Trade Activity to the Minute

Here's a link to the trade transaction summary as it happens:

http://www.sportscity.com/NHL-Trade-Deadline-Tracker

Just refresh the page every so often.

So everyone's up to date. Enjoy.

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New York Rangers - 08-09 Season Preview

The New York Rangers have undergone a bit of a facelift, mostly as a result of a heaping dose of free-agency: Captain Jaromir Jagr left for his homeland along with Martin Straka, and Fedor Tyutin and Ryan Hollweg were traded. Sean Avery accepted an offer from Dallas, and Brendan Shanahan waits patiently for an offer from the Rangers (what the hell, Shanny? You'd rather wait around than play somewhere else?). Essentially, the Rangers lost their core, except for the rookie contingent, and a few key players (Petr Prucha, Henrik Lundqvist, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, et al).

As for the noobs: NYR obtained veterans Wade Redden, Aaron Voros, Nikolai Zherdev, and Markus Naslund. There seem to be two different schools of thought on these acquisitions. The negative side regards them as has-beens on the downswing of their careers, while the positive sees them as getting the fresh start they’ve been needing and waiting for.

After a successful series of games on the other side of the globe for the Rangers, things look both shaky and promising at the same time. Coach Tom Renney is really mixing up the lines trying just about every combination he can, even when one seems to work. I think the best one may be the first line of Drury, Gomez, and Naslund. Last season, and historically, Drury and Gomez centered separate lines. Together they seem to synergize.

The second and third line players have become interchangeable parts, with Renney tossing players like Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, and Brandon Dubinsky back and forth between them. The fourth line is the old standby of Freddie Sjostrom, Blair Betts, and Colton Orr.

The NYR defense is much the same as last year, with a couple o' new faces. There are four returning defensemen, including Marc Staal and Dan Girardi (who both had stellar rookie seasons), and Redden should help reinforce the wall.

Goaltending: King Henry is in. I just hope he doesn’t burn out what with being slated to start the majority of the games. Not that Stephen Valiquette can’t hold his own between the pipes – we need to have both goalies ready to rock. I’d like to see the games split more between the two goalies. I’ve always been a supporter of going with who’s hot, and if it’s Vally – then put him in.

The Rangers’ strength going into this season is their goaltending. It’s proven and effective. Defense overall has been decent, but with holes occasionally surfacing. They are definitely in need of a goal-scoring sniper, and hopefully that new first line combo will produce one (or two). Their biggest weakness is definitely their power play, which goes along with their need for the sniper. They have got to start scoring on their short-handed opponents, or else their post-season will be short if existent at all. They have the potential to excel in the East if all the cylinders are firing, however, they are a team in flux, and probably need a season or two to hit their stride.

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NYR vs. NSH – Already on the Calendar

I can’t wait for this matchup: Finally the NY Rangers will be playing the Nashville Predators – first time since Jed Ortmeyer was relieved of his contractual obligations in NY and Nashville picked him up at the end of last year.

The down-side: the game is in Feb09 in Nashville, and Jed will miss out on the NY “welcome back” that he so deserves. Possible up-sides: I have an excuse to take a road trip and/or subscribe to Center Ice. Okay, it’s only one game, but to me, it exemplifies the need to have all the teams play eachother, even if it is only once. I won’t get on my soap box about how they should up the frequency of these inter-divisional matches, but suffice it to say that this is a step in the right direction.

Along those lines, I’m looking forward to the NYR/Maple Leafs games to see how Ryan Hollweg fares against his former team. He may get a mix of cheers and jeers – assuming he has a regular role on the Leafs’ fourth line, and also assuming they roll 4 lines.

Neither Jed nor Ryan have played for any other NHL teams, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Come to think of it, I look forward to Jed & Ryan playing eachother! Sign me up for Center Ice!!!

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NYR Soundtrack

This was so much fun!!

Psycho (Puddle of Mud) – This one’s for Glen Sather: dude, what goes through that head of yours?

Bargain (The Who) – total sarcasm regarding Chris Drury’s and Scott Gomez’s huge contracts.

No Excuses (Alice in Chains) – this is for the “bargains”: you got your contracts, now it’s your turn to ante up…no excuses!

Changes (Yes) – Big ones happening with Michael Nylander and Jed Ortmeyer going to other teams this season, not to mention the “bargains” above that were acquired.

New (No Doubt) – Here’s to the rookies that had such a huge impact and a great first year on the Rangers.

Common Disaster (Cowboy Junkies) – This is what mid-December felt like, and also losing to every western conference team they faced.

Magic Man (Heart) – Henrik Lundqvist racking up 10 shutouts on the season.

Hero of the Day (Metallica) – Brendan Shanahan when he scored the gwg against the Devils in overtime in an otherwise scoreless game; Stephen Valiquette shutting out the Flyers two times in a row. I could go on and on here…

Glide (STP) – Nigel Dawes sinking shootout goals like crazy, and driving brodeur crazy by beating him every time.

Fearless (Pink Floyd) – Sean Avery mixing it up in just about every game, especially with his buddy, Fatso.

Going For the One (Yes) – the playoff push that went to the last week of the regular season.

When It’s Over (Sugar Ray) – That’s the time I fall in love again…I hate the end of the season when I have to say good-bye to my Rangers, some of them for the last time.

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If I Had A Million Dollars...

We all know it would take a helluva lot more than a million bucks, but salary caps aside, my dream team of (U)FAs would include the following:

Sean Avery - He has worked wonders for the NYR, and yes, he is annoying and obnoxious, but he gets the job done on the ice (despite his excessive gum-flapping).

J. Jagr - When his game is on, he seems to ignite synergy with his teammates.

Marty Straka - A workhorse, and yes, a current NYR. So I'm biased...

Nigel Dawes - so much potential

Michal Rozsival - This is the last current NYR I'm choosing. The rest have either not impressed me, scored on their own goalie, or both.

Marian Hossa - who wouldn't want this playmaker on their team (remember - this is a dream team - no salary cap issues here)?

Valtteri Filppula, Mats Sundin, and let's throw in Martin Gelinas for s&g.

This beats the draft anyday.

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Weekly Topic - 2008 Playoff Hilites

This year's playoffs were full of surprises, not the least of which is how some of the teams got there in the first place.

In the East, it was a battle down to the last regular season games. That was just nuts. The first round was up in the air until that last game was played. The other surprise in the east culminated in round 2 when the 6th seeded Flyers took on the top seeded Habs - and won. I thought Philly would cave, and to their credit, they knocked out the #1 seed in a stunning upset.

It was also surprising to see a team get swept in the second round, which happened in the West this year.

Just my $0.02 for the weekly topic. All in all, a very exciting post season to watch.

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Round 2 Over and Done

As a Rangers fan, I am saddened at my team's premature dismissal from the playoffs this weekend. I did cry - I get emotional about my team - after they mounted a stupendous comeback with flashes of brilliance. But it wasn't enough...

So as a hockey fan, I have to collect myself and take stock of the remaining teams. We have in the East seeds 2 and 6 playing eachother, and they would be the two Pennsylvania teams duking it out for conference champs. I'm at a loss as to who I will support in this one.

In the West, we have seeds 1 and 5 going head to head for their conference title. Just by sheer numbers, I have to lean toward Detroit. As it's been said, they are a machine, but Dallas is a formidable opponent. Should be one helluva series.

In any case, I will be praying to the hockey gods that someone other than Mikes Emerick and/or Milbury will be announcing the games. I can only take so much.

So - what are your predictions from this point on?

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Weekly Topic: 08 Playoffs 1 - Lucky13

The team that I'm most looking forward to seeing in the playoffs this year - other than my beloved Rangers (they won the first round last night - woo-hoo!!!) - is the Nashville Predators.

There are several reasons why I have taken a liking to the Preds. First of all, they appeared on the map for me when my boy Jed Ortmeyer was picked up by them after the Rangers brass decided to let his contract expire (jerks). Something about litigation, whatever. So I started paying attention to them more as the 2008-2009 season started up because I wanted to watch Jed play.

Since then, I have taken a trip to Nashville to see them play, and I have followed them in the standings. Their playoff push at the end of the season was both good and bad - they finished in playoff contention - that's good. But they were seeded to play Detroit, who won the President's trophy - that's bad. But I have faith - they did pretty well against the league's best team during their 8-game regular season stand.

Now they are down 3-2 in round one of the playoffs. Not bad, considering they've been coined the sacrificial lamb for Detroit. I'm still hopeful that my Western conference team will provide round one's biggest upset.

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Finding Loopholes: Making Rules on the Fly

I don't know how to frame this without going on about what a drama queen Marty Brodeur is, how slanted the reffing has been, and, and... okay - instead, I'll recommend the following.

watch this first...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ec_2oKWe2Gw

...and then read this:

http://rangers.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/14/the-avery-rule/

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“Tennessee, Tennessee, There Ain’t No Place I’d Rather Be…”

So goes the Grateful Dead song so aptly named “Tennessee Jed”. And that was my mantra this past weekend. After several months as an Hlogger, I think I’ve made it pretty clear on who my favorite player is (hint: start with an O, ends with an R, and has a “rtmeye” in the middle). Because his new team does not play my team at all this season (I hate that about the post-lockout NHL – I’m so glad that's changing), I actually went on an adventure to watch him play. Yes, folks, from the humble surroundings of the NY metro area to the Music City, I trekked to Nashville to see my boy Jed take the ice. If he wasn’t coming to me, then I was going to him. I dragged my hubby with me and we made a weekend out of it, with a Preds vs. Stars contest tossed in there.

As those of you in the Northeastern part of the US experienced, Friday morning greeted us with a blanket of snow. Of course, we were scheduled to fly out of Philly that morning, and needless to say, we didn’t know how it would unfold. The TV said airports were delayed for hours; the internet said some flights were cancelled, but ours was on time. What? How is that possible? As it came time to leave, we decided to give it a try.

After a white-knuckly ride down 95, we parked in long-term (I think we got the last spot), shuttled to the terminal, and behold: the flight was on time. Out with the passports and off with the shoes, we made our flight, and barely made our connection. We got to Nashville without incident. This was not the adventure that I signed up for, but someone was watching over us for sure.

Saturday morning we made our way around town. We passed by the Sommet Center (we learned that the correct pronunciation is soh-may), and across the street we saw a crowd gathering. It wouldn’t have been unusual, but the rest of the city was still asleep at 9:30am, so they stood out. Turns out they were waiting for the Dallas Stars to emerge from their hotel and go across the street to practice at the Sommmayyy Center. I only know Mike Modano by face, so we hung around until we saw him. No sign of any Preds, unfortunately.

By nightfall, we were jacked for the game. We brazenly donned out Rangers jersey (I wanted to make sure Jed could see us during warmups). When I planned this trip back in November, I knew it was risky – in the three months leading up to our trip, Jed could have been a) traded, b) scratched, or c) injured. At this point, we could only rule out a and c, but b had been happening often lately, so we had to wait and see if he was dressed.

When #41 hopped out on the ice, I was downright giddy. We were standing behind the corner facing the blue line, and I KNOW he saw me. How could he miss two blue Rangers jerseys among all the Preds jerseys? I KNOW he saw me!!!

The whole package that was “the game” was more like a small-scale circus. I don’t know about places, but the games that I’ve been to (MSG, NJ, Philly) don’t have much of a show except for the game itself. Maybe it’s an attempt to drum up business in a previously non-hockey market, but let me tell you, I didn’t expect this. Right before the puck was dropped, the Jumbotron played a cartoon of a giant cat pouncing all over Nashville “preying” on its divisional opponents. Then a big cat head was lowered from the ceiling and the players came through it as they entered the ice. There’s also the mascot that dropped from the rafters swinging on a cable, the ice girls (not on skates, surprisingly), goal girls (who were on skates and entertained us as the band played in between periods), a flying cat that dropped stuff, and Fang Fingers: a gesture that Preds fans are supposed to make – at the direction of the announcer – when the Preds go on the power play. I must live a sheltered life. But what did I care? Jed was playing!!!

My Jed-inspired giddiness was to be short-lived. Halfway through the first period, Jed sustained a crushing blow against the boards. He hobbled off the ice and that was the last I saw of him. To top it off, they Preds got shelled 6-3. The fans were merciless to Modano. We topped the night off with a couple of cold ones, and the prepped for our early flight the next day.

So that’s my long-winded story. All in all, we had a good time, and I got to see my boy Jed play, at least for a little while. We’d do it again – that is if Jed is still playing there next season.

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Wake Me When It’s Over

Please – just tell me it’s a bad dream. I’ll be waking up any minute now, and it will be the day after Christmas, and the Rangers will be embarking on a 3-game winning streak.
What’s this? Ryan Hollweg scored tonite? Twice? Okay, I’m definitely dreaming.

Ahh…I hear music…hmm hmm hmm…wait – that’s my alarm. Oh crap – I have to get up for work. So maybe it was all a dream. To the internet!!

Dammit…dammit dammit DAMMIT!!! What the hell is happening to my team??? Their only goals (all 2 of them) were scored by the fourth line? So it wasn’t a dream – Ryan Hollweg really did score not only his first, but also his second goal of the season! Way to get that monkey off your back, Holly! The bad part is that the overpaid alleged goal scorers are sucking wind! We had such high hopes for them this season, and they’ve been all but dashed. That’s five straight losses, and two straight games with blown leads. Hello, anybody home?

It’s just a slump, right? All teams go through it at some point, right? Uggh. I hate slumps. I’m going back to bed.

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Happy Days are Here Again (Starting Next Season)

Finally! The NHL actually listened to those fans (myself included) who griped about the current format of the schedule: 80 interdivisional games, and 2, well, other...okay, it's not quite that drastic, but I've always thought it to be ridiculous to have some teams just never play eachother all season while teams in the same division played what felt like every other week.

It really hit home with me when this season's schedule resulted in the Central and Atlantic divisions never seeing eachother. The reason is two-fold: The Rangers would never play 2 original six teams (Chicago and Detroit), which is a travesty, and furthermore (I promised to always include my boy Jed in my posts), the Rangers would never play the Predators, which is now Jed's team. I was okay with him going elsewhere, as long as I could see him play at the Garden. That was not to be under the current format.

And what happens in the playoffs when teams play eachother for the first time because of this idiotic schedule? Makes no sense to me.

But alas - things are looking up. It was posted on the NHL website that a decision was reached by some high-exalted grand poohbah to have all teams play eachother at least once. I am one happy camper. Now, if we could just get rid of Bettman...

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It’s Meet the Rangers – part deux

This is the second in a series brought to you by Kerri and Christina (Lucky13).
Today’s episode: Brendan Shanahan

Currently #14 of the NYR, Brendan Shanahan holds a long NHL career that spans over 20 years and 5 franchises. He was the first round draft pick of the NJ Devils back in 1987, and he went on to play 4 seasons with them. He played another 4 seasons with the St. Louis Blues, 2 seasons with the Hartford Whalers (predecessors to the Carolina Hurricanes), and ten with the Detroit Red Wings. He has become known for his leadership, both on and off the ice, which helped him earn the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2003. This award also recognized his humanitarian contribution to the community. Brendan is an 8-time all-star, three-time Stanley Cup winner (with Detroit), and he also participated in the Olympics in 1998 and 2002 playing for Canada. He is one of only three players in NHL history to win an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year. He is also among the nine players who have 17 seasons of 20+ goals.

The Rangers acquired Shanahan when he signed as a free agent during the 2006 off-season. He was named an alternate captain and went on to become one of the leading scorers for the Rangers during the 06-07 season. Despite missing 15 games due to a concussion he suffered following a nasty collision with Philly’s Mike Knuble, Shanny notched several accomplishments during the season. These include registering 62 points, which ranked him 4th on the team in scoring. Among these were three SHGs, 14 PPGs, and three game-winning goals. He was also named the EC captain to the All-Star team, and he achieved his 600th career NHL goal in his Rangers home debut.

Christina: As is typical with me, I never give the benefit of the doubt to a newly-knighted Ranger if he has previously established himself as the opposition. Being that Shanny (took me a long time to get to calling him that – I started out calling him Brenda) was a Devil for 4 years, the hole was deep. It took me about two-thirds of the season to get past that and see him for the tremendous leader that he is. He’s no diva, and does nothing for me in the eye candy department, but I learned to love his reliability on the ice, and it was obvious that he had earned the respect of his teammates, especially the younger ones. I also admire the family man in him (I won’t get into the wife-stealing part – his wife was previously married to another NHLer) as he is Dad to 3 young kids. He is an older player by NHL standards, but he’s still feisty enough to step in and protect his team while maintaining his leadership. IMO, the “A” on his jersey should be replaced by the “C”.

Kerri: Shanny, Shanny, Shanny. What can I say? The man brought everything this team needed last season. Goals. Leadership. Grit. I love him so much I named my puppy after him. (I’m not sure if I should admit that in public; in any case, my Shanahan just turned 3 months!) On top of it, Shanahan sought the Rangers out. He came to us. I love every little bit of that story and I love every little bit Shanny brings. Now, he’s not perfect. Shanahan has struggled in the scoring department this season (in comparison to his usual self) and seems to shy away from contact more than usual. Although it might have been an unnecessary move at the time, I hope his fight with Ott (Stars) brings the grit back to Shanny, like he had last year. Jagr and Lundqvist brought this team from the dumps to glory, so I wouldn’t kick Jagr out of his (deserved) seat of Captain just yet, but Shanahan is the best A a team could ask for… and works well behind and along side our captain, never asking for the glory. I love this guy, almost as much as I’d love him to win just one more Cup… with the Rangers. :-P

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The Name Says it All

I felt compelled to chime in on the superstitions topic considering that my screen name is Lucky 13. Why, you wonder? Well, there are several reasons I’ve accumulated in my expansive lifetime, but it all boils down to this: Let me buck that superstition.

For starters, my birthday falls on the 13th day of the month, and yes, there were years in which it fell on the dreaded Friday the 13th (gasp!). Actually, one occurred during my senior year of high school, and it was the best ever, highlighted by a phone call from an old beau that I hadn’t heard from in over a year. I wore #13 on my team uniforms (didn’t bring me a whole lotta luck – no scholarships, but it didn’t hurt, either). I then went on to graduate 13th in my high school class. Coincidence? Probably, but it adds to the fun of the topic.

I also have a penchant for black cats. I’ve owned several in my lifetime, and they’ve constantly crossed my path, (especially at feeding time), and I’m still around to tell about it.

I love the fact that some airports don’t have a gate 13.

Since the Rangers have both won and lost when I’ve gone to see them play (despite my consistent efforts to take the same train to NYC, eat at the same place before the game, etc.), it’s hard for me to nail down the element of my routine that ends in a win. However, I will never attend a game without wearing my Rangers jersey. That is a deathwish.

Much to my chagrin, there aren’t many NY Rangers who’ve donned the #13.

Maybe Jed O. should try wearing a new number - he's not doing much lately, nor is his team.

So, a triskaidekaphobe I am not, but as far as what makes my Rangers win, I’ll believe anything.

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Excuse me - I'm having a puckbunny moment

I'm sorry, but I just had to share this photo. After mourning the pathetic loss my Rangers sustained to the previously winless Thrashers, I needed some eye candy, and boy did I find it. I still keep up with the happenings of my boy Jed, and there just happened to be a feature on him today on the Preds site. I saw this picture and nearly fell off my chair. Holy ripped abs (you can just tell through the underarmor).

I miss him in blue...

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Hockey Confidential - Hello from the NYC outpost!

Hi All! I have recently joined hlog on behalf of all female Rangers fans. I thought a good way to introduct myself would be to post my questionnaire. Here goes:

1. Where you're from, what you do - basic things.
Born and raised in NJ (but not to be mistaken as a stereotypical “Jersey Girl”), and being that this is the pharma hub of the country, I work here, too. Technically, I should be a Devils fan, but as fate would have it, that was not to be. Married to a fellow Rangers fan (would have been a deal-breaker if he wasn’t).

2. Your team and why you like them.
My team is and always will be the NY Rangers. Years ago, when my sister’s beau (now bro-in-law) would visit, he would put the NYR games on, and I watched with him. Didn’t take long for me to get hooked on the team and the game. Love their history (original 6), their tenacity, and their ability to continually acknowledge and reciprocate their fans’ loyalty. NY area fans are a tough bunch to please, but when you do, you are loved for life.

3. Your least favourite team and why?
Gotta be the Flyers, with the Devs and Isles tied for a close second. By nature, lovers of a NY team innately dislike any Philly team, and the ongoing rivalry on either side of the city fuels it even more.
4. Your favourite player of all time & now?
All time – has to be Don Maloney. The combo of the humble forward with the playmaker always works for me. For similar reasons, my current fave is Jed Ortmeyer. Even though he no longer wears blue, I can’t help but love his scrappy play and take-one-for-the-team attitude. I’ll be learning a lot about the Preds this season.

5. If you had to punch one hockey player or member of the NHL
organisation, who and why?
Tough call between Gary Bettman and Martin Brodeur, but I have to go with Marty. His lofty attitude and arrogance require a “Snap out of it” smack on the head.

6 What you'll be looking forward in this group blog.
Finally getting to hear from the female contingent of hockey fans who share my enthusiasm and appreciation of the sport and the players. I’m sure they’ll shed some light on my little corner of the northeast and enlighten me to the goings-on across the league. Hopefully I can return the favor.

7. What you don't like in general?
Phoniness, stupidity, men who feel that women should look perfect 24/7 while they sit around and feed their beer bellies.

8. What role do female fans play in keeping the game alive?
They maintain the balance and prevent it from becoming “a man’s sport”. More female players would likely arise from a strong female fan base, and dare I say, we may see more female leagues someday???

9. What role do female fans play in picking heroes for the community?
They bring a more sensible and less testosterone-driven approach to it, which opens it up for these heroes to become role models.


10. Hockey just isn't the same without...
All the divisions playing eachother. Don’t care much for that structure. All teams should meet at least twice a season.

11. If you were on a deserted island, which player would you pick to
stay with you?
Chris Chelios – the guy has been around the block, and probably has some great stories to tell.
12. Crosby, Ovechkin or Phaneuf (hey he tried!)?
Crosby – so I could take him to a bar and watch him drink shirley temples.

13. The player you'd like to take for a grand night out/a movie/a boring event?
Grand night – Sheldon Souray – he cleans up nice.
Movie – Jed Ortmeyer – any way I can to press the flesh with the cornhusker.
Boring event – Jed – ibid.

14. If you could make your own team, regardless of whatever players,
what would it be called and where will it be/how would it be like?
I think Maine needs a hockey team – the Maine Coon Cats – yeah that’s it. It would be for all us girls who grew up in towns where boys hockey wasn’t even that popular, let alone having a girls team available.

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