Talbot Tops Hawks, Rangers Keep Rolling In Return From Olympic Break
It’s like the Olympics never happened. The Blueshirts went into the break winning 5 of 6 & came out the other side with a solid W over the defending champs. It wasn’t the most entertaining game – AV’s squad looked reminiscent of a Tortorella team in the deliberate, methodical way they neutralized Kane & Co. But any time your backup netminder can swipe two points from a potent team like Chicago, you take it. Wasn’t a fair fight though. We’re not talking about your average #2 in Cam Talbot as it is, but if you thought even the mighty Blackhawks could beat Killa Cam & his Ghostbusters mask in the Rangers‘ first game post-Egon, you thought wrong. Nash stepped down from the Olympic podium to net what ended up the game-winner while Derick Brassard extended his hot streak to 4G, 5A & a +9 over his last 7. Hags & JT Miller were buzzing too. Their contributions will be more important now with Zuccarello out.
The question is, who’s gonna be here for the home stretch? The trade deadline is less than a week away with a pair of prominent Rangers potentially on their way out. The Callahan for St. Louis swap has gained some steam since Boomer Esiason opened Pandora’s Box this past weekend without any hint of either Cally or Sather giving in to one another on a long-term deal. Meanwhile, Dan Girardi is getting attention from teams like the Ducks as perhaps the best available defenseman. Reports said the gap between NY & Girardi was narrow, but he’s still not signed. Common opinion is still that once Callahan goes, Girardi will get locked down – but who knows? If the Blueshirts do part with their captain, will they legitimately pull back St. Louis or end up with a lesser haul? Will Girardi move as well? For what? Prospects are nice, but not a return I want. After a horrific 2-6 start, the Blueshirts are 31-18-3 overall and an insane 16-4 on the road. There’s chemistry. I don’t wanna punt the rest of 2014 & another year of Hank’s prime. Maybe I’m thinking shortsighted – but if there’s no deal that pays immediate dividends, perhaps risking both walking for nothing isn’t the worst idea in the world.