Bathgate the Consummate Performer
Class and artistry intertwined in a pirouette
Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 6:48 PMThe Rangers announced they will honor three greats in February: Adam Graves Night on Feb. 3; Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell Night on Feb. 22. Following the announcement, Stan Fischler offered these words on Bathgate:
Considered by some who saw him play as the best Rangers right wing of all time, Andy Bathgate reeked of class and artistry. He played the game cleanly, but was also an excellent fighter when the occasion demanded the rough stuff.
Two episodes, among many, stand out when one considers Bathgate's seasons as a Ranger.
In 1959, Bathgate fired the shot that ripped into Montreal goalie Jacques Plante's face, causing the netminder to don a mask for the first time in NHL annals. The second episode involved a critical penalty shot taken by Bathgate against Detroit goalie Hank Bassen that helped propel the Rangers into a 1962 playoff berth.
Bathgate was the consummate performer. He combined the art of stickhandling and shooting to near perfection. His shot, which he endlessly practiced, became so devastating that it was in a class with the mighty blasts of Bobby Hull and Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, both of whom were his contemporaries.
Bathgate wasn't quite as flashy as Hull nor blessed with All-Star teammates like Geoffrion, but he was good enough to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP in 1949. He was also voted to the First All-Star Team at right wing in 1959 and 1962 as well as the Second Team in 1958 and 1963.
The Bathgate bloc could detail a litany of beauteous plays executed by its hero. One that qualifies among his best was a one-on-one play: Bathgate vs. Chicago goaltender, Glenn Hall.
At the time, Hall, alias Mister Goalie, was the best netminder in the business. On this occasion, Bathgate received a pass directly in front of Hall and slightly to the right of the net. Rather than simply shoot the puck, Andy performed a 180-degree pirouette, appearing at the left side of the cage with the puck on his stick. Hall remained with Bathgate until Andy completely reversed the move with another pirouette, this time ending up precisely where he had begun. By this time, Hall's body was so contorted that he was literally unable to move, whereupon Bathgate deposited the rubber in the empty right corner for a goal. It was vintage Bathgate, and a play that few, if any, could duplicate.
I can vouch for that, because I was there when it happened. That move, among others, is why Bathgate is in the Hall of Fame.
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