Hurricanes Defeated Rangers 5-1 at Garden Wednesday

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden 5-1 Wednesday. My Wife and I were in the green seats again for this one and I went with my friend Monday. The story of the game last night was lack to total team effort, two tough goals and another soft one that got past Henrik Lundqvist. Sergei Samsonov and Eric Stall each scored two goals for the Hurricanes. Carolina was ahead 2-0 before the first TV timeout in the 1st period. The sole Ranger goal was scored by Ryan Callahan at 1:24 in the 2nd period on a great pass from Marc Staal. Vinny Prospal got the secondary assist. That brought the Blueshirts to within 1 goal but that was all she wrote. Henrik Lundqvist came out of his crease and did a spin-o-rama near the left face off circle to clear the zone! In the other goal Cam Ward played very well for the Canes and kept the Rangers off the board. I was so distraught at the game that I called Steve Somers (aka “The Schmoozer") on WFAN 660 AM last night to discuss the game around midnight. Steve asked me “Did you have a good time?” I told him the best part of the night was the pastrami sandwich, at $12.50. He laughed and told me that is his rent. I told him there was a lack of effort in their defensive zone, losing the puck in the neutral zone, losing the puck battle behind their net and goal line. They wait for the puck along the wall instead of going after it. He said “but it’s in your blood, love of Madison Square Garden”, and it’s all true. I think the low point was at 13:10 in the 3rd period when Dan Girardi was called for holding and on the delayed penalty Ryan Callahan was called for tripping, 5-on-3 for the Hurricanes. New Carolina captain Eric Stall scored on a blazing slapper past Henrik above his left shoulder. The Rangers outshot them but it didn’t seem that way, not even close. The power play is still MIA. Alex Kotalik was a healthy scratch for six games in a row and did a complete no show last night after getting ice time. The guy in front of me had binoculars and saw Assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld in a box at the top of the Garden. GM Glen Sather was not standing near him but most likely was right behind him. Sather addressed the team after the game. They have some time to turn things around and make the playoffs but Sather has to do some shopping around. The three stars, all Hurricanes were Cam Ward, Eric Staal and Sergei Samsonov.