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 4^th 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