You may not have realized it, but some of the other local teams had games Sunday and some of them were pretty important.

Take for instance the Rangers who lost 3-1 to Boston, giving the Bruins the home-and-home sweep over the weekend. New York played well offensively, but made some stupid mistakes in the defensive zone and paid the price. They are in the thick of the playoff race in a wide-open Eastern Conference, but the way they have played the past two months does not inspire confidence. A trade in before or during the All-Star Break would not be a shock.

And, while the Rangers flounder, the Devils got back on track. John Madden had two goals in his return to the lineup while Martin Brodeur made 34 saves for New Jersey in their 3-2 win.

But, things were not all roses for the New Jersey teams as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Nets 116-92 in a game that really wasn’t that close. The Nets have now gone fourteen years without a win in Phoenix.