The Rangers Scored With Just 0.2 Seconds In Regulation, Then Beat The Stars In OT For The Most Dramatic Win Of The NHL Season
I understand there's plenty of hockey to be played, but I don't know how you can have a more bonkers victory than this one for the New York Rangers. They've been playing far better from early December on following a rocky 11-10-5 start, but this night seemed particularly significant.
The West-leading Dallas Stars are fourth in power play conversion rate and penalty kill success. They also allow the second-fewest goals per game. Thus, it wasn't a huge surprise New York found trouble putting pucks past Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger...and what a...
SNOOZEFEST THIS GAME MUST HAVE BEEN... But then... you just start hacking away in front of the crease. ANGRY you can't get ANYTHING past this guy Oettinger... FLAILING away in desperation as the clock nears matching zeroes... and...!!
And.........
...
(H/T Jim Carrey) Was that over the top? I can never tell!
For real though!! I think I'm entitled to be over the top about this! What the fuck HAPPENED!? Ohhhhh man to be at Madison Square Garden when this shit went down. I'm trying to come up with alternative terms to "electric"…and I've learned the hard way that pandemonious technically isn't a word but for sure should be given some of the wyrrrrrd exceptions we allow into our dictionaries.
Anyway, uh, for lack of a better term. MSG WAS ELECTRIC!!!! IT WAS AN ELECTRIC FACTORY. THERE I SAID IT. I SAID THE THING. You can really hear it on that GWG in OT.
That quick sort of double-tap off the blocked shot by K'Andre Miller was the stuff of heroes and that which dreams are built on. A split-second delayed reaction time and the equalizer doesn't count. Then, the decisive goal? Are you kidding me??? Adam Freaking Fox. Just pulling up after a good ole fashioned scuffle. Smooth stickhandle. Drag swag. Backhand. WINNER. Casual. No. 1 star of the night. Thank you very much. GTFOH.
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I started this blog with the first and last paragraph you see in the final copy and it's even a little meta and strange typing out this penultimate 'graph before the penultimate 'graph right now. Or rather when I did. Which was…
Oh man this is where I start to question existence, space and time. Let me play you out with at least a little nugget of semi-informed analysis. Enjoy and buy merch below it. Also follow me if ye like.
Every game really matters as the Rangers jockey for position in a competitive Metro Division boasting a strong leader in Carolina and the neighboring, shocking upstart club of the year in the Devils. But the Blueshirts are really beginning to trend in the right direction. Thursday's 2-1 triumph over the Stars could well be a true watershed moment for the reigning East runners-up. At the very least, it spurs them on in their promising pursuit of a higher playoff seed.
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