As you know a few days ago the Rangers traded Dane Byers the then Hartford Captain to the Columbus organization in exchange for Chad Kolarik. Last night Byers was in a familiar building, but an unfamiliar locker room as his new team took on the Wolfpack in what will be the last home game as the Wolfpack. On November 27, 2010 the Wolfpack officially become the Connecticut Whale and Hartford now only has five road games left until that happens.
Dane Byers play would prove critical to the outcome and not in a way that Pack fans, but maybe Ranger fans would enjoy. First, I do not understand the act of booing a guy by the Hartford fans who gave his all for their organization and was traded by the organization. It would be one thing if he pulled a Lebron and signed somewhere else or if he had stunk on your team, but neither was the case for Byers, though reports are now coming out that he wanted out of Hartford. I would ask each fan that booed, “Have you seen this team? Wouldn’t you want out of this dysfunction?” Byers took the booing in a classy manner by discussing the passion of the Hartford fans when he said, "I wasn’t really expecting the boos, but Hartford has passionate fan."
In the game Byers would prove critical to the game tying goal and the shootout result. Down 3-2, Byers ripped a shot on net from the left side and it was redirected past Cam Talbot with a little over 4 minutes left in the game. This goal to tie it at 3 came after Hartford had rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to take the lead. In the shootout during the 4th round it would be Byers who stepped as the shooter and he would do just that, no moves, nothing fancy just ripping a shot that and while Talbot got a big piece of it the puck would as if fated to seal the game would trickle in the net and end it. Personally I am happy for Byers and he goes to a better situation now and hopefully for his NHL goals in Columbus and he got to show the Hartford fans what they are going to be missing the rest of the year.
On the Hartford side the fact that they managed three goals is a step in the right direction, along with the battling back from the two deficits as I mentioned. Evegeny Grachev played on a line with Kris Newbury and Chad Kolarik which I think can be very beneficial to him as there is some skill and set positions if left alone. The line worked well together and in a goal reminiscent of a Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan line play Chad Kolarik did score his first with the Pack in his first game to give tie the game at 2 lead in the 3rd.
Other Notes:
- In typical fashion for a Ranger affiliated team Mats Zuccarello had a goal waved off saying it was scored after the end of the period
- Wade Redden threw a huge hit and then got in a fight
- Tomas Kundratek destroyed a guy in a fight
Highlights:
