We are going green here at the Ranger Pundit. That means we are into recycling. For example, the title of this post "The Prince and The Prucha" is being recycling from an old January 20, 2006 post by Mike with that same title.
In fact, that January 2006 game was played by the Rangers against the very Pittsburgh Penguin team, who the Rangers dispatched tonight in yet another shootout.
Who said, "history doesn't repeat, it rhymes?" Well, that alliterative daily double of the Prince and the Prucha did it again tonight just like they did it 35 months ago. They saved the Rangers' bacon from getting devoured by a feisty ice chicken.
Thirty-five months ago Petr Prucha was the toast of Broadway as a sensational rookie on his way to scoring 30 goals during the 2005-06 season. Against that 2005-06 edition of the Pens, Prucha scored the game winner. Tonight an energetic Prucha tied the game at two with less than six minutes remaining. Also, back in Jan '06 that other sensational rookie, goal-tender Henrik Lundqvist, just having been dubbed "The Prince" by Mike held the Pens to 1 goal. The Blueshirt won that game by a final score of 2-1. Isn't Richard Petty "The King." Anyway, tonight Lundqvist prevailed yet again in the shootout, or should we just call it the Prince's Puck-Stopping Potentate?
The Prince, of course, as been prancing and potentating here at the Garden ever since. But the Prucha has been in exile. Why? Why has our Prucha seemingly been sent to Siberia with Jagr?
There was also that December 5th, 2005 game against the Wild that the Rangers won 3-1. Prucha scored two goals, including the game winner. Mike had these notes about Prucha, in that post entitled, "Prucha and The Prince" :
Up against the number one penalty kill in the NHL the Rangers scored two power play goals by that man, Petr Prucha...Holy smokes. Two power play goals against the best penalty kill team in the NHL? And it was our exiled man from Chrudim who scored those two goals while playing "in front of the net." What a novel scheme. Put one of your most talented players on the ice near the net where he can use his skills and quickness to score power play goals. Brilliant idea! Unless you're a dimwitted man from Cranbrook, backed by a lunkhead from High River.
Prucha's goals both came from in front of the net as he continued to exhibit his toughness around the net. This is the reason why Prucha should be on the first line. He is a perfect compliment to Jaromir Jagr's perimeter game....
Regarding Prucha's crucial goal tonight, The Blue Line gets worked into a "Pruckamania" and said: "He scored it in classic Prucha fashion -- cleaning up around the net after a rebound."
The Rangers must find a way to put Petr Prucha on the ice and has anyone considered playing him on the power play? If he does get some serious ice time we might just end up with a series of "The Prince and The Prucha" games. We might even have to start numbering them.
There were of course other notables in the game. The Dispatcher, Gomez, with his 400th assist, Redden with a couple of assists, and Zherdev's goal and yet another shootout score. But it was really Prucha's night. A triumphant return to his people. The rafters shook with chants of "Pruuuuuch!"
Please, let's go back to the future and get some more classic Prucha, some more Pruckamania. Also, "More Cowbell" while you're at it, the Prucha is back from exile. At least for awhile.
ICINGS:
HockeyFights.com:
Eric Godard vs Colton Orr -- who won?
Colton Orr -- 71.2%
Draw -- 21.2%
Eric Godard -- 7.6%
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