Blue Notes

Some key players took advantage of the optional skate and rested: Shanahan, Avery, Nylander (who reportedly has a touch of the flu), Rozsival, Tyutin, Cullen, Mara, Callahan...

Some quotes:

"I feel like I'm 70," Marty Straka joked after skating.

"The fresher team is going to win the series," said Jaromir Jagr, who held court for a while before leaving the dressing room. "Gotta be fresh....might be another six overtimes." Perhaps his funniest line came when he referred to Zdeno Chara's play against him in the past and someone asked if there was a defenseman who could contain him. He responded: "Wasn't born yet."

"It's important to get that first one," said Shanahan. "But it's one win, we've gotta win four. They're halfway there, we're not. It's a good confidence builder for us, but Buffalo won the President's Trophy, they're a good team, well coached and not going to lay down for us because we've won one game. They've lost games before and rebounded."

"We played a little smarter than we did in Buffalo," said Henrik Lundqvist. "The only thing I can focus on is playing my best, I don't focus and try to get into their heads. If we play like we did and I focus on my game we have a pretty good chance to win tomorrow."

"It's not going to get any easier," said Tom Renney, who expects the Sabres to unveil some different looks in Game 4 tomorrow, "something we haven't seen before."

Renney said that with the Wolf Pack's season over, some players would be called up from Hartford to practice on a taxi squad. But the Rangers have just two allowable moves left to expand their post-season roster.

More later and of course, in tomorrow's paper...

Forget the disallowed goal.

That was Toronto

The entire crew of on-ice officials in Game 3 was often out of position, blew late whistles and missed calls on both the Rangers and Sabres. Even the Sabres complained.

Despite the atrocious officiating, hope everyone appreciated a classic playoff game at the Garden on Sunday, a memorable matinee for sure.

After the second period, I wrinkled my nose at my colleague Mark Herrmann---who should earn residency in Buffalo for all the time he's been there recently---down in the pressroom and sniffed. "I smell overtime," I said.
I didn't expect two.

It's ironic that late Friday night/early Saturday AM, a few of us were at the Century Grill in Buffalo, and I had a short discussion with Pete Stemkowski, who was handling radio duties that night. Never would have thought that Game 3 would have summoned the memory of his three OT game-winner in 1971 against Chicago.

How many near misses were there? Hossa's not on his game. And other one that really sticks out was Jed Ormeyer's failure to get a stick on that pass in front from behind the goal line. It looked like he was retreating too early.

Mark, who was covering the Islanders-Sabres series as well, was delighted by Jagr's attitude on and off the ice. Those of us who've covered the team for a few years are aware of that, of course, but....

Anyway, a must-win is now in the books and we'll tee up tomorrow with a report from practice later this morning...

Jed Ortmeyer is back in, Ryan Hollweg out, which means Brad Isbister in his for the second straight game, because Rangers head coach Tom Renney believes he "can spend a little more time with the puck on the wall, in the corners, and in back of the net." D Michal Rozsival (left knee) also will play...

More from Renney's pre-game comments:

"We've been practicing long enough for one at a time...It's all about just winning this game...That's what this game is all about, backing the opponent off, giving them some uncertainty."

On momentum:

"I said to the guys, 'We might have momentum right now, don't underestimate that. We played a good game in Buffalo we made some mistakes, there are other areas of our game that we can sort of camoflauge that we played real well, but me, I do believe we have some momentum based on and we have to identify wih that. It's no prisoners. Go."

On matching lines:

"I will to a degree and if I'm having success. I'll keep doing it. I want to be as much of a moving target today as I think I need to be . Get everybody in early and keep a rhythm going and try to keep them off balance...
The one thing I don't want to do is outcoach myself. What I do like about Drury against Jagr, when that lines on, there's other lines on the bench, maybe they minimize their offensive output by doing that. We just have to play hard have to play smart, our third and fourth lines may have to score goals differently, but they're capable of that.

On whether the team needs to score three goals to win:

"Not if Henrik gets a shutout. He's capable of that. If we can hold these guys to under 20 shots and maybe limit the degree of the chance in those prime scoring areas, we've got a chance. You never say you're gonna shut out the Buffalo Sabres, that's kind of idiotic, he is capable of pulling off great games."

On being physical:

"We'll be as physical as we need to be. One thing Buffalo has has done well is take the body on us not at the expense of position... We've got to be physical when we get the chance as well."

On Sean Avery:

"Maybe he'll get jacked up here. It's not that he's been a bad player at all, we're playing one of the very best teams in the league, so there's gonna be guys who are somewhat stifled and you've got to manufacture different ways and means to have success, Sean's gotta do that. I know he'll be plugged into the crowd.".

On Malik's turnover on the tying goal in Game 2:

"We had 30 seconds (a talk) in the hallway. He's a veteran NHL player that certainly plays the game better than I ever could. He understands wehre pucks have to go. He tried a play that would have been a great play, an outstanding play. It was a tough play, one of those, you see the play and make it. Harry thought this, and it was close. Close against the Buffalo Sabres isn't going to beat them. Again, if that pass in on Michael's (Nylander) stick, it's a helluva play. It cost us. but other things cost us as well. We're not hanging this on Harry (Malik) at all."

The pink and white dogwood flowers were blowing across the West Side Highway on a wind off the Hudson. I'll take that as a good omen.

Pulled up to the Garden and parked about 30 minutes ago. Daniel Briere and two teammates were wandering down 33rd Street.

Sean Avery was signing autographs near the employees entrance.

Paul Mara and Matt Cullen arrived together and also stopped for a few fans.

Coach Tom Renney is scheduled to speak at noon. Check back here for a report on that...

Sean Avery didn't skate this morning, but the four-deep media throng quickly clustered around him in the dressing room:

After several questions, a reporter asked if he would throttle back his game, Avery responded: "Next question, that's a stupid question...anyone else?"

Then, he added: "It's the playoffs, we're gonna play hard....we're going to go out and do our job."

MSG's Sam Rosen wondered if Avery would be on his best behavior because his mother would be at the game. Said Avery: "She likes it when I'm behaving poorly, she's used to it by now."

D Michael Rozsival, who left Game 1 early after injuring his left leg, skated at HSBC and said he was ready to play. Coach Tom Renney said it was "looking good", but left open the "outside option" of dressing seven D.

Rozsival's defensive partner, Marek Malik, who rested yesterday, skated and is ready.

Jagr, Nylander, Avery, Shanahan and Lundqvist didn't participate in the optional skate...Renney watched from the stands

Quotes and more later...

BUFFALO---The downtown trolley is free for half its route, so we climbed on at HSBC Arena and exited at our hotel stop after today's 1:15 p.m. practice, where the Rangers rehashed their disappointment in dropping Game 1.

The truth is, like the trolley, the Rangers aren't halfway done. In fact, without leaving here with a split, this series could reach a premature end. Disappointment is fine; I was hoping to see a little more anger. For weeks, they played desperate hockey and will need a quick return to that, if they can pull the switch.

Sure, it was one game, and the Rangers believe they can play better. No kidding. But so can the Sabres, and they just might.

Before going on the ice, coach Tom Renney showed the team some film of what they did well on Wednesday---that was probably a short subject---and was very positive, players said.

Michal Rozsival (leg) didn't skate, but wasn't walking with a noticeable limp, and Renney called it "day-to-day" Rozsival plays hurt, and given the importance of the game, I expect him to give it a go. Marek Malik also took the day off, but the defenseman told me that he just needed some rest and would be fine.

So practice was a little unusual, with both Colton Orr and Brad Isbister wearing white d-men jerseys.

The question of a rebound for the defense, which seemed to sag far too soon in the second and third periods, giving too much space to the Buffalo rush, will be addressed in my story in tomorrow's paper and here on newsday.com.

As I wrote on Wednesday, Lundqvist will have to steal at least one game for the Rangers to push the Sabres to the limit. That game could be tomorrow night.

More later...

Speaking of scratches, I benched the Adam's Mark for the Hyatt, so things have been delayed...

A few of us waited more than 20 minutes for a cab there to get to the skate: And this was after the bellman called. As Gary Cohen would say: Outta there!

Anyway, Hollweg skated with Betts and Ortmeyer and slapped me on the left shoulder after practice in the dressing room. The bruise is subsiding, but I'm thinking he's ready.

Lundqvist and Jagr didn't skate but all is well: No brain teasers from Jags as he was working on his sticks, and when Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger suggested that he should be taking advantage of the new rules regarding the curves of the stick blades, Jagr responded. "I have....If it hadn't changed (before) I would have 700."

Meaning goals. He has 621. And eight points in the last four games against Buffalo.

Here's some quotes from Shanny, the other playoff vet, on Avery: "It's a high wire to walk in your career, knowing when to be physical and when to contribute offensively and he's done a great job of that since he's joined our team. He's been a very good hockey player for us and he hasn't lost that edge."

"We all felt in Detroit that he had offensive upside. I went through it when I first came in the league, fighting a lot; you try to establish yourself and a reputation and a code and you use that to try to get yourself room. I think coming to New York, for him, was a fresh start. I think he was trying to do that in LA, but sometimes you need a fresh start on a team to kind of re-invent yourself as a player."

Asked about Avery's "beware of me" quotes, which have been a major topic here: "I don't really get all caught up in that, I've been around a while...kinda hear these things, it comes down to what you do on the ice."

As for Buffalo's prowess, Shanny said: "Give Buffalo credit for finishing first in the regular season and they won that trophy, but it's a whole new trophy we're after now."

Newsday's Mark Herrmann has joined me here for the duration, so the double-team is on....

BUFFALO---Paul Mara already looks like a lumberjack. Matt Cullen's is dark and thick. The youngsters' are ---as you might imagine---scraggly.
The Rangers' playoff beards have bloomed and they'll have some use here, where the forecast is certainly not post-season, nearly-May weather: more like October, 40-something degrees and rainy.
Nonetheless, it's not snowing and this city is preparing for the opening game in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals in good humor, with "Go Sabres" flashing on message boards at the airport and Sabres t-shirts proudly worn at the car-rental counters.
Remember the Jim Carrey film, "Bruce Almighty," when the Sabres win the Stanley Cup and riots break out in Buffalo? One car-rental firm employee laughed and noted only one scene in the movie was actually shot here.
"Most of it was in Cleveland," he said.
Before any wild celebrating can occur, however, the Sabres must finish off the Rangers, who believe they can win the series.
"We're not pretending anythere here, the pundits will say they're the better team, according to the records, and rightfully so," coach Tom Renney said after a fast-paced practice in Westchester. "But we're probably at at the apex of our game and if we can sustain that over the course of this series and beyond, we've got a good chance of winning."
For those just jumping on the bandwagon, Renney has done an admirable job in getting the players to buy into the don't-panic, team-first, opportunistic approach that concluded with a 17-3-4 run. "We're gonna face adversity and the worst thing we can do is immediately alter the way that we're playing," said Brendan Shanahan. "We've got a format that's brought us success. Over the long haul, we've won more than we've lost."
At practice, some of the drills were specifically designed for the Sabres' attack: defending odd man rushes and 2-on-2s, and down low around the net, where Buffalo will go back-door, look for the stuff, pass back to the open side.
In one, led by goaltender coach Benoit Allaire, a player would skate from the right boards directly toward goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, fire a backhander, a rebound, and another player would cut around the other side of the cage to try to tuck the puck in, forcing Lundqvist to go post-to-post. The next player would approach from the left side, and so on.
The Rangers' defense pairings will be pressured in many ways, and Renney stressed that they cannot do it alone. "We can't just have those guys defend, retrieve and move the puck in two or three seconds," he said. "That's a five-man unit's job."
At any rate, the city is ready for action---even those with unlikely alliances.
After a fire alarm prompted guests at the Adam's Mark hotel to vacate rooms and gather in the lobby, several firefighters, after assessing the situation, pronounced a false alarm. But before they left, two of them asked a group in the lobby if they were Sabres' fans. Then they tapped the tops of their metal axes in a familiar melody: ding, ding, ding-ding-ding, and said in tandem: "Let's go Rangers."

****
D Karel Rachunek, who has missed 16 games with a sprained MCL, appears to be starting tomorrow. He skated opposite Mara. Thomas Pock, who played all four games in the Atlanta sweep, skated with Jason Strudwick, who is ineligible for the post-season, indicating a healthy scratch...Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr alternated shifts and Renney said a decision would be made tomorrow Orr played all four games; Hollweg was a healthy scratch... Renney on Sean Avery's remarks about his intent to physically pound the Sabres: "We had meeting prior to the playoffs starting about what we wanted to do in terms of the media. We want guys to be honest. I don't think he's gone over the top at all. At the same time, that's the way he plays".. Expect C Chris Drury, Drew Stafford and Dainius Zubrus to sometimes match up against the Jaromir Jagr-Michael Nylander-Marcel Hossa line, according to the Buffalo News.

***
The Sabres skate at 10:30 tomorrow; the Rangers at 11:30. More from there coming....

Note: Game 5 is now Friday, May 4, not May 3

Wednesday, April 25 7:00 p.m. NY Rangers at Buffalo VERSUS
Friday, April 27 7:00 p.m. NY Rangers at Buffalo VERSUS
Sunday, April 29 2:00 p.m. Buffalo at NY Rangers NBC
Tuesday, May 1 7:00 p.m. Buffalo at NY Rangers VERSUS
* Friday, May 4 7:00 p.m. NY Rangers at Buffalo VERSUS
* Sunday, May 6 2:00 p.m. Buffalo at NY Rangers NBC
* Tuesday, May 8 7:00 p.m. NY Rangers at Buffalo VERSUS

* If necessary

Wednesday: Game 1 in Buffalo 7 p.m.
Friday Game 2 in Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sunday Game 3 at MSG 2 p.m.
Tuesday Game 4 at MSG 7 p.m.
Thursday Game 5 in Buffalo 7 p.m. *
Sunday Game 6 at MSG 2 p.m.*
Tuesday Game 7 in Buffalo 7 p.m *

* If necessary

So it's out of the hammock and away from the barbeque grill and on to Buffalo this week, whenever the NHL gets around to deciding the schedule, along with NBC and Versus and arena availability.

In today's Newsday and newsday.com. I turned back the pages to quickly assess the four losses against the Sabres this year and naturally, you can't glean much:

All the games were played before Dec. 2
Kevin Weekes played in three of them; Sean Avery in none.
Straka, Nylander and Shanny had eight of the 12 goals.

More recently, the Rangers have played very well at home; it took a lot for the Sabres to put away the feisty Isles.

Who knows? I'm expecting a six or seven-game series.

We'll see what the Rangers and Renney have to say at practice today. Looks like Rachunek will be back for
Game 1 and Pock sits, at least for that one. Hollweg-Orr? I'm thinking the Rangers will need the speed and Hollweg gets a shot in Game 1.

Swing back here later for more...

for a day off with the family....

Alan Hahn, fresh off the Knicks beat, slides in to cover practice today.

Looks like the Rangers might face Buffalo, starting up there next week. They had some breakdowns against the Islanders, but won't take the Rangers lightly. Look for my weekly NHL column in Sunday's Newsday and on newsday.com. as well as a story on Jagr and his season.

Also, a clarification on yesterday's report of the Orr/Hollweg two-year contract expensions. Orr’s was for $1.075 million; Hollweg’s was a total of $1.025 million.

Enjoy the weather in the New York area, folks....

The Rangers extended the contracts of Colton Orr (two years, $1.75 million) and Ryan Hollweg (two years, $1.25 million), and signed last year's first-round draft pick Bobby Sanguinetti to a three-year, $2.55 million deal ($850,000 per year).
Orr earned $495,000 this season; Hollweg $456,000, according to the players' association....

On the Monday before a Super Bowl, at least the teams know who they're playing

The Rangers don't, and therefore can only practice---and wait---and strike the "it's all about us" chord, which is about all you can expect.

There's no real controversy on this team, and as Brendan Shanahan said, "There really wasn't a guy in this room that I can't think was not pivotal in that series against Atlanta."

Tonight's Game 5s (Devs-Lightning, Sabres-Isles) will focus the picture a bit. If Buffalo advances and the Devils win to take a 3-2 series edge, it seems more likely that the Rangers will travel to Buffalo next week. But the Devs series could go seven games, whch means that Round 2 would start Thursday. If Tampa wins, the possibility of Rangers-Senators becomes greater.

"We're trying to put some detail together about all of the possibilities, but we love it," said coach Tom Renney. "What else would you rather be doing? Our first couple practices will be as much about staying fit, and then, as we get a little closer to our opponent we'll get a little more precise."

Practice lasted about an hour---"It doesn't have to be long, but it has to be thorough", Renney said.
The team will skate again tomorrow and take Sunday off, before "sharpening our pencil" with specifics on Monday.

More later...

Ahem.

I appreciate that on Sam Weinman's blog at the J-News, (or Lohud, or whatever new name Gannett is coming up with for its multi-media empire-building) he's lobbying for me to grab a job covering the D-Rays.

Poor guy. All the podcasting and TV voice-overs that the young man is doing has addled his brain. And he's wondering how he got that cold.

He's trying to relegate me to the sunny south to cover another Brendan (Harris), a Duke(s)---Elijah---instead of King Henrik and B.J. (Upton) instead of J.J.

Not to mention Ruddy Lugo and Akinori Iwamura.

It's an insidious plan devised by Sam, who lives in fear that my eventual V-casts or pod-blasts or audio-slaving will knock his off the airwaves.

Well, pal, it ain't happening.

Unless you can make a quick call to the Trib for me, huh? Please?

Here's the deal, I'll move to Tampa if you bring the family to Tulsa. (Jayhawks and John Hiatt fans have to be astounded with the two refs in one sentence.)

Sorry Sam, we'll be blogging in Buffalo or night-owling in Ottawa before you know it.

And I'll be pining for cigars in Ybor City and some beach time. The next round's on you.

I'm sure for many fans, the euphoria of the Atlanta sweep has a sweet afterglow that will shine for days.

But when do you get antsy, when do you get concerned that hanging around for a week might take the edge off the Rangers?

The coaching staff is already preparing for possible opponents---I'd think Buffalo and Ottawa are the frontrunners---so a couple questions:

What do you folks think about the break? Offer us some examples from the past, if you have em, on how teams fared with a stretch of down time...

Here's another assignment, if you choose to accept it: Break down the potential rivals and how they matchup...

Who do you root for tonight and over the weekend? Do you put your loyalties aside and hope the Isles wear down the Sabres? Ask Pittsburgh to extend Ottawa? Sure. Tampa to exorcise the Devils?

The train's stopped at the station before it rolls on. Hop aboard.

D Karel Rachunek is a scratch and the coach said he would skate one extra forward in warmups...and make a game-time decision.

"In the case of one individual, I'm anxious to get him in and playing, but in the case of Karel, we're being prudent here, and that he gets a practice with some body contact in it. But there seems to be a formula that's working too, that's the dilemma." We're assuming he was referring to Ryan Hollweg, a scratch for three straight.

Overall: "I can't really point out flaws other than that second period, where we kinda got a little slippery. We've really got to to knuckle that down and play hard for 60. Its a whole new dynamic. We hope we can nail that. There's some things we can do to tidy that part of our game up and maybe that's power play."

On the Thrashers' chippiness: "We'll always be there to defend ourselves and each other. We have enough acumen on the bench to understand that if it requires something more than we've offered up, we'll do that. At the same time, we've showed a real intelligence for the needs of two points and how to go for those as you frustrate your opponent. We've shown a real good hockey IQ."

On goaltender Johan Hedberg: "We've got some stuff on him we think we can use. Obviously we've got to get in the zone to do that, generate some attack from different points of view. But he's a terrific goaltender and so is Lehtonen, he had a bad night and maybe a couple for him, but he's a young goaltender that will just be, I think, terrific at the end of the day. Hedberg's been down this road before and maybe gives them a sense of confidence, but we believe we can exploit some of the things he leaves."

More later, and check Mike Casey blogging the game on newsday.com...

Greetings all...

The optional skate was really an optional, I'm told, with only a handful of players who will dress tonight.

Among the attendees: Weekes, Valiquette, Strudwick, Hollweg, Isbister, Rachunek, Callahan, Orr, Prucha.

I expect the same lineup tonight...

Atlanta did not skate, just had a team meeting. Last night, coach Bob Hartley said Hedberg would start.

More later...

Oops. Meant "sweep" since 94, not win. Fixed it.

I'm dazed and confused without having use of the Blackberry

The tomahawk chop, the "Hen-reek" and "Avery" and "Marcel's better" chants, the "goodbye' song were ringing through the Garden, the Big Room of New York sports last night.

Tonight, there will be another element: Brooms of all sizes, as the Rangers go for the sweep and the first post-season series sweep since the 1994 Stanley Cup championship season.

A quick note for those who can't watch the game: the radio broadcast is on WEPN/1050, not WABC, as originally scheduled. The Knicks were moved.

Haven't cancelled my flight and room in Atlanta yet, but....

More in a bit...

Don't expect the Rangers to sit back in the first period. In the first few shifts, said coach Tom Renney, "we'll push the pace, try to get the puck deep, try to get the forecheck going, try to get everyone in as quickly as possible."

The 1-for-9 power play, Renney said, "is still looking for shots, but I see good puck movement. I think it will score. The bottom line is we have to create enough of a problem for our opponent to get the power play on ice. It's about discipline this time of year. Maybe as the series moves on you get more chances, but you can't presume that."

Renney on Henrik:
"I think we're playing pretty good in front of him. The lineup (compared wih last year) is a little more diversified, we're better prepared to win close games. He's bang on the beam and as much as he may or has struggled is due in large part to what happened in front of him."

Blair Betts, who will play despite some soreness that kept him from the morning skate, "is like concrete," Renney said

Also, Mike Casey will be blogging during the game on newsday.com/sports....Check it out

Jimmy on WFAN:

On Sather: "I'm really happy for him, and I'm happy for the team."

Asked if he felt vindicated for keeping Sather, with the team making the playoffs for two consecutive years:

"i'm not sure I ever felt indicted..."

Where the pressroom is fairly empty at the moment but will be overflowing soon.

More tables and phones have been added and an improved wireless system has been installed for the horde of extra media folks---about 100 more credentials were issued---in attendance.

Just FYI, nyrangers.com has a special element for the playoffs called In Demand, with footage from the skate earleir today, for example, and other features. Worth a look.

Swing by here later for pregame stuff...

C Blair Betts skated in the optional practice in Westchester, said afterward that he was ready to go, and coach Tom Renney said he expected to deplay the same lineup for Game 3. Ryan Hollweg and Brad Isbister were the last two forwards off the ice, indicating that they'll be scratched again, although Renney said he would make a final decision after warmups.

Henrik Lundqvist, Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Michal Rozsival and several other vets didn't skate.

The Rangers will stay in Manhattan tonight and have another optional skate tomorrow morning
at the Garden. it will be the first time they will have held such a session at MSG all year. "It might be a good time for a change like that," he said.

Heading over to the game-day skate in a few minutes.

I don't expect any Rangers lineup changes from Game 2.

Newsday is adding some muscle though. Former Rangers writer Arthur Staple will climb aboard the bus for dispatches from the Garden tonight and tomorrow, as will---I believe---Mike Casey from newsday.com., who has pinch-hit for me during the season.

Someone suggested we call it the SAM line: Steve, Art, Mike. Not a lot of sizzle there, but it's better than dump and chase, I guess...

Check back here in a few...

Having seen a couple replays, the Armstrong hit on Eaves wasn't high. So I stand corrected on my thought from last night.

But different refs might've made a call, given the inconsistency we've seen all season.

On the Betts issue, Renney said he would be fine for tomorrow's game...

As for Renney keeping Orr and others on a leash in the final minute, hat's off to him. So far.

I'm not sure it's such a good strategy tomorrow, when Thrashers will play as if it's an elimination game which it is, basically, and the goons won't care if someone's season ends with their own. We'll see.

Harltey's switching goalies again, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Craig Custance

Strange, when Hedberg has the experience and played quite well in Game 2

As a friend said, seems like Hartley's searching for something

Live from flooded Westchester...

Defenseman Karel Rachunek, who sprained his knee on March 13, ruled himself out of Game 3 after practice yesterday. "Close, but not tomorrow," Rachunek said. "Maybe Wednesday, but it's up to the coaches."
That means Thomas Pock will dress for at least one more game.

Blair Betts did not practice yeserday, but was in the workout room. The center played in Game 2 after not practicing, but we'll ask coach Tom Renney about his status in a few minutes.

Let's see...your posts...

I'd give Hollweg a game for his speed over Orr, as long as he's aware of restraining his impulses.
But maybe that's why Renney won't; that he knows Hollweg is a target of refs and doesn't want to Atlanta PP to catch fire. The series is all but over with a Tuesday win.

Tkachuk had, I believe, 13 points in the last 16 regular-season games for the Thrashers, but he's a far cry from his younger days. He's slower and he lost it Saturday with his tactics.

Pock should get another shot in Game 3. Why risk Rachunek when he'll be needed down the road?
He hasn;t had much contact and the Thrashers will be physical---maybe not as much---but they'll have to play that way, especially in the Rangers end, to some extent. Otherwise, the Rangers' D will move the puck quickly to forwards who will scoot by them.

Hmmm. Ottawa winning....High hit by Armstrong on Eaves, who was carted off on stretcher. No call

Thanks, will check in again and of course tomorrow from the skate..

Yes, folks, a Steely Dan reference, a song with a line especially apropos, about being tied to the mast--- to prevent being washed overboard.

Well, home at last also refers to the Rangers---and yours truly

I caught a early morning Delta flight and the cowboy pilot zoomed north to get to New York before the cancellations and ground holds began. So, some of the bad karma I've had on flights this season may be turning around...

But enough about me.

Rangers fans should be extremely pleased with a 2-0 lead. I was on record as predicing a split, but, talk about karma. Avery deserved that fluke goal for all the cheap shots that Sutton and Tkachuk and others were throwing.

Players like Matt Cullen and Shanny wrote off the cheap shots as frustration. I've got a feeling that the Thrashers will get some payback this week, especially if the Rangers are up a few goals and that nonsense starts again.

Can't say enough about Avery's discipline in not reacting to the Thrashers. I wrote about 2,500 words on the Rangers and NHL for Newsday and newsday.com yesterday, between columns and stories and sidebars, and there's plenty more to come...so stay tuned

We welcome your thoughts on the keys for Games 3 and 4 right here. You guys have been sharp and insightful all year (well most of ya), so let's keep rolling

I'll respond to your posts later....

Sean Avery's fluke goal on a carom, his pugnacious but disciplined play and a game-winner by Brendan Shanahan, who had scored just one goal since coming back from his serious concussion on March 21, gave the Rangers a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series against Atlanta.

Shanahan, the 38-year-old playoff vet, delivered with a low wrist shot with 4:01 left in regulation for a 2-1 win and a sweep in the south.

Games 3 and 4 are at the Garden Tuesday and Wednesday....

More later...

No, not Mike Mussina.

Moose, as in 33-year-old veteran Johan Hedberg, who will be in the nets replacing Kari Lehtonen for Game 2.

"Not to disrespect or discredit any other guy, but he was our most important signing (in the off-season)," said Thrashers coach Bob Hartley. "This guy brought new working habits for our goalies, brought experience, brought leadership...he's a machine...He's given us some big wins, we understand the importance of the game. It's all about Moose, it's not about what the other guy did or didn't do. Kari did his best, and he's a big part of this team."

Rangers coach Tom Renney took the switch in stride. "We scouted both goaltenders," he said. "We sort of expected we would see both of them at some point in time. We're not gonna overanalyze it."

In his pregame remarks, Renney said he was "contemplating some lineup changes" and that the status of center Blair Betts--banged up in Game 1---was "undetermined." Betts did not practice Friday, and Ryan Hollweg centered a fourth line of Jed Ortmeyer and Colton Orr.

Losing Betts could be a significant blow to the penalty-killing units and on faceoffs.

One Ranger who definitely won't dress is D Karel Rachunek (knee), but is a possibility for Game 3, according to Renney.

More later...