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!
Covering the Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres five years running along with the rest of the puckers!
BONY
Battle Of New York
Saturday, February 23, 2008
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.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Revamped Rangers pelt Miller
Who was that team out there today?!?!?!?!?! Whoever they were, it looked like a much different Ranger team after a five day layoff. From the drop of the puck in a game they had to have, the Blueshirts dominated the Sabres by scoring four times in the opening stanza en route to a 5-1 blowout victory in front of a younger Saturday afternoon crowd who enjoyed every second of what they saw.
How fun was it? Well, they scored on the opening shift only 10 seconds in when Sean Avery pounced on a Brandon Dubinsky rebound for the first of two goals on what was a very productive day for Tom Renney's reconstructed lines as fellow blogger Lenny reported.
Before Ryan Callahan rebounded home a Marty Straka shot in front off a nifty Chris Drury setup for the team's second tally 4:19 later, newly re-signed No.1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist stood tall making a couple of critical stops on Sabres in close to preserve the lead. That was vital, especially against a hot team which hadn't lost in regulation the past 10 contests (8-0-2).
With the team backchecking efficiently and playing much more aggressive north/south hockey, they pounced on a flat Buffalo club which wasn't ready to play despite their recent hot streak which had them all the way to seventh in the East a point ahead of the Rangers.
Straka hit a career milestone by recording his 700th NHL point with an assist on Callahan's third. The goal was made possible by a great read from former Sabre Drury, who made a brilliant pass to a wide open No.82, whose shot went off Ryan Miller right to Cally who deposited it.
The brilliant period continued when the game's First Star Dubinsky abused a Buffalo defender skating around them before putting a backhand thru Miller's five-hole for a three-goal lead at 9:05 from Jaromir Jagr. Before today's game, No.68 had gone seven consecutive games without a point. Today, he was more active notching two helpers.
There's little doubt that Miller wasn't sharp and should've had Dubinsky's 10th. It was from an awful angle. Even if the 21 year-old rookie out of Anchorage, Alaska made a nice move to beat Buffalo defenders, it was still one the Buffalo netminder usually saves in his sleep.
He was brutal and also could've had one of the first two as well as Brendan Shanahan's right wing 40-foot slapper 3:20 later which concluded his day between the pipes. Miller allowed four goals on 11 shots before veteran backup Joceyln Thibault replaced him.
By that time, even Dancin' Larry had done his idiotic dance routine. The fat lady sung a little earlier than expected. Avery would add his second of the game in the second using his great speed to blow past Sabres before beating Thibault on a mini-break for his eighth at 7:47.
The only remaining question was whether King Henrik would pickup an eighth shutout. However, it wasn't to be as Thomas Vanek spoiled the party by beating him five-hole from in the slot for a power play goal with 6:58 left in the game.
Lundqvist still was rock solid in stopping 29 of 30 shots to give the Blueshirts a much needed 'W,' temporarily pulling back in front of Buffalo and Boston for the seventh seed. Amazingly, the 65 points also ties them with the Flyers, who have three more games at hand.
It really is going to depend on who plays well down the stretch. That means no mishaps. This team can't afford to be inconsistent or mail in games. And it's very important to follow this impressive win with another against Western foe San Jose.
As you might know by now, the Rangers are 0-7-2 against the opposite conference this season. This is their last opportunity to get two points against it.
It's about time they did.
How fun was it? Well, they scored on the opening shift only 10 seconds in when Sean Avery pounced on a Brandon Dubinsky rebound for the first of two goals on what was a very productive day for Tom Renney's reconstructed lines as fellow blogger Lenny reported.
Before Ryan Callahan rebounded home a Marty Straka shot in front off a nifty Chris Drury setup for the team's second tally 4:19 later, newly re-signed No.1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist stood tall making a couple of critical stops on Sabres in close to preserve the lead. That was vital, especially against a hot team which hadn't lost in regulation the past 10 contests (8-0-2).
With the team backchecking efficiently and playing much more aggressive north/south hockey, they pounced on a flat Buffalo club which wasn't ready to play despite their recent hot streak which had them all the way to seventh in the East a point ahead of the Rangers.
Straka hit a career milestone by recording his 700th NHL point with an assist on Callahan's third. The goal was made possible by a great read from former Sabre Drury, who made a brilliant pass to a wide open No.82, whose shot went off Ryan Miller right to Cally who deposited it.
The brilliant period continued when the game's First Star Dubinsky abused a Buffalo defender skating around them before putting a backhand thru Miller's five-hole for a three-goal lead at 9:05 from Jaromir Jagr. Before today's game, No.68 had gone seven consecutive games without a point. Today, he was more active notching two helpers.
There's little doubt that Miller wasn't sharp and should've had Dubinsky's 10th. It was from an awful angle. Even if the 21 year-old rookie out of Anchorage, Alaska made a nice move to beat Buffalo defenders, it was still one the Buffalo netminder usually saves in his sleep.
He was brutal and also could've had one of the first two as well as Brendan Shanahan's right wing 40-foot slapper 3:20 later which concluded his day between the pipes. Miller allowed four goals on 11 shots before veteran backup Joceyln Thibault replaced him.
By that time, even Dancin' Larry had done his idiotic dance routine. The fat lady sung a little earlier than expected. Avery would add his second of the game in the second using his great speed to blow past Sabres before beating Thibault on a mini-break for his eighth at 7:47.
The only remaining question was whether King Henrik would pickup an eighth shutout. However, it wasn't to be as Thomas Vanek spoiled the party by beating him five-hole from in the slot for a power play goal with 6:58 left in the game.
Lundqvist still was rock solid in stopping 29 of 30 shots to give the Blueshirts a much needed 'W,' temporarily pulling back in front of Buffalo and Boston for the seventh seed. Amazingly, the 65 points also ties them with the Flyers, who have three more games at hand.
It really is going to depend on who plays well down the stretch. That means no mishaps. This team can't afford to be inconsistent or mail in games. And it's very important to follow this impressive win with another against Western foe San Jose.
As you might know by now, the Rangers are 0-7-2 against the opposite conference this season. This is their last opportunity to get two points against it.
It's about time they did.
Rangers back to work this afternoon
The Rangers' five day layoff comes to an end in just under three hours when they take on the seventh seeded Buffalo Sabres. After watching the teams around them move up and down the standings for the last five days, it will be good to see the Rangers get back to work and try to start moving back up into the playoff picture.
Henrik Lundqvist will be in net for the Rangers, who will be without Petr Prucha, (sprained shoulder) Marc Staal, (flu) and Marcel Hossa (back.) Staal could be a late edition to the lineup based on how pre-game skates go for him, but after missing most of this week's practices look for both Marek Malik and Jason Strudwick to be in.
There will also be some different line combinations for tonight. Here's what they looked like in practice this week:
Avery - Dubinsky - Jagr
Dawes - Gomez - Shanahan
Straka - Drury - Callahan
Hollweg - Betts - Orr
Tom Renney also tried out Hossa in Ryan Hollweg's spot, but it looks like he ultimately decided to keep the fourth line intact.
Back later on with a synopsis, analysis and opinion based post or rant, depending on the outcome. Enjoy.
Henrik Lundqvist will be in net for the Rangers, who will be without Petr Prucha, (sprained shoulder) Marc Staal, (flu) and Marcel Hossa (back.) Staal could be a late edition to the lineup based on how pre-game skates go for him, but after missing most of this week's practices look for both Marek Malik and Jason Strudwick to be in.
There will also be some different line combinations for tonight. Here's what they looked like in practice this week:
Avery - Dubinsky - Jagr
Dawes - Gomez - Shanahan
Straka - Drury - Callahan
Hollweg - Betts - Orr
Tom Renney also tried out Hossa in Ryan Hollweg's spot, but it looks like he ultimately decided to keep the fourth line intact.
Back later on with a synopsis, analysis and opinion based post or rant, depending on the outcome. Enjoy.
Devils Thrashed
Well not really. With a chance to pull in front of the idle Penguins for sole possession of first in the Atlantic, the Devils had to settle for one point in a tough 4-3 shootout home defeat at the hands of the Thrashers Friday night.
Things were looking good for the Devs when they got the first two markers of the contest off the sticks of leading scorer Zach Parise and Brian Gionta (second straight game with goal). However, Atlanta cameback to knot it thanks to second period goals from Ilya Kovalchuk and Todd White.
When gritty two-way pivot John Madden somehow banked one in for his 15th off an Atlanta defender in front, it looked like it might be enough for New Jersey to come away with the 'W.' But with Johan Hedberg pulled for an extra attacker in the final frantic minute, Marian Hossa managed to net the equalizer nudging one past Martin Brodeur with only 18.1 ticks left forcing overtime.
In OT, the Thrashers were given a makeup call due to an undetected Vitaly Vishnevski slash which bloodied one-time New Jersey Devil Ken Klee. The Thrashers came close to scoring but only to see an outstretched Brodeur do what he does best thwarting quality scoring chances during the four-on-three. The three-time Cup and Vezina winner finished with 29 saves.
The game eventually would wind up in a shootout. The Devils put their perfect 3-0 record versus Atlanta on the line but this time, it was the Thrashers who came out with the victory thanks to ex-Ranger Pascal Dupuis' laser past Brodeur's glove in the 10th round. When Arron Asham's try sailed wide, Hedberg had won the battle finishing with 30 saves including stopping eight of 10 NJ shooters in the skills competition.
For their part, the Thrashers move into a tie for first with Carolina in the crowded Southeast. Combined with the Panthers' home win over the Caps, those four teams are separated by two points with suddenly resurgent Tampa Bay making a push within six of first place.
So, how crazy is it? The Rangers who haven't played since last weekend will finally take the ice later today in a matinee against the seventh seeded Sabres. They will enter with one more point than either Atlanta or Carolina.
Wins are the thing now for Tom Renney's desperate club with 23 games remaining to salvage their season.
For the Devs, they are now tied with the Pens with an identical 32-21-5 mark for 69 points with each club having 24 left. It's anyone's guess what will happen in another tight division race which sees the slumping Flyers four behind while the Blueshirts are six out and the Isles trail by 10.
We'll have much more later today.
Things were looking good for the Devs when they got the first two markers of the contest off the sticks of leading scorer Zach Parise and Brian Gionta (second straight game with goal). However, Atlanta cameback to knot it thanks to second period goals from Ilya Kovalchuk and Todd White.
When gritty two-way pivot John Madden somehow banked one in for his 15th off an Atlanta defender in front, it looked like it might be enough for New Jersey to come away with the 'W.' But with Johan Hedberg pulled for an extra attacker in the final frantic minute, Marian Hossa managed to net the equalizer nudging one past Martin Brodeur with only 18.1 ticks left forcing overtime.
In OT, the Thrashers were given a makeup call due to an undetected Vitaly Vishnevski slash which bloodied one-time New Jersey Devil Ken Klee. The Thrashers came close to scoring but only to see an outstretched Brodeur do what he does best thwarting quality scoring chances during the four-on-three. The three-time Cup and Vezina winner finished with 29 saves.
The game eventually would wind up in a shootout. The Devils put their perfect 3-0 record versus Atlanta on the line but this time, it was the Thrashers who came out with the victory thanks to ex-Ranger Pascal Dupuis' laser past Brodeur's glove in the 10th round. When Arron Asham's try sailed wide, Hedberg had won the battle finishing with 30 saves including stopping eight of 10 NJ shooters in the skills competition.
For their part, the Thrashers move into a tie for first with Carolina in the crowded Southeast. Combined with the Panthers' home win over the Caps, those four teams are separated by two points with suddenly resurgent Tampa Bay making a push within six of first place.
So, how crazy is it? The Rangers who haven't played since last weekend will finally take the ice later today in a matinee against the seventh seeded Sabres. They will enter with one more point than either Atlanta or Carolina.
Wins are the thing now for Tom Renney's desperate club with 23 games remaining to salvage their season.
For the Devs, they are now tied with the Pens with an identical 32-21-5 mark for 69 points with each club having 24 left. It's anyone's guess what will happen in another tight division race which sees the slumping Flyers four behind while the Blueshirts are six out and the Isles trail by 10.
We'll have much more later today.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Rangers sign Lundqvist to long term deal
While not yet official, the New York Daily News reported early this morning that the Rangers have a deal in place to sign Henrik Lundqvist to a 6 year deal worth somewhere around $6.5 million a year. The official deal could be announced as soon as today, but most likely not until tomorrow.
Good move by the Rangers getting this done now, as maybe it will lift something off of the shoulders of their number one netminder. He's been shaky recently, but all good goalies go through tough stretches. Hopefully this lets him focus a little more on goaltending from here on out.
The Rangers resume practice today after having the last two days off. Not much happening, but I'll be back if something breaks.
Also, good to see some Islanders coverage from IslesEnforcer. We were heavily covering the Rangers, with just a little Islander and Devil coverage for a while. I have found it tough to sit down to watch either team due to other things going on, so hopefully we can get back on track.
I also have to agree with most of Derek's picks for awards. Head over to his page linked a few posts down and check it out. My only question on that is, where's Jaromir Jagr in the Hart Trophy race? Not the top candidate? Wait, bad joke.
Good move by the Rangers getting this done now, as maybe it will lift something off of the shoulders of their number one netminder. He's been shaky recently, but all good goalies go through tough stretches. Hopefully this lets him focus a little more on goaltending from here on out.
The Rangers resume practice today after having the last two days off. Not much happening, but I'll be back if something breaks.
Also, good to see some Islanders coverage from IslesEnforcer. We were heavily covering the Rangers, with just a little Islander and Devil coverage for a while. I have found it tough to sit down to watch either team due to other things going on, so hopefully we can get back on track.
I also have to agree with most of Derek's picks for awards. Head over to his page linked a few posts down and check it out. My only question on that is, where's Jaromir Jagr in the Hart Trophy race? Not the top candidate? Wait, bad joke.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Isles Brennan suspended 15 games, Simon almost back.
The Bridgeport Soundtigers/New York Islanders resident tough guy Kip Brennan was suspended by the AHL for 15 games for what the league deemed "inapropriate blow to the head" at a recent game against the Portland Pirates. Brennan came to the aid of teammate, Pascal Morency after he was injured by a blatant elbow by the Pirates player Geoff Peters. Brennan raced over to Peters and sucker punched him; knocking him out. He then preceeded to take on "all comers" after the entire Pirates team on the ice tried to get at him.
This will be Brennan's second suspension this season. The first being an automatic suspension after recieving 3 game misconducts in one season. In my opinion, 15 games is way too much. When I first saw it, I figured he would be suspended, with 5 games being the max. I was obviously wrong as today he was given 15 games to think about it. View the incident here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCAVMrn4D0Y Thanks to IslesEnforcers.com for the video.
In other news, Chris Simon has 4 games left until his return and has been working out on his own. Ted Nolan was quoted as saying that he would talk to Garth Snow and Charles Wang about having Simon return to practice sometime next week. I can only imagine that this will be Simon's final chance to make ammends for the Islanders. Only time will tell.
This will be Brennan's second suspension this season. The first being an automatic suspension after recieving 3 game misconducts in one season. In my opinion, 15 games is way too much. When I first saw it, I figured he would be suspended, with 5 games being the max. I was obviously wrong as today he was given 15 games to think about it. View the incident here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCAVMrn4D0Y Thanks to IslesEnforcers.com for the video.
In other news, Chris Simon has 4 games left until his return and has been working out on his own. Ted Nolan was quoted as saying that he would talk to Garth Snow and Charles Wang about having Simon return to practice sometime next week. I can only imagine that this will be Simon's final chance to make ammends for the Islanders. Only time will tell.
Sens and Canes make deal
In case anyone missed it yesterday, the first significant deal came down involving two Eastern Conference teams. The Ottawa Senators acquired forward Cory Stillman and defenseman Mike Commodore from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Patrick Eaves and defenseman Joe Corvo.
BONY Analysis: The Senators improve up front with the proven Stillman who's been an integral part of two Stanley Cup winners (2004 TB, 2006 Car). Adding a player of his caliber to the league's best scoring line of Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley makes Ottawa even scarier. How are teams going to match-up? Especially with underrated forwards Mike Fisher, Antoine Vermette, Dean McAmmond and meat and potatoes Chris Neil. The Sens had become more of a one-line team this season. So Stillman's addition is huge because now Fisher has a skilled player on his line. Commodore is also a solid physical stay at home D who is an upgrade over the offensive-minded Corvo. He also won a Cup with Stillman and has been to two Finals (2004 Cgy, 2006 Car).
Before this move by GM Bryan Murray, there were questions in terms of scoring depth up front and physicality on the back line. Both have been addressed making the defending Eastern Conference champion the team to beat again.
On the Hurricanes' side, it's understandable why GM Jim Rutherford made this trade. Both Stillman and Commodore are eligible to become unrestricted free agents at the conclusion of the season. They probably couldn't afford to re-sign them due to the cap.
They did get two capable players in return. Eaves could still develop into a solid third liner and possibly a second liner in their aggressive forechecking system. It all depends if he's recovered from last year's concussion suffered in the postseason. Corvo addesses a need on the blueline as the Canes don't really boast a point man to run their power play which has allowed a season worst 10 shorthanded goals because they rely heavily on forwards.
It seems that both teams did reasonably well in this deal. For Ottawa, it's all about delivering a championship this year while for Carolina, they got solid players back who can still help them win the Southeast Division and also stick around for the future.
Trade Winner: When push comes to shove, I have to give the Senators the edge here because of how much they improved for the short-term. The time is now to win a Cup. This is a great trade by Murray which could push them over the top.
BONY Analysis: The Senators improve up front with the proven Stillman who's been an integral part of two Stanley Cup winners (2004 TB, 2006 Car). Adding a player of his caliber to the league's best scoring line of Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley makes Ottawa even scarier. How are teams going to match-up? Especially with underrated forwards Mike Fisher, Antoine Vermette, Dean McAmmond and meat and potatoes Chris Neil. The Sens had become more of a one-line team this season. So Stillman's addition is huge because now Fisher has a skilled player on his line. Commodore is also a solid physical stay at home D who is an upgrade over the offensive-minded Corvo. He also won a Cup with Stillman and has been to two Finals (2004 Cgy, 2006 Car).
Before this move by GM Bryan Murray, there were questions in terms of scoring depth up front and physicality on the back line. Both have been addressed making the defending Eastern Conference champion the team to beat again.
On the Hurricanes' side, it's understandable why GM Jim Rutherford made this trade. Both Stillman and Commodore are eligible to become unrestricted free agents at the conclusion of the season. They probably couldn't afford to re-sign them due to the cap.
They did get two capable players in return. Eaves could still develop into a solid third liner and possibly a second liner in their aggressive forechecking system. It all depends if he's recovered from last year's concussion suffered in the postseason. Corvo addesses a need on the blueline as the Canes don't really boast a point man to run their power play which has allowed a season worst 10 shorthanded goals because they rely heavily on forwards.
It seems that both teams did reasonably well in this deal. For Ottawa, it's all about delivering a championship this year while for Carolina, they got solid players back who can still help them win the Southeast Division and also stick around for the future.
Trade Winner: When push comes to shove, I have to give the Senators the edge here because of how much they improved for the short-term. The time is now to win a Cup. This is a great trade by Murray which could push them over the top.
Monday, February 11, 2008
A look into the Awards
With the Rangers having the next five days off, yesterday on my official Hitting Back site, I decided to take a look into the Award races. There's only a couple of months to go in the regular season. So, which players are performing at their peak and could take home the Hart, Norris, Vezina and Calder? What coach is getting the most out of their team(s)?
All that was covered in a special hockey column written by yours truly.
Who are at the top of your lists? Let's see what you think.
All that was covered in a special hockey column written by yours truly.
Who are at the top of your lists? Let's see what you think.
Slow week for Ranger fans
Between now and Saturday, not much will be happening for Ranger fans. The team is off entirely today and will have a light practice tomorrow. I'll use this week to catch some games from the Devils and Islanders, as well as games from teams around the Rangers in the standings. I urge everyone else to do the same. There is some good hockey being played around the league.
Scary moment in last night's Buffalo vs Florida game as Richard Zednik caught an Ollie Jokenin skate to the throat. A scary amount of blood was on the ice as he was rushed to the back, where trainers were able to stop the bleeding long enough for Zednik to get to a hospital where he underwent immediate surgery and is now listed as being in stable condition and resting comfortably. Best wishes to him and a big congratulations out to both teams and their fans, treating the situation with a lot of class. It was nice to see in a scary moment.
There's a lot of talk the last couple of days about the Rangers moving Jaromir Jagr at the trade deadline. Personally, I don't see that happening. Jagr hasn't been the force that he was last year or the years prior, but he has in no way lost that talent. He is still an important asset for the Rangers, and if he regains some confidence he could be an important scoring threat for the remainder of the season. It's true that the Rangers rely on him too much, though. The offense no longer goes through him like it used to. Other teams are still defending him tough, which could open up opportunities for other players to show off their scoring abilities. Plus, if we traded him, we would have to get back someone to play top line wing, mess with any chemistry Scott Gomez and Jagr have developed up until now and create a little chaos in an already unstable team. The Rangers have a lot of talent, but no one on the Rangers is ready to step in and score goals at the rate Jagr scored them. If we could bring in Marian Hossa or someone of that caliber, then this would be a different story. Right now, it might be best to bite the bullet, let him try and regain form and if he can't start using him less. Rely more on Gomez and Chris Drury to lead the offense, which is what Ranger fans will be seeing for the next seven years.
If the Rangers were going to make a move, now would be a good time. Let the new acquisition come in for four practices, get acclimated with his new team and see where he fits in. Paul Mara, Marcel Hossa and Marek Malik remain the most likely to be moved, but you may see Ryan Callahan or Al Montoya moved for the right price as well. A package of Malik and Montoya could net a decent player in return, but anything better than decent would cost some kids, which many people are against, myself included.
I'll update whenever something happens this week, but it may be a little limited. Enjoy the week off.
Scary moment in last night's Buffalo vs Florida game as Richard Zednik caught an Ollie Jokenin skate to the throat. A scary amount of blood was on the ice as he was rushed to the back, where trainers were able to stop the bleeding long enough for Zednik to get to a hospital where he underwent immediate surgery and is now listed as being in stable condition and resting comfortably. Best wishes to him and a big congratulations out to both teams and their fans, treating the situation with a lot of class. It was nice to see in a scary moment.
There's a lot of talk the last couple of days about the Rangers moving Jaromir Jagr at the trade deadline. Personally, I don't see that happening. Jagr hasn't been the force that he was last year or the years prior, but he has in no way lost that talent. He is still an important asset for the Rangers, and if he regains some confidence he could be an important scoring threat for the remainder of the season. It's true that the Rangers rely on him too much, though. The offense no longer goes through him like it used to. Other teams are still defending him tough, which could open up opportunities for other players to show off their scoring abilities. Plus, if we traded him, we would have to get back someone to play top line wing, mess with any chemistry Scott Gomez and Jagr have developed up until now and create a little chaos in an already unstable team. The Rangers have a lot of talent, but no one on the Rangers is ready to step in and score goals at the rate Jagr scored them. If we could bring in Marian Hossa or someone of that caliber, then this would be a different story. Right now, it might be best to bite the bullet, let him try and regain form and if he can't start using him less. Rely more on Gomez and Chris Drury to lead the offense, which is what Ranger fans will be seeing for the next seven years.
If the Rangers were going to make a move, now would be a good time. Let the new acquisition come in for four practices, get acclimated with his new team and see where he fits in. Paul Mara, Marcel Hossa and Marek Malik remain the most likely to be moved, but you may see Ryan Callahan or Al Montoya moved for the right price as well. A package of Malik and Montoya could net a decent player in return, but anything better than decent would cost some kids, which many people are against, myself included.
I'll update whenever something happens this week, but it may be a little limited. Enjoy the week off.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Green's PPG gives Caps OT win over Rangers
Truthfully, the Caps were the fresher team and that's part of why they cameback to pull out a hard fought 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers earlier today in the nation's capital.
However, this was another one of those games the Blueshirts should've gotten two points in instead of the annoying brownie point. How many times can they outshoot opponents and not cash in on power plays? In case you're wondering, they took a collar finishing a deadful 0-for-6 on the man-advantage. Why not just decline it? That would make it easier for fans to watch.
Just how costly was it? In a game they controlled outshooting the Caps 33-24, their damn PP was the difference because the opportunistic Caps managed to go 2-for-3 including lethal defenseman Mike Green's OT winner just 23 seconds into the extra session.
To be quite frank, the Blueshirts have only one PP unit now. That would be the more North American one featuring leading scorer Scott Gomez, the sizzling Chris Drury (sixth goal in last seven) along with Nigel Dawes and defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Daniel Girardi.
The Euro-overpassing unit featuring non-leader Jaromir Jagr, Michal Rozsival, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha and Brandon Dubinsky was just brutal wasting precious seconds. It was pretty easy for the Caps to kill off time when clueless coach Tom Renney stuck them out there. Why bother making a change? Right.
And is it his novel concept to stick stonehands fourth liners Blair Betts, Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr near the end of the PP? Geez. This team is run so ass backwards, it's no wonder they're treading water just trying to stay afloat and make a third consecutive postseason while lesser opponents such as the Caps and Bruins continue to work harder and netting impressive results.
If they do make the cut, it's only going to because the East sucks. Mediocrity is what Gary Bettman wanted and he sure is getting it. Call me a traditionalist but I'd prefer getting no points for losing in OT.
Why reward a loser? For the same exact reasons these brainwashed stripes waved off a perfectly legit tying goal by Wings' defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom with under a minute left in a whale of a game on NBC between the NHL's best and the Ducks.
Such is the nature of the rules. If you caught the couple of Ranger games this weekend, then you know exactly what I'm referring to. The soft calls which have no business being in the game. It's gotten stupid.
I'm embarrassed to be a fan of this sport. That's how much they've dumbed it down. It doesn't help that my team continues to underachieve with Jagr managing no points in the last seven games. How is that possible?!?!?!?!?! I got into a heated argument with some fans earlier this season about what No.68 has become. They didn't want to believe it and labeled me a "non-Ranger fan." LMAO...who's laughing now?
Sadly, no one is these days. Nobody feels sorry for this heartless team. I see Drury and Gomez putting a heck of a lot better effort in than Jagr or Rozsival, who suddenly is making me long for Marek Malik back in the lineup. Dawes and Dubinsky always put a good effort in and Ryan Callahan looks all the way back finally.
Is it the coach? Do they need a tougher one? There's only 23 games remaining. Less than anyone else. The next one isn't till the following Saturday which means teams are going to finally make up ground on our team who could be out of playoff position when they take to the ice again.
I haven't really said much about the game which they didn't play badly in. Problem was Alexander Ovechkin played for the opponent and once again impacted the game, factoring in on every Caps' goal. His hard work setup the tying Boyd Gordon marker with 15 seconds left in the second. AO also notched the primary assist on Green's 15th- a blast which unfortunately went off Marc Staal past a valiant Steven Valiquette, who in his second straight start finished with 21 saves.
Problem was Olie Kolzig was better garnering first star with 31 stops including highway robbery on Sean Avery, sliding across to rob the Rangers' first goalscorer of a sure second one in the third.
Congrats go out to Olie The Goalie for becoming only the eighth netminder to play in 800 career games. He certainly came up large in lifting his team back into first in the topsy turvy Southeast.
Props again to Lenny for providing some excellent coverage the past couple of days. All your hard work is very appreciated. I only wish our team could work just as hard and consistently as you do.
However, this was another one of those games the Blueshirts should've gotten two points in instead of the annoying brownie point. How many times can they outshoot opponents and not cash in on power plays? In case you're wondering, they took a collar finishing a deadful 0-for-6 on the man-advantage. Why not just decline it? That would make it easier for fans to watch.
Just how costly was it? In a game they controlled outshooting the Caps 33-24, their damn PP was the difference because the opportunistic Caps managed to go 2-for-3 including lethal defenseman Mike Green's OT winner just 23 seconds into the extra session.
To be quite frank, the Blueshirts have only one PP unit now. That would be the more North American one featuring leading scorer Scott Gomez, the sizzling Chris Drury (sixth goal in last seven) along with Nigel Dawes and defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Daniel Girardi.
The Euro-overpassing unit featuring non-leader Jaromir Jagr, Michal Rozsival, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha and Brandon Dubinsky was just brutal wasting precious seconds. It was pretty easy for the Caps to kill off time when clueless coach Tom Renney stuck them out there. Why bother making a change? Right.
And is it his novel concept to stick stonehands fourth liners Blair Betts, Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr near the end of the PP? Geez. This team is run so ass backwards, it's no wonder they're treading water just trying to stay afloat and make a third consecutive postseason while lesser opponents such as the Caps and Bruins continue to work harder and netting impressive results.
If they do make the cut, it's only going to because the East sucks. Mediocrity is what Gary Bettman wanted and he sure is getting it. Call me a traditionalist but I'd prefer getting no points for losing in OT.
Why reward a loser? For the same exact reasons these brainwashed stripes waved off a perfectly legit tying goal by Wings' defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom with under a minute left in a whale of a game on NBC between the NHL's best and the Ducks.
Such is the nature of the rules. If you caught the couple of Ranger games this weekend, then you know exactly what I'm referring to. The soft calls which have no business being in the game. It's gotten stupid.
I'm embarrassed to be a fan of this sport. That's how much they've dumbed it down. It doesn't help that my team continues to underachieve with Jagr managing no points in the last seven games. How is that possible?!?!?!?!?! I got into a heated argument with some fans earlier this season about what No.68 has become. They didn't want to believe it and labeled me a "non-Ranger fan." LMAO...who's laughing now?
Sadly, no one is these days. Nobody feels sorry for this heartless team. I see Drury and Gomez putting a heck of a lot better effort in than Jagr or Rozsival, who suddenly is making me long for Marek Malik back in the lineup. Dawes and Dubinsky always put a good effort in and Ryan Callahan looks all the way back finally.
Is it the coach? Do they need a tougher one? There's only 23 games remaining. Less than anyone else. The next one isn't till the following Saturday which means teams are going to finally make up ground on our team who could be out of playoff position when they take to the ice again.
I haven't really said much about the game which they didn't play badly in. Problem was Alexander Ovechkin played for the opponent and once again impacted the game, factoring in on every Caps' goal. His hard work setup the tying Boyd Gordon marker with 15 seconds left in the second. AO also notched the primary assist on Green's 15th- a blast which unfortunately went off Marc Staal past a valiant Steven Valiquette, who in his second straight start finished with 21 saves.
Problem was Olie Kolzig was better garnering first star with 31 stops including highway robbery on Sean Avery, sliding across to rob the Rangers' first goalscorer of a sure second one in the third.
Congrats go out to Olie The Goalie for becoming only the eighth netminder to play in 800 career games. He certainly came up large in lifting his team back into first in the topsy turvy Southeast.
Props again to Lenny for providing some excellent coverage the past couple of days. All your hard work is very appreciated. I only wish our team could work just as hard and consistently as you do.
Valley back at it against the Caps
Not much to report this morning other than Stephen Valiquette will be getting another start in about 15 minutes against the Capitals. Marek Malik, Marcel Hossa and Brendan Shanahan are again scratches and the lines remain the same as yesterday as well.
I wouldn't expect a game as physical as yesterday's, but the Rangers have to play with emotion. I would also expect the Rangers going straight at Alex Ovechkin, shutting him down as much as possible. Paul Mara has looked awful against Ovechkin in previous meetings this season, so hopefully that matchup is avoided as much as possible today.
Enjoy the game, I'll check in after the game.
I wouldn't expect a game as physical as yesterday's, but the Rangers have to play with emotion. I would also expect the Rangers going straight at Alex Ovechkin, shutting him down as much as possible. Paul Mara has looked awful against Ovechkin in previous meetings this season, so hopefully that matchup is avoided as much as possible today.
Enjoy the game, I'll check in after the game.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Valiquette shines again against Flyers
Stephen Valiquette obviously didn't get the memo that sometimes goaltenders allow goals, as he and a feisty Rangers shut out the Flyers 2-0 in Philly. It was Valiquette's second shutout of his career, second in a row, second in a row against the Flyers and all in the last 10 days. Nigel Dawes and Scott Gomez scored the Rangers' goals in a game that featured eight fighting majors and plenty of physicality.
Colton Orr, Ryan Hollweg, Brandon Dubinsky and Fedor Tyutin had scraps, three at the same time in the second period when Steve Downie went after Tyutin after Tyutin gave him a clean hip check. Unfortunately on the play, Downie's skate came up and caught a linesman in the nose, breaking his nose and forcing him to get 20 stitches. While he was bleeding all over the ice, Downie attacked Tyutin, Orr fought Riley Cote and Hollweg had a tussell with Jim Dowd. Later on in the game, Dubinsky fought a much tougher Mike Richards, who was being a real jerk for most of the night.
Hollweg was a little off with his hockey skills tonight, but still provided some good energy. Blair Betts had a good game, as did Dawes, Gomez, Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury. Jaromir Jagr looks like hes really pushing too hard out there. His power play unit again looked awful and him trying to carry the puck himself all the time got him no where again. Avery had his best puck handling game in a while, moving the puck nicely, creating scoring chances. Valiquette was sharp, playing much better than his last game, when he didn't have too much work after the first period. It was a constant stream of shots tonight, and he was up to the task.
My biggest beef with this game was the Flyers' numerous fights while wearing visors. It first caught my attention when Hollweg fought Ryan Carter the other night, where Hollweg looked hesitant to drop the gloves while Carter had the visor on. Tonight it was Downie and Richards wearing visors and involved in a fight. I understand if the fight happens, it happens, but take the visor off. I'm all for protecting the eyes, but anyone willing to fight has to be willing to lose the lid as a courtesy to the man that is about to pummel you with his fists. There is a rule saying an starting a fight with a visor is an automatic two minute penalty, but apparently it is not enforced.
There were also plenty of rinky-dink penalties called (Dubinsky's phantom high sticking, Jeffrey Lopul's hooking) while Darian Hatcher ran around with his elbows up several times. And how in the world was there no penalty shot awarded to Callahan when he was slashed by Randy Jones on a clear breakaway. He gained the red line alone, crossed the blue line, got the slash, didn't get a clean shot off and slid into the net. Sounds like it warrented a penalty shot to me.
The Rangers are back at it tomorrow afternoon against the Washington Capitals. Expect a little bit more rough stuff, as these teams don't like each other either. Donald Brashear will undoubtedly piss someone off which will result in a Ranger getting beat by the big enforcer, much like every other game. It's good hockey though. Valley might be back in net, giving Henrik Lundqvist a nice seven day vacation, as the Rangers are then off until Saturday when they meet the Sabres. You may see Marek Malik tomorrow as well. Jason Strudwick needs some time off as he is clearly not an everyday defenseman, but does an excellent fill in job. You can't ask for much more from him. He's making $600,000 this season and has done a better job than the high priced Malik and Paul Mara.
I'll check in just before the game with the lineups and any news. Goodnight.
Colton Orr, Ryan Hollweg, Brandon Dubinsky and Fedor Tyutin had scraps, three at the same time in the second period when Steve Downie went after Tyutin after Tyutin gave him a clean hip check. Unfortunately on the play, Downie's skate came up and caught a linesman in the nose, breaking his nose and forcing him to get 20 stitches. While he was bleeding all over the ice, Downie attacked Tyutin, Orr fought Riley Cote and Hollweg had a tussell with Jim Dowd. Later on in the game, Dubinsky fought a much tougher Mike Richards, who was being a real jerk for most of the night.
Hollweg was a little off with his hockey skills tonight, but still provided some good energy. Blair Betts had a good game, as did Dawes, Gomez, Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury. Jaromir Jagr looks like hes really pushing too hard out there. His power play unit again looked awful and him trying to carry the puck himself all the time got him no where again. Avery had his best puck handling game in a while, moving the puck nicely, creating scoring chances. Valiquette was sharp, playing much better than his last game, when he didn't have too much work after the first period. It was a constant stream of shots tonight, and he was up to the task.
My biggest beef with this game was the Flyers' numerous fights while wearing visors. It first caught my attention when Hollweg fought Ryan Carter the other night, where Hollweg looked hesitant to drop the gloves while Carter had the visor on. Tonight it was Downie and Richards wearing visors and involved in a fight. I understand if the fight happens, it happens, but take the visor off. I'm all for protecting the eyes, but anyone willing to fight has to be willing to lose the lid as a courtesy to the man that is about to pummel you with his fists. There is a rule saying an starting a fight with a visor is an automatic two minute penalty, but apparently it is not enforced.
There were also plenty of rinky-dink penalties called (Dubinsky's phantom high sticking, Jeffrey Lopul's hooking) while Darian Hatcher ran around with his elbows up several times. And how in the world was there no penalty shot awarded to Callahan when he was slashed by Randy Jones on a clear breakaway. He gained the red line alone, crossed the blue line, got the slash, didn't get a clean shot off and slid into the net. Sounds like it warrented a penalty shot to me.
The Rangers are back at it tomorrow afternoon against the Washington Capitals. Expect a little bit more rough stuff, as these teams don't like each other either. Donald Brashear will undoubtedly piss someone off which will result in a Ranger getting beat by the big enforcer, much like every other game. It's good hockey though. Valley might be back in net, giving Henrik Lundqvist a nice seven day vacation, as the Rangers are then off until Saturday when they meet the Sabres. You may see Marek Malik tomorrow as well. Jason Strudwick needs some time off as he is clearly not an everyday defenseman, but does an excellent fill in job. You can't ask for much more from him. He's making $600,000 this season and has done a better job than the high priced Malik and Paul Mara.
I'll check in just before the game with the lineups and any news. Goodnight.
Valiquette in against Flyers this afternoon
My apologies on not getting a post game out on the Anaheim game. Sometimes school gets the better of you, and I was stuck doing a whole lot of nonsense for the last couple of days. Anyways, the Rangers dropped another to the Western Conference Ducks on Thursday. They came out flying, playing with a good intensity, showed some scrappiness (three fights against a team not named the Devils, Islanders or Flyers was weird to see) and overall looked like a better team for most of the game. It was the times where they didn't look like the better team that Anaheim made them pay. Henrik Lundqvist couldn't give them a big save, none of the offense could chip in an important goal, and the defense couldn't come up with a stellar defensive play.
Ryan Callahan scored the Rangers' only goal, tucking a slapshot in past J.S. Giguere in the second period. That goal tied the game at 1-1, then followed by two fights in 17 seconds and the Garden was rocking. The Rangers had all of the momentum. Then a tough penalty, a powerplay goal, a lazy pinch and a two on one goal and all of a sudden it's 3-1 Ducks. They added another in the third for the 4-1 win.
As for this afternoon, Stephen Valiquette will start in net. Vally shut out these same Flyers in his last appearance, and the Rangers seem to play a bit better when they are forced back against a wall, so this makes sense. The start has been mapped out from the beginning of the week though, so Lundqvist's not so stellar performance in the last two outings has nothing to do with today's start.
Marek Malik will be a game time decision. If I am Tom Renney, I leave Jason Strudwick in there today, just incase it gets overly physical. Malik might fight Sean Avery in practice, but correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think he's ever had a real NHL fight. He might be a little rusty as well, so maybe tomorrow against the Capitals is a better way to go. Marcel Hossa is off of the injured reserve, Greg Moore was once again demoted and Brendan Shanahan is out until next Saturday against Buffalo.
With five games left to play before the trade deadline, the Rangers need to do some real soul searching now. Are they mentally able to make a playoff push this year? They have the talent but GM Glen Sather has to do something to spark the team. Renney is getting an unfair brunt of the blame from fans and websites all over. Yeah, Sather brought in Scott Gomez and Chris Drury over the offseason, but what did he do to the defense? Nothing at all, and that is where we need a bigger upgrade. The offense is there, the defense is breaking down. There's not necessarily much he can do this trade deadline, unless something extremely unforeseen happens, so he should be looking now to stat pitching to some UFA's and thinking who can help next season. For now, we will probably be going with what we've got, minus a small transaction or two that would probably see youth go for a veteran.
I may or may not be around for the game today. Still pretty busy around here. I'll definitely catch it sometime today and then recap and preview later on.
Ryan Callahan scored the Rangers' only goal, tucking a slapshot in past J.S. Giguere in the second period. That goal tied the game at 1-1, then followed by two fights in 17 seconds and the Garden was rocking. The Rangers had all of the momentum. Then a tough penalty, a powerplay goal, a lazy pinch and a two on one goal and all of a sudden it's 3-1 Ducks. They added another in the third for the 4-1 win.
As for this afternoon, Stephen Valiquette will start in net. Vally shut out these same Flyers in his last appearance, and the Rangers seem to play a bit better when they are forced back against a wall, so this makes sense. The start has been mapped out from the beginning of the week though, so Lundqvist's not so stellar performance in the last two outings has nothing to do with today's start.
Marek Malik will be a game time decision. If I am Tom Renney, I leave Jason Strudwick in there today, just incase it gets overly physical. Malik might fight Sean Avery in practice, but correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think he's ever had a real NHL fight. He might be a little rusty as well, so maybe tomorrow against the Capitals is a better way to go. Marcel Hossa is off of the injured reserve, Greg Moore was once again demoted and Brendan Shanahan is out until next Saturday against Buffalo.
With five games left to play before the trade deadline, the Rangers need to do some real soul searching now. Are they mentally able to make a playoff push this year? They have the talent but GM Glen Sather has to do something to spark the team. Renney is getting an unfair brunt of the blame from fans and websites all over. Yeah, Sather brought in Scott Gomez and Chris Drury over the offseason, but what did he do to the defense? Nothing at all, and that is where we need a bigger upgrade. The offense is there, the defense is breaking down. There's not necessarily much he can do this trade deadline, unless something extremely unforeseen happens, so he should be looking now to stat pitching to some UFA's and thinking who can help next season. For now, we will probably be going with what we've got, minus a small transaction or two that would probably see youth go for a veteran.
I may or may not be around for the game today. Still pretty busy around here. I'll definitely catch it sometime today and then recap and preview later on.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Rangers look to get back on track versus Ducks
The Rangers are back in action tonight at home against the Anaheim Ducks. After dropping what could've been considered an easy two points, the Rangers need some momentum going into a weekend series against Philadelphia and Washington.
The Ducks are a scrappy team who play with lots of emotion, physical play and don't shy away from dropping the gloves. On top of that, they have shutdown defense and a potent offense. A good mixture of young kids and veteran leaders has made them Lord Stanley's Champions last year, and has kept them a contender over the last three years.
Blair Betts will be in the lineup tonight as the MRI showed no signs of tears or damage and he felt fine in an optional practice this morning. Brendan Shanahan is still out, as are Marek Malik and Marcel Hossa. Shanahan won't skate in this weekend's games either, giving him a good amount of time to get healthy. Hossa and Malik should be ready to go for either the Flyers or the Capitals. Henrik Lundqvist will be in net tonight.
The Rangers will need to be tight defensively and offense must be generated on almost every shift. Even if it's only a solid forecheck and some controlling the puck deep. There is very little margin for error against this tough team.
For those of you who didn't catch the Devils vs. Sabres game last night, you missed a classic of a game. Fast and furious offense and stellar netminding from both sides really stole the show. The Sabres won in overtime when Marty Brodeur went for a pokecheck and was left flopping around on the ice on the second shooter of the shootout. The puck was tucked in for an easy goal, Ryan Miller turned away the two shots he faced and Buffalo left with a 3-2 win. Great game.
I'll be back after the game for a synopsis. Enjoy.
The Ducks are a scrappy team who play with lots of emotion, physical play and don't shy away from dropping the gloves. On top of that, they have shutdown defense and a potent offense. A good mixture of young kids and veteran leaders has made them Lord Stanley's Champions last year, and has kept them a contender over the last three years.
Blair Betts will be in the lineup tonight as the MRI showed no signs of tears or damage and he felt fine in an optional practice this morning. Brendan Shanahan is still out, as are Marek Malik and Marcel Hossa. Shanahan won't skate in this weekend's games either, giving him a good amount of time to get healthy. Hossa and Malik should be ready to go for either the Flyers or the Capitals. Henrik Lundqvist will be in net tonight.
The Rangers will need to be tight defensively and offense must be generated on almost every shift. Even if it's only a solid forecheck and some controlling the puck deep. There is very little margin for error against this tough team.
For those of you who didn't catch the Devils vs. Sabres game last night, you missed a classic of a game. Fast and furious offense and stellar netminding from both sides really stole the show. The Sabres won in overtime when Marty Brodeur went for a pokecheck and was left flopping around on the ice on the second shooter of the shootout. The puck was tucked in for an easy goal, Ryan Miller turned away the two shots he faced and Buffalo left with a 3-2 win. Great game.
I'll be back after the game for a synopsis. Enjoy.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Rangers suffer letdown against Kings
"You can't win a game in the first period, but you certainly can lose a game in the first period."
I don't know who said that famous hockey adage, but the Rangers certainly proved it true with last night's debacle against the Kings. The Rangers didn't show up for the first 20 minutes, got completely outworked by the last place team in the league and trailed 2-1 after one. The Kings' persistent play continued throughout the remaining 40 minutes of play, and even though the Rangers were the better team for the final two periods, they came out on the short end of a 4-2 score.
Chris Drury and Sean Avery scored the Rangers' goals, as Derek has summed up nicely below. Jason Strudwick isn't the most solid defender, but he has helped the Rangers to this point. He made an unfortunate fumble along the boards, and Dane Byers blew his coverage which led to the first goal. Avery didn't get the puck out of the zone, leading to another Kings goal. Take away those gaffes, and some of the great saves that Jason LaBarbera made, and the Rangers win the game. If the Rangers show up in the first period, they also have a much better chance of taking home the two points. Fact is, they didn't capitalize on this opportunity. A tough Anaheim team waits for them tomorrow, and then it's on to the feisty Flyers and underrated Capitals.
The Rangers will take on the Ducks tomorrow without Byers, who was sent down immediately following last night's game. Blair Betts looks to be out tomorrow night as well, after being injured in last night's game. Greg Moore is up to take his place. Don't expect Brendan Shanahan back tomorrow either, as there are rumors he may take the next week off.
In a weird note, Marek Malik and Avery exchanged punches in practice this morning. The fight lasted about 30 seconds, according to Sam Weinman, before Malik took down Avery. Avery jabbed at Malik afterwards, but then settled down and the two were said to be on the same page.
Tom Renney said after that he had no problem with what happened and that it was all within the rules of the game, so there would be no extra repercussions. Maybe this incident will fire both Avery and Malik up, in turn waking the rest of the team up.
The Rangers are winless against the Western Conference so far this year, and the Ducks are a talented, physical team so they'll need to come out playing hard. If that means Sean Avery has to call someone's mom a naughty name during pregame drills, or Colton Orr challenging anything and everything with skates, or someone spraying J.S.Gigure with snow, then so be it. This team needs sparks, and needs them fast.
I don't know who said that famous hockey adage, but the Rangers certainly proved it true with last night's debacle against the Kings. The Rangers didn't show up for the first 20 minutes, got completely outworked by the last place team in the league and trailed 2-1 after one. The Kings' persistent play continued throughout the remaining 40 minutes of play, and even though the Rangers were the better team for the final two periods, they came out on the short end of a 4-2 score.
Chris Drury and Sean Avery scored the Rangers' goals, as Derek has summed up nicely below. Jason Strudwick isn't the most solid defender, but he has helped the Rangers to this point. He made an unfortunate fumble along the boards, and Dane Byers blew his coverage which led to the first goal. Avery didn't get the puck out of the zone, leading to another Kings goal. Take away those gaffes, and some of the great saves that Jason LaBarbera made, and the Rangers win the game. If the Rangers show up in the first period, they also have a much better chance of taking home the two points. Fact is, they didn't capitalize on this opportunity. A tough Anaheim team waits for them tomorrow, and then it's on to the feisty Flyers and underrated Capitals.
The Rangers will take on the Ducks tomorrow without Byers, who was sent down immediately following last night's game. Blair Betts looks to be out tomorrow night as well, after being injured in last night's game. Greg Moore is up to take his place. Don't expect Brendan Shanahan back tomorrow either, as there are rumors he may take the next week off.
In a weird note, Marek Malik and Avery exchanged punches in practice this morning. The fight lasted about 30 seconds, according to Sam Weinman, before Malik took down Avery. Avery jabbed at Malik afterwards, but then settled down and the two were said to be on the same page.
Tom Renney said after that he had no problem with what happened and that it was all within the rules of the game, so there would be no extra repercussions. Maybe this incident will fire both Avery and Malik up, in turn waking the rest of the team up.
The Rangers are winless against the Western Conference so far this year, and the Ducks are a talented, physical team so they'll need to come out playing hard. If that means Sean Avery has to call someone's mom a naughty name during pregame drills, or Colton Orr challenging anything and everything with skates, or someone spraying J.S.Gigure with snow, then so be it. This team needs sparks, and needs them fast.
Rangers make fans feel Blue
Well, at least there are the Super Bowl champion Giants. What else is there to get excited about unless you're a Mets fan who believes Johan $antana is the missing piece.
Thank god for those Giants because they truly did have resiliency and heart and effort. All the adjectives you just can't associate with our baffling club who can play very well in beating the Flyers, Devils and stunning the Canadiens with five unanswered.
Those are all quality clubs in the East. When it comes to the opposite conference, the NHL schedule maker should just do Ranger fans a favor and put an 'L' next to the game. There's two more. So:
2/7 Ana (L)
2/18 SJ (L)
Maybe I'm being a little overdramatic but this team is now 0-for-8 against Western opponents. So if they wind up missing the postseason by say a couple of points, look no further than here.
How do you come out so flat against the Kings and turn Jason LaBarbera (39 saves) into Patrick Roy? Time and time again, Rangers were beaten to the puck in the defensive end. Our D was way too soft and hung Henrik Lundqvist out to dry. You can't expect to come out with a 'W' when you start off by getting outscored 2-0 and outshot 14-1 (16-4 in first).
Brandon Dubinsky again played well as did Nigel Dawes. Both factored into their team's only two goals scored by the red hot Chris Drury and Sean Avery. No surprise that the two improving rookies were involved on hardworking goals.
Maybe if more Rangers played like them, they wouldn't be in the desperate situation they are. Oh well.
For more on this game, be sure to check out my thoughts over at my blog below:
Rangers send home fans early wishing for Big Blue
Three Stars
3rd Star: Alexander Frolov (GW goal, assist)
2nd Star: Anze Kopitar (goal, assist)
1st Star: Jason LaBarbera (39 saves)
Thank god for those Giants because they truly did have resiliency and heart and effort. All the adjectives you just can't associate with our baffling club who can play very well in beating the Flyers, Devils and stunning the Canadiens with five unanswered.
Those are all quality clubs in the East. When it comes to the opposite conference, the NHL schedule maker should just do Ranger fans a favor and put an 'L' next to the game. There's two more. So:
2/7 Ana (L)
2/18 SJ (L)
Maybe I'm being a little overdramatic but this team is now 0-for-8 against Western opponents. So if they wind up missing the postseason by say a couple of points, look no further than here.
How do you come out so flat against the Kings and turn Jason LaBarbera (39 saves) into Patrick Roy? Time and time again, Rangers were beaten to the puck in the defensive end. Our D was way too soft and hung Henrik Lundqvist out to dry. You can't expect to come out with a 'W' when you start off by getting outscored 2-0 and outshot 14-1 (16-4 in first).
Brandon Dubinsky again played well as did Nigel Dawes. Both factored into their team's only two goals scored by the red hot Chris Drury and Sean Avery. No surprise that the two improving rookies were involved on hardworking goals.
Maybe if more Rangers played like them, they wouldn't be in the desperate situation they are. Oh well.
For more on this game, be sure to check out my thoughts over at my blog below:
Rangers send home fans early wishing for Big Blue
Three Stars
3rd Star: Alexander Frolov (GW goal, assist)
2nd Star: Anze Kopitar (goal, assist)
1st Star: Jason LaBarbera (39 saves)
Monday, February 4, 2008
The real Rangers? Or well timed mirage?
Updated: Dane Byers has been recalled from Hartford. Shanahan is out tomorrow, meaning Byers will play on the fourth line. Hollweg's suspension was a formality, as two game misconducts means and automatic suspension now. Valiquette also will not be starting tomorrow. Basically, half of this post is inaccurate now. Thanks Tom Renney.
Are these the real New York Rangers that we have had the pleasure of watching the last three game? A Rangers team that outplays Philadelphia, New Jersey and comes back from three goals down en route to scoring five unanswered goals is something that has been a rarity to see this season. Is it the real deal? Or are we in for a major let down tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings?
I don't have the answer to those questions, but I do know a few other things.
-- Ryan Hollweg was suspended for tomorrow night's game, as expected by everyone, including myself. As an advocate for clean play, I support the call. He was pissed, took another player into the boards dangerously and now gets to feel the consequences. As a player that toes the line between clean and dangerous, he can sometimes cross it. He needs to play with that fire still, no doubt about it, just make sure it's clean.
-- Hollweg being out means that Ryan Callahan definitely sticks around for another game. Brendan Shanahan has never been one to sit out much, so he'll most likely be back as long as he is physically able to. Callahan looked good, but not great last night and I'd like to see him back in there for some time.
-- Stephen Valiquette might get the nod tomorrow between the pipes. Makes sense, as the Rangers play a little tighter with him in net and it's a mediocre Kings team. Extra days off to keep Henrik Lundqvist healthy down the stretch isn't a bad thing either.
-- Congratulations to Chris Drury, who was named the NHL's third star of the week. Hopefully he continues his resurgent play.
The Rangers are back home tomorrow at 7. I'll check in again before then.
Are these the real New York Rangers that we have had the pleasure of watching the last three game? A Rangers team that outplays Philadelphia, New Jersey and comes back from three goals down en route to scoring five unanswered goals is something that has been a rarity to see this season. Is it the real deal? Or are we in for a major let down tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings?
I don't have the answer to those questions, but I do know a few other things.
-- Ryan Hollweg was suspended for tomorrow night's game, as expected by everyone, including myself. As an advocate for clean play, I support the call. He was pissed, took another player into the boards dangerously and now gets to feel the consequences. As a player that toes the line between clean and dangerous, he can sometimes cross it. He needs to play with that fire still, no doubt about it, just make sure it's clean.
-- Hollweg being out means that Ryan Callahan definitely sticks around for another game. Brendan Shanahan has never been one to sit out much, so he'll most likely be back as long as he is physically able to. Callahan looked good, but not great last night and I'd like to see him back in there for some time.
-- Stephen Valiquette might get the nod tomorrow between the pipes. Makes sense, as the Rangers play a little tighter with him in net and it's a mediocre Kings team. Extra days off to keep Henrik Lundqvist healthy down the stretch isn't a bad thing either.
-- Congratulations to Chris Drury, who was named the NHL's third star of the week. Hopefully he continues his resurgent play.
The Rangers are back home tomorrow at 7. I'll check in again before then.
Super Sunday indeed
It was one of the most memorable Sunday's in NYC history thanks to the Giants' amazing Super Bowl XLII 17-14 upset win of the Patriots. That combined with the Rangers' three-goal comeback scoring five unanswered to stun the Canadiens 5-3 made it a great day to root for the blue, red and white colors of our two NY teams.
The Habs dominated the first part of the game scoring power play goals (Andrei Markov & Alexei Kovalev on their first two chances. They increased the lead to a field goal thanks to a successful penalty shot from Sergei Kostistyn.
But the Rangers suddenly turned it around thanks to goals 24 seconds apart from Michal Rozsival and rookie Brandon Dubinsky. Amazingly, they tied the game when Scott Gomez got to a loose rebound in front off a Marc Staal shot.
The final stanza was tightly played and seemed ticketed for overtime but a resurgent Chris Drury had other ideas burying a Nigel Dawes pass for a tap-in suddenly hiking his goal total to 16.
Martin Straka capped a great comeback win on the road by redirecting a Paul Mara left point shot with 90 seconds left.
The Rangers finished a very successful 3-1 on a challenging road trip and now remain a point behind the Devils for sixth in the conference. This was a real statement game by them. They easily could've packed it in but didn't and showed a lot of character.
Now it's on to Tuesday night when they host the Kings. No let up.
The Habs dominated the first part of the game scoring power play goals (Andrei Markov & Alexei Kovalev on their first two chances. They increased the lead to a field goal thanks to a successful penalty shot from Sergei Kostistyn.
But the Rangers suddenly turned it around thanks to goals 24 seconds apart from Michal Rozsival and rookie Brandon Dubinsky. Amazingly, they tied the game when Scott Gomez got to a loose rebound in front off a Marc Staal shot.
The final stanza was tightly played and seemed ticketed for overtime but a resurgent Chris Drury had other ideas burying a Nigel Dawes pass for a tap-in suddenly hiking his goal total to 16.
Martin Straka capped a great comeback win on the road by redirecting a Paul Mara left point shot with 90 seconds left.
The Rangers finished a very successful 3-1 on a challenging road trip and now remain a point behind the Devils for sixth in the conference. This was a real statement game by them. They easily could've packed it in but didn't and showed a lot of character.
Now it's on to Tuesday night when they host the Kings. No let up.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Updated Ranger v Canadian preview
Derek covered almost everything needing to be said below but I just wanted to throw in a couple of things that were just confirmed:
- Ryan Callahan has been recalled from Hartford and will skate on the second line today with Sean Avery and Brandon Dubinsky. Brendan Shanahan is suffering from knee, back, hamstring and groin problems and will take some time off. He is only listed as day-to-day right now, but he may take most of this week off. A healthy Shanahan is crucial for the stretch run, so this is a good move by Tom Renney.
- Marek Malik is out again tonight with a knee contusion. The defense pairings will be the same as Friday night. Corey Potter was recalled yesterday and practiced with the team, but was then sent back down which probably means that if the Rangers needed an extra defenseman, Malik could tough it out.
Enjoy the game.
- Ryan Callahan has been recalled from Hartford and will skate on the second line today with Sean Avery and Brandon Dubinsky. Brendan Shanahan is suffering from knee, back, hamstring and groin problems and will take some time off. He is only listed as day-to-day right now, but he may take most of this week off. A healthy Shanahan is crucial for the stretch run, so this is a good move by Tom Renney.
- Marek Malik is out again tonight with a knee contusion. The defense pairings will be the same as Friday night. Corey Potter was recalled yesterday and practiced with the team, but was then sent back down which probably means that if the Rangers needed an extra defenseman, Malik could tough it out.
Enjoy the game.
Blueshirts go for three straight today
It's Super Bowl Sunday. Wouldn't it be nice if both the Rangers and most importantly the Giants came away winners on this big day?
I'm as excited as anyone else about tonight's huge game. Kick some Patriot ass! Let's make history!!!!!
Alright. Enough about that. The Blueshirts have their own work cut out for them when they visit yet another quality opponent in the Canadiens north of the border. How well is Montreal playing? They've won four of five and since the new calendar year boast a record of 9-2-2. They're latest win, 4-1 over the slumping Islanders yesterday pulled them within three points of top seeded Ottawa, who lost to the Leafs last night. One of those losses came to the Rangers at MSG 4-1 on Jan.12.
That's what has been so odd about this team. With the exception of Ottawa (1-3-0), they can beat the best teams in the conference. They own the Devils; even if Martin Brodeur thinks his team deserved a better fate the other night. If only he had stopped that sharp angle Chris Drury shot. They have taken three of four from the Flyers recently avenging an ugly 6-2 home defeat with a 4-0 blanking this past week. They also are 3-2-0 against the Pens.
The Habs are playing extremely well. Ex-Ranger Alexei Kovalev continues to have a good season. His goal and helper in their win over the Fishsticks hiked his team-best point total to 48 (23-25-48). The 34 year-old Russian has always been a streaky player. He already has one more point than he had all of last season and is on pace for his best output since 2001-02 with the Pens when he totaled 76 points (32-44-76) in 67 games. Containing him is a must for the Ranger D today. Limit his time and space.
For the Rangers, it's vital that they continue to do the things they have in the last two wins paying close attention to detail, remaining disciplined and burying their chances. With the Devils doubling up on the Kings 6-3 last night thanks to two-point nights from John Madden, Sergei Brylin, Travis Zajac, rookie David Clarkson and even defenseman Colin White (actually scored for first time in two years), they picked up two crucial points to pull three ahead of the Blueshirts in this tight playoff race. The Bruins also continue to win. So it's not going to get much easier.
Almost every team competing with Tom Renney's club has games at hand. So, they can't afford to hit a slump now. The recipe is simple. Win their games and put pressure on everyone else in the conference.
The league's only game on Super Sunday is on NBC at 2 ET today. They better be ready before making their football plans.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!!
I'm as excited as anyone else about tonight's huge game. Kick some Patriot ass! Let's make history!!!!!
Alright. Enough about that. The Blueshirts have their own work cut out for them when they visit yet another quality opponent in the Canadiens north of the border. How well is Montreal playing? They've won four of five and since the new calendar year boast a record of 9-2-2. They're latest win, 4-1 over the slumping Islanders yesterday pulled them within three points of top seeded Ottawa, who lost to the Leafs last night. One of those losses came to the Rangers at MSG 4-1 on Jan.12.
That's what has been so odd about this team. With the exception of Ottawa (1-3-0), they can beat the best teams in the conference. They own the Devils; even if Martin Brodeur thinks his team deserved a better fate the other night. If only he had stopped that sharp angle Chris Drury shot. They have taken three of four from the Flyers recently avenging an ugly 6-2 home defeat with a 4-0 blanking this past week. They also are 3-2-0 against the Pens.
The Habs are playing extremely well. Ex-Ranger Alexei Kovalev continues to have a good season. His goal and helper in their win over the Fishsticks hiked his team-best point total to 48 (23-25-48). The 34 year-old Russian has always been a streaky player. He already has one more point than he had all of last season and is on pace for his best output since 2001-02 with the Pens when he totaled 76 points (32-44-76) in 67 games. Containing him is a must for the Ranger D today. Limit his time and space.
For the Rangers, it's vital that they continue to do the things they have in the last two wins paying close attention to detail, remaining disciplined and burying their chances. With the Devils doubling up on the Kings 6-3 last night thanks to two-point nights from John Madden, Sergei Brylin, Travis Zajac, rookie David Clarkson and even defenseman Colin White (actually scored for first time in two years), they picked up two crucial points to pull three ahead of the Blueshirts in this tight playoff race. The Bruins also continue to win. So it's not going to get much easier.
Almost every team competing with Tom Renney's club has games at hand. So, they can't afford to hit a slump now. The recipe is simple. Win their games and put pressure on everyone else in the conference.
The league's only game on Super Sunday is on NBC at 2 ET today. They better be ready before making their football plans.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Where has this team been all season?
For the second straight night, the Blueshirts put together a solid 60 minute performance in last night's win over the Devils. Derek recapped nicely below, and I'll add some of what I saw from watching the whole game.
- Good to see Chris Drury scoring goals. Maybe the fact that something leaked about Glen Sather looking to acquire a top centerman motivated Drury. Either way, it works out nicely for Ranger fans. Congratulations to both him and Scott Gomez on getting 5oo career points.
- Defense was solid all night long. Shots were blocked, deflected and steered away, the body was being taken at the blue line and there was always pressure on the puck handler. The offense came back and covered up when the defense pinched or was caught turning around or flat footed.
- Brandon Dubinsky continues to impress anyone that watches him. It seemed like he was always on the ice last night. He took the body, controlled the puck, took shots, dished off some nice passes and was all over the place. I loved it.
-Nigel Dawes is also looking more and more confident with the puck. Quick tricky shots, including his power play chance that rang off the crossbar right before Drury scored, fluid skating and crisp passing has earned him a spot on this team.
- The fourth line could be one of the best in hockey. The fact that they can play in the closing minutes of a one or two goal game speaks volumes. They were again solid defensively and still threatened on offense as well.
Like Derek said, the Rangers look to win their third game in a row, including a third in a row against Montreal this season, tomorrow afternoon before the Super Bowl. Could tomorrow be a double dose of New York wins? I sure hope so. Get started with the wings, chips, soda and beer a little early and tune into NBC at 2 pm tomorrow and enjoy the Ranger game. Then stay put and hope for a Big Blue upset to ruin Tom Brady's perfect season. I'll catch you all tomorrow or Monday.
- Good to see Chris Drury scoring goals. Maybe the fact that something leaked about Glen Sather looking to acquire a top centerman motivated Drury. Either way, it works out nicely for Ranger fans. Congratulations to both him and Scott Gomez on getting 5oo career points.
- Defense was solid all night long. Shots were blocked, deflected and steered away, the body was being taken at the blue line and there was always pressure on the puck handler. The offense came back and covered up when the defense pinched or was caught turning around or flat footed.
- Brandon Dubinsky continues to impress anyone that watches him. It seemed like he was always on the ice last night. He took the body, controlled the puck, took shots, dished off some nice passes and was all over the place. I loved it.
-Nigel Dawes is also looking more and more confident with the puck. Quick tricky shots, including his power play chance that rang off the crossbar right before Drury scored, fluid skating and crisp passing has earned him a spot on this team.
- The fourth line could be one of the best in hockey. The fact that they can play in the closing minutes of a one or two goal game speaks volumes. They were again solid defensively and still threatened on offense as well.
Like Derek said, the Rangers look to win their third game in a row, including a third in a row against Montreal this season, tomorrow afternoon before the Super Bowl. Could tomorrow be a double dose of New York wins? I sure hope so. Get started with the wings, chips, soda and beer a little early and tune into NBC at 2 pm tomorrow and enjoy the Ranger game. Then stay put and hope for a Big Blue upset to ruin Tom Brady's perfect season. I'll catch you all tomorrow or Monday.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Ranger D, Lundqvist stifle Devils
I only saw one period of the latest game between the Hudson rivals because I was out scoring a couple of basketball games in Park Slope. Plus I had to stop for some pizza and also pickup a cold brew because one of the officials was being a total asshole. And besides, I wanted to sit back, relax and enjoy the final stanza of an entertaining game between the Rangers and Devils in Newark.
What better way to do that then with a Guinness and a couple of slices from a very good pizza place out in Park Slope?
So I didn't see any of the opening 40 minutes in which the Rangers on goals by Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury led the Devils 2-1 with Zach Parise tallying on a delayed penalty. Be that as it may, it sounded like New Jersey picked up their game in the second and continued to attack in the final 20. Problem for them was that the Ranger defense (forwards included) along with Devil killer Henrik Lundqvist weren't cooperating.
How many quality chances did Brent Sutter's club have? Not many. Despite being the more aggressive team, they only wound up with five shots mostly due to the great attention to detail the Rangers paid. Aside from a Parise sneaky backhand stuff opportunity very late with Martin Brodeur pulled for an extra attacker, that was it in terms of what Lundqvist had to do in backstopping his club to a fifth consecutive win over the Devils- clinching the season series by virtue of the five wins. When's the last time you could say that?
The Devs cycled the puck well and had some chances but their shots either were blocked, missed the net entirely or were repelled by a sharp Lundqvist who earned the game's First Star finishing with 33 saves. One such chance saw ex-Ranger Karel Rachunek with the puck during a four-on-four but his pass for an open Parise down low was deflected by a New York stick. If it connected, it essentially would've been a tap-in. That's the kind of calibre committed D the Blueshirts played.
New Jersey had another good chance down low but a centering pass for a trailer was broken up by fourth line enforcer Colton Orr. That's not a misprint as it actually happened. No.28 probably saved the tying goal with that defensive play.
This was the sort of frustrating period the Devils endured in front of a mixed bag at a soldout Prudential Center. They would work hard and setup opportunities but would be thwarted by hustling Rangers. I'm still wondering why Johnny Oduya didn't shoot the puck sooner.
After that, the Rangers settled down and played the kind of disciplined smart defensive hockey which their archrivals have been doing for years. Only when they played it, Scott Gomez wore the other jersey and was a big part of the team's success. The kid who was selected by the Devs in the first round back in 1998 and won a Calder helped defeat his former team recording his 500th career point on Drury's PP winner 2:06 into the second.
The affable pivot who's played solid two-way hockey all season thanked his parents for making it possible during a postgame interview with MSG's John Giannone. He also thanked all his coaches.
That Drury's PPG came from a sharp angle surprising Brodeur couldn't have made him nor the home supporters feel very good about things. They dropped their third game in a row- all on home ice where they had played so well before that third period debacle last week against Montreal. Very un-Devil like to see any Brodeur led team lose three straight all in regulation.
They now are just a point ahead of the Rangers in the standings but at least have three more games left which could be important. Of course, Tom Renney's resurgent club who won their fourth in five still have three more games to play against those Devs. You just know their eyes will be wide open at the prospect of taking two more points in each game down the stretch. The teams don't see each other again until March 19. A lot can happen between now and then.
Almost forgot an amazing shift by the top line of Gomez, Martin Straka and Jaromir Jagr. They pinned the Devs deep in their own end for about a minute killing valuable time off the clock. During that lengthy shift, a motivated Jagr dominated the play down low and even took the puck back in as the clock wound down close to a minute. That was just an amazing shift by the trio who really did the job.
Drury eventually sealed it with an empty netter during a five-on-five because the Devils lost their discipline taking a mistimed too many men on the ice penalty with 32 seconds left. So even if Parise had beaten Lundqvist late, it probably would've been wiped out.
That Renney opted to use Drury with defensive-minded center Blair Betts was a wise choice. Betts smartly didn't ice the puck. Eventually, the Devs pressed and were forced leading to a Betts pass to Drury who notched his third goal in two successful nights on the road against Atlantic rivals.
This was a good win for this team. Now we'll see if they can continue to sustain it when they visit another quality opponent in Montreal on Super Bowl Sunday- 2 ET on NBC before the big game between the Giants and Patriots.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!
What better way to do that then with a Guinness and a couple of slices from a very good pizza place out in Park Slope?
So I didn't see any of the opening 40 minutes in which the Rangers on goals by Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury led the Devils 2-1 with Zach Parise tallying on a delayed penalty. Be that as it may, it sounded like New Jersey picked up their game in the second and continued to attack in the final 20. Problem for them was that the Ranger defense (forwards included) along with Devil killer Henrik Lundqvist weren't cooperating.
How many quality chances did Brent Sutter's club have? Not many. Despite being the more aggressive team, they only wound up with five shots mostly due to the great attention to detail the Rangers paid. Aside from a Parise sneaky backhand stuff opportunity very late with Martin Brodeur pulled for an extra attacker, that was it in terms of what Lundqvist had to do in backstopping his club to a fifth consecutive win over the Devils- clinching the season series by virtue of the five wins. When's the last time you could say that?
The Devs cycled the puck well and had some chances but their shots either were blocked, missed the net entirely or were repelled by a sharp Lundqvist who earned the game's First Star finishing with 33 saves. One such chance saw ex-Ranger Karel Rachunek with the puck during a four-on-four but his pass for an open Parise down low was deflected by a New York stick. If it connected, it essentially would've been a tap-in. That's the kind of calibre committed D the Blueshirts played.
New Jersey had another good chance down low but a centering pass for a trailer was broken up by fourth line enforcer Colton Orr. That's not a misprint as it actually happened. No.28 probably saved the tying goal with that defensive play.
This was the sort of frustrating period the Devils endured in front of a mixed bag at a soldout Prudential Center. They would work hard and setup opportunities but would be thwarted by hustling Rangers. I'm still wondering why Johnny Oduya didn't shoot the puck sooner.
After that, the Rangers settled down and played the kind of disciplined smart defensive hockey which their archrivals have been doing for years. Only when they played it, Scott Gomez wore the other jersey and was a big part of the team's success. The kid who was selected by the Devs in the first round back in 1998 and won a Calder helped defeat his former team recording his 500th career point on Drury's PP winner 2:06 into the second.
The affable pivot who's played solid two-way hockey all season thanked his parents for making it possible during a postgame interview with MSG's John Giannone. He also thanked all his coaches.
That Drury's PPG came from a sharp angle surprising Brodeur couldn't have made him nor the home supporters feel very good about things. They dropped their third game in a row- all on home ice where they had played so well before that third period debacle last week against Montreal. Very un-Devil like to see any Brodeur led team lose three straight all in regulation.
They now are just a point ahead of the Rangers in the standings but at least have three more games left which could be important. Of course, Tom Renney's resurgent club who won their fourth in five still have three more games to play against those Devs. You just know their eyes will be wide open at the prospect of taking two more points in each game down the stretch. The teams don't see each other again until March 19. A lot can happen between now and then.
Almost forgot an amazing shift by the top line of Gomez, Martin Straka and Jaromir Jagr. They pinned the Devs deep in their own end for about a minute killing valuable time off the clock. During that lengthy shift, a motivated Jagr dominated the play down low and even took the puck back in as the clock wound down close to a minute. That was just an amazing shift by the trio who really did the job.
Drury eventually sealed it with an empty netter during a five-on-five because the Devils lost their discipline taking a mistimed too many men on the ice penalty with 32 seconds left. So even if Parise had beaten Lundqvist late, it probably would've been wiped out.
That Renney opted to use Drury with defensive-minded center Blair Betts was a wise choice. Betts smartly didn't ice the puck. Eventually, the Devs pressed and were forced leading to a Betts pass to Drury who notched his third goal in two successful nights on the road against Atlantic rivals.
This was a good win for this team. Now we'll see if they can continue to sustain it when they visit another quality opponent in Montreal on Super Bowl Sunday- 2 ET on NBC before the big game between the Giants and Patriots.
LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!
Rangers v. Devils, 7 pm tonight
In about a half hour, Atlantic Division rivals renew acquaintances when the Rangers battle the Devils at the Prudential Center.
This is a short but sweet post as I am heading out to cover the men's hockey game here for my newspaper. Marek Malik is out tonight with a knee contusion suffered last night. Paul Mara is back in on defense. The line combinations remain the same, but Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes for the Rangers.
Marcel Hossa was placed on IR, so expect the Rangers to call up Ryan Callahan before the Montreal game.
I'll watch the game tonight and check in after. Enjoy the battle.
This is a short but sweet post as I am heading out to cover the men's hockey game here for my newspaper. Marek Malik is out tonight with a knee contusion suffered last night. Paul Mara is back in on defense. The line combinations remain the same, but Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes for the Rangers.
Marcel Hossa was placed on IR, so expect the Rangers to call up Ryan Callahan before the Montreal game.
I'll watch the game tonight and check in after. Enjoy the battle.
Rangers and Valiquette blank Flyers
I bet you didn't see that one coming now, huh? The Rangers played one of their most complete games last night in Philly shutting them out 4-0 to exact a little revenge for that dreadful 6-2 beating at MSG a couple of weeks prior.
Rather than go crazy recapping it, I actually did that already over at my official HB site. So I'm going to link it up and then give some input instead:
1.Nigel Dawes scored and looked pretty good playing with Chris Drury and Petr Prucha. The trio formed the club's best line combining for three goals and an assist in the win. I got to say Dawes is just getting more and more comfortable all the time. Looks like the kid from Manitoba is going to stick.
2.Marek Malik replaced Paul Mara on the blueline and looked okay but he injured himself when Mike Richards collided with him. That was such a bs call on the Flyer two-way pivot. It was a make up call for the mugging Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery received from a cheap Scott Hartnell who elbowed Shanny and put his stick in Avery's face. Big Bird didn't return logging just over 11 minutes. Figure Mara to be back in tonight in Newark along with the serviceable Jason Strudwick.
3.Brandon Dubinsky continues to improve all the time. The 21 year-old rookie Alaskan who garnered MVP honors at the Young Stars Game notched a helper for his seventh point in the last nine contests. He really is coming on and gaining Tom Renney's trust. Last night, he played between Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan logging nearly 17 minutes while helping setup Shanny's goal which dashed any Flyer hopes of a comeback. This kid is a smart two-way player who takes the body and seems to have some decent skill. We could have ourselves a home grown player or two to talk about a year from now.
4.Backup Stephen Valiquette made 20 saves to notch his first career NHL shutout. He really wasn't tested much but came through when his team needed him early on when the Flyers held a 5-1 SOG edge. Nice to see him get the shutout. I'm sure it was very sentimental for him because his uncle passed away. You know that puck meant a lot. God bless.
5.The Rangers won despite no points from Jaromir Jagr or sidekick Martin Straka. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they were ineffective. Conversely, they teamed up well with No.1 center Scott Gomez cycling the puck down low and creating chances. Straka in fact had the best ones. He was setup by Gomer for essentially an open net which would've been 5-0 but fanned on it. He also had bad luck when a shot rang off the bar and fell on the goalline.
6.The D was much better than in recent games giving a solid attacking Flyer team zilch. Even when they worked hard, it was tough to get shots through drawing mock cheers from a protypical Philly crowd. Gotta love it.
7.Most important question now is can they repat this strong performance against two more quality clubs in the Devils and Canadiens on the road this weekend? That answer will be provided by kickoff Sunday night.
8.Combined with the Islanders' 3-1 home defeat at the hands of the Kings, the Rangers moved back into eighth in the conference with 56 points.
Rather than go crazy recapping it, I actually did that already over at my official HB site. So I'm going to link it up and then give some input instead:
1.Nigel Dawes scored and looked pretty good playing with Chris Drury and Petr Prucha. The trio formed the club's best line combining for three goals and an assist in the win. I got to say Dawes is just getting more and more comfortable all the time. Looks like the kid from Manitoba is going to stick.
2.Marek Malik replaced Paul Mara on the blueline and looked okay but he injured himself when Mike Richards collided with him. That was such a bs call on the Flyer two-way pivot. It was a make up call for the mugging Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery received from a cheap Scott Hartnell who elbowed Shanny and put his stick in Avery's face. Big Bird didn't return logging just over 11 minutes. Figure Mara to be back in tonight in Newark along with the serviceable Jason Strudwick.
3.Brandon Dubinsky continues to improve all the time. The 21 year-old rookie Alaskan who garnered MVP honors at the Young Stars Game notched a helper for his seventh point in the last nine contests. He really is coming on and gaining Tom Renney's trust. Last night, he played between Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan logging nearly 17 minutes while helping setup Shanny's goal which dashed any Flyer hopes of a comeback. This kid is a smart two-way player who takes the body and seems to have some decent skill. We could have ourselves a home grown player or two to talk about a year from now.
4.Backup Stephen Valiquette made 20 saves to notch his first career NHL shutout. He really wasn't tested much but came through when his team needed him early on when the Flyers held a 5-1 SOG edge. Nice to see him get the shutout. I'm sure it was very sentimental for him because his uncle passed away. You know that puck meant a lot. God bless.
5.The Rangers won despite no points from Jaromir Jagr or sidekick Martin Straka. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they were ineffective. Conversely, they teamed up well with No.1 center Scott Gomez cycling the puck down low and creating chances. Straka in fact had the best ones. He was setup by Gomer for essentially an open net which would've been 5-0 but fanned on it. He also had bad luck when a shot rang off the bar and fell on the goalline.
6.The D was much better than in recent games giving a solid attacking Flyer team zilch. Even when they worked hard, it was tough to get shots through drawing mock cheers from a protypical Philly crowd. Gotta love it.
7.Most important question now is can they repat this strong performance against two more quality clubs in the Devils and Canadiens on the road this weekend? That answer will be provided by kickoff Sunday night.
8.Combined with the Islanders' 3-1 home defeat at the hands of the Kings, the Rangers moved back into eighth in the conference with 56 points.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Stats
