Live Blog – Game 4: Rangers @ Flyers

PRE-GAME: The Rangers are looking to start off a season 4-0 for the first time in 25 years.  They’ll look to do it with Nigel Dawes and Henrik Lundqvist watching the game.  Lundqvist will get a rest in favor of Flyer-killer Stephen Valiquette and Nigel Dawes will be replaced on the 3rd line by Patrick Rissmiller.  Dawes has been ineffective at best so far this season, so the former Shark gets his first action as a Ranger.

Update 6:59 p.m.: Kudos to MSG for moving “Hockey Night Live” to post-game rather than pre-game.  Ranger fans tune in at 6:30 for Rangers coverage, not Rangers, Devils and Islanders.

Update 7:00 p.m.: Sarah Palin will drop the puck tonight…thoughts?

Update 7:13 p.m.: Well the Flyer fans just expressed their thoughts…the majority didn’t seem too pleased.

Update 7:20 p.m.: Well that didn’t take long…

Update 7:24 p.m.: GOAL! ZHERDEV! THE SECOND LINE DOES IT AGAIN, JUST AS THE POWER PLAY EXPIRES! 1-0 RANGERS!

Update 7:26 p.m.: GOAL! BETTS! PERFECT PASS BY ZHERDEV, NICE QUICK SHOT BY BETTS! BLAIR HAS BEEN CLOSE FOR THE FIRST 4 GAMES AND DESERVED THAT ONE. 2-0 RANGERS!

Update 7:32 p.m.: GOAL! FREDDIE SHOES!! STRAIGHT SPEED LEADING TO THAT ONE.  GREAT TO SEE THE FOURTH LINE PRODUCING LIKE THAT. 3-0 RANGERS!

Update 7:49 p.m.: GOAL! ROZSI! I’M GETTING TIRED OF TYPING IN BOLD AND CAPS! BULLET OF A SHOT BY ROZSIVAL (LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS MINUS JJ) PUTS THE RANGERS UP 4-0! BIRON OUT FOR PHILLY.

Update 7:51 p.m.: Dubi Dubi Du! Looks like Brandon took some boxing lessons over the summer.  He more than held his own against Richards.

Update 7:59 p.m. END 1ST: About as perfect of a period as can be played.  This Rangers team is just looking so good early on.  I’ve said it before, but the relentless forecheck is really quite a sight to see and the commitment to backchecking makes it nearly impossible for the opposition to get something consistent going.  Just keep it going and the Rangers are well on their way to their first 4-0 start since 1983.

Update 8:19 p.m.: Offensive zone penalty by Knuble.  Power Play Rangers.

Update 8:20 p.m.: Shorthanded goal by Hartnell right off the face-off win by Metropolit.  Beautiful quick wrister cuts the Ranger lead to 4-1.

Update 8:38 p.m.: Nice power play for the Rangers.  They didn’t score, but had a couple of nice chances and kept the puck in the Philly zone for almost the full two minutes.  Undisciplined penalty there by Mara.

Update 8:46 p.m.: Goal by Gagne makes it 4-2.  A big missed call there by the referee as Richards skated through the crease and made contact with Valiquette that took him out of position.  It’s a game now.

Update 8:47 p.m.: Zherdev continues his strong play by drawing a penalty.  A power play goal would be huge right now.

Update 8:52 p.m.: Scotty Gomez what are you thinking? Terrible, unnecessary penalty.  The Rangers need to kill these last 30 seconds and get out of the period up 2.

Update 8:53 p.m.: So, not exactly the first period performance by the Rangers, but not as bad as 2-0 Flyers either.  Antero Niittymaki has come in and steadied the ship for Philadelphia and has made some big saves.  The Rangers need to regroup during intermission and come back strong in the third.  Kill off the rest of the Gomez penalty and then get that forecheck going again.

Update 9:14 p.m.: Bad giveaway in front for Kalinin and then he takes a penalty to prevent a breakaway.

Update 9:18 p.m.: The Rangers are now 5-for-5 on the penalty kill tonight and 16-for-16 on the year.  Great timeout there by Renney to give the PKers a rest.

Update 9:19 p.m.: Beautiful pass by Briere to Richards makes it a one goal game.  Zherdev got beat coming back by Richards.  The Rangers need to change this momentum quickly and make sure this isn’t another Montreal from last year.

Update 9:25 p.m.: Penalty on Coburn.  Big situation for the Rangers.  They can really nail it down with a goal here.

Update 9:26 p.m.: Post by Gomez is the second power play post by the Rangers.  Naslund had one in the first.

Update 9:29 p.m.: Unfortunate call for the Rangers. Dubinsky for holding the stick.  It was hard to tell whether it was intentional or not, but it was close enough to blow the whistle.

Update 9:31 p.m.: WOAH! I thought that was a tie game right there.  5-on-3 now and the Rangers penalty kill will now really be tested.

Update 9:36 p.m.: An unbelievable 5-on-3 penalty kill keeps the Rangers perfect on the season on the man disadvantage and keeps them up one goal.

Update 9:43 p.m.: Huge save by Vally keeps the Rangers ahead!

Update 9:48 p.m.: RANGERS WIN 4-3!! Well boys and girls that was FAR too close for comfort, but in the end the Rangers pulled it out.  In the second half, the Rangers looked like a team that was a little fatigued after playing two games in two nights and still coming off of a trip to Europe.  But in the end, the Rangers held on and are 4-0 for the first time in 25 years.  There is definitely something to be said for holding off a team that’s fast charging with a home opening crowd behind them.  There’s still a lot to tighten up with this team, but there’s a lot to like right now.  The penalty kill was again fantastic, Vally was solid again and made the big saves at the end and the Rangers got some production out of the fourth line.

Now onto the Devils.