This is always a hard game. The Whalers, my beloved team, my childhood heroes, are back in town. Thing is, they're dressed in NASCAR colors, and call themselves the Southern Drizzle or something. Ugh. My poor, poor Whale.
Coming from a mixed household (Brooklynites relocated to Connecticut) I grew up loving both the Rangers and the Whale. I was a kid, what did I know? Besides, they both hated the Bruins, so it worked out. Now I'm a one team man (though I still have a soft spot for Edmonton). Still, seeing my old team breaks my heart.
As such, I want the Rangers to destroy them, utterly. Physically, spiritually, emotionally. I want them to eat their red tinted whale babies.
That's harsh. I just want a win, really. And a physical game. I can't stand the Allstar game. The skills competition, I love, always have, but the game itself is just a waste of time. Everyone's already gone through all the reasons, and I agree with them all. ALL OF THEM. Even some of the Devil fans. They're people too.
So I hear.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Rangers vs. Blackhawks 1/16/09
Been really busy of late, hence no blog. Missed a bunch of games (live, caught up in replays). Figure I'll do a live blog like thing for the Rangers/Blackhawks game, to get back into things.
Pregame: I've never seen a crowd so pumped for the national anthem. I forgot to look who their singer is, but it's the same guy from the Winter Classic. Killer voice, and he gets the crowd WAY into it. They were clapping the whole way through. Good way to start.
1st PERIOD
15:00: Not the exact time. Rangers took a hooking call after getting overwhelmed early on. They killed it. The Naslund line was flying to start, Gomer looked good, and Cally had a great breakup of a 2 on 3. Hank also looks solid. Took a couple of shots early, so he should be into it.
11:43: Good pace to this game. Lots of hard hitting from both sides. I've got the Blackhawks feed, and I've got to say, their announcers are pretty good. Eddie O is way better when he's not on VS.
10:30: Gomer and Staal looking good on D. Would love to see 19 get his offensive game going more, but if this game is any indication, big things could be coming. He's playing good D and crashing the net when his line's on. Hard work = payoff. Eventually. Just ask Prucha? Yeah.
9:27: D is doing a good job moving guys away from Hank. Still, the kids from the Hawks seem to be giving them trouble on the rush.
8:07: Good chance from the Hawks, but solid D blocked a shot and lead to a good rush. Hawk's announcers said Tom Renney wants to limit opposing teams to 10-12 scoring chances a game. That's be sick. Also, looks like Dubi and some jabroni were having words. God, I hope he doesn't try and fight anyone.
Side note: Zherdev and Dubi have been invisible. Same with Dawes. Korpedo had a good rush, hope he goes nuts and nets something. That kid has a bright future.
6:06: Good cycle by the Gomez line. A few missed chances, but they're going crazy out there. 2 on 1 the other way now on a blocked shot, and nothing happens. Eek. Typical Rangers hockey, but a killer shift, about 20 seconds of good pressure. It got the Hawks scrambling, but that 2 on 1 could be a sign of things to come. With the youth on that team, a blocked shot or odd bounce could lead to a goal or two in the course of this game. Powerplay, I'm talking to you.
5:04: Zherdev looks like he's getting his legs going. Hope he goes cocaine crazy and starts doing backflips. Or scores a goal. Or anything. Just don't vanish, Blue Jacket's style.
4:32: Redirect GOAL for the Hawks (Versteeg). Broken play. Puck went out, Rangers were clumped, Hank was way too deep. I know that's how he plays, but man, it makes my goalie spine tingle. He lives in what my old goalie coaches used to call the "triangle of death". He did get a piece of it though.
3:20: Naslund gets in too tight. Looked like the Hawks got away with some funky stuff.
2:30: Rangers are collapsing, the Hawks are getting good pressure in front of the net. Expect something from the side to go in on Hank.
2:00: Rosi, why'd ya do it? The Staal penalty was week, but Rosi totally took Sharpe down. Great. 2 minute 5 on 3. Let's go PK!
1:37: Rangers are playing an inverted triangle on the kill. Interesting. Hank makes a good save. 10 seconds later Betts clears it. I really want to get a Betts jersey. Miss when he had Hollweg and Ortmeyer on his line. Shame those kids couldn't score to save their lives/went insane.
10 Seconds left: GOAL POST! Damn! Too close.
Intermission: Some bright spots that period. D looked solid for a while, but the Hawks are a little too fast. Drury and Gomer are playing well on D, as is Staal. Both Staal and Rosi looked solid, but man, that penalty kill...it's a good thing to take into the intermission, but it's something you'd rather not have to deal with. I hope they can turn that into motivation and come out on fire during the second. I'm liking what I'm seeing from the Gomez/Naslund/Cally line. When they get out there, the Hawks are having trouble containing them. The other lines need to wake up though. You can't just rely on one line. Remember the Devils series right after the lockout? Yeah.
2nd PERIOD
20:00: Holy Crap Hank is on.
19:20: I love when Pru throws the body around. I mean, they guy is just so scrawny, yet he loves throwing checks. Gotta love that intensity!
Side Note: I always think Duncan Keith was that pop singer from the 90s. It makes me hate him more. Hell, it could've been him. I wonder what Lisa Loeb is doing right now...and if I can be involved.
16:00 Did the Hawks just get away with a high stick? Rangers are looking pretty terrible right now. Barely handling this game. D is being physical though, so they should hold for a while.
14:57 Hawks tackle the Korpedo when he was going for a rebound. Be aggressive to the net and good things happen.
14:30 ish Wow. Girardi kills a Versteeg with a CLEAN HIT and Barker jumps him. I mean, understand standing up for a guy, but seriously this stuff is out of control. Girardi drops the gloves before Barker, but he knows what's coming. Call that one a draw. 5 on 3, Blueshirts.
13:35 YEAH PREP! CHRIS DRURY GOAL! Wisnewski gets the A for effort though, no stick and 2 blocks. Still a PP. What a rip by Captain Clutch!
12:35 This game might get really chippy, really fast. Lots of kids in this game, lots of emotion flowing. God the Rangers need to learn how to clear the zone.
11:44 Kick save Drury, and a beaut! Hawks aren't really cycling, but they have great puck control on the perimeter, could lead to trouble.
Side Note: Chris Drury went to my high school. It was an all boys Catholic school, run by Jesuits. Between the Lisa Loeb reference and Dru, this game is seriously like a flash back to my formative years. How is Lisa Loeb still single? Didn't that Zappa kid know what he was letting go there? Seriously!
10:50 Now the Hawks cycle, and it's scary. A true, textbook cycle. Damn.
9:13 Anyone else have a little bit of a heart attack whenever Hank handles the puck? Hextall, he is not.
8:42 Blair Betts goes battering ram in order to force the Hawks offsides. God I love how that guy plays. After the whistle Colton Orr and Ben Eager shove a bit. History from his Flyer days?
8:02 Blair Betts gets called for a weak slash, that even the Hawks guys are questioning. On Ben Eager. Ugh.
7:20 Hawks get away with a trip, then they call Staal for a slash. No replay of the call. Come on.
5:59 Eddie- O "Toews loses an edge and Redden is next to him". They also give Staal a misconduct. For what, I don't know. So 5 on 3 for 50. Betts with a good clear. Man, this is such crap. Just give them a goal. And cut out the middle men.
5:06 Rosi with a good block 4 on 5. Come on boys!
4:17 Cally gets called for high sticking. 5th consecutive penalty on the Rangers. This is amazing. Phantom calls lead to legit calls as people get tired. This is astounding. I hope Renney says something about this after the game.
Up until this point, this was a good game to watch. Two young teams going head to head. There was speed, and there was snarl. And now it's slow. And dead. No rhythm at all. This is what is wrong with hockey
3:11 Hank is great! Betts is a beast with the save/clear combo! Drury is leading the way like the true Captain he is.
AMAZING KILL. SUCK IT REFS.
HOLY CRAP A POWERPLAY!
WITH 42.1 SECONDS LEFT! PLENTY OF TIME!
INTERMISSION
Ugh. I can't believe that officiating. The Hawks have these great ads titled "One Goal". Check them out on youtube. Ugh. Still, the boys killed 3 or 4 five on threes. That's mighty impressive, considering the talent on the other side of the puck. There's a chance Crosby might not play on Sunday, and if that happens, the PK could be in even better position than normal. Feel bad for the Blackhawks' special teams Assistant Coach. That guy is boned.
3rd PERIOD
Ok. No penalties! Don't let me down. And we start on the PP! God that's still one of the best logos in sports (the Hawks)!
19:09 Hey! Guess what! A hand pass is called against the Rangers. Replay shows nothing of course. That killed the Rangers' pressure like Roseanne kills an erection.
That's right, I said it.
PP OVER.
17:27 Dan Girardi is out for the rest of the game with an upper body injury. Now Rosi gets called for having his stick in the area of Kris Versteeg's hip. Hooray. I want to firebomb this ref's house.
16:05 Rangers look tired on the kill. Finally clear the zone after some scrambling in front of the net. Gomer kills some time and the penalty is over. If the Rangers win this game (even though it is 1-1) I'll be shocked.
14:50 Dubi just killed a man. Prucha is like Al Pacino in Scarface (on skates) on the forecheck.
13:46Colton Orr: 4:01 of ice time. Those PKs are a bitch. I hope he gets a goal tonight. Naslund got molested a bit on that last rush. Staal is back out though, which is good.
12:50: Colton Orr muscles two of the Hawks while scrambling for a loose puck. MANBEAST!
12:02 DAMN THE KORPEDOS! IT'S A GOAL! DOOOOOOOOOOBI DOOOOOBI DO! Great feed on the broken play from the Korpedo to Dubi! Killer fake shot froze Khabi, and Mr. Dubinsky! Tear that wall down!
9:35 Zherdev looks like he wants some now. Did the Rangers actually pull off the rope-a-dope? We'll see...
Side Note: Wow! Friday Night Lights is going to be on TV tonight! No more stealing for me!
8:58 Prucha cuts Partick Sharp's head off, and gets away with it. This ref, man...Jet Li needs to spin kick him or something.
6:55 Rangers get a call for high sticking. This can't possible come back and bite us in the ass. Rosi, why? Everyone is confused as to the penalty call, whether it was a make up for the Prucha decapitation, or if it was something later. (UPDATE: Ref thought it was Rosi that slashed him, so they called the penalty at the first stoppage. Linesman call, since they can't stop play, but can call penalties. Wonder what happens if a goal is scored before the Linesman reports the call)
Sam Seasonal is awesome, btw.
5:50 Remember how I said the Rangers couldn't clear? The trend is continuing. And getting scary.
5:21 Hey, guess what! ANOTHER 5 ON 3. THAT'S 5 OF THEM. 2 MINUTES OF 5 ON 3. THIS IS INSANE. THEY'RE NOT PLAYING THAT CRAZILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4:57 Blair Betts dives to get the puck out! MVPPPPPPP of the Week!
4:29 ROD C-BIZZLE RODS THE RANGERS. HARD. Low, long and hard, blocker side. That describes this game pretty well. Oh and what's this? They still have a powerplay. Wunderbar, minus the umlaut.
4:06 Campbell, high sticking. RANGERS PP ;-( Kalinin just almost scored on Hank. Great save. Wait, no PP. 4 on 4. Fuck.
3:06 Drury rips one out of the park. Part of me wonders if Renney is just going to play for the tie at this point. I wouldn't blame him. The shootout would be great with the talent on these teams.
Side Note: Everything related to the Hawks is sponsored by Smirnoff. Awesome.
2:43 PP, for real this time. Hawks keep clearing the puck. Assholes. PP over.
1:24 Hank is pissed at someone on his D who redirected the puck. Money's on Special K.
LAST MINUTE Stream of Consciouness: Oh crap in our zone, still, good crowd, move it up DAWES, wide, ugh, keep moving you asses, get back! way to play the body staalsie, move it, not to them! Man, glasses, you needs them. End.
OHHHHHHHHHHHVERTIME!
4:00 Thank god this thing isn't bold anymore. Was stuck for a while. Some good chances back and forth. Naslund on his horse.
3:30 Good movement, but nothing from it. Dubi takes a late run at some jobber.
3:00 Big Z takes a Big hit. Andrew Ladd goes all French Revolution on Dubi's stick.
OVERTIME POWERPLAY!?!
Is this a good thing? I hope so. Best and the brightest out there.
2:37 OH DRU DIDN'T KNOW? YOUR ASS BETTA CALL SOMEBODAAAAAY! Set play. Think it was Redden with the point shot and Dru with the redirect. YEAH PREP!
RANGERS WIN 3-2 IN OT!
Pregame: I've never seen a crowd so pumped for the national anthem. I forgot to look who their singer is, but it's the same guy from the Winter Classic. Killer voice, and he gets the crowd WAY into it. They were clapping the whole way through. Good way to start.
1st PERIOD
15:00: Not the exact time. Rangers took a hooking call after getting overwhelmed early on. They killed it. The Naslund line was flying to start, Gomer looked good, and Cally had a great breakup of a 2 on 3. Hank also looks solid. Took a couple of shots early, so he should be into it.
11:43: Good pace to this game. Lots of hard hitting from both sides. I've got the Blackhawks feed, and I've got to say, their announcers are pretty good. Eddie O is way better when he's not on VS.
10:30: Gomer and Staal looking good on D. Would love to see 19 get his offensive game going more, but if this game is any indication, big things could be coming. He's playing good D and crashing the net when his line's on. Hard work = payoff. Eventually. Just ask Prucha? Yeah.
9:27: D is doing a good job moving guys away from Hank. Still, the kids from the Hawks seem to be giving them trouble on the rush.
8:07: Good chance from the Hawks, but solid D blocked a shot and lead to a good rush. Hawk's announcers said Tom Renney wants to limit opposing teams to 10-12 scoring chances a game. That's be sick. Also, looks like Dubi and some jabroni were having words. God, I hope he doesn't try and fight anyone.
Side note: Zherdev and Dubi have been invisible. Same with Dawes. Korpedo had a good rush, hope he goes nuts and nets something. That kid has a bright future.
6:06: Good cycle by the Gomez line. A few missed chances, but they're going crazy out there. 2 on 1 the other way now on a blocked shot, and nothing happens. Eek. Typical Rangers hockey, but a killer shift, about 20 seconds of good pressure. It got the Hawks scrambling, but that 2 on 1 could be a sign of things to come. With the youth on that team, a blocked shot or odd bounce could lead to a goal or two in the course of this game. Powerplay, I'm talking to you.
5:04: Zherdev looks like he's getting his legs going. Hope he goes cocaine crazy and starts doing backflips. Or scores a goal. Or anything. Just don't vanish, Blue Jacket's style.
4:32: Redirect GOAL for the Hawks (Versteeg). Broken play. Puck went out, Rangers were clumped, Hank was way too deep. I know that's how he plays, but man, it makes my goalie spine tingle. He lives in what my old goalie coaches used to call the "triangle of death". He did get a piece of it though.
3:20: Naslund gets in too tight. Looked like the Hawks got away with some funky stuff.
2:30: Rangers are collapsing, the Hawks are getting good pressure in front of the net. Expect something from the side to go in on Hank.
2:00: Rosi, why'd ya do it? The Staal penalty was week, but Rosi totally took Sharpe down. Great. 2 minute 5 on 3. Let's go PK!
1:37: Rangers are playing an inverted triangle on the kill. Interesting. Hank makes a good save. 10 seconds later Betts clears it. I really want to get a Betts jersey. Miss when he had Hollweg and Ortmeyer on his line. Shame those kids couldn't score to save their lives/went insane.
10 Seconds left: GOAL POST! Damn! Too close.
Intermission: Some bright spots that period. D looked solid for a while, but the Hawks are a little too fast. Drury and Gomer are playing well on D, as is Staal. Both Staal and Rosi looked solid, but man, that penalty kill...it's a good thing to take into the intermission, but it's something you'd rather not have to deal with. I hope they can turn that into motivation and come out on fire during the second. I'm liking what I'm seeing from the Gomez/Naslund/Cally line. When they get out there, the Hawks are having trouble containing them. The other lines need to wake up though. You can't just rely on one line. Remember the Devils series right after the lockout? Yeah.
2nd PERIOD
20:00: Holy Crap Hank is on.
19:20: I love when Pru throws the body around. I mean, they guy is just so scrawny, yet he loves throwing checks. Gotta love that intensity!
Side Note: I always think Duncan Keith was that pop singer from the 90s. It makes me hate him more. Hell, it could've been him. I wonder what Lisa Loeb is doing right now...and if I can be involved.
16:00 Did the Hawks just get away with a high stick? Rangers are looking pretty terrible right now. Barely handling this game. D is being physical though, so they should hold for a while.
14:57 Hawks tackle the Korpedo when he was going for a rebound. Be aggressive to the net and good things happen.
14:30 ish Wow. Girardi kills a Versteeg with a CLEAN HIT and Barker jumps him. I mean, understand standing up for a guy, but seriously this stuff is out of control. Girardi drops the gloves before Barker, but he knows what's coming. Call that one a draw. 5 on 3, Blueshirts.
13:35 YEAH PREP! CHRIS DRURY GOAL! Wisnewski gets the A for effort though, no stick and 2 blocks. Still a PP. What a rip by Captain Clutch!
12:35 This game might get really chippy, really fast. Lots of kids in this game, lots of emotion flowing. God the Rangers need to learn how to clear the zone.
11:44 Kick save Drury, and a beaut! Hawks aren't really cycling, but they have great puck control on the perimeter, could lead to trouble.
Side Note: Chris Drury went to my high school. It was an all boys Catholic school, run by Jesuits. Between the Lisa Loeb reference and Dru, this game is seriously like a flash back to my formative years. How is Lisa Loeb still single? Didn't that Zappa kid know what he was letting go there? Seriously!
10:50 Now the Hawks cycle, and it's scary. A true, textbook cycle. Damn.
9:13 Anyone else have a little bit of a heart attack whenever Hank handles the puck? Hextall, he is not.
8:42 Blair Betts goes battering ram in order to force the Hawks offsides. God I love how that guy plays. After the whistle Colton Orr and Ben Eager shove a bit. History from his Flyer days?
8:02 Blair Betts gets called for a weak slash, that even the Hawks guys are questioning. On Ben Eager. Ugh.
7:20 Hawks get away with a trip, then they call Staal for a slash. No replay of the call. Come on.
5:59 Eddie- O "Toews loses an edge and Redden is next to him". They also give Staal a misconduct. For what, I don't know. So 5 on 3 for 50. Betts with a good clear. Man, this is such crap. Just give them a goal. And cut out the middle men.
5:06 Rosi with a good block 4 on 5. Come on boys!
4:17 Cally gets called for high sticking. 5th consecutive penalty on the Rangers. This is amazing. Phantom calls lead to legit calls as people get tired. This is astounding. I hope Renney says something about this after the game.
Up until this point, this was a good game to watch. Two young teams going head to head. There was speed, and there was snarl. And now it's slow. And dead. No rhythm at all. This is what is wrong with hockey
3:11 Hank is great! Betts is a beast with the save/clear combo! Drury is leading the way like the true Captain he is.
AMAZING KILL. SUCK IT REFS.
HOLY CRAP A POWERPLAY!
WITH 42.1 SECONDS LEFT! PLENTY OF TIME!
INTERMISSION
Ugh. I can't believe that officiating. The Hawks have these great ads titled "One Goal". Check them out on youtube. Ugh. Still, the boys killed 3 or 4 five on threes. That's mighty impressive, considering the talent on the other side of the puck. There's a chance Crosby might not play on Sunday, and if that happens, the PK could be in even better position than normal. Feel bad for the Blackhawks' special teams Assistant Coach. That guy is boned.
3rd PERIOD
Ok. No penalties! Don't let me down. And we start on the PP! God that's still one of the best logos in sports (the Hawks)!
19:09 Hey! Guess what! A hand pass is called against the Rangers. Replay shows nothing of course. That killed the Rangers' pressure like Roseanne kills an erection.
That's right, I said it.
PP OVER.
17:27 Dan Girardi is out for the rest of the game with an upper body injury. Now Rosi gets called for having his stick in the area of Kris Versteeg's hip. Hooray. I want to firebomb this ref's house.
16:05 Rangers look tired on the kill. Finally clear the zone after some scrambling in front of the net. Gomer kills some time and the penalty is over. If the Rangers win this game (even though it is 1-1) I'll be shocked.
14:50 Dubi just killed a man. Prucha is like Al Pacino in Scarface (on skates) on the forecheck.
13:46Colton Orr: 4:01 of ice time. Those PKs are a bitch. I hope he gets a goal tonight. Naslund got molested a bit on that last rush. Staal is back out though, which is good.
12:50: Colton Orr muscles two of the Hawks while scrambling for a loose puck. MANBEAST!
12:02 DAMN THE KORPEDOS! IT'S A GOAL! DOOOOOOOOOOBI DOOOOOBI DO! Great feed on the broken play from the Korpedo to Dubi! Killer fake shot froze Khabi, and Mr. Dubinsky! Tear that wall down!
9:35 Zherdev looks like he wants some now. Did the Rangers actually pull off the rope-a-dope? We'll see...
Side Note: Wow! Friday Night Lights is going to be on TV tonight! No more stealing for me!
8:58 Prucha cuts Partick Sharp's head off, and gets away with it. This ref, man...Jet Li needs to spin kick him or something.
6:55 Rangers get a call for high sticking. This can't possible come back and bite us in the ass. Rosi, why? Everyone is confused as to the penalty call, whether it was a make up for the Prucha decapitation, or if it was something later. (UPDATE: Ref thought it was Rosi that slashed him, so they called the penalty at the first stoppage. Linesman call, since they can't stop play, but can call penalties. Wonder what happens if a goal is scored before the Linesman reports the call)
Sam Seasonal is awesome, btw.
5:50 Remember how I said the Rangers couldn't clear? The trend is continuing. And getting scary.
5:21 Hey, guess what! ANOTHER 5 ON 3. THAT'S 5 OF THEM. 2 MINUTES OF 5 ON 3. THIS IS INSANE. THEY'RE NOT PLAYING THAT CRAZILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4:57 Blair Betts dives to get the puck out! MVPPPPPPP of the Week!
4:29 ROD C-BIZZLE RODS THE RANGERS. HARD. Low, long and hard, blocker side. That describes this game pretty well. Oh and what's this? They still have a powerplay. Wunderbar, minus the umlaut.
4:06 Campbell, high sticking. RANGERS PP ;-( Kalinin just almost scored on Hank. Great save. Wait, no PP. 4 on 4. Fuck.
3:06 Drury rips one out of the park. Part of me wonders if Renney is just going to play for the tie at this point. I wouldn't blame him. The shootout would be great with the talent on these teams.
Side Note: Everything related to the Hawks is sponsored by Smirnoff. Awesome.
2:43 PP, for real this time. Hawks keep clearing the puck. Assholes. PP over.
1:24 Hank is pissed at someone on his D who redirected the puck. Money's on Special K.
LAST MINUTE Stream of Consciouness: Oh crap in our zone, still, good crowd, move it up DAWES, wide, ugh, keep moving you asses, get back! way to play the body staalsie, move it, not to them! Man, glasses, you needs them. End.
OHHHHHHHHHHHVERTIME!
4:00 Thank god this thing isn't bold anymore. Was stuck for a while. Some good chances back and forth. Naslund on his horse.
3:30 Good movement, but nothing from it. Dubi takes a late run at some jobber.
3:00 Big Z takes a Big hit. Andrew Ladd goes all French Revolution on Dubi's stick.
OVERTIME POWERPLAY!?!
Is this a good thing? I hope so. Best and the brightest out there.
2:37 OH DRU DIDN'T KNOW? YOUR ASS BETTA CALL SOMEBODAAAAAY! Set play. Think it was Redden with the point shot and Dru with the redirect. YEAH PREP!
RANGERS WIN 3-2 IN OT!
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