Game Two: Pens/Rangers

We can expect to see a lot of this tonight.  No rest for the weary as the Pens follow up a game at their division rivals with...a game at their division rival.  If you're like me, it's starting to sink in that this season is going to be exhausting for those of us watching at home as well.  But, if you're like me, you're also happy to have something else to watch tonight than then Ravens-Patriots crapfest.

The Pens get no time to celebrate their victory over the (now 0-2) Flyers - pretty much every Atlantic Division game is going to be a battle, and the Rangers look like the cream of the crop...on paper, at least.  The beat us out for the number one seed a year ago, and they added Rick Nash for the low low price of Brendan Stupinsky and Artem Anisimov.  But this isn't your older brother's New York Rangers, throwing money at washed-up superstars (Wayne Gretzky!  Theo Fleury!  Eric Lindros!  Pavel Bure!) and embarrassing themselves every year.  Now, despite signing their stars - Nash, Gaborik, Richards, Lundqvist - for big money, they've got themselves a stacked roster with $4 million in cap space to spare.  But that doesn't mean that they can't embarrass themselves in the end, right?

Tomas Vokoun will get the start tonight, and he'll have the chance to get firmly into our good graces with a strong performance.  He'll need to keep the puck out of the net, because we know that the Rangers will be blocking shots, clogging up the center of the ice, and otherwise making hockey more difficult to watch.  

We'll have to get people in front of Lundqvist, have patience and make the extra pass to get the puck on net, and pounce on rebounds.  I think we're going to see Crosby's first game in Beast Mode: his career numbers against the Rangers are 20-32-52 in 37 games, he's got King Henrik's number, and, come on, this is Madison Square Garden.  Where better to announce to the world that he's taking over?

We'll get to see old friends Aaron Asham and Mike Rupp tonight, whom the Rangers signed the last two offseasons.  They'll probably be scouting Tanner Glass hard during the game.

There's a lot to dislike about  the Rangers: their stultifying style of play, their years of attempting to buy a Cup, John Tortorella's gnarly 'tude, the entire leadership mythology constructed around Mark Messier, one of the dirtiest and least-likable players in NHL history...but let's forget about ancient history and win this one tonight for Mario.

Still hope a piano falls on you, Graves-y.