October! UPDATED! (THRICE!)

Autumn in Texas = 90 degrees. Although it doesn't yet feel like hockey season, it really is! (scroll down the page for hockey 'coverage', heh)
October 2008
1 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45 Grappino map
2 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting) Red Balloon map
3 Fri. Special Assignment (Sweetwater Country Club 6-9)

4 Sat. Backyard Tavern and Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 6-10 (14555 Grisby Rd.) Backyard-map
7 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner) Vine-map

8 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
Red Balloon photo of meeting Elaine (not pictured) and Harry from Scotland!

9 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting)

10 Fri. Backyard Tavern & Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 6:30-10
11 Sat. Robustos Cigar Lounge 9:00-1 Robustos map
12 Sun. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 3-5 (5150 Buffalo Speedway) Kroger Buffalo Speedway map
14 Tues. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
15 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
16 Thurs. Canceled! (rainraingoaway) Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting)
17 Fri. Special Assignment (Muir Fine Art Gallery)
18 Sat. Kroger River Oaks 3-5 (1938 West Gray, between Shepherd & Waugh) Kroger map
21 Tues. Special Assignment

22 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
23 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting)

24 Fri. Special Assignment
25 Sat. Special Assignment
26 Sun. Kroger River Oaks 3-5
28 Tues. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45

29 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
30 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting)

31 Fri. Happy Halloween! Backyard Tavern & Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 6:30-10

My friends John and Missie visited a coupla months ago, and here is the evidence (from Grappino):

I like what I see!

Rangers 3 Thrashers 2
YAY!
Best start ever for the Blueshirts, (10-2-1) thanks again to King Henrik Lundqvist of Sweden (27 saves) and Czar Nikolai Zherdev of Russia (goal, assist).
Dan Girardi (see above celebration) scored the game-winner late in the 3rd, and that means it's time for: the NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
A trip to Toronto on Saturday night...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Captain Chris gets in on the scoring!

Rangers 4 Islanders 2
YAY!
Captain Chris Drury picked up 2 goals, his first tallies of the season, and the visiting Blueshirts won at the Nassau Mausoleum.

I can't remember the team having a start like this (9-2-1), but I love it! Sing, la-la-la-la-:NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
King Henrik stifled the Fishsticks (Islanders) who were playing without their star goalie/100 million dollar man Rick DiPietro. Brandon Dubinsky lost his mind, taking penalties on consecutive shifts, and he was sat down for part of the 2nd period to think about it for awhile. (oooohhh, bad Brandon) The other Ranger goals were scored by Ryan Callahan and Scott Gomez, and it looks as though the scoring is being distributed more evenly between the lines.
A coupla days off for the boys, then it's Atlanta on Thursday night...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Suuuuweeeeeet!

Rangers 3 Penguins 2 (OT/SO)
YAY!
Another night of heroics for newcomer Nikolai Zherdev.
After spotting the Pens to a 2-0 lead through 2 periods, the Blueshirts overcame their scoring drought with a power play goal by Markus Naslund, and then with 8 seconds left in the 3rd, Zherdev saved the day with a shot past Marc-André Fleury. SING, you dogs: NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
Henrik Lundqvist allowed goals by 'Sid the kid' Crosby and Darryl Sydor, but then was lights out for the 3rd, the overtime and the shootout, when King Henrik stopped all 3 Pittsburgh shooters, including Crosby. "Hen-rik! Hen-rik!"
Coach Tom Renney overcame the concussion suffered in the previous game in Columbus (an errant stick knocked him senseless on the bench) and made the wise decision of having 4th line center Fredrik Sjostrom take one of the shootout attempts. 'Shoe' scored the only goal allowed in the shootout. YAY!
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Nikolai's Night!

Rangers 3 Blue Jackets 1
YAY!
With assists on the tying goal and the go-ahead goal in period 2, and a goal of his own in the 3rd, Nikolai Zherdev made life miserable for his old team. Dan Girardi added a goal and an assist, and Henrik Lundqvist was King of his castle while the boys protected the lead for the last half of the contest.
At this time, let us hear a little hockey tune: NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
Tough assignment tonight: Sid the kid and the Penguins at MSG...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Oh No Modano.

Stars 2 Rangers 1
guh.
New York welcomed back old friend/new nemesis Sean Avery (see photo above) to the Garden and held him in check, but could not hold the lead. Again. guh.
Markus Naslund scored a 1st period power play goal, and that lead lasted until Brendan Morrow tied it up for Dallas in the 2nd, also on the pp.
Mike Modano broke the tie halfway through the 3rd, and that was that. Another blown lead. guh.
Blueshirts vs. Blue Jackets in Columbus an Friday...
Let's Go Ranguhs!!

Boys Gain a Tough Point on the Road!

I'll take it!
The boys took on the defending Stanley Cup champs in their barn, and if you excuse the quick goals they gave up, (28 seconds into the 1st, 23 seconds into the overtime) the result is a beautiful thing. Because I didn't actually see the game, (following along with the game summary as it refreshes its page once per minute) I can't be sure if those quickies were the result of fabulous Detroit plays, or craptastic New York lapses on defense.
The Rangers also took a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty while protecting the lead late in the 3rd; the mental mistake led to the Red Wings tying goal.
Ranger goals were scored by Aaron Voros (2), Ryan Callahan, Nigel Dawes and King Henrik had 40 saves. Because I'm pleased with the Blueshirts coming from behind to tie, let's have some happy music, and overlook the final score: NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
Back home to face Dallas on Monday night...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Goalies are Good!

Rangers 1 Maple Leafs 0 (OT/SO)
YAY!
Duelling shutouts through regulationa and overtime, wow-- how often does that happen?!
Shootout goal:

Shootout save:

Shootout goal:

Shootout save:

Let there be music and dancing: NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
Off to Detroit to face the defending champs. Keep it going, Boys...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

First 'guh' of the season. =(

Sabres 3 Rangers 1
guh.
All right, so I wasn't expecting to blueshirts to go 82-0 this season, but still-- losing sux. Lately the offense seems to be coming from everywhere except the 1st line of Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund. That wasn't a problem because the Dubinsky line was en fuego; but last night the Rangers' scoring was limited to a Gomez tip-in of a Michal Rozsival shot. They gave up 2 power play goals and a shorthanded goal; obviously special teams took the night off. Even Henrik Lundqvist was off his game, only stopping 16 of 19 shots.
Colton (no relation to Bobby) Orr took advantage of a lull in play to dance around with Andrew Peters:

Maple Leafs on Friday...
Let's Go Ranguhs!!

Emotional Night @ MSG.

Rangers 4 Devils 1
YAY!
The Rangers matched their best ever start with a 5 straight win last night at the Garden. Once again, the Brandon Dubinsky, Aaron Voros, Nikolai Zherdev line was amazing. (Aren't they supposed to be the 2nd line?) Dubinsky had a goal and 2 assists, Voros had 2 goals and a helper, and Zherdev an assist. And now, a little music...
NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
King Henrik stopped 26 of 27 shots. Long Live the King!
On a much more somber note, Alexei Cherepanov, who was the Rangers top draft pick from 2007, died yesterday from cardiac arrest (thought to be caused by chronic ischemia) during a game in Russia. He was a teammate of Jaromir Jagr for Omsk. Click to read the full AP story.


Blueshirts versus Sabres on Wednesday night...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Rangers 4 Flyers 3
YAY!
The boys made a short road trip to Philly for a big early test against the hated Flyers. After listening to the fans boo celebrity hockey mom and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, they roared out to a 4-0 lead in the 1st period. Play this happy song 4 times in a row: NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
Ranger goals were scored by Nikolai Zherdev, Blair Betts, Fredrik Sjostrom, (2 goals for the 4th line!) and Michal Rozsival. The Rozsival power play goal knocked Marty Biron out of the game, such humiliation for the Philly goaltender.
Things were vicious and tense the rest of the way, as Philadelphia scored 2 goals in 2nd, and another in the 3rd. The boys had to kill off a 2-man disadvantage late in the game to preserve the win.

Stephen Valiquette got the start in net, having established last year that defending the Rangers' goal against Flyer shooters is his specialty. (3-0-1)

Finally, it really wouldn't be a game in Philadelphia without some Phisticuffs:

The boys come home to MSG for 3 games, beginning with the Devils on Monday night...
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Garden Party!

Rangers 4 Black Hawks 2
YAY!
Opening night at The World's Most Famous Arena was a showcase for Brandon Dubinsky. Brandon had a goal and 2 assists and now has his own fan-chant. “Du-bi! Du-bi!”.

NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
Aaron Voros, Nikolai Zherdev, Wade Redden all scored in their home debut for the Blueshirts. King Henrik made 30 stops in the win.
Big early test for the boys on the road tonight in Philly...
LET'S GO RANGERS!