Uncle Junior Properly Sings "O'Canada", Rangers 2, Toronto 6

The opening of tonight's Original Six matchup against The New York Rangers and Toronto Leafs began with Dominic Chianese, the actor who played Junior Soprano, singing both the Canadian and American anthems. "O'Canada" was sung with gusto, strength and determination. "The Star Spangled Banner" felt scrappy & forgetful, more like his character on The Sopranos, and as the crescendo "...and the land of the free...." was approaching, he went for the high note. Like Peter Brady's puberty changing voice, Junior's tone flipped back and forth and he lost it. A shameful rendition. No recovery.

And thus the story of the Rangers tonight losing 6-2 to the Leafs, except they never even attempted the high note. Recap here.

A bad game indeed - the second of the week, tonight being the worst of them. For the first time this season, I can safely say that Henrik Lundqvist was awful. A terrible week for our starless goalkeeper. Tonight he let through four goals of ten Leaf shots and was replaced by Stephen Valiquette to open the third period. Stephen's performance was stellar at first, but our broken defense and non-existent lines were no match for a Toronto onslaught. Two more goals later -- the Garden Numb exited feeling deflated and questioning our supposed rebound from Monday's Carolina hangover.

I know, I know - it's just another game and they'll come out of the slump. The difference between this season versus the previous two seasons is there are no middle ground wins or losses. We only get one of two teams showing up: 1. the really good team or 2. The really bad one. Good hockey brings a satisfaction, a crave to watch more and be present when you have the opportunity to throw your hat on the ice, cheer in a good body check and honor those you choose to follow. I am satisfied with a great game of hockey, win or loss, and an extraordinary fan of my Blueshirts, but come to think of it - I cannot remember experiencing this type of game this season yet. I don't like it one bit, and I will admit I cannot put my finger on it. Bad coaching? Bad leadership? Bad management? Marek Malik? Marcel Hossa? Strudwick? Free agents? A little of all the above?

My fellow Ranger loyalist - Captain Martin - joined me for the game tonight and we both agreed this is a season of unknown. That 'shoe-in' slot for the playoffs is a long way off - and every team in the Atlantic Division is improving steadily, each getting their game together. The Rangers are the equivalent of today's S&P500, no consistency with scary dips and rebounds every week.

The competitive truth is the "best to the worst" in the Atlantic Division is only a two-win difference.

The Rangers are in Atlanta Thrasher Land tomorrow night, so hold your breath, pull a tooth out and place it under your pillow - and make a wish. "Dear Lord (Stanley), please make sure Gomez skates the same speed as his fellow players and that Coach Tom Renney has read The Art of War at least once."

Which team do you think will show up in Atlanta tomorrow night?

tdr

"Cam" You F****ing Believe It? Rangers 0, Hurricanes 4

The Atlantic Division first place New York Rangers dropped a bomb on the fans tonight at MSG as they were shutout by Carolina Hurricanes' goalkeeper Cam Ward, 4-0. Our "Hyde Blueshirts" showed up this evening, the coach wasn't present and once again the All-Stars this time left the rookies to arrive on ice and play a poor game of hockey. Here is an official recap because I don't have the patience to cover the basics after sitting next to my 'Canes-fan-friend through this tragedy at The Garden.

Where to begin? The guy next to me halfway through the second period screamed "THROW YOUR PURSE AT HIM, MALIK!!!!" which, somewhat, explains where the evening began. Not that Malik was responsible for the loss tonight - he wasn't, but the skating two-by-four (a.k.a. "Lurch") was non-present and looked bored and/or injured. Just as we witnessed in Ottawa on Saturday, Malik mishandled the puck everytime he was near it, a scared girl terrified of analyzing where he might pass it, but instead choosing to hit it as hard as he can just to clear it. I blame Marek Malik for setting the tone. Get him off my team.

His first fumble led to a turnover of the night and the first Carolina goal on Henrik Lunqvist - an unstoppable goal. The second goal on NYR, on a defensive turnover, could not have been stopped. The first period showed a complete breakdown of the system, no leadership, players not communicating to each other, non-present veterans, newbies turning over pivotal plays and no coaching. A really bad game overall.

The last Carolina goal is symbolic of our Blueshirt team philosophy, one that continues to be built around Jaromir Jagr. One example of this came toward the end of a shift in the third period when the Rangers were down 3-0, Jagr set up a play and broke his stick. Unable to continue playing as the point person on the shift, the entire Ranger defense line froze - youth unable to comprehend what to do next - and the undefended loose puck, frozen in time, sat for David Tanabe at his own blueline to carry it forward to score on Henrik Lunqvist to finally end the hope.

Sigh.

Jagr, Shanny, Gomez & Drury were once again invisble. They must have read in the papers and The Dark Ranger's blog how they are finally getting it together and the chemistry they have been seeking all season has arrived at last. Not even a point tonight and I doubt there were even any valuable fantasy hockey pool PIMs or PPPs to count on.... Not even Colton Orr or Ryan Hollweg dropped a glove.

A boring loss at that.

tdr

Matt Cullen Returns Tonight!

Tonight's Game

The Rangers face off against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.). At 15-9-2, the Blueshirts currently sit atop the Atlantic Division and rank second in the Eastern Conference with 32 points. The Hurricanes, 14-10-3, currently sit atop the Southeast Division with 31 points and have lost six of their last nine contests.

TV: MSG. Radio: 1050 ESPN New York

tdr

Hail, Marek Malik!

Now that I have your attention, prepare for the oncoming 'hail storm' now that Malik is back in the lineup. The first couple of minutes of the New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators this afternoon were scary, the 'tall-one' turned over one play to Jason Spezza and a bad pass three minutes into the first period. A foreshadow of what was ahead.

Wrong. New York beat Ottawa 5-2. With the win, the Rangers moved a game behind Ottawa for the conference lead & first place in the Atlantic Division.

Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves for his league-leading 14th win; he has held opponents to two or fewer goals in 17 of 24 games this season. Brendan Shanahan placed two goals on the board, with Jaromir Jagr, Dan Girardi and Blair Betts also scoring for New York, before Joe Corvo and Dany Heatley scored for Ottawa in the last period.

This afternoon we saw the repeat performance of the New York Rangers that we expect to see -- offensive muscle that shoots the puck often & the Renney defense system that has worked most of the time (and never forget, The King). The combo of both is a winning team model, which is what the Rangers demonstrated today against Ottawa and the Islanders on Thursday. The Senators were stunned the entire game and never had controlled possession. The Ottawaiin' Corvo & Heatley goals were let in by a team that was up 4-0 through the second period - 'let 'em have them' goals, we will call them.

If we can expect this level of game for half of the season, all Rangers fans will be pleased - the playoffs will be a 'shoe-in' and the Men in Blue will be feared.

It is no surprise that the next three to four games are tough ones (Carolina, Toronto, Atlanta & Jersey), but it is thrilling to see Carolina dropped eight goals to Buffalo ending with a 1-8 final score tonight. May their humiliation bleed over this weekend to Monday against The Blueshirts.

See you at The Garden at 7pm on Monday - NY Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes.

I feel like I'm "Al-Renney' there!

tdr

Sir Captain Delivers, Rangers 4, Islanders 2 (14-9-2)

Captain Jagr of The New York Rangers must have read my previous posts and decided to do something about it tonight against the NY Islanders. Jags lead and delivered for the Blueshirts tonight punching home his sixth goal of the season and first goal of the game eight minutes into the first period. Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and Brandon "Dubie" Dubinsky scored the subsequent goals, beating our rival New York Islanders 4-2 - the first win of four meetings this season. A pleasant surprise seeing our free agents and veterans dominating the scoring sheet for once. Whew...

Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves for the Rangers, who closed the season's second month with a strong 10-3-1 record and with this victory moved back into a first-place tie atop the Atlantic Division with Philadelphia. Both are three points ahead of the Islanders.

The Rangers ended with 2 of the 5 power plays, a huge improvement over our dreadful PP record this season.

Huge kudos to Ryan Callahan, though not scoring any points, gave everything he could in his debut return from injury-land setting up plays, taking the hits, crashing the DiPietro head first and getting back up to attempt the rebounds. This kid is the real deal and as long as Slats and Co. can keep him on the roster, our future is going places. Ditto to Dan Girardi and Marc Staal -- a.k.a. Mr. Cool and Mr. Collected -- who have provided those gifts we've asked Santa for this fine holiday season -- Marek Malik, our defensive starter continues to be out on injured reserve, and despite his injuries will be receiving a stocking full of coal. Jason Strudwick deserves special attention as he played a marvelous game of hockey. Impressive.

This Saturday the Blueshirts have our third meeting against the now-semi-struggling Ottawa Senators, the Rangers having lost two close matches earlier this season. New York brings an improved team to the table and we all expect our top game leaving the "Canadian Capital the Blues".

Jaromir Jagr deserves "the most improved player" award from The Dark Ranger, but I wouldn't go as far as saying 'he is back' -- for God's sake, tonights win was only the Islanders!!?

tdr

Sir Captain Speaks

Excerpts from The Blueshirt Bulletin, the definitive NYR source:

Asked about the paucity of shots he got during his five-game pointless streak (only five total), Jagr said, "I didn’t even get any scoring chances." Pressed about specific chances that he passed up looking for a pass, he conceded, "OK, when you don’t finish often enough, you lose your instincts. It takes a while to get them back." He also conceded that his self-confidence has waned. "Sure," he responded when asked about it. "I need to play my game. I can’t dump and chase the puck -- I don’t know how to do that. When my linemates send it up the ice, I’m suddenly on the other side of the rink. That wears you out a lot! No matter how well-conditioned you are. You’re flying up and down the ice without the puck. I felt like I was in an elevator -- up, down. I could conform. I could dump the puck in and chase it. But I’d be late. Seriously, without the puck I’m useless out there."

At this point, Jagr is unsure where he stands for next season. "If they don’t want me on the team, what should I do here? Take out the trash?" he quipped. He is not even sure where he stands on the team this season. "If I don't play well, I’ll lose my position," he said. "But that’s normal." Asked if it’s like his days with the Penguins when he jumped on the ice when he wanted no matter what the coach said, Jagr responded, "Those times are long gone!" And looking ahead to the Rangers possibly opening next season in Prague, Jagr, who put in a good word for the event, said, "I have no idea what’s going on right now. It’s even possible that there won’t be one single Czech on the team next year."

THE DARK RANGERS SAYS: Any player committed to a team does NOT reveal this. I admire his honesty but he is validating everything we are criticizing him of. He is the Captain of the New York Rangers and he is NOT instilling a confidence in the teammates. Ladies & Gentlemen, welcome to THE JAGR SHOW! ALL JAGR, ALL THE TIME. 24/7. YOU'RE LOOKIN' AT IT KIDS FROM HARTFORD....ALL JARO-me OF IT!

The Dallas Stars 3, The Slowly Slumping Rangers 2

There isn't much to say about yesterday's game, except we lost and we shouldn't have. The New York Rangers probably registered one hundred shots to Dallas' five shots - kidding, but it seemed this way. Scotty Gomez is probably responsible for Dallas winning the game, with more than two turnovers - and no connection to the team he is playing on.

Here are the game notes (press here).

It was great to see Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan finally scoring and lighting up the game, but to no victory.

The dreaded NY Islanders are at MSG this Thursday, a franchise we are afraid of and haven't beaten this season. The Islanders are creeping up in the ranks and the Atlantic Division is turning out to be one of the more competitive divisions to date -- fun to watch because the teams are all over the place. Three days off for the Rangers to work on the worst power-play unit in the NHL - maybe it's time for Renney to start coaching.

It is frightening that in the New York Times this morning, Coach Tom Renney, having just lost to Dallas was referring to Scott Gomez and the Rangers as a team, quoted as saying, “I really have to be firm now and say, I want X number of shots." This pretty much says it all for now.

tdr

Are We Lost? Rangers 2, Panthers 3 (SO)

The New York Rangers lost in a shootout to The Florida Panthers this evening, 2-3, the Blueshirts gained a point and now close-out with a 13-8-2 record. Chris Drury scored both goals in regulation. Official recap here.

Some thoughts after tonight's performance:

Yes. We are in first place in the Atlantic Division and second in the Conference.

Yes. We have one of the best records in the league for goals-against, and by far, one of the strongest goaltenders around.

Yes. Backup goalkeeper Stephen Valiquette again proved his worth. Second start of the year and showed an incredible performance.

And finally, Yes. Jagr sucks. There....I said it.

Never before have I seen a team that is solely built around one player. Coach Tom Renney continues to allow our Captain to decide the type of play and perhaps our dear coach should consider naming a co-Captain to Jaromir Jagr just to shake things up a bit. Maybe even bench him.

As the first place team, how is it that in the final two minutes of overtime, with Jaromir Jagr leading Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and Brendan Shanahan (four superstars) with a power play advantage 4 on 3, cannot even manage more than a couple of shots? Because JAGR IS LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT PLAY that never came. Do I look fat in these jeans? Why is Avery getting girls like Cuthbert? Should I shoot the puck if there isn't an opening? Something has to change in his play and leadership -- we all thought going into the season, with Jags all healthy and proclaiming the victory ahead, and having lived through his last season recovery - The Dark Ranger imagined. He was going to show up. He was going to lead. He would make us all believe.

Nope.

Instead we've had to rely on 1. one-point wins and a semi-stable defensive system that does not allow any room for error, 2. our goaltending 3. Hartford AHL supplying us with an endless surplus of talent 4. most importantly, faith in our team, not the leaders.

When will this madness end? I'll take the point, I salute Valiquette for keeping us in the game, and I embrace Jagr's pretty-boy-non-leadership and look to him to change his friggin attitude, game and his need for pretty goals.

From now on, make'em dirty!

tdr

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

The Amazing Captain Disappearing Act, Rangers 1, Islanders 2

Captain Jaromir Jagr didn't show up to work last night, though he played most of the game. Our Czech wonder was slow moving, turned over possession a couple of times for no reason and is solely responsible for the strained, tired and beaten-up looking Ranger squad that played The Garden last night.

"SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK!!!!" In section 118, my neighborly Blueshirt fans were screaming "Let's Go Islanders" hoping that the reverse pyschology would boost the Ranger's scoring opportunities to no avail.

The New York Rangers lost 2-1 to the New York Islanders...AGAIN. We haven't beat this team this season, now 0-3. The Dark Ranger attended the frustrating game at The Garden last night and marveled at how we again morphed into that defensive-only minded team we lived through the first 10 games. Didn't the Rangers begin scoring goals drawing 9 out of 10 wins when coach Tom Renney mandated that every player WILL shoot to the net...often? With Shanny planted in front of the net, weren't we supposed to shoot and knock in the rebounds? Our European perimeter game burden reappeared again last night -- thanks Jags - and we waited for the perfect goals that never came.

There wasn't a breakaway star on the "Long-ga-Eye-lind" - even Ricky D.P. played well but not great, and the Rangers lost because of flaws in our defensive lines and the Islanders were there every time to capitalize on every turnover. Our 'special power play unit' is just plain bad. Of all the opportunities last night, we couldn't have shot more than twice. Maybe the Blueshirts were affected by the Broadway theater strike! ;)

One thing is for sure this season, you never know what team is going to show up on any given night - we are not a middle-ground team, the one where you walk away from the loss feeling like they played a great game and were simply outplayed. The Blueshirts either control and shoot the puck or they play mediocre, shaky defense without goal scoring.

The Dark Ranger will feel better when we can expect some level of consistency. No one can expect a win every game, but that consistency should come in the form of leadership -and only Jags can speak to that.

tdr

Tucker vs Avery - Part IV, Let the People Decide

The real reason Darcy Tucker hates Sean Avery.....go here.

tdr

Kid Crosby Overwhelmed By New York Kids, Rangers 4, Penguins 3 OT

Prior to last night's game, Penguins goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury sold his soul and made a deal with the God of Hockey. He was promised not to be scored on by New York Rangers All-Stars' Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Scott Gomez, or Chris Drury - he was even promised once not to be pestered by Sean "Kill Me" Avery. He was granted all of these wishes.

Even so, the Rangers took the game in overtime 4 to 3.

No one could have predicted when the Rangers were down 0-2 after the first period, that all of the subsequent goals would be scored by defensemen - two goals by Michal Rozsival, one by Brandon Dubinsky and the final overtime goal assisted by Paul Mara's perfectly placed cross-crease pass to Jason Strudwick for the win.

In addition to the stellar defensive offense, The Rangers clamped down defensively behind Henrik Lundqvist, who made 20 saves, to win their ninth in 10 games and send the slumping Penguins to their fifth loss in six games and seventh in nine. The Rangers are solely leading the Atlantic Division at 12-7-1.

One of the low points of the game came in the form of Brandon Dubinsky attempting another NHL fight seriously (picture below for your visual enjoyment) - not bad for a beginner, while earlier at practice both Paul Mara and Jason Strudwick were giving him hints on the best positioning for a fight. He wanted it. The opportunity came. He fought. He lost. But...he scored a goal and continued onward with a marvelous 'playing hockey' performance.

Tomorrow's game against the New York Islanders is one of revenge, as this is one rivalry that threatens our Rangers-glory the most. The 'laughable in pre-season Islanders' are a team to be reckoned with - one full of hard-hitting 'Nolen-ites' willing to distract our Blueshirts with pretty 'long-ah-land' ice-girls, high sticks to the neck and shitty jersies - anything for the win. The good news is this meeting is at MSG with the home crowd ready to support.

As for Marc-Andre Fleury on the Penguins side of things, he is out of big wishes and, unfortunately, Pittsburgh will continue to lose games. His goaltending is not up to par and as we've seen on our side, a King Goalkeeper can keep you in the running.

Beer-me. Tomorrow night.

tdr

"Work on that hook Dubie..."

"Just Call Me Danny" Boy Briere Unable To Make a Difference In Shootout Loss to Rangers, 3-4

Last night The New York Rangers overtook the Philadelphia Flyers again, this time in a shutout shootout credited to our Blueshirt goalkeeping Savior King Lundqvist and NYR second shooter, Brendan Shanahan with the only goal of the shootout. Prior to, Chris Drury suggested to Henrik that his former Buffalo Sabre co-captain Danny "Boy" Briere would shoot low on his approach to the goal; this turned out to be a saving grace as "The King" threw his stick forward to prevent "The Boy" from scoring. It worked and it seemed to disorient the new 'High Flyer." Oh Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are calling you....

Another win folks and things are looking up for our New York Blueshirts, the Rangers having won four straight games and eight of their last nine. Now tied for first place with Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division, our veterans players are serving the newbies and the true needed chemistry this season has been found in a mix of both. With Brandon Dubinsky on the first line, Jaromir Jagr is coming alive again. Our 'kill him' Sean Avery has enlightened and motivated our Rangers again - a 'need-to-re-sign' valuable asset to New York. The Dark Ranger is declaring Brendan Shanahan "not quite dead yet" for all the naysayers (thanks HH), extending his team goal-scoring lead with his sixth goal of the season last night. Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha, with Chris Drury centering on the third line has been one of the most effective & unexpected line configurations to boot!

Why didn't we play Ottawa later in the season? This may be a hindsight question asked my many Rangers fans as the team has found a new confidence, the lines appear to be working and outsiders are now looking in as we hope to stay on top of the division. The Atlantic Division remains one of the more evenly divided in all the NHL - brutal rivalries, brutal fans and a scrappy physical play.

Though, there is one thing that the New York Rangers have that no other team has:

The Dark Ranger!

Rangers Disappoint Brodeur

From the New York Rangers Official Website: POST-GAME NOTES
Rangers 4, New Jersey Devils 2 11/14/2007 There was no way the Rangers were going to allow Devils goalie Martin Brodeur to win his 500th career NHL game at their expense on Wednesday night. Jaromir Jagr and the rookie trio of Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky and Marc Staal made sure of that, as each player scored in a 4-2 win in Newark that gave the Rangers a chance to take the division lead on Thursday. Recap | Box Score THREE STARS OF THE GAME 1. J. JAGR-- NYR 2. J. LANGENBRUNER -- NJ 3. H. LUNDQVIST -- NYR NOTES * Scott Gomez tallied two assists to extend his scoring streak to seven games, registering nine points (two goals and seven assists) over the span. Gomez has also registered an assist in five straight games and is now within three games of tying his career-high 10-game scoring streak. * Jaromir Jagr scored a goal and added an assist to stretch his team leading points total to 17 points in 18 games. * Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 shots for his ninth victory of the season and his first win on the road. He is now 2-2-2 in career games played at New Jersey. * The Rangers started a season series 3-0-0 against the Devils for the first time since 1993-94. * The Rangers have allowed only 32 goals in 18 games, making them the league's No. 1 defensive team. * The Rangers killed all five New Jersey power plays and have now killed 36 of the last 38 power plays they have faced.

Tucker Considers Figure Skating After Losing To The Rangers, 3-2 SO

Darcy Tucker jumps really high. Sean Avery beats him down.

The sideshow antics of Toronto's Maple Leafs agitator Darcy Tucker & our very own New York Ranger's Sean Avery weren't enough to take the evening away from our 'now legitimate' backup goalkeeper Stephen Valiquette. In his first game of the season against Toronto last night, after sixteen games of sitting on the bench - he defensively handed the NY Rangers their first win on the road leaving the Blueshirts with an amazing 9-7-1. The Rangers have won six of their last seven games.

The offense was controlled by Sean Avery, who assisted Brendan Shanahan on the first goal in the second period, shortly after flipping roles as Shanny assisted Avery for the second goal of the evening. During the third period, all went 'to hell in a hand basket' as Alexei Ponikarovsky scored twice on Valiquette, tying the game which ultimately led to a scoreless overtime and eventual shootout. The decisive shootout goal is credited to Marcel Hossa - which 'made up' for a terrible turnover in overtime (what is it with this guy?).

Go here for the official recap.

The team is getting the 'moxy' with an unexpected mix of rookies and veterans playing on all three lines in different configurations. The offense is regenerating and it appears that over the last two or three games The Rangers have rotated that lone offensive player into the opponent's net....waiting. Terrific to see Hockey For Dummies is at work on the Renney staff!

Look forward to some time off from BlueshirtLand as the boys have three days until they meet our adversaries across the Hudson River, the New Jersey Devils of Newark at the newly opened and lowly-attended Prudential Center on Wednesday evening, 7pm EST.

Henrik The Benched, who awards his fellow-best-playing teammates with a bottle of wine after every game tomorrow will surely be sending a case to his 'mini-me' - the 'Valley Boy' himself, Stephen Valiquette. Cheers!

tdr

If You Shoot, Goals Will Come

Home game = Rangers defeat Penguins, 4-2

Since the loss to the New York Islanders, Tom Renney's approach with the locker room has been one of the basics. Shoot the damn puck. It won't always hit the post. You won't always miss. You can only score if you try. Well last night, The New York Rangers scored four goals against the Pittsburgh Penguin's two goals - many shots hitting the post and many missed scoring opportunities excluded. It is sad that my fantasy hockey league doesn't categorize shots taken, because the Blueshirts would own it.

Go here for a recap of the game against Pittsburgh. One special honorable mention goes to "Brilliant Backhander Brandon Dubinsky," whose first NHL goal was like butter.

The Rangers are now 8-7-1, placing second in the Atlantic Division - one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers. Nice to see the Blueshirt front lines working together, with a hint of chemistry. Who would have ever guessed "Dubie the Rookie" would be playing on the same line as Jaromir Jagr?

All is fair in love & hockey, folks -- another win at MSG. Look forward to another out-of-town game this Saturday evening at The Air Canada Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs; our NY Rangers still haven't won a game on the road. We will probably see the debut of Stephen Valiquette replacing our much-used Henrik Lundqvist as goaltender for the evening - ensuring a disadvantaged evening of hockey.

This Saturday I wanted to see the long awaited rematch fight between Sean Avery and Darcy Tucker, but alas, Mr. Tucker is hurt and on injured reserve -- so instead I will settle for team New York slightly beating on team Toronto.

Away Game = The _______smashes The _______.

Here goes nothing and here's hoping.

tdr

"The King"-dom Crumbles

The Dark Ranger doesn't have the energy to write after last night's defeat against the most-hated Islanders. Here is the AP. Oh, and by the way - we were defeated 3-2. Look on the bright side, with this track record just about every home game should be a win:

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- Miroslav Satan scored the winner for the second straight game, and the New York Islanders - with three goals in the final period - snapped the New York Rangers' winning streak at four with a 3-2 victory Tuesday night. The Rangers, who went 5-1 on a homestand that concluded Monday with a 2-0 victory against Philadelphia, scored only 12 goals during that stretch but managed to keep winning on the back of Henrik Lundqvist's strong goaltending. Lundqvist has played in every game this season and allowed more than one goal for the first time in five games. That was enough to drop the Rangers to 0-5-1 on the road.

Home game win this Thursday (according to our season thus far) against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

tdr

The Captain Is Back, Rangers Blank Flyers 2-0

Despite a slightly pulled groin from Saturday night's win against the New Jersey Devils, Captain Jaromir Jagr pulled out the first goal of the evening against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period. Not only did he score first, he delivered a solid performance as he was continually double covered by pesty Orangecoats, escorted by the team doctor into the locker room after recurring injuries, and surprisingly re-emerged third period back into the lineup to dominate the evening and lead The New York Rangers into their fourth straight win against the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-0.

The Blueshirts are now 7-6-1, second place in the Atlantic Division - one point away from taking the first position in the division. As the diehard meathead in Section 317 said after the game, "They may actually be getting their shit together!!!" A prolific sentiment shared by Rangers fans across the land.

Our "defensive strong", "proficient but low-scoring offense" controlled most of the game from start to finish. The Flyers were massively outshot in the first and second periods, but put the heat back on the Rangers in the third, until Brendan Shanahan locked in the second insurance goal with just over three minutes left in the game. The last goal solidified the win. Martin Biron, goalkeeper of the Flyers, deserves a special honorable mention for preventing a 6-0 loss.

...and again, the true hero of the night. The King. Henrik Lundquist. Simply the best goalkeeper in the NHL.

Tonight will be another test - as a 'win' against the New York Islanders will ensure a first place ranking in the Atlantic Division -- a pleasant distant place from the opening of the season.

Maybe Jagr knew something when he said "be patient, it will happen."

Going for five straight.

tdr

Winning Three In a Row, Rangers 2 Devils 1, SO

Three stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future. Not exactly the Rangers of this season. Luck is also said to 'come in threes', which is precisely what our defense relied on as The New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils tonight in a shootout at MSG, 2-1.

With a little bit of luck our defense held the Devils scoreless in three power play opportunities to extend their current streak to 19 consecutive successful penalty kills. Not bad on paper; so why does it look so shaky?

Our confidence tonight may have come in the form of a particular Swedish goaltender named Henrik Lundquist, the Rangers superhero. Our 'King' stopped all three shots in the shootout, turned aside 28 of 29 shots in regulation/overtime to record his third consecutive win and sixth of the season.

Scott Gomez scored the lone Rangers goal in regulation during the first period, his first against his former Devils teammates. During the shootout, The Dark Ranger's favorite Petr Prucha froze New Jersey goaltender Marty Brodeur, with a chip-high shot and score - a chin low moment for 'New Joisey Devils of Newark' fans. Marty, Marty, Marty!!!! Hah.

The New York Rangers are now 6-6-1, looking to take on the Atlantic Divisions leaders, the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night. This will be the first official meeting for former Buffalo co-captains, Ranger's Chris Drury and Philly's Daniel Brierre. I wish I could say that droopy Drury is playing at the same level as Dancin' Danny Briere, but there have been improvements with the Rangers front lines - they are connecting, still conservative, but playing toward the net more than games past.

Tune in folks, as the first division meeting of this NY Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers rivalry is always a bloody one. With Philly currently in first place, superior level of play this season and the New York Rangers on a run, three for three, the Blueshirts will be looking to take their game to a new level on Monday night. Look for Jagr to actually drop his gloves! LOL.

Game on.

tdr

Obey The King! Rangers 2, Capitals 0

The Dark Ranger snoozed through the game at MSG this evening and after the game had the pleasure of sharing a moment with Henrik Lundqvist, the World Olympic Gold-Medalist New York Ranger Goalkeeper, who shutout The Washington Capitals tonight at MSG bringing New York's record to a neutral 5-6-1.

After tonight's 31 saves and third shutout of the season, I asked him what he thought of winning two in a row and the team's defensive dependency on him, he stated, "I see all of this as a great challenge. There were a lot of people in front of me tonight. Tonight I had to challenge myself and work harder and it paid off. Cover as much as possible, puck kept hitting me, it's fun. Great team, great players, fun to be around them all the time. We have to keep winning. Everything is so much easier when you're winning, everyone shows up to practice. Don't over think and get lucky."

Though I didn't quite understand his broken English, I sure was happy to meet The King, take the win and take off this friggin cape for the night.

Chris Drury took his second goal of the season in the second period, the next and final goal went to Rozsival in the third period.

On my way out, I ran into Capitals goalie Olie Kolzig, who made 26 saves, but when questioned about Henrik's game tonight he actually (and honestly) responded, "He's definitely on his game. He's the reason the Rangers have won five games. They'll be scary (the Rangers) if they ever get their offense together."


So from Washington's losing goaltender's point of view, he let up two goals and ultimately lost the game to our shitty offense. Nice Olie - keep up the good work. Though, point taken, if we can forget about the Ranger's performance in the first period, our offense and defense was even paced, controlled and a team that appeared more confident. They looked 'winning' tonight.

The Blueshirts take on the New Joisey Devils of Newark this Saturday at 7pm, EST at MSG. See you then and go have a beer.
Strange little mascot....we need to kick his ass!

tdr