The Boys Are Back In It!

Rangers 2, Sabres 1. Double OT
YAY!!!
With New York down 2 games to none, obviously game 3 was a 'must win', and the Rangers played an inspired 97 minutes of hockey. They out-shot and out-chanced the Sabres; unfortunately, they also took more penalties, and spent a lot of anxious minutes chasing the Sabres around the defensive zone.
After a scoreless 1st, Jaromir Jagr followed up his own shot to the net and swiped in, a puck that had trickled between Ryan Miller's goal pads. A few minutes later, Jagr initiated a play that led to an apparent goal by Karel Rachunek. The goal went in off of the skate of Rachunek, and after a lengthy (4 minute) review by off ice (I think the league office in Toronto, Ontario can be considered 'off ice') officials, the goal was disallowed; ruled to have been illegally redirected by a kicking motion. That decision went over like a lead balloon; the combination of penalties called against the Rangers plus the no-goal ruling led fans to scream 'These Refs Suck!' for about 30 seconds. They're fanatical- not polite, mmkay?
Where was I? Oh yeah- so anyway, Buffalo ties the game in the 3rd, and that was it for regulation time. (My DVR stopped recording at the start of the 1st overtime, so yeah, sucks for me!) The 1st ot came and went with lots of scoring chances, including a blast off the goalpost by Sabre forward Derek Roy, but no goals.
Michal Rozsival finally broke the stalemate in the 2nd overtime, with a one-timer from the point. In his own words: “I had my eyes closed, actually,” Rozsival said. “It was a lucky shot. I was just trying to get it on the net and hopefully somebody’s going to tip it. Anything can happen when you put it on the net.”

Henrik Lundqvist was a tower of strength in net, and absolutely deserving of the fans chanting *Henrik! Henrik!*
The fans were crazy, rewarding the Blueshirts maximum effort performance with sustained, full-throated howling. Afterwards, the boys met at center ice to salute the Garden faithful:

Game 4 Tuesday night @ MSG
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Ok, Now I'm Worried.

Sabres 3, Rangers 2
guh. The boys played a very strong defensive game, and for led 2-1 after 2 periods. But early in the 3rd, a defensive giveaway led to a Buffalo goal, and that tied the score. With ten minutes left, Buffalo took the lead on a sneaky little pass into the slot, and the Sabres held off a Ranger onslaught to claim the victory. New York outshot Buffalo by nearly 2-1; Goalie Ryan Miller is proving to be quite the challenge for the Blueshirts.
Ranger goals were scored by Martin Straka and Paul Mara.
Bodies flying all over the place last night in Buffalo:

Game 3 is Sunday afternoon @ MSG
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon...
LET'S GO RANGUHS!

It's Only 1 Game, I'm Not That Worried. Yet.

Sabres 5, Rangers 2
guh. The games was scoreless almost 2 periods, when the Rangers many transgressions (penalties) caught up with them. Buffalo scored 3 goals in about 6 minutes, and the boys futilely attempted to play catch-up for the rest of the game. Henrik was not his usual holymolywhatanawesomegoalie self, but he didn't get a whole lot of help, especially with the loss due to injury of defenseman Michal Roszival (uh-oh!) in the 2nd.

Marcel Hossa and Brendan Shanahan scored 3rd period goals for New York.
The Rangers will need tighter checking, fewer penalties and more goals when the series resumes on Friday.
LET'S GO RANGUHS!

2 days away...

Suuweeeeep!

Rangers 4, Thrashers 2.
YAY!!!
After giving up an early lead, Michal Rozsival tied the score, and the 1st period ended 1-1. Another Thrasher goal left the Blueshirts down again, but Brendan Shanahan finished off a 2 on 1 rush with a wrister from the right circle that trickled in past Thrasher goalie Johan Hedberg.
Early in the 3rd, Matt Cullen drilled a slapshot from just inside the blue line that hit the crossbar and then the ice behind Hedberg, but did the puck actually go in the net?? The officials decided to review...

As the wait dragged on, Ranger fans chanted “Goal, goal, goal,” and when the ref hung up the phone and pointed to center ice, they blew the lid off the dump:

Some feistiness from the Blueshirts' little ball of hate (Sean Avery):

First Rangers playoff series win in 10 years, first sweep since 1994.

The boys begin round 2 next Wednesday, opponent to be determined...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

A Severe Thrashing!

Rangers 7, Thrashers 0
YAY!!!
30 seconds into the game Michael Nylander scored the first of his three goals, off of a beautiful feed from Jaromir Jagr. (4 assists on the night) 2 goals by Ryan Callahan, 1 each from Marek Malik and Brendan Shanahan adds up to a beautiful night at MSG! Nylander celebrates:

In all the excitement, I very nearly forgot to mention the shutout by Henrik Lundqvist, YAY!

The Blueshirts can wrap up round 1 tonight at The World's Most Famous Arena, stay strong, boys!!
LET'S GO RANGERS!

No, they're not.

Guns are great, because they give excitable people a way of dealing with their challenging situations.

No Letup, Boys!

Rangers2, Thrashers 1.
YAY!!!
An early flukey goal on an innocent dump-in by Sean Avery gave the Rangers a lead that held up untill early in the 3rd period, when Atlanta tied it up on a goal by Ilya Kovalchuk. Late in the game, Avery set up Brendan Shanahan for a wide open one-timer from the slot. Brilliant pass by Avery, who changed his mind while in the act of shooting to send the puck over to the streaking Shanahan. Avery doesn't wear a letter on his sweater, but he's turned out to be so much more than an agitator; the guy is a hard working leader on the ice, willing to take a lot of gloves and sticks to the face to get the job done. By the way, you can check out NYR Playoff Videos here
Henrik Lundqvist and his Atlanta counterpart Johan Hedberg have both been brilliant in goal; other than the fluker by Avery, there's been nothing cheap getting past either netminder.
Would you do this? (see pic)

(I wouldn't)
Game 3 tuesday night at The World's Most Famous Arena
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Good Start, Boys!!

Rangers 4, Thrashers 3
YAY!!!
The Rangers did something last night they hadn't done since 1997: win a playoff game. Goals by Jaromir Jagr and Michael Roszival gave New York a 2-0 1st period lead; Michael Nylander and Marcel Hossa scored in period 2 for another 2 goal lead. After that, the boys hung on for dear life against an Atlanta comeback. Henrik Lundqvist and some strong defensive zone play preserved the game 1 win.

Great night for the Rangers top line of Jagr, Nylander and Hossa! Game 2 Saturday...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Game 1 is Thursday.

Game_1_is_Thursday.jpg
Originally uploaded by placidian.

Rangers vs. Thrashers.
LET'S GO RANGERS!

End of the Regular Season.

Penguins 2, Rangers 1.
guh. Well, the visiting Rangers managed only 1 goal against Pittsburgh in the last game of the regular season; perhaps the boys are saving up their biscuits for playoff baskets...
Anyway, thanks to help from Atlanta, (who beat Tampa Bay) New York still managed to clinch 6th place in the Eastern Conference, thus avoiding both New Jersey and Buffalo in the 1st round of the playoffs. The boys can thank the Thrashers in person on Thursday!
Let's Go Ranguhs!!

Result!

Rangers 3, Canadiens 1
YAY!!! The Blueshirts did not let the pressure of 'win and you're in' make them tighten up for the game against Les Habitants; they beat the Habs convincingly and clinched a playoff spot in the final home game of the regular season. Petr Prucha got it started early in the 1st period on this shot:

Marik Malek (see top photo) and Jaromir Jagr also scored for the boys, and Henrik Lundqvist held Montreal to a single goal while being his usual spectacular self. *Henrik! Henrik!*
Unlike last season, the Rangers will be mostly healthy going into the playoffs, and are a red hot team as the 'second season' begins...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Fishsticks Spoil The Party.

Islanders 3, Rangers 2 (Shootout)
guh. The Rangers surrendered a 2 goal lead to the Fishsticks at the Nassau Mausoleum, coming back on goals by Nylander and Shanahan to tie it up in the 2nd. After a scoreless 3rd, the teams went to overtime, and again- no goals.
And in the shootout, Henrik was not perfect (Shocking!) but his counterpart, Wade Dubielewicz (who dat?!) was. guh.
The boys get a point for the standings, and inched a bit closer to the coveted playoff berth.
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Winning Weekend!

Sunday:

Rangers 7, Maple Leafs 2. YAY!!!

Saturday:

Rangers 6, Flyers 2. YAY!!!

YAY!!!
LET'S GO RANGERS!