Rangers Fan PSA

Frankly, I'm pretty appalled at the reactions I've seen from so many Ranger fans following the loss last night. Yes, the Rangers are on the brink. Yes, despite the fact that both series we've played in so far have gone 7 games, we have never been in a position to rally for two wins with our backs against the wall-- oh wait. That's exactly what happened against Ottawa in round 1.

I, for one, actually feel a lot better coming off of last night's loss than I did after Game 4. This was the best the Rangers have looked all series, and perhaps all playoffs. For 50 minutes, they dominated the Devils. The return of Brandon Dubinsky provided the spark we all hoped it would. They were relentless on the forecheck. The defensemen were aggressive pinching in to keep offensive surges alive, but were disciplined in getting back and preventing odd-man rushes. For the first time all series, the forwards actually drove to the net and made things happen. The Devils scored three flukey goals, and the fourth was an uncharacteristically soft goal on Lundqvist. Yes, the Rangers game-tying goal was equally flukey, but it was the product of aggressive forechecking and applied pressure in the dirty areas. 

The Rangers know how to beat Brodeur. I fully expect Henrik Lundqvist to return to form in Game 6, and if he does, the Rangers only need to do exactly what they did in Game 5 to send this thing back to the Garden for a winner-take-all Game 7. If that happens, we all know who the favorite will be. If I were the Devils, Game 5 would feel like a hollow victory. Yes, they earned the pivotal 3-2 lead, but they were exposed. The Rangers beat them to every loose puck, they won every individual battle, they dominated physically. 

It is pointless to consider the fact that this series basically mirrors the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals; these are two entirely different teams, save for Marty Broduer. The 2011-2012 Rangers, however, mirror that legendary team in a number of ways. They have tremendous heart. They never give up. They play their absolute best hockey with their backs against the wall.

For all of these reasons, I am tremendously confident entering Game 6. Can the Rangers come back and win this series? They can, and they will. So keep calm, Ranger fans, and believe. It won't be long before Captain Cally and King Henrik lead us to the promised land.

DeBoer Mocks Torts for Being American

This story broke this afternoon and has been gaining traction ever since. On Michael Kay's radio program today, he said that some people he has spoken to gave the impression that, during their memorable bench-to-bench spat during the 3rd period Monday night, Peter DeBoer was "ripping [Tortorella] because he is an American."

Kay and Don La Greca were fuming about this today, but for two guys who weren't actually there, it's little more than speculation. Then came Pierre McGuire's comments to the New York Times:

"DeBoer never chastised a Rangers player. There were no names, no threats, no 'I'll get you.' It was an American versus a Canadian, two guys venting."

On the NBC Sports Broadcast, McGuire said:

"It had something to do with where both guys came from."

This is not a good card for DeBoer to be playing, what with his team's owner, general manager, eight players, and entire fan base being American.  Let's not forget that Minnesota-native, Devils captain and soon-to-be free agent Zach Parise formed a nice relationship with John Tortorella at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Hmm....

Rangers/Devils Game 5: Dubi's Back

Well, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals was just about bad enough to send me reeling on a 2 day posting hiatus. I thought I might be able to seek refuge in watching the Yankees, but no. Despite clawing out a 3-2 victory against the Kansas City Royals (yes, those Royals), the Yanks are still in 4th place and a game above .500, so it's back to the team that currently matters.

I'm not going to talk about Game 4. Let's put that abomination tough loss in the rear-view mirror and focus on Game 5. All in all, despite the anger, frustration, and resentment that's resounded through the Garden Faithful since Monday evening, the Rangers are still in a great position. The series is now a best 2 out of 3, book-ended by games at MSG. The mere fact that the Rangers are even playing on May 23rd is something most of us would have killed for over the past 15 years. We have been saying since the season began that this could be our year. A win tonight would be a giant step in that direction.

Join me after the jump for more.

Rangers vs. Devils: Game 4 Notes

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils
Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
8:00 pm, NBC Sports Network

In the wake of Brandon Prust's one-game suspension, it looks like Steve Eminger will remain in the lineup and Stu Bickel will once again be dressed. Bickel left the ice early at practice this afternoon, while the suspended Prust and injured forward Brandon Dubinsky remained on the ice with Marty Biron for some extra work. The fact that Dubinsky put in extra time with two guys who certainly are not playing tonight should be an indicator that he isn't quite ready to return to the lineup.

As always, join me after the jump for much more.

Prust Suspended

Brandon Prust earned a 1-game Shanaban for his questionable elbow to the head of Anton Volchenkov in Game 3.

Normally I'd gripe about the fact that this hit clearly deserved a fine and not a suspension, but given Shanahan's appalling and already well-documented inconsistency this postseason, it could have been much worse.

More intriguing is how the Rangers will fill this hole. Keeping Steve Eminger on as a forward might be the most likely scenario, or possibly even dressing John Scott (gasp). I would suggest taking a chance and dressing newly-recalled center Kris Newbury. Newbury has NHL experience, and he put up 64 points for the Connecticut Whale this year, including 25 goals. The Rangers desperately need scoring, and the fourth line hasn't provided any. Another option would be giving 18 year-old star prospect J.T. Miller the nod. The Rangers already caught lightning in a bottle with Chris Kreider, and Miller has comparable speed and plays a physical, crash-the-net type of game that could wreak havoc on the off-chance that there is a rare misplayed rebound by Brodeur.

Rangers, Devils War of Words Heating Up

We were all waiting for the trans-Hudson Eastern Conference Finals to turn nasty, and it appears Brandon Prust's questionable elbow to the head of Anton Volchenkov during the 2nd period Saturday afternoon may be the spark that starts the fire.

After the game, Devils coach Peter DeBoer called the hit "head-hunting, plain and simple."

I'm not going to go into the mechanics of the hit, but here's a video. Make your own judgment:

Join me after the jump for more.

Offensive Struggles Continue, Yanks Drop Series

CC Sabathia labored through a 121-pitch outing that was just a few batters too long, and the bases loaded walk he issued to Brandon Phillips proved the difference as the Yankees fell to the Reds in the rubber match of a three-game set, 5-2.

After CC gave up two solo homeruns to blow a 2-0 Yankee lead in the 7th and then walked two straight batters to load the bases, "Clueless Joe" Girardi inexplicably left him in the game, despite having thrown over 100 pitches, looking totally gassed, and having a rested bullpen behind him. In a series in which the Yankees bats barely existed and Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman was lighting them up with his 100+ mph fastball, these types of bullpen-management blunders simply could not be afforded, but that was hardly the story.

Join me after the jump for more.

Yanks' Rally Comes Up Short

Ivan Nova struck out 12 Cincinnati Reds Saturday afternoon in the Bronx, but it wasn't enough. The righty went six innings, giving up five runs--the big blow being a three-run blast by Joey Votto in the 5th--to earn the loss in his second straight rough outing.

The Yankees' offensive struggles with runners in scoring position continued. They were 0-5 in those situations before mounting a brief rally in the 9th inning but eventually succumbing to the deep Cincinnati bullpen.

Join me after the jump for more.