The GAS Line burns Senators

Ever since John Tortorella moved Artem Anisimov up with Derek Stepan and Marian Gaborik, the cohesive trio have had something going. An unlikely combo due to three different styles has proven dangerous for opposing goalies. Last night in Kanata proved no different with the newly formed GAS Line burning the Senators for all three goals in the Rangers' fifth consecutive win- a 3-2 count avenging a bad home loss on Oct.29.

The new name which one Ranger tweep came up with looks like it'll stick for at least the time being. Gaborik (2-1-3), Stepan (1-2-3) and Anisimov (2 helpers) combined for eight points, including some magic on one of Gabby's goals where the emerging second-year former Badger made a perfect no-look feed for an easy tap-in. Of course, we're talking about Stepan, who is everything once thought.

"The way we are playing, doing the right things and staying with the details is the biggest thing. We've got to continue to play hard and use our legs to create things," Stepan told Blueshirts United after the three-point outing gave him seven points over the last three.

"First of all we had a good forecheck and kept our legs moving. Second of all, when we get the puck, guys are confident to make a play. We are winning the battles, getting in their first, and I think that's how we created our goals," Gaborik pointed out after notching his team-leading eighth and ninth markers along with an assist. Gaborik is tied with Claude Giroux, Joe Pavelski and James Neal for fifth in goals behind league leader Phil Kessel (11) with Thomas Vanek, Sens' goalscorer Milan Michalek and Steven Stamkos placing second with 10 each.

Considering that I missed the game due to work, it was nice to see our team respond to Michalek's 10th after he dusted Jeff Woywitka to open the scoring early in the second. Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson drew assists. Less than a minute later, Stepan and Gaborik combined on the aforementioned nice set up with No.10 finishing it off. Not long after that, an aggressive forecheck from Anisimov behind the Sens' net allowed him to steal the puck, walk out in front and force a scrambling Craig Anderson to make a save. With the American vet out of position, Stepan snuck in and backhanded the rebound into an open side for his third.

Despite getting outshot 21-11 through two periods, the Blueshirts led by one entering the third. Back in net, Henrik Lundqvist was sharp finishing with 29 saves for his fifth win of the season. The King got more support when the GAS Line combined for Gaborik's second of the night thanks in large part to ultimate warrior Dan Girardi, who logged 28 big minutes. Enough can't be said about Danny G, who always seems to be in the right spot. If he's not blocking shots, he's making a smart defensive play like the one that turned into an odd-man rush with Anisimov skating it out before getting it to Stepan, who then headmanned Gaborik on a two-on-one. Gabby patiently waited, faked pass and then roofed one top shelf. The great play turned out to be the game-decider with Nick Foligno making it interesting late.

"I think we have high confidence right now, and we need to grow this confidence every game to play even better as a line," Anisimov explained after his pair of assists improved him to six points in three. The third-year Russian has emerged from a sluggish start to lead the Blueshirts with eight helpers. "We need to keep an eye on the back of each other. If someone makes a mistake let's come back and go hard for him."

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star: Artem Anisimov, NYR (2 assists, plus Broadway Hat)
2nd Star: Derek Stepan, NYR (goal-3rd, 2 helpers)
1st Star: Marian Gaborik, NYR (2 goals-8th/9th, assist)


Notes: There were two scraps with little used Sean Avery battling former Isle Zenon Konopka while Andre Deveaux took on Jared Cowen. We'll try to find video of each and get it up. ... Newest Ranger Anton Stralman skated with the team today at practice. Might he make his debut tomorrow? ... Brandon Dubinsky remains without a goal in the first 14. That along with the lack of finish from Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust remains the only drawback.

This Staal's Clean: The Rangers have won five straight improving to 8-3-3. They return to MSG tomorrow to battle Eric Staal's Hurricanes. Some have discussed it as a revenge game for the hit Eric laid on brother Marc Staal, who remains sidelined with PCS. However, it was clean and at the end of a period. Just from some of the quotes the elder Staal had about his brother the other day, it has really affected him. Though it's hard to explain his minus-16 rating these days. Our team needs to treat it like any other game. Carolina fell to the Devils the other night and aren't playing well. But they still boast hot shot super soph Jeff Skinner along with Staal, plus Cam Ward. At the end of the year, they'll probably be there. The Blueshirts can't take them lightly before traveling north of the border to Toronto for a Saturday Hockey Night In Canada showdown with the Leafs.

Preview: Rangers visit Ottawa

The Rangers look to pay back the Senators when they visit Ottawa later. The Sens beat them at MSG 3-1 thanks to a Chris Kelly hat trick, including the winner late in regulation when Erik Christensen failed to take Kelly.

It feels like forever since they last played. While the Rangers actually had a few days off, the Sens lost to Canadian rival Montreal the other night 4-1 as Carey Price continued his strong season. The Blueshirts really need this one because it won't get easier. Losing twice to Ottawa would be brutal. The top line featuring Marian Gaborik must deliver. Figure Sean Avery to be more involved. He's now in the top 20 in All-Star voting. Imagine if he somehow makes it.

The Blueshirts could use something from Artem Anisimov, who started so well and now is stuck on the fourth line with Alex Frolov. It'll be interesting to see how John Tortorella uses the latter following the disenchanted ex-King's ice-time complaint. It would be nice to see a motivated Frolov.

Mike Del Zotto has seen his power play time diminish with Tort going to rookie Derek Stepan on the point. While they did give up a shorthanded goal (2nd of season), it wasn't the 20 year-old's fault. Gaborik forced a pass that handcuffed him, leading to Kelly's shortie. To his credit, D-Step looked good, making some solid reads. We'll see if our coach sticks with it.

There's no reason for Henrik Lundqvist not to start. Figure him to be in. I'd be shocked if Pascal Leclaire didn't get another outing after how he stoned us Sunday. Shoot high.

Cullen to Sens, Olympic Roster Freeze at 3

There's less than three hours until the Olympic Roster freeze. In other words, there should be some activity between now and then. Too bad I'll be on my way to The Slope for some hoops. I'll be able to check for updates on my phone but won't be around to post till later.

Anyway, there was one deal made with the Canes sending Matt Cullen to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a second round pick. Wise move for both sides as Carolina continues to sell while remaining competitive (anyone catch their latest win over Buffalo last night???) and the Sens add a solid versatile pivot with Cup experience as they make their push for first in the Northeast. Saw this on Twitter from a great Sabre fan and can't say I blame her:

ShanV11

  

Can someone go wake up Darcy pleeeeaaase? #Sabres #NHLTrade

If Ryan Miller's tirade following the game can't, they're in trouble. As for what else is going on, Donald Brashear, who had the audacity to take a shot at Colton Orr, has cleared waivers. Huggy Bear. If this was 7-8 years ago when you could play, okay. Reality check. And what do you know? The guy he cheapshotted/replaced Blair Betts just re-upped with the Flyers. Irony much?!?!?!?!?!

The following players have been put on waivers:

Jonathan Cheechoo (Ott)
Jamie Lundmark (Cgy)
Brad May (Det)


Florida is still looking to pull something off before the deadline. Will they trade with the Rangers? Alright. I gotta run out. See ya later!

Buffalo Senator'd again

A day later, Sabre fans might be pondering why their team can't beat Ottawa. In what amounted to an important divisional showdown at HSBC Arena last night, they were Senator'd again. With two big points up for grabs facing a red hot team chasing them for the Northeast, Buffalo fell to their bitter rival 4-2, allowing the Sens to pull within three. It was the Sabres' second consecutive tough loss. They also fell to the Pens 5-4 the other night, victimized by a Sidney Crosby hat trick.

For Lindy Ruff's club, the good news is they still are in first with two games at hand. The bad is that with their franchise record 10th straight win, Ottawa has now beaten the Sabres eight times in a row. In four meetings this season, Buffalo has gotten only a brownie point and been outscored 13-7 discounting Alex Kovalev's Dec.26 shootout decider. There are two games left with both coming in the final three weeks of the season, including an April 10 road match on the second to last day. Hopefully by then, they'll have found a remedy for the Sens' dominance.

What made yesterday's latest defeat exasperating was that Buffalo once again fought back from a two-goal deficit to tie it thanks to goals 27 seconds apart from Andrej Sekera and Tim Connolly, pumping up the crowd. One thing about this team, no matter how they're playing, they never give up. Case in point, the Pens' got four straight Monday but Ryan Miller slammed the door, allowing Jason Pominville to make it too close for comfort. With their franchise netminder on the bench, they came real close to tying it. The same can be echoed following Sabre killer Daniel Alfredsson's stunning go-ahead marker with just a minute to spare off a great pass by rookie D Erik Karlsson. Even in full scramble mode, Ruff's club nearly forced overtime with Paul Gaustad or as Sabre faithful refer to him as Moose was denied by Brian Elliott.

That kind of fighting spirit is a winning trait which could bode well. If only they hadn't fallen into the trap a second straight game of getting into a wide open run n' gun. Against the super skilled Pens, the fall from grace was predictable. To both teams' credit last night, they went for it playing the kind of firewagon hockey that keeps you on the edge of your seat. That style doesn't suit this Sabre team, who must get back to tightening it up around Miller's net. Something they realize.

“One minute left—we can’t let that guy stand all alone on the backdoor,” a frustrated Henrik Tallinder expressed. “It stings.”

“We battled hard in the third to get back in it,” Ruff said. “The best description is we just found another way to lose a game.”

After outshooting their feisty opponent 13-5 in the opening stanza, the Sabres gave up a combined 32 shots the final 40 minutes. Sure. They fired 23 themselves but that's way too many for a team that prides itself on D, making Miller's life easier. When they're playing a gritty, physical in your face style, that's when these Sabres excel. Precisely the recipe they'll need against those Sens and the rest of the way.

It's there for the taking.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Daniel Alfredsson, Ott (GW w/60 seconds left plus ENG)
2nd Star-Brian Elliott, Ott (34 saves for 8th consecutive win-allowed 2 or fewer in every start)
1st Star-Jason Spezza, Ott (2 goals extends scoring streak to 7 straight-8-1-9)

Attention: New York Rangers

Att: New York Rangers

This is a net:

In case you didn't notice, there's this magic thing called a puck in it. After tonight's humiliation to Mike Brodeur (really), the Rangers have been shutout two straight and haven't scored over the last 144:23. The last goal came off the stick of waiver pickup Erik Christensen in Boston 37 seconds into the third of a 3-1 win.

You know. Wins cannot happen without goals. In case you've been stuck in a cave, our team can't score to save its life. They probably would've aimed and misfired at the two Jersey Shore bimbos sitting front and center with plenty of cleavage. One kept bending over giving us some entertainment. If only there was a pole.  Too bad they were so into themselves. How to correlate to hockey. They were dressed nicely wearing our colors. Unfortunately, neither suited up to distract Alexei Kovalev from setting up Chris Campoli's gimme with 1:14 left. Yes. 74 stinkin' seconds! Well, it did prevent another gimmick. I was already on the way down when my boy Kovy outworked our entire five before slipping a perfect backdoor pass to which I sarcastically remarked:

"See ya later."

Even an early timeout by Tort Reform couldn't awaken the gang that can't shoot straight. Apparently, they gave all they had the other night. But hey. At least we had the usual Garden Of Dreams moment along with nauseating Dolan employees trying to encourage fans in sections to raise the roof to a game that was like watching paint dry. Hell yeah!!!!! DANCE! Everybody up like Larry. Get jacked even if we were mugged! Everything's eh okay at Camp Cablevision! Oh btw...sidenote. The Allman Brothers have been playing the Beacon Theatre for 30 years. But not in 2010! Apparently, this decade will be empty due to the biggest jackass to ever walk the Earth Jazzy Jim.

At least we had some entertainment from a classic skateboarder outside. He cleared three people on the sidewalk between W.28th and W.29th right next to the bar. Best aspect. No cost. Plus plenty of laughs.

Tonight, the worst ever slogan to hit 33rd and 7th applies:

HOCKEY'S DIFFERENT HERE

Paddock firing predictable

Remember when John Paddock was coaching the Wolf Pack and was thought to be the solution here??? Well, that same guy who left the Ranger organization a few years ago to work with Ottawa's AHL affiliate Binghamton got predictably canned yesterday.

His first season coaching the Senators didn't start out bad by any means as the Stanley Cup runner-ups got out of the gate quickly building a double digit conference lead. However, as time has gone on, the once thought overwhelming Eastern favorites came back to the pack like a runner in a marathon who goes out too fast and then fades.

So, what happened to Ottawa under Paddock? Well, for one thing, goaltenders Ray Emery and Martin Gerber were average at best. Unable to provide consistent efforts in net, they showed the one real weakness in the Sens. Or maybe it was just my hex I put on them after I was pretty convinced that the Stillman/Commodore deal addressed the depth issue up front and on the blueline that it might cover up the two sieves.

In my book, Paddock mismanaged his two goalies as you never knew which would start. How's a team supposed to feel comfortable when they don't even know who the No.1 goalie is? It definitely didn't help that he still hadn't made a decision on who it would be for the first round.

While he was toying around which couldn't have been beneficial for team chemistry, teams like the Devils, Penguins and rival Canadiens were getting superior goaltending and picking up more points suddenly creeping back into the race for the conference's top spot and home ice.

Part of what also hurt the Sens was that stars Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson all missed time. As they go, so does the team. The terrific trio is the most lethal scoring line in the game for a reason.

What might be most troubling is that even with all three now finally healthy and contributing, the lack of goaltending continues to plague the Sens. Another red flag had to be the 5-0 drubbing they suffered at the hands of bitter nemesis Toronto. To lose that badly before the deadline at Scotiabank Place to your biggest rival who's not even contending is about as low as it gets.

Why didn't GM Bryan Murray pull the plug then? Instead, he waited another game to see his talented team get blanked a second straight this time 3-0 to surprising Boston, who vaulted ahead of the Rangers for sixth by virtue of one more win and extra games left.

You still look at that Ottawa roster and wonder who's going to beat them in a seven-game series? It all depends on Emery and Gerber. The blueline is certainly solid enough with top defenders Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips. I still wouldn't trust Wade Redden in a big game, especially against a big physical team (see 2007 Cup Final vs Anaheim). Commodore's a good pickup as he plays tough in his end and takes the body.

Forwards such as Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette are vital cause they make things happen. Stillman thus far has fit in. So the scoring should be fine.

Will Murray going back behind the bench be enough to light a spark under his struggling team? Can they just flip the switch? I've seen this before with the 2000-01 Devils. A team so talented that they definitely should've repeated. Not putting away Carolina hurt later on and they never had enough killer instinct to beat the Avalanche.

Are the Sens suffering from the same thing? Just maybe. They still have to go out and perform. The East is much tougher than it looked a couple of months ago. The Habs, Pens and Devs are all capable of going far. Keep an eye on the Rangers too. If they get in, they're very capable of doing something big.

So, am I discounting the Southeast winner? Looks that way. The Canes have shown a lot of heart continuing to win despite all the injuries. You figure it will catch up. Are the Caps ready to take that division? Given all the moves they made, they better. I think they're still another year away.

We're going to find out plenty over the next six weeks. It should be a wild ride. Fasten your seatbelts!

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!

Sens and Canes make deal

In case anyone missed it yesterday, the first significant deal came down involving two Eastern Conference teams. The Ottawa Senators acquired forward Cory Stillman and defenseman Mike Commodore from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Patrick Eaves and defenseman Joe Corvo.

BONY Analysis: The Senators improve up front with the proven Stillman who's been an integral part of two Stanley Cup winners (2004 TB, 2006 Car). Adding a player of his caliber to the league's best scoring line of Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley makes Ottawa even scarier. How are teams going to match-up? Especially with underrated forwards Mike Fisher, Antoine Vermette, Dean McAmmond and meat and potatoes Chris Neil. The Sens had become more of a one-line team this season. So Stillman's addition is huge because now Fisher has a skilled player on his line. Commodore is also a solid physical stay at home D who is an upgrade over the offensive-minded Corvo. He also won a Cup with Stillman and has been to two Finals (2004 Cgy, 2006 Car).

Before this move by GM Bryan Murray, there were questions in terms of scoring depth up front and physicality on the back line. Both have been addressed making the defending Eastern Conference champion the team to beat again.

On the Hurricanes' side, it's understandable why GM Jim Rutherford made this trade. Both Stillman and Commodore are eligible to become unrestricted free agents at the conclusion of the season. They probably couldn't afford to re-sign them due to the cap.

They did get two capable players in return. Eaves could still develop into a solid third liner and possibly a second liner in their aggressive forechecking system. It all depends if he's recovered from last year's concussion suffered in the postseason. Corvo addesses a need on the blueline as the Canes don't really boast a point man to run their power play which has allowed a season worst 10 shorthanded goals because they rely heavily on forwards.

It seems that both teams did reasonably well in this deal. For Ottawa, it's all about delivering a championship this year while for Carolina, they got solid players back who can still help them win the Southeast Division and also stick around for the future.

Trade Winner: When push comes to shove, I have to give the Senators the edge here because of how much they improved for the short-term. The time is now to win a Cup. This is a great trade by Murray which could push them over the top.

Ovechkin's four goals lift Caps over Sens 8-6

Alexander Ovechkin decided to join Russian comrade Ilya Kovalchuk in the 30-goal club this season. He just decided to do it with a vintage night Saturday against the East's best team up at Scotia Bank Place.

The exciting third-year 22 year-old from Moscow scored four goals and an assist in a high scoring 8-6 win over the Senators. It was his first career four-goal game.

Even more amazing was that he was coming off a leg cut suffered in an OT loss to the Penguins Thursday which needed stitches.

No matter as the former 2005-06 Calder winner pulled within two goals of league leader Kovalchuk who tallied once in a 5-0 Thrashing of Boston last night.

"Oh yeah, it was bothering me," Ovechkin later admitted to the AP. "It was a little bit of pain but it's OK, I feel pretty good tonight. My parents were here, they arrived from Moscow and I was excited. It was a great time."

No wonder he put on a show.

"What impresses me most is that he actually played tonight," Capital teammate Olaf Kolzig noted. "If you guys would have seen the gash on his leg and I know a lot of guys were, not begging him but leaning towards, 'Hey, you think you can play tonight?' He had a lot of courage and he put on a heck of a show."

The 14 total goals made for a tough night in net. Something Kolzig eluded to.

"It was definitely a ratings booster for the TV stations and I'm sure the fans got their money's worth, but I'm too old for these kind of games," he said. "It's going to force me to retire sooner than I want."

The game featured the first career hat trick for underrated Ottawa center Mike Fisher. He scored all three in the third period trying to lead a comeback from 5-2 down.

"It's frustrating to lose that one when we were kind of close and it was not a great game for us," Fisher said after tallying shorthanded, on the power play and at even strength to be tabbed as the game's 2nd Star in the loss. "That would have been sweet to be able to come back but overall we've got to be better. We can't put ourselves in that position."

Teammate Daniel Alfredsson also scored twice including on a penalty shot- becoming just the ninth shooter to beat a goalie in over 30 chances this season.

Caps' rookie center Nicklas Backstrom finished with a goal and two helpers as did Alexander Semin. Ex-Ranger Michael Nylander also scored twice in a wild game which saw nine players (Wsh-5, Ott-4) post multi-point nights.

It was Ovechkin's third career hat trick and first since Dec. 1, 2006 against Atlanta.

Here are the highlights:

Ovechkin's first career four-goal game

Did the Islanders just beat Ottawa?

The Isles skated against the Ottawa Senators tonight at Nassau Coliseum and to tell you the truth, I really didn't have any hope for a win. I mean the Isles are 4-29 against the Sens all time and that has to be the worst record against ANY team EVER!When the Senators come to the Island, I usually don't watch the game because its usually ugly....REAL ugly. When I heard the Isles took an early lead, it didn't really excite me. There have been plenty of times where the Isles have scored first against the Sens, only to give up 923474434 goals in the next two periods.

At the end of the second the Isles had a 2-1 lead. Goals by Vasicek and Sillinger put them ahead. But Andrej Meszaros scored twice to tie it up and next thing I know we are going to OT. With Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley shooting on DP in overtime makes any Islander fan cringe. The first shot in OT by Ottawa went to a video replay and for some weird reason, it was no goal. After watching it a few times myself, it was definitely not a goal but this is the Islanders, and video reviews usually go against us. The Isles ended up taking the Sens to a shootout, the first of the season for the Isles.

Miro Satan .....Miss
Alfredsson.....GOAL
Vasicek........Miss
Spezza......Miss
Guerin......GOAL
Heatley.....Miss
Comrie.....Miss
Robitaille...Miss
Hunter.....Miss
Vermette..Miss
Sillinger.....GOAL
McAmmond...Miss

The Isles beat the Sens for the first time in a loooooonnnggg time! Rick Dipietro kept the Isles in the game as the Isles beat the Sens for the first time at the Colesium since 2004. Next up, the New York Rangers!