As I mentioned before, I will be purchasing (I am actually doing it right now) a new, better hosting account. This site will no longer be on www.avatarbusinesssolutions.com/blah blah blah, instead it will be just on www.rangersreview.com.

PLEASE update your links, yes, I will include a redirect link from that domain, but it is probably best to just update your links to point to www.rangersreview.com . Please bear with me during the transition, I will try to get everything working just fine, but it is possible there might be some issues. Hopefully not, but you never know. I will make a post when everything has transitioned over to the new server, though if you look at your address bar and see www.rangersreview.com instead of the old domain, then you know everything is working fine.

Wish me luck!

UPDATE

I am still working on the move. I am not just moving this side, I am actually moving quite a few different sites to a full new server, the files are over 2 gigs, and since my upload speed isnt super-fast, it takes a while to upload everything. I’m hoping the upload will be done tonight, I plan on moving everything at that time. Hopefully sometime tomorrow the site should be completely moved.

Newer UPDATE
It’s 3am, im still working, but it looks like its going to be a few days before this move can be 100% finished. Problem is that every change you make to nameservers to see tests, or any chances you make to domains takes about 2-3 hours to propagate through the internet. Sorry guys, gotta make sure I do this thing right. I’ll let you know when the move is done, again it won’t matter for anyone who has their links updated to point to www.RangersReview.com

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I apologize for not having between period posts. My home ISP was up and down, up and down, I tried making posts, but they kept failing to actually upload to the site, so I said forget it, and I would wait a few hours. Hopefully this post goes through, otherwise I am just spinning my wheels here.

There are 2 equally important yet decisively different aspects to tonights epic clunker. The first is that a few of the goals were directly attributable to rookie mistakes, by actual rookies (as opposed to Marek Malik, Thank God!). The second is that 95% of the team just didn’t show up tonight. We were lackadaisical, uninterested, and even our spectacular goalie looked indifferent at times out there. Not exactly sure why the latter happened, I mean if you can’t get up for a matchup against one of the best teams in the league in your home rink, then what can you get up for?

The former though is to be expected, and frankly condoned. Marc Staal, and Brandon Dubinsky both had very shaky games, particularly Dubinsky. Not only did he turn the puck over twice during the play that led to a Canes goal, but he was constantly running over Straka during rushes. Either Straka was out of position, or he was, and since Straka is the one getting run into, one would like to assume that Dubinsky would be smart enough to vacate that position (despite it being the center ice, where he plays) and backup his speedster winger by hitting the wing, or slowing down, then coming in as the trailing man, It’s pretty amazing how a line that was oozing chemistry just 48 hours ago, looked like they were members of different species of frog trying to play hockey.

The latter is what you and I were pissed about (I hope). That being the horrendous lack of effort from the team tonight. From Shanahan to Jagr, Tyutin to Malik, almost nobody seemed to give a damn, and almost nobody seemed to acknowledge it was a problem (except for the 4th line which was EASILY our best line out there). The power play which scored 4 goals in the last 2 days failed to even generate many scoring chances at all in the entire game. Come to think of it, did they generate a single scoring chance? I’m honestly drawing a blank.

Malik, after playing a solid game against the Sens, looked extremely slow. Although he didn’t do anything that made me want to purchase a sniper rifle, he definitely looked like an injured player. On one particularly terrible sequence he gave up a partial breakaway and literally just stopped skating to see if his linemates could break up the play, which they did.

I really want to crucify the team for this outing, but I’m not. Mostly because I attribute a lot of our problems to youngsters making bad plays when under constant forechecking pressure.

These things happen, forget about it, and move on.

Jeez I hope this goes through *crosses fingers*

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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.

Other than that, it was all pretty much hugs and kittens for the Rangers, they severely outplayed the best team in hockey for most of the game, and shut them down when they had to. Not much more you can ask (except to play the style that got you there!)

UPDATE!

I was lucky enough to get sent this behind the scenes footage of when Jagr found out Straka would be back…

Ok, come on now people, you have to be able to take a joke right? I just find it funny how ridiculously different Jaromir plays with and without Straka.

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Things opened up a bit too much for my liking in that period. Rangers scored as many as the Sens (1) but gave up about 10 times the quality chances than they did in the first period. I cant for the life of me understand why they are willing to play that kind of game. It’s clear they are a puck possession, cycle, one timing team. Stick to what you are good at, don’t play run and gun with our team speed, we just can’t do it.

While Gerber may have been terrible, Emery has been very good in his period. He certainly made all the saves he should, made some really great saves, and gave up a goal nobody can be expected to stop.

I just hope the Rangers tighten it up in the 3rd. Dont necessarily play to run out the clock, but don’t take any unnecessary chances. Rangers have to give up 3 in the period to go to OT, I believe that has already happened within 2-3 minutes a few times against the Sens this year. Keep this safe, keep things simple, and hold the puck, thats the key.

By the way, Marcel Hossa is having a beastly game, anyone else notice how strong he is on the forecheck and in the corners? Very good game for him, keep it up!

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I really couldn’t tell which it was. Was it the Rangers just flat out dominating the struggling Senators? Or was it the Senators looking like absolute crap out there? It’s probably equal amounts of each, but either way it all adds up to a pretty dominating period in which the Rangers put up more goals than they score in an average week. Jagr looks hungry out there. Clearly the constant jibes from this blogger has gotten to him, that or his BFF is back on his line and all is well.

I’m fairly sure though that 99% of the goalies in the league gets at least 2 of those 3 goals, if not all 3. none were scored with a direct screen, and none with a major deflection, though jagrs was definitely touched…barely.

The way I look at it, is we are due, especially against these guys. But 20 minutes does not a game make. Back to work!

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