Playing their second consecutive tough road game in two days the Rangers lost a big point when they lost in OT to the Ovechkin led Washington Capitals. A marginal tripping penalty on Hollweg near the end of regulation gave the Caps a four on three in OT and Mike Green ended it with a shot from the point through Marc Staal and Steve Valiquette. Green had also ended the previous Rangers-Caps encounter in OT, 5-4, way back on December 12th. The Caps were 2-3 on the PP and the powerless Rangers were 0-6 on their power play. And that basically was the game folks, as the Rangers continued to shoot blanks in a game they should have won. Jaromir Jagr was scoreless for the seventh consecutive game.
The Caps first goal on the PP by Ovechkin was also a dubious penalty on a call seldom seen in the NHL. It was a delay of game against the goaltender. Write me if you remember the last time you have seen that called. Later they called an unsportsmanlike conduct against Avery for yakking at the ref. The refs are developing rabbit ears and are getting like baseball umpires who if you give them a dirty look they toss you. But no penalties called on super stars like Ovechkin who manage to get in an extra hit after every whistle, but no calls because the league needs its super stars. Too bad the Rangers don't have any superstars.
All in all it wasn't that bad a weekend. Playing two tough teams on the road the Rangers came away with three out of four points. They are finished with Washington and though the teams split the four games the two OT losses by the Rangers enabled them to come away with six points to the Caps four. Only in the NHL folks, only in the NHL. So now the Rangers rest until Saturday against Buffalo. That's the good news. The bad news is that they probably will have four days of practice.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Capital Punishment
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I agree: It is indeed a strange league where a 2-2 season split results in 6 points for one team and 4 for the other. Regardless of who benefits, something just feels wrong about a single game's point worth varying.
But the Rangers have no superstars? Really? I suspect Jagr, Drury, and Gomez (and their salaries) may beg to differ, not to mention the injured Shanny.
The Rangers have superstars in terms of pay not play. Drury, for example, the top Rangers goal scorer with 18 is 62nd on the NHL goal scoring list. Being the 62nd top goal scorer in the league does not come close to superstar status. So where does that leave Jagr (15 goals - #86) and Gomez (13 goals - #107)?
Ovechkin has more goals than all three Rangers "superstars" combined.
Obviously the Rangers have big offensive problems. I think they'd settle for a few stars, forget the superstars.
orderedchaos-jb is right on target. One would be hard pressed to state any Ranger is a superstar this year based on their numbers.
Jagr, Drury, Gomez and even Shanny may beg to differ but their numbers relegate them to average not super.Their salaries make them rock stars. Unfortunately they are playing hockey and not singing.