Wolski to have surgery

The news wasn't all good for the Rangers, who look to extend a four-game win streak to five with tomorrow's visit to Kanata against the Senators. Aside from Mike Rupp needing arthroscopic knee surgery, forward Wojtek Wolski requires abdominal surgery to repair a sports hernia which should keep him out at least four weeks. New York Rangers President And GM Glen Sather made the announcement yesterday.

The 25-year old Wolski was acquired from Phoenix Rangers West last Jan.10 in exchange for Michal Rozsival. In 37 contests after being acquired, he tallied 19 points (6-13-19) for the Blueshirts the rest of '10-11 while adding a goal and two helpers in a first round loss to Washington. This season, a groin issue limited him to just half a dozen games with the Polish former 'Yote reinjuring it in a win against Anaheim. He had two assists.

With Wolski and Rupp both placed on IR, Sean Avery has seen limited fourth line duty in two games. Look for the organization to recall Mats Zuccarello and retain Andre Deveaux, who has been better than first thought. The 27-year old enforcer recorded his second NHL point in Saturday's win over Montreal, helping set up a goal. It was his first point since '08-09 when he got in 21 games with the Leafs. He also took part in one game in '09-10 for his hometown team who he'll likely see this Saturday at Air Canada Centre.

Staaling For Time: There's nothing new to report on defenseman Marc Staal, who continues to suffer PCS stemming from brother Eric Staal's clean hit at the end of a period in a game versus Carolina last February. It's looking like the Rangers will place him on LTI with the arrival of Swedish defenseman Anton Stralman, who recently signed for a year and $900,000. Stralman still needs to pass some medical tests before he can play. So, he won't travel with the team for tomorrow's game at Ottawa.

Biron, Fedotenko spark Rangers past Jets

Sometimes, when you're not going good, someone steps up and makes a play that lifts a team. Such was the case during last night's Rangers' 2-1 win over the Jets at soldout Winnipeg- finally concluding their crazy seven-game trip around the world at 3-2-2. That they managed to go 3-1 on the Western part speaks volumes about the goaltending they received from Henrik Lundqvist and yesterday's hero Martin Biron, who sparkled with 27 saves in his first start since preseason.

“If you look at it, we’ve played seven road games with a trip to Europe and a Western Canadian trip and we’ve only lost two games in regulation,” Biron said after keeping his team afloat with a series of saves early in the third when the Jets buzzed for 90 seconds. “We got points in five out of the seven. You win three of them, it makes a big difference going home.”

As John Tortorella emphasized, they're ugly. But the bottom line is they survived by gutting out tough road wins in Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg and now finally come home for tomorrow's home opener at the newly renovated MSG versus an improved Toronto club. It'll be the first of a six-game homestand. The longest of the season and a chance for the Rangers to take advantage of overwhelming support along with the comfort of their own practice facility in Greenburgh.

Locked in a tie game following ex-Ranger Nik Antropov's blast off a forced Brandon Prust turnover, the Blueshirts were on their heels literally as Winnipeg began to dominate shifts. Despite a huge territorial edge in play, they couldn't get another one past a Biron, who was outstanding making several Lundqvist-esque clutch stops in tight.

While the capable backup got the job done, the Blueshirts had help from Ruslan Fedotenko. The hard working checking wing was the team's best forward, scoring and setting up two actual power play goals. The first came in the second following another meager start in which they had three shots. With nothing working for the top unit, Tortorella sent out Fedotenko, Brian Boyle and Ryan Callahan, who finally played like the captain we love. With Dan Girardi also out, he took a Mike Del Zotto pass and then patiently waited for Fedotenko to flash open in the slot. With Boyle in front screening Chris Mason, the more conventional look worked as Fedotenko neatly tipped Girardi's shot pass past the Winnipeg backup for the lead.

With the team more assertive, it looked like maybe they'd pad the lead. But Mason made a few key stops before his team drew even thanks to their top unit. Trying to get the puck out, Prust was closed off by former Devil Johnny Oduya, forcing him to fumble the puck, eventually turning it over to Evander Kane. Kane and Alex Burmistrov combined to set up Antropov, who blasted one past Biron.

Getting plenty of support from a wild home crowd 15,000+ strong, the Jets made life difficult on the Rangers. They controlled play for the rest of the second and the first part of the third until a hustling Fedotenko got around the D and forced Chris Thorburn to take him down. All night, Tortorella mixed his lines, eventually sliding Artem Anisimov down to the fourth line while shifting Brandon Dubinsky to center Callahan and Wojtek Wolski, who received over 15 minutes in his return. There were some oddities with Marian Gaborik sitting for a long stretch for unknown reasons.

None of that mattered when Girardi and Fedotenko combined to spring Callahan, who was flying down the right wing. With Winnipeg scrambling back, he centered for Fedotenko right off Zach Bogosian's skate and in for the game-winner. A relieved Cally raised his arms in triumph with a wide eyed grin as teammates congratulated him. It snapped a six-game scoreless drought.

From there, the Blueshirts clamped down defensively- not allowing the Jets to generate much. Even if they pulled Mason for an extra late, making it dicey, a couple of clears allowed them to exhale with a nice win.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (PP GW- 2nd of season w/11:19 remaining in 3rd)
2nd Star-Ruslan Fedotenko, NYR (PPG, assist, penalty drawn)
1st Star-Martin Biron, NYR (27 saves, 1st win of season)

Game Preview NYR at WPG: Wolski returns

Tonight, the Rangers will visit Winnipeg for the first time since NHL '96 was in stores. Sega Genesis was hot along with Super Nintendo. There were no PS3's, Ipods, Iphones or Ipads.

Fifteen years later, the rebirth of the Winnipeg Jets has been evident with every seat sold filled with tremendous support. When they defeated the Pens for their first home win last week, it was 15 years in the making. Fans went wild as the final minute wound down. This is the kind of atmosphere the Blueshirts must contend with tonight in their final road game before arriving for Thursday's home opener at the World's Most Renovated Arena.

Known as the former Thrashers, who have made a living tormenting us, Winterpeg hosts the first of four meetings. Last year, they took three of four including a damaging win at MSG that nearly ended our season. Indeed, players like Andrew Ladd, Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom, Alex Burmistrov and Nik Antropov gave us fits. Even Jim Slater did. Don't forget Ondrej Pavelec, who can make the highlight reel save look routine. If only he got more help. Winnipeg plays an exciting style based around their speed and skill. They can really come at you in waves. Given our D issues, this should be a stiff test. Can they prevent the new Jets from dominating down low?

Much depends on the invisible Draft Line of Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and Ryan Callahan, who really need to get their act together. I already got on Cally and Dubi, who are two of our leaders that haven't been pulling their weight. I realize they have hefty raises. But there are no excuses. Anisimov hasn't been bad but you'd never know it by his statline of just two assists. He hasn't taken foolish penalties and filled in admirably on the PK, which btw needs our top forward American duo out instead of in the box watching teams capitalize. After how John Tortorella erupted in Edmonton, everyone must respond. The slow starts are disturbing. We can't be stuck on 8-9 shots with nearly 40 minutes played.

Henrik Lundqvist cramped up the other night and was replaced by Martin Biron, who at least saw his first action since preseason. I'd hardly call three saves much to go by. But it's a virtual lock that our capable backup will get the call later. At times last year, the team played better in front of him than King Henrik. I'm hoping for a similar game.

I know Tort shook up the lines the other night. With Wojtek Wolski finally returning from a groin injury that caused him to miss the opening six, no more Erik Christensen. Wolski's best assets are his size and forecheck ability. Something that's been lacking. Figure Tort to slot him in on the fourth line with Kris Newbury and Mike Rupp. If Christy plays over Newbury, I might toss an object at the wall. Newbury is a much better fit for that line. EC doesn't fit anymore. He's too perimeter oriented and inconsistent. It's hard to fathom that this waste is still on the roster while Sean Avery is banished to Hartford and Mats Zuccarello the same.

I'd like the coach to keep Derek Stepan with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. With Brendan Bell struggling in his Ranger debut, figure Jeff Woywitka to be back in.

Projected Lines:

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

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Erixon
Eminger-Woywitka

Biron
Lundqvist

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)

Historic comeback rescues Rangers

At 3-0 down, it looked over. In a game they needed, the Rangers were all out of sorts looking up at a huge three-goal hole to a tough Bruins club set on adding another crushing chapter to a classic Original Six rivalry. When Chris Kelly skated untouched and beat Henrik Lundqvist shortside, it seemed insurmountable with less than half of regulation left. At that point, Boston won every battle, earning their big lead by going to the dirty areas to score the first two before Kelly surged past Ruslan Fedotenko and stunned an already antsy Garden crowd, who rained down the home team with more boos.

It would've been easy to say, 'It's just not our night.' On the Bruins' first pair, they scored right after the Rangers blew chances. All season long, that's not what this team is about. There have been few nights where our guys didn't compete with one coming at the hands of the Islanders a few days ago. If it's true they were sluggish in the second of another challenging back-to-back against a top three seed, you wouldn't have known it the way the Blueshirts responded to adversity. Led by Vinny Prospal's two goals, John Tortorella's scrappy bunch put together a historic comeback to stun the B's 5-3 before a raucous atmosphere at MSG. Never before in the unique 85 year history of one of the oldest rivalries, had the Rangers climbed back from a three-goal deficit to defeat the Bruins.

“It’s a feeling that you can’t describe when you hear that many people going crazy,” tying hero Brandon Dubinsky said after scoring the third unanswered goal with 3:48 remaining off a brilliant feed by Ryan Callahan to send the Garden into bedlum. “We fought so hard for so many months and we needed these two points. That part of it makes it even that much more emotional.”

Dubinsky's biggest goal of the season wouldn't have been possible without the heroics of Vinny Prospal. A prideful man who fought tooth and nail to get back in the lineup after so many setbacks with his knee. At one point, there were even rumors that his career might be over. For myself, I never expected him to return because it sounded bad and I wanted to be realistic about the chances. I disagreed with my Dad whenever the topic came up. He maintained that the team would be better off with a more long-term view while I insisted that Prosp was an underrated cog who brings skill along with leadership. Never has that been more evident than in his play down the stretch. The 36 year-old Czech, who Mike Milbury mistakenly thought was part of Tort's '03-04 Bolts' Cup, plays with such enthusiasm that it rubs off on his younger teammates. After he scored off a goalmouth scramble 62 seconds later, steering home Wolski's rebound, he pumped his fists and was telling the guys they're back in it on the bench.

The joy Prospal has when he scores is so positive that it has to inspire the rest of the roster. It doesn't take much to inject life into a team that was skating in quicksand prior. Tortorella tried everything, altering every line in a desperate attempt to awaken his club, who knew full well that a loss would mean scoreboard praying. It would've allowed the Hurricanes to control their destiny.  

“We didn’t want to have to watch and see what Carolina did (Wednesday) night,” Dubinsky said. “We want to keep ourselves in the driver’s seat.”

Instead, Tort found magic in a bottle with reemerging rookie Derek Stepan between Prospal and Wolski. The trio suddenly took over, scoring a huge second goal before the middle stanza ended. The play was made possible by a hustling Stepan, who beat a Boston defenseman to a loose puck, pushing it to Wolski behind the net, who then turned and set up Prospal in front for his second straight in 6:52. Suddenly, the Rangers were very much alive, trailing by only a goal entering the third.

Boston had only lost once in regulation when leading after two periods, bringing a 20-1-2 mark into the fateful final period. None of that meant anything. Even though the Bruins sat back, which drew the ire of coach Claude Julien afterwards, they reestablished their tight defense, keeping the Rangers on the perimeter while also putting together a couple of strong shifts with less than 10 minutes left. As the seconds ticked down, it looked like it would be another heartbreaking defeat on home ice where a poor start cost us. The Bruins even came close to scoring with Michael Ryder driving a long slapper off the crossbar.

Even more daunting was the inept play of Marian Gaborik, who went through the motions on more than one shift. Other than a couple of quality shots that Tim Thomas snuffed out in the first, he was invisible. Something Milbury alluded to on the Versus postgame. He was moved to Brian Boyle's line. Boyle also was having a tough night with his line caught on for Nathan Horton's 25th that saw all five Rangers standing around when the Bruins went in front by two. As fate would have it, the unlikely duo combined for the biggest goal later. Before they could, the Blueshirts still had to get it tied. With seemingly nothing working, Tortorella finally went back to the Draft Line, reuniting Callahan, Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov for a key shift. On a determined shift, they wouldn't be denied with Callahan sending a backhand feed in front for Dubinsky, who outwaited Thomas before tucking home a backhand to miraculously tie it before being mobbed. On the play, Marc Staal kept the play alive with a good pinch. Ironically, it was his great keep and pass that started the comeback. Without those two plays, they're cooked.

With the crowd now in a frenzy, Tortorella cameback with Boyle, Gaborik and Brandon Prust. On what appeared to be a broken play, Boyle took a whale of a hit to get the puck to Gaborik, who finally did something by sending seeing eye backhand pass that somehow went through to a pinching Mike Sauer, whose soft shot went thru Thomas' wickets just enough before Johnny Boychuk could keep the puck out. If they weren't crazy before, you should've heard them now. My Dad who was fortunate enough to go, said it was unbelievable. One can only imagine. Just seeing it on TV was enough to send me into a state of shock. My brother, who I watched a majority of it with had left to see our friend one last time before she flew back to Atlanta. Of course when it ended, I wound up there too. But I just wasn't leaving until I saw the end. Good thing too because I texted him twice and his response was, "Yes!"

"That was unbelievable,” a pumped Sauer expressed. “I never scored a goal and it got that loud, that is for sure. The boys were excited and the fans went nuts.”

Sometimes, it's moments like that that make you a fan for life. This is why we live and die with this T-E-A-M. Once up, they weren't going to allow the Bruins to tie it. Ryan Callahan sacrificed again by making a ridiculous diving block of a dangerous Zdeno Chara shot that unfortunately broke his ankle. Of course, everyone's favorite Ranger earned huge pops. Such a shame that a day later, we find out he's out between six to eight weeks but won't need surgery. If this team gets in and pulls a first round upset, who wants to bet Cally somehow returns if there's a Game Six or Seven in the Eastern Conference Semis? Don't put it past the heart and soul of these Blueshirts.

When Stepan hit the empty net, one of the most memorable regular season comebacks in club history was complete. It came at a price but this team's proven before that they can overcome obstacles. The latest challenge for the Rangers, who'll have to do it without Callahan with Atlanta Thursday and New Jersey Saturday both at home. Forget about what Buffalo does tonight against Tampa or what happens tomorrow between Carolina and Detroit. This win was our 34th in regulation/overtime, giving the Rangers a four point lead over the Hurricanes, who now have immense pressure. In fact, a Sabre win tonight and a Cane loss would clinch for Buffalo, who now trails us by a point for seventh. The Rangers are tied at 91 points with the Canadiens, who hold the tiebreaker and play their extra game tonight against a desperate Chicago team. The only way we finish ahead of them is by winning our last two or a complete collapse by Les Habitants. I'm not counting on anything. Let's just win out and silence the detractors.

Take care of business. It's all in front of them.


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brandon Dubinsky, NYR (tying goal-24th w/3:48 left)
2nd Star-Derek Stepan, NYR (ENG, assist, outstanding hustle)
1st Star-Vinny Prospal, NYR (2 goals-7th, 8th and tremendous energy)

Lundqvist stakes claim, St. Pat's Looms Large

By show of hands, how many felt confident that the Rangers would go into the Shark Tank and come away with two points the other night? Alright. We're guessing five to 10 percent. Considering how dreadful they looked against Anaheim and with how well San Jose's been going since the break, it looked like doom and gloom. Instead, thanks to a clutch performance by Henrik Lundqvist, the Blueshirts escaped with a 3-2 shootout win, putting them at 76 points with a dozen left.

When his team needed him most in a must win, Lundqvist delivered his best work- making 31 saves including many in a lopsided third when his team hung on. Even better, the King of the shootout sans Martin Brodeur was at his best, turning aside five of six San Jose shooters including the last four. None were bigger than his denial of Ryane Clowe who could've clinched it in Round Three following Dan Boyle's awesome super backhand deke. It allowed Wojtek Wolski a chance to level it and he was money with a quick wrister beating Antti Niemi for sudden death. After Lundqvist stoned Dany Heatley, it was Brandon Dubinsky who channeled Mark Messier with a sneaky wrister five-hole that gave the Blueshirts the all important win.

However, it wouldn't have been possible without the stellar play of the league shutout leader who knows the pressure's on with teams from behind making pushes. Had he allowed one goal late, the Devils would've been six out with the Leafs and Thrashers- miraculous winners in Philly thanks to a dreadful Kris Versteeg error- four behind and slumping Carolina two out.

“We battled the whole night. It was so important for us to get two points tonight, and at least split the road trip," King Henrik said after getting plenty of help from shot blocking domino Dan Girardi, who delivered a season high nine blocks. The Rangers as a team had 27 altogether, sacrificing like they have all season. That's why the stinker in Anaheim was so disappointing because they didn't compete. In particular, Marc Staal and Danny G who both had forgettable nights along with two-way center Brian Boyle. All bounced back with vigor that has defined this meat and potatoes team.

On a night the Draft Line (Anisimov-Dubinsky-Callahan) weren't a factor, John Tortorella guessed right, reinserting Erik Christensen for Sean Avery on the Marian Gaborik line with Vinny Prospal. When they needed a goal already down one thanks to Clowe, some superb work down low by the trio led to Prospal extending to a six-game point streak with a quick dish in front for Christensen, who did the rest for his 10th.

Overlooked rookie D Mike Sauer continued his splendid play with his second goal set up by Brandon Prust and Ruslan Fedotenko. He also continued to deliver big minutes along with fellow freshman Ryan McDonagh with the second pair duo going plus-four Saturday with five blocks. Big time stuff from two players who didn't even start the year on Broadway. It speaks to how well the organization has developed each while remaining patient with Sauer, who's the last link from the unpopular Brian Leetch deal to Toronto pre-lockout. If only Slats would've held onto Lauri Korpikoski (17 goals) instead of shipping him to Rangers West for Enver Lisin. A deal we'll never fully grasp. At least Sauer's still around, proving to be a reliable two-way blueliner who doesn't take crap from anyone. Exactly the kind of defenseman this club's lacked forever.

For the Rangers, who've won three of four, they'll need to keep it going tomorrow night when the archrival Islanders pay a visit to 33rd and Seventh. The Islanders have been playing good hockey, giving the Devils all they could handle twice with each contest going extras before the Devs prevailed. It won't be easy with Calder candidate Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson, John Tavares and Blake Comeau leading a better offense. There's also the subplot of former No.1 pick Al Montoya likely going opposite Lundqvist, who blocked his path. You know Montoya would love nothing better than to outperform our franchise netminder, damaging Ranger playoff hopes. He wasn't that good in the loss to the Devs, giving up a pair of softies including David Clarkson's rebound that allowed New Jersey to keep their dream alive. Montoya's performed well for the Isles. So, it should be interesting.

Tomorrow's a big day with the Devils facing the Thrashers in a rematch at The Rock while the Sabres- 6-4 winners over Ottawa on an emotional day that saw popular French Connection member Rick Martin pass away in a car accident- take on the Canes at the bottom of the hour. There are huge implications for all four clubs, who also will keep a close eye on tonight's Tampa Bay-Toronto match. A Leaf win would move them into a tie with Carolina for ninth with 72 points. Four off the pace. The Devils and Thrashers basically are fighting to stay in tomorrow. If one wins in regulation, it could be a crusher for the loser. Atlanta sits tied for 10th with the Leafs at 70 while the Devils are 12th with 68 and one fewer game played.

So much is riding on the line for everybody. Do the Devils have more magic in their sticks after unclaimed waiver defender Anssi Salmela beat Montoya in overtime? Or can the Thrashers build on an unlikely comeback win against the top seed after a nifty Evander Kane dish for equally unlikely hero Ron Hainsey? Can Tyler Ennis keep it going against the desperate Canes who suffered a bitter defeat 3-2 to Columbus? Or is this the day Eric Staal and Cam Ward deliver? Can Montoya upstage Lundqvist or will the King reign supreme at a place he and teammates haven't performed well in? Stay tuned.

Crack open a Killians and enjoy the puck on St. Pat's.

Wolski's late heroics give Rangers a boost

They needed something and fast. With another hard fought game slipping away, Wojtek Wolski came to the rescue by scoring late in regulation and notching the shootout decider in Round Three, pushing the Rangers to a big 4-3 win last night over the Hurricanes in Raleigh. The stirring finish allowed the Rangers to go from falling into a seventh place tie with Carolina holding one game in hand to being three points up with 68 points to the Canes' 65.

Good thing too cause the Devils won again cutting Carolina's lead to nine. The Leafs also got a huge win thanks to a late Phil Kessel tally over the Islanders 2-1. This unpredictable playoff race continues to intensify with anything possible. That's why it was imperative for the Rangers to get this game after dropping two straight to the Devs and Flyers. With the win, they improved to 8-7-0 without Marian Gaborik (concussion). They also pulled it out despite losing Marc Staal to an injury after he took a clean hit from brother Eric Staal, who caught his own flesh and blood with a shoulder knocking our best defenseman to the ice. He got up and went to the bench but didn't return for the third, letting doubts creep in to if his own brother concussed him. As it turned out, it was actually a knee that kept him out, which isn't expected to be serious. We'll see Friday when the Rangers play Washington before facing their Kryptonite Tampa Bay Sunday.

While we'll have an eye on Staal, enough can't be said about the character this team demonstrated after what looked like another gut wrenching loss was in the works, thanks to two Jussi Jokinen third period tallies that put Carolina ahead. The Rangers seemed to be in decent shape thanks to a late second period five-on-three power play goal (not a misprint) by Ryan Callahan, who tipped home a Mats Zuccarello point shot for their second lead of the night. After a bevy of missed infractions on the home team, the Blueshirts finally got a break when a phantom hook on Joni Pitkanen gave them the two-man advantage. Instead of working around the perimeter, they got the puck to Zuccarello at the point, who didn't hesitate finding Callahan in front for the PPG.

Lately, our team has had issues closing out games. They've lost a bunch of tight one-goal decisions lately sans a couple of empty netters. The Canes rallied thanks to Jokinen who twice burned the Rangers with his 13th and 14th goals. How a skilled, gritty player doesn't have more is mind boggling. Anyway, on the first he picked up a loose puck following a Ranger penalty kill and rifled one far side on Henrik Lundqvist, tying it. There was nothing our goalie could do as it just bounced right to him and he made no mistake, firing quickly. The second appeared more damaging with Jokinen getting to a Jay Harrison point shot in front and flipping a backhand past an outstretched Lundqvist. Again, not much he could've done as he was expecting Harrison's shot and then Jokinen in one motion took the puck and steered it home. At that exact moment, I was ready to throw my arms up because our guys had played a good game, forcing Cam Ward to stand on his head. Ward is one of the best goalies and made all kinda of acrobatic saves, imitating Mike Richter. The goalie our Devil blogger Hasan compares him to.

It looked like an effort that saw Ward come up with nearly 40 saves before overtime would doom us. Instead, Wolski combined with Ryan McDonagh for a sweet goal tying it with 1:50 to go. All night, he and linemates Zuccarello and Derek Stepan had been our best line, generating chances off the forecheck. They particularly buzzed a prior shift with Stepan coming close. This time, Wolski got the puck from McDonagh, who played an oustanding game along with Mike Sauer- and went around a Hurricane and then centered a pass for a wide open Sauer at the doorstep which banked in off a Carolina player. If the puck had come to Sauer, he probably puts it home anyway unless Ward does the unthinkable. Considering how he played, maybe it's good it never got to that.

The overtime was one of the best you'll see without someone scoring. Both goalies were superb as they had been. Lundqvist finished with 30 stops and Ward 43. When nothing was decided, it went to a shootout. In it, the two netminders controlled things with each equal to the task. Though Ward a bit more impressive stoning shootout ace Erik Christensen on a tough deke and then forcing Zuccarello wide on another forehand attempt. Lundqvist stayed with Canes' ace Jokinen getting a piece of his backhand deke after thwarting rookie Jeff Skinner. The Canes sent our former Calder winner Sergei Samsonov but Henrik shut the door on the crafty Russian's five-hole attempt, setting the stage for Wolski. Before the skill competition, he sought advice from loquacious backup Martin Biron. A man who has a future in broadcasting must've said the right thing because the move Wolski made was sheer genius. Looking as if he was going to go wide like our first two shooters, Wolski surprised Ward with a quick shot high glove, giving an excited Ranger club its third win in five.

"I was happy to be put in that position, and even more excited that we won,” the late hero said.

“Everybody felt we could come back, and it was nice to finally get that bounce in the third period,” Callahan pointed out after netting his 16th goal. “It’s good for our morale and it shows character to stick with the game plan.”

Hey Tort: Yes We Can!

Entering yesterday's big showdown against the league best Canucks who came in having not lost in regulation in 18 games, Rangers coach John Tortorella didn't believe his team could win 1-0 over such a lethal opponent. Considering that goals have been hard to come by lately despite the Rangers' good play, you had to figure they needed to heed Tort's advice. Perhaps the fiery coach was just using a wise tactic to get this cohesive group ready to play.

It sure worked. In one of the most exciting 1-0 games you'll see this season, the Rangers responded again following a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Canadiens by going toe to toe with The Sedins and the torrid Ryan Kesler- coming away with a well earned shutout that felt like a playoff game. Dare we say Cup intensity?!?!?!?! Considering how well each team played along with how hard, this wasn't your normal regular season game. Even if unsung hero Brian Boyle's former college Boston College teammate Cory Schneider got the call over Roberto Luongo who was in the previous night in a win over the Islanders, it didn't change the dynamics. Not when the Canucks' superb backup entered unbeaten in regulation with an 8-0-2 mark, making it easier for Alain Vigneault to rest Louie.

The headline was how could our lesser skilled club slow down the high flying Canucks? They'd been a thorn in Henrik Lundqvist's side with our Swedish King having never won against them. That included an embarrassing blowout loss a couple of years ago in which he removed himself from the game, drawing criticism. Last night proved to be different with Lundqvist intent on making every big save after permitting Benoit Pouliot's winner from a sharp angle the other night. Indeed, the All-Star netminder was at his best turning away Daniel and Henrik Sedin along with Kesler and antagonist Alex Burrows, stopping all 31 his way en route to his league-tying sixth shutout and 30th career.

“Every shutout is important,” he said after recording his 196th win a Ranger, closing in on 200. “Even though there is a lot of hockey left, you want to keep your position in the standings.”

While Henrik made some awfully tough stops on tricky shots like a Kesler try that hopped forcing him to kick it out and another off a seeing eye left point shot with similar results, he also got plenty of help from teammates led by Boyle. His line with Brandon Prust and Ruslan Fedotenko had a rare off night versus Montreal victimized for the tying goal. However, they redeemed themselves with a virtuoso performance limiting the Sedin line to only six shots. Tremendous attention to detail along with physicality neutralized maybe the best line in hockey. In particular, Boyle had a night to remember coming through with an inspired penalty killing shift with the Blueshirts down two men thanks to a bogus call on Marc Staal after Burrows speared him in the jewel area, retaliating with a slash. As our coach put it, how two refs could miss such a cheap/dangerous play is beyond me. Disgusting. What made it even more galling was Chris Drury getting nabbed for an equally bogus delay of game when he made a great defensive play batting a pass with his stick in mid-air which unfortunately went over the Vancouver bench.

Protecting a 1-0 lead on newest Ranger Wojtek Wolski's first off a wild scramble in front on the power play, the defining moment of the game came on the next shift when the Canucks couldn't find a way to beat Lundqvist. That they only got four shots through was a credit to one of the game's best PK units which always does whatever it takes to get the job done. There was Boyle standing out with not one but two gigantic blocks still limping with the Garden in a frenzy. That kind of warrior-esque effort is what's made him a heart and soul player for this team. It's why his line gets so many minutes against top scoring lines and is out at the end of games, helping boost our one-goal record to 13-3-3. If that's not Selke worthy, then you need your eyes checked. In a star-cessed league where it'll probably be Kesler, Henrik Zetterberg and Mike Richards, Brian Boyle is a throwback resembling former Devil John Madden. He never quits. Neither does Robin sidekick Prust who can always be counted on to be in the right position. Whether it's playing physical or making a strong defensive play transitioning to offense like they did last night with Schneider beating Boyle with a sliding glove save, this duo epitomizes what the Rangers are. Perhaps they should share the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how well everyone played. Every Ranger contributed. Especially the fourth line of Drury, Sean Avery and rookie Dale Weise who is looking better, even coming close to his first goal. They don't see as many minutes but you wouldn't know it by how they work the corners providing a lift. It was nice to see Drury out in that final minute winning a big faceoff and then getting more stellar defensive work from Boyle, who somehow wasn't named one of the Three Stars. Yes, Wolski scored his first as a Ranger but even he'd tell you that Boyle deserved his No.2 Star.

What else was encouraging was that Marian Gaborik looked better with Artem Anisimov generating chances, including a breakaway after blocking a shot. But Schneider beat him, refusing to give five-hole. Every line is working right now. It's just a matter of time before they break out. Perhaps in tomorrow's Habs rematch with the Flyers the following day.

The defense played superb with Marc Staal and Dan Girardi getting plenty of support from improving kids Mike Sauer, Matt Gilroy and Ryan McDonagh. Steve Eminger was large again. So much to like about this team. A reason to cheer!

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 send Rozsival to Desert for Wolski

Just as I had finished yesterday's post, the Rangers decided to one up me by trading Michal Rozsival to the Coyotes for Wojtek Wolski. As I was singing the vet's praises for steadier play than the previous two seasons, he became the odd man out after Alex Frolov went down. Considering that the team suddenly had to fill a void up front while also continuing to play well defensively minus the '05-06 holdover, it made sense to move him.

So, once again Glen Sather hooked up with pal Don Maloney and acquired a player he'd been after for a while. Slats had interest in Wolski last year before the Avs dealt him to the Coyotes in exchange for Peter Mueller. At the time, the cost was too much. So, he held firm. You know how Heinz says good things come to those who wait. In this case, it has merit because following a career best 65-point season (23-42-65) with the Avs and 'Yotes, Wolski came back to earth dropping to 6-10-16 in 36 contests this year. So, the Rangers got him cheap and saved $1.2 million in cap space by dealing the pricier Rozsival ($5 million) who has another year left on his contract. As for Wolski, he also has one year remaining and is set to earn $4 million in '11-12.

"It gives us more opportunities to do a few other things that may come up in the future," Sather noted of more cap flexibility that also includes LTI (Long Term Injury) for Frolov. "It was a situation that was easy for us to make for a lot of reasons."

The 24 year-old Wolski brings size with his 6-3, 210 pound frame talented enough to bolster our offense. On a grinding team that's been scoring by committee, adding someone like the former Avs' '04 No.1 pick should bode well for the Blueshirts. He's expected to donn the unusual No.86 and debut in tonight's big showdown versus eighth Montreal, who enters four points behind us for sixth. The two Original Sixes will also be meeting back up north on Hockey Night In Canada following a big test against the Canucks.

When he's taken part in the playoffs, Wolski's fared well recently putting up four goals and an assist for Phoenix last year while going 2-3-5 in '07-08 for Colorado. It wouldn't be surprising if John Tortorella tries him with slumping star Marian Gaborik and Artem Anisimov. That would demote Sean Avery, who's elevated his play the past three games, back to the fourth line with Chris Drury and Connecticut recall Kris Newbury, who KO'd Devil Bryce Salvador back in preseason, concussing him.

For Rozsival who was a frequent MSG target despite contributing on the blueline, he gets a fresh start in the Desert where he'll bolster a 'Yotes back end that includes Ed Jovanovski, Keith Yandle, Derek Morris and Adrian Aucoin. Given a chance by Sather following the lockout as a camp invite, Rozsival made the most of it growing into a top four D who worked well with Czech Marek Malik as part of the Euro-Rangers led by Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky, Petr Prucha and Michael Nylander. Six Czechs and one Swede led the Blueshirts back to the playoffs where they hadn't been in nearly a decade.

The most memorable highlight for Rozsival and the same hypocritical Garden Faithful had to be when his one-timer from the point beat Ryan Miller in triple overtime, giving the underdog Rangers life in a dramatic Game Three Eastern Conference Semifinal at a pumped up MSG. As someone who was fortunate enough to be there, it ranks as my best Ranger game. I'll never forget the animosity towards the refs for screwing us at the end of regulation when a goal was disallowed. The Sabres forced sudden death and could've put a stranglehold on the series. Instead, our guys wouldn't let it happen with Rozy playing the hero. The place just exploded. Everyone mobbed each other in one of the most awesome scenes ever. If you were there, you know how special it was.

It allowed our team to get back in the series, winning Game Four to push it even back to Buffalo. We all know what happened there. Straka scored late in regulation with lone '05-06 member Henrik Lundqvist on the verge of stealing Game Five. But as fate had it, Chris Drury got to a rebound and buried it with 7.7 seconds remaining. The same amount of time Valeri Zelepukin scored with a lifetime ago for the Devils. This time, there was no Matteau Matteau Matteau. Instead, Maxim Afinogenov broke our backs when his shot deflected off a diving Jed Ortmeyer past King Henrik. The Sabres would win a real shootout in Game Six to wrap up the series. Still, to this day, it's hard not to go back and contemplate just how close that team was to advancing to its first Conference Final since Messier and Gretzky teamed up with Leetch, Graves and Richter. Oh. What could've been.

It's hard to believe that Rozsival evolved into a reliable defenseman here. I remember laughing at the '05 signing thinking, 'The former Pen. Come on.' Well, the joke was on me. In his first year, Rozsival scored five goals and 25 assists for 30 points while posting a plus-35 rating along with three power play goals. Amazing. Of course, it helped to have No.68 to pass to during his record-breaking season. Still, Rozy proved it wasn't a fluke by increasing to career highs with 30 helpers and 40 points along with seven PPG, 20 power play points and three deciding markers. In '07-08, he again had a strong season tallying a career best 13 goals with 25 assists for 38 points along with half a dozen PPG and 18 PPP. Even if he sometimes was an adventure in the corners, one couldn't dispute his contributions- helping guide Marc Staal and Dan Girardi who now are a shutdown tandem.

It would be foolish not to think Rozsival had something to do with their development. He was the one vet the organization kept. Even if Slats messed up giving him four years, $20 million while foolishly spending a ton on the immortal Wade Redden. His real folly while gambling on Nikolai Zherdev for Fedor Tyutin. True enough, Rozy wasn't the same after Jagr left becoming overly passive on the power play driving fans nuts with his tenativeness to shoot despite a deadly one when it hit the net. For a year and a half, he struggled badly while playing through injuries- continuing to log big minutes and never complaining once about the unfair treatment from the home crowd. Sure. It was frustrating because of some of the chances he passed up. However, it's also accurate to say he was our best passer, often making perfect outlets that strung teammates for breakaways.

There also is the notion that Rozsival was soft. While he'll never be confused with Jeff Beukeboom, the guy always battled and often sacrificed his body to get in front of shots. He was a superb penalty killer and that should be valued in his new home. Under Tortorella, he regained confidence and became more active in all facets. To ignore the marked improvement wouldn't be fair to the kind of character he had. Rozy stuck up for teammates shoving players away from Lundqvist's crease. He did have pride and it showed during the final portion of a solid Ranger career. In nearly six seasons, Rozsival finishes with 42 goals and 134 assists totaling 176 points over 432 games. He went 4-10-14 in 31 games during the postseason on Broadway.

"It was a good opportunity for us to get younger and bigger and give the kids the opportunity on defence to play," Sather said of the change. "I was very happy with the way Rozie played. He's a good player, he's durable, he works hard, he played through a lot of pain through his career. We have nothing but good things to say about him. He was treated a little unfairly once in a while, but he was a guy who was the ultimate professional."