Bleary Eyed Ranger Fans Today
What a game. What a team. End of a hex. Those are my feelings after another incredible playoff hockey game last night. Just think Ranger fans only 10 more wins for the Cup. Only.
In triple OT the Rangers defeat the Caps and get the OT jinx off their back and take command of this Eastern Conf Semifinals with the 2-1 win. The Rangers had lost 7 straight OT games. The 1st Ot showed why. The Rangers let the Caps take the play to them, waiting for a mistake instead of causing a mistake. It almost cost. Alexander Ovechkin hit a post. Troy Brouwer missed a wide open net. Needless to say I was yelling at my TV as I bet many a Ranger fan was.
The Rangers starting getting offensive late in the OT and it carried over the rest of the way. The Rangers dominated the 2nd extra period and held their own in the 3rd until Marion Gaborik finally lit the lamp off a wonderful feed from Brad Richards to end this marathon.
Both golies shined in the game. The teams combined for 95 shots. Henrik Lundqvist, the best golie in the game was brilliant and yes lucky. Brouwer will be seeing that wide open net for the rest of his career should the Caps get bounced out.
Both teams should be congratulated for leaving it all out on the ice and sacrificing their bodies for a win. Imagine this. Put aside the 95 shots the golies did knock away and contemplate the almost 80 shots blocked by both teams. That's eating a lot of rubber.
Any Ranger fan who has rooted for this club for a good stretch can see how this team is so much better then years past and plays with more courage then any other since the Cup champs in 93-94. Not only do the Rangers bang the body better then any team in the league they also proved their will to win and their endurance and conditioning. They got stronger as the game wore on even if fans (myself) got weaker.
If the Rangers had 1 more sniper my gosh they would hardly ever lose. It's really all this team lacks.
Even on a night when Chris Kreider didn't play well most of the game he came alive in the extra sessions. It might have been over in regulation if the Boston College youngster wasn't so unselfish. A 2-1 break couldn't be finished cause Kreider wanted to set up the goal instead of finishing it himself in a break with Ryan Callahan. Hey if being unselfish is the worst part of your game well that speaks well for your game.
Now for all the bosses out there that aren't Ranger fans be gentle today. Their will be many dellerious Ranger fans who might crack a yawn or 3 thanks to this thriller of a game. Oh Ranger fans think about this. You having heart palpitations now? the Rangers aren't even half way to the title yet. 6 wins in the bag and 10 left. LOL. Man I am drained! But can't wait till game 4 on Saturday