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Not my best angle & this pic was rushed, but at least I got to see Graves again!

Yuck.
Fuck.
Yuck.
Ugh.

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com. It's late, so we'll skip the usual spiel. You already know to check the archives for previous blogs and all that nonsense.

The Rangers dropped Game 1 of their second round series with the Washington Capitals, in a 2-1 game. For us Ranger fans, it was a pure heartbreaker. Nothing is a must-win game until you've lost three games in a playoff series, but this was a game the Rangers could've won and just gave away. It was just infuriating to watch.

I guess let's start with the good news and then get to the bad news. The good news is that my girlfriend had to meet her friends in the city at 6PM. Since my partner in crime, the nefarious JEFFREY, was running late, I decided to kill time at the New York Ranger Hockey House. Within five minutes of being there, I met one of my all-time favorites, Adam Graves!

Not the best thing to get autographed, but beggars can't be choosers!

For me, Adam Graves was my third favorite Ranger ever. As a kid playing hockey, I played defense. Jeff Beukeboom was always my favorite. Leetch was my second favorite. Graves was my third. I loved Messier & Richter too, and who didn't at my age, and at that time, but since I played defense, I enjoyed watching Beukeboom and Leetch.

The reason I liked Graves so much more than Messier & Richter, was because during my teenage years, me and my friends all used to get autographs after every game. Where Richter & Messier would sneak by the fans or wear a disguise to bypass the autograph hounds, Graves would come out after every game and sign everything for everyone. I never forgot that. To this day, I still have autographed pucks and cards from Graves.

There was a period of time in the early 2000's, where I was just furious at the Rangers for dealing Leetch & Graves. I stopped watching games for a while, out of anger. All my favorites were gone and I was furious! The 2004 lockout didn't make things better. As I got older, I just had to accept the business end of sports. It's not even the NHL. It's every sport. It's no longer playing for the fans or for the sport of it, it's all about money. Advertisements. Ratings. Commercials. Endorsements. Whatever. Every sports league is money first, everything else a distant second.

While getting older, I just kept reading stories and personal accounts of peoples dealings with Adam Graves. The man is just a walking charity machine. I don't have enough time nor the space to recap it all, but if you google "Adam Graves + Charity" a million hits will come up. The guy does so much charity work, 99% of it undocumented. He's not a guy who does charity work when the camera is on, like Henrik Lundqvist. I'm not trying to come off like a know-it-all or anything, but I know so many people who have an Adam Graves story, that's not documented. I guess to even compare Lundqvist to Graves isn't fair, since Graves is just at a level where many will never reach.

Bottom line, Graves is one of the classiest and nicest players the NHL has ever produced. He is truly a treasure. It still sickens me the way Sather handled the exit of Adam Graves.

If there is anything you got out of this ramble, it is that Adam Graves is a pure role model and a true asset to humanity. You won't find a nicer and more philanthropic individual than number 9.

Section 119, Row 5!

Since this is a bluecollar blueshirt blog, I tend to give you details of my personal life and then get to the game. You can read on 3843473737373 different sites about the game. I can just tell you what happened in one sentence. "The Capitals scored two goals, both at the end of the period. Fucking maddening!"

One person who pops up in these blogs from time-to-time is JEFFREY. JEFFREY, as you know, is a season ticket holder in section 213, along with his buddy Greg. Since Greg has a life, he isn't able to go to as many games as he'd like. Usually I'm the first name called when Greg can't make it and I'm able to attend so many games for face value.

Somehow, JEFFREY was able to pull some shit out of his ass tonight. Greg couldn't make the game, so JEFFREY flipped the 213 seats and for a couple of bucks extra, turned them into five rows off the ice. My irish pecker is still hard thinking about where we sat tonight! A win would've capped off the night, but you can never complain when you're sitting on top of the ice.

When reading this blog about the game, keep in mind that I was sitting so close and this is not a recap based off what you saw on TV. When I sit close at a game, I'm watching different things than I would on TV or even from the 200's or 400's level. I'm telling you, I was so close I could hear the guys talking and could just watch eyes.

One of the coolest things about tonight, for me, and let me reiterate, I'm lucky and fortunate JEFFREY pulled his magic, or else I could never sit this close, was just watching the eyes of the players. As you know from these blogs, while offense is sexy & puts the asses in the seats, I love the defense. I love great goaltenders. Most of the game, when the puck was in the Rangers defensive zone, I'm watching Hank and how he tracked the puck. I think JEFFREY had to tell me to shut up about it at least 10 times. However, just watching Hank's head movements and how his eyes dart around like a cat chasing a red dot from a laser pen, is just awesome up close.

I posted these pics on twitter, but to give you a visual of my perspective of the game, let's share these pics here:

How do I get into the zamboni drivers union? Is that the teamsters?

I felt much better taking this picture than seeing it now!

A true warrior, Derek Stepan

I must've heard "GET OFF THE ICE BOYLE" from JEFFREY at least 100 times

Will this jersey have a Stanley Cup patch on it a month from now?

We were so close, we could share Wifi with that bitch Pierre!

These guys will come back strong on Saturday

If you read my preview blogs on this series, especially the blog with Washington Capitals reporetr, Rob Parker, I said the only way Washington has a chance of winning games in this series is if the Rangers don't contain Ovi and Holtby outplays Hank. That's basically what happened tonight.

Before this game, Ovi was announced as Hart candidate, with Carey Price (MTL) & John Tavares (NYI). I'm sorry if I'm coming off as excited or bragging a bit, but man, sitting so close, I really got to see why Alex Ovechkin is one of the greats. Don't get me wrong, I've seen Ovi play before live and I have the NHL package, so I watched a lot of Ovi this season, but seeing him up close, man, it's just wild. The guy does everything and he does everything at such a high level. There were times when the Rangers checked him and it didn't even register. He gets to where the needs to be at all times. Where Sidney Crosby will always be a little bitch in my eyes, Ovi is a pure stud.

Other Ranger fans can release T-Shirts saying Ovi sucks or chant at the 8 minute mark how Ovi sucks, but if you really believe that, you're just an idiot. Plain and simple. Ovi is the greatest player in the league today, in my eyes. I get rooting for your team and rooting against the competition, but deep down, if you think Ovi sucks, you are just clueless.

The Great #8, Alex Ovechkin

For 60 minutes, I thought the Rangers outplayed the Capitals. They outshot them, out-hustled them and were the better five vs five team. However, the story of the game was that the Rangers could not just bury the puck home. The Rangers had a ton of scoring chances that didn't convert for goals, either because the Rangers shot wider than Scott Norwood kicking a football or because Holtby came up huge. Where was that Holtby that gave up soft goals against the Islanders? He wasn't here tonight.

By my count, Kevin Hayes had three really good chances to score tonight, but just couldn't get it done. There were so many "OOOOOOOOOHS" and "FUCCCCCCCKKKKKKS" reactions from JEFFREY and I. Really, this could've been a 4-1 game if the Rangers did what they did during the regular season.

There's a lot to talk about, so sorry if I'm jumping all over the place, there's just so many things going on in my head after this game!

I wouldn't want to get on Klein's bad side!

In an effort to keep this positive, let's talk Kevin Klein. I thought he played extremely well. You couldn't tell he missed so many games with an injury. During the early minutes of the game, he made three plays to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Back on defense, he shut down the Capitals. He had a very strong game and fired off a few shots too.

On the flip-side, Mats Zuccarello did not play. It's being reported that he is at least out the rest of this second round, and possibly will miss the rest of the playoffs. Chatter in my section was that he has a fractured skull, which is a report no one has confirmed yet. I'm thinking that he must have something serious because if it was a concussion, you wouldn't automatically rule him out for the rest of the series.

Losing Zucc sucks and hurts this team. He is their fireplug. He is their scrappy little guy. At times, he is the heart of this team and is one of the biggest fan favorites in years. Kind of like Michael Del Zotto when he first started, he is a player the men love and the women love to look at.

Zucc's replacement, James Sheppard, wasn't bad, but he isn't Zucc either, just like how Hunwick wasn't bad in Klein's absence, but at the same time, he's not Kevin Klein. If there is any bright side, if you had to lose Zucc, you would rather see it be against the Capitals, rather than the Islanders, as I feel the Islanders are deeper and the Rangers would need Zucc more against the NYI than Washington.

In any event, get well Zucc.

Lundqvist, McDonagh and a Penguin

The Rangers started off very strong, and early in the game, had 8 shots compared to Washington's sole shot. However Washington came back, and fired a few shots of their own. Hank made tremendous saves all games, including a glove save that looked like a pitcher reacting to a quick line drive at his head. Hank also made a save on what looked like a RA Dickey knuckleball. He was great throughout. However, Holtby was just as good.

I can't figure it out, but for the life of me, no matter how great Hank has been and you wouldn't even know he missed so much time this season, the Rangers have made the other goalie look like the second coming of Patrick Roy. While the final tally may read Rangers 4, Pittsburgh 1, the Rangers only got 8 goals to win those four games, with two of those goals coming in OT. In other words, the Rangers got 6 regulation goals in those four wins. Hank can have a million saves a game, but if the Rangers can't score, it does the team no good and for Hank, it's like the first 8 years of his career all over again.

Holtby played extremely well tonight and finished with 31 saves on 32 shots as opposed to Hank's 27 saves on 29 shots. On paper, it looks like Holtby played phenomenal, and while he did, he got a lot of help from the Rangers missing wide, time and time again. It was hard to watch with all the chances they blew.

With the Rangers playing the stronger game and once again failing on a PP opportunity, the Caps got a PP after a Dominic Moore hold on Jay Beagle, late in the first period. The Caps, unlike the Rangers, made it pay off. Ovi scored a power play goal, with less than two minutes to go in the first period.

I said it before the series, the special teams worried me. Washington was the best PP team in the league. You know what's happening every time too. Washington sets up their triangle, the defense swarms in and then boom, kick it to Ovi for a shot.

I was watching Hank's eyes during all this. He was all over the puck like flies on shit. He was screened but still knew where the puck was, hence his reaction on the shot. Listen, Ovi is a future HOFer and most likely the Hart winner this season. Great players do great things. I wouldn't put this goal on Hank, but it is something he has stopped before. You just got to tip your cap to Ovi.

1-0 Caps, after one period.

Contrary to popular opinion, I thought Glass & Sheppard played well tonight

Ovi's late goal was so depressing. It happened so late and in a game where the Rangers were dominating and you thought on the cusp of breaking out. It just never happened. The second period was more of the same. The Rangers all over Washington, but not being able to score goals.

By the time the third period rolled around, with the score of 1-0 still, you were biting your nails.

I don't know if it's me, but did anyone else think Yandle was hurt? He had plenty of slap shot opportunities all game, but he would always settle for a long wrister. Even his passes lacked the oomph and speed they had earlier this year. Call it a shoulder injury or an arm injury or whatever, but I don't think he's 100%.

After Dancin' Larry did his thing at the FOXWOODS FINAL FIVE, (Fuck you NBC), Jesper Fast was able to get a goal off a double deflection, by who else, Hayes & Hagelin, the two heroes of the previous two playoff games. I still like Miller than Fast with Hayes & Hagelin, but with Zucc out, I get the line.

With less than four minutes to go, the Garden erupted after the Jesper Fast goal. For the first time all night, MSG woke up because they finally had something to cheer for. Before Ward's eventual GWG, the crowd was rocking for the final four minutes. The Rangers had chances too, but couldn't get the job done.

In what was the most depressing moment in all the games I've  ever seen live, Joel Ward beat Lundqvist, with a shot through the five hole with a second left on the clock. I would rather see the Rangers lose 100-0 than see a goal scored with a second left like that. The feeling of ecstasy and the thinking that the Rangers would somehow find a way to win again, just evaporated, like the summer sun beating down on fresh snow. I'm writing this blog four hours after the fact, and I'm still miserable just replaying it in my head.

On Ward's GWG, there are different ways to look at it. Did the defense break down? Yes, they did. Boyle was down. All I can still hear in my head is JEFFREY screaming "GET OFF THE ICE BOYLE!" Did the defense play great all game before that goal? Yes, they did.

I know I'm the Talbot guy, and people will shake their head at what I say, but Lundqvist needs to make that save. He is being paid top dollar to be the man. That goal just can't go in. It needs to be stopped.

I know that we're asking a lot from Lundqvist, but that is why he makes top dollar and is the highest paid goalie in the league. You can't lose games like that. Get beat on a really good goal, not like that. And not with that time on the clock. I don't know if the Rangers were just in "let's get to intermission" mode or not, but for the defense to get beat and for Hank to let that in, I can't put the emotion of pure anger in words. It was just 100% infuriating to see the game end like that, especially when the feeling of hope was ripped right out of you.

I'm using this picture because you can be damned if you thought I took a pic of the GWG

Game one is done and over with. The Caps lead the series 1-0. What can you take out of this game? On the positive side, this is a series the Rangers can win. Losing Zucc hurts, but the Rangers played great enough defensively. They lost because they couldn't score and Washington's PP is light years ahead of the NYR's.

The Rangers need to figure out how to score on the PP and now they need to figure out how to score in general. When you play these defensive games like these, you are eventually going to be burnt. The Rangers really did a great job controlling the puck but couldn't put it in the net. I wouldn't call the Caps goals fluky, but they both came late and both sucked the life out of this game, for the home crowd.

My original prediction was Rangers in 6. The Rangers have a horrible home record in Game 2's. That needs to change real quick. As of now, the Caps have the home ice advantage. Does that mean anything in the Verizon Center? The Rangers were one of the best road teams all year and in the playoffs.

This just sucks to lose a game in this fashion. There is no such thing as a "wake-up" game at this level or stage of the playoffs. You just have to hope the Rangers don't want to feel like this again and take care of business come Saturday afternoon.

And how about Saturday? Talk about a huge day. The day starts with Game 2 of this series, Ducks/Flames, Game 7 of Spurs/Clippers, the horses and of course, the May-Pac fight. I'll have to pick my spots to get my drinking in! What a long day of sports! And that doesn't even include the baseball. Get ready to log a lot of ass time on your couch or bar stool, if you aren't attending any of these events live!

I still can't get over how much this loss sucks. All I can say is forget this game and bring on game 2.

LET'S GO RANGERS
WE WANT THE CUP

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on the twitter machine

wsh/nyr cccp

Round Two, It's On!

In continuing our Rangers playoff coverage, here on DOINOW.com, I present to you another Point-Counterpoint discussion, this time with Washington Capitals fan & writer for JapersRink.com, Rob Parker. Rob Parker did me the courtesy of talking the Capitals and gave me their view, heading into the second round series with the Rangers. The following is a series of email exchanges, between Rob & I, talking the series. I hope you enjoy our conversation about this huge second round match-up as much as I did:

Sean McCaffrey: Welcome everyone to another point-counterpoint discussion here on DOINOW.com. Today, I'm joined by Japers Rink columnist, Rob Parker. Rob is a longtime Washington Capitals fan and has been covering the team since 2009. With the Rangers and Capitals meeting in the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years, it's a pleasure to have Rob here to discuss this upcoming second round series between the Capitals and Rangers.

First off, Rob, congratulations on your Game 7 victory. As a Rangers fan, I wanted no part of the Islanders in the second round, so thank you! I think the Islanders would've been more physical and more draining for the Rangers, a team that really is in a "Cup or Bust" year. I truly believe the Capitals present the path of least resistance, for the Rangers, in the second round.

 How are you feeling about the Capitals Game 7 victory against the Islanders? Do you think the Capitals are spent after playing a 7 game series with the Islanders?


Rob Parker: Thanks for inviting me, Sean. For starters, any time you can win a playoff series, it's a good, positive feeling. That goes doubly for a Caps fan base that has seen far too many collapses at home. Game 7 against the Islanders was probably the best 60-minute game 7 effort we've seen from the Ovi-era Caps, so right now we're all riding high. The skaters came out and dominated the game basically from start to finish, and if not for Halak (again), the game wouldn't have been close.

As for your wishes and expectations, I saw plenty of Rangers fans rooting for the Caps for just this reason. Quick question though, which team lost two defensemen during the series (to go along with losing their top D before the playoffs)? It was a physical series for sure, but the Caps were the more physical team (and if not for that Isles fourth line it wouldn't have even been close) and the Caps are the healthier team, so I suspect the Caps are going to be tougher than you've imagined. All year long the Caps have focused on playing physical hockey, and this was the goal they had in mind all along. Numerous opposing defenders were hurt by the Caps all year, and you can add Visnovsky and de Haan to the body count. Who's next? My guess is Keith Yandle or Dan Boyle. 

 

SM: I watched every game of the Capitals/Isles series, since I love playoff hockey and more importantly, the winner would meet the Rangers in the second round. I agree with your point, the Islanders are a very deep team. I thought they were deeper than the Caps and could match the Rangers speed. One of the reasons I preferred the Caps match-up is that the Rangers are 3-1 vs the Caps this year, as opposed to 2-3 with the Islanders. Lundqvist was 2-0 vs the Caps, while posting an 0-3 record against the Islanders.

The Capitals were a very physical team throughout the series. I still think the Caps got away with two penalties before their first goal, with the Ward high-stick and the Ovi boarding. Would it change a game the Caps just dominated? Who knows? That's a gripe and concern for an Islander fan. The move Kuznetsov made though, wow!

The Capitals are the more physical team, but I believe the Rangers are the faster team and the more skilled team. The Rangers will get Kevin Klein back, who can bring some toughness back to the ice for the Blueshirts. Trotz may be familiar with Klein and what he can do.
I would like to get your take on what you learned about the Rangers from their series with Pittsburgh. Conversely, for me, I learned that Holtby can be beat, easily. Some of the goals he gave up this series were ugly. If this series comes down to just goaltending, the Rangers may cakewalk in this series.

RP: The league already knows the Rangers, they are who they are. They went on a run to the Stanley Cup Final last year, and the team is substantially the same, with more depth. I don't think the Rangers are going to take anyone by surprise. Lundqvist will be great. McDonagh will be stout. Nash will be wearing a Rangers jersey. Whether the depth additions/changes can match the third line output the Rangers got last year will be a key long term, but we know we're going to see a deep and disciplined team.

That said, it was a surprise that the Rangers didn't win the possession battle against a beat up Penguins team down two of their top three defensemen. The Caps aren't quite as fast as the Islanders, but they are more battle tested and obviously were able to overcome the Isles' speed so I think the bigger challenge for the Caps will be getting open looks against the Rangers defense, and then actually beating Lundqvist when they can get those looks. 

Holtby let in a few bad goals this series, but I'm surprised a Rangers fan needed any more evidence that Holtby can be beat. Maybe you've already forgotten the last time these teams met in the playoffs. If the series comes down to goaltending the Rangers obviously have the advantage, but I wouldn't count on Holtby making it too easy. This series is not going to be a cakewalk for either team, but I sure hope the Rangers share your optimism. 

SM: I think the common misconception is that this is the same team as last year. The Rangers lost a lot of veterans in Richards, Pouliot, Stralman, Carcillo, Dorsett & Boyle. The Rangers biggest weaknesses as a result were faceoffs and being tough in the middle. The Rangers have the most expensive defense in the league, but got very young with their forwards. Kevin Hayes has been a godsend for this team, and gave the Rangers leeway to trade more #1 picks and Duclair for Yandle.

 Kreider, Zuccarello and Haglein have really grown into their roles.
The Nash stuff is tough. This is a guy who played with concussions and the effects from concussions. With what we know now about concussions, it is understandable to see why he wasn't the same player. It's also why Zuccarello may be held out of this series, which is a huge advantage for the Capitals.

Holtby seemed to turn it around a bit during the regular season for Washington and the Caps streaked into a playoff spot, in addition with the collapse of the Islanders & Penguins. It's no wonder,  that it is the Capitals & Rangers still alive from the Metropolitan division. They were the hottest teams at the end of the season. I thought Holtby just looked extremely off all series, especially with that goal allowed in Game 7.

The Rangers have shown they can lock down their opponent's best players. We saw the Rangers hold Malkin pointless and Crosby only had one good game. Ovechkin has been a beast all season (and in my opinion, MVP of the league) and if Girardi, McDonagh and Staal can continue what they've been doing, the Caps are going to have to find scoring from elsewhere. Will it be Backstrom?  I will say, one Capital that the Rangers will need to hold accountable and keep an eye on is Jason Chimera.

In the regular season, the Rangers were the better team on the ice. The Rangers MUST improve on the powerplay, especially with what Ovi can do on the Caps PP. The Rangers must at least keep up/stay even with the Caps special teams. They can not continue to squander these powerplay opportunities. The Rangers proved they can win defensive and discipline games, as they did with the Penguins. The Rangers need to get the scoring going and give Lundqvist some relief.

RP: Holtby has quietly been under-the-radar good for several years and just finally got his due this season. As far as looking "extremely off all series," he was physically ill during game 1. Didn't play game 2. Let in 1 goal in regulation in each of game 3, 4, and 5, then gave up a whole 2 in game six, before giving up 1 again in game 7. If that's extremely off, the Caps fans will take it. Aaron Asham opening the floodgates this wasn't. 

The Caps, and every team, always need to find scoring from their depth players. It's what makes the playoffs so fun, you never know who is stepping up. Ovi and Nick will have a battle in front of them, but they'll get their looks. I wouldn't mind seeing a little more from Nick and Ovi at even strength, but they haven't been bad at five aside. If Kuznetsov has really broken out and he's for real, the Caps have a good chance. If this becomes Ovi and Nick against the Rangers, the Caps are toast. I can see why Chimera is the guy to watch for Rangers fans, given his somewhat inexplicable history of goal scoring against Lundqvist, but for the Caps fans it comes down to Kuznetsov and Johansson. If they can help provide a one-two punch at even strength, the Caps will have a shot (and, to be fair, Chimera is the third player on that line right now so Chimera will need to bring his A game as well). 

In the regular season the Rangers caught the Caps on the second night of back-to-backs twice and then they met in the final game of the regular season when both teams had locked up their playoff spot. I'm not personally reading much into the regular season matchups, but I can see why it gives Rangers fans some confidence. Given how the Islanders series went, I don't see special teams being a huge factor (meaning, there won't be a ton of calls). The Rangers power play was somehow less effective than the Islanders power play this year, and the Caps just held the Isles to an 0-for-the-series. Maybe one game gets turned on special teams, and while that could have a huge impact on the series, I think this is going to be settled at even strength.

Does anyone think Holtby is better than Lundqvist?

SM: I always thought Holtby was good, but like you mentioned, he's had some playoff mishaps. You have to wonder if the Caps even make the comeback and win game 2 with Holtby in net. Perhaps they do. I thought some of the goals that Holtby let in were pretty bad and stuff Holtby usually stops. He didn't look at his best. Maybe he's still recovering from his illness, but that goal in Game 7, he's lucky the Caps just dominated the Islanders and he didn't have to do much of anything else.

Chimera has been a Rangers killer as of late, just like Brassard has always played well against the Penguins. I think the Rangers will clamp down on Ovi. One of the most exciting things about watching the Capitals is watching Ovi on the PP. You know they will run that triangle on the side, then kick it to Ovi and Ovi will just blast away. It happens every time, yet it's so hard to stop when it happens in front of you. The Rangers D will have to be all over that. 

You mentioned the Caps taking out defensemen earlier in this exchange. I don't question the toughness of Kevin Klein, but he's already had an arm broken from an Ovi shot before. You have to wonder if the Rangers will rely on Hank to make the save, rather than diving and blocking shots, which was a ritual during the Tortorella years.

If this game is an even-strength series, I think it favors the Rangers. They have more speed and are more fluid than the Capitals, in my opinion. In fact, Ranger fans were joking about just "punting" the two minute powerplays and staying five-on-five. If the Rangers can use their speed (Hello Kreider & Hagelin) and get these open looks on Holtby, the Caps don't stand a chance. The Rangers to need to shoot more. Just rip shots from all angles on Holtby and really pressure him. There were times when the Islanders gave Holtby long stretches of no action. The Rangers must be aggressive, even if Holtby seems like one of those goalies that is better when he's constantly called on. Game 5, Holtby looked his best all series, when the action was fast and at a frantic pace. Still, the Rangers can't sit around and wait for the perfect shot. I know this sounds a bit contradictory, but the Rangers must shoot, shoot, shoot.

Obviously, Ovi & Backstrom are players to watch for the Caps, in Ranger fan eyes, in addition to Chimera. Who are Capital fans worried about? Who do the Capitals need to shut down in your eyes?

RP: Everyone says "you know the Ovi shot is coming but you can't stop it." That's largely true, but a huge part of the reason you can't stop it is that Nick Backstrom and John Carlson/Mike Green are very good at making defenders and goalies respect them. They skate pucks to open ice in the slot and either the penalty killers move with them, losing their structure, or they let the Caps take high quality shots, some of which find their way into the net. It really is a pick your poison situation, and nobody has really figured out how to solve it since Oates took the team over.

I think the Rangers are the faster team, but that bothers me less now that the Caps have already handled an even faster team. It's something that they'll need to be conscious of, but the Caps want these games to be played on the boards where the Rangers' speed won't be as big of a factor. If the Rangers can keep the game fast and in open ice, they'll have an advantage. If the Caps can keep the puck on the boards where they can use their size, they have the advantage. But forgive me if the offensive powerhouse that is Carl Hagelin doesn't strike fear into my heart. The guy has as much speed as anyone, but he doesn't have the hands and offensive instincts to kill teams. That's why he's a middle line forward and not a top line forward. Obviously I don't want to see him taking breakaways all game long, but he's low on the list of guys that need to be contained. Kreider scares me because he's got much better offensive instincts, a much better shot, and if all else fails he sure knows how to freight train a goalie. And all that said, the Rangers may have singlehandedly begun to rehabilitate Marc-Andre Fleury's playoff reputation so I'm not exactly sure where this wellspring of scoring confidence is coming from. 

I'd agree the Rangers need to shoot early and often, but that's the same for every team in the playoffs. Nobody can get by looking for the perfect shot, and with some of the big Rangers forwards those shots help get scrambles going down near the goal (look at both OT winners for the Rangers). Holtby does generally play stronger when facing more shots, but more shots are more chances for a leaky goal (game 1 and game 7) or a horrible rebound goal (game 3 and game 4). I'm not even going to try to predict the Holtby that shows up, but obviously the Caps need something pretty close to his A game if they are going to win the series. 

Derek Brassard is the guy that worries me. He's not one of their big names, but every time I watch him in the playoffs he seems to step up. He's got a good amount of skill, but he's not a finesse guy. He is a great middle line guy in the playoffs because he can play defensively responsible hockey and still hurt the opposition when they get a little too loose on D. I also think, depending on how the matchups go and whether Eric Fehr is healthy, Hayes could be a problem. The Caps don't have a center, besides Fehr, that can handle his size and reach, so they'll need to be very careful when Hayes is out there, especially for offensive zone draws.

The Rangers & Capitals aren't strangers to each other

SM: There is a reason why the Caps continue to be one of the best powerplay teams in the league and I believe you summed it up perfectly.

Hagelin is having one hell of a playoff run, assisting on one OT goal and scoring the other. He's also lit the lamp on a breakaway too. I think you are underrating him. Hagelin's speed has created tons of scoring all season. You can argue that some of his goals are empty netters, but it's because of his speed, that he's able to get to the puck and put games away, rather than sweating out the final minute of a game. Stepan's passing and feeding Hagelin has also increased Hagelin's production.

The Rangers lack of scoring against Pittsburgh is a concern, but a lot of the credit goes to Fleury. Imagine if he played like this during every series Crosby was ever involved in? Pens would most likely have multiple Cups. Can Holtby replicate that performance? I don't think so. I also think the Rangers have to be due. That being said, even if they score two goals a game, if Lundqvist plays the way he did against Pittsburgh, that might be all they need.

For me, this series will come down to goaltending and the special teams. I think the Rangers are better five on five, but Zuccarello's injury worries me. It's not like the Rangers were scoring so many goals against Pittsburgh with him, but Zuccarello means so much to this team. He is their fireplug and their heart at times. He's always involved when he's on the ice. I don't think Sheppard hurts this team, just like I didn't think Hunwick hurt this team in Klein's absence, but the Rangers will miss him.

These are definitely two teams that know each other. The schedule has just been released, and we will see Game 1 on Thursday night and Game 2 on Saturday afternoon, before going to Washington on Monday for Game 3. I don't think the schedule gives an advantage to either team. The Rangers will be rested and ready, just like I think the Caps have some momentum and will be ready. The pressure is on the Rangers to win this series. After last year and winning the President's Trophy, this is a team that must win this series. For the Caps, if they lose, I think people will say they lost to the better team, while wondering if Ovi will ever win a Cup. What would the take be in Washington if they lose? Obviously, we know the take if they win.

My prediction is that the Rangers handle the heavy lifting, and do what the Islanders couldn't do, and win this series in 6. What's your prediction?

RP: Hagelin can hurt you, but he's a volume guy. His speed gives him so many chances that of course he's going to finish some of them. (The Caps just dealt with this kind of player in Michael Grabner, but thankfully Capuano stopped dressing Grabner mid-series). If Hagelin is out there to score empty net goals, the Caps are already in trouble. 

I think it's going to continue to be a low-scoring series and the Rangers should feel pretty confident in that with Lundqvist. And if anyone is "due" here I'd say it's not the team that has been to Eastern Conference Finals in the last 3 years, including a decent bit of luck on their run to the Los Angeles Kings Meat Grinder last year. 

You can say the Rangers are the better even strength team all you want, but over the season the Caps were the better possession team. The Rangers have the goaltending to hide the mistakes, but I don't think the Rangers are going to dominate the shot attempts throughout the series. Zucarello is going to be a big loss, I agree. He always seems to be worth more than just his stat line and he provides a lot of versatility through the lineup. Whether or not he can get back in the lineup will be an important factor in the series. 

I think you're right about the narrative. The "can Ovi win" stuff will always be there unless the Caps win, but this year I think they have less pressure because they just got through a seven game battle with a team that was neck and neck with them in the regular season and are now facing the top regular season team in the league. As long as they don't totally unravel I think Caps fans will be relatively understanding and look at this season as just the first step in the path to establishing a perennial contender under Barry Trotz. 

I'm with you, Rags in 6.

(FYI, here's an unofficial list of players injured in games against the Caps this year:

Komarov, Howard, Mason, Ehrhoff, Clarkson, Severson, Shattenkirk, Laughton, Meszaros, Beleskey, Vatanen, Letang, Holzer, Versteeg, Tanguay, Havlat, and Klein.)

The most exciting one-on-one match-up of all

SM: I think you're underrating Hagelin a bit. He's been a huge asset for the Rangers all season and in the playoffs thus far. Who knows what Capuano is thinking? I still can't believe he didn't pull Halak during that final powerplay to make it 6 on 4, when you needed a goal to extend your season.

When I say due, I've seen these Rangers have these games where they explode and score goals in bunches. They are due for a game like that, where everything just clicks. It's been happening all season, and while it's the playoffs and the games are different, I still think this is a team that, like your Caps, can put up a 5 spot in a meaningful playoff game.

Zuccarello is officially out with an "upper body injury" which many believe is a concussion. It's not something they can rush him back from, especially with what we know about concussions. We've seen massive lawsuits and payouts from the NFL and WWE on this subject, so I don't think he will be back on the ice unless he's 100%. On a side note, how silly is it that the NHL still allows their teams to not fully disclose injuries like the NFL and other sports do?

In my first Point/Counterpoint blog with a Penguins fan, he had the Rangers in five. I hope you continue the streak of my guest predicting the series!

All I'm hoping for are enjoyable hockey games with no dirty stuff. I believe the refs have been told by now they can't let blatant penalties take place in front of them. The officiating, league-wide, has progressively gotten worse since the lockout.

I really want to thank you for your time. I would also like to tell you that you're safe, if you want to come to MSG for a game. Only those pigs at the Coliseum act act like animals to opposing fans!  Is there anything you would like to say in closing? Oh, and feel free to plug any endeavors you're involved with!  By the way, "LET'S GO RANGERS!"

RP: I think Capuano wanted to pull Halak about halfway into the PP but then the Caps got a bunch of clears. Maybe not. Either way, definitely a wasted opportunity.

Yeah, agreed, the Rangers definitely have the firepower to hang a big number up. But I don't think they're going to do it like 3 games in a row or anything.

Saw the Zuc shot to the head, looks brutal. Tom Wilson took a shot to the head late in the regular season and missed 2-3 games so who knows with these guys. I don't think any team is above sending out a guy before he's 100%, but I hope Zuc is ok. I love the way he plays. I'm fine with the NHL not disclosing injuries; I think it's be better if they just said "in/out/questionable" something like that. Just tell us if they are playing, no need to dance around what the injury is.

Thanks for inviting me, this was fun and hopefully it generates some conversation. I grew up in the NY area so I've been to several games at MSG (old and new) and Nassau so I'm pretty aware of the fan experience at the two rinks. Don't think I have any closing thoughts, I think we covered it mostly. We'll have a bunch of stuff up over the next couple days so just a plug for our on-going playoff coverage would be great.

Round 2 Schedule

Again, major thanks to Rob Parker of http://www.japersrink.com for his time and thoughts.

You can follow Rob on twitter @RobParker_JR

Thank you once again for checking out another blog here on DOINOW.com. We will be back Thursday night, with a Game 1 Recap!

LET'S GO RANGERS
WE WANT THE CUP
BUST A CAP

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

nyr/wash

Rangers vs Capitals is set!

Welcome everyone to another blog here, on DOINOW.com. Unlike usual, this won't be a long one! Let's get right into it!

As you may have heard by now, the Washington Capitals have eliminated the NY Islanders, in seven games, to advance to the second round, where they will meet the current President Trophy winners & defending Eastern Conference Champions, the New York Rangers. For the fifth time in seven years, we will have Rangers vs Capitals in the playoffs.

I know many Ranger fans were split on who they wanted to see in the second round. Some wanted the Islanders. They wanted to see the Rangers end the Islanders season and win the last game in the Nassau Coliseum. Other fans, not as hardcore, just wanted to see Rangers vs Islanders, because it would be great for the sport in NY.

For me, I was in the Capitals camp. I wanted Rangers vs Islanders, even if we've seen it so much before. I've said it in previous blogs, but I truly think the Islanders are the better team than the Capitals and much up better against the Rangers. For the Rangers, I think they match up much better against the Capitals than they do with the Islanders.

Lundqvist was 0-3 vs the Islanders this year, with Talbot going 2-0 against the Isles. Lundqvist was 2-0 against the Caps, while Talbot went 1-1. Lundqvist & the Rangers have also defeated the Capitals the last two times they've played them in the playoffs. I just feel the Islanders can match the Rangers speed, have an enforcer they can't match in Martin and their only weakness would be Halak.

For the Capitals, they aren't as deep as the Rangers or Islanders, can't keep up with the Rangers speed and as we've seen, Holtby can be just as shaky as Halak. Goaltending is key in the playoffs and I don't think you would find anyone that would rather Halak or Holtby in net rather than Lundqvist, especially after the performance he had in round one against the Penguins.

Remember how Islander fans harassed you in November?

Personally, and I admit it, I fucking hate the Islanders. They have been a second rate organization for years. Once you get past the drive for five years, they organization and club has been nothing but a failure. They had the Spano incident. They had Milbury trade every future HOFer he could and traded guys that would win Cups elsewhere. They've had Wang dream too big and become another victim of Nassau County redtape politics. They haven't won a playoff series since 1993. However, the second they go on a little winning streak, Islander fans come out of the woodwork and have the biggest mouths in the league. I, for one, am happy to see them dead and buried. Enjoy your trip to Brooklyn.

I still think the Islanders will be back in Uniondale, after their three year agreement with the Barclay Center. I will miss the old barn (check out my barn blog, in the archives) and how easy it was to get there, as someone living in Long Island. I think the Islanders will lose a lot of their regulars with the move. While us Ranger fans consider taking the LIRR or NJT to the games as part of our ritual, along with stopping at a bar before the game, for Islander fans, going home after work, taking a shower, and tailgating in the parking lot was their ritual. Ticket prices are already 130% more in certain sections in Barclay, over similar seats in the Coliseum. The Isles are changing what made them so fun, affordable and enjoyable for their fans with this move. However, it's not like they didn't want to stay.

While Talbot was undefeated against the Islanders this year, when the Islanders were in first place and had vanquished Lundqvist three times, you didn't hear the end of it. The chests were puffed out from Uniondale. I knew the Rangers would be in the playoffs but at the same time, I thought the Islanders would be a tough out, and they were. Who knows what would've happened if NYR played NYI in round two? I'm just happy I don't have to find out, as I think the Capitals present the path of least resistance. Beating the Islanders isn't the main goal, it could've been a minor goal, but at the end of the day, winning the Cup is all that matters. Expending extra energy, in what would be a physical and draining series, is not what's best for the Rangers.

Questionable for game 1 of round 2

 Looking ahead to Round 2, the Rangers have good news and bad news. The good news is that Kevin Klein will be ready for the series, after missing nearly two months with an arm injury, ironically enough, suffered after eating an Alex Ovechkin slapshot. The bad news is that Mats Zuccarello may not be able to play, as what's being officially reported as "an upper body injury", which is thought to be a concussion.

With what we know about concussions, and just see Rick Nash's career last year, you can't rush someone back from a concussion. It's serious shit. This isn't the old days. With the knowledge of CTE and everything else, no one will rush anyone back. For starters, it could be life-threatening. Chronic concussions can lead to severe depression and in some cases, suicide. Without a clear bill of health, the Rangers will not put Zucc on the ice, because it would also open them and the league to a major lawsuit. We see what's going on with the NFL and WWE in that department. Bottom line, Zucc isn't coming back unless he's 100%.

No question, the Rangers will miss Mats Zuccarello. He is their fireplug. He is their little shit-stirrer. He brings offense and heart to this team. I will say, the Rangers will miss him more if they had to play the Islanders than the Capitals. All you can hope for right now is that this injury isn't as severe as it's being reported, and with the NHL not forcing their teams to give 100% accurately detailed injury reports, maybe he will be ok. Get well Zucc!

Eisenhower Park, here we come!

 I plan on doing another point-counterpoint blog with a big Capitals fan/Caps blogger tomorrow. Hopefully he's available, as he's currently out celebrating. It would've been fun to do the Isles/Rangers shit-talking back and forth, but I'm relieved. I watched the entire Caps/Isles series and one thing is for sure, the Caps have tons of holes. I think they escaped with the game 7 win, where if the Islanders won, they would've came off surging, after being down 3-2.

I've been doing  a tad better than average with my playoff predictions so far. Here's what I had:
Rangers in 4 (Won in 5)
Caps in 7 (Nailed it)
Canadiens in 7 (Won in 6)
Bolts in 6 (They have a game 7 with Detroit coming up)
Ducks in 4 (Nailed it)
Canucks in 6 (Blew that badly, Flames won in 6)
Blackhawks in 5 (Hawks won in 6)
Blues in 5 (Ouch, shit the bed on that, Wild won in 6)

Looking ahead, I see this for Round 2:
Rangers over Caps in 6
Canadiens over Bolts/Wings in 6
Ducks over Flames in 7
Hawks over Wild in 5

Still going with the Rangers vs Hawks Stanley Cup prediction.

I will hopefully have the point-counterpoint blog up tomorrow sometime, previewing Caps/Rangers in detail. Thursday will be game one, so the Rangers will get a few more nights to rest up and be ready. Look for Sheppard to work with the fourth line, as AV juggles his wingers on the second and third.

One last thing, WeBleedBlue, a Ranger fan T-shirt company, which I support and have a bunch of their shirts, is releasing an OVISUCKS shirt, in the Capitals logo font. Is anyone really interested in that? Ovi is a great hockey player. He's a man's man of a hockey player. I get the Crosby hate, but to release a shirt promoting that Ovi sucks just seems childish to me, especially when he could be MVP this year. I respect Ovi. I don't root for him, but I respect him and I enjoy the way he plays the game.  Am I the only one who thinks like that?

Oh, and keep it up twitter, the Islander shit talking has been tremendous!

Can't wait for Thursday!

LET'S GO RANGERS
WE WANT THE CUP
HAHAHAHAHA ISLANDERS!

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

nyr g4

How great is this picture?

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com! I can't lie to you. This blog was going to be a very angry and rage-filled blog, full of four letter words and frustration. However, a win is a win, and in playoff hockey, wins is what it's all about. Was tonight the ugliest win of the Rangers season? Maybe. However, it definitely was the most important.

No usual spiel to start this blog. You know the deal. Check the archives, twitter, search button, Bold O'Donoghues, blah blah blah. Let's get right into it.

The Rangers defeated the Penguins on Wednesday night, 2-1, to advance to a 3-1 series lead. It was the fourth one goal differential game of the series. It was also the first OT game of the series. Game 5 will be played Friday, at MSG, where the Rangers will have their first of three cracks at closing this series out.

Another successful prediction!

As you probably know by now, Kevin Hayes won the game for the Rangers, three minutes into the OT period. While everyone knows me as the Talbot guy, as Talbot vs Hank is a bigger issue than Kevin Hayes vs anyone's roster spot on this team, I've been tooting the horn of Kevin Hayes all season. In my NHL Playoff preview blog, with Joe DiLeo, I thought Hayes could be the Rangers Conn Smythe winner. Bold prediction? Perhaps? However, when the Rangers needed Hayes, he delivered here tonight.

Hayes has had a rough go around of it thus far. He has looked tentative with the puck and doesn't seem to trust his game, in the playoffs, like he did in the regular season. Despite his large stature, he's looked timid at times. However, in Game 4, a very important game for the Rangers, as they now have the chance to close it out in 5, rather than screwing around with a 6 or 7 game series, Hayes had his best game. Before the game winning goal, Hayes, after looking shaky, fired several good shots at Fleury. They would be saved, but it was good to see he was shooting. Hayes continued to play good hockey and it paid off for him at the end.

After a 2 goal performance in Game 2 & Olympic diving in Game 3, Crosby didn't show up to Game 4

As far as Game 4 itself, this may have been the worst game the Rangers played offensively all season. The defense was up-to-snuff, and we've seen worse Ranger games this year, during the regular season. The Rangers didn't even get a shot off until 12 minutes into the first period and wound up with 2 shots for the whole period. YES, TWO SHOTS!

In fact, the shot breakdown tells you what you need to know about this game:
First Period: NYR 2 - PITT 8
Second Period: NYR 13 - PITT 8
Third Period: NYR 6 - PITT 7
OT: NYR 3 - PITT 0

While Lundqvist finished with 22 saves on 23 shots & Fleury finished with 22 shots as well, but on 24 shots, both goalies didn't have much work. However, the work they had, both goalies came up big. Fleury pulled a few stone-jobs and played big down the stretch. Lundqvist was also a monster, with no saves being bigger than the show he put on in the final minute of the third period.

As we've seen all series, shots have been hard to register this series. That is why the saves these goalies make are that much more important than usual.

Gotta love the LIRR. Notice the nametag!

The first period of this game was the worst hockey the Rangers played this season. Even the games where they gave up a bunch of early goals, at least they were aggressive and just burnt. Here, the Rangers looked flatter than an Asian's face (relax, it's a joke, didn't want to go for the prepubescent chest joke) and couldn't do anything with the puck. Even at the times the Rangers had possession of the puck, they just couldn't find a shot or overpassed themselves out of it.

Even with two powerplays (The Rangers finished 0-3 on the PP, I know shocking) the Rangers couldn't do anything. The Penguins had more shorthanded shots than the Rangers had PP shots in the first period. It is really disgusting. I don't know if the Rangers could be worse on the PP if they actively tried to.

Patric Hornqvist got the first goal of the game, 2:22 in, capitalizing on a ton of a traffic in front of the net and beating a screened Lundqvist. No fault on Hank, as the Rangers defense were slow and couldn't move bodies away from the net. It was the first time the Penguins struck first this series. Not a good time for the Rangers.

While the Rangers played a game with as much life as a "Walking Dead" zombie, the Penguins couldn't make the Rangers pay. Even with with the powerplays (Pitt finished 0-3 too, but were denied by great goaltending & not giving up the puck like NYR does on the PP) the Pens couldn't muster much. The game was another defensive battle in this series, as both defenses came up strong in denying opportunities. The good shots that did get through were denied by the goaltenders.

AV wanted to choke a bitch tonight!

Coach Vigneault is usually a man that is cool, calm and collected. I've never seen him show much emotion, win or lose, during Ranger games. I've seen him smile maybe once, and that's because his BFF Tanner Glass scored a goal. However, this was the first time I remember in two years, where he was actively furious and not worried about his gum. I would've loved to be a fly on the wall during his first intermission talk. Reports after the game from the players said he went off hard. How couldn't he? The team flat out sucked in the first period.

The second period was more of the same, but the Penguins were able to get to the puck more. The Penguins just had the Rangers frustrated all game.  However, Derick Brassard scored his third goal of the series (He's a Pens killer) with less than three minutes to go. After a scrum in front of the net, Brassard was able to locate the puck and sneak it by Fleury. As I said above, none of the goals tonight looked pretty nor were on the goaltenders. Puck luck and tenacity won this game for the Rangers.

Penguin fans have a right to bitch. They were the better team tonight. The Rangers continued to shoot themselves in the foot. However, good teams win bad games. The Rangers stuck with it and were able to ESCAPE with the win. The Rangers have been a great road team all season, so it's no wonder they took both games here in Pittsburgh.

If you've been watching that incredible Isles/Caps series, there is no reason why the Islanders shouldn't have swept it. They were the better team for four games. However, good teams win games. That's what the Caps did and that's why it is 2-2, rather than the Isles awaiting the NYR/PITT winner. Likewise, there is no reason the Penguins couldn't have swept this series either. They've been the better team for most of this series. However, GOOD teams win BAD games. The Rangers have been the best at that all season.

Lundqvist needs to add a Stanley Cup to his Gold Medal

The third period was more of the same. Obviously, this is blue collar fan blog. This isn't the newspaper, nor in the slight bit professional. For the third period, my asshole clenched like heart of Rosie O'Donnell running up the stairs of the Empire State Building, while my heart pumped faster than Sharon Stone at the end of "Casino." It was that intense.

Put it in perspective. Either Pittsburgh takes the momentum, makes it 2-2 and makes it a best of 3 series. Keep in mind, the Rangers are the #1 seed in all of the NHL and the Penguins struggled with Buffalo on the last day of the season. For the Rangers, making this 3-1 & while Pittsburgh has played well under pressure, putting it all on Pittsburgh's shoulders was crucial. You can't call anything a "MUST-WIN" game, unless you're down 3-1 and especially not when you're up 2-1, but for the Rangers, this was a win they needed to nail down. This should series should be a distant memory come June.

The Penguins didn't go down easy. As you read in my NHL Playoff Prediction blog, I really expected the Rangers to blow away Pittsburgh. I know what the Pens are capable of, but really, they are a weaker (and injured) team from last year, as opposed to a stronger (and healthier) NYR team than a year ago. I really expected a sweep and some big goal differentials. Instead, it's been a one goal series the whole time and really, this is a series the Pens could've swept, just as easy as the Rangers could've. Again, GOOD teams win BAD games.

You haven't experienced misery until you've watched a game with JEFFREY

For the people asking me about JEFFREY, well I did watch the game with him. However, he was more mellow than usual. I think he realized his chronic outbursts are sometimes unnecessary. However, if he wanted to blow up the bar, like a smelly Muslim, in the middle of the first period, I couldn't blame him. The Rangers played awful all game, and I was expecting the hammer to drop. I was glad to see JEFFREY have his signature celebratory ginger ale on the way out, rather than speeding off into the night with pure ire & fire.

JEFFREY's commentary is always on point during games. Maybe because he's been watching games longer than me and has seen more games than me, but he's pretty good & better at calling out plays and seeing who to credit/who to fault before the play reaches completion. That's just good hockey eyes. I'm usually ok at that, but need a replay on TV because it happens so fast. Live, it's easier to see what's what.

JEFFREY looked miserable and was already looking to sell his Game 5 tickets. Always the fountain of optimism, I told him don't worry, Hayes was due. I had no fucking clue or inside info if Hayes would score, I just felt like he was due. Hayes proved me right.

At the 3:14 mark of OT, MSL set up the game winning goal. MSL grabbed a loose puck and found Hagelin, who should've had the game winner. Hagelin fumbled the puck and got it to Hayes, who found the opening as big as the asscrack of a Conservative Christian and shimmied it right past Fleury. If you're a Penguins fan, you're just irate. For the Rangers, it was just another one of those games where they found a way to win. It wasn't pretty, but you don't get wins for being cute.

For the Rangers, and especially Hayes, it was a huge victory. You could feel the pressure deflate faster than  Tom Brady football. You know how those people feel on Maury when they are told they are not the father. 3-1 series win. Rangers have the chance to finish on Friday.

Will the Rangers close out this building?

Coach AV always preaches the next game and to not look ahead. However, as fans, how can you not look ahead? I don't see Pittsburgh doing what the Rangers did last year, and come back from 3-1. Can it happen? Sure. Will it? I wouldn't bet it.

The Rangers have three chances to finish the fish. The first attempt is Friday and hopefully it is the only attempt they need. What really has been the difference in this series is Fleury, who despite his now 1-3 record, has been the best player overall in the entire series. Lundqvist has been good too, but had a huge brainfart in game 2 and hasn't been tested as much as Fleury. I think many Ranger fans, myself included, expected Fleury to shit the bed. It hasn't happened yet.

It would be nice for the Rangers to get it done on Friday, with the Caps/Isles series at least going 6 games. Their game 5, in a series that is 2-2, is on Thursday night. It would be great if that series goes 7, giving the Rangers extra days to rest and giving Kevin Klein some extra practice time too. I just can't imagine how much ticket prices will be if it's NYR vs NYI in Round 2. However first things first, finish the Pens!

As far as the Penguins tonight, while they played great, they still come off as the biggest pussies in the NHL. Crosby wasn't as bad as usual, but Lapierre was flopping all over the ice. Is it me, or embellishments just not called at all anymore? It seemed embellishment penalties were all the rage last year, but I haven't seen one called yet in the playoffs. The flopping of the Penguins makes them look like they are more into winning Oscar's than Stanley Cups.

Game 5 is Friday, through a miracle or a stubhub market crash, I would like to go. If you got free tickets, feel free to offer them to me!

Until then, I'll be back Friday night with hopefully a series wrap-up blog!

3 down, 13 to go.
LGR
WE WANT THE CUP

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

g3

Fleury? Shanahan? Pyatt? 14 Wins to Go!

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com. As always, check out the right hand of the site for the archives, live tweets and all that other good stuff. In the life advice department, don't drink & drive, don't cough & fart at the same time, try the black pea soup at the Bold O'Donoghues, and always, and I mean ALWAYS, wish for AIDS on Sidney Crosby!

After one of the worst games of the season on Saturday night, the Rangers on Monday night, rebounded and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, to advance 2-1 in the best of 7 series. If one thing has been evident in these last three games, it is the fact that were are already in the thick of the playoffs already.

For sixty minutes, the Rangers & Penguins played a tight defensive game. The Rangers would score goals off of opportunities created by the defense. With a 2-0 lead late in the third, the Penguins were more aggressive, as the Rangers settled with two men back at all times. The stress level, for both teams and their fanbases were at an all-time high for the final 5 minutes of the game.

There are many ways to start this blog, when trying to recap this game. Like building a team, let's start from the goalies, then move out.

Fleury vs Lundqvist

On one side of the equation, you have a Stanley Cup winner, but a man known to be shaky in the playoffs, in Penguins netminder, Marc-Andre Fleury. On the other side of the ice, you have the crownless "King", but sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer, in Henrik Lundqvist. After 180 minutes of hockey, I would consider Fleury the MVP of this series, despite the 1-2 record. Fleury has just been dominant this series and has faced much more work than his counterpart.

Lundqvist, who had a bad game 2, has only allowed one goal in games 1 & 3. You can argue he hasn't  been tested much in those games, but when he has, he has come up big. Ranger fans expected Hank to be in tip-top shape for the playoffs and while game 2 was disappointing, the whole team was disappointing in that game. For Fleury, many fans expected him to fall apart in the playoffs, as that has been the reputation he's deserved in recent years. Instead, he's having one of the best series of his career.

Lundqvist finished with 23 saves on 24 shots, while Fleury finished with 24 saves on 26 shots. Fleury was great throughout the game, where Lundqvist was really only tested in the third period. In fact, the Penguins only mustered up 11 shots through the first two periods, before rallying for 13 shots in the third. While Fleury was great throughout the game, Lundqvist was able to put on a spectacular performance in the third period to preserve the win. Of course, after the Penguins did score a goal in the third, Lundqvist threw his usual hissy-fit. It's just bad body language and he always allows everyone on the ice to know that he's rattled.

Webster Dictionary definition of a cunt

Sidney Crosby. We all know the deal. I've written about it before. I'm not telling you anything you don't know already. He's just a bitch. He's protected by the NHL. This was another one of those games where he got away with anything and everything. From headlocking people, to elbowing Lundqvist in the head, to embellishing, to diving to cross-checking people in front of referees, Crosby got away with murder tonight.

Coach AV said it after the game and I said it during the game, the referees should be questioned. It was horrible officiating. If I'm the Rangers, I ask for new referees and call out the NHL for the crap that went on tonight. While the Rangers did win the game, it was in spite of the referees. Not only is Crosby protected and you can't hit him, but he's allowed to do anything. Penguin fans will say that Lundqvist may have embellished the elbow to the head, but the fact of the matter is that HE WAS ELBOWED IN THE HEAD!!!! CALL THE FUCKING PENALTY!

What really makes things bad is that Crosby is a great hockey player. He doesn't need to play dirty. However he does. The refs don't seem to mind. I would like to see the NHL's explanation, especially with that cross check in the third period, right in front of the linesman, on why that wasn't called.

On the Rangers side, you look to someone like Tanner Glass to just knock that prick out. Fact is, if anyone hits Crosby, it will be a Bertuzzi-esque suspension. The Rangers need to really clean hit this guy. I mean just find Crosby with his head down with the puck and just steam roll him. You don't want to condone the Rangers playing dirty, but Crosby's performance tonight was just another one of his classic cunt shows. The Rangers aren't the first team to experience this and won't be the last. Maybe when McDavid gets in the league, the NHL will get off Crosby's dick and evaluate him just like anyone else in the league.

HAGS!

FUCK CROSBY!

Ok, now that's out of my system for a bit, let's talk the game itself. Game 3 was a pure defensive battle. As mentioned, the Penguins only had 11 shots through 40 minutes of hockey. For people who weren't fans of either team, this game may have been boring a bit, but if you like defensive battles, this was the game for you.

The Rangers completely dominated the first two periods. While they dominated and owned the puck, they also didn't do much with it. They did just enough to win, drop two men back on defense for the whole third period, relied on Hank to make big saves and got the win. Will this work in future games against the Penguins? As long as the Penguins can't get settled in their own zone again, the Rangers have a great game plan drawn up.

The two goals the Rangers got past Fleury were because of opportunities created by their stellar defense. McDonagh and Girardi don't get enough credit. Not only are they shutting Crosby and Malkin down, they are advancing the puck. Yandle also deserves some credit too, as his offense gave the Rangers a boost.

Carl Hagelin, the fastest skater on the ice, got the first goal of the game. Everything worked for the Rangers. The Rangers caught the Penguins in a shift change, as Yandle bombed a pass to a streaking Hagelin. Hagelin beat all the defenders and had Fleury one-on-one. Hags, going at what seemed 200 MPH, slammed the puck past Fleury at 8:43 in the first period.  For Ranger fans, it was a sigh of relief goal and a 1-0 lead. A lead the Rangers would take into the second period.

What concerned you, which has been a concern a lot this season, was the Rangers powerplay. Of course they did nothing with it and it felt like the Penguins had more short-handed shots than the Rangers had PP shots. It really is amazing how bad the Rangers are on the PP. At times, you wonder if the Penguins take penalties to slow down the Rangers potent 5vs5 offense, compared to their anemic powerplay game.

INKREIDABLE

I watched this game at the "Flying Puck" of Nassau County, the infamous Bold O'Donoghues with my girlfriend, my favorite bartender/friend Margaret, my neighbor/friend Tommy and of course, the infamous JEFFREY. As soon as JEFFREY said that Chris Kreider had been quiet (MSG networks flashed a graphic that he only had one hit in the series), Kreider got the Rangers second goal at 11:07 in the second period. It would prove to be the game winner.

Oh and if you're asking, after my JEFFREY story in my last blog, JEFFREY had his fits of frustration, as his hat went flying at the TV a few times! I love to break JEFFREY's balls for his craziness, but there is no one I would rather watch the games with - I love the passion. He looks like he threw up after a crazy rollercoaster after every game, win or lose!

Kreider scored his first goal of this year's playoffs, on what looked like a set play. Staal passed the puck off the boards, Kreider grabbed the puck and beat Fleury. 2-0 Rangers.

I'm not here to defend Fleury, but I thought he played really well, with both Rangers goals coming off hard work and getting great work out of their defense.

Fleury was able to stop a myraid of other Ranger attempts. No one looked more nervous in front of Fleury than Kevin Hayes, who needs to realize the stuff that worked for him in the regular season will work in the playoffs. He looks very tentative to shoot and indecisive out there. Ditto for Zuccarello. At least Yandle has stepped up, offensively, for the Rangers.

Bottom line, shoot the puck, hope for a deflection, rebound or that you just beat the goalie. Dumping off to your teammate or making a wild pass, rarely works. In these 180 minutes, we've seen some great defensive games from both teams. Shots are at a premium, which means goals aren't coming all day long. Even on the Penguins side of things, they overpassed way too much, and in the end, it resulted with a piss-poor shot production result through the first 40 minutes. Fire the puck home!

Fast had a great final 5 minutes

With the Rangers up 2-0 after two periods, Ranger fans still couldn't breathe easy. It was constant clock watching. The Rangers played what looked like an NFL prevent defense in the third period. They might've as well taken a knee. The Penguins outshot the Rangers by a wide margin in the third. Lundqvist was forced to earn his money. The Rangers did keep their D-men back, which hurt their offense, as they protected the two goal lead.

Eventually, the Penguins, more aggressive than ever, found a goal from Patric Hornqvist. I'm a Talbot guy, but I'll tell you, this wasn't on Hank. The Penguins just fired away, moved the puck and found the net. In another NFL reference, I felt the Rangers were happy to give up the FG, as long as they didn't give up the TD. If they had to sacrifice one goal to win the game, they were fine with that.

Hornqvist's goal came with 6 minutes and change on the clock. The goal occurred with the Rangres fourth line on the ice. With the crowd revitalized, my asshole clenched, the Penguins continued the offensive surge, as the Rangers played the race against the clock.

In what was a common occurrence all season, the Rangers once again found a way to win. It wasn't pretty, but they got it done. The Rangers speed showed up, and it held the Penguins from pulling Fleury when they wanted to. Jesper Fast was a big part of that.

No saves were bigger than the ones Hank made in the final minute. Hank made a beautiful sprawled out save on Lovejoy, to prevent the game from being tied, with under a minute to go. A faceoff in the Penguins offensive zone, with 13 seconds to go was nerve wracking for Ranger fans, but the team came up big and made sure no goals were scored. As a result, the Rangers "escaped" with a win, rather than giving Pittsburgh a beating.

Of course, in what has been customary in these 2015 NHL playoffs, there was a post-game scrum. No one will be punished, naturally. It's kind of weird how the NHL will allow a bunch of cheap shit after every playoff game. However, I'm sure if someone cheap-shotted Crosby during this time, someone would be suspended.

I am a diehard sports fan as you know by now. However, I can't remember another NHL season with such questionable and shoddy officiating, league-wide in recent memory. It really is embarrassing.

LET'S GO RANGERS

With the win, the Rangers are half-way done with Pittsburgh and are 14 long wins from the Cup. I'll call myself out too here, I don't think anyone expected this series to be as tight (all one-goal games) and as nerve-wracking as it has been. I know I expected the Rangers to steam roll right through the Penguins. It's not really an insult to Pittsburgh, I just thought the Rangers were much stronger than last year and the Penguins were much weaker than last year, considering the injuries they have. I still expect the Rangers to win the series, but the Penguins are putting up a huge fight.

For the Rangers, the PP needs to get better. A lot better. It is disgusting right now. For the NHL, they need to start treating Crosby like he's anyone else. I don't expect the Rangers to score PP goals if Crosby was penalized like anyone else, but at least it will take two minutes off the clock!

Despite the defensive displays we saw tonight, both goalies got some luck and made strong saves. Fleury got lucky that Hayes didn't decide to shoot on him during a breakaway while robbing Nash. For Lundqvist, he got lucky by a Crosby post, but also shunned Crosby in front of the net too. 

I don't want to get too far ahead, but an eventual match-up with the Islanders is looming. If anything the Rangers are playing tight and close hockey games. Perhaps not having a walk-in-the-park series with the Pens is a good thing, as bigger things are hopefully on tap.

On the Rangers front, I am glad to hear that JOHN AMIRANTE will be back. I don't know what the hell is going on there. Only the Rangers know why they would try to force him out. It's not like he's bad or anything. I'm more surprised to hear the Rangers National Anthem singer is 80 years old. That's one hell of a hair dye job.

On the ice, the Rangers aren't practicing tomorrow, which means that Klein, who is near-ready, might not play game 4. Hunwick hasn't been bad or anything, but Klein is a definitely a boost for the team. I would need to check where he's at now, but at one point, before the injury,  Klein led the league in game winning goals for defensemen.

If there are any points you take out of tonight's blog, let it be this - Crosby is a cunt, great defense from both teams and we are experiencing intense playoff hockey.

I'll be back Thursday to look at Game 4. Until then...

LET'S GO RANGERS
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on the twitter machine