New York Rangers vs. Nashville Predators
Madison Square Garden; New York City, New York
Madison Square Garden; New York City, New York
7.30pm; January 17 2012
NY Rangers defeated Nashville 3-0
It's always the best day of my American trip. Game Day for the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. It's always there on my itinerary, at least one chance to go to the World's Most Famous Arena on 8th and 33rd right in the centre of Midtown Manhattan, to see the Rangers play. I love hockey, and I love watching NHL games, but nothing compares to watching the Rangers.
There is so much history at the Garden. You can feel it when you walk in off the street. So many famous sportsmen have played here - Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Michael Jordan, Mohammed Ali, Joe Frazier, Patrick Ewing - and some of the greatest musicians in the world - U2, Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel - which makes the moniker true. It really is the World's Most Famous Arena. There's nowhere else with as much sports and musical history in North America...and probably in the world.
Tonight, in the presence of so much history, I got to see my guys - Hank, Richie, Gabby, Cally, Dubi, Rupper, Pruster - skate against the Predators of Nashville, a team much like the Rangers, with a solid goalie, great work ethic and gritty defense. Their netminder, Pekka Rinne, is amongst the best in the League and defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, are always mentioned when the best blueliners in the NHL are discussed.
Yet the real star of tonight's show was Henrik Lundqvist. Whatever the Preds did, Henrik stoned them, making brilliant save after brilliant save, helping the Rangers kill off a 4-minute minor for high sticking that might have changed the course of the game in the second period, in the favour of the Predators. The Garden crowd - myself included - love Lundqvist, and there's good reason to call him currently the best goalie anywhere in the world. Tonight was vintage Henrik, recording his fourth shut-out of the season.
On the offensive side, there's nothing that I saw tonight to suggest that Carl Hagelin, the smooth-skating Swede, won't be a superstar pretty soon, and definitely a face of the franchise for years to come. Marian Gaborik looks to be recovered from his down season last year. I believe the addition of Brad Richards has freed Gabby up to do his thing, and as a result feels less like he has to carry the entire team squarely on his shoulders.
We saw a very good hockey team tonight. Their goal tending is solid, their defense is solid and their offense, slow to get started, has come along nicely, too. Everyone is playing a part. This is a team that's been built nicely, on some great, young players who'll be around for a long time, and led by the hard-working, blue-collar Ryan Callahan, whose work ethic seems to have rubbed off on the rest of the team. And John Tortorella is a good coach! This team is so unlike a lot of the recent Ranger teams, where Lundqvist was back-stopping an average team. Now, he's back-stopping a very good team and, here's hoping, they're poised to go a long way through April and into the spring.
For right now, though, I'm happy with the win. Let's Go Rangers!!!
There is so much history at the Garden. You can feel it when you walk in off the street. So many famous sportsmen have played here - Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Michael Jordan, Mohammed Ali, Joe Frazier, Patrick Ewing - and some of the greatest musicians in the world - U2, Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel - which makes the moniker true. It really is the World's Most Famous Arena. There's nowhere else with as much sports and musical history in North America...and probably in the world.
Tonight, in the presence of so much history, I got to see my guys - Hank, Richie, Gabby, Cally, Dubi, Rupper, Pruster - skate against the Predators of Nashville, a team much like the Rangers, with a solid goalie, great work ethic and gritty defense. Their netminder, Pekka Rinne, is amongst the best in the League and defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, are always mentioned when the best blueliners in the NHL are discussed.
Yet the real star of tonight's show was Henrik Lundqvist. Whatever the Preds did, Henrik stoned them, making brilliant save after brilliant save, helping the Rangers kill off a 4-minute minor for high sticking that might have changed the course of the game in the second period, in the favour of the Predators. The Garden crowd - myself included - love Lundqvist, and there's good reason to call him currently the best goalie anywhere in the world. Tonight was vintage Henrik, recording his fourth shut-out of the season.
On the offensive side, there's nothing that I saw tonight to suggest that Carl Hagelin, the smooth-skating Swede, won't be a superstar pretty soon, and definitely a face of the franchise for years to come. Marian Gaborik looks to be recovered from his down season last year. I believe the addition of Brad Richards has freed Gabby up to do his thing, and as a result feels less like he has to carry the entire team squarely on his shoulders.
We saw a very good hockey team tonight. Their goal tending is solid, their defense is solid and their offense, slow to get started, has come along nicely, too. Everyone is playing a part. This is a team that's been built nicely, on some great, young players who'll be around for a long time, and led by the hard-working, blue-collar Ryan Callahan, whose work ethic seems to have rubbed off on the rest of the team. And John Tortorella is a good coach! This team is so unlike a lot of the recent Ranger teams, where Lundqvist was back-stopping an average team. Now, he's back-stopping a very good team and, here's hoping, they're poised to go a long way through April and into the spring.
For right now, though, I'm happy with the win. Let's Go Rangers!!!
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