Keep Haggin' away

The Rangers got back in the win column last night with a 4-1 win at Buffalo. They were sparked by Swede rookie Carl Hagelin, whose two goals from identical spots were enough to halt a two-game winless streak (0-1-1). The 23-year old former Wolverine made the most of his shifts by notching his first NHL career shorthanded goal and first ever two-goal game. Not bad for the former sixth rounder who more and more looks like he belongs.

Since being recalled along with partner in crime John Mitchell, Hags has combined with Mitch and Brian Boyle to form a solid energy line. Hags' speed and energy certainly has been an asset. John Tortorella has shown enough confidence already to give Hagelin additional responsibility on the PK. No small task. It already paid dividends in Western New York. Along with a yeoman effort from captain Ryan Callahan, who scored a highlight reel shorthanded goal on struggling Jhonas Enroth, Hags beat the Sabre rookie from the left circle twice with essentially cardinal copies. Both goals were top shelf past Enroth's glove. The Buffalo backup who was so good at the beginning of the season has won once over the past eight starts. Yesterday, he allowed a bad goal to Callahan, who somehow got off a shot while falling after spinning around Christian Ehrhoff. The puck went right through the wickets for a momentum turning goal.

Despite being even in shots (33-33) and creating several opportunities, Buffalo only mustered one past ex-starter Martin Biron, who was stellar. The only goal he permitted was to Thomas Vanek, who beat him five-hole on a nice pass from captain Jason Pominville that tied the game in the second. However, an unreal individual effort from Captain Cally resulted in a huge go-ahead shorty. He somehow spun around Ehrhoff and surprised Enroth with his 12th. He trails leading sniper Marian Gaborik by two with Gabby also netting his 14th on a late power play in the third that iced it.

Steve Eminger and Mike Del Zotto each had two helpers in the win. Brandon Dubinsky was elevated to the second line with Brad Richards and Callahan with Tortorella trying to get him going. He has one goal and 11 assists so far.

The Blueshirts have a quick turnaround tonight with the surprising Panthers coming in for a 7:30 tilt at MSG. Dale Talloon's Hawks South is working out with Kris Versteeg and Brian Campbell looking like All-Stars alongside Tomas Fleischmann and holdover Stephen Weiss. In the first meeting, Florida blanked the Rangers with their superior speed winning out. The Rangers have had issues against fast teams with Toronto beating them twice and the Bolts exacting revenge in comeback fashion in what's now become Artie Gate. It should be interesting to see if our guys adjust against the Southeast division leader.

Projecting Ahead

In somewhat of a surprising move, the Rangers cut defenseman Tim Erixon, reassigning him to Connecticut. The 20-year old Swede who impressed so much at Traverse City, still needs fine tuning. Though the son of former Ranger Jan Erixon possesses the speed and skating along with a potent shot, he had trouble with the speed of the game defensively- forced into bad penalties this preseason.

There's no shame in not making the roster even if Marc Staal remains very much up in the air due to headaches. It's unlikely Staal will join the team in Europe for the final two preseason matches before '11-12 gets going with back-to-back games versus Pacific rivals Los Angeles and Anaheim. As I've repeatedly said, the Rangers are better off playing it safe with their 24-year old D anchor. If that means missing the first seven games before the club finally returns to a renovated MSG for the home opener on Oct.27, so be it. His health is the most important thing.

Erixon will start with the Whale like Ryan McDonagh, who had a better camp last Fall before going down to get ready for the bigs. His development paid off with the former Wisconsin standout becoming a reliable top four blueliner, allowing the Blueshirts to trade Michal Rozsival to Rangers West Phoenix. Hopefully, Erixon can make a similar progression. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him.

Joining Erixon in Connecticut are defenseman Blake Parlett and forwards Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin, Dale Weise, Kris Newbury and John Mitchell. Considering nearly everyone showed something, it's easy to be excited about our team's depth. Especially Bourque, Hagelin and Weise, who deserved a better fate. Perhaps another team will give him a shot.

Not surprisingly, 2010 first round pick Dylan McIlrath was set back to his junior club Moose Jaw. I really liked what I saw from the big guy, who Garden Faithful should be counting down the days till he becomes part of our team. Sure. That probably won't be till '12-13 at the earliest but it's hard not to like the edge he plays with along with underrated stickhandling and passing capabilities.

With the Rangers down to 25, Erik Christensen, Stu Bickell and Brendan Bell are still around. So are Sean Avery and Mike Del Zotto, who boosted his chances with a goal in the club's 4-2 win over Henrik Lundqvist's former pro club Frolunda yesterday. Hopefully, that'll give the third-year defenseman some much needed confidence as they get down to the nitty gritty. Steve Eminger is likely to start until Staal returns. The gritty vet was a revelation last year, silencing many cynics with sound physical play and elevating his level when called upon. It looks like Del Zotto, Bickell and Bell are fighting for a couple of spots while Avery has the inside track as an extra forward over Christensen, who also notched a goal Friday.

If I had to guess what the Opening Day lineup will look like, here's what I see:

Wolski-Richards-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
Fedotenko-Stepan-Zuccarello
Prust-Boyle-Rupp

Extra F: Avery

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Bell-Eminger

Extra: Bickel

Lundqvist
Biron


For now, I excluded Staal, which means Bickel stays as the backup. I wouldn't be surprised if Tort teams Eminger with Sauer and has Del Zotto with either Bell or Bickel. Last year, Eminger stepped up. We'll see.

Staal loss showing

Already, the loss of Marc Staal is showing. The Rangers have played three exhibition games and the defense has been dismal minus the 24-year old anchor who didn't accompany the club to Europe due to headaches. Even if Glen Sather's right that it might not be caused by concussions, it's still a lingering issue that must concern the organization as '11-12 approaches.

With the team still carrying 11 defensemen (10 without Staal) including Dylan McIlrath, Stu Bickell, Blake Parlett and ex-Sen Brendan Bell, John Tortorella's still trying to figure out what his blueline will look like when the Rangers take on LA and Anaheim back-to-back at the end of next week. Meanwhile, second-year blueliner Mike Sauer is out at least a week with a shoulder sprain after taking a spill into the boards courtesy a clean check during last night's preseason match at Philadelphia.

"My adrenaline was going so I tried to gather myself," Sauer told Blueshirts United. "But then the pain just kept coming. It's frustrating because you never want to come out of a game like that, especially before this trip we've got going. The good news is that the x-rays came back negative."

Tortorella still hopes to get Sauer into some preliminary games. With Staal's status still uncertain, the Blueshirts can't afford to lose another top four D who logs important minutes. Much depends on the sophomore tandem of Sauer and Ryan McDonagh, who last night paired with Dan Girardi. Meanwhile, Mike Del Zotto and Tim Erixon are competing for a spot while vet Steve Eminger seems a virtual lock despite a poor showing in a loss to the Devils. Brendan Bell helped his case with a good performance that included the decider in a rematch with the Devs at Newark. Tortorella will get more looks at everyone, including McIlrath, Bickell and Parlett before making more cuts.

With the back end uncertain, it's had trouble clearing the puck and failing miserably on the PK, where Rangers have made frequent trips to the box. With the Flyers lighting it up for three more, including a pair from ex-captain Jaromir Jagr, they've allowed at least half a dozen thus far with five all off uncovered one-timers. Areas where Staal excels include getting in the path of shots and making great reads defensively for key clears that allow a penalty killing unit to change and get fresh bodies.

Until Staal's given the okay, the Ranger D is a question mark with everyone except Girardi moving up on the depth chart, which means increased responsibility. When healthy, Staal works well with Danny G as a top pair that sees the league's best- allowing McDonagh and Sauer to face secondary scoring. Subtract Staal and they're broken up, which leaves a bevy of question marks (Eminger, Erixon, Del Zotto, Bell) as to how Tortorella will deploy the remainder. Unless McIlrath surprises, he's going back to Moose Jaw while Bickell and Parlett are ticketed for the Whale.

The Rangers are doing the right thing making sure Staal is 100 percent before allowing him to even have full contact. The season is 82 games. So, if it requires him to miss the crazy first part that has the Original Six club traveling all over, including a three-game Northwestern swing featuring matches in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver before finishing at Winnipeg, they're probably better off being cautious. With stops in Prague (Thu), Gothenburg (Fri), Bratislava (Sun), Zug (Mon) before headed to Stockholm for the opening pair against the Kings and Ducks, the Rangers will be doing a lot of flying before coming back to face the Islanders on Oct.15. Their first seven games are on the road due to the renovation with 10/27 the home opener against the Leafs.

It's still hard to say when Staal will be ready. However, Slats may want to bring in an insurance policy just in case. Much depends on Tortorella, who will make important roster decisions in the next week, finalizing the roster. The Rangers don't want to rely too heavily on their offense even with Brad Richards. Defense and goaltending are what's defined them. It says here that if Staal is out a significant amount of time, the playoffs take a backseat.

Eminger re-signs, Callahan on deck

When summer began, Glen Sather had his work cut out, needing to not only fill the No.1 center need with landing Brad Richards AKA Richy Rich, but our much maligned GM also knew he had to get some vital pieces re-signed. So far, so good for Slats who today re-signed veteran blueliner Steve Eminger to a one-year deal (undisclosed). It probably should range between 800-925 K. A nice discount for a team guy who earned $1.5 million after coming over from Anaheim in exchange for Aaron Voros and Ryan Hillier.

The well traveled vet who turns 28 on Halloween looks to have found a home in the Big Apple after filling in admirably as the sixth defenseman most of last season. In 65 games, Eminger totaled two goals and four assists with just 22 penalty minutes. While nothing earth shattering for a former first round pick that's on his sixth NHL team, he more than made up for it with gritty play- registering 143 hits and 101 blocked shots as part of a team that sacrificed for the common cause.

When there were injuries to Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, Eminger adequately filled in even elevating his play with increased minutes. Considering that I wasn't too keen when we traded for him, he definitely won over a new fan. On a young D that's anchored by Staal and Girardi with kids Ryan McDonagh, Mike Sauer, Mike Del Zotto and likely Tim Erixon, bringing him back makes sense. There's nothing wrong with having an experienced player who actually isn't that old. Even if it makes it unlikely Pavel Valentenko or Tomas Kundratek will make the club. Considering how physical the game is, you can never have enough depth on the back end. See the '10-11 New Jersey Devils for why.

There's still the prevailing thought that with all the depth, Slats is cooking up something. Might camp result in a trade? With Mikhail Pashnin also expected to join the mix, it's sure to be crowded. Too close for comfort. After our top four, nobody should assume they have a spot. It should make for some stiff competition.

Cally On Deck: With Sather getting another player done, he's quietly had a nice summer. He also brought in vet pugilist Mike Rupp to fill in as team enforcer while getting Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle and Brandon Dubinsky re-signed. All that's left is Ryan Callahan, who could go to arbitration this Saturday if the two sides don't reach a deal. Considering how they were able to work it out with Dubinsky, it's easy to conclude a similar scenario that'll make everyone happy.

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.

Rangers cut down to 27

Earlier today, the Rangers made their second round of cuts. Team President & GM Glen Sather announced that the club assigned Chad Johnson, Wade Redden, Evgeny Grachev, Dale Weise and Mats Zuccarello to Hartford. Dane Byers, Kris Newbury and Jeremy Williams will also continue camp with the AHL affiliate. While those eight remain in the organization, defensemen Garnet Exelby, Brandon Manning and Alexei Semenov were all released from tryouts, leaving nine players competing for seven spots on the blueline.

Incumbents Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Mike Del Zotto and Michael Rozsival comprise the top four. Steve Eminger, Matt Gilroy, Ryan McDonagh, Mike Sauer and Pavel Valentenko are all in competition for the final three slots. Out of the five, Gilroy, McDonagh and Valentenko have looked the best. But figure the club to start the season with at least vet Eminger as an extra, leaving Gilroy and McDonagh with the inside track. I'd like to see more from Valentenko and Brian Leetch trade holdover Sauer, who's getting one last shot.

As for what's up front, there are 16 players left. With both Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal banged up, it's given golden opportunities to rookie Derek Stepan along with vets Erik Christensen, Ruslan Fedotenko, Tim Kennedy and Todd White. Though Christensen should have a spot based on being re-signed after a solid stint last year, it remains unclear where he'll start. The club remains without a top playmaking pivot to center potential lethal Euro combo Marian Gaborik and Alexander Frolov. Does Stepan get a shot at the start in two weeks when the team visits Buffalo October 8 and the Islanders October 11? The 20 year-old former Badger certainly has the most upside. If he's not ready, they can always ship him to Hartford.

Brian Boyle is competing with Kennedy and White for the fourth line. Though White's capable of moving up due to his experience with Gabby in St. Paul. There's also Fedotenko, who's opened some eyes with a strong camp highlighted by a three-point effort in the Rangers' 5-4 overtime win over the Devils Saturday. John Tortorella knows him well from Tampa where Feds was a hero against both the Flyers and Flames en route to Lord Stanley. Still, the journeyman who also was part of the Pens' Cup in '08-09 would be used in a secondary role where he hopefully could supply offense on the third line with possibly some power play duty in store. Considering that he's here on a tryout, Fedetenko has done enough to warrant consideration. He's capable of contributing 15 goals and at least 30 points. You wonder if MZA could've done that. But he'll start with the Pack.

No surprise that the two goalies are Henrik Lundqvist and new vet backup Martin Biron, who's been steady thus far. Hopefully, King Henrik got the cobwebs out in Newark.

The Blueshirts have three exhibitions left, including the second of a home-and-home with the Red Wings, who dealt them their first defeat yesterday by a score of 5-3 (really 6 if not for ref incompetence). Biron played the first two periods permitting three while Johnson came in relief, letting in two. Sean Avery, Christensen and Artem Anisimov (SHG) were the goalscorers. Tomas Holmstrom netted the winner for Detroit while Brian Rafalski added a goal and three helpers with Jimmy Howard (18 saves) going all the way. They Original Sixes meet again at MSG Wednesday at 7 ET on MSG.


NY RANGERS REMAINING CAMP ROSTER


G (2)-Biron, Lundqvist


D (9)-Del Zotto, Eminger, Gilroy, Girardi, McDonagh, Rozsival, Sauer, Staal, Valentenko


F (16)-Anisimov, Avery, Boogaard, Boyle, Callahan, Christensen, Drury, Dubinsky, Fedotenko, Frolov, Gaborik, Kennedy, Prospal, Prust, Stepan, White

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.

Rangers re-sign Girardi, swap Voros for Eminger

Twenty four hours removed from a predictable disappointment of a clown for the other Garden tenant, the Rangers took care of some business by getting Dan Girardi re-signed and swapping Aaron Voros for Steve Eminger.

From most indications, it looks like Glen Sather got Girardi at fair value with it rumored to be two years, $4 million. Not bad considering there'd been talk that the 26 year-old who made the team as an undrafted free agent in '06-07 was said to be seeking three million-per-year. Instead of going to arbitration, the overachiever from Welland, Ontario returns for two more seasons at a friendly price.

UPDATE: Per Larry Brooks of the NY Post, Girardi received four years at $3.325 million-per-season. So much for the more affordable rumor. It's definitely overpayment but more in line with what he wanted. How that impacts unsigned Marc Staal remains to be seen. The cost just went up thanks to San Jose signing Chicago blueliner Niklas Hjalmarsson to a four-year, $14 million offersheet which leaves the Hawks seven days to match. That development certainly isn't positive for the Rangers, who must get Staal done.

In the mean time, Slats has done admirably getting Girardi re-signed along with Vinny Prospal and Erik Christensen while also signing Wisconsin duo Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. If only he didn't break the bank for one-dimensional pugilist Derek Boogard. Well, you can't have everything when you got a senile GM running the asylum. Hopefully, Martin Biron doesn't bomb as Henrik Lundqvist's backup and Boogard protects teammates and maybe miraculously scores a goal.

As much criticism as Girardi received for not standing up for Marian Gaborik in the Daniel Carcillo humiliation, he did learn stepping in for Artem Anisimov against the hated Flyers where this time the culprit was clown Scott Hartnell. Is Danny G perfect? No. Consistency is still an issue for the soon to be fifth year NHLer. He's had good moments where he not only plays steady in his end but also contributes offensively. However, there have also been bad ones where he doesn't get it done and isn't a factor.

Perhaps that's to be expected from a guy who wasn't drafted. Still, this is a top four D who logs big minutes. Whether he's being used in a shutdown role alongside Staal or working with promising Mike Del Zotto, Girardi's been a good team player. He also isn't afraid to mix it up as his 180 blocked shots (6th in NHL) and 178 hits (T-12th among D) demonstrate. Not only does Danny G sacrifice his body but No.5's been durable playing in 280 consecutive games. There were quite a few where he took his lumps and returned. If he can improve on the six goals and 18 helpers produced last season, that would be nice. It's a matter of consistency. He'll certainly be one of the club's leaders. Time to step up.

After getting one order of business done, Slats wasn't finished, sending the popular Voros along with prospect Ryan Hillier to Anaheim for Eminger. The 26 year-old from Woodbridge, Ontario is a former first round pick ('02-12th overall) who's bounced around the league. Originally a Cap, he's moved four different times over two years going from Philly to Tampa to Florida and then Anaheim where he performed decently- registering four goals and 12 assists with 30 PIM while registering 99 blocks in 63 contests in '09-10.

Truth be told, Eminger isn't bad. He can skate and move the puck effectively while also being capable of offense. By moving Voros who earned a ton of respect from teammates and fans alike this past season, Sather fills a void. It's essentially an even swap with Eminger making $1.5 million to Voros' $1.4. Voros' days were numbered once the Ranger Team President/GM committed to Boogard and re-signed Brandon Prust. With Sean Avery also back and possibly Dane Byers or Dale Weise competiting for a spot, it made sense to move Voros, who hopefully will get a better opportunity with the Ducks.

Acquiring Eminger, who's a righty shot means that he'll be in competition with sophomore Matt Gilroy for the sixth slot on the blueline. Figure Gilroy to have the upper hand but he better not take it fore granted. Now, all Slats must do is get Staal under contract. As long as he can, the Wade Redden Era Error should finally end. Here's hoping.