Oh, New Year's Eve! A glorious holiday! The holiest of the "drinking holidays", followed closely behind by (or tied with) St. Patrick's Day, then Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Of course, it doesn't have to be a drinking holiday, that's up to you. I'm going to get so drunk that Webster's will have to invent a new word for it. But that's just me.
And, given the holiday and the Rangers second consecutive come from behind overtime win last night, things are pretty cheery in Rangerville right now. Even the hopelessly cranky beat writers seem in a good mood, which is almost creepy to witness.
Case in point, the usually stoic Jason Diamos opens up his article with an attempt at merriment, dubbing the Rangers, "Tom Poti and the Heartbreakers". Okay, it's not exactly Eddie Murphy, but he gets points for trying.
Even Larry Brooks seems in a good mood for a few paragraphs before launching into Vladimir Malakhov. I'd agree that after a strong start to the season, Malakhov has leveled off to an average game in the last month or so, but a "string of shockingly poor performances"? "Has played so poorly, has made so many inscrutable coverage decisions..."? I'm not sure what Larry is seeing out there.
There's a little sub-plot to today's news. As mentioned in the Slap Shots section of the above Times article, and also in this early edition backup article in the Star-Ledger, Messier gives Dunham a shot in the arm for owning up to his bad performance after the Leafs game instead of blaming things on bad bounces or trying to defensively rationalize his recent play.
Speaking of the Ledger, here's their game recap.
The Daily News reports that Sather "ripped into the team after the first intermission". Hmm. The Rangers are 2-0 under a cranky, flu-ridden Glen Sather. If anyone out there has a cold, I ask you to somehow sneak into his office and sneeze on Sather's cigars. We'll take turns and try to keep it going for the rest of the season.
No Newsday or Journal News articles have shown up yet, and I'd like to go to bed now if that's okay by you. Oh, dear me, even though it's "my day", do not expect a front page update tomorrow unless 'Bug or Bird want to do it. I'm going to consider Thursday a victory if I still have five fingers on each hand. I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve and a happy 2004.
- Rocha
Posted by pete at December 31, 2003 04:28 AMeMail this entry!
I was scrathing my head reading that Uncle Larry column too. What is he talking about?
Posted by: acqant on December 31, 2003 10:15 AMO-T Po-ti strikes again!!
Posted by: Ann Nonymous on December 31, 2003 02:17 PMO-T Po-ti strikes again!!
Posted by: Ann Nonymous on December 31, 2003 02:18 PMMaybe you guys missed the Miro/Malakhov shifts the past two weeks...these guys have been TERRIBLE. I think they were a combined -10 in the Toronto game and they were nothing more than tree in the ice against Nagy and Palffy. these guys are as bad as deVrises has been good(He's been awesome)...My only guess is that the bar has been set so low by defensemen in the past that you guys are giving them a pass. Trust is Larry..he wil show us the way.
Posted by: Dmill on December 31, 2003 04:53 PM
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