Last week, after the triple overtime Iliad-like quality to the Rangers-Capitals game, someone on Twitter said (before the winning goal was scored), this was the type of game that whoever wins has the most momentum and takes the series.
I believe it was a Caps fans. I disagreed with it then, and I was mostly shown right when the Caps really didn’t care and won game four, forcing this to at the very least a six game series.
Last night, that game…
Was a changer.
I’m a Mets fan. And baseball and hockey are different in so many ways, but there’s one thing in sports that’s a constant is momentum. When the Mets looked like they were about to lose game six in 1986 World Series against the Red Sox, and subsequently the series, they mounted an amazing comeback that is still considered one of the greatest in sports history, let alone baseball.
Leading me to last night’s victory. Leave it to Brad Richards for his last seconds goal scoring dramatics. For those who discount the goals because the Capitals took a “stupid penalty,” you must not have watched how atrocious the Rangers’ power play has been all season. For them to score not one but TWO power play goals in a succession of seconds, is nothing short of miraculous, in my opinion.
Leave it to Marc Staal to put any reservations we had about his post-concussion syndrome to rest by scoring the winning goal, which was a beauty.
Game Six of 1986, the Red Sox walked onto the field in the 10th inning as confident as roosters roaming the range. They walked off, heads low and looking like they wanted to crawl into bed. Forget they had a three run lead in game seven. As one fan said in the documentary Simply Amazin‘, “I don’t care who you are, the ’27 Yankees aren’t coming back from that one!”
Is it bold for me to say that? Yes, but I truly believe in this team. They’re not blinders; it’s honesty and realness. Last night, the Caps were overly confident, and they may have taken a stupid penalty that doomed them but know what? Lots of stupid penalties worked AGAINST the Rangers too, and does that discount this?
Hell to the no.
Sometimes, it takes a momentum shift to change the dynamic of a series. The 3OT thriller? Not a devastating loss for the Caps. Last night? A devastating mind-blowing win, that as people were reporting led to some dancing in the street by the Garden.
I’m still in shock from what I watched last night and let me tell you…I’ve been watching this for a long time.
It was epic.
A Gal For All Seasons 
I have to totally agree with you on all accounts, I too am a die hard Mets fan and still remember that game 6 comeback and game 7 of course we also had to come back, both games are stuck in my head like it was yesterday. My favorite sport both playing and watching is Ice Hockey and of course being a die hard Ranger fan since 1969-70 season and I’m still numb in what seemed to be what was going to be an all time low for this season to an all time high for this Ranger team and it’s fans in a matter of 6.6 seconds left in the 3rd period and an O.T. intermission and about a minute and a half into O.T. a win for the ages! What will they do to top this? 3 O.T. winner, last night and? This Ranger team is a very special one in a way I can’t quite explain but no matter what happens this team has proven way more than what was expected so i’ll sit back and re adjust the seat belts as the best may still be on the horizon, LETS GO RANGERS!!!