N.Y. Rangers ~ Circling Sharks Smell Blueshirt Blood

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

APRIL FOOLS SHOWDOWN

Boston Bruins

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

From,

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
33rd Street at 7th Avenue

NYC

Rangers Lead Series 3-0

*I - NYR 3; BOS 2*

II - NYR 3; BOS 0

III - NYR 4; BOS 3

*overtime

NEW YORK RANGERS

Updated:  Sunday, April 1st
The Blueshirts' Magic Number to Clinch
#1 Seed in Eastern Conference:

3 Points

FRIDAY NIGHT FINAL:

Montreal Canadiens  1

New York Rangers    4

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

1) - New York Rangers    107 Points

2) - Pittsburgh Penguins  102 Points

3) - Philadelphia Flyers      98 Points

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

#1 - x-New York Rangers   107 Points

#2 - x-Boston Bruins              96 Points

#3 - x-Florida Panthers         90 Points

#4 - Pittsburgh Penguins     102 Points

New York Rangers Stats:

I - 2011-2012 SEASON ~ As of March 31st:

First NHL Team to 50 wins

107 Points - #1 NHL

Goals Against (173) - #1 Eastern Conference; #3 NHL

Home Wins (27) - Tied #1 Eastern Conference

Road Wins (23) - Tied #2 Eastern Conference; Tied #3 NHL

II - RANGER HISTORY:

100 Points ~ Seventh Time in Club History

112 Points ~ Team Record Set '93-'94

107 Points ~ Current; Four Games Remain

50 Wins ~ Third Time in Club History

1991-1992 - 50 Wins

1993-1994 - 52 Wins

III - HENRIK LUNDQVIST - G

38 Wins ~ Ties Career High

NEW YORK RANGERS:  There's Blueshirt Blood in the Water.  And the Sharks are Circling.


Over the course of the regular season, the NHL tides have rolled in and out like those of the oceans.  Some teams have been deposited like sand onto favorable shores within their Division and Conference standings, while others have been swept out to sea.



The tide came in for Eastern Conference teams like Washington, who recently gained eighth place after bobbing up and down this season.  The Devils are back after missing the playoffs last season.  And a newer, younger Florida club is back with their heads well above water.



Meanwhile, the tide has been rolling out and setting teams like Buffalo, Toronto, and Montreal, adrift.  Down the stretch, if Ottawa isn't careful, they could be pushed under the surf and drowned by a trio of Florida, Washington, and/or Buffalo.



The big prize fish lie in the deeper, more treacherous waters of the Eastern Conference, where it's sink, swim, or be swallowed.  There lie the defending Stanley Cup Champion Bruins.  And from the Atlantic Division, the Flyers, and more specifically the Pittsburgh Penguins, have ridden powerfully warm currents towards a hot regular season finish.  They've all gathered like sharks to circle around the Rangers whom many still regard as a hapless baby seal floating around on a melting piece of ice.



To the outsider, that my seem so.  Most recently, the Rangers were poised to suffer a deadly bite in their season when Pittsburgh faced-off against the New York Islanders for a home-and-home.  But the Long Islanders clubbed the Penguins silly with ten goals in two games.  The Rangers took care of their end with dramatic wins against Minnesota and Winnipeg, on clutch goals by Gaborik and Callahan, respectively.  And after Friday night's 4-1 drubbing of the Canadiens at the Garden, the Rangers remain five points ahead of the Penguins again.  But make no mistake, with only four games left in the regular season, the smell of blood permeates the waters off Broadway.



With Spring upon us, the ICEBERGS of MARCH are indeed breaking apart and have precariously brought the Rangers to within a game of losing their position atop the Atlantic Division, and Eastern Conference standings for a second time this month.  In response to both instances, they not only survived cracks beneath their skates, but resiliently went on to extend their lead again.



The young New York Rangers have deftly squeezed out another surge in their ride on top the ultimate wave they caught back on December 23rd, and seem determined to stand up all the way through April 7th, for one of the more fabulous finishes in Club history.  Because what we've learned about these Rangers over the last two weeks is that they never panic.  And they say that's key when surrounded by sharks.



The New York Softies have Boston; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; and Washington looming ahead.  They've come for us for it's Blueshirt Blood they smell.



Outstanding.



Let's Go Rangers!




Mike.BTB