What goes around comes around. The NY Rangers out deviled the New Jersey Devils and won a yawner last night, 2-0. That was some painful hockey to watch. I had to force myself to hang in there and see if Hank could get his 8th shutout. That looked like the team's motive too. Just hang in there and no matter what, they were going to preserve the shutout for Henke. Pack it in, close it up, up tight, no shots for you.
Guess what the Rangers have become? The are now officially Shot Nazis. No shots for you, or for you too, or for us. Only 13 shots for the Devils, 15 for the Rangers in 60 minutes of professional NHL hockey. Jeez. Peewee hockey has more action than this.
The silver lining in this constipated ice jam fest is that it locks Lundqvist in for the Vezina Trophy. Put in those terms I think I can handle the truth. The Rangers are built around their best player. Protect the King at all costs and good things (wins) will come to thee.
NBC Sports executives are probably on the phone this morning complaining to Gary Bettman that about that game. Mike Milbury and his NBC commentating crew were clearly not too gaga over it. Welcome to late season Rangers' hockey NBC. We expect you will learn to appreciate the subtle points of Torts Torture if the Rangers go deep in the playoffs.
1. Prust did not look like he was an eager combatant in his fight with Eric Boulton. I saw speculation that he might be injured. And that the Stealth brought in big defenseman John Scott, 6-8, 270-pounds, to add some toughness if Prust needs to go on the shelf. Giving up a fifth round pick in the 2012 draft isn't a very high price if Scott can contribute.
2. Captain Cally continues to impress. Super effort on both goals: the assist to Hagelin and then the hustle for the empty netter.
I thought the reason they brought Rupp in was so that Prust didn't have to fight?...Oh yeah that's right Rupp is here so that Avery could be sent to the moon.
Just what we need, another goon defenseman like Bickel that serves no purpose besides staged fights.
Are we going to fight our way through the playoffs, coach?
I want to see someone sack up and ask Sather what his deal was with Avery. Would love to hear the rational behind it
Rupp cemented his place on the team with those two goals in the Winter Classic. Since then not much. Maybe we get two more goals in the playoffs? Every 5 months he wakes up and decides he wants to do something.
Getting someone in the media to ask Sather a hard question and then get him to answer it on camera is like finding gold in Central Park. Why else do we call him the Stealth GM?