| "Two teams fight for .500"
12/20/09 |
Entering yesterday's match up between the NY Rangers and Philadelphia
Flyers both teams stood a game under the .500 mark. The winner of this
one could say let's start fresh and make up some ground and maybe get
back into the playoff mix.
After a huge shake up this month on Broadway with players being sent to
the minors and others being benched a message is being sent from J. Tortorella
that no one is safe and it don't matter what number is on the back of
your jersey. If you don't play up to par you will be benched, demoted
or sent to Hartford.
As Captain Chris Dury learned after being dropped down to the fourth line,
he awoke in the heat of his demotion. Scoring a goal on the Island the
other night in the Rangers 5-2 win, Chris was able to get the Rangers
on the board first in Philly on a turn over in the Flyers zone that he
turned around and fired for a 1-0 Rangers lead.
A little scrum behind the Flyers goal due to a late hit on Chris Pronger
lead to the Flyers first power play of the game and Pronger would make
them pay. Scoring on a sharp wrister from the point through traffic the
game was quickly tied at one.
The Rangers heart and soul R. Callahan would work hard along the boards
to create the Rangers next scoring chance that lead to a goal and a 2-1
Rangers lead. A. Anisimov would come from behind the net and throw a back
hand shot towards the net that would deflect off a Flyers defenseman to
give the Blue Shirts the lead.
Period three would belong to the Flyers or Henrik Lundqvist depending
on how you want to look at it as the Rangers were out shot 16-5 in the
final session. Throwing everything at the King in the third he said no
to all 16 shots and the Rangers were able to sneak out of Philly with
a win. Henrik was definitely the man today in Philadelphia as he was nodded
with the number one star of the game stopping 36 of the 37 shots in his
direction.
The Rangers have now put together a win streak of two games for the first
time since before thanks giving. Rangers next opponent is the Carolina
Hurricanes on Monday and if they could get two points there they'll be
in striking distance of the other playoff teams.
|
|