Wednesday, April 18, 2007
We Actually Got Tired of Cheering
The Rangers had perhaps their most impressive overall performance ever in a playoff game last night, pummeling the Atlanta Thrashers 7-0 at the Garden and, as you might expect, I was there.Videos that I took will be forthcoming but I'll probably take more tonight so I'll get them all online as soon as administratively possible.
It all began just 32 seconds into the game as the Rangers pounced first and took a 1-0 lead. I had been saying to people that I kind of expected a letdown in their first game back at home after taking a 2-0 lead on the road in Atlanta. Plus you had to figure Atlanta would be desperate, being down 0-2 and really knowing that being down 0-3 is pretty much the end. Wow, was I wrong.
The Rangers were up 3-0 after one period, 5-0 after two and they closed it out with two more to make it a 7-0 bludgeoning of the clearly inferior Thrashers. And I can't figure out why the Thrashers look like what their name suggests -- what someone drowning would do.
They are playing kind of uninspired and are just reacting to the pressure the Rangers are putting on them like they're a scared high school team. Their goalies actually aren't playing horribly as I don't really think any of the goals last night were what you'd call "soft." But their defense cannot clear pucks and while they are throwing hits, they're not being effective with it all.
Starting late in the second period, things began to get chippy, as you might expect. The officials began doling out ten-minute misconduct penalties to anyone who did anything extra-curricular, probably as a way to get the hotheads off the ice and remind everyone that cheap shots are not going to be acceptable. Of course, tonight could be even uglier if the Rangers get a decent lead.
Other highlights included...
...the fans chanting "We want Hedberg." Hedberg is the backup goalie on the Thrashers and it was as if the fans were saying, "Okay, we've had enough fun with Kari Lehtonen, let's have the other guy."
...the fact that Michael Nylander got a hat trick. He's been in the league a very long time and only had six playoff goals in his career heading into this series. He has four in these three games and three of them came last night. Hats rained down on the ice after he scored to make it 7-0.
...the thuderous ovation for rookie Ryan Callahan after he scored his first two NHL playoff goals.
...the fans doing the "tomahawk chop" in the third period. Basically, just taking a shot at Atlanta in general. We all loved it.
I'll be back there tonight again in the hopes that we'll see the Rangers move on in a playoff series for the first time in a decade. I really think they should close it out since they've just completely decimated the Thrashers and I'm thinking the Thrashers are probably already making offseason plans.
Back tomorrow with a Game 4 update.
Labels: me taking sports way too seriously, NHL, playoffs, Rangers, tomahawk chop
