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Friday, March 29, 2024

2012 Playoffs Hit NYC

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The New York Rangers were one of the top teams in the NHL this season, locking up the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.This week we take a look at the both Madison Square Garden tenants, the Rangers and Knicks, as they play in their respective playoffs. The Rangers were one of the top teams in the NHL this season and locked up the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks, on the other hand managed to sneak into playoffs after a late season rally and a coaching change.

After being down 3-2 in the series and one game away from elimination headed to Ottawa, the Rangers showed there is a reason why they were one of the league’s best.  In game six, after the Senators took a fist period lead, Rangers superstar goalie Henrik Lundqvist went to work giving up only one goal the rest of the game. The Rangers offense came alive to score three, second period goals to win the game 3-2 and set up a game seven at Madison Square Garden. In the series finale, it was a win or go home for both teams, but the Blue Shirts had the edge with the game on their home ice. Neither team scored a goal in the first period as both goalies were on top of their game. But in the second period, the Rangers came out firing getting goals from Girardi and Staal just 5 minutes apart to take a 2-0 lead. The Senator managed to score a power play goal late in the second period, but that would be it. Lundqvist shut the door on the series by blocking all 21 Senators shots in the third period as the Rangers survived a big scare but yet advanced to the second round.

In game one of the semifinals at home versus the Washington Capitals; the Rangers drew first blood when Artem Anisimov found the back of the net to give the Blue Shirts a 1-0 lead. The Capitals tied the game several minutes later on a Jason Chimera tip-in goal. In the third period it was all Rangers as Chris Kreider and Brad Richards score just 90 seconds apart to give the men in blue a 3-1 win a 1-0 series lead. Game two was back at Madison Square Garden on Monday night and both teams came ready. The Capitals scored first when Mike Knuble scored to make it 1-0 midway through the first, which was followed up by a Jason Chimera tip in minutes later for a 2-0 lead. Brad Richards responded with a goal of his own with less than a minute remaining in the period to cut the Capitals lead in half. In the second period both teams went scoreless as both goalies tightened up between the net. Midway through the third, Ryan Callahan found the back of the net on a power play goal and the game was tied at two. But just minutes later, Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin scored a power play which was the eventual game winner as Washington ties up the series at one a piece.

The other Madison Square Garden occupier the Knicks also had reserved their spot in the playoffs.  Though it didn’t come easy, NY managed to turn things around after head coach Mike D’Antoni resigned and interim Coach Mike Woodson guided the team to the sixth seed with a match up against the Miami Heat. In game one, the Knicks suffered a big blow as their promising rookie Iman Shumpert suffered a season-ending torn left ACL. As for the game itself, it seemed like the Knicks didn’t even bother showing up, only shooting 35% as it was all Heat, all day long in a 100-67 blowout which dropped NY to 0-1 in the series.  In game two, both teams came out firing which produced many lead changes as Miami led 53-47 at halftime.  But in the second half, Lebron James and the Heat were one step ahead of the Knicks as they out score NY 51-47 in the second half to take a 2-0 series lead. The Knicks are in the same position they were last year in the playoffs down 0-2 in the first round heading home and got swept. It will be very interesting to see if the Knicks can bounce back and make it a series by Lag B’omer.

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