Dallas blows out the Rangers

by James Mirtle on Feb 6, 2009 10:13 PM CST Comment 16 comments

I imagine we're going to be hearing about this one for a while.

The Stars just scored seven straight goals at home against the Rangers, including six in a row in the third period, during a 10-2 blowout. Dallas had only nine shots on goal in the third period, making netminder Steve Valiquette's save percentage for the period just .333.

It'll be interesting to get some reaction as it comes from both camps.

The game was really a matchup of two teams headed in opposite directions. As I wrote in the Sean Avery post earlier today, the Rangers have been wholly mediocre since a hot start and, with Henrik Lundqvist out with the flu, you could see something like this coming. Dallas, meanwhile, started the year 11-14-4 and was in the Western Conference basement but has gone 14-5-3 since mid-December to move into fifth spot in the playoff race.

UPDATE Here are some stats from the game as provided by the Stars media relations folks:

The 10 goals scored by Dallas is the most scored by the team since moving to Texas in 1993.
The last time that the Rangers gave up 10 goals was April 9, 1993 vs. Pittsburgh.
Dallas is now 10-1-1 in its last 12 home games, and in the last 15 contests at American Airlines Center, the team is 12-2-1.

UPDATE Here's some reaction from the Rangers from the team's official site:

“There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” said captain Chris Drury. “It was embarrassing, humiliating, and it was awful.”

“We’re all embarrassed, and it starts with me,” Scott Gomez said. “It’s unacceptable, and we’re embarrassed the way we played. We embarrassed our fans and the organization.

“I feel the worst for Vali. The guy is always there and is a great teammate, and we let him down. It’s an embarrassment.”

There seems to be a theme there.

“This is a big loss, there’s no question about that,” said head coach Tom Renney. “But 3-2 or 10-2, a loss is a loss. The one thing we can’t do is hide behind a low-scoring game this time around. We got hammered.

"You can't be more disappointed than what happened tonight."

UPDATE I've been hearing from an increasing number of Rangers fans all season about Renney, and it's almost all been bad. New York's starting to fall back into the fringes of making the playoffs, and if their slide continues, the coach is going to be in jeopardy.

UPDATE Scotty Hockey isn't having any fun after this one.

0 recs | Comment 16 comments | Add comment | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Whoa. I guess both teams “miss” Avery in completely different ways.

Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Feb 6, 2009 10:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I can’t believe Renney left Valiquette in there for 10 goals.

by nuftjedi on Feb 6, 2009 10:52 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

By the point Valiquette started showing signs of breakdown, it as 6-2, with 8 minutes left. I don’t see any value in putting in Lundqvist at that point (and Lundqsivt was also suffering from the flu).

Renney, however, might be getting a little on the edge here. He’s been given a team with a bunch of huge contracts, and almost all of those are underachieving, so there’s not much he can do about that…but he’s showing a looooott of faith in players who have done very little to deserve it. They had a 5-3 late in the 2nd period, and it was a 3-2 game. So Renney put Wade Redden on the point. Wade Redden has 2 goals, none since October 11. He has 1 power play assist since November. Sounds like the perfect man to run a key PP to me!

Renney’s strength is also his weakness – he shows tremendous faith in his players to play their way out of a slump. His critics would say that he is too afraid to make changes and think outside the box.

BTW, this Rangers “effort” came after Renney actually ran the team through a hard bag skate. Lots of NYR fans have been complaining about him – but the media might start making some noise about whether he’s lost control of the team.

And that Steve Ott…what a wimp! I mean, he didnt fight Colton Orr with 6 mins left in the 3rd when Orr was running after him like a chicken with his head cut off! If Ott had any Guts, and was a Real Man, he would have dropped the gloves. I guess he was too tired, after putting up 3 points, and throwing about 10 solid, clean hits. /sarcasm

by poploser on Feb 6, 2009 11:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

BTW

Redden led all Rangers in ice time – 24:05.

by poploser on Feb 6, 2009 11:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ott

He broke his hand in a fight last November, came back nearly two weeks early from the original prognosis with screws to hold it together and has been told by doctors he cannot fight.

by Chad_ on Feb 7, 2009 1:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He probably wouldn’t have fought anyway.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Feb 7, 2009 8:26 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

so the fact that he's been told

if he throws a punch he’ll break his hand again. He wants to play. He hits hard but not cheap. Orr losing his mind isn’t Ott’s fault nor is it his responsibility to fight him. Hell he’s been on fire lately with an eight game point streak. Why should he fight Orr when his team was winning 8-2?

by Hull Fan on Feb 8, 2009 10:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh

Well, that game sucked.

I have a blog too! www.scottyhockey.com
Let's Go Rangers!

by Scotty Hockey on Feb 7, 2009 12:18 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I am so very happy

that I was careful to activate Valiquette in my hockey pool after learning that Lundqvist had the flu.

Some days it doesn’t pay to do research…

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on Feb 7, 2009 12:42 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Hehe, the guy in first place in mine had Valiquette in goal, too.

by James Mirtle on Feb 7, 2009 12:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Renney is probably toast. He held an all skate practice after their loss against Atlanta on Tuesday and this is how they responded. The Rangers clearly quit on Renney in that third period. I don’t see how any team can keep a coach after what happened this week. As a Devils fan I fear they might bring in someone like Jim Schoenfeld who could light a fire under them. Hopefully Sather is off somewhere fishing in Alberta and is too busy to notice his team imploding.

by jkrdevil on Feb 7, 2009 12:47 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Every year at least one team totally stinks while the flu is running through the locker room like a hyperactive child. Don’t any of these teams encourage flu shots? I never get one, but I don’t work in close quarters with the same people every day, and I can still perform pretty well when sick – and if someone needs to sub for me, it isn’t a big deal.

Seems like a logical preventive measure to take, and it certainly couldn’t hurt.

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Feb 7, 2009 7:45 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

It’s possible they did take the shot. But this year’s shot was ineffective as it didn’t target the most prevalent strains.

It’s always hit and miss with the flu shot to the point where healthy adults are often just as well off to have not taken the shot.

To me, it’s surprising that more hockey players don’t get sick throughout the year what with the amount of spit, sweat and snot flying around during games and practices.

by ShaneG on Feb 7, 2009 10:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

But this year’s shot was ineffective as it didn’t target the most prevalent strains.

Aha. I recall they were pretty accurate with the mix of strains last year – clearly the virus blenders were due for a down year.

…healthy adults are often just as well off to have not taken the shot.

Oh, believe me, I know – that’s why I don’t bother. That and I hyperventilate when I see needles. Still, I don’t have the same close contact with the same people that is found in other places where infectious pathogens are transmitted readily between individuals, such as locker rooms, day care facilities, high schools, and prisons. If I were more likely to be exposed to the virus I’d me a little more inclined to take the shot.

But given my own microbial druthers, I’m glad to see increasing awareness of MRSA as that is a lot more potentially damaging than most flu strains.

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Feb 7, 2009 12:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Reply fail! :(

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Feb 7, 2009 12:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh.

Well, should be an interesting weekend in New York. Larry Brooks clamoring for the return of Avery, and endless debate about the relative merits of Peter Laviolette and John Tortorella. Hey, if they hire Torts, the post-game conferences will be interesting, anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU8CJQiAycI

Rangers, Royals, Raiders, Knicks...the man loves a winner.

by self loather on Feb 7, 2009 12:39 PM CST reply actions 0 recs