What happened at Madison Square Garden last night?

What happened at Madison Square Garden last night?


After the Rangers fell into a 2-0 hole early in the game it looked like it would be another disappointing night for the team who donned a 4-9 record over the last thirteen. As talked about in my last article ("Rest don't help the Rangers") why don't we ever get the breaks? Did we get breaks in this one? Or were they hard earned goals? I would have to say heard earned goals, wow. We actually worked hard for the puck and put pucks toward the opponents goal. This is something to build one here. But wait let's get back to the game.

After being down two zip only 9:31 into the first John Tortorella quickly called a time out to regroup his team. It was a great time out because what ever he said on the bench to his men the game changed from that moment on. And who do you think would get us on the board first? Hmm let me see, well it was his seventeenth of the year off a V. Prospal feed from behind the goal as M. Gaborik would do it again and cut a disappointing 2-0 deficit start of a game in half at the 11:29 mark. Just 2:08 later as the Rangers were pouring on the pressure as it looked like they had another one with a puck laying on the goal line it wasn't fully in Blue Jackets cleared it off the crease and the Rangers went back to work . A blast from the point came in and A. Anisimov would redirect it in for a tip in goal and all of a sudden were tied at two.

With Brian Leetch in the building the next Ranger goal looked like it was Brian on the ice. But it was Ranger rookie defensenmen Michael Del Zotto. Scoring on a Leetch type rush Del Zotto ripped one home for a 3-2 Ranger lead that made even Brian smile as the camera focused on him after the goal. 3-2 Ranger lead after one.

Heading into the second the Rangers weren't done yet as they went on a power play and Avery would make them pay. Scoring on a wrap around goal that needed to go Toronto before it was official and make for a 4-2 game. Avery would tally again and make it 5-2 another fifty one seconds later on a beautiful feed from Gaborik. On that Rangers goal Gaborik would give the feed but on the next one only twenty one ticks later Marian would get the mesh making the score 6 to 2. I then pinched myself to make sure this wasn't a dream. Well I made sure I wasn't and soon saw the Rangers other first year impressive defenseman on a break away as he wristed a blazer into mesh and the Rangers were up 7-2 just like that.

Seven unanswered goals. The Rangers put up three goals in the first they haven't put up three goals in a game since they played Atlanta Nov. 12th in a losing effort. The last time they put up three in a win was the 4-2 game in Edmonton.

The Blue Jackets would score a late goal at the end of the second and add another in the third for a 7-4 final at the Garden.

Positives to take out of this game? Yes a few. Once again Gaborik did his thing but more important Rangers finally got some secondary scoring. They got scoring from their two young defensemen Del Zotto and Gilroy and that's great if the defense can contribute to a team that is struggling to score besides Marian. It's their forwards that need to score, and Avery got two tonight as Artem Anisimov put home the other. Next game we need Higgins, Callahan or Kotalik to get in the scoring column and Dury and Dubinsky when their back in the line up.

New York Rangers take the much needed win and well deserved two points out of this one and can put a smile on their faces for a change.

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