Sunday, December 7, 2008

Flames 3, Rangers 0


The New York Rangers (18-10-2) lost to the Calgary Flames (16-10-1) by the score of 3-0, tonight. For a recap and box score go to newyorkrangers.com.

...ok it's officially time to be concerned Ranger fans. The team has only one regulation victory in the last 11 games and has just four goals in the last four games including two shutouts on home ice.

...i'm not sure what exhibit I'm up to for Perry Pearn to be fired but just add tonight's game to the list. 0-for-4 on the power play (3 for their last 30) along with the league leading eighth short handed goal against.

...i have to ask this. What in the world is going on with the line changes? They've been awful all year. Too many men on the ice, late changes and tonight the best of all playing 4-on-5 for an entire shift while at even strength. Amazing. Please don't anybody tell me Pearn is in charge of the line changes or I will lose it.

...while I get on Pearn quite a bit about the power play and now the line changes, Renney needs to start feeling some heat. I'm not sure if he's not getting his message across or the players just aren't listening. Either way it's on Renney to get them to listen. During Miikka Kiprusoff's post game interview he mentioned that when the Flames were struggling a few weeks ago Mike Keenan held a closed door meeting and the Flames have won five of six since. When Al Trautwig asked Kiprusoff if there was any yelling he answered "You know Mike." Now I'm not saying screaming and yelling is the answer. But c'mon Tom show some emotion. Get in these guys faces and let them know if they're not crashing the net then they're not playing. End of story.

...and enough with mixing the lines. Pick a combination and stick with it. How are these guys supposed to have any chemistry if they're playing with different linemates every night?

...a game after yelling at both Gomez and Renney, Lundqvist, who was once again left out to dry, left the ice surface without acknowledging any of his teammates. I'm not worried about Lundqvist calling anyone out in the media as he's too much of a professional, but it might only be a matter of time before he blows up on one of them post game.

...Gomez has been horrific on defense the last two games with a -7. And as dedicated reader fleisch pointed out the other day the only players with plus ratings on the season are Zherdev, Dawes and Staal. Not good.

...on a positive note I thought Potter had a solid NHL debut.

...two days off then on to Atlanta to take on the Thrashers.

2 comments:

fleisch said...

Does anyone actually think this team has enough leadership or do you think Shanny might have helped in the locker room this year, and also maybe score some goals.
Shanny helped keep Lundqvist undercontrol last season when he started calling his teammates out in the paper, and now this season (with good reason) he is starting to do the same.Last night skating of without acknowledging your team mates os a huge poblem. We cannot afford him to lose his focus.
What are Drury and Gomez doing, except not scoring and giving the puck up at will.
As far as the PP..Larrry Brooks said it best, "It was nearly impossible to discern what they were looking for on the PP, unless it was criticism".

Unknown said...

Yeah, I was at this game and the most creative point of the night was the "SLOP-EE-SEC-ONDS!" chants. Wow.

The amount of times the lines were changed-up was so hard to watch, especially the painful third period. Naslund-Zherdev combo was great against Pitts, what happened?

And what was up with putting the fourth line out in the third period down 2-0? Really?

My section almost got a Fire Renney chant going.

The game was somewhat solid it's just that nobody scores or really comes close. Nobody's there to take the bull by the horns. And what's with getting so many shots and none in? Poor quality chances?