I thought this generated a ton of great comments after the New Jersey Devils game, so let’s try it again for the New York Rangers‘ win over the Detroit Red Wings.
– All during the game I saw tweets saying “my captain is better than your captain.” Could this be any more true? What more do you want out of a captain? Callahan does everything; he blocks shots, hustles, works hard, leads, expects a lot out of his teammates, holds himself to an even higher standard, isn’t afraid to call out players when they need it, back checks constantly, scores big goals, sits around the net, goes to the tough areas of the ice, defends his teammates, the list can go on and on. In terms of being a leader, I don’t trade Callahan for anyone else in the NHL. Not anyone.
Join me after the jump for more.
– So Henrik Lundqvist bounced back Wednesday, huh? He made three or four critical saves against a potent Red Wings’ attack, and made a jaw-dropping diving save mid-way through the third period to keep the game 1-1. So, in other words, it was another typical night for Lundqvist.
– For the second straight game I was really impressed in Tim Erixon. I thought he played well in transition, pinched at the right times and made really good decisions with the puck. I don’t mind him being paired with Stu Bickel, but someone needs to tell Bickel that if he is paired with Erixon that he needs to be the back defender. Against the Red Wings, Bickel frequently pinched, forcing Erixon back on defense. Not the worst thing in the world but Erixon should be the more offensive defenseman of those two. Erixon only saw 10 minutes last night, but I still think he’s looking more and more comfortable on the ice.
– The Rangers earned another two huge points, giving them a little more breathing room in the standings. It looks like the race for first place is going to come down to the wire, and that’s fine. One of the dangers in being a team who has nothing to play for in March because a playoff spot is is already in the bag is losing the drive that got them there in the first place. That won’t be the case with the Rangers this year at all. When they go into the first round of the playoffs, they will do it having fought the entire way through.
Thoughts?