So I let myself cool off for a lil more than 12 hours, and I thought long and hard about the hockey game I was actually in attendance for last night.  While the pre-game/1st five-minute atmosphere was so electric and exciting that I literally had goosebumps and my heart was racing well over 150, it became very apparent early on that the Rangers were doing plenty of watching in their defensive zone.  I pointed it out to Dave via text message and knew they were ultimately doomed.  Lazy hockey leads to watching, watching leads to not moving your feet, which leads to being a step behind, which begets hooking and holding penalties, which results in being a man-down almost the entire night.  Not that difficult to follow.

It was easy to notice that the Rangers were complacent coming into the game.  And they had reason to be: up 2-0 in a series where they have dominated the best offensive force in the NHL, heading back to one of the best home ice advantages in the league.  What they probably failed to realize was that a bounce this way or that way and they could have easily been down 2-0 coming back home.  In the playoffs, you need to play more desperate than the team across from you at all times, and they just didn’t have it last night.  An old hockey coach once told me after a bad game, “somedays you eat the bear, and somedays the bear eats you.”  Its a strong motto to fall back on, and you have to believe that the Blueshirts have the right coaching staff in place to put a bandage on a seemingly deep cut.

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On a totally different note, what the hell was up with the “power sticks” passed out last night?  I didn’t even open mine up.  What ever happened to a good ole’ pair of hands?  Personally, I’m a stickler for superstition and tradition, and the Rangers have ALWAYS handed out rally towels for playoff home games (at least in the post-lockout era).  I think it was a poor attempt by the Rangers brass to respond to Washington’s cheesy “Rock the Red” campaign.  Somehow, I don’t think “Rock Your Optimum Lightpath Neon-Blue Power Sticks” is a good rebuttal.  Here’s hoping there are some rally towels tomorrow night

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