The Olympic break couldn't of come at a more worse time for the Blue Shirts now that this team is moving on all cylinders. This reminds me of the last Olympic break four years ago when the Rangers were playing very well going into the break, came back, stumbled into playoffs and finally checked out in four games to the New Jersey Devils. That season the Rangers had a ton of players going to play in the Olympics and that may of caused fatigue down the stretch of the regular season and the four extra post season games they played.
This years strong finish would start after trailing 2-0 going into period two and it looked like we were due for a big let down. The Rangers would storm back for five unanswered goals, sparked by some big Henrik Lundqvist saves and a beautiful Sean Avery penalty shot goal to get the team on the board as the rest of the team would follow and stepped up as well.
Erik Christensen would score two goals big goals, Prospal keeps scoring and added an assist in his two point game. And finally Captain Chris Dury would finish off the Lightning with an empty net goal, a mile stone point for Chris his 600th total career point!
The Rangers did this without their number one scorer and one of their best defenseman. Both still out with laceration injury's, Gaborik and Del Zotto won't mind the break as it will give their wounds more time to heel. Although Gaborik will be headed for the Olympic tournament his injury is still listed as day to day.
This Ranger team is starting to excel, and to me it seems like it started in the third period against the Phoenix Coyotes. In that game they were down three zip and stormed back for two goals in third and came very close to tying the game. The next night they won a big game in Colorado. Since those games the Rangers haven't lost a game by more than a goal and head into the Olympic break 3-1 in their last four. Beating all three teams that are ahead of them in the standings including the Devils and Penguins.
Don't get me wrong I'm looking very forward to watching the Olympics this year but it's a very tuff time to send key players away in a huge tournament when their regular teams are fighting for their lives to get into second season. The guys not going to play in the tournament now have to stand idle and stop playing.
A great finish for the Blue Shirts, but we'll have to wait till March 2nd to see them play again. With the win the Rangers tie the Lightning for ninth place and have a game in hand on the eight place Canadians who they are only a point behind. I hope the break won't slow this team down when play resumes in March with only 20 more games to go they'll have to stay strong and consistent as they have been of late to make it to the second season.
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