How A Double-Cross Wrecked The Rangers For Five Seasons

In the spring of 1950, the Rangers were one goal away from winning the Stanley Cup.

It was Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final at Olympia Stadium in Detroit,  double overtime.

The New Yorkers never flashed that elusive red light, but Pete Babando of Detroit did and the Cup landed in Motor City.

But the Rangers were valiant; because the circus had taken over Madison Square Garden the Blueshirts had to play all seven games ON THE ROAD. 

They never complained; just played their best. And if Don Raleigh's overtime shot had not hit the post behind Detroit goalie Harry Lumley and gone in, 1950 would have been a Blueshirt Cup year. 

"Sure, we were sad," said Rangers publicist Stan Saplin, "but we also were very hopeful for the future because our solid lineup would be intact and our coach Lynn Patrick – who was so deeply responsible for our playoff success – would be back." 

Then, a pause: "Or so we thought."

Yeah, there sure were silver linings in the Rangers Cup-losing cloud. But behind the scenes, something awful was going on and the Blueshirts were going to lose Lynn Patrick, the remarkable coach who had orchestrated the success.

"What Lynn did for us in the playoffs said defenseman Allan Stanley, "he should have been 'coach of the year.'"

But Patrick, who had spent his entire playing career as a Rangers left wing, had something else on his mind. His thinking in the immediate aftermath of the Cup Final already had his boss,

Boucher, think unpleasant things.

"No one could possibly have done a better job of coaching the Rangers than Lynn Patrick,"  Boucher wrote in his autobiography When The Rangers were young.

But Boucher did not like Patrick's body language which became negative once the Rangers returned to New York from Detroit.

Patrick was secretly thinking the dirty word – quit!