Mar. 1, 1963 - The New York Rangers missed a grand opportunity tonight to pick up two points on the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers appeared to have the game safely tucked away on Dick Duff’s two goals, but Parker MacDonald scored at 15:31 of the last period to give the Wings a 2-2 tie.
Thus, the Rangers still trail the fourth-place Wings by 10 points. Mathematically, the Blueshirts have a chance to catch Detroit for the fourth Stanley Cup berth, but their slim hopes are growing slimmer all the time. New York and Detroit have nine games apiece to play.
Duff, getting his first goals since joining New York in the club’s five-for-two deal with Toronto, scored at 16:59 of the first period and 11:42 of the last period. The second goal looked particularly good to the Rangers and their fans in the crowd of 15,625. But MacDonald, with his 15th goal of the season on a 20-footer following Gordie Howe’s pass, beat Jacques Plante and put the Rangers right back where they were before the game. Terry Sawchuk at goal held off the Rangers the rest of the way.
Howe was off the ice five minutes for high-sticking Earl Ingarfield when Duff got his first goal. Nine stitches were required to close a cut behind Ingarfield’s right ear, but he returned to action in the second period. Duff hit on a short backhander after Bob Nevin’s cross-ice pass. Jean Ratelle also assisted.
Earlier in the first period, the Rangers had failed three times to connect on their power play.
Midway in the period, Jim Neilson checked Larry Jeffrey into the boards. Neilson suffered a concussion but was not hospitalized.
Doug Barkley made it 1-1 at 7:07 of the third period on a 40-foot slap shot from the right. The Rangers again moved in front when Ratelle, with some neat stickhandling, handed over to Duff, who scored on a rising shot from the left.
But it just wasn’t a Ranger night for holding leads.
