Unlike the loss to the Caps where the Rangers blew a 4 goal lead, last night’s loss to the Caps was not due to a lack of effort on the part of the Rangers.  The first period was pretty much even. The Rangers killed off two penalties and failed to score on their one powerplay. No harm, no foul. 

Again, up until Prucha’s deflected goal on what was probably a blown offside call, both teams were playing an even game. That says a lot to me about the Rangers defense first system. Marc Staaal was able to rag Ovechkin. The Rangers were able to keep the Caps, who are tied for 4th place in goals in the league with San Jose, off the board for almost 30 minutes.

Once the Rangers failed to clear the puck and allowed Green’s powerplay goal less then 1:30 seconds after Prucha scored,  the Caps had the better of the play for the rest of the period. The Caps had the puck in the Rangers zone for almost the entire  4 on 4, following an improbable altercation between Gomez and Nylander, of all people.  

Valiquette was the difference between the score remaining tied until the Caps short handed goal. With about four minutes left in the period, the Caps were out-shooting the Rangers 14 – 7.  Still, the Rangers (Valiquette) were able to keep the Caps off the board. With 1:58 left,  the most dangerous time of any period for the Rangers,  the Caps took a delay of game penalty. Too bad  the Rangers can’t decline powerplays.

The Rangers worst nightmare of this season happened again. Ovechkin comes back  to score a shorthanded goal after a shot by Dubinsky careens up the boards and lands on Greens stick.  Green and Ovechkin come up ice as the Rangers are changing. Green, along the boards, passes cross ice to Ovechkin.

Ovechkin goes around Redden and takes a shot that deflects off Redden’s stick and goes over Valiquette’s right shoulder for the shorthanded goal. Would Henrik have had that? Maybe. But, if I’m Redden, I trip Ovechkin before he can get that shot off. Take the penalty. The Rangers once again fail to score on the powerplay and are burned for their 13? shorthanded goal of the season.

That’s all she wrote in the scoring department. The Rangers once again play the third period to a tie when they are down by one goal and lost based on the shorthanded goal they allowed at the end of the second period. The Rangers actually outshot the Caps 7 to 5 in the third period and continued to keep the Caps off the board. They just couldn’t put the puck behind Theodore, who played well for the Caps.

You got to see Wade, the Wimp, Redden show some fire by nearly knocking out Clark. You got to see Gomez and Nylander getting jiggy with each other. As if that wasn’t enough grit and enough fire, you got to see Renney deploy Marc Staal. Staal got so far under the skin of  Ovechkin that Ovechkin took a run at Staal in retaliation for  Staal’s clean check on Semin at center ice.

By the way, another nice double standard by the officials in this league. How was that not a charging/boarding call for Ovechkin’s hit on Staal. After Staal is hooked and grabbed by Schultz behind Theodore, Ovechkin takes at least four big strides and brings his stick up into Staal head as he slams Staal into the boards. No headhunting there? I guess a different set of rules apply to Crosby and Ovechkin when it comes to cheap shot penalties.  Too bad the Rangers only play the Caps once more. Ovechkin better keep his head up on February 11th at the Garden.

There was no dishonor in this game for the Rangers. They were in it to the end and the showed the Caps that they aren’t going to get pushed around. The Rangers still must solve their special teams issues but right now there is no use in beating a dead horse.

So, to all the Ranger fans out there who are peeved and are still calling for Renney/Pearn to be fired, players to be waived/traded etc. I ask, was this game sufficiently entertaining for you or would you rather have gotten a point or two in a shootout?

The Rangers are winning games against teams they should be beating and holding their own against the tougher teams.  This week they play four games in six nights. They need to beat the teams that aren’t playing well of late, the Penguins, the Senators and the Sabres.  The game against Montreal should be a good test at the Garden.

Let’s Go Rangers!

PS. Note to Alex Semin: If you are going to fight like a little girl, keep your jersey tied down so the rest of the league can’t see your pink underwear!

Posted under New York Rangers

Dolt that I am, I forgot to Tivo last night’s game on Versus. When I got home, I had to watch the game highlights on NHL on the Fly. Bill Berg, a commentator who once played for the Rangers made some excellent points about the rivalry. He said that no matter what position either team had in the standings (for this go round, bottom dwelling Islanders against the division leading Rangers), the outcome of all Islander/Ranger games is always unpredictable and thus very entertaining.

He also went on to say he felt the rivalry between Islander and Ranger fans is unique in the league. He found the originality and vociferousness of the Ranger fans very amusing. He cited the famous game at the Coliseum when the Islanders introduced the Gorton’s Fisherman jersey back in the 80’s. He was playing for the Rangers then. The Ranger fans in attendance started the “We want Fishsticks” chant. He didn’t go into the “Potvin Sucks” or “Beat your wife Potvin” stories. That would have been unsuitable for the young viewers in the audience.

In this day and age, high scoring games like last night’s are few and far between. The Islanders are a better team then their record suggests. Right now, regardless of their first place standing, the New York media and some fans would have you believe that the Rangers are a worse team then their record suggests. While I won’t deny that the Rangers are still abysmal on the powerplay, 0 for 5 last night, they managed to score 5 goals and not give up any powerplay goals or any shorthanded ones. That’s definitely an improvement over their last three games.

This match ran the gamut for a hockey game, short of a penalty shot. We saw the return of Petr Prucha who scored a nifty goal and played his usual high energy game. When his goal was announced and assists were given to Dubinsky and Redden, the crowd chanted Proooooo for Prucha, Doooooo for Dubinsky and Boooooo for Redden. The Garden crowd gets an A for originality. Both Colton Orr and Nigel Dawes won their respective fights. I give Orr a lot of credit. Mitch Fritz is a behemoth with a far greater reach then Orr. Orr made chop meat of Fritz’s face. Ah but a hockeyfighter’s reach should exceed his grasp or what’s an enforcer for. Callahan made a highlight reel hit on Trent Hunter that Hunter won’t soon forget. Fewer pansies on the Rangers in this game.

I am really starting to feel sorry for Kalinin. He falls down, takes Drury out of the play and the puck is coughed up to two lone Islanders for an easy goal. Sather better send this guy down to Hartford before a lynch mob forms on Seventh Avenue. As bad as Kalinin has played, I think Redden deserves the derision of the Garden faithful more then Kalinin. Redden better clean up his act and start busting his butt or he’ll really be the target of the Boo-Birds. It’s already starting.

Lastly, King Henrik certainly is in the December Doldrums. He has allowed an un-Kingly 13 goals in the last three games. Last night he let in 4 goals on 24 shots. He should have had the third goal last night. Notwithstanding the Rangers swiss cheese defense and that atrocious powerplay, Henrik needs to be the best he can be. Seems long layoffs are not good for him. I don’t know if it’s something physical, knees maybe. He just doesn’t seem to be tracking the puck as well as usual.

The Rangers won last night but not before a seat of your pants finish with the game in jeopardy to the final buzzer. Okay, it was against the Islanders, the team with the worst record in the league. But like the astute Versus commentator Bill Berg pointed out, anything can happen during a Ranger/Islander game. This time the Rangers came out with the two points.

The crowd walked out of the Garden smiling and, dare I say, sufficiently entertained.

Posted under New York Rangers

I am literally sick and tired. I have had a terrible head cold since Tuesday. I also buried my Aunt on Tuesday. I spent Christmas Day alone at home nursing this cold and to top everything off, I had to have minor surgery on Friday.  

Through all this, I still went to work and did my job. I also went to both the games on Tuesday and yesterday only to see the Rangers turn in two embarrassing and lackluster efforts. This has been one Christmas I won’t soon forget.

Aside from being physically sick and tired, when it comes to the Rangers, I’m mentally tired and sick to my stomach. What in the world is going on with this team? They haven’t played a full 60 minutes of hockey since they defeated Anaheim on December 16th.

Not for nothing, but someone from the Rangers  (hint – maybe their Captain) needs to stand up and be accountable to the fans for what has transpired over these last two games. I just learned that Gomez has the flu.  That’s a good reason for not skating hard or hitting.  Why did Renney play him? His lost 13 out of 15 faceoffs. Anyone else on the team have the flu?

I don’t need Chris Drury telling me to put anymore games in the garbage can. Maybe some player’s can  needs to be put in the garbage.  Nice pass to Dubinsky last night that lead to the shorthanded goal, Captain. I don’t blame the kid. I blame Drury. What the hell was he thinking? Jagr wouldn’t have been able to handle the puck Drury dished to Dubinsky. Nice Job, Cap’n.

It is a really bad state of affairs when little Dawes throws one of the few and best hits of the game. Can Drury, Naslund, Gomez or Redden please take a body? Can they finish a check? These are the veteran leaders on this team and they do not lead by example. 

For goodness sake why is Kalinin still on this team? Why is Voros playing and Prucha and Fritsche sitting? If Voros isn’t using his size and his grit, then sit him. At least Prucha will finish checks and hit.

When this  team has played the system, when they commit to playing 60 minutes of hockey, they have won.  The powerplay has never worked. It has been a problem since the first season after the lockout. And yet, Perry Pearn is still here.

What really sickens me the most is the knee/jerk reaction of fans who call for Renney to be fired. They should be calling for Sather to be fired. He signed the bad contracts. He put this squad together. He is ultimately responsible for the result on the ice.

Last time I looked, an NHL team needed at least 6 defensemen. Sather has given Renney 3.5. Last time I looked, an NHL team needed at least one scoring line.  Trying to take the host of spare parts Sather signed and mold them into scoring lines would try the patience of any coach. He can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

What are the remedies to what ails the Rangers? Larry Brooks would have the Rangers re-aquire Avery. Yeah Larry, that will work. Not.  Avery burned his bridges here. There’s no coming back for him.

Here are my remedies.

The team, coaches, players and management all need to acknowledge to the fan base that this is not the year for a Cup run. It ain’t gonna happen.  

Forward – Either get rid of Drury or Gomez. Drury is a center not a winger and has been misused. Drury also has a no trade clause. If the Rangers want to resign their RFA youth this summer and Zherdev,  they need to move salary. If that means Adios to Gomer, que lastima.  No hard feelings Scottie just don’t resign with New Jersey.

Defense -Embarrass Redden into agreeing to be traded to any team that will take him off our hands. Give him the Malik treatment. Redden is the worst signing Sather has made during his tenure since Holik.  Waiving  Kalinin would truly be addition by subtraction. Bring up Potter permanently and get a rental to replace Redden.

Scoring – Resign Shanahan. He’ll bring leadership and scoring for the rest of the season. Say what you want about his having lost a step and his grit, Shanny has it in him to still score goals.

Coaching- Renney has worked with everyone Sather has thrown at him with a great deal of success, more success then anyone should have expected. Firing Renney is not the answer. Pearn must go. Three years with no powerplay is not acceptable. Shanahan could be their powerplay coach.

Management – Sather must go. What the hell does this guy do with his time?  Sather had to go out and hire  “Cap Expert” Cam Hope to help him do the job a GM is supposed to do. Sather needs to get off his ass and do something. Renney didn’t sign these ineffective players, Sather did. Time has past Sather by. He clearly is incapable of operating as a GM in this salary capped environment.

Posted under New York Rangers

According to Steve Zipay’s blog today, rumor has it that if Mats Sundin doesn’t declare his intention to Ranger management by Tuesday, Brendan Shanahan will most assuredly be back for another year. He will more then like be Captain of the Rangers. He was the de facto Captain regardless of Jagr having worn the C. While the HockeyRodent may have cajoled his readers  “Don’t You Leadership Me” regarding the comeback of Brendan Shanahan, it seems (based on the leadership he brings), Shanny’s return is a fait accompli.

Some fans are wholeheartedly in favor of bringing back Brendan. They feel Shanny brings experience, skill and the leadership needed to move past the second round of the playoffs. They attribute Shanny’s lack of production in the second half of last season and in the playoffs to injury. When healthy last season Brendan did score 23 goals. With Jagr and Straka gone, Shanny’s goal scoring capability takes on more importance.

Others, considering Brendan’s age and slowness, are dead set against Shanny taking a roster spot away from up and coming youngsters like Prucha and Korpikoski at left wing. They feel there is no place for the future first ballot Hall of Famer on the Rangers anymore.  They want to move on with the youth movement and leave the leading to Drury, Gomez or Redden.

Where and how Tom Renney deploys Brendan is the key to Shanahan’s success. If Shanny is lightly used for the lionshare of the regular season, he should have something left for the playoff run and beyond. “If” he is lightly used. “If”. If Shanny is going to play, it shouldn’t be on the checking line with Betts and Orr. He’d be fried by November. If Renney reserves Shanny for the powerplay and shootouts and gives him the occasional game off, he’ll be in better shape and more effective in March.

There is a little wiggle room on the left side if the Rangers go with six defenseman. They look much more solid on D then last season so it’s possible they’ll go with six. They are overloaded at center and right wing. Gomez, Drury and Dubinsky are basically a lock at center. Betts is fighting with Anisimov and Fritsche for fourth spot. We may not see either Anisimov or Fritsche season. They’ll be headed to Hartford. That’s too bad. Anisimov looked so good in preseason last year. On the right side, Parenteau and Jamtin will probably stay in Hartford, leaving Moore and Orr to fight for the fourth spot.

Naslund Gomez Zherdev
Prucha Dubinsky Callahan
Shanahan Drury Sjostrom
Dawes Betts Orr

Orr and Sjostrom will have to stay up or clear waivers to come back. Of all the other forwards looking for the last spot, I would say Korpedo and Anisimov have the best shot. Korpikowski or Dawes can replace Shanny on third line and can be flipped with each other on the fourth line. Betts is really going to have to fight for his job. He is a good defensive fourth line center for face offs and penalty kill. Anisimov is a much more skilled player who can bring scoring to the fourth line. The question is, how is Anisimov defensively? Will he be as good as Blair on face offs? Will he block shots? I have no doubt of Artem’s desire but his effectiveness as a fourth line grinder and checker is what counts.

So, I’ve drawn my lines. Now let’s see how close I’ve come come October.

Posted under New York Rangers