It was ugly at the Garden. It was ugly on the ice, where the Rangers couldn't control the puck in the neutral zone or their offensive zone, and it was ugly in the stands, where each passing Islanders fan was greeted with some rather vulgar comments by folks in the stands. There was some pushing and shoving as the game let out.
Although fueled by beer, the ugliness was kindled by the Rangers lackluster offensive performance tonight in a 2-1 loss to the Islanders. This is the third game against the Islanders this year and the third loss to them as well. Try as they might, the team did not appear to have it together. Passes went wide, shots were weak or non-existent, and keeping the puck in their own zone seemed difficult. The Islanders also seemed a bit lackluster throughout the game, but were able to get two goals early in the second period. The Rangers managed to score on a shorthanded goal when Shanahan muscled the puck away from Mike Comrie and pass it to Michal Rozsival, who shot it into the net.
I can't really complain: the Rangers are first in their division and their defense has been a pleasant surprise this year. And Lundqvist remains awesome: the true reason the team is where it is. But losing to the Islanders three times is a miserable experience. Although I wasn't ready to curse out each Islander Jersey wearing fan, I understand the frustration that brought it on. Maybe that guy should get a blog to let off some steam, too.
I am eagerly looking forward to a Ranger Victory against the Islanders on the 29th.
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