Could Ranger fans finally be seeing that elusive element that separates the good teams from the mediocre? Dare I say that this year’s team, so far the apex of the youth movement, the core of the rebuild, the most home grown talent to hit the ice in decades, is developing some CHEMISTRY?

Players are sticking up for one another. A never say die attitude is growing. Losing their three most experienced veterans may be the best thing to happen to this franchise since they won the Stanley Cup. Hell, even Tortorella is learning how to coach this young team with patience and forethought.

For so many seasons (10) we have seen Glen Sather futilely attempt to turn lead to gold, trying the patience of the fan base in the process. Has Sather finally realized that to get to gold accepting a little bronze and silver along the way builds character?

At the game last night I was looking for a let down that never came. I mentioned to my husband several times that I was waiting for the Ranger’s legs to go on them. After all, they played a hard fought game in Boston the night before. He scoffed at my prediction that the game would end in defeat because the team was tired.

He said they had to keep fighting for this victory and all victories. In the end, they did. The crowd was on tenterhooks because we have been conditioned to seeing most incarnations of the Rangers fold up like a cheap suitcase. Lowered expectations. That is changing. Along with chemistry the Rangers are developing a winning culture.

Right now I don’t want Drury and Prospal to come back. They’ll screw up the alchemy that’s beginning to develop. I won’t go as far as wishing Gaborik into a cornfield but it’s comforting to know that they can get it done without him. Of course as soon as the Rangers start to lose will all this bonhomie amongst the fans go out the window? I hope not.

We’ve been begging for a rebuild and now we’ve got one. Whatever happens, whatever mistakes they make and loses they take, it won’t be for a lack of effort. Based on we’ve seen so far, I believe we can be assured that the days of lackluster efforts and soft play are in the Ranger’s rear view mirror.

Posted under New York Rangers

After watching the first 4 games of this young season, the only conclusion to be drawn is that the long awaited rebuild some fans have been clamouring for has arrived. The question that remains is, does the Ranger fan base have the patience to see a rebuild through. Judging by the tenor of the crowd at the Garden last night, I would say NOT. Okay, so you’re all saying here goes the complaining, proselytizing old farbissna again spouting off about what’s wrong with Ranger fans. But seriously, is boo-ing this young team really necessary?

The let down from the Rangers euphoric first game against a good team like Buffalo, the “Derek Stepan show”, is palpable. How could the Rangers fall to teams like the lowly Islanders and Maple Leafs? After dwelling in the cellar for so many years, the Fish and the Leaves are finally clawing their way out (thanks to all their high first round draft picks leading the the way).

Kinda makes you long for the days of Straka/Nylander/Jagr doesn’t it? Kinda makes you wish for the guys who formed one of the best penalty kills in the NHL. Kinda makes you long  for the days of boring, defensive, low scoring, Renney style hockey. Kinda makes you think that (and I choke as I say this) Glen Sather knew that too many youths leads to too many losses and unhappy fans.

Apparently, the face off lessons Mark Messier gave to the centers fell on deaf ears. The percentage of face offs lost by the Rangers last night was very high. Rather then shoot through traffic and stacking the slot, the Rangers were taking shots from the periphery. They weren’t even really challenging Anderson. Who is scouting for the Rangers? I was at the Mausoleum on Saturday and watched the Fishsticks beat Anderson stick side several times.

Speaking of goal, it disturbs me to hear people disparaging Lundqvist the way they are starting to do. He’s human. He’s the only reason the Rangers were even in the last three games. If he wasn’t in goal the Rangers would be 0-4 not 1-2-1. Tort’s should sit Henrik and let Biron start a few games. The crowd will be begging for the return of the King.

Note to the penalty killers, play your man not the puck. Note to powerplay men high, take the damn shot and try not to mindlessly fire it into a defender for a 50ft rebound that goes the other way. Put Stepan with Callahan and Dubinsky and let them feed him. He’s got the skill they don’t to bury the biscuit. Put Anisimov with Avery and Frolov who have hands and can score. Let Fedotenko, Boyle and Prust kill penalties and clear the crease. Enough with Eminger already. Bring back Sauer. Bring up PA Paranteau from Hartford. Wait. He’s the new Ranger killer on the Icelanders.

Unless Boogaaard can flatten Colby Armstrong on Thursday in Toronto, he should sit in favor of  Kennedy or Zuccarello. Boyle and Prust are big enough to handle the opposition goons. Speaking of Armstrong, if no Ranger takes him out on Thursday, regardless of the penalty(ies), it will prove that The Rangers are the pussy team they have always been. Screw the two points and make a point. And, for God sake, is there no man jack on this team that will pulverize any punk that runs Henrik Lundqvist? Anyone got Kasparaitis’ phone number. Never mind Messier coaching face offs. Maybe Kaspar can come back and teach the youth how to grow a set.

Posted under New York Rangers

Last night as I was leaving MSG, I saw a Toronto fan with blood all over his face and his jersey.  I do not know what the particulars of his altercation were. Just the fact that another human being would berate, curse at and ultimately hit another person because of their hockey allegiance is incomprehensible.

I was in Section 409 last night because my friend Nick  made sure I had his extra seat for opening night.  Sitting next to us were three young men in Maple Leaf jerseys, Toronto natives. I struck up a conversation with them. Nice boys. One was a law student in Albany, NY. They said they hardly ever get to go to Leaf games at home. Leafs tickets were never available and unaffordable to them. They were at Rangers Opening Night to see their team.

When Toronto scored, they lept to their feet to celebrate. They weren’t being offensive. They weren’t sticking it to the Ranger fans around them. They were just expressing their exuberance at watching the continued early season success of their long suffering Leafs. Some big cement head Ranger fan standing up at the back of the section 409 started screaming at these Leaf fans and was being abusive. It was totally unnecessary and embarrassing. to everyone around us.

Good natured rivalry is one thing. Cursing at and striking another fan in your building is unacceptable. Most visiting fans will not wear their jerseys in Philadelphia because they are afraid it will result in their being bodily harmed. After witnessing a couple of altercations last night in the Garden, it begs the question, what are we becoming, Flyer fans?

Fighting is a part of the game that belongs on the ice, not in the stands. Visiting fans are our guests at Madison Square Garden and New York City. Unless they are misbehaving, Ranger fans should treat opposition fans in MSG the way Ranger fans would want to be treated in Toronto or in any other NHL Arena.

On behalf of all reasonable and well behaved Ranger fans in attendance, I’d like to extend my deepest apologies to the Toronto fans for the bad behavior of a few moronic Ranger fans at the Garden last night.

Posted under New York Rangers

Apparently John Tortorella doesn’t think Matt Gilroy deserves to play in front of his family and friends tomorrow afternoon at the Mausoleum. Steve Eminger will play and Gilroy will be a healthy scratch. Eminger has shown next to nothing in preseason and he downright sucked last night but he deserves to play and Matt doesn’t?

Dolan, Sather and Tortorella have their heads up the asses. What harm would it do to play Gilroy tomorrow? They got a wonderful feel good story last night with Stepan’s hat trick. They could be milking the feel good “local Long Island kid” story by letting Gilroy play. But, no.

Oh yeah, and I really don’t hate Torts. I immediately jumped toTort’s defense during the bottle throwing brouhaha in Washington. It’s just that John has the interpersonal skills of a storm trooper and the media savvy of a tree stump.

But Margaret, you say, he coached the Lightning to the Stanley Cup! Yes he did. That was such a great team in Tampa that year Bryan Trottier could have coached them to a Stanley Cup. (Pardon the hyperbole)

Jesus Christ, Torts, show a little humanity and let the kid play. These two points aren’t going to make or break the season. This isn’t an effing Stanley Cup Final game, fer chrissakes.

LET GILROY PLAY!

Posted under New York Rangers

With a hat trick in his first NHL game, Derek Stepan has arrived to usher in a new era in Ranger history.

To begin the 85th Anniversary season of the New York Rangers, Glen Sather has finally given up on the idea of signing overpaid veterans to long contracts. It’s only taken 10 years for Sather to be brought kicking and screaming to the conclusion that is is better to build from within with youth. I don’t hate to say I told you so Glen. Too bad you didn’t listen to the fan base five years ago.

Congratulations to young Derek Stepan on his history making hat trick. I would also like to congratulate his parents and his family and friends. It takes a village to raise a great hockey player. Seeing your child succeed is one of the greatest joys a parent can have. Thank you for your hard work Mr. and Mrs. Stephan. Your son has earned a spot in Ranger history.

Given that they played a tough game in Ottawa the night before, the Sabres came back and were close to catching the Rangers with five minutes left in the game. Buffalo should have been gassed. They had the better part of the play in the second period and they continued to hit the Rangers hard all through the third. Never take the Sabres lightly.

The biggest question I have is, “What happened to the powerplay we saw in the preseason”? The Rangers were 0 for 4 tonight. They also eased up on the Sabres in the second period. They should have pressed them hard and could have avoided their near come back in the third. That said, with the Sabres pressing hard, Tortorella should have called a time out with 4.5 minutes left to play. I hope Torts isn’t going to save up timeouts like Green Stamps this season.

Secondary scoring was the watchword of the game. In addition to Stepan’s Hat Trick, Brandon Dubinsky had two goals and Girardi lead the scoring on defense with two assists. In fact, all the second, third and fourth line players had good games.  The only player I was displeased with was Steve Eminger. Bad penalties and bad decisions made him the goat of the game. He didn’t do much in preseason and he showed poorly tonight. I’d rather have a kid like Gilroy out there making  mistakes and learning then Eminger taking unnecessary penalties and coughing the puck up.

And now I would like to single out a player for praise. Sean Avery has been the object of the league’s derision since he was a rookie himself. Avery set up Derek Stepan on two of his goals. Sean played a  smart game. He made wise decisions with the puck and earned two points himself. Sean Avery has matured and I think his game has benefited for it and the Rangers will benefit from it. Good for Sean.

Put two points in the win column and move on. No need to get overexcited. There are 81 more games left to play.

Let’s Go Rangers!

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As on  “Dancing with the Stars”, it is time for Sather, Tortorella and the powers that be to  make the final cut. It is time to determine who is “safe” and who will not return to skate on opening night.  Who will go the way of David Hasselhoff and Michael Bolton or who, like The Situation, will remain on the team undeservedly?

So, combining the judging skills of Carrie Ann, Len and Bruno, I give you  the core group of skaters who are safe:

Goalies:

Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron

8 Forwards

Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Alex Frolov, Brandon Dubinsky, Sean Avery, Vinny Prospal, Derek Boogaard and Chris Drury,

4 Defensemen

Mark Staal, Dan Girardi, Michael Del Zotto and Michal Rozsival

Before examining which players on the bubble I think should skate through the smoke and laser lights on October 15, let me critique the preseason performances of a couple core skaters.

Martin Biron

What the hell was up with Marty last night? Is this guy trying to make me eat my words about wanting him to back up Henrik?  WTF Marty? Need a little more practice on breakaways there?

Biron’s preseason performance has left me shaking my head. I am now having serious doubts Biron can win 50% of 20 games he must start this season to give Henrik the rest he needs. Yikes. Maybe his mediocre record last season on the Island wasn’t an aberration.

Derek Boogard

So far the officials have treated Boogaard like Eric Lindros the season Lindros was almost suspended just for being BIG. This guy isn’t getting any benefit of  the doubt from the officials. Deservedly or not, trying to perform a scrotum-ectomy on Chris Neil last night didn’t help Boogaard’s cause. I guess it will take the official’s eyes off Avery. If I didn’t know better I would think that Bettman has put out an APB on Boogaard. Wait, I do know better.

Here are your players in jeopardy. The players who I feel should stay are in italics (go ahead and play the dramatic Dancing with the Stars music in your heads):

8 Forwards:

Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan, Erik Christensen, Brian Boyle, Tim Kennedy, Brandon Prust, Ruslan Fedotenko, Todd White.

Based on their preseason play, I feel Anisimov and Boyle have both won back their spots on the Rangers. Fedotenko has played well and, as a former member of Tortorella’s Tampa Cup Team, has an inside track.

Todd White finally showed his metal last night in Ottawa but he has his age against him. We have all the veteran leadership we need in Drury and Prospal. I would rather see Zucarello Aasen and Stepan stay then White.

In my opinion, Christensen has more upside then Prust (we got a substantial quotient of big in Boogie and Boyle) but I would give rookie Stepan precedence over both Christensen and Prust. He’s a Calder candidate in the making. We need to see more of what he’s got centering Frolov and Gaborik.

5 Defensemen:

Matt Gilroy, Steve Eminger, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko, Michael Sauer.

Steve Eminger just hasn’t ‘shined” enough this preseason. He does not deserve a place that could be filled by more worthy, home grown, talent like Sauer, McDonagh and Gilroy. Pavel Valentenko has shown promise but a tour in Hartford would serve him well.

So, there you have it.  13 Forwards, 7 defensemen and 2 goaltenders. Let’s see who’ll be back next week when the season opens.

Posted under New York Rangers