Avery and Co. spark rangers to first road win this season

It took 7 games, but the Rangers have that road bug out of their system. They defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 via the shootout tonight. It didn't come easy of course, as the maple Leafs fought back to tie the game up late in the 2nd. The 3rd period did not fare easy for the Rangers as their defense didn't play at its best and the Leafs had many quality chances. Steve Valiquette got his first start of the season tonight and looked stellar. He kept the Rangers in the game in the 3rd period, making many game saving stops. Alexei Ponikarovsky scored both Leafs goals, while Avery and Shanahan scored and assisted each other for both Rangers goals.

It didn't end there though, as Sean Avery and Darcy Tucker had their little meeting during pre-game warmups, and it didn't take them long to drop the gloves. Both men received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the 1st, and about 10 seconds after they left the box, the gloves dropped.

"They're pot-stirrers," Shanahan said. "They're very rare -- guys that are talented and can agitate. They play with big hearts. They had their run-ins last year, too. They're the same player. Sean's a younger version of Darcy."

Sean Avery now has 4 points in his last 2 games and has 2 G and 3 A in 7 total games this season. Valiquette also notched his first win of the season, and first shootout win of his career, stopping 32 of Toronto's 34 shots.

"For Steve Valiquette to get a win, in a shootout, in his hometown was great," said Shanahan.

"I was as calm as I could be under the circumstances -- with all the pregame stuff and the magnitude of the game," Valiquette said.

The Rangers also looked good in front of future hall of famer and Ex-Ranger Mark Messier tonight. All of the inductees were in the building tonight, as a season high of 19,530 jammed the Air Canada Centre. Mark was definitely proud of his teams and goalies showing tonight, as he should be because he and all of us know that this team can acheive almost anything and everything.