So there we were, in front of a TV set, number one son, my grandson and me. We have three generations of Ranger madness. The game was so exciting, (HAH!) that we talked about everything else under the sun. It took me back to when I was a kid and they allowed me to put the hockey game, my new found sport love, on the radio. It was WHN and the broadcasts were usually handled by Bert Lee or Marty Glickman. Yes, the Marty Glickman of basketball fame. There were no tutorials so I had to figure it out myself about icings, offsides, poke checks and faceoffs. I knew all about goals and saves, which were both too few for the Rangers. Sometimes the more things change the more they stay the same.
The game last night was not very good. The Rangers played liked they were tired and going through the motions. At least most of them. Avery and Lundqvist were there in full force. I guess you could say the same for Jagr who scored a goal, finally. The Sabres did not play with the desperation of a ninth place team fighting for a playoff berth. The refs were their usual awful selves. I stopped complaining about the refs a long time ago. It's unusual when they have a good game.
Last night they called a phantom penalty on Avery which gave the Sabres a full two minute five on three power play. In fact they kept on giving for the Sabres until they finally tied the game with the help of a terrible goalie interference call against Sjostrum, who was pushed into the goalie by a Sabre defenseman. Vanek's PP goal tied the game. The worst call came at the end of the game when they called misconducts against Orr and Peters. Peters threw a punch from the bench and should have also been penalized for that, which would have given the Rangers a PP going into OT. Lundqvist saved the game in OT with a big save on Afinogenov who was stopped on a breakaway.
That save along with Avery's wipeout of Paetsch, which led to Jagr's goal were the highlights of a very dull game. The Rangers are now tied with Ottawa for fifth place in the East with twelve games to go. You think Prucha and Hollweg will get back in the lineup soon? Stay tuned. Oh yes. Shanahan and Gomez scored in the shootout to win the game which was the fourth shootout game in the last five. The Rangers have won three of those.
ICINGS: Technology is catching up to me as the old computer has been acting up all day. Got to get another ten years out of it.
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What is up with the zebra's this year? Every game I watch they call made-up penalties and somehow put on the blinders when elbows fly in players faces...
I wish they would forecheck the refs when they make bad calls...
At 36-17-7 the Rangers now have the best record in the Eastern Conference (+19). Montreal is second at 36-18-8 (+18). Ottawa and NJ are third at +14.
This suggests the four teams who are likely to win the first round in the playoffs - absent head-to-head games. This also suggests we have an excellent chance of winning the conference.
Of course, the Cup is another matter. We lack an effective power play and a big-time mean defenseman.
Finishing first should take 101 or 102 points, and we would have to finish 9-3 to do that. One can dream. I will be happy with 7-4-1, or 98 points, and the fourth seed.
One last observation. Callahan has very quietly picked up his game to a new level. He has a great shot, is fast and solid on defense. In the last 10 games he has five points playing only 12 minutes with no power play time. That is not that far off of Dawes at 3-5 in the past ten playing 15 minutes. Our idiot coach MUST fix the power play for the playoffs. The one way to do that is to play Prucha and Callahan on the power play more and have Jagr feed them (since he wont leave the ice).
Of course, more Dawes too. The units have to be changed.
Sorry, last point. I just read the Brooks article. It can make you sick. Unless he is being clever. He starts by saying how great Clueless is as a coach. Almost has him knighted by the Queen. Then says, we need Prucha back.
Well, glad to see he made my point too. Glad to see he sees the power play as the one thing we can fix and must fix to make a run in the playoffs. I hope he was a suck-up to try and convince Renney he should be playing Prucha and putting Jagr on the second unit. Even I would buy Clueless a new suit (not one as horrible as what he wears - who dresses him???) if he would do that!
stryker-The two ref system is not working. The league validated my comments when they suspended Peters of Buffalo for the game tonight against the Penguins for throwing a punch at Orr while on the bench. The Rangers should have had a PP in OT.
section 335-The power play and the soft defense could be our undoing in the playoffs. Coach clueless seems to stay away from the young guns and relies too much on Jagr and Shanahan and Straka who have obvious deficiences. Case in point. Straka first PP unit, playing the point alongside Rozsival. Very bad and dangerous.
The main stream press is in bed with coach clueless.
What's the matter? Don't like polyester?
It really bothers me the way Renney does not seem to have real human blood coursing through his veins. Take a look at Rangers' coaches through the years that have elevated the team. Emile Francis comes to mind, and so does Mike Keenan for me anyways. I'm sick of all the nervous nellies who talk about how 'volatile' he is. Screw that, I live in Calgary and he is doing just fine.
Renney, you will never get to the point where you actually bench someone for the good of the team. You sit fringe players like Hossa, or you sit someone that you cannot possibly avoid to sit (Malik of handshake-scandal fame) for political reasons.
One of my biggest fantasies is to watch a game in watch a healthy Jagr does not play at all. Renney's loyalty to players is almost becoming disloyalty to team success.
blow-me-down-Its amazing that you can see from Calgary what our drive by media, apologists and some fans cannot see from close up. The Ranger coach is clueless.
The Czech mates could not live with Iron Mike.