Big Blue Huddle

Going into tonight's NHL marquee matchup in Denver, Boston fell to Tampa last night which is a story unto itself. The Bruins are either imploding or going into a shell and waiting for the playoffs. But this Tampa team is making one of the loudest statements in the league right now. That win over the Rangers was their catalyst and they continue to roll. Carolina hosts the Red Wings while Florida hosts the Isles. Later tonight, the Canucks and Stars play a huge contest. Great hockey all around tonight! Rangers-Avs starts 6:00 PM MST here. The race for the Eastern Conference is on; however, if the Rangers can pull off the more than difficult task of taking down the Avs tonight, and find a way to stay focused against an Arizona team on Saturday that is physical and is playing their kids who are showing lots of moxie right now, their destiny is all in front of them.

Enjoy tonight's game!!! I'm already amped up!

Stop MacKinnon in his tracks and may the Breadman step up and continue his magical season.

Peace!

I watched Tampa/Boston. The Bolts are just showing their championship mettle. The questions for the Rangers(and other teams) are how much do you want it, and how far are you willing to go the get what you want. I know how far I would go if playing or coaching. There is a game within the game that the fans don't readily see due to the speed, and the camera follows the puck. There are more Cup capable teams this year than I can ever remember. The NHL playoffs i/m/o has always been the best professional tournament. This year should be outstanding. Tampa is two points behind Toronto(game in hand). The Leafs play the Caps tonite who are a point behind Philly, and Wash has two games in hand. Would love to see Tampa jump ahead of Tor. and have them play Florida in RD 1. There will be no softees in this year's tournament. 

Quote from: files58 on March 28, 2024, 10:58:20 AMI watched Tampa/Boston. The Bolts are just showing their championship mettle. The questions for the Rangers(and other teams) are how much do you want it, and how far are you willing to go the get what you want. I know how far I would go if playing or coaching. There is a game within the game that the fans don't readily see due to the speed, and the camera follows the puck. There are more Cup capable teams this year than I can ever remember. The NHL playoffs i/m/o has always been the best professional tournament. This year should be outstanding. Tampa is two points behind Toronto(game in hand). The Leafs play the Caps tonite who are a point behind Philly, and Wash has two games in hand. Would love to see Tampa jump ahead of Tor. and have them play Florida in RD 1. There will be no softees in this year's tournament. 

You nailed it! Tampa's stock is going up, Toronto looks like they're starting to fade so that may very well come to pass if Washington can win a few. Tampa-Florida opening round? Sign me up for that! Grudge match southern style! The Rangers probably owe them a fruit basket for softening up Florida a bit for the Rangers' 4-3 shootout win.

You will be in your glory this playoff for old-fashioned, hard-nosed hockey. In that spirit, is Laviolette keeping Rempe chained in the basement only to unleash him on Tampa and any other opponent in the Rangers' way this post-season?

Peace!

Rempe is there to pound defensemen in a potential 7 game, or for how long a series goes. He will also stand in front of the net and act like a large hanging blanket. Don't be surprised if a gets a garbage goal of two unless some wily coach like Cooper sets up a situation where he could get suspended again. Cooper is a master tactician/strategist who knows how to take things to the limit. You don't win multiple Cups without stretching the rules. We have a coach that despite his mild manner of speaking knows what needs to be done. Any, and all hockey etiquette(if there is such a thing) needs to be thrown out by every team. Kudos to this year's eventual Cup winner. They will have survived WW1 like trench warfare.

Quote from: files58 on March 28, 2024, 01:26:58 PMKudos to this year's eventual Cup winner. They will have survived WW1 like trench warfare.

That statement ought to be branded on NHL.com when the playoffs begin. We're not there yet and it won't be quiet out here on the Western Front tonight or on Saturday afternoon, as you'll observe in the bizarre Arizona State hockey arena.

Cooper has definitely pulled out his book of tactics to get his team in position. If they're the ones waiting for the winner out of the Metro, your banner above is going to take on greater meaning.

Peace!

Another great win for the Rangers.  An awesome regular season continues but it's Stanley Cup or bust at this point.

Oh my God!!! I need to take extra blood pressure meds after all that!!!

Tell me you wouldn't want to see Trocheck score the winning shootout goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final which gives the Rangers the Cup after 30 years.

Tonight's game did not disappoint all the buildup and excitement coming into it. Seeing Ironman Lindgren back in there again was inspirational. Also, his timing was perfect with three defenders getting whacked and missing time tonight. In spite of that, they shut down MacKinnon completely and ended his consecutive point streak. That was no small accomplishment and should be lauded for allowing only two for the entire game.

Both Igor and Giorgiev were great in goal tonight. This was the fourth consecutive game these teams settled matters in either overtime or shootout.

You know Carolina, who blanked Detroit 4-0 tonight, is shaking their head after looking at this result. Same goes with Boston while Florida dropped their game to the Islanders.

What an impressive performance tonight by Laviolette's boys. But here's the reality. They're headed my way now to a team that's not making the playoffs for like the eighth year in a row, is playing its young players who are carefree right now. But they are playing their best hockey all season as well. The Rangers are going to find themselves in a dogfight if they don't get on top of them early and often. Just your regular trap game ready to trip them up if they're not ready.

But for tonight, it was a classy win against a classy opponent. I truly hope these two meet again in the Stanley Cup Final down the road. Every time they play, their talent and skill make for a great game which never disappoints.

Peace!

I watched the game this morning as the 1am start was too late for me. I thought they played well. The first frame was cagey and tight but at no stage did I think the Rangers were overwhelmed.

The Avs were very fortunate to tie it up at 2-2. I thought the Rangers were deserving of the win.

The injuries are mounting up though and this is beginning to concern me a little. I think that's the only thing that's stopping them. I know Ruhwedal and Miller returned but Fox didn't.

Igor was immense. I know there's a lot of concern about who the Rangers will play in RD1, especially with the streaking Lightening but there will be good teams eliminated in RD1. Like someone said above, this might be the best playoffs for years.

LGR!

It was an 8pm puck drop here in Sconin, the late start saved me as I got back from the rink for the start of the second.
My 13 yr old son is a goalie and a huge Igor fan last nights 40 shot, 2 goal effort was phenomenal and had him glued  to the set. The way Igor tracked Rantanen to the right while butterfly pushing during the shoot out was sick, completely took him out of the play!!!!  Just beautiful. The breakout pass from Igor to Panarin for the breakaway was ridiculous and just one of the many high-quality opportunities they couldn't capitalize on.   Hoping Igor carries this momentum into the offseason.

That being said Georgie was impressive as well. Granted taking significantly less shots, he was putting on a show of his own.   Im happy for him, but wish he saved those nights for other teams.

Not only was Lindgren back but he got a ton of time on the ice and with plenty of time left in the season he should hopefully be looking back to normal hitting the playoffs. 

Let's get Trouba back and hope Gustafsson can get back on his skates healthy before the playoffs.

I was happy to just see the game with my boy, but thrilled by what we were treated to.

Incredible win. I didn't make it to the third period last night, but I got the extended highlights today. They outshot us substantially, but we had tons of quality chances. Both goalies played very well.

I love our prowess in shootouts now. We used to stink at them.

Schedule gets more forgiving now. I really want the one seed in the East. Much better to get someone like the Capitals in the first round than someone dangerous like Tampa.

Definitely was a statement game, last night, but tomorrow afternoon's contest is going to be a dogfight.

Arizona beat the tar out of red hot Nashville 8-4, ending their 18-game consecutive point streak, and there's a little buzz around the area here that hasn't existed in the nearly three years I've lived here.

The kids are making hockey fun again in the Valley of the Sun. Logan Cooley received the hats from the stands at "The Mullett" for his first hat trick. Another youngster, following in his dad's footsteps, is Josh Doan, who has scored the first two goals of his career in consecutive games (NOTE: his dad is Shane Doan). But their recognized star remains Clayton Keller who leads the team in scoring.

We'll probably see Karel Vejmelka, the backup goalie, on Satuday. Regular starter, Connor Ingram, was between the pipes in last night's huge win.

Arizona is 6-4 in their last 10, and are riding a two (2) game winning streak having beaten Columbus and Nashville this week.

The Rangers defeated Arizona at the Garden 2-1 very early into this season.

I'll be wearing Rod Gilbert's #7 in white. My daughter will be wearing Mike Richter's #35 Stanley Cup patch blue jersey, and my wife is TBD but she loves the third jersey this year so she may be sporting my Anders Hedberg #15 in this year's third jersey ... awesome look!

We'll try and shout during the game over Sam and Joe so you can hear us. We are sitting directly under their booth.

Peace!

Folks, we just arrived. Get ready as this arena is going to be loaded with Blueshirts!

Madison Square Garden West!

Enjoy the game!

Pre-Game at the Mullett.

Stopped by to say hi to Sam and Joe. We're to the right of them so when the MSG camera pans to the right, the lumatic wearing Rod Gilbert's #7 is yours truly. Meanwhile, the Ranger fans continue to pile in.

Arizona is sticking with Connor Ingram while Quickie starts for the Rangers.

Electric atmosphere here. Only about 5,000 seats but standing capacity in the upper deck behind each goal. This is a Ranger-dominant crowd, so far.

Get ready to hear us, Ranger fans 'cause we plan to send our boys back home with plenty of good Mexican food, nightlife and a huge win!

Peace!

End of first period, Rangers up 1-0.

Great to see Trouba out there. Looks like he's feeling his way on the ice as he gets used to the speed of the game again. Miller and Jones are both controlling the play back there but Lindgren is the General and you feel his presence in this smaller building. I'm not sure I've ever appreciated that about him but I guess you have to be up close and "feel" the action on the ice. I love what Foxy does as far as transitioning from defender to offensive attacker, but Lindgren is the clear "Alpha Dog" on the Rangers' defense; that's the aura I'm feeling 10 seats away from the glass.

Laffy's goal exemplifies just how much he's come along this season and is now showing some consistency in hitting the top corners of the goal. Just a beautiful shot we were lucky to see it from the perfect angle behind him.

Karel Vejmelka is the goalie for Arizona, not Ingram ... misread an erroneous report. He's been damn lucky it isn't 3-0 right now.

Quickie, on the other hand, is flat-out determined to get the all-time record tonight. I'm telling you, seeing his acrobatics live is more than a treat, it is a blessing.

Players taking the ice for period two. More to come!

Peace!

Enjoy Pal, I'm currently enjoying a decent timed game for UK fans.

Loving Laf getting amongst the goals. Rangers sound loud there.