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Famous hockey reporter Stan Fischler composes an once a week scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, referred to as "The Hockey Expert, " shares his wit and insight with visitors each Wednesday. This week, Fischler reveals just how late in the 1958-59 season an unexpected postgame method might have cost the New york city Rangers a berth in the Stanley Mug Playoffs. Had it not been for the Montreal Canadiens, who won the Stanley Cup 5 times in the 1950s, the New York City Rangers could have secured a championship or 2 themselves that decade. In the 1958-59 season, however, they were reversed from within, also if the Canadiens contributed in their demise. The Rangers were solid at every position that period. Lorne "Gump" Worsley was a future Hall of Fame goalie. He was protected by a solid group of defensemen Larry Robinson Jersey, consisting of an additional future Hall of Famer, Harry Howell. Train Phil Watson's violation was deep and included one of the League's ideal power-play professionals in Camille "The Eel" Henry. Real to create, New york city challenged Montreal for Organization supremacy each group got ready for the homestretch of the normal period. But then an unusual point took place on New York's run to the Stanley Mug Championship. On a Sunday night in mid-February at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers took care of a 1-0 lead versus the Canadiens with 10 mins to play. But the Canadiens, paced by "Rocket" Richard and Jean Beliveau, rallied for 5 goals and stunned the Rangers with a 5-1 resurgence success. No less astonished was Watson that went into the New York clothing space to provide a caustic clothing down after the disastrous loss. Naturally, no one might have understood it at the time, but Watson's outburst would certainly ignite an unforeseen domino effect of negative thoughts among the bastardized Rangers. "No one take off his uniform, " Watson yelled. "We're going back on the ice to do a little skating." It was even more than a "little" postgame skate. After driving his soldiers back on to the rink Canadiens Jerseys, the trainer whipped the Rangers via every possible skating drill short of Ice Follies pirouettes. "Up and down, side to side, " bore in mind Worsley, who was the only player excused from the abuse. "It was a dreadful punishment after such a hard game. Several of the hockey authors who were still in journalism box writing their stories couldn't think it. No instructor had ever done something before, and likely ever will." The long-term damage that had been done hardly could be visualized at the time considering that the Rangers appeared safe and secure in a playoff berth. The only possible threat were the startup Toronto Maple Leafs, that were lodged in remote 5th location. However Watson's postgame skate left some Rangers concerned sufficient to check the standings. "It was the homestretch and, as a group, we were obtaining exhausted, " Henry said. "The after-the-game exercise that Watson laid on us was the straw that at some point would break our backs." Certain enough, the Rangers started a downhill slalom. From soaring 2nd place, the club zig-zagged down to fourth. They were additional demoralized after their sturdy defenseman-- and informal NHL heavyweight champ-- Lou Fontinato shed badly in an extreme and extensive fight with Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings. "Now, the people had actually come to be shaky, " included Worsley, "and it really did not assist that Strike Imlach kept firmly insisting to press reporters that his Leafs would certainly catch us in the long run. That drove Watson nuts and additionally puzzled him in regards to preparing our strategy." Having actually covered the Rangers for The Hockey Information during that freefall, I clearly bear in mind the players coming to be much more resentful of Watson and often bringing up that fateful postgame method as the source of their enmity. Imlach's bombastically confident flaunts regardless of Jake Evans Jersey, the Rangers went into the last turn with a substantial seven points in advance of the Maple Leafs for the last playoff area with five video games to play. Then, it happened. "We went right into among the worst tailspins in background, while the Leafs kept coming on, winning all of their games, " Worsley claimed. On the last night of the period, the Canadiens defeated the Rangers in New York City and the Maple Leafs rallied to border the Red Wings in Detroit. The Rangers missed out on the playoffs by a point. At the same time, the memory of Watson's horrible postgame workout tortured the local skaters as they left The Garden for the last time and headed eastern toward Broadway. "I do not believe that there was a gamer on our group who really did not obtain intoxicated that evening, " Worsley ended. The Rangers front office offered Watson a reprieve for one even more season yet he was discharged before the 1959-60 project was completed. However the damages was done and an additional feasible opportunity to uncrown the Canadiens had actually passed.