The Eastern finals between the New Jersey Devils and rival New York Rangers are turning out to be exactly what everyone thought.
Hard-hitting. Tight-checking. Low-scoring.
Indeed, as it's played under the microscope of the New York metropolitan area media, this has been hockey with an edge - but not so edgy as to cross the line.
With two days off before Game 3 on Saturday in Newark, both teams elected to rest Thursday. The series is tied at one game apiece.
Rangers coach John Tortorella refused to say much about his decision to bench leading scorer Marian Gaborik for almost 12 minutes in a span covering the end of the second period and the start of the third of New York's 3-2 loss in Game 2. Gaborik was on the ice when Ryan Carter scored to tie the game at 2-all. After the game, he said he didn't clear the puck out of his own end.
"You guys like calling them benchings and all that stuff, but as coaches we're trying to find a way to win a hockey game," Tortorella said, "and we make decisions accordingly."
- Associated Press
