Well, I was prepared to dedicate this post to attempting to talk the denizens of Ranger Nation out of jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. I was prepared to be the voice of a reason during a nervous and otherwise tentative moment for the Rangers team.
Turns out, it's not necessary.
Captain Ryan Callahan suffered a temporary and partial dislocation of his shoulder joint during a scrap with Flyers forward Maxime Talbot during last night's game. As Callahan fell to the ice in pain and subsequently skated to the locker room hunched over.
A fanbase held its breath and prayed for the health of the heart and soul of its team. A rather excited shrieker in the Madison Square Garden crowd created a temporary yet annoying diversion during the Blueshirts' 2-1 win. Reading the reactions from fans in social media, you would think the man had died.
The worse case scenario was that Callahan would miss the remainder of the regular season. Other speculation included missing at least two months and returning for the last two weeks of the regular season. The Rangers losing their captain and heart and soul would not been devastating, but would hurt their playoff chances badly. This is a team that has aspirations of winning a Stanley Cup this year. To do so, they need Callahan to do what he does best: block shots, grind out every shift, and score on the power play. His ability to block shots and fearless approach to doing so not only epitomizes coach John Tortorella's system, but it inspires his teammates to do the same.
The Rangers are more than capable, with their talent and goaltender, to overcome his loss. Their coach will not let them fail. Their veteran leaders will step up.
But it won't be necessary. Callahan will only miss 10-14 days. From now until the 14th day, it consists of 7 games. Although this season is only 48 games, it's certainly better he misses 7 as opposed to 40, don't you think?
Not only will the Rangers survive his loss, but they will get that much better when he returns. After their second straight win last night, they are showing rapid signs of improvement. More work needs to be done, but they are rounding into Cup-contender form.
Imagine if they round into the best team in the league during the next two weeks. How scary will they be when Callahan returns?
Now, on to my Super Bowl XLVII pick (and I hope I'm wrong):
The 49ers and Ravens are so evenly matched. This game could turn out to be an all-time classic. Both teams have great running games, unflappable quarterbacks, dynamic recievers, blood-houding linebackers, and Harbaughs as coaches. The one thing Baltimore has a major advantage on over the 49ers is Special Teams play. Can you imagine the Super Bowl coming down to the leg of the confidence-challenged David Akers? If you are a 49ers fan, please do share.
I'm not going to buy into the hype of the "Harbowl" or Ray Lewis' final game. I'm not going to speculate on the murder or his alleged PED use. However, I will use the Ravens' run to the Super Bowl in his honor in their favor.
The 49ers may be the better team on paper, but look at the Ravens' run to this point. It just oozes magic.
This game is a total tossup, but my gut tells me to go with the team with the most karma going for them right now. And as a Steelers fan, I hope and pray I am wrong. But for the purposes of this blog, I must be objective.
Baltimore 20, San Francisco 17.
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