The Rangers have blown a lot of two goal leads, but last night's inability to hold a one-goal lead put their backs against the wall.
The spell at HSBC Arena was almost broken, and with it, the Sabres resolve.
Henrik Lundqvist was spectacular and the Rangers were not, especially the power play, which failed on seven attempts when one score could have changed the momentum of the game.
Well, it's down to Sunday afternoon.
Can't say we didn't expect it.
But for the players and coaches and fans, this one hurts.
Don't believe anything else. The series was in their grasp and they let it slip away, losing a faceoff, failing to clear. The Sabres were desperate. The Rangers will have to match that Sunday, and get a bounce or two.
Comments (35)
Mr. Clutch. Chris Drury. End of story. Go Sabres!
ACK! ACK! Somebody seems to have CHOKED!
Yeah they choked. They should have learned by now when you suck that much its easier to just swallow.
Maybe now all those tough-talking "fans" will stop posting in the Sabres blog.
Now they will start talking about "pride" to try and console themselves. They will be blown out of their own house on Sunday.
All fans who go into other teams blogs are a** holes. I can't see how coming in here makes you guys feel any better because the people who go into Sabres blogs obviously don't regularly look in here.
Yeah they do - in fact if you go to the sabres blog - you will actually see where - "let's go rangers" invited me to newsday to blog when we told him to post on his own blog.
I post on other teams blogs.
Isbister never touched Miller, the goal should have stood. Rangers won't lose in their own arena.
I watched the Isbister 'goalie interference' call frame-by-frame on TiVo from two different angles and still can't see where he bumped the goalie. Miller jumped up to see over Isbister and as Miller came down, his blocker made minimal contact with Isbister, who took one hand off his own stick to get out of the goalie and the Saber defenseman's way. Maybe the ref thought taking his hand off the stick in what is traditionally a, "I didn't do anything" gesture made Izzy look guilty. I am surprised no one in the (MSG) broadcast booth made a bigger deal out of it.
From the Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda dept: You call a timeout with 16 seconds left and knowing that the refs were probably gonna let both teams get away with murder, and that is the best plan Renney sent those guys out with? In that instance, especially when you have a rookie, a minor-league call-up and a second year pro on the ice, as a coach you specifically have to say to your players "Guys there are on 16 ticks left, don't be afraid to take a penalty to make a play." Zubrus hauls down Girardi and nothing is (correctly) called but why werent the Rangers told to fall on the puck or tackle their guys off the face off. I remember several years ago Kelly Kisio (yes, I said Kelly Kisio) tying up his guy on the face-off and just falling on the puck to run out the clock (there was a little less time on the clock but the point still stands).
All I am saying is, in a pivotal Game 5 in Buffalo, you have protect that lead with 16 something seconds left by any means necessary because If you can't protect a lead with 16 something seconds left, then you don't deserve to win.
As a Buffalo fan, I am suprised that most (but not all) of you would complain about a bad call or Buffalo fans blogging on an open forum and not about the apparent absence of Jagr, Nylander and a poor coaching decision yesterday. Big time players need to make big time plays in the postseason, and from my vantagepoint, your big time players were not there. You're fooling yourself if you seriously think that the Rangers can win when Jagr is more concered about being hit by Zubrus, coming up with witty post-game comments and taking undisciplined-after the whistle penalties.
I have the Flu
Another great finish, but if you watched Buffalo this year, thats not surprising. What is surprising is that the Rangers are playing some good hockey, but in a long series, the better teams usually win. Better teams have more depth, confidence and the belief that nothing is impossible. This was a game where the Sabres never gave up and you had to know Drury would be his clutch self.
I'm not planning a parade in Sabre Nation yet. But the snow finally melted up here and the street cleaners are ready to go
I shoot puck and go in...I happy. Rangers and fans is smelly!
You know where gonna win that cup! Me and the Buffalo Sabres...yeah, yeah, yeah!
At least you Rangers fans have the yankees!
In a critical swing game - NHL teams who win Game 5 after being tied 2-2 win the series 80 percent of the time -
The Rangers season is over. Later losers!
what about the interference call when our two rangers were tackled off the face off just before the puck went in the net? c'mon you blind zebras get it together.
Coulda, shoulda, woulda...exactly!
Before you look to deflect the loss on the refs and anyone else you can dream up. Gut check time! Rangers didnt have the gut and got spanked last night.
They will win game 6 and this goes to seven! Then it is truly who wants it more.
LETS GO RANGERS!
woooohoooooo! The Sabres win! The Sabres win!
Wow - You are handed game 4 based on a pathetic no-goal review and you are still whining about calls?
Anyone with half a brain watch that game last night and think the Rangers deserved to win?
Nice effort, but once again THE RANGERS ARE NOT THAT GOOD. Get it through your thick skulls and put aside your delusional visions of anything besides a 2nd round effort.
Anyone with half a brain watch that game last night and think the Rangers deserved to win?
The better teams don't always win in sports. How else to explain those 40 wins by the Islanders this year??
Hey Robby, who's talking about the Islanders?
This series will prove, and is proving, the Rangers are no better than the Islanders. Islanders took one game from Buffalo while having 2 games potantially taken away by bad calls. The Rangers have taken two (and that's all they will get) while having one handed to them on a bad call.
Oh and again the Islanders were 5-1-3 against the Rangers.
So however it was that you think the Hollweg-Simon incident somehow vaulted you into clear superiority, get past it.
Then again your defense of the Rangers is 'the best team doesn't always win' so maybe you get it.
RB
First the Rangers did not play 9 games this year vs the first round losing (again) fishsticks.
I give the Isles no more than 5 years before they move to Canada. The tristate area can not support 3 teams. Long Island is a graying community with many of the youth forced to live elsewhere since they can not afford to live there. And of the hockey fans there have been (and always will be) more Ranger fans on Long Island than Isles fans. Since many Isles fans are also Jets fans they can root for the Jets - the Winnipeg Jets. Come on repeat after me J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets - you can do it.
Forget the stupid calls. I have never seen so many penalties called in OT. Never. This game is going soft.
As for Renney, why was the Jagr line out there with less than a minute to play? Why wasn't Betts and Ortmeyer out there?
to all you pathetic fans of other teams on here, please get a life. the rangers will win game six, and then go to buffalo and kick ass! they didn't even play all that well last night and still came within 7 seconds of winning. sorry sabre nation(how funny, stolen from the red sox), your team is going down!
let's go rangers!!!!
rangers in 7!
fishsticks are for frying!
"THE RANGERS ARE NOT THAT GOOD."
You know what, maybe the Rangers are not the best hockey team in the league but, the Rangers (and Islanders) both proved that Buffalo isn't as good as they think they are.
rangers blow,
say all u want about the rangers and islander comparison. bottom line is ur goalie is a head case (literally)..ur future is nothing, see ryan smyth trade. and your OVERPAID captain, is as soft as a roll of charmin. those 3 truths dont even compare to our 3. so enjoy wat happen last nite, CUZ THATS ALL U GOT!!
and unlike the islanders, the rangers overcame the adversity. see game 3 (rachuneks "distinct" kick)..and, btw, we didnt throw chit on the ice. potentially injuring ur own players.
WE WILL WIN GAME 6!!..remember the messiahs guarentee?...jagr knows it :D
sunday is all that matters..LETS GO RANGERS!!
gary - your coach has one thing correct in his post game comments - you were only in it in game 5 b/c of your superb goalie. That's it - plain and simple. He is a great goalie but if he falters one time - the rangers are done
I've said it before, but there are 30 NHL teams. And there are only 6 still playing. The Rangers are one of those 6. It's fair to say that anyone coming on this blog and being negative against the Rangers is a fan of one of the other 24 teams, eh?
;-)
ranger off season is fast approaching... Too bad you boys are getting bounced Sunday!!! LOL!
I hope Zubrus and Jagr fight
tj, nice prediction. LOL.
Sabres will beat the sens in 6 or 7......this their year!!!!!!!!!!! goooooooooooo SABRES
I guess the Tom Renney "business trip" ended two rounds early ranger fans!! LOL!! It is a pleasure to see!!!