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Begun, the blog war has.

Okay. That didn’t go as planned. We’re not actually at war with anyone just yet. Let’s try again.

Hello. I’m Dave. Welcome to Torts Reform, a blog about the New York Rangers. This introductory post is just that – a way to get to know us. I’ve rooted for the Rangers since their playoff run in 1994. I remember it vividly – the Matteau goal in double overtime, Richter stopping Bure on a penalty shot, the shit-eating grin on Messier’s face as he accepted the Stanley Cup. Pretty salad days, huh?

Obviously, it’s been all downhill from there. I struggle to come up with one moment that stands out as the worst as a Ranger fan, simply because there are so many. I’ll settle on the freshest one – the final game of the 2010 regular season, when the Rangers lost in a shootout to the Flyers, cementing a missed playoff berth. Thanks for nothing, Olli Jokinen.

Aside from usual hockey blog fodder, I’ll write about the Rangers from a statistical perspective. My objective is to add context to what we see on the ice – things that may not be readily apparent. Yes, I am interested in “fancy stats.” No, you won’t read those words again from me. I’ll do my best to add a little humor now and then. Here’s Uday.

Allow myself to introduce…myself. I’m Uday (widely mispronounced by many at first as “Usay” or “Ebay”). Akin to Dave, I have also been an avid Ranger fan since the early 90s, though sadly not quite at a point where I could comprehend or appreciate the magic of ’94 (though it is fortunate that the current Ranger management team tries its best to recreate the cup run at the drop of a bat).

Outside of the seven year gut punch from 1998 – 2004 (Sandy McCarthy? Really, Sather?), my single worst moment as a Rangers fan also came at the hands of the Broad Street Puppies.
The stage: 1997, Game 4, Eastern Conference Finals. The Rangers dominated the Panthers in the first round and the Devils in the second. This Rangers team was great – Gretzky and Messier together. Leetch and Richter were at the height of their powers. Unfortunately, our Blueshirts were up against an even better Flyers team, with Eric Lindros leading the way. The Rangers were down 2-1 in the series, looking to even up the ECF.
The game: Tie game with less than a minute left in the third.
The moment: Eric Lindros scoring on the powerplay with 6 seconds left. Get in the damn passing lane, Graves. (fast forward to 23:30) The Aftermath: Game over. This game pretty much iced the series. Game 5 was just a formality. This was the first time that I ever cried because of sports.

Aside from providing on-going commentary on the Rangers / NHL / Craig Sager’s suits, I’ll do my best to play devil’s advocate to Dave’s (many) arguments. Nothing makes me happier than getting Dave’s blood boiling, but hopefully we can foster a good and wholesome conversation.

Again, welcome. Comments are below. Follow us individually on Twitter at @uday162 and @hollenbeezy, and be sure to also follow the blog, @tortsreform.