Go West Young Men

Well the Rangers have  finished the JV portion of their schedule having a romper room win over the hapless Sabres, 6-1. The Sabres aren't the most hapless, that honor goes to Carolina and Edmonton. But they are close. Thirteen Rangers had points with six different goal scores. Nash got his 24th and Dan Boyle and Jesper Fast got their thirds. It was a good scrimmage and now it's time to head West and meet the big boys and find out what we are made of.

The Rangers will first meet Anaheim, top point getter in the whole NHL. Then it's the defending Cup champs, LA Kings, second in the Pacific, and finally San Jose, tied for third, fourth and fifth in the Pacific. The Rangers, winners of eleven out of twelve, are rolling. Three out of three would be heaven, two out of three good, anything else, unacceptable.

The power play was awesome. 3-4. Brassard, Kreider and Nash scored in less than four minutes in the first period, as Buffalo self destructed. It won't come that easy against the Western posses but it was a good sendoff. The coach came up with a new wrinkle on JT Miller and Stempniak. He put them on the same line, the fourth. Explain to me how Miller gets ice time on the second power play unit and regular time on the fourth line? This coach may blow it yet.

So, it's the biggest test of the young season. The Rangers are playing well, Lundqvist is on his A game and the pressure is on the coach not to blow it. Will he be the brash Marshal who charges into the fray or the timid Sheriff who lays back in ambush? Stay tuned for another exciting episode of The Young Guns Go West.

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