But Win Era” – those teams didn’t win either.
And should the Blueshirts achieve their goal this year?
Then perhaps we’ll look back at these past few years as “The Kreider Era” – and where unlike “The Lundqvist Era” – the longest-tenured Ranger never went elsewhere – and most importantly – then won a Stanley Cup too.
When it comes to the two head coaches, then Laviolette has his counterpart, Carberry, beat in every which way.
After all, Carberry, ironically Laviolette’s successor in Washington, just completed his first regular season as an NHL bench boss.
Laviolette?
He’s been doing this for over twenty-years now.
Not only did he bring two teams to a Stanley Cup Final in his past stops (Philadelphia in 2010 and Nashville in 2017), but prior to that, he led the Hurricanes to their first-and-only championship in 2006.
Laviolette, who should be a slam-dunk Hall of Famer once he retires, is now looking to bring his fourth team to a Stanley Cup Final – and win his second championship with a different team too.
Should these hopeful events play out – then Lavy will be the only man in NHL history to lay this claim.
When it comes to Laviolette v. Carberry this season, here’s how it all played out:
— A 4-0 Caps’ win on 12/9/23: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/12923/
— A 5-1 Rangers’ win on 12/27/23: https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/122723/
— A home-and-home back-to-back set on January 13th (a 3-2 Caps’ victory) and on January 14th (a 2-1 Rangers’ win at M$G): https://bluecollarblueshirts.com/11424/
As you can tell, these two teams split the series at 2-2 – but where it’s really tough to use these past performances as any true indicator for the series that matters most.
After all, these two foes never played one game against each other following the trade deadline.
And that Matt Rempe guy wasn’t even a thought in the Blueshirts’ head at the time too.
Needless to say, so much has changed for both teams, largely all positive changes too – and where really – it’s all about today – and as a historian, this is tough to say – the past be damned too!
What happened then doesn’t matter now.
Don’t believe me?
Then talk to the Bruins and Panthers from 2023 about this.
I won’t lie to you – I’m an all-out RANGER HOMER.
But even if I was to toss my Blueshirt biased glasses to the side; then I still would have predicted the Rangers to win this series – and just like how I <gulp> predicted last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Bruins, to easily cruise on by the Panthers.
Heading into these 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Rangers are +700 to win it all, while the Caps have Cinderella odds of +10,000.
No official odds for this series have been announced just yet, but I’d imagine that this series, featuring the worst vs the first, will see the Rangers as the biggest favorite to win their round.
As both an official and esteemed “Rangers’ Historian” (and a title that doesn’t entitle me to a free computer to replace this dino-machine I’m typing on right now neither!) – I’m fully aware about how the Blueshirts operate.
Heck, that’s why I’ve coined the phrase, “THE RANGERS’ WAY.”
It would be “THE RANGERS’ WAY” for this series to go on for six or seven games.
It’s just in this franchise’s DNA.
The black-and-white in support of this fact?
The last time the Rangers won a series in six-games or less was in 2015 – another Presidents’ Trophy winning season – and as they did when they knocked off the Penguins in five-games (first-round).
The last time the Blueshirts swept a playoff opponent took place in 2007 – and against a defunct franchise no less – the Atlanta Thrashers.
While history usually influences all of my opinions, I’m going to go out on a limb here:
The Rangers sweep another playoff opponent – and for the first time in seventeen-years.
After all, who’s a bigger fan of 4-0 than yours truly?
Furthermore?
This team has broken and set records all-season – which is why I feel so confident about a short-series – and where to win the Stanley Cup – you need a short-series along the way.
(And please – I’ve erased the 2014 L.A. Kings from my brain!)
A few things before sharing with you (FOR FREE) the Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin chapters from my latest book release, “The Top 100 Villains of New York Rangers History.”
Sorry if this blog tonight feels rushed and short-changed – but again for my regulars here – my job, my job, my job – and my no sleep, my no sleep, my no sleep too!
But I felt obligated to you BlueCollarBlueShirts.com loyalists to post something once the Capitals clinched their fate – or should I say DEMISE – against the Rangers!
My annual Report Card blogs usually run me six hours from start-to-finish. I’m hoping to get the 2023-24 Final Report Card blog done prior to the playoffs.
And I’m most certainly looking forward to writing a playoff preview/bracket blog too. (Spoiler: Rangers over Vegas!)
The Rangers were off on Tuesday, but it’s now going to be full-steam ahead starting on Wednesday.
In other real news, the schedule hasn’t been released just yet for this series – but many expect Game 1 on Sunday and Game 2 on Wednesday, due to the other M$G co-tenant also hosting their first-round of the playoffs, the Knicks.
(And like most of you, I can’t even name one player of the Garden’s NBA team either! Is John Starks still there?)
I’ll try to post something every night this week (even if it’s only a few words, rather than 10,000 of them), as there will be post-practice news, and where of course, the biggest question right now left to be answered is this one:
“What will Lavy’s Line-Up look like?”
Another prediction?
Why fix what’s not broken?
In other words, if it were up to me (and it’s most certainly not), then I’d use the exact same line-up from the past two games.
Without further ado, and with the Capitals up next for at least four more times; the Wilson and Ovechkin profiles.
- Tom Wilson
Wilson, born in Toronto, Ontario on March 29th, 1994 – less than three months shy of the last Rangers’ Stanley Cup victory in franchise history – is a lot of things. The term “Ranger Killer” is definitely among them.
The right-winger was selected by the Washington Capitals with their 16th-overall pick of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Once drafted, it was always the message from the organization to their young player that Wilson needed to tone down his natural instincts of brawling and bruising – and instead – focus on scoring and picking up points.
Wilson has walked that fine line ever since – and successfully at that.
As a rare breed who can score goals and also trade fists with anyone; Wilson, who would later become one of the biggest villains of Rangers’ history in May of 2021; eight years prior to that date, he made his NHL debut against the Blueshirts during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Following a 2012-13 season spent with the Plymouth Whalers (OHL); Wilson was then called-up for Game 5 of the first-round series between the two clubs. At the time, the series was tied at two-games a piece. While Wilson didn’t play much during the game, he was a part of the Capitals’ 2-1 overtime victory – and now a winner in not only his first ever NHL game played – but a victor in his first game played against the Rangers too.
Mike Riberio, who scored the game-winning goal, would never score again. Ditto his teammates. The Rangers, in their win-or-go-home Game 6, shutout the Capitals by a final score of 1-0. Then, when the best two words in sports had arrived – “Game 7” – the Rangers soon won a laugher of a contest, by a final score of 5-0.
While no one knew it at the time; Wilson got his first taste of not only playoff hockey, but of the Blueshirts too. Even better for the new #43 of the Capitals? Due to the paltry salary that he was making under his rookie contract (as designed by Gary Bettman following the events of the 2012-13 NHL lockout) – he was a cheap option for Washington.
Come the 2013-14 season, Wilson was now a full-time NHLer, where his status as an enforcer, the equivalent of a unicorn during the salary cap era, helped cement his case for a roster spot.
Sans a pair of rehab games played during the 2014-15 season with the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears – Wilson has remained as a full-time NHLer with the Capitals ever since.
Washington’s decision to go with Wilson, and then stay with him – has been a fruitful one – and as was evident when Wilson scored fifteen points during the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup Playoff run – which ended with the best trophy in sports hoisted over their heads.
When it comes to Wilson’s numbers, his statistics – that’s not what Ranger fans will ever concern themselves with – even though “TW43” has had a heck of a career thus far.
Wilson, who began his career by playing on the fourth line and then worked his way up to the first line where he remains today, has seen his scoring totals go up over the years while also decreasing his penalty minutes accrued.
As of this 2022-23 writing, Wilson, in 680 games played, has scored 128 goals and has picked up 167 assists for a grand total of 295 points. He’s also recorded a whopping 1,299 penalty minutes.
In Wilson’s 38 games against the Rangers, he has scored 7 goals and has picked up 5 assists for a grand total of 12 points – and these numbers are one of the best stat lines that he’s ever accumulated against any one team. However, and thus far, he’s had more offensive success against the other teams of the Metropolitan Division, including the Islanders, the Flyers, the Devils and the Penguins.
However, the 102 PIM assessed to Wilson against the Rangers is his second-highest total against any one team (113 PIM against Philadelphia) – and where his 16 PIM received on May 3rd, 2021 are his most infamous.
As talked about at length in one of my other titles, “One Game at a Time,” and as previously discussed when talking about Jean-Gabriel Pageau; the 2020-21 pandemic-plagued 56-game campaign was a season of hell for the Rangers. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong – and by the end of it – Blueshirts’ owner, James Dolan, cleaned house.
While the late season losses to the Islanders had already sealed the Rangers’ fate that season; it was Wilson who not only hammered the final nail into the coffin – but he used a 500-pound sledgehammer when doing so. As a result, no one could have predicted what was going to happen next.
On May 3rd, 2021, the Rangers hosted the Capitals at Madison Square Garden. At the time, the Blueshirts had just been shutout twice by the Islanders, and pretty much had a .0000001% chance of qualifying for the playoffs. By the end of the night – Washington eliminated all of New York’s slim hopes, via a 6-3 victory.
However, it’s not the final score that many will ever remember. Instead, everyone will always recall what Wilson did during that game – and the aftermath that ensued.
After one period of play, the Capitals led the Rangers by a 2-1 score. At the 1:12 mark of the middle frame, Wilson hit Blueshirts’ defenseman Adam Fox right in the face. In a response, then Rangers’ center, Ryan Strome, tied the game, via a power-play goal scored at the 2:30 mark.
Just 2:35 later, Rangers’ right-winger, Kaapo Kakko, put the team ahead, following a two-vs-one goal scored (Alexis Lafreniere was right by his side).
Peter Laviolette, the head coach of the Capitals at the time, had seen his team squander a 2-1 lead as a result of the two quick Ranger strikes. As a response, he immediately took his timeout – and whatever he said – Wilson sure took it to heart. Not only would the Rangers go without a goal for the remainder of the game – while also giving up four goals unanswered – but the course of Blueshirts’ history was soon changed too.
At this point in time, Wilson’s reputation in the league was well known. He could thug-and-goon it up when necessary – but he was also able to produce offensively too. Prior to this game, Wilson had repeatedly been fined and suspended for several different incidents throughout his career, including during this 2020-21 season.
On March 5th, 2021, Wilson was suspended for seven-games and lost $300,000 in salary following a dirty hit that he levied upon Boston’s Brandon Carlo. After serving the suspension, and with Wilson now back in the Washington line-up; on March 20th, 2021, the Rangers defeated the Capitals by a final score of 3-1.
During that game, the Blueshirts’ Brendan Smith tried to goad Wilson into fighting and/or taking a penalty. Wilson wouldn’t oblige – and he didn’t forget either.
As the two teams returned to the ice on May 3rd, 2021, and now following Laviolette’s timeout – what will forever be known as the “Tom Wilson Incident” took place.
At the 6:07 mark of the second period, and with the Rangers still up 3-2; the Capitals were then busted for having too many men on the ice. In turn, the Washington penalty killers took the ice, including Wilson.
During the Blueshirts’ powerplay, a pair of Ranger Russians, Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin, were crashing the net of Capitals’ goaltender, Vitek Vanecek. Wilson wasn’t having any of it.
Following a freeze of the puck, a scrum soon broke out. Wilson, in a pure act of savagery, punched a downed Buchnevich in the back of the head – and really – Wilson could’ve killed Buchnevich with this unprotected rabbit shot – or at the very least – have given him a concussion.
Panarin, who had taken notice of what had happened to his comrade, and being a good teammate – jumped on Wilson’s back. In a response, Wilson, and with all of his might, flung Panarin like an ape throwing a newspaper through a window.
Panarin, who was without his helmet at the time, came up from the fall bloodied, beat-up and bruised – and then left the game. “The Breadman” never played again for the remainder of the season.
(It should be mentioned that since the Rangers were at the end of the season and weren’t in playoff contention – it didn’t make sense for Panarin to return.)
For some people, what Wilson did to Panarin was considered as breaking the “unwritten code,” as enforcers are supposed to exclusively battle with other enforcers – and leave the skilled superstars out of their daily wars.
But as Wilson said, “I didn’t know who was on my back. I just defended myself.”
While it may be sacrilegious of me to side with the Washington agitator – I can see his point – and I do agree with him.
However, what Wilson did to Buchnevich was completely cowardly and was also borderline attempted murder. If he hadn’t attacked Buchnevich, then his rag-dolling of Panarin would have never happened.
The NHL’s response? No suspension – despite Wilson’s numerous run-ins with the league’s department of Player Safety. Instead, George Parros, head of the department, slapped Wilson on the wrist with a laughable $5,000 fine. Perhaps had Wilson killed Buchnevich, then, and only then, would he have received a suspension.
Almost equally as bad? After serving his ten-minute misconduct penalty – Wilson then scored the final goal of the game.
Prior to Wilson’s 6-3 goal; the Rangers were never able to rebound. Wilson had bullied them and intimidated them into submission.
Following the game, then-Rangers’ head coach, David Quinn, said the following:
“We all saw it. There are lines that can’t be crossed in this game and there is just zero respect for the game in general. You have one of the star players in the league [Artemi Panarin] now who could have gotten seriously hurt in that incident. You saw what happened, it happens time-and-time again with him [Wilson] and it’s totally unnecessary. You all saw what happened. It’s just zero respect for the game and the players and everybody involved.
“Losing Bread for the rest of the game certainly was a big blow to us. We were gonna go on a 5-on-3 and not to have him part of it, him and Buchie, we lost him too, and they are our regulars on our 5-on-3. That certainly set us back on that and that goal at the end of the period, they get a goal with 1:40 to go, that kind of took a little bit of the wind out of our sails and they get the fourth one and we weren’t able to finish and hang in there and respond to that situation.”
Wilson’s story doesn’t end here – although what Wilson did ended a Rangers’ era.
Following the scene that Wilson had created, and as if it were out of Paul Newman’s “Slap Shot;” due to the pandemic, where teams played “baseball series” against each other in order to limit traveling – the Rangers and Capitals rematched two days later, on May 5th, 2021.
Prior to the game, Rangers’ owner James Dolan issued the following statement – and where he called for Parros to be terminated from his job:
Dolan wasn’t done yet.
It was later reported that his statement and his comments about Parros wasn’t something that the club’s Team President, John Davidson, and the club’s General Manager, Jeff Gorton, had agreed to – as Dolan had gone rogue.
Dolan, who was sick of the losing, watching his team get run over by the Islanders and now getting dominated by Tom Wilson; soon released another statement prior to the May 5th game, this one:
“The New York Rangers announced today that team President John Davidson and General Manager Jeff Gorton are leaving the organization, and Associate General Manager Chris Drury has been promoted to President and General Manager, effective immediately. Senior Advisor Glen Sather will work with Drury during this transition and continue to consult with the team.
“We want to thank JD and Jeff for their contributions to the organization. They are both great hockey professionals who worked hard for the Rangers, however, in order for the team to succeed in the manner our fans deserve, there needs to be a change in leadership.
“Chris is a very sought-after executive and a strong leader, who has proven himself to be one of the top young minds in hockey. We are confident he will effectively guide the team to ensure the long-term success we promised Rangers fans.”
In essence – “The Tom Wilson Incident” was the final straw. John Davidson, a man who is still one of the biggest fan-favorites of all-time, had been sacked – after being hired no less than two-years prior.
Gorton, who helped write “The Letter” with Glen Sather in February of 2018, was gone too.
To this day, the date of May 5th, 2021 is one of the craziest days in all of Rangers’ history – and there was still a game to be played too!
The Capitals won the rematch by a final score of 4-2 – but this victory wasn’t as easy as the one they had achieved 48-hours prior.
Just one second into the game – three fights broke out, including Kevin Rooney vs Nic Dowd, Colin Blackwell vs Carl Hagelin and Philipp Di Giuseppe vs Garnet Hathaway.
Forty-nine seconds later, Brendan Smith and Tom Wilson joined this sextet in their respective penalty boxes, as Smith sought revenge – but admittedly – only after both the media and the fans had called out the Rangers for being “soft” – after not doing anything to Wilson in the May 3rd contest.
At the 4:14 mark of the game, we had two more fights, the sixth exchange of knuckles, as Anthony Bitetto and Michael Raffl went toe-to-toe and as did both Ryan Strome and Lars Eller.
At the game’s conclusion, both teams set their season-highs in penalty minutes assessed, as the Rangers took 85 PIM while Washington took 56 PIM.
Following their final loss to Wilson’s Capitals; the Rangers only had two more games remaining on the schedule, a pair of games against Boston. The Bruins won the first contest via a 4-0 shutout; while the Rangers then won their final game of the season by a final score of 5-4.
Four days after the season finale; new general manager and team president Chris Drury fired head coach David Quinn.
While you can read more about this disastrous season in “One Game at a Time;” Wilson’s actions had exposed the Rangers for not being tough, gritty and physical.
In the off-season that followed, Drury’s first move was to trade for one of the grittiest players in the league, Barclay Goodrow, who was fresh off of winning two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay.
Drury’s next move? Trading for Vegas’ Ryan Reaves – one of Wilson’s most frequent sparring partners – and a player that even former Rangers’ captain, Barry Beck, demanded that the Blueshirts acquire.
Drury would continue to both trade for and sign face-punchers – and somewhat exclusively – in what many viewed as an “overcompensation response” to the havoc that Wilson had wreaked upon the Rangers.
While the late season smackdowns suffered by the hands of the Islanders had already done the Rangers in; it was Wilson who was the straw that broke the camel’s back – or in this case – the back of James Dolan.
As a result, a whole new regime was installed – and a lot of roster reshuffling took place too.
Ironically, Buchnevich, who was viciously assaulted by Wilson, was part of this roster reshuffling – as he was traded to St. Louis for the tough-as-nails grinder, Sammy Blais – but we have already talked about what happened to him in the P.K. Slewban chapter.
Ever since May 3rd, 2021, Wilson continues to hear boos whenever he touches the puck at games played at MSG – boos that are well-deserved.
- Alex Ovechkin
For readers who bought this book prior to the 2023-24 season, when this book was originally published; then you’re already aware that Alex Ovechkin, born on September 17th, 1985 in Moscow, Russia, has only one thing left to do in his Hall of Fame bound career – score his 895th NHL goal – thus making him the all-time NHL goal scoring king.
For readers who are finding this book several years after its release date, then “The Great Eight,” who has done everything there is to do, including winning the Calder Trophy (2006), the Art Ross Trophy (2008), the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020), the Hart Trophy (2008, 2009 and 2013), the Ted Lindsay Award (2008, 2009 and 2010), and of course, both the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe trophies too (2018) – then perhaps he has already scored his 895th goal – and maybe the first NHLer to ever score 900 goals – thus retiring with a career that’s unmatched.
As previously mentioned during the Peter Bondra profile; before Ovechkin in D.C. there was Bondra, where the man simply known as “Ovi,” the first-overall pick of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, went on to break all of Bondra’s Capitals’ scoring records – except for most short-handed goals. And even prior to Ovi’s 2018 Stanley Cup win, the first in franchise history and the last piece of the puzzle for him; “Ovi” had already long established himself as the greatest Capital of all-time.
The left-winger, even as young at the age of 16-years-old, when he was dominating the Russian Super League (RSL), the predecessor to the KHL as we now know it today, was always destined for hockey superstardom. At the time, he was already aware of the Russian success in the NHL and made it known that he too would try out his hand in North America. In turn, the Capitals had no reservations when they took him first-overall in 2004.
Following the 2004-05 lockout, where during the NHL’s timeout, he won the 2005 RSL championship; Ovechkin made his way to Washington and very soon – a Hall of Fame legacy was born.
Behind a rookie season (2005-06) of 52 goals, 54 assists and 106 points, Ovechkin easily was the NHL’s rookie of the year and won the Calder Trophy. In his second season (2006-07), he fell two goals shy of eclipsing the career 100-goal mark, having scored 46 goals – and en route to one day challenging Gretzky.
While Ovechkin’s individual success was clearly apparent; it wasn’t until the 2007-08 campaign when he led his team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time. From that year on, Ovechkin and company reached the postseason in six consecutive seasons. After missing the playoffs in 2014, Ovechkin and the Caps then reached the postseason in eight consecutive years, a streak that ultimately ended after their 2023 miss.
During these annual trips to the postseason, where Ovechkin led his team to three Presidents’ Trophies too (2010, 2016 and 2017); the Rangers and Capitals battled five times in the playoffs – and where the Blueshirts won three of these series’.
Of course, it wasn’t just in the postseason where Ovi earned his “Ranger Killer” status – as he had earned this title in the regular season too.
Following the events of the 2022-23 season, where it’s tough to even say that Ovi, currently 37-years-old, has peaked – especially since he scored 42 goals and 75 points in his quest to catch Gretzky in that campaign; Ovechkin in his first NHL eighteen seasons played, has scored 822 goals and has picked up 663 assists for a grand total of 1,485 points in 1,347 games – good for an average of over a point-per-game. And for a star that plays more like Gordie Howe than the player he’s often compared to from his own generation, (albeit a center) Sidney Crosby; Ovi has also been assessed with 797 penalty PIM.
In his first 71 regular season games played against the Rangers, Ovi has scored 42 goals (7 game-winners), picked up 25 assists, totaled 67 points and has received 53 PIM.
While it’s tough to compare eras, and for the reasons as previously described in this book; what we can determine is that no one hurt “The Lundqvist Era” of Rangers more than Ovechkin (although Crosby may have something to say about that – but more on him soon enough) – as with 34 goals scored against “The King” – no one scored more goals against the Class of 2023 Hall of Famer more than “The Great Eight.”
As alluded to, during the height of “The Lundqvist Era,” three teams dominated the Metropolitan Division – the Penguins, the Capitals and the Rangers – and where all three teams had intense rivalries and playoff games against each other. Due to their styles, personalities and the way that they play the game; over the years, Blueshirt backers have gained an immense respect for Ovechkin, while still referring to Crosby as “Crybaby” to this very day. While yes, Ovechkin is also ranked here because of the number that he wears; needless to say, of the two, #87 in Pittsburgh was, is and will always be much more “hated.”
As the top stars of their respective teams, Lundqvist and Ovechkin, they first saw each other in the postseason during the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs – a seven-game first-round series win for the Capitals.
In the series, where only teammate Alexander Semin (5 goals, 3 assists and 8 points) scored more than Ovechkin (3 goals, 4 assists and 7 points); the Rangers took the first two games on the road. Come April 20th, 2009, Game 3, and now on MSG ice; Ovi was involved in a “controversy” during the Blueshirts’ morning skate – and one that in hindsight – may have, in the end, swung the series.
As John Tortorella’s Rangers were preparing for the game; sitting on the visitor’s bench was Ovechkin himself – as the NHL doesn’t exactly keep their practices as private as the NFL does – thus meaning no chances of a “Spygate” ordeal ever taking place in Bettman’s league.
In an amalgamation of media reports from the time, including ESPN, The Hockey News and the New York Post; Rangers’ trainer, Jim Ramsay, spotted Ovechkin – not only sitting on the Caps’ bench by his lonesome – but with a pad-and-pen in tow too – as he was writing down the Rangers’ lines and what they were working on, including their special teams set-ups.
Ovechkin was soon asked to leave, and the Russian, whose broken English (hey – he speaks two tough languages – one more than most of us) has always been comical and entertaining, told the Washington Post after the perceived incident, “I just wanted Tortorella to get ticked off!”
The ploy worked, as the Capitals then won Game 3 by a final score of 4-0. Ovi assisted on both of Semin’s goals – the first and second scores of the game. Following the Blueshirts win in Game 4 (2-1 final); the Capitals, then down in the series 3-1 at the time – won the next three games of the series, including Game 7, in a series that the Rangers had choked away.
The two warring clubs then rematched two-years later, in the first-round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unlike 2009 – the Capitals wouldn’t need a comeback – as they won the series in five-games.
Despite the Capitals finishing first in the Eastern Conference during the 2010-11 season, thus drawing the eighth-seeded Rangers in the process; it was actually the Blueshirts who had dominated the four-game regular-season series. After losing the first regular season game, the Rangers then ripped off three straight wins by a combined score of 15-1.
However, once the regular season turned into the postseason; the Blueshirts wouldn’t be able to stifle Ovechkin and the Capitals no more. In the Rangers’ five-game series loss, Washington scored 13 goals, while New York scored 8 goals. Ovi, with three goals and three assists (six points) was the leading scorer in the series – and for good measure – scored the game-winner in the Game 5 series-clincher.
A year later, during the second-round of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Rangers got their revenge, as they won the series in seven-games. No one scored more goals for the Caps as Ovi did in the series (3), including a game-winner in Game 2.
The two teams, always intertwined during these years featuring Ovi vs Lundqvist, rematched again in the first-round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Once again, the series reached seven-games – and with the Blueshirts proving triumphant, following their statement Game 7 victory (5-0). In the fourth meeting between these two teams from this era; the Rangers were able to limit Ovi to only one goal and one assist.
The Rangers entered the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs as that season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners. Following the Blueshirts’ first-round five-game ouster of the Penguins; the Rangers then watched the Capitals win a first-round seven-game set against the Islanders – thus preventing the first Rangers/Islanders playoff series since 1994.
In what was their last playoff series against each other as of this 2023 writing; overall, this was the ninth time where the Rangers and Capitals drew each other in the postseason – their fifth head-to-head match-up in a seven-year timespan – and where the all-time playoff record was split at four wins a piece.
And once again, and despite the Rangers taking three of the four games against their rivals in the regular season series – these two teams went to seven-games again. And while some of the players and names had changed – the Blueshirts avenged their 2009 loss – as this time around – it was the Rangers who came back from a 3-1 series deficit to win the whole shebang.
Following four games played, the first-seeded Blueshirts (113-points) found themselves trailing their Metropolitan Division second-seeded rivals (101-points), three games to one.
At one point, it looked like the Capitals were cruising to a five-game series victory, especially after a Curtis Glencross goal scored at the 10:54 mark of the final frame. However, the resounding Rangers rebounded; as a Chris Kreider goal scored at the 18:19 mark tied it – and a Ryan McDonagh overtime goal, scored at the 9:37 mark of the bonus period, ended it.
The Rangers survived Game 6 by a final score of 4-3, thus setting up the two best words in sports, “Game 7,” at MSG.
At the 12:50 mark of the first period, there was Ovechkin again, who scored the first goal of the game. However, Kevin Hayes tied the “do or die” game at the 6:22 mark of the second period and then, in one of the most famous goals of recent Rangers’ history – a Derek Stepan overtime goal, scored at the 11:24 mark – made the comeback complete.
While Ovechkin fell to the Blueshirts again; he did score three goals, good for best on his team – while also totaling four-points – second-best in the series overall.
Following this series, the two teams soon took different paths, as the Rangers, as a result of “The Letter” from 2018, took a timeout from their perennial playoff contender status; while Ovechkin, finally bested Lundqvist, while also doing what Crosby, the other pillar from this era of the Metro division, had done – by winning the Stanley Cup.
As a result of his 15 goals and 12 assists (27 points), Ovechkin who was named as that year’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner, had one of the best Stanley Cup celebrations of all-time – a celebration, that admittedly – even Ranger fans appreciated.
After all, this long-awaited Ovechkin celebration was one that Blueshirt backers had long wished for Lundqvist – even if it was tough to imagine the classy “King” getting involved in such drunken debauchery – an issue that Ovi never shied away from! In fact, he relished it!
In later years, and as mentioned during the Tom Wilson profile; Ovechkin, who left that game with injury on May 3rd, 2021, was part of the Capitals team that wrecked the Rangers’ world, thus setting up an earth-shattering change in the Blueshirts’ regime in the days that followed. However, Ovi missed the fight-filled rematch, the game from May 5th, 2021.
Ironically, the two biggest names of this era, Lundqvist and Ovechkin themselves, had a chance to play together – in Washington. Following the Rangers’ buying Lundqvist out of his contract on September 30th, 2020; just a little over a week later, on October 9th – “The King” signed a one-year deal worth $1,500,000 overall. However, due to a heart condition (and a major surgery afterwards), that led to his retirement; Lundqvist never suited-up, nor played, for the Capitals.
While the two never got the chance to play together; there was always a mutual respect between Ovechkin and Lundqvist.
“His [Ovechkin’s shot] is up there for sure [as one of the best of all-time],” said Lundqvist. “It’s heavy. A lot of times it’s not the most accurate, but it’s so hard.
“And the flex on his stick makes it so hard to read. A lot of times it felt like it was coming at you, towards your body and then it shifted a little bit.
“There are a few guys in the league where they shoot and you go ‘UGH!’ You almost get surprised. He has that shot where you thought you had it and it surprised you every single time.”
Now retired, and as a featured analyst on TNT, Lundqvist continued to talk about the player who beat him more than anyone else, when he said, “There’s no secret to his numbers. He’s that good. He’s determined. He’s on a mission [to beat Gretzky’s record] right now. You can see it.”
Once hearing about his one-time foe and almost teammate’s retirement; Ovechkin praised Lundqvist, where he stated, “He’s the best goalie that I ever played against.”
These words were high-praise, as the man known for his own self-titled area of the rink, “Ovi’s Office” – the left faceoff circle in the Capitals’ offensive zone – and where despite a career 299 power-play goals scored – not one team, including the Rangers, have been able to defend.
Just ask Lundqvist.
Since I guess it has to be mentioned; in later years, Ovechkin, who has always supported his Russian President Vladimir Putin, has reiterated his support for his long-time friend. While much has been made about this relationship, as Ovechkin said in 2022, “We talk about hockey and all that stuff. That’s it.”
And since it’s “The Rangers’ Way;” would it shock anyone if Putin and Ovechkin are talking about goals 894, 895 and 900 – and as scored against the Blueshirts?
Up next? An event, followed by five individual players – and a group of players too.
At this time – get out your peanuts and Crackerjack – as “The Circus” comes in at number seven.
Up next: Bedtime for me, work tomorrow and then some “free time” to work on the 2023-24 Report Card Blog.
Up next for you: PLUGS TIME! (Buy a book and support my Rangers’ induced therapy bills. After all, I don’t run ads on this site!)
And in a new wrinkle?
After ten-years of doing this – I have finally realized that my previous blogs show up at the end of my most recent one.
In other words, I don’t have to promote my past blogs – as they show up automatically.
For those in awe of my computer-deficient dumbassery – that’s why I’m a writer – and not a webmaster!
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
Really enjoyed this post, Sean….thank you!
Thanks Doug, LGR
Great report, Sean. For your playoff previews, don’t forget to include recommendations for beverages to be consumed while watching the games. Earlier in the regular season, you frequently mentioned Buffalo Trace. More recently, it was Tullamore Dew. For the playoffs, which do you recommend? Or do you recommend both? If it’s both, in which order? Buffalo Trace followed by Tullamore Dew, or Tullamore Dew chased by Buffalo Trace? And should the spirits be accompanied by suds? A beer on the side, or in between shots of Buffalo Trace and Tullamore Dew?
Always gotta go with a boilermaker and mix the whiskey with the beer – which is always Labatt!