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

Blueshirt Bulletin

May 05, 2007
Another Skeleton Comes Back Out of the Closet

The Rangers have put a lot of skeletons back in the closet during their playoff run. But every once in a while one re-emerges and costs the team a game. Add them all up and they may end up costing them a series and a deeper run into the post-season. In Game 1, it was too many penalties. In Game 2, it was a costly Marek Malik turnover. Tonight, in a game the Sabres deserved to win but were about to lose thanks to the shut-down netminding of Henrik Lundqvist, another old bugaboo re-emerged.

The Rangers lost this game because they could not win it on the power play. Despite a lackluster first period, they had three chances to get a jump on the Sabres with the man advantage, but they didn't even come close. They had three more chances in regulation but seemed to get progressively worse. And they had a golden opportunity to atone for the goal they let Chris Drury score with 7.7 seconds left in regulation to negate Martin Straka's apparent game winner, getting a power play early in overtime.

Not only did they not come close to closing it out when they had the chance, you just knew when the refs gave the Sabres a make-up call two minutes later that Buffalo would do what the Rangers couldn't do -- win the game on the power play. Now the Rangers face the monumental task of coming back off this potentially devastating loss to win the final two games of the series, a feat only accomplished once in team history (going into Game 5 2-2, losing it, and coming back to win the series) -- that was in 1994, and it took a Messier guarantee and a Matteau double-OT goal to accomplish that. And playing Game 7 on home ice, which will not be the case this time.

The task is certainly not impossible -- the Rangers proved again, even in not playing their best, that they can take the Sabres, coming that close to a win that would have offset the Sabres stealing Game 2. But the Sabres have come out ahead in both situations to lead 3-2 in the series, a position the Rangers should be in (if not having already taken the series 4-1). These are the kinds of results that usually separate the great teams from the good teams, and right now you have to give Buffalo the edge.

But I've written this story before, several times in fact. At least once, the lede was that the epitaph to this season when it was written would say, "They lost it on the power play." And yet they're still here -- down but not out. They've overcome too many penalties, too many own-goals, too many blown two-goal leads, and yes, too many games where the power play did not come through despite the constellation of stars manning it. Now they have to overcome it again, to the tune of two straight wins over the league's top regular season team.

Monumental, yes. Impossible? Close to it, but not completely. Tom Renney and Brendan Shanahan both seemed on an even keel afterwards, believing that the Rangers had it in them. Jaromir Jagr, however, appeared on the verge of sharing the tears that were shed in the living rooms of many a Ranger fan this evening. He did not sound the same note of optimism that he sounded the last time the Rangers left Buffalo after a disappointing loss that should have been a win. But he has a day to regain his resolve and continue the pursuit of that something special he asked us to believe in at the all-star break.

Jagr appeared to suffer a leg injury after a knee on knee collision with his latest nemesis, Dainius Zubrus. He came back to finish out the game, but he said afterwards that you don't feel that kind of pain during a game, you feel it the next day. Nevertheless, he couldn't have continued if there was structural damage to his knee or another part of his leg, so look for him to come back strong on Sunday. The prognosis for Fedor Tyutin may be cloudier, as he did not play well after his return to the ice from an apparent leg injury early in the game.




[size=+3] - _/ _/ _/ Lets Go Rangers \_ \_ \_ - [/size]

Nevertheless, he ( Jagr ) couldn't have continued if there was structural damage to his knee or another part of his leg, so look for him to come back strong on Sunday. The prognosis for Fedor Tyutin may be cloudier , as he did not play well after his return to the ice from an apparent leg injury early in the game.

my understanding is that the NYR called up 10 of the now eligible Wolfpack ( now that they are eliminated from playoffs )...... so perhaps its time to call up Liffiton ? His boys Gerardi and Callahan are already here , waiting for him .


Ranger Fanatics Double Decker Bus Rally *[size=-2] < < click me <[/size]






For Sunday's Game 6, buses will be parked on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 31st Street by 11 a.m., at which time fans are invited to line up and begin reserving their spots on the bus.

The buses begin boarding at 12 noon. Each person on the buses have a chance to receive a pair of tickets to Game 6. One lucky fan on each bus will be randomly selected to receive the pair of tickets and then will be able to enter the arena.

Even fans who don't win the Game 6 tickets won't have to come away empty-handed, because Rangers merchandise, including towels, t-shirts and hats, will also be given away to fans on the buses.

The buses will head up to Times Square at 12:10 p.m. – just under two hours before the game begins. Between 12:30 and 1:15, the buses will drive laps around Times Square, giving the fans on top of the bus to chant "Let's Go Rangers" in the heart of New York City.

Upon returning from the trip up to Times Square, the lucky fan on each bus who receives the playoff tickets will be announced.

The Playoff Road Tour was a huge hit prior to Games 3 and 4 of the Rangers' first-round series against Atlanta and again prior to Games 3 and 4 of the current series for Buffalo. To view video from each of the last two bus tours, click on the link for Rangers on Demand at the top of this story and choose the "Bobby Granger" section.

F'n_Circus wrote:

oh, and before i forget, Henrik was phenominal yesterday.

yeah he only tried straying from the net only once or twice :rolleyes: ( uneventful thankfully ) - neither of which was as detremental as the game 4 play.


Newsflash- Henrik- inside the net, you are really good.
Outside the net, not so good .


numbnuts needs to stay inside his crease area- no further straying outwards , like he's martin brodeur of 5 years ago..... . :rolleyes:

Purple Hawk wrote:

true dat...I know I'll be praying for the rangers

sens fan ?





Lets Effin Go , Rangers !