This is nothing new, Rangers have played this way all season. And why would a player want to hit an opposing player in the face or, body part? the idea is to get the shot to the net to score. 9 out of 10 times a good blocked shot results in a turn over (well at the blue line anyway) that's not the respect of a player trying to move around a block, they want to get into a shooting lane.
I can't speak for the Devils, but the Rangers couldn't move the puck out of their zone for long periods against Ottawa so we wouldn't have been surrendering much in the way of opportunities. I'd have liked to have seen them ring a few more shots off body parts and make one or two players a little less inclined to get in the way next time, Spezza was anaemic for the entire series because he was waiting for the perfect lane which never came.
I don't know if anyone saw the post game on MSG........Chico Resch was all bitter that "Marty got bumped" by Stepan on that Girardi goal (pictured above)....although Chico conveniently did not mention that Marty was 2 feet outside the crease.
Dude Chico has lost his mind. In the series against the Panthers, he said the whistle blew because of a two-line pass. True story. He is the absolute worst announcer in all of sports, bith pro and college. Its EMBARRASSING that MSG would employ him. When asked if he was bumped after the game, Marty himself, matter-of-factly said " no". Steve Cangiolosi was looking at Chico like he was nuts when he was saying Marty got spun around. What a fool.
I guess a lot of scorers have that mentality. I don't think however (At this point anyway) even if guys got hurt, which some have will stop blocking shots. Devils don't have the Sens speed and once that lane is taken away they have a hard time taking the puck wide. I thought Chamara did a good job of it. It lead to that 1st goal of game 6, they were able to beat the rangers wide with speed.
Look....Boyle took one in the face off his shoulder......he still blocking shots. They're certainly not gonna change the way they play now. Washington was the only team thus far the effectively adjusted to that strategy.......I'm sure the Devils will adjust accordingly. It's also pretty easy for guys like Johnny E to sit here and say, yeah just shoot to hit them...I'm sure anyone that had that thought in their head for a second and it actually happened ( a major injury to the face or something) whoever shot the puck would be feeling pretty shitty about it and that might effect their play as well.
I'm not suggesting that the team will fall apart, just that one or two might think twice. I watched Anton Volchenkov for years and he's the best shotblocker I've ever seen, the guy just keeps going back for more. I'm not saying shoot to hit them, I'm saying shoot for goal and don't let a player going full stretch stop you. I'm pretty sure that no professional hockey player is going to have any problem with an injury that a defending player causes himself by getting in the way of a goal-bound shot.
I thought the highlight of Whinin' Baby Maarrtty's evening was when he starting screaming at a referee for a penalty when his mask was knocked off, even though it was knocked off by one of very own Exit 14A Nofans Devil Dog teammates
