Don’t look at me like that. I still played more than you would have if you were in the lineup. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

I skipped game two of this little game and it didn’t go well for the boys so we’re starting it up again. (Yes I realize they lost when I guessed in game one…but at least the score was close in that game.) For game one, I guessed Brian Boyle would play 16:42 in regulation. This time I was off by 23 seconds as he played 17:05 (I’m getting good at this).

This time I figured I would pick a player we will all be watching tonight to see if he can bounce back. (I’m not even questioning it, I know he can.) He had his lowest time on ice for the year playing under twenty minutes for the first time this season. I guess that’s what happens when you’re technically a minus-5 in a game. (Stat sheet showed minus-4 since he was on for one of the Rangers goals.)

Not only do I not expect him to be anywhere near that unlucky defensively again, but I also expect him to play more minutes. I have this belief that his minutes have a direct correlation to how the Rangers do. Look at when the team loses. Those are usually the nights Girardi doesn’t lead the team in ice time. Being it’s a home game, Tortorella can get his matchups so I think that will prevent his ice time from getting ridiculous. I’m going to go with 24:52. There’s really no rhyme or reason to that but that’s the number that popped into my head, so I’m going with it.

What does everyone else think?

Thanks for finally showing up! Too bad the rest of the team is exhausted (Photo: Melissa Andus)

So… this is starting to look familiar, isn’t it? The Rangers opening their series on the road with two straight losses. While I think the Rangers are looking much better in the second round than they did in the first, drawing out the first round to seven games didn’t do the team any favors in terms of fitness and reserves. So, we’re still missing Clowe, Staal, and Powe, the defense is clearly exhausted, and a 1 in 5 road record is… not great.

Well, let’s beat this dead horse!

» Continue reading “Not Even Nash Can Save Rangers In Second Loss To Boston”

Nice job shutting down Alex Ovechkin, Mac Truck. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

I don’t know if it was the high of a home victory, the roar of the hometown faithful, or just a wake-up call from Torts, but the Rangers really showed up tonight. Hitting, winning face offs, McDonagh sticking to Ovechkin like glue, Brassard getting two assists, Hagelin showing up with a goal and two assists, and Stepan with the game winning goal for the second straight game… it all added up to another 4-3 victory over the Caps.

» Continue reading “Rangers Tie The Series With Nail Biter Win”

Even Nash couldn’t score against Holtby today. I really am starting to dislike this man. (Bridget Samuels/ flickr)

Sooo that was an ugly game.  No score through regulation and then an overtime loss on a stupid penalty. On the plus side, we got Boyle and Dorsett into the line up to replace Newbury and Kreider. On the minus side, well, they got shut out by Holtby. Thanks a lot NHL for making deflecting the puck into the crowd a delay of game penalty. Ugh.

» Continue reading “Rangers Fall In Overtime Loss And Give Caps A Two Game Lead As Series Heads To New York”

Last year on this day, I wrote my first birthday post. It was a simple post wishing one of my favorite defenseman a happy birthday. Since then, I’ve made these posts a little more fun so be prepared for videos and pictures because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love to look at videos and pictures of the goofball that is one of the Rangers’ top defensemen?

Wait, you didn’t know Dan Girardi was a goofball? I’m not going to ask where you have been but instead allow you to enjoy the ridiculousness that we’ve seen from the now 29-year old guy known in the locker room as “G”.

First, let’s start with the basics. By now everyone knows that he took the long road to the NHL by not being drafted and then playing in both the ECHL and AHL before finally making it to New York. (He was actually named to the Hartford Wolf Pack all star roster voted by the fans before they changed their name to the Connecticut Whale.)

Anyone remember his first NHL goal? Better yet, anyone remember a team called the Atlanta Thrashers? Kidding on that second question but that’s who his first goal was against:

» Continue reading “Happy Birthday Dan Girardi!”

Congrats on the latest edition to your family! (Photo: Melissa Andus)

I always love when I can place Dan Girardi and Marc Staal in the same sentence, especially when it’s regarding good news. Yesterday, the New York Rangers’ chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association announced that Staal had been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and Girardi was the recipient of the John Halligan Good Guy Award.

» Continue reading “Congrats to Staal, Girardi, Asham + More Rangers Notes”

Cheer up, Dan Girardi. You scored the game winning goal! (Photo: Derrick Bostrom/ flickr)

What a game! The Rangers gained two points and their first shut out of the season in a hard-fought overtime victory against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. Dan Girardi scored on a high rising shot to the upper right corner of the net at 3:11 of overtime with a nice pass from Brassard setting him up to go to the net. Nice work by Brassard, showing more of the talent gained in the Gaborik trade.

» Continue reading “Lundqvist Nets First Shut Out And Girardi Scores Game Winning Goal Against Isles”

Welcome back Arron Asham! I know you aren’t a bad player, but it’s bad when you are the one igniting the team and it isn’t by fighting… (Photo: Melissa Andus)

All night I listened as the Rangers outhit and outshot the Capitals through the final 40 minutes of the game. That’s great. They didn’t outscore them and not only gave away a valuable extra point, they gave a team that is chasing them two. This season, they just can’t keep doing that.

For those who haven’t heard, the Rangers roster changed slightly since the boys last game. Jeff Halpern is now in Montreal, Stu Bickel is in Connecticut (where he had 6 shots on goal during the Whale’s win earlier today and played in all situations including the power play) and Kris Newbury is with the big club.

As for the lineup, Arron Asham came off of IR to return for the first time in over a month (last game was 2/19 vs. Montreal) and J.T. Miller missed his first game since being called up due to his left wrist injury (and possibly the fact that he told the media what the injury was; just kidding).

» Continue reading “Rangers Only Gain One Point In Tough Game With Caps”

Hey, cheer up Gaby. At least you finally scored! (Photo: Derrick Bostrom/ flickr)

So that sure was a mixed bag, huh? The Rangers started off the week being shut out by the Penguins, then they won two in a row and then lost to the 15th seed.

Let’s talk it out:

» Continue reading “The Week In Review: Up, Up, and Down…”

Since I put Del Zotto yesterday, it was a toss up between this man and Girardi for who to focus on. Since Dan tried to kill the man above, Henrik gets the nod. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

On the one year anniversary of the opening face off fights between these teams, we got to see a first period that was anything but typical Rangers-Devils. The teams gave us the whole spectrum as the second period was a little more what we would expect and the third was twenty minutes of trap. The game wasn’t easy to watch by any means but it got the job done.

To start the game, it was obvious who had played the night before and who hadn’t as the Devils had their legs under them while the Rangers did not. Logic would say that would be the other way around as the Devils hadn’t played since Saturday, but logic doesn’t come into play with this team. Halfway through the period, Ryan McDonagh took a tripping penalty. Thirty seconds in, the Devils took a shot that basically hit everything except the back of the net and play continued. In real time, I couldn’t tell what it hit so figured it would be reviewed and end up a goal whenever the next stoppage of play occurred.

» Continue reading “Rangers Never Trail, Hang On To Beat Devils”