N.Y. Rangers ~ The King Needs His Horsemen; Game Four

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE ~ 2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference Semi Finals

Rangers Lead Series 2-1

I  -  NYR 3; WASH 1

II  -  WASH 3; NYR 2

III  *  NYR 2; WASH 1

* 3OT

IV  -  SATURDAY

GAME FOUR

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Washington Capitals

From,

THE BURBS

Somewhere Near D.C. Area

NEW YORK RANGERS:  His Kingdom for a Goal.

Game Three One Hundred Fourteen Minutes Closer to Glory

Game One and Two The War of 2012; The Blueshirts Are Coming!

Series Preview Bring On The Capitals!

If Game Three reminded us of anything, it's that Henrik Lundqvist will need to deliver us to the Eastern Conference Finals where the Rangers can win an opportunity to play for the Stanley Cup; or not.  The quest for the Cup, rests squarely on his shoulders.  He knows it.  John Tortorella knows it.  Henrik's teammates know it.  And we fans know it.  We all know it well.



If you remember, prior to the season starting, it was Henrik who offered he wasn't getting any younger - "..the clock is ticking..." was the way he put it.  In Game Three, the thirty year old goalie still in his seventh NHL season recorded his forty-fifth combined win of the season over the Washington Capitals - a team that has been his, and the Rangers' nemesis in recent playoffs.  After over one hundred and fourteen minutes of Hockey last Wednesday, he may very well have delivered the Rangers' their seminal moment towards a run to the Stanley Cup.



What Henrik really did Wednesday night in the suburbs of our Nation's Capital was perhaps win the undisputed biggest game of his career to date.  For to have lost that triple overtime epic would have been devastating to the team, and most specifically to Henrik Lundqvist.  With a loss, harsh words, undeserved labels, and being branded a regular season wonder would have surly followed him out of the building that night.



He is now half way to exorcising a personal demon, which is getting out of the second round.  He gave Ranger fans a  majestic performance that always must accompany any run towards the Stanley Cup.  Special things need to happen at key and critical moments during playoff runs.  Henrik did that.  He had one.  Game Three demanded he be a legend for a night.  And our liege answered.



The Rangers will not be winning any high goal scoring fests.  Game Three made that perfectly clear.  The Blueshirts have totalled seven goals in eleven and a half periods of hockey this series.  They've limited the Capitals to five goals.  The Blueshirts aren't potent enough to outscore their mistakes either.  So however many goals the Rangers put up on the scoreboard, it is Henrik's duty to make them stand up.



Easier said than done though.  Maybe you feel like I do.  Maybe you don't.  But I feel if we are to put away Washington, we need to do it as quickly as possible.  With the way Dale Hunter has been utilizing Alex Ovechkin, I feel we've been drawing the empty chamber in a game of Russian Roulette.  Somewhere in that revolver, is a round with Ovechkin's, Alexander Semin's, or Chimera's, or Backstrom's name on it.  But that's me.


That's precisely why, In Henrik We Trust.



Let's Go Rangers!

Mike.BTB