Winter Classic Jerseys looking good
Rookie Carl Hagelin notches 1st goal in win over Flyers
Ruslan Fedotenko's 2 goal effort against the Capitals earns him the Broadway Hat
The Blueshirt Brigade took the Thanksgiving weekend off but fortunately the Rangers didn't, the latter shutting the door on a 2 game skid to mount 2 consecutive and impressive wins against The Capitals and The Flyers. Probably the most remarkable thing about the wins was the play of call-ups Carl Hagelin and John Mitchell, who fit seamlessly into the lineup notching points in their NHL and MSG debuts.
Hagelin went on to score the 2nd goal against the Flyers with a Crosby-like effort, showing up in front of the net uncovered after reading the cycle out to the point, getting one shot and staying with the fluttering airborne rebound long enough to knock it out of mid-air into the net. I thought Hagelin's speed and offensive instinct was apparent in both games and I can't speak highly enough about loving the play of guys that come out of NCAA College Hockey. They know how to compete.
I think Torts is a bit hesitant to give Hagelin a roster spot because you have to see how he responds to the grind of the schedule (seemed to wear out Zuccarello, and maybe even Step last year) but with the way this kid flies out there I can't see them sitting him in favor of Christensen, who may've seen his ship sail in the wake of his inconsistent play. Not even sure there will be room for Wolski when he gets off the injury list.
Mike Rupp, however is someone I'd like to see back in the lineup, if anything to take some fights off of Prust's knuckles. Nobody is as tough as BP in my opinion. The fight that started the game was the perfect move to kick-off this WInter Classic 24/7 Rangers Flyers rivalry, and it jump-started the club and the Garden crowd. The late 1st period fight against Simmons built even more momentum.
I was also pleasantly surprised with Dubi being put on a line with Pruster and Avery. I think Dubinsky plays better when he gets battered a little in the corners and in front of the net--it get his battle level up and brings out the best in him. With 1 goal on the season, you can't really keep him up on the 2nd line if he's not going, so let's see where this ends up.
Huge contest coming up Tuesday against Pitt. Probably the toughest game of the season so far but the Blueshirts will be up to the task. Have to make sure not to watch Crosby out there, and I think if we can get the Hagelin line in on the forecheck, our newly acquired speed will give the Penguins problems.
Go Blue!
