Rangers Report Blog

(Ed. note: Eric Nova writes his own Rangers blog which you can see at http://www.ericnyr.blogspot.com)

Thoughts:

1. Teams with lots of highly skilled and speedy players have proven to be very dangerous to the Rangers. NYR’s grinding and fore-checking game is a great thing when run right. There were glimpses of that last night, but not enough. The problem is when the NYR play skilled teams like the Pens; they tend to get pushed away from their game and don’t control the puck enough. When the NYR set the tone of the game with a physical start they tend to control the game. This could be a big problem in the playoffs depending on matchups.


2. We have to ask whether the team as currently constituted would beat the Penguins in a seven game series. Do their playmakers trump our grit and goaltending? Malkin is one of those guys who can take over a series. Do the Rangers have that? Hard to say. In theory, Gabby is that guy. But one worries if he has the strength, durability to dominate game after game, series after series. You have no doubt about that with Malkin. He is simply a beast. I am not saying we can’t or won’t beat them. But they have won two in a row, including a dominant game in MSG. Unlike the Flyers and Bruins, the Blueshirts are not in the Pens’ heads.


3. 3. Give Marc-Andre Fleury the Academy Award for best theatrical goalie!!! First, he acts like he has made highlight saves on none too difficult shots. He has these exaggerated flourishes after making glove saves like he snared a guided missile out of the air. Add to this his sell-it acting job leading to goalie interference and it is fitting this game was a week before The Oscars. That said, he played a very strong game. He was quick, didn’t give up rebounds, he seemed to see everything. Give credit where it is due but please, stop with the theatrics. By the way, how out of control is this goaltender interference penalty now? …the league has to address it in the off season…they are treating goalies like they are all Golden Boy Tom Bradys.


4. Anisimov played very well again. He was even able at time to slow Malkin when they were paired. He showed grit all night and was more physical than usual. Since that debacle of a 17-game stretch in the middle of the season, he has picked up his play with 7 points in his last 8 games and 4 goals. Where was this AA from the start? He may be playing himself out of a trade.


5. PP continues to be a problem and arguably a liability. True, they did generate some chances, and if Mac buries that shot instead of posting it maybe this game turns around. The puck control is better but it’s always to the outside, and passes and shots continue to be a split second too late. Add to this the absence of a net presence to screen the goalie, no bomber from the blue line and it spells trouble with a capital T. Of course, this is hardly a new area of concern but in a tight game when you give up a PP goal and go 0 for 3 on the PP, that‘s all she wrote.


6. The King played yet another stellar game. Needless to say he has been nothing short of amazing this season and always comes up big in these types of games; however the continued pressure from Pittsburgh was too much to handle. Hank seemed to be very downcast in the postgame, reflecting on what he described as breakdowns in his technique at times, offering that he was fighting the puck in the second but felt more on his game in the third. The guy is his toughest critic and you gotta love that he never seems satisfied. Now, if he could only start handling the puck better! Speaking of Hank, have you ever seen Torts pull him with two minutes left? I liked the move, but it seemed out of character.


7. The progression of Michael Del Zotto continues to be apparent. He has been great in jumping into the play and reading when to do so. No question he made a dumb play leading to the first goal with what Torts called a “dumb” backhand flipper. Bad enough on its own but when his defense partner had also jumped up and both were at the end of the shift, it was poor judgment. But hey, the guy has been a force and let’s be honest, who among us thought he would be one of the top plus/minus guys in the league, and such a good playmaker? Good to see that Torts coupled his “dumb” comment with one noting that MDZ has been great all year. No need to drill the guy for one poor play. In fact, one could argue that it was Brad Richards’ pinch, or whatever that slide was, which really opened that play up and turned it into a goal.


8. After the embarrassment against the Hawks (who, mind you, have won four in a row) and the almost humiliation against the Jackets, coupled with this loss, is there cause for concern in Blueshirt Land? Well, the easy answer is there is always cause for concern in Blueshirt Land but the truth is this was not a blowout, we ran into a goalie playing what Dave Maloney said was his best game of the year, and we did have chances. Worth noting this was game 9 in 17 days against some pretty tough opponents, and it was on the road against an inconsistent but elite level team (I do not want to imagine how good these guys will be if and when Sid returns although I will say Geno plays better w\o the Kid.). That said, there are no softies in this league and you only need to look at the Devils to see how quickly a team can rise or fall.


9. What does Sather do now? It is clear to me that some added fire power is needed. Does he go for it all this season or continue on the current path of internal growth?


10. The penalty on Marc Staal was questionable at best.  Bottom line is it led to a goal and effectively ended the game. The team really needed to clamp down and kill that one.


11. How much do you want Jordan Staal on the Rangers in two years or less? That guy played with an edge and with skill. I say unite all the Staal brothers on Broadway. A man can dream can’t he?

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Eric’s Three Rangers Stars
1) Artem Anisimov.
2) Henrik Lundqvist.
3) Brian Boyle.

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AP photos, above.

Thoughts:

1) On the Michael Del Zotto non-goal … I understand that the replay everybody saw on TV and in MSG was with the unofficial scoreboard clock. The NHL situation room in Toronto and/or the replay judge (John Damante in this case) in the arena, has the actual official clock burned into their video replay.  They should absolutely show the official video replay to the arena crowd. No reason to not do that. But this is the NHL, where offending teams get to choose whether they will kill a 5-on-3 or a four-minute 5-on-4, where cross-checks to the head are punished by a one-game suspension and elbows to the face are punished by couch-change fines, and where losers are awarded points just about every night.

2) It’s worth noting that Columbus got jacked out of a point when the clock stuttered in Los Angeles, apparently freezing for a second, and the Kings scored with .4 left earlier this month.

3) Say what you want about the way the game went, but a lot of Rangers played well, and you have to admit the Rangers almost always seem to respond … whether it be from a loss like that one to Chicago Thursday, or from a late goal to “We don’t want you” Rick Nash late in the third period, or whatever. Henrik Lundqvist spoke about it in the post-game interview a couple of threads down. It’s a pretty cool characteristic of this team, and it has become an absolute strength. Something that could/should serve them well if they make the playoffs (kidding).

4) Given that I already said a lot of players played well, I thought a few guys passed up shots when they had them and instead chose to pass … including that give-and-go with Brad Richards created by Carl Hagelin’s speed. And they missed the net high a lot, though one of those high misses hit the glass and ended up in the Artem Anisimov goal.

5) And if we’re going to praise him when he does well—to the dismay of some who don’t appreciate the guys who do the heavy lifting—we have to point out when he doesn’t. I’m pretty sure Brian Boyle cleanly lost two draws that ended up behind Henrik Lundqvist.

6) The power play. Despite the people screaming “SHOOT!” from the moment the player sat down in the penalty box, the 5-on-3 didn’t get anything of note to the net, and the 5-on-4 was mildly better. I am one who sometimes thinks “shot” on the 5-on-3 is a bad thing, especially a shot that could be blocked or misses the net. How about that first PP unit on the first PP: Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Brandon Dubinsky, John Mitchell and Anisimov? I know, it’s at the point where you pretty much try anything. … but …

7) People in MSG were actually cheering when they showed Jeremy Lin in a promo on the big screen. I don’t recall that happening since the Starks-Ewing days, if then; though it used to be cool when Anthony Mason came into hockey games wearing a Rangers jersey. The atmosphere in the building was pretty good. It amazes me how it varies from game to game, regardless of the opponent sometimes. You would think this would be a silent night, and it wasn’t.

8) I know it’s been mentioned before, but Glen Sather was Edmonton’s GM when Scott Howson was the GM of the Oilers’ minor league team. Just sayin’.

9) Here is the column I wrote for The Journal News and LoHud.com on the Rangers’ craving for Rick Nash … and though I’m not sure it’s the right move or the wrong move, I think it’s going to be a full-court press to get him. And I think the Rangers, right now, this year, will be a much better team for it; and for the next little while. People a lot smarter than me will have to figure out the salary cap implications later on.

10) Nash looks like a very good player on a very bad team to me.

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My Three Rangers Stars:
1) Michael Del Zotto.
2) Derek Stepan.
3) Ryan Callahan.
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AP photos, above.

Guys, I already have a volunteer to review tomorrow’s game. Thank you to all who offered.

 

 

John  Tortorella:

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Henrik Lundqvist:

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Ryan Callahan:

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Michael Del Zotto:

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Derek Stepan:

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The NHLPA has posted its players poll. You can see it here.

In it, Henrik Lundqvist is voted the hardest goalie on whom to score (though not in proper English). Marian Gaborik is voted the best skater and the fastest skater.

John Tortorella is voted the most demanding coach, and is in the top five coaches for whom players most would like to play. Imagine? Yeah, that’s what I’ve been telling youse.

 

 Thoughts:

1) How the byfuglien are the Byfuglien-less Blackhawks where they are? … and how did they lose nine in a row? … Not that they were great in this game. They sure weren’t. They got a bunch of gifts in the first period, the benefit of some calls, a quick whistle, a ridiculous new rule that allows an offending team to choose whether it will face a four-minute 5-on-4 or a two-minute 5-on-3  Still, they sure have a bunch of talent and some grinders. Kind of like the Philly predicament, I guess.

2) How the bryzgalov do you give the offending team that choice when it takes two minors on the same play? The team that was fouled should make the call—5-on-3 for two minutes, or 5-on-4 for four, right?  I think the Rangers would have taken the 5-on-3, and would have had a chance to get one and maybe get back into the game. This new rule makes absolutely zero sense to me, that the team that committed the penalties can choose the situation that most benefits that team. But a lot of stuff the NHL comes up with makes zero sense to me. I should be used to it. It’s ludicrous and I don’t mean the rapper. The Rangers sure made the Blackhawks pay on the power play, didn’t they? Probably the easiest four minutes Chicago has faced this season.

3) I agree with John Tortorella (again) that this isn’t solely on Martin Biron. He wasn’t good, and his five-hole has been big enough for Brad Marchand’s nose lately. But, come on. Penalty shot, breakaway, screen shot, breakaway. Hard to say it’s all on the goalie. And though Tortorella said he never considered pulling him because he deserved to fight it out, it also would have made no sense for Henrik Lundqvist to come cold into a game in which the Rangers were playing defensively as they were.

4) I didn’t get a good look at the Brandon Dubinsky elbow, so I have no idea if he made contact with the head, and thus no idea if it will be reviewed? Oh, right, Brendan Shanahan and the alleged Department of Player Safety have already legalized elbows to the head. Or maybe Dubinsky elbowed the guy’s stick and his stick hit his head.

5) You talk about the Rangers being entitled to have one of these once in a while after, remarkably, losing just 13 times in the first 55 games, and they sure are. But even more so, Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh, for all the hard minutes they play against all the top players, have to be forgiven for one like this. Boy, were they bad. At least they got a night where their minutes didn’t pile up, for what that’s worth.

6) I imagine all those scouts in the building went away thinking, um, geez, do we really want to trade a good player for some of these guys?

7) That John Scott, 6-8, 270-pound enforcer=Godzilla.

8) Now about some of the calls … first, the penalty shot. I am not sure Girardi ever actually covered the puck in the crease. It looked to me that he put his hand on it and swept it just outside the crease. He might have covered it, and it might have been in the crease. But I can’t say he did for certain.

9) Second, the waved-off, quick whistle goal. I didn’t have a problem at all with that call. Corey Crawford’s skate had the puck pinned on the goal line for quite some time. At what point do you blow it dead when a goalie has control of the puck? I thought he had it long enough for a whistle to blow, and the whistle absolutely did blow before Ryan Callahan’s sixth-effort knocked it in. If you want to complain, complain that the ref who blew the whistle was coming around from the other side and probably couldn’t have seen what we saw on the replay and maybe shouldn’t have blown the whistle. And complain if he really said he lost sight of it, or if he said he saw it under the goalie’s pad.

10) What would the score have been with Rick Nash and Pavel Kubina? I don’t think Kubina’s coming here. The Rangers really don’t want to give up assets to get a fifth or sixth defenseman who might not be as good as Bryan McCabe on the power play. Plus is sounds like Kubina is being dealt soon, and I don’t think the Rangers have anything imminent. I could be wrong (again).

11) There was a lot of red in the building. To be expected with Chicago and an Original Six. And I didn’t mind it, because that red classic Blackhawks jersey (0r Black Hawks) is awesome. I was talking to a guy with an old-school Bobby Hull No. 9 jersey, and was on the train with a Chelios No. 7, complete with the “C.” I think Bobby Hull’s mother used to take Bobby and Dennis by the hand to see Chelios play.

12) I thought we might have a Bickel vs. Bickell fight. Dammit.

13) Really, really nice standing ovation for Gary Carter when they announced his passing during a TV timeout. I got to know the Kid a little bit, actually had the opportunity to have lunch with him a few years ago. I know, people say he had an ego and liked the attention. But he played the game the right way, the way all pro athletes should play—all-0ut, 100 percent, and with joy. And another thing. He started the Game 6 rally in ‘86, when some of his teammates were in the clubhouse getting undressed.

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My Three Rangers Stars:
1) Carl Hagelin.
2) Marc Staal.
3) Steve Eminger.
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AP photos, above.

 

Thanks, everybody, for participating in our longest chat ever.

I know that last night’s game was stolen by Mr. Lundqvist. But The Captain might have had something to do with it. In fact, six of the first nine photos posted by the Associated Press had Ryan Callahan in them. And Callahan, who’s been fabulous in all areas while scoring six goals in the last four games (all wins) and leading the Best Team In The East, pretty much did evertything else.

So here are four of the photos I didn’t get to use this morning, which I thought you’d enjoy, courtesy of the AP:

 

Well, we’re sure going to have a lot to discuss today. So close your door and make believe you’re hard at work while you join the Live Chat today at noon. Bring questions and comments about the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Boston, or about the Rick Nash trade talk (it’s no longer rumors, folks), or about the season so far and the season that’s left, or about, dare we say, the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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I’m not saying the Rangers are better than the Bruins, or at least not that much better. Roger Neilson used to say, it’s not who you play as much as when you play them. The Bruins are going through a rough patch right now. Right now, Feb. 14-15, 2012, the Rangers are much better than they are.

Does that make sense?

Thoughts:

1) The best part, maybe, is that the Rangers didn’t think they played great, and they all said it. Brandon Dubinsky (though swollen, bloody, stitched-up lips and chipped teeth) said the coaches are sure going to point out where they need to be better. Says a lot about this team, and about its coaches … the head coach should walk away with the Jack Adams Trophy, though I’m sure he couldn’t care less.

2) Even the best team in the East has rough patches during the course of games, and when they do, their best player is at his best almost every time. Henrik Lundqvist is the best goaltender in the league, and probably doesn’t even get enough credit for why the Rangers have won so many games … or lost so few. There probably aren’t enough intelligent voters for Lundqvist to win the MVP which he certainly deserves as the No. 1 reason for the best team being the best team, and there sure are enough clueless voters among the GMs who select the Vezina, so there’s a chance he will win neither. But he should win both. Seven shutouts! Seemed he was just showin’ off against Krejci on the PP breakaway in the final minute.

3) This game was not nearly as brutally physical as last time they met.

4) Rangers: 5-1 in last six vs. Boston; 7-0 in last seven vs. Flys.

5) The Rangers defensemen—and I’ve been meaning to say this for a while—don’t slide around on their knees nearly as much this year. Which is why they clog the front of the net as well as they do, why they block passes across the front, why they take the man and let Lundqvist handle rebounds … and limit the number of rebounds he has to handle. I like it that Marc Staal’s starting to get a little ticked off during games. He plays better that way.

6) Milan Lucic=Monster.

7) Yeah, the Rangers didn’t have the puck enough, and didn’t create a lot. But, geez. There was that tic-tac-toe Ryan Callahan PPG, which was identical to one he scored on the weekend. This is why the PP should be better. Marian Gaborik, Michael Del Zotto, Derek Stepan and Brad Richards are all exceptional passers. Del Zotto moving in from the left poiint is a new wrinkle lately. Reminds me of last year when, until teams figured it out, they had Marc Staal circling into the slot, and a forward moving to the left point and cheating into the circle.

8) Stepan made a really good play against Johnny Boychuk along the back wall that allowed the flukish Ryan McDonagh goal late in the first. Game-changing goal.

9) How about the Captain with six goals in the last four? He did absolutely everything, didn’t he? Again. And Richards looks like a completely different player the last four or five games, doesn’t he?

10) I know that the Rangers are looking to land Rick Nash, and not sure if they can or will. One of the guys in the talk is Artem Anisimov, who continues to show in spurts that he’s still a very promising work in progress. On his goal,  I thought he was going to pass it, and I was already thinking in my head how I was going to rip him for forcing the pass.

11) We sure had some fun with the nose jokes regarding Brad Marchand—the Bruins’ Callahan-type. When I spoke with Pat Verbeek the other night, he sounded ticked that they’re calling Marchand “the Little Ball of Hate.” But Marchand is that.

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My Three Rangers Stars:
1) Henrik Lundqvist (duh!).
2) Ryan Callahan.
3) Dan Girardi.
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AP photos, above.

 

 

AP photo.

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Courtesy of the NYR:

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
February 14, 2012 (Game 55, Away Game 29)
TD Garden — Boston, MA

1st   2nd   3rd   OT   Final
New York Rangers                2      0        1       –      3
Boston Bruins                       0      0        0       –      0

Team Notes:

-       The Rangers defeated the Boston Bruins, 3-0, tonight at TD Garden to extend their winning streak to four games, and have now won eight of their last 10 games.  The Blueshirts are 20-5-1 in their last 26 games, dating back to Dec. 17.

-       New York has posted a record of 37-13-5 (79 pts) on the season, including a 19-7-3 mark on the road.  The Blueshirts opened up a nine-point gap over Boston for first place in the Eastern Conference, and are one point shy of Detroit for first in the league overall.

-       The Rangers extended their winning streak against the Bruins to four games, and have now won eight of their last 10 meetings.  New York has won five of their last six games at Boston.

-       New York has posted a record of 50-29-12 against Original Six teams since 2005-06, including a 19-5-2 mark vs. Boston over the span.

-       The Blueshirts have won eight of their last 10 road games (8-1-1 over the span), and are 14-3-1 in their last 18 games away from MSG.

-       The Rangers’ .718 win% through 55 games is the team’s best start in 39 years, when the 1972-73 Blueshirts began the season with a 38-13-4 record (.727 win%), and is tied as the second best start in franchise history.

-       New York notched a power play goal in their only opportunity, and are now 5-13 (38.5%) with the man advantage in the last four games.  The Rangers improved to 19-1-2 when tallying a power play goal.

-       The Blueshirts’ penalty kill held the Bruins scoreless in one shorthanded situation, and are now 7-7 in the last three games.  The Rangers improved to 27-6-2 when not allowing a power play goal.

-       The Rangers were credited with 22 blocked shots in the contest, led by Dan Girardi and Brandon Prust who registered three blocked shots apiece.

-       Head Coach John Tortorella registered his 131st win with the Rangers to move into a tie with Herb Brooks for sixth on the Rangers’ all-time coaching wins list.  His .586 win% currently ranks second on the Rangers’ all-time coaching win% list.

Player Notes:

-       Henrik Lundqvist turned aside all 42 shots faced to post his league-leading, seventh shutout of the season, and improved to 27-11-4 overall with a 14-5-2 mark on the road.  It is the 12th time in his career he has posted 40+ saves in a game, and is now 7-0-5 with a 1.37 goals against average, .968 save percentage and four shutouts in those games.  Lundqvist is now 7-1-0 with a 1.10 goals against average, .960 save percentage and three shutouts in his last eight games.

-       Ryan Callahan opened the game’s scoring with a power play goal at 10:09 of the first period to extend his goal streak to four games (six goals over the span), and was credited with three shots and three hits in 18:05 of ice time.  The goal was his 23rd of the season, which ties his career-high for most goals in a season established last season.  Callahan is now one goal shy of 100 career NHL goals.

-       Ryan McDonagh notched an unassisted goal at 19:48 of the first period, and logged 26:49 of ice time to earn third star honors.  He has tallied a goal in each of the last two games, and has posted a plus-18 rating in the last 17 games.

-       Artem Anisimov registered his 100th career NHL point with a goal, his 10th of the season, and was credited with three hits in 15:37 of ice time.  He has now tallied six points (three goals, three assists) in the last six games.

-       Marian Gaborik tallied a power play assist and tied for the team-high with three shots on goal in 17:30 of ice time.  He has now recorded 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in the last 13 games.

-       Michael Del Zotto recorded the primary assist on Callahan’s power play goal and was credited with two hits in the contest.  He has tallied seven points (two goals, five assists) in the last nine games, including four assists in the last four games.

-       Brandon Dubinsky tallied an assist and was credited with two hits in 16:21 of ice time.  He has now registered three assists in the last two games.

-       Anton Stralman recorded an assist, was credited with two hits and two blocked shots, and logged 15:18 of ice time.  He has now tallied three assists in the last four games.

Team Schedule:

-       The Blueshirts’ practice schedule for tomorrow, Feb. 15, is 12:00 p.m. at MSG Training Center.

-       The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in an Original Six match-up.  The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.

Game 55.

The Eastern leaders vs. the defending champs.  Ya boys are 4-1 vs. the Bruins the last two seasons, including 1-0 this year (in Boston).

The Rangers have won three in a row, are 7-1-1 in their last nine. Boston is 2-3 in its last five, including a shootout win over Nashville Saturday and a 6-0 loss in Buffalo last Wednesday.

Ruslan Fedotenko will be a game-time decision. So Stu Bickel or Steve Eminger would be prucha’d. Don’t know if John Tortorella wants Bickel’s snarl in the lineup for this game. Henrik Lundqvist vs. Tim Thomas in goal.

We’ll be watching closely to see if there’s retribution for Andrew Ference’s attempted maiming of Ryan McDonagh.

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We will have a live chat tomorrow at noon, and I’m sure the main topic, other than tonight’s game, will be Rick Nash.

I did some sniffing around and this thing is for real. The Rangers are very interested and have no problem with the idea of adding Nash’s cap hit. The problem will be what they have to give up to get him, whether he’d waive his no-movement clause to come here, and what other teams are going to be involved if this becomes a sweepstakes. But the Rangers will be in it.

IMO, if you have to give up a relatively significant player from the lineup, a significant prospect or two, and a No. 1 draft pick, you do it. That doesn’t affect the chemistry or the lineup much at all, Nash replacing the traded player, whomever that is. Nash could be a monster on this team.

Thoughts:

1) This sure wasn’t the most exciting game ever played. But you know what? Ya boys don’t mind that either. Want to grind? Want to make it a battle for chances? Fine with them. Afterwards, John Tortorella said this is the type of game the Rangers expect to have to fight through this last third of the season—like the game against the Devils—where scoring is low, games are tight. Again, that’s OK with these Rangers.

2) I did complain yesterday about the lack of noise in the building, and there was silence at times. I ducked for cover when I suggested that Knicks games are louder. But it was a matinee and it was kids’ day and there were sure a lot of youngsters in the building. And when the kids’ folks got going, the kids got into it, too, especially late.

3) I thought at times that the Rangers—even though there was no nasty to this game, and it wasn’t exceptionally physical—kind of dampened the Capitals’ compete level. It sure looked like some of them weren’t interested in getting involved in all of that, including, at times, Mr. Ovechkin, former monster. Ovechkin (on some shifts)=glider.

4) The first period was kinda like the all-star game, minus the offense.

5) How about this statement start: Dan Block Ness Monster Girardi takes an Ovechkin bomb right off the melon? Fortunately it caught all helmet. And Block Ness laughed all the way to the bench.

6) Nobody was laughing at Ryan McDonagh when he scored that goal and fell in a heap, holding his left knee. Apparently McDonagh has this trick kneecap that acts up, or moves, or tweaks every once in a while throughout his career. It hurts for a while and then he gets through it. McDonagh didn’t miss a shift, played an amazing game, and finally—despite all the great games and big goals he’s had this season—got to wear the Broadway Hat for the first time.

7) Tortorella also pointed out the group of five in front of Henrik Lundqvist who did such a number on Ovechkin’s line: That being Brandon (game-winning, 48-game-slump-busting, short-handed goal) Prust, Brian Boyle and Brandon Dubinsky, Girardi and McMonster. And that their best defensive work was owning the puck. And they did. One of the Washington writers sitting next to me said a couple of times in the first two periods, “My God, they’ve spent the whole game in their own end.” Again, maybe that’s not thrill-a-minute, but boy is it effective.

8) And while the grinders won this game, the Rangers got yet another goal from their heart, soul and captain Ryan Callahan, who lost his balance kicking a pass to his stick, and while falling scored a beauty of a goal. And they got another really good game from the GAS Line, especially that No. 10 guy who could have had a bushel of goals with a little luck.

9) You know whose game I’ve really liked a lot lately? John Mitchell’s.

10) The Caps really might not make the playoffs this year, and the Rangers will, and that trading place wasn’t lost on a  lot of people. Prust said, “I guess it’s a little different. They were the team with the bull’s eye on their back. Now it’s kind of us. It’s definitely a little different … I like it this way a lot better.” Washington really misses Nick Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (sports hernia surgery). Backstrom might not make it back this season. And Mike Knuble was a healthy scratch (deadline deal candidate?) All of those guys and Ovechkin and the Caps’ stars have been in the lineup together for eight games this year, and they’re 8-0.

11) Saw two of my favorite size small ex-Rangers tough guys: George McPhee (the Capitals GM) and  Pat Verbeek, scouting for Tampa Bay. I was able to clear up an argument that was ongoing up in Canada recently, when somebody suggested Ray Ferraro was the original “Little Ball of Hate.” Verbeek insisted that he was the original. That’s what I had thought all along.

12) I said so yesterday, that I thought it was a great idea to play Lundqvist back-to-back … and I’d certainly play him in Boston tomorrow. The guy’s a horse and a competitor and he wants to play every game, and there’s nothing wrong with letting him do it and feeling pushed once in a while. God knows he excelled when he had to play every game after the deadline last year, and he’d happily play every game from now on out, and he will be playing every game when the tournament begins.

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My Three Rangers Stars:
1) Brandon Prust.
2) Ryan McDonagh.
3) Dan Girardi.
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Here is my column from the game, in The Journal News and on LoHud.com today.

AP photos, above.