Black cloud follows Rangers to Vancouver in a 3-0 shutout

The game tonight started how it basically ended last night. Henrik let in a really bad goal to make it 4-2, and basically take the Rangers out of it. Tonight, Vancouver got a goal very similar to what Lundqvist gave up last night. Valiquette had his skate out a little to far, and a bad angle shot from Ryan Kesler found its way under his pads after hitting the skate. That's all that the Canucks needed, as the Rangers could not score a single goal tonight. They faced quite possibly the best goalie in hockey, as maybe even in the world. Roberto Luongo stopped everything thrown at him, up and down, and left and right. He kept Vancouver in the game, as they didn't muster much offense throguh 2 and half periods. They only had 13 shots midway through the 3rd. The Rangers had outshot the Canucks 21-8 through 2 periods.

The wheels came off late in the third as Vancouver scored 2 quick goals in 34 seconds to make it 3-0. That pretty much ended it there with about 4 minutes to go. Before hand the Rangers had chances but penalties hampered the comeback. The Hossa high-sticking penalty is understandable. The stick did make contact with the face, but Colton Orr's interference penalty.........this was by far the worst penalty ever called in the history of hockey. It was barely incidental contact, and it was called a penalty. All Orr did was "bump" the Canucks forward, and was immediately called for interference. Bogus, if you ask me.

Not making excuses here, the Rangers had a lot of chances. The best quite possibly came in the second period, after Dan Girardi got high-sticked in the face and the Rangers had a 4 minute power-play to possibly tie the game. They did not, as they didn't create much on the 4 minute man advantage. Hossa had the best shot on goal in the game in the third period, after trying to find the right corner of the net. Only thing that got in the way was Luongo's right pad. He was phenomenal tonight in net, and recorded his 6th shutout. He is tied for 2nd now with Henrik Lundqvist, only trailing Pascal LeClaire who has 7.