Gaborik injury.

Boy, those two simple words are powerful enough to deflate any win and cheery mood.  Looks like it could be either a hip injury or a knee injury.  Or it could be nothing and just a late-game twinge.

On the bright side: Anisimov had the first goal of the game and it was very, very nice.  Lisin was excellent (goal in the third).  Del Zotto is up to 12 points in 12 games now.

Let’s see if I get any sleep tonight.  My guess is no.

Wow.  Just, wow.  Could the defense get any shittier?  Could anything get any shittier?

Although, I must say, after Henrik picked himself up off the ice after the one incident, I was simply happy that he was uninjured and couldn’t care less about the outcome of the game.  One point in Montreal is better than no points in Montreal.

The only entertaining part of that game was Gomez’s diving penalty which, as they would say in Montreal, was trés amusant.  And even though the tripping penalty was on the Rangers, it was still hilarious, mostly because it didn’t ****ing exist.  In fact, it may have been the least existent trip in history.  It was basically a hip check fail turned into a tripping penalty.

Gilroy had a goal.  That was nice too, I suppose.  I feel like some fans had already given up on Gilroy a little this season…we have, afterall, been spoiled with the MDZ phenomenon.  It makes us forget that Gilroy has a +4 rating, which is pretty damned good for a rookie defenseman.  3 points–not too shabby either.

Speaking of…Del Zotto: 10 points in 11 games.

Ryan O’Reilly also has 10 points.  If anyone else wins the Calder (besides DZ), I wouldn’t mind if it’s O’Reilly.  Hedman’s okay too.  At least it’s not Duchene.  Or Tavares.

Blues fans get to meet and get autographs from Eric Johnson and Cam Janssen this weekend.

Rangers fans get to…try to decide what they’re watching tomorrow night: Rangers game or Yankees game.

Where are my meet and greets?!

This Blues thing is at Wal-Mart, for Christ’s sake, so can’t we set Henrik and Vinny up in front of Fao Schwarz or something?  This really miffs me now, since the “work before play” ultimatum given by Tortorella took effect and the Rangers really have nothing else to do but…work.  Chatting up and glad handing fans sounds like pretty good work to me.

Want to raise fan awareness around the country, Mr. Bettman?   Tie a few bags of Reese’s Pieces to Michael Del Zotto and sit him down in front of the Hershey’s Times Square store.  You’ve got my attention.

Note: I’m devoting at least part of my next post to back-up goalies.

Also, thanks ESPN.  I really appreciate it when the Penguins win 7 games in a row and you devote a three minute block to how wonderful they are.  I also appreciate how the Rangers also had a 7 game win streak and you devoted…oh, right…that didn’t happen.  So basically: F*** you, ESPN.

(This whole entry began due to my search for the Andy McDonald “Turkey Vaccinator” video…so you have him to blame for this completely random post.) (The video is included below, so this wasn’t such a waste.)

In general, I don’t mind the Devils.  This season, the list of Devils that I dislike keeps growing.  In the first regular season Rangers-Devils game, it was Bryce Salvador for crashing the net.  In this game, it was Rolston for being, quite simply, a total dick to Lundqvist for absolutely no ****ing reason.

Brodeur didn’t get the shutout he needed either.  Phew.  But then again, I couldn’t exactly see this season’s Rangers getting shutout.  This also marked the eighth game in a row that the Rangers scored on the power play.  What a difference from last season.

Vinny Prospal is the most excitable goal celebrator I’ve ever seen.  I guess this makes up for Gaborik’s deadpan “Terminator” face after every goal.  Together they equal a normal facial expression.

The only impressive part of the game tonight was the sheer volume of Staal turnovers. *face palm*

I must say…the most disappointing aspect of this game was that MDZ didn’t have…any…points.  What’s this, Michael?  9 points in 10 games?  Gotta step it up.  (I joke, of course.  He did jump awfully quickly to Henrik’s defense after Rolston was a dick.)  And where is this mean hip-check everyone keeps talking about?  Again, kidding.  DZ’s a wonderful human being.  Don’t argue.

Somehow, I’m still in an excellent mood.  How is this happening?  What has been done to me?

(Maybe I’m physically unable to be upset with Parise, who scored 2 of the Devils goals…)

As an aside to the Blues organization:  Is there some part of training camp I’m missing?  The part where you tell TJ Oshie that he needs to be blond like Patrik Berglund and Erik Johnson in order to be a successful NHLer?  Or is it just his own piss-poor decision making that keeps leading him back to dyeing his hair blond?

I’d like to take this time to remind Islanders fans than John Tavares has zero points so far in tonight’s game against Carolina.

I like Joe Pavelski, even if he is a lousy detective:

I guess the major upside to the Rangers losing is that my mood has re-regulated itself.  This means no more “Why are you smiling?” “I…don’t know…my face hurts…how long have I been smiling?”, no more spontaneous hugging (strangers react poorly to this for some reason), and no more hysterical laughter that turns into sobs of joy in the middle of games.

Dany Heatley’s a dick.

I called this.  I did.  I swear.  I knew MDZ was a momma’s boy:  Oh yeah, that’s also 9 points in 9 games for him.

I’d like to point out that Del Zotto has a shooting percentage twice that of Tavares.  (Somewhere, an Islanders fan just stabbed himself with a spork.)

To be fair, Jason Demers from San Jose is also having a decent rookie campaign as a defenseman (7 points so far).  If Braydon Coburn and Mike Fisher had a love child, it would look like Demers.  And that’s a good thing.

Jeff Carter doesn’t look like he has a fake tan (wondering if he and Prospal use the same tanning salon) or bleached hair in his NHL Store advertisement.  Also a good thing.

I miss the obnoxious Blues hat that Erik Johnson had on during training camp.  It has yet to reappear in postgame interviews.  :(

The Avalanche rookie I care about more than Matt Duchene (a.k.a. Ryan O’Reilly) is staying in Colorado.

On the Dallas Stars website, what appeared to be a fantastic picture of James Neal turned out to be a fantastic picture of Jamie Benn.  And…a point to the Stars.

Rangers win their seventh game in a row!

This was the second mass domination of Toronto in less than a week (Leafs forums are hilarious btw, especially the Jesus facepalm picture).  I have yet to see Blake pay for crashing the net in the earlier game (unless offensively molesting the Leafs counts as “making Blake pay”…hmm).

Simply put, this is the best Rangers offense I’ve seen in a while.  Dubinsky scored the first goal of the game.  The only disappointing part of the game was the fact that Gaborik didn’t have any goals…it’s excellent when that’s all I have to bitch about. 

Also want to point out that Del Zotto now has 8 points in 8 games.  Yeah.  I know.  It’s amazing.  Lisin also got his first goal of the season.  So did Staal (the goal was very Matteau-esque….)!!!

Random: What are the odds that Torts played “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” all throughout training camp?

Staal!  Staal!  Staal!  (Couldn’t resist)

Marian Gaborik, you’re amazing.  Amazing.  Funderful.  You’ve earned it.  Funderful.

Ovechkin had 0 points.

Rangers win in D.C. 4-3.

1st period is almost over, so let me mention a few things before I continue watching the game.

Michael Del Zotto is now officially my favorite person EVER.

I think I just saw a skirmish involving Brashear, Voros and Boyle.  That could have become awfully icky, awfully quick for New Jersey,

Can you bench Chris Drury, Coach Tortorella?  Please?

Wow, there are a lot of penalties.  And I hate the “This is our year” commercial with Crosby at the end making his ugly “face scrunch”.

WHO MOTHER****ING CALLED IT?!  DZ!  Gorgeous pass (GORGEOUS) to Kotalik to set up that goal.

AAAAAAANND Matt Gilroy!!!  AHHHHHHH Young D-men are so the rage!

AAAAAAHHH YAY!!!

Rangers lost to the Penguins on Friday.  Maybe it was because the Penguins returned with most of their roster from last season, while the Rangers returned with less than half of their roster from last season.   Gaborik was still amazing though.  Actually, the first line was pretty amazing in general.

Rangers beat Ottawa last night.  It was awesome.  One word: Dubinsky.  Make that three words: Dubinsky AND Gaborik.

Del Zotto got his first NHL goal, too!   

And I love the fact that St. Louis won both of their games in Sweden against the Wings, especially since everyone, from ESPN to the Hockey News, said they’d get raped.  Looks to me like David Backes & Co. was doing the raping.  And the Direct Access videos and pictures on the Blues website?  Awwwww, Oshie.