Flyers vs. Rangers 10/10/2008: In-game blog

The season is back, and so are the in-game blogs!  For readers new to the site, I typically post before and after each Flyers game, checking in between periods with snippets of commentary.  Updates are posted at the top of the blog.

 

Postgame

Rangers 4 - Flyers 3

Climbing out of holes is far more difficult than digging them.  The Flyers fell behind early and spent the rest of the game struggling to hold the pieces together.

Kudos to Tom Renney and his entire squad.  The Rangers have skill, speed, and the ability to play terrific team hockey.  That served them well this evening.

The Flyers deserve credit for mounting a return, from drawing penalties to driving the net and scoring goals.  Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, and Antero Niittymaki had stand-out performances. 

One thing is certain - there’s work to do before Monday’s tilt against Montreal.

 

Second Intermission

Rangers 4 - Flyers 2

The Flyers did what they needed to do coming into this period.  They stopped the bleeding, and they got themselves within striking distance.  With a minute and a half of power play to start the third, I don’t see how it could be better.

Look for more fireworks before this one’s over, folks.

 

First Intermission

Rangers 4 - Flyers 0

The Rangers came ready to play tonight.  The Flyers came ready to find their sealegs.  And thus you have New York ahead by 4.  Enough said on that point.

I like what Mike Richards is trying to do for his team as the captain.  After being grabbed by the much larger Paul Mara, Richards did a great job holding up the Ranger without incurring a five-minute major for fighting.

 

Pregame

It’s finally here!  The Flyers are back with a vengeance and hungry for more!

Okay, I work in marketing, so pardon my cheesy adherence to the taglines.  But I could not be more ready for puck drop, even if it is coming ceremonially from Sarah Palin.

Taglines aside, the Flyers have much to prove.  Last year could be the foundation of a great season, as many pundits are predicting.  Or it could have been a fluke, a precursor to another inconsistent year of missed opportunities and injuries.  With Ryan Parent, Randy Jones, and Steven Downie out of the game, this tends to recall the injury plague more than Stanley Cup dreaming.

As for the Rangers, they looked fantastic in Europe.  Granted, they are a defense-first team, so they should have been able to shutdown a recovering Vinny Lecavalier and junior Lightning defense.  They need to answer a few questions: Is Henrik Lundquist healthy?  Can Gomez and Drury lead this team while carrying the almost-dead weight of Zherdev and Redden?

In the words of Lou Nolan - ARE YOU READY FOR SOME HOCKEY?