Bob Birge, Pro Blogger

Hockey Night In Connecticut

A blog focusing on the New York Rangers and all things hockey (also Yankees and Giants) with a New York attitude from a fan of 40 years whose greatest highlight came when Mark Messier lifting the Stanley Cup on June 14, 1994

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Rangers Fall To Capitals, 3-2

May 1, 2012

We know we wrote the Rangers off after they fell behind 3-2 against Ottawa and were proven wrong, but we're going to say it again.

The Rangers cannot survive if they continue to play the way they are. Every night is like a high-wire act without a safety net. They cannot keep relying on the defense to bail them out.

Okay, the Rangers generated a few more shots in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Capitals - 28 after 18 in game one -- but there still wasn't a ton of great scoring chances and just one even-strength goal.

We'll credit the Capitals if begrudginingly for beating the Rangers at their own game by blocking a zillion shots.  Of course, it made for sleep-inducing hockey.

Okay, the Rangers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the third period, which we suppose is a good sign. And they also scored a power-play goal, which also is a positive.

If you want to further rationalize the defeat, you can say Washington's second goal was a fluke, a result of a rare bad play by Henrik Lundqvist

But in typical fashion, the Rangers let down after tying the game, taking two straight penalties. They paid for it when Alex Ovechkin beat Lundqvist with a blast from the blue line for the winning goal.

You knew that Ovechkin, a Rangers' killer in the past whose ice time has been dramatically decreased, would show up eventually.

The Rangers have no chance to win this series if their top scorer Marian Gaborik, who is stilling missing action with no goals in the last eight games, doesn't show up.

Anyway, it's like the Rangers can't stand prosperity or lack a killer instinct.

For the second time, they missed a chance to go up 2-0 as the Capitals took away the home ice advantage whataver that means n a playoff year when home teams are winning less than 40 percent of the games.
 

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