halfway to heaven

We did it! Thank the hockey Gods we played such a good sound game 7, but even so my heart was beating out of my chest last night. It felt terrific to finally be on the smiling side of the handshake line against the Caps, even as I felt for those sad white sweaters. I've always wondered if I had the resiliency as a fan to endure a deep run, and thankfully I'm about to find out. I have quite a bit of guilt that I wasn't a hockey fan in 1994. It was my first year in the city and to be honest team sports were the furthest thing from my mind at that time. I grew to love the Rangers in the early 2000s, not our finest years, but I still loved those Lindros years.

The Lundqvist years have been much kinder & given all of us a ton of great moments and a few happy handshake lines. My favorite is the 2008 quarterfinal line against the New Jersey Devils. We all remember Brodeur refusing to shake Avery's hand and #16's brilliantly candid interview after, a definite highlight. But I also remember the Devils pulling out game 3 of that series in OT at the MSG and it hurt like Hades. This upcoming series is gonna be brutal win or lose. It's my first conference finals & I definitely have the resolve to get through it. I hope and believe the Rangers do too, but every second is gonna sting, every goal against gonna be a kick in the gut. I just hope (really a lot) that we'll be on the right side of this line. 8 more wins to go, but let's get the next four a little quicker. Let's go Rangers!

I believe!

I hope I can use a similar photo to the one below when I write about tonight's game. To be honest I've been nervous about closing out this series since Marc Staal potted that game miraculous winner Monday night. No matter what I'm very proud of the team this year, but I do hope that the same level of effort and drive the my Blueshirts displayed all season is more than evident tonight. No nail bitting, gonna just try and enjoy it. Picturing sticks raised in joy, please let is be so! Let's Go Rangers!

it was our turn

The Rangers have a poor recent history of conference semifinal Game 5s. In 2008, we lost the game and the series to the Penguins in OT courtesy of a goal by Rangers-killer Marian Hossa. But it was the year before was the real gutcrusher. After winning both games at home to tie up the series 2-2, we go into Buffalo and are 7.7 seconds from taking the all important game 5 from the Sabres when Chris Drury  ties it up. Not a death knell exactly until Afinogenov wins it in OT. On that night 5 years ago, Buffalo snatched victory from the hands of defeat and it hurt so acutely, still hurts in fact. But it feels a little bit better today because it was our turn last night. 6.6 seconds from going down 3-2 to the capitals Brad Richards pulled off a miracle, somehow tucking a puck in the net that normally would have just stuck in Holtby's pads. Not only that small gift from the Hockey Gods, but then Marc Staal pots the GWG less then 2 minutes into OT. It fell euphoric to be on the right side of that miracle, but having suffered through it before I really felt for the Caps afterward. Still I want a full repeat of Rangers/Sabres 2007. Let's go into to DC and take game ^ and hope the hockey gods have a few more smiles for us this series and this post-season.

He's MCA

I am one of the millions who can verify that the Beastie Boys were one of the first rap acts to reach the white suburbs. Beyond that even. I grew up in very rural upstate NY and was weened on a musical diet of crossover country and light FM. Love Eddie Rabbit and Anne Murray, but I had a distinct appetite for rock all along starting with Joan Jett and Blondie and eventually morphing into the heyday of hair rock in the late 80's. My favorite album in 1986 was Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet, I played the tape so much on my walkman that it gave out and I had to buy another.  A close second though was Beastie's debut License to Ill. I loved that album to pieces too. Always had a penchant for smart-asses and all three Beastie Boys fit that description. Plus they were funny. I'd never even been to Brooklyn let alone a White Castle, but that album hooked me. I even spent hours playing and rewinding the songs to write down what I interpreted as the lyrics. I remember having to look up Davy Jones' locker because at eleven I didn't get the reference. Love to find that notebook because my "translation" must be hilarious. The Beastie Boys were my first and my favorite rappers - when I saw Ad Rock at a Rangers game last year I involuntarily lost my shit. I never saw them live or followed them with the ferocity I had in the 7th grade, but I will miss Adam 'MCA" Yauch just as much now. Rest in peace.

just in time

So I thought I might miss Wednesday night's Game 3, dooming my Rangers to another loss. didn't make it home until 11pm and having avoided the score was nervous about the potential bad news. Turns out game wasn't nearly over just heading into 2OT.  Just took me a little while to get my mojo working and some terrific saves from both Holtby and Henrik, but Gaborik finally tucked the puck in the net (the right one) at 12:15. So relieved and excited. Woke the neighbors with cheering and clapping. Would love an easier afternoon, but really whatever it takes, I've got all day. Let's Go Rangers!

The reason I missed the majority of the game? A last minute effort to meet Benedict Cumberbatch. I should have known the Rangers were destined to win because I was incredibly lucky all night. Got one of the last standby seats to the PBS Sherlock event, was one of the honored few who got to meet Sherlock himself - plus a couple of great fans, Katie and Chris, who adopted me for the night. Please check out Sherlock series two on Masterpiece Mystery tomorrow night. It's terrific. And Benedict is a complete delight on and off the screen.

G&Ts and GWGs

I cannot recommend this as a sounds fan strategy, but my gameplan for game 1 included getting indecently drunk and in public no less! Started with an all you can drink brunch. managed to down 4 1/2 strong-ass mimosas tan on to a bar where I mainlined gin and tonics. don't know if I was slurring, but the bartender thought I was saying, "Ow, Ow, Ow" instead of "Out, Out, Out." and expressed the appropriate concern. Watching the game drunk does smooth over some of the most nervewracking portions of the game. For instance I completely missed the 5 on 3 and

except for yelling, the caps game tying tally with less than 4 seconds to go in the second didn't bother me that much at all.  No shame when Kreider scored the GWG. I screamed and clapped like I was a professional cheerleader. Thanks for coming through guys - it was well worth my very unpleasant personal post-show. No drinks tonight, but I'll be ridiculous on the inside. Let's Go Rangers!

relief and rejoicing!

It's only fitting that Henrik Lundqvist was nominated for a Hart trophy as MVP of league after his MVP player last night to take game and move on to the 2nd round. Of course now we have to play those Capitals. I regret having to play my 2nd fave team, but at least it's later on this season. And as the top seed so hopefully this time we can prevail!

I think it bodes well that Staal and Girardi scored and that former World Juniors teammates Stepan and Kreider have been playing to well since game 5. After coming back to take games 6 & 7 I feel we have the talent and resilience to make the conference finals.  Maybe we'll meet the Devils like in 1994. I've been scouting them a little and noticed that Brodeur nearly always steers the puck far down the ice because it takes him so long to heft himself up off the ice after he butterflies. Put that info in the kitty and ope we have to use it. Let's go Rangers!

We could be heroes

Now every Rangers fan expected Chris Kreider to score in Game 5 after Al Trautwig interviewed him before the 3rd period. But unfortunately that didn't happen and Ottawa went on to win 2-0. To be honest I was kinda dreading Game 6, especially after the Sens took a 1st period lead, but maybe #20 needed a little extra time to let the interview mojo work, because he scored the GWG in a 3-2 win. Yay Rangers. I have a friend who shouts "Rangers in 7" at me pretty much all year and I'm always thinking, "No, Rangers in 4 or 5 is fine by me." This time though I completely concur. RANGERS in 7! Hopefully Kreider will have even more GWG this postseason.

Every Rangers fan also know we'd be nowhere without our All-Star superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and today his incredible stats and superbly consistent efforts have been acknowledged by the league with a Vezina trophy nomination, his fourth, and hopefully this time hell take home the hardware. Henrik most certainly deserves it!

It's been a difficult series, but something I heard tickled me yesterday during the Panthers/Devils game. Chico is an unrepentant homer, but sometimes it's so enjoyably ridiculous. So last night Chico summed up the disastrous 2nd period in which the Devs coughed up a two goal lead (game 4 anyone?) by commenting, "Actually, the Devils played really well between the two goals Florida scored." Would have loved to see him call for the Penguins this round!

down but not out

That bitch Chris Neil takes out Brian Boyle

So my playoff series hasn't quite gone the way I had scripted after game 3. instead of putting away the Sens we're now down 2-3, but I always have faith and we'll just have to take games 6 & 7. Apart from a slew of penalties, I think our real failure has been urgency, and it shouldn't be hard to muster that now that everything's on the line. As usual Henrik's been shouldering the blame for not save those OT tallies, but the team in front has to score as well. I like to lay blame too, and I'm gonna call out Yahoo! sports for writing a post about Jason Spezza's lack of scoring.

Thanks Wysh, guess what happened after you penned that nugget? Spezza went and scored two goals! Of course that wouldn't be devastating if that wasn't the final score 2-0. Blows. Also now Sens killer Brian Boyle (please eat some citrus) has been concussed by agitator extraordinaire Chris Neil. Hate that asshole. Where is Sean Avery when you need him?

Hopefully his spirit is at least in the dressing room tomorrow night. I want an edgy, full-ass effort from my boys - show Ottawa and the league who's number one in the East.

Emma: outfit by Dolce and Gabbana Andrew: shirt by Dollie Banner

 

While my Rangers have been struggling I've continued to live off of Monday's Amazing Spider-Man photo shoot. Usually Michael J Fox just makes me happy on his own, so seeing Andrew Garfield adorned in my shirt is infinitely more enjoyable. The only thing that would make this sweeter is if MJF attends Death of a Salesman. Wouldn't that be brilliant? As you can imagine I'm pretty psyched for the new Spidey movie especially after that last trailer which really showcased some Peter Parker intensity. Hopefully Andrew will be able to squeeze in another project or two between Salesman and Spidey press because I need more than one movie a year. A Tony award would be nice too, get on that NPH :D

Andrew Garfield receiving his shirt. ps He's a delight.

Things are looking up!

It's been a pretty good couple of days. First my Rangers rebound from a contentious and crappy Game 2 to take Game 3 off a brilliant effort by Henrik Lundqvist and an inspired performance by Brian Boyle. I will say BB looked like a monster out there despite all the boos shouted his way, but the guy needs some Fruits and vegetables. Might be the bruises, but Boyle's looking a little grey and translucent for my tastes. Don't get scurvy BB!

I should probably hate Ottawa more than I do, but as always I just want to be the better team and you can't get much better than a shutout. So let's just do that again tonight.

Then yesterday my good fortune went crazy when Andrew Garfield, soon to be your Amazing Spider-Man showed up to the Sony photo call (thank you Just Jared) sporting the shirt I made for him!!!! How sweet is AG that he thought to wear a present from a fan for a press day? I'm over the moon and even moreso that the cherubic face of a young Michael J. Fox is now all over the interwebs! So support this fine actor and even better man by seeing The Amazing Spider-Man this summer (July 3rd) and cathcing his brilliant performance in Death of a Salesman on Broadway through June 2nd.