Sidney, Jordan, Marc-Andre, and the rest of Pittsburgh's youngsters make their way to Madison Square Garden tonight to face the Rangers, who are coming off an awful outing against the Flyers.
The big news seems to be Darius Kasparaitis' frustration with being kept out of the lineup. While Darius may be angry, he still doesn't seem to be in game shape, as he is lagging behind teammates (including Sandis Ozolinsh) in skating drills during practice.
Still, he can't be much worse than the defensive corps we saw Tuesday. I will be pissed, PISSED, if Thomas Pöck is scratched in favor of Kaspar. Marek Malik and Fedor Tyutin deserve a benching WAY more than anyone else based on performances thus far.
NY Post: There is a chance [Kasparaitis will] dress tonight against the Penguins, be it an outside one, but Kasparaitis stormed away from reporters yesterday in order to compose himself behind closed doors when discussing his level of frustration in missing games.
NY Daily News: "I just feel like, after every game, it's: 'I'll be there, I'll be there,'" Kasparaitis said after returning to his locker. "I'm just trying to be positive and especially be positive around my teammates because I don't want any negative energy around this locker room. "My time is going to come. You don't want to be nagging and (complaining). That's not what I want to be on this team."
The Journal News: Two games into his second season in the NHL, the 19-year-old Crosby is no longer a curiosity but a known entity, a prodigy who already has lived up to the tremendous hype that accompanied his entrance into the league. And after a season in which he broke Penguins rookie marks with 63 assists and 102 points, there is little reason to think he won't have even more of an impact this season.
Newsday: The Rangers lineup that was a no-show for the first two periods against the Flyers in a disjointed 4-2 loss Tuesday at the Garden better show up tonight. In come the Penguins, infused with youth and punctuated by the hustle of former Rangers center Dominic Moore, traded to Pittsburgh in the offseason.
I am looking forward to seeing Moore again tonight. He was a good Ranger, even though his time was short. He did his job in an efficient and classy way, and I wish the best for him.
In the latest Birdcage, our fearless leader warns that the Rangers had better put more effort into their play, otherwise we could be in for a long season.
Around the league:
Former Ranger Mathieu Schneider had three goals and an assist in Detroit's 9-2 beatdown of Wayne Gretzky's Phoenix Coyotes . . . The defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes remain winless in four games thus far this season after last night's 6-3 loss to the Panthers . . . The Fishsticks got their first win after beating the Ducks in a shootout. Ironically, Mike Dunham lead them there . . . The Montreal Canadiens bested the Flyers 3-1 in Philly. Too bad they don't play their home games in MSG, they would go 41-0.
And lastly, we would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends, and teammates of Yankees' pitcher Cory Lidle, who was killed after his plane crashed into a Manhattan building.
Tonight, it's the Rangers versus the Ice Chickens. The puck drops at 7:00 pm EST. Enjoy the game.
HDH
Posted by Jim at October 12, 2006 11:43 AMeMail this entry!
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