All NHL games are not equal; some are more equal than others; specifically today's matinee at The Garden – Rangers vs. Flyers.
The points awarded for a win are the same, but there's no way you can compare the browser in St. Louis on Thursday night with the match today with a kind of Met division possibilities.
The Blues were beat up losers who still managed to push the Rangers through three periods of regulation with the teams knotted at 1-1
That J.T. Miller nailed the overtime goal was a big deal at the time – two points are two points – but the Blues game was not a litmus test of whether the Rangers really are any good or not.
Today's test will give us a better answer because Flyers' coach Rick Tocchet is coaxing good, fast, aggressive hockey out of his young team. After four straight seasons of being out of the playoffs, The Broad Streeters mean business; they have a genuine feel of a team destined for the postseason.
New York coach Mike Sullivan would like to think his club can at least make it to a Wild Card berth but many objective observers think otherwise.
On paper today, the Blueshirts are the better team but they lack the vim, vigor and vitality that Philly's younger aces bring to the table. Exhibit A is Trevor Zegras right out of Bedford, New York of all places.
Igor Shesterkin is a better goaltender than Samuel Ersson but can Sully's shooters give Iggy enough goals with which to excel? Hard to tell.
The Maven says that a Rangers win will be a major confidence-builder – much more than the
two-pointer in St. Louis.
A loss will send the Beloveds back to Yo-Yo Land where they already have spent too much time!