Retired Numbers, Part 2

In this blog by former Isles PR man Chris Botta, it's revealed that the Islanders' unofficial policy is to only retire the numbers of Hall Of Famers. The Islanders Hall Of Fame, unveiled two years ago and never touched again, is for everyone else. As of now, the only player in the Isles Hall without a retired number is Bob Bourne; surely, players such as John Tonelli and Ed Westfall will eventually be inducted as well.

Still, my question about Pat LaFontaine remains unanswered. He's a Hall Of Famer who not only is remembered by most as an Islander, but had his best years as an Islander. Why does he continually get passed over? It's almost as though the only history the Islanders want their fans to remember is the dynasty. Nothing else seems to matter. As a fan who missed the dynasty years but has never wavered as fan, that sort of hurts. It's nice to know that my entire life of rooting for the Islanders is essentially considered worthless.

2008-09 NY Rangers: Goaltending...

The first in a three-series look-ahead at the 2008-09 New York Rangers. 

GOALTENDING

Obviously, Henrik Lundqvist is the man in goal, what with his $7.75M coming to him in two-week installments next year. 

The question is about the back-up. The Rangers had two NHL-worthy back-ups last year. Steve Valiquette stood tall (bad pun, only works if you know he's 6'6") when called upon, and David LeNeveu went 8-3-2 with a .924 save percentage. 

Both happen to be free agents this year. Valiquette is unrestricted, and LeNeveu will probably be a RFA. 

Whoever it would be would probably be needed for 12 games the whole season, needing to go 6-4-2. Lundqvist would start all 82 games if he could, so 70 games seems to be in his range for 08-09. Last season, Hank played 72 games, getting decisions in 71 of them.

The smart money would be on Valiquette being re-signed to a 1 or 2 year deal at around $700,000, with LeNeveu being re-upped for a few years on a two-way deal so that if Valiquette falters, LeNeveu could step up. He would be splitting time with young Miika Wiikman in Hartford. LeNeveu has a losing record in the NHL at 5-9, but those were played with a poor Phoenix Coyotes team in front of him. What is troubling, however, is his .888 save percentage.

The Rangers could go a completely different route and sign someone on the fringe, like Bob Esche, who kept himself in shape by playing in Russia and for the US in the World Championships this month. 

However, I don't see that happening. Valiquette is the consummate professional. He knows his role and he loves it. He knows no one is usurping the King from the net, and he is happy being the back-up and a morale-booster during practice and on the bench.

The Ushering-In of the Dan Carcillo Era...

Since Tuesday, I was planning a retrospective on Chris Simon's career, complete with YouTube videos of his 8 suspensions. However, I could only find videos from his latest suspensions - the Ryan Hollweg stickball swing and the Jarkko Ruutu ankle stomp. We've all seen those enough that we should have them memorized by now, so no need to beat a dead ... horse? Is that the expression? A dead horse?

So, instead of videos, my words.

1) A slash to the head of Dennis Vial, 1994. 5 games

2) Calls Mike Grier a very bad word for black folks after Grier makes a comment about Simon being Native AmericanCanadian, 1997. 3 games 

3) Cross-checks Peter Popovic's neck in the playoffs, 2000. 1 game (Note: There was a video of this but it was in a Simon tribute video that I didn't want to post.)

4) Elbows Anders Eriksson, 2001. 2 games

5) As a Ranger, protects his teammates. Ruslan Fedotenko hits high and skates away, Simon turns away from the play and cross checks him down, then Todd Bertuzzi's him while Tank is hurt on the ice, 2004. 2 games

6) Now a Flame, knees Sergei Zubov, 2004. 2 games

7) Paul Bunyon's Hollweg after diagnosing himself with a concussion due to jumping into the boards to draw a penalty, 2007. 25 games (Note: I saw it happen while everyone else was watching the puck, and single-handedly started the "Asshole" chant.)

8) Steps on everyone's least favorite silver-medalist's ankle while getting off the ice, 2008. 30 games

I was surprised there wasn't a video of him attacking Fedotenko. It was brutal, barely provoked, and a sign of things to come. He snapped "defending his team" and could have seriously injured someone. A 2-game suspension for that was useless, just like Chris Pronger's slap on the wrist for stepping on someone this year like Simon did. 

He also should have been suspended for attacking Nick Kypreos in the 1995 playoffs. The 8th-seeded Rangers were about to beat the 1st-seeded Nordiques in the first round, and Simon runs Kypreos into the boards with a vicious cross-check. No suspension, obviously, and the Rangers won the series 10 minutes later. Kypreos said that he was disappointed in Simon, but the fact that he had all summer to not play hockey was vengeance enough.

Well, good riddance, Chris Simon. I hope you and Alex Korolyuk get along nicely. Now, go on, attack Alexei Yashin next year in Russia.

Oh, and I did find one good video. Rick Tocchet destroying Simon in a fight...

The Top Stanley Cup Celebrations

You might have seen the NHL's latest attempt at marketing its product via a television commercial. If so, you're probably just as in awe of it as I am. If you haven't seen it, you'll be surprised to see that it's actually effective. In fact, it might be the best ad the NHL has ever produced. Given the days of the "My NHL" promotional campaign, that's not saying much. But I'd put it up there with the "Pond Of Dreams" from the 2000 All-Star Game - and that's saying something.

Anyway. With the Stanley Cup Finals starting on Saturday, I thought this might be a good time to look at the great Stanley Cup celebrations of our time. It's one thing to win the Cup; it's an entirely different thing to celebrate the win in style. A good celebration can put the whole thing over the top and make it that much more memorable. There are a few characteristics that make for a great Cup celebration...

- A superstar or veteran winning his first Cup. Seeing a player with the Stanley Cup held proudly above his head completely changes his perception. Whereas before he might have been a good player, he's now a winner. His name is going to be on that Cup forever. His fans will never forget that he helped bring the Cup to their city. And, as they say, the first Cup is always the best.

- The home team wins. Sure, winning a Stanley Cup is always special. But on the road, it sort of loses some of its luster. The crowd might give a polite round of applause, but it's a far cry from the boisterous scene of a hometown victory. There's nothing like watching the captain raising the Cup for the first time in front of a raucous crowd. You will never hear a louder roar in an arena than when the Stanley Cup is awarded.

- The deciding game is close. Ideally, the game would end on an overtime goal to win the Cup, but that's far from likely. Instead, the closest you'd get is a game that goes down to the final minute, where an empty-net goal sets thae celebration off. A blowout win takes away from the spontaneity of the celebration, which many times is the best part.

With these rules in mind, let's look at the top five Cup celebrations of the past twenty-five years.

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5: 1987 Edmonton Oilers/1998 Detroit Red Wings





These ones are special for what happens immediately after the Cup is given to the captain. Usually, the Cup goes from the captain to one of the alternate captains or one of the big stars. In these cases, though, the second recipient meant a little bit more. In 1987, Gretzky received the Stanley Cup for the third time and gave it right to Steve Smith, whom most blamed for the Oilers' loss to the Flames the previous year. Eleven years later, Steve Yzerman gave the Cup to Vladimir Konstantinov, who was involved in a serious car accident just days after the Red Wings' Cup win in 1997. Kudos to the Washington fans for recognizing this and applauding appropriately.

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4: 1995 New Jersey Devils


You probably didn't think you'd be seeing the Devils on here, did you? And it's not just to show that once upon a time, people actually did attend games in New Jersey. At this point in time, the crowd was absolutely rocking - the camera shook non-stop during the game itself. Also, they were a great story, upsetting the heavily favored Red Wings. My favorite part is not the Cup presentation to Scott Stevens, but the Conn Smythe being awarded to Claude Lemieux. Not only is it imperative to recognize one of the greatest playoff performers of all-time, but to see the emotion on his face is powerful stuff. People love to say he doesn't respect the game, but it's clear from this scene that he truly appreciated the honor.

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3: 2006 Carolina Hurricanes


There's just something about this one that gets me. Maybe it's because it had been two years since the Cup was awarded. Maybe it's because it was so nice to see hockey succeed in a non-traditional market. But it's probably because so many veterans that had never won a Stanley Cup were winners here. Rod Brind'Amour, Glen Wesley, Doug Weight, Bret Hedican... the list goes on and on. Not to mention the heroics of Cam Ward and Erik Cole, who was supposed to be out for the season months prior. Seeing the crowd go nuts after Justin Williams' empty-netter still gives me chills.

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2: 1994 New York Rangers


Sorry, Ranger fans, but you just barely got nudged out of the top spot. This was the last Stanley Cup Final to be broadcast on regional TV, which means we get the call of Sam Rosen and John Davidson (yes, this is the one time when Gary Thorne takes a back seat to anybody else). To hear Rosen, a lifelong Ranger fan, and the former Ranger Davidson cherish the moment is something special. Obviously, the rest of the celebration is just beyond compare; even us Islander fans can't help but appreciate it. Sure enough, on WFAN's list of the top twenty moments of their twenty-year history, New York - a baseball town at heart - picked the Rangers' Stanley Cup win in 1994 as their most cherished memory.

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1: 2001 Colorado Avalanche


Now you see why the Rangers didn't take the top spot. As we all know, the 2001 Cup will always be remembered as the moment Ray Bourque finally got to hoist the Cup. Joe Sakic can't wait to dump the Cup off on Bourque so he can finally experience what he's dreamed about for his entire career. Good luck keeping your composure as you watch this - especially around the 2:12 mark. It's getting dusty in here just thinking about it.

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So there you have it - some of the finest moments in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. Here's hoping for another wonderful memory or two to add to the list in the next two weeks.

New Poll

We're keeping the original poll up because it's still relevant. But Mike Piazza's retirement today got me thinking about all the other New York athletes who are deserving of the ultimate honor - having their number retired.

It seems as though teams go about retiring numbers in phases. For example, the Rangers have begun to honor the 1994 team in recent years. They retired Mike Richter's #35 in 2004, Mark Messier's #11 in 2006, and Brian Leetch's #2 in 2008; they will add Adam Graves' #9 in 2009. Of course, there's another side to this - if you were never part of a big title win or dynasty, it's all but impossible to get your number retired. Off the top of my head, the only New York athletes who had their numbers retired in recent years without any rings are Patrick Ewing and Joe Klecko.

So, then, why can't anybody else join their ranks? Is it really so imperative that someone wins a championship to receive this honor? I hope not, because if that's the case, none of us will be seeing any retired numbers until the Yankees start honoring their late 90's dynasty. Did you know that after they retire Derek Jeter's #2 and Joe Torre's #6, the Yankees will have no single-digit numbers available? They'll have all been retired. Crazy, no?

But let's not talk about the Yankees right now. I'd rather talk about the other teams who haven't won anything, but have legends deserving of praise nonetheless. Here are the main guys who deserve to have their numbers retired, but haven't yet (and possibly never will).

- John Starks, #3. New York Knicks (1990-1998). People love to trash the Pat Riley Knicks for being boring to watch and overly physical, but if you were a Knicks fan back then, you loved John Starks. He was a player with average talent, but became a star because he never backed down. And, let's be honest, Starks deserves to be remembered for something more than his 2-for-18 shooting performance in Game 7 of the 1994 Finals. Put his number up there and exorcise the demons that Stephon Marbury has brought us.

- Gary Carter, #8. New York Mets (1985-1989). His tenure with the Mets was very short, but he was with the Mets as long as Reggie Jackson was with the Yankees. Each had some playoff heroics and brought home a World Series. Yet, when the Hall Of Fame came calling, they gave Mr. October a Yankee hat and stuck Carter with the horrid insignia of the Montreal Expos. Part of me thinks that was done just to get the Expos into the Hall somehow, but still. The fact remains that Carter wanted to go in as a Met, works for the Mets organization, wants to manage the club, and remains very popular with the fans. Why not retire his number?

- Pat LaFontaine, #16. New York Islanders (1984-1991). Perhaps the most egregious oversight on this list. You've got a guy who came up just as the dynasty was crumbling, scored one of the most famous goals in team history, carried a ton of bad Islander teams into the playoffs, did a ton of work in the community, came back to be part of Charles Wang's ill-fated "committee"... and the franchise can't get around to retiring his number? What, is it a rule that you had to have won a Cup to get up there? I mean, come on! Sure, LaFontaine left the organization on bad terms, but so did Clark Gillies and that didn't stop the Islanders from honoring him. Us 20-somethings who are too young to remember the dynasty years grew up idolizing LaFontaine, and it's about time the Islanders acknowledge part of their history that doesn't include four Stanley Cups.

- Keith Hernandez, #17. New York Mets (1983-1989). Hernandez, aside from being an incredible commentator, was the first piece of the Mets' championship puzzle. Aside from being perhaps the greatest fielding first baseman of all-time, he gave the Mets the swagger that brought them the 1986 World Series. He's sort of overlooked (given the other talent on that team, it's understandable), but Mets fans have always had a special place in their heart for the man they call "Mex". Seeing marginal players such as Dae-Sung Koo and Kevin Appier wearing #17 for the Mets hurt... but the organization can make up for it by honoring the man who was the face of the Mets for many years.

- Curtis Martin, #28. New York Jets (1998-2005). Had Curtis Martin been your typical, bragadocious, trash-talking running back, his number would already be hanging in Giants Stadium. Of course, he doesn't get the nod, even though he's the best running back this team has ever seen. He's the kind of player whose accomplishments grow in stature over time; to think about him winning the rushing title in his final full season, at age 31, is just remarkable. You just can't say enough about Curtis Martin. He deserves to be considered one of the all-time greats, just like he deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest Jets.

- Mike Piazza, #31. New York Mets (1998-2005). The inspiration behind this list after his retirement yesterday. It didn't take long for Mets fans to clamor for his number to be retired and for him to go into the Hall Of Fame as a Met. And both should be happening. He might have had better numbers as a Dodger, but he will always be remembered for his home-run after 9/11 (I had tickets to that game and didn't go) and taking the Mets to the World Series. Personally, my favorite memory of Piazza was when he came back as a Padre and hit two home runs (and nearly a third) off Pedro Martinez, drawing the extremely rare curtain call on the road. At least you know Piazza will get his number retired someday, bringing the number of Mets' players with retired numbers to a whopping two.

Honorable Mentions: Carl Banks, Harry Carson, Tiki Barber (New York Giants), Wayne Chrebet (New York Jets), Charles Oakley (New York Knicks).

Check the poll on the right side of this page, and vote for your choice.

Off-Topic...

Yes, this is off-topic. I understand. But I had to share this news with the world.

They are making a sequel to Point Break, which I consider the 4th best movie of all-time. For the uninitiated, Keanu Reeves (in a star-making performance) and Gary Busey (before he jumped the shark) are FBI agents chasing Patrick Swayze (in the coolest performance ever) and his gang of bank-robbing surfers. Anthony Kiedis and John C. McGinley (in a pre-cursor to his Scrubs role) also have bit parts.

I am extremely undecided on this. First off, it will be 18 years later. Second off, Bodhi (Swayze) died at the end. Well, it was an open ending, but he went off into a 50-foot wave, got swallowed, and Johnny Utah (Reeves) said "He's not coming back."

So, will Utah even return? Will he have to infiltrate another gang and bang a Lori Petty lookalike?

I'm afraid this movie will not enhance the original like Young Guns II did to Young Guns. I think it might bring it down, like Caddyshack II or D3: The Mighty Ducks. Why did they have to kill Hans off?

Sidenote: What kind of title is "D2" or "D3"? Talk about taking the easy way out. The Basic Instinct sequel wasn't called I2: Basic Instinct and it wasn't G33 and a Third: The Naked Gun. Just something that I've pondered for a few years.

American Idol...

Syesha was kicked off of American Idol on Wednesday after delivering better performances than both of the other contestants.

For those who don't watch AI, or wish they didn't (like me), let me explain. Syesha is a girl. And black.

Now, there are only 2 contestants left: David Cook and David Archuleta. Both male, both white.

If I was a black girl rooting for Syesha, why would I continue to watch two white men fight for something that shouldn't be theirs?

Last Sunday, the Rangers lost to the Penguins. Regardless of whether or not there was some big conspiracy, the 3rd round of the playoffs featured two Pennsylvania teams, a team that has won 3 Stanley Cups since 1997, and a team that won it in 1999. Both series went 3-0 (before Dallas won last night).

Why, as a Ranger fan, would I continue watching?

Different shows, different performers, different sport, different stage. 

Same results.

Get rid of the only black performer, lose their ratings. Get rid of the female, lose some of them. Get rid of the Rangers, lose a lot of ratings.

I have personally not watched any of the Penguin/Flyer series. Not a second. I watched the 3rd period of Game 3 of Detroit/Dallas and the 2nd period of Game 4. That's it. A lot has to do with work schedule, but to be honest, I haven't had much interest. The past few years, I watched with interest as Tampa beat Calgary (I rooted for the Flames), Carolina beat Edmonton (I rooted for the Oilers), and Anaheim beat Ottawa (I rooted for the Senators). This year, I don't know if it is because Pittsburgh is in it, because the Rangers lose in such a disgusting, controversial manner, or because the officiating is deciding games when they should just be fair (half the Rangers losses in the 2nd round; tonight's "no goal" call on the Red Wings), but my viewership is down.

If the Rangers were still in, I'd watch both series keenly. But they took away my Syesha.

A Letter To Bryan, From Bryan

When the Islanders defeated the Penguins on May 14, 1993, I was extra careful to remember the date. It was the cap on the as-yet-unnamed "Miracle of '93"; David Volek's overtime goal completed the Islanders' unfathomable upset of the defending champions. Little did I know that this would be the pinnacle of my sports-watching life to this point.

Channeling my inner Bill Simmons, I'd like to pass along a few words of wisdom to the Bryan of fifteen years ago. I'd like to tell him to enjoy the game - and to be careful about what the future has in store.

Bryan,

I hope this letter found you safe and sound. You should be on the bus right now, heading home from your Academic Enrichment Program trip to Mt. Tone. Knowing you, there's only one thing on your mind right now - getting home to see Game 7 of Islanders-Penguins. Don't worry about running late; you'll get home just in time. I'd strongly advise you not to miss a second of this game for one very important reason - it will be the greatest sports moment of your life.

After this game is over, a lot is going to change for you. Yeah, you'll still get made fun of at school, but you'll turn out okay. As for hockey? Well, that's a different story.

Remember how the cafeteria erupted yesterday morning when Mr. Aronowitz announced that the Islanders won Game 6 by a score of 7-5? Well, that's not going to be happening in the future. Not because of anything the Islanders will or won't do - we'll get to them later - but because hockey will be an afterthought pretty soon. Slowly but surely, goalies will morph into beasts twice their original sizes. This development, in conjunction with something you'll soon know as the "neutral zone trap", will essentially kill the game. In a year and a half, the league is going to cancel the first half of the season; ten years from then, a whole entire season will be wiped out. All of these things you don't care about - free agency, TV ratings, salary caps - are going to ruin the game you love and take it away from you. Worse, you'll be the only one you know who misses hockey.

Sorry to say it, but even though it'll upset you, it won't affect you as much as you might think. You know how you always say you'd hold out if the Rangers drafted you? Well, that won't be a problem, and it's not because the Islanders signed you on your 18th birthday. You could hardly crack the roster of your high school roller hockey team, let alone an NHL franchise. In fact, the closest you ever came to the Stanley Cup was when you won the Cup in NHL Hockey for Sega Genesis. You'll be happy to know that they're still making NHL Hockey games today, and that they're better than ever. These are the games that keep you young, because time isn't doing that great a job.

(Side note: You think Mortal Kombat is awesome? Wait for the sequel.)

Anyway, let's get back to the task at hand - Game 7. Excited, eh? Nervous? You should be. This is the first time you've seen the Islanders in a Game 7. Well, without giving too much away, you're not going to be disappointed.

The real reason I'm writing is that you're going to see everything change after this game is over. Think of it as puberty for a sports fan. After this, nothing is going to come easy. Nothing will shock you. You'll be completely numb to the pain sports inflict on people, and you'll be a much worse person for it. Sorry to say it, but it's true.

- You know Kevin Stevens on the Penguins? Well, in the first period of tomorrow's game, he's going to suffer an awful injury. He will never be the same player, will develop a serious crack habit, and will leave the game with a whimper instead of being inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Speaking of the Hall, this Penguins team has four guys that will make the Hall Of Fame (Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy) and one that will when he retires (Jaromir Jagr).

- You like Glenn Healy and Mark Fitzpatrick? I know you do. They'll both be gone in months to make room for Ron "Five-Hole" Hextall. You might not know what "Five-Hole" means... you will soon. This will eventually turn into a revolving door of goaltenders for the next decade until 2006, at which time the new Islanders owner will give a guy named Rick DiPietro a 15-year deal. Crazy, huh?

- How about Ray Ferraro, Patrick Flatley, Vladimir Malakhov, Darius Kasparaitis, and Rich Pilon? You love them all now... but they'll all play for the Rangers at some point in their careers. Even your favorite non-Islanders - Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and Pat LaFontaine - will all play for the Rangers. Those same Rangers, by the way, will destroy the Islanders in next year's playoffs and win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. See, I told you the future wouldn't be pretty.

- You know that Pierre Turgeon jersey you have in your closet? Make sure you wear it as often as you can. In two years, Turgeon will be traded for a player whose legacy in an Islanders uniform will be that he was paid to not play for the Isles. Speaking of Islanders uniforms, your team is going to unveil a horrid new design with the Gorton's Fisherman as the centerpiece. Don't buy one - they won't be around for very long.

- You probably don't know this yet, but the Islanders have drafted pretty well over the past few years. Many people are going to predict another dynasty for your beloved Islanders. Well, it's not going to happen. Not only are the Islanders going to miss the playoffs for eight straight years, a guy named Mike Milbury is going to take over the team and trade all of these prospects away for a bucket of hockey pucks. Also, a Mr. John Spano will somehow manage to buy the club without even having any money. He's just one person who will buy the team and sink it further into the ground. When someone named Charles Wang comes along, you'll know you're in the clear.

It's not just the Islanders that are going to break your heart. It's everyone else, too. Below are some spoilers - feel free to avoid them, but remember that you'll eventually be hurt by all of your favorite teams.

- While the Rangers are in the process of winning the Cup next year, the Knicks are going to make a run at the NBA title after Michael Jordan retires. You read that right. On the night of Game 5, you'll be watching the game at John's house, only to find that the camera is focused on O.J. Simpson driving after killing his wife. You read that right, too. Anyway, the Knicks will get to Game 7, only John Starks will blow the whole thing by shooting 2-for-18 on the night.

- You probably know by now that the Jets only serve to let you down. Well, you're right. Next year, you're going to be thinking big things, only to see everything fall apart after a play that will become known as "The Fake Spike". You'll also see them fumble away a chance to play in the Super Bowl and miss two would-be game-winning field goals in the playoffs. Oh, and here's one you're not going to believe - Browning Nagle isn't the quarterback of the future.

- The Mets gave you the only championship you actually remember, but that's not going to stop them from breaking your heart in the future. Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, your idols growing up, are going to join the Yankees and win a World Series. By the time you get to my age, you'll have seen the Yankees play in six World Series. One of them will be against the Mets. The Mets will actually get into the playoffs a number of times, thanks to something known as the "Wild Card". You'll know all about that soon enough. Here are some things you might not want to know about - you'll lose in the playoffs in each of those years in soul-crushing fashion. I'm not even going to bring up that the Mets will author the biggest collapse in baseball history under your watch.

So, having said all that, watch tonight's game intently. Enjoy it for what it is. Notice the amount of space on the ice, knowing you'll never see it again. Notice the spacious nets and realize that they will soon be clogged by oversized players and oversized pads. Enjoy the SportsChannel telecast and try to avoid the fact that fifteen years from now, television ratings will run the sporting world.

When the game is over, if you feel like yelling and screaming, do it. When Mom and Dad yell at you, don't listen. Remember, tonight is going to be special. Again, not trying to give anything away... but fifteen years later, you still have your 1993 Patrick Division Champions t-shirt.

Sincerely,
Bryan

Which of the Four? (Or: An Overuse of the Semi-Colon)...

NHL POST by ZACH

So, which of the four will be the Conn Smythe winner? Marty Biron (the nicest NHL player I have ever talked to, followed closely by Brendan Shanahan, with Martin Brodeur a distant last); Brendan Morrow; Evgeni Malkin; Johan Franzen

At the start of the playoffs, I would have said Henrik Zetterberg - the MVP of the first half of the regular season - would have the hardware at Second Season's end. Now, not so sure.

However, I have him on the top 3 plays of the playoffs so far. In no order, his XBox 360-like goal against the Avalanche; R.J. Umberger's second-chance effort against Montreal, and Evgeni Nabakov's then-season-saving save in the 1st overtime period against Dallas in their elimination game. That save was nuts.

Predictions

Pittsburgh in 6. Detroit in 7. Isn't that everyone's prediction?

I successfully predicted no correct series in the 2nd round. James "Boomer" Gordon on XM got them all right (albeit in the wrong number of games). I am no expert, folks, but atleast I have a nice ass.

Why Detroit? Because they outscored Dallas 12-5 in the regular season. Because they have the best collection of Swedish players assembled since they won the Gold medal in 1994 when (unknown) Peter Forsberg beat (highly touted Rangers prospect) Corey Hirsch (35-4-5!!!) in a shootout. There are so many people who can score on Detroit. If Zetterberg or Franzen aren't doing it, Tomas Holmstrom, Nik Lidstrom, or Mikael Samuelsson (also once a Ranger, remember him?) can do it. What I love most about this team is that Dom Hasek had a bad game and hasn't gone back in yet. Seriously. I like Chris Osgood a lot more than Hasek.

Why the Penguins? Because Gary Bettman said so. Personally, I hope it's Flyers in 4 and that Marty Biron outplays M.A. Fleury. I hope Randy Jones knocks Sidney Crosby off of his game and that Riley Kote beats Gary Roberts back into 1989.

Bryan's Third Round Predictions

We've got a good final four, so we should be in store for some good games. And, if last round was any indication, we should be in store for many, many incorrect picks. Here are my stabs at doing a little better than that.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
- Pittsburgh (2) over Philadelphia (6) in 7. Looking at this matchup on paper, you'd think the Penguins would dominate. Not so fast. The Flyers are as defensively sound a team as you'll find in these playoffs, as evidenced by their victories over Washington and Montreal. People love to point to Martin Biron's GAA as "proof" that he's not that great, but the reality is that he's probably been the best goalie in the playoffs so far. Besides, when not surrounded by goalies with 1.75 GAAs, a 2.75 GAA isn't that bad. Don't forget that the Flyers can score goals, too - R.J. Umberger might not keep up his current pace, but Daniel Briere is only starting to play to his potential in Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is the NHL's Great Hope. While the rumors of a conspiracy against the Rangers are patently ridiculous - why on Earth the NHL would want to screw over its' top media market is beyond me - the Penguins are the NHL's chance at pulling a great rating in the Finals. Clearly, they've earned their right to do the NHL proud; say what you want about the competition they've faced, but losing only one game in the first two rounds is quite impressive. We all know what the Pens can do offensively, but they can play both ways. And against the Flyers, they'll need to. I just think the Penguins are better defensively than the Flyers are offensively, and that's going to be the difference in this series.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
- Detroit (1) over Dallas (5) in 6. What can be said about Detroit that hasn't already been said? Simply put, they're the most complete team in the playoffs. The way they steamrolled over the Avalanche was no fluke. You don't have to worry about rust with a team this good. Hell, even if Chris Osgood falters - and he won't - the Wings have an extremely capable backup in Dominik Hasek. Sure, Johan Franzen isn't going to score nine goals this series, but the beautiful thing about this team is that you know someone's going to score goals. Oh, and they have tons of solid two-way players and grizzled veterans with Stanley Cups on their resume.

Dallas was written off by many before the puck even dropped in San Jose, which proved to be a big mistake. The playoff choker tab can safely be removed from Marty Turco's resume after yet another spectacular performance. He might be the biggest reason the Stars managed to defeat the high-powered Sharks. Brenden Morrow is turning into one of the league's premier clutch performers; it's no coincidence that he scored the goal in the fourth overtime of Game 6. Like Detroit, they have plenty of vets with plenty of experience. However, Nicklas Lidstrom is better than Sergei Zubov, and Pavel Datsyuk is better than Mike Modano. Dallas will certainly give Detroit a run for their money, but the Wings will prevail and give NBC the best possible Finals matchup.

Sharks-Stars, Game 6

One more for tonight, then I'm off...

Even though today was my first day back from "paternity leave", I stayed up until 2:30 last night to watch the end of the instant classic that was Sharks-Stars. I have to say, that first overtime period was probably the best period of hockey I've seen since the lockout, if not longer. Just all-out intensity throughout, not to mention maybe the nicest save I've ever seen (Evgeni Nabokov on Brad Richards). I still wish the Sharks had won, if only so I could hear the Dallas fans applaud the effort they had just seen.

Speaking of Dallas fans, people who say the Lone Star State isn't a hockey hotbed would do well to take a look at last night's game. Not only did nobody leave early, but the crowd stood for all four overtimes. I wouldn't be doing that at the Coliseum.

I was impressed by Glenn Healy's analysis on the TSN feed. I'd heard mixed reviews about him (mainly, that he was bitter about the Islanders dumping him after the '93 playoffs and routinely went out of his way to bash the organization), but he did a great job. That said, only one more thing could have made last night's game perfect - Gary Thorne and Bill Clement on commentary. Could you imagine Thorne doing those overtimes? It would have been amazing.

Second Round Predictions Revisited

You may recall that yours truly had a ridiculously good run in the first round, nabbing 30 out of 40 possible "points". Zach had 18; he's got a lot of work to do. Thankfully, I had a horrendous second round, opening the door for a potential comeback. Let's see how we stand after Round 2.

Zach had Montreal in 6 (zero points), Rangers in 5 (zero), Colorado in 6 (zero), and San Jose in 7 (zero). That adds up to a total of zero points. Hmm. So much for that comeback.

Bryan had Montreal in 6 (zero points), Rangers in 7 (zero), Detroit in 6 (three), and San Jose in 6 (zero). Okay then. At least I got something. Our score: Bryan 33, Zach 18.

In all seriousness, this round was extremely tough to predict; you'd be hard-pressed to find anybody who got all four series correctly. A return to normalcy is hoped for in the conference finals, which begin on Thursday. Except more incorrect picks before the puck drops in Detroit.

State Of The Rivalry

So the season ends badly for both teams. The Islanders never had a chance. The Rangers fell short in a series that easily could have been headed for seven games. As we tend to say in these parts, wait until next year.

As for this blog... well, it's been quite a run so far. We launched just as February ended so we could be live for the March home-and-home between the Isles and Rangers. Since then, we've gotten better, and it seems like it's working. We're nearing our 1000th visitor, which my calculator says means we're getting 500 visitors a month. Not bad at all. To those of us who found us through Zach's promotional efforts on the blogs of Sam Weinman and Steve Zipay, we hope you'll keep us in mind over the summer and as next season starts. And, to everyone else, thanks for coming by and checking us out.

The summer is a pretty dead time for hockey, but we've got some good stuff in store. First, there are two more rounds of playoff hockey, and we'll obviously be watching intently. Then, July 1 rings in free agency. Two months after that, training camps open. So, you see, it's really not all that bad. We'll be here the entire time. We might not know anything about the upcoming NHL Draft, but when the Islanders get spurned yet again in free agency, we'll be here to lament. We also have some other fun stuff in the hopper - reviews of classic games, book reports (we like to read about hockey), so on and so forth. It's going to be fun.

In the meantime, Ranger fans, take advantage of the weather and hit the driving range. You've got some catching up to do; us Islanders have been golfing for a month already.

Not Much to Say Tonight...

RANGERS POST by ZACH

Not too much to say about the loss yet, as I haven't re-watched the end of the game. I was at work bartending when it happened, and I happened to be punching an order into the computer when I heard everyone groan, and the TV was muted, so I didn't have the full effect.

Regardless, I expect Jagr back next year, on a one-year $4-4.5M deal, but I don't expect Shanahan back. Marty Straka I would consider 40/60, if Jagr re-signs then maybe, but without Jagr, no Straka.

I'll have a big post on what the team will look like next season in a few days, after everything sinks in.

* * *

Now, I know, I know - don't blame the refs for the loss. But does anyone remember in Game 3 of the Devils series when Michael Rozsival was called for a high-stick when the stick a) stayed on the ice and b) didn't touch anyone, the night after Lou Lamoriello complained wildly to officials?

Who complained about Game 4 of this series that they tilted the ice so far in the Penguins favor?

With the game at 0-0 in the 2nd period, Chris Drury is high-sticked by Ryan Malone and gets cut. It wasn't questionable. It wasn't like "Well, maybe the stick hit him and he drew some blood himself to get the double minor instead of just a 2 minute penalty." He was sliced on his cheek, he was gushing, his jersey was red, they stopped the game for 5 minutes to clean the blood.

No double minor. No minor. 5-on-5 hockey. Very skeptical.

5-on-5 until Jaromir Jagr's "trip" in the offensive zone led to him getting a 2-minute penalty.

Congratulations, Mr. Bettman. You got your wish. The Penguins have advanced. 

I hope the Flyers sweep them.

Over

Zach is going to have a lot to say about the Rangers' loss today and the subsequent end to their 2007-2008 season. He's the one you want to read.

However, here's the one point I really wanted to make. Aside from the unfathomable mismatch that was the Detroit-Colorado series, I've never seen series that have been more closely played, yet have been horribly lopsided, than the three series we've seen in this second round. It would be entirely conceivable if it was the Rangers and Canadiens who had advanced, and it'd be plausible if the Sharks had jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Dallas. All of the second round games have been ridiculously close in every series; off the top of my head, I can't even recall a game where the two teams weren't tied or separated by just one goal at some point in the third period. It's hard to fault any of the losing teams in this round, because it's almost hard to believe that they're losing.

A good run falls short, thanks in large part to bad luck. Zach, it's all yours.

In-Game Blogging...

Jarkko Ruutu is like Ville Nieminen without the skill.

Now that Freddy Sjostrom has a permanent spot on the team, I wonder if I can peel off the "KROG" on the back of my #20 jersey and put "SJOSTROM" on it. (Okay, that's a lie, "RUCCHIN" is on my #20 Liberty jersey.)

New Banner

It's good to know people who are competent, as evidenced by our new banner. No longer will you ever have to stare at the garish banner I made in five minutes with extremely limited Photoshop knowledge. Hell, it wasn't even Photoshop; it was some open-source version of the program. Anyway, thanks to our good friend (and closet Rangers fan) Kristine for hooking us up with this. Let's just hope Sean Avery re-signs with the Blueshirts so we don't have to make a new one in two months.

Awesome

I'm trying to watch Sharks-Stars on Versus. It's on the regular channel, but not on the HD feed. Why not? Turns out they're showing some golf tournament that happened earlier today. I know it happened earlier today because it's sunny outside on TV. They've since gone into a rousing telecast of "Golf Central".

Now, I understand that Versus and The Golf Channel share an HD channel, and I understand that Versus has bumped golf programming in the past. I also understand that Versus has done a ridiculously good job with this year's playoffs. But come on! I really wanted to watch this game, but HD is hard to live without when you get to experience it on a daily basis. So, thanks to the transgressions of Versus and/or The Golf Channel, I'm stuck watching the game in a small box on the bottom right hand corner of my screen. The Mets are on the West Coast and in HD; obviously, they get the nod here.

Again, not knocking Versus here. I'm just nitpicking. To prove it, here's a tidbit about Versus that you won't hear reported anywhere - their ratings are better than the ratings ESPN2 got when they broadcast the NHL before the lockout. Given the issues with distribution and Versus' less-than-favorable position on most TV dials, that's a great achievement. Kudos to all involved.

Tonight...

RANGERS POST by ZACH

Well, they did it. They extended the series, and my partner-in-game tonight, Tom, would probably say it was due in large part to his new Ryan Callahan jersey, which he said was never at a losing game (albeit, I think it's 3-0... not a great streak but it's a start).

And people were most likely sick of my scenario that I have been saying since Tuesday after Game 3...

Win Game 4 at home, which they did. The hard part is Sunday, Game 5. If they can beat Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh in front of a raucous crowd, they have climbed the toughest hill and they could very easily win Game 6 at MSG, then Game 7 would be a crapshoot, maybe 60/40 in favor of the Penguins.

I still stand by my notion that if the Chris Drury didn't score with 7.7 seconds left in Game 5 last year and the Rangers won that game, that they would have easily won Game 6 at the Garden that Sunday afternoon.

It all starts with one game. The Captain was fired up. Brendan Shanahan, obviously playing hurt, played good tonight. Scott Gomez didn't do much but he should on Sunday I hope. Drury put forth an effort. Petr Prucha proved he should be in the lineup. They were disciplined - 3 real penalties only (the others were counteracted with simultaneous Penguin penalties). They clogged the middle. Didn't let Pittsburgh have any chances except for Malkin's breakaway (and ensuing penalty shot... who does he think he is? Michael Nylander?).

Good game by the good guys. 

Big hill to climb Sunday afternoon. I think Doc Emerick is their bad luck charm. Eddie Olczyk doesn't help. You'd think he would like the Rangers since he won the Cup with them more than the Penguins who fired him. Odd. Regardless, Emerick's voice is like a cheese grater on my brain.

It all starts with one win.

* * * 

Bryan, Game 7 will be on Wednesday, not Thursday.

* * * 

Trivia Question: In 1994, Eddie Olczyk played in just 1 postseason game for the Rangers. Which game was it?

You Never Know

Obviously, the Rangers won tonight. Zach is there right now; he'll have the floor when he returns.

Real quick, though, you have to give the Rangers credit, even if you hate their guts. And even if you hate their guts (like me), you wanted to see this series go as long as possible. This was supposed to be a great series, but it has barely even been a good one. I'd love to see that changed, and the only way to accomplish that is to play more games.

Anyway. As I watched the Rangers tonight, I couldn't help but marvel at their effort while simultaneously wondering if they'd be able to sustain that effort for three more games. Then I looked at the schedule... and you know what? Maybe it is possible. And in a league that's often accused of copying the NBA, the Rangers' ace in the hole very well could be the ridiculous TV-sensitive stretched-out schedule.

Think about it. NBC has Game 5 on Sunday afternoon, which isn't that much better than playing Saturday night, but at least affords the Rangers another night of rest. That's followed by a potential Game 6 at home. Not exactly the situation you'd love to have. But imagine a red-hot Ranger team coming home to a rabid crowd on the verge of tying the series up. How do you bet against them? If they can pull off Games 5 and 6, they'd have three days to rest up before next Thursday's Game 7.

All of this, of course, assumes the Rangers don't fold in Pittsburgh on Sunday, which is always a possibility. But let's not think about that. Let's hope these Rangers can make this a memorable series after all.

EDIT: Game 7 is on Wednesday, not Thursday. My mistake. Still, getting to Game 7 would pretty much erase the Rangers' fatigue. They'd have all the momentum in the world and the Penguins would be reeling. Remember the "Dead Men Walking" Yankees in 2004 as they mailed in Game 7?