Give Thanks That It Wasn't Worse....

Ugh... thinking about last night's romp in Tampa, I may just lose my Thanksgiving dinner.  Okay every once in a while, we get outplayed by a better/equal/much worse team. It happens to everyone...blah blah blah// join the Bettman chorus in singing the praises of Stamkos, league's leading scorer...

Read the official recap here.

Now that being said... F*ck me? You've got to be kidding! Ok yeah we got out played or at least our goalie got out-gunned by Tampa... I don't consider it a team win or loss as much ...as perhaps my perspective on this is just as clouded as Henriks last night and I can't see past Ryan Malone camping out in our crease with his stupid Tampa mustache.(ok, I've seen team trends...Mohawks, Rally caps in the dugouts.. When the hell did the stupid musketeer mustache become a pop culture trend?) Anyway, as Doc Holiday relaxed in front of the net like a tourist sitting the middle of Times Square.... Our d-men circled cluelessly for the first 2 or 3 goals giving him full access to Henrik... so he could hack, chop and dig uninterrupted. We were taking penalties anyway. How big a pair does it take to come by and send a message to Shakespeare Malone? This was one of the reasons I thought we were a little quick in dismissing Excelby from his tryout.

At any rate, at a loss for more rational thought after this loss... I present to you the top 10 things that may or may not have been caught on John Tortorella's Microphone last night.

10. "Stop this Chip and Fetch crap. Hold on to the puck and make some plays."
9. "Hit Stamkos... Repeatedly"
8. "Slow the game down in the neutral Zone and stop trying to out sprint the sprinters!"
7. "I coached you b@st@rds to a cup, where's the respect?"
6. "Anyone seen Vinnie, I owe him a kick in the nuts..."
5. "Boogey.. Sic Malone!"
4. "Sean, go shoot the $hit with Stamkos...Got any dirt on him?"
3. "For God Sakes, don't just stand there!!!"
2. "Somebody Retaliate! Boogey, Crash the net!"

and...

1. What's with the stupid Mustaches?

Till Next Time Rangers,
Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless...

J_Undisputed

P.S. Torts felt the need to call out Gabby after the loss, calling him invisible for 20 minutes. Call it a hunch but, unless I missed something Gabbys not a chip and fetch player. He needs to be fed the puck and have some ice opened up for him to move. The only way Gabby could have been effective with the way the team was playing was to cruise the neutral zone waiting for passes and cherry picking opportunities.

GOALS, WE GOT EM!!!!

RANGERS BOTTLE LIGHTNING; FLOOD SCOREBOARD AGAIN!

HOLY SH….*deep breath* Hot Damn, Ranger fans. Who’d have thunk it. Fo r the second game in a row, we score over five. This time at the expense of those cabana boys from Tampa Bay.

Now, I’m not a stats guys but even I can’t contain a smile when looking at the numbers. See for yourself with the official recap.

Sixteen different Rangers registering at least one point over 3 periods, punctuated the stunning performance in front of a ecstatic Garden Faithful (and the first meeting between the The Dark Ranger's scribes) hoping to stretch the stomping of Montreal beyond Sunday’s game. The first surreal period started quickly with a Voros taking on the PIM league leader, Konopka in a lively scrap that got the crowd into it quickly and got the ball rolling on a ride that wouldn’t end for 60 min.

In contrast to many games past where seemingly no Ranger wanted to step up, there were several players tonight that all in their own way, put the team on their backs and carried us to victory. With the first goal of the game, Dubinsky would take his first part of the his Gordie Howe Hat-trick. The assists would come from two players that had their own missions. Marian Gaborik getting his first of 4 assists on the night and Vinny Prospal who would continue his Vendetta against the Tampa team that bought him out and cast him aside just months earlier. As the goals rolled forth, each with more surprise, bewildered Blueshirt fans looked skyward toward the jumbotron in amazement as the names exploded with the spontaneity and spectacle of a fireworks display on the Hudson.

The noise came booming over the loud speakers, “RANGERS GOAL, HIS # of the season SCORED BY CHRIS DRURY; ...DAN GIRARDI; …ENVER LISIN; …AARON VOROS; …MARC STAAL; …CHRISTOPHER HIGGINS” . With each name and assist announcement, the faces flashed across the screen, the cheers reached deafening levels and the faith grew and blue hearts swelled with pride. After a second fight with Malone gave Voros less to celebrate and Dubinsky got the better of Halpern to complete his Howe hatter, the minutes would wind down and we clamored for more and when it was all over a deep cleansing breath could be heard across the stands, as we not only survived another game, but we commanded a win for the second time in a row and rather than be surprised at ourselves… the team reaffirmed that its how things should be and further distanced themselves from the fluke accusations after the Montreal game.

So how good were we? Better than good enough. Granted, the wilting Tampa Bay defense may have fallen by the wayside, early… but amazingly as it sounds, this was not a game of goals. This, much like the come back win over the Habs was bout the passion. Good things happen, when this team shows up ready to defend their home and each other. For some, maybe its superstition… Henrik’s white liberty helmet design is 2 for 2 and got its mojo working. I’ll chalk it up to some scoring allowing the King to kick back and little and play more relaxed… even though he’s been stellar even when the scoring was scarce. The point is everyone will find their own reason for the improved play. I’ll take whatever works for each player and keeps it going. Can we stretch this beyond 2 games? I’ll go out a limb and say we can carry this all the way to the Olympic break. We’ve done it before. The challenge is to carry it through the Olympic break and not come back cold. Ok, I maybe getting ahead of myself here (can you blame me? 14 fckin goals in 2 games!!!!) Ok, instead I’ll end this one by jotting down some notes and observations about our winning formula over the past 2 games.

- The passion. – Start early. Take advantage of opportunities to collect yourselves and regroup. Screaming at a player. Screaming back at a coach. Its all constructive criticism, right? Take it and do something with it.
- Don’t be afraid to step out of your role. Handle your business and then don’t be afraid to chip in and handle somebody else's. There are many sides to a hockey player and even more to a New York Ranger. Knowing/Showing only one of them doesn’t make you either.
- The Mystery fighter. First Redden, then Dubinsky...Who makes a stand today on behalf of every player that won't? You can’t win them all and as long as you’re not fighting for yourself, your teammates will never let you feel like you lost em all either. Just ask Voros.
- Guard your goalie. Defenseman is a position but DEFENSE is a responsibility of every player.
- Let the players play. They have to discover who they are before they’ll believe who the coach says they’re not.

LET'S GO RANGERS!

- J_Undisputed

Limited Tickets Available For Our Sold-Out Game!

As a die-hard NY Rangers fan and a season-ticket holder for a decade, I am alarmed at this offer below that shows up on the newyorkrangers.com site every game and every piece of RANGERS INSIDER email correspondence I receive daily:

BE THERE AT MSG TONIGHT
A limited number of tickets are available for tonight's Rangers-Lightning game. Be there for the follow-up to Sunday, as  head coach John Tortorella looks for his first career win vs. the Tampa Bay team he once led to a Stanley Cup championship.
• GET TICKETS

It seems that every game this season a limited number of tickets are becoming available for purchase (and a pretty lame sales pitch behind it), 'direct marketing' from a supposed SOLD-OUT venue called The Garden --- and if this is happening to the second most successful hockey franchise in the league, then I cannot imagine how the expansion teams are dealing with 30% capacity houses (see Phoenix, Carolina, Atlanta).  The economy.  The economy.  They scream.  I agree, but maybe it starts from the 'inside to out' and how you build and maintain a franchise.  Folks still have cash in hand for hockey...good hockey rather, so think about it.

Also, stop friggin undercutting my loyalty with this BLUESHIRTS UNITED bullshit --- how non season tickets holders can buy into privileges that no one else can get.  It's insulting to your loyalists, Garden management.  Don't make OFFICIAL BLUESHIRT FANS over the Garden Faithful -- because we are the ones that come every year despite the rag-tag rosters you assemble, we are the ones to rub your backs, we are the ones that serve your food.  Most importantly, as a whole we are the ones that can get you fired!

And by the way, if anyone wants tickets , make sure to come to the DARKside first (because no one is buying 'em from me either).  Support the fan first. ;)

tdr

Another Losing Success

Well, Dark here.

With the pre-season almost behind us, another loss to Tampa last night (now 1-4 in the pre-season) and one more big one to go here in the states (Devils, Sat. 1pm at MSG) you can be sure that we will finally see what will be closer to our starting roster and get a better sense of what this team will look like.

Long gone are the declarations of the "Gomez-Zherdev" chemistry and "this is the year of Prucha", and aside from the Kalinen (Malik) disaster ahead, one thing or another is for sure having watched all of these Renny-pre-season-experiments:

1. We will struggle with the power play again -- maybe cuts need to be made with our special team coaches.

2. We will outshoot every team we play and have difficulty finishing.

3. We will be relying on Henrik Lundqvist to create the wall necessary to solidify our defense.

4. On the positive side -- we are a fast team and with good coaching and hard work, this mix of veterans and youth could chemically become (there I go again with chemistry!!?) a team that can compete on a Cup level. With the perimeter play of Jagr, Straka, and dare I say, Shanny gone -- whatever the squad looks like, Slats and Renney have answered one of the missing links to the Rangers of the least three seasons -- a 'going to the net' offensive mantra. Thank God. With our 'ho-hum' defensive system in place for another season, it appears as though this system will be counter-balanced with potentially explosive front lines. I have to admit this is exciting stuff.

5. Not one Rangers blog has mentioned "Mats Sundin" in the last couple of weeks. I am happy with that.

Some terrific links regarding the roster and last nights game I would recommend, here (Blueshirt Bulletin), or here (Ranger Pundit), or here (Rangers Report).

The Dark Ranger is back with 'loving and hating' the team I always admire -- look out for a swarm of followers and flash-mobs wearing the latest TDR t-shirts at the Garden this season. The spirit of The Dark Ranger will be in Prague looking to diffuse any stormy weather and Lightning ahead. Keep checking in and thanks for the summer time off.

Jagr is gone. A dark tear is running down my cheek.

tdr

An Open Letter To Tom Renney

After a surprising New York Rangers' loss to the Tampa Bay Horrible-Hockey Team, 5-3 last night, in the spirit of directly speaking with members of the Blueshirts - I offer a personal letter to Tom Renney, coach of The New York Rangers, this time in a language that is 'most-appropriate' to how NYR fans are feeling these days.......in Pig Latin:

==========================

Earday Oachcay Omtay Enneyray,

Asway ethay esteemedway oachcay ofway Ethay Ewnay Orkyay Angersray, ouyay avehay away esponsibilityray otay otnay onlyway ethay eamtay andway anagementmay, utbay alsoway otay ethay ansfay. Ethay 5-3 osslay otay Ampatay Aybay astlay ightnay, ethay econdsay orstway eamtay inway ethay NHLAY, isway agictray. Ouryay oachingcay ethodsmay areway agictray. Ethay onlyway opehay asway ethay irdthay eriodpay, utbay ywhay adn'thay ethay Ueshirtsblay ayedplay atway atthay "irdthay eriodpay" evellay omfray ethay eryvay eginningbay?

Ultimatelyway, anotherway osslay orway otway isthay eekway illway anghay onway ouryay ouldersshay, Omtay -- andway erethay isway onay easonray atthay otway 600-oalgay orersscay, away eamtay ofway Allway-Arsstay, away Ezinavay-ominatednay oalkeepergay, away NHLAY-atedhay instigatorway andway away unchbay ofway alentedtay ookiesray ouldn'tshay ebay ickingclay ogethertay. Ethay "orkingway onway eamtay emistrychay" orway ethay "eway ayedplay away eatgray amegay" oundbitesay isn'tway orkingway orfay ouyay anymoreway.

Isthay illway allway estray onway ouryay ouldersshay ymay iendfray. Oonsay ouyay illway onay ongerlay ebay away iendfray ofway ethay eamtay, ethay ansfay, andway areday Iway aysay, anagementmay?

Etgay itway ogethertay obray, asway ouryay avygray aintray aymay ebay eavinglay ethay ationstay.

Incerelysay,
Ethay Arkday Angerray

(The Dark Ranger)

The King Delivers With Luck On Our Side, Rangers 2, Tampa Bay 1

Last night in Tampa, Henrik Lundqvist stopped 32-of-33 shots and Colton Orr scored his first goal of the season to give the New York Rangers a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum. Fedor Tyutin also scored and Petr Prucha added an assist, as New York won for the sixth time in its past seven outings.

Another goal by our defense (Tyutin) and now a goal credited to our resident enforcer (Orr). Largely absent from the game were the regular glamorous no-hitters Jaromir Jagr, Scott Gomez, Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury.

This was a lucky one for the Rangers. Not much to say except for the standings below, with the win keeping us in first place in the Atlantic and now second place in the Eastern Conference.

Thanks to Henrik for another great performance. Lastly, thanks to our metal goal post that blocked two close Tampa shots.

tdr

Conference

Eastern

Team	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	GF	GA	Home	Away	Conf.	Last Ten	Streak
1. Ottawa *	20	16	4	0	32	63	43	10-2-0	6-2-0	16-4-0	7-3-0	1L
2. NY Rangers *	22	13	8	1	27	49	41	8-3-0	5-5-1	13-8-1	8-2-0	1W
3. Carolina *	22	12	7	3	27	74	64	6-4-1	6-3-2	11-7-3	5-5-0	1L
4. Montreal	21	12	6	3	27	67	55	5-3-2	7-3-1	12-6-3	6-4-0	1W
5. Philadelphia	20	12	7	1	25	63	53	6-1-1	6-6-0	10-6-1	5-4-1	1W
6. NY Islanders	18	11	7	0	22	46	49	7-3-0	4-4-0	11-7-0	6-4-0	1L
7. Boston	19	10	7	2	22	49	48	6-2-1	4-5-1	6-5-2	4-4-2	1W
8. Atlanta	21	11	10	0	22	61	70	4-4-0	7-6-0	10-9-0	8-2-0	4W
9. Tampa Bay	21	10	9	2	22	69	63	8-2-1	2-7-1	10-9-2	5-4-1	2L
10. Toronto	22	8	9	5	21	68	78	4-5-4	4-4-1	8-8-5	3-5-2	1L
11. Florida	23	10	12	1	21	60	67	6-4-0	4-8-1	9-11-1	4-5-1	2W
12. New Jersey	21	9	10	2	20	50	57	3-4-0	6-6-2	9-10-2	5-4-1	2W
13. Pittsburgh	21	8	11	2	18	57	64	4-6-2	4-5-0	6-10-2	2-7-1	2L
14. Buffalo	19	8	10	1	17	54	56	6-4-0	2-6-1	8-9-1	4-5-1	2W
15. Washington	21	6	14	1	13	47	64	2-7-0	4-7-1	6-12-1	1-8-1	5L

Rangers 3, Tampa Bay, 1

Well, we needed this one.

The New York Rangers were fortunate enough to be taking a win away from the Tampa Bay Lightning, bringing them two steps closer to a .500 team (4-6-1). Our Captain Jagr deserved more than what us fans saw during the game as one of his skates broke in the first period, he had to replace a broken glove in the second period, soon followed by his losing three teeth either from a puck or someone's stick. A bloody mess. Brendan Shanahan was kind enough to retrieve the teeth on ice. Though not able to score more than two goals (thanks "A") and connect in the Rangers system this season thus far, Scott Gomez may have been the guilty party responsible for the captain's missing teeth, hence knocking some sense into our 'Dear Captain'. At least he's contributed to something.

Rookie Nigel Dawes scored the first goal last night, delivering three goals in three games this season (NOTE: Renney, keep him on the roster!), followed by Brendan Shanahan's second goal of the season and ending with a toothless Jagr power-play slapshot.

I am always satisfied walking away with a 'win' - this I know for sure. Though, this game could have easily went the other direction. The first and second periods were 'scrap pucking', both teams unable to control the game, offensive lines breaking down, speedy Scott Gomez always 'skating alone with puck' fifteen yards ahead of any Ranger, and stellar goaltending by both our King Lundqvist and Tampa's Johan Holmqvist. As usual, there were numerous scoring opportunities by our front lines, including a couple of nail-biting shots hitting the posts without connecting. It wasn't until the third period when it felt that the Rangers were controlling the game.

Maybe the team needs some wins and less Dark Ranger criticism!!? Hell no! See you Thursday as the New York Rangers take on the Washington Caps, at MSG, 7PM EST.

tdr

(off to the dentist)