Blue Notes

Dragging my tail, just back from across the pond and JFK.

Lots more tales to tell (some I filed were inadvertently deleted back here in New York yesterday), but not tonight....

Rangers are probably sleeping right now as well; they will have off-ice workouts tomorrow am and then we'll chat with the coach and players.

Until then: please rank your best (besides Gomez and Naslund) and worst performers and why over the first two games and we'll discuss tomorrah.

Also, dya think Fritsche or Sjostrom should play Friday, and who should sit against Chitown...

Until then, soft music, draw the shades and zzzzzz...

Call it tradition. Most fans here escape their seats to the food and drink stands every intermission...They missed the Lundqvist feature where he meets The Hives...OK, think I'm going to turn this live coverage over to Arthur Staple back in NY (didn't realize ya were there, young man)...Teams returning to the ice...

Howdy all, Staple here to blog you through the second game of the season. Rangers won, 2-1, yesterday in the opener, and as you can see below from our man in Prague, Zipay, the Rangers lineup will seemingly stay the same.

Olaf Kolzig gets the start in goal for the Lightning.

On with the show in a few minutes...

PRAGUE-----Nothing's official, but it appears the Rangers will dress the same lineup tonight as Saturday, which would mean another evening of watching for Dan Fritsche, Patrick Rissmiller and Fred Sjostrom.

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The Rangers were 8-6-3 in the second game of back-to-backs last season...

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Just some follow-up numbers from yesterday: The Rangers have won four consecutive openers and Tom Renney won two in Vancouver, so he's 6-0...the Rangers were 4-6-1 in October last season, however...The PK was 4-for-4

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Marty Straka visited the Rangers locker room before the game, but apparently didn't give a pre-game pep talk. He looks great, smiling, rested---and when I saw him on Saturday chatting with former Ranger and current Lightning wing Jason Ward near the press box, I complimented him on his Czech team's (of which he's player/executive) recent winning streak. "You're on fire," I said. "Not any more," he responded, "we lost last night."

Brandon Dubinsky's third-period power play goal gave the Rangers a 2-1 win over Tampa in their season debut....Interviews completed...plenty more coming

Wireless difficulties resolved in the press box.

After a poor, pre-season the King is back. He's turning away everything,. and most from close in....Scoreboard here has shots on goal as 0-0. I'm guessing Lundqvist has eight saves...Sitting on the upraised edge of a folding chair to see the ice....

PRAGUE--- We'll, we've made back to the arena pressroom after a quick buzz through Prague Castle (the stained glass windows in St. Vitus Cathedral are beyond belief) and the a scoot through the crush of fans in Rangers jerseys---even saw one Islanders sweater---outside. NHL.com's Dan Rosen said a Ranger fan said of the rival fabric: "They'll buy anything around here."

Meanwhile, our pal Dubi Silverstein is on his second round of sandwiches and salad and declared "Best media food I've ever had."

So stick around for updates to see if the Rangers can solve goalie Mike Smith and contain Mr. Lecavalier.

And by the way, don't miss Sunday's Newsday, with a 12-page NHL preview section and three pages of coverage off tonight's games. Think that just might be more than the other NY and NJ-area papers combined, which is unfortunate.
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Seriously, we miss ya,: Sam, Lynn, Andrew, Larry, etc. Prague would have been even more delightful with you around.

Back with the faceoff....