Rangers' Anthony Bitetto (22) and Washington Capitals' Michael Raffl (17) fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Credit: AP/Bruce Bennett
Well, at least the Rangers made sense for 39 months.
That was the timeline from advising their fans they would be rebuilding to where we were as of Wednesday morning:
A talented, steadily improving, extraordinarily young team that had missed the playoffs, been pushed around by the Islanders and Capitals and frustrated fans but was looking toward a bright near future.
Then: Boom!
The Rangers fired team president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton with three games remaining in the season, one of the most shocking New York sports house-cleanings in memory, given the timing and victims.