The greatest Rangers three-punch heavyweight fight in history

I angered a whole brigade of Rangers fans here a few weeks ago when I detailed how Detroit's Gordie Howe beat the shit out of Blueshirts heavyweight Leapin' Lou Fontinato.

Some loyalists even demanded that The Maven pay tribute to New York's fighting spirit and tell the story of a great Rangers pugilistic triumph.

To that I say: Okay, let's get started:

The title: WHEN EDDIE DWENT TOO FAR FROM THE SHORE. The subheading: THREE MUZZ PATRICK HITS AND – OUT!!!

It was March 28, 1939, the fourth Rangers-Bruins game at Old Madison Square Garden.

In the first period, Rangers center Phil Watson – also a troublemaker – dueled with Bruins defenseman Jack Portland. It was an unequal duel, as Phil Watson was more the size of a midget and Portland was a giant for that era of hockey.

Boston had the longest-running tough guy in hockey – Eddie Shore. His list of offenses could stretch from the Boston Garden to Alcatraz. Suffice it to say, Shore nearly killed Toronto's Ace Bailey with a punch from behind in a Beantown game.

“Shore hated Watson,” said a report from the scene, “and wanted to finish Phil off. Eddie stormed into the fight between Watson and Portland.”

Shore overlooked two things: First, Watson was best friends with Rangers defenseman Muzz Patrick. And second, Patrick had once been a Canadian amateur heavyweight boxing champion.

On the way to Shore, Muzz broke several speed records, and when he reached Eddie, the Bruin learned what it felt like to be hit three times by a pile driver. BAM! BAM! BAM! One, two, three!

And of all things, it landed on Shore's trunk. Harold Parrott of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote of Shore's demolished nose: “Edmonton Eddie emerged with a dented and bent bow.”

Muzz, the man who threw the punch, was best placed to report the facts. “I hit him clean three times,” Patrick said, “and then I felt Shore's nose give way.”

PS: To everyone's surprise, Shore returned for the second round with his nose held in place with a giant piece of white tape.

PSS: The Rangers entered the game trailing 3-0, but the Blueshirts won 2-1 to extend the tournament to a seventh game, which the Bruins won in overtime for the trophy.

PSSS: A year later, the Rangers beat Boston in a six-game semifinal and went on to win their third Stanley Cup, defeating Toronto in six games on an overtime goal by Bryan Hextall.