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New York Rangers: 22nd Conference Finals berth
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Alright… listen… lemme tell ya somethin’ right now, folks. The Rangers went up to Montreal tonight, Bell Centre, and they closed the door. Alright? They closed it. They win it 10–7. They sweep the Canadiens. Series over.
This wasn’t pretty — this was not some kind of Picasso performance on the mound, believe me. This was a slugfest. But the Rangers — and I’ve been sayin’ it all series — they hit. They absolutely rake. And once again, they did it tonight.
You look at the box score — Ben Rice, what more do you want from this guy? Two home runs, four RBIs, steals a bag, big hits late. He sets the tone. He’s the kind of guy you need in October. He’s not afraid of the moment.
Itsuro Bliebernicht — the MVP of the series. Deserved. Hitting close to .400, gets on base, drives the ball, 3 home runs in the series. He’s locked in. I don’t care who comes outta that other series — Islanders, Whalers, whoever — they’re not gonna want to face this lineup right now.
And by the way — this pitching tonight? Eh. H. Wang gave up 6 runs. Hewitt almost coughed it up. But they survived. And when you’ve got an offense that can put up ten runs on the road? You can live with that.
Montreal tried. Newman had a big night. Vandelay hit one out early. But you can’t keep trading haymakers with this Rangers team. You can’t do it. By the time you get to the seventh inning, you’re gassed.
The Rangers are moving on to their 22nd Conference Final. Think about that. Twenty-two. That’s a franchise with expectations. And now, they’re gonna sit back, they’re gonna watch that Islanders–Whalers series, they’re gonna set the rotation, rest the bullpen, and get ready to mash whoever shows up.
Bottom line — Rangers are the better team. Period. Montreal was never in control of this series. And if this lineup keeps hitting like this? Folks… they’re gonna be a problem.
Ben Rice. Bliebernicht. Ten runs. Series sweep. That’s it.
Alright — we’ll take a break, we’ll come back, your calls after the hour… 877-337-6666… we’ll talk Rangers, we’ll talk pitching, we’ll talk about who they match up best with. But make no mistake — tonight was about the bats.
Rangers. Move. On.
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