If there is going to be an X-factor in the series, it will be Sean Avery. The player who should be wearing number 36 instead 16 (for three sixes -- 666, the mark of the beast) has demonstrated in the last two playoff years what his impact can be, as well as what it may not be. In each first round Ranger win those two seasons, Avery drove the opposition's key player to distraction -- Ilya Kovalchuk in a sweep of Atlanta two years ago, Martin Brodeur in a near-sweep of the Devils last year, both Ranger upsets. But just as emphatically as he catalyzed those wins, he was made a non-factor in each second round loss when opponents chose to ignore him. How will Ovechkin and the Caps react? Will the fact that their coach had Avery in the minors make a difference?
One other factor needs to be highlighted going into the series. Look at the scoring lists of the two teams. There is huge difference in the top four, but after that, the numbers are even -- the Caps' top four were all among the league's top 30 scorers, the Rangers had no one in the top 60. But except for slap-happy Alexander Semin, the other three top Washington scorers -- Ovechkin, linemate Nicklas Backstrom, and defenseman Mike Green -- generally play on the same unit. The Rangers' top scorers are liberally sprinkled across three lines. There is, it would seem, more of an opportunity for Lundqvist and the Rangers to shut down the Caps' top unit and/or offset it with their more balanced attack. On the other hand, this is playoff hockey, where dark horses usually have an unpredictable impact (anyone remember Bobby Sheehan?).
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Alexander Ovechkin rips Henrik Lundqvist & smelly Garden
BY Michael Obernauer
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, April 14th 2009, 9:25 PM
Henrik Lundqvist has already fought off one shot from Alexander Ovechkin even before the series has begun. In discussing the virtues of Lundqvist's game to Washington media on Monday, Ovechkin said: "His equipment is really big."
"I'm happy to come in and measure it if they want," Lundqvist said Tuesday. "I'm not worried about it."
A day after dissing Lundqvist's pads, Ovechkin had another message for New York: You stink!
Speaking about playing at the Garden, Ovechkin said following the Caps' practice Tuesday: "I like playing over there. Sometimes the ice is no good over there because (of) lots of concerts, lots of dog shows, something like that coming over there. It kind of smells no good over there sometimes."
HENRIK'S EDGE: In examining the Rangers' first-round playoff series against the Capitals, you need look no further than the goal creases to find where the Blueshirts ought to have their biggest advantage. And if you need proof, just check playoff history.
Lundqvist and Washington's Jose Theodore have faced one another before in the postseason, four seasons ago and an ocean away. That came during the NHL lockout, when Lundqvist's Frolunda team knocked off Theodore and Djurgarden in five games in the Swedish Elite League semifinals.
"Yeah, I played pretty well," Lundqvist said with a grin Tuesday following the Rangers' final practice before tonight's series opener. "But it was 1-0, 2-1, 1-0. It was really low-scoring; he played well, too."
Sure he did. Whatever the case, the Rangers are going to need Lundqvist to be the better goaltender if they are to have a chance to reach Round 2 for the third straight year. And that means coming up with some big stops on Theodore's lethal teammates and forcing Theodore to make big stops as well.
Ovechkin has beaten Lundqvist for seven goals in 13 NHL games. "He likes to shoot it from anywhere, and he has a real good shot," Lundqvist said. "I have to be aware of that, but I'm not going to change my game."
DRURY OK: Chris Drury returned to the ice after four days off and is expected to play tonight. Asked Tuesday exactly what injury he was resting, the Ranger captain smiled and replied, in true playoff form: "I haven't figured it out yet. I'm still waiting to be told." ...The Rangers elected not to bring in an extra player or two from Hartford, so they will start the playoff
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What an ass he is. Yea the garden does smells, smells like cups and legends. I hope they hurt him and take him out for the sersis. I hate the rag$ more then any team in sports but ya don't bash the worlds most famous arena and get away with it.
Rag$ in 4
Golfing with baily and the rest of the crew should be fun. To bad the gimp dp won't be able to play. Hehe
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
I have to work at a bar here in DC tonight. I asked if I could wear my Graves jersey and was told no, so I'm just going to be the one guy yelling at all the Caps fans if the Rangers are winning.
2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore
I'm sure the Rangers have caught wind of it
Sometimes talking shit can come back and bite you in the ass. I've never been a big proponent of trying to make the team you are playing in the playoffs hate you more, but who knows.
It wasn't that long ago when your boy Avery was popping off at the mouth for no reason, citing that the league needed more villains to make the game more interesting to the masses.
Maybe Ovechkin's just answering his call to arms.
At least Ovechkin can back his shit up on the scoreboard.
"The dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' her easy for all us sinners."
Ovechkin running his mouth yesterday at a press conference.
Maybe Orr needs to go out and settem' straight :
what a jackass. we don't even need orr to go after him.... gives staal more motivation to stand him up and drop him when he tries and cross the blueline.
Ovechkin running his mouth yesterday at a press conference.
Maybe Orr needs to go out and settem' straight :
what a jackass. we don't even need orr to go after him.... gives staal more motivation to stand him up and drop him when he tries and cross the blueline.
hahaha, this is hilarious! Avery gets serenaded and Ovechkin makes a joke about you smelly heads and Orr is going to go after him (and get cleaned by Brashear in the process )
Ovechkin running his mouth yesterday at a press conference.
Maybe Orr needs to go out and settem' straight :
what a jackass. we don't even need orr to go after him.... gives staal more motivation to stand him up and drop him when he tries and cross the blueline.
hahaha, this is hilarious! Avery gets serenaded and Ovechkin makes a joke about you smelly heads and Orr is going to go after him (and get cleaned by Brashear in the process )
brashear is afraid of orr
be serious
whats more concerning is
no drury ? wtf ?
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what a jackass. we don't even need orr to go after him.... gives staal more motivation to stand him up and drop him when he tries and cross the blueline.
hahaha, this is hilarious! Avery gets serenaded and Ovechkin makes a joke about you smelly heads and Orr is going to go after him (and get cleaned by Brashear in the process )
brashear is afraid of orr
be serious
whats more concerning is
no drury ? wtf ?
Yes, Brashear is terrified of Orr... :roll:
I heard that about Drury. He was questionable for tonight (obviously the question's been answered). Back for game 2.
Good period for the Caps. If they put up another period like that without scoring that'll take the wind out of their sails.
Theodore looks pretty shaky.
haha, fuck you ovechkin. you're going to talk shit about a goalie? start by talking shit about your own guy.
why after every point or goal this asshole has to jump around like it's his first? act like you've been there before jackass. screw him and screw the caps.
20 seconds in and we cop some bad penalty( ies ) ?
Thats gotta stop , we are breathing more life into an already dangerous team .
the GW goal by Dubi was ridiculous.
Dubi not only made Theodore look foolish,
but he totally undressed that defenseman,...
so much so that his inside out against the boards made that guy tumble down like a house of cards.
Thank god Redden seems to have regained his composure,
and our defense is looking pretty good regardless of Ovechkns 13 SOG . :shock:
oh and Drurys injury involves his arm, that much i did hear in the various reports @ gametime.
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so pumped that they signed gilroy. between staal, gilroy, sanguinetti, and del zotto we have a solid future at D.
I'm so glad the islanders didn't get him. he probably got a few millions that werent worth it. he's 24, what you gonna do put him on the rangers right away. He's at least a year or 2 away from the rangers and by that point he will be 25-26. Most players by that age have already been in the nhl for a few years. I'm not knocking the move, I think its a great move. But if I was a rangers fan I'd be worried at how much they signed him for.
Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
especially a 1-0 shutout win !
these games give you a flared up ulcer !
jesus !
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wash coach boudreau :
Of course that was after he had already complained about one call he thought he should have gotten. “If you look closely, Alex was interfered with when he tried to backcheck,” he said. “And that’s why he couldn’t catch up -- the guy in the middle of the ice just got in his way.” It’s true that Chris Drury bumped Ovechkin a bit, but he still had a chance to catch up and just quit skating.
Today, Boudreau went back on his word and did in fact sit there (stand there, actually) and cried like a little girl (OK, a not so little girl) about the refereeing. “We took five minors,” he said. “Look at them. Go back and look at them and see how many were deserved." OK -- Kozlov cross-check on Girardi before he can play the puck, deserved. Kozlov hook on Sjostrom -- saved a goal, so what the heck are you complaining about? Deserved. Green hook -- his stick was up and Zherdev went down on what would have been a two-on-one, you think that's a dive? Deserved. Semin crosschecks Callahan in the throat, and that after being allowed to get the first hit in -- deserved. First penalty on Semin, I don't remember that one well enough to comment, but there didn't seem to be any dispute when we first saw it. In fact, two of the calls against the Rangers were obvious dives -- the only tripping when Gomez allegedly took down Semin and Antropov took down Nylander was the hallucinatory kind. And even Boudreau admitted the call on Rozsival was bogus.
After watching Scotty Upshall in the playoffs last year, Callahan did a very good imitation of Scotty Upshall,” Boudreau said of the call against Semin, presumably a reference about embellishment, something Semin doesn’t know anything about (just ask Gomez). “I am frustrated with it,” Boudreau went on. “They talk about the refereeing and then all of a sudden we don’t get a power play for forty minutes, and the call they called on them was, better make a call, because there wasn’t much of a call on that.” Yeah, that’s the ticket -- accuse the refs of giving you a power play on what should not have been a penalty. That’s gonna get them to give you more, right? You'd think a guy who appeared in the movie "Slap Shot" as a Charlestown Chief opponent would know better.
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tough game last night. early on i had a gut feeling that the rangers wouldn't win that one. the game just kinda had one of those feelings.
no penalty on the play after the whistle in which the carolina player dropped his gloves and punched antropov in the face? what's going on there?
I wouldn't have called a penalty in favor of Frankenleaf, either.
i know how much you despise the guy,
but since his arrival in NY as well as Tortorella,
He has been solid.
He's even backchecking consistently.
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By Pierre LeBrun
ESPN.com
Archive
NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers had an interested observer sitting on the visitor's bench as they took the ice for their pregame skate Monday morning.
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin was watching the Rangers practice when a Rangers trainer complained to the Capitals. Washington PR man Nate Ewell then asked Ovechkin to leave the area.
"Alex was just looking for a place to relax. He likes being by the ice," said Ewell. "As soon as he found out it made the Rangers uncomfortable, he left."
When asked why the Rangers wanted him to leave, Ovechkin joked: "Because they're afraid of me."
When asked why he did it, Ovechkin joked that he sat there to "tick off" Rangers coach John Tortorella. His answer drew many laughs from reporters.
Tortorella insisted after the skate he had no idea Ovechkin was there.
"Who? Oh, god, this is the first I've heard of it," said Tortorella. "Ask me a question about the game, not that [expletive]."
"I don't think he had a pen and paper and was writing down line combinations," joked Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. "I can understand [the Rangers asking him to leave]. I've gotten into the same arguments with people when I've wanted privacy in my practice, so I can understand what John was going through."
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com.
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I had a bad feeling leaving work yesterday that this was going to happen....hope it's out of their system and they get back to playing like they should.
Singularity, when is Drury due back to to play?
on to game 4!
If a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
Comments
One other factor needs to be highlighted going into the series. Look at the scoring lists of the two teams. There is huge difference in the top four, but after that, the numbers are even -- the Caps' top four were all among the league's top 30 scorers, the Rangers had no one in the top 60. But except for slap-happy Alexander Semin, the other three top Washington scorers -- Ovechkin, linemate Nicklas Backstrom, and defenseman Mike Green -- generally play on the same unit. The Rangers' top scorers are liberally sprinkled across three lines. There is, it would seem, more of an opportunity for Lundqvist and the Rangers to shut down the Caps' top unit and/or offset it with their more balanced attack. On the other hand, this is playoff hockey, where dark horses usually have an unpredictable impact (anyone remember Bobby Sheehan?).
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Maybe Orr needs to go out and settem' straight :
i hope they have a snippet of this hanging up tonight in the NYR lockerroom.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hocke ... arden.html
Alexander Ovechkin rips Henrik Lundqvist & smelly Garden
BY Michael Obernauer
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, April 14th 2009, 9:25 PM
Henrik Lundqvist has already fought off one shot from Alexander Ovechkin even before the series has begun. In discussing the virtues of Lundqvist's game to Washington media on Monday, Ovechkin said: "His equipment is really big."
"I'm happy to come in and measure it if they want," Lundqvist said Tuesday. "I'm not worried about it."
A day after dissing Lundqvist's pads, Ovechkin had another message for New York: You stink!
Speaking about playing at the Garden, Ovechkin said following the Caps' practice Tuesday: "I like playing over there. Sometimes the ice is no good over there because (of) lots of concerts, lots of dog shows, something like that coming over there. It kind of smells no good over there sometimes."
HENRIK'S EDGE: In examining the Rangers' first-round playoff series against the Capitals, you need look no further than the goal creases to find where the Blueshirts ought to have their biggest advantage. And if you need proof, just check playoff history.
Lundqvist and Washington's Jose Theodore have faced one another before in the postseason, four seasons ago and an ocean away. That came during the NHL lockout, when Lundqvist's Frolunda team knocked off Theodore and Djurgarden in five games in the Swedish Elite League semifinals.
"Yeah, I played pretty well," Lundqvist said with a grin Tuesday following the Rangers' final practice before tonight's series opener. "But it was 1-0, 2-1, 1-0. It was really low-scoring; he played well, too."
Sure he did. Whatever the case, the Rangers are going to need Lundqvist to be the better goaltender if they are to have a chance to reach Round 2 for the third straight year. And that means coming up with some big stops on Theodore's lethal teammates and forcing Theodore to make big stops as well.
Ovechkin has beaten Lundqvist for seven goals in 13 NHL games. "He likes to shoot it from anywhere, and he has a real good shot," Lundqvist said. "I have to be aware of that, but I'm not going to change my game."
DRURY OK: Chris Drury returned to the ice after four days off and is expected to play tonight. Asked Tuesday exactly what injury he was resting, the Ranger captain smiled and replied, in true playoff form: "I haven't figured it out yet. I'm still waiting to be told." ...The Rangers elected not to bring in an extra player or two from Hartford, so they will start the playoff
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Rag$ in 4
Golfing with baily and the rest of the crew should be fun. To bad the gimp dp won't be able to play. Hehe
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
I'm sure the Rangers have caught wind of it
Sometimes talking shit can come back and bite you in the ass. I've never been a big proponent of trying to make the team you are playing in the playoffs hate you more, but who knows.
It wasn't that long ago when your boy Avery was popping off at the mouth for no reason, citing that the league needed more villains to make the game more interesting to the masses.
Maybe Ovechkin's just answering his call to arms.
At least Ovechkin can back his shit up on the scoreboard.
what a jackass. we don't even need orr to go after him.... gives staal more motivation to stand him up and drop him when he tries and cross the blueline.
brashear is afraid of orr
be serious
whats more concerning is
no drury ? wtf ?
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I heard that about Drury. He was questionable for tonight (obviously the question's been answered). Back for game 2.
Theodore looks pretty shaky.
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
why after every point or goal this asshole has to jump around like it's his first? act like you've been there before jackass. screw him and screw the caps.
dubiiiii for the win!!!!!!!!
dude you love avery.
either stop talking about him, or admit everytime you hear his name the world can see your boner from space.
Anyway, I was wrong - no slew foot, just a regular trip/interference.
Thats gotta stop , we are breathing more life into an already dangerous team .
the GW goal by Dubi was ridiculous.
Dubi not only made Theodore look foolish,
but he totally undressed that defenseman,...
so much so that his inside out against the boards made that guy tumble down like a house of cards.
Thank god Redden seems to have regained his composure,
and our defense is looking pretty good regardless of Ovechkns 13 SOG . :shock:
oh and Drurys injury involves his arm, that much i did hear in the various reports @ gametime.
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So Paul Mara has all of us beat ( he's had his for a few months already )
but is anyone actually signing up for this?
http://beardathon.com/rangers/team.aspx
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Sammi: Wanna just break up?
playoff hockey not good for the blood pressure.
especially a 1-0 shutout win !
these games give you a flared up ulcer !
jesus !
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wash coach boudreau :
Of course that was after he had already complained about one call he thought he should have gotten. “If you look closely, Alex was interfered with when he tried to backcheck,” he said. “And that’s why he couldn’t catch up -- the guy in the middle of the ice just got in his way.” It’s true that Chris Drury bumped Ovechkin a bit, but he still had a chance to catch up and just quit skating.
Today, Boudreau went back on his word and did in fact sit there (stand there, actually) and cried like a little girl (OK, a not so little girl) about the refereeing. “We took five minors,” he said. “Look at them. Go back and look at them and see how many were deserved." OK -- Kozlov cross-check on Girardi before he can play the puck, deserved. Kozlov hook on Sjostrom -- saved a goal, so what the heck are you complaining about? Deserved. Green hook -- his stick was up and Zherdev went down on what would have been a two-on-one, you think that's a dive? Deserved. Semin crosschecks Callahan in the throat, and that after being allowed to get the first hit in -- deserved. First penalty on Semin, I don't remember that one well enough to comment, but there didn't seem to be any dispute when we first saw it. In fact, two of the calls against the Rangers were obvious dives -- the only tripping when Gomez allegedly took down Semin and Antropov took down Nylander was the hallucinatory kind. And even Boudreau admitted the call on Rozsival was bogus.
After watching Scotty Upshall in the playoffs last year, Callahan did a very good imitation of Scotty Upshall,” Boudreau said of the call against Semin, presumably a reference about embellishment, something Semin doesn’t know anything about (just ask Gomez). “I am frustrated with it,” Boudreau went on. “They talk about the refereeing and then all of a sudden we don’t get a power play for forty minutes, and the call they called on them was, better make a call, because there wasn’t much of a call on that.” Yeah, that’s the ticket -- accuse the refs of giving you a power play on what should not have been a penalty. That’s gonna get them to give you more, right? You'd think a guy who appeared in the movie "Slap Shot" as a Charlestown Chief opponent would know better.
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i know how much you despise the guy,
but since his arrival in NY as well as Tortorella,
He has been solid.
He's even backchecking consistently.
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their powerplay MUST click, game 2 was pathetic. they need to capitalize on those chances.
ESPN.com
Archive
NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers had an interested observer sitting on the visitor's bench as they took the ice for their pregame skate Monday morning.
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin was watching the Rangers practice when a Rangers trainer complained to the Capitals. Washington PR man Nate Ewell then asked Ovechkin to leave the area.
"Alex was just looking for a place to relax. He likes being by the ice," said Ewell. "As soon as he found out it made the Rangers uncomfortable, he left."
When asked why the Rangers wanted him to leave, Ovechkin joked: "Because they're afraid of me."
When asked why he did it, Ovechkin joked that he sat there to "tick off" Rangers coach John Tortorella. His answer drew many laughs from reporters.
Tortorella insisted after the skate he had no idea Ovechkin was there.
"Who? Oh, god, this is the first I've heard of it," said Tortorella. "Ask me a question about the game, not that [expletive]."
"I don't think he had a pen and paper and was writing down line combinations," joked Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. "I can understand [the Rangers asking him to leave]. I've gotten into the same arguments with people when I've wanted privacy in my practice, so I can understand what John was going through."
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com.
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actually, yeah... alot of bad things to be said. i'll bite my tongue and look forward to game 4.
p.s.
has anyone seen drury on the back of a milk carton yet?
Singularity, when is Drury due back to to play?
on to game 4!