Brandon Prust suspended for an elbow in Game 3. Mike Rupp with 14 penalty minutes in Game 4. The Rangers itching for a fight and taking penalties like crazy in the third period.
Who do the Rangers think they are, the Philadelphia Flyers?
Rupp only hit three Devils as he circled the net, including a shove into his former teammate, Marty Brodeur, right in the crease. Rupp seemed to be acting on orders from John Torterella. Or was it merely a case of frustration? If you looked at Torts giving instructions on the bench, and who he sent onto the ice, there was a method to the madness.
Meanwhile, at least one team came out to play hockey. Tonight, Zach Parise ended his scoring drought with an assist and two goals. Captain Zach spearheaded a convincing 4 - 1 victory over the Rangers. The Devils controlled three periods of play; the best team came out on top.
The series is now tied at two games apiece in the Eastern Conference Finals. Parise's last goal, an empty netter at 18:31, was created with an assist by #30, Martin Brodeur.
The Blueshirt netminder, Henrik Lundquist, faced 29 shots and let three get past - a save% of 0.897. Marty? His save% was 0.966 and his playoff record is now better than at any time since 2000. The "old man" continues to show his ability to compete at the pinnacle of league play.
Playoff records are now:
LA Kings 11 - 2
NJ Devils 10 - 6
NY Rangers 10 - 8
Phx Coyotes 9 - 6
One team needs five more games to own the cup. Two need six more games. One needs seven, and has their backs against the wall. The Coyotes had a strong showing on Sunday. Can they continue to avoid the knockout punch? Tuesday will be the most important game of their entire season and they will play in front of their home crowd.
Hockey Rules!
No comments:
Post a Comment