Any idea that goalie Al Montoya would come into the Garden and get revenge on his ex mates was quickly dissipated when the Rangers scored two first period goals, one shorthanded (Prust) and one PP (Christensen). Granted the Islanders tied the score in the second period with two goals in the opening four minutes, but after that it was all Rangers. Gaborik got two goals which gives him 20 for the season. Gabby feasts on the Islanders.
Gaborik isn't the only one as the Rangers have no scoring problems when it comes to playing the Islanders. In five games, with the Rangers being up 4-1, the Rangers have outscored the Islanders 25-16. While the Islanders have recovered nicely under rookie coach Jack Capuano and Montoya has at times been brilliant, 7-2-3, with a 2.09 GAA, the Islanders defense disappears when they play the Rangers.
Speaking of disappearing, Sean Avery had one of his poorer games. Yes, he only got 7:16 of ice time, but he also got six minutes in penalties, the last one a foolish roughing call which resulted in an Islander power play goal. This resulted in the TV cameras spending an inordinate amount of time on our exalted coach going through all kinds of gyrations and mouthing all kinds of expletives in a piss poor academy award performance. Let's face it. The Rangers have committed dumber penalties with no reaction from the disagreeable one.
The cameras stayed on Avery as he went back to the bench after the goal with more moronic gestures by the exalted coach. It was then followed by comments from the homer boys Sam and Joe about how bad a penalty it was. Never have I seen a penalty so highlighted, emoted, dissected, rehashed and regurgitated. A week or so ago Dubinsky took two of the dumbest penalties a player could take and not a word, not a face, not a grumble.
Anyhow, the Rangers are hanging tough in seventh place, two points ahead of Buffalo and eight points ahead of the on charging Devils who have two games in hand on the Rangers and who play the Rangers in the last game of the season. Last game of the season, now that is not a good thought or memory. Will history repeat itself. Pray for Lundqvist.
Avery the doomed. Would you prefer a blindfold Mr. Avery?
Rick Carpiniello / Rangers Report:
Rangers-Islanders in review --
Sean Avery sure aggravated the Islanders, and he was this close to being the Avery of old. That’s why I thought Avery should play this game. And then he aggravated John Tortorella, rightfully so. And what he did, especially late in the game with an undisciplined penalty, is why he shouldn’t play against Montreal. The Habs can kill them on the PP. Wolski should be back in.My Blueshirt Heaven:
If it weren’t for Avery taking the stupid penalty that lead to the Tavares goal, the Rangers would have drubbed the Islanders instead of coming away with just a 6-3 win. Lundqvist kept them in the game. Speaking of Avery, what in the hell is wrong with this guy? He’s been playing all season as though he’s been eating Thorazine laced cornflakes. He finally gets a shot and takes three bad penalties.Blue Seat Blogs:
When the third Islander goal went in, Torts looked like he could have throttled Avery. The “Avery Effect” has all but disappeared. Avery has one season left on his contract. He’s untradeable. If he doesn’t buck up he’ll find himself with a one way ticket to Hartford to join Redden or enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
I expect Avery to be right back in the press box watching on Friday as he was awful tonight. He took three penalties and none of them of the “good” variety. The boarding call in the first he got lucky, at least from where we were, to not get more than two minutes and the one in the third cost them what in this game was a meaningless goal, but you cannot expect to be up four to be ok with giving up a goal down the stretch.Rangers Review:
Welcome back Sean Avery, now get the hell out. What a miserable game The Grate One played tonight. Generating next to nothing in the offensive zone, turning the puck over with stupid passes, and taking 3 idiotic penalties. Sean is on his game when he is getting players to take penalties on him, NOT when he is taking penalties. He cost the Rangers a cruise control win with his stupid penalty in the 3rd, and you could see Torts going, “jeez Sean, do you just not want to play ever again?”. Personally speaking, I think Wolski is far more valuable to the team at this juncture, and I would have no problem whatsoever with Sean sitting the rest of the season (barring injury). That’s all for now.Scotty Hockey:
There have been few bigger Avery apologists out there than me and even I have to throw up my hands after this one. A perfect opportunity to do what he does so well and he goes out there with no control. Instead of a trained police dog being allowed off the leash to go after the bad guys, we had a rabid animal who turned and bit us in the hand. So disappointing.NY Rangers blog:
...just an awful game from Avery tonight. Undisciplined and nothing doing on the offensive end. With Torts looking for any reason to bench the pest, not a good time for a performance like that.Rangers Tribune:
Speaking of healthy scratches, you can almost guarantee that Sean Avery will be one on Friday against Montreal. He took three total penalties in this game, two of which were in the offensive zone. The last one in the third period was completely unnecessary and I know Tortorella will not be happy about that one, especially since it cost the team a goal against. He needs to be much smarter than he was tonight.
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