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May 1st, 2008
Game 4: Rangers 3 Penguins 0
I wrote last time that the Rangers looked done. In that time we learned the bad news that Avery is gone for the playoffs for a very serious injury. It was very nice to see the Rangers, and even the Penguins wish him well. The Rangers are three games down and really have quite a hill to climb. This could be a start. The Rangers came out and just played. They shut down the Pens, Jagr played a monster game, and it seemed that maybe the Penguins were falling apart out there, that they were losing their way. The Rangers and Pens played a scoreless first and Jagr broke the tie with a beauty from the slot, then got mowed down by Brooks Orpik on a late, high hit. Jagr laid on the ice but got up and didn't miss a shift. The Rangers kept the pressure on and stopped everything the Pens threw out them. Malkin had a breakaway shortly after the goal and when Girardi pushed him down, Malkin was awarded a penalty shot. Malkin, a guy with great speed, skated in very slowly and basically shot the puck at Henrik's glove. The Rangers survived that threat and when Dubinsky scored 44 second into the third on a powerplay, the Rangers had the game in the bag. The Pens would try to fight back but the real turning point to this series may be both Malkin and Crosby taking roughing penalties towards the middle of the third. Maybe the young team are getting a bit nervous? Jagr would end the game with an empty net power play goal and another scrum resulted with Malkin after he slewfooted Mara. It was interesting to see how this plays out. Will the Rangers be calm and cool in Game 5 like they were in game 4? Will the Pens become unnerved after this loss? The Rangers need to take it one at a time and if they win Sunday they are coming back home. I won't get too far ahead, this will probably end in five but at least the NYR have some life.
Three Stars of the Game
3) Brendan Shanahan - He played a great game, his first great game of the playoffs. He played a physical game and made some great defensive plays.
2) Jaromir Jagr - 2 goals and an assist, 3 points, the best he's played in the playoffs in probably a decade.
1) Henrik Lundqvist - The Rangers needed strong goaltending to be competitive and they got it from Lundqvist, who shut out the Pens and made some incredible saves.
With renewed energy the Rangers head to Mellon Arena for Game 5 and with renewed vigor I say, "Let's Go Rangers!"
May 3rd, 2008
Iron Man: The Movie
Well, I just got back from watching Iron Man (on opening night, no less) and the theatre was packed. Anyway the movie itself I can honestly say, is one of the best comic book movies I have seen in years, right up there with Spider-Man and Batman Begins. It had everything. I am going to keep this spoiler free, though fans of the comic will know everything anyway. The intro showed Tony getting captured right away, they show an excellent yet current representation of his origin (captured by whoever the US is fighting at the time and told to build a weapon but he makes Iron Man instead), his villain made sense (Obidiah Stane, the ruthless executive at Stark Industries who builds his own suit of armor), four different variations of the armor, set-ups for next movie (the Ten-Rings terrorist group led by someone who could play Mandarin and a tease of Jim Rhodes and War Machine) and it was just a witty, funny, well-written, and excellent comic book adaptation. There were no glaring plot holes I had problems with (minor gripe is Stane being very familiar with the armor when it took Tony a while) and the acting was just top-notch. When you get the top stars you will get a great job. Downy Jr. as Tony Stark just fit. He had that playboy mentality down to a T, and his attitude just exuded what we expect of Tony. Gwyneth was just fantastic as Pepper Potts and she had a subtle sensuality about her that shows what Tony sees in her but a professionalism that keeps them apart. Favreau hit a homerun with this movie. SHIELD makes their movie debut and guys, stick around for the end of the credits to see an awesome tag at the end which I won't spoil here.
May 4th, 2008
Family Guy / American Dad 05/04/08
-Family Guy 05/04/08: Long John Peter-
The title of the episode deals with only the first act, where Peter gets a parrot, becomes a pirate, then stops when his parrot dies. The real meat of the episode was Chris dating Anna, an intern at the vet where Brian stayed. He goes through all the awkwardness, gets some terrible advice from Peter that leads to their break-up, then realizes that Anna is the one he wants. This one was very light on flashbacks which means they actually had a decent plot and Chris' inability to keep his cool around Anna stole the show. There was a hilarious gag with Peter singing Men Down Under that was good as well. The first three episodes spread over the first four months of the year were bad, but there have been two very funny episodes in a row. A.
-American Dad 05/04/08: Office Spaceman-
There are two stories running here. The first is Roger selling photos of himself to the local paper, getting caught as the photographer selling them (Parker Peters), getting hired by the CIA to find the alien (who the CIA doesn't know is him) and eventually leads to Roger finally having to listen to Stan to get out of a sticky situation. The subplot shows Francine ordering a young black female friend of Steve's out of the house. Hayley and Steve thinks it is because she's black (which leads to Klaus not immediately denouncing the situation as terrible in a funny joke) but its really for another reason altogther, she's left-handed. It seems that Francine was born left-handed and was taught by the nuns who taught her it was evil and forced her to be right-handed. I am happy the nuns I had never forced me to be righthanded. This was a solid episode, making up in the story department what it lacked in the laugh department. B.
May 5th, 2008
Game 5: Penguins 3 Rangers 2 (OT)
Well, all good things must come to an end. I really thought the Rangers could've pulled it off but it just wasn't meant to be as the Penguins were just too good a team. The Rangers really came alive in the third period with goals from Korpikosky (a surprise call-up playing his first ever game) and Nigel Dawed about 1:15 apart. The Rangers had life but they were killed with a four-minute double minor when Drury high-sticked Ryan Malone with about 90 seconds left. The Ranger killed the penalty to end regulation and killed it off in OT but the Pens had the momentum and Hossa tallied the game-winner. I really can't blame the Pens for bad sportsmanship in this series. For all the fuss about Crosby and diving in Game 1, it never was a factor. I do have an issue with the officiating. I mentioned Drury got called for a double-minor for high-sticking and in the second, with the score 0-0, Malone high-sticked Drury and cut him pretty badly. There was no call at all. Now, Malone didn't do it on purpose but it should've been a double-minor and who knows, it could've changed the game around entirely. Still, congrats to the Penguins, who definitely look like the most dangerous team in the East right now. The Rangers had a successful season and have a lot to look forward to next year, though it is a real possibility Jagr and Shanahan do not come back. I will miss Jagr and Shanny, but maybe it is time to get a bit younger, especially with Hossa being a free-agent this year. That's discussion for another time. Now I mourn the end of another NYR season. I end like I always do, Let's Go Rangers!!!!
May 20th, 2008
NHL Finals Predictions
First, I haven't been able to post due to the huge amount of work I have had both at school and at work. I will be gone this weekend so another week will go by without a DVD review posting but I have them just waiting.
Now to the NHL Stanley Cup FInals. I got two for two (though the Red Wings took longer than expected and the Pens took a bit quicker). I liken this match-up to the 1995 Devils/Red Wings match-up. The Devils were more playoff-ready, coming off a heartbreaking defeat to the Rangers the year before and this time they just knew how to close it out. The Red Wings were finally getting playoff success but getting knocked back a peg helped them win 2 years later. I expect the Wings, who know how to win, will pull this off in 5 games. It will be a heartbreaking loss of Sidney and the Pens, but the Oilers lost their first Finals, as well. The Pens will learn and give Pittsburgh their first cup since 1992, but like the Dodgers of the 50's, they'll have to wait until next year. Red Wings will win in 5, at home.
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