NFT: NY Rangers 2023 - 2024 Season

[kartanoman]

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

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

Thank you, my friend. The Coyotes turned it up and their three goals
we're born of great individual skill (Keller, Bjugstad), but the Rangers' D looked on their heels in a number of Coyote counterattacks, but also they were sneaking numbers right in front of Quickie with no Ranger accounting for them. There are only so many of these that Quickie can save before the inevitable happens.

So, here we are at the dogfight I indicated would likely occur. The Rangers need to score early and keep them on their heels. They will have a hard time with this team if they fall behind in the third.

Let's see how it plays out.

Peace!

P.S. We are screaming loud!

[kartanoman]

Well, the Rangers did exactly what they needed to do and score early and often to build the cushion they'd need to withstand the Coyote pups' comeback in the third.

It was the Wild West for a bit until the very end. The place went nuts when Laffy got the hat trick. Well, you saw the number of hats on the ice. That might have been more than any other hat trick  scored this year.

But Quickie getting the record was special and we all screamed "Quickie" at the end of the game.

We send the Rangers home winners.

Peace, from Arizona!

[DaveBrown74]

Crazy how it was basically a home game for the Rangers. Didn't even feel like a 70/30 split their way. Felt like 90/10. Wild. That has to be embarrassing for the home team.

[Rosehill Jimmy]

5 pt night for Lafreniere with 3 g(25) 2a. I remember at one point during season when AL had the dubious distinction of being among the leaders in most quality chances missed. He easily could have been a 30 goal scorer. NYR top six is one of the best and hopefully the D gets healthier as the season winds down

Speaking of the defense @kartanoman nailed it during warmups when he labeled Lindgren as the General /alpha dog of the team. In some respects he reminds me of this generation's Dan Girardi

[EDjohnst1981]

5 pt night for Lafreniere with 3 g(25) 2a. I remember at one point during season when AL had the dubious distinction of being among the leaders in most quality chances missed. He easily could have been a 30 goal scorer. NYR top six is one of the best and hopefully the D gets healthier as the season winds down

Speaking of the defense @kartanoman nailed it during warmups when he labeled Lindgren as the General /alpha dog of the team. In some respects he reminds me of this generation's Dan Girardi

Bang on comparison.

[kartanoman]

Crazy how it was basically a home game for the Rangers. Didn't even feel like a 70/30 split their way. Felt like 90/10. Wild. That has to be embarrassing for the home team.

I'm going to find a way to post some of my photos from our day today and the most telling statement was the very first photo as we looked out the parking garage at the front facade of the Mullett Arena building. Every queue to get in was easily 90/10 Rangers fans.

I encouraged every Blueshirter around me to turn the building into MSG West, and it does me good to hear we didn't disappoint. I am going to watch the MSG broadcast tonight and, maybe tomorrow, go through the Coyotes broadcast from our local Phoenix channel. When we departed from our seats, I could have sworn I heard the local commentators mutter in amazement how they've never before seen another team's fans invade their building like they did today. I'm no spring chicken anymore, but I can yell and scream as loud as the craziest Ranger fans are capable of. Two young men had a blast with me by their side in getting our row jacked up. You know how the cameras running around the stands capture the fans on the main jumbo-tron, or whatever they call it these days. I caught one of them getting ready to aim in our general direction and started waving at him to focus on us, which he did! So, we all lit the screen up, including my wife and daughter, and that just got us more jacked up. I don't think I had a better time at a sporting event in all my life; the Giant comeback against the Cardinals last year was pretty close, though!

Of course, after the win, we all left the building screaming "Let's Go, Rangers!" To say the Blueshirts, and their fans, left an impression today would be quite the understatement.

Full credit to the Coyote pups for hanging in there and making a game of it. I don't know if you follow their story, but it is a really sad one in that their owner has tried, without success, to find a parcel of land to develop an NHL-level facility for the Coyotes while, at the same time, fighting not go bankrupt. Sources indicate he plans to bid on a parcel of land in North Phoenix in June. If he's not successful, then the team may end up relocating to Houston or Salt Lake City. I hope they can stay here because their young kids are talented and can build a base on which to grow an exciting team which can become competitive consistently in the near future.

But the long road trips are over for the Rangers and they have demonstrated a prowess to make the plays when it counts most in a game. The gauntlets are over. The Rangers will not only head into April in first place in the Metro, but in the Eastern Conference and in the NHL. Pole position is in their control.

This team believes in each other and that, too, can be felt when you watch them close up. I've gained so much insight from watching our Blueshirts today, seeing the entire ice and what doesn't get shown on camera, and tapping into the personalities and working relationships of the players as they play and interact with each other and the opponent. I walked away with genuine amazement at how fast they are, how precise their passes are when skating at full speed, and the eyes they have in the back of their head from all their hard work in practice. These are amazing athletes!

Today, I came full circle when my father, in March of 1979, took me to Madison Square Garden for my first live Ranger game. I was weeks away from turning 10 years old. 45 years later, I brought my daughter to her first Ranger game, a couple of weeks before she turns 10 years old. Somewhere far away, I can see in my mind, feel in my heart, my father smiling looking over both of us. That 1979 game was magical for me, as it was for the Rangers who rode the wave to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. Will this season end up in that final destination except, perhaps, the final outcome will be different?

Peace!

[coggs]

Before Lafreniere's first game, found a sour ale from Quebec in a beer distributor on SI.  Sours are not my thing, but figured, "Why not?  It is from Quebec, let's start the era."  They were $21 each, so bought 3.  Had one that night.  One after his first goal.  Was saving the last for his first hat trick.  Since it was not capped, it was corked, must have lost a little of the pressure over time so it was a little flat.  But, finally drank it last night.

[kartanoman]

Before Lafreniere's first game, found a sour ale from Quebec in a beer distributor on SI.  Sours are not my thing, but figured, "Why not?  It is from Quebec, let's start the era."  They were $21 each, so bought 3.  Had one that night.  One after his first goal.  Was saving the last for his first hat trick.  Since it was not capped, it was corked, must have lost a little of the pressure over time so it was a little flat.  But, finally drank it last night.

I did that years ago, between the Giants' two Super Bowls of the Tom Coughlin era, with a Guinness Extra Stout I never opened because I was saving it for next year's (2008) Super Bowl which never came to pass. I then proceeded to move four (4) times from then (Alabama) until finally opening it in San Antonio in early 2012. By then, you could tar your driveway with it but who cared? I'm grateful no visits to the hospital ensued.

Peace!

[files58]

So, we made it through the gauntlet still up on the whole bunch. If this was a horse race we'd be up by a long neck inside the eighth pole, and lasting with just a couple of taps. Still I don't know how good this team is. Reference Bruins Spring 23'. There are a bunch of very good teams. These Rangers are a resilient bunch. Fast start, slump, righted ship, key injuries at different points in the season. They find a way. And if they play their checking game to blanket level they can beat anyone. The key is playing a lock down checking game backstopped by a top goalie. Don't depend on Shesty, but he's there. Like the Brodeur Devils. Panarin will need to start playing in the slot, lower down. Get playoff ready, his hands, loose pucks, down low. #13 knows how to score those goals, and he's starting to snipe. We need another line to score. Kakko, scoring some dirty goals, and showing a shot. Would like to see some shots between the dots. Defense is fine, especially if Miller cuts down on his not smart plays. The Garden needs to have a throaty roar, like the one at Giants Stadium in 86'.

[DaveBrown74]

I would say March proved that there is no team in the league that is clearly better than us. I wouldn't have said that about us in recent years. Last year I thought we were good but a cut below the top four or five teams in the league. I don't feel that way this year. Having said that, I also don't really think we're visibly better than the top other four or five teams in the league this year. It's going to come down to health, conditioning, goaltending, and puck luck.

[DaveBrown74]

We got our asses beat big time tonight. Whoooooah baby was that a stinker from start to finish.

We were frankly due for one of these. I'm not reading into it too much. If it turns into a thing, then that's another story, but this was just an uncharacteristic bad game. It happens, even to the best teams.

[Messiah717]

Poor effort and a deserving loss at home. 

[kartanoman]

Sorry about those extra habaneros we sent them home with from AZ. Eat too many and you're  for a few days. Just make sure they have a toilet and their family and friends spend a night away until everything's passed, and they'll be fine for Wednesday.

Peace!

[babywhales]

A dud no doubt.  Crap effort, with too many turnovers to count, horrible breakouts, 1:1 battles had no intensity.....  too much to dwell on really

Laviolette puts a real premium on rebounding after 1 lose, some of his speeches are real solid.  The team tends to react to him as the Rangers have only failed to break a losing streak after a 1st loss on 6 occasions all season (4x 2 games, 1x 3 games in a row, 1x 4 games in arow)

Onto the Devils tomorrow, hoping for a big rebound game.

[coggs]

Last night I asked my friend, "Did they put grease on their blades tonight instead of wax?"  Oh well, start another winning streak tomorrow.