Archive for the ‘NHL’ Category

>Rangers-Capitals Game 3 Quick Reaction

Posted: April 18, 2011 by Keith Stone in NHL, Rangers, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington Capitals
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“A real man makes his own luck.”—Dwight K. Schrute

This was a must-win and it showed. The Rangers still had their usual problems. It was a struggle to score. They held on to the puck too much instead of shooting it. But this time they had a little luck. Christensen scored a nifty little bad-angle goal, Prospal was in the right place at the right time to put back a rebound, and the puck finally bounced the right way for the winning goal. I think the real key is Dubinsky’s mustache. That’s a bad ass stache. The whole team needs to grow one. The goal at the end of the second period was also pretty lucky but was unfortunately apparently a tenth of a second too late. The explanation was dubious if you ask me. Three games in and the Caps have scored only six goals. Pretty good. The Rangers need to stick to their game and make sure to shoot the puck. Neuvirth is perhaps cooling down a bit, but the more the puck is going towards the net, the greater a chance for a deflection, rebound, or even just a nice bounce. As long as they hold serve at home and grow luxurious mustaches, the Blueshirts should be OK.

>Rangers-Capitals Game 2 Quick Reaction

Posted: April 16, 2011 by Keith Stone in NHL, Rangers, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington Capitals
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The Rangers came out with a lot more intensity tonight but couldn’t convert. I liked Sean Avery’s presence in the lineup but Michal Neuvirth has been better than anticipated. The Rangers were undisciplined in taking two silly penalties, one of which led to a goal, but the D overall has been fine. It’s not like the Capitals are completely dominating these games. They have to come out big in Game 3 at the Garden. It’s totally possible for the series to head back to Washington tied 2-2 but the Rangers need to keep the puck in the offensive end and get shots on goal.

>Rangers-Capitals Game 1 Quick Reaction

Posted: April 14, 2011 by Keith Stone in NHL, Rangers, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington Capitals
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The Rangers played great for 54 minutes. Unfortunately, hockey games last 60 minutes (and sometimes more). King Henrik was at his best in goal and the posts were working in the Blueshirts’ favor but they still couldn’t steal Game 1. Washington is such a fast team and had a ton of chances to score. They came out fast at the beginning of the game and the Rangers weathered the storm. Michal Neuvirth did a lot better than I expected. His reflexes were quick and he stopped most of the Rangers’ best chances. The one goal he allowed was a great one, though. Brandon Prust did a nice job controlling the puck, Wojtek Wolski made an excellent pass, and Matt Gilroy took a hell of a shot. It was a lot more impressive than the goal by Washington in regulation. I felt like Ovechkin and Semin were allowed to stroll into the crease and stuff the puck in. The final result is frustrating but hopefully will give the Rangers confidence that they are just as good as the Capitals. The Blueshirts are going to need to score more than one goal to win Game 2 but I think they will come out and play a lot more aggressively now that all the newcomers know what playoff hockey is all about.

>Back From the Dead: A 2011 Rangers Playoff Preview

Posted: April 13, 2011 by Keith Stone in NHL, Rangers, Stanley Cup Playoffs
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Despite finishing the season on an impressive 11-4-1 swing, the Rangers still needed help to make the playoffs. Only after a 6-2 Tampa Bay win over Carolina was it finally time to celebrate. It was that type of year for the Blueshirts. Nothing was ever easy for a young team that had trouble scoring and dealt with a lot of injuries.

The Rangers defense was its strong suit all year. They aren’t the most talented team by far but they might be the most gritty and hard-working. Nobody is afraid to make a hit or block a shot, as evidenced by Ryan Callahan breaking his ankle by taking a Zdeno Chara slapshot in a game the Rangers needed to win. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi elevated their game to become one of the NHL’s best defensive pairings and recently-acquired Bryan McCabe is the quarterback on the power play that the Rangers were missing for years.

Of course, any defense looks great when it’s backed by all-world netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist is the only irreplaceable part on the team and was 6th in the NHL in both save percentage and GAA. He also played the least amount of games this year since his rookie year although he’s played in 26 straight games after backup Martin Biron went down with a broken collarbone. Lundqvist should be fresh for the playoffs and if he gets hot, he can take over a playoff series.

The offense is the one big question. Marian Gaborik followed up his 42-goal season with 20 less and nobody has stepped up to fill the void. The Rangers have had games where they exploded for six or seven goals but there have too often been games against weak teams where the Rangers struggle to get anything on the board. Surprisingly, they ranked fifth in the league in goal differential due in large part to the D.

The injuries haven’t helped as Gaborik, Callahan, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Vinny Prospal, and Alex Frolov have missed significant time. Before Cally went down, it was the healthiest the team had been all season. Prospal was playing well although Gaborik was struggling to get into the swing of things and hasn’t scored a goal in nine games. Drury returned for the last game of the season and scored a huge goal, his only one of the season. Don’t sleep on the captain. Clutch is his middle name.

The Rangers are one of those teams that plays to the level of their opponent. Teams like that usually struggle in the playoffs. They won the season series against Washington 3-1 but lost games down the stretch to teams playing out the string like the Islanders, Ottawa, and Atlanta. The Capitals are a high-powered team and also enter the playoffs on a hot streak. The key will be staying physical, especially with Alex Ovechkin.

The Rangers’ one big advantage is in net, where the Caps are starting rookie Michal Neuvirth who has played less career games than Lundqvist played this season. Washington also has a history of bombing out in the playoffs and has been eliminated in the first round two of the past three years. That other year they beat the Rangers in seven despite falling in a 3-1 hole.

The Blueshirts and Lundqvist should be able to keep the Capitals from exploding on the score board. The one question is are they going to score goals themselves? The power play, which has scored once in its last 27 tries, needs to come alive. If the Rangers can’t score on Neuvirth, they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs anyway. The Caps are far more talented but the youthful Rangers are built on outworking their opponent. Several Rangers will be making their playoff debut tonight. If they hold their own and play consistently, they’re going to be trouble for any team.

>Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Quarterfinals Predictions

Posted: April 13, 2011 by Keith Stone in NHL, Stanley Cup Playoffs
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The Stanley Cup Playoffs might be the most underrated sports event. Nothing matches the intensity of playoff hockey except for overtime playoff hockey. This is the sport that always seems to have the most upsets and is the hardest to predict. I’ll do my best. And remember: a hot goaltender can trump everything. Kinda like having a hot girlfriend.

Eastern Conference

[Editor’s Note: Due to my extreme bias, I am not picking a winner of the Rangers-Caps series]

(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Buffalo Sabres
Stone’s take: The Flyers have struggled recently and Sergei Bobrovsky is a question mark in net. Ryan Miller is not. UPSET ALERT!
Prediction: Sabres in 6

(3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens
Stone’s take: These teams just plain don’t like each other. The Habs have extra motivation playing for fallen teammate Max Pacioretty.
Prediction: Canadiens in 7

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning
Stone’s take: The Lightning have a lot of scorers, but the Penguins have the experience. With or without Sidney Crosby.
Prediction: Penguins in 6

Western Conference

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks
Stone’s take: The defending champs snuck into the playoffs while Roberto Luongo and the Sedins have been masterful all year. The Canucks want this after being eliminated by the Hawks the previous two years.
Prediction: Canucks in 6

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings
Stone’s take: The San Jose Sharks always…quick, help, I’m choking!
Prediction: Kings in 7

(3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Phoenix Coyotes
Stone’s take: Not having Henrik Zetterberg hurts, but the Wings are still too much for the young Coyotes and their 18 fans.
Prediction: Red Wings in 5

(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Nashville Predators
Stone’s Take: This should be a good one. The Quack Attack has the firepower and the Preds have great D and goaltending.
Prediction: Ducks in 7

>Jabroni of the Week: Zdeno Chara

Posted: April 8, 2011 by Keith Stone in BOSTON SUCKS, jabronis, NHL, Zdeno Chara
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The Rangers have had more up-and-downs this season than the Great American Scream Machine. They’ll beat a team 7-0 and then get shut out. After winning six out of seven games to seemingly seal up their spot in the playoffs, they faltered a bit losing two of three. That combined with hot play by Buffalo and Carolina put them on the brink of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

With the first place Boston Bruins in town, a lot was on the line. The Blueshirts got off to a slow start (™2011 New York Rangers) and fell behind 3-0. That’s when the magic started happening. Vinny Prospal scored twice to close to within a goal. Then with less than four minutes left, Ryan Callahan made a spectacular no-look pass to Brandon Dubinsky, who scored a pretty backhand goal. Michael Sauer followed it up with another tally a minute later and the Rangers had their playoff dreams back in hand.

The Bruins were frantically trying to tie the game up when giant freak Zdeno Chara took a slap shot that was blocked by Ryan Callahan. The Rangers’ entire season has been based around grittiness and doing whatever it takes to win. No one epitomized this more than Ryan Callahan. He’s been the heart and soul of this team and he’s a really talented young player. When Chara’s shot broke Callahan’s ankle, that’s what made it more disheartening.

Zdeno, baby, we beat you guys but now our leader is out for the foreseeable future. The Rangers followed up their incredible victory with a flat 3-0 loss to Atlanta and now need help to make the playoffs. This is all your fault. We know you have the most powerful shot ever and you already broke that kid’s neck up in Montreal. Please stop injuring players. You’re 6’10”. You shouldn’t be playing hockey. Why didn’t you learn how to shoot hoops when you were a kid? You could have been the next Arvydas Sabonis. Hit the hardwood, kid. Until then, you’re a jabroni, brother.

>Trivia Time: 4/4/11 Edition

Posted: April 5, 2011 by Keith Stone in NHL, trivia
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The Suite hasn’t been showing a lot of love to hockey but that’s about to change. Playoff hockey is awesome and I can’t wait for it to start next week. That leads us to our question. If you get it right, I’ll buy you a shot at Continental on 3rd Ave. Five shots for $5 hollllllllllla. Answer is after the jump.

Who was the last NHL player to play without a helmet? (and a hint: it was not Ron Duguay although it’s almost a crime to make him play with a helmet. Look at that flowing hair!)

Answer: Craig MacTavish—He retired in 1997. The NHL now requires all players to wear a helmet.

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