Regulation Wins...

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, the Rangers beat the Coyotes 4-1. Since then, they have had one regulation win, and that was against Anaheim on December 16.

Since Thanksgiving, there have been 3 shootout wins, 3 overtime wins, 6 losses, and 1 overtime loss (Capitals game last week where they blew the 4-0 lead to Alexandre Ovechkin).

And their power play has fallen to 25-11. That's 25 goals while on the PP, and 11 shorthanded goals against.

Yes, they are in first place. That 5-0 start was fantastic and it's the reason they are still kind of in first place (they are first in points but have played 2 more games than Philadelphia and 4 more than New Jersey, both of whom are nipping at their heels). Besides that fast start, the two reasons that they are in a decent position are Henrik Lundqvist and the fact that Gary Bettman hates games that end in a tie. Don't worry, Mr. Bettman, I do too. I enjoy the shootouts and what they've done to my team.

Let's hope a game against the Islanders breaks them out of their stupor, although the Islanders always, always play the Rangers tight, even with nothing on the line. 

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Life is Filled With Regrets...

Life is often filled with regrets. Maybe I should've asked a different girl to my junior prom. Maybe I shouldn't have intentionally beaned a girl in co-ed slow-pitch softball. Maybe I should've had decaf coffee before bed last night and I wouldn't have stayed up playing NHL 09 on XBox 360 until 4:15 in the morning. Maybe I shouldn't have written a college paper on a Jane Austen book and compared it to making marinara and alfredo sauces.

Last night, while not scoring any goals in my video game, I had a great idea to make a bet online about tonight's Ranger-Oiler affair at MSG. See, since the economy went down and I stopped making a lot of money at work, I have been (trying to) supplement my income with online betting. Overall, I'm up about $200 from the $100 I bought in for. Not huge money, but it's nice to know it's there if I don't blow it.

So the bet I wanted to make was called a "prop bet." A prop bet is when you bet on stuff, like "Who Will Have More Points, Chris Drury or Shawn Horcoff?" "Will Either Team Score in the First 10 Minutes?" The one I wanted to do was "Will the Game Go Into Overtime?" For a $10 bet, you would profit around $38. I was probably going to bet $5. I don't like losing a lot, so if I bet $5 I'm fine if I lose it.

My basis was the last 2 games. One was Messier Night in 2006 when the Rangers came back from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime, and Jaromir Jagr scored in the extra frame on a great shot to win. Last year, Chris Drury scored with seconds left to force overtime, and the Rangers became one of the many teams to lose in a shootout to the Oilers last year.

It seemed natural that this game would then go into overtime.

Yet, I forgot to bet it. I did make other bets. I bet that the Rangers would win tonight while the Penguins, Islanders, and Maple Leafs would all win tomorrow. That bet became null and void when Markus Naslund was entered into the shootout.

Anyway, I haven't seen the whole game yet, since I was at work. And to be honest, I won't write a review. NHL.com does that better than me. I'm not delusional. I know why you really come here: to hear about my budding small-money gambling addiction.

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While on the topic of the Oilers, I had XM Home Ice 204 on in my car and heard part of Glenn Anderson's "acceptance" speech. Very good speaker and an emotional speech. Good to see him finally get into the Hall of Fame, he deserves it and he was very grateful for it.

Like Natalie Imbruglia, I'm Torn...

Quickly, before someone scores to make this post a moot point.

The reason I want Henrik Zetterberg to score in the third overtime...

Because I hate many of the Penguins. I hate young neck-breaking punk Brooks Orpik, young behind-hitting Jarrko Ruutu, and old, old run-taking Gary Roberts. I know Sidney Crosby is talented, but everytime I see his dirt-beard I wish Gilette would put him in a commercial with Tiger Woods so he would shave it. I can't stand Hal Gill or Adam Hall, although Hall isn't good enough to actually dislike. I don't like Marian Hossa because I don't like Marcel, and I don't want to see Georges Laraque drink from the Cup.

In fact, the only Penguins I like make a short list. I like the Ryans - Malone (because I want him in blue next year) and Whitney (because he went to BU). I also like Rob Scuderi because his mom taught in my high school and I saw her going to a Ranger/Penguin game in November. I like Petr Sykora, he's one of my favorite NHLers and someone the Rangers never should have let go (he waited for a call from them until August of 2006 before signing with Edmonton). I like Pascal Dupuis and Maxime Talbot also (nice guy, used to have a great 'stache). I also think Ty Conklin deserves the Cup that he didn't win as a back-up goaltender in 2006 with the Oilers.

The reason I want Sykora to score in the third overtime...

So the NHL can have a game seven.

(P.S. The only reason I would want the Penguins to win the Cup is so a second Staal brother gets his name on it, meaning Marc will have his on it in 2010.)