Rangers 3, Senators 2. Series tied 3-3
Winners come through when their back is up against the wall. Eli Manning did it. Abraham Lincoln did it. Dirk Diggler did it. And now the 2012 Rangers have almost done it. Make no mistake, their win tonight was a big deal. Playing on the road in a very hostile environment against a goaltender that was flaming more than RuPaul is no small task no matter what your seeding is, especially after spotting the home team a one-goal lead. But sometimes it only takes one crack to tear down a brick wall. Derek Stepan finally broke through Craig Anderson and played a marvelous game. That opened up the floodgates, but Brad Richards scoring on the 5-on-3 might have been the moment that saved the season. The kid Chris Kreider played great during important spots in the game and looks to be finally adjusting after looking lost at points. Finally, Carl Hagelin added a speed factor that the Blueshirts were missing during his suspension. Lost in everything is that Henrik once again played an amazing game. After the Rangers took the lead, he made some absolutely ridiculous saves that preserved the win.
The refs were horrible. I’m assuming they weren’t trying to call the game in Ottawa’s favor but it seemed that way. Rupp’s penalty to open the game was such a weak call but afterwards a slew of penalties against the Senators were missed. Everything. Tripping, cross-checking, interference. It felt like Ray Charles was officiating the game. Then, they started calling everything. So inconsistent. Honestly, I didn’t think that last Ottawa goal was a bad call. It was obvious Chris Neil was making a kicking motion but I think he whiffed on it. I’d still be pissed if I were King Henrik. Game 7 better have an A-squad officiating it because neither of these teams deserves to go home because of a bad call.
These Senators are starting to get under my skin. They’re so annoying. After every play, they’re hitting somebody or getting in Henrik’s face. I know that it’s probably the only chance Ottawa has to win but I’d just love it if somebody smacked Chris Neil in the face with their stick (while the refs weren’t looking). With that said, this has quietly been a great series. The games are hard fought, low-scoring affairs and neither team likes each other. It’s playoff hockey at its finest, and it’ll be a shame to say goodbye to the Senators on Thursday.
Rainman Suite 