Thirteen key notes from The Maven on how the Rangers played in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final.
1. The Florida Sentinel summed up Game 3 of this scintillating series in a short headline-question: HOW DO YOU LOSE A PLAYOFF GAME YOU DOMINATED?
2. Answer: Domination is not enough. The little things mean a lot; especially from “Little” players like fourth-stringer Barclay (Two Goals) Goodrow.
3. Somebody ought to tell Jacob Trouba that his elbows are milli-inches away from a suspension.
4. Also, whisper to Captain Jake: Your defensive play is not helping fellow blue-liner K’Andre Miller.
5. A witness for the defense reports an improvement in Adam Fox’s game; which could mean that whatever was ailing him isn’t.
6. If such a feat is possible, Matt Rempe was invisible; except for an early penalty that guaranteed a bench-nailing for the rest of the game.
7. Best Line From a Scout: “God took Alex Wennberg by the hand!”
8. Since the Rangers power play is on a sabbatical, I guess we’d have to say that Chris Kreider has lost his “magic touch.”
9. Barclay Goodrow is sounding like a Hollywood producer. His post-game comment: “Each game brings its own story line.”
10. Sam Reinhart, one of the best of the Panthers, capsulized his team’s thinking: “We need to move on, refocus and recover.”
11. The Maven’s reply: “It won’t be easy if The Breadman ignites his oven.”
12. Philosophy Lesson from the seer, Vincent Trocheck: “Overtime means that it’s anybody’s game. Sometimes all it takes is a rinky-dink shot and it’s over.”
13. So it was: poof! Like a Wennberg; just like that!