Rangers were half inch from 4th Stanley Cup championship in 1950

The Rangers nonetheless had an opportunity when a crucial face-off was held deep of their zone. Initially, New York middle Buddy O’Connor was to take the draw however — towards his gamers’ needs — Coach Patrick selected Edgar Laprade to interchange him.

For the New York, it was the kiss of loss of life.

Seconds earlier than the linesperson dropped the puck, Detroit middle George Gee motioned his wing, Pete Babando, to maneuver again 5 toes. Babando obliged and with surgical precision, Gee delivered the puck and Babado took a screened shot previous Rayner.

“It was heartbreaking,” Raleigh mentioned, “and the humorous factor was that Babando later performed with me on the Rangers.”

Nor was that the top of the tribulation. Patrick’s sudden transfer would destroy the Rangers’ playoff hopes for 5 straight years and ultimately price Boucher his job.

“No one may have carried out a greater job of teaching the Rangers than Patrick,” Boucher wrote, “however in that Detroit sequence I sensed that one thing extra was bothering him.”

There was. Through the Remaining, Bruins GM Artwork Ross undercut Boucher and supplied Patrick an analogous gig in Boston. It was an unlucky transfer, particularly since Boucher coached the 1940 Cup-winning Rangers for who Patrick had starred.

“Earlier than skipping out on us, Lynn mentioned he felt a ‘loyalty’ to me, since I began him off in teaching,” Boucher lamented.

That loyalty evaporated when Lynn signed with Boston in 1950. The abandoned Boucher by no means may discover an ample substitute. First, he tried 1940 Cup-winner Neil Colville, then-Rangers and future hockey Corridor of Fame proper wing Invoice Cook dinner and, lastly, Muzz Patrick. Lynn’s child brother.

In the meantime the Lynn-coached Bruins clinched a playoff berth each season from 1950-51 by 1954-55. Boucher’s Rangers failed to achieve the postseason in every.

The devastating impact of Patrick’s walkout got here to an finish in Might 1955, when Boucher was fired and by no means managed an NHL membership once more.

As for Lynn Patrick, the closest he ever got here to successful the Stanley Cup was on that fateful night time at Detroit’s Olympia, when Raleigh’s shot was a half-inch away from beating Lumley.

Many years later, Rayner — lengthy into retirement — was requested if he remembered something about Raleigh’s shot that hit the put up after which went the unsuitable method.

“Actually,” Rayner concluded, “I give it some thought day-after-day!”