Mike Richards is one heck of a hockey player. And I’m not just saying this because he once again owned the Rangers scoring the OT winner on a mini-break to complete a Flyers’ come from behind 2-1 win at MSG allowing them to take the home-and-home and pull within one in the standings.

The former Philadelphia 2003 first round pick (they also took Jeff Carter in that same round while the Rangers got Hugh Jessiman and the Devils landed Zach Parise) is already the heart and soul of his team and shall only get better.

He’s already established new career bests in goals (27), assists (44), points (71), power play goals (8), shorthanded goals (5) and game-winners (6). Or in the 23 year-old Mr. Everything for the Flyers the money department cause he sure will be cashing plenty of paystubs over the next 14 or so years.

Truth be told, this kid is a winner and might one day become the best player ever drafted by the Flyers. Alright. Maybe I’m biased since the same franchise once had a guy by the name of Bobby Clarke (before he became known for other stuff) and they also selected Peter Forsberg before the infamous Eric Lindros saga which was ruled in favor of the Flyers by an arbitrator instead of the Rangers. Man. I can still remember that summer quite well when it was rendered and reacted by taking a plastic stick and slamming it. Or something to that extent. Haha.

You know something else? Before he was traded as part of that ridiculous package, I’ll have you know that Ron Hextall was quite the goalie. People forget that he once won a Conn Smythe in defeat. Something which Jean-Sebastien Giguere matched which for some reason still burns Devil fans. Their team has three championships. You’d think it would be enough. Sometimes, people don’t realize just how good they got it. Just ask my poor Buffalo friend Brian Sanborn after that fiasco last night.

How do you give up four in that quick a span so late on your own home ice? Must be a Buffalo sports team. What exactly does God have against that city anyway?!?!?!?!?!?!

There are some things which are better off being left unexplained.

As for Mr. Richards, he did what he had to cashing a dreadful Sean Avery turnover at the Flyer blueline, utilizing his superior speed to beat Marek Malik and flip a backhand past Henrik Lundqvist. I like Henrik and he was real good in this game despite the lack of activity making tough stops in traffic but isn’t that why Glen Sather shelled out all that extra cash for? To come up with the big save in OT when his team needed it? He has to stop that as Malik forced Richards to a freaking backhand for Christ’s sake!

What was Henrik doing there? Napping. Daydreaming of which Ford model he’s going to bang. Or models.

Until proven otherwise, Mr. Lundqvist is the most overhyped goalie in the NHL. Sure. He’s been nominated for two Vezinas his first two seasons. And he’s already won over 100 games as a Blueshirt and been the biggest reason for the team’s recent turnaround. But now he must go deep in the playoffs or it will be a disappointment. Kind of like how pathetic our offense is without top scorer Scott Gomez. The Devils could also use the playmaking pivot too since they couldn’t score into a whorehouse right about now. Even if they did kinda get the shaft in their latest defeat.

And you know, they got that big game Thursday circled. So they’ll be ready to play. So what do you think the score will be between these two offensive juggernauts? Especially if Gomez isn’t a go?

Maybe it becomes the first game to make league history.

Game officially declared no-contest as nobody scores

NEW YORK, NY- Zeroes were the story in a history-making game. For the first ever time in NHL history, a regular season game was officially declared no-contest when both the Rangers and Devils couldn’t score. Well, maybe it was more like they wouldn’t.

After each Hudson rival failed to score through overtime, the game went to a shootout. But something unusual unfolded. Neither team could beat the opposing goalie even in a skills competition.

Instead, zero after zero was put up on the Madison Square Garden scoreboard. After all 18 shooters failed to score, a soldout Garden loudly booed demanding, “We Want A Goal, We Want A Goal!”

“We tried our very best,” mystified Ranger captain Jaromir Jagr said. “It just wouldn’t go in for us. At least our opponents cooperated.”

Meanwhile, it was two consecutive games of futility for the Devils, who now are without a goal in their last eight periods (nine if you include OT). In fact, they’ve only found the back of the net twice in four games.

“I wish I could put a finger on it,” said captain Jamie Langenbrunner. “We’re putting forth our best effort out there but for some reason, it just won’t go in.”

“I’d love to chip in if I could,” Martin Brodeur quipped after another solid night in goal finishing with 26 saves. “My team needs me in net right now because then Kevin Weekes’ job description could entail more than a clipboard and team spokesman.”

The historic night even left NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at a loss for words.

“After 54 years…oops. Wrong speech,” he said. “Well, it probably does feel like that for both Ranger and Devil fans these days.”

Could you blame him? This was something that was even out of Bettman’s control.

There’s always next game.

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

Ah. That was more fun than watching the refs hand the tying goal to the Flyers because Scott Hartnell should’ve had an extra two for roughing. He punched one of our guys from behind. Oh well. Not like that great Ranger power play would’ve done anything. These days, it’s about as reliable as Con Ed!

Got to love what this game’s become. It’s okay to mug people after the whistle and yet it winds up four-on-four. The Flyers’ bread and butter. No surprise that the revitalized Daniel Briere tied it up on a nifty give-and-go with deadline success Vaclav Prospal.

Kudos to the Flyers for cashing in and doing what they needed to do to win a pretty boring game. They can also thank Martin Biron, who outplayed Lundqvist finishing with 31 saves earning 2nd Star.

Notes: Jaromir Jagr notched the only Ranger goal 1:41 in on an oldschool turnaround wrister from the circle for his 20th, making it all 17 seasons with at least that many. No.68 won’t extend his current streak of 30-or-better but he was tremendous last night skating very well and drew two penalties. … D Michal Rozsival was a scratch as well reported by fellow blogger Lenny due to a leg injury. Paul Mara returned from a facial fracture after missing the previous 12. F Petr Prucha replaced Gomez seeing his first action in 17. He was decent fighting in scrums and sticking up for teammates but as usual, showed little touch on a very good chance which could’ve made a difference. I still say they need to try him on the power play but what do I know? … In 14 games since the Flyers acquired him from Tampa Bay, Prospal has 11 points (3-8-11). … Rangers host the Devils tomorrow night. The Flyers then invade Newark Friday hoping to finally get a win against their Turnpike rivals.