Ovechkin and Semin lift Caps past Rangers in overtime

For nearly 54 minutes, the Rangers had it going their way. With Henrik Lundqvist having stoned the top seeded Capitals keeping a tactical Game One scoreless until Matt Gilroy scored in his first postseason game early in the third, it looked like a recipe for success. However, a fluky tying goal from Alex Ovechkin that needed video review and an Alexander Semin appearance doomed the Blueshirts to a cruel 2-1 overtime defeat at Verizon Center last night in D.C.

“Obviously anytime you lose in overtime you feel like it got away because all you have to do is get one goal and you win the game,” main culprit Marc Staal said after his turnover allowed former Devil Cup hero Jason Arnott to set up Semin's OT winner at 18:24 to give the No.1 seed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. “It’s disappointing. It’s the playoffs, so we’ll come back and try to win the next one.”

That'll be the mantra the Rangers will adhere to. One they've been familiar with all season, finding ways to bounce back from tough losses. Albeit this one a bit more magnified due to the pressure attached to the first round rematch of two years ago. Staal, who for the most part did a sound job along with partner Dan Girardi stifling Ovechkin- wound up minus-two despite logging nearly 34 minutes while Girardi almost 33. They know what to expect from Ovechkin, dangerous centerman Nicklas Backstrom and gritty ex-Blueshirt Mike Knuble, who was one of three Caps to hit the post in the first two scoreless periods. Outside of one blown coverage that allowed Backstrom to sneak in on Lundqvist, who foiled his backhand five-hole try, they had the upperhand until the oddest of plays allowed Washington to tie it.

In his first game back from a concussion which he missed 20 games prior ironically due to a Derek Stepan collision, offensive defenseman Mike Green factored in on the tying goal. Behind his own net, Green sent a long outlet for Semin, who Cap coach Bruce Boudreau had out in place of Knuble searching for offense. The slippery Russian got away from Staal and Girardi, who collided at the Ranger blueline, allowing Semin to move in. With Rangers scrambling back including Girardi, Semin took a shot that Lundqvist tried to cover. The whistle never came with Ovechkin bulling over Girardi before slipping a stuff-in through Lundqvist. Thinking he scored, the Washington captain celebrated along with teammates while the confused officials never indicated a goal, calling up Toronto. Conclusive replays showed that the puck crossed the goal line. However, you have to wonder if when the ref blew his whistle, he intended to blow it dead. Instead, Ovechkin and the Caps celebrated the tying goal with 6:16 left in regulation.

“I think it’s underneath me and the whistle never comes, so then I move,” Lundqvist noted to no avail. “I think that’s the case. It just crossed the line. Sometimes they’re real fast blowing the whistle, but it is what it is. Me personally, I’m kind of stuck in that position so I have to hope for a whistle or for someone to clear the puck. That didn’t happen.”

Bad break or not, the game was suddenly tied. Four Rangers watched instead of taking Ovechkin, who made a smart play to spark his team. Lundqvist probably should've had it regardless. Regardless, they still had a chance to steal this one against a stingier Capital defense that allowed 11 shots through two periods and finished with 32 blocked shots to the Rangers' 28.

The Blueshirts never established a consistent forecheck with only the line of Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust and Wojtek Wolski effective enough to help get a puck past rookie Michal Neuvirth, who finished with 24 saves in capturing his first playoff win in his debut. That included four stops on Marian Gaborik, who had a great chance to be the early OT hero when Boyle found him in front but Cap rookie who won 27 games during the regular season calmly slid across for the big save. Neuvirth was good, also denying Artem Anisimov's bid and a Gaborik rebound before his teammates seized control to finally pull out the win in sudden death.

"We had to stay the course. We couldn’t get frustrated,” Backstrom said of his team that's trying to avoid a second consecutive first round upset as the conference's top seed. “I think we did a great job with that. Hopefully this can give us a little confidence.”

It didn't come easy for the Caps despite a few chinks in the armor for their Broadway opponent that allowed glorious opportunities only to see pucks from Knuble, Arnott and Semin go off the post. They also had to contend with Lundqvist, who was outstanding in making 31 saves, featuring highway robbery on a Green high labeler along with a pair of sparklers to deny Jeff Schultz and rookie Marcus Johansson in the extra session.

Despite being unable to sustain a consistent attack, the Rangers remained in good position to take Game One. Finally coming on in the final minutes of the second, they carried momentum forward by striking first in the series thanks to some diligent work from Boyle, Prust and Wolski. After Boyle took a hit to work the puck deep, Prust won a board battle and sent it to Wolski who then turned and found a pinching Gilroy for his first playoff goal at 1:56. Consider that it was his first goal since Jan.5 and only in his second straight game including the fateful Game 82 when he replaced Steve Eminger and it speaks volumes about Gilroy's maturity. The former Hobey Baker winner also had a chance late but fired wide.

Part of the problem for the Rangers was the power play, which went 0-for-2 looking all too predictable against one of the league's best penalty killing units. The Caps were aggressive, easily moving the puck out when they had the chance. Meanwhile, our PK blanked the Washington hosts in two opportunities despite some decent chances. But Lundqvist was there to save their bacon.

Nursing a one-goal lead, it looked like they would protect it for the win. Our shifts were stronger following Gilroy's goal with players paying close attention to assignments, working the puck out efficiently and getting it deep to take time off. Particularly effective was the dynamic rookie tandem of Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer, who looked unfazed by the circumstances. Each were trusted by John Tortorella, getting 36 shifts apiece averaging a shade under 27 minutes. One shift was impressive with the Caps pressing for the equalizer. They were pinned in for a while but McDonagh made two strong plays to free the puck up behind the goal, which was finally cleared.

Also looking poised was Derek Stepan, who made some nice reads chipping the puck in and using his speed to outhustle Caps behind the net. He was good as was Ruslan Fedotenko but outside of two strong shifts, leading scorer Brandon Dubinsky had a miserable night, losing 13 of 20 faceoffs while registering only a shot with a minus-two rating. He must be better tomorrow if we're going to gain a split.

"We've gotta get the next game from them," Dubinsky said. "I'm sure we'll talk about this one, the positives and the negatives, and just continue to try to get better. With the way we play, we feel like we're going to make it tough on them."

Despite each team going for it with especially ours coming close near the end of regulation, the closely fought contest needed overtime to decide. Both teams nearly ended it with Semin denied by Lundqvist and Backstrom stoned while Neuvirth saved his best for Gaborik, Anisimov and Vinny Prospal. As play continued, it became more apparent the more talented Caps were taking it to us. Eventually, their persistence paid off when Chris Drury failed to clear the zone. After it was pushed back down to Staal, he saw three Caps in his way but instead of reversing to an open Girardi, he tried to lift it past Arnott, who knocked it down. The savvy vet settled the puck before dishing across to Semin for a rocket that finally ended his playoff scoring drought.

"Henrik Lundqvist is a great goalie, and it's very difficult to score an easy one on him," the jubilant Semin told a translator after scoring his first playoff goal in 15 games. "We couldn't get a nice goal on him, so we scored a junk goal - just pushed it in, whatever worked."

“We’re not getting anywhere without Alex Semin scoring,” explained Boudreau. “We need him to go and create that other offensive threat.”

"I tried to move across, and I was probably covering the middle of the net, but I just didn't have time to react on it," lamented Lundqvist, who dropped his fourth consecutive decision in sudden death. "It was a hard one. It was going up and down a little bit - he just fired it real hard. It's tough. Obviously, you want to try to be the difference, and try to help the team to get a win here but you just move on."


Instead, it's onto Game Two. Another chance to take home ice away from the Caps and give themselves a realistic shot at the upset.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (31 saves, falls to 1-4 career in playoff OT)
2nd Star-Alex Ovechkin, Caps (1st of playoffs-21st career, 6 hits, block, 6 SOG, +1 in 26:46)
1st Star-Alex Semin, Caps (OT winner at 18:24, assist, 4 SOG, +2 in 22:15)

Callahan 4 Rangers 3 Flyers 0

St. Patrick's Day is around the corner. In fact, on a rainy Sunday, Staten Island still celebrated with its traditional parade down Forest Avenue. As much as I like corned beef and cabbage along with a Killians, I went to a cancer benefit show for a three-year old girl in Stapleton at a place called Full Cup. Some really cool metal bands who did a great thing.

As fate would have it, before I got down there for the fun festivities, Irishman Ryan Callahan had himself a game against the hated Flyers. Being that the Rangers hadn't come close to beating them since that cruel shootout elimination last year, perhaps they were due. The leader of this team made certain there would be no celebrating for any fans wearing orange who made the trip to MSG. Even better, it came on our kryptonite, national TV with the Blueshirts finally paying back Philadelphia for the five consecutive losses they had entering by a lopsided 13-4 tally. This was one John Tortorella's club had to have following a routine win over Ottawa. If they are to be taken seriously in this now chaotic day-to-day race with Buffalo refusing to lose and the Devils doing the same while Carolina gets points, it's now or never for our gritty club that can.

Having dropped four straight on home ice (gee what a shock), Tortorella went to his bag of tricks by opting not to wear the cool throwback threads- instead having the team wear the more traditional home white that now are road jerseys. Conversely, they've won three in a row on the road. So, it made sense for our tactical coach to treat this all important game like they were away. The move worked wonders as the Rangers came out and gave the Flyers a thrashing, scoring a touchdown and a PAT on the suddenly slumping conference leaders. Yes, this was the worst beatdown our team's dealt Rocky's Flyers since '92. But really, this wasn't just about how aggressive they were from the outset, winning every battle against one of the Cup favorites even if they were minus flu-ridden Jeff Carter and Sean O'Donnell. How many excuses could Doc Emrick come up with? I know the Devils are chasing us. But geez. Have you seen some of our injuries? I don't usually find fault with one of the classiest broadcasters but come on. NBC had to get that in there.

In any event, this game was about No.24 representing Broadway Blue. All season, Ryan Callahan has been a constant. If he didn't go down, this team wouldn't be nip and tuck for the final two spots but rather fighting for a middle seed. By the same token, you could echo that for Marian Gaborik, who even though he didn't factor in after returning from a concussion which he missed six games for- helped balance our lines out. Everyone was they needed to be with Gabby playing with Sean Avery and Vinny Prospal while Callahan stayed with cohesive homegrown linemates Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky. It also allowed Brian Boyle to reunite with Ruslan Fedotenko and Brandon Prust while Tortorella kept Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello and Wojtek Wolski intact.

Coincidence that they exploded led by Callahan's first career hat trick en route to a four-goal, five point game? On a day NBC rubbed it in by mentioning our first round futility, choosing Bobby Sanguinetti over Flyers' leading scorer Claude Giroux, it was the '04 fourth round gem that trumped the network and its production team. As hard a working player as there is, the heart and soul of the Rangers got his career day kickstarted when he tapped in a Brandon Dubinsky backhand feed 51 seconds in. He was far from finished, adding his second of the first when he caught Brian Boucher down and snuck a wrister top shelf for a power play goal. Prospal and Bryan McCabe set it up. Leading by two, Henrik Lundqvist robbed Kris Versteeg of a potential momentum turning goal. The ex-Blackhawk was all alone on a two-on-one but a sliding Lundqvist denied his low one-timer, earning the familiar "Hen-rik, Hen-rik" chants.

The best aspect of yesterday was the Rangers never let up. They forechecked vigorously with every defenseman getting involved. In particular, the play of rookies Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer who get better all the time. With a top four of Marc Staal, Dan Girardi along with McD and Sauer, how soon before our D is one of the best? Credit must be given to Glen Sather, Tortorella and the organization for finally keeping their word. It's been refreshing to see our kids grow up. Hopefully, Mike Del Zotto will come back a better player next Fall. I'd also like to see Matt Gilroy stay but we do have more kids in Connecticut. Ditto Steve Eminger, who's been a perfect soldier for this group.

The game opened up a bit in the middle stanza with each Patrick Division rival trading chances. On one end, Derek Stepan hit the post while on the other Ville Leino just missed. Finally, McDonagh and Fedotenko sprung Zuccarello on a two-on-one. Having scored in a 4-1 win over the Sens, the MZA didn't hesitate, firing a laser five-hole from the right circle for the big third goal. If there was any doubt, Callahan erased it thanks to an egregious error from Versteeg who overskated a loose puck in front of his net, allowing the next captain to pick up the loose change deke and fire top shelf for the hat trick that ended Boucher's day. As he was mobbed by teammates, piles of hats flew down for a little delay.

"When it rains it pours,” Callahan said. “We haven’t changed our style at all. I believed that goals would come. We just didn’t get the bounces. We stuck with it.”

In between the fun, the Rangers stood up to the Broadstreet Bullies twice with Boyle stepping in for Gilroy to fight Jody Shelley and Dubinsky honoring Flyer captain Mike Richards' request by getting the takedown. This was the team we fell in love with. That's the one that must continue to meet every challenge in this dogfight for the postseason. Fourteen games remain with two pivotal ones in California versus Anaheim and San Jose. We'll see if our True Blue can pass the test.

The final period, it turned into a laugher with Callahan tapping home a Gilroy backdoor feed for No.4, also on the power play- allowing our favorite Ranger to reach 20 goals for the second time in his career. His high is 22 and 40 points- both coming in '08-09, which is the last time our club saw Spring. This time, Cally has 20 markers and 39 points in only 48 contests, epitomizing how much improvement he's made. There's no doubt he'd be chasing his first 30-goal campaign instead of new career bests in goals and points. Both a virtual lock. As good as running mate Dubinsky's been, he had gone eight straight without a point prior to Sunday. It's No.24 who is the lone constant that can be counted on every night. A player who reminds of what former disgraced Devil Jamie Langenbrunner once was. Only difference is Callahan plays more ferociously, finishing every check. He'll also hopefully never be traded.

Anisimov got into the act when he deked Flyer reliever Sergei Bobrovsky for a sweet forehand finish- making it three goals over four plus a helper, hiking his new career bests to 16-19-35. The maturity we've seen from the still 22 year-old lanky Russian is why he's still here instead of in Dallas. Hopefully, this trend will continue.

With the question becoming would Lundqvist record a season high ninth shutout, Zuccarello finished off his third in two games off a blind Wolski feed at the doorstep for the extra point with 73 ticks left. The Flyers made King Henrik make one more stop before the buzzer. He turned aside all 24 for career shutout No.33 and summed up the blowout win over their enemy best.

“This one was a team effort. It felt like a playoff game in the first half. ...We need to build, especially from the way we have been playing lately.”

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (24 saves for season best ninth shutout-33rd career)
2nd Star-Mats Zuccarello, NYR (2 goals, 4 SOG, +2 in 13:30)
1st Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (1st career hat trick: 4 goals incl. 2 PPG, assist, 5 Pts, 5 SOG, 3 hits, +3 in 16:42)

Outhustled, Outgoaltended by Les Habitants

Alright. By show of hands, who actually thinks the Canadiens are better than the Rangers? I sure don't and that's even after they came into our town and owned the rink earning a 2-1 win to crawl within two of sixth.

Perhaps we're a bit biased but I digress. Montreal is a well schooled team coached by defensive staple Jacques Martin. So, it was no surprise that the game was tight checking with goals at a premium. What irks me most a day later is that they got away with starting backup Alex Auld, who yes outdueled Henrik Lundqvist despite the King seeing more rubber. Two things that I can't stomach:

1.When we make a journeyman who had a coffee stint on our roster last year into Patrick Roy.
2.When Lundqvist makes as many great saves as he did and then lets in a traditional stinker he has no business giving up.

That along with the Canadiens' superior speed and hustle added up to a frustrating loss, halting the club's three-game win streak. Still no four-game win streak for a team clearly superior to last year. It doesn't get any easier with the Canucks visiting town and then a rematch up north with a quick turnaround against the Flyers in the Big Apple. A game we'll be there for.

Simply put, John Tortorella's crew has to solve the scoring issue which has crept in despite the team's good play that has it a few points behind the Pens and Caps for fourth and fifth. It's not that they aren't generating scoring chances but just aren't finishing. There were enough opportunities to increase the 1-0 lead off team leader Brandon Dubinsky's early rush off a brilliant Matt Gilroy bank pass. They controlled the first part of the game, forechecking the Habs to death but couldn't cash in despite power plays and plenty of buzzing.

That included newest Blueshirt Wojtek Wolski who was around the puck a lot with new linemates Artem Anisimov and Marian Gaborik with the invisible man showing a pulse. Problem is he again couldn't find twine and neither did Wolski who had a couple of great chances, including the tying goal clanging off the Auld's best friend, the left goalpost with over two minutes to spare. It was that kind of night for our heroes.

Sean Avery was moved down to the fourth line with an effective Chris Drury and improved Dale Weise. The trio were solid on the cycle generating chances. Their best opportunity came off a rush when Weise took a hit in his end to spring Drury and Avery on a two-on-one. With a chance to draw even, the captain's slapshot hit the post. If only it had gone in for a player whose role is way different than the hefty check he cashes. Dru puts in a good effort every night. It would've been nice to see him rewarded.

Truth be told, Montreal deserved the two points by lifting their game and outworking our team. Particularly Tomas Plekanec who's line finally created the tying goal on a dominant shift against the Brian Boyle line late in the second. Much credit goes out to goalscorer Jaroslav Spacek for some great keeps and then a wise move to get a sharp angle seeing through shot off with a traffic jam distracting Lundqvist enough for the puck to just cross the goal line. Even if there was a delayed signal, it was obvious by the way the Habs reacted that they scored with conclusive replays confirming it.

Usually, the Rangers respond with their backs to the wall. They've owned third periods this season. Not last night as their Original Six opponent came out with more jump, taking nine of the first 11 shots, including Benoit Pouliot's decider off a rush catching Lundqvist a little off the post. It was a great shot similar to one Ruslan Fedotenko scored last month. However, it also was one Lundqvist admitted he'd like to have back. For as good as the two-time All-Star's been, he still has the penchant for allowing weak goals at inopportune moments. Unfortunately, his teammates couldn't pick him up.

Oh. They tried but the stingy Canadien D controlled the neutral zone, making it tough for the Rangers to get a consistent attack going. Auld made a few sparklers including a tricky one with Lundqvist on the bench, just getting a blocker to push it wide. Ultimately, the Blueshirts ran out of time with Dubinsky looking to get one more set up in front as the buzzer sounded.

Maybe Auld's groovy glove on Mats Zuccarello off a great Derek Stepan set up in the second should've told us the story. Journeyman backup comes back to New York and makes good with Carey Price taking it in. Go figure. As Jay Z would say, "Onto the next one."

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Alex Auld, Mtl (25 saves)
2nd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (36 saves)
1st Star-Tomas Plekanec, Mtl (assist, 6 SOG, dominant)

Rangers continue to be Road Warriors

They are NHL Road Warriors. How else to explain the Rangers' league best 15 wins away from MSG? After dropping an uncharacteristic two in a row in Florida last week, John Tortorella's resilient bunch again rose up- stringing together back-to-back impressive wins over the Stars and Blues over the weekend.

That they had to fight back twice against one of the West's best teams before prevailing in a shootout and then follow it up by bouncing back from a goal down to edge St. Louis 2-1 is indicative of what this team is all about. No matter who goes down, these Rangers fight and scrap their way to two points. They've already been without emotional leader Ryan Callahan for 10 games. How have they responded since a dissapointing Florida trip? By winning three straight including an equally satisfying overtime win over ninth Carolina. Three consecutive one-goal triumphs puts them at 6-2-2 since Cally went down at Pittsburgh in the first of ironically a character building 4-1 win that saw the club stun the Pens with four unanswered in the final nine-plus minutes.

It's that kind of never say die attitude that has these Blueshirts 25-15-3 with 53 points in sixth knocking on the door behind fourth Pittsburgh and fifth Washington. The 15-7-1 road record demonstrates how closely knit this gritty bunch is. Along with an impressive 10-1 mark in the second of back-to-backs, Tortorella's crew doesn't know the word quit. Are they perfect? Far from it. Aside from struggling finisher Marian Gaborik, the Rangers lack the big play ability of the Crosby Pens, Ovechkin Caps, star studded Flyers and Stamkos/St. Louis Lightning. They get it done as a group through hard work by outhustling opponents and winning all sorts of battles.

If one player epitomizes the yeoman effort, it's Brandon Dubinsky. The fourth-year Alaskan has flourished since being shifted to left wing. Dubi as fans and teammates call him is on pace for a career season with his contract up after the season. While it'd be easy for us to concern ourselves with that, that's for Dubinsky and management to handle. This season, the 24 year-old forward paces the Rangers with 16 goals and 36 points. But it's more than just the numbers with one of the hardest working players who is a PK fixture hounding opponents and always is willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. Lately, it's resulted in defining moments like the one where he came off the wall beating two Blues to set up Sean Avery's winner. Since his running mate Callahan went down, Dubinsky has stepped up contributing nine points (2-7-9) during the latest Ranger run helping put some distance between them and the Hurricanes. Dubinsky is still a little streaky but his constant puck pressure makes him so valuable. It's why he'll definitely get extended by Glen Sather, who'll have to recognize the improvement.

While Dubinsky has led, he's gotten plenty of help from Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, who have fulfilled their new contracts by becoming the shutdown pair the Rangers envisioned. Not only are they limiting scoring chances against but also assuming more responsibility by performing admirably on the power play and also jumping up more when it's needed. Perhaps the best example this season came from Staal, who scored a huge shorthanded goal tying the Pens before Dubinsky set up Callahan in overtime for a huge win. That kind of leadership after how Pittsburgh stunned a frustrated Henrik Lundqvist with two straight cannot be underestimated. It's a play Staal doesn't make last year. Whether it's throwing the body, getting in the path of a big shot or warding off checkers for a huge clear, each has grown in stature.

It's that kind of committment that has this team looking like a dangerous out come Spring. However, they still have plenty of work left with two games against eighth Montreal this week sandwiched around the sizzling Canucks, plus a third meeting against the Flyers. It promises to be tough but one thing about the 2010-11 Rangers. They've met every challenge. Whether it's the constant checking of Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust or the equally surprising Ruslan Fedotenko, they come hard. Rookie Derek Stepan continues to grow all the time, tying the Blues off a nice feed from Mats Zuccarello, who looks like he'll stay on Broadway even when the Rangers get totally healthy.

Of course, they won't be that now that Alex Frolov is done for the season with a torn ACL/MCL suffered in St. Louis the other night. A bitter end to probably his only year in the Big Apple. Say what you will about the lack of production from the former King. But he was still trying. His forecheck had improved leaps and bounds after a stint with Boyle/Prust. From that standpoint, they could miss the enigmatic Russian who finishes with seven goals and nine assists in 43 games. Much like it's been all season, it'll be up to someone else to step up. They'll need more goals off the stick of Artem Anisimov, who when he shoots is dangerous. Just ask Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen, who had no chance on an absolute ripper that forced extras last Friday. Arty has taken 97 shots thus far. He needs to shoot more. If he does, 20 goals is possible.

Of course, Tortorella needs more from Gaborik who couldn't even get a gimme which looked in to snap a slump. Hell. Even Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti were convinced it was in only to have replays confirm his one-timer off Dubinsky's brilliant feed went off the cross bar before Avery followed it up. At this critical juncture, it's no longer about who he plays with. I could care less if he doesn't have the marquee center to play with. Gabby has proven he can finish with Erik Christensen. Another injured player who won't be back anytime soon. Simply put. It's time for the Big Ticket to remember who he is. There are no excuses. It looks Avery is finally getting it. Maybe he can rub off on Gabby.

Goaltending has been a strength. When you have Henrik Lundqvist, it should be. He's been more consistent lately and even is contributing offensively. It was his brilliant pass that caught the Stars changing, allowing Anisimov to wire his 10th for the equalizer. As scary as he is playing pucks which led to a goal against over the weekend, believe it or not King Henrik leads all goalies with three assists. Let's just hope he minimizes the adventures. What's even better is the way backup Martin Biron performed Saturday, making key stops in the second to give his teammates a chance. The ex-Sabre has already started 11 games and won seven posting a respectable 2.26 GAA and .920 save percentage. Exactly what Tortorella was looking for to keep Lundqvist fresh down the stretch. Just maybe it'll make a difference.

You can't forget the contributions from Mike Sauer, who's become the team's third best blueliner. Credit goes out to the Sauer Man on persevering despite injuries to finally work his way into our top four. He rarely makes mistakes and is rock solid in his end. The kind of sturdy defender we've always needed. Then there's Matt Gilroy, who has gone long stretches sitting in the press box but never complained. And now, he's being rewarded and rewarded the coach with better play by getting involved offensively while playing stronger defensively. Enough can't be said about both these two who have made a huge impact to boost our back end. Michal Rozsival probably will miss more games this week but the vet's had a better year. And there's not enough praise for Steve Eminger.

It's been an exciting season for our Blueshirts. One which they have earned.

Blizzard a cold reminder of what really matters

"I'll be home for Christmas," never seemed more appropriate for most of the Northeast than the day after Santa delivered goodies for everyone. Well, unless you were Jewish. While many of us were celebrating this special time of year at home with family and friends, it was business as usual for our hockey teams.

For the Islanders and Devils, that meant braving the naughty weather to play a game in Newark before many empties on just a brutal Sunday you won't soon forget. Whether it was watching the two New York (New Jersey) football teams drive you nuts though at least for Hasan there was better news on the way, or dealing with the more than predicted snow that dumped over two feet in our area, it wasn't the best of times. Especially for the New York Sanitation department who were blindsided, making it a miserable few days for most. Here in Staten Island, we got 30 inches or roughly an identical amount to the great '96 storm that saw school canceled for a week. What I remember most is having to wake up early the next day with Dad and somehow put together Sunday papers in my old stomping grounds. We managed.

Tell that to the Islanders who had to play consecutive days following the monstrosity- traveling on bus to Madison Square Garden for a Monday game against their archrival Rangers. A night removed from dealing the Devils another forgettable loss, they managed alright playing to a 2-2 tie in a seesaw first which saw Henrik Lundqvist turn into Mister Softee. Never a term any goalie wants to be associated with. Never the less, the franchise Blueshirt netminder recovered, stoning John Tavares with the game still knotted despite a flurry of activity for counterpart Dwayne Roloson. Perhaps the seasoned vet finally succumbed to a 34-8 barrage the final 40 minutes as his weary teammates had, finally losing their legs and wits from a sleepless journey. It probably explained Matt Gilroy's knuckler sinking under Rollie followed by Selke candidate Brian Boyle's harmless backhand that we've seen Lundqvist allow more than he should.

Despite John Tortorella's legit point about his team being sloppy in the middle stanza, the third may as well have been Roloson hit by heavy snow flakes. Rangers drifted everywhere as the poor affable goalie was left to fend for himself. There was little he could do as Derek Stepan improved his Calder candidacy followed by Brandon Dubinsky and Ruslan Fedotenko. It all added up to a 7-2 blowout with the Rangers registering 52 shots to the Isles' 20.

Pretty predictable considering the trying circumstances for a franchise that continues to have bad luck. Even top prospects like Calvin de Haan and Brock Nelson are leaving World Junior games hurt, adding to a list that's seen Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo out all year with franchise goalie Rick DiPietro once again playing Bill Murray's recurring role as Phil in Groundhog Day. Or in this extreme case, Scrooged. Another Murray classic. 'Tis the season.

With the club off, yesterday Garth Snow made a move sending defenseman James Wisniewski to Montreal for an '11 second round pick and conditional sixth. So, the well traveled blueliner moves again with the Islanders getting good value back. At least they got a day off before hosting Sidney Crosby and the Pens tonight at The Coliseum. Not much of a reward with Sid The Kid continuing his assault on the league, extending his point streak to 25 in a row with a two-goal, two assist performance in a 6-3 win over the Thrashers. During the amazing run that's the longest since Mats Sundin hit 30 with Quebec, the league's leading scorer has tallied 26 goals and 22 assists- sparking Pittsburgh to a 19-5-1 record atop the standings with an NHL best 52 points. Mission impossible it would seem for the Islanders.

Considering what they've been through already, at least it will be a return to normalcy. Something we all can relate to with streets finally being cleared. A chance to get back to our busy lives in time for the New Year. It could always be a lot worse. Something Long Island native Matt Gilroy noted in the MSG postgame when asked about how he's handled being out of the Ranger lineup, pointedly remarking how he visited a sick child at a hospital for Christmas. Keeping proper perspective, the former Hobey winner knows he has it good, getting to play the coolest game on Earth.

We aren't sick or cold, have roofs over our heads, food on our plate and also get to watch our favorite teams play hockey, cheering them. Next time, warm the spirit of someone who doesn't have it so good.

Gaborik out tomorrow, Zuccarello up

Given how Marian Gaborik's played lately, something had to be wrong. Regardless of all the line combinations John Tortorella tried to get the star sniper untracked, he wasn't going. Aside from two hat tricks this season, Gabby's only scored in three other games for his nine goal total. Hardly the kind of consistent production you expect from one of the game's most lethal scorers.

As it turns out, Gaborik may have been playing hurt. He's already been ruled out for tomorrow's pre-Christmas showdown with Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and a Lightning club that's visiting Long Island a couple of hours from now. Taking his place will be Olympic standout Mats Zuccarello-Aasen who the club signed over the summer. The diminitive winger started the year with the new Connecticut Whale (formerly Hartford Wolfpack), getting out slowly. However, he's finally adjusted to the North American style and recently was on a tear, hiking his season totals to 13 goals, 10 assists and 23 points. So, the speedy 23 year-old Norwegian gets his shot. He does resemble St. Louis in size and style. Whether or not he plays like him remains to be seen.

Either way, we're about to find out what MZA can do. Who does Tort start him off with? Alex Frolov has been revitalized since playing with Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust. The enigmatic Russian set up a nice goal off hard work behind the net, dishing off for rookie Derek Stepan's ninth in a 4-1 loss to division rival Philly. Perhaps he sticks with D-Step and say Sean Avery, who needs more ice-time with Ryan Callahan out till February at the earliest. I'd keep Brandon Dubinsky with Artem Anisimov but aren't sure who should join them. If you put Ruslan Fedotenko on the top line, then maybe Avery since he mixes it up. But he plays the left side just like Dubi. So, probably no go. Do they try Zuccarello there? It seems like a risk but that line must produce. There's size, skill and speed.

I wouldn't mind seeing Tort try MZA with Boyle and Prust since their size and strength should benefit him, making it a good fit. Those are our energizers who seem to work well with anyone. Why not give it a shot? But where does that leave Erik Christensen? Simply put, you can't have Christy and D-Step together because they both play the same position. Plus there's also Chris Drury and Christmas ornament Todd White. It wouldn't be fair to either Dru or Christy if their ice-time is reduced. Ditto Avery, who's the whipping boy.

While we're on the subject of our roster, it looks like Mike Del Zotto could be riding the pine Thursday. He had a dreadful showing Saturday, committing two mistakes that led to goals against- finishing minus-three. What has to be remembered is that this is a 20 year-old defenseman in Year Two. As much as I've been on his case, the Blueshirts have to be careful how they handle MDZ. It's been a tough year for the former '08 first rounder, who's registered just two goals and seven assists for nine points but has an Even rating. It's not that he isn't trying. The 71 hits and 58 blocks attest to the young blueliner's competitiveness. He hasn't looked confident with the puck, forcing diagonal passes that get picked off and fumbling the puck at the point leading to shorthanded odd-man rushes.

I've maintained that Matt Gilroy has looked better recently and deserves another chance. Why Tort won't give him a go on at least the second power play unit remains a mystery. Sure. They've gotten surprising results from top tandem Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. But the lack of a true quarterback has haunted this club since Brian Leetch left. Our guess is Michal Rozsival gets first crack with D-Step.

If anything, tomorrow's game should be more interesting. And right before the post-Christmas Garden confrontation with the Islanders.

Penguins doom Rangers

In what amounted to a tough night during their 3-1 loss to the Pens, Ranger forward Brandon Prust played with plenty of spark.

Simply put, it wasn't their night. Our heroes were outplayed by the Sidney Crosby Penguins who did most of their damage in a dominant second, posting a 3-1 win in Gotham. Perhaps we should have seen it coming. Henrik Lundqvist masked our recent struggles to complete a 2-1 road trip.

Did the schedule finally catch up? There's no question the Rangers have been very busy taking part in their 26th game over 48 days. Especially recently with the Thanksgiving trip and then playing the Pens tonight before facing a well rested Islander team for a classic home-and-home series starting Thursday. At least they'll have two days to prep. In between, John Tortorella's staff needs to work on getting back to basics. Our team turned over the puck too much and gave up a ton of scoring chances and odd-man rushes. Very un-Ranger like. They just weren't mentally sharp. It showed in how Pitt got their three goals.

1.Ruslan Fedotenko foolishly carries puck into no-man's land colliding with Marc Staal, allowing opportunistic Max Talbot to surprise from short range.

2.Unable to get off the ice during a dominant shift from Crosby, Staal misreads a play at the blueline taking himself out, allowing Sid's touch-pass to Pascal Dupuis back to The Kid for an awesome set up for a Kris Letang rocket.

3.Turnover leads to pesky Chris Conner getting to a Tyler Kennedy rebound off a skate and firing low through Mike Del Zotto, who again had a rough go. More on that later.

When you're running on fumes, lazy habits start to creep in. Tonight, our D was caught flatfooted a lot and our forwards were careless on the forecheck, leading to dangerous opportunities for Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. If not for Henrik, who stoned Geno on a two-on-one and denied other Pens, this one could've been ugly. None of the goals were his fault. He was a victim of uneven play. The middle stanza in particular where the Pens had the puck virtually the entire 20, tallying twice in a 75-second span while outshooting the Blueshirts 14-6. Puck possession was theirs. Even on a night in which faceoffs were close with our club actually winning 26-of-54, the road club from Pennsylvania was simply better, constantly using quick touch passes to get behind the defense.

Tortorella also changed lines a bunch, trying to find the right combos for Marian Gaborik, who ended a six-game drought with a quick wrister from the left circle courtesy of a great Michal Rozsival pass. Despite being tightly checked by four different Pen blueliners (Orpik-Letang, Martin-Michalek), Gabby was going. But credit Pittsburgh for not giving him much time and space. That along with Tort running out Erik Christensen, Fedotenko, Derek Stepan, Sean Avery, Brian Boyle, Alex "MIA" Frolov and even Brandon Prust resulted in little continuity. While I get the need to get the Big Ticket going, it was too much chaos, throwing our lines out of whack. Despite plenty of try, both Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan had rare off nights. Dubi was more noticeable while Cally only stood out for an absolute horrible call involving who else but the Chosen One. Kudos to the former for yet again calling out Sidney during a first intermission interview with MSG's Al Rotwig Trautwig. Thanks to cathybytes for providing the video.


Much has already been made of Crosby getting away with slew footing Callahan, who blind mice Brad Watson (what a shock) and Steve Kozari (who) amazingly called for interference. Yep. It was his fault that No.87 kicked the feet out making our future captain hold onto the gutless Pen captain while falling down. Clearly. Not to beat a broken record to death. Sidney Crosby is the best player in the game, extending his point streak to 13 (12-14-26). I can live with that. But the amount of cheap plays the league's leading scorer gets away with is mind boggling. He again slashed Dan Girardi following a whistle to no avail. How can someone so gifted be so dirty? Sure. They finally caught him for taking down Avery in the third but of course Prust also went to the box for elbowing. At that point, it didn't matter anyway. Our team simply wasn't good enough. That doesn't excuse the game's best from bending the law. Something teammate Matt Cooke often does right under Colin Campbell's nose.

The officiating wasn't bad. Even if they missed a few more infractions from the Pens, we only got that one phantom call on Cally. And you know there were probably others they just missed. Usually, the Rangers are effective at even-strength. Not tonight. The Pens were quicker and better in all three zones. Even if outside of that dreadful second, our guys fought tooth and nail with a hot club that's now won seven in a row. It just wasn't their night.

Outside of Gaborik and Rozsival, there wasn't enough oomph. When Prust and Boyle are more visible than Cally and Dubi, it's not a good sign. Prust again did all he could battling much bigger man Mike Rupp to a draw. Avery also dropped 'em with Tyler Kennedy getting a take down that briefly sparked the club. Afterwards, Rozy sprung Gabby and he notched his sixth with a lethal wrister past Marc-Andre Fleury, who wasn't tested. Sure. He stayed hot making 25 saves but never had to stand on his head. Kudos to the Pitt D.

Our powerless play struck again when during a stronger third, earning legit calls the first half, nothing got done. The Pens are ranked No.1 in penalty killing and eclipsed 30 straight after being perfect in three. Outside of the early PP spanning the first and second, it was dismal. The aforementioned Del Zotto stunk. I've said it numerous times but he's going through a sophomore slump. His decision making isn't fluid, allowing defenders to close. He logged more minutes than anyone (25:01) but didn't register one shot with a few getting blocked while others, including a nice Boyle set up with Lundqvist pulled, the kid flat out missed. DZ wasn't the only guilty party but five of 15 missed shots were from No.4. It's no secret he's shaky in his end but made one outstanding play, diving across to break up a two-on-one, blocking Crosby's pass to Malkin. If he's going to continue to be run out there, he must be better.

I'm at the point where I'd like to see Matt Gilroy given another look. Say what you want about him but Hobey was more active when Rozy was out, joining the play and taking shots. Gilroy has three assists in 18 games in a lot less time compared to Del Zotto's eight points (2-6-8). For whatever reason, Tort hates him. As Twitter PR spokesperson (sarcasm folks) Leahockey would say, "Give him a chance." At the moment, Rozsival is our best at getting involved. He was one of the few bright spots.

Now, it's time for them to get ready for the Islanders. A team that loves beating us. This back-to-back starting Thursday at The Coliseum and concluding at The Garden Friday are essential. No excuses.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brandon Prust, NYR (fight vs Rupp, four hits, 7 PIM, energy all 17 shifts-13:43)
2nd Star-Brooks Orpik, Pit (six hits, three blocked shots, plus-one in 23:07)
1st Star-Chris Kunitz, Pit (2 takeaways, hit plus-one, solid all around play in 18:13)

Time for kids to shine

Once upon a time in this town, the kids were alright. Already facing a crisis four games into this new season, the Rangers must call on some of their own young pups to shine.

Yes, Year Two for Marian Gaborik won't be injury free thanks to Colby Armstrong boarding the Big Ticket during last week's hellacious home opener which KO'd the superstar for at least two weeks. Six days later following just a paltry goal in an uneven home loss to Colorado that drew boos and "Fire Sather" chants, John Tortorella's walking wounded visit Toronto for the first of a challenging three in four with Boston to follow before returning home for the Devils Sunday. Not exactly the greatest timing for a club that did zilch in five power plays, stuck on two-for-17 that has them near the bottom. What's more depressing is the once strong PK has also come undone with Tort's crew permitting two more Monday to fall to 29th overall. Hardly a winning formula.

While the embattled coach desperately tries to find the right combos to cure the potential scoring issues minus the Great Gabby, the onus is on some of the young core to step up. A couple of Americans pace the team in goals with both third-year Alaskan Brandon Dubinsky and rookie Minnesotan Derek Stepan each entering Game No.5 with three goals each. While it might be a stretch to expect the 20 year-old Stepan, who debuted in style with a hat trick to finish plays he starts, the same can't be said for Dubinsky, who the coaching staff is expecting more from. Especially now that he's shifted to left wing where he can use his big frame around the net. Playing on the club's most cohesive unit anchored by sophomore Artem Anisimov and flanked by third-year alternate Ryan Callahan, he must be good for 25 goals. At least he has three thus far while linemate Cally hasn't lit the lamp yet despite good scoring chances. They're counting on the North American-Russian Alliance big time. While it may seem ideal to break them up in an attempt to spark Alex Frolov, Tortorella would be wise to keep them together. Precisely what rebuilds are about.

If patience is a virtue and it must be for the Blueshirts to turn this around, then Tort also must put Stepan and Ruslan Fedotenko back with Sean Avery, who complements them well. As Devil beat writer Michelle Kenneth noted in a tweet while covering Monday's contest, that trio has generated the club's best opportunities. Why mess around? It's up to Frolov to follow up his first goal as a Ranger with a streak. That means meshing with Erik Christensen and whoever the coach sees fit to play top line. Obviously, the choices aren't great. Either move Brian Boyle up based on how he's performed or try vet Todd White. We doubt he'd put Brandon Prust on the first line even though he's got some sand to his game. Something the Rangers lack.

The other early problem is Tortorella's lack of faith in the fourth line and his third D pair. Derek Boogaard only got three shifts in the club's third consecutive loss. What's the point of bringing in the former Minny enforcer if you refuse to play him? How can he protect teammates? Between his refusal to roll four lines and the continued minimal ice-time Matt Gilroy, Mike Sauer and Steve Eminger are seeing, it's no wonder the Rangers are struggling to get out of their end. It's no way to run a bench. Even if Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Michal Rozsival and Mike Del Zotto are all capable of logging big minutes. However, by double shifting them, it's also a way to run out of gas, which may better explain the inconsistencies shift to shift. If he doesn't find a third pair he can trust, the team's play will continue to suffer and Henrik Lundqvist will be hung out to dry.

Speaking of King Henrik, if it's true he hasn't yet found his A form, how would you like to be in net with this roster? One that never defends him and repeatedly allows point blank chances within 10 feet. It's no wonder he permits the occasional softy. Not that that's an excuse. He is after all the backbone and unquestioned leader. He'll have to steal games for this outfit to be competitive. Already a top five goalie, Lundqvist will have to carry the load. Do you really want to see Martin Biron in Beantown tomorrow following say a fourth straight loss?!?!?!?!?! About as promising as A.J. Burnett being kept in too long in Game Four by Joe Girardi.

If Lundqvist, who continually gets run into by fearless foes who know there' ll be no payback- wants to survive Year Six, it's time for him to step out of character and hit back. If nobody else will, then he must. Use your equipment and go Billy Smith. That might be the only way to stop the madness. The book's been written about this team forever. Drive hard to the net and get to the goalie. I swear. This franchise should be permanently sponsored by Hostess. The time has come for him to erase his squeaky clean image. Maybe it would strike a nerve with teammates and send a message that this team won't get pushed around. Or is Boyle wrong? He and Del Zotto shouldn't be the only ones standing up. Starting tonight at the ACC, there needs to be a lot more passengers.

Whether they're successful depends on the play of the kids.

Del Zotto's OT winner gives Rangers preseason sweep of Devils

Being at a fantasy hockey draft in a league I'm defending, it's fairly tough to pay attention to these exhibitions. But we did catch a little bit early of the Hudson rematch along with the tail end that saw second-year blueliner Mike Del Zotto convert into a gaping net for the Rangers' second straight overtime win over the Devils by a wild count of 5-4 at The Rock.

For those wondering if you'll see that during any of the cool half dozen regular season match-ups, you just might. Let me be blunt. Both team defenses aren't that good. And the Devils seem to have gone from all D to offensive all the time. Yes. They should be quite potent with the Dream Line (Parise-Zajac-Kovalchuk) blazing opponents with Devil fire. And the new A-Line of Jason Arnott, Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner should provide nightmares. If the Devs' third line is a combo of Brian Rolston, Dainius Zubrus, David Clarkson and maybe Swede rookie Jacob Josefson, that shouldn't be bad either. But the challenging roster decisions Lou Lamoriello is faced with involves cutting salaries like Rolston and perhaps Bryce Salvador, who didn't look great tonight. Would they really cut ties with character guy Colin White? This blogger doubts it.

As for a game that saw the bitter rivals combine for nine after scoring seven at MSG the other day, Henrik Lundqvist was pedestrian in the first allowing a shortside Kovalchuk bomb off a turnover forced by who else but Parise and a routine Andy Greene wrister five-hole that had the Jersey hosts in front 2-1 after one. But the Devils despite dressing many regulars blew a pair of two-goal leads, with new backup Johan Hedberg permitting the final three in which he was hardly at fault. The Devs were victimized by a Ranger power play that converted four different times including Ruslan Fedotenko's tying marker off a Matt Gilroy setup. Yes. Fedotenko had a good game scoring and setting up Ryan Callahan to bolster his chances.

A late David Clarkson tug in the final minute of regulation led to Del Zotto's decider when just 52 seconds into the extra five, he took a Callahan cross-ice feed and calmly shot over an out of position Hedberg, who lost his stick. Taking up space in front was Tim Kennedy, who drew a secondary helper. Gilroy also got credit for a PPG which was largely due to Sean Avery being his usual self in front. He got in Kovalchuk's face a few times and also was leveled by Anton Volchenkov early on. There were two more scraps with Clarkson and Dane Byers going along with Kris Newbury and Salvador when Elias gave the AHLer a crosscheck.

Both goalies finished with predictable ugly lines with Lundqvist allowing four on 29 shots while Hedberg gave up five on 20. Parise netted three assists and Kovalchuk had a goal and a helper as did Greene. Undrafted Devil defenseman Matt Taormina also scored. For the Rangers, Del Zotto had four points (1-3-4) and Callahan three (1-2-3) with Artem Anisimov also tallying. Evgeny Grachev didn't stand out registering no shots. Though he did beat Salvador late with some solid board work to setup a chance.

If these two games were any indication, Battle fans should be in for a treat this season.

Sauer returns

Unlike a Stone Temple Pilots hit song, there was nothing sour the other day for Mike Sauer. The last link to the Brian Leetch trade re-signed with the Rangers Thursday. The 22 year-old St. Cloud, Minnesota native was selected by the club in the 2005 second round 40th overall ahead of Paul Stastny.

For the younger brother of Kurt Sauer, injuries have been the issue. In three pro seasons spent mostly with Hartford, the defenseman's missed 50 games, including 40 in '09-10 which derailed his chances of getting another cameo on Broadway. He previously played three NHL games in 2008-09 registering two shots and posting a minus-one rating before John Tortorella overreacted to a poor second outing. Ironically, that year was his best- going 6-17-23, plus-29 with 35 penalty minutes, 2 PPG and 1 GW in 64 contests for the Wolf Pack.

Despite a strong season, Sauer was passed on the depth chart by impressive rookie Michael Del Zotto, who made the quantum leap from juniors to the NHL. Perhaps he wasn't given a fair shake due to the coach. Aside from that, the issue of Wade Redden didn't help. It looks like the Redden Era Error is about to end. Especially when you consider that the Blueshirts have already taken care of most of the blueline in re-signing Dan Girardi, signing Ryan McDonagh and adding Steve Eminger in the Aaron Voros trade to Anaheim.

With only vital anchor Marc Staal left, it's setting up to be an interesting September. While we're still six and a half weeks away from it, it's never too early to look at where the Rangers are on a D which must improve. Incumbents Michal Rozsival, Staal (once signed), Girardi and Del Zotto are all but assured of the top four. After that, it's anyone's guess as to who makes up the final three. Redden and sophomore Matt Gilroy figure to get  healthy competition from Eminger, McDonagh and Sauer. With overwhelming support for Tinman to be dumped to Hartford, the competition is welcome.

One big question remains. If Staal signs and the kids outshine Redden, does Glen Sather have the guts to finally admit his big error by designating the veteran for assignment? Only time shall tell.

The MSG Blues

Another opportunity wasted. Yet again, the Rangers couldn't take advantage of good fortune. With the hapless Bruins losing in the Matt Cooke Revenge game, our heroes failed by falling to the Blues 4-3 at MSG. Their home record is now 15-23. I don't count OT or gimmick losses. Besides, our team's stunk it up in those instances anyway, further damaging their chances of a fifth consecutive postseason.

How does a team contending for the playoffs have a losing record on home ice? Absolutely brutal. If you check history, the post-lockout Rangers always were reliable at The Garden. Now, we're back to the Dark Ages and it shows. If you can't win at one of the better venues with great support, what does it say about your franchise? There are an awful lot of adjectives I can't use to express my bitter disappointment. Thank God we sold this game and weren't there for another classic tease. A game in which the weakest link Wade Redden actually contributed by tying it. And then in the next breath, one of our better players Ryan Callahan lost his check on Paul Kariya, allowing the vet to score his 400th- further crushing Ranger hopes.

Home Ice Disadvantage: A Closer Look At NYR Post-Lockout

Year         Record at MSG    Without OT/SO Losses
'05-06      25-10-6                25-16
'06-07      21-15-5                21-20
'07-08      25-13-3                25-16

'08-09      26-11-4                26-15 
'09-10      15-17-6                15-23


The last time the Blueshirts were this inept at home, they were finishing up a 69-point season in '03-04. In fact, they won only 13 times back when ties still existed along with the dreaded four column Bettman Era Error. That team went 13-21-3-4 or in more conventional terms, 13-25-3. Coincidence?

In many ways, the way this season's winding up, it eerily reminds us of '02-03 when the Islanders gave the Rangers plenty of chances to comeback and steal the eighth spot. Instead, our hapless team 'led' by Bobby Holik finished five points behind the Isles, whose 83 were enough to lose in the first round to Ottawa. Fast forward seven years later and history is repeating itself with Boston clinging onto the final spot with 74 points. Three better than both the Blueshirts and Thrashers, who doubled up slumping Ottawa to pull into a tie for ninth. Both Beantown and Hotlanta have 12 left to our 11, underlying just how important Sunday's NBC tilt is at TD Northbank.

If only it were that simple. Tampa, who lost tonight is 11th with 68 while the Islanders, who've reeled off three in a row are tied for 12th with the Panthers just six out. Even the Hurricanes, who pulled out an overtime home win over conference leader Washington are at 66 still hanging around. Given how poorly the injury riddled Bruins and Rangers are playing, anything's possible.

That brings us to the latest bad loss for the club that resides on 33rd and 7th. They wasted an inspired effort from Marian Gaborik, who snapped out of it with his club-leading 37th goal while setting up the other two Ranger tallies. Talking head John Tortorella came to his senses and put Erik Christensen back with the Great Gabby while finally demoting lifeless Olli Jokinen to the third line. While the change netted positive results, the team still found a way to lose despite out-shooting St. Louis 29-16.

Unfortunately, Henrik Lundqvist wasn't at the top of his game, permitting a couple he'd like back, including the mystifying unscreened Erik Johnson shot from the right point that left the normally affable 28 year-old Swede waving his arms in disgust. Even if you want to get on Chris Drury for not clearing the puck, it was still inexplicable. Four goals on 16 shots is inexcusable for one of the game's better netminders. He struggled in spurts, letting out bad rebounds off routine shots. This is one of my pet peeves. I can't classify Henrik as elite because he still has areas which need fixing, starting with positioning. He plays too far back. A more aggressive goalie cuts off the angles. Aside from that, the conservative approach makes him vulnerable on breakaways. Something we've seen this season. Everyone knows you can pick high glove. It's the other areas he should focus on with Benoit Allaire during the offseason.

It's not Lundqvist's fault the team is so poorly constructed. Speaking of which, did Matt Gilroy (8:52 TOI) see the ice in the third period? Here we are in Game 70 and the coach doesn't even have enough confidence to play the Hobey winner. What's that thing again about Hobey jinxes? Never mind. Where they lost this one was during the first three critical minutes, failing miserably on an extended five-on-three. So out of sync were they that even blatant homer Joe Micheletti critiqued it by basically saying, 'This is the worst 5-on-3 I've seen.' You know it's bad when such a rare moment happens on Jazzy Jim's Don't Worry Be Happy Network.

Despite not converting with neither point men Gaborik or the Jokester even considering a shot, the Rangers managed to get it tied when an even rarer sight took place in the form of a Redden goal. The play was made possible by Gaborik and Brandon Dubinsky, who Tort stuck out. In this stretch, Dubi's played the best hockey of his career. He won the board battle, freeing the puck to Gabby with the puck eventually coming back to an open Redden, who blasted home his second of the season to loud cheers- snapping a 57-game drought. Hell. He even helped set up Gaborik's 37th back in the first. So, on a night they got three points from their superstar and two from the worst player, they still invented a new way to lose.

One thing we've seen too much of is that this team can't sustain it. How many times have they tied a game just to see an opponent come right back, breaking our hearts? Same losing characteristics the pre-lockout teams had. And coached by the self-proclaimed genius who walks on water and never is accountable. At least Tom Renney always took the blame. The Blues' winner came 73 seconds later with Kariya finishing off a nice play that David Backes and T.J. Oshie combined on. With Jody Shelley making a poor change, Kariya took him off the puck and then made a bee line for the net escaping Callahan while Oshie set him up for the milestone. Congrats to a classy player who would've been a Hall Of Fame lock if not for injuries.


Can anyone please explain to me how it's possible that Shelley overstayed his shift? What was he even doing out there?!?!?!?!?! Hey. This is the same coach who had the audacity to stick out two-thirds of the fourth line in the final shift after Dubinsky tied the Buffalo game, which they predictably lost in overtime 2-1 on 3/7. You gotta be kidding me.

To their credit, the Blueshirts tried everything to get this one tied but couldn't beat backup Ty Conklin. Ser---ious--ly. They couldn't beat the freaking second string goalie, who made 26 saves. In a heated playoff race that's there for the taking, swept by the Blues. There are no words.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Paul Kariya, Stl (game-winner with 11:36 left-400th career goal)
2nd Star-Erik Johnson, Stl (PPG, 4 PIM, SOG, 2 hits in 17:35)
1st Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (club-leading 37th plus 2 assists, 3 SOG, +1 in 24:09)

Pic of Day: It's A Rozsival PPG

Yesterday's big 3-1 home win over the Flyers was one of the best games this version of the Rangers has played. Their shortcomings have been well documented. For once at least, the guys wearing the Blueshirt logo wore the jersey with pride, outplaying a bitter rival by a country mile. While much of the focus centered around the kinda game Sean Avery had following a seat in the press box, John Tortorella's club stood up to the Broad Street Bullies highlighted by Brandon Dubinsky KO-ing Philly captain Mike Richards. That in itself was something to behold as Richards certainly is honorable. Thanks to the tutelage from former enforcer Colton Orr, Dubi has come a long way.

Even if we didn't go having sold the game a while back, it was nice to see our guys winning every battle while limiting the Flyers to just 18 shots. Yes, they actually made Henrik Lundqvist's day easier with him only required to come up with a couple of large stops including a stone job on Jersey kid James Van Riemsdyk after a minor miracle took place.

Michal Rozsival scored a power play goal. No. Jaromir Jagr didn't return from Russia. Not long ago, it wasn't uncommon to see Rozy contribute offensively using his big one-timer. For as miserable as he was the first three months, the elder statesman has steadied since. He's been more involved in all facets with the familiar nice outlets springing teammates and even more engaged defensively. Granted. He's still prone to mistakes like Atlanta's second goal the other night. However, if you're not judging with bias, the Czech's played with more purpose. On one shift Sunday, he shoved Flyer clown Scott Hartnell down repeatedly. Something that's been happening more frequently. It was nice to see him get rewarded offensively, ripping an Erik Christensen feed off the bar and in. So, without even more discussion since I never got around to a recap, here's the rare sight that saw Rozy congratulated by teammates:

While you let that sink in, a couple of strong quotes from the soft spoken '05-06 mainstay:

"It’s a great feeling to contribute offensively. It’s not something I’ve done so much this year, but I felt that I was open and I got a great pass from Christensen and I just shot it. The main thing is that there was a great screen in front of the net.”

Say what you will about his contract which is our GM's fault but the guy logs important minutes on our blueline without fanfare while being a good teammate. Maybe I'm more forgiving than most but I seem to recall the Rangers taking a waiver on the former Pen post-lockout and he evolved into one of our more valuable players. When push comes to shove, he and former whipping boy Marek Malik weren't that bad. I'd much rather have Big Bird than main culprit Wade Redden. None of this justifies Rozsival's salary ($5 M) which the club is still on the books another two years. The main issue aside from cost is that he's asked to be a top 2-3. If our D was stronger, Rozy as a 4-5 would be much better, speaking to the real problem. Marc Staal is by far the team's best with Dan Girardi and Rozsival taking turns as the second. For a change, all three had strong games with DG chipping in a helper and a few blocked shots. Until rookie Mike Del Zotto matures, it's a work in progress. Whether Girardi's a part of it all depends on what the club chooses to do with upcoming RFA.

One can't illustrate how much Tortorella leans on the top four due to Redden and Matt Gilroy's struggles. Never has a bottom pair more negatively impacted a team's defense. Both are soft. We can no longer give Hobey a free pass. He's a few years older than Del Zotto. If he doesn't show improvement next year, then the $1.659 M they're paying him is a colossal failure that's kept Corey Potter and Bobby Sanguinetti buried in Hartford. Both are cheaper and deserve a chance. Especially Potter, who's done nothing wrong whenever recalled the past year-plus. Furthermore, what was the point of signing Ilkka Heikkinen if he's not going to play? Simply amazing.

I didn't plan to turn this into a rant about our entire D but it just manifested itself. Kudos to Rozy for sticking with it!

No Deal Yet (UPDATED)

For now, there's nothing new to report. According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the deal that would send Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the Rangers in exchange for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik is on hold. As to why, more from McKenzie:

There are reports that Kotalik isn't prepared to waive his no-trade clause to go to Calgary but the indication is the Rangers were fully able and prepared to do this deal, but Calgary backed away at the last moment.

 It's worth noting that the Flames play the Flyers tonight in Alberta and Jokinen is in the lineup. Prust may or may not play depending on what Brent Sutter opts to do. As McKenzie alluded to, usually players about to be traded don't play which makes one wonder if this deal is kaput. Perhaps Calgary had a change of heart. But it's uncertain what's going on.

In today's NY Post, Larry Brooks reported that the original trade included Matt Gilroy with Kotalik but the Flames changed their minds and asked for Higgins.The former Hobey Baker winner has been a disappointment posting four goals and five assists with 21 penalty minutes in 51 games this season. While the 25 year-old defenseman has a respectable plus-four rating, he's struggled defensively rarely taking the body. The skating that we saw in an impressive preseason is there but the BU product hasn't been consistent, even getting sent down to Hartford earlier.

It probably doesn't help much that he plays with Wade Redden. However, it's still his first pro season making the jump from college. While younger teammate Michael Del Zotto has turned heads straight from junior, it's been more of an adjustment for Gilroy who signed a multi-year $3.5 million contract as a free agent to play with his favorite team. It would be a mistake to give up on him while dead weight (Redden and Rozsival) continue to embarrass the logo. Besides, he still has one more year to prove himself.

If the Jokinen trade is off, it would be typical. As I said earlier today, it's the Rangers. The Dolan/Slats Error has been disastrous. Anything that can go wrong will. Hopefully, we'll get some good news for once. Just don't count on it.

UPDATE: Per Darren Dreger, it sounds like the trade might still be on and could be completed after the Philly-Calgary game tonight. Whether it is or not, could something please happen so we can end the suspense? 

Three In A Row

Last night, amidst MB30 breaking the shutout record in Pitt, Henrik Lundqvist had a pretty stellar performance along with his team in Raleigh, posting a 3-1 win. Since Mount Tort erupted, the Rangers have won three in a row. Matt Gilroy and Mr. Kleenex returned. Both acquitted themselves well even if Wade Redden was a little too giddy in that postgame interview with Dave Maloney. At least he played more physical using every ounce of tin.

Most notably, the club won to push back over new NHL .500 (17-16-3), remaining two behind eighth Florida, who became the latest team to beat up on the Flyers in a fight marred game. Apparently, the Broad Street Bullies tried their best to thug it up. Too bad we missed it. Heck. We missed a good chunk of the second period that saw Sergei Samsonov and Marian Gaborik exchange goals 27 seconds apart. Both Lundqvist and Cam Ward were good keeping it a predictable lowscoring contest into the final stanza. In it, there was a Brandon Dubinsky sighting. True. He assisted on Gabby's league-leading 25th along but it was refreshing to see the enigmatic third-year Alaskan put a puck in the net thanks to some nifty passing from resurgent Michal Rozsival, Vinny Prospal and the Great Gabby. Dubi went backhand for what proved to be the winner.

Though he stopped all 13 his way en route to 32 altogether, none of them were very tough due to a solid defensive effort from our guys, who all came back. It was great to see the D and forwards in sync. Even Huggy Bear had a few decent shifts. The best aspect was our team continued attacking, getting 14 shots of their own on Ward, who kept his team afloat with a few sparklers. However, the Candy Canes couldn't find the equalizer. With Cam off for an extra attacker, Marc Staal dominated his shift, taking the puck away and then throwing it three quarters of the way down into the open net for a deserved goal that sealed it.

All in all, a well earned 'W' to make it a perfect 3-for-3 on the road. Now, the Blueshirts return home to host the Panthers tomorrow and the slumping Islanders the day after Christmas. Tomorrow will give a better indication of where they are as Florida is playing well. It's one of those swing games. Of course, Saturday will be magnified cause of the opponent. Think of it this way. Last week, the team looked dead. They've at least temporarily revived themselves.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brandon Dubinsky/Marian Gaborik, NYR (2-2-4, +5, 9 SOG)
2nd Star-Michal Rozsival, NYR (assist, 4 hits, 4 blocked shots, +2 in 24:31)
1st Star-Marc Staal, NYR (ENG, 2 SOG, takeaway, blocked shot, +3 in 24:47)

Gilroy recalled, Sangs/Heineken to Hartford

In more of a cap move than anything due to the holiday roster freeze, the Rangers sent down Bobby Sanguinetti and Ilkka Heikkinen to Hartford following Saturday's win over Philly on Blizzard Day, recalling Matt Gilroy for tonight's game in Raleigh. Sangs and Heineken saw limited minutes in their pair (both NYR wins) as John Tortorella worked each in with effect. Of the two, we liked what we saw from the Finn, who is worth another look. Especially if it means replacing Mr. Kleenex. For at least tonight, looks like Wade Redden gets a reprieve to show Tort what he can do after their well documented shouting match at The Coliseum. Okay Tinman. Prove it on the ice. Hey. Michal Rozsival has lately. Just saying.

For Gilroy, it's an opportunity to get back into the coach's good graces. The last time we saw him, he was getting abused by Dustin Byfuglien for the OT winner in Chicago. In five games with the Wolf Pack, the former Hobey Baker winner tallied four assists in five games. In 30 contests with the Blueshirts, he has four goals and two helpers along with 19 penalty minutes and a plus-two rating.


Following tonight's RBC visit versus the Candy Canes, the Rangers return home to host the Panthers Wednesday and the Islanders Saturday a day after Christmas.

Gilroy sent down

Well, Matt Gilroy paid the price for his gaffe last night. He was sent down to Hartford today. Classic overreaction by an organization that is lost, eerily reminding us of pre-lockout. I guess I was wrong about Tom Renney. Under his leadership, this team had a pulse and wore the Ranger jersey with pride. It's taken a lot less for John Tortorella and Glen Sather to ruin things.

Everything our club accomplished is gone. Sad to say making the postseason four consecutive years, including Round Two twice is all they did. That was enough for Jim Dolan to hike prices. Even after they blew a 3-1 lead to the Caps in which Tort lost his cool. Fast forward to present and his misuse of players and lack of fourth line (his choice-not the senile GM) has this team headed for the lottery. Something I'm not opposed to. They need to hit rock bottom and luck out like the Blackhawks, Caps and Pens. Knowing our luck, we'll draft the wrong guy or ruin Taylor Hall.

Despite how bad they are, the Rangers do boast a good system full of promising kids such as Evgeny Grachev, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Carl Hagelin, etc.So, it's not all bad. With Mike Del Zotto looking like a gem and Gilroy, who doesn't deserve to be down, learning on the job, we should be alright. That's why I'm in favor of sacrificing the season. Naturally, they make an example of a kid rather than rid themselves of some the overpaid stiffs. Amazing.

I'd say more but have to head out now. Why do I root for this team again? I'm embarrassed by this move. See ya later.