woo two points.

__________________
10 Keepers (Finished 2nd, lose 1 keeper)
C: Malkin | Nugent-Hopkins
LW:Nash | Ryan
RW:Gaborik | Kessel | Voracek
D: Green
G: Miller
IR:
10 Team, 10 Keeper
Head to Head: G,A,P,PPP,SHP,BS,FW,GAA,SV%,SO
Daily changes: 3C, 3LW, 3RW, 4D, 1Util, 2G

Don't mistake opinion for fact.

I was at the game last night at MSG, lots of interesting tidbits:

- On Richards, here is Angus' comment in the rambling: "Brad Richards had a helper and seemed to play his way out of Tortorella’s dog house – he won 17 of 20 faceoffs, and that definitely helps." Richards was, once again, horrible. For a player of such skill and having had so much success, it's incredible how little confidence he has right now. Tentative with the puck, passing up obvious shooting opportunities (especially on the PP), you name it. His helper was a nice little play but it was really created by Nash who made this gorgeous little deke to slot it in. Torts is definitely trying to get Richards going, he paired him with Nash and Hagelin for much of the game for just that reason, seems to me, he figures a couple of points here and there and Richards is back to his old self. Good plan, in my view, they really need Richards to start contributing all around. But to say he played well last night, incorrect, he was bad.

- On Gaborik, not as bad as Richards, but he's just not as involved as he should be. Difference is that Torts is giving Richards the opportunity to get out of his slump, he's not doing the same for Gabby. 14 mins TOI and on a line with Boyle (!?) and JT Miller (who played very well).

- Boyle, man talk about a downslide, a shell of what he was in previous years. The guy is useless out there.

- McDonagh: So solid, all around, and his offensive game is so underrated. He's back to a 32-pt pace now with those two nice helpers, and on a 56-pt pace over the last 10 games.

- Nash: BEAST. I just knew when we saw he was in the lineup that the Rangers were going to win big, and he was the prime reason why theRangers stormed out to a 20-3 shot advantage in the 1st period (despite notching only two markers). The entire team was lifted by his presence. Although DelZ and McD being back had a similar effect, it's obvious that it's Nash who is by far the best player on this team, and whose absence is felt the most. I can't wait to see this guy in Sochi next year. BEAST. He could have had 4 goals tonight, and one play toe-dragged around the Tampa Dman like nothing, big save by Garon. And on the goal he scored off the feed from Richards, he blasted past MA Bergeron like he was a peewee Dman (and many would say that, when it comes to his D game, that's an apt description of MAB).

- Lundqvist: One of those tough games where the Lightning had 1 shot through the first 17 minutes or so of the period, while the Rangers had 19 in that span. 19-1. And then a beautiful tip in by StLouis off a Brewer feed, no chance for Lundy, a goal on 2 shots. Many goalies would have let that affect him, but not Lundqvist. He was rock solid thereafter, making save after save to salvage a win for the Rangers when (despite their dominance much of the game) it could easily have gone the other way.

- Hagelin: Such great speed, such a difference maker, he's turning into a good one.

- Stamkos: So so dangerous, beautiful save by Lundqvist on a great one-timer that Stammer on a cross-ice saucer by StLouis.

- StLouis: Love watching him play, wasn't his best game although the goal was gorgeous.

- Hedman: HUGELY impressed by Hedman, especially his speed and his increasing willingness to show off his offensive capability. On one play he came up into the play to force a 2 on 1 by beating a Rangers fwd who was backchecking, and I mean easily outskating (speed-wise) the forward. And he's not too shabby on the backend either, such a big body. Very impressed.

- Brewer (I think it was him) made one of the ugliest plays of the year on D on the Hagelin goal, could have just stayed with him and taken Hagelin's body and instead tried to slide block against the boards, easy for Hagelin to step around him and blast one on him. Horrible play.

And as an aside, after the game my buddy (visiting from Prague) spent quite a bit of time at the gift shop, and by the time we hit the stairs to leave MSG the building was deserted. We come to a hallway and we hear music, and I realize it's The Who playing Quadrophenia at the MSG Theater! So we're standing outside these double doors and I'm thinking man how do I get in there, when who shows up, but Dancing Larry, the bald dancing guy at MSG, and somehow we end up on the other side of those doors. Dancing Larry talks to the security guard who spots us and he lets him through, but when he asks Larry who we are, Larry mumbles "I don't know these guys" and we get tossed. Karma though, a few minutes later the doors re-open and Larry gets tossed, with the security guards saying "Man, you ruined it, walked right into a hornet's nest." Not sure what Larry did but he sulked away, ashamed of himself. I'll remember that moment always when he shows up on the screen doing his little jig!

__________________

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Twitter: @ross10019

CBS Sportsline 14 team H2H keeper (21-man roster, 14 keepers), weekly lineup changes
G, A, PPP, SOG, BS, +/-, GAA, W, SV%
Montreal Maulers - 2011/12 and 2012/13 League Champions
C: Zetterberg/Getzlaf/Granlund/Roy/Desharnais
W: Hossa/Gaborik/Moulson/Marleau/Fleischmann/Horton/Brown/Baertschi(IR)
D: Markov/Karlsson(IR)/Letang/Byfuglien/McDonagh/Tyutin/Spurgeon
G: Lundqvist/Hiller/Brodeur

Yea i was at the game too, fun game to watch. Dancing (Homo) Larry, is a douche bag.

__________________
1 year H2H league, 12 teams
2C, 2LW, 2RW, 4D, 1Util, 2G

G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG
W, GAA, SV, SV%, SHO

C: Getzlaf, Krejci, Kesler
LW: Hartnell, Pacioretty, Datsyuk, Cammalleri
RW: St. Louis, Giroux, Clowe
D: Subban, Voynov, Yandle, Eckman-Larsson
G: Price, Niemi, Hiller

IR: Spezza

For Drunk Fantasy Hockey Banter Watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxanfBNJYP8

Andrew Gross ‏@AGrossRecord

Lines same: Hagelin-Richards-Nash Gaborik-Stepan-Callahan Pyatt-Boyle-Miller Haley-Halpern-Powe


Andrew Gross ‏@AGrossRecord

D-pairs the same: McDonagh-Girardi Del Zotto-Stralman Gilroy-Emminger

alright folks this team without a doubt sucks

lets do some venting what are the problems what can they do to address them

other than dolan and sather obviously those two are the biggest problems but arent going anywhere

so where do they go from here

fire torts

__________________
10 Keepers (Finished 2nd, lose 1 keeper)
C: Malkin | Nugent-Hopkins
LW:Nash | Ryan
RW:Gaborik | Kessel | Voracek
D: Green
G: Miller
IR:
10 Team, 10 Keeper
Head to Head: G,A,P,PPP,SHP,BS,FW,GAA,SV%,SO
Daily changes: 3C, 3LW, 3RW, 4D, 1Util, 2G

Don't mistake opinion for fact.

at face value its not a terrible idea i have never been a fan of his anyway

but if this is how 'great' richards is playing for the coach he wants to play for how does he play for a guy he doesnt want to play for

Steve Zipay ‏@stevezipay

Only six d at AM skate; no McDonagh or Girardi and no Asham or Richards of forwards.Likely rest for all but Asham

mcdonagh and girardi have been playing like shit lately and should be out there but they get a ton of icetime so i cant kill the decision entirely

but richards once again missing one is an absolute and total joke

what the hell could he possibly need rest from carrying his wallet after cashing that big check

that loser needs to be bought out after this season and this team needs to learn to stay the hell out of the high priced ufa market

Wow, on paper..this team looked like the team to beat. Is it safe to start pointing fingers at the coaching staff now? Torts? or is he still doing the right things? Is it the players not performing to their abilities ie. Gaborik, Richards, Lundy..

I wonder if they just need this shortened season to develop team chemistry. Its not like they added a whole lot of pieces. A major one in Nash - but the rest seems intact. Maybe its the tough divisional/conference matchups they are drawing ie. BOS, PITTS, NJD..

Anyways, im just perplexed how they are slipping off a playoff spot after being ranked so high by many including myself. Do you guys see any movement or firing this coming deadline to turn this team around?!

__________________
Fantasy Hockey Keeper Leagues
{Linden Cup Year 7: 16 GM Points only - Hockeydraft} "2012-13 Champions!"
{SSFHL Year 2: 20 GM Multicat. Salary cap} "Playoffs: 2nd rd.."
{TBIM Year 1: 20 GM H2H - Fantrax}
{CHDL Year 1: 28 GM H2H - Fantrax} "2012-13 Division Champs"
{IFFHL Year 0: 24 GM H2H Salary cap- Fantrax} "Drafting..."
{FHL Year 1: 16 GM H2H- ESPN}

I think they will make a move for some depth scoring and maybe a solid 2 way d-man. San Jose and St. Louis would make good trading partners wouldn't they? We might see Gomez and Redden back in Rangers' unis?!