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Game 44: NYR 3 NAS 0, Response Given, Dolan, Really, C'mon Man

January 18, 2012, 11:31 PM ET [74 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Tuesday's contest was expected to be a contest between a pair of mirror images in the Rangers and Predators. While that was true, the Rangers mixed some timely offense and luck with stifling defense and stellar goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist, who earned his fourth shutout of the season and 39th in his career, to beat Nashville 3-0. Every time the Blueshirts have had to respond to some form of adversity or concern, they have, which is why I love this team.

The first goal came off the stick of Dan Girardi aided by a bounce off Jack Hillen past Anders Lindback, who played a solid game. While the goal was lucky, it came following solid offensive zone forechecking. The second goal likely should have been stopped by Lindback by John Mitchell caught Lindback leaning the wrong the way to give the Rangers what turned to be an insurmountable lead.

The Torts shuffle was in effect in the second period as he shifted Ryan Callahan off of the Dubinsky and Richards line, replacing him with Brandon Prust, while placing Cally with Boyle and Fedotenko. Prust had a strong game on the forecheck and meshed well with Dubi and Richards. While he doesn't have the offensive talent that Cally does, he brings a bit more grit while Cally adds some offense to the third line. It's not great for Cally's fantasy value to play on the third line, but it does give Torts and the Rangers more weapons at their disposal knowing he can shift those six around and it looks like those groupings will stick together.

On Dolan. He hadn't addressed the media since 2002-03, and given his remarks, maybe it should have stayed that way. There is an old adage of don't count the money. What Dolan did with his remarks is sort of counted the money. I am sure Torts now wishes he hadn't joked with Dolan about filling in for him at the post-game presser as now the expectation is a Stanley Cup or bust. In general, that's fine, but comments like that should remain behind closed doors or made in private and not to the media. There is a ton of hockey between now and then, but the good part is the owner finally acknowledged that the plan to build from the bottom up with mainly homegrown talent has worked.

The 29-11-4 Blueshirts enjoy a three-point margin on the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference standings and boast a .705 winning percentage that ranks as the team’s best start in 40 years. The Penguisn come in tomorrow and the main focus has to be how to shut down the red-hot Evgeni Malkin.
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