[Discussion] Ice Hockey Today! Dec. 6th 2009

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[Dr. House]

Oh I see why, nice

[flashcash]

No write up today Doctor?

[Dr. House]

Here you go Flashcash, I was working on that

Game Link(s): MyP2P.eu :: NHL - Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Rangers

Coming off an extremely well-played 2-1 victory in Buffalo on Saturday night, the Rangers return to Madison Square Garden this evening looking to complete a special weekend when they face the Detroit Red Wings.

In Buffalo, most elements of the Rangers’ collective game came together, resulting in the team’s first win in four games. It started with the brilliant play of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 36 saves and came within 58.1 seconds of a shutout.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” said Lundqvist, who has 12 wins on the season. “I think my game is right there technically, but I just need to be a little bit more focused. And this was a good game for me here. (The guys) have noticed the last couple of weeks that I haven’t been happy. It’s just one win, but it feels so much better to be on the right side.”

Lundqvist benefitted from some strong play in the neutral and defensive zones by his teammates, especially in the first 40 minutes of the game. The Rangers cut down drastically on their turnovers, and did not allow the glaring odd-man rushes against Lundqvist as they had in their previous three contests, which all resulted in defeat.

Defensemen Marc Staal and Michal Rozsival stood out with how well they handled the play in their own end. Staal was particularly sharp, playing more than 24 minutes, earning a key assist on Ryan Callahan’s game-winning goal, and finishing a plus-2.

In addition, rookie Ilkka Heikkinen added a physical presence on the Rangers’ blueline during his National Hockey League debut on Saturday. Though he played only about ten minutes, the 25-year-old Heikkinen delivered several resounding hits, including one on his very first shift of the game.

“He played great,” Lundqvist said of Heikkinen. “He’s a big kid, and he played very physical. He really looked good out there.”

Heikkinen will remain in the lineup tonight, once again taking the place of the injured Wade Redden. The veteran defenseman will miss his fifth straight contest due to a shoulder injury.

The final piece of the puzzle for the Rangers on Saturday night was the timely scoring from Christopher Higgins and Callahan. Both goals came in transition on the rush, with the Rangers focused on playing a strong defensive game. Higgins netted his goal late in the first period, and Callahan scored with 6:16 left in the third.

The goals met head coach John Tortorella’s plea for secondary scoring from players other than Marian Gaborik, who leads the team and the entire league with 21. Gaborik, though, found a way to play an important part in the victory even without scoring a goal. His perfect cross-ice pass between a pair of Buffalo defenders and on to the tape of Higgins’ stick was the primary assist on the all-important first goal of the game.

Others stood out, as well, for the Rangers. Sean Avery played a robust physical game, created numerous scoring chances, had five shots on goal, and earned the primary assist on Callahan’s score. Chris Drury was a force on the penalty kill, strong on faceoffs, and had a team-high six shots on goal.

And Artem Anisimov played a smart two-way game, earning an assist while playing on the top line with Gaborik and Vinny Prospal.

“I think Artie, very quietly, has improved as he’s gotten more ice-time,” Tortorella said of the rookie center.

Now the Rangers need to package all that they did well on Saturday and carry it into this evening’s contest with the Red Wings, the only meeting this year between these two Original Six franchises.

Detroit also played on Saturday. The Red Wings dropped a 4-3 decision to the Devils at the Prudential Center when Patrick Elias beat Chris Osgood with the deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout.

The Red Wings are only 2-4-1 in their previous seven matches. With 31 points on the season, they currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference.

Last season the Red Wings beat the Rangers 5-4 in overtime on a Marian Hossa goal back on Oct. 18, 2008 at Joe Louis Arena. They won their most recent visit to The Garden on Feb. 5, 2007, skating to a 4-3 victory over the Blueshirts.

The Rangers most recent home-ice win against the Red Wings came on Oct. 25, 2003, a 3-1 victory.

Following tonight’s match, the Rangers’ next game will be against another tough Central Division opponent. The Rangers will face the top team in the Central, the Chicago Blackhawks, on Wednesday at the United Center.

The Blueshirts’ next home game after tonight will take place next Saturday when they host the Sabres at MSG.



Flash Edit: LOL thnx