Marian Hossa is on his way to the Penguins for prospect Angelo Esposito and forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen.
Analysis: Wow! What a deal that is for the Pens. They lost only two depth forwards and got one of the better scoring forwards in the league. Figure Crosby gets to center him when he returns leaving Malkin to play with Sykora and Malone as they've formed a great chemistry. The Thrashers did get Esposito in the deal and he was highly rated. So maybe it works out for them as well.
The Rangers acquired D Christian Backman from the Blues in exchange for a fourth round pick.
Analysis: A smart move by Glen Sather not overpaying like so many other teams did today. He got a serviceable defender instead who should fill in nicely for the injured Paul Mara.
Covering the Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres five years running along with the rest of the puckers!
BONY
Battle Of New York
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Deadline deals
There have been already 12 deals today including the biggest one seeing Tampa center Brad Richards shipped along with netminder Johan Holmqvist to the Stars for Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern.
As I am at work, it's very hard to update everything. But I did manage to find time during lunch break to list these deals and analyze them on my Hitting Back site.
So please feel free to check it out.
I'll try to have more later as I'm extremely busy today including a big concert tonight!
See ya'll later!
As I am at work, it's very hard to update everything. But I did manage to find time during lunch break to list these deals and analyze them on my Hitting Back site.
So please feel free to check it out.
I'll try to have more later as I'm extremely busy today including a big concert tonight!
See ya'll later!
Quick look at today's festivities
When the eastern time zone clocks strike 3 p.m. this afternoon, the hockey world will know what teams are contenders and what teams have conceded the season. Who will make the biggest splash? Montreal? Ottawa? A surprise team like the Blackhawks? I don't know, but I know it will be fun.
What will the Rangers do? Paul Mara is out for two weeks, and they have some forward at depth. Do they bring in a defender or even two? Ron Gainsey? Nick Boyton? Brian Campbell?
How about the Islanders? With Mike Comrie signed to a new one-year, $4 million deal, he stays put. Ruslan Federtanko could be the next Fishstick signed. Do they move some other veterans for youth? Or do they feel they can still make a splash in the playoff picture?
The Devils keep on winning. What do they really need to be a better team? Honestly, any move that they do make will probably be really small. Maybe a little defense help, but even that isn't a necessary move.
I regret that I will be unable to blog until well after 3 today, which is really unfortunate because I was looking forward to it. I'll weigh in later on today when everything is done though.
Enjoy the craziness. Update your browsers frequently and I'll catch everyone later.
What will the Rangers do? Paul Mara is out for two weeks, and they have some forward at depth. Do they bring in a defender or even two? Ron Gainsey? Nick Boyton? Brian Campbell?
How about the Islanders? With Mike Comrie signed to a new one-year, $4 million deal, he stays put. Ruslan Federtanko could be the next Fishstick signed. Do they move some other veterans for youth? Or do they feel they can still make a splash in the playoff picture?
The Devils keep on winning. What do they really need to be a better team? Honestly, any move that they do make will probably be really small. Maybe a little defense help, but even that isn't a necessary move.
I regret that I will be unable to blog until well after 3 today, which is really unfortunate because I was looking forward to it. I'll weigh in later on today when everything is done though.
Enjoy the craziness. Update your browsers frequently and I'll catch everyone later.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Forsberg Back To The Future, McCarty back in MoTown
If you're an avid Back To The Future fan, then yesterday was your day when it came to the hockey scene as two former bitter Western rivals turned back the clock to a decade prior.
Back then, the best rivalry in the game was between the Red Wings and Avalanche featuring some epic playoff battles resulting in Cups for both franchises. Well, it's been a while since these teams had that sort of magic going. Maybe with yesterday's moves, they're trying to rekindle it in hopes of a big Spring.
First, former Colorado star center Peter Forsberg decided after all that he wanted to comeback, reversing course to re-sign with the Avalanche where he had his most success. It was there where Peter The Great became one of the best players in the league helping lead the Avs to their first Cup in 1996 and also being part of that second championship five years later even though he missed the final two series.
For a decade, Forsberg lit up the highlight reel teaming up with captain Joe Sakic to form a dynamic duo. Following the lockout, the Swede left the thin air for the Flyers where he played the last two injury riddled seasons due to a bad right foot.
Not long ago, it looked like a Foppa return to the NHL wouldn't occur because the 34 year-old pivot recently concluded that he wasn't where he needed to be for that to happen. Well, I guess a lot can change in a week. Especially when the Avs are waving lots of cash at their former superstar in the hopes that a less than 100 percent Forsberg will be able to get them back to the postseason after falling short last year.
Currently, the Avalanche rank 10th in the ultracompetitive Western Conference trailing eighth place Nashville by four points and the upstart Coyotes by one. The Blue Jackets are only a point in back of the Avs and five out while the Blues are six behind the Preds.
With 19 games remaining, Colorado is paying Forsberg a pro-rated one million for basically a six week rental. If it were a full season, he'd make five million.
It's certainly no guarantee that the Avs will make the cut but with Sakic finally healthy along with leading scorer Paul Stastny plus a motivated Forsberg, that should give them a leg up on the competition.
Colorado will visit Calgary later tonight and plays Vancouver twice in the next week. Plus the pesky Kings and defending champion Ducks. Certainly nothing easy about the upcoming schedule.
While the Avs are going Back To The Future, Doc Brown and Marty McFly also might want to make a visit to the Joe Louis Arena where the Wings will be welcoming back the comebacking Darren McCarty.
The 35 year-old former member of The Grind Line will get a second chance at the NHL after a battle with alcohol and drugs which left him bankrupt. The Wings gave him a tryout with the AHL's Grand Rapids and IHL's Flint Generals.
With the team struggling lately having dropped seven of eight due to a ton of injuries which has kept out Nicklas Lidstrom, Dominik Hasek, Chris Chelios, Dan Cleary and Niklas Kronwall, Detroit GM Ken Holland decided his club needed to do something despite continuing to lead the league with 89 points (six more than red hot Dallas).
They'll hope the gritty and physical McCarty still has something left to reenergize the Original Six club who he once helped win three Cups with in 1997-98 and 2002.
At the very least, it should be intriguing to see how he fares. Wishing him the best of luck and hoping he makes the most out of this opportunity.
Boyle re-ups with Lightning: With the 3 PM deadline approaching, Tampa Bay and much coveted defenseman Dan Boyle decided they wanted to remain together. The Bolts and Boyle agreed to a brand new six-year contract extension worth a reported $40 million.
The 31 year-old has three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 17 games this season. During his nine-year NHL career with Florida and Tampa, the Ottawa native has tallied 76 goals and 203 assists for 278 points in 503 games.
Most of that production has come with the Bolts. In 374 games since GM Jay Feaster acquired him six years prior, Boyle has totaled 239 points (65-174-239). That kind of reliable production was a big part of the franchise's only championship in 2004.
He'll be continuing to run the power play and log big minutes instead of being dealt elsewhere.
Prospal To Flyers: The same day, Feaster also unloaded forward Vaclav Prospal to the Flyers in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a conditional 2009 draft pick.
The recently turned 33 year-old Prospal returns to where he began his NHL career a decade ago. After stints with Ottawa, Florida, Tampa, Anaheim and again Tampa, he's come full circle and will try to help the depleted Flyers make the playoffs.
After a disappointing 2006-07 in which he scored just 14 goals and 55 points with a dreadful minus-24 rating, the veteran Czech has bounced back with a strong season notching 29 goals, 28 helpers for 57 points in 62 contests with the Bolts.
With the Flyers' best forward Mike Richards sidelined due to a torn hamstring, GM Paul Holmgren needed to do something to upgrade his roster. This is a solid addition.
Jackman re-signed: The St. Louis Blues also made some news yesterday re-signing defenseman Barret Jackman to a four-year extension. The 26 year-old injury prone physical defenseman was thought to be on the block but instead St. Louis Team President John Davidson opted to retain him.
Following a solid 2006-07 in which he attained career highs in assists (24) and points (27) as well as got into his most games (70) since his rookie season, the British Columbia native has struggled. In 58 contests, he's 2-6-8 with 63 penalty minutes and a minus-12 rating.
One Blogger's Reaction: With Boyle and Jackman staying put, the defensemen to look for who could get moved later today are Buffalo's Brian Campbell, Toronto's Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle along with LA's Rob Blake.
We'll have more on the deadline at some point today as I'll be quite busy. Hope our other bloggers contribute to what should be a fun day!
Sundin staying put, Brad Richards on the block
With the NHL trade deadline a day away, two quick notes:
1.Mats Sundin will not waive his no-trade clause.
2.Brad Richards has been told that the Lightning are trying to unload him. He gave them a list of teams. So expect the former 2004 Conn Smythe winner to have a new team sometime over the next 24+ hours.
The recently turned 37 year-old Maple Leaf franchise center decided that he'd rather stay put in Toronto because he doesn't believe in rentals. Here's what Sundin had to say on the situation late last night through his agent J.P. Barry via the AP:
"I have always believed I would finish my career as a Toronto
Maple Leaf so the actual request was still a very difficult one for me to
contemplate. I have spoken to and listened to my family and those closest to me
about this issue. In the end, there is no right decision in a situation like
this one.”
“I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL club at this time. I have
never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that
means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my
decision.”
Not surprisingly, many of my colleagues are taking the future Hall of Famer to task for not putting his pride aside to help benefit a Leafs team which is going nowhere. I'm kind of mixed on this because part of me applauds Sundin for wanting to stay and finish his career in Toronto.
The soft spoken player whose 62 points pace the Original Six club can become an unrestricted free agent this summer which is why he's opened himself up to criticism. What if he leaves? Then the Leafs wouldn't get much of a return with just a compensatory draft pick (probably 2nd round).
Ultimately, it's his choice and a great player who's been in the league as long as he has earns the right to be respected.
So, I'm not going to kill him. Most of the blogging community probably wants to add Sundin to their roster and is a heck of a lot more selfish than they want to admit. So isn't it a tad hypocritical to bash Toronto's No.13?
It is what it is. Hockey fans just need to accept it and move on. Besides, there are other good players who will be moved including Richards, who has a lot more years left than Sundin.
If you want an alternative opinion on this and other NHL stuff, SportsFan Mag's own Greg Wyshynski dropped by and gave me a few minutes over at Hitting Back to discuss the locals, regular season and deadline.
See ya later.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Jagr, Rangers stifle Panthers
Jaromir Jagr was at his best scoring and setting up teammates as the Rangers easily blitzed past the visiting Panthers 5-0 tonight at The Garden.
The Ranger team captain scored for the second consecutive game and dominated throughout as he and teammates were much better than Florida in the second of a back-to-back for each club. Though No.68 only notched one point, it was definitely one of his best efforts this season as he moved extremely well with and without the puck creating plenty of chances.
Also playing perhaps his finest game of a downer of a season was much maligned defenseman Marek Malik. The often criticized D was extremely active in his end and also contributed offensively, scoring his first goal of the season and assisting on another. When he plays relatively well, the Blueshirts are a better team. Ditto for his more popular Czech teammate.
Knowing they needed another solid effort against one of the teams trailing them in the standings, New York came out very strong getting seven of the first nine shots on Florida netminder Tomas Vokoun.
Despite Vokoun being sharp, it would be a bit of a Ranger bounce which resulted in an easy backhand tap-in by leading scorer Scott Gomez for the game's first goal. Brendan Shanahan's shot deflected right to Gomer, who desposited his 14th for the lead 7:53 in. Ironically, a Shanny deflected shot had a similar end result late last night when Sean Avery notched the winner in Buffalo. Maybe their fortunes are finally turning for the better.
The Rangers would outshoot Florida 12-5 and take that lead to the locker room. It wouldn't take long for them to add to the lead. Thanks to some hard work by returning Ranger Marcel Hossa who forced a turnover to keep the puck in, it allowed for Malik's first of the season. With Gomez and Marty Straka coming on during a change, they outworked the Panthers along the boards before setting up Malik at the left point. His shot beat Vokoun with Hossa screening in front to make it 2-0 at 4:57 of the second.
Even though Hossa didn't get a point, the goal happened because of him. I know we all have been critical of the Slovak but he's a much better fit on the fourth line than either Ryan Hollweg or Colton Orr. So, when Orr returns, either sit him out or scratch Hollywood.
If the Panthers were planning a comeback, Jagr put a dent into it by scoring perhaps the nicest goal of the season. Working a textbook give-and-go during an odd-man rush, a streaking Jagr took an Avery pass on the left wing and then went around a scrambling Vokoun before tucking a backhand inside the post for his 17th just 75 seconds later. It was his eighth point (2-6-8) in the last five games.
Even more encouraging was that when rookie pivot Brandon Dubinsky was off serving a major and misconduct for a scrap with Greg Campbell, Jagr didn't look out of place with Avery and Chris Drury anchoring the line.
Some more good work by the Blueshirts in the third helped put the game away. Off some excellent work by Gomez, Malik took a feed and intentionally fired the puck wide allowing it to carom right to rookie Nigel Dawes, who buried his 10th with Vokoun down and out preoccupied with Drury in front. It was the second straight contest Dawes tallied. He's been coming on lately and generating more chances. Especially on the man-advantage. The Ranger staff has to be pleased with how he's responded since coming back up from Hartford. He's much more active.
The Rangers' final goal was a thing of beauty. Off some more great work by another rookie- this time the improved Ryan Callahan, the Rochester native calmly drove to the net drawing two Florida defenders before dishing off for a trailing Straka, whose one-timer went top shelf. Where Mama hides the cookies.
The only remaining question was whether Henrik Lundqvist would get the shutout. With one strong stop on an Olli Jokinen redirect at four ahead early in the final stanza, he showed he was sharp despite not much work.
King Henrik stopped all nine Panther third period shots en route to a 23 save shutout for his eighth blanking of the season. Only Columbus' Pascal Leclaire (9) has more.
All in all, it was a very good night for the Rangers, who for now moved a couple of points ahead of idle Boston for sixth in the East. The Bruins do have three extra games to make up. So, figure the standings to change by Thursday when the Blueshirts take on Carolina in their next game.
I guess the only other thought I have is why it took this long for the team to play this way. Why didn't they do it sooner? I guess they have to be desperate to be at their very best.
Brodeur stones Caps, Pens lose in shootout
It was a great afternoon for the Devils. In particular, All-Star netminder Marty Brodeur, whose 37 saves were the difference in a 2-1 overtime triumph over the Caps at Verizon Center.
With his team outshot 28-10 and outchanced by plenty through 40 minutes, the three-time Vezina and Cup winner stood on his head robbing Alexander Ovechkin and other Capitals including Alexander Semin and rookie Nicklas Backstrom point blank to keep the game scoreless.
The Devils finally came with a better effort in the third and were rewarded with the game's first goal when team captain Jamie Langenbrunner converted on a 5-on-3 power play just 39 seconds in for his 11th. Paul Martin and Patrik Elias notched assists.
However, the Caps finally found a way to beat Brodeur when Semin took an Ovechkin feed and went to the backhand for his 19th just 1:53 later to tie it.
If the Capitals were the superior team in the first two stanzas, then the same couldn't be said for the final 20 of regulation as the Devils got plenty of shots (18-10) and chances on Washington backup Brent Johnson. The former Blue was up to the task much like his counterpart earning his team a valuable point to get within five of the first place Hurricanes.
In OT, it would be mostly Washington as Ovechkin tried to stickhandle through every Devil. He also setup one quality opportunity for top defenseman Mike Green but a terrific pokecheck by Brodeur thwarted his backhand deke attempt keeping the extra session going.
Remarkably despite the Caps dictating the play, they got no total shots on Marty in the OT while the Devs finished with three including the winner.
Off a two-on-three, John Madden wouldn't give up the puck forcing a sharp angle shot on Johnson which rebounded out to Elias. The crafty left wing patiently waited before firing a shot off the post. A hustling Madden then slipped Shaone Morrisonn's check and backhanded one thru Johnson's five-hole for the winner sending FSNY basketcase announcer Mike Emrick into a screech of epic proportions.
Doc's a great play-by-play man but he sounded like an annoying child there. It was a great win for the Devils nonetheless and allowed them to grab the conference's top spot by a point over the idle Sens. According to the FSNY production truck team of Roland Dratch and Larry Gaines, it's the first time they've led the East at this point in seven years.
I'm not really sure what the significance is. Their team always wins the division and usually finishes at or near the top of the conference.
As a former researcher though, production teams love those kind of stats. So, it stands to reason why they used it.
Meanwhile, the Pens and Sharks needed a shootout to decide the winner. In it, all three San Jose shooters easily beat frustrated Pittsburgh netminder Ty Conklin. The best part had to be when Jarkko Ruutu slowly walked in before somehow going to the right hand to put the puck upstairs on Nabokov. For a guy who gets underneath the skin of opponents, he has some skill to go with it as I've never seen him miss in a shootout. No wonder Michel Therrien selected him over NHL leading scorer Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora.
It was all for naught as veteran pivot Jeremy Roenick made it three-for-three in the skills competition by easily picking the five-hole on Conklin to give the Sharks their second consecutive win of what's been a very tough Eastern road trip.
For the Devs, it meant they now lead the Pens by two points with each team having 19 games to go.
If the video of Brodeur's big game comes out, we'll be sure to put it up.
The Rangers aim for their second straight win as they host the Panthers now. Lenny did a quick preview. To any normal puck fan who read my drunken post last night, I apologize.
To the loser who posted under Anonymous because they have something stuck up their ass and have never made a mistake in their pathetic life, go to Hell! Anyone who can't put their name behind something is spineless and obviously doesn't have a lot going for them.
Enjoy the games people! See ya later.
With his team outshot 28-10 and outchanced by plenty through 40 minutes, the three-time Vezina and Cup winner stood on his head robbing Alexander Ovechkin and other Capitals including Alexander Semin and rookie Nicklas Backstrom point blank to keep the game scoreless.
The Devils finally came with a better effort in the third and were rewarded with the game's first goal when team captain Jamie Langenbrunner converted on a 5-on-3 power play just 39 seconds in for his 11th. Paul Martin and Patrik Elias notched assists.
However, the Caps finally found a way to beat Brodeur when Semin took an Ovechkin feed and went to the backhand for his 19th just 1:53 later to tie it.
If the Capitals were the superior team in the first two stanzas, then the same couldn't be said for the final 20 of regulation as the Devils got plenty of shots (18-10) and chances on Washington backup Brent Johnson. The former Blue was up to the task much like his counterpart earning his team a valuable point to get within five of the first place Hurricanes.
In OT, it would be mostly Washington as Ovechkin tried to stickhandle through every Devil. He also setup one quality opportunity for top defenseman Mike Green but a terrific pokecheck by Brodeur thwarted his backhand deke attempt keeping the extra session going.
Remarkably despite the Caps dictating the play, they got no total shots on Marty in the OT while the Devs finished with three including the winner.
Off a two-on-three, John Madden wouldn't give up the puck forcing a sharp angle shot on Johnson which rebounded out to Elias. The crafty left wing patiently waited before firing a shot off the post. A hustling Madden then slipped Shaone Morrisonn's check and backhanded one thru Johnson's five-hole for the winner sending FSNY basketcase announcer Mike Emrick into a screech of epic proportions.
Doc's a great play-by-play man but he sounded like an annoying child there. It was a great win for the Devils nonetheless and allowed them to grab the conference's top spot by a point over the idle Sens. According to the FSNY production truck team of Roland Dratch and Larry Gaines, it's the first time they've led the East at this point in seven years.
I'm not really sure what the significance is. Their team always wins the division and usually finishes at or near the top of the conference.
As a former researcher though, production teams love those kind of stats. So, it stands to reason why they used it.
Meanwhile, the Pens and Sharks needed a shootout to decide the winner. In it, all three San Jose shooters easily beat frustrated Pittsburgh netminder Ty Conklin. The best part had to be when Jarkko Ruutu slowly walked in before somehow going to the right hand to put the puck upstairs on Nabokov. For a guy who gets underneath the skin of opponents, he has some skill to go with it as I've never seen him miss in a shootout. No wonder Michel Therrien selected him over NHL leading scorer Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora.
It was all for naught as veteran pivot Jeremy Roenick made it three-for-three in the skills competition by easily picking the five-hole on Conklin to give the Sharks their second consecutive win of what's been a very tough Eastern road trip.
For the Devs, it meant they now lead the Pens by two points with each team having 19 games to go.
If the video of Brodeur's big game comes out, we'll be sure to put it up.
The Rangers aim for their second straight win as they host the Panthers now. Lenny did a quick preview. To any normal puck fan who read my drunken post last night, I apologize.
To the loser who posted under Anonymous because they have something stuck up their ass and have never made a mistake in their pathetic life, go to Hell! Anyone who can't put their name behind something is spineless and obviously doesn't have a lot going for them.
Enjoy the games people! See ya later.
Quick preview for tonight's Ranger/Florida game
Unfortunately, due to extensive amounts of work, this post is a little on the rushed side. Sorry for that.
- Marcel Hossa has been recalled for tonight's game and will skate on the fourth line along side Blair Betts and Ryan Hollweg. Colton Orr sustained an "upper body" injury last night, yet no one knows how or when it occurred. Hopefully he's not out too long as he provides some much needed grit and grind to the game.
- Paul Mara is out tonight with a head injury. It may not be a concussion, but it may be broken facial bones. Neither is good news, so bringing in a defenseman over the next two days may be imminent. Jason Strudwick plays in his place tonight.
- Glen Sather said that Jaromir Jagr is going nowhere. He is focusing his efforts on resigning both Jagr and Sean Avery, which is good news for both of them. If Jagr sticks around, Marty Straka may hang around as well next year.
- Henrik Lundqvist will again get the start in net. Renney was happy with how he looked yesterday and hopes he can continue to be impressive tonight.
Enjoy the game. I'll check in later or tomorrow.
- Marcel Hossa has been recalled for tonight's game and will skate on the fourth line along side Blair Betts and Ryan Hollweg. Colton Orr sustained an "upper body" injury last night, yet no one knows how or when it occurred. Hopefully he's not out too long as he provides some much needed grit and grind to the game.
- Paul Mara is out tonight with a head injury. It may not be a concussion, but it may be broken facial bones. Neither is good news, so bringing in a defenseman over the next two days may be imminent. Jason Strudwick plays in his place tonight.
- Glen Sather said that Jaromir Jagr is going nowhere. He is focusing his efforts on resigning both Jagr and Sean Avery, which is good news for both of them. If Jagr sticks around, Marty Straka may hang around as well next year.
- Henrik Lundqvist will again get the start in net. Renney was happy with how he looked yesterday and hopes he can continue to be impressive tonight.
Enjoy the game. I'll check in later or tomorrow.
Random thoughts
With a lot of hockey taking place this weekend, I figured I'd bring back my total randomness and give you a little insight. So, here goes:
1.Some HNIC announcer pointed out that Detroit doesn't have much offensive depth up front outside of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom. Well, you don't say. It's much easier to conclude that when Lidstrom, Rafalski, Chelios, Hasek, Cleary and Kronwall are out. How many teams can play good hockey when so many key contributors are out including Detroit's best player? There's no doubt that they could use a little more toughness up front. Maybe Darren McCarty's comeback pans out. You sure hope so.
2.How bad is the Devils radio cast? It's already sad enough that they have the worst announcers in the overmatched Matt Loughlin and Sherry Ross but they were just about to go to commercial and screwed up. God. How can a successful franchise that's won three Cups and produced such great players like Brodeur, Parise, Elias, etc. have such an awful radio broadcast?
It was a much better listen when John Hennessy and Randy Velischek were calling games. Sure. Velischek accentuated the positives but he was a decent analyst and Hennessy was a real play-by-play man. Isn't it about time the Devils scrap this failed experiment? Loughlin's a solid studio host where he worked extremely well with Stan Fischler in the infamous Matt & The Maven segment which always were a blast. Ross is a much better hockey writer for the Daily News than color commentator.
3.For NBC to be airing golf today instead of hockey is a joke. The network's done an admirable job in its third season covering the sport. The team of Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire is a big improvement. They're really good and not afraid to pull punches. However, with the trade deadline looming, you'd think the NHL's network TV station would have some games on. It's disappointing.
4.Coach of the year candidate: Barry Trotz, Nashville. This guy is just a phenomenal coach. He loses his No.1 goalie along with arguably his best defenseman because of the franchise's uncertainty and still has this team in the playoffs if the season ended today. Oh. He still has good players. J.P. Dumont has been terrific and Alexander Radulov is an emerging star. Jason Arnott has assumed the leadership role and played very well. His best hockey since he helped the Devils win their second Cup. Still, with Chris Mason and Dan Ellis sharing the No.1 goalie duties and an alright blueline which has seen Shea Weber miss a lot of time and no Steve Sullivan up front, this team is overachieving. Trotz really deserves a lot of credit. Especially if they get in in an extremely tough West.
5.Say this for the Kings. They might not be making the playoffs this year but they sure boast an exciting crop of young forwards which will make them an improved team for the future. If Jonathan Bernier develops into the top netminder the franchise expects, they'll be much better. Patrick O'Sullivan has joined a talented roster which features Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov, Michael Cammalleri and Dustin Brown. Jack Johnson will get better on the blueline. He made a great hustle play yesterday to allow his team to rally from four down to force OT before falling on Patrick Sharp's rebound goal.
6.Did anyone have Sharp leading the Hawks with 29 goals including an NHL best seven shorthanded?
7.Brodeur's stoning the Caps here. He's made at least four great saves including a big one on league leading finisher Alexander Ovechkin.
8.Do the Canucks have enough scoring to make the playoffs let alone go far? Mats Sundin sure would look good playing alongside countrymen Markus Naslund, the Sedins and Mattias Ohlund.
9.Where will Marian Hossa land?
10.He won't get much recognition but Rick DiPietro has been extremely valuable to the Islanders. The stats say otherwise but anyone who watches that depleted team as they grind their way to stay in this race knows better. How about nominating him for the Vezina alongside Brodeur and Roberto Luongo? It won't happen.
11.I've been pushing him for a while but Andrei Markov needs to be up for the Norris even if it's going to Lidstrom.
12.Hidden superstar: Ryan Getzlaf. If you see any of the Ducks, then you know why. He just does it all. The definition of a power forward who makes teammates better and strikes fear into the opposition.
13.How are the Canes still winning without Rod Brind'Amour and Justin Williams? Plus they unloaded Cory Stillman and key cog Mike Commodore to the Sens. That's a great coaching job by Peter Laviolette.
14.Paul Martin won't be up for the Norris but he's having his best season and really means so much to the Devils' success. A very solid skater who's extremely smart in his end. Now he's finally jumping into the play and finding offense.
15.When Jaromir Jagr decides to play, he's still pretty tough to stop. Too bad his confidence in his ability to score is shot.
16.Who would you rather have? Daniel Briere or Derek Roy? Looks like the Sabres made the right choice.
17.Underrated defenseman: Meet Mike Green. Don't let him wind up or you could pay the price.
18.Jonathan Toews has really raised his level since returning to the Hawks.
19.How does Radim Vrbata have 27 goals in The Desert?!?!?!?!?!
20.Wayne Gretzky's done an unbelievable job with the 'Yotes. Remember when they were a laughingstock? Not anymore.
21.The Sharks still don't look like they have enough scoring to win more than a round.
1.Some HNIC announcer pointed out that Detroit doesn't have much offensive depth up front outside of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom. Well, you don't say. It's much easier to conclude that when Lidstrom, Rafalski, Chelios, Hasek, Cleary and Kronwall are out. How many teams can play good hockey when so many key contributors are out including Detroit's best player? There's no doubt that they could use a little more toughness up front. Maybe Darren McCarty's comeback pans out. You sure hope so.
2.How bad is the Devils radio cast? It's already sad enough that they have the worst announcers in the overmatched Matt Loughlin and Sherry Ross but they were just about to go to commercial and screwed up. God. How can a successful franchise that's won three Cups and produced such great players like Brodeur, Parise, Elias, etc. have such an awful radio broadcast?
It was a much better listen when John Hennessy and Randy Velischek were calling games. Sure. Velischek accentuated the positives but he was a decent analyst and Hennessy was a real play-by-play man. Isn't it about time the Devils scrap this failed experiment? Loughlin's a solid studio host where he worked extremely well with Stan Fischler in the infamous Matt & The Maven segment which always were a blast. Ross is a much better hockey writer for the Daily News than color commentator.
3.For NBC to be airing golf today instead of hockey is a joke. The network's done an admirable job in its third season covering the sport. The team of Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire is a big improvement. They're really good and not afraid to pull punches. However, with the trade deadline looming, you'd think the NHL's network TV station would have some games on. It's disappointing.
4.Coach of the year candidate: Barry Trotz, Nashville. This guy is just a phenomenal coach. He loses his No.1 goalie along with arguably his best defenseman because of the franchise's uncertainty and still has this team in the playoffs if the season ended today. Oh. He still has good players. J.P. Dumont has been terrific and Alexander Radulov is an emerging star. Jason Arnott has assumed the leadership role and played very well. His best hockey since he helped the Devils win their second Cup. Still, with Chris Mason and Dan Ellis sharing the No.1 goalie duties and an alright blueline which has seen Shea Weber miss a lot of time and no Steve Sullivan up front, this team is overachieving. Trotz really deserves a lot of credit. Especially if they get in in an extremely tough West.
5.Say this for the Kings. They might not be making the playoffs this year but they sure boast an exciting crop of young forwards which will make them an improved team for the future. If Jonathan Bernier develops into the top netminder the franchise expects, they'll be much better. Patrick O'Sullivan has joined a talented roster which features Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov, Michael Cammalleri and Dustin Brown. Jack Johnson will get better on the blueline. He made a great hustle play yesterday to allow his team to rally from four down to force OT before falling on Patrick Sharp's rebound goal.
6.Did anyone have Sharp leading the Hawks with 29 goals including an NHL best seven shorthanded?
7.Brodeur's stoning the Caps here. He's made at least four great saves including a big one on league leading finisher Alexander Ovechkin.
8.Do the Canucks have enough scoring to make the playoffs let alone go far? Mats Sundin sure would look good playing alongside countrymen Markus Naslund, the Sedins and Mattias Ohlund.
9.Where will Marian Hossa land?
10.He won't get much recognition but Rick DiPietro has been extremely valuable to the Islanders. The stats say otherwise but anyone who watches that depleted team as they grind their way to stay in this race knows better. How about nominating him for the Vezina alongside Brodeur and Roberto Luongo? It won't happen.
11.I've been pushing him for a while but Andrei Markov needs to be up for the Norris even if it's going to Lidstrom.
12.Hidden superstar: Ryan Getzlaf. If you see any of the Ducks, then you know why. He just does it all. The definition of a power forward who makes teammates better and strikes fear into the opposition.
13.How are the Canes still winning without Rod Brind'Amour and Justin Williams? Plus they unloaded Cory Stillman and key cog Mike Commodore to the Sens. That's a great coaching job by Peter Laviolette.
14.Paul Martin won't be up for the Norris but he's having his best season and really means so much to the Devils' success. A very solid skater who's extremely smart in his end. Now he's finally jumping into the play and finding offense.
15.When Jaromir Jagr decides to play, he's still pretty tough to stop. Too bad his confidence in his ability to score is shot.
16.Who would you rather have? Daniel Briere or Derek Roy? Looks like the Sabres made the right choice.
17.Underrated defenseman: Meet Mike Green. Don't let him wind up or you could pay the price.
18.Jonathan Toews has really raised his level since returning to the Hawks.
19.How does Radim Vrbata have 27 goals in The Desert?!?!?!?!?!
20.Wayne Gretzky's done an unbelievable job with the 'Yotes. Remember when they were a laughingstock? Not anymore.
21.The Sharks still don't look like they have enough scoring to win more than a round.
Rangers look for two straight, Flyers lose again
In case you missed it last night, the Rangers got a big one-goal win in Buffalo. It wasn't pretty but it didn't have to be as neither team which entered tied with 68 points played the kind of D which allowed for it to be a lowscoring game.
Instead, it was literally back and forth action keeping you on the edge of your seat with each team taking turns carrying the play. Jaromir Jagr snapped his goal drought by neatly deflecting home Fedor Tyutin's left point shot to put the Blueshirts out in front.
It didn't last long as the Sabres cameback thanks to an Ales Kotalik blast off some poor defensive coverage. It was the first of two goals for him. Rookie forward Nigel Dawes would put his team back ahead with a sneaky wrister top shelf past Ryan Miller's glove. It was his ninth.
However, Buffalo got the next two 6:06 apart in the second off the sticks of Jason Pominville and Kotalik. Just when it seemed the Sabres had the momentum, the Rangers came right back on the next shift with Michal Rozsival setting up rookie pivot Brandon Dubinsky for the equalizer only 34 seconds later. It was a huge goal because it allowed New York to relax and get their game back.
Though the Sabres generated a few dangerous chances in the third, they wouldn't find that fourth goal on Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist. If he struggled with the puck and maybe gave up one questionable one earlier, the 25 year-old Swede made up for it by flat out stoning red hot Buffalo sniper Thomas Vanek on a breakaway. Sprung by an excellent breakout pass, Vanek tried to go stick side but Lundqvist stood tall blocking it away.
Not long after, Sean Avery was the beneficiary of a dreadful giveaway by Kotalik. He might have been his team's best offensive player earlier in the crucial contest but a blind backhand up the middle to Brendan Shanahan resulted in Avery's deciding tally. Shanahan's shot deflected right to a cutting Avery who easily put home his 10th with Ryan Miller out of position anticipating Shanny's blast which never came.
From there, the Rangers steadied to do a solid enough job defensively. In particular, Shanahan was terrific in the final seconds keeping a puck alive in the corner without using his hand wasting at least eight seconds.
Lundqvist finished with 26 saves as his team improved to 4-0-2 in their last six. They'll look to continue putting up points later tonight when they return home to host the Panthers.
A few notes about this game now that I'm able to:
-Dubinsky finished with a goal and a helper. Since Tom Renney changed the lines sticking Jagr back with the rookie out of Anchorage, Dubi has seven points (3-4-7) in the last four contests. He really looks like a more confident player now. It's no surprise anymore that it's the former 2004 second round pick who has been his team's best player lately. He's a point-a-game in his last 11 and has 17 points (8-9-17) and a plus-11 rating since Jan.12.
-Rozsival contributed two assists. He's really stepped up his game lately and has four assists in the last two games. Most notably, Rozy is playing more physical in his end. Maybe he's feeling better.
-Marek Malik and rookie Marc Staal struggled last night. They'll both need to be better tonight. Especially with Paul Mara getting hurt and leaving yesterday's game. If Mara's out a period, it could impact what the Rangers do at Tuesday's deadline. They could step up their hunt for another defenseman. Perhaps Dan Boyle or Tomas Kaberle? The price will be hefty.
-Dawes continues to look more confident out there. He's meshed well with Scott Gomez and is using his speed and grit to create chances. Twelve of his 18 points have come since Jan.12. If the kid from Manitoba ever consistently gets on the scoresheet, he'll develop into the kind of player which will allow the club to keep him around as part of the plan.
-Both Tyutin and partner Dan Girardi were strong on the blueline breaking up plays and playing physical. They both were recently re-signed by the club and are proving why. Girardi's plus-minus is now minus-six. While that's not great, it's a nice improvement from where the second-year find was a month ago.
-Avery finished with the ever popular Gordie Howe hat trick. He has really played well since returning. He's factoring in offensively and is very active. It just might be the best hockey of his career. The pest has five goals in the past five contests and over that span is plus-five. If he continues performing this way, it's going to be impossible for the Rangers not to get him re-signed. It's going to cost.
-The Panthers are coming off a stunning OT win over the Flyers last night. Since nobody could understand what I wrote last nite, I'll just rehash what happened.
Antero Niittymaki was four seconds away from a huge shutout which would've snapped his team's inexplicable nine-game skid. Instead of getting the win though, somehow the Flyers didn't clear the zone allowing a desperate Florida club to setup a last second shot by defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. With captain Olli Jokinen standing in front, Niittymaki allowed the puck to go through him for the tying goal at 19:56. In OT, David Booth drew a penalty with his speed. He's really a nice player. Off the next draw, Jokinen stepped into one blasting it past Niittymaki inside the right bar for the crushing winner sending a stunned Philly crowd home.
Sure. They got a point and at least went ahead of the Isles due to more wins and an extra game left. But how the heck did they lose? They dominated most of the game and were stellar defensively until the closing seconds. Losing their best player Mike Richards on top of it with a torn hamstring hurts big time. They're now 0-8-2 in their last 10. You have to figure Paul Holmgren will be aggressive trying to upgrade the roster. With Peter Forsberg out of the loop, might he go after Brad Richards as a replacement?
Stay tuned.
There are more games going on today with the Devils in the nation's capital to play the Caps. We'll have some updates later.
Instead, it was literally back and forth action keeping you on the edge of your seat with each team taking turns carrying the play. Jaromir Jagr snapped his goal drought by neatly deflecting home Fedor Tyutin's left point shot to put the Blueshirts out in front.
It didn't last long as the Sabres cameback thanks to an Ales Kotalik blast off some poor defensive coverage. It was the first of two goals for him. Rookie forward Nigel Dawes would put his team back ahead with a sneaky wrister top shelf past Ryan Miller's glove. It was his ninth.
However, Buffalo got the next two 6:06 apart in the second off the sticks of Jason Pominville and Kotalik. Just when it seemed the Sabres had the momentum, the Rangers came right back on the next shift with Michal Rozsival setting up rookie pivot Brandon Dubinsky for the equalizer only 34 seconds later. It was a huge goal because it allowed New York to relax and get their game back.
Though the Sabres generated a few dangerous chances in the third, they wouldn't find that fourth goal on Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist. If he struggled with the puck and maybe gave up one questionable one earlier, the 25 year-old Swede made up for it by flat out stoning red hot Buffalo sniper Thomas Vanek on a breakaway. Sprung by an excellent breakout pass, Vanek tried to go stick side but Lundqvist stood tall blocking it away.
Not long after, Sean Avery was the beneficiary of a dreadful giveaway by Kotalik. He might have been his team's best offensive player earlier in the crucial contest but a blind backhand up the middle to Brendan Shanahan resulted in Avery's deciding tally. Shanahan's shot deflected right to a cutting Avery who easily put home his 10th with Ryan Miller out of position anticipating Shanny's blast which never came.
From there, the Rangers steadied to do a solid enough job defensively. In particular, Shanahan was terrific in the final seconds keeping a puck alive in the corner without using his hand wasting at least eight seconds.
Lundqvist finished with 26 saves as his team improved to 4-0-2 in their last six. They'll look to continue putting up points later tonight when they return home to host the Panthers.
A few notes about this game now that I'm able to:
-Dubinsky finished with a goal and a helper. Since Tom Renney changed the lines sticking Jagr back with the rookie out of Anchorage, Dubi has seven points (3-4-7) in the last four contests. He really looks like a more confident player now. It's no surprise anymore that it's the former 2004 second round pick who has been his team's best player lately. He's a point-a-game in his last 11 and has 17 points (8-9-17) and a plus-11 rating since Jan.12.
-Rozsival contributed two assists. He's really stepped up his game lately and has four assists in the last two games. Most notably, Rozy is playing more physical in his end. Maybe he's feeling better.
-Marek Malik and rookie Marc Staal struggled last night. They'll both need to be better tonight. Especially with Paul Mara getting hurt and leaving yesterday's game. If Mara's out a period, it could impact what the Rangers do at Tuesday's deadline. They could step up their hunt for another defenseman. Perhaps Dan Boyle or Tomas Kaberle? The price will be hefty.
-Dawes continues to look more confident out there. He's meshed well with Scott Gomez and is using his speed and grit to create chances. Twelve of his 18 points have come since Jan.12. If the kid from Manitoba ever consistently gets on the scoresheet, he'll develop into the kind of player which will allow the club to keep him around as part of the plan.
-Both Tyutin and partner Dan Girardi were strong on the blueline breaking up plays and playing physical. They both were recently re-signed by the club and are proving why. Girardi's plus-minus is now minus-six. While that's not great, it's a nice improvement from where the second-year find was a month ago.
-Avery finished with the ever popular Gordie Howe hat trick. He has really played well since returning. He's factoring in offensively and is very active. It just might be the best hockey of his career. The pest has five goals in the past five contests and over that span is plus-five. If he continues performing this way, it's going to be impossible for the Rangers not to get him re-signed. It's going to cost.
-The Panthers are coming off a stunning OT win over the Flyers last night. Since nobody could understand what I wrote last nite, I'll just rehash what happened.
Antero Niittymaki was four seconds away from a huge shutout which would've snapped his team's inexplicable nine-game skid. Instead of getting the win though, somehow the Flyers didn't clear the zone allowing a desperate Florida club to setup a last second shot by defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. With captain Olli Jokinen standing in front, Niittymaki allowed the puck to go through him for the tying goal at 19:56. In OT, David Booth drew a penalty with his speed. He's really a nice player. Off the next draw, Jokinen stepped into one blasting it past Niittymaki inside the right bar for the crushing winner sending a stunned Philly crowd home.
Sure. They got a point and at least went ahead of the Isles due to more wins and an extra game left. But how the heck did they lose? They dominated most of the game and were stellar defensively until the closing seconds. Losing their best player Mike Richards on top of it with a torn hamstring hurts big time. They're now 0-8-2 in their last 10. You have to figure Paul Holmgren will be aggressive trying to upgrade the roster. With Peter Forsberg out of the loop, might he go after Brad Richards as a replacement?
Stay tuned.
There are more games going on today with the Devils in the nation's capital to play the Caps. We'll have some updates later.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Rangers look to rebound against Buffalo
The last time the Rangers played Buffalo, they chased Ryan Miller in the first period. Here's to hoping they can do that again tonight when the Chris Drury and the rest of the Rangers return to Buffalo.
This will be Drury's first time in Buffalo since he jumped ship to the Rangers over the summer. It will be interesting to see how the Buffalo fans react to him. I'm going to put money on him getting more jeers than cheers, even though he was a fantastic player for them.
Buffalo will be a little shorthanded tonight, as Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht and Paul Gaustad all missed practice with illnesses and injuries. Should be interesting to see which ones dress and which ones don't. Whoever dresses may not be at 100%, which the Rangers should try to exploit as much as possible as well.
Henrik Lundqvist is back in net tonight, but might be watching Stephen Valiquette from the bench tomorrow, which seems to make sense. Tom Renney wouldn't commit to it, but I'd go for it. Valley has been good enough to earn a few more starts down the stretch.
One thing that is for sure is the Petr Prucha is out tonight and most likely tomorrow as well. He has been subjected to little contact over the past week and with Ryan Callahan filling in nicely, Renney doesn't have to rush him back into the lineup. Look for Marek Malik to get the start on defense as well, with Jason Strudwick the most likely to end up in the press box. Should the Rangers have suitors for him at the deadline, Malik has to be showcased. Strudwick isn't going anywhere, and could use a couple of games off.
Speaking of deadline, this Tuesday is coming fast. Whether the Rangers make a move or not could be contingent on this weekend's games. Two wins could ease the souls in charge of making moves (Glen Sather) but two wins may cause a rash slew of moves. Win or lose, the main consensus seems to be that the Rangers need a power play quarterback (Dan Boyle) and/or a big physical blueliner (Nick Boynton). I can't say I disagree with either of those options. We don't need offense as much as defense, so we should concentrate on that. Unless we can snag Marion Hossa for Marcel Hossa (even swap, no?), there's no use even exploring a deal to get him. Montreal seems to have an upper hand on landing him, and I'd rather not part with all the youth and picks it would take to pick him up for three months. Boyle will be expensive, but not overwhelming, Boynton would probably cost us someone in the system, but maybe Don Maloney will give us a break. Please, no Martin Ruchinsky. I'm so tired of him not scoring for us. I like him not scoring for the Blues.
I was able to catch the third period of Devils v. Islanders this afternoon. Spirited third period by the Devils, which led to a 4-2 win. Rick DiPietro looked foolish on the third goal, but there was nothing that could have been done on his part to prevent the fourth. Bruno Gervais blew his coverage and left Brian Gianta with free reign of the crease.
Enjoy the game tonight. I'm heading out now to cover a women's hockey game here for the newspaper, so I'll have to record the game. I'll watch it when I get home around 10 and weigh in tomorrow.
This will be Drury's first time in Buffalo since he jumped ship to the Rangers over the summer. It will be interesting to see how the Buffalo fans react to him. I'm going to put money on him getting more jeers than cheers, even though he was a fantastic player for them.
Buffalo will be a little shorthanded tonight, as Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht and Paul Gaustad all missed practice with illnesses and injuries. Should be interesting to see which ones dress and which ones don't. Whoever dresses may not be at 100%, which the Rangers should try to exploit as much as possible as well.
Henrik Lundqvist is back in net tonight, but might be watching Stephen Valiquette from the bench tomorrow, which seems to make sense. Tom Renney wouldn't commit to it, but I'd go for it. Valley has been good enough to earn a few more starts down the stretch.
One thing that is for sure is the Petr Prucha is out tonight and most likely tomorrow as well. He has been subjected to little contact over the past week and with Ryan Callahan filling in nicely, Renney doesn't have to rush him back into the lineup. Look for Marek Malik to get the start on defense as well, with Jason Strudwick the most likely to end up in the press box. Should the Rangers have suitors for him at the deadline, Malik has to be showcased. Strudwick isn't going anywhere, and could use a couple of games off.
Speaking of deadline, this Tuesday is coming fast. Whether the Rangers make a move or not could be contingent on this weekend's games. Two wins could ease the souls in charge of making moves (Glen Sather) but two wins may cause a rash slew of moves. Win or lose, the main consensus seems to be that the Rangers need a power play quarterback (Dan Boyle) and/or a big physical blueliner (Nick Boynton). I can't say I disagree with either of those options. We don't need offense as much as defense, so we should concentrate on that. Unless we can snag Marion Hossa for Marcel Hossa (even swap, no?), there's no use even exploring a deal to get him. Montreal seems to have an upper hand on landing him, and I'd rather not part with all the youth and picks it would take to pick him up for three months. Boyle will be expensive, but not overwhelming, Boynton would probably cost us someone in the system, but maybe Don Maloney will give us a break. Please, no Martin Ruchinsky. I'm so tired of him not scoring for us. I like him not scoring for the Blues.
I was able to catch the third period of Devils v. Islanders this afternoon. Spirited third period by the Devils, which led to a 4-2 win. Rick DiPietro looked foolish on the third goal, but there was nothing that could have been done on his part to prevent the fourth. Bruno Gervais blew his coverage and left Brian Gianta with free reign of the crease.
Enjoy the game tonight. I'm heading out now to cover a women's hockey game here for the newspaper, so I'll have to record the game. I'll watch it when I get home around 10 and weigh in tomorrow.
Devs get first win over Isles, Sens rally past Pens
With the playoff race coming down to the critical stretch, there's plenty of action today. What else would ya expect on the final Saturday before the NHL version of a holiday known to puck fans as Deadline Day. It's now less than 48 hours away!
We will provide extensive coverage of all the deals which go down.
There have already been a couple of games of note which affect both the Atlantic and Eastern races. Earlier today, the Devils finally got a win over the Islanders defeating them 4-2 at The Prudential Center to temporarily take over the conference lead with 77 points.
A shorthanded tally by John Madden and a Patrik Elias goal had them out in front 2-1 but the Isles got a tying goal from Ruslan Fedotenko. Faced with the prospect of once again falling short against a division rival from the metro area, the more rested Devs peppered Rick DiPietro in the third outshooting the Fishsticks 20-4.
Not surprisingly, they finally had the magic formula as money player Zach Parise notched the winner 2:30 in for his Devil-leading 25th (fifth in last five contests). Brian Gionta made certain that there was no Isles' comeback by getting to a rebound in front for his third in the last six 2:13 later.
Marty Brodeur didn't have a busy day but was his stellar self turning aside 19 of 21 shots to win his league-leading 34th.
The win had the Devs leading the conference. However, with the Pens hosting the Sens, something had to give and did.
In another unpredictable game which was plenty exciting, the defending Eastern Conference champs showed plenty of resolve coming back from three goals down to pull out a 4-3 overtime road victory over Evgeni Malkin and the Pens.
The Penguins jumped out in front by three thanks to goals from Petr Sykora, Colby Armstrong and Jeff Taffe. But the Sens fought back thanks to a goal from recent pickup Cory Stillman and two from Dany Heatley including the tying marker with 13:51 remaining. HIs 30th came on a nice Randy Robitaille setup in front easily beating Ty Conklin.
The game would wind up in overtime and the Pens would come close to ending it twice. On the first one, Ryan Malone thought he had it won but hit the crossbar. The other was when Malkin came in on a two-on-one and Ray Emery just got a piece of it to push it wide.
The Sens instead would pick up a huge win off a broken play very late. Off a broken play, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson backhanded his team best 35th through Conklin with only three seconds left to give them a huge win.
It gave Ottawa one more point than the Devils allowing them to stay tops in the conference for the 144th consecutive day according to Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC).
The Pens meanwhile got a point but not the kind they had in mind. They trail the Devils by a point with each team having 20 games to go in the regular season.
For the first time this month, Malkin was held off the scoresheet. He entered leading the league with 82 points (35-47-82) and had points in the first 10 games including a ridiculous eight multi-point nights. It wasn't from lack of effort as maybe the front runner for the Hart Trophy generated plenty of chances. He just couldn't finish.
With the Eastern race extremely close, please note the new Eastern Conference standings at the top left corner of the page. We will be keeping track of everything down the final six weeks.
Be sure to tune in!
We will provide extensive coverage of all the deals which go down.
There have already been a couple of games of note which affect both the Atlantic and Eastern races. Earlier today, the Devils finally got a win over the Islanders defeating them 4-2 at The Prudential Center to temporarily take over the conference lead with 77 points.
A shorthanded tally by John Madden and a Patrik Elias goal had them out in front 2-1 but the Isles got a tying goal from Ruslan Fedotenko. Faced with the prospect of once again falling short against a division rival from the metro area, the more rested Devs peppered Rick DiPietro in the third outshooting the Fishsticks 20-4.
Not surprisingly, they finally had the magic formula as money player Zach Parise notched the winner 2:30 in for his Devil-leading 25th (fifth in last five contests). Brian Gionta made certain that there was no Isles' comeback by getting to a rebound in front for his third in the last six 2:13 later.
Marty Brodeur didn't have a busy day but was his stellar self turning aside 19 of 21 shots to win his league-leading 34th.
The win had the Devs leading the conference. However, with the Pens hosting the Sens, something had to give and did.
In another unpredictable game which was plenty exciting, the defending Eastern Conference champs showed plenty of resolve coming back from three goals down to pull out a 4-3 overtime road victory over Evgeni Malkin and the Pens.
The Penguins jumped out in front by three thanks to goals from Petr Sykora, Colby Armstrong and Jeff Taffe. But the Sens fought back thanks to a goal from recent pickup Cory Stillman and two from Dany Heatley including the tying marker with 13:51 remaining. HIs 30th came on a nice Randy Robitaille setup in front easily beating Ty Conklin.
The game would wind up in overtime and the Pens would come close to ending it twice. On the first one, Ryan Malone thought he had it won but hit the crossbar. The other was when Malkin came in on a two-on-one and Ray Emery just got a piece of it to push it wide.
The Sens instead would pick up a huge win off a broken play very late. Off a broken play, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson backhanded his team best 35th through Conklin with only three seconds left to give them a huge win.
It gave Ottawa one more point than the Devils allowing them to stay tops in the conference for the 144th consecutive day according to Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC).
The Pens meanwhile got a point but not the kind they had in mind. They trail the Devils by a point with each team having 20 games to go in the regular season.
For the first time this month, Malkin was held off the scoresheet. He entered leading the league with 82 points (35-47-82) and had points in the first 10 games including a ridiculous eight multi-point nights. It wasn't from lack of effort as maybe the front runner for the Hart Trophy generated plenty of chances. He just couldn't finish.
With the Eastern race extremely close, please note the new Eastern Conference standings at the top left corner of the page. We will be keeping track of everything down the final six weeks.
Be sure to tune in!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The Devil did it again
The Devil did it again. Well, if you're a puck fan, then you are well aware that I'm not talking about anything to do with Hell but about a successful NHL franchise which always seems to do the usual: Just win.
There are no style points for Kool Aid supplier Lou Lamoriello's team which now does most of their winning in Newark at the brand new Prudential Center instead of that dump now known as The Izod Center. Good thing they got out of the Swamp finally because it would've been the butt of more jokes. Speaking of which, why did a clown banner hang from above with all their banners?!?!?!?!?! My good Buffalo Sabre pal Brian Sanborn once created a name Legend of the Clown Banner (LOTCB) on the Devil fan message board njdevs.com. Of course, it was all in good fun.
In any event, I'm fairly certain Devil worshippers are glad that their team now plays in a real arena with much easier access to and from. I haven't gotten out there yet but definitely plan to check it out at some point.
How can a team which always seems to lose key pieces from the previous three championship teams continue to win consistently and be near the top of the East? It's very easy to say that the No.1 reason has everything to do with certain Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur. If you listen to Chico Resch, even the most routine saves are totalllly amaaazzing!!!!!
Oh. Marty's brilliant. Every year, No.30 proves that he's still got it much to my and other rival fans' dismay. Hey. I got to be honest there. Well, at least the Devs haven't solved Henrik Lundqvist yet in the first five regular season match-ups. Will they find a way to beat Rick DiPietro and the resurgent Isles Saturday afternoon at The Rock? It's got to happen some time because there's no way they're losing out against both locals. That's crazy.
So, how does this team do it? Well, for starters, first-year task master Brent Sutter has done an outstanding job whipping his players into shape. You can see why he was so successful when running Team Canada at the WJC. Sure. He had great talent to work with but still, like other Sutters, he doesn't put up with any bull.
I loved how he made his team stay after a brutal third period in allowing three unanswered to the Canadiens before the break. Now that's what I call old school. They've responded fairly well since.
Zach Parise is the club's leading scorer and really the heart of the offense. So much of it revolves around what the former North Dakota product can do just from superb skating and superior work habits. If you saw his 24th goal which tied the score in an eventual 3-1 home win over San Jose, then you know how hard he works. Even if you dislike the Devs, it's pretty easy to appreciate a player like as my buddy Steve Lepore calls him along with 2Man's very own Patricia Greuter, "The Zach Attack."
Where's Zach Morris anyway these days?!?!?!?!?! Remember that recent YouTube of Mr. Belding at a rock concert last year? I can't recall which old group it was but they called him up to perform with them. Kinda comical. Seattle I think.
Aside from the usual great performances by Marty and Zach, the Devs have gotten remarkable contributions from checkers turned loose John Madden and Jay Pandolfo. The dynamic PK duo have really made a difference offensively because under Sutter, they're looking to score rather than just focusing on shutting down top lines.
I really feel that how they perform along with meat and potatoes rookie grinder David Clarkson will determine their Spring aspirations.
After a first half struggle, sophomore Travis Zajac has come around and is hitting the back of the net with regularity. It was essential for the kid from Manitoba to get it going. Ditto Patrik Elias, who went through a tough first half but as usual has responded. He's always been a streaky scorer who picks it up down the stretch. Never a bad thing.
What is probably the most surprising aspect about the team who currently leads the Pens by two points for the Atlantic and has a share of the conference lead with Ottawa and Montreal is that top sniper Brian Gionta has only 15 goals. If the Rochester Rocket as Resch refers to him gets untracked, they'll be that much better.
You also can't measure the importance of new team captain Jamie Langenbrunner. I've always admired his game and wanted the Rangers to get him. Unfortunately, the Devs got the ex-Star who now has helped two teams win Stanley Cups. He's just such a smart versatile player who can be used offensively or defensively. He can play any situation and be a threat. If Parise's the heart of the offense, then Langenbrunner is the Krazy Glue which keeps it together.
The growing question is can a team which doesn't score a whole lot and still plays close to the vest relying on their netminder go far in the postseason? I'm not sure. You have to give Paul Martin a lot of kudos as he's finally budded into the kind of two-way defensive option the Minnesota product was capable of.
It's still mind boggling to see the transformation which has taken place with D partner Johnny Oduya. A guy who once looked like the odd man out is now logging vital minutes and contributing in both ends tied with Martin for the team lead for plus/minus (+19).
One still ponders if a blueline that relies on Oduya and Karel Rachunek can make an impact and win more than a round? Colin White is their most physical defenseman and will be very important to how they fare.
So, is this a balanced team? Not really offensively but what allows the Devils to continue winning is that their system allows everyone to contribute. It could be a Sergei Brylin or even an Arron Asham who makes the difference between winning and losing.
Is this team good enough to take the East? I still say no. They could probably use another offensive forward and one punishing defenseman to replace the awful Vitaly Vishnevski. However, outside of Ottawa who has goalie issues and Montreal who now looks like the most balanced team in the conference, you have to put the Devs in there with the third best chance to win the required 12 games to reach the Cup Final.
If only they didn't have the worst radio team in league history. Matt Loughlin is a nice guy who fits better as a studio host but good god. Is he awful. And Sherry Ross is misplaced as the color analyst.
How can those two be their radio team? Some things are just better off left being unsaid.
If you aren't a Devil fan, welcome to eternal Hell.
There are no style points for Kool Aid supplier Lou Lamoriello's team which now does most of their winning in Newark at the brand new Prudential Center instead of that dump now known as The Izod Center. Good thing they got out of the Swamp finally because it would've been the butt of more jokes. Speaking of which, why did a clown banner hang from above with all their banners?!?!?!?!?! My good Buffalo Sabre pal Brian Sanborn once created a name Legend of the Clown Banner (LOTCB) on the Devil fan message board njdevs.com. Of course, it was all in good fun.
In any event, I'm fairly certain Devil worshippers are glad that their team now plays in a real arena with much easier access to and from. I haven't gotten out there yet but definitely plan to check it out at some point.
How can a team which always seems to lose key pieces from the previous three championship teams continue to win consistently and be near the top of the East? It's very easy to say that the No.1 reason has everything to do with certain Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur. If you listen to Chico Resch, even the most routine saves are totalllly amaaazzing!!!!!
Oh. Marty's brilliant. Every year, No.30 proves that he's still got it much to my and other rival fans' dismay. Hey. I got to be honest there. Well, at least the Devs haven't solved Henrik Lundqvist yet in the first five regular season match-ups. Will they find a way to beat Rick DiPietro and the resurgent Isles Saturday afternoon at The Rock? It's got to happen some time because there's no way they're losing out against both locals. That's crazy.
So, how does this team do it? Well, for starters, first-year task master Brent Sutter has done an outstanding job whipping his players into shape. You can see why he was so successful when running Team Canada at the WJC. Sure. He had great talent to work with but still, like other Sutters, he doesn't put up with any bull.
I loved how he made his team stay after a brutal third period in allowing three unanswered to the Canadiens before the break. Now that's what I call old school. They've responded fairly well since.
Zach Parise is the club's leading scorer and really the heart of the offense. So much of it revolves around what the former North Dakota product can do just from superb skating and superior work habits. If you saw his 24th goal which tied the score in an eventual 3-1 home win over San Jose, then you know how hard he works. Even if you dislike the Devs, it's pretty easy to appreciate a player like as my buddy Steve Lepore calls him along with 2Man's very own Patricia Greuter, "The Zach Attack."
Where's Zach Morris anyway these days?!?!?!?!?! Remember that recent YouTube of Mr. Belding at a rock concert last year? I can't recall which old group it was but they called him up to perform with them. Kinda comical. Seattle I think.
Aside from the usual great performances by Marty and Zach, the Devs have gotten remarkable contributions from checkers turned loose John Madden and Jay Pandolfo. The dynamic PK duo have really made a difference offensively because under Sutter, they're looking to score rather than just focusing on shutting down top lines.
I really feel that how they perform along with meat and potatoes rookie grinder David Clarkson will determine their Spring aspirations.
After a first half struggle, sophomore Travis Zajac has come around and is hitting the back of the net with regularity. It was essential for the kid from Manitoba to get it going. Ditto Patrik Elias, who went through a tough first half but as usual has responded. He's always been a streaky scorer who picks it up down the stretch. Never a bad thing.
What is probably the most surprising aspect about the team who currently leads the Pens by two points for the Atlantic and has a share of the conference lead with Ottawa and Montreal is that top sniper Brian Gionta has only 15 goals. If the Rochester Rocket as Resch refers to him gets untracked, they'll be that much better.
You also can't measure the importance of new team captain Jamie Langenbrunner. I've always admired his game and wanted the Rangers to get him. Unfortunately, the Devs got the ex-Star who now has helped two teams win Stanley Cups. He's just such a smart versatile player who can be used offensively or defensively. He can play any situation and be a threat. If Parise's the heart of the offense, then Langenbrunner is the Krazy Glue which keeps it together.
The growing question is can a team which doesn't score a whole lot and still plays close to the vest relying on their netminder go far in the postseason? I'm not sure. You have to give Paul Martin a lot of kudos as he's finally budded into the kind of two-way defensive option the Minnesota product was capable of.
It's still mind boggling to see the transformation which has taken place with D partner Johnny Oduya. A guy who once looked like the odd man out is now logging vital minutes and contributing in both ends tied with Martin for the team lead for plus/minus (+19).
One still ponders if a blueline that relies on Oduya and Karel Rachunek can make an impact and win more than a round? Colin White is their most physical defenseman and will be very important to how they fare.
So, is this a balanced team? Not really offensively but what allows the Devils to continue winning is that their system allows everyone to contribute. It could be a Sergei Brylin or even an Arron Asham who makes the difference between winning and losing.
Is this team good enough to take the East? I still say no. They could probably use another offensive forward and one punishing defenseman to replace the awful Vitaly Vishnevski. However, outside of Ottawa who has goalie issues and Montreal who now looks like the most balanced team in the conference, you have to put the Devs in there with the third best chance to win the required 12 games to reach the Cup Final.
If only they didn't have the worst radio team in league history. Matt Loughlin is a nice guy who fits better as a studio host but good god. Is he awful. And Sherry Ross is misplaced as the color analyst.
How can those two be their radio team? Some things are just better off left being unsaid.
If you aren't a Devil fan, welcome to eternal Hell.
Still wondering if that really happened
Update: My apologies. Ales Kotalik is in fact not a defenseman. When I saw he was an UFA, I thought of Dmitri Kalinen. For some reason. I don't know why. I was just going to take it out of the post and hope no one caught it, but I have to be a man and admit the mistake. Sorry about that.
I haven't written since the Rangers' five goal lead turned into a five goal implosion and the Habs made an improbable comeback in a shootout. Is it because I didn't have the heart to accept that it really happened? Yeah, maybe. Or is it because I didn't have any answers for anyone? Well, that too.
Actually, it's been busy here again, and when you have Derek providing extremely timely and accurate wrap-ups, I can afford to be away from the website for a day or two. Since it's old news now, I won't get into the Montreal game too much. I just want to say that from where I was sitting, it didn't look like the Rangers gave up per say. They did let up a little, and then the Canadians really turned it on. The fans had an impact that the Rangers can only hope for upon returning to Madison Square Garden. All in all, it was a great game to watch, it's just too bad it didn't end up better for us Ranger fans.
Moving on. Some quick hits to start your Thursday morning.
- If Colton Orr cannot play, or any other forward goes down, Tom Renney needs to call up a winger from Hartford for a game. Jason Strudwick is a decent defenseman, but he only looked like he belonged on offense on one or two shifts on Tuesday. No harm in calling up Greg Moore or even Dane Byers for a game for other wingers to get healthy.
- Marc Staal looked like he tired out on Tuesday as well, but that was expected. In looking over some message boards the last couple of games, he was criticized a bit, and unfairly I believe. He will be the staple of the Rangers' blueline for years to come, and one mediocre third period coming off losing 10 pounds in two days won't change that.
Onto the trade deadline now.
Philadelphia got a third round pick back last night, this time in a trade with Calgary. The Flyers sent defenseman Jim Vandermeer to the Flames in exchange for the pick. They may not be done either.
Contract negotiations are still going slow with both Marian Hossa and Brian Campbell. I would love to have either one (or both, but that is a little out of the question) but I am unsure about the price tag. The cost to acquire them will probably be similar to the price tag of Peter Forsberg last season, a young talented, NHL established player, a highly touted prospect, a first round draft pick and another young, non-established player. What that comes out to would probably be Something like Nigel Dawes or Peter Prucha, Bobby Sanguinetti, first round pick and Al Montoya. That's just an example, but look how much talent is potentially there. All for a playoff rental. Whoever gets Hossa, Campbell or even Mats Sundin should make it their business to sign them to an extension before finalizing the trade. It would be bad business not to.
Let's look at other options. One the intrigues me is Ales Kotalik on the Buffalo Sabres. He is an UFA and wouldn't cost nearly as much as Campbell. He's no-where as shutdown, but why not send Marek Malik and a young player over and see if he can provide a little more on defense for us. Dan Boyle would be nice also, but expensive. Just say no to Rob Blake.
The youngsters like Dawes, Prucha and Ryan Callahan should be untouchable right now. Montoya, Parenteu, Moore or even Bourett might be good options to explore, if the Rangers end up needing to add youth to a deal to bring a difference-maker in. With eight days to go, it should get interesting real soon.
I'll check in again before Saturday's tilt with the Sabres. Here's to hoping Tuesday's game was an eye opener for the Blueshirts.
I haven't written since the Rangers' five goal lead turned into a five goal implosion and the Habs made an improbable comeback in a shootout. Is it because I didn't have the heart to accept that it really happened? Yeah, maybe. Or is it because I didn't have any answers for anyone? Well, that too.
Actually, it's been busy here again, and when you have Derek providing extremely timely and accurate wrap-ups, I can afford to be away from the website for a day or two. Since it's old news now, I won't get into the Montreal game too much. I just want to say that from where I was sitting, it didn't look like the Rangers gave up per say. They did let up a little, and then the Canadians really turned it on. The fans had an impact that the Rangers can only hope for upon returning to Madison Square Garden. All in all, it was a great game to watch, it's just too bad it didn't end up better for us Ranger fans.
Moving on. Some quick hits to start your Thursday morning.
- If Colton Orr cannot play, or any other forward goes down, Tom Renney needs to call up a winger from Hartford for a game. Jason Strudwick is a decent defenseman, but he only looked like he belonged on offense on one or two shifts on Tuesday. No harm in calling up Greg Moore or even Dane Byers for a game for other wingers to get healthy.
- Marc Staal looked like he tired out on Tuesday as well, but that was expected. In looking over some message boards the last couple of games, he was criticized a bit, and unfairly I believe. He will be the staple of the Rangers' blueline for years to come, and one mediocre third period coming off losing 10 pounds in two days won't change that.
Onto the trade deadline now.
Philadelphia got a third round pick back last night, this time in a trade with Calgary. The Flyers sent defenseman Jim Vandermeer to the Flames in exchange for the pick. They may not be done either.
Contract negotiations are still going slow with both Marian Hossa and Brian Campbell. I would love to have either one (or both, but that is a little out of the question) but I am unsure about the price tag. The cost to acquire them will probably be similar to the price tag of Peter Forsberg last season, a young talented, NHL established player, a highly touted prospect, a first round draft pick and another young, non-established player. What that comes out to would probably be Something like Nigel Dawes or Peter Prucha, Bobby Sanguinetti, first round pick and Al Montoya. That's just an example, but look how much talent is potentially there. All for a playoff rental. Whoever gets Hossa, Campbell or even Mats Sundin should make it their business to sign them to an extension before finalizing the trade. It would be bad business not to.
Let's look at other options. One the intrigues me is Ales Kotalik on the Buffalo Sabres. He is an UFA and wouldn't cost nearly as much as Campbell. He's no-where as shutdown, but why not send Marek Malik and a young player over and see if he can provide a little more on defense for us. Dan Boyle would be nice also, but expensive. Just say no to Rob Blake.
The youngsters like Dawes, Prucha and Ryan Callahan should be untouchable right now. Montoya, Parenteu, Moore or even Bourett might be good options to explore, if the Rangers end up needing to add youth to a deal to bring a difference-maker in. With eight days to go, it should get interesting real soon.
I'll check in again before Saturday's tilt with the Sabres. Here's to hoping Tuesday's game was an eye opener for the Blueshirts.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
NY Hockey Report Live Tonight
In about 10 minutes, I'll be hosting the NY Hockey Report talking puck over the next hour with mostly local flavor.
So please check it out.
We'll be covering all the locals as they drive down this critical stretch before next week's deadline.
So please check it out.
We'll be covering all the locals as they drive down this critical stretch before next week's deadline.
Playoff races heating up as deadline looms
Just how tight is the Eastern playoff race? Well, 19 total points is all which separates first in the conference Ottawa and Montreal (75) from 15th ranked Tampa Bay (56).
With most teams having 21-22 games remaining unless you're the Rangers or Hurricanes, there's still plenty of time left for teams to make their moves. At the top level, you have five teams vying for playoff position and home ice. Well, if the league adopted the NBA rule which rewarded a team with more points than the Southeast Division winner, it's really four teams who can move up or down because whoever wins that division automatically is locked into the third seed.
With shootout wins last night, both the Sens and Habs moved a couple of points ahead of the idle Devils and victorious Penguins, who fought back from two down to win 3-2 over the Panthers.
New Jersey has been playing extremely solid hockey as of late and will try to stay hot when they host San Jose. The Sharks recently blew a two-goal third period lead in a bad loss to the Islanders. They also lost to the Rangers this past weekend. So they don't want to go 0-for-3 in the metro area when they visit The Prudential Center later tonight.
The Devs had an easy 5-1 win over the Canes on President's Day getting contributions from Johnny Oduya, Jay Pandolfo and Travis Zajac. In a stretch which has them playing 15 of 18 at The Rock, Brent Sutter's club has done well taking advantage of it. They'll also host the Islanders this weekend hoping to finally notch a win over one of their local rivals.
Meanwhile, the Fishsticks have been playing inspired hockey having reeled off four in a row to get within three of the final playoff spot. You have to give Ted Nolan's club a ton of credit because they have lost so many key defensemen to injuries. The latest victim was Andy Sutton (torn hamstring) who is gone for four to six weeks after being helped off the ice in their 3-2 win over the Sharks Monday.
With no Sutton, no Chris Campoli (done for season), no Brendan Witt (MCL) and Bruno Gervais (oblique) all sidelined, somehow the Islanders are mustering up enough energy to find ways to win and stay in the race.
Freddy Meyer, Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron must continue to step up while All-Star goalie Rick DiPietro needs to continue his stellar play giving his team a chance to win every night.
It should be interesting to see what happens. A lot depends on the next few days for each team as they battle for key points and positioning which will determine whether they're a buyer or a seller at next week's deadline.
With most teams having 21-22 games remaining unless you're the Rangers or Hurricanes, there's still plenty of time left for teams to make their moves. At the top level, you have five teams vying for playoff position and home ice. Well, if the league adopted the NBA rule which rewarded a team with more points than the Southeast Division winner, it's really four teams who can move up or down because whoever wins that division automatically is locked into the third seed.
With shootout wins last night, both the Sens and Habs moved a couple of points ahead of the idle Devils and victorious Penguins, who fought back from two down to win 3-2 over the Panthers.
New Jersey has been playing extremely solid hockey as of late and will try to stay hot when they host San Jose. The Sharks recently blew a two-goal third period lead in a bad loss to the Islanders. They also lost to the Rangers this past weekend. So they don't want to go 0-for-3 in the metro area when they visit The Prudential Center later tonight.
The Devs had an easy 5-1 win over the Canes on President's Day getting contributions from Johnny Oduya, Jay Pandolfo and Travis Zajac. In a stretch which has them playing 15 of 18 at The Rock, Brent Sutter's club has done well taking advantage of it. They'll also host the Islanders this weekend hoping to finally notch a win over one of their local rivals.
Meanwhile, the Fishsticks have been playing inspired hockey having reeled off four in a row to get within three of the final playoff spot. You have to give Ted Nolan's club a ton of credit because they have lost so many key defensemen to injuries. The latest victim was Andy Sutton (torn hamstring) who is gone for four to six weeks after being helped off the ice in their 3-2 win over the Sharks Monday.
With no Sutton, no Chris Campoli (done for season), no Brendan Witt (MCL) and Bruno Gervais (oblique) all sidelined, somehow the Islanders are mustering up enough energy to find ways to win and stay in the race.
Freddy Meyer, Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron must continue to step up while All-Star goalie Rick DiPietro needs to continue his stellar play giving his team a chance to win every night.
It should be interesting to see what happens. A lot depends on the next few days for each team as they battle for key points and positioning which will determine whether they're a buyer or a seller at next week's deadline.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole
I was trying to come up with a title for the Habs' amazing five-goal comeback to win 6-5 in a shootout over the shell shocked Rangers before an energized home crowd. This was the best I could do.
I mean what can you really say. History was made up north as neither the Blueshirts nor the Habs had ever been part of something so crazy before. When MSG flashed the note that the Original Six club had never lost after leading by five, you just knew it wasn't a good sign. Likewise, Les Habitants had never ever comeback to win from five back in their rich history.
Normally, I'd be upset about the Rangers somehow failing to pickup what seemed to be a sure two points but I'm just not mad about it for some reason. There's more important things to not be happy about than some silly wacky game. That's really all it is in the grand scheme of things.
Let's credit the Canadiens for showing as much heart as I've ever seen in never giving up and actually believing they could still comeback and pull that out after three quick Ranger goals chased rookie Carey Price.
I've been on this team for a while and nothing I saw tonight changed my mind. Truth be told, that's the best club in the entire conference. They skate better than anyone. Have the deepest crop of forwards and a very active D which can make life a nightmare when for defenses pinning the opposition in with an aggressive forecheck.
Does anyone boast a better fourth line than these Habs? I haven't seen it. When you can send out the ever dangerous Michael Ryder (10 healthy scratches and still the best forward on this night with two goals sparking the comeback), two-way threat Mark Streit (goal, two helpers) and the gritty Maxim Lapierre, it's going to be a huge advantage. That trio along with the banging of energizer Steve Begin and underrated defender Mike Komisarek changed the game as did the fans.
Most teams fall behind by five and pack it in. Never have I seen such a vocal crowd influence their home players the way these Habs responded. Those Canadien supporters believed their team could still comeback and win even when Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury made it 5-0 28 seconds apart early in the second.
What they got was the kind of inspired comeback which could make their team believe it can win the whole thing. Why the heck not? They have two solid goalies. Cristobal Huet was fantastic in relief of Price, who really was victimized by a lackluster start by his teammates.
The Rangers didn't exactly let up when they got to five. They easily could've had a couple of more if not for a couple of very timely stops by Huet, who steadied to make 20 saves giving his more desperate team a chance.
For as great as the Blueshirts played the first 25 minutes was as brutal and lost as they looked the rest of the night. Bruised and battered all over the ice by a more physical and faster team, they paid the price for not putting a pesky opponent away. Did I really just say that?!?!?!?!?!
The key sequence in this contest was two consecutive lightning Montreal strikes only nine seconds apart which sliced the deficit to 5-4 with still 13:08 left in regulation. Their leader Alex Kovalev connected one-timing a hard Andrei Markov pass just through Henrik Lundqvist over the goal line. If there was one King Henrik would've liked back, it was that one.
That the Habs could then basically skate in untouched with Ryder's seeing eye shot getting a piece of Streit's leg to ricochet past a stunned Lundqvist was a crusher. Tom Renney had already taken their timeout when Ryder tallied twice 4:24 apart in the second to make it a three-goal contest.
The Rangers just couldn't hang on and were done in by a mistimed Marek Malik hooking penalty which led to a scintillating Kovalev equalizer with 4:22 remaining. Somehow, off a broken play, he got a powerful one-timer off an Andrei Kostistyn setup in the left slot for his 29th sending the Montreal crowd into a frenzy.
It was a period earlier where these same cuckoo fans tossed debris on the ice. Some sort of ridiculous giveaway which was tossed cause they didn't like a legitimate high sticking call on Komisarek.
The OT was mostly Montreal as they pressed for the winner but Lundqvist denied all five shots to force a shootout. In it, the difference was a brilliant move two deke move and smooth forehand finish by Montreal captain Saku Koivu. When Jaromir Jagr's backhand deke wouldn't go, it was over.
The impressive comeback was complete and the Habs had somehow managed to stay even with the Sens (also shootout winners over Philly) for the conference's most points (75).
So, how do the Rangers explain this one? They can't. They just got beat by a better and deeper team. It's ashame too cause some of their best offense came in the same game with Jagr netting four assists and Brandon Dubinsky recording a Gordie Howe hat trick. He got pounded by Komisarek but took his licks and got a couple in. The kid has guts. He might want to learn how to throw'em and pick his spots though.
Maybe if this team had a real fourth line like the one we saw from Montreal, they might've not wilted.
I don't believe any other Eastern team could've comeback from five to win that. It was about as impressive as can be.
I've said this is the most talented team the Canadiens have had since that 1993 team which was the last Canadian team to hoist Lord Stanley. I think they have a legit shot to do the same. They've got it. Skating. Skill. Finesse. Grit. Physicality. Goaltending. And mental toughness which was on display tonight. They sent a pretty loud message to the rest of the conference.
This was one of those crazy games which was a ton of fun to watch. Even if the Rangers only wound up with a point, I'm not complaining.
They have only themselves to blame. Now they wait until Friday for a rematch at Buffalo. We'll see how they respond.
Just an update on the conference race. With the Pens coming back from two down to win 3-2 over the Panthers and the Devils winning the day before 5-1 over the Canes, here's how close it is:
1.Senators 75 Pts 35 Wins 22 GR
2.Devils 73 34 Wins 22 GR
3.Canes 65 30 Wins 19 GR
4.Habs 75 33 Wins 21 GR
5.Pens 73 34 Wins 22 GR
6.Rangers 68 30 Wins 20 GR
7.Bruins 66 30 Wins 23 GR
8.Flyers 66 30 Wins 22 GR
9.Sabres 64 28 Wins 23 GR
10.Isles 63 28 Wins 22 GR
11.Caps 62 28 Wins 22 GR
12.Thrashers 62 29 Wins 21 GR
13.Panthers 60 27 Wins 20 GR
14.Leafs 59 25 Wins 21 GR
15.Bolts 56 25 Wins 23 GR
I mean what can you really say. History was made up north as neither the Blueshirts nor the Habs had ever been part of something so crazy before. When MSG flashed the note that the Original Six club had never lost after leading by five, you just knew it wasn't a good sign. Likewise, Les Habitants had never ever comeback to win from five back in their rich history.
Normally, I'd be upset about the Rangers somehow failing to pickup what seemed to be a sure two points but I'm just not mad about it for some reason. There's more important things to not be happy about than some silly wacky game. That's really all it is in the grand scheme of things.
Let's credit the Canadiens for showing as much heart as I've ever seen in never giving up and actually believing they could still comeback and pull that out after three quick Ranger goals chased rookie Carey Price.
I've been on this team for a while and nothing I saw tonight changed my mind. Truth be told, that's the best club in the entire conference. They skate better than anyone. Have the deepest crop of forwards and a very active D which can make life a nightmare when for defenses pinning the opposition in with an aggressive forecheck.
Does anyone boast a better fourth line than these Habs? I haven't seen it. When you can send out the ever dangerous Michael Ryder (10 healthy scratches and still the best forward on this night with two goals sparking the comeback), two-way threat Mark Streit (goal, two helpers) and the gritty Maxim Lapierre, it's going to be a huge advantage. That trio along with the banging of energizer Steve Begin and underrated defender Mike Komisarek changed the game as did the fans.
Most teams fall behind by five and pack it in. Never have I seen such a vocal crowd influence their home players the way these Habs responded. Those Canadien supporters believed their team could still comeback and win even when Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury made it 5-0 28 seconds apart early in the second.
What they got was the kind of inspired comeback which could make their team believe it can win the whole thing. Why the heck not? They have two solid goalies. Cristobal Huet was fantastic in relief of Price, who really was victimized by a lackluster start by his teammates.
The Rangers didn't exactly let up when they got to five. They easily could've had a couple of more if not for a couple of very timely stops by Huet, who steadied to make 20 saves giving his more desperate team a chance.
For as great as the Blueshirts played the first 25 minutes was as brutal and lost as they looked the rest of the night. Bruised and battered all over the ice by a more physical and faster team, they paid the price for not putting a pesky opponent away. Did I really just say that?!?!?!?!?!
The key sequence in this contest was two consecutive lightning Montreal strikes only nine seconds apart which sliced the deficit to 5-4 with still 13:08 left in regulation. Their leader Alex Kovalev connected one-timing a hard Andrei Markov pass just through Henrik Lundqvist over the goal line. If there was one King Henrik would've liked back, it was that one.
That the Habs could then basically skate in untouched with Ryder's seeing eye shot getting a piece of Streit's leg to ricochet past a stunned Lundqvist was a crusher. Tom Renney had already taken their timeout when Ryder tallied twice 4:24 apart in the second to make it a three-goal contest.
The Rangers just couldn't hang on and were done in by a mistimed Marek Malik hooking penalty which led to a scintillating Kovalev equalizer with 4:22 remaining. Somehow, off a broken play, he got a powerful one-timer off an Andrei Kostistyn setup in the left slot for his 29th sending the Montreal crowd into a frenzy.
It was a period earlier where these same cuckoo fans tossed debris on the ice. Some sort of ridiculous giveaway which was tossed cause they didn't like a legitimate high sticking call on Komisarek.
The OT was mostly Montreal as they pressed for the winner but Lundqvist denied all five shots to force a shootout. In it, the difference was a brilliant move two deke move and smooth forehand finish by Montreal captain Saku Koivu. When Jaromir Jagr's backhand deke wouldn't go, it was over.
The impressive comeback was complete and the Habs had somehow managed to stay even with the Sens (also shootout winners over Philly) for the conference's most points (75).
So, how do the Rangers explain this one? They can't. They just got beat by a better and deeper team. It's ashame too cause some of their best offense came in the same game with Jagr netting four assists and Brandon Dubinsky recording a Gordie Howe hat trick. He got pounded by Komisarek but took his licks and got a couple in. The kid has guts. He might want to learn how to throw'em and pick his spots though.
Maybe if this team had a real fourth line like the one we saw from Montreal, they might've not wilted.
I don't believe any other Eastern team could've comeback from five to win that. It was about as impressive as can be.
I've said this is the most talented team the Canadiens have had since that 1993 team which was the last Canadian team to hoist Lord Stanley. I think they have a legit shot to do the same. They've got it. Skating. Skill. Finesse. Grit. Physicality. Goaltending. And mental toughness which was on display tonight. They sent a pretty loud message to the rest of the conference.
This was one of those crazy games which was a ton of fun to watch. Even if the Rangers only wound up with a point, I'm not complaining.
They have only themselves to blame. Now they wait until Friday for a rematch at Buffalo. We'll see how they respond.
Just an update on the conference race. With the Pens coming back from two down to win 3-2 over the Panthers and the Devils winning the day before 5-1 over the Canes, here's how close it is:
1.Senators 75 Pts 35 Wins 22 GR
2.Devils 73 34 Wins 22 GR
3.Canes 65 30 Wins 19 GR
4.Habs 75 33 Wins 21 GR
5.Pens 73 34 Wins 22 GR
6.Rangers 68 30 Wins 20 GR
7.Bruins 66 30 Wins 23 GR
8.Flyers 66 30 Wins 22 GR
9.Sabres 64 28 Wins 23 GR
10.Isles 63 28 Wins 22 GR
11.Caps 62 28 Wins 22 GR
12.Thrashers 62 29 Wins 21 GR
13.Panthers 60 27 Wins 20 GR
14.Leafs 59 25 Wins 21 GR
15.Bolts 56 25 Wins 23 GR
Rangers take on Habs tonight
Fresh off of an impressive Western Conference win on Sunday, the Rangers take on the Montreal Canadians tonight at 7:30. It will surely be a physical game, as evidence of the last meeting between the two teams. Brandon Dubinsky and Sean Avery will be with Jaromir Jagr also tonight, as the lines remain mostly the same from last weekend. This provides some protection for when Jagr goes up against Mike Komiserek in the corners and around the net.
Montreal will counter Henrik Lundqvist with rookie Carey Price. If the Rangers pepper him with shots early, he should be forced to make more saves than he is able to at the big level right now, and the Rangers can jump out to an early lead. Price will be good, and with Christobal Huet and Jaroslav Halak, the Canadians can afford to trade away a good goaltender. Price just has looked inconsistent in his few appearances at the NHL level this year.
Marc Staal looks like he'll be back on defense tonight with either Marek Malik or Jason Strudwick sitting. Colton Orr has also come down with a touch of the flu, and should he not be able to play tonight, Strudwick would jump up to the fourth line. None of that is certain right now, as the only sure thing is the Petr Prucha will miss another game after it was revealed that his shoulder was dislocated last week. With Ryan Callahan turning it up, we can afford to have Prucha take his time and get 100% healthy.
The Philadelphia Flyers sent a third-round draft pick to the L.A. Kings for Jaroslav Modry today. Good pickup by the Flyers who are riddled with injuries.
Enjoy what will most likely be a physical game. Let's hope the Rangers can keep the ball rolling in the right direction against a team closing in on first place in the Eastern Conference.
Montreal will counter Henrik Lundqvist with rookie Carey Price. If the Rangers pepper him with shots early, he should be forced to make more saves than he is able to at the big level right now, and the Rangers can jump out to an early lead. Price will be good, and with Christobal Huet and Jaroslav Halak, the Canadians can afford to trade away a good goaltender. Price just has looked inconsistent in his few appearances at the NHL level this year.
Marc Staal looks like he'll be back on defense tonight with either Marek Malik or Jason Strudwick sitting. Colton Orr has also come down with a touch of the flu, and should he not be able to play tonight, Strudwick would jump up to the fourth line. None of that is certain right now, as the only sure thing is the Petr Prucha will miss another game after it was revealed that his shoulder was dislocated last week. With Ryan Callahan turning it up, we can afford to have Prucha take his time and get 100% healthy.
The Philadelphia Flyers sent a third-round draft pick to the L.A. Kings for Jaroslav Modry today. Good pickup by the Flyers who are riddled with injuries.
Enjoy what will most likely be a physical game. Let's hope the Rangers can keep the ball rolling in the right direction against a team closing in on first place in the Eastern Conference.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Drury and Callahan lead Blueshirts to actual win over Western foe
A miracle of sorts took place earlier this afternoon at Seventh and 33rd. No. Santa Claus didn't arrive on 34th Street. However, the Rangers actually grinded out a well earned victory over a Western opponent, defeating the Sharks 3-1 to take their second in a row.
It was their first win against the opposite conference all season finishing only 1-7-2 with three total points in 10 games this season. That said, the much needed two points couldn't have come at a more appropriate time as it allowed Tom Renney's club to get to 67 points, pulling temporarily into sixth in the East a couple better than the rival Flyers, who host the Canadiens in a rematch from last night later tonight.
Though they controlled much of the action early on, it was the Sharks who got on the board first when one of the NHL's best playmaking pivots Joe Thornton centered for Jonathan Cheechoo in front, who beat Marek Malik to the spot and put home his 15th 3:31 into the contest.
Instead of getting down, the Blueshirts continued to work harder and finally drew even thanks to some grunt work down low by Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan. Following a power play, Callahan kept the puck alive putting it in the corner just out of the reach of San Jose netminder Evgeni Nabokov. A hustling Drury got to the loose puck and wisely centered for an open Callahan in front, who easily put in his fourth to tie the game at 11:34.
One thing which was noticeable was how chippy this game was. You saw plenty of one-on-one battles along the boards and recent San Jose pickup and notable goon Jody Shelley coming together with Ranger enforcer Colton Orr a few times. Neither fighter dropped the gloves instead opting to play hockey in a very competitive game.
While it's true both defensive-oriented clubs were solid, each netminder had to come up with big saves due to plenty of traffic in front. However, one sequence turned out to be the difference in the game. During a Ranger man-advantage, dangerous shorthanded forward Milan Michalek made a nice move to spin around recently re-signed defenseman Dan Girardi. But with him in, Henrik Lundqvist stood tall making the timely save which led to transition the other way.
Scott Gomez took a pass inside his end from Marty Straka and then did what he does best backing up the San Jose PK while on a three-on-two before dishing for a trailing Drury who made no mistake blistering a right slapper past Nabokov's glove top shelf. It was the resurgent Drury's seventh goal in the last nine games.
There's little doubt that the 31 year-old Trumbull Connecticut native is playing his best hockey after a disappointing first half which saw him a team worst in the plus/minus department. With a goal and a helper plus some decent work in the faceoff circle (6-for-12) and in his end, the former Sabre is finally stepping up and leading the Original Six team the way many thought. He was the best player on the ice and justifiably selected the game's No.1 Star.
With it being their second game in two days, it was apparent that they were running low on the fuel tank in the final period. However, Lundqvist was up to the challenge stopping all 12 San Jose shots on his way to 29 saves and the game's Third Star.
The D might have allowed the bigger San Jose forwards to get the puck deep and cycle but every shot was contested. There was one wild scramble where the puck was loose in front of Lundqvist but no Shark got there due to the solid backchecking by Rangers.
I've openly criticized him but Renney also deserves credit for matching the Blair Betts checking unit against Thornton because they victimized the Brandon Dubinsky line on their only tally of the day. Betts along with linemates Orr and Ryan Hollweg did a solid job against one of the league's best players limiting their chances.
Credit must also go out to Malik, who aside from his blown assignment on Cheechoo has played admirably the last couple of games with rookie Marc Staal still out with the flu. Big Bird has been more active in his end breaking up plays and moving the puck quickly. When he plays that way, he belongs in the lineup over Jason Strudwick. It remains to be seen how that will be handled.
It was Callahan who sealed the victory with an empty netter from Straka and recently re-signed defenseman Fedor Tyutin. The 22 year-old Rochester native finally has his game back and really is playing well. What this means is that Renney can't alter any of his three top lines. When Petr Prucha is healthy, the coach should consider sticking him with Betts and either scratching Hollweg or Orr. I actually believe Orr is the more responsible player now and wouldn't mind seeing Prucha on the left side with Hollweg sitting.
We'll have to wait and see. For now, the Rangers at least had a very good weekend. Now it's on the road to Buffalo Tuesday before a couple of days off with another tough test at Montreal next Friday.
Devs win in Ottawa heats up Eastern race: The race is only getting more interesting by the day where suddenly, the Rangers find themselves with six fewer points than conference leader Ottawa. The Sens' comeback attempt fell short against the surging Devils, who held on for a 3-2 win to pull ahead of the Pens for first and just two behind the struggling Ottawa club.
Arron Asham tallied twice while leading scorer Zach Parise notched the power play game-winner with Martin Brodeur stopping 37 shots to give his team a big win last night.
So, how does the division stack up exactly? The Devs lead the Pens by two but Pittsburgh with a win today against Buffalo could move back into a tie. The Rangers trail by four points but have less games (21) remaining. The Flyers are looking to snap a six-game skid seeking revenge for a 1-0 road shutout at the hands of rookie Carey Price and Les Habitants. One win would give them 67 points and move them to sixth due to two extra games left than the Rangers.
Meanwhile, the Isles also have won three straight and will try to keep it going when they host the Sharks tomorrow afternoon on President's Day. Their 61 points have them in 12th but they are just three behind eighth seeded Boston and four behind the seventh seeded Flyers.
Who wants it most? That's what we're going to find out over the next six and a half weeks. And don't forget the trade deadline is approaching.
It was their first win against the opposite conference all season finishing only 1-7-2 with three total points in 10 games this season. That said, the much needed two points couldn't have come at a more appropriate time as it allowed Tom Renney's club to get to 67 points, pulling temporarily into sixth in the East a couple better than the rival Flyers, who host the Canadiens in a rematch from last night later tonight.
Though they controlled much of the action early on, it was the Sharks who got on the board first when one of the NHL's best playmaking pivots Joe Thornton centered for Jonathan Cheechoo in front, who beat Marek Malik to the spot and put home his 15th 3:31 into the contest.
Instead of getting down, the Blueshirts continued to work harder and finally drew even thanks to some grunt work down low by Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan. Following a power play, Callahan kept the puck alive putting it in the corner just out of the reach of San Jose netminder Evgeni Nabokov. A hustling Drury got to the loose puck and wisely centered for an open Callahan in front, who easily put in his fourth to tie the game at 11:34.
One thing which was noticeable was how chippy this game was. You saw plenty of one-on-one battles along the boards and recent San Jose pickup and notable goon Jody Shelley coming together with Ranger enforcer Colton Orr a few times. Neither fighter dropped the gloves instead opting to play hockey in a very competitive game.
While it's true both defensive-oriented clubs were solid, each netminder had to come up with big saves due to plenty of traffic in front. However, one sequence turned out to be the difference in the game. During a Ranger man-advantage, dangerous shorthanded forward Milan Michalek made a nice move to spin around recently re-signed defenseman Dan Girardi. But with him in, Henrik Lundqvist stood tall making the timely save which led to transition the other way.
Scott Gomez took a pass inside his end from Marty Straka and then did what he does best backing up the San Jose PK while on a three-on-two before dishing for a trailing Drury who made no mistake blistering a right slapper past Nabokov's glove top shelf. It was the resurgent Drury's seventh goal in the last nine games.
There's little doubt that the 31 year-old Trumbull Connecticut native is playing his best hockey after a disappointing first half which saw him a team worst in the plus/minus department. With a goal and a helper plus some decent work in the faceoff circle (6-for-12) and in his end, the former Sabre is finally stepping up and leading the Original Six team the way many thought. He was the best player on the ice and justifiably selected the game's No.1 Star.
With it being their second game in two days, it was apparent that they were running low on the fuel tank in the final period. However, Lundqvist was up to the challenge stopping all 12 San Jose shots on his way to 29 saves and the game's Third Star.
The D might have allowed the bigger San Jose forwards to get the puck deep and cycle but every shot was contested. There was one wild scramble where the puck was loose in front of Lundqvist but no Shark got there due to the solid backchecking by Rangers.
I've openly criticized him but Renney also deserves credit for matching the Blair Betts checking unit against Thornton because they victimized the Brandon Dubinsky line on their only tally of the day. Betts along with linemates Orr and Ryan Hollweg did a solid job against one of the league's best players limiting their chances.
Credit must also go out to Malik, who aside from his blown assignment on Cheechoo has played admirably the last couple of games with rookie Marc Staal still out with the flu. Big Bird has been more active in his end breaking up plays and moving the puck quickly. When he plays that way, he belongs in the lineup over Jason Strudwick. It remains to be seen how that will be handled.
It was Callahan who sealed the victory with an empty netter from Straka and recently re-signed defenseman Fedor Tyutin. The 22 year-old Rochester native finally has his game back and really is playing well. What this means is that Renney can't alter any of his three top lines. When Petr Prucha is healthy, the coach should consider sticking him with Betts and either scratching Hollweg or Orr. I actually believe Orr is the more responsible player now and wouldn't mind seeing Prucha on the left side with Hollweg sitting.
We'll have to wait and see. For now, the Rangers at least had a very good weekend. Now it's on the road to Buffalo Tuesday before a couple of days off with another tough test at Montreal next Friday.
Devs win in Ottawa heats up Eastern race: The race is only getting more interesting by the day where suddenly, the Rangers find themselves with six fewer points than conference leader Ottawa. The Sens' comeback attempt fell short against the surging Devils, who held on for a 3-2 win to pull ahead of the Pens for first and just two behind the struggling Ottawa club.
Arron Asham tallied twice while leading scorer Zach Parise notched the power play game-winner with Martin Brodeur stopping 37 shots to give his team a big win last night.
So, how does the division stack up exactly? The Devs lead the Pens by two but Pittsburgh with a win today against Buffalo could move back into a tie. The Rangers trail by four points but have less games (21) remaining. The Flyers are looking to snap a six-game skid seeking revenge for a 1-0 road shutout at the hands of rookie Carey Price and Les Habitants. One win would give them 67 points and move them to sixth due to two extra games left than the Rangers.
Meanwhile, the Isles also have won three straight and will try to keep it going when they host the Sharks tomorrow afternoon on President's Day. Their 61 points have them in 12th but they are just three behind eighth seeded Boston and four behind the seventh seeded Flyers.
Who wants it most? That's what we're going to find out over the next six and a half weeks. And don't forget the trade deadline is approaching.
Rangers host San Jose today
In a few minutes, the Rangers will take on the Sharks in the second half of back to back games for the Blueshirts. The Rangers are winless against the Western Conference this season, and this is their last chance to change that.
The Rangers will be going with the same lineup as yesterday. Marc Staal is still recovering from the flu, Petr Prucha still has an ailing shoulder and Marcel Hossa was actually sent down to Hartford on a conditioning stint. Henrik Lundqvist is back between the pipes, looking to build on a solid effort yesterday against Buffalo.
After announcing that they have resigned Dan Girardi to a new two year, $1.5 million a year deal yesterday, the Rangers will announce today that they have signed his defense partner Fedor Tyutin to a similar, yet probably a little more lucrative, deal today. Good move by the Rangers as both were set to become restricted free agents over the summer. Next up will be Sean Avery, who was supposedly looking for four years, $3 million per.
Should be an exciting game, enjoy and I'll be back later.
The Rangers will be going with the same lineup as yesterday. Marc Staal is still recovering from the flu, Petr Prucha still has an ailing shoulder and Marcel Hossa was actually sent down to Hartford on a conditioning stint. Henrik Lundqvist is back between the pipes, looking to build on a solid effort yesterday against Buffalo.
After announcing that they have resigned Dan Girardi to a new two year, $1.5 million a year deal yesterday, the Rangers will announce today that they have signed his defense partner Fedor Tyutin to a similar, yet probably a little more lucrative, deal today. Good move by the Rangers as both were set to become restricted free agents over the summer. Next up will be Sean Avery, who was supposedly looking for four years, $3 million per.
Should be an exciting game, enjoy and I'll be back later.
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