On May 2 in NYR history: Gaborik wins longest game in 73 years

What happened on May 2 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 2012, the Rangers won their longest game in 73 years when Marian Gaborik scored in triple overtime to defeat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in the third game of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Gaborik scored 14:41 into the third overtime, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the series. The win came at the Verizon Center in Washington and it ended a seven game overtime losing streak for Henrik Lundqvist who made 45 saves.

The last time the Rangers had a triple overtime game  was in the 1971 playoffs and this game was the longest since the first game of the Semi-FInals in 1939 when the Rangers lost 2-1 to the Bruins at 19:25 of the third overtime.  This game ranks as the 22nd longest game in NHL playoff history.

The longest game ever played by the Rangers was a quadruple overtime loss in 1930 to  the Montreal Canadiens.  That game ended 8:52 into the fourth overtime and is the 10th longest game ever played.

As for the rest of the series, it took seven games, but the Rangers beat the Capitals and advanced to the East Conference Finals, losing to New Jersey.

A bitter Game Seven loss

In 1971 the Rangers lost their Semi-FInal series to the Chicago Black Hawks, dropping Game Seven 4-2 at Chicago Stadium.  Bobby Hull scored the go-ahead goal and added two assists and the Hawks advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in six years.

The loss came after hard fought series and it came three days after the Rangers had won Game Six in triple overtime on a goal by Pete Stemkowski.  It ended the hopes of the Rangers making it to the Final for the first time since 1950.

A Calder Trophy for Pentti Lund

In 1949 on this date, Rangers forward Pentti Lund won the Calder Trophy as best rookie. He is often credited as the first Finnish player to skate in the NHL, though winger Albert Pudas was born in Finland and played four games in the NHL in 1926-27.   Lund was definitely the first player born in Finland to score a goal in the NHL.

Lund made his NHL debut in the 1948-49 season and scored 14 goals and 30 points, finishing ahead of teammate Allen Stanley for rookie honors.  He played two more seasons with the Rangers until he was traded to the Bruins in 1951 and he was a member of the Rangers’ team that lost in the 1950 Stanley Cup Final.

Lund was the fourth Ranger to win the Calder Trophy and the next Finn to win the award was Teemu Selanne in 1993.

A new head coach

On this date in 1955 the Rangers named Phil Watson the head coach.  He succeeded Muzz Patrick who had been promoted to General Manager after the resignation of Frank Boucher.   Watson had been a star center for the Rangers for 12 years, retiring in 1948.

Watson went on to coach the Rangers for four full years, making the playoffs the first three seasons.  He only made it 15 games into his fifth season as he had to be hospitalized for ulcer surgery and was replaced by Alf Pike.

End of an era

On this date in 1967 the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup and with the win, it marked the end of the Original Six era of the NHL.  The next season, the NHL doubled in size with the addition of the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Oakland Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues.

Today’s birthdays

18 NHL players have been born on May 2 including two former Rangers and one prospect.  One of the former Rangers was a free agent bust and the other was a tragic story.

The Rangers prospect born on this date is left winger Will Cuylle who was born in 2002 in Toronto, Ontario.   He was the Rangers’ second round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, #60 overall.  He was supposed to play with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, but when their season was cancelled, he has played this season as a 19-year-old with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Brad Richards was born on this date in 1980 in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island.  Richard starred with the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning the 2004 Stanley Cup and garnering Conn Smythe Trophy honors.  He was traded to the Dallas Stars in 2008 and signed a nine year, $60 million deal with the Rangers in 2011.  Reunited with coach John Tortorella, he was a productive player who saw his play decline and the Rangers bought him out after a trip to the Final in the 2013-14 season.  He subsequently ended his career playing in Chicago and Detroit, winning another Cup with the Blackhawks in 2015.

Roman Lyashenko was born on this date in 1979 in Murmansk, USSR.  He was a center who came up with the Dallas Stars and was traded to the Rangers at the deadline in 2002 with Martin Rucinsky for Manny Malhotra.  He spent most of the next season in Hartford, playing only 17 games for the Rangers in his career, though making the AHL all-star game.  He asked to be released by the Rangers to return to Russia, but that request was denied. After that season Lyashenko was found dead in a hotel room while on vacation in Ankara, Turkey in a death that was reported as a suicide.  Lyashenko was only 24 years old.

The numbers

The Rangers have played only one regular season game on May 2, a loss.  Until last  season that was the latest regular season game ever played by the Blueshirts. As for the playoffs, May 2 has been a good day with five wins in eight games.

Playoff games: 8
Wins: 3
Losses: 3
Overtime wins: 2
Winning percentage: 62%

Regular season games: 1
Regulation wins: 0
Regulation losses: 1
Points percentage: .000