Nice job out of the Wall Street Journal and Melanie West for doing some investigative reporting and finding some true blue Rangers fans to help put this Stanley Cup Finals in perspective.
Melanie Grayce West / Wall Street Journal:
Rangers' Bandwagon Gets Crowded as Stanley Cup Finals Approaches -- Team's Unlikely March to Finals Has Swept Up a Crush of New Fans
"New York has taken on the aura of a small-town city, getting really wrapped up in their team," said Michael Savino, 83, of West Islip, N.Y. He has been a Rangers fan since 1938 and writes the Ranger Pundit blog.
He welcomes all the Johnny-come-lately fans. "The more, the merrier," he said.
The Rangers, Mr. Savino said, have always been one of the city's scrappiest teams in their 88 years.
"The rascals," he called them, "fighting their way to respectability." ...
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| The Rangerstown Hockey House at MSG pulling in the fans |
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Time to hurry up and play, before Hank's playoff beard turns full white and he starts looking like a Norse god instead of his normal Viking Kingship.
Newsday:
Watch Henrik Lundqvist's beard grow throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs
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However, the bandwagon in Las Vegas is for the LA Kings, the bookies are all climbing aboard.
Sporting News:
Stanley Cup Finals odds – Vegas believes in Kings -- Bookmaker explains his pricing
With home-ice advantage when the series begins on Wednesday, the Kings are solid favorites to take home the Cup, priced at -165 at the LVH SuperBook. The Rangers are the +145 underdog.
“If the teams were equal, the home team would be about -130,” LVH manager Ed Salmons told The Linemakers on Sporting News, when asked to explain why he priced the series the way he did. “The Kings are going to be around -155 or -150 for Game 1. So the thought is the Kings are a bit better than the Rangers.”
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Kings -165Rangers +145
What the above odds mean is that L.A. Kings bettors have to risk $165 to win $100, while NY Rangers bettors risk $100 to win $145.
hy, i'm an italian reporter from milan. i cover hockey for a local magazine. how could i write you an email with some questions? thanks a lot - frizzo@rcs.it
Even car sites are jumping on the NY Rangers bandwagon! http://blog.carsforsale.com/carsforsale-coms-prediction-for-the-2014-stanley-cup-finals/
Anonymoius Italian Reporter
Tried to email you with your sign off and it didn't work.
You try mine and I will try to answer any and all questions.
msavino@msn.com
Caio