(Editor’s note: I had to edit some things out of this guest post … not for any particular reason other than I didn’t completely understand where they were going. I normally wouldn’t point out such edits, but you guys familiar with our friend e3 know what I mean.) First, a… Read More →
Why You Move Derek Stepan for Rick Nash I have been watching the National Hockey League for over 40 years and even a non-professional like me can identify who may be a special talent and who, despite his youth, and ability to make an occasional ”wow” pass, is merely an ordinary player and… Read More →
One last time … or at least, one final game review. We’ll have a lot more to discuss, analyze, etc., over the coming days and weeks. Maybe we can do a Live Chat during the coming week and talk it all out. Thoughts: 1) I’m trying to feel your pain,... Read More →
Thoughts: 1) If John Tortorella and Ryan Callahan and company can’t figure out the slow starts and what the coach called “the yips” with the puck, I sure as hell can’t. 2) Too bad for Callahan to have a loss like that on a day when he became a dad…. Read More →
Thoughts: 1) I am going to start off with the Brandon Prust elbow to the head of Anton Volchenkov, only because there’ve been so many such incidents in these playoffs and I want to be consistent, since I’ve pretty much led with all of them throughout. I thought Prust reached… Read More →
FYI, before I turned on the recorder, Brandon Prust was saying that the teams don’t like each other. And he said it twice. I’ll have a link to transcripts, I think, from the Devils later on. John Tortorella: Henrik Lundqvist: Mike Rupp (former Devil): Brad Richards: Ryan Callahan: Brandon Prust:... Read More →
I’m sure you saw that Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan were elevated to a line with Ryan Callahan in practice today, with Brian Boyle being reunited with Brandon Prust (Artem Anisimov on the left) and Ruslan Fedotenko dropped to the John Mitchell-Mike Rupp line. FWIW. John Tortorella: Henrik Lundqvist: Ryan… Read More →
Thoughts: 1) Holy shishkebob. I’d been covering this team since 1978, and had never seen one of these triple-overtimes. Saw them with the Islanders, saw them with the Devils. Never with the Rangers. And in my lifetime, there had only been one—the Pete Stemkowski game in 1971—and I’m pretty sure… Read More →
Thoughts: 1) Yeah, it’s great to be at the game. But sometimes when you’re at the game, you’re writing on deadline and blogging and tweeting and getting e-mails and text messages from the office, and looking up teams’ all-time Game 7 records (Rangers 3-5, but 3-0 at home and 3-1… Read More →
Thoughts: 1) On the Chris Neil assault on Brian Boyle … not only did he drive-by, blind-side, head-target him, but after Boyle went down, Neil gave him another shot in the back of the head. I don’t think John Tortorella was correct in saying it’s the same as Raffi Torres… Read More →
Thoughts: 1) Oh, Captain. Ryan Callahan set a tone early, as usual, found a way to score an uglier-than-hell goal—and he’s made that an art form—and helped will his team to victory. I know, that’s a bit dramatic, because he sure wasn’t alone. You’d have a tough time finding anybody… Read More →
************************************************* FORWARDS: Ottawa’s known as a skill and finesse team, and that is certainly true of its first line. Jason Spezza scored 34-50-84, Milan Michalek had 35-25-60, and captain Daniel Alfredsson (who has scored more points — 1,082 — than any active player who hasn’t won the Stanley Cup,... Read More →
Game 81. Last roadie of the year. Ya boys have won seven of their last nine. With 51 wins and 109 points, they have shots at the franchise records of 52 and 112, both set by the Cup champs in ‘93-94. And with 109, they are tied with Vancouver and… Read More →
First things first. Our live chat today has been moved to 2 p.m. so that those of you who are going to be trying to get playoff tickets when they go on sale at noon can do what you have to do. Then get back here and join us for… Read More →
Thoughts: 1) Mentioned this after the game last night. It’s getting late, and when it’s this late, a three-point lead is big. It’s even bigger when you have the tiebreaker in your pocket, as the Rangers do. So in effect, it’s a four-point lead on Pittsburgh with six to play…. Read More →
After further review: I said in the game review that John Tortorella pulled the same crap in Newark earlier in the season that Pete DeBoer pulled last night, causing that staged melee at the start of the game. Well, for the first time, I was wrong. To a degree. In… Read More →
Thoughts: 1) I have maintained that the synchronized fights are kind of silly and stupid, and most of the time they are. So I guess I’m a hypocrite and an imbecile … though I have also said that it’s different in a big rivalry game, and it’s different when there’s… Read More →
First of all, Brandon Prust is fine, John Tortorella said. Don’t have audio of this, but Pete DeBoer said: “I guess in John’s world you can come into our building and start your tough guys, but we can’t do the same in here. “He’s either got short term memory loss… Read More →
First and foremost, thanks again to Carp for giving me the opportunity to take his place in the lineup for this game. There have been numerous occasions this season in which the Rangers goaltending has been the difference. Tonight, the tables were turned. Semyon Varlamov was a brick wall in… Read More →
Thoughts: 1) I could not have dreamed the Rangers would be where they are without Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik paying on the first line together all year. Imagine if this works now? Imagine if the Rangers finally have that legit first-line with two proven first-line players and a rookie… Read More →
