It wasn’t pretty, but it was a game I can say decisively that we deserved to win. Despite being outshot 34-27, and being outchanced by a fair margin (I would expect), the Rangers got the 2 points they deserved. Remember, I usually don’t care about the result, so long as the play merits a win. And this was a game we played well enough to win, and luckily did.

Kudos to Steve Valliquette. A goalie who gets way too much crap from Ranger fans despite never being given much of a chance to show himself as a good goalie, or a bad goalie in the NHL. He has something like 13 career NHL games played. Not exactly a massive sample size to praise or vilify the guy, so at least give him a chance.

Petr Prucha has been on a downward spiral this year. At first I was seeing him getting chances, just unable to put them home, but now hes just flat out playing bad hockey. Turning pucks over, getting creamed with hits (not that thats new or anything), getting consistently beaten in his own zone. I love the kid, I really do, but he needs to step up his game. If he doesn’t soon, He may be seeing the press box once Callahan and Straka come back.

Sean Avery might be the most valuable player in the NHL. Not that he is that skilled offensively, or defensively, but without him, this team looks strikingly different than with him. He literally completes us, and elevates the team play to another level, along with lowering the play of the other team. Hes so damn good at doing what he does, that I wouldnt trade him for anything in the world….except Crosby

Other than that, there isn’t much to say, Rangers played well, they got the win, and continue to play well. They have picked up 14 of their last 18 possible points. Not half bad, not half bad at all.

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If the Rangers got away with a few in the first, the Leafs got a helping hand in scoring a few in the second. First a call on Scott Gomez that wasn’t just bad, it was flat out disgraceful. I mean, first the guy gets interfered with, no call, then the goalie shoves him, no call, then he shoves back, penalty. Give me a freaking break. Of course the Leafs score on the ensuing powerplay, or just about (like 4 seconds after it expired i believe). Then the refs let the play continue when, at least to me, it looked like Vally got the puck in his glove for a second, and the refs didnt blow the whistle, only to lead to a goal after it was poked loose. You can bet your ass if that was Toskala who covered the puck, it would have been blown dead.

Also, I wonder if the second goal was on an offsides play, sure looked close to me.

Hockey night in Canada indeed…

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More than ever the Rangers seem determined to protect their goalie from tough shots. The Rangers seemed to focus on the defensive end of things that they sacrificed some of the positive momentum they had coming in from their last game where the offensive end of things seemed to be taking a step forward.

Despite the fact that I think Vally is an underrated goalie, I think we can all agree he’s not even in the same stratosphere as Henrik Lundqvist. Not by a country mile. So you can understand why the Rangers are doing what they are doing.

With that said, I thought the reffing in this period was decidedly against the Leafs. Paul Mara got away with 2 massively blatant hooks when the Rangers were on the PK. I was shocked neither of them were called, as they should have been. He also got away with another hold, and a bit of a pick play. Despite the fact that the plays weren’t called, you have to wonder what the hell Paul is thinking. Just because you are getting away with it, doesn’t mean you should push the envelope, particularly when you are on the PK.

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