For the 4th straight season, there will be playoff games played at the world's most famous arena. The Sabres won, the Panthers won...who gives a sh*t?!? Get ready for the second season, the Rangers are going back to the playoffs! Fantastic game tonight as the Flyers were a desperate, hungry team, doing everything they possibly could to try and win. They threw the kitchen sink, their best cheese steak, and all of their loose teeth at Hank tonight and were unable to beat the Rangers MVP.
This was Jack Morris in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, Roger Clemens in Game 4 of the 2000 ALCS, it was Joe Montana in pretty much any super bowl he played in, It was Sampras at Wimbledon, it was Jordan in the finals. The Flyers were arguably the better team all game, putting constant pressure on Hank, but Hank made his message loud and clear all game, "It doesn't matter how good you guys play tonight, every single one of you could play the game of your lives tonight, you're not winning in my building." Hank had 37 saves on 38 chances (and these were not Brodeur saves, these were stand on your head, "holy sh*t how did that not go in? I'm going to need to watch that replay 6 times and I still won't believe it" type saves). Hank was too good for the Flyers, and the Rangers know if they can get performances like THAT in the playoffs, whoever plays them in the first round is in for a big time upset.
Hank wasn't alone tonight , he was just head and shoulders above everyone else.
Stars of the Game:
1) Hank. In the biggest game of the Year, Hank played the game of his career. (That's not an overstatement, he's never been better than he was tonight) Hank picks up his 37th win, tying his career high (He has won 37 games 3 straight seasons). There aren't enough words to describe Hank's performance tonight.
2) Drury. Following up the Captain's two goal performance, he picked up assists on both Rangers goals tonight, and was probably the rangers best defensive forward in the third period. Had a nearly two minute long shift in the late third where he single-handidly wouldn't allow the flyers to advance the puck out of their own zone as he broke up pass after pass. He and Staal combined to block a shot on an open net preserving the 2-1 lead, and Drury also stood in the way of multiple shots, taking a few to the body. Tough game from Drury.
3) Callahan, Naslund. Callahan picked up 2 points and the game winning goal, Naslund got the first goal for the Rangers. Both guys were flying all game.
4) Gomez. His game doesn't show up on the scoreboard, but he was possibly the rangers best skater all game, creating countless opportunities the Rangers just couldn't capitalize on.
The Rangers victory allows me to not get too livid about the WORST call of the season. With the Rangers nursing a 2-1 lead with 7 minutes left, Naslund and Biron are both lunging for a loose puck infront of the Flyers net. Both make contact with the puck at the same time, the two of them slam into each other, and the refs call interference on Naslund?!?! Both guys are going for the puck, and skate into each other, and Naslund has to go to the box?! Rangers penalty kill unit stepped up again, so who cares about the absolutely completely horrendous call.
Extra Things Worth Discussing:
- Rangers win their 26th game of the year on home ice, their most since....1993-1994
- While the Sabres have been eliminated at the hands of the Rangers (eat it Buffalo), Florida is technically still alive (if Boston beats Montreal in regulation, then the Rangers move into the 7 seed, and Montreal has a one point lead on Florida with one game to play)
- We don't have to worry about chickens hatching anymore, so feel free to speculate, but here is my quick take on things. If the Rangers get 8, they play Boston. 7, they play Washington. I think the rangers can beat both teams, and I think the Rangers believe they can too. This is a team with arguably the best goalie in the world, and a team that did lead the Eastern Conference for the first two months of the season, why can't they pull the upset. I am not really leaning one way or the other, but I know this. If the Rangers play Washington, it means Montreal (most likely), will play Boston.....Montreal WILL beat Boston....Montreal ALWAYS beats Boston. (Think Yankees vs. Red Sox except even more embarrasing) The idea of Boston not getting out first round really gets me fired up, and I know Montreal will take care of them, but also, if the Rangers can get past Washington, then it means they may get to play Montreal down the road, a very beatable team right now as the Rangers showed in their last home game. So I think I may be leaning towards the Caps just because, playing the Caps means the Rangers would have to beat the caps, someone else, then maybe Montreal to make the Cup Finals. Playing Boston means the Rangers will probably have to beat the Bruins AND Washington. (I am assuming Washington would beat Montreal, since they don't have the embarrassing history against them that Boston does)
For Tonight, Nothing but celebration. Going back to the Playoffs!
OOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
UPDATE: Montreal loses in OT, meaning Rangers and Montreal are tied for 7 spot with one game to play, and FLORIDA IS ELIMINATED. Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Philly are all now tied for the 4 seed and home ice in the first round.
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To clarify, I am not saying there is no chance the Rangers win the cup. I am saying they don't have (outside Henry) what it takes to be considered a favorite. They are going to need alot of favorable calls (which, with Avery, they wont get), alot of great defense (which, with Redden and Roszival, they wont get) and one guy to go absolutely bananas on offense (which I wouldnt count on).
ReplyDeleteNow, maybe Henrik throws up a wall, Roszival plays like he did tonight for the rest of the playoffs, and either Drury or Callahan or maybe Zherdev goes nuts. But watching them in the playoffs is not going to be like watching the Yankees, where you know they should win, and anything less than that is an epic failure.
I do think they can beat Boston. Every game those two teams have played this year has had a playoff feel to it, and despite the standings, the games always have an "anyone can win this" nervousness to them. As for Washington, I want no part of Ovechkin, and I want no part of back to back years playing against an NHL poster child that the men in dark sunglasses behind closed doors want in the Cup finals to put hockey back on the map, or at least above reruns of Fresh Prince on the Neilsens.
We've only managed to beat the Caps once this year, and that was in a shootout, which doesnt exist in real hockey come playoff time.
As for Boston, we have beaten them at home at least twice this season (dont have the exact numbers in front of me), and the two games I recall that we lost in Boston were both 1-0. I think there might be a fifth game somehwere, but I cant remember when it was and ESPN for some reason does not have team vs. team grids in the NHL standings page and Im not researching any further at this time (ESPN is a huge network, they have team v team grids for every other sport, no one in that giant Bristol campus can skip lunch one afternoon and make a grid?...fuck espn). Moving on, its not good that we cant seem to score a goal in Boston, but I like our odds in 1-0 games overall.
While Ovechkin terrifies me in that he could single-handly take Washington to Cup finals I am think our weakness lies in ability to score. So I would rather try to make the D step up on Oveckin and score on weaker Washington D then try to get physical and put up big offense against Boston.
ReplyDeleteRegardless. Playoffs baby!!!!!!!!! Waaaaay too much Tequila for a Wednesday.
Watching that Messier gaurantee clip makes me even more pumped. Hank gonna take us all the way.
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ReplyDeleteI agree, the Bruins series, every game will be close, I just think we will have an overall easier road if we start with Washington, and not the Bruins. Here's your, "This is the main stat that makes me want the Caps" stat of the night: Well, a couple of stats
ReplyDeleteGAA:
1 - Tim Thomas, Bruins, 2.10 GAA
31 - Jose Theodore, Capitals, 2.82 GAA
Save %:
1 - Tim Thomas, Bruins, .933
Tie 34 - Jose Theodore, Capitals, .901
Last year I thought the main difference (besides Pittsburgh getting every questionable call, and that's a fair complaint, but the NHL hasn't come close to trying to adopt Ovechkin because he is a grotesque Russian, as they have crosby)in the Rangers-Penguins series was actually the stellar play of Fleury. We knew Fleury could be amazing, and had been the two weeks before the playoffs, but he is very streaky. He delivered, and shut our offense down. I feel like the Bruins defense, and Thomas are much more likely to shut the Rangers offense down, where as the Capitals are a lot more likely to surrender 3-4 goals against us, then we'd have to rely on our "greatest weapon" our penalty kill, and defense.
Neither option is appealing, but I am leaning Caps right now. (Also remember, as dangerous as Ovechkin is, he is an incredibly passionate player. Kovalchuck two years ago got completely taken out of the Atlanta-Rangers series by Avery's antics. Not saying Kovalchuck is the all round player Ovechkin is, but I would put him on par as a goal scorer, maybe a shade below) With the Caps I feel like if the Rangers can beat Ovechkin, they can win that series. With the Bruins, I feel like they have to find a way to beat the Bruins entire defense consistently.