ATLANTA - Los Angeles-based filmmaker and Atlanta native Stephen Rollins says he is gathering information for a possible bid to buy the Atlanta Thrashers.

Posted under Nhl

Ok stat of the night: The Rangers have never lost a series when they took a 2-0 lead. Well it looks like this trend will continue.

Think about it, do you honestly believe the Devils will take two games at the Garden, a place where they are 9-2-1 against the Devils in the regular season since the lockout and the two regulation losses had Kevin Weekes in goal? Sure the Devils beat the King twice at MSG in the 2006 playoffs, but remember he did have the hip flexor and migraine headaches back then.

With the Garden rocking and a determined Ranger team, it’s going to be tough for the Devils.

Bottom line, the Blueshirts should win this series, unless a 2004 Yankee-like collapse occurs.

Before we get ahead of ourselves and look at the Montreal matchup, there are still two games to be won and unlike last year’s Atlanta Thrashers, which saw Kari Lehtonen meltdown, Marty Brodeur won’t go out that easy. Tom Renney knows this and will have his team ready.

First the Rangers will need to put more pressure on Brodeur and get more pucks to the net. With only 13 shots through two periods, the team will have to play like they did in the third tonight, while keeping Lundqvist well protected.

It’s not going to be easy, but I am keeping a quiet confidence.  

  

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The inevitable was announced today as the Rangers will retire Brian Leetch’s No. 2 on January 24 before the match against the Atlanta Thrashers.

In a press release, general manager Glen Sather said, “When we talk about what it means to be a New York Ranger, Brian Leetch is the player who exemplifies that model. He is simply the greatest defenseman in the history of the franchise and gave the same effort when it came to helping the community off the ice.  There is no higher honor to grant Brian then to have his number raised to the rafters of Madison Square Garden to join the other Garden legends.”

In what is to be one of the hottest events for the upcoming season, no individual tickets will be available since the 350 or so open seats will be used for visiting dignitaries and Leetch’s family.

The Garden will be rocking for that night, but don’t expect an event like Mark Messier night two years ago, because Leetch will want something more low key.

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Joe’s note: I was away all day on a personal matter, so NYS’ editor Joe Pietaro pinch hit for me on the conference call. Here’s his report:

Rangers Knot Up Series at Two with 2-1 Win Over Sabres

Madison Square Garden was ablaze once again on Tuesday night as the Rangers held on for a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres to even their Eastern Conference Semifinals series at two games apiece. After dropping the opening two hard fought contests in Buffalo, the Blueshirts took Sunday’s match in double overtime and followed that up with a close regulation victory.

The Rangers led the latest game 2-0 before the Sabres came right back. Jaromir Jagr (second period) and Brendan Shanahan (third period) had power play tallies before Buffalo’s Ales Kotalik scored only 33 seconds later to cut the lead to one.

Sabres’ captain Daniel Briere had a potential game-tying shot with only 13.4 seconds left in the game kicked out by Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist that was sent for a long video review. It was determined that the puck did not fully cross the goal line and the Rangers took the two-game set at home. Counting the end of the regular season and first-round sweep against the Atlanta Thrashers, it was their ninth consecutive win and 12th in their last 13 games at the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena.’

“In that situation, you’re handcuffed. You’re at the mercy of the video review,” Rangers’ head coach Tom Renney said on a conference call to the media on Wednesday. “You have to prepare yourself to continue to play with the worst fate possible. Our video people thought it was a no-goal.”

The Rangers’ special teams were very effective, not only scoring twice with the man advantage, but killing off all four power plays that the Sabres’ had.

“We’re working together,” said Renney. “We tried to make their entries a little tougher. We have to continue to work very, very hard.”

Now the Rangers head back up to Buffalo for Game 5 on Friday night. A big shift has occurred in the series since the Sabres led two games to none.

“It’s on behalf of the players more than me,” Renney continued. “I felt as a coach that the guys had it in them (to come back). We just stayed with the game plan. This may be a special story this year.”

Renney also felt that due to the low scoring and effective goaltending in the series, scoring first would be major. “The goaltending has been great. Scoring the first goal is important. The bottom line is controlling the puck, controlling the ice. We understand what they’re (Buffalo) capable of doing.

“If you want to move through the playoffs, you have to play in a certain manner,” Renney said. “I truly believe our guys fell they can beat anybody.”

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