Expectations

The NY Rangers are set to meet the Sabres in round two of the playoffs tonight.

Any Predictions? Any Expectations? It’s difficult to tell what this series will produce. Buffalo has, count ‘em, four lines that can score at will. Their defense will join as well offensively to devastate any opponent.

The Rangers defense is either too old and slow or too young and inexperienced. Henrik Lundqvist gives up too many rebounds. Their offense scores in spurts and has poor reliability on the power play.

Yet I think the Rangers have the will and a plan.

Sean Avery may talk too much but if the Sabres want to focus on him and let him get under their skin, so be it.

The Rangers overall playoff push which has been going on for two months has had them play at an extremely high level. Their TEAM defense will negate the Sabres’ offense and force more breakaways than we’ve ever seen in playoff competition.

Lundqvist will give up rebounds but he will stop up to 200 shots this series and bring back memories of last year’s Swedish world championship.

Expectations?

You bet and they’re big ones.

Let’s drop the puck.

Sloppy and Ugly

The New Jersey Nets continue to have high aspirations. Unfortunately their work ethic doesn’t match those aspirations.

Again and again, the Nets continue to give away games. Defensive lapses after jump shots, defensive lapses after drives to the basket, defensive lapses after rejections, that is the Nets way.

The Raptors were trailing the Nets towards the end of the third quarter. Yet who played strong defensively? The Raptors. Who had the rejections? Chris Bosh of the Raptors. Who had the dagger threes? T. J. Ford of the Raptors. Who played well at both ends? Anthony Parker of the Raptors. Who had uncontested alley oops? The Raptors.

Any two-way ball by the Nets? I didn’t see it in the fourth quarter. Any killer drives to the basket by the Nets? I didn’t see that either. Any steals by the Nets that resulted in success at the other end of the court? None of that either.

What I did see was a young inexperienced Raptors team who shot not one, but two baskets that didn’t count because they came too late. What I did see was a worthless Nets zone defense that came at the end of the fourth quarter. What I did see was the Nets giving away the game with sloppy and ugly play.

Sunday’s game four could have been the potential sweep game. Instead, this series is now open for a hungry Raptors team to move on to the second round.

The Raptors stepped up in the fourth quarter. The Nets sat down.

Rangers Ready To Roll

A possible rematch against Lou L. and the Devils may hearken some deja vu and negative karma for Rangers' fans but I am looking forward to it.

No predictions here but any move to the next round would be a positive step for this Rangers group.

Let's hope for the best.

Oh right, I said that already when I stated that the Rangers would need 94 points to make the playoffs as they did last night against Montreal.

Now that's deja vu.

http://judahmacabee11.blogspot.com/2007/02/clock-is-ticking-unfortunately-for.html

http://judahmacabee11.blogspot.com/2007/02/do-or-die-rangers-have-28-games-left.html