Rangers Playoffs – Page 9 – Keefe To The City

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May 12, 2013

Rangers-Capitals Game 6 Thoughts: Extend the Season

Henrik Lundqvist put together the best performance of his career and the Rangers’ lone goal was the difference to force the series to a seventh game.

Editor’s note: These Thoughts are short because of my attendance at Game 6.

Two days later, tickets for Game 6 somehow fell to $65 just over two hours before the game. I would guess a combination of Mother’s Day and the idea of impending doom surrounding the Rangers would lead to the fall in tickets that were listed as $125 face value.

I went into Game 6 knowing that the first goal was likely going to win the game and if the Capitals scored first it was going to be painful watching the clock wind down on the 2012-13 Rangers.

One goal ended up being the difference in the game and Henrik Lundqvist had the best game of his career to date with a 27-save shutout. And that one goal happened because of Rick Nash’s strength on the puck and his inability to go down or dive like so many other stars in the league would have eagerly done in the same spot. Nash’s was able to fend off two hooks down the right boards and into the Washington zone, which started the forecheck on what would eventually turn into Derick Brassard’s goal.

So it was Lundqvist and Nash, the two players responsible for the Rangers being in the postseason, that kept their season alive for at least on more game. I said after Game 2 that I didn’t think it would be possible for this Rangers team to go at least 4-1 for the rest of the series and avoid elimination, but they’re now 3-1 and one win from starting over.

May 11, 2013

Rangers-Capitals Game 5 Thoughts: Happy to Have Other Plans

Henrik Lundqvist stood on his head again, but the Rangers lost Game 5 in Washington because of their inability to extend a lead or score more than one goal on the road.

I missed most of Game 5 of the series to host and attend a surprise birthday party for my girlfriend, so it’s hard for me to comment on the game other than to say it’s no surprise the Rangers once again scored just one goal in Washington and Henrik Lundqvist allowed just one goal and the team lost. And it’s absolutely awful that the Rangers scored 53 seconds into the game (Ladies and gentlemen, Brian Boyle!) and couldn’t add on and that Mike Ribeiro scored the game-winner in overtime. I’m happy I wasn’t able to watch this game in full.

May 9, 2013

Rangers-Capitals Game 4 Thoughts: Four More Goals?

The Rangers tied the series with the Capitals thanks to their second consecutive home win and four-goal game at Madison Square Garden.

Buy more Powerball tickets. That’s what I did after Game 4 after the tickets I already bought after Game 3. Back-to-back four-goal games from the New York Rangers after just one in the last 20 postseason games? What’s next? A hat trick from Brian Boyle in Game 5? A power-play goal from Brad Richards? A positive John Tortorella press conference? Ron Duguay wearing clothing made post-1977? At this point, with this team, expecting the unexpected is how you must prepare for each playoff game. That’s why I have no idea what will happen in Game 5. No one does.

I said before Game 4 that I would walk to Washington D.C. for Game 5 if Pierre McGuire could describe one replay without citing a player’s hometown, college team or junior team, but I forgot to keep track since I was at the bar (Local Cafe next to MSG, which is also why these Thoughts are so short) for the game and the sound wasn’t on for the entire game either, so sorry for anyone hoping to see me making my way down I-95 with a Rangers hat and backpack on.

May 8, 2013

Rangers-Capitals Game 3 Thoughts: Season Saved For Now

The Rangers took the must-win Game 3 from the Capitals 4-3, but they are faced with the same situation again in Game 4.

The first thing I did when the Rangers won Game 3 was go to the convenient store on the corner and buy $20 worth of Powerball tickets. The Rangers broke their scoring drought of 124:06, which spanned from 16:44 of the period of Game 1 through all of Game 2 and overtime and 12:50 into Game 3. It was the first time the Rangers had scored four goals in a playoff game since their first game of last postseason last year (they played 20 playoff games last year), which means we all basically saw one of those rare comets on Monday night. So why wouldn’t I go out and buy Powerball tickets?

But really those facts might not be the craziest of all. You know what I’m talking about … Brian Boyle scored! Yes, it was indeed my favorite Ranger who ended the Rangers’ goal-scoring drought at 12:50 of the first period. The same Brian Boyle who scored two goals in 38 games this season. I knew that I always liked him. And not only did Boyle score, but Arron Asham scored too. He had two goals in 27 games this year. Who said secondary scoring was a problem?

Don’t count on four goals in Game 4 because like I said, that’s a once-a-year accomplishment and we won’t be seeing it until the 2013-14 postseason. But maybe we can count on Rick Nash (0-1-1) and Brad Richards (0-0-0) and Ryan Callahan (0-1-1) to contribute offensively in Game 4? Would that be too much to ask for the Rangers’ Top 3 paid skaters, totaling $18,741,667 this season? No? OK, I didn’t think so.

– No, no one expects Henrik Lundqvist to give up three goals ever, let alone in a playoff game, but he did and for once the Rangers offense was able to bail him out. It’s weird how no one is suggesting that Lundqvist needs to play better in the playoffs when the offense actually does its job. It’s just so odd how that happens.

I wasn’t sure if Henrik Lundqvist (24-16-3, 2.05, .926) was going to be a Vezina finalist after the shaky start to the shortened season, but he is along with the Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky (21-11-6, 2.00, .932) and the Sharks’ Antti Niemi (24-12-6, 2.16, .924). There really isn’t a clear frontrunner the way there was a year ago with Lundqvist and you could make the case for any of them (and Tuukka Rask), but my vote would go to Lundqvist, obviously. What? I’m not bias.

– How much more fun to watch are the Islanders than the Rangers? The Islanders might go down in the first round, as might the Rangers, but at least they are making Pittsburgh work for the second round. The Islanders were the worst possible matchup for the Penguins between the Islanders, Rangers and Senators and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Rangers would have been a red carpet for the Penguins to the conference semis.

– Jim Dolan and Glen Sather don’t want to fire John Tortorella. Had the Rangers missed the playoffs a year after going to the conference finals and after trading for Rick Nash and getting rid of Marian Gaborik instead of the coach, I believe Tortorella would be employed right now. But the Rangers made the playoffs and saved Tortorella his job, even though I think he should need a second consecutive conference finals appearance to save it. That means the only Ranger that needs a Cup to keep their job is Brad Richards, who could be bought out at the end of the season.

Richards has been awful in the series after a disappointing regular season. He has been as much of a power-play specialist as Tortorella has been and if the Capitals eliminate the Rangers a lot of the blame will be placed on the Rangers’ third-highest paid player
– If Pierre McGuire analyzes one replay during Game 4 without citing a player’s hometown or junior or college team, I will walk to Washington D.C. for Game 5.

The saying goes, “It’s not a series until the home team loses,” but around here the saying goes, “It’s not a series until the Rangers win a game.” They finally did that in Game 3. They have to do it again in Game 4.

May 6, 2013

Rangers-Capitals Game 2 Thoughts: Where Have All the Henrik Lundqvist Critics Gone?

The Rangers lost 1-0 in Game 2 to the Capitals when Henrik Lundqvist stood on his head and the offense was absent yet again.

If the Rangers lose two games to the Capitals before they win four, I want Henrik Lundqvist traded. Not because Henrik Lundqvist isn’t good or because the Rangers’ failures are his fault or because I don’t like him, but because Henrik Lundqvist deserves to be traded because he deserves better.

Lundqvist stood on his head for 68 minutes on Saturday until a stupid Ryan McDonagh delay-of-game penalty and a Mike Green slap shot did him in. The Rangers lost Game 2 on that goal and now trail the Capitals 2-0 in the series and if they don’t win on Monday night at Madison Square Garden they might as well pack up the locker room and we’ll see you in October because only three NHL teams have come back down 3-0 in a series to win and this Rangers team isn’t going to be the fourth one.

One goal. That’s what the Rangers have produced in 128 minutes of playoff hockey. One goal. It’s embarrassing and would seem impossible for a team that boasts Rick Nash, but that is what this team has been about since John Tortorella took over in the middle of the 2008-09 season no matter the personnel. They are a streaky scoring team and when they go into one of these slumps or funks, there’s no telling when they might score again. To Rangers fans, offensive slumps are basically winters in Westeros: everyone fears them and no one knows how long they will last.

Offensively, the Rangers aren’t unlucky, snake-bitten or getting bad bounces. They are a bad offensive team, who not only can’t out the puck in the net, but can’t even put the puck on net. The Rangers managed just 24 shots in Game 2, minimal legitimate scoring chances and Braden Holtby told the media after the game that it was “an easy night” for him.

John Tortorella was short and snippy with the media after Game 2 and bluntly said, “Create more offense” in one of his answers to a question that should have been worded, “How do make your team suck less?” The media deserves to feel the wrath of Tortorella because it’s their fault that his team has scored one goal in 128 minutes, and I’m sure everyone with a Rangers press pass wants to watch Tortorella’s losing system for a living.

Here are the goals through games on Sunday for playoff teams.

Pittsburgh: 13
Anaheim: 11
Ottawa: 11
San Jose: 11
Chicago: 9
New York Islanders 8
Boston: 6
Minnesota: 6
Montreal: 6
Detroit: 5
Toronto: 5
Vancouver: 5
Washington: 5
St. Louis: 4
Los Angeles: 3
New York Rangers: 1

There’s not much else to add about a 1-0 loss for a team that can’t score. Win on Monday and get back in the series or bring cardboard boxes with you to the Garden on Wednesday night.