Richie's OT winner bolts former club

All Brad Richards needed was his former club to end a slump. The '04 Conn Smythe winner delivered a clutch goal much like he had to win in Tampa Bay- scoring the overtime winner in an exciting Ranger 4-3 comeback win last night at MSG.

Richards entered ice cold with just one goal over the previous 12 games. Finding himself in the unfamiliar position of starting on the fourth line, the first-year Blueshirt who was brought in to add offense worked his way up throughout a spirited third with earlier goalscorer Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin. On a rare occasion where the power play clicked on a Callahan tip off a Michael Del Zotto shot, Richards was able to score his team-leading seventh game-winner at 2:37 of OT thanks to a great set up from Artem Anisimov. It allowed him to breathe easier as teammates jumped off the bench to mob him.

Most importantly, it was another example of a team not giving in following a disappointing showing against the Devils. In an odd yet entertaining affair in which the Lightning led twice, the Rangers picked themselves up with a great third and OT to prevent a losing streak. Playing with a sense of purpose after a second that saw backup Marty Biron let in consecutive Tampa goals off the sticks of Vinny Lecavalier and ex-Isle Bruno Gervais, the hosts attacked their opponents with vigor, creating a lot of chances. Mathieu Garon was steady. Brian Boyle missed an earlier opportunity when he rang one off the post but on kind of a fluky play, the checking center took a Hagelin feed and whipped the puck past the Tampa netminder, tying it with under 10 minutes left.

"It’s like other good teams that I’ve been on. There’s never a panic in the locker room,” Richards said. `We’ve been through it, and we’ve got a game plan. We’ve executed many times and we’re very confident.”

“I think it’s a mindset. If you have some success, and we have had some success in the third period, you try to go back to that,” Tortorella pointed out of his team's resilience. “We were playing well. They are such an opportunistic team, it doesn’t take much for them to score goals.”

Boyle's fourth point over the last six felt like poetic justice following a Dom Moore cheap shot knocked out linemate Ruslan Fedotenko. Amazingly, Moore only received two minutes for roughing for a blindside hit that made contact with his head from behind. Moments earlier, Fedotenko delivered a check to Moore. Was he paying him back? He denied it later. The hit was being reviewed by the league. John Tortorella refused comment. But Richards said it was the type of hit that needs to be eliminated.

As for the game's conclusion, the Rangers still needed a pair of Biron denials on leading goalscorer Steven Stamkos in the final minute of regulation just to make overtime. Stamkos had earlier burned Biron, Michael Del Zotto and Anton Stralman for a late first period goal on a nice backhand deke five-hole. It was his league best 36th of the season. This time, Biron got the better of the former No.1 overall pick. On a night where he wasn't required to make many stops, those were the best of his 14.

In OT, Anisimov and Del Zotto combined to force a turnover and then helped set up Richards' game decider. Anisimov took a Del Zotto pass and circled down low for a two-on-one and then made a great pass for Richie, who buried his 17th from a tough angle at the left side of a helpless Garon.

"Don't give up on that guy. It'd be the wrong thing to do," praised Tortorella of his star pupil he also coached with the Lightning to their only championship.

For a team that hasn't been lighting the lamp with regularity, it was good to see them dig deep against a team that's been hot of late, winning eight of 10 with only one regulation defeat. They made it tough on the Rangers with our team getting victimized by Tampa's skill. But the win made it the seventh time this season that the Blueshirts refused to lose two in a row. A great quality which allowed them to move five points up on idle Boston for the conference lead. With the Flyers edging the Leafs, it's a four-point lead for the Atlantic with the Devils seven out due to a shootout loss to St. Louis (4-3) and the Pens eight back. Another big test tomorrow with a visit to Philly who they've dominated thus far. It shouldn't be easy.

Lundqvist wins goalie duel with Miller

Sometimes, you're only as good as your goalie. For the Rangers, it's like a broken record or kinda like the groundhog seeing his shadow for six more weeks of winter earlier today. Groundhog Day happens to be one of my favorite movies. Though the part where Bill Murray's Phil character keeps waking up to the alarm clock and song "I Got Ya Babe" does get tedious. It's still so enjoyable. Can't believe I can't even find it on the TV. Epic fail.

Not so much for Henrik Lundqvist, who this time outdueled an opposite No.30 for a 1-0 shootout win over the Sabres last night in Western New York. Lundqvist went toe to toe with former Vezina winner Ryan Miller for 65 minutes with it needed a skill competition to decide. Of course, there was just as much drama in that as the final frantic moments of regulation and overtime where both goalies had close calls. I'm not going to compare this duel to the unbelievable one King Henrik and Martin Brodeur shared a couple of years ago at MSG with Marty getting the better of Henke. That saw both netminders face a ton more shots and plethora of quality chances. However, you really have to give Miller and Lundqvist credit. Both knew that one goal would decide it.

“To win in a shootout and not give up any goals, obviously it’s a good goalie game,” Lundqvist said after stopping all 34 Buffalo shots while getting help from the goalpost in the shootout. “I’ll take that any day.”

With his 41st career blanking, King Henrik tied the Kings' Jon Quick for the league lead with six- further enhancing his Vezina chances. Plenty of games left to play for Lundqvist, Quick, Jimmy Howard and Pekka Rinne to duke it out. Though you have to like Lundqvist's chances the way he's playing. Our team remains in first despite scoring issues. It can be attributed to the remarkable play of Henke along with a sturdy D led by Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh.

“I don’t think he’s been at this level. He’s improved this year,” praised John Tortorella after seeing his All-Star move past Dave Kerr into second all-time on the franchise's shutout list, trailing only Ed Giacomin. “If you want to get to where you want to be, you need goaltending like that. He’s certainly provided that.”

While Lundqvist didn't show any signs of rust in his first start following his All-Star appearance in Ottawa, Miller continued to look more like the guy who won a Vezina and carried the Sabres to first a couple of years ago. He's struggled much of the season since Milan Lucic bowled him over and concussed him earlier in the year. But Miller Time is starting show again with two wins over his last three while permitting just a pair of goals, including zero yesterday in a tough luck loss.

“It was fun to be a part of. I haven’t had too many good outings in the last few months,” Miller noted. “To go up against Lundqvist, who’s having a great season, and have a night like this, where it kind of puts us in the spotlight at each end, it’s nice to be a part of."

The Sabres are still hoping to climb back in the playoff picture, still trailing eighth New Jersey by nine points with 31 games left. The point at least pushed them past idle Montreal and the Islanders- giving them 48 which put Buffalo in a tie for 11th with Tampa Bay. The Bolts have played two less games while the Canadiens are back in action with a visit to the Devils as we type. Obviously, they need help. But the effort was there despite no Thomas Vanek, who's out a week due to an "upper body injury."

Had Buffalo cashed in on any of five power plays including a late one thanks to a Mike Del Zotto delay of game, they could've earned the valuable extra point and all important win. Instead, they were stymied by Lundqvist and an outstanding Ranger PK that may as well double power play duty considering how awful they looked during a four-on-three in OT. With a chance to win it, the four forward alignment of Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan moved the puck around the perimeter, making it easy on Miller, whose best save came when his cat-like glove robbed Artem Anisimov late in regulation.

The powerless play is far too predictable with our guys trying to cut it too fine with only Captain Cally willing to get dirty in front. The play of Richards in particular has hurt the team. He really isn't doing a whole lot. It might be time for Tort to switch it up. Why not try a guy like Carl Hagelin, who's unafraid to shoot and uses his speed along with grit to make things happen? The coach simply needs to stop rolling out the same unit. Work in Brandon Dubinsky and even Anisimov. They really should determine how far this club goes.

Lundqvist made the more difficult saves, thwarting Brad Boyes twice. Perhaps that was a prelude because in Round 2 of the skill competition, he made arguably the best save you'll see. With Boyes deking and having our Swedish King dead to rights, somehow Henke slid his glove across while flat on his back to rob him. I'll never know how he did it and was just as flabbergasted as Doc Emrick. After Gaborik put us up, Jason Pominville knotted it by going low stick side. It took until the fifth round when Rochester's own Callahan again gave grandma a show by faking deke and then surprising Miller with a quick wrister to win it, along with an awesome fist pump.

It allowed Lundqvist to win his 23rd of the season and win the Broadway Hat. But couldn't you say that about just about every game he plays? Case closed.

BONY Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (shootout winner)
2nd Star-Ryan Miller, Buf (29 saves, shutout)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (34 saves, 6th shutout-career No.41)

Lundqvist blanks Islanders

The holiday season has been great for the Rangers. Riding a four-game win streak into the Christmas Break, they weren't about to have it snapped by the Islanders yesterday at MSG. The biggest reason why was Henrik Lundqvist, who turned aside all 28 shots en route to a 3-0 shutout for the club's fifth straight win.

It marked their second win in three games over the Isles, who returned to The Garden a few days after a tough 4-2 loss Thursday. What an odd schedule. In any event, the superb play of Lundqvist along with Mike Del Zotto (2 assists, +3) and budding rookie Carl Hagelin (2 goals) were plenty in improving the Rangers to 22-8-4- vaulting them ahead of the idle Bruins for tops in the East. Their 48 points are one better than Boston, trailing only Chicago, whose 4-1 win over Columbus put them at 50. It's real exciting considering the injuries they've dealt with. With Marc Staal finally cleared for contact, it's anyone's guess when he'll return. In the mean time, John Tortorella continues to take a business-like approach, which should bode well with the new calendar year approaching.

By no means was it easy. The Islanders put up plenty of resistance. Tough guy Michael Haley instigated a fight with Stu Bickel, probably stemming from Bickel's dismantling of teammate Tim Wallace last Thursday. I didn't see any of the first due to visiting my Mom for Christmas. Based on a few of the tweets, it sounded like Jack Capuano's club earned some chances despite being outshot 12-7. I even thought we were down one. As I've stated repeatedly, throw out the records. The Islanders always come to play against the Rangers. No surprise they gave a strong showing in the two periods I caught between dinner and dessert with Lundqvist stifling them. His play has been unreal lately. King Henrik is right there with Jimmy Howard, who should comprise the goalies that challenge Vezina incumbent Tim Thomas. Somehow, our goalie isn't popular enough to be in the top five of All-Star voting. Can someone explain James Reimer first?

All-Star Games are the least of Henke's worries. He just goes about his business quietly and makes the saves. Along with Marty Biron (7-1), you can make an argument that it's the Blueshirts who boast the league's best tandem. While there would be some fun debate with Canuck fans and LA disciples, the most important aspect is that even when our team doesn't play great, they win. That's because players step up each night. Lately, it's been Del Zotto, who continued his amazing turnaround with a couple of brilliant plays for Hagelin's pair. The first saw the third-year pro undress Frans Nielsen with a Leetch-esque move and then fire a shot off Evgeni Nabokov, which Ryan Callahan rebounded right to Hags who deposited his fifth.

Before the same trio combined on an even better goal a period later, Lundqvist bailed out his teammates with sparkling work that included an Isles' flurry. He denied Wallace twice and then a third time with a cat-like glove leaving him befuddled. It's that kind of caliber netminding we're seeing from Henrik, who is a big advantage most nights. Great goaltending can cover a lot up. Especially when our forecheck's not ramping it up. Aside from stopping a dozen shots in the second, he also had plenty of help from top penalty killer Brian Boyle, who emulated a human backboard late to prevent Islander shots from getting through. Boyle and surprise Anton Stralman must've repelled a half dozen in the final minute, frustrating our Long Island rivals. It's that kind of effort that makes our team tough to play against. Boyle's unit with John Mitchell and Brandon Dubinsky were also the most effective on the cycle, energizing the crowd. It looks like for now, Dubinsky will stay put on the third line with the speedier Hagelin meshing with Brad Richards and Callahan.

Another tremendous read by Del Zotto led to some insurance from Hagelin. After a relentless forecheck that had the Isles pinned, he came back in the zone and slid a pass to Callahan, who sent the biscuit back to a cutting Del Zotto. With no hesitation, he centered for Hagelin, who buried his second of the night. Just all around great teamwork started by MDZ with our captain instrumental with Hags finishing. That's the kind of play we used to see religiously from Brian Leetch, who'll be suiting up in the Legends Game on New Year's Eve with Eric Lindros opposing them. Nobody would dare compare Del Zotto to Leetch. But his marked improvement has been a breath of fresh air. Without Del Zotto, no way are we sitting atop the conference.

The Isles didn't quit. Still able to attack with leading finisher Matt Moulson certainly doing his part along with John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau, they were denied by Lundqvist, including a big stop off a three-on-two. Milan Jurcina also tested him with his rocket but was silenced. The effort was there from Capuano's club but the lack of finish was evident. Lundqvist was a big reason along with a sturdy D that blocked 19 shots. How dedicated were they? As many as 15 skaters registered a block with no Blueshirt with more than two. Even Mike Rupp had one. Somewhat astonishingly, Dan Girardi didn't along with Dubinsky and Hagelin.

When Marian Gaborik put the finishing touches on the victory, shooting into a vacated net with 2:28 left, all that was left was that zero thing. They weren't about to allow the Islanders to spoil it. With his third shutout of the season, Lundqvist recorded No.38. He trails all-time franchise leader Ed Giacomin (49) by 11. All this before 30. Maybe the next step's coming.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Carl Hagelin, NYR (2 goals incl. GW, No.'s 5 & 6, 5 SOG, +2 in 13:21)
2nd Star-Mike Del Zotto, NYR (2 assists-17 tied for team lead with Stepan, +3 hikes rating to +25)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (28 saves for 3rd shutout, career No.38)


Notes: Rangers (22-8-4) embark on a three-game road trip with stops in Washington Wednesday, Florida Friday before visiting Citizens Bank Park for the much anticipated Winter Classic Jan.2. Early forecasts hint at the possibility of rain, which could affect the start. ... Both teams combined for 62 hits with each having 31, including a game high seven from Isles' bruiser Matt Martin. Stralman paced the Rangers with six. ... Faceoffs were even (25-25). Derek Stepan won eight-of-15 while Tavares went 9-2. ... Islanders (11-17-6) return home to host Calgary Thursday and Edmonton on New Year's Eve.

Rangers fly past Philly in Round 2

I haven't been to many games this year. Unlike past seasons, I've hardly seen Ranger games in their entirety due to my work schedule. However, they have a pretty impressive record when I barely watch. :P Even the last second win at Phoenix proved the theory that sometimes, getting updates via Twitter is pretty fun when you can't watch. However, this week before Christmas, I got a little holiday treat with back-to-back home games against blood rivals. The end result was a bit sweeter than my birthday present thanks to Dom Moore and the Bolts.

First up were the Islanders, who always play us tough. Toss the records out whenever they meet. Especially at MSG. Quite honestly, the Rangers got away with a 'C' effort and held on for a two-goal win thanks to an odd goalie pull by Jack Capuano. Unless Evgeni Nabokov simply screwed up, it made no sense that he went to the bench when the team barely had the puck. Goalies shouldn't leave for the extra attacker until it's in the other end and you have possession. The reaction of favorite Isle tweep Reina De La Isla summed it up. Not much makes sense on the Island these days. We'll just leave it at that.

Still, it was our second consecutive win following two sub-par showings versus Dallas and at St. Louis that in particular, drew John Tortorella's ire during the first intermission on the second episode of HBO's 24/7. What I admire about the mild mannered coach is he doesn't mince words. "If you don't play hard, you're not playing," wasn't quite the unique mind of Ilya Bryzgalov, who compared his shepherd to a hot blonde girl that left teammates speechless. I still love the part where Jaromir Jagr moves to a different table to eat due to teammates razzing the Russian netminder about his views on the universe. Then, Jagr says he can't eat alone. So, Bryz joins him.

Speaking of Bryzgalov, he opposed Henrik Lundqvist in one of the biggest regular season games I can remember tonight. Tortorella wisely rested Lundqvist Thursday with Marty Biron stopping 24 and garnering 2nd Star honors for his seventh win. It also happened to be Brandon Dubinsky's best outing with a highlight reel end-to-end goal in which the Isles turned into pylons. Pretty disgraceful. I mentioned in a preview before the Devil game that he usually turns it up against the black and red. Ironically, he was strong and what do you know? He scored and set up John Mitchell's empty netter yet somehow didn't receive a star with instead the much improved Mike Del Zotto (GWG) earning top star while Artem Anisimov got third star. At least his teammates rewarded him with the Broadway Hat. Good stuff.

Dubinsky continued his upswing with another outstanding effort while Lundqvist (28 saves including some big ones early), shooting star Marian Gaborik (NHL-leading 21st on a breakaway), Derek Stepan and folk hero Stu Bickel (2 assists-4 Pts and 2 scraps already) contributed to a convincing 4-2 win over the Flyers- pulling into first place. It also marked Jagr's return with some undeserved boos No.68's way. But what can you expect? He's a Flyer and sometimes, fans have short memories. At least this one doesn't. I don't boo.

For a guy that's been away for three years in the KHL, it's safe to say Jagr's still got it. He was the most dangerous Flyer while teaming with recovered teammate Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell, who form the league's best line. Stellar work was turned in by Dan Girardi (Superman), Ryan McDonagh and Del Zotto, who's been our best defenseman lately. His defense in particular has improved leaps and bounds. Plus he's showing more and more confidence offensively. No shock that he's on the score sheet with regularity. Full marks to our third-year blueliner, who undoubtedly has worked very hard. Without his turnaround, no way are the Rangers only behind the Bruins in the East, who only dismantled Florida 8-zip. Can anyone beat them?

If not for Lundqvist during the first half of the opening period, who knows what the outcome is? I noticed in warmups how sharp he looked with a rare seat at center ice, which also had quite the atmosphere. This was easily the most buzz in the building in quite some time. Even before the action, you could feel it. Flyer fans showed up in Lindros, Roenick and Hartnell jerseys ready to support their heroes. However, it wasn't their night. Despite a strong start in which Philadelphia controlled the tempo, they couldn't sneak one by Lundqvist, whose rebound control was as good as I've seen. He made a couple of sprawling stops on chances created by Jagr, who was everywhere. Just his size and reach gave the D fits. But as usual, they bent but never broke.

Perhaps a bit lagged from the previous night, the Blueshirts didn't get their sea legs until an anticipated rematch between Brandon Prust and Flyer freshman Zac Rinaldo got everyone up. For the second straight time, Prust got the better of the pup with the refs doing a good job stepping in. Physicality picked up highlighted by a clean hip check from Anton Stralman (uh really) that the crowd oohed and ahhed at during a replay. Tortorella specifically singled out Stralman for his steadiness despite not the best reputation. He also made a great outlet that sprung Gaborik for his breakaway goal early in the third that put us up three. Since Mike Sauer, Steve Eminger and Jeff Woywitka went down, the club has gotten inspired performances out of Stralman, Bickel and rookie Tim Erixon. Credit the organization down in Connecticut for teaching them the system.

For a while, nothing separated each team. Brian Boyle even had a hug fest with Tim Sestito. By that time, the Rangers were ahead two thanks to great deflection goals by Stepan (8th) and obscure pick Ruslan Fedotenko (first point in 10 games). Sometimes, you just have a hunch. Before opening faceoff, I tweeted that Feds would score a big goal. Pretty eerie how that works. A bit different than saying if Gaborik scores in the third versus the Devils, we'll win. Fedotenko hadn't done anything in a while and I just went with gut instinct. His goal went to video review because it went in and out quickly with play continuing. But we could tell it was in. I still am mesmerized by Stepan's tip of a Bickel shot that Bryzgalov had no chance on. He really couldn't be faulted on the first three with two great plays and Gaborik beating him on a break.

The Flyers finally made it interesting following Gaborik's 21st when they converted a power play thanks to a pellet from Andrej Meszaros (5th) set up by Matt Carle and Hartnell. It cut it to 3-1 with under 10 minutes left. With Philly pressing for another, the tide turned thanks to No.1 Star Ryan Callahan, who notched a power play goal that finished Philly. If ever a shift demonstrated why he's our captain, it was the one in response with Matt Read unwilling to take a hit from the bigger man, allowing Captain Cally to win the battle and his line to swing momentum. Moments later with Max Talbot off, there was our fearless leader doing the dirty work to put home a Girardi rebound for his 13th. Del Zotto added his 15th helper. That's what makes Callahan special. He'll never be the most talented but he never takes a shift off and simply outworks the opponent. The epitome of this team.

Sure. A video review confirmed that Jersey native James van Riemsdyk notched his ninth late after misguided "First Place" chants. But that was as close as they got. The Rangers improved to 2-0 versus the Winter Classic host with the next meeting on January 2, which everyone will be watching. It should be a doozy.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Stu Bickel, NYR (2 assists, 6 hits, +2 in 9:04)
2nd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (28 saves)
1st Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (PPG-13th of season, tremendous leadership)

Lundqvist stands tall in win over Devils

Ruslan Fedotenko battles Tim Sestito on the opening faceoff during last night's Ranger 4-1 win over Hudson rival New Jersey.

They're separated by the Hudson River. Just a Path ride away, the Rangers and Devils renewed allegiances during the first Battle Of Hudson three months in the making. It was the Manhattan side that came out victorious over the Turnpike with headliner Henrik Lundqvist backstopping his team to a 4-1 win at a packed Prudential Center last night. 

In front of a makeshift defense that included emergency recall Tim Erixon, Lundqvist stood tall finishing with a game high 30 saves en route to his 23rd career victory over his favorite opponent. The Rangers needed every single one to get out of Newark with its second consecutive win in direct response to a two-game skid. That's been the story all year for John Tortorella's resilient club who never makes excuses. Even with the blueline battered minus Marc Staal, Mike Sauer and Steve Eminger, they fought back to steal two points thanks to Lundqvist. The scoreboard may have said otherwise but anyone who saw it knows the Devils controlled much of the action only to be denied by King Henrik.

“I enjoy playing against this team,” Lundqvist pointed out after diminishing his career GAA to 1.85 versus the Devils. “It’s always a great challenge to play them. There’s a lot of action. We all knew that this was going to be a tough one.”

Martin Brodeur brings out the best in Lundqvist, who was outstanding in keeping his team afloat despite a strong attack from New Jersey led by the ever dangerous top line of Adam Henrique, Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. Minus top scorer Patrik Elias (flu), the Devs entered having won four straight and seemed on their way to five when Travis Zajac got to the only bad rebound Lundqvist allowed to put the hosts in front 1-0 15:51 into the first period. In his third game, Zajac won a draw back to Petr Sykora, whose low shot leaked out. A mad scramble ensued with Ryan McDonagh unable to clear it before Zajac deposited his first. Dainius Zubrus helped set it up by crashing the net.

It easily could've been two or three without Lundqvist, who watched his teammates struggle to mount anything the first half. Part of it had to do with how the game began with pushing and shoving between fourth lines. When Cam Janssen asked former teammate Mike Rupp to go, he obliged the smaller foe who showed a lot of guts taking some hard lefts early before coming on late. Only his second game back, Rupp looked weary at the end and asked refs Tim Peel and Justin St.Pierre to step in. Somewhat astonishingly, the officiating was good. Other than Ryan Callahan and instigator Eric Boulton getting misconducts in a heated first, they did a good job letting the teams play.

The rough stuff wasn't done when Brandon Dubinsky and David Clarkson stopped talking and dropped 'em. Dubinsky managed a good left that buckled Clarkson, who fell which was enough for Dubi to stop. Clarkson was involved later when a hit on Erixon prompted a strong reaction from partner Stu Bickel. Bickel acquitted himself well in front of family, who while being interviewed by John Giannone saw Zajac score. I hate when that happens cause it takes away from the game.

The Devils certainly had their chances in a more even second that saw at least four goal posts struck. Derek Stepan had Brodeur beat from 45 feet out when his shot deflected off a Devil and drew iron. Brodeur really didn't see much rubber due to his quicker team having the puck. The Rangers did plenty of chasing, especially when the Parise line was buzzing. Lundqvist robbed Henrique twice, including a nice kick out off a nifty Parise set up. The defense was on its heels. Kovalchuk certainly looked good on the right side, meshing with his cohesive unit. He got off a strong shot that Lundqvist made a head save on. The man can certainly shoot it.

If there was an area which decided it, it was special teams with the Devils unable to cash in on three power plays. Part of it was due to the Ranger penalty kill, which did a solid job getting in the path of shots and making key clears. The Devs still had decent looks but just couldn't get the second on Lundqvist. They also missed the net quite a bit in the second with Clarkson blowing some huge opportunities where he was set up alone but fired high and wide. For a guy having a bounce back season (11 goals vs 12 all last year), he disappointed the home side.

“We kept on scrapping and fought through it,” Tortorella said. “We started to take over in the second period and then kept on coming in the third. Hank made some key saves at key times and we just tried to stay with it. Eventually, we found a way to score some goals.”

Given a chance to get back in it, the Rangers responded with some strong work from elevated Carl Hagelin, who was bumped up by Tortorella with Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan. Hagelin helped generate chances, including a close call when a Richards shot pass was deflected by Callahan off the right post. Finally moving their legs, the Blueshirts turned the tide thanks to a brilliant rush by Derek Stepan. The second-year forward took a Marian Gaborik feed that saw our top finisher drilled, and then skated around a Devil before firing the puck into the slot off Kurt Foster for Artem Anisimov, who buried his seventh to knot it with 2:32 left in the second.

Suddenly with momentum, they nearly went ahead when Anisimov set up Stepan, who was denied by Brodeur on the short side. With it even, it was anyone's game. The first few shifts of the final stanza showed that as each side came close. A couple of more key stops from Lundqvist paid dividends when an unusual play allowed them to go ahead. Stepan started it by backing up the Devil D and then got the puck to Anisimov who methodically skated around to the right before flipping a tricky backhand that trickled off Brodeur right to Gaborik, who deposited his team best 18th at 4:45.

“That’s how we score,” Gaborik explained after also netting an empty netter in the closing seconds on a special night that saw the Slovak record his 600th career point. “We get a lot of rebound, second-chance goals. I just try to stay in front and be there to lay it in.”

The Devils didn't give up, coming back with a couple of strong shifts that eventually landed them a third man-advantage when McDonagh closed his hand on a puck. For whatever reason, they rank dead last at home despite oodles of talent. Even without Elias, the addition of Foster has added another shooter to a top heavy unit which features Kovalchuk, Parise, Henrique and Clarkson. Pete DeBoer can also roll out reemerging Petr Sykora, Zubrus and Zajac on the second one with improving rookie Adam Larsson, who played well defensively. During the PP, Lundqvist made back-to-back stops, including one he deemed 'lucky' on Henrique, whose shot went through the wickets but wide. Perhaps luck was on the Rangers' side with Gabby's odd goal earlier and Step's pass off Foster to Anisimov.

The PK bent but never broke with two big clears, including a yeoman effort from Dubinsky, who played his best game of the season. However, it was a strong clear by Bickel that led to the Coup de grace. Unable to corral the puck at the left point, Kovalchuk fell leading to a two-on-one. The league's most potent shorthanded team is also the worst at permitting shorthanded goals. Here came Hagelin flying down the wing with Brian Boyle as the decoy. The brilliant Swede whipped a shot past Brodeur's glove for his second shorty before an odd celebration saw him fall down and laugh. It's amazing how poised he is. But remember, he spent four years at Michigan and isn't afraid.  

“We had a lot of opportunities, but their guy didn’t allow us to get the second goal,” DeBoer said. “If we got the second goal, we could have taken charge of the game. I thought it was one of our better games, maybe our best 60-minute effort this year.

“We didn’t come out on the right end, but I liked the way we played. Tip the cap to their guy. We have to find a way to solve him because we play them five more times.”


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (2 goals-19 incl. GW for 600th NHL point, assist, +3)
2nd Star-Stepan/Anisimov, NYR (5 Pts: 1-4-5, 7 SOG, +5)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (30 saves for 23rd career win vs NJD)


Notes: Henrik Tallinder sat out for the third consecutive game due to back spasms. ... Elias still is up in the air for Friday versus Washington. ... Larsson will fly home to Sweden for his grandmother's funeral. He'll miss the Devs next two games including next Monday at Carolina. The top line of Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk combined for a dozen of the club's 31 shots. Each were held off the score sheet due to Lundqvist and the D tandem of Dan Girardi and McDonagh. ... Sean Avery sat out a fourth straight game. ... Brodeur turned aside 17 of 20 in his second consecutive start, falling below .500 (8-9-0). ... Rangers host Islanders tomorrow and Flyers Friday.

Moore makes birthday prediction ring true

Sometimes, I really wish I could make this stuff up. Or in my case, you can't. Tonight was my birthday and so we embarked to the World's Most Renovated Arena for Bolts/Rangers. My second game on the same day as Jim Morrison's birthday and one of my idols John Lennon's tragic death 31 years ago in the center of New York City. Drew Doughty also shares a birthday and Brian target Dwight Howard. Oh btw. I also crushed on Kim Basinger. Who didn't?

Getting to the game which was bizarre for a whole lot of reasons. Though judging, from the Sens-Devs boxscore, I'll bet that one brought a smile to Hasan. First, a former Blueshirt was involved before and during the game. Dominic Moore is always someone I liked. He centered the infamous HMO line (Hollweg-Moore-Ortmeyer) in '05-06 which put us back on the map. I always felt he got a raw deal even if Blair Betts was a solid citizen. Amazing to think a guy with his skill set is now on his seventh NHL roster. Moore has been a frequent flier during the trade deadline. He was instrumental in the Lightning's run lto the Conference Finals last Spring. No surprise that on my birthday, Dom had plenty of impact.

It was during the morning skate that an accidental backhand caught Marty St. Louis right in the face, bloodying the star to the point where he was held out, ending a consecutive games streak of 500. Albeit he's always been one of my favorite players. So, while some in the twitterverse reacted with good for us, I was disappointed I wouldn't get to see him. I just enjoy the game so much and love full rosters with all the stars. Beating the best is what determines who you are. We have a good team and I was hoping he'd sew up. Oh well. Maybe that was an ominous sign of things to come. The traffic we endured coming home was regrettable. Never before had it ever been that bad. Thanks for nothing NYC. It's nights like this that make me wish I lived elsewhere. Only in dreams.

Anyway, Moore KO'd St. Louis. So, the Lightning were minus one of their Big Three. They still found a way to exact revenge in large part to Moore's heroics. Combine that with a controversial goal celebration from Artem Anisimov after he put us ahead and Tampa had plenty of incentive to come out with the two points. If you know me, I hate the brownie point for the shootout. A skill competition should never decide anything. And for the love of sanity, they need to ditch it for the latest Bettman Experiment. I was in favor of realignment but came away as baffled as Hasan about the whole conference set up and an unfavorable   schedule. It just is too confusing for words. More on this later.

Many critics will rip Anisimov for his foolish celebration in which he imitated Teemu Selanne by using his stick as a gun to point at Mathieu Garon following a shorthanded goal. It was impossible for us to see due to the overhang but Arty made a huge error in judgment and fired up the opposition. So, I guess it was no shock that Steve Downie came off the bench and jumped him along with Steven Stamkos and Marc-Andre Bergeron, who took a beating from Brandon Dubinsky. Speaking of which, Dubi had a decent night, combining with Mike Del Zotto on Anismov's shorty. He also saw some time on the top line with Anisimov somehow assessed 16 minutes for getting jumped. The appropriate call would've been unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead, the blind mice gave him a double minor and misconduct. So, we lost one of our best forwards for a while, which didn't help our powerless play. Yes. Even if it connected early with Ryan Callahan scoring his 11th from the left circle, it still doomed us.

If you want to watch how not to run a power play, just try to understand ours. I know I'm not alone on this futile topic in these parts but good God it stinks. There is zero creativity and no fluidity. Watch the Red Wings or Blackhawks for how to score on the PP. Quick passes. Movement and shots. I know. It's been this way for years no matter what superstar we add. Brad Richards did make a nifty pass to Cally for his PPG but too often it's not a five man unit. It's give it to Richy or Marian Gaborik and watch them lug the puck up and try to juke four guys. It's too predictable. Del Zotto also is the only defenseman who has that capability but he never shoots and when he does, it's nine feet wide.

The man-advantage cost them big time. What was it? Four consecutive failures including two in crunch time when Tampa tried to hand us the game. One-for-six overall? I am not bothering to check if it's five or six and could care less if our success rate says otherwise. Our powerless play SUCKS!

Ryan Malone tied the game on a breakaway after a dreadful giveaway from Ryan McDonagh, who had a night to forget. Chalk it up to it being my birthday. They just weren't sharp after the first and believe me, they started heading downward in the middle of the opening stanza. At least I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie Maggie and her boyfriend Nick, who ironically enough are from Sayreville. Only where Brian is from! So classic. It really was fun to meet you. Hope to see you again along with some other tweeps next time out.

The Bolts were undisciplined, handing us three early power plays. But we only capitalized on one and then fizzled. Of course, before the chaos that ensued, the Lightning couldn't handle our top two lines, which generated enough quality chances to beat Garon more than twice. This was a goalie who stunk entering with like eight allowed in his last two starts. But he turned in a good performance and came up with some gems in overtime. Following the Arty nonsense which John Tortorella condoned without going overboard, the Bolts wanted it more. They began carrying the play with Stamkos, Moore and Vinny Lecavalier forcing Henrik Lundqvist to make some tough stops. Even Matt Gilroy had a solid game. The Bolts also benefited from Victor Hedman, who was outstanding defensively. He really is overlooked because he doesn't do anything flashy. But now I see why they extended him at five a pop. Adam Larsson could learn a thing or two about how to defend by watching his Swedish buddy.

Late in the game, there was our chance to make it easy. Instead, they didn't even try to get the third goal. No sense of urgency. And boy, did it come back to bite them. Right before the inevitable, I told my brother Justin I thought Moore would tie it. I have no idea why. It just came to me that it would be an ex-Ranger. Gaining steam, Moore skated around two of our guys like they were ghosts before backhanding one upstairs on Lundqvist, who must've dozed off from the uninspired play. How else can you explain that going in? And no. I don't want to hear any spin about it possibly changing direction. He has to stop that. It really wasn't his fault that our five fell asleep. But come on. The shootout winner to Moore was no better. He again went top shelf for the only goal in the shootout.

Regarding the skill comp, interesting that John Mitchell went first and didn't shoot. All three (Richy and Gabby) were duped by an aggressive Garon, who challenged while Lundqvist sat back. Quite a contrast. And all three of our shooters went too deep and tried to deke, playing right into his hands. No adjustment. Why not shoot right away for the top part of the net? They got what they deserved.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star: Mathieu Garon, Bolts (29 saves)
2nd Star: Victor Hedman, Bolts (assist, stellar defense)
1st Star: Dominic Moore, Bolts (tying shorthanded goal-2nd of season, shootout winner)

Crosby Magical Return dooms Islanders

All eyes were on the game's biggest superstar last night in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby's long wait was over with the Penguin captain finally returning to the ice for the first time since two concussions last January. Much like his boss Mario Lemieux, who cameback in epic fashion victimizing the Maple Leafs, Sid The Kid emulated Super Mario with a virtuoso performance at a soldout Consol Energy Center- scoring twice and setting up two more goals in a dominant Pens' 5-0 blowout of the Islanders.

Maybe it shouldn't have come as any shock that such a great player would electrify the home crowd at the Isles' expense. On his opening shift, he nearly assisted on a goal but linemate Chris Kunitz hit the post. It didn't take long for Crosby to put on a show, flying past two Islanders including defenseman Andrew MacDonald before roofing the game's best backhand top shelf on poor Swedish rookie Anders Nilsson, who shouldn't have started his first NHL game in the first place.

“I saw for a few seconds they were a little flat-footed,” Crosby said. “I was able to get some good speed built up when I got it. I knew I had a chance to go wide.”

How do you throw a green 21-year old kid into that building off a 6-0 humiliation versus Boston where they honored Jiggs McDonald and Ed Westfall? Even more mindless is why Nino Neiderreiter didn't play. With vets like Brian Rolston underperforming, wouldn't it make sense to give the ex-Devil a night off and keep their '10 first rounder in for energy? The Islanders are still in a rebuild. If Jack Capuano can scratch Kyle Okposo or Blake Comeau, he can also make an example of a leader who's not getting it done.

Nilsson was in for all five Pittsburgh goals, including a nifty Crosby pass that allowed immortal Brooks Orpik to beat the '09 third round pick clean, banking one in off the post. Cleared for his first game, Sidney certainly took some contact with second-year Isles' defenseman Travis Hamonic knocking him down with a clean check against the glass, which he got right up from and continued. The best news of all for the Pens and for the NHL that's made him the face of hockey. Funny enough, he wasn't screaming 'Oh yeah' when he scored his first of the season, which was bleeped out. If you were gone so long with doubts as to whether you'd even comeback, you'd probably feel the same emotion. Nobody can deny Sid's impact. At 24, he has already won a Cup, Hart, Art Ross, Rocket Richard and Olympic gold with one of the greatest goals in international history. A Canadian hero who has done it all. That he is finally back where he belongs is very exciting for the league and the fans, who hopefully get to see No.87 for a long time.

"It's significant when any League's top player returns to action," Toronto GM Brian Burke said via Twitter. "Welcome back Sid. Good luck as you get underway.

"'Yup, this leagues still a joke for me.' - Sidney Crosby 4 minutes into first game back," in a TSN piece today.

The great players make it look easy. Exactly what Crosby did to the struggling Islanders, who fell for the sixth time in their last seven (1-5-1). Capuano's club has been outscored 11-0 the past two contests. They're 2-6-1 in November with the Flyers tomorrow, a back-to-back with the Devils post-Thanksgiving and a visit to Buffalo to conclude the month. There's still time for them to get back on track. But at 5-10-3, the Islanders sit dead last in the East with 13 points- trailing eighth Washington by 10. The good news is the gap isn't that large between fifth Buffalo (24 Pts) and them. Time is ticking.

"We have to take a good look at ourselves. We didn't compete the way we needed to. We're a better team than we showed tonight. We have to be held accountable for our play," veteran Steve Staios lamented after getting victimized by Crosby for a seeing eye backhand that somehow found twine for his second of the night.

For Nilsson, he was under siege predictably against a high powered Pens' attack that features Evgeni Malkin, who finished off his sixth on the power play and later made an incredible feed to Steve Sullivan that increased their lead to 4-zip in the second. Just over two minutes into the third, Crosby showed off his strength by skating away from the bigger Staios along the wall before throwing a backhand that deflected past a helpless Nilsson.

"Of course the tempo and speed is a lot quicker up here, almost like night and day compared to the AHL," Nilsson admitted after making 31 saves in his second appearance. We apologize for stating that it was his NHL debut in yesterday's preview. "It's going to take some adjustment before I am used to everything up here."

The Islanders have no choice with Evgeni Nabokov sidelined for a month with a groin injury while backup Al Montoya was also put on the IR with a hamstring problem. Amazingly, incumbent starter Rick DiPietro is healthy and probably should've gotten the call under such a chaotic situation. Sure. A costly mistake led to a Nathan Horton tally Saturday but come on. Perhaps DP could've bounced back and kept it competitive. Kyle Okposo returned from a three-game hiatus. The once promising power wing was again held off the score sheet and remains stuck with a goose egg in goals. The organization also recalled David Ullstrom from Bridgeport for his first NHL action with the former '08 fourth rounder delivering four hits in over 13 minutes, while finishing minus-two.

John Tavares had a great night in the faceoff circle winning 15-of-23 but none of his six shots beat Marc-Andre Fleury, who recorded his 21st career shutout. Fleury matched his jersey number with 29 stops. Afterwards, the player everyone came to see still handed him the game puck for the milestone. Pretty cool.

“I thought we had a decent start, it’s just I think [Crosby’s] goal gave them a big lift and they had some momentum from the power plays and they took it to us early in the second and we couldn’t come out of that,” Tavares pointed out.

Notes: The news wasn't good for NYI D Mark Eaton, who left the game with a sprained left MCL. ... Malkin had a goal and assist while Crosby linemate Pascal Dupuis added three helpers. ... Crosby took 21 shifts, tallying his first four points (2-2-4) in less than 16 minutes. He also dominated on draws going 14 and 7. ... Tavares and captain Mark Streit combined for 10 of the Isles' 29 shots.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (29 saves for 2nd shutout of season-21st career)
2nd Star-Evgeni Malkin, Pit (PPG-sixth of season, assist in 17:45)
1st Star-Sidney Crosby, Pit (2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points, +3 in season debut)

House Of Horrors kills streak

Alright. By show of hands, who's surprised our seven-game run came to an abrupt halt at the hands of the Canadiens? They don't call it the House Of Horrors for nothing. Let's face it. The Rangers rarely have success when they visit Montreal. If they burned the place down (no offense Habitants), I wouldn't shed a tear the same way I didn't when the Devils moved out of the old Meadowlands for their fancy home in Newark. Another arena that owned us.

Entering Saturday's humiliation, the Blueshirts had run off seven straight and figured to be well rested for what was the Canadiens' third game over four days. Instead, an angry Habs' squad still steaming from a 4-3 loss to the Islanders Thursday handed our team its lunch in a very uncompetitive 4-0 loss. It was over quickly. Oh. Sure. They methodically took the Rangers apart, getting one in the first, one in the second before doubling up in the third for the final margin.

John Tortorella's lackluster club never established a forecheck and allowed the Canadiens to control from start to finish in what amounted to an exhibition. There was no hitting. No checking. No shots even though the scoreboard said that Carey Price stopped 17 for his second consecutive shutout, which was good for my fantasy team. This truly was unwatchable unless you're as diehard as my favorite Habs tweep @vivianmtl, who enjoyed what she saw. And why not? Considering how it was reversed when we beat them at the renovated MSG, it was payback. I honestly thought the rest would be an advantage instead of a hindrance. For whatever reason, our team was flat and paid dearly.

Erik Cole abused Michael Del Zotto by blowing past him and going top shelf on Martin Biron for a power play goal, which took advantage of an atrocious call on Ryan McDonagh. There were at least three others that mystified throughout. Not that the Rangers deserved better. They were listless. Biron allowed a bad second goal to Mr. Hacks, Brian Gionta right through the wickets with no other Hab in sight. The puck seemed to break part of his equipment which was taped. Let's just say it was one of those nights. It was the first of two for the Habs' captain, who later was set up by Scott Gomez for the exclamation point. I wish I was kidding but a scene from Back To The Future actually took place. Yes, even Gomez (2 assists), who was part of a lopsided deal for McDonagh and ex-Blueshirt Chris Higgins, showed up. He still hasn't scored a goal in his last 60 games.

The ice was so tilted that you half wondered if the guys wearing the red, white and blue had switched jerseys with the Blue Jackets. I kid. Hey. They won the other night! Or perhaps it rubbed off on the New York Giants yesterday. :P Biron certainly was forced to make a number of quality stops just to give the Rangers a chance before the roof caved in. Another phantom call on Ryan Callahan that still hasn't been discovered led to the Habs' best forward Tomas Plekanec blasting one thru traffic for 3-zip. Cole and local product Max Pacioretty drew assists.

I don't know why I watched the third, still tired from my shift. I even shaved hoping it would bring luck. Instead, I took the pain as Gomez turned back the clock, hooking up with Gionta for a goal that may as well have been in 2003. It was fitting. Two ex-Devils who gave us nightmares with one bowing out of Manhattan with a forgettable second year. Though some fans would have you believe those teams could score.

And so, ended another trip to Hell. House Of Horrors be damned. No eight-game win streak, which would've been nice. Like Al Pacino's character John Milton character in Devil's Advocate near the end says to Keanu Reeves' Kevin Lomax about his run of trial victories:

"Maybe it was your time to lose."

It was nice while it lasted. Now, the Blueshirts can get back to work at practice for a traditional game Turkey Eve at Florida before a visit to D.C. on Black Friday against struggling Alex Ovechkin and the Caps. Two good tests. The Panthers can skate and score with anyone. Or as I refer to them, Hawks South is getting it done led by Brian Campbell and Kris Versteeg, who have combined with Stephen Weiss to form a dangerous offense. The always overlooked Tomas Fleischmann is also producing. If our team skates in quicksand two days from now, they're screwed. Henrik Lundqvist will be back in. We'll see how they close out a good month.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Yanick Weber, Mtl (assist in 21:14- made great pass that led to Cole PPG, solid overall)
2nd Star-Brian Gionta, Mtl (2 goals, 5 SOG, +2 in 19:15, Mr. Hacks tormented us)
1st Star-Erik Cole, Mtl (PPG-sixth for game winner, assist in 17:56, dominant)

Richards breaks Isles' back as Rangers run streak to seven

There it was. Matt Moulson injected some life into his struggling team. After he buried a John Tavares saucer pass for a power play equalizer, Nassau Coliseum was alive. There were the Islanders, who entered with only one win in 10, all knotted with their longtime nemesis from Manhattan. The Rangers rolled in winners of six straight. None of that mattered when one of the game's best rivalries was renewed. You could feel the intensity both on the ice and in the stands where noise was at a feverish pitch. It didn't matter what the teams' records were in the second grudge match of six. This was no holds barred.

That's how you could describe almost any game the Rangers and Islanders play. Battles all over the ice. Hitting. Scrums. Fights. Penalties. Goals. Goaltending. Yes, last night's latest installment had all those key factors which exemplifies exciting hockey that's on the edge. Unfortunately for the Long Island hosts, they fell just a little short again, dropping a tough 4-2 decision for their 10th defeat over the last 11. Challenged by their coach Jack Capuano, the Islanders gave a valiant effort. However, the latest big ticket Ranger star delivered the crushing goal late that decided it. The Rangers signed Brad Richards for such moments. Richy Rich didn't disappoint notching the game-winner with 4:55 left in regulation. The Islanders came oh so close with Andrew MacDonald hitting a post in the dying minute but couldn't get one more past Henrik Lundqvist, who was brilliant finishing with 31 saves.

“It’s frustrating,” Capuano lamented after his team's latest defeat. “We played one of our better games. ... We have to get secondary scoring to win."

That's been a huge problem for the Isles who fell to 4-8-3 and sit dead last in the East with 11 points. Fifteen games in, a club many felt would challenge for the playoffs is already digging a hole. They trail eighth Ottawa by eight points with defending champ Boston turning it around. It could be a long climb with New Jersey and Tampa Bay likely to be in the mix. Don't discount Carolina either. In an improved conference with early surprises Toronto and Florida, the Islanders can ill afford to have another lull like last year that got Scott Gordon canned.

"It's frustrating. These are the ones you really have to learn from. [The win] was right there [for the taking]," second-year blueliner Travis Hamonic said. "We had it. We made just one mistake and it ended up in our net. At the end of the day we have to learn from that, and now this one is put away. It's a bad feeling. This is a feeling we don't want anymore."

While the Rangers are sitting pretty in a three-way log jam behind first overall Pittsburgh while tied with fifth Philadelphia, the Isles have their work cut out on a pivotal homestand. It shouldn't get any easier when Montreal and Boston visit tomorrow and Saturday before Capuano's club travels to Pittsburgh where Sidney Crosby could be awaiting if the latest rumors are true about a possible return this weekend. They also host the Flyers and Devils next week with a home-and-home in Newark following Black Friday. The Isles end the month with a visit at Buffalo. Not an easy game in the sched. Especially when you're not finishing. Outside of leading scorer Tavares' line, they've been firing blanks.

It didn't help that they ran into one of the game's best in Henrik Lundqvist, who aside from a softy to Frans Nielsen, stood on his head. King Henrik made acrobatic stops, including a signature header before diving across with the right glove to rob an Islander of a certain goal. The Islanders also got brilliant netminding from Evgeni Nabokov, who couldn't quite make it two for two against the Blueshirts despite 26 saves. A few were sparklers, including a sprawling stop to deny Derek Stepan's stuff try with the Isles' goalie down and out. The problem was Josh Bailey's feeble clear attempt cost them dearly. Tied at two with dueling chants from a galvanized crowd, one mistake decided it. Bailey tried going up the middle but his soft backhand was easily intercepted by Brandon Dubinsky, who quickly dished to an open Richards who did the rest- blasting one upstairs with Ryan Callahan screening a helpless Nabokov.

"Whenever you play in this building, it’s up and down, and you never know what’s going to happen,” Ranger coach John Tortorella said. “Richie has had some big plays for us early on here. I thought that it was probably one of his better games.”

“We signed him for nine years. That’s exactly why we signed him,” Lundqvist noted of Richards' heroics. “A guy like that, he has a tendency to step up at the right time. His focus is good when it comes down to the final minutes, when you need that extra play. It’s great to see.”

Early on, Sean Avery got the party started scoring for the second consecutive game when he steered home his own rebound. His sudden emergence was rewarded with the once exiled Ranger getting 12 minutes, including a big shift late where his forechecking kept the Islanders pinned in. Nielsen replied back less than three minutes later when his high wrister trickled off Lundqvist's glove, squaring it. Hamonic and P.A. Parenteau combined to spring Nielsen for his fourth. Avery renewed pleasantries with Mike Mottau following matching roughs. Apparently, the ex-Devil can't let go. So, the two fought 69 seconds into the second. It wasn't the only scrap with Brandon Prust battling Islander enforcer Matt Martin 1:45 later.

Though the Isles were better in the second testing Lundqvist, an unlikely source scored the lone goal when Steve Eminger of all people took a brilliant Callahan cross-ice feed and beat Nabokov five-hole. “I saw him creeping in a little bit,” Callahan said. “I was trying to buy him a little bit of time to get him back there. I saw him and made the pass.”

The Rangers had a golden opportunity to salt it away but failed on an extended five-on-three late in the second with Richards hitting goal post. Credit the Isles' penalty killers with outstanding work, blocking a few shots that never reached Nabokov, who was there when needed. That left the door open. After the Blueshirts failed on another power play in the third, two straight penalties finally bit them with Moulson getting his fifth from Tavares and Nielsen to level it with 13:02 remaining. That allowed Richards to play the hero late. A mad scramble late didn't tie the game despite several chances. Eventually, Callahan scored into an open net with under a second left, icing it.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star: Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (31 saves)
2nd Star: Frans Nielsen, NYI (goal-4th of season, assist)
1st Star: Brad Richards, NYR (GW w/4:55 left)

The GAS Line burns Senators

Ever since John Tortorella moved Artem Anisimov up with Derek Stepan and Marian Gaborik, the cohesive trio have had something going. An unlikely combo due to three different styles has proven dangerous for opposing goalies. Last night in Kanata proved no different with the newly formed GAS Line burning the Senators for all three goals in the Rangers' fifth consecutive win- a 3-2 count avenging a bad home loss on Oct.29.

The new name which one Ranger tweep came up with looks like it'll stick for at least the time being. Gaborik (2-1-3), Stepan (1-2-3) and Anisimov (2 helpers) combined for eight points, including some magic on one of Gabby's goals where the emerging second-year former Badger made a perfect no-look feed for an easy tap-in. Of course, we're talking about Stepan, who is everything once thought.

"The way we are playing, doing the right things and staying with the details is the biggest thing. We've got to continue to play hard and use our legs to create things," Stepan told Blueshirts United after the three-point outing gave him seven points over the last three.

"First of all we had a good forecheck and kept our legs moving. Second of all, when we get the puck, guys are confident to make a play. We are winning the battles, getting in their first, and I think that's how we created our goals," Gaborik pointed out after notching his team-leading eighth and ninth markers along with an assist. Gaborik is tied with Claude Giroux, Joe Pavelski and James Neal for fifth in goals behind league leader Phil Kessel (11) with Thomas Vanek, Sens' goalscorer Milan Michalek and Steven Stamkos placing second with 10 each.

Considering that I missed the game due to work, it was nice to see our team respond to Michalek's 10th after he dusted Jeff Woywitka to open the scoring early in the second. Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson drew assists. Less than a minute later, Stepan and Gaborik combined on the aforementioned nice set up with No.10 finishing it off. Not long after that, an aggressive forecheck from Anisimov behind the Sens' net allowed him to steal the puck, walk out in front and force a scrambling Craig Anderson to make a save. With the American vet out of position, Stepan snuck in and backhanded the rebound into an open side for his third.

Despite getting outshot 21-11 through two periods, the Blueshirts led by one entering the third. Back in net, Henrik Lundqvist was sharp finishing with 29 saves for his fifth win of the season. The King got more support when the GAS Line combined for Gaborik's second of the night thanks in large part to ultimate warrior Dan Girardi, who logged 28 big minutes. Enough can't be said about Danny G, who always seems to be in the right spot. If he's not blocking shots, he's making a smart defensive play like the one that turned into an odd-man rush with Anisimov skating it out before getting it to Stepan, who then headmanned Gaborik on a two-on-one. Gabby patiently waited, faked pass and then roofed one top shelf. The great play turned out to be the game-decider with Nick Foligno making it interesting late.

"I think we have high confidence right now, and we need to grow this confidence every game to play even better as a line," Anisimov explained after his pair of assists improved him to six points in three. The third-year Russian has emerged from a sluggish start to lead the Blueshirts with eight helpers. "We need to keep an eye on the back of each other. If someone makes a mistake let's come back and go hard for him."

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star: Artem Anisimov, NYR (2 assists, plus Broadway Hat)
2nd Star: Derek Stepan, NYR (goal-3rd, 2 helpers)
1st Star: Marian Gaborik, NYR (2 goals-8th/9th, assist)


Notes: There were two scraps with little used Sean Avery battling former Isle Zenon Konopka while Andre Deveaux took on Jared Cowen. We'll try to find video of each and get it up. ... Newest Ranger Anton Stralman skated with the team today at practice. Might he make his debut tomorrow? ... Brandon Dubinsky remains without a goal in the first 14. That along with the lack of finish from Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust remains the only drawback.

This Staal's Clean: The Rangers have won five straight improving to 8-3-3. They return to MSG tomorrow to battle Eric Staal's Hurricanes. Some have discussed it as a revenge game for the hit Eric laid on brother Marc Staal, who remains sidelined with PCS. However, it was clean and at the end of a period. Just from some of the quotes the elder Staal had about his brother the other day, it has really affected him. Though it's hard to explain his minus-16 rating these days. Our team needs to treat it like any other game. Carolina fell to the Devils the other night and aren't playing well. But they still boast hot shot super soph Jeff Skinner along with Staal, plus Cam Ward. At the end of the year, they'll probably be there. The Blueshirts can't take them lightly before traveling north of the border to Toronto for a Saturday Hockey Night In Canada showdown with the Leafs.

Christy, Gaborik solve Hiller in shootout win

Nobody comes under more scrutiny than Erik Christensen. Not even the much debated Sean Avery, who will make his season debut tomorrow versus the Canadiens with Wojtek Wolski on the shelf.

Christy is an interesting character, who gives you a lot of perspective into the person he is on and off the ice. When the inconsistent center isn't there driving myself and many fans nuts, it's hard to make a case for retaining him. Just when you think you know someone, we got a very different look into a young man who's contributed to two consecutive home wins over San Jose and Anaheim. Against the Sharks, he made two nifty passes to set up big goals and versus the Ducks, there he was again solving Jonas Hiller along with Marian Gaborik in the Rangers' 2-1 shootout victory at MSG Thursday.

“I’m happy I got a chance to go. My record isn’t that good,” the Great Gabby said after converting only his third in 20 career attempts. “I had my move before I went. I tried to fake a move before I shot and it worked out well. Before I went to shoot, I tried to make up my mind, and I looked at him, and he was kind of challenging me a bit.”

While it's easy to point to the Great Gabby's (yes, he's back) wizardry in Round Three that ultimately decided it with Henrik Lundqvist snuffing out Bobby Ryan in last licks, Christensen kept a cool head leading off in the first to score the team's first shootout goal of the season. After being blank in two prior attempts, he went back to his Swedish roots by emulating Peter Forsberg with the ever exciting one-handed deke which snuck through Hiller. Perhaps that was enough to finally break the brick wall the much overlooked Anaheim goalie put up following unsung hero Jeff Woywitka's first as a Ranger. It's not often but the goaltending from Hiller was off the charts. Fantastic. Super. Sensational. Yes. Lundqvist wound up with three more stops (27 to Hiller's 24) but that was due to a strong Duck third where they used their speed and tempo to make life difficult. Outside of maybe one he'd like back on a ripper of a shot from Ryan that knotted it late in the second, King Henrik was stellar- standing up to the challenge in a busy third that saw Anaheim outshoot New York 15-4.

In particular, Cam Fowler was everywhere. Some still like to compare the rebirth of Mike Del Zotto, who ironically sports the identical No.4 as the second-year Duck. However, John Tortorella doesn't trust MDZ enough to put him out in the final minute of tie games. He can lean on emerging star Ryan McDonagh and warrior Dan Girardi while Marc Staal recovers from PCS. Randy Carlyle doesn't have that luxury. Even with Lubomir Visnovsky, Toni Lydman and Francois Beauchemin, he opted to give Fowler the opportunity to go for it in crunch time. The man who skates like Scott Niedermayer didn't disappoint, creating dangerous chances by jumping in and shooting the puck. If there's one bugaboo with Del Zotto, it's that he still is hesitant to fire away- instead opting to defer to either Gaborik or Brad Richards. Not that there's anything wrong with it as one odd pass to Gabby nearly ended it in overtime.

Speaking of the fancy four-on-four, it was terrific. Both teams went for it but the Blueshirts had like five different chances to win it only to see Hiller get in the path or alter shots high and wide. Our team made the extra passes and cut it too fine. All credit to the elite goalie, who has recovered nicely from vertigo. His play didn't go unnoticed.

“Hiller is good,” Lundqvist praised of his Swiss counterpart who displayed a cat-like glove that even denied unlikely first period candidate Steve Eminger, who could only chuckle during a stoppage. “He’s a good one-on-one goalie. He’s quick side-to-side.”

"He made some real big stops,” Carlyle added. “I think the first period, he kept us alive and we only gave up the one goal.”

Hiller's act was good enough to earn 2nd Star even though in our book, he was No.1. They gave it to Gaborik. A fine choice. He once again dominated throughout. It doesn't seem to matter who he plays with. Though when our team failed on a couple of power plays and couldn't find a second goal, I was begging Tort to doubleshift him with Richards to try for another. Instead, Ryan came flying down the right side and used McDonagh's backing in to blast one past Lundqvist. Sometimes, the coach must do what it takes to get offense. What's wrong with giving Artem Anisimov a shift with former Draftmates Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan? He's been outplayed by Derek Stepan but isn't being put in a position to succeed. These are areas the coach can do better.

Early on, a wonderful diagonal Gaborik pass found Woywitka, who shot through a D-Step screen for his first. Pretty awesome. News had spread that the club had reached agreement with D Anton Stralman (rumored to be 1 year, $900,000). So, who knows how long Woywitka will stick around. I'm rooting for him to stay as he's been a pleasant surprise. Nice move giving Woywitka the Broadway hat. A very cool moment.

“We had some good zone pressure and Gabs is coming around the net there, he made a great play and I stayed a little wider, a little higher and he got the pass through to me," the steady waiver pickup said. "I wanted to get it off as quick as I could, as hard as I could and got it past the first set of legs, and once you do that anything can happen. It was exciting.”

In the skill competition, ageless wonder Teemu Selanne tied it with a backhand deke top shelf. I swear the Finnish Flash could play till 50 if he so desired. The skating, hands and ferocity are still there. He'll always be one of our faves. During MSG's coverage, they flashed back to that amazing rookie season of '92-93 when he shattered Paul Stastny's records with 76 goals and 132 points the same year Eric Lindros came in. Teemu has 642 career goals, ranking second to Jaromir Jagr (646) among active players. Both should pass Brendan Shanahan (656) for 11th all-time with Luc Robitaille (668) within reach.



After Richards was denied by Hiller, Lundqvist got a piece of Corey Perry's high labeler, setting the stage for Gaborik. Instead of doing something ordinary, he danced and faked shot twice before going to the backhand for a spectacular goal. All that was left was for Lundqvist to exact revenge on Ryan, who got the better of him in oddly enough, a 2-1 Anaheim shootout win in Stockholm. King Henrik got a shoulder on it and pumped his fists.

“He’s been our best player this year," a pleased Tortorella explained of Gaborik. "Two for 19, but he’s ready to take the next step. I’m glad for him. I hope it helps him. Because he’s been our most consistent player offensively and I’m glad for him it worked out.”



BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Cam Fowler, Ana (27:03, 2 SOG, +1, dangerous)
2nd Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (assist, shootout decider, game high 7 SOG)
1st Star-Jonas Hiller, Ana (24 saves incl. some highlight reel)

Royal Suckage: Nothing to celebrate in listless MSG debut

It was supposed to be a huge celebration. Thunderous applause like we heard when MSG didn't drown them out for King Henrik and new captain Ryan Callahan. They were going to dominate no matter what. Nothing could tarnish the moment at a renovated arena that already has inconvenienced paying customers. More on that later.

Sure. The Rangers came out flying against the Leafs, even jumping in front 1-0 when Jonas Gustavsson looked haunted by a harmless Dan Girardi unscreened shot, set up by the best Blueshirt Marian Gaborik. Perhaps it was the ugly memory of last year when our team blitzed the Swedish Monster, who's been anything but since entering the NHL. To say he and Toronto caught a break would be an understatement. Not once, but twice Captain Cally nullified Ranger goals when t\ref tandem Dennis LaRue and Ian Walsh correctly ruled "incidental contact."

Predictably, it drew the ire of a revved up MSG crowd hoping to pile it on with knowledge that this team already is the gang that can't shoot straight- let alone establish a consistent attack. The latter part falls on the so-called genius who is in his third full year on the job. Yes. John Tortorella's rotating circus lines already have to be questioned along with the team's realistic chances minus Marc Staal. Sometimes, it really is a game of bounces. For the Leafs, the turning point really were the two calls in their favor, allowing Gustavsson to tighten the screws and Ron Wilson to regroup after a lopsided first.

For some unknown reason only known to the 18 skaters and two goalies wearing Broadway Blue colors, they disappeared after 20 minutes. Gone was the relentless aggression with Callahan driving the net hard without any breaks. So, too was any form of offense. Yet again, the offense fizzled. At one point, the Rangers were stuck on seven shots while a more inspired Toronto turned it up by firing 16 shots on Henrik Lundqvist, including one off the stick of Matt Lombardi that squeaked by in the first 80 seconds, which demoralized everyone. It was the first softie he'd allowed. But King Henrik would more than atone, flat out robbing Phil Kessel twice on clean breakaways to keep his team afloat. He was spectacular after the Lombardi tally that knotted it, making all sorts of big saves.

The trouble was Lundqvist's teammates bailed on him again. Considering that Brad Richards was brought in to bolster the offense, this wasn't supposed to happen. For the sixth time in their first eight games, the Blueshirts failed to score three. Discounting a four-goal third period explosion in Vancouver and an unbelievable last second OT winner from Ryan McDonagh to stun Calgary, they've totaled 11 goals in the other 25 periods. Simply inexcusable. That can be attributed to Tort's mindless line combos that are starting to emulate former coach Tom Renney. Remember him? I have no love for Renney and the boring style he coached while exiling Petr Prucha in much the same fashion as Tortorella has with Sean Avery. Only difference is the current coach ran his mouth.

Frankly, I'm fed up with it. Especially if Glen Sather handed him the team he wanted, including the addition of Mike Rupp, who already has been so misused that permanent Christmas ornament Erik Christensen started over the enforcer, whose goal helped us to our first win. Considering how dead the Rangers looked, resembling closet skeletons in time for Halloween, wouldn't it have made sense to keep Rupp in for say a scrap that could energize the building. Or is that a thing of the past due to the luxuries rich folks have on the concourse? It also kinda goes against the coach's word of wanting to be tough. What they got was a vanilla effort from a team that looked lost. Even Kris Newbury took a beating from Mike Brown and Brandon Dubinsky got knocked on his kisser courtesy of a clean takeout from Long Island native Mike Komisarek.

You'd think they would've responded with a better third. But it was more of the same with Tortorella finally breaking up the confusing lines that had no semblance of chemistry. Instead of going back to roots, he watched in horror as Joffrey Lupul banged home a rebound of a Jake Gardiner shot Lundqvist couldn't control. It only got worse when Artem Anisimov turned the puck over thanks to a stellar defensive play from Komisarek, who celebrated teammate Clarke MacArthur's left wing blast that eluded Henrik. The first boos rained down in much the same fashion as the old place minus all the fancy food and everything else MSG has built up. Did they really need a blue carpet for tonight's festivities? At least John Amirante was in fine form during the Canadian and American national anthems.

There's plenty to be said about a state of the art updated MSG that won't be completed until 2013. By then, your bank accounts will be running on empty. So, if you still get to go watch the boys a few times the next couple of years, savor it while you can. If we learned anything by the lack of acknowledgment of Derek Boogaard prior to the opening faceoff, it's that the same greedy owner only cares about one thing. Just in case you had your blinders on, it ain't about championships. As long as money's pouring through Dolan's new toy, he won't care. That definitely was the rude message a loyal Section 411 got for still having to watch the game with obstructed views while being charged double what Sec's 412-416 are. This is what you get. Even when complaints are filed and heard, it only results in a $10 food reimbursement for each game. As if that atones for such a foul up. Oh well.

Maybe it's a good thing I wasn't up to it tonight. The team just couldn't summon the energy required to win in this league. Meaning 20 minute efforts gets you very little. Especially at home where they expect you to triumph and build something called a "home ice advantage." Only the Garden Faithful aren't familiar with that since the past couple of years under Tort. Can they really get by on the road when five more are part of this big homestand, including the odd 3 PM Saturday matinee versus Ottawa in two days? Even the Sens have woken up. They're scoring more than us.

By the time Del Zotto got one to count, the same Brown who pounded Newbury into submission, had added insult to injury for 4-1- resulting in a familiar chant that had to turn the coach beet red. Oh. They may have tried to drown it out and dismiss it like an arrogant Sam Rosen did as they went to break. But there it was to be heard from the few diehards that remain in the World's Most Renovated Arena.

"We Want Avery! We Want Avery! We Want Avery! Ave---ry! Ave---ry! Ave---ry!"

Newsflash to Coach Clueless. You can't fool us. Neither can no shows like the last two periods.

BONY 3 Stars: 

3rd Star-Mike Komisarek, Tor (assist, +2 rating, 2 blocked shots, 2 takeaways, big hit on Dubinsky)
2nd Star-Mike Brown, Tor (1st of season, TKO of Newbury)
1st Star-Joffrey Lupul, Tor (GWG, 5th of season, 4 SOG)

Biron, Fedotenko spark Rangers past Jets

Sometimes, when you're not going good, someone steps up and makes a play that lifts a team. Such was the case during last night's Rangers' 2-1 win over the Jets at soldout Winnipeg- finally concluding their crazy seven-game trip around the world at 3-2-2. That they managed to go 3-1 on the Western part speaks volumes about the goaltending they received from Henrik Lundqvist and yesterday's hero Martin Biron, who sparkled with 27 saves in his first start since preseason.

“If you look at it, we’ve played seven road games with a trip to Europe and a Western Canadian trip and we’ve only lost two games in regulation,” Biron said after keeping his team afloat with a series of saves early in the third when the Jets buzzed for 90 seconds. “We got points in five out of the seven. You win three of them, it makes a big difference going home.”

As John Tortorella emphasized, they're ugly. But the bottom line is they survived by gutting out tough road wins in Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg and now finally come home for tomorrow's home opener at the newly renovated MSG versus an improved Toronto club. It'll be the first of a six-game homestand. The longest of the season and a chance for the Rangers to take advantage of overwhelming support along with the comfort of their own practice facility in Greenburgh.

Locked in a tie game following ex-Ranger Nik Antropov's blast off a forced Brandon Prust turnover, the Blueshirts were on their heels literally as Winnipeg began to dominate shifts. Despite a huge territorial edge in play, they couldn't get another one past a Biron, who was outstanding making several Lundqvist-esque clutch stops in tight.

While the capable backup got the job done, the Blueshirts had help from Ruslan Fedotenko. The hard working checking wing was the team's best forward, scoring and setting up two actual power play goals. The first came in the second following another meager start in which they had three shots. With nothing working for the top unit, Tortorella sent out Fedotenko, Brian Boyle and Ryan Callahan, who finally played like the captain we love. With Dan Girardi also out, he took a Mike Del Zotto pass and then patiently waited for Fedotenko to flash open in the slot. With Boyle in front screening Chris Mason, the more conventional look worked as Fedotenko neatly tipped Girardi's shot pass past the Winnipeg backup for the lead.

With the team more assertive, it looked like maybe they'd pad the lead. But Mason made a few key stops before his team drew even thanks to their top unit. Trying to get the puck out, Prust was closed off by former Devil Johnny Oduya, forcing him to fumble the puck, eventually turning it over to Evander Kane. Kane and Alex Burmistrov combined to set up Antropov, who blasted one past Biron.

Getting plenty of support from a wild home crowd 15,000+ strong, the Jets made life difficult on the Rangers. They controlled play for the rest of the second and the first part of the third until a hustling Fedotenko got around the D and forced Chris Thorburn to take him down. All night, Tortorella mixed his lines, eventually sliding Artem Anisimov down to the fourth line while shifting Brandon Dubinsky to center Callahan and Wojtek Wolski, who received over 15 minutes in his return. There were some oddities with Marian Gaborik sitting for a long stretch for unknown reasons.

None of that mattered when Girardi and Fedotenko combined to spring Callahan, who was flying down the right wing. With Winnipeg scrambling back, he centered for Fedotenko right off Zach Bogosian's skate and in for the game-winner. A relieved Cally raised his arms in triumph with a wide eyed grin as teammates congratulated him. It snapped a six-game scoreless drought.

From there, the Blueshirts clamped down defensively- not allowing the Jets to generate much. Even if they pulled Mason for an extra late, making it dicey, a couple of clears allowed them to exhale with a nice win.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (PP GW- 2nd of season w/11:19 remaining in 3rd)
2nd Star-Ruslan Fedotenko, NYR (PPG, assist, penalty drawn)
1st Star-Martin Biron, NYR (27 saves, 1st win of season)

McDonagh stuns Flames

The super soph was at it again. A game removed from breaking out with a goal and assist, Ryan McDonagh continued his rapid improvement by stunning the Flames at the last split second. After exchanging four goals and fisticuffs in a wildly entertaining first period, the Rangers and Calgary were locked in a defensive battle with a shootout looming.

Even when the Blueshirts carried the four-on-four in overtime, it still seemed destined for the skill competition. But a strange thing happened. Brandon Dubinsky wouldn't give up on a last second play, dropping the puck to Dan Girardi, who intentionally fired wide off the backboards right to a wide open McDonagh, who buried it for an unbelievable 3-2 win with 0.5 seconds left. An unlikely conclusion to a great game.

“Danny’s a smart player, I know he’s just putting it anywhere where it’s not going to get blocked and it was fortunate that it kicked off the boards there,” said McDonagh. “We were talking about how the boards could be used to our advantage and it did there.”

From the outset, Calgary tried to set the tone with physical play. As if on cue, Jarome Iginla challenged Ryan Callahan to no avail. The Calgary franchise scoring leader later nailed Cally with a clean check during a power play. With his team again on the short end of the stick, the Ranger captain took the hit to clear the puck out. That's the kind of play we expect from our team, who despite permitting a power play goal to Mark Giordano, were aggressive- killing off four of five, including a pivotal one down the stretch.

Outstanding were ex-Flame Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle, who combined for a nice shorthanded goal that gave the Rangers their second lead. But Calgary struck back thanks to Giordano, who took an Iginla feed and beat an irate Henrik Lundqvist through a screen. McDonagh accidentally screened our goalie, who picked up Giordano's shot too late. Alex Tanguay added his second helper of the night. He also set up Iginla to level it at 1-1, taking advantage of a rare Dan Girardi miscue that allowed the former Cup winner to find Jarome for an easy redirect. Marian Gaborik started the scoring with his fourth in another bizarre way. Something called a power play goal. Typically, the Rangers were the last team to connect on the power play. Of course, it was only our fifth game with every single one on the road. No wonder we haven't been getting the benefit of whistles. Perhaps that'll change once they host the Leafs next Thursday (10/27).

Gaborik's back to form, skating with purpose and being dangerous. It's safe to say he and Brad Richards have found chemistry along with key complement Derek Stepan, who threaded the needle to Gabby for a tap-in. It was his club-leading fourth goal with Richards also earning an assist. Richy Rich has a point in all five games (1-4-5). Stepan, who deserved a helper versus the Islanders, got his first point of the season. He really has looked good, making outstanding defensive plays while taking the body. The Wisconsin product brings that same intangible that Chris Drury did. High skill set. It's amazing how good our two Badgers look. D-Step fitting in on the top line with Wojtek Wolski still nursing a groin injury, and McDonagh smoothly transitioning to top pair with Girardi while showing off improved offense.

There's a lot to be said for McD and how quick a learner he is. The skating, shot and instincts get better all the time. He definitely looks like our most talented blueliner with no disrespect shown to Marc Staal. It just seems that he has a higher ceiling in that he can contribute more offensively while continuing stellar defensive work. Though last night wasn't one of his best. It's exciting to see the development of him and budding rookie Tim Erixon, who played his best game despite plenty of boos whenever he touched the puck. Calgary fans let him know how they feel about the 20-year old Swede not signing. However, it didn't faze him. Instead, Erixon made sound reads and smart defensive plays while teamed with adventurous partner Mike Del Zotto, whose offense is coming. DZ has been a bit more aggressive as evidenced by Mike Rupp's goal he set up the other day. John Tortorella's confidence has grown, rewarding the former first rounder with 22 shifts (18:12).

“It’s a great experience for him because there has been some struggles with his play but he stays with it,” Tortorella pointed out. “As we go through here, some of those guys that are in spots that they didn’t expect to be in, it’s going to help our team in the long run.”

There also were teammates standing up for each other like when Kris Newbury didn't take kindly to Cory Sarich's hit from behind on Richards, quickly coming to Brad's aid. Though he got the extra for instigating (this while the blind mice turned a blind eye to Sarich's boarding) and Calgary converted, it was a good penalty to take. You can't get pushed around. Rupp also dropped the gloves with Tim Jackman early on before things settled down.

It was a fun game. Eventually, the radar shifted to Lundqvist (33 saves, 157-166 over 5 GP) and second-year man Henrik Karlsson, who gave a good account of himself with 26 stops, including some close calls. Meanwhile, Lundqvist was again outstanding- flat out robbing Iginla by somehow stacking the pad on a gimme. Once he let in the second, he wasn't going to give up anything else. King Henrik is just so on right now. He is playing the best hockey of his already brilliant career. With great rebound control and so technically sound, could this be the year he finally wins a Vezina? Keep your fingers crossed.

“I was getting ready for it, so I was really happy to see the puck go in because they have some skilled guys to send out for a shootout,” Lundqvist noted of the unpredictable finish.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marian Gaborik, (PPG-fourth of season, 8 SOG)
2nd Star-Jarome Iginla, Cgy (goal, assist)
1st Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (game-winner w/1.3 secs left)