Mini-Card: NYR 3 @ PHO 2
Tuesday - December 30, 2003
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Call this an accidental
"mini card". The flu had me a little groggy and unfocused, the first
two periods were quite uneventful, so, okay, this a fitting mini-card
night. Then the two teams completely wreck my plans by turning an
uneventful game into an eventful one by scoring 4 goals in a penalty
filled 3rd period and OT. Great, thanks. But after two periods I was
way too far into the mini-card format already to convert it into a full
one, and there's another game tomorrow night, so I'm just going to
finish it this way, sorry. Let's start with Dunham. A pair of very good saves in the 1st period unfortunately nulled by Dunham sliding a bit too far past the left post, allowing Hrdina half an open net to slide it by. No edge-of-your-seat saves in the 2nd period, but looked a more stable overall. Coyotes' second goal was a 2-on-1 with the Phoenix player wide open to rip a slapshot past Dunham, not really Mike's fault. Good game overall, didn't need to be spectacular but was plenty good enough for a win. "B+". Kovalev deserves specific attention. 1st period he had two GLORIOUS scoring chances that he completely choked on. First one, he received a pass onto his backhand right in front of the net, slid it directly into Burke's desperately stretched out glove then took the rebound and hit the post with it. Second chance, got a quick pass at the right post about 5 feet out, Burke wasn't over yet, Kovalev couldn't handle the puck. Incredibly frustrating. A true finisher like Bure would've found a way to score three goals on those two chances, Kovalev can't even get one. 3 shots, -1. "C-". Back to the positive side of the ledger, after phoning in an awful game against Toronto last Friday, Messier came up with some timely plays tonight to finish with a goal, two assists and a +2 in 15 minutes of ice for his first three point game in almost exactly three years. "A-". Lindros was also quite sharp, although I don't think he threw even a half-hearted hit in the game. 2 assists, +1, 3 shots. "B+". Nedved was quite frustrating at times, once with a weak shot on a mini breakaway and another time with a wide shot after being set up in point blank range in front of the crease. His backchecking was strong, though, breaking up a few good scoring chances. "C+". Poti had an okay game, some good and some bad until he came through with the huge play in overtime, breaking up the Phoenix rush at his blueline then darting into the play to get the pass from Rucinsky and putting a wobbly shot past Burke for the game winner. "A-". Rucinsky skated well but shot a few golden scoring chances wide, particularly the one on a 2-on-2 with Leetch just after the Rangers killed off the 5 minute major in the 3rd. He gets a "C+". Holik had some bad luck, losing his edge at the Rangers blueline, falling down and creating the 2-on-1 that was looking like the game winning goal. Redeemed himself later in the period by crashing the net on the PP and swatting it in. Holik looked both decent and off his game tonight from shift to shift, but his goal was a huge one so he gets a "B". Ortmeyer and Lacouture both skated hard most shifts and get a "B" each. Everyone else was around the "C+" to "B" range. Finally, in injury news, Kasparaitis didn't return for the 3rd period with what is still an undisclosed injury. There wasn't any major incident I noticed in the 2nd period to point to, so who knows. |
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| COACHING STAFF: | A- | Give him credit, because that move took some major
cajones. 2 minutes remaining in the game, 2-1 Coyotes, Rangers about to
go on a 4 minute PP, Sather pulls Dunham and the Rangers score about 30
seconds later. It's one of those moves where it's a great idea if it
works and a terrible one if it doesn't. It doesn't hurt to gamble
sometimes (especially when you win!). |
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| 1st PERIOD: | B- | Well, it WAS a pretty good period for the Rangers
until 1.6 seconds left when Nagy beat an over-committed Dunham with a
backhander. Rangers had the edge in the period and looked a bit sharper
and more aggressive, although both teams traded about 3 or 4 very good
chances. Shots were 8-7 Phoenix. |
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| 2nd PERIOD: | C- | Even though there were no goals this period compared to the 1-0 advantage for the Coyotes in the 1st, the Rangers didn't play nearly as well as they did in the opening period. Maybe they haven't COMPLETELY given up, but the same level of hustle and hard work clearly wasn't there. Shots ended up 9-7 for Phoenix, but it was 9-4 until a Ranger flurry with a few seconds left in the period. Right now the Rangers are on cruise control to a close loss in a game they could win with a little more effort. They're not hitting, either. | |
| 3rd PERIOD: | A- | A period determined by special teams. Rangers with a
good early PP, didn't score on it but kept the puck in the zone for
about a minute and a half, scoring off that momentum 6 seconds after
the PP ended. Crucial stretch in the game, Coyotes leading 2-1 with 13
minutes left and awarded a gift 5 minute major that the Rangers killed
off with a great effort. An after-whistle scrum with 2 minutes left in
the period produced a 4 minute PP for the Rangers, who also pulled the
goalie and scored the equalizer. A determined and MUCH needed comeback
period by the Rangers, outshooting the Coyotes 15-7. Rangers had the only 2 shots in OT. |
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| OVERALL: | B+ |
Fellow
bubble teams Montreal, the Islanders and Boston win tonight. After two
periods the Rangers were looking to be on cruise control to a sure loss
on a night they absolutely couldn't afford it. Out of nowhere,
practically, the special teams kick in and the Rangers score a huge PP
goal with a minute and a half left, not to mention giving the Coyotes
not much more than a sniff on their 5 minute major, Poti jumps up with
a great play in OT and the Rangers surprsingly grab 2 points from the
jaws of what was looking like a certain loss. The flu has me in a less
than lucid state right now, but even without it I'm not sure I'd have
something definitive to say on tonight's game. They played well and
they played poorly. In the 1st period they seemed to have the necessary
effort, not so in the 2nd period. Then they got a bunch of timely goals
in the last 19 minutes. Yeah, I don't know what to make of it, so I'll
just say, "phew!" and see you late tomorrow night after the Kings game. |
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| Scratches: | Joel Bouchard (healthy) Pavel Bure (knee - IR) Anson Carter (ribs) Jamie Lundmark (knee - IR) Dale Purinton (healthy) |
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| created by: | Pete Rocha, © 2003. procha@optonline.net | ||
| Discuss the card here | |||
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