Sweede sensations over Columbus, Rangers improve to 3-0

Opening night, 2015. The Pundit had the pleasure of sitting in the front row, thanks to number 2 son purchasing tickets via auction at the St Mary's Children's Hospital mixer. A great time was had interacting with what our left wing friends refer to as the 1%. They may be the 1% but they are quite a charitable and fun group of people, who treated us like Kings!  My lovely wife of 58 years joined in for the opening night festivities. So now the down and dirty.

The Rangers had a great weekend against a team picked by many to challenge for the eastern conference title. Two blitzes, one in each game did the Blue Jackets in. Trailing 2-1 with less than five minutes left in the game at Columbus, the Rangers led by swede rookie Lindbergh scored three goals in 77 seconds for a 4-2 win.

Opening night at the Garden, the Rangers, again were lead by Sweede, Oscar Lindbergh, who scored 2 goals in the Rangers 3 goal first period enroute to a 5-2 win over Columbus. Columbus which actually out played the Rangers for the final two periods, but the Rangers stood their ground because of the heroics of Lundqvist, "the king". How Sweede it is.

Lundqvist made 37 saves, at least three spectacular ones to hold Columbus at bay, leading the Rangers a 5-2 win, and a 3-0 start to the season. It matches the best start in recent years for the Rangers. The points in October are just as important as the ones in April and May. The Rangers had many opportunities to blow it open, including at least three breakaways plus a penalty shot.

While  unbeaten after three games, the Rangers have flaws, team toughness is lacking. We have a ton of finesse skaters, we need a few more bruisers who can also put the puck in the net. Maybe Kreider. Maybe Miller. We seem to lose out in some scrums, especially after the whistles. But that's for another day. Remember the coaches edict: never critique a win.

One sour note, that I have had to repeatedly call out, is the crowd behavior. Pre-game had the West Point choir singing the national anthem and the stupid crowd interrupting it with shouts and let's go Rangers. Young men and women serving their country, putting their lives on the line and many will sacrifice their lives deserve more respect as does our anthem. But it will never change, just as the stupid is the Potvin chants will continue long after Potvin leaves this earth. Oh well. Maybe I'm getting grumpier in my old age, but in a city where we were attacked on 9/11, and so many young men and women went off to battle, many to not return, can't we show some respect during the presentation of our colors?

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