Recap of Game 5 Between the Kings and Rangers

You know, I still think the goal horn is going off in the Staples Center from that June 13th game.

Second Round Review; Upsets, Upstarts, and Funerals; THIRD ROUND PREDICTIONS

We're down to four in these NHL playoffs and we've seen it all, it seems.
Big lead changes, big upsets, bad blood, and great plays.
After an opening round in which we saw 10 multi-goal deficits erased, leading to wins, we saw a second round where teams that scored first went 26-1.

We almost saw a repeat of last year's conference final matchups with the Kings, Blackhawks, Penguins, and Bruins, but the Eastern Conference underdogs had something else in mind. The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers played inspired hockey and were able to pull the upset, making an interesting series out east.

I've had pretty solid predictions so far so I'll those in at the end. My second round predictions sit here.

NHL Month In Review: January; Outdoor Games, Pond Hockey, and Rangers Tax Problems

It was a month filled with outdoor hockey games, Olympic announcements, and heated play. At the halfway point of the season, we have a good picture of how the playoff push will be shaping up and things look like we'll be headed toward a dramatic finish.

There was a lot to choose from but here's the recap from the month of January

Lights Go Out On Broadway For Torts; Too Soon?

One thing that we were sure of going into this season was that we'd see some sloppy hockey. With a shorter season, late start, and a condensed schedule it was guaranteed that the players were not going to be ready for the physical demands that were necessary.

Especially for a team who stresses an all out style of play.

This 2012-2013 campaign should have been a free ride for several coaches in the NHL. John Tortorella being one of them.

Now Ranger fans were starting to call for Tortorella's head at the beginning of the Washington series after they went down 2 games. But Tortorella got the team going again and came back to win the series in 7. Torts got 0 credit for the comeback.

Then the Rangers were completely flat for five games with Boston and that was that.

Let's look at some statistics, shall we?

In the twelve years under GM Glen Sather, the Rangers have just five playoff victories. Does anyone have any guesses who has the majority of those?
That's right, John Tortorella. With 3 series victories in the last two years. Nobody else has brought even close to the amount of success as Torts has.
Not to mention, his team finished atop the entire Eastern Conference last season.

so long

So what changed in just one year? The Ranger fans went from loving the brutally honest coach to hating him in just one season.
The Rangers still made the playoffs and advanced to the next round after a very solid season. Sure, they underperformed considering the expectations, but then again, the expectations were Stanley Cup or bust this year. How can you blame Tortorella for Richards completely disappearing in the postseason or for Nash to not play like what he is worth.

You see, this season was torture for a Rangers team who have to go all out every game. Their style of hockey DEMANDS great conditioning and practice, two things the Rangers admittedly were missing. Brian Boyle said so himself after they got eliminated that there were guys on the Rangers who were out of shape for much of the year. John Tortorella cannot coach the way he wants with a team like that.

So do the Rangers just can a guy for one year not panning out the way they planned, even if it wasn't a disaster of a season?

I kind of assume that the Rangers just wanted a new guy. Right now there are some available coachs that any team wouldn't mind taking. Alain Vigneault, former Vancouver coach, is a hot commodity being sought after by several teams, as is Lindy Ruff. Dave Tippet may also be available for some teams.

So I hate to say the Rangers are making a mistake here. As a Devils fan, I hate John Tortorella. As a hockey fan, I think he might be one of the best options for the Rangers. And you can ask any 2012 Ranger fan to back me up.

So when do we start talking about Glen Sather?

Dear Ranger Fans, Here's How You Come Back From 3-0

I'm a Devils fan.

I hate the New York Rangers with all my might. I enjoy seeing them lose. I enjoy seeing their fans upset. I enjoyed beating them last year (I had to put that in here)

That makes what I'm about to do very difficult for me.

Last year, the Devils were down 3 games to none in the Stanley Cup Finals against the unstoppable, and eventual Stanley Cup champions, Los Angeles Kings.
The Devils did not make it all the way to game 7, but the fight they displayed was definitely something we all can learn from.

It's a difficult mountain to climb. Only 3 teams have done it. The '42 Maple Leafs, the '75 Islanders, and the '10 Flyers were the only ones to accomplish the feat, and there's a reason for that. It's just not expected.

At the time, I was typing away, foolishly filling myself with hope. After their game 4 win, the idea was already strong in my head. And that continued especially after winning game 5.

The Rangers just won game 4 and it's already easy to recognise the similarities of the 2 series.
The Devils first 3 losses consisted of 2 overtime games and one game they got blown out.
The Rangers had 2 one goal losses (one of them in OT) and one game they got blown out.
Game 4 for each was an intense battle of nerves where the rookie who has a knack for playoff hockey shows up again to save the day. Henrique with the game winner with 4 minutes to go in the third and Chris Kreider with the overtime winner.

Same. Exact. Storyline. (aside from home ice advantage. We'll get to that later)

So, as a fan who went through this emotional roller coaster, I will give you some tips.
First, I'll give you the small things the Rangers must do to keep it going.
Then I'll give you advice on how to not go criminally insane during this stretch.

So appreciate this, because honest to god, I hope the Bruins win game 5.
But here's what the Rangers gotta do.

2nd Round Preview; 9 Things To Know

After a crazy first round, the teams don't exactly have much time to regroup as the second round starts literally the next night. So teams need to regroup as quickly as possible. For some teams it just means resting up. For others it means working up a new game plan. Let's take a look at the matchups.

Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

In a season where literally anything was possible, hockey fans were given the unfathomable. It was a season where teams sprung up out of nowhere to make the playoffs and a season where sure-fire playoff teams had struggling points. We saw an unimaginable points streak by the Blackhawks and saw an incredible turnaround by the Washington Capitals. We saw the Red Wings almost miss the playoffs in the first time in 22 years as the Blue Jackets threatened to steal a playoff spot in the West. And, of course, we saw the Islanders and Maple Leafs, two cursed franchises, make the playoffs.

The storylines for this shortened season were endless and in the last couple of months, we have 16 teams who will battle for the ultimate prize.

These first round matchups should give us some good hockey so let's jump in.

Why the NHL is Ruining the Winter Classic

Let me take you back in time to January 1, 2008 to the first Winter Classic taken place in Ralph Wilson Stadium in Bufallo.
The whole game was just a crazy spectacle as the hockey world watched, mouth agape, as two teams battled it out on the slushy ice. And of course who could forget the way it ended, a moment so incredible, even a Philadelphia fan gets goosebumps from it.

This moment was essentially the epitome of what the Winter Classic represented. One game where we can all watch and appreciate where hockey came from and the continuously growing league that we have. The NHL's premiere star, Sidney Crosby, was the centre of attention at the biggest moment. Although it was just the beginning, Sidney Crosby would have many more memories of outdoor games to come (or...maybe he might have some trouble remembering them)

The Winter Classics in the following years showcased different cool matchups and nice storylines. The games continued to give us cool venues for a hockey game and created a lot of buzz for hockey every year around New Years time. It was a time when hockey was as close to the centre of attention as it would be every year.

Last year was the first year where the views dropped down a bit. I broke it down here but essentially contributed it to the fact that it could be getting old. With a Winter Classic every year, now with the Heritage Classic also, we had a cool rivalry but the game lacked a cool storyline or good gameplay.

Well everyone, it's time to purchase a new winter coat and invest in some new ski caps. The NHL just announced there will be 6 outdoor games this coming year.
And I hate them for it.

Conference Finals Preview!!!

Second Round Results: (feel free to skip this part. it get's disgusting)
I said Capitals in 7
Rangers won in 7
0

I said Flyers in 6
Devils won in 5
0

I said Blues in 5
Kings won in 4
0

I said Predators in 7
Coyotes won in 5
0

Nobody likes predicting series, but it's a necessary evil in the blogging world. People look to you for your expertise (or lack thereof, in this case) for no other reason than they have internet access. So after 2 rounds, I'm a meager 5/12 including a whopping 0/4 in the second round.

So here is the TV schedule for this round. Considering what we've seen thus far, it should be one helluva round for the NHL.

1. New York Rangers vs. 6. New Jersey Devils
Rangers won the regular season series 3-2-1

Oh boy. This is the series we've all been waiting for. The Battle of the Hudson. The rematch of the 1994 Eastern Conference Final. The teams that created the Avery Rule. The teams that saw 3 fights in 2 seconds this season. And we're about to see another classic between these two teams.

Now a lot has changed. The Rangers no longer employ Stephane Matteau, Sean Avery, and there's a very slim chance we'll see many more cases of 3 fights at once. But this series should still be an intense, physical battle.

At this point, these teams have flipped flopped their roles. The Devils have been playing with an uber aggressive forecheck system which has been giving their opponents fits while the Rangers have been using the "Trap" defensive style, something the Devils have been faulted for ruining hockey with in the '90's (ironic, eh?)

Additionally, the Rangers have just won 2 consecutive 7 game series, something done only 8 times in NHL history. None of those teams went on to win the next round. Assuming it was due to fatigue, I think this NY team is different in the sense of the type of team they are. They're a hardworking team and they have a lot of fight in them so I'm not so sure about saying this'll be an issue for them.

The Rangers are 5-3 on home ice this postseason, including 2 game 7 victories at the Garden. Their fans have been wonderful but teams haven't been too intimidated playing on their ice so far.

In New Jersey, the Devils have enjoyed their home ice. After losing a big lead in their first game at the Rock,  the Devils went on to win their next 4 home games. The often-criticized-for-being-empty arena has been insane during the postseason and has been an electric atmosphere (I had the privilege of going to one of those games). But I've noted before about the invasion of Ranger fans in Newark and I'm sure it will be pretty much the same this round. But we shall see.

The Rangers in these playoffs are 7-0 when scoring the first goal. This is for sure credited to the defensive-minded hockey they play and the stellar goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist. The Devils, on the other hand, are 5-0 when surrendering the first goal. This is for sure credited to their determination, hard forechecking, and Ilya Bryzgalov being a sieve. So something has to change this series.

The Rangers offense has been at times anemic this postseason. They've played 2 hot goalies for the first 2 rounds and they've been struggling (at times) to put the puck in the net. After making his presence felt in his first couple of games, rookie phenom Chris Kreider has fallen off the face of the earth (aside from a gorgeous assist in game 4). The Rangers were successful against the Devils this season when using their speed and Kreider and, other rookie, Carl Hagelin will have to step up their game for that.
Also, I feel like the Brad Richards will play a big role for the Rangers if they were to advance. In 2004 he was the heart and soul of the Tampa Bay Lighting and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for his efforts. I feel that he's going to want to push his team to get things going offensively in a lead-by-example kind of way.

The Devils have been scoring from numerous sources. Their game winning goal scorers are Ryan Carter, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac Adam Henrique, David Clarkson, Alexi Ponikarovsky, Dainius Zubrus, and Bryce Salvador. That's 8 different goal scorers. None of them are Ilya Kovalchuk. This just shows the depth of this New Jersey team. Their first line has gotten things going and their fourth line (Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier-Ryan Carter) has been remarkable. Coach Pete DeBoer chooses the perfect moments to put this line in and they have done a wonderful job causing pressure, being physical, and scoring big goals.
The Devils have also benefited from mediocre-at-best goaltending. At times, the Florida and Philly netminders have been sieves and it definitely benefited the Devils. I'll talk about Henrik Lundqvist later on, but I'll say it now, the Devils won't be receiving any gifts from him at this stage. But if the Devils continue "Swarming It Up!", maybe it'll be enough to get by NY and finally get revenge for '94.
(It should be noted, that the Devils haven't played enforcers Cam Janssen or Eric Boulton yet in the playoffs and the team hasn't gotten into a single fight yet so it should be interesting what the Devils do regar ding that)

The Rangers defense has to be smart against Jersey. The Devils' forwards' forechecking has been fast and effective so far this postseason thanks to opposition defenses losing the puck in their own end. The Rangers have perhaps the best puck-moving defenseman in the NHL. Ryan McDonagh, Michael Del Zotto, Marc Staal, and Dan Girardi are all capable defenseman and all could be top defenders in the league. But here's where the issue comes up. The third defensive unit is not so trustworthy, and their time on ice reflects that. In game 3 of their series with Washington, Stu Bickel played just 3 minutes of the 114 minutes played. Him and Anton Stralman have played significantly less than the other 2 top lines. This may wear the top two pairings down a bit and it should be interesting to see how they progress. But one things for sure. When the games are in New Jersey and the Devils have the last line change, they will for sure take advantage of this. And did I mention how good they are at shot blocking.

The Devils defense has gotten better over the postseason and quietly did a great job against Philly. They surprised many people, myself included, in the coverage they put on. Guys like Marek Zidlicky and Andy Greene have been eating big minutes and have looked pretty good out there. Rookie Adam Larsson made his postseason debut this past round against Philly and looked adequate while other rookie Peter Harrold was a healthy scratch since starting (and playing well) in their first round against Florida. Again, their one issue has been defending against a fast team. Florida's young talent and speed dominated the Devils when it was there, and like I said earlier, Carl Hagelin's speed in the regular season gave the Devils trouble as well.

Martin Brodeur has finally put together a solid series for the Devils in which he didn't give up an untimely weak goal. After about game 5 of the series with Florida, the all time wins leader played strong hockey for the Devils as they went 6-1 in that stretch. His puck playing ability has been solid. His rebound control has been solid. But Devils fans fear that he may go back to his last-four-playoff-seasons Marty in which we saw bad goals given up at bad moments. The word on the block is that if you throw pucks, from sharp angles towards his feet, they have a good chance of going in. We haven't seen too much of that in the last round or so and I'm sure the Rangers will start that up again.

Henrik Lundqvist was finally given a supporting cast. And with them, he's in the Eastern Conference Finals. Henrik has always been the guy with the bad luck of playing for the team with little offense or defense. He's had to struggle through some pretty tough seasons and playoff campaigns but he's finally one step away from the Stanley Cup Finals. He's been playing great for the Rangers all year and the well-rested Lundqvist continued his strong play into the postseason. However, we saw his one *slight* weakness exposed in the Washington series. Everyone always talks about that the way you beat Henrik is top glove side. And the Capitals pounded the pucks top glove side at every possible moment. And what we saw were a few goals off of his glove and in. I'm not saying it's a sure way to beat Lundqvist. But it may be the one hope the Devils have against the King considering his track record against Jersey.

The Rangers penalty kill has been pretty average in these playoffs. They have been great at getting their body in front of shots and clearing rebounds away from the middle of the ice. But at times they've tried to do a bit too much. Like in game 6 when they left Alex Ovechkin wide open in the slot. So if the Rangers avoid chasing the puck too much, they should be good. The Rangers powerplay has been very shaky and has their fans pretty upset. Aside from their 2 goal powerplay in game 5 (you know, the one that actually prevented them from getting eliminated), they were pathetic. From what I see, they like to pass the puck along the point in a 3 man rotation, looking for a shot on net. And then they wait some more. And before you know it, they make a stupid pass and the puck gets cleared. If the Rangers simplify their approach and get the puck to the net, maybe better things will happen. Washington gave them several opportunities but NY squandered them. As John Tortorella put it "It sucked (our powerplay). It kills ya. It sucked."

The Devils had a special teams turnaround in the second round. Their penalty kill stopped one of the best powerplays in the game. The Devils statistically had the best penalty kill in NHL history in the regular season but were awful in the first round against Florida. But they seemed to get back to their old ways in the second round. Their powerplay also was somewhat solid. Their PP started clicking a little bit and it's definitely helped their game. They do pass the puck between the point men looking for a shot. And then they have a triangle down low in which they play with from time-to-time as well. It's a pretty predictable powerplay but it has been working for the past few games. But let's see how the Devils do once their shooting lanes have been taken away by the Rangers shot blocking.

Both teams have been pathetic in the faceoff circle. They each have a guy or two who can be good (like John Mitchell and Travis Zajac) but I don't see either team taking a significant advantage in this department.

In the end, I think this series is going to come down to several things. The emotional level of the Rangers after 2 emotionally draining series. The discipline of the New Jersey Devils, not taking stupid penalties or retaliations in the heat of the moment (like they avoided against Philly). The stamina of the Rangers first two defensive pairings and their ability to move the puck. And most importantly, Martin Brodeur, keeping the games close for the Devils to take advantage of. The Devils have yet to face a legitimate playoff netminder so it should be interesting to see how they react when things don't work out as well as they have been as of late.

So when predicting this series, I'm presented with a dilemma. If I pick the Rangers, then I'd be bashed for going against the Devils, my favourite team (something that happened with last round's predictions). If I pick the Devils, I'm criticized for being a homer. So before I write anything, let me tell you that what I write is just my gut feeling and NOT  something that should be taken seriously. If I'm correct, then I'm a genius. But more often than not, it's just a guess that comes up empty. So ya.

In my opinion, I feel the Rangers will come out empty for a couple of the games. We saw in game 6 against the Capitals a terrible effort put together by NY as they literally did nothing all night. I feel if the Devils keep up their game, they could tire out the Rangers and take advantage of any bad effort out there. This is no doubt going to be a physical series in which the most physical team will most likely win. I can see the Rangers being too aggressive at times and landing in the box and I feel that this is a special-teams battle that suits the Devils well. The games will be close. But I think the Devils depth on offense tires out the already-exhausted Rangers team.


DEVILS IN 6


3. Phoenix Coyotes vs. 8. Los Angeles Kings
Regular season series (essentially) tied 3-3

Let me begin by saying this. If you're an American reader, you've most likely seen one or two 30 second specials on ESPN's sportscenter about how the "Cinderella" 8th seeded Kings defied all odds and made an attempt to run the table in the NHL playoffs.

Pfft.

The Kings, in the last week of the season, still had a chance of winning the Pacific Division. Meaning this could easily be a matchup between the 3. Los Angeles Kings against the 8. Phoenix Coyotes. But it's not.

The Kings have proved that they're not the 8th seeded team people are making them out to be. They defeated the other 2 division champions and they now face their own. They got here by playing good disciplined hockey with solid defense and unbelievable netminding. They literally walked all over their first 2 opponents and now they have one team left in their way to make it to the finals.

The Coyotes had a sick evening last week. Not only did they defeat the Nashville Predators to make it to the Western Conference Finals, but they also had a media event in which they announced they pretty much have a buyer enabling them to stay in Phoenix.
You see, it's been that type of season in Phoenix. Everybody doubting you and ignoring you. And before you know it, you're in the Western Conference Finals.

The Coyotes have played such a controlled way of hockey all season long. Great goaltending. Stellar defense. Big contributions. In the playoffs under head coach Dave Tippett, the Coyotes continued their success and showed everyone why hockey belongs in the desert.

The Kings offense had an awakening this postseason as guys like Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards as they both have done great things offensively for this squad. But the heart and soul of this team has been captain Dustin Brown. He was so-so in the regular season (he was even briefly on the trading block for about a week). But he has been sick in these playoffs including 2 goals in the clinching game in round 2 against St. Louis (one of which being a snipe from the circle). To win the series, the Kings will need for Dustin Brown to continue to lead by example AND for his teammates to follow.

The Coyotes offense is almost unexplainable. They have a core of players (several of whom originated from the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, by the way) who have been quietly putting the puck in the net in key moments. Antoine Vermette leads the team with 9 points. Mikkel Boedker has 2 consecutive OT game winners. The ageless Ray Whitney has been producing offense as well, as has Martin Hanzal. For Phoenix, there's no one big piece of this offense. And you will continue seeing this until they get eliminated or win the Cup. This team is 4 lines deep and ready to chip away with their respectable offseason stat of 2.64 goals per game.

Defensively, I don't think there's a team out there that can match Phoenix's star power AND depth on defense. Firstly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has to be one of the best defenseman in the league. In these playoffs he's showed his true potential. He's a superb skater, has a physical presence, has an above average shot, and has good puck handling abilities. Sounds a little like Kieth Yandle, no? And then throw in Rusty Klesla and Derek Morris things are a little unfair. These guys have been superb all postseason and the Coyotes love the fact they have these three pairings of Dmen.

The Kings defense is also a pretty dominating force. Drew Doughty has stepped up in the playoffs and has been playing well. Slava Voynov has chipped in as well. For the Kings defense has been a big factor and is a reason they've gotten this far. They are pretty good at clearing out the front of the net after Jonathan Quick saves. I think they'll have to continue that work with Phoenix's pesky offense skating around in front.

Let's be real here. The one thing that sets this series apart from any other series in any other round this year is the goaltending matchup.

Jonathan Quick is a Vezina Finalist for league's top goalie as he literally put the Kings on his back down the stretch. He led the league in shutouts and his style of play has been sick to watch. He was unbeatable in the first 2 rounds of play and he made many dandy desperation stops. He's the reason the Kings are here and the team finally started helping him out more and now they are in the Western Conference Finals after needing juts 9 games to get there. He's not the tallest guy but he makes up for it with his reflexes, flexibility, and his Quickness (sorry about that one). When screened, however, he goes down to the ice and tries to spot the puck through the feet of the traffic in front of the net. The Coyotes are hoping that maybe if they cause traffic, it'll open up the top half of the net more for shots from the point. They have to hope for a lot though because Quick has the lowest GAA out of any goalie left and he'll certainly continue this into the next round.

On the other end, Mike Smith has done pretty much just as well. He's been sensational for the 'Yotes all year and gave them what they really needed, goaltending in the playoffs. His play under coach Dave Tippett has improved his abilities and he's been zoned in during the playoffs. He's on top of the world in Phoenix and  would have caused an earthquake had he scored in game 5 vs. Nashville with the net empty. He's a big body in front of the net and plays pretty deep  in his crease and reacts very well to shots  which allows him to stay down more. This combination has been deadly for his opponents. His calmness and composure is incredible and like Mr. Quick, his play will continue into the next round.

The powerplay has been weak for both teams.
The penalty kill has been great for both teams.

The Kings powerplay has literally been embarrassing this postseason. And I mean actually horrendous. Their  8.5 conversion rate is something that's seriously wrong for a Conference Finals team. I'd imagine they may resort to simplifying their approach by just shooting pucks towards the net through traffic. They need to come up with something though. Because it's sad that they have the same amount of Shorthanded goals (4) as they do powerplay goals (4). Speaking of shorthanded, the Kings have a +1 differential on the penalty kill. They clog the neutral zone and pick off passes at their own blue line and they have incredible speed the other way. It's definitely something to look for this round.

The Coyotes powerplay has pretty mediocre as well. Not as bad as 8.5, but still low at 16.1, the Coyotes have failed to capitalize on oppositional mistakes. But the key for them this round will be being mistake free on the PP. Like I noted, the Kings are money on the kill so Phoenix has to be perfect and well disciplined when they have the puck on the man advantage. Once they do that, then they can start to figure out how to score. On the penalty kill, Phoenix has been superb. They've been just about as good as LA has aside from the shorthanded goals. Their shot blocking ability has been fantastic and Mike Smith plays big in net to counter the traffic in front.

One of my favourite stats, specifically when it comes to the postseason, is the faceoff %. It's a big advantage (on special teams, late in a game, etc.) when you are able to start the play off with possession of the puck.
In this series, Phoenix has a pretty big advantage here. Their % is considerably larger than that of any team remaining and this could play a role in their series with Los Angeles. A faceoff can at times decide a game. Just ask the Washington Capitals.

Logic would dictate that the Kings are the better team. They've won in more convincing ways. They have a more explosive offense and a goalie just as good if not better than anyone else in the league. The Coyotes on the other hand, don't have a significant goal scorer.

But I'm compelled to choose Phoenix in this one for a couple of reasons. I feel that the Mike Smith-Jonathan Quick matchup will ultimately be even. I think that the depth of Phoenix will overwhelm the Kings' defense and eventually get them tired out. Quick will most likely be facing more shots than Mike Smith and maybe eventually 1 or 2 might trickle in. I also think that Phoenix will ever so slightly win the special teams battle.

"But the Kings dominated their first 2 round opponents!" you might say. Well I'd like to point out (and this is in no way discrediting LA's play up until now) that the Kings benefited mightily from injuries. The Canucks were NOTHING without Daniel Sedin. They had no offense. They had no powerplay. Their chemistry was messed up. Then, the Blues were without Alex Pietrangelo and Jaroslav Halak, something that helped the Kings close out the series in a sweep. I'm not saying this is why LA won. I'm saying that this could be why LA won in 5 games and then in 4.

So I'm picking  Phoenix to beat Los Angeles because I like their depth. I'm picking Phoenix to beat Los Angeles because I like their defense. And, most importantly, I'm picking Phoenix to beat Los Angeles because, up until now, nothing in these playoffs have made any goddamn sense.

COYOTES IN 7

Round 2 Series Predictions

First round results:
I said Rangers in 6
Rangers won in 7
.5

I said Bruins in 5
Capitals won in 7
0

I said Devils in 4
Devils won in 7
.5

I said Penguins in 7
Flyers won in 6
0

I said Canucks in 6
Kings won in 5
0

I said Blues in 7
Blues won in 5
.5

I said Coyotes in 6
Coyotes won in 6
1

I said Predators in 6
Predators won in 5
.5

So for the first round, in which many things did not quite make sense, I went 5/8. The first round produced each seed winning the series (1 Rangers, 2 Blues, 3 Coyotes, 4 Predators, 5 Flyers, 6 Devils, 7 Capitals, 8 Kings)

So the second round matchups are set up and it's gonna be a great round for hockey. I'm gonna give a brief prediction for each series. If you want a dissection of each, I took enough time to do that with the first round predictions over here.

Here is the schedule for the second round games.

1. New York Rangers vs. 7. Washington Capitals
Regular season series tied 2-2

Why The Ranger Fans Should Want a New Jersey Victory

USUAL FAN TURNOUT AT THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER

Although they are still in a closely matched 2-2 series with Ottawa, it appears that some Ranger fans have essentially booked their second round appearance already (we'll ignore this over-confidence problem for them a different time). 

They have been following their team with excitement and have backed them all season long and have been pumped so far this series. And most of all, they've been hating on the Devils.

This rivalry is most likely one of the most intense today. Each game between them this year has been intense and filled with memorable moments (3 simultaneous fights anyone?). These teams know each other all too well and the fans are in the action just as much.

This rivalry has a wikipedia page, and even a Seinfeld episode. These fan bases go back and forth arguing and fighting with each other.

And they may play each other next round.

Now I'll just play along with their game. Let's say the Rangers are locked in the 2nd round (I truly apologize to any Ottawa fans who are offended. I'm just entertaining this situation). If the Capitals lose and the Bruins win, that could set up the Devils-Rangers matchup.

Okay. Ask anybody what the most frustrating part of being a Rangers fan is, they'd most likely tell you it's the difficulty in buying tickets to a game. The arena holds 18,200 people and they sell out nearly every night. This causes ticket prices to spike seeing as Ranger fans are desperate for tickets. This results in many casual fans being left outside the arena for games, especially in the playoffs.

If you take a look on stubhub, the lowest price for a round 2 game 1 ticket in Madison Square Garden is around $155. That's the price right now and imagine how much higher it will get once the Rangers actually advance to the second round.

It could get expensive.

Most of you should know where I'm going by now. 

Let's just say the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is away-fan-friendly, especially with the Ranger fans who swarm the Pru every Devils-Rangers game. New Jersey and New York are filled with Ranger fans willing to travel the small distance to the enemy arena and it seems the Pru is always blue for these contests.

The lowest price, as of this moment, to the first home game in round 2 in New Jersey is $65. Now obviously, that's still a bit pricey, but it's significantly better than coughing up $155 for seats in the nose bleed section in MSG. Therefore, this serves as the perfect opportunity for Ranger fans to see their team live this post season. 

So if you're a Ranger fan, think twice before you root against the Devils in round 1. Because they might be the only chance of seeing a Ranger playoff game live this year.

Ranger Fans Angry Over Suspensions

If you haven't heard already, Carl Hagelin of the New York Rangers was suspended 3 games for his elbow on Daniel Alfredsson and Matt Carkner of the Ottawa Senators was suspended 1 game for wanting to permanently imprint the face of Brian Boyle into the ice at MSG. The Ranger fans were predictably unsatisfied with the rulings and couldn't believe it happened.

Now I already wrote a little bit about the Hagelin suspension in this post here. (note: if you read the comments on that post, you'll pretty much get the gist of what I'm going to write here.) So ya, I wrote an explanation in the comments there so I decided I may as well copy some of the points over into one post here.


If you want to hear Shanahan's take on all three cases in a radio interview, I highly suggest you read this article by PuckDaddy


NOTE: THIS IS NOT ME BACKING UP THE OPINION OF BRENDAN SHANAHAN. THIS IS JUST MY EXPLANATION FOR WHY THEY RULED THE WAY THEY DID.


One point that Rangers fans have made was that suspensions occasionally have to do with the situation of the game. If a team is down by a lot and takes a dumb penalty, it'll be different than if the game is close. Boyle's hit came when the Rangers were holding onto a 1 goal lead. I would respond, however, that this was most likely a rookie getting caught up in a physical match and letting his emotions get to him. The “situation of the game” was a physical matchup. The whole Carkner-Boyle situation was quite ugly and both teams were physical all night. I’m not saying the NHL saw this as revenge for Carkner jumping Boyle, but the fact that the game was aggressive doesn’t exactly help his case. 


Another point that the Ranger fans jump on is that Hagelin is not at all a dirty player. He doesn't play like one and his 24 penalty minutes this season (with 0 five-minute majors) testify to that. This was a great point that's hard to account for. True, Hagelin is not at all a dirty player and this is what is troubling. I wrote how Keith also isn’t a dirty player and got 5 games for a somewhat similar hit but then again, Keith’s play was a tad different (for the worse). I know this answer won’t satisfy anyone but maybe the punishment would have been worse had it been a player with a history of illegal hits... (I know the question here is better than the answer but it is a very valid point).


Now I connected Hagelin's hit to other dirty hits from earlier this season by the end of this post. People have pointed out that they were different plays though.Those were players leading in with their elbow and 100% going in to injure the player. However, I still feel that this is a play that the NHL wants to get rid of and this was essentially the case of a rookie getting caught up in the moment in a physical game. I said I wouldn't be surprised with a 2-3 game suspension. The NHL went with the upper.

The Ranger fans pointed out how Alfredsson seemed to be on the rise health-wise and that the suspension was too severe for a case where the victim is almost already back. True, Alfredsson did practice today with the Senators after passing his baseline test this morning. But the NHL made the announcement the day before and they only had information that was available at the time (As far as I know, Shanahan does not use a crystal ball for his suspensions). At that time, all the NHL knew was that Alfie missed the rest of the game with a concussion and could perhaps miss more time. Alfredsson did not play tonight. But the injury could have added another game to Hagelin’s suspension.


Next, they may point to opinions who said that Weber got off easy and that he wasn't suspended because he was a star for Nashville. To that, I'd like to say that I have been stressing that to a lot of people that you can't compare the Weber play with this play because A) it was a completely different situation and B) the NHL, in my opinion, should have given supplemental discipline there so it was a mistake. As for Hagelin's vital role on the Rangers, it’s a bit different than a star player like Weber (not backing up the NHL on not suspending a star player, I’m just saying). Hopefully the NHL doesn’t look into this THAT much, but a player like Hagelin (a rookie who fills the top line and creates space for Richards and Gaborik while adding speed and hard forechecking) will not be given the green light while a player like Weber (heart and soul of Nashville’s team, top defenseman, top of the powerplay, and, arguably, Nashville’s most marketable player) will.

And last but not least comes the complaints about the Hagelin suspension vs. the Carkner suspension. How can Carkner justifiably receive a 1-game suspension, with the Hagelin 3??? Carkner has a history of suspensions and fines and what he did was complete revenge for Boyle roughing up Ottawa player Erik Karlsson in game 1. There was clear intent to injure and this was completely behind the play and extremely dirty.

So I’ve done my best to kind of back this decision up. I have heard an incredible amount of complaints over the last day from angered Ranger fans (and rightfully so). I felt Carkner should have received about 2 games for the play. My main argument was that the NHL was all for player security. Brian Boyle did jump Karlsson in game 1. The enforcers of the NHL are needed to keep their star players safe so they can do what they do and not get into trouble with the opposition. I think the expectation (and yes, even in a different game. Do you remember all the aggression the Sabres took out on Lucic the next time they played after the Miller-run?) was that Boyle will receive some type of retribution for this. The play was extremely dirty and it was behind the play which makes it all the more unlikeable. This type of retribution does happen pretty frequently except it’s usually not as illegal. Carkner did not throw a punch with his glove on. The main issue was that Boyle was an unwilling combatant and that Carkner continued throwing punches even though Boyle was on the ice. Throw in that Carkner is a repeat offender (in a similar case where he stepped up for a teammate) and the ruling does not make too much sense.

I think that the NHL viewed this as a normal beginning of a fight. They didn’t look at it as Carkner cheapshotting him. They looked at it that Carkner just began the fight with the unwilling combatant. If that is the case, it makes a little more sense. The NHL saw a player defending his star (which, in my opinion, makes a good case for Carkner. I think there is a fine line between revenge and stepping up for a player). They tagged him for fighting an unwilling combatant. Now I said that it should have been 2 games especially because of his history and his role of being an enforcer on the team. But it appears the NHL didn't agree.

Now everyone is going to have their own view on this. I’m trying to withdraw my say as a Devil fan and am trying to keep this as impartial as possible. But Ranger fans are going to see one thing and Senators fans will see another thing and at the end of the day, both of them will feel that they are right. Department of Player Safety is not a perfect system and they do make mistakes (see Weber incident) but they are here to decide on plays like these.

note: while writing this post, Marc-Andre Fleury has given up 5 goals

1 Rangers vs. 8 Senators: PREDICTIONS

Well, it's playoff time again in the NHL. After a season I'd describe as freakin' awesome, 16 teams now have to battle it out to go for the Cup. They already announced the schedule for the first round and pretty much every game will be on national TV.

Last year I predicted each series round-by-round and I was correct with 10 out of the the 15 series. I thought it was pretty solid for my first time around. I got several upsets right and I got 7 out of 8 first round series correct. So here I go for the 2011-2012 Playoffs!!!!!

EAST


1. New York Rangers vs. 8. Ottawa Senators
Ottawa won regular season series 3 games to 1

Well I noticed for several of the first round series, the high seeded team has a losing record against the lower seeded team. This does make things interesting going into the playoffs but in several cases, it should not reflect the outcome of some of the series.

Like this one for example.

Yes, the Senators played extremely well against the Rangers this year and matchup well with them also. Through their four game regular season series, Ottawa has outscored them 14-8 including a 3-0 win and a 4-1 win. So there's no question that Ottawa matches up well with them and aren't intimated by the first seed in the East.

Down the stretch, Ottawa played miserably. They dropped their last 3 and ended up in 8th place because of it. For the Rangers, it was also a mediocre finish as they almost lost their first seed in the Atlantic and then played just flat out awful in the last game of the season with the Presidents Trophy on the line.

OFFENSE:
Offensively, there's no doubt that Ottawa has been one of the best in the league. They are fourth in the league for goals per game Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson have been marvelous all year and Michalek has also played well. But if you ask (almost) any Ottawa fan who has been their best offensive threat all year, they'd say defenseman Erik Karlsson. He leads all NHL defensemen in goals and assists (19, 59) and has fueled Ottawa's offense this year. He's a wonderful skater and can really control the puck well. If Ottawa has any hope of winning, they need him to keep up his game into the playoffs.

For the Rangers, it's been another so-so year offensively. Bringing in Brad Richards wasn't as awesome as most Rangers expected him to be but he did have another solid year. The main spark came from Marian Gaborik as he had 41 goals and 35 assists. But the Rangers are going to need a lot more than just Gaborik, Richards and rookie sensation Carl Hagelin. If they can get players like Artem Anisimov and Derek Stepan going in the playoffs, they can really make a long run.

EDGE: I have to give Ottawa a slight edge based on their numbers this year. The Rangers are certainly capable of being the better team offensively but they have not showed it. If they can get those second/third line guys going then they will not have a problem.

DEFENSE:
The Rangers have been remarkable on defense this year. Their two young defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto have been great players and could easily go toe-to-toew with any of the best forwards in the league. Add Dan Girardi to the mix and it's almost unfair already. The Rangers need Marc Staal to be his old self again. After coming back mid-season from a concussion, he hasn't done too great. So far the other D-men have overshadowed his underachieving but he has got to get out of his little funk. The Rangers have the most hits in the league are fourth in the NHL in blocked shots and have been excellent in their own zone so not much to worry about for them this series on defense.

Ottawa has been alright on D this year. They've quietly put together a solid season there. Karlsson, along with his offensive surge, has been stellar on defense also. Together with Filip Kuba and Sergei Gonchar, they've been pretty solid. It's not one of their strengths but definitely not a weakness.

EDGE: Not a doubt in my mind the Rangers win this one. They have one of the best defenses in the league. It's not gonna be easy going up against the talented Ottawa offense but they've been playing great all year and it's for sure going to continue into the playoffs.

GOALIES:
We'll start with the Rangers just based on convenience. Henrik Lundqvist is certainly the best goalie in the NHL. I've seen games where he was lights out and he could honestly get a shut out on any given night. Throughout his career he has had to put up with weak Rangers teams and was still able to win pretty much on his own. This year he was given a good team so he put up stellar numbers and may easily win the Vezina Trophy (unless Jonathan Quick has anything to say about it). Additionally, the Rangers immensely lightened his load of regular season games this year so he should be well rested for the playoffs. Numbers: 39 wins, GAA 1.97, SV% .930, 8 shutouts

For Ottawa, it's Craig Anderson in net. Craig struggled at times but in the end put up some pretty good numbers. He's a goalie who can be lights out (51 save shutout  in the playoffs two years ago against the Sharks anyone?) and could steal a game or two every now and then. Numbers: 33 wins, GAA 2.84, SV% .914, 3 shutouts

EDGE: Not even a question here. The Rangers and King Henrik easily have this one.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
I'll say it straight out..The Rangers have one of the most disappointing powerplays in the league. With their star power, they should be a bit better than 23rd in the league with the man advantage. I doubt they'll change their ways come playoff time but they do need a fix. On the penalty kill the Rangers are pretty good and having a great goalie helps. But if they are given powerplays by Ottawa (and Oh how there will be powerplays), they need to find a way to capitalize.

I hinted to it above. Ottawa has committed the second most penalties in the league and although the Rangers aren't quite a powerplay-goal machine, being shorthanded does not really help. Ottawa also isn't so great on the penalty kill so they really have to smarten up and play disciplined hockey or they could get into a lot of trouble. Now the Rangers also commit their share of penalties and Ottawa has had a good powerplay all season long. If Ottawa has a chance of winning this series, look to their powerplay to get things done.

EDGE: The Senators have the edge here. The Rangers can commit a bit too many penalties and that may open the doors for Ottawa. The Rangers do have a great penalty kill but I think Ottawa has the ability to capitalize on stupid Ranger penalties.

CONCLUSION: So the Rangers have had trouble with them in the regular season but as everyone knows, the playoffs are completely different. The Rangers will win a couple of quick games. I can see Ottawa putting up a fight but Lundqvist will steal a game and officially kill the Senators season. It should be a physical series and hopefully a fun one to watch. But Rangers work ethic and tough hockey will win this one.



PREDICTION: RANGERS IN 6 GAMES



note: stick tap to dailyfaceoff.com for supplying starting roster and such. pretty sick site.

Atlantic, Central Division Make History

Due to expansion, the NHL changed their format to the Divisional system they have today. Ever since then, there has never been a division with 4 teams to reach 100 points.

This year, there were two divisions who had that.

Going into the season, people knew that the Atlantic Division (New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and the New Jersey Devils) would be a tough division to face. Little did they know, these teams were the toughest in hockey just about all season long. Each team stuck to their own systems and powered through the league. Personally, being a fan of the Devils, I find it to be a pain in the ass that we have to play 3 of the best teams in the NHL 6 times each. But each team had to put up with it and it's truly remarkable what each team accomplished.

As for the Central Division (St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks), it was a little bit of a different story. Chicago barely reached the 100 point mark and they needed a win on the last day of the season. Detroit also waited for the last week to get there. But just like with the Atlantic Division, the Central Division showed true resilience and skill throughout the year and it is impressive that they were able to achieve this feat.

Now it is easier for this to occur ever since the shootout was established in the 2005-2006 season. But people should not minimize what these Divisions have accomplished. First of all, no Division has done it since the shootout has been integrated into the league so it clearly isn't THAT simple. And second of all, it's remarkable that two divisions were able to achieve it.

So congratulations to each Division. They do have the opportunity to do this again next year considering this thing was voted against and canceled. All 8 teams definitely have the capability to do it again next year and I wouldn't be surprised if they did. That is, as long as they still have the Islanders and Blue Jackets to beat up on...

The Violent Origins of "Potvin Sucks"

If you ask any Ranger fan where the infamous "Potvin Sucks" chant  originated, they'd actually have no idea where tell you that it started when Islander great Denis Potvin "blatantly" injured Ranger forward Ulf Nilsson in a game in February 1979.

Now imagine a type of check that'd leave an ENTIRE FAN BASE enraged for over 30 years. Hits similar to cheap shots like one's dealt out by Todd Bertuzzi or Tie Domi (note: although these two incidents were harsh and will never be forgotten by either fan base of the victim team, both victim team fan bases have NOT made "insert-players-name-here sucks" chants).

Okay. So we know it's going to be some type of vicious hit, most likely a cheap shot, that should be a textbook violation of an NHL rule.

Alright.
Brace yourselves.
It's about to get ugly.....

no...wait really...show me the hit that some Ranger fans have said, and I quote: "It was a dirty hit."
Show me the play that made Denis Potvin one of the most hated players in Blue Shirt Nation

Wow....

This is the hit that the Ranger fans will never forget. The hit that united the fan base in hatred over the perpetrator. The hit that ignorant Ranger fans, specifically the younger aged ones (and ones that never actually viewed the hit), have called "dirty"....

Now let me ask you something, audience. Would you view Denis Potvin's hit on Ulf Nilsson in 1979 a dirty hit?

To be honest with you, I've seen basketball players check harder than this.

This play was one that, in my opinion, symbolized the way things were going in New York around that time. The Rangers were scared for their Stanley Cup dreams by the upstart Islanders. The Islanders were a young team that was starting to terrorize the league including their neighbors. While I (and many other people in this country) will never be able to understand why the Rangers find this hit so atrocious, I do know this. The Islanders went on to win four straight Stanley Cups starting in the 1979-1980 season.

Denis Potvin will go down as one of the top defenseman in NHL history. He was close to a point a game in over 1,000 NHL games. He was on the Islanders through their four straight Cup wins and he played on the Island his whole career. He was reputably a strong player with a lot of offensive upside and took his fair share of penalties. He was a player who got in the other teams face and was effective through and through.

The fact that the Rangers chant "Potvin Sucks" 2 or 3 times a game is cute. It symbolizes their hatred for Potvin and it gets the fans involved in the game. However, it also symbolizes how effective Potvin was as a player. Not only was he able to hurt the Rangers on the ice with his scoring and his monstrous hits soft hip checks along the boards, he also enraged their entire fan base. Until this day the Rangers chant his name. Just another accolade in a rather illustrious career.

Please visit The Hockey Writers for more!

When Will Boston Learn?

Really, Boston? Really?

Over my brief blogging history, I've had to talk about Boston many times. Partly because they won the Stanley Cup, and partly because one of their players did something stupid. And considering the Stanley Cup Finals isn't until June, guess what this article is about.

The Rangers and the Bruins were playing today in a matchup of the 2 first place teams in the Eastern Conference. The game went into overtime and in a game where gaining the two points mattered a lot, you wouldn't think a player will do something stupid in overtime, right?...RIGHT?!?!!

non biased commentary provided by NESN (Boston TV)

Before I get to this hit, let me remind you of the some of the dirty hits Boston has dealt over the past year or so:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0g7_pVqpB0&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn97tELtNTI&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffiQUe1tfqM&feature=feedu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC8PR4b_wk4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ7MWYYtZ8Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jimZ1tSdPY0

So clearly, these guys don't have such a great track record. It has become apparent to any hockey fan that these guys play hockey with a dirty attitude. So it amazes me how ignorant Boston fans are to the dirtiness of their team. 

Alright. Let's talk about the Ference hit from today.

Ference is chasing the puck full steam and hits a defenseless Ryan McDonagh, who's back is to Ference, right into the boards. This is a play that the NHL is desperately trying to get rid of. It is clear that this hit is something that the NHL has addressed directly, so, WHY THE HELL WOULD ANDREW FERENCE DO IT? There is simply no excuse for this dirty hit. The refs are on top of it, give the Rangers a 5 minute powerplay which they used to win the game and maintain first place in the east. 

So, that whole inexcusable thing? Someone should tell that to Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley (aka NESN announcers for the Bruins).

Andy: "He (Ference) thought that he had enough of an angle from the side to make a little" (yes, he said a little) "contact with McDonagh"

Andy: "Not a whole lot of contact, but it was the momentum" (yes, there was momentum...your point?) "Let's see if he got him by the numbers- he's trying to get a good angle" (he did, by the way, hit him "in the numbers" (from behind) which is illegal, something Andy never mentioned).

Andy: "Unfortunately, when you have that kind of speed in that situation, you almost have to avoid all body contact, because, hits like that will happen." Well yes, that's the point. You have to avoid contact in that situation because, otherwise, there'll be an illegal hit from the back. The whole point is to get rid of those hits.

So there was Andy Brickly and the Boston announcers doing what they do best, being extremely biased towards the Bruins.

So I saw a tweet today from Boston Globe NHL writer Kevin Paul Dupont that just enraged me:

Wrote Callahan by accident instead of McDonagh

Building?....Seriously?

This just shows how ignorant Boston fans are regarding their team. While most of the world sees them as they are, a team who, with all honesty, can play hockey pretty damn well, but a team that has to throw in a few cheap shots every now and then.

So that's why they pretty much always suspect opposing players of diving when they are down and injured, that's why their announcers, much like the fans, do the same (from the clip, I don't know if Jack Edwards ever watches hockey but players do that literally every game), and that's why the Bruins felt like this was the dirtiest hit of the century (questionable at best IMO) and this was an overreaction by Montreal. 

Hopefully Boston changes their way because, at this point, this is getting ridiculous.

UPDATE: Justice has been served. NHL disciplinary head Brendan Shanahan announced that Ference will face a 3 game suspension for his hit:

Rangers Score Goal on a Familiar Play

It isn't too often that we see a play happen twice. Not only is it tough for the same exact situation to come up again, teams now, with the help of televised replays, are able to crack down on specific plays by the opposition. Well to the Penguins defense, it was 417 days since the first play happened.

In November of 2010 in a 2-2 tie between the Rangers and the Penguins in overtime, Pittsburgh defenseman, Zybnek Michalek, turned the puck over at the point giving the Rangers a 2 on 1 with Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky. That's when Brandon Dubinsky pulled one of the most patient toe drags I've ever seen, putting the puck right on Callahan's stick for the easy finisher.

Fast forward 417 days to January of this season. The Rangers are playing the Penguins in Pittsburgh again. A turnover on the powerplay by the Penguins gives the Rangers a 2 on 1 with who else but Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky (this time Callahan bringing the puck up ice). Callahan, in a vaguely familiar way, toe drags the puck by the Penguin defender and slides it to Dubinsky who's staring at the wide open net.

Oh and that was Marc-Andre Fleury in net for BOTH goals. Talk about Deja Vu.

stick tap to D. Fuchs for the idea

Winter Classic 2012 Review; Success?

This year's NHL Winter Classic was an interesting selection. The 5th WC didn't have some of the aspects that the other games had. The first one in Buffalo had A) the football stadium surrounding with all of those fans and B) Sidney Crosby. The next year in Chicago they had the game in a historic ball park, a feature that drew a lot of attention. The same thing happened the next year with the game in Fenway Park in Boston. And then who can forget the Crosby-Ovechkin matchup next year. 

This season, the NHL didn't have the appeal of a historic location or a complete superstar playing in the game. The game was in the somewhat new Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and had the Rangers matched up against the Flyers. This year the NHL went with the rivalry Winter Classic. 

Did it work?

Not really.

As far as drawing in views, which is pretty much the only feedback available, this was the worst year of the Winter Classic.

2008: Pittsburgh @ Buffalo; Jan 1st; 1 PM: 2.6 Overnight rating

2009: Detroit @ Chicago; Jan 1st; 1 PM: 2.9 Overnight rating

2010: Philadelphia @ Boston; Jan 1st; 1 PM: 2.6 Overnight rating

2011: Washington @ Pittsburgh; Jan 1st; 7 PM (primetime): 2.8 Overnight rating

2012: New York @ Philadelphia; Jan 2nd; 3 PM: 2.4 Overnight rating

Well, to this game's defense, it wasn't the first WC, it wasn't in a historic ball park, it wasn't in a historic ball park, and it wasn't hyped up for months and months in advanced Crosby vs. Ovechkin. Additionally, this game was on January 2nd which may have lost a handful of views. And the fact that the start of the game was pushed back to the odd time of 3:00 didn't help. 

But this doesn't necessarily matter. In my opinion, the flow of this year's game was better of the ones in years past. The players said it was because of the ice which may be. The conditions for the ice were perfect at 3 o' clock making the playing smoother. Also, while the snow in '08 was pretty awesome, the skies were clear for the most part (besides for a slight flurry that lasted just a few minutes).

The game itself was an exciting one. The first period was physical and had a great feeling to it including a Jaromir Jagr move that was more classic than the Rangers jersey. Jagr took the puck up the ice and then split the two defenseman only to have his chance denied by Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Jagr ended up leaving the game, however, due to a groin injury. 

The Flyers got 2 goals in the second (including Brayden Schenn's first career goal). The Rangers responded a couple of minutes later by Mike Rupp who ripped the puck past a screened Sergei Bobrovsky. Rupp then did his best Jagr impersonation. 

In the third Rupp added another goal followed by a goal by Brad Richards 2 and a half minutes later to put the Rangers up 3-2. The game kept moving and then with 1 minute remaining, there was a controversial penalty call that I'll get to in a second. With the Flyers goalie pulled and Ryan Callahan of the Rangers racing towards the puck, Philly's Kimmo Timonen interfered with Callahan. However, the refs called matching penalties; 2 minutes to Timonen for interference and 2 minutes to Callahan for holding the stick. This kept the teams even strength on the ice. 

A minute later, with 20 seconds left, this happened:

Just to remind you, Danny Briere faced Lundqvist 2 years ago on the last day of the season in the shootout to decide who made it to the playoffs. Briere won that matchup. Lundqvist won this one.

Just a stat about penalty shots in the last minute for teams down 1 goal. Shooters are now 0-11 on penalty shots with a chance to tie the game in the final minute over the last 15 years. A combination of the pressure, the choppy ice (because it's the end of the game), and the goaltending probably causes this statistic.

The Rangers held on and won 3-2.

Many argued that this incredible finished was really a fixed event so the game would have a more exciting finish. Well it definitely was that but I wouldn't go that far. What about you John Tortorella?

Go to 8:50 of this press conference. Tortorella completely bashes the reffing in the game. In my opinion, that's what he had to do. It's wrong but those calls shouldn't be acceptable in the NHL. However, the NHL fined Tortorella $30,000 for his comments about the officiating, a fair move as well.

As a blogger, I wasn't given press tickets for the game, but given that I live in Ranger territory, I had an abundance of friends who attended the festivities in Philly. As one friend put it, "Words can't even explain the experience."

From the pictures I saw, I can agree, being in a building filled with the best fans on earth, there can be nothing better. Here were a few great images:

So good job to the NHL. (On the right side of the blog, vote for your favourite Winter Classic!) See you next year in Detroit!