Avery Leads the Way
Sunday, March 15, 2009
In what I called a must win game for the New York Rangers, the Blueshirts faced off at 12:30 noon at MSG and proceeded to do just that with a nice 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers really took it to the Flyers after losing the opener of a home and home scenario 4-2 in Philly. Sean Avery led the Rangers with 2 PP goals and played with his usual reckless, "in your face" style that the Rangers have missed all season long. I, for one, am very happy that he's back. Avery's game has a little of everything - he can skate, hit, score, agitate, and most of all he has the opponent thinking about him constantly. I love it! Oh, and when Flyers coach John Stevens complained about Avery getting away with his stuff on the ice... all I can say is, "Wahhhh!" Has he looked at his own agitator (Scott Hartnell) lately? I'm just glad that Avery's back and I'm sure the Rangers fans are too!
Getting back to the game, how about 3 PP goals! I mentioned Avery's 2, but Nik Antropov also popped one on the PP as well. I always say that you got to shoot the puck on the PP, don't get cute and Antropov didn't and he fired a beauty by Nittymaki. "Fast Freddy" Sjostrom finished the Flyers off with a nice wrap around goal to make the final score 4-1 in favor of the Blueshirts. King Henrik was steady and came up with the saves when needed. The Rangers D played well, although the Flyers took 10 penalties to the Rangers 6 which definitely helped. It was a big win, as I mentioned. With the standings being as tight as they are, all of the games left are like the playoffs for the Rangers.
I do have to get something off my chest though. Why is it the NHL thinks that it is okay to change the rules during the season? When Mike Richards cleaned Nikolai Zherdev's clock with a hard bodycheck (Which was clean), Dan Girardi jumped in to fight Richards (Which I don't like, keep your head up and you won't get hammered). He received a 2 minute instigator penalty, 5 for fighting, and a 10 minute misconduct? Are you kidding me? With the GM's meeting just ending and all the talk about the fighting issue, you start giving 10 minute misconducts now? What a joke Gary Bettman and his cronies have become. You did it last year too with the "Avery Rules". Now this? Give me a break. Any how, it's off to Montreal on Tuesday - where they have not faired well lately. Let's hope for a change and a Rangers win. Over and out!
Quinnipiac Eliminated by St. Lawrence
I am sad to say that my other favorite team, the Quinnipiac Bobcats, were eliminated by the St. Lawrence Saints in the ECAC hockey quarter-finals. Friday they dropped a 5-3 decision and then lost the next night by the same score in a best of 3 series. It was a tough year for the Bobcats. At times they looked like they could beat the world, at other times... well... to put it lightly, they were not very good. Congratulations goes out to St. Lawrence and for the Bobcats, there's always next year!
12 comments:
Kotsy,
I guess "Slats" made a little boo-boo letting Avery go in the first place.
As for your Bobcats...as they used to say in Brooklyn...wait 'til next year.
Ya think just a little boo-boo? At least "Slats" got him back for half the salary.
Bobcats are what they are, great at times and not so great in the same breath.
"Wait 'til next year" isn't that a baseball line?
hiya Chris...another game...new players scoring...old...sleeping...I think their psyche is shot for this year, on a funny note..was mentioning to Ashley about an old Ranger...Steve Vickers and how this team doesnt have a garbage collector...haha...this team could use a player like steve...tough and able and willing to stand in front of the net and score some of those ugly goals...recall Steve?..Mr mustache?..lol...did you play with him...forgot when he retired..80..or 81?
Big win for the Rangers and you are right about the "new" players scoring.
Avery was at his best
today, just pissing every Flyer off including their coach lol.
Steve Vickers was a player who would stand in front and take the physical beating to score. No question.
Sarge and I did play together and was one of the best veteran players a rookie like me could have ever met. Ron Greschner is also in that category as well.
We still keep in touch.
Yesterday was a perfect example of the many reasons I hate Gary Bettman. Change the rules mid-season after barely a weeks worth of meetings huh? What other sport does that? Baseball introduced replay mid-season, but it was something that had been discussed for a few years and was given a date to be implemented. What a joke.
I don't mind seeing Girardi step up. Zherdev needs to stop looking at his skates, but against the Hawks the situation was in reverse for Girardi. It was him laying a big (clean) hit and then having to fight a guy. I can't say I blame him. He deserved the two for instigating, but a misconduct was completely overkill. Especially because it wasn't really much of a fight anyways.
Well Ryan unfortunately this is NHL Hockey today.
I don't think it's wise for any sport to change it's rules as the season is still going.
Why can't they wait and discuss or implement new rules in the off season?
Idiots that's what they are, knee jerk decisions made by the NHL for what Improvement? I don't see it!
I discovered these new rules only yesterday during the game. The ten minutes misconduct for a guy stepping up for one of his teammate in that kind of situation is bull***. Clean hit or not you can't prevent or forbid that kind of reaction from a player seeing his teammate demolished like Zherdev was, it's 100% emotional, in the action. Bettman wants to remove emotion from the game now?
I know this decision is a direct answer to the tragedy of Don Sanderson, whose death occurred in the same circumstances than the Girardi-Richards scrap, but you can't remove the fights from this game. Sure, there are too many ones, and these "staged" fights have no place in hockey in my opinion, but that's part of the game.
Some more months would have helped to come out with an adequate solution. Concerning the staged fights, the right call here was to purely and simply ban them, why not a game misconduct? That would have made more sense. Everybody agrees on the worthlessness of those fights, so be it, let's ban them then.
Two bad decisions taken by the league, but is this really a surprise? One weak call concerning staged fights. And another one "stupid". Though understandable, no doubts, but something else would have been more appropriate. Sanderson loved that game, not sure that was the right decision.
Damn it, forgot to talk about the game... Avery is just amazing, let's hope he'll keep to play this way for a loooooong time. Antropov proved again he has some skills, and a tough question is about to emerge, Zherdev or Antropov? Not sure we will be able to keep both, we might have to choose. Personally, I'm starting to think Antropov is the right call for a lot of reasons. Any idea Chris?
Jeff, Avery was at his best yesterday against the Flyers.
He's just a plain old pain in the ass to play against, oh and he can also play the game at very high level.
As for the NHL and it's rule changes. You know me well Jeff I am not pleased with the changes they have made over the past few years.
I don't understand their thinking. You play most of the season under certain rules but you make up new one before the season ends?
The NHL "Hierarchy" acts like they believe everyone is on board with this. How foolish !
The game was big for the Rangers no question.
Antropov or Zherdev? good question.
I can only hope Zherdev understands how good he could be, but it takes work and not being lazy. That's a big problem.
Antropov? Jeff it will come down to money as usual. How much? Years? Cap Space? You know the same old crap you have in Cap driven league.
Hey Chris i see my Leafs played a good game Saturday beating the Flames despite the game being high scoring,reminds us of the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980's. Well we know they will not make the playoff, but lately they have been giving it a good run,so they are not as bad as everybody thought they would be.
Mr.Greek , The Leafs have played about as well as you could expect considering the purge of players over the last few years.
The future looks bright for the first time in along time .
Give Burke and Wilson time and they will make the Leafs a proud organization once again.
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