N.Y. RANGERS ~ A California Point Rush

NEW YORK RANGERS:  Go West Young Men.  There's Points In Them Thar' Hills!  Let's Go Git' Some.

If the Rangers are indeed a better road team than they are at home, then travelling 3,000 miles to California is optimal for us and would seem to fit right in with the plan.  The Plan?  Yea, the plan; - to win every game left on the schedule. - That plan.  Teams have two and three games on us, so wins are paramount to the Rangers from here on out.

There is even less doubt today if there was any, as to how huge that win against Philadelphia last Sunday turned out to be.  It planted New York firmly in seventh place while Buffalo, New Jersey, and Toronto all played before the Rangers could take the ice again three days later.  Since Sunday, Buffalo swapped spots with Carolina putting them in the eighth spot and two points behind the Rangers.  Then Tuesday night turned out to be very helpful to the Blueshirts' cause while they remained idle.  The Devils, Sabres and Maple Leafs all lost.  And so, the Rangers get to pick-up where they left off on Sunday.
 
I'm thinking this game against the Ducks is winnable.  I don't think this game is winnable because we've done so well there before.  Rather, I think Anaheim is one of those teams we can flat-out, out muscle for a win.  I think we can pound on Teemu Selanne and Corey Perry and make them go away.   In addition to Teemu, Anaheim is relying on fossils like Saku Koivu and Jason Blake.  Those were some great Hockey names, once.  But they are mummies now.  I had those guys on my fantasy team back in 1993!  Remember when the Rangers used to rely on old guys like that?  I know you do.  But we're the new young Rangers now.....right?   (Ponderous).   Fire Glen Sather!!!!

Their goalie; Jonas Hiller?  He's over-rated (That will come back to bite me, I'm sure.  But if I'm going to be cocky about this, gotta go all the way).   Henrik is better and now that he knows he has to carry this team, I think we'll be getting the more consistent King down the stretch.

Yea, I'm feeling pretty confident about tonight's game.  That must mean only one thing; we're going to lose!  I hate West Coast trips (although I love the 10:30pm starts).  It's been proven flights exceeding three hours in length dehydrate the body.  The longer in the sky, the more you dehydrate.  Having said that, after a few days to acclimate, I hope they've had to go to the bathroom with uncontrollable frequency these last two days.  And I don't like that whole "body-clock" thing either.  That's just me.

But the Rangers created a break for themselves by winning Sunday.  The teams chasing them were agreeable enough to lose along the way.  Now the Rangers need to capitalize on their small bit-o-luck and seize the moment tonight in Anaheim.  These are two points the Rangers can't afford to Quack-away.  The way I see things, the Rangers will need to end their schedule by at least 6 or 8 points ahead of the eighth place team.  Because when their schedule ends, the teams behind them still have games in hand.  There's your best case scenario.  Falling short of that, you know exactly what we would potentially have to do in order to secure a spot in the playoffs.  You want me to say it too, because like me, you're a glutton for punishment.

So here goes, because you want to hear it.  The last thing we want to do is have to play the Devils on the last game of the season for the eighth spot.  Then we'll have more problems than a math book, because things won't add up for us if it comes down to that last game.

GET POINTS!!

TONIGHT

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Anaheim Ducks

Somewhere on the Left Coast

Mike.BTB