As you all know, the Giants were going to play the Cowboys yesterday at 4pm while the Rangers and Isles faced off at 5. What you didn't know was that I was going to a Christmas pageant at church to see my girls sing......so I wouldn't get to see either live.

Well, after reviewing both games I'm torn. You might be more interested in the Christmas pageant.

Neither team is that good while both don't really stink. And yes...they both lost. Henke was pulled which seemed to spark the team but it wasn't enough. Aw screw it....let's get to the depressing news. Just what I need, a slew of Kozlov articles. But first a programming note. The BlueShirt Bulletin will be packed tonight for the big chat with Mike Richter, Stan Fischler as well as the Rodent and other great guests tonight at 7:00pm so don't miss it.

HockeyRodent - Tell me the truth. Didn't that first period remind you of last year's playoffs out there?

Ouch.

Journal News - More than a quarter through their season, there is little correlation between how the Rangers lose one game and how they lose the next. The point is they're losing. Disjointed to start against a team playing its third time in four nights, the Rangers have gone four games without a win, adding an outright loss yesterday to the three previous games that they dropped in overtime.

Daily News - Two things Tom Renney neither expected nor desired to hear last night at the Garden: Islanders fans chanting "first place!" in the dying seconds. And Rangers' franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist suggesting after the first period that perhaps it would be best if he were replaced.

Newsday - Lundqvist, who was one of only two or three Rangers who didn't duck the media afterward, took his share of the blame. "Of course, I'm very upset the way I played," he said. "It's not the start we were looking for." Or the ending.

I'm not sure if we should be upset about Henke asking out.....it's a smart move but you want your guys to always ask in, not out.

Uncle Larry - Following the game, the head coach did have a conversation in his office with Brendan Shanahan, whose career 18th hat trick was trumped by Viktor Kozlov's four-goal game. That conversation presumably was about defensive-zone coverage, a topic about which No. 14 held court following the match.

OK....the Post will cheer you up by remembering 1979.

There's a new Calder's Corner to read and don't forget to scroll down for the weekend coverage.

No beer for you.

----}- Bird

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