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| NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 05: Brandon Dubinsky #17 of the New York Rangers celebrates scoring the third goal against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on November 5, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) |
The Rangers were looking to get back on the winning path tonight at one of their other homes, the Prudential Center in New Jersey. They were taking on a depleted Devil team and for most of the night the Rangers looked like they were playing down to the competition but there were two guys tonight that just would not let this team lose; Henrik Lundqvist and Brandon Dubinsky. Without those two they probably do lose this game with the effort they put out there but instead behind Henrik’s 33 save shutout performance and Dubinsky’s 9th and league lead tying 10th goals they walk out with 2 points and a 3-0 win.
The Rangers did not have much spark early, but Brandon Dubinsky off a busted play when Artem Anisimov fanned on his shot inadvertently passing into the realm of Dubi who then shot the puck passed Johan Hedberg for the 1-0 lead 7:35 in. If the Ranger attack was weak before the Dubinsky goal it was even worse after it as they only managed 1 shot the last 12:25 of the period and were outshot and outplayed by the Devils but thanks to Dubinsky and Lundqvist were up 1-0 at the end of 1.
The Ranger play wasn’t a whole lot better in the 2nd period as the Devils were still carrying the play but getting no results from the hard work and at times puck domination. The Devils were really killing the Rangers on draws until on a crucial draw late in the second period Brandon Dubinsky won it to Artem Anisimov who played it back to Dan Girardi who fired a wrist shot that was deflected passed Hedberg by Brian Boyle. The goal was Boyle’s fifth of the season which is a new career high for the big man. To say that the faceoff win was big would be the understatement of the night as it was only Dubinsky’s 2nd win in 7 draws through two and the Rangers would end the 2nd winning only 13 of 41 faceoffs in the game. Without that goal it is probably still a 1 goal game heading to the 3rd and who knows what happens then.
In the third it was more of the Dubinsky and Lundqvist show as Dubi while shorthanded sprung Todd White in for a chance and following White missing Dubinsky kept up his hustle and would score his 2nd of the night and 10th of the season. To say that Dubinsky is having a breakout start to the year is no longer worthy of the way he is playing as right now he is playing at an All-Star/MVP type level as tonight without Callahan he put the team on his back and let them ride him for 2 points. Henrik would finish off the shutout for his 26th career blanking and extend his dominance over NJ.
Rangers play again Sunday against red hot St. Louis Blues
- Anisimov played another good game netting 2 assists
- Boyle keeps playing solid hockey
- Stepan has absolutely no confidence right now to shoot the puck and it is causing him to massively press
- Avery was more involved tonight than last but it was NJ so that was to be expected
- Frolov was mostly invisible tonight again so if Cally is out on Sunday I still think Prust should be the guy to get that wing spot. He doesnt have the talent offensively for it, but the style of play should mesh very well and had success before for Artem.
- The fact that Boogaard did not go after Clarkson in the last 10 minutes of this game for that cheap shot on Boyle shows me he has no purpose on this team and no interest in protecting his teammates.
- The D pairs seemed to play better when they went back to last year’s pairs
- Rangers cant be too excited that a team of mostly scrubs for the most part outplayed them and out chanced them all night
- Said before the game Dubi is worthy of the A, more on that tomorrow
