Thursday, October 8, 2009

Game Day: Capitals Officially Join The Elite List - of teams we hate

Maybe it's because I'm paying closer attention this time around - but I can't remember another Ranger season that started with so much drama and action.

Usually my Ranger juices take a few weeks to get going - but this season the first week feels like a continuation of last year's final weeks - tense, exciting, and every game a meaningful one.

The opening loss - giving the world champs a run but coming up short.

The home opener - showing determination and fight and beating a good Ottawa team.

And the Devils game - showing up Brodeur - and making the Devils look like the bad old Rangers (with just enough offense to lose). Each of these games had some riveting hockey - and so far - the offseason changes have been working. If nothing else - this year's Rangers are a really compelling team to watch. This is one hockey club that will not go quietly.

And tonight the stakes are raised again. We travel down the turnpike to face the same Washington Capitals team that overcame a 3-1 playoff deficit to send us home in the first round. From their behavior in last year's series - the Caps are a team that now has joined that special group of teams - the Devils, the 'slanders, the Penguins, and the Flyers as a new team we really really don't like. Welcome aboard fellows - now we hate you guys too.

Sather and Tortorella have had all summer to think about that playoff loss and how to remedy it. And tonight we'll get to see exactly how that task is going.

Because this time we show up armed for battle. A very different Ranger team takes the ice compared to what took to the ice in last year's playoffs.

  • We have Gaborik and his surreal stick work and sneaky shot

  • We have Higgins and his hard work and scrappy play.

  • We have Kotalik and his cannon shot

  • We have Prospal who is acting as a 2nd center on the Gaborik line.

  • We have Gilroy and Del Zotto - kid defensemen who can venture up ice, move the puck, and sound the buzzer.

  • We have Don Brashear - which helps us twice. He can no longer hurt us - and now he can hurt the Capitals.

  • And of course, we still have Hank and Drury and Callahan and Dubinsky.

And when exactly, will we get Avery back? He was day-to-day two weeks ago. He says he's targeting Sunday night and the Ducks. Let's hope he's right - though I'm not exactly sure who you sit right now. Doyle? Lisin?

And when, exactly, do we start resting Hank? Just asking.

Anyway - Here are the probable lines - which are - incredibly - the same as the last 2 games. After a year of Renny's mix-and-match this feels very comfortable.

Prospal–Dubinsky–Gaborik (featuring two guys who can get Gabby the puck)

Higgins-Drury-Callahan (the American Line)

Lisin-Anisimov-Kotalik (two Russians and a Czech)

Brashear-Boyle-Voros (contributed surprisingly well in NJ)

And defending pairs:

Staal-Girardi

Del Zotto-Rozsival

Redden-Gilroy

So tonight we try to make a statement against the Capitals and their red hot winger Ovechkin - the best player in hockey (with no apology to Sidney Crosby). Ovie has tossed in 5 goals and 4 assists in 3 games already. But we can score a little ourselves now - so let's hope we can hang with the big boys tonight. Should be a great test.

Puck drops at 7pm.

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And you know our crazy-man Nugman will be his usual posting madman tonight - launching his famous mid-game missives as the play unfolds. If you've never checked in here mid game for his analysis - it's really a treat. Nugs lives and dies with every shift and sees things in these games that nobody else seems to.

Where will the Rangers finish? You're smarter than the professional prognosticators - cast your vote in our poll on the top right and let us know.

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