The classic case in point was the Dave Schultz/Dale Rolfe “incident” back at the Spectrum during the 1974 Playoffs.  For those of you too young to remember, Dave “the Hammer” Schultz, one of the biggest goons and greatest enforcers of all time, beat the snot out of Dale Rolfe while the rest of Rolfe’s Ranger teammates watch Dale take the beat down.

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/1996/11/03/1996-11-03_beaten_rolfe_not_sore.html

It was one of the darkest and most embarrassing days in Ranger History. It cemented the idea,  for the next twenty years, that the Rangers were the pussiest team in the NHL. It signaled to other teams that they could run Ranger skill players at will. The Rangers notoriously would not stand up for each other. Until Messier, Kocur and Graves and the rest of what became the ‘94 Cup team came along, this indictment proved true.

After the gradual demise of the 94 team (the exit of  Messier to Vancouver), the mercenaries brought in by Sather failed to stand up for themselves, no less anyone else. The Rangers went seven season without making the playoffs. After the lockout, players like Kaparaitis and Strudwick brought a little heart and snarl back to the team. But, you didn’t see  any Ranger deliberately retaliate against goonery until Brendan Shanahan’s main bout at center ice with, of all people, Donald Brashear (who was then a Cap but once was a Philadelphia Flyer).

In a move that stunned and angered the fan base, Glen Sather sign a two year, $1.4  million dollar contract with free agent Donald Brashear on July 1. Fan favorite Colton Orr signed for four years with Toronto at $1 million per year.  How could Sather sign the player that hit Blair Betts during the playoff, breaking his orbital bone.

Brashear was suspended for 6 games and Betts was gone for the rest of the playoffs.  Why hire the biggest goon in hockey when we had a perfectly adequate enforcer in Orr?  Apparently, Orr did not inspire fear in Brashear, otherwise Brashear would have thought twice about running Betts. 

In today’s New York Post, Larry Brooks skewers Glen Sather and Ranger management over the recent acquisition of Donald Brashear.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07052009/sports/rangers/rangersbroke_bond_by_signing_thug_brash_177650.htm

RANGERS BROKE BOND BY SIGNING THUG BRASHEAR

“represents an indelible stain on the family concept preached by head coach John Tortorella. “

“Brashear is no better player than Colton Orr, the enforcer he replaces, despite the propaganda disseminated by the front office. He’s an oafish fourth-liner who will get approximately eight minutes a night and will be expected to inflict serious damage on the opposition. He’ll no doubt be suspended during the season. “

I don’t believe Larry Brooks doubts that Brashear will be just the deterrent the Rangers need to keep tough guys like Pronger (now a Flyer) from taking a run at their talent ( ie, the fragile Marian Gaborik). And, I don’t doubt “the Donald” might be suspended this coming season. I felt the same way about Tortorella when Sather hired him. Sure enough, it came to pass during the playoffs that Tortorella threw the bottle and got suspended. Larry, once again, needed to fill column inches and saw the signing of Brashear as a perfect opportunity to take shots at two people he dislikes,  Sather and Dolan.

To Larry Brooks and those angry Ranger Fans out there I ask, how was what Brashear did to Betts any worse then what Stevens did to Lindros or Kariya? I don’t know Steven’s personal story. Did he have as horrendous a childhood and upbringing as Brashear? Mark Messier wasn’t adverse to putting a well timed elbow into someones noggin. But, Stevens and Messier had skills. Brashear doesn’t. So I guess that made it okay

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/01/AR2009050104147.html?sid=ST2009050104383

Brashear hits people and intimidates them. If you are going to try this man in the hockey court of public opiniion, how do Brashear’s offenses stack up against other perps (aforementioned or not)?  Has Brashear ever deliberately and with malice aforethought done to another player what a Bertuzzi or Simon did? Has he done to another player what McSorley did to Brashear himself?

Brashear throws high hits. He intimidates. So have lots of other players over the history of the NHL. But at some points in time, many fans would loved to have had a Stevens or a Bertuzzi or a Messier on their team.

Some Ranger fans are now indignant about Brashear. Other teams players and  fans may not like or respect Brashear but they’ll know when he’s out on the ice. Maybe, for once in a very long time, skill players on the Rangers can breathe a bit easier knowing that Brashear can checkmate other teams goons.

As for Dale Rolfe, the last paragraph of that linked article is very telling:

Rolfe said he has never had a conversation with Schultz in his life, except to say good luck during the handshake after the game. What would he do if he met Schultz now?

“I’d probably have a beer with him,” he said. Asked if there were any hard feelings, Rolfe said, “How could there be hard feelings? The man was doing his job. I was doing my job. It was a game.”

Congratulations to Brian Leetch upon his election to the Hall of Fame. 

Tomorrow the NHL will announce the players it has chosen to enter the Hall of Fame Class of 2009. Three of the four players that are in their first year of eligibility are almost shoe-ins to make it on the first ballot. Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille, in my mind, are a lock. Brian Leetch is a question mark.

What can you say about Steve Yzerman? Fans in Detroit would have you believe that Yzerman is the all time greatest Captain and leader in NHL history. Ranger fans might beg to differ but Yzerman was a career long Red Wing who never left his team and town for more money. Yzerman played on one leg for the entire Stanley Cup series in 2002.  There is no question that No. 19 would make it in on the first ballot.

Love him or hate him, Brett Hull is in that elite group of  +700 goal scorers and is a hockey legacy. He’ll take his rightful place along side the Golden Jet in the Hall. Thank goodness he’ll make it in as a player because, after suggesting Dallas sign Avery, he won’t get in for his executive skills.

What can you say about Lucky Luc? He’s the highest scoring left wing of all time and the reason Brendan Shanahan was still in the game and chasing that elusive 668 this season. While Robitaille may never have been a powerforward, a winner of three Cup rings and the ringleader of the New Rules Summit, Luc is the face of the LA franchise in a way that Marcel Dionne and Wayne Gretzsky weren’t.  I will be shocked if his name isn’t announced tomorrow.

That leaves Brian Leetch as the fourth name that might get the nod tomorrow. Leetch, a two time Norris winner, the 1994 Conn Smythe recipient (first American) and the greatest American defenseman of his era has to duke it out with a host of others still waiting for their call to the hall, including friend and teammate Mike Richter. 

Among other eligibles still waiting are Eric Desjardins, Andrew Cassels, Scott Young, Shawn McEachern, Trevor Kidd, Doug Gilmour, Pavel Bure, Adam Oates, Dino Ciccarelli, Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuk and Tom Barrasso. Doug Gilmour, just honored by the Leafs might get the nod before Rangers Richter or Leetch.

John Davidson will be given the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a broadcaster. Having watched and listened to hockey for in excess of 50 years, I can honestly say that JD was the best. I’m happy he has found a less stressful job and taken his place with the younger breed of GM’s in their 50’s like Donny Maloney. Some older general managers just don’t know when it’s time to go…  

This year’s induction ceremony will be held on Nov. 9.  I would like to see all these handsome men dressed formally and with a sense of occassion.  Let’s hope they have a dignified ceremony in Toronto, not Las Vegas and that Chaka Khan isn’t the guest entertainer.

Whether the Ranger’s faced Tim Thomas, the brick wall in Boston or the Ovechkin/Semin/Green firing squad in Washington, the odds of their weathering the first round rest squarely on the shoulders of the King, Henrik Lundqvist. With the scoring power of the aforementioned unholy triumvirate, poor Lundqvist will be flashing his glove in his nightmares until Wednesday.

Lundqvist has 37 wins, 25 losses, a 2.32 goals against average and a .916 save percentage. Theodore  has 32 wins, 16 loses and 5 overtime losses. His goals against average is 2.81 and save percentage is .901. While Lundqvist  may have slightly better numbers on the year, Theodore has had a better, higher scoring team in front of him.

In their four games with the Capitals this season the Rangers are 1 and 3. The Rangers lost both games in DC and two of the four game ended in shoot outs. The Rangers last defeated the Caps on February 11th in a shoot out 5-4. Unfortunately, there are no shoot outs in the playoffs. The Rangers all time away record against the Caps is 34-46-9-3.

Considering the Rangers have no powerplay, bad defense and have trouble scoring at the best of times, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the the odds are clearly against the Rangers making it through the first round.  Compound that by the fact that in Alexander Ovechkin the Caps have a superstar that not only can score but hit and fight if need be. Ovechkin is not the whining, diving Poster Boy the Rangers faced last season in Cindy Crosby. He’s the biggest superstar in the NHL. He’s the league MVP.

At least true hockey fans will be entertained by the antics of Ovechkin. Ranger fans should sit up and watch regardless of the outcome. Afterall, we’ll get to see a team the Rangers could have been. Had not Sather kept throwing money and big contracts at mediocre, washed up players since he arrived here, we too might have an Ovechkin We too might be in the Tavares sweepstakes like the Islanders.

I sincerely hope that Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers make it through the first round. But, like waiting for shoes to drop, I am not holding my breathe.

Game in and game out, when Larry is called upon by Barrington (the Garden’s Rasta TV  camera man) to get the crowd going, Larry always obliges. Larry has put up with a lot of abuse over the years but like his predecessor, the Chief, he keeps on keeping on like the True Blue Seat Ranger fan he is. 

I first meet Larry six years ago at the Molly Wee Pub on Eight Ave. where Larry usually takes his pre-game meal.  One night we walked in and Larry was celebrating his birthday. They had a cake for him and sang. He’s a fixture there, just like he is in the Garden. When 6:15pm rolls around on game night, Larry usually high tails it over to the Garden for the pre-game warm-up.

In addition to being a full season subscriber, Larry also goes to a few away game each season. I once met him at a road game in Montreal in February of 2004.  Most all the Ranger fans at that game had congregated by the glass at the Rangers end of the rink. Messier saw the intrepid group and came over and banged his stick on the glass as a greeting. Larry was “right chuffed”,  as they say in England.

Last night, between the second and third period, I met Larry as he was waiting in line for the men’s room by 407. I grabbed him and gave him a big wet kiss on his bare noggin. He expressed his hope that the Rangers could hang on to the lead in the third period for the win.

Larry is such a positive person, loyal Ranger fan and a genuinely nice fellow. He makes me fell like a whining old farbissna for being so negative. If the Rangers do make the playoffs (only to get bounced in the first round) Larry will be there.  He’s the definition of True Blue.

Larry Goodman, here’s to you!

-Jeff Lynne, Electric Light Orchestra

I cannot fathom how a man who has won three Stanley Cups and four Vezina trophies can let the New York Rangers and their fans get into his head the way Martin Brodeur has done.

Here is a guy who kept his composure while going through a very personal and public separation during the playoffs in 2003. His then estranged wife taunted him that she was having affairs with his opponents.  It had so little effect upon him that he and his team went on to win the Stanley Cup. 

The gist of Martin’s personal life has been grist for the mill of taunting Ranger fans ever since. And while all the listeners to the Versus broadcast may have heard last night was “Maaarty”, fans in the Garden could hear chants of  ”Uncle Daddy” and “Al-i-mony” reigning down from the rafters of MSG.

Brodeur is currently involved in a law suit with his ex-wife who is seeking longer and larger alimony payment’s from Martin. Uncle/Daddy will have to work for as long as he can to support two families. I doubt he needs to be reminded of this but Ranger fans stick it to him at every opportunity.

Among the other chants I heard were, “Marty —–  his sister-in-law, do dah, do dah” and “Fatso”, the later courtesy of Sean Avery from last years playoffs. So, the media may think that it is only Sean Avery in the heads of Marty and the Devils but in actual fact, the Ranger fans in MSG are as much there as Sean.

Last night Sean Avery, the bad boy of the NHL, the anger management poster boy, fashionista bad boy, retained his composure while Marty and the Devils lost theirs. Oh yes, the fact that most of the Ranger players were engaged in the game and John Tortorella backed his defense away from his “safe is death” policy had something to do with the victory.  

But, deep down the whole Brodeur vs Avery rematch was in the hearts and minds of the Devils.  It was put there by the media and the fans. The fans are the Rangers seventh man whenever they play the Devils, be it at the Garden or the Rock.

Unlike 2006, should the Rangers make the playoffs, I live in hope that the first round is against the Devils. Question is, based on their late season slump, will Sutter still be behind the bench or will he be Lamarilloed?

-John Lennon/Paul McCartney

I know that many Ranger fans out there aren’t as old as I am. I have seen many of my favorites players traded from the Rangers. From Ratelle and Park, to the Maloneys to Leetch. We all have our favorites. They traded the best looking Ranger ever, Pat Hickey,  for Barry “Shoot the Puck” Beck.  Yes, Pat was better looking then Duguay. It turned out to be a bad trade in both the hockey and handsome sense. But, I digress.  

I know many are upset about all of the changes that have transpired in the last week or so.  I revered Tom Renney and was saddened and angry to see him go before Sather.

Today, many are  angered to see Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes, two former cornerstones of the Rangers youth movement, traded for a rental, a salary dump. Even if Derek Morris proves to be the second coming of Brad Park, losing Prucha has hardened many a heart.

My heart will always be True Blue. But there are times when  a little Red Wing seeps in there. And that’s okay.  We can like and admire other players and other teams as long as it’s not  the Islanders, Devils and Flyers. You just can’t root for your alternate teams and players over the Rangers.

If the Rangers fail to make the playoffs or get tossed in the first round, pick the team you want to see advance and sit back and enjoy their ride. You can watch in stress free peace. It’s just hockey. 

Good luck and God’s speed Tom Renney, Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha and all our favorite Rangers whereever they are.

In my life, I loved them all. 

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.