After missing out on a chance to go to last year’s Stanley Cup
Final because of a Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference Final, the
Buffalo Sabres expected to be here. After being swept away in a
stunning four-game sweep by their bitter rival, New Jersey, in the
first-round last year, the New York Rangers are happy to be here.
Yet, both teams believe they can win now that they have arrived
here.
Buffalo struggled some against the Islanders in the first round,
but let’s not forget that the Sabres were the best team in the regular
season and remain the most offensively balanced club left in this
tournament.
The Rangers are well aware they finished 19 points behind the
Sabres in the regular season and scored 66 fewer regular-season goals.
But now, none of that matters. The Blueshirts are flying high after a
four-game sweep of Atlanta; a series that saw the Thrasher offense
generate just six goals, including just one from the team’s
three-highest-scoring forwards in the regular season.
Each team knows it will have to raise its game at least one notch,
if not more, from the effort that was good enough in the first round.
And, each knows that this round will likely be played at a breakneck
speed that, fortunately, plays right into the hands of the skill guys
on each team.
So, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride!
NY Rangers Game Breakers
Michael Nylander
– The Rangers’
top-line center seems to be putting his game together at just the
right time. He dominated the first round with a team-high eight
points, including a spectacular hat trick in Game 3. He used his speed
to drive aggressively to the net, an aspect of his game that is often
missing. He also took shots when presented, another aspect of his game
that is sometimes lacking. Plus, he remains one of the best passers in
the game and can do everything at a high rate of speed. It’s little
wonder he was so effective in the first round.
Jaromir Jagr
– The Rangers' best player quietly had seven points in the
first round, including two goals. He also took 18 shots. His speed and
arsenal of dekes was too much for an overmatched Atlanta blue line to
handle, so the Jagr unit was able to maintain possession in the
offensive zone and move the puck around for better looks at the
Atlanta goalie. Buffalo’s defense is far more mobile, so Jagr will
have to raise the level of his game this time around; a task he is
certainly capable of accomplishing.
Henrik Lundqvist
– There has
not been a better goalie in the NHL since the calendar flipped to
2007. “The King” had a .939 save percentage and a shutout against the
Thrashers in taming their offense. In his last 44 games, Lundqvist has
recorded a 1.89 goals-against average to go along with a .929 save
percentage. Amazingly, he only faced Buffalo once this season,
dropping a 3-2 overtime loss in a game that saw him stop 28 of 31
shots.
