Game Preview: Rangers v. Islanders
The Rangers are at home tonight to take on the New York Islanders. The puck drops at 7pm and can be seen locally on MSG. I’m not home, so I’ll have the Center Ice channel up later.
Can I just start by saying how unenthusiastic I am to write this game preview today? How I’m really not looking forward to watching the game tonight? The half of me that’s somewhat rational is telling me to save myself the trouble and take a nice long bubble bath with my toaster.
The Rangers don't look like they're capable of climbing out of the hole they've dug for themselves.
The Islanders are the worst team in the NHL at the moment, and have been for most of the season. I can’t even bring myself to insult them because, honestly, the Rangers aren’t looking too much better. They’re winless in their last eight games and frankly, not too many of them seem to care. Post game interviews in which certain players accept the blame for the free fall the team is currently in mean nothing if 150% effort isn’t seen on the ice. I’m looking at you, Chris Drury.
What’s more infuriating about the death spiral this team has launched into is that barely any effort has been made to fix what’s wrong, just like no effort has been made to correct glaring problems the team has had all year: scoring, the power play, and line chemistry. Case in point: Tom Renney’s comments to the media that getting four shots on the power play during the game against St. Louis is an ‘improvement’. Seriously, Tom? Come on, now.
I’ve had it with the shit performances we get from this team night-in and night-out. I’ve had it with Lundqvist having to stand on his head every single game in order for them to win; and even when he does, they manage to blow it for him and lose the game anyway. I’ve had it with coaches who are blind to what their team is capable of, and who instead try to push them into a game system that they aren’t suited for. I don’t care how many times my mom told me that my broccoli was candy, it was still broccoli and would never ever be candy. Just like this team isn’t defensive-minded. You can call it that all you want, but when our best defenseman is 21 years old and only a sophomore in the league, guess what? You don’t have a defensive-minded team!!!
Anyway, I don’t have much else to say, especially regarding tonight’s game. Except that they’d better not get blown out by the worst goddamned team in the league. Actually, no, if they’re not gonna turn it around and they’re still gonna lose again tonight, let them get blown out. At home. Again. By a hated, pathetic rival team that SUCKS. Because we get two things out of that: angry, hostile home fans giving the players what they deserve, and some serious Crazy Eyes from Lundqvist in the post game. I’m serious, after a particularly bad loss, he looks like he’s one stupid question away from ripping Stan Fischler’s heart out of his chest and eating it. And that, my friends, would be some serious entertainment.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/John Dunn)
Numbers breakdown:
Islanders record: 17-33-6 – 5-4-1 in their last 10 - 6-21-2 on the road
Rangers record: 30-22-6 – 2-6-2 in their last 10 - 17-9-3 at home
Average goals scored in a game:
Islanders: 2.39
Rangers: 2.33(STILL dead last, by the way)
Average goals allowed in a game:
Islanders: 3.32
Rangers: 2.72
Power Play
Islanders: 17.6%
Rangers: 13.6%
Penalty Kill:
Islanders: 81.6%
Rangers: 87%
About the author: Rory is a recent college graduate from central New Jersey majoring in History and PR. A Ranger fan all her life, the bane of her existence is the New Jersey Devils, and she harbors a severe hatred for Martin Brodeur. Her favorite current Rangers are Henrik Lundqvist, Sean Avery, and Steve Valiquette, and her favorite all-time Rangers are Mike Richter and Jeff Beukeboom. Related posts:
