Senators 3, Rangers 2 (OT). Series tied 2-2
It felt like it was going to be an easy win for the Rangers after that great start, but the fact of the matter is that you can’t just sit back with a lead; you have to continue to be aggressive and keep your opponent on its heels. It’s a shame because this was a great opportunity for the Blueshirts to really just put the Senators out of their misery but now we’re looking at a best-of-3 although the Rangers have managed to win back home ice. No matter how great Henrik is, the Rangers are never going to win if they play as complacently as they did in the second period. He may be a brick wall but there’s only so many shots a wall can take before it gives way.
The Rangers scored their two goals by being assertive in the offensive end. Very rarely is a goal scored on a perfect shot, so they need to stop the passing back and forth on the power play and SHOOT THE PUCK! I remember one time Ryan McDonough intercepted a pass and had such a clear shot that the Ottawa crowd screamed in horror. The only problem is that he then passed the puck to somebody who was defended. There’s nothing more selfless than taking a good shot. Deflections and rebounds are prefect for scoring goals when you’re going up against a hot goalie like Craig Anderson. If you pass around for 45 seconds, that’s one or two less opportunities that the puck is going to be in a vulnerable position near the net. It’s simple math — shoot the puck more, score more goals!!!
And what the fuck is up with the boards? The pucks are shooting off them like they’re injected with flubber. No doubt the only way Ottawa can win is by gaming the system. What’s next? Is Matt Carkner going to carry brass knucks in his sock a la Ric Flair? Maybe Brendan Shanahan should take a look instead of handing out excessive suspensions.
Rainman Suite 