2/16/11 Rangers vs. Chicago Blackhawks

It's going to be legen-wait for it...

Rangers against the Chicago Blackhawks.

For the first time of two meetings this year, the Rangers and Blackhawks are squaring up in a battle between two original six franchises.

The Rangers are in the midst of a four game win streak. After beating Boston 3-0, where it seemed the team struggled for a bit, but Henrik Lundqvist did not, stopping every one of those 42 shots he faced. Ryan Callahan managed to chip in another goal that night, his sixth goal in his last four games. The offense is beginning to pick up for the Rangers again, after they went stagnant earlier this month where a powerplay goal couldn't be bought by the Rangers. Now, that has improved too, and along with the penalty kill, the Rangers are running a bit smoother when up or down a man. One of the big factors I think is going to need to step up tonight is Carl Hagelin. The Blackhawks are a very fast team, and if the Rangers give Patrick Kane or Johnathan Toews any room, they can make the most of it. In order for the Rangers to get a leg up on that, they will need Hagelin to be explosive tonight.

Can The Blackhawks Pull Off The Comeback?

Hello, if you are stumbling across this, this is typically a New York Rangers blog. In the off-season, many different topics are discussed on this blog that may or may not pertain to the Rangers. This site will continue to keep the Rangers as its top priority, but will post content about other hockey news while the post-season goes on.

If you aren't in-tune with the hockey world, or any sports for that matter, I would like to pose a single question to you: If a team is up three game to zero in a "best-of 7" series, the chances of a comeback are nearly impossible, right?

Well, as fate would have it, the Chicago Blackhawks have erased the three-game lead on the President's Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs. Tonight is the final game of the series, and everyone is feeling the tension.

Just one year after the Philadelphia Flyers overcame a 3-0 deficit against to the Boston Bruins in the semifinal round of the playoffs, the Blackhawks are looking to follow in their footsteps this year, and continue their streak of eliminating the Canucks from the playoffs for the third straight year. Only this year feels like it will sting just a bit more if they manage to pull it off.

It's been said around the hockey world that much of the blame for the Canucks' collapse falls on the shoulders of goaltender Roberto Luongo. Truth be told, Luongo hasn't been absolutely stellar for the past three games. In fact, head-coach Alain Vigneault decided to give Luongo a chance to gather himself just in-case of the inevitable (thus being Game 7), by starting backup goaltender Corey Schneider in Game 6. However, fate would have it that Schneider would eventually let in the tying goal of Game 6 on a penalty-shot by Michael Frolik, and in the process, injured himself. The Blackhawks had no choice but to send Luongo back into net, where he allowed the final goal of the night in during the overtime period from Ben Smith.

It's also been said that the Blackhawks are "inside Roberto Luongo's head." This statement could in fact hold some water. I mean, if you had to face the same team three-years in a row in the playoffs, after they've beaten you twice, and now you've given up a lead that if you potentially lose it, it will be remembered in the memories of sports-lore for the rest of time, you would probably be a little psyched out too. Not to say Luongo is not capable of winning the game tonight, but the thought of him being tormented by the Blackhawks.

I for one, will be rooting for the Blackhawks because I want to see a miraculous comeback once again. And since it's not the Flyers doing it, it'll be a lot easier to cheer for the team coming back. No offense to the Canucks or anything, I just love me a good underdog-Cinderella story.