Devils 1, Rangers 0
The New York Rangers (33-13-5) lost to the New Jersey Devils (31-19-3) by the score of 1-0, tonight. For a boxscore and recap go to Yahoo! Sports.
...Asshole! Asshole! Asshole! Last time I checked when you get pushed from behind into the goaltender the penalty is on the guy pushing no matter how hard you're going to the net. If Gabby isn't shoved, he's on top of the crease not Brodeur. Terrible.
...at the same time, if you don't want the referee to determine the game, come to play from the opening whistle. No excuse for the Rangers to come out as flat as they did, especially when the game starts with a double fight. Which, by the way, was awesome.
...and don't even get me started on the power play.
...for as bad as Richards made me look in the beginning of the season for hating his acquisition is as good as he's making me look now. He's invisible out there.
...Dubinsky better figure this out soon or he's going to find himself in the press box or on another team. Got to bury those chances.
...Hagelin, again, the best player on the ice for the Rangers.
...the only way for Brodeur to beat Lundqvist is with a shutout. Another masterful game against the Devils for Hank.
...Torts has to figure these lines out. Richards with Prust and Cally with Rupp just isn't going to help this team score.
...unreal game on defense for Girardi and McD shutting down Kovalchuk and co.
...one thing I've noticed the last two games with the Clarkson on the Devils and Rinaldo on the Flyers is that I really miss Avery. His agitating style could have made a difference tonight.
...off tomorrow then Lightning in town on Thursday.
For post game video highlights & interviews, click the "Read More" tab below.
Video highlights & analysis...
John Tortorella post game...
Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
@thenyrblog lets hope Napoleon tortorellas bad karma doesn't hurt the team, he's burning out the top ten players too.
Anyone else think Dubi plays with the wrong stick blade angle? He frequently misplays the puck - puck slides under or rolls off his blade. It's possible given that he was wearing skates that gave him shin splints until last year's injury.
Rangers didn't show up for 1.5 periods last night. But interference and no-goal call with seconds remaining has got to be reviewable play. Game's fast and refs have a tough job. But there are 2 refs and 2 linesmen. They've got to confer on these end of game calls or go to video. NHL needs to be better in this dept - see NFL.
@KCinMN98 Spot on ! I have been calling for replays on game changing plays forever now! It works in the NFL. Why can't it work in hockey?
Everyone likes to throw Richards and Dubinsky under the bus, but the reality is that NONE of the Rangers' top 6 forwards are scoring. I keep hearing "Gaborik was the best player on the ice" but he has 4 goals in the past 15 games. Cally has the same, Richards has 3, Stepan & Dubi have 2, and Anisimov and Hagelin have 1. They ALL need to light the lamp more. Maybe it's a line consistency thing, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure sitting or sending someone down to Hartford is not going to do it. This team is still tops in the East and 1 point out of top in the NHL with 3 games on hand. Once the top 6 get going (and they will), all this crazy talk can then stop.
Incidental contact by Gabby... terrible call. Dubi should do a stint with the Whale. Agree with you 110% on Avery, we really could have used him last night and unfortunately as the season goes on the absence of a hard nose agitator below the hash marks will without a doubt have an impact. Who better to get Marty off his mark? What happens if Rupp and Prusty get injured down the stretch?? We suddenly start to look a bit on the soft side
Kevin, I agree with everything you're saying axcept that I think Gaby was the best player on the ice by far. Haglin played well but Gaby was super.
As for Richards, I to was against signing him and feel the same as you do. I read that Rick Nash wants out of Columbus and I think the Rangers should consider trading Richards and a 4th round pickfor him.It would improve the R angers offense including the power play. What do you think?
@scrangersfan As has been the case with Drury and Gomez, Rangers fans expected Richards to be a scorer which he is not. He can feed the rock and was brought in here to get Gaborik going. May be time to get those two on a line together.
@KevinDeLury Maybe it is time to get someone to get Richards going.He does not even get the assists he's supposed to be so good at. Until I'am proven wrong, I still say it was a mistake to sign him. But as we all know, what Torts want, Torts gets. Like me or hate me this is the way I feel.
By the way, I like the Stepan Gabby AA. line just fine. That was the best line last night.
Still angry this morning. Absolutely awful - maybe we woulda lost in OT (and we probably deserved to given how we started the game) but we vastly outplayed them in the third and part of the second and we deserved at least a point out of that game. Absolutely had me fuming ot see the Devils all high-fiving each other at the end - hope they all feel just great about themselves winning a game on a horrible call.
Glad I stopped following FB status updates from a couple of my friends who are Devils fans - know that at least one of them posted a freaking essay about how the call was the right one, but refuse to go read it because it might get ugly and I might have to unfriend some people if I do.
@KevinDeLury You are totally right dude. the call was AWFUL, but if the Rangers had played 3 full periods they never would have been in that situation.
Here is a video of the play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_kP9X4j8js&feature=g-logo&context=G2250f5aFOAAAAAAAAAA
The refs (and Dave Malone) are completely wrong on this one. Look at Volchenkov's stick. The way he is pushing on Gabby's skate, Gabby cannot turn or stop any quicker (despite the fact he is trying.) That is why Gabby goes down feet-first, and why he hits Marty.
What a shit call. Gab tried to stop as you could clearly see the sprayed ice coming from his blade. They suck!
Gabby was trying to stop at the blue line! A little exaggeration but a bullshit call none the less
I absolutely ridiculous they saw gabby trying to stop and he got pushed in and It looked like Marty just acted like a cry baby.
hey paul. Fuck you. were still in 1st. PLUS martys a bitch and sold that. we all know it was a bullshit call so take that free victory and shut your mouth.
@ChrisP I was raging about it myself last night. But I think that they are going to use these last two games as motivation for their remaining matches against the Devils and light them up.
I think that the only reason why Brandon Dubinsky goes out onto the ice with a hockey stick in his hands is because someone tells him too. He could just as well go out there with a fish net, a tire jack, a 2x4, a pillow or a coffee mug and he'd get the same results as he did on that last PP.
They'd better straighten out this lack off offense or its going to be a short postseason. I think it might be time to go to three lines a la Tampa Bay Torts. And double shift Gaborik.
And lets not give fatty too much credit. Those pucks were just hitting him. The best thing about last nights game is that it will convince Brodeur to convince the Devils that he and his sub .900 save % can play a couple more years.
@AnnoyingJoe You cant roll 3 lines right now. They have 3 games in 4 nights coming up. It's bad enough Tortorella kills his defensemen.
@Beckfan5 Down the stretch I think you will see him do it, especially if players like Feds and Dubinsky (as you so boorishly and constantly point out) fail to produce.
1 Like
I must disagree with you Kevin. The double fight in the beginning was atrocious. Prust doesn't need to be off the ice and Rupper probably has a broken thumb; there was no need for those nonsense fights. I'm sick of seeing the fights where it is not someone sticking up for a team mate or star player, they are merely fighting for fighting's sake.
@Lauren D. Respectfully disagree Lauren. Both teams wanted to set the tone and that's how you do it.
@KevinDeLury@Lauren D. And I disagree with you. Lauren is right, those were unnecessary, staged fights. Hey, I love fighting in hockey just as much as the next fan but staged fighting is silly.
Prust is a lot more valuable starting the game throwing his body around and setting the tone that way instead of throwing his fists 2 seconds into the game.
@Lauren D. I think it's time for you to watch fishing contests Lauren,this sport is not for you. Fights are a part of hockey and have been for ever. Learn to deal with it or quit watching. It's my advise, no offense meant.
@Beckfan5@Lauren D. You have your opinion and I have mine and since you decided to make insulting comments, here is an other opinion for you, I think you are an idiot.
@scrangersfan@Lauren D. Meaning that you don't need to be such a condescending know it all and referring that "this sport is not for you" to another fan who has their own opinion about a staged fight.
@Lauren D. I don't suppose you were actually AT the game last night? (You watched on TV?) if you had been in the building you would never say that.
@thenyrblog so yeah, nice to see I'm an asshole for my "torts sucks" comment and now after this game everyone's on the wagon.
@thenyrblog - That's cause he needed to get back to beating the crap out of me! He's not a nice man. I'm very sensitive. I need hugs.
I haven't seen the Rangers lose in person for years... it's about time i went to a painful 1-0 snoozefest
@thenyrblog but if you change sides and it wasn't called, you'd be calling crying foul. That call is made over and over... Right or not
@thenyrblog - Aw c'mon! I gave the boys 3 chances tonight. Not my fault Gabby couldn't cut away from Marty. Whad we take 70 shots on goal?
