A Lot of Changes in New York

It’s been a busy summer for New York, now hasn’t it?

We had already dealt with several changes over the last season. Wade Redden, Aaron Voros and Marcus Naslund were new free agent additions (I hate Glen Sather), Lauri Korpikoski was a rookie, and Nik Zherdev was acquired last offseason via trade. Bye-bye to Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka, Sean Avery and Fedor Tyutin. During free agency, Nik Antropov was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second round pick, and Derek Morris was acquired for Nigel Dawes, Dmtri Kalinin, and (remember that thing about hating Glen Sather?) Petr Prucha. Artem Anisimov served as a call up when Blair Betts was taken out by that mean old Donald Brashear. And of course, Sean Avery made his triumphant return to the NHL- and the Rangers- after not-so-pretty remarks against his ex.

We also had a coaching change (HALLELUJAH!).

So we’ve had our fair share of changes throughout the year. I know changes are inevitable, and a lot of times, for the better. But how can you possibly continue to have passion for a team when changes won’t stop? I don’t know or understand this team. And it’s hard to root for a team you can’t recognize.

Don’t worry, though. We always still have the under producers of Wade Redden, Michal Roszvial, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. Because those are stupid, untrade-able contracts. No one will take Gomez for that salary….




Except of course for the Montreal Canadiens, who helped the Rangers start free agency off with a bang. Gomez and change was traded for Chris Higgins, a top defensive prospect, and change on June 30th. Now, I may love the New York Ranger, but I’m a Long Island girl. So seeing Smithtown native Higgins on the Rangers is a little bit like a dream come true for me. And even better, we get to dump Gomez’s huge salary off on the Canadiens.

I liked Scott. More, maybe, than most Ranger fans did considering he was raised and drafted by our hellish neighbors. But his contract, along with Drury’s and Redden’s, was so insane that it had the Rangers completely restrained by the salary cap. Being able to dump just one of those contracts is a huge step in the right direction. However, the Rangers lost some by dumping Gomez. Gomez, despite the fact that he didn’t live up to full potential in New York, was still the number one point-getter on the team. We needed a replacement.

So Sather goes out and signs… Donald Brashear?

The reaction throughout Rangerland was just not good. Brashear, who’s team just eliminated us from the playoffs, who fought Shanny in the center of MSG ice in what was probably the most memorable fight for the Rangers since the lockout, who was a Philadelphia Flyer, who just threw an extremely late hit on our Blair Betts and ended his season one game prematurely… THAT is the guy Sather signs to make all of our woes go away?

And clearly, that meant an end to good guy Colton Orr, who ended up signing with the Maple Leafs. Orr has really developed into a good fourth line player, one of the only things I will concede and give ex-Rangers coach Tom Renney credit for. It was a shame watching Orr walk out the door, and sign for cheaper than Brashear signed here. In my opinion, Orr is the better hockey player. And he has way more class than Donald Brashear.

The signing of Donald Brashear is the first time in a while that I can honestly say I don’t want to see this player in a Rangers jersey. Say what you want about Sean Avery; when Avery breaks someone’s face, maybe I’ll have a different opinion. But Brashear had bad blood with the Rangers, and a history of not playing clean. I can’t respect that. I just hope Brashear keeps his elbows down while he is in New York.

Along with Orr and Gomez, we also saw the departure of Freddie Sjostrom and Blair Betts, who were probably the best penalty killers in the entire league, and Paul Mara, who was probably my favorite Ranger after the trade deadline this season. Betts and Sjo were highly underrated. They were a huge part of the team defense, and the Rangers were top two in Pking all year thanks to their work. Mara stood up for his teammates at every chance he got. With the exception of Marc Staal, he was the only one on the blue line who really got physical. Mara was one of the few who looked like he cared 100% of the time. He also took a paycut because he wanted to be in New York. Really, who else on the Rangers would be willing to take a paycut, and then play their heart out all season? Sjo and Betts and Mara will all be missed.

In their places comes Ales Kolatik, Tyler Arason, and of course, Marion Gaborik. Although the Rangers aren’t expecting too much out of Tyler Arason, he did put up some points only two seasons ago and will probably center the fourth line. Ales Kolatik was signed to a three year deal, and will hopefully get a couple twenty goal seasons in New York. But the big name is obviously Marion Gaborik, who may or may not have groins made out of glass. Signing Gaborik obvious has some disadvantages, as the guy hasn’t been consistently healthy. However, Gaborik gives the Rangers their first real scoring threat since Jaromir Jagr. If Gaborik can stay healthy, the Rangers scoring problems will be significantly elevated.

For once, Sather signed a guy for major bucks who is actually worth those major bucks.

Having Gaborik definitely changes the complexion of the Rangers. We have our superstar that we were badly lacking last season. We have our game changer. But if Gaborik spends some significant time on the IR next year, we’re going to need some backup scoring.

In addition to Unrestricted Free Agents acquired over the deadline, the Rangers had some Restricted Free Agents they needed to take care of. Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Lauri Korpikoski, Nikolai Zherdev and Chris Higgins were all RFAs.

Korpikoski (aka the Korpedo) was shipped out to the Phoenix Coyotes for Enver Lisin. Lisin wasn’t a favorite of Wayne Gretzky’s, only seeing about forty games of action last season with a terrible +/- as a result, but has some tremendous offensive skills. I think it was unfortunate that the Rangers gave up Korpi. The kid wasn’t an offensive monster by any means, but he was very solid, especially in his own zone, and I can’t help but feel preferential towards home grown talent. Good luck to Korpi (and all the little Rangers Maloney is attempt to hoard) out in the desert.

Lisin himself was a RFA until the Rangers locked him and Chris Higgins up quickly.

Ryan Callahan filed for arbitration, although that was settled outside of court rather quickly, as did Nik Zherdev. Zherdev did make to court, which happened last Friday. He was award 3.9 mill.

About an hour ago, the Rangers decided to walk away from Z.

As disappointed as I am to see Zherdev’s potential walk out the door, there is no way Nik was worth that kind of money. Zherdev was lazy and temperamental, and disappeared completely in April. He had a difficult time earning ice time under John Tortorella, who asked for effort and energy only to receive none from Nik. It’s just a shame we get nothing for him.

But with Zherdev off the table, finally we understand the cap situation to sit down with Brandon Dubinsky and strike a deal, which is expected to happen right away now that arbitration is over. Dubinsky and Callahan should remain an integral part of this club, and hopefully Brandon can break out of his sophomore scoring slump.

Once Dubinsky is signed, the Rangers are still going to have a couple holes in their roster. Losing Morris and Mara leaves two empty slots on defense. And there is possibly one or two open roster spots up front.

Up front, Artem Anisimov, who had a strong break out season last year with the Hartford Wolfpack, is expected to make the team out of camp. On the blueline, Matt Gilroy (from Boston University, and another native Long Islander!) was signed and is expected to possibly get the nod to start the season with the Rangers. That leaves at least one defense spot available, meaning Corey Potter, Bobby Sanguinetti, Michael del Zotto, or Ryan McDonough (who came over from the Canadiens in the Gomez trade) will be fighting for that final spot.

The team certainly looks different than last year. Last year’s team had an emphasis on defense, molded like Tom Renney wanted. This year’s Rangers look much more like Tortorella wants; quick, aggressive, and with a more offensive punch. The team is so different it’s very hard to predict line mates and even how the team will play. But one things for sure; the Rangers just got a hell of a lot more exciting to watch. And for that reason alone, I’ll take the changes and learn to love this entirely new team.

And plus; anything's possible with Henrik Lundqvist.

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Tom Must Go

Last night, the Rangers lost to the Atlanta Thrashers on Adam Graves night. If I wasn’t so angry at New York for yesterday’s effort, I would probably discuss the last Ranger to wear #9 in more detail, but that must be saved for a later time.

Tom Renney must go.

Because I am not stupid. And the 19,000 people who fill MSG night in and night out, rooting for New York’s home team are not stupid either.

We see this lifeless team. This team with no drive, no personality, no attitude. It makes Rangers games dull and boring. It creates the quietest atmosphere at Madison Square Garden that I have ever seen or heard. It tears at the heart of fans who want excitement.

Where are you, though, Coach? You’re team looks lifeless out there, night in and night out. Oh, wait... You want them that way.

Tom Renney has managed to take any unique individualism and squash it in effort to create good defensive soldiers. He has damaged the confidence of his youth and forced these mindless drones into thinking that defense is the only way to play hockey.

Although, we have the best penalty kill, of course. Renney doesn’t stand for goals-allowed.


Here, here. I’m not trying to say defense isn’t important, or that a team shouldn’t play good team defense. However, a team has to be able to score, too. And this is a department in which the Rangers greatly lack.

Is it personnel, or is strategy? In some cases, personnel can really hinder a team from scoring goals; some teams just don’t have fire power. And in the Ranger’s defense, this team is lacking a sniper. A “go-to” guy. But don’t tell me, as Gomez plugs away with first unit powerplay time night in and night out, that his first powerplay goal of the season should have been only two weeks ago. Do not tell me that this is acceptable.

The powerplay, in general, is not acceptable. The powerplay does have to do with personnel, as well, however a lot of times a good strategy can override a team’s difficulty in scoring powerplay goals. For starters, members of a powerplay unit should MOVE.

This is elementary, Tom Renney.

And this powerplay also boasts the league leading shorthanded goals, with 13. I suppose the Rangers are aiming to break records this season.

Would a good coach allow 8 Two Many Men penalties to be called on their team in one season?

Although maybe the players would have a better time remembering their linemates if Renney didn’t create 31 different line combinations in the first 30 games. The Rangers managed fourteen separate combinations when they lost to the Boston Bruins a couple days ago… and that was only in the third period.

The Rangers have been guilty of “Not Enough Men” this season. How, you wonder? In December against the Calgary Flames, the Rangers played almost a full 30 seconds shorthanded during even strength. No one realized they were missing a player.

It’s mind blowing, really.

The Rangers attempt the same style of play game in and game out despite poor results. They do their best to prevent the other team from scoring, rather than try to score themselves. They send one player up to forecheck while the rest hang back to play solid D. They play “five in a picture” hockey. Amazingly, the Rangers still manage defensive breakdowns. It makes you wonder why Glen Sather signed offensive defensemen like Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin if his coach was looking for better defense, instead.

Do you know Ranger games are really boring? I haven’t found a better remedy for my own restlessness at night!

Nothing. Happens. For a full two periods, nothing happens, and I’m a personal fan of defensemen. Nothing thrills me more than watching future-Norris-winner Marc Staal take a man off the puck. However, watch the Ranger forwards dump the puck and change when they could be putting aggressive pressure on a goaltender kills me.

No wonder the Rangers make backups look like Vezina candidates.

I have long said I would rather my team lose than play like the Devils do. And I stand by that statement, as the Rangers become increasingly like their Jersey neighbors.

Without a doubt, I believe the defensive strategy that Renney employs is not only boring, but shortsighted and will not succeed in the playoffs. Renney plays for the shootout; and it just so happens that the Rangers boast a league-best eight shootout wins. After that 1-0 loss in Boston, Renney said during his postgame “with any luck, we’d still be playing.”

No, Mr. Renney. With any luck, your team wouldn’t have been shut out. With any luck, you’d have won the game in regulation.

Over the summer, the Rangers traded for Nik Zherdev. An enigmatic forward, Zherdev has cutesy moves and serious skills with the puck. And while Zherdev should play a responsible game, Ranger fans are collectively beginning to feel like Z has more to offer us. However, when Zherdev does get fancy, he finds himself benched for a shift or two.

He’s not the only one. Brandon Dubinsky has found himself in a serious scoring slump his sophomore year. When asked about it, Brandon said he needs to focus more on his defensive game and the offensive game will come. (I almost choked after hearing that statement.) But this statement comes after Dubinsky found himself benched during a game in which he “did not backcheck properly.”

The way I remember October, the Rangers were fun and Dubinsky and Zherdev found themselves on fire. When they scored, they jumped all over eachother and celebrated in a way AO would be proud of. That was, you know. Back when the Rangers were hot and won and won and led the conference.

But now? This team is lifeless, and they’ve brought Dubi and Niky down with them. And they’ve only been playing .500 hockey since.

This is not limited to this year. There are questions as to why Jaromir Jagr’s production fell off so severely, and to why Fedor Tyutin is enjoying much more success with the Bluejackets then he did with the Rangers.

On December 29th, the Rangers defeated the New York Islanders 5-4 at MSG on Versus, televised nationally. Fans everywhere across the United States got to see the game, and got to hear the message Ranger fans chanted over and over again throughout the third period.

“Pet-r Pruch-a.”

He was cheered for because he scored a goal. He was cheered for because he played with effort and emotion and hit guys twice his size again and again. This kid created something every single shift.

You know him. Petr Prucha.

Not ringing a bell?

Petr Prucha scored thirty goals his rookie season with the Rangers in 2005. Maybe you were all a big preoccupied with Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin to have noticed, but the Czech quickly became a fan favorite in New York despite his small size because of his work ethic, his smile, and his willingness to go to the net.

But Prucha doesn’t spend too much time on the ice anymore. The only player, with the exception of Henrik Lundqvist, to be cheered with a standing ovation this season, is a consistent healthy scratch.

Nothing that Tom Renney has done has hurt me personally, except for his treatment of Petr Prucha. It’s unwarranted. It’s not acceptable. And I worry Petr Prucha, my favorite hockey player, will find his way back to the Czech Republic during this offseason. After all, which one of your teams will want a smallish, single digit goal scorer?

Petr Prucha is so much more than that. Petr Prucha is energy. Petr Prucha is strength. Petr Prucha is heart. Petr Prucha draws penalties like no one else on the Ranger’s squad. And Petr Prucha could score goals, if Tom Renney ever gave him so decent ice time or some powerplay time.

Not like changing up the powerplay could hurt at all.

Yesterday, before the game that took the Rangers only 58 minutes to score in, right after a game in which the Rangers were shut out, Tom Renney had this to say about the former thirty goal scorer.

“With a guy like Pruch, it’s a matter of him getting in and being able to sustain it,” Renney said. “He’s not a big guy. For our needs, at least, a guy like Petr is good for a while and then it seems to dry up on him. Then I can get him back in again. The bottom line is it’s his size. It’s getting banged around, and then because of that, not being able to sustain what he can deliver over the period of more than four or five games. And that’s the dilemma that I have. And it’s too bad, because he’s a helluva guy.”

Firstly, this is the first time I have ever heard about Petr having a difficultly sustaining anything. In September, Renney told the world it was Prucha who was in the best condition. “First Pete needs opportunity, and he’s work hard enough and deserves the look,” Renney said. “He’s in phenomenal condition. One of the highest scorers ever (on the conditioning test). As a matter of fact, since I’ve been here this is the best testing of a Ranger team, and Pete’s at the top.” I have a hard time understanding how a guy who is in such good condition wears and tears so easily.

Secondly, I’ve seen all but one Ranger game this season. And Prucha is noticeable in every single game he plays, so I’m not sure how he’s not sustaining. He's certainly more noticeable than, say, Aaron Voros, except when Voros take a bad penalty (or four) a game.

Finally, this is a player who scored 50 NHL goals in his first two seasons in the NHL, with him suffering from a huge decrease in powerplay time and general ice time going into his second season.

The injustice to Prucha merits its own post. Actually, it merits its own blog, and I think I’ve essentially turned the blog I share with Lucky13 into Petr Prucha’s own cheerleading section.

I enjoy Prucha. He’s the most fun to watch play. He gives it his all. But at the end of the day, I want the Rangers to win.

And why is it so hard for Renney to see that Prucha helps this team win?

When Ranger fans chanted for Petr Prucha that night against the Islanders, they were saying something else, other than just that Prucha deserves a spot in the on that bench, not the pressbox, every single night.

They were saying that Tom Renney doesn’t deserve a spot behind that bench any longer.

The best thing I read regarding Prucha's... interesting... fourth NHL season came right after he scored his first goal, on December 3rd, against the Penguins, to force the team into overtime. The entire bench erupted like it was the greatest, most inspired goal that ever was scored. I'm not sure who said it, and I hope I'm not completely ripping someone off, but the statement just rang through me as the painful truth.

"Seems like the people on the bench have way more confidence in Prucha than the ones standing behind it."


Tom Renney needs to go.

Because of his questionable personnel treatment and confidence-killing decisions that has left Prucha saying “"I feel like I need points to stay in. The coach probably doesn't have much confidence in me to keep me in the lineup." Because I can’t stand to see that happen to a talent like Zherdev or Dubinsky or Artem Anisimov, who made his Rangers debut last night.

Because youth is held accountable while veterans get a free ride.

Because of the inability of the powerplay to score, or even create scoring chances.

Because of the number of shorthanded goals allowed and two many men on the ice penalties.

Because of the “play for the shootout” mentality.

Because of the defense-first system that sucks the life out of the Garden and creates mindless zombies out of hockey players.

On Friday, December 12th, 2008, as the Rangers approached signing Mats Sundin (lol, right?) it was pretty clear that Prucha would be the one to be waived or traded to make room for the Swede. The Hockey Rodent wrote a wonderfully sorrowful piece on Petr Prucha, for those of us who appreciated the chance to see him skate on Broadway. In his rant, Requiem (which means “a prayer for the souls departed”), he makes several good points about Prucha and his bench boss.

I watch the game for the entertainment. And when it stops being entertainment... then this becomes just another job. Prucha is entertaining. Nikolai Zherdev has the potential to be entertaining if only Renney would let the guy off his backchecking leash and allow a bit of cherry picking.

I just hate how he's so thoroughly sterilized this club and how he's converted virtuosos into robots. He's blanded the brand so much I feel as if I've crossed the Hudson River.

Prucha was a reliable break from the meat and potatoes. Admittedly dreadful on the backcheck. Yet his anarchistic attack dared give this club a modicum of personality. But no. Tom couldn't have too much of that.

Renney killed Prucha. And now he's killing Zherdev as well. And "yes". I'm angry.

I’m angry, too. I want my team back. My team with character. My team with personality. My team who actually seemed to care.

Fire Tom Renney.

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Happy Birthday Habs

Despite a week full of … unclassy… NHL behavior, it was a real highlight Thursday evening when the Montreal Canadiens proved they are one of the classiest franchises in the sport.

The New York Rangers came to town to help Montreal celebrate their 99th birthday on December 4th. Montreal kicked it old school with sweet jerseys that had their old “CA” logo (standing for “Club Athletique Canadien,” which the Habs were known as until the establishment of the National Hockey League). This is the start of the Canadiens’ centennial year, and if I do say so myself, it was great to see them kick it off with another Original Six team.

The classiest part of the event was when Montreal introduced Ron Greschner, Harry Howell, Brad Park, Rod Gilbert and Andy Bathgate. Because, just in case any of those names don’t ring a bell, those aren’t classic Canadien greats.

They’re Ranger greats.


Lafleur, Richard, Moore, Savard, Rousseau and Houle represented the Habs as the Canadiens had a pregame ceremony celebrating the Original Six rivalry and history between the two clubs. I’m expecting to see similar presentations for the other Original Six teams.

What a tasteful move by a class act.

Apparently, the Rangers thought the only way to repay them was to play the worst game they’ve played all season. Lundqvist said it was like an NHL team playing a non-NHL team. We wouldn’t want the Habs to lose on their birthday, would we?

No matter. Still a great move by a great organization. This fan appreciated it, anyway.

Happy Birthday Les Habitants.

Source.

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Rangers Men's Journal Photoshoot

With a story like this, of course it's imperative that the Ladies talk about it. Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Henrik Lundqvist, Wade Redden and Markus Naslund participated in a photoshoot for Men's Journal's December issue dressed in their finest suits and taking to the ice.

I'm sorry but when you put hockey and men in three piece suits together, which happen to be two of my favourite things in the universe, I don't know what one is supposed to do with oneself. You almost had me forgetting for a moment that they're Rangers and therefore evil. Very tricky, guys. Very tricky.

For the record, I totally had the same idea except the photoshoot was for Mode Magazine and Lundqvist would totally fall for Betty in an amusing multi-episode arc. Or something.

Oh and my vote goes to Naslund.

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The TOM RENNEY Quiz

Are you a good coach? Could YOU coach the New York Rangers? Take our quiz and find out!

:With a special shout out to Lucky 13 for her editing and pep talk.:

Note: These following situations are purely hypothetical.

Situation A:

Player P has always had one of the best work ethics on the team, and still is a bit of a fan favorite. He dives in for pucks, he creates chances in front of the net, and he works hard on the boards, but he had difficulty scoring last year. The Rangers will start the 2008-2009 season in Prague, Czech Republic his home country, but there are many similar type "fringe" players looking for a go. You need to decide who gets scratched. Do you…



A) Play Petr Prucha Player P! He works harder than anyone on the team, and how often will he get to play in front of his home crowd? The substitutes aren't better in any stretch of the imagination; they are almost like interchangeable parts anyway. If this third liner winger spot makes or breaks the team, the Rangers have more serious problems than we'd hope.

B) Play Player P, only after Ranger fans and beat writers throw a collective fit. Tell Player P he will be the healthy scratch, but then go back on it when some New York beat writers say how unclassy that move is.



Situation B:

You have always supported Defenseman M. Despite what the boo birds at MSG, Defenseman M (usually) makes good plays and is a part of the Rangers first pair defensemen, so he's playing against the best of the best night in and night out. After being a healthy scratch for a couple games, and is never told why he was being scratched in the first place, he finally gets back in the lineup. One game later, Marek Malik Defenseman M gets scratched to let Jason Strudwick play in front of his home crowd (but notice how Player P in Situation A almost didn't get the same courtesy). In anger, Defenseman M doesn't shake your hand after the game. Do you…

A) Get over it. The guy is frustrated, and really, who wouldn't be with the way Ranger fans treat him? He's been having a rough go, and you really didn't give him a fair description on why he was sitting. A handshake is no big deal.

B) Freak. Scratch him for the next few games due to "insubordination." Let the media have a field day with asking questions and trying to get inside "the drama" which is the New York Ranger locker room.



Situation C:

Matt Cullen Center C comes to you from the previous Stanley Cup champions via free agency. He scored a career high 25 goals with his previous team, mostly from goals scored on the point on the power play. He isn't playing the point here, but New York's power play is struggling. Do you…

A) Put Center C on the point! He had much success there with Carolina the Stanley Cup Champions. It's worth a shot!

B) Don't put Center C on the point. Because the Rangers normally only play defensemen on the point. Center C never works out with the Rangers, and gets traded back to Carolina.



Situation D:

All Star S is a brilliant hockey player. He has an amazing shot, over 600 goals, and is considered a great leader, although he was never the best skater. He signs with the Rangers over free agency from the Detroit Red Wings another Original Six team, where he won a couple Cups. After a year, it is clear All Star S is feeling his age; being 38 in the NHL might do it to you. Put that with a serious concussion after a run in with Mike Knuble , and Brendan Shanahan All Star S is looking pretty tired. Do you…

A) Limit All Star S's time. Don't play him on the PK, because the Rangers have a great PK with a lot of capable players. Maybe give him a couple days rest. The Rangers need him in tip-top shape when we get to the playoffs.

B) Play All Star S on the power play, the penalty kill, and give him second line minutes. Watch his point production drop and drop as the Rangers struggle to get goals. Maybe if you increase his penalty time, he'll score more goals?



Situation E:

My boy Prooks Player P is back. He was a rookie in 2005-2006, right after the lockout, where he posted 30 goals, 16 of which came on the power play. When Shana... I mean, All Star S signed with the Rangers over the off season, Player P lost some valuable ice time, and some PP time. Player P still pots 22 goals. In his third season, the Rangers power play is dismal. His goal scoring struggles have continued, and is given no power play time. The power play doesn't get better; it might even get worse. There is no production. Do you…

A) Try Player P on the power play again. The kid needs some confidence, and some PP time might get him going. Nothing could hurt this awful power play. He had a lot of success there before, let's see him get going again.

B) Don't put Player P on the PP. Don't do… anything. Keep banging those square pegs into the round holes. Watch the power play suck all season. Watch Player P rot on the bench, watch him not produce, and watch his trade value plummet.



Situation F:

The New York Rangers can't score. Do you…

A) Push a more aggressive forecheck! Dump and chase, use scott Gomez for what you pay him 7 million dollars to and have him carry it up ice alongside speedy wingers who can keep up (READ: Not Jaromir Jagr or Brendan Shanahan). Keep the pressure down low. Don't forget about defense, but being in the offensive zone is the best defense. And mix up the god-awful PP, please!

B) Don't change the PP, but shuffle lines constantly. Keep telling them to play better defense. Because it's more of a problem if you let in a goal, then it is that you can't score more than one. Goal: To win every game, 1-nothing. Make Rangers fans look like hypocrites after all their years of blaming the Devils for everything wrong with the NHL.



If you picked mostly A… you're me.

But congratulations if you picked mostly B's! You're Tom Renney! You are a coach who many players love because of the respect you show them. You are a really, really nice guy, who likes defense way more than offense. You play favorites, and like to give the fourth line of the offensive dynamo's Colton Orr and Blair Betts power player time. Veterans get more ice time than goaltenders, and you enjoy low goal against averages. You don't enjoy scoring any more goals then necessary, and you'll hold the team back from forechecking just to "take the point" for overtime. (Forget that you're also GIVING a point). And beware if your name is Petr Prucha, Tomas Polk, or anyone else who might not be on Tommy's good side; you'll learn to look good in a suit and tie.

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Hockey mourns Cherepanov

I am sadden to spread word that New York Rangers 2007 draft pick, 19 year old Alexei Cherepanov, passed away during a game with Avangard Omsk of the KHL, in Moscow earlier today.

“We are extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Alexei," said Glenn Sather, Rangers general manager. "On behalf of the New York Rangers organization, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family. Alexei was an intelligent, energetic young man, with tremendous talent and an extremely bright future."

The Rangers had plans to sign Cherepanov to a deal to come to the NHL has soon has he finished out his contract with Omsk, set to expire at the end of this season.

Cherepanov collapsed during the third period of the game, while he was sitting on the bench, due to an apparent heart attack. His coach and other spectators said didn’t notice any on ice event which could have triggered his heart to stop. Because it was so close to the end of the game, the ambulance (which usually is there for the duration of the game) had already left. There are also questions about the medical equipment available, such as whether defibrillators at the arena where in good and updated condition. Medical personnel at the arena tried to get his heart started in the parking lot, waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

If that is the truth, this tragedy becomes a bigger shame. If that is true, if safety regulations weren’t properly being followed, then the Rangers needlessly lost their 1st round draft pick, hockey needlessly lost a talented prospect, and a family needlessly lost their son, and instead of planning for a wedding and for fatherhood and for Stanley Cup rings, they will be planning a funeral. It’s sickening.

Jaromir Jagr, who signed with Omsk over free agency, had been working hard with Cherepanov to get him ready to come over and play for the Rangers. Cherepanov said Jagr excited him to play in the NHL, and for the New York Rangers. Jagr had become “almost like another coach.”

Alexei Cherepanov had 8 goals and 5 assist in the first 12 games of this KHL season. He was picked 17th overall in the 2007 draft, and only so low due to concerns about the NHL’s ability to get him out of the KHL, with there being contract issues between the two leagues. He scored in the first period of today's game, as well.

"He was close to a complete package," said Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting. "Very fast skater. He was a goal scorer and a passer.

"I think he could have been a big spectator favorite because he was that kind of player. Sometimes you could hardly notice him, but on one shift, he could do unbeliveable things with the puck -- passing, shooting, skating, extremely skillful. A finesse player with a capital 'F.'"

On behalf of HLOG, Ranger fans, and hockey fans in general, I want to extend my deepest sympathy to Alexei Cherepanov’s family, friends, and teammates. Nineteen is just too young to go, especially over a game. He had too bright of a future, and too much left to accomplish. Cherepanov will be missed, even by a league which he never got to play in, and even by a team whose sweater he never got to wear.

*On edit, there seems to be reports surfacing that Jaromir Jagr was somehow involved in the death of Alexei Cherepanov due to an accidental collision between the two teammates. If this is the case, my heart goes out to Jagr during this hard time. The irony and the tragedy is unbearable. He was working so hard to get Cherepanov here, only saying wonderful things about the Rangers organization... Jagr was his hero, and they were mutually thrilled to play with one another. Although it is just speculation at this time, I hope there is little truth to this rumor, and that even accidentally, nothing had a hand in the unfortunate death of such a young talent besides an undisclosed medical condition.

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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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Victoria, but no Stanley

The first ever Victoria Cup winners are set to have an interesting season. Firstly, they open the season this upcoming Saturday (FINALLY!) against the Tampa Bay Lightening in Prague, Czech Republic. They also have a number retirement ceremony, when Adam Graves #9 will hang from Madison Square Garden’s rafters. But there’s no sitting pretty this year; this Rangers team will need to buckle down and fight for every single point they earn.

Let’s break it down, shall we?


MAJOR LOSSES:

Jaromir Jagr- All I can say is thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Because without you, Rangers hockey would still be irrelevant. That said, we’ll also miss Jagr’s point production. Badly. Although the Powerplay will be happy to see him and the Rangers' east-west mentality go. What a shame, though, for the NHL to lose a player like Jagr. Love him or hate him, his talent isn't replaceable.

Brendan Shanahan- Is he a Ranger, will he not be a Ranger, who knows? Shanahan is much too old for this in my opinion, but the old man still has a great shot. In the right, limited role, I’d want him back. He’s up in the air at this moment, but still practicing at the NYR Facilities. Whatever that means.

Martin Straka- Injury-prone towards the end of his career, but Straka still put up big points and his production and leadership will be missed on the ice.

Sean Avery- Oh, Avery. I wish he was still a Ranger. But realistically, Dallas is CRAZY to sign that man to a four year, limited trade clause deal. I love what he brings, but he’s scary on a long term basis. There is a reason he’s seen so many teams in a short time period.

MAJOR ACQUISITIONS:

Markus Naslund- This thirty five year old winger scored 25 goals last season on Vancouver, and was a pick up during free agency for the Rangers. Naslund has had sliding numbers over the pass few seasons, and came to the Rangers to play “a more open system.” I’m not sure if there is something in the Vancouver water, but the Rangers are surely not an open, offense first team. Whereas age is a concern, Naslund should score some key goals for the Rangers.

Wade Redden- Part of the collapsing Ottawa team last year, there is concern that Redden won’t be able to work well in New York, where public pressure rivals all but Montreal and Toronto. Redden was signed for too much money and too long, and his preseason as been less than stellar. New York will give him a break… for a game or so. Then he needs to pick this up. In other news, he got married over the summer. Look for “Danica and Wade.” Just wow.

Nikolai Zherdev- This winger has had some coaching trouble, but he did score 26 goals last season and have 35 assists. He’s quite the talent; I have already enjoyed watching his stick handling ability. But Nik, if you don’t shoot, and if you have an attitude problem, expect booing. Ranger fans have no mercy.

The problem is that these acquisitions to not even begin to make up for what we lost.


OFFENSE:

The Rangers need help. Scotty Gomez and Chris Drury have been working well together as Chris has moved to wing, but neither put up huge numbers last year nor usually have. Worth 7 million dollars? No, but both are good teammates. If Shanahan doesn’t sign, Drury will probably be named Captain. Naslund and Zherdev help in the goals department, but the Rangers need a lot of goals to come from elsewhere, meaning their last two lines. If Tom Renney was a smarter coach, he would make the fourth line more offensive then it is currently designed as. More likely, however, we will see a very defensive, checking and fighting fourth line. Typical line formation in hockey, but considering these men are so offensive inept they probably won’t score 5 goals all together this season. The Rangers need to rely more on young players like Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha, all whom are talented but probably will not put up the numbers the Rangers need. Hopefully those four will pick up some icetime, in particular Petr Prucha. If the kid gets some confidence back, his 25 goals of the past maybe become the future. Ryan Callahan will need to take over some of the grit lost by Sean Avery. Can he do it? No. But Cally's a tough kid, and I want to see more of him.

Any Bright Spot? Although Zherdev might have some difficulty in New York, he should shine. Lauri Korpikoski is the rookie in town, and he has had a brillant preseason. And Brandon Dubinsky is a star. He will take the NHL by storm in the next year or so, and I can’t wait.

DEFENSE:

Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin… well, there could have been worse pick ups, but they both don’t address the Rangers serious need for a true number one defensemen. They're a bit scary with the puck. Dan Girardi will hopefully continue to improve, and Paul Mara might get some more icetime to show off that impressive shot of his. Michal Rosival should have a good season as long as he shoots the puck and stays healthy. Make no doubt about it though; this team may have a shaky defensive core, but because of the defensive system the Rangers (unfortunately) play, it will be hard to score on New York.

Bright Spot? Marc Staal. He may not be the best Staal right now, but it could be argued Eric might have something to worry about. Staal has a great shot, and is near perfect positionally. I can’t wait to see him grow into that number one defenseman that the Rangers haven’t had since Brian Leetch.

GOALTENDING:

I can’t tell if the Rangers have the best goalie in the league or the most frustrating, inconsistent one. Henrik Lundqvist led the league in shutouts last year with 10, and had a good save percentage of .912. Although he was nominated for the Vezina for his third time in his third season, Lundqvist remains awfully inconsistent and has difficulty handling the puck. If Lundqvist plays well, the Rangers will make the playoffs despite their problems scoring. If Lundqvist has his headache problems again this year, though, Lundqvist might become MY headache.

PREDICTIONS:
Rangers just squeak into playoffs, in 7th or 8th seed. Out first round. Sorry, boys. Not enough offensive firepower even more limited by a coach who thinks defense first way too often, and an inconsistent goalie could spell trouble.

But let’s go Rangers, anyway.

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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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Darling Brendan,

We’re at a breaking point.

It’s really hard to say this, considering all we’ve been through. I mean, I loved you from afar for so long. (Detroit is far, no?) I didn’t think you’d ever even look our direction. But there you were, to my surprise, asking for us.

Can I even express to you how happy I was? I don’t think I can. I was thrilled beyond thrilled that you wanted to be here. And you were everything I thought you would be; exciting and strong and brave. Plus, you’re quite handsome for your age.


Remember that time when you took on Donald Brashear? Every part of me loved you right then. You were one of us, and you would do anything for us.

I’m getting off track. I’m reminiscing about the past when I should be focused on the future. Our future.

You’re just not the same. You’re not the way you used to be. You’re not as strong. You’re not as brave. I know you’ve had some injuries, and I know you were never the best skater, but sometimes it looks like you’re just standing still. You can’t keep up and it’s no one’s fault but time’s. Don’t we deserve more than that, though? Look past the blame and the pointing fingers and accept this reality. You shy away from contact! I’m a red-blooded girl, I need some contact. Relationships don’t work that way.

The truth is… there is someone else. I’m so sorry. We have new wingers, Brendan. I’m really sorry, it just happened. I mean, Naslund wanted us as much as we wanted him. Zherdev… I mean, could you pass up that trade?! And Prucha and Dawes and Callahan are growing up, and they’re ready. And they don’t cost much, either.

You know I’m a Prucha fan. He was just so cute, and he scored thirty goals his rookie season! He lost our attention when you came. He dropped back a couple lines. He lost his ice time. His goal production decreased. He disappeared. Are we going to let him continue to regress? Are we going to watch it happen to others we could have had happy relationships with?

Please don’t be mad. I’ll always have a soft spot for you. I’ll always appreciate you.

There have just been so many changes. I’m different, you’re different; the team is different. So please retire. Please! We can’t take you back, but I can’t stand to watch you with another team. I’m a jealous girl and I can’t watch someone else claim you as theirs.

If you come to training camp, I’ll be there to support you. I’ll root for you.

I want to you to have third line minutes and power play time. That’s it. It’s the way it has to be. But it won’t be that way, will it? You’ll ask for more, and Renney will stupidly give it to you, and we’ll be back at square one. Do we even have the cap room for you? But I’d rather you just retire. Hang up your skates and say goodbye to the NHL rather than play for some other team, just like Jagr did. Jagr retired a Ranger. Please retire a Ranger.

So this is it. It’s my goodbye, regardless of where you end up come October. I still love you. A part of me will always love you. But I need to move on, for me. For the Rangers.

Goodbye, Brendan Shanahan.

P.S. Just hurry up and make a decision already. You’re killing me, darling.

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Franchise Players: The King and the Captain

What is a franchise player, really?

This is an important question to the current New York Rangers, a team which saw a complete overhaul in personnel over this off season. I’m personally at a loss. I can’t even begin to predict, I’m mostly just confused and overwhelmed by the mass amount of change.

There are a few Rangers from my childhood I can point to and call true “franchise” players. Mike Ritcher spent his whole career in Ranger blue. Brian Leetch spent most of his career as Rangers, although left towards the very end. (Ranger fans still have bitter feelings when reminded of Leetch’s time in Toronto and Boston. The man was the greatest true blue, drafted Ranger perhaps ever, and we traded him for a prospect currently playing in Russia because he couldn’t take to the NHL. Slow or old is beside the point, the first American to win a playoff MVP deserved more. G/M Glenn Sather still hears it from the New York media and fans alike.)

Can franchises share a player?


Arguably, Mark Messier resides as an Edmonton Oiler. Five Stanley Cups, playing along side a monster of a team which became a dynasty. On the other hand, Messier’s first tenure in New York is marked by the teams very first Stanley Cup in half a century. (Thus the“19-40” chants.) Should Messier not be considered a franchise player to New York despite the turn around he helped cause? Messier is New York’s Capitan, and his importance to this organization is unparalleled.

Speaking of turnarounds, what about Jaromir Jagr, who just left New York for Russia (despite my tears)? Three and a half seasons can’t justify the determination of a player being a “franchise player.” Clearly Jagr belongs to the Penguins, and he wasn’t even in New York all that long. But what is clear is what Jagr meant to the Rangers while he was here. He owns the franchise scoring title, and literally carried the team on his back to their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. He captained this team; and most importantly, New York is not a joke anymore. We have Jagr to thank for Shanahan, Gomez, Drury, Naslund, and Redden, and the fact that they aren’t here for an easy paycheck, but to work and grow and take this team somewhere. They are here to win.

Jagr took a laughable team (predicted thirty out of thirty, the list of which he posted inside his locker as motivation) and took them to the playoffs and restored the Rangers to honor. Messier took 50 years of heartache amongst New Yorkers and ended it with a bold predication of victory, outstanding leadership and unparalleled performance. They accomplished great things elsewhere… but can we share them, please?

Currently, the Rangers are attempting to build their franchise around Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, who have both seen other teams and wear other teams’ Stanley Cup rings, not to mention they have only played one full season on Broadway. We have some young guys, too, but none of which have played several seasons. The Rangers with the most experience “being Rangers” include 26 year olds Petr Prucha (who doesn’t even see consistent ice time) and Henrik Lundqvist.

Ah, and we get to Henrik Lundqvist. Since Mike Ritcher, the Rangers have not had a franchise goaltender. When Ritcher received a skull fracture, his hockey career came to a sudden stop. The Rangers had thought they had found a decent backup, a high round draft pick named Dan Blackburn. Blackburn was a pretty good goalie, although not our Ritcher. But when he fell to a sudden and surprising shoulder injury and was never able to recover fully, the Rangers were goaltender-less.

Our franchise player wasn’t a first (or second, or third) round draft pick. Lundqvist was picked in the 6th round and was never expected to make the waves he has. After the lockout, the Rangers began their season with Kevin Weekes as the starting goaltender. Henrik eventually earned that spot, and a whole lot more. It was clear Lundqvist had great talent and a great competitive spirit. (His icy blue eyes don’t hurt his case, either. Chicks dig Henrik.)

It is also clear that “King Henrik” would be our franchise player. Lundqvist is one of the most dominating goalies in the league. He led the league in shutouts last season and is at the very top of most goaltending stats. He has managed to be nominated for the Vezina trophy all three years he has played in the NHL, and most importantly, he keeps the Rangers competitive every night.

The most blatant example of a franchise player that I can think of right now is Rick DiPietro who was signed to a fifteen year deal by the New York Islanders. Besides that example, only players the caliber of Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin will remain as franchise players as they were once known. The salary cap helps prevent this, as does longer contracts handed out on July 1st. It’s doubtful we’ll see more “dynasties” such as the Islanders, Canadiens, or Oilers once were, as the salary cap also prevents this. Teams will not stick together as they once did, and the league will continue to be much closer in the standings.

But franchise players will continue in a different sense. In the sense that free agents are being handed longer and more expensive contracts. In the sense that the most talented players will always be the number one target of the teams they were drafted by. And in the sense that Messier was everything to New York, and in the sense that Jagr changed Ranger hockey at least for the immediate future, franchise players will continue to exist. And the most I can hope for is that our “new franchise players” of Gomez, Drury, Redden and most importantly, Henrik Lundqvist, carry their franchise as far as they can.

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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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Order in the Court; NHL v MSG

Could the Rangers have a shaky future?

My two favorite people, Gary Bettman and James Dolan, are at it again.

Without getting into the frivolous details, of which you can read about all over the Internet, the NHL is suing the owners of the Rangers, Madison Square Garden, over a lawsuit brought about by MSG last September. As you all know, every team website looks exactly the same. They have the same layout, and the same features. The NHL runs this with little input from the individual franchises.

This upset MSG. The Rangers owners felt as if they can better market the team with their own fully functioning website without the mass “cookie cutter” appeal the current situation brings. So MSG sued the NHL last year to get the rights to their website, claiming the NHL was acting like a trust/monopoly/etc. Courts ruled in favor of the NHL, and thus rangers.nhl.com was born.

Angry at the organization for suing them last September, the NHL got as sue-happy as MSG and is suing back. Only, the implications are much greater than matching scrollbars on websites. Claiming that MSG breached the NHL’s Constitution, the NHL wants to show MSG who is boss. Unfortunately for the Rangers, there are many possible consequences for their bad behavior. “A vote of three-quarters of the members of the league can decide to issue fines, suspend or terminate membership in the league, order a sale of the club to a new owner or suspend or expel individuals involved in the team's management.”


http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/20565284.html?page=2&c=y

Fines I can deal with. The rest of it brings infinite amounts of problems.

The odds that this gets worked out with fines only are the most probable scenario. I’m OK with this scenario. I agreed with MSG last September, because I do believe the Ranger organization can do a better job marketing itself then the NHL can. “Cookie cutter” websites take away from the differences between the teams… and the more alike we become the harder it is to see the blurred lines of 30 different franchises. However, MSG does like to flex its muscles, and it’s unfair to the other 29 teams in the league. If we’re going to have cookie cutter websites, the Rangers can’t be different. Suing the National Hockey League wasn’t the smoothest move in Ranger history.

But really, was there ever a smooth move? One Cup since 1941, just saying.

The way I see it, Bettman and Dolan have a lot in common. They like money. They like basketball and hockey because that brings them money. They like power. They could have talked this over lunch, and not only could they have resolved the website issue, they could have raised Ranger ticket prices AGAIN, which could have made them more money. But instead, Bettman got all bent out of shape and started fining the Rangers $100,000 a day that they didn’t change their website. So MSG got ticked and took them to court. Both parties were acting a bit outlandishly over close-to-nothing.

This will end in fines. However, I want to take a look a different scenario. A hypothetical possibility. Read the quote again. “A vote of three-quarters of the members of the league can decide to issue fines, suspend or terminate membership in the league, order a sale of the club to a new owner or suspend or expel individuals involved in the team's management.”

Our options are limited to fines, sale of the club, or termination of membership in the league. Awesome.

Termination of membership in the league.

An improbable option would be the sale of the New York Rangers from Cablevision/MSG/the Dolan Empire. This would be the option if this takes a turn for the worse. But who really cares? The franchise continues, the NHL is happy, and we’re good to go.

Wrong. The person/company/whomever buying the Rangers couldn’t pick them up and send them to Winnipeg or Kansas City. They need to stay in New York. Will the Rangers be able to play in Madison Square Garden if they are ripped from MSG’s hands? Doubtful. So where do the Rangers play? You can’t exactly just build an arena in the middle of New York. How soon could you build an arena, even if a black hole opened up right above Manhattan and made a clearing for your brand new arena? Where would the Rangers play in the meantime? Share home ice with their good friends Lou Lamoriello or Charles Wang?

The Rangers, the Devils and the Islanders are currently broadcasted locally on MSG and MSG plus television stations. Sure, the new Ranger owners could strike a deal with the Yankee network YES or the Mets network SNY. But since the owners of the Rangers and MSG own Cablevision, the only available cable provider for parts of New York, could life become more difficult for broadcasting not only Ranger games, but Islander and Devil games as well?

Worse news for Rangers fans yet is that some people actually think the NHL could do OK without their most profitable American market, as they could send an expansion team to New York and find an arena in Brooklyn, which could be split with the returning New Jersey York Nets, or worse, split the Prudential Center with the New Jersey Devils. http://www.thestar.com/article/446522

It won’t happen. Fines are most likely. This could even be settled out of court. But termination is a plausible threat. Termination of the franchise! New York would be angry. Hockey traditionalists would be angry. Fans would be angry. It makes me angry this was even mentioned.

Would New York accept a new hockey team? Could we learn to love them? Could I?

It won’t happen. Over a stupid website? It can’t happen.

Would 2/3’s of the Board of Governors ever agree to kicking out any franchise, never less an Original 6 team that makes more profits than very other team besides the Maple Leafs?

But since when was this about the fans, anyway? And with Gary Bettman and James Dolan, will it ever be?

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Avery Rules

I just wanted to come out and say, even though I’m a Ranger fan, I find what Sean Avery did on Sunday night against the Devils unbelievable and in poor taste. I clearly think the “correct” option would be to kick Avery out of the league because of this thoughtless and rude act.

Brodeur was perfectly justified in his shots to Avery’s groin with the stick, and to Avery’s face with his glove. I would have done the same thing. Brodeur, after all, is a perfect example of class. He never over exaggerates (thus is never unsportsmanlike). He takes tiny bumps like a man. Why Avery decided to treat Martin Brodeur, one of the most respected goaltenders in the league, with such disrespect, I will never understand.



The Devils in general, have led the way in class with this series in particular. Parise and Langenbrunner didn’t throw their sticks in the hallway out of anger over an icing call (which, sarcasm aside, was clearly a wrong call). Madden didn’t follow the refs, screaming his brains out. There isn’t a recorded clip of a Devil yelling to Ryan Callahan “You’re a F---ing B----,” that was shown on the VS telecast. Lundqvist hasn’t received snow shower after snow shower. That’s why I feel so bad for Marty. Avery won’t leave him alone, but no one is crashing Lundqvist’s net.

That was clearly the most embarrassing thing that could have happened to the NHL. Chris Simon’s hit on Ryan Hollweg doesn’t hold a candle to what Avery displayed on that 5-on-3. It was clearly childish and immature.

In hockey, there are some unwritten rules that everyone in the league, besides Sean Avery, follow. This is because hockey players are held in such high regard for their class, on and off the ice. Hockey players don’t throw late checks. They don’t board or charge opposing players. They never –ever- lead with their elbows. Hockey players NEVER use their stick or their skates as a weapon. I have personally never seen a hockey player take a cheap shot and go for the knees. Hockey players may fight, but they fight gracefully. No one ever sucker punches. There is no history of players jumping into stands, fighting fans. This doesn’t exist in this perfect hockey world.

This is the thing I hate about Sean Avery, and the reason I wish he was off my team even though he happens to lead the team in postseason goals. Avery doesn’t go for knees. He doesn’t lead with his elbows. He isn’t called for boarding (any more often than the next guy). He does it with his mouth. His facial expressions. He waves his stick.

I applaud the NHL for taking immediate action. Clearly, this is so important this needed to be taken care of right away, regardless of the fact that we’re in the middle of a playoff series, and that this is probably just an isolated incident. Thank God the NHL had the audacity to change the rules half way through a playoff run. Otherwise, we’d have to deal with Sean Avery screening a goaltender while facing him and waving his stick in his face, for at least another three games. ::shudder:: The horror!!!

Mark Recchi said he wouldn’t do what Avery did, even to win game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. I know the great hockey men in the hall would agree. Mark Messier and Scott Stevens come to mind. They wanted to win, but they wouldn’t do ANYTHING to win. Very clean players, those two. Eric Lindros would vouch for it.

I know changing rules in the middle of a playoff series probably could get some people annoyed, and they would say the proper way to go about this would be to wait until the off season, and then discuss this with the board of governors and the Player’s Association. But this needed action, and it needed action immediately. And we all thought Bertuzzi and Simon were the disgraces to the league! I would add Pronger, but he doesn’t MEAN to step on people on purpose. No real talented defensemen would do that.

The moral here is that Sean Avery is a bad man. He is the most overrated despite his team-leading three goals! and hated despite not playing to hurt like some other players do player in the league, with good reason. Kick Sean Avery out of the league and return this mid-season rule-changing league to dignity!

Argue with me all you want. Sean Avery deserves his own rule for facing a goalie to screen him. Plus, I really like the new rule. I don’t think you should be able to screen a goalie if you’re not trying to make a play even though Hockey 101 teaches children to screen the goaltender. In fact, let’s take screening out all together.

I can’t wait until someone gets called for this new penalty! And we all know who it will be because the rule is made especially and only for him, and if someone else actually gets called for it, I'll be floored.

Thank you, Canadian media, for again blowing everything out of proportion. And thank you, NHL. America will respect you even more than they already do read: they don't for your random rule changing and overreacting to what is probably an isolated incident.

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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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Avery's Hooked

Unless you live under a rock, you know that New York State was just in the middle of serious political disarray when Governor Elliot Spitzer was forced to resign after allegations that he was involved in a prostitution scandal, with implications of possible money laundering and other serious criminal activities. I *apple* New York and all, but our state is one large political mess, and this is the icing on the cake for a state who hasn't passed their budget on time 20 out of the past 21 years.

If you watched the nationally televised game between the Rangers and the Penguins today, don't listen to Mike Milbury who is still on the Islanders payroll and who obviously has a problem with the Rangers. The biggest news coming out of Ranger camp has nothing to do with Jagr's inevitable return to the Russian Hockey League. Instead, it focuses on Sean Avery and his alleged involvement in a prostitution ring; in fact, one of the prostitution rings connected to Elliot Spitzer.

Sean Avery? In the middle of a biggest sexual political scandal since ... probably not too long ago, actually. But you catch my drift.

And I'm not shocked.

If this was any other player, this would be a horrifying scandal. An embarrassment to the Rangers, and to the National Hockey League. Most people, if confronted by news media that they were involved with a prostitute, not to mention one that helped destroy the political career of a governor... they would be quite defensive, or embarrassed, or annoyed.

Not Avery.

Avery laughed of the allegations as if they were nothing. “I certainly have a lot of enemies, I know that,” Avery stated, as if to say someone else put his name in the black book of Kristen Davis. “But I do know if I was ever to venture into one of these establishments, I wouldn’t use my own name. I think that would probably be stating the obvious.” But Sean, you're a famous athlete, and prostitutes are necessarily stupid. Your picture is an easy google-search away. “It certainly could be a tri-state player that maybe started this whole conspiracy theory.” Ok, now he's reaching. But blame it on Brodeur and maybe he'll go 12-0 against the Rangers this year- (and yes, that's including the post-season. I am now convinced the Rangers and the Devils will go 4 and 5 in the East, leading to a first round Ranger-Devil series I am scared to death of).

But I'm going to believe Avery (as long as he quits going offsides so often). The lawyer for Kristen Davis has come out and said that it is untrue that Sean Avery's name was in the black book, and why should I dispute that? And if it was true, he'd probably be a bit more upset about it.

This whole thing doesn't bother me... unless it affects Avery's play. Which of course it will. Only, unlike every other player in the NHL, this will just make him play better. Because that's how Sean Avery rolls.

And apparently this has earned him a handful of nicknames around Ranger-ville. And if this increases team chemistry and leads to *gasp* 16 wins in the post-season, I'll hire his next hooker.

(Quotes from http://rangers.lohudblogs.com/2008/03/29/sean-avery-says-he-doesnt-need-to-pay-for-it/And as a disclaimer, that part about me hiring Avery's next hooker was a joke.)

Goodnight all, and see you tomorrow at 7 on Versus when the Rangers try their hand at revenge against the Penguins after today's inability to shut down Hossa, Malkin and Crosby. Or, they could get embarrassed on national TV... again!

X-Posted to Some Like It Blue

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Dear Rangers,

Ditto.

Keeping making that money and not giving a crap about being the biggest disappointment in the league this season.

*Muah*
Kerri

(Come ON, I HAD to jump on this bandwagon. If we all suck so bad... who's playing good?)

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Ninth Place Blues

So we're past halfway mark of the season, and the Rangers have exceeded all possible negative expectations and have found their way to 9th place in the East. That's right! With at least one more game played then every team sitting in front of them. On top of it, they're the last place in their own division.

As a side note, how awesome would it be if the whole Atlantic division made the playoffs? It's so possible. Not so awesome for the Southeast, I guess. The other awesome possibility would be that New York sits and watches the rest of the division go on to the playoffs while they sit there and cry under expectations.

Most Ranger fans want to throw our stars under a bus. Hey, do what you must to get by. But Chris Drury and Scott Gomez are looking at their average season in points production, so I'm not sure this is validated. Others want to rip the C from Captain Jaromir Jagr's sweater (and by sweater I mean the new water resistant stylish *REEBOK* edge jersey) because he's not producing. In fact, they say he's sulking over the loss of Nylander and introduction of the defensive "system" Coach Renney feels will pull this team out from the bottom. Maybe he is. JJ isn't as young as he used to be, but he is starting to find chemistry with Gomez and has been exponentially better since Marty Straka felt good enough to skate along side him. And Shanny's like 40 years old, yet still leads the team in scoring. And no one is to blame for Avery's disappearance from the line up with injury upon injury.

Lundqvist. He was scary to begin the season, and now looks like a shaky backup. Sure, he's been having some family problems with his father having brain surgery not too long ago, but he is the most inconsistent goalie I have ever seen. Either he's the best in the league, or he's looking pathetic. So what's the Rangers solution?The Rangers have been asking Meehan about the availability of Curtis Joseph.

Cujo? We don't need Cujo. We need something, but it certainly isn't Cujo. He's not a franchise goaltender, like Lundqvist. He's not going to cover the (sometimes awful) mistakes of our young defense. He's not going to make Jagr score like he did two seasons ago. He's not going to make Shanahan 5 years younger.

This is either a vote of no confidence on the goaltenders in our system (such as our current backup, Valiquette, and our apparent young star in the minors, Montoya) or an act of desperation to get Lundqvist to sign his long term deal with the Rangers before he can think of exploring other options.

Hey, New York! No Ninth Place Blues! Suck it up and play hockey. This is not the time for desperate roster changes (unless it’s for a solid D-man)! It's time to get back to basics, play like you did for the first two months of the season, or during those "flashes of brilliance" in Ottawa, Carolina, or just recently, Montreal.

Suck it up. Play hard. And leave the “use-to-bes” out of it, unless you want to be the joke of the league, like in 2003.

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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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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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