Oy-Vie! NYR 7 / Capitals 0

 

Not even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's anti-Sidney poster boy Alex Ovechkin could escape the legitimate Blueshirt punch-in-the-face that he received last night as the New York Rangers destroyed the Washington Capitals scoring seven times and leaving the Capitals' Ovie-Backstrom-Semin line lifeless.

No love for you Ovie!  This is Blueshirt Country.  Get used to it.

This home-game MSG extravaganza was everything that the team needed and everything that the fans needed...and deserved.  After a hard-working loss on the road the night before, this 'Black & Blue' Rangers squad once again rebounded by opening the first period with fists flying and an aggressive forecheck, reminding the ailing Caps that we are a very different team than season's past (the last time the Capitals lost to the Rangers by at least seven goals was an 11-4 setback in March 1978).   Brandon Prust scored the first goal, using Cap's goalie Semyon Varlamov's pads for the assist.  The game could have gone anywhere from this point, but the Blueshirts maintained the pace and held most of Washington against the boards and in the neutral zone.

The second period opened poorly for the Caps, as a 'lazy line change' led to Blueshirt Artem Anisimov stealing a pass in the neutral zone and scoring the second goal.  Then the "Smorgasbord of Goals' began as a total of three goals were scored within 3 1/2 minutes as Marian Gaborik and Dubinsky also scored to put the Rangers ahead 4-0. Marc Staal added a short-handed goal off a 2-on-1 with Brian Boyle at 10:42 - and might I add, a thing of beauty.  It's exciting to think of what-is-to-become of our Marc Staal as he's showing great promise under Torts and his two-way system. 

"I'm NOT supposed to lose like this, Dubie!!?"  - Ovie

Attempting to do something on the ice, the limp Ovechkin threw a hip check on Dan Girardi in the offensive zone, then skated up ice and dropped his gloves to go at Dubinsky, who landed multiple overhand rights before wrestling Ovechkin to the ice.  I was proud of Dubie and how unafraid he was to take on the wild Russian; it also reminded me how much he's improved over those rookie days of fighting during the Jagr years - they were never pretty bouts, but he kept trying and trying.  Last night, he arrived with the Gordie Howe Hat Trick.


 

With Washington's Captain Hockey trying to light up his own dying team, Ryan Callahan scored twice in the third period as the Rangers handed Washington its sixth consecutive defeat.  Rah-rah.

Callahan after scoring his 2nd goal in the third period. 

 Generally we don't post video on this site, but watching all of these hits and goals is exciting, so I encourage you to watch below and enjoy it in it's full glory below:



Both Marc Staal and Dan Girardi were spectacular in embarrassing the Caps from start to finish, as they held  what could be considered the NHL's deadliest and highest scoring line (Ovie-Backstrm-Semin) to chewing on their own fingernails for 60 minutes.  NYR Goalkeeper extraordinaire Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves for his fifth shutout this season. 

Prust scores

Our boys are now 18-13-1, well beyond the .500 team we were all hoping for this first half of the season.  Most importantly after a game like last night, a win of this caliber is something to build on --- CONFIDENCE will win games, and we'll need every drop of confidence heading into another Pittsburgh/Rangers match on Wednesday (away).  Pittsburgh, currently on a hot streak, will have to lose at some point and our boys need to look forward to showing Sidney "The Diver" Crosby the same respect they showed Ovechkin last night --- and maintain.

I see movement in the right direction for our Rangers -- a young and wanting that we've not seen in year's past.  Even with Captain Chris Drury ready to hit the ice after a prolonged injury, I see no reason to disrupt our first line with Anisimov currently centering.   Soon afterwards, Vinny Prospal will be back on the ice --- and we all hope, I am certain, that their inclusion on the bench doesn't disrupt some of this overwhelming chemistry that is winning games.

Time will tell, but it's all up to Torts at this point.  Don't let us down, Coach!

tdr

Varlamov allowed 7 goals on 20 shots warming the hearts throughout The Garden.  Thanks for the shitty performance, bro.