Marian Gaborik's favorite bands are Metallica, Obituary, and Pantera.
If Sean Avery plays like Birdo, he will be nothing more then a level 1 boss.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Marian gaborik Shredding in Goals and on Bass
Marian Gaborik's favorite bands are Metallica, Obituary, and Pantera.
If Sean Avery plays like Birdo, he will be nothing more then a level 1 boss.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Rangers Winning Again
Two Heads are Better Then One!
Avery is amazing when he keeps his eyes open!!
The Rangers are finally winning again! For the first time since the end of their 7-1 start of the season they have pulled together a 3-game-winning streak.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Rangers and Islanders Split Home-and-Home, Dec. 16th, 17 '09
Game Highlights of Islanders 2-1 win, Dec 16th '09:
Perhaps there were two important highlights for the Rangers in the first game and one important lesson. The first of these highlights is the Sean Avery scrum with Islanders goaltender Dwayne Roloson (video below). The second of these was the Rangers battle they showed towards the very end, featuring a goal by Enver Lisin and some close opportunities that would have tied it up.
* Henrik Lundqvist made a lot of huge saves that kept the score margin low for a lot of th game. It is good to see him back to form, maybe we'll see Chad Johnson start against the Flyers for those crucial division points.
* Sean Avery played his game, and very effectively at that!
* Enver Lisin's goal was his first in 16 games. He received under 10 minutes of ice time but got his nose into the play when he was out there. Hope Tortorella uses him more.
* Ales Kotalik (who fell down and let Frans Nielsen skate in uncontested for a breakaway shot on Lundqvist) received 3:39 ice time on the power play, and only 3:27 at even strength. He ended up getting scratched for the Rangers followup win.
* Wade Redden simply let Blake Comeau skate past him in the 3rd period and as a result was also a healthy scratch for the Rangers followup victory.
John Tortorella cursing post-game:
Chris Drury, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal Post-Game:
Game Highlights of Rangers 5-2 win, Dec 17th '09:
The Rangers got their revenge a day later, replacing Ales Kotalik and Wade Redden with previously-scratched Erik Christensen and call-up Bobby Sanguinetti. It was Ryan Callahan, however, who was the headline with his first two-goal game of the season.
* Ryan Callahan (2-2-4 tonight) is now 6-3-9 in his last 10 games and is solidifying his spot on the power play - which 3 of his points came on tonight.
* Marian Gaborik was held without a point in the Islanders' win, the third time the opposition has managed to shut him down in 10 games. During this re-match, however, he netted was 1-2-3 and is now 5-7-12 in that 10-game span.
* Artem Anisimov and Chris Drury also scored for the Rangers, ending their scoring droughts. This was Anisimov's first goal in 11 games and Drury's first in 20.
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Ryan Callahan Post-Game
Perhaps there were two important highlights for the Rangers in the first game and one important lesson. The first of these highlights is the Sean Avery scrum with Islanders goaltender Dwayne Roloson (video below). The second of these was the Rangers battle they showed towards the very end, featuring a goal by Enver Lisin and some close opportunities that would have tied it up.
* Henrik Lundqvist made a lot of huge saves that kept the score margin low for a lot of th game. It is good to see him back to form, maybe we'll see Chad Johnson start against the Flyers for those crucial division points.
* Sean Avery played his game, and very effectively at that!
* Enver Lisin's goal was his first in 16 games. He received under 10 minutes of ice time but got his nose into the play when he was out there. Hope Tortorella uses him more.
* Ales Kotalik (who fell down and let Frans Nielsen skate in uncontested for a breakaway shot on Lundqvist) received 3:39 ice time on the power play, and only 3:27 at even strength. He ended up getting scratched for the Rangers followup win.
* Wade Redden simply let Blake Comeau skate past him in the 3rd period and as a result was also a healthy scratch for the Rangers followup victory.
John Tortorella cursing post-game:
Chris Drury, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal Post-Game:
Game Highlights of Rangers 5-2 win, Dec 17th '09:
The Rangers got their revenge a day later, replacing Ales Kotalik and Wade Redden with previously-scratched Erik Christensen and call-up Bobby Sanguinetti. It was Ryan Callahan, however, who was the headline with his first two-goal game of the season.
* Ryan Callahan (2-2-4 tonight) is now 6-3-9 in his last 10 games and is solidifying his spot on the power play - which 3 of his points came on tonight.
* Marian Gaborik was held without a point in the Islanders' win, the third time the opposition has managed to shut him down in 10 games. During this re-match, however, he netted was 1-2-3 and is now 5-7-12 in that 10-game span.
* Artem Anisimov and Chris Drury also scored for the Rangers, ending their scoring droughts. This was Anisimov's first goal in 11 games and Drury's first in 20.
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Ryan Callahan Post-Game
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Thrashers Beat Rangers in Shootout 3-2, Dec. 14th '09
Game Highlights:
Two huge missed chances on open nets by Ales Kotalik and Sean Avery accent a spirited game (minus the first half of the 2nd) and in which the Rangers gave up their 2nd short-handed goal in 2 games, battled back after two one-goal deficits, only to lose in a shootout.
* For the first time this season (except for the games he lost while injured), Chris Drury was finally taken off the power play. Both Rangers' goals were scored on the power-play (Callahan, Gaborik).
* Ryan Callahan had two points (1-1-2) for the second time this season. The first was the November 5th 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers (also 1-1-2).
* Brandon Dubinsky returned after a 14-game hiatus with a broken hand, sustained in the November 7th 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Brandon Dubinsky, Henrik Lundqvist, Michael Del Zotto Post-Game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Two huge missed chances on open nets by Ales Kotalik and Sean Avery accent a spirited game (minus the first half of the 2nd) and in which the Rangers gave up their 2nd short-handed goal in 2 games, battled back after two one-goal deficits, only to lose in a shootout.
* For the first time this season (except for the games he lost while injured), Chris Drury was finally taken off the power play. Both Rangers' goals were scored on the power-play (Callahan, Gaborik).
* Ryan Callahan had two points (1-1-2) for the second time this season. The first was the November 5th 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers (also 1-1-2).
* Brandon Dubinsky returned after a 14-game hiatus with a broken hand, sustained in the November 7th 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Brandon Dubinsky, Henrik Lundqvist, Michael Del Zotto Post-Game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Monday, December 14, 2009
Slumping Rangers Fall to Sabres 3-2 - Dec. 12th '09
Game Highlights:
John Tortorella continued his line-changing chaos as the Rangers lost to the Sabres in a game that saw all 5-goals scored before the halfway point. Pat Kaleta enjoyed his first professional two-goal game, featuring one short-handed marker, at the expense of Henrik Lundqvist.
The Rangers went 2-for-6 on the power play, but took 5 penalties themselves. Of course the Rangers broadcast team was praising Chris Drury for his penalty killing skills, but having a knack for picking off the oppositions pass isn't really worth $7.05 mil/season to this Blueshirt fan. At least it wasn't worth the league-minimum $0.55 it would of taken to keep Blair Betts.
* John Tortorella continued to force Ryan Callahan into the power-play and he actually scored a goal, but was -3 otherwise. He now has 2 goals in 4 games, and 3 in 7.
* He also continued to force-feed Chris Drury power-play time, who went pointless for his 4th game in a row, and without a goal for his 17th game in a row. Yet, MSG continues to broadcast the Player Profile: Chris Drury special before and after every game. My biggest memory of Chris Drury in this game was his presence on the power play in the final minutes. He passed the puck back and forth with Michael Del Zotto for a few moments until it was poked away. Michael Del Zotto looked like he was dishing 1-timers and Chris Drury just looked lost. John Tortorella said he was 'goin with his gut'. Captain Cluth, my ass.
* PA Parenteau was sent down after this game, in which he went scoreless 9 minutes of ice time and was one of only 8 players who were not a - (minus) in this game. Tortorella continues to demote the kids, but awards players like Drury with crucial power play time.
Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan Post-Game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
John Tortorella continued his line-changing chaos as the Rangers lost to the Sabres in a game that saw all 5-goals scored before the halfway point. Pat Kaleta enjoyed his first professional two-goal game, featuring one short-handed marker, at the expense of Henrik Lundqvist.
The Rangers went 2-for-6 on the power play, but took 5 penalties themselves. Of course the Rangers broadcast team was praising Chris Drury for his penalty killing skills, but having a knack for picking off the oppositions pass isn't really worth $7.05 mil/season to this Blueshirt fan. At least it wasn't worth the league-minimum $0.55 it would of taken to keep Blair Betts.
* John Tortorella continued to force Ryan Callahan into the power-play and he actually scored a goal, but was -3 otherwise. He now has 2 goals in 4 games, and 3 in 7.
* He also continued to force-feed Chris Drury power-play time, who went pointless for his 4th game in a row, and without a goal for his 17th game in a row. Yet, MSG continues to broadcast the Player Profile: Chris Drury special before and after every game. My biggest memory of Chris Drury in this game was his presence on the power play in the final minutes. He passed the puck back and forth with Michael Del Zotto for a few moments until it was poked away. Michael Del Zotto looked like he was dishing 1-timers and Chris Drury just looked lost. John Tortorella said he was 'goin with his gut'. Captain Cluth, my ass.
* PA Parenteau was sent down after this game, in which he went scoreless 9 minutes of ice time and was one of only 8 players who were not a - (minus) in this game. Tortorella continues to demote the kids, but awards players like Drury with crucial power play time.
Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan Post-Game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Matt Gilroy Sent Down After Blackhawks Beat Rangers 2-1 in Overtime - Dec. 12th '09
Game Highlights:
Dustin Byfuglien skated around Matt Gilroy to score the Overtime game-winning goal a few minutes after Matt Gilroy [among others] allowed Jonathan Toews to poke the puck in over a prone Lundqvist to tie a game that had been a Rangers' 1-0 lead for 41:55 of the game. By the way - in moments like this one really misses the presence of a big, physical defender like Paul Mara or Alexei Semenov.
You can assume that John Tortorella's thinking was even quicker than his actions, as Matt Gilroy (the highest +/- rated +2 on the Rangers defense) was promptly sent down to the Hartford Wolfpack. With Ilkka Heikkinen still on the roster [a healthy scratch this game], John Tortorella is able to fill 6 spots with Gilroy gone. It also makes you wonder if Heikkinen's satellite-presence was the pre-cursor to some defensive-discipline - Tortorella Style - of which Gilroy was the unfortunate victim.
That being said, the Rangers stole the 1 point they earned in Chicago almost entirely on the shoulders of Henrik Lundqvist, who made a season-high 39 saves - some of which were highlight-reel caliber against NHL top-ten forwards.
* Chris Higgins scored a goal for his 3rd point in 3 games (2-1-3), which the Rangers ended up clinging to for over 40 minutes.
* Marian Gaborik recorded the assist on the play, after a nice pick-and-roll by Michal Roszival. Although not much effort was made by the Blackhawks' backcheckers at this point in the game to cover Gaborik, their lesson was soon learned.
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Henrik Lundqvist (very emotional), Marc Staal Post-Game:
Dustin Byfuglien skated around Matt Gilroy to score the Overtime game-winning goal a few minutes after Matt Gilroy [among others] allowed Jonathan Toews to poke the puck in over a prone Lundqvist to tie a game that had been a Rangers' 1-0 lead for 41:55 of the game. By the way - in moments like this one really misses the presence of a big, physical defender like Paul Mara or Alexei Semenov.
You can assume that John Tortorella's thinking was even quicker than his actions, as Matt Gilroy (the highest +/- rated +2 on the Rangers defense) was promptly sent down to the Hartford Wolfpack. With Ilkka Heikkinen still on the roster [a healthy scratch this game], John Tortorella is able to fill 6 spots with Gilroy gone. It also makes you wonder if Heikkinen's satellite-presence was the pre-cursor to some defensive-discipline - Tortorella Style - of which Gilroy was the unfortunate victim.
That being said, the Rangers stole the 1 point they earned in Chicago almost entirely on the shoulders of Henrik Lundqvist, who made a season-high 39 saves - some of which were highlight-reel caliber against NHL top-ten forwards.
* Chris Higgins scored a goal for his 3rd point in 3 games (2-1-3), which the Rangers ended up clinging to for over 40 minutes.
* Marian Gaborik recorded the assist on the play, after a nice pick-and-roll by Michal Roszival. Although not much effort was made by the Blackhawks' backcheckers at this point in the game to cover Gaborik, their lesson was soon learned.
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Henrik Lundqvist (very emotional), Marc Staal Post-Game:
Red Wings Drop Rangers 3-1, Dec. 6th '09
Game Highlights:
After putting up a heroic effort, making some brilliant saves in the first two stanzas, it was a goal-line shot from Dan Cleary that put the Red Wings on top.
I can't really blame Henrik Lundqvist for letting in a shot like this after some of the saves he made earlier in the game. The Rangers skated good as a whole, but were maybe a half-a-step behind Detroit for a large part of the beginning of the game. Also look at the power play for blame. The Red Wings gave the Rangers three juicy opportunities in the third period on the power play to make the game 2-1 before Cleary did, but the Rangers just couldn't capitalize.
* Brian Boyle scored a text-book tip-in from Chris Higgins. I had yet to see Tortorella put these two together and hopefully he builds on their speed/creativity.
* Ales Kotalik missed on a wide-open net in the first. Sean Avery missed on a wide-open net in the third. Ryan Callahan missed on a penalty shot. Very hard work but no finishing - sound familiar?
* Overall - an immensely frustrating loss for a team that could keep up with Detroit's battle, miss two open nets, and then lose to a bad goal.
* Kudos to John Tortorella for playing Sean Avery on the Gaborik/Prospal line!
Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan, Sean Avery Post-game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
After putting up a heroic effort, making some brilliant saves in the first two stanzas, it was a goal-line shot from Dan Cleary that put the Red Wings on top.
I can't really blame Henrik Lundqvist for letting in a shot like this after some of the saves he made earlier in the game. The Rangers skated good as a whole, but were maybe a half-a-step behind Detroit for a large part of the beginning of the game. Also look at the power play for blame. The Red Wings gave the Rangers three juicy opportunities in the third period on the power play to make the game 2-1 before Cleary did, but the Rangers just couldn't capitalize.
* Brian Boyle scored a text-book tip-in from Chris Higgins. I had yet to see Tortorella put these two together and hopefully he builds on their speed/creativity.
* Ales Kotalik missed on a wide-open net in the first. Sean Avery missed on a wide-open net in the third. Ryan Callahan missed on a penalty shot. Very hard work but no finishing - sound familiar?
* Overall - an immensely frustrating loss for a team that could keep up with Detroit's battle, miss two open nets, and then lose to a bad goal.
* Kudos to John Tortorella for playing Sean Avery on the Gaborik/Prospal line!
Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan, Sean Avery Post-game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Heroic Lundqvist and Rangers Topple Sabres 2-1, Dec. 5th '09
Game Highlights:
Henrik Lundqvist played a really strong game and the Rangers won a game in which they scored 2 goals that weren't from Marian Gaborik or Vaclav Prospal. Thus there is a lot more good the Rangers can take from this game then just 2 road points.
This game's success starts with the goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist flirted with a shutout for 59 minutes; spoiled by Jason Pominville during a 6-on-5 after the Sabres pulled Ryan Miller (who also put up a stellar performance. Henrik stopped 36-of-37 shots, while Ryan Miller stopped 30-of-32.
A spirited effort by the Blueshirts with much fewer penalties. In fact when your team is only taking 2-3 penalties per game they become much more memorable and one of these was the coach's fault: too many men on the ice. Let's not forget the '08-09 campaign when the Rangers led the whole NHL in too many men on the ice penalties as well as shorthanded goals against. If John Tortorella is going to readily switch up the components of his lines, he has to be ready to keep up with the pace and diligence in which they are dispatched.
* Ryan Callahan (his 5th) and Chris Higgins (his 3rd) scored the goals for the Rangers. Ryan Callahan now has 2 goals in 4 games and Higgins broke a 10-game slump.
* Enver Lisin didn't pick up his assignments with much tenacity in the latter stages of the first period. As a result he spent the majority of the remainder on the bench, logging only 5:27 ice time. Further as a result, the rest of his line (Brian Boyle and PA Parenteau) suffered on the bench as well. Hopefully John Tortorella finds a good use for these guys.
* Ilkka Heikkinen made his Rangers debut after Bobby Sanguinetti was sent down to Hartford over the weekend in replacement of an injured Wade Redden. Heikkinen was invisible in just under 10 minutes ice time - which is an A+ game for a defensemen plugging a defensive gap as a rookie. Success is written by the fewest amount of mistakes and he was very successful. Definitely kept up with the pace.
* Erik Christensen made his Rangers debut after being claimed off waivers from the Ducks. He blended in nicely and played 3rd line blue collar hockey - exactly what he was brought here for.
All in all, the team played well together. Ales Kotalik's 'boarding' penalty was questionable at best, but could of been avoided. Regardless, the Rangers are moving in the right direction after a dismal past-couple-weeks.
Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Henrik Lundqvist played a really strong game and the Rangers won a game in which they scored 2 goals that weren't from Marian Gaborik or Vaclav Prospal. Thus there is a lot more good the Rangers can take from this game then just 2 road points.
This game's success starts with the goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist flirted with a shutout for 59 minutes; spoiled by Jason Pominville during a 6-on-5 after the Sabres pulled Ryan Miller (who also put up a stellar performance. Henrik stopped 36-of-37 shots, while Ryan Miller stopped 30-of-32.
A spirited effort by the Blueshirts with much fewer penalties. In fact when your team is only taking 2-3 penalties per game they become much more memorable and one of these was the coach's fault: too many men on the ice. Let's not forget the '08-09 campaign when the Rangers led the whole NHL in too many men on the ice penalties as well as shorthanded goals against. If John Tortorella is going to readily switch up the components of his lines, he has to be ready to keep up with the pace and diligence in which they are dispatched.
* Ryan Callahan (his 5th) and Chris Higgins (his 3rd) scored the goals for the Rangers. Ryan Callahan now has 2 goals in 4 games and Higgins broke a 10-game slump.
* Enver Lisin didn't pick up his assignments with much tenacity in the latter stages of the first period. As a result he spent the majority of the remainder on the bench, logging only 5:27 ice time. Further as a result, the rest of his line (Brian Boyle and PA Parenteau) suffered on the bench as well. Hopefully John Tortorella finds a good use for these guys.
* Ilkka Heikkinen made his Rangers debut after Bobby Sanguinetti was sent down to Hartford over the weekend in replacement of an injured Wade Redden. Heikkinen was invisible in just under 10 minutes ice time - which is an A+ game for a defensemen plugging a defensive gap as a rookie. Success is written by the fewest amount of mistakes and he was very successful. Definitely kept up with the pace.
* Erik Christensen made his Rangers debut after being claimed off waivers from the Ducks. He blended in nicely and played 3rd line blue collar hockey - exactly what he was brought here for.
All in all, the team played well together. Ales Kotalik's 'boarding' penalty was questionable at best, but could of been avoided. Regardless, the Rangers are moving in the right direction after a dismal past-couple-weeks.
Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game:
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Glaringly Inconsistent Officiating in 5-2 Loss to Penguins, Nov. 30 '09
Game Highlights:
The Rangers' play and defensive coverages seemed about as stable as the Rangers Webpage did today, at least where it counted (on the scoreboard). I notice today that the Rangers launched a new ad-campaign during the 2009 'winter shopping craze' in which an animated Henrik Lundqvist walks over and stands there while the ad takes precedence over the rest of the webpage's navigation. Coincidentally, all of the ads that would normally fit on the right-nav bar, have all overlapped onto the content on the left-nav bar, so as of today - the official Rangers' website is in total, un-navigatable dis-array.
*Updated: The animated Lundqvist ad is now gone from the webpage, and with it the terrible CSS mess-up that ensued. Their problem is probably as simple as moving a block of CSS (ad) below another (main page).
If only a proud and confident Lundqvist could have stood out in the recent 5-3 loss to the Penguins like he now does on the webpage. Henrik Lundqvist's softy to Mike Rupp (his 2nd of 3 in his first career hat-trick), stirs many more recent memories of Lundqist standing out - as a liability.
The officiating in this game, duly noted in title, was atrociously inconsistent showing - AGAIN - huge favoritism towards the Penguins. It's borderline embarassing to call myself a fan of the NHL when their blatant superstars are given outrageous calls again and again.
- Donald Brashear was called for roughing in the first period after taking a few jabs at a Penguin player who grabbed his arm during a post-whistle net scrum. Yet in the second period Marian Gaborik was jabbed at least twice by Sidney Crosby in the face, and another 2-or-3 by Bill Guerin. Neither Penguin was called for a penalty in what was much more blatant then Donald Brashear's actions.
- Bobby Sanguinetti was called for hooking in the second period in a replay that showed Sanguinetti's stick-blade never even making contact with the Penguin.
- Ryan Callahan was blatantly tripped in Pittsburgh's end half-way through the third when the Rangers' were showing desperation. Similarly Sean Avery was nearly body-slammed to the left of the crease in the third - Nothing was called on either blatant penalty.
- Dan Girardi was called for boarding after checking Mike Rupp aside the boards in front of the scorer's table in the third. The video review showed Mike Rupp see Girardi coming, turn, and lift his skate falling into the check. He exited the ice for about 2 minutes - most likely to feign injury and avoid a possible diving call - granting the Penguins yet another sneaky, loose call.
- Sean Avery was called for a goalie interference penalty in the 8-3 loss to the Penguins for clipping Marc-Andre Fleury as Fleury was skating outwards from his crease to draw contact. In this game we saw Henrik Lundqvist get clipped behind his own net from Pascal Dupuis in the first. If there was any consistency in officiating - the Penguins would of gone shorthanded for this.
All over the ice in these games against the Penguins you will notice Rangers getting knocked down, tripped, hooked, punched, or roughed up after the whistle with no calls. The Rangers did make some key mistakes at some key times, but the general protection that the Penguins get, and the liberties they are allowed to take, really suck the credibility right out of the NHL.
* Chris Drury looks and plays like a 3rd or 4th liner. Yet he is receiving about the same paycheck as Marian Gaborik who is on par for 70 goals after netting 2 more tonight while becoming the first player in '09-10 to hit the 20-mark. His 3 assists in his past 3 games have come after squandering several power plays, and exist entirely because of the skill of Gaborik.
* Sean Avery played on the line with Prospal and Gaborik at even strength, finishing the game as the only +1 in the Rangers lineup. We'd been talking about the potential Sean Avery would add to the top-line (like the Jagr era) and it was a great success tonight. The last time they played together was the 7-4 win over the Bluejackets 1 week ago.. hopefully Tortorella sticks with it and maybe replaces Ryan Callahan on the power play with #16.
* If post-hits counted for goals, Chris Higgins would be on par for 70 as well.
* Brian Boyle and Enver Lisin have been both tooted as 'highly coachable' and spent the second game scratched. The Rangers have been outscored 18-6 in the last 3 games. I would say that this problem is clearly not in the 2-or-3 slackers that Tortorella has placed the blame on.
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Marian Gaborik, Henrik Lundqvist, Chris Drury Post-Game:
The Rangers' play and defensive coverages seemed about as stable as the Rangers Webpage did today, at least where it counted (on the scoreboard). I notice today that the Rangers launched a new ad-campaign during the 2009 'winter shopping craze' in which an animated Henrik Lundqvist walks over and stands there while the ad takes precedence over the rest of the webpage's navigation. Coincidentally, all of the ads that would normally fit on the right-nav bar, have all overlapped onto the content on the left-nav bar, so as of today - the official Rangers' website is in total, un-navigatable dis-array.
*Updated: The animated Lundqvist ad is now gone from the webpage, and with it the terrible CSS mess-up that ensued. Their problem is probably as simple as moving a block of CSS (ad) below another (main page).
If only a proud and confident Lundqvist could have stood out in the recent 5-3 loss to the Penguins like he now does on the webpage. Henrik Lundqvist's softy to Mike Rupp (his 2nd of 3 in his first career hat-trick), stirs many more recent memories of Lundqist standing out - as a liability.
The officiating in this game, duly noted in title, was atrociously inconsistent showing - AGAIN - huge favoritism towards the Penguins. It's borderline embarassing to call myself a fan of the NHL when their blatant superstars are given outrageous calls again and again.
- Donald Brashear was called for roughing in the first period after taking a few jabs at a Penguin player who grabbed his arm during a post-whistle net scrum. Yet in the second period Marian Gaborik was jabbed at least twice by Sidney Crosby in the face, and another 2-or-3 by Bill Guerin. Neither Penguin was called for a penalty in what was much more blatant then Donald Brashear's actions.
- Bobby Sanguinetti was called for hooking in the second period in a replay that showed Sanguinetti's stick-blade never even making contact with the Penguin.
- Ryan Callahan was blatantly tripped in Pittsburgh's end half-way through the third when the Rangers' were showing desperation. Similarly Sean Avery was nearly body-slammed to the left of the crease in the third - Nothing was called on either blatant penalty.
- Dan Girardi was called for boarding after checking Mike Rupp aside the boards in front of the scorer's table in the third. The video review showed Mike Rupp see Girardi coming, turn, and lift his skate falling into the check. He exited the ice for about 2 minutes - most likely to feign injury and avoid a possible diving call - granting the Penguins yet another sneaky, loose call.
- Sean Avery was called for a goalie interference penalty in the 8-3 loss to the Penguins for clipping Marc-Andre Fleury as Fleury was skating outwards from his crease to draw contact. In this game we saw Henrik Lundqvist get clipped behind his own net from Pascal Dupuis in the first. If there was any consistency in officiating - the Penguins would of gone shorthanded for this.
All over the ice in these games against the Penguins you will notice Rangers getting knocked down, tripped, hooked, punched, or roughed up after the whistle with no calls. The Rangers did make some key mistakes at some key times, but the general protection that the Penguins get, and the liberties they are allowed to take, really suck the credibility right out of the NHL.
* Chris Drury looks and plays like a 3rd or 4th liner. Yet he is receiving about the same paycheck as Marian Gaborik who is on par for 70 goals after netting 2 more tonight while becoming the first player in '09-10 to hit the 20-mark. His 3 assists in his past 3 games have come after squandering several power plays, and exist entirely because of the skill of Gaborik.
* Sean Avery played on the line with Prospal and Gaborik at even strength, finishing the game as the only +1 in the Rangers lineup. We'd been talking about the potential Sean Avery would add to the top-line (like the Jagr era) and it was a great success tonight. The last time they played together was the 7-4 win over the Bluejackets 1 week ago.. hopefully Tortorella sticks with it and maybe replaces Ryan Callahan on the power play with #16.
* If post-hits counted for goals, Chris Higgins would be on par for 70 as well.
* Brian Boyle and Enver Lisin have been both tooted as 'highly coachable' and spent the second game scratched. The Rangers have been outscored 18-6 in the last 3 games. I would say that this problem is clearly not in the 2-or-3 slackers that Tortorella has placed the blame on.
John Tortorella Post-Game:
Marian Gaborik, Henrik Lundqvist, Chris Drury Post-Game:
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