We’re double-dipping today with Different Matt’s piece below & our latest Meet The Matts Radio segment, this one with Wally Backman calling in… Mad Dog and Bobby V also join us. Click This for that.
NEW YORK, NY – As everyone predicted weeks ago the Rangers are taking on the old enemy in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 1 is in the books and the Rangers came away with an important victory. The final score maybe flatters the Rangers a bit since it was a 1-1 game in the third period. Then the wheels came off the Flyers’ wagon. They took a silly high-sticking double minor and subsequently shipped two power play goals. The Blueshirts added one for good measure after that and saw out a 4-1 victory.
The Rangers played a very good game with all four lines doing their part. Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t tested very often last night. The Flyers only managed 15 shots on goal. The only one that got through seemed to take a deflection and Henrik never saw it. Other than that the Rangers were stout defensively. It worries me how much trouble they had scoring on Ray Emery though. Steve Mason being injured is a blessing for the Rangers since he is a lot better than Emery. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and continued his fine form on the season. Marty St. Louis couldn’t put a beach ball in the ocean, but he contributed with a couple of assists. Which is fine by me. If he never scores again and the Rangers keep winning, I’ll take it.
What the Rangers did really well last night was keep their discipline. It’s very easy against Philadelphia to get drawn into the extracurricular activities and take a lot of stupid penalties. The Flyers just bring that side out in teams. The Penguins have learned that the hard way in the playoffs in years past. 
Last night the Rangers played a physical game but they played a clean game and didn’t take bad penalties. In the end it was the Flyers that took stupid penalties that cost them dearly. A high sticking double minor midway through the third period led to power play goals from Richards and Stepan. After that the game was pretty much done and dusted. Philly tried to draw the Rangers into some skulduggery towards the end in the hopes that things might carry over into Game 2 on Sunday, but the Blueshirts didn’t take the bait.
Its a good start but I still don’t feel comfortable. As a Rangers fan, you never feel comfortable against the Flyers. If the Rangers were up 3 games to none and had an 8-0 lead in the third period of game 4, i might feel comfortable. But anything short of that has me reaching for the Zantac. Game 2 is Easter Sunday at noon. The game time had more than a few Rangers fans, myself included, a little miffed, but I’m sure those godless heathens in Philly don’t really care. 
I’ll miss the first period and probably some of the second period as I’ll be obligated to make one of the three visits to church per year in my contract. The other two church days are Christmas and Mothers’ Day if you’re wondering.
The new divisions and playoff format are interesting with teams meeting within the division in the first round of the playoffs. This may lead to a lot more meetings between the Rangers and Flyers in the playoffs in the years to come. And I’ll be sure to have plenty of Prevacid on hand.
Mssr. Junoir Blaber, tomorrow.
P.s… There is no Free Beer.
