The Dark Ranger: More Of The Same

Bio of TDR

TDR is a working professional in entertainment and is obsessed with the game of hockey. More four years ago, this site emerged as a means (or an outlet) to tell some truth'isms about the game post-lockout, rather than the crud fed to us through knuckleheads like Jimmy Dolan and his lemmings universe. Today, there are a hundred Rangers sites and is thankful and grateful to all those that have come after him, but honorable thanks go to his fellow Dark-writers, Graying Mantis and J_Undisputed. And "Let's Go Rangers!"

Bio of Graying Mantis

Graying Mantis is in fact a graying legal practitioner by day (and sometimes, alas, by night). In the cobwebs of his memory, he recalls starting to follow the Blueshirts in 1970 and remembers watching pivotal playoff games against the Blackhawks on a snow-covered Hartford t.v. channel in their 1972 march to the Finals. Giacomin, Gilbert, Ratelle, and Hadfield seen skating on a small B&W TV screens always will be among his first Ranger memories. He is grateful beyond words for the opportunity to work with his colleagues here in their never ending battle to inform and entertain. Most of all, he appreciates the chance to engage with fellow hockey fans.

Bio of J_Undisputed

"J_Undisputed is an Information Tech Professional; a student, and on and off in his dreams, Mike Richter. He caught his first glimpse of Rangers Hockey when an overtime preempted his favorite pro wrestling broadcast on WWOR-9 one late saturday night when he was 5 and he's been hooked ever since. He's been watching the Rangers for 30 years despite family attempts to make him an Islander Fan (Rest easy...they're out of the will). What started as a minor annoyance has become a life long passion (and at times, a frustration...But he wouldn't trade it for anything). Lets Go Rangers!"

Bio of General Ganz

General Ganz is a cynical yet well-informed student of the human spirit. He's a professional of sorts, with a post-graduate education, some experience working in real companies, and some limited athletic ability. The total small package. He got picked on a fair bit as a kid, and he experienced his first human-non-relation kiss in his teens. He also grew up on the other side of the tracks, thereby helping to cultivate a healthy contempt for dreamers and optimists whose rosy upbringing gave them something to smile about, even when "life produced lemons." Like it or not, his only mission is to point out the potholes you're lucky enough to miss on your drive to work. To find the blemish on your daughter's carefully-stitched (and not-yet-paid-for) wedding dress. To take that little smidgen of hope that your favorite hockey teams fill you with, and pour orange paint on it. Oh, and he is a Blueshirts fan, and takes most of his fashion direction from Ron Duguay (whose name he dropped as a way to close the deal on that first kiss).

Monday, September 27, 2010

More Of The Same

Two preseason games this weekend - as they were just that - two preseason games. One of them we won, the other we lost.

Ultimately they don't matter in the standings, but are as important in defining what the team will look like in Buffalo on opening night a couple of weeks from now. Both games were played very differently, but they shared a common theme - 'grit' comes to mind when watching both games. Playing the Devils at The Prudential showed more emotion and fisticuffs than I can remember -- Sean Avery was on his game, even taking a run at Ilya Kovalchuk (hilarious!) and refusing to drop his gloves to anyone else on the team. Clearly, the Blueshirts were defending their own and every whistle was another chance to shove a Devil....like the old Rangers.....the retired Rangers. Don't mess with us.

The kids are making an impression.

The Utopian Torts system of two-way players, speed and 'defending your own' has never been more apparent this season. With the contract-heavy Wade Redden placed on waivers Saturday at noon, it was a Rangers-wide wake-up call that "contracts don't matter" if you're not willing to put forth your best effort. Even Mickey Rozsival has played a different level of game.

Go here as our friend the Ranger Pundit did a nice recap on the NJ Devils game and here Scotty Hockey did a clear recap of our loss to the Detroit Red Wings yesterday. We play a home game against Detroit this Wednesday and hopefully we'll see the same level of physicality brought to the Red Wings yesterday.

Is it me or are you feeling like Lundqvist and Biron have been letting in some extremely soft goals? It worries me a little.

Short and sweet folks -- gearing up for the opening and feeling pretty excited.

tdr