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Ranger Fan Central | The People of RFC

Fri May 18 2012 6:12 pm EST

Richards with another 1st period goal to put NJ on their heels tomorrow. 4-1 Rangers

Gibbo

Fri May 18 2012 5:59 pm EST

Hospo- We will loose tomorrow, you and I both know it. After that game, we might have a chance. But tomorrow is a L in the protocol.

Ola

Fri May 18 2012 5:12 pm EST

A little levity for tomorrow's game -- feel free to play along at home. (And I still miss Sam Rosen calling these games): http://www.PuckPress.com/blog/featured/doc-emrick-playoff-bingo

josh29

Fri May 18 2012 4:31 pm EST

E/HIP - 100% in agreement....and I think Torts knows it too

Hospo

Fri May 18 2012 4:29 pm EST

OLA - That's why you can watch it tonight...Find something else to do tomorrow!!!

Hospo

Fri May 18 2012 4:24 pm EST

HIPCHECK: anyone who would accuse the NYR of not competing enough is just an assertion that I can't go along with. I actually like the way the NYR are battling. It's not an issue of ability to go to war. They are hustling and contesting every corner of the ice. They aren't leaving anything on the ice as far as I am concerned. If they lose it would not be for effort but for execution. They have to keep pushing against the wall that is the NJD and get a bounce or two. When the get the lead, they win games. They are great at playing with marginal leads and not good at coming from behind.

Fri May 18 2012 4:11 pm EST

stevie- Game is tomorrow...

Ola

Fri May 18 2012 3:38 pm EST

Things get way, way, wayyyyyy over simplified, over analyzed & over stated in the papers & here on the wall. I watched that game close, (lol literally, I like to pull my chair up real close to the 52" HDTV... both for superstition & to really feel close to the action). Anyone who says the Rangers lacked passion & intensity are f*/cking crazy. I was d*/mn proud of the effort & "compete-level" all the way through. The Boys were hitting & flying around like crazy! Devils are a excellent team also. They played exceptionally hard and their shots (got deflected) and found the back of the net. Period, end of story!! I loved the passion shown by our guys, and I haven't lost one bit of confidence whatesoever. HAGELIN is due. MCDONAGH is due. And KRIEDER is on the verge of a multi-Goal game. Rangers offensive floodgates are about to burst open. Lack of effort, "MY */SS"!!!!!!!

hipcheck

Fri May 18 2012 3:06 pm EST

Rhet - Cap Hell would have been losing to Washington in the last Round....Lets hope the Devil doesn't send us there this series.....I don't worry one iota about the finanicial things of next year, they will work out

Hospo

Fri May 18 2012 3:04 pm EST

E/Rhet - This is a team that doesn't generate enough offense, in part, becasue it chooses not to......It wants low scoring games where they play their disciplined opportunistic game and not looking to press and score offnesively....I think that is the smart way to play NJ.....But, .Find a way to either beat their forechecking or keep the puck in their end, and theRangers will beat them just like they did Ottawa and Washington....Let the Devils forecheck and beat them to the puck in the offensive zone, and it's over....RHET - I totally disagree with you on the lack of effort..I think it was two things the other night..1) .The Devils were jsut stronger and faster; and 2) Alot of times the Rangers, thinking defense, pulled back from getting the puck along the side boards and went straight to their defending position towards the middle...Both let the Devils have the puck, move it around, eventually take a shot and get deflections...That will be their plan again..

Hospo

Fri May 18 2012 2:47 pm EST

Rhet0ric: Here is the deal with this NYR team. They don't generate enough offense. Their margin for error is so tiny that one fail and its over. The problem that they are faced with right now is that they are playing a NJD team that is in this observers opinion more skilled, more poised, and more mature. They will teabag you if they get their offense going. Giving up 3 or more goals regardless of how/where it happened is too much for this squad to overcome. They need to get the lead in the 2nd, go into the 3rd with it and put the skate on the neck and saw away. If the scenario is reversed? The firepower just isn't there. Its all miracles, and dreams. They must have control of the game. Force the NJD to open up some. They have absolutely gang raped Gaborik. People ask where Gabby is? If he isn't turning the puck over he is in the corner getting smashed relentlessly. And he is wilting. He simply is not getting to his scoring zones. Hagelin? Being forced wide. Richards? Looking for passing space but settling for outside shots. The NYR offense is coming from their defense. The NJD are surrendering the points and collapsing in. And so this series is all about Staal, MDZ, McD, and yes… even Stralman. That is where the shots are coming from. Even Kreider is scoring from there. The NJD will lose every single game against this NYR team if they get a 1-2 goal lead going into the 3rd period. If not? The ice tilts and the NJD have more collective firepower and experience.

Fri May 18 2012 2:44 pm EST

E... You could make the argument that the Rangers are headed for Cap Hell because they have a 3rd liner making over $4 Mil per season.

Rhet0ric

Fri May 18 2012 2:40 pm EST

Speaking of DUBINSKY, he skated today for the first time. He still probably wont be ready until the next round... CALLAHAN claims that his left hand is not bothering him at all... but if it was, would he ever admit to it? ...ZUCCARELLO... is skating with the Whale call-ups to be ready in case of injury... If MZA is close to being ready, why is Mitchell still skating for this team? ...STAAL claims he only had the wind knocked out of him from the hit to the boards/glass the other night ...BIRON... At CBC, Elliotte Friedman writes that Flyers GM Paul Holmgren should do everything he can to bring Marty Biron back to Philadelphia and have him act as Ilya Bryzgalov’s back up goalie... All things being equal, IMO, he'll stay in NY.

Rhet0ric

Fri May 18 2012 2:26 pm EST

schneidw: I actually am looking at this team and I am not certain that the team "needs" another marquee scoring threat on the LW. You have Hagelin and Kreider who need to develop. Its easy to forget that Hagelin was a 40-point guy after only a 2/3 a season. And Kreider is well… We will see but all signs look very good. And I also wouldn't rule out a return to form for Dubinsky. And what about MZA? Despite being so close to greatness, its easy to forget that some of these players are so young into their careers. I think a lot of this depth is great. Parise is going to get an insane contract. If you absolutely felt that you needed to step outside the organization (assuming you let Fed walk and/or Prust) I have a few guys on my radar like Hudler, Gaustad, Ponikarovsky, & McLeod are on my radar scope. In the case of Hudler he has been on may radar scope for a while. Parise is going to get a mind numbing contract and considering that the NYR have some guys like MDZ, and MZA as a first wave of contracts that goes in to a big salary killing re-signing period in 2013 when AA, Hagelin, and ESPECIALLY McD, and Stepan are going to be seeing some nice pay increases. The NYR have some very good players who are very young and are not only going to demand but have earned huge bumps. Cap hell is a place the NYR may find themselves quickly in. And then we talk about windows for championships and what not? Yeah, we may have a window. But that window may be open wide enough to start letting key players fly out of it before in many cases they have even hit their prime when we know that they are going to be great.

Fri May 18 2012 2:25 pm EST

I just don't get what's wrong with this team... they can't seem to maintain a consistent effort from game to game let alone period to period... they just don't show up for every game... it dogged them in the regular season and has continued to haunt them in the postseason... I have no problem with these guys losing a game, but when they lose because they didn't show up for it, it just drives me crazy... it's not something the Devils can be credit for, it's something we've failed at doing for a long time... SCHNEIDW... Yes, Parise does love Torts and he would be a great fit on this team, but the rest of the article mentions that he LOVES being a New Jersey Devil (his preference would be to stay there)... still, we could be in the running :) ..TUCC... You are 100% correct, if the Rangers are exhausted, it's not the two 7-game series that are to blame it's the coach... playing the 6th D and 4th line 10 minutes a game would help the team tremendously... hopefully it doesn't become our undoing.. if Torts has no confidence in Bickel (and his 3:00 minutes a game), then play Eminger... it's ridiculous already... FRED... How do we miss Dubinsky? What has he done in the postseason that we miss? He's been awful in the postseason, except for the two games he replaced Boyle on the checking line when he was out hurt.. that's it. Would I prefer him over Mitchell? Yes, any day of the week. The guy I think the team could really use right now is MZA. He could give our Power Play a boost.

Rhet0ric

Fri May 18 2012 1:56 pm EST

Ola it's Friday . Are you ready to watch the game alone even though you have been a jinx? Please reconsider find something else to do including the rest of the weekend. Enjoy your family. ....git r done....

stevielegs

Fri May 18 2012 12:28 pm EST

Parise- This is an excerpt from a column he wrote for a local rag... Something tells me he will like Manhatten better than Detroit. I grew up in Minnesota, so I didn’t know too much about New Jersey before I came here five years ago to play for the Devils. The only thing I really knew about New Jersey was that it was close to New York. I know now there is a lot to do here. There are a lot of things going on nearby. You can drive down to Atlantic City, or you can go to New York City, which really makes it fun. Each year I’ve lived here, I’ve liked it more and more. I’ve lived in Hoboken for a couple of years now. I like city living. I’d never really done that when I was growing up in Minnesota. What I really like about Hoboken is that I never have to take my car out. It’s fun. It’s different. There’s a lot of action. Plus, it’s pretty convenient. It’s easy to get to the Prudential Center in Newark, where the team practices and plays, and it’s also only a ten-minute ride to downtown Manhattan. My girlfriend and I like to go into Manhattan for a Broadway show or to have dinner, but there’s a lot to do around here, a lot of restaurants. I like going to Giants games when there’s time.

schneidw

Fri May 18 2012 12:07 pm EST

Such a perfect fit... At Newsday, Arthur Staple spoke with JP Parise, father of Zach Parise, who said that while his son hasn’t decided on anything regarding his future yet, he does like a certain coach of the Rangers. “Zach likes Torts a lot. Zach knows how to work, he doesn’t shy away from the discipline part of it. He’d fit right in there.” Tortorella was an assistant coach on the 2010 USA Olympic team that Parise, along with Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury,

schneidw

Fri May 18 2012 12:07 pm EST

HOSPO- no argument from me.. I agree w you 100%. Can;'t waiit for SAT night and hoping the NYRs are sleeping in hyperbaric chambers tongiht...

schneidw

Fri May 18 2012 11:12 am EST

yeah 1st 2 periods game 1 we were off balance literally no legs,complete exhaustion. then bang girardi finds the net,home crowd,adrenaline carried the day. we have played too many games,is all. u could see it in henrik at end of wash. series even he was slow up top. you buy in or don't with torts,kraftily takin the heat for his players, GABORIK goes cliche EURO.torts wont say that to larry brooks. be dammed sure he reamed some peeps in that room later. i expect a different team saturday n gabby. but a little scary when you see what can happen when someone gets an unencumbered lane to shoot thru. but i expect a win,we've seen this 2 week mini-series for awhile now.

leetch2

Fri May 18 2012 10:21 am EST

Torts is a genius... in spite of him playing 5 D and 9 forwards, in spite of the fact that we are in another dog fight with a hated rival, after playing two 7 game series, with players who look completely gassed, and are starting to have problems with fundamental parts of the game... all anyone in the press is talking about is how much of a shit head Torts is to the press. Classic... way to take the pressure off the players!

Tucc

Fri May 18 2012 10:11 am EST

With 4 playoff goals before playing in a regular season game, Rangers' Kreider enters NHL Record Books: http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/rangers-kreider-enters-record-books

josh29

Fri May 18 2012 9:51 am EST

SCHNEIDW _ Disagree that the Devils defense sucks but it can be beaten--they are a little better behind the goal line than the Caps which makes it a little harder for the Rangers to keep possession in their end....But, if they can, that would be great becasue it would limit the Devil's chance to forecheck......Becuase, to me, the key has to be beating or preventing the Devils forecheck..If we can't hem them in ther D- zone we have to beat them to pucks in our end by going to the baords to get the puck rather then just staying in the mioddle all the time to close down lanes......Once we get/breaak out, there's alot of open ice...OTOH ,only Kreider seems up to taking advantage of it when guys like Gabby, Hagelin, Cally should also...

Hospo

Fri May 18 2012 9:30 am EST

NYRs- I have not watched Game 2 yet.. from the sounds of it... its going to be painful to watch... The Devils defense sucks... NYRs need Callahan, Prust, Hagelin, Kreider to crash the Devils D on teh forecheck and create turnovers... I owuld like to see Torts having the NYR D pinching in more frequently and helping the forecheck..its risky.. but there is reward to be had...

schneidw

Fri May 18 2012 9:29 am EST

TDCHI Regarding the raging Russian alcoholics, weren't they at a single place where no alcohol was being served rather then skulking around bars?.. Plain and simple, they broke a team rule by missing curfew by an hour and some discipline needed to be handed out but NAshville seems to have gone way far overboard, possibly becasue they had egg on their face becvase a busy bee reporter knew and they didn't ...Be interesting to see what they do with Radulov...

Hospo

Fri May 18 2012 9:28 am EST

Gaborik- I am glad to hear that Torts benched Gaborik... I rewatched parts of game 1 and Gaborik was definately floating around and not holding his edge along the boards.. and as somebody posted earlier, everytime he got the puck instead of taking the hit and clearing the puck forward, he would treat the puck as a hot potato and dump it behind Lundquvist and make the defense scramble and take a big hit instead... Gaborik is 205 lbs and strong, he needs to toughen up and lead by example..

schneidw

Fri May 18 2012 9:25 am EST

Gaborik- I am glad the

schneidw

Fri May 18 2012 9:17 am EST

tdchi- If that's what happend. The same reports had AK and Rads out 'till 4-5am drinking and so forth. You didn't get that impression from reading the SI article. They have it alcohol free, 1 am and Tortz checking the log at the hotell. A rule is a rule, Tortz and Polie definitely knows best if its absolute or not and its certainly their right to suspend a player for breaking it. Like imagine if the same thing happend to Gabby and Anisimov/or why not Dubi and Callahan. Torts suspended them, saying like "we have a few rules, and the ones we have we expect our players to follow". NY Post and everyone is reporting that Gabby and Anisimov/Dubi and Callahan had been out drinking till 5-6 am and returned hrs basically before the game the other day started. Do you think Slats and Torts would let everyone believe that in fact happend even if they knew it wasn't true? Its sounds pretty insane.

Ola

Fri May 18 2012 8:35 am EST

wally - the way I see it is that where there's smoke there's fire. In this case, it's all about how big the fire was...Also, a lot of times it's the fan sites and blogs that flame these things. So you have an honest beat reporter who states the basic: Two Preds players miss curfew --play poorly the next day. Then you have a Yotes blog that says they 'played like they were out drinking vodka all night' and that lights up the Internet. Next thing you know, you got a guy who trolls blogs looking for media content --Puckdaddy for example --reporting on the amateur reporting and fan speculation. Then the national media picks it up from Puckdaddy and before you know it, you've got Radulov and Kostitsyn coming home hammered just 13 hours before the game and playing poorly because of it. If you're the Preds, you can issue a statement saying it's BS. But then what do you say? If you don't explain WHAT happened, you're just fanning already out-of-control flames. And think of it this way: There are a lot of things those two could have been doing that would have been FAR less flattering than coming home drunk at 4 a.m., which is something just about every hockey player at every level has done on rather frequent occasion. I mean, how does it look if these guys were found making out in a bathroom at curfew? Or doing some weird fetish thing with goat? Or like I said, doing some sort of hardcore drug that would kick in the NHL's substance abuse policy? I don't think they handled it bad, other than to sit the guys for two games. But again, we have NO idea what they did and probably never will.

tdchi

Fri May 18 2012 8:32 am EST

TD, To your point of running a short bench, I totally agree you can go 2 &1/2 lines and 2 sets of D in Pee Wee/ Bantam but it doesn't work at this level. You might be able to do that for a period or maybe even a game but not a series without it catching up to you with players with dead legs. Also just my opinion.

wally5460

Fri May 18 2012 8:25 am EST

TD, If they were actually out partying than yes they should have been dealt with as they were but if the team jumped to conclusions based on hearsay then they dropped the ball. Just my opinion since I don't know if any of the article in SI is fact.

wally5460

Fri May 18 2012 8:21 am EST

correction...pissed away ONE game...

tdchi

Fri May 18 2012 8:20 am EST

OLA, here is what happened in the NFL because they didn't do it the right way. Here is a link to the lawsuit brought by John Vilma against the Commissioner and the NFL. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/saints-vilma-sues-roger-goodell-193542215--nfl.html;_ylt=AkbF6bTaCyDBwlq0jFpMF7s5nYcB

wally5460

Fri May 18 2012 8:19 am EST

Ola/wally - I believe the who story about RADULOV and KOSTITSYN actually came from a Coyotes beat writer(s) who were at a bar late-night and noticed those two skulking around. And call me a schmuck for drawing conclusions, but in my estimation when you see ANYONE out on the prowl at a party after midnight, chances are pretty good they're not sober...And to take this thought a bit farther, the late-night alcohol-free 'parties' I've knew in college weren't exactly sober affairs...in other words, throw on some techno, get some glow sticks and drop some X...dance the night away...anyway, there could be a lot to the story. I'm not going to believe for one minute that TROTZ threw away his best chance yet to win the cup over one sober hour after curfew. SI can write any apology they want, but those two numbskulls screwed the pooch in a way we'll probably never know. Trotz does and he pissed away two games where he could have man-handled the Yotes.

tdchi

Fri May 18 2012 8:01 am EST

JFC31 - It's funny because I was just thinking of those teams circa 1999-2004...just effortless slugs...I remember we all went apeshit over Todd "Heartbeat" HARVEY back then, like he was the second coming of GRAVES...Now we have a full roster of guys of that mind. Funny how much has changed since the lockout...And your right, these guys ARE tired. I can't even imagine what they must look like under the pads. McDONAGH has got to be a visual monstrosity with all the pucks and abuse he's taken...and that's the problem here is that TORTORELLA had shortened his bench to such a degree that he's basically playing with half a roster. Let me tell you, I've played some pretty intense games with a short bench...I remember winning one with NO subs...just five guys skating 60 minutes...but many other times, I can recall having a full bench, rolling three lines and three D-pairings on a team with only moderate talent and beating a team with dynamic talent that has a short bench...And that's the case here with the Devils. They don't mind skating worthless hacks like BERNIER and GIONTA and CARTER 10 minutes a game. And that way, some of the more skilled guys can get legs to give the absolutely gassed top-line of the Rangers fits...and in the case of Wednesday, they also score goals. Hell, those three guys have a combined six goals and six assists. Try finding that production from the Rangers' bottom line...in fact, the Rangers' bottom FIVE(Prust, Fedotenko, Rupp, Mitchell and Boyle) have a combined 10 points. And that's with them basically playing all 16 games so far(obviously Boyle missed a few). That's not because they're sucking. It's because they're simply not playing.

tdchi

Fri May 18 2012 7:53 am EST

Been traveling a lot again lately but wanted to throw my $.02 in. In watching Game 2 the thing that struck me most about the difference between the 2 teams is the Devils ability to handle the puck and make simple plays in their own end versus the Rangers complete inability to do so. I commented after Game 1 that the Rangers were horrific in that second period with respect to handling the puck and clearing the puck. It was something that they have been pretty good at all year and yet were horrible in game 1. I had hoped that would be the end of it but sure enough they were horrible ALL GAME LONG in game 2. ALL 3 goals by the Devils came after the Rangers had control of the puck with time and space in their own end. Instead of clearing the puck they either gave it away directly with a bad pass, threw it into the feet of a teammate who was covered or just fumbled with the puck and turned it over. Those weren't the only three times either. There must have been a dozen other times or more during the game where they failed to clear when they had the time and space to do so. I can't credit the Devils forecheck entirely for that even though it is a factor. The Rangers forecheck was on the Devils just as quickly and hard for stretches of the game but for the most part the Devils moved the puck out of their own zone MUCH better then the Rangers did. If the Rangers continue to handle and move the puck as poorly as they have so far in this series they are done. The turnovers and poor puck handling turn into extended shifts in their end with constant pressure. It ends in exhaustion and goals against. It kills any momentum and causes the game to look like it is being played in your end (which it is). They even handled the puck poorly on the PP when there was little to no pressure on them. They looked disjointed. They looked disorganized. They looked like they had no idea what they were going to do or where there options were going to be when they got the puck. That means they weren't playing disciplined hockey. They simply aren't good enough to play this way and win this series.

Vic

Fri May 18 2012 7:48 am EST

Ola - Having worked in the media, I can understand both sides of the Tortorella dilemma. From the media perspective, you need content. That's the whole purpose of being a reporter is that you report. When someone basically shuts the door in your face, that doesn't mean you can go back to your editor or producer and say 'sorry, bud...I got nothing.' Nope, you've got to fill that space with something. And when your job is to get information and there's one foul-mouth schmuck standing in your way from getting it, of course your going to exact a degree of hostility toward that guy. In fact, HE becomes the story instead of the mundane interview about the team not taking enough shots, being tired, being bad on the powerplay and so forth....NOW...the flip side is that as a coach, all I want my players thinking about is that next game. I think most players innately do that anyway...I don't believe for one second there's a single Ranger surfing the net looking for news about Wednesday's game. They simply don't have time in between getting shut-eye, mending wounds, keeping limber and hitting practice. But in the off-chance they do catch a highlight reel, the last thing you want is for them to be seeing a coach throwing X and Y player under the bus. Not with this sort of all-for-one strategy. Likewise, you get something like that and the other coach can seize up on it...use it for his own team's motivation...Personally, I have NO problem with what Torts is doing with the media. None at all. I think it's smart. Better to give assclowns like Milbury ammunition to blast and overanalyze him than the team itself. My problem with Torts is that I don't think he has the ability to adjust his own gameplan to evolve with these playoffs, not that he snaps at Fischler or anyone else after the game. I can't believe the media isn't seizing up on that. It really shows how weak they are in journalistic ability.

tdchi

Fri May 18 2012 6:08 am EST

OLA, if that story you quote is true it shows just how screwed up Nashville's management is. To allow the situation to continue to be misrepresented in the press is really nothing more that character assassination and the players should sue for libel.

wally5460

Fri May 18 2012 5:49 am EST

Sports Illustrated have Radulov and Kostitsyn returning at 1am when cerfew was at midnight (which had been confirmed by Nashville checking the log at the hotell). No alcohol had been consumated by either player. Ryan Getzlaf was seen at a nightclub in Helskini drunk as hell threatning people in the line to a night club. Several sources have him waiving his fist yelling "you don't want this" and saying that he could knock out the entire line "in three minutes". Hm, how suprising is it that a big deal is made of the first incident, and very little of the second? Also, and probably more severe, the speculation on Radulov and AK was that they had returned like 4-5am drunk. Nashville have yet to do ANYTHING about that speculation. I mean, sure if that's the way they want to run their business, its their right to go ahead and suspend someone for being a little late to curfew. But jesus, when their own players are being hanged in the entire hockey world for doing something completely unthinkable, and the TEAM knows that its not true, how on earth can they NOT issue a statement about it??? And it also says a ton about the chracter of Rads and AK that they themselves followed to teams orders to shut up. They should be up for the Bill Masterton Trophy.

Ola

Fri May 18 2012 5:47 am EST

If the devils cant sell out the their arena for the Eastern Conference Finals, what does this say about the franchise? A franchise that is receiving a financial helping hand from the league, needs to fill seats any way they can. They need to sell beverages, food, souveniers, promo material, hell, I dont care if the sell "loosies" in the parking lot, just sell, and get off the "leagues dole." ..... Anyone know if Phoenix has been selling out or even coming close to capacity during these playoffs? ........ Well, the only thing that matters really is winning the next game.... Heres hoping that our guys took advantage of resting and have healed enough to win tomorrow... "Lets-Go-Rangers"

Fri May 18 2012 4:43 am EST

I could really care less how Torts treats the media. Not my concern in the least. How he handles the team and wins hockey game sis all I care about. Screw the media.....this is teh media that gave this team no coverage all year. Andy Petitte may return to Yankees was front page in February. Rangers victory over Boston...buried. These media bums come out of the woodwork now that were a final 4 team....screw them.

jnyr

Fri May 18 2012 2:00 am EST

So by my understanding the NJD would rather the arena be partially empty rather then have the NYR fan invasion? Good luck with that…. Not that it matters because the NYR fans will invade the place as they always do anyway. And why not? Its a beautiful arena home away from… screw it. Its home...

Fri May 18 2012 12:39 am EST

Time to Occupy the Rock with Blueshirts. What dumbasses the Devils are.

Bob

Thu May 17 2012 10:36 pm EST

Kings 3 games to none... They look well rested and unbeatable,

Tucc

Thu May 17 2012 9:30 pm EST

Nich: my big question is who are all these Devil fans that have tickets? They have like 500 fans for Fs sake. Pathetic people at that. Can't wait for the minor league shannagens that they do in that building! Wow.

NYStranger

Thu May 17 2012 8:44 pm EST

....so when I take the 40K foot look at this series here's what I see....we cannot go another 7 game series and win....doesn't happen...we are a tired Hockey club with guys running on fumes...and guys MIA Boyle, Cally, Gaboric, Dubi....when Brodeur is laying on his stomack and has a leg up in the air and the shot hits his leg.....Karma baby...BAD Karma. I just don't see it turning out well....

MelvilleFred

Thu May 17 2012 8:28 pm EST

...was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?? ZEBOP posted this morning that Cally may have abroken finger....would explain his play...we do miss Dubie. I could give a shit less about Torts and his Press Conferences.....I am however totally pissed off that when I go the Rangers POST GAME I'm getting Devil interviews al over the place!!!! That is truly annoying......and I'll re-state my position that the NHL is the most idiotic professional league in sports....how the F do you put on a marquee matchup on Saturday at 1PM....thaqt is a total joke!

MelvilleFred

Thu May 17 2012 7:32 pm EST

Christ. This is pathetic and goes to the core of why I hate this team. "The Devils have launched an online campaign to try to convince fans not to sell their tickets to their Rangers counterparts. The plan concentrates on stopping Rangers fan from infiltrating Prudential Center in the secondary market, where Devils fans who cannot attend the game or games sell off their tickets. Here are some of the options the Devils laid out on their website: * If you own seats and have to sell for any of the home games because of conflicts, do NOT list your seats on the secondary market. The team recommends several blogs to list available seats and suggests asking for pictures or to meet in person to ensure the buyer is a Devils fan."

Nick

Thu May 17 2012 7:13 pm EST

Renney is out of work, can he not be the pich hit coach for the post game press conference ?

HamiltonHellhounds

Thu May 17 2012 5:12 pm EST

HOSPO: I actually think Tortorella is doing this as some kind of self fulfilling BS. It's taken on a life of its own. Everybody is jokingly asking how long his pressers will last. And I bet Sully and John are sitting in a room laughing about this while the media discuss it.

Thu May 17 2012 4:05 pm EST

If they want to get to the final battle they have to win 3 games...... No excuses this is war......need more killer instincts...... No white flag or excuses....GIT R DONE!

stevielegs

Thu May 17 2012 3:50 pm EST

CHIN - Belive me, I'm fine with the Torts package as a whole, but he is such a douche in press conferences, especially after a loss....Perhaps he should just send Sullivan in there..or just say something like "hey guys, I got nothing and am in a bad mood so have a good night"..............OLA - Yeah, missing DUBI against teams like the Devils and Cps hurts...and Cally has to be injured...The other guy is Boyle....Phenomenal in the first round agaisnt Ottawa bust since then has been very slow for the msot part.......Imagine where this team would be WITHOUT KREIDER??

Hospo

Thu May 17 2012 3:48 pm EST

OLA: I'll agree with that, but I'll add GABBY to that. He didnt dominate physically like DUBI and CALLY, but there were many nights this year he was the best forward on the ice. Still not sure if he's hurt or not. And with DUBI, he didn't really dominate this year very often, certainly not as much as he did in spurts in the past. All his offensive skill and confidence went bye bye somehow.

chinstrap

Thu May 17 2012 3:44 pm EST

Hospo- If you look at what we do NOT have now, compared to when we played our best hockey, it's IMO dominating efforts by Callahan and Dubinsky.

Ola

Thu May 17 2012 3:27 pm EST

E/HOSPO: I hear you guys on Torts, but all the Ranger beat guys have actually stuck up for him for the most part in their blogs. They cite the idiotic questions that some national media (and Fischler) have been asking and say they don't really blame Torts for being short and snippy in those instances. In other cases, obviously, he could do better. But all he cares about is winning, not appeasing a press corps that he (right or wrong) has no use for. It was funny to see the beat guys take Fischler to task for his absurd question about why Torts called time out in one of the games after an icing with the team tired as hell and up a goal.

chinstrap

Thu May 17 2012 2:41 pm EST

E - Agree about Torts..I couln't care less about the media and I don't care if he remains tight lipped butt there is no reason to be a giant douche all the time and even treating good questions with condescending and annoyed looks and phrases..Too bad there's not a blogger or reporter to call him out and get in his face and stay in it.......As for the FATIGUE factor, Somewhat disagree..If it's not fatigue/wear and tear (physical and/or mental) it's something else (not lack of effort) because..other then a 15 minute stretch where penalties and momentum/adrenaline took over, the Devils were the quicker team, winning the race to the puck (hell, alot of the times the Ranges conceeded the race), and winning the physical battle for space in the slot.....So, if fatigue is not a factor, the Devils then are just the better team right now.....We'll see on Saturday..

Hospo

Thu May 17 2012 2:32 pm EST

Whenever I'm feeling just a little too happy, I'm glad I can come view the wall and bring me back down! Man, we were beaten up, down, and sideways through the shi**y ice last night, and still coulda/shoulda won? I'm not jumping off any bridges. An open shot (how DID he get that open? wink wink) by a true sniper, and 2 deflections. So I'll concede the goals. Pretty typical Devils goals. And we were 2" away here and there from putting the game away. I won't get frustrated. The day that the Rangers' performance directly affects the way I get paid at work, then I'll care. These are still an inspiring bunch of guys for whom it's been a pleasure rooting this season, and that's something I haven't been able to say with a straight face for many, many years. Kick ass in stinktown, and let;s end this in a week.

Rexi29

Thu May 17 2012 2:30 pm EST

KIS: I won't acknowledge fatigue as an issue because there was a couple of swaths where they were in complete control of the pace, flow, and they got off something like 10-shots with NJ getting 1. Nut the bottom line was that they did a lousy job covering IK17 on that PP. when Prust was out there he boxed him out even without a stick. Without him? They left him WIDE open. That snapshot was ridiculous. I didn't even see it until it was rolling out of the net. Lundqvist had zero chance to make that save. The NYR have got to keep someone between him and the net. It's critically important. By contrast, NJD are having no trouble keeping an eye on Gaborik who didn't get a good shot off all night and was marginalized to the point that he wasn't missed at all on the ice. So benching him didn't hurt at all. The reality is that the right team won last night. So what now? Now we go to NJ and aim for a split. And this is the path. This NYR team is a heart attack team. They don't win easy but it's important to remember that in every single instance of having their backs to the wall, they won. And I have no reason to believe that changed.

Thu May 17 2012 2:16 pm EST

JFC31: while on one level it is funny with Tortorella's pressers it's also a little ridiculous. I understand what he is doing but he doesn't have to be an over the top dick about it. The curt answers, "no, next question" and the like are upsurd. It's really okay to take the edge off. Something along the lines of, "you know, I need to keep that in the locker room." The only guy who he isn't ignoring (Brooks) is Stan Fischler. With him he says little but he isn't such a dick to him. But when you are the coach of a team who receives international attention you need to be better. This is why I don't like Tortorella.

Thu May 17 2012 1:55 pm EST

rink rat don't you eventually become a senator? love that movie

KIS

Thu May 17 2012 1:53 pm EST

After looking at tons of responses to Torts sitting Gabby, I wouldn't be surprised that Torts sat Gabby as a way of sending a message to the whole team. A reminder. Torts is big into the mind games.. He is also arrogant and confident. I could see him thinking the series is going going 6 or 7, I want my players to know they have to keep doing what we do. Basically rolling the dice on one game but doing it to win the series.

KIS

Thu May 17 2012 12:53 pm EST

Ola you can watch the game on Friday but that's it. .... Nobody will tell you differently. Enjoy the game , watch it alone.

stevielegs

Thu May 17 2012 12:20 pm EST

He's on a Roll..

Hospo

Thu May 17 2012 12:07 pm EST

In response to some of the Rangers fan/media freaking out over last nights loss: **** "What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?....... Hell no! What the f** happened to the Rangers I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst. "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you RinkRat, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my (rats)ass from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Parise, he's a dead man! Brodeur, dead! Niedermeyer... (I left the Niedermeyer in there...just seemed right)

RinkRat

Thu May 17 2012 11:33 am EST

I think anyone who'd suggest that any current Ranger would tank on purpose is either a nob or doesn't understand this team and sports in general.

RF4L

Thu May 17 2012 10:54 am EST

I think the guys looked exhausted last night. Doesn't matter how much your coach tries to tell you that you not tired, the body just can't do it sometimes. They all looked tired. Girardi and Cally really look beat up and exhausted. Hope the 2 days off helps.These guys are doing what they can. Yes it does suck when 3rd and 4th lines beat you but shit happens. Easily could have been the other way around with the Rangers winning. If Kreiders post goes in or Prust wrap around. How many times does a goalie save a shot with a flying back heel. Last night the bounces went Jersey's way. Hopefully game 3 goes the Rangers way.

KIS

Thu May 17 2012 10:53 am EST

Apparently, the fastest/easiest path to the Cup doesn't always result in success: http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/the-easy-road-to-the-cup-is-not-so-easy

josh29

Thu May 17 2012 10:53 am EST

Not official, and hopefully not true, but I'm hearing PAVEL VALENTENKO signed with HK Avangard Omsk. He is a restricted free agent, according to the Whale. Here is some info on contract statuses from the Whale... http://www.ctwhale.com/news/?article_id=1040

Dineen11

Thu May 17 2012 10:30 am EST

Hospo -- Hagelin, in particular, lives and dies by his speed. Whereas Gabby can snipe if ge gets the puck on his stick anywhere from the dots in, Hags' game is all about using his speed to pressure the D, get to the puck first, etc. Any loss of speed due to fatigue takes away his whole game basically. To a large extent, it effects Gabby too. If fatigue is setting in, those 2 guys are the ones who it will really be noticeable on as it robs them of a HGE part of their games. Tired legs are the worst thing that could happen to them.

JFC31

Thu May 17 2012 10:26 am EST

Interesting tidbit on Torts from NHL Center Ice: Team USA might rethink it's desire to have him as head coach because dealing with the press during the Olympics is a key responsibility after games and they do not want the press to be hostile to Team USA because of their hatred for Torts. Screw 'em all....Tortarella's responsibility is to the NY Rangers and the drive to bring a Stanley Cup to NYC. The press in general are a bunch of pricks who have an overblown sense of their own importance and cannot stand a guy who says and does whatever he wants without regards to what THEY want. Screw 'em!

JFC31

Thu May 17 2012 10:24 am EST

JFC - Totally agree on everything...Although Gabby and occasionally haglins lack of utilization of their speed is a head scratcher...Also, while Torts may be playing the macho card, he knows the true deal (as does the team) but this is the best way to proceed...

Hospo

Thu May 17 2012 10:19 am EST

It's no coincidence tha Kreider has been one of the Rangers' better players in the last 2 games.....it's not just his skill lvel, it's the fact that he's coming off of maybe a 30-game college schedule?....whereas the Rangers are coming off an 82 game schedule of blocking shots and sacrificing the body, combined with the Caps series which was essentially an 8-game series. Kreider's body has not taken the pounding that the Rangers vets have since October. The Rangers were a tired team last night.....their decision-making was atrocious, they were a step behind, their first-step speed was sluggish and they seemed to be struggling on every battle along the boards. They also took some hits that were a result of not being sharp. Torts can talk all the macho crap he wants about how fatigue should not be a factor at this point in the season, but it's simple biology.....when the body is stressed and cannot get adequate rest, it doesn't heal and it doesn't recover. And when the body is exhausted, the mind does not work well either. The Rangers will be much better on Saturday after 2 days rest. I don't think this group ever tanks or dogs it on purpose....they have character and they are committed.....unlike so many of the Ranger teams from the late 90's through the days before Sather finally was dragged kicking and screaming into doing the right thing and growing this team from within. Those teams made we want to puke....lazy, uncaring, overpayed pukes who were allowed trangression after transgression with no consequences. This current Rangers team is one I am proud of, win or lose. I don't believe that they didn't show up last night.....well, maybe their bodies didn't but their spirit did. These guys aren't dogs, they are just a tired team that needs some rest and recovery.

JFC31

Thu May 17 2012 10:11 am EST

VTRANGER - I don't think you will g et anybody arguing about Girardi on the PP....When the best you have is Stralman (DZ's puck handling is going down a bit with the overwork), you have problems...I still think MCD is the best option........As for gabby, bingo, his speed has been useless..As has Hagelin's......OTOH, KREIDER is using his to his full advantage...The Devils with their forechcking will leave holes, the Rangers speedier players have to take advantage of it at some point...

Hospo

Thu May 17 2012 9:23 am EST

RF4L - Whether by desing or not, exactly on #2...Keeping the focus on him after losses and not the shotcomings of the team is something the players will appreciates....Also, I can just imagine some of the Torts press conferfence imitations that go around the locker room,=..

Hospo

Thu May 17 2012 9:20 am EST

BOB - "Last night is on the players who decided to be passengers instead of showing up to play. It is not on the coach" The thing is, I jsut don't know if it was their decision....The Devils were faster almost the entire game...beating them to the puck...closing off the baords.....As a team, the Rangers just couldn't keep up even if the mind wanted them too....Obviously, Gabby could have put in more effort...and Richards and Hagelin also...but the rest of the team jsut looked relatively gassed caomared to the Devils...Doing their damndest to defend but not having enough to generate offense---guys like Cally and Boyle being prime examples......As for TORTS, he really is a GIANT dick...But whio cares about the press conferences...I think he knows the team just couldn't physically (not toughneesss) match the Devils last night...and the only thing he can do, like in the Cap series, is blame it on "effort" , ingrain it even more mentally on the Rangers, but give them rest physically the next few days so they are ready to play their game on Saturday,.

Hospo

Thu May 17 2012 9:18 am EST

And yeah, sometimes Tortorella's behaviour with the press is over the top but there are 2 things to consider here IMO: 1) The press are collectively more whiny that anything Tortorella can be accused of. How many times have we seen an article or a talking head tear a strip off of a player/coach/manager? Obviously, far too many times to even begin to remember, let alone count. How ironic, not to mention childish/immature/whiny/baby-thumb-sucking, it is to see them rant and rave and cry and get all indignant when the tables get turned and a player/coach/manager says something negative about one of them. That's basically what Tortorella is doing to them and they hate it - you should see all the negative stuff in the press up here about him, written by so called hockey experts who are only following the Rangers because there are but 4 teams left playing, meaning their deep knowledge about the team, it's coach and management is basically an oxymoron. Telling Tortorella to 'grow up' as one Toronto Sun scriber did in today's paper says more about the writer than it does about the Ranger coach. 2) Tortorella, I maintain, is doing what he's doing more by design than anything else. By being short and grumpy with the media, he's serving to focus their negativity on him, rather than the players. And it's working, too. I swear I've yet to read one negative article about any particular Ranger since Sean Avery was banished to the minors. Oh, there's lots of bitching and moaning about the Rangers shot-blocking offense stifling style of play, but nothing negative about the players - that's all being saved for the coach. Tortorella knows and is, I am sure, playing to it. Good on him. The biggest controversy so far was last night's Gabbie benching and even that didn't garner too much noise up here - most of the so called experts were split on their opinions on whether or not it was the right thing to do.

RF4L

Thu May 17 2012 9:08 am EST

pa: Yeah, but Staal came back right away and a few shifts later, pounded Clarkson, so I'm sure he's fine.

RF4L

Thu May 17 2012 8:52 am EST

Another thing to maybe keep an eye on. Staal got rocked last nite and was real slow getting up. It appeared his head banged off the glass behind him.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 17 2012 8:40 am EST

TD: agree on your point about the powerplay. Yes, they've converted on three in two games, but for at least 75% of each powerplay they are absolutely inept, atrocious and incompetent. The puck is hardly in the offensive zone and the Dev's are regularly coming close to scoring a shorthander. It's downright embarrassing. It's clear that if they get enough shots on Brodeur, more than a few are going to go in. I know many will disagee, but I just don't see Girardi as an effective pointman on the first unit. Something has to change. On Gaborik: I wish he would carry the puck into center ice and then turn on the jets. It seems that he's always skating along the boards and is then easlily angled off by the D. Try something different man.

VtRanger

Thu May 17 2012 8:25 am EST

Bob.., once again a spot on post. At this juncture, the fine line between winning and losing is predicated by the players; not the Coach. Does he start juggling lines as early as he did if the roster is performing at an acceptable level? Doubt it. Does he limit the ice time of certain players if they are doing what is expected come this deep into a play-off run? Nope. The guy's a prick and we all know that but the players have to shoulder some of the burden here. I for one as a player wanted nothing more than to "get back at it" if a tilt started off slow or inconsistent. If a guy is hurt as it appears some now are, make the decision as a player in your own mind as to whether you can compete at the level required. If not, sit. If our guys lose because the Devs are better, so be it. If they bow out due to lack of effort, this Season meant nothing.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 17 2012 8:15 am EST

I have no problem with Gabby sitting for a while in the 3rd. Considering the enormous sacrifices some of his teammates are making with their bodies, game in and game out, his half hearted effort (or complete lack thereof) to block the shot that led to the tying goal was unforgivable. Torts knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup (not just one round) and that lack of effort is not going to get it done.

Tucc

Thu May 17 2012 8:08 am EST

Again ... Cally's hurt. I'm going to give him a pass. (I know, I know, excuses ... whatever). The guy's trying his ass off. He can barely hold his stick. Someone asked Torts between games if he'd like to talk about Cally, the inference being that he's playing hurt. Torts, of course, declined.

Zebop

Thu May 17 2012 8:01 am EST

RF4L----when we are beaten by Ryan Carter and David Clarkson, it makes those numbers hurt all the more. What happened to the clutch Fedotenko? What happened to Captain Cally's offensive contribution? If not for 20 YO kid out of college, we could already be golfing.

Bob

Thu May 17 2012 7:57 am EST

RF4L- Spot in. Really is amazing when you think about it. That is why every game is life and death. Every mistake they make not clearing the puck can cost them a game.

Fotiu22

Thu May 17 2012 7:54 am EST

Those of you that are regulars know that I am not the world's biggest Tortorella fan. I have eaten the crow that I deserved about my complaints with him over the past few years, as the Rangers results have exceeded their talent and ability level this season and that rests at his feet. Now the media is all over him for his dopey press conferences. Here I will support him. I don't give a rats posterior about what he says or doesn't say in them. Here is a guy who spoke the truth about what we all witnessed at the Winter Classic and was fined $30K. He spoke the truth about the Pittsburgh franchise, nothng against the NHL or the officials, and STILL was fined $20K by Bettman himself. All he is required to do is to show up for the PC's. This is his chance to flip off the league without it hitting his wallet. He works for an organization with a GM that is the least accessible GM of any NHL franchise, and an owner who employs an army of storm troopers to ensure that nothing bad is said about anything related to the Garden. The same owner who is in love with Isiah Thomas despite his disastrous results. I say screw the media. Let them whine. Do I think that it is a smart move to teach players lessons with benchings in the 3rd round of the playoffs? Of course not. However, none of us expected them to be in the 3rd round of the playoffs. So what he has done has worked. Last night is on the players who decided to be passengers instead of showing up to play. It is not on the coach.

Bob

Thu May 17 2012 7:54 am EST

Same old, same old for this club. Meagre offense. Look at this horrible numbers: BB no goals since game 3 of the 1st series. Callahan 1 goal in his past 12 games. Stepan 1 PO goal. Hagelin, Fedetenko, Prust and Rupp: 0 PO goals between them. That means 1/2 the Ranger forwards between them have scored 2 flipping goals since mid-way through the first round. TWO GOALS FOR HALF THE FORWARDS. How this team got this far really is stunning when you look at that pathetic statistic. No wonder this team needed 7 games to get this far and likely will need 7 in this series, too.

RF4L

Thu May 17 2012 7:46 am EST

Here is my take: They played 15-20 solid minutes for the game. That being said, they could just as easily scored 6 goals. Take the two they scored. McD's wraparound that went right across the goal line in the first. Gaborik getting robbed by the Fat Bastard when he lifted his leg and got lucky with his skate. Kreider hitting the post. (which if that goes in and the Rangers go up 3-1.....I say the Rangers win the game) Late in 3rd when the puck beat Fatso but it hit off the D's back. (although on one angle, looked like it was going wide)

Fotiu22

Thu May 17 2012 7:42 am EST

One big concern for me is the basically the use of 5 defenseman. What the hell is Bickel doing out there? The guy gets 4 minutes of ice time with a healthy Eminger in street clothes. Can anyone tell me Eminger wouldn't be a better fit at this stage? You cannot win the Stanley Cup with 5 defenseman playing three long series just to friggin' get there. What will be left if they do make it to the finals????

Tucc

Thu May 17 2012 7:35 am EST

Gotta agree with Milbury and Jones (and I never agree with Milbury) that Torts' act is getting real old. Combine all the minutes with the block-every-shot maxim, you have the Rangers - a tired, weakened and injured team that's being coached like it's Game 40 instead of being a round away from the Cup finals. It's almost a matter of Torts wanting to show his own toughness by sitting his leading scorers then bowing up against the media. You've ridden Richards, Gabby and Callahan all year. You can't bench two for lackluster play in one game -- making a comeback even more difficult -- and expect the third to play to standard with what looks to be a broken hand that would sideline him during the regular season. It's said that under Torts you "earn" your ice time. These guys earned it all year. On D, you can't take that many pucks in the ribs, feet, nuts or whatever and not show the effects. The team was due for a mediocre effort, one even Hank couldn't save. And Torts can push and bang his head against the plaster until he can no long speak coherently to regular humans, but what's he got left to tell his players? Block more shots. Clear the zone. Put the puck on the net. These guys have made it through two brutal seven-game series. They know what to do. Some nights it just can't be done.

bjohn18x

Thu May 17 2012 7:06 am EST

There is a pretty easy way to look at this game, and it's not a hell of a lot different from the way look at the losses versus Washington...There were ALL the same problems...and let me tell you guys who didn't happen to see the game last night...don't be fooled by the PP column...the first and foremost issue last night was that the PP was ineffective and SUCKED...almost as bad as the offense did 5-on-5...Aside from about 10 minutes in the second when they went up 2-1, the only other time when the Rangers carried the play was when they got desperate in the waning minutes of the third. In fact, that was the only time when they did seem to finally get it...Again, this Ranger team has a nasty habit of forgetting how they win...that cutsie drop passes and this 2-3-4-5 pass-and-then-shoot garbage doesn't work. Look, Uncle Daddy is probably the weakest link on this team simply because of his age. You get 40 shots on this guy and at least four of them are going in...it's a simple percentages with this guy. He can't move very quickly in the crease...he NEVER comes out to meet the shooter(ala HOLTBY) and unless you nail his glove(the one part that is pretty good in his game), he gives up juicy rebounds. And yet you look at the shot totals...more specifically, the shot totals WITH the blocked shots...and the Rangers never even came close to firing the puck 40 times at that fat f@ck. And yet I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times they zipped into the zone and then tried to get fancy with the puck only to either turn it over or have it cleared...ANOTHER THING...Man, if you're going to feed the POINT...then for F@CKS SAKE GO TO THE NET!! Another one I couldn't figure out...three guys cycling on the boards...ALWAYS pass to the point, which fires a shot that is either blocked and then cleared or rebounded and cleared...And last but not least, take a look at the ice time totals between these two teams...and again, you've got the game in a nutshell...CALLAHAN wasn't bad, but did he really deserve 24 minutes? Likewise with STEPAN...23 minutes? Devils had only three guys over 21 minutes and they were all defensemen...only five guys over 20 minutes...the only forward being KOVALCHUK....the Rangers had SEVEN GUYS over 21 minutes, three of them forwards...and FIVE GUYS over 23 minutes...I could understand shortening your bench a little against the skilled Washington team...but against these Devils? No reason for it.

tdchi

Thu May 17 2012 7:05 am EST

....thanks for the info Zebop....

MelvilleFred

Thu May 17 2012 7:04 am EST

The NHL has to be the most moronic professional league in the world.....Marquee matchup Rangers Devils and you put the game on at 1:00pm on Saturday......that's the definition of insanity!!

MelvilleFred

Thu May 17 2012 6:42 am EST

stevie- The worst part is that I am watching on Friday too, so we will definitely fall behind 2-1. But odds are good for the other games after that... ;)

Ola

Thu May 17 2012 6:40 am EST

Melville ... Cally has a busted finger, or something with the hand that he blocked a shot with in the last series (or was it against Ott?). He's clearly gutting it out right now. He's dropping his stick a lot -- something's up with one of his hands. Still, his effort dwarfs Gaborik's.

Zebop

Thu May 17 2012 6:36 am EST

Can't believe the postgame guys on MSG, including Leetch, couldn't figure out why Gaborik was benched. It was clear to me when I saw it live that Gabby's effort was lacking in the D-zone on NJ's second goal, the killer goal. He had a chance to clear, and then he had a chance to block the point shot. Like I said in the Wash. series, Gabby looks like he's moving at half-speed when trying to win pucks, or clear them, or pretty much anything that has to do with puck battles in the D-zone. Last night was an embarrassing effort by him. Sometimes these analysts ... are they looking at the game? Easy to see why he hardly played in the 3rd.

Zebop

Thu May 17 2012 3:25 am EST

Ola you can stop watching already. .....they almost stole a game they played only one good period. Not a 60 minute effort ... Next.....and the coach lost too not just the players. He needs to stop over tinkering over thinking .....but he won't.

stevielegs

Thu May 17 2012 2:15 am EST

Disappointed we didn't get to 2-0, especially feeling like we wasted precious PP goals, but in a game that we didn't play all that well, I'll tell myself it came down to two goalposts, one went in, one didn't... Extra day rest, Rangers bounce back strong, despite the afternoon start, I think. Richards seemed furious after getting tossed from a 3rd period offensive faceoff (regained the puck even though the Devil won it back) and seemed hellbent to score after that, one of the few notable 3rd period efforts. Sometime earlier Cally got tossed and Kreider gave him a shoulder bump then won it clean! What poise. With all those Rangers MIA tonite, why were the remaining few always so bunched up and/or colliding with one another? ;)

LeoS

Thu May 17 2012 1:40 am EST

I of course knew that we would loose, since whatched the game. 5th in a row now. But a little worrying that we look so tired. I think out D "lost" this game for us. NJD did a lot better job infront of their net than what our Ds did. The reff's won't call interferences for lesser violations, we need to do that to.

Ola

Thu May 17 2012 12:06 am EST

**wouldnt hurt

TradeStar28

Thu May 17 2012 12:06 am EST

In regard to the 5-6 Dman, I am thinking that the Rangers will bring in Tim Erixon during training camp this summer and it will be his spot to win.........Bickel just aint cutting the mustard.....OTOH, Stralman who has some warts, at least has some timely goals and assists. Not that it is relevant , but Mike Sauer woulda been perfect for playoff hockey.....Hope he heals back to 100% healthy this summer. It would hurt to bring in a seasoned vet for the blue line who has some decent upside....Emminger will probably be retained as a 7th dman and Woywitka will get kicked to the curb.

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 11:37 pm EST

Mind over matter only takes the body so far. The guys can say they're not beat, but they almost have to be. Two tough series going to the limit, one of them with a six- period game. I know any team still alive is gonna be tired but not playing a fourth line or the 6th D has to catch up. The TOI stats tonight showed Volchenkov the least used NJ d-man at 14 minutes. Their top guys played about four minutes less than ours. Our depth falls off a cliff between 4-5 and another between 5-6. Also Cally has to be just dragging ass. Getting a dependable 5-6 d-man might be good this summer if a kid isn't ready. Gotta get the split in Newark.

Nick

Wed May 16 2012 11:11 pm EST

I guess it has got to be like 94 totally. I thought the team played like many of the walsters and fans were behaving. May people after one game were putting the team into the finals against the kings. I didn't think the boys played with a lot of desire or purpose. a lot of reacting and not a lot of anticipating or pressing the game. Cally has done nothing. Prust is to damn slow.If the Rangers play up to their ability, the Devs can't beat them but when the Rangers play half assed they struggle. DOC good point the team handled the puck poorly tonight. so many wiffs by the D

KIS

Wed May 16 2012 11:10 pm EST

let me preface this by saying i love gaborik. but, every time we are in our own end and the break out pass goes to him i see him panicking, losing a battle on the wall, or passing the puck back to d and putting them in a really bad situation! he will do that whether there is pressure on him or not. with the jets he has he should move the puck forward. I watched the replay of the devils second goal man that was a weak if you can even call it an effort on his part. but, lets not not forget that we are in the eastern conf finals tied 1-1 and even though we didnt play well at all tonight the devils barely won. so its not all bad

Topovski

Wed May 16 2012 10:58 pm EST

BTW....Calahan is off his game, there is something wrong!

MelvilleFred

Wed May 16 2012 10:56 pm EST

W-L-W-W-W....in my dreams at least...the problem is you just don't know when you'll ever have a chance at the CUP...this may be our best chance for the next 100 years!

MelvilleFred

Wed May 16 2012 10:54 pm EST

Pa-Rangersfan - The thing is , the Rangers, as a whole, aren't THAT good (or deep) either...Not good enough where they can play the top game you want every night... .They jsut have to do it ENOUGH to win the series....Just like the Cap series, this should be a series of spurts within games and games when one of the team is a little better.....Having your top players play well can only help...2nd liners like Boyle and cally too...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:47 pm EST

Hittin' the sack to try and forget this shit!

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 16 2012 10:46 pm EST

Hospo.., I stand corrected in regards to the Wash. Series. It was Game 6 (from my previous post.) I can't agree with you on these 2 Clubs being equal. When the Rangers step their Game up to a play-off acceptable level like in the 3rd of Game 1 and for the 2nd tonite; the opponent is clearly on the ropes. They win tonite and, dare I say, this would have been done in 5. The Devils are not that good, period!

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 16 2012 10:26 pm EST

PJ---Yeah, they have soem things to refocus on....Also glad they ahve TWO FULL DAYS off...They should come back strong and continue the W-L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W pattern,,,

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:24 pm EST

pa-rangersfan - This is a decent to good Ranger team playing a decent to good Devil team after losing 6 of 14 games to the Senators and Caps...Don't know what people were expcting ...Some nights they just aren;t going to be good enough....A LUNDQVIST steal would have been nice...but nothing he could have done on those goals...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:24 pm EST

Torts with a short press conference....What a shock....He is keeping it all in the room...I am glad he is angry....Sense of urgency has to be there...

Wed May 16 2012 10:20 pm EST

MELVILLE - Hey will not stop putting pressure on themselves, you know that...They are just going to have to find a way to surive and be sllightly better then a tam that is just as good...Just like in the last series...Going 7 games unless they completley tire out..

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:19 pm EST

Bob.., you continue to be the man on point, btw....

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 16 2012 10:17 pm EST

My viewpoint has not changed from the shit-the-bed performance of Game 5 last series to now. A win tonite would have put the Devs in the ground with only the dirt needed. Now this Club again, has allowed an inferior opponent to become the aggressor. Does Gabby honestly collect a paycheck for this type of performance? The flip-side of that being; hey Coach, now is not the time to start fucking with your star. Force him to be accountable to the other guys in the Room. I can't decipher whether I'm beyond furious or extremely nauseous!

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 16 2012 10:17 pm EST

Forget the refs or anything else this game was lost by the Rangers. We cannot keep putting this kind off pressure on ourselves and expect to win in 7. Our luck will run out....we now have to split at NJ or we're toast!!

MelvilleFred

Wed May 16 2012 10:13 pm EST

Hospo...Agreed the goal at the end of the second turned the game....Have never seen a weaker effort than Gaborik's on that shift....

Wed May 16 2012 10:12 pm EST

BOB -Yep... And I think we went a an entire period without Hearing Richards name, except when he got thrown out of the circl 5 times.....Kreide and Staal/MCD/Girardi are anothr story, thank God...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:08 pm EST

And it's funny, there's not a single Devil I hate other then UNcle Daddy,..That baldheaded fuck at ice level is another stroy...I want a puck to rip his damn face off ..I swear to God that his job is to counter any statement made about the Ranggers with Devil slurping....I hinstly don't think he has even made a single praising statement of a Ranger other then The King and Jesus Kreider...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:08 pm EST

For you guys back in the NY area.........I expect to see Boyle, Gaborik, Callahan, Fedotenko, faces on milk cartons. They were completely MIA tonight. Torts should have them all back out on the ice skating ladders tonight. How can there be any excuse for the lack of urgency and intensity? They are 7 wins from the cup. Good Lord.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 10:04 pm EST

JFC - Yep, except for the 2nd, they just looked a little slowere to the puck and weaker then the Deivls...I think the 3 games in 6 nights and the two lonng sries caught up a little...No excuse thought, they had the lead......To lose it to the Devils 4th line at the end of the 2nd was the Killer....Has our 4th line scored a POIT in the entire POs???Guys like Cally and Boyle can play D but just look a lttle slow offensively...while Richard, Gabby and Hagelin all were bested by the Devls...Th Rangers could use a jolt like Kreidr gave them in the first round....no a sawed off little punk like MZA but somebody that can buuzz, ht and skate...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:01 pm EST

The problem I had with the officiating was after they called the penalty on AA in the third the whistles were put away....

Wed May 16 2012 10:00 pm EST

Gotta figure a way to break the Devils relentless forecheck.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 16 2012 9:59 pm EST

I'd love to see the supposed slashingpenalty on Boyle....it was a weird place for that kind of infraction to occur....but, of course, NBC doesn't bother showing it. Hell, it only led to a goal....no big deal! Ugh

JFC31

Wed May 16 2012 9:56 pm EST

This is the type of game II was worried about before the series started...the Rangers played hard, but there was nothing there. Their minds were willing but their bodies were not able. They looked mentally & physically fatigued....just not sharp. They gave it a good run with whatever they had, but they were tired IMO. We'll regroup, recharge and take it to 'em on Saturday.

JFC31

Wed May 16 2012 9:56 pm EST

Oh well, the slightly better team won..the slightly stronger and deeper team won...the team that caused jus a little more more havoc in the slot won..the team who's three top offensive players -- Richards, Cally amd Gabby-- weren't zeroes.won....Still, all in all, a close game...Wven after two...Shoould we have expected anything else in what promises to be along series..Two very even teams that should go night to night...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 9:50 pm EST

Hey Atleast Gabby will be well rested for the Saturday matinee......Oh well, have a good rest of the week everyone! $-)

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 9:49 pm EST

I can't watch this MSG postgame....Chico and Daneyko make me puke....

Wed May 16 2012 9:48 pm EST

Hagelin pass back out of zone a killer there....This game hurts...I know we may have been outplayed but still could have won....

Wed May 16 2012 9:48 pm EST

I am speechless. Just when you think you may see some growth by this bunch, again they are outworked and give game 2 away.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 9:47 pm EST

Un friggin believeable! But not really. Shit game by the Rangers, Debbies got away with a tone a cheap crap. Go figure!! Ugly

NYStranger

Wed May 16 2012 9:46 pm EST

They need some rest. Cant win them all. Night all

barto

Wed May 16 2012 9:45 pm EST

Fugggg

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 9:44 pm EST

clog the circle on the face off

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 9:41 pm EST

wow....2 non called penalties....such bulllshit

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 9:37 pm EST

Our rookie, Kreider has been the best player for the rangers. Proud but sad statement!

Tucc

Wed May 16 2012 9:37 pm EST

Well Gaborik didn't look any better....Lost a board battle to the midget Gionta....

Wed May 16 2012 9:33 pm EST

Out worked and out skated tonight for most of the game.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 9:29 pm EST

Beating themselves.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 16 2012 9:27 pm EST

Come on get one here....Make up for it Gaborik....

Wed May 16 2012 9:22 pm EST

Gaborik should be sent to the lockeroom to rethink what he is doing out there.

Wed May 16 2012 9:22 pm EST

Hard to believe they come out asleep for the 3rd period. They simply refuse to do anything the easy way.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 9:20 pm EST

LET'S GO RANGERS

Wed May 16 2012 9:19 pm EST

is kreider the only guy the can pass and shoot on the f..ing team ! one ranger after another bobbling , wiffing shots , missing passes, and then throwing it out of their own offensive zone. brad richards should be on bench next to gaborik !!!!!!!!!!!

doct

Wed May 16 2012 9:19 pm EST

Gotta shoot the puck!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 16 2012 9:18 pm EST

The chickens are coming home to roost with Bickel. Gabby should be benched, his piss poor work on the half-boards helped the Devs get the second goal. Plenty of time to go though...LGR

RDW

Wed May 16 2012 9:17 pm EST

Not over....We can score again....

Wed May 16 2012 9:17 pm EST

coach has at least 4 guys benched

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 9:17 pm EST

We can do this!!! cmon boys! get the equalizer

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 9:17 pm EST

Another wiff by a Rangers D

NYStranger

Wed May 16 2012 9:15 pm EST

They had these bastards on the ropes... Damnit!

Tucc

Wed May 16 2012 9:13 pm EST

Inability to clear the puck out of the defensive zone in key situations will NOT prove costly to this team. Not at all.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 16 2012 9:10 pm EST

WTF.... The Rangers looked like they were Penalty Killing since the beginning of the Period.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 9:10 pm EST

Bickel is just too big of a liability....More than one chance to clear...

Wed May 16 2012 9:10 pm EST

Embarrassing....can't get the puck out of their own zone.

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 9:09 pm EST

Gaborik is benched

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 9:04 pm EST

Here we go!

NYStranger

Wed May 16 2012 9:04 pm EST

PJ... That would actually mean that Torts had to give the 4th Line MINUTES :)

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 9:02 pm EST

Our 4th line does not look bad and has some energy....AA also should be utilized in the third....Richards can come to life at any time and needs to in the third....

Wed May 16 2012 9:02 pm EST

RF4L... The best thing about playing the Devils... NO PLANE FLIGHTS.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 9:01 pm EST

No doubt that kid should be called SPECIAL K

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 9:00 pm EST

Cally's been invisible offensively almost the entire POs so gotta figure he's hurt. BB's been invisible since coming back from his concussion. Tortorella needs to use the home ice advantage to get the number 1 line away from the Devils' 4th line (yeah, I know, how wrong is that?). Either that or short-shift the entire line, like he does almost everyone else when they are continually sucking (which the 1st line has in 5 periods so far - they along with Girardi look exhausted).

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 9:00 pm EST

TOPOVSKI... http://streamo.net84.net/1.html

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 9:00 pm EST

Here's the good news: We have played like total crap except for the first 8 minutes of the second. Two shitty power plays actually ended up with goals. We are being outworked, outskated and outhit. That said; we are tied 2-2 with 20 minutes to go. Let's see if that legendary conditioning can pull us through one more time. I say yes! LGR!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 16 2012 8:58 pm EST

does anyone know if the game is being streamed?

Topovski

Wed May 16 2012 8:55 pm EST

NYStranger, Said that earlier...they need a bigger puck...Need our stars to wake the fug up

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 8:54 pm EST

Looking at Gaborik and Callahan, I think both guys are playing hurt... not to give them excuses, they just need to suck it up.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:51 pm EST

The first line is useless... they need to start double shifting KREIDER.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:50 pm EST

torts better fire up the haglin -richards - gaborik line , they are a liability right now !!!

doct

Wed May 16 2012 8:50 pm EST

Sit Gaborik on his arse for the remainder of the game. He does not belong on the ice with this bunch of hard working , hard hitting Rangers ! He is standing out for all the wrong reasons.

Newfie_Ranger

Wed May 16 2012 8:50 pm EST

Disappointing to go in tied. Bet that Gaborik rides pine for his inability to move the puck out. He has been a zero tonight.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 8:49 pm EST

the old clutch and debbie grab in full bloom....hand off stick should be a penalty when it's grabbing the other guy......

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 8:49 pm EST

Not liking how the puck is bouncing tonight. And how many whiffs are the Rangers going to make on passes and shots? WTF?

NYStranger

Wed May 16 2012 8:49 pm EST

The good news: The Rangers are up 1 game to zip and tied 2 - 2 in the second game. The bad news: The first line has been the worse line. The good news: They will wake up (although it may take Tortorella to break them up first).

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 8:47 pm EST

That late goal just pisses me off to no end....

Wed May 16 2012 8:45 pm EST

Pierre needs a surge to calm his excitement. He's such a douche.

barto

Wed May 16 2012 8:43 pm EST

Gaborik should be shot for that weak play...

Wed May 16 2012 8:38 pm EST

I retract my retraction...... KREIDER SCORESSSSS!!!!!

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:37 pm EST

THATS A K GOAL

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 8:37 pm EST

Kreider doesn't hit much but you can't move him...Big and very strong on his skates....

Wed May 16 2012 8:35 pm EST

Rhet0ric, DITTO....Been saying that all along !!! Good job Kreider !!!!

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 8:35 pm EST

That puck was sitting on Richie RIch's shoulder like a parrot

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 8:34 pm EST

They gave it to Stralman... I can live with it :)

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:33 pm EST

It's a miracle what happens when you put someone in front of the net... I've wanted Kreider there for freaking forever.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:33 pm EST

needed that door rest..... A PP GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 8:32 pm EST

The Strawman!!!! It's a power play goal!

Wed May 16 2012 8:32 pm EST

SCOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE KKKKKKKKKKKKRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:31 pm EST

This is really goofy. There goes all the momentum we built up due to the stupid door not working.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 8:28 pm EST

The world's most worn out arena. How silly.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 8:27 pm EST

In all seriousness....WTF?????

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 16 2012 8:27 pm EST

Must be union guys. LOL

barto

Wed May 16 2012 8:27 pm EST

DeBoer complaining to Pierre about the officiating....Bite me....

Wed May 16 2012 8:27 pm EST

The gods don't want to see another Ranger power play. Can you blame them?

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 16 2012 8:26 pm EST

The guy opening the door is blocking it with his foot.......LOL

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 8:24 pm EST

For Whom THe bells toll !! kick that fuckin door

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 8:24 pm EST

How many morons does it take to fix a door??? LOL

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 8:23 pm EST

AA just had a shift...

Wed May 16 2012 8:23 pm EST

Time for our awesome power play to strike again.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 8:23 pm EST

Bi-Polar for sure....Get one here....

Wed May 16 2012 8:23 pm EST

Anyone know what Anisimov did?

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:15 pm EST

A POST-R

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 8:14 pm EST

It's still real early but have to love how this team battles and finds a way. Krieder's a winner

barto

Wed May 16 2012 8:13 pm EST

A LOT BETTER EFFORT

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 8:12 pm EST

Jesus H Kreider.....ohhhhh so close!! I wanted to see the Kreidechkin jump into the glass celebration

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 8:12 pm EST

Cali is going to score tonight..........LGR !!!

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 8:08 pm EST

Tort must stick hot pokers up their butts or something.....HUGE goal early !!!

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 8:07 pm EST

Get a load of fatso there....1-1

Wed May 16 2012 8:06 pm EST

Love how Richie Rich slowed down the power play once the debbies player had no stick....Brilliant!

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 8:06 pm EST

HUGE

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 8:02 pm EST

FM...I expected more life than this for sure....Dead on their feet so far.....LET'S GO RANGERS!

Wed May 16 2012 7:56 pm EST

BOB, What exactly did you expect? Pathetically sluggish, mindlessly clumsy, Keystone Cops kind of play? A total JOKE along the boards? A comical inability to clear the puck? I'll say it again: COMICAL? An even more comical attempt at playing with a man advantage, that often looks more like a disadvantage? If so, I can't argue, because as a fan, the albatross around my neck is the fact that I know this team is more than capable of creating something on the ice that isn't hockey at all; not even remotely resembling it. It's one thing to look flat. It's one thing to look flat at home in the Conference finals with a chance to put a 2-0 chokehold against a hated rival. But it's something else to do what this team did in that period....something I can't even define. I really, really have never seen anything like this. I love the Rangers and fuckin eh I hope they win, but if they do, this would be a unique championship to say the least.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 16 2012 7:53 pm EST

I can't believe that McDonagh shot didn't go in... anyway... we just need one guy to get going that the rest of the team can feed off of... I don't care what TORTS says, this team is clearly tired... I would love to have MZA back right about now.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 7:51 pm EST

They Debbie's came hard and got one with help. The nyr have to come a lot harder They need to GIT R DONE

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 7:48 pm EST

Top: noticed the same interference on Girardi. More Devil BS that is endorsed by the refs. Rangers looked totaly lost in the 1st. No puck settlled down for a Ranger plus to slow. Ugly!!

NYStranger

Wed May 16 2012 7:47 pm EST

A horrible period....We are at home and have to carry the play....Richards invisible but that can change quick....Callahan just doesn't seem right to me....Our D will need to create some offense in this one....

Wed May 16 2012 7:46 pm EST

Basically, I would guess that in between periods, Torts tells the team to go full out over the next 40 minutes and give everything they got because they will have an extra days rest on Friday....Lets see it in motion!

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 7:45 pm EST

Tort will get them going in the locker room. Whatever he does or says will light a fire under their asses for the 2nd. First period they needed a bigger puck cause they couldn't keep their sticks on this one.

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 7:41 pm EST

This is what I expected to start this game. The only wild card is them actually scoring on Hank.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 7:39 pm EST

Debbies playing like this is a Game 7....They know if they go down 2-0 in the series that it will probably be next to impossible to come back.

TradeStar28

Wed May 16 2012 7:37 pm EST

I hope they get their legs moving. Cant get down y a couple. LGR

barto

Wed May 16 2012 7:35 pm EST

I dont know if he would have gotten to Kovi but check out the interferance one of the devils had on Girardi who is trying to come to Kovi.

Topovski

Wed May 16 2012 7:35 pm EST

Yeah, pretty bad when you need your whole team to battle for the puck. At least two guys need to stay at center ice

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 7:35 pm EST

that penalty caused because the rangers refuse to get their heads up and not just try and bang it up the boards !! they had several opportunities to clear the zone - but insisted on trying to bang it past 3 devils and 2 rangers. play real hockey please !! it will be a long nite , devils just stacking the boards , rangers can't come out. rangers will have a 2 or 3 on 1 the first time they break out the middle !

doct

Wed May 16 2012 7:35 pm EST

Torts pissed and don't blame him....Rangers lethargic so far.....Huge game have to get going....

Wed May 16 2012 7:34 pm EST

TIme for Calli to break this mini slump....LETS GO RANGERS!!

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 7:33 pm EST

Agreed....Stepan was totally lost on that kill....

Wed May 16 2012 7:33 pm EST

They need to stay in their damn positions. THe spend so much time going East/West !

ajurso

Wed May 16 2012 7:33 pm EST

NEED TO KNOW WHERE KOVALPUKE IS ON A PP

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 7:30 pm EST

Gotta stay out of the box....First call a joke....

Wed May 16 2012 7:29 pm EST

Ugly looking game so far...

NYStranger

Wed May 16 2012 7:11 pm EST

Let's go boys. Get right on it.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 7:08 pm EST

Let's take control of this series! GO RANGERS!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 16 2012 7:08 pm EST

LRG!!!!!

NYStranger

Wed May 16 2012 6:59 pm EST

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Wed May 16 2012 6:49 pm EST

Slegs: Get belted in, we're gonna win tonight, expect you to continue the count-down! :->) Lets go Rangers!!!! Off to the bar !

Wed May 16 2012 6:47 pm EST

mf I suggest the radio with Dave Maloney

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 6:35 pm EST

One Game at a time, we're gonna win The Cup this year...... Speak it into existence..... The words create the world...... Lets Go Raaaaaannnnggerrrrrsssss !!!!!!

Wed May 16 2012 6:32 pm EST

Just about 30 minutes until kickoff.... You folks crack me up analyzing the announcers .... To hell with them all if they're not calling it from an unbiased point of view.... For all those who want to break the TV, kick the pooch, or punch someones lights out, may I suggest turning down the sound, turning on the classic rock (your choice of music, preferably GD, Who, Zepp, etc) smoke a joint (not me since 1982) or break open the beer & alcohol, Enjoy the game....:->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) Lets Go Rangers !!!!

Wed May 16 2012 6:19 pm EST

I fully expect the Rangers to win tonight. No more of this winning every other day crap, We need to put the Devils to bed and rest up/heal up for the Cup Finals. Show these guys no respect! GO HARD OR GO HOME! Let's Go Rangers!

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 6:11 pm EST

TD... I have to agree with you... at his talent level, SEMIN is one of the most undisciplined hockey players out there (at his talent level)... he consistently takes penalties at the worst possible times... PARISE... Maybe if we eliminate the Devils in five, he'll come to the conclusion that their going no where with Brodeur and sign with us in the offseason... here's hoping.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 16 2012 5:58 pm EST

Off to the game and hopefully this Game 2 they win as the last one I was a (Wash) they lost, but the seats I am in tonight they did win back in November.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 16 2012 5:52 pm EST

ola- who couldn't take bickels place ?? he's only playing , what ? 3 - 6 minutes a game .. erickson certainly is capable of putting in more minutes than that . bickel is scared to do anything now- thanks to the handling of his minutes , and what happenes if he makes a minor mistake. again , if you were benched everytime you "broke the rules " gaborik and richards would never see the ice . we may never know if bickel can make up for his errors .

doct

Wed May 16 2012 5:00 pm EST

REXI: Yes I was yelling for them to go wraparound during Game 1.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 16 2012 5:00 pm EST

Get a load of Fatso over there.....So Fatso wants some of our players hurt does he...This type of thing has fired us up all year....The physical challenges of the Bruins, Flyers and Devils were all met in the regular season.....Let's take game 2 and give them something else to whine about....Let Chico and Kenny D suffer through another postgame.....LET'S GO RANGERS!

Wed May 16 2012 4:14 pm EST

It was Liut, just checked.

Rexi29

Wed May 16 2012 4:09 pm EST

td - Didn't Al MacInnis paste some goalie in the mask with a slapper, knocking him out, and the puck came back down and banked off the prone goalie into the net? So something like that?

Rexi29

Wed May 16 2012 3:50 pm EST

Thanks Louie

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 3:03 pm EST

Oh what i wouldn't give for us to go up 2 games....be good for the nerves! Was wrong on Monday but I am going for it again......Prust is going to score tonight!

Fotiu22

Wed May 16 2012 3:03 pm EST

Rexi29 - As a hockey player, I never wish to see any fellow athlete injured...but in the case of Unca'D, the goal I would love to see is a ripping slapshot that rings off his mask, knocks him over into the net, and ricochets top shelf. Not sure how that angle would work, but would love to see someone ring Fatso's bell. Maybe even pull a Ryan Miller on him...

tdchi

Wed May 16 2012 2:45 pm EST

My-Toe-My-Toe-My-Toe!!!!!!!!

thedugster

Wed May 16 2012 2:19 pm EST

Does anyone else hope for a wrap-around goal against U.D. every time we play the Devils?

Rexi29

Wed May 16 2012 1:56 pm EST

Any questions?.....lol

thedugster

Wed May 16 2012 1:55 pm EST

LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs... gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO 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RaNgErS!!!LeTs... gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!LeTs gO 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thedugster

Wed May 16 2012 1:52 pm EST

Link for game: http://atdhe.eu/hockey

Louie

Wed May 16 2012 1:30 pm EST

I say on uncle daddy’s last shift let's put out Avery to send this POS into retirement the way he deserves. PS: good luck with two more years of alimony you family wrecker!

Jerry_Garcia

Wed May 16 2012 12:53 pm EST

Need a link for tonight's game

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 12:33 pm EST

Give uncle daddy a night out with avery

stevielegs

Wed May 16 2012 12:25 pm EST

TD: I'm totally offended...I think I just inadvertantly joined the clueless jackass brigade!

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 12:12 pm EST

BTW(and no offense RF4L)...I've read and said some pretty ridiculous things on the site in the 14-plus years I've been milling about here(damn that sounds long)...but inquiring whether the Rangers might have any interest in SEMIN...much less SIGNING that worthless POS has to rank among the most ridiculous thoughts I've ever seen here...He's incompatible in just about every way with this team...Forget the fact that he's Russian and plays like a Russian...that he's soft...that he's expensive...that he's an enigma...and you still have the fact that he doesn't produce nearly what he's going to want to make, and that's well in excess of $4 million...I don't doubt he'll find some team stupid enough to for over that kind of cash. I'm not convinced it will be in the NHL...but if it is, it certainly won't be the Rangers...I have more faith that they'll sign PARISE than Semin...which is to say I have none at all...Frankly, I don't know how any team could watch his performance in this year's playoffs...and last year's playoffs..and the season before last year's playoffs...and still want him...One hapless shitbag organization I could see tossing him a low-ball offer would be PITTSBURGH, in their never-ending quest to find a winger. But I'm not sure they could even fit him under the cap. I would rather bring FROLOV back than even sniff at Semin. And that's not to say I want Frolov here.

tdchi

Wed May 16 2012 12:07 pm EST

TDCHI - Good take on Uncle Daddy, I agree.... lets send him to his retiremeint crying, whining and losing...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 12:02 pm EST

E: I respect your opinion! What I see is when the league finally changed to rules that allowed more tough shots on goal Fatso's career went down the toilet. He now is a below average goalie in a league where goalies actually have to make hi scoring shot saves. This was obvious in the 2010 winter Olympics, Canada needed a goalie that can make great saves on hi probability scoring shots and the Sister banger looked like a sive and a disgrace to Canada! They dumped him in a NY minute. My opinion is he did not earn it. His claim to fame is his ability to make great saves on bad angle outside shots. Thank God that is over! LGR!

Jerry_Garcia

Wed May 16 2012 12:01 pm EST

E/Hospo - F@CK Uncle Daddy...

tdchi

Wed May 16 2012 11:48 am EST

HOSPO: we should have no delusions about the NJD. They will be back, and disciplined. They will make adjustments and they will play well tonight. The NYR will have to weather the storm. But in game-1 the NYR were just better when it mattered. That 2nd period though they were all over the NYR.

Wed May 16 2012 11:45 am EST

E - Good take on Uncle Daddy, I agree..But lets send him to his retiremeint crying, whining and losing...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 11:42 am EST

JERRY: with no disrespect that is ridiculous. Broduer may have played on great teams but as the last line of defense he has been routinely incredible. He came up money year after year. Lundqvist is an outstanding goaltender who has HOF skill level. He also has a great team in front of him. Certainly team dive in front of every puck has helped but when called upon he has routinely made outrageous saves. Wanna say that the NJD mastered the clutch and grab? They did. And in that era the copycat league tried to repeat their successful style. Noone was going, "oh the Devils suck, we aren't going to play like that because we want to make a point." Every team wanted to win. The reality was that the NJD were better at playing within the rules of the time. Marty was still called upon and he did deliver. The stats talk and the BS walks. It's still a goalie league and Broduer delivered. That stated, I respect his arrogance. He backed it up. I hate him. He is a NJD. In the same way I received crap for respecting Giroux. He is arrogant but he backs it up. I hate him because he is a Flyer. You earn the right to talk crap as I see it. Broduer earned it and while you think that his stats are inflated because of the team he played for? He back stopped a winner and was a wall when called upon. Now I hope we punch him full of holes and send him into afterlife with the Blueshirt in his face. A proper end to his career... But don't reduce his accomplishment, he earned it.

Wed May 16 2012 10:25 am EST

Brodeur’s statistics only happened not because of his goaltending ability but because of the trap deployed by the Debbies for 10 solid years. How many shutouts did he himself actually do something to obtain. A monkey could be in nets back then and do the same thing! What a blow hard!

Jerry_Garcia

Wed May 16 2012 10:22 am EST

RF4L : Regarding the comments, for Brodeur to even say that means the Devils are already worrying about it..I don't think it changes the game, but it's agood thing....The Rangers know if they don't block shots, they don't play...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 10:14 am EST

Re Brodeur: Still a decent goalie, once a great goalie, but for years full of himself. As recently as 2010 winter Olympics, when he got the number 1 goalie spot handed to him and promptly lost it on his own, he was blaming his teammates (he let in 2 lousy goals and after the game, inferred Canada struggled not because of him, but because their offense wasn't good enough). What a nob.

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 10:12 am EST

Gents: I highly doubt the Rangers will do anything different about their shot-blocking strategy tonight. I too, think it's simply talk to try to reverse what the Devils are feeling about that tactic, although that by no means excuses it. Like I said earlier, the fall-out will likely be nasty if inadvertantly (or not) a Ranger player takes a puck high tonight. That's really the stupidity of Brodeur's comments - he's now set up the fall-out if that happens with his silly arrogant (and that fat phucker is VERY arrognat) prattling.

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 9:56 am EST

JFC - Exactly. The key to every series for the Rangers is simple...consistently play disciplined, responsible, tough, gutty, opportunistic hockey..They played that more often than not i the first two series and won..Same thing will happen this series unless they change their game (or forced to)

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 9:56 am EST

Is it true Brodeur was caught screwing his wife sister, while he had 3 kids? Also did the courts award his wife alimony in the range of $4 mil per year until 2014. He is done after this tear. What a scum bag! BTW Debbies running scared and trying anything they can (via the media) to get any advantage they can because they know they need it badly. Sorry swamp morons this is only going to give the Rangers more reason to beat you knuckle heads. Doc sucks Chico-Chi-Chi weenie. Doc, just one time try walking around inside MGS by yourself during a game please! Just one time!

Jerry_Garcia

Wed May 16 2012 9:53 am EST

TUCC - Exactly...Again, I think it's just idle talk but if not, the Rangers are in their heads after one game and that is a great thing..If it makes them change their strategy already, even better.....KIS - Like I said earlier, I think the Devils will be hitting and forechecking everything in sight, but I don't fisticuffs will be on their agenda.....That happens after they go down 2-0....

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 9:50 am EST

All this talk about blocking shots, hitting players with pucks....all of it is GREAT for the NY Rangers. As Hospo pointed out, it means that the RAngers are now firmly ensconsed in the psyche of the Devs D-men and forwards. They now join Marty, who already is psyched out by The King. The Rangers need to do what they have been doing all year....be CONSISTANT, change nothing. The Devils are already skating on thin ice....one of my keys to the series was the possibility of Brodeur falling apart. If the rest of the Devs want to join him, all the better. If the Rangers manage to take it to the Devs quickly tonight, they WILL resort to dirty stuff....it will be the same pattern followed by the Coyotes last night....the Devs will realize that they are in BIG trouble, they will panic, get frustrated, take stupid, dirty penalties and then collapse under the weight of their own stupidity. One can only hope.....that would be sooooo fun to watch!

JFC31

Wed May 16 2012 9:46 am EST

Brodeur... what a buffoon. Like this asshole should be commenting on anything related to the game when his piece of crap Devils teams single-handidly turned the NHL into the La Brea Tar Pit!!! Can we make short work of this jackass and finally send him into retirement????

Tucc

Wed May 16 2012 9:44 am EST

Rangers and especially Torts needs to be ready for cheap shit and some fisticuffs from the Devs. tonight. If they start it tonight I hope the Rangers kick their ass and than add the win on top of it. Don't provide hope for the Devs

KIS

Wed May 16 2012 9:40 am EST

Hospo: Agreed, 100%. The silly thing with all of this is what happens if by accident, a Ranger takes a shot high/near the face? You know everyone will think it's deliberate and things could unravel in a very nasty way as a result. Brodeur talks waaaay too much. If you gotta prattle on like that you big French moron, go prattle on to your ex-wife about how wonderful her sister is.

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 9:38 am EST

Semin is a RW. Torts would play him after Gabby and Cally. The only role we could offer him is 3rd line RW, 12 minutes per night. I think Semin will be as good as the team he plays for. The kid is not all bad, like he got some brains in him unlike a Zherdev. Or to put it like that, he CAN play a fundamentally solid game of hockey. Zherdev couldn't do it. But Semin does not do it all the time. If he goes to like NJ, I think he would be a good player for them. Or Detroit or whatever. But for lesser teams, I think he would be just more of the same.

Ola

Wed May 16 2012 9:36 am EST

BTW, shooting at heads aside, I strongly suspect the Devils will come out very hard tonight - they'll be dumping the puck in deep and chasing it down with vigor, looking to pound the Ranger D as visciously as possible. I also think the King is going to have a ton of traffic in front of him and if despite all of that, the Rangers get a lead, the King will be run. Probably more than once. I sure hope Tortorella and company are aware and are preparing their troops!

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 9:32 am EST

RF4L - After one game they are already a bunch of whiny, sniveling babies...Are they that frustrated already after one real PO game? Honestly, I think it just might be talk to give the rangers something to chew on becasue they will get shut out every game that way....But, if they do, two can play that way..Clears and shots go at Parise's and Kovulchuk's face...hard...

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 9:29 am EST

How interesting, not to mention ironic, that in the 04 POs, a Pavel Kubina slapshot nailed Devil dman Scott Stevens in the head and after the game Danyeko accused Kubina of deliberating doing it and Unc Dad agreed. Geesh...

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 9:26 am EST

Maybe it was mentioned on here, but I didn't see it: Apparently, Unc Dad was musing about his teammates purposely countering the Rangers penchant for shotblocking by 'hitting one-timers in the foot and their head or something.' Really? Maybe someone should run that over the hill fat ass in the eye or something. What a complete moron, coming in the heals of all that NFL fall-out for giving out prizes for deliberate injuries. Of course, this being the NHL, nothing will be done...LBs' article today is about that and apparently making things worse is the fact that yesterday the Devils were actually discussing it. Geesh...wonder if LB stills wet-dreams about the Devils now?

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 9:26 am EST

SCREW NASH!! SCREW SEMIN and especially SCREW PARISE!! The only one of the three that matters...The Rangers D and the KING need to stay in Parise's addled head.....TOnight's game, I think, will be alot like the 2nd game of the SENS SERIES..Not the gooning attack, but after not being able to forecheck and hit in the first game, I t hink the Devils will be going all out and hitting and forechecking everything in sight....The King will be Huge..and hopefully the Ranges find the holes and areas that the Devils leave wide open....Guys like Kreider, Gabby and Hagelin with their speed may be able to take advantage if we can handle or mute the forecheck like the last game..Should be interesting

Hospo

Wed May 16 2012 9:20 am EST

Bob.., I was on the Parise boat but am quickly changing my tune. The "Devil" thing just doesn't sit well. Not to mention, as was pointed out to me yesterday, the guy is gonna command ALOT of $. I would like Nash more than any other but the Columbus folks are just delusional. Semin is not a terrible idea, imo.

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 16 2012 9:17 am EST

My boy KIS is still real high on Nash. Semin is obviously "high risk/high reward" catagory. Sather takes shots on guys like this if the price is right. Is he better than Zherdev? The Rangers could use a skill player like this in the line-up if he could "buy in" ala Gabby.

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 16 2012 9:16 am EST

Forget Semin. Sign Parise.

Bob

Wed May 16 2012 9:06 am EST

With that said, I am sure Sather will kick the tires, if the Rangers can get him on the cheap for a decent term (and I mean cheap for a Semin type player) it would be an interesting conversation....I am torn with it...he wasn't surrounded by players or coaches that would make him play "right" so I think he would be a little better than his time in Washington, but still, its a scary proposition

Wildcard

Wed May 16 2012 8:58 am EST

My first thought is that Semin could never play for a guy like Torts, but when you think about it, if there is a coach that could get him working, Torts would be one of them, along with the players on the team, it would be hard to NOT play like a Ranger....there is something similar with the New England Patriots, they can bring in guys who are known for their off the field crap and on the field antics, and they end up towing the line. HOWEVER...unless something in the new CBA makes it less risky, its too much of a chance to take. If he wanted 1 year to prove himself than I would say take the chance, but he wants long term. In fact, I doubt he would want to come to NY due to Torts, Semin doesn't want to block shots and work hard at both ends....

Wildcard

Wed May 16 2012 8:49 am EST

Alex Semin is a lazy, slacker and would serve no purpose here and he is very expensive........this guy is a joke and a bum..

thedugster

Wed May 16 2012 8:40 am EST

Any chance this survey "person" is a Devs fan looking to sell tickets? Any means necessary I guess since if you're Devs fan you "have been warned" not to sell tickets to anyone other than another Devs fan. Too funny! There is sooo.. much non-sense being put out for consumption right now about this Series. Pretty much ALL anti-Ranger btw.

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 16 2012 8:37 am EST

Felt really confident after and before game 1 today not so much. To many people fans and writers just thinking the Rangers going to win and starting to make it sound like the Devs don't have an answer. This is going to be a very tough series.

KIS

Wed May 16 2012 8:35 am EST

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H2QRMNL http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H28X2S3 please take these surveys, its about sports, and money, and what you would do with tht money (sports related) dont worry its not a scam, its just for school, so please take two minutes and take them please GO RANGERS

kristenc288

Wed May 16 2012 8:29 am EST

no interest in Semin. don't think he fits into Ranger scheme

KIS

Wed May 16 2012 7:50 am EST

Alex Semin's agent has indicated that his client is basically finished in Washington, but not looking to play anywhere but the NHL. It will be interesting to see where he ends next year. A great talent, but for sure an enigma. He'd be an instant upgrade to the Rangers top 6 forwards, but could he play under Tortorella?

RF4L

Wed May 16 2012 7:50 am EST

john- Welcome! Dubinsky will play when he gets back and Zucc could get a chance if there is a opening. None of the other kids will play, or replace Bickel, unless someone is hurt basically (or unless Bickel really starts to screw up on a regular basis). Erixon is first in line and he is just not ready. Or maybe he would turn out to be ready if he got a chance to play 20 minutes a night. McD and Sauer really stepped up in that role last season, despite being forced to hang on for their dear lifes at times, they still got the job done. But Erixon is not built for 10 minutes a night of PO hockey and its waaaay to risky, to try him in a bigger role. And any D currently having a bigger role right now, is undoubtedly better than him anyway. Its the same with the forwards basically.

Ola

Wed May 16 2012 7:16 am EST

I live in Kentucky and catch about 60-65 Rangers games on Center Ice and live at an odd game here and there. I don't get the inside stuff, so I wondered if you see any of the latest call-ups getting any playoff ice time. Erixon for Bickel, who will definitely be needed for Kings series, is a possibility. I don't see a forward unless an injury opens it up for Newberry. I just can't see Torts sending a pair of just-signed rookie forwards on the ice. Kreider scares hiim half to death as it is. I have to confess I was a beat writer for the New Orleans Saints when Mora was there. I thought Mora was a pain until I watched Torts. I never covered hockey, so it's the one sport I can watch as a fan. Seen games in the old Meadownlands, old Yankee Stadium and Shea Sewer. Dream is to make to the Garden for a game then follow it up with a viewing party. Maybe next year.

bjohn18x

Wed May 16 2012 6:25 am EST

I wouldnt not Throw Dubi away- If I couldnt get something really good for him I think he deserves another chance as we all know what he is capable of and Im sure he will rebound and he is a good team player. His upside is worth another chance IMHO. The Kings look really good and Phonix looks bad, They are doing stupid things like Smiths swing on the legs,,,reminded me of Billy Smith,,,,Phoenix is toast and LA will be tough----tonight I expect the Debbies to come out flying for 10 minutes,,if we can keep them off the board they will get frustrated and will open up and we can put pucks on Marty and he will let a few in.....same grinding type of game,,,,,,,LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!

thedugster

Wed May 16 2012 6:07 am EST

Topo- LA is "mean" and really got under PHX skin. Brown and Richards will challenge the other team, but those new depth players they have, Nolan, King and co, are pretty dirty. I saw a real ugly spear from Nolan on Boedker in G1 and so forth.

Ola

Wed May 16 2012 1:19 am EST

How worried of the Flyers levrege on the league should we be, if there is a amnesty buy-out period in the new CBA???

Ola

Wed May 16 2012 12:47 am EST

No doubt LA is playing really well, but, Phoenix took too many penalties (2 major) and had to play 3 on 5 way too many times. I am sure that the frustration level is high for them but clearly LA is much better and more disciplined.

Topovski

Wed May 16 2012 12:34 am EST

I'm not sure that PHX is imploding more then LA is laying on the good ole ass whoopin. LA is faster and harder on pucks, dominating the boards, and are basically a deep team peaking right now. You go up and down their lineup and they are strong. But right now they are just taking it to PHX in such a manner that I think that PHX has an answer. LA has got to be the odds on favorite at this point.

Tue May 15 2012 11:56 pm EST

Phoenix is playing like the penguins did against the flyers - self destructing !

Topovski

Tue May 15 2012 11:44 pm EST

CHIN... The Kings are looking scary good right now, but I've got to wonder if the Coyotes are playing any type of defense at all... Smith made 44 saves in Game 1 and 36 saves tonight... those are some crazy numbers.... I think I can safely say they wont be getting that many shots against us(if we make it to the finals).

Rhet0ric

Tue May 15 2012 11:14 pm EST

Kings are scary right now. Aside from the great goaltending and solid D they've had all year, they're scoring consistently now. Their size up front is tough to deal with.

chinstrap

Tue May 15 2012 11:08 pm EST

Can't stand Emrick. I hate that he does all the national Rangers games. Makes me sick to hear his shrill voice go up 5 octaves on every hohum shot or play. He calls the wrong names and uses stupid made up phrases, so much so if you are not careful they start to become a distraction. Plus I hate him because he is a Devil guy through and through. Chico is a clown and a sideshow. He makes himself look foolish to the point that heis entertaining in the way a car crash at the Indy 500 is entertaining.

NYStranger

Tue May 15 2012 10:29 pm EST

JMO, I think EMRICK is behind the play a lot... he quite often doesn't describe the actual action that's going on... I also don't care for his total Ranger bias, he actually makes me appreciate Sam Rosen... I'd rather listen to Kenny Albert... BOB... I agree, the Lightning guys are very good... BRIAN2D... I know it's the team that makes the decision, but IMO, there were guys that were more deserving... Hagelin or Anismov are guys that really give their all every night and don't get enough as much recognition for what they do... even when they don't score, they bring a lot to the table.

Rhet0ric

Tue May 15 2012 9:24 pm EST

Emrick is fine on PBP. He has his own phrases, but so do others and his have been adopted by a lot of the younger guys. I like John Forslund of the Hurricanes, and Kenny Albert does a nice job too. Rick Peckham from Tampa is also good when not doing a Lightning game. Glad we don't have to suffer through Beninati anymore. Would be nice if we can double down and take it tomorrow night. Going to Newark up 2 would be very good.

Bob

Tue May 15 2012 8:26 pm EST

Don't like Doc doing Ranger games ever but he is a very good play by play guy in my opinion....It really sucks not getting MSG coverage of these games...

Tue May 15 2012 8:02 pm EST

I never really hated Doc...usually hated his side man more. However, now I hate Doc. Hate everything about his performance, notwithstanding his naked bias. Rosen schools him, anyday, by any standard, today, ten years ago, any time.

FerociousMonk94

Tue May 15 2012 7:43 pm EST

For your pleasure: The Best Empire State of Mind Parody - Newark State of Mind - Jay-Z Alicia Keys http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4U7kuqow3gg

Louie

Tue May 15 2012 7:37 pm EST

josh29..On another site it was said that "chico" suggested that debbie players run Hank. The guy is a pure POS. It was also said that the debbie org. didn't want thier season ticket owners selling their tickets where Ranger fans could get their hands on them.

Louie

Tue May 15 2012 6:58 pm EST

Rhet- The team picks it...I think it was more a team thing to show their appreciation for all he's done for the team after a rough night, which I'm sure he was aware of. There are other accolades for purely performance, this broadway hat was not just about performance IMO.

Brian2d

Tue May 15 2012 6:33 pm EST

I'm not sure why Girard got the Broadway hat last night, he was brutal the first half of the game... If not for a pair of brilliant saves by McDonagh on a pair of turnovers and another nifty save made by Lundqvist on another turnover, we could've easily been down 3-0 by the end of the 2nd Period, due solely to him.... he's been very up and down in the Playoffs... have to give Brodeur some props... every time he faces Lundqvist in a game, he always tells anyone that will listen that the KING is the best goalie in the League... That shows a bit of class in my book... RF4L/OLA/TD... Bruce Garrioch reported first that the Rangers final offer was Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, JT Miller and two first round picks... he also said that Columbus would not get off of MDZ and other players and that's when talks ended... Aaron Portzline came out after the fact and said the blue Jackets never seriously considered the Rangers offer but were considering a third parties offer (which was also rumored to be a team that was not on Nash's trade approval list)... Weeks after the deadline, Larry Brooks wrote that the Rangers final offer for Rick Nash was Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, JT Miller, Christian Thomas and a first round pick... Brooks also wrote that Columbus was after a package that included either Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin, Chris Kreider and Brandon Dubinsky... Both writers said that Kreider was off the table from the very beginning but that Columbus started asking for him again at the deadline... which says to me that Columbus really had not intention of moving him by the deadline... LEOS... First off, Welcome... post more often... "Emerick getting praise from Wallsters" ...was that a typo? I don't think I've seen anyone say anything positive about that dusch... it's been pure torture having to listen to his propaganda while watching our team... it's like we're watching two completely different game... I would relish the team winning the cup and him having to call it. It would be his worst nightmare.

Rhet0ric

Tue May 15 2012 6:28 pm EST

E: I guess it comes down to a matter of opinions and styles. Personally, I would take EMERICK over BENINATI anytime and I don't even like EMERICK. I just can't stand BENINATI.

Vic

Tue May 15 2012 6:22 pm EST

There are few GREAT play-by-play guys in hockey out there. Beninati's and Hahn's don't grow on trees. I would gladly trade either of these guys for Sam Rosen at this point. But for all the nitpicking you can do, Doc is definitely in the top 3rd of the game. Is he perfect? Not really. Plus, nowadays like Rosen the years are beginning to pile up. But I don't hate Doc by any stretch of the imagination. I thought for years some of his most brilliant moments were killed by Chico who might be the worst color guy out there besides Joe Micheletti. But I think part of what makes a good color guy is the ability to catch the emotion of the game. Doc doesn't get the names down all of the time, but thats all nitpicking. I wish we could get Beninati tomorrow. He is awesome. As for Hahn? I have been listening to him call games for a while and he is just far and away the best in the business.

Tue May 15 2012 6:01 pm EST

Rangers are have a viewing party at MSG on Monday for Game 4. Tickets are free through ticketmaster.

DOUBLEN

Tue May 15 2012 5:31 pm EST

LeoS: I agree with the points you made, however, what bugs me about "Doc" is that he announces like he's on the radio. I don't need him to tell me every little thing that happens because I am watching it. Half the time he's out of breath because he can't keep up with the play.

RDW

Tue May 15 2012 5:13 pm EST

Leo-excellent post. I couldn't agree with you more. You should post more often.

NCRanger

Tue May 15 2012 4:26 pm EST

OK, I'm one of the Wall's uber-lurkers, but seeing Emerick getting praise from Wallsters has spurred me into posting. Why "Doc" is awful: (1) He' s terrible at identifying players - go ahead, try making a college-style drinking game out of how many times he mis-calls who's out there; you'll be blacked out before the 3rd period. (2) his infuriatingly useless call "It would not go". Aaaargh, tell us what happened (save, deflected wide, blocked, missed, whatever), not some catch-all I-didn't-see-it phrase. (3) He, along with Gary Thorne, pioneered the phrase "Cleared! but not out." and therefore, Not Cleared. Idiot(s). Even if he wasn't a flagrant Ranger-hater, he's just a subpar announcer who occasionally turns a nice phrase. OK, got that off my chest :) Love the Wall and how regularly you all echo my gametime thoughts. LGR!

LeoS

Tue May 15 2012 3:50 pm EST

And, btw, just busting balls about the Offseason talk....Just not something I can get inot right now..

Hospo

Tue May 15 2012 3:42 pm EST

Did the season end last night? If not, what the hell is all this Poppycock (in honor of DESPO) about trades and next year...SCREW that....You gotta just love a New York Ranger team coming of two consecutive GAMES 7s and DESTROYING, according to all the haters and experts, an unbeatbale, well-rested,defensively sound, forechecking machine and offensive juggernaut in the 3rd period..What a freakibng period the Rangers played....Yes, the Devils took it to them in the 2nd after a wishy washy 1st, but what the "fatigued" Rangers did in the third was amazing...........That being said, I still think it could be a long series.....The Devils didn't or couldn't hit or forecheck much last night so tomorrow will be interesting.....Love the sout pusses on almos t all the expert thogh some like Weeks and Jaffe On the NHL network and Melrose gave the Rangers the credit they deserved...But according to Bozos klike Burnside, who have to justify their picks and biases, it was all The King....Not even close but, that being said, The KIng was awesome in the 2nd period.............ANd, I know i'm in the minority, but TORTS has handled KREIDER well from Day 1...TOrt's job is to win..and if he felt limiting Kreider's ice time in the 2nd half of the closer (in more ways than one)Cap series and letting him play last more last night was the thing to do, I'm totally fine with it and, more importantly,. might have been the right think to do...More open ice against the Devils...He plays smart, he will play alot...

Hospo

Tue May 15 2012 2:58 pm EST

First, I've got to say it's WAAAY too premature to talk changes...second...I think a lot of you forget where the Rangers were a year ago and how unbelievably far they've come in just 12 short months...A year ago, we were singing praises of McDONAGH, but not to the degree we are now...A year ago, we had no RICHARDS...A year ago, HAGELIN had played five inconsequential games as a member of the Whale. A year ago, DEL ZOTTO was in the AHL and many here didn't think he was ever coming back. A year ago, some of us were wondering whether KREIDER was yet another blown first-round pick...A year ago, people were maligning GIRARDI as “Girlardi”...A year ago, most of us didn't even know who BICKEL was and even more of us didn't care...Now pan to the present...aside from Richards, none of the players I mentioned were summer acquisitions. They were grown right here in this system. Aside from Richards and Stralman, the Rangers really didn't change much. And I don't think they're going to need to change much going into the future if they continue to draft smart and let these kids develop gradually in the AHL and juniors...someone was mentioning earlier about why ERIXON wasn't being thrust into the mix because of Bickel's shortcomings...well, I'm sure there are several reasons...but the main would is probably because they realize Erixon's not ready for the pressure...Now before we go trading away this player or importing that player, I'd much rather see them stay the course and let some of the young guys in-fill positions that are coming available...the last thing I want is to see talented kids like Hagelin and Kreider relegated to the third line because some over-age free agent or bloated-salary winger comes in.

tdchi

Tue May 15 2012 2:53 pm EST

Tdchi- Brooks reported McD/MDZ, Stepan/Hagelin, Dubinsky, Kreider and a 1st. FIVE very valuable assets. Five. Three could have fooled me. Who am I say that Howson wouldn't have asked for like MDZ AND Stepan. But that FIVE asset deal is a joke, nobody even remotely reported an asking price like that before the deadline. You think Slats negotiate to the last second I that's the assets bing discussed lol?

Ola

Tue May 15 2012 2:46 pm EST

Black Aces ranks swelling. New tweet (legal until Francesa has his way): The #NYR have officially recalled G Cam Talbot, D Tim Erixon & Dylan McIlrath, and F JT Miller, Kris Newbury & Casey Wellman from @CTWhale

Rexi29

Tue May 15 2012 1:40 pm EST

What A GREAT Win last night. Ryan McDonagh was outstanding as was all the Rangers DEFENSE. DEFENSE WINS Championships! LETS GO RAIN-JUHS!!!!!

Jerry_Garcia

Tue May 15 2012 1:14 pm EST

The Whale has released ANDREW YOGAN and STEVE MOSES from their ATOs. Too bad about MOSES - really liked what I saw from him, but there is just no room.

Dineen11

Tue May 15 2012 12:57 pm EST

Can't keep talking about the games. I'm getting tired even though it shouldn't be an issue at this time of year?

KIS

Tue May 15 2012 12:53 pm EST

What's wrong with you people? A 1-0 lead in the conference finals and you're talking about trades? Let's go Rangers!

Brian2d

Tue May 15 2012 12:24 pm EST

Cannot rework a contract under the CBA. Who knows what will be in the next CBA as the old one expires on 9/15.

DOUBLEN

Tue May 15 2012 12:24 pm EST

look at the bruins with Horton and without. That one guy can make a BIG difference

KIS

Tue May 15 2012 12:21 pm EST

no dubi for Iggy. It is going to take the right type of player to play with this group. If you trade Dubi for a person making more money it wouldn't be Iggy. I think Nash is almost perfect. Its like when the Yankees got Knoblach. That guy fit in perfectly to that team and they one a couple championships. It could also be like when Barcalona got rid of Samuel Eto and brought in Ibrahimovic. Ibra was a great striker but couldn't perform at Barca just wasn't a good fit. Went back milan an started scoring again.

KIS

Tue May 15 2012 12:11 pm EST

PA/EZ: I dont think the parties can rework contracts.... Not sure why, but i bet some of the guys & NN on here know more about it.....

Tue May 15 2012 12:03 pm EST

Bring back Pavel Brendl!

rangerfan2000

Tue May 15 2012 12:01 pm EST

mf..,I'll throw this at you and please keep in mind, I am indeed a clueless jack-ass when it comes to contract stuff. Trade Dubi for JA straight up on the condition he re-works his contract. Is that feasible?

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 11:52 am EST

KIS: would you trade Dubi for Iginla?

Tue May 15 2012 11:42 am EST

absolutely no interest in either parise (to small and a devil) or Iginla. (he makes to much is to old and I wouldn't trade anything for him except redden)

KIS

Tue May 15 2012 11:15 am EST

pa/ez: there are tapes on the internet on how this guy trains in the offseason..... He's ripped, tough as nails, knows how to score, plays the RW, forces Cally to the 3rd line (where he belongs) .....my oversight though: He's on the books for 7mill next year & then UFA, so thats an issue.... I'd sill trade Dubi, a prospect & a pick if need be, for him.....

Tue May 15 2012 10:44 am EST

mf.., 35 in July and listed as a LW. Does he play the right side? Did pot 32 goals this Season I believe.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 10:39 am EST

pa/ez: Call me crazy, but I want us to go after Iginla in the offseason.... Me thinks he comes at a reasonable contract, & leaves us options......

Tue May 15 2012 10:39 am EST

wild/mf.., good stuff fellas. Damn, Strallman only 25. Definitly fits the mold of that young D. I'm also in on Bickel. I like what Stu brings to the table.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 10:36 am EST

mf.., 10/4. Just trying to perhaps peer ahead a bit. If this Club is this good now, damn, with a bit of tweeking?

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 10:35 am EST

pa/ez: our defence has something like 9 goals in the PO's, more than any other team, I think Strallman has 3 of them... IMO, he will be better next year than this.... The guy is 25,5 and is earning 900K per..... He's a keeper.........http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8471873

Tue May 15 2012 10:35 am EST

pa: Like I said Ftank only if they move a couple guys and there are no UFAs who are right and or willing to play for the right amount of money. He is at least a know commodity, and really as the 13th forward is what I am thinking more about.

Wildcard

Tue May 15 2012 10:31 am EST

http://www.capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=22 .......... Some points on cap space for next year: Avery gone ($1.9375) Drury's hit reduced by $2,050,000, thats almost 4 mill....... If you trade Dubi, you have 8mill to sign a big contract..... ie: Weber, Suter, Parise, Nash... Redden comes off the books 2 seasons after this one........ Great win last night!

Tue May 15 2012 10:12 am EST

Wild.., my bad on Biron, didn't check goalies. Prust is making $800,000 this Season so fig. he will get up to at least 1mil. I would hope Sather doesn't go any higher for a 4th line guy. For me, I have no interest in FTank part 3. Strallman, hmmm..on the fence there. He has done a decent job but for his money, perhaps a more physical-type vet to fill the 7 spot? The RFA's are a given. I personally like AA alot and see him as the 3rd line LW in my perfect world with Step and Cally. Dubi is my bait perhaps to get a legit 2nd centre. Obviously WAY ahead of what's really goin' on but, tbh, I don't want to discuss the game. I'm already in Game 2 mode. Just win baby!

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 10:02 am EST

pa: looks about right. But i am almost certain Biron is a UFA as well....and i am almost sure he is a year to year guy now. But yeah, Prust is the only UFA that I want back, I mean, MAYBE a couple other guys as extras so younger guys can stay in CT, and only IF other UFAs of the same type are not better....and a lot of that depends on what Torts thinks of these guys. Its the RFAs in MZA and MDZ and perhaps Strallman who II wouldn't mind getting back into the fold. Strallman will be cheap again, and good insurance if a young guy isn't ready.or Sauer isn't back healthy. He has done a decent job for not too much cap hit, and finding another guy like that may not be that easy. Ftank is another maybe, especially if there are moved made ala Dubi or AA for another center(or both for a center) he is not a bad player and plays the style the Rangers need to win. But again, only if moves are made and other UFAs will not do better or are asking for far too much.

Wildcard

Tue May 15 2012 9:49 am EST

Did some Ranger UFA research. Feel free to correct my findings: Emminger,Woywit..,Bell, Prust, Mitchell, Deveaux, Newbury, Avery, Fedotnk.. Total $'s - 7,800,000. Other than Prust, really?

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 9:47 am EST

Good morning! Love all the sour grapes coming from the media after our win last night. Couldn't take the thought of watching the NBC coverage last night, so I turn to MSG for the post-game and what do I see....Ken Daneyko looking like his dog just died. LOL! And this morning, I'm driving into work listening to NHL Center Ice on XM and I hear a sound bite from Marty....they asked him what he thought about The King's performance and he says, "Well, I only got to see about 10 minutes of his game....I couldn't see him because there were so many Rangers in front of him!" What a dick!

JFC31

Tue May 15 2012 9:39 am EST

PJ "My god now we get Chico on the MSG postgame....Saying Stepan bumped Fatso on the Girardi goal...They show the replay and he never touched him..." Even BRODEUR, when asked, said he wasn't bumped on that goal. Chico complimented Brodeur on downplaying it because he obviously WAS bumped. Hysterical. I wonder if all of Broderu's "iI'm-the-underdog-Hank-is-the-best" talk got in the heads of his own players, making them think Hank is unbeatable... or even just hesitating on a shot to try to out-think him.

josh29

Tue May 15 2012 9:22 am EST

Gordie Clark quote regarding the Non-Nash trade..“They were asking for so bloody much. As I said in the [war] room, ‘Jeez, Columbus wants to give us Nash, but they want us to look like Columbus when we get him.’”

DOUBLEN

Tue May 15 2012 9:22 am EST

I love this kid Kreider he even puts himself on the spot with the OV comment.

York18

Tue May 15 2012 9:18 am EST

pa: To answer your question....the only contracts up at that time are the RFAs. That year is the LAST year of Gabby,Cally,Boyle, Rupp, Staal, Giradi, and Hank's contracts. And the year before those guys become RFAs (so this off season) MDZ is an RFA, so it will not be easy for the Rangers. Of course it wouldn't be a shock to see Dubi and his 4.2 cap hit traded....nor perhaps, depending on who comes up in the system either AA or Boyle, or both could be moved in the next couple years. Its a bad problem to have really.

Wildcard

Tue May 15 2012 9:11 am EST

btw..,the only guy on the NBC who seems to show any + vibe is Roenick.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 9:09 am EST

td...,I see what you're sayin'. I am not a numbers guy but I do have a ?. Without knowing who or how much, isn't there any $ coming off the books to free up some dough?

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 9:08 am EST

BTW, on the CBC broadcasts, they seem to enjoy bringing up how McDonagh was acquired by the Rangers...lololol...they did it again last night early in the first period after McD stymied both Parise and Kovalchoke...

RF4L

Tue May 15 2012 9:01 am EST

Sounds like Kreider's got a burgeoning personality - check out this quote from last night's postgame interviews, when asked about 'settling in': ““The last thing I want to do is settle in. I don’t want to be complacent, especially at this level. If I get complacent for a second, next thing you know I’m minus-2 and giving Ovechkin a one-timer in the slot. So, I’ve got to stay extremely focused, obviously.” LOL...good stuff!

RF4L

Tue May 15 2012 8:53 am EST

Just because I hate Pittsburgh and how they believe Fleury is the greatest...Lundqvist has played in 9 more games than Fleury in these playoffs and has given up 25 goals. Fleury in his 6 games gave up 26.

Tikkanen

Tue May 15 2012 8:52 am EST

pa - I will place any amount of beer on a bet that says PARISE does not come to New York. Not even a slight chance. Not even a .0001 percent chance. Just no way it happens. As a player, he would be a good fit, certainly. But cap-wise? He's already making $6 million. He's probably going to go for more than Richards did last summer. He could end up in the $8 million range, no doubt...then think about it this way: Him signing with the Rangers would essentially be shitting where he sleeps. He'd be burning some bridges that I don't think a player his age would burn just to make a few thousand more dollars...AND...on top of all of it, I simply don't see how Lou Lamarillo, one of the NHL's most savvy executives, will ever let him leave. Two things will happen before Parise picks up a pen to sign a Ranger contract: He'll get a better offer from the Devils or Lam will have him in a pair of cement overshoes at the bottom of the East River...NTM...you don't go after Parise for the same reason you don't go after NASH: He would hamstring you with signing future contracts with three guys you really want to keep in the system...Let me put it this way: Do you think McDONAGH is going to be willing to play for $1.3 million after next year? The kid could be making four times that amount by then...and STEPAN at $875,000? again...four times that amount. Ditto with HAGELIN. Do the math and the Rangers are going to need to pony up some pretty serious cash in the summer of 2013...something to the tune of $10 million to keep those players here. You ain't going to have those reserves with Parise in the lineup.

tdchi

Tue May 15 2012 8:48 am EST

TD: Of course ultimately, it's all speculation, but your recall of the Nash talks mirrors mine, save for one minor detail: It was McDonagh or MDZ, neither of which Sather was willing to give up. Kreider, as I understand it, was never on the table in the first place (although that's not to say Howson didn't ask for him). It was Dubi, Miller, this year's first and Erixon. Howson apparently was prepared to accept that deal if instead of Erixon, one of McD or MDZ were included. Even if Howson had accepted Sather's offer, it's a tough move because you risk stripping down the organization's feeder depth bigtime. McD and MDZ clearly are top 4 defensemen and will be for a very long time so I get why Sather refused. Still, I think it cannot be argued that Nash wouldn't bring to the Rangers a very significant missing ingredient, one Zach Parise wouldn't be able to do (see how easily McD steered him off the puck early in the 1st period on his partial break-away? No way could that be done to Rick Nash). Anyway, H2O under the bridge - for now. If the Rangers fall short of a cup win, I strongly suspect Sather and Howson will renew the talk in June and/or over the summer....

RF4L

Tue May 15 2012 8:41 am EST

Ola - I never remember Brooks writing about the NASH deal with such broad strokes. The way I understood it was that DUBINSKY was part of the deal Columbus wanted...then it was either MDZ or McDONAGH, a first and a prospect(presumably MILLER) ...Sather wouldn't dump McDonagh or MDZ, so Howson asked for ERIXON and KREIDER instead, and that's where talks ended. I don't ever recall the kind of haul you were talking about being mentioned with any seriousness. The point I gleaned out of all the discussion was the KREDER and McDONAGH were untouchable, and that's why Howson picked up his toys and went home...Only two people know what happened at the bargaining table, but I really didn't get any impression that the Rangers were upset they didn't land him. They gave away two guys who couldn't crack the lineup over MITCHELL to clear the tip of cap space they needed, but that's about it. I think Sather or the Rangers' brain-trust did their due diligence in asking about Nash and then smartly bailed on it when they realized there would need to be subtraction from their current lineup to make it happen...Nash would be nice here, but there's no way of telling how he'd play in NY. I think it was York who was saying there were plenty of high-test players that came to MSG in the past and fell on their faces. Imagine what the rags would be saying if Sather DID trade for Nash, he came here and posted zeros and the Rangers were eliminated in the first round.

tdchi

Tue May 15 2012 8:27 am EST

Morning All.., a few random musings to gargle on. After perusing the TSN site and reading post-game comments, I have determined that NO-ONE/NOBODY....has an ounce of love for our guys; no new news there but it's amazing this Club is getting NO respect. F@%# 'em All..!! On Nash.., obviously Kreider has shown that, if anything else, this Club need not explore a LW option for the time being. I will propose this idea though to the aristocracy; Parise as a UFA would be tremendous. The RW position would be stacked, as would the LW. Is there a legit 2nd line centre that could be garned via FA or trade out there? Step..to the 3rd line with Arty and Cally, and Boyler to the 4 with Rupper and Prust. Dubi as bait for that centre? Just sayin.'

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 15 2012 8:17 am EST

It's funny to read through the posts here after watching the game on DVR...pretty much dead-on accurate...which is funny, because the rubes at NBC had a whole game to ruminate over what they saw on the ice and it was just about the exact opposite of the transcript here...MY TAKE was that the Devils, while having their moments, NEVER CAME CLOSE to applying the pressure we saw from EITHER Ottawa or Washington...ESPECIALLY the Caps. Even in the second, where we all roundly agree they were outplayed, I didn't see the kind of stifling attack the Caps were applying ALL SERIES LONG. Nothing even close. And this was a well-rested Devils team too. Not that I'm surprised by this at all. The Devils don't have nearly the depth of Washington, who just barely had the depth of the Rangers...Now I'm not going to say it's gonna be an easy series, 'cause it won't. Compared to Washington, however, the Devils aren't nearly as tough an opponent...Hate to call a Game 2 critical, but I think it will be VERY important for the Rangers to come out every bit as hard on Wednesday, because the Devils are going to adjust. That's one thing I've got to and to VERBAL KINT(love that BTW)...Remember this guy took over a Devils team that was in disarray and looked to be heading toward the basement...He managed to play the whole season without one of his top centers(ZAJAC) and somehow shoehorned one of the least defensively responsible guys(KOVALCHUK) into a defensive system...he got a bunch of retreads(PONIKAROVSKY and BERNIER) to toughen his lineup and created a defense out of a few prospects and other AHL retreads. The guy will adapt to the Rangers' hard system and Game 2 will be MUCH tougher than this one. But I still have faith in the Rangers' depth...now if only these jackasses on NBC could take just an ounce of objectivity into the analysis. Had you not known the score and just watched the post game, you would have thought the Rangers lost the game 4-3.

tdchi

Tue May 15 2012 7:58 am EST

Was it me, or did Emerick say "And Lundqvist with only his 5th shutout of his career in the postseason" at the end of the game. I could be wrong, but that is what I heard. Listening to Daneyko and Resch after each Devils loss will be lots of fun, they look so miserable.

pete

Tue May 15 2012 7:36 am EST

On NASH. I wanted a deal for NASH made at the deadline if it wasn't going to gut the Rangers. Basically Columbus is in no position to hold the Rangers (or anyone else) over a barrel for NASH. I don't think we will really ever know what the offers were between the teams. Once that trade didn't go down my attitude about it changed. My thoughts were that if the Rangers got bumped out early in the playoffs and scoring seemed to be a big issue they can revisit the NASH deal in the Summer. However, any offer the Rangers made during the Summer should be substantially less they what they were willing to trade at the deadline as the urgency to make that move simply isn't there. If the Rangers got deep into the playoffs then my feeling was that the Rangers shouldn't even bother making a play for NASH. The guy's contract is a killer. If they have a good enough team to make it deep into the playoffs then they don't need NASH to get over the hump. They already have gotten over the hump. Adding a contract like NASH's would make it nearly impossible to keep some of the young players they have that will be moving toward bigger contracts in the future. The key for the Rangers will be to keep a steady funnel of young, inexpensive players coming into the system that have time to develop in Juniors, College and the AHL. They are doing that now and it is how you sustain a franchise for the long haul. The emergence of KREIDER is an example. His development, plus that of HAGS has lessened the need for a guy like NASH.

Vic

Tue May 15 2012 7:23 am EST

CHIN: You get the post of the day!.........."Chico's voice makes me want to put a shard of glass in my eye."................I couldn't agree more. I can't stand the whiny little bastard. Great game last night. The First Period was pretty even though the Devils may have had a few higher quality chances. The Second Period was all Devils. The Third Period was all Rangers. I had to laugh in the post game when MILBURY says something to the effect of "the Rangers were the better team in the Third. I don't want to say they Dominated but they were better."...........Really MIKE? Why don't you want to say the Rangers dominated the Third Period? They Dominated it just as much (if not more) then the Devils Dominated the Second Period. It amazes me how the #1 seed in the East is being talked about like it is a team that was lucky to sneak into the playoffs. All of the talk is centered around what the Devils are going to do the Rangers. I've never seen anything like this before. The best is all of the pre-game analysis. The talk of the Devils forechecking and how the Rangers haven't seen anything like it before. REALLY???? Do these morons actually watch the games? Did they happen to watch any of the Ranger games this season, especially from December through February? The Rangers entire style of play is predicated on a swarming, physical, relentless forecheck. They can handle the Devils forecheck just fine. How about asking if the Devils can handle the Rangers forecheck? It sure didn't look like it in the Third Period. The thing that made the Second Period so lopsided toward the Devils and made their forecheck seem so potent was the Rangers complete inability to control the puck and clear it when they had time and space. It was the worst period of puck handling and passing I've seen from this team all year. Did the Devils forecheck have something to do with it? Sure. But, not nearly what the talking heads would imagine. I don't expect to see that horror show of hands again this year.

Vic

Tue May 15 2012 7:23 am EST

When it comes to the ice and msg I remember back around 95 in a magazine they polled a lot of players on the best building to play in when it came to the ice and the worst. MSG was unanimous as being the worst especially early and late in the season and playoffs; Edmonton was considered one of the best. With that said, the devs ice though better wasn't considered a lot better. Both teams play enough games here to know what to expect, so poor ice is just bs. The rangers played and won on that same ice they weren't slowed down and like I said yesterday we are a better conditioned team than anyone and we are also a really young team as well so come third period we aren't tired so we look faster the ice didn't slow anyone down the style of play did. ......On Nash coming here you can't give up either mcd or mdz in that trade erixon isn't ready for this level of play. We already have to deal with Bickel you can't take away either of those guys it changes the whole dynamics of the defense.

York18

Tue May 15 2012 7:06 am EST

Certainly agree with everybody that the ice was horible...might of hurt them more with their style....and TOP I agree with you on Emeric, he's a good Hockey announcer....I mean think of Micheletti and he's OUR guy! Still want Nash on this team next year.....long shot probably but who kknows. Dubi must have a broken foot....and Stepan played his best game in awhile...loved Boyle giving up th epuck to Artie....

MelvilleFred

Tue May 15 2012 7:02 am EST

Bongo- You need to define "that trade". Every time in a situation like this, Brooks a day or two after the deadline or whatever got a piece on how the "real" asking price was tremendously high. This time, I even called it before hand. Its definitely Slats feeding him BS information to lessen the potential critique afterwards. If I remember correctly, the asking price according to Brooks was MDZ/McD, Stepan, Dubinsky, Kreider, McI and a 1st. Slats and Howson negotiated to the very last second. There was a ton of reports out there what CBJ asking price was. There was a ton of reports out there on what CBJ had asked for other teams. NONE of them was even remotely close to the asking price Brooks reported. Its prefectly possible that CBJ asked for ONE of MDZ/McD. Like MDZ/McD, Dubinsky and a first (as opposed to the 6-7 asset asking price reported). Or something like that. That was in line with what CBJ de facto wanted from other teams. And, I wouldn't have made a trade like that then and I wouldn't do it now. We were though reported to offer Dubi, Erixon, McI and a 1st. Would you have done that trade? That's this roster we have now, but you take out Mitchell and adds Nash. At the deadline, I argued that Kreider should have been added to that offer instead of McI. Dubi, Erixon, Kreider and a 1st. With the roster we had yesterday, its Kreider for Nash. I am still a big Nash fan. Crosby/AO/Malkin can save a franchise. Possibly. Short of those players, including guys like Stamkos, Duchene and everoyne else basically, no player can on their own carry a franchise from the celler to becoming respectable. And I am 110% convinced that its a tremendous burdon to, like Rich Nash, constantly be the go to player without ever getting any support what-so-ever. The best linemate he ever had is like David Vyborny. I wouldn't argue against the critique of Rich Nash, but I can definitely explain the reason for some of his lesser performances. With that said, I think he is one of the top 4-5 biggest talents in the game and definitely think he would become a helluva player, pardon my french, under Torts. I definitely think he would be magic next to Brad Richards and so forth. With that said, I still also definitely less convinced of the trade mentioned above after what I've see this season. Getting Nash defintely would mean upsetting the current construction of this team. Maybe its better to compliment instead of restructure? What do I know. But if you look at how good this team is now, if you could trade 1 roster player (Dubi at the time) for Nash, I just don't see many arguments that could have been made against a trade like that.

Ola

Tue May 15 2012 5:13 am EST

Who makes that trade for Rick Nash now? It would be an all time blunder!

BONGO

Tue May 15 2012 4:28 am EST

Was Marty already giving himself a built in excuse, by saying that Hank is the best goalie in the world this season?

York18

Tue May 15 2012 12:56 am EST

Just watched video reviews of the game on espn and other sites....it pains these "experts" to give rangers any credit for beating the devils 3-0. I see that a lot of you dont like emrick, i kinda like the dude very excitable i think he genuinely loves the game. The one i cant stand is pierre, to me he seems the most "anti-ranger" of all. For some reason i was not as nervous for this game as i was for ALL caps games. Great win, try to do the same on wednesday and GO RANGERS!!!

Topovski

Mon May 14 2012 11:56 pm EST

BOB: The balloons that hit me in the back of the head before each game make me want to punch someone like Joey Kocur once punched out Jim Kyte. It's almost as bad as the constant scoreboard reminders of how to cheer. We're not f'ing The Team Formerly In Atlanta or Phoenix. So stupid.

chinstrap

Mon May 14 2012 11:17 pm EST

I may be old fashioned. I am definitely old. But, WT ever-loving F is this steam shooting up at both ends when they score garbage? Can they make it any mor hokey and embarrassing? First, the stupid streamers and balloons. Then the stupid firecrackers. Now this. I mean. how freaking stupid.

Bob

Mon May 14 2012 11:00 pm EST

mf...What can I say...I am a Holly Jolly guy....

Mon May 14 2012 10:49 pm EST

With out getting too ahead of myself....the Rangers match up vs the DEvils the best. The Devils play that brand of hockey that makes the Rangers play there own game that much better. Same goes with the Flyers but I am glad they are gone with that 0-6 jinxed record they had in the regular season vs the Rangers....The Caps gave the Rangers a hard time because holtby played over his head......One thing i dont get is everyone here dissing on the panthers....That team took the Devils to 7 games and lost games 6 and 7 in OT....I think other than Pens and Bruins, the Panthers woulda been a very tough team to beat because they are not only up-tempo but the Rangers and Panthers really have no rivarly....Thank goodness the Devils one that series.

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 10:48 pm EST

Shocking....Fatso admits Stepan did not interfere with him....Chico is a nutcase....

Mon May 14 2012 10:43 pm EST

PJ: you're slip is showing, er, I mean your age...... :->)

Mon May 14 2012 10:42 pm EST

Garden ice is also 6 or 7 floors up in that building......Hot air rises and i guess its hard to keep it super cold

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 10:41 pm EST

Or Burl Ives

Mon May 14 2012 10:39 pm EST

With that beard Dave Maloney is looking more like Stan Fishler.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 14 2012 10:36 pm EST

Chico's voice makes me want to put a shard of glass in my eye.

chinstrap

Mon May 14 2012 10:35 pm EST

My god now we get Chico on the MSG postgame....Saying Stepan bumped Fatso on the Girardi goal...They show the replay and he never touched him....Danyko having trouble being complimentary also....

Mon May 14 2012 10:34 pm EST

Did anyone just hear Chico crying about the 1st goal..Stepan was interfering with Marty..how about look how far out on top of the crease Marty was.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 14 2012 10:27 pm EST

KIS: Who knows? Maybe becouse they have the trains running under the building to the west side yards and the foundation is warm as a result... No excuse though.... Hey Dolan, What the Phucks the problem with the ice ???

Mon May 14 2012 10:27 pm EST

Crowd was all over Brodeur tonight, tons of Maaaaaaaarty chants. Uncle Daddy chants are gaining traction, much to my delight. Devil fan who looked like Snookie got into a fight with a Ranger girl. Hilarious. Oh, there was a game? Yeah, Girardi with 2 points and the game winner after his two worst periods of the year. He was playing like he was in a walking coma. Good for him getting it going in the 3rd. All has been said on Kreids, its always obvious early when he's got that extra jump. Thought the Boyle line and the 4th line had a number of good shifts. I liked Rupp going after Bernier late in the game, if they're not gonna play their tough guys, lets beat the shit out of them. Torts telling Stan his questions are stupid is the best part of every presser, because its true. Oh, and agreed with MONK. McD is special.

chinstrap

Mon May 14 2012 10:24 pm EST

PJ: Obviously we watched the same game.... The Rangers got an adrenline rush and stepped into a higher gear after the Girardi goal....

Mon May 14 2012 10:21 pm EST

I know the garden is notorious for bad ice but today it seemed horrendous. How can an organiztion and a team with so much money have such bad ice. Guys that know, can you please explain why the ice is so bad all the time. Is there anything that can be done to make it better. Can you imagine if the Rangers had ice like in edmonton with speed like McD, Hags Gabby and kreider have. My tv couldnt keep up.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 10:19 pm EST

it feels great but it is only one game. Let's not get to excited yet. I don't want the Devs to have any hope. Kreider makes things happen and that shot. like they say in boston is wicked quick. Gotta let the kid play and live with some ofo the mistakes. He just tries so hard and gets caught bye experienced players sometime. The King showed why he is called the King. Girardi looked exhausted. McD is just incredible. Becoming my favorite Ranger. If this kid can play that good at age 22, what is he gonna be lke 5 years from now at 27. wonder if he will get norris consideration some day. Hagelin is another one. Can't hit the goal but he causes so much chaos on the ice.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 10:15 pm EST

Doc needs a complete hysterectomy because his estrogen level is affecting his judgement! If you haven't seen Torts post game interview, find it. Someone asks him a question about Kreider and his answer is fucking hilarious!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 10:14 pm EST

A real character win tonight....Wild..I disagree as I believe the Girardi goal did energize the team....We had far more life in the third than the second....

Mon May 14 2012 10:12 pm EST

Emrick is clearly having post menaupausal hot flashes, that poor old bitch. Maybe there's a job for him on The View after he melts down completely.

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 14 2012 10:08 pm EST

FM - I have no problem not being Emrick. I see a good play I can appreciate and call it like it is. Staal shot it right into his glove, but he had to throw his fat ass into reverse just to get there! haha

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 10:05 pm EST

DCI, with a sprawling glove save, one of three things happen. Either it is a superhuman grab, the puck is shot into your glove, or the goal is scored. I'll take the one in the middle.

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 14 2012 10:01 pm EST

JFC - good catch, if Marty keeps getting exposed when he handles the puck he is DONE! It is the only thing that separates him from the lower tier of the league. Though his save on Staal was a beauty. That being said, Fuck him!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 9:59 pm EST

Nine out of sixteen, only seven left.

SteveCT

Mon May 14 2012 9:58 pm EST

Millbury is fucking clueless - ON KREIDER - The kid came in with a bang but Torts stuck with him. So 6 minutes of ice time in agame is sticking with the kid?? NBC Sucks. As a broadcaster, these guys are an embarrassment to the profession. I am local high school sports and I would shudder listening back to my tape if I made as many mistakes as these clueless fucks!!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 9:57 pm EST

Monk -- exactly right....I did stand up and get close to the TV for the only time at the end when they had the extra skater and we were trying to preserve the shutout.....important to not let them score and keep The King's mystique going!

JFC31

Mon May 14 2012 9:55 pm EST

Wow! Gotta love whooping ass on Marty and especially shutting out the Debs. So sweet.... so very very sweet. I'll tell you, if we remember how to play offense, we have a lot more opportunities then we ever did against the Sens or the Caps. I was shocked that shots from the point actually got through... guess I haven't seen that in... oh, about 14 games. Marty can be had.. we just need to keep on bringing it like we did in the 3rd and we will dictate this series. I honestly just love how the whole tenor of the broadcast changes when it was obvious the Debs are getting whooped. They probably end up having to scramble for footage... douchebags one and all. LET'S GO RANGERS! .

Mon May 14 2012 9:55 pm EST

And The King is definitely got MAty's number and MArty knows it> He came awfully close 3 or 4 times to giving away goals with his stickhandling antics. If he falls apart, the Devils are TOAST!!

JFC31

Mon May 14 2012 9:55 pm EST

That was about as good a period after the worst of the PO's as one could imagine.. the Debbies got but 4 shots and not really a sniff in the third.. gutsy performance... wow

sjw

Mon May 14 2012 9:55 pm EST

JFC...for me, the anxiety turned to preserving Hank's shutout. But I'll take shutout anxiety over the anxiety we've gone through ANY. DAY.

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 14 2012 9:53 pm EST

2 goal lead....

JFC31

Mon May 14 2012 9:53 pm EST

NEWS FLASH--MARTY WAS IN GOAL FOR THE 3RD RANGER GOAL...HOW COULD YOU TELL???????////ROTFLMAO!!!

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 9:53 pm EST

And how nice was it to enjoy a l2 goal ead for more than 38 seconds??? LOL! I actually was relaxed and enjoying the last 6 minutes of the game....I knew we had it! That is a GREAT feeling!!

JFC31

Mon May 14 2012 9:52 pm EST

So Torts doesnt speak to the media, can you blame him? Whatever he said to the boys in the intermission really works,,,F the media,,,,,,,,f the debs,,,,,,love all you guys:) good nite!!!

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 9:50 pm EST

How does it feel playing a REAL hockey team, Devils???LOL! So proud of the efforts of the Rangers in surviving the dead legs in the 2nd period. And Jesus H. Kreider was HUGE....on the 1st goal, alot of rookies would have just thrown it back to the point or thrown it in front or simply lost the puck....but this kid had the presence of mind...anf the STRENGTH....to hold the puck, look for the opportunity and feed it to the right place. FANTASTIC!! And then he beats MArty like a rented mule on a quick on the move twisted wrister. RAAAAANGERSSS!!!

JFC31

Mon May 14 2012 9:50 pm EST

UNCLE DADDY IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING......That was the hockey version of the rope a dope,,,,,,, Love my team,,,have NBC------sHUTOUt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!!!!!!---hEY WHERE IS SID? WHERE IS OV? WHO FUCKIN CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RANGERS WIN,,,,,,,

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 9:50 pm EST

I also don't think that the Rangers had more energy in the 3rd...it's that they don't get any more tired due to that hellish conditioning Torts forces, it's that the other team looses its energy late giving the impression the Rangers turned it up.

Wildcard

Mon May 14 2012 9:48 pm EST

The King with his best game of the year! Huge win. This was the game I was really worried about coming off a hard fought 7 game series. They looked gut-punched in the second but as is their MO they came out and locked it down in the 3rd! I love this team!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 9:47 pm EST

WOW...Rangers Dmen have 9 goals...next highest total is 5 by a couple teams...that is unexpected.

Wildcard

Mon May 14 2012 9:47 pm EST

McD is one of the best D men we've had in decades. If not the best.

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 14 2012 9:43 pm EST

So much for being the tired team. I love how the stat of the day was that the Rangers have only scored four goals once this playoffs. But they never mentioned that they have only given up four goals...uh, wait, they haven't yet. Suck on it haters, 7 more wins to go!

pete

Mon May 14 2012 9:43 pm EST

We beat Marty good.... He didnt have a terrible game, just not good enough..... Rhet: You pegged it, our most dominant win thus far..... Maybe the Debbies are not as good as Ott or Washington.....

Mon May 14 2012 9:42 pm EST

Guess the Devs found out we aren't the Flyers and have a real goalie, the best in the league and our team makes it hard to get a shot and we are stronger in the third energy wise then any team.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 9:42 pm EST

DCIGOLFER... Yes, true, but Hank had a shut out tonight. He was absolutely freaking Brilliant!

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:41 pm EST

Lots of pissed off haters tonight. Love it!

Bob

Mon May 14 2012 9:41 pm EST

Great win, Huge 3rd! Wow....York the only trade I can think of better in the last 25 years was the trade for Messier.

NYStranger

Mon May 14 2012 9:41 pm EST

RHET - Great win, but I disagree. Game one against the sens was dominating! The second period was used diaper of a period. Hank saved our bacon big time. The third was a domination! 1-0! LGR!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 9:40 pm EST

I can't really complain about the Refs, because there were a lot of things we actually did do that didn't get called.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:40 pm EST

LMFAO....can't stop laughing....Sorry, Doc!....Sorry all you NBC asswipes, but things didn't go your way tonight....The 3rd was a dream period in the context of these playoffs. Go to Hell, Devils!

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 14 2012 9:38 pm EST

Most COMMANDING WIN of the Playoffs for us... WOW, Great Game!

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:37 pm EST

Bullshit penalty and then they try to call back the final faceoff!! It's gonna be 5 on 7 the whole way for us

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 9:36 pm EST

Flyers suck!

nyfans

Mon May 14 2012 9:35 pm EST

What kind of weak ass call was that?

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:34 pm EST

Come on Rupp....We want a shutout you dufus.....

Mon May 14 2012 9:34 pm EST

7 games to the cup!

Bob

Mon May 14 2012 9:33 pm EST

Oh what a win.....Feds-BB-AA....Score......

Mon May 14 2012 9:33 pm EST

Ah, ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha THREE ZIP !!!

Mon May 14 2012 9:32 pm EST

Boyls said..."damn, I need to get it to somebody with hands"

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:32 pm EST

Wowser..finally scored an EN goal

DOUBLEN

Mon May 14 2012 9:31 pm EST

Heh Milbury, still think that they have an advantage due to the NYR being fatigued?

Mon May 14 2012 9:30 pm EST

Once the Rangers scored, they smelled blood... I smell Shut out.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:30 pm EST

Yorkie - McD no doubt but a close second is NOONE for Nash!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 9:30 pm EST

Easy York; you might get labled a conspriracy theorist, there seems to be quite a few on the Wall.... Welcome back !!!!

Mon May 14 2012 9:28 pm EST

under 3 minutes

Mon May 14 2012 9:28 pm EST

Anyone ever just feel like the NHL picks up the phone that goes right to the ref on the ice and says give the Rangers a penalty ala the buffalo wild wing commercials to make the game longer............Single best trade of the last 15 years for the Rangers Gomez for Mcd

York18

Mon May 14 2012 9:28 pm EST

Chris Kreider releases the puck like that and he gonna make a lot of monet playing hockey. 2 points. The Devils are finding out that we are not the Flyers.

Bob

Mon May 14 2012 9:28 pm EST

Kreider has played 15:01... he better return to the ice.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:27 pm EST

Doctor must have been busy in the locker room shooting them up with adrenaline or something

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 9:24 pm EST

DCIGOLFER... I agree, that wasn't much of anything.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:23 pm EST

MDZ closed his hand on the puck and made a Hand Pass to get out of the zone and neither was called.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:23 pm EST

MDZ is having a hell of a game, anyway

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 9:22 pm EST

Someone said it earlier, Tort needs to let the kid play, he may make some mistakes but he is HUNGRY

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 9:22 pm EST

Surprise Surprise AHorseshit call!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 9:21 pm EST

Oh well....Bad penalty....

Mon May 14 2012 9:20 pm EST

SWEEEEEEETTTTTT CAROLINE !!!!!!! KRIEDER FROM AAAAAAAAA

Mon May 14 2012 9:20 pm EST

I love this kid the more he plays the better he plays. Speed, can score pass and take the body. Nash who?

York18

Mon May 14 2012 9:20 pm EST

HORRIBLE POWER PLAY, but it's a Power Play Goal!!!

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:19 pm EST

IT'S A POWERPLAY GOAL!!!!!

Mon May 14 2012 9:19 pm EST

THE KID !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 9:19 pm EST

In Kreider we trust!

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 9:19 pm EST

KKKRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:19 pm EST

WOW..what a shot by CK

DOUBLEN

Mon May 14 2012 9:19 pm EST

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 9:18 pm EST

Get one here and they will bury the Devils

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 9:16 pm EST

The save on staal looked exactly to leetchs game 7 goal vs nicks in 1994.....except leetch buried it

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 9:15 pm EST

Man up situation for the Rangers: "Just Crash The Net!"

Mon May 14 2012 9:15 pm EST

Can we decline the penalty :)

DOUBLEN

Mon May 14 2012 9:13 pm EST

GET THE PUCK UP STAAL... GET THE PUCK UP!

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:13 pm EST

what a save...UGH !!!

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 9:10 pm EST

okay why does the ticket oak look retarded?

York18

Mon May 14 2012 9:09 pm EST

So far they are skating better this period than the 2nd.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 14 2012 9:09 pm EST

Prust is gonna score this series

barto

Mon May 14 2012 9:09 pm EST

Where did all this energy come from? Rangers are flying all of the sudden....Get the next one....LET'S GO RANGERS!

Mon May 14 2012 9:09 pm EST

Seems like since that goal, our boys stepped it into a higher gear... We're skating harder & hitting harder... Hoprfully, NJ cant keep up with us at that level......

Mon May 14 2012 9:09 pm EST

Stralman has been brutal he is treating the puck like a live hand grenade

York18

Mon May 14 2012 9:07 pm EST

Can some of our guys get their first goal of the playoffs ? also dump, dump, dump and chase the Devils defence....

RangerGraham

Mon May 14 2012 9:03 pm EST

MMMAAARRRTTTYYYY

nyfans

Mon May 14 2012 9:03 pm EST

Stralman is F'ing killing us.....

Mon May 14 2012 9:01 pm EST

I said Torts needs to play this kid and deal with his occassional mistake he makes shit happen.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 9:01 pm EST

Nice setup by Kreider!!

nyfans

Mon May 14 2012 9:01 pm EST

That was one hell of a setup by KREIDER.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 9:01 pm EST

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEE DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

York18

Mon May 14 2012 9:00 pm EST

GIRARDI!!!

Mon May 14 2012 9:00 pm EST

Did you see Kreider use his body to sheild that puck before passing to Girardi????

Mon May 14 2012 9:00 pm EST

Wowowoowowooow. Woot there it is

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 8:56 pm EST

doct....You may be right....As much as I like him Bickel isn't doing us any good right now....Need a right D though....

Mon May 14 2012 8:53 pm EST

Perfect broadcast here on time Warner north Carolina , monk

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 8:52 pm EST

can't tell me erickson wouldn't be better than bickel .. bickel is now scare s...less. if he gets the puck he ices it. anybody would be better than bickel. rangers need to suck it up for one period. most of devils forecheck is based on awful passing of rangers, in the feet all nite long. rangers have had some good ideas, with horrible execusion. probably because of fatigue.

doct

Mon May 14 2012 8:50 pm EST

FM....Not getting it alot but some for sure....Very annoying....

Mon May 14 2012 8:48 pm EST

Is no one else getting this fucking shit with the picture freezing and skipping? I'm about to throw a motherfucking $3k flatscreen out the goddamn window. Motherfucking Cablevision NBC shit!!@!

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 14 2012 8:48 pm EST

Let the kids play and double shift their young rested legs.

rngrsans

Mon May 14 2012 8:46 pm EST

Just rewound the Richards play....he had some space in between 5 hole....Marty was set......but the pass to gabby woulda been sick if connected

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 8:45 pm EST

I think given their fatigued state their doing well for it to be even. They can score on Marty with a few more shots. The any one but Ranger love is getting old.

barto

Mon May 14 2012 8:44 pm EST

Great penalty kill but we are not making their D work at all....Don't know where the energy will come from but we need it for the third....Our conditioning is being tested like never before....GO RANGERS!

Mon May 14 2012 8:41 pm EST

Richards shoot the damn puck....Are you kidding me?

Mon May 14 2012 8:41 pm EST

Shoot that richie rich!

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 8:40 pm EST

You have to shoot the puck on that shot not pass.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 8:38 pm EST

Holy Fuck they look like a pee wee team out there. giving the puck away. no one covering the point, can't clear the zone! i almost killed my dog accidentally twice so far tonight. Wake the fuck up!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 8:37 pm EST

Do we need another post about the PP ??? Dear PP G-ds, please allow us to find the back of their net.... Amen, thank you

Mon May 14 2012 8:36 pm EST

Prust fails to shoot the puck after a steal and now takes a real dumb penalty....Horrible timing....

Mon May 14 2012 8:35 pm EST

Fuckin boyles skillset is dwindling after concussion

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 8:35 pm EST

At least no short handed goal

rngrsans

Mon May 14 2012 8:34 pm EST

HANK makes some pretty amazing saves on Parise and all the announcer can talk about is how good Henrique and Parise are together.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 8:32 pm EST

Good Lord Stralman......

Mon May 14 2012 8:31 pm EST

Need to get the damn PP going, Jeez 0 forever !

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 8:30 pm EST

We need a PPG!!

rngrsans

Mon May 14 2012 8:29 pm EST

Need a pp goal.....once 3rd period comes...rangers will be doing a conga line to the penalty box as they wear down from exhaustion

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 8:26 pm EST

Call a timeout....

Mon May 14 2012 8:23 pm EST

Awful period so far. They look exhausted. Hold on tight and bust this Mfer open in the third. Kreider has to step up with young rested legs.

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 8:19 pm EST

girardi has been- not so good tonite !!! almost scored on own net. has been horrible on power play . has had 6 or 7 shots blocked almost giving up breaks. wow, hope he settles down. still not sure why he would be on power play. !!

doct

Mon May 14 2012 8:14 pm EST

Damn....2 great chances and 2 sick saves by fatty

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 8:14 pm EST

Would love to watch one easy game. So difficult holding my breath for 20 minutes at a time...

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 8:13 pm EST

MDZ... Hold on to the damn puck until Marty commits... because he will commit.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 7:55 pm EST

I agree, seems the Rangers are getting alittle more room. Washington D was a bit stronger. A few more shots on goal and, as always, a few bodies in front of Marty, they should walk away with game one in hand !

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 7:54 pm EST

What is with these guys on NBC?....You would think the Devils dominated the first period....

Mon May 14 2012 7:51 pm EST

Both teams seem to be a step off so far... Expected the Devils to be after the lay off, kind of surprised the Rangers are.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 7:49 pm EST

Early observation. The Devils aren't nearly as tight on defense as Washington.

barto

Mon May 14 2012 7:49 pm EST

A Callahan sighting would be nice....All in all not a bad first period.....

Mon May 14 2012 7:49 pm EST

Got to love McDonaughs hustle.... Merci Beacoup Les Crabitants

Mon May 14 2012 7:43 pm EST

Capt. Calli, Time to wake up in this game and score a couple!!!

ajurso

Mon May 14 2012 7:39 pm EST

Blue believe shirt at MSG .... Tug McGraw .... Git r done

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 7:21 pm EST

What is Rupp doing?...Shoot the puck....

Mon May 14 2012 7:20 pm EST

Uncle Daddy almost gave us one there.

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 7:17 pm EST

I dunno....they look a step slow so far......

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 7:13 pm EST

That last chant sounded like "Let's Go Kreider"

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 7:10 pm EST

94 Graves jersey on. We have to win. LGR LGR

barto

Mon May 14 2012 7:10 pm EST

Deboer can pass for Verbal Kint

HamiltonHellhounds

Mon May 14 2012 7:07 pm EST

Here we go boyz n gurlz..... Part two of the playoffs,,, Lets Go Rangers !!!

Mon May 14 2012 7:06 pm EST

TD... Actually they could... they cleared out all that room at the deadline they didn't use (in hopes of getting NASH)... Just caught a look at McDonagh in the pre-game... what a bad-ass steely stare he had on him... I'm expecting a big game from him tonight... maybe he scores his first of the playoffs.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 7:02 pm EST

Rhet - I'm not 100 percent certain, but I don't think the Rangers could fit REDDEN under the cap...alright...now I'm really signing off ;)

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 7:00 pm EST

Patrick Kane's drunken weekend in Madison has now become fodder for the Chicago media, urging for the Blackhawks to trade him.... I'd take a chance on that problem child :) ....GO HARD OR GO HOME... Let's Go Rangers!!!!

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 6:57 pm EST

MZA seems to be getting close... I really am sick and tired of what Mitchell brings or DOESN'T BRING to this team... Dubinsky... he is still wearing the removable boot and has not skated at all since the injury... I have the feeling that if we see him at all, it will be in the Cup Finals (provided we make it that far)... Dineen11... I like the cut of the new "Black Aces" jib, though none of them are likely to see the light of day... Redden really must've burned his bridges with TORTS... I'd think he'd have to be better as a 6th D than Bickel, but I guess we already have enough Lefties on defense.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 6:57 pm EST

stevielegs - Wouldn't be surprised. It would explain why his production has started to drop fairly precipitously...DCIGolfer - Glad to hear their making shit up now. Can't wait untill someone blames the national deficit on LUNDQVIST...Well, good luck all. I'm logging out until my own game ends later tonight...LET'S GO RANGERS!!!

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 6:56 pm EST

The Fatso fest is well underway on NBC....

Mon May 14 2012 6:54 pm EST

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Mon May 14 2012 6:50 pm EST

Millbury just informed the viewing audience that Boyle's production has slowed since his suspension!! Did I fucking miss something. What a dumbass!

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 6:45 pm EST

Word is ovinut is an overthetop party animal

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 6:44 pm EST

As a Rangers fan, I'm glad Hunter is not coming back... he's proven himself to be an excellent coach and IMO, the CAPS are now worse off with him gone :) Let's see if the next guy get's as much out of that team.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 6:43 pm EST

HAGMANIA

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 6:39 pm EST

The play that I have seen work a couple of times and i enjoy watching it develop is the "Swedish Torpedo!" D-man head mans the puck to the neutral zone on the other side of the red line and BRich steers the hard pass into Hagelins corner where he is headed at top speed to recover. He then centers to Gabby or BRich for the goal. It worked for the first goal of the game saturday and I saw it in the Sens series too. LGR beat the snot out of Uncle Daddy and the little debbies

DCIGolfer

Mon May 14 2012 6:39 pm EST

Good to see that many of us have had our Rangers Kool-Aid... we should not forget that this DEVILS team has given us fits in the regular season and has been tough to play against... I do expect more of the same in this series... We've also succeeded in making Brodeur look like a world beater... making most of our shots into his Pads and Mid-section (A LA Holtby)... We need to take a page out of the CAPS playbook and shoot at Brodeur from sharp angles and not always straight-on... It seems like common sense, but we've had problems with it throughout the season (and Playoffs)... I would absolutely LOVE to get a 2-0 lead up on these guys (for a damn change), we haven't won 2 in a row since games 6 and 7 against the Senators... KIS... Why would you touch OV with a 10 foot pole? The guy shows up to camp every year out of shape (which would go over well with Torts.... he'd be in the dog house from Day 1)... Sorry, he's just too much of a Prima Donna for me and I really wouldn't want his attitude around a lot of the younger players on this team... JMO, of course.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 14 2012 6:18 pm EST

I didnt wanna bring it up....and be a mush....BEfore the season starting, I posted on here that I bet the Rangers @ 30-1 odds for $1000 cash in Vegas. So i am half way here....now i am getting excited to win the Cup not only as a fan.....but to win the big fuggin cash watching it!!! is there a way to archive the wall postings? LETS GO RANGERS!!!!

TradeStar28

Mon May 14 2012 6:13 pm EST

The L.I.R.R. Is packed with Ranger Fans on their way to Penn Station... The Energy is building, and The Garden is still empty.... We're gonna rock tonight... Let's Go Rangers

Mon May 14 2012 5:07 pm EST

From what I know about the Hunter situation is that he was really a serious "interim" coach. He was perfectly happy to stay coaching in juniors and I think he's a part owner. I doubt anyone int he organization besides the players didn't know that was the plan. He is one of the few coaches in the NHL who isn't worried about his next job, so he could do what he wanted. Good luck finding someone else like that to come in and coach the likes of OVI.

ColoradoMark

Mon May 14 2012 4:01 pm EST

mf---much better thanks,LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! F UNCLE DADDY

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 3:55 pm EST

Douglas, Douglas, Douglas, Oh my, Do you feel better now? :->) ......... Phuck-em-all !!!! Lets Go Rangers !!!

Mon May 14 2012 3:47 pm EST

FTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErSFTW----LeTs gO RaNgErS

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 3:45 pm EST

The experts in LAS VEGAS have the Rangers a 7-2 favorite to win the cup,,La is at 5-1,,,,,,,,,,FUCK NBC---I SO MISS MSG Broadcasts------cant wait to see pucks bouncing off uncle daddys head,,,let the jerkoff x devil announcer choak,,,,,

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 3:27 pm EST

Screw Hunter, Screw OV, and especially SCREW Uncle Daddy and the rest of the Ranger-Hating, glory hole operators who call themselves Devils or "Beat" writers or "experts!" Also, pulled this from YouTube. This kid has flown under the radar so far: Marek Hrivik highlights from three QMJHL games 9-12. February 2012

pa.rangersfan

Mon May 14 2012 2:52 pm EST

wow on hunter, got to guess because of ovechoke.....and i make a motion to change the name of The Wall, to the CJ NYR Wall........

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 2:47 pm EST

Add DYLAN MCILRATH to that list, too.

Dineen11

Mon May 14 2012 2:47 pm EST

that's a good idea

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 2:42 pm EST

The following Whale players are making up a "taxi squad" that is heading to NY along with the Whale coaching staff: CAM TALBOT, TIM ERIXON, KRIS NEWBURY, CASEY WELLMAN, JONATHAN AUDY-MARCHESSAULT, MAREK HRIVIK, JT MILLER and CHAD KOLARIK.

Dineen11

Mon May 14 2012 2:29 pm EST

It will be interesting to hear if Simmonds was injured. He was useless against NJ, as were most of the other Flyers. Our guys need to be wrecking Devils at every opportunity, starting with their D. I hope our guys are nt too banged up to do so. get JT Miller in to practice with the team in case we need reinforcements.

Bob

Mon May 14 2012 2:20 pm EST

This is what I was saying about the Flyers: “Sam Carchidi via twitter: Apparently the Flyers have so many players that may require surgery, they won’t be able to sort it out until next week..” I was at first surprised to see the Devils making such short work out of the Flyers...then I saw one of the games. New Jersey absolutely DOMINATED the boards against Philly...Which also struck me as peculiar until I read that Twitter message. The series against the Pens was about as dirty and as bruising a series as they come. The Flyers battered by the time they limped up to New Jersey, who played a relatively forgiving game against the MUCH softer Panthers. The idiot NBC announcers kept going on about how disciplined the Devils were the whole series...well...aside from RINALDO and GIROUX'S one big hit, the Flyers weren't exactly hitting hard. The hits they did lay were cheapshots and easily called for the penalties they were...Another sign the Flyers were just physically gassed...after playing a relatively disciplined game against the Pens, suddenly they went back to this sort of clown-style of hockey and the Devils ate it up...Where does that leave the Rangers? Well, first of all, I think the Devils are going to be in for a VERY rude awakening tonight. They haven't played a tough game since the regular season and they're about to go up against a Ranger team that literally thrives by controlling the boards. They're not going to have nearly the walk in the park they did against Philly.

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 2:05 pm EST

KIS: with the cap as is, we cant afford $9m on one guy.... as you say, topic for another time... "All That Matters is Winning Tonight" (everything else, chatter) Lets Go Rangers !!!!!

Mon May 14 2012 1:53 pm EST

"Next Question" feat John Tortorella by DJ Steve Porter.......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPGtxTL-0X4&feature=youtu.be

RF73

Mon May 14 2012 1:50 pm EST

Actually lets save that discussion for a day after the play-offs

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 1:49 pm EST

Do I dare say I would be interested in pursuing OV in the off season. The Rangers could offer something similiar to Washington as they did Columbus. Offer them AA, Dubi, Erixon, Borque, MZA and a 2nd.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 1:23 pm EST

RF4L - It's funny I was just saying the EXACT same thing to a co-worker. OV should be moved if Washington ever wants to win the cup. I'm sorry, but as talented as he is, he simply isn't a team player and never will be one. There's a reason why he's never made it beyond the second round of the playoffs...three years ago, it was because the Caps didn't have goaltending...two years ago, it was because Boudreau sucked as a coach...what's his excuse this year? The f@cking idiot limped into the playoffs...got REAL lucky the Bruins lost HORTON...Nathan Horton in that series and Boston wins it in six...and then had just about every call on the planet go in their favor against the Rangers...The Caps could get a HUGE haul for OV...and they're going to want to get it sooner than later because his value AIN'T going up from here...the Caps are also in a strange place, because they really didn't get much out of the last two drafts...and the talent they had on the farm is getting weaker and weaker. OV could get you a couple of real nice players and a haul of first-round picks. And he'd land you $9 million in cap space, with which you could invest in players that DO make the team stronger. But my guess is McPHEE holds onto him. He's just too marketable to ditch...and that's fine...since the Caps will continue down the path of mediocrity OV has consistently lead them down.

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 1:21 pm EST

Rangers against the world, indeed . . . I am completely amazed at all the experts picking the Devils. They needed OT in game 7 to pick the one team everyone in the East would've chosen for a first round matchup if they were give a choice . . . and I firmly believe their 2nd round domination says more about the Flyers than it does about the Devils. I really do not think I am taking them lightly, but I don't see them beating the Rangers. Our advantage on D is enormous over them. Honestly with Staal being Staal again, what team has a better top 4 on D than NY? I also think our forward will have more room to work than in either of the first two rounds, and as great as he is, Marty doesn't scare me even a little. If you are ranking the four remaining goalies right now, Marty would be fourth. Rangers in 5.

Fivehole

Mon May 14 2012 1:16 pm EST

Ok.......hopefully this isn't like talking about a no hitter with a pitcher and jinxing him from throwing one but does anybody have an idea when Stanley Cup tickets will go on sale? (if they haven't already)

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 1:05 pm EST

Maaarrrrrty.......Maaarrrrrty.......

Mon May 14 2012 1:03 pm EST

Rangers against the world... just makes them stronger. The Blueshirts are going to pound the living shit out of Kovy and their crap defense.

Tucc

Mon May 14 2012 12:58 pm EST

RF4L--Queue the OV to Toronto rumors. You should e-mail EKLUND!

Bob

Mon May 14 2012 12:55 pm EST

Here's a look at how the Torts & DeBoer pre-game press conferences stack up: http://www.puckpress.com/blog/puck-news/pre-game-press-conference-torts-vs-deboer

josh29

Mon May 14 2012 12:48 pm EST

Any of the so called experts, beat writers etc.... talking about the Devils receiving TARP Funds to survive??? Ay Brooksie, topic not worthy of a piece in the rags? Me thinks its worthy, & others here probably think so too.......

Mon May 14 2012 12:42 pm EST

Sorry about the double post.

Mon May 14 2012 12:41 pm EST

Agree with those that say we can win this series...Don't agree the Devils won't make it extremely difficult....Yes they had trouble with the Panthers but it was mainly due to a strong Panther PP which is something we don't have....Our games against them were battles and I believe that will continue....We absolutely have the edge in net and our D is stronger....We have to stay out of the box as 5 on 5 we beat them....If the series hinges on the stronger PP we have a problem....

Mon May 14 2012 12:41 pm EST

Mon May 14 2012 12:36 pm EST

Not surprised about Hunter - suspect he didn't relish facing having to get the stars of the Caps to play as they did in the POs all season next season. Personally, I think McPhee needs to seriously consider exploring what the market will bear for OV. OV is too entrenched there - too much power and influence, not to mention the negative fall-out for the next coach should he clash with OV. And really, what have the Caps won with OV as captain? For sure a couple of tremendous regular seasons, but continual PO failure (not that I'm blaming those failures solely on OV, but he certainly, as captain and as the team's best player, should bear significant responsibilty).

RF4L

Mon May 14 2012 12:34 pm EST

Fotiu, maybe he will prematurely ejaculate and goal Goal before Lundqvist makes the save.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 12:33 pm EST

Hospo I agree 100%. Loved how he spoke to the press. Article said he was going back to the OHL sound tigers. Isn't that his team. And wanted to be with Family. Reported by TSN and yahoo sports. Also Washington papes.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 12:29 pm EST

KIS - Wow on Hunter thought there were rumblings.....I gained alot of respect for Hutner in these POs...He got the most he could out of that team...He may not be a genius, and he knows it, but he knows hockey....and loves it....He did a tremendous job of coacing that team, having them ready, having them motivated in the POs......And, even in losses, the class, poise and hionesty he displayed in his press conferences (*all opposite of Tortotella) were tremnedous.....Sounds like he wants to be close to his family, which makes me respect him even more..

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 12:23 pm EST

RF4L :ike I said..Just BE NICE:)..or BE SAFE:)..BE RANGERS!....But serioulsy, Torts job is too make sure that the Rangers keep on playing his brand of hockey no matter what the Devils do.....Yeah, some on here will also call for the Rangers to change things up, to be more wide open, but that just isn't the 2012 Rangers way...Tehy will live or die by Tort's way....all about Execution....kinda have no other choice..

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 12:21 pm EST

interesting to see that Dale Hunter is leaving the Caps. Don't know if anybody mentioned that.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 12:21 pm EST

Can't wait to listen to Emrick root for the Devils tonight and screw up the call on every Ranger he sees. He must have called Gabby, "Kreider" a half dozen times.....F-Tank, "Kreider" a half dozen times as well.

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 12:19 pm EST

Someone wants the Rangers to go out because they're boring...and the Devils aren't? Huh? They've been boring for 20+ years. What a bunch of morons....

RF4L

Mon May 14 2012 12:18 pm EST

The Rangers have long been a hated team in the press. Especially when we went out and bought every player under the sun. The press and media hate us, but I really don't care because I don't read it and they have no outcome on the game. They want to hate us good let them, it'll only kill them more when we win.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 12:17 pm EST

Tikanen - The Pens and Flyers both played Pee Wee hockey...Both Coaches and Goalies Sucked......and the next round, Bryz sucked (as expected), Laviolette blew and the enite team was in chaos....I think the Devils farm club would have beaten them.........and I was shocked that after the buzzer on Saturday..that bald headed bozo didn't start yelling "But you giotta hand it to the Caps, they are the real winners of this series, to come so far against a superuioer team, to be losers only on the scoreboard...it is just not fair that the Rangers are the team advancing...."..I really wanted one of the Ranger players to embarass him...Oh well, they have too much class

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 12:12 pm EST

KIS - Just like I said against the Caps and Senators, if the Rangers play their game (which many of us don't like AT TIMES), they will beat the Devils....Plain and simple....Just like against the Caps, the Rangers have to hammer all the Devils D-men, hit them and hurt them...Thye trailed off in games 5 and 6 and it showed in the Caps play....It's why I would like to see Dubi back some time in this series.....JUST CURIOUS, but did the Rangers call up players for CT???

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 12:09 pm EST

Let's be honest, even though the Pens vs. Flyers displayed poor hockey fundamentals in every sense of the term, many people (not all) who are die-hard fans, casual fans or not fans at all, found 8-5 games with lots of fights exciting to watch. For me, that is not hockey, but what do I know. The douchebags on the radio here complain how a blocked shot is more celebrated than a cross ice tape on tape pass. They complain that the Rangers vs. Caps was not good hockey. The Rangers won a 3 OT hockey game and the pundits kept saying how "Dale Hunter managed a smarter game" even though they lost because he managed his team's ice time better. For whatever reason, the Rangers are the 'underdog' and Torts knows it (although he does not care) and the Rangers know it and they are using it to their advantage...and I hope it continues.

Tikkanen

Mon May 14 2012 12:03 pm EST

sorry.....link to a remix of Torts interviews....

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 12:03 pm EST

i thought this was pretty funny....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G76eadv6ZM

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 11:58 am EST

With the mentality and character of the players on this team I can just imagine what they are thinking. I hope everybody picks the fuckin devils. Keep making the Rangers become closere and on a mission. I just read some articles like the Scott Burnside article on Espn and it got me so fired up. The Flyers beat the Pens because the Flyers got into Pittsburg's head and got the pens into a brawl. When Philly tried to do that against NJ, the devils didn't fall for it and spaceman and the flyers went bye=bye. Hell flyers were so desperate by the end of the series they didn't have their best player playing. The player the Rangers have got to work over in this series is Volchenkov. He will hit Ranger forwards into next week if allowed. The Rangers can get into Kovy's mind as well. I hope and pray the Rangers kick the shit out of the Devils both physically and on the score board.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 11:56 am EST

The Hockey News writer Ken Campbell: "I can’t help but want to see the New York Rangers go down in flames in the Eastern Conference final." Now this was a larger article about the Rangers blockings shots being bad for hockey but still a recurring theme.....

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 11:51 am EST

This does play into the Tortorella us against the world model. The Rangers will be underdogs and the more hated team all the way through the playoffs. There are many reasons for this, including Torts blow ups with refs and the media. Oh well, we'll just have to kick there asses anyway. The Devils will be a different test, but we should be able to score goals in this series.

Bob

Mon May 14 2012 11:50 am EST

Hospo -- yeah, the PP is an ongoing problem. But, the Devils PP is just as bad, so that helps a bit. If someohow we could get the PP going, we'd be very hard to stop. Still, I think we can beat the Devs 5-on-5 and I swear I feel so confident that we are going to make Brodeur look like Swiss cheese. I think that facing Khe King really puts Marty's head ina bad place....if he looks shakey, the Devils will fall apart very quickly. That's was the final nail in the Pens' coffin....when Feury fell apart, it was like a domino effect on the rest of the team.

JFC31

Mon May 14 2012 11:47 am EST

Which Devils team do we get tonight? Will it be the Devils that dominated the Flyers by not engaging in the rough stuff, who risk getting hammered by the more physical Rangers? Or will the Devils attempt to increase their physical presence with Boulton and Janssen into the lineup, and try to play the Rangers' game?

josh29

Mon May 14 2012 11:45 am EST

Just read Yahoo's predictions for the series......two of the writers: "As much as I would prefer to see the Devils advance to the Stanley Cup Finals" and "As much as it would be a great story to see Marty Brodeur in the SC final (to say nothing of David Clarkson, Zach Parise, Adam Henrique and yes Ilya Kovalchuk)".......yea....call me stupid for reading yahoo sports but F ever last one of these "commentators" who openly root against the Rangers.

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 11:44 am EST

...and, just to be a jerk to Devils fans: http://www.puckpress.com/blog/puck-humor/brodeurs-kids-is-it-go-daddy-or-go-uncle-marty

josh29

Mon May 14 2012 11:44 am EST

VIC/JFC - I wess not worried one iota about beating the Sens or Caps going inot the respective sereis...(Of course, worries ensued DURING the series!)....Still think we beat the Devils, but the PP and the Fatigues do really worry me..

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 11:44 am EST

Scouting the Refs for tonight's Game 1 -- O'Halloran and McCauley: http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/scouting-the-refs-rangersdevils-game-1

josh29

Mon May 14 2012 11:42 am EST

E - I'm with you..Rightly or wrongly, the teams I thought the Rangers had a chance of losing to in the East were Boston and Pitt...nobody else.....and I still see them beating the Devils.

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 11:41 am EST

7 & 1/2 hours to game time! As many Wall Crawlers have pointed out, the Devils have had the good fortune of drawing an easy PO schedule in the 1st 2 rounds. Well, that is OVER now.....and I don't think they'll be able to handle it. The only wild card is possible Rangers fatigue. I think adreneline will more than compensate for it tonight....but, will the Rangers have a game in this series where the minds are willing but the bodies are just not able? We'll see. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict....if the Rangers win tonight, they take the series 4 - 1. LET'S GO RANGERS!!!

JFC31

Mon May 14 2012 11:38 am EST

Never been happier to be wrong about a game as I was for game seven. The funny thing is that I was real worried about the SENS and CAPS series going into them. I'm not at all worried about the Devils. Why is that? I think the Rangers are a better team then the Devils. I respect PARISE a lot but nobody else on that team concerns me from a skill perspective (not even KOVALCHOKE). The only thing that scares me with the Devils is their PP. If the Rangers lose this series it will be because they lost the special teams matchup. Five on Five I'll take the Rangers over the Devils. Hey......I'm picking the Rangers to beat the Devils in a 5 or 6 game series. You should all be very worried...........

Vic

Mon May 14 2012 11:37 am EST

HOSPO: the so called experts left the NYR for dead against Ottawa. The said, that Washington was just a better team that could out "NYR the NYR style of play" and what happened. Philly was going to win the Winter Classic. So the NJD are going to kill us. I'm just fine with that. They keep on being the experts and I will keep on being a realist. This matchup is a tremendous contrast in style of play. That stated, the NYR have a strong record at grounding a team like that into a nub. And maybe the NJD have a better and more consistent offense. But they also didn't play Washington who sacrificed offense for circling the wagons and waiting for a chance at the PP to get some production. The NYR forwards will get chances on Broduer. They will get in on the forecheck. And it remains to be seen if the NJD can crack the brick wall that is the NYR defense and goaltending that in this humble man's belief is superior. And so they can keep on predicting the NYR will lose. It's okay by me. Because the more that they predict it, the more the NYR slap them by asking their darlings and turning them into mush. Just ask Karlsson, Semin, OV or any of these other stellar talents who all have their heads stuffed and mounted over the NYR fireplace. And now their is still room for Parise, IK17, and Fatty.

Mon May 14 2012 11:18 am EST

Barto - Face it, the Rangers are a disliked team...Alot of the annoucers/color commentators are ex-players with grudges agasinst the High spending Ranger...Ditto fo announcers and writers of other teams.....And, hell, you take an occasional look at the juvenile (but huge) Hockey future sight and they jsut hate the Rangers......SCREW ALL THOSE MFS!!!.. Funny, but one of the guys that i think calls it fairly straight is Milbury----who is now My hero ever since PARANGER accused me of beiong the Wall's Millbury..:)

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 11:01 am EST

Just my two cents on Nash. I'm glad the Rangers stayed the course. Gutting what we have for a player that may or may not help would hurt for the next several years when we have to re-sign some of the players we have. As far as most of the NHL commentators picking the Devils frankly I'm baffled that the Rangers get no credit for the way they have played and kept it together through allot of adversity this year. I mean, I know it's a new season but first place since December and no credit. If it was the Devils record they would have them hoisting the cup already. Geesh

barto

Mon May 14 2012 10:49 am EST

This Clueless Jackass thinks that if we play a rough & physical game around Marty's net, we're gonna score enough bang em in goals to win this series.... Who on their D is going to consistently clear the crease? I see Cally & Gabby scoring just this way in this series..... "Lets Go Rangers!"

Mon May 14 2012 10:49 am EST

FOTIU - Nope, RUPPER!!!!!!!

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 10:49 am EST

TUCC - except for MELROSE, the limited consensus I have looked at has the Devils with a better team defense, a better offense, a better PP and point out possible fatigue in the Rangers.....The first is oure Bull shit, the second is on is a factor of the Devils playing rinky D defenses and goaltenders....... but I do worry about the latter two.....The PP is a life drainer for the Rangers and I do worry about the ice time load on the top players.,

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 10:49 am EST

Call me off my rocker.......predicting that Prust is giong to score tonight.......

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 10:45 am EST

York18 - No arguement...I have said the same thing many times and I never wanted NASH..OTOH, I did want some more depth up front and on the backline..but, perhaps, it wasn't needed?....and why I said we'll see if we have enought talent as is to go with our rock solid chemisty, attitude, and character...

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 10:38 am EST

KIS that's my point, everyone who is here got us where we are right now. Take away one thing, anything and we could have a quick exit. Adding Nash could have been a great move, or a horrible one, but right now I wouldn't change a damn thing because everyone who is here from Bickel to Mitchell and Rupper helped us get here....HOSPO Cheimstry got us this far throw in Nash and maybe it goes in the toilet.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 10:34 am EST

So it looks like most prognosticators are picking the Devils... makes me laugh. I guess going 7 with the Panthers and beating an overrated Flyers team with a goalie who scores on himself makes them favorites. I mean who wouldn't average three goals a game against the Bryzgolov and Theodore. New Jersey's fun ride is about to end...

Tucc

Mon May 14 2012 10:18 am EST

Hospo---KILL JOY---:)...LOL

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 10:16 am EST

tdchi---Its intresting to me that this team in some ways reminds me of the 94 team,,,,,that team had lots of star power but they played for each other night after night,,,,,,,I am sure Sather is going to go out and look for more scoring and we have a few assest to trade for then,,,I have not been a big AA fan but I now understand his role and he plays a huge part in the team, I hope Stu Bickle can learn for this experience as I know he is trying his best everynight and maybe he is trying too hard but when Torts talks about this experience Im thinking Stu and Kreider are the guys who will benefit most,,,,,,,I am worried we hear nothing about Mike Sauer ,,,,We need to watch out for the devils turn around speed its very good but I dont Fear UNCLE DADDY--HE IS A BUM!!! lEtS Go rAnGeRs!!!

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 10:15 am EST

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, anybody can yammer all they want about chemistry (and the Rangers have it, and it is their strong foundation) but if the right talent isn't there, the team won't win it all unitl it is....Hopefully, the next months shows we have just enough...

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 10:08 am EST

dugster - I was yammering on about 'chemistry' for years with this club, saying over and over again that it's not a matter of 'if' as much as it is a matter of 'when.' I've been a HUGE fan of how this team built itself from the net out and could even see the first glimpses of how good these guys would be even back in the JAGR days...there was a bit of a hiccup when he bailed and Tortorella took over...but essentially the core was kept the same. Then when guys like Kreider, Step and McDonagh started coming into the system...and Prust and Boyle...lots of guys with a proven track record of winning at the lower levels. The BEST part about this Ranger team is that it's basically locked in for the next two-to-four years, and that's why I'm so diametrically opposed to getting a guy like NASH(and KOVALCHUK the year before)...Not only does he cost you players...he costs you salary cap. A lot of salary cap. And that's cap you're going to need to lock in some of these young guys long term. Guys like McDonagh, Kreider and Step could all easily be looking at $4 million plus in a few years...Speaking of revisionist history...anyone ever wonder where this team would have been with CHEREPANOV in the lineup? That was another tragic setback for the post-Jagr Rangers.

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 10:03 am EST

KIS - Cool, although it brings up nauseating images of Tug McGraw and the Mets!!......As for changes, I don't make any unless injuries or going down in a series...

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 9:55 am EST

TD, I thought I saw about 3 weeks ago that Sauer was shut down for the season. Still having trouble with headaches and light sensitive

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 9:53 am EST

Hospo, my son was in NYC yesterday and around the garden and he said many of the shirts and things said NY Rangers BELIEVE

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 9:53 am EST

stevie - true that...DUBES has definitely underachieved this season...I'm sure it will come as no surprise that he put up the worst numbers of his entire career last season...and that includes Juniors. I think part of that also had to do with his relegation to some of the bottom lines...Still, I think he's a valuable piece to this roster and one they missed fairly sorely last round. I mean, say what you will about the kid...but he's a MAJOR upgrade over MITCHELL or RUPP and he's a big-minutes guy. You know he's skating 17-plus minutes if he's in the game. I mentioned this in the middle of the Caps' series, but I think it bears mentioning again: This Ranger team is succeeding without two of its top-line players(SAUER and DUBINSKY) and with a third who was crucial to improving the PP toward the end of the season(ZUCCARELLO). Imagine them with all three in the game. This team becomes infinitely tougher...Speaking of Sauer...has anyone heard one word about him? is he even with the team? Has he been shut down for the season? No boot for Dubes and a no-contact jersey for Zucc are all good signs. Here's another question: Does Zucc even get in the game when Dubinsky's back? Do you bench Rupper and Mitchell for those two? I sure as hell would...

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 9:48 am EST

KIS/STEVIE - I'm not backing out, I'm saying it looks like I was wrong....My feeeling was that the Rangers were a good team but this was a year to go for the Cup and to do that they needed more depth.....So far, the Rangers and results are in the process of showing that I was wrong....OTOH, we are only halfway there........Question to you New Yorkers, any marketting of the Ranger built around on how much agony and torutee is involved in rooting for them? Should be soemthing like 2012 NEW YORK RANGERS - TORTURE!!!!...That's exactly what the SF Giants did in 2010 when they won the WS series with every game being close to a pitching duel, lack of offense, nail biting one-run torture....unti the Finals! Here's hoping we have as long and succesful torture...

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 9:45 am EST

I love this team faults and all...what a team,,,,,,,you cant buy what we have and thats wonderful chemisrty...they play for each other,,,no way Avery could be a part of this,,Torts was right,,,now its the Devils turn,,,,we should grind them down,,,,,Im sure there will be a few fights in this series,,,,,,,,I realy dont like the devils at all.......We need to try and have a quick series and get some rest,,,,,,we find ways to win,,,,,,,imangine if Dubi, Sauer, MZ were flying, if Boyle was healthy or Cally?......The next few years are going to be great,,,,,,,But Im a PROUD RANGER FAN,,,,,,I understand the boys have logged a ton of ice time and its a little scary but its shows that torts conditioning program works,,,As for Nash,,,who cares now? Could have should have have no meaning now,,we are what we are and thats a pretty damn good team with lots of young talent playing their asses off every night on thier way to the Cup,,,A team of destiny?.....Im glad the media hates us,,it motivates us,,,,,,,,,,LeTs gO RaNgErS~~~~!!!!!!!

thedugster

Mon May 14 2012 9:41 am EST

wouldn't think

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 9:40 am EST

tdchi it's all hearsay, but the only guy that was going from this roster, is Dubinsky. Kreider and Mc were supposedly untouchable. Dubinsky has been dubzero all year, and hasn't been missed. He' s acted like a mercenary since the pay increase, on the retirement program. Tortorella won't put up with much more of that, and i would think he had a problem if Nash was replacing him, and Kreider replacing Rupp or Mitchell. ....pure speculation, not relevant today........it's time to kick some debbie ass.....MAAAARRRRRTAY......

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 9:31 am EST

yeah hospo, stop doing an about face ....welcome to the bandwagon.. ;-)......hope to see one and all at the parade........the last one was incredible..........except for the pushing, so i went on a side street.........git r done........

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 9:29 am EST

York - Agree 100 percent. Reading those jackass writers playing the could'a should'a would'a game with the NASH situation incensed me...and the bottom line is that HOWSON was asking for FAR too much. I haven't read an incarnation of the deal that would get me to pull the trigger. Not one. All of them would have taken more away from this team that it was proposing to give them...I mean, take KREIDER out of the playoffs and maybe the Rangers wouldn't have beat Ottawa...take McDONAGH out of the equation and I can almost guarantee they would have lost against the Caps. The only way I like NASH becoming a Rangers is if it happens with NONE of the guys on this current roster going the other way. If Columbus was willing to take Erixon, Miller, Thomas and a first rounder fine. But no way they were going to do that. And the more they dicker with this situation, the less they're gonna be able to get for the guy. The next time I consider Nash deals is after the Rangers' last game of the season...on the PENS..I just think that team is poorly constructed. Certainly they reached a peak and were looking pretty unbeatable toward the end of the season...but you simply can't front load a team like that. Perfect example of a team with too many chiefs and not enough indians...word on the street now is that they're shopping STAAL, which is smart in theory...but I think the real problem is they have to decide who there superstar is...either its gonna be MALKIN or CROSBY. I don't think having both on the team is productive. But screw the Penguins. I hate that team.

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 9:12 am EST

Hospo, wasn't it you who was my partner in saying the Rangers should have made some trades for a face-off person and some added depth? Don't back out and leave me hanging

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 9:09 am EST

Yorkie, that is true nobody has a crystal ball but I don't think the Rangers get to this point without taking a chance on Richards. I think that guy has helped in many many ways.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 9:04 am EST

I think Brodeur would want Mitchell in over Avery also.

Messier11

Mon May 14 2012 8:55 am EST

Everyone was calling the pens the cup favorite but I said it then and I'll say it again, They peaked at the wrong time about a month too early. As for Nash, who knows what would or could have happened if he came here. Maybe he wouldn't have adapted to the style we play, maybe he couldn't keep up in terms of cardio, maybe he doesn't find chemistry with anyone? Who knows, there is nothing saying he would come here and do anything to help this team win, he could have been the reason for a first round exit. How many have come here and truly lived up to the billing? Not a lot, more have failed here then have flourished. I am happy with what we did because look where we are because of it. Change one thing, anything and it could mean a first round exit. I wouldn't roll those dice, not for a second.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 8:48 am EST

Screw Rick Nash and screw and oither players the Rangers could have brought in, it's obvious by the result and the TEAM play that the Rangers, at the least, made a decent decision to go on as is.......And, personally, I thinbk this team, as is, should beat the Devils....LIke to see the first game before over-analysing how long of a sereis becuase I want to see how the Devils new juggernaut offense goes agianst an NHL d for the first time in weeks.......Hope both DUBI and MZA are available at soem time.........ANd I guaranteed BOB a few months ago the Rangers would make the EC Final (in all hoinesty, I thiought it would be it back then), but before the Cap seies (becasue of the teams left) that they would make it to the CUp, still feeling it.....LGR!!!!

Hospo

Mon May 14 2012 8:46 am EST

td: I think that it will be easier to match the Rangers 4rth line with the Devils 4th line. The Caps had more speed on their 4th, so that hurt the ability of the Rangers 4th line guys...the Devils, well not so much. Again, no guarantee, but it seems like the rangers have the edge...granted there are a couple guys who seem to love playing the Rangers, but they do not have an entire team that can skate with, or physical with the Rangers, nor to they block shots as well. NJD still relies heavily on Marty, and he likes to get the shooting lanes open rather than have shots blocked. I think I read an article that Marty actually said he doesn't like forwards blocking shots at all, so I imagine they still do that less, and that is a positive for the Rangers.

Wildcard

Mon May 14 2012 8:40 am EST

Its funny....the ONLY reason people point to the Devils having some magical ability is because they shut down the Flyers, and the only reason that maters is because the Flyers beat the Pens, and scored a bunch and people were stupidly saying the Pens were "easily the cup favorites" before the playoffs....but in reality, the only reason that the Flyers were able to put up so many goals is that the Pens may be the only team in the NHL that played WORSE D than the Flyers. Neither of those two teams played a structured system in the playoffs, so it was run and gun and both teams got poor goalkeeping, so the goal numbers were over inflated. When the Flyers ran into a system against the Devils, the same thing happened to them as when they played the Rangers, they could not get anything going, and lost due to a poor showing in net. The Devils are not as skilled as the Pens or the Flyers, they just play a system that thinks about D...but they are not as good at it, nor play the same way as the Caps did for this playoffs...and Uncle daddy isn't as good this year as Holtby was...that kid at only 22 had incredible numbers, and never seemed to loose his cool. So with all that long winded crap and opinion, I feel that the Rangers have a better match-up now than they have had all playoffs....and if they play like they did in the other rounds, they should win in 5 or 6....and I hope to god they can just sweep them!! get some rest...but not too much, too many days off and a team can loose that edge and feeling of being on the cliff...that cliff feeling keeps them working hard. Of course they need to play the games, but I feel good about this....and of course, so do the Devils and their fans. Damn blue tinted glasses.

Wildcard

Mon May 14 2012 8:38 am EST

BTW...on the Futurewatch: Michael ST. CROIX and the Edmonton Oil Kings are going to the championship. He's leading the team in playoff scoring...This year's draft pick --Henrik SAMUELSSON --is also having a good series..On AVERY - As someone who was pissed when Tortorella cut him, I've got NO remorse that he's no longer with the team. None at all. I mentioned it a long time ago...that Avery was a guy who marched to his own beat on and off the ice. He never seemed to care about buying into the team concept and always seemed oddly detached from the club. Sure he hammed it up for the cameras...but even on the bench, the guy sat as far away from his teammates as possible...and worse yet, he was a distraction. Not the one you want when you're trying to concentrate on elimination games....Avery on this club would have given Washington all the PP time they needed to eliminate the Rangers. I'm glad he's gone...now WOLSKI is a different story. I know he didn't play too well for us, but he's a body I'd put in the game instead of MITCHELL.

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 8:31 am EST

Couple things: The DEVILS are a rough squad, that's for sure. And not to sound contradicting but they're playing the same shit hockey that got won them three cups. Make no mistake, this won't be an easy series...BUT...they also haven't played a team even remotely as rough as the Rangers. Not even close. They lucked out with the Panthers in round one and then got a Flyers team that was one injury away from needing a medical triage team. Don't know if anyone read the same thing I did, but apparently the Flyers organization is in the process of simply ASSESSING the number of surgeries the team is going to need. Something like half the team needs to go under the knife...The Devils essentially got a pass on the Flyers...the team wasn't built right to begin with AND they're all injured...No doubt...I mean NO doubt the Rangers are the more talented team in this series. It was VERY close with Washington...but against the Devils? Not even close. The Devils' D is week and aside from ZIDLICKY, they can't move the puck too well...I look up and down their roster and I'm utterly AMAZED they're not only going to the finals, but they've gotten to them as quick as they did. This is a goddamn trash barge of a team...BERNIER...a waiver pickup...PONIKAROVSKY hasn't been effective since he left the Leafs...GIONTA is an AHLer...Zids is goddamn ancient...CARTER...more AHL trash...Ditto with HARROLD...SYKORA is a KHL retread who lost his place in the NHL three years ago...This was a team that many didn't even think would make the playoffs mid-season...Again, not going to say it'll be easy...and I know a few of my Devil-loving friends will probably have fist fights with me over this, but I simply don't see the Rangers losing this...THAT SAID...Tortorella either needs to get DUBINSKY and ZUCCARELLO in the lineup or he has to lengthen his bench. I was pretty shocked to see the ice time allotments Saturday...this team is being carried by its youthful exuberance and that's another place where they've got these guys...the Rangers are MUCH MUCH younger....but skating half the team for 25 minutes a game is a great way to burn them the hell out.Anyway...LETS GO RANGERS!!!

tdchi

Mon May 14 2012 8:31 am EST

RF4L Nash would have as much impact as Richards, Gaborik, or Callihan do. Hard to imagine. But he would be just what the doctor ordered for the next 5 years, if he would fit into the cult. They can't just bring a star anymore. This TEAM has chemistry........

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 8:25 am EST

stevie: Ahh...imagine Rick Nash on this club???

RF4L

Mon May 14 2012 8:20 am EST

RF4L et al, ..... nick thinks he invented the grumpy old man, been there done that. I along with Hospo and some others have been calling for going for it for a long while, not the continuing competitive rebuild, and never getting past the 1st or 2nd round. I'm no big sather or tortorella fan, but they are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. The TEAM has bought in like a cult. That's why Avery is not here, he didn't buy in. I wanted Nash and a D man at the deadline, but hoped I was wrong and they so far have proved that. If Nash was here, they wouldn't have needed to go 7 in either series. I don't miss Dubinsky. This Wall would be a blaze if they didn't win Saturday. It was almost there during and after game 6 . I called for the signing of Richards, while many here didn't want him. Glad as was right about something. ....I want some here to continue to wait for the other shoe to drop, it's instilled in NYR fans hearts and minds. Now I'm hoping for 94 redux, so some more can die in peace. It's been 18 years....( not the nose's ' and this one will last a lifetime' ) .....guess i'm a fair weather fan, like most........the storms have been too many.....let the sunshine in again and again ;-)................GIT-R-DONE .......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

stevielegs

Mon May 14 2012 8:18 am EST

Lets not get excited about what the devils did against the Flyers. Hell if we would have played the flyers the Rangers might have won the series in 4 or 5. The Rangers were 6-0 this year against the flyers. The devils struggle with the Rats(panthers). Ottawa just matched up well with the Rangers and Washington was playing as tough a defensive game as anybody in the league.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 8:16 am EST

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H28X2S3 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H2QRMNL these are surveys dealing with the rangers its also for a sportsmarketing class so just please take it

kristenc288

Mon May 14 2012 8:14 am EST

I know many of you won't believe this comment is comming from me but I think Hank shows he is KING this series. Lets go Rangers.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 8:13 am EST

I dont' mind that they are the underdog either. From what I remember, we played pretty well against the Devils this year. I believe one game we were up a goal late and there was a bad bounce off the boards that led to the Devils tying it up and winning in OT or a shootout. Thoughts on Bickel and how much he is going to play? As has been brought up, Devils look good on the forecheck and having Bickel out there scares the crap out of me. Of course if any of the goonery starts, I would love to have him out there. Don't see him playing more than his usual 5 minutes per game.

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 8:13 am EST

Rosival andAvery don't help this team go further. Both maybe, maybe are better players than Mitchell and Bickel but neither do what the other does. Bickel and Mitchell fall in line with what the Compan, the team wants and needs.

KIS

Mon May 14 2012 8:12 am EST

I have never once seen in any playoffs where the second best team in the league and after the first round the team with the best regular season record left in the playoffs is constantly considered the underdog. It's amazing how we are the top team in the east all season and yet everyone in the playoffs is better than us and we will be lucky to get by them. I mean if that's truly the case why even bother having any team miss the playoffs because the worst team in the whole league would still be better than us come playoff time.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 8:05 am EST

Fotiu: Seems like the Rangers are to be depicted as the underdogs throughout these PO's... That's fine.... Anyone know anyway we can keep ButtHead off the Garden Ice when the Rangers recieve "The Cup?"

Mon May 14 2012 8:03 am EST

Fotiu: Seems to me that most of giving the edge to the Rangers (better D, better goalie and more experienced coach). What I don't understand is how the Devils' offense is so suddenly revered. Obviously, Parise and Kovalchoke are excellent players, but after that, I don't get the love; Sykora? Zubrus? Zajac? Clarkson? Better than Stepan, Cally, Hagelin, AA? Really? I'm hoping it's because the Devils have had a relatively easy time in the POs so far and these guys haven't had to work very hard for goals. Zajac with 10 points? Zubrus with 7? What does concern me about that team is their forecheck - they don't trap much anymore, but they love to throw the puck in deep, pound the D and cycle. And most of their forwards are big. I think if the Rangers can handle that they'll be fine...

RF4L

Mon May 14 2012 7:48 am EST

Maybe it is just me but sort of feels like the Rangers are underdogs in this series. Most of the stuff I am reading and watching paints the Devils as better than the Rangers. Maybe I am crazy but I thought the Panthers sucked and could have just as well beaten the Debbies. The Flyers were just terrible in their series since they blew their load against the Pens. I guess we will find out.

Fotiu22

Mon May 14 2012 7:44 am EST

Sean Avery? OMG, who gives a phlying phuck.....

RF4L

Mon May 14 2012 6:10 am EST

I usually never look beyond the current series, but I have to say I am rather encouraged with whoever we face in the finals. I don't think either team can match us in terms of physical play and neither team will out skate us. They are both good teams, but I just don't see either team being able to grind out a physical series with us when you add in the nightly battles and travel.....On Avery, I loved the guy, he was one of my favorite Rangers, but what has happened here is a combination of things. One of them is Torts' dislike for the guy which caused issues that truly didn't need to happen, but Torts' vision of his team got us where we are so it's hard to argue. I believe Avery's somewhat nonchalant attitude at times is what didn't help the situation with Torts in terms of conditioning and practice. Avery going down to the Whale and doing what he did is inexcusable end of story. I wouldn't want him in this series right now simply because one he would be a distraction and two I don't think he would have the same impact he once had.

York18

Mon May 14 2012 3:14 am EST

I want to add one last thing. Boy do I think its important for this franchise going forward, to make it to the ECF's this season. I don't know what Hank said in the post-game shows in NA, but I saw a interview with Swedish-TV and he was really really really relieved of finally getitng past the first two rounds. There's definitely a mold of teams that work like idiots in the regular season but become cannon fodder once the PO's start. The buzz around a team definitely matters, and going forward the buzz around this team will -- no matter what, unless we win of course ;) -- be if we can take the next step. Which is tremendously diffrent from what the buzz would have been if we lost to Was. Then it would have been "Can Hank play in the PO's?". "Can we play the style we do all season and have `anything´ left for the POs?". "Is someone like Callahan just a pretender or can he get it done when it matters?".

Ola

Mon May 14 2012 3:04 am EST

The decision to "go with Mitchell" is very interesting IMO. I definitely believe that Slats& Torts didn't opt to go with Mitchell because they didn't believe in the value of assets we would have been forced to give up vs the importance of upgrades we could have received at the deadline. I think this solely was a decision made with respect of the locker room. When consulted, I think Callahan's message from the room was -- we want to go with what we got. They did not want 2-3 players like Antropov and Morris, if you get what I mean. Or Brian Roloson and Hall Gill, or whatever. I think it's a maturity issue. Like what do I know, but in 2-3 years, I would believe that the same guys would be open to take in 1-2 guys into the room because depth is always an issue if you go deep. Especially if you play the way we do. But this team this year have done everything their own way, and they wanted to keep doing that. BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE MADE SENSE ALL THE WAY TO ADD A COUPLE OF PLAYERS. We are definitely a tad worn out already. And its easy to forget that we only are half way through the PO's. 50% is still left. But I don't fault the room and I don't fault Slats & Torts. Its important to take these things step by step.

Ola

Mon May 14 2012 2:53 am EST

TS- Or did we reach the ECF with 9-10 forwards and 5 Ds??? ;)

Ola

Mon May 14 2012 2:52 am EST

E- Yeah, and they got a D in Drew Doughty playing at the level of like Scott Niedermayer's play for Anaheim when they won. Like McD have been so valuble for us, but someone like Doughty add like 20-30 percent to that. But overall, I think LA is a little hard to pinpoint in terms of how good they really are. The West has traditionally been strong the last handful of years. But this year the "rich" have been beaten by the "hungry", not by "richer" teams if you get what I mean. I mean, LA could get there, they have alot of talent, but their overall play as a team can't be compared with the Detroit, Chicago, Anaheim and Vancouver-teams we have seen go deep/win previous years. For sure. They just don't have that dominant dimension with the puck. Not yet atleast. Neither can of course STL, PHX or Nashville. Or I could be wrong, maybe STL were a super good team and LA even better then that. But that's atleast not my take on it so far.

Ola

Mon May 14 2012 12:20 am EST

Rangers reached the ECF's with John Mitchell. Torts reached his boiling point with Sean Avery.He is a distraction. Hence addition by subtraction. Mitchell is playing on a regular basis due to the injuries to Dubinsky and possible MZA. Would u rather see John Scott out there? (cough cough)

TradeStar28

Sun May 13 2012 11:55 pm EST

Anyone want to argue on behalf of John Mitchell's spot in the roster over that of Sean Avery going into this series

Messier11

Sun May 13 2012 10:21 pm EST

LA was all over Phoenix. They are starting to have that look about them.

Sun May 13 2012 9:40 pm EST

I was one of Rozi's biggest critics but he wouldn't look to bad in Bickel's spot about now....Seems I remember us getting hosed on a goalie inteference call in a game against the Devils this year...Gabby was shoved into Fatso and the late goal was disallowed....He will be dropping like he was shot if we even breath on him....Will be crying to the refs all game....

Sun May 13 2012 8:53 pm EST

Roszival was traded for Wolski. I just went through the boxscores of the 6 games against the Devils and the Rangers actually scored 2 Empty Net goals during 2 of those games. The one on 2/27 might have been the last time they scored an EN goal.

DOUBLEN

Sun May 13 2012 8:50 pm EST

FM 94- I have that vision blocked from my memory!

Fotiu22

Sun May 13 2012 8:45 pm EST

Mf....thanks. Question who did we get for Rozival? Surprised he's still playing.

MelvilleFred

Sun May 13 2012 8:30 pm EST

MFred: Me thinks Nash is gonna cost a bundle..... This upcoming series will showcase Parise, so, we'll have a great opportunty to evaluate him.... He only costs money, no players.....

Sun May 13 2012 8:29 pm EST

And, happy mother's day to all you MF's on the wall.

FerociousMonk94

Sun May 13 2012 8:28 pm EST

MFred: Happy belated birthday, Happy Mothers Day to any Mom's of the Wall.....

Sun May 13 2012 8:08 pm EST

I want Nash next year.......

MelvilleFred

Sun May 13 2012 7:56 pm EST

FOTIU...That was Ron Francis vs. Mike Richter redux!

FerociousMonk94

Sun May 13 2012 7:54 pm EST

Two weak goals in the WC Finals. Derek Morris scored from Center Ice.....

Fotiu22

Sun May 13 2012 7:48 pm EST

stevie: Wow...talk about an about-face: Seems to me not to long ago you were amongst the most consistently negative/critical on this board about almost everything Ranger. Will the real stevielegs please stand up!!!!

RF4L

Sun May 13 2012 6:11 pm EST

Stevielegs......take it easy, we're all with the Rangers in our own different ways....we all want to get to the promised land!!

MelvilleFred

Sun May 13 2012 3:45 pm EST

So my wife was commenting on Doc Emrick's lack of professionalism and the fact thathe seemed openly rooting for the Caps (even little subtle things like talking about how there was 30 seconds left on the Caps PK and how it was a defensive zone draw) and then his calling the goal when Hank stopped 'em. I told her he was a former Devils broadcaster, but I wasn't sure how long. She looked him up and I forgot that he also worked for the Flyers and the Penguins! No wonder I hate that guy! All he needs is the Islanders to complete his Axis of Evil card set!

ColoradoMark

Sun May 13 2012 3:28 pm EST

Hey, I'll be the last one to throw stones at anyone who lkes to drink. Just combine that with "asshole", and you've got someone who is very punchable. McGuire is punchable, alcohol or not....and I don't think anyone here mentioned that, amid the copious pandering to the Caps by NBC, McGuire asked Richards after the game in pure, condescending, Katie Couric fashion, "Do you think your team is GOOD ENOUGH to make it to the finals?". If Richards weren't such a nice and humble guy, he would have countered with a Tortorella-esque "What the hell kind of question is that?".

FerociousMonk94

Sun May 13 2012 3:05 pm EST

Dineen Thats right it was Holmgren who got caught, I just seem to remember from somewhere that Pierre liked to drink to not where then.

York18

Sun May 13 2012 2:56 pm EST

York - I think you are thinking of the wrong Hartford Whaler guy with him public drunkenness. PAUL HOLMGREN was in a drunk driving accident and sent to Betty Ford when he was GM for the Whalers... PIERRE MCGUIRE was head coach of the team at that time...shortly before ths HOLMGREN incident, 7 Whalers players (and an assistant coach) were arrested after a brawl at a bar in Buffalo. They were violating curfew set up by MCGUIRE...more evidence that the team had no respect for him. He was hated by players and fans alike. I remember going to games and there being deafening "FIRE MCGUIRE!" chants... I think a couple years later he had to forfeit some of his pay because he shared confidential info with another team during an arbitration hearing...what a moron.

Dineen11

Sun May 13 2012 12:48 pm EST

STEVE, Wasn't it I who came on last night after the game and reassured you nervous nellies that we'd be fine? And lo and behold we were. That was me talking you off the ledge. And you're calling ME a doubting Thomas?? Ha!

FerociousMonk94

Sun May 13 2012 11:48 am EST

Great effort last nite! Of all the teams we have faced I fear the debbs the least. Uncle. Daddy is a sive and can easily be beaten and really folks when has he ever beaten us? We need to make this a short series if we can. I hope we start game 1 with a brawl and keeo shooting on marty ..let's go rangers!

thedugster

Sun May 13 2012 11:33 am EST

Sh*t.. NJD series starts tomorrow... I was thinking WEN for some reason.. would like to see those legs and bruises get rested and healed... I watched alot of the NJD series and I will say this... the Devils have improved ALOT since the start of the season... Parise is flying all over the ice w immense skill... Kovulchuck is dominating play more than the stars of the past series (Spezza and Ovechkin) and then the muckers of Henrique, Clarkson, Zubrus etc are STRONG on the boards.. THis is going to be TOUGH series... Check the size of the Devils lineup.. they are HUGE! Rangers need to get the powerplay untracked... its really their only weakness right now... I would like seeing the defense carrying the puck through the neutral zone more frequently...

schneidw

Sun May 13 2012 11:25 am EST

CALLAHAN- I would not be suprised to learn that Callahan has been playing with a broken hand from blockig the shot in Game 6 in Ottowa.. He really doesnt seem to be himself...

schneidw

Sun May 13 2012 11:16 am EST

Just curious if any has seen a good replay of the Boyle disallowed goal? Doesn't matter now but if Wash tied it, it would be all we talked about today! It boggles my mind at all the cummulitive BS that has been called against the Rangers these playoffs. The Rangers might have been able to win the first series in 5 if not for a ton of NHL 'help' for the Sens. Rangers might not have to face the Debbies after already playing 14 playoff games. Not sour grapes because our team is still playing and the NHL can suck it, but I'm worried what the brainless trust is going to pull in this Debbies series. The Marty circle jerk love fest is going to make me puke and the ice tilting we are going to witness is going to cause an aneurysm. Hope I'm wrong, but nothing we have witnessed so far gives me any. LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!

NYStranger

Sun May 13 2012 10:32 am EST

…and I just have to note: HAGELIN can be a monster if he learns to play like that consistently. You have been seeing glimmers of that type of play during this playoffs run. Last night, he was a force. He was hard on every single puck. He forced several bad passes with his speed and closure rate. And he finished his checks. He looked like Callahan if Callahan was on meth. As for Del0? I officially recant everything I have ever said about the guy. The guy can play offense. He just has to put pucks on the net, something he hasn't done consistently but did an ever improving job as the playoffs have worn on. All in all, the yute's got their chances and they delivered. The NYR defense is stifling. As a group, they are BY FAR the best defense of the remaining teams. Doesn't mean that they will win anything because the point is still to put the puck in the net. One thing is undeniable. You give them a 2-goal lead to work with? The other team is in deep do-do.

Sun May 13 2012 10:24 am EST

The issue with the NJD too me is that they can jump you fast and hard. But they also take more chances. They are deep, big, & nasty. They also have the extra motivation in that they are the NJD. But I think that as a series, this one will be more entertaining. This NJD team is a much better matchup for the NYR then Washington was. There will be a lot more room for the NYR transition game to get going. And you will be able to get better match ups down low because their forwards do pinch up the boards looking to go the other way. The game plan is as always. You take the game down low and you keep it there. They clear, you clog middle ice, take away the passing lanes and put the puck down deep and forecheck again. I like the NYR odds in this series. NYR in 7.

Sun May 13 2012 10:18 am EST

Wildcard..........I agree on Anisimov. He seems to be Tort's favorite whipping boy of late but I like him, a lot. He works hard, kills penalties, plays C or W, is good enough to play PP, can play on all 4 lines with anyone and scores timely goals..........what's not to like ?

Newfie_Ranger

Sun May 13 2012 10:04 am EST

to all the doubting Thomas' , keep up the lack of faith( right nick & fm, to name 2 ) .....amen to the signing of Richards..... and Gaborik......just hope the debbies didn't figure out what the NYR figured out on beating their own system the craps tried using on them.....SHOOT THE PUCK !!!!!!!!!!!......nbc keep up your bs, the underdogs are doing fine, they don't need your bs , scripted by synder.and buttman ......the NYR TEAM needs 8 more wins........one at a time.........

stevielegs

Sun May 13 2012 10:02 am EST

Yorkie, good to see you on here this weekend. Sorry about hearing the rough times again. Its the hardest game I've ever been involved in. unfortunately its no game but life. Good seeing the rangers win . Hope things get better for you. Stay strong, I'm sure the child loves you and he/she needs you.

KIS

Sun May 13 2012 9:50 am EST

I think the Rangers are going to the Cup finals. Once there who knows LA or the Coyotes will be a series for sure but really like our chances in a 7 game series against any of the teams that are left. The rangers have been playing playoff style hockey for most of the year, One goal tight checking games.

barto

Sun May 13 2012 9:47 am EST

York: I think it will be easier for Kreider to get moving against the Devils. The Caps really did a great job positionaly and used angles to negate a lot of the rangers speed. The Devils have not shown they can do that as well...not that they can't do it at times, and cant win a game that way, but I think the Rangers speed will hurt them more than it hurt the Sens and Caps.

Wildcard

Sun May 13 2012 9:39 am EST

I think lost in the fray last night was Anisimov. He played a better all around game and was more physical than I have ever seen in the 3rd period. He stepped up in a big game and helped this team win. Now I want to see him do it regularly. However it was nice to see him bring a different level to the ice.

Wildcard

Sun May 13 2012 9:01 am EST

Now we know and the world knows just what Richards brings to the table. The six sec goal to save the series and now the first shot on goal to win game 7 !...... ( + face-offs and def zone coverage)..........oh, and did I mention that Hank needs a RAISE !

Newfie_Ranger

Sun May 13 2012 8:51 am EST

IMO, with Kovalchoke and Parise, the Devils at least match the Rangers top pairing of Richards and Gabbie, but after that, the Rangers are better. More forward depth and clearly a better top 4 on the backline. And Brodeur was one day an excellent goalie, but he's 40 now and understandably, there are flaws in his game. He flops around more now and is prone to weak goals. I'm not sure if the Devils will be able to collapse in front of him as effectively as the Caps did with Holtby, but regardless, the Rangers should do as they did with the Caps and fire as many pucks at him as possible. Crashing the net more than they did against the Caps wouldn't hurt, either.

RF4L

Sun May 13 2012 8:47 am EST

Dunno if the NBC feed showed this, but right after the Caps scored their goal, CBC showed MDZ looking like he wanted to cry on the bench and Prust, right next to him, consoling him. A pat on the thigh and words - totally cool.

RF4L

Sun May 13 2012 8:45 am EST

Playing Kreider is essential in this series, his speed and big body will wear down the Devils D over a 7 game series. Look at the difference between having him in and out of the lineup we are faster and better with him there. I can live with his occasional gaff.

York18

Sun May 13 2012 8:40 am EST

Congrats to the ranger players they deserve an otta boy. Torts can be a prick but have to hand it to him he has these guys playing like his personality. Hard on the puck in your face no space to move hockey. If they can put together 4 games like last night it's gonna be over fairly quickly. I wonder if the age of some of the players coupled with the Rangers style will have allot of bearing on NJD.

barto

Sun May 13 2012 7:33 am EST

Nick...you are so right....there will definitely be alot of "man love" between the tools at NBC and Brodeur.......and it will be nauseating.

MelvilleFred

Sun May 13 2012 7:13 am EST

I just see our team giving fits to the Devils with the constant physical play and grinding them down. I think Philly was a weaker team and would have preferred to face them, but NJ is going to try and match us and will eventually wear down and get tired. We do that to each team. Look at both of our game 7's we looked faster, stronger, and better than both teams because the other teams were worn down and the rangers are prepared to play a whole season let alone 7 games over an every other night schedule. It's easy to play one game and win against us and then not see us again for a few weeks, or months. It's another thing to be forced to play our style game every other night over two weeks and I don't think the devils can match that.

York18

Sun May 13 2012 7:01 am EST

Team USA could really use McD, Cally, Stepan, Boyle, and Kreider, but they're busy. Those are just 5 of our 11 American born Rangers. Not sure which team has the most, but that seems like a lot.

nyfans

Sun May 13 2012 6:53 am EST

York- I agree, we have beaten the 8th and 7th seed, and will now play the 6th seed. We have had out struggles of our own for sure, but the biggest problem for us is that we have made rookie misstakes and lost our composure alot. From down right giving up goals to being ambushed by Neil, Carkner and co. In a best of 7 series, every game is of course important. But the way to beat this NJD team is definitely to match their discipline defensively while exposing their net/defensive problems. And we need to do it from the drop of the puck in G1. If we do that, Parise and Kova will get frustrated with out D's. Hank will outperform Marty. And we will get rolling by frustrating NJD on the ice and, lets not underestimate this, dominate in the stands.

Ola

Sun May 13 2012 6:05 am EST

HHS? that would be 'the.' auto correct strikes.

Nick

Sun May 13 2012 6:03 am EST

York each series is different but the NJD needed 7 games and OT in the last two to beat the weakest team in the POs. And the Flyers D and goalie were no great shakes. I tend to overrated Phila living down here and hating HHS idea if losing to them, and wanting to avoid that matchup. But NJD is now faced with an actual D and goalie. The Brodeur-NBC love-fest is gonna be pretty intolerable but beating the guy would be sweet.

Nick

Sun May 13 2012 5:56 am EST

I'm not that worried about Kova, he has been and always is a mental case. The guy is very easy to throw off his game and once you do he has trouble getting it back. It's funny because here we are again and we will go into another series as the underdogs, but I think that's a good thing. Let them think they have an advantage. The real question is can the Devs grind out a seven game series playing against this teams style and system? I don't think so. We contained a better team in the caps IMO and will do it again this series. If our PP ever wakes up look out this series will be done quick. Even NBC broadcast team were saying that the Rangers are better 5on5 than a man up.

York18

Sun May 13 2012 5:45 am EST

Nick were you also at don larsens perfect game saying this game is going to extra innings?

stevielegs

Sun May 13 2012 5:36 am EST

Mfred welcome to the 60 s but it's a different kind of sex drugs and rock n roll. Be careful not to overdose like nick did on Viagra (known as sex drugs) while he rocked out to Barry manilow . ... and don't mix it with rogaine or you will get a don king haircut . ....nick is trying to find someone in the home with Parkinsons.......instead of doing and being one himself .....

stevielegs

Sun May 13 2012 5:19 am EST

Nick you ignorant fool old fart , you tried to jinx then genius senile gumby. It's like posting while the other team is being shut out that you don't think it will be a shut out ....... Now shut up about your feelings and opinions and fears or whatever you want to call that assine incorrect post. Move on and go move your bowels. Drop It already .... I say your were hoping for ot so you could cry about how bad they were in not holding the lead. Go read your bs from game 6 and beyond. Try a tug McGraw in the next round. Have a nice day at the home see if they have a group hug brunch and a farting contest. you will probably lose but in ot. Then again you just might win tug. Good luck.

stevielegs

Sun May 13 2012 12:54 am EST

Well, they are sure to make this a heart attack again, but I believe we are going to the finals. We win the goalie matchup big time. We always play well in NJ. Bring on Fatso.

Bob

Sun May 13 2012 12:48 am EST

RF4L: No, the 'all' was a very small group! I stand on my right to post my fear of the third period ( I mean geez, are people orchids here? Don't post a negative word at a 'sensitive' time?) but should have left that other bit of business out.

Nick

Sun May 13 2012 12:35 am EST

oops...make that 6...I am emotionally drained

TradeStar28

Sun May 13 2012 12:28 am EST

Kovalchoke ---> Parise ----> Clarkson ---> Elias ---> Zubrus ---> Sykora..........These are the 5 guys the Rangers need to concentrate on the most........The first 2 are game breakers like Ovi and Backstrom........Looking @ the debbies D, they rely a lot on Bryce Salvador in regard to TOI...........Also it interesting to note that the Debbies roll 4 lines and distribute minutes unlike the Rangers.

TradeStar28

Sun May 13 2012 12:21 am EST

RF4L.....The only one the Rangers need to be concerned with is David Clarkson....This is where guys like Rupp and Prust need to step in big time......Especially Rupp because if he takes Clarkson off his game and into the penalty box with him, it is a clear advantage to the Rangers.....

TradeStar28

Sun May 13 2012 12:05 am EST

Trade: I'll bet at least Janssens is dressed. He, along with Ryan Carter, gives them 2/3's of their line brawlers. And of course, lurking in the weeds, ready to run Lundvqist and challenge the likes of MDZ and Stepan to a fight will be David Fartson....

RF4L

Sun May 13 2012 12:03 am EST

sjw: Something tells me Semin will be in the KHL with their shitty planes, arenas and health care next year. If so, good riddance you underachieving piece of malcontented crap....

RF4L

Sun May 13 2012 12:01 am EST

Nick: I was talking about the reaction to your post about feeling that OT was looming - hell way more negative things get posted on here about the Rangers on a regular basis. The collective 'phuck you' I ain't so quick to forgive, unless you tell me now I wasn't included! ;^)

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 11:58 pm EST

RF4L: Tensions were high and I shouldn't have responded, at least in the manner I did. It was my gut feeling, but hey.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 11:54 pm EST

Is there a more overated player than Semin ????

sjw

Sat May 12 2012 11:48 pm EST

I agree.....Devils would be stupid to start off with that crap.....they have the advantage in Game 1 with the extra rest they have....they'll start the dirty crap after we start making Brodeur look like Swiss cheese and we're making them look like fools...THEN they'll dress their goons.,,,,,and we'll be ready for an appropriate response. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELLVILLE FRED!!

JFC31

Sat May 12 2012 11:43 pm EST

I do not think the Debbies insert Jansenns or Boulton into the lineup. I think the only guy who would sit if they did put one in would be S. Gionta.

TradeStar28

Sat May 12 2012 11:34 pm EST

Hospo: LOL...I've postponed by yearly physical twice already this POs - I don't want my blood pressure meds upped under false pretenses...

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 11:28 pm EST

RF4L - Hell, I think it's possible for the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup (going 4-3 in the next two series) while only being like 2-3 games above .500 since March 2nd.......Should we expect anything else from these blue-collared blue shirts????..Torture, aggravation, obsession, heart burn, hell, maybe even a minor heart attack or two!

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 11:27 pm EST

Trade: Or faster than Unc Dad booted out his first wife!

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 11:26 pm EST

If the Rangers beat the Devils then their 2 Cup appearances in the last 18 years would be bookended by beating Brodeur in the Conference Finals.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 11:25 pm EST

That save by Henrik on Knuble was world class,,,,,,,,The King kicked that leg out faster than Marty kicks out a fork on a bowl of pasta...wowsers!

TradeStar28

Sat May 12 2012 11:22 pm EST

start the roller-coaster ride again on Monday

KIS

Sat May 12 2012 11:22 pm EST

KIS: LOL..fun when they win, torture when they don't. Alas, 14 PO games so far and the score is 8-6!!!!

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 11:20 pm EST

congrats rangers and ranger fans. Its a good night so happy and so proud to be a ranger fan. boys on to some more frustrating and nervous nights ahead. I though the defense was fantastic tonight. Hagelin did so much work. McD and Girardi were tough and this is the exact Richards get the contact he does. The King even made some great saves. I dont know if this is fun or torture?

KIS

Sat May 12 2012 11:19 pm EST

And for sure, there's gonna be so much over the top crap about Uncle Daddy.....hopefully, he gets exposed by the Rangers for what is is: A great goalie well past his prime....

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 11:17 pm EST

And Nick: OMG, you were so totally unfairly lambasted on here for a negative post - this board was rife with far more negative posts in game 6. Shame on those who jumped on you....!!!!!

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 11:15 pm EST

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....what a phucking game and series!! OMG, can this team ever not do anything without serious drama!!! How so amazingly typical of this edition to go up 2-0 for the grand total of 38 phucking seconds??!?!? I was on pins and needles from the drop of the damn puck, HUGELY pumped when they went up quickly, then nervous as phuck until MDZ pounded in that 2nd goal...then had the damn nerve to relax....FOR LIKE A MINUTE!! Woooooooooooooooooooohoooooooooo though!!! Woooooo-phucking-wooooooooooooooo!

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 11:13 pm EST

Speakin of old guys, I hope Marty does the splits and shits himself. It is freaking unreal thatbthese retreads are still winning playoff series. Come on Rangers lets show them who the top dogs in the East are!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 11:12 pm EST

Thanks Nick.....may we see one more CUP....don't want to get greedy and think we could be around for 2!

MelvilleFred

Sat May 12 2012 11:09 pm EST

Fred happy birthday fellow old guy!

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 11:08 pm EST

Hospo...thanks much.... :>) The Belgian Beer is tasting that much better tonight.

MelvilleFred

Sat May 12 2012 11:06 pm EST

So let me get this straight...Nick posted "I see OT" and that unleashed this current shit storm.....have you all lost your minds?? WTF....I'm sure he thought as I did his head was going to explode so to release some pressure he's hoping not to loose in regulation which could have happened, this is the Rangers we're talking about and being nearly as old as Nick I have shared in way to many dissapointments. 1 F'in CUP in 72 years Gentlemen. That's alot of heartbreak and makes us older guys gunshy! I am truly hoping we don't see some Brodeur miracle bullshit.

MelvilleFred

Sat May 12 2012 11:05 pm EST

Dubi was out of his walking cast today...No real updates other than that

TradeStar28

Sat May 12 2012 11:04 pm EST

Do we know what is wrong with Dubi? Dont know if I missed it but havent heard anything about his injury

Topovski

Sat May 12 2012 10:57 pm EST

Melville lets hope you are right :-)

Topovski

Sat May 12 2012 10:57 pm EST

Game 1: Devils at Rangers Monday, May 14, at 8 p.m.///// Game 2: Devils at Rangers Wednesday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ///// Game 3: Rangers at Devils Saturday, May 19, at 1 p.m. ///// Game 4: Rangers at Devils Monday, May 21, at 8 p.

TradeStar28

Sat May 12 2012 10:56 pm EST

MELVILLE - A great present..and I have to say it becasue you are one of the few I can say it to on here...HAPPY BIRTH DAY OLD MAN!!! :)

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 10:55 pm EST

stevie: 1978: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtSPFXj_eZM

Sat May 12 2012 10:54 pm EST

DOUBLEN - Gotta be..That along with the "nobody expected them" Devils..and how they manhandle that great Flyer squad...and their newly found offense juggernaut vs the Rangers feeble one...paying no mind to the fact the Devils played a nutcase goalies. and a scared swiss cheese defense in Philly...

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 10:54 pm EST

TOP....that means Melrose is due......

MelvilleFred

Sat May 12 2012 10:53 pm EST

Rewatching the third ... what happened on the Ovechkin shot just before the MDZ goal? Either that was a huge save, deflected block or a miss. 40-foot blast straight on ... NBC passed by it.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 10:52 pm EST

...and to think that on my 6oth Birthday the Rangers didn't kill me but gave a great gift has restored my faith in this team. Lets Go Rangers!!!!

MelvilleFred

Sat May 12 2012 10:50 pm EST

Now that we got done with all the Holtby Hype, NBC will be nonstop about the 40 year old Brodeur.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 10:47 pm EST

BTW- what was Torts so irate about in the 2nd period with about 11 min left? He was screaming at the refs.....wasnt sure why

TradeStar28

Sat May 12 2012 10:44 pm EST

mf what year was that ? ;-)

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 10:42 pm EST

JGR=LGR

Jerry_Garcia

Sat May 12 2012 10:41 pm EST

Stevie: Did we quit when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor ???? Toga, toga, toga

Sat May 12 2012 10:40 pm EST

mf: Nice!!! JGR

Jerry_Garcia

Sat May 12 2012 10:37 pm EST

JG: And we got no chance of losin,.....this time

Sat May 12 2012 10:36 pm EST

TOP - I saw that...and felt good about somebody giving the Rangers some due respect...but didn't know the history of his picks......You guys are right, the underdog role is easier and I hope the NBC yahoos keep pimping ghe Devils......Honsetly, this was a game I almost doidn;t watch. not wanting to see a loss in a game and series I thought they should have won (but not easily)...but I manned up and watched.....The rest is all gravy even if I think they should beat the Devils too!

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 10:34 pm EST

jerry too much acid, that was the fishsticks.....it's maarrrtay........

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 10:32 pm EST

Tell this town ain't got no Heart... Just gotta poke around! What A GREAT FUCKEN Win tonight. NY RANGERS, I thank you! Who could ask for a better next victims then the Debbie's. Beat you WIFE Potvin Beat your wife!

Jerry_Garcia

Sat May 12 2012 10:31 pm EST

Hospo, nothing can drive me away at this point! Hey, Ranger fandom runs deep and I annoyed some people. We move on. As do the NYR - and yes this was a stellar effort!

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 10:31 pm EST

Oh Noooooo! Melrose picked the rangers to beat the devils....so far he's been wrong every time....

Topovski

Sat May 12 2012 10:30 pm EST

nick then nothing here should affect you.....now go put your teeth in the glass of water......after you remove your foot.......Nickstradamus......

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 10:30 pm EST

NIck..better watch out for that flaming bag of dog crap on your porch......ON TO THE DEVILS!.....Do they play hockey or dressss Boulton and Cam Janssens?? :)

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 10:28 pm EST

Schneidw, I'm thinking 1979. Saw that one On the TV machine, as I called it. :-)

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 10:28 pm EST

OH yeah, just love the big FU to NBC and the NHL Network.....especially that sawed off bald headed nimrod who, I ahve to beleive, only job was to counter every single statement about the Rangers with his own take on ho great the Caps were.............ANd NICK keep on posting whatever you want.....I've seen a hell of alot worse on here.....ANd.I appreciate your honest feelings more then the lack of class and poise elsewhere,,,,,Speaking of class and poise, damn, do the RANGERS have that in spades!

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 10:27 pm EST

Congrats NY Rangers.....and congrats to the wall...... Hockey in mid May! Clean the slate and let's move on to the Eastern Finals! Happy days are here again (Nick graduated high school with Tom Bosley)

TradeStar28

Sat May 12 2012 10:26 pm EST

Yeah my response was one step short of 'hey you kids get off my lawn' but geez. Nothing said here affects, you know, the game. Christ, it's a bulletin board.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 10:21 pm EST

Amazing what happens wen you play 4 lines(kinda) versus 7 forwards!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 10:20 pm EST

Nick you dinosaur ;-) I was at MSG during the classic Boston game where OReilly climbed in the stands and beat the NYR fan w his shoe.... Classic.. Don't recall the year, but I am getting up there myself!

schneidw

Sat May 12 2012 10:18 pm EST

schneidw: answer: Gary Bung-holio Butthead

Sat May 12 2012 10:17 pm EST

Country alliance... very cool to see in the handshake line all the Swedes, Russians etc giving an extra pat on teh back to their fellow country men... Hockey is so fucking unique.. how the hell is it not the #1 sport in teh USA??? Or at least #2 after the NFL?

schneidw

Sat May 12 2012 10:13 pm EST

DAMN, Just what I needed...At least another two weeks of this agony and obsession!!! A GREAT, GREAT effort by the New Yoork Rangers from every player and the coach...They stuck to their game as they should ahve and just did things better...the caoch and leaders had them ready...They played great team D.....and the offense had some spark and was just enough, and that's all we need.....Looking for more of the same against the Devils, but me thinks it will be a little more nasty the first few games with the Devils knowing the Rangers have been trough 14 games of all out hockey war already....The Rangers will be ready though!

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 10:12 pm EST

Bring on Uncle Daddy baby!

Bob

Sat May 12 2012 10:09 pm EST

Nick, the fact that you date back as a Ranger fan to the Bun Cook era makes sit an especially DB post. Just saying, I am in my living room trying to feel comfortable with the amount of goat's blood I have procured to ward off the evil capitals and you blurt out a post about OT? Rocked my mojo MFer

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 10:05 pm EST

And yeah -- 'neutral site ' in Newark ... That will sound great on NYR goals. I remember Resch crying after the Rangers beat them several years ago about that. Loved it.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 10:03 pm EST

Nick, Are you being Indian giver? :->) You canttake back a "mass fuck you" roll with the punches dude.... Wewon, thats all that matters....... Its time to prepare to slew Uncle Daddy...... Lets go Rannnnnngerrrrrsss

Sat May 12 2012 10:03 pm EST

Scneid, no unfortunately Nick said something stupid, but judging by how old he is making himself sound it cuold have been a senior moment. He just caught me while having a really long and bad couple days. Thank god I have the Rangers winning tonight because if I didn't who knows what Id be doing.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 10:02 pm EST

The Moses 15-10 was pretty funny actually. Hey you think I wasn't pinning and needling? Christ my heart was pounding like a drum that last 10 minutes ...

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 10:01 pm EST

Hey and we are facing the Devils is almost like having home ice even playing in Jersey since half their fans never show up to games.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 10:00 pm EST

York18 is BACK!

schneidw

Sat May 12 2012 9:59 pm EST

The 2012 have officially exceeded my expectations...that was a DOMINATING game 7 performance... just exhilirating! So glad to send the Capitals packing because they have knocked out teh NYRs the past 2 of 3 years... I have respect for alot of their player.s.. very lilttle dirty cheap shot play unlike the Ottawa series.. the NYRs are relatively healthy heading into a NJD series.... I saw game 7 of the PHL game, Zidclicky and Zubrus are dinged up bad.. the NJD defense is SUSPECT! NYRs should handled them.....

schneidw

Sat May 12 2012 9:59 pm EST

Play nice girls, our team dominated most of the game & won,thats all that matters....... Stevie..the count-down continues.....Lets Go Rangers!!!! Yeah Baby !!!!

Sat May 12 2012 9:59 pm EST

Nick being classy would have not said what you said on a Rangers forum where everyone is on pins and needles. If you notice no one is giving you a pass on your comment. The moses thing was a joke, but I guess it's wrong to joke but okay to say stupid crap like you did?

York18

Sat May 12 2012 9:58 pm EST

I apologize for the mass 'fuck you all.' But I figured I could post an opinion here and not get raked for insufficient confidence. Whatever. Enjoy the night.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 9:58 pm EST

YORK... Yeah, that's the only thing that helps me sleep at night :)

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 9:56 pm EST

Yeah...no team has ever played 14 games in the first 2 rounds and won the ECF or WCF...HOWEVER normally those teams with 2 game 7 wins end up with out home ice in the CF. The Rangers have a good situation...doesn't guarantee anything, but it makes the chance lean their way. At least IMHO

Wildcard

Sat May 12 2012 9:54 pm EST

nice to finally make it past the 2nd round....thanks drury.....

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 9:52 pm EST

Thanks, York. You remain the classy person you've always been.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 9:52 pm EST

right back at you nick, old fart......

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 9:42 pm EST

RHet, but remember another fact the team that has played in the winter classic since it has started has played in the cup finals and we are the only team left from the winter classic.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 9:41 pm EST

Nick we you also there when Moses brought down the 15 (crash) I mean 10 commandments? Doesn't matter how old you are it was a douche thing to say.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 9:39 pm EST

NYSTRANGER... I keep waiting for this team to take charge in a series... Honestly, I don't think the Caps or Devils are as good as the Senators were... we just need to step up and play our brand of hockey EVERY PERIOD and EVERY GAME... It is the playoffs after all... We let the Caps back in to this series, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT ANYMORE. It would be nice to go up 2-0 on the Devils to start off the next round.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 9:33 pm EST

Rhet the Rangers keeps proving that they can, and that they have to do it the hard way. I hope we knock out Fattys dentures in this ECFinals series.

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 9:30 pm EST

Historically, No team has ever Won the Eastern or Western Conference Finals after going 7 games in each of their first two series... We have that to shoot for.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 9:30 pm EST

Yeah, and my 16 year-old son, who just became a full Rangers fan this season, has now gotten a full taste of what it's like and the SH!T we have to deal with.....that was a G-damned goal by Boyle and there was NO REASON for that effin' ref to have called it dead....NONE. The refs' first thought is always blowing a RAngers chance DEAD, when the 1st instinct SHOULD BE to leave it open for review,. That was a steamin' pile of poop, that was! My son was freaking out screaming.....I was so proud! Welcome to RAngerLand, my son!! Bastard NHL refs!

JFC31

Sat May 12 2012 9:28 pm EST

Hey all -- what the fuck? Not fanboy enough? I'm not one to claim credit for living long, but I was spending money and tears on this club before most of you were born! I was in the OLD Garden in 1966 when the crowd garbaged Ed Giacomin just before his emergence ... I was there for the Stemmer goal ... I was there to see Boston carry the Cup and watch that POS Cashman taunt us as they did so! So now I'm a douchebag for thinking the Caps would tie??? Fuck you all very much for that!

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 9:26 pm EST

BRING ON THE DEVILS!!!! We dominated this game from beginning to end except for a short when the puck stayed in our end for seemed like forever. But, we were much more poised than the CAps and much more aggressive than the Caps. The Rangers seemed to be confident and having FUN out there.....Torts even taked about it in the interview on the bench. The Rangers were LOOOOOOSE and they pushed forward the entire game....dictated the pace and the terms of engagement. SUPERB EFFORT!!

JFC31

Sat May 12 2012 9:26 pm EST

emerick looks like he likes 8 oz curls........what a screaming turd......

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 9:24 pm EST

Stranger... I know, it was obvious in real time that Boyle didn't interfere with him... it's total crap... the League needs to add a Video Replay Challenge next year, because these Refs suck.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 9:22 pm EST

Monk Yes Pierre is known for his drinking which is why I said it. I'm sure Dineen will come on with a few stories if ya ask.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 9:21 pm EST

The defenseman carried the puck over his own goal line when he crashed on the back check. I'd say no goal IF Holtby had any kind of control but he did not. It should of counted.

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 9:20 pm EST

8 more wins to go nick

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 9:19 pm EST

Man that was insane.. i was cursing the Craps goal cause the 2-0 was what I'd been looking for since Richards scorded.. but we played so well after that .. the Craps got nothin' ... Bring on the Debbies and uncle daddy .. so f'in proud to be a Ranger fan again ..

sjw

Sat May 12 2012 9:18 pm EST

The Ref said he didn't lose sight of the puck, he said that Boyle interfered with Holtby and that's why the puck went in... Total crap... Isn't interference a penalty?

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 9:17 pm EST

How long will Torts talk tonight in the presser? HaHa. Totally psyched!!!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 9:16 pm EST

The reward we get is Doc Formaldehyde Face Emerick calling Rangers-Devils. Guess I'd rather be angry and disgusted than dead.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 9:15 pm EST

You guys kept me sane in a 1 goal nerve-wracker- thanks. I was at the games in '94 and remember looking at the clock in Game 7 v the Nucks and seeing 17 min left in the third and it seemed like the clock never moved. Same feeling tonight.

since

Sat May 12 2012 9:14 pm EST

The King rules Washington! I'll never complain about Richards' salary.

nyfans

Sat May 12 2012 9:14 pm EST

The was no one more sad that the CAPS than Mike Emrick... Wow, try being professional... jackass.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 9:13 pm EST

All of us in the living room jumping up and down like lunatics I thought we were going to end up in the basement! And I didn't sit down or crack open a beer throughout until the game was over. DAMN! Sam Adams never tasted so f%$#ing gooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STPB

Sat May 12 2012 9:13 pm EST

Half way there!

SteveCT

Sat May 12 2012 9:13 pm EST

York, he was reading from NBcs prepared script. They planed onthe Caps winning and he forgot to ad lib. LOL fucking assholes!!!!LGR!!!!!!!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 9:12 pm EST

I told you nervous nellies to keep faith and not to worry.......YORK, please tell me Pierre McGuire has a history of public drunkenness. I'd love it. I find him EXTREMELY punchable.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 9:07 pm EST

Big win, would have preferred to face Philly, but NJ will have to be the next victim. Pierre must be drunk again, he said we played Boston when speaking to Richards.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 9:04 pm EST

congrats NYR....screw u nick

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 9:04 pm EST

I LOVE THIS TEAM...F OFF NBC AND THE LEAGUE....

Sat May 12 2012 8:59 pm EST

Just over two to go... Nick you bone head, We're gonna win... Let's go Rangers!!!

Sat May 12 2012 8:55 pm EST

Convienient thatthe refs mic did notwork so we could nothesr his BS reasoning.

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 8:54 pm EST

that was the fastest no slow mo with sound replay ,.....lying bastards....

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 8:54 pm EST

How could he have had time to blow the whistle?

Sat May 12 2012 8:54 pm EST

This game should be over

STPB

Sat May 12 2012 8:53 pm EST

the Rangers will get an Empty Netter at the end of the game... 3-1

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 8:53 pm EST

What a horseshit call!

STPB

Sat May 12 2012 8:49 pm EST

We score they take it away and now what they punish us by giving us a PP?

York18

Sat May 12 2012 8:49 pm EST

I am losing it....

Sat May 12 2012 8:49 pm EST

Whistle was blown means what? Boyle didn't knock it in!

mykpfsu

Sat May 12 2012 8:47 pm EST

what a joke this league is that was a F$%#ing goal but we can't have the rangers in the finals.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 8:47 pm EST

FUCKING BULLSHIT!!!!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 8:47 pm EST

Again NHL conspiacy!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 8:47 pm EST

We have been screwed again...

Sat May 12 2012 8:47 pm EST

BFS

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 8:47 pm EST

That is a goal dammit....Shut the F up Pierre

Sat May 12 2012 8:46 pm EST

PK TIME

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 8:46 pm EST

Killing me....

Sat May 12 2012 8:45 pm EST

Nope. Always the hard way.

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 8:44 pm EST

This team does not handle prosperity well at all!

LetsGoRangers

Sat May 12 2012 8:44 pm EST

Man how things turn ugly quick. Nothing ever easy for these guys. WTF?

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 8:43 pm EST

Dammit.....Have to make it hard...

Sat May 12 2012 8:42 pm EST

2-0 LET'S GO RANGERS

Sat May 12 2012 8:41 pm EST

YES MF

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 8:41 pm EST

MDZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 8:41 pm EST

Woot..MDZ

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 8:35 pm EST

NICK - DELTA BRAVO post of the year! Why even bring that to the table? Keep that shit to yourself.

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 8:34 pm EST

once again a win on the faceoff and a shot from the boards into a funnel of bodies that doesn't get through. Why even bother winning the faceoff?

York18

Sat May 12 2012 8:25 pm EST

Keep attacking! LETS GO RANGERS!

LetsGoRangers

Sat May 12 2012 8:25 pm EST

Just my opinion ... Hank's holding the fort and that's our hope. You are one touchy dude.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 8:22 pm EST

We can get the next one....See it with speed....Hagelin, Gaborik in volved or Kreider nets one...LET'S GO RANGERS....

Sat May 12 2012 8:20 pm EST

Nick but that was a real ass thing to say. Why don't you go to the frigging devils board. I figure it's late enough in the season for me to hand out my annual dumb ass post of the year award come right up and get it Nick.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 8:17 pm EST

I see OT.

Nick

Sat May 12 2012 8:16 pm EST

OK 10 beers deep. should have read corral the puck instead of just turning it over

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 8:15 pm EST

The thying that drives me nuts about the Rangers with the lead is their penchant for chipping the puck ahead when they have time to corral the puck and maintain possession instead of just turning it over at the Caps blueline

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 8:14 pm EST

FM94 - I have Cablevision and the channel was freezing most of the first and parts of the 2nd, but not too much lately. 20 more minutes, another goal would be nice, but I can't say I am confident we will get it. The King will have to himself a period to win this one.

pete

Sat May 12 2012 8:09 pm EST

I guess now we'll just sit on the puck in the 3rd period... it's our M.O.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 8:04 pm EST

PJ, the problem is there is NEVER near the front of the net to receive those passes.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 8:03 pm EST

DC for me it's just hockey 101 don't go to the boards after you win a faceoff unless you have no choice. Don't paint yourself into a corner with no options if you don't have to. Making the goalie move is one of the easiest ways to score we allow him to stay set and in position because we always go to the boards.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 8:02 pm EST

Too many blind centering passes in the offensive zone....It is trapping us and allowing good rushes the other way....

Sat May 12 2012 8:01 pm EST

It's programmed into the D they play a completely protect the lead style of play. Stralman had an open lane towards the net instead of shooting it he just sent it down the boards to no one and he wasn't giong for a change.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 7:56 pm EST

The last time I saw one opponent dominate another so mercilessly for so long, Larry Holmes was giving Muhammad Ali Parkinson's in the corner of the ring.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 7:56 pm EST

YORKIE - Good point(no pun) Simple yet elegant strategy that cannot be any worse than the crapfest we have seen all year!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 7:55 pm EST

York: I've thought that, too. Like they're married to the boards or something after winning a faceoff.

STPB

Sat May 12 2012 7:55 pm EST

Love Boyle but he gets too many minutes...Looks slow tonight....

Sat May 12 2012 7:50 pm EST

something that has long bugged me about the rangers this season and during the PP is when they win the faceoff back to the point their point men always head towards the boards. They never go to the middle which forces the goalie to move. Instead the limit their options the minute they go to the boards which is send it down the boards, or shoot it in a clogged shooting lane. Head to the center let the other D shift over that way whoever is covering the point has to skate further away and at worse you pass it to your other Dman who can send it around. You get the goalie moving and you aren't forced to shoot into a funnel but rather buy time for your guys to get to the front of the net as well and set a screen

York18

Sat May 12 2012 7:46 pm EST

Great shift!

STPB

Sat May 12 2012 7:46 pm EST

Easy there Doc! Man was he wishing that was a goal. What a smuch!!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 7:46 pm EST

4th line doing a good job, good to see the coach doing his too.....git ur done......

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 7:38 pm EST

mf got your camera with you?

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 7:37 pm EST

We need to go for the jugular. No BS wussy second period slack off here. Hit to hurt, pin em in their own zone, all night

Sat May 12 2012 7:37 pm EST

amazing ow he nhl overlooks guys like Richards.....than again the nhl are morons.....

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 7:32 pm EST

DCIGOLFER... It's obvious the NHL/NBC wants the Rangers gone... in their minds, we play boring hockey... the most boring hockey since the dead puck era (or you could call it the newest dead puck era) at least with the CAPS they can talk about their SUPERSTAR, ALEX OVECHKIN and sell him to the fans... the NHL is all about Marketing and they obviously don't think we have any star power or anything else to offer.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 7:30 pm EST

Well, you'd be far pressed to find a more slobbering love story (at least in the sports media) than that between NBC and Dale Hunter. Dale Hunter of all people, the man who personified the belligerent, intent-to-injure goon and is responsible for the most cowardly, criminal act ever committed on the ice. But he's a cuddly teddy bear now.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 7:28 pm EST

FM - Now that is comedy!! f'n love it! Doc should be "Squibbed" under a MetroNorth Train!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 7:27 pm EST

NBC intermission: Airing of grievances - What could the capitals have done better. 2nd segment - What can the capitals expose in the rangers game plan. UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!!! I am astonished at this coverage. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 7:25 pm EST

It would be interesting if, during the drive home tonight, Doc Emerick's car "squibbs" into a telephone pole.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 7:23 pm EST

Anybody else getting this picture-freezing fucking shit? Is it NBC or shit Cablevision?

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 7:22 pm EST

i also like the underdog treatment....the rodney dangerfield syndrome.....

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 7:22 pm EST

Please no more John Mitchell on the PP, John. If you haven't noticed...he stinks!!!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 7:20 pm EST

Feds also seems to have picked it up....Get that next one and keep backchecking like demons....LET'S GO RANGERS

Sat May 12 2012 7:20 pm EST

BTW, I am 8 beers deep after 1 period. Don't expect my posts to become more coherent as this game continues!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 7:20 pm EST

Just keep shooting and going to the net. Keep your foot of the gas and don't try to protect a 1 goal lead for the next to periods. LETS GO RANGERS!

LetsGoRangers

Sat May 12 2012 7:19 pm EST

NBC! What a fucking joke. Let's break down the RANGER goal by how the Capitals could have done better! Not what the rangers did right, what the caps did wrong. What a fucking joke!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 7:19 pm EST

i like the shoot the puck philosophy

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 7:17 pm EST

FUCK DOC! King makes a non spectacular save on OVY and he states that he covers the puck in RELIEF!!! HAHA FU Devil lover. Great first period. Good legs for most everyone. Hags and Kreider are really rolling.

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 7:14 pm EST

if that would have been Holtby making that save..Doc';s voice would have gone up 5 octaves.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 7:12 pm EST

nice puck possession

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 7:08 pm EST

Hagelin is flying...

Sat May 12 2012 7:07 pm EST

That pp was awesome... They brought the puck up and gained the zone. Next time they need to pass it to the open man and he can shoot it or pass it.

Sat May 12 2012 7:07 pm EST

Every PP looks like a replay of the last. Pathetic, momentum draining PP. Come on another goal early could putthis one away. Ahhgg!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 7:06 pm EST

That horrible pass by Mitchell could have cost us....Get back to it...Get the next one.....LET'S GO RANGERS!

Sat May 12 2012 7:05 pm EST

Is Mitchell dating Torts daughter or something?

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 7:05 pm EST

The Rangers PP gets worse instead of better!

LetsGoRangers

Sat May 12 2012 7:05 pm EST

Why isn't our PP working? Oh maybe because Mitchell is on the frigging thing? 5 goals all season why the F$%& is he on the PP? This is exactly the crap I talk about when I say Torts is too stupid to get out of his own way.

York18

Sat May 12 2012 7:04 pm EST

Another pathetic PP. there goes the momentum plus we ice it. Stupid.

Bob

Sat May 12 2012 7:04 pm EST

Wow, 4 guys actually at the powerplay, brilliant!

mykpfsu

Sat May 12 2012 7:00 pm EST

Kreider makes a difference with that speed....No doubt...

Sat May 12 2012 7:00 pm EST

Please put someone in front of the net and try to get a shot on the net.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 6:59 pm EST

PP TIME

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 6:52 pm EST

nice to see Kreider on the ice

nyfans

Sat May 12 2012 6:44 pm EST

Well that is a nice start by Mr. Clutch.

Bob

Sat May 12 2012 6:44 pm EST

No let up....Let's end this.....GO RANGERS!

Sat May 12 2012 6:43 pm EST

YEA BABY

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 6:43 pm EST

GOAL..........MR RICHARDS

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 6:42 pm EST

NN mcguire interviewing Staal while it starts.....mr go have fun.......

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 6:41 pm EST

not enough sponsors .......pc.........

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 6:40 pm EST

OK, LGR!!!!!

NYStranger

Sat May 12 2012 6:39 pm EST

STEVIE: Can you believe it..they are showing the Anthem.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 6:38 pm EST

This is pretty funny... John Tortorella Mash-up ....http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/2012/05/dj-steve-porter-cuts-john-tortorella-mash-up-featuring-highlights-from-ny-rangers-co

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 6:38 pm EST

When you dream about big games this is it. It's more important then any game in a long, long time. And I love it. It's awesome.

Sat May 12 2012 6:36 pm EST

Go Hard or Go Home... Let's Go Rangers!!!!

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 6:27 pm EST

Everybody and their brother is picking the Caps tonite.

LetsGoRangers

Sat May 12 2012 6:26 pm EST

Bob, I was coming on to post the exact same thing! Chimera, Laich, Holtby, and Ovy. The only thing re: Rangers, Hank missed the gameday skate this morning and Torts said he was "Dandy" Thanks for the balanced coverage nbc gofuckyourself! LGR! DTP!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 6:26 pm EST

Bob...Have stopped watching any pregame for this very reason...I turn on the game right before the puck drops....Come on Rangers....Advance tonight......LET'S GO RANGERS

Sat May 12 2012 6:20 pm EST

20 minute pregame on Sirius XM, all Caps love fest. Nothing about the Rangers. Let's piss them all off. Bring it Rangers.

Bob

Sat May 12 2012 6:19 pm EST

LET'S GO RANGERS

Sat May 12 2012 5:18 pm EST

WIN. So sayeth the law giver.

heston

Sat May 12 2012 5:02 pm EST

LGR!

Stevect

Sat May 12 2012 4:44 pm EST

I don't know how I feel about Callahan guaranteeing a win, but I'm sure he was put into a corner by a beat writer... hopefully it works out better for him than it did for Patrick Ewing... every time Ewing guaranteed a win, the Knicks lost... The good news is that Dubinsky was out of his walking boot today and walking around the clubhouse... MZA scored a couple of goals this morning against Marty Biron but his wrist is still not 100% (lacking strength)... good interview with him from this morning... http://blueshirtsunited.com/videos/1526/mats-zuccarello-1-on-1

Rhet0ric

Sat May 12 2012 4:03 pm EST

From another team's fan site. Let it be done.. Dear Hockey Gods, who art in hockey heaven, praise and glory to you when it comes to all things hockey. Give us this day a win for the following teams, and forgive us for any hockey trespasses, as we forgive those who have made hockey trespasses against us Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil .

Louie

Sat May 12 2012 3:45 pm EST

My 16-month old took the Ranger cap off my head, threw it on the floor and stepped on it. I think it's an omen that Boyle will score the game winner.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 3:20 pm EST

My friend sends me this text..The Hockey G-ds have spoken and the Rangers will win 3-0 with the last one an empty netter.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 12 2012 2:57 pm EST

BALLS TO THE WALL.....GIT UR DONE......

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 2:20 pm EST

Plenty of guys & their kids wearing Ranger Shirts & Caps..... The City is Ranger Country ... Getting Psyched for the Game ..... We're gonna Win This One.... Keep The Faith you all..... Let's Go Rangers !!!!

Sat May 12 2012 1:04 pm EST

Well, all I can say is; I'm All In! Fuck it!

pa.rangersfan

Sat May 12 2012 12:12 pm EST

Here we are at another game 7. Won't see the entire game, as my son has a game on the ice during it. Here's hoping they come out strong and bag a goal or 2 during the opening push. Playing with the lead, I think we win. Falling behind, we are in trouble. Henrik needs to come through and might need to pitch a shutout. Let's go Rangers!

Bob

Sat May 12 2012 11:53 am EST

The reason for the disgraceful loss in game 6, and the one and only hope for victory tonight, is quickness and hustle or lack thereof. Slowness in creating scoring chances, shooting the puck, getting to loose pucks, gaining the zone, moving the puck and shooting on the PP is what killed this team. They were inexplicably nonchalant in those areas. It was as though they didn't really want the puck and thought they had all day to make decisions. Reversing that is their only chance.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 12 2012 10:34 am EST

It should have read "I'm sure..."

Ranger47

Sat May 12 2012 10:12 am EST

I'm this question must have been posed and answered here already. but why are none of the games on MSG? I thought they said that they would be broadcasting all the Ranger playoff games (and did Round 1). In 93-94 they did them all. Does it have something to do with the NBC Sports contract with the NHL? Seems like Sam and Joe never even got to say goodbye for the season....At any rate, let's win Game 7 tonight and keep the season going! LGR!

Ranger47

Sat May 12 2012 9:30 am EST

We must win, thats al that matters..... Chances are, it aint gonna be pretty, but then again, winning tonight will be pretty..... IMO, we need to hit them real hard from the start, clean hits, but hard.... Rupp needs to embed someone into the boards, he needs to lead in the hard hits dept when he gets the icetime..... (He's my first to go in the offseason, topic for the offseason) ...... Thinkin this is going to be a war, 10 round heavyweight bout, Advantage Rangers!!! ....... ""LETS GO RANGERS""""

Sat May 12 2012 8:48 am EST

RF4L - Was that the point of Brooks' article (I don't read them)/? If so, well, duhhhhhhh...Of corse it has to be..and it has to be Cally's (who has sucked)...and Staal's...and Gabby's.....and Richards.........DCI - Personally, if the Rangers lose tonight, it was a wste of a season.....some fun moments to watch, but only results matter in hte pros...Well, they WIN, it's a whole nother story that has a chapter next week...good luck to the Rangers and Rangr fans...See ya after the WIn......

Hospo

Sat May 12 2012 8:13 am EST

One of the rare times I completely agree with LB: This needs to be Lundvqist's best game of the POs so far IMO.

RF4L

Sat May 12 2012 8:09 am EST

Want to get the first goal early tonight. We get up by 2 and the Caps will have to come out of their shell and all bets are off.

Fotiu22

Sat May 12 2012 6:43 am EST

there is no nostalgia today, there is one objective, outscore the craps.......period .......after 3 periods......time for the coach to show the way............Keenan did it amazingly in one season......git r done.......

stevielegs

Sat May 12 2012 5:53 am EST

Up early on a Saturday and really excited to watch Game 7 tonight. The only disappointment a loss would bring is that we can't seem to get past this Craps team and it's beginning to piss me off. Otherwise, I have not enjoyed a Ranger team more than this one. 1994 brought expectations that were realized. THANKFULLY! This team is Rocky. No one expected anything and they were discounted all year. But through everything they found ways to win and always had each others backs(VERY RARE IN RANGERLAND) So, win or lose tonight it has been a terrific season and very satisfying for me as a long time fan. That all being said I think they come out seeing red and hit evrything they see! Hopefully, that includes some twine! LGR!! Drop the puck!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 12 2012 5:41 am EST

The Captain......“I need to step up and lead and do the things I’m counted on doing for the team,” Callahan told The Post yesterday. “And that’s what I expect of myself [tonight]. “Personally, I don’t think I’ve been at my best in this series, but I’m looking to be stronger and better and create more offense. I have to do the things that make me effective and make us a better team.” Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/rangers_callahan_vows_xOxcR7kAlqMKq8DBiyFYnJ#ixzz1uePV8CgC

stevielegs

Fri May 11 2012 11:32 pm EST

TRADESTAR...."roughly in 24 hours"...that was quite a piece, man. Hats off.

FerociousMonk94

Fri May 11 2012 10:54 pm EST

thanx Stevie for that clarification....I can sleep better tonight!

TradeStar28

Fri May 11 2012 10:53 pm EST

Prior to the games, I used to read alot of the shit in the press, on the internet, on the blogs.....anywhere that mentioned anything about the Rangers.......Nowadays, I couldnt give a flying fugg about what the writers have to say....Honestly.......I do not even watch the pre-game crap to any sporting events......Its like the Derby where they talk for 3 hours before the silly ass race about every freakin dumb element that has to do with the sporting event.....same thing with football....especially the Super Bowl.......At this stage in life, I stick to reading what you wallsters have to say and thats it......Turn the TV on 2 minutes before the puck drops.......turn off the tv once they announce the 3 stars.......end of story!

TradeStar28

Fri May 11 2012 10:53 pm EST

I have avoided the NHLN and NBCSN the last 2 days because I was sure that they would be stroking the Caps and it would only irritate me. Ovechkin this, Backstrom that, Green this, Hunter that, Rock the Red. All BS.

Bob

Fri May 11 2012 9:50 pm EST

Just checked alot of sports news websites... The Capitals and Ovechkin are getting all the accoldades and press.... THe NYRs are being treated like the #8 seed playing on the road with a rookie goaltender in net... WTF?!! Ranger win 4-2 and Callahan gets the game winner...

schneidw

Fri May 11 2012 9:38 pm EST

Whale lose Game 6 in overtime by a score of 2-1. Season over.

Dineen11

Fri May 11 2012 9:34 pm EST

Trade it was his wife's half brother' s wife alias sister in law hence uncle daddy to her kids .,.......alias fat bastard Debbie ......

stevielegs

Fri May 11 2012 9:20 pm EST

Any body in the city want to meet and watch the game? I'm going to a bar on 9th between 56th & 57th. After our boyz win tomorrow (thinkin positive here folks) there's a chance some of the players wander in.

Fri May 11 2012 8:56 pm EST

Roughly in 24 hours, we will all be analyzing and assessing the NY Rangers lineup in respect to how it matches up with the Devils. Ofcourse, there will be some nostalgia thrown in the mix as well as defining moments that captured our hearts within Game 7 vs the Craps. Sprinkled in will be some jokes about the girth of martin brodeur's belly as well as talk about his age and the fact that he banged his wife's sister. Furthermore, there will be a few sarcastic jokes about parades in parking lot's, a gesture about the Messier guarantee, and a few complaints about listening to Joe Micheletti for another 2 weeks. There will be an overall exeburence on this wall that has not been seen ever because there was no wall 18 years ago. This my fellow Rangers fans is all about the win that will take place tomorrow night @ Madison Square Garden that will define your entire 2012 up to this point. Can you handle it? I am sure the wives and mothers of wallsters will embrace what will occur tomorrow with open arms because the men who root for the Rangers may, in fact, act even nicer to them come Sunday morning and through out the evening. But once Monday rolls around, its back to business.....self loathing, neurotic, doubting Ranger fans ....but this changes to happiness once Marty flops on the ice and Gabby lifts the frozen ring ding right into that mesh twine that you love to see bulging.........Let's Go Rangers!!!!

TradeStar28

Fri May 11 2012 6:34 pm EST

I like the switch of Anisimov for Feds that skated today vs. my lines. I like these lines a lot!

DCIGolfer

Fri May 11 2012 5:54 pm EST

If he uses the lines identified in today's practice and effectively manages ice time, including time for the 4th line, we win this game because now we have two offensive lines with speed that are also great along the boards. Use the 4th line as a crash line. Force the Capitals defense to retrieve the puck and then smash the living shit out of them. On defense, put Eminger back in the lineup as well. Bickel just can't keep up with the pace...

Tucc

Fri May 11 2012 4:58 pm EST

This means nothing but it's how I would play them tomorrow. Hags-BRich-Gabby / Kreider-Stepan-Cally / Feds-Boyle-Prust / Rupp-Anisimov-Mitchell. Anisimov could step into CK's spot on the 2nd if needed and Ani would PK. Kreider has to have a shot to affect the game as he did in round one.

DCIGolfer

Fri May 11 2012 3:33 pm EST

Seventh games are pretty hard to predict but the Rangers have been good this season at winning important games. This will all come down to who is able to cash in on their scoring chances. The way the goalies have been playing it's gonna be a close game and as good as Holtby has played I couldn't be happier that we have the King in nests for us. We have the advantage of home ice and the Garden is the best place for a game seven to be played. I can't wait!!! LETS GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wally5460

Fri May 11 2012 2:41 pm EST

BOB - I'm not saying I agree with everything!!..You know, during the season they played disciplined and opportunisitc, but they did take more chances and it was fun for the most part.. As was the Senator series, becasue the Senators gave the Rangers openings that they couldn't resist at times.....The problem is the Caps are playing exactly like the Rangers and it's just a stalemate.....A Series agasint the FLyers would have been so much different as will a series against the Devils if we are lucky enough to get there..

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 2:26 pm EST

I undestand the dumbing down of the system to help a team that is weak on talent survive. The question is......when does that system sap the club of enough of it's creativity that they are barren offensively? Why on earth have the Rangers not worked on crease crashing and screens, when that has become the best way to score goals? They are who they are now, but hopefully the system evolces as the talent and ability of the teams players increases. Tampa's Safe Is Death worked, and it was fun to watch.

Bob

Fri May 11 2012 1:58 pm EST

Nick - While not the most talented team in the League, you know like Philly, Pitt, Vancouver (where are those they??), in Richards, Gabby, Steppan, Cally, Hagelin, AA, Rupp and even Jesus Kreider, the Rangers have DECENTtalent.as well as a few Role players....Just that Torts weants his talented players to play like role players all the time...SSaturday night will show if he is reight becasue while opinions are many, they are meaninless, only results matter...

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 1:57 pm EST

In case nobody posted: The lines were as follows, per Andrew Gross: Hagelin - Richards - Gaborik Kreider - Stepan - Callahan Anisimov - Boyle - Prust Fedotenko - Mitchell - Rupp

pa.rangersfan

Fri May 11 2012 1:31 pm EST

Tonight?

RDW

Fri May 11 2012 1:15 pm EST

The biggest factor tonight (other than the obvious home field advantage with the crowd calling for penalties) will be us having last change. It should get our first line away from the Game 6 defenders and make sure we get the right D against their offense. Since Girardi was an allstar this year, Staal is a former allstar who is rounding into shape, McDonagh has arguably played like an allstar, and Henrik is a finalist for BOTH the Vezina and Hart trophies, Gaborik is a top 5 goal scorer, etc, etc, this team should be able to get through this tonight and move on....LGR!

Ranger47

Fri May 11 2012 1:15 pm EST

Of course my harping on K's ice time is proof this team has little skill out there. We can 'work down low' and crowd creases all we want (more of the latter would be nice). But outside of a few guys, stone hands and slow decisions make any chances we get disappear in a puff of smoke. So we need Hank to give up no more than one and hope for the best.

Nick

Fri May 11 2012 1:14 pm EST

KIS - I didn't mean that it's NOT a factor, just less so than than before. There's a lot of grinding by the boards...lots of work down low...we get spurts of back-and-forth hockey, but this is really a physical matchup...I also agree on the Hagelin line...but again, the speed isn't really the reason. It's more that they're effectively moving the puck along the boards...and...SIGH...'cycling'...We'll see. Man, I think I'm gonna need a Xanax Party Mix to crunch on before tomorrow. Already got the jitters.

tdchi

Fri May 11 2012 1:11 pm EST

Six minutes a night fpr K and he 'can't find room' and is a 'liability'? How much room is anyone finding? We have a better shot at room with Feds-Step-Prust and Boyle-Cally? And PP specialists Mitchell and Girardi? This is madness. And as far as teaching goes? To say now isn't the time is wildly understating. This smarmy wise-ass genius needs to give us a freaking chance to win, not prove his theories on 'grit' or whatever the fuck. Prove them wrong, that is.

Nick

Fri May 11 2012 12:29 pm EST

Bob: I may be a Ranger fan, but I take a shower every day.

VtRanger

Fri May 11 2012 12:14 pm EST

Hospo pretty spot on with that last remark. That is why I think Rupp(your BFF) should get more time. Get his big body to the net and push some people around. His body is fresher than Prust and he has more guile than Artie. He will get to the net and create room. I say put him out with Step and Cally sometimes. It should create space for Step and let cally be able to chase and fire away rather than dig round the goal. give him a shiift with those guys and let him spell Feds or Prust once in awhile

KIS

Fri May 11 2012 12:10 pm EST

TDCHI, my xanax has worn off but I am going to stay calm. I don't see what you are seeing. Speed is still a factor. Look at chimera. Semin , green and backstrom have been doing some good things. As far as hagelin, when that line is out on the ice, 85 percent of the time they have kept the puck in the washington end. they have created opportunities or hagelin is cutting the ice off in half and appllying the pressure. I think Washington has used some really good defensive support to stymie the true goal threats. That and the lack of skill or speed some of the rangers put out( prust , feds, boyle.

KIS

Fri May 11 2012 12:04 pm EST

Lines..Schmilines..it's all about execution...safe hockey....no mistakes..and Special Teams...Face it, we aren't going to get anything different from what we saw in the first six...The one thing the Rangers can do differnt is going to the net ..AND STAYING THERE..!!...We'll see

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 11:48 am EST

JFC31: Not that I disagree with your assertion but the bottom line is this: the style that the NYR play and the skill in the defensive parts of the game are MORE than adequate to win. Its their offense that fails them. One way or another they will need to pot some goals. If they can give Lundqvist a 1-2 goal cushion to work with he will take the team the rest of the way. But its been the achilles heal all series. And Don't get me wrong in this but Holtby to me has been good but has not had to be stellar one game. I have yet to see him put a team on his back and just say, 'no' all night long. His shot blocking defense has been keeping shots to the outside. The numbers are deceiving, the NYR can put up big numbers in shooting but so much of it is from 25-35' out with no pressure in front of the net. He is seeing everything and has not been forced to be exceptional nearly as much as he should in my opinion. Washington has far less of an issue than the NYR do because their offense is awesome. Need a goal? Fine go PP and unleash OV with time and space. He will kill you and right now, the entire Washington team is finding a way to beat Lundqvist 3-4 holes. Why? I have no idea why that has suddenly become a dent in his armor.

Fri May 11 2012 11:45 am EST

My shining hope is that TORTORELLA is playing one crazy-ass game of Rope-A-Dope with HUNTER...that he's waiting to put his potent lines together when it most counts(tomorrow)...I tend to agree with RF4L regarding KREIDER...that the ice has gotten noticeably smaller and that his speed isn't nearly the asset it was against Ottawa(notice both Johansson and Hagelin –the other two speedsters –are also ineffective)...but maybe...just maybe...all his time on the bench will allow Washington to forget just how dangerous he can be out there when he does get a stretch of a few feet to accelerate. Gotta admit, he really hasn't gotten any ice in the past three or four games...so maybe he's the secret weapon. And maybe this is just fanciful thinking...Anyway, I'm jumping on Gibbo's bus now and all you pessimists can eat our dirt!!! LGR!!!

tdchi

Fri May 11 2012 11:39 am EST

E---except for the last 2 games. I was certain he would change them around when down by 2 in the 3rd period last game, and yet he had Stepan-Fedotenko-Prust out there with less than 3 minutes to go. I couldn't believe it. You have a team that cannot score goals, but you continue to make a coaching point by playing one of the few guys who has shown that he has the talent to make a difference for 6:00? Works if you win. If you don't, you look stupid.

Bob

Fri May 11 2012 11:36 am EST

HOSPO--Carp commented that Green threw the puck into the stands because he saw Boyle coming and did not want to get hit. Pierre and Edzo were gusing over Hamrlik, whon has bee the absolute worst D-man in this series. Anybody except the Alzner-Carlson pair is exploitable. We simply did not do nearly enough to do so in the past 2 games.

Bob

Fri May 11 2012 11:34 am EST

BOB: How often does Tortorella actually keep his lines together? Only if they are going. I've said it before, they aren't a static line team, they are dynamic. It is more and more becoming the SOP for teams in the NHL.

Fri May 11 2012 11:17 am EST

BOB - Bingo on hannering Green and Hamrlik...They play so much differnt looking over their shoulder...Hit them from the start..Hopefully the Rangers are rested enough not to pull back on their checks..

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 11:10 am EST

While it irritates me that Torts has marooned Kreider, a guy with wheels and talent, on the 4th like, the dopey swap of Stepan for Boyle is the bigger problem. Boyle is killing Callahan. He is too slow and he is not a distributor of the puck. If Torts would simply put Stepan there and Boyle back to the 3rd line, we would be better. 2 games of that lineup without any changes, and one even strength goal, by Stralman. Boyle is a great kid, and we all like him and pull for him, but it was easy for the unwashed masses (all of us) to see that set up was not working. I would like to see us go back to hammering their defense. Mike Green looks kind of like Staal, in that he has taken some huge hits, not been injured, and seems to have gotten closer to where he was in prior years. I see this game as a tossup, and Henrik might have to pitch a shutout for us to win.

Bob

Fri May 11 2012 11:08 am EST

DId anyone else see that the U.S. beat Kazakhstan in OT at the WHC? I didn't know Kazakhstan had a team, I would have though that it was a Borat joke. I know we didn't send too many good players over, but that is crazy.

pete

Fri May 11 2012 11:00 am EST

VT; See's the light "OR" reads THE WALL! ;->) ......... lets go rangers !!

Fri May 11 2012 10:55 am EST

man you guys are all nervous and stuff, cmon... this team always bounces back... Rangers by a touchdown tomorrow as Jesus Kreider nets 5 in the first period... Rangers 8, Caps 1 and chants of WE WANT MARTY pour out onto 7th Avenue as a trumpet plays the Flintstones Theme

Gibbo

Fri May 11 2012 10:53 am EST

Jesus H Kreider has been more of a negative factor than anything else since game 1 - this series is tighter than the Ottawa one and the kid is struggling because of it. He cannot find room to skate and doesn't know how to adapt - this is especially noticeable when he's got the puck. Of course, that's of no surprise and no reflection on his ability or future. He's like 8 games into his professional career for crying out loud! IMO, it's over the top to rake Tortorella over the coals for his use of the kid over the past few games - the coach is trying to teach and manage simultaneousl. Sometimes the harsh criticism on here astounds me....

RF4L

Fri May 11 2012 10:51 am EST

Personally, I don't give two shits about Kreider right now...Honestly, it's a tough decison to make, you need his speed/offense...but you don't need his defensive irresponsibility...Best idea is to play him at the start and see what happens and how his play and the game evolves...

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 10:51 am EST

JFC, on this team, with our talent level, a kid with Kreider's speed and ability IS Jesus. We're festooned with third-and-fourth liners. Stepan as a number two center is a stretch. Our top LW bagged all of 14 goals. I like Hagelin; he's effective and fast as hell, but really. This squad can't keep any bullets in the chamber despite the chance of a misfire (tortured analogy I know!)

Nick

Fri May 11 2012 10:46 am EST

Glad to hear that, VtRanger. We'll soon see.

Nick

Fri May 11 2012 10:45 am EST

vcp94: Your just shooting int he dark that players feel the least bit alienated...how the hell can you know that? Torts does what Torts does, and all these players know it. They ave all been on the same page. And "benching"? who? when? Because the last guy to go a significant period of time with out playing was Bickle in the 3OT game, than the next game he had twice as much ice time in the first period as that OT games first period. Kreider has not been benched, just used less over the last couple games, and we have no idea what is being said to him before, during, or after. You cant say torts is doing anything to harm his relationship with players just because you happen to think he is doing something wrong.

Wildcard

Fri May 11 2012 10:29 am EST

KIS - nah, never meant the team would over think things...Just us!

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 10:25 am EST

Wouldn't be surprised in Torts cut back on Jesus H. Kreider because he did not have the last change and did not have the control of the matchups. Hey, he does not fully trust the kid and he wants him to play under the conditions that he feels are the most adventageous for the Rangers. If that meant going with a less speedy/aggressive lineup in game 6....even if it meant we'd have to squeek out an ugly win or ven lose a close one....then he's wlling to do it.....feeling confident that a game 7 at home with the Rangers getting last change is the safest way to go, Problem is, in a game 7, anything can happen....it's a risk but one that shows that Torts has confidence in his team.

JFC31

Fri May 11 2012 10:23 am EST

as torts says, The kid is learning its all part of the process.

KIS

Fri May 11 2012 10:16 am EST

Kreider skating with Cally and Stepan in paractice today. Torts sees the light.

VtRanger

Fri May 11 2012 10:15 am EST

Guys don't get hyped. The Rangers will be Fine and come out on top. Even if Kreider doesn't play with Cally and Step I think you will see AA on that line to give more speed. Torts always resorts back to Prust Fed and Boyle in tough situations.

KIS

Fri May 11 2012 10:14 am EST

Hospo -- basically, what I think Torts needs to do is just tell them that he has confidence in their defensive abilities, commitment, shot-blocking, etc and that he just wants them to put it all together and have fun. They need some type of mental release at this point so they can relax and get some offensive flow back into their game....if they feel relaxed, they will attack. That's what it looked like in the OT of game 5....albeit on a PP ....but htye just seemed like they KNEW they were gonna win that game and came out and did it. You're right.....it's kind of ugly hockey on both sides right now....probing, getting pushed back, short bursts that lead to nothing but a blocked shot (or a shot wide of the net because their trying not to get the shot blocked). If that's the way it's going to be then the Rangers need to score on their damned PP opprtunities. This series would be over if they had any competence in that area at all.....and the game 5 heroics was just an abberation....a 6 0n 4 and then the rest was momentum.

JFC31

Fri May 11 2012 10:12 am EST

No, it shouldn't happen to Kreider. We are STARVED for offense. Six minutes in Game Six? Fewer than John Mitchell? Same as Rupp? I don't care what Torts 'strategy' is; this is absurd on its face. Mr. 'Huge OT Wins Are No Big Deal' is a jackass and Boyle's remark illustrates it. Way to fire 'em up, Coach. Yeah I know: professionals shouldn't need it. But they do. At this point K will be useless anyway; God forbid he make a MISTAKE! Aarrghhh! You cost us the series unlike the 20 other mistakes other guys who can't score or even threaten make each game! Frustrating as hell.

Nick

Fri May 11 2012 10:10 am EST

Hospo, I don't think this team will over think it. I think if anything the 2 days off helps this team. It allows guys like Boyle, Cally, Girardi, Prust, Hagelin, staal (each one of these players is a physical first player) to get an extra days rest. When your game is predicated on being physical to compete an extra days rest for the body helps so much. A skilled player isn't going to get any more skilled but a rested player becomes more efficient. I think Hank comes out better. This team has always played better facing bad situations. I think getting the last change helps as well. Girardi has done well on OV. Strallman and DZ have given him too much room. Last time the rangers got off 17 -4 shots during the first period. I think the rangers come out strong. If not I see Prust getting into a fight. Either way I think the Rangers have a good game and move on to play the Devils. Lets go Rangers. Obviously I have changed my previous ritual of predicting the Rangers lose just so I could be wrong and hope they actually win. gotta break the superstition. I can actually see the caps getting down by 2 and opening up which gives the Rangers a better chance to score more. I also hope Torts isnt so Stubborn and puts Kreider with Cally and stepan.. Get r done Rangers

KIS

Fri May 11 2012 10:06 am EST

JFC/TDCHI - Personally, I think Rangers and Caps are evenly matched in theis series and in talent....First goal means alot (has won every game) and so does the PP...otherwise, it's just the teams swapping shiort surges........As for Brooks and going offensive, Do you make a change like that in a 7th game of a PO series on home ice where the way you have been playing indicates a good cahnce of winning in ths W-L-W-L-W-L series..? Or You could release the hounds and then make mistakes which a disciplined Caps team would take advantage of....or maybe force them to break and the Rangers win..Huge risk I don;t see a coach taking........easy for a NY Post writer to say

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 9:59 am EST

You're not going to get that kind of analysis on NBC, that's for sure. Seriously, HOSPO, that's terrific stuff to chew on as we wait for tomorrow night (seems like a week away, doesn't it?). Nice job. ... I agree in that Torts has said ad nauseum that the way the Rangers play is the way they HAVE to play, in his mind, to win. So that's why he sits a guy like Kreider after a couple of mistakes instead of live with those mistakes at this time of year. He doesn't think his team has the firepower to make up for those blunders. And so it's D first all the time, Mitchell on the power play, up and down minutes for Stepan etc.

Zebop

Fri May 11 2012 9:58 am EST

And BTW....Brooks should understand that even a guy liek Alex Ovechkin has had the rigns pulled in on him BIG TIME by his coach. That makes it sound a little silly to question why a kid with 11 games under his belt has the reigns pulled in on him....Ovie is one of the premier offensive players in the NHL and his defensive liabilities are getting his icetime reduced dramatically....but it shouldn't happen to Kreider?

JFC31

Fri May 11 2012 9:51 am EST

tdchi -- I agree....I've been saying all along that I thought the Rangers were simply the better team. Until game 6, I felt that the Rangers had dominated most of the series and could have been on to the Conference finals already is they hadn't given away game 2 with boneheaded mistakes. Big factor tomorrow night is that Rangers get the last line change due to being at home. That is HUGE for the Rangers. I also tend to agree with Brooks' article today that recommends that the Rangers ATTACK....basically, it should be "releeeease the hounds!!!" Torts should tell them to be smart, but be aggressive....go out there and have fun and score some goals. They look like they are getting into a rut due to over-concentrating on not making mistakes. After playing an entire season of this style, it should be NATURAL to not make mistakes.....like any other skill, if you truly have it, you do not need to thinka about it, it just happens. They need to trust themselves and their defensive abilities and just have fun going after this victory. Perhaps this is why Torts is clamping down on Kreider....after 11 games in the NHL, there's no way that Torts' style can be "natural" to him. But if he goes on a line with Stepan and Callahan, they can be an attacking line that Torts gets to use in matchups that favor the Rangers....that can help Kreider minmize his mistakes by pairing him with 2 guys who have the system doen pat, yet have offensive creativity. The Rangers need to score goals and stop playing like zombies.

JFC31

Fri May 11 2012 9:49 am EST

Bad thing about having two days off after a loss means way too much time for needless overanlaysis, what-ifs, and over the top criticisms...And I include myself in the guilty category,...We ALL know the flaws of this Ranger team...They have talent, but not as much as the likes of Pitt, Philly (BIOTH GONE without a whimper I might add) and a few others,,,We also know, but forget, that they have a style, where they try to win with defense, discipline and opportunism, basiclally muting talent that would shine more in other sytems (like the losing ones in Philly and Pitt).......But the fact is that it has got worse during THIS iPO series for two reasons...First off, the Caps are playing team D as good as anybody right now (so are the Rangers)....and 2nd, and this is where TORTS come in, the entire Ranger strategy has been to try and controal the puck behind the goal line and deep sideboards, hoping to get 1 or 2 passes out to the slot and hoping to win 1-0, 2-1 games.....The Rangers have alot more talent then the lack of offense indicates and could playe another way where they would score more buyt also give up more...Would they win? I really don't know....Obviously, Torts thinks not.....

Hospo

Fri May 11 2012 8:57 am EST

I have a bad feeling its over for the Rangers. Talkarella is starting to alienate players with his benchings....unsure just dont feel confident right now......Boyle even said "you cant tell even when we win" I hope i am wrong

vcp94

Fri May 11 2012 8:51 am EST

More interesting reading to bide the too-many-hours before Game 7, this one CBC's Elliotte Friedman's "30 Thoughts" column with some good stuff about the Rangers, how the McDonough trade went down etc. And just for the record, I got the trivia quesion (No. 8 in the column) in about 3 seconds too. -- http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opinion/2012/05/quenneville-uses-leverage-plus-30-thoughts.html

Zebop

Fri May 11 2012 8:11 am EST

TD: Of course, that's part of being a hockey writer. Or a sports fan. We all do that. Just like you say 'if Tortorella had put BB in the 3rd line spot and Stepan in the 2nd that goal wouldn't have been scored/would have been scored'.

RF4L

Fri May 11 2012 8:05 am EST

RF4L - See, this is why I'd love to be a hockey writer...you can pretty much play revisionist history and nobody calls you on it...Truth is, we'll never know EXACTLY what the Rangers offered and what Columbus wanted...but this guy seems to forget one of the names that was being kicked around by the Jackets was McDONAGH. Now if that was who we were going to move to get NASH and you take him out of the lineup...guess what? I'm not sure the Rangers would have gotten out of the first round. Now if you say McDONAGH AND KREIDER...AND a few first rounders? I mean come on. I knew if this series went long enough or if the Rangers lost, there would be people whining about not getting Nash. I didn't think a by-lined hockey column about it would appear, but I really overestimated the level of talent of today's hockey writers.

tdchi

Fri May 11 2012 7:55 am EST

The Rangers get the best record in the east, come one game away from winning the president's trophy, and are one game away from going to the conference finals DESPITE not having one of their top-6 forwards and one of their top four defenseman...AND STILL they're simply not talented...they're just winning game s out of luck...sheesh...Caps and their tape-to-tape passing? Huh? And the Caps more talented?!? What? Let's go down the line then, from 'top to bottom': So the top three forwards are OV, Backstrom and Semin versus Gaborik, Richards and Callahan. Yes, the Caps have all three there...but let's drill down further...next up on the Caps is Laich, Johansson, and Chimera versus Stepan, Hagelin and Anisimov(I'll omit DUBINKSKY because he's out right now)...Now I think REAL highly of Laich, but Stepan is a better player all-around, no question about it. Far more talented. Johansson and Hagelin are oddly similar, so we'll call it a push...Chimera versus Anisimov isn't even a discussion. The Russian is a better player...FAR more talented...Next three: Brouwer, Ward, and Knuble, versus Kreider, Boyle and Fedotenko...Kreider, even though he's just 10 games into his NHL career, blows Brouwer out of the water...Boyle is better than Ward. Maybe not by much, but better...and for argument's sake, we'll say Fedotenko and Knuble are a push, though I would say Feds is the better of the two at this stage in his career. Knuble has one move: Hammer the goaile. It's the only way he scores...and then finally, we have Aucoin, Halpern and Hendricks versus Mitchell, Rupp and Prust, Mitchell. I would say all three are basically a push. You could argue more talent or value in one direction or the other...now here's where it gets telling: DEFENSE. Caps top two are Green and Carlson versus the Rangers top two Staal and McDonagh. While Green and Carlson certainly add an offensive dynamic the Rangers duo doesn't have, defense-wise, Staal and McDonagh are FAR more talented...moving down, you have Alzner and Wideman versus Girardi and Stralman. Girardi hands down over either of those rubes any day of the week. Wideman over Stralman ...Then Hamrlik and Schultz versus Del Zotto and Bickel. One for the Rangers, one for the Caps...and then finally, Holtby versus Lundqvist...And I don't even need to go there...If you follow along that logic, these team are pretty goddamn evenly matched. Maybe even deadlocked...The ONLY area where the Caps really blow the Rangers out of the water is the top three forwards...and as of lately, behind the bench. And that, friends, is the real root of why these teams are tied right now: BETTER COACHING. I still don't understand how someone can watch these games and come away with the notion that the Caps ARE better than the Ranger, much less that they are WAY better than the Rangers. It takes a special eye to see that...and most of those eyes belong to the NBC announcers. This is anyone's series. The team that comes out to play tomorrow moves on to New Jersey. The other one goes home. Simple as that.

tdchi

Fri May 11 2012 7:41 am EST

I know it's pure conjecture but IMO, interesting nonetheless: An article in the Toronto Sun musing about the what ifs Nash was a Ranger....http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Playoffs/NYRangers/2012/05/10/19743456.html. The author's proclamation that this series would be over if Nash was a Ranger I find hard to argue against. Life, sometimes, is a series of what ifs, isn't it??

RF4L

Fri May 11 2012 7:32 am EST

Hey, don't get me wrong. There is no quit in this thing. They are 1 game away from being in the Conference Finals. ANYTHING can happen in this game. If the Rangers are the better team tomorrow then that is all that will matter. If the CAPS are the better team but the Rangers steal the game then GREAT! You don't have to be the best team to win the Cup. You need to be good enough and lucky enough to win 4 games in 4 consecutive series before your opponent can.

Vic

Fri May 11 2012 7:21 am EST

1 game between the next round or going home....... 8 something in the morning & already the tension's building...... There's no talk about losing among the team, no talk about losing in practice or in the locker room... The word "lose" does not exist right now..... We need to take care of our business, win the next game, beat the Caps..... Everyone is coming to play with intensity, and win.......

Fri May 11 2012 7:18 am EST

Vic, good points. Richards<Backstrom Gabby=Semin(this series) Cally<Ovy(By a lot) even McD<Green(Offensively at this time) and Girardi<Wideman(but that one is close) Where we are better. King>Holtby and Staal>Any Cap D. Otherwise we over matched at this point. I would still rather have our roster. Kreider, Hagelin, Dubinsky, MDZ should all continue to improve and grow together over the next few years. They will contend every year for the next decade if the King holds up.

DCIGolfer

Fri May 11 2012 6:50 am EST

OLA: No question about it, being behind when playing a team like the Rangers or CAPS is bad news. Yes, many of those chances that the CAPS have had are because of that, especially over the last three games. However, the CAPS are still getting those odd man rushes and chances at even strength when the games are tied. They control and move the puck better then the Rangers. There aren't too many folks around here who don't know the game. Most of us have watched and played for decades. I can't believe that people here are being objective when they say that they think the Rangers are the better team. That's ok. I get being a fan and being blinded by your desire to see your team win. I'm just not wired that way. Part of my frustration in watching these games is hearing the dopey broadcast team gush about the CAPS. I really hate it but if I'm going to be honest about it then I have to realize that they are gushing about the CAPS simply because the CAPS look like the better team and are playing better hockey for the lion-share of these games. Sure, the Rangers put on a "surge" from time to time as the broadcast team words it. However, saying that the Rangers are putting on a surge is really just pointing out the times in the game where the CAPS don't look like they are in control or the game looks balanced. I don't think there is any conspiracy against the Rangers. I think people are naturally drawn toward talent and skill. Talent and skill always looks better to the eyes then hard-hat or lunch-pail play. And again, the thing that really draws your eyes to the difference between these two teams is how they handle and control the PP. That is the time where your skill and talent should give you the advantage of time and space to make plays. Except that the Rangers don't have the hands to take advantage of it. The CAPS do. And it looks obvious.

Vic

Fri May 11 2012 6:50 am EST

stevielegs----WORD-Brotha!!!!!.LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!!!!!

thedugster

Fri May 11 2012 6:35 am EST

Dugster many decided to jump ship early because they wanted to aviod the rush if they lose game 7. They haven't figured out what to do after the NYR WIN game 7. It's part of the NYR coping mechanism. Tomorrow is the future, not the past. It's time to forget the past, not relive it. I'm not interested in being right or wrong, just win. My superstitions will probably continue, as will everyone else's regardless.....Just wish they had gotten Nash, but I hope they prove me wrong. ......this is not the time to quit.......remember tug mcgraw........that's what this TEAM has to do.........they don't know the easy way.........yet..........

stevielegs

Fri May 11 2012 5:52 am EST

I stayed from the wall for a few days because just like many of you I was Pissed, upset and really baffelled how we could play so poorly. But the truth is It was one game, it was a stinker and we have always bounced back after a stinker. This team is more then the sum of its parts, yes to Vics points the caps have more talent and man for man are a better talented team. But as a team Im picking our boys to pull off a big win tomorrow. I also cant get over the fact this is the 3 or 4th youngest team in the league so the future looks amazing. Im sure in the off season the scoring issue will be addressed and that will make us better. We need to be positive and root our team to a big FUCKING WIN AT MSG!!!!!!!!!!!lEtS Go rAnGeRs~!!!!!!!

thedugster

Fri May 11 2012 5:46 am EST

"With an average ticket price of $718.42, the game is the most expensive f the season, surpassing the Winter Classic ($521.85), according to TiqIQ. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/game_tix_don_come_cheap_T9aQpJD6JqoWG6GtrMmzdL#ixzz1uYactN40

stevielegs

Fri May 11 2012 5:44 am EST

"The power play, an easy target in the wake of an 0-for-5 performance that included failure on a second period four-minute advantage in Wednesday’s Game 6, 2-1 defeat in D.C., is operating at 18.2 percent (4-for-22) in the series, a higher efficiency than the regular season’s 15.7 percent. Moreover, the power play won Game 5 by scoring on both ends of a double minor, first with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation and then at 1:35 of OT, after having produced a third-period tying goal in Game 2. The penalty-kill, however, has allowed four PPG’s on 19 Washington advantages for a 78.9-percent success rate that is lower than the season’s estimable 86.2-percent efficiency. Three of the goals were killers and the fourth would have been if not for Brad Richards’ heroic goal with 7.6 seconds remaining in Game 5. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/special_teams_penalty_killer_TxWZxZIPGxOVyDDfxjcB0K#ixzz1uYZwYkAa

stevielegs

Fri May 11 2012 5:42 am EST

".The Rangers have scored just one even-strength, 5-on-5 goal in 144:52, going back to the second period of Game 4. Tortorella was asked what his team needs to do better in order to score. “We’ve discussed that as a team,” he said, “we’ll keep that in the locker room.” Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/tortorella_putting_wraps_on_kreider_rxULzEL15PdupIziFeBSMN#ixzz1uYYsd3JE

stevielegs

Fri May 11 2012 4:15 am EST

Vic- I definitely agree on the play in the regular season vs PO's. But I don't agree at all with the rest. You have to remember that in the 3 games we lost, we gave Was the lead early on in two games after ridiculos misstakes and in the 3rd loss we gave up a goal after 1.30... Both teams kind of play the same way. And you could ask any observer that when two teams like this play against each other, the team sitting on the lead will look a helluva lot more composed then the team trying to catch up. In the regular season we could catch up at times because teams didn't match our intensity for 60 minutes. But we still won most of our games, by far, by not giving up the first goal. Or more relevant during the regular season, finding ourself behind with 20 to go or something. In the 3 games we have won, when we have not given up a lead early, I've not been impressed with Washington's ability to expose us at all. Not at all. Bäckstörm has been able to open things up at times, but that have been the only option they have had. Like in the 3OT game. Its just me speculating, but I definitely think that people who think that this Was team is good, is in for a big suprise if they beat us and end up playing NJD.

Ola

Fri May 11 2012 12:21 am EST

Chimera looks like Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. No way Holtby has been better than Henrik in this series. Their effort sucked last game. They need to bring it Saturday. Then, they need to kick Uncle Daddy's ass.

Bob

Thu May 10 2012 11:15 pm EST

And that damn Chimera still looks like the Kanamit from 'To Serve Man.' IT'S A COOKBOOK! (Apologies to non Twilight Zone fans.)

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 11:12 pm EST

Vic, I can't disagree with most of your points. I wondered all year how this team kept winning, but they did. Hard work way more often than not (now equalized by playoff opponents), good goalie, opportunistic decent offense (but again, stifled by opponents' playoff intensity). Not to beat a dead horse, but this is why Torts' ice time choices bother me so much. Any skill level you have you gotta use. Holtby is a great story and is ice water out there, but I can count the truly great saves he's had to make on one hand. Hank has had to make a ton more, and has gotten beat by rocket shots from the high slot time and again, not really his fault because come on -- blasts from 40 feet by Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green are gonna be tough. But Torts has well and truly choked this round. What, after Ottawa and Game One with the Caps, Kreider sucks now and is a gamble? We can't use his speed and skill? We gotta play John Freaking Mitchell on the PP? For faceoffs? Because he won one? Shouldn't that be Brad "One Million Bucks Per Month" Richards out there? Not knocking the guy, just saying that he's the choice for those spots, not a AHL Leaf reject who 'works hard.' Okay now I'm rambling. I hate like hell anticipating the NBC story line of Holtby v. The Legendary 40-Year-Old Sister-in-Law Banger. And I'll be pulling like hell for the kid. But let's win Saturday and beat that fat old fuck ourselves.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 10:24 pm EST

I've been traveling and haven't had the chance to weigh in until now. Those who know my point of view know that I do not think highly of this team's talent level. They accomplished what they did in the regular season by playing playoff intensity hockey all season long. Nobody plays that way in the regular season but everybody does at the end of the year and in the playoffs. That is why teams like the SENS and CAPS (who had mediocre at best seasons) have given the Rangers so much trouble. In particular, this CAPS team. As others have noted the CAPS are basically playing the same game as the Rangers. What has become clear to me in watching all six games is that they are better then the Rangers from top to bottom. Their top 6 forwards are more skilled, their bottom 6 forwards are more effective, their goaltender is more consistent and their coach has a better feel for his team and its opponent. Sure, if you want to analyze the individual goals to determine if one was lucky and one wasn't you can play that game. What I see when I watch these games is the difference in the play between these two teams. How many breakaways have the Rangers had? I can recall only 1. I can recall several for the CAPS. How many 2 on 1s and Odd man rushes for the Rangers? I don't recall any 2 on 1s. The CAPS have had many. The Rangers handle the puck like it is a grenade. They can't consistently and cleanly make 10 to 15 foot passes. When I watch the CAPS I see tape to tape passing up and down the ice. When you watch the Rangers PP you really see the lack of hands on this team. The CAPS are putting pressure on the Rangers. To beat that pressure you need to move the puck quickly and cleanly to the open man. The Rangers are simply unable to do that. They are unable to make the clean passes (and pass receptions) that are necessary. The CAPS pounce on them the second they fumble with the puck. The CAPS, on the other hand, move the puck with ease on the PP and are able to consistently generate scoring chances from the slot off the pass. Which leads me to my last point.......how many goals (hell even shots) have the Rangers gotten off from the high slot in this series. I can only remember the goal by KREIDER. I literally cannot remember even one other clean shot the Rangers have taken from the high slot at even strength or even on the PP. The CAPS are getting quality shots from the high slot every game. I was as disgusted as many of you watching that game last night. Will I be watching on Saturday? No, I will not. I will be playing hockey instead. I don't know if I would have watched even if I could have. I probably would have because I am as much of an idiot, sucker Rangers fan as the rest of you. I am going to tape the game but for the first time ever for me in a playoff game I am going to find out the score before I decide if I am going to watch it. My prediction for the game is that the CAPS will win 4 to 1. The last goal will be an empty net goal. Hopefully I am wrong. Hopefully this "idiot savant" season will continue past Saturday. I will hold off on the topic of next season until after the last nail is in the coffin for this season.

Vic

Thu May 10 2012 10:06 pm EST

Ferocious.., spot on! We can only roll with what we have so, let's hope for a better effort and a win Sat.nite. Just so RF..stops busting my chops!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 9:37 pm EST

PA...It's a difficult dilemma when you want to enjoy this ride after such a successful regular season and now one win away from the conference finals. You don't want to dampen it for others, but....performances like that are inexcusable. We lost game 3 vs WAS in 94, but the level of effort was in a different universe from that pathetic display last night. It was so abysmal that it canot be overstated. Everyone should be enraged and disgusted. This time of year, luck may disappear, positive results may be elusive, but effort should always be clearly evident. It was not last night, and there is no excusing it.

FerociousMonk94

Thu May 10 2012 9:30 pm EST

Shtting the bed SUCKS! ;^)

RF4L

Thu May 10 2012 9:29 pm EST

Ferocious.., not for nothing, but I had the same reaction to last nite's "non"-performance as you and tussled on here all day with folks. Hell, I'm even the newest member of the elite fighting unit known as THE CLUELESS JACKASS CLUB! Some here are 1/2 full, some 1/2 empty; it may not always be pretty but we all have a good time. Rip,Shit, or Bust!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 9:27 pm EST

In '94 I had the asinine, superstitious ritual of laying all of the major newspapers on the floor during the game, with the back page headline reporting Ranger playoff victories facing up. I still have all those papers. By the end, they covered a lot of floor space. And probably contain a few drops of spilled beer. Maybe it wasn't so asinine. Something worked.

FerociousMonk94

Thu May 10 2012 9:10 pm EST

.....I'm just reading all the posts about our little habits and issues and I'm LMAO....I can't believe we all have these weird patterns that we've convinced ourselves will affect the outcome of Ranger games...me for instance....after the game 3 loss against the Craps for which I had my "Lucky" 1994 Ranger Puck in the room, I promptly went ouside and chucked it into the woods...upon sober reflection it probably wasn't the right move! My language has become legendary watching Ranger games.....my wife knows better than to stay with me. Its odd because for Giant games she's actually good luck....imagine that!!

MelvilleFred

Thu May 10 2012 8:56 pm EST

Bob...then how do you explain the Capitals out Rangering us? Because they have superior talent that can easily convert to a counter attack after collapsing 5 guys in front of their Goalie......

MelvilleFred

Thu May 10 2012 8:53 pm EST

Ferocious...completely understand the frustration....after all we're Ranger fans......just wanted to slap you back into the fold for Saturday! Great posts by York18 and OLA this morning....right on the money. For me Saturday is my 60th Birthday and these guys will either lkill me or cure me.....I concur that we absolutely have to score first!!!! Was watching the World Championships or whatever that thing is called...US vs.whatever.....the thing that was most noticeable and what some of us have been calling for a long time is the larger Ice surface. There was flow to the game. there was room, guys were skating unimpeeded.....it was actually Hockey, what a concept....and oh yeah there were 3 guys and a dog in atendance.

MelvilleFred

Thu May 10 2012 8:53 pm EST

The Rangers are not devoid of offensive talent. Their system mutes offensive talent. They rarely have an odd man rush for themselves, because they are so deep in their own zone defending.

Bob

Thu May 10 2012 8:43 pm EST

Tortarella- Is it me, or is TORTS coaching not to lose this series instead of to win? Something is so strange in this series in the sense that Boyle, Prust, Fedotenko, Kreider, Stepan have become non-factors... all this play along teh boards without any net crashing, the lack of pinching in by the defense just seems very unnaggresive and out of character for this team... I trust TORTS... the NYRs would be playing golf without him right now.. BUT.....

schneidw

Thu May 10 2012 8:40 pm EST

Hospo... Was the concert at MSG? Best concert I ever saw (Grateful Dead) and worst concert I ever saw (Grateful Dead). As far as non-GD, best (Janes Addiction) and worst (REM).. I never saw the bands you listed, but I am suprised by BC since whenever I have seen Paul Rodgers on TV, he seems like a great performer... just not a fan of his music... Thanks for the NYR topic break... I am really nervous about Game 7... If the NYRs get knocked out AGAIIN by teh CAPS, I am going to snap!

schneidw

Thu May 10 2012 6:01 pm EST

MELVILLE, AND WHOEVER...I cna understand why you would tell me to screw off after my posts. I'm not looking to flame with anyone here. I get all the flaming I need elsewhere. The internet is a much bigger place now than it was when we all started skirmishing here. I'm just venting my frustration with the way this team plays sometimes, venting too much I'm sure. That's the way I roll - nothing in moderation. I listened to Boomer today, and while he's an insufferable rah-rah guy, he reminds me of myself when I had more time and more of a stomach for this shit. I took my 8-yr old daughter tio her first two Ranger games this year, and they shit the bed in both. Anytime this year I have gone out of my way to go to games or meet friends to watch a game, they have shit the bed. All things considered, I'm amazed they earned the record they did after all the shit performances I have seen this year. I'll leave it at that. Not trying to begrudge anyone their enjoyment, just expressing my feelings as a fan, amongst other fans.

FerociousMonk94

Thu May 10 2012 5:41 pm EST

Hospo.., I'm real old-school when it comes to the great, classic bands. I never was a Bad Co. fan either but Rodgers is a legend. I was and still am to this day a die-hard KISS fan but what they are now is reprehensible, just to give another egs..

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 5:38 pm EST

td...I'm a die-hard also as is everybody that posts here. I guess there's just diff levels of insanity. I respect your take and at the end of the day I would be standing with you to get our guys over the hump.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 5:14 pm EST

Newfie_Ranger - I didn't really understand why the team kept feeding GIRARDI...There were a couple times he shot the puck where I think if it had bean ANYONE else, it would have gone in. That's one of the things that got me punching things last night...yeah...you're on a three-on-one. Pass the goddamn puck to the guy who was tied for 12th on the team in goals...

tdchi

Thu May 10 2012 5:09 pm EST

pa - everyone is entitled to their thoughts. I just personally can't stand it when people bash their own team on a fan website as bad as some were doing last night. Don't like 'em? Fine. Don't watch 'em. Seems clear to me...KIS - I don't know if you read Carp's site regularly, but he has an EXCELLENT take on the game last night. A must-read even. Carp, though he gets a little snarky at times, is about as realistic as someone can be about the team and he's got a keen insight into their inner workings. He was one of the guys who used to piss me off because of his support for Torts...but lo-and-behold, everything he wrote when I was yelling "FIRE TORTS" here at the beginning of the season proved balls-on accurate...his take on the game was that there were two real lucky events that occurred to lose that game for the Rangers...the first was when CALLAHAN "blew a tire" so to speak, which allowed OVECHKIN to get open and score that top-shelf goal...the second was a REAL lucky deflection off BACKSTROM'S skate, putting the puck on CHIMERA'S skate for the goal. Take those two gaffs away and the game is MUCH different...not to say the Rangers played GOOD last night(they didn't) or that the coaching was GOOD(it wasn't)...but that the bounces sure weren't going in our favor. I was just as angry last night as anyone. My girl had to shut the windows in the house because she said my shouting was clearly audible several blocks away...And let me tell you, there was some furniture flung...but when I woke up this morning, I felt a lot better...Rangers have more than a chance to win this. And if they don't, fine. Everyone can grouse. But until then, I'm keeping hope. I'm not going to sit here and pine about what could have been with NASH or what could be with PARISE, because it's stupid. There's AT LEAST 60 minutes of the Rangers' season left, and a good chance there will be more. I'm going to be drinking, screaming and cheering AT LEAST until those 60 minutes are done. Anyone who thinks that's stupid simply doesn't see this team in the way that myself and many other diehard fans do.

tdchi

Thu May 10 2012 4:42 pm EST

Use the lines from games 6 & 7 of the Senators series and the Rangers win the game. Use the same lines from last night and the Rangers will be booking tee times!

Tucc

Thu May 10 2012 3:06 pm EST

Ranger47 - Agree big time on the PP and The King and the lines.....I expect The King to be fine....and the lines to not be drastically different..but, man, that PP..outside those two plays the other night, it has been a life sucking force for the Rangers and an energizer for the Caps....Just one damn lucky goal --traffic would help--is all they need...Can't see Torts making changes---like using McD---but at least get those asses in front and shoot quicker...

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 3:01 pm EST

PA - Have to agree with Hospo - I think Freddie would have approved of Adam Lambert. Would like to see that concert - where is it? But back to the Rangers.....Having last change at home will help a lot, since the matchups in DC were a killer for us. Would also like to see the lines restructured, but game 7 at home is probably not the right time to try it unless we fall behind. I think this will come down to whether we can score at least one PP goal and Henrik comes up strong....LGR!

Ranger47

Thu May 10 2012 2:58 pm EST

I've grown to appreciate Queen as I've gotten older. Man, what a singer/frontman Freddie Mercury used to be. ...One of my fave HD channels is Palladia. Some great concert footage.

Zebop

Thu May 10 2012 2:24 pm EST

PA - I don't know, I think Freddie might approve more of Adam Lambert than Paul Rogers! All kidding aside, I've seen Lambert with Queen and he doen't fit in that bad.......OTOH, the worst concet i ever saw in my life was Bad Co. and Rodgers (next to Foreigner)...and I was reminded of that watchiung their crappy performance from wembley (2010) the other night..

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 2:19 pm EST

I just don't like the way the lines are structured right now. Worst set of 4 lines for the entire year.The PP sucks and has no game plan and ofcourse Torts simply refuses to use off-wing shots at the sides and the points. Also, Girardi has to come off that point. I know you don't need a cannon like Chara but my God my daughter shoots harder than him. If Holtby didn't wear a mask ,he could catch it in his teeth !.............I am worried about Sat night @ MSG. The stars will have to be in perfect alignment for us to pull this one off . Keep the faith and Let's Go Rangers !

Newfie_Ranger

Thu May 10 2012 1:55 pm EST

RF that is nothing you should watch a game with Pa fan. You would think he is a writer for the saw movies. the things he would do with that stick would make him the most hated man in the league. hahaha it is hillarious to listen to him during a game.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 1:42 pm EST

And one more thing: QUEEN is doing shows with Adam Lambert! Really! Ok, Paul Rodgers I can see but this? Somewhere the legend Freddy Mercury is rolling in his grave!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 1:33 pm EST

My wife gets upset with me when I get all wound up at players like Chris Neil and blurt out 'I hope someone gouges out that phucker's eye so he has to retire. I'd applaud that bigtime'.

RF4L

Thu May 10 2012 1:32 pm EST

Hospo: LOLOL...I hope you've since toughened that boy up! LOLOL...funny story....

RF4L

Thu May 10 2012 1:27 pm EST

Hospo.., you know how much I enjoy reading those fat-finger posts! LOL

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 1:11 pm EST

i hate spelling

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 1:10 pm EST

PA - Hey, once I start worrying about typing and spelling, I lose my cluelessness...!! ...

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 1:10 pm EST

nah my boy is 15 going on 16 but still doesn't make it right. Can't wait for him to say that great dad is that what 3 educational degrees bings to your vocabulary

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 1:07 pm EST

Hell with that; since I don't let my 8 yr old son 'cuss like his dad, he makes up his own 'cuss words!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 1:06 pm EST

Just so you all know. KIS is an educator in his professional life. Hospo..I'm assuming is not. My point is, Big Boy needs to use that spell-check for those 2nd grade words he can't seem to spell!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 1:04 pm EST

KIS: Trust your son isn't like 6 years old!

RF4L

Thu May 10 2012 12:56 pm EST

Zebop - hah, I remeber a game during the 1994 run when my son was 4.....I let out a Giant animalstic F-bomb that the entire neigberhood heard....My son was walikng around the living room and dropped like he had been shot at the lound noise....and strarted balling...and then the wife comes fying out of nowhere screaming at me with words I HAD never heard..oh, it was a fun night...:)

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 12:54 pm EST

Hospo- Agreed. Still can't complain about the heart of this team. Just bring it on Saturday night for 60 minutes and make sure we dominate from start to finish so a bad call or bad bounce doesn't bounce us out of the playoffs. A two goal lead would be a dream and having my 9 year old not hearing any more F-bombs from me would be a plus as well! (the only time i ever curse in front of him!)

Fotiu22

Thu May 10 2012 12:51 pm EST

FOTIU - Agree on Boyle..The heart is there, but the body not as much...He has taken a beating, not jsut the concussions..seems to have slowed him down a bit...Cally has slowed down measurably also....It's a grind...I think both physically and mentally the Rangers just hiot a real bad spot last night....But what matters is what happens on Saturday,..

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 12:47 pm EST

sorry for the langueage

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 12:43 pm EST

my son laughed when I said if the fuckin ref had another fucking eye the cocksucker would be a psclops. how could you be sucha fucking mutha fucker and make such jackass call. That was when Stralman made the dive and before i saw the replay.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 12:42 pm EST

Boyle is clearly not the same player he was prior to his concussion. That line of Boyle, Cally and Anisimov is eating up a ton of minutes and I can't recall them having more than one good scoring chance in two games.

Fotiu22

Thu May 10 2012 12:40 pm EST

My son is too young to hear me spew "bad" words while watching the Rangers suck with me. I have to keep everything inside, at least until he goes to bed. No wonder I grind my f-ing teeth while I sleep! ... love the "Bodhi" reference. Classic movie!

Zebop

Thu May 10 2012 12:39 pm EST

JF do you realize many of these idiotic tendencies come once we get married. That change of life makes us all crazy. We no longer have the ability to release frustration and we get another type of craziness applied to our lifes. We have no choice but to become mad. Because now everything that happens in this new combination is the mans fault when something goes wrong. We cant hollar at the wife so we are left to show insane behavior at a TV. sad thing about it is no matter how loud we curse and scream those goes can't hear us. What a life

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 12:20 pm EST

RF4L -- what the heck do kids nowadays know? They have no clue the suffering we've endured and how it has led to post-traumatic stress syndrome....which, in turn, causes violent verbal abuse, ridiculous neurotic beavior, and a laundry list of other weirdness, often unique to each individual fan. It's hell......and yet, we keep coming back for more.!!

JFC31

Thu May 10 2012 12:14 pm EST

JFC: LOL...funny stuff. My 22 year old gets all annoyed with me when I start yelling about the PP sucking or certain players sucking. He just doesn't get it because he's only become a fan this year - he doesn't have 40 years of oftentimes mind-numbing history weighting him down! I've tried to educate him, reciting the pain of the early 70s and the Bruins, then the late 70s and the Flyers pounding us. I cannot even recall now what happened in the 80s, then the wondrous 94 year, followed by what I think might be the blackest years of all: The late 90s to 2004 when the Rangers, led by Sather himself, were the laughing stock not only of pro hockey, but of NA professional sports.

RF4L

Thu May 10 2012 12:10 pm EST

Since we were quoting "Dalton" lines yesterday, how about this "Bodhi" line for game 7 prep: " Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true."

RinkRat

Thu May 10 2012 12:04 pm EST

LOL! I was spewing some very vile words last night myself! My wife walked into the room with a plate of food and the Caps scored the 1st goal....so I yelled at her and told her to get out, she had wrecked all of my superstitious preparations....books on the coffee table all alligned in 2 corners, remote control in one corner, cell phone in the last corner, eyeglass case on couch arm....all RUINED because she came in the room with food. She should have remembered from '94 that food in the family room spells disaster during the PO's ....but noooooo, she forgets! Sheeesh!

JFC31

Thu May 10 2012 12:04 pm EST

JFC - Simple answer, Big Bad John Scott will have to play against the Devils..:)..If we get there, I'll gladly take the roster and depth worries involved....Not that it helps becasue there is little help down in CT, but they can recall the whole dame team after they get eliminated this weekend (sorry Dineen11!)

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 12:01 pm EST

KIS - Same with my son...Actually, his friends come over to the house to watch the games just to hear what I might say...At least I can't get in trouble now like I did when they were younger and would go home to mom after riding in a car with me and ask "what's a fuckin four eyes?"..The only time i curse more than watching a ranger game is playing golf!

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 11:56 am EST

I'm still really aggravated from last night's game but I've come down off the ledge. We've got a good chance to take the game on Saturday in MSG with the crowd rockin' and the adreneline pumpin'....still, what are we gonna have left for the next series? After Saturday, this will literally have been an 8 game series....hell, if it goes to OT again, it will be even more! IMO, the Devils would be dead-meat against a fresh Rangers team.....our advantage in goal is tremendous and Brodeur looks old and Hank is in his head. It's right there for the pickin' but what will we have left? Will it be enough?

JFC31

Thu May 10 2012 11:53 am EST

At least some have calmed down. This place can be therapeutic. good to see that boys. Talking about cussing, my son just laughed at my stupidity last night. I don't think he knew you could use fuck in so many times in a sentence. saturday is gonna be, oh my. I'm gonna have to be in a bunker by myself. Kids and wife are gonna have to go see a movie.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 11:51 am EST

The drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was on NHL live yesterday and predicted the caps would def. win game 6.......But the light at the end of the tunnel is that he also predicted the Rangers would win in Game 7.

TradeStar28

Thu May 10 2012 11:37 am EST

I have never coached beyond youth hockey, so am not worthy to criticize. But as an observer, I don't get the idea of Boyle centering the second line and of the third line getting so much play when we are behind late in the game. Is Torts so concerned about giving up the 3rd goal when we are down by 2 with less than 5 minutes to go that he continues to put Prust and Fedotenko out there? Is he so concerned with Kreider's defensive deficiencies that he cannot put him out there when down by 2 becuase he doesn't want to go down by 3? I can understand that action when we are ahead in the game, but 2 goals behind? It was beyond frustrating to watch that last night.

Bob

Thu May 10 2012 11:36 am EST

As for next year, it seems like a lot of people have conceded Parise (and Suter) to the Wings. So will we go hard after Nash? I'm going to be a glass-half-full guy and pencil in Sauer, so the D's not too shabby. Anyone have a take on The Av's Jones? 20-25 goals, and less of a cap hit.

Rexi29

Thu May 10 2012 11:31 am EST

Learn, schmern. Protect, schmot ... you get the idea. As I've said, teach in November or February. Get the kid's speed and offense on the ice for God's sake. We're dyin' out there.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 11:29 am EST

Honored to be considered clueless! Here's how I stand: the Caps were more desperate last night, and gave every ounce of energy to win that game, and they did. But now it's time for game 7, in our building. Both teams have played 13 games, and both are spent. But it's our house, and I think we'll have the extra gas in the tank. Doesn't mean I'll watch the game, as I'm trying to avoid an ulcer, but I'm more confident than not.

Rexi29

Thu May 10 2012 11:23 am EST

WILDCARD - I think you are dead wrong about that last post.....But if you are right, then Torts is dead wrong and screwing up big time...the 6th game of the PO series is not for teaching, it is not for protecting, it is not for worrying about feelings, it is only for winnng and my bet is that everything Torts did last night was becasue it waswhat he thought he had to do to win........On the slight chance that isn't true. he is screwing up big time and doing a disservice to everybody else on the team......Win or go home....you worry about the other shit later..

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 11:13 am EST

Torts has talked openly about it with kids, I think he OVER protects them. He has said so many times that he doesn't want to put them in a spot that can hurt their confidence. I think with Kreider, he is looking for the perfect situation to use him, so that he is "safe" and cant cost the game. Also, with 2 days off before game 7 again, it gives the coaching staff a day to work with him and a day off for him to watch tape and such. So perhaps he sees more ice time on Saturday. But last night, being down early, I wouldn't be shocked if he wanted to make sure Kreider couldn't blame himself for the loss, so he pulled him back too much...I don't think Torts punishes kids, most of the time when he pulls back on a kid its for them to learn. and it usually works. I could be wrong, but its how I read it.

Wildcard

Thu May 10 2012 11:03 am EST

CM - I do think the Caps have been out playing the Rangers in the physical department as the Rangers have seemed to pull back on the intesity of their hitting to focus more on "skirmishes" and winning the puck along the baords which also takes alot of energy.....The Caps, OTOH, are still steam rolling....Two different strategies and bith have been effecrtive (or not) at times.......But I alos agree that the Rangers (guys like Cally, Stepan) look a little fatigued.....Regarding losing the shot blocking game...I only think that's true becasue the Rangers are controlling the puck alot and getting it (or being forced) to the point where soths are being blocked....Unlike t he Senator series, The Caps aren't controlling play in the Rangers zone as much...as a result, fewer blocked shots.

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:57 am EST

Hospo.., I am truly humbled and honored.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 10:56 am EST

Hospo.., creative. Might I add the letters m and f to that list!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 10:55 am EST

Nick- I'd hate losing to any of the Atlantic crappy teams more as well, but there is something to be said about losing to a caps team for the third consecutive time with a different rookie goalie. That's the kind fo thing that can mess with a teams head (and Hank's). It would be devastating and I would think it would be stuck in the back of the teams head going into the next playoff series these teams met. However, I don't care that this team finished 8th. They were underachieving for the most part and didn't really buy into Hunter's system until much later. They were first in the East last year and remained relatively the same, built around a very talented core. This team could easily have challenged the Rangers for 1st overall if they played like this all year as the Rangers did. They play the same style and have been outplaying us in the shot blocking physical department. That is my other concern with the Rangers. Does it seem like fatigue has been the reason we don;'t see as much bodily sacrifice? We haven't been as aggressive physically since that first period of the first (2nd?) game where Cally just abused Green. The Caps have taken advantage of that. They also have learned that when Del Zotto and Stralman are ont he ice, they can ice the puck and win the battle to negate the icing. That is one of the biggest concerns for me, as that tell me they have found a chink in the armour and we don't have an answer (other than the three days in hypebolic chamber as previously suggested!)

ColoradoMark

Thu May 10 2012 10:54 am EST

PA - You defientely have!

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:53 am EST

Pa.rangersfan - You and me both..My son and dog were hiding...Had to be at least 10 new creations with alot of use of the letters c and k...

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:52 am EST

Hospo.., I want in too! I think I've earned it.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 10:52 am EST

Zebop - Wondered if anybody would catch that..I know it shows my age but couldn't help it..

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:51 am EST

KIS.., you know me baby! I re-invented the foul language dictionary last nite!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 10:50 am EST

KIS - As you should be..:)..and would be!!....Ill have to check with the other Grand Poo-Bahs of the Clueless Jackasses (KILL--If I can find him --and Chin) but it is about time we expnaded!!!

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:49 am EST

MZA actually MDZ.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 10:49 am EST

Nick.., not for nothing, but your posts are pretty spot on.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 10:48 am EST

I'm reposting this from late last night, just for info purposes. No I haven't given up, but anyway: Don't flame me for looking way ahead, but ... Feds ($1.4), Prust (800K), Mitchell (650), Eminger (800) and Biron (800) are UFAs this summer. Dubi makes $3.75 next year then $4.65 the two years after that. No. 17 ain't going nowhere except down the depth chart (I hope). RFAs after this year are Zucc (850), MZA (875), Stralman (900) and Bickel (600). RFAs after 12-13 are Stepan (875), Hagelin (688), AA (188), McD (875) and Sauer (1.25M). Girardi, Cally, Rupp, Gabby, Boyle and Hank are UFAs after 13-14. Two-year window as I see it. So keep teaching a big fast talented kid a 'lesson' this year, Torts, and play grinders when behind late in games. Heck, we'll win eventually, right? I think someone in the Ranger org said that in 1941.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 10:47 am EST

Atta boy Pa. keep firing away. always took you a little longer to calm down. Just wait til Saturday you will be frother up again. MA better watch out you might take her out at the knee. BOys, this is a man who got coaches so fired up a couple wanted to fuckin physically hit him. I never laughed so hard on the field sometimes

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 10:46 am EST

I for one think the team looked tired. We lost battles to pucks we used to win. The lack of trust Torts has in the lower two lines and Bickel has dramatically affected the "jump" in players like Del Zotto, Stralman, Cally, Gabby, Richards and Stepan. I think Anisimov and Hagelin still have their speed, but thats because Anisimov has been used sparingly and Hags is a young speedy stud (hmm, out of contect that could sound like a stage name for, ah, never mind.) I think Girardi, Staal and McDonough seem to be fine, perhaps even thriving on the workhorse load. Lundqvist is a little too far back int he net and he is going down too quickly. I knowhe prefers to stay back as a lot of European goalies do, but as well as he's played at times, he hasn't looked as sharp as he (unfortunatlely) needs to be for this team's offense.

ColoradoMark

Thu May 10 2012 10:46 am EST

Tort's handling of K is infuriating. yeah, the kid might not be the difference but seriously: this team has very few guys with his skill and now, if he does deign to put him out there, he'll be so afraid of making a mistake he won't do a thing. Someone made the point below and it's true: there are five skaters out there and if someone screws up there are guys to cover and all mistakes don't end up in our net. We have the impregnable Hank, after all. I just hate Torts and his arrogance and his stubborness and his know-it-all bullshit approach. Geezus I thought his running guys into the ground was bad enough; now add Mitchell on the power play, Prust getting twice K's ice time, and all the rest. So we have to beat the Caps and our own coach. I can accept losing; the Caps are doing a good job and they ain't the Flyers or Devils, losses to whom would make me more depressed than usual. But come on, Genius. Play to win.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 10:44 am EST

Nice Traffic reference, HOSPO, by the way. Great band. Was just listening to the Winwood/Clapton concert from MSG a few years back. Music to my ears!

Zebop

Thu May 10 2012 10:44 am EST

CM - Said the same last night...In the big picture, TORTS has done a fine job with this team...However, his in-game strategy and tactics need improvement and variety..He's just too damn stubborn ...Again, helps in the long run, but maybe not in the short run of individual games..OTOH, not deviating from the way he wants to play has lead the Rangers to winning 7 PO games so far...Will sticking to it add an 8th? We'llsee..

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:43 am EST

Pa and myself would be honored

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 10:42 am EST

Hospo.., I welcome the moniker of CLUELESS JACKASS! My boy KIS will tell you, I have carried it with me since I was a wee-lad.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 10:40 am EST

KIS - Just having fun...The CLUELESS JACKASSES are a 10-12 year old Wall institution originally started by clueless jackasses like my self, KILL-EM-ALL, CHINSTRAP, DESPO?? and others with the main requirement of being able to spout off cluelessly and magnificently about the Rangers.....LIke You last Night,..I was thinking you would make a fine member!....

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:39 am EST

If Chimera or Hendricks were free agents next year, you know Sather would try to sign them. All Ranger killers are targets for Sather. HEck, it only took Boyle 1 goal to convince Sather we needed him (smart). Gaby scores 5 against us and that sealed his fate (another good one). Rupp scores a hat trick and he's signed. Drury delivers a crucial clutch goal against us right before free agency.

ColoradoMark

Thu May 10 2012 10:39 am EST

td.., not gonna sit here and justify to you what my views are. I never engaged in name calling so you and everybody else take that for what it's worth. You wanna view things as 1/2 full, great. I don't and never have in the 35 years that I have been a Ranger Fan. Never said the Regular Season, I stress Reg.Season, wasn't a fun ride. Don't know your background as an athlete, but mine consisted of some big games in my younger days. Sure, I was only a young man/kid at that point but still grasped the concept of giving it that extra when hardware was on the line. I you were pleased with that effort last nite than carry that torch. I for one was not and I don't want to hear how we all should be happy just to be here. That's horse-shit of the highest order. You show to the dance, fucking dance!

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 10:34 am EST

I think overall Torts has done a great job, but he is being outcoached in this series. He has a stubborn streak that has been a problem, especially with accountability for young players. He has done to Kreider exactly what he did to Mike Sauer when Sauer was first recalled three years ago. The kid played great and had an impact in his first few games. Then he made a bonehead mistake (that was actually Redden's fault) and the kid was benched and then one of the first cuts the next year in camp. Int he long run, Sauer developed nicely. But I think he loses trust too quickly, especially in this situation where Kreider had such an impact in the games he was given a lot of minutes. If he is on a line with Cally and Stepan, he will have enough responsible players helping him out that the potential reward far outweighs the potential risk. He never keeps his lines together until last night. Weird. I'd go: Hagelin-Richards-Gaborik, Callahan-Stepan-Kreider, Anisimov-Boyle-Zuccarello, Fedotenko-Rupp-Prust. I know Zucc is probablly not ready, so I'd put Feds up in that spot and keep Mitchell on the 4th line. I'd rather bench Rupp over Mitchell, but Torts would never do that so why bother fantasizing. You add Dubi to that lineup and bench Rupp at that point. Then you have a little more depth.

ColoradoMark

Thu May 10 2012 10:30 am EST

hospo do you want to clue us in?

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 10:28 am EST

Man, you "newcomers" are really perverting the CLUELESS JACKASSES...:)..John Tortorella wouldn't stand a chance of being admitted.....DESPO...KILL-EM...CHIN....BOB...Are you out there? :

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 10:24 am EST

Wild, totally agree. Xanax can do wonders last night I would have and did call all of you people clueless jackass. hahaha A team does go thru stages its a shame that the president of the clueless jackass club it Torts. Now is not the time to teach lessons. he needs to pull Kreider to the side and teach and instruct. The kid has a good hockey IQ and this team needs his speed. I still wish somebody would fuck chimera up. Take the blade of the stick and chop off that stupiid looking goat tee.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 10:15 am EST

td: Agree, its been a great year regardless of the outcome. This team and its players learned how to do what they need in the regular season in order to give them their best chance in the playoffs. Adding to that, this is the first time this team has had the "pressure" of being a top seed. At every level of truly competitive event, the leader, top dog, best team/person, or whatever has a unique pressure, that MOST fold under when they first feel it. I am sure everyone remembers the first year the Pens were picked, and had a great year, they didn't win the cup, hell, they didn't even look that good, and it wasn't because they didn't have the skill to win it all, it was because they hadn't figured out the mental game to win it all as a top team. Its always easier if you are supposed to loose, the pressure is off, no one will rip into you as long as you play hard and leave it all out there...but when you are the favorite, you could nearly kill yourself, and people will still rip into you and blame you if you don't win. That's part of why I called this series to go 6 or 7 from the get go, I still think the Rangers win, but it will be tough, and they can beat the Devils, but again it will be 6 or 7, and they can win the cup, but again, it will be 6 or 7, and its all mental...this team is good enough to win, hell they are good enough to sweep just about any team in the NHL in 4 games, they just need to find that place in their minds, to give them that mental edge...and right now, they are learning that "on the job" and its the only way you can learn it. If they learn fast enough they win, if not, its on to next season where there will take the hard lessons of this year and apply them....and that is why no matter how far they make it, even if they win the cup, i will expect it to be better and "easier" next season, and the season after that, until these players are done and no longer with the team or past their primes.

Wildcard

Thu May 10 2012 10:15 am EST

Guys, what constitues a 5 min major. I thought when you drew blood like on the 4 minute penalty the person got 5. I also think the Rangers should work the puck down low on the PP and have people cutting to the net. Obviously playing the puck up high for slap shots from the d isn't working. 1St the Rangers don't have a dman who has a booming slap shot. 2nd Washington is really clogging up the front of the area and stopping many shots, 3rd Holtby seems to be very good at things in front of him. The Rangers haven't gotten him to scramble or get him to look at more things than what is in front of him. If the puck goes low and he has to face the puck or turn his head he doesn' t have as good of a view of the other players especially cutting from the weak side. I say play it low and have players cutting to the front of the goal and then whipping things in to the midlle for deflections or one timers. Try something different torts. Simple shots from the top are doing anything.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 10:11 am EST

Haven't posted on here a while. Watched the first 2 periods of the game last night. Noticed the Rangers weren't trying and looked like they expected to be handed the win while they just watched the Caps play. Decided to check out The Wall this morning to see how much it has changed... yeah, still the same b*tching and bickering about the team that I remember from you guys LOL! I still think Rangers make it to the Stanley Cup finals though. I've already told my friends who are Devils fans that I can't wait to play them because the Rangers will have home ice advantage for all 7 games :)

rangerfan2000

Thu May 10 2012 10:08 am EST

VT. I know Hospo and myself were begging for another center who could take face offs. This is the second series were the other team is dominating and effecting the play because fo the faceoff.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 10:06 am EST

Td, I don't think the rangers were in it the whole game. I think they were out of it until the last minute when they scored. Never did they seem like things were gonna go right for them. They looked ???? after the first goal.. It seemed like they would never score especially after the 4 minute power play. The last 5 they played with more energy and took chances.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 10:00 am EST

After taking a xanax and getting some sleep last night I still back some of my statements. The Caps did play with more desperation. I don't think Hank lost the game. I think Torts has been very stubborn with personnal and his tactics, especially on the power play. I brought up nash partly as a dig to those who didn't think this team needed to add anything. It not that nash add a different style its that he gives the team another dimension. Now the Caps dont have to shut down one line. Same as what Hags brings. The line struggles without his speed. Well if Nash is here it changes the team dynamic. I also don't think the boys played poorly because they are tired, i just think Washington was more desperate, scored early and defended well. Was the Gaborik line tired the game before no they had jump. Washington is a good team and playing hard. They had the last change last night and they scored very quickly. Holtby is comfortable and it is just a tough series. I Still think if Torts would be such a power hungry bully this team could get to the Stanley Cup. He needs to play Kreider more and realize he will make mistakes but he gives positive things than bad. Hey, we got game 7 in the garden. I think Richards Cally and Hank come up huge. Time to think positive. Gotta give the boys support or they have no chance.

KIS

Thu May 10 2012 9:59 am EST

TDCHI/PA.RANGERSFAN - You, my dear sirs, have no comprehension of what the CLUELESS JACKASSES truly are all about!! :)...........OK, that being said, I think what the wall needs the most after last night is an uplifting visit from TOBIAS!!!!!!

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 9:54 am EST

pa - If you're going to write this team off after one game, which in the grand scheme of Ranger games over the course of the year wasn't even THAT BAD of a game. Yeah, they didn't play great. Yeah, they got out-worked...but literally up until the LAST SECOND of that game, the Rangers were still in it. If you're going to look at that game and say "Fuck it, this team sucks" and then stand by that statement, you should do the following things: Stop liking and/or following the Rangers and stop liking and/or following hockey. This has been a GREAT year for the Rangers. Even if they WERE eliminated last night, I would say the same thing. Would I be disappointed if they lose Saturday? Yes. Very disappointed. But to sit here and whine about how these guys 'aren't as good as their record' or are horrible...or are NOT fun to watch, then you clearly haven't been watching the past 15 years of Rangers hockey...because outside of the Cup run in 1994, THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS. And that includes all the Ranger teams I followed as kid BEFORE the 1994 cup run. I know some of those comments were out of frustration...maybe drunken frustration. But they sound downright retarded when you look back on the whole season and realize the Rangers chances of advance are STILL 50-50...and that's before you recognize their record in the Garden. So I stand by my statement: If you're going to malign the team now, you're acting like a clueless jackass. And don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out. The rest of us don't need that sort of negativity...And on another note, LET'S GO RANGERS!!! WIN ONE FOR MELVILLE!! WICHITA IN SIX!! WICHITA IN SIX!!!

tdchi

Thu May 10 2012 9:51 am EST

VtRanger - Youy are right, I've just thrown in the towel on that one....It's an area that must be improved in the off-season, as it could or should have been before the deadline..But, spilt milk

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 9:49 am EST

One of the reasons this team can't score a damn goal is because they can't win a faceoff in the offensive zone. Read it and weep: Richards 5 of 16 (31%), Stepan 1 of 4 (25%), Boyle 2 of 4 (50%), Mitchell 2 of 5 (40%) and Hagelin 1 of 1 (100%). Overall: 11 of 30 (37%). Every powerplay starts with a lost faceoff and 25 seconds wasted. I know I harp on this, but it drives me f'n crazy.

VtRanger

Thu May 10 2012 9:45 am EST

RF4L - yeah, it could have been over in the way that you wouldn't have liked if the bringing in of Nash lead to a differnt style that has lead the Rangers to 7 wins so far.....Honestly, I think the Rangers are way more talented then the scores (or lack of) indicates...It's the style that Torts chooses to play and forces his team and players to play..

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 9:41 am EST

E/PJ - My points exactly. The Caps did play a good and desperate game...They were hard to beat last night..And both the Rangers and Caps (as well as the Devils, Coyotes, Kings) are good but flawed teams that fight and claw and find ways to win. But they both can't win....It's Special teams and Momentum (often related)..The Caps had both last night.......I LOVE what TORTS has done with this team in the BIG PICTURE but you guys are right about his in-game stategy and stubborness...which is as a big a reason for the loss as the players themselves....But, hopefully back to a better-tuned Ranger effort on Saturday...

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 9:39 am EST

Offensively challenged the Rangers certainly are: One 5 on 5 goal against the Caps over the past 144 minutes. That amounts to over 7 periods of hockey. This, however, is a carry-over from the regular season and precisely why Sather went hard after Rick Nash. I don't want to get into that debate again, but it's mnore than reasonable to believe that if the Rangers had someone of his ilk, this series would be over.

RF4L

Thu May 10 2012 9:36 am EST

Zebop - Exactly. You never know with traffic in front of the net..Sometimes the ass giveth (like last night) other time the ass taketh away (Boyle)........What the Rangers need are Low Shots From High Flying Boys with Traffic

Hospo

Thu May 10 2012 9:14 am EST

Don't feel bad Rexi....you can join the clueless-jackass club! Check with td..to see if you qualify.

pa.rangersfan

Thu May 10 2012 9:11 am EST

I'm not sure what the thought process was going into last nights game but if they don't change it for game 7 they might end up being spectators for the rest of the playoffs. Torts has his quirks behind the bench and is not in my opinion a great bench coach. It seems counter productive to have Krieder who was playing pretty well until he made some mistakes to be nailed to the bench when his over game was starting to come together. He went from the penthouse to the outhouse on one shift. Dale Hunter who I didn't like as a player is looking like a very smart coach and has in my opinion done a better job this series than Torts even when he doesn't have the last change. He gave Ward plenty of ice time after his penalty in game 5 that gave the Rangers the chane they needed to get back in the series. I don't think Torts is the type of coach who would do that and this might be part of the problem the Rangers are having.

wally5460

Thu May 10 2012 9:06 am EST

Didn't watch more than 2 minutes of the game last night. Didn't want the aggravation. Thought I'd check the wall for a recap. Whew! I feel SO MUCH WORSE NOW.

Rexi29

Thu May 10 2012 8:31 am EST

... Like how they scored their only goal last night. Went off the ass of either the Cap or Ranger in front (I thought it hit the Cap player first, but whatever ...) but at least a white sweater was in front of Holtby. You don't get an uglier goal than that, but I'll take ugly goals eight days a week if it means advancing.

Zebop

Thu May 10 2012 8:25 am EST

Play like they played in Game 5 (and certainly unlike they played last night). Shoot the puck from everywhere, get it in front of Holtby and get guys there for junky goals. It's the only way the Rangers are going to score, I think. The Caps otherwise are too big defensively, block plenty of shots and keep everything to the outside. And shoot the damn puck on the power play! I agree with tdchi -- way too fine with the man advantage. As Torts said, "It sucks!"

Zebop

Thu May 10 2012 8:13 am EST

BTW...I can't believe some of you are STILL whining about NASH. What would Nash do for us? Tell me. Shoot wide? Shoot at Holtby's chest? Play 25 minutes a game with Gaborik and Richards, so all three could have Jello for legs? I don't even think Nash would help this powerplay with the way it's aligned. What is Nash going to do for it cycling down low with the rest of these guys?

tdchi

Thu May 10 2012 8:11 am EST

Zebop - You're partly right. I can pick out the Rangers who look tired: Callahan, Gaborik, Richards, Girardi, Staal, McDonagh, and Del Zotto. They're the Rangers that are/have skated 22-plus minutes a night since the this round began. All seven of those guys should be --as someone said --placed in a hyperbaric chamber for the next two days. You can't shorten your bench to seven guys in the playoffs, and that's what Torts has done. Certainly, Dubinsky's absence doesn't help this. But still, there's no reason for him to do that.

tdchi

Thu May 10 2012 8:03 am EST

To all you who wrote disparaging comments about this team, you should really adopt my policy of sobering up and/or waiting until morning to vent your frustration. Some of you sound like real clueless jackasses...YORK/Hospo - Two of the best posts I've read this morning, and some of the only one that make any sense. YES...a loss like that stings. I was glad they got a puck freeze with a second left so I didn't need to see the Caps celebrate...but NO...this season isn't over. In fact, the Rangers are headed back to the Garden where they've been pretty indomitable this season...now my notes...and this will reiterate some of what YORK said...Tortorella is tossing the towel in on this one with his coaching. It's tough to pin a game solely on a coach, but if there ever was an instance where one lost the game himself it was last night. All you've got to do is look at how the minutes were pursed out and look at the results he got from those players...benching KREIDER through the first two periods so he could double-shift the first two lines was ridiculous. And the fact that almost HALF of MITCHELL'S time came on the PP was simply laughable...On the STRALMAN penalty...great call by the refs, awful call by Stralman. Back check, but let CHIMERA take the goddamn shot! It's the first two minutes of the first period and you're chasing a guy who is cutting to the post. Let him shot and clear the rebound...ON THE POWERPLAY - Like I said before the game, they look almost identical to the Bruins on the man-advantage, and that's NOT a complement. Funny, because the PP on a micro level shows the EXACT problem these Rangers are having as a whole...they're trying to get too fancy. They're forgetting how they scored goals in the past. Let's do away with this 'four, five, six pass and then shoot' play. YOU DON'T NEED SIX PASSES TO BEAT HOLTBY. ONE SHOT. ONE REBOUND. ONE GUY SWATTING AT IT. Very simple hockey...The Rangers are simply playing a game now they didn't play and never could play during the regular season...too much passing, not enough shooting. HOLTBY got the first star of that game, but I really don't know why. Nothing shot on him was that tough...Even when the Rangers do get a one-two-three passing drive going, they telegraph the whole goddamn thing, so by the time the third man has the puck(I remember one instance with GIRADRI breaking low), Holtby knows EXACTLY where he's going and can position himself without ANY fear that the receiver of the third pass will be able to slide the puck over. One pass, One shot, third man gets the rebound. THIS IS FUNDEMENTAL HOCKEY, and I can't for the life of me figure out why Tortorella isn't playing it any more.

tdchi

Thu May 10 2012 6:49 am EST

Are the Rangers tired? (perhaps) Is Washington that good? (no) Was it just a case of a desperate team playing as such and the Rangers not quite feeling it? I'm just searching for reasons why the Rangers would produce an effort like that w/ a chance to close out a series and get some much needed rest. One other question -- Will Strallman keep his streak alive in Game 7 by taking another tripping penalty on his first shift? Like my 7-year-old son said this morning when I told him Washington won -- "So Saturday is the moment of truth." Unfortunately, yes.

Zebop

Thu May 10 2012 6:48 am EST

I don't know about anyone else, but, I am missing the hell out of Dubinsky. We are not the same team with him out of the lineup. Also, PLAY KREIDER MORE DB!!!

DCIGolfer

Thu May 10 2012 6:31 am EST

The Whale dropped their Game 5 last night in spectaculat fashion - a 4-0 ass kicking of epic proportions. It was horrible. Simply horrible. There was no bright spot...no redeeming qualities. They played terrible. They needed a win...they are heading back to Norfolk for Game 6 (and possibly 7) trailing 3-2 in the series. It would take a miracle to win 2 down there. Norfolk is now playing like a team that won 29 straight games... It's pretty much over, I think.

Dineen11

Thu May 10 2012 5:58 am EST

that should say a few things, not teams.

York18

Thu May 10 2012 5:57 am EST

What's going wrong? Well it's a few teams, we are playing a team that is using the exact same system that got us our record this season, but they have a bit more natural talent out there. We are giving up the early lead, which is exactly how we beat teams all year getting and early lead; sitting back and watching the other team start to play desperate; all while beating them with the body. The biggest thing we are struggling with in the post season IMO, bench management; something torts did great all year is now something he is now struggling with; he isn't playing people at the right times, or right situations. He is over playing players especially considering how hard this series has been and more importantly how many over times we have had. This team isn't as talented as our record would suggest, but it certainly isn't as bad as they have been playing and I'm sorry but the PP is all torts' fault if you can score 5 on 5 you should be able to net one on the PP. he makes no adjustments at all. I was very impressed with him in the regular season and rather disappointed in the playoffs. That regular season record may be the only thing that saves us in this series by giving us home ice in game 7.

York18

Thu May 10 2012 3:21 am EST

But Nick, sure it would be nice to be a team that easily could correct a misttake and come back against a team that backs down extremely deep with 5 guys in the lap of their goalie. That would be great. But you won't see many teams in this league post-2005. Maybe a team that have tanked for 6-7 years can get a window of like a year or two when they can be that great, but that's about as often as we will see them. In absense of that, when playing a team like Washington, you just have to find a way to not give them a lead early on. Then they are forced to move up ice -- and you can exploit their defense.

Ola

Thu May 10 2012 3:16 am EST

All the doom and gloom and we are not better then this and all that, all I can say that we have lost 3 games to Washington and in ALL those 3 games we have given Was an early lead, and in the first two, of horrible misstakes on top of that. Look, we will not play this team well if we give them an early lead. If we don't, I am sure we would look great. They back down, and aren't even that great on that. But since they NEVER are forced to try to get something going against us, they are also NEVER forced to expose themselves. But no-no, we give them the lead every time we get a chance to pull away. ANNOYING to say the least.

Ola

Thu May 10 2012 12:55 am EST

Thank you TS-28! Was wondering. I really should go to bed like a normal person. We await Saturday night!

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 12:48 am EST

entire Rangers team should sleep in a hyperbaric chamber over the next two nights

TradeStar28

Thu May 10 2012 12:45 am EST

Mat Zuccarello-Aasen

TradeStar28

Thu May 10 2012 12:30 am EST

Jake, E: Agree all the way. A tough hard-working club for sure; opportunistic offense most nights (11th in scoring isn't terrible) but we so desperately need a guy or two who can make a threat out of nothing. It could be Kreider fairly soon if the jackass doesn't try to make his a penalty-killing shot-blocker. But K and an addition next year of some offensive threat and we have a real shot. For a couple of years.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 12:27 am EST

That MZA means MDZ in the salary post below. And how do we get 'MZA' from Mats Zuccarello anyway ???

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 12:25 am EST

NYR scored 226 goals this year; Caps 222. Yes Ovie and Backstrom are more skilled than anyone we have including Gabby by quite a bit. But still. Any offensive edge they have is game-to-game. And mostly the PP of course. They pop one every contest it seems. Apart from the Game Five PP miracle, we both suck and blow, as Bart Simpson once said.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 12:21 am EST

This is not about desire at all.. This is just being honest with ourselves... Listen, i am proud what this has done so far, but we are not, nor were we ever as good as our record.. This team has many flaws, like most teams do.. I get that... Our PP sucks, its downright brutal, nd we all knew sooner or later it would come back to haunt us, so far it hasnt happen, but if we keep living on the edge it will come back to burn us.... These 2 teams we have played so far was not a good match up for us... THis is not about heart or desire, this is about our lack of top end skill and our awful PP....WE could def win Sat night, not saying we cant, but please just be honest here, this team has played well ove rits head all year long.. Without Hank, we are a draft lottery, or close to it... Im very proud of this team, I am, but in my opinion Sather dropped the ball not added scoring depth to this team, Im not talking about Nash, but we needed to do something. The good thing is that any team left in this tournament can win, so we have that on our side....lets see how it plays out, but this has nothing to do with heart... It has everythign to do with reality, that this team has been exposed for what it really is

jake

Thu May 10 2012 12:21 am EST

Don't flame me for looking way ahead, but ... Feds ($1.4), Prust (800K), Mitchell (650), Eminger (800) and Biron (800) are UFAs this summer. Dubi makes $3.75 next year then $4.65 the two years after that. No. 17 ain't going nowhere except down the depth chart (I hope). RFAs after this year are Zucc (850), MZA (875), Stralman (900) and Bickel (600). RFAs after 12-13 are Stepan (875), Hagelin (688), AA (188), McD (875) and Sauer (1.25M). Girardi, Cally, Rupp, Gabby, Boyle and Hank are UFAs after 13-14. Two-year window as I see it. So keep teaching a big fast talented kid a 'lesson' this year, Torts, and play grinders when behind late in games. Heck, we'll win eventually, right? I think someone in the Ranger org said that in 1941.

Nick

Thu May 10 2012 12:10 am EST

HOSPO: but lets also not forget that they are still finding ways to win games. And with Lundqvist and that defense it doesn't take much offense to eek a W. I'm not dismissing the issue but honestly, I think they have as good a chance as anyone to win game-7. And then can they beat the Devils? Who knows? Have to find a way to get around Washington first. Washington is just playing incredible right now. They are playing like the NYR with the exception that they have a prolific offense. They can kill you quick and suddenly. Yet, the NYR are going into a game-7 with them. If we beat them it won't be pretty but that is the NYR MO. One thing is certain going into next season: this team does not generate enough offense. Whether by expecting someone like Kreider to become a 30-goal scorer as soon as next season (something I doubt but wouldn't rule out) this team must upgrade its scoring ability. I contend that if the NYR had the ability to score, this team is a surefire Stanley Cup contender. Its defense is outrageous. With the return of Staal playing like himself, the emergence of McD, the maturation of Girardi, MDZ becoming a 2-way threat (40-points this season,) and of course the impending arrival of blue-chip prospect Erixon, back-dropped by the stingy Lundqvist this team is poised to be one of the best (if not the best) defense in the NHL for several years. But the scoring up front is not adequate. They need another game breaker. A LW who can pot goals. Maybe it is a case of a trade. I don't know. Maybe Semin or Parise although that is likely out of the NYR price range or desire. But the NYR are an ugly hockey team and they limp along winning with what they have. Will it catch up with them? It looks like it has caught up with them but you just never know… I do love what this team is becoming. Good days are here and better days are coming. But I have belief that this team can win a game 7 and why not? They never panic, they play from behind and Washington has played catchup during this series.

Wed May 9 2012 11:44 pm EST

one of the interesting stats we keep bringing up is the fact that Stu bickel plays 6 minutes or less a night. obviously this puts the other 5 dmen's ice time at way too many minutes. same goes with the forwards......the ice time distribution is way off and that puts too much emphasis on the guys who are playing too much....This has gone on for months. Torts did not change the lineups much at all during the entire year. Just like how the plan was to use biron more duing the regular season so hank is rested come primetime, the same needed to be down with the forwards. its like in horse racing, Torts whipped these horses right out of the opening gate.....and now the season is right at the top of the stretch and the Rangers horse is tired and beaten....and almost breaking down......ofcourse the loss of dubi, MZA and sauer hurts though....that is the depth we needed.....we do have a well rested john scott though in the stable.......put that guy in a glue factory

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 11:37 pm EST

Hospo...True but let's also give some credit to the Caps here....They did just knock off the Bruins in a series where the games were close....Teams like LA and Phoenix are playing out of their minds and nobody expected it...It really is a new season....With Hank and our D we should be able to hang with anyone....Can't recall when a regular season meant less...

Wed May 9 2012 11:35 pm EST

Not to bury the boys, but what are the prospects for acquiring or signing a top 6 forward this summer (so Torts can play him 5 minutes a game)? Will anyone take Dubi? Who's falling off the salary cap roll?

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 11:23 pm EST

TRADE - Hope you are right about that score...But, seriously guys, though the Rangers can beat the Caps and then the Devils, lets remember that since March 2nd, with little done at the Deadline, the Rangers have been nothing but a .500 team at 17-16...basically, this team has to win ugly and barely...simple as that

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 11:16 pm EST

RF...Yes I did get a kick out of the reporter busting Torts a little...The guy treats them like animals....No class at all....Hunter makes Torts look like a spoiled rotten 6 year old....

Wed May 9 2012 11:12 pm EST

Rangers win by the score of 3-1 on saturday. Kreider with the empty netter to seal the deal.

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 11:09 pm EST

Bob- Rangers try to play a mistake free hockey game....That is how they usually end up on the losing side of the scoreboard.....All of the pucks are dumped down low behind the net and they try to cycle out for the pass in front....Whenever i see 3 rangers behind the net , i get pissed to high heaven. Ultimately though, we can win Saturday. I would say its about 60/40. We have won alot of big game 7's at MSG.

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 11:09 pm EST

BOB - Totally agree...Hell, I sounded like Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenent watching these bastards tonight! No traffic in front of Holtby for more then a second...No rebounds....And when they do it for some odd reason, it works...Plain and simple, we just dont have players that like doing it...or are good at....What I would give for a LUCIC!!! And Bingo on the D-men holding it, but it's mostly DZ...Enough with the measured play throw a little frenzy and mess at the Caps..It will hurt them just like it hurts us...Obviously, the Caps are a good and disciplined team. but the Rangers can be their own worst enemy...

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 11:03 pm EST

It does crack me up HOSPO---we play nearly 2 complete series so far where the opponents plant themselves in our crease, while our forwards drive-by the crease and our d-men seem to wait for our players to clear out of the crease before they shoot the puck. It is infuriating.

Bob

Wed May 9 2012 11:00 pm EST

agreed Mr. Hospo.....the only thing we can do as fans is wait until Saturday night! Oh...and bitch from now until then too.

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 10:54 pm EST

ALso want to say that I believe and agree with the frustration on the Wall with tonights game...Wepass by the net instead of staying there,,,...We have little depth...the PP sucks and looks like it has never been practiced....guys like Gabby, Richarss and Callyy (tonight) have bad games....Torts stubborn style sometimes works in the POs, soetimes it doesnt and he needs to deviate (but NONE of the Coaches do).....BUt, this is the Rangers..and with qall these imperfections, they are jus as good as any team remaining in the hunt for the Cup...or even were at the beginning of this round....they can beat anybody...Thay can lose to anybody.....and I think anybody they play, will go to 7 games....I just want another 7th game after Saturday,,

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 10:49 pm EST

The Caps are good; yes. Tough series and all that, ups and downs. But what burns my ass is Torts playing for 1-0 and running stone hands out there because they are supposedly better defensively. His use of K is inexcusable; his lines have buried Cally and Stepan in hopeless conditions. Bad enough you have to beat the opponent but the coach too?

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 10:42 pm EST

Unbelivable that we have arm chair fans on here questioning the Rangers passion and heart after what they have done over the past 95 games...Blows my mind.....Yes, they did not play a good game but, OTOH, the Capitals did play a good and DESPERATE game...They were the better team and made the Rangers look a little passionless..a little slow...made them look worse....This series should be going 7 games...there is no difference betwen the teams, other then spurts and special teams....The Rangers special teams blow. make the Caps ST seem bettr and serve the dua purpose of dragging the Rangers down and lifting the Caps.....Maybe the mind set of having one more game left in the Garden did enter the picture a litte(as with the Caps winning or going hoime) ..These two teams are so close that little things can make differences like that......Can't argue with the comments about the Rangers not going to the net enough....but when do they? This is not a srong or nasty team and the depth of this team ihas been and is seriaoly lacking yet they they still have a good chance to make the Eastern Finals....I know some of the Wall now seems to want the Rangers to lose becasue they would have no chance against the Devils, but I wouldn't mind a few more weeks of aggravating imperfect hoceky if they have it in them to play a good game on Saturday...They will need to, becasue the Caps will play a good game...we'll see.

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 10:37 pm EST

RF, yes this team may have over achieved this year but does that mean the fans should be content with what is happening. does anybody think that we should be losing to the Caps. we are supposed to have the better goalie. our defense is supposed to be better. we supposedly have 3 of the fastest players in the league yet the Rangers are getting beat to the puck. the strength of this team is supposed to be the depth and 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines. Still washington groups has been better. If this team would have lost to boston maybe the devils or a western team it would be understandable. This team has struggled with both the 8th and 7th seeded team. For a while it looked like washington wasn't even going to get into the playoffs. they are now playing Ranger style hockey and winning. Ranger fans can and should be very pissed and upset

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 10:35 pm EST

RF4L---Of course, you are correct about our expectations 9 months ago. However, it is also reasonable to raise the expectations when the season progresses the way this one did. Going into the playoffs as the top seed in the east, I would have been happy with winning 2 series. I figured that the conference finals would be against Pittsburgh, and thast I could not complain if we went out ot them based on the talent levels of the 2 teams. The way this has broken, it does not seem that we should go out, or have such a difficult time with the 8th and 7th seeds. We went through an entire season learning that this club is resilient and outworked the opponents most of the time. Now we get to the playoffs, and they cannot bring themselves to put 2 solid efforts in a row together? It just doesn't make sense and is disappointing. has the franchise made progress? Of course. But you just don't get this far too many times, and need to take advantage of the opportunities. If they go out on Saturday, they will get a huge, well deserved roar from the crowd and from all of us. They will also regret it, especially thise who never get a chane to get so close again.

Bob

Wed May 9 2012 10:32 pm EST

KIS....enuff with the Nash nonsense! honestly! who wouldnt want rick nash right about now.....This rangers team has the ingredients to win against the Caps....Will they do it? only the lord knows

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 10:31 pm EST

wow fred, i prolly seen you at the carvel a few times during the dog days of summer.....hopefully we do not get a cookie puss right to our faces on saturday night

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 10:31 pm EST

RF that is what im saying. the caps are playing the Rangers style but have guys to transition and take off and create chances. the rangers don't know what the hell to do. they don't have creative players and he is holding back his team speed. torts is fucking up

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 10:28 pm EST

How many would like to have Nash now. It would give another scorer. I alsothink the Rangers need another center a true 2nd line center. I don't think stepan can do it. Not enough speed not enough skill and not strong enough. he his good at all of them but doesn't excel in any of those aspects to be a 2nd line center on a cup winning team. this team just isn't there yet. what is so annoying is its is people like chimera and aucoin,brouwer,hendricks and ward that are out playing our 2nd 3rd and 4th liners. they are having more of an affect on the game.

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 10:28 pm EST

KIS: OMG, the Rangers are doing in the POs precisely what they've done all season long. The difference is 1) every team works their collective butts off in the POs (I mean, tell me when you last saw the Washington Capitals blocking 20+ shots a game) and 2) the Caps are at least as skilled, if not moreso, overall than the Rangers. What are you all expecting anyways???????

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:25 pm EST

Sooooooooo, all that said, I totally get the frustration being shown on here. It's part of being a passionate fan and more importantly, a passionate Ranger fan. It's ingrained, after decades of disappointment, save for one single year, to expect the worse. And believe it or not, I do. What I am trying to keep sight of here, however, is that this team overachieved in the regular season and IMO, to get to game 7 in round 2 of the POs continues that trend.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:22 pm EST

FM, a lot of hostility but a lot of truth. RF what is the color of the sky in your world. this team is not doing what it has this season. torts is so afraid to give up a goal that he doesn't give the team a chance to score. the players are afraid to make a mistake. His combinations for tonight were horrible. Now what makes it worse is the fact that the Caps are playing so defensively as well the Rangers aren't getting opportunities because the Caps aren't making a ton of mistakes. It is almost like the perfect storm against the rangers

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 10:21 pm EST

Oh, and I guess on Monday the Caps played with no desire, didn't come to win, their coach was horrible, didn't play a sustained effort, were passive, showed no killer instinct, showed that they flat out suck, etc, etc, etc. LOLOLOLOL....

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:20 pm EST

Not sure what expect for game 7. I am an eternal optimist, but it seems like the team has hit the wall. Another 7 game series, questionable coaching, horrible PP and yet we are one win away from the conference finals. I would have ben ecstatic with that idea at the beginning of the year, but to get close and not be able to finish is worse. I have not criticized Torts all year, but he has not handled this team properly in this series. I have no idea what his lines will be for game 7. If we win, we will have a one day turnaround against a team that has had 6 days of rest. If we lose, we hand the Devils a tired team and an easy path to the Stanley Cup Finals. The thought of that makes me want to jump off my roof! I'm looking for some reasons to believe we can win game 7 and get to the finals. Any takers?

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 10:16 pm EST

RF.., you got me; can't hang with that insight. Out.............!

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 10:13 pm EST

pa.ranger: Like I said: Tortorella SUCKS! Kreider SUCKS! Callahan SUCKS! Staal SUCKS! MSG SUCKS! Lundqvist SUCKS! The Rangers rebuilding philsophy SUCKS! My job SUCKS! Taxes SUCKS! Soup SUCKS! Every-damn-thing SUCKS!!!"

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:12 pm EST

PJ: And what was that reporter's point, save for being a complete asshole who knows dick about hockey and only wants to provoke the coach. Has that punkass reporter bothere to do his research to see that more often than not, Tortorella's TO timing has worked? I'm guessing no; instead, he'd rather try to stir the pot. No wonder Tortorella ends his pressers as quickly as possible. Trust that phucking jerk is NOT a Ranger beat reporter....

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:09 pm EST

TradeStar28 much appreciated and I hope you're right.....Oceanside....my wife is from Oceanside (Long Island) and I worked in the Oceanside Carvel for 9 years....

MelvilleFred

Wed May 9 2012 10:08 pm EST

RF.., YOU JUST DON'T GET IT! It's one thing to lose when the Club plays like a Team wanting to get to the ECF. Can you honestly post that you were pleased with the effort from top to bottom!? And don't give me the hypothetical non-sense. If it snows in July does that mean its fucking winter?

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 10:08 pm EST

And for sure, the Rangers did not play well. They also sucked in game 4. And let's not forget that this series would be over, save for the last 7 seconds Monday night. The Capitals are a more skilled team overall and they should be (1/2 dozen top 6 picks in the lineup). These are 2 evenly matched teams....

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:06 pm EST

Had to love the reporter in the postgame pointing out to Torts that the Caps scored shortly after he called the timeout.....

Wed May 9 2012 10:00 pm EST

And Rhet, dunno if that proclamation about 7 game series is accurate, but what so many seem to be forgetting is that 9 months ago, most of us were indicating we'd be content with a 6th in the east finish for this team. They finished first in the east, 2nd overall in the entire league and did so by over-achieving. How wonderful. But we are forgetting about the many close-fought games to get there, a result of their overall skill problems. That liimitation is, IMO, why we're seeing in the POs them needing 7 games to beat the Sens and why this series is going to game 7. If/when they win, there's zero reason to believe things will change against the Devils. Bottom line is that if things had unfolded like most of us were anticipating, these harsh sometimes over the top posts wouldn't be happening. Oh, the irony!!

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 9:59 pm EST

The caps played with more desire. How do you lose so many opportunities for icing because you get beat to the puck. The Rangers weren't desperate enough. also, Fonzi behind the bench is a stubborn jackass. Like York calls him Keenan light. He on'y benches young kids or people he can bully.Why not try to give Kreider some confidence and let him fly. How do you play AA so much he has sucked and does not get involved. Prust and Fedatenko seem to be out there every other shift. Guess what torts, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SCORE!!!! Next game get kreider more time. get rupp some more time and tell him to push his way in front of the goal.. There needs to be bodies in front of Holtby not always on the side. Shoot at the kids feet and stick side. He catxhes everything and the Caps get to re-group. this lost akes me sick. This was not Hanks fault.

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 9:53 pm EST

Rhet....You may be right but right now we have a game 7 coming up at home....Didn't like this game but after game 5 you can also say we never give up either...Like I said normal to vent but to quit on them? ...Not a chance....

Wed May 9 2012 9:52 pm EST

RF4L----you are funny. I just thought they never ramped up the necessary effort after the early PPG against. They were beaten to the puck and outworked for it most of the night, and did not make the effort to get to the net until they had 6 guys on the ice. They played a lot better in game 5. I guess I expected a better game from most of them, but especially from any forward not named Richards/Gabby/Hagelin. Unfortunately, the effort was not there. Henrik deserves better effort and support.

Bob

Wed May 9 2012 9:52 pm EST

Hey Melville, in case i am not around saturday, happy 60th birthday.....I hope you have a tremendous day and an even better decade! from OceansideDavid

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 9:52 pm EST

This team just doesn't score enough goals period. They are a team full of muckers and grinders that refuse to grind around the net. I don't understand it.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 9:51 pm EST

Like I said..(2X)

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:50 pm EST

Nickk.., well said, and might I add; If you indeed are privileged enough to play this deep into a PO, you play EVERY tilt like it's your last!

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:50 pm EST

Ferocious...we're obviously all disapointed but I think you need to become a Capitals fan...more deserving my ass.....winning a 3 OT game tying game 5 with 6.6 to go and winning in OT...screw you.....please do me a favor and don't root for us.

MelvilleFred

Wed May 9 2012 9:49 pm EST

Rhet: Sorry - the last bowl of soup I had was chock full of sodium and I nearly had a stroke. Kinda like lots of wallsters, I think!!! ;^)

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 9:48 pm EST

PJ... We will never, ever, ever win a cup by playing four consecutive game 7's... this team has NO killer instinct and it's something to be truly concerned about.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:47 pm EST

Top, MC, RF4L: Not the point! Yeah we were supposed to suck and didn't but seeing a Cup run sabotaged by a stubborn arrogant jackass coach makes a person mad!

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 9:47 pm EST

stevie.., 10/4 but the Knicks played hard tonite. They have plenty of excuses to lean on not to mention Le-choke was superhuman again. The Rangers have NO excuse for this result.

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:47 pm EST

Wow!...play with passion, battle hard, play like you give a damn and you score a goal! Imagine that! Hopefully it's how we'll play from the opening faceoff next game. I have no idea why Kreider is not playing more but if anyone here thinks that Tortorella is trying to teach a lesson at the wrong time or just being pigheaded or stupid, I think that is a foolish notion. My guess is that the coaches are disecting his game via game tape and seeing that his defensive zone coverage is not good, he's not doing something or some thingS right and they think that it is going to catch up to him big time. Yeas, his speed is awesome and he creates havoc on the forecheck but if that was the only factor, don't you think a coach would go all in....he's trying to win, after all. That being said, when the Rangers were playing as shitty as they were tonight, they need to throw game plans and schemes and teories out the window and go with youth, speed and passion and just let 'er rip. And it seems that Kreider did get more time in the 3rd.

JFC31

Wed May 9 2012 9:47 pm EST

Oh....and the Whale lost tonight, too...that's because McIlrath SUCKS! Thomas SUCKS! Bourque SUCKS! Erixon SUCKS! Miller SUCKS! God, I hate the Rangers!!!

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 9:46 pm EST

Best of 1

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 9:46 pm EST

Canucks, Blues, Preds, Bruins and Pens all out so the seeding really hasn't meant a damn thing....I am as upset as anyone but playing one game at home for a trip to the Conference final I will take anyday....We would all have been thrilled with this situation when their was 10 seconds left in game 5....

Wed May 9 2012 9:44 pm EST

RF4L.... There you go disparaging Soup again... that really burns my bacon.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:44 pm EST

pa didn't watch their game......the NYR were not blown out, but they were fairly flat, but still got it to be a 1 goal game.....as former Captain Leetch just said, it will be about special teams on Saturday...the PP can't pp the bed again.......

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 9:44 pm EST

Like I said....

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:42 pm EST

And while I'm at it: Tortorella SUCKS! Kreider SUCKS! Callahan SUCKS! Staal SUCKS! MSG SUCKS! Lundqvist SUCKS! The Rangers rebuilding philsophy SUCKS! My job SUCKS! Taxes SUCKS! Soup SUCKS! Every-damn-thing SUCKS!!!

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 9:42 pm EST

Why, why, why... can't this team play a sustained effort for more than a couple of games in a row? ...it's bizarre, we've had this trouble all year... that and the fact that we make young goalies look like world beaters against us.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:40 pm EST

Not for nuttin' stevie.., but the Knicks showed a whole lot more fuckin' heart tonite than the Rangers did.

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:40 pm EST

Bad enough not having enough team skill. Having your own coach bury it is beyond frustrating. You think if the Caps were two down with two to go we wouldn't see O, Backstrom, Semin and Green? Well, not if the Genius was their coach.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 9:40 pm EST

LOLOLOLOL...such negativity...LOLOLOLOL. Bet if we backtrack to October/September/etc none of you would predict you'd be posting the crap you're posting right now. Actually, some of you weren't even posting back then! LOLOLOL....

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 9:39 pm EST

Alot of folks just not getting it. The foot was on the the throat; you don't shit the bed!

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:38 pm EST

Knicks out, maybe jimmyboy will go Saturday.......hope he stays home........unless he's good luck.......

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 9:38 pm EST

while I am upset we lost, I would rather be playing game 7 at HOME than playing golf with Crosby, Malkin, Chara and others....cmon people its not the end of the world!

Topovski

Wed May 9 2012 9:36 pm EST

Ferocious.., I thought you were dismissed by that hockey maven MC?

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:36 pm EST

i agree- lay this one on torts. wtf, first time i've ever seen him stay with the same lines! richards and gabby could get nothing going at all. torts favorites are exhausted, 4th line did more than the first line, and hit some people.and yes, maybe the fastest player on both teams- butt pinned to the bench !! nice....

doct

Wed May 9 2012 9:34 pm EST

It's over. Move on. If they get lucky again in game 7, the Devils just get luckier. I'd rather bow out now. The Caps are a much more worthy opponent of the Devils than we are. Clinging on for life , 7 game series, 1-goal games all the way through against the 7th and 8th seed? Scorers not scoring...PP a disgrace...Hank with the left hand of a reluctant third grader....Come on.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 9:34 pm EST

Does anyone hve Tortorella's email?

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 9:34 pm EST

Yup, there are 5 teams out of 30 still playing right now, we must really suck! Ferocious, bye bye, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Wed May 9 2012 9:32 pm EST

Torts worships the grinder. Fine. You gotta have them. But you can't bury talent because you're afraid of mistakes. Even if our many Prusts and Feds and Mitchells and fuckall manage to create chances, THEY CAN'T FINISH. Pucks roll off sticks ... smack off blades on a setup ... shots tattoo the goalie's crest. And talent creates more chances anyway. Your grinders you need to establish a holding pattern. Your better guys you need to score. And six minutes of ice for a guy who can is a damned fool decision. Yeah K isn't an all- star yet but come on, Torts. Christ I hate that smarmy little fuck.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 9:31 pm EST

I was thrilled when Torts was named Coach. If this Club bows out Saturday nite, blow the fucking thing up with this "Coach" having the dynamite up his ass to start the party! I'll even drive to NYC to light the fuse.

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:30 pm EST

Why are they interviewing all these Caps players on the MSG postgame? Don't want to see that crap....

Wed May 9 2012 9:29 pm EST

Kreider 6:06 of ice time. On a team that cannot score. Unbelievable.

Bob

Wed May 9 2012 9:28 pm EST

still on the bandwagon, not picking on the coach.....see what happens in the 7th.......still 9 wins to go,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 9:28 pm EST

Way too passive of a game on all accounts - by the players and the coaches. We played like we have another game and it cost us. They didn't crash the net or try to force any position down low. The moment they did, they scored. Need that type of mentality from the drop of the puck. MSG will be ready. LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!

Wed May 9 2012 9:27 pm EST

What a pathetic performance and effort. This team is developing thre right way but they just don't have the killer instinct yet. The entire game I'm screaming and my poor wife and 4 month old had to endure. Can someone tell me what the fuck torts is thinking? BOYLE IS NOT A 2ND LINE CENTER!!!!!!!! Playing out position on the 3rd line. And Stepan between a 4th liner in Prust and a checking winger???? WTF!!! That should lead to some creative offense. Kreider with less than 4 minutes is inexcusable!!! Mitchell on the second PP unit over kreider-WTF?!?! And like someone else said Torts changes his lines faster than he stays at a press conference And the fuckin guy waits until the 3 minute mark of the 3rd period that it's not working? As poor as the effort by the team was tonight, and it was, the coaching was off the charts bad. That's right Torts, let's just play hawkee

NCRanger

Wed May 9 2012 9:27 pm EST

Was there ever a doubt that this would go to a game 7! Really poor effort on the Rangers part....well Saturday is my 60th Birthday it will either be great or I may never post agian because I've had a heart attack!!

MelvilleFred

Wed May 9 2012 9:24 pm EST

Can come here and vent all you want about this game and I certainly have....Just tears you up when they lose like this....However, if you aren't watching and cheering wildly Saturday night don't try to pass yourself off as a fan...Give me a break....Game 7 coming up...Have to get up for it....

Wed May 9 2012 9:23 pm EST

I know the Rangers were planning on keeping MZA out until the next round, but there is no tomorrow... if he can play, he should... This team has NO SCORING (shhhh, a well kept secret).

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:21 pm EST

How do you not switch up the lines when you are not scoring and you keep Kreider on the bench and play the shit out of Prust and Mitchell when neither can score. So f'in pissed off that this team was not ready to play. Without a lucky break in game 5 we lose this series tonight.

Steve443c10

Wed May 9 2012 9:20 pm EST

TRADE... Come game time on Saturday, I'll be fully committed... but until that time... I'm gonna bitch like there's no tomorrow... because there isn't :)

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:20 pm EST

Kreider late in the game playing very physical....Knocked Green around and was pushing in a scrum....Talent so obvious he has to see the ice more...

Wed May 9 2012 9:20 pm EST

been a fan for 53 yrs FEROCIOUSMONK94 no truer words ever spoken!!!!

littleman09

Wed May 9 2012 9:19 pm EST

Ferocious..Holy Shit! You just nailed it 110%! I was trying to come up with the words but couldn't clear my head enough. A fucking disgrace from "Coach" to "Captain."

pa.rangersfan

Wed May 9 2012 9:19 pm EST

Came looking for a dumb reaction to the game. Was not disappointed.

ScMePlz

Wed May 9 2012 9:18 pm EST

That was weird... my two posts merged together... anyway... I was bitching about Kreider's lack of ice time... This team can't win when it has only one line that scores... it give the Caps only one line to focus on... If Kreider is on one of the top two lines, at least they'll be chasing him around most of the night... it makes us dangerous(maybe he didn't watch the Sens series?) ....but with him only playing 6:06 of ice time.... Torts is giving the Caps this series gift wrapped.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:18 pm EST

There's no momentum in hockey, or very little. If thee was all series would be over in four or five. I mean did we take any mo from games 3 or 5? Or the Caps from 2 or 4? If Torts would play to win instead of whatever the fuck he is doing, that would be good. Hunter's not much different but what can you say about Torts' ice time decisions? On a talent starved team he nails Kreider to the bench ... and plays Mitchell on the PP.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 9:14 pm EST

How did McDonagh have a bad first period? He tried to clear the puck and it took a weird bounce? I don't get the NBC announcers view of reality. But that ain't going to happen with 6:06 of ice time... A total Joke.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:14 pm EST

I won't be watching game 7..I will be rooting for a deserved loss from afar. I've felt thins team was fool's gold all season long and damned if they haven't proven it. Tonight they wiped away any prode that had been gained in the previous game, or the previous series. This team flat out sucks, and I don't know who could deny that. There has never been a moment during these playoffs when it felt like the NYR were the better team on the ice. Maybe at times the scrappier, or the more desperate. But they're not desperate enough to overcome their many, many flaws. There's a lot not to like about this team, and a lot I will NOT miss watching when this season is over after game 7.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 9:12 pm EST

evets: Good points, but this is the way this team has played all year and the pattern, surprisingly, continues in the POs. Also, it's totally irrelevant in the POs how 1 game ends in terms of the momentum to start the next game. Just look at this series on its own as a prime example - the team that lost has come out hard the next game.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 9:12 pm EST

Lets wipe the slate clean fellas......Saturday is do or die. We have a 50% shot here. Keep the faith....keep your heads up boys......Flip a coin! this series comes down to Henrik....We get some nice rest for the big game Saturday.

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 9:11 pm EST

The irony of the goal (and typical of the way we've played all night) was that it would've missed altogether if that Cap player wasn't in front of the net.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 9:11 pm EST

Callahan-Boyle-Anisimov? Prust-Stepan-Fedotenko? Mitchell out there at game's end? Really, the one time Torts does not screw with the lines all season. This was a terrible effort from the top down through the lineup. Henrik was the only one that gave his all. The rest were outworked. Pretty embarrassing.

Bob

Wed May 9 2012 9:11 pm EST

Just a horrible effort....Looked better in the third due to Caps sitting on lead....NBC announcers ecstatic....Second loss where an early penalty by Stralman puts us behind....

Wed May 9 2012 9:10 pm EST

one good thing is that there is nothing to complain about except the shitty performance they put out there tonight....i can sleep well tonight!

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 9:10 pm EST

It took the Rangers 59 minutes to figure out they need traffic at the net.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 9:09 pm EST

You just CAN'T have games like this in the playoffs. They have handed all the momentum in the series to the Capitals and have given Holtby all the possible confidence in the world by simply handing him this win. These two teams have traded wins in this series, so the Rangers have that going for them. However, I see the Capitals coming into Game 7 with more intensity than they played with in this Game 6 AND with the knowledge that they can win in Madison Square Garden. I hate to be all doom and gloom, but at least in the Ottawa series, the Rangers came back home having had a huge emotional win in Game 6. Now the tables are turned and I have a horrible feeling about what is to come on Saturday night.

evets1980

Wed May 9 2012 9:08 pm EST

Rangers needed to come out like pitbulls ......instead they chose to come out like toy poodles

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 9:05 pm EST

Hey look a goal...with bodies in front. Rocket science

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 9:05 pm EST

Correction we may have just scored one when it is too late....

Wed May 9 2012 9:04 pm EST

Mitchell. MITCHELL!! fuck you torts you goddamn moron!

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 9:03 pm EST

A game this big and we can't even score....Embarrassing....Rangers should be ashamed of this effort....

Wed May 9 2012 9:02 pm EST

Well guess this will give me something to do saturday night....

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 9:00 pm EST

Our plan of attack seems to be to hit Holtby in his stomach and midsection and hope the puck goes through him... I've seen Pee Wee teams play with more heart and conviction than this team has shown tonight.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 8:59 pm EST

Sure is disappointing to see the Rangers get outworked so significantly. It's not like this wasn't an important game or anything.

Bob

Wed May 9 2012 8:53 pm EST

Especially for a coach who switches lines like underwear

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 8:51 pm EST

KFC and mc - normally I would agree. But when has this team not shown passion and commitment? The coaches JOB is to manage the game and put his players in the best position to succeed. torts has not done this at all. Late in the 3rd and the same lines that haven't worked. Kreiders size and speed put pressure on the senators. But he has not played significant minutes in this series and that is unforgivable in my opinion. What is the to lose at this point?

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 8:49 pm EST

It is good we have Feds leadership for the playoffs....The guy is skating in mud....

Wed May 9 2012 8:47 pm EST

This has to be one of the worst games they have played this season....just sad. For whatever reason they are not into it at all. Caps are running all over them.

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 8:47 pm EST

Hank worse puck handling goaltender of all time....

Wed May 9 2012 8:46 pm EST

I can't take any more of this lovefest between Pierre and the Caps...little bald prick.

pete

Wed May 9 2012 8:44 pm EST

craps playing d only, score on these fools

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 8:39 pm EST

JFC is right. Man, I've never seen such whining in my life. I'm pissed too but it's not over yet!

Wed May 9 2012 8:38 pm EST

get 1 make it a game, can't win with no goals

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 8:36 pm EST

0 for 5

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 8:33 pm EST

here comes the 5th pp

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 8:30 pm EST

With no bodies in front the Caps goalie has a perfect view of every shot...

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 8:30 pm EST

Eddie O. Where's Kreider? Switch up the lines?

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 8:30 pm EST

Kreider 3:15 of ice. Only Rupp has less. Fucking unbelievable.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 8:27 pm EST

The Rangers are playing like a team that has a 1 game cushion instead of a team that wants to win a series!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 8:25 pm EST

E...You don't have to....The Rangers already have....

Wed May 9 2012 8:25 pm EST

So by the box score, Kreider has been on the ice for more than a minute less than Mitchell. Because Mitchell is known for his game changing goals?

mykpfsu

Wed May 9 2012 8:24 pm EST

This is all on the players....THEY are the ones who play the game....or in this case NOT playing the game. It's one thing to get beat by a team who plays better than you, but when you don't show up to play, you can try every line combo in the world and in just won't work. This gamne is all about PASSIOn and playing like you give a damn and it's the players who need to do that, not the coach.

JFC31

Wed May 9 2012 8:24 pm EST

Washington is at home, they are desperate. They jumped on the NYR and the NYR look like they aren't ready to match their intensity. And so the reality might be MSG game-7. This is why you work so hard in the regular season to get home ice. If not? Welcome to chokeville. But I am not ready to throw this game to the Caps yet.

Wed May 9 2012 8:22 pm EST

I hate to think of game 7!! The Caps will have momentum and a coach who coaches to win. Torts is coaching to lose....His pompous ass is truly disgusting and embarrassing as a Ranger Fan!!! Line combos suck!

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 8:21 pm EST

TUCC: I don't think its Tortorella at all.

Wed May 9 2012 8:21 pm EST

JFC31....Couldn't agree more...How do you not show up for this game?...Frustrating to say the least...

Wed May 9 2012 8:21 pm EST

Is there anyone on this site that doesn't think Tortorella is the one fucking up this run?????

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 8:20 pm EST

This team offensively sucks! I don't know how this team got this far which isn't very far playing this brand of offense. The Rangers need to turn the net around to score.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 8:19 pm EST

Having a difficult time figuring this team out....Are they only motivated when their backs are to the wall?...Still say a dangerous game to play....We have let the Caps up off the mat....

Wed May 9 2012 8:18 pm EST

3rd period down by 2..how much ice time are Boyle, Prust and Feds going to get.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 9 2012 8:18 pm EST

How we could be so freakin' flat in a game like this is absolutely beyond me. Fumbling pucks left and right, getting beat to pucks, losing battles on the boards, not covering men down low....I'm absolutely disgusted right now. They have a chance to move on to the conference finals and THIS is what they come up with? They need to pull their collective heads out of their collective ass and start playing SHARP, PASSIONATE hockey! Sheeeesh!

JFC31

Wed May 9 2012 8:18 pm EST

Torts can smirk and wise off and stalk out of the postgame media scrum and show how tough he is. I'll still hate that fucker if by some miracle we win this series or the next. I'd rather lose to Holtby than the sainted Uncle Daddy at least.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 8:18 pm EST

And who's responsible for the lines combinations... our brilliant coach named Sisyphus.

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 8:17 pm EST

Can we start the Fire Torts chant now??? This was a sure win series...and an open cup run and Torts had screwed with everything! He preaches that the playoffs define players well guess what jerk...you are also defined by the playoffs....Where are our skilled guys and why is the 2nd line not Cally, Kreider and Step???

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 8:16 pm EST

This is truly a sad, pathetic performance tonight. They have dominated periods before in this series. Let's hope the third period is one of those. Perhaps they can tie it up or win it, but at the very least they are going to have to build some momentum for a potential game 7.

evets1980

Wed May 9 2012 8:14 pm EST

Don't disagree. Been pounding that drum since early in game 5. These line combos suck. Take away the two late goals (and the play of the first line in game 6) and it has been a disaster.) Caps will trap the entire 3rd.......6 or 7 shots at the most.

Fotiu22

Wed May 9 2012 8:13 pm EST

All I want for Christmas is a Ranger in front of the net!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 8:13 pm EST

4 minute pp nets nothing....who needs a pp?......

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 8:13 pm EST

Playing with fire in my opinion....A win tonight will give Caps a huge boost for game 7....We really aren't even in this game....

Wed May 9 2012 8:11 pm EST

They won't win with these line combos. Period.

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 8:11 pm EST

Bring back Avery, at least he had the balls to stand in front of the net !

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 8:10 pm EST

Game 7 is at home. Can't ask for more than that. Stay out of the box, stop the stupid turnovers and they will win.

Fotiu22

Wed May 9 2012 8:08 pm EST

If they lose this series, torts will be vilified for how he handled Kreider. Blazing speed and two game winners and he is sitting on the bench. The more I think of it the more I want to punch our coach.

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 8:08 pm EST

I had been saying Prust is a fourth liner...I now say he shouldn't dress in the playoffs....He is useless....

Wed May 9 2012 8:08 pm EST

well that was an f'n great call....didn't realize Prust was that strong.....not that it matters......might as well send out that POS Rupp to hit Ovechkin in the adams apple.

Fotiu22

Wed May 9 2012 8:06 pm EST

Not surprised but I was hopeful....I really believe not showing up for this one may end our season....Can't just keep dialing it up....

Wed May 9 2012 8:06 pm EST

Down 2-0 and our coach throws out the same ineffective lines. Comical how badly he has out coached himself. I'm really starting despise the guy. Third series against this piece of shit franchise and he can't close th deal. Sickening.

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 8:05 pm EST

Bad coaching costing us the game. Game 7 here we come

NYStranger

Wed May 9 2012 8:05 pm EST

OMG, why am I not the least bit surprised at this....

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 8:04 pm EST

At least the Rangers passing looks pretty....Do they get points for that? Keepin the faith !

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 8:04 pm EST

MDZ should never see another PP....One bad decision after another....Hank needs to stay the F away from the puck....

Wed May 9 2012 8:04 pm EST

Keenan is eventually going to have to play Kreider as he is only one of four forwards who can actually put the puck in the f'n net.

Fotiu22

Wed May 9 2012 8:01 pm EST

Painful....

Wed May 9 2012 8:00 pm EST

It's over for me! I got Weird Al on VH1 Classic. I'd fire up some Assasin's Creed but it's too late to get started on that. I'm tapping out for the season. These bitches play like bitches. I've got better things to do with my time. Like typing angrily about it.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:58 pm EST

We get a PP, maybe the sides will be even now

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 7:58 pm EST

Again a bad icing and a lost face-off eventually leads to that goal.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 9 2012 7:57 pm EST

Tucc: After watching last game I agree....this game is over

RDW

Wed May 9 2012 7:57 pm EST

"Some people claim that there's a zebra to blame, but I know...."

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:57 pm EST

That's the kind of goal the Rangers don't score because the Rangers don't get men or pucks to the net.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 7:56 pm EST

Nice of them to show up.....They may have screwed around too much...They could lose game 7....

Wed May 9 2012 7:56 pm EST

Every player was on one side of the ice, leaving that idiot alone, did anyone see that!! Jesus !

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 7:55 pm EST

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 7:54 pm EST

That's all she wrote. Game 7.

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 7:54 pm EST

That is why Bickel doesn't play....Wanders out of position....F this game....

Wed May 9 2012 7:54 pm EST

"Livin' on sponge cake...watchin' the sun bake.."

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:52 pm EST

Tots is trying his best to become Sisyphus. No jump, no creativity, no forechecking. Wake the fuck up!!!! It's a one goal game damnit!!!!!

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 7:47 pm EST

Hags, Richards, Kreider. ..Gabby, Stepan, Cally...Prust, Boyle, Feds...and 4 th line. Come on Torts, don't F this up!!!

NYStranger

Wed May 9 2012 7:46 pm EST

These lines suck ass... Stepan Kreider and Callahan were killers against the senators. Torts has lost his fucking mind.

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 7:45 pm EST

Heck bench Callahan....What the hell is he doing in this game....Just horrible....

Wed May 9 2012 7:43 pm EST

Kreider had how many game winners Vs on ebad play?? Come on asshole of a coach....save your words for later

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 7:40 pm EST

Still have faith though ! Notice they have not interviewed Tort yet....LOL

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 7:39 pm EST

Looks and feels like were are permently shorthanded ; (

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 7:39 pm EST

Boyle and Callahan are a nightmare together....

Wed May 9 2012 7:34 pm EST

On the bright side, we are lucky to be only down one nothing... This game totally depends on which Rangers team shows up for the 2nd Period.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 7:29 pm EST

Our D will have to provide offense....The lines are screwed up....Other than the top line I see very little....Stepan has turned into Stephanie again....Boyle is plodding along like Herman Munster out there....

Wed May 9 2012 7:28 pm EST

Let's, if that's what you call "not bad", I'd hate to see what you call "bad".

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:28 pm EST

Torts is a genius and he'd be the first to admit it. I hate that arrogant POS. Mitchell and Feds on the PP ... Kreider on the pine ... I'm sorry; that's not inscrutable wisdom, it's fucking idiocy on a high, grand, stubborn scale. We need SKILL out there and not the goddamn plumbers union! Step-Cally-Kreider ... where are they, coach? Get them together and get them out there! EVERYBODY makes mistakes, but yeah, by all means, teach your freaking 'lessons' on May 9. A complete dildo.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 7:27 pm EST

What is wrong with Gabby/BRich/Hags and Cally/Stepan/Kreider??? Fucking Torts thinks he is teaching a 20 year old a lesson??? He is a thoroughbred, let the MFer run!!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 9 2012 7:25 pm EST

Not bad could be better but not bad. Need to play with desperation and treat this like an elimination game.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 7:21 pm EST

2 periods to go and only down by one goal. I do agree with everyone about Kreider. Play the kid. Torts hubris is astonishing considering what the kid pulled off in round one.

Tucc

Wed May 9 2012 7:20 pm EST

Torts is being a stubborn asshole. No second line threat. Must be talking to the Genius lately.

NYStranger

Wed May 9 2012 7:18 pm EST

Why is Bickel in the lineup at all, since he cost us two games in the playoffs already?

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:16 pm EST

It won't matter since we have played so much hockey with Torts misusing his players, the rested Devils will kick our ass. His misuse of the kids is awful and frankly I hope he gets fired if they lose! They played fine in the regular season but they seem spent in the playoffs

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 7:16 pm EST

Why, praytell, is Mitchell on the powerplay? Does Torts really want to take this to Game 7...schneidw - that PP is EXACTLY what I was talking abut. All three forwards ended up behind the net, Only one shot, and that was from the point...

tdchi

Wed May 9 2012 7:16 pm EST

Rhet, all I find myself thining now is I don't want the Devils' path to the finals to be through NY. Not if this is what we're bringing to the table. I've seen a few champions in my years and none of them looked like this.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:13 pm EST

Nick... I'm more concerned more with Kredier still being on the fourth line... we are very one dimensional without a second line.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 7:13 pm EST

Fucking Torts has to be the smartest guy in any room. Where the fuck is Kreider?? We got a game in hand here. Play the kid who sparked the team past Ottawa you have made your point!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 9 2012 7:12 pm EST

Nick, for me it boils down to something like an old nursery rhyme. When they're good, they're really good. But when they're bad, they're horrid. Except horrid doesn't quite name it. Ebbs and flows are one thing, but this team could take bipolar counseling from CYBIL.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:11 pm EST

Why aren't some of the kids playing when we need offense??? Torts plays Mitchell & Feds on pp?? Nice coaching

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 7:09 pm EST

THERE'S Mitch! After that faceoff win he's gonna be out there every goddamn PP we get. Fucking Torts.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 7:09 pm EST

MONK... Outside of games 6 and 7 of the last series and game 1 of this series... they haven't had a consistant effort 2 games in a row since.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 7:08 pm EST

Well one of these goalies has a glove. The other prefers to preserve his guitar playing hand. Guess which?

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:08 pm EST

I hear that, Monk. This is supposed to be 'fun' on some level but I'm not having any ... It's like, I expect them to win (this year at least) so I don't enjoy it as I used to, but still get disgusted when they lose.

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 7:06 pm EST

Feds on the PP???....Sigh.....

Wed May 9 2012 7:06 pm EST

Feds! Where's Mitch?

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 7:06 pm EST

Time to get even boys... Put someone in front of the net!

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 7:05 pm EST

Put Kreider on the PP!!!

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 7:05 pm EST

Get a Damn body in front of the net !

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 7:04 pm EST

Rangers spend more time going East/ West then North/South....Why does the whole team need to chase down the puck???

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 7:04 pm EST

I'm a Ranger fan through and through but I must be honest. At times I fucking hate watching this team and don't want to see any more. It's offensive.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:02 pm EST

How do you neutralize Callahan...Put him with Boyle....Working beautifully....

Wed May 9 2012 7:02 pm EST

I take that back, after watching the replay again... he missed the puck... watching it real time I thought he swiped it away.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 7:02 pm EST

thanks. listen.....we know what we are up against....let's get the next goal.....pressure will all be on the Craps

Fotiu22

Wed May 9 2012 7:01 pm EST

Ever tried to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the time between a puck hitting a Ranger stick blade and being shot off the blade? It's fun! You can do it without any special talent. the good thing is the precision that slowness creates. Marksmanship. And lots of goals.

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 7:01 pm EST

They knew the Caps would come out firing But yet they look like they are reacting and not trying to play offense

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 7:01 pm EST

nick the craps came out hard, they don't want to lose or it's golf.

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 6:58 pm EST

O ME of little faith, you are saying? Hey, hope springs eternal. I have some. I've just seen too much and Torts give me a huge pain. I mean WTF ... it's no shame to lose but you can't compete early in THIS game???

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 6:58 pm EST

Fotiu22... He actually made a very good defensive play,but it's one of those plays where the Refs react to the guy going down as opposed to what actually happened.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 6:57 pm EST

nick you can turn the game off now

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 6:55 pm EST

That was a trip. Stralman didn't touch that puck. Come on ...

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 6:55 pm EST

That will be the last we see of Bickel....We are getting smoked at this point...

Wed May 9 2012 6:54 pm EST

What a shocker. Way to have the boys ready, Torts. Maybe if he wasn't so intent on lecturing the media that every huge win we get in this series 'doesn't mean anything' -- and I'm sure telling the team the same thing -- he could actually put some fire in this club. Good thing Ovechkin is such a 'liability' to his team. And Chimera looks like the fucking Kanamit. What time is Game Seven on Saturday?

Nick

Wed May 9 2012 6:54 pm EST

missed it........penalty call legit or BS?

Fotiu22

Wed May 9 2012 6:52 pm EST

Say what you want about the Devils, at least they know how to finish a team off... We'll be lucky to get out of the first down 1-0... C'mon Rangers, don't wait until the 2nd period... TURN IT ON NOW!!!

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 6:46 pm EST

fuckin piece of shit ref douche bag ball licker.....that was a good defensive play, not a penalty ....you stupid ugly fuck

TradeStar28

Wed May 9 2012 6:45 pm EST

Good start! Devils, here we come!

FerociousMonk94

Wed May 9 2012 6:45 pm EST

Come on!! Don't let the refs win too

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 6:43 pm EST

that was not a trip, he got the puck first

stevielegs

Wed May 9 2012 6:43 pm EST

Are you kidding? This is how we plan on putting them away?

Wed May 9 2012 6:43 pm EST

UNBELIEVABLE.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 6:40 pm EST

Time to finish these guys off... DO NOT let them back into the series... Let's Go Rangers!!!!!

Rhet0ric

Wed May 9 2012 6:38 pm EST

As the Dugster says... Lets Go Rangers!!!!! Let's finish these guys off now!

NYStranger

Wed May 9 2012 6:34 pm EST

Come on Rangers!!! Let's finish them off

rngrsans

Wed May 9 2012 6:31 pm EST

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thedugster

Wed May 9 2012 6:29 pm EST

Let's get it done tonite! GO RANGERS!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 9 2012 6:24 pm EST

Think we are going to need nitroglycerins pills tonight? Let's Go Rangers !!! Close them out and let's move on !

ajurso

Wed May 9 2012 6:23 pm EST

LET'S GO RANGERS

Wed May 9 2012 6:10 pm EST

WIN. The lawgiver has spoken.

heston

Wed May 9 2012 2:32 pm EST

Rather than "be nice" perhaps its "turn the other cheek" Thats what the Devils did last night, the Flyers tried to goad them into things and they just skated away. Make it hard for the refs to call anything retaliatory...everyone knows the get the second guy...sometimes on purpose, sometimes because the original incident gets their attention and they look just in time to see a guy react. Like someone else just said, be patient... there will be a time when a guy can be lined up, or perhaps at the end of the game the Rangers can have a 3 or 4 goal lead, than you can hack a whack a couple guys and try to get away with it. But from the drop of the puck the Rangers can not give the NHL a reason to get what they want....ANOTHER prime time game 7 with the team from the biggest market in the world.

Wildcard

Wed May 9 2012 1:54 pm EST

TDCHI - Actually,with apologies to Dalton, substiutute BE POISED for BE NICE and you may have the way to go..Just play disciplined, responsible, no revenge, no macho bull shit Ranger hockey,...unless they start losing!...

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 1:48 pm EST

Hospo – Sadly, “BE NICE” is probably not a bad option for the Rangers, considering the recent track record of officiating and the skill Washington has on their powerplay. Crucial to the game will be the Rangers' ability to stay out of the box. It's the one VERY clear advantage the Capitals have over the Rangers...though I did just check...and here's one stat that just made my draw drop: The Rangers PP percentage in the playoffs is BETTER than the Capitals...not by much...but still better. Very bizarre...anyway...wanted to reiterate what Garcia said here...maybe with a few more exclamation marks...LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

tdchi

Wed May 9 2012 1:34 pm EST

HOSPO, Save the be Nice for during tonights hand shake!

Jerry_Garcia

Wed May 9 2012 1:19 pm EST

Actually, I think the key to the Game is in two words: BE NICE...If they check you..BE NICE...If they slam you into the boards...BE NICE!...If the slash and hold you without penalty...BE NICE!....BE NICE until it's time not to be nice....and Torts will tell them when it's time...Sorry, just watched one of the best "worst" miovies of all time...

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 1:15 pm EST

DugsterS keys to a win,,,,,,,,simple,,,put in more pucks then they do,,,,keep it simple:)...LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!!!!!

thedugster

Wed May 9 2012 12:55 pm EST

Keys to Rangers winning game 6 tonight: Play with the swager you had all season long. Make tape-to- tape low risk passes. Get pucks and bodies to the net. Keep it simple. Finish every check, get the puck deep and play the cycle down low. Play with patients. Forwards need great back-checking along with strong four checking. Defense, join the rush only when appropriate. Hank play Hank. Don’t expect any calls from the referees. HAVE FUN! “Everything is Gona be All Right" LGR PS: Thanks for making me a proud NY RANGER FAN!!!!!!

Jerry_Garcia

Wed May 9 2012 12:51 pm EST

Scheindw – Here's what I've observed...the idea isn't necessarily to have three guys behind the net or goal line, but when you get three guys cycling in the corner, you keep two guys battling and one guy floating near the circle to drift either left or right to pick up the puck when it inevitably shoots out. Just when you do that, the puck is likely to fire along the boards...and if its the boards toward the net, that third forward has to drop down to grab it. In other words, them getting caught three forwards behind the goal isn't BY design, but a result of the design Tortorella uses. He loves to have the forwards cycle, free the puck and then feed the points...then have the points hammer a shot or try to find someone unfettered in the slot...It's so F@CKING formulaic that on the powerplay, other teams basically predict it now...hence why the Rangers suck so bad on the man-advantage(though I did see they're up to a season-high 18.4 percent with the last two PP goals)...Anyway...I've said a number of times that the Rangers and Bruins are very similar in design...well...this aspect of their game is almost identical...and from seeing both teams play over the past three years, I think it's one that Tortorella sort of co-opted from Julien. My buddy who is a huge Bruins fan noticed the same thing...The bonus is that it's a system any skill level of hockey player can play. You don't need a Crosby or Ovechkin to cycle like that and it's a system that's basically tailored for the dump-and-chase. That means it doesn't really matter when you juggle your lines, since you're really not doing anything fancy to begin with...the drawback is that it's not particularly productive and you're basically waiting for a lucky bounce or the other team to make a defensive gaff for the puck to go in the net.

tdchi

Wed May 9 2012 12:36 pm EST

Josh, you missed the most important item...."Flyers Sign New Goaltender"....http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/flyers-sign-new-goaltender-eliminate-turnover-risk

RF73

Wed May 9 2012 12:24 pm EST

Scouting report for tonight's officials -- http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/rangerscaps-scouting-the-officials

josh29

Wed May 9 2012 12:15 pm EST

Tonight, I want to see face-offs won in their zone when we're on the powerplay. Please.

VtRanger

Wed May 9 2012 11:55 am EST

On Hank: aside from the OV goal off his glove and his bad choice to go behind the net, he's been great this series. At the game the other night, folks in my section were all remarking that Hank had faced about 20 less shots than Holtby but had made 7 of the 8 toughest stops in the game. And it was true. He made some huge, tough saves at key times. Thats what you need. Nobody is perfect.

chinstrap

Wed May 9 2012 11:43 am EST

Meant to add that if you had more skill, you'd generate more chances coming into the zone and off the side boards. Lots of folks are complaining that the Rangers aren't driving the net and don't have guys in front. Well, the former takes skill (and size) and other than perhaps Chris Kreider (and he's too new/green for that yet) the Rangers don't have anyone of that ilk. The latter requires speed and puck-control, skills both Richards and Gabbie have and why they are together and why more often than not they make up what is clearly the Rangers best offensive line. Fast forward to next year and imagine either Zach Parise or Rick Nash in the top 6 - the dynamic goes up significantly, IMO.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 11:41 am EST

I would like to see the OFFENSE steal a game this series. Throw a nice big 5 or 6 spot on the board.

Tikkanen

Wed May 9 2012 11:39 am EST

schneidw: Yes it's by design - it has to be because it's so frequent. I do get your confusion/questioning and I've never seen/experienced anything like it but I can only assume it's Tortorella's take on a strong forechecking/cycling game. You can't have that if you lose more puck battles in the opposition's end than you win and outmanning the opposition during those battles is one clearly simple way of trying to win more than you lose. That style/strategy is Tortorella's response to the team's lack of overall offensive skill (another response would be to send only 1 man in and have the other drops back to defensive positions early, but that means you're giving up the puck early and often in the other team's end). It's not a coincidence that both of Gabbie's goals this series occurred with him in front, getting the puck fed to him and he's arguably the team's most skilled forward (meaning there weren't 3 forwards behind the net on those goals).

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 11:38 am EST

schniedw - been mentioing all series that the Rangers goal (and the Caps weakness) is to control the puck along the backboards and then maybe steal a chance....and win a low scoring game...I think their strategy is to have TWO forwards doing the battling or scavenging with the "off wing" trying to get into position for the pass.(and occawsionally a D-man sneaking in)..But, you are right, sometimes there are three forwards back there and soemtimes the wings follow the play all the way to the other side......So, I'm guessing the main goal is puck control rather than shots on goal...Not hard to figure iout why the Rangers haven't or won't score much..

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 11:23 am EST

QUESTION for Wallsters that have formal hockey training... WHAT is the deal w the NYR offensive scheme that has all 3 offensive players behind the net hacking at the puck...is that by design? I find it totally strange since even if they do free up the puck, there is nobody in front of the net to pass the puck... its a pointless scheme that can lead to odd-man rushes the other way... I think one of the biggest flaws with the NYR that is the root cause of the low scoring is the NYRs are bunched up, playing on the outside aloing the boards and not crashing the net... as a matter of fact, aside from Callahan and suprisingly Gaborik at times, no NYRs are positioned at the door step... So is this by design? THX for your feeddback...

schneidw

Wed May 9 2012 10:57 am EST

KIS - He has stiolen a game in the ottawa series..and in this series, he has allowed his team to win games.....You talk about Vezina goalies..Who?..LIke Pekka Rinne, who fucked up left and right....Mike Smith making bone head choice?..mistakes galore from Broseur, Bryz, Fleury...Tim Thomas? The only goalies playing as well as The King has been Quick under much less pressure........RF$L - Sounds to me like you want to see The King making highligh save after highlight save just to prove he is good...Well, that would mean the Rangers were getting steamrolled...Right now, except for maye two plays all PO, he has played fantastice within the game given him...

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 10:46 am EST

KIS: And the Rangers quite frequently are taking that extra pass and shooting - the problem is those shots are coming from the perimeter because the Caps are clogging up the middle and the Rangers don't have enough skill offensively to counter it.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:44 am EST

KIS: 2 of the 3 Ranger goals in game were weak and that Stralman opening goal in game 5 was soft, too. Holtby is vulnerable, especially with the way he comes out to cut down angles - if the Rangers could find a way around/through the Cap defense, they'd score 4 or 5 goals at least.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:42 am EST

Hospo: I'm not saying the King has sucked - I'm saying he can be better and that should worry the Caps....

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:38 am EST

to beat this kid, the Rangers have to change the angle. They can't let him square up because he saves it. He comes out so far and takes away any shooting space. I say make the extra pass and shoot quickly. if you are going to hold the puck move sideways , like Staal, to change the angle. getting to damned fired up already.

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 10:31 am EST

The Rangers are going to do the same thing offensively tonight as they did on Monday.....shots from every angle that are low to the ice....hoping for a rebound chance in front. This kid plays goal like he's a shortstop....he will glove everything he can reach and that results in ZERO rebounds. The Rangers want to score goals the way they did with 7 seconds left in regulation....if you keep the puck away from Holtby's glove, he WILL give up rebounds. But, they need to have people there in front to cash in or at least screen him. Alos, remember that Strallman goal last game.....low and from a bad angle.

JFC31

Wed May 9 2012 10:31 am EST

JF, spot on. Hospo I want Hank to play like a Vezina winning goalie. I don't want shit goals in at bad times. Rf and others, I want him to steal a game. Holyby hasn't really let in a weak goal unless you wanna say Kreiders goal in game one. I don't know guys you give this man a lot of credit and make him out to be incredible but to me I just don't see it. When I think of great goalies I think of Hasak, Roy, Dryden and yes even uncle daddy. Those guys won series and were the best player on the ice. They won games even when their team wasn't playing as good as the other team. Hank hasn't done that in the playoffs this year. I hope he proves me wrong but I see him leaving in another shit goal tonight. Like I said, I hope I'm wrong.

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 10:29 am EST

Henrik has been excellent. it is our lack of scoring ability that cuses there to be so much focus on Henrik. I plead guilty myself. He is so routinely excellent that when a slap shot from Ovechkin goes in off his glove, I am grousing about that fact that he usually stops those. If we had any offensive competence at all, these shots at the King would never come up. If we get past the Caps, we win the goalie battle in the next round. Of course, all media will be pulling for Uncle Daddy and the games on NBC will be an Uncle Daddy love fest.

Bob

Wed May 9 2012 10:21 am EST

RF4L - Did you see a few of the saves The King made in the tripple OT.? Yes, he hasn't been consistently challenged..But neiother has Holtby....,,..A testament to how even this series is..But Th KIng has played every minute in 12 major intense hockey games with zero margin for error just about every shot,,...And he messed up once, behind the net in the Ottawa series....Hell, SMith and Renne brainfarted at least three times...I don't understand what you guys want from Lundqvist....Becasue Holtby is playing almost or just as welll, means nothing aboout the KIng, but alot about the KId

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 10:19 am EST

KIS: Holtby better than the King in this series? Dunno what games you're watching my man, but IMO, you're dead-wrong. Without a doubt, the King has faced more difficult shots. I'd estimate in all 5 games he's had to make 4 or 5 excellent saves; Holtby, on the other hand, nary a one. He's made some good saves, but tell me when he faced a Ranger shooter like Lundqvist did against Backstrom on Monday. You can't because he hasn't. Holtby stood on his head against the Bruins, but he's not had to do so against the Rangers. 98% of the Ranger shots are from the perimeter and/or blueline and/or outside the blueline. This is occurring for 2 reasons: The Caps are doing a wonderful job clogging up the middle and the Rangers are offensively challenged. Guys like BB, Cally and Stepan have been invisible offensively this entire series.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 10:12 am EST

Timing is everything and The King has let in some uncharacteristically weak goals at inopportune times, which has contributed to us being where we are now. He is top 5 all-time in my book as far as NHL goaltenders go and he hasn't even reached his peak yet.....but if he's going to let in a softie (as all goalies do) it needs to be when we've got a comfortable lead, not when the game is on the line. He's let in 2 key goals to OV that he should have had....particularly the one from the point when he snatched at the puck and missed. He had a clear line of sight on it and flubbed it. Game 2 had a bad one too. We are better than the Capitals, period. We just have to stop letting them into games. If each Ranger (including The King) plays up to his capabilities, this series should be over tonight.

JFC31

Wed May 9 2012 10:12 am EST

Ah, the Flyers and Devils....I said from the day they aquired him, that the Flyers were hitching their cart to the wrong horse in Brz...that they would never win anything with that numbskulled choke artist.. The FLYERS were also the team Iwas least scared about.....Horrible defense..Horrible discipline...Horrible goaltending....The DEVILS are the exact opposite and deserve to be where they are in this league of parity........As for the RANGERS, love to see it done tonight but it will be a grind..just like every game.....you hope the Caps come out too charged and make a mistake but I don't see it.....the only thing that separates these teams is a play here or there and Special teams..We'll see who gets them tonight....The KING has been fnatastic the entire PO, the best and most consistent Rangers....but he does indeed need to be at his best if he has to steal one (and he did steal one in Ottawa also (Game 3???)...

Hospo

Wed May 9 2012 9:43 am EST

WASHINGTON has to win 2-row to advance. At this stage of the game the realities are that 1. The NYR can beat them in their own building. 2. In most areas at most times it was the NYR carrying the pressure, not Washington. 3. I don't see the NYR losing 2-row this series. Obviously we all want to see this end tonight but even if it comes back to MSG I have a lot of confidence in them. An OT win like they just had is demoralizing. The Caps will want to try to set the tone early and often. But if the NYR elevate and match them, Washington will lose this series.

Wed May 9 2012 9:42 am EST

TD, How has been the better goalie in this series? Holtby has done just as well if not better than the King. I thik the numbers are BS. There are games he isn't even getting 20 shots. Yes he has mad some incredible saves but I want him to STEAL a game. How many games would he have been the #1 star? Not once in this series. Plus he has let in some really shitty goals. Like I said, I have no problem eating crow and I am getting used to it HAHAHA. I would love to see Hank stand on his head and get us to the next round. I don't see it.

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 9:42 am EST

My comment about the King having yet to bring his A game is based more on the fact that he's not been forced to in this series, save for certain times (ie the breakaway by Backstrom where the King got a shoulder on the puck - if that had gone in the game was over and the Rangers would be facing elimination tonight). The Caps haven't consistently tested him, which is as much a testament to the Rangers as anything else.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 9:30 am EST

td: Agree....Hank has been the best netminder in the playoffs so far. Yes other guys have had better games, but not game in game out. Quick has seen teams that have had injuries or just have not clicked for whatever reason. When he has seen the other teams top guys get chances, the kings have had a hard time and have needed to score more. And the teams they have faced have not put up strong defensive fronts. It would look a lot different if the Rangers had Quick...I mean, it would look like the golf course for the Rangers.

Wildcard

Wed May 9 2012 9:21 am EST

Holy shit KIS...what do you want LUNDQVIST to do?!? He's got a .940 save percentage and has faced 328 shots...22 goals allowed in 12 games for a 1.70 GAA. And that's having faced SPEZZA, ALFREDSON, KARLSSON, OVECHKIN, BACKSTROM, SEMIN and GREEN. I'm sorry dude, but you take some of the NHL's most potent offensive players and put them against any other goalie in the league and I really doubt you'd be seeing them produce those type of numbers. I know you're not a big fan of Hank, but sometimes you really need to look at the numbers, not just the goals he lets in. We've said it here plenty of times: All goalies let in a stinker here and there. What you've got to look at is the ones they DON'T let in. Hank's had some really tough rubber to stop. And as great as SMITH and QUICK are doing in their respective series, I don't think either of them can hold a candle to what Hank has done so far.

tdchi

Wed May 9 2012 8:52 am EST

I would love to see the Rangers close it out tonight but I don't see it. I see it coming back to the Garden. The caps get the last change. Lundqvist hasn't played well nor come close to stealing a game. The team has had a tough time getting goals and Washington hasn't lost back to back games since November. Caps ar a very tough team to play against. I say Caps win 4-1 sorry boys. Hope I'm wrong. I'm getting to like crow.

KIS

Wed May 9 2012 8:39 am EST

Totally agree all around.....we need to finish this series off tonight. I have a good feeling about it......I think the Rangers will come out strong and finish them off. No excuses.....the chance to move on is right there. The King can't let any softies in. If the Richards-Hagelin-Gaborik line performs as it did last game, the odds are well in our favor. If ya think about it, we have been dominating large parts of this series and are only up 3-2 because of our own mistakes. We need to be aggressive & smart and have The King be The King and we move on. Simple as that LOL!

JFC31

Wed May 9 2012 7:48 am EST

And another thing: AFAIC, the King has to bring his A game to this series. He's played well overall and in spots has been absolutely brilliant, but IMO, he can be better. That should worry the Capitals.

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 7:45 am EST

RF4L- I definitely agree. With some luck, we can put a team away I guess, but we have only done it once this PO, and that was G1 against Ottawa. BUT, in this series it should be Washington that cramps up and makes misstakes and not us. They have 3 superstras who are struggling/getting benched on a regular basis. They struggle alot to create any offense (and have been saved by a bunch of "lucky" goals). They got a coach who has not yet been able to build "his" team, he is still coaching a Bruce B roster. If we could just put ourself in a somewhat comfortable position, and let Washington be the team that has to force things -- odds are definitely on our side. But so far we have had Bickles misstake, Hanks failure behind the net, Kreider's giveaway and so forth give Washington the driver seat in a big way. We have had long stretches against Was were we have had things under controll, but not yet any stretches really were we expose them. If we are in a position after 20 minutes tonight and its tied or we have a lead -- then I am sure we will get every chance to do just that, expose them. Like we have done with so many teams this season. As long as we just don't put Washington in the driver seat from the get go -- I am sure we will do just fine tonight.

Ola

Wed May 9 2012 7:24 am EST

I know I'm stating the obvious, but man oh man would it be nice to see the Rangers finish off the Caps tonight. I say that for 2 reasons: 1) To get to the final 4 and 2) To show some sustained dominance, something IMO, they've not really done this POs (games 6 and 7 against the Sens being the closest). Even though the Caps had the better legitimate scoring chances in game 5, overall the Rangers were easily the superior team - FOs, shots and overall time spend in the Caps end of ice showed that. I really REALLY don't want to see the Rangers come out flat tonight - do that and you're almost telling the Caps game 7 is a given....

RF4L

Wed May 9 2012 7:12 am EST

schneidw - It's tough to say who has more on the line in this series...Tortorella or OV. They both do. OV goes home and I think it might finally punch his ticket out of Washington. I mean, five consecutive early-round exits? That's a tough legacy for any captain to live down...but the Tortorella angle is a great point...and remember there's about a half-dozen guys on the Rangers that got show the door twice along with Torts(Dubinsky, Callahan, Staal, Sauer, Girardi, Anisimov and above all...HANK). Gonna be a good game. I've already prepared a five-gallon vodka-Maloxx smoothy for the game...The recipe is quite simple: equal parts of cheap vodka and Maloxx. Blend with a handful of Tums, seven or eight pills of Xanax and ice.

tdchi

Wed May 9 2012 7:05 am EST

The Devils are a trash barge of a team that was circling the drain not too long ago...they're only advantage in this playoffs is that they played the two of the three weakest teams that made it in the east...I STILL don't understand what kind of flim-flam BS landed Florida in the laps of the Devils...and I I was literally CHAMPING at the bit to get a piece of the Flyers...Both very weak teams that are poorly constructed. The Rangers, meanwhile, are literally swimming upstream playing two very defensively sound teams with star power and with powerplays energized by dynamic puck-moving defensemen...I will echo what PJ said: There's ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE in talking about playing the Devils, since the Rangers are facing AT LEAST 60 minutes of some of the toughest hockey they'll play this season in the Caps' building with the dumb Russian Bear coming out with a vengeance. My one hope is that OVECHKIN comes in with a screw loose and plays a major disruption to Hunter's system. This is going to be a tough one, and they only get tougher from here.

tdchi

Wed May 9 2012 6:58 am EST

I've not seen HFD play this season, but I want to add one thing about McIlrath. That's an aspect that is a curse for 1st round picks. The kid was 19 y/o when he joined HFD (he just turned 20 in may). Dan Girardi at the age of 19-20 was not ready for the AHL. Girardi did not make HFD out of camp when being 21.5 y/o, he started that season in the ECHL. Carl Hagelin or Ryan Callahan was not ready for the AHL at that age. Nobody expected them to be ready. Mike Sauer had a very small role as a rookie in the AHL being 20-21 y/o. Add 2-4 years to McI's current age, and Girardi, Hagelin, Callahan, Sauer and co started to contribute in the NHL. And had McI been a 2nd round pick, I am 100% sure it would have been perfectly natrual for him to get those 2-4 years with zero pressure on them. Now he is under the microscope from day 1. Our team is doing really well, and that's great for him. Like he is not "needed", unlike say a Jamie Lundmark or Bobby S. But its still ESSENTIAL that McI is able to concentrate and really work towards taking one step at the time in his development. I mean, Dan G probably felt great about himself when he had an "ok" first camp, got a spot in the AHL after only 7 games in the ECHL. Then he probably felt great after having a strong camp the year after that in NY, despite not making the NHL, and then just getting a chance to play some in the NHL was probably tremendous for him. Its like, a player with reasonable expectations on themselves who can take one step at the time and feel great about every small step they can take -- develop well. But a 1st rounder who is slightly seen as a dissapointment even for not being ready as a 18-19 y/o, often seem to struggle at just improving on a yearly basis. Sometimes its one step forward and two step backwards. Because overall, I think McI looks pretty darn interesting. Huge. Good natrual open ice hitter. Decent skater and decent hands. If he is ready for the AHL next year, and can become a strong 4th-5th D at that level the year after that -- the step to the NHL as a solid NHL D, with some tremendous intanglibles, isn't that far away at all.

Ola

Wed May 9 2012 6:51 am EST

Ranergs better come out and friken win tonight. Need rest before meating Jersey. I'm sure the reffs and league will do everything to make sure ther is a 7th game and the team has to battle throught it. Just dominte like game 5 and put a couple behind Holtby early and keep pressing for the Win boys! LGR!!!!!

NYStranger

Wed May 9 2012 6:51 am EST

Dagger- I bet Torts is reminding the nYRs that WAS has eliminated them 2 of the past 3 years... payback tonight in DC on their home ice... A dominating performance ot finish them off will be a real treat for NYR fans...

schneidw

Wed May 9 2012 2:18 am EST

NJD in the ECF? If we or Washington loose, the league will become a Uncle Daddy mongoloid love fest. Then we got a lockout on the horizon. Yeah, that sounds just great.

Ola

Wed May 9 2012 2:13 am EST

So we could get to the SCF's by beating the 8th seed, the 7th seed and then the 6th seed -- has that ever happend before???

Ola

Wed May 9 2012 1:52 am EST

I'm Jersey blood and I harbor no ill will towards the NJD at all. They have given me endless amounts of entertainment through the years. They aren't my team and I love beating them but I don't hate them. I used to hate them when I was younger. Nowadays? I just want to beat them like a piñata. Their just not my team and they are currently waiting to cock block the NYR from a cup. More then me hating them is my disgust at losing to them because I think the NYR are a better team.

Wed May 9 2012 12:22 am EST

MelvilleFred, I am not new to the board but do not post often. Been reading comments on this site daily during the NHL season for a few years. Rod Gilbert is my all time favorite and also am a de hard Mets fan and I live in Canada- people can't figure that out....lol As for this team, we have a shot at it.....best 4 man defence since Leetch-Zubov-Lowe-Beuk. I agree with some comments that some guys tanks are running low.......lets hope we get the next game and some guys wake up for future rounds.

RangerGraham

Tue May 8 2012 11:57 pm EST

I lived through that crap with the Islanders and the humiliation that came with it. Then came the Devils, John MacLean, Darren Pang and the whole damn story started again. If the Devils had won the cup before the Rangers, I had vowed to give up hockey altogether. 1994 came damn close. Just think, you WALL vets would not have had to put up with me for all these years. Then, the pricks won 3 times inside of 8 years. I hate them and cannot bear to lose to Uncle Daddy. I would rather lose to Ovechkin than lose to Newark.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 11:37 pm EST

Am a Jersey Boy as well and a fan of hockey well before the Debs showed up and turned everything upside down... nothing worse than the friggin' bandwagon that came along with their success. Still makes me want to wretch... I literally hate them more than any of our other rivals. All I can say is, they can wait their turn! We got a big game tomorrow before I even wade into that junk. LET'S GO RANGERS!

Tue May 8 2012 11:32 pm EST

Born in Newark....Can't stand the Devils but won't allow myself to think about them yet....We have a big game tomorrow night...

Tue May 8 2012 10:58 pm EST

I am a Jersey boy, and I hate Newark. Not the city, the hockey team.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 10:03 pm EST

After watching Fleury and Bryz for a month, and watching the Rangers launch 150 shots to score one or two, I ask: when will WE get some of these gift-wrapped goals in key spots? I mean, there might have been a few soft ones but nothing like tonight's, for instance.

Nick

Tue May 8 2012 9:58 pm EST

This guy never would have coughed up the puck to Clarkson like Bryzgalov did... http://t.co/lM2N3lKn

josh29

Tue May 8 2012 9:57 pm EST

As if the if the Flyers goaltender issues couldn't get any more comical, there current net minder scores the game winner and series clincher against his own team. Makes me chuckle...

Tucc

Tue May 8 2012 9:52 pm EST

Bob: Yep, I hear ya. But on the other hand it would quite rewarding to see the Rangers hand Unc Dad his final PO loss, wouldn;t it?!

RF4L

Tue May 8 2012 9:50 pm EST

Nick: Yes, Phuckman is responsible - he along with the board of phreaking governors, the spineless I(unless there's money involved) NHLPA and to a lesser extent, the GMs. These idiots have the foresight of a 1 celled organism when it comes to anything that's not about short-term money. It's reprehensible was this greedy little man is orchestrating. Is the ridiculously inept entertainment of the period of hockey I watched a direct result of a particular action Phuckman did? Of course not. It is, however, a result of a series of shortsighted decisions, some minor (eg replacing ball-challenged Campbell with Cantahan) and some major (keeping a money losing team in Phoenix year after year after year). His fat ass should be kicked to the roadside - alas, that won't happen because so many owners are equally inept, greedy, phuckman like.

RF4L

Tue May 8 2012 9:30 pm EST

Anyone want to see a breakdown of the last 21 seconds of regulation for Game 5? http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/breakdown-the-last-21-seconds-of-regulation

josh29

Tue May 8 2012 9:27 pm EST

Geez, now Bettman is responsible for styles of play? We're gettin' outta hand here. 'What happened' to the Flyers is that they weren't playing Pitt, who put on the worst display of hockey in many decades; an all-star game with stupid fights, no defense and abysmal goaltending. I still would rather play the Devils but that's largely because I live in Philly and just can't stomach that squad. It's not so much their guys; it's entire atmo. When they score their radio guy sounds like someone jabbed a flaming icicle up his butt; their PA guy has been there since the year one and when he yells at 1,000 decibels, 'The Flyers are going on the PECOOOOOO POWER PLAY!!!!' I want to scream 'Because Ed Snider and Comcast NEED MORE MONEYYYYYY!!!!' So yeah bring on the Newark Rockies. They can be had.

Nick

Tue May 8 2012 9:21 pm EST

RF4L--here is the problem.........I cannot bear to lose to the Newark Devils. I hate them with a passion. They can really skate.....better than we skate. We win the goalie duel, but is that enough?

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 9:17 pm EST

During the Filthy - debbies handshake, Giroux came out dressed in street clothes....He looked like Pee wee Herman in that suit he wore.....He is a tiny dude.........He prolly whispered to Brodeuer, "Ayy Martay, u gonna beat lundqvist that fuck, ayy ?"

TradeStar28

Tue May 8 2012 9:16 pm EST

Watched nearly a period of the NJ/Philly game and OMG, what an absolutely terrible display of entertaining hockey (actually that's an oxymoron). I have no idea where the Flyers of the 1st round have gone, but I sure recognize the sensory numbing style of the NJ Devils. Good job Phuckman, you ugly greedy self-serving piece of crap. The only thing that's been remotely entertaining so far has been the over the top violence of the first round. This second round across the board is what dull sleeping inducing hockey is all about (Rangers excluded because I'm an addict).

RF4L

Tue May 8 2012 8:43 pm EST

dugster, ahhh i know bear creek. I can't wait until the arena is built. PA and myself have been looking forward to seeing the whale for a couple of years. We usually go and see them play when they are at W/B penguins.

KIS

Tue May 8 2012 8:26 pm EST

JG: KNIT ! Use the SchpelCzeck

Tue May 8 2012 8:19 pm EST

There you go again with your biting humor MONK.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 7:47 pm EST

Bob....aside from a leather spiked device here and there, what's the difference from one Albert to another?

FerociousMonk94

Tue May 8 2012 7:44 pm EST

MONK--Kenny has his mother's hair.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 7:42 pm EST

Marv Albert doing a decent job on play by play.

FerociousMonk94

Tue May 8 2012 7:36 pm EST

Flyers would be better off with that fabric goalie thing you use when you don't have a goalie.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 7:03 pm EST

My God, Bryzgalov sucks! Brodeur is only slightly better. We need to move on to the next round ASAP.

JFC31

Tue May 8 2012 6:21 pm EST

KIS--- a 14000 seat arena is a major project- I live in bear creek about 45 minutes north- I understand there are several law suites about the project which will really drag the project down. it would be great to have another team around.....I love the lehigh valley,,,,wonderful place to live and play,,,,,

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 6:15 pm EST

I'm all for blaming Hos. Get's me off the hook. :)

SteveCT

Tue May 8 2012 6:10 pm EST

HOSPO I think you are contagious.

stevielegs

Tue May 8 2012 5:14 pm EST

Christ, I even misspelled my misspelling. Dope. LOL

SteveCT

Tue May 8 2012 5:13 pm EST

Ammassing? Amusing. Sorry

SteveCT

Tue May 8 2012 5:12 pm EST

Tucc: That Ad. Red Wing team with Graves broke my old New Haven Nighthawks' heart that year. My then wife had the Nighthawks' Captain (a defenseman Richards maybe, nickname was "the General)" kids in her day care along with about five other players families. Watched a few games with Rick Dudley and Torts in Tort's home in Branford, CT. All pretty nice people, the players and coaches all had big, macho egos but I guess that is pretty much standard. Still very nice, warm people. Roland Melanson apparently made my ex's knees weak but it was funny. Man, that was a long time ago. Dudley was the rising star and Torts has won a cup. Who knew? Amassing.

SteveCT

Tue May 8 2012 4:59 pm EST

tucc- totally agree. I actually love watching games at the civic center. Place is old, sure. And it ain't flashy. But like I said...not a bad seat in the house! And I love the 'secret' bar they have under the stands. That place has singlehandedly made me forget the third period of the last four games I've seen up there...problem is, a lot of these AHL teams are trying to be like small-market NHL clubs...I was visiting a buddy in Chicago a few years back and went to see the Wolves play Grand Rapids...man that place was PACKED. They must have had 8,000 people there...The Providence Bruins are the same way...always drawing 7,000-plus...So a lot of these clubs think they're missing out on something if they're not getting those kinds of numbers...of course they also want to keep those teams close to the parent franchises(hence the Wings departure)...which puts them in a bit of a quandary...anyway...I would be loving life it the Whale/Pack comes this way. If Hartford continues to neglect the Whale, hopefully they'll look at Adirondack. It's a great place for hockey even if it is a little small.

tdchi

Tue May 8 2012 4:48 pm EST

GARCIA - Definitely true about the Rangers...but also true of the Caps, Devils and COyotes...I think the NHL PO wars really bring teams together...where the Rangers are different is that they have been like that ALL YEAR!!

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 4:20 pm EST

Rangers have great TEAM Chemistry, and are a tight nit group that play for each other. Hard to find this in any professional team! LGR

Jerry_Garcia

Tue May 8 2012 4:10 pm EST

CM - I could have missed it, but I didn't see any tribute to Yauch. They did play a Beastie Boys song, but I don't remember a tribute during it.

pete

Tue May 8 2012 4:03 pm EST

MARK--The man is clutch. Wow. I thought he was greal all game last night. He is the big difference between this year's Rangers and last year's Rangers. For the forseeable future....he gets the credit closely followed by YOU. When they win the cup, I want to hear him thank his former youth hockey coach, that teacher guy that now lives in CO.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 4:01 pm EST

BTW, anyone at the game who can report if the Rangers did any kind of tribute to "my man Yauch!". I know the Knicks did. The win last night shocked me out of mourning for the most part.

ColoradoMark

Tue May 8 2012 3:59 pm EST

BOB- LOL, remember that it is a good thing I had absolutely no influence on Brad's shooting ability and he was smart enough to ignore any advice I tried to give him! He's had that "it factor" that Torts mentioned since he was a kid. In Junior, he scored 37 points in 12 games to lead the Oceanic to the Memorial Cup (two years after Vinny L left).

ColoradoMark

Tue May 8 2012 3:13 pm EST

doct - About time for Hagelin!...Had been a non entity (like Gabby also).far too often..Gabby had a strong game, if it was spurred on by Hagelin, so be it...If it was visa versa, so be it also.....But I do like the way Hagelin usually plays along the backboards, comes away with the puck alot and can make some crafty passes from beind...Gabby and Richards can do the same also..Hopefully all three will be "on" on Wednesday..

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 2:17 pm EST

doct i get you don't like Gaborik who scored 40 goals. If the choice was Gaborik or Kreider in the lineup for tomorrow's game , you would pick Kreider?......kreider is having a hard time stirring his coffee.......

stevielegs

Tue May 8 2012 2:13 pm EST

Having grown up near Saratoga Springs, I used to attend Adirondack Red Wings games for years (watched Adam Graves launch his career there). Glens Falls is the perfect place for the Rangers farm team. They have always consistently supported minor league teams and the building is a great place for watching hockey. It's old but has history!

Tucc

Tue May 8 2012 2:08 pm EST

Dugster, don't know where you live but I do live in the lehigh valley. There is some mitigation going on dealing with taxes but there is activity at the site. Arena is supposed to be up and ready for next year. I have a hard time seeing that but I don't think it will take 3 years.

KIS

Tue May 8 2012 1:53 pm EST

say what you want- but it was clearly haglin that stirred the drink for richards and gaborik last nite. haglin was unreal along the boards , won way more battles than he lost , and gives uo what ? 40 lbs to some of those d-men. great heart, quickness, and controled pucks with players drapped all over him , something gaborik sucks at. he truely made that line go last nite. hard to say about kreider, doesn't get in enough . made a couple good defensive playes in his zone, i missed high stick, but i didn't see him give the puck away for a 2 on 1 either.

doct

Tue May 8 2012 1:40 pm EST

Nobody will be moving to Allentown as they have not layed a brick for a building ,,its a big mess here,,,,,,,,3 years away at best,,,,,

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 1:31 pm EST

tdchi - I've heard the Glen Falls rumors, too. The Whale is losing money like crazy with their XL Center lease (which expires in 2013). They basically pay twice as much for the use of the building per game than any other team in the league and they also get zero revenue from the concessions. The team, simply, is in financial trouble. Big time. However, HOWARD BALDWIN JR was forced to step down as President and COO and will no longer be running the day to day operations of the team, which may change things a little bit...

Dineen11

Tue May 8 2012 1:12 pm EST

RF4L - Yeah, MCILRATH was getting beat a lot, but I am not worrying about it too much yet. As you said, and you hear guys say all the time, the adjustment coming from juniors is a big one. They've got him paired up with REDDEN, who has been a great teacher for the younger D. I think we'll see some improvementin him next season. And ERIXON... I don't comment on him too much because I think I see something different from most. I see flashes of brilliance and a lot of bonehead plays. I can't tell you how many times he's been on the point and seems to have trouble handling the puck and loses it out of the zone. I think I've said it before, but I think after he came back from his last stint with the Rangers, he's looked worse than he did earlier in the season.

Dineen11

Tue May 8 2012 1:00 pm EST

Hospo: TANSKI is a 4th liner...not much of an offensive upside, but far from a goon. He brings a lot of energy, throws the body around, and in general, works really hard on every shift. And REDDEN? I know he brings intangibles like experience and leadership, but he has been playing like an old man lately...

Dineen11

Tue May 8 2012 12:52 pm EST

RF, saw the same things but I think McIlrath needs to work on his balance. He seemed to be leaning foward quite a bit. The kid definitely should stay with the pack next year. I think bickle is further along and seems to do the same thing

KIS

Tue May 8 2012 12:51 pm EST

SteveCT - Attendance in Hartford has sucked big time, but I actually think it was worse than this a few years ago. I can remember a few times a few years back where the Wednesday night crowds were probably 100-200 people. The announced attendance last night was about 1600. I'd say it felt more like 1,000. They've got about 1,000 season ticket holders right now and it was mostly the familiar faces that I saw there last night. I know being a Monday doesn't help much, but it's too bad. There is some good hockey being played. Also, the game was televised live in the Hartford area so that probably kept a few people home. I am nervous to see what a low turnout they get tomorrow with their "home" game being played in Bridgeport...

Dineen11

Tue May 8 2012 12:50 pm EST

SteveCT/Dineen11 - That is a pretty pathetic turnout for a game, albeit on a Monday...I've heard rumor that Adirondack(in Glens Falls) is going to take a stab at grabbing the Whale after Philly's Phantoms leave for Allentown in 2013. Despite having a generally lousy team their whole time in Glens Falls, the Phantoms regularly outsell the larger-market Albany Devils, which play in an arena that can sit 14,000 but average less than Adirondack. The Phantoms play in a much smaller arena, where there is seriously no bad seats. Just about everyone feels like your at ice level...Before the Phantoms came, there was a lot of talk about the then-Wolfpack coming here...and I've heard rumblings like that again. Would be a bit farther for players to travel after a call-up...but they would certainly be loved in Glens Falls...small market, but sheesh those people love their minor league hockey! When the Wings moved out, it was like someone ripped the still-beating heart out of that community.

tdchi

Tue May 8 2012 12:45 pm EST

Dineen: Great recaps. I watched the youtube 5 minute summary and saw McIlrath struggle with speed on the outside on a couple of plays, which isn't surprising. It's a big adjustment junior to the pros and the faster more skilled ones will test him to the outside continually (safer than cutter through the middle) until he proves they can't. I liked him stepping in for Bourque and he won the fight I thought, even he seemed to take a few shots once both players were on the ice and the officials were stepping in (punk-ass move by the Norfolk dude, mind you). I saw Erixon make a wonderful diving sweep check that knocked the puck off the opponent's stick (as opposed to knocking the opponent over first) - he looked like a Ranger D for sure on that play!

RF4L

Tue May 8 2012 12:32 pm EST

Thoughts from Games 3 and 4 in the Whale's series against the Norfolk Admirals (the TB Lightning affiliate). Game 3 on Sunday night ended up being a 4-3 loss for the Whale. This was a little bit of a heart breaker, as I thought they actually outplayed the Admirals for most of the game. They came out flying - good puck movement, lots of speed, good forechecking, no one shying away from throwing a hit. They got on the board early with a goal from WELLMAN (his first of two for the night), but then they gave up a shorthanded goal which I think deflated their momentum and they just had a really bad second period that they couldn't recover from. CHRISTIAN THOMAS was scratched in favor of SCOTT TANSKI, who is one of our bangers and grinders. Kid's got a lot of heart and I think it proved to be a good move, despite the loss. MCILRATH and MILLER both played a pretty solid game. CAM TALBOT, who has had a pretty strong playoffs so far, just wasn't playing as good as he has been, and that didn't help either. Tough loss. Game 4 was last night...better results, a 4-1 Whale win! I was a little nervous early in the game because they did not come out flying like they did the previous night - they were playing much more cautiously. And the PP - seriously atrocious. I really thought this was going to be over... Then JON AUDY-MARCHESSAULT scored a lucky goal that trickled through the Norfolk goalie's fivehole and things started to turn around. The night's other goals came from TANSKI, WELLMAN and NEWBURY. I thought DYLAN MCILRATH had a bit of a rough game, though it was nice to see him drop the gloves at the end after the Admirals went after RYAN BOURQUE up high for the second time in the game. Speaking of BOURQUE, it has been great watching him progress this season. He played an excellent game, as did JORDAN OWENS. TALBOT was also making some key saves that kept them in the game. Great team effort and the series is now tied 2-2. Game 5 is tomorrow night, in Bridgeport, because the XL Center is booked. It's a bummer that the Rangers have a game as well - could have given Ranger fans in that part of the state a chance to check out some of the prospects in action. Games 6 and 7 (if necessary) are back in Norfolk.

Dineen11

Tue May 8 2012 12:12 pm EST

Dineen11 - Thanks! Nice little 2 on 1 by Valatenko...McIlrath with a nice fight win at the end against some bearded lumberjack...who is Tanski? ...IF they get eliminated in this series and the Rangers move on, I wonder if Redden is one of the recalls

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 12:06 pm EST

1,164 announced attendance for Hartford. I'm a life-long CT resident and that's PATHETIC.

SteveCT

Tue May 8 2012 11:56 am EST

Here are the highlights from last night's 4-1 Whale win: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmS1QhfBNNQ&sns=em

Dineen11

Tue May 8 2012 11:20 am EST

I think Shea Weber just slammed his head off the side of the team bus after the loss last eve!!! Nashville has a lot of questions to address this offseason. Radulov and Suter being the biggest.

PatrickDiv

Tue May 8 2012 11:18 am EST

Hospo- I found myself thinking the same. He is an incredible talent and something many (including us) do not have in their systems. It is an absolute shame how some of these guys are so casual and wasteful about the gifts they are given. Perhaps he can turn it around but likely not here as we dont do those "High Risk- High Reward" games anymore- THANK GOD!!!!

PatrickDiv

Tue May 8 2012 11:14 am EST

PATRICKDIV - I was gonna bring up RADULOV but decided to with until after we win the Cup or are eliminated....No way NASHVILLE keeps him now, bad bargaining positon but they will stil get soemthing decent......With GABBY and RICHARDS and the Rangers make up, not the player I would go for, Cup or no cup..And I have always been a huge RADULOV fan--who would be just like KOVALEV in NY

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 11:12 am EST

Given the fabric of this team and it's togetherness, I am not sure if Radulov is simply a more skilled version of Zherdev. A talent yes, and potentially even more of a disruption/distraction

PatrickDiv

Tue May 8 2012 11:10 am EST

DUGSTER - Hated Hunter as a player...and thought he was barking up the wrong tree earlier in the year...but he is doing with the Caps exactly what Torts is doing with the Rangers...Impressive for a first year coach and pretty surprised by his demeanor and bench presence....Also, he give s off this impression of "Hey, I know I'm no genius but I know Hockey and hocky players"...But the only tip of the cap I will give him is for coaching guys like GIRARDI and DZ in Juniors!

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 11:09 am EST

BTW: On another note, I have long wanted to pry Radulov away from Nashville but how cheaply do you think he can be had now? He is an RFA after this season and there is no way they match a sheet tendered to him. In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if the dump him for a pick or simply let him walk.

PatrickDiv

Tue May 8 2012 11:07 am EST

This team, just when you think they are done, they go and prove you wrong. Have to give Torts credit. These guys simply believe in their system & the approach and never stray from it. To a player, they all referred to the hard training camp and their cardio workouts immediately after the 3OT game. This team believes in itself, their system and their coaches. A great job thus far. What a crazy playoff season. Phoenix & LA in the West? Who would have thought that?!!! Hoping we can close them out tomorrow eve and Play the Debbies (a la 94) in the conf final.

PatrickDiv

Tue May 8 2012 10:59 am EST

And a tip of the hat has to go out to Dale Hunter,,,,,,he has been a class act as a coach and has done a wonderful job with his team,,,,,too bad he is GONNA LOSE!!!! LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!!

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 10:57 am EST

barto---On the PP the bruins didnt score 1 pp goal in the whole playoffs last year,,,,we have scored a few,,,but I agree if we get that clicking we will be much better---Im just a really proud 46 year Ranger fan today.......Really proud how they never stop working,,really proud how they work every minute of every shift night after night,,,,,,,Just really Proud:)

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 10:53 am EST

Dug agreed on that almost seems like their destined to get in the final round. First place since December now second round and finding away to win no matter what the obstacle. Bad officiating loss of key players at crucial times. A power play that's less than efficient but seems to do just enough to get a win. Allot to be proud of either way.

barto

Tue May 8 2012 10:22 am EST

the craps have a coach who wants it his way, not the old crap way.......i think the whole organization are craps, alias pos, and hope they find a way to lose 10-0 tomorrow.....screw the caps on an old soda bottle, and throw it into the garbage or burn it ( recycle pail for you greenies). ....dugster just might be right......destiny calling.......and i hope the debbies lose at least the next two, preferably all 3.....screw them too, and the cryers.....this is the real war.....take no prisoners......' kill em all'.......

stevielegs

Tue May 8 2012 10:21 am EST

DUGSTER - Likeable and worthy of respect, yes, but not special....Bottom line is they have played the 7th and 8th seed, teams they should be beating or, at the least, are even-up....So, I am gonna hold off on the special but I love their heart, fight, guts, discipline and teamwork..

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 10:19 am EST

Hank was amazing the last few weeks,,,,,really amazing,,,he is in their heads,,,,,no question,,,,,,,now lets hope we can kill it tomorrow nite and NJ and Philly go 7,,I fear neither team to be honest........Who ever comes out of the west will be very tough,,LA is playing really great hockey......

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 10:18 am EST

RF4L _ Alot of close in chances for the Rangers is not going to happen..it's by design...They are intent on winning and keeping the puck along the backboards and sideboards, utilizing two forwards....Which leaves only ONE forward (or the occasional screaming in D-man) in the slot in most cases to receive those passes..It has worked just enough..ANd the Rangers are all about "just enough"

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 10:15 am EST

Got to give Trots, a ton of credit,,,,,,,,,ton

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 10:15 am EST

BTW, if the Caps didn't play that way, Holtby would be doomed - he's always way out of his net on long shots, relying on the concept of reducing angles, as opposed playing further back in his net and using pure skill/reflexes to make saves. In other words, if the Rangers can spring a forward and get behind that defense, Holtby will be exposed bigtime, IMO.

RF4L

Tue May 8 2012 10:15 am EST

Oh shit now I have cursed us,,,,lol

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 10:14 am EST

BOB: I thought the exact same thing. Stepan needed to be back with Cally and Prust should not be on the ice trailing by a goal with under 10 minutes left. I actually was happy Torts reunited Step-Kreider-Cally with around 12 minutes left, but Kreider took the high sticking penalty and even though he got a shift after that, he was pretty much done. The Boyle-AA-Cally line has done less than zero. Tough to watch the difference between Boyle pre and post concussion. He hasn't been very good. Hopefully he works out the kinks soon, we'll need more from him if we're gonna make a real run.

chinstrap

Tue May 8 2012 10:14 am EST

Hospo---if the 3 OT game and lastnight doesnt no qualify as special Im not sure anything will....This team has a ton of B type players but night after night they overachive,,,been that way all season and I think its not over yet,,Im starting to feel this is a team of destiny and we will once again find a way with guts grits and a little luck to win it all.......I struggle not to think this way but too many things for this not to be a magic moment in Ranger history.....

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 10:11 am EST

The Capitals are amazingly skilled at eliminating chances from the slot, especially the high slot where lots of goal-scorers score their goals. The chance I referred to in my post about Mitchell I swear was the only one - there were others, of course, but always with at least 2 Caps crowding the shooter, forcing him to other try to fire the puck thru a bunch of legs or move off to the side and down the boards. The only close-in chances came off scrambles and/or working the puck behind the net and getting it out front where the Ranger forward was almost in the bluepaint when he shot (which is good, but gives the shooter zero ability to actually aim - it's more bang/bang). It was wonderful to see Staal's PP marker - he's got a nice low and hard shot and IMO, should be starting one of PP pointmen.

RF4L

Tue May 8 2012 10:09 am EST

Mitchell lacks the confidence to shoot. He scored some when he did. If he fills the role the coach needs, that's fine. It takes the TEAM to win. And this TEAM keeps finding ways, mostly hard ways. They all are contributing and doing their jobs, with a few mistakes .......

stevielegs

Tue May 8 2012 10:02 am EST

DUGSTER - Totally agree that everyting is about the team, the group, the collective and the Rangers have team chemistry and guts in spades....And why they have a good chance in the POs.....Has alot of good qualitieis, But not really sure about it being special...Think it would be much more special if it had a few improvements (not huge) but I'll gladly take what we have now..and watch this team play as one and fight and claw for another month..we'll see.

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 10:02 am EST

has anybody heard anything about sauer that would lead them to believe that he would be back? at this point, he will be waaaaay out of shape and off pace. i say let him sit till next year. imo, he is vastly underrated and added something really unique to our back line. i truly hope he bounces back. add him to girardi, staal and mcdonagh, and you have something really special. plus mdz who rounded out his game. that is a tough group of D. all mobile. and all relatively young (and locked up).

bLUEbLOOD

Tue May 8 2012 9:53 am EST

Hospo.. yep.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 9:52 am EST

DUGSTER - Sorry, MITCHELL is far from a mucker and a grinder...We could obviously do better for that role, but he is our guy this year so lets hope he keeps on making a good play every now and then and, better yet, unlike in the Senator series, no mistakes in defensive checking.....

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 9:51 am EST

dug..all well and good but I agree with Hospo's assesment of Mitch. Other than the FO, ????????? He especially has no business being on the PP. Hospo..you are also correct in what type of Club I would like to see. I will take the one we got for now though.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 9:51 am EST

I know one thing about last night that I would change...........Boyle with Callahan and Anisimov. Stepan needs to be in that spot. Prust and Fedotenko on the ice with 1:40 to go in a game that we are behind? Hunches are hunches and coaches get payed to play them, but WTF was that? Kreider was stapled to the bench in the 3rd. I would rather see Mitchell and Rupp out there with time running out than Prust and Fedotenko. Also, the Richards line was tremendous last night, especially Gaborik. He won puck battles, played physically and had a bunch of chances.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 9:51 am EST

doct still want kreider over gaborik? ......so far Richards and Gaborik have been huge, doing their jobs , playing their roles........but it sure isn't pretty-boy hockey........

stevielegs

Tue May 8 2012 9:45 am EST

Its a good thing none of us are the coach of the Rangers because we would have no players because no matter what happens very few of you are happy,,,Mitchell is a mucker and a grinder--does he scores goals?..No but he mucks and grinds with the best of them,,Last night he did a very good think in the faceoff and I come to the board and all i see is he is easily replaceable........This team is all about the team,,the group the unit,,,,,they are solid as they are,,,,,Im not sure I would change a thing no matter what happens this year for I know this is the 4th youngest group in the league and will only get better,,,,If Sauer gets back and Krider gets ice time can you imangine how good this team will be,,,So lay off some of these muckers---yes anybody can be replaced but this "GROUP" is special and plays special.........That you cant buy!!!!!

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 9:45 am EST

thedugster

Tue May 8 2012 9:45 am EST

The problem with MITCHELL, who I can't stand but has made some good plays, is that he is a tweener...He's an offensive top line player for the AHL that doesn't translate to the NHL on most nights...Also,while a good enough skater, he hasn't developed the attitude, checking and defensive game to be a decent role player in the NHL on the consistent basis...Kinda in no mans land but occasionally his talent pokes through

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 9:39 am EST

pa.rangersfan - I'm with JFC, I think the 4th line has played welll..and done exactly what has been asked....I know you want high flying offense out of the top lines and I know you want banging and slamming from the role players, and I can't blame you, but those are the teams that are out of it...The Offensive teams--gone...the teams looking to physically intimidate, for revenge and heads--gone...It's all about discipline, responsible checking, shot blocking, playing the team game...Within that game, the Rangers have been more than physical enough...As they were all year.

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 9:35 am EST

Mitchell gets bagged on on here a lot, sometimes a little unfairly, I think. That said, he's a strange player and doesn't seem to be comfortable in any role he's put in (and he was like that in Toronto, too). On the 4th line he seems to often over-handle the puck (ie instead of dumping it in like his 2 wingers do, he starts stickhandling and loses the puck). When playing with better players, he passes off - twice he did that on PP duty and on one particular one, I'm yelling SHOOT because he's in the high slot with room (and how many times have the Rangers been able to shoot from the high slot without 3 Capitals in front) and he passes off to his winger (Gabby I think) who ends up skating deeper into the Cap end and shooting from a far less advantageous position. Let's not forget, while we dis him, he won the OT PP FO and put the puck back to Staal. That FO win made him 4 and 0 for the game....

RF4L

Tue May 8 2012 9:26 am EST

Ola.., I do like your thought process there. I wouldn't classify Mitch.. as "crappy" either but this Coach is putting him on the PP. Jeremy Roenick stated in the pre-game that PP time should be allotted to a Club's most talented players; I tend to agree unless you have a large body to plop in front of the net. Truth is; 4th line centre should have been upgraded at the dead-line.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 9:21 am EST

So I am watching this last night, seeing us heading towards an ending that I have seen so many times completely irritated. Ward takes the penalty with 22 seconds left and I say "big deal, there are 22 seconds left." When Holtby stops Cally at the side of the net, I figure it is over and I will have to actually root for the Caps against the Devils, and Richards chips it in. There was so much yelling here that I did not hear Emrick's call until this morning on replay. The magnitude of it did not really hit me until this morning. There is scoring with the goalie pulled to tie games, and then there are unlikley miracle plays like that, whcih have happened TO us much more than ever for us. It is so nice to see Staal win it after saving it with the amazing play on the 3 on 1 against. I thought of his brothers watching, and how cool that must have been for them to see him get the winner. Finally, everyone must genuflect to COLORADO MARK--Brad Richards' youth hockey coach for helping do develop a clutch player. This dude is MONEY. Wow.

Bob

Tue May 8 2012 9:20 am EST

pa- I don't know about Mitchell and "overvalued". He is a real crappy player and should of course have been "uprgraded" given that we have a real shot to take a run at the cup this season. I mean we picked up Olli Jokinen for a 2nd rounder a couple of years ago, I am definitely no Jokinen fan but he certainly would have been a upgrade on our 4th line over Mitchell (and is decent on FO's etc, and could have helped in long OT's and what not). BUT, for such a crappy player as Mitchell is, he do compliment some players on this team. It could have been worse for sure.

Ola

Tue May 8 2012 9:17 am EST

JFC.., no worries about adding new words to the language. Hospo adds numerous words daily! LOL

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 9:14 am EST

JFC.., I would like to see more physicallity. The Girardi hit on Green was a revelation! I honestly believe Prust especially is just out of gas. The guy was 110% for 82. Rupp on the other hand, hit somebody please! Mitchell and his "talents", way over-valued.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 9:12 am EST

stevie -- yeah, that lack of call on Knuble was absolutely criminal. Don't get me wrong, I think the reffing has been conspiritorially (is that a word??) bad, but all the attention was on the faceoff, so all of the refs were looking right at it and Hags went right down from Wards stick to his head. I honestly think they had no choice....not that I would have been shocked if they didn't call it, but my TV would not have survived if they didn't, so I'm satisfied.

JFC31

Tue May 8 2012 9:08 am EST

JC if they missed a puck punch, they can miss a high stick, and they have plenty of times.

stevielegs

Tue May 8 2012 9:07 am EST

I have been listening to the NHL channel on XM Radio and man, those guys absolutely HATE....and I mean HATE, Torts.....and the Rangers as a team are not far behind on the hate scale. Bunch of Canadian guys who just seeth their dislike of NY and who constantly mention Torts' press unfriendliness..."oh, Tortorella gave a 1 minute 46 second press conference today...I guess we should be grateful"....etc., etc.....and they throw these digs out day after day at every opportunity.

JFC31

Tue May 8 2012 9:02 am EST

stevie -- the refs had no choice....Hags went down like a stone and he was bleeding. It probably killed them to do it, but they had to call that a 4.....though it could have been a 5

JFC31

Tue May 8 2012 9:01 am EST

I mentioned last night after we won how frustrating the game was to watch....I felt like the Rangers were dominating the first half of the game, Caps came on a bit and took the lead and then the Rangers' 1st line was pushing, pushing, pushing.....with no results until the end. But, I did not realize just how much they dominated until I saw sytats this morning.... 38-18 advantage in shots and a 78-35 edge in attempts that was 28-12 after one and 55-22 after two. The Rangers deserved to win this game....now they need to finish the Caps off on Wednesday.

JFC31

Tue May 8 2012 8:58 am EST

have to agree with the gainey rule, this shot block trap is screwing offense , as is not calling all the obstruction penalties in the playoffs that are called during the season. ....shocked they called the high stick with 20 seconds left.....out goes the conspiracy for one night........

stevielegs

Tue May 8 2012 8:56 am EST

Still buzzin' off of that win last night! pa.Ranger -- funny, but I actually think the 4th line has been doing very well, especially considering the lack of icetime. They seem to consistantly keep the puck in the Caps' end, keep it down and dirty and create some chances. The exception was Rupp's penalty last night, which really hurt.

JFC31

Tue May 8 2012 8:55 am EST

In Rangers all-time playoff scoring history: Scott Gomez has more playoff points for the Rangers (17 games, 6 goals, 10 assists) than Marian Gaborik (16 games, 4 goals, 6 assists) and Ryan McDonagh (11 games, 1 assist) combined. Somewhere, Bob Gainey is giggling. Somewhere cold and uncomfortable.

josh29

Tue May 8 2012 8:47 am EST

Hospo.., the spelling appears almost incoherent. Man, I love it!

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 8:46 am EST

Hospo - Yeah man...I look down the Devils roster and see the likes of Stephen Gionta, Ryan Carter and Steve Bernier...and this is the team that's about to eliminate the Flyers?!? Weird place the NHL is today. But if it means the Rangers to the conference finals or beyond, I'll take it!!

tdchi

Tue May 8 2012 8:45 am EST

Honestly, I think the talent arguement is silly...Both teams have talented players..Both teams have good role players...The key is to get both role players and stars to be playing defense first physical PO hoceky..That's how you win...BOTH the Rqangers and Caps have done a good job...It might not look pretty, and some starts looks like they are slacking by desing, but it's all about the collective and defense...and yes, SPecial teams

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 8:44 am EST

td.. 10/4. I see your what your saying. I like Chimera and I also like Ward; as 3rd/4th line types. Our 4th line has gone to shit in the P.O.'s, just my opinion though. Prust appears to be mentally and physically cleaned out, not to mention he appears to have forgotten how to handle a puck, Rupp is disappointingly passive, but that may be the Coach; and sans face-off, what has Mitchell done? The Caps have size which I always prefer, and they hit. No love here, don't get me wrong.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 8:41 am EST

TDCHI - EXACTLy, HUnter, Torts, the Devils, the Kings, the Coyotes are all playing the defense first, counter attack, shot blocking, rely on goalie, and forechecking (this is the big variable in my mind that determines how really well these guys play) game that you have to play to win in the NHL POs..simple as that..and, it's alos simple that PO hoickey pretty much sucks right now....ONly thing that will change it willl be rule changes...But, hey, if your team is in it, it's not that bad...But if you want high talent team with zero disciplinte, zero attention to defenseo and zero chance like the Pens, Flyers, be my guest.....Gotta adapt to the time..

Hospo

Tue May 8 2012 8:33 am EST

pa - That's where you're mistaken...yes, the Caps have a boatload of talent four guys..hell, they have two of the top-10 players in the NHL...and if they were a baseball team, they'd probably be winning championships like the Yankees...but this ain't baseball. This is post-cap era NHL and you need sold effort from at least three, preferably four lines. The Caps' talent drops off fairly precipitously after their top five guys(OV, Backstrom, Semin, Green and Carlson)...Laich, Brouwer and Wideman, Schultz and Alzner...all solid players...but nothing to write home about...the Swede Johansson sort of reminds me of our Hagelin...but he's far from an all-star...then you get retreads like Ward, Knuble, Chimera, Hendricks and Beagle...They're not as strong defensively...they're not as deep on the forward lines and that's before considering who they have in net...like I said in my other post...you have one of two choices with this team: You do what BOUDREAU did, which is you let the star line log 25-plus minutes a night and hope they score enough to compensate for their defensive woes...or you play the system HUNTER has employed, which is more or less matching the one Tortorella and Julien have used all season...this defense-first, shot-blocking, clog-the shooting lanes hockey. It takes a team of guys to buy into a system like that, and its why we've seen a relatively quiet series(or playoffs all around) from the likes of OV and Backstrom. They're not those type of players...Basically, Hunter is trying to match the Rangers game and then hope his dominant powerplay will win him games...and to be honest, it's been really effective...but if you ranked all players on both teams in terms of talent, I think you'd actually find the Rangers would come out on top. Maybe not by much, but still on top.

tdchi

Tue May 8 2012 8:22 am EST

Totally disagree on the notion of HUNTER holding back the Caps. He's the sole reason they've gotten as far as they have. He's playing the EXACT style that was able to eliminate the BRUINS in seven...and it's been remarkably effective against the Rangers too(no surprise, seeing as though the B's and the Rangers are very similar teams)...that moron BOUDREAU let his fastest horses run roughshod during his whole tenure and the only reason those teams were as successful as they were was because they were infinitely deep. There third and fourth lines were better than many team's first and second lines...guys like OV, SEMIN, BACKSTROM and GREEN could play the sort of loose-system hockey that allowed them to put up such big numbers because the rest of the team was impenetrable. But as is the fate for most top-heavy teams, the talent pool with the Caps has trailed off rather dramatically. STECKEL, GORDON, and FLEISHMAN moved...BRADLEY was another...Five guys who played rather unheralded roles with the team...all cut or moved for salary reasons...Hunter is playing the system the Caps should have been playing two years ago: Putting a goddamn leash on that roving moron OV and playing good fundamental hockey. They'd probably have a cup by now if they had done that last year...at least they would have given the Bruins a very good run for their money.

tdchi

Tue May 8 2012 8:17 am EST

Just a few thoughts this am..I know you folks where eagerly awaiting a post from me; LOL!!! I too switched the game off about 10 minutes into the third to watch River Monsters; I was literally numb with anger. Washington has a plethora of talent that our Club only wishes it had. I am frankly at a loss as to how they are not utilizing those talents better. Don't care, because it's obvious our guys just go about business the only way they know how. I would prefer to see some more talent in this line-up though. I am warming to the pursuit of Parise in the off-season. He may be a Devil who could get it done; a story for another day though. As I watched the last 4 minutes of the third I actually tried to take myself back to '94 and tried to recall how I was sitting in my chair, where my drink was placed, just crazy shit. We are all NUTS but we all already knew that.

pa.rangersfan

Tue May 8 2012 8:06 am EST

I sure picked a great time to go to my first playoff game since '94. Easily the 2nd best moment in my 30 year history with this team behind winning the Cup. The crowd was not as loud as I expected until all the magic happened at the end. It was complete chaos, I could feel the ground shaking. Staal and Lundqvist saved our asses with us down 2-1 late, that can not be overlooked (though I was shocked The King let in that 2nd goal). They gave Holtby the 2nd star, I guess for impersonating a garbage can and just sitting there while the Rangers hit him with pucks.

pete

Tue May 8 2012 7:59 am EST

Great game...not really much to add, other than that was WAAAAY too close for comfort. Sounds like the Rangers have taken a page out of the Book of Bruin...just tossing everything and the kitchen sink at HOLTBY...which is fine...but realize that's not going to win the series...Funny that penis-head McGuire is being flagrant about his bias now. I really don't understand how that schmuck has a job...I'm no big fan if Micheltti, but sheesh...he's a gigantic upgrade from McGuire and fellow assclown Doc Emrick...back to the game...Simply INCREDIBLE finish...I'm kind of glad I didn't watch it live. Would have definitely put a few holes in my walls...WARD...man...the guy goes from hero to the dog house. I really don't know what he was thinking other than what McGuire mumbled, which was that the game was over....Man...B-RICH is as-advertised. Didn't want to trade for him and was lukewarm about his signing...but man is he the straw that stirs the drink in big games...On another note...Who thinks TROTZ could be finding a new job after blowing that series against the Yotes? All that work to get RADULOV back in a Predators uniform blown...his last free year...blown...and now his future with the team in doubt...not sure if either he or the Preds will want to keep the relationship going after the epic fail in Nashville....those deadline deals not looking so good for them anymore.

tdchi

Tue May 8 2012 6:34 am EST

Haglin by a nose. What a finish.

gene_carr

Tue May 8 2012 6:29 am EST

Rhet0ric: I was wondering the same thing about Ward...meaning why no 5 min major? My fiancé pointed out something on replay...he was looking the other way, it seems you normaly get 5 if you are looking at the guy and two hand him that way...and it being Ward I don't think he was trying to get him up high like that...so I wonder if the ref saw it that way. What I mean is, looking right at a guy you know you tagging him really good in the face, so it is easier to guess intent rather than when a guy is not looking.

Wildcard

Tue May 8 2012 12:12 am EST

Wednesday night is going to be another intense game in Washington, the Caps should come out flying in the first period. The Rangers better be ready and finish them off.

Gibbo

Mon May 7 2012 11:23 pm EST

Need the Flyers to keep that series going tomorrow....Damn I still can't believe we won tonight.....GOOOOO RANGERS!!!

Mon May 7 2012 11:17 pm EST

If the Coyotes play the Kings the games will make World Cup Soccer seem high scoring....

Mon May 7 2012 11:11 pm EST

Hey mf I'm SMILING :->) 2 POWER PLAY GOALS ....... When you get back you better butter my bread! :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) LETS GO RANGERS Fuck these commie basters! and fuck you Mike Emrick, after every game he calls when the RANGERS WIN he says nothing about the game after the final buzzer only when the Rangers win what a dirt bag! I really want to meet him in an elevator at MSG some day!

Jerry_Garcia

Mon May 7 2012 10:58 pm EST

mf: Yep take two and you will be peaking with about 10 seconds to go in the game. It takes a LOT to WIN, but what just happened... I was waiting for the zebras to disallow the tying goal for some reason like back to the war room for review, or time ran out on the official clock or something. Nice the puck hit the post and caromed in the net. I'm seeing colors right now! Got to love the hit Dan Girardi dished on Green...SMACK and did not jump off the ice for the clean hit. Craze Cat Peaking.... China Cat! Til the Morning Comes!

Jerry_Garcia

Mon May 7 2012 10:57 pm EST

Speaking of Joel Ward... why wasn't that a 5:00 Minute major? He hacked at Hagelin's head like he was chopping wood and he drew blood... would he have gotten 5:00 minutes if he killed him?

Rhet0ric

Mon May 7 2012 10:54 pm EST

...and the Coyotes get an owner... tentative deal in place with former San Jose Sharks CEOGreg Jamison... WINNING cures everything.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 7 2012 10:50 pm EST

VIC - Man, I know the feeling...TWICE I turned the game off...pissed off...talked to my son..kicked, er, played with the dog...then put it back on ..THe last time I tuned in, Joel Wards was getting the penalty over me bitching about the score still being 2-1 and how those ^%$#*(&^%$*U Ranger blwo...And then boom!..I had the feeling they were going to score before the PP ended at the start of OT, don't know why...Maybe becaus I wanted to watch Diners Drive Ins and Dives!

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 10:45 pm EST

Potent Power Play Batman!,,,,Gotta admit, I was just laughing my ass off reading the in-game comments..Why I tend to stay away!...BOth teams play soilid D..both teams block shots..both teams are chalenged offensively....Comes down to STs..The Rangers PP blew and then struck gold, no mattr how it was done....All tht matteers is winning.....Outtplayed the Caps and still din;t look great ..Face it...boith the Caps and Rangers make it hard for the other team to look good...Hell, the Caps are playing more Rangerish than The Rangers ..letting the Rangrs control the puck and blocking all the shots...But..as the Rangers learned in Ottawa, it has its' disdavaeages.......Don't really want to comment on the lines becasue I really don;t think any of our forwards are that consistently good to whine about their placement...But good to see some top play for Gabby (besdis the Turnover) and Richards....what a gola!

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 10:41 pm EST

E...Thought the same about Hunter....Very composed and cooperative with the media after a devastating loss...Torts still somewhat of a DB even after a huge win....If we had lost Torts would have been ripping people and running away like a 6 year old....

Mon May 7 2012 10:41 pm EST

I think I will be up all night watching NHL Tonight reruns.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 10:31 pm EST

Phoenix now up 2-0... WOW.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 7 2012 10:31 pm EST

The 2011-2012 NY Rangers are the new CARDIAC KIDS... they are going to kill me before these playoffs are all said and done... GREAT GAME!!!

Rhet0ric

Mon May 7 2012 10:30 pm EST

E: I've been having the same thoughts about the CAPS and HUNTER as well. I hated the guy. He was one of the dirtiest players in his era and the hit on TURGEON was an embarrassment to the game. His demeanor as a coach is completely different though. My only issue with him is that I think he has gone too far with that team. They have more talent then he is allowing to shine. The Rangers have to play the way they play because most of the team handles the puck like it is a grenade. The CAPS have a better team then that, yet he is making them play down to the Rangers level. Two years ago the CAPS skated circles around the Rangers. They dominated almost every game. The team they have now is better then that one in the sense that their star players are more mature. I read the article today about GAINEY's proposal on curbing shot blocking. I think he is right. The game suffers when you stack all 6 guys in front of the goal. If we have reached another point where defensive minded coaches have figured out the way to neuter the game and eliminate the impact of talent on the game then something needs to change.

Vic

Mon May 7 2012 10:14 pm EST

I was so pissed all night that I wanted to shut the game off and walk away. When they went down 2 to 1 I *KNEW* that it was over. I almost fast forwarded the rest of the game....................But I didn't.................I think it would take me a day to write down all of my comments on this game from the officiating, the broadcast, HANK, HOLTBY, etc., etc. I am going to forget all of that for the moment and focus on 4 things. First, HANK is killing me. How does a guy who lets in shots from the blue line make so many unbelievable, game saving saves. Second, the two plays that STAAL made on the 3 on 1 were clutch. He was money on that sequence and the idiot broadcast team didn't even mention it. Third, when HANK made the breakaway save on BACKSTROM my first thought was "remember that one". We may look back on that and say that the save he made gave the Rangers a chance to come back and win the game........and it did. Fourth, the second the double minor was called I think it was that idiot McGUIRE blurted out that double-minor didn't mean anything......and then caught himself before he finished the sentence. Right there I smiled. Karma is a bitch PIERRE. I still didn't believe that the Rangers were going to score to tie it but as soon as they did I KNEW they were going to score the other half of that PP. God, what a game........

Vic

Mon May 7 2012 10:07 pm EST

You know, I gotta give it to Dale Hunter. He whipped that team into shape and he goes to the press podium and doesn't bitch. No sour grapes, no nothing. Tells the press to not over analyze the game. Says, "its just hockey…" Very complimentary to the NYR. After the type of player that Hunter was, I expected him to be an ultra prick as a coach. Meanwhile, the Totortitarian is carrying himself like he should be wearing a propeller hat in the press room. I have to state, after the total debacle of the 1st round with classless Ottawa, Washington as an organization has carried themselves well. Had an issue with the OV hit but Girardi crushes Hendricks. Hendricks calls it a hockey play. No pissing and moaning. This Washington team has gone a long way towards winning my respect. Now lets see the NYR put them away and get out of this series. This is a well contested series with some horrific zebras.

Mon May 7 2012 10:06 pm EST

PJ: Agreed but Mitchell just can't be a PP fixture despite the faceoff win tonight. But hey. We roll on!

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 10:02 pm EST

Just back from the Garden. HOLY SHIT. To be honest, the crowd was terrible for the first 59 minutes, really disappointing. But the last minute washed it all away. Thought the roof was gonna blow off when Richards scored. Dude earns his money when it counts. Winning faceoffs and scoring goals. And Staal was shaky most of the game, but nice to see him get the winner, he's been through a lot. A lot to fix (aside from the Richards line, which was great most of the game, it was a mess), but let's enjoy this. Awesome.

chinstrap

Mon May 7 2012 10:02 pm EST

AWESOME: WORTHY OF A DESPO SIGHTING !!!!!! :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->)

Mon May 7 2012 10:00 pm EST

Nick...I thought the fourth line did a pretty good job tonight....

Mon May 7 2012 9:59 pm EST

I guess you guys wanted to keep me around $-) Family and work are overrated! Let's go Rangers!!!

TradeStar28

Mon May 7 2012 9:58 pm EST

First it was Karl Alzner's dogs... now Alex Semin's cats! http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/alexander-semins-cats-destroy

josh29

Mon May 7 2012 9:58 pm EST

doct....Agree but it is celebration time.....GO RANGERS!

Mon May 7 2012 9:56 pm EST

It's a Power Play goal!

LetsGoRangers

Mon May 7 2012 9:55 pm EST

rangers won dispite torts.. he screwed up the lines , left himself 1 line that could get scoring chances. haglin was best player for rangers by far..hope torts changes the lines back to where they were.

doct

Mon May 7 2012 9:53 pm EST

…and this is why you watch the game. That was awesome. Never say die. Let this one manifest into your modern NYR folklore. Richards is a stone killer.

Mon May 7 2012 9:46 pm EST

It'll take me an hour to chill out.... what an emotional roller coaster but what a different culture......kinda had a little deja vu .. but last time we were on the other end of a late goal.... remember game 5 in Buffalo in 2007 .. Drury scores with like 7 seconds to tie it .. and then the Sabres won in OT and then won game 6......

sjw

Mon May 7 2012 9:46 pm EST

This was great but ... yes, but ... Torts the Genius will now run Mitchell out there on every PP until the end of time. And while it worked this once -- a big once, admittedly -- it's not a good thing.

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 9:44 pm EST

I went to the Stanley Cup parade for Adam MacQuaid last summer in Prince Edward Island .Happened to be there visiting my son and family. Have had plans since last July 1st to go there again this summer for the Brad Richards parade ....well , the parade is still on !!

NS Ranger

Mon May 7 2012 9:43 pm EST

that was a mat-toe game......unforgettable.......

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 9:40 pm EST

Kudos to Mitchell on the faceoff win in OT....

Mon May 7 2012 9:40 pm EST

WOW!!! I was so ready for the caps to score an empty net goal or for the time to run out on us. :)

Topovski

Mon May 7 2012 9:39 pm EST

Wildcard, who needs a PP? the NYR get 2PP goals to tie and win a game in OT......but who needs it? The NYR DO!.......it wins games, it makes the other team pay.......but the w is the goal.....,,,need 9 more......

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 9:38 pm EST

What a roller coaster ride of a playoffs....can't take too many more of these nailbiters . But Rangers win !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NS Ranger

Mon May 7 2012 9:38 pm EST

WOW!

LetsGoRangers

Mon May 7 2012 9:37 pm EST

Newfie -- yes indeed on the 3-on-1 .. two beautiful stick checks from Staal there; could have been curtains.

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 9:36 pm EST

PJ: Of course. We love the Rangers and hate everyone else.... Next question please :->)

Mon May 7 2012 9:34 pm EST

Can you both hate and love a team? My heart can't handle this....

Mon May 7 2012 9:34 pm EST

Just wow! Pent-up PP lousiness dissipates with some luck. No agendas or paid-off refs tonight! Well maybe ... FOR US! Four minute penalty with 30 seconds left ... I'll take it. Richards whacked that puck an instant before Holtby's glove came down, and it snuck between the D-man's arm and body. Incredible! And as Staal wound up I thought in that instant -- this shot is just like how the Caps have scored PP goals so how about us???

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 9:32 pm EST

We need to finish these guys off on Wednesday. We have had them on the ropes in game 2 and in this game and did not show a killer instinct. We need to bury them on Wednesday!! No more playing around!

JFC31

Mon May 7 2012 9:31 pm EST

Did we actually just win this game? I am still in bewildered shock.... Holy shit!!!!!!!

Tucc

Mon May 7 2012 9:30 pm EST

Newfie: You got that right, that was an amazing play by Staal.... It looks like he's shaken the cobb webs and any subconscious fears.... He's peaking at the right time of the show (Right Jerry G?) :->)

Mon May 7 2012 9:28 pm EST

One of the most frustrating, maddening and now EXHILERATING games I have ever seen! YEEEEAAAAAHHH, BABY!! What a reckless, stupid play by Ward....where those goat horns proudly my friend!! WOOO-HOOOO! We caught a HUGE break! YES!!

JFC31

Mon May 7 2012 9:28 pm EST

God love him.............but it's not the GOAL.......... it's the stop on the three on one that was unbelievable.......Marc is back !.......Let's Go RANGERS !

Newfie_Ranger

Mon May 7 2012 9:27 pm EST

Was that actually 2 PPG's?

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 9:27 pm EST

BUT

Mon May 7 2012 9:26 pm EST

NOTHIN LEFT TO DO BYE SMILE, SMILE, SMILE, :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->)

Mon May 7 2012 9:26 pm EST

I go the frick' bathroom... gut check win. 6.6 seconds. Yikes.

SteveCT

Mon May 7 2012 9:25 pm EST

a miracle

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 9:25 pm EST

Thank you Richie! Thank you Staal!! THANK YOU JOEL WARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STPB

Mon May 7 2012 9:23 pm EST

I noticed the bodies in front of the net screening the goalie..maybe the should try that more often.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 9:22 pm EST

Anyone notice a body in front of the net....screening? Not rocket science

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 9:20 pm EST

WE WIN WE WIN WE WIN GOOOOOO RANGERS!!

Mon May 7 2012 9:20 pm EST

ANYBODY SMILING ??? :->) :->) :->) :->) :->)

Mon May 7 2012 9:20 pm EST

yes 3 win

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 9:20 pm EST

Redeemed!

ColoradoMark

Mon May 7 2012 9:20 pm EST

I AM NOW MORE THAN SHOCKED

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 9:20 pm EST

ITS A POWER PLAY GOAL!!!!!

Mon May 7 2012 9:17 pm EST

who needs a pp? , just score more than one or two......need the 3rd one asap....take it any way you can get it.....this has been a non pp team, but they find ways.....would be nice to get a pp goal in the first minute or so....

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 9:15 pm EST

COMARK--thanks again for teaching Brad how to shoot the wrister.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 9:13 pm EST

Agreed, don't think Holtby is the difference. Caps have blocked shots incredibly. I don't think the Power Play was that bad as far as getting chances. No real shots on goal in the first three power plays, but it's not like they didn't have chances. It was all caps in the lanes. They can redeem themselves with a power play goal to start this period.

ColoradoMark

Mon May 7 2012 9:11 pm EST

A bad PP would be an upgrade and the series would be over!

LetsGoRangers

Mon May 7 2012 9:09 pm EST

We are far from being manhandled....We just can't score on the PP....An average PP and this series is already over....

Mon May 7 2012 9:09 pm EST

Anybody seeing the Holtby highlights of his great saves...Rangers shooting the puck into his pads.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 9:08 pm EST

That's vintage Richards. This is why you sign him to a ridiculous contract. You could see him willing this team to tie it up.

ColoradoMark

Mon May 7 2012 9:07 pm EST

Nash would look good on the wing wouldn't he ?

HamiltonHellhounds

Mon May 7 2012 9:06 pm EST

Great goal to send it to overtime, but come on, no one can say they are not being manhandled by the Caps... Seriously. Can anyone get to Tort and tell him to switch it up and keep a body in front of the damn net.

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 9:05 pm EST

was = wasn't

Mon May 7 2012 9:05 pm EST

If that was the epitome of a big money player scoring a big money goal, nothing is..... Wow that was great...... "Lets Go Rangers"

Mon May 7 2012 9:05 pm EST

Unbelievable. They insist on giving us a heart attack.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 9:04 pm EST

BRAD RICHARDS again with the BIG GOALS when the team needs it the most... we still need to win this one, the OT Power Play is as good as a time as any... I know I'm asking for a lot but we can't afford to go 3OT Periods...again.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 7 2012 9:03 pm EST

PJ: Keep bitchin brother, dont stop

Mon May 7 2012 9:03 pm EST

Anyone up for 4 tonight?

Rexi29

Mon May 7 2012 9:01 pm EST

I'M SHOCKED

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 9:01 pm EST

Thats for all you non believers LETS GO RANGERS!

tlats

Mon May 7 2012 9:01 pm EST

All my bitching and we score....Yeeeeessssss!

Mon May 7 2012 9:01 pm EST

The Fuckin Rangers Scored !!! Holy Shit Batman!!

Mon May 7 2012 9:01 pm EST

yes 2

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 9:00 pm EST

I suppose better to lose to the Caps then the Devils

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:59 pm EST

Be better to leave this round rather than get really embarrassed later on by a better team.

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 8:57 pm EST

The regular season means nothing!! NO DESPERATION AT ALL

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:57 pm EST

They are not going anywhere scoring one goal a game....case closed!

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 8:57 pm EST

Why does Prust even see the ice when we need a goal? Give me a break here....

Mon May 7 2012 8:57 pm EST

1:55 to go, down by a goal, and our line is Prust-Mitchell-Fedotenko.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 8:53 pm EST

Another wasted year on this bullshit.....Same result....The Rangers thought they could nice guy there way through this series with an inferior team and now they can sit and talk about what coulda been...........If they get booted this year, I am gonna go underground like I did from 1996- 2004 and concentrate on more important things in life than this garbage on the ice.

TradeStar28

Mon May 7 2012 8:51 pm EST

Where is the desperation? Season on the line here....Have to go for it....

Mon May 7 2012 8:50 pm EST

Whale win! 4-1 in a big game... series tied up at 2. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Bridgeport. (XL Center in Hartford is booked...)

Dineen11

Mon May 7 2012 8:49 pm EST

5 minutes left and they only have 5 shots on goal....pathetic!

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 8:49 pm EST

We have one line....

Mon May 7 2012 8:48 pm EST

What we need is Hank to start scoring for us on the PP. Gabby and Co. need help!!! They can't win this series by themselves!!!!!!!!!

RDW

Mon May 7 2012 8:47 pm EST

How about the offense scoring more than 1 goal; you really can't expect your goalie to give up 1 goal or less every game. Let's face it, those 31 shots, how many tough saves did Holtby have to make it.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 8:44 pm EST

Shots on goal 31-16...We needed Hank to play better

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:42 pm EST

Torts is not playing his young talent...Only the 1 line is playing well

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:41 pm EST

I love the way this team works but the bottom line is they don't score enough goals. They never seem to have a man in front of the net for any extended period of time. They have all 3 fowards behind the goal line in the offensive zone. It's very hard to score goals from behind the net. They don't screen enough. They don't get enough deflections. They don't get enough rebounds. Everything is dump and chase and chip and chase and reverse and chase. They get alot of puck possession but no chances. And on the rare occassion they get a quality scoring chance they shoot wide.

LetsGoRangers

Mon May 7 2012 8:41 pm EST

Nice job Wideman with the head snap! Refs are lapping up the Caps mangina's

TradeStar28

Mon May 7 2012 8:39 pm EST

Dumb penalty Kreider....We are sinking quickly....

Mon May 7 2012 8:39 pm EST

This team BETTER dig deep, because if the Rangers lose this game, they will lose this series... 2 goals on 15 shots on goal... pathetic... I don't know what Torts is thinking by playing Kreider limited minutes... it just works into the Caps hands... it just makes us that much more one dimensional.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 7 2012 8:39 pm EST

How about the biggest weakness on the Rangers..the offense.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 8:38 pm EST

Lunquist outplayed by the rookie again

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:37 pm EST

My God they have just quit....

Mon May 7 2012 8:36 pm EST

Best penalty killer a good goalie....Hank was not good there....No screen....He missed it....

Mon May 7 2012 8:36 pm EST

Like I said, overplaying 3 lines and 4 d man have caught up to us. Where is the Captain?

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:35 pm EST

Caps huge boost from that goal....Rangers better be desperate....If they lose tonight no way they get back here for a game 7...

Mon May 7 2012 8:34 pm EST

Well, how many long, unscreened shots have to go off of Hank's glove before we admit it is his weakness?

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 8:34 pm EST

Rangers spend more time behind the net then in front. Go figure! Looks like the CAPS getting their second wind and the Rangers have shot their load.

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 8:34 pm EST

Lunquist again on his knees for a shot from outside....

Mon May 7 2012 8:32 pm EST

Three people behind the net rarely a good thing...

Mon May 7 2012 8:32 pm EST

PJ- Agreed. The differnce is the horrid NYR powerplay and that Holtb's glovehand has been better than Lundqquvists... LEts go Rangers@!

schneidw

Mon May 7 2012 8:31 pm EST

Henrik = weak fuckin' glove.....Rangers suck

TradeStar28

Mon May 7 2012 8:31 pm EST

Done...good night, folks.

NYStranger

Mon May 7 2012 8:31 pm EST

They have outplayed us at our game and the boys are tired...Horrible time management by the coaching staff

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:30 pm EST

Well I guess this PP thing is going to be our undoing....

Mon May 7 2012 8:27 pm EST

Rhet0ric, Maybe it's common sense or I am missing something but it seems logical doesn't it?

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 8:25 pm EST

C'mon now, 20 fuckin minutes, "Pelt the Crap out of the Craps!" "Let's Go Rangers, Lets Go !"

Mon May 7 2012 8:23 pm EST

The Jack Adam's finalist is having a crappy playoff

rngrsans

Mon May 7 2012 8:21 pm EST

We aren't giving up many shots and certainly haven't been forced to block many....Hopefully we are the fresher team in the third....

Mon May 7 2012 8:20 pm EST

Ajurso... I couldn't agree more... especially on the PP... get Boyle or Kreider in the crease on the damn power play... it'a not rocket science... Great effort, but we have to get better shots on net... what the hell is wrong with MDZ on offense??? ...either he shanks the puck, misses the net or falls down altogether.

Rhet0ric

Mon May 7 2012 8:18 pm EST

Kreider's ice time in a disgrace. Torts has been a moron on this one.

NYStranger

Mon May 7 2012 8:16 pm EST

Bottom line is they are not going to win the Stanley Cup scoring one or two goals a game. Get some bodies in front, screen the freaking goalie and shoot. Second period they only had a 1/3 of the shots on goal compared to the 1st period. And you are right, Calli has been non existent in this one, I think I heard is name twice.

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 8:15 pm EST

Boyle second on the team for forwards ice time through 2 periods at 13:50. Kreider has 4:42. I guess that Brandon Prust or Fedotenko will have to win this for us while Boyle continues to drag the second line down.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 8:15 pm EST

Plus the Rangers need to purposely shoot a couple hard into the Caps D with the intention to hurt them. Plant some doubt and fear for future body layouts. With as many shots as they have had not a ton have been a serious threat. Even most close in chances have been on the soft side.

NYStranger

Mon May 7 2012 8:15 pm EST

BTW, both MDZ penalties had to be taken due to stupid decisions by the forwards. On the 1st one, BB passed the puck between MDZ and another forward (I think it was AA) and MDZ was caught in no-man's land. On the 2nd, WTF was Mitchell doing? And OMG, how come the Rangers seem to love shooting from the perimeter but when they're in the high slot, they try to pass it off? I don't get it....

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 8:12 pm EST

Once again the better chances belong to the opposition. I know I should be used to it - it's been the Rangers MO for the entire season, but it's frustrating to watch nonetheless. Gawd, I think I'd rather the Rangers lose to the Caps than the Devils....

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 8:11 pm EST

Del Zooto has been awful again. How many more missed chances. With th energy expenditure and shots the Rangers need to have scored more.

NYStranger

Mon May 7 2012 8:07 pm EST

Cally not very visible in this one....

Mon May 7 2012 8:05 pm EST

would love to see kreider and cally back together. cally hasn't had many chances with these linemates

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 8:02 pm EST

Gabby is working his ass off.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 8:01 pm EST

Wishful thinking

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 8:00 pm EST

Do we ever get control of the puck after the point men shoot wide on purpose?....We just give the puck away....

Mon May 7 2012 7:56 pm EST

Rangers Power Play = You would never know it...Go back to shooting everything on net !!!

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 7:56 pm EST

My 5 year old Grandaughter is more macho than AA.

HamiltonHellhounds

Mon May 7 2012 7:55 pm EST

Its a power play goal !!!

TradeStar28

Mon May 7 2012 7:55 pm EST

Another waste of 2 minutes.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 7:52 pm EST

Bad break on the goal....Keep pushing and get the next one....Absolutely nothing easy with the Rangers....

Mon May 7 2012 7:52 pm EST

as my 4 yr old would say....'ouchie!'

TradeStar28

Mon May 7 2012 7:49 pm EST

so Boyle getting dumped in front with no puck is not interference, hooking or tripping?

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 7:46 pm EST

Fotiu22: The lines aren't static so Kreider will get shifts if he is going. If not?

Mon May 7 2012 7:46 pm EST

Caps chances have been a lot more dangerous than ours have.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 7:46 pm EST

Why won't Mitchell shoot anymore?....He actually has a decent shot....

Mon May 7 2012 7:42 pm EST

Or as my friend just texted me..his Hockey IQ matches his number

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 7:41 pm EST

With MDZ, I do wonder if there is anything between the ears.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 7:39 pm EST

del dumbo

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 7:36 pm EST

Eddie O..Big kill for the Caps..not like they had to do much.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 7:31 pm EST

FerociousMonk94----------tHE DUGSTER RUNNING FOR COVER OF THAT SIGHT,,,,,,,,WOW,,,,,

thedugster

Mon May 7 2012 7:29 pm EST

Gaborik did have a couple of bad plays but appears to have his legs tonight.....Hopefully he can get loose and pot a couple....

Mon May 7 2012 7:23 pm EST

as i said- bonehead plays - gaborik leads the team. gave washington a 2 on 1 . then kills the power play. skates puck toward point , brings everyone out - and then passes to point who has zero room ???? i like him shooting - not so much in play making .. and please keep everyone back if he's trying to stick handle in or near his own zone .kreider played ok. a total waste there. mitchell playing well.

doct

Mon May 7 2012 7:22 pm EST

Finally putting pucks on net. Total in first period is close to a whole game. Just keep up the pressure, Caps seem out of sync. Need to score early in second to knock them out of the game completely

ajurso

Mon May 7 2012 7:18 pm EST

MDZ just doesn't cut it on the PP....He sure has a mean streak though....

Mon May 7 2012 7:16 pm EST

Good 1st but they should have more than 1......they love the hard way.....

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 7:12 pm EST

Play a great first period and then take a stupid f'n penalty. killer. need to kill it.

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 7:11 pm EST

I pray the lord we do not get another power play in this game. Lord have mercy. Our PP is a glimpse into the abyss. I'd rather watch Joy Behar with a marital aid.

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 7 2012 7:09 pm EST

they look better when they aren't on the PP......anemic.

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 7:06 pm EST

Rangers PP coming up and I am not expecting much

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 7:05 pm EST

they have to be careful.....caps are getting ovechkin out against bickle every time bick is out there.

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 7:00 pm EST

Seeing eye shot by Stralman.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 6:59 pm EST

That's how you deal with a team blocking a ton of shots.......fake and go around them once they go down. Let's keep it up.....be nice to score 5 in the first!

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 6:59 pm EST

YES

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 6:57 pm EST

STRAWMAN!

Mon May 7 2012 6:57 pm EST

Throw the puck to the net..you never know what will happen.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 6:46 pm EST

F'n waste having Kreider on the 4th line. As I mentioned earlier, Torts has gone Keenan.

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 6:36 pm EST

DOCT---a text from Andrew Gross.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 6:34 pm EST

And AA better add some muscle in the offseason. They just showed a hit montage and he was on the losing end of every Cap hit

Mon May 7 2012 6:32 pm EST

You bust your ass to get the extra game at home. You don't piss it away. This is not just a game, this is THE game. I don't see either team winning back to back if they are down.

Mon May 7 2012 6:31 pm EST

if passing mistakes put you on the 4th line , gaborik would be stuck on that unit !

doct

Mon May 7 2012 6:30 pm EST

bob- where did you see these lines ? 2nd has prust ? stepan on third ? kreider on 4th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow- now they surely won't score more than 1 goal ! you are kidding aren't you ?

doct

Mon May 7 2012 6:30 pm EST

LET'S GO RANGERS.....

Mon May 7 2012 6:28 pm EST

I don't think this game is it, but it sure should be. Rangers played great at home and should take the upper hand on this one...Myself, I've got to find a way to keep everyone on my team from blabbing about the game...why the @#$% do I have to have my own game tonight!?! ..."I told that f@ck down at the league office-- who's in charge of scheduling... I told that kraut a f@cking thousand times I don't roll on shabbas..." LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 6:26 pm EST

LeTs gO RaNgErS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thedugster

Mon May 7 2012 6:16 pm EST

Bob he changes his lines unless they are clicking.....no big deal, the kid belongs there and maybe on the 2nd pp unit. .....he's earned that with those passing mistakes.........

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 6:09 pm EST

Kreider on the 4th line with Mitchell and Rupp? You must be kidding coach. Stepan, Fedotenko and Boyle on the 3rd line? Ugh.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 6:07 pm EST

This is the series, tonight. Lose tonight and it's over. We need to see all that heart and sacrifice again. The bitches across the Hudson are going to have a nice rest after a 5-game series.

FerociousMonk94

Mon May 7 2012 6:07 pm EST

Puck about to drop in Game 4 for the Whale... they desperately need to win this one. I'll report back later... Missing the Ranger game tonight, so Let's Go Rangers!

Dineen11

Mon May 7 2012 5:20 pm EST

Add me up for the McD PP.

HamiltonHellhounds

Mon May 7 2012 4:58 pm EST

All I am saying is the constant rant about OV from the media is ridiculous...Gaborik has 3 goals in the series and if he is mentioned at all it is to say he isn't getting it done....

Mon May 7 2012 4:46 pm EST

PJ, goals are goals. On the rare occasion we get one, they haven't been all beauties. We wouldn't be knocking long shots that Holtby 'missed'. Ovechkin is a singular threat who doesn't need to be set up. Had a 'bad year' and got 38. I prefer him on the bench while Hunter plays Beagle or whoever else. Hey whatever ... let's just get one more than the Caps tonight and continue the journey!

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 4:37 pm EST

Count me as one who would definitely like to see McDONAGH on the PP. He actually has one of the better shots among Ranger blueliners...maybe even the best one...at least it's a lot more accurate than MDZ. Anyway, Tortorella needs to pull his head out of his ass and start coming up with some answers on the PP. I really don't know why they don't just have big guys like KREIDER and BOYLE parked in front of HOLTBY for them...and can someone explain to me WTF John MITCHELL is doing on the PP? I've done a double take every time I see him out there. It makes ZERO sense.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 4:36 pm EST

The OV goal on Saturday was a long slap shot that Hank missed....Nothing great about it and nothing great about his play in the series....

Mon May 7 2012 4:34 pm EST

pete - I think ZUBRUS even scored the GWG last night...I know he had a couple goals.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 4:32 pm EST

Nick - There's a reason the Ovechkin-lead Capitals have never gone far in the playoffs. Certainly, goaltending was an issue for them in the past...but there's also OV. He's a selfish player. Loads of talent and he'll burn you on the man advantage. But selfish. If he's not clicking with the other big names in the lineup(he was on Saturday), he's a liability. Hunter didn't bench him for his health...and contrary to what the nobs at NBC were saying, he didn't do it as some part of a strategy. He did it because OV was sucking pretty bigtime. He was basically a non-entity in the Bruins series as well...Aside from Saturday, the Caps have really been propelled by their lesser players.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 4:09 pm EST

I'm not a conspiracy theory guy, but man, the evidence is mounting. I will be at the game tonight, and won't be able to handle a loss (and subsquent hour long train ride home), so Rangers NEED to win this.

pete

Mon May 7 2012 3:59 pm EST

No Zubrus was not knocked out of the game....

Mon May 7 2012 3:58 pm EST

I am FLOORED that Giroux got a game and Ovechkin didnt even get a review. Was Zubrus knocked out of the gamre b/c of it?

pete

Mon May 7 2012 3:41 pm EST

So the Flyers will be done and Newark will move on whith Giroux in street clothes. After all the Ed Snider love around the Winter Classic, this is a surprise. It would be amusing if the finals consisted of a team owned by the NHL vs. a bankrupt team bailed out by the NHL. With the contempt they have for the NHL, we can count on ESPN to mention this in their reporting.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 3:24 pm EST

RF4L, your posts are a big part of why I love to read this wall. That being said, there's no need for any anti-semitic BS. Whatever qualifications the next commissioner possesses (or lacks), his ethnicity or religion are off the table. You should know better. Now, back to the ref-bashing.

Rexi29

Mon May 7 2012 3:18 pm EST

MCD also has a nice move around the shot blocker....Very underrated as an offensive D'Man in my opinion....

Mon May 7 2012 3:16 pm EST

Another one wanting McD on the PP..his shot might actually hit the net instead of MDZ'S high and wide shot.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 3:14 pm EST

I don't think McD wants to be out there on the PP. It is so bad, and he can claim it is not his fault.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 3:06 pm EST

HOSPO, you clueless jackass, MDZ doesn't have an especially hard shot at all. I'm all for using McD, been pining for it all year. Not that he's some PP QB, and there are things both MDZ (passing) and Stralman (shot) bring to the table that be might not be as good at, but overall he's a pretty complete package and should at least be tried. As long as its not Staal on the PP, that's always ugly.

chinstrap

Mon May 7 2012 2:52 pm EST

Use MCD on the freaking power play!!! Maybe he doesn't have a howitzer of a shot like DZ and Stralman, but I doubt he would get stuffed and blocked ad nauseum like that...And I would laso trust him to wrist it in quicker then wasting time on a wind up...

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 2:42 pm EST

So preferential treatment for someone other than Sidney Crosby? Imagine that!

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 2:38 pm EST

Wait -- didn't the league give Ovechkin shit for his 'burning stick' routine? That's typical -- slam a guy's head? Fine. Do a little celebration riff? Report to the principal's office! I thought the stick riff was funny.

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 2:35 pm EST

We're better off with Ovie in the lineup? Come on, man. Don't trot out plus-minus; with few exceptions that stat is bogus. Hunter does us a favor limiting his minutes. 'A couple of goals'? Like, the late winner in one game and the first goal in another? And an inch from the winner in game 3? As for the hit, yeah he should get fined or suspended but I should win the lottery also. And Giroux's was just as bad a head shot. But Ovie could carry a gun out there and this league would look the other way.

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 2:19 pm EST

Gibbo - Wow. Good night, Philly. Can't believe the goddamn Uncle Daddies are going to the conference finals. What a crock.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 2:18 pm EST

KIS - Simply put and as others said earlier, GIRARDI wasn't injured. If he left the ice, OV might have gotten a hearing. But you're 100 percent right. Giroux's hit wasn't nearly as bad as Ovechkin's. And don't listen to the OV apologists who say he wasn't targeting Girardi's head. Bull shit. Utter bull shit. He was honing in on Girardi to knock him out of the series...but I will say this: Oddly enough, the Rangers are probably better off with Ovechkin in for the Caps than they are with him out. OV is just a liability out there as evidenced by his -2 +/- rating. The Rangers have done a very good job of containing him, even though he's had a couple goals in the series...All of them have come from the outside...anyway...the key for the Rangers is to get their goddamn PP going and no suspension is going to do that for them. I mean, I'm literally mesmerized by how bad it is. The refs are doing us a favor by keeping our chances on the man advantage down.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 2:06 pm EST

Giroux suspended 1 game per Toronto Globe & Mail's James Mirtle via Twitter

Gibbo

Mon May 7 2012 1:43 pm EST

What a joke!!!!! Giroux has a league meeting for the hit on Zubrius but nothing was done to OV. Freakin OV even left his feet. How can the league justify no meeting on the 2 guys( Neil and OV) that hit Ranger players but everybody else has gotten at least a game suspension. All suspensions have been for 1 game yet the Ranger player (Hagelin) get 3. Buttface is a joke. Shananhan has become one as well.

KIS

Mon May 7 2012 12:59 pm EST

I just looked at Game 4 PHO/NASH..Phoenix had 50,000 viewers; Nashville had 35,000; Even Philly had 41,000; NY 33,000 and Minneapolis 31,000 for that game.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 12:51 pm EST

Well speaking for here in Nashville the large majority of the people I work with couldn't tell you who the Preds are even playing....College football and the Titans is about all that is discussed.....

Mon May 7 2012 12:41 pm EST

time for the gm on down to realize, the way the rounds are going, this year The Cup should be theirs.........send out the memo......WTFU.......take the next 2..........

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 12:40 pm EST

I will now weigh in! Sound the trumpets! :-) Man this place has enough conspiracy theorists to hold a convention. Hey, I don't know what 'agenda' the league has. Big markets should win, small ones; parity; favored owners ... My views are that yeah the refs largely suck, and if you read every team's fan bulletin board you'd see the same posts we write here, only with their own team as the victim. As for boredom: I find it hard to believe the league wants it this way. I blame the coaches and the equipment. While admittedly the NJD don't play their horrible trap game anymore, the coaches took note of it back then and despite some rule cnanges and whatever, defense still rules. Every damn player on every team has to backcheck! Block shots! (Easier with equipment that coulkd withstand shotgun fore at close range; the injuries happen when a puck hits between the pads someplace). Yeah not all players do it; that's sports and individual talent/desire. The you have the goalies with those goddamn bushel-basket 'trappers' that just bug the hell out of me. So I don't know ... I'm rambling here. Revisit the Gainey proposal on shot-blocking that Brooks mentioned; cut down those freaking gloves; go back to felt-and-cloth pads ... then we'll see some shots get through.

Nick

Mon May 7 2012 12:38 pm EST

As far as hockey enthusiasm in LA, there is none. Not on sports radio, not in sports bars or anything. I was at a Buffalo Wild Wings a few nights ago and no one could give a flying fu@k. It's Lakers Lakers Lakers. There are pockets that care but as a city? (insert crickets here)

Mon May 7 2012 12:33 pm EST

Hendricks interviewed was asked about the OV hit and asked about the Girardi hit on him and he basically stated, 'Im old school. Girardi caught me in the head. I was seeing stars and my bell was rung but that's hockey to me. I like it when the players play like that. I love it.' ----- I like Hendricks. Good ole hockey player. That stated, he may not care if he gets blasted, and in the scheme of things maybe it hurts a team but it doesn't kill them. Wonder how reactions change if OV is decapitated?

Mon May 7 2012 12:22 pm EST

NN--when the Kings got their franchise, experts estimated over 75,000 ex-Canadians living in the LA area as one of the justifying factors for granting the franchise. After experiencing the crappy attendance, Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke said "I think they all left Canada to get away from hockey."

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 12:17 pm EST

The Heat/Knicks game had more than twice the amount of viewers than the Kings game yesterday as the games started 1/2 hour apart. . Kings/Blues had 145,000 viewers in LA; Heat/Knicks had 370,000 viewers.

DOUBLEN

Mon May 7 2012 12:08 pm EST

Out here in sunny SoCal, the Ducks 2007 cup has been a thorn in the side of the Kings fans the way the Islanders were to us all. Kings came into the NHL in 1968 and have never won the cup. They got to the finals the one time, but Gretzky's greatness could not overcome the incompetence of Coach Melrose and the Kings ultra-curved sticks. They could care less who they play if they can get the cup. If it is Kings-Rangers.........it means I will be able to go so I am all for it. They might all be 1-0 games though. Imagine a 7 game series where all the games were shutouts. It would be worse than watching Major League Baseball.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 11:59 am EST

TDCHI - Couldn't disagree more about the trade deadline, depth issues and the luck or inevitability involved, but that's an old argument where we knowwhere each other stands......Bottom line is that our opinions mean didley squat,,,,,results are all that matter, if they fall out now or next round, they should have made changes, if they don't, they did the right thing...,simple as that...As for the LA-NYR Cup finals, here's hoping....Although I don't think too many in LA give a shit...not with Superman Matt Kemp...

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 11:52 am EST

Hospo - the irony is that the two largest markets in the US could also make the finals. I won't say them by name for fear of a jinx, but I'm sure you know whom I speak of...

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 11:51 am EST

Hospo - Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'm glad the Rangers didn't do any depth moves at the deadline...I think it's dumb luck that we ended up down SAUER, ZUCCARELLO and DUBINKSY...and hopefully we get at least one of those guys back...Next year, this team is going to be REALLY deep, IMO...and with the right assets, not just some hapless rental. Wonder if anyone in the Preds organization is starting to regret the moves they made...Foitu - I just don't see how blasting the refs will make a difference in a positive way...They way I see it is if the Rangers want to make excuses for losing...no matter how well-reasoned they are...they might as well back it in now...Fact of the matter is even when the calls DO go our way, the powerplay is so unbelievably anemic that it doesn't matter anyway...the two things I want to see tonight are more shots on net...no more of this BS fancy-pass garbage. Get the rubber on HOLTBY and then CRASH HIM. That's what the Caps are doing to LUNDQVIST. I can't even count how many times I've watched two-bit hacks like KNUBLE and CHIMERA crash the net. And the other thing I want to see is BOYLE take a run at OV. It's time to put this piece of shit out of commission. Boyle has the size to do it. Line the guy up, ring his bell. And do it EARLY ON. Take him out of the game in the first and the Caps will quickly fold.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 11:50 am EST

WILD - Cap system and parity and what works means nothing when it comes down to the Conference finals and the Cup finals...What matters is having teams in there that people want to watch..You'll have people in Arizona and NJ watching a potential Devil-Coyote series, nobidy else..

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 11:47 am EST

BOB - True, but it always should have been Cup or bust this year which meant aquiring A d-man and a forward (not Nash) with usable resources...But, hey, they can still do it without paying that prices....The can win the next tweo if they execute...We'll see

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 11:42 am EST

RF4L: You think its bad because the Kings are the 8th seed? Not to the NHL...they would be overjoyed if the Kings made it to the SCF...that gives them the ammo to say their cap system works and there is real parity...they will be able to say they knew it would happen all along.

Wildcard

Mon May 7 2012 11:31 am EST

E - I get it....he was just trying to get something to work but I haven't seen those line combos all year. Granted Dubi is out but I just took them as strange. As far as Sather....could it really hurt the team even more if he takes that damn cigar out of his mouth for one second and blasts Buttman? I hate to complain about the refs as I think the Rangers truly have the better team but the calls are so damn arbitrary.

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 11:30 am EST

Getting to the finals has less to do with the level of talent than it does the shear endurance of a team...Either way, I think the Rangers have both the talent and endurance(depth if you will) to match up well against any team still in this race. And they're going to need it too. Outside of the Capitals themselves, I don't think there's another team out there that drew more difficult opponents...The goddamn Devils drew the dream matchups...playing a weak Panthers team that didn't even belong in the playoffs and now the defenseless Flyers with the most over-rated goalie in professional hockey...Anyway, it's a best-of-three series and as someone mentioned, that favors the Rangers. Good home win tonight and then close out the series Wednesday!

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 11:23 am EST

HOSPO----with the way the playoffs have broken, it is now cup or bust. If we don't get there, it will be a golden opportunity wasted. Was thinking about the fans in Winnipeg today. Too bad they didn't get the old Jets back. They would be on a nice run now.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 11:19 am EST

HOSPO: Just saying that with the quadrillion-illions that Dolan has pissed away I would really like to see some of it pissed away on speaking up. Say it like it is… Someone???

Mon May 7 2012 11:17 am EST

FOITU: Nothing was working and not one line was getting consistent pressure. Washington was line matching. So with a short bench Tortorella was looking for some combos that would work.

Mon May 7 2012 11:07 am EST

E -That was sarcasm, correct? Or Do we need to go over the NY Ranger and NY Knick FA history? hell, maybe even the Isaih THomas is a good man campiagn also!

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 11:05 am EST

HOSPO: When have the Dolan's been known to waste a dollar on folly???

Mon May 7 2012 11:02 am EST

FOTIU - Been saying that since the Orpik Hit on Stepan...Screw this behind doors bullsit, Staher shiould have balsted the leagues, the refs and especially Shanaham at least once or twice for their bias and ineptitude...Team would have appreciated it,,,and whoi cares if slats and Dolan gets fined?

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 10:58 am EST

I actually enjoy Torts as a coach but with the lines he was throwing out there on Saturday, I was having a Keenan flashback. I also think Sather needs to blast the league publicly. Jimmy Dolan has enough cash to pay any fine they might get. Stop being a damn good old boy and stick up for your team. What is going on is criminal. You know what? If the league and ref's come down harder on us because he says something in public, do it again. Embarrass the f out of them. (or maybe the league is just beyond embarrassment.)

Fotiu22

Mon May 7 2012 10:54 am EST

PJ - But the entire Rangers offense and strategy is predicated on winning the boards and keeping the puck in the zone...and cycling......Prust fits right into that..but once the game starts flowing, he isworthless on offense...OTOH, AA gives you some offensive potential but he is so weak and such a wussy at times..........About time Hagelin got on the score sheet...

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 10:48 am EST

Agreed on limiting Prust playing time....He does ok killing penalties but he drags down any line he is on....Can't make a pass or accept one and has been throwing the puck around blindly too often....

Mon May 7 2012 10:48 am EST

Methinks LA will win the cup anyways...that's a decent thing for the NHL, but still looks bad IMO because they were the 8th seed in the west.

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 10:36 am EST

hospo, oh sorry. I hate that Devils franchise almost as much as pittsburg. Can't believe Uncle Daddy winning another championship.

KIS

Mon May 7 2012 10:35 am EST

Personally, I think a Yotes/Devil cup final would be hilarious. Two boring teams propped up by the league in the league's showcase.....lololol......That followed by another lockout would likely help push more teams to the financial brink and that's exactly what this ineptly run league deserves. Maybe that would be enough to get Phuckman fired and replaced with someone who really understands the game of hockey and how it should be played. Yeah, I know - wishful thinking. I've no doubt that when Phuckman goes, his successor will be another American, likely Jewish, lawyer who's primary motivation is his own salary and bonuses and therefore, his foresight won't be an attribute high on the needs list.

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 10:11 am EST

KIS -You missed my point...I wouldwant the Devils-Coyotes becasue it would be the worst possible series..the least star powered sereis..and the least watchable and sellable series...What the NHL deserves..

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 10:10 am EST

Torts cant play Prust so much tonight. He cant be a top 9 forward. Prust will score when the leaves fall again. He doesn't even come close. Lately he is slow and hasn't been an influence even in the checking game. No way guys like Hendricks and Chimera should be a bigger influence than Prust but so far they are. Keep Kreider and AA in the top 9. Let prust stay on the 4th line. If anything, give Rupp some more time and tell him to smash a couple of players.and run the goalie

KIS

Mon May 7 2012 10:09 am EST

BOB - Persoanlly, from way back, I saw anything other then a Cup finals, a failure for this year...They were a good team..and they had the resources to get better if they wanted to....But they didn't..Still, even after the Deadline, I thought this team could beat anybody but Pitt in a series..so anything was still possible...it still is...like I said, they can beat all the reamining teams...but all the remaining teams except the FLyers can beat us....Just depends on who gets it done..with or without the help of the Refs

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 10:05 am EST

OLA: What I have issue with in your explanation re: rules is that basically you are advocating two sets of rules. And this is problematic. Players must be held consistently to the same standards of conduct from October to June because the teams need to be conditioned on what to expect. Your reasoning concerns me that it produces the same type of bewilderment that we are currently seeing. Inconsistent standards and the players / fans have no idea where the lines are. It contributes to this ridiculousness that we are seeing in the post season. But more than anything else the most laughable disciplinary moments occurred in the office of Brendan Shanahan where the inability to be consistent is practically criminal. What message are they sending when a blatant head hunt, leaving of the feet, playing the man 3-meters from the puck? Or the myriad of other head scratching no/calls.

Mon May 7 2012 10:00 am EST

Hospo, I guess each to their own opinion but I for one do not want 2 teams being helped or run by the league to be in the finals. That would be a complete fuckin joke and for me no need to ever watch hockey again. Might as well just watch the WWE. As for the blocking of shots, the Rangers should start head hunting or shoot the puck into the caps feet. Lets see how much of hero they are then. Boy I hate these fuckin Caps. I wish somebody would take the butt end of the stick into that smirkish cocksucker carlson. What a pussy.Somebody needs to run Holtby tongiht as well. That big bullox Knuble has run into Lundqvist how many times and nothing has been done. If the King doesn't win this series I for one would ship the overated and over paid guy right out of NYC. The Devs are winning with a man on Geritol. The Coyotes are winning with a nobody and LA is winning with a guy making less than half the salary. I say get rid og the king and use the money on resigning players and trying to bring in NAsh and Weber. ( yeah yeah yeah, I know but I got myself heated and needed to vent ) hahahaha I just want the boys to win and Hank needs to lead the way tonight. He needs to get a shut out or no chance for the boys tonight.

KIS

Mon May 7 2012 10:00 am EST

YORK--you are right on. Before the playoffs, I felt like getting to the conference finals would be a successful run, and that we would probably go out to Pittsburgh. The way things have fallen so far, there is an opportunity to win it all this year. Unfortunately, we seem to make these lower seeded teams look better than they are. And, with the way that Newark is playing now, we could go out against them if we get past Washington. Going out to Newark would be a disaster of epic proportions. Seeing them take the cup would also be a disaster. If the Rangers go out, I would pull for a Washington-Phooenix series. Nobody would watch because few care in either of thise markets, and the absolute destruction of the game by these 2 franchises in concert with the referees would make it harder to watch than golf or tennis. Curling is more exciting.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 9:55 am EST

VTRanger - Exactly, the Rangers were always a good team this year that could win a series in the POs..But the east was always wide open and why I wanted to trade for depth to make them even better..give them a good chance of goingalll the way,..All moot...But It is still a good team..and still has the capability of beating every single team in the east ..with the right breaks....But the opposite is true also (except the flyers)....All comes down to execution, attrition/depth, determination and, I hope not too much, special teams..

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 9:50 am EST

Pretty funny. I caught a few intermission reports on NBCSN as well as those babbling bozos on NHL Network (I'm so glad the Blues lost for that Chucklehead Chase and the Hitchcok asskissers-----)...almost every report on the Wash-Rangers series, especially this jerk off Jones, was about the Caps. their fire powere, their great shot blockign defgense and what teh Rangers had to do to stop them....SIlly me, I thought it was tied 2-2 in games with the Rangers going back the Garden and the Home Ice Advantage.....Almost feel like the fan is being sucked out of me....Anyway,....Rangers win, I watch....Rangers lose, I'm done with hockey and it's agendas, incompetent reffing and clusterfuck organizxation and admininstration....Rangers lose, I pray t it's the DEVILS vs PHOENIX in the finals.....All that whining aside, they don't score on the PP, they are done...

Hospo

Mon May 7 2012 9:48 am EST

In reading the many posts following Saturday's loss, there seems to be a feeling among many of us that the Rangers don't quite have the talent yet to win the Cup. I've shared that view at times, but when I look at the teams that are left in this war, I realize that circumstances have created a very special opportunity for this team if they can pull themselves togather. The Caps, the Devils, the Flyers, the Coyotes, the Preds and or the Kings are the only teams that stand between us and the Cup. Cally, Richards, Staal and Hank have to put the war paint on get the boys ready for battle tonight. This war is winnable!!!

VtRanger

Mon May 7 2012 9:43 am EST

Bob - I wish it were that simple...truth is, the refs ARE calling obstruction penalties...when they feel like it. The call on STRALMAN in the first Saturday was a prime example...weak, soft call...but because it was the first, and in a game against the Rangers, it was a call. Of course, pan to the third where the Capitals were basically water skiing off the Rangers and they swallow their whistles. It's a goddamn joke.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 9:37 am EST

The Show Must Go On ! "" Lets Go Rangers ""

Mon May 7 2012 8:28 am EST

RF4L--once again, the NHL has allowed obstruction to reduce the game to slogging through mud. The Blues-Kings game was like watching paint dry. Goalies have great stats, but face only 20 shots and make a couple nice saves per game. This makes the late penalty calls even more infuriating. If the Rangers had even a mediocre power play, they would be up 3-1 at least.

Bob

Mon May 7 2012 8:20 am EST

PJ - I agree, but that's the reality the Rangers need to live under. The calls aren't and won't go their way...most likely because the Rangers have repeatedly called the league out on its poor officiating. Now the league simply doesn't want to hear it anymore...worst of all, the calls and non-calls are really paying off for the Caps. Each time, it's a momentum shift that ultimately ends with a goal....like the call in the first period...obstruction...really? Looked like a good defensive play to me. But two minutes later, the Caps are up one.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 8:11 am EST

Twist it any way you want but the non calls against the Caps and the phantom calls against the Rangers late in both of the Caps wins were just horrible....When you have McGuire and Milbury calling the refs out for it you know it isn't just Ranger fans being homers....Also don't see where the Caps are outplaying us 5 on 5 all series either...Far from it in my opinion....Ola...You don't believe the OV hit was intentional? You should work for the league....

Mon May 7 2012 8:04 am EST

all i can say is, they better make it passed the 2nd round.....get r done.......

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 7:34 am EST

RF4L - Totally disagree. Counting up the 15-plus periods I've watched so far, the only one that I could say the Caps really dominated was the first period on Saturday. Rangers had the edge in just about every other one...This series reminds me a bit of the 2008-2009 matchup between these teams...only the rolls are reversed. The Rangers are a better constructed team all around. The Caps are a shallow team that need their superstars to rescue them from their lack of depth. Those guys don't fire on all cylinders, the Caps lose...I'll also mention at this point the Rangers are missing one of their top line players...make no mistake, the Rangers miss DUBINSKY bigtime.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 7:25 am EST

TD: If the Rangers are' the better team all around and in every category EXCEPT the PP' how come they are once again, being out-played more often than not than their opponent? Holtby stood on his head against the Bruins, but has so far had it easy against the Rangers. I can't think of a single save he's made in any of the 4 games that comes remotely close to the 1/2 dozen (or more) Lundvqist has had to make in every game. IMO, the Rangers are lucky it's not 3 games to 1 for the Caps...

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 7:17 am EST

One call(or non-call rather) no one has discussed is when KNUBLE, for the umpteenth time, bowled over LUNDQVIST for a goal that was later disallowed. The fact that they even reviewed the goal is pathetic, when the REAL call should have been goaltender interference. They NEEDED to make that call to wave off the goal...until one of the retarded refs said he blew the play dead before the puck went in. But BROOKS it 100 percent right. When the powerplay is as bad as it's been ALL SEASON LONG, it's not like they're gonna get goals with the man advantage...so really it comes down to beating the Caps at 5-on-5, which they simply couldn't do Saturday...but I have faith they're going to pull this one off. I don't care who is on Washington's roster...the Rangers are the better team all around and in every category EXCEPT the PP...speaking of which...can we PLEASE dress ZUCCARELLO Monday? I kind of feel like the last time the Rangers scored on the PP was his last game six weeks ago.

tdchi

Mon May 7 2012 7:16 am EST

BTW, Stepan had a great final 2 games against Ottawa, but has disappeared again I see....

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 7:16 am EST

LB reports today an interesting stat: The Rangers in the 3rd period and OT's have had 14 PPs and have scored but once in those opportunities. What some of us have been saying for weeks here (even before the POs started) could be coming to realization: You'll have a very tough tiime going deep in the POs with a lousy PP. This is especially acute given the blocked shots league the NHL is rapidly evolving into (I think devolve is a more appropriate term, actually).

RF4L

Mon May 7 2012 7:02 am EST

it's the pp stupid....".....Penalty calls throughout the playoffs have been arbitrary, never more so late in games. But the fact is that the Rangers have been awarded 14 power plays in the third period and overtime while their opponents have been awarded seven, and the further truth is that the Blueshirts are 1-for-14 and the opposition is 2-for-7. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/rangers_out_to_score_big_win_P9WINDcZdhiui3tv0Qpz3M#ixzz1uBVT7KK3

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 7:01 am EST

"..........There have been few individuals over the course of NHL history with a better understanding of defensive principles, work ethic and commitment to winning than Bob Gainey. Yet envisioning the path down which the league was heading, he introduced a rule at the general managers’ meeting in October 2008 that would have required players to have at least one skate blade on the ice in order to legally block a shot. An idea ahead of its time was laughed down and has never been resurrected. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/rangers_out_to_score_big_win_P9WINDcZdhiui3tv0Qpz3M#ixzz1uBUzEm2W

stevielegs

Mon May 7 2012 6:53 am EST

Whale dropped Game 3 of their series last night, 4-3. I'll try to post some thoughts later... Here are some highlights for your viewing pleasure: http://youtu.be/yMOzXAVriEU Game 4 is tonight in Hartford.

Dineen11

Mon May 7 2012 6:29 am EST

Since Neil was not suspended, I definitely do not think that AO should be suspended. Neil did what he did purposely. All the way. AO chased a puck into/across the top of the circle, an area of the ice you can get killed in, with his head down basically, and when he noticed that a D was in his way he did what he did in the split of a second. If it was more of a extreme jump or an elbow or something, I think a suspension would be worthy. But not for that in the PO's. I don't know about Giroux either. A game in the regular season would be warranted, but in the POs? I don't know.

Ola

Mon May 7 2012 12:23 am EST

Dineen11, as our resident Hartford reporter....what is the latest on the play of Tim Erixon, JT Miller, and Dylan McIlrarth?

TradeStar28

Mon May 7 2012 12:15 am EST

NHL is going to miss a golden opportunity to really send the message to all that head-shots are not going to be tolerated. Both Ovechkin and Giroux should sit out a game for clear attempts to injure opponents. Will this happen? Probably not, but if it was Crosby rather than Zubrus we would never hear the end of it!

Topovski

Sun May 6 2012 11:39 pm EST

Flyers own writers pretty brutal: "You kept waiting for Giroux to make his mark on this second-round series, to take out his frustration on the New Jersey Devils. But an indefensible cheap shot from behind was not exactly what anyone had in mind. Giroux's sneak attack on Dainius Zubrus pretty much summed up where the Flyers are in this series. They can't skate with the Devils, can't outsmart the Devils, can't outhustle the Devils. They are frustrated and incapable of turning this thing around."

Nick

Sun May 6 2012 10:44 pm EST

the rules become more subjectively called as the season and the playoffs progress, and they degenerate into confusion and bias. the refs decide the outcome of too many games. maybe they are betting on them , or are getting paid off, or instructed by the nhl. . ....little credibility. .....very unprofessional.......now the 4 jerks can't call a delay of game with 8 eyeballs........guess they need glasses or brains.....pheonix and the debbies are just what the nhl who basically owns those teams needs and wants.....they are not rooting for the NYR.......

stevielegs

Sun May 6 2012 10:28 pm EST

RF...Kis...agreed this style of "Hockey" blows! If the Rangers go out I most likely won't watch......totally boring unless one of the teams playing is yours. Tonight's Devils Flyers game had a classic example.....devils player comiing down bear Coburn (I think) was getting held and then hocked righ tin front of the Ref and the color guy is going "...he didn't want to call that untill Coburn hocked him..."...yeah the Arnold Skolan face rake wasn't enough. That's the state of hockey under Buttman!

MelvilleFred

Sun May 6 2012 10:23 pm EST

Nick....you're getting way ahead of yourself.......we have to win 2 out of the next 3 (as do the Caps). Can't be worried about the Devils. Ranger Graham....welcome...new t the board? Wish we had Nash in our lineup right now.....my Daughter, god bless her, is going yet again to the Garden for tomorrows game. Maybe she'll bring the mluck since I won't be there with her. NYR7....I was in Sec. 335 for th egame. Tried to walk over to 315 between the 2nd and 3rd but the walkway was blocked.........

MelvilleFred

Sun May 6 2012 10:14 pm EST

RF, something that i agree with you about. I hate this brand of hockey. There is so much interference going on again ithas changed the game. there is no nice flow to the game. I don't mind hard play but the shit some teams are getting away with and the dirty play sucks. Not a fan. tired of the league trying to make everybody equal.

KIS

Sun May 6 2012 10:00 pm EST

Re lousy hockey: The stupid league and their phuckman like backwardsness has meant gone from the POs are Detriot, Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Chicago, all teams that skate and score. Nice job Phuckman and Cantaham and the rest of you incompetent idiots....

RF4L

Sun May 6 2012 9:58 pm EST

Nick: Apparently, NJ outshot the Flyers something like 40 to 20. Wow....

RF4L

Sun May 6 2012 9:57 pm EST

After watching that Ranger special last night it is amazing that Fatso is still playing....

Sun May 6 2012 9:56 pm EST

KIS: Once/if the Rangers are done, so am I. The brand of hockey most teams are playing, the Rangers included, is all about reducing chances, primarily the oppositions, but inevitably, when you do that, you compromise you're own creativeness. It's crappy entertainment, unless you're a fan of the 1 of the teams. It's what happens when you don't enforce the rules. Hockey's a wonderful game when played without headshots, punches and scrums after the whistle, goalies with transformer sized equipment, interference galor and incompetent officiating. Alas, all of the above Phuckman and company seem to believe sells...

RF4L

Sun May 6 2012 9:55 pm EST

Fatso allowed to play the puck outside the 'zoid. His birthday and all. But the Flyers were spoiled by the epically bad pay of the Penguins. They're falling apart. And it's not the fault of the Bryz.

Nick

Sun May 6 2012 9:49 pm EST

Coyotes D Rostislav Klesla suspended one game for hit from behind against Preds...It's not that they aren't still reviewing hits but they just can't be against a Ranger....This league sucks....

Sun May 6 2012 9:35 pm EST

Don't feel good about the game tomorrow night. willing to eat crow if they win but I don't see it especially the way the refs are calling the game. How the hell can OV check on girardi not even get looked at. Its amazing especially with the emphasis the network has put on head shots. the league is a sham

KIS

Sun May 6 2012 9:31 pm EST

If Phoenix and the Devils get into the finals I don't think I will watch hockey anymore. How can 2 teams helped and run by the NHL be the 2 best teams in the league. If you have now money you shouldn't have assets to be 2 of the 4 best teams in the league. Sell some of the good players not pick up and sign pieces.

KIS

Sun May 6 2012 9:26 pm EST

I am glad to see we are heading home for 2 of 3 games.Game 5 will be huge. Watching as we move deeper into the playoffs , what we lack is forward depth and forward grit. A few pickups at the trade deadline would have helped. What I like is we have a top notch goalie and 4 top quality defence. I think we will make it through but that first goal tomorrow is critical.

RangerGraham

Sun May 6 2012 9:23 pm EST

RF4L....Actually Halak was the other goalie for the Blues and both he and Elliot were very good during the season and Halak got hurt in the playoffs....They had scoring spread out with seven players with 15 goals or more and Backes led with 24.....I didn't know how they were doing it either but they were very difficult to play against during the season and almost unbeatable at home...They smoked the Rangers in the one meeting we had....Kings are on fire....

Sun May 6 2012 9:21 pm EST

Devils up 3 games to 1.

Tucc

Sun May 6 2012 9:14 pm EST

Any team looks great when they win but the NYR are gonna have it tougher than I figured if the Devils clinch this thing. They forechecked Philly to death. Our d-men are better -- I think -- but not that much. Anyway unless we bring some offense tomorrow night it's not gonna matter.

Nick

Sun May 6 2012 9:13 pm EST

Devils up 3 games to 1.

Tucc

Sun May 6 2012 8:53 pm EST

Reality finally hits with the Blues. Since Hitchcock took over that team massively overachieved (which isn't a criticism), led by journeyman goalie Brian Elliot. This is a good team, not by any stretch of the imagination a great team and as good as the Kings might be, going out in the 2nd round should be considered by that organization after all the dust settles as progress. We complain about the Rangers lacking top forward skill - the Blues don't have anyone to match either Richards or Gaborik. Andy MacDonald is good, but at best a 2nd line center. Who is their goal scoring winger? Well, no one - they don't have such a thing. Don't be surprised if next season (if there is one) they struggle to make the POs.

RF4L

Sun May 6 2012 4:55 pm EST

BTW, did anyone see the horse that Torts probably picked in the Kentucky Derby? "Done Talking"

ColoradoMark

Sun May 6 2012 4:45 pm EST

Blues have been swept.....Hard to believe....The Kings a #8 seed and have knocked off the #1 and #2 seed with an 8-1 record....WTF

Sun May 6 2012 4:09 pm EST

And Milbury hates the Rangers....

Sun May 6 2012 2:16 pm EST

Milbury commented today on NBC about the terrible non calls against the Rangers. Said the NHL can't allow this type of ref to exist in play off competition.

Louie

Sun May 6 2012 12:09 pm EST

This is twice now Carlson was able to draw late game penalties....In the second game he initiated the contact with Richards and yesterday he threw his stick down like it was on fire after a tap from Hagelin....Somebody needs to give this little prick something to complain about....The explanation from OV for the hit on Girardi is so ridiculous that it confirms he did it intentionally....Love this team but despise the NHL.....

Sun May 6 2012 11:13 am EST

and murder........http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140287/Kentucky-Derby-2012-death-Dead-body-stable-close-Ill-Have-Another-kept.html

stevielegs

Sun May 6 2012 11:09 am EST

any doubt nbc wanted that game to end close to 3 pm, to show 3 hours of pre derby nonsense? I'm sure their ads were more expensive, than during the cult hockey game. Any national anthemn? ....plenty of hat talk.......the NYR just helped get that game to end near 3pm, with the refs . Guess the refs know the NYR PP was less likely to score than the craps. ....so blow that whistle when it helps........and no Saturday night hockey in Canada, thanks to the buttman/nbc wisdom...... 1230-3pm is their marketing concept.......get it over with.......not having logic.....nhl.....

stevielegs

Sun May 6 2012 10:06 am EST

"Rangers coach John Tortorella had a thing to say about momentum yesterday, which was interesting since his postgame observations consisted of exactly 11 words. Ten of them were these: “Their power play. They gained momentum from their power play.” Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/lack_and_blue_gfVp1GwbiFQCHRCxcuAtHK#ixzz1u6PHpLYG

stevielegs

Sun May 6 2012 9:53 am EST

Wow, LB gushing madly over Brodeur in his slapshots column...lol...

RF4L

Sun May 6 2012 7:01 am EST

Okay The Caps are playing Hunter style hockey anyone who remembers this clown remembers this is exactly his M.O. cheap dirty hockey, on a side note anyone notice the fat hunter looks exactly like the dad from Mark Wahlbergs the fighter LOL.......Krieder okay this is three times this kid passed the puck into the middle when he shouldn't have once was in the offensive zone so it's not a completely bone head move despite the time in which it happened; yesterday was no excuse just stupid hockey rule number one never pass the puck blind into the middle in your own end hockey 101. I wouldnt have benched him I would have lit him up in the locker room in front of his team to force him to go out and make up for it. Benching him was stupid. The problem right now is Torts is being equaled in terms of his system and isn't sure what to do he has no back ups. You need a backup even the Rangers in 94 had one thanks to FON.

York18

Sun May 6 2012 2:11 am EST

Mike "Rupper" Rupp has been "irrelvant" since the Winter Classic

TradeStar28

Sun May 6 2012 1:58 am EST

Just throwing this out there......Carkner was able to jump Boyle for a few gloved shots on Karlsson and only get a game. Mind as well jump Ovechkin and lose Rupp for a game. Makes sense to me....

RDW

Sun May 6 2012 1:39 am EST

One last post about ovechkin hit on girardi.....Prust was not only on the ice but was a few feet away from the spot of the hit and saw it in fulll motion....How the fugg does Prust not go after ovechkin? The Rangers team is pansified by Torts.....honestly.....Prust shoulda went right at ovechkin, worse case he gets a roughing minor but atleast it sends a goddamn message to the Craps....an eye for an eye.......Someone needs to send the rangers a copy of the Old Testament ASAP!!!!!! and a copy of this link , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ix_qWmZW54

TradeStar28

Sun May 6 2012 1:20 am EST

Anyone see the new movie "Avengers" this weekend? I would love to see someone Hulk-slam Ovechkin right through the freakin ice surface........Turn that cheap fugg into a pile of dust......The Craps are trying to hurt the Rangers top defenders (Girardi, McDonut and Staal)......Reminds me of that bullshit that the craps did with Donald Brashit on Blair betts in the playoffs when the Rangers were up in the series and that changed the whole outcome.....

TradeStar28

Sat May 5 2012 11:54 pm EST

Fred, Top -- I thought I was the only one! Team Canada was a disgrace once it sunk in they were in an actual series. Hockey-wise they hadn't trained and were missing Orr and Hull; but the USSR were equal in talent and that came as a shock. I'll never forget Frank Mahovljch holding Tretiak down for ten seconds in that 4th game. The Soviet powers didn't have much class either. All in all an amazing thing.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 11:50 pm EST

Rangers gotta figure out a way to slay the Caps dragon in the playoffs....That is the bottom line.......This aint the Chicago Bulls with Jordan we are talking about.......Ovechkin and the Caps are beatable, the Rangers are a better all around squad. No excuses.......Yeah the officiating sucked but the great teams will always find a way to win.

TradeStar28

Sat May 5 2012 11:49 pm EST

Hospo, I agree with you after the Rangers win the cup this year I will not be spending another dime or any of my time watch NHL hockey. This league is run by morons. The Rangers should start another league with real refs and announcers. The NHL is the worst run and worst officiated sport and they call themselves a Pro league. What a bunch of BS!

Jerry_Garcia

Sat May 5 2012 11:47 pm EST

Hey whats up NYR7....I see you made the trip down to DC.....I was gonna drive up (i live in NC now) with the family but glad i didnt because of the outcome of the game....I hope all is well with you....Hopefully we meet up in June @ MSG $-)

TradeStar28

Sat May 5 2012 11:26 pm EST

I never got to see the games, I have heard stories about it, so I was very interested in this documentary. There were some likeable characters on Canada's team like Henderson, Mahovlich, Gilbert...but Espo (who I absolutely hated as a ranger in every capacity he had with the team) and Clark struck me as abhorrent human beings.

Topovski

Sat May 5 2012 11:22 pm EST

just got back from Washington ..long ride home following that game.....THE Ovechin hit was a disgrace clearly left his feet and forgot all about the puck and launched himself into GIRARDI... i will say the CAP fans are f33kin clueless about this franchise... i was sitting next to this guy who claims to be a lifelong CAPS fan and he didnt even know who John Druce was... pathethic....must be a short lifer say became a fan in 06 /07' when OVIE arrived.....didnt see the RANGER VICTORY SHOW yet will probably buy it this week .... for if anyone is interested i put my own RANGER Video together back in 94' ..EVERY GOAL BIG HIT BIG SAVE IS ON THIS VIDEO.. I EVEN GAVE A COPY TO ADAM GRAVES a couple of years ago.... i'll be at the game on monday...we need a win... LTR..

NYR7

Sat May 5 2012 11:18 pm EST

USSR...one to many "S"s

MelvilleFred

Sat May 5 2012 11:17 pm EST

Topovski....I'm with you....I was openly rooting for the good old USSSR!

MelvilleFred

Sat May 5 2012 11:07 pm EST

Just finished watching the documentary "Cold War - 1972 Summit Series". I know I will take a lot of crap for saying this but Canadians should be ashamed of what their team did. It was a disgraceful and down right criminal behavior. They got schooled in their own invention and didnt like it so they gooned it up. Bobby Clark should have been banned from any hockey for life. Pathetic!

Topovski

Sat May 5 2012 9:56 pm EST

NN- Pour one for me... watermelon margarita sounds delicious..

schneidw

Sat May 5 2012 9:41 pm EST

That was a great program. I'll never forget those games. I'm surprised I survived it ... two hellish months. Also ... there's a new Summit Series documentary in right now on NBCSN. An incredible story. I still remember that opening shocker in Montreal, and the amazing events that followed.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 9:16 pm EST

I think the special captured a lot of why that cup win was far bigger then just a "normal" championship. A sports fiction writer couldn't write a more epic story. Nothing that the NYR do now could be greater. But what I am thrilled about is that while that team was hell pressed to win A cup, this NYR team has positioned itself with talent and maturity that they should be able to be in the hunt for the next 5-6 years at least.

Sat May 5 2012 9:06 pm EST

NN....Was emotional watching the special also...That was awesome and well put together....It really captured the emotion of that time....I jumped up when they showed the Matteau goal....Many years have passed but what a glorious time....Hope some of today's Rangers were watching....

Sat May 5 2012 8:53 pm EST

I am watching the special on the NHL Network and am getting very emotional as I was in the building for every home playoff game..or it could be the watermelon margarita I am drinking.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 5 2012 8:51 pm EST

....you know...I just can't care as much as I do about this franchise...I'm going to have a Heart Attack soon.....literally....1 F'in CUP in 72 years.....and for some reason we're all in on this team to win the CUP this year....If I take a step back in my heart of hearts I know this team does not have enough talent or scoring to win this year. I just need to remember that for this series and if there is a next one.....

MelvilleFred

Sat May 5 2012 8:25 pm EST

Rangers in 6! Next........

MelvilleFred

Sat May 5 2012 6:21 pm EST

Special on NHL network tonight at 8:00 EST....Road to Victory....Story of the New York Rangers.....

Sat May 5 2012 5:54 pm EST

RHET - Withoiut a doubt....The poor first period was old news by the time the game was tied 2-2, but it still happened and a goal ahppened....BUt wihtou the poor 1st period and without the total clusterfuck of two PPs and one crappy PK, they win this game...Oh well, SCREW the Caps, SCREW the NHL and SCREW the REFS.....just play Ranger hockey from start to finish and win on Monday....BUt I'll be damend if some of me doesn't want...OV in a mangled mess of blood and cartilidge from a "clean" hit....It's not the player it't the god damn rinky dink bull shit league....

Hospo

Sat May 5 2012 5:44 pm EST

The lack of punishment for Ovechkin is nothing shy of a completely asinine travesty. Absolutely ridiculous.

Sat May 5 2012 5:42 pm EST

…but I'll state this: the NYR did not deserve that game. They were not good enough. Nowhere near good enough to warrant a victory.

Sat May 5 2012 5:41 pm EST

I with 90% certainty know that there is no fixing to the games. That stated, the problem is just this inability to find any kind of consistency. The ref's are over controlling the game. At almost anytime in heated games there is tick tack BS going on. You can't just let something go and then arbitrarily decide that it is egregious suddenly and without warning. It makes it impossible on the players. Make a decision. If you are going to call things, then call everything. I've advocated this forever already. The pace of the game requires a 3rd referee. This one off of the ice. No officiating is perfect but one thing I always liked about the NFL is that sometimes a flag is thrown, the refs meet, the flag is picked up, the ref calls out that there is no penalty and play continues. The NHL is a completely unique sport. It has an extensive rule book. And most rules are good ones. But the speed and the pace of the game just cannot be adequately called on the ice. And at no time has this been more evident then this season. I can harp on almost every single series where GAME CHANGING infractions were either called wrongly or not called at all. Look at what Nashville went through?

Sat May 5 2012 5:24 pm EST

Rhet...Agreed....What type of period did the Caps have in the second?...How long till their first shot?....Monk....Watched the replay about 10 times now and I can't see that Callahan dove on that play....Also replayed Knuble batting the puck out and it was a clear penalty....Sorry folks we were hosed....Not sure how Hank didn't see the Green shot but he says he didn't....

Sat May 5 2012 4:55 pm EST

Per Katie Strang... "Multiple sources indicate that Ovechkin will not have a hearing on hit. Wouldn't blame Rangers for being upset on this one" ... not even a hearing... that's what make the NHL a total joke... HOSPO... I agree with you about the first period, but we still almost survived the period without giving up a goal... I still don't know how Lundqvist flubbed that one... it wasn't a great shot by any means... but because we had a lousy first period, it does not mean that we deserved to lose the game.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 4:29 pm EST

...I'd like to believe that, but it didn't look to me like a real trip, and it seemed he could have cleared that puck.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 4:27 pm EST

EVETS,

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 4:26 pm EST

The game had a weird feel to it ,in the first period the Rangers didn't look to excited to be playing. The Krieder give away was horrible and Hank wasn't Hank tonight. The Rangers will still win the series in 7. It's a best of 3, and 2 are in our barn. Will be wild at the Garden when the Rangers close this one out at home.

barto

Sat May 5 2012 3:43 pm EST

Hospo- Yeah, I agree. We just screw up. Those early goals cost you. Was sense that they are playing a team that don't have controll. We loose confidence. When we try to roar out of the gates, we loose composure. When we try to shut things down, we make big misstakes. Maybe it's me watching all these losses, but I just got a bad feeling right now of the confidence of this team, cause I think in terms of talent we should beat this Caps team in 4-5 games. Only Backstrom is really challenging our Ds.

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 3:39 pm EST

I meant to say that the Rangers did not loose this game for themselves. The outcome was dictated by subpar officiating. This game should have ended on a legitimate hockey play, not on a series of terrible calls and non-calls. MONK... I don't think Callahan dives there. Knowing who he is as a player, I don't believe that he takes that risk in this situation.

evets1980

Sat May 5 2012 3:35 pm EST

PJ... I couldn't agree with you more. The Rangers did not loose this game. It's one thing that Hagelin was called for something that was committed by one of the caps moments earlier, but you HAVE to call that trip on Callahan. If Callahan is allowed to play the puck, that puck is out of the defensive zone, not on Mike Green's stick and not in the back of the Rangers' net. Terrible officiating at the end of the game. Embarrassing. AND.... I am sure the is NO chance that Ovechkin gets any supplementary discipline.

evets1980

Sat May 5 2012 3:33 pm EST

PJ, I told you what happened on the Green goal. Callahan tried to be clever and draw a penalty. It's one of his very few bad plays in the POs, but one of the worst I can ever recall of a captain. The Rangers clearly think puck clearing is overrated and for the less inclined. They also think 2-minute power plays are 10 minutes, and slow and futile is better than fast and lucky. The team may have boatloads of heart (although they left it on the ice Wed night and forgot to take it with them), but no one will mistake them for a Mensa meeting. Least of all that 12-million dollar wordsmith Brad Richards.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 3:31 pm EST

Kreider one shift in the third? On this offensively-challenged team? Nice job, Torts. Join the Marines and be a drill sergeant. For now? Play your best guys for Christ's sake. Teach 'lessons' in November against Edmonton. Not now.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 3:30 pm EST

Agreed the Rangers had a bad first period....All starting with the lazy penalty by Stralman....The Caps then had a horrendous second period themselves...The third was close until the refs decided to get involved....Don't care what anyone says the last ten minutes were a disgrace and sorry but the Rangers or any other team left aren't good enough to overcome the bad calls....Even playing field in the third I feel we win this game...

Sat May 5 2012 3:23 pm EST

The reffing and NHL agenda against the Rangers aside, the Rangers TOTALLY DESERVE to lose...Totlly unprepared for the first period -both coach and all players-- and a totally incompetent, momentun-stopping, life-sucking power play..And then the Caps score easily on theirs....No more analysiis needed even if the Rangers played good at times in the 2nd......The agenda by the ref, announcers and the leagus against the Rangers just boggles my mind since this pathetic piece of shit league needs the Rangers so bad....Yeah, I want the Rangers to win but part of me doesn't care if they lose so I don't have to waste a second watching the worst run and worst offciated sport out there..

Hospo

Sat May 5 2012 3:04 pm EST

bottom line the NYR didn't need the refs help in losing the game, they were almost doing it on their own, from the goalie to behind the bench........and beyond.......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:58 pm EST

Hunter says we messed up the second goal because we thought is was icing....Ok and your D doesn't have to touch the puck you jackass....Says OV hit was incidental contact and both players had their heads down...Sad part of it is the league will probably say the same thing...

Sat May 5 2012 2:53 pm EST

OVECHKIN claims he hit Girardi because he thought Girardi was going to hit him first... See? He was just protecting himself... Per Chris Botta... "From what I'm hearing, don't expect an Ovechkin suspension."

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 2:53 pm EST

Nick.... Agreed on Hank....He can't just match the play of Holtby but must be better....Like it or not as Hank goes so go the Rangers....

Sat May 5 2012 2:51 pm EST

the coach needs to direct his anger at himself, his assistant and his TEAM, and get a win on Monday, and another to end this series.....

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:49 pm EST

Stralman with 17 minutes and Bickel with 7....Sorry but Bickel was better today....

Sat May 5 2012 2:48 pm EST

RF4L that means to him he's a genius........he had Stamkos too......a legend in his own mind........he should go after Nash, I know a couple of guys he can trade, plus some picks......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:47 pm EST

Torts too pissed to stay in the postgame with reporters...Gets up and walks out....Keenan criticizes him for it....Not sure I do as if he stays and says something about the officiating he would be out another 20 large.....Maloney says OV being suspended a no brainer and it should have been a 5 minute penalty....Will never happen IMO....

Sat May 5 2012 2:47 pm EST

And Kreider gets 1 shift in the 3rd for the giveaway, that Hank absolutely botched. Tell me the kids speed and puck pursuit wouldn't have made a difference in the 3rd period? Nice coaching Torts, you sure showed him...

Tucc

Sat May 5 2012 2:44 pm EST

Agreed the Caps and playing well and did knock off the defending champs. So if we lose, it's not like we lost to Columbus or something. But still, if you're gonna win, you have to play better down the line, and that includes Hank. Now, he saved three goals in the first period so I'm not gonna roast the guy, but he MUST outplay a guy who was in the minors all year, and we MUST pressure Holtby enough to expose him if he has weaknesses. Hey I don't know ... I'm out of the prediction business after this post-season across the league. My health blows and my last old cat has three months to live so fuck it all anyway. (There's a happy note to end on). But I'm pushing for the NYR to prevail and always will.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 2:42 pm EST

And will say this - yes the officiating sucked (again) but once again the Ranger pop-gun offense was their undoing. The King made in the 2nd and 3rd periods, 4 or 5 superb saves. Holtby nary a one. All from the outside. Yes, good positioning on a couple that bounced thru but nothing like Lundvqist had to face. As said before, no wonder Sather went hard after Rick Nash. It's games like these where he'd make a difference, without a doubt.

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 2:39 pm EST

God, how I hate it when the refs help determine the outcome of a game. What a sham! Knuble knocked that damned puck over the glass, NBS shows a replay and all the idiot announcer says is, "You could see Knuble reacts immediately to say it went off the Ranger"....SO WHAT!? IT DIDN'T GO OFF THE RANGER!! Trip on Callahan....hellyes! Interference/holding on Girardi preventing him from getting out to block a shot after a rebound...no call. All that being said, I'll say this again...if we don't get the PP working, we can forget about winning the Cup. We had chances to take the lead on the PP and did nothing. Now we'll see if the NHL has the guts to suspend Ovie. I doubt it. He ignores the puck to zero in on Girardi's head amd lifts up his front leg to raise his shoulder to head level. He should be suspended.

JFC31

Sat May 5 2012 2:38 pm EST

My biggest bug, beside the calls, is the Rangers lack of puck control. No sustained attack becasue of it, and when they do forcheck all the pressure is along the boards/ corners and rarely draw penalties or create good scoring chances. Caps definately have shown better puck control in this series and that is concerning.

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 2:29 pm EST

You can't convince me otherwise...the NHLwants these games going to 7. The NHL is all about money, nothing else. I went to the Winter Classic in Philly and they had teh ROOTS playing. The Roots, are you friggin kidding me? I don't care if they are from Philly, 99.9% of people that purchased tickets don't want to hear the Roots. It's all about expanding the fan base to make more money. Money, that's it.

jkropp

Sat May 5 2012 2:27 pm EST

2 goals on unscreened slap shots from above the circles. Unusual for sure, and not good. The officiating was absurd. We had guys held and hooked along the boards, interfered with on the forechecking and sticks slashed out of hands. We sat for those infractions, and Washington did not. Then the glove punch out of play was the biggest joke of all.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 2:26 pm EST

You make fine points Nick but 999 out of 1000 the ref will call a trip to even up play if it's against a team on the PP...bad, bad non call that led to a scoring chance/goal

jkropp

Sat May 5 2012 2:26 pm EST

Nick...That Hershey Bears goalie knocked out the defending Cup champions....Like it or not the Caps are playing good right now....Hard to overcome bad calls....

Sat May 5 2012 2:24 pm EST

Hey I know the refs blow but what else is new? At some point you gotta get it done. If we lose this thing we just got beat ... no grand conspiracy because 'everyone hates us.' We simply don't have the offensive goods to go all the way. We have basically three guys who can consistently finish, four counting Kreider it would appear, and a collection of plumbers. And yeah they work like hell and you can't win without 'em and all that ... but you have to bury the chances because they don't come that easy.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 2:24 pm EST

Turn on the MSG postgame....They asked Callahan if he was tripped on the winning goal but he wouldn't go there...Said it doesn't matter now...Wouldn't expect him to make excuses as he is all class...Hank said he has to have the first one but didn't see the other two....

Sat May 5 2012 2:23 pm EST

Caps/refs 3 Rangers 2

jkropp

Sat May 5 2012 2:19 pm EST

nick it wasn't the planes that killed kong.......it was Callihan getting tripped so Green could score........the betterTEAM will win this series.....THE NYR........

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:18 pm EST

I can't wait, Stevie, I can't wait...

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 2:17 pm EST

i have an opinion on del zotto and dubinsky, but i'll save it until the playoffs are over....and The Cup comes to NYC in spite of nbc & the nhl.........

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:16 pm EST

No post game so we can watch 3 plus hours of Derby "pre game". Total disgrace!!! NBC is shameful on all levels.

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 2:16 pm EST

Refs this, refs that, NBC, blah blah blah. Kill the fucking penalty and maybe get a power play goal? Or any freaking goal against a Hershey Bears goalie? We got torched in the first period after the big 'emotional' win the other night. Yeah, tied with six minutes to go. Loss. Another damn 6-7 game series.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 2:13 pm EST

Hard being critical of henrik, but one awful goal and another soft one and that was the game. Officiating is about as comical as it gets. I can't ever remember a time in when it was worse.

Tucc

Sat May 5 2012 2:13 pm EST

Hate to mention this, but as great as Henrik was today, he also gave 2 up he should have had. Now, it is not his fault that the utter incompetence offensively of our team makes him be perfect or else, but that is the case and has been all year. The OV cheap shot will not even be reviewed, nor will the idiotic refereeing. We will just have to find a way to overcome it, because I don't expect it to change.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 2:13 pm EST

All of the positive traits of this team were reversed today. Worst of all, that includes Callahan.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 2:12 pm EST

Bad calls, non calls all around. No call on Knuble on goalie interference no call on him putting the puck into thecrowd, no call on the slah on Boyle, week call on Haglin, missed high stick from a Ranger late....

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 2:11 pm EST

The refs blow again...

NV94

Sat May 5 2012 2:11 pm EST

BS...We started slow and took the game over in the second....The third period we had the edge in play until the refs took over....Yes MDZ looked like a moron continually shooting the puck into the defender but these perfectly timed calls against us are just brutal....

Sat May 5 2012 2:10 pm EST

NN nbc got what they wanted, no ot, no post game....look at the bonnets......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:08 pm EST

And that slash that got called on Hagelin moments after BB got slashed in the Cap zone with no call is ridiculous. What a league!

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 2:08 pm EST

Then stop friggin watching, Ola! ;-)

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 2:07 pm EST

Ola: Please don't watch game 5.

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 2:06 pm EST

And agreed with those criticizing MDZ out there - how many times will you try to shoot through a guy's pads when he's 4 feet away before you learn it's not gonna work? Suspect too tired - lots of Ranger mistakes due to that....better this team lose this game now than it go into OT and they lose in another hour, that's for sure.

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 2:06 pm EST

Weak ass effort. They deserved to lose. They didn't want the puck today. And WTF was that play by Callahan on the failed PK? Trying to draw a penalty 10 yards from the defensive blue line instead of just clearing the goddamned puck? This was not an honorable loss.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 2:06 pm EST

An absolute disgrace....The late call on Richards in game 2 and now this....At some point I will just give up on watching this league....They destroy a wonderful sport....Why bother...

Sat May 5 2012 2:06 pm EST

Fourth straight loss for me watching live, all real annoying ones... Really annoying ones.

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 2:05 pm EST

Agree E but I have no faith that it will even get reviwed. Fuck this is annoying.

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 2:04 pm EST

The Refs did a great job getting the series even... total joke.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 2:04 pm EST

NHL officiating at it's finest. Reprehensible...but totally the norm. Phuckman sucks...

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 2:04 pm EST

big envelopes waiting for the un-officials....crookedbastards

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:04 pm EST

OV should at minimum be suspended. Without a doubt. He headhunted, and his skates clearly left the ice. The announcers are arguing if he made contact while one skate was still on the ice it should be clean. Thats ridiculous. He clearly left the ice after solid contact. Head was snapped back hard. Given that OV has an egregious reputation for doing this, any lack of suspension will tell you everything you need to know.

Sat May 5 2012 2:01 pm EST

MDZ... should be replaced for this last push, he has been horrible out there.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 2:01 pm EST

get diaper baby del zotto off the ice

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 2:00 pm EST

Bush league officiating... Sickens me!

Tucc

Sat May 5 2012 1:59 pm EST

the nhl...NOT HAVING LOGIC

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:57 pm EST

What infuriates me is that there is NO objectivity! A total disgrace.

pa.rangersfan

Sat May 5 2012 1:57 pm EST

Really amazing to witness. Clear head shots, slashing on them not called, then called on us. Clearly batting the puck out of play-no penalty. It is a complete joke.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 1:57 pm EST

NBC needs a long series because it looks like the others will not be.

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 1:57 pm EST

How do they explain how it went into the crowd?...Nowhere near the glass....

Sat May 5 2012 1:57 pm EST

I'm a big Torts guy, and I have no problem with Kreider not playing a lot today after his bad day...but using Prust in the last 2:30 when you're down a goal instead of the kid is just stupid, IMO. We'll see who comes out for the next shift with Stepan and Feds (if they even have one).

chinstrap

Sat May 5 2012 1:56 pm EST

I mean this is some serious stuff as it is deciding games....Not the first 5 minutes of the game here....

Sat May 5 2012 1:56 pm EST

bring it to triple ot so nbc jumps off the curb with the Derby.......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:55 pm EST

Wow... now you can punch pucks into the crowd... ridiculous!

Sat May 5 2012 1:54 pm EST

chin...Yes he did but they all got wood when the Caps scored...

Sat May 5 2012 1:54 pm EST

Unreal. Need replay for these morons.

chinstrap

Sat May 5 2012 1:54 pm EST

These refs suck.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 1:54 pm EST

jerk job

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:53 pm EST

I am really considering not watching this bullshit anymore after this tilt.

pa.rangersfan

Sat May 5 2012 1:53 pm EST

Hate to whine about officiating but 6 minutes left in the game....Call all of it or none of it.....

Sat May 5 2012 1:53 pm EST

Bush league officiating... Sickens me!

Tucc

Sat May 5 2012 1:53 pm EST

PJ: In the interest of fairness, Pierre actually mentioned 3 times that Torts shouldn't be happy about the Hagelin call because the refs missed the same thing done to Boyle.

chinstrap

Sat May 5 2012 1:53 pm EST

Gut check time

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 1:52 pm EST

that better be a delay of game

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:51 pm EST

malonney livid calling it a phantom call

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:50 pm EST

There you go....Uneven calls will cost us another game...NBC announcers going crazy with joy....

Sat May 5 2012 1:50 pm EST

The Refs again trying to change the course of a game... Total BS.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 1:50 pm EST

nhl is slanted too as are their refs and shanhand

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:49 pm EST

bs call

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:49 pm EST

Ok ...Call it on the Rangers but not the Caps....

Sat May 5 2012 1:48 pm EST

NN i understand what you are saying, but the 2/4/7 guys are slanted,

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:45 pm EST

Does ABC show it during the NBA Playoffs. Since I am a media buyer, I think in terms of how many spots NBC and their affiliates can sell.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 5 2012 1:44 pm EST

OLA i'd like to see him score one or two

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:43 pm EST

I'd like to see Cally shoot more.

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 1:39 pm EST

in my opinion nbc has a bias agenda......they don't like USA flag waving.......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:36 pm EST

STEVIE: Then what's the real reason.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 5 2012 1:34 pm EST

Absolutely goalie interference....Bickel didn't shove Knuble in there....

Sat May 5 2012 1:32 pm EST

NN that's not totally why....that was goalie interference

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:29 pm EST

If NBC showed the anthems, that's 2 minutes less of adtime to sell.

DOUBLEN

Sat May 5 2012 1:26 pm EST

HHH typical nbc bs.......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:20 pm EST

Take this period and head back to New York......LET'S GO RANGERS

Sat May 5 2012 1:20 pm EST

The league & therefore announcers are clearly stacked against the Rangers... Hopefully its obvious to the the Rangers and just adds to motivate them... Lets Go Rangers, 20 minutes of complete domination, we will win!

Sat May 5 2012 1:17 pm EST

I notice NBC never shows the anthems and yet they are shown on CBC. Ovie should get at least a game being a repeat offender, left his feet, and why is Mitchell on the PP ? Then again why would anyone want to be on the PP ? MDZ has forgotten 2 games ago he was hitting posts. Shoot the freaking puck boys, and my gut tells me Holtby will cost the Craps the game.

HamiltonHellhounds

Sat May 5 2012 1:15 pm EST

Stevie.... NBC reversed themselves on that again... they wont break away from the Ranger game if it goes long.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 1:15 pm EST

ok just outscore the craps this period.....bury them.....

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:15 pm EST

You better believe if Girardi hit Ovechkin that way, he'd be getting suspended.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 1:14 pm EST

nbc will make this the derby shortened game......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:13 pm EST

LOL @ Brooksie. He tweets about OV leaving his feet, hitting Girardi n the head, being a repeat offender and it being in the hands of the player safety department.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 1:13 pm EST

pilsbury saying suspend-able play

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:12 pm EST

So Backstrom elbows AA in the head and it is a great play?....Keith Jones defending the OV hit....Milbury says this guy does this all the time and should be fined....Nothing will happen....Think about that hit vs the Hagelin three game suspension and it makes you sick...

Sat May 5 2012 1:06 pm EST

Funny the CBC guys were lauding Schultz for his 9 blocked shots and then he participates in the 3 player gaffe that resulted in Gabbie's goal. What were the 2 defensemen doing, anyways? Just because there's an icing doesn't mean it's an icing until they touch it (this ain't houseleague hockey). And Holtby signalling an icing started the mini-fiasco....

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 1:05 pm EST

good period but i asked for 2 more from them, not just 2 more.....nyr need 3 in the 3rd.

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:03 pm EST

kid -k trips his own man, not his day.....so far......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 1:00 pm EST

ANISIMOV is flying today.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 12:59 pm EST

WOW....Was that a bad play....Will take it....GABBY!!!!!!

Sat May 5 2012 12:59 pm EST

Washington-Schultz 2-2

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 12:59 pm EST

GABORIKKKKKKKKKKK

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 12:58 pm EST

GAB-MAN

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 12:57 pm EST

Girardi back thank goodness...

Sat May 5 2012 12:57 pm EST

I know... but if the skate was on the other foot... you better believe a Ranger would be getting suspended.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 12:56 pm EST

OV hit won't even be reviewed...It was on a Ranger...The prick skated pass the puck to make that high hit....Unreal...

Sat May 5 2012 12:56 pm EST

I dont like the screw up stamp we have had lately... But Kreider deserves Fred for coming back with some decent shifts.

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 12:56 pm EST

Sure he should, but his name isn't Torres, so it ain't gonna happen. Someone should simply nail his crooked teeth into next week....

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 12:55 pm EST

Rhet: Eddie O basically gave what would be the league's retarded explanation for not suspending him. It probably won't be brought up again.

RDW

Sat May 5 2012 12:55 pm EST

Hate to say it but Girardi just missed a shift...

Sat May 5 2012 12:55 pm EST

Worse than not scoring is the fact that these pathetic PPs result in the opposition getting fired up.

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 12:55 pm EST

ovalchoke should be suspended for that charging hit to the head intent to injure on Girardi.

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 12:53 pm EST

Anyone think OV wont be suspended for the hit on Girardi? :)

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 12:51 pm EST

GAWD I hate HATE HATE the Ranger PP....

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 12:51 pm EST

Strawman caught in know where land. Uh OH the rangers have a power play. Come on power play Gods.

barto

Sat May 5 2012 12:50 pm EST

We had taken over this game.....Dammit....

Sat May 5 2012 12:50 pm EST

And will the Rangers please stop shooting the puck at the center of the net? MDZ set up gorgeously by Richards and fires the puck dead center. Geesh...

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 12:50 pm EST

Dominate the entire period, then we give one up. Ovechkin should be suspended for that cheap shot.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 12:49 pm EST

Kreider sleeping on the Caps 2nd goal - he's gonna get Bickled now. And dammit, will AA ever learn???

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 12:48 pm EST

PP kiils our momentum and we are now down after dominating this period....Oh and Stralman flat out sucks....

Sat May 5 2012 12:47 pm EST

WAY too slow moving and deliberate on the PP. I just don't get it. Our PP is a momentum boost for the opponent.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 12:44 pm EST

We got more respect from the media when the Rangers were an array of overpaid, over the hill, big-name mercenaries and not a largely homegrown, young, hardworking, respectful and and humble group......Maybe it's a vendetta against Torts?

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 12:44 pm EST

rANGER pp

Sat May 5 2012 12:40 pm EST

Wow the color man is giving the rangers some praise,

barto

Sat May 5 2012 12:40 pm EST

BOB/STEVIE...I grabbed my laptop just to make the observation that, without a shred of paranoia I say this...when the Rangers score, the NBC announcers' tone suggests that something bad just happened. You would think it was Team Earth vs. the Evil Martians and the aliens just put the game away. This isn't the perception of the conspircy theorist; this is a fact.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 12:33 pm EST

good bum them out 2 more times

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 12:32 pm EST

The NBC broadcast team sounds so bummed out that we scored.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 12:31 pm EST

tucc over melodramatic........A-MAN SCORES!!!!!!!

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 12:31 pm EST

ONE UP ! WE'RE GONNA WIN THIS GAME, WIN THE SERIES, AND WIN THE CUP !

Sat May 5 2012 12:29 pm EST

Ola: Get your tape measure out, that was not top of the crease, that was "maybe" 10 feet from the Blue line right of center.... Pretty big crease on your side of the pond... :->0

Sat May 5 2012 12:28 pm EST

Bad giveaway, but horrific gaffe by henrik. That could be a series changing goal.

Tucc

Sat May 5 2012 12:26 pm EST

So Kreider handed it away for the goal - how will Tortorella react? Will he getted bickled???

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 12:25 pm EST

Worst period of the PO's .. plenty of time to recover.. only down by 1.. they can't play any worse.. looked like they were still back at the hotel in their heads for a 12:30 start ....

sjw

Sat May 5 2012 12:24 pm EST

Glad I missed the first period - sounds like one not worth watching...

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 12:19 pm EST

OLA that' s a problem, too many weak mistakes , not enough experienced guys. but you are right about the craps. need to come out gangbusters , and test their kid goalie......crash the net, get dirty......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 12:17 pm EST

Little harsh blaming Hank on that one. I'm the first to point a finger at him but that was a onetimed blast off a great Kreider feed. Boy did we suck there. 1-0 is a miracle; maybe we'll show up now. Caps look sharp as hell.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 12:16 pm EST

Lucky to be down one....A bad goal at that...Get the next goal and go from there....Need to start showing the desperation we had in game three....Nice period by Bickel....NBC and this Caps love fest is really getting sickening....Hard to take....

Sat May 5 2012 12:15 pm EST

Stevie- Washington can't score on us, unless guys like Bickel or Kreider, or Hank for his part behind the net too, gives goals away.

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 12:14 pm EST

Hank probably should of had that one but I think the shot ticked off Boyls skate on the block attempt.

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 12:13 pm EST

Tucc- I don't know, you got the puck under controll in your own zone and all of a sudden AO is ripping it from the top of the crease. I just can't believe Kreider did that??? Jesus.

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 12:13 pm EST

Hank went to his knees (again) to stop a shot from far out, 10 feet from the Blue line, ..... He's got to stop dropping to the knees so reflexively...

Sat May 5 2012 12:12 pm EST

well coming out behind only 1-0 after that bad period , they are lucky......wake up call......

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 12:05 pm EST

out shooting 13-3....WTFU

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 12:05 pm EST

Bad giveaway, but horrific gaffe by henrik. That could be a series changing goal.

Tucc

Sat May 5 2012 12:04 pm EST

Terrible play by Kreider and Torts put Rupp out with Kreiders line right after the goal. Hope it was a one shift message. Need the kid, and he can't be worried about being benched every time he makes a mistake. But that was a big one. Hank needs to glove that.

chinstrap

Sat May 5 2012 12:04 pm EST

Was afraid of this and I think Torts was too,,,,The triple OT win did not end the series...We still have to win two more games....Get going in this one.....

Sat May 5 2012 12:04 pm EST

Caps sure look demoralized by game three. Hockey cliches are such bullshit. This should be 3-0 by now. Big game is the next one.

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 12:04 pm EST

Stralman has been brutal, Bickel has not had the chance to brutal, yet. Rangers better get their collective legs or this will be a long day.

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 12:03 pm EST

I knew Washington was going to come to play hard given the state of affairs but the NYR look. Few steps behind. They re standing around too much and need to find a more aggressive gear.

Sat May 5 2012 12:02 pm EST

Whats Kreider doing? How about playin 15 minutes before we give games away...

Ola

Sat May 5 2012 12:01 pm EST

it was in and out of his gliove.

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 12:01 pm EST

What the hell was that Lundqvist?

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 12:01 pm EST

Well, a terrible play all around. Hanks should have had it.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 12:01 pm EST

Bad play by Kreider but Hank missed it....

Sat May 5 2012 11:51 am EST

Hey boys -- the game started a while back. You playing today?

Nick

Sat May 5 2012 11:50 am EST

Stralman penalty changes entire flow of game....Dumbass....

Sat May 5 2012 11:49 am EST

BOB: I'm not sure I agree with you. All paths are filled with treachery. NJD look excellent. Philly we had their number but a series is 7-games. LA is hot and deep. Phoenix? I have no idea what got up their asses. They are playing lights out right now.

Sat May 5 2012 11:45 am EST

Stralman continues his bad play. Where's Wade Redden? What a save by Hank.

chinstrap

Sat May 5 2012 11:36 am EST

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Sat May 5 2012 11:34 am EST

The Whale dropped Game 2 against Norfolk last night, 4-1. Road game.. I didn't hear a whole lot about it. MCILRATH made his debut; he was paired up with WADE REDDEN. Seems that it was a poorly reffed game, leading to some frustration on the Whale's part... ANDRE DEVEAUX looks like he might be getting an automatic suspension for abuse of an official. He also scored the only Whale goal. Game 3 is tomorrow evening back in Hartford... Rhet0ric - You could be right on MCCOLGAN. The problem with this time of year is there are just too many bodies and not enough spots to give everyone a far shake. The Whale is averaging about 13 scratches a game right now - just about all healthy scratches.

Dineen11

Sat May 5 2012 11:28 am EST

I'm stoked for today's game... the team showed the other night that if we play Rangers hockey for every shift of every period... getting back to cover, back checking... we can't be beaten... We need to win today... We need to keep this team down and not let them get back up... GO HARD OR GO HOME... Let's Go Rangers!!!

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 11:24 am EST

GIBBO... In todays game, what passes for a top 6 is very debatable when compared to years ago... I don't disagree with you on Hagelin... I think if the Rangers do sign a Parise or traded for a Nash, they would be better having Hagelin scoring 20-25 on the third line... That being said, he might also show us all next year that he is indeed a top 6... only time will tell... DINEEN11....I did see that about Shane McColgan....My thinking with this trade is that the Rangers are not ready to give up on him yet... they traded him to a team that will challenge him more, which to me says they're might be something more to him than what we've seen so far... they could've just traded him to another organization or released him (as they've done in the past)... or am I just reading into things?

Rhet0ric

Sat May 5 2012 11:21 am EST

Phoenix played a nearly perfect road game last night. I was pulling for the Preds, as I do not think Phoenix can take out LA and I think that LA is the best team left out here. I still contend that this has set up for us to win the cup this year. I see the chances of our losing to the Caps as more likely than losing to either Newark or Philadelphia.

Bob

Sat May 5 2012 10:52 am EST

DCI: I am 100% behind what Trotz did. They may be his top players. But only in the sense of offense. Neither was playing 3-zones. Radulov in particular was piss poor on the back check and was lacking a lot of hustle. The man needs at least 150 suicides a day till he learns.

Sat May 5 2012 10:47 am EST

TDCHI: it is a conflict of interest. That stated the ONLY reason that they are where they are is because of Mike Smith. This has been the most incredible run by this guy. No one seems to be able to score on them.

Sat May 5 2012 9:52 am EST

Don't forget the league is paying the payroll for Pheonix too, if I'm not mistaken. And doesn't the owner of the Flyers also own the company who owns NBC sports? Not sure hows this works? Seems like several major conflicts in interest. LGR!!!!!

NYStranger

Sat May 5 2012 9:35 am EST

3-1 leads no longer seem so "dreaded". Wouldn't mind one today in the game, and the series. Sweep these punks in their own building.

FerociousMonk94

Sat May 5 2012 9:08 am EST

TD: Amen.... It's Bullspit.... Anyone doubt who the broadcasters & nhl website will be slanting to? And, using the word "slanting" is being polite... Also very little in the rags about NJ receiving food-stamps from the league.......... urghhhhh..... "All That Matter's is Winning Today" "LET'S GO RANGER'S!"

Sat May 5 2012 8:52 am EST

By the by...how completely f@cked up is it that an NHL-OWNED TEAM could be going to the conference finals? Like, isn't there a serious conflict of interest here?!?

tdchi

Sat May 5 2012 8:10 am EST

2012 Stanley Cup playoffs: Washington Capitals’ offense is struggling entering Game 4 against New York Rangers ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2012-stanley-cup-playoffs-capitals-are-struggling-on-offense-entering-game-4-against-the-rangers/2012/05/04/gIQAILOP2T_story.html

Sat May 5 2012 8:01 am EST

josh: He wasn't on the same team, but MDZ also played for Hunter. That Hunter led (and owned) London Knights club has been pumping kids into the NHL for over a decade.

RF4L

Sat May 5 2012 7:52 am EST

TD - great points. Trotz has to be fired if the Preds bow out in the second round. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! He does not have the luxury of sitting his two top guns when he is already down 2-1. If he were up in the series I would give him a little more latitude. What dumb fuck~!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 5 2012 7:45 am EST

Man...what an disaster bubbling in Nashville right now...I was among those who were of the thinking the Preds would at least be going to the conference finals with RADULOV in the lineup...they moved all kinds of picks and prospects for a deep run...and now they're on the verge of being both a laughing stock and being eliminated in five games...They're one of, if not THE deepest team in the league...enough so they can scratch two of their regular contributors during the season(SMITH and HALISCHUK)...they rip through Radulov's last entry level season to get him here for the playoffs...then he and the older KOSTITSYN brother go out drinking until 10 hours before game time...the team rightfully suspends them for a crucial game, even though they're the two biggest offensive threats on the club...and perhaps the only ones outside of ERAT...yet the Preds steal a game...But Trotz and Poille decide to keep punishing the two and then piss away last night's game during a 1-0 snoozer. Could of been...WOULD have been a 2-2 series with those two in...but I suppose Trotz felt he had a few too many tows left and decided to take one more blast at his own foot. What a joke. And if they DO get eliminated...the Preds are going to have to make some tough decisions to keep their core together.

tdchi

Sat May 5 2012 7:40 am EST

DCI- right on... good points!

schneidw

Sat May 5 2012 7:38 am EST

Just talked w a good friend of mine.. huge hockey fan (Flyers).. he has been watching the NYRs in anticipation of a Broad St-Broadway matchup.. he was raving about the play of Brad Richards in the playoffs... I have to agree...

schneidw

Sat May 5 2012 7:38 am EST

Let me be clear. I was being facetious. Torts HAS to trust Bickel and play him a little over 600 seconds per game if we are gonna make it through this post season war. I want NOTHING to do with woywitka at this time I would rather bring up someone from Hartford!

DCIGolfer

Sat May 5 2012 7:33 am EST

Guys, BICKEL isn't that bad. Torts just has to trust him with more minutes and understand he's going to make errors. Frankly, I think its about having faith in the kid...he doesn't need to skate 20 minutes a game...just five or six over what he's now earning...the problem is, Torts refuses to use him after the first...I actually don't think EMINGER is a bad alternative, just because he's big and he's more experienced. My opinion is skate whichever one you feel confident playing 10 minutes a game...but WOYWITKA is simply not an option. The guy was OK for a very abbreviated spell during the regular season. He'd make a pylon look fast in these playoffs.

tdchi

Sat May 5 2012 7:29 am EST

might be together for the first 10 minutes...."....The Rangers skated at Friday’s practice with the lines they used through the third overtime of Wednesday’s Game 3, 2-1 victory over the Capitals. Marian Gaborik was on the right with center Brad Richards and left wing Carl Hagelin; Brian Boyle centered Ruslan Fedotenko and Ryan Callahan; Derek Stepan skated between Chris Kreider and Artem Anisimov; and John Mitchell was the pivot for Mike Rupp and Brandon Prust. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/slapshot/rangers_use_overtime_lines_at_practice_vR60Ead0G1o8l7pnnVBiUM#ixzz1tzv88VWV

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 7:27 am EST

": Tortorella believes the Rangers have no chance if they think they’re tired and have no chance to win the Stanley Cup if one triple-overtime victory in the second round is perceived as reaching some sort of summit. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/cooler_king_axzEQqYE0jc0vy4fU8IdKM#ixzz1tzuQt3Q8

stevielegs

Sat May 5 2012 7:26 am EST

Sorry for the double post. Bizzare how much different the flow and pace of the games are for the WAS series compared to the OTT matchup.. I wonder how much the refs play a role in the flow.. the SENS were so chippy and getting away w murder w after-the-play cheapshots... The CAPS are not overly aggresive w hitting despite having a huge lineup.. does WAS inflate their roster stats?? Look at these numbers... Ovie#8 is 230 lbs???? Hendricks has been a wrecking ball.. he crushed Animisov and McDonough... Even Backman at 225lbs??? I don't believe ti...

schneidw

Sat May 5 2012 7:20 am EST

Woywitka??? Please NO! He makes Bickel look like Paul Coffey,...Emminger hasnt played in 2 months... dangerous to throw him in to the mix.. I would prefer to stick w Bickel and protect him by playing him w Staal (NOT Del Zotto)!

schneidw

Sat May 5 2012 7:20 am EST

schneidw

Sat May 5 2012 6:31 am EST

Somebody mentioned the only thing that saved #8, when he got nailed by Staal coming across the middle, was his athleticism. AGREED. Let's do that to him every time he steps to the middle! Big game, Emminger has to be in or Woywitka, either one should be able to play 4-5 minutes! We cannot win 10 more games with 4 defensemen.

DCIGolfer

Fri May 4 2012 11:08 pm EST

I live in London......Prust is a home town boy .. Schremp was also on the 05 team .. went to a Memorial cup game that year.. Criesbaby played for Rimouski

sjw

Fri May 4 2012 8:49 pm EST

I missed Staal's hit on OV, so, decided to take a look & thought it Damn Worthy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Zlqj31QVU

Fri May 4 2012 8:15 pm EST

Saw the BBoys in Honolulu a few years back. MCA was wearing a NYR jersey. Represent. Gotta win the cup now for him.

Fri May 4 2012 6:58 pm EST

Colorado: Proper! Josh: Nice! I have some FB friends who were posting about that today And has anyone visited webleedblue.com? I want to buy a bunch of shirts, but not sure if it's a jinx-type situation now. (The Islanders-bashing ones are stellar)

Rexi29

Fri May 4 2012 6:33 pm EST

As the Wall's resident Beastie Boy fan, I am saddened by the loss of Adam "MCA" Yauch at age 47, after succumbing to a 3 year battle with throat cancer. He was born in Brooklyn and a Ranger fan who apparantly had season tickets to watch the blueshirts. RIP.

ColoradoMark

Fri May 4 2012 6:28 pm EST

Hey Folks, check this out! TheBroadwayHat.com.

pa.rangersfan

Fri May 4 2012 5:36 pm EST

Technically yes but I consider him a 3rd liner

Gibbo

Fri May 4 2012 4:29 pm EST

GIBBO... Who was the last/most recent homegrown Left Wing? ...CARL HAGELIN... NY Rangers... Taken 168th overall in the 6th Round of the 2007 Draft.

Rhet0ric

Fri May 4 2012 4:07 pm EST

Where is everyone going for Game 4? Any viewing parties in the city?

Tucc

Fri May 4 2012 3:58 pm EST

Watched the LA series last night. How can we get Brown? To think we had this guy the number 2 behind Jessiman? 04 was the gift that keeps on giving

Fri May 4 2012 3:09 pm EST

Josh29... Speaking of Girardi, Prust and Dale Hunter, This is awesome pic from those days... see if you can pick out the current Rangers... http://www.snyrangersblog.com/2012/04/28/read-the-impact-dale-hunter-has-had-on-certian-rangers/

Rhet0ric

Fri May 4 2012 2:43 pm EST

Also, I just learned that Girardi and Prust won the 2005 Memorial Cup (Dave Bolland and Corey Perry were also on the team). Their head coach? DALE HUNTER

josh29

Fri May 4 2012 2:42 pm EST

Hey guys - I wrote this before teh season started, and just made a playoff update: http://www.puckpress.com/blog/featured/how-they-became-rangers

josh29

Fri May 4 2012 2:10 pm EST

Mike Allison/Early 1980's

RinkRat

Fri May 4 2012 12:35 pm EST

TDCHI -- right but I'm talking Left Wings... of course I know & remember those guys but I'm saying who was the last/most recent homegrown Left Wing? I can't think of anybody between Kreider (now) & Granato ('88)

Gibbo

Fri May 4 2012 12:28 pm EST

Or Don Murdoch, until he was caught smoking pot....

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 12:23 pm EST

TD: Don't forget Steve Vickers...

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 12:21 pm EST

Vic Hadfield.....

Fri May 4 2012 12:04 pm EST

Gibbo – The Rangers have produced a number of very good forwards...only they never seem to produce much with a Ranger jersey on their back...Excluding Granato, Ulf DAHLEN was another very potent offensive forward(though his career never took off like some thought it would)...Dave GAGNER is another one the team bailed on before he became a star...Tony AMONTE was in the middle of his breakout year when he was dealt...and of course, there was Doug WEIGHT...KOVALEV too...and of course there was Tomas SANDSTROM...another great Ranger who was moved too soon IMO...Mike RIDLEY was another, though he was undrafted...Jury is still out on KREIDER'S ceiling or lack thereof. But I think we as Ranger fans would be happy if he put up numbers like any of the aforementioned forwards,

tdchi

Fri May 4 2012 11:47 am EST

Gibbo - or Pat Hickey.

DREW

Fri May 4 2012 10:16 am EST

seriously though, I'm probably/hopefully missing someone but who's the last real, legit top 6 LW prospect the Rangers have had? Tony Granato?

Gibbo

Fri May 4 2012 10:02 am EST

haha... Bun E. Carlos!

Gibbo

Fri May 4 2012 9:57 am EST

Gibbo - isn't that the drummer from Cheap TRick?

Hospo

Fri May 4 2012 9:56 am EST

I love the way the Rangers are controlling the boards and I look forward to a few more goals like Gabby's the other night where the Ranger forward passes the puck to the slot from the backboard....HAGELIN (and Gabby) had some gorgeous ones earlier in the year using their speed behind the goalie..Hopefully, he gets one tomorrow..

Hospo

Fri May 4 2012 9:51 am EST

Let's be honest here... Kreider is easily the greatest homegrown Rangers Left Wing since Bun Cook

Gibbo

Fri May 4 2012 9:35 am EST

Among lots of things that are encouraging about Kreider is how he played physically in game 3. Unlike the Ottawa series where when he had the opportunity to bodycheck, he elected to stick check (or worse, turn away), on Wednesday he was hitting and almost everytime he had the opportunity. They weren't big nasty put the guy into next week hits, but they weren't puny reluctant ones, either. It's exciting to see because of his size and skill - he keeps that up and increases the intensity of those hits and wow, he's gonna strike a lotta fear in opposing d-men's hearts. Very impressive both from the kid and from the coaching staff (and his teammates) to see.

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 9:29 am EST

td: Dont get me wrong...they are a very good team...but they are not as good as their playoff record shows, and they will not look as good against a team that actually sticks to a defensive plan. Like I don't think they could have won that game last night if the goalie was capable of making a couple easy stops that he didn't. For all the great played they make in the offensive zone, I saw quite a few big mistakes in the D zone, and the blues just didn't even get a shot on net, they missed or tried to make a pretty play instead of the simple one...the Kings look better than they really are right now because of some things outside of their control. I dont really think their 8th place finish was anything more than they played like an 8th place team for a big chunk of the year. Yes they have good players, and yes they can play very well, but at the same time, the tend to lay an egg every once in a while...and in the playoffs so far, if tehy have started to lay an egg the other team has laid a bigger one.

Wildcard

Fri May 4 2012 9:25 am EST

VIC, 100% agreement. They use Hags speed to push the play in a direction. He starts the Defense and the forecheck. His speed opens up space. Hopefully he will score more or he may never score a bunch of goals. Either way he is only a rookie who hasn't had a full NHL season and at this point he already is giving the team positive play.

KIS

Fri May 4 2012 9:17 am EST

The debate that I wanted to jump in on is the HAGS debate. I saw a lot of folks giving him crap around here for not scoring. I don't think that criticism is warranted at all. That isn't his role on the ice. His job is being the "tip of the spear" of the forecheck and he has done an excellent job of that. He causes more turnovers then anyone else on this team except maybe CALLY. You can tell that RICHARDS loves playing with HAGS because he knows that all he needs to do is follow HAGS in and pick up the lose puck. There are two differences between HAGS and KREIDER that make them different players and make KREIDER such a dangerous offensive threat. The first is that KREIDER already knows to use his incredible first step and quickness to take the puck back up the boards from the corner and get separation from the defender. That is going to be a monster move for him as he matures because he can score off the curl or distribute the puck to a wide open guy for a shot. The other thing that KREIDER does better right now is bounce off the forecheck and head to the net. There are many ties that HAGS forces the turnover but he either stays in the corner or moves behind the goal. I've seen KREIDER bounce out to the goal or hash marks. Those are goal scoring instincts. HAGS thinks like a forechecker and cycle guy. KREIDER thinks like a goal scorer.

Vic

Fri May 4 2012 9:13 am EST

When I say it's, I mean all the negativity about Carter.

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 9:10 am EST

Ola: We'll see how it plays out. The Kings season turned around with his acquisition. Not saying it's directly due to his contributions, but for certain there's something there. Yes his contract is silly (so is Brad Richards') but I've maintained it's overblown.

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 9:04 am EST

RF4L: Damn, you beat me to it on STAAL. I had to travel early yesterday so I didn't get to watch the overtime periods until last night. I didn't want to comment until I saw the entire game. I want to echo all of the comments on the individual performances but I also wanted to point out a few specific things about some of the guys on Wednesday, and then jump into a running debate that has gone on here the last week. First, I thought STAAL had a monster game, The poke check that ended up in the goal didn't bother me as it was a good play with a bad luck outcome. Sure, he could have gone for the big hit but if he played it safe and executed the poke check perfectly. He got so much of the puck that it ended up bouncing off the guy and then right back to his stick. Just bad luck. But, I thought the hit on STAAL by AO was the final turning point for STAAL. His game has gotten better and better since returning to the lineup but the things that were still missing from his game were the big hit and the overall nastiness that we have seen from him in the past. It just looked like the was still hesitant to play that way because he was afraid of another concussion. That hit by AO seemed to me like it cleared the last of his hesitancy. He got pissed and the old nasty STAAL came back. Maybe after that hit he got the confidence to play that nasty game again. Maybe he just got pissed and forgot all about it. Either way it was nice to see him play like he used to. Hopefully that was the last corner he had to turn to get back to being this team's #1 guy. If he is back to form, along with the way that McMONSTER, GIRARDI and MDZ are playing this team will be hard to beat....................... The other guy that I wanted to talk about was RICHARDS. We have debated how important it is to have a #1 center who could dominate games at times and make everyone around him better. I was on record as saying that I thought it was more important then the goaltender position and I stand by that. I can name you lots of teams that won cups without a great goaltender. It is hard to name teams that have won cups without a top #1 center. An average goaltender can go on a run and win a cup. Teams with average #1 centers usually don't even make the playoffs. Back to RICHARDS. I've never loved the guy but never thought anything bad about him either. I've always thought of him as an above average #1 Center but never in the class of the top centers in the league. He has really stepped up in these playoffs and is showing that he can turn it on in the playoffs and compete with the best centers in the league. They are going to need him to continue to compete at this level if they are going to have a shot to win the cup this year.

Vic

Fri May 4 2012 8:59 am EST

Wild - I'm not so sure about that. From where I'm looking, LA looks like the deepest team in the west. I think their eighth place finish was really misleading...When guys like Jarret STOLL and Dustin PENNER are your third liners, you've got a pretty deep team. They also have a pretty nasty defense. They're going to eliminate St. Louis simply because of HALAK'S injury...but make no mistake, this is a hard-hitting, playoff designed team. Very well constructed for a run...and having a guy like RICHARDS on your roster in the post season is HUGE. Like I said, I could care less about CARTER...but his presence seems to elevate Richards, and that's who you need firing on all cylinders...Ola - agreed...I wouldn't touch Carter with a 10-foot pole. But in LA, he's the right guy for the right time. They didn't need JOHNSON anymore, especially with that young Russian kid playing so well. And if Carter is what it takes to get Richards at 100 percent, then I guess he's a necessary evil...Either way, I got the Kings going to the finals.

tdchi

Fri May 4 2012 8:49 am EST

RF4L -- agreed about Staal....he's just rounding into shape now.....perfect timing. He might even be better equipped for this Cup run because he has less wear n' tear than he would have if he had played a full season. I think he will continue to get better with each successive game throughout the PO's. Perfect.

JFC31

Fri May 4 2012 8:47 am EST

RF4L: It doesn't shock me that LA is winning...but I am not going to say more than "they are winning". What I mean is, at least 2 goals last night would not have gotten by another goalie most likely. The blues goalies (well really 1 now for the last 7 games) have come back down to earth, their amazing regular season number were just that, regular season numbers, now their numbers look much like their career averages. Vancouver was not the same for the first 3 games with their top guy out, and Luango was not sharp, he let in some softies. The Kings are good, that are playing above themselves i think by just a little, and they have not seen a team that has played well in their own zone. The Blues were that team for at least half the regular season, and it seems they are NOT that now. The mistakes they are making are huge. That and LA has a great netminder, but up against a team with a great netminder like the Rangers, they may not look so great. Hank doesn't give up too many 5 hole goals with a clear view of a point shot.

Wildcard

Fri May 4 2012 8:47 am EST

Was there a blue moon last night?....Larry Brooks wrote a complimentary article regarding Tortorella!! I think Torts has this team's psyche perfectly figured out and knows the right tone to take to get the results he wants. It's true....the fantastic win on Wednesday will mean NOTHING unless we advance. Watching Devs/Philthies last night....we need to move on from this series in the worst way....neither one of those teams has the golatending that will allow them to beat us, though I'd prefer NJ over Philthy.

JFC31

Fri May 4 2012 8:36 am EST

RF4L- Wait a minute. Jeff Carter has 1 goal so far in the PO's, was on pace to score 50 pts over 82 games in the regular season, and is signed for TEN MORE YEARS at over 5m per. Sure, he is a warm body for LA playing 14-18 minutes for them, but I still gotta be honest and admit that I definitely would have been a little pissed if we traded assets like Jack Johnson for him.

Ola

Fri May 4 2012 8:03 am EST

I know we've mentioned here several times, but something that shouldn't be underestimated in this impressive PO run is the contribution from Marc Staal. I think it's going by somewhat under-appreciated in part because of the play of others and because it's what we ultimately expect from him. Of course, prior to his concussion issues, this wouldn't have needed to be mentioned, but when you consider how off his game was until basically April and how he's played since, it is, IMO, quite amazing. I thought he was a truly a beast Wednesday night - IMO, the most physical D-man for both teams. I loved it when OV knocked him down early in the game because his history with OV has been from the beginning to respond by getting angry and getting even and with his size, skating and skill, he's very effective when he's got that vengeance mindset on. You know when he nearly decapitated OV on the same shift after OV knocked him down, OV instantly realized that he'd better not cut across the middle again (it's because of his pure skill that OV managed, at the last second, to get partially out of the way - if not, he'd be out now with a concussion, of that I've zero doubt). I think what's happened is the sub-conscious fear of being re-concussed if/when he started to bring back to his game the physical aspect he's so good at has vanished because he's hitting and taking hits with no ill-effects. I've also noticed, as these POs go deeper, him carrying the puck more, something he started to bring to his game in the latter half of last season. Truly, this man's confidence has re-emerged and it's wonderful to see and crucial to the Rangers ability to continue onward....

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 7:37 am EST

TD: I'm finding it quite amusing to see LA working their way to the cup final despite that malcontent dressing room cancer Jeff Carter acquisition. Even more amusing is that they are doing with essentially 2 malcontents who like to drink and party and don't give a damn if the team wins or loses. Just goes to show, IMO, how things can get overblown at times. Richards is a fine hockey player - a more talented Callahan (but with less willingness to sacrifice his body) and Carter oozes goal-scoring skill. I am not at all surprised to see the Kings doing well - add those 2 malcontents to Brown, Kopitizar, a solid D led by Doughty and that goalie and you have a formidible team if/when they bring it (and clearly, they are bringing it).

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 7:33 am EST

Ha...Higgy never fails to get you guys stirred up...Frankly, I always like HIGGINS and I don't think he played bad here at all...just he always seemed like he was clutching his stick a bit too tightly...anyway, I got to give him props for his small roles in Ranger history, which was to facilitate McDONAGH coming here and eventually land us PRUST...Man...watched some of the Devils-Philly and some of the LA-Blues games last night and was simply dumbfounded by the irony in the deals the Flyers did last summer...seems like just a couple weeks ago, everyone was singing praises to HOLMGREN...and I've got to somewhat credit him for getting such a nice young core together in short order...but never was it more clear than last night that BRYZGALOV was simply the wrong goalie...At least the wrong goalie with the Flyers' defense aligned the way it is right now...The Flyers are going to have to turn it up pretty significantly if they're going to get out of this round...they're going to need to score two goals for every one Bryz lets in, because their defense is porous...Now the IRONY right now is that LOS ANGELES is starting to look more and more like the conference favorite. They're now poised to eliminate the second-ranked Blues in four after knocking off the first-ranked Canucks in five...This from an EIGHTH-ranked team! But here's the irony: The Kings run can be attributed to two things...first and foremost, the performance of QUICK...and secondly, the addition of RICHARDS-CARTER...Richards has been phenomenal in the series...Carter less-so, but still good. The team is just nasty looking from the top down.Now I don't think I need to point out the irony here...that Philly could have kept both of those clowns and BOBROVSKY in net and the team would probably be better off than where it is now...maybe not so much in the future...but this year, it's looking like they dealt away the two guys who probably could have made up for their goaltending deficit offensively.

tdchi

Fri May 4 2012 7:28 am EST

BTW, I know it's tough to criticize Tortorella because of the way he;s got his players performing, but has he offered up any reason at for the fact that in a 100+ minute game, his sixth apparently healthy defenseman played less than 4 minutes of it? I find it inexplicable and cannot believe 1) Bickel is that bad and 2) Eminger is worse. If so, then I'm with Hospo: Why the snot didn't Sather acquire someone like Gill at the deadline?

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 7:24 am EST

Rhet: Just learned that the Sasktoon Blades are the host of the 2013 Memorial Cup, so is a good trade for McColgan and the Rangers. Lets hope the kid takes advantage of this opportunity (ie guaranteed birth in the Memorial Cup and a strong team to play on in his final junior season).

RF4L

Fri May 4 2012 7:06 am EST

"......Leadership supplied: Infinite. “I’m not sure Ryan Callahan said two words on the bench. It’s what he does on the ice,” Tortorella said in a conference call yesterday afternoon. “One thing I did notice, one voice I did hear [in the locker room] when we were going into those overtimes, was his. That’s part of his maturity in being captain,” the coach said of the 26-year-old winger who was named to succeed Chris Drury as the Blueshirts’ captain four days before training camp opened. “Two years ago, I don’t know whether he would have felt comfortable speaking up like that, but between periods, his voice was heard.” Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/callahan_earns_his_captain_in_locker_D9Z5xBcNfFmbbn7ivzIyAP#ixzz1ttybI6aL

stevielegs

Thu May 3 2012 10:09 pm EST

Higgins....LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL....my ass hurts....

RF4L

Thu May 3 2012 10:03 pm EST

So on the Kovalchuk 2-1 goal, The Greatest Player in the World, Giroux, glides from the red line in, ten feet behind Kovy. Yet Keith Jones, whose day job is on Philly radio, somehow misses this. Maybe he was preparing another slam on a Russian guy from a team that's not the Flyers.

Nick

Thu May 3 2012 9:55 pm EST

The Rock has good sight lines and is an overall upper echelon arena. I saw a Devils vs. Sabres game and it wasn't sold out. The atmosphere was OK. Not much enthusiasm but then again it was the Sabres. Saw the NYR vs. NJD and the NYR lost bad. The place was great for that game.

Thu May 3 2012 9:55 pm EST

Devils win in OT....Pretty sure this will be a long series....If we can get there both Fatso and Bryz would be easier than what we have seen so far....

Thu May 3 2012 9:27 pm EST

SJW-good place to watch a game. Too bad it has to be the Devils though.

Bob

Thu May 3 2012 9:19 pm EST

Watching teh PHL-NJD game... man, the Prudential Center seems like a GREAT hockey arena from waht I can tell from 2400 miles away... way better than the cavernous Wachovia Center... anybody been to the NJD arena to see the NYRs play them? How is it live? I haven't been to MSG since Herb Brooks was the coach.. . one of these days....

schneidw

Thu May 3 2012 9:17 pm EST

WTF?? HIggins? where did his name come from... ass clown throw-in on the Gomez deal to make salaries work better.... 6 goals and -9 in his only non-descript season as a NYR... good riddance...

schneidw

Thu May 3 2012 9:05 pm EST

And we got Prust for him. Would this Ranger team be as good with Higgins instead of Prust?

ColoradoMark

Thu May 3 2012 9:04 pm EST

Higgy, I have a feeling you didn't "just" realize Higgins' stats!

ColoradoMark

Thu May 3 2012 8:56 pm EST

Will Brodeur just retire already? My god does he blow. Hank and Holtby could play without pads and be better than these two jokers out there tonight. I despise both teams but still say the NYR would crush this Newark crew way easier than the Flyers. But with Fatso in there, the Devils have little shot.

Nick

Thu May 3 2012 8:36 pm EST

Veh iz Mir

stevielegs

Thu May 3 2012 7:14 pm EST

Ov Veh,,, One of the greatest Ranger games in many years and someone wants to talk about a dude who sucked Ass when he was here. Higgins is the perfect player for an underperforming Canuck team. 0 pts in the playoffs, don't think the rangers are clamoring for his services.

cnparda

Thu May 3 2012 6:54 pm EST

HIGGY: zzzzzzzzzz...

Thu May 3 2012 6:12 pm EST

Rhet0ric - MCCOLGAN was actually with the Whale for a few weeks at the end of the season. He played 5 games... no points, was a -2 and had 3 SOG. He didn't play at all in the playoffs and was actually released from his ATO with the Whale last week. The little bit I saw of him left me unimpressed.

Dineen11

Thu May 3 2012 5:28 pm EST

Just realized CHRISTOPHER HIGGINS had- 18 G, 25 A. 43Points in 77Games. +/-11. Knew we shouldn't of traded him. Has more goals than 9 out of 12 Ranger Forwards.

Higgy21

Thu May 3 2012 3:53 pm EST

LOL. They go to the video and records to see who was on the ice. 2:00 later they drop the puck. This clean the ice nonsense should also not occur after an icing. The NHL. More the the LOL.

Bob

Thu May 3 2012 3:41 pm EST

nyfans...Saw that also and it was very aggravating....I believe one of the Caps was really gassed after trying to get back to nullify the icing....The refs then had to spend several minutes trying to identify who it was that went to the bench...They need to make that an automatic delay of game in the future....

Thu May 3 2012 3:31 pm EST

Rhet: If Saskatoon is ramping up for a Memorial CUp run next year, then this is a good trade for the kid,both from an experience perspective and in terms of the fact that the Blades are looking at him as an important piece of that run. If the Blades are a middle of the road team, then I see it as not having much significance either way.

RF4L

Thu May 3 2012 3:25 pm EST

One thing that pissed me off during the game is toward the end of 2nd OT, the Caps iced the puck, but one of the guys went off the ice. By the time they forced him back out, they were rested. That should be delay of game. I was already pissed because two other icing calls against the Caps were delayed to fix the ice.

nyfans

Thu May 3 2012 3:01 pm EST

KIS: in terms of swapping out goaltenders? I ONLY consider this if the goalie was out of gas. A great example was Holtby. Down the stretch he was so tired he was taking a knee to get up. I am just not sure how much further he had to go. By contrast, Lundqvist still had some spring in him. I wouldn't have changed Lundqvist unless he pulled himself or if he looked like he had enough. 4th-5th OT? There are limitations on the body.

Thu May 3 2012 2:57 pm EST

Worthy of pointing out if it wasn't already. The NYR were dictating the play more and more the deeper the game went. Whether by grueling camp fitness of by age, this team looked like it still had gas to go and I believe that after that OV miss the Caps were in trouble. The NYR were cycling, and the Caps were zoning up. That is ultimately how Gaborik got in front as no one was able to challenge Richards. I believe that even if that goal didn't happen then, the NYR were still going to win.

Thu May 3 2012 2:52 pm EST

HOSPO: straight up clean hockey hit. You gotta have your head on a swivel. He caught McD. I was glad to see McD get right back up and into the game. As for injuries? Everyone is injured and I am sure that hit left a mark but it's the playoffs, pain is par for the course.

Thu May 3 2012 2:48 pm EST

WILDCARD: with respect... SJ playing different in the regular season vs. the playoffs in my opinion you are 100% wrong.

Thu May 3 2012 12:05 pm EST

TD... From what I understand Dubinsky has a soft cast on his foot and is on crutches... MZA will supposedly be ready before Dubi is... Mitchell played well last night, but I'd still rather see Zuccarello in there instead.

Rhet0ric

Thu May 3 2012 12:02 pm EST

2011 fifth round pick Shane McColgan has been traded from the Kelowna Rockets to the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL... “We’re pleased to bring in a player like Shane McColgan,” said Blades Head Coach and General Manager Lorne Molleken. “He’s a dynamic offensive player that also brings grit, versatility and hard work to the table. He’s also a guy that brings in some solid playoff experience, something we will need going forward into next season.” ...Dineen11... Does this help the kid in any way?

Rhet0ric

Thu May 3 2012 11:54 am EST

Yeah that was a clean crushing hit. It's almost impossible not to have some head contact even with elbows down; guys are a little low, opponent comes in straight, etc. I was mostly afraid of the head snap-back where the brain gets thrown inside the man's head. That was something. Right after Richards had the puck but his skates went out from under him allowing the steal and pass to Brouwer. Thank God for the big save ...

Nick

Thu May 3 2012 11:46 am EST

stevie - mostly left side shoulder (made hime twirl around) but I guess up to the jaw a tad......MCD was a little low also...great hit...but I understand the concern for McD..and thank God he seems OK...

Hospo

Thu May 3 2012 11:15 am EST

2008 Pittsburgh Penguins Buffalo Sabres 2009 Cup Winner Pittsburgh 2009 Detroit Red Wings Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Cup Winner Chicago 2010 Philadelphia Flyers Boston Bruins 2011 Cup Winner Boston

schneidw

Thu May 3 2012 11:14 am EST

Interesting Fact.... Ever since the Winter Classic started, one of the participants has gone on to win the Stanley Cup…

schneidw

Thu May 3 2012 10:59 am EST

HOSPO part of the shoulder caught him in the jaw.

stevielegs

Thu May 3 2012 10:47 am EST

schneidw - No way that Hendricks hit was to the head..shoulder to the upper torso ..at least how I remember it..but it was so long ag...Anyway, That was as clean and as hard of a check you can throw.....The way McD played the next two OT's, I think he's fine.....Staall almost obliteraed OV coming across...still a good hit though..

Hospo

Thu May 3 2012 10:40 am EST

McDonough#27- I am afraid to check the papers and blogs todya in fear of reading that Ryan McD has a concussion... he took a direct hit to the head and looked lost and dazed afterward... he got crushed.. brutal!

schneidw

Thu May 3 2012 10:35 am EST

who needs a pp,?............ the game would have been over a lot sooner.........boston didn't have one......look where they are now.........

stevielegs

Thu May 3 2012 10:26 am EST

or wait...is hank 2 games over .500? Yeah...he is 6-4...my bad.

Wildcard

Thu May 3 2012 10:09 am EST

and how about these numbers for the PO so far. 1.55 GAA and a .944 save%. I mean WOW...that is just nuts. Holtby, even though he gave up just 2 goals last night in almost 2 full games worth of ice time has a 1.94 GAA (still a great number however) but his record is 5-5, he may be playing very well for a rookie, and only what 22 years old or something like that...its a great story, and he will just get better for them, but he is very beatable. Granted Hank is just 1 game above .500, but it feels like he has played better...or maybe its my Blue tinted glasses ;)

Wildcard

Thu May 3 2012 10:03 am EST

How about hank...over 83 min of shutout time...course even though he has more than a full game with out giving up a goal, he doesn't get credit for a shut out, but still...he must be feeling good...well when he wakes up and gets his head back on after such a long night.

Wildcard

Thu May 3 2012 10:01 am EST

Hospo: You are correct. The rangers got the number 2 overall seed playing within a structure. It would be stupid to change it now just because its the playoffs. SO many teams do that, I think that's part of why teams like the Sharks suffer early exits so often. They play one way in the regular season, than try to change to a "playoff style" all of a sudden and it doesn't work. The rangers structure got them the first round win, and it got them a 3OT win last night, and it kept them in each and every game in these playoffs so far. They need to stick with it, and forget about the last game and don't think about the next one. They need to worry about the shift they are on and play their best for it, weather it be 30 seconds or they are stuck out for a full 2 min PK. It is what Torts works hard at getting them to do, and what the players say when they talk, and so far, for about 90% of this year, they have lived and played that way...if they can keep it up there is no reason they cant win the cup...they may have to play long series and tough games...but they are tough enough, and willing to go all out, and that is a edge they have over almost every team.

Wildcard

Thu May 3 2012 9:21 am EST

DUGSTER - The Caps laid out some big hits...so did the Rangers..Pretty even Physically in my opinion...But it hurts to see McD slammed like that instead of the other way around...Believe me, I would love to see the Rangers go all out crazy for the hit now and then and leave a crumpled OV in their wake, but that ain't ther game...They Hit, but always in the structure of the game...It's worked sos far..

Hospo

Thu May 3 2012 9:16 am EST

Hospo--Hendricks is the guy I thought Rupp should have laided the "SMACKDOWN" on,,,but I forgot we dont do that in the playoffs,......

thedugster

Thu May 3 2012 9:14 am EST

Hospo---yea I thought they took a few liberties running guys,,,,,

thedugster

Thu May 3 2012 9:12 am EST

RINkRat _ yes, they did a great job on the boards, and not just their big bodies..Even the smaller Ranger forwartds were winning pucks along the boards....But alot of it had to do with how the Rangers D would pinch up along the baords and send the puck right back in...Giood strategy to try and leep the puck behind the Caps net....Occasionally, it blows up in our face --it got a little hairy in the 3rd when the Rangers looked too tired to move to spaces-- but it's how they need to play..

Hospo

Thu May 3 2012 9:11 am EST

When PA. and I were in High school we played the longest game ever in the US. we were i a game with 16 yes 16 OTs. Eventually it got to dark and they ruled the game a tie. Since that time, the state put in a ruling limiting the time. Another game can't go that long. Anyhow, all I know is eventually your body has no power and you muscles just get so soar. It all became a mental matter. You run and move because you have to. You don't want to be the reason your team loses. Yes I played the WHOLE game. I wsn't coming off the field. I got done and had blodd blisters on my feet and just put my legs in ice to help cool them off. We didn't even have the luxary of getting many fluids or food for more fuel. I've heard they bring in things like Pizza and drinks even beer into the locker rooms for the NHL players in these situations. Beer because of the salts and minerals it contains. They teams were both amazing especially Cally and Mac D. What a good nucleus this team has. Great Job Rangers.

KIS

Thu May 3 2012 9:08 am EST

The Rangers OWN the boards!!! Amazing display of cycling the puck puck last night.

RinkRat

Thu May 3 2012 9:03 am EST

Question for you boys. the game got slower and slower as time went by. Shots were softer as well. Would anybody change goalies during a game like that. Not because of talent but because the fresh goalie seems like he would be so quick and the game would be so slow for him that he wouldn't let anything in. Not saying I would do it but I was just wondering.

KIS

Thu May 3 2012 8:56 am EST

Amazing and entertaining game last night. Not that it was a classic for highlight but a classic in will and determination. Both teams were incredible. Couple guys on the Rangers are just amazing warriors. Obviously Mac D. unbelievable takes a hit last night that would have killed sauer and put Staal on the bench until next year. Staal had a workman like game. Boyle just kept going. Nobody has to question Girardi's toughness. He might not want to fight but he hits blocks and just keeps playing. Amazing. Richards is doing what the Rangers paid for. HAnk, as pissed as I can get with him cam up with some HUGE saves. Great tough game from the Rangers. If the Rangers get up by 2 or 3 in the next game do the Caps fold up and just play out the series. Those type of games like last night can be back breakers.

KIS

Thu May 3 2012 8:55 am EST

MAn ,can only imagine holw those guys feels this morning...Happy but mentally and physically spent.....ANother tip of the cap to Team Guts......BOB - I woudl have gladly eaten the Crow ala Rupp.....He played well, as did everybody......OLA - Still near DC...I may have tix for Game 6 if there is one...so be it if my two kids have to drop out of college for a semester.!.........STEVIE - Funny on the METYRO..Did you seethe people stampeding to the exits the second the goal was scored...funny.....Two things on the game, I don''t think the Rangers won becasue they were better conditioned in the OT.....It was just their "wave"....The Caps dominated the 3rd period..and the Rangers and Caps took turns surging and falling back in the first two OTs....This was a Ranger surge, fueled by winning the puck along the baords and shear determination...More then likely, a Caps surge would come in the next 5 minute......DUGSTER - Did you really see bullying? I jsut saw an evenly physical game, and the Rangers were even the better team along the boards..Hendricks did run a little wild though, but mostly clean...That's his game....we don't really have a 3rd/4th liner like him...But wee do have Cally...

Hospo

Thu May 3 2012 8:54 am EST

Morning all: What a great game, especially when your team wins... We did not hit them hard enough. On their 2nd goal Staal should have laid Carlson out instead of attempting the stick check ala Purseboy. The Craps travers East West quite a bit & the opportunity for clean hits that lay these boys out are there.We up the bangeroos a bit, I think we win a little easier. Great Win. Good day everybody

Thu May 3 2012 8:51 am EST

Given how "fresh" (relative term) we were in the OT's vs how the Caps were, I would have to think that not only losing the game is a setback but the psychological shot it delivered was pretty potent. This team played exactly the same way throughout the game and never let up. Blocked shots, took the body etc and looked fresher at the end of the game. There were pics of Cally smiling on the bench in the 3rd OT for god sake!!! Iwouldnt underestimate how much this loss will get into the Caps heads....

PatrickDiv

Thu May 3 2012 8:38 am EST

I tihnk that last night is why torts runs camp so hard, and gets his guys to work so hard in the off season. They had more left in the tank, even though the Caps were rolling 4 lines and 6 D. NOW McD was quoted last night saying he didn't need a IV or anything and that he didn't feel exhausted at all. I mean, they guy has been known for his fitness, but my goodness, what a beast. I feel like Torts played his top guys a TON in the OT periods, and Hunter didn't....but what the hell are you saving players in OT for? You want to win NOW not save your players for the next OT. He played Ovechkin for LESS time in the OTs than in regulation. If it kept going, perhaps the Rangers loose because of that, but it seemed like in a way, the Caps were playing NOT TO LOOSE and the Rangers were playing TO WIN.

Wildcard

Thu May 3 2012 8:22 am EST

All I kept thinking was how great a game it was we were seeing - the way a clean modern hockey playoff game should be. While I wanted the Rangers to win so badly, I also knew that if they lost I would have still seen a classic with everyone from both sides giving it their all - willing their bodies to overcome the pain and fatigue to battle on. I also thought back to training camp and Tort's insistence on conditioning and believed that the longer it went on the better our chances - we looked like we had more jump at the end than the Caps. Great game!

Ranger47

Thu May 3 2012 8:03 am EST

Wow- What an insane game,,,,,,posts after post,,,,,,,,,My heart cant take this shit,,at 55 im too damn old,,,,,,Wonderful game played by both teams, Kinda felt that the Caps were bullying us around most of the game , im sure Torts message was no retaleiation penelties or your riding the pines,,,,,,Rupp seems to fall down alot doesnt he? This game had to kill the caps spirit dont you think?.....Gabby was not very good until the 2nd OT, he was easily pushed off the puck,,,,,,,,,,,Cally is fucking amazing,,,,,what heart this guy has,,,,,,,,He is so young,,,,,,,,,amazing game,,LeTs gO RaNgErS

thedugster

Thu May 3 2012 7:57 am EST

Besides not having any fingernails left from that incredible game last night all I kept thinking and saying out loud was "THANK YOU MTL FOR McD"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah, I just bought the 27 jersey for my 9 yr old.

PatrickDiv

Thu May 3 2012 7:51 am EST

if the game went past 1am, the metro would have been closed.....that's a helluva town.......

stevielegs

Thu May 3 2012 7:43 am EST

TD: Pressbox Bickel and dress Dubi in his place...rather that than another less than 4 minute game from The Bick....download silly. Cannot believe Eminger is worse....

RF4L

Thu May 3 2012 7:24 am EST

My liver can't handle games like that and I think I'm suffering some sort of brain damage from listening to the NBC announcers for nearly five hours...but what a finish!!! Couple things...TORTORELLA either knows his team better than they know themselves or he took a MAJOR roll of the dice by shortening his bench they way he did throughout the game...I understand you have to bring your best horses to the big race...but BICKEL at less than four minutes in a triple OT game? That's simply tempting fate in a way you don't want in games like that...Also, I was kind of surprised to see MITCHELL only logged 13-plus minutes...I agree with the notion that he played his best game as a Ranger last night...ditto with RUPP...Interesting that the one line that almost won it all was RUPP-BOYLE-GABORIK. Washington didn't have an answer for that one, and you can't blame Hunter. Boyle was good in the faceoff circle and having two huge guys out there with Gaborik kind of force the Caps to triage...they could either shadow Gabs or try to contain the two big guys...they tried to contain Gabs and Rupp came just a couple inches of Boyle's buttcheek away from winning it...The win also prevented me(us) from having to hear more of OvechFest on NBC...man...I realize he's probably the only player a fair-weather fan will pick out of a box score now that the Penguins are gone...but seriously...the guy has fallen just short of irrelevant in this series. I was watching him last night and his whole approach to the game is just f@cked...Used to be he'd turn it up and rip the knob off at the start of the game...well now, he turns it up ONLY when he has the puck and is entering the zone...teams(especially the Rangers) now just throw two bodies on him...he predictably dodges one and then either gets nailed by the other or has the puck stripped because he's still flying through the air...then it's back to floating around disinterestedly...and yet NBC can't get enough of him...Read this morning DUBINSKY is in Washington. Thought is he'll dress for Saturday's game...Someone asked last night if anyone misses Dubes...and it's funny, 'cause I was thinking just that around period 2: Man, this team could use Dubinsky....would be tough to sit either Mitchell or Rupp after that game and KREIDER is going nowhere...but this team could have really used another high-impact player...and JEEZE could the PP use the little midget. Kind of doubt we see ZUCCARELLO unless there's an injury...I just don't see Torts sitting both Rupp and Mitchell...but the way he's managing the bench, maybe it would be worth benching Mitchell and Bickell to get Zucc four minutes on the man-advantage.

tdchi

Thu May 3 2012 6:39 am EST

The Whale also picked up an OT win last night in Norfolk, to beat the Admirals 3-2 and get a 1-0 jump on their second round series. Norfolk recently went on a 29 game winning streak, and this was only their second loss since 2/3. I didn't see the game so don't have much to comment on. Goal scorers were JAM, HRIVIK and THURESSON. And DYLAN MCILRATH did not play, though he did join the team on Tuesday. Game 2 is tomorrow in Norfolk.

Dineen11

Thu May 3 2012 2:12 am EST

The NYR in 3rd OT looked a step quicker then the Caps. Whether by better conditioning or by youthful enthusiasm, the game as I saw it was slipping away from Washington. They had a few spurts but as a collective? They were much closer to being done then the NYR were. McD is a straight machine. And how about that CK? The guy played huge minutes. And Gabby finally got off of the toilet bowl. I complained earlier that the best players need to be their best and obviously Gaborik finally was able to break out.

Thu May 3 2012 1:43 am EST

Hospo- Do you (still?) live in Washintgon?

Ola

Thu May 3 2012 1:42 am EST

Lol, I had 35 minutes to watch the game this morning (and yes, the tenders at kids day care shaked their heads when they saw how my kids subsequently were dressed).

Ola

Thu May 3 2012 12:23 am EST

NICK-----I am sure that HOSPO was glad that Boyle got his ass in front of the Rupp shot, or he would have had to come on here eating crow tonight.

Bob

Thu May 3 2012 12:21 am EST

Hockey players -- any team -- are the greatest. Those exhaustion faces, stitches, bloody jerseys ... and still blocking shots after 110 minutes if pressurized play. Incredible. Great win, but everything looks preordained after it happens. I'm sure our conditioning is good but equally sure the Caps aren't slackers, and if that tip of Wideman's shot goes in ... but Gabby hit iron and Rupp hit ass and Ovie hit iron ... I'm just glad we took this one! Will we EVER have an easy game???

Nick

Thu May 3 2012 12:14 am EST

The Rangers sure had all sorts of energy in the 3rd OT. I am so happy Gabby got the goal, especially after all the crap that Milbury has been spewing about him. Brad Richards has been everything he was advertised to be in these playoffs. It is a good thing they don't play until Saturday. If they can pull that one out, they should get some time off.

Bob

Thu May 3 2012 12:12 am EST

Our conditioning was a difference in this one...We were fresher in the third OT than the Caps.....Great win Rangers....Get some rest....

Thu May 3 2012 12:07 am EST

Amazed at how clean the game was for all 6 periods...alot of hitting, but none of that bullshit that Philly and PItt threw around........Good to watch..Well, becasue they won!

Hospo

Thu May 3 2012 12:02 am EST

FREAKING AAAAA! What a bunch of damn ball busters these Rangers are...Yeah, I think the Rangers were lucky to get to OT the way the Caps had the advantage in the 3rd.......but, with a nod to David Clayton Thomas, what a display of blood, sweat in tears during the overtime....Ebb and flow....very even...but every single Ranger busted his ass out their...and they never crumbled physically or mentally...They deserved the winner the way they started to take control at the end, even if it was probably a temporary shift......Get some rest boys, worse it can be is tied 2-2 going back to NY...The Hat should be worn by everyone tonight.......As for the Bickel, thing, you guys know my feeling on Sather nad the lack of depth, but Torts is in a hard place.....I can't blame him for not throwing a cold and Stiff Bick into the game......Damn, so pumped by the wind I almost forgot about the nauseating PP---2 of them--which almost destroyed them,....Oh well, that can;t be changed till next year........

Hospo

Wed May 2 2012 11:45 pm EST

And if anyone's still up, the photo on the Rangers' website is awesome: http://rangers.nhl.com/

Rexi29

Wed May 2 2012 11:44 pm EST

McD, for DEEEFENSE. 53 minutes and change on the ice! And how many were logged after he absorbed that monster hit? I gotta tell ya, I'm shopping for a #27 jersey

Rexi29

Wed May 2 2012 11:43 pm EST

gab-bay gab-bay gab-bay......need 10 more wins......

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:38 pm EST

Gaborik, Gaborik, Gaborik.... I couldnt have scripted this win any better... Sure hope the NYR trainers have the secret hydration formula on tap... those guys will all need IVs tonight... Amazing game@!

schneidw

Wed May 2 2012 11:36 pm EST

Thank you Gabby, King and the rest of the Rangers ( save Bickel) for giving it your all and getting the win.

pete

Wed May 2 2012 11:34 pm EST

bickel 3.24 absurd but they won

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:30 pm EST

GABBY! Hope this gives him a jumpstart.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 11:29 pm EST

Rangers were definitely in better shape than the Caps, particularly in the 3rd OT. The were the "fresher" team by far....they earned this win with their hard work and their conditioning. Thank goodness Gabby got the goal and we won....if it had gone the other way after he clanged one off the crossbar......brrrr, don't even want to think what it would do to his confidence. But now maybe the opposite will happen and he'lll go on a scoring binge. But for now, I'll just bask in this fantastic win....tired but happy!!

JFC31

Wed May 2 2012 11:27 pm EST

The NBCSN post came is so slanted to the caps it makes me wanna puke. Wow, I don't understand why the coverage is leaning this way but it is not a lot of fun to listen to especially after a 3OT win. FU NBC!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 11:27 pm EST

"Happy Ending" :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) :->) "Lets Go Rangers !!!

Wed May 2 2012 11:27 pm EST

"after midnight we're going to let it all hang out"

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:26 pm EST

Extra days rest will sure be needed.....Have to be a tired bunch....

Wed May 2 2012 11:26 pm EST

NN: Cally deserves an 'honorary" .... the guy is an "energizer"

Wed May 2 2012 11:25 pm EST

I am too wired to sleep ......great win for us .. Gabby scores, breaks the OT losing streak, we got home ice back ...If Bickel ain't playin don't bother to dress the guy .. might as well put Emminger in...

sjw

Wed May 2 2012 11:25 pm EST

Lots of kudos to go around defensively - Staal (another tremendous game), Girardi, McDonagh and MDZ all played superb and guys like Cally (still blocking shots in the 3rd OT!) and BB were solid. Some good 4th line shifts, too. And Hagelin and Kreider were still zipping around at the end....

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 11:24 pm EST

RHET: According to Yahoo the 3 Stars were Gabby, Hank and Holtby

DOUBLEN

Wed May 2 2012 11:23 pm EST

Lack of sleep doesn't bother me....Will wake up happy after this win...I am watching the MSG postgame right now.....Glorious win......

Wed May 2 2012 11:22 pm EST

Wow great game an instant classic

tlats

Wed May 2 2012 11:22 pm EST

rhet they up it to 6, 1 for each ot

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:22 pm EST

Very happy for Gaborik. He was so tired he could barely lift his arms to celebrate. Amazing.

Bob

Wed May 2 2012 11:22 pm EST

Rangers conditioning really showed tonight... some of the teams best play was in the OT periods... Great Game!

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 11:21 pm EST

I'll actually be able to sleep tonight... Thanks Gabby... now that's the way you get off the schnide!!!!

Tucc

Wed May 2 2012 11:21 pm EST

thank you hockey gods and gaborik and holebe's 5 hole

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:20 pm EST

Do they still do the three stars of the game after triple OT?

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 11:19 pm EST

Way to go Gabby! Surprised Torts allowed Bickel on the ice to congratulate him.

TrueBlue10

Wed May 2 2012 11:19 pm EST

WOW! LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!

Wed May 2 2012 11:19 pm EST

HOLY SH!T what a freakin' game! GAAAAAABY! One of the gutsiest displays I have ever seen by a Rangers team....maybe THE gutsiest! Blocking shots, battling through exhaustion, literally giving their blood to win this game. AMAZING!!!

JFC31

Wed May 2 2012 11:18 pm EST

So nice to see the Rangers win in Washington and Gabbie scoring the OT winner. Well deserved!

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 11:18 pm EST

suck it pierre

Topovski

Wed May 2 2012 11:18 pm EST

Gotta say, the Caps owned large portions of this game but the Rangers controlled the OT. Surprising considering the ridiculous ice times of some of these rangers. Gutsy Gutsy win.

cnparda

Wed May 2 2012 11:17 pm EST

Now how do I get to sleep?? All wound up!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 11:16 pm EST

they pass the puck more than the 7santini brothers on the pp

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:15 pm EST

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Topovski

Wed May 2 2012 11:15 pm EST

MY TOE

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:15 pm EST

He was due!!!!

NV94

Wed May 2 2012 11:15 pm EST

FUCK YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! GABBY!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 11:15 pm EST

I am just shocked,totally speechless.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 2 2012 11:14 pm EST

Called it.....Gabby in OT! YEEEEESSSSSS

Wed May 2 2012 11:14 pm EST

Matteau, Matteau, Matteau, Matteau, !!!!!!

Wed May 2 2012 11:14 pm EST

GABORIKKKKKKKK SCORRRRRREEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 11:13 pm EST

YES

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:10 pm EST

play bickel on the 5th line, confuse the craps

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:09 pm EST

nn that was stemmer

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:09 pm EST

richard's b day is over

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 11:05 pm EST

RF4L......agreed. The dopey lines are different each shift.

Bob

Wed May 2 2012 11:04 pm EST

Torts strategy, waiting until the 4th OT to put Bickel in as he'll be the freshest player on the ice, why did he even bother asking him to suit up tonight?

TrueBlue10

Wed May 2 2012 11:00 pm EST

Maybe we will have another #21 score in Triple OT, just like 1971

DOUBLEN

Wed May 2 2012 10:58 pm EST

Can we please go stick side one time on Holtby???

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 10:57 pm EST

Powerless play. No shots!

NV94

Wed May 2 2012 10:52 pm EST

Is there blood?

pete

Wed May 2 2012 10:52 pm EST

And honestly, more blame lies with Sather for not getting a decent spare defenseman at the deadline if they knew Sauer was done.

chinstrap

Wed May 2 2012 10:51 pm EST

It's easy to blame Torts for the D ice times tonight, but it's worked so far in the playoffs, and you can't go into a game thinking you're going to triple OT. Hard to put a guy like Bickel in who has no feel for the game because he's sat so long, even if he's fresh. I think they might need to work him in this OT though. I remember back in the day Petr Klima being benched all game like Bickel and scoring in triple OT (I think)...but its a lot different for a forward to get worked in at this point in the game.

chinstrap

Wed May 2 2012 10:51 pm EST

'm sure she hopes so.....some idiot fan threw a quarter at her.....cheapskate fly some 20's....

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 10:47 pm EST

This is stressful to say the least....Let's get one and end the night the right way....LET'S GO RANGERS!

Wed May 2 2012 10:45 pm EST

Bob: Just plain stupid IMO. Cannot be justified. Are the Rangers that thin on the backline...reallyÉÉÉÉ

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 10:43 pm EST

47 minutes for McD. 3:45 for Bickel. He has watched more than an entire game from the bench since he last skated tonight.

Bob

Wed May 2 2012 10:42 pm EST

Rupp had this game won if Boyle didn't have his big a$$ in the way.... I had to look online to see how many saves Hank had... while Holtby's numbers have been mentioned more than once (this includes the intermission), they forgot to mention Lundqvist's.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 10:42 pm EST

Brooksie: A reliable source ay? I mena StevieLegs: Is she gonna help us win? :->)

Wed May 2 2012 10:40 pm EST

I like Tortorella but this is just stupid: Stu Bickel - 3 shifts, 3:24 on ice, in a 100 minute 4 hour hockey game

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 10:39 pm EST

Rupp has the game winner lined up .. hits Boyle in the ass ... geez we are jinxed .. the stress is killin me...

sjw

Wed May 2 2012 10:38 pm EST

emerick looks like a rummy to me, and he screams about anything and everything......get your flask out .......

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 10:36 pm EST

When is the last time Bickel saw the ice....

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 10:35 pm EST

2 Words.... RYAN CALLAHAN.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 10:33 pm EST

Emrick calls the wrong ranger name more than he does the right. He is awful!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 10:33 pm EST

MF I have it from a reliable source , there is a female nyr fan who is at the game tonight, who was at that game in 94.......

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 10:30 pm EST

oy vey is this gut wrenching..... Where's Mottau?

Wed May 2 2012 10:27 pm EST

4THline has played good

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 10:26 pm EST

bs on taking time on icing.....7 d would have been helpful, but.......

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 10:23 pm EST

Worst shooting team ever.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 2 2012 10:03 pm EST

I heave a feeling the Rangers are going to get called for a cheap penalty and the Caps will score on the PP to win. I hope I'm wrong.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 10:03 pm EST

come on hockey gods

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 10:00 pm EST

pete: Tortorella is stubborn - at least he`s played the 4th line a little more.

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 9:58 pm EST

pete....Absolutely agree...Need to play all 6 D....Playoffs actually require it....Bickel just isn't that bad and our other D are wearing down.....

Wed May 2 2012 9:58 pm EST

WTF? Can we please win? I've been pissy all day, and need a, "happy ending!" :->) pun intended!

Wed May 2 2012 9:57 pm EST

Shootout next right? For the bonus point.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:57 pm EST

pete - no idea, but the shorter bench is going to test our D even more as we start 2OT...

josh29

Wed May 2 2012 9:56 pm EST

Mitchell has actually played pretty good tonight....

Wed May 2 2012 9:56 pm EST

they have played some good possession, but they need to bury the puck. shoot high, aim for this kid's head.

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 9:56 pm EST

Aside from the bad pass last game, can someone tell me what Bickel has done to deserve a benching every 3rd period. And if Torts doesn't trust him, why play him over emminger? Are either really worse than the Caps 6th defenseman?

pete

Wed May 2 2012 9:55 pm EST

Well, we survived the 1st OT. Do we get a point?

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:55 pm EST

If we can find a way in this one I believe we take the series over...Easier said than done....GO RANGERS!

Wed May 2 2012 9:54 pm EST

DoubleN -- You're not kidding. McD had a few great chances and didn't get the puck to the net. A shot to the net and who knows - deflection, rebound, etc. Instead, he backpedals and passes laterally. DAMMIT, SHOOT! (btw - kudos to Hank for the save on the rebound after Ovie hit the post. Stilla live puck, and Hank was in position and made that key save, which the commentators seemed to miss. I think Emrick is VERY overrated.)

josh29

Wed May 2 2012 9:53 pm EST

And dammit, when will AA show up for the POs....

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 9:52 pm EST

You are always more tired and work sucks even more when the Rangers lose a game like this.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:51 pm EST

Going by true chances and who's been in control, the Rangers are lucky they haven't lost yet, IMO. They sure aren't much fun when they are on the losing end of chances and bodychecks.

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 9:51 pm EST

Well we won't get the next penalty call...Stralman may not be great but we can't play 4 D and win......

Wed May 2 2012 9:50 pm EST

come on nyr , there's work tomorrow....win this sucker.....

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 9:50 pm EST

The Rangers are trying to score by osmosis.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:49 pm EST

SHOOT THE PUCK BARRY!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:44 pm EST

Noticed some time in the Ottawa series that Stralman's play was really slipping. He's been terrible lately. And I've been a fan this year.

chinstrap

Wed May 2 2012 9:35 pm EST

RANGERITIS..FEAR OF SHOOTING THE PUCK.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 2 2012 9:25 pm EST

Can someone lay hendricks out!

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 9:22 pm EST

rhet dubinsky who?

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 9:17 pm EST

Hopefully I am wrong, but I have no faith in this team to score in OT.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 2 2012 9:16 pm EST

I can't wait for MZA to be back... we need another speed guy, not another checker.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 9:16 pm EST

B Rich gets the GWG on his Birthday

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 9:15 pm EST

Stevie... You really think Dubi would score?

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 9:15 pm EST

Gabby the winner in OT....

Wed May 2 2012 9:14 pm EST

I think legally I can now put out a missing person report for for Mr. Gaborik. He has been missing for over for well over 48 hours.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:14 pm EST

anyone miss dubinsky?

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 9:13 pm EST

if Nash was in this lineup, the game probably would have been won in regulation.

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 9:11 pm EST

BTW, the Rangers pathetic recent OT record might play into their hands, because it cannot go on indefinitely....

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 9:10 pm EST

Rangers need to be around the net with their sticks on the ice.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:10 pm EST

Rhet: This is Ranger offensive hockey we've seen way too many times over the recent years: Shots from the perimeter and no one driving the net. The problem is, they don't have someone of that ilk (although Kreider might get there eventually). Now imagine this team and Rick Nash in the line-up.....

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 9:09 pm EST

I agree the Rangers need a quick goal. In order to do that they have to shoot the puck...and hit the net!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:09 pm EST

And we also stopped hitting their D-men while the Caps began creaming ours..back to Ranger hockey guys...

Hospo

Wed May 2 2012 9:06 pm EST

The Caps have got us playing their game....Way too much room...Not Ranger hockey....

Wed May 2 2012 9:05 pm EST

Hope the Rangers are drinking some magic elixir right now because the Caps owned them in that period....One of theoir worst stetches in the POs IMO....The Rangers looked dead...too many guys standing stilll..dead tired...They need to get a goal quick and get out...We'll see...

Hospo

Wed May 2 2012 9:04 pm EST

Sather needs to get somebody that's not afraid to shoot the puck! It's that simple.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:03 pm EST

To be honest we should never have been on the PP....We had a great second period but a poor third...This playing 5 D doesn't work....Can we finally get one in OT?

Wed May 2 2012 9:03 pm EST

They're skating well, winning face offs, but man they couldn't hit the ocean by falling out of the boat.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 9:03 pm EST

OMG, another ridiculously inept offensive display by the Rangers, making Holtby look like an all-star. That guy didn't have to make a single difficult save and the only Ranger goal was off 2 Caps and caroomed in front. It's so clear to me what Sather needs to go after this summer....

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 9:03 pm EST

Rangers will lose in OT! As usual

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 9:02 pm EST

guess refs didn't want ot but screw them...same pay.......scratch.....

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 9:02 pm EST

Lundqvist better dig deep... he's only ever won one OT Playoff game... This is where hardly playing the 4th line could come back to bite us in the ass.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 9:01 pm EST

Watching that last Rangers powerless play hurt my eyes! It was like staring directly at the sun.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 8:58 pm EST

I don't know if the Rangers know the objective of the game is to put the puck in the net!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 8:56 pm EST

Richards touched the puck first... weak call.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 8:55 pm EST

Not again Richards....

Wed May 2 2012 8:31 pm EST

Staal is a beast tonight!

NV94

Wed May 2 2012 8:29 pm EST

Yes it was I'm just down on Gaborik.

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 8:29 pm EST

thedoc-- classic, i do wonder if gabby has any hockey sense what so ever , other than shot -score. his movement with out the puck is questionable , and he can't seem to anticipate or make the simplest plays at times..

doct

Wed May 2 2012 8:27 pm EST

wasn't it Staal, who did a bickle?

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 8:27 pm EST

Scratch Gaborik for Zuccarello!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 8:24 pm EST

MDZ seems to be everywhere tonight

Wed May 2 2012 8:17 pm EST

thedoc: Yep, but the bigger gaffe was Stralman giving the puck up in the Cap corner....that and the fact that the King was too far back in his net and clearly not ready for the shot...

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 8:13 pm EST

Here's the good news-----Gabby noticed that Stralman was moving the puck into the Caps zone and covered his point. Here's the bad news-----Gabby backed up and chose to leave the puck carrier alone in order to cover the ever dangerous usher in the third row in the corner

thedoc85

Wed May 2 2012 8:13 pm EST

We will get nothing from the refs....Incidental contact on the hit on Callahan?...Then he gets called for a phantom retaliation....Carlson runs into Richards last game and the call on Richards costs us the game....It isn't going to change....We have to keep pressure on their D....

Wed May 2 2012 8:13 pm EST

Another game, another horse shit call. Cally gets wiped out 5 seconds after he has the puck and no call and then he gets called for a love tap? I don't know why i bother watching. And then i have to listen to the schmucks on nbc sports saying what a tough game Hendricks is playing. The NHL is an effin farce.

Fotiu22

Wed May 2 2012 8:13 pm EST

Gaborik is trying to force a play almost everytime he has the puck. He needs to relax....

RF4L

Wed May 2 2012 8:13 pm EST

Caps scored on kind of a 1 on 3 can't let that happen!

LetsGoRangers

Wed May 2 2012 8:08 pm EST

If Callahan lines up a Cap like Hendricks lit up Anisimov, he gets called for a charge every time! BS

DCIGolfer

Wed May 2 2012 8:07 pm EST

Way too wide open for Ranger hockey....We have to stay on their D though...Wearing them down....

Wed May 2 2012 8:06 pm EST

a lot better on possession game

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 8:01 pm EST

HENRIK on his kness gets beat high, no screen......oh well....

stevielegs

Wed May 2 2012 7:59 pm EST

Callahan did nothing on the retaliation and he get's called? WTF.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 7:58 pm EST

Refs deciding the game again

rngrsans

Wed May 2 2012 7:56 pm EST

come on!

rngrsans

Wed May 2 2012 7:56 pm EST

Appropo of nothing really, I just want to say that Caps fans are my least favorite. They're the perfect combination of hockey fan mook and redneck. DO I feel this way because I had a beer dumped on me in Landover in '86? I do.

Rexi29

Wed May 2 2012 7:54 pm EST

Rhet: a little karmic payback from game 2?

Rexi29

Wed May 2 2012 7:48 pm EST

RHET: Everytime Mitchell is on the ice, I am wating for something bad to happen.

DOUBLEN

Wed May 2 2012 7:48 pm EST

We didn't score because we did anything well... we scored because Troy Brouwer screwed up.

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 7:46 pm EST

Am I going to jinx him if I say that Mitchell looks pretty good tonight?

Rhet0ric

Wed May 2 2012 7:44 pm EST

CALLY...will take that bit of luck with the puck hitting Hendricks..that's the type of thing that happens to the Rangers.

DOUBLEN