Ranger Stuff: Dolan, Pens debacle, Staal

I'm not quite sure where to start this post. Should I just get into last night's forgettable home tilt against the Pens, who whipped us 4-1? I did wind up going to my fifth game and my record is now 3-2 after Evgeni Malkin dominated us. Kris Letang's return was huge for Pittsburgh, who turned the tide by picking up their first win in three tries against the Rangers.

Instead of getting into the particulars of one of the poorest efforts this season, I am still a bit peturbed by the ridiculous commentary of the most evil owner in sports, Mr. Dolan. Following Tuesday's 3-0 shutout of Nashville in which our boys didn't play a full 60 minutes (unless you had blinders on), the biggest jerk that's run MSG into the ground decided it was a good time to brag about his hockey club. Mind you John Tortorella was standing right next to him, discussing the win when Dolan went out of his way to blow praise Slats for his work that's seen our team win exactly two rounds in over a decade. Unbelievable.

If that wasn't enough, he then mentioned the 'C' word. As if their work was finished because the Rangers are first in the East. This is a good team who wins by outworking the opponent and getting quality netminding from King Henrik. Could they erase the Dolan Curse and win two rounds? Possibly. To even utter Stanley Cup is nonsensical and doesn't benefit anyone. There's so much more work to do, which a fuming Tortorella pointed out while blasting Dolan's misguided nonsense by calling it what it was. To paraphrase, BS. Well done coach.

The Blueshirts have let some bad habits crawl into their play and we're starting to see them pay on the scoreboard. They weren't good enough against Ottawa and did their usual nap in Montreal following a shutout at Toronto. The Nashville win saw our team grind its way past Barry Trotz' list of no-names sans Shea Weber. Yesterday, a flat start put them behind with Chris Kunitz burying a rebound following a close call in Marc-Andre Fleury's crease. The Rangers didn't throw one check in the period and chased the puck constantly. Full credit to the Pens, who strategically used our aggression to its benefit by chipping the puck out, leading to odd-man rushes. Pittsburgh also pinched in wreaking havoc for long stretches. They also stood up at their blueline, forcing sloppy turnovers. They deserved the win.
The Rangers picked it up in a better second with rookie Carl Hagelin slipping one through McFleury thanks to a beautiful backhand saucer pass from Marian Gaborik. Gabby has struggled lately putting the puck in. He's got one over the last 11. He was good in spurts, nearly beating Fleury off a great feed from Hags but shot the backhand into him with a gaping net. I won't complain about Gaborik because the effort was there. More than you could say for Brad Richards. Did anyone see him last night? The one time he had a clear chance to shoot on our first power play, he passed up a left circle blast for a foolish pass to no one. Richie hasn't been good enough lately. Sure. There's not a ton of finish with Artem Anisimov in a malaise and Ryan Callahan held in check. But Richards needs to be better.

Tort broke up the Boyle unit in hopes of getting Richards going by sticking Brandon Prust with him and Brandon Dubinsky, who looked good again. The Rangers did many good things but only came away 1-1 after two. Unfortunately, they were dreadful in the third where the Pens gave their supporters who braved the trip plenty to cheer about. A terrible pinch by Marc Staal led to a three-on-one with immortal Richard Park finishing off a nice passing play started by otherwise invisible Matt Cooke. Still, he made a big play that decided the game. Cooke's a shell of himself minus the physicality.

Staal struck again when he mindlessly kicked the puck right to Malkin, who only was too pleased to take it off the wall and then blow by a falling Mike Del Zotto (why did he go down???) and roof a backhand top shelf. Just brutal. I get that it's only Staal's ninth game back but what the hell was he doing there? You got to take the body and make sure it gets out. Especially with Geno breathing down your neck. He sucked on the foolish pinch in a tie game mind you that led to Park's go-ahead and then compounded it with a boneheaded play that put it out of reach, sending some of our fraud fans home. You know. The ones who take forever to find their seat and then disrespectfully stand up while play is going on. This is what you get with Dolan's new MSG.

Marc Staal is a minus-four so far with zero points. Sure. The defensive habits are still there like on the PK. And he has jumped into the rush a few instances, creating offense. But games like last night against a potential playoff foe raise questions. Will we see the Staalsie that everyone loves? Hard to predict. He is still a long way away. I didn't like the pairing with Del Zotto, who's in a rut. He has to at least stand up with Malkin coming in and try to get in his way. When MDZ doesn't contribute offensively, his game suffers.

I also don't get the sudden lack of confidence in Anton Stralman and Stu Bickel. Why? Cause Bickel had a brutal game at Montreal when our entire team royally sucked. One thing is apparent. The more we see inconsistency defensively, the more they miss the physical presence of Mike Sauer. Sauer's our most physical D since Jeff Beukeboom. He is sorely missed. Hopefully, after the two games and then the All-Star Break, we'll soon see Sauer return. If not, Glen Sather may want to make a call to buddy Brian Burke and inquire about Luke Schenn. Just the kinda hardnosed D that would fit our system if Sauer doesn't return.

Is it panic time? Hardly. Though I'm working all weekend and will miss the big match in Beantown, I'll be curious to see how they respond. Losing streaks haven't been common. Boston wiped out a one-goal Devil lead in one period by putting up a four spot in the third Thursday. They are explosive and really test every area. The best team in the league. It's the first of four meetings tomorrow. This will be a good test.

Crosby Magical Return dooms Islanders

All eyes were on the game's biggest superstar last night in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby's long wait was over with the Penguin captain finally returning to the ice for the first time since two concussions last January. Much like his boss Mario Lemieux, who cameback in epic fashion victimizing the Maple Leafs, Sid The Kid emulated Super Mario with a virtuoso performance at a soldout Consol Energy Center- scoring twice and setting up two more goals in a dominant Pens' 5-0 blowout of the Islanders.

Maybe it shouldn't have come as any shock that such a great player would electrify the home crowd at the Isles' expense. On his opening shift, he nearly assisted on a goal but linemate Chris Kunitz hit the post. It didn't take long for Crosby to put on a show, flying past two Islanders including defenseman Andrew MacDonald before roofing the game's best backhand top shelf on poor Swedish rookie Anders Nilsson, who shouldn't have started his first NHL game in the first place.

“I saw for a few seconds they were a little flat-footed,” Crosby said. “I was able to get some good speed built up when I got it. I knew I had a chance to go wide.”

How do you throw a green 21-year old kid into that building off a 6-0 humiliation versus Boston where they honored Jiggs McDonald and Ed Westfall? Even more mindless is why Nino Neiderreiter didn't play. With vets like Brian Rolston underperforming, wouldn't it make sense to give the ex-Devil a night off and keep their '10 first rounder in for energy? The Islanders are still in a rebuild. If Jack Capuano can scratch Kyle Okposo or Blake Comeau, he can also make an example of a leader who's not getting it done.

Nilsson was in for all five Pittsburgh goals, including a nifty Crosby pass that allowed immortal Brooks Orpik to beat the '09 third round pick clean, banking one in off the post. Cleared for his first game, Sidney certainly took some contact with second-year Isles' defenseman Travis Hamonic knocking him down with a clean check against the glass, which he got right up from and continued. The best news of all for the Pens and for the NHL that's made him the face of hockey. Funny enough, he wasn't screaming 'Oh yeah' when he scored his first of the season, which was bleeped out. If you were gone so long with doubts as to whether you'd even comeback, you'd probably feel the same emotion. Nobody can deny Sid's impact. At 24, he has already won a Cup, Hart, Art Ross, Rocket Richard and Olympic gold with one of the greatest goals in international history. A Canadian hero who has done it all. That he is finally back where he belongs is very exciting for the league and the fans, who hopefully get to see No.87 for a long time.

"It's significant when any League's top player returns to action," Toronto GM Brian Burke said via Twitter. "Welcome back Sid. Good luck as you get underway.

"'Yup, this leagues still a joke for me.' - Sidney Crosby 4 minutes into first game back," in a TSN piece today.

The great players make it look easy. Exactly what Crosby did to the struggling Islanders, who fell for the sixth time in their last seven (1-5-1). Capuano's club has been outscored 11-0 the past two contests. They're 2-6-1 in November with the Flyers tomorrow, a back-to-back with the Devils post-Thanksgiving and a visit to Buffalo to conclude the month. There's still time for them to get back on track. But at 5-10-3, the Islanders sit dead last in the East with 13 points- trailing eighth Washington by 10. The good news is the gap isn't that large between fifth Buffalo (24 Pts) and them. Time is ticking.

"We have to take a good look at ourselves. We didn't compete the way we needed to. We're a better team than we showed tonight. We have to be held accountable for our play," veteran Steve Staios lamented after getting victimized by Crosby for a seeing eye backhand that somehow found twine for his second of the night.

For Nilsson, he was under siege predictably against a high powered Pens' attack that features Evgeni Malkin, who finished off his sixth on the power play and later made an incredible feed to Steve Sullivan that increased their lead to 4-zip in the second. Just over two minutes into the third, Crosby showed off his strength by skating away from the bigger Staios along the wall before throwing a backhand that deflected past a helpless Nilsson.

"Of course the tempo and speed is a lot quicker up here, almost like night and day compared to the AHL," Nilsson admitted after making 31 saves in his second appearance. We apologize for stating that it was his NHL debut in yesterday's preview. "It's going to take some adjustment before I am used to everything up here."

The Islanders have no choice with Evgeni Nabokov sidelined for a month with a groin injury while backup Al Montoya was also put on the IR with a hamstring problem. Amazingly, incumbent starter Rick DiPietro is healthy and probably should've gotten the call under such a chaotic situation. Sure. A costly mistake led to a Nathan Horton tally Saturday but come on. Perhaps DP could've bounced back and kept it competitive. Kyle Okposo returned from a three-game hiatus. The once promising power wing was again held off the score sheet and remains stuck with a goose egg in goals. The organization also recalled David Ullstrom from Bridgeport for his first NHL action with the former '08 fourth rounder delivering four hits in over 13 minutes, while finishing minus-two.

John Tavares had a great night in the faceoff circle winning 15-of-23 but none of his six shots beat Marc-Andre Fleury, who recorded his 21st career shutout. Fleury matched his jersey number with 29 stops. Afterwards, the player everyone came to see still handed him the game puck for the milestone. Pretty cool.

“I thought we had a decent start, it’s just I think [Crosby’s] goal gave them a big lift and they had some momentum from the power plays and they took it to us early in the second and we couldn’t come out of that,” Tavares pointed out.

Notes: The news wasn't good for NYI D Mark Eaton, who left the game with a sprained left MCL. ... Malkin had a goal and assist while Crosby linemate Pascal Dupuis added three helpers. ... Crosby took 21 shifts, tallying his first four points (2-2-4) in less than 16 minutes. He also dominated on draws going 14 and 7. ... Tavares and captain Mark Streit combined for 10 of the Isles' 29 shots.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (29 saves for 2nd shutout of season-21st career)
2nd Star-Evgeni Malkin, Pit (PPG-sixth of season, assist in 17:45)
1st Star-Sidney Crosby, Pit (2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points, +3 in season debut)

Crosby 24/7

The Rangers and Flyers are being followed around by HBO cameras for the award winning series 24/7, which was such a success in its debut leading up to last year's Winter Classic. Based on one week, it appears Sidney Crosby is getting the star treatment literally.

It's understandable why the game's brightest star would be front and center due to post concussion symptoms that have kept the Penguin captain sidelined since early January. Crosby is a ratings bonanza. So, we get to see every little update on the 24-year old center's condition. Even if status quo as he continues to practice, there's Versus NBC and NHL Network TSN giving a day to day synopsis of Sid The Kid's plight. A few nights ago, there was wonderful new anchor Kathryn Tappen interviewing Mr. Crosby about how this experience has changed him. Granted. It was a good piece. It's just that the continued Sidney stuff is already wavering on insanity.

We get the importance of the former Hart winner. When some of my colleagues in the blogosphere echoed that the game would survive without Crosby, I disagreed from the standpoint that the game couldn't afford to lose a superstar so young. We need him around. Not to become another Kariya or Lindros. Assuming the worst case scenario, of course hockey would go on with or without Sid. But it still would be a crushing blow. Fortunately, over time Crosby's condition has improved to where he's getting close to finally returning. However, you'd think everything stopped the way it's being covered.

Games are being played. In case TSN/NBC haven't noticed, Crosby's teammates are doing just fine without him and banged up Evgeni Malkin. They're being led by Matt Cooke, who at least so far has decided to play hockey instead of cause chaos which forced the NHL to change Rule 48. Cooke, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury and the rest of the Pens are unbeaten in four games. With Sidney finally cleared for full contact earlier today, the news is encouraging for our preseason pick to come out of the East.

If only the media would chill a bit on every second of Sid's life. Pretty soon, they'll be reporting on what flavor ice cream he had at rival coach Bruce Boudreau's favorite dessert shop, Haagen Dazs. Just imagine.

 

BREAKING NEWS: Crosby chooses banana walnut fudge on a waffle cone! Cue cheesy music with Kathryn Tappen doing a voice over. "Another busy day with 20 teams in action including the Caps and Pens renewing pleasantries minus Sidney Crosby. Speaking of which, we have an exclusive! A surprise in store for Pens fans. If you like ice cream, you're in for a treat! ..."

I like ice cream as much as anyone but it was never funnier than when Boudreau wanted to get his day started right with a Mall visit cracking, "It's never too early for ice cream." Hopefully, the real 24/7 gives us some of those WTF moments two months from now.

My feeling on Crosby's recovery is that I'll be genuinely excited when he finally declares himself ready to make his season debut. It'll be great for the game regardless of your opinion on Sid. Besides, our games against the Pens wouldn't be the same. Every fan needs a target even if nobody wants to see his career ruined. I liken it to that friend you playfully clown around with. As someone who's usually been the victim, I chuckle.

I know I'm not alone in my opinion here. Crosby 24/7 can get a bit tedious. Even if you love him, when does it become about our teams? I applaud Jeremy Roenick for sounding off recently on NBC/Versus. I half wonder if Sid likes seeing himself on TV so much. Leave the kid alone and let him get ready. A little space never hurt.

We don't want our media morphing into ESPN. Yes. I went there. Do we? Toss as many expletives as you like.

Random Musings

Normally, I only get to do Ranger recaps. Especially with my blogging limited to the New York Public Library. Rather than relive another frustrating Ranger loss in which they saw their shadow, I figured it's time to chime in on what's happening around the league. Without further notice, in no particular order:

1.The Devils' 10-1-2 run has got them within 15 points of eighth. Amazing considering at one point they were like 10-29. Ilya Kovalchuk has turned his year around and Jacques Lemaire is once again proving why he's such a good coach- squeezing whatever he can out of Brian Rolston, Dainius Zubrus and kids Nick Palmeiri and Mattias Tedenby. Can they make the playoffs? Well, considering how weak the competition is, they have a slight chance. But one slip up could prove costly. Simply put, just keep winning and anything's possible.

2.The Sabres are only a few points off eighth themselves. Boosted by Drew Stafford's latest hat trick that hiked his total to 20 goals in a stunning 7-4 come from behind win over second seeded Tampa, Buffalo has a more realistic shot at making it. It all depends on Ryan Miller and whether Tyler Myers can turn it on. In the mean time, they're getting inspired play from Stafford, Thomas Vanek, Jordan Leopold (actual Regier steal) and rookie Tyler Ennis. If they're to be taken seriously, then tonight's a must win at Florida who are two points behind.

3.Speaking of the Panthers, I know Dale Tallon used to be the Blackhawks' GM but that doesn't mean he gets to hook up his former team. What on earth was he thinking dealing away Michael Frolik and goalie prospect Alexander Salak to Chitown for Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman and David Pacan. Yes! That Jessiman. Skille could evolve into a solid player but Frolik has higher end skill and Salak is tearing up the Swedish Elite League. It says here that this could be one of those deals that's a steal for the Blackhawks.

4.Does anyone have worse luck than the Islanders? Rick DiPietro goes down again after foolishly engaging Matt Cooke, leading to a one punch knockdown by Brent Johnson. Then, Kevin Poulin trips over a rut in the ice during warmups the other night finishing the poor rookie for the season and forcing Mikko Koskinen into his first start a half hour prior- an Islander 5-3 loss. Now, GM Garth Snow is banking on former Rangers' first round bust Al Montoya, who he acquired last night for a pick. It just amazes. Does Montoya debut for the Islanders tonight in Montreal fresh off a beatdown literally from nemesis Boston? Could the timing be any worse?

5.Speaking of the beatdown the Bruins put on the Canadiens last night in one of the all-time greatest regular season games, what can you say about their revenge following Max Pacioretty's antics last time out when he celebrated an OT winner by shoving Boston captain Zdeno Chara? It was a hockey civil war at TD Garden with one of the most heated rivalries going back and forth literally in a game that featured 14 combined goals, 182 penalty minutes including at least eight fights and a rivalry record eight goals in the second period with seven coming in just over a six-minute span! This was armageddon or as we love to reference from hockey classic Slap Shot, "Old-Time Hockey!!!!!" Indeed, Eddie Shore and Paul Newman's Reggie Dunlop character along with The Hanson Brothers would've been proud. Even All-Star goalies Carey Price and Tim Thomas got involved in a wrestling match with Price wisely not hitting Thomas while he was down for risk of injury. That along with Benoit Pouliot letting up on a fallen David Krejci were the only signs of respect. When you have a line brawl that features 11 different players in the penalty boxes with the Boston crew entertaining the crowd by alternating Habs and Bruins to boos and cheers, you got something special. Even if the Bruins went out of their way to exact revenge with Nathan Horton getting right in PK Subban's face, igniting it. There was also Johnny Boychuk pounding Jaroslav Spacek and poor Tom Pyatt bloodied by Greg Campbell. The level of insanity was absurd. Underrated B's rookie Brad Marchand ran James Wisniewski after an icing that had NHL Network's panel labeling him dirty. This was classic throwdown hockey at its best. The rematch is March 7 with the other meeting on my Dad's birthday, March 24 next month. Get your popcorn ready!

6.Don't you just love how Brian Burke keeps reacquiring his own players from the Ducks. This time, he unloaded Francois Beauchemin back to Anaheim where the defenseman won a Cup under Burke for oft-injured Joffrey Lupul and Burke '07 first round pick Jake Gardiner. It looks like a good deal for both sides with Anaheim boosting their blueline while the Leafs get a prospect for the future. We're not sure what to expect from Lupul, whose salary is over four million. Staying healthy would be advisable.

7.Jonas Gustavsson isn't going anywhere. Especially after being removed from a Marlies blowout of the Whale yesterday after a heart issue. Even if minor, who is going to take a chance on the Swede who's lost his confidence? At least rookie James Reimer looks legit thus far. With breakout seasons for Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin along with Clarke MacArthur, things are looking up for the Leafs as they take on the Devils tonight. What it all means for much rumored Tomas Kaberle who gets Beauchemin's 'A' remains to be seen. You just never know what Burke's thinking. You have to figure close buddy Ron Wilson's gone after the season with his relationship with Phil Kessel sour. Who knows what Toronto will look like next Fall?

8.Is it a tad ironic how well Calgary's played since Jay Feaster replaced Christmas grinch Darryl Suter upstairs? The Flames aren't the most talented but everyone's chipping in and they suddenly find themselves in if the season ended today while defending champion Chicago would be out. We can't see that continuing.

9.Whatever happened to Marian Hossa, superstar?

10.So, Peter Forsberg's coming back again for the struggling Avs? Does he got anything left? Foppa looked good at last year's Olympics but competing in the NHL everyday is stressful. Forsberg's one of the all-time great talents having won Olympic gold twice, Lord Stanley, Art Ross and Hart Trophy. His legacy remains intact regardless if this comeback succeeds. But when you look at all the injuries, isn't it a little sad/ironic that his career has taken a similar path to link Eric Lindros? You know Lindros probably will never make the Hockey Hall Of Fame despite excellent numbers along with an MVP. But Forsberg probably will due to having more hardware and not being pampered his whole life. The Quebec controversy and the way his Flyers' career ended which we still blame on Bobby Clarke along with all the concussions overshadow Lindros' contributions. One of the most dominant big men to ever play the game. Why else does Patrick Kane wear No.88? It just makes you wonder.

11.I'm a former top finisher. I scored 42 goals last season and a career high 86 points in my first season on Broadway. Have You Seen Me?

12.With Sid The Kid still uncertain when he'll return from a concussion, here's our top Hart candidates:

A.Steven Stamkos, TB: 40-43-73
B.Daniel Sedin, Van: 29-43-72
C.Tim Thomas, Bos: 26 Wins, 1.91 GAA, .942 Save Pct, 7 SHO
D.Ryan Kesler, Van: 32-22-54, 10 PPG, 6 GW

13.Finally, Matt Cooke got suspended four games for boarding Fedor Tyutin from behind in the Pens' 4-1 home loss to the Blue Jackets. What is there left to say about a man who once was a good hockey player minus the cheap tactics he's performed since donning a Pens' jersey? I recall a time when Cooke was a pretty clean player for the Canucks. One I respected. He then was dealt to the Caps. Is it ironic that he stuck his leg out at Alex Ovechkin in similar fashion to Ovi's trip that injured Olympic Russian teammate Sergei Gonchar two Springs prior? We doubt it. Cooke always lived dangerously injuring players and usually getting away with it. This time, the league finally took action. We all know the history with Marc Savard, who is shutdown again following another concussion. This isn't about one severe head shot but about a player who goes out of his way to injure opponents. What happened to him? Did he sell his soul to the Devil? One day, someone's going to get Cooke. Then, we'll see how he likes it and what the same foolish fans who defend him have to say.

14.A shame about Evgeni Malkin, who's been plagued with knee problems all year. The gifted Russian who won the Conn Smythe in the Pens' third Stanley Cup two years ago will have season ending ACL/MCL surgery. He's expected to be back in time for training camp. We'll see. Wishing one of the game's special talents a speedy recovery.

Rangers overcome refs to beat Pens

Ryan Callahan is mobbed by excited teammates after scoring the winner in a wild finish.

In every sense of the word, the Rangers are a T-E-A-M. Never was that more evident than in tonight's feel good 3-2 overtime win over the Pens. Our old Patrick rival is easy to loathe. Especially because Sidney Crosby does whatever he wishes on Bettman's sheet of ice. It's not enough that he's arguably the best. Perhaps the rumors about Colin Campbell's emails are true. Maybe he ordered refs Kyle Rehman and Dan O'Halloran to invent as many calls as possible to get a hard fought game tied.

Be that as it may, what a great character win for John Tortorella's resilient club that could've folded after Matt Cooke's go-ahead marker that looked offside- touching off a Cup-like celebration by the Pens who stunned Henrik Lundqvist with two straight in 38 seconds to suddenly lead 2-1 with 86 seconds to spare. While an irate Lundqvist slammed his stick leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct after they handed Pittsburgh every power play to tie it (even if technically our PK didn't allow Chris Kunitz' tying marker until six seconds expired), I couldn't take anymore shutting the TV. I had had ENOUGH of seeing the blind mice wreck a competitive game that saw our goalie at his best, making remarkable save after save leaving Crosby and Co. shaking their heads. Like they couldn't show any leeway after one of the worst officiated periods in history.

A funny thing happened after I went upstairs to my room and vented my frustration to cool Pens' tweep Bekah via text while lashing out on Twitter. I mean, when they handed Pitt their sixth man-advantage without one for our team with 93 seconds left, it felt over. I'd seen this script before but the games were in nightmarish Mellon Arena, which never treated our heroes kindly. The last thing I wanted to see was the Pens toy with us holding the puck before Tort pulled Lundqvist and they finish us off and laugh some more as if it were a sick, twisted plot arranged by the NHL version of Dumb and Dumber. :P As I noted in my final tweet on the nonsense, I don't normally lash out at reffing. Granted. It's been brutal. Devils-Bruins wasn't much better. We'll let Hasan divulge what went wrong in Beantown.

Anyway, as I was tweeting away and reading plenty of furious #NYR bloggers/fans who were just as incensed, suddenly Justin screamed at the top of his lungs through the wall: "Yeah!!!!!!!!!" At first, I didn't believe it. But then, I asked, 'They tied it?,' which he and the rest of the Twitterverse confirmed. Even Bekah texted me but I was still irked, fearing the worst. I didn't even see Marc Staal's shorty which was wonderfully set up by an attacking Brandon Dubinsky, who dropped the puck for No.18's high shortside shot which alluded Marc-Andre Fleury. That it came some 27 seconds later told the story. As I've noted, this is a T-E-A-M. Even if Sean Avery again ignited a brawl, there were plenty of teammates sans Erik Christensen who had his back. These guys fight for every inch as Al Pacino's Coach D'Amato said in Any Given Sunday. Quit is not in their vocabulary. Finally, a Ranger team we can get behind!

Henrik Lundqvist was splendid all night finishing with 37 saves in the Rangers' 3-2 overtime win over the Penguins.

I've never been prouder of a team. The heart they showed bouncing back from what would've been a bitter loss. Especially when King Henrik was easily the best player even if Evgeni Malkin flew all game until he and Crosby set up Kunitz' equalizer. When our guys couldn't get shots on Fleury with at one point the Pens holding a 20-7 edge, Lundqvist was there to deny the home team time and time again. If not for the 37 saves of which many were clutch, there's nothing to talk about. They'd have been down two or three after a first which the Pens controlled. I've criticized our goalie at times in this space but he has really risen to the challenge. For him to be that sharp after missing two games is a credit to Henrik. If not for a weak call on OT hero Ryan Callahan, it's likely his third shutout in the last six. Instead, we were left wondering if they'd even get a point after Cooke beat him shortside.

"I’ve got to stay cooler, obviously, but it felt like they got another chance after chance to get back in the game," he pointedly said while adding: “I’m still angry—even though we scored. ... I felt like it wasn’t fair, but the game is over and you just have to deal with it."

Pretty much sums up the frustration. At least they didn't lose, instead saying a how do you do to what's become the standard in this dysfunctional league. When my brother yelled out another, "Yeah!!!!!!!!!!," I still had to ask if they won. It was like I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. But it didn't! Dubinsky again made a great play dancing around Paul Martin (can Hasan smile here) before feeding an open Callahan for what he termed, "easiest goal in the NHL."

There are games which define you. Some are more important than others. Case in point being the giant step up in competition after destroying Edmonton. In the first, you could see the difference in talent with only Lundqvist saving us. However, our team came to play and won the second game of a back-to-back against a division rival. They did it by playing an exciting brand of hockey, trading chances with the scarier Pens. That meant plenty of work for Lundqvist, who robbed Malkin two or three times while stoning Kunitz. It meant plenty of Staal, Dan Girardi and revelation Steve Eminger in Crosby's face, flustering him to the point where he bumped our goalie and then took down a player with of course nothing detected. Matt Gilroy pinched well and was rewarded with a helper on Christensen's third halfway through regulation which held up all the way until Kunitz stayed with a Malkin rebound, finally solving Lundqvist with 2:31 remaining. Mike Sauer continued to show poise in important situations. Only Mike Del Zotto struggled on the back end but he still blocked three of the team's 20 shots.

You Want To Go? Ryan Callahan and Mike Comrie talk before the draw before going. Callahan's Gordie Howe hat trick included the OT winner.

That kind of yeoman EFFORT is what we're used to. These guys care. They want to win for each other. I still can't get over Cally dropping the gloves with Mr. Hilary Duff (Mike Comrie). At that point, they were being badly outplayed. Maybe it was just a wake up call. They did talk before the faceoff and then you had an unlikely duo paired up. There's so much to admire about the future Ranger captain who never takes a shift off. No wonder it was fitting he got the winner, completing the Gordie Howe hat trick (G, A, fight). His dramatic fifth goal at 3:38 in the extra session was his first of the month, snapping a six-game drought. It couldn't happen to a better guy.

It didn't matter that Crosby got away with two infractions on the same shift. It didn't matter that the Pens led in power plays 6-0. It didn't matter that that punk Cooke swung his stick wildly after Lundqvist robbed Kris Letang with a quick glove through traffic. It didn't even matter that Sid won as many draws (25-7) as our entire roster (25-43). Something that continues to be a problem, which at least didn't hurt us thanks to Dubi (6-16) winning a couple of key ones late. What most mattered is that the guys wearing the home white, red and blue jerseys responded to adversity by getting the 'W.'

They'll go for their fourth straight against those Bruins tomorrow at home.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Evgeni Malkin, Pit (assist, game high 7 SOG in 27:28)
2nd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (OT winner at 3:38, assist, fight-Gordie Howe hat trick, 6 hits, 2 blocked shots, +1 in 20:14)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (37 saves incl. 24/24 first 40 mins) 

Rating The Atlantic's Best

It's never too early to take a look ahead. Especially with a new season around the corner for one of the game's most competitive divisions. Whether you're in a fantasy hockey league or just a passionate pucker, there are always bar debates about who the best players are. Today, we'll be ranking the Atlantic's elite by position.

GOALIES: Let's start from the goal out. Goalie is still an important piece to any team. Even if proven otherwise by the Blackhawks and Flyers, will that trend continue? Or does the cream rise to the top? The Atlantic has three of the best netminders. Legendary Devil Martin Brodeur still is the man but Ranger Henrik Lundqvist is closing fast and Penguin backstop Marc-Andre Fleury has the hardware. It's a shame about career Islander  Rick DiPietro, who seemed on the verge of cracking the top 10. Now, DP remains a huge question mark. Dwayne Roloson will again be counted off the Meadowbrook. It's hard to predict if unlikely Flyer hero Michael Leighton can repeat his performance in the City Of Brotherly Love. If a loaded Philly team is to finally win its first Cup since 1975, they better hope so.

1.Martin Brodeur, Devils
2.Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers
3.Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins
4.Dwayne Roloson, Islanders
5.Michael Leighton, Flyers


DEFENSEMEN: In today's game, defense is essential for a winner. Just look no further than the '06-07 Ducks, '07-08 Red Wings, '08-09 Pens and rating champ Chicago. All boasted superb bluelines where key players logged big minutes. Would the Oilers or Flyers have gotten there without wrecking ball Chris Pronger? The NHL's most loathed defenseman leads a pack that includes newest Pen Paul Martin, freight train Brooks Orpik and potential breakout player Kris Letang. The Devils hope blocking machine Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder add plenty of toughness in front of the net. Is Andy Greene legit? Can James Wisniewski aid Mark Streit on the Island? Marc Staal is probably the most important player to the Rangers. Three days to get that new contract done in time for camp. Unfortunately, there's not a place for Wade Redden on our list unless you're an AHL fan.

1.Chris Pronger, Flyers
2.Brooks Orpik, Penguins
3.Kimmo Timonen, Flyers
4.Marc Staal, Rangers
5.Mark Streit, Islanders
6.Anton Volchenkov, Devils
7.Paul Martin, Penguins
8.Kris Letang, Penguins
9.Andy Greene, Devils
10.Henrik Tallinder, Devils
11.Zbynek Michalek, Penguins
12.Dan Girardi, Rangers
13.James Wisniewski, Islanders
14.Braydon Coburn, Flyers
15.Michael Del Zotto, Rangers


CENTERS: Let's face it. If you're not good down the middle, you may as well throw in the towel. Guess nobody told Glen Sather. It starts in the Steel City where the Pens boast arguably the game's best in Sidney Crosby followed by equally all world Evgeni Malkin. On another team, Jordan Staal could be a No.1. Instead, he's in their shadow. One of the biggest reasons the Flyers stunned the East was due to captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Oh. And converted wing Daniel Briere did damage. The Devils are hoping '00 Cup hero Jason Arnott can support do everything No.1 Travis Zajac. For the Islanders, it starts and ends with John Tavares, who should explode in Year Two. The Rangers' best is probably sophomore Artem Anisimov. But is he ready for prime time? If Brandon Dubinsky sees more time on the left side, he better be.

1.Sidney Crosby, Penguins
2.Evgeni Malkin, Penguins
3.Mike Richards, Flyers
4.Jeff Carter, Flyers
5.Travis Zajac, Devils
6.John Tavares, Islanders
7.Jordan Staal, Penguins
8.Jason Arnott, Devils
9.Brandon Dubinsky, Rangers
10.Josh Bailey, Islanders
11.Artem Anisimov, Rangers
12.Frans Nielsen, Islanders
13.Darroll Powe, Flyers
14.Brian Rolston, Devils
15.Chris Drury, Rangers

WINGS: Rather than separate left from right, we're going to combine. So, who are the division's elite wings? Ranger fans won't have much to say but there should be plenty of fun debate with Devil fans over Marian Gaborik and Kool Aid chugger Ilya Kovalchuk. Both are two of the best finishers in the game and breathtaking to watch. Whether it's Gaborik's acceleration and quick release or Kovalchuk's end to end rushes and twisted wristers, there should be plenty to cheer for between the Hudson line. Each could combine for 90 goals. Kovalchuk's teammate Zach Parise isn't far behind. Can the Zach Attack combine with his Russian comrade to hit the century mark? If he stays healthy, Briere should be in the mix. Does Patrik Elias reemerge now that he's reunited with Arnott? The do everything Czech has always been streaky. Perhaps he'll have a revival. The Devil offense looks scary. How much can LA import Alexander Frolov help Gaborik on Broadway? Will Chris Kunitz finish enough? The Pens aren't exactly loaded there but when you possess Sid and Geno plus Staal, we guess they don't have to. Is this the year Kyle Okposo breaks out? Can Matt Moulson prove last year wasn't a fluke?

1.Ilya Kovalchuk, Devils
2.Marian Gaborik, Rangers
3.Zach Parise, Devils
4.Daniel Briere, Flyers
5.Patrik Elias, Devils
6.Matt Moulson, Islanders
7.Alexander Frolov, Rangers
8. Chris Kunitz, Penguins
9.Vinny Prospal, Rangers
10.Nikolai Zherdev, Flyers
11.Claude Giroux, Flyers
12.Jamie Langenbrunner, Devils
13.David Clarkson, Devils
14.Kyle Okposo, Islanders
15.Mike Comrie, Penguins
16.Ryan Callahan, Rangers
17.James Van Riemsdyk, Flyers
18.Matt Cooke, Penguins
19.Pascal Dupuis, Penguins
20.Nino Niederreiter, Islanders

Halak, Habs oust champs, Flyers on verge of history

Sometimes, things live up to their billing. Such was the case tonight with two stunners taking place. First, the Canadiens backstopped by Jaroslav Halak (37 saves) eliminated the defending champion Penguins 5-2 in Game Seven- advancing to the franchise's first Conference Final since they last won the Cup in 1993. Another improbable run led by Patrick Roy. The eighth seeded Habs have now ousted both the President's Trophy winning Caps and Pens in deciding games on the road. While they didn't have to win three straight, this time they had to contend with a more experienced/better overall team. To accomplish what they have is remarkable. Kudos to Mike Cammalleri, who added to his postseason-leading goal total with No.12. Brian Gionta was equally great, tallying twice including just 32 seconds in to set the tone. Camms and Gio combined for 12 of the Habs' markers in the series.

More stunning was how well Hal Gill on one leg played after missing Game Six. The heart he demonstrated going back out there to lead his new team past the one he won with is something to behold. That's what it takes. It was nice to see the big guy prove us wrong. How about Scott Gomez netting two assists and playing to capability. Guess Bob Gainey wasn't so crazy reuniting Gomer and Gio after all. We'll take our crow barbecued to a crisp. There's only so much one can say about Halak, who made a huge stop on Sidney Crosby early in the third to thwart the Pens rally. The man was simply sensational, putting together some of the best goaltending since Giguere and Roy. Who says he can't keep it up?

They still don't know who they'll face. That's because the Flyers simply refuse to go home quietly. They have now rallied from an 0-3 hole to tie the series against Boston. Michael Leighton was terrific in his first playoff start holding the struggling B's to one late Milan Lucic tally with a minute left before the Flyers held on to win their third in a row. Simon Gagne and Daniel Briere came through for the home team, who now see the same light the Red Sox saw against the Yankees. Just the dejected looks on Boston's side as they exited told the story. Can Claude Julien and his leadership of Chara, Savard and Recchi possibly restore order for Friday? Or are the Flyers 35 years after the Islanders did it to the Pens destined to make history. It looks like it's going to be tough and not so much for the orange and black.

Finally, it's amazing to think that in a seven-game series, Crosby and Malkin combined for only two goals. It's a credit to how determined Jacques Martin's scrappy bunch were taking away passing and shooting lanes while limiting time and space. But we also saw both superstars pressing in a flat first that saw neither register a shot while both made uncharacteristic errors we're not accustomed to seeing. Sid was in the box for Gionta's early PPG for a mistimed rough. Malkin had several mystifying giveaways on power plays, passing up great opportunities to shoot. Though they combined for 11 shots the final 40, neither really distinguished themselves.

Stunning stuff in Pittsburgh on what became Mellon Arena's final night. Kudos to the fans who stayed and gave their team a nice salute as did the disappointed former champs. Thumbs down to the ones who left early. Especially on The Igloo's final day. A Cup winner that reached two straight Finals and delivered so many bright stars and some left. Unbelievable.

A great night for hockey regardless. Eye opening to say the least.

Great Theatre Tonight

If you're a hockey fan, then you're in luck. Tonight promises to be quite interesting. Great theatre is anticipated with the No.8 seeded Canadiens looking to repeat what they did to Ovechkin. This time, they're pitted against the Crosby/Malkin Pens. A larger task for sure.

Taking down the defending champs at what just could be the final game at old Mellon Arena would be astronomical. Les Habitants will need virtuoso performances from all actors led by Jaroslav Halak, series star Mike Cammalleri and Hal Gill. They'll need help from familiar ex-Devil duo Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. Both have played well. Each has big game experience. Can they put it together in Game Seven? Tomas Plekanec has mostly been absent. If the soon to be FA wants to increase his value, this would be a great start. He was real effective in the Round One upset. Other key components of this improbable Hab run have been antagonist Max Lapierre, ex-Ranger Dominic Moore, former pick Tom Pyatt and Andrei Kostitsyn. Emergency call-up P.K. Subban has been stellar and Josh Gorges instrumental in teaming with Gill to blanker Sidney Crosby. Minus top defender Andrei Markov, do they have one more peak performance in them? Hopefully, it won't be as anticlimatic as last year's Conference Semi Caps dismantling.

While the Habs will still be heavy underdogs against Crosby, Geno, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Gonchar and Kris Letang, the Flyers are trying to do something that hasn't been done since 1975. Only twice in NHL history have teams rallied from 0-3 down to win series. The 1942 Leafs and most recently, the Islanders did it some 35 years ago, 33 years after Toronto. Is the timing right for the banged up Flyers to stun the Bruins? Simon Gagne has been remarkable coming back from a broken bone in his right foot scoring the sudden death winner to keep his team alive in Game Four and two more goals in a 4-0 Game Five rout.

All of Philadelphia will be behind their Flyers when the puck drops an hour from now at Wachovia. To even sniff the final part of something the Red Sox did to the Yankees in '04, Peter Laviolette's bunch must get off quickly against what should be a more focused and desperate Boston club that wants nothing to do with Game Seven. Even if it's in their own building, the pressure would be gigantic. The Avs tried this a few years ago against the Sharks winning two straight before falling in Game Six. The sixth game AKA third part is usually the biggest hurdle. If Philly can get through it, only then does it become possible. They'll need Michael Leighton to start where he left off in relief of injured Brian Boucher the other night. Remember, it was Leighton who was so brilliant before Boucher got them in. Now, he has a chance to help his team make history. The Flyers are still without Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere. That doesn't matter. They've shown heart all Spring.

It sets up to be quite the watch. Sit back, relax and crack open a Molson.

Devils send message to defending champs

Beating the Rangers is one thing. But following it up with a sound performance against Sidney Crosby and the defending champion Pens shows that the Devils just might be a factor this Spring. Facing a team they owned earlier in the season in what amounted to a significant game if they're to comeback and win the Atlantic, the Newark hosts stood up to Pittsburgh, defeating them a fifth straight time by a score of 3-1.

Martin Brodeur bested Marc-Andre Fleury with 34 saves and the New Jersey D we saw earlier this year returned. First half hero Andy Greene was the catalyst, scoring a goal and assist while playing splendid defense on the league's leading finisher Crosby, whose 45th of the season was the only one that beat Team Canada Olympic teammate Brodeur. For a team that had struggled for over a month, this was a change back to when things were right. Jacques Lemaire's defensive strategy again foiled the high flying Pens, who now have totaled only three goals in five defeats. The Devils' second consecutive win pulled them within two of first with two in hand. The old Patrick rivals meet one more time at The Rock next Wednesday.

For the Devils, everything was gravy with big acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk delivering his best game in red and black- finishing with a goal and two helpers along with a game high seven shots. Playing a more workman like game, the electrifying Russian helped set up Greene's decider with 17:54 left in the third period. At that critical juncture, the teams were deadlocked with the home club wasting a couple of power plays, including a Craig Adams major in which they got nothing done. However, Brodeur made two vital saves late in the stanza to keep that from burning them.

Early on, the teams traded goals 42 seconds apart. Patrik Elias got it started when he cashed in on a wide Greene shot that took a favorable carom, pushing the puck past an out of position Fleury for his 12th at 1:43. Kovalchuk netted a secondary helper. Once again ahead on a team they've owned, it looked like the Devils would roll. However, Crosby was having none of it, converting his league best 45th off a break to end a run of 11 straight New Jersey goals in the season series. Taking a quick feed from Chris Kunitz, Sid The Kid waited before going five-hole on Brodeur. A Martin Skoula minor soon followed but the Devils tightened up, keeping it tied.

While there was no scoring in the second, it certainly was highly entertaining with wide open action and plenty of rough stuff. With each trying to get their point across, the penalty fest started when Adams was called for a charging major, earning the rest of the night off. Judging from Matt Loughlin and Sherry Ross' commentary, it sounded like it was excessive. However, the Devils drove their fans nuts by barely testing Fleury. Ex-Devil Mike Rupp was then nabbed for an unnecessary slash on Brodeur following a puck he covered which led to a scrum. Handed a third opportunity to surge ahead, the Devs couldn't with Fleury seeing everything as the Pen PK did a solid job in front.

While on it, Dainius Zubrus and Kris Letang exchanged pleasantries following a Fleury save. Each earning matching roughs. The shenanigans continued when instigator Matt Cooke came at Rob Niedermayer, who of course was just releasing the puck. However, the younger Nieds saw him and threw an oldschool high crosscheck that drew the baby's ire. God forbid someone is prepared for his antics. Of course, Cooke challenged him while other players joined the fracas, including Ruslan Fedotenko and Colin White, who actually paired off. With David Clarkson wanting to step in, nothing materialized as cooler heads prevailed. Evgeni Malkin was also whistled for interference while Niedermayer got an extra two for the crosscheck, forcing Rod Pelley to serve it.

Faced with a little adversity, the Devils easily killed it off with outstanding work done by Greene, who was everywhere breaking up plays. By far his best game in months. The lift eventually led to a huge play which also could've been a turning point. A soft backhand pass by Clarkson sprung Kovalchuk for a clean breakaway to which the former Thrasher was denied by a quick Fleury pad. However, Letang got him from behind. Or at least from our vantage point, the side. Be that as it may, they rewarded Kovy a penalty shot. Previously, he was 1-for-1 in his career discounting the gimmick. With a chance to put his new team up, Kovalchuk's was stoned by Fleury. He tried to go low but nothing doing with even a smattering of boos from an impatient crowd.

It set the stages for a big third. Not shockingly, right off the bat Niedermayer obliged Cooke who got the better of him, earning the KO. It wasn't that bad. With the game hanging in the balance, Bryce Salvador found an on-rushing Kovalchuk, who backed up the D before sending a wrister on Fleury, which the Pens' netminder was unable to control kicking it right to Greene, who rifled it top shelf at 2:06- sending the crowd to its feet. It was his first goal since netting two back on Dec.9 versus Carolina, spanning 37 contests. Not only was it big but it marked two in a row in which Greene had at least two points. His offense had been non-existant. Perhaps the break helped because he's got five points in five games (1-4-5).

The game was far from over. With the Devs nursing a one-goal lead, more theatrics occurred when captain Jamie Langenbrunner got tangled up with Chris Kunitz near the Pens' bench. In fact, Kunitz pulled Langenbrunner in with him as players from both sides watched. On the sequence, somehow Pitt came out with a man-advantage as they gave Langs an extra two for high sticking. Again, the Devil PK was outstanding keeping the Pens on the perimeter. In particular, they pressured high forcing Letang to make the decisions while giving both Crosby and Malkin little space. It resulted in turnovers leading to routine clears. Brodeur also had a couple of stops, including a strong glove save on Jordan Staal. Even if the shot was heading wide, it was a smart play that allowed his team a breather following some diligent work.

The best Pens' chance came from Malkin, who all period had it going. Taking a pass in stride, he broke in and seemed to have Brodeur beat but couldn't tuck in his backhand with it instead hitting the side of the net. Probably the biggest play to that point. An even larger yet more controversial one came next. Off a solid forecheck by Zubrus and Travis Zajac, they worked the puck to Kovalchuk, who let one go from about 35 out. His harmless shot whizzed by Fleury, who vehemently protested immediately. Replays showed that an attacking Zajac waved his stick at it but wound up accidentally shoving Fleury's glove which looked in position. After much discussion, both Doc Emrick and Chico Resch agreed that maybe the Devils caught a break. Even if not intentional, it probably should've been wiped out due to incidental contact.

Instead, Kovalchuk's 35th (4th as a Devil) stood from Zubrus and Zajac, giving New Jersey a 3-1 lead with 10:01 remaining. A Mike Mottau high-sticking minor handed the Pens another power play. However, Brodeur and Co. again silenced the Pens, who despite a 15-5 edge in shots, couldn't beat their Kryptonite.

“Brodeur played as well as he can play,” a pleased Lemaire said. “He was on the top of his game and played very solid. He made some great saves in the third period.”

“There is no explanation for it,” the veteran coach added of his team's dominance of the Penguins. “You need a little luck. But when you do well against one team, it builds confidence and you think you can play at that level all the time.”

“He’s Martin Brodeur, so you can’t expect him not to play well,” Crosby added. “He gets up for games like this and gives a little something extra. Whether he considers it a challenge or not, I don’t know, but he just plays well.”

Whatever it is, one thing's certain. At least for now, the Devils have the Pens' number. Whether that changes next week or in the foreseeable future remains to be seen.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Martin Brodeur, NJD (34 saves incl.15/15 in 3rd)
2nd Star-Ilya Kovalchuk, NJD (4th as a Devil plus 2 assists, game best 7 SOG, +3 in 20:51)
1st Star-Andy Greene, NJD (GW goal-5th of season, assist, +3 in 23:34)

55-16 SOG: Exposed

When you get outshot 55-16 on home ice, I don't care who you are. You deserve to lose! That was the sad lesson a poorly constructed Ranger roster learned tonight in actually blowing a 4-2 lead to the Crosby Pens for a crushing 5-4 overtime loss.

There are no silver linings. Not any Kenny Albert! You're our radio broadcaster but don't undermine a frustrated fanbase by accentuating positives. "Well, they beat Ottawa and got a big point against Pittsburgh." You gotta be joking. Nobody wants to hear that Jazzy Jim nonsense. Loser mentality. That's why we'll never win as long as that clown is involved. That goes for the other laughingstock as well. Have fun chasing the LeBron tooth fairy after you got pissed on literally.

Truth be told, it wasn't a bad game. Not when our guys got in Crosby's face flustering him the first two periods. That early shift where Brandon Dubinsky got in his face along with Henrik Lundqvist was great stuff. Heck. He even took an undisciplined penalty that led to Dubinsky's career best 15th on the power play, steering the Rangers in front by a pair. At one point, the MSG hosts went from 2-1 down to scoring three straight, giving the building life. Partially due to Marc-Andre Fleury being a sieve. He allowed four goals on 12 shots, giving up a couple of softies to Artem Anisimov (left circle) and the Dubinsky right circle blast which caromed off the post and the discheveled Pens' netminder. Even Michal Rozsival's go-ahead tally off a beautifully executed three-on-two with Vinny Prospal and Olli Jokinen was from a tough angle. Though it was a halitzer that popped the water bottle. Not bad for a guy who never hits the net. Both his goals have come versus his ex-team 38 games apart.

It was finally Dubi's which ended Fleury's night. A wise decision by Dan Bylsma that sparked his team. It's not like they were playing poorly. They had outshot the Rangers like 29 or 30-12 but trailed by two because the hosts were opportunistic without leading scorer Marian Gaborik. Anisimov's 10th came only 2:17 in off a simple wrist shot. But two consecutive penalties got them in trouble with the Pens finally cashing in at the end of a 5-on-3 when Chris Kunitz rebounded home a Sergei Gonchar shot that deflected off Jordan Staal right to him. Staal got another bounce when his backhand went in off a Ranger skate for a 2-1 lead. The goal was made possible by an absolutely brutal Sean Avery turnover. Instead of shooting, he overpassed allowing Staal to come the other way. .

Before you knew it, shots were 13-3. Despite the territorial edge, they couldn't widen the gap. Instead, a Brooks Orpik trip put the Blueshirts on the power play. Right after a break in which an announcement on the scoreboard congratulated all the Olympians with plenty of boos for Crosby, Chris Drury appropriately scored a Drury-type goal from in front. With his back to Fleury, he got to a Mike Del Zotto rebound and backhanded his 11th in from his knees. Jokinen added the first of two helpers. For Drury, who's struggled all season to find the touch, it was nice to see because he played his butt off- helping Team USA earn silver along with Ryan Callahan. Hopefully, we'll see more from the captain down the stretch.

The feistiness continued with Callahan taking exception to a Evgeni Malkin late shot as the buzzer sounded, leading to another get together with a childish slash from Geno while Cally went back at him. Each received matching minors. The second started with wide open four-on-four which figured to favor the more skilled guests. But after Lundqvist denied a couple of pointblank chances including a sharp kickout of a low Crosby shot, the Rangers came the other way and scored thanks to splendid passing from Jokinen and Prospal to a cutting Rozsival, who went upstairs on Fleury 2:03 in for a 3-2 lead. Momentum continued when a frustrated Sid The Kid took a bad high sticking penalty. Following a couple of close calls shorthanded by Staal, the Rangers connected when Dubinsky took a Rozsival pass and fired his 15th which caromed off the post and Fleury, finally chasing him.

So, how did the Rangers treat Brent Johnson? Well, after he looked awfully shaky on a long high shot that went over his net, they barely tested him, registering only four shots the rest of the way. That included OT! Embarrassing. A journeyman goalie best known for a playoff record three straight shutouts with the Blues was treated with more respect than Martin Brodeur. This was brutal. Johnson may as well have been on vacation in a rocking chair with bikini-clad women bringing him drinks. Unbelievable. Instead, they decided to get cute. One of this team's problems has been overpassing. It reared its ugly head again when Prospal opted to try a low percentage centering feed which caromed off the boards, allowing the Pens to rush the other way and score. Why not a simple sharp angle tester? Maybe Johnson lets out a rebound. Well, they got what they deserved with Crosby setting up Ranger killer Mike Rupp on a two-on-one. One Lundqvist admittedly wished he had. What is it about that slug? He had a hat trick on us too. Disgusting.

Predictably, the big goal allowed the Pens to stay within one and then absolutely humiliate the Rangers in an uncompetitive third in which SOG were 19-1!!!!! How is that possible? I know the Pens are in a different league than us. But hell-o! On your own home ice. To get that thoroughly outplayed is path---et---ic!   

Lundqvist- who finished with a career high 50 saves- did everything possible to try to steal it. He made unreal saves including an amazing glove off a Malkin laser labeled. The stuff you dream of. Sadly, his teammates couldn't take the pressure off. Oh. They tried but just couldn't clear the zone to save their life. A Ranger trademark. And when they did reach center ice, nobody was good enough to get the puck deep and make the Pens come 200 feet. Eventually, the much more talented team got it tied when another bad break went against Lundqvist. This time, an Alex Goligoski pass from a far left angle went off a Ranger and in. Crosby was in the vicinity but never touched it. It didn't matter. The game was over. As soon as that clown Larry danced with five and a half left, I picked up and headed down. He's such a jinx. They get scored on or lose so much whenever they show him. That's the Rangers. Anything but WINNING.

The game went to OT and in it, came a gift of a call when they deemed Wade Redden's hook in the neutral zone enough to hand the Pens the game. An absolutely horrific call by programmed refs who probably wanted to help Pitt win. I don't take any satisfaction in saying that but that's how it felt. Tried as they did and oh. Drury or Callahan, Staal and either Rozsival or Dan Girardi gave it everything. It wasn't enough because eventually a seeing eye Malkin shot was redirected home by Staal for the predictable winner with 78 seconds left.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 5 Rangers 4 SOG: 55-16 including 40-8 final 43:42...but they got a point...Exposed.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Chris Drury, NYR (11th of season-PPG)
2nd Star-Jordan Staal, Pit (2 goals incl.OT winner plus assist)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (career high 50 saves incl.37 of last 40)

Did you say Super Bowl?!?!?!?!?!

Who needs the Super Bowl when you got the best two players in the sport and their respective teams going at it in what was a classic. Or as Doc Emrick justifiably noted along with NBC sidekicks Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury, this was a playoff game played between the Penguins and Capitals who didn't give an inch. The amazing aspect of Alex Ovechkin's Caps' riveting come from behind 5-4 overtime win over Sidney Crosby's Pens is I only caught the tail end after missing the opening 40, signifying how special both were and how truly blessed we are to have these guys playing our game.

I'll readily admit that I thought it was a bit much with heavy snow making travel so hectic for the Pens that they had to alter plans just to get there so the NBC noon game could go on as scheduled. However, big props to the NHL for getting this one right because this was spectacular. On Super Bowl Sunday, I just wonder how well they did ratings-wise. It's the kind of game that can really attract new fans, scoring big for the league. If only hockey drew better than their beloved golf which they immediately cut to following the exciting conclusion that saw a nicked up Ovechkin rifle one off the post that Mike Knuble swept home for the winner that extended Washington's win streak to 14. Three shy of the league mark ironically held by the Pens (March 9-April 10, 1993).

How well are the Caps playing? Against the defending champs who ended their season last year, they climbed out of a 4-1 hole to keep the streak alive. The Pens built the lead thanks to a first period pair from Crosby, who with No.'s 38 & 39 matched his career high set back in his rookie year ('05-06). Sandwiched around Jordan Staal's deuce, Ovechkin scored the first of three. Despite missing nine games, the electrifying Russian leads the league with 42 goals, 86 points and a +41 rating. Entering his fifth season, he was only a career plus-19. As great as Sid The Kid is playing along with Henrik Sedin, it looks like Ovie could become the first player to win the Hart three straight years since The Great One, who won a record eight straight ('79-80 thru '86-87). Wayne Gretzky owns a record nine MVPs. Amazingly, Super Mario won just three.

Still trailing late in the second, one of the Caps' role players Eric Fehr put home his own rebound slicing it to two. Ovechkin took over from there scoring twice and setting up Knuble's power play decider. He started it by whistling a backhand rebound past Marc-Andre Fleury at 6:51 from Tom "Orr" Poti and best kept secret Nicklas Backstrom. With the crowd going nuts as furious action went end to end, Ovechkin took an innocent hit to the hip that bothered him. With Emrick and Co. noting that something was wrong after he limped off the bench for a shift, Alexander The Great silenced the trio by getting his hat trick off a faceoff, sending a plethora of hats onto the ice.

Following the delay which probably irked Crosby (flashback reference), an absolutely dreadful call by ref Tim Peel- who somehow confused a composite plastic stick break into a Jeff Schultz phantom slash- handed the Pens a power play. However, they couldn't take advantage of the break thanks to a couple of big saves from Jose Theodore and some strong penalty killing, especially Matt Bradley. Pittsburgh still got momentum off it generating a few chances with Evgeni Malkin dangerous. Theodore quietly made a few timely stops to force OT.

In it, nothing was decided until Brooks Orpik foolishly high-sticked Alexander Semin, handing the Caps the only chance they needed to end it. Off a faceoff win, Backstrom patiently passed to Mike Green who dished across for an Ovechkin sizzler which rang off the post and right to Knuble, who earlier took a Fleury whack but still steered home his 21st with 2:21 remaining. It sent the packed home crowd into a frenzy and touched off a celebration as Washington continued to roll. Their 41 wins and 88 points pace the league. Three better than West-leading San Jose. The only question is can they bring home the franchise's first Stanley Cup with Theodore (31 saves) sharing the load with rooks Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. While Varlamov remains out, both Theodore and Neuvirth have held down the forte. What happens when he returns? Guess that's for Bruce Boudreau to decide. Regardless, they're going to be a handful to beat in a seven-game series.

The Super Bowl is a couple of hours away between the Saints and Colts. But at least in our book, the real one already took place. America. Please take note.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Mike Knuble, Wsh (PP OT winner, assist, 17 PIM)
2nd Star-Sidney Crosby, Pit (2 goals-38th and 39th tie career high)
1st Star-Alexander Ovechkin, Wsh (hat trick-league leading 40, 41, 42 plus assist)

Paging The Flyers

Apparently, the Flyers forgot to set their alarm clocks for 7 against Sid The Kid, Geno and those fancy Penguins at Mellon Arena. What an awful performance and on Versus no less. The Cheesesteaks got trounced 6-1 with Crosby notching a goal and two helpers while both Malkin and Jordan Staal scored shorthanded, including Geno's exclamation point with 1:21 left. On the play, three Flyers backed up and watched Malkin victimize poor netminder Brian Boucher.

This ain't the hockey we're used to from Broad Street. Of course, we missed a wild first that featured four goals (3-1 Pit) and three scraps. Oh darn. But we did painfully watch a lifeless Philly team allow the talented Pens to do whatever they wanted. Sadly, Boucher held them in most of the second until a brutal sequence that saw Scott Hartnell pass on a shot from the slot, turning it over which allowed Pitt to comeback the other way. Staal rebounded home a Kris Letang shot, making it 4-1 with 15 seconds remaining. Against a team with shaky confidence, it was over. Hartnell also later took a very unnecessary minor penalty which Darren Eliot chewed him out for. That's when you know it's bad cause he doesn't go out of his way too often.

The Pens added two more in an uncompetitive third. That both were highlight variety had something to do with the pedestrian Flyer D which kept backing up, allowing for Malkin to make a perfect drop to Ruslan Fedotenko, who rifled one home. And then there was the electrifying Conn Smythe winner abusing a trio of Flyers before firing a perfect laser past Boucher shortside. It could easily have been 9 or 10. What happened to the big bad Philly D led by Chris Pronger? And why was there so much operating room with way too much of a gap between the defense and forwards? Yikes.

Okay. So maybe they miss Simon Gagne, who's expected back later this week. However, the blueline is pretty healthy with Pronger, last night's hero in Beantown Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle and emerging Ryan Parent. What's the problem? They already canned John Stevens and hired championship caliber Peter Laviolette, who thus far is two up and five down. Not exactly reassuring. We've heard there's a divide in the room. Whether it's between captain Mike Richards and Pronger, who knows? A rumor even circulated earlier today that a player was having an affair. Who knows? What they can at least take solace in is how mediocre the bottom of the conference is with so many teams piled up for those final couple of spots. If this underperforming talented club rights itself, they should be fine.

The good news is they play the Rangers at Wachovia Saturday afternoon. The bad is they host the Pens in a rematch Thursday. Maybe they just need Rocky to inspire them.

Marty's Accomplishment Disrespected

Another night. Another remarkable accomplishment for New Jersey Devil netminder Martin Brodeur, who turned aside all 22 shots in a 3-0 shutout at snowy Buffalo last night. Finally, MB30 had shutout No.103, tying Terry Sawchuk's once thought unmatchable record which will soon go by the wayside much like Patrick Roy's 551 wins.

That the three-time Stanley Cup winner, Olympic gold medalist and four-time Vezina recipient also recently became the most active goalie in minutes played and also soon enough games played demonstrates just how durable he has been throughout a Hall Of Fame 16-year career. When I think of Marty, one word comes to mind. Consistency. All the consecutive 40+ win seasons prove it along with the fact the ageless 37 year-old is still performing at a high enough level to wonder if Cup No.4 is coming back to the Garden State on what's a very good Devil team. Leave that debate for another day.

As someone who has had to watch the best No.30 provide many headaches, the man is a champion on and off the ice who handles himself the way another great player in the metro area does. No wonder they share so much in common except that the Devil franchise plays in obscurity, even if The Rock in Newark is a great arena. So, what if he doesn't play across the Path on Broadway under the spotlight. This is what has always driven Kool Aid drinkers nuts. For that reason, Brodeur has flown under the radar despite staking his claim as the all-time greatest player to play the most important position in the NHL. If you don't have a good goalie, you'll never win Lord Stanley. Ex. Philadelphia Flyers

We're not here to discuss the difference between playing in The Big Apple and the sister state where Lady Liberty really stands. Something proud New Jerseyans will remind you if you're from NYC. Perhaps it has to do with the face both the Giants and Jets have New York across their uniforms while playing at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford. So, can you blame them?

It shouldn't matter that Brodeur plays under the shadows for the Devils. Fact is they're one of the greatest current sports franchises on par with the Red Wings, Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Spurs and Red Sox. Notice the great company they're in. Only Detroit and San Antonio have won more championships. We left out the Yankees because they're still the best franchise, now having won five World Series since 1996. Of course, it's easy to point out that the Yanks play in the Bronx which ain't exactly paradise even if the brand new Stadium is a crown jewel. If you're a successful franchise, it shouldn't matter where you play. Try telling that to this town where if you make it here, you'll make it anywhere as Frank Sinatra once said.

Would it kill the Daily News or NY Post to give MB30 his proper due instead of the same old same old recycled covers? Guess that's what happens when you play for New Jersey. It just doesn't have the same sex appeal. In the newspaper business, they're trying to sell papers. So, it's always going to be something over the top and usually from this city. That is unless there's a bunch of fluff like Tiger Woods' marriage on rocks due to incompetence. Does anyone really care about his personal life? But hey. It sells. So, we'll excuse the tabloids for eating it up.

What can't be ignored is how poorly this sport is treated by ESPN. At one time, they aired games for x amount of years, including a couple we provided stats research for the talent. When I worked there, all the employees involved in making it a great production put everything and more into it. Considering all the money they invested in hockey, it made plenty of sense. One thing about Bristol, Connecticut. If they cover your sport, expect them to give a yeoman effort. Even if it's resulted in butchering Monday Night Football. The best thing I've seen since 2002 was the 30 In 30 features, including The Trade of Wayne Gretzky, which was excellently produced. That's ESPN at its best. If you want it at its worst, watch Sports Center. A show that once was great as a kid now has zero imagination, even ticking off their own researchers that put in hard hours for ridiculous storylines that have little to do with sports.

That's what we're dealing with since Disney took over. If they cover your sport, you'll usually get great highlights and over analysis. See last night where Aaron Rodgers was treated like a Super Bowl winning quarterback. SC was basically football, football, FOOTBALL with a little AI, then more football, football, FOOTBALL. Sadly, the real King Of The Night- who deserved a lot more than the 11+ percent if most sportsfans weren't so brainwashed- was reduced to a small blurb showing 2 miniscule highlights of his 103rd career shutout that tied a significant record. Then, they went back to more football. If you caught our last post on the other server early this morning on our birthday, then you already know.

Since hockey is hardly covered anymore after Bristol passed on re-upping due to the lockout with it instead winding up on Versus, where DirecTV subscribers got royally screwed and couldn't catch one second of MB30's shining moment, it comes as no surprise that such a special night got lost in the ESPN shuffle. Sadly, it's worse than Phil's recurring events in Groundhog Day. Even the Rangers aren't this bad yet. Somehow, Barry Melrose and Matt Barnaby cash checks for zilch. John Buccigross, who's one of the best hockey people in The States, remains employed working SC. He wrote a damn good column over a week ago on Brian Burke's openly gay son Brendan. How unfortunate that we don't benefit from Bucci's enthusiasm for the sport.

Earlier this year, I pondered if a return to ESPN would be beneficial to the game. Sure. It would be more available to viewers and promoted better than what we get on Versus along with NBC, who has the NHL by the balls. But when I see how little it's covered along with the ultimate disrespect to a super special athlete who's much more likable than most of the pampered they push, it would be an exercise in futility. They don't deserve Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Evgeni Malkin, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Nicklas Backstrom, Zach Parise, John Tavares and Matt Duchene. Clearly, there's more talent on display than ever before.

We don't deserve to be treated like second class citizens. So, while they can continue showcasing the overrated and image conscientious LeBron, I'll take our gifted batch anyday with Mr. Brodeur the head of the class. Everything a real superstar should be. One of the best to ever play the game and a truly magnificent athlete. Even Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning would agree.

Devs get first win over Isles, Sens rally past Pens

With the playoff race coming down to the critical stretch, there's plenty of action today. What else would ya expect on the final Saturday before the NHL version of a holiday known to puck fans as Deadline Day. It's now less than 48 hours away!

We will provide extensive coverage of all the deals which go down.

There have already been a couple of games of note which affect both the Atlantic and Eastern races. Earlier today, the Devils finally got a win over the Islanders defeating them 4-2 at The Prudential Center to temporarily take over the conference lead with 77 points.

A shorthanded tally by John Madden and a Patrik Elias goal had them out in front 2-1 but the Isles got a tying goal from Ruslan Fedotenko. Faced with the prospect of once again falling short against a division rival from the metro area, the more rested Devs peppered Rick DiPietro in the third outshooting the Fishsticks 20-4.

Not surprisingly, they finally had the magic formula as money player Zach Parise notched the winner 2:30 in for his Devil-leading 25th (fifth in last five contests). Brian Gionta made certain that there was no Isles' comeback by getting to a rebound in front for his third in the last six 2:13 later.

Marty Brodeur didn't have a busy day but was his stellar self turning aside 19 of 21 shots to win his league-leading 34th.

The win had the Devs leading the conference. However, with the Pens hosting the Sens, something had to give and did.

In another unpredictable game which was plenty exciting, the defending Eastern Conference champs showed plenty of resolve coming back from three goals down to pull out a 4-3 overtime road victory over Evgeni Malkin and the Pens.

The Penguins jumped out in front by three thanks to goals from Petr Sykora, Colby Armstrong and Jeff Taffe. But the Sens fought back thanks to a goal from recent pickup Cory Stillman and two from Dany Heatley including the tying marker with 13:51 remaining. HIs 30th came on a nice Randy Robitaille setup in front easily beating Ty Conklin.

The game would wind up in overtime and the Pens would come close to ending it twice. On the first one, Ryan Malone thought he had it won but hit the crossbar. The other was when Malkin came in on a two-on-one and Ray Emery just got a piece of it to push it wide.

The Sens instead would pick up a huge win off a broken play very late. Off a broken play, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson backhanded his team best 35th through Conklin with only three seconds left to give them a huge win.

It gave Ottawa one more point than the Devils allowing them to stay tops in the conference for the 144th consecutive day according to Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC).

The Pens meanwhile got a point but not the kind they had in mind. They trail the Devils by a point with each team having 20 games to go in the regular season.

For the first time this month, Malkin was held off the scoresheet. He entered leading the league with 82 points (35-47-82) and had points in the first 10 games including a ridiculous eight multi-point nights. It wasn't from lack of effort as maybe the front runner for the Hart Trophy generated plenty of chances. He just couldn't finish.

With the Eastern race extremely close, please note the new Eastern Conference standings at the top left corner of the page. We will be keeping track of everything down the final six weeks.

Be sure to tune in!

Random thoughts

Since I'm not able to go to tonight's Thrashing of the Rangers (yeah that's what I said), I figured what better time than now to give you the hockey fan some of my total randomness. In no particular order:

1.When is the NHL going to stop allowing their star players to walk all over them? No. We're not talking about Gary Bettman's new CBA with a rising cap where teams are panicking and signing their own players to ridiculously long contracts. What I am referring to is the latest news about the upcoming All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Why should a star player such as Martin Brodeur be allowed to miss a game which is for the fans? You think he's going to miss any upcoming starts between tonight in Philadelphia when he does what he usually does to them and Sunday?!?!?!?!?! It is an absolute joke that the league doesn't step in and do the right thing by the fans who want to see the league's marquee stars lace'em up in a fun-filled skills competition.

Unless you're out with an excuse (injury, family crisis, health issue), it should be your obligation to take part in the All-Star Game. Especially if your own fans voted you in as a starter. Brodeur is still the best netminder in the conference and plenty of people want to see him. Even now as the three-time Vezina and Cup winner gets older, the Montreal native is still one of the NHL's biggest stars. Someone who is marketable and treats fans and writers alike with nothing but class. No.30 should be in net for that first period in Atlanta. No if's, and's or buts.

That also means you Roberto Luongo! The fans deserve to see the Vancouver netminder at the opposite end of the rink against Marty. The fact that the two league's top goalies were elected and won't participate for unknown reasons looks bad. They're what this game should be about.

This goes for any player who is elected. Unfortunately, the league already lost their most identifiable star in Sidney Crosby due to a high ankle sprain which appears will keep the 2006-07 Hart winner out at least six weeks. And losing one of the bright young stars out West in Paul Stastny due to injury doesn't help much. Neither does one of the game's best players in Henrik Zetterberg for no other apparent reason than wanting to rest due to recurring back spasms.


If the league wants to be taken seriously, put out the best players for this game and make it a priority. The encouraging news is at least Evgeni Malkin replaced Crosby and Tim Thomas is now in place of Brodeur. The surprising Boston No.1 goalie certainly was worthy of making it.

On the other side, Corey Perry and Mike Ribeiro will get to take part. They certainly both belong. Scott Niedermayer was also tabbed probably as a league selection due to his veteran status. He certainly hasn't disappointed since returning to the defending champion Ducks posting 11 points in 17 games and helping lead his team to the top of the Pacific.


2.Hell or high water, Tom Renney has to go. His message clearly isn't getting through anymore to the underachieving Blueshirts. There's little effort. No discipline. And zero accountability. The affable coach is good at analyzing the team's problems. The problem is he never punishes his best players and that's not a good recipe for success. This team is severely lacking and has become softer than a box of Twinkies.

If the Ranger organization wants to save their season, they must bring in a tough cop. Pat Burns would be perfect. So too would John Tortorella if he ever gets fired down in Tampa. It's more likely that Jim Schoenfeld takes over if the Rangers don't get a win tonight or on Brian Leetch night against Atlanta.

3.Speaking of which, how is it possible that the Rangers host the Thrashers twice in a row??? What are the schedule makers doing? If it were a traditional home-and-home like the games against the Bruins, that would make more sense. Give both fanbases a chance to see a rivalry formulate.

4.Rookie Nicklas Backstrom continues to play extremely well on the resurgent Caps who now are over .500 and just three points behind first place Carolina and the eighth seeded Islanders. The former 2006 Caps' fourth overall selection became the first rookie in league history to record back-to-back four assist games. He assisted on four Washington goals in a come from behind 6-5 shootout win over Pittsburgh last night. With nine goals and a team-leading 31 helpers, his 40 points place him second to only Chicago rookie forward Patrick Kane, who has 45 points (12-33-45).

Backstrom's strong play along with NHL-leading goalscorer Alexander Ovechkin (38 goals), the reemergence of Alexander Semin (5 goals in last four contests) and Mike Green (14-16-30; 14 pts in last 10 GP) have Bruce Boudreau's Caps thinking playoffs.

5.Now that John Ferguson, Jr.'s finally been giving his walking papers in Toronto, when does the Original Six franchise realize their problems are a lot more than just one executive???

6.Can anyone think of any good reason how Mats Sundin was passed over for the East?

7.If he gets the Bruins in the playoffs despite no Patrice Bergeron and other regulars out, does former Devil coach Claude Julien win the Jack Adams?

8.Tomas Vokoun's a good goalie but he's not better than Florida captain Olli Jokinen.

9.Remember when Bill Guerin was a bad move for the Islanders? How's that turning out?

10.Speaking of which, Dainius Zubrus: 47 games, seven goals. He's still got another five years left on his deal in New Jersey. Somehow, the Devils are still winning games. Brodeur and first-year coach Brent Sutter are the biggest reasons why.