Truthfully, the Caps were the fresher team and that's part of why they cameback to pull out a hard fought 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers earlier today in the nation's capital.
However, this was another one of those games the Blueshirts should've gotten two points in instead of the annoying brownie point. How many times can they outshoot opponents and not cash in on power plays? In case you're wondering, they took a collar finishing a deadful 0-for-6 on the man-advantage. Why not just decline it? That would make it easier for fans to watch.
Just how costly was it? In a game they controlled outshooting the Caps 33-24, their damn PP was the difference because the opportunistic Caps managed to go 2-for-3 including lethal defenseman Mike Green's OT winner just 23 seconds into the extra session.
To be quite frank, the Blueshirts have only one PP unit now. That would be the more North American one featuring leading scorer Scott Gomez, the sizzling Chris Drury (sixth goal in last seven) along with Nigel Dawes and defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Daniel Girardi.
The Euro-overpassing unit featuring non-leader Jaromir Jagr, Michal Rozsival, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha and Brandon Dubinsky was just brutal wasting precious seconds. It was pretty easy for the Caps to kill off time when clueless coach Tom Renney stuck them out there. Why bother making a change? Right.
And is it his novel concept to stick stonehands fourth liners Blair Betts, Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr near the end of the PP? Geez. This team is run so ass backwards, it's no wonder they're treading water just trying to stay afloat and make a third consecutive postseason while lesser opponents such as the Caps and Bruins continue to work harder and netting impressive results.
If they do make the cut, it's only going to because the East sucks. Mediocrity is what Gary Bettman wanted and he sure is getting it. Call me a traditionalist but I'd prefer getting no points for losing in OT.
Why reward a loser? For the same exact reasons these brainwashed stripes waved off a perfectly legit tying goal by Wings' defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom with under a minute left in a whale of a game on NBC between the NHL's best and the Ducks.
Such is the nature of the rules. If you caught the couple of Ranger games this weekend, then you know exactly what I'm referring to. The soft calls which have no business being in the game. It's gotten stupid.
I'm embarrassed to be a fan of this sport. That's how much they've dumbed it down. It doesn't help that my team continues to underachieve with Jagr managing no points in the last seven games. How is that possible?!?!?!?!?! I got into a heated argument with some fans earlier this season about what No.68 has become. They didn't want to believe it and labeled me a "non-Ranger fan." LMAO...who's laughing now?
Sadly, no one is these days. Nobody feels sorry for this heartless team. I see Drury and Gomez putting a heck of a lot better effort in than Jagr or Rozsival, who suddenly is making me long for Marek Malik back in the lineup. Dawes and Dubinsky always put a good effort in and Ryan Callahan looks all the way back finally.
Is it the coach? Do they need a tougher one? There's only 23 games remaining. Less than anyone else. The next one isn't till the following Saturday which means teams are going to finally make up ground on our team who could be out of playoff position when they take to the ice again.
I haven't really said much about the game which they didn't play badly in. Problem was Alexander Ovechkin played for the opponent and once again impacted the game, factoring in on every Caps' goal. His hard work setup the tying Boyd Gordon marker with 15 seconds left in the second. AO also notched the primary assist on Green's 15th- a blast which unfortunately went off Marc Staal past a valiant Steven Valiquette, who in his second straight start finished with 21 saves.
Problem was Olie Kolzig was better garnering first star with 31 stops including highway robbery on Sean Avery, sliding across to rob the Rangers' first goalscorer of a sure second one in the third.
Congrats go out to Olie The Goalie for becoming only the eighth netminder to play in 800 career games. He certainly came up large in lifting his team back into first in the topsy turvy Southeast.
Props again to Lenny for providing some excellent coverage the past couple of days. All your hard work is very appreciated. I only wish our team could work just as hard and consistently as you do.
Covering the Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres five years running along with the rest of the puckers!
BONY
Battle Of New York
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Valley back at it against the Caps
Not much to report this morning other than Stephen Valiquette will be getting another start in about 15 minutes against the Capitals. Marek Malik, Marcel Hossa and Brendan Shanahan are again scratches and the lines remain the same as yesterday as well.
I wouldn't expect a game as physical as yesterday's, but the Rangers have to play with emotion. I would also expect the Rangers going straight at Alex Ovechkin, shutting him down as much as possible. Paul Mara has looked awful against Ovechkin in previous meetings this season, so hopefully that matchup is avoided as much as possible today.
Enjoy the game, I'll check in after the game.
I wouldn't expect a game as physical as yesterday's, but the Rangers have to play with emotion. I would also expect the Rangers going straight at Alex Ovechkin, shutting him down as much as possible. Paul Mara has looked awful against Ovechkin in previous meetings this season, so hopefully that matchup is avoided as much as possible today.
Enjoy the game, I'll check in after the game.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Valiquette shines again against Flyers
Stephen Valiquette obviously didn't get the memo that sometimes goaltenders allow goals, as he and a feisty Rangers shut out the Flyers 2-0 in Philly. It was Valiquette's second shutout of his career, second in a row, second in a row against the Flyers and all in the last 10 days. Nigel Dawes and Scott Gomez scored the Rangers' goals in a game that featured eight fighting majors and plenty of physicality.
Colton Orr, Ryan Hollweg, Brandon Dubinsky and Fedor Tyutin had scraps, three at the same time in the second period when Steve Downie went after Tyutin after Tyutin gave him a clean hip check. Unfortunately on the play, Downie's skate came up and caught a linesman in the nose, breaking his nose and forcing him to get 20 stitches. While he was bleeding all over the ice, Downie attacked Tyutin, Orr fought Riley Cote and Hollweg had a tussell with Jim Dowd. Later on in the game, Dubinsky fought a much tougher Mike Richards, who was being a real jerk for most of the night.
Hollweg was a little off with his hockey skills tonight, but still provided some good energy. Blair Betts had a good game, as did Dawes, Gomez, Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury. Jaromir Jagr looks like hes really pushing too hard out there. His power play unit again looked awful and him trying to carry the puck himself all the time got him no where again. Avery had his best puck handling game in a while, moving the puck nicely, creating scoring chances. Valiquette was sharp, playing much better than his last game, when he didn't have too much work after the first period. It was a constant stream of shots tonight, and he was up to the task.
My biggest beef with this game was the Flyers' numerous fights while wearing visors. It first caught my attention when Hollweg fought Ryan Carter the other night, where Hollweg looked hesitant to drop the gloves while Carter had the visor on. Tonight it was Downie and Richards wearing visors and involved in a fight. I understand if the fight happens, it happens, but take the visor off. I'm all for protecting the eyes, but anyone willing to fight has to be willing to lose the lid as a courtesy to the man that is about to pummel you with his fists. There is a rule saying an starting a fight with a visor is an automatic two minute penalty, but apparently it is not enforced.
There were also plenty of rinky-dink penalties called (Dubinsky's phantom high sticking, Jeffrey Lopul's hooking) while Darian Hatcher ran around with his elbows up several times. And how in the world was there no penalty shot awarded to Callahan when he was slashed by Randy Jones on a clear breakaway. He gained the red line alone, crossed the blue line, got the slash, didn't get a clean shot off and slid into the net. Sounds like it warrented a penalty shot to me.
The Rangers are back at it tomorrow afternoon against the Washington Capitals. Expect a little bit more rough stuff, as these teams don't like each other either. Donald Brashear will undoubtedly piss someone off which will result in a Ranger getting beat by the big enforcer, much like every other game. It's good hockey though. Valley might be back in net, giving Henrik Lundqvist a nice seven day vacation, as the Rangers are then off until Saturday when they meet the Sabres. You may see Marek Malik tomorrow as well. Jason Strudwick needs some time off as he is clearly not an everyday defenseman, but does an excellent fill in job. You can't ask for much more from him. He's making $600,000 this season and has done a better job than the high priced Malik and Paul Mara.
I'll check in just before the game with the lineups and any news. Goodnight.
Colton Orr, Ryan Hollweg, Brandon Dubinsky and Fedor Tyutin had scraps, three at the same time in the second period when Steve Downie went after Tyutin after Tyutin gave him a clean hip check. Unfortunately on the play, Downie's skate came up and caught a linesman in the nose, breaking his nose and forcing him to get 20 stitches. While he was bleeding all over the ice, Downie attacked Tyutin, Orr fought Riley Cote and Hollweg had a tussell with Jim Dowd. Later on in the game, Dubinsky fought a much tougher Mike Richards, who was being a real jerk for most of the night.
Hollweg was a little off with his hockey skills tonight, but still provided some good energy. Blair Betts had a good game, as did Dawes, Gomez, Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury. Jaromir Jagr looks like hes really pushing too hard out there. His power play unit again looked awful and him trying to carry the puck himself all the time got him no where again. Avery had his best puck handling game in a while, moving the puck nicely, creating scoring chances. Valiquette was sharp, playing much better than his last game, when he didn't have too much work after the first period. It was a constant stream of shots tonight, and he was up to the task.
My biggest beef with this game was the Flyers' numerous fights while wearing visors. It first caught my attention when Hollweg fought Ryan Carter the other night, where Hollweg looked hesitant to drop the gloves while Carter had the visor on. Tonight it was Downie and Richards wearing visors and involved in a fight. I understand if the fight happens, it happens, but take the visor off. I'm all for protecting the eyes, but anyone willing to fight has to be willing to lose the lid as a courtesy to the man that is about to pummel you with his fists. There is a rule saying an starting a fight with a visor is an automatic two minute penalty, but apparently it is not enforced.
There were also plenty of rinky-dink penalties called (Dubinsky's phantom high sticking, Jeffrey Lopul's hooking) while Darian Hatcher ran around with his elbows up several times. And how in the world was there no penalty shot awarded to Callahan when he was slashed by Randy Jones on a clear breakaway. He gained the red line alone, crossed the blue line, got the slash, didn't get a clean shot off and slid into the net. Sounds like it warrented a penalty shot to me.
The Rangers are back at it tomorrow afternoon against the Washington Capitals. Expect a little bit more rough stuff, as these teams don't like each other either. Donald Brashear will undoubtedly piss someone off which will result in a Ranger getting beat by the big enforcer, much like every other game. It's good hockey though. Valley might be back in net, giving Henrik Lundqvist a nice seven day vacation, as the Rangers are then off until Saturday when they meet the Sabres. You may see Marek Malik tomorrow as well. Jason Strudwick needs some time off as he is clearly not an everyday defenseman, but does an excellent fill in job. You can't ask for much more from him. He's making $600,000 this season and has done a better job than the high priced Malik and Paul Mara.
I'll check in just before the game with the lineups and any news. Goodnight.
Valiquette in against Flyers this afternoon
My apologies on not getting a post game out on the Anaheim game. Sometimes school gets the better of you, and I was stuck doing a whole lot of nonsense for the last couple of days. Anyways, the Rangers dropped another to the Western Conference Ducks on Thursday. They came out flying, playing with a good intensity, showed some scrappiness (three fights against a team not named the Devils, Islanders or Flyers was weird to see) and overall looked like a better team for most of the game. It was the times where they didn't look like the better team that Anaheim made them pay. Henrik Lundqvist couldn't give them a big save, none of the offense could chip in an important goal, and the defense couldn't come up with a stellar defensive play.
Ryan Callahan scored the Rangers' only goal, tucking a slapshot in past J.S. Giguere in the second period. That goal tied the game at 1-1, then followed by two fights in 17 seconds and the Garden was rocking. The Rangers had all of the momentum. Then a tough penalty, a powerplay goal, a lazy pinch and a two on one goal and all of a sudden it's 3-1 Ducks. They added another in the third for the 4-1 win.
As for this afternoon, Stephen Valiquette will start in net. Vally shut out these same Flyers in his last appearance, and the Rangers seem to play a bit better when they are forced back against a wall, so this makes sense. The start has been mapped out from the beginning of the week though, so Lundqvist's not so stellar performance in the last two outings has nothing to do with today's start.
Marek Malik will be a game time decision. If I am Tom Renney, I leave Jason Strudwick in there today, just incase it gets overly physical. Malik might fight Sean Avery in practice, but correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think he's ever had a real NHL fight. He might be a little rusty as well, so maybe tomorrow against the Capitals is a better way to go. Marcel Hossa is off of the injured reserve, Greg Moore was once again demoted and Brendan Shanahan is out until next Saturday against Buffalo.
With five games left to play before the trade deadline, the Rangers need to do some real soul searching now. Are they mentally able to make a playoff push this year? They have the talent but GM Glen Sather has to do something to spark the team. Renney is getting an unfair brunt of the blame from fans and websites all over. Yeah, Sather brought in Scott Gomez and Chris Drury over the offseason, but what did he do to the defense? Nothing at all, and that is where we need a bigger upgrade. The offense is there, the defense is breaking down. There's not necessarily much he can do this trade deadline, unless something extremely unforeseen happens, so he should be looking now to stat pitching to some UFA's and thinking who can help next season. For now, we will probably be going with what we've got, minus a small transaction or two that would probably see youth go for a veteran.
I may or may not be around for the game today. Still pretty busy around here. I'll definitely catch it sometime today and then recap and preview later on.
Ryan Callahan scored the Rangers' only goal, tucking a slapshot in past J.S. Giguere in the second period. That goal tied the game at 1-1, then followed by two fights in 17 seconds and the Garden was rocking. The Rangers had all of the momentum. Then a tough penalty, a powerplay goal, a lazy pinch and a two on one goal and all of a sudden it's 3-1 Ducks. They added another in the third for the 4-1 win.
As for this afternoon, Stephen Valiquette will start in net. Vally shut out these same Flyers in his last appearance, and the Rangers seem to play a bit better when they are forced back against a wall, so this makes sense. The start has been mapped out from the beginning of the week though, so Lundqvist's not so stellar performance in the last two outings has nothing to do with today's start.
Marek Malik will be a game time decision. If I am Tom Renney, I leave Jason Strudwick in there today, just incase it gets overly physical. Malik might fight Sean Avery in practice, but correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think he's ever had a real NHL fight. He might be a little rusty as well, so maybe tomorrow against the Capitals is a better way to go. Marcel Hossa is off of the injured reserve, Greg Moore was once again demoted and Brendan Shanahan is out until next Saturday against Buffalo.
With five games left to play before the trade deadline, the Rangers need to do some real soul searching now. Are they mentally able to make a playoff push this year? They have the talent but GM Glen Sather has to do something to spark the team. Renney is getting an unfair brunt of the blame from fans and websites all over. Yeah, Sather brought in Scott Gomez and Chris Drury over the offseason, but what did he do to the defense? Nothing at all, and that is where we need a bigger upgrade. The offense is there, the defense is breaking down. There's not necessarily much he can do this trade deadline, unless something extremely unforeseen happens, so he should be looking now to stat pitching to some UFA's and thinking who can help next season. For now, we will probably be going with what we've got, minus a small transaction or two that would probably see youth go for a veteran.
I may or may not be around for the game today. Still pretty busy around here. I'll definitely catch it sometime today and then recap and preview later on.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Rangers look to get back on track versus Ducks
The Rangers are back in action tonight at home against the Anaheim Ducks. After dropping what could've been considered an easy two points, the Rangers need some momentum going into a weekend series against Philadelphia and Washington.
The Ducks are a scrappy team who play with lots of emotion, physical play and don't shy away from dropping the gloves. On top of that, they have shutdown defense and a potent offense. A good mixture of young kids and veteran leaders has made them Lord Stanley's Champions last year, and has kept them a contender over the last three years.
Blair Betts will be in the lineup tonight as the MRI showed no signs of tears or damage and he felt fine in an optional practice this morning. Brendan Shanahan is still out, as are Marek Malik and Marcel Hossa. Shanahan won't skate in this weekend's games either, giving him a good amount of time to get healthy. Hossa and Malik should be ready to go for either the Flyers or the Capitals. Henrik Lundqvist will be in net tonight.
The Rangers will need to be tight defensively and offense must be generated on almost every shift. Even if it's only a solid forecheck and some controlling the puck deep. There is very little margin for error against this tough team.
For those of you who didn't catch the Devils vs. Sabres game last night, you missed a classic of a game. Fast and furious offense and stellar netminding from both sides really stole the show. The Sabres won in overtime when Marty Brodeur went for a pokecheck and was left flopping around on the ice on the second shooter of the shootout. The puck was tucked in for an easy goal, Ryan Miller turned away the two shots he faced and Buffalo left with a 3-2 win. Great game.
I'll be back after the game for a synopsis. Enjoy.
The Ducks are a scrappy team who play with lots of emotion, physical play and don't shy away from dropping the gloves. On top of that, they have shutdown defense and a potent offense. A good mixture of young kids and veteran leaders has made them Lord Stanley's Champions last year, and has kept them a contender over the last three years.
Blair Betts will be in the lineup tonight as the MRI showed no signs of tears or damage and he felt fine in an optional practice this morning. Brendan Shanahan is still out, as are Marek Malik and Marcel Hossa. Shanahan won't skate in this weekend's games either, giving him a good amount of time to get healthy. Hossa and Malik should be ready to go for either the Flyers or the Capitals. Henrik Lundqvist will be in net tonight.
The Rangers will need to be tight defensively and offense must be generated on almost every shift. Even if it's only a solid forecheck and some controlling the puck deep. There is very little margin for error against this tough team.
For those of you who didn't catch the Devils vs. Sabres game last night, you missed a classic of a game. Fast and furious offense and stellar netminding from both sides really stole the show. The Sabres won in overtime when Marty Brodeur went for a pokecheck and was left flopping around on the ice on the second shooter of the shootout. The puck was tucked in for an easy goal, Ryan Miller turned away the two shots he faced and Buffalo left with a 3-2 win. Great game.
I'll be back after the game for a synopsis. Enjoy.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Rangers suffer letdown against Kings
"You can't win a game in the first period, but you certainly can lose a game in the first period."
I don't know who said that famous hockey adage, but the Rangers certainly proved it true with last night's debacle against the Kings. The Rangers didn't show up for the first 20 minutes, got completely outworked by the last place team in the league and trailed 2-1 after one. The Kings' persistent play continued throughout the remaining 40 minutes of play, and even though the Rangers were the better team for the final two periods, they came out on the short end of a 4-2 score.
Chris Drury and Sean Avery scored the Rangers' goals, as Derek has summed up nicely below. Jason Strudwick isn't the most solid defender, but he has helped the Rangers to this point. He made an unfortunate fumble along the boards, and Dane Byers blew his coverage which led to the first goal. Avery didn't get the puck out of the zone, leading to another Kings goal. Take away those gaffes, and some of the great saves that Jason LaBarbera made, and the Rangers win the game. If the Rangers show up in the first period, they also have a much better chance of taking home the two points. Fact is, they didn't capitalize on this opportunity. A tough Anaheim team waits for them tomorrow, and then it's on to the feisty Flyers and underrated Capitals.
The Rangers will take on the Ducks tomorrow without Byers, who was sent down immediately following last night's game. Blair Betts looks to be out tomorrow night as well, after being injured in last night's game. Greg Moore is up to take his place. Don't expect Brendan Shanahan back tomorrow either, as there are rumors he may take the next week off.
In a weird note, Marek Malik and Avery exchanged punches in practice this morning. The fight lasted about 30 seconds, according to Sam Weinman, before Malik took down Avery. Avery jabbed at Malik afterwards, but then settled down and the two were said to be on the same page.
Tom Renney said after that he had no problem with what happened and that it was all within the rules of the game, so there would be no extra repercussions. Maybe this incident will fire both Avery and Malik up, in turn waking the rest of the team up.
The Rangers are winless against the Western Conference so far this year, and the Ducks are a talented, physical team so they'll need to come out playing hard. If that means Sean Avery has to call someone's mom a naughty name during pregame drills, or Colton Orr challenging anything and everything with skates, or someone spraying J.S.Gigure with snow, then so be it. This team needs sparks, and needs them fast.
I don't know who said that famous hockey adage, but the Rangers certainly proved it true with last night's debacle against the Kings. The Rangers didn't show up for the first 20 minutes, got completely outworked by the last place team in the league and trailed 2-1 after one. The Kings' persistent play continued throughout the remaining 40 minutes of play, and even though the Rangers were the better team for the final two periods, they came out on the short end of a 4-2 score.
Chris Drury and Sean Avery scored the Rangers' goals, as Derek has summed up nicely below. Jason Strudwick isn't the most solid defender, but he has helped the Rangers to this point. He made an unfortunate fumble along the boards, and Dane Byers blew his coverage which led to the first goal. Avery didn't get the puck out of the zone, leading to another Kings goal. Take away those gaffes, and some of the great saves that Jason LaBarbera made, and the Rangers win the game. If the Rangers show up in the first period, they also have a much better chance of taking home the two points. Fact is, they didn't capitalize on this opportunity. A tough Anaheim team waits for them tomorrow, and then it's on to the feisty Flyers and underrated Capitals.
The Rangers will take on the Ducks tomorrow without Byers, who was sent down immediately following last night's game. Blair Betts looks to be out tomorrow night as well, after being injured in last night's game. Greg Moore is up to take his place. Don't expect Brendan Shanahan back tomorrow either, as there are rumors he may take the next week off.
In a weird note, Marek Malik and Avery exchanged punches in practice this morning. The fight lasted about 30 seconds, according to Sam Weinman, before Malik took down Avery. Avery jabbed at Malik afterwards, but then settled down and the two were said to be on the same page.
Tom Renney said after that he had no problem with what happened and that it was all within the rules of the game, so there would be no extra repercussions. Maybe this incident will fire both Avery and Malik up, in turn waking the rest of the team up.
The Rangers are winless against the Western Conference so far this year, and the Ducks are a talented, physical team so they'll need to come out playing hard. If that means Sean Avery has to call someone's mom a naughty name during pregame drills, or Colton Orr challenging anything and everything with skates, or someone spraying J.S.Gigure with snow, then so be it. This team needs sparks, and needs them fast.
Rangers make fans feel Blue
Well, at least there are the Super Bowl champion Giants. What else is there to get excited about unless you're a Mets fan who believes Johan $antana is the missing piece.
Thank god for those Giants because they truly did have resiliency and heart and effort. All the adjectives you just can't associate with our baffling club who can play very well in beating the Flyers, Devils and stunning the Canadiens with five unanswered.
Those are all quality clubs in the East. When it comes to the opposite conference, the NHL schedule maker should just do Ranger fans a favor and put an 'L' next to the game. There's two more. So:
2/7 Ana (L)
2/18 SJ (L)
Maybe I'm being a little overdramatic but this team is now 0-for-8 against Western opponents. So if they wind up missing the postseason by say a couple of points, look no further than here.
How do you come out so flat against the Kings and turn Jason LaBarbera (39 saves) into Patrick Roy? Time and time again, Rangers were beaten to the puck in the defensive end. Our D was way too soft and hung Henrik Lundqvist out to dry. You can't expect to come out with a 'W' when you start off by getting outscored 2-0 and outshot 14-1 (16-4 in first).
Brandon Dubinsky again played well as did Nigel Dawes. Both factored into their team's only two goals scored by the red hot Chris Drury and Sean Avery. No surprise that the two improving rookies were involved on hardworking goals.
Maybe if more Rangers played like them, they wouldn't be in the desperate situation they are. Oh well.
For more on this game, be sure to check out my thoughts over at my blog below:
Rangers send home fans early wishing for Big Blue
Three Stars
3rd Star: Alexander Frolov (GW goal, assist)
2nd Star: Anze Kopitar (goal, assist)
1st Star: Jason LaBarbera (39 saves)
Thank god for those Giants because they truly did have resiliency and heart and effort. All the adjectives you just can't associate with our baffling club who can play very well in beating the Flyers, Devils and stunning the Canadiens with five unanswered.
Those are all quality clubs in the East. When it comes to the opposite conference, the NHL schedule maker should just do Ranger fans a favor and put an 'L' next to the game. There's two more. So:
2/7 Ana (L)
2/18 SJ (L)
Maybe I'm being a little overdramatic but this team is now 0-for-8 against Western opponents. So if they wind up missing the postseason by say a couple of points, look no further than here.
How do you come out so flat against the Kings and turn Jason LaBarbera (39 saves) into Patrick Roy? Time and time again, Rangers were beaten to the puck in the defensive end. Our D was way too soft and hung Henrik Lundqvist out to dry. You can't expect to come out with a 'W' when you start off by getting outscored 2-0 and outshot 14-1 (16-4 in first).
Brandon Dubinsky again played well as did Nigel Dawes. Both factored into their team's only two goals scored by the red hot Chris Drury and Sean Avery. No surprise that the two improving rookies were involved on hardworking goals.
Maybe if more Rangers played like them, they wouldn't be in the desperate situation they are. Oh well.
For more on this game, be sure to check out my thoughts over at my blog below:
Rangers send home fans early wishing for Big Blue
Three Stars
3rd Star: Alexander Frolov (GW goal, assist)
2nd Star: Anze Kopitar (goal, assist)
1st Star: Jason LaBarbera (39 saves)
Monday, February 4, 2008
The real Rangers? Or well timed mirage?
Updated: Dane Byers has been recalled from Hartford. Shanahan is out tomorrow, meaning Byers will play on the fourth line. Hollweg's suspension was a formality, as two game misconducts means and automatic suspension now. Valiquette also will not be starting tomorrow. Basically, half of this post is inaccurate now. Thanks Tom Renney.
Are these the real New York Rangers that we have had the pleasure of watching the last three game? A Rangers team that outplays Philadelphia, New Jersey and comes back from three goals down en route to scoring five unanswered goals is something that has been a rarity to see this season. Is it the real deal? Or are we in for a major let down tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings?
I don't have the answer to those questions, but I do know a few other things.
-- Ryan Hollweg was suspended for tomorrow night's game, as expected by everyone, including myself. As an advocate for clean play, I support the call. He was pissed, took another player into the boards dangerously and now gets to feel the consequences. As a player that toes the line between clean and dangerous, he can sometimes cross it. He needs to play with that fire still, no doubt about it, just make sure it's clean.
-- Hollweg being out means that Ryan Callahan definitely sticks around for another game. Brendan Shanahan has never been one to sit out much, so he'll most likely be back as long as he is physically able to. Callahan looked good, but not great last night and I'd like to see him back in there for some time.
-- Stephen Valiquette might get the nod tomorrow between the pipes. Makes sense, as the Rangers play a little tighter with him in net and it's a mediocre Kings team. Extra days off to keep Henrik Lundqvist healthy down the stretch isn't a bad thing either.
-- Congratulations to Chris Drury, who was named the NHL's third star of the week. Hopefully he continues his resurgent play.
The Rangers are back home tomorrow at 7. I'll check in again before then.
Are these the real New York Rangers that we have had the pleasure of watching the last three game? A Rangers team that outplays Philadelphia, New Jersey and comes back from three goals down en route to scoring five unanswered goals is something that has been a rarity to see this season. Is it the real deal? Or are we in for a major let down tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings?
I don't have the answer to those questions, but I do know a few other things.
-- Ryan Hollweg was suspended for tomorrow night's game, as expected by everyone, including myself. As an advocate for clean play, I support the call. He was pissed, took another player into the boards dangerously and now gets to feel the consequences. As a player that toes the line between clean and dangerous, he can sometimes cross it. He needs to play with that fire still, no doubt about it, just make sure it's clean.
-- Hollweg being out means that Ryan Callahan definitely sticks around for another game. Brendan Shanahan has never been one to sit out much, so he'll most likely be back as long as he is physically able to. Callahan looked good, but not great last night and I'd like to see him back in there for some time.
-- Stephen Valiquette might get the nod tomorrow between the pipes. Makes sense, as the Rangers play a little tighter with him in net and it's a mediocre Kings team. Extra days off to keep Henrik Lundqvist healthy down the stretch isn't a bad thing either.
-- Congratulations to Chris Drury, who was named the NHL's third star of the week. Hopefully he continues his resurgent play.
The Rangers are back home tomorrow at 7. I'll check in again before then.
Super Sunday indeed
It was one of the most memorable Sunday's in NYC history thanks to the Giants' amazing Super Bowl XLII 17-14 upset win of the Patriots. That combined with the Rangers' three-goal comeback scoring five unanswered to stun the Canadiens 5-3 made it a great day to root for the blue, red and white colors of our two NY teams.
The Habs dominated the first part of the game scoring power play goals (Andrei Markov & Alexei Kovalev on their first two chances. They increased the lead to a field goal thanks to a successful penalty shot from Sergei Kostistyn.
But the Rangers suddenly turned it around thanks to goals 24 seconds apart from Michal Rozsival and rookie Brandon Dubinsky. Amazingly, they tied the game when Scott Gomez got to a loose rebound in front off a Marc Staal shot.
The final stanza was tightly played and seemed ticketed for overtime but a resurgent Chris Drury had other ideas burying a Nigel Dawes pass for a tap-in suddenly hiking his goal total to 16.
Martin Straka capped a great comeback win on the road by redirecting a Paul Mara left point shot with 90 seconds left.
The Rangers finished a very successful 3-1 on a challenging road trip and now remain a point behind the Devils for sixth in the conference. This was a real statement game by them. They easily could've packed it in but didn't and showed a lot of character.
Now it's on to Tuesday night when they host the Kings. No let up.
The Habs dominated the first part of the game scoring power play goals (Andrei Markov & Alexei Kovalev on their first two chances. They increased the lead to a field goal thanks to a successful penalty shot from Sergei Kostistyn.
But the Rangers suddenly turned it around thanks to goals 24 seconds apart from Michal Rozsival and rookie Brandon Dubinsky. Amazingly, they tied the game when Scott Gomez got to a loose rebound in front off a Marc Staal shot.
The final stanza was tightly played and seemed ticketed for overtime but a resurgent Chris Drury had other ideas burying a Nigel Dawes pass for a tap-in suddenly hiking his goal total to 16.
Martin Straka capped a great comeback win on the road by redirecting a Paul Mara left point shot with 90 seconds left.
The Rangers finished a very successful 3-1 on a challenging road trip and now remain a point behind the Devils for sixth in the conference. This was a real statement game by them. They easily could've packed it in but didn't and showed a lot of character.
Now it's on to Tuesday night when they host the Kings. No let up.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Updated Ranger v Canadian preview
Derek covered almost everything needing to be said below but I just wanted to throw in a couple of things that were just confirmed:
- Ryan Callahan has been recalled from Hartford and will skate on the second line today with Sean Avery and Brandon Dubinsky. Brendan Shanahan is suffering from knee, back, hamstring and groin problems and will take some time off. He is only listed as day-to-day right now, but he may take most of this week off. A healthy Shanahan is crucial for the stretch run, so this is a good move by Tom Renney.
- Marek Malik is out again tonight with a knee contusion. The defense pairings will be the same as Friday night. Corey Potter was recalled yesterday and practiced with the team, but was then sent back down which probably means that if the Rangers needed an extra defenseman, Malik could tough it out.
Enjoy the game.
- Ryan Callahan has been recalled from Hartford and will skate on the second line today with Sean Avery and Brandon Dubinsky. Brendan Shanahan is suffering from knee, back, hamstring and groin problems and will take some time off. He is only listed as day-to-day right now, but he may take most of this week off. A healthy Shanahan is crucial for the stretch run, so this is a good move by Tom Renney.
- Marek Malik is out again tonight with a knee contusion. The defense pairings will be the same as Friday night. Corey Potter was recalled yesterday and practiced with the team, but was then sent back down which probably means that if the Rangers needed an extra defenseman, Malik could tough it out.
Enjoy the game.
Blueshirts go for three straight today
It's Super Bowl Sunday. Wouldn't it be nice if both the Rangers and most importantly the Giants came away winners on this big day?
I'm as excited as anyone else about tonight's huge game. Kick some Patriot ass! Let's make history!!!!!
Alright. Enough about that. The Blueshirts have their own work cut out for them when they visit yet another quality opponent in the Canadiens north of the border. How well is Montreal playing? They've won four of five and since the new calendar year boast a record of 9-2-2. They're latest win, 4-1 over the slumping Islanders yesterday pulled them within three points of top seeded Ottawa, who lost to the Leafs last night. One of those losses came to the Rangers at MSG 4-1 on Jan.12.
That's what has been so odd about this team. With the exception of Ottawa (1-3-0), they can beat the best teams in the conference. They own the Devils; even if Martin Brodeur thinks his team deserved a better fate the other night. If only he had stopped that sharp angle Chris Drury shot. They have taken three of four from the Flyers recently avenging an ugly 6-2 home defeat with a 4-0 blanking this past week. They also are 3-2-0 against the Pens.
The Habs are playing extremely well. Ex-Ranger Alexei Kovalev continues to have a good season. His goal and helper in their win over the Fishsticks hiked his team-best point total to 48 (23-25-48). The 34 year-old Russian has always been a streaky player. He already has one more point than he had all of last season and is on pace for his best output since 2001-02 with the Pens when he totaled 76 points (32-44-76) in 67 games. Containing him is a must for the Ranger D today. Limit his time and space.
For the Rangers, it's vital that they continue to do the things they have in the last two wins paying close attention to detail, remaining disciplined and burying their chances. With the Devils doubling up on the Kings 6-3 last night thanks to two-point nights from John Madden, Sergei Brylin, Travis Zajac, rookie David Clarkson and even defenseman Colin White (actually scored for first time in two years), they picked up two crucial points to pull three ahead of the Blueshirts in this tight playoff race. The Bruins also continue to win. So it's not going to get much easier.
Almost every team competing with Tom Renney's club has games at hand. So, they can't afford to hit a slump now. The recipe is simple. Win their games and put pressure on everyone else in the conference.
The league's only game on Super Sunday is on NBC at 2 ET today. They better be ready before making their football plans.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!!
I'm as excited as anyone else about tonight's huge game. Kick some Patriot ass! Let's make history!!!!!
Alright. Enough about that. The Blueshirts have their own work cut out for them when they visit yet another quality opponent in the Canadiens north of the border. How well is Montreal playing? They've won four of five and since the new calendar year boast a record of 9-2-2. They're latest win, 4-1 over the slumping Islanders yesterday pulled them within three points of top seeded Ottawa, who lost to the Leafs last night. One of those losses came to the Rangers at MSG 4-1 on Jan.12.
That's what has been so odd about this team. With the exception of Ottawa (1-3-0), they can beat the best teams in the conference. They own the Devils; even if Martin Brodeur thinks his team deserved a better fate the other night. If only he had stopped that sharp angle Chris Drury shot. They have taken three of four from the Flyers recently avenging an ugly 6-2 home defeat with a 4-0 blanking this past week. They also are 3-2-0 against the Pens.
The Habs are playing extremely well. Ex-Ranger Alexei Kovalev continues to have a good season. His goal and helper in their win over the Fishsticks hiked his team-best point total to 48 (23-25-48). The 34 year-old Russian has always been a streaky player. He already has one more point than he had all of last season and is on pace for his best output since 2001-02 with the Pens when he totaled 76 points (32-44-76) in 67 games. Containing him is a must for the Ranger D today. Limit his time and space.
For the Rangers, it's vital that they continue to do the things they have in the last two wins paying close attention to detail, remaining disciplined and burying their chances. With the Devils doubling up on the Kings 6-3 last night thanks to two-point nights from John Madden, Sergei Brylin, Travis Zajac, rookie David Clarkson and even defenseman Colin White (actually scored for first time in two years), they picked up two crucial points to pull three ahead of the Blueshirts in this tight playoff race. The Bruins also continue to win. So it's not going to get much easier.
Almost every team competing with Tom Renney's club has games at hand. So, they can't afford to hit a slump now. The recipe is simple. Win their games and put pressure on everyone else in the conference.
The league's only game on Super Sunday is on NBC at 2 ET today. They better be ready before making their football plans.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Where has this team been all season?
For the second straight night, the Blueshirts put together a solid 60 minute performance in last night's win over the Devils. Derek recapped nicely below, and I'll add some of what I saw from watching the whole game.
- Good to see Chris Drury scoring goals. Maybe the fact that something leaked about Glen Sather looking to acquire a top centerman motivated Drury. Either way, it works out nicely for Ranger fans. Congratulations to both him and Scott Gomez on getting 5oo career points.
- Defense was solid all night long. Shots were blocked, deflected and steered away, the body was being taken at the blue line and there was always pressure on the puck handler. The offense came back and covered up when the defense pinched or was caught turning around or flat footed.
- Brandon Dubinsky continues to impress anyone that watches him. It seemed like he was always on the ice last night. He took the body, controlled the puck, took shots, dished off some nice passes and was all over the place. I loved it.
-Nigel Dawes is also looking more and more confident with the puck. Quick tricky shots, including his power play chance that rang off the crossbar right before Drury scored, fluid skating and crisp passing has earned him a spot on this team.
- The fourth line could be one of the best in hockey. The fact that they can play in the closing minutes of a one or two goal game speaks volumes. They were again solid defensively and still threatened on offense as well.
Like Derek said, the Rangers look to win their third game in a row, including a third in a row against Montreal this season, tomorrow afternoon before the Super Bowl. Could tomorrow be a double dose of New York wins? I sure hope so. Get started with the wings, chips, soda and beer a little early and tune into NBC at 2 pm tomorrow and enjoy the Ranger game. Then stay put and hope for a Big Blue upset to ruin Tom Brady's perfect season. I'll catch you all tomorrow or Monday.
- Good to see Chris Drury scoring goals. Maybe the fact that something leaked about Glen Sather looking to acquire a top centerman motivated Drury. Either way, it works out nicely for Ranger fans. Congratulations to both him and Scott Gomez on getting 5oo career points.
- Defense was solid all night long. Shots were blocked, deflected and steered away, the body was being taken at the blue line and there was always pressure on the puck handler. The offense came back and covered up when the defense pinched or was caught turning around or flat footed.
- Brandon Dubinsky continues to impress anyone that watches him. It seemed like he was always on the ice last night. He took the body, controlled the puck, took shots, dished off some nice passes and was all over the place. I loved it.
-Nigel Dawes is also looking more and more confident with the puck. Quick tricky shots, including his power play chance that rang off the crossbar right before Drury scored, fluid skating and crisp passing has earned him a spot on this team.
- The fourth line could be one of the best in hockey. The fact that they can play in the closing minutes of a one or two goal game speaks volumes. They were again solid defensively and still threatened on offense as well.
Like Derek said, the Rangers look to win their third game in a row, including a third in a row against Montreal this season, tomorrow afternoon before the Super Bowl. Could tomorrow be a double dose of New York wins? I sure hope so. Get started with the wings, chips, soda and beer a little early and tune into NBC at 2 pm tomorrow and enjoy the Ranger game. Then stay put and hope for a Big Blue upset to ruin Tom Brady's perfect season. I'll catch you all tomorrow or Monday.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Ranger D, Lundqvist stifle Devils
I only saw one period of the latest game between the Hudson rivals because I was out scoring a couple of basketball games in Park Slope. Plus I had to stop for some pizza and also pickup a cold brew because one of the officials was being a total asshole. And besides, I wanted to sit back, relax and enjoy the final stanza of an entertaining game between the Rangers and Devils in Newark.
What better way to do that then with a Guinness and a couple of slices from a very good pizza place out in Park Slope?
So I didn't see any of the opening 40 minutes in which the Rangers on goals by Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury led the Devils 2-1 with Zach Parise tallying on a delayed penalty. Be that as it may, it sounded like New Jersey picked up their game in the second and continued to attack in the final 20. Problem for them was that the Ranger defense (forwards included) along with Devil killer Henrik Lundqvist weren't cooperating.
How many quality chances did Brent Sutter's club have? Not many. Despite being the more aggressive team, they only wound up with five shots mostly due to the great attention to detail the Rangers paid. Aside from a Parise sneaky backhand stuff opportunity very late with Martin Brodeur pulled for an extra attacker, that was it in terms of what Lundqvist had to do in backstopping his club to a fifth consecutive win over the Devils- clinching the season series by virtue of the five wins. When's the last time you could say that?
The Devs cycled the puck well and had some chances but their shots either were blocked, missed the net entirely or were repelled by a sharp Lundqvist who earned the game's First Star finishing with 33 saves. One such chance saw ex-Ranger Karel Rachunek with the puck during a four-on-four but his pass for an open Parise down low was deflected by a New York stick. If it connected, it essentially would've been a tap-in. That's the kind of calibre committed D the Blueshirts played.
New Jersey had another good chance down low but a centering pass for a trailer was broken up by fourth line enforcer Colton Orr. That's not a misprint as it actually happened. No.28 probably saved the tying goal with that defensive play.
This was the sort of frustrating period the Devils endured in front of a mixed bag at a soldout Prudential Center. They would work hard and setup opportunities but would be thwarted by hustling Rangers. I'm still wondering why Johnny Oduya didn't shoot the puck sooner.
After that, the Rangers settled down and played the kind of disciplined smart defensive hockey which their archrivals have been doing for years. Only when they played it, Scott Gomez wore the other jersey and was a big part of the team's success. The kid who was selected by the Devs in the first round back in 1998 and won a Calder helped defeat his former team recording his 500th career point on Drury's PP winner 2:06 into the second.
The affable pivot who's played solid two-way hockey all season thanked his parents for making it possible during a postgame interview with MSG's John Giannone. He also thanked all his coaches.
That Drury's PPG came from a sharp angle surprising Brodeur couldn't have made him nor the home supporters feel very good about things. They dropped their third game in a row- all on home ice where they had played so well before that third period debacle last week against Montreal. Very un-Devil like to see any Brodeur led team lose three straight all in regulation.
They now are just a point ahead of the Rangers in the standings but at least have three more games left which could be important. Of course, Tom Renney's resurgent club who won their fourth in five still have three more games to play against those Devs. You just know their eyes will be wide open at the prospect of taking two more points in each game down the stretch. The teams don't see each other again until March 19. A lot can happen between now and then.
Almost forgot an amazing shift by the top line of Gomez, Martin Straka and Jaromir Jagr. They pinned the Devs deep in their own end for about a minute killing valuable time off the clock. During that lengthy shift, a motivated Jagr dominated the play down low and even took the puck back in as the clock wound down close to a minute. That was just an amazing shift by the trio who really did the job.
Drury eventually sealed it with an empty netter during a five-on-five because the Devils lost their discipline taking a mistimed too many men on the ice penalty with 32 seconds left. So even if Parise had beaten Lundqvist late, it probably would've been wiped out.
That Renney opted to use Drury with defensive-minded center Blair Betts was a wise choice. Betts smartly didn't ice the puck. Eventually, the Devs pressed and were forced leading to a Betts pass to Drury who notched his third goal in two successful nights on the road against Atlantic rivals.
This was a good win for this team. Now we'll see if they can continue to sustain it when they visit another quality opponent in Montreal on Super Bowl Sunday- 2 ET on NBC before the big game between the Giants and Patriots.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!
What better way to do that then with a Guinness and a couple of slices from a very good pizza place out in Park Slope?
So I didn't see any of the opening 40 minutes in which the Rangers on goals by Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury led the Devils 2-1 with Zach Parise tallying on a delayed penalty. Be that as it may, it sounded like New Jersey picked up their game in the second and continued to attack in the final 20. Problem for them was that the Ranger defense (forwards included) along with Devil killer Henrik Lundqvist weren't cooperating.
How many quality chances did Brent Sutter's club have? Not many. Despite being the more aggressive team, they only wound up with five shots mostly due to the great attention to detail the Rangers paid. Aside from a Parise sneaky backhand stuff opportunity very late with Martin Brodeur pulled for an extra attacker, that was it in terms of what Lundqvist had to do in backstopping his club to a fifth consecutive win over the Devils- clinching the season series by virtue of the five wins. When's the last time you could say that?
The Devs cycled the puck well and had some chances but their shots either were blocked, missed the net entirely or were repelled by a sharp Lundqvist who earned the game's First Star finishing with 33 saves. One such chance saw ex-Ranger Karel Rachunek with the puck during a four-on-four but his pass for an open Parise down low was deflected by a New York stick. If it connected, it essentially would've been a tap-in. That's the kind of calibre committed D the Blueshirts played.
New Jersey had another good chance down low but a centering pass for a trailer was broken up by fourth line enforcer Colton Orr. That's not a misprint as it actually happened. No.28 probably saved the tying goal with that defensive play.
This was the sort of frustrating period the Devils endured in front of a mixed bag at a soldout Prudential Center. They would work hard and setup opportunities but would be thwarted by hustling Rangers. I'm still wondering why Johnny Oduya didn't shoot the puck sooner.
After that, the Rangers settled down and played the kind of disciplined smart defensive hockey which their archrivals have been doing for years. Only when they played it, Scott Gomez wore the other jersey and was a big part of the team's success. The kid who was selected by the Devs in the first round back in 1998 and won a Calder helped defeat his former team recording his 500th career point on Drury's PP winner 2:06 into the second.
The affable pivot who's played solid two-way hockey all season thanked his parents for making it possible during a postgame interview with MSG's John Giannone. He also thanked all his coaches.
That Drury's PPG came from a sharp angle surprising Brodeur couldn't have made him nor the home supporters feel very good about things. They dropped their third game in a row- all on home ice where they had played so well before that third period debacle last week against Montreal. Very un-Devil like to see any Brodeur led team lose three straight all in regulation.
They now are just a point ahead of the Rangers in the standings but at least have three more games left which could be important. Of course, Tom Renney's resurgent club who won their fourth in five still have three more games to play against those Devs. You just know their eyes will be wide open at the prospect of taking two more points in each game down the stretch. The teams don't see each other again until March 19. A lot can happen between now and then.
Almost forgot an amazing shift by the top line of Gomez, Martin Straka and Jaromir Jagr. They pinned the Devs deep in their own end for about a minute killing valuable time off the clock. During that lengthy shift, a motivated Jagr dominated the play down low and even took the puck back in as the clock wound down close to a minute. That was just an amazing shift by the trio who really did the job.
Drury eventually sealed it with an empty netter during a five-on-five because the Devils lost their discipline taking a mistimed too many men on the ice penalty with 32 seconds left. So even if Parise had beaten Lundqvist late, it probably would've been wiped out.
That Renney opted to use Drury with defensive-minded center Blair Betts was a wise choice. Betts smartly didn't ice the puck. Eventually, the Devs pressed and were forced leading to a Betts pass to Drury who notched his third goal in two successful nights on the road against Atlantic rivals.
This was a good win for this team. Now we'll see if they can continue to sustain it when they visit another quality opponent in Montreal on Super Bowl Sunday- 2 ET on NBC before the big game between the Giants and Patriots.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!
Rangers v. Devils, 7 pm tonight
In about a half hour, Atlantic Division rivals renew acquaintances when the Rangers battle the Devils at the Prudential Center.
This is a short but sweet post as I am heading out to cover the men's hockey game here for my newspaper. Marek Malik is out tonight with a knee contusion suffered last night. Paul Mara is back in on defense. The line combinations remain the same, but Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes for the Rangers.
Marcel Hossa was placed on IR, so expect the Rangers to call up Ryan Callahan before the Montreal game.
I'll watch the game tonight and check in after. Enjoy the battle.
This is a short but sweet post as I am heading out to cover the men's hockey game here for my newspaper. Marek Malik is out tonight with a knee contusion suffered last night. Paul Mara is back in on defense. The line combinations remain the same, but Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes for the Rangers.
Marcel Hossa was placed on IR, so expect the Rangers to call up Ryan Callahan before the Montreal game.
I'll watch the game tonight and check in after. Enjoy the battle.
Rangers and Valiquette blank Flyers
I bet you didn't see that one coming now, huh? The Rangers played one of their most complete games last night in Philly shutting them out 4-0 to exact a little revenge for that dreadful 6-2 beating at MSG a couple of weeks prior.
Rather than go crazy recapping it, I actually did that already over at my official HB site. So I'm going to link it up and then give some input instead:
1.Nigel Dawes scored and looked pretty good playing with Chris Drury and Petr Prucha. The trio formed the club's best line combining for three goals and an assist in the win. I got to say Dawes is just getting more and more comfortable all the time. Looks like the kid from Manitoba is going to stick.
2.Marek Malik replaced Paul Mara on the blueline and looked okay but he injured himself when Mike Richards collided with him. That was such a bs call on the Flyer two-way pivot. It was a make up call for the mugging Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery received from a cheap Scott Hartnell who elbowed Shanny and put his stick in Avery's face. Big Bird didn't return logging just over 11 minutes. Figure Mara to be back in tonight in Newark along with the serviceable Jason Strudwick.
3.Brandon Dubinsky continues to improve all the time. The 21 year-old rookie Alaskan who garnered MVP honors at the Young Stars Game notched a helper for his seventh point in the last nine contests. He really is coming on and gaining Tom Renney's trust. Last night, he played between Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan logging nearly 17 minutes while helping setup Shanny's goal which dashed any Flyer hopes of a comeback. This kid is a smart two-way player who takes the body and seems to have some decent skill. We could have ourselves a home grown player or two to talk about a year from now.
4.Backup Stephen Valiquette made 20 saves to notch his first career NHL shutout. He really wasn't tested much but came through when his team needed him early on when the Flyers held a 5-1 SOG edge. Nice to see him get the shutout. I'm sure it was very sentimental for him because his uncle passed away. You know that puck meant a lot. God bless.
5.The Rangers won despite no points from Jaromir Jagr or sidekick Martin Straka. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they were ineffective. Conversely, they teamed up well with No.1 center Scott Gomez cycling the puck down low and creating chances. Straka in fact had the best ones. He was setup by Gomer for essentially an open net which would've been 5-0 but fanned on it. He also had bad luck when a shot rang off the bar and fell on the goalline.
6.The D was much better than in recent games giving a solid attacking Flyer team zilch. Even when they worked hard, it was tough to get shots through drawing mock cheers from a protypical Philly crowd. Gotta love it.
7.Most important question now is can they repat this strong performance against two more quality clubs in the Devils and Canadiens on the road this weekend? That answer will be provided by kickoff Sunday night.
8.Combined with the Islanders' 3-1 home defeat at the hands of the Kings, the Rangers moved back into eighth in the conference with 56 points.
Rather than go crazy recapping it, I actually did that already over at my official HB site. So I'm going to link it up and then give some input instead:
1.Nigel Dawes scored and looked pretty good playing with Chris Drury and Petr Prucha. The trio formed the club's best line combining for three goals and an assist in the win. I got to say Dawes is just getting more and more comfortable all the time. Looks like the kid from Manitoba is going to stick.
2.Marek Malik replaced Paul Mara on the blueline and looked okay but he injured himself when Mike Richards collided with him. That was such a bs call on the Flyer two-way pivot. It was a make up call for the mugging Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery received from a cheap Scott Hartnell who elbowed Shanny and put his stick in Avery's face. Big Bird didn't return logging just over 11 minutes. Figure Mara to be back in tonight in Newark along with the serviceable Jason Strudwick.
3.Brandon Dubinsky continues to improve all the time. The 21 year-old rookie Alaskan who garnered MVP honors at the Young Stars Game notched a helper for his seventh point in the last nine contests. He really is coming on and gaining Tom Renney's trust. Last night, he played between Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan logging nearly 17 minutes while helping setup Shanny's goal which dashed any Flyer hopes of a comeback. This kid is a smart two-way player who takes the body and seems to have some decent skill. We could have ourselves a home grown player or two to talk about a year from now.
4.Backup Stephen Valiquette made 20 saves to notch his first career NHL shutout. He really wasn't tested much but came through when his team needed him early on when the Flyers held a 5-1 SOG edge. Nice to see him get the shutout. I'm sure it was very sentimental for him because his uncle passed away. You know that puck meant a lot. God bless.
5.The Rangers won despite no points from Jaromir Jagr or sidekick Martin Straka. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they were ineffective. Conversely, they teamed up well with No.1 center Scott Gomez cycling the puck down low and creating chances. Straka in fact had the best ones. He was setup by Gomer for essentially an open net which would've been 5-0 but fanned on it. He also had bad luck when a shot rang off the bar and fell on the goalline.
6.The D was much better than in recent games giving a solid attacking Flyer team zilch. Even when they worked hard, it was tough to get shots through drawing mock cheers from a protypical Philly crowd. Gotta love it.
7.Most important question now is can they repat this strong performance against two more quality clubs in the Devils and Canadiens on the road this weekend? That answer will be provided by kickoff Sunday night.
8.Combined with the Islanders' 3-1 home defeat at the hands of the Kings, the Rangers moved back into eighth in the conference with 56 points.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Rangers fans losing confidence
It's understandable that even die-hard Ranger fans are questioning just how good their team is. It's understandable to think that it's time to pack it in for the season, make some changes and look forward to next year. It's also understandable to think of where the Rangers were last season at this time and think that they have a shot to do big things.
At this time last year, the Rangers came off the all-star break to lose two games in a row. Then came the Sean Avery trade and the Rangers went on to make a playoff push that no one thought was possible. They made the playoffs, swept the Trashers and put up a fight against the mighty Buffalo Sabres. If this reminds us of anything, it's that we're not out of the picture yet. We're far from it in fact.
Is there another Sean Avery out there that will motivate us and be the missing cog to out inconsistant and frustrating machine? Probably not. Does the team have what it takes to make the playoffs and have a good showing this year? Probably, but only if everyone gets on the same page.
Marek Malik won't be traded for a top four defenseman. Marcel Hossa won't net the Rangers a Marian Hossa. In order to get someone of that caliber, the farm system will have to go. Glen Sather said that he is looking around for a top-line centerman for the Rangers. The reasoning? To take pressure off of Chris Drury and move him back to the wing, where he was super successful with the Colorado Avalanche. I've read today the names Mats Sundin, David Vybourny and Peter Forsberg as possibilities. Forsberg will cost us only money, which isn't the worst thing in the world, but Sundin and Vybourny will cost us some combination of Bobby Sanguinetti, Alexi Cherepanov, first or second round draft picks, Petr Prucha, Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, Al Montoya and some similar prospects. Is that the road Ranger fans want to go down for three months of Sundin scoring goals? My vote is no.
Whatever the Rangers do between now and the end of February will have no impact on tonight's game. The Rangers take on Philadelphia in what is probably going to be an emotional and physical game. Some line combinations may change as these were the lines for practice:
Straka - Gomez - Jagr
Avery - Dubinsky - Shanahan
Dawes - Drury - Prucha
Orr - Betts - Hollweg
Couple of surprises here too. Stephen Valiquette gets the start, which gives Henrik Lundqvist the Devils tomorrow night and Montreal on Sunday. Valiquette has played well in Philly so the move makes sense. Malik is also in the lineup in place of Paul Mara tonight. The big man needs to see the ice to either be effective or be showcased. With the game being against the Flyers, having Strudwick in there should things get chippy is an asset that Renney didn't want to lose.
Game time is 7pm again tonight. The Rangers need to get points out of these games against Atlantic Division opponents. I'll check in again later.
At this time last year, the Rangers came off the all-star break to lose two games in a row. Then came the Sean Avery trade and the Rangers went on to make a playoff push that no one thought was possible. They made the playoffs, swept the Trashers and put up a fight against the mighty Buffalo Sabres. If this reminds us of anything, it's that we're not out of the picture yet. We're far from it in fact.
Is there another Sean Avery out there that will motivate us and be the missing cog to out inconsistant and frustrating machine? Probably not. Does the team have what it takes to make the playoffs and have a good showing this year? Probably, but only if everyone gets on the same page.
Marek Malik won't be traded for a top four defenseman. Marcel Hossa won't net the Rangers a Marian Hossa. In order to get someone of that caliber, the farm system will have to go. Glen Sather said that he is looking around for a top-line centerman for the Rangers. The reasoning? To take pressure off of Chris Drury and move him back to the wing, where he was super successful with the Colorado Avalanche. I've read today the names Mats Sundin, David Vybourny and Peter Forsberg as possibilities. Forsberg will cost us only money, which isn't the worst thing in the world, but Sundin and Vybourny will cost us some combination of Bobby Sanguinetti, Alexi Cherepanov, first or second round draft picks, Petr Prucha, Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, Al Montoya and some similar prospects. Is that the road Ranger fans want to go down for three months of Sundin scoring goals? My vote is no.
Whatever the Rangers do between now and the end of February will have no impact on tonight's game. The Rangers take on Philadelphia in what is probably going to be an emotional and physical game. Some line combinations may change as these were the lines for practice:
Straka - Gomez - Jagr
Avery - Dubinsky - Shanahan
Dawes - Drury - Prucha
Orr - Betts - Hollweg
Couple of surprises here too. Stephen Valiquette gets the start, which gives Henrik Lundqvist the Devils tomorrow night and Montreal on Sunday. Valiquette has played well in Philly so the move makes sense. Malik is also in the lineup in place of Paul Mara tonight. The big man needs to see the ice to either be effective or be showcased. With the game being against the Flyers, having Strudwick in there should things get chippy is an asset that Renney didn't want to lose.
Game time is 7pm again tonight. The Rangers need to get points out of these games against Atlantic Division opponents. I'll check in again later.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Rangers disappoint in Carolina, locals all lose
This wasn't quite the way the Rangers wanted to start the final stretch following the All-Star Break. What started out promising when Brendan Shanahan tallied for his first point in nine contests 62 seconds in evolved into another exasperating night for this underachieving bunch.
Welcome to the 2007-08 edition of the Blueshirts. Where they get your hopes up only to dash them away making you flashback to dreadful memories from a decade prior. Where it doesn't matter who the names are on the jersey because they sure are trying their best to hit the golf course a lot earlier than expected.
If I sound like a broken record, as a fave Nirvana song once said, "All Apologies."
What else could this team do
They don't have a god damn clue
What else should Renney try
Bench the stonehands fourth line
Why don't you try doing what I just did? It's rather easy if you apply yourself to that classic tune.
A 3-1 defeat on the road in Carolina isn't that surprising. I think what's most disappointing is that once again, this team didn't convert their chances. Oh. They generated plenty playing a solid opening 20 but the key sequence was a four-on-two rush in which defenseman Fedor Tyutin missed the net leading directly to a Canes' odd-man rush and tying marker from suddenly revived Russian Sergei Samsonov. He outwaited Henrik Lundqvist and went to the backhand flipping it past the Ranger netminder.
Another critical Blueshirt mistake led to the deciding tally. Martin Straka's errant pass was stolen by Carolina team captain Rod Brind'Amour. The smart two-way pivot walked in and beat Lundqvist on a two-on-zero break deking to the backhand.
The Rangers had some quality opportunities to tie it late in the second thanks to a strong shift by Scott Gomez, Sean Avery and Jaromir Jagr. However, superior goaltending from former 2006 Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward allowed the Canes to escape with their one-goal lead intact thru 40.
Remarkably, Renney's beloved fourth line helped seal their fate when they got caught up ice. When defenseman Dan Girardi stepped up and turned the puck over at the Carolina blueline, they turned it into another odd-man break. This time the recipient was fourth liner Trevor Letowski who took a pass and deked to the forehand to make it three unanswered Canes' goals.
After that, the Rangers seemed to give up resigned to their fate.
I threw in the towel too and went upstairs opting to listen to Dave Maloney rip this sadsack team to shreds.
Can anything save the Rangers?
I felt this one short Avery quote summed it up quite well:
Neither do I.
It wasn't a good night for the other two locals either as the Devils fell at home for the second straight time 4-2 to the Sidney Crosby-less Pens. Ryan Malone tallied twice and ex-Devil Petr Sykora notched two assists as the Pens got the last three on Brent Sutter's club a la Montreal before the break. Wonder if he'll put them through drills again? Mike Rupp somehow hit the back of the net twice. You aren't winning many nights when he's your only offense.
The Isles meanwhile went down to the conference-leading Sens 5-2. Mike Fisher and Jason Spezza each had a goal and a helper while Sean Bergenheim and Bryan Berard tallied for the Fishsticks.
The Flyers were 3-2 OT winners as the sizzling Scott Hartnell stayed hot getting the deciding marker.
Welcome to the 2007-08 edition of the Blueshirts. Where they get your hopes up only to dash them away making you flashback to dreadful memories from a decade prior. Where it doesn't matter who the names are on the jersey because they sure are trying their best to hit the golf course a lot earlier than expected.
If I sound like a broken record, as a fave Nirvana song once said, "All Apologies."
What else could this team do
They don't have a god damn clue
What else should Renney try
Bench the stonehands fourth line
Why don't you try doing what I just did? It's rather easy if you apply yourself to that classic tune.
A 3-1 defeat on the road in Carolina isn't that surprising. I think what's most disappointing is that once again, this team didn't convert their chances. Oh. They generated plenty playing a solid opening 20 but the key sequence was a four-on-two rush in which defenseman Fedor Tyutin missed the net leading directly to a Canes' odd-man rush and tying marker from suddenly revived Russian Sergei Samsonov. He outwaited Henrik Lundqvist and went to the backhand flipping it past the Ranger netminder.
Another critical Blueshirt mistake led to the deciding tally. Martin Straka's errant pass was stolen by Carolina team captain Rod Brind'Amour. The smart two-way pivot walked in and beat Lundqvist on a two-on-zero break deking to the backhand.
The Rangers had some quality opportunities to tie it late in the second thanks to a strong shift by Scott Gomez, Sean Avery and Jaromir Jagr. However, superior goaltending from former 2006 Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward allowed the Canes to escape with their one-goal lead intact thru 40.
Remarkably, Renney's beloved fourth line helped seal their fate when they got caught up ice. When defenseman Dan Girardi stepped up and turned the puck over at the Carolina blueline, they turned it into another odd-man break. This time the recipient was fourth liner Trevor Letowski who took a pass and deked to the forehand to make it three unanswered Canes' goals.
After that, the Rangers seemed to give up resigned to their fate.
I threw in the towel too and went upstairs opting to listen to Dave Maloney rip this sadsack team to shreds.
Can anything save the Rangers?
I felt this one short Avery quote summed it up quite well:
"I wish I had some answers, but I don't really."
Neither do I.
It wasn't a good night for the other two locals either as the Devils fell at home for the second straight time 4-2 to the Sidney Crosby-less Pens. Ryan Malone tallied twice and ex-Devil Petr Sykora notched two assists as the Pens got the last three on Brent Sutter's club a la Montreal before the break. Wonder if he'll put them through drills again? Mike Rupp somehow hit the back of the net twice. You aren't winning many nights when he's your only offense.
The Isles meanwhile went down to the conference-leading Sens 5-2. Mike Fisher and Jason Spezza each had a goal and a helper while Sean Bergenheim and Bryan Berard tallied for the Fishsticks.
The Flyers were 3-2 OT winners as the sizzling Scott Hartnell stayed hot getting the deciding marker.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Rangers back in action tonight
The Rangers open up the rest of the season tonight against the surging Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. Not much will be different for the Blueshirts when they enter the game tonight as, unlike last year, there were no moves made over the break.
Marc Staal, Brandon Dubinsky and Scott Gomez all joined the team this afternoon after taking part in the All-Star weekend festivities. Dubinsky was named the MVP for the young stars game, recording two goals. Just more confidence builders for this young kid.
The lineup tonight will be the same as on Thursday night, with Marek Malik being a healthy scratch and Marcel Hossa still sitting with the world's longest case of back spasms. Henrik Lundqvist returns to the net, and might be called upon for double duty later on in the week when the Rangers take on Philadelphia and New Jersey on back to back days, both on the road and both games that the Rangers would really like to win.
If anything breaks between now and 7 pm I'll be sure to report it. If not, enjoy the game and I'll check in tonight or tomorrow.
Marc Staal, Brandon Dubinsky and Scott Gomez all joined the team this afternoon after taking part in the All-Star weekend festivities. Dubinsky was named the MVP for the young stars game, recording two goals. Just more confidence builders for this young kid.
The lineup tonight will be the same as on Thursday night, with Marek Malik being a healthy scratch and Marcel Hossa still sitting with the world's longest case of back spasms. Henrik Lundqvist returns to the net, and might be called upon for double duty later on in the week when the Rangers take on Philadelphia and New Jersey on back to back days, both on the road and both games that the Rangers would really like to win.
If anything breaks between now and 7 pm I'll be sure to report it. If not, enjoy the game and I'll check in tonight or tomorrow.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Rangers' second half begins on Tuesday
Sitting here watching the Eastern All-Stars enjoy a big first period lead got me thinking about the New York Rangers and what they need to finally live up to their potential for the second half of the season. Feel free to add in your own thoughts and ideas or agree or disagree as well.
1- Shoot the puck. Then shoot it some more.
- Biggest culprits here are Chris Drury and Martin Straka. There's a reason that Drury is making $7 million a year for the Rangers and it's not to just win faceoffs. He has a knack for finding the back of the net, and he needs to start shooting more to show us that. Straka is a great playmaker and seems to be making everyone that he plays with better, but when he shoots, he scores. It would add another weapon to the Rangers repetoir if he shot just a little more. Michal Rozsival needs to not be afraid of a booming point shot as well.
2 - More bodies in front of the net.
- When Petr Prucha is on the ice, he can be found around the net. Don't get me wrong, that's great, but Prucha is 175 pounds and gets knocked around. Rotate in and out of the crease. Sean Avery is there on the powerplay, but lets get Brendan Shanahan, Drury, Orr and even some defensemen skating through causing havok on the netminder. Paul Mara or Fedor Tyutin pinching in and screening a goalie might work if it's not done often.
3 - Accept that Jaromir Jagr is no longer the force he used to be
- Sure he's still good and will undoubtedly score more goals this season, but he's not going to have 40 goals a season anymore. The offense is not going to flow through him like it used to. Make it go through Prucha, Nigel Dawes and Brandon Dubinsky.
4 - Stop with the stupid, lazy penalties.
- Jagr is most guilty of it, as are Marek Malik and Marcel Hossa. You just don't see Prucha, Dawes, Shanahan and Gomez in the penalty box.
5 - Play much more physical.
- Take the body, especially at the blueline. The defense is physical with Dan Girardi and Tyutin, and Marc Staal is looking better and better, but Mara and Rozsival need to step in and crunch someone. Bring back the hip check. Make the other team pay for camping out in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Not everyone has to be Avery or Ryan Hollweg, but it would be nice to see Jagr, Straka, Shanahan and Drury start taking the body more as well.
6 - Play for 60 minutes.
- If you don't want to commit to a 60 minute game every other day, clean out your locker. Show up for every period and give it your best. The second period no longer should be referred as "the bad period" and the team shouldn't come alive with just 15 minutes left to play.
Anything to add? Anything you just don't agree with? Let me know. Enjoy the rest of this all star game. I'll be on frequently from now until Tuesday so I will talk to everyone again soon.
1- Shoot the puck. Then shoot it some more.
- Biggest culprits here are Chris Drury and Martin Straka. There's a reason that Drury is making $7 million a year for the Rangers and it's not to just win faceoffs. He has a knack for finding the back of the net, and he needs to start shooting more to show us that. Straka is a great playmaker and seems to be making everyone that he plays with better, but when he shoots, he scores. It would add another weapon to the Rangers repetoir if he shot just a little more. Michal Rozsival needs to not be afraid of a booming point shot as well.
2 - More bodies in front of the net.
- When Petr Prucha is on the ice, he can be found around the net. Don't get me wrong, that's great, but Prucha is 175 pounds and gets knocked around. Rotate in and out of the crease. Sean Avery is there on the powerplay, but lets get Brendan Shanahan, Drury, Orr and even some defensemen skating through causing havok on the netminder. Paul Mara or Fedor Tyutin pinching in and screening a goalie might work if it's not done often.
3 - Accept that Jaromir Jagr is no longer the force he used to be
- Sure he's still good and will undoubtedly score more goals this season, but he's not going to have 40 goals a season anymore. The offense is not going to flow through him like it used to. Make it go through Prucha, Nigel Dawes and Brandon Dubinsky.
4 - Stop with the stupid, lazy penalties.
- Jagr is most guilty of it, as are Marek Malik and Marcel Hossa. You just don't see Prucha, Dawes, Shanahan and Gomez in the penalty box.
5 - Play much more physical.
- Take the body, especially at the blueline. The defense is physical with Dan Girardi and Tyutin, and Marc Staal is looking better and better, but Mara and Rozsival need to step in and crunch someone. Bring back the hip check. Make the other team pay for camping out in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Not everyone has to be Avery or Ryan Hollweg, but it would be nice to see Jagr, Straka, Shanahan and Drury start taking the body more as well.
6 - Play for 60 minutes.
- If you don't want to commit to a 60 minute game every other day, clean out your locker. Show up for every period and give it your best. The second period no longer should be referred as "the bad period" and the team shouldn't come alive with just 15 minutes left to play.
Anything to add? Anything you just don't agree with? Let me know. Enjoy the rest of this all star game. I'll be on frequently from now until Tuesday so I will talk to everyone again soon.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Rangers scrape by Thrashers on Leetch night
It took a shootout, but the Rangers survived the Atlanta Thrashers last night. Following the hour and a half long ceremony, the Rangers came out flat and unimpressive. They managed to get out of the first period with a 0-0 tie, but 45 second into the second period Marion Hossa made it 1-0 on a soft goal let in by Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers slowly picked up their game and about halfway through the third period, Michal Rozsival was able to capitalize on a nice passing play by the third line, mainly Brandon Dubinsky and Nigel Dawes. The score remained tied up through the rest of the third and all of overtime, even with the Rangers controlling much of the play. Brendan Shanahan converted the only shootout attempt and Lundqvist made two saves before Hossa missed the net on the final shot, giving the Rangers a 2-1 win.
While it was disappointing to see the Rangers come out unmotivated in a Garden just waiting to explode, it was good to see them slowly improve their play. A team better than the Thrashers, however, would have made the Rangers pay for coming out so slowly. A team like Ottawa, Detroit or even the Devils or Islanders may have been able to pop two or three goals in and bury the Rangers. The Rangers survived though, and will be able to take the next four days to rest up and prepare for Carolina next Tuesday.
One thing that did look evident last night was that there seemed to be some decent chemistry up and down the lineup. The defense was pretty good, the top line looks pretty decent with Sean Avery taking Marty Straka's place and Dubinsky and Dawes continue to impress. Chris Drury is starting to get more opportunities as well, which is good news for the Rangers.
On the Marek Malik front, word is that he refused to shake the hand of Tom Renney after being told that he would be a scratch last night. Renney took it personally and sent Malik out of the building for the night. He said that Malik's matter would be handled internally, and that big number 8 is still on the roster.
You have to wonder if the Rangers can pull anything off to get Malik someplace where he would be happier. Maybe packaging him with a kid could net us something. Artem Anisimov has been playing well, and could be a good NHL centerman. Problem is, we have Scott Gomez, Drury, Dubinsky and Blair Betts on our lines. Avery, Petr Prucha, Straka and Ryan Hollweg also all have experience at center, and we have some other good young players in the system. Maybe he could make a deal a little sweeter and Malik can be off our hands. It wouldn't be the end of the world for us, even if he pulls a Marc Savard and starts recording 96 points a season for a team that finishes last in their division.
I'll keep everyone informed about any Ranger happenings over the break and I'll weigh in with some All-Star stuff as I'll almost certainly be checking out the game. Enjoy the break.
While it was disappointing to see the Rangers come out unmotivated in a Garden just waiting to explode, it was good to see them slowly improve their play. A team better than the Thrashers, however, would have made the Rangers pay for coming out so slowly. A team like Ottawa, Detroit or even the Devils or Islanders may have been able to pop two or three goals in and bury the Rangers. The Rangers survived though, and will be able to take the next four days to rest up and prepare for Carolina next Tuesday.
One thing that did look evident last night was that there seemed to be some decent chemistry up and down the lineup. The defense was pretty good, the top line looks pretty decent with Sean Avery taking Marty Straka's place and Dubinsky and Dawes continue to impress. Chris Drury is starting to get more opportunities as well, which is good news for the Rangers.
On the Marek Malik front, word is that he refused to shake the hand of Tom Renney after being told that he would be a scratch last night. Renney took it personally and sent Malik out of the building for the night. He said that Malik's matter would be handled internally, and that big number 8 is still on the roster.
You have to wonder if the Rangers can pull anything off to get Malik someplace where he would be happier. Maybe packaging him with a kid could net us something. Artem Anisimov has been playing well, and could be a good NHL centerman. Problem is, we have Scott Gomez, Drury, Dubinsky and Blair Betts on our lines. Avery, Petr Prucha, Straka and Ryan Hollweg also all have experience at center, and we have some other good young players in the system. Maybe he could make a deal a little sweeter and Malik can be off our hands. It wouldn't be the end of the world for us, even if he pulls a Marc Savard and starts recording 96 points a season for a team that finishes last in their division.
I'll keep everyone informed about any Ranger happenings over the break and I'll weigh in with some All-Star stuff as I'll almost certainly be checking out the game. Enjoy the break.
Leetch symbolizes what a true Ranger is all about
I knew that we were in for a truly special night at Madison Square Garden. If you were priviledged enough to be witness to that special retirement ceremony of all-time Ranger great Brian Leetch's No.2 to the rafters joining the likes of Rod Gilbert (No.7), Ed Giacomin (No.1), Mike Richter (No.35) and Mark Messier (No.11), then you know how unbelievable it really was.
I am not going to go on and on about it because our outstanding blogger Lenny did a very nice job summing up what this classy former defenseman is all about. If you needed proof, just watching how eloquently Leetch spoke about the history of the franchise with Ron Greschner on hand crediting him for how he developed to the recognition of former GM Craig Patrick for having the confidence to draft him to the praise of his teammates and the role the "Ranger Faithful" played in the team achieving their greatest success in winning the Stanley Cup which included a postseason for the ages by No.2 (11-23-34, +19 in 23 GP) in becoming the only American to win the Conn Smythe.
Still, the biggest highlight had to be Brian making the surprise announcement that good buddy and Ranger fan favorite Adam Graves' No.9 will be retired at some point next year for his outstanding work on and off the ice during a 10-year career as a Blueshirt.
On his own special night where legends such as Harry Howell and Brad Park were on hand for the ceremony and banner retirement, here was the franchise leader in so many categories putting himself aside for a teammate honoring and surprising a guy who had no idea what was about to happen.
I said, 'If you want me to do it, I'd love to it,"' the former 11-time All-Star, Calder recipient and two-time Norris winner flashed back to the Associated Press.
"The only thought that came to my mind was how humble I felt," an emotional Graves admitted. "Wearing that jersey was gift enough. Having this opportunity, I'm lucky."
"That kind of made me calm because I knew I had that to come and it was going to be exciting," a sporty Leetch pointed out. "I knew Adam was going to be blown away."
"I was foggy. I had no idea," Graves added. "It caught me off guard and I was like, 'Go back there, it's your night."'
What else would you expect from a player who was drafted in the first round 22 years prior ninth overall out of Boston College who went on to play 1,129 games as a Ranger in 17 career seasons (1988-2004) pacing the Original Six franchise with 741 assists, second to Gilbert in scoring with 981 points. And of course, tops among New York Ranger blueliners in goals (240) and points (981).
If you wanted to know how he felt about the fans, just listening to him mention how he was only on the wrong side of the bench once as a visiting Boston Bruin- then pointing out and thanking those fans for "getting him through the night when he wasn't on the right side."
The place went wild as it did most of this special night. From the loud chants of "Bri----an Leeettccch" to "Leeeettttttttch," "Messs-----ierrr" and "Adaa-----mmm Gravvvvvesss," it was about as perfect as it could get.
Even former Ranger enforcers Tie Domi and Darren Langdon joined the fun presenting him with a Harley Davidson motorcycle featuring a leather jacket and helmet in honor of "Leetch's wild side."
We'll just have to take Ranger emcee and broadcaster Sam Rosen's word for it.
One of the things I also really appreciated was how generous Leetch and the Ranger organization with Richter presenting him with a check for $25,000 to the John J. Murray Foundation for his former close buddy who died tragically during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
Sometimes, it really does make you appreciate what you got. It can be very humbling and that certainly was the case over six years ago remarkably. God bless Murray's family.
"I was not that nervous, not that scared of what I was going to say," Leetch finally said of the great night which New Yorkers will remember for quite some time.
No.2 will always be No.1 in our H-E-A-R-T-S.
I am not going to go on and on about it because our outstanding blogger Lenny did a very nice job summing up what this classy former defenseman is all about. If you needed proof, just watching how eloquently Leetch spoke about the history of the franchise with Ron Greschner on hand crediting him for how he developed to the recognition of former GM Craig Patrick for having the confidence to draft him to the praise of his teammates and the role the "Ranger Faithful" played in the team achieving their greatest success in winning the Stanley Cup which included a postseason for the ages by No.2 (11-23-34, +19 in 23 GP) in becoming the only American to win the Conn Smythe.
Still, the biggest highlight had to be Brian making the surprise announcement that good buddy and Ranger fan favorite Adam Graves' No.9 will be retired at some point next year for his outstanding work on and off the ice during a 10-year career as a Blueshirt.
On his own special night where legends such as Harry Howell and Brad Park were on hand for the ceremony and banner retirement, here was the franchise leader in so many categories putting himself aside for a teammate honoring and surprising a guy who had no idea what was about to happen.
I said, 'If you want me to do it, I'd love to it,"' the former 11-time All-Star, Calder recipient and two-time Norris winner flashed back to the Associated Press.
"The only thought that came to my mind was how humble I felt," an emotional Graves admitted. "Wearing that jersey was gift enough. Having this opportunity, I'm lucky."
"That kind of made me calm because I knew I had that to come and it was going to be exciting," a sporty Leetch pointed out. "I knew Adam was going to be blown away."
"I was foggy. I had no idea," Graves added. "It caught me off guard and I was like, 'Go back there, it's your night."'
What else would you expect from a player who was drafted in the first round 22 years prior ninth overall out of Boston College who went on to play 1,129 games as a Ranger in 17 career seasons (1988-2004) pacing the Original Six franchise with 741 assists, second to Gilbert in scoring with 981 points. And of course, tops among New York Ranger blueliners in goals (240) and points (981).
If you wanted to know how he felt about the fans, just listening to him mention how he was only on the wrong side of the bench once as a visiting Boston Bruin- then pointing out and thanking those fans for "getting him through the night when he wasn't on the right side."
The place went wild as it did most of this special night. From the loud chants of "Bri----an Leeettccch" to "Leeeettttttttch," "Messs-----ierrr" and "Adaa-----mmm Gravvvvvesss," it was about as perfect as it could get.
Even former Ranger enforcers Tie Domi and Darren Langdon joined the fun presenting him with a Harley Davidson motorcycle featuring a leather jacket and helmet in honor of "Leetch's wild side."
We'll just have to take Ranger emcee and broadcaster Sam Rosen's word for it.
One of the things I also really appreciated was how generous Leetch and the Ranger organization with Richter presenting him with a check for $25,000 to the John J. Murray Foundation for his former close buddy who died tragically during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
Sometimes, it really does make you appreciate what you got. It can be very humbling and that certainly was the case over six years ago remarkably. God bless Murray's family.
"I was not that nervous, not that scared of what I was going to say," Leetch finally said of the great night which New Yorkers will remember for quite some time.
"I was just really enjoying it and I was not sure I was going to be able to do that."
No.2 will always be No.1 in our H-E-A-R-T-S.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Special night for a special player
Brian Leetch has been an idol of mine since I started following hockey. I was able to witness his greatness through the 1994 Stanley Cup run and was able to share in the heartache of him being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for draft picks and Maxim Kondratiev in 2004. Tonight's ceremony did a fantastic job of capturing those moments and recognized a fantastic player.
I think what really showed what Brian Leetch is really about was, while thanking several people and teammates, he paused to make an announcement. The announcement he read was that Adam Graves will have his number nine jersey raised to the rafters next year. On a night dedicated to him, Brian Leetch passed some limelight off to a fellow teammate and friend. It was nicely done, and wonderful to see.
From hall of famers Ed Giacomin, Rod Gilbert and Mark Messier to Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves and Mike Richter, and even Tie Domi and Darren Langdon, the ceremony was great. Sam Rosen did another fantastic job MCing. John Davidson and Craig Patrick were in attendance and both the Garden and the WAMU Theater were packed. Great all around night.
I'll have a new post in the morning or late tonight about the game, but so far it has been an uninspired effort by the Rangers after one period of play and no score. No word on Marek Malik either, although Spector Trade Rumors has a potential deal with Colorado or Carolina reported. Enjoy the rest of the game.
I think what really showed what Brian Leetch is really about was, while thanking several people and teammates, he paused to make an announcement. The announcement he read was that Adam Graves will have his number nine jersey raised to the rafters next year. On a night dedicated to him, Brian Leetch passed some limelight off to a fellow teammate and friend. It was nicely done, and wonderful to see.
From hall of famers Ed Giacomin, Rod Gilbert and Mark Messier to Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves and Mike Richter, and even Tie Domi and Darren Langdon, the ceremony was great. Sam Rosen did another fantastic job MCing. John Davidson and Craig Patrick were in attendance and both the Garden and the WAMU Theater were packed. Great all around night.
I'll have a new post in the morning or late tonight about the game, but so far it has been an uninspired effort by the Rangers after one period of play and no score. No word on Marek Malik either, although Spector Trade Rumors has a potential deal with Colorado or Carolina reported. Enjoy the rest of the game.
No Malik for Brian Leetch Night
Already looking at a little easier of a task tonight with Ilya Kovalchuck in the press box, the Rangers will have Marek Malik somewhere other than the ice as well for tonight's rematch with Atlanta. Even though the fleet-footed defenseman had picked up his game over the last three game since being reinserted into the lineup, Malik was absent from morning skate this morning. To make things even more odd, none of his equipment was in his locker either. A few pictures and a practice jersey was all that remained. Tom Renney answered the questions of where everyone's favorite defenseman was with "it's an internal matter," but made sure to point out that he was still a Ranger.
Maybe Glen Sather is on the verge of pulling off a trade, and the last two games were really a showcase for other teams. I bashed Malik as much as the next guy, but was and still am fully aware that he could be a decent defenseman. In a faster league, however, it is hard for him to keep up. Unable to clutch, grab, hold and take down the oncoming offensemen has hurt Malik's game. He will undoubtedly be suffering the Tom Poti syndrome should he be dealt, and upon returning will be met with choruses of boo's at the Garden whenever he touches the ice.
Should Malik really be done as a Ranger, we'll need to call someone up or acquire another defender. Thomas Pock has played in 39 games with the Wolfpack, registering six goals, 15 assists and a plus-6 rating to go along with 30 penalty minutes. He would have to clear re-entry waivers, but he should be looked at as a platoon partner for Jason Strudwick. Other than that, the only other defenseman that may be ready may be Andrew Hutchinson, who has 33 points in 40 games with the Pack and is +12 on the year. I believe he has to clear re-entry waivers as well, but I could be mistaken.
I'll be on often today, updating everyone on Malik sightings, passing on Brian Leetch news and covering the game. Until later...
Maybe Glen Sather is on the verge of pulling off a trade, and the last two games were really a showcase for other teams. I bashed Malik as much as the next guy, but was and still am fully aware that he could be a decent defenseman. In a faster league, however, it is hard for him to keep up. Unable to clutch, grab, hold and take down the oncoming offensemen has hurt Malik's game. He will undoubtedly be suffering the Tom Poti syndrome should he be dealt, and upon returning will be met with choruses of boo's at the Garden whenever he touches the ice.
Should Malik really be done as a Ranger, we'll need to call someone up or acquire another defender. Thomas Pock has played in 39 games with the Wolfpack, registering six goals, 15 assists and a plus-6 rating to go along with 30 penalty minutes. He would have to clear re-entry waivers, but he should be looked at as a platoon partner for Jason Strudwick. Other than that, the only other defenseman that may be ready may be Andrew Hutchinson, who has 33 points in 40 games with the Pack and is +12 on the year. I believe he has to clear re-entry waivers as well, but I could be mistaken.
I'll be on often today, updating everyone on Malik sightings, passing on Brian Leetch news and covering the game. Until later...
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Kovalchuck suspended for tomorrow's rematch
Ilya Kovalchuck won't be on the ice when the Rangers celebrate Brian Leetch night at the Garden tomorrow night. The league handed down a one game suspension to Atlanta's main goal scorer for his hit on Michal Rozsival in the first period last night.
This obviously is good news for the Rangers, who will now only have to focus on shutting down Marian Hossa and getting pucks past Kari Lehtonen or Johan Hedberg, both are no small feat.
Ceremonies for Brian Leetch night for those of us who don't have tickets will begin at 6:30. I'm interested to know how that viewing party and actual ceremony at MSG goes. If anyone that reads this website goes, leave a comment on one of the entries tomorrow, or leave a comment asking for my email address if you want to actually write a blog entry. I'd be more than happy to put up a guest poster, and I'm sure Derek and everyone else here at BoNY won't mind either.
Talk to you all tomorrow.
This obviously is good news for the Rangers, who will now only have to focus on shutting down Marian Hossa and getting pucks past Kari Lehtonen or Johan Hedberg, both are no small feat.
Ceremonies for Brian Leetch night for those of us who don't have tickets will begin at 6:30. I'm interested to know how that viewing party and actual ceremony at MSG goes. If anyone that reads this website goes, leave a comment on one of the entries tomorrow, or leave a comment asking for my email address if you want to actually write a blog entry. I'd be more than happy to put up a guest poster, and I'm sure Derek and everyone else here at BoNY won't mind either.
Talk to you all tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
In game Ranger update
End of game - Solid three period, 60 minute effort by the New York Rangers. Jaromir Jagr added a goal from Fedor Tyutin and Scott Gomez to make it 4-0. Tyutin had three assists, jagr had a goal and two assists and looked great, and the new lines looked stellar. They were tight defensively also, allowing only 14 shots. Henrik Lundqvist didn't have to be overly good, but he was good enough to get his seventh shutout of the season, the first Ranger to do that since a pretty good Ed Giacomin did it in 1970-71. Good game all around, let's just hope that this isn't only a one game thing. We're back in action on Thursday for Brian Leetch night. Until then...
End of 2nd Period - After two periods of play, the Rangers now have a 3-0 lead. Martin Straka scored a shorthanded, unassisted goal off of a terrible line change by the Thrashers. They miss Kovalchuk up front, as I still don't think they have recorded double digit shots. Brad Larson looked pretty banged up after a collision with Mark Recchi as well. The second period is usually the Rangers' worst period of the game, and that period wasn't so bad. The power play is the only thing that looks bad. Actually, it looked downright awful in that period. There has to be some kind of jolt to go through both units. They looked fine in the first period, but the second period was spent waiting to see if Atlanta would score shorthanded more than if the Rangers were going to stretch the lead. See you after the third.
I figured I'd keep you updated on the Ranger game with some of my thoughts and happenings. I figured after the bashing Tom Renney gave them yesterday, that the Rangers would come out hot. Here's what the first period looked like:
It took 16 minutes for the Thrashers to get a shot on goal. In that span, the Rangers tallied two goals, 12 shots and had a mini-fight. Colton Orr and Eric Boulton dropped the gloves, Sean Avery scored from Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez and then Brandon Dubinsky scored a highlight reel goal from Jagr and Fedor Tyutin.
As we speak, one of the league's best players made another stupid decision. Ilya Kovalchuk is a marquee player, but as evident from the playoffs last year, he can be dirty. Just now he left his skates and hit a defenseless Michal Roszival from behind into the boards. The hit could have been given with a clean shoulder, but Kovalchuk went over the line. He was thrown out and the Rangers will have a three minute power play at the beginning of the second period. Colton Orr took a roughing penalty by going after Kovalchuk, negating two minutes. Bad move by Kovalchuk and the way this game is going so far, the Thrashers were going to need all the help they could get. The league should look into it as well. I like Kovalchuk, but it was dirty, unnecessary and left Roszival bloodied and hurt. Back after the second.
End of 2nd Period - After two periods of play, the Rangers now have a 3-0 lead. Martin Straka scored a shorthanded, unassisted goal off of a terrible line change by the Thrashers. They miss Kovalchuk up front, as I still don't think they have recorded double digit shots. Brad Larson looked pretty banged up after a collision with Mark Recchi as well. The second period is usually the Rangers' worst period of the game, and that period wasn't so bad. The power play is the only thing that looks bad. Actually, it looked downright awful in that period. There has to be some kind of jolt to go through both units. They looked fine in the first period, but the second period was spent waiting to see if Atlanta would score shorthanded more than if the Rangers were going to stretch the lead. See you after the third.
I figured I'd keep you updated on the Ranger game with some of my thoughts and happenings. I figured after the bashing Tom Renney gave them yesterday, that the Rangers would come out hot. Here's what the first period looked like:
It took 16 minutes for the Thrashers to get a shot on goal. In that span, the Rangers tallied two goals, 12 shots and had a mini-fight. Colton Orr and Eric Boulton dropped the gloves, Sean Avery scored from Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez and then Brandon Dubinsky scored a highlight reel goal from Jagr and Fedor Tyutin.
As we speak, one of the league's best players made another stupid decision. Ilya Kovalchuk is a marquee player, but as evident from the playoffs last year, he can be dirty. Just now he left his skates and hit a defenseless Michal Roszival from behind into the boards. The hit could have been given with a clean shoulder, but Kovalchuk went over the line. He was thrown out and the Rangers will have a three minute power play at the beginning of the second period. Colton Orr took a roughing penalty by going after Kovalchuk, negating two minutes. Bad move by Kovalchuk and the way this game is going so far, the Thrashers were going to need all the help they could get. The league should look into it as well. I like Kovalchuk, but it was dirty, unnecessary and left Roszival bloodied and hurt. Back after the second.
Random thoughts
Since I'm not able to go to tonight's Thrashing of the Rangers (yeah that's what I said), I figured what better time than now to give you the hockey fan some of my total randomness. In no particular order:
1.When is the NHL going to stop allowing their star players to walk all over them? No. We're not talking about Gary Bettman's new CBA with a rising cap where teams are panicking and signing their own players to ridiculously long contracts. What I am referring to is the latest news about the upcoming All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Why should a star player such as Martin Brodeur be allowed to miss a game which is for the fans? You think he's going to miss any upcoming starts between tonight in Philadelphia when he does what he usually does to them and Sunday?!?!?!?!?! It is an absolute joke that the league doesn't step in and do the right thing by the fans who want to see the league's marquee stars lace'em up in a fun-filled skills competition.
Unless you're out with an excuse (injury, family crisis, health issue), it should be your obligation to take part in the All-Star Game. Especially if your own fans voted you in as a starter. Brodeur is still the best netminder in the conference and plenty of people want to see him. Even now as the three-time Vezina and Cup winner gets older, the Montreal native is still one of the NHL's biggest stars. Someone who is marketable and treats fans and writers alike with nothing but class. No.30 should be in net for that first period in Atlanta. No if's, and's or buts.
That also means you Roberto Luongo! The fans deserve to see the Vancouver netminder at the opposite end of the rink against Marty. The fact that the two league's top goalies were elected and won't participate for unknown reasons looks bad. They're what this game should be about.
This goes for any player who is elected. Unfortunately, the league already lost their most identifiable star in Sidney Crosby due to a high ankle sprain which appears will keep the 2006-07 Hart winner out at least six weeks. And losing one of the bright young stars out West in Paul Stastny due to injury doesn't help much. Neither does one of the game's best players in Henrik Zetterberg for no other apparent reason than wanting to rest due to recurring back spasms.
If the league wants to be taken seriously, put out the best players for this game and make it a priority. The encouraging news is at least Evgeni Malkin replaced Crosby and Tim Thomas is now in place of Brodeur. The surprising Boston No.1 goalie certainly was worthy of making it.
On the other side, Corey Perry and Mike Ribeiro will get to take part. They certainly both belong. Scott Niedermayer was also tabbed probably as a league selection due to his veteran status. He certainly hasn't disappointed since returning to the defending champion Ducks posting 11 points in 17 games and helping lead his team to the top of the Pacific.
2.Hell or high water, Tom Renney has to go. His message clearly isn't getting through anymore to the underachieving Blueshirts. There's little effort. No discipline. And zero accountability. The affable coach is good at analyzing the team's problems. The problem is he never punishes his best players and that's not a good recipe for success. This team is severely lacking and has become softer than a box of Twinkies.
If the Ranger organization wants to save their season, they must bring in a tough cop. Pat Burns would be perfect. So too would John Tortorella if he ever gets fired down in Tampa. It's more likely that Jim Schoenfeld takes over if the Rangers don't get a win tonight or on Brian Leetch night against Atlanta.
3.Speaking of which, how is it possible that the Rangers host the Thrashers twice in a row??? What are the schedule makers doing? If it were a traditional home-and-home like the games against the Bruins, that would make more sense. Give both fanbases a chance to see a rivalry formulate.
4.Rookie Nicklas Backstrom continues to play extremely well on the resurgent Caps who now are over .500 and just three points behind first place Carolina and the eighth seeded Islanders. The former 2006 Caps' fourth overall selection became the first rookie in league history to record back-to-back four assist games. He assisted on four Washington goals in a come from behind 6-5 shootout win over Pittsburgh last night. With nine goals and a team-leading 31 helpers, his 40 points place him second to only Chicago rookie forward Patrick Kane, who has 45 points (12-33-45).
Backstrom's strong play along with NHL-leading goalscorer Alexander Ovechkin (38 goals), the reemergence of Alexander Semin (5 goals in last four contests) and Mike Green (14-16-30; 14 pts in last 10 GP) have Bruce Boudreau's Caps thinking playoffs.
5.Now that John Ferguson, Jr.'s finally been giving his walking papers in Toronto, when does the Original Six franchise realize their problems are a lot more than just one executive???
6.Can anyone think of any good reason how Mats Sundin was passed over for the East?
7.If he gets the Bruins in the playoffs despite no Patrice Bergeron and other regulars out, does former Devil coach Claude Julien win the Jack Adams?
8.Tomas Vokoun's a good goalie but he's not better than Florida captain Olli Jokinen.
9.Remember when Bill Guerin was a bad move for the Islanders? How's that turning out?
10.Speaking of which, Dainius Zubrus: 47 games, seven goals. He's still got another five years left on his deal in New Jersey. Somehow, the Devils are still winning games. Brodeur and first-year coach Brent Sutter are the biggest reasons why.
1.When is the NHL going to stop allowing their star players to walk all over them? No. We're not talking about Gary Bettman's new CBA with a rising cap where teams are panicking and signing their own players to ridiculously long contracts. What I am referring to is the latest news about the upcoming All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Why should a star player such as Martin Brodeur be allowed to miss a game which is for the fans? You think he's going to miss any upcoming starts between tonight in Philadelphia when he does what he usually does to them and Sunday?!?!?!?!?! It is an absolute joke that the league doesn't step in and do the right thing by the fans who want to see the league's marquee stars lace'em up in a fun-filled skills competition.
Unless you're out with an excuse (injury, family crisis, health issue), it should be your obligation to take part in the All-Star Game. Especially if your own fans voted you in as a starter. Brodeur is still the best netminder in the conference and plenty of people want to see him. Even now as the three-time Vezina and Cup winner gets older, the Montreal native is still one of the NHL's biggest stars. Someone who is marketable and treats fans and writers alike with nothing but class. No.30 should be in net for that first period in Atlanta. No if's, and's or buts.
That also means you Roberto Luongo! The fans deserve to see the Vancouver netminder at the opposite end of the rink against Marty. The fact that the two league's top goalies were elected and won't participate for unknown reasons looks bad. They're what this game should be about.
This goes for any player who is elected. Unfortunately, the league already lost their most identifiable star in Sidney Crosby due to a high ankle sprain which appears will keep the 2006-07 Hart winner out at least six weeks. And losing one of the bright young stars out West in Paul Stastny due to injury doesn't help much. Neither does one of the game's best players in Henrik Zetterberg for no other apparent reason than wanting to rest due to recurring back spasms.
If the league wants to be taken seriously, put out the best players for this game and make it a priority. The encouraging news is at least Evgeni Malkin replaced Crosby and Tim Thomas is now in place of Brodeur. The surprising Boston No.1 goalie certainly was worthy of making it.
On the other side, Corey Perry and Mike Ribeiro will get to take part. They certainly both belong. Scott Niedermayer was also tabbed probably as a league selection due to his veteran status. He certainly hasn't disappointed since returning to the defending champion Ducks posting 11 points in 17 games and helping lead his team to the top of the Pacific.
2.Hell or high water, Tom Renney has to go. His message clearly isn't getting through anymore to the underachieving Blueshirts. There's little effort. No discipline. And zero accountability. The affable coach is good at analyzing the team's problems. The problem is he never punishes his best players and that's not a good recipe for success. This team is severely lacking and has become softer than a box of Twinkies.
If the Ranger organization wants to save their season, they must bring in a tough cop. Pat Burns would be perfect. So too would John Tortorella if he ever gets fired down in Tampa. It's more likely that Jim Schoenfeld takes over if the Rangers don't get a win tonight or on Brian Leetch night against Atlanta.
3.Speaking of which, how is it possible that the Rangers host the Thrashers twice in a row??? What are the schedule makers doing? If it were a traditional home-and-home like the games against the Bruins, that would make more sense. Give both fanbases a chance to see a rivalry formulate.
4.Rookie Nicklas Backstrom continues to play extremely well on the resurgent Caps who now are over .500 and just three points behind first place Carolina and the eighth seeded Islanders. The former 2006 Caps' fourth overall selection became the first rookie in league history to record back-to-back four assist games. He assisted on four Washington goals in a come from behind 6-5 shootout win over Pittsburgh last night. With nine goals and a team-leading 31 helpers, his 40 points place him second to only Chicago rookie forward Patrick Kane, who has 45 points (12-33-45).
Backstrom's strong play along with NHL-leading goalscorer Alexander Ovechkin (38 goals), the reemergence of Alexander Semin (5 goals in last four contests) and Mike Green (14-16-30; 14 pts in last 10 GP) have Bruce Boudreau's Caps thinking playoffs.
5.Now that John Ferguson, Jr.'s finally been giving his walking papers in Toronto, when does the Original Six franchise realize their problems are a lot more than just one executive???
6.Can anyone think of any good reason how Mats Sundin was passed over for the East?
7.If he gets the Bruins in the playoffs despite no Patrice Bergeron and other regulars out, does former Devil coach Claude Julien win the Jack Adams?
8.Tomas Vokoun's a good goalie but he's not better than Florida captain Olli Jokinen.
9.Remember when Bill Guerin was a bad move for the Islanders? How's that turning out?
10.Speaking of which, Dainius Zubrus: 47 games, seven goals. He's still got another five years left on his deal in New Jersey. Somehow, the Devils are still winning games. Brodeur and first-year coach Brent Sutter are the biggest reasons why.
Massive line overhaul for tonight's Ranger game
The Rangers kick off a two game series against the Atlanta Thrashers tonight at 7pm. Both games will be played at home for the Rangers, who badly need the four points. In order to achieve that, Tom Renney has changed three of the four lines.
Avery - Gomez - Jagr
Dawes - Dubinsky - Shanahan
Straka - Drury - Prucha
Orr - Betts - Hollweg
These lines do look good on paper, and I'm curious as to how they will work out. Sean Avery is a playmaker who will provide some physicality to the first line, be able to retreat on defense and feed Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez. Maybe a grinder is what the top line needs.
Brandon Dubinsky gets moved up to the second line and is kept with Nigel Dawes. Him and Dawes seem to have developed some chemistry, which is nice to see. Both of them will also be able to feed Brendan Shanahan to get the shot off.
Chris Drury being paired with Martin Straka also makes sense to me. Straka can feed Drury who can hopefully start scoring 7 million dollars worth of goals. Petr Prucha adds to the speed and can finish and pass as well.
The fourth line remains the same, and rightfully so. The defense is changed a little also though.
Tyutin - Girardi
Roszival - Malik
Strudwick - Staal
Both Marek Malik and Jason Strudwick in the game makes me a little nervous. Besides the god awful giveaway at the end of Sunday's game, Paul Mara has been playing much better of late. Maybe it's an eye opener for him, and he'll come back better. Maybe Glen Sather can try to move him or Malik at the deadline and bring in someone of equal talent that may click with Marc Staal or Michal Roszival.
Should be interesting to see how these lines work out. I'll weigh in later on.
Avery - Gomez - Jagr
Dawes - Dubinsky - Shanahan
Straka - Drury - Prucha
Orr - Betts - Hollweg
These lines do look good on paper, and I'm curious as to how they will work out. Sean Avery is a playmaker who will provide some physicality to the first line, be able to retreat on defense and feed Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez. Maybe a grinder is what the top line needs.
Brandon Dubinsky gets moved up to the second line and is kept with Nigel Dawes. Him and Dawes seem to have developed some chemistry, which is nice to see. Both of them will also be able to feed Brendan Shanahan to get the shot off.
Chris Drury being paired with Martin Straka also makes sense to me. Straka can feed Drury who can hopefully start scoring 7 million dollars worth of goals. Petr Prucha adds to the speed and can finish and pass as well.
The fourth line remains the same, and rightfully so. The defense is changed a little also though.
Tyutin - Girardi
Roszival - Malik
Strudwick - Staal
Both Marek Malik and Jason Strudwick in the game makes me a little nervous. Besides the god awful giveaway at the end of Sunday's game, Paul Mara has been playing much better of late. Maybe it's an eye opener for him, and he'll come back better. Maybe Glen Sather can try to move him or Malik at the deadline and bring in someone of equal talent that may click with Marc Staal or Michal Roszival.
Should be interesting to see how these lines work out. I'll weigh in later on.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Rangers in bad shape after weekend sweep
The New York Rangers dropped another game on Sunday to the same Boston Bruins that beat them 24 hours earlier. The only difference with Sunday's loss was that the Rangers didn't pick up a point in the standings.
Lackluster play and inability to get pucks past Tim Thomas translated into a 3-1 loss for the home team. Brandon Dubinsky scored the lone goal for the Blueshirts, with under a minute to play. Henrik Lundqvist looked a little shakey at times, and the offense stuggled getting anything going. The defense looked a little better, with Marek Malik back on the bench in favor of Jason Strudwick.
The big story after the game was that Tom Renney was openly upset with the team's play, something that hasn't been seen all season. Brendan Shanahan was non-existant in the team's last 20 minutes of play, being sat down to rest his various injuries.
Renney has stated that while he is disappointed in the team's play, he feels that the players on the team now are the players that he will win with. I have to agree. It's hard to imagine a team with Scott Gomez, Martin Straka, Jaromir Jagr, Shanahan, Chris Drury, Petr Prucha and Sean Avery not putting pucks in the net. If I were head coach of the Rangers, I would shake some things up, maybe to look like this:
The top line seems to be going now that Straka is healthy again, so leave that line alone. The second line is the line that's struggling. For whatever reason, Drury has not hit his stride yet in New York. Maybe playing with Shanahan has made him feel like he has to dish the puck off more rather than shoot it. Brandon Dubinsky's play of late has been stellar. Bump him up during his hot play and let him center Shanahan and Avery. Move Drury down to the third line and let him add some defense to a line that is mediocre defensively. Prucha and Dawes will benefit with Drury at the center, possibly creating more scoring opportunities. Fourth line remains the same as well. So to sum it up in a pretty little chart:
Straka - Gomez - Jagr
Shanahan - Dubinsky - Avery
Lackluster play and inability to get pucks past Tim Thomas translated into a 3-1 loss for the home team. Brandon Dubinsky scored the lone goal for the Blueshirts, with under a minute to play. Henrik Lundqvist looked a little shakey at times, and the offense stuggled getting anything going. The defense looked a little better, with Marek Malik back on the bench in favor of Jason Strudwick.
The big story after the game was that Tom Renney was openly upset with the team's play, something that hasn't been seen all season. Brendan Shanahan was non-existant in the team's last 20 minutes of play, being sat down to rest his various injuries.
Renney has stated that while he is disappointed in the team's play, he feels that the players on the team now are the players that he will win with. I have to agree. It's hard to imagine a team with Scott Gomez, Martin Straka, Jaromir Jagr, Shanahan, Chris Drury, Petr Prucha and Sean Avery not putting pucks in the net. If I were head coach of the Rangers, I would shake some things up, maybe to look like this:
The top line seems to be going now that Straka is healthy again, so leave that line alone. The second line is the line that's struggling. For whatever reason, Drury has not hit his stride yet in New York. Maybe playing with Shanahan has made him feel like he has to dish the puck off more rather than shoot it. Brandon Dubinsky's play of late has been stellar. Bump him up during his hot play and let him center Shanahan and Avery. Move Drury down to the third line and let him add some defense to a line that is mediocre defensively. Prucha and Dawes will benefit with Drury at the center, possibly creating more scoring opportunities. Fourth line remains the same as well. So to sum it up in a pretty little chart:
Straka - Gomez - Jagr
Shanahan - Dubinsky - Avery
Dawes - Drury - Prucha
Orr - Betts - Hollweg
The only thing I don't like about this scenario is that it is breaking up a line that seems to have found some chemistry in Dawes, Dubinsky and Prucha. One thing being thrown around is to move Drury back over to wing, but he has been our best faceoff man recently. If he were to move to wing, Avery would probably shift back to center, and he is not as good in the circle as Drury.
One thing that is evident is our need for another solid defenseman. Jason Strudwick and Marek Malik rotating isn't so bad, but it isn't ideal. I don't have any surefire solutions, and the only name that comes to mind is the expensive Mathieu Schneider. He will undoubtedly cost us in players and in salary, but would be great to have on the back line. Maybe we can find a solid d-man in someone no one would imagine. The top four are fine, and Paul Mara paired with a mediocre player isn't bad. I just want someone extremely defensive.
We will see what happens with this team in the coming weeks. Tomorrow and Thursday we take on another team that we should beat easily, if we show up. Atlanta is a good team, but not nearly as good as we have the potential to be. I'll check in with an update mid-day or early evening.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Malkin dominates Canadiens
The game of hockey isn't always about statistics. Sometimes, it's about great players elevating their games to lead their team to victory.
Precisely the type of quality game Pens' star forward Evgeni Malkin had in their 2-0 road shutout of the Canadiens on Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC). Without top star Sidney Crosby (ankle sprain), the 21 year-old Russian who won the Calder last season dominated the action in all facets. He might not have lit up the scoreboard in his team's bounceback victory to pull in front of the idle Devils for the Atlantic Division lead but the former 2004 first overall selection controlled the play in all three zones.
He also had a couple of tremendous plays which started in his own end and almost led to goals if not for some splendid goaltending by Montreal's Cristobal Huet. The first such play took place in the opening stanza when Malkin took a puck and then worked a give-and-go with Petr Sykora before going around Andrei Markov and flipping a backhand saucer pass to a cutting Sergei Gonchar. But a sprawling Huet thwarted the chance.
Even though the Pens didn't score on the play, the breathtaking end-to-end rush was replayed a few times on the HNIC feed as the broadcasters gushed.
On another shift, Malkin threaded the needle from his own blueline to string Sykora for a breakaway. Only two unreal Huet stops kept the puck out.
This was the kind of plays you'd expect from a player as physically gifted as the 21 year-old Malkin. However, it was his defensive prowess which helped seal the victory for his team.
With the desperate Habs pulling Huet for an extra attacker and under 60 ticks left, Malkin made two great defensive reads. First, he broke up a pass at center ice to interrupt a Montreal rush. The second play, he outraced a Canadien to a Sykora pass gliding by before flipping a backhand into a vacated net with 12.4 seconds remaining.
On a night when backup goalie Dany Sabourin was splendid in swatting aside all 31 Montreal shots for a shutout giving Ty Conklin the night off, it was Malkin who was his team's best player. Or as the 'casters noted, "Best player on the ice all game."
A night before when his linemate went down, he promised to step up. Malkin shifted back to his natural position of center logging big minutes (22:57 TOI) and didn't miss a beat. This was a statement game by a very talented player.
One who will continue to assume the leadership role with Sid The Kid out.
Precisely the type of quality game Pens' star forward Evgeni Malkin had in their 2-0 road shutout of the Canadiens on Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC). Without top star Sidney Crosby (ankle sprain), the 21 year-old Russian who won the Calder last season dominated the action in all facets. He might not have lit up the scoreboard in his team's bounceback victory to pull in front of the idle Devils for the Atlantic Division lead but the former 2004 first overall selection controlled the play in all three zones.
He also had a couple of tremendous plays which started in his own end and almost led to goals if not for some splendid goaltending by Montreal's Cristobal Huet. The first such play took place in the opening stanza when Malkin took a puck and then worked a give-and-go with Petr Sykora before going around Andrei Markov and flipping a backhand saucer pass to a cutting Sergei Gonchar. But a sprawling Huet thwarted the chance.
Even though the Pens didn't score on the play, the breathtaking end-to-end rush was replayed a few times on the HNIC feed as the broadcasters gushed.
On another shift, Malkin threaded the needle from his own blueline to string Sykora for a breakaway. Only two unreal Huet stops kept the puck out.
This was the kind of plays you'd expect from a player as physically gifted as the 21 year-old Malkin. However, it was his defensive prowess which helped seal the victory for his team.
With the desperate Habs pulling Huet for an extra attacker and under 60 ticks left, Malkin made two great defensive reads. First, he broke up a pass at center ice to interrupt a Montreal rush. The second play, he outraced a Canadien to a Sykora pass gliding by before flipping a backhand into a vacated net with 12.4 seconds remaining.
On a night when backup goalie Dany Sabourin was splendid in swatting aside all 31 Montreal shots for a shutout giving Ty Conklin the night off, it was Malkin who was his team's best player. Or as the 'casters noted, "Best player on the ice all game."
A night before when his linemate went down, he promised to step up. Malkin shifted back to his natural position of center logging big minutes (22:57 TOI) and didn't miss a beat. This was a statement game by a very talented player.
One who will continue to assume the leadership role with Sid The Kid out.
Rangers fall to Bruins in SO
It took 65 minutes and a shootout, but the Boston Bruins won this afternoon in Boston, 3-2. The game wasn't very offensive minded, saw few big hits and had plenty of weak penalties. All in all, let's hope tomorrow's rematch back in New York is a little more exciting.
Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr scored in regulation for the Rangers and Chuck Kobesew tallied twice for the B's. Phil Kessel and Zdeno Chara scored in the shootout, Chara's in the form of a slapshot from about 15 feet out in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist stopped 25 shots in regulation time, while Tim Thomas stopped 36 shots.
This was the first half of a weekend back to back, home and home matchup between the two teams. Tomorrow's matinee is on NBC, as they look to bring back the NHL game of the week. This is good news for the league, as several people may be tuning into NBC early to catch some early NFL shows, and could catch the tail end of a hockey game. The national exposure will be good, but we will undoubtedly be forced to sit through seemingly endless numbers of Tag body spray commercials, and play by play will not be done by Sam Rosen and Joe Michelletti.
The effort was close to being all there today, but the potential to be better is still there. The defense looked slow and out matched on several different occasions today. Maybe a minor move to bring in a little more competition than Jason Strudwick should be looked into. Maybe take a chance on Duvie Westcott, if only for another body, or bring up someone like David Liffiton or Ivan Baranka. Either way, the defense was better with Marc Staal playing with Michal Roszival, but with Marek Malik in the lineup, there's no way I'd like to see him playing with either Paul Mara or one of Fedor Tyutin or Dan Girardi.
As was seen today, Brendan Shanahan didn't receive any kind of penalty from the league regarding his cross check at the end of the Buffalo game. I thought it could have, and should have been a penalty, but that's it. There was no intent to injure, and it wasn't done on purpose. It was reckless and a minor penalty was all that was warrented.
Tomorrow will be busy for me as I have the Rangers at 12:30 and then the Giants vs the Packers. I also have to pack up to head back to school on Monday, so chances are good that I may not make it onto the computer until Monday night for a recap. I'll check in and update with anything pressing or if I have a free few minutes. Enjoy the hockey games, go Giants and cross your fingers for a San Diego upset. Until Monday...
Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr scored in regulation for the Rangers and Chuck Kobesew tallied twice for the B's. Phil Kessel and Zdeno Chara scored in the shootout, Chara's in the form of a slapshot from about 15 feet out in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist stopped 25 shots in regulation time, while Tim Thomas stopped 36 shots.
This was the first half of a weekend back to back, home and home matchup between the two teams. Tomorrow's matinee is on NBC, as they look to bring back the NHL game of the week. This is good news for the league, as several people may be tuning into NBC early to catch some early NFL shows, and could catch the tail end of a hockey game. The national exposure will be good, but we will undoubtedly be forced to sit through seemingly endless numbers of Tag body spray commercials, and play by play will not be done by Sam Rosen and Joe Michelletti.
The effort was close to being all there today, but the potential to be better is still there. The defense looked slow and out matched on several different occasions today. Maybe a minor move to bring in a little more competition than Jason Strudwick should be looked into. Maybe take a chance on Duvie Westcott, if only for another body, or bring up someone like David Liffiton or Ivan Baranka. Either way, the defense was better with Marc Staal playing with Michal Roszival, but with Marek Malik in the lineup, there's no way I'd like to see him playing with either Paul Mara or one of Fedor Tyutin or Dan Girardi.
As was seen today, Brendan Shanahan didn't receive any kind of penalty from the league regarding his cross check at the end of the Buffalo game. I thought it could have, and should have been a penalty, but that's it. There was no intent to injure, and it wasn't done on purpose. It was reckless and a minor penalty was all that was warrented.
Tomorrow will be busy for me as I have the Rangers at 12:30 and then the Giants vs the Packers. I also have to pack up to head back to school on Monday, so chances are good that I may not make it onto the computer until Monday night for a recap. I'll check in and update with anything pressing or if I have a free few minutes. Enjoy the hockey games, go Giants and cross your fingers for a San Diego upset. Until Monday...
Devs lose again, Pens lose game and Crosby plus a random thought
I didn't see a lot of it but the Devils managed to lose at home to the Panthers. That's like the Knicks losing to the Harlem Globetrotters. Even though if you've followed the Knicks at all, it actually could happen. But the Devs losing another bad Florida team who didn't even start All-Star netminder Tomas Vokoun is inexcusable.
That might also be why frustrated first-year coach Brent Sutter came away shaking his head after his first place club blew a one-goal lead after two periods by permitting a couple of Panther goals in a 1:17 span. It was the first time in 2007-08 his team lost after holding a lead after 40 minutes were played.
It happened when ex-Ranger Radek Dvorak notched his fifth off a loose rebound in front just 2:28 into the final stanza to tie it. Another solid shift by Florida generated David Booth's deciding tally 77 seconds later. Off a productive cycle, the second-year forward was positioned perfectly in front when a Ruslan Salei right point shot caromed off the back boards to him for his 13th.
The two quick goals were enough thanks to a 31 save effort from Anderson who stopped all seven Devil third period shots in notching only his second win in six starts this season. That included a key stop on the pesky Brian Gionta from about 15 feet out with about two and a half to go.
From there, the Panthers did a solid job outworking the normally gritty Devils by winning the puck battles along the boards. They didn't allow a quality NHL club to generate the kind of chances they needed late to force overtime.
It all added up to a career milestone for veteran coach Jacques Martin who became the 10th coach to win his 500th NHL game behind the bench. Congrats go out to him. The 500 are the second most on the active list with only former Ranger (current Calgary) coach Mike Keenan having more.
"I've been very fortunate to work in this league, the best league in the world and to have some good players to coach," a pleased Martin expressed to the Associated Press afterwards.
"Everybody was working hard tonight and it was good to see a turn for the better," Anderson said of the comeback win. "It's good to go against a future Hall of Famer, play head-to-head with him and get the win."
Not surprisingly, the classy Brodeur took time out to praise his counterpart.
"After not playing many games, he made some big saves," the future Hall of Famer pointed out. "This was a real bad loss for us. Up 1-0 in your building, you have to find a way to squeak it out."
As FSNY color analyst Chico Resch always says, it certainly wasn't Marty's fault. In fact, this was one of the best games he's played this season making several acrobatic highlight reel saves. Just ask Florida's Richard Zednik, who was robbed point blank by a sprawling Brodeur at least three times in the first two stanzas.
It's hard to say what was better. Brodeur's unreal stop on Zednik during the first with an open net where he somehow kicked out the puck with his legs at the last split second. Or was it the two-save sequence in the second where he denied the struggling Panther once in front on a backhand and then somehow like a cat made an amazing left glove save as the crowd stirred ripping the puck away like a cat.
Amazing stuff from one of the all-time greats.
Judge for yourself:
Brodeur amazing in defeat
He might've been on the losing side in finishing with 25 saves but he's never played better.
The Devs' only offense came from resurgent second-year pivot Travis Zajac, who found a Jamie Langenbrunner rebound for his fifth goal in the last seven 70 seconds into the second.
The problem right now for New Jersey is that leading scorer Zach Parise has gone dry. As usual, the 23 year-old kid's effort is there as he helped setup Zajac's goal and got a few chances himself. The North Dakota product just isn't burying his opportunities. He's now 0-for-8 in 2008 with his last goal coming in a 5-2 road defeat to the Islanders on Dec.29.
If you go back further though, Parise's goalscoring struggles are pretty evident. Since a two-goal four point night in a come from behind 4-3 home win over Boston, he's lit the lamp only twice in the last 18 contests.
That's just not enough from the Devs' best threat around the net. Especially with normally reliable veteran forwards John Madden and Jay Pandolfo shelved due to injuries.
Sooner or later, you figure the law of averages will catch up and Parise will get some breaks because he certainly works hard enough. When they do, the Devils will be tougher to deal with in a pivotal stretch which sees them have 14 of the next 17 at The Prudential Center.
The good news for the Devs was they didn't lose any ground in the division because the Pens were shutout by the Lightning 3-0 at home. Sidney Crosby left the game with a sprained ankle suffered in the first and previously unbeaten Ty Conklin was finally solved for three with ex-enforcer Andre Roy out of all people tallying once and setting up two other Bolts' goals.
Pittsburgh's record is 0-2-2 without Sid the Kid. They're obviously not going to have the 2006-07 Hart recipient for a while. So, this is a huge loss.
"Sid is a big part of that team," Vincent Lecavalier said after being held off the scoresheet and remaining in a three-way tie for the league lead in scoring with Crosby and Atlanta sniper Ilya Kovalchuk. "For them to win, someone else is going to have to lead, and I think (Evgeni) Malkin is going to have to do that."
"Right now, since we lost our leader and our captain, I'm going to try my best and raise my game," the second-year Russian star admitted after being kept off the scoresheet. "I'm going to try to do a little more."
Malkin is the Pens' second leading scorer with 52 points. He had been pretty hot lately with 12 goals and three helpers in the last 12 games before last night. The Pens will need the 2006-07 Calder winner to continue to step up.
The impact of Crosby's injury won't only be felt by his teammates but by the league as well due to the fact the All-Star Game is around the corner scheduled for Atlanta on January 27.
That's just great. The game's most popular player who easily was the leading vote getter seems certain to be unable to participate. Well, maybe that frees up a spot for his teammate Malkin, who should be going anyway.
The most important thing here is that No.87 recovers quickly in time to help his team get into the postseason for a second consecutive year. The last thing the league needs is a Pittsburgh second half collapse. Having the most marketable star player in the playoffs is very important. Especially for the game in the U.S. It would also help if rookie Patrick Kane somehow led a second half surge by Original Six Chicago. They won their second game in a row in a shootout over the Avs after a long winless streak.
And now for one final random thought on WFAN Devils' radio play-by-play man Matt Loughlin. I like Matty a lot and have even worked with him when he was a studio host between intermissions. A role which suited the likeable studio anchor well. The Matt and The Maven segments were classic. Even if you hated the Devs, you watched to see what they would say. Steve Cangialosi is boring.
They need Loughlin back between periods because to be perfectly frank, he's brutal to listen to calling these games. You can almost never tell what's happening. If a goal's about to be scored or if it's a save. There's almost no way to distinguish.
It's not Matt's fault because he's an employee of the Devils and tries his best to make the games exciting. And because of his awkward style, it's at the very least an interesting listen. Half the time I find myself chuckling at some of his calls.
He's just not a natural play-by-play announcer. This falls on the Devil organization. For whatever reason only known to GM Lou Lamoriello, John Hennessey was let go a couple of years ago. I don't really know what was wrong with the former River Rats' playcaller but he definitely wasn't as confusing as Loughlin.
Right now, the Devils have the worst radio broadcast in the entire league. It's flat out embarrassing that this is what airs on WFAN in New York. Do the hockey fans a big favor and put Loughlin back with Stan Fischler and find a real broadcaster.
It's for the best. Matt is just overmatched.
That might also be why frustrated first-year coach Brent Sutter came away shaking his head after his first place club blew a one-goal lead after two periods by permitting a couple of Panther goals in a 1:17 span. It was the first time in 2007-08 his team lost after holding a lead after 40 minutes were played.
It happened when ex-Ranger Radek Dvorak notched his fifth off a loose rebound in front just 2:28 into the final stanza to tie it. Another solid shift by Florida generated David Booth's deciding tally 77 seconds later. Off a productive cycle, the second-year forward was positioned perfectly in front when a Ruslan Salei right point shot caromed off the back boards to him for his 13th.
The two quick goals were enough thanks to a 31 save effort from Anderson who stopped all seven Devil third period shots in notching only his second win in six starts this season. That included a key stop on the pesky Brian Gionta from about 15 feet out with about two and a half to go.
From there, the Panthers did a solid job outworking the normally gritty Devils by winning the puck battles along the boards. They didn't allow a quality NHL club to generate the kind of chances they needed late to force overtime.
It all added up to a career milestone for veteran coach Jacques Martin who became the 10th coach to win his 500th NHL game behind the bench. Congrats go out to him. The 500 are the second most on the active list with only former Ranger (current Calgary) coach Mike Keenan having more.
"I've been very fortunate to work in this league, the best league in the world and to have some good players to coach," a pleased Martin expressed to the Associated Press afterwards.
"Everybody was working hard tonight and it was good to see a turn for the better," Anderson said of the comeback win. "It's good to go against a future Hall of Famer, play head-to-head with him and get the win."
Not surprisingly, the classy Brodeur took time out to praise his counterpart.
"After not playing many games, he made some big saves," the future Hall of Famer pointed out. "This was a real bad loss for us. Up 1-0 in your building, you have to find a way to squeak it out."
As FSNY color analyst Chico Resch always says, it certainly wasn't Marty's fault. In fact, this was one of the best games he's played this season making several acrobatic highlight reel saves. Just ask Florida's Richard Zednik, who was robbed point blank by a sprawling Brodeur at least three times in the first two stanzas.
It's hard to say what was better. Brodeur's unreal stop on Zednik during the first with an open net where he somehow kicked out the puck with his legs at the last split second. Or was it the two-save sequence in the second where he denied the struggling Panther once in front on a backhand and then somehow like a cat made an amazing left glove save as the crowd stirred ripping the puck away like a cat.
Amazing stuff from one of the all-time greats.
Judge for yourself:
Brodeur amazing in defeat
He might've been on the losing side in finishing with 25 saves but he's never played better.
The Devs' only offense came from resurgent second-year pivot Travis Zajac, who found a Jamie Langenbrunner rebound for his fifth goal in the last seven 70 seconds into the second.
The problem right now for New Jersey is that leading scorer Zach Parise has gone dry. As usual, the 23 year-old kid's effort is there as he helped setup Zajac's goal and got a few chances himself. The North Dakota product just isn't burying his opportunities. He's now 0-for-8 in 2008 with his last goal coming in a 5-2 road defeat to the Islanders on Dec.29.
If you go back further though, Parise's goalscoring struggles are pretty evident. Since a two-goal four point night in a come from behind 4-3 home win over Boston, he's lit the lamp only twice in the last 18 contests.
That's just not enough from the Devs' best threat around the net. Especially with normally reliable veteran forwards John Madden and Jay Pandolfo shelved due to injuries.
Sooner or later, you figure the law of averages will catch up and Parise will get some breaks because he certainly works hard enough. When they do, the Devils will be tougher to deal with in a pivotal stretch which sees them have 14 of the next 17 at The Prudential Center.
The good news for the Devs was they didn't lose any ground in the division because the Pens were shutout by the Lightning 3-0 at home. Sidney Crosby left the game with a sprained ankle suffered in the first and previously unbeaten Ty Conklin was finally solved for three with ex-enforcer Andre Roy out of all people tallying once and setting up two other Bolts' goals.
Pittsburgh's record is 0-2-2 without Sid the Kid. They're obviously not going to have the 2006-07 Hart recipient for a while. So, this is a huge loss.
"Sid is a big part of that team," Vincent Lecavalier said after being held off the scoresheet and remaining in a three-way tie for the league lead in scoring with Crosby and Atlanta sniper Ilya Kovalchuk. "For them to win, someone else is going to have to lead, and I think (Evgeni) Malkin is going to have to do that."
"Right now, since we lost our leader and our captain, I'm going to try my best and raise my game," the second-year Russian star admitted after being kept off the scoresheet. "I'm going to try to do a little more."
Malkin is the Pens' second leading scorer with 52 points. He had been pretty hot lately with 12 goals and three helpers in the last 12 games before last night. The Pens will need the 2006-07 Calder winner to continue to step up.
The impact of Crosby's injury won't only be felt by his teammates but by the league as well due to the fact the All-Star Game is around the corner scheduled for Atlanta on January 27.
That's just great. The game's most popular player who easily was the leading vote getter seems certain to be unable to participate. Well, maybe that frees up a spot for his teammate Malkin, who should be going anyway.
The most important thing here is that No.87 recovers quickly in time to help his team get into the postseason for a second consecutive year. The last thing the league needs is a Pittsburgh second half collapse. Having the most marketable star player in the playoffs is very important. Especially for the game in the U.S. It would also help if rookie Patrick Kane somehow led a second half surge by Original Six Chicago. They won their second game in a row in a shootout over the Avs after a long winless streak.
And now for one final random thought on WFAN Devils' radio play-by-play man Matt Loughlin. I like Matty a lot and have even worked with him when he was a studio host between intermissions. A role which suited the likeable studio anchor well. The Matt and The Maven segments were classic. Even if you hated the Devs, you watched to see what they would say. Steve Cangialosi is boring.
They need Loughlin back between periods because to be perfectly frank, he's brutal to listen to calling these games. You can almost never tell what's happening. If a goal's about to be scored or if it's a save. There's almost no way to distinguish.
It's not Matt's fault because he's an employee of the Devils and tries his best to make the games exciting. And because of his awkward style, it's at the very least an interesting listen. Half the time I find myself chuckling at some of his calls.
He's just not a natural play-by-play announcer. This falls on the Devil organization. For whatever reason only known to GM Lou Lamoriello, John Hennessey was let go a couple of years ago. I don't really know what was wrong with the former River Rats' playcaller but he definitely wasn't as confusing as Loughlin.
Right now, the Devils have the worst radio broadcast in the entire league. It's flat out embarrassing that this is what airs on WFAN in New York. Do the hockey fans a big favor and put Loughlin back with Stan Fischler and find a real broadcaster.
It's for the best. Matt is just overmatched.
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