Game Preview: Rangers v. Flyers
The Rangers are at home tonight to take on the Philadelphia Flyers. The puck drops at 7pm and can be seen locally on MSG.
I would like to see this tonight, boys.
The Rangers can clinch a playoff spot with a victory tonight. This is the first game of a home and home against the Flyers to end the season. I still don’t know how I feel about them making or not making the playoffs, but I am a loyal Blueshirt fan, so playoffs, here’s we come(hopefully).
I really can’t say enough of what our boys have to do tonight. They have to score. They have to be good on the power play, they have to be tough about defense and patrolling the crease – not leaving their man uncovered, which happens all too often with this team. They have to come out flying and keep the momentum going throughout the whole game. No disappearing for the 3rd period – the Flyers will smell it and attack – which could mean no playoffs for us.
They just have to play the way we know they can, and things should work out well.
The most likely opponents for the Rangers if the make the playoffs is either the Boston Bruins, against whom the Rangers posted a 2-2 record, with both losses coming on the road; or Washington, against whom the Rangers posted a 3-1 record, including a blown 4-goal lead and a shootout loss just before Christmas. Can’t think of who I’d rather them go up against. I guess Boston, because then I can still root for Ovie to win the cup.
Tonight is also the last home game of the season, which means it’s Blushirts Off Our Backs night. I always like watching this, and hopefully this year I’ll get to see it, I don’t know if Center Ice will show it. I will say, though, they always play the worst music for this kind of stuff – I think that some year they should throw us all a curveball and play some club-esque techno music and have the players dance while they take their jerseys off. Especially if they lose the game.
My mom said last week that she should enter both of us for the contest to be one of the people who gets a jersey, I told her with our luck, she’d get Roszival. She then decided against entering. Can you imagine how much it would suck to get picked for this, and end up getting like, Wade Redden? I wouldn’t want that shit, I’d hand it right back to him.
Playoff clincher tonight, baby! LET’S GO RANGERS!!!
Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Numbers breakdown:
Flyers record: 43-25-11 – 6-3-1 in their last 10 - 19-13-7 on the road
Rangers record: 41-30-9 – 5-4-1 in their last 10 - 25-11-4 at home
Standings Situation:
Flyers: 97 points – 4th place in the East – 2 ahead of Pittsburgh, tied with Carolina – 2 games remaining
Rangers: 91 points – 8th place in the East – 1 point behind Montreal – 2 ahead of Florida Florida- 3 games remaining
Average goals scored in a game:
Flyers: 3.20
Rangers: 2.42
Average goals allowed in a game:
Flyers: 2.84
Rangers: 2.60
Power Play
Flyers: 21.9%
Rangers: 13.8%
Penalty Kill:
Flyers: 82.8%
Rangers: 88.2%
Stats from NHL.com
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:
