So it was a banner raising night. A new Captain. An SRO crowd with celebrities like Tom Hanks and number two son and poof, we lay a giant egg, embarrassing ourselves and the fans, What went wrong? Everything. After a fairly even first period that ended 1-1 with a beautiful tying goal by Nash (4), off a great feed by St. Louis, it all went south.
The second period was about as bad a period the Rangers have had in moons. Outscored 5-1, out shot 19-12, and out hustled by miles, the team looked disinterested and disoriented. The five goal out burst was interrupted by Stempniak's unassisted goal. Before the period ended we were treated to the ultimate indignity. Henrik Lundqvist, the King, was pulled at the 15:31 mark. He faced 24 shots and gave up six goals. Cam Talbot came in faced 12 shots and made 12 saves. The only positive thing of the night.
It was a complete debacle and I am at a loss to explain it and would like to just write it off as a bad game and let it go. However, Saturday night was also a bad game and that raises the prospect of maybe we are not as good as I thought we would be. The old bugaboo, the power play, was 0-2. The penalty kill that was 9-9 in the first two games was 2-4. Not a good sign.
The Islanders, 2-0, and red hot, are coming in Tuesday and maybe another critical test this early in the season. Go with Talbot after a hot third period and give Lundqvist the night off to clear his head? Or come back with the King who will be looking for redemption? I say go with Talbot and rest Lundqvist. However, if we don't improve our play it wouldn't matter who is in the nets. So let's give it another day and see if it gets better. It's too early to panic.
ICINGS:
Congratulations!
Tweet from Larry Brooks...
Larry Brooks
@NYP_Brooksie
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1:45pm
Now where can you find toughness and intensity?
Canadiens Montréal
don't understand how you can come into the season without any real centers/ playoffa should have made that priority one. never seen this ever before.