Lundqvist makes statement in badly needed win

Any Ranger fan can tell you who the real leader of this team is. In what's been the most challenging stretch of his career, Henrik Lundqvist manned up after yesterday's no show, taking everyone to task. In backstopping the Rangers to a badly needed 5-2 win over the Islanders in the Coliseum rematch, it was the King who stepped up, finishing with 35 saves- finally snapping the team's five-game winless streak (0-3-2).   On an emotional day that began with a shouting match between healthy scratch Wade Redden and coach John Tortorella, the Rangers got back in the win column thanks to Lundqvist's heroics that included 14 saves in a lopsided first period that saw the host Islanders do everything but finish.

“It is late December and the important thing is for us to become a team and play as a team and play for one another,” a relieved Tortorella said. “I don’t think we’ve gotten there yet.”

Much like last night, they dominated early, outshooting their bitter rival 14-4. The trouble was Henrik wasn't cooperating, stopping the Isles in their tracks. Aided by the game's first two power plays, they built an early 9-zip edge. But a razor sharp Lundqvist wouldn't allow them to get a lead, flat out robbing Rob Schremp with a great leg save. It set the tone for the rest of the night in which his teammates eventually relaxed, even scoring twice in the troublesome first.

The entire first half of the stanza saw the common theme of the Islanders playing solid D while attacking at every opportunity. However, a Mark Streit holding minor handed the Rangers a power play. Though they took the collar in two chances at MSG, the PP had shown some life. A resurgent Ryan Callahan opened the scoring when he buried a Marian Gaborik feed in front with 6:24 left to give his team the lead. At that point, the Islanders held a 12-2 SOG edge but were behind. Amazingly, the Rangers came out with a two-goal lead when a stunning event took place.

Invisible captain Chris Drury- who many including us wanted made an example of along with a furious Tinman- actually showed a pulse by doing something he hadn't done since Oct.19 when things were much better. Yes, he scored a goal. The play was started by Michal Rozsival, who justified Tortorella's faith in him by playing by far his best game of the season. The much maligned defenseman who's the only one along with Lundqvist left from the 2005-06 post lockout team, made a great outlet to setup a two-on-one. Sean Avery's low shot rebounded off Dwayne Roloson right to Drury, who deposited it for just his third 4:50 later, emphatically pumping his fist in a rare show of emotion. At that point, I looked at my Dad and knew they were winning. Even if my brother wanted them to lose to see if the rumor of Slats getting the hook was true. Something I never bought anyway. Especially with the holiday roster freeze.

“It’s happened a lot of times in this building. They come out flying and we have a tough time settling in,” Lundqvist pointed out. “It was important for me personally, and for the team, to stay in there. I don’t know how we had the lead after the first period, but we did.”

Despite three penalties including an undisciplined bench minor which they killed off thanks in large part to Lundqvist, the Rangers led by two into what had to be a much calmer locker room. They had to know they were fortunate to be up. As both astute Islander 'casters Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe alluded to, their team could easily have been up 2 or 3-0. But not today thanks to the goalie, who played like a true captain. His big saves allowed teammates to gain confidence. With them still on a man-advantage, Callahan got his second only 27 seconds in when he took a Gaborik feed and came out of the corner untouched to stuff one past Roloson. It was his fourth in four games and fifth of the month. If there has been one positive, the alternate captain had been steadily improving. Now, he's getting rewarded and actually is up to nine goals. Second behind the Great Gabby.

Trailing by three, the Islanders didn't quit getting one back from Andrew MacDonald, who took a Streit pass and beat Lundqvist high glove for his first career NHL goal, slicing it to 3-1 with still more than half left. But in another good period in which they outshot the Rangers 14-12, the home club couldn't draw any nearer due to the goalie, who was at his best in the late minutes of the second, highlighted by a nice sliding stop of a Trent Hunter tip try from in front. This is what hadn't been happening during this stretch. But it also had to feel nice to actually have three goals on the scoreboard for just the fifth time in the last month.

The Rangers also played with more edge, making Islanders pay for coming near their meal ticket with even Rozsival getting involved. A refreshing change. Dan Girardi threw his weight around nailing Isles every chance he got and even Drury had a good clean hit. The ruggedness led to a five-on-three early in the third which they cashed. Already on the PP, after Lundqvist had closed the door on a Blake Comeau shorthanded bid, there was pushing and shoving. Frans Nielsen didn't like that Rozsival and Vinny Prospal shoved him away from Lundqvist, coming back with a punch with his glove on. It led to a scrum which resulted in one more Islander in the box. Though Rose and Jaffe had a point about how three Isles wound up in against two Rangers with Prospal somehow not while Mike Del Zotto was (huh), the original was going to Nielsen, which is why they came out ahead. On the ensuing PP, Prospal dished across for Gaborik, who buried his league-leading 24th, restoring a three-goal lead. Callahan drew an assist.

Finally in control, the Rangers added one more for insult when rookie Artie Anisimov abused Freddy Meyer and John Tavares for his first goal since Nov.23. The lanky Russian had fallen out of favor and been relegated to fourth line status. But all night, he played hard and finally got rewarded. Off a play started by Girardi, Anisimov took a Callahan drop pass and then went around Meyer powering his way toward the net before stuffing the puck past Roloson with Tavares in the background. A similar highlight reel goal to the two he scored in preseason versus Boston and Detroit. Amazingly, his six markers tie him with Prospal and deserving scratch Ales Kotalik for third most. Makes one wonder what he could do with more minutes.

“We played well, but Lundqvist obviously had one of his better games," a disappointed Tavares lamented after being held off the score sheet. “We played hard. It’s a little frustrating because this one we thought we could’ve had.”

To the Islanders' credit, they didn't give up. A nifty Nielsen redirect of an Andy Sutton shot got them within 5-2 with 4:46 remaining. Despite some solid pressure, it was as close as they got thanks to the game's First Star. Lundqvist. The passionate man who deserves the 'C.'

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Michal Rozsival, NYR (2 assists, 2 hits, 2 blocked shots, takeaway, +1 in game best 26:37)
2nd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (2-2-4, 1st career four-pt game, 4 SOG in 20:26)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (35 saves incl.14/14 in 1st, 27/28 1st 40 minutes)

Kotalik and Tinman scratched, Christensen/Sangs in

For once, a Ranger coach is following up words with action. Whether it's enough of a message remains to be seen for tonight's Islander rematch at The Coliseum. John Tortorella has made examples of Ales Kotalik and Wade "Tinman" Redden, who both are scratched. In their place will be Erik Christensen and rookie D Bobby Sanguinetti, who actually gets to play and not waste away in this three in four stretch. Does this mean actual ice-time for Heineken? We can only hope.

I'm only wondering why Michal Rozsival and Captain Titanic get a pass. Though you could argue that Wozy actually played harder the past couple of games, earning more ice-time than Tinman. But has he really been worse? Rozsival has sucked this season while Redden improved before missing time. So, you actually have to ask if he's justified in being upset by this move. Regardless, close pal Joe McDonald informs us that MSG Ranger producer Joe Whelan overheard Tort chewing out Tinman during the morning skate.

Did You Know? Kotalik was a good tennis player who nearly went pro. If only he had. Don't worry. He's signed for three years at $3 M per with a no-trade. Pure genius.

Still not buying that Slats rumor. Even if true, they'd probably win to spoil it.

Jarkko Ruutu Boarding Hit on Patrick Kaleta - Dec 16th 2009 (HD Slow-Mo View)

Jarkko Ruutu is one of the cheapest players in the game. That he victimized another one makes it interesting. The 5:00 boarding was the right call. But you can see Lindy visibly upset wondering why he wasn't tossed.

Of course, Campbell didn't suspend Ruutu.

Tortorella Wears Emotion On Sleeves

If there's one thing we admire about Ranger coach John Tortorella, it's that he really cares. With his team going through the motions during yet another loss- this time 2-1 to the hated Islanders, the fiery coach predictably lost it in the MSG postgame press conference.

On the dreadful first period that saw his team outshot 10-3:

“Absolutely unacceptable. I have no explanation for how we started. I wish I could give you one.”

On the Islander fluky goal which they got off hard work:

“That we don’t get.. It’s horse [crap] coverage around the corners. He just brings it around the net and it’s a fluky goal, but we don’t get them.”

What must be done?

“I’ll tell you right now, the thing that’s unacceptable about tonight’s game- and we’re trying to stay positive around here, trying to work out way through it- but when we play like [garbage] like that for 20 minutes, in a game like this, in a back-to-back situation, it’s unacceptable. ... it is simply unacceptable. And there has to be something done. We’ll see, along the way here, before tomorrow night’s game, where we go with it. It’s simply unacceptable how we start that game. I wish I could give you a ____ explanation for it. I can’t.”

There you have it. The question heading into tonight's rematch over on The Meadowbrook is will Tort back up his strong words? Larry Brooks had a couple of good write ups in today's Post, including one on how the coach must take action. Make examples of underachieving veterans not earning their keep (Drury, Kotalik, Redden, Rozsival). Bobby Sanguinetti is available for the next two games. If he doesn't, then he's just as soft as previous coaches here. With the team going through its worst stretch (17 losses in last 21) since pre-lockout, the coach's ass is on the line. Even if it doesn't seem fair, when a team continues to lose, that's what usually happens.

It's not all Tortorella's fault. Glen Sather set him up to fail. Same theme that finally cost Tom Renney his job. However, the former Lightning Cup winning coach did have a say in the current roster, opting to let key parts like Blair Betts and Freddy Sjostrom go for what's become no fourth line. Did he really want Enver Lisin for Lauri Korpikoski? And what of the deadline deal that got us Derek Morris for Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha? Both of whom have found themselves. Was it worth it? There's also the line inconsistencies which probably have his own personnel confused. If Artem Anisimov is not going to get decent minutes, send him down. It's not good for his confidence.

There's also the matter of when Henrik Lundqvist will ever get a night off. On a team that's scored two-or-less in 17 of the last 21, he's feeling the pressure. How else to explain some of the clunkers he's permitted? When you have so little support, it tightens the noose. It's clearly getting to him. For all our criticism of Henrik, at least he cares. The man always is accountable and last night, took the entire team to task including himself. Maybe they're right. Perhaps it's our goalie who's the real leader of the room. Why not strip Drury? Of course, goalies usually aren't captains but Roberto Luongo is in Vancouver. On a roster that's had plenty of turnover, Lundqvist has been a constant since the lockout, putting the franchise back on the map. When he talks, people listen. It sure couldn't hurt.

So, what can we expect later? I don't know. It would at least be refreshing to see the Blueshirts wear the jersey with pride and push back against the Islanders, who always bring it in these games. Even if it's lost some of its luster as was evidenced by the lack of passion in the stands, it still means something. Their season is hanging by a thread with it not getting easier this weekend when they visit Philly. Have they given up entirely or will they show some life?


Regarding the rumor on Boomer and Carton that if they lose again, Slats will lose his job. Until there's some credence in other reliable places, we don't buy it. Even if he finally does get the ax, does any Ranger fan really think an inexperienced Mark Messier would be a suitable replacement? He's become just another suit. The Good Old Boys Club never works. If he's hired, then you know who's calling the shots.

Devils squeeze out another late win against Habs

While the Devils are often accused of being boring, last night's game with Montreal was actually one of the quietest games of the season - and that isn't just because of the barely 12,000 plus in attendance. Between Jacques Lemaire's now-obsessive line-matching which has completely made Zach Parise and Travis Zajac dissapear...sigh, and the usual neutral-zone trap (lack of) offense from a Jacques Martin team, perhaps the game's lack of action was inevitable.

True, the Devils did manage to win once again - 2-1 on a late Patrik Elias goal, and at this point of the year you'll still take the two points, but now the way we're winning is bothering me a little. Not so much because of the dissapearance of our former top line but more because of a philosophy that's continually failed in the playoffs post-lockout. While it's true Lemaire has tried to stay aggressive and up-tempo offensively and the power play has been much better this season (until last night anyway), coaching defensively does not work in the post-lockout NHL.

Parise and Zajac more than proved they can handle playing against other top lines early in the season when Jay Pandolfo and Rob Niedermayer were on the shelf, why go back to the old, slow checking line which is so pre-lockout? Don't get me wrong, I like Robbie Nieds and Jamie Langenbrunner being on the third line from time to time at least gives it some hope for offense, but come on.

Anyway, end rant (for now) - especially since it's still only December and I was hoping not to play Parise and Zajac twenty plus minutes a night in the regular season. Just not the way we're going about it. Let's get to some good news, as in the win itself which upped the Devils' record to 23-8-1, moving them back into a tie for the division lead with two games in hand over the Penguins. What's more, the Devils and Penguins are putting some considerable distance between themselves and the other three teams in the division, all struggling to tread water right now. It is still early though, the Devils themselves made up a nineteen-point deficit in January during the '05-06 season.

Early on it seemed as if the story of the game would be the Devils' power play, and not in a good way. With no fewer than four power play chances in the first period (including a minute-long two-man advantage) the Devils not only failed to score but actually fell behind on one of those failed power plays when Langenbrunner couldn't keep a bouncing puck in the zone and Montreal's Travis Moen streaked down the ice on a two-on-one. Instead of passing, Moen snuck a backhand through Martin Brodeur at 12:23, giving Montreal a 1-0 lead.

Despite the fact that the Devils outshot the Canadiens in every period, there was very little in terms of action, especially during the first two periods. I couldn't understand why until I remembered Martin was behind the Montreal bench, then it hit me like a lightbulb. Granted, we have to take some of the blame too for all of our botched power plays (five total on the night), and during the first two periods our fourth line actually looked the best of all of them and were rewarded with a weird goal late in the second.

Illka Pikkaranen took a shot that beat Carey Price two different times - the first going off the post, the second when the puck bounced back toward Price and off his skate, finally going into the net for Pikkaranen's first career NHL goal. To the crowd's credit he got a nice ovation when that fact was announced over the PA at 16:25. Linemates Dean McAmmond and Rod Pelley also appeared on the scoresheet for a rare time with assists.

Now tied after two periods, the Canadiens seemed content to play for overtime and sat back as the Devils outshot them 10-3 in the third, though getting few real eye-popping chances in the process. Inevitably the game slogged on towards overtime - until more Elias magic in the clutch with just 2:36 remaining. After taking a Brian Rolston pass and firing on goal, Elias corraled the rebound and backhanded a second opportunity past Price for his seventh goal of the year, one that proved to be decisive. Fellow linemate Vladimir Zharkov also was credited with an assist on the goal. Finally forced to open it up, the Canadiens provided a couple of anxious moments late but perhaps a barely deserved result was secured when the Devils held on for that 2-1 win.

Given how quiet last night was, I almost forgot to write about the quasi-return of Scott Gomez. True, Gomez has come back to the Rock before - but this was the first time since the Rangers traded him out of the area after just two seasons on a seven-year deal. That actually looks to be one of the few smart moves Glen Sather's made (the trading, not the seven-year deal) for Gomez has been practically useless in his first season as a Hab with sixteen points in 31 games and a -2.

While the uniform has changed, the crowd's venom hasn't, even puzzling Brodeur in the postgame and Brodeur hated Gomez leaving for the Rangers as much as anyone. As far as the other prominent ex-Devil in a Montreal sweater now, Brian Gionta was hurt and not even announced as a scratch, I guess because he got put on long-term IR and we don't have to do that this year because we have cap space. Hopefully Gio will be back for the Habs' other trip here in late January.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Patrik Elias (goal, +1)
2. Travis Moen (goal, +1)
3. Illka Pikkaranen (goal)

The Buck Stops Here

After tonight, I've had enough. A classic rivalry it wasn't, lacking in intensity on the ice from our flat team and in the stands where I didn't see one fight or heated debate between Ranger and Islander fans. Perhaps that's cause anyone wearing our jersey held their head in shame. I can honestly say this is one of the worst games I've ever attended and am embarrassed to root for this team.

There's zero pride. With only one shot in the first 17 minutes, the players showed that they don't care. To think I actually went in more optimistic than my brother, who didn't have any juice for it which isn't like him. He's usually more enthusiastic. The feeling at least for me was that off the last two games, the Rangers would actually come out and play well against their most bitter rival. Instead, it was not hockey. Oh. One team competed, forechecking with vigor and attacking at will against our putrid D, which looked like they'd never played organized hockey. Or as much as I have. They were dreadful.

Once another garbage player (Jon Sim) banked one in off Henrik Lundqvist, who obviously wasn't paying attention, it didn't take long for fans to turn on the club. The first "Fire Sather" chants of the season came from our Section 411, gaining steam as this debacle went on. Sadly, the Berkeley Carroll girls varsity blowout win we scored in Park Slope had more energy. And it wasn't exactly a barn burner.

The most interesting aspect of going wasn't what was happening on the ice but rather a lengthy chat with an anonymous Garden employee, who's been there 19 years. They talked about how disgusted they were with how the World's Most Shameless arena is run, going into how Dolan destroyed the place and the three franchises. Yes. That includes the Liberty too. According to what they described, it used to be that every MSG employee was happy and getting paid handsomely. But the way its run these days has taken a toll. That's what happens when it goes corporate. I got a little taste of some of the stench between periods, where a scummy loser disagreed that the game was over. They probably couldn't name one player on the roster.
Also worth noting is how they went out of their way to trash Bettman for ruining the game. And like yours truly, they concurred that the lockout, which others blindly praise solely for the cap was a hoax because it just fattened owners' pockets while real fans are routinely shafted these days. It didn't take long for the convo to reach the whole renovation, which will once again phase out diehards. Right now, it's nearly 40 bucks to sit in nosebleeds for a sad sack team that has quit on the coach, who's out to lunch. How else do you explain Huggy Bear seeing second line duty down a goal? Wow.

I hate to say it. But when Dolan's dream is completed, the Garden will become one of the lamest places because they want losers there who couldn't tell the difference between a puck and a basketball. That's who it's geared towards. The suits and leggy Ford Models who get the royal treatment. At least Melissa Joan Hart was sitting downstairs. Sabrina Teenage Witch will always be one of our faves. Still looks great for being a Mom. I might have been the only one to cheer but hey, I have good taste.

By the 11 minute mark of period three, I'd had enough. I kept hoping for a whistle so I could just get up and leave because it was that bad. Full marks to the Isles, who played the way one expected. Like they wanted to get their second win in the last six to move two points up on our sinking ship. At 1-zip, I knew they weren't winning. The players couldn't test Dwayne Roloson at all, turning the Islander D into the Devils. Every Islander hustled, sacrificing to block shots and make it tough on our guys. By the time I got to the car, it was 2-1 with Blake Comeau supposedly victimizing Lundqvist before Enver Lisin actually did something, snapping the shutout. It didn't matter. This team is every bad adjective I can think of. Some which I can't post in this space. It's not worth it anyway.

As I left the building, I decided I don't want to go anymore. If we can sell my seat for next week's Islander game after Christmas and so forth, great. I'll go if I really have to. Let's put it this way. This Ranger team doesn't deserve any support. If we can make money back on this despicable product, no prob. I can catch the games on the tube with usual rose colored Red, White and Blue coming out of the brainwashed announcers. That's what you're dealing with. Bottom line. If my tix sell, I won't be at another hockey game the rest of the season. My stance is simple. Until there are serious changes, I won't voluntarily go. Am considering supporting the alma mater St. John's who takes on Hofstra in an all city ECAC showdown this weekend. Haven't seen the Johnnies in ages. And they're off to a nice start. Granted. Not against stellar comp but still encouraged.

I've seen plenty of hockey games anyway. Tonight wasn't one. The buck stops here!

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Blake Comeau, NYI (GWG-2nd goal of season, 3 SOG, +1 in 13:19)
2nd Star-Jon Sim, NYI (goal, 5 SOG, +1 in 11:20)
1st Star-Dwayne Roloson, NYI (25 saves)

Classic Rivalry Renewed Next Two Days

'Tis the holiday season. If you're a metro area fan, then you're in for a real treat over the next 48 hours. One of the best rivalries renews as the Islanders and Rangers get together for a classic home-and-home series, which starts tonight at MSG with the rematch at The Coliseum tomorrow night.

Both clubs are struggling with the Rangers losers of seven of eight and the Islanders entering having dropped four of five, including a 7-1 home shellacking at the hands of Florida. Ironically, each New York team are virtually tied in a crowded East with 31 points, joining the Flyers, Maple Leafs and Bolts a couple of points behind Montreal and Florida. So, there's plenty at stake when the puck drops. It'll be games 2 and 3 of the six-game season series. The Isles prevailed in the first one 3-1 back on Oct.28 with prize rookie John Tavares finishing off the big win off the Meadowbrook. Dwayne Roloson made 34 stops. How ironic. It was a hint of things to come for the Blueshirts, who have scored two or less 16 of the past 20. Part of the reason for a dreadful slump. Even when they play well as was the case the other night and Saturday, it's not enough.

Who wants it more? Well, these games are certainly important as is this holiday stretch because if one continues the downward spiral, they could play themselves out of the race. We'll be in our Sec.411 Row F seats wearing a blue Ranger Sundstrom. Come by.

Paging The Flyers

Apparently, the Flyers forgot to set their alarm clocks for 7 against Sid The Kid, Geno and those fancy Penguins at Mellon Arena. What an awful performance and on Versus no less. The Cheesesteaks got trounced 6-1 with Crosby notching a goal and two helpers while both Malkin and Jordan Staal scored shorthanded, including Geno's exclamation point with 1:21 left. On the play, three Flyers backed up and watched Malkin victimize poor netminder Brian Boucher.

This ain't the hockey we're used to from Broad Street. Of course, we missed a wild first that featured four goals (3-1 Pit) and three scraps. Oh darn. But we did painfully watch a lifeless Philly team allow the talented Pens to do whatever they wanted. Sadly, Boucher held them in most of the second until a brutal sequence that saw Scott Hartnell pass on a shot from the slot, turning it over which allowed Pitt to comeback the other way. Staal rebounded home a Kris Letang shot, making it 4-1 with 15 seconds remaining. Against a team with shaky confidence, it was over. Hartnell also later took a very unnecessary minor penalty which Darren Eliot chewed him out for. That's when you know it's bad cause he doesn't go out of his way too often.

The Pens added two more in an uncompetitive third. That both were highlight variety had something to do with the pedestrian Flyer D which kept backing up, allowing for Malkin to make a perfect drop to Ruslan Fedotenko, who rifled one home. And then there was the electrifying Conn Smythe winner abusing a trio of Flyers before firing a perfect laser past Boucher shortside. It could easily have been 9 or 10. What happened to the big bad Philly D led by Chris Pronger? And why was there so much operating room with way too much of a gap between the defense and forwards? Yikes.

Okay. So maybe they miss Simon Gagne, who's expected back later this week. However, the blueline is pretty healthy with Pronger, last night's hero in Beantown Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle and emerging Ryan Parent. What's the problem? They already canned John Stevens and hired championship caliber Peter Laviolette, who thus far is two up and five down. Not exactly reassuring. We've heard there's a divide in the room. Whether it's between captain Mike Richards and Pronger, who knows? A rumor even circulated earlier today that a player was having an affair. Who knows? What they can at least take solace in is how mediocre the bottom of the conference is with so many teams piled up for those final couple of spots. If this underperforming talented club rights itself, they should be fine.

The good news is they play the Rangers at Wachovia Saturday afternoon. The bad is they host the Pens in a rematch Thursday. Maybe they just need Rocky to inspire them.

A Wild 3rd Jersey Plus A Telling Quote

I was thinking about getting a Mikko Koivu Minnesota Wild third jersey. NHL.com is selling it for $114 and change without customization, which runs another 50+ hiking it to about 170 plus shipping. This is the premier year of Minny's traditional hockey 3rd and to be honest, we love it. It's a nice color forest green with white and looks good. A sharp jersey and probably one of the better alternates IMHO.

Why the Wild? Well, I like them. Especially Koivu, who flies under the radar as one of the better overall players in the game. Why? Because of who he plays for, which only happens to be a great hockey town that deservedly got another team. Since a dreadful start, they've been playing better with even Martin Havlat contributing with a recent OT winner over Calgary and three points in a tough 4-3 defeat to Vancity. Maybe the gifted Czech is finally 100 percent, which would be nice for my fantasy team that's hanging in there. Just picked up Jimmy Howard too. Now, if only Cam Ward could win. :P

Anyway, I probably will get the jersey even though it costs. I haven't gotten one in a while with my last being a Russian letter Ovechkin. As for the telling quote, it's provided by veteran Wild pivot Eric Belanger after his team defeated the Flames in a game they outshot Jarome Iginla & Co. 46-23:

“They still got a point. That is so sad.”

Of course, he's referring to the silly point system that rewards losing teams no matter what. The flipside is that one can argue that Miikka Kiprusoff earned his team a point. Maybe it's just us but we prefer the old system that gave you two for a win and none for a loss regardless. It would separate the pile up we got in the East minus Carolina. You really think Bettman Inc. will reverse it? They love parity because it makes for more intriguing playoff races, keeping more teams in the hunt come February/March. Sure. This post comes on the heels of the Rangers losing a tough one last night in which they outshot Atlanta 48-27. They deserved two but fell in the gimmick which really made it feel like a loss.

I know it's not going anywhere anytime soon. But what if we had the old system in place? Wouldn't more teams go for it in regulation? Of course, you'd still have ties. But don't teams want to win? It really would put more emphasis on getting two points, separating the contenders from the pretenders. Oh well. Sure makes ya wonder.

Rangers victimized in skill comp

It doesn't seem to matter anymore. Even when they play their best game registering a season best 48 shots, the Rangers still can't come away with the all important 'W.' For a second consecutive game, the home club battled hard against a more skilled opponent but could only muster the magic No.2, which made it something like 20 straight games. I'm too tired to look it up. I scored two bball games in Park Slope on little rest. Then listened to the second and caught the rest with Pop.

There's no doubt they deserved better against the Thrashers. Same as Saturday's disappointment versus Buffalo in which they got zilch. Who cares if they earned a point? With how crowded the bottom of the East is, it's imperative to get two points. This time, the lousy skill comp didn't aid us with Ilya Kovalchuk and Slava Kozlov beating Henrik Lundqvist while the league's leading finisher Marian Gaborik and Ales Kotalik couldn't beat Johan Hedberg.

The Rangers had plenty of chances after the Great Gabby slammed home his 23rd on the rejuvenated power play off a scintillating pass from Mike Del Zotto, who also setup Ryan Callahan's seventh. Even Michal Rozsival played well, finding the seam three times but his 'mates couldn't finish. Most notably Chris Higgins, whose backhand on a mini-break was thwarted with a couple of minutes to spare in regulation. Brandon Dubinsky finally returned after a 13-game absence from a broken hand. He got plenty of ice-time (24+) and looked decent between Gaborik and Higgins while Vinny Prospal anchored the second line. But the third-year Alaskan pivot missed a point blank chance, firing too high after being sent in.

For the second straight game, the Blueshirts permitted a shorthanded goal. Last game, it was little rascal Patrick Kaleta burning them. This time, Colby Armstrong took advantage of a Del Zotto miscue, surprising Lundqvist with a laser far side, extending to a four-game goal streak. Imagine that happening here. Armstrong is a third liner on a good Atlanta offensive team. Lundqvist was too close to the goalpost, leaving Colby too much room. DZ over skated. Unfortunately, you live with those rookie mistakes. Especially from a kid as physically gifted as the Calder hopeful, who at least atoned later with an absolutely brilliant cross-ice feed to the Big Ticket for a gimme that forced overtime.

Despite some interesting four-on-four, nothing was decided leaving yet another valuable point to the shootout. Both Swedish netminders entered 2-0 this season but it was the elder statesman who prevailed. After Gaborik's wrister was stopped by an aggressive Moose, Kovalchuk put on a bunch of fancy moves before deking Henrik out of his jock. A great goal by a special player but Henrik needed to be more aggressive,  taking himself out of position by going down. Something that must be corrected. Still, without some superb goaltending from him on a two-man advantage late in which the trio of Dubi, Higgins and Wade Redden shined, they don't even reach that point. Kudos to Lundqvist for standing up and making some critical stops.

As soon as the puck slid off the waste of space Kotalik, you knew it was over. Especially with one of the best shooters, Slava Kozlov up. The crafty Russian vet surprised Lundqvist with a quick wrister. Normally, he dekes forehand wide or backhand. But it was a wise choice by the former Cup champ, sealing the extra point for an Atlanta team that only got 27 on net. Twenty-one less than a Ranger team that gave a great effort. Even if the place was half empty according to our close pal who went in our place, you could hear the "Let's Go Rangers" chants during that inspired PK. All it takes for our fans to support them is that kind of yeoman work. Something they've done the last two games, combining for 86 shots. If only someone other than Gaborik put the puck in consistently.

Normally, my recaps are more detail oriented. But with me being exhausted, I summed it up quickly. I'll now provide some quotes from John Tortorella, Lundqvist and Chris Drury.

Tort: “Other than six or seven minutes at the beginning of that second period, I thought we played a good hockey game.  We just have to keep on trying to build on it.  We have to get over the hump of that second goal.  We had our chances to score our third one but we didn’t get it done.  We have a lot of good things to build off of.”

Henrik: “I don’t think it matters who we are playing right now.  We have to see every game as an opportunity for us to turn this around.  We have to keep pushing each other to have the energy that you need to win a hockey game.  You can’t walk around and feel sorry for yourself.  All of the guys have to work together.”

  Drury  “We’ve got to keep doing the right things, keep playing like we’re playing.  48 shots and I think we got 38 last game – if we keep getting over 30 shots something’s going to give here.”

Look. There's no denying that they've played much better the last two yet were only rewarded with one point. They're all saying similar things which have been echoed before. Until this team breaks out, it's going to be like a dark storm cloud hanging over their heads. Lundqvist is feeling the pressure. You can see it. So are guys who aren't scoring. One game where they get three or four and a win could go a long way. The Islanders are coming in Wednesday fresh off a 7-1 beating at the hands of the Panthers for a fourth loss in five. You know they're going to be angry. It doesn't take much when they're playing the Rangers, who must match their intensity. A game we'll be at which should be interesting. These games are always fun. Can our guys come out on top? See ya at Gotham Wednesday!

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (25 saves incl.13/13 in 2nd)
2nd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (PPG/assist, 5 SOG, game high 6 hits, TK/BS in 23:35)
1st Star-Johan Hedberg, Atl (46 saves incl.18/19 in 2nd and 2/2 in skill comp)

Devils cruise past reeling Flyers at the Rock

After Friday's uneven performance against Scott Clemmensen and the Panthers, I thought maybe the schedule of seven games in eleven nights was catching up to the Devils. Even though the Flyers have been struggling big-time I figured eventually they were due for a good one themselves, not to mention they were 2-0 against us so far this year going into yesterday's matchup. So needless to say I was a little worried about last night's game.

Then the Devils proceeded to have perhaps their most dominant period of the season, doing what championship teams do and stomping on a struggling team early - to the tune of three first-period goals, which proved more than enough against the sinking Flyers as New Jersey coasted to a 4-1 win.

Early on the tone was set by one of the youngest Devils, when on a power play Nicklas Bergfors came into the zone with speed and completely made Braydon Coburn look silly, chipping the puck by him and then taking his own pass before easily beating a shell-shocked Brian Boucher in goal - giving the rookie his tenth of the year at 2:33. Though assists were given to Brian Rolston and Martin Brodeur, clearly the goal was a display of young Bergfors' skill. Bergfors would add his second of the game (also on the power play) nearly ten minutes later when he made a good play - though at the time I wondered if he got away with hooking - to keep the puck in the zone and started a play that involved a Zach Parise pass, Travis Zajac shot and Bergfors putting home the rebound at 12:31.

Bergfors wouldn't be the only star on this night however. At 15:47 the Devils scored their third of the period when Vladimir Zharkov made an excellent play to retain puck possession along the boards, then passed to a wide-open Patrik Elias in the shot and Elias wristed home his fifth of the year. Honestly I had no idea until the PA announcement that it was Elias's 300th of his career though and he got the predictable warm applause. In a funny way, Elias would show one of the reasons he's so beloved by Devils fans later in the game.

Speaking of milestones, seems like everything else has been dwarfed by Brodeur's shutout quest this week, one of the reasons I'm hoping to get this over with asap. You can't blame the media or the player on this one though, setting an all-time NHL record is a big deal. Still, I cringed when this well-meaning kid from the Ukraine who sat next to me last night asked in all innocence if Marty would get the shutout record with one last night. Bear in mind he was asking near the end of the first period. Like I said before, I don't want to hear about any shutout until the second intermission at least, it's just too soon. Especially last night since I figured eventually pride would kick in for the Flyers and we'd go on tilt because of weariness.

What I feared would happen in the second period did - and yet the Devils came out of the period with the same three-goal lead they entered it with. Well, almost the same after a dominant first fifteen minutes by the Flyers where they outshot the Devils 12-3 with some help from officials that seem to be hypnotized by Peter Laviolette (I swear it was like watching the '06 Hurricanes again with all the stuff they were allowed to get away with). Still, MB30's shutout was alive and well until he allowed a clunker of a goal to Claude Giroux shortside at 15:03. After that the Flyers upped their vigor even more and I was just hoping to get out of the period 3-1...until Rolston and Elias worked a two-on-one with thirty-four seconds left in the period, with Rolston's nice pass finding an open Elias for his second goal of the night.

I knew that goal would be too much for the Flyers to overcome, and so it came to pass as they looked like they wanted no part of the third period, except for trying to throw the occasional cheap shot. Of course Chris Pronger got into the act with his usual elbow of Parise up high, and as usual the refs saw nothing. Why this guy gets protected so much is beyond me. Yes he's a great player but he's also a thug that could have been suspended infinitely more than he has been.

About the only other memorable part of the third was when the Devils threw Bergfors and Elias onto the ice late (different shifts) to try and get their hat trick. While Bergfors did get a couple of attempts on goal, Elias seriously wanted no part of the hat trick haha. Ironically he and Rolston nearly worked another nice two-on-one in front, with Elias's pass finding a wide-open Rolston but ended with Boucher making one of his few good saves of the night. Elias passed up other open shots too, it's that unselfishness that endears him to teammates and fans alike...but goshdarnit Patty I wanted to see one last night :)

Oh well, any time we kick the Flyers' butt it's a good night nonetheless. Finally some rest for the weary as the Devils are off until Wednesday when they get back at it with a home game against the Canadiens - without Brian Gionta but with Scott Gomez.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Patrik Elias (two goals, +2)


2. Nicklas Bergfors (two PP goals)


3. Martin Brodeur (22/23 saves, assist)

Miller outshines Lundqvist

The game might have been on Broadway but it was Miller Time. Ryan Miller demonstrated why he's the early favorite for the Vezina and possibly Hart, backstopping the Sabres past the Rangers 3-2 Saturday night. In the latest Ranger loss, the expected Team USA starting netminder was the difference, outshining Henrik Lundqvist by making 36 saves including 24 the final two periods.

When the chips were down, Miller came up with the money stops, protecting a one-goal lead Buffalo took on Patrick Kaleta's second goal of the night. A shorthanded tally in which he beat Lundqvist clean, picking high glove after our goalie dropped to his knees exposing the area. That it was Kaleta's first career shorty and also multi-goal game was just all too familiar for a team that always does this to their fans. Even sadder was that on both Kaleta tallies, the cheapshot artist celebrated by dancing around and banging the glass in our own barn. How not one Ranger had the gall to put this disgrace through the glass was embarrassing. On what was a nice night spent with my Mom celebrating a birthday, I had to watch that guy dance like a Rockette, owning the place.

Unlike the last game in which they somehow got a point in Chicago but were trashed by John Tortorella and even Mike Keenan, the Rangers at least showed up. After spotting Buffalo an early goal scored by Derek Roy, they answered with two straight, taking advantage of a loss of discipline from their opponent. Yes. Our power play converted twice within a 1:55 span. First, Marian Gaborik setup a wide open Ryan Callahan in front for his sixth, tying it. Even Ales Kotalik got a point. Too bad his key gaffe would lead to the decider later. Anyway, the Blueshirts were on another man-advantage. This time, the Great Gabby connected for his first in four games. Taking a pass from rookie Mike Del Zotto, Gaborik faked pass before firing a laser past Miller into the top half of the net for his league-leading 22nd.

The Big Ticket obviously is on a different planet than the rest of his teammates. Despite no real talent around even though Vinny Prospal earned a secondary helper and Del Zotto again showed why he has All-Star potential, the ex-Wild superstar has been unreal. Through 29 games, he now is 22-19-41 with 10 PPG and a plus-seven rating on what's become a miserable Ranger team. We can only imagine if he had real players to play with. That he's stayed healthy missing only two games due to a knee has been the only blessing for Garden Faithful this holiday season. If there's any solace, at least Slats got it right with Gaborik. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed he remains on the ice for the duration of the five years he signed for. I kinda feel for the guy because he deserves better.

Back to the game. Before I could get comfortable chowing down on a great homemade salad, cutlets and even a couple of mini potato latke for the second night of Chanukah, there was Kaleta rebounding home a Jochen Hecht shot to knot the contest 2:11 later. It was one that Lundqvist should've had but instead, let out a bad rebound and flopped to the ice making it a gimme for the glorified third liner. Midway thru, the same annoying pest struck again when Kotalik couldn't keep a puck in, making about as pathetic an attempt as possible. On the pivotal play, Del Zotto was caught deep, meaning that Ales had to be firmer. Instead, he swung his purse allowing a former teammate to cruise in from his own blueline and beat Lundqvist at 9:30. Henrik Tallinder added the lone assist.

Down by one, the Rangers didn't go away, continuing to trade chances with Buffalo, who eventually sat back in a defensive shell for the final 20. So, it wasn't all too startling that they outshot the Sabres 24-19 (10-7 in 3rd) over the last two stanzas. Trouble was the Sabres had the better No.30, who repelled everything the Rangers threw his way. Sure. The effort was there featuring a great shift by invisible captain Chris Drury along with Sean Avery and Callahan in which the trio buzzed but never took a shot. In order to score, you have to Shoot The Puck. Somewhere up above, you know The Big Whistle was screaming his trademark at the top of his lungs.

Unfortunately, despite some good chances, the Rangers never generated enough to beat Miller, who also used his glove to shut it down when the situation presented itself. Lundqvist was pulled with over a minute left but it didn't matter. The Sabres did enough. So did their goalie, concluding another good week for our Sabre contingent.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (league leading 22nd/assist, 4 SOG, 2 hits, takeaway in 24:05)
2nd Star-Patrick Kaleta, Buf (2 goals incl. 1st career SHG/2-goal performance, 2 SOG, 4 hits, blocked shot, +2 in 16:39)
1st Star-Ryan Miller, Buf (36 saves incl.24/24 last 2 periods)

A Sabre Transformation

Here we are Sabres fans: Today is December 12th, 2009, and we are about 1/3 of the way through the 2009-2010 season. Put yourself in a time machine and go back to the summer, and think to yourself: How would the Buffalo Sabres look around this time of year, as we get ready to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and the New Year?

A good amount of Sabres fans would be thinking about the golf course for this team (and I do not mean Tiger Transgressions by the way). This group would be thinking about the 13th seeded Buffalo Sabres, and considering who can be the team's next GM or Head Coach, as Head Coach Lindy Ruff and General Manager Darcy Regier would be embarking on missing the NHL playoffs for the 6th time in 8 seasons.

Another group of fans would think about this teams 'Return To Glory' with the signing of Mike Grier, and watching this Sabres team return towards the top of the Northeast Division with a high pressure offense and Tomas Vanek well on his way to a 40+ goal season, and Derek Roy right behind him on his way to a 80+ point season, watching up-and-down hockey and praying that Ryan Miller does not get hurt.

But what if I told you this? On December 12th, 2009, Vanek, the former $10 million dollar man, would be on face for a pedestrian 25 goal season, Roy would be on pace for 64 points, and the Buffalo Sabres would be 25th in goals scored with 78 goals scored, and yet they are in 1st place in the Northeast Division, and leading the race for the Jennings Trophy with 63 goals allowed.

Come again?

It is amazing to think of the transformation of Lindy Ruff's club. Now we are witnessing a team that plays the trap, and Ryan Miller's numbers (17-6 1.82 4 SHO) are reminding Sabres fans of Dominik Hasek in the 90's. A big reason for this is the improved play of the defense. Led by the health of Henrik Tallinder, the surprising start for phenom defenseman Tyler Myers, and the 'Teppo Numminen-esque' veteran play of Steve Montador, what was once a weakness for the Sabres has now become an asset.

Now if the Sabres offense can get things going this club can be a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. One player who I believe can help improve the Sabres offense is Nathan Gerbe, who showed the other night in a 3-0 win against Washington (1 goal 1 assist) that he can bring an energy to this team that seems to be missing. Let's hope Ruff and Co realize this and keep Gerbe around. Gerbe has a little Daniel Briere in him, and he needs to stay with the big club to show the Sabres what he can bring to the table.

So as the Sabres invade Madison Square Garden to play the New York Rangers, one had to wonder: If the style of the Sabres post lockout, one where the Sabres offense was the strength and the envy of many other GM's, a thing of the past? And are the Sabres now more like the Sabres of the late 90's, heavily leaning on Miller to win 2-1 and hope for the best from the offense?

Time will tell.

NOTES: I am still recovering from the miracle at HSBC last night: Patrick Lalime made 39 saves in a 2-1 win against the mighty Chicago Blackhawks? Full moon? December 21st, 2012 arrived early?!?!

All kidding aside, I must give credit where it is due, Lalime was brilliant last night. And despite how hard I am on Lalime, I am not asking for much: Keep the team afloat and have close to a .500 record. Plain and simple. Not 5-13.

Well, I guess if Brian Campbell was expecting a video tribute and a standing ovation from the Sabres faithful last night at HSBC, he was way off. Campbell was greeted with boos last night. But I cannot blame Campbell for taking an insane contact from the Blackhawks. While he was a Sabre, he was one of my favorites, and I wish him luck in Chicago.

I was thinking if the Sabres needed a boost last night to stop former South Buffalo native and current Blackhawk Patrick Kane, perhaps a cabbie driver with 20 cents in hand was on site ready to take the ice to draw an instigator? I know I know, bad form.

Battle Preview: Buf-NYR, Bos-NYI, Phi-NJD

It's another busy Saturday for us puckers which means all the Battle teams are in action later. And the best part. All at the same fan friendly time of 7 here on the East coast. Insert random West coast reference from fired up lurking Buffalo blogger in 5...4...3...2...1

Sabres-Rangers, MSG 7 ET: In another Battle Of New York, the Rangers play host to the Sabres at MSG. We all know about their recent struggles that included hypocrite John Tortorella making an example of rookie Matt Gilroy after he blew it against the Hawks in overtime. Perhaps some time in Hartford will be good for him as he's still learning the pro game. Besides, our team blows right now. So, it might be good to get away and fine tune his skills. In the mean time, Heineken is back up. So, guess he plays with Tinman. Still hard to believe we only have six D. Thanks Slats for overcommitting to the cap. Our Sabre blogger warns us that it's his team's third in four. So, he senses bad things. When does he ever not? But seriously, Ryan Miller is rested after his fave backup stoned Chicago. So, it should be a good test for Henrik Lundqvist, who's facing almost 30 shots-per-game. Btw...Miller also sees a lot of rubber but we bet the quality ain't as great due to a better Buffalo D corps. Can Chris Drury muster anything? Marian Gaborik hasn't scored in a couple. Is he due? Find out later.

Bruins-Islanders, MSG+ 7 ET: For much of the year, the Islanders have been a nice surprise, playing solid hockey for second-year man Scott Gordon. However, since a blowout loss to the Devils, they haven't been the same dropping three of four, including the past three- two of which were also not close. While it's true the last five were all on the road, they still need a 'W' to boost confidence. They're now in a much nicer stretch that sees them basically home till after Christmas. The only two road games are at MSG versus the hated Blueshirts. So, it's an opportunity for John Tavares and Co. to make a statement. Play well and they're right there in a subpar bottom of the East for the final couple of spots. At 29 points, they do sit last in the Atlantic but just a three out of the last spot. Even the Rangers, who have stunk are two back of Montreal. The ironic part is the top five or six in the East are virtual locks, who all can go far next Spring. Of the teams near the bottom, the Thrashers are most impressive and a team worth keeping a close eye on. For the Isles, they need more from others as Tavares has scored four in the last two but gotten no support. Kyle Okposo hasn't scored in ages but has four helpers. If they are to beat the resurgent B's who boast two strong goalies and a balanced offense, they'll need to finish and get solid netminding from either Dwayne Roloson or Marty Biron. The good news is they've played the B's tough. The bad is they're playing much better. We'll see if The Coliseum can make life miserable for the guys from Beantown.

Flyers-Devils, MSG++ 7 ET: Anytime these bitter I-95 rivals get together, it's usually interesting. This to us is the Devils' best rivalry. Especially when you factor in their two big series wins over the bad guys from Broad Street en route to two of three Cups. Yes. The Flyers finally got them right before the lockout but it's hardly the same for a team that hasn't won Lord Stanley since before I was born. So far under Lavy, they've continued to struggle dropping three of four to put them at a mediocre 14-14-1. Still, all it would take is a win streak to get it righted. The breakout against the Isles made us think maybe they were ready but then they got shutout by the surprising Sens at home. Now, it doesn't get any easier when they visit an angry Devil team that had a four-game win streak snapped, falling to the Cats 4-2 Friday. MB30 allowed four. Though from the sounds of it, it wasn't his fault as the guys in front had an off night. They have been quite busy lately as Hasan has referenced. Maybe it's finally catching up. Given that they're 0-2 against the despised Cheesesteaks, we'll get a better idea in a few hours. Figure the Devs to be sharper tonight. The Zach Attack hasn't filled the net yet this month (6 games). So, he's due. Patrik Elias and Brian Rolston have been carrying the load and Andy Greene has been a revelation. Nicklas Bergfors is quietly having a good rookie campaign. The Swede is skilled but it helps that Jacques Lemaire puts him out with good players, making the transition smoother. Of course, everyone knows Marty is a shutout away from besting Terry Sawchuk. Can he make history against a team he's had great success against. Even if recent history, suggests otherwise, never bet against Brodeur. As for Philly, figure Brian Boucher to be in net with Ray Emery out a while. How ironic would it be if he outdueled Bouch in a 1-0 game? The Flyers have actually missed Simon Gagne because Jeff Carter hasn't finished as much. Mike Richards has played well as has freshman James Van Riemsdyk. Scott Hartnell always drives the Devs nuts. So tune in.

Ducks Fly Together

Att: New York Rangers
Date: 12/12/09
Tonight 7 PM


Be A Ranger

Hmmmm

Have you seen our lurking Buffalo Sabres blogger's new name? It's a doozy.

Just Wondering

If you had as good a team as the one in Newark, would you boo when they lose a game? Even if the Devils fell to Scott Clemmensen and the Panthers, here's one thing I know. You can't win 'em all. Sometimes, even the best teams have letdowns. I guess that's what happened tonight at The Rock.When you have all that success, it can go to your head. It's not the players we're referring to. Winning spoils.

Ya know. It would be nice if the team I cheer for played winning hockey like the bitter rival across the Hudson/Path. When you have the coach and former Cup winning coach chewing out the team's effort level, something's wrong. I've seen plenty of all four Battle teams and the Rangers are the worst. It's one thing if you don't have skill cause after The Big Ticket, there's little else. But when you don't have a ton of talent, you got to make up for it by giving maximum EFFORT. A foreign concept for the team that plays on 33rd and Seventh. The Devils usually show though I don't know what happened today. The Islanders normally work their asses off. Emerging star John Tavares helps but you have to love their spunk. The Sabres don't have top tier talent outside underachieving Thomas Vanek, who hasn't been the same since his early injury. Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Jason Pominville and Drew Stafford are nice players but must come to work every night. Buffalo does it by winning the trenches as they were doing at last check versus the super skilled Blackhawks with Patrick Lalime in net.

Aside from the fact that the other three BONY clubs work harder/smarter, they aren't as dull to watch. Somehow, John Tortorella's lost bunch looks a lot like the one Tom Renney coached. I favored the change because it was obvious they tuned the affable man out. So, Tort came in and rallied the troops into the postseason, squeezing as much as he could out of them. He promised high octane. It started well. That seven-game win streak may as well have been ages ago. You mean we actually scored enough goals?!?!?!?!?! Well, don't worry. The rested Blueshirts get a tired Buffalo team tomorrow at MSG. Should be an easy two!

Clemmensen's return to NJ a success for Panthers

Early this morning, what I suspected might happen (given that the Panthers have another game tomorrow) came to pass and Scott Clemmensen was named the starter for tonight's game in New Jersey. While a lot of players can't wait to play their former team, tonight's game had special meaning for the Panthers goaltender given that the Devils drafted him - not to mention he played with many of these players last year while having a career season of 25 wins filling in for an injured Martin Brodeur.

Rising to the challenge for Clemmer, the Panthers stepped up their game and beat a hot Devils team 4-2 in New Jersey. Florida had won only eight of their prior thirty-seven games against the Devils and has been struggling this year but hey - the other team gets paid too, gotta lose sometime. For his part, Clemmensen had the kind of game he showed last year for the most part - solid despite one clunker goal given up.

While I wasn't at this game (usually I don't go to three in a week, much less three in four nights), I have it on good authority - via Doc Emrick on the FSNY telecast - that Clemmensen got a nice ovation, and well deserved. If nothing else because Devils fans really didn't get a chance to do this last year, since Clemmensen's final few games were on the road and he got pushed aside and didn't play a minute at home once Brodeur returned.

Also there was a nice little twist on the normal goalie chant that originates in 208 according to someone else who was there. Normally one fan will go 'Hey goalie x, you s*ck!'...and the guy next to him will go 'And I hope you die!'. I know, it sounds vulgar but hey - nobody in their right mind means that literally. Tonight though it was, 'Hey Scott, we miss you...and I hope you live!'

Despite having won nine of ten at home and seven of eight overall, early on you could feel something amiss. Oh, the Devils did come out pretty decently the first few minutes and got some chances but nothing particularly troubling for Clemmer. However after less than four minutes, a puck that deflected off the stick of Mike Mottau found its way to Jordan Leopold in the slot, and his shot ended the inane talk of Brodeur getting a shutout (already!) after just 3:53. I mean I get how important this record is but to me it's more of a statistic than anything else, and shutouts shouldn't be mentioned until at least the second intermission. Not because of any mythical Chico Resch jinx, it's just common sense.

Even though the Devils outshot Florida 9-4 in the first period they created few good scoring chances, as the Panthers' D was (for once) up to the task. Midway through the third period, I noticed a staggering difference: Florida had 14 blocked shots to the Devils' three. And early in the second period the Panthers showed the jump during the first few minutes that effectively decided the game, as they outshot the Devils 9-0 in that time and beat Brodeur with two deflected goals, the first one by Michael Frolik on the power play at 2:24, then sixty-five seconds later another by Shawn Matthais. An ill-fated Mottau saw a puck bounce past him off the boards on the Matthais goal and honestly he's played poorly over this recent stretch. Unlucky or not, when you're playing like that, usually bad things happen.

Granted, none of those three goals was Marty's fault, but why he was even in this game is mind-boggling. If you can't play Yann Danis in the middle of a seven-game in eleven-day stretch against a second-division club when you're on a roll then when is he ever going to see the ice again? Since early November he's played exactly twenty minutes total. I swear you'll probably find him riding shotgun with Waldo by this point, same as any other former Devils backup goalie.

Now down 3-0, the Devils started to pick it up but got lucky to get on the board when Brian Rolston's half-speed slapshot slipped through Clemmensen at 7:16 for Rolston's eleventh goal of the year. Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner got the assists on the goal, which sparked the Devils with a new purpose and almost immediately they earned back-to-back power plays. However, the offense could do little with either despite constant pressure. Even being shorthanded proved frustrating for the Devils' offense late in the period when Jay Pandolfo found himself with the puck on a two-on-one...and couldn't get it high enough to beat Clemmer. For as good a career as Pando's had with us, you wonder just how terrific he'd have been if he had some semblance of an offensive game since he seems to get two-on-one chances every other game and can't convert.

Despite failing to cut into the Panthers' lead late in the second, the Devils still came out determined in the third and a bank shot by Dean McAmmond after just sixty-five seconds (assisted by Illka Pikkaranen) cut the Panthers' lead to one. Before the Devils could make the Panthers nervous however, Andy Greene and Bryce Salvador both got caught up ice as Nathan Horton sprung Frolik for a breakaway and he scored his second of the night at 2:23, restoring the Panthers' lead and giving Clemmer a cushion he wouldn't waste. Again the Panther defense stepped up, allowing only eight shots in the third as the Devils finally looked like a team playing its sixth game in ten days.

Perhaps to a degree though, justice was served with the Panthers' 4-2 win since Clemmensen got the victory lap he was denied last year. Of course the Devils get no time to dwell on this loss for they're back at it less than twenty-four hours later against a struggling Flyers team, but it'll be the Devils' seventh game in eleven nights. And the Flyers are 2-0 against the Devils this season. Of course that was before their coach got fired, their goaltender got injured and Chris Pronger (among others) started making a mess in the locker room.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Michael Frolik (two goals, +2 and 7 SOG in 20:31)
2. Scott Clemmensen (26/28 saves)
3. Jordan Leopold (goal, 23:28 TOI)

Gilroy sent down

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

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

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

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

Rangers fall short in Windy City

A bit late to the fray. But also, didn't see much of the Rangers' latest loss- by a count of 2-1 to the Blackhawks in overtime. A game in which they got outshot severely and couldn't nurse a one-goal lead with Jonathan Toews (PPG) and Dustin Byfuglien (OT winner) to make it five losses in six.

Who cares if we got a point? Based on the little we caught, they hardly had the puck with Chicago in an all out attack which led to three power plays that eventually came back to bite the Blueshirts, who basically hoped Henrik Lundqvist would get a shutout because it was the only chance in Hell. Indeed, he was under siege all night and kept the Hawks at bay until he flopped around like a fish, allowing Toews to flip one upstairs with under six minutes left. We're not saying it was his fault but being down doesn't usually help keep the puck out. Especially on a goalmouth scramble with our exhausted penalty killers.

Not surprisingly, the Hawks won it after Vinny Prospal couldn't bury a great chance, which Duncan Keith got a piece of. Keith, who in our view is the best defenseman this season, then passed to an onrushing Byfuglien who did the rest- abusing Matt Gilroy before deking Lundqvist for the decider. Now, Gilroy made an awful read which can sometimes happen for first-year players. Marian Gaborik tried to get back but it was too little too late which leads us to the goalie. Why wasn't Henrik more aggressive there? If he had come out and pokechecked, Byfuglien never scores and the game probably gets to the skill comp. Just saying.

On a night of little positives, Chris Higgins scored the Rangers' lone tally from Gaborik and Michal Rozsival, who had a strong game. Wade Redden was decent in his return after missing six games. The problem was they had no attack with John Tortorella irate. Hell. Even Mike Keenan on MSG supposedly blasted the lack of effort. Pretty sad considering the days off they had. I could care less if they hate the coach. When you wear that jersey, you play for New York and all the legions of Ranger fans, who live and die with this team. One Cup in 69 years. Is it too much to ask these overpaid stiffs to earn their keep? When Donald Brashear gets more shots/chances than most in his return, that speaks volumes.

Also of note, as we were headed back from The Slope, Dave Maloney chewed up Tort for having no center out during a Blackhawk sequence where they had our guys on their heels. Sometimes, I really wonder what the coach is thinking. Why doesn't P.A. Parenteau get more ice-time? And why is Artie Anisimov getting so little along with Erik Christensen? We're not exactly an offensive juggernaut. One word comes to mind. Popgun.

Well, the Sabres visit MSG Saturday and then the Thrashers. Both of who are much better teams. Will it ever end?

Devils hang on this time (barely) against Canes

When the Devils jumped up 3-0 on the Hurricanes I was already thinking how sweet taking a victory lap against our dreaded nemesis would be, especially in my own first game off the scratch list (meaning I was there). Already in the hero's chair was Andy Greene, whose two goals were largely responsible for that lead. It was still too soon to think about shutout #104, but against a now bad Canes team three goals should have been a safe lead.

Yet as if conjuring up the ghosts of playoffs past, the Canes struck back for two quick goals - including one by Brandon Sutter to twist the knife in further - and forced the Devils to scramble late to keep from losing that huge lead with Rob Niedermayer finally applying the coup de grace with an empty-net goal as time ran out on a 4-2 Devils win. While part of me felt this was a bit of a phyrric victory (being up 3-2 to start the third and this time winning only served as a reminder over what should have been last year), it's always nice to stick it to that team and two points is two points, especially when the Devils are now on their fifth game in seven days.

After an early feeling-out process, things started to heat up when Erik Cole slammed Bryce Salvador into the boards, knocking the defenseman out cold - or so it seemed at the time. I've seen far softer penalties get the law of the land thrown at them but inexplicably Cole only got two minutes instead of say, a five-minute major. At least it appeared that way to me from the far end of the ice, maybe the hit itself wasn't that bad but still Cole (of all people) should know better since he nearly had his career ended by Brooks Orpik on a similar play. While the Devils didn't score on that power play thankfully Salvador would return to the ice for the start of the second period and play the rest of the night.

By that time the Devils had already started to make life uncomfortable for Canes' goaltender Cam Ward, returning off of IR just in time for this game, though perhaps they caught a break on their first goal when a Patrik Elias attempt on net appeared to glance off of Aaron Ward and in the net for Elias's fourth goal at 11:11. Nicklas Bergfors - who I initially thought had touched the puck himself - and Zach Parise would get the assists on the goal, which put the Devils up 1-0. Six minutes and forty-two seconds later, Greene would get into the act for the first time when he went to the front of the net to deflect a Jamie Langenbrunner shot home for his fourth goal of the year, with Jay Pandolfo also getting a secondary assist on the goal which put the Devils up two after the first twenty minutes.

Greene's second of the game would be an even more jaw-dropping display of skill as he moved the puck in the zone, faked one shot and then advanced further, avoiding traffic and throwing a wrister through traffic that got by Ward at 6:05. Though Parise would get an assist on that goal too, it was all about Andy and the Devils were now up 3-0 as a result. Before we could dream about a similar ending to Monday night though, the Canes struck back quickly - per usual against us. Sutter scored just 43 seconds later on a shot that deflected off of Mark Fraser, souring the mood in the crowd. Among the 12,000 plus in the arena, the boos carried a little extra oomph when the goalscorer was announced. Too bad we don't get a chance to take out our venom at daddy Sutter this year but that's another NHL schedule rant for another day.

Now, the Canes started coming hard and the struggling Mike Mottau took a penalty, leading to a Tuomo Ruutu power play goal at 8:46, when Ruutu rifled a short-side shot past Martin Brodeur. In near-record time the game went from a nice, stress-free night to 'uh oh...not this crap again!' Even though the Devils outshot the Canes 13-9 in the period and 23-16 for the first two, they were lucky to get out of the second still ahead when Johnny Oduya appeared to block an open-net chance in the final minute.

Even Devils fans were struggling on this night, as a few rows behind me in 208 they had one of those potential giveaways (I didn't see of what but noticed something AC/DC among them which might have been nice). In kind of a silly contest, some other fan gets asked a question and you have to guess whether the fan got the question right or not. Now this one seemed to be a no-brainer - would the fan know how many skaters were on the ice for a team when the goaltender gets pulled? Predictably the guy in 208 says yes and much to everyone's horror, the guy on the jumbotron hemmed and hawed and finally said...seven. Oy vey, talk about a Charlie Brown miscue. The only reason I was glad that row didn't win was that Devil Boy from a few sections over who wears the paint and horns magically appeared in our section for the first time like ever, just to be part of the row in the prize giveaway. Evidently he got tipped off on it, pays to be a celeb fan I suppose. Except last night.

While the Devils weren't quite as bad as the fan who thought there were seven skaters on ice in the third period, it was close. My fear of losing grew with each off-the-wall turnover and nervous pass. This wasn't sitting back to protect a lead hockey, it was 'oh my god we might blow this lead' nervousness. Ironically the Devils actually looked better protecting a 3-2 lead last year - at least until the final five minutes and the ill-fated prevent. Yet, thanks to a couple of Brodeur saves, some gasp-inducing misses by the Canes and nice last-second scrambling plays by the Devils' D they somehow managed to maintain that lead, even through the dreaded 80 second mark.

Of course Carolina being Carolina there had to be some dramatic action in the final minute, with Ward pulled the Canes kept the puck in the zone for forty seconds and nearly scored when Ray Whitney got open in front with a wide-open net in front, but he couldn't get his stick down in time to tap in a pass. Greene proved he was more than one-dimensional by deflecting away another centering pass that might have resulted in a good scoring opportunity. However, the Canes did make one fatal mistake when Salvador took a penalty they didn't give up the puck to get a two-man advantage, instead running off 15-20 seconds as it turned out. By the time Salvador went to the box there were only twelve seconds left, time for the Devils to finally get the clear they didn't last year and Niedermayer to seal it with his fourth of the year, assisted by himself as he won the faceoff and then fired the puck down the ice to the empty net.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Andy Greene (two goals, +2 in 24:56)
2. Zach Parise (two assists, 5 SOG)
3. Cam Ward (27/30 saves in return from IR)

Isles fall to Flyers 6-2

It wasn't a good night for the Islanders, who fell to the Flyers 6-2. Mike Richards scored a power play goal and Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux each had a pair as Philly got their first win under Peter Laviolette, tying both the Isles and Rangers in the standings. All three have 29 points. In a losing cause that made a 4-0 contest 4-2 before Giroux deflected home his second to restore order, gifted rookie John Tavares tallied his 12th and 13th for New York. Unfortunately, that was as close as they got falling again to a team that's had the better of it lately.

Didn't see any as we were pretty preoccupied with our birthday celebrating with fam. Had some delish sushi and a piece of a cake I couldn't even finish but it was awesome. Now, headed out for a bit. We'll try to have more much later tomorrow when we get in from Park Slope. The Rangers visit the Windy City on what ironically will be a pretty windy and yucky December day with rain and snow hitting our area. I can hear the drops outside my room.

See ya 'll later.

Marty's Accomplishment Disrespected

Another night. Another remarkable accomplishment for New Jersey Devil netminder Martin Brodeur, who turned aside all 22 shots in a 3-0 shutout at snowy Buffalo last night. Finally, MB30 had shutout No.103, tying Terry Sawchuk's once thought unmatchable record which will soon go by the wayside much like Patrick Roy's 551 wins.

That the three-time Stanley Cup winner, Olympic gold medalist and four-time Vezina recipient also recently became the most active goalie in minutes played and also soon enough games played demonstrates just how durable he has been throughout a Hall Of Fame 16-year career. When I think of Marty, one word comes to mind. Consistency. All the consecutive 40+ win seasons prove it along with the fact the ageless 37 year-old is still performing at a high enough level to wonder if Cup No.4 is coming back to the Garden State on what's a very good Devil team. Leave that debate for another day.

As someone who has had to watch the best No.30 provide many headaches, the man is a champion on and off the ice who handles himself the way another great player in the metro area does. No wonder they share so much in common except that the Devil franchise plays in obscurity, even if The Rock in Newark is a great arena. So, what if he doesn't play across the Path on Broadway under the spotlight. This is what has always driven Kool Aid drinkers nuts. For that reason, Brodeur has flown under the radar despite staking his claim as the all-time greatest player to play the most important position in the NHL. If you don't have a good goalie, you'll never win Lord Stanley. Ex. Philadelphia Flyers

We're not here to discuss the difference between playing in The Big Apple and the sister state where Lady Liberty really stands. Something proud New Jerseyans will remind you if you're from NYC. Perhaps it has to do with the face both the Giants and Jets have New York across their uniforms while playing at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford. So, can you blame them?

It shouldn't matter that Brodeur plays under the shadows for the Devils. Fact is they're one of the greatest current sports franchises on par with the Red Wings, Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Spurs and Red Sox. Notice the great company they're in. Only Detroit and San Antonio have won more championships. We left out the Yankees because they're still the best franchise, now having won five World Series since 1996. Of course, it's easy to point out that the Yanks play in the Bronx which ain't exactly paradise even if the brand new Stadium is a crown jewel. If you're a successful franchise, it shouldn't matter where you play. Try telling that to this town where if you make it here, you'll make it anywhere as Frank Sinatra once said.

Would it kill the Daily News or NY Post to give MB30 his proper due instead of the same old same old recycled covers? Guess that's what happens when you play for New Jersey. It just doesn't have the same sex appeal. In the newspaper business, they're trying to sell papers. So, it's always going to be something over the top and usually from this city. That is unless there's a bunch of fluff like Tiger Woods' marriage on rocks due to incompetence. Does anyone really care about his personal life? But hey. It sells. So, we'll excuse the tabloids for eating it up.

What can't be ignored is how poorly this sport is treated by ESPN. At one time, they aired games for x amount of years, including a couple we provided stats research for the talent. When I worked there, all the employees involved in making it a great production put everything and more into it. Considering all the money they invested in hockey, it made plenty of sense. One thing about Bristol, Connecticut. If they cover your sport, expect them to give a yeoman effort. Even if it's resulted in butchering Monday Night Football. The best thing I've seen since 2002 was the 30 In 30 features, including The Trade of Wayne Gretzky, which was excellently produced. That's ESPN at its best. If you want it at its worst, watch Sports Center. A show that once was great as a kid now has zero imagination, even ticking off their own researchers that put in hard hours for ridiculous storylines that have little to do with sports.

That's what we're dealing with since Disney took over. If they cover your sport, you'll usually get great highlights and over analysis. See last night where Aaron Rodgers was treated like a Super Bowl winning quarterback. SC was basically football, football, FOOTBALL with a little AI, then more football, football, FOOTBALL. Sadly, the real King Of The Night- who deserved a lot more than the 11+ percent if most sportsfans weren't so brainwashed- was reduced to a small blurb showing 2 miniscule highlights of his 103rd career shutout that tied a significant record. Then, they went back to more football. If you caught our last post on the other server early this morning on our birthday, then you already know.

Since hockey is hardly covered anymore after Bristol passed on re-upping due to the lockout with it instead winding up on Versus, where DirecTV subscribers got royally screwed and couldn't catch one second of MB30's shining moment, it comes as no surprise that such a special night got lost in the ESPN shuffle. Sadly, it's worse than Phil's recurring events in Groundhog Day. Even the Rangers aren't this bad yet. Somehow, Barry Melrose and Matt Barnaby cash checks for zilch. John Buccigross, who's one of the best hockey people in The States, remains employed working SC. He wrote a damn good column over a week ago on Brian Burke's openly gay son Brendan. How unfortunate that we don't benefit from Bucci's enthusiasm for the sport.

Earlier this year, I pondered if a return to ESPN would be beneficial to the game. Sure. It would be more available to viewers and promoted better than what we get on Versus along with NBC, who has the NHL by the balls. But when I see how little it's covered along with the ultimate disrespect to a super special athlete who's much more likable than most of the pampered they push, it would be an exercise in futility. They don't deserve Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Evgeni Malkin, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Nicklas Backstrom, Zach Parise, John Tavares and Matt Duchene. Clearly, there's more talent on display than ever before.

We don't deserve to be treated like second class citizens. So, while they can continue showcasing the overrated and image conscientious LeBron, I'll take our gifted batch anyday with Mr. Brodeur the head of the class. Everything a real superstar should be. One of the best to ever play the game and a truly magnificent athlete. Even Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning would agree.

Islanders in Philly Now

Right now, they're facing off at Wachovia Center where the underachieving Flyers are hosting the overachieving Islanders who look to rebound from a bad shutout loss to Tampa Bay. The Isles have been a resilient club all year which explains why they entered tied with the Rangers for ninth in the East with 29 points. A couple better than a Philly team that already had John Stevens replaced by Peter Laviolette and got humiliated in his first game 8-2 by an Ovechkin-less Cap club. They also fell to Montreal 3-1 last night.

Updating the score, Mike Richards tallies on the power play for the Flyers from Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell, giving the hosts an early lead. We'll have more on whether John Tavares and Co. can continue the Philly floundering later.

Marty Disrespected

So, I was working on a piece about how Martin Brodeur's latest remarkable feat was disrespected by local tabloids and of course, loathsome ESPN, who can't even be bothered to take 5 minutes off from beloved football praise of "God" Aaron Rodgers. Was almost done when our server again acted up. Who knows if the draft got saved. All I know is I'm tired of the continuing issues and might return Battle to here because we never had to deal with so much crap.

If we do return, I'll certainly keep everyone posted. Meaning we'd change the link on Twitter and stories would pop up from the original BONY location. In the mean time, I really feel Marty deserves a lot more respect than he's getting. Just cause he plays in the shadow over in the Garden State instead of the Broadway spotlight doesn't mean such significant accomplishments should be ignored. It's embarrassing how the game gets treated along with a true star athlete who isn't dumb like an unnamed golfer. What ever happened to class?

Kudos to you MB30 on tying Terry Sawchuk, making 22 stops in a 3-0 shutout of Buffalo.

Poor MB30

This is the kinda treatment the greatest goalie in the modern Era gets from ESPN when he ties Terry Sawchuk's shutout record.




Sad. Reaching 103 shutouts over a brilliant 16-year Hall Of Fame career that's included most ever wins by a goalie, three Cups, Olympic gold and countless other great marks never to be broken should be celebrated. Not treated as if it doesn't exist.


More over at our official BONY site.