Game Preview: Rangers v. Maple Leafs
The Rangers are in Toronto tonight to take on the Maple Leafs. The puck drops at 7:30pm and can be seen locally on MSG PLUS, and nationally(sort of) on NHLNET.
Why, hello there.
It’s here. It’s finally here. The first game with John Tortorella behind the bench. A fresh start, a new beginning. I don’t think I have to tell all of you how exciting this is. Let’s see if the boys can pick up their game and go on a run down the last 21 games, and then hit the playoffs with speed.
Tonight might not be a night of immediate change and fireworks resulting in a 34-0 win over Toronto(although we can hope!), there will more than likely be some adjusting to a new coach and a new game philosophy, but the Rangers know what they’re up against, and they know what they have to do, so we’ll see tonight if they’ve started doing it yet. Either way, I don’t think tonight will end with me curled around my Jagr jersey, crying myself to sleep. Granted, this is the Rangers, and that’s ALWAYS a possibility, but I’m too excited for tonight to even think about them playing the same way they’ve been for the last few weeks.
I would like to take a moment to say a big, huge F%@& YOU to the NHL Center Ice package, and whoever decided that it should NOT come with the NHL Network. I’m paying 200 freakin’ dollars for this, and not only do I not get the postgame, I don’t get NHL Net? I call bullshit. I have my History Major Exit Exam tonight at 6:30, and I can’t set my DVR to tape the game because I’m not getting the game tonight. The test doesn’t effect me graduating, it’s more of an evaluation of the department, so let’s hope I can blow right through it and get home in time not to miss too much. Hooray for academic irresponsibility!!! (another side note: I graduate from college two months from today! Wooo!)
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Update (from Marc):
Zipay says the lineup for tonight is:
Naslund-Gomez-Zherdev
Dubinsky-Drury-Callahan
Dawes-Korpikoski-Prucha (who we predict will play many, many games for Torts)
Sjostrom-Betts-Orr
Rozsival-Redden
Staal-Girardi
Kalinin-Rietz
Voros is scratched. Sweet! Mara is still injured. Not sweet.
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Numbers breakdown:
Leafs record: 22-26-12 – 3-3-4 in their last 10 - 10-11-8 at home
Rangers record: 31-23-7 – 2-5-3 in their last 10 - 13-14-3 on the road
Average goals scored in a game:
Leafs: 2.97
Rangers: 2.33
Average goals allowed in a game:
Leafs: 3.53
Rangers: 2.72
Power Play
Leafs: 19.9%
Rangers: 13.8%
Penalty Kill:
Leafs: 74%
Rangers: 86.9%
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:
