It was an amazing game last night with an equally amazing comeback led by the 'bus rider', the 'jitterbug' and 'the hands of stone' players. When it was all said and done the Rangers won a game, in OT no less, scored a power play goal, no less, our goalie made 37 saves, what else is new, and one of our star franchise players sat and watched the game from a luxury box.
In the order of importance, Chris Kreider, who has spent more time riding The Tortorella Express back and forth to Hartford, then being on the ice scored the game winner in OT by flying to the net and redirecting a beautiful feed from Rick Nash past a surprised Tuukka Rask. Thereby giving the Rangers a return trip to beantown and the thought that hope springs eternal.
The 'jitterbug, Carl Hagelin, turned the game around when Rask fell in the crease and allowed the puck to slip by him for the Rangers first goal to make it 2-1. Stepan then scored the tying, 2-2, goal by picking the great Zdeno Chara's pocket for a beautiful wraparound. Chara did not have a good night. He was playing Nash very loosely on the game winning goal. The 'hands of stone' man, Brian Boyle, got the tying goal, 3-3, off a beautiful set-up by Derek Stepan.
The coach spent an inordinate amount of time, for him, explaining his benching of Richards. Or did he explain it? Me thinks that thou protested too much. Anyhow, it's a win. The Rangers are alive and live to play another day. It's still one at a time and Saturday's game should be a beaut. Back to what I have been saying all year. We always have a shot with Lundqvist in the net.
Stan got a little worked up last night.
A few select tweets from Stan Fischler.
@Stan Fischler / Twitter:
- #Rask unbelievably bad. Bad. #Rangers come right. Bs better start worrying.
- Has #Rask gotten the heebie-jeebies, or what? Now the Rangers should come back with the power play.
- #Rangers have to leave it all out there on the ice in the third period. We shall see. In 1942, Leafs rallied in the third and won. +3 more.
- As I predicted, Rask blows one, Stepan scores. Bs in disarray. Rangers start the miracle.
- What did I tell you -- a fourth-liner did the trick. #Rangers have #Bruins where they want them -- in Panics-vlle. #Rask won't be the same.
- Tuukka Rask slipping on invisible banana peel on ice is latest in the endless collection of #Boston sports blunders. Blowing series next.
Bruins Lose to the Bruins. BRUINS LOSE. --
Not even concerned. Seriously. Fools like Stan Fischler are going to bring up all that 2010 crap. The Bruins learned from that. It won't happen again.
They beat themselves tonight. Really, they did. Rangers fans can try to tell us we're being sore losers or whatever but let's review: Rask just flat out fell on that first goal. Defense took themselves out of the play on the power play goal. Rangers can have hope all they want. Bruins will just stop them on Saturday...
How the hell is Johnny Torts considered a good coach? Down 3-0 in the series, you bench Brad Richards for a player (Roman Hamrlik) that even Rangers fans said isn't good enough to be in the AHL, nevermind the NHL...
Wikipedia:
2010 Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Semi-Finals: --
The Bruins lost game seven on a Flyers power-play goal as a result of a too many men penalty. Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe said that "watching the Bruins blow a series on a too-many-men penalty is like watching the 1978 Red Sox lose a one-game playoff on a homer hit by a guy named Bucky." The collapse as a result of the penalty brought back memories of the 1979 Stanley Cup semi-finals when they lost to their bitter rivals (and eventual champions), the Montreal Canadiens.
Richards a healthy scratch in Game 4 --
The end of Brad Richards’ tenure with the Rangers may have come even sooner than anticipated.
The struggling veteran, expected to be the team’s No. 1 center and power-play catalyst when signed as the premier free agent in 2011, was a healthy scratch Thursday night as the Rangers survived elimination with a 4-3 overtime win over the Bruins in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
It marked the first time coach John Tortorella has ever made Richards a healthy scratch...
Richards said Tortorella called him at his Manhattan apartment early Thursday morning with the news.
I'm sick of saying the same things over and over so I'm going to do a little creative writing instead. So I hope you enjoy my unique take on the events of yesterday. Here's my story:
The day started out as just another day under the big top as the Ringmaster's Head Clown delivered the news of his line up. This shaped up to be the best act of all because the Head Clown is no ordinary Clown he's a magician. His best act is known as "make the skill disappear" and disappear it does. This time the rabbit's name was Brad Richards, the favorite bunny of the Head Clown who is now the star of the show since the last rabbit, Marion Gaborik, hopped off into greener pastures. You see the Clown was getting bored with his own act as Brad Richards skill seemed to disappear months ago so he decided to not only make his skills disappear but Brad himself- so he exclaimed "abracadabra" and poof. The bunny is gone and no one, not even the Head Clown knows where the bunny is or how to get him back but that won't stop the Head Clown because it never does. If you listen close enough, soon you will hear him bellowing "Ringmaster! Get me another bunny!" He will reply, "oh yeas my Head Clown, right away. After all, the show must go on." In the meantime, the Head Clown has more time to focus on the other bunnies who hop around uncontrollably like little jitterbugs as he grumbles to himself "I thought I took care of that bunny Kreider. You just can't trust these little rabbits, I tell ya. We'll just see what I have in my hat for him." As last night's act concluded, the media gathered around the Head Clown wondering where his prize bunny went and why he wasn't part of the show anymore to which the Clown replied, "I love that little bunny, so kiss my a** if you're going to write something else!" And that was the end of the show. Next performance will be held at TD Garden tomorrow night at 5:30 in case you can't wait to see who will disappear next.
If you play for John Tortorella prepare yourself to get thrown under the bus at some point. No one, but Tortorella himself, is safe from getting blamed for something. He even took shots at Lundqvist a couple of years ago when the King had a couple of off games.
From his behavior one could think that Tortorella has a form of Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD).
From Wikipedia, PPD: "...characterized by paranoia and a pervasive, long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others...
may be hypersensitive, easily feel slighted, and habitually relate to the world by vigilant scanning of the environment for clues or suggestions that may validate their fears or biases...
They tend to be guarded and suspicious and have quite constricted emotional lives...
People with this particular disorder may or may not have a tendency to bear grudges, suspiciousness, tendency to interpret others' actions as hostile, persistent tendency to self-reference, or a tenacious sense of personal right."
If the shoe fits...
HOORAY!!!
THAT S...B IS GONE AND I CAN ROOT FOR THE RANGERS AGAIN!
NEVER DISLIKED A COACH SO MUCH, AND I'VE BEEN A RANGER FAN FOR 64 YEARS.