15-9-2: Rangers Hand Sens 6th Straight Loss

This is pretty much train of thought as I am watching the game. Not really a live blog but it is essentially my rants and reactions in order of events. It also has a bunch of other random thoughts that crossed my mind but didn't deserve a post of their own. So here they all are:

*I hate watching games on TV rather than being there. It really is a huge change from how it used to be, when I loved, LOVED sitting at home and listening to Sam and J.D. call the shots on MSG. Joe opened the broadcast by saying that Paul Mara was playing really well for the Islanders before getting hurt and it just went downhill from there.

*Beautiful start for Malik in his return - a horrible pass back to Rozy right off the opening faceoff. M! A! L-I-K! MALIK YOU SUCK!

*And a minute and a half into the game Sam and Joe are talking about how wonderful Marcel Hossa is. Too bad I can't get a radio signal in here, I want to tear off my ears. Grudgingly I have to give him credit on the set up for Girardi's opening goal - a solid forecheck got him the possession, even if he didn't mean for the pass to go all the way back to the point.

*Oh baby, sweet shot by Shanny for the second goal. Man is Gerber playing like crap but Shanny's off-balance shot was purty!

*Hmm, Jagr, shooting on the power play? What a concept! It is astounding how Straka's mere presence in the lineup has boosted Jag's confidence and comfort level.

*Glad to see Chris Neil is still the filthy piece of garbage player that Ben Eager seems to be attempting to emulate. But Neil can and will fight, making Brian McGratton's existence in the NHL to be moot. The guy is a pure goon who can't skate who should have been eliminated with the Pete Worrells and other thugs that didn't make it out of the lockout.

*I love that: Dany Heatley is jawing at Colton Orr with a few minutes left in the first. What could he be saying? "Watch out or I will give you a ride in my Porche?"

*Gerber was pulled for Emery to start the second. Too bad we don't still have Dan Cloutier - now that would be one helluva goalie fight. Both Clootch and RayRay know how to throw down.

*With eight minutes left in the second period, there was one helluva sexy play. Tic tac toe passing got Dubi a fantastic chance. He was stopped by Emery, but it was a gorgeous play.

*At the start of the game I also wrote my post about Wes Walz. Ottawa has another one of those hard-hat, underrated guys in Dean McAmmond. The only press he has ever gotten was from being hammered by Steve Downie and elbowed by Chris Pronger but he has been around since '92 and is still going strong.

*In my Quarter Mark Awards, I listed the Scotty Hockey All Stars. James Mirtle, one of the best hockey bloggers, just put up his unsung heroes list and included Dan Carcillo (as did I). He also listed Montreal's Mike Komisarek, who I had taken out at the last second for Willie Mitchell. It was a tough call but after seeing the Habs play the Rangers and Isles, I am not sure if his impact is as big considering how good both Montreal goalies have been. I also didn't want to get the homer tag put on because of my fandom for Mike since he grew up 15 minutes away from me (his teammate Chris Higgins was five minutes away, but several years behind, lol). Mirtle's list includes Braydon Coburn, which makes no sense to me as he was a first round draft pick who everyone expected to do well ... but whatever, Mirtle gets paid to write, I don't.

*4-1. Jason Spezza is good. He turned Toots inside out getting room for Joe Corvo. Hank really shoulda stopped it, but all credit should go to Spetz. The same goes for the second Sens goal that made it 4-2 - Spetz put the puck right on Heatley's stick for the perfect deflection ...

*Hahahaha, Daniel Alfredsson just went after Rozy and Lurch (Malik) just stood there while the rest of the Sens converged. What a waste of a 6'6, 240 frame.

*The Sens started battering the Rangers with big hits but for once the Rangers didn't shrink away and start playing a weaker, more cautious game - like we did against the Isles earlier this year when they came out hard. I'm totally impressed. A minute after I typed this, MSG put up a lower third that listed Ottawa's hit count (25 with seven minutes left in the game). Man, I'm good.

*Watching the Junior Rangers scoring on the Junior Islanders during a break in the action was awesome. I just love watching Islanders lose!

*As much as I dislike Heatley, his line with Alfredsson and Spezza is probably the most exciting in hockey, shift-after-shift. Its the perfect model for a scoring line: a scoring winger (Alfredsson), a playmaker (Spetz) and a murderer ... Oh, I mean grinder (Heatley). Whoops, lil slip up there. As much as I mock, Heatley is the premier power forward in the NHL and one of the top five all-around players. So I don't like him because he killed Dan Snyder, and I don't like him because he abuses the Rangers.

*Hahaha, did you see Neil go after Malik with a minute and a half left? Its like swinging at a gym punching bag.

*Go Bettsy! His empty net goal was his first this year and also marked the first game since the opener that the Blueshirts tallied five in one game.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Scott Gomez - what? Do these people watch the game?
2-Hank
1-Shanny

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Hank - Aside from the first Sens goal, he was solid and 20 or so of his 31 saves were on legit scoring chances.
2-Dubi - He was fantastic up and down the ice and without him, Jagr wouldn't have scored. We've spoken about how Staal may be the captain someday but I wouldn't count the kid out if he continues to mature and play like this.
1-Shanny - I still think that he lost some speed on his shots but man, did he place them with pinpoint accuracy. Yay Captain Shanny ...