For the first time since the last minute of the Ottawa game oh so long ago the Rangers have scored an even strength goal. And they didn’t waste any time as Nigel Dawes beat Martin Brodeur 57 seconds into the game. Brendan Shanahan picked up the puck at the Devils blue line and quickly fed Dawes who beat Brodeur through the five hole.The Rangers had gone more than 181 minutes in between even strength tallies. The goal for Dawes is his first of the year and second in his career. Dawes goal is also the first of any kind for the Blueshirts since an ugly 5-3 loss to Atlanta last week.

Early in the first the Rangers are up 1-0.

Tonight’s game against the Diablos is game one of the Blueshirts longest homestand of the year. Long homestands have been good to the Rangers in recent years as they have not finished below .500.

It’s safe to say that in facing his old Jersey mates Scott Gomez (2-1-3) has to come up big tonight. Eight games into the season and Gomez has done nothing to earn the admiration of the Blueshirts faithful while collecting his millions.

MIA for the Blueshirts tonight are agitator Sean Avery, Martin Straka and Ryan Callahan. The Devils are also battling the injury bug with Colin White, Jamie Langenbrunner and Cam Janssens out of tonight’s lineup. Langenbrunner owned the Blueshirts last year leading the Devils in scoring with three goals and nine points.

As expected, Tomas Pock cleared waivers and was assigned to the Wolf Pack earlier today. There was no room for Pock on the crowded Blueshirts blue line. Pock dressed in only one game this year against Atlanta and the time down in Hartford will help him hone his skills and make a contribution on the farm while gaining valuable ice time. Defense has not been the Rangers problem this year.

The Diablos (3-4-1) sit two points ahead of the Blueshirts and a victory tonight will give the home side some much needed confidence by picking up ground on a divisional foe. The Rangers sport a 5-2-1 record against their Hudson River rivals in the last eight meetings at MSG. Let’s hope the Diablos are looking ahead to their first home game of the season Saturday night against the Senators.

The Rangers can add yet another player to their injured list. An MRI today showed that Ryan Callahan has a grade two knee sprain, suffered in Tuesday’s loss to the Penguins. The winger will be out indefinitely, though the injury will not require surgery.

Callahan joins the ailing Straka (broken finger) and Avery (separated shoulder).

So much for firewagon hockey Tuesday night at The Igloo as the Penguins beat the Remedial Rangers 1-0. Both teams were tentative to start the game as the Rangers played like they didn’t want to lose and the Penguins played as if they didn’t want to win.

It was 44 seconds into the second period before Evgeni Malkin broke the scoreless tie by poking in the puck from the side of the crease on a dish from Ryan Whitney. Sidney Crosby also picked up an assist on Malkin’s third goal of the season that came on the powerplay.

Moments later, Fedor Tyutin dove after Jordan Staal to deny the Penguin a clean shot on his breakaway. Staal was awarded a penalty shot, the third of his young career, and he inexplicably fired off a lame shot from the hashmarks that Henrik Lundqvist had no problem stopping.

Malkin almost scored his second goal of the game when he banged one off the post with less than two minutes to play in the middle stanza. The Blueshirts woes continue to mount as they have now been outscored 8-1 in second period play this year.

The Rangers only sustained pressure came late in the third when the Penguins were called for too many men on the ice with 3:41 to play. The Blueshirts spent the entire powerplay in the Penguins zone to no avail.

St.Ranger player of the game as brought to you by rangerspress.com is Nigel Dawes for ringing one off the post in the first period. Sadly that was all the offense that the Rangers could muster in the game.

Up next for the Remedial Rangers is Martin Brodeur (3.51GAA/.865SV) and the New Jersey Devils (3-4-1). The game marks the end of a season opening nine game road trip for the Diablos as they don’t open the spanking new Prudential Center until Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.

Hopefully, it will be a case of home-sweet-home for the Remedial Rangers as Thursday’s game marks the beginning of a seven game homestand. Yeah, I’m counting the Islanders game at the tail end as a home game. The Diablos are not your father’s lunchbucket, defense first team anymore. Coach Sutter has them playing a more wide open style of game and Brodeur has looked shaky at best. You wonder if Scott Gomez is second guessing himself for crossing over the Hudson.

ST.RANGER THINGS…Shut out for third time this season…First four game losing streak since January… At 2-5-1 the Rangers have scored a league low 13 goals …After going 0-6 on the pp against Boston the Blueshirts went 0-4 against Pittsburgh…Outshot the Penguins 36-22…Sean Avery skated this morning…Rangers have played more than two hours of hockey without scoring a goal…Rangers sit last in the Atlantic Division and 14^th in the Eastern Conference.

Until next time baby Blueshirts…puck on!

As the Rangers end a three game road trip the Pittsburg Penguins begin a three game homestand. Tonight’s tilt is nationally televised on Versus which means more people will watch poker than Marcel Hossa’s return to the Ranger lineup. Hossa is expected to play tonight after practicing on the top line with Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez.

Team chemistry is still lacking with Gomez and Chris Drury unable to find their niche on the team yet. Neither pivot has been able to work effectively with Jagr when given the opportunity. Drury is being paired with Petr Prucha and Brendan Shanahan on his wings for tonight’s matchup at the Igloo. The third line looks like Brandon Dubinsky centering Jason Dawes and Ryan Callahan. Let’s hope the old Hartford mates are hungry like the wolf and provide much needed energy up front.

As much as everybody rips the offense it should be noted that on the back end, the Rangers are set for the next decade. We all know that Henrik Lundqvist (2.14GAA/.924SV) is a lock in goal and unless he goes down with an injury for an extended period we know that he gives the Blueshirts a chance to win every game.

For all the flak that Marek Malik receives the defense is ranked fifth in the league giving up just 16 goals through seven games. Studs like Dan Girardi, Fedor Tyutin and Marc Staal are not going anywhere off the island of Manhattan for a long time. Even with the disparaged Malik and Michal Rozsival out there and Tom Pock awaiting his turn, its safe to say that the Blueshirts have the best grouping of young D talent in the league.

ST.RANGER THINGS…Tonight mark’s the first time that Staal plays professionally against his brother Jordan who scored his first goal of the years against the Caps on Saturday…Martin Straka will not need surgery on his broken finger.

The infirmary is piling up. Sean Avery is still at least three weeks away from game action and Marcel Hossa, hobbled with a hip flexor has been MIA for the last two starts. Even if Hossa is cleared to play Tuesday expect reinforcements from Hartford because you can now add Martin Straka to the Rangers MASH unit. Straka is expected to be out for an extended period with a broken finger on his right hand that he suffered in Saturday’s loss to the Bruins.

This is a double blow for the Blueshirts as Straka was tied for the team lead with two goals. That’s right, after seven games the leading goal scorers for the Rangers have an eye catching two goals. The Blueshirts popgun offense has scored in only six of 21 periods this year. You’d expect more from the millions team management has invested in goal scorers. Never mind Joe DiMaggio, where’d you go Jaromir Jagr…Chris Drury…Scott Gomez…Brendan Shanahan? The Amazing Rhythm Aces have five goals amongst themselves.

Up next for the Remedial Rangers (2-4-1) is Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins (4-3) Tuesday night. The Pens game marks the last of a three game road trip before the Blueshirts enjoy a seven game homestand. A win over the Penguins will leave the Rangers with a respectable 1-1-1 record on the trip and a much needed confidence boost.

Though they are atop the Rangers in the standings Pens brass have had to answer questions about the lackluster goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury. In five of the seven games that the Pens have played this year they have been faced with a two-goal deficit. One thing to be sure of, with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the ice this game shouldn’t be another yawner. It may not end up as a win for the Blueshirts but it should be exciting.

A tie is like kissing your cousin and in today’s NHL you are not allowed to kiss your cousin or settle for a tie. So we went to a shootout to settle matters after a five minute overtime saw no damage done by either side.

Shooting for the Blueshirts were Brendan Shanahan, Chris Drury and Jagr. Even in a shootout the Blueshirts found themselves snake bitten and couldn’t solve Manny Fernandez

Shooting and missing for the Bruins were Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm before Phil Kessel scored on the Bs third shot as the Bruins win their fourth in a row.

Rangers outshot the Bruins 25-19 in regulation and couldn’t bulge the twine. This is the second game in a row that the Blueshirts were unable score an even strength goal.

St.Ranger player of the game as brought to you by rangerspress.com is Marty Straka for imitating Lundqvist and taking a couple of shots in the second period. Straka broke a finger on one of the saves and didn’t return.

Until next time baby Blueshirts…puck on!

Now I know what it is like to watch paint dry. We are scoreless at the Gawden – or whatever they call it now – heading into the third period. The Bruins will be on the powerplay to start the final frame.

Both teams have had plenty of chances on the powerplay but they are 0for Saturday. The Blueshirts are 0 for four with the man advantage and the Big Bad Bruins are 0 for six. Shots are even at 14 apiece.

The Blueshirts and Bruins are scoreless heading into the second period. And the Blueshirts should be grateful for that. With Jaromir Jagr sitting in the box for a highsticking double-minor the Bruins applied the forecheck to no avail as Henrik Lundqvist stoned them cold. Lundqvist’s best stop of the frame was a nice glove hand save that left Marc Savard lying on the ice muttering to himself.

Kudos to Martin Straka for blocking not one, but two shots on the penalty kill. The first blocked shot saw Straka favoring his wrist. He left for the dressing room following the shift. Why Straka was on the ice killing penalties is anybody’s guess.

The Rangers killed off six minutes in penalties while being outshot 9-4. Jagr is back in  the box to start the middle stanza.

I told myself that I was taking a break today owing to last night’s debacle in Atlanta against the Thrashers. I was tuning out all things pertaining to the Blueshirts. Then I get the news that the BoSox have forced the Rangers-Bruins tilt to be played as a matineé. We are easy prey, now we are getting pushed around by a bunch of guys who go to work in their pajamas.

So if anyone is driving up to Beantown to catch the game leave three hours earlier ‘cause the game isn’t starting at 7PM it’s starting at 4PM. The game is being carried locally by the usual suspects.