N.Y. Rangers ~ Blueshirts and Henrik Face A Familiar Dilemma

New York Rangers ~ Fall To Ottawa In Shoot-Out.
Salvage One Point.

They played a rather unflattering first period.  Ottawa spent way too much time in the Rangers' zone.  The Blueshirts did not play like a team desperate for points.  The second period would only serve to further infuriate their Coach, as the Senators took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd intermission.  In the third period, a tie game was born on a Brandon Prust goal.  In over-time, Henrik saved the Rangers' skins with a brilliant right pad save off an Ottowa breakaway coming as a Rangers' power play had just expired.  That's all there is worth speaking of.  Why chronicle the Rangers' seeming futility which plagued them most of this game?

They went to a Shoot Out at The Garden ~  Coach Torts elected to shoot first;

OTTAWA - Anderson; 30 shots - 29 saves.
NEW YORK - Lundqvist; 29 shots - 28 saves.

NYR ~ Christensen ~ Shot wide.
OTT ~ Spezza ~ Save; left pad.

NYR ~ Zuccarello ~ Save; right pad.
OTT ~ Shannon ~ Save; pushed left.

NYR ~ Wolski ~ Save; glove high.
OTT ~ Svatos ~ Save; right pad wide.

NYR ~ Dubinsky ~ Shot wide.
OTT ~ Foligno ~ Stick Save!

NYR ~ Callahan ~ Save; Broken stick shot.
OTT ~ Karlsson ~ GOAL!

The New York Rangers lose in a Shoot-Out. 
Game final ~ N.Y. Rangers 1; OTT Senators 2 - SO

That's all there needs to be said of the game other than I'm disgusted that we played down to Florida and Ottawa.


TODAY:  FACE-OFF AGAINST #3 BOSTON BRUINS

The New York Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist
find themselves in a similar situation as last season.


But first....I thought I was ready to put the Sean Avery issue to bed after his consecutive string of being a healthy scratch.  The Rangers' play during their recent streak (before running into a slow-down versus FLA and OTT) justified Coach's move.  But when Coach Torts doesn't let Fedotenko, Zuccarello, nor Erik Christensen touch ice during the third period against Ottawa (which also isn't the first time these guys have been benched during the third periods of games), we have to rethink the Sean Avery situation.  Me personally, I'd rather have Avery getting shifts over Christensen and Fedotenko.  But that's just me.  Chris Drury just might be back to muddle the forward line mess a little more; which I hope is unlikely.

Henrik:
Last year, Henrik Lundqvist started 73 games.  Our back-up goalie situation was in disarray.  Steve Valiquette, Alex Auld, and Chad Johnson were all called on to help Henrik but were all generally ineffective.
Henrik wound up starting the final 17 games of the season leading up to that fateful Shoot-Out against Philly on the final game of the season.  And if we all remember correctly, last season's final playoff push wore Henrik down and his knees needed treatment in the off-season.  Marty Biron was supposed to rectify that situation and be the one to spell Henrik for about 20 games this season.  But we know what happened to him and we're right back to having Chad Johnson waiting in the wings.  If Henrik starts this afternoon against Boston, it will be his 20th consecutive start since Biron went down.  But it will only be his 61st start of the season with seven games left to play.  I'd like for someone to ask Henrik how his knees are feeling right about now.  He will fall short of 73 starts like last season, but he's going to wind up close.

Make of it what you will.  I'm just saying...

TODAY

NEW YORK RANGERS

40-30-5

vs.

Boston Bruins

41-22-10

From Not the Boston Garden

BOSTON, Mass.

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Mike.BTB