Game 5 – Devils 1 Rangers 4
Record: 2-1-2, 6 pts
Last Year: 0-0-0, 0 pts
Seen: Partially, on MSG
Points out of 8th: N/A. First in the division, but sixth in the conference
Islanders: Won 5-3 at Washington, making the Rangers’ loss there even more unacceptable
- Well, I was traveling down and up the east coast this week, and arrived in Albany, NY on Thursday evening. Was pleasantly surprised to see that the hotel I checked into had MSG, and even more so when I flipped it on in time for the beginning of the second period to see that the Rangers were ahead 3-0. Cool. It was a tumultuous week of travel, and circumstances made me unable to pay more than scattered attention to the rest of the contest. I later saw the ultimately decisive first period action on that ‘Rangers in 60’ thing they run on MSG now, in which they compress the game into an hour. Many times in the last few years, I watched games in far less than that time; having taped it and then ended up running through it in via fast forward in short order after the sad outcome became apparent. There were many games I ended up scanning in their entirety in 15 minutes or less, pausing just to see any fights.
- I saw some of the post-game show. If you turn on the TV with no sound and see the Devils and Islanders announcers doing their wrap-up, you can tell whether their teams won or lost just by the look on their faces. You tune in and see either the grim looks and head-shaking, or a pair of grinning idiots. What a bunch of shills. Emrick and Chico Resch came on and immediately lamented how the Devils “weren’t ready to play” and that this was a case of only “one team showing up to play.” Gimme a fucking break. The Rangers have solidly outplayed this team for most of six periods now. Then Howie Rose and Joe Micheletti were all smiles as they raved about the Isles’ play. Micheletti doesn’t bother me that much, but Rose has lost any credibility as a broadcast journalist he may have had, shilling for a mickey mouse club that hasn’t won a single playoff round since the year before the spring that Rose reached the peak of his profession with his landmark Matteau Matteau Matteau call.
- Big Play - Tom Renney spoke after the game of his decision to move Petr Prucha up to the Jagr line, talking about his resiliency, which was noted here after the last Devils game. By moving Rucinsky down to the Rucchin line, and, in turn, Straka down to the third line, suddenly the offense seems to have the potential to go deeper than we once thought.
Of course, if a team works hard all night, even the 4th line will create opportunities. Right after the first Rangers goal, Renney rolled it out. Jed Ortmeyer, whose diligent work habits compensate for his occasional gaffes, took a hit along the boards, got up and battled for the puck in center ice, practically willing it into the Devils zone on sheer desire alone, without actually ever getting a stick on it. The puck still hadn’t settled down when Niemenin burst in and was somehow able to get a backhand flip onto the bouncing disk and send it past Brodeur for a second goal in 17 seconds.
- Ryan Hollweg was sent down to Hartford and Lundmark was banished from the lineup for the second time in three games. You wonder what Sather could even get for him at this point. Let’s hope we see Hollweg again soon.
- Michael Rozsival continues to lead the team in minutes played, logging 25:29, more than five minutes more than Jagr.
Record: 2-1-2, 6 pts
Last Year: 0-0-0, 0 pts
Seen: Partially, on MSG
Points out of 8th: N/A. First in the division, but sixth in the conference
Islanders: Won 5-3 at Washington, making the Rangers’ loss there even more unacceptable
- Well, I was traveling down and up the east coast this week, and arrived in Albany, NY on Thursday evening. Was pleasantly surprised to see that the hotel I checked into had MSG, and even more so when I flipped it on in time for the beginning of the second period to see that the Rangers were ahead 3-0. Cool. It was a tumultuous week of travel, and circumstances made me unable to pay more than scattered attention to the rest of the contest. I later saw the ultimately decisive first period action on that ‘Rangers in 60’ thing they run on MSG now, in which they compress the game into an hour. Many times in the last few years, I watched games in far less than that time; having taped it and then ended up running through it in via fast forward in short order after the sad outcome became apparent. There were many games I ended up scanning in their entirety in 15 minutes or less, pausing just to see any fights.
- I saw some of the post-game show. If you turn on the TV with no sound and see the Devils and Islanders announcers doing their wrap-up, you can tell whether their teams won or lost just by the look on their faces. You tune in and see either the grim looks and head-shaking, or a pair of grinning idiots. What a bunch of shills. Emrick and Chico Resch came on and immediately lamented how the Devils “weren’t ready to play” and that this was a case of only “one team showing up to play.” Gimme a fucking break. The Rangers have solidly outplayed this team for most of six periods now. Then Howie Rose and Joe Micheletti were all smiles as they raved about the Isles’ play. Micheletti doesn’t bother me that much, but Rose has lost any credibility as a broadcast journalist he may have had, shilling for a mickey mouse club that hasn’t won a single playoff round since the year before the spring that Rose reached the peak of his profession with his landmark Matteau Matteau Matteau call.
- Big Play - Tom Renney spoke after the game of his decision to move Petr Prucha up to the Jagr line, talking about his resiliency, which was noted here after the last Devils game. By moving Rucinsky down to the Rucchin line, and, in turn, Straka down to the third line, suddenly the offense seems to have the potential to go deeper than we once thought.
Of course, if a team works hard all night, even the 4th line will create opportunities. Right after the first Rangers goal, Renney rolled it out. Jed Ortmeyer, whose diligent work habits compensate for his occasional gaffes, took a hit along the boards, got up and battled for the puck in center ice, practically willing it into the Devils zone on sheer desire alone, without actually ever getting a stick on it. The puck still hadn’t settled down when Niemenin burst in and was somehow able to get a backhand flip onto the bouncing disk and send it past Brodeur for a second goal in 17 seconds.
- Ryan Hollweg was sent down to Hartford and Lundmark was banished from the lineup for the second time in three games. You wonder what Sather could even get for him at this point. Let’s hope we see Hollweg again soon.
- Michael Rozsival continues to lead the team in minutes played, logging 25:29, more than five minutes more than Jagr.
posted by Alan Mann @ 8:00 PM
1 Comments:
At 12:29 PM,
Anonymous said…
Glad you were able to at least see some of the game. I wanted to go, but She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed suggested it would be inappropriate to go on the holiday, so I watched it with Sam and JD; unlike some others you mention, I think these 2 are outstanding together. The NYR, too, were outstanding on this night -- showing better speed, hustle, depth, and goaltending than the Devils. In particular, I enjoyed watching the Betts-Ward-Straka line, but they all were good.
Hollweg was sent down, I think, to make room for Montoya -- plus they probably want to make sure he gets some ice time; i, too, want him back up soon.
Have some feelings of trepidation about tonight's game -- could be a letdown game, and we haven't fared well against Atlanta recently. Then again, with the emphasis on "New" in NYR, who knows?
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