It's a Beautiful Day

The sun is shining, the temperature is perfect, and the Red Sox just swept the Yankees at Fenway Park for the first time in 17 years. Spring is FINALLY here and I am really excited about the baseball season, but today I really don't feel like talking about baseball. The NFL Draft is on the way and the NBA Playoffs just got started, but neither of those are interesting to me right now.

The only team on my mind other than the Sox are the New York Rangers.

The NHL Playoffs may be the most exciting of any sport to watch. Baseball is great, football always brings excellent games, and once and awhile I'll enjoy an NBA game, but hockey always seems to give seven exciting games in each series.

The Rangers did not dissapoint in round one, blowing out the Atlanta Thrashers and proving that hockey does not belong in the South. As a former Mirror editor put it so well, "What's next, baseball in Helsinki?"

Anyways, now the Rangers have the tough task of facing the Buffalo Sabres, starting with two games in upstate New York. The Sabres are a very exciting team to watch and no matter how the series turns out, it should be an enjoyable one. But I would be much happier to see the same Rangers team that shut out Atlanta 7-0, than the one we saw earlier this winter, when it looked like the Blueshirts might not even make the playoffs.

The Sabres feature quick, exciting, goalscorers, including my favorite non-Rangers player, Chris Drury, from Fairfield Prep. Drury is a guy made for the playoffs, as featured in an excellent Sports Illustrated article, which all sports fans should read.

He is a free agent after the season and Buffalo probably won't be able to bring him and fellow center Daniel Briere back next season. If Drury does hit the market, I'd love to see the Rangers make a play at him. Drury could be a leader that the Rangers need, both on and off the ice and a key player for many years. Put Briere along side Jagr and you have the makings of a dominant line.

Back to the Sabres though. Drury is joined by Briere, who had a team-high 95 points in the regular season and Thomas Vanek, who had 84 points along with other high scorers, including Jason Pominville. The defense is solid as well, backed up by a good goaltender, Ryan Miller.

The Rangers have improved a lot since the mid-season, when things looked very grim. Sean Avery has brought character and charisma to the team and ignited a fire in the Rangers that has yet to burn out. It will be hard for the Rangers to keep going in Buffalo, but it can be done.