New York Rangers
Someone Let The NHL Schedule Out….
It is now out of the bag……
It will be an interesting season this year with everyone playing each other at least once. I will enjoy the Pittsburgh-Washington battles..and the two Avery Vs. Brodeur matchups. Naturally, the Rangers Vs. Stars meeting will also have extra meeting as the super pest faces his former team. There are so many storylines with the new err back to the future schedule.
Sometime around Thanksgiving or a little after, Martin Brodeur (barring injury) will surely approach and break Patrick Roy’s goaltending victories mark (551). Brodeur has 538 right now…and well 14 wins should be about as automatic as Tiger Woods on Sundays. I was hoping the Devils would have a West Coast trip at that time but no…they will have a trip in early January…right around my wife’s birthday (Jan. 8th).
Finally, all I want to see this year is some more physical hockey. With all the changing addresses, maybe my hope will be fulfilled. Now maybe it won’t but I am hoping for a very interesting season, I look forward to The Winter Classic in Chicago, and of course the start of the season in Europe with Ottawa, Pittsburgh, NY Rangers, and Tampa playing two games each. Enjoy!
Osgood As It Gets!!!!
START SPRAING THE SHAME PAIN BOYS AND LETS DRINK FROM THE LORDS CUP!!!!!
Wow, well the Red Wings are Stanley Cup Champions again.
What a series it was, both teams played their hearts out and it the end we all know who is the best team this season in Hockey.
The Red Wings dominated the Playoffs and Osgood got the MVP.
Although the Penguins tried to force a game 7, the Wings were just to big to stop.
If the Penguins did force a game 7, then it would be really tough to win it in Hockeytown.
The Pens came into the Stanley Cup Finals overconfident and not willing to admit that there was another team better than them and more hungry for Lord Stanleys Cup.
That’s the real reason the Penguins lost the series and their dreams of hoisting the Cup.
All that’s left to do until the offseason comes is the 2008 NHL Draft which will be an exciting one and with Melrose becoming the new lighting head coach and the Wings winning the Cup this will be an interesting Draft year for the NHL.
Flying High In MoTown!!!
The Red Wings took game 2 on Monday night 3-0. The Pens looked aware, but a sleep at trying to score goals.
Detroit had a very busy couple of days hosting the Stanley Cup Finals and the Eastern Confrence Finals between the Celtics and the Pistons. between the fights and the penalties that were in game 2, I have to say what a game it was on Monday.
There were so many fights and so much talkin I was wondering that maybe this was WWF smack down in hockey style.
Now I know their playing for the biggest trophy in hockey, but I guess you can’t blame them when it comes to Lords Stanley’s Cup you just sometimes have to drop the gloves and fight it out, to see who wants it more.
Although the Pens did seem like they might have been starting to make a comeback in the third, I doubted it after one of the players on the Penguins was called for goalie interference.
Malkin and Crosby seemed to be alert on trying to score goals, but the defense of the Red Wings kust were to much to handle.
I really think that the Red Wings will sweep the Penguins if the Pens don’t start shuting them down and start slowing it down a bit.
The Pens need to stop talking trash with the Wings and start performing as if in fact they are Eastern Confrence Champs.
Because honestly if they keep on talking trash with their mouths, they will see their hopes and dreams of becoming the NHL Champs sweeped away by the the MoTown Wings.
GO PENS!!!
Rangers Win One For The Spleen?
Yes Sean Avery is still in an intensive care unit a little further up in Manhattan but the Rangers turned in their best postseason performance in a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. Jaromir Jagr scored twice including the gamewinner in the second period that broke the ice and eased the tension for the Rangers. They had to feel the pressure in what had to feel like a 48 hour period from hell.
Depending on one’s account…Sean Avery nearly died the other night from a lacerated spleen suffered in the Game 3 loss at MSG. The Rangers were one loss away from elimination and their thoughts had to be on Avery no question. For the first time in the series…the breaks went NY’s way and stayed that way throughout the game. The bottom line is the Rangers have three more games to win and face it this has only been done twice. However, every game in this series much like their last one was one bounce and it could go either way. Therefore, anything is possible….after all the 75 Penguins did blow a 3-0 lead to the New York Islanders…had to bring that up…I know.
The weirdest thing is after the 3rd goal….this ensues….I mean where was this all series from the Rangers???
Will there be repercussions from this?
I happen to think this is going to set up a very interesting Game 5. Pittsburgh is going to want to pick up the scoring pace no question. The longer they do not score on Lundqvist…the more the goalie will get into the Penguins’ heads and that is just the thing Pittsburgh does not want. PERIOD!! All in all Lundqvist made 29 saves for the shutout and he earned it. Now the fun thing is what happens Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh…I surely can’t wait!!
Now of course…there is a prediction for tonight’s Sharks-Stars…and here is what I got….
Sharks 3 Stars 1…there will be a Game 6. Good night everyone!!
Taking The Day Off….
A quick synopsis of what happened yesterday…..
The Rangers really laid a 1st period egg against the Penguins and could never catch up…as they lost 5-3.
The Stars scored a dramatic OT win once again…Mattias Norstrom did the honors this time as the puck went in…he seemed more stunned than the San Jose Sharks….scary thought.
Datsyuk and Zetterberg dominated the shorthanded Avs again and the Wings held on for a 4-3 victory to go up 3-0 in the series as well.
Sean Avery remains hospitalized after suffering a lacerated spleen in last night’s Rangers game…he did go into Cardiac Arrest but is stable right now and on the road to recovery.
We went 2-1 yesterday…raising our record to 8-4. So today……
Montreal over Philly 3-2 (OT)
Dallas over San Jose 3-2 (OT)
Maybe this time….it will go right for Montreal…it has to sometime…right???
I Feel Like I Just Got Kicked In The Nuts!
That is the only way I can describe last night’s game. I thought for sure Montreal would find a way to win last night’s game and then the second period came and went….my thoughts changed drastically. The goal by Scottie Upshall wasn’t so bad….it was the goal by Mike Richards that was the real dagger though the RJ Umberger goal (off yet another Price misplay) turned out to be the needed insurance. Maybe Derian Hatcher should buy Jeff Carter and Umberger dinner for the next week after his boneheaded 5:00 major nearly cost the Flyers their lead.
In the end, the final score was 3-2. Yet if you watched the game as a fan of neither team the game felt like a 5-1 Habs rout except for the fact that Martin Biron stood on his head in crunch time and Carey Price made at least 2 unforced errors that proved costly. Using tennis terms aside, the Habs are sticking by their goalie…I think a change to Jaroslav Halak would not hurt. Hey the Devils did this once in 1994 against Boston…they benched their rookie (some guy named Brodeur) for Chris Terreri and the Devils went on to win four straight. I am not saying that Halak is a cure all here. However, Halak seems to be more assertive in these puck playing situations and Price’s nonchalantness is the reason why the Habs are down 2-1 plain and simple!!
So now the Habs pretty much face a do or die Game 4…they have to bury their chances and win this one otherwise if they think the Montreal media is all over them now….just give them a few more days after another loss and boy it will be more than a frenzy. It will be downright a catastrophic nightmare that could shut down the entire city.
Prediction Time: (3 games)
NY Rangers 3Â Pittsburgh 2 (OT)
Dallas 3Â San Jose 2 (OT)
Detroit 4Â Colorado 2
Enjoy the hockey tonight everyone…hopefully my 6-3 record gets a bit of a boost tonight.
Today’s Predictions….
I had to keep this simple for my sanity as I am stille stunned from the amazing four goal outburst from Dallas in the third period of tonight’s 5-2 win over San Jose at the HP Pavilion. The four point period from Brad Richards was just the icing on the cake. Any doubt now that Dallas knew what they were doing when they made that trade?? Doubts erased!!! What is sure now is that this series may be shorter than six. Hell, Ron Wilson may be fired sometime next week (you heard it here first).
Congrats also to the Pittsburgh Penguins who used a workmanlike effort today in their 2-0 win over the New York Rangers. Jordan Staal scored on the Power Play then Marc-Andre Fleury may it stand up. Adam Hall added the empty netter. Fleury made 26 saves and several key ones in the third period to preserve the shutout…his first of his career. I have the feeling he is going to have a few more before all is said and done in his career. So the Rangers have been beaten in a slower game and in a faster paced game. That isn’t what I want to see if I am Tom Renney. Shudder to think what it could be like if Pittsburgh played at their best. So far the Rangers have been treading water after that early 3-0 lead in Game 1….and that my friends is dangerous stuff.
So all in all…a 1-1 record today was not surprising…just the way that it happened. Fortunately there is only one game on Monday’s docket…and that is Montreal @ Philly. I just see Montreal and particularly Carey Price coming out with conviction and that will serve him well when this game is in its crucial stages. Here it goes…time to let it ride!
Montreal 4Â Philly 3Â (OT)
I will be able to watch this all in HD and enjoy it thoroughly. Thank you and good night!!!
Here Comes The Pain!!!
I have probably watched the movie “Snake Eyes” a few too many times but you felt the sting of the loss coming like it was fixed. The line that the champ was supposed to go down on was “Here Comes The Pain”…and sure enough the Champ went down and the Senator gets shot and eventually dies. There was a coverup, conspiracy, and much much more. But for aesthetic purposes, I felt that pain when I saw RJ Umberger bat the puck away from Carey Price then shoveled it in the net to give the Flyers a 4-2 lead and a split in Montreal. After 5 straight correct predictions…I was due for some sort of Murphy’s Law…right??? You bet your ass!!
So yes…we dropped a tough one and are now 5-1 for the second round. However…I am undaunted and will try to redeem myself with today’s picks. Time to take a stab at it…ready…aim…..FIRE!!!!
Pittsburgh 4Â NY Rangers 3
San Jose 3Â Dallas 2 (OT)
That 11am PDT start time for the Penguins game will drive me batty but I am game for it….these Game 2’s are going to be even more intense than the Game 1’s and that is just damn fine to me. Here comes the hockey baby!!!
Starry Starry Night….
Stars take Game 1 3-2 in OT.
With just that one shot…the Dallas-San Jose series took on a different meaning. Now yes, I know San Jose dropped Game 1 at home against Calgary but memo to Sharks fans…this isn’t Calgary!! The Stars have scoring depth this year…something they have sorely needed in previous years. Marty Turco is playing solid in net very similar to last year. He kept San Jose at bay for most of the game and did enough late in the game and in overtime to set up Morrow’s heroics. The Stars have now won in 7 of their last 8 visits to the HP Pavillion Center….pretty scary stuff. Maybe they should rename their team the Dallas Sharks…just a thought.
If that wasn’t enough in the “star” department….then there was the star power in last night’s NY Rangers - Pittsburgh Penguins Game 1 clash. Jagr, Gomez, Lundqvist, Crosby, Malkin…they were all there but in the end….it was Ryan Whitney who set up Crosby for a one timer from the point…..then Evgeni Malkin got just enough of his stick on it to tip it in past Henrik Lundqvist on the Power Play and just like that the Penguins won the game 5-4 on the late PP goal with just over 100 seconds left. It capped a very weird game where both goaltenders were extremely shaky and the Rangers had a 3-0 lead early in the second period then the Penguins scored 2 strange goals in :14 to turn the game around as Jarkko Ruutu and Pascual Dupuis scored on Lundqvist who didn’t look the same afterwards.
Not that Fleury had that many bright moments either but he did just barely enough to keep his team in it when they went down 3-0. I was surprised Therrien did not make a change but he stuck with his goalie and did pay off as Marc-Andre Fleury responded. Both teams are going to look at this game and not be all that surprised at what happened. Expect an attempt especially in the first period of Game 2…where both teams try to assert themselves with more physicality and defense. The bottom line is this…whoever has the last chance may just win each game…I kid you not…it may just come down to that.
Onward to today’s predictions….and a run to the store to get some cider before the game starts…..
Montreal Over Philly 4-2
Detroit Over Colorado 4-2
Enjoy the food, beer, and hockey, and now a moment from Montreal-Philly Game 1 from a Habs fan….
Thank you RDS merci!
Playoff Predictor Day 8: We Hit The Crapper!
Apparently sometimes it just doesn’t go according to the script. Yesterday we went 3-2 but had crushing losses by Washington and then Calgary’s 10 shot clunker in a 3-2 loss. However some good came out of yesterday as Anaheim struck back with a vengeance despite some quirky officiating as they defeated Dallas 4-2. Everyone asked where was Chris Pronger? Well we found Pronger in Dallas as he scored 2 goals and a helper. Even Ryan Getzlaf made a sighting. The Ducks only got 15 shots on net but made them count while J.S. Giguere made 31 stops…a big win indeed.
Then there was the debacle in Colorado. How did Colorado get 14 power play chances last night? I am sorry but that game smelled more rotten than Denmark. Yes, Colorado deserved to win but…5-1?? I am not so sure. The game got out of hand…the refs let it get out of hand…it was chippy and feisty but no way the Avalanche should ever get that many gifts. For a second, I thought it was the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals all over again. Pathetic excuse for officiating…hopefully Game 5 is reffed a little better.
Onward to tonight’s games…..I still think the Rangers have a little too much for the Devils right now but I expect this one to go back and forth. The Devils will keep this very close and I wouldn’t be shocked if they won but for some reason…a funny bounce in OT or late in regulation is going to decide this one. I can see a scenario where Chris Drury delivers again in clutch fashion. To think, he was soundly booed throughout much of the first half of the season. Ah, how times have changed. Rangers 3 Devils 2
Ottawa will not get swept! I just can’t see it happening…they will show some pride as they have done this in year’s past. They will come out tonight with a vigor that hasn’t been seen all series long. Their backs are against the wall and a young Pittsburgh team will probably be too cocky so its a perfect time to catch them at their most overconfident. Expect a huge game from Captain Alfredsson….and a Game 5 in Pittsburgh!!      Sens 4 Pens 2
Lastly, there are the Preds and Wings. The Red Wings have learned their lesson but Nashville will not go down quietly. This will be a back and forth tilt with a lot of rapid changes. In the end though, I see Detroit’s offense pulling this one out very late in the third period…and withstanding a late Nashville push in the final minutes and seconds. The game has all the makings of a classic and it will not disappoint the fans of Nashville…that is a given.  Wings 4 Preds 3
My record is now a so-so 17-10….not so great but not so bad either…hopefully tonight will be another steady sign of improvement. One can only wish. Enjoy the hockey!!!!
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