RodrigueGabriel

I'm still trying to get my mind around the expected goals stuff. How's this for a paradox? NYR played 3 games against CAR this season. In the 1st and 3rd, they were well underwater for 5v5 xGF% (40.22 and 41.70) and in the 2nd they cleared 50% (50.39) according to NST. Except they won the 1st and 3rd games 2-1 and 1-0 respectively and lost the 2nd 6-1 (which was during the Rangers' January slump). So, when they had the best xGF%, they got completely blown out, while at a significant xGF% deficit they won 2 gutty defensive slogs (as I remember them) where the two teams were roughly even in high danger chances at 5v5 (8-8 and 10-11). In the 1st game (11/2), NYR and CAR each had a PPG and Cuylle scored the only other goal at 5v5. Total SOG were 27-26 CAR. In the 3rd (3/12), Fox scored the only goal of the game at 5v5 and the Rangers were outshot 28-24. So it's not like Igor had to stand on his head and make 45 saves in either game. The Rangers were 5-2 vs COL, CAR and DAL, three of the top five NHL teams in xGF%. That's roughly the same winning% vs that group as the rest of the league. Their 2 best games for 5v5 xGF% - by a fairly wide margin - were the two they lost, by 6-3 and 6-1 margins. Go figure. There is something about what makes the Rangers good at winning hockey games that is not captured by these numbers - whether or not xGF% has correlated to success. We'll see if it plays out differently in the Playoffs.

Florida is a freaking battle wagon.

I watched him get up and start limping towards the bench. By about 2/3 of the way there, he was putting weight on it and I knew that nothing catastrophic had happened.

A good scare and any number of bumps, bruises, and nagging injuries.

Man, he was completely invisible tonight. He just has nothing in the tank.

I came here to see a handshake line and goddammit I'm gonna get one

About 7 utterly huge men in Ranger jerseys just populated the row in front of me. I can pretty much do anything I want. They have a banner and a huge stuffed loaf of bread. They could def work their way on camera.

Officer Rempe on one knee at the red line, just waiting for trouble to start. Maybe someone should tell him it's only warmups.

Right. If the last one was the "most teethiest," what are we left with?

Interesting that both Florida and Carolina blew their clinch games yesterday, leaving NYR with the opportunity to be the only one of the 8 1st round series to sweep. That said, not a lock by any means. The Caps are going to want to goon it up to reassert themselves, but they're dead if they make too many trips to the box. Pressure is all on them. Sprung for the lower section (was not super pricey), so I'll be up close and personal.

Looking back at the replay, first contact on TVR was Rempe's hip to the middle of his chest. Think about that for a second.

Agreed. Never said it's beyond them or that they can't rise to the competition. But it will be a higher level.

There have been periods of sloppiness for which a better team would have made them pay.

Will be interesting to see. They should be pissed about TVR. I don't think they believe they can win the series. They might want to take a pound of flesh, but they might just go away.

Man, Rempe just eliminated TVR. Dude would have done better in a bad car accident.