10-7-1: Against All Odds

On one side of the equation you have a team playing the second game of a back-to-back. A team that is set up for a seemingly inevitable letdown after a wild matinee match at home. A team entering a volatile full house, facing a tough opponent - a recent Cup winner. A team that ends up with officiating that clearly possess an agenda.

On the other side of the equation, you have a bunch of kids and a King.

Guess who won?

The Rangers defeated the Penguins Monday night 3-2 in overtime. It was an emotional, edge-of-your-couch victory that is hard to describe. But let's give it a shot:

*The officials clearly tilted the ice for the Penguins, turning a blind eye to many of the Pens' antics and giving Sidney and Geno carte blanche to do whatever they want. And they did. And they somehow drew penalties while doing it. It is just disgraceful that guys as skilled as the two of them resort to cheap shots. That Malkin threw several punches and elbows that somehow weren't seen, that is almost acceptable compared to Crosby intentionally taking Hank's skates out from under him. Apparently four officials didn't see it. Yeah, right. The worst part wasn't that the stripes ignored it but that the Blueshirts did as well. Someone has to put whatever player - be it Crosby, Talbot, Cooke, whoever - in their place for touching Hank. Lundqvist is far too important to this team and he certainly is not about to defend himself. Even though it was 1-0 Rangers at the time, this is where the two points simply aren't as important as sending a message. Hit Hank, prepare to die.

*What is the worst the refs would have done? Called more penalties? They managed to do that just fine and, remarkably, the Rangers were in good shape. As the shorthanded minutes grew, the constant Pittsburgh pressure seemed to make them diamond-tough. When the pressure eased for a moment due to the stoppage for blood on the ice, the defense opened up after the break and allowed the game-tying goal by Chris Kunitz. It also didn't help that Girardi was gone as the mixed pairing left on the ice didn't work. Staal was caught watching the play after Eminger switched sides on him and got lost in no-man's land. That isn't to say Eminger played a bad game - he has been shocking capable since his minutes started going up - but he and Staal hadn't played together before and it showed.

*As for the go-ahead goal, well, you could see the wind fall out of Hank's sails after the Kunitz tally and he simply could not re-capture his composure. There was no break from the emotional let-down, no chance to calm down. And it allowed the despicable Cooke Monster to come down the ice and fire a simple shot past him. Seeing the Swede breaking his stick and throwing the pieces afterwards said it all. And that showed just how intense he is, which is quite admirable - no matter if the refs were able to use it as another excuse to give the Penguins a power play.

*While Girardi's apathy in the Carcillo/Gaborik incident will never be forgotten, the fact that he went from pouring blood from a head wound to back on the ice in minutes shows how invested he is in the team now. Soldiering on like that is what helps make hockey players better than all other athletes.

*On the redemption note, Erik Christensen did not achieve it. Was it good he scored? Was it a nice goal that he scored? Absolutely. Does it absolve him of throwing Sean Avery under the bus? No. Sure the matter was handled internally, but it would have gone a long way if Christy at least addressed it during his intermission interview. Just a 'pardon my John, but I just want to say I'm sorry to Sean for my comments yesterday. That is all.' That would have been fine - he wouldn't have to defend his opinion or change it, but since his 'cheap shot' comment was made in the media, an apology should have been made in the media.

*Avery, by the way, saw limited time but was effective. He skated hard and was one of the few Rangers to consistently take the play to the Penguins rather than vice versa. His unsportsmanlike conduct was a joke but inevitable when he stepped on the ice along Cooke and the officials heard his voice. The Rangers were lucky Cooke was called for a matching minor because the referees clearly could have ground their ax further.

*After Kunitz's goal, do you think O'Halloran skated by the Pittsburgh bench and asked them "what took you so long?"

*It didn't take Marc Staal long at all to score the equalizer. And it was awesome. Staal just ripped the puck past Marc Andre Fleury, who had been barely tested all night. What a goal. After having trouble in the offensive zone last season and retreating back into his defensive comfort zone, Staal has been slowly moving up the ice this season and this goal was the farthest he has come.

*Now the million dollar question - how far can the Rangers go with Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky leading them? After a game like this one, it is hard to put a limit on it as the two were outstanding in all facets. Not only did they combine on the game-winner, but their penalty killing and their physicality were also top notch. My only concern is what will happen when Chris Drury re-enters the mix. Will they take a step back, allow him to take the mantle of leadership back? How will they be with him getting some of their special teams minutes? They will certainly say all the right things but the proof will be on the ice.

*Cally vs. Comrie? What the ... ?? It was a fair fight between two scrappy little guys, pretty even, nice that they both took their helmets off. Beyond that, whatever. The Rangers losing their best penalty killer for five minutes was dangerous but they got through it.

*Chris Connor was again good against the Rangers. This was the second time this nobody showed up against the Blueshirts, perhaps it is time to figure out who the hell he is.

*Frolov was exposed as a one-way player who Tortorella doesn't trust. And there is nothing wrong with that, as it has been an accepted fact with the rest of us. It just dashed the hopes of those who thought that Sunday's performance against the Oilers was the start of something good.

*Ruslan Fedotenko was strong all night long but one of his best moments was prying Max Talbot out of a scrum. Talbot went from angry, lunging into the mix to smiling and skating away. It was quite amusing; wonder what he said to him.

*Not so amusing was Hank throwing his hands up in disgust at MDZ during a stoppage late in the game. The kid's offense was better than it has been of late - not saying much - but his defense was still pretty harsh. He and Matt Gilroy should be 'traded' to the Whale even up for McDonagh and Valentenko for a few games. Let Sauer see some expanded minutes - he deserves it.

*The ice was as bad as advertised in the new Pittsburgh arena. Instead of letting us see more of the place, instead MSG treated us to a nice segment about Sidney Crosby hitting home runs. C'mon, everyone who aren't Pirates hit home runs in Pittsburgh.

*On the broadcasting note, MSG's cameras did not match - the video levels were waaaay off for the ice-side cameras - and Joe Micheletti is the worst. "I'm sorry Sam but ... " "Pardon me Sam but ..." There is no excuse for Joe. He points out the blatently obvious and has zero chemistry with his co-worker, loudly interrupting him constantly. He is clearly a sycophant, sucking up to his Ranger overlords by being a p.r. shrill lauding any and every minuscule accomplishment. If you haven't figured it out, I can't stand him. Even a drunk homer like Mickey Redmond is easier to listen to.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Sidney Crosby - being Sidney Crosby.
2-Henrik Lundqvist - 37 saves.
1-Ryan Callahan - one goal and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Staal - His gaffe on the Kunitz goal aside, Staal was solid - shutting down Crosby is no easy task and Staal managed it well. And he scored the goal that tied the game, forced overtime and probably forced Colin Campbell to send another e-mail about the failure of the officiating.
2-Dubi - Cally got the pub for the game-winner but admitted it was the easiest goal he ever scored, all because of Dubi's work coming down the ice. And Dubi is the one who set up Staalsie for the game-winner - he made a perfect interception in the Rangers zone, skated up the ice, drew a double team and made a perfect back-pass through the traffic to Staal. Outstanding.
1-Hank - The Cooke goal aside, Lundqvist was outstanding. His positioning was fantastic, he made beautiful saves and he made ugly saves. Hank ranged from the crease a couple of times and actually managed not to butcher them. Could you imagine if Biron had been forced to play in this one?

Intent?

Did anyone see the end of the Detroit game last night? If so, what the hell was that? The Red Wings had a clear goal waived off - one that went into the net after the whistle. The excuse was the relatively-new allowance that the ref 'intended' to blow the play dead before the puck went in. Are you kidding me?

I know they are making new rules in terms of penalties because the players are bigger, stronger and faster, but now they are making one because the refs are oversized? 'I was going to blow the whistle but my damned arm is too long and I couldn't get it to my mouth fast enough.' This is ridiculous! If you really want to open a can of worms with this one, this intent crap can easily be used by the refs to help fix matches. I'm not saying that they do or that Brad Watson did in this case, but this certainly should open the avenue of discussion.

And what the hell were those post-final buzzer muggings that were going on? Several Wings were jumped with clear body blows thrown in an attempt to send a message - something this league has decided is verboden this postseason. But let me guess, there will be no supplemental discipline because Colin Campbell 'intended' to go to bed before the game ended ...

7-2-1: Ref Interference Swats Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets were robbed on Friday night. Somehow both officials and the video judges in Columbus and Toronto all mistakenly agreed that Brandon Dubinsky's eventual game-winner was a fair goal even though he clearly redirected it in with his skate. It put the Blue Jackets back on their heels and allowed the Rangers to play from a place of strength. But what is done is done and the Blueshirts skated away with a 3-1 win. Considering how badly the team has played in recent games, we'll take it.

*First off, get well soon Tom Renney. After getting clocked in the head, he went down like a ton of bricks and had to be helped off of the bench. On NHL on the Fly they said he was doing fine so let's hope so; I never want to see the team in Perry Pearn's hands again. Yes, the team picked up their play, but it was for Renney - not the incompetent Pearn. His power play, by the way, went 1-for-7 and looked awful during a 5-on-3.

*I watched the game without any audio and have to say it was great not having to listen to Joe Micheletti. But I do have to say that the MSG production staff doing this game must have had no control over the cameramen. The Columbus crew had trouble following the puck and nearly gave me motion sickness as they swung back and forth. The MSG folks weren't perfect themselves, missing several faceoffs because of replays as well as the first Ranger goal.

*Speaking of faceoffs, the Rangers couldn't win one while in the offensive zone on the power play if their lives depended on it. It was horrifying to watch the seconds tick off as they were forced to retrieve the puck time after time after time.

*And they are lucky to have Henrik Lundqvist in the crease because yet again the special team allowed the disadvantaged team to get scoring chances. Hank made 25 saves in all and stood tall despite unrelenting pressure from Rick Nash, who could be great if he didn't play in Columbus.

*My boy Malik Kalinin really, really needs to be released or replaced. His display on Columbus' lone goal was atrocious. While he should have been able to get the handle on the bouncing puck, the least he could have done was take a smart penalty and hold up Jakob Voracek. Instead, he missed the puck and the man and Jake got two shots off, scoring on the second one. There are good penalties and bad penalties and he wasn't smart enough to take either. But he did take a stick to the face later on to draw a call so that's something ... right?

*Voracek, by the way, really showed why he is a top prospect. He has great hands, good size and - as he showed on the goal - breakaway speed. If RJ Umberger and the rest of the Columbus offense ever get in gear, Voracek could end up a Calder finalist. Especially since his teammate, Nik Filatov won't challenge him when he gets less than three minutes of ice time a game.

*The Ranger kids, meanwhile, were involved all over the ice. Ryan Callahan hit everything that moved, Marc Staal was the most physical he has ever been (not facing his own brother), Brandon Dubinsky had little trouble powering into the Columbus zone and Dan Girardi excelled in all three zones. The only disappointment was Nigel Dawes, who was ineffective yet again.

*Did Fedor Tyutin or Cristian Backman actually play? I saw they got ice time on the box score but can honestly say I didn't notice either of them all night. Actually, check that, I saw Backman standing nearby Rick Nash as he was giving Freddy Sjostrom the business after the final buzzer.

*It was great to see another former Ranger again. Manny Malhotra has certainly made a nice little career for himself after the Rangers ruined his early development. Where Danny Blackburn was overused, got hurt and is out of hockey, Manny was underused, overburdened with expectations and yet has carved himself a nice niche as an energy line center.

*Markus Naslund somehow got a pair of assists in this one. Can you imagine how good the Rangers will be if he, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and/or Wade Redden actually remember how to score? I dream of that.

*Let's hope that tomorrow they take a few more pictures of Cindy Crosby that she never wants to be in again ...

*PHW Three Stars
3-Markus Naslund - two assists.
2-Dan Girardi - one goal and one assist.
1-Nik Zherdev - one goal and two assists.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Ryan Callahan - Cally had seven recorded hits. He is at his best when he is physically involved because it makes things happen. Too many Rangers are reactive rather than proactive and it was nice to see.
2-Pascal Leclaire - Leclaire made 29 saves on 32 shots and had absolutely no chance to get the other three. Girardi's goal came through a screen, Dubi kicked his in and Zherdev ... well there was no stopping that.
1-Zherdev - Circumstances got him his two assists, skill got him that goal. A soft touch to receive the puck and lightning fast hands to turn it over and put in the upper corner on the far side. Wow. If only he could do that on a regular basis ...

R1, G4: Sweet Redemption

What a game at the Garden!

With some of the nay-sayers already predicting loss (not me, for once), the Rangers came out and battled the Devils to a hard-earned 5-3 win on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Hudson River Rivalry.

For Marc Staal, it was sweet redemption (hence, the title of this). After having the game-winning overtime goal go in off of his skate in Sunday's loss, his third period shot in Game 4 found its way through traffic to blow past Marty Brodeur. The tally would stand up as the game-winning goal and the Blueshirts have some breathing room heading into Friday's road home game in Newark's Prudential Center.

Thank goodness, because my nerves couldn't stand much more. Here's what was causing me to bite my nails all night:

*As one incredibly wonderful fan pointed out in a well-crafted sign, diving counts as unsportsmanlike conduct and Mmmaaaaaarrrrttttyyy was not very sporting on this evening. On several occasions the overrated crybaby turned the game into his own personal tryout for the Canadian swim team that is headed to Beijing this summer. He dove back and forth across the crease as if it would earn him a medal and, in one instance, it earned him a two minute minor for (what else but) diving. My question is why was a interference call made on Sjostrom when the second player, Mmmmaaaaaarrrrttttyyy, embellished the play enough to be called for diving? And where was the dive on the play later in the game when Jagr cut into the crease and Mmmmmaaaaaaarrrrrttttyyy went for another swim?

*That brings up the point that the officiating maintained its dubious track record of being inconsistent and unfair. Why is it that no penalty is called when Sean Avery is pinned to the ice for 15 seconds by a Devil and a minor is given to Jaromir Jagr when he is being punched in the face? And Jersey has the nerve to complain about the officiating when every call, outside of the end of Game 2, has been in their favour. The joke that the officials are three blind mice is outdated; these guys aren't just blind, they are stupid as well. Inconsistent, incompetent officiating needs to be eradicated ASAP. These games aren't about the refs, they are about the players and they need to keep it that way; no one wants to pay to see a game decided by a whistle.

*On whistling: just stop it already with the 'Potvin Sucks' whistles. Love them when we are playing the Islanders, but against the Devils it is just annoying and out of place. If anything, its a Devil fan executing their rip off version where the Potvin is replaced with Rangers. Either way, it has no place in the Garden late in the third period during a tight game against New Jersey.

*Back to that nonsense with goaltending ... Jay Pandolfo told the AP that “I guess we have find a way to do the same thing to their goalie. They are getting away with it, we should be able to get away with it, too.” For one, I didn't realize that Mmmaaaaarrrrtttyyy's acting job was good enough to fool his own teammates and for two, when you hit players into your own goaltender its your fault, not that of the other players. Idiot.

*It was nice of the Devils trainer to go all the way down the ice to see a trainer give Mmmmmaaaarrrrtttyyy a towel to cry into when he went for that second swim, losing his helmet in the process.

*A fellow season subscriber and I agreed that Nigel Dawes has seemingly disappeared in this series. After dominating the Devils in the regular season, he has yet to make his presence felt.

*Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky, on the other hand, have been invaluable physical forces that create plays and opportunities for their linemates. These kids are the best Rangers youngsters since Doug Weight and Tony Amonte.

*Christian Backman had 23 minute of ice time, including 3:45 of power play time. Things he achieved in that time?? NOTHING. It is infuriating that he is being groomed to be Rozy's replacement so we will be stuck with him for years to come. What a waste of a perfectly good jersey. I have heard from a good source that Bobby Sanguinetti is already looking like a star in the AHL so maybe he can beat Backman for a spot on the blueline next season.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Chris Drury - goal and an assist.
2-Marty Straka - goal and an assist.
1-Marc Staal - game-winning goal.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Dan Girardi - rock solid defense. He had eight hits and an assist in less than 17 minutes of work. His defensive acumen allowed Toots to make a few offensive plays without making me nervous.
2-Scott Gomez - yet again he didn't dominate but he definitely played a stronger game than he had in Game 3. He won faceoff after faceoff, netted two goals and continued to open up the ice with his puck carrying skills.
1-Marc Staal - the kid played more than 23 minutes of solid hockey. He was mobile, moved the puck smoothly and stood his ground defensively.

It Couldn't Happen Here, Could It?

So I am sitting here at work watching David Stern try to distance himself and the NBA away from the point shaving/gambling scandal and wondering if it could happen in the NHL.

I, of course, find Stern's comments hilarious coming from a league that put its All Star Game in Las Vegas. I also feel bad for the Phoenix Suns since they definitely got shafted on some calls this year against the Spurs.

But could this kind of thing happen in the NHL? I think so. And that sucks. This new NHL certainly gives the officials a lot of power by allowing them to call any tug, hug or poke. Even with the two official system, one ref can call the game insanely tight and give the other team an advantage. We all talk about Game 5 and 7.7 seconds (thanks Chris) but Maxy Afinogenov scored a Power Play goal IN OVERTIME to win. I am one of those fans that think that the refs should swallow their whistles in OT barring heinous infractions or black-and-white calls. But there are plenty of issues in regulation as well. In Game 1 of the Buffalo-NY series, which I went all the way up to Buffalo for, there were 13 power plays given in the game (five for us, eight for the Sabres) but each team only converted on one. Who wants to see that?!?

The officiating in the new NHL has a ton of influence and power and that is just scary. Prior to the lockout the base salary range for NHL referees was $110,000 to $255,000 and $72,000 to $162,000 for linesmen (according to USA Today). But, like the players, they weren't payed for a full year. So I can certainly imagine some temptation there, even with some of the (if not THE) highest salaries for officials in professional sports. I guess we will just have to wait and see if good ole' Gary makes a statement and clarifies the NHL's security procedures for matters such as these.

Not all buildings chastise the referees the way the Garden does, so someone has to keep the stripes in line ...