Rangers Edge Flyers (aka Effers) 4-3 at Garden in Playoff Atmosphere Friday

The New York Rangers held on to beat the Flyers (aka Effers) 4-3 last night at Madison Square Garden in front of a raucous crowd. With the win the Rangers stay in the playoff race and need to beat the Flyers (aka Effers) Sunday afternoon at the Wachovia Center. There a few ways the Blueshirts can get in but the best way is another win. In the opening minute in the 1st period Marc Staal gave the puck away to Mike Richards who buried it behind Henrik Lundqvist to give the Effers the 1-0 lead. Staal has been excellent all season and I commented to my Wife how we never saw him do that even once this year. Watching Daniel Carcillo phony it up 3 times in trying to draw a penalty was a joke! At 7:22 in the 1st Chris Drury scored a power play goal on a tip in from an Erik Christensen pass across the crease. Three minutes later the Ranger 4th line was on the ice, won a face off at the right face off circle in the offensive zone and Jody Shelley buried the puck on another great pass from Brandon Prust. What a great goal on a line that continues to work hard every shift. Brandon Dubinsky scored his 20th goal of the season at 6:58 in the 2nd period to give the Blueshirts the 3-1 lead. The Effers cut into the lead on goals by Danny Briere and Mike Richards to tie it 3-3. The game winner was scored on a giveaway by Chris Pronger by Marian Gaborik at 16:54 in the 3rd period. Gaborik picked up the puck and with speed got past Pronger on the left side and threw it to the net. It was tipped off a Flyer into the upper-right corner of the net. That gives Gaborik 42 goals on the season. Brandon Prust had almost 13 minutes total ice time and Michal Rozsival led all skaters with over 25 minutes. Ryan Callahan gave dirty Chris Pronger a hard body check into the back boards behind the Ranger net and bounced off him. Callahan lumbered to the bench in pain and played only 8 minutes. Flyer Scott Hartnell tried his act on Artem Anisimov midway through the 3rd period. Dan Girardi protected AA and took care of business. Henrik Lundqvist was great in net and had 24 saves on 27 shots. It all comes down to the Sunday 3:00 matinee in Philadelphia. The three stars of the game were Marian Gaborik, Mike Richards and Henrik Lundqvist.

The Time is Now to Purchase this St. John’s Logo Watch!

Step right up to purchase your St. John's Logo Watch for only $132.00. I would gladly add this to my watch collection if it would ensure that I’m not late for watching the winning games in upcoming 2010-11 season under their new head coach. Time will tell, as they say.

Friday, April 9th Installment of What’s Up Jerry?

The New York Mets have lost their first series of the year and I just hope that they tighten up on the mental errors and especially the base running mistakes. One of the things that was pushed by Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya), Jerry Manuel and about 5 key players in the offseason was how the Mets were not going to make the mistakes they made last season and that this will be a new year. Well in the last two games they played like they did last season. The bullpen has been good thus far but the team should not need to rely on David Wright and Jason Bay solely for the offense. The Mets will need to be a team and I hope it starts with the Washington series.

LET’S GO RANGERS! – Blueshirts in Must Win Game as they Host Flyers (aka Effers) at Madison Square Garden Tonight

The New York Rangers have their playoff hopes in their own hands as they host the Philadelphia Flyers (aka Effers) tonight at the Garden. The Garden will be rocking and will most certainly sound like a playoff game as this century’s version of the Broad Street Bullies roll into town. The Rangers need to win tonight in regulation time and at least win Sunday in Philadelphia in overtime or a shootout, or vice-versa. I don’t think I could take it if it goes to a shootout Sunday! I posted on my blog and was speaking to my Wife as we were heading into the City for the game Wednesday that they need to shoot the puck and treat the game like an overtime period. And they did just that. They came out firing from all sides with the defensemen joining the rush. Marc Staal has looked like Brian Leetch of late and we will need Staal to step-up to keep Henrik Lundqvist in one piece and to clear out the crease in front. The Flyers (aka Effers) have too many offensive weapons on their top two lines. The Maple Leaf’s Colton Orr, ex-Ranger who I really liked, played the dirtiest game I’ve ever seen him play on Wednesday. He tried to get Jody Shelley to take the bait. Shelley skated away then Orr punched him, dropped his gloves then hit him from the side. Shelley hadn’t even squared up to him. I leapt out of my seat and starting yelling at Orr, calling him a dirty bastard and other niceties. What a punk move. The Rangers will see lots of that nonsense tonight if they score early goals against Flyer goalie Brian Boucher. The Maple Leafs kept trying to get the Rangers top players into fights as to get them off the ice. I just want to see that mutt Daniel Carcillo go after Shelley and not Aaron Voros. I expect Ryan Callahan to be flying all over the ice, lots of Rangers taking shots and the 4th line to excel. Maybe we should bump them up to the 3rd line? My Wife and I were at the last home game against the Effers as the Blueshirts won 3-1. The Effer fans next to us stopped their yapping early in the 3rd period. Funny; I didn’t say a word to them the entire game, I just looked and laughed. LET’S GO RANGERS!

2010 NJ Devils Playoff Tickets On Sale Now

The New Jersey Devils have placed 2010 Playoff tickets on sale. The Devils are on cruise control and Marty Brodeur is a machine this time of year. I’ve been to the Rock for Playoff games and it’s a great arena to watch a game.

Mets Lose to Marlins 7-6 in 10 Innings at Citi Field Wednesday

The New York Mets lost to the Florida Marlins in 10 innings last night at Citi Field. I will post more information shortly.

Rangers Defeated Maple Leafs 5-1 at Garden Wednesday - More Later

The New York Rangers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs last night 5-1 at Madison Square Garden. I will post more information shortly.

Going to Ranger Game Tonight for Original Six Matchup Against Maple Leafs

My Wife and I will be going to the Garden for tonights Ranger game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers really need to run the table with a win tonight and take the home & home against the Flyers (aka Effers). Seeing the Bruins lose would be nice too. We’re keeping the faith. I didn’t have this game as part of my season tickets split but bought this game during the preseason thinking it may be important, and here we are.

Rangers Playoff Hopes Slip Sliding Away after 5-2 Loss to Sabres at HSBC Arena Tuesday

The New York Rangers’ slim playoff hopes took a huge hit last night after the 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. A bright spot was seeing Ryan Callahan return to the lineup. Brandon Prust opened up the scoring for the Rangers on a goal at 6:57 in the 1st period. I love the play of the 4th line and they’ve quadrupled their total ice time. The Rangers gave up a power play goal 3 minutes later. Buffalo scored again at 14:56 and the Blueshirts tied the game 2-2 on a power play goal late in the 1st period by PA Parenteau. I wonder what will happen to PA when Avery’s ready to return. Sabre Jochen Hecht scored on a shot that should have been stopped by Henrik Lundqvist at 5:17 in the 2nd period. Head coach John Tortorella then pulled Lundqvist in a surprising move as the Sabres took the lead 3-2. Maybe Torts wanted to give Lundqvist a rest or change momentum I’m just not sure. The Sabres defensemen pinched into the offensive zone the entire game. I lost count on the number of 4-on-3’s and 4-on-2’s Henrik had to face. Lundqvist needs to be perfect the rest of the way as he only had 13 saves on 16 shots before getting pulled. On the other end of the ice Ryan Miller was a magician for the Sabres showing why he’s one of the best goalies in the world, stopping 28 of 30 shots on goal. When Miller robbed Marian Gaborik I knew it would be a tough go the rest of the game. Ranger backup goalie Alex Auld had 12 saves on 14 shots on goal. The Blueshirts need to not hurt themselves by taking bad penalties tonight vs. Toronto and especially not against the Flyers (aka Effers). The Rangers need to come out and take it one shift at a time. The top line needs to be aggressive and take as many shots as possible. I’d like to see them treat each remaining game like an overtime period, just shoot the puck. In the immortal words of the Big Whistle Bill Chadwick SHOOT THE PUCK BARRY!

2010 NY Rangers Playoff Ticket Plans

I hope it’s not placing the cart before the horse as the Rangers put 2010 Playoff tickets on sale. If the Blueshirts make the playoffs and the each series goes a full 7 games, 3 of them would be played at Madison Square Garden. At this point the Rangers need to win the last 3 remaining regular season games at a minimum. E-mail this address for ticket plan offers. LET’S GO RANGERS!

Order Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2010 Season Tickets

If you root for the Scarlet Knights and would like season tickets you can purchase them now. My Wife and I have been to games and the game day experience is fun at Rutgers and hopefully the team will lead the Big East this season.

Great Day to Be at the Ballpark for Mets Opening Day 7-1 Victory Over Marlins Monday

The New York Mets had an excellent 7-1 win over the visiting Florida Marlins at revamped Citi Field yesterday. The first thing we noticed was the increased Mets awareness, with the old Shea Stadium Home Run Apple placed out in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda entrance, Met players on banners along the stadium and in front as well as the Hall of Fame and Museum to the right-hand side in the Rotunda. I took the picture of the dog incognito and the American Flag stretched across the field just after the National Anthem. The line to enter the Hall of Fame was excruciatingly long so we opted to get something to eat. We could still smell some of the freshly painted orange and blue walls as we made our way around the stadium. From the Pepsi Porch we enjoyed an excellent sunny day, truly a great day to be at the ballpark. The training staff and Oliver Perez were serenaded with loud boos during the introductions; with Ollie earning louder boos then Marlin Hanley Ramirez. Strawberry threw out the first pitch to Howard Johnson and the season was under way. Luis Castillo walked and stole 2nd base in the bottom of the 1st inning and David Wright blasted a shot to the right field seats just under us that gave the Mets the early 2-0 lead. It was great seeing Wright hit the other way with such power. The Mets left 5 guys on base in the next 5 innings but erupted for 4 runs in the 6th. Jason Bay tripled to left, walk to Gary Matthews, Jeff Francoeur sac fly to center for RBI, Bay scored, Rod Barajas doubled to center, Angel Pagan pinch hits for Santana, singled home Barajas, Pagan stole and got to third on throwing error, Alex Cora grounded out, with RBI. I said to my Wife early on that the Marlins outfielders were playing very shallow and it hurt them in the 6th. The Mets added another run in the 7th. Johan Santana won the pitching matchup vs. John Johnson for Santana’s first win of the season. Santana gave up only1 earned run, 4 hits, with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Fernando Nieve came in and pitched the 7th and 8th innings giving up only 2 hits with 2 strikeouts. As Francisco Rodriguez was announced to pitch the 9th inning he came running in from the bullpen and the crowd went crazy. In a non-save situation Jerry Manuel didn’t want to take any chances and looked to seal the win. Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-4 at the plate with 1 stolen base and made nice plays on the field for Florida. What a day to be at Citi Field, LET’S GO METS!

We’re Going to Citi Field for Opening Day as Hope Springs Eternal for Mets!

My Wife and I are looking forward to attending the New York Mets’ Opening Day at Citi Field as the baseball season kicks off for the rest of Major League Baseball today. The expression ‘Hope Springs Eternal’ is certainly true for this club as so many question marks remain. For all the Met fans in the area all I can say is LET’S GO METS!

Mets Ownership Does the Right Thing and Opens Mets Hall of Fame and Museum in Citi Field

I’m looking forward to seeing the Hall of Fame and Museum tomorrow before Opening Day. It’s a step in the right direction as many felt that Citi Field did not have a Met identity. As reported by newyork.mets.mlb.com:

From the moment you walk into the Hall of Fame -- located right next to the Mets' Team Store, nestled on the fringe of the stadium's Jackie Robinson Rotunda -- you're confronted with the ultimate evidence of team success. The Mets' two World Series trophies are arranged in cases immediately at the museum's entrance, and the team's Hall of Fame busts line the facing wall on your left.

The museum opens up into a deeper room and boasts several interesting display cases that highlight the team's many noteworthy players and accomplishments. The Mets have also installed interactive touchscreens that guide you through various aspects of the franchise's 48-year history, and there are television screens and timelines that help weave all the disparate elements into a cohesive narrative.

There's also assorted memorabilia arranged around the room, ranging from the expected to the completely esoteric. For instance, the ball that Mookie Wilson hit to win Game 6 of the 1986 World Series -- voted by fans as the most memorable moment at Shea Stadium -- is there, and so is an actual scouting report on former Met Darryl Strawberry, and a page of handwritten notes from former manager Casey Stengel.

Red Bulls Snap Road Losing Streak with 1-0 Victory Over Sounders at Qwest Field Saturday

The New York Red Bulls played a very defensive minded match last night with a solid 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders. The win snaps the road losing streak of 27 straight losses. In rainy cold Qwest Field the 36,000 Sounder fans were loud from the opening kickoff cheering on their club. The Sounders controlled for a lot of the match, especially when playing 4-4-2 in the 2nd half. Rookie Tim Ream and Mike Petke played very well on defense for the Red Bulls. Joel Lindpere played an excellent two way game again and is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. The captain Juan Pablo Angel had an excellent scoring chance but couldn’t capitalize. Macoumba Kandji was much more effective compared to his last game against the Chicago Fire. He didn’t dribble the ball and lose it in traffic and scored the lone goal for New York. Off a corner kick Kandji jumped on a loose ball in the penalty area and struck the ball just under the crossbar in the 21st minute. Late in the match Dane Richards took a cross from Danleigh Borman but missed the goal and pushed the ball to the right. Red Bull Goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul looked great, making some excellent saves in the beginning of the match and down the stretch. All in all an excellent road win for a team that hadn’t done so in a while. Head coach Hans Backe was not feeling well and stayed at the team’s hotel at the recommendation of a doctor. Assistant coach Richie Williams coached the Red Bulls and was all smiles after the match. Here’s to a speedy recovery for the head coach.

Excellent 3rd Period Lifted Rangers to 4-1 Victory Over Panthers at BankAtlantic Center Saturday

The New York Rangers had their best 3rd period of the season to earn the 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers last night. After a scoreless 1st period Keith Ballard scored at 6:38 in the 2nd period to give the Panthers the 1-0 lead just as a Ranger penalty ended. The Rangers did a good job of killing off 4 minor penalties but could not control the puck as that penalty ended. As the Rangers won the opening faceoff of the 3rd period Marc Staal yelled to Henrik Lundqvist to leave the puck behind the net. Staal took the puck from behind the Rangers net, went coast-to-coast and scored on a snap shot as he crossed the blue line. I said to my Wife “that looked like a Brian Leetch play” and it sure did. It was Staal’s third goal in as many games and Lundqvist’s first assist on the season. The Rangers couldn’t get any offense going in the 1st period with only 5 shots but picked it up with 10 shots in the 2nd and 12 in the 3rd. Marian Gaborik led all skaters with 8 shots and had an excellent game with constant pressure in the offensive zone. With the 4th line forechecking Brandon Prust got to the puck in front and backhanded it into the net to give the Rangers the 2-1 lead at 9:36 in the 3rd period. That line continues to contribute. Captain Chris Drury scored the Rangers 3rd goal as he streaked down the slot at 11:06 in the 3rd period. Marian Gaborik added an empty net goal at 19:00 in the 3rd to secure the 4-1 win for the Blueshirts. It was Gaborik’s 41st goal of the season. Staal and Dan Girardi were solid on defense and led all Rangers with ice time. Lundqvist had 19 saves including 6 shots on the Panthers power play and looked very sharp in goal. The Rangers are in 9th place in the Eastern Conference and tied in points with the Flyers (aka Effers). The Blueshirts play a critically important home-and-home series to end the season with the Effers. I hope Ryan Callahan, Sean Avery and Brian Boyle are back by then. The guys from Hartford are delivering in the meantime. The three stars of the game were Marc Staal, Brandon Prust and Keith Ballard.

If You Celebrate Today, Happy Easter Sunday!

Rangers Routed Lightning 5-0 at St. Pete Times Forum Friday

The New York Rangers kept their playoff hopes alive but taking the game to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 5-0 rout. The Rangers are 4-0-1 in their last five games since that horrible game in Boston. Brandon Prust opened the scoring with a wraparound goal at 3:09 in the 1st period. The Blueshirts fourth line dumped the puck in and had the forecheck going all game. The Rangers controlled the puck and the Lightning had trouble getting out of their zone, allowing 4 goals in the 1st period. Marc Staal came down the left side and scored a Brian Leetch type goal less then 30 seconds later, Rangers up 2-0. Vinny Prospal scored at 11:21 in the 1st period, almost jumping out of his skates after the goal, Rangers up 3-0. Prospal enjoyed his homecoming. Brandon Dubinsky added a power play goal at 14:55 in the 1st to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead. The first three goals were deflected off of Tampa Bay players but good things happen when you get the puck to the net. They are the type of goals that the Rangers were giving up earlier in the year. The Lightning pulled their goalie after the 1st intermission after a tough night. Aaron Voros scored the final Ranger goal at 13:50 in the 3rd period, Rangers up 5-0. Voros has been a healthy scratch the past couple of months and it was good seeing him get that goal. Henrik Lundqvist had 30 saves in his 4th shutout on the season but was tested only a handful of times. I wonder if he’ll start at Florida tonight or get the rest. With this victory and other teams losing the Rangers are in 9th place in the Eastern Conference and 2 points out of a playoff spot.

Mets Closer Francisco Rodriguez Left Team to Return to Venezuela

The New York Mets closer Frankie Rodriguez (K-Rod) left Spring Training yesterday and returned to Venezuela. Reports indicate that his brother was in a serious car accident. Mets GM Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) didn’t give any details of the situation but expects K-Rod to be with the team in New York by Opening Day. I hope all is well with Frankie’s brother and family.

Visit Citi Field to See Mets Play in 2010

The New York Mets have sent a fraction of the e-mails to me regarding their 2010 ticket plans compared to last season. Back in the 1990’s I had the Saturday Plan in the Mezzanine behind home plate with my friend when tickets cost $17.00 per ticket. When he moved to Florida I took his seat and my Wife was introduced to Shea Stadium. I gave them up two years after the strike season. With the prices now it seems like a lifetime ago. I tried to get my plan back when Bobby Valentine came to the team but the seats were long gone. The Mets sent this today via e-brochure today via e-mail. I will be going to Opening Day this Monday with my Wife but will buy tickets to any future games through StubHub. Tickets can be purchased and downloaded a few hours before the first pitch. Sellers often scale the price down as the game approaches. This offers the best way to minimize getting slammed with ticket charges and offering a good seat selection. I don’t know if we have the teamwork to make the dream work, but I hope they play at a higher level than last year. LET’S GO METS GO!

Mets Play Shell Game with Starting Pitching Rotation

The New York Mets played the shell game with their starting pitching rotation to take advantage of matchups. Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez have been pushed back in the rotation so they will miss the opening series with the Marlins at Citi Field and will start against the Washington Nationals. John Maine and Jon Niese will get the 2nd and 3rd starts against the Marlins. The ace of the staff Johan Santana will start Opening Day on Monday and is ready to go. Met pitching coach Dan Warthen has spun it as a good thing for the Mets but I wonder how long they’ll keep this rotation intact.

Somerset Patriots Fan Fest Scheduled for Saturday, April 10th

The Somerset Patriots Fan Fest is scheduled for Saturday, April 10th from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM. This is a free admission event and includes a chance for fans to meet and get autographs from Patriots manager Sparky Lyle, Travis Anderson, Jeff Nettles, Joe Burke and Casey Cahill.

Daniel Murphy Placed on the Disabled List with Torn MCL in Right Knee Wednesday

Mets first baseman Daniel Murphy was placed on the disabled list last night with a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) suffered while trying to score from third on a game with the Cardinals Tuesday. Murphy will be out between two to six weeks. Mike Jacobs, who signed a Minor League deal with the Metropolitans in February, will most likely start at first base. Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) wants Ike Davis to “continue to develop”. I bet if Jacobs is hitting .165 in May Davis’ development will be over and he’ll take over the job.

I was so Right – Jose Reyes will Start the Season on the Disabled List!

Last Tuesday I’d hoped Jose Reyes would not start the season on the disabled list. Sure enough he is! Late last night the Mets placed Reyes on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 26th. This will allow Reyes to return for next weekend if he’s ready. One school of thought is that this is a good move, ensuring he’s 100% before returning. My thought is that the Mets knew this all along and desired to sell as many tickets as possible. It’s tough not being cynical. Either way he’s not “returning to baseball activities” any time soon. This past week he looked very average against minor leaguers and clearly wasn’t ready. I hope they don’t extend his DL stint this time.