Happiness Returns – Rangers Blow Hurricanes Off The Ice 4-1

Reports of the Rangers’ tragic demise were postponed Saturday night as they remembered how to score – how to defend – and how to win a hockey game, defeating the Carolina Big-Wind-Event 4-1 at Madison Square Garden.

Nash – this year’s superstar – got it going at the games 7th minute.  He intercepted the puck in the Romulan Neutral Zone – darted left into the Hurricane zone and just flat out beat Cam Ward with a long slap shot that the Carolina Goalie saw clearly – but could not stop.

And then – 4 minutes later – with the Rangers on the Penalty Kill – Dominic Moore took the puck in his own zone and went end-to-end, showing off a great through-the-defenseman’s-legs deke and then buried the puck past Ward for 2-0.

We gave one back in the 2nd – a point blank shot by Brad Malone that Hank didn’t have a chance at off a perfect pass.  And we carried the 2-1 lead into the third.

In the third – Chris Kreider started an offensive sequence by launching a nasty tough angle shot that Cam fought off.  But then Kevin Hayes grabbed the loose puck and fed Krieder with a pass that could not have been better.  Right on Kreider’s stick and one foot from the goal line.  Chris had the tap-in and the Rangers regained their two goal margin.

And once again in the 11th minute – Karl Hagelin passed the puck back to Dan Boyle at the point who shot it through traffic and by the screened Cam.  4-1 Rangers and that’s how it ended.  A happy night for our heroes and a step back toward our winning ways.

Assists for Hayes, Fast, McDonagh, Zuccarello, and Hagalin.  Hank stopped 25 of 26 for a .969% save percentage – including one scary looking save with his adam’s apple (ouch).   The Rangers outshot Carolina 37-32.  And now on to our Bold Faced Finale: 

Did Special Teams Determine The Outcome Of This Game? No – but we did get the best of it with Moore’s shorthanded goal

Where Do We Stand?  We are 28-15-4.  The Caps lost to St. Louis (the Blues – not Marty) and so – the Rangers tie them with 60 points and now have 3 games at hand (will we ever make these games up?).  And the Florida Panthers – the Line Of Death – are a full 8 points back at 52.  At the moment the Eastern Conference playoff teams seem set.

What Will Happen Next?  At home to Florida – the Line-of-Death 9^th place team on Monday.

Non Sequitur of the day:  Best Super Bowl player name of the day?  J R. Sweezy! 

Thanks for reading – Dave Pucks out!