After an offensive burst against the hapless Canes Ottawa have slid back into a slump falling 6-2 to the Broadway Blueshirts. Here's the story:
Quote:
Originally Posted by TSN
Martin Rucinsky had a goal and three assists, leading the New York Rangers to a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night that snapped a four-game winless streak.
Brian Leetch had a goal and assist for his first multipoint game this season.
Leetch scored his second goal of the season in the second period and set up Rucinsky in the first for the Rangers, who returned home following an 0-2-2 road trip. Leetch was playing in just his 11th game this season after missing the first nine due to an ankle injury.
Alex Kovalev had a goal and two assists, and Bobby Holik, Jan Hlavac and Petr Nedved added goals for New York, which only scored seven on the road trip. It was the Rangers' first home game since a 6-2 victory over Pittsburgh on Nov. 12.
The Senators, who had beaten the Rangers four straight times, looked a step slow as they played for the third time in four days.
Daniel Alfredsson's goal 5:02 into the second period brought Ottawa within 2-1, but by the time Senators defenceman Wade Redden scored in the closing minute of the period the Rangers had already added two more.
Rucinsky scored the only goal in the first, converting a pass from Leetch at 6:40. Holik made it 2-0 1:32 into the second when he was set up by Rucinsky and Kovalev.
Alfredsson's ninth of the season cut the deficit in half during a power play at 5:02, but Leetch scored at 6:34 to make it 3-1 and Hlavac's power-play goal restored New York's two-goal advantage with 6:02 left in the period.
Redden scored a power-play goal with 44.6 seconds remaining to get Ottawa within 4-2. New York took complete control in the third when Nedved and Kovalev scored 13 seconds apart to give the Rangers a 6-2 lead.
Jussi Markkanen, playing for the first time since the birth of his child this week, made 23 saves. He was subbing for regular goalie Mike Dunham, who is recovering from a groin injury that has kept him off the ice the past three games.
Patrick Lalime allowed all six goals on 22 shots before being replaced by Martin Prusek.
Rangers captain Mark Messier was in the lineup, but off the scoresheet a day after he took part in the outdoor old-timers game in Edmonton, Alberta. He arrived back in New York around midnight Saturday night.
Notes: The Senators hadn't lost to the Rangers since March 21, 2002. Their previous loss in Madison Square Garden was Dec. 23, 2001. ... Rangers C Eric Lindros returned after missing four games because of an eye injury. ... It was the 219th multipoint game of Leetch's career. ... The Senators are 1-3-0-1 in their last five games and are tied for last place in the Northeast Division after reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season. ... Messier played his 1,700th NHL game.
Can anyone figure out what is wrong with this talented team. If so please let Martin know what it is. He could use all the help he could get about now.
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The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want
Another pitiful performance tonight. The problem is that you can't pinpoint one specific area and say they are to blame. This team is so dis-jointed right now. Panick??? No, but the level of concern has risen considerbly. They are really struggling 5 on 5, especially when it comes to scoring.
Another pitiful performance tonight. The problem is that you can't pinpoint one specific area and say they are to blame. This team is so dis-jointed right now. Panick??? No, but the level of concern has risen considerbly. They are really struggling 5 on 5, especially when it comes to scoring.
Even good teams get blown out once in a while but when you couple it with the extended slump it just is not good. Something is wrong chemistry wise. Last year the Canucks looked not so good over the first month but they made a small trade(which has worked out sensationally) and won 11 of their next 12. I'm not saying break up the core but a change is needed.
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The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want
Another pitiful performance tonight. The problem is that you can't pinpoint one specific area and say they are to blame. This team is so dis-jointed right now. Panick??? No, but the level of concern has risen considerbly. They are really struggling 5 on 5, especially when it comes to scoring.
Even good teams get blown out once in a while but when you couple it with the extended slump it just is not good. Something is wrong chemistry wise. Last year the Canucks looked not so good over the first month but they made a small trade(which has worked out sensationally) and won 11 of their next 12. I'm not saying break up the core but a change is needed.
I'm not sure what they should do. This was the first game where they played attrocious and got blown out. Yeah, they've played some weak games, but they were in every game for the most part. This team is clearly underachieving badly. I still put stock into last season, the team that played well almost 100 games last year as opposed to the one that has only played 18 to this point. You can't get that bad that quickly when you only lose one player. I didn't mind Arvedson, but we all know he isn't the reason for this sluggish start. Our goal differential is amongst the best in the NHL still, yet we are hovering just over the .500 mark!!!
Fisher is one of the leaders on your team so as much as I'd like to think Arvy is missed badly I think Mike means a hell of a lot more to your team than Arvy ever did.
I'm not talking about earth shattering blockbuster type of deal. More a shuffling of deck chairs. You might get an inspired performance from the new Blood and the rest of the team might wake up and realize that they could end up in Carolina ock: or Nashville ock: ock: if they don't smarten up..
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The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want
Glad you asked Jim. :lol: Here lets see if my two cents worth will help.Goaltending is so overrated i Lalime played over his head last year and now he is playing more to his level not bad but not great just average.Martins i think he like Quinn has worn out his welcome with the players and they have quit responding to him.I think the biggest problem though for the sens is all the hype surrounding them to start the year they started the year overrated by the so called experts and sens fans alike and now everybody is wondering whats wrong with the sens when there really isn't much wrong with them.They are a good team but not as good as fans were lead to believe after their run in last years playoffs..
Glad you asked Jim. :lol: Here lets see if my two cents worth will help.Goaltending is so overrated i Lalime played over his head last year and now he is playing more to his level not bad but not great just average.Martins i think he like Quinn has worn out his welcome with the players and they have quit responding to him.I think the biggest problem though for the sens is all the hype surrounding them to start the year they started the year overrated by the so called experts and sens fans alike and now everybody is wondering whats wrong with the sens when there really isn't much wrong with them.They are a good team but not as good as fans were lead to believe after their run in last years playoffs..
Nobody is denying that they aren't playing well. First of all, the players love Martin, its not because they aren't responding to him. For most of them, he is the only coach they have had in the NHL, so they are closer to him then with players of other teams and their coaches. Many of them state off the ice they would be so pissed and upset if Jacques Martin was fired. To think their isn't something wrong with how they are playing is naive at best. They are clearly underachieving.
Glad you asked Jim. :lol: Here lets see if my two cents worth will help.Goaltending is so overrated i Lalime played over his head last year and now he is playing more to his level not bad but not great just average.Martins i think he like Quinn has worn out his welcome with the players and they have quit responding to him.I think the biggest problem though for the sens is all the hype surrounding them to start the year they started the year overrated by the so called experts and sens fans alike and now everybody is wondering whats wrong with the sens when there really isn't much wrong with them.They are a good team but not as good as fans were lead to believe after their run in last years playoffs..
Nobody is denying that they aren't playing well. First of all, the players love Martin, its not because they aren't responding to him. For most of them, he is the only coach they have had in the NHL, so they are closer to him then with players of other teams and their coaches. Many of them state off the ice they would be so pissed and upset if Jacques Martin was fired. To think their isn't something wrong with how they are playing is naive at best. They are clearly underachieving.
Perhaps what they are lacking from their coach is motivation. Dear old Roger amongst many other things was a great motivator. Perhaps his absence has left a big hole or void that only time will fill. I don't believe they overachieved last year but time will tell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyerfan2
Glad you asked Jim.
Your welcome :?
8)
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The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want
Do you know that Jacques Martin isn't a good motivator??? Just becuase he doesn't yell like a giant ape who pounds his chest ala Pat Quinn doesn't mean he can't do the job. I've always found that motivation from a coach is overated. If the players need motivation for big games, they shouldn't be in the NHL. Granted, in the regular season you can't get hyped for every single game, its just not realistic. But Scotty Bowman was not a big motivator when it came to yelling or getting the players pumped. The guy knew how to handle situations better then anybody and it didn't hurt that he coached some excellent teams. I always wonder in Basketball how Phil Jackson would do if he coached an average team instead of having the most dominant player of his era on his team!!!
Yikes, what's the problem
Yikes, what's the problem
ock: or Nashville 
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