For the Rangers, it appears to be the same lineup as Game 1. Coach Tom Renney said he was leaning that way. So Strudwick, Malik and Prucha are the expected scratches.
Fifteen players---mostly youngsters--- took part in the optional skate: Sean Avery, Blair Betts, Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Hollweg, Prucha, Fred Sjostrom, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Fedor Tyutin, Paul Mara, Christian Backman, Malik and Strudwick.
For the Devils, Brian Gionta (side) skated and said he felt fine.
Asked what it would mean to go up 2-0 tonight, Renney said: "Everything. That's why we're gonna come out and play hard. We have to understand that continued patience and poise and the ability to weather the storm on the road is important. We did that the other night very well, all things considered. We want to do that again tonight and be more proactive with our own attack."
More later...
Comments (19)
Most hockey experts say New Jersey and Philadelphia wont last more than five games. Jersey cant score, and Philly misses Gagne.
I wouldnt mind seeing prucha or struds replacing hollweg, struds would be better though. Cause he can play d just in case someone gets tired.
I expect the devils to come out flying tonight as going down 2-0 and being a team that has trouble scoring that could be all she wrote. rangers have to hold the fort early and then apply pressure to THEIR defense with a strong forecheck and get them back on their heels. Hope for another shaky Marty
"How strong are you?"
"Aw I'm TOO STRONG!"
"How strong are you?"
"TOO STRONG"
Big Game tonight boys!
LETS GO RANGERS!!
Anybody read that Arthur Staple story about Renney? LOL
I know most of you won't agree or want to read it, or will come back calling Staple a idiot but,
Funny thing is that a few of us here wrote that article all season long.
Some people are missing the point as far as the scratches go. With the exception of Orr they are all healthy scratches, as time goes on in the quest for the cup if a player is not up to par or hurting they can be replaced or rotated on a game by game basis. This will ensure we have the freshest team on the ice.
STILL CLUELESS!!!
I enjoyed the article. Personally its all about defense and good goal tending in winning the cup. Look at the west - all of those teams have size defense and goaltending. Most of the top goal scorers are from the east because the size in the east is so much smaller and its an offensive league. I like how we play defense first because that wins championships.
Rangers up 2-0 heading to MSG for 2 games will be huge. The Devils are going to hit HARD tonight. I think Strudwick should play because of that.
Bettman declared on WFAN that the Ace Bailey who died on9/11 was the Ace Bailey who played for the Leafs in the 1930s. He also called Afenigenov a defenseman. My head hurts.
when did Bettman say that?
There was a guy named Garret "Ace" Bailey who was a scout for the LA Kings, who was on one of the 9/11 planes.
Did Bettman really think it was the same guy who played in the 30's?
Yesterday on Mike and the Mad Dog.
Garnet "Ace" Bailey played for the Bruins, among other teams, in the 1970s, perhaps into the early 1980s. Tough guy, heart of gold, wild streaked hair.
And yes, Bettman, really did. (You can hear it on the WFAN website.) Can't he even do math? The other Bailey would've been in his nineties.
yeah, I know the first Ace Bailey died in the early 90's
this is embarrassing
I can't believe what a dumbarse Bettman is
And, Bettman, with no sense of the game, no sense of its history, and, frankly, no sense whatsoever, is in charge of the NHL. I have never even gotten the impression that he *likes* hockey. I could cry.
The NHL needs a HOCKEY GUY to run it not some nba castoff. When he speaks i gfeel as if nails going across a black board. Especiallt when he hands the cup to the capt of the winning team . Gary go chase ambulances your better at that!
My head hurts from all the cliches being used here, the Rangers need to raise their play, the Devils will come out flying tonight, being up 2-0 is huge. Come on how obvious is that? How could a rationale sports journalist ask a coach "how important is it to go up 2-0 in the series? WHat kind of answer do you expect? This is the reason coaches have so little respect or use for the media. Certainly there is a more telling question then the 2-0 question. No, most coaches will tell you da 2-0 is fantastic, no I would rather go home 1-1. And the rhetoric about raising play and how the devils will be flying, how ridiculous are these statements. Is the sky blue, do ducks quack, is the earth round? This are more pressing statements then the former. Question do the Devils really have more to give then they put out in gm1? If the answer is yes then they did themselves a disservice in gm 1 as they played with less than 100%. Of course the answer is NO, the devils will bring the same exact intensity they brought in gm1 an so will the Rangers. Do the Rangers need to raise their level? If so they also didn't play with 100% effort in gm 1, anyone who beleives this is simly stupid. The first gm of the playoffs sees everybodies best, no one dogs it in the 1st gm of the playoffs, PS for the most part no one dogs it in the playoffs period, bottom line is talent wins the day. The Rangers have more talent then the Devils, this is a fact, only way Devils survive is by working harder and obviously they have worked as hard as they can in losing 8 or 9.
i dunno alot aboot what bettman's job entales, but all i know is the best thing that happen to the rangers and the leauge is the salery cap...and thats his baby, so he gets credit in my book.
i do agree he is quite the dork...and vince your right, when he hands the cup he acts like its HIS cup...messier practically had to rip it from his hands in '94
we got this tonight, no worries!..drury GWG late in the 3rd
Again msgforever, another post that just MAKES SENSE. As sensible or more so than the post you made the other day. Period.