Rangers missed playoffs in 1958-59 after questionable decision by coach

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday. This week, Fischler reveals how late in the 1958-59 season an unexpected postgame practice may have cost the New York Rangers a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Had it not been for the Montreal Canadiens, who won the Stanley Cup five times in the 1950s, the New York Rangers could have secured a championship or two themselves that decade.

In the 1958-59 season, though, they were undone from within, even if the Canadiens played a role in their demise.

The Rangers were strong at every position that season. Lorne "Gump" Worsley was a future Hall of Fame goalie. He was protected by a solid group of defensemen, including another future Hall of Famer, Harry Howell. Coach Phil Watson's offense was deep and featured one of the League's best power-play specialists in Camille "The Eel" Henry.

True to form, New York challenged Montreal for League dominance each team geared up for the homestretch of the regular season. But then a bizarre thing happened on New York's run to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

On a Sunday night in mid-February at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers nursed a 1-0 lead against the Canadiens with 10 minutes to play. But the Canadiens, paced by "Rocket" Richard and Jean Beliveau, rallied for five goals and stunned the Rangers with a 5-1 comeback victory.

No less flabbergasted was Watson who entered the New York dressing room to deliver a vitriolic dressing down after the devastating loss. Of course, no one could have known it at the time, but Watson's outburst would ignite an unexpected chain reaction of negativity among the demoralized Rangers.

"Nobody take off his uniform," Watson screamed. "We're going back on the ice to do a little skating."

It was more than a "little" postgame skate. After driving his troops back on to the rink, the coach whipped the Rangers through every conceivable skating drill short of Ice Follies pirouettes.

"Up and down, side to side," remembered Worsley, who was the only player excused from the torture. "It was a terrible punishment after such a tough game. Some of the hockey writers who were still in the press box writing their stories couldn't believe it. No coach had ever done such a thing before, and likely ever will."

The long-term damage that had been done hardly could be imagined at the time since the Rangers appeared secure in a playoff berth. The only potential threat were the upstart Toronto Maple Leafs, who were lodged in distant fifth place. But Watson's postgame skate left some Rangers concerned enough to double check the standings.

"It was the homestretch and, as a team, we were getting tired," Henry said. "The after-the-game workout that Watson laid on us was the straw that eventually would break our backs."

Sure enough, the Rangers began a downhill slalom. From lofty second place, the club zig-zagged down to fourth. They were further demoralized after their sturdy defenseman -- and unofficial NHL heavyweight champion -- Lou Fontinato lost badly in an intense and lengthy fight with Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings.

"By now, the guys had become shaky," added Worsley, "and it didn't help that (Toronto's coach) Punch Imlach kept insisting to reporters that his Leafs would catch us in the end. That drove Watson nuts and also confused him in terms of planning our strategy."

Having covered the Rangers for The Hockey News during that freefall, I vividly remember the players becoming more resentful of Watson and often bringing up that fateful postgame practice as the cause of their enmity.

Imlach's bombastically optimistic boasts notwithstanding, the Rangers entered the final turn with a substantial seven points ahead of the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot with five games to play.

Then, it happened.

"We went into one of the worst tailspins in history, while the Leafs kept coming on, winning all of their games," Worsley said.

On the final night of the season, the Canadiens defeated the Rangers in New York and the Maple Leafs rallied to edge the Red Wings in Detroit.

The Rangers missed the playoffs by a point.

Meanwhile, the memory of Watson's nightmarish postgame workout tortured the local skaters as they left The Garden for the last time and headed east toward Broadway.

"I don't think that there was a player on our team who didn't get drunk that night," Worsley concluded.

The Rangers front office gave Watson a reprieve for one more season but he was fired before the 1959-60 campaign was completed.

But the damage was done and another possible chance to dethrone the Canadiens had passed.