The Rangers, riding the goal tending of Steve Valiquette and the young legs of Dawes and Prucha, stunned the Philadelphia Flyers for the sixth straight time at Wachovia Center last night. The improbable win coming on the heels of their shattering loss in Carolina was another instance of the maddening roller coaster ride this team has put its fans through. After weathering some early pressure from the Flyers and killing off the first penalty of the game, the Rangers took control of the game. I have never heard a Flyer crowd so quiet.
Valiquette needed to make only twenty saves to record his first shutout in his brief NHL career, twenty one games. The Rangers played a complete game and it was only their first road win of 2008. There was a lot of talk pregame about crashing the net. The net was crashed but it was done by the guys who always crash the net. Dubinsky, Dawes, Prucha and Avery plus the fourth line. Can the Rangers continue this style of play aginst the Devils tonight? Saturday against the Canadiens? For the rest of the season? Who knows, I don't.
They could. Remember they only had one day off after the Carolina game and the schedule is ideal until the week of February 10th when they get five days off between games. I believe the less time they practice with this clueless coaching staff the better off they are. Check it out for yourself. So let's not get too carried away off of last night and let's see what we do against the Devils tonight. Another thing, I love The Prince, Henrik Lundqvist, but maybe, just maybe Steve Valiquette should be back in the nets tonight.
However, one thing is for sure. The Dark Ranger slept well last night.
New Jersey Road Trip
A few observations:
1. Maybe Coach Clueless reads this column. In the last practice, he would blow the whistle and start over if a forward did not crash the net. Good start. Now, start sitting people - and that includes Jags.
2. What does it say when your third line is your best? What it says is that your third line is better! Why? Because they play faster and went to the net. Jags and Shanny have been played too much and just lack fresh legs. Stop playing them 22 minutes a game. Keep it to 18 like last night.
3. Malik was out. Hossa was out. The team was better. Addition by subtraction.
4. I am not fooled by one shut out win. We need to get hard hitting solid defenseman.
section 335-I see that you are not fooled by the apologists. Good work.