Fruits of their Labor.

Rangers 3, Penguins 2 (OT/SO 1-0)
YAY! After spotting Pittspuke to a 2 goal lead (the 1st on a penalty shot awarded to Nils Eckman, and the other when Sid Crosby skated through the entire Ranger team like they were too sleepy to care) the boys refamiliarized themselves with defensive concepts, and goalie Henrik Lundqvist allowed nothing past him the rest of the way, including overtime and the shootout. *Henrik! Henrik!* Henrik is 4-0 in shootouts this season, allowing zero (nada, zilch, 0) goals on 22 shots. Holy Moly, What A Goalie!

The boys started their comeback in the 3rd period, with a shorthanded goal by Blair Betts and a power play blast by Brendan Shanahan. Jaromir Jagr's assist on the PP goal gives him an NHL leading 28, and that's a lot of helpers.
Shootout: Shanny scored the only goal with a wrister to the top shelf. (Lot of hockey terminlogy in the ol' blog today)
Standings: Back into a tie for 1st place in the Atlantic Div. =)
Procreation: Michael Nylander departed early from the game to be with his wife who had gone into labor. (Congratulations, Michael & Camilla!)
LET'S GO RANGERS!! NYR Photos/Videos here!

Hat Trick's not enough.

Hat_Trick's_not_enough.jpg
Originally uploaded by placidian.

guh.
After allowing 4 goals on 8 (!!) shots in the 1st period, Henrik Lundqvist told coach Renney, 'holy moly, I'm a sucky goalie, you better put in Kevin Weekes.' (I'm paraphrasing, y'all) Down 4-0, the Blueshirts outscored the Fishsticks 4-3 the next 2 periods, getting a hat trick from former Red Wing Brendan Shanahan in the process. However, Viktor Kozlov (another former Red Wing) scored 4 for the bad guys, which is why the NYR are looking up in the standings at the NYI. *bows head in shame* Let's Go Ranguhs!!

We Get The Point. Again.

We_Get_The_Point._Again..jpg
Originally uploaded by placidian.

guh.
Sabres 4, Rangers 3. *sigh* Another point for escaping regulation time with a tie, but another loss for the boys, this time in the Shootout.
Buffalo changed their jerseys this season, which is usually a desperation move for money reasons, but whatever the reason, the move has paid off. They are in command of the Eastern Conference (20-3-2) and part of getting there is the sweep of their 4 games with the Blueshirts. Details? Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller stopped 36 shots, Daniel Briere scored the only goal of the shootout. The Rangers came back from a 2-0 deficit, and doubled up the Sabres on shots on goal. And they have nicer jerseys. Let's Go Ranguhs!!

December Gigs. Updated! Again! (& Again!)

Hi,
I can't believe how cold it has been this week. My apartment mgr. actually sent out notices for what to do if the pipes freeze/burst. (You poke a hole in the drywall, and catch the water in a bucket. Awesome!)

Anyway, stay warm & keep cool. *huh?*
By the way, this calender is as carved in dust as any other– the Dec. 7 Marriot gig may be scrapped because I subbed for another musician there this past Thursday; he might get my scheduled gig to make up for his lost one. So...
p.s. Nothing for Dec. 31?! I haven't had a New Years Eve off in decades, but as of now, only nibbles. I may be staying home and eating worms that night...
December:
1 Fri. Special Assignment
2 Sat. Grisby Grill 6-10:00 (Grisby, just south of I-10/HWY 6)
4 Mon. Happy Birthday, Ben!!
5 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:30 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner)
6 Wed. Grappino 6-9:30 (West Dallas, just east of Waugh)
7 Thur. CANCELLED!! Was: Marriot
8 Fri. Special Assignment
9 Sat. Frank-n-Steins HWY 6 near Bissonett 9:30-1:30
12 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:30
13 Wed. Grappino 6-9:30
14 Thurs. Grappino 6-9:30
15 Fri. Kilburn's Tavern and Grill 9-1 (11808 Barker Cypress, just south of 290)
16 Sat. Special Assignment
23 Sat. ZigZags (w/The Three Wise Men) 9:30-1:30 Main St. Lake Placid, NY
25 Merry Christmas! I uploaded a lovely Christmas tune by a trio of Swedish girls called Ephemera; if you'd like to hear it, click here:

Ephemera-Gift

30 Sat. Grappino 6-10
31 Sun. Marriot in The Woodlands 9-1 (Happy Birthday, Tracy!!)

Et tu, Bobby?

ATL 5, NYR 4 (OT) guh.
Another overtime loss for the Blueshirts at MSG. The point the boys get for the regulation tie does not make up for the fact that not only did they blow a 2 goal lead, but they gave up 2 goals (including the overtime winner) to former teammate Bobby Holik. Oh Bobby, you were a bastard when you played for the Devils, invisible when you played with the Rangers, and now you're a bastard with the Thrashers. So predictable. You were born to torment us. *shakes fist*
Bright spots: 2 power play goals from Adam Hall. (a 4th liner on the PP? huh?) After the Rangers gave up 3 straight goals to turn a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 deficit, Michael Nylander scored a late 3rd period goal to force the overtime.
Let's Go Ranguhs!!

My First YouTube experiment!

I've wanted to try this embedded YouTube video thing for awhile, and today I found a video to a song I love. The song is Here's Where The Story Ends, by The Sundays. YAY! mmkay, so click on the arrow to watch the video. If you're on dial-up like me, click the arrow, and then go watch tv for little while. Then, come back and watch the video. Harriet Wheeler has the most adorable voice, and I remember seeing this video back in the day when MTV actually showed music videos.



YAY!

Good News, Bad News.

Live by the OT sword, die by the OT sword. Guh. The boys returned home to MSG and a battle with Eastern Conference leading Buffalo. Aside from the fact that the Rangers took 10 penalties, they played well, clawing back from a 2 goal deficit to tie the Sabres and send the game to an extra session. (2 more goals for Martin Straka!!) But Chris Drury spoiled the party, getting the winner past Henrik Lundqvist 90 seconds into overtime.
Still, an OT loss means 1 point in the standings, and so the Rangers move back into sole possession of 1st in the Atlantic Division. *yay* Big picture – the top 8 teams in the Conference make the playoffs; as of now, the boys are only a few points above the cutoff. *yikes*

Let's Go Ranguhs!!

Martin Straka Saves The Day!

New York 2, Pittspuke 1. OT YAY!!!
Jaromir Jagr scored a late 3rd period goal to force overtime; Henrik Lundqvist denied a penalty shot by the Pen's Jordan Staal:

(We interrupt this blogging for some cheering. *Henrik! Henrik! Henrik! Henrik!*) With just a few seconds left in OT, it was looking like the game would be decided by a shootout. But then Martin Straka saved the day for the Rangers- first stripping the puck from Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin who was about to walk in alone on goal, and then starting a rush the other way up the ice. He blew past one defender, head-manned the puck to Jagr in the Penguin zone; Jagr dished off to Michal Rozsival at the point. Meanwhile, Straka kept skating toward the net, accepting a perfect saucer pass on the tape of his stick- all Martin had to do was redirect the biscuit into the basket with 2.2 seconds left in overtime!! Diligent back checking combined with precision passing, that's what i'm talkin' about!!
LET'S GO RANGERS!! NYR Photos & Videos

Game On! (television)

YAY!!! Thanks to a cancelled gig, last night I was FINALLY able to see some televised hockey; lemme tell ya, blogging the NYR progress is much easier to do while watching the game, versus reading the wrap-up and MAYBE seeing what FEW highlights espn MIGHT deign to provide. *shakes fist* The boys dominated a hot Carolina team, were very disciplined with their checking assignments, and kept the careless penalties to a minimum. (Coach Renney only needed half a swig of his ulcer medicine, instead of the usual half a bottle.)
Marcel Hossa opened the scoring with his 1st goal of the year, a remarkable display of hand-eye coordination, tipping in a high shot that was going well wide of the net. As you can see, Marcel so happy:

Jaromir Jagr netted #s 601 and 602, the latter a redirection off of an absolutely perfect feed from Aaron Ward at the point.

Brendan Shanahan also scored, extending his league-leading total to 17. Henrik Lundqvist got his 1st shutout of the season and he was brilliant in the process: *Henrik! Henrik!*

Observations from the Versus broadcast:
1. Bill Clement is being wasted as a studio host, he should be doing color commentary on the games.
2. MSG ice surface, infamously lousy for decades, hasn't improved- pucks skip, bounce, rise up on edge constantly.
3. Beer tastes better when the game is on.
4. Scully (my cat) is easily startled by screaming. (4 goals + 3 great saves = 7 screams)
LET'S GO RANGERS!! I get my NYR photos here!

#600!!

Rangers 4, Lightning 1 YAY!!!
The Blueshirts dominated Tampa Bay, with Jaromir Jagr leading the way, scoring goal #600 less than 2 minutes into the game at MSG. With assists on goals by Shanahan and Straka, he regained the overall scoring lead in the NHL.
The Rangers were as solid on Sunday as they were wretched on Saturday, holding the 'Ning to few shots on goal, and on what few opportunities they allowed, goalie Henrik Lundqvist was more than equal to the task. *Henrik! Henrik! Henrik!*

With Jagr putting his 600th biscuit into an NHL basket, he joined an elite group of 16, whose members include teammate Brendan Shanahan and former Rangers Phil Esposito and Mike Gartner. Nice company!
LET'S GO RANGERS!!
I get my NYR photos here!

The Sin Bin.

Pittspuke 3, NYR 1 Guh.
The boys' brains took Saturday night off in Pittsburgh, contemplating much of the contest from the penalty box, aka 'the sin bin'. stoopidstoopidstoopid. 12 penalties, including multiple 5 on 3 situations. They were shorthanded 3 times in the 1st period, 3 times in the 2nd, and 5 times in the 3rd, which kind of makes coming from behind VERY DIFFICULT. Despite all the silly infractions, they actually had their chances to win this game, but Marc-Andre Fleury was quite solid in net for the Pens. Jaro Jagr had a few shots but was again denied career goal 600. He'll have another chance at home on Sunday night against Tampa Bay.
Let's Go Ranguhs!!

It's their Cup Until Further Notice.

Hurricanes 2, Rangers 1. guh.
The champs get a late goal from Rod Brind'Amour to beat the visiting Rangers. Jaromir Jagr did get career goal #599 in the losing effort. Kevin Weekes got the start in goal for the NYR and played well, but so did Carolina's Cam Ward. Whaddygonnado? Let's Go Ranguhs!!

Ninety Seconds To Ecstasy!

NYR 3, NJD 2 YAY!!
The Blueshirts spotted the visiting Devils to a 2 goal lead through 2 periods. They then got reamed out by Coach Renney before the 3rd period, and a little yelling helped, apparently, 'cos the boys found a way to get the puck past Martin Brodeur 3 times in the space of 90 seconds! The goals were coming so quickly (including 2 by Jagr) that the P.A. announcer coudn't keep up! MSG fans went batshit-crazy! Scotty was at work and missed seeing the whole thing! As usual! *sigh*
Back into a 1st place tie, me-so-happy. =)
Two minutes into the game, the tough guys go at it...

Shanny walks in alone for the go ahead goal!

LET'S GO RANGERS!!
I get my NYR photos here!

Oly Moly, Stingy Goalie.

Caps 3, Rangers 1. Guh.
Oh well, the boys have played so well on the road, but last night they ran into a hot goaltender, Olaf Kolzig. (Facing 42 shots, making 41 saves) Whaddygonnado, these things happen. Michael Nylander extended his personal streak to 6 games, scoring the Rangers only goal. The Rangers also fell into 2nd place in the division behind the Devils. Guess what- they play those Devils on Tuesday night @ MSG.
Let's Go Ranguhs!!

A Severe Thrashing!

NYR 5, ATL 2 YAY!!
Michael Nylander once again starred for the Rangers, with 2 goals and an assist. Jaro Jagr set up 3 goals, Lundqvist said "No soup for you, Thrashers!" and the boys have their best road record to open the season since 1978. If they win tonight in Washington, they equal a franchise record for most points after 10 road games. The Blueshirts are in a 1st place tie in the Atlantic Division. *does a little dance*
Can't we all get along?:

LET'S GO !!
I get my NYR photos here!

Shootout Standouts!

YAY!! Nice job, boys, going into the Panther den and coming out with a win. Henrik Lundqvist was back in goal and back in a starring role-- the guy is a rock when it comes to a shootout; by the way, the Rangers are 3 for 3 in shootouts this season.
Martin Straka had 2 PP goals in the win.
Woah, nice angle, even it it is a goal against:

Michael Nylander: 2 assists and the only goal in the shootout!

Let's Go Rangers!! I get my NYR photos here!

1 pt. Better than nothing.

Sabres 4, Rangers 3. The OT loss still means 1 point in the standings. *gives muted yay*
Kevin Weekes got his third start in as many games, but this one was at MSG, so got to bask in the adulation of a home crowd.
Jaro Jagr was good for three points, the Blueshirt power play scored three consecutive goals, and in general, a mighty team effort against Buffalo, who are off to an historic start. (12-1-1)
Check out this horrifying pic of a puck about to roll over the line: (Photo-Mary Altaffer/AP click to enlarge)

NOOOOOOOOO! Oh well, sucks for us.
Let's Go Rangers!!

Weekes is Strong!.jpg

Weekes_is_Strong!.jpg
Originally uploaded by placidian.

YAY!

Going three out of four on the west coast road trip, that's impressive. Backup Kevin Weekes in goal for the last two wins- holy moly, what a goalie! *gives standing ovation* YAY!
Let's Go Rangers!!

OT stands for 'One-Timer'

Rangers 4, Ducks 3 (OT)
YAY! Jaromir Jagr scored the game winner off of a pass from Michael Rozsival. His one-timer from the right circle was his league leading 11th goal. I actually got to see the highlight on espn. Me so happy!
The boys tightened up their game- killing penalties, spreading the scoring around, and giving goalie Kevin Weekes (30 saves in his first start of the season!) support in the defensive zone. Nice work, fellas! As promised, here are your M&Ms:

Ok, let's go into the Shark Tank in San Jose and play this way again, Let's Go Rangers!!
NYR Photos and Videos here!

Noviembre means 'I Love You' UPDATED 11/15!

Hey Everybody,
Here's all the fun i have planned for this month. Um, you may notice that I don't actually have any gigs booked for my Thursdays; I just feel, and I'm sure you would agree, that the calendar looks much more impressive when i include them...
=)
My world tour takes me way up on the NW side of town this Friday to Kilburn's Tavern. My first time there was a lot of fun, so this Friday should be quite tragic. C'mon out! Saturday night I'm at Stag's Head Pub (home of a billion beers) in Shepherd's Plaza. Last time I played there, Texas lost to Ohio State, and everybody got depressed and left. Except for me, I had to stay and play the gig. This time should be more "YAY!" and less "Guh". C'mon out!

November:
1 Wed. Grappino 6-10 (West Dallas, just east of Waugh)
2 Thurs. ToBeAnnounced or JustPlainLazy?
3 Fri. Kilburn's Tavern and Grill 9-1 (11808 Barker Cypress, just south of 290)
4 Sat. Special Assignment 12-1
4 Sat. Stag's Head Pub 9:30-1:30 (Shepherd's Plaza)
7 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:30 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner)
8 Wed. Grappino 6-10
9 ADDED GIG!! Thurs. Marriot in the Woodlands 7:30-11:30
10 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30 (Corner of Wilcrest & Westheimer)
11 Sat. Special Assignment
14 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:30
15 Wed. Grappino 6-10
16 Thurs. TBA or JPL?
17 Fri. Sweetwater Country Club 6:30-10:00
18 Sat. Grappino 6:30-11 (West Dallas, just east of Waugh)
21 Tue. CANCELLED!! (Vine)
22 Wed. Grappino 6-10
23 Thurs. Happy Thanksgiving!
24 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30
25 Sat. Grisby Grill 6-10:00 (Grisby, just south of I-10/HWY 6)
28 Tue. CANCELLED!! (Vine)
29 Wed. Grappino 6-10
30 Thurs. TBA or JPL?
YAY!