On December 19 in NYR history: Starting a streak

What happened on December 19 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 1939, the New York Rangers beat the Montreal Canadiens by a 5-2 score at Madison Square Garden, improving their record to 6-3-7.  At the time, the win was notable because it gave the team a 10-game unbeaten streak with five wins and five ties in their last ten games.  What no one knew was that it would be over two months before the team would lose a game on home ice.  It was the first of 14 straights wins at Madison Square Garden.

The 14 consecutive  wins is still a franchise record and at the time was second to the 20-game home winning streak posted by the Boston Bruins in 1929-30.

The last win of the streak would be on February 25, 1940, again versus the Canadiens and the streak was ended on February 29 in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Black Hawks.

You want to know something remarkable?  The Rangers won the Stanley Cup that spring and in doing so, that loss to Chicago was the only loss at home until they hoisted the Cup on April 13.  They posted a win and a tie in their last two regular season home games, then won all five home games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  That means the Rangers lost only once at home from December 19 through the Stanley Cup Final.

No other Ranger team has won even 10 games in a row at the Garden. That makes this season’s eight-game home winning streak pretty amazing.

A life changing event

Something happened on December 19, 1917 that changed all of our lives.  The National Hockey League played the first game in its history as the Montreal Canadiens played the Ottawa Senators at the Ottawa Arena.  Montreal won, 7-4 with the first goal in league history scored by Montreal’s Dave Ritchie.

Later that night the second game was played with the Toronto Arenas losing to the Montreal Wanderers by a 10-9 score in a game played in the Montreal Arena in front of 700 fans.

It would be nine years before the New York Rangers would be formed and make their NHL debut, but it wouldn’t have been possible without these hockey trailblazers.

Youngest goalie ever

On this date in 1943, Harry Lumley played goal for the Detroit Red Wings in a 6-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.  Lumley was 17 years, 36 days old, making him the youngest goalie to ever play in the NHL.  He was the second youngest player in NHL history, following Bep Guidolin of the Boston Bruins who played his first game in November, 1942 at 16 years, 350 days old.

The youngest Ranger to ever play was Don Raleigh who was 17 years, 147 days old when he made his debut on November 21, 1943.

Two MSG firsts

In 1926 the Detroit Cougars played the first game in their history at Madison Square Garden a 1-1 tie.  The team was known as the Cougars for the first four years in the NHL. Their name was changed to the Falcons in 1930 and in 1932, became the Detroit Red Wings.

On this date in 1976, the Cleveland Barons played their first game at the Garden, a 3-2 loss to the Rangers.  The Barons had moved to Cleveland from Oakland and would remain in Ohio for two seasons before folding and merging with the Minnesota North Stars

Score seven goals and lose?

On this date in 1945 the Rangers scored seven goals against the Boston Bruins and still lost 8-7.   This came less than a year after the Blueshirts had scored nine goals against the Bruins and lost that game as well.

The Rangers battled back from a 5-2 deficit to tied the game 7-7 only to see Herb Cain score with only 41 seconds left in the game to win it for Boston. Hank Goldup had a hat trick in the losing effort for the Rangers.

Today’s birthdays

19 NHL players have been born on December 19 including only one former Ranger,  but he was a great one.

Doug Harvey was born on this date in 1924 in Montreal, Quebec, the only Hall of Famer born on December 19.  Harvey was one of the greatest defensemen in the history of the NHL and played 151 games with the Blueshirts at the tail end of his career.  He played 14 years for the Montreal Canadiens, winning six Norris Trophies in seven seasons, an All-Star there for 10 straight seasons.  In June 1961, after a clash with Canadiens management, the 36-year old Harvey was traded to the Rangers for Lou Fontinato.  He became the first New York Ranger to win the Norris Trophy the next season and he also served as player-coach.  He coached the team for just one season before deciding he had enough of coaching and returned for one more campaign with the Blueshirts.

The numbers

December 19 should be known as “tie day” as the Blueshirts finished 11 games tied, the most of any day in December.

Games: 38
Regulation wins: 13
Regulation losses: 13
Ties: 11
Overtime wins: 1
Points percentage: .513