OK we're only two games in, but the season did not start out like the disaster I feared. Hank played well in Prague, there was lots of hustle from everyone...including the players I was most worried about, and they severely out-played Tampa in five of the six periods.
No doubt the Bolts may not be the best barometer at the moment, but hey, four points is four points, and hopefully something to build on.
Very much looking forward to the atmosphere at the Garden tonight. I still think we're going to miss Avery not only for the (mostly) good things he did on the ice, but for the mojo he created in the crowd as well. Despite the loss of Avery, however, win or lose this seems like the kind of team the fans will greatly feed off.
Despite some negative connotations of New York fans (mostly espoused by people who know nothing about the City), all we really ask of our athletes is for hard work and an honest effort. Give it your best and we'll do our best to support you. This isn't Philly we're the fans always have a love/hate relationship with their teams.
We'll take John Starks going 1 for 18 in game seven of the finals, because John Starks epitomized hard work. We'll take the Yankees not making the playoffs this year, since they've given their all and made the playoffs the last dozen years. We don't care about payroll...that's for the rest of the country to obsess about. People are having a hard time dealing with the Mets recent collapses, because there is a feeling they didn't do their all to win (Are you listening, Tom Glavine?).
After game four of the Devil series three years ago, when we were totally destroyed and humiliated in four games, Ranger fans gave the team a long and loud standing ovation after the handshake on Garden ice. The feeling was that the team gave us a great season after seven years out of the playoffs, and we didn't hold the sweep against them. Henrik was hurt, Jagr hurt himself trying to punch a Devil in game one, and the rest of the players did what they could.
I have a feeling the crowd is really going to take to this team, and quickly. Wins will help in that regard, but win or lose this seems like a team that will work hard for 60 minutes, is young with a lot of speed, and will create a lot of excitement. Of course if some of the players I've mentioned in past threads play uninspired hockey the crowd will turn on them in a hurry, so let's hope that doesn't happen.
There is nothing like Madison Square Garden when the Rangers are playing well and playing hard...
Sandra