Rangers: Finding a New Wake-Up Call
The new passwords: Crosby-Malkin
Posted on Monday, December 1, 2008 at 10:30 AMThe newest Rangers' wake-up call message comes loud and clear: CROSBY-MALKIN!
It will be heard on Wednesday morning and then repeated about an hour before game time that evening when the Penguins try to take a bite out of The Apple – and the Blueshirts. Unfortunately, the previous wake-up message didn't quite work.
Oh, does that mean you haven't heard it either? On Sunday it was PELTONEN-CAMPBELL, as in Ville Peltonen who beat Henny Lundqvist at 9:55 of the second period, thereby snapping what had been a stirring zip-zip game. Stephen Weiss followed that with another red light for Florida at 16:01.
But the REAL killer-diller was applied by Gregory Campbell – son of ex-Rangers coach Colin Campbell – a mere dozen seconds later. Greg's goal was delivered so swiftly and with such ease that Tom Renney offered amnesty to Lundqvist and ordered him from the fracas, much to the goaltender's stick-smashing dismay.
"I was angry," Henny told me, "because I had given up three goals and I don't like leaving the game."
Fair enough. His opposite, Craig Anderson, was tending so well (he's now 4-1-3) that it would surprise no one if he becomes the Panthers goalie ace, replacing Tomas Vokoun.
That, of course, is no business of Renney who praised his lads for a solid first period and then lamented the disintegration of a game that ended 4-0.
With the sizzling Penguins en route to Seventh Avenue, the coach must devise a better strategy than offered before a Kids Day crowd that clamored for more but received less and less as the game unfolded.
The Maven asked Renney was the difference being "outhustled," and his answer was quickly affirmative.
"We had chances in the first period," he allowed, "but we didn't put them away."
Right off the bat, Brandon Dubinsky nabbed an errant pass and cruised in on a breakaway. His shot, however, sailed over the net and proved to be symbolic of an out-of-synch New York effort.
My theory is that the Rangers, for no particular reason, do poorly in day games.
"We're paid to win," is Renney's answer. "Day or night."
I also pointed out to both the coach and Lundqvist that, historically, home teams rarely win right after Thanksgiving. You know ... too much turkey, too many family distractions.
"I'm Swedish," Lundqvist shot back, "I don't celebrate Thanksgiving!"
By the time Sid The Kid and his henchman, Evgeni The Excellent, take The Garden ice, Thanksgiving will be ancient history. But the new wake-up call won't.
CROSBY-MALKIN, it beehoves the Blueshirts not to forget!
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