Rangers Pregame: All or Nothing for Rangers in Philly
by Nick Montemagno on Apr 11, 2010 11:32 AM EDT
in New York Rangers Pregame
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PrintIt is all or nothing this afternoon at the Wachovia Center for the New York Rangers. They need a win and they need two points, because there is no back-up plan or safety net that is going to support them if they lose this game. They were faced with this situation on Friday against the Flyers, and were able to pull out a 4-3 victory that saw them live another day. Now, in the second half of the home-and-home, in Game 82 of the regular season, they have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. All they have to do is win.
The Philadelphia Flyers are also in the same situation as their rivals right now. Both clubs are at 86 points, and as I predicted a few weeks back, the magic number will be 88. Last year’s eighth place cutoff was 95, but with a weak Eastern Conference this time around, both the Flyers and Rangers have the chance to sneak in despite a rather unsuccessful season.
Now let’s be honest here. The Flyers, as a whole, are a much better hockey team than our Blueshirts. They have a more dangerous top six forwards and their defense is much bigger and experienced. There are two things that the Rangers have the edge in, though. The first is obviously goaltending with Henrik Lundqvist, and the other, I feel, is momentum.
New York comes into this contest with momentum and confidence from Friday’s emotional win, not to mention the fact that all of the pressure is on Philly as they now have to pull out a win in front of their home crowd; a home crowd that will get on them quickly if they do not like what they are seeing.
Continue reading after the jump.
It’s going to be an all out war with both teams equally as desperate to claim eighth. However, I think it will come down to which team better handles adversity, and which team better manages their momentum swings, as well as their opponents’. On Friday, that team was the New York Rangers. I would assume they head into Philadelphia this afternoon with the exact same mindset.
The lineup remains exactly the same for the Rangers, with the exception of Alternate Captain Ryan Callahan possibly, or likely, sitting after reaggravating a leg injury when applying a hit to Philly defenseman Chris Pronger on Friday. Head coach John Tortorella says that Ryan will be a gametime decision, and if he is unable to go, will probably be replaced with forward Brian Boyle, who has missed the last nine games, also due to a leg injury.
Look for the Blueshirts’ fourth line to take the opening faceoff today, an approach Tortorella has recently turned to in order to gain momentum right out of the gate. The fourth trio, as I expressed in yesterday’s article, has been one of the better for the Rangers throughout their recent period of success.
This is game seven. This is do or die. This, in a sense, is overtime. Winner moves on, loser goes home until next September. If the Rangers were to move on, they would face the Capitals, a re-match of last year’s quarterfinals, in the first round. But let’s get there first and then worry about the opponent. Today, it is the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that the Rangers can beat, and a team they can obliterate if they come out firing. All they need to do is win, and then this miraculous run to the playoffs is complete.
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good luck today Rangers! The Bruins are already in, but if you guys knocked the Flyers out it would be great.
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 11:38 AM EDT reply actions
LOL
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
LET’S DO IT PETER!
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Apr 11, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
C’mon, boys… do it for Dale (Rolfe)!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82pEAetLXrY&feature=youtube_gdata
"... and Messier has arrived in ill temper tonight, Sam." -JD
by irishsuperhero on Apr 11, 2010 11:51 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
That's allz I can stands, I can't stands no more!
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Apr 11, 2010 11:59 AM EDT reply actions
I’m pulling for you today. What time is the game?
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 12:00 PM EDT reply actions
3
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by Nick Montemagno on Apr 11, 2010 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks. Wow I got te Bruins, Rangers – Flyers at 3, and then Sabres- Devils at 5.
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Careful Messier
That kind of stuff only works once…
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Apr 11, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Go Get Em!
Blunter than Sather's Cigars....
by Jersey BlueshirtFan on Apr 11, 2010 12:18 PM EDT reply actions
We need our A game today
Everybody has to be firing on all cylinders. Philthy aren’t going to go down easy. A team with elimination on the line is going to scratch, kick, claw, do anything possible to win so we have to jack up our game. We have to play better today than we did friday night cuz you know they will.
Shame this one can't be nat. televised
friggin Bruins and Caps on NBC..who cares.
And VS. has Indy car racing…aka a bunch of rednecks going in a circle.
Penetrating and Devastating!
its going to be on NHL Network……but most people dont have that so yeah. Im lucky I get that stuff here at school.
by CrazyRangerFan on Apr 11, 2010 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL. I’m watching that game now. Thomas got in a fight.
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jYXF22zG44&feature=related
My playoff run beard is starting to look NICE!
Key to the game
I say we need to go Old Time Hockey: right off the first faceoff, let Boyle take on Pronger and/or Shelly w/ Carcillo — let those big tough Flyers cool their jets in the box for 2, 5 or 10 minutes and create a little skating room for Gaborik.
Anyone who beats up Carcillo is a friend of mine!
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Playoff beards rock
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 12:52 PM EDT reply actions
Here's a shocker...
Milbury and baldy predict the Flyers will win today. Who would have guessed that?
Lol
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
hullo all. i know, i know, i’m a pittsburgh fan. don’t run me out quite yet. but i was born and raised in philly and i go to school in nyc. do me a favor and murder the flyers. best of luck to y’all.
STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.
LOL. I think we all want to see the Flyers lose.
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
im curious
as to your confidence level with Fleury and his struggles this season heading into the playoffs?
just as a slight disclaimer, i’m not the most intellectual penguins fan..so if you’re like “WHAT THE HALE IS SHE TALKING ABOUT” that’s why. =)
i place more of the blame on the pens’ defense. it’s been pretty horrid. has fleury let some soft (soff) ones? absolutely. does he have quite a bit to work on? you betcha. however, i do not blame him more than the defense. it’s been atrocious. if the defense can pick it up, we’ll be okay.
this is all my opinion.
STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.
by katielynn906 on Apr 11, 2010 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
whoa
millbury choosing brysgalov over crosby and ovechkin for MVP…i think the world just shifted on its axis
Milbury being an idiot is nothing new
Penetrating and Devastating!
by FreeBradshaw on Apr 11, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
You should reword that a bit.
millbury choosing brysgalov over crosby… for MVP
There’s no way in hell that Milbury would choose Ovechkin for anything ever.
by Matthew Artus on Apr 11, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
So, anyone want the Rangers to tank today for a better draft pick?
I’m trembling with anticipation. Let’s go Rangers!
Lundqvist is gonna be eating rubber all afternoon. I predict he’ll get pulled midway through the second.
Go Flyers!
Carbomb v. Gaborik, round 2? Or do we not have enough “honor” for that.
Eat it Rangers fans.
go back to loving brothers
Penetrating and Devastating!
by FreeBradshaw on Apr 11, 2010 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Lol
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by bestbostonsports on Apr 11, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
really?
tjought i was Mick richards crying after Dubinski gave him a beat down earlier this season as well…and wasn’t it Girardi that made Hartnell cry on Friday? Boy, where is Santa Claus when you want to boo him huh?
the nhl’s twitter says he’s out.
STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.
by katielynn906 on Apr 11, 2010 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions
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