The Buffalo streak is over. They are now 8-1-2 in their last 11. Say hello to 8th place--- for now!
"That was a passionate team who wanted to come out and show Buffalo that we wanted to win, against a team that has been playing well", Tom Renney in his postgame presser.
Renney went on to say that he and his team expect a better effort from the Sabres in Buffalo next Saturday night.
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1st Period:
:10 seconds in, Spacho is beaten wide by Dubinsky who roared to Miller's blue. Avery's two and a half foot putt makes it 1-0 NYR .
* Jagr's first point in 8 games.
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After the Avery goal, Buffalo rored right back and tehy had at least three high percentage scoring opps. The Rangers D are slow and lumbering and Buffalo will win alot of foot races to loose pucks. They have to keep moving their feet.
2-0 Rangers: Spacho and Soup beaten AGAIN by Callahan.
Assist Drury.
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3-0 Rangers: Dubinsky from Jagr. Spacho and Campbell look like they are asleep. They are a combined minus 6 in the first period!
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4-0 Rangers: Brendan Shanahan, fresh off the IR, scores from 57 feet out. A Harmless right point shot, with no screen. Miller's last three goals were absolutely BAD GOALS.
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Tom Renney has installed his spike strips and the Trap to flatten Buffalo's tires. He will try to hold on to his 4-0 lead.
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Miller's day is done after giving the Rangers 4 goals on 11 shots.
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Now would be a good time for the Sabres to finish their checks and to drive pucks to Lunqvist's blue.
They appear to be listless and dopey in this period.
What the Hell happened?
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Brian Campbell is -4 with the San Jose Sharks scouts watching him this afternoon. The Sharks play the Rangers at MSG tomorrow afternoon, and he's not passing his audition for the SJ scouts, is he?
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2nd Period:
5-0 Rangers: Avery's second of the day. His eighth of the season.
The Sabres D are soft and porous today and they are allowing the the Ranger forwards a free hall pass into the Sabres zone.
It would be nice to see a Buffalo Dman knock a Blueshirt on his ass.
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3rd Period:
* Tim Connolly is injured---AGAIN-- he skated 7 shifts for 4:35 in the first period.
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5-1 Rangers: Vanek scores his 21st on the PP.
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Game Over.
Let the GM meetings begin. Darcy Regier will travel to Naples, Florida this afternnon for the annual NHL GM Meetings.
There will be deals.
Buffalo will be active in trade discussions.
They need a PP centreman to take the place of Connolly. The guy needs surgery and he cannot be counted on to compete at a high level for the rest of the regular season and the Playoffs.
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What do Colton Orr and Chris Drury have in common?
On the surface, you'll say "nothing at all", right?
Peep the Rangers stats, and you'll see that Orr is a team worst minus 14. Thats to be expected off a fourth line cement head.
Look further, and you'll be shocked, as I was to see that Captain Clutch is presently a minus 11. Drury was a +1 in Buffalo last season, on a team that scored goals like they were living in a video game. He was a -11 in 81 games in Buffalo in 05/06.
Times have changed .
When Glen Sather backed up the Brinks truck last Summer and paid Drury and Gomez tangy New York State fat cheddar, it was assumed that the Rangers would become a more disciplined and stingy team defensively. How could they not be?
Sather got a birdseye view of #23's 5 on 5 leadership and faceoff prowess in the Playoffs. Sather had to be projecting those same results for Drury's first season on Broadway. Why else would Slats commit 7 million per year to Drury?
Dru has 18 goals, 9 on the PP. He's thrid on the team in scoring.
The Rangers presently sit ninth in the East are are treading water.
Time for Captain Clutch to nut up and lead his team to the postseason.
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