Fans, I have a little confession to make: I wussed out.
I probably could have gone to the Garden on Thursday night to see the Rangers beat Isles, 3-1. But after last week’s exhausting home-and-home (now I understand why the players don’t like them), I decided to watch the game from the comfort of my attic. (Ladies, if you’re reading, it’s actually a "loft").
Being away from the rink, you miss the cursing and the energy. You don’t miss the long LIRR ride, the food, and the inability to yell and scream over every cross-check and drop pass.
It was a much-needed night off, if there is such a thing for a devoted sports fan. Still I managed to jot down a few observations that could make some tasty food for thought:
* What the hell was Marty Straka thinking? He was 72 games away from being the first NHL player to finish in the top 10 in assists without scoring a single goal. But he screwed everything up by slapping in a power-play tally in the first period. It’s like history means nothing to these guys.
* Miro Satan did not know he was playing against the Rangers. How do I know? Because he didn’t score a goal.
* Trent Hunter is one of the strongest players in the NHL. How do I know that one? Because he actually managed to pin Jaromir Jagr against the boards for a whole two seconds behind his own net. Strong like bull.
* During a break in play, I ran down the stairs to grab a glass of water. As I bounded off the last step, I slipped on the cold floor and inadvertently kicked my elderly cockerspaniel, Champagne. When I sat back down I discovered I had been given a two-minute penalty for obstruction. The friggin’ refs are calling it tight this year, man.
* Jaromir Jagr had two assists, giving him 17 points in 11 games this season. The last time Jaromir Jagr won the Hart Trophy was in 1998-99, when he scored 127 points for Pittsburgh. Guess how many points he’s on pace for this season? (Use the Windows calculator to help you out).
* Jason Blake is officially the most annoying player in the National Hockey League. I can’t think of one time a Rangers player actually managed to check him. Watching teams try to check him is like watching me try to catch the guys who wear numbers like 99 and 66 in my roller hockey league. You get the idea.
* Newsday's Islanders beat writer Alan Hahn stopped by the other day for some friendly hockey discourse, and mentioned that in order for the Islanders to beat the Rangers, they would need to stay out of the penalty box. Next time I see him, I’ll have to ask him if giving up six power plays is good or bad in today’s NHL.
* Alan also touted highly-skilled Isles rookie Robert Nilsson, who sure enough skated around everyone wearing a blue jersey.
* Alan, however, did not mention our blog in his most recent mailbag. Proof that nobody’s perfect.
* The Rangers best defensive puckhandler may be Henrik Lundqvist. Every time an Islanders penalty killer gently slid the puck past a Rangers defender, Brian Leetch must have been giggling with glee.
* Last and possibly least, I am thrilled that baseball season over. That means I don’t feel an evil pang at my conscience to flip on a World Series game right now. All the long, dramatic games were costing me valuable hours of sleep. Good night, sports fans.