You all just saw why I don’t want to play the Penguins in the playoffs. In a game where it looked like Crosby’s parents were refereeing the game, the Rangers had to kill off 10 separate penalties; including an unmerited major on Colton Orr. I have said it before and I will say it again: the Rangers didn’t play a great game but there is nothing you can do about bad refereeing. I don’t care that Sidney Crosby is the NHL’s golden boy and the Penguins are the NHL’s team; call the game fair.
The Penguins had 10, you read that correct 10, power plays to the Rangers five. Yeah that’s really fair. Especially when I watched Antropov get tripped up and Crosby pull a blatant pick and nothing is called. Yet somehow Orr check Eaton, granted the check was a little high, and he gets a five minute major penalty. Then the ref looked at Tortorella and basically said: “I just called it because it’s against the Penguins.” Good work NHL, keep on keeping on.
Lundqvist probably wishes he had this game back, and I will agree with him. Redden was terrible all game long. Very few players came out to play. Although Lundqvist had a rough game it would be childish to blame the loss on him. The defense was out-worked the entire game, probably because Torts decided to run with four defenseman the whole game. Callahan, Antropov and Dubinsky were the goal scorers.
Positives? There are none. The Rangers blew away another two points to a division rival. They needed this game and they needed it bad and they lost. Forget the refs, it’s something that doesn’t count in the standings. Although if the NHL did have a “the referees screwed this game up” stat the Rangers would lead the league easily.
The Rangers don’t have any time to mess around seeing as how they play again on Monday against the Devils. Let’s see what Torts has to say after this poor excuse for a hockey game. Probably more cursing … I know I am …
March 29, 2009 at 10:02 am |
[...] for example, the fist-shaking reaction from Rangers blog, Rangers Report: You all just saw why I don’t want to play the Penguins in the playoffs. In a game where it [...]
March 30, 2009 at 7:04 am |
It’s funny. When the Pens spent the majority of the game last Wednesday against the Flames killing penalties, I blamed it on the Penguins own sloppy play. That’s what I tend to do when the Penguins have games like that, even if the refs don’t call what I feel are obvious penalties against the other team. I mean, just because they are obvious to me, it doesn’t mean that the refs blew it. They are refs in the NHL, after all, and I am just a fan.
Maybe I should blame it on a league-wide conspiracy against the Penguins. But then I would be a Rangers fan.
March 30, 2009 at 7:51 am |
You start off by saying that the Rangers played well and that “Crosby’s parents were refereeing” yet at the end you admit that Rangers D was out worked and that few players came out to play. When your getting outworked and out-hustled you tend to take more penalties. The Rangers played bad in this one, not the refs.
March 30, 2009 at 8:07 am |
Not really Jlogel,
from the get go i said the Rangers didnt play a great game. But if you dont think that Avery was victimized (many time illegally) all day then you werent watching the same game.
I said it in the post the Rangers blew this one, and never once did i say they didnt deserve the penalties they got (not including Orrs major) but the trip on Antropov and the high hits on Avery went unnoticed evey time.
At the end of the day who cares? You walked away with the two points and we didnt. There are no style points in hockey. Good luck the rest of the way, unless of corse you cross paths with the Rangers then ill be hoping for a tragic blimp accident or something.
April 3, 2009 at 4:00 am |
[...] major and a game misconduct for interference on Penguins defenseman Mark Eaton. The call sparked some harsh reactions from the Rangers blogosphere and fan base, while head coach John Tortorella and goalie Henrik [...]