Nobody ever will do to the Rangers what Bill Mosienko did to the Blueshirts on the night of March 23, 1952.
The Maven was there, in person, and I can vouch for it.
Early in the third period, the Rangers were leading the Blackhawks, 6-2, on the final night of the season. The game was in the bag and nobody expected anything special to happen.
And then it DID happen.
Within a space of 21 seconds – repeat, TWENTY-ONE SECONDS – Bill Mosienko of Chicago scored a three-goal hat trick.
Starting at 6:09 of the final frame, Mosie beat Rangers goalie Lorne Anderson.
Anderson, it should be noted, was normally goaltender for the Atlantic City Seagulls of the Eastern Amateur Hockey League and a Ranger farmhand.
He was in goal as an emergency replacement and seemed to have the game in hand until Mosienko got hotter than hot.
But, get this; after his third goal, the Chicago sharpshooter burst through the Rangers defense and beat Anderson; only the shot hit the goalpost. Bill missed what would have been four goals in 27 seconds by inches only!
And here's the true punch line: When Mosie returned to the bench, coach Ebbie Goodfellow shouted, "Billy, what's the matter; ARE YOU IN A SLUMP?"