Beware Of Rangers Milestone Anniveresaries

There used to be a Brooklyn expression for someone who has an uncanny knack for putting events in a timely, arithmetical order. 

We called them "Figger Filberts," or in more proper Manhattan English, "Figure Filberts," the "Filberts" being nuts, as in hazel nuts.

Where The Maven came from – in Williamsburg – calling a guy a "Figger Filbert" was a high compliment. The eminent Maven Round Table member George Grimm falls into that category. 

After watching the Rangers lose to Toronto on Thursday night Grimm did some heavy thinking about the Blueshirts 100th anniversary and came up with some fascinating facts.

WARNING: This is not happy stuff. Beware milestone anniversaries:

1950-51 25th season: "After guiding the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost in double overtime to Detroit, coach Lynn Patrick took off for Boston. Neil Colville took over as coach but the Blueshirts finished in fifth place and did not make the playoffs again until 1957-58 under coach Phil Watson."

1975-76 50th anniversary season: "The Rangers got off to a bad start under new coach Ron Stewart and GM Emile Francis started to disassemble the team. He waived Ed Giacomin, traded Gilles Villemure and Derek Sanderson, and swapped Jean Ratelle, Brad Park and Joe Zanussi (oh no not Joe Zanussi!). to Boston for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais.

What We Know And Don't Know About The Blueshirts So FarThe Maven knows a little bit about a lot of things-Rangers but one disturbing element leaps out at me – they have not been able to beat anything but flub teams Pittsburgh and Buffalo. 

"Francis was fired in January of 1976 and replaced by John Ferguson, who was later replaced by Fred Shero. Freddie took the Rangers to the finals against Montreal but was replaced by Craig Patrick, who is the only Ranger GM to never miss the playoffs. 

"But Patrick lost his job to Esposito who was constantly criticizing his every move from the broadcast booth. Espo’s brief, chaotic run ended when he was replaced by Neil Smith, who is still the only Ranger GM in the last 85 years (and counting) to win a Stanley Cup 2000-2001 75th anniversary season. "Glen Sather’s first year as GM, and we know how well that went!"

MAVEN WARNING! Beware Milestone Anniversaries!