Rangers/Bruins Recap: Cam Talbot Does What Hank Couldn't Do,The Swiss, Sniffing 1st Place & More, Live from MSG!

Has there ever been a more appropriate time to use this picture?

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com. As always, especially since this column will talk a lot about the New York Ranger goaltending situation, make sure to check out the archives on the right hand of the site. There are plenty of Lundqvist & Talbot articles to read, that's for sure. When you're done with that, don't forget to try the black bean soup at the Bold O'Donoughe's in East Rockaway, never eat the chicken at the Nassau Coliseum, tip your bartender, start your car for at least 3 minutes on a cold winter day, and always, and I must stress ALWAYS, believe in Cam "Fucking" Talbot.

Wednesday morning was just another normal day for Ranger fans. The Rangers had the Boston Bruins visiting the Garden at 8PM for the NBC Game of the Week. I'm not a fan of the Rangers being the Game of the Week, because you don't get the MSG preview show or Sam Rosen calling the game. NBC or MSG, the bottom line was that this was a huge 2 points on the line, especially against a team that has had Henrik Lundqvist's number for the last 3 seasons.

At about 10am or so, I just finished posting my "Goodbye to the Nassau Coliseum" blog, and a big thank you for all the feedback I got on that column. As I was scrolling around twitter at about 11:45am, I saw several Ranger & NHL reporters post that Hank "would be unavailable for tonight's game." The word "unavailable" is not a positive word. This wasn't Hank getting a day off, but Hank not even feeling comfortable to suit up, in case of something disastrous happening to Talbot. 

As mid-morning turned into noon, it was reported that the Rangers had recalled MacKenzie Skapski from the Hartford Wolfpack, the NYR affiliate in the AHL. Cam Talbot, who woke up on Wednesday, thinking he wouldn't get any rink time, until the back-to-back games on the weekend, was named the starter for the future. 

Talbot Prevented Another Boston Massacre

As I write these words to you, 12 hours after the NYR/Bruins game, I haven't seen one official report on Hank's injury. Here's what we know as fact, as of 11:00AM, Thursday morning:

- Hank has an upper body injury, related to the puck to the throat injury from Saturday.

- Hank finished Saturday's game, against the last place Carolina Hurricanes, after being hit by the puck in the throat. 

- Hank played Monday night, against a bottom of the standings Florida Panthers.

- Hank was scheduled to play Wednesday night, against the Boston Bruins.

- Hank hasn't played the Bruins since the 2013-2014 season. His numbers in those 3 games played: 11 Goals Allowed, a .867 Save Percentage, 3.72 GAA & 3 losses.

- In the 2013 playoffs, Hank was 1-4 vs the Bruins, giving up 14 goals in 5 games.

- In Hank's last 8 games against Boston, Hank was 1-7.

- On Tuesday night, Hank attended a signing, where he was paid to attend.

Conspiracy? Who knows? All I know is that Hank was fine all week, took a paid signing on an off-day, but the second Boston came into town, he was mysteriously hurt. Was Hank ducking the Bruins? Probably not, but all you got to do is read the facts and draw your own conclusion.

A Typical Ranger vs Boston Game Under Hank's Recent Watch

What we don't know is the timetable of Hank's injury. Some reporters are saying he can be back by Saturday, which would really make it look like he was ducking Boston & this was a great way to illicit sympathy. Some are saying he will be back after the weekend. Some reports are as drastic as saying he may miss the rest of the regular season. As of now, it's probably somewhere in the middle, where he will miss a few games, but will be back to blaming his teammates after losses in no time.

With Hank injured, this opened the door for Cam Talbot. It seems that with each passing day, the Talbot Train is starting to fill up. You know my spiel here on this site, and you can read the archives if you need the whole rundown. For your money, Talbot is the better deal than Lundqvist. Talbot is $8 million less a year and for the first time in two years, the Rangers beat the Boston Bruins. Dollar-for-dollar, in this salary cap era, Cam Talbot is the better bargain. If Hank won a cup and didn't blow the Stanley Cup finals to a goalie who now has two Cups & gets paid half the money, I would at least say he earned it. Until then, he's like Peyton Manning before beating Rex Grossman in the Superbowl. A great player, perhaps a compiler, but never won the big one.

Cam Talbot's career stats are mighty impressive and are better than Hank's. Talbot's stats this year are better than Hank's, in the small sample of games he's played. What makes it more impressive is that Talbot is usually thrown cold into games. He could be off for 2-3 weeks. He is not getting regular day action & can't build any rhythm. He only plays when Hank needs a day off. On the snap of a finger, Talbot needs to be ready and prepared. Up to this point, Talbot has excelled in this department.

Leading the Talbot Train on the way to MSG. Talbot shirt available at WEBLEEDBLUE.com

Originally, I was 50/50 about attending last night's game, just because I have been out several nights this week, did the Barn the night before and all these games add up against your bank account. However, the second Talbot was announced as the starter, under these conditions, I made the call to JEFFREY. It was Talbot Time.

Unfortunately, JEFFREY sold his tickets on Stubhub because it had been a long night the night before. However, at the last second, around 6:15PM, JEFFREY somehow found two bridge seats in 328. The bridge seats are bougias as fuck, but they are beautiful. It was also amazing, after attending a game at the shithole called the Nassau Coliseum the night before and being back at the Garden the next day, just how truly bigger MSG is. MSG may hold 2000-3000 more fans, but due to all the bougias seats, you could've fit more, if it was just straight seating. 

As we got to our seats, JEFFREY & I met two people visiting NY from Switzerland. They told us about hockey there. What a different culture. Switzerland alone has four different languages - German, French, Romansh and Italian. Most Swiss people also speak English as fifth language. We discussed hockey here in the United States vs hockey in their country. In between periods & commercials, it was really cool to hear their stories of the sport in their country.

Dominic & Angela, our new buddies on the bridge, showed me YouTube clips of their teams from the NLA, in Switzerland. Just amazing how the game is received. In the NLA, you got crowds treating the game like soccer in Latin America, with huge flags and fireworks in the stand. Dominic & Angela were surprised about how quiet MSG was for an Original 6 game. They were right in their observation. We explained how NY is different, hockey isn't as well received as opposed to the NFL, NBA & MLB, especially country-wide. They couldn't believe an NHL game was so quiet. Let that be a lesson to MSG- your bougias ass way of doing business has hurt the fan experience and flattened out the crowds. At least you're able to profit off your $48485 pile of sushi.

Cam Talbot, 10 seconds before puck drop

Obviously this was a big game for me, in many regards. First and foremost, the Rangers are creeping up in the standings and can take first place by Sunday. Secondly, it was an Original 6 game, where the Rangers have posted an 1-8 record in their last 9 games. Of course, Cam Talbot was starting so if he lost, I would never hear the end of it from people who say they are Ranger fans, but bury Talbot out of their blind loyalty to Hank. There are even some idiots who trash Talbot's wife. What a way to support your team, going after an innocent woman who does charity work for the team. Might as well root for the Islanders with that type of class.

Listen, I guess sarcasm and being tongue-in-cheek, doesn't translate well if you don't know me in real life. I feel like I have to repeat myself over and over. I DO NOT HATE HANK. HANK IS THE THIRD BEST GOALIE IN RANGERS HISTORY. HIS NUMBER WILL BE RETIRED. THE ONLY THING I HATE ABOUT HANK IS HIS CONTRACT. I THINK IT LIMITS THE TEAM MOVING ON, FOR THE NEXT 7 YEARS. HOW MANY LONG-TERM DEALS IN SPORTS EVER WORK OUT? I WOULDN'T CARE ABOUT HANK'S CONTRACT IF WE WEREN'T IN THE CAP ERA. If you can't process this, then I don't know what to tell you. However, if your idea of saying Hank is great by burying Talbot or Talbot's family, you're just sad. Plus, both goalies have the same amount of Stanley Cups, although Hank has been around 9 extra years.

Hey 10,000 people can't be wrong! Thank you for all the support!

I was able to breathe a sigh of relief, when Rick Nash took the puck on a breakaway. Again, I feel like a broken record. EVERY TIME RICK NASH GETS THE PUCK ON A BREAKAWAY, I EXPECT HIM TO SCORE. That's an impossible feat, but seriously, Rick Nash is on fucking fire. I don't have the stats, but Nash has to be over 90% in scoring, while on a breakaway. He doesn't get stoned very often. 

If Rick Nash continues his level of play, as he already sits as the league leader in Goals Scored, Nash might be the first Ranger since the 1991-1992 season to win the MVP/Hart Memorial Trophy. He may also break Jagr's single-season record for goals scored as well. Again said it once, said it a million times, this is the first season Nash has been truly healthy, and the Rangers are reaping the benefits of it.

Being able to relax a bit, with a 1-0 lead, I noticed that Boston looked flat. Do you know how I know off the top of my head the Rangers were 1-7 w/Hank, in the last 8 games Hank started against the Bruins? Because I attended every one that was at MSG, except for one playoff game. Those train rides back are brutal. An Islander loss hurts more, but losing to Boston always sucks. 

Boston has been able to dominate the Rangers in recent games due to being bigger. While the Rangers are faster & better skilled, strength & power has won out every time. Just like the Rangers have owned Pittsburgh as of late, Boston has pimp slapped the Rangers like whores. However,  for the first time in two years, Boston didn't look as powerful as they used to.

Of course, as I was thinking that, the Bruins scored two goals within two minutes, with the first goal coming from Lucic, after another horrible Rangers turnover in front of the net. The next tally came from Bergeron, again off another turnover. This time, Bergeron beat his defender with speed & ease and tapped in a puck right in front of the net. Just like that, off two bad turnovers and two bad defensive lapses, Boston had scored 2 goals off of 5 shots. Don't mind you that both goals were definitely on the defense, but you can bet my phone, facebook and twitter were blowing up from people who know I'm  a Talbot guy.

This meme is ridiculous but funny

Two more things here, in regards to Talbot vs Lundqvist. There have been plenty of times the defense has let Hank down, making it impossible to make a save. However, when you're the the highest paid goaltender in the NHL, I expect you to make spectacular game saving stop time-to-time. Talbot is the least paid goalie in the league, so you can't really demand him to make elite saves, although that's exactly what he's been doing during his short career.

The biggest thing to take away from this, is how many times do you hear Hank bury his defense after a loss? "We have to skate better." "The defense was burnt." "We need more help in preventing turnovers." Constantly, time and time again, Hank will throw his teammates under the bus. Talbot, in the rare times he loses or gives up goals, doesn't bury his defense or skaters in interviews after the game. This is why Talbot is hanging out with Ryan McDonagh and was front & center in the Rangers team picture on the plane ride back from Florida, while Hank was no where in sight. I've said it once, I'll say it again, when the book & career of Hank is over, you will hear teammates from this era say that he was a weird guy and tough to get along with. He doesn't hang out with NOBODY and I really wonder if it's because he always buries his teammates when things don't go his way.

With the Rangers down 2-1 after the first, of course these Ranger fans, who like to break my balls, were coming in hot. "IN SKAPSKI WE TRUST" was my personal favorite, so next time I see you, a beer on me, Garrett Gorton. However, ball breaking aside, this wasn't a game the Rangers should've let slip away, although they easily could've. We've seen it before.

The 3 Goal Scorers vs Boston

Derrick Brassard (PASS THE BRASS!) and Derek Stepan (KEEP ON STEPAN!) are very similar to me. Both are young bucks. Both are centermen. Both have the same name, despite the different spelling. Their style of play is alike as well. My biggest knock on both Brass & Step is they both need to shoot more. Good things happen when the puck is flying off their stick into the direction of the goalie. I know no one wants a puck hog reputation,  but these two are way too nice and need to put more shots on net. I feel like when either one scores, the Rangers usually win. 

In the second period, with the Rangers down 2-1, Ryan McDonagh, who had a bad first period, forced a turnover and kept the puck in the zone. Kreider eventually got the puck and found Brassard for a beautiful wrist shot, tying the game at 2-2. I was able to breath better for sure! 

With a little over three minutes left in the second, Nash found Stepan primed for a shot. Stepan tossed another wrist shot in Rask's direction and again Rask was beat. Looked like a soft goal from my vantage point, but I'll take goals anyway I can get them. Little did I know at the time, that was the game winning goal!

The third period was hectic. This is when Cam turned it on. As I said earlier, he gave up 2 goals in 5 shots, with both goals on the D. Talbot finished up with 18 saves, a product of the defense clamping down and just good goaltending. The Rangers had empty net disease in the waning minutes of the game, missing the net on several occasions. 

The Standings Before The Boston Game

All in all, I thought Talbot looked good tonight. By no means did he win the game by himself, but he did his job. Can't blame the guy for Boston's lack of production and looks. He did what Hank wasn't able to do in two years - Beat Boston. The bottom line is this with Talbot, and Coach AV said it himself - Talbot isn't a liability. Arguably, he's the best back-up in the league and could be starting for several teams around the league. Any game Talbot starts is winnable. It's not like the Islanders with Chad Johnson!

With the win the Rangers are two points out of first place, with two games in hand. Pittsburgh has 66 points with 51 GP. The Isles have 65 points with 50 GP. The Rangers have 64 points, with 49 GP. The Rangers control their own destiny. They are all but guaranteed a spot in the playoffs this season, but where will they be seeded? They can be number 1 if they continue to produce like they did tonight.

Two things I'd also like to make mention of. Tom Hanks appearance at the game, with Wilson (Castaway) was hilarious. Sadly, it was the loudest reaction the quiet Garden.  The other thing I would like to mention is that with a mostly clean third period, there weren't many TV timeouts. The clock was pretty much running from the "FOXWOODS FINAL 5" until the final buzzer. I bring this up, because ever since he started doing it, this was the first game I've attended where Dancin' Larry wasn't doing his DANCE DANCE DANCE! I know some people are anti-Larry, but I enjoy his passion and fandom for the team. I look forward to his spots while waiting for play to start up. However, Hanks & Wilson made up for Larry's absence. 

I'll be back over the weekend with recaps of the Predator & Star games. 

As always, LET'S GO RANGERS!

Sean McCaffrey

BULLSMC@aol.com

@NYCTHEMIC on twitter

Final Days At The Barn: Saying Goodbye to the Nassau Coliseum, Isles/Panthers, Pics & The Islanders VIP Experience

The Nassau Coliseum, which holds the Guinness Book of World Records for Largest Toilet in the World

Welcome everyone to another blog here at DOInow.com. Today is not going to be the normal New York Rangers review & recap. Instead, I will be recapping my experience in enemy territory, as I attended the Islanders vs Panthers game on Tuesday night. I promise you, this is a blog that you shouldn't skim. I apologize in advance for taking a huge detour down memory lane, but not only is this a recap of my time at the Coliseum, it is my goodbye to the Coliseum.

As always when visiting this site, don't forget to check out the archives on the right hand of the site for previous columns. I don't like to rehash myself, so make sure to keep current by checking out everything in those archives. Of course, be sure not to dribble on yourself at the urinal, tip your bartender, spay & neuter your pets and NEVER, and I mean NEVER, eat any chicken from the Nassau Coliseum.

While listening to the soothing sounds of Mike Francesa's New Yawk accent on a Tuesday afternoon, I was scrolling through Facebook. With Ranger tickets costing you your first born on some nights, my friend Garrett suggested taking in a game at the Coliseum. Along with JEFFREY, who has been previously mentioned on this site, the three of us, all diehard Ranger fans, decided to say goodbye to the Coliseum. If we don't go back again this season, we definitely left the dump in Uniondale with a bang. 

I've always had a love/hate affair with the Nassau Coliseum. Throughout near 33 years of life, the Nassau Coliseum has always been a constant. It's always been there in my lifetime. While I've always been a Ranger fan, the Nassau Coliseum  was a place you could go to on a school or work night, and still be home for the 10PM news. Living in Lynbrook, it's always been a 15-20 minute shot down Peninsula Blvd for me.

The Nassau Coliseum, despite being trashier than a Staten Island landfill, has provided myself with much entertainment and stories. I've always been an MSG guy. I'm a Rangers fan. I was/am a WWF/WWE fan. Both the Rangers and the WWF called MSG home. While my first hockey & wrestling live experiences come at MSG, the Coliseum is where I spent most of my youth because it was so convenient.

This is where Islander VIP's call home after eating their free food

Attending Ranger/Islander games & WWE events growing up with either my father or my friend's father at the Nassau Coliseum were always fun. I didn't know it then, but I know it now. Going to the Coliseum was a cheaper night of entertainment. I've talked about this before, I just don't know how parents do it today. Taking a family of four to MSG will cost you the same as a trip to Disney World on some nights.

In the Fall of 1996, I finally made it to high school. I was always friends with kids a grade or two older than me. Not only did it mean that they were the first ones with fake ID to buy beer, it also meant they were the first to get driver licenses. Three of my friends, one being a Ranger fan, the other two being Islander fans, were obsessed with getting autographs. They eventually got me into it as well.  During my four years of high school, I attended a ton of games at the Coliseum. At one point, we all got Islander half-season tickets. I think it cost us $7 a ticket and we sat center ice. Paying for those tickets, with the money I was making from Genovese at the time was a score!

If the Rangers weren't on TV that night, and sometimes, even if they were, a normal Islander game day for us went like this. Pack up various pucks, trading cards and sharpies. Head out to school. Finish the school day and immediately hop in my friends car and head out to the Coliseum. We would then join the other autograph seeking degenerates, about 25-35 people at that time, some young, some old,  right by the players entrance gate at the Coliseum. If a big time player like say Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux was playing, we would go to the underground garage and wait at that ramp, since it was rare that a big time player would walk around openly.

To this day, I have several binders, some since being lost, of NHL autographs from the 1990s. While the binders are mostly Rangers & Islanders, I was able to get many big time players from that era, especially all the big names from those killer Colorado Avalanche & Detroit Redwing teams. My favorite autograph is a John Spano signed stick. Talk about a piece of infamous history.

Keep in mind for you young bucks reading this, this was a different era.  9/11 was still several years away. We carried beepers, not cell phones. AOL 2.5 Starter CD's were all the rage. During this era, it was the last few years in America were things were just more relaxed. We didn't know it then, but "The good old days" era was wrapping up. Fuck you Bin Laden.

Not to get too far off-topic, but it's my blog and I'll go off-topic if I want to, things were just different then. I'm glad to remember life before cell phones. The art of human interaction is a dying relic from yesteryear. You can't go anywhere without people on their phones. I'm guilty of it too. Sometimes you will be with people and they will be checking a social media account and commenting/posting on your social media account, with you standing right next to them. Instead of saying, "HEY I JUST FARTED HAHAHAHAHA", your friend will type it on your Facebook page instead. For the older crowd, the LIRR trains were full of people reading newspapers and trading NY Posts for Newsday's with their fellow commuter. Today, people on the LIRR are fighting for outlet space so they can charge their phone. Just different times, just different times.

The lockerroom at the Barn

 I know I'm rambling a bit here down memory lane, but I'm trying to establish my bond to this building, to you, the reader.  My favorite memory of this building didn't include anything I did.

One day, in the late 1990's, the Avalanche were in town to take on the Islanders. This is when the Avalanche were dominant with Sakic, Foote, Forsberg, etc. Of course, the Av's also had arguably the greatest goalie of all time, Patrick Roy. My friend Justin, who was obsessed with getting autographs and got us into the hobby, decided we needed to cut school from 6th period on and try to get Avalanche autographs after their morning skate.

I forgot where Justin got his autograph location tips, as some teams didn't always stay at the Marriot and some teams skipped a morning skate, but I want to say he got info from a guy at this baseball card store near us. Justin was hellbent that day about getting to the Coliseum early. He never met Patrick Roy or Joe Sakic before and this was going to be the best opportunity.

After ditching the second half of the school day, we arrived at the Coliseum at 1PM. We set up camp by the ramp that led to the underground parking garage, since we got a tip about that's the entrance/exit the Av's were using. I was 17 years old, while Justin was 18 and about to wrap up his senior year at high school. There weren't that many autograph seeking degenerates that day, just a few old men, who we got to know. (Boy does that sentence sound fucked up, make your priest or Michael Jackson joke to yourself if you like) Those older guys at that time would get autographs and sell them to the baseball card stores or at conventions.  As I was talking to one of the guys there, I noticed Justin was gone. Now I know what you're thinking, old men and a fresh faced, legal teenager. Get your mind out of the gutter, this is a sports blog, not a homosexual erotica blog!

The Great Patrick Roy

 I never got to meet Patrick Roy that day. I would eventually meet him later on during the season. Realizing I wasn't going to see Roy that day, I started wondering where Justin went. I figured he went back to his car to get something or to take a leak. As the autograph seekers started dispersing and heading out for lunch, all I could think was, "where the fuck is my ride?"

While sorting out my autograph binder, I heard a large commotion from the ramp. When I looked, there was Justin, at a full sprint with two large black guys chasing him. Justin had a hockey stick in his hand. I didn't know it then, but it was Patrick Roy's goalie stick! These security guards were a tad on the chunky side and Justin was a 3 sport athlete in high school. Justin booked it and was running towards the Marriot. The security guards were beat.

With no cell phones in that era, I had now lost Justin again. Eventually, I beeped him, he beeped back and we reconvened at the Marriot. Payphones were a thing back then, if you could remember. When we finally hooked back up, it turned out that Justin snuck down the ramp, into the building and weaseled his way into the visiting player's locker room. He immediately saw Roy's locker and grabbed his goalie stick. Listen, I don't advocate stealing, but this was a teenager not thinking right and wanting a rare piece of memorabilia. Security got a glimpse of him, and the chase was on.

At the end of the day, Justin was in possession of Roy's stick & had a great story to tell. Only at the Nassau Coliseum, could a kid sneak inside and steal player gear. You could never pull something like that off at MSG.

HBK vs HHH, Summerslam 2002

It's stories like  the Roy goalie stick that will always have a special place in my heart. Sure, I never liked the Islanders and the building was a shithole, but being a Long Islander, it was just accepted that it was our shithole. MSG was the mecca, but the Coliseum was the little brother that tagged along.

I know this memory lane trip has been a long one here, and I could go on and on about classic Ranger vs Islander games. The day that Theo Fleury picked a fight with Zdeno Chara. Catching an Islander T-Shirt from one of those cannon guns and then simulating wiping my ass with it. Messier lighting up Salo. The numerous players we met. The Spano scandal.

Away from hockey, the WWF, for my generation, was something we all grew up with. In the 1990's, we traded our yellow & red Hogan gear for black t-shirts during that WWF Attitude & nWo eras. I was and still am, a huge Shawn Michaels fan. Best worker ever in the business, bar none. The Nassau Coliseum is where he chose to return, after a near 5 year absence from the ring. On an aside, that Summerslam 2002 card was one of the best PPV's in WWE history, google it if you don't believe me. I'd tell you all about it, but I'm going way too long here. Just put it this way, HHH/HBK wasn't the main event, Rock vs Brock Lesnar was.

The Coliseum was a great venue, not only for a hockey fan, but for a wrestling fan. It was a place to attend concerts. However, starting next year, the Islanders will move on, due to Nassau County politics & Charlie Wang being told he dreamt too big. The constant at the Nassau Coliseum, will be no more. The economy in Nassau County will take a hit. Not only will the Islanders be gone, but many jobs will be gone too. Even the local businesses, whether it be the deli people grab a sandwich at, the Marriot where people drink before games, etc, will all take hit with the Islanders gone.

We all know the Coliseum is a fucking dump. It is just a shame that the County couldn't work on a deal with Wang to keep the Islanders here in a new venue.  I truly do feel bad for the loyal Islander fan.  Through my formative years, to my high school years, to my Nassau Community College years, to the present day, the Coliseum was always a fun night out.

With that all said, and wow, talk about a long preview to get to the recap of the day, here's my report about what could perhaps be my last night at the barn, unless one of you fuckers want to give me a Rangers/Islanders ticket!

Our seats from G-19, Row 1

With nothing to do on a Tuesday night, a retired cop and two construction workers suffering through bad weather, decided to visit the barn. I was shocked to see that tickets, first row on the glass, center ice on both sides (In between the penalty boxes or behind the benches) were only going for $55. We decided to go for the Arena Box seats, that were going for $52. For your money, you got VIP access & access to "The Islanders Suite". Since none of us have ever been VIP at an Islander game and the same ticket at MSG would've cost $3000, we decided to pull the trigger and become Islander VIP's for the day.

As a customary before an Islander game, the veteran move has always been to park at the Marriot and not pay for parking. However, two black guys, who looked to be working a scam, were at the parking lot entrance, looking for $10 to get in. I'm sure we could've blown right by them, but I'm also sure they could've slashed our tires when we were gone.

We pregamed at Champions, the Marriot hotel bar. I was shocked how empty it was. It filled up a bit around 6:30 or so, but still, if you go to MSG, every bar in a 5 block radius is packed, whether it be Molly Wee's, the Blarney Stone, Stout, Mustang Sally's, Flying Puck, etc. Maybe Islander fans don't drink as much as Ranger fans, because there is no public transportation back home.

How an Islander bar decorates

While drinking $20 bucks of Miller Lites, five to a bucket, as opposed to Cafe 31 in NYC's $25 buckets for four beers, we noticed that while this was an Islander bar, it was very Ranger friendly. Autographed Ranger sticks, pictures of Messier, a Newsday covering the 1994 team all adorned the walls of the bar. YOU WOULD NEVER SEE ISLANDER PROPAGANDA/SHIT hanging in a Ranger bar. Unbelievable.

We decided to head to the game earlier than usual, to see what the VIP experience was all about. I'm a Ranger guy, and despite being in an enemy territory, I was still going to wear my Rangers hat. I fear no Islander fan!

Listen, I'm not a man of money. I haven't had many VIP experiences in my life. My biggest VIP status is at the local bar and being given several free credits on the jukebox. However, after experiencing the Islander VIP experience, I would rather be homeless. However, how fitting is it that the Nassau Coliseum VIP experience is like everything else in that building - a dated pile of shit.

Jeff sure is enjoying the VIP experience!

Here's the VIP experience. Perhaps because I was wearing a Rangers hat, I was discriminated against. I finally understood what Martin Luther King was talking about for all those years. Discrimination is cruel. We go to Gate 8, where you first walk in and ask the usher where our seats were, since the tickets just said "19". No gate number, no row, no section, no nothing. We eventually found out that "19" just meant go to gate 19 & find the box to sit in. Fair enough. However, the ushers kept sending us back and forth. I must've walked 20 Nassau Coliseum circles, not to say that I can't use the workout.

For a VIP experience, you don't walk around on the bottom level to get back to your seats. You have to walk on the icy, slushy, dirty floor, as multiple Islander representatives try to sell you some bullshit at every turn. I mean, they even have 50-50's going on. What is this, a fucking bingo hall?

The VIP experience takes place downstairs. If you ever notice, when you first walk into the main gate of the Coliseum, there is a downstairs escalator to the right side. This takes you to beer/food stands. The funniest part about this is the Islanders "TV Studio". Stan Fischler and Shannon Hogan, who were doing the game always look good on TV. However, their digs is not an official studio set-up specifically to cover the game, ala the Rangers, it's in the corner of a urine-infested building. I guess you can say it's old school, but it just looked sad and old.

The luxurious Islanders studio

After seeing the TV set-up, you had to walk down another aisle way, where a few bozos in jackets validated your ticket. This golden Willy Wonka ticket gave you access to the free buffet. Keep in mind, I was fortunate to get cheap Ranger Lounge tickets on Saturday night. The spread there was amazing. Booze, bacon cheeseburgers, buffalo chicken, fresh fruit, carrots/celery/dip, freshly baked cookies, pasta, the works. I felt like a fucking King.

The best way to sum up the Islanders VIP buffet? You get better food during your stay in the drunk tank at Riker's Island.

Let me set the scene for you. The Islanders VIP lounge is a concrete cell, set up worse than a high school cafeteria. It also seems like everyone is a VIP at the Coliseum, because the place was packed. The food is fucking disgusting. With disgusting food, I was shocked to see the bathroom set up. The mens room was a tight urine-stained lid toilet in one corner, with a free standing urinal, with no splash protector/barrier next to a sink. I'm not a homophobe or anything, I don't have a shy kidney, but at the same time, I don't want to take a piss at a urinal, while a guy washes his hands three inches away from my braggiole. No guys hands should ever be that close to your pecker. I mean, I know Wang owns the Islanders, but still.

We visited this VIP lounge before the game and in between periods. The reason we kept going back is we wanted to see what shit show would occur next. Put it this way, twice, once before the game and right before the first intermission started, the VIP Lounge were out of plates. HOW THE FUCK DO YOU RUN OUT OF PLATES? You just stack a thousand of them and you're done! The ineptness was amazing!

Let's talk about the spread itself. You are better off having a cold Hungry Man dinner or eating food out of the kitchen dumpster of the Marriot. They tried to give you courses. Seeing what the Islanders do, I was half expecting to be told I was on a hidden camera show.

Come for the hockey, stay for the salmonella

The first "spread" was salad out of a bag and pink chicken. I don't know if it was breast cancer awareness month again, but I'm not down to eat pink chicken. No joke, I took two bites out of this chicken and was shitting my fucking brains out for the rest of the day. Granted, I spend about a third of my day in the bathroom anyway, but the food here made my durations longer.

The second spread, after the first intermission were dirty salt water dogs that you would still be burping up and tasting when the Islanders are skating at Barclay. You also got frozen mozzarella sticks. Nothing like chomping into a mozzarella stick and experiencing the power of frosted cheese.

The third spread from this lovely facility was pound cake. POUND CAKE? 50/50's and POUND CAKE. I know the Islanders wear sweaters, but are the fans knitting them there too? In all my life, I have never attended a sporting event and said, "Do you know what would make this night more enjoyable? Stale pound cake." They would be better off serving crushed up Milano cookies. Perhaps for the playoffs, they can give out a half eaten peach cobbler.

For $50, the Islanders VIP lounge included food poisoning from a cafeteria that made a jail cell cafeteria look like the Ritz-Carlton. Instead of advertising free salmonella, the Islanders should've just advertised for $50, you get to meet Stan Fischler & Shannon Hogan:

The iconic Stan Fischler

On an aside here, I've met Fischler several times through Ranger events. I really wish the Rangers would use him more, but it seems most of his work comes with the Devils & Islanders. He is one of the nicest guys you could meet and will always take time out to talk to you. For the people who have been following this blog, Stan settled a debate for Jeff, Garrett & I - Mike Richter is the greatest goalie in Rangers history! Garrett told Stan that I was a Talbot guy, and Fischler said he was the real deal too. LET'S GO TALBOT!

For real, the best part of this Islander VIP experience was meeting Stan Fischler. I could do without the liquid diarrhea pouring out of me from the undercooked food and various liquids dripping on me from the ceilings. I thought cruel & unusual punishment was against the law!

Plastic beer cups were even harder to keep in stock

Our view, unzoomed

 No doubt about it, for $50, our seats were amazing. We had a whole row to ourselves, a great sight line and a table in front of us. I did find it weird that the usher stored all his food on our table, but hey, this is the Nassau Coliseum.

MSG is much larger than the Coliseum. It's also brand new. However, for all the fans dressed up as empty chairs at the Coliseum, the place could rock & was louder than a full house at the Garden at times. The fans who come out to these games are loyal, although most of the jerseys/hats I saw all looked fairly new & with the tags freshly ripped off.

I don't know if the Panthers attendance woes is contagious & follows them on the road, but there were tons of empty seats. The good seats were really cheap. As a hockey fan, I loved it. Those same seats would've cost me thousands in the Garden. Your money goes a long way at the Coliseum, especially when you have to pay for medical bills after the food poisoning. As I write this, I'm still in tremor mode from that chicken.

The game itself was great, as the Panthers took a 4-2 victory. Jimmy Hayes, the brother of Kevin Hayes of the Rangers, scored two goals. Anders Lee of the Islanders also scored two goals. I should've asked Shannon Hogan if she knew who Anders Lee was.

Who are you again? Props to Lee for making light of the situation

 Montezuma's Revenge, aside, I really enjoyed my night at the barn. Sure it's the people you're with too, but those Islander fans who care, were loud and into it. I really feel bad that those fans will lose their team and have ticket prices jacked up on them. One Islander season ticket holder we met told us his tickets are going up 60% next season. The Coliseum was the last cheap thing, the last local thing and the last great thing for a family to go to. When the Islanders bounce, and the Coliseum is stuck holding Monster Truck Rallies & Kissing Cousin Conventions, it will truly be an end of an era. I feel more fortunate to say that I got to experience it.

I'll be back later tonight/early tomorrow with Ranger/Bruin reaction.

As always, LET'S GO RANGERS

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on the Twitter

Rangers/Panthers Reaction: I'm Rick Nash Bitch, Juggling, A Challenge to Rick Carpiniello, Hank Looks Shaky & More

The man without a letter on his sweater, Rick Nash

Welcome everyone to another blog here on DOINOW.com. Yes, I'm working on getting a webmaster to make this site more visually pleasing. Until then, don't drink and drive, tip your bartender, wipe twice, and as always, don't forget to check the right hand of the site for the archives. I will not rehash previous points, so check out my previous columns when you got the time.

The Rangers returned to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, kicking off February with a match-up against a team looking for a playoff spot, the Florida Panthers. The Rangers snuck out a win, in Sunrise, Florida, on New Years Eve, closing out 2014 on an epic tear. It was that night, where the Rangers took a team picture on the team plane, without Henrik Lundqvist, who was inconspicuous by his absence. Ironically enough, front and center in that picture? The man who doesn't blame his teammates after losses, Cam Talbot.

An NHL season for a hockey club is akin to a roller coaster. There are many ups and downs. Your heart races. You get complacent. You're waiting for the next rush. The Rangers have made history during this season, sweeping the California teams on the road and sweeping their Western Canada trip. They had a remarkable win streak this year. Then all of a sudden, it's like the Rangers forgot how to score goals.

The Rangers somewhat limped to the All-Star break, as they were blanked by both the Islanders and the Bruins. The Rangers would beat the Blue Jackets 2-1, the Penguins 5-2 and Ottawa 3-2 (OT) to get to the break. However, it seemed the offense lost some gas. Since returning from the break, the Rangers lost to the Isles 4-1 (A goal with 8 seconds left in the game) and 1-0 to the Habs. Since those two losses, the Rangers returned to MSG to post a 4-1 win over the Canes and a 6-3 victory over the Panthers on Tuesday night.

As a Ranger fan, you have to look at who you're beating and who you're losing to. With Henrik Lundqvist in net, the Rangers have been dominated by top teams, like the Habs, Isles and Bolts all year. The one win against the Habs, Price was not in net. Hank has gobbled up some easy teams and has played like the Hank of old at times, but just not consistent enough.

With the NHL season nearly 65% completed, we still do not know who this Rangers team is. Sure they match up well against Pittsburgh, for whatever reason, but if they draw the Isles, Caps, Bruins or Habs in the early rounds, is this a team that can advance to the Cup Finals for the second straight year? Are they a flash in the pan Cinderella story or is this a team built for deep playoff runs? Of course, we would like to think the latter, but it's not a slam dunk thing.

Where would the Rangers be without #61 this year?

If there has been one thing consistent about the Rangers this year, it is the play of Rick Nash. Nash, who doesn't sport an "A" or "C" on his jersey, has been the best player the Rangers have had all season. I said it a million times and I'll say it again - this is the first time the Rangers have had a healthy Rick Nash for a full season. It remains to be seen if Nash can break Jagr's single-season goal record as a Ranger, but one thing is for certain - he will challenge that record.

Rick Nash has had a history of concussions. Concussions are no fucking joke. There is no set time-table for healing. Everyone recuperates differently. As one of the Rangers highest paid players and best skaters, there has been a lot of pressure on Nash to be on the ice. I feel that he came back too early at points during the last season and a half. However, he's a hockey player, that is what is expected. If you look at NFL players or even pro wrestlers who have had concussion issues, you will see that concussions have impacted those athletes at a deep level. Nash is human, and that is what happened to him as well.

With the Rangers losing 1-0, after a quick goal from Aleksander Barkov, Rick Nash completely undressed Roberto Luongo on a breakaway short-handed goal. He's been doing this all year. You're shocked when Nash doesn't convert on the breakaway. Nash tied the score up, and it looked like it would be a game Henrik would have to steal, because the Rangers have been more turnover prone than the NY Jets.

The Rangers would beak open the scoring in the second period, with big goals from Kevin Hayes and the new multi-million dollar man, Marc Staal. Boy, has Staal stepped his game up since signing his new deal. With a 3-1 lead, it looked like the Rangers would cruise to victory. That wasn't the case.

I have no clue how Hank came back to play after this on Saturday

I was shocked to see that Cam Talbot wasn't starting on Monday. After all, Hank has been playing a ton of games in a row and just took a fucking shot straight to the throat on Saturday. Hank has logged a lot of games the last few years, due to deep playoff runs and the Olympics. Let's get this clear - Hank is the Rangers starting goalie and the Rangers will live & die with his play. I hate his contract, that's all.

That being said, I thought Cam would get the start here. The Rangers need Hank at 100% for the playoffs. He is logging a ton of minutes and the playoff are only two months away. Being at the game on Saturday, I have no clue how Hank was able to finish that game. Just flicking your throat with your fingers hurt, never mind taking a puck from an NHL shot to that area!

Before Hank blew another two goal lead in his career (He's been notorious for blowing leads, just watch the Stanley Cup Finals from last year) I thought Hank looked shakier than Michael J. Fox. He was giving up more rebounds than ever before, his reflexes looked a step short and he kept checking behind him after several shots. He looked unsure of himself. I'm sure that has to due with the injury from Saturday, which again, made me wonder why he was playing today.

Hank will go down as a first ballot Hall of Famer, number in the rafters and have a ton of Ranger goalie records. However, this season, he has middle of the pack stats and has been beaten consistently by better goalies. What drives me nuts about Hank is his hypocrisy. I question why none of his teammates hang out with him. I get mad when I hear him throwing his skaters under the bus. I just don't comprehend the aura around Hank. To be a King, he needs to win the Stanley Cup. Until then, Mike Richter will always be the greatest goalie in Rangers history to me.

I can't question Hank's competitiveness. He definitely wants to win, which makes me wonder why did he want 10% of the Rangers team payroll and want to be above and beyond the highest paid goalie in the NHL? Doesn't he want the best help available? The guy is a warrior. No denying what he's done in his career. However, this season, he hasn't been playing like the best goalie in the NHL.

Hank took the ice on Tuesday night. The guy wants to play every day. You have to love and respect that. I do think AV needs to pull in the reigns a bit though, because this is a game Talbot could've won. You don't need Hank out there against the Canes, Devils, Sabres, Panthers, etc. Save those games for Cam. The Rangers and us Ranger fans, need Hank 100% ready to go, at his best, come the playoffs. I don't care who you are, taking a puck to the throat is no light thing.

A Rangers Fan Favorite

With the score at 3-3, going into the third, I was concerned about Hank. He didn't look like himself. I wonder if the injury played into it. This was a big two points at stake for the Rangers. With games in hand, the Rangers have a shot at winning the division this year and at very least, getting home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

Dan Boyle found the back of the twine to give the Rangers a 4-3 lead. 7 minutes later, Mats Zuccarello recorded his first goal in 11 games, to give the Rangers the insurance goal, and a 5-3 lead with less than 5 minutes to go.

I was really happy for Zuc. While Zuc has many female Ranger fans hearts, even my good friend Michelle StanziNOOCH and the Zuc girls on twitter, male Ranger fans respect him too. He's a scrappy little fucker and scared of no one on the ice. However, he's in a contract year and already gave the Rangers one hometown discount. He's been the subject of many trade rumors, along with John Moore and JT Miller.

With Zuc, I do not want to lose him. He is a great locker room guy, is good for morale and does a lot of things that don't show up in the stat sheet. To me, John Moore is expendable, with Matt Hunwick around. I wouldn't want to lose JT Miller. The Rangers have given up on so many young players before, even centers, I mean look at Manny Maholtra. He's still kicking around in Montreal. However, I don't see how you can replace a Zuc. Sure, for his personal benefit in a contract year and for the Rangers club, you want to see him produce more scores. However, his passion and willingness on the ice, makes him a guy that you can't move to another team.

The Rangers would close out the scoring with a Rick Nash empty netter, giving him 31 goals, tied for tops in the NHL in that department. I can't believe WEBLEEDBLUE.com doesn't have a "I'M RICK NASH, BITCH" shirt yet!

What impressed me about Staal, especially after signing his new deal, is his aggressiveness on the ice. Towards the end of the game, Staal & Huberdeau got into it. The first one to defend Staal? Rick Nash. How can you not love that? The team CAM-radarie is an important asset for teams trying to make Cup runs. Sure we expect Klein and Zuc to throw down, but to see Rick Nash, man,  a tear fell from my eye in joy!

Tanner Glass aka I miss Derek Dorsett

The Rangers have been juggling lines and defensive pairs during this recent struggle of a stretch. For some reason, Tanner Glass finds himself into the line-up, again. I said it last blog and I'll say it here - I really hope Glen Sather deals Glass in the same vein he dealt Michael Del Zaster last year, and picks up a diamond in the rough, ala Kevin Klein. Glass isn't even a good goon. To me, he is overpaid, a liability and not someone I think can help this team come playoff time. I don't know who Sather can get for him, due to the contract of Glass, but at this point, just getting his salary off the books would help the Rangers next season.

While on the subject of questioning players, especially a player in a contract year, is it me or does Carl Hagelin always fire slapshots on breakaways? He's a finesse player, so I'm surprised with all the looks he gets, he is always trying to be Chara or Weber when one on one with the goalie.


While it was the Panthers, who are scratching and clawing for a shot at the playoffs, this was a good win for the Rangers. The Rangers started slow, Hank seemed shaky after the injury and I question Glass over Miller, but they pulled out a 6 goal, two point in the standings, performance. I just want to see the Rangers play like this against Boston and league leading Nashville, both who are the Rangers next opponents.

Ironically enough, these same Florida Panthers are a team Ranger fans will be rooting for tomorrow night, as the Panthers challenge the Islanders at the dump in Uniondale.

Rick Carpiniello

Rick Carpiniello is a name some Ranger fans should be familiar with. To me, he is my favorite writer/reporter, when it comes to the New York Rangers. I may not be his favorite blogger, but at the end of the day, I respect his work and have been reading him as long as I can remember. He runs the @RangersReport twitter account and posts his news/recaps at http://rangers.lohudblogs.com/

As I've shifted from the wrestling world to doing my recaps out of my passion for the Rangers, here at DOINOW.com, I've had several interactions, on twitter, with Rick. I don't know if he knows that most of the time I'm breaking his balls, but I do mean what I say. Rick and I agree on alot of things, except for Henrik Lundqvist. We've gone back and forth on twitter on this subject.

What I propose and I hope Rick has that Marty McFly "Don't call me a chicken" gene in him, is a point-counterpoint email exchange on the topic of Henrik Lundqvist. I understand he's a paid reporter and I'm just a fan who loves the Rangers. I don't want it coming off that he's stooping down to arguing with an unpaid blogger (But our twitter follower numbers aren't that far off), but I would like to challenge him to a friendly debate on Henrik Lundqvist, Cam Talbot, contracts and other Ranger issues.  If he sons me, so be it, I feel like it would be a great read. I know he has the time to do it, based on the constant back and forth twitter, in good nature, ball breaking.

So Rick, I'm calling you out! Email for email, we will make points, the other will counter them. We can post the exchange here, and if you feel it's good enough for your site, you can post it on your site too. You seem very confident in your stances, so this can be the paid writer embarrassing the blogger. What do you have to lose? My readers would like to see it. I'll even buy you a beer and a Lundqvist 8x10 afterwards!

I hope this doesn't come off like grandstanding, but I would really like to debate Rick, as he's quick with his points but in a 140 character limit on twitter, can never expand on them. So what do you say Rick, do you have the balls to debate someone you constantly call a "Talbot fanboy"? I'll even up the stakes - we can do a reader fan poll, letting the readers decide who won the debate. The loser can donate $100 to the MSG Garden of Dreams Charity. It's a win-win. You know where to find me to respond!

Win or lose, LGR!

The Rangers got a bunch of tough games coming up. The Rangers return home for a showdown with Boston on Wednesday for NBC's game of the week. Let's hope MSG is airing the game too, because no one beats Sam Rosen, when it comes to calling a game. The Rangers then have a weekend slate of games set, as they head to Nashville on Saturday, and return home for Dallas on Sunday. Points are precious, especially late in the season. These next few games could be an audition for the trade dead-line as well.

I'll be back Wednesday night with Rangers/Bruins reaction.

In closing, while on Boston, how ironic is it that after an NFL season that featured murders, women beating, child abuse, drug charges, DWI's, and everything else, after already coming off seasons of gun charges, dog killing and tax evasion, that the team accused of cheating won the Superbowl? How great was it that the day after, an NFL Hall of Famer gets busted for trying to get a hooker. Sadly enough, the NFL is still King, has the best ratings, makes the most money and nobody cares to fight it. We just accept it. The National Felony League - the strongest machine in the sports world.

LET'S GO RANGERS
Bring it Carp!

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

Rangers/Canes Reaction: Hurricane Hank Wipes out Carolina, MSG Lounges, NHL Tidbits & More Ranger Reaction

I couldn't resist making this, now knowing that Hank is ok

 Welcome to another blog here on DOINOW.com. As always, archives on the right hand of the site, I don't rehash previous points so please do read the previous columns, tip your bartender, don't forget to wipe, and please, don't text and drive, unless you're at a red light.

The Rangers, who have been playing their worst hockey since the beginning of the season, were coming off a heartbreaking loss against Montreal, when they took the ice on Saturday. Losing a 1-0 game, off a weak Max Pacioretty goal with 4 minutes to go in the game made you feel as deflated as a Patriots football. Prior to that loss to Montreal, the Islanders thoroughly beat the Rangers like a drum, at the dump in Nassau. Losing their first two games after the All-Star break and only getting one goal in the last 120 minutes, Ranger fans had every right to be concerned. After all, this was an offense getting 3+ goals with ease during their historic win streak.

It's funny how the NHL schedule works. Sometimes you're a victim of it, sometimes you benefit from it. With a home Saturday night game, which is very rare this year for the Blueshirts, the Rangers had the last place Carolina Hurricanes coming into town. While the 'Canes are in last place, they were 7-2-1 in their last ten games. However, they were coming off a back-to-back and with Cam Ward in net. Previously, Anton Khudobin had played well against the Rangers. Sometimes you just need a break to get things going again. The Rangers caught one here.

When I attend games, I usually use my friend's season tickets, as MSG prices are just too damn high. Sometimes going to a Ranger game, with the train ticket, the beer, the seat and everything else is like a mini-vacation. Hockey is a very expensive sport, whether you're playing or attending a game. Between the pads, gear, equipment, it's hard for parents to push their kids into hockey, where in other sports, you could just buy a bat & a glove or just an orange basketball. Taking your kids to MSG is no easy night on your wallet either. However, the demand for Rangers hockey is at a peak right now, so ticket prices have just been extremely high this year. I only bitch about this once in a while, because I like to attend as many games as possible, but I don't ever remember a year that has been so costly. Even tickets in the 400's are going for $150 a pop on the secondary market. Just disgusting.

My view from section 302, in the Lounges

 With my friend, who has season tickets, giving his tickets to another friend, I decided to browse the secondary market. To my delight, Lounge tickets were only $115. I've walked by them before, but never sat there. All I know was that free booze and food were included, so for the ticket price alone, I know I would make my money back. It didn't make sense not to go! My good friend, who some of you know as "The Bison", was excited to sit like a god, so we bought our tickets and for the first time before a game, I wasn't at the Blarney Stone, Stout, Tracks, Cafe 31, or the Flying Puck until 6:45PM, I was in the lounge, pounding beers & eating bacon cheeseburger sliders at 6PM.

Yes, I felt somewhat hypocritical, as I can't stand the sushi eating suits at games, but let me make my defense - I was in Rangers gear from head-to-toe, which is the norm for me. To my pleasure, every one else in the Lounge were all in their Rangers gear too. What happened is that some corporation, who has the Lounge, couldn't go, so they just sold off all their tickets on Stubhub. This led to real fans all getting to experience how the other half lives, even for just a day. One of my friends, who just happened to do the same thing I did, took his two sons to their first game. Talk about kids who will be spoiled for life! Sometimes you're better off sitting shitty for your first game, because anything after this will be a letdown!

One of the 2 spreads you get complimentary in the Lounges

 Being adequately nourished, from both a food and liquid standpoint, I was excited and pumped up once "Baba O'Riley" was blaring through the MSG loudspeakers. It really is a great song to turn off the phone, to shut up and to get into the game. Fuck that "Wind Beneath My Wings" bullshit, give me The Who at MSG any day of the week!

Due to having a nice flat screen TV in our lounge, I was able to catch up on the whole league before the lyrics "TEENAGE WASTELAND" made their way to our ears. With the Capitals losing to Montreal and for anyone who saw that game, WOW! Carey Price is playing out of his freaking mind. It just brings up bad memories for me. The Rangers eliminated him, via Chris Kreider, last year. Man, last year should've been the Rangers year to win it all. I've done this spiel before, but fuck, it still hurts every time I think about it.

Not only did the Capitals lose, but the Islanders got dropped in Detroit. The Devils would also go on to beat the Panthers. With two division rivals dropping key games, this wasn't a must win game for the Rangers, but a game the Rangers needed to win. With a win, the Rangers would move into third place.

I've said this before and I'll say it one more time here - The Rangers need to finish one, two or three in the division. THEY CAN NOT FINISH AS A WILD CARD. Home ice would be nice, but I'll sacrifice home ice for a series with the Penguins. The Rangers do not want to see the Islanders, Tampa Bay or Montreal in the first round. They just don't match up well against those teams. They need the Pens or the Caps, two teams they match up the best with, in the first round, before advancing for some real struggles. We can pretend that the Islanders don't scare Ranger fans, but deep down, we all know that is a terrible match-up for the Rangers.

The Great Cam Talbot During Warm-Ups

 As the puck dropped to start the game, all I could think about was, "Damn, this is the best sport live." I haven't gone to as many games this season, as I've only been to 12, but nothing beats hockey live. It is fun on TV, but doesn't translate as well as the other three major sports. From my vantage point, I had a perfect view of plays developing, which is something you lose on a TV broadcast.

The game as a whole didn't really impress me. The Rangers still made a ton of turnovers, with Chris Kreider & Dan Boyle looking especially sloppy. Both would wind up scoring, but you would like to see them play a well-rounded game, rather than putting extra pressure on the goalie. Sure, I was ecstatic with the win, but the Rangers beat a last place team that played like a last place team.

The Rangers, who juggled up the lines again, with Stempniak & Hunwick being the odd-men out, were able to produce goals, but a lot of passes went wayward. I don't know if it's a chemistry issue or what, but many passes that usually connect, were just missing. I also don't understand why Tanner Glass is on the ice. I'm an atheist, so I won't say I'm praying, but I am hoping that Sather can pull another one of those Michael Del Zaster for Kevin Klein trades out of his ass, in regards to Tanner Glass.

Remember when Ranger fans were disappointed in him? Seems so long ago now

 Rick Nash got the scoring started, 6 minutes into the first period, with an unexpected wrist shot. A sigh of relief was heard at the Garden, as goals have been hard to come by this season. Leave it to the best player on the Rangers all-season, to add another tally. Nash remains the highest goal scorer in the league.  When Dominic Moore added another goal, four minutes later, after a slick move and perhaps his best looking goal of the season, the Garden was rocking. 2-0 after one. Ranger fans were able to breath easy.

Ronnie G even told me "IN CAM WE TRUST!"

 In between periods, the Rangers send alum to each lounge. In our lounge, was former Rangers captain, Ron Greschner. What a nice guy. He signed pictures, that the Rangers provided and took pictures with everyone. In my brief exchange with him, he said what a relief it was that the Rangers got some goals. Well wasn't that the truth. However, little did we know what we were in store for next.

Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh's stick accidentally lifted up Hank's mask, three minutes into the second period. As that happened, Brad Malone fired in a shot, that nailed Hank right in the throat. Hank went down like a ton of bricks. I've seen injuries in sports live before, but nothing like this. It was scary to say the least. I've seen people get knocked out, in wrestling, boxing and MMA, but I never saw a hockey player, especially a goalie, go down so quick.

With Hank writhing in pain, I got some texts from friends, who all know I'm a big advocate of Cam Talbot. All said the same thing, "This is your guys chance." Let me make this clear - while I'm the unofficial leader of "TEAM TALBOT", I would never want Cam to get a shot like this. Even while he was warming up, as doctors tended to Hank, my focus was on Hank. '

I feel like I have to reiterate myself time and time again on this point. I do not hate Hank. I hate his contract. If this wasn't the salary cap era, I wouldn't give a shit and this would never be an issue.  However, to me, Hank is the the third best goalie in Rangers history (If he ever wins a cup, he will become the best goalie in Ranger history. Until then Richter is first to me and Eddie G I would rate a tad higher) and when it's all said and done, not only is his jersey going into the rafters immediately, but he's a first ballot Hall of Famer. I just think his contract hurts this team, moving forward, in the salary cap era. Trust me, when Hank got back to both feet, about 5 minutes after taking the puck to the throat, I was chanting "HEN-RY" like everyone else. He's our guy, I just don't like his contract. I would like to see Cam earn the starting job, or at the very least, let Hank get the mumps for a week.

Hank laid on the ice for a solid 5 minutes. Luckily, in the lounges, we had a TV to see what happened, as it was tough to see what exactly happened in real-time. I give Hank a lot of shit in these blogs, and to me he's just a peculiar guy. He doesn't hang out with his teammates. He buries his teammates in interviews. He is a primadonna. He wouldn't come out for the third period against the Islanders two weeks ago. He hand picks what games he wants to play. But then, you have something like this, where no one would fault him if he left the game, and he stays out there. Was it because it was Carolina and the Rangers had a 2-0 lead? Is it an ego thing? I really don't know. He's just a polarizing character to me.

On an aside, not that you ever root for injuries, but if this happened in the playoffs, I think this would've been a moment that could've propelled the Rangers to steal a playoff round. It was Willis Reedesque, if that makes sense.

Eventually Hank got back up. He would later say he was dizzy and grasping for air. I don't know how he played. I gotta give it up to King Contract. Brad Malone, who caused the injury, would later score in the period. A 100% Hank makes the save, but you couldn't say boo here. I think if the Canes scored another quick one, AV would've been forced to pull Hank, but that situation never arose.

InKREIDable struck again!

With the game at 2-1, entering the third period, Chris Kreider, perhaps along with Mats Zuccarello & Dan Boyle, have been the most inconsistent this season. Kreider separated some distance from being the most inconsistent, with a goal, half-way into the third period. Dan Boyle would finish the game a few seconds later. The Rangers took the game 4-1 and jumped into third place, with two games in hand with the Pens, Isles and Caps.

As I said in this blog, the Rangers caught a break with Carolina here. I don't know what happened after sweeping the west coast and western Canada on the road this year, but they haven't been the same team since. It seemed for a time that the 50% off Papajohns coupon was a given every game. Four goals, against a shit team, should happen. For the Rangers to be real playoff contenders, they need to score like this against the good teams too. The Rangers have a rough schedule coming up and points are at a premium.

Coach Alain Vigneault has been mixing and matching to various levels of success. He said last year, after the Rangers slow start, which featured the first 9 games on the road, due to renovations at MSG, that sometimes it takes a full season to really know what you got with a team. With half this season over, we are still learning and trying to find out this teams identity. In the salary cap era, it is difficult for teams to go to back-to-back championships, whether it be the NFL, MLB or NHL. NBA not so much, since you have all the super players working together in a fight against the cap. Can this Rangers team make another historic run? Only time will tell.

-----

I'll be back late Monday/early Tuesday with Rangers/Panthers reaction.

Enjoy the Superbowl! My prediction, the Patriots beat the Seahawks, 24-20.

LET'S GO RANGERS

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@nycthemic on the twitter gimmick