Sabres 3, Rangers 1
The New York Rangers (13-10-2) lost to the Buffalo Sabres (10-14-3) by the score of 3-1, tonight. For a box score go to Yahoo! Sports.
...i'd be upset with tonight's results if I didn't see it coming from a mile away. And from the comments on the blog earlier today, I think you guys did also. Backup goaltender who hasn't won a game in his last 17 starts? Talk about a recipe for disaster. The Rangers didn't have a chance.
...not even close to enough offensive pressure on Enroth early in the game allowed him to settle in, so when the Rangers made their third period push he was already comfortable and in the zone.
...it's not very often you can say that penalties lost the Rangers the game when they don't allow a power play goal AND score a short-handed tally. Destroyed any rhythm, while leaving their best player on the bench for long stretches.
...while I never enjoy when the Rangers take too many penalties, I absolutely love watching Callahan on the penalty kill.
...i've got to ask, if Girardi and McDonagh were a combined -6, why were Gilroy and Eminger the ones stapled to the bench in the third period?
...you know Gaborik is having a rough time when Haley replaces him on a line and actually played better than he was.
...words just absolutely can not do that Lundqvist kick save on his stomach justice, so enjoy...
...your top players aren't always going to come through, which is why the Rangers lack of production from the bottom six remains a concern. I hate to come down on a 19-year old rookie, but for all the great things he's doing, Miller has gone 15 straight games without a goal.
...man that Sabres power play makes the Rangers man advantage units look downright lethal.
...not exactly the payback Richards was looking for as he was scoreless with a -2 and just 4-for-11 on faceoffs. Maybe the Rangers game plan should have been to get retribution on Kaleta's teammates. Couldn't have worked out any worse than tonight did.
...the third year for a player in any sport is huge. So when Stepan got off to a rough start this season, there were many who wondered if he could be a productive NHL player. But over the last month, Stepan has not only proved he can play in this league, he has become the Rangers best center. Ryan O'Reilly who?
...there's no way to sugar coat it. This was a bad loss and two points the Rangers easily could have had. Never good when your top players are beaten twice by a guy who hasn't scored in 20 games. You have to wonder if the Blueshirts underestimated a depleted Sabres squad and didn't put forth the effort you need every night to win in the NHL. Which is absolutely unacceptable.
...off tomorrow the on to Winnipeg Thursday night.
Game lowlights...
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. .
@scrangersfan @ChrisP @slapshot13j @RangerGuy99 @smn209 @MikeBlue @NYR212 @danblackburn @Ty Galpin
Looking at how this comment stream has developed here's my 2 cents
1. The Rangers WILL make the playoffs. One bad loss has not finished them
2. That loss sucked, the Whale could have beaten that team but I've seen worse losses. I'm a Rangers fan. remember
3.Defensive lapses yes. The Vanek goal was unfathomable - but remember; Girardi was an undrafted tryout who, against all odds made the team and played damn consistent but he's not an elite player so appreciate him for who he is, a solid, smart stay at home Dman but don't expect him to be the standout guy. McD is still young and everyone will have an off night; and btw their best d'man is out injured right now.
4. Expectations breeds disappointment. I heard a lot of cup talk before this season started but you did not hear a word of that from me. I knew their puzzle was missing a few pieces still. Sure, if you get hot, and chemistry builds and Hank is super there's always a chance, they're still good enough for that off chance cindarella story, and if you get in the playoffs anything can happen but they are a scoring d'man and 2 nasty power forwards short still. They could use another finisher too. They can make up some of that ground if Miller and Krieder grow up like really fast.
5. Changing half your team at the deadline ain't gonna work guys. You lose your chemistry without enough time to build it back up. You gotta keep the core of your team in tact for better or worse but make one or 2 key moves to make that core team better.
6. Gabby's the key. Yes (here I go again). Gabby is an elite scorer. One of the best wrist shots and one timers in the game. Great skater. Better than average puck handler. SNEAKY good at both ends of the ice who scored 40 goals in 2 out of 3 seasons WITHOUT a centerman who could feed him. They have to find a way to get him out of his funk if they are to go deep into the playoffs, or possibly even make the playoffs. Did he hurt his shoulder? Is playing on the left really that difficult for him? Is there a reason for what little physical play he use to have to be suddenly and starkly absent? I don't know but he has to get going! This team cannot ride Nashty and expect to win - and yes a contribution or 2 from the bottom 2 lines might help. Do you think???.
7. GABBY'S NOT GETTING TRADED (or let me put it this way, they will only move him if they can pick another teams pocket, and he agrees since he has a NTC). Richards is expendable for buy-out after the season if Miller continues developing and they can move Boyle and get a center who can score without losing "leadfoot's" faceoff wins.
8. To get Nashty they had to give up grit. It was a great move for us but now people are scratching their butts wondering why they don't have the energy and grit of last year. HELLO. Though there were others the one that hurt me the most, and I knew from day 1 that this would really impact the team was Duby. Duby does not have to score to be a huge asset. All the critics from last year have waken up now. I'd love to see him come back.
9. Though in some ways Torts is a great coach but his shortcomings are being exposed now. Line changes. Reactionary moves without forethought etc. I'm still peeved that he broke up his most successful line of the season. He's been our best coach in my opinion for a long time since Mark Messier (Oh right, Mike Keenan coached that year - whoops) - but if they tank this season they may want to think about bringing fresh blood in.
OK did I forget anything???
This will be the game the rangers will look back on and say,if we had won the game against the Sabers we would have made the playoffs.
Sad day are coming foulks.
@ChrisP Because it was THE WORST loss in my lifetime so back to 1992, that team was a disgrace, their roster was horrendous, and they played terrible hockey. Their power play was like playing 2 men down.....
@TheNYRBlog can you give a quick rundown of what torts said to Sam that everyone is annoyed with? Can't watch the videos at work...
Just a thought.....would Girardi be logging 25+ minutes a game for all the other teams out there? Not so sure. And I though McDonough did not have one of his games. He got muscled off the puck and was out of position twice for goals. I cant stand hearing how guys were great last game, yada yada yada. They need to go do it every game. For the record every time Micheletti says that we are off to a great start we lose. Gilroy to the bench because of one play.......4 on 2 with him getting a drop pass....has the shooting lane with two guys going to the net.....waits a fraction of a second too long. and puck gets deflected.
This is not a team that could make a run at the Stanley Cup. If there are not changes made, we may not even make the playoffs. Gaborik AND Richards must absolutely go. Boyle, Pyatt, Halpern do not bring much to the table. Trade for Ryann Clowe and Douglas Murray from S.J. Columbus is looking to trade Dubinsky - I would rather have his heart and enthusiasm than the lackluster effort of Gaborik and Richards.
@MikeBlue Great post Mike, couldn't have put it better myself. This is a franchise of loosers.One cup in 73 years. What a disgrace. Storied franchise of loosers!!!!!!!!!
Don't know how many people will see this because it is kind of late, but this is not inspiring a boatload of confidence for Thursday: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=418054
A loss on Thursday and Saturday would be the end of any chance at winning the division (being 14 points behind Pittsburgh) but would also be disastrous for our Playoff hopes.... Many people say just get in and see what we can do, but just getting in wont cut it... the 7 and 8 seed will be playing Boston or Pittsburgh in my opinion. That is not a good way to start the playoffs, and on the road. Rangers need, worst case scenario to secure the 6 if they want a legitimate chance this year... I know to be the best you have to beat the best, but its much better to get a foothold in the playoffs especially starting on the road.
Torts said we are "sucking" at the wrong time, and he is 1000% right. If we suck these next two games it may be time to start looking at who is leaving come trade deadline, and I would say it is going to be more than just Boyle (who would be an automatic out)
It wouldn't be Ranger's hockey if we made it easy. I'm just hoping this team finds their groove right around playoff time and maybe pull off something.
@danblackburn I have been waiting 19 years for that to happen... I am slowly realizing i may have to wait 19 more
@slapshot13j @danblackburn I had waited 30 years for my first one and still waiting for the second one. But if they miss the playoffd this year, I'm done waiting.
2 Like
@slapshot13j Hey, some people had to wait fifty four. At least you're not a cubs fan.
@slapshot13j @danblackburn All good years for Yankee fans but they are the storied franchise. What made the 69 Mets so special was that they were an expansion team 7 years prior. They never had a winning season and no one in a million years would have figured them to even reach .500 much less win 100 games and take the mighty Orioles in 5.
@Betweentheworlds @danblackburn Just rewatched it, if he makes that throw to second base, double play and the yankees win the world series
@Betweentheworlds @danblackburn yea I know that feeling... 98,99,2000 and 2009 were great. I was too young for 96.. However, I will say I can never look at Mariano the right way after 2001, I tore up his card and tshirt the next day... THAT ONE REALLY HURT ME
@slapshot13j @danblackburn ha ha, I can't even follow them anymore. They traded Tom Seaver, need I say more. Then the traded David Cone for Jeff kent - then they turned around and traded jeff Kent right before he became a superstar. . Never in the history of pro sports has there been a more stupid or inept front office - but as a 10 year old kid '69 was an amazing experience
@Betweentheworlds @danblackburn At least the Rangers have some honor, the mets... lets not even go there. That could be considered a learning disability
1 Like
@slapshot13j @danblackburn I'm a Mets fan, it doesn't get any worse than that, oh wait. I'm a Rangers fan lol
@danblackburn Stanley Cup is 1000 times better than the world series, maybe just because im a Yankees fan... But I may never see a Superbowl being a Jets fan...
If you're a long time Rangers fan like myself then you suffer from "Post Frustration Stress Disorder"!!! I could use a good therapist right about now!!
@Betweentheworlds Tonight was one of the worst losses I have ever seen from the Rangers... There have been some bad ones but rarely to a team of this caliber because half their roster should be in the AHL
1 Like
@slapshot13j and you know I saw it coming from the response I left to your comment this afternoon. Unbelievable
@slapshot13j Brian's a good guy, he can score goals but man, I swear he has lead boots for skates. If he used that big body of his he could get away playing in this league with that liability but he plays almost as soft as Gabby and Richey.. The announcers said he was leading the team in hits tonight but those weren't hits. They were love taps. He should watch some old Jeff Beukeboom clips. If you can't skate you gotta intimidate, and why isn't he around the net more? You know he was scoriing in the playoffs in the Ottawa series before he got clocked, they may not have won it without those goals in the 1st 3 games. He hasn't been the same player since. The hit must have went to his head. Yes, I would trade him for the hard nosed energetic John Mitchell any day of the week.
1 Like
@slapshot13j Yeah but Boyle can shield the puck with that big body and hang-ten with one hand on his stick, only to drift to nowhere...!
@Betweentheworlds And you will love this comment. Brian Boyle for Ryan Clowe should be done tomorrow. Really would trade Boyle for John mitchell and give them a second round pick to boot. Boyle wont do anything again for 10 games...
I'm sure people will say I'm not a "loyal" fan but screw it. I'm grumpy again. An F'ing disgrace. Period. NO excuse to lose to this terrible Sabres team. Strong proof that this Ranger team is NOT configured to go far this season. There is no room for this level of poor play and inconsistency in a greed induced half season. A huge step backwards from last year in many ways. Remember when we played a team game? How are we back to praying for goals from one line? I was hoping to be done with watching this team limp into the playoffs in the 8th seed for awhile. Can they even get in the post season? But hey - good thing they raised the ticket prices!
@AveryYesBettmanNo Yea you really got to love the raise in ticket prices... at least the dolan's get more money :) They really work hard for it.
http://www.msg.com/teams/rangers.html#video.2342473876
Screw the Brad Richards hit... If this doesnt turn our season around, I don't think anything will
This comment has been deleted
@kicker75 should have scored... good to see him in the position though. Really do not think he should ever be on the second line though. Would rather see Miller in that position
He also had that sweet almost assist in the third. He does seem to always know where to be...I like him.
saw this night going a litttle differently...thought for sure we could get a W against the sabres and then it looked like the Pens would lose to the Bruins. But we lost and they came back late to win so we fall further behind
I said it on twitter, we lost to a team that sucks, got scored on twice by a player that sucks (20 games no goals) and got beat by a goalie that sucks (17 games without a win or whatever) . Awful. They were the easiest team in this stretch now we have the jets pens and canes. All hard to beat. Great.
@ChrisP add devils in a back to back after the canes. Might have to get 7 of those 8 points, or at least 6
@slapshot13j Of course the rangers finally leap frog the devils and we decide to start loosing and they decide to start winning. they suck. they arent the team that started the year. But knowing us we will drop all these games.
