December 17, 2020: This day in New York Rangers history

A most unusual penalty shot for the New York Rangers

What happened on December 17 in the history of the New York Rangers

The date was December 17, the year was 2008 and the place was the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  Perhaps most unusual was the player, New York Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival.  He did what no other Ranger has ever done and only one other NHL player has done since overtime was re-introduced in 1983.  He scored on a penalty shot and then won the game in overtime.

The first player to accomplish this feat was Steve Thomas of the Mighty Ducks in 2003, but the fact that it was a defenseman makes this all the more unusual.  That is was Rozsival makes it even more.

Consider this. Michal Rozsival played 16 years and 964 games in the NHL and he scored 68 goals in that time, about four goals per season.  He scored two goals in a game only three times, this the third and last time.

Rozsival was awarded the penalty shot in the second period with the scored tied 1-1.  Jarret Stoll broke his stick and rookie defender Drew Doughty shot part of the broken stick toward the point where Rozsival was trying to play the puck.  On the penalty shot, Rozsival beat Kings goalie Jason LeBarbara with a backhander.

After Dustin Brown tied the score early in the third period, the game went to overtime. 3:41 into the five minute overtime, Rozsival took a one-timer for the game winner.

Rozsival also scored an overtime playoff goal for the Rangers in April 2007, beating the Buffalo Sabres.

Multiple milestones

On this date in 1935 no less than five New York Rangers played in their 500th NHL game.  The players were Bill Cook, Bun Cook, Frank Boucher, Ching Johnson and Murray Murdoch and it was a 1-1 tie with the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden.

If you are wondering how five teammates could all play in their 500th game in the same game, the answer is simple and pretty amazing.  All five were original New York Rangers and each of them had never missed a regular season game in just over nine seasons.  Not a single missed game in nine seasons for all five players.  Wow.

In case you are wondering, the first five years the Rangers were in the league, the NHL season was 44 games long.  Starting in 1931-32 the NHL went to a 48 game season.

A dark day

On this date in 1975, Billy Smith got the first shutout ever for the New York Islanders over the Rangers.  It was the 12th shutout in Islanders history as the Isles beat the Rangers 3-0.   To make it even worse, it took place at Madison Square Garden.

It was Smith’s only regular season shutout against the Rangers.  He had one playoff shutout over the Rangers in 1983.

Goodbye Cleveland

In 1977 on this date, the Rangers played their last game in Cleveland, Ohio, losing to the Cleveland Barons 4-2. The Barons had played two seasons in Cleveland after moving from the Bay Area in California.  After the 1977-78 season, the financially struggling Barons merged with the Minnesota North Stars, also having financial issues.

The game wasn’t actually in Cleveland as the Barons played in the Coliseum of Richfield, located in a Cleveland suburb.   The Rangers met the Barons in Richfield four times in two years and this was their only loss as they went 2-1-1.

The numbers

The Rangers have played 40 times on December 17 and they are barely above .500 in regulation, but their .562 points percentage is boosted by their winning three of four games in overtime or by shootout.

Games: 40
Regulation wins: 16
Regulation losses: 14
Ties: 6
Overtime wins: 2
Shootout wins: 1
Overtime losses: 1
Points percentage

Today’s birthday

1983 – Erik Christensen was born in Edmonton, Alberta.  He played 132 games for the Rangers from 2009 to 2012.

Looking back

Every day we look back to last season and five and ten years ago.  The Rangers didn’t play last season on December 17 nor in 2010.  In 2015 they were in Minnesota and lost the game and their starting goalie.

Last year – 2019: No game

5  years ago – 2015: Minnesota 5, Rangers 2

The Rangers were dominated in Minnesota, losing to the Wild 5-2 behind two goals from captain Mikko Koivu.  The Blueshirts were losers of four of five and suffered another loss when goalie Antti Raanta had to leave the game after being hit in the mask by a Marco Scandella slapshot 13 minutes into the first period.  Raanta left with the Rangers trailing 1-0 on the first goal by Koivu and was relieved by Henrik Lundqvist who took the loss.

10 years ago – 2010:  No game