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!

The Boys Win 2 at O2 Arena!

Rangers 2 Lightning 1
YAY!
New York won the 2nd of 2 games at the O2 Arena in Prague for a sweep against Tampa Bay, once more dominating puck possesion and shots. (39-19)
Wade Reddon scored a power play goal to tie the game in period 2, off a brilliant pass from new Ranger Markus Naslund. Scott Gomez scored deciding goal about 8 minutes later. Since this was technically a 'home' game for the Rangers, our favorite tune was played after both goals: NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song
Henrik Lundqvist gave up a 1st period goal to Adam Hall, but that was it for the 'Ning. 18 year old (and #1 overall NHL draft pick) Steven Stamkos hit the crossbar with a shot from the slot that gave King Henrik a scare.
Barry Melrose is now 0-2 in his return to coaching from ESPN. (Hang in there, Barry)
The boys get a few days to deal with jet-lag, and face the Black Hawks @ MSG on Friday.

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Opening Night Win!

Rangers 2 Lightning 1
YAY!
The Boys traveled to the O2 Arena in Prague in the Czech Republic for the first of 2 games against Tampa Bay, and Brandon Dubinsky's 3rd period goal was the game-winner.
['Play it, Sam': NY Rangers Goal Celebration Song]
Henrik Lundqvist faced down some close-in chances by Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, to keep things tidy while his teammates struggled to beat Mike Smith at the other end of the ice. Way to go, King Henrik!

Before the start of the 2008-9 campaign, coach Tom Renney named Chris Drury the 25th captain in New York Rangers history, replacing the departed Jaromir Jagr.
Scott Gomez and (new free agent arrival) Markus Naslund are the alternate captains.
Naslund opened the scoring for New York, who outshot Tampa Bay 41-19.
Ok, thus begins another season of blogging my hockey team. =)
Kinda weird to start the NHL season overseas, but what the heck, this is a cheer that transcends boundaries, culture and language:
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Hockey's Back! YAY!

Funny how hockey season seems to sneak up on me every year! Ok, it may be 90 degrees in Houston, but it's time to say:
LET'S GO RANGERS!

September, UPDATED! (again!)

Ok, a few changes: According to my booking agent, the Marriot Woodlands has decided to stop doing music on Thursdays. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. (since Feb. 2006)
Also, Hurricane IKE is going to hit somewhere near Houston, so I'm not anticipating playing this weekend. (See below for dates/venues)

Be safe, everybody! Don't freak out and panic!

September 2008
1 Mon. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 5-7 (5150 Buffalo Speedway) Kroger Buffalo Speedway map
2 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner) Vine-map
3 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45 Grappino map
4 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting) Red Balloon map
5 Fri. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 5-7 (5150 Buffalo Speedway)
5 Fri. Robustos Cigar Lounge 9:00-1 Robustos map
6 Sat. Backyard Tavern and Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 7-10 (14555 Grisby Rd.) Backyard-map
9 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
10 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
11 Thurs. CANCELLED! (was Marriot)

12 Fri. CANCELLED!! (Was Robustos)

13 Sat. CANCELLED!! (WAS Kroger Buffalo Speedway)

13 Sat. CANCELLED!! (was Molly's)
16 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
17 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
18 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting)
19 Fri. Berryhill Baja Grill in Kingwood. 6:30-11:00 (Kingwood Dr., east of 59)

20 Sat. Backyard Tavern & Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 6:30-10
21 Sun. Kroger River Oaks 3-5 (1938 West Gray, between Shepherd & Waugh) Kroger map
23 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
24 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
25 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting)
26 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30
27 Sat. Special Assignment
29 Mon. Kroger River Oaks 5-7 (1938 West Gray, between Shepherd & Waugh)
30 Tue. Special Assignment

August

Hello! This month in honor of the Beijing Olympics, I'll be doing the 'Guitarboy Olympics'. Events include: Repetitive strumming, Equipment lifting, Cord wrapping, Plectrum dropping, etc. you get the idea. =P
August:
1 Fri. Special Assignment (Sweetwater Country Club)
5 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner) Vine-map
6 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45 Grappino map
7 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting) Red Balloon map
8 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30 (Corner of Wilcrest & Westheimer) Molly’s map

9 Sat. Backyard Tavern and Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 7-10 (14555 Grisby Rd.) Backyard-map
12 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
13 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
14 Thurs. Marriot Woodlands 7:30-11:30 (1601 Lake Robbins Dr.) Marriot map
15 Fri. Robustos Cigar Lounge 9:00-1 Robustos map
16 Sat. Molly's Pub 9-1:30
19 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
20 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
21 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 (weather permitting)
22 Fri. Berryhill Baja Grill in Kingwood. 6:30-11:00 (Kingwood Dr., east of 59)
23 Sat. Backyard Tavern & Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 6:30-10
26 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
27 Wed. Grappino 6-9:45
28 Thurs. Marriot Woodlands 7:30-11:30
29 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30
30 Sat. Special Assignment
31 Sun. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 3-5 (5150 Buffalo Speedway) Kroger Buffalo Speedway map

July UPDATED! (again)

Due to the Dolly-storm, my Red Balloon gig is canceled for tonight, July, 24th.
Due to triple booking (wtf?!) no gig tonight (July 26th) at Backyard/Grisby.
July Halfway through 2008. Wow, that went by waaaaaay too fast.
Ok, I'll probably change this a few times; that open Saturday on the 19th seems mighty suspicious to me...

1 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner) Vine-map
2 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00 Grappino map
3 Thurs. Marriot Woodlands 7:30-11:30 (1601 Lake Robbins Dr.) Marriot map
4 Fri. Berryhill Baja Grill in Kingwood. (Kingwood Dr., east of 59) 7-11:00
5 Sat. Kroger Sugar Land 3-5 (Sweetwater near 59)
7 Mon. Kroger River Oaks 5-7 (1938 West Gray, between Shepherd & Waugh) Kroger map
8 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
9 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00
10 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 Red Balloon map
11 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30 (Corner of Wilcrest & Westheimer) Molly’s map
12 Sat. Backyard Tavern and Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 7-10 (14555 Grisby Rd.) Backyard-map
14 Mon. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 5-7 (5150 Buffalo Speedway) Kroger Buffalo Speedway map
15 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
16 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00
17 Thurs. Marriot Woodlands 7:30-11:30 (1601 Lake Robbins Dr.) Marriot map
18 Fri. Robustos Cigar Lounge 9:30-1 Robustos map
19 Sat. tba
21 Mon. Kroger River Oaks 5-7
22 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
23 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00
24 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9
25 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30
26 Sat. Backyard Tavern and Chophouse (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 7-10
28 Mon. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 5-7
29 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
30 Wed. Special Assignment
30 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00
31 Thurs. Marriot Woodlands 7:30-11:30 (1601 Lake Robbins Dr.) Marriot map

Jooon.

WooHoo, Sundays off! *yay*
Unless something changes...
June 2008
1 Sun.
2 Mon. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 5-7 (5150 Buffalo Speedway) Kroger Buffalo Speedway map
3 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner) Vine-map
4 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00 Grappino map
5 Thurs. Marriot Woodlands 7:30-11:30 (1601 Lake Robbins Dr.) Marriot map
6 Fri. Special Assignment (Sweetwater Country Club)
7 Sat. Backyard Grill (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 7-10 (14555 Grisby Rd.) Backyard-map
8 Sun.
9 Mon. Kroger River Oaks 5-7 (1938 West Gray, between Shepherd & Waugh) Kroger map
10 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
11 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00
12 Thurs. Red Balloon Cafe 6-9 Red Balloon map
13 Fri. Robustos Cigar Lounge 9:30-1 Robustos map
14 Sat. Vine Wine Room 6-10:00 (12420 Memorial Dr., just west of Gessner) Vine-map
15 Sun.
16 Mon. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 5-7
17 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
18 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00
19 Thurs. Marriot Woodlands 7:30-11:30
20 Fri. Molly's Pub 9-1:30 (Corner of Wilcrest & Westheimer) Molly’s map
21 Sat. Grappino 7-11:00 Grappino map
22 Sun.
23 Mon. Kroger River Oaks 5-7
24 Tue. Vine Wine Room 6-8:45
25 Wed. Grappino 6-10:00
26 Thurs. CANCELLED due to rain! (Red Balloon Cafe 6-9)
27 Fri. Robustos Cigar Lounge 9:30-1
28 Sat. Backyard Grill (formerly known as Grisby Grill) 7-10
29 Sun.
30 Mon. Kroger Buffalo Speedway 5-7