Rangers get Thrashed

November 12, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

Normally, it’s easy to recap games. But not tonight. Not with what I saw. In a way, it makes me glad I didn’t go. Too bad my brother and his buddy had to watch that along with BroadwayBlue. I mean how would you feel after that listless performance? Forget the final score which said Atlanta 4 5, Rangers 3. Forgot the empty netter. That was humiliating.

Right now, this team is about to fall apart and the coach looks like a horse’s ass. Thanks for not recalling PA Parenteau and basically reduced to two lines trying to comeback in the third. Sure. They took like 20 shots but were severely outplayed the first 40 minutes. You know. I hear playing 60 full minutes is vital if you want to come away with two points. Not this team, who lost for the third in four and de-proved to 3-7-1 since the 7-1 start.

With Ilya Kovalchuk back, Atlanta could’ve hit double digits tonight. That’s how God awful our defense was. And sadly, I’ve had enough of the overrated Marc Staal and hearing Joe Micheletti go ga ga over Dan Girardi. This duo is officially a dud. Split them up pronto. Predictably, Michal Rozsival stunk but so did rookie partner Mike Del Zotto, who didn’t take the man 19 seconds in on the Thrasher’s first goal. Who scored? I forget. Rich Peverley destroyed us for a goal and two assists.

This was the kinda game you just would rather forget along with watching anymore hockey. I had no desire to watch the Devils win another game, doing what our team is incapable of. Thus, I don’t have the fortitude to do a full recap. If our team can skate without heads for two periods, then why should I put in an effort?

The only reason the Rangers were tied after 20 was due to Atlanta missing and Henrik Lundqvist, who got even less support in the second. Marian Gaborik was great again scoring on the power play and setting up another. Rookie Artem Anisimov scored his fourth to tie, playing well. Maybe it will finally dawn on Tort that he’s better than the rest of our centers when healthy. But hey. We’re talking about someone who wasted his timeout to rest the one power play unit with over eight minutes left because he didn’t trust Anisimov and others to go out and try to tie it. Sad.

What can be said about a game the Blueshirts tied twice before coming apart at the seams on back-to-back shifts when Kovalchuk roofed one and then Lundqvist turned it over for an Evander Kane gimme? Nichebvo is translated Nothing in Russian. Donald Brashear was back and celebrated his 1,000th career game by beating Eric Boulton in a scrap. But why didn’t he pummel him later when Boulton shoved Gaborik twice? Dane Byers could’ve done something too. And Aaron Voros I’m beginning to agree with RangerCrisis AKA The Mouth, who Tweeted that he’s the worst forward in NHL history.

You just can’t expect to win in this league when you fail to show for 40 of 60 minutes. Sure. They tried in the third but Johan Hedberg was strong all night. With the exception of a bad rebound to Brian Boyle, whose dicey penalty led to Kovy’s PPG in the second, The Moose outplayed our franchise netminder, including a huge momentum turning stone job on a Gaborik break when he aggressively came out and surprised The Big Ticket. Then, his team got two in a row and held on.

If we had tied, it would’ve been bad. I know how that sounds but it’s true. The Rangers should be ashamed of themselves. I wish they had lost 10 or 11-3. Maybe then they’d realize how brutal it was.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (PPG-13th of season, assist)

2nd Star-Johan Hedberg, Atl (33 saves incl.17/18 in 3rd)

1st Star-Rich Peverley, Atl (Goal-8th, 2 assists)