B R O A D W A Y***B L U E S H I R T S

kenshunt

kenshunt wrote:

Im pumped about watching this series, all the talent, i hope theres at least one 6-5 game, im hoping the Rangers win this series.

I guess i wasn't to far, man some goals in flurries last night.

jackrabbit slim

Bathgate66 wrote:

April 26, 2008
Rangers Can't Stick to Script

Just about everything we thought might happen in this series happened in the opening game last night. We just never expected to see it all happen in one game. The first half of the game went almost exactly according to the script we laid out at Reel Sports Fan. The Rangers stopped a potent Penguin attack from the net out, starting with at least four super saves by Henrik Lundqvist when the Pens poured it on early on. They collapsed in their own end -- "Five men in the picture," as Tom Renney likes to say, as portrayed during the telecast. Then they countered the other way, taking advantage of some of their own offensive weapons.

The Rangers also won the special teams match-up in building a 3-0 lead, expertly killing off three Penguin power plays and striking quickly on one of their own. They got a goal from Sean Avery, the Ranger superpest striking at the Pens in one way even while not being the supreme agitator he is capable of being. And they quickly got to Marc-Andre Fleury, tearing his goals against average, save percentage, and string of games giving up three goals or less to shreds. It was all going the Rangers' way, maybe not exactly like they planned, but exactly like it had to go for them to win -- error-erasing goaltending, team defense, counterattack goals, special teams play, X-factor Avery.

And just like that, it changed -- and it changed just like we thought it might. It started of course with a goal that never should have been scored -- yet another deflection into the net by a Ranger. Yes, the Rangers scored a goal off a Penguin skate earlier, but that wasn't an accident, it was a play that stood a good chance of going into the net no matter who deflected it in. The Pens got on the board on a harmless little pass to no one in the crease that Michal Rozsival saw all the way and still kicked into his own net with no Pittsburgh player near him.

We said it the other day -- Lundqvist was going to have not let these kinds of goals, which plagued him throughout the regular season and in the first round, get to him. You can't fault him for the goal that came 14 seconds later, Christian Backman being responsible for the turnover to Sidney Crosby and several other defenders responsible for leaving Pascal Dupuis open in front. But we knew the Pens would get those kinds of chances, we knew the Rangers, Backman in particular, would commit those kinds of turnovers, and we knew it was going to be up to Lundqvist to erase those mistakes to keep the Pens from doing exactly what they did -- cut a commanding 3-0 Ranger lead to one within a matter of seconds.

The scenario repeated itself in the third period -- a fluke goal, somehow deflecting off or through the skate of Scott Gomez on a shot from the corner, followed twenty seconds later by another defensive miscue (or set of miscues) that Lundqvist had no chance of erasing. Then came the final scene in the script everyone had written for this series -- the Crosby effect. Only two penalties were called after the middle of the second period, both of them embellished by Crosby. On the first, Dubinsky was called for a trip despite never touching Crosby. The Rangers killed that one off. Late in the third, Martin Straka was called for interfering with Crosby, and this time the Pens scored -- a deflection by Evgeni Malkin of a Crosby shot that was going wide.

Did Straka interfere with Crosby? Possibly. He was also cross-checked hard in front of the net seconds earlier when the Rangers were attacking, with no call. And with Gomez having swatted the puck off Marian Hossa's stick, neither team had possession, so it may have been Crosby interfering with Straka -- or more likely just two players battling for a loose puck. The difference is, Crosby dove, so he got the call, a call that was not being made any other time in the game on behalf of any other player, let alone at such a critical juncture.

Did the call put the Rangers in a position to lose? In that particular situation, yes it did -- it allowed the Pens to break a tie and score the winning goal. But the Rangers obviously put themselves in the position for such a call to make a difference -- they had a three-goal lead, they had the Pens in disarray and their fans sitting on their hands, they had their goalie wondering if was ever going stop another shot. Game 1 was there not only for the taking, it was easy pickings. Then another own-goal, and another turnover that Lundqvist could not erase -- lather, rinse, repeat -- and the matter was taken out of the Rangers' hands and placed onto Crosby's diving board.

The good news is, after blowing a big lead, after three deflections and two Crosby calls, after solving Fleury and withstanding everything Crosby, Malkin, and Hossa threw at them except for bad luck, the Rangers were a Jaromir Jagr goal post away from sending the game into overtime. They have bounced back from adversity like this all season long. So when Gomez said this game is over, it doesn't matter how it was lost , it's on to the next game, one can come away from this knowing that there is still enough left in the Rangers' arsenal to turn this outcome and this series around.

Let's see, the pens get a goal off a rangers skate it's lucky. But when the rangers do it, that's what they were trying to do. Ha!
I see he somehow forgot to mention Drury's "goal" with his stick at head level.
funny how fleury is figured out but the pens just got lucky with henrik. I saw a lot of playoff style goals scored by both teams. bad bounces,deflections.
Maybe he should be more concerned with the rangers blowing a 3 goal lead. Excuses are for losers.

rival.

jackrabbit slim wrote:

Let's see, the pens get a goal off a rangers skate it's lucky. But when the rangers do it, that's what they were trying to do. Ha!
I see he somehow forgot to mention Drury's "goal" with his stick at head level.
funny how fleury is figured out but the pens just got lucky with henrik. I saw a lot of playoff style goals scored by both teams. bad bounces,deflections.
Maybe he should be more concerned with the rangers blowing a 3 goal lead. Excuses are for losers.

then why are you making excuses for drury's goal? maybe if fleury stayed on his skates he would have been able to make the save. and we wouldn't have to talk about it today.

neither team should be happy with their game lastnight. sloppy game with shitty goals for both sides.

i am questioning my confidence in the rangers now after blowing a 3-0 with less than a half of a game remaining. they almost blew a 3 goal lead against the devils in game 5, but thanks to a goal post and a penalty shot save, the rangers sneaked away with the one goal win.

shit needs to change. can't go back to the garden down 0-2.

NY PJ1

once again crysby get the call from the league


such a great player and strong skater and he falls down with straka ??

straka shoulder to shoulder battling for position
bullshit call little girl u should be ashamed of your actions

that being said we cant blow 3-0 leads

this team is soo fricking beatable

Bathgate66

NY PJ1 wrote:

this team is soo fricking beatable

so is fleury.

NY PJ1

Bathgate66 wrote:

so is fleury.

totally we dominated early

shit happens but we will rebound


LETS GO RANGERS!!

aspoonfulweighsaton

NY PJ1 wrote:

once again crysby get the call from the league


such a great player and strong skater and he falls down with straka ??

straka shoulder to shoulder battling for position
bullshit call little girl u should be ashamed of your actions

that being said we cant blow 3-0 leads

this team is soo fricking beatable

You have got to be kidding me. Do you really think that Sid is thinking in his mind to take a dive at that point in the game (or ever)? He was jumping up in the rush and wouldn't have gone down if he could help it. It's not worth risking taking yourself out of the play when a legitimate rush up the ice was taking place.

And while you may think we're beatable after last nights game, I can assure you that there's one other team in the series that's just a tad more beatable after that performance. I've said Pittsburgh in six all along, but it could very well go seven. Out of nine total goals in the game, only four of them were "clean", so it doesn't matter how great you think Lundqvist or Fleury is if the majority of goals are junk deflections.

NY PJ1

aspoonfulweighsaton wrote:

You have got to be kidding me. Do you really think that Sid is thinking in his mind to take a dive at that point in the game (or ever)? He was jumping up in the rush and wouldn't have gone down if he could help it. It's not worth risking taking yourself out of the play when a legitimate rush up the ice was taking place.

And while you may think we're beatable after last nights game, I can assure you that there's one other team in the series that's just a tad more beatable after that performance. I've said Pittsburgh in six all along, but it could very well go seven. Out of nine total goals in the game, only four of them were "clean", so it doesn't matter how great you think Lundqvist or Fleury is if the majority of goals are junk deflections.

beat it dude he is a newbie of the new nhl ,, fall down whenever and get the call because he is sid the kid (they shoud say sid the little girl)

anyway..on to game 2
imstill sick that im going away wed morning and cant be here for the games

aspoonfulweighsaton

NY PJ1 wrote:

beat it dude he is a newbie of the new nhl ,, fall down whenever and get the call because he is sid the kid (they shoud say sid the little girl)

anyway..on to game 2
imstill sick that im going away wed morning and cant be here for the games

You're outta your mind if you think he gets calls because of who he is. It's always something with you guys. If he was on your team you'd defend him in a heartbeat. I can picture the league's meeting with the officials now... "OK guys, even though we call diving on other players, if Crosby goes down it has got be a penalty on the other team, no questions asked. What on earth would hockey fans think if the golden boy was taking a dive?" Oh wait, that's right. Absolutely nothing. God forbid he's forced to change his style of play if he was actually doing something wrong.

Bathgate66

Gomez said this game is over, it doesn't matter how it was lost , it's on to the next game, one can come away from this knowing that there is still enough left in the Rangers' arsenal to turn this outcome and this series around.

Lets Go Rangers

Bathgate66

Therrien Goes On Offensive

April 26, 2008
Therrien goes on offensive
Why Michel Therrien decided to do this on the off-day after a game in which referees decided the “Does Sidney Crosby Dive?” question in his team’s favor is anybody’s guess.

But the Penguins’ coach went off on the topic moments ago. And as he did so in response to an unrelated question about how comforting it must be to have a couple of players like Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it was clear that he came to the podium with something to say.

Therrien’s soliloquy: “When you got two young good players like this, you try to have a 1-2 punch combination that puts the other team on their heels. And they’re tough to play against.

“And where I’m kind of disappointed is that there’s gamesmanship before the series about Sidney drawing penalties. And I’m disappointed. I’m kind of disappointed about that.

“This is a star player that plays into traffic. Powerful skater. And when a star player like this goes to traffic and plays into traffic, well, he’s going to draw penalties.

“And we all know what Tom Renney’s trying to do. He tried to do it before we started the series. He tried to do it last night, I saw his comments today. He’s trying to get attention to the referees and complaining about the penalty last night at the end of the game.

“As far as I’m concerned - as far as we’re all concerned - it’s not even close. In the 1990s, I could understand we let those things go. With the new game, it’s about speed. It’s about the good players getting a chance to make plays. It’s letting those good players be able to skate if you get caught out of position.

“And I think our game is much better. We’ve got obstruction rules. It’s a faster game. That’s why you see young players able to dominate the way they’re able to dominate in the National Hockey League.

“But we know what he’s trying to do. But I’m convinced the referees don’t buy into those things, the league doesn’t buy into those things. Why don’t we give credit to a guy that plays into traffic, will get shots?

“Sidney took a shot in the face from Avery in the first period. Sometimes he’s going to draw penalties. Sometimes, there’s not going to be any penalty. But he’s going to keep going there. And eventually, he’ll draw a penalty if he keeps going there. And he knows.

“He’s not going to go to the outside. That’s the way he is. He’s not going to take the easy road. He’s going to take the tough road and try to succeed. And yesterday, on that play, he had a step on (Straka) and if he didn’t get hooked, we’re probably going to go on a breakaway. And he drew a penalty.

“I’m kind of disappointed they complained about it.”

Asked if a player of Crosby’s caliber deserved more respect, Therrien replied: “Enough is enough. That’s enough.”

disappointed.


lol

Bathgate66

Lets Go Rangers

Bathgate66

this is only the 2nd time all year that both hollweg and orr werent playing .
( the final game of the year also ) prucha back in ,...

i hope the physicality element doesnt come back to haunt us in this game,....

Ruutu has it coming to him ,.....

kenshunt

Bathgate66 wrote:

this is only the 2nd time all year that both hollweg and orr werent playing .
( the final game of the year also ) prucha back in ,...

i hope the physicality element doesnt come back to haunt us in this game,....

Ruutu has it coming to him ,.....

And who's gonna give it to him

Bathgate66

move this party back to the garden

nice little scrum to take it back to the big city at gamesend,..

emotional ? maybe take it like this in the first 59:59 of the game also,...

Phantom Pain

Tough one

Need to take 2 at home

Not sure if you guys saw this glitch in NHL'08..LoL




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ7TNzkBBsc&feature=related

xavier mcdaniel

it is beyond me how they fucked up that no-goal, the whistle clearly blew after the puck crossed the line.

I'm not one for blaming the refs, but it has to be said loudly.


THESE REFS SUCK, THESE REFS SUCK, THESE REFS SUCK.

Bathgate66

http://www.hockeyrodent.com/


Aggggggghhh!

Sun, Apr 27, 3:15 PM Pacific


These are grown men. The instructions are very simple. Keep your sticks down and if you lose position on the enemy, you are baiting the referees by reaching in with the twig.

This mantra has doubtless been repeated by Tom Renney twice a week for the past six months. If it hasn't, then the bench boss must shoulder responsibility for the myriad reaching fouls by his minions. If it has (and we all know it has) then we (as adults) must ask why the Blueshirts - completely cognizant of the dangerous Penguin powerplay - invite the whistle dis-ir-regardless their tuition.

Chris Drury tempted fate once too often and his team got burned. What's so irritating is that Drury's infraction wasn't in any manner relevant to thwarting a scoring threat.

That said, Michal Roszival's departure from his station in front of Henrik Lundqvist is what allowed (yet again) the enemy to post someone between all other Rangers and the Broadway backstop.

Roszival made a rookie's mistake. He had nothing to gain by sliding out as he did on such a shallow-angle threat if it meant vacating the low slot. All he did was take himself out of the play and invite Pittsburgh to crash the net for the goal.

This is a shame because The Swede played a superb game while his counterpart 180-feet away had little in the way of challenges.

The Penguins played a diligent, downright sensational defensive game today. The Rangers had nothing in the slot. Every chance (but one shot by Roszy) was from easy angles for Marc-Andre Fleury and the Blueshirts barely mounted a follow-up campaign with traffic until the very end when desperation overcame common sense.

Among the few times they did, Dan O'Halloran blew his whistle as the puck dribbled through M-A's pads and across the line.

Maybe it's just me. But I see far too much Jaromir Jagr and far too little Prucha-Dubinsky-Dawes on the power play.

However, I'll concede that when Gotham did skate with the man-advantage, there was considerably more motion by the quartet away from the ball than we witnessed on Friday.

Look. The Rangers played a solid game, though not perfect.

The Penguins simply played better(ly).

The officiating was far less controversial despite the no-goal. That said, I'm wondering why it took the entire game before Hal Gill got nabbed for his aggressiveness.

I don't recall which Pen was off the ice - I think it was Ruutu - but within seconds Gill takes a two-handed windup and slashes his check (was it Gomez?) as if he was batting a baseball. That should have resulted in a 5-on-3. Yet somehow Gill is permitted to get away with the same kind of stuff Chris Pronger and Derian Hatcher are routinely pardoned for.

Why the double-standard?

Because without the get-out-of-jail-card, Gill and Hatcher wouldn't have jobs in this man's league. Pronger still would. He's multi-talented.

But it goes both ways. Ranger fans must not forget that Ulf Samuelsson enjoyed the very same immunity when he patrolled the blueline in The World's Most Frustrated Arena.

If Roszival attempted what Gill routinely gets away with, there'd a whistle. If Gill was skating for New York, the 6-7 behemoth probably continues to garner perpetual forgiveness. So I'm not claiming this is an ice-tilting tactic by the zebræ. I'm admitting there is a double-standard. But it's applied at the personal level rather than by franchise affiliation.

• • •

My previous rant was criticized for being pessimistic and negative when Ranger fans could use any boost they can get.


Look. If you want rah-rah, I'm sure it's available somewhere on Al Gore's interweb. It's a pretty big place and you can find just about anything you want from the comfort of your own O'Sullivan major-assembly-required official computer desk with the genuine simulated vinyl walnut veneer finish.

I prefer objectivity... and cherry wood.

Now, I can be wrong. I can make incorrect conclusions about what I perceive happening through the eye of the camera.

But I will not varnish or sugar-coat that which I do perceive. And what I perceive is a veteran roster featuring lotsa thirty-somethings skating many minutes ninety games separated from training camp opposing an adversary whose most formidable weapons have legs two-decades younger.

That's one decade per leg, you see.

The only advantage for your heroes is in net.

Henke is a pair of notches above Fleury. However that imbalance is negated by the superior chances created by Pittsburgh in comparison to the rather benign opportunities mounted against M-A.

Doubtless Renney and the rest of Penn Plaza saw my first game wrap and pitched it as a motivator as if they're somehow gonna show the faithless furball just how misguided his prognistications are.

More power to ya.

So far all I've witnessed is that Pittsburgh is the superior team. They are better built for the playoffs because calls like Laraque's third man in are ignored in the post-season and Jarko Ruutu routinely evades the referees' radar.

Can the Rangers win this series?

Sure.

If you watched John Davidson's unlikely pinball to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1979 (as I did) you know that more daunting odds have been overcome.

Just don't bet your ride on it.

:

igotid88

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

it is beyond me how they fucked up that no-goal, the whistle clearly blew after the puck crossed the line.

I'm not one for blaming the refs, but it has to be said loudly.


THESE REFS SUCK, THESE REFS SUCK, THESE REFS SUCK.

They always seem to blow the whistle early when the rangers are near the net.

xavier mcdaniel

it's a league-wide issue, the inconsistencies from night to night is absurd.