Marisa is gone, our playoff hopes aren't; New streak starts tonight - Rangers Game Preview and Open Thread

Well, our wonderful streak with a certain hot SI swimsuit model is done, but there is still business to take care of starting in New York ce soir. Business. New York. Wall Street. Wall Street, the movie. 80's greed. 80's hot SI swimsuit models. Elle. Turn back the clock to when Elle ruled the earth, the playoffs were safely clinched with a month to go, and the Rangers trotted out garbage like Mark Pavelich on the first line.

Despite all the sky is falling talk, a win by the Habs tonight clinches a playoff spot at the Rangers expense. A loss in OT and a Panthers loss clinches a playoff spot too. 3 games to get in ... who would have thunk we'd be this close to the edge? As an aside, after all the fun we've had with the Rangers and fuckheads like the Blueshirt Bulletin, dropping those loudmouth, God's-gift-to-mediocrity, ONE CUP IN 70 FUCKING YEARS, smug asshole fans and their overrated team out of the playoffs might be even better than last year's miracle on de la Montagne. Is there any neutral party out there who likes the Rangers? I think one-time commenter and Bruins fan B's fan for life said it best:

"I would hope you said they suck at life, because they do. But I try not to think too much about them, as I have no time to think about a waste of space such as the Rangers."

Jesus, even Bruins fans think they're better than you.

Drop the Rangers out of the playoffs and the whole hockey world will applaud, Habs. No Sean Avery sightings in the playoffs!

On to the points of bullet-like appearance:

• 7:00 pm from Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous non-hockey related events arena;
• Habs lost to the Sens to halt momentum, now 5-3-2 in last ten. Rangers 5-4-1 but lost last two;
• There's Rangers news out there, I'm sure, but the only one we know of is the aforementioned Blueshirt Bulletin ... and it's now basically a placeholder for a pay site called Blueshirt Bulletin +. Times are tough writing about the 6th most popular pro sports franchise in NYC, methinks;
• Hot Habs list reads much the same as the last week, Kovy/Koivu/Tanguay. Lukewarm Rangers include $300 million man Scott Gomez (9 pt in 12 games.)
• Uh, Zombiepleks? AK46? Anytime you're ready. After a hot start, Nickolai Zherdev has hit a wall. Deadline acquisition Nik Antropov started well in a Rangers uniform before the inevitable knee injury (PPP and Eyebeleaf just nodded their heads knowingly).
• Habs debating activating potential new owner Serge Savard to help out on the powerplay. Schneider is either out for the season or raring to go tonight, depending on who you want to believe. Markov is a definite out, unless he's not. No, wait, he is. Maybe. Rangers appear healthy in body, if not in mind. Sean Avery still an ass, though.
• Word is Price gets the start, if he's over the "flu". King Henrik the Slumping should get the start for the Rangers, unless NY wants to put their playoff lives in the hands of Steve Valiquette.
  
  Your post-game entertainment is either the delicious tears of the Rangers faithful or more pointless blaming of Brad May and Mikhail Grabovski for ruining our season with clean hits.