Monday, November 10, 2014

Where the Puck is it?

Puck possession. 

All the cool kids know about it.  It’s all about having the puck. Because the puck is kind of important in a hockey game.  You know what I mean.  When the puck leaves the rink – everybody stops until they get a new one.  And hockey games are basically puck possession battles.  One team gets the puck and either scores with it – keeps it – or gives it back to the opposition – who then does the same thing and back and forth until the game ends.

So, the Rangers – after losing Saturday night in Toronto – traveled back to New York to play the Oilers today at 6pm and, well, they didn't possess the puck much.  At all.  For the entire game.

Edmonton possessed the puck.  A lot.  For most of the game.  They out face-offed the Rangers 39 to 29.  (Editor – you know that “faced-offed” is not a word, right?)  (Dave Pucks – don’t start with me Ed, I’m not in the mood.  The Rangers lost tonight and the New York Giants probably lost their season. )  (Editor – look I know, man, but I have to try and edit here – it’s my job) (Dave Pucks – whatever man, just if I were you I’d TREAD LIGHTLY!)
Where was I?  We were out face-offed 39-29.  We were outshot 31 to 21.  We gave the puck away  7 times and Edmonton took away the puck 5 more times.  Put all that together and it means we never had the puck – so we could never do all the cool stuff that the puck possessor can do – like shoot or, you know, score.  Your basic Hockey stuff.

And to make it all worse it was the guy we let get away - Benoit Pouliot – basically beat us single handedly by assisting on the first goal and scoring the go-ahead goal himself.  That stinks.

But here’s what really happened.  The Rangers are playing without Ryan McDonagh and Dan Boyle and “there’s Moore” (see what I did there?  Wasn’t that cool?)  (Editor – not when you call attention to it, no).  So with our defensemen depleted – our remaining blue liners (Staal, Girardi, etc.) are overworked, exhausted, and basically running out of gas – particularly on back to back games that require international travel.  So we were always a step behind – couldn't get the puck – couldn't keep it when they did get it – and couldn’t score when they did keep it.

If you want the bright side – here it is:  Carl Hagelin notched his 4th goal of the season.  And that’s it.  A tough night for our heroes and one we can hopefully bounce back from soon.

Bad day in Rangerville.  We’ll talk tomorrow

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