Snowman On Fire

Almost precisely 3 months ago I posited that Scott Gomez and Alex Rodriguez were increasingly alike.

Let me add to the list: neither one has shown up for big games in October. At least Gomez recorded three shots tonight (plus one miss, and one blocked, is it me or are the new NHL statistics not bad once you learn to decode them)? A-Rod is A-WOL for the Division Championship Series (let’s hear John Sterling make a big deal out of that one). That giant sucking sound you hear is the extra $7 million or so that Rodriguez thought he’d coax out of a team next year when he exercises his contract option. I think I’ve invented a new unit of measure: The Gomez, more specifically, $7M paid for non-performance when people are watching.

Some other random thoughts, two games into the season:

I like Kevin Weekes. He brings his A-game, a solid effort, and he has no fear. Goalies are always a few sigma off of normal anyway, but he has impressed.

The Islanders are 2-0, and the Sabres are 0-2 as a result. So much for the predictive power of the hockey press. Yes, it’s early, but c’mon. Shuffle off to Buffalo for some ugly practices this week.

The Capitals are better than anyone thinks, and the Rangers will miss Nylander as they realize why.

Mike Cammalleri is now in my top five favorite players. Three goals, same pace as Dany Heatly through week one. The Kings aren’t as bad as everyone thinks, and the Ducks might not be as good as everyone predicted.

Where oh where to begin?

Listening to non-stop Klezmer music, starting Saturday night when the Rangers’ King Henrik was responsible for a menorah’s worth of red lights (with Weekes adding the shamas)?

Stewing over Saturday’s ugly Devils loss to Detroit, and knowing that a change in attitude was only a change in production away?

Listening to Big D predict a double-digit points lead for his Rangers over my beloved Devils, trash talk from one of the most polite people I know?

It was a night of freylacht: merry-making of Biblical proportion. From the opening goal scored on what has become the signature Elias off-wing move (slide to the right, pass from Rafalski on the power play and one-timer to touch twine) to the discounted 3:40 of play time after Patty’s second goal, it was fun to watch. Even Big D called to admit it was a good game.

As for the Rangers: the wheels on the bus may have slipped off early this year. No early ken a horas, no early blessings, but it’s freylacht time in the Atlantic Division.