RANGERS - HOME AWAY FROM HOME

When the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings tangled in the 1950 Stanley Cup final, the Rangers were put in a unique situation that wasn't foreign to them.

In the usual format for a best-of-seven final, the team's would split the first four games at their respective rinks, then alternate the remaining contests.

The Red Wings held home ice advantage due to winning the league title with 88 points, and earned the right to host games one and two at the Olympia.

As planned, the opener took place in Detroit on April 11, 1950, with the Red Wings winning by a score of 4-1.

However, there was a problem that put a wrench in the plan when it came to game two and beyond.

Due to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &  Bailey Circus being booked at Madison Square Garden in New York, the Rangers were unable to host any games in the final. The problem was resolved when an agreement was reached to have the Rangers play games two and three at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The balance of the games would be contested in Detroit, thus allowing the Red Wings to play five tilts in their barn.

The first game for the Rangers in their home away from home was on April 13.

"All tickets were gone in 45 minutes after the box office opened yesterday morning, devoured by long lines of sports followers who had been lined up for a few hours," noted a Toronto newspaper.

Upon arriving in Toronto, the Rangers made themselves feel at home and settled into the Toronto Maple Leafs' locker room.

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After a scoreless first period, New York and Detroit exchanged goals in the middle frame, with Gerry Couture breaking the ice and Pat Eagan getting the equalizer for New York.

In the final twenty-minutes, Edgar Laprade of the Rangers went to work.

Laprade's game-winning goal was scored at the 3:04 mark. He put the game out of reach at 11:20 when his shot got past Detroit goalie Harry Lumley. Of his two tallies, Laprade's second got the most attention in the press.

The kinky-haired master stickhandled from his own blueline with wee Tony Leswick as a decoy. He shifted two players nearly out of the rink before coming to bulky Gene Martin, in front of Lumley. Martin nearly was "decked" out of his skates as Laprade rounded him and placed the puck into the net on Lumley's short side.

The Rangers weren't as successful in game three at Maple Leaf Gardens, as they were shutout 4-0 by the Red Wings.

Despite not having all the amenities of playing at home, the New York Rangers battled to extend the final to a seventh and deciding game on April 23 at the Olympia. Detroit's Pete Babando, who passed away on February 19, 2020, scored the Cup-winning goal at the 8:31 mark of the second overtime period.

Back in 1928, New York took on the Montreal Maroons in the final, but with the circus booked in the Garden, all five games were played at the Forum in Montreal. On this occasion, the Rangers captured the Cup by winning game five of the best-of-five final.