And quickly we are underway, and just as quickly we have the first goal of the game. Just 50 seconds in the Rangers break the ice, a Ryan Callahan marker makes it 1-0 NY. Assists go to Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov.
After the first goal things have settled down a bit, only 1 shot by the Flyers and three total by the Rangers in the game's first four minutes change. But of the chances , what few there are, the better ones have come the way of the Rangers.
I wasn't thinking before I started this, a bathroom break would have been a good idea, but it looks like I will have to suffer through 20 minutes of hockey before relieving my bladder.
The game's first power play is awarded to the Rangers, Jody Shelley is sent to the penalty box for tripping and the Rangers will have a chance to build on their early lead. Not that the Rangers are particularly effective as a rule with the man advantage, their power play ranks 22nd in the NHL, not the scariest number out there.
To their credit though, the Rangers have had some good chances on this power play so far, but Brian Boucher has been up to the task in net for the Flyers in keeping this a one goal contest. It should be noted that the Flyers have been pretty good short handed the last couple of seasons. Last year they lead the NHL in short handed goals and this season they are again first in the league with 11.
The Flyers kill off the first penalty and in relative short order find themselves on a power play all their own, after Ruslan Fedetenko gets called for holding. The Rangers have an early advantage in shots, 7-1, but this may be the first chance for the Flyers to go on the offensive for an extended period of time.
The Rangers kill off the Flyers power play and once again we go back to 5 on 5 action, or as the call it it Charlie Sheen's house, Friday.
The Flyers are credited with two shots on the power play, though many other shots directed towards the net were either blocked or deflected wide before making it to Henrik Lunquist in goal.
Halfway through the first period and the Rangers have maintained their early one goal lead. If this were soccer we would now be subjected to about two hours of non scoring. Instead we get a fight, Jody Shelley squares off with Brian Boyle. The Rangers get the worst of that matchup, as both players get a 5 minute fighting call, but Boyle also got tagged with a 2 minute call for instigating and a 10 minute game misconduct, even though it really didn't look like that to the naked eye. The result is that the Flyers get their second power play of the first period.
And this may be what they call a “make up” call in the hockey, where the previous screwup is evened out by calling another questionable penalty on the other team, so Mike Richards gets called for slashing and we go to 4 on 4 action, or as the recurring joke goes, that would be Thursday at the Sheen estate.
Technically the Flyers had a brief power play and and the Rangers will get a brief one at the end of this exchange of penalties.
And it is the Rangers that make it pay off, scoring just after the 2 minute penalty to Boyle expired, as Callahan gets his second goal of the first period and the Rangers now have a 2-0 lead. Vaclav Prospal and Bryan McCabe get assists on the second Rangers goal.
The buzz in the room or the arena is all Rangers now, they are continuing to play the majority of the period in the Flyers end of the rink, as evidenced by a 12-4 advantage in shots now.
The Flyers finally get a shot off, after probably better than 5 minutes of nothing from them, and the rebound comes out and leads to a three on two break the other way that only a good save by Boucher keeps it from being a 3 goal game.
2:05 left in the first period and the score remains 2-0, though the Flyers have started playing slightly better, not great by any stretch, but better.
The Rangers get a shot in and the rebound comes right out and a second shot bangs off the post, meanwhile the other way Lundquist makes a sprawling save with his skate on a two on one breakaway to keep the Flyers off the board, and that end to end action is how we end the first period, with the Rangers leading 2-0.
That means two things, one we will get a boatload of shitty commercials and two I will get to take a much needed pee break.
I can do a few other things during the break, namely check out a few websites that I post on, or visit regularly, so by all means feel free to get up and stretch your legs or what not, we will be back to hockey action shortly.
Second period is underway, hope you all had as good a break as I did. My bladder thanks me I know that much.
And it looks like we have our second fight, Mike Richards and Brandon Dubinsky will square off. 55 seconds in and both will be sent off 5 minutes for fighting. No additional instigator penalties or anything are handed out, so both teams will still be even in strength.
And the Rangers pick up right where they left off in the 1st period, as they tally their third goal of the game to take a 3-0 lead. There may be a review of this one though as the puck went off of Sean Avery's skate, and since you can't kick the puck into the net. All video reviews are actually done back in the NHL offices in Toronto, they review all games their live rather than on site reviews, but the reviews are live nonetheless and then they phone the rink to let them know the ruling. And the ruling is that the puck was in fact kicked into the goal and therefore the tally is taken off the board and the score remains 2-0.
More scrummage after a stop in play, not a fight per se, just some pushing and shoving but penalties are going to be called nonetheless. Marian Gaborik and Kris Versteeg are called for roughing and we skate 4 on 4 for two minutes, and as a result the play opens up a little more, more end to end action compared to what we have seen at this point in the game.
And the 4 on 4 action favors the Rangers, much as everything else has to this point as the Rangers score to make it 3-0, Mats Zuccarello gets the goal on a two on one break, Ruslan Fedotenko gets the lone assist.
6 minutes and change into the second period, the Rangers have a 3 goal lead and continue to have the advantage in shots as well, 17-10.
This is turning into a blowout, Kris Versteeg commits a turnover right in front of his own net and Ryan Callahan is the beneficiary, and Callahan beat Boucher to make it 4-0 and complete Callahan's first career hat trick. That will be the end of the day for Boucher, who really didn't get any help from his defense on probably three of the four goals, but he will be heading to the showers anyway, and in his place in goal is Sergei Bobrovsky. For those playing along at home, the Callahan goal was unassisted.
The Flyers will get a power play, they need anything to try to right this ship at this point and maybe this will help, as Matt Gilroy gets called for hooking. The Flyers generated some pressure late in the power play, but Lundquist continues to keep the Flyers off the scoreboard. But hope springs eternal, another penalty on the Rangers here and the Flyers will once again have the man advantage almost as soon as the last penalty ended. This time it is Vaclav Prospal who is headed off to the penalty box, 2 minutes for holding.
The Rangers kill off another penalty and both teams have resumed skating 5 on 5. The Flyers are now 0 for 4 on the power play, which is pretty indicative of their entire afternoon to this point.
The Rangers will get their first power play of the second period about 14 minutes in, James van Riemsdyk gets called for a high stick and pretty soon the clock is going to be an issue here, as the Flyers now have 26 minutes to come up with 4 goals just to tie. And two of those minutes will now be spent a man down.
Bobrovsky makes his first big save, stopping a shot at the doorstep with his toe to keep it at 4-0. But the Rangers keep on coming, getting a couple more quality chances that could have made this even worse were it not for Bobrovsky. Instead the Flyers kill off the penalty, but no sooner do they do that than it is Danny Briere who gets called for a penalty (slashing) and once again the Flyers go a man down.
Once again Bobrovsky makes a huge save, as three Rangers were practically playing give and go in front of his net yet he managed to somehow come up with the save.
The Flyers managed to kill off the penalty to Briere, but again it is 2 minutes that they will not get back when it comes to trying to get back into this contest. Instead the Flyers will be stuck going into the second intermission still down, and the lead has doubled since the first period as it is Rangers 4 Flyers 0.
Third period is underway. Hopefully you made good use of the free time, I did, as I always do. Finished another season of Madden over on Facebook and also checked some soda caps I have been collecting for a contest. I can always find busy work when I need to.
Early in the third the Flyers will get a power play. Artem Anisimov gets two minutes for high sticking. Not that it mattered much, shortly after the call it was Danny Briere getting a two minute penalty of his own for interference, thus negating the man advantage for the Flyers, when the Flyers need all the help they can get down 4 goals.
And the Briere penalty proves deadly, as the Rangers take advantage of an abbreviated power play to make it 5-0. The goal is being reviewed, it went off of the skate of Callahan, but unlike Avery's goal that was waved off, this one is less likely to be taken off the board, and sure enough it wasn't. It was not kicked into the goal so the goal stands and Ryan Callahan is having himself quite a day, that is now his fourth goal of the game. Matt Gilroy and Vaclav Prospal get assists on the goal.
The time continues to tick away, as does the Flyers chances of coming back in this contest. With just 11 minutes left, the Flyers look defeated. The Rangers continue to dictate play, as they have done most of the afternoon honestly, but being down as much as they are one would expect the Flyers to be a tad more aggressive in trying to get back into this contest, but that just isn't the case.
The plus to a game like this , especially this late in it is it allows me the opportunity to go make a sandwioch, which I just did. A little cracked black pepper turkey is always a good thing.
Meanwhile back at the ranch the score is still 5-0 and about the only drama is whether Lundquist can get a shutout.
Check that, 6-0. Told you this period was being dominated by the Rangers, this time it is Artem Anisimov with the goal. That name Callahan pops up again, this time he gets an assist on the goal, as does Dan Girardi.
2 minutes left and the shut out is still intact. Not sure this is what NBC had in mind when they made this game the Game of the Week, it looked better on paper than in actual performance.
Another turnover in front of the Flyers net and yes, the Rangers have scored again with just over a minute remaining. Mats Zuccarello gets his second goal of the game and the Rangers lead 7-0. Add another name to the score sheet as Wojtek Wolski gets credit for the lone assist.
And that's a wrap, the Rangers win 7-0. Time for me to try and be productive at some point today, because that was only slightly more productive than the Flyer's effort this afternoon.
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