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Game 82: MTL 1 NYR 0, OT, Regular Season Over, Bring on the Playoffs |
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The Rangers entered Saturday's game with the playoff berth sealed and seed locked, making the contest relatively meaningless from their end. The main goal, which was to come out of the game unscathed, was accomplished. In addition, despite the absence of the injured Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider as well as Martin St. Louis, Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist, healthy scratches, New York game Montreal all they could handle before falling 1-0 on an overtime penalty shot from Brian Gionta.
Saturday's game didn't reveal anything we didn't know previously about the Rangers. Cam Talbot, the hard-luck loser, finished the year 12-6-1 with a sterling 1.64 GAA and .941 SV%, allowing two or fewer goals in 16 of his 19 starts. Despite the penalty leading to the game-winning goal. Raphael Diaz played well and would have been the hero if his shot earlier in the game hadn't hit both posts and stayed out of the net. It was nice to see some snarl and grit and bite from them, especially in a contest that Montreal wanted and needed a lot more than New York. Derek Dorsett, who hadn't fought since November 30, got into one with Francis Bouillon and nearly had one or two with P.K. Subban.
Two of the interesting decisions coach Alain Vigneault will now have concerns Diaz and Dorsett. With McDonagh healthy enough to go, does he sit Diaz or John Moore? If you go by minutes played yesterday, then Moore would play over Diaz, though that won't be the driving factor. Diaz is a bit steadier, a solid puck-mover and can play the point on the PP, as can Moore, so it won't be an easy decision, but given Moore's improved play of late coupled with his playoff experience last year, I expect him to get in over Diaz alongside Kevin Klein. The Dorsett-Daniel Carcillo-Jesper Fast call will be a tougher one. if AV wants to go with a lineup with more grit and the ability to respond to the possible rough stuff, tongue in cheek with further meaning understood by you, he will go with Dorsett on the fourth line and Carcillo on the second alongside Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin with Kreider still out. If he wants to go with a bit more skill and use someone who has not looked out of place on that second line, he will play Fast, but then who sits between Dorsett and Carcillo? I think the situation will be fluid, which is not the best for all parties. I expect Dorsett to play in Game 1 as well as Fast with a decision on which two of the three playing to be made game-by-game.
The plan moving forward is for me to get the Behind the Numbers blog to the admin at Hockey Buzz tomorrow for posting Tuesday AM. I will get a Game 1 preview up Thursday AM to lead into the first game of the series. As mentioned, I am out this Tuesday-Wednesday and then the following Monday-Tuesday, so if anyone wants to write a blog for next week while I am out let me know.
Here is my public service announcement and request. Emotions will be high this series. It's the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so it's win or go home. The series is between two hated rivals, who have a history, recently, it's Philly beating NY in a shootout on April 11, 2010 to earn the final seed in the playoffs which they used to make a run to the finals, and going back a bit, it's the Legion of Doom wreaking havoc in 1997. Though I still think if Sundstrom and Karpovtsev and Leetch, or even two of the three are healthy, especially Sundstrom and Leetch, NY wins that series. Happy to have repartee between the two fan bases, but keep it clean and respectful. No trolling, that goes for Flyers fans coming in and for Rangers fans who have been here all year. If need be, turn the other check, and then, if necessary, turn it again. Don't take the bait. The series itself should be a classic, don't ruin it for all of us here by starting trouble, leading to bans. Thank you.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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