Before I get to hockey I want to say that I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving probably filled with good family and good fun and hopefully no turkey coma. I also want to be serious and tell you how thankful I am for the support of all of you with the new site and that it humbles and drives me to work even harder with it. As I have said before, the reason that I do this is to try to lend a voice to a lot of Rangers fans out there and when they take the time out of there day to read what I have put together that makes the act of doing it worthwhile. Enjoy your night; don’t spend too much money on Black Friday and now onto today’s hockey.
On this Thanksgiving it was a relatively quiet day on Bleeding All Blue, but there were a few articles put out today. This morning I took a look at something that has been brewing for a long time for the Rangers and noticed by probably most all Rangers fans over the years in that the Rangers seem to play better defensively for the backup goaltenders than they do for Henrik Lundqvist. With the help of Ranger Smurf and his statistics I took a look at the staggering differential in the number of scoring chances the Rangers allow when Henrik is in the net versus what the way they limit them when Martin Biron plays.
This afternoon I took a look at Chris Drury and how over the past few seasons I have defended him from the critics not for the contract he has but for the importance he has had to this team in different areas even if the scoring numbers had slipped dramatically. Right now I cannot defend the way this rehabilitation from a finger is being handled whether it be a month to get back on the ice and skate and still being unable to grip a stick, that must be some break is all I can think. While we are talking eight weeks for the Captain to get back from a finger problem you have other players playing through injuries every game with the most glaring example being someone like Brandon Prust. Other players have stepped up in the absence of Drury both on the ice and in the room but it is time for the Captain to earn his letter or give it up.
Final hockey piece there was news from today’s practice that included a team meeting, new lines, an update on the Michal Rozsival injury situation and even something on Chris Drury. All the details are here.
Lastly tomorrow for the Rangers game at Florida, Blueshirt Banter is holding a viewing party at Poitin Still Irish Restaurant and Pub in Hackensack, NJ. I do not know if I will personally be able to attend but there will be plenty of the best Rangers bloggers out there in attendance, a live episode of Blueshirt Banter radio and Ranger legends Nick Fotiu, Ron Greschner and Chris Kotsopoulos will be in the house. I would recommend the even to all and point you to Blueshirt Banter to get more information, though I am sure all you already know the way.
