I’ve gotta go do some stuff for the business in a few so I’ll keep this short once again.? Rangers played well, very well, certainly well enough to win.? Remember how I said I can take losses if the Rangers play the right way?? This is one of those games.? We lost because of 2 equally important things.

1)Andrew Raycroft.? He was BRILLIANT.? No doubt a difference maker, but equally as important:
2)The Refs.? Give them a big ass assist, they deserve it, it takes a lot of balls to call a game that one-sided in the Garden.

-Inferno

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It’s been a while, but it is not entirely unexpected that the ugly head of poor officiating would cost the Rangers a game.? Though the game isnt over yet, the reffing has been quite poor in this one.? While the Rangers have been called for legit calls (except the one on Rachunek) the Leafs have gotten away with MURDER out there.? At last count it was something like a half dozen calls that have gone un-noticed, or un-cared by the refs.? I hate games like these, because it is not as if the Rangers are doing things to put themselves in a position to lose.? Just the opposite as they continue to battle hard and play a pretty strong game.

For example, the power play that the Leafs got was on a play where the Leafs player CLEARLY saw Rachunek coming, and at the last second turned his body so it would be a boarding call.? Textbook ladies and gents.? You don’t call that a penalty, there is nothing the forward or defenseman can do, its much akin to a dive (which Jason Krog got away with on the call he drew by the way).

The most atrocious call though was washing away what should have been a Rangers powerplay, and somehow that becomes a Leafs powerplay.? Terrible, terrible officiating.

-Inferno

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It was a tad frustrating first period for the blueshirts.? They played an inept, and at time superb game.? Id say it was about 70% superb, and 30% inept, with little middle ground in between.? Strange strange strange.? We saw some terrible decisions on penalties (and they were all penalties) which cost the rangers nearly 6 full minutes of the first period in penalty killing time.? However the penalty kill (at least in that period) was downright spectacular, giving the Leafs neither time, nor the space to get into the zone, let alone set up for a shot.? The 3rd line still generated a few chances, not nearly as dominant against the bruins, but that was to be expected.? Still though, despite Prucha having 2 penalties, I hope Renney doesnt relegate him to the 4th line for the remainder of the game.

Pock has looked good out there, as has Girardi.? I guess kids CAN play this game, who woulda thunk it.

-Inferno

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Sorry about the wait, guests came over as the buzzer sounded (they are damn lucky it was right at the end, NOBODY interrupts a Rangers game in the inferno household!) so I was unable to write up my post game comments. I’ll be brief as I am a bit tired and a lot of what I saw is fading.? First line, pretty good, 2nd line, awful, 3rd line, just amazing, 4th line, putrid doesnt even describe it.

Looking at it from a realist point of view…the Bruins suck, we all know it, they are worse than their record, and we clearly saw why.? Their D is paper thin after Chara, and their O is simply nonexistent unless Savard does everything. The refs clearly helped us out in this one, but I dont think it mattered one bit.

Our 4th line had the worst game this season…actually probably the worst game ive seen from a Rangers 4th line since the lockout.? They were terrible, I would like to see some changes there.? The COP line though took care of business, owning the ice, and setting the tempo.? Prucha might have had his best game as a Ranger, and it looks like hes starting to peak at just the right time.

Marek Malik.? What can you say, the guy was something like a +4 or +5 in the game, and yet was clearly the worst person on the ice for EITHER team.? Its amazing how misleading stats can be.? Maybe we will be lucky and some moron GM will just look at his +/- and take him off our hands.

-Inferno

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Never, I repeat, NEVER underestimate the importance of chemistry.? See what you are seeing tonight?? Prucha-Cullen-Ortmeyer have just amazing chemistry.? Who woulda thought replacing Shanahan with Ortmeyer would turn those 2 around (at least for 2 nights now).? As Jas from the HFBoards said, all we need is a second line center, and our forwards are set.

BTW, kudos to Renney for rewarding that line with more and more time out there.? Everytime those 3 are out there something has happened.

-Inferno

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2 seconds.? Thats how close I came to exploding.? If I saw another 2 seconds of Marek Malik playing…..what can only be called an abortion of hockey in that first period, I probably would have spontaneously combusted.

Can I say how much I love our new 3rd line?? Orts with Cullen and Prucha really compliment each other well.? Of course it starts with Prucha finding his game overnight, but still, Ortmeyer actually has the speed to keep up with those 2 AND play both ends of the ice.? That line is a keeper if ive ever seen one.? Now all we need to do is find a damn center to play with Shanahan and maybe, just maybe, we can turn this season around.

Good game by the good guys so far, its been entertaining, and if not for some horrendous penalty killing, and some even more horrendous play by Marek Malik, I would even call it a GREAT period.

BTW, its tough not to feel bad for Shanahan, the guy is getting GLORIOUS scoring chances and is just unable to bury them like he was earlier in the year.? Its saying something when you can say without any doubt, that Shanahan should have had a hat trick in the first period.

-Inferno

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As you may have noticed the blog wasnt working yesterday after the first period.? I am testing to see if it is working now…

-Inferno

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They did it all.? They played physical, they put bodies in front of the net, they shot the puck, they drew penalties, they stuck up for each other, they only didnt score.? This is how I want to see the Rangers play.? Effort, Smarts, North American hockey.

Can’t say much about the period as there was little goal scoring, but there was tremendous goaltending by the Flyers goalie….yes, i did just use that phrase, write it down, you wont see it often.? Robert Esche was magnificent in the first, getting the help of 2 posts, and basically stood on his head.? If not for his efforts, this one is likely 4 or 5-0.? Henrik Lundqvist really wasnt challenged at all in the period, as the Rangers carried the play for the entire 20.

Keep it up!!!!

-Inferno

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As you may have read Kaspar has been waived, and Girardi has been called up.? You all have probably found out when Sam broke the news yesterday and today respectively.? My feelings on this.? I like the move, but only if Malik is the one sitting.? Frankly I have been very happy with the play of Rozsival, Ward, Toots, Rachunek and Pock.? Those 5 have been pretty good and all are decent at advancing the play, and making the right move, which is a staple of Girardis game.? This just helps further our transition game.? With that said, if Rachunek is the one to sit, then I dont like this move.? I dont know how people can be upset with Rachuneks play.? The guy has been very steady, and although he hasnt been putting points up, is anyone surprised with what linemates and powerplay minutes he gets?? If you played Rachunek with the first line, I truly believe it would help that line a TON.

Lets see how it plays out.

-Inferno

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Its important not to do what I did. Dont think that the Rangers played a great game because they got a whole bunch of shots on net.? The opposite is actually true.? The Rangers played a pretty mediocre game because nearly all of their shots where from strange ass angle, with nobody in front, that where very easily stopped.? Lehtonen looked very very Brodeuresque making like 35 saves with really only about 3 or 4 good chances.

Henrik, who did play great for about 99% of the game gave up a softie there at the end, but I cant place this one on him, this team has scored a grand total of 1 goal in their past 2 games.? Sorry, but that aint ever going to get it done.? Really the biggest problems to me are the line combinations.? They just dont make sense.? Krog with Cullen and Shanahan?! Are you kidding me?? A waiver claim player, and a guy with only 9 goals playing an average of 16:47? on the 2nd line, and a guy who might be the heart and soul of the team.? How on earth does Renney expect that to do well?? Frankly NEITHER of those guys should be playing on the 2nd line.? And then a guy like Petr Prucha who plays about 4 minutes less per game, and has probably played about half or 3/4ths of the season on the 2nd line, but the rest all over the roster, has been consistently tossed aside as an afterthought.? That is poor coaching ladies? and germs.

The Rangers need a 2nd line center.? Its becoming an absolute team killer at this point.? Shanahan can not do it himself, hes not that kind of a player, he needs a guy who can create space for Shanahan to rip a shot.? Cullen can barely touch the puck without falling or tripping or being bumped off of it before anything can be set up.? Cullen should be on the 3rd line, thats where he belongs.

We need a change, and frankly, im still all for tearing the team down and inserting a ton of kids.? Just as ive said for the past decade.? Id rather fail with kids, than fail with Vets.

-Inferno

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