If you are a regular to this site, then you probably don’t need to click this link, but it helps to read the whole thing to know where I am coming from.

Here is a quick reminder:

Somewhere, sometime, Tom Renney sat his team down and said, fellas, if we go into the 3rd period with a 2 or more goal lead, we are playing a 1-4 defensive system. No more 1-2-2, its a straight 1-4. I can’t for the life if me imagine why this is a good way to play hockey. The Rangers are a PUCK POSSESSION TEAM!!!! We are NOT a team that is going to overwhelm you with our defensive game, we are going to overwhelm you by being responsible, by having 5 in the picture, and by controlling the puck more than you are. It’s a formula that works, it’s a formula this Ranger fan believes in and buys into 100%. But why the hell do you just give away 1/2 the ice to the other team when you have the lead? Seriously, think about it, except for empty net goals, you arent going to score a goal in that period about 99% of the time. And that odd 1% is usually because the other team took an offensive zone penalty which you capatilize on. Why play a brand of hockey that can not advance your score, and can only serve to keep you even, or down a goal.

It makes NO sense, zero whatsoever. It’s the prevent defense that any football fan will acknowledge is the most retarded thing ever invented.

If my team plays my style of hockey for 60 minutes, and gives a good effort, you will not hear me, nor any sane fan complain. But when you play periods like that, you are BEGGING for trouble. I couldn’t believe when Jagr readily acknowledged their change in philosophy in the 3rd and saying that he thought that was a good thing. A good thing?! Really?!

Look, I don’t want to sound like Mr. Negativity, but this crap just irks me the wrong way. It’s like cheering for the Devils for Gods sakes, I just can’t be happy when I see my team play like this. I think I might actually be allergic to the prevent defensive system. Wow, an allergic reaction from visual stimulation, that has to be a first!

Play the style that got you there, that’s all I’m saying.

Now, maybe sometimes the 1-4 defensive system works, I mean, we did win that game against the Senators playing that style, but for the life of me, I just don’t see it as being a viable way to play a hockey game. Sure, let’s concede 50% of the ice to the other team, it’s no big deal, we’ll just stop them when they get to our end. Puh-lease. Eventually something is going to go wrong, and when you have the Rangers on their heels with an unbelievable display of how to run a power play, and how to control the puck in the offensive zone, the LAST thing you should do is stop playing an offensive game. It is just plain retarded, and it cost the Habs 1 point, and gave the Rangers a free 2 points.

Now don’t get me wrong, I definitely think we earned these 2 points, and I did go berserk when captain clutch Chris Drury netted the tying goal, and when Shanny ripped the wrister top corner, but man oh man, stupid hockey just bugs me, even if it is from the other side of the ice.

If the Habs don’t revert to the 1-4, I don’t see us taking this one, we looked tired, and they had us on the ropes. So thanks for the belated Christmas present Carbonneau, we appreciate it.

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We looked dead tired in that period. Probably a culmination of a long flight, an up tempo game yesterday, and an up tempo first period today. And oh yeah, that’s the second time this game the Habs have gotten away with a ridiculously blatant boarding penalty. Still, we got 1 makeup call right there at the end (that wasn’t a hold), but they still owe us one. Rangers pretty much have to score here, because the longer this game goes on, the more I expect the Habs to dominate.

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3 illegitimate goals in 1 period…Wow.

2 super softies that Huet should have had, and the Habs goal second after an unconscionable noncall when Girardi got boarded (dangerously). I actually got up out of my chair and started yelling after Girardi got boarded. I’m generally the sit quietly and observe kinda fan, but this time I was not happy, and the salt in the wound coming seconds later when the Habs scored didn’t make me happy. Though watching Jagr score a super softie himself sure helped make up for some of my bad feelings.

I think the story of this period was how bad Huet was. I mean, he was just awful in that period, in fact I think he might have been worse than Raycroft was last night, which, if you ask Maple Leafs fans, is really saying something.

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Sorry for the delay, I was hoping to see the New England Patriots get some comeuppance, but unfortunately the Giants don’t seem up to the task (I’m a 49er fan, but I hate everything Boston/New England related).

Petr Prucha with 2 goals, Jagr with 4 points, Valliquette 1 breakaway away from a shutout, Dubinsky 3 assists while playing with the flu, and even Blair Betts somehow getting a goal.

Yeah, this was a good night for the Rangers.

The funniest part though is reading some of the opinions of the Maple Leafs fans. They whine and cry and bitch and moan about everything Sean Avery does, yet they have been the beneficiary of one Darcy Tucker for a nice long while now.

Don’t get me wrong here though, I have been, and always will be a HUGE fan of Darcy Tucker. As I am of Matt Barnaby, Esa Tikkanen, and of course Sean “The Grate One” Avery. It just bugs me when fans of other teams say stuff like that when they themselves cheer a nearly identical player night in and night out.

I think to me the Rangers are like a dream machine car. Jaromir Jagr is the engine, Henrik Lundqvist is the chassis, but Sean Avery is the fuel. Take any of the 3 out, and you aren’t going very far, but if all 3 click together, watch the f*!$ out. And the rest of the league can’t be too happy with what we’ve seen the past 3 games. Because I know I have seen a Rangers team that is starting to click on all cylinders, and most importantly, the important players are all starting to (at least it appears) find their grooves. This of course starts with Jaromir Jagr, who now has 7 points in his past 2 games, with 3 goals and 4 assists. Not bad for a guy most of us wanted to see benched. It all comes down to will with Jagr. When he wants something bad enough, he is literally unstoppable. But if he kinda-sorta wants something, hes as mediocre as mediocre can get.

I give a lot of credit to Chris Drury in this game. He may not have hit the scoresheet, but he was doing all those little things which really makes a player like him near priceless to have (albeit NOT worth $7m/year). He won faceoffs, saved a goal by diving to block a shot on an empty net in the crease, and just did everything you look for from the guy. He really reminds me a lot of Charles Oakley, the former New York Knicks player. The guy never really scored a ton of points, never blocked a lot of shots, but at the end of the day, you can’t see the Knicks winning even half of their games without him in the lineup, and while Drurys assimilation into the Rangers fold has been far from pretty, you can clearly see why he was such a coveted player.

The key though is for the Rangers to keep it going, to play the Canadiens tomorrow, and not just play well, but play a phenomenal game like today. Make a statement, that the Rangers are back, and the rest of the NHL better get a change of underwear.

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In perhaps the most dominating 10 minutes I have ever seen, the Rangers did pretty much what I expected them to do. Turn a game into a laugher, as it rightfully should be. Rangers are skating faster, playing more aggressive, and simply playing better than a very defeated Maple Leaf squad.

The problem with games like these though, are that often times you’ll see the losing team degenerate into thugs by playing unnecessarily dirty. Don’t be surprised if a Rangers star takes a vicious cross check or slash in the 3rd.

Other than that, there isn’t much else to say. Rangers have been playing fantastic hockey for 8 straight periods now, and I really have very little to complain about.

This is what I signed up for.

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When you have 4 lines all playing up to their ability, THEN you have a team who is probably going to play as you would expect them to. As of right now the Rangers haven’t had many games where they have had all 4 lines playing well. Hell, they haven’t had many periods where all 4 lines played to their capability.

But it seems now that they have gone just about 7 straight periods where they brought their A game. Sure, they are 1-1 (so far) in those games, but the effort is there. And we all know, this team was picked by many-a-pundit to be a Stanley Cup contender. And with good reason, as we clearly saw in the first period.

Rangers dominated. Let’s face it, they really did. Even with Big Valley between the pipes, they looked like, by far and away, the better team. Toronto has the offense to easily come back from a 2 goal deficit, so let’s not go nuts here, but as long as the Rangers keep playing this strong offensively dominating, while defensively responsible game, I can easily see this game turning into a laugher.

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Want to know why we won this game? Sure, you could say it was Jaromir Jagr and Scotty Gomez flat out dominating almost every single time they stepped onto the ice together. You could also say it was because of some superb penalty killing. But to me the biggest reason we won this game was the play of our centermen. Scotty Gomez played great (as he has been for the bulk of this year…..but he is still NOT a $7M+/Year player), Chris Drury did all the little things…and a couple of big things. Brandon Dubinsky, playing rightfully on the 3rd line, used his size to create some space, time and scoring chances for his linemates, and Blair Betts continues to be the best penalty killing forward in the NHL.

That is it folks, the pivots ruled the day. One of our biggest problems this year has been our centers all not playing well at the same time, particularly Drury and Dubinsky (at the same time). It’s that whole “pulling it all together” argument that the patience spewing crowd has been clamoring for. Get everyone on the same page, and go go go. The Canes also didn’t play their best game, let’s face it, for the most part they were way more passive than I am used to seeing them, but we played well, so let’s (for once) not take anything away from us.

Building on an impressive showing against the Sens was a must for the good guys, and they did just that. So rejoice, all is well. Even Marc Staal, who had just a putrid first period, rebounded in style assisting on a goal, and playing well (more or less) the rest of the way. Sean Avery continued to bring this team what it sorely lacks, attitude, and Henrik made a mind blowing save when it really mattered.

Just repeat this game for the rest of the season, sans Staal turnovers, and you’ve got a legitimate Stanley Cup contending team.

The problem with this team though has been consistency. Let’s see how we play against the Leafs.

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The hit was clean.

Let’s just get that out of the way. Cullen had the puck, had his head down, and got clocked. Orr’s hand hit Cullen’s shoulder, and Cullen’s head whipped into Orr’s head. Why on earth Colton gets a major, and a misconduct is beyond me. Just ridiculous reffing that absolutely killed the Rangers. Killing a penalty for 5 minutes wears you out, especially the way the Rangers were playing, then having to kill another penalty shortly thereafter is just a bit much to ask. I blame the refs for making a knee jerk call because a player got injured. Big guy smashes small guy, doesnt always mean a penalty.

Ri-freaking-diculous.

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Rangers played a strong, nearly brilliant period. They controlled the puck, they played physical, they drew penalties, they played strong in their own end. One might say it was a perfect period, with the exception of 1 player. Marc Staal really stood out (to me) as having just a putrid period. At least 2 horrible, horrible, Malikesque turnovers by the kid, and a few flubs of the puck as well. It was a forgettable period for the young phenom, but it is one of those things we have to deal with.

He’s a kid, playing top pairing minutes, eventually stuff like this will happen.

Other than that, I felt the Rangers really built on the great game against the Senators with a strong opening period against the high octane Canes. Just keep playing like this….sans Staal….and we should be good to go.

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This one is going to be a short one, my flight back home leaves tomorrow, and I have to pack. The Rangers played a strong, hard fought game, and had plenty of chances to win this game, and bury a ton of other goals. Rangers could have and probably should have won this game. It happens, especially when a freak goal is one of the main reasons we lose.

I thought Jaromir Jagr had a pretty strong game, setting up players for legit scoring chances, and hitting a post or 2 himself. And he had the primary assist on the Rangers lone goal. Scotty Gomez and Mr. Jagr definitely have chemistry, so we have a top line settled. I like the idea of Drury playing with Avery and Shanny as well. The problem I have is playing Dawes with Cally and Dubinsky. I know Prucha has been having a hard time out there, but he is a proven goal scorer out there. I think you have to give him even longer to try to break out of the slump. Perhaps this is just a 1 game thing to try to snap him out of it, or perhaps it is a prolonged thing, I honestly don’t know. But since Callahan and Dubinsky have about the same amount of offense as Prucha, despite Dubinsky playing on the first line, with first line minutes…..I guess size really matters.

At this point I would be more interested in shoring up our Defense. There is NO excuse, none whatsoever, for having both Malik, AND Strudwick play in the same game, when you have a healthy Mara. I know Mara may have had a poor last game, but you know what, he is still a billion times better than Strudwick….hell I am a billion times better than Strudwick.

Ok, gotta run, I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and an even better New Year.

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