NHL Spotlight
To recap: The ultimate streak reversal has been completed. The red hot Ottawa Senators were impeached at home by the struggling Jets. On the bright side, we get an example of how one game can prove current streaks absolutely meaningless. Also, what better motivation to move on and break down the league than starting 0-1 with a shutout! The Detroit Red Wings highlighted the night with their record setting 14th home win in a row at the Joe Louis Arena.
For tonight’s games we look at the televised match up Nashville Predators versus the New York Rangers at MSG.
It’s no secret that hockey fans everywhere are holding their breath for this Ranger team to fall apart. Currently #1 in the league and the best they’ve been this deep in the season in recent memory. They are still the slightly less skilled but terribly hard working Ranger team as old, with a Coach that makes Bobby Knight’s temperament on par with Gandhi. Questions in the air include, “will the Rangers fall as hard as they have risen?” Some have them going deep in the playoffs for a run at Lord Stanley’s cup. But most of us are quietly waiting for the recent cold streak outside to match the blue shirts inside. We don’t wish it but sense it coming all at once. The fact is the Rangers know all of this and are doing their best to keep it out of present mind. While they will be taking things one game at a time as all teams (all pro athletes for that matter) do, I still don’t see a better candidate for a snap-back win at home following a tough loss, this one 4-1 in Montreal. The Rangers have yet to shy away from the spotlight throughout the season. There’s nothing to hint they won’t be showing us again tonight they aren’t going away just yet.
Nashville arrives in the big apple riding a 5 game win streak. A meaningful game for them as they trail Detroit by three in the Central division. More importantly Nashville and Detroit both have a chance to pick up points on the division leading Hawks and Blues who have the night off. Nashville had a not such a breeze of a win over the Islanders last night while the Rangers were watching it on television. The Isles fought hard at home for two periods after a poor start.
It’s exciting to have a chance and beating a team on a streak for some revenge. We have to expect the Rangers to bring more to this game to be the first team to pass sixty points. Currently five teams are a win away from passing the mark, two of them tied with NY. We won’t attribute the “hunger theory” just yet, and the “rest theory” is not in our playbook. Let’s go with the “trend-setter theory” as the Rangers look to one-up the league in points tonight.
Suggested Play –
Rangers in Regulation -.5
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