Lundqvist stands tall in win over Devils

Ruslan Fedotenko battles Tim Sestito on the opening faceoff during last night's Ranger 4-1 win over Hudson rival New Jersey.

They're separated by the Hudson River. Just a Path ride away, the Rangers and Devils renewed allegiances during the first Battle Of Hudson three months in the making. It was the Manhattan side that came out victorious over the Turnpike with headliner Henrik Lundqvist backstopping his team to a 4-1 win at a packed Prudential Center last night. 

In front of a makeshift defense that included emergency recall Tim Erixon, Lundqvist stood tall finishing with a game high 30 saves en route to his 23rd career victory over his favorite opponent. The Rangers needed every single one to get out of Newark with its second consecutive win in direct response to a two-game skid. That's been the story all year for John Tortorella's resilient club who never makes excuses. Even with the blueline battered minus Marc Staal, Mike Sauer and Steve Eminger, they fought back to steal two points thanks to Lundqvist. The scoreboard may have said otherwise but anyone who saw it knows the Devils controlled much of the action only to be denied by King Henrik.

“I enjoy playing against this team,” Lundqvist pointed out after diminishing his career GAA to 1.85 versus the Devils. “It’s always a great challenge to play them. There’s a lot of action. We all knew that this was going to be a tough one.”

Martin Brodeur brings out the best in Lundqvist, who was outstanding in keeping his team afloat despite a strong attack from New Jersey led by the ever dangerous top line of Adam Henrique, Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. Minus top scorer Patrik Elias (flu), the Devs entered having won four straight and seemed on their way to five when Travis Zajac got to the only bad rebound Lundqvist allowed to put the hosts in front 1-0 15:51 into the first period. In his third game, Zajac won a draw back to Petr Sykora, whose low shot leaked out. A mad scramble ensued with Ryan McDonagh unable to clear it before Zajac deposited his first. Dainius Zubrus helped set it up by crashing the net.

It easily could've been two or three without Lundqvist, who watched his teammates struggle to mount anything the first half. Part of it had to do with how the game began with pushing and shoving between fourth lines. When Cam Janssen asked former teammate Mike Rupp to go, he obliged the smaller foe who showed a lot of guts taking some hard lefts early before coming on late. Only his second game back, Rupp looked weary at the end and asked refs Tim Peel and Justin St.Pierre to step in. Somewhat astonishingly, the officiating was good. Other than Ryan Callahan and instigator Eric Boulton getting misconducts in a heated first, they did a good job letting the teams play.

The rough stuff wasn't done when Brandon Dubinsky and David Clarkson stopped talking and dropped 'em. Dubinsky managed a good left that buckled Clarkson, who fell which was enough for Dubi to stop. Clarkson was involved later when a hit on Erixon prompted a strong reaction from partner Stu Bickel. Bickel acquitted himself well in front of family, who while being interviewed by John Giannone saw Zajac score. I hate when that happens cause it takes away from the game.

The Devils certainly had their chances in a more even second that saw at least four goal posts struck. Derek Stepan had Brodeur beat from 45 feet out when his shot deflected off a Devil and drew iron. Brodeur really didn't see much rubber due to his quicker team having the puck. The Rangers did plenty of chasing, especially when the Parise line was buzzing. Lundqvist robbed Henrique twice, including a nice kick out off a nifty Parise set up. The defense was on its heels. Kovalchuk certainly looked good on the right side, meshing with his cohesive unit. He got off a strong shot that Lundqvist made a head save on. The man can certainly shoot it.

If there was an area which decided it, it was special teams with the Devils unable to cash in on three power plays. Part of it was due to the Ranger penalty kill, which did a solid job getting in the path of shots and making key clears. The Devs still had decent looks but just couldn't get the second on Lundqvist. They also missed the net quite a bit in the second with Clarkson blowing some huge opportunities where he was set up alone but fired high and wide. For a guy having a bounce back season (11 goals vs 12 all last year), he disappointed the home side.

“We kept on scrapping and fought through it,” Tortorella said. “We started to take over in the second period and then kept on coming in the third. Hank made some key saves at key times and we just tried to stay with it. Eventually, we found a way to score some goals.”

Given a chance to get back in it, the Rangers responded with some strong work from elevated Carl Hagelin, who was bumped up by Tortorella with Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan. Hagelin helped generate chances, including a close call when a Richards shot pass was deflected by Callahan off the right post. Finally moving their legs, the Blueshirts turned the tide thanks to a brilliant rush by Derek Stepan. The second-year forward took a Marian Gaborik feed that saw our top finisher drilled, and then skated around a Devil before firing the puck into the slot off Kurt Foster for Artem Anisimov, who buried his seventh to knot it with 2:32 left in the second.

Suddenly with momentum, they nearly went ahead when Anisimov set up Stepan, who was denied by Brodeur on the short side. With it even, it was anyone's game. The first few shifts of the final stanza showed that as each side came close. A couple of more key stops from Lundqvist paid dividends when an unusual play allowed them to go ahead. Stepan started it by backing up the Devil D and then got the puck to Anisimov who methodically skated around to the right before flipping a tricky backhand that trickled off Brodeur right to Gaborik, who deposited his team best 18th at 4:45.

“That’s how we score,” Gaborik explained after also netting an empty netter in the closing seconds on a special night that saw the Slovak record his 600th career point. “We get a lot of rebound, second-chance goals. I just try to stay in front and be there to lay it in.”

The Devils didn't give up, coming back with a couple of strong shifts that eventually landed them a third man-advantage when McDonagh closed his hand on a puck. For whatever reason, they rank dead last at home despite oodles of talent. Even without Elias, the addition of Foster has added another shooter to a top heavy unit which features Kovalchuk, Parise, Henrique and Clarkson. Pete DeBoer can also roll out reemerging Petr Sykora, Zubrus and Zajac on the second one with improving rookie Adam Larsson, who played well defensively. During the PP, Lundqvist made back-to-back stops, including one he deemed 'lucky' on Henrique, whose shot went through the wickets but wide. Perhaps luck was on the Rangers' side with Gabby's odd goal earlier and Step's pass off Foster to Anisimov.

The PK bent but never broke with two big clears, including a yeoman effort from Dubinsky, who played his best game of the season. However, it was a strong clear by Bickel that led to the Coup de grace. Unable to corral the puck at the left point, Kovalchuk fell leading to a two-on-one. The league's most potent shorthanded team is also the worst at permitting shorthanded goals. Here came Hagelin flying down the wing with Brian Boyle as the decoy. The brilliant Swede whipped a shot past Brodeur's glove for his second shorty before an odd celebration saw him fall down and laugh. It's amazing how poised he is. But remember, he spent four years at Michigan and isn't afraid.  

“We had a lot of opportunities, but their guy didn’t allow us to get the second goal,” DeBoer said. “If we got the second goal, we could have taken charge of the game. I thought it was one of our better games, maybe our best 60-minute effort this year.

“We didn’t come out on the right end, but I liked the way we played. Tip the cap to their guy. We have to find a way to solve him because we play them five more times.”


BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (2 goals-19 incl. GW for 600th NHL point, assist, +3)
2nd Star-Stepan/Anisimov, NYR (5 Pts: 1-4-5, 7 SOG, +5)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (30 saves for 23rd career win vs NJD)


Notes: Henrik Tallinder sat out for the third consecutive game due to back spasms. ... Elias still is up in the air for Friday versus Washington. ... Larsson will fly home to Sweden for his grandmother's funeral. He'll miss the Devs next two games including next Monday at Carolina. The top line of Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk combined for a dozen of the club's 31 shots. Each were held off the score sheet due to Lundqvist and the D tandem of Dan Girardi and McDonagh. ... Sean Avery sat out a fourth straight game. ... Brodeur turned aside 17 of 20 in his second consecutive start, falling below .500 (8-9-0). ... Rangers host Islanders tomorrow and Flyers Friday.

Game Preview: Battle Of Hudson Part I

Tonight is the first installment of the Battle Of Hudson with the Manhattan meeting Jersey as the Rangers visit the Devils at The Rock with faceoff in less than an hour. It only took nearly three months for these bitter rivals to finally meet for the first of six in another fun season where both clubs are jockeying for position. Post-lockout, the Blueshirts' improvement has made this a more entertaining match-up. Both clubs have seen the postseason five of six years since with the Rangers missing in '09-10 while the Devils failed to qualify for the first time since '95-96 last year.

The Rangers currently sit third in a crowded Patrick that has the Flyers and Pens just ahead while the Devils have used a four-game win streak to creep within three of the Broadway Blues. It's New Jersey who should have an edge thanks to the reemergence of captain Zach Parise. Parise is sizzling hot with eight points (3-5-8) over his last four since missing a penalty shot in a loss to the Habs. Exactly the kind of response you'd expect from the Devil leader. Along with Calder hopeful Adam Henrique and Ilya Kovalchuk, he'll have to shoulder the load with leading scorer Patrik Elias (13-16-29) out due to the flu. In a recent win, Elias surpassed John MacLean to become the Devils' all-time leading finisher with 348 goals. His club record 845 points (348-497-845) over 993 games all with the black and red are impressive. He needs three assists for 500 and seven more games for 1,000.

New Jersey has also gotten inspired play out of David Clarkson, Dainius Zubrus and Elias' Czech pal Petr Sykora. That Sykora factored into Elias' record-breaker was ironic, invoking memories of Cup lore. Without Elias, Pete DeBoer will move Travis Zajac up to center the second line with Zubrus and Clarkson. It's just Zajac's third game back. The Rangers will have their work cut out for them with the dangerous top line that includes Devil second third round pick Henrique. The kid is legit placing second in rookie scoring behind leader Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with 25 points. More notable is Henrique's overall play with a dangerous penalty killer a shorthanded threat with two SHG while Parise paces the club with three. Henrique also leads the Devils with a plus-seven rating.

Martin Brodeur will oppose Henrik Lundqvist in a classic showdown between the two franchise goalies. Even if he's not what he once was, the 39-year old Brodeur is capable of making the highlight reel save and enjoys playing our team. You know he'll be up for this one. With Johan Hedberg splitting duty with MB30, it truly is an all-time great's career that could be coming to a close. But as the controversial all-time winningest goalie with the most shutouts (116) noted, it will be his decision when his contract expires this summer. Brodeur recently had some choice comments about the HBO documentary series 24/7 covering the Winter Classic for a second consecutive year with bitter foes the Rangers and Flyers set to do battle at Citizens Bank Park on January 2 in the City Of Brotherly Love. Never one to shy away from an opinion, Marty doesn't care for the F bombs that will continue to air for three more weeks every Wednesday, including following the signature event.

While he's got a point, it doesn't air till 10 in the evening and kids shouldn't be allowed to watch. It's an A-Plus for the sport, which Brodeur made sure to point out. Sometimes, I wonder if he just ran his mouth because it's our team involved. He hates us and usually times his comments. While not as ornery as his idol Patrick Roy, Marty is becoming more and more like him. Chalk it up to not having the spotlight. Something he's always coveted. I do agree the Devils deserve the game. Perhaps they should get it and play their emerging rival the Islanders, who also could use a boost. I wonder if the league would allow essentially the same market to split the game.

While Brodeur makes headlines, the Rangers have done their talking with their play, which has leveled off since a great November. After beginning December with two wins, they're 3-3-1 since with injuries starting to mount. The loss of Mike Sauer, who isn't close to returning from a concussion, along with Steve Eminger separating his shoulder and being sidelined eight to ten weeks has turned the blueline into shambles. While Marc Staal awaits word for physical contact, John Tortorella will lean heavily on Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Mike Del Zotto. Lately, it's been the strong play of Del Zotto that's keeping them afloat. After an inconsistent start, MDZ has regained the confidence he had in Year One when he was an offensive threat. Even better, he's playing more physical in his end and logging big minutes. Tort now trusts him and MDZ is teaming with emerging Derek Stepan to run the power play. While a bit risky, it's not doing badly. The problem is still consistency with some PP's abysmal while others click. You never know what to expect.

Brad Richards has been everything advertised. His last second goal to stun Phoenix was a brilliant play by a proven winner. That's why you get the shot on net. Richie's 26 points (12-14-26) trail Marian Gaborik by one. Gabby is back with a vengeance, pacing the Blueshirts with 17 goals and 27 points. His two goals in a come from behind win over the 'Yotes was clutch. No question he is 100 percent, taking the body much more and putting forth an extra effort each shift. Ryan Callahan has been a leader with 12 goals (5 PPG, 3 GW) and over 100 hits. D-Step has emerged with 21 points and some heady play that reminds of a more skilled Drury. Artem Anisimov should be in after missing Saturday with the flu. It's the play of the top line (Anisimov-Stepan-Gaborik) that the Devils must focus on while Richards anchors Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky, who picked up a big helper in the victory Saturday. Will he ever score again? He usually fares well versus the Devs.

The back end will use Anton Stralman, Stu Bickel and likely Jeff Woywitka. If he can't go, then Tim Erixon rejoins the lineup. How Tort handles it will be key. Mike Rupp also has a homecoming with the team he played Cup hero for in '03. Wonder what kind of reaction he'll get. Oh wait. He sucks now. :P It should be interesting.

As injuries mount, pressure is on Slats

Injuries are part of hockey. More and more, we're seeing the unfortunate aspect with many big names sidelined by concussions. Or in Chris Pronger's case, severe PCS has finished the future Hall Of Famer for the season. A costly loss for the Flyers, who also are keeping their fingers crossed for leading scorer Claude Giroux to return at some point from the concussion he suffered from an accidental knee from teammate Wayne Simmonds. This is the ugly side that's becoming a league wide epidemic.

As the Rangers would attest, they know full well that much of their season depends on if Marc Staal can return from PCS. His is an odd case where the All-Star blueliner returned for the rest of the '10-11 season, including all five games in a first round defeat to the Caps. He was 'good enough' to play but then suffered a setback during the summer that ended his workouts. It still boggles the mind how he was able to play and then the unknown hit, forcing the Blueshirts to shut him down during camp. Finally improving, he could be cleared for contact soon. What that could mean for a suddenly depleted back end is pivotal. The light at the end of the tunnel says perhaps we see Staal debut in the new calendar year. However, we're still dealing with uncertainty. The organization will take every precaution.

Just a brief look into Sidney Crosby is proof enough how fragile the head can be. What if the Penguins had not brought Sid The Kid back so soon following the first concussion suffered on a David Steckel hit? If only we knew. Crosby is again sidelined due to a hit from David Krejci a couple of weeks ago. He'd returned with a flash pulverizing teams with 12 points in eight games, including the unreal backhand goal on his first shift in a blowout of the Islanders. Now, he is suffering from PCS (post concussion symptoms) again. Not a concussion, which the Pittsburgh captain clarified to the media recently. So, the game's most dynamic player sits with no time table. Almost like that repeat scene in Ground Hog Day where Bill Murray's Phil character keeps waking up to that annoying alarm clock with "I Got You Babe" playing. No matter what he does to the clock, it keeps playing. Of course, this harsh reality is sadder and much more daunting.

Already without concussed Mike Sauer, who was KO'd by a clean Dion Phaneuf shoulder, the Rangers lost Steve Eminger to a separated shoulder for eight to ten weeks in their miraculous last second win over Phoenix. In the wake of one of the wildest endings that saw Brad Richards last ditch backhand fling deflect off Keith Yandle past Mike Smith just beating the clock literally (it crossed the goal line with 0.01 forcing a video reversal), the Blueshirts find themselves in dire straits. With tough games beginning tomorrow against division rivals New Jersey, the Islanders and Philadelphia with HBO cameras rolling, they'll be minus half their starting D. No Staal and no Sauer is bad enough because that's half their top four. Somehow, John Tortorella has managed to get by by wisely teaming super soph Ryan McDonagh with Team MVP Dan Girardi while recently replacing Sauer with Eminger for emerging Michael Del Zotto.

If only it were that simple. There are so many injuries that you can never have enough players. Especially defensemen. So, here's what Tort's left with for tomorrow's big showdown in Newark against the suddenly red hot Devils, who are blitzing goalies thanks to wiz kid Adam Henrique, Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Ilya Kovalchuk and yes, David Clarkson. Even Dainius Zubrus has 10 goals. A once weakness is now a team strength, which explains the Devs' torrid play that suddenly has them just three points behind us and the Pens. While they are clicking on all cylinders, Tortorella will roll out McDonagh and Girardi as much as humanly possible in the blood rivals first of six. Del Zotto likely will play with Anton Stralman while unsung hero Jeff Woywitka if available, should see increased responsibility. Emergency recall Tim Erixon could also return after spending over a month with the Connecticut Whale. In other words, the Rangers are in trouble.

The Devils are hardly All-Star caliber on the blueline. However, at least most of their regulars will be a go with first-year Swede Adam Larsson learning on the job along with second-year man Mark Fayne while vets Bryce Salvador, Henrik Tallinder and Lou Lamoriello steal Kurt Foster supply depth. How the odd GM got Foster from the Ducks for Mark Fraser and immortal Rod Pelley we'll never comprehend. Yeah. I know they're character guys but come on. Bob Murray should be investigated for how he's run a former Cup champ into the ground.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that our team is at a disadvantage tomorrow night. Sure. Marian Gaborik's playing like an MVP and Richards has proven what a leader he is. Derek Stepan has blossomed along with Artem Anismov while Ryan Callahan has certainly welcomed the challenge of being captain with open arms. After those four, it gets thin with underachieving Brandon Dubinsky still stuck on one goal. That's four million's worth. Brian Boyle has not been able to repeat last year's output and Brandon Prust is more a warrior than scorer who'll take on all comers despite being nicked up. Carl Hagelin just might be the next most important player with incredible speed and instincts. Ruslan Fedotenko is what he is. A solid checker who can scorer every once in a while.

Something needs to be done. Henrik Lundqvist is going to be peppered given our D issues. How soon before Girardi's tank runs on empty? He can only do so much. Glen Sather needs to open his eyes and realize this team cannot have another first round flop. That means get on the phone to try to get a character D like Tim Gleason. Our team also lacks enough skill up front. One more scorer and this team could compete with Boston, Pittsburgh and Philly. Even the Panthers boast more talent.

It's high time Slats gives us a team that can actually win more than two rounds. The pressure's on.

A team of contradictions

It's been thirty games and I still can't figure this Devils team out...or maybe I already have. This team has been a total roller-coaster ride from Opening Night, alternately capable of brilliance and hair-pulling stupidity. Multiple times this season they've fought back from two-goal deficits and even came back from three down against Ottawa last week at home. And almost as many times they've shown a propensity for blowing late leads, including a four-goal meltdown in Florida and giving up the tying goal against the Senators with 3.3 seconds remaining in the same game they were down three late in the second. At times our offense looks impressive, like the other night in Tampa when we scored five goals and chased Dwayne Roloson - and at times it's still clueless, like when we let the Canadiens trap us to death after they took an early second period lead last Saturday.

Our penalty kill has been as good as I've ever seen it - even in the glory years. It's not just that they keep teams from scoring, but we've also been extremely agressive and scored several shorthanded goals ourselves. And conversely, our power play has been as bad as I've ever seen it. Granted, it feels like the last five years we can't buy a power play goal (other than the first half two seasons ago where we were strangely the top power play team in the league through 41 games), but this season the Devils have taken the power play of doom to another level - giving up shorthanded goals at an alarming rate...to the tune of nine through the first thirty games.

Even our goaltending has been a mixed bag of chocolates this year, with Johan Hedberg being brilliant for the most part - except at playing the puck, while Martin Brodeur until recently was struggling as bad as he did during the first half last year (when the whole team was in a collective malaise). Granted for the most part, I thought Marty's struggles were due to an inexperienced and shaky defense behind him, but after he got waxed in Colorado it took him a while to get his groove back. Coach Pete DeBoer had to pull the legend twice in a week's time at one point but strong performances against the Canadiens and Panthers show that Marty's coming out of his funk at least...even if the defense is still a question mark.

It's a team whose offensive stars - Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise - have largely underachieved, at least until recently. Yet, role players like David Clarkson (tied for the team lead in goals!) and Danius Zubrus have picked up the slack. Defensively, this team plays very well a man down but has more than its share of goof-ups with a man up and five-on-five. If anyone personifies the Devils' defense right now, it's Adam Larsson. The teen has been impressive enough to garner major minutes from day one, yet made more than enough mistakes to remind us all that he is still a teenage rookie. Derek compared him to countryman Victor Hedman a few days back, and sure Larsson's not as good as Hedman now but he might be better than Hedman was at eighteen - also when he debuted. It's hard to say since I didn't watch him every day like I have Larsson for the most part.

So what does that all lead to? A team a couple games over .500 that frequently is tied after sixty-five minutes, and is only over .500 because of their incredible prowess at the shootout...to the tune of seven victories in the skills competition against only one loss. This is a team that alternates three games winning streaks with three-game losing streaks. And for one reason or another, we've been a .500 team overall since acquiring Kovalchuk two winters ago - although as down as I've been at times on him this year (and early last year), I have to admit he's handling the switch to RW much better this time around. And having captain Parise on his line does seem to provide a good influence for Kovy, a guy who seems like he's one of those star talents that needs someone he respects to follow or look up to, like he did with coach Jacques Lemaire last year.

Does that mean we're going to be stuck in a roller-coaster version of neutral for the rest of the season? I hope not...a lot of Devil fans are hanging their hats on Travis Zajac's imminent return tomorrow night, treating it like Elias's comeback from HepA in 2006 in that it'll be something that propels the team to a great second half. I like Travis but I don't think he's that kind of player and anyway, it's not as if the rest of the team's automatically going to stay healthy throughout either. We found that out when Andy Greene came up with a non-displaced fracture in his toe and is going to be shelved for a month because of it.

At least the rest of the supporting cast other than Greene will be back in the fold tomorrow night, as Anton Volchenkov will return to the lineup and Henrik Tallinder will also play, after being shaken up late in Tuesday's game. GM Lou Lamoriello also made a move to further fortify the defense, acquiring Kurtis Foster from the Ducks to give us a booming right-handed shot from the point we've long been searching for on the power play. Current assistant Adam Oates and former head coach Lemaire each have familiarity with Foster, since he played with the Lightning when Oates was there and the Wild when Lemaire was in Minnesota. Packing their bags (mercifully) were forward Rod Pelley and defenseman Mark Fraser, who the GM had been trying to move since the season started due to their one-way contracts and tenuous position on the depth chart.

Even though I haven't been far from the team (apart from being at a movie and missing Tuesday's game), in some ways I've been chomping at the bit to blog due to my recent computer meltdown. I still won't have a fully functioning desktop until next week in all likelihood, and am only able to blog now by re-typing this post on a library computer after originally typing it on Word and saving it to a floppy disk. Which would have been fine except most new computers - including the ones at the library - don't have a floppy disk drive, and my work computer can't read my disk so I was basically stuck printing out a copy of this at home then retyping it at the library...sheesh! Where the heck have I been that I didn't realize floppys have become obsolete in new computers?! Guess it was time for me to upgrade anyway.

Between the missed penalty shot by Parise in the final minute of last weekend's game against the Habs and the excruciating loss against the Isles where Kovalchuk was booed out of the building, it's been tougher watching the Devils in person than on TV lately. I haven't seen a home win live since my foray into the clubs on the 8th of November. Hopefully it'll be a better atmosphere for Nieds night tomorrow than it has been in recent games, with a better result. If I can I'll post on that early next week, and on Doc Emrick's return to be the emcee for Nieds' ceremony - which will begin around 6:45 and last approximately 40 or so minutes, with warm-ups for the actual game to follow...an 8:08 faceoff against the Stars.

Rangers-Flyers 24/7 Debut A Hit

When your own fans are counting down the minutes until HBO's award winning 24/7 that documents the preparation of both Winter Classic participants, the Rangers and Flyers, you know the NHL has a hit. For a league that's never been spot on about much aside from driving writers and fans alike crazy with every rule tweak, they hit a home run with last year's inaugural appearance on HBO Sports, which pitted Sid The Kid's Pens versus Ovi's Caps in the 2011 Classic.

This time, a blood rivalry is renewed when old Patrick foes, the Rangers and Flyers take to the made up ice at Citizens Bank Park for a unique setting this January 2. There will also be the Legends Game on New Year's Eve which should energize players from both sides along with each fanbase. There's just nothing like pond hockey. From the time the Oilers hosted the first one against the Habs pre-lockout in the Hockey Heritage Game, these events have become a league signature. Yes. It's already become overhyped, especially with astronomical costs pricing most out of even scoring tickets. However, one thing remains the same. The passion on display leading up to the marquee event as depicted by HBO is great theater.

Finally, Part I of IV debuted last night at 10 ET with the repeat at 11 ET. And boy, the amazing backdrop they opened with of both cities was ultra cool. The setting for New York City was classic with closeups of true New Yorkers headed to work with one on the subway. A part of our culture that isn't as fickle as everyday traffic. Right away, you noticed the hatred between the clubs with noted pest Sean Avery exchanging a classic barb during the first meeting.

"You bleepin' loser."

Between the first of many f-bombs with Peter Laviolette getting the ball rolling to John Tortorella's plea for star Marian Gaborik to get going in a recent win with the potential All-Star responding with a power play goal, HBO Sports had again captivated the Classic participants in rare form. But it wasn't all fun and laughs. Not when Mike Del Zotto crashed hard into the boards during a race for a puck with Toronto's David Steckel, that included a loud thud right into the boards with MDZ protecting his head. That he was mic'd up gave viewers more perspective into how dangerous icings can be when two players are neck and neck. It only reaffirms Del Zotto's point following a tough loss that maybe it's time to change the rule. Hybrid icing wouldn't result in such huge risks. I was never a proponent but sometimes, such scary events can change my mind. Listening to MDZ discuss his close call on the way to the rink while getting razzed by Dan Girardi for getting treatment portrayed things in a whole new light. The game of hockey is super fast and we got a taste of the scary aspect up close.

HBO also made sure to include Flyer star Claude Giroux's recent concussion during a freak incident with teammate Wayne Simmonds, who immediately apologized to 'G' after his knee caught the league's leading scorer. Getting to see Giroux taken to the Flyer locker room for precaution due to any head hit gave us some insight into the safety policy. Of course, we couldn't see him fully examined with it covered up but it speaks to how dangerous the sport is. Even your own teammates can accidentally hurt you because they can't get out of the way. It brings to mind how Pat LaFontaine's career ended when he collided with ex-teammate Mike Keane. Given the PCS Sidney Crosby is again experiencing following a loss to Boston last week, it speaks to the gross nature of the sport. You're always at risk. Based on the list of players who are mostly stars that's growing (Crosby, Giroux, Marc Staal, Jeff Skinner, Mike Sauer, etc.), nobody's safe. Can anything be done to prevent the league wide epidemic?

It'd be easy to forget some of the funny moments Episode I gave us. So, we'll pick our top five:

1.Ilya Bryzgalov discussing the solar system at length as being humongous along with his keen sense of humor that his coach termed as different than most. He talked about how he was getting into Hell by choosing Philly. Then in the next breath, he's given a small bottle of alcohol that would kill tigers. "Death penalty," Bryz pops. Who knew the man was so analytical about the Earth and one of the randomest, insanely funny dudes our league has?

2.Artem Anisimov's goal celebration, which he later referenced was a tribute to a fallen comrade in the Lokomotiv tragedy. Of course, the Lightning reacted the way any team would thinking he was shooting his stick at them with Vinny Lecavalier and Steve Downie taking exception. We got to hear some of the chaos with Brandon Dubinsky ripping into the ref for the 16 minutes Artie received with Dubi screaming, "[Lecavalier] started the whole bleepin' thing."

Even more amusing was Anisimov who asked what he did in that cool Russian accent before skating off to the dressing room to sit by himself until teammates entered. There was Sean Avery with a huge smirk as he passed by while Brandon Prust laughed and Artie said, "I was just reloading my gun." The only one not laughing was a fuming Tortorella who referenced the incident as idiotic because it put them in a whole heap of trouble. "They're coming," he warned. His former team came with Dominic Moore's tying shorty leaving a grimace on Tort's face as he talked to assistant Mike Sullivan. They would fall when Moore again picked high glove on Henrik Lundqvist, who then sat by himself at his locker with a pained look as if about to cry. The prideful man hates losing. Especially in a shootout. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't find out a bit more about our star goalie aside from the comical credit card roulette that we'll get to.

3.Scott Hartnell/Matt Cooke exchange during the first Battle Of Pennsylvania was priceless. Following a Hartnell hit to a Pen, Cooke called out the orange haired Flyer by saying, "What the bleep are you doing?" But Hartnell deadpanned, "Cooke. You're the dirtiest player in the league. It was a hit." Easily one of the laugh out loud moments. Talk about irony. I also liked from before the game when Dan Bylsma visited ex-pupil Max Talbot. Though I'm no fan of Talbot, it was awesome to see Bylsma pay tribute to the former Cup hero by saying: "So now you're a goalscorer." Classic.

4.Credit Card Roulette- There are too many words. While captain Ryan Callahan treated his family to dinner that included 95-year old grandma, the rest of the Blueshirts ate out together. Then came the favorite part where someone has to pay for the fancy meal. In an epic game of credit card roulette in which they all tossed their cards into a hat, the unlucky winner was Jeff Woywitka, who had to foot the bill with King Henrik. I hope Lundqvist coughed up a little bit more given the salary difference. Best part was when team clown Brandon Prust remarked: "Thanks for dinner." A reference to the Mighty Ducks III. Now, everyone wants to emulate the Ranger tradition when they're out with friends. Nothing like splitting the difference.

5.Garden Of Dreams night out with the Rockettes was interesting as underprivileged kids got the luxury treatment in a huge limo with all the trimmings. A special treat for children who aren't as fortunate. But it was obvious that Brian Boyle enjoyed staring at those long legs while Prust put some popcorn in Lundqvist's hair. You can't make it up.

Honorable Mention would have to be the Flyer dressing room post-win dancing to Mac Miller's "Knock, Knock" was pretty bleepin' epic. The scene with Simmonds in the locker room was great. I just hope we don't hear it following the big game.


Moment Of Episode I: That was stolen by Callahan's grandma, who was a bundle for everyone watching. From her and Mama Cally upset over a hideous crosschecking call on their kid in Buffalo to the awesome embrace Ryan gave his 95-year old granny following a win in which he scored a highlight reel shorthanded goal to loud cheers from the family, it was easily one of the coolest moments HBO's ever given us. When you hear Cally talk about her and how he doesn't know how much longer she'll be around, it makes you realize how important family is. We all have grandparents. I wish ours were still around. I will never forget those special moments spent with them as long as I live. If only we could go back. Yes. It was touching and tear worthy. I hope we get to see more of her but doubt it considering there won't be another Buffalo game leading up to January 2nd. It makes you want Captain Cally to bring the Cup back for her. That would be the perfect script.

My only other gripe was not much of Jaromir Jagr other than him explaining how much he's enjoying life in Philly. As odd as it still seems, No.68 has fit in well, leaving Giroux to praise the future Hall Of Famer. Though it was interesting to hear him say, "Sometimes you think with your heart over your head." The stuff on going opposite instead of returning for one final sendoff with Pittsburgh where his jersey would hang was compelling. You never know what he's thinking. But there's definitely a lot going on.

Keep Haggin' away

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

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

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

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

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

Random Thought: Shanahan fails on Ovechkin

Today's random thought pertains to the continued hypocrisy of the league. Even Brendan Shanahan has picked up right where Colin Campbell left off. By not even having a hearing with Alex Ovechkin for his spear to Chris Neil, who actually was called for diving after taking a cheap shot to the midsection, it's the same old story for the NHL. Sure. Neil isn't exactly a choir boy. But he delivered a good hit and Ovechkin intentionally used his stick while skating by the Sen tough guy. A clear attempt to injure. Given Ovi's track record, he deserved at least a fine. Though in our book, he should've been suspended for at least two games. Only when a star a la Ryan Miller gets plowed into twice does the league overreact. I'm all about protecting stars but when one bends the law, they should be punished.

Moore makes birthday prediction ring true

Sometimes, I really wish I could make this stuff up. Or in my case, you can't. Tonight was my birthday and so we embarked to the World's Most Renovated Arena for Bolts/Rangers. My second game on the same day as Jim Morrison's birthday and one of my idols John Lennon's tragic death 31 years ago in the center of New York City. Drew Doughty also shares a birthday and Brian target Dwight Howard. Oh btw. I also crushed on Kim Basinger. Who didn't?

Getting to the game which was bizarre for a whole lot of reasons. Though judging, from the Sens-Devs boxscore, I'll bet that one brought a smile to Hasan. First, a former Blueshirt was involved before and during the game. Dominic Moore is always someone I liked. He centered the infamous HMO line (Hollweg-Moore-Ortmeyer) in '05-06 which put us back on the map. I always felt he got a raw deal even if Blair Betts was a solid citizen. Amazing to think a guy with his skill set is now on his seventh NHL roster. Moore has been a frequent flier during the trade deadline. He was instrumental in the Lightning's run lto the Conference Finals last Spring. No surprise that on my birthday, Dom had plenty of impact.

It was during the morning skate that an accidental backhand caught Marty St. Louis right in the face, bloodying the star to the point where he was held out, ending a consecutive games streak of 500. Albeit he's always been one of my favorite players. So, while some in the twitterverse reacted with good for us, I was disappointed I wouldn't get to see him. I just enjoy the game so much and love full rosters with all the stars. Beating the best is what determines who you are. We have a good team and I was hoping he'd sew up. Oh well. Maybe that was an ominous sign of things to come. The traffic we endured coming home was regrettable. Never before had it ever been that bad. Thanks for nothing NYC. It's nights like this that make me wish I lived elsewhere. Only in dreams.

Anyway, Moore KO'd St. Louis. So, the Lightning were minus one of their Big Three. They still found a way to exact revenge in large part to Moore's heroics. Combine that with a controversial goal celebration from Artem Anisimov after he put us ahead and Tampa had plenty of incentive to come out with the two points. If you know me, I hate the brownie point for the shootout. A skill competition should never decide anything. And for the love of sanity, they need to ditch it for the latest Bettman Experiment. I was in favor of realignment but came away as baffled as Hasan about the whole conference set up and an unfavorable   schedule. It just is too confusing for words. More on this later.

Many critics will rip Anisimov for his foolish celebration in which he imitated Teemu Selanne by using his stick as a gun to point at Mathieu Garon following a shorthanded goal. It was impossible for us to see due to the overhang but Arty made a huge error in judgment and fired up the opposition. So, I guess it was no shock that Steve Downie came off the bench and jumped him along with Steven Stamkos and Marc-Andre Bergeron, who took a beating from Brandon Dubinsky. Speaking of which, Dubi had a decent night, combining with Mike Del Zotto on Anismov's shorty. He also saw some time on the top line with Anisimov somehow assessed 16 minutes for getting jumped. The appropriate call would've been unsportsmanlike conduct. Instead, the blind mice gave him a double minor and misconduct. So, we lost one of our best forwards for a while, which didn't help our powerless play. Yes. Even if it connected early with Ryan Callahan scoring his 11th from the left circle, it still doomed us.

If you want to watch how not to run a power play, just try to understand ours. I know I'm not alone on this futile topic in these parts but good God it stinks. There is zero creativity and no fluidity. Watch the Red Wings or Blackhawks for how to score on the PP. Quick passes. Movement and shots. I know. It's been this way for years no matter what superstar we add. Brad Richards did make a nifty pass to Cally for his PPG but too often it's not a five man unit. It's give it to Richy or Marian Gaborik and watch them lug the puck up and try to juke four guys. It's too predictable. Del Zotto also is the only defenseman who has that capability but he never shoots and when he does, it's nine feet wide.

The man-advantage cost them big time. What was it? Four consecutive failures including two in crunch time when Tampa tried to hand us the game. One-for-six overall? I am not bothering to check if it's five or six and could care less if our success rate says otherwise. Our powerless play SUCKS!

Ryan Malone tied the game on a breakaway after a dreadful giveaway from Ryan McDonagh, who had a night to forget. Chalk it up to it being my birthday. They just weren't sharp after the first and believe me, they started heading downward in the middle of the opening stanza. At least I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie Maggie and her boyfriend Nick, who ironically enough are from Sayreville. Only where Brian is from! So classic. It really was fun to meet you. Hope to see you again along with some other tweeps next time out.

The Bolts were undisciplined, handing us three early power plays. But we only capitalized on one and then fizzled. Of course, before the chaos that ensued, the Lightning couldn't handle our top two lines, which generated enough quality chances to beat Garon more than twice. This was a goalie who stunk entering with like eight allowed in his last two starts. But he turned in a good performance and came up with some gems in overtime. Following the Arty nonsense which John Tortorella condoned without going overboard, the Bolts wanted it more. They began carrying the play with Stamkos, Moore and Vinny Lecavalier forcing Henrik Lundqvist to make some tough stops. Even Matt Gilroy had a solid game. The Bolts also benefited from Victor Hedman, who was outstanding defensively. He really is overlooked because he doesn't do anything flashy. But now I see why they extended him at five a pop. Adam Larsson could learn a thing or two about how to defend by watching his Swedish buddy.

Late in the game, there was our chance to make it easy. Instead, they didn't even try to get the third goal. No sense of urgency. And boy, did it come back to bite them. Right before the inevitable, I told my brother Justin I thought Moore would tie it. I have no idea why. It just came to me that it would be an ex-Ranger. Gaining steam, Moore skated around two of our guys like they were ghosts before backhanding one upstairs on Lundqvist, who must've dozed off from the uninspired play. How else can you explain that going in? And no. I don't want to hear any spin about it possibly changing direction. He has to stop that. It really wasn't his fault that our five fell asleep. But come on. The shootout winner to Moore was no better. He again went top shelf for the only goal in the shootout.

Regarding the skill comp, interesting that John Mitchell went first and didn't shoot. All three (Richy and Gabby) were duped by an aggressive Garon, who challenged while Lundqvist sat back. Quite a contrast. And all three of our shooters went too deep and tried to deke, playing right into his hands. No adjustment. Why not shoot right away for the top part of the net? They got what they deserved.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star: Mathieu Garon, Bolts (29 saves)
2nd Star: Victor Hedman, Bolts (assist, stellar defense)
1st Star: Dominic Moore, Bolts (tying shorthanded goal-2nd of season, shootout winner)

Birthday Ba$h

This post is not to commentate a birthday of a NHL player, coach, or anyone directly associated with the hockey league. And while yes, today would have been The Doors former lead singer Jim Morrison's birthday (born 1943) and actress Kim Basinger's birthday (I had such a crush on her when I was a kid)this birthday has more relevance for us at the Battle Of New York.

And it is the immortal Nathan Perrott's birthday, with 4 career goals on his NHL resume, that is not who we have in mind.

Ah yes, today's birthday is: (Drumroll.............)

None other then Derek Felix himself of course, the fearless leader of Battle Of New York!

Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday and many more! And while I cannot provide a monetary present to you at this time given I am clear across the country, I can provide another gift.

We all know you are a hockey card collector, and yes, this cards are truly, one of a kind. They symbolizes all that is good about card collecting, and all that is corrupt. The cards are rare , and as a hint for the first card, this is a player that I had a similar card of that I sold on eBay for a cool $73.00 and I am not even sure if this NHL player ever had 73 points to his credit!

The 2nd card is another legend from the past, was going to be the man to 'Lead the Charge' at M$G for years to come...and the card is graded! Imagine the possibilities!

And the 3rd and last card of course is one for the ages: Mark Messier has been a player that a lot have turned to for leadership, grit, and moxie. But this man was labeled 'a future captain' and one that would bring Dancing Larry, and other Rangers fans in the 400's towards hockey immortality....I give you, this tremendous trio!








Ah, seeing these cards makes me want to run to a card store, spend $200 on two 'unopened' boxes of cards from a certain card shop in New Jersey!!!

Sauer latest concussion victim

Before he could look, Michael Sauer had Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf's shoulder right on his chin knocking the Ranger defenseman to the ice. The collision was another scary reminder of how physical the sport is. In an instant, you can be leveled and seeing stars. Ask Sid Crosby, David Perron and more recently Marc Staal, Kris Letang and Nino Neiderreiter.

Considering the in depth New York Times piece on Derek Boogaard about the brain damage incurred in his final days, any time the word concussion is uttered, it becomes daunting for everyone involved. Right now, the Rangers list Sauer as day-to-day. If only that were the case when it comes to head injuries. Nobody really knows what's going on. Every case is different and each player must be handled with extreme care. Looking back at what happened with Staal where he was "good enough" to return and take part in the playoffs before recurring PCS shut him down, it's all the more puzzling. How fast will Sauer recover from what was a good hit by Phaneuf without leaving his feet and not targeting the head?

Sometimes, you can't always blame the hitter. Was Mark Fistric's hit that concussed El Nino really worth three games (one more than Jordin Tootoo for running Ryan Miller) or was it a classic case of Niederreiter being in an awkward position with his head down that inflicted the damage? The Star defenseman was a repeat offender and the injury definitely was a factor. But as we've seen with Letang, who actually returned to play the hero following a vicious Max Pacioretty hit, the head is a delicate area. The more we learn about long-term affects (C.T.E.) on former players who are no longer with us, the scarier it becomes. In Sauer's case, it wasn't from fisticuffs but just a huge open ice hit. However, fighting definitely is barbaric and must come under scrutiny due to what we're finding out.

I've always been a proponent of fighting. I'm not sure hockey can survive without it. Unless you can get rid of unnecessary cheapshots entirely, opponents will take liberties with stars leading to more fragile situations like Crosby. The role of the tough guy is to serve and protect teammates from such nonsense. Enforcers have a very difficult job, which also might explain why so many play through pain and do what Boogaard did. On painkillers and minute to minute. As we've learned, fighting is not heroic. It is serious with every blow sustained that could be it for guys we admire for their bravery. However, it's a lonely road afterwards with so much we couldn't begin to imagine on their minds. When is enough enough? That's the growing question the NHL and NHLPA need to answer. How they handle concussions must be more hands on. We're at least moving in the right direction. But it's the guys who use their fists for a living who must be watched more closely.

Some of the excerpts in the extensive Times feature written by John Branch are flat out devastating. Try this one on for size and you'll agree how serious it is.

Boogaard was embarrassed and worried that news of his addiction would shatter his reputation. He was also concerned that someone would take his role. From rehabilitation, he tracked the preseason fights of teammates and texted friends to gauge how badly he was missed.



He rejoined the team after missing the first five regular-season games and had his first fight on Oct. 21, at home against the Colorado Avalanche’s David Koci. Boogaard started with a left-hand jab to Koci’s chin, then grabbed Koci’s jersey and knocked him down with two right-hand punches.


Boogaard skated, expressionless, to the penalty box.


From the outside, everything seemed normal. It was not.


“His demeanor, his personality, it just left him,” John Scott, a Wild teammate, said. “He didn’t have a personality anymore. He just was kind of — a blank face.”




Boogaard fell asleep while playing cards on the team plane, a teammate said. He passed out in corners of the team’s dressing room. He was uncharacteristically late for meetings and workouts. Wild trainers and doctors warned Boogaard’s teammates not to give him their prescription pills.

 only gets sadder from there with the amount of painkillers the BoogeyMan was on eventually costing him his life in one of the saddest hockey tales that are increasing. How can we better help these ultimate warriors. What we do know is the longer they're held out of physical activity, the more likely they'll recover and return to the ice. For the Blueshirts, they lose a valuable player who teamed with Mike Del Zotto on a solid second pair. Now, Sauer is replaced by $900,000 bench warmer Anton Stralman, who may as well be confused with Zarley Zalapski. With Tim Erixon hurt, that's what they'll live with. For how long who knows.

NHL realignment on the way

In something that was expected for a while but happened fairly quickly once discussions formally got underway, the NHL decided to re-align and completely change its playoff format effective next season. Instead of six divisions, the NHL will now have four 'conferences' of 7-8 teams. Each conference/division/whatever will have four playoff teams square off against each other in the first two rounds, sort of like the format of the '80's and early '90's where division teams squared off until the Conference Finals. With the difference being now instead of two teams from the same conference playing off to go to the Stanley Cup Finals, you'll have four teams that get reseeded based on record.

Here are the new divisions (the hell with the conference designation), which are loosely based on geography - therefore my names are loosely based on intent:

Battle Division (7) - Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Carolina
Northwest Division (8) - LA, San Jose, Anaheim, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado, Phoenix
Central Division (8) - Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, Columbus, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Dallas
North/South Division (7) - Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Tampa Bay

Of course you'll notice some goofy pairings with this format, putting Florida and Tampa Bay (southern teams) with a bunch of Northeastern teams is one. Dallas is certainly going to be piling up the frequent flyer miles in its division to every place except Nashville, though they kind of do that now anyway. My Battle and Northwest divisions are the closest to being right geographically, the Northwest being the most based in reality of the four.

A potential flashpoint is that two divisions have eight teams and two have seven, which makes it unfair to the eight-team divisions having to beat out an extra team for the playoffs since now playoff berths are solely based on finishing top four in your division. Currently, you only have to finish in the top eight of your conference (assuming all three division winners fall in that designation) and each conference had fifteen teams. However, the NHL didn't rule out future expansion which would put eight teams in all divisions. I don't really know where else they're going to expand to, especially if Phoenix winds up going to Quebec and screwing up the realignment before it starts.

As much as I like the fact every team gets to play each other in a home-and-home during the regular season now, it comes at the cost of conference rivalries. Now the only true rivalries can exist in divisions, where you'll play around six times against each team, as opposed to twice against every other team. No longer will we get to see teams like Boston, Montreal, Toronto and Buffalo four times a year, and playoff matchups against such teams will be much rarer indeed. Would classic non-division conference matchups like Devils-Leafs in the early 2000's or Devils-Senators in 2003 happen now?

Essentially this format enhances rivalries that already existed for the most part (though now it tries to force some new ones as well), at the cost of others that could be cultivated from playing four times a year and in potential playoff series. Devils-Sabres was a classic first-round series in 1994, Rangers-Sabres was also pretty good a few years back. Heck, when the Isles actually made the playoffs before the lockout they had a barn-burner of a series with the Leafs. The fact that all the NY-NJ teams only get one home-and-home with the Sabres is too bad. Not to mention cutting down the Rangers' matchups with fellow Original Six members Montreal, Boston and Toronto.

Now, as for the actual Battle division...if I've seen one silly notion in the last 24 hours it's that this division is somehow unfair to us, given that 'giants' like Pittsburgh, Washington and the Flyers are in it, leaving one playoff spot to fight for between the Devils, Rangers, Isles and Canes (who actually will fit in this division since they have legit rivalries with us and a couple other teams here). I say that's nonsense, first of all that may be the case this year and next year, but what about five years from now? Five years ago, the Pens and Caps were bottom-feeders even with shiny new rookies Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.

Plus if you look at every division there are obstacles to overcome. Would it really be any easier to beat out the Sharks, Kings and Canucks for a playoff spot? How about trying to get past Detroit, Chicago and Nashville? Boston, Buffalo and an improving Leafs team won't be a picnic either. Not to mention ours is one of the two divisions that only have seven teams, as opposed to eight. Any Devil or Ranger fan that feels this division is too tough a challenge, well that's just too bad and a defeatist atitude. We have to improve our team to be able to face those top clubs one way or another.

I'm sure Derek will have more to chime in on this subject (particuarly on the politics of why this happened), as it certainly isn't going to make the purists happy.

Moulson 4-Goal Outburst highlights weekend

Matt Moulson's four-goal game in a wild Islanders' 5-4 win at Dallas the other night highlighted a busy weekend in the league. The Isles' leading sniper needed all four to boost the club to an important victory- helping his club complete a successful road trip in which they went 3-0-1. The only defeat came to Chicago via a shootout.

Could this be the turnaround the Islanders need? At 8-11-5 with 21 points, they still have a long way to go. But with teams such as the Sabres, Caps, Bolts and Habs up and down, it's allowed Jack Capuano's club to hang around. The Devils' recent struggles away from Newark have them in a similar bind with Ilya Kovalchuk front and center for the wrong reasons. Toss in a goalie controversy along with inconsistency from captain Zach Parise and the Devs need to get the ship righted. While the Isles return home for tough tests against Tampa, Chicago and Pittsburgh, New Jersey visits the Leafs tomorrow before returning home to host the Senators and Canadiens. Potential three-point games unless the Devs can win in regulation. Something they've done seven times as Hasan noted in a previous entry.

While the Islanders and Devils continue to face stiff challenges in a topsy turvy East, the Rangers play host to Toronto tonight following a come from behind 4-2 win at Tampa. Their fifth consecutive triumph didn't come easy with John Tortorella's cohesive unit rallying from one-goal deficits twice, reeling off the final three to beat a team that gave them fits last year. The Bolts won all four meetings in '10-11. Ever improving Derek Stepan sparked them to the win along with Artem Anismov with each scoring big goals to stun Tampa Bay. It was a forced turnover by gritty leader Ryan Callahan that allowed Stepan and Anisimov to combine on the tying marker. Late in the third, a yeoman effort from Anisimov created enough chaos in front for Stepan to bang home the winner. Even better, ex-Bolt hero Brad Richards sealed it with an empty netter after earlier setting up another former Lightning Ruslan Fedotenko earlier. A special return for each.

The Blueshirts continue to get unbelievable D from second-year man Ryan McDonagh, whose stellar play forced the Bolts into a turnover that led to Richy's icing on the cake. With the former Badger contributing in all facets, he has the makings of a future star. Combine that with the ruggedness of the league's leading ice-time leader Dan Girardi and the much overlooked Mike Sauer and the Rangers are doing just fine without Marc Staal, who's ahead of schedule with light skating. Mike Del Zotto has also elevated his play not just getting involved offensively but also sacrificing the body for the team. The play of the top four has allowed Tort to use third tandem Steve Eminger and Jeff Woywitka sparingly.

We'll see if they can make it six in a row against a dangerous Leaf squad that spoiled the reopening of MSG. Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul continue to assault goalies. It should be a doozy.

Desperate times for Devils now after latest crash and burn in Winnipeg

All I heard from Devils fans for most of the season when I expressed skepticism about the team was 'look at how hard their schedule's been!' (and I heard the same thing about the Rangers in reverse, for that matter - that they had such an easy early schedule and were due a fall). Supposedly the schedule was turning easy for us and harder for the Rangers and the two teams were about to start heading in opposite directions, according to the Kool-Aid drinkers among us.

Sometimes, you just can't look at numbers or projections though. You have to trust what you're seeing on the ice. What I've seen out of the Rangers is a team that's winning without its supposed top defenseman and as Derek pointed out in his last post, showed more character than guys like Joe Thornton thought they had. For all the whining from Devils fans about how we've missed Travis Zajac, the Rangers haven't had to overcome Marc Staal's absence?

Yeah I know, we missed Ilya Kovalchuk for a few games - big deal, we went 3-2 in those games and Kovalchuk's been on the ice for a whopping thirteen of our last seventeen goals given up. We missed Martin Brodeur for several games? Big deal, Johan Hedberg's having a much better year, quite honestly. Jacob Josefson's been out? Again, big deal...we've actually upgraded there with Adam Henrique performing on both ends of the rink and getting himself into the Calder discussion (if only as someone who's going to be on the ballot 'after' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins). Astonishingly, Henrique looked like he was going to be buried in the minors until Josefson went down.

Long story short, injuries are not the cause of this recent spiral downward from the Devils. When I pointed out that few of our early wins came via 'real hockey', I was scoffed at. Yes the shootout's part of the game now in the regular season but it sure isn't going to help you in the first sixty-five minutes. The fact of the matter is while the Devils' record now says they're 12-12-1 in the modern NHL, under a non-shootout system they'd be 7-12-6. Meaning the shootout's masked a lot of our ills in the first 60-65 minutes of games, at least until recently. And in a league where now you need to be at least ten games or so over NHL .500 to make the playoffs, flat-lining at .500 after twenty-five games isn't exactly giving us a cushion to build off of.

About the only good news on the horizon is coach Pete DeBoer saying that Zajac will play in a game before Christmas. Granted, our crack medical team isn't always the most accurate with projections on a player's return but if you believe the coach, Zajac will be back sometime in the next nine games since that's how many we have before the holiday. Although Zajac can be a little overrated by Devils fans at times because of our utter lack of depth at the center position the last few years, he will improve the team in more ways than one.

With him back, maybe we can finally end the silliness of having Kovy play RW (though the Zach Parise-Henrique-Kovy line has actually put up points in recent games, they've given up that and more besides on the defensive end, mostly due to the idiosyncrascies of Kovy). Not to mention he gives us another option on the point of the power play besides Kovy, or Patrik Elias - who have both been a comedy of errors at the point, as well as Elias has played otherwise this year. And having Zajac around might bring out the best in the captain too, though Zach's play has improved recently he's still a ways off from being the player he was two years ago.

Plus Zajac will improve our hideously bad faceoff percentage - something coach Adam Oates was supposed to do for all the centers. Then again Oates was supposed to improve the power play too...and they're worse than ever now. It's not bad enough they're not scoring, but they're actively giving up goals on the power play now. To the tune of seven in the last fifteen games, something depressing like that. We've given up more shorthanded goals than power play goals at this point, or at least it seems that way to me which is absolutely mind-boggling.

You wonder why we can't just put Kovy on the left boards where he'll excel and put two defensemen on the point? When you have no forwards capable of playing the point defensively then why try to fit a square peg in a round hole? I know the likes of Andy Greene, Mark Fayne and Henrik Tallinder aren't going to scare anyone but at least they and rookie Adam Larsson can move the puck around the point and pick their spots to shoot. Kovy can shoot his one-timers from the left board or do whatever, at least he won't wet his pants on the point if he's up front.

Last night, those 'normal' power play issues got compounded by having Moose in net. Granted, Moose has been great when he's actually stayed in the crease but he also handles the puck like a grenade, and in a critical sequence late in the second period last night that cost us. With the Devils leading 2-1 after lucking into a 5-on-3 PP goal by Elias (off a defenseman's arm, and after Moose had flopped to draw a bogus call on Andrew Ladd), Moose had to handle a dump in and shot the puck right past Kovy to an open Bryan Little on the point, leading to an open one-timer by Alex Burmistrov that truth be told broke the Devils' back. To be even before a lengthy 5-on-3 and still be even after it, after giving up another demoralizing shorthanded goal...I knew we weren't winning last night after that.

It's not as if the power play's been our only problem. Defensively, we've given up 72 goals in 25 games, including 14 of them in our last three. Yes, Kovy's turnovers and the power play of doom have contributed to that total but overall this defense just has not done the job this year. You'll have to live with Larsson's idiosyncrascies right now, he's 18 and has a world of potential. However, issues like putting stay-at-home d-men Bryce Salvador and Anton Volchenkov together (and frequently giving Volchenkov the least amount of icetime among our defensemen), or Tallinder's usual slow start and Greene's usual inconsistency are other issues we have to deal with. Especially since all of the above other than Salvador are signed beyond next year.

Offensively things have gotten a little better lately, but the Devils still only have one line capable of scoring. Before, it was the Elias-Petr Sykora-Danius Zubrus line. Now it's the Parise-Henrique-Kovy line. In the modern NHL though, you really need three lines that are capable of scoring, not one. And even having one score isn't a great comfort when they're going to give up more goals than they score, which is remarkable. And in goal, there's about a twenty-ton elephant in the room right now. Just look at these numbers:

Brodeur 13 starts, 5-7 record, 3.31 GAA, .880 save percentage
Hedberg 12 starts, 7-5-1 record, 2.24 GAA, .920 save percentage, 2 SHO

Yes, one's the legend going to the Hall of Fame and the other's merely the folk hero but you couldn't tell which is which by looking at their numbers. Since both Brodeur and Moose are 39, age isn't a real factor although usage might be - Marty's logged a lot more minutes over his career than Moose - and maybe it's catching up with him at this stage in his career. Marty certainly has been much slower to heal from injuries than he was five years ago.

You do have to wonder how long DeBoer can continue to give Marty the majority of starts when healthy, if that disparity continues. What's even more mind-boggling is the team seems to play better in front of Moose. Look at the flat team performances in Colorado and the first period of Minnesota, then look at the second and third periods of the Wild game and the game last night and tell me that was the same team? Other than Kovy, anyway since he's a turnover machine no matter who's in net. Even last night, though it wasn't as egregious as some of his gaffes in recent games, he did have a needless turnover that led to the Jets getting pressure in our zone for about a minute before Mark Stuart finally scored the eventual winning goal.

So basically, everything's an issue right now including coaching - as DeBoer continues to stick Kovy at RW and refuses to make him accountable for his goofups, and the power play continues to be a disaster of epic proportions. Not that I want to see another coach get canned, even though at this young stage of the NHL season there've already been four firings. Imagine that, four coach firings and not one of them is Devils-related - yet. I don't think PDB will get an axe this year even if we miss the playoffs again, then again I didn't think Johnny MacLean would get the axe last year...but things just got so historically bad eventually Lou Lamoriello had no choice. Plus there's no Jacques Lemaire to sweet-talk into another return, unless Lou really does have a spell on the guy.

I guess there's little to do at this point except hope things start getting better Tuesday in Toronto, which won't be easy considering the hot start Brian Burke's remodeled team has gotten off to, even without number one goalie James Reimer.

Preview: Rangers aim for five straight

Tonight in St. Pete, the Rangers try to ride another hot streak when they battle John Tortorella's former team the Lightning. Who knows what to expect? The Bolts are the oddest team this season where you literally don't know what you'll get. They're hot and cold. Boasting one of the league's premier finishers in Steven Stamkos along with sidekicks Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier, Tampa Bay can explode.

What it'll come down to is discipline from the Blueshirts, who have been handling business methodically. Even Sidney Crosby and the rest of the dangerous Pens fell short in the game of the week at MSG with our team holding on for a well earned 4-3 win. The Rangers are playing well. I won't go overboard because I don't know how good we are just yet. It's too early to put us in the league's elite. Quite honestly, I hate that word. Rankings don't mean anything. What matters is that they're there at the end of the season, hopefully not scrambling for a spot.

Ever since the organization recalled John Mitchell and rookie Carl Hagelin, the Rangers have been a different team. With four lines Tortorella has faith in, everyone's playing. Hagelin has been unbelievable, notching a point in his first four games. His speed, playmaking and hockey sense are proof that sometimes, a late pick (sixth round folks) who stays all four years at college can develop properly and potentially turn into a steal. Mitchell deserves a ton of credit too. Not much was expected from the former Leaf, who also was on the same line in Connecticut with Hags. We acquired him last deadline for a seventh round pick. Mitchell always was a decent enough skater who could be reliable defensively and shoot the puck. In a fourth line role, he's perfect, meshing with Hagelin and rejuvenated Brian Boyle to give us an effective energy line that gets things done. No wonder crazy guy Andre Deveaux was waived.

While the chemistry has been superb for the unlikely trio, Tortorella also deserves credit for shifting Brandon Dubinsky back to center where he's teamed with Brandon Prust and Sean Avery to form another gritty line that can forecheck and draw penalties. Sure. It's not what's expected from our four million player who's stuck on one goal despite unselfish teammates trying to get him No.2 the other night in a 5-3 win at Carolina. Dubi is working hard and had a nice set up on Ryan McDonagh's goal. It has to turn around for him soon. He deserves a break. Maybe that happens tonight.

The other two lines have been money. The GAS line continues to be impressive with Marian Gaborik flat out dominating. His speed and compete has been a 180 from last year. I admit I had doubts. But Gabby has been terrific. Some of the plays he's making are outrageous like the one end to end where he went through the Pens PK and then dished for Ryan Callahan to tie Tuesday's big clash. Unbelievable. Gabby is doing everything right, also hustling defensively and making his teammates better. It's a luxury for Tort to be able to separate Gaborik and Brad Richards, who has been everything you'd want in Year One. He makes amazing reads and the right decisions when it comes to shooting the puck as his nine goals attest. Many of them money like the rifle he ripped past Marc-Andre Fleury on an odd-man rush. Richy has been cohesive with Captain Cally and the much overlooked Ruslan Fedotenko, who's such a nuts and bolts player. No wonder the Bolts' Cup hero won another championship with the Pens. The man always works.

The D continues to be led by Dan Girardi, who should make the All-Star team on merit. He has stepped up tremendously in the absence of Marc Staal. McDonagh continues to flourish. Thank you again Bob Gainey. What did Slats have on him? Mike Sauer and Mike Del Zotto have been solid with MDZ contributing offensively while Sauer Power rarely is out of position. Jeff Woywitka continues to be a revelation with Steve Eminger. And of course King Henrik has been splendid.

This team is clicking on all cylinders making one ponder if Joe Thornton's "soft" label was the turning point. I don't put much stock in bulletin material. But you can't ignore the response. Maybe our season really did begin when they ticked off Thornton in the first win at MSG. Ever since, they've been excellent. Oh. And there's a home ice advantage with the team reeling off seven in a row.

Can they keep it up tonight against a skilled opponent who blew us out a couple of times last year? Stay out of the box. Will be nice to see former Ranger Matt Gilroy. Should be fun.

Devils' roadtrip begins disasterously

If things looked bad after Saturday's loss to the Isles where star winger Ilya Kovalchuk got booed heavily in the third period after committing a critical turnover, they've gotten a hundred times worse after the last two games in Colorado and Minnesota. Their 6-1 beatdown Wednesday isn't even worth discussing, hell I didn't watch half of the game anyway. It was practically over when it started with the Devils down 3-0 after one and Martin Brodeur giving up six goals in a complete game for the first time in umpteen years. Kovy - though he scored the game's only goal - was also a -4 after being on for no fewer than five of the six goals against and in the penalty box for the other.

Even that game didn't annoy me as much as tonight's in Minnesota against the first place(?!) Wild. While I felt there wasn't much Marty could do about the goals on Wednesday, he looked like he was in full 'I'm too old for this ****' mode tonight, especially after Kovy (who else?) watched the puck hop over his stick and lead to a breakaway goal by Dany Heatley - exactly twenty seconds after Zach Parise had opened the scoring by tipping home an Andy Greene shot at 2:54. Kovy was again involved in a negative way on the Wild's next goal, as he fell down leading to a Kyle Brodziak goal. At this point, Marty looked like he had it with everyone and everything and allowed a soft goal to Casey Wellman at 8:17, leading to a very rare mid-period hook after allowing three goals on four shots.

As has been the case so often this season (and I'm struggling to rationalize why), the team picked up its play 100% with Hedberg in net - with one exception - and amazingly Kovy made a positive contribution to the game at 13:59, when he beat Nicklas Backstrom with a wrister off an assist from Parise, to pull the Devils to within one. Perhaps the most critical thing that happened in this game was when Backstrom had to leave after the first period ostensibly due to injury, and Josh Harding replaced him. Harding was spectacular in the last two periods, foiling chance after chance as the Devils largely took play to the Wild, outshooting them 22-10.

Although the Devils didn't give up many chances in the final two periods, Kovy was again front and center on two of them...one being an errant pass that led to a breakaway allowed at the end of the second period where Moose made a terrific save on Brodziak. The second one, we wouldn't be as lucky on. With the team facing a four-on-four situation late, coach Pete DeBoer opted for three forwards and one defenseman, with Kovy playing the defenseman. You could smell the second-guessing all the way in Jersey and sure enough, Kovy tried to keep a puck in and missed, leading to another Brodziak breakaway and this time he would score, sealing the contest at 16:24 of the third.

While Kovy and Marty deserve most of the blame for what's happened the last few games, the coach needs to share in some of that too, both from his insistence at using Kovy on the point for the power play and at RW in five-on-five. True, Kovy and Zach finally looked like they showed some signs of chemistry tonight but clearly Kovy's still uncomfortable and admitted he was hoping the 'experimenting' would be done with after last season (referring to then-coach John MacLean putting him at RW). There's no good reason to me that you need to have Parise and Kovy on the same line. If DeBoer was the first coach to try putting a square peg into a round hole, that would be bad enough but being the second one to do it just makes it even more insane. Clearly the switch is getting in Kovy's head and he's making even more high-risk no-reward choices on the ice.

At some point the player needs to be held accountable, but the coach also needs to recognize what he has in the player both talentwise and mentally. And right now, Kovy's a mental midget that's dragging this team into the abyss much like his detractors predicted.

Coaching Carousel claims another victim: Boudreau replaces Carlyle in Anaheim

The coaching carousel continued late last night when following a 4-1 win over the Canadiens, the Ducks fired Randy Carlyle and his entire staff. Taking over is Bruce Boudreau, who lasted a couple of days on the market after being relieved of his duties in Washington.

That Anaheim GM Bob Murray would make such a move 40 minutes after a game his team won stupifies. When the Habs made former Ranger assistant Perry Pearn the sacrificial lamb prior to a home game, that was disgraceful. But axing an entire staff that included a Cup winning coach following a game is classless. It's like when the Mets were on the West coast a few years back and fired Willie Randolph in a San Diego hotel after a game. I don't think I have to tell you what our resident Devil blogger, who also happens to be a huge Mets fan thinks. This was just as bizarre.

It's certainly understandable why Carlyle lost his job with a playoff team off to a dreadful start. Yesterday's win snapped a seven-game losing streak in which they entered with only one brownie point, sitting 14th in a deep West. They also happen to play in the league's most challenging division, the Pacific where every other team is ahead of them. It didn't matter that they won for just the third time in their last 15. The most successful coach in Ducks franchise history couldn't be saved.

It was only a few years ago that a group including Ryan Getzlaf, last year's MVP Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne went all the way for the team's first Stanley Cup. But that championship roster also included Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger along with Andy McDonald, Chris Kunitz, Dustin Penner, Joffrey Lupul, Sami Pahlsson, Travis Moen, and Rob Niedermayer. Only five are left from that team with tough guy George Parros and reacquired blueliner Francois Beauchemin the other two. In a Cap Era, this is what happens to great teams. Salaries increase for core players such as Getzlaf, Perry, much rumored Jersey native Bobby Ryan and struggling goalie Jonas Hiller. The overlooked spare parts get sacrificed or stripped down completely as the '09-10 Blackhawks show. All it takes is a mishap to throw things out of wack.

Is a team that boasts one of the most lethal lines in the game still good enough to compete? They should be. But the numbers don't lie with Perry and Getzlaf unable to match last year's output, while Ryan hasn't got untracked. In fact, only ageless Teemu has fulfilled expectations, pacing the club with 22 points (8-14-22). Perry leads them with 11 goals with Getzlaf's 14 assists tied with Selanne and 19 points ranking third. After second-year blueliner Cam Fowler, Beauchemin and vet Saku Koivu, it gets paper thin. Injuries to Lubomir Visnovsky, Jason Blake and Parros haven't helped the cause- further explaining the 7-13-4 start that has Anaheim in an early hole. The bottom six forwards aren't good enough and the back end misses Visnovsky, who put up nearly 70 points last year. After a solid start, Hiller has fallen apart getting pulled five times recently with his GAA ballooning to over 3.00. Dan Ellis isn't the answer despite good numbers. Tampa can vouch.

Is making Ryan available really the answer? He is all of 24 with three consecutive 30-goal seasons in which his production increased by seven points each year ('08-09-57, '09-10-64, '10-11-71). He has a cap hit of 5.1 million through '14-15 while Perry and Getzlaf can turn unrestricted following next season. You see the dilemma Murray has. Those are the franchise cornerstones who they can't afford to lose. So, Ryan is supposedly available for the right price. Is a team like the Rangers willing to pay up in players, prospects/picks? I've already suggested starting with enigma Brandon Dubinsky and Mike Del Zotto. Though I'm unwilling to part with Chris Kreider. They can have any other kid. Christian Thomas? Figure Anaheim to ask for a No.1 pick too. Of course, making such a blockbuster trade has risks when your team is going as well as ours. But the temptation to add another young, proven finisher is like seeing one of those Victoria's Secret models on the street. You just got to go over and talk to them.

If I were Anaheim, I'd hold off on giving up Ryan with Coach Haagen Dazs Bruce in the fold. One thing about Boudreau. He is an offensive mind who turned the Caps into a juggernaut before making players, including underwhelming captain Alex Ovechkin accountable. No wonder it fell apart. Boudreau will have just as much talent up front along with the young Fowler on the blueline. They may as well see what he can do before considering such a radical move.

It's December 1 and we've already seen four coaches given their walking papers. Davis Payne was fired by St. Louis last month and the Blues have responded under disciplinarian Ken Hitchcock by losing just once in regulation since. They were my sleeper entering the year. Business sure picked up after Thanksgiving with Paul Maurice and Boudreau sent packing Monday. Then two days later, Carlyle becomes victim No.4 with Boudreau landing on his feet. Guess he'll have to hold off on that Haagen Dazs franchise. It's part of the business. No matter how successful you are, things can change in a hurry. Ask Tom Coughlin, who probably is gone unless the Giants somehow beat Dallas twice. Nobody is untouchable. The Devils are one of the best run organizations and have gone through a plethora of coaches.

Randy Carlyle finishes with a 273-182-6 record- ranking first in Ducks history in wins. His teams made the postseason five of six years, including their run to the franchise's only Cup. That shouldn't be forgotten. A quality coach who will wind up elsewhere. Scott Arniel and Jack Capuano still have jobs. Either could be his next destination.

With the coaching carousel hitting victims at a frenetic pace that would make Freddy Krueger proud, who will be the next casualty? We're not even at Christmas.