Better Late Than Never... Pt. II

KEY PLAYERS:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18th
NYR @ DETROIT:



DAWES-GOMEZ-CALLAHAN:

Dawes: Obviously scoring banks you some credit, but even if he hadn't scored he had a solid game in my book. Dawes was very apparent for the second game in a row. Early on, none of the forwards rotating in and out of the third line wing spot did much of anything to solidify their place on the roster. Nigel's starting to get it done. He created chances, hit and didn't fade into the background.

Gomez: Scotty picked up a pair of assists and just couldn't be stopped once he got the wheels going. He created chance after chance for his line both by rushing the puck and dishing it off to his mates.

This was probably one of his best efforts of the year, but sadly more might remember him for giving up the puck to Pavel Datsyuk in overtime just before the second Marian Hossa metaphorical crotch knock in the last five months:



This is a much less depressing visual aid for a crotch knock:


[Oh, that video somehow makes it all better.]

Callahan: Ry-guy scored a big goal for the Blueshirts tonight. If the tide kept going the way it had been early on, fugghedaboutit.

[Ay, oh!]

Uhh..  Anyway, after that very relevant detour...  

Callahan was fairly effective and did about as much as one can with 15 and change in ice time. Not as physical as some might like him to be, but we'll let it slide. You do have to kind of shake your head at Cally never turning around on the OT goal to pick someone up. Staring at the puck-carrier behind the net isn't going to do a whole lot if you don't take a peek around to see who's coming.

ZHERDEV-DUBINSKY-VOROS:

Zherdev: Nikky had his typical make-you-scramble-to-hit-rewind and figure how what he just did moments, but didn't get himself on the scoresheet with any goals or assists. He came close and created some offense, but didn't find twine.

Dubinsky: Dubi was given space to carry the mail and he used it. He got the puck up ice and got shots on goal. Four of them as a matter of fact. He also threw the body around quite a bit. He ended up racking up assists on both Voros tallies.

Voros: More of the good stuff from the big guy. Reason dictates that he can't keep it up, but who really cares? Go screw, Reason. He had a handful of scoring chances, worked his tail off as per his M.O. and scored two gritty, blue-collar goals. Does any really miss Sean Avery?

KORPIKOSKI-DRURY-NASLUND:

If this were the Pensblog, we'd be issuing the amber alert right about now. Usually it's just for one guy, but Chris Drury is gone too. Absolute non-factors in this game. Uh, minus the fact they were on for those two, quick, wham-bam-thank-you-maam Detroit goals in the first. Ugh. No good.

SJOSTROM-BETTS-ORR

Sjostrom: "Shoey" was solid. One really memorable play comes to mind from about eight minutes into the first. He showed off some great strength along the wall behind the Detroit net. He kept the puck until he found and opening and tried a wraparound to Osgood's left. It was just kept out and just mised by Colton Orr out in front.

Betts: Is it just me or have the Rangers been really crappy on faceoffs lately after starting off really well?

Orr: This thought I had during the 3rd sums up what I thought of Orr's night:

"14:10: Orr sits Franzen down in front of the Ranger bench. I laugh and laugh. Rich, hearty laughter."

Good work.

Little did I know that jackass Franzen would slash Nik Zherdev later in the period. He is a dirty little player. Not that overt kind of dirty that you almost tolerate, but a sneakier variety of dirty player who, to me, is even worse. I demand his head on a pike! A pike I say! I need to calm down.

Two defensemen stood out to me: Rozsival and Mara. Rozy made a couple of really nice backchecks, as did Mara, but Mara also had that edge to his game that's been so apparent this year. Seriously, the dude's been out of his mind. Are we sure everything's okay at home? I have a sneaking suspicion that there's an adulterous milkman somewhere who's been smashed through a glass storefront by an unidentified, bearded assailant.