I am a New Yorker!

Hi there!

New York City. That should actually sum it up. But for those of you who hasn't been to NYC, here are a few lines dedicated to this lovely city.

No matter where you are in NYC or what your purpose of your visit is, you will always find something that suits you for the moment. Apart from visiting the main attractions, such as the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty and Central Park, one can just walk around and soak the atmosphere. I love it. I can't get enough of it.

How was it, hockeywise?
Amazing. I've seen many matches on TV and thought I had a decent understanding of the speed of the game over there. But, I was wrong. So very wrong. It's faster and more intense. There is never a dull moment. Never.

One major difference between the NHL and the Swedish Elite Series is the forecheking. When you loose the puck in the NHL, you stay in zone and forecheck or you try to close the opponent down. In Sweden, you fall back. Also, there are barely any hookings, icings (thank God for touch icing!) or other interruptions.

The first match I saw was Rangers vs. Sabres in MSG. The atmosphere inside cannot be described in words. Pure magic. The fact that the Rangers really came out and gave 110% right from the start (Avery scored after 10 secs, setting a new MSG record!) was hardly a downpart in the matter. There wasn't really a match. Rangers were up by 4-0 at the end of the first and that was pretty much it. They ended up, as you all know, 5-1 winners. It could, and perhaps should have been one or two more goals. Avery scored twice and had his chances for a trick.

The next day, there were some visitors from the West. The Sharks came to town. The best road team in the league. Could they upset the Rangers after that showdown on the day before? Well, they tried. The Sharks took the lead in the middle of the first period. But the Rangers bounced back, and eventually won 3-1. Dubinsky scored twice for the Rangers.

Henrik Lundqvist guarded the net on both occations. He couldn't do much on the Sharks goal, but he should have taken the one in the Buffalo game. Apart from that, Lundqvist was amazing.

No deals to report, but as we move towards the deadline. rumours are mounting everywhere. One thing has been confirmed though: Peter Forsberg will not play in the NHL this season. Well, there goes my tip for him being a Blueshirt for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. But some things will happen. Now we'll just wait and see.

Late news + other news

It came as a bit of a surprise to me, but Corey Stillman is now a Senator. I know, I'm late here but I have been away from the computer since this morning. And as I looked at the news on different websites, I realised the deal went through during the night (here in Sweden). So apparently, I missed it this morning. So, I'm not off to a great start here. Things are going to pick up, that's a promise!

So, what's happening this weekend?
Manchester United are playing Arsenal in the FA Cup. A victory is needed to restore some of the pride lost in the derby against Manchster City last Sunday. It will be a tough one for sure.

Yours truly won't be around to watch it. I'm flying across the pond to New York City. It is a short hockey trip for me, I'm going to be there and see the Rangers play the Sabres and the Sharks. It will, for sure, be a different experience. I'm used to the big rinks and the Swedish Elit Series. Of course, I've seen the NHL on TV but this is something extraordinary. Then I'm off back home to Sweden on Monday. On Thursday I'm back on the stands in the Swedish Elite Series, watching Linkopings HC play FBK Karlstad away.

A lot of ice hockey here right now, but there will be football as well.
There won't be any postings here during my stay in NYC. A summary will be online during the upcoming Tuesday or Wednesday. I might write some here tomorrow before my departure.