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| It's official! |
Welcome everyone to another PRESIDENTIAL blog here, on the new and improved DOINOW.com. As always, check out the right hand of the site for the archives, live tweets, search button all that other good shit! Furthermore, don't forget to tip your bartenders, don't drink & drive, try the Italian Wedding Soup at the Bold O'Donoghues, and always, and I mean ALWAYS, use "In Cam We Trust" as your personal mantra.
The Rangers devoured the Ottawa Senators, like a drunken frat kid pounding a White Castle Crave case, 5-1 on Thursday night. Ottawa's star back-up goalie, Andrew "The Hamburglar" Hammond squared off with who I would keep as the Rangers starting goalie, Cam "The Goalbuster" Talbot. Listen, there are about a million hamburger puns we can make tonight about Hammond such as:
"Boyled Burgers"
"2 burgers, 1 assist and large fries"
"A Glass Goal with your choice of happy meal toy"
"Hammond was as bad as a McDonald's burger"
"I thought fast food burgers don't expire"
Those are just several of the Burger puns you can make, and there are probably about a 1000 more. Scream all your burger puns now, and let's get past it. We get it, Hammond is the Hamburglar but tonight the Rangers fucked him up faster than Ronda Rousey.
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| Nailed it! |
Henrik Lundqvist, who will play this weekend, better take notes from Cam Talbot. Talbot has not lost two back-to-back games during his run as starter. That's a hell of a stat for a playoff bound goalie, which Talbot should be, but you can't leave $8.5 million sitting on the bench.
The Rangers just show up when it matters the most. With this win, the Rangers not only clinched a playoff spot (a foregone conclusion, but it was made official tonight) and returned to the number 1 spot in the whole league. The Rangers have 3 games in hand with the other points leader in the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks, a team they swept in their 2 game season series. The Rangers also crossed the 100 point mark, as they now sit at 101 points, one more point than the other Eastern Conference leader, the Montreal Canadiens, who have 100 points and two extra games played.
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| Last Hamburglar reference, I promise |
Going into this game, this match-up featured the two hottest goalies in the NHL. Both goalies got their starter job through injuries. Andersen went down in Ottawa. Hank went down here. Hammond was 14-1-1 going into this game, with no regulation losses. He had a GAA under 2.00. Talbot has been lights out for the Rangers and even has the most diehard Ranger fans questioning about pulling him for Hank. Two goalies that were on no one's radar at the start of the season (Except mine, as I have been calling for Talbot from day one.) are two of the best goalies in the NHL right now.
I just felt the Rangers would bounce back after that shit sandwich on Tuesday. They did, and they knocked out Hammond in the second period, as Chris Dreidger made his NHL debut. In a game, which could be a potential first round playoff match-up, the Rangers made the Senators question their playoff hopes.
On an aside, how much do you love the fucking NHL right now? Tonight was great. My dick was hard watching all the games and scoreboard watching.
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| The TV set-up in the man-cave |
While waiting for the Rangers game to start on my big TV, I watched the Islanders start off on my small overhead TV. With an iPad going, I was watching the Devils/Capitals, while following live scores through my phone. During commercials and intermissions, I would flip to the NHL Network to catch Pens/Canes, Ducks/B's and Jets/Habs. I fucking love it. Tonight was like an NFL Redzone day for me. I can't get enough. Outside of the Caps winning (and you can argue that's a good thing, as they could bump the Islanders down eventually), every score went the Rangers way.
Rangers won. Ducks deflated Boston. Isles lost. Habs got smoked. Pens are an embarrassment. You couldn't ask for a better night of scores if you're Rangers fan. Fuck Wednesday Rivalry Night, this Thursday night was Blueshirt night!
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| INKREIDIBLE! |
The Rangers will have a busy off-season, regardless of what happens in the playoff. Stepan is a no-brainer re-sign. MSL should work with Slats to finish out his career here. Hagelin is the question mark, but I get the impression he wants to stay here if he gets a deal similar to his best friend, Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers should also look to extend Kreider now, while they still have the chance.
Chris Kreider is the player every non-Ranger fan loves to hate. He's that Ovi. He's that Simmonds. He's that Subban. He's that Crosby. While all those players are different in their own ways, they all illict extreme hatred from opposing fans. Kreider is that guy for the Rangers. He does so many different things. He's got speed, power, can score, can pass and has no qualms with tussling & getting dirty when it's needed. (Hi Carey Price! Ha-Ha!)
Kreider (2 goals, 1 assist) scored the first goal of the game. This is a goal you will want to seek a replay of. I praised Stepan for breaking out of his slump against the Ducks on Sunday and questioned where the hell was he on Tuesday. Stepan returned tonight. In a play that will make the blood rush straight to your penis, Stepan fed Kreider a "protractor" goal. Stepan made a long pass off the boards and the puck bounced off the boards and right into a speeding up the ice Chris Kreider. Kreider slammed it home, 1-0 Rangers.
Seriously, if you didn't see this goal, you need to see it. It was probably one of the top 3 scoring plays of the season, due to the difficulty and the way Stepan made the pass. Kreider's execution was really the cherry on top.
Unfortunately, after the goal, 19 seconds later, Curtis Lazar buried one right back. It was the story of the Rangers. Lose a face-off, turnover and Lazar has the net all to himself. I wouldn't blame Talbot for this goal, but at the same time, he's stoned harder shots from better guys. This was the one-on-one save that Talbot was making on guys like Tavares, Ovi, Perry, Toews, etc. Lazar was in the right place at the right time and scored. Can't blame Cam, but it was a save he's been making of late. 1-1, little more than 7 minutes to go.
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| The Boyler Man |
Dan Boyle scored the game winning goal, less than two minutes after Lazar, scoring off a perfect pass from Rick Nash. Let me say one thing - the Rangers passing was as great as it has been all season. We groan as fans as the Rangers overpass the puck at times, but tonight, all the passing lead to goals. I hope the team keeps it up, but we have seen too many games where the Rangers pass up open looks for these passes that go nowhere. Tonight the passing game worked.
Boyle said during the first intermission break that he was trying to get higher, but in the end, happy with the goal that snuck by Hammond's glove.
I haven't been a big Boyle supporter on this site. For the money, you could've kept Stralman. However, the Rangers are stuck with him, so let's hope he can keep the scoring up and gets the Powerplay going.
Speaking of the powerplay, it was non-existent tonight, because the referees decided to ignore any slashing, hooking or tripping that occurred on Rick Nash, but were quick to call 6 penalties against the NYR that led to 6 powerplays for Ottawa, with several two-man advantages. However, the Rangers PK was lights out. I wish the Rangers PP was even half as good as their PK. As I've mentioned several times on these pages, Carl Hagelin is just a monster on the PK. Talbot held his own end of the bargain, and wound up with 23 saves on 24 shots.
It really is amazing how you can give a team 6 powerplays and the other team 0. I have never complained so much about officiating, even in victories, than this season. It's not just the Rangers, it's league-wide. I have always said the NHL referees are the best refs in sports, but they have never been worse than they currently are.
| A True Warrior |
Derek Stepan would pick up his second assist of the game, via a video game play. Stepan powered one at Hammond, and the puck went up in the air and trickled down Hammond's back. If you have a HUT team in NHL '15, you know the agony. With the puck landing (and perhaps would've gone in, giving Stepan the goal), Kreider came crashing in and put the puck past the goal line. 3-1 Rangers, heading into the second.
With Kreider's goal coming with 1 minute left in the first, it was great to see the Rangers score early in the second, as Mats Zuccarello took a beautiful pass from Kevin Hayes and buried it, making the score 4-1, with 18 minutes and change left in the second.
How great is Kevin Hayes? We've talked about it a lot here on these pages. He is the reason why the Rangers can deal Duclair and all these draft picks. He's a developed NHLer and the future of the Rangers. As I talked about with Stepan's first assist, Nash's assist, Hayes kept the Rangers great passing going. I almost shit my pants when Zucc actually shot, rather than passing up the puck. I know you always want to find the perfect shot, but this team needs to shoot more. When they take shots, good things happen.
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| This motherfucker! |
Tanner Glass. It's a name that evokes rage from the majority of Ranger fans. So you can imagine what it was like when Glass came on the ice after his penalty and scored a goal. Again, Kevin Hayes was the man. Hayes knew Glass was coming out of the box, showed his patience and found Glass wide open in front of Hammond. Glass scored his first Rangers goal, despite playing in 60 games.
I'm a twitter guy. I love it. I love getting the news, the pictures, the memes, the opinions, interacting, the dirt and all that other good shit. I talk to many of you guys on twitter. We love this shit and dealing with people as insane as us about the team.
Twitter fucking broke after Tanner Glass scored tonight. Within seconds of the Glass goal, I had 33 notifications and a timeline longer than the Magna Carta. Glass is easily the weakest and least liked Ranger on this team. Many people, myself included, wonder if Glass has naked pictures of Coach AV taking it in the ass from tranny midgets, because it makes no sense why AV loves him so much and gives him so much time.
Tanner Glass is so disrespected, that recently, after a Rangers home game, autograph seeking hounds (Don't worry, I was one of you when I was young too and got the binders of Petr Nedved autographs to prove it) turned their back on Glass. I get it. It's not like fans are obligated to get Tanner's autograph, but the story has been so exaggerated and blown out of proportion that even Glass and his wife had to comment on it. This is how bad Glass has been, that he has to deal with stories like this.
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| Credit NYRMemes |
If you didn't see the game, and living off recaps and silly blogs like mine, please seek out the replay. This meme above does the goal no justice. AV was smiling like he just crop-dusted the whole bench. I never saw AV smile like this on the bench before. Usually he's snapping his gum and cool, calm, collected, but here, he couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl.
Tanner Glass might not even play in the playoffs once MSL comes back & Sheppard and Fast take his spot on the fourth line, but I'm sure Glass feels like he got a huge monkey off his back. He has been completely useless all season and makes me long for Dorsett/Carcillo, but with that said, I'm happy for the guy. I don't expect this to be the first goal in a huge scoring streak, but still, he must feel on top of the world and relieved right now.
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| GOALBUSTER |
I've spent countless words on Cam Talbot all season. Once again, Talbot came out big for the Rangers. This game didn't turn into a Wild West Shootout. Hammond got his doors blown off, while Talbot held down the fort. Talbot didn't steal this game, like he has in his other 1 goal games, but he was rock solid.
Talbot will never say it. However, it is human nature and an athlete's drive, for Talbot to wonder how far he would've got if Hank wasn't coming back. Talbot has just been godly for the Rangers. He has set many records, done incredible things and will eventually earn a starters job & starters $ in the NHL. If it was up to me, it would be in a Rangers jersey, but it just seems unlikely. I really hope Ranger fans give him a standing ovation for a long period of time, towards the end of this season.
With Talbot in net, the Rangers own the best record in the NHL and have been one of the best squads in NYR history. Don't assume Hank would've done the same thing. In fact, if the All-Stars were voted the same way the NFL does their all-stars, at the end of the season, Talbot would be there. If Hank went down earlier, who knows, maybe we're talking Talbot for Vezina.
Hank will return this weekend, and while it was funny to see him listed as the back-up tonight, I did really miss that ginger fuck, Mackenzie Skapski and his smiling ass on the bench. I hope Hank gets the start in MSG, as Boston has notoriously owned Hank as of late and it makes sense to give Hank a huge MSG moment by returning there on Sunday. However, Talbot's contributions to this team should not be forgotten.
I usually do not like copying and pasting from the Rangers website, but in honor of the Rangers clinching a spot in the playoffs, here are the official postgame notes from BLUESHIRTSUNITED.com:
Team Notes
- CLINCHING A SPOT –
By earning a win tonight, combined with Boston’s overtime loss against
Anaheim, the Rangers clinched a playoff berth. The Blueshirts have now
reached the playoffs in five consecutive seasons and in nine of the last
10 seasons. It is the first time the Rangers have made the playoffs in
at least five straight seasons and nine times in a 10-season span since
they reached the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons from 1977-78 –
1986-87. Entering 2014-15, New York was one of four teams who reached
the playoffs in at least eight of the previous nine seasons (along with
Pittsburgh, Detroit, and San Jose).
- 100-POINT CLUB –
With their win tonight, the Rangers reached the 100-point plateau for
the eighth time in franchise history. The Blueshirts earned their 100th
point of the season in their 73rd game, which is tied for the
second-fewest games it has taken a Rangers team to reach the 100-point
plateau in franchise history (also earned 100 points in their first 73
games in 1970-71 and 1972-73). The Rangers have earned 101 points this
season, which is the seventh-highest total they have earned in one
season in franchise history.
- TOP OF THE HEAP – As of
the conclusion of tonight’s game, the Rangers have the top record in the
NHL this season (47-19-7, 101 points).
- POINT TAKEN –
New York has earned at least one point in 20 of its last 23 games
(17-3-3), including 10 of its last 12 games (9-2-1). The Blueshirts have
won 17 of their last 22 contests (17-3-2), including 13 of the last 17
games (13-3-1) and eight of the last 10 games (8-2-0). The Rangers have
also recorded at least one point in 23 of their last 27 games (20-4-3).
The Blueshirts have won 40 of their last 55 games (40-12-3), including
38 of their last 52 games (38-11-3) and 36 of their last 48 contests
(36-9-3). The Rangers have earned at least one point in 53 of their last
69 games (46-16-7), including 46 of their last 59 games (41-13-5).
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ROAD WARRIORS – The Rangers have won each of their last six road
games and have earned at least one point in each of their last seven
road contests (6-0-1). The Rangers have posted three separate six-game
winning streaks on the road over the last two seasons (Oct. 26 – Nov.
23, 2013; Jan. 4 – Feb. 7, 2014). According to the Elias Sports Bureau,
the Rangers have registered three separate six-game winning streaks on
the road in a two-season span for the first time in franchise history,
and they are the first NHL team to post three separate six-game winning
streaks on the road in a two-season span since the Edmonton Oilers did
so during the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons (Note: the Oilers were coached
by Glen Sather in those two seasons). New York’s six-game winning
streak on the road is tied for the third-longest road winning streak in
franchise history and is tied for the second-longest winning streak any
NHL team has posted on the road this season. The Blueshirts have won 11
of their last 13 road games (11-1-1), 13 of their last 17 road contests
(13-3-1), 17 of their last 22 road games (17-4-1), and 21 of their last
27 road contests (21-5-1). As of the conclusion of tonight’s game, the
Rangers lead the NHL in road wins (24), road points (50), and road point
percentage (.694) this season. New York’s 24 road wins this season are
tied for the second-highest total the team has earned in one season in
franchise history. With five road games remaining in 2014-15, the
Rangers are one road win away from tying their single-season franchise
record of 25, which was established last season. The Blueshirts are also
three points shy of tying their single-season franchise record of 53,
which was established during the 2011-12 season.
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20/20 VISION – For the fifth time in franchise history, two Rangers
goaltenders have posted at least 20 wins in the same season (Henrik
Lundqvist – 25; Cam Talbot – 20). Lundqvist and Talbot join Mike Richter
and John Vanbiesbrouck (1991-92) and Ed Giacomin and Gilles Villemure
(1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73) as the only goaltending duos who have each
earned 20 wins in the same season in Rangers history.
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WINNING WAYS – The Rangers have earned 47 wins this season, which is
tied for the sixth-most victories they have registered in one season in
franchise history (they also earned 47 wins in the 1972-73 season).
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FINISHING THE JOB – The Blueshirts have posted a 32-0-1 record
when leading after two periods this season. New York has registered a
146-1-9 record in its last 156 regular season games when leading after
40 minutes. The 156-game stretch began on Feb. 6, 2010 vs. New Jersey.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Rangers are the only NHL team
since 1999-2000 (the first year when teams earned a point for a loss
after regulation) to have no more than one regulation loss over a span
of 150 or more regular season games when leading after two periods.
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KILL ZONE – New York was 6-for-6 (11:26) on the penalty kill in
the contest. The Rangers are 28-for-30 (93.3%) on the penalty kill over
the last 10 games and are 35-for-38 (92.1%) on the penalty kill over the
last 13 contests. The Blueshirts have not allowed a power play goal in
16 of the last 21 games (54-for-60; 90%) and they are 116-for-134
(86.6%) on the penalty kill over the last 48 games.
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SEN-SATIONAL – The Rangers have earned at least one point in 11 of
their last 14 regular season games against the Senators on the road
(10-3-1), including 10 of their last 12 regular season contests against
Ottawa on the road (9-2-1). The 14-game stretch dates back to Dec. 1,
2007.
3 Stars on Broadway
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Chris Kreider tied a single-game career-high with three points
(two goals, one assist), led all skaters with five shots on goal, and
posted a plus-three rating in the contest. He registered three points in
one period in a regular season game for the first time in his career
(he tallied three points in the second period in Game 5 of the Eastern
Conference Finals on May 27, 2014 at Montreal). Kreider is the first
Ranger to record three points in one period of a regular season game on
the road since Vinny Prospal did so on Mar. 12, 2010 against Atlanta.
Kreider has reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his NHL
career, and he established new career-highs in assists (20) and points
(40) in tonight’s contest. Kreider’s three points are tied for the most a
Blueshirt has recorded in one game this season.
- Dan
Boyle notched two points (one goal, one assist), including the
game-winning goal, and posted a plus-three rating in 19:38 of ice time.
He has registered a point in each of the last two games, tallying three
points (one goal, two assists) over the span. Boyle is tied for fifth on
the team in game-winning goals (three) and he is tied for first among
team defensemen in goals (nine) this season.
- Derek
Stepan tallied two assists, recorded three shots on goal, and posted a
plus-three rating in 16:25 of ice time. The Rangers alternate captain
has posted a multi-point game in two of the last three contests,
registering five points (two goals, three assists) over the span. Stepan
has registered a multi-point game in each of the last six contests in
which he has tallied a point. He has notched 14 points (four goals, 10
assists) in the last 20 games and he leads the Rangers in primary
assists (25) this season. Stepan has tallied a point in seven of nine
career regular season games in Ottawa, registering 13 points (five
goals, eight assists) in those contests. He has notched 15 points (five
goals, 10 assists) in 16 career regular season games against the
Senators.
Blueshirts Breakdown
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Cam Talbot made 23 saves to earn his 20th win of the season.
Talbot is the first Rangers goaltender other than Henrik Lundqvist to
record 20 or more wins in a season since Mike Richter did so during the
2001-02 season. Talbot is the fourth different Rangers goaltender to
record at least 20 wins in a season since 1985-86 (Lundqvist, Richter,
and John Vanbiesbrouck are the other three). Talbot has posted a 7-2-0
record, along with a 1.44 GAA, a .954 SV%, and 1 SO in his last nine
appearances. He has registered an 8-2-1 record, along with a 1.59 GAA, a
.953 SV%, and 1 SO in his last 11 appearances, and he has allowed one
goal or fewer in seven of those 11 appearances. In 23 appearances he has
made since Feb. 4, Talbot has posted a 16-4-3 record, along with a 2.16
GAA, a .929 SV%, and 2 SO.
- Mats Zuccarello
recorded two points (one goal, one assist) and tied for the game-high
with three blocked shots in the contest. He extended his point streak to
four games (two goals, four assists over the span). Zuccarello has
tallied a goal in each of the last two games and has posted two
multi-point games in the last three contests.Hehas recorded 23 points
(seven goals, 16 assists) in the last 27 games. Zuccarello has also
notched 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in the last 14 games and 11
points (two goals, nine assists) in the last 12 contests.
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Kevin Hayes tallied two assists, recorded two shots on goal, and
posted a plus-two rating in 13:48 of ice time. He extended his point
streak to four games (one goal, five assists over the span), and he has
posted two multi-point games in the last three contests. Hayes has
notched 24 assists this season, 22 of which have been primary assists.
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Tanner Glass registered his first goal as a Ranger, recorded two
shots on goal, and posted a plus-one rating in 12:27 of ice time. He
has posted a plus/minus rating of even or better in 10 of the last 12
games and in 14 of the last 17 contests.
- Keith Yandle
notched an assist, recorded two shots on goal, was credited with two
blocked shots, and posted a plus-two rating in 16:34 of ice time. He has
recorded four assists/points in the last three games, and ranks second
among NHL defensemen in assists (41) this season.
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Rick Nash recorded an assist, registered three shots on goal, and
posted a plus-three rating in 14:21 of ice time. He has tallied two
assists/points in the last three games. Nash has also registered 15
points (six goals, nine assists) in his last 21 games and has notched 21
points (11 goals, 10 assists) in his last 26 contests.
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| Come watch the game with us on Saturday, even JEFFREY will be there! |
All is good in blueshirt land. The only thing you can really complain about is Rick Nash in the second half, as his goal scoring abilities have disappeared. He didn't look as bad as he has looked in recent games, even picking up an assist tonight, but you really want to see Nash start going to the net and converting shots into goals.
The Rangers return for a much anticipated back-to-back this weekend, as they head to Boston on Saturday afternoon and host Washington on Sunday. Hank makes his return for one of these games.
As I said in a previous blog, don't be quick to rush down Hank's throat if he has a bad game. I mean look at the LA game. The Rangers stunk the joint out, but had a game like this tonight and destroyed the Ducks on Sunday. The Rangers are playing the best hockey in the NHL and anything less than a Cup victory will be disappointing. It's up to Hank to finally bring a parade to the Canyon of Heroes.
I will be back late Saturday, after the party, to recap Boston/NYR. Until then...
LET'S GO RANGERS
IN CAM WE TRUST
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@nycthemic on the twitter machine
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