Rangers: The Meaning of the First Game Win
Is a sweep possible -- or is it foolish to even discuss?
Posted on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 10:05 AMBragging is not The Maven's forte.
With that in mind I'm not suggesting that my prediction of a Rangers opening series victory over Washington was underlined by their stirring win in Game One. But looking ahead to the second game in our nation's capital on Saturday, it is apparent that the Capitals may very well be a paper tiger and not necessarily a playoff scoring machine.
As I told you over and over again in my previews of this fascinating matchup, the Caps are so weak in goal and so deficient on defense that all the Ovechkins and Semins and Greens cannot compensate for a goalie so riddled with doubts – and deficiencies – as Jose Theodore.
What the Chris Drury-less Blueshirts so aptly demonstrated on Wednesday night in Washington is that with Henny Lundqvist frustrating the shot-happy home club in the first period, it was only a matter of time before some of the New York guns would penetrate Washington's shabby defense.
Another element worth considering is one of my favorite show business theories; THE BUILD-UP TO A LETDOWN.
Let me explain: Al Ovechkin is a multi-talented player. That's a given. But even he has limitations. He is not as good as the press clipping tonnage given to him. Nor can he play defense or goal. Nor did he score even one goal.
He got the build-up alright and it led to a letdown. Big-time.
Washington's third period comeback to tie the game at three was noble; but its failure to put the game away when it was 3-3 in the third period AT HOME says it all.
Neither Ovechkin, nor the other Al, Semin, nor any other the so-called vaunted shooters were able to penetrate Lundqvist when it counted most.
As I told you just the other day, Brandon Dubinsky would come on strong in the playoffs. Ditto Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund. The myriad skeptics had written off Gomer as a "second-liner" and Naslund has been described as a "has-been."
No the series is NOT in the bag, but the signs are bright because my bottom line always has focused on goaltending.
The Rangers have it; the Caps don't.
Home ice "advantage" is a colossal joke. Torts troops proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
If they did it before (on Wednesday night), there's no reason to believe that they can't do it again, on Saturday. And if they do it on Saturday – don't laugh, it's possible – then it would be reasonable to dream of a sweep.
Okay, okay. It is a very, very distant hope.
Yeah, it was only a one goal margin on Game One but who cares?
I said it before and I'll conclude with it now: John Tortorella is a better playoff coach than Bruce Boudreau.
Torts has the troops playing well enough on D. He has Henny looking superb enough in goal.
Most important, he's got four guys who've already outscored Ovechkin.
If nothing else, it's a good start.
It may even turn out to be the reason why New York will have a super-duper finish!
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