Brian Boyle takes a beating from Zdeno Chara.
AP Photo/Winslow Townson

What a waste the first two periods were. For 40 minutes, the Rangers competed with the Bruins and led 2-1 in this Black Friday Thanksgiving showdown on NBC. They were ahead because they responded well early. Following Brad Marchand’s opener at 11:42 of a wild first, Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh tallied 1:22 apart- making it three goals in a 2:44 span.

Nash’s third was an awesome individual effort. After retrieving the puck from Brad Richards behind the net, he came out and went around two Bruins including Selke recipient Patrice Bergeron to fire an off balance laser past Tuukka Rask. Just a tremendous play from a very skilled player. It marked the second straight game with a goal. Carl Hagelin picked up the other assist.

Taking advantage of poor Boston coverage, McDonagh snuck in from the point and beat Rask through a Benoit Pouliot screen. A great effort by an underwhelming player who finally did something worthwhile. Derick Brassard set it up with Ryan Callahan earning a helper. It gave Brassard points in two consecutive games. He’s had a better bounce to his step. Callahan also was more noticeable but still isn’t burying any.

Leading by one, the Blueshirts were handed a couple of power plays by the Bruins. But typically after getting two in Florida, they got nothing accomplished. They were 0 for 5 and didn’t register any shots on three straight. Impossible unless you’ve been a fan of this team so long. Failing to get that third goal came back to bite them.

The game became chippy early with the Bruins taking exception to a nothing Nash finish on Torey Krug. Adam McQuaid got an extra for roughing. Unlike our soft team, Boston has plenty of ammunition who will stand up for each other. It was a stark contrast that reared its ugly head late in the second period. With the Rangers quietly nursing a 2-1 lead, renown cheap shot artist Milan Lucic threw Anton Stralman into Henrik Lundqvist following a whistle. It led to an ugly scrum. Brian Boyle took exception to a David Krejci slash and was intercepted for his trouble by Zdeno Chara. The Bruins captain proceeded to beat him easily in a one-sided fight that awoke TD Garden. It was an embarrassment.

”I feel it’s been a while since the last time we’ve had a fight like that,” Rask pointed out after only being forced to make 17 saves. ”It usually happens in the blink of an eye. It gives a team a boost and really wakes up a crowd, a crowd gets really loud. I think as a team – I can’t say we woke up – but it definitely gave us an extra boost and we never looked back after that.”

Just what the Rangers needed. An angry Boston team who was coming off a blowout loss to Detroit. Now, they fumed. Much like last Spring, the bigger and stronger team took over the game. Using an aggressive forecheck, they dominated the end of the second and the entire third. At one point, shots were 9-1. By that point, they’d not only drawn even on a Bergeron bank shot off Dan Girardi’s skate. With under nine minutes to go, Chara stepped into a Krejci pass from the point and beat an unscreened Lundqvist. It was one of those shots he should’ve had. Instead, it went through him and gave the Bruins the lead for good. Another deflating moment that should’ve been prevented. The more you watch Henrik this year, the more you wonder where his head is. Contract?

”I don’t think we played the way we needed to in the second or the third,” critiqued Callahan. ”They seemed to be all over us and they eventually get the tying goal and the winning goal there. We’ve got to be better in the second and third. It wasn’t good enough.”

The Rangers went out in a whimper. They never threatened. Even an undisciplined Boston bench minor with 4:34 remaining resulted in zilch. Sadly, I barely paid attention to the power play. As if I expected the worst. That’s what this team does to you. Where no game is the same. They may have won the other night with a garbage performance. But that doesn’t cut it against a legit Cup contender.