Battle Of Hudson

Tranny returns tonight as the Rangers are hosting Philadelphia. It’s on MSG and out of marketers can watch it on Comcast.net

Enjoy!

Interesting stuff from today’s Post:

March 20, 2007 — LINDSAY Lohan continued her New York party over the weekend. On Saturday night, she and her pals, deejay Samantha Ronson and p.r. powerhouse Lisette Sand-Freeman, hit the Beatrice Inn before going to The Box at 1 a.m. – where Lohan got up on the stage and sang while doing a “stripper dance” to thunderous applause. She got off easy – after her, New York Ranger Brendan Shanahan was blindfolded and ball-gagged as trannies danced around him.

Hey, nice D on that last goal. Kuba came in with Satan trying to cover him from behind without touching him. Great. One point does not really help the Isles as Toronto and Montreal both won. I really don’t have much to say after this loss. I predict the Isles do not make the playoffs. Too many teams in the hunt that know how to play D. Later.

Rob

I’ve taken my meds and moved back from the ledge. But I can’t promise I won’t jump. WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO THE ISLES????? I’m sitting here after the first period of tonight’s game against Tampa. The Isles look horrible. Slow, malaised, not hitting anything. No offense. The puck in the Isles’ zone the entire period. Shorthanded four times.

Right about now, I’m starting to regret the Zhitnik trade. Meyer and Campoli are like two munchkins trying to stop Lecavalier and company. DP has looked pretty good, but bends over between plays and doesn’t look well to me. I seems as if the rest of the league has figured out the Isles. Throw the puck in and cycle, cycle, cycle. With their small D, the puck never leaves the zone. In the last few losses, the Isles at least looked determined. Tonight they look resigned to losing. It is disgusting to watch.

If the Isles lose tonight and I am Nolan, I bring up Tambellini and Nielsen and sit some asses down from here on in. At least those two give you energy. Ugghh. I know I didn’t post this weekend but I was too depressed to pump out a column. Well, back to the action – I’ll post more later.

Rob

Both locals will be facing off tonight. The slumping Islanders (lost 3 straight) will look to overcome their demons against Tampa in St. Petersburg. They’ve lost the last seven to the Lightning, who currently rank sixth in the East with 82 points (one more than the Rangers). Starting netminder Slick Rick DiPietro could be returning from a concussion suffered in a loss at Montreal last week.

It’s a huge game for the Fishsticks, who are in a three-way tie for ninth with Toronto and Montreal. All three trail eighth Carolina by a point. And they’re all playing tonight. The Leafs will host the Devils at the ACC while the Canadiens visit Boston.

For the Devils, they’ll try to gain valuable ground on idle Pittsburgh, who lost in regulation last night to the Rangers 2-1 thanks to a Jaromir Jagr goal with 33.8 left. Two points up on the Pens for the Atlantic, the Devs will attempt to bounceback from a dreadful 7-2 spanking courtesy of the Canes on St. Patty’s Day. The good news for the Devs is that the game is on the road, where they’ve gone 8-0-2 in their last 10. The bad is that the Leafs will be out for retribution for Cam Janssen’s cheap hit on Tomas Kaberle. If it’s decided, there could be some fireworks.

This from the NHL Today:

From Elias: Minnesota goaltender Niklas Backstrom is 14-3-3 with a 2.14 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and one shutout in 21 games since January 20. Marc-Andre Fleury (16) and Roberto Luongo (15) are the only goaltenders with more wins than Backstrom since January 20. Martin Brodeur also has 14 wins since that date.

The Wild have climbed the standings since star forward Marian Gaborik returned in February. But without the splendid play of Backstrom, replacing injured starter Manny Fernandez, they wouldn’t be challenging Vancouver for the Northwest crown. No small feat there.

And while we’re on topic with the Western race, don’t look now but the sizzling Avs are right on the tail of eighth place Calgary. Since the deadline, Colorado hasn’t lost in regulation. They had a great come from behind 4-3 victory over San Jose the other night. Trailing by two against a Western power, they rallied to tie it forcing OT. In the extra session, the resurgent Milan Hejduk netted his 30th via a power play to propel the Avs to the big win- pulling them within four points of the Flames.

Colorado has 80 points as they chase Calgary. Each team has 10 games remaining. The Avs need to take advantage of a couple of upcoming meetings against the dreadful Oilers. Edmonton hasn’t won since trading heart and soul Ryan Smyth to the Isles on the deadline. In fact, after last night’s 2-1 defeat to Vancouver, they’ve now dropped their last 11. When will they get another win? The Avs hope it’s not them and neither do their homeristic announcers, who already have them in the playoffs. They certainly are playing lights out as Joe Sakic, Hejduk, Andrew Brunette and sizzling rookie Paul Stastny continue to roll.

It should be an exciting final three weeks.

And finally, an interesting column was written by my co-host Gary Harding via the NYHR. He discusses the Chris Simon suspension and makes interesting points about other suspensions handed out. Check it out here.

There have been games this year where you knew the Rangers left points on the table. Tonight against the red hot Penguins, they didn’t allow that to happen. Playing the kind of desperate hockey needed to make the playoffs, they were by far the superior team against a tired Pittsburgh club which played the night before (home shootout win over Ottawa).

That said, the Pens have been a thorn in the side of the Blueshirts all season. They recently broke their backs by coming from two down to pull out a 3-2 overtime win at Mellon Arena. It marked the second time that had happened. It also took place at MSG with the Pens posting a shootout win courtesy of Sidney Crosby.

Tonight though, Tom Renney’s club didn’t allow the Pens’ tying goal from with 5:34 left to get to them. Instead, they stayed rock solid in their end limiting the Pens’ chances and remarkably got the winner in the final minute on a break. But maybe they deserved that fortuitous bounce when Michel OuelletJaromir Jagr centered one off Rob Scuderi’s skate and just over the goal line despite Jocelyn Thibault’s attempt to hide the puck. A video review confirmed that Jagr had indeed finally snapped his goal drought, getting his first in nine games. It was a milestone for Jagr, who reached 25 goals for the 16th consecutive season. But none of his 25 this year were ever bigger. Even if he was trying to get the puck to Michael Nylander, who actually had a very strong game and was pivotal on the deciding goal by beating Sidney Crosby on a neutral zone draw which gave the Rangers puck possession and allowed Jagr to make the play, putting his club ahead with only 33.8 seconds remaining.

The best part though about this win was how well the Rangers defended their end. Something that was very apparent as the Pens with an extra attacker scrambled around behind the net to try to force OT like they have so many times this season. But Marek Malik did the job on Crosby behind the net, pinning him against the boards. And even if the officials called a tacky holding the stick penalty and put 2.2 back on the clock, there was no way the Pens were tying it. And when Blair Betts won one last faceoff, the Rangers had their big two points, improving to 36-28-9 and boosting their postseason aspirations with 81 points- just a point behind sixth Tampa Bay and one better than eighth Carolina.

All three teams have nine games left. The Lightning host the fading Islanders later tonight in a huge match-up. Look for No.1 goalie Rick DiPietro to return from a concussion. That’s how desperate the situation is for the Fishsticks, who not too long ago looked like a playoff lock after the Ryan Smyth deadline deal. But now have struggled mightily on the blueline and with backup Mike Dunham the past two losses.

The Islanders do have two games at hand on the teams ahead of them. They’re currently in a three-way tie for ninth with Toronto and Montreal with each having 78 points. The Leafs will be hosting the Devils at Air Canada Centre tonight in an anticipated rematch. Don’t forget about Cam Janssen’s high late hit which concussed Tomas Kaberle. But maybe Darcy Tucker, Wade Belak and Co. won’t try to get revenge on the fourth liner. This game is too important for the Leafs. But if they are ahead by a comfortable margin in the third or vice versa, look for something to happen.

A couple of other observations on the Ranger win:

1.They almost reached Islander territory, nearly doubling the Pens in shots (42-22).

2.Pens’ backup Jocelyn Thibault was brilliant in defeat. Just as he was in a shutout of the Devils last week, the former Nordique was razor sharp. But unlike that game where he was rarely tested, the netminder really had to work just to keep his team afloat, finishing with 40 saves. It now looks like the Pens’ once thought weakness is a strength. Both Marc-Andre Fleury and Thibault are playing well.

3.Betts got the Rangers’ first goal 47 seconds into the third when he beat Crosby on a draw and then redirected home a Daniel Girardi point shot. Ryan Hollweg notched an assist for his third point of the season. Betts, Hollweg and enforcer Colton Orr were matched against the Crosby line that period and did a superb job neutralizing them. Betts deserved a star for his effort.

4.Rookie Ryan Callahan again excelled in his fifth game, logging over 15:00 while playing a very active offensive game registering five shots and even seeing PP time on the top unit. The Rochester native looks like a keeper. If Brendan Shanahan returns from a concussion Wednesday night vs the Flyers, Callahan deserves to stay in the lineup and continue to get time.

5.Petr Prucha inexplicably only played 7:29 while 20 year-old rookie Brandon Dubinsky got 6:19.

6.Pens’ enforcer Georges Laraque (3:43) was reduced to a nonfactor while Sean Avery played his usual spunky game, working extremely well with Callahan and Matt Cullen on the second line. It becomes apparent that this trio should remain intact as they seem to create chaos for opponents.

7.Martin Straka sat out with a bruised leg.

8.Veteran D Jason Strudwick made his season debut with the club after re-signing and clearing waivers. He replaced rookie David Liffiton in the lineup and logged 12:15 as the sixth defenseman. He held his own and didn’t make any glaring mistakes.

9.The Pens’ Erik Christensen setup Ouellet’s 16th by going around a Ranger and making a brilliant goalmouth pass which Ouellet deflected home. Christensen is kind of overlooked as is Ouellet but both are good players who shouldn’t be underestimated this Spring.

10.Henrik Lundqvist (21 saves) was again sharp despite not much action. He improved to 31-21-7, continuing to dwindle his GAA (2.39) and lift his save percentage (.914).

Penguins vs. Rangers tonight at 7 on VERSUS. Doc and Eddie O. on the call. Enjoy.

Here’s a revised edition of where to get your cure for Puck Addiction:
March 18 7:30 PM Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh (Comcast.net/Yahoo.com)
March 19 7:00 PM Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers (VERSUS)
March 19 9:00 PM Vancouver vs. Calgary (Yahoo.com)
March 20 8:00 PM Phoenix vs. Minnesota (VERSUS)
March 21 7:30 PM Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers (Comcast.net)
March 22 7:30 PM Pittsburgh vs. NY Islanders (Comcast.net)
March 22 7:30 PM Columbus vs. Detroit (HDNet)
March 22 10:00 PM Anaheim vs. Phoenix (Yahoo.com)
March 23 2:30 PM NCAA: Clarkson vs. UMass (FSNY)
March 23 6:00 PM NCAA: Maine vs. St. Cloud State (FSNY)
March 23 8:30 PM NCAA: Boston U vs. Michigan St. (FSNY)
March 23 8:00 PM Toronto vs. Buffalo (Comast.net/Yahoo.com)
March 24 1:00 PM Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh (Comcast.net/Yahoo.com)
March 24 4:30 PM NCAA:Maine vs. Boston Coll. (FSNY)
March 24 6:00 PM NCAA: East Regional Final (CN8)
March 24 8:30 PM NCAA: Midwest Regional Final (CN8)
March 25 12:30 PM NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders (NBC)
March 25 3:30 PM NCAA: Northeast Regional Final (FSNY)
March 25 6:00 PM NCAA: West Regional Final (FSNY)
March 26 7:00 PM Anaheim vs. Detroit (VERSUS)
March 27 7:30 PM New Jersey vs. NY Islanders (VERSUS)
March 28 7:00 PM New Jersey vs. Buffalo (Comcast.net)
March 29 7:00 PM Pittsburgh vs. Boston (Comcast.net/Yahoo.com)
March 29 8:00 PM Detroit vs. Nashville (HDNet)
March 29 10:00 PM Colorado vs. Phoenix (Yahoo.com)
March 30 7:30 PM Philadelphia vs. New Jersey (Comcast.net)
March 31 1:00 PM Atlanta vs. Boston (Yahoo.com)
March 31 8:00 PM Dallas vs. Nashville (HDNet)
April 1 12:30 PM Detroit vs. Columbus (NBC)
April 1 3:00 PM Edmonton vs. Chicago (Yahoo.com)
April 2 8:00 PM St. Louis vs. Dallas (VERSUS)
April 3 7:00 PM Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh (VERSUS)
April 4 7:00 PM Washington vs. Atlanta (Yahoo.com/Comcast.net)
April 5 4:00 PM NCAA: National Semifinal (ESPN2)
April 5 7:30 PM Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa (Comcast.net)
April 5 8:00 PM NCAA: National Semifinal (ESPN2)
April 5 10:00 PM Colorado vs. Vancouver (Yahoo.com)
April 6 7:00 PM Atlanta vs. Carolina (Yahoo.com/Comcast.net)
April 7 1:00 PM Buffalo vs. Washington (Comcast.net)
April 7 8:00 PM NCAA: National Championship (ESPN)
April 7 9:00 PM Nashville vs. Colorado (HDNet)
April 8 1:00 PM Buffalo vs. Philadelphia (NBC)
April 8 9:00 PM Calgary vs. Colorado (Yahoo.com)

Here are the Live (and Interesting Taped) games you’ll see:

March 23
2:30 Clarkson vs. UMass (FSNY)
6:00 Maine vs. St. Cloud State (FSNY)
8:30 Boston U. vs. Michigan St. (FSNY)
11:00 (Taped) Alabama-Huntsville vs. Notre Dame (FSNY)

March 24
4:30 Boston Coll. vs. St. Lawrence (FSNY)
6:00 East Regional Final (CN8)
8:30 Midwest Regional Final (CN8)

March 25
3:30 Northeast Regional Final (FSNY)
6:00 West Regional Final (FSNY)

April 5
4:00 National Semifinal (ESPN2)
8:00 National Semifinal (ESPN2)

April 7
8:00 National Championship (ESPN)

Here are some places to get a hockey fix the next few weeks.

Looks like Yahoo has dropped it’s streaming of a couple games, so the only game viewable tonight is Pittsburgh-Ottawa on Comcast.net

God, the NHL Network can’t come soon enough.