Live from MSG: Some pre-game reading
In the press box right now, listening to Ron Duguay test his pre-game intro on the sound system...
Me, I'm just back from the gym (nice long elliptical, bike, upper body workout to John Hiatt's "Slow Turning", some top-tapping gospel by the Dixie Hummingbirds, and Ryan Adams' "Rock and Roll.")
So it's Henrik Lundqvist vs. Martin Brodeur in Game 1 at MSG tonight, and as usual, I'll have Arthur Staple with me for coverage, and perhaps, as you've already seen in an entry, Neil Best handling the Devils through the series and posting here.
Got some news about the prospects/ callups I've expected: Tim Erixon, Casey Wellman, G Cam Talbot, J.T. Miller, Dylan McIlrath and Kris Newbury have been summoned from CT. I'm told all of them will skate separately from the team. Could be a few more as well from the Whale. UPDATE: Marek Hrivik, Chad Kolarik and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault also en route
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No team has ever won the Stanley Cup after being pushed to the seven-game limit in the first two rounds.
Your thoughts, John Tortorella?
“It’s a bunch of crap,” the Rangers head coach said after the morning skate.
Ruslan Fedotenko agreed. “It’s all statistics in the past, it doesn’t matter,” the 33-year-old forward said. “I scored two goals in Game 7 (to win the Cup with Tampa in 2004), did I score the last two goals? (in Game 7 against the Caps Saturday). What’s in the past is in the past. There’s always a record to break, a record to set and new things to do. Each round is different, each team is different.”
In six Game 7s, Fedotenko’s team has emerged the victor, and he used that stat to illustrate his point. “Does that mean for sure it will be 7 and 0? No. It’s good to be able to be on the winning side, but it doesn’t matter.”
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The Rangers have won their last seven playoff series in which they held home-ice advantage, including a 4-3 series win against New Jersey in the 1994 Conference Final…Since 2007-08, the Rangers were 11-4-1 at home during the regular season against New Jersey…Several Rangers have considerable experience playing the Devils during the season. Henrik Lundqvist was 25-11-5, with a 1.79 GAA and six shutouts in 41 games. Brad Richards, who also played for Tampa and Dallas, was 5-28-33 in 38 games. Marian Gaborik, who also played for Minnesota, was 8-12-20 in 24 games. Dan Girardi has played 35 games, and is 1-13-14…
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Jeff Woywitka, John Scott and Steve Eminger are healthy scratches. Mats Zuccarello (fractured wrist) practiced but were scratched. Brandon Dubinsky, who had missed eight games with an injury to his right foot/ankle, was working out here, but not skating.
