NYR Top Post-Lockout Moments #5-1...

And here we are, my personal Top 5 Post-Lockout Moments for the New York Rangers. To recap, this is how we got here...

20) Rangers score 3 goals in 90 seconds, beat Devils.
19) Comebacks against Ottawa and Montreal.
18) Dom Moore scores from behind the net on Roberto Luongo.
17) Sean Avery's 4 point night against Dallas.
16) Scott Gomez traded; Marian Gaborik signed.
15) Mark Messier Night; Jaromir Jagr scores in overtime.
14) Brian Leetch announces Adam Graves Night.
13) Jagr scores 29 seconds into the '06-'07 season.
12) Henrik Lundqvist robs Marc Savard.
11) Michael Nylander's hat trick in the playoffs.
10) Rangers win their first game after the Lockout.
9) Brendan Shanahan fights Donald Brashear.
8) Marek Malik's shootout goal; Jason Strudwick also scores.
7) Jed Ortmeyer's penalty shot.
6) Brian Leetch's only game at MSG as an opponent.

5) Game 3 vs. Buffalo / Game 4 vs. Buffalo
MSG - April 29, 2007 & May 1, 2007
With the Rangers down 2-0 in a series against the NHL’s best team (53 wins, 113 points), did the Rangers need a miracle to get back into it?

No, they just needed some defense. They were up, if you remember, 2-1 in Game 2, but lost it in the 3rd period.

In Game 3, Jagr gave them a 1-0 lead but Danny Briere tied it late in the 3rd. The Rangers and Sabres then played into double overtime before Jagr passed to Michal Nylander who passed it to Michal Rozsival, who actually shot the puck. He rocketed one off the post and past Ryan Miller to give the Rangers a thrilling win - and another chance.

Earlier in Game 3, Karel Rachunek had a goal waved off for using a “distinct kicking motion” which, replays showed, was complete garbage. He was stopping and the puck hit his skate and went in - a completely legal move seeing as there was no “pendulum motion.”

Which leads to Game 4, one of the best games the Rangers have had since 1994.

Jagr and Brendan Shanahan scored to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead and Ales Kotalik cut it to 2-1 with 11 minutes left in the 3rd.

With 17 seconds left, Danny Briere put the puck past Henrik Lundqvist - or did he? A 5-minute video review followed, and it was ruled “inconclusive evidence” - they couldn’t overturn the ruling on the ice, and it was a no-goal. Was it a make-up call for the blown-call on Rachunek last game? Was the puck in the net? I still don’t know, but the refs said it wasn’t, Toronto couldn’t make up their mind, and the Rangers tied the series at 2.

I still have the newspaper cover hanging on my wall in my room: “Replay Says Rangers, Sabres, Even At 2.”



4) Prucha’s Power Play Goal
Nassau Coliseum - March 8, 2007
Three nights before, on a Monday, Rick DiPietro saved 56 shots but lost in a shootout on a Matt Cullen goal at MSG.

On a Thursday, tensions were on fire in Uniondale. The fans were going crazy. Islander fans were buying Ryan Smyth t-shirts and jerseys in the lobby; Ranger fans countered by chanting Henrik Lundqvist’s name.

By the time the 3rd period rolled around, it was 1-1. Chris Simon, yes, Chris Simon, scored early in the 2nd and Paul Mara tied it on a power play midway through the period.

Of course, that’s when one of the most controversial plays in NHL history happened. Ryan Hollweg, in the midst of a decent season after a very good rookie year, boarded (or did he?) Simon. Simon, not known for his good judgement and virtuous patience, swung his stick at Hollweg, knocking him out and earning himself a 25-game suspension.

On the ensuing 5-minute power play, Petr Prucha scored to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead with just over 5 minutes left.

Then, things started getting interesting.

With 20 seconds left, Marc-Andre Bergeron’s shot was stopped by Lundqvist and Trent Hunter slid the puck in the net (or did he?). The ref called “No Goal” on the ice, so sufficient evidence to overturn it would be needed.

After what seemed like an episode of “Friends,” the ref came back and waved his arms - No Goal. And he said what we would yell in the parking lot, and for weeks to come: Inconclusive Evidence.

The two games together were some of the most tremendous hockey I’ve ever seen. And I’ve never seen the Coliseum rock harder for Ranger fans then when Prucha stuffed that shot in on the power play. I hugged the 8-year old next to me, and I’m pretty sure his father got very mad and I then moved my seat. It was such an emotional goal after such a horrific event.

It was, in fact, the essence of The Rivalry.

It wound up being a huge game for the Rangers. While the Islanders stayed at 76 points, the Rangers gained 2 points and ended the night with 73. However, at season’s end, the Rangers had 2 more points and ran through Atlanta in the playoffs, while the Islanders fell to Buffalo, who eventually beat the Rangers, too.



3) Emergence of Henrik Lundqvist
Atlanta - November 24, 2005
His first win was against New Jersey. We were that we had a capable backup for Kevin Weekes. His second win was against New Jersey. We thought it was great that we found someone who could beat Martin Brodeur.

In the following games, we found out what we all know now - that Henrik Lundqvist is one of the elite goaltenders in the league. He was young, he was unknown, he was flexible, he was quick, and he loved New York. However, during the lockout, the one move the Rangers did was sign Weekes, who never had a winning NHL season but was experienced and had had a great postseason in Carolina (3-2, 1.62 GAA).

Tom Renney, never one for change (See: Wade Redden on the Power Play), alternated the two goalies but claimed Weekes was the starter. In fact, in November, Weekes had 8 starts to Lundqvist’s 4, including a Thanksgiving Day night game in Atlanta.

Weekes hurt his leg in a freak incident where the net fell on him. It turned out to be something Ranger fans were thankful for.

Lundqvist took over, not only in the game, but in the season. He started the next 6 games, going 4-1-1, giving up 12 goals. For the rest of the year, Weekes only started 2 games in a row twice, and one of those sets was right after the Olympic break where Lundqvist won the Gold Medal.

If not for Lundqvist, where would the Rangers have ended that season? Jagr was incredible as well, you can’t deny that, but we’ve seen what can happen to teams with just scoring and no goaltending. In fact, when Lundqvist was injured in the playoffs, the Rangers were swept by the Devils (Jagr was hurt as well).

Weekes never was mad, either. In one interview, he said he couldn’t possibly be mad. He knew how good Lundqvist was, and he knew he would lose his starting job as soon as the rest of the league found out.

Where would the Rangers be any season without Lundqvist? For the past 4 seasons, when the scoring faltered, Lundqvist kept the Rangers in nearly every game. And if I was starting a team today, he would be the first goaltender I pick.

2) Avery vs. Brodeur
New Jersey - February 20, 2007
I remember being at the Monday night game when it was announced that the Rangers acquired Sean Avery for Jason Ward and March-Andre Cliche (who people were mad about trading, but, uh, where is he now?). It was a game against Detroit that the Rangers lost 4-3 to fall to 25-24-4, with the playoffs fading out of reach.

The next day was a Tuesday, and Avery’s debut. I remember watching on TV (it was in New Jersey) and being impressed at the fact that Avery actually had skill, unlike all the bitter fans of other teams were saying. He had a great play to win the puck and pass it to Michael Nylander, who passed to Karel Rachunek, who scored a goal. And he got in Brodeur’s face. Interesting, I thought. The Rangers lost that game in a shootout.

Fast forward two weeks later. The Rangers had gone 4-1-1 with Avery (including the shootout in Jersey). Another Tuesday night, another trip to New Jersey. Another Devils victory.

With 1:16 left in the 2nd period, Avery got by Colin White, gets a shot off, doesn’t stop, and knocks into Brodeur, knocking his helmet off. Brodeur shoves Avery, Avery shoves back, and Brodeur jumps down as if he’d been shot.

What was so big about this was that it has started one of the biggest storylines for the Rangers since the Lockout ended. There have been fights, dives (by Brodeur), refused handshakes, a few incredible goals that led into huge celebrations, a war of words, a great playoff victory by the Rangers, cheap shots by both players, and even an entire set of rules dedicated to goaltender interference based on how Avery screened him during the 2008 playoffs.



1) Clinching the Playoffs
MSG - April 4, 2006
Remember how I earlier said that Lundqvist took a break after the Olympics and Weekes started 2 straight games? Well, the first of them was one that actually made me, a cold-hearted male, shed a few tears.

In a home game against the Flyers, the Rangers needed 1 solitary point to clinch the playoffs for the first time since 1997. The Rangers scored early in the 1st, but Philadelphia scored twice in the 2nd to take a lead. However, Martin Straka scored early in the 3rd to tie it at 2, and it eventually went to overtime, and then a shootout.

It didn’t matter. All they needed was to take it to overtime, and with 7 games left in the 2005-06 season, the New York Rangers clinched the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Those tears washed away years of bad memories - Mark Messier leaving; the disappointment of Eric Lindros; the promise of Pavel Bure only to be seen as the tragedy when he got injured; trading away 1st round draft picks in 2000 and 2002; trading away Brian Leetch; drafting Jamie Lundmark and Pavel Brendl; drafting Hugh Jessiman over Zach Parise and Ryan Getzlaf; the Mike Richter career-ending injury; the Dan Blackburn career-ending injury; years of free agent busts; a last place prediction by most “experts” in the preseason; Marty McSorley; seven seasons without a playoffs; and a Lockout that caused us fans to lose an entire year.


But then again, maybe that’s what the Lockout brought us. New hope. New players, new blood on the team. If it wasn’t for the Lockout, who knows what this team would look like now?

And, just like that, all of that was washed away with a 21-save performance by starter-turned-backup Kevin Weekes.

It was just icing on the cake that the Rangers won in the shootout. The real battle was won when regulation ended.

Colin Campbell's Double Standard Strikes Again

Before we get to the latest BS suspension from Colin Campbell, there's some important Lighthouse stuff going on at Hofstra today. Read up on the importance of today's meeting here and here; follow along with the proceedings here.

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The news that Pascal Morency was suspended for ten games (five preseason, five regular season) comes as no surprise to the writers of this blog. No, it's not because we believe, as many do, that ex-Rangers coach Colin Campbell has a secret vendetta against the Islanders. Instead, it's because we're well aware of the double standard that exists in the NHL when it comes to suspensions.

The NHL has no problem throwing its weight around when it comes to suspending a fringe player. However, when a superstar is involved, things become very shady. For instance, Chris Pronger still having a very well-paying job in the NHL despite his lengthy rap sheet. Of course, that rap sheet was significantly lessened by the the likes of Campbell, who just can't seem to pull the trigger when superstars are under review.

You may recall Chris Simon's stomp of Jarko Ruutu from December of 2007. You know, the incident that netted Simon a 30-game suspension. You may also recall that Pronger did the exact same thing to Ryan Kesler three months later and got nothing. Until, of course, everybody flipped out, and then Pronger got an 8-game ban that conveniently ended when the playoffs started.

By giving Morency ten games, Campbell is essentially saying that what Morency did is worse than what Pronger did - and that's something that got a lesser player 30 games. And what exactly did Morency do? Yes, he jumped the boards to start a fight, but he was about to come onto the ice for his shift anyway. He then attempted to defend a teammate that was knocked unconscious, which is what an enforcer is supposed to do. So, if you think about it that way, he was suspended for ten games for doing his job. And yet, if he didn't do his job, he would have been cut immediately by the Islanders for not standing up for his fallen teammate.

Now, let's go back in time once again, this time to the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. You may recall Evgeni Malkin receiving a fight instigator penalty in the final minutes of Game 2. NHL rules clearly stipulate that any player receiving an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of a game also gets a one-game suspension. But do you really think the NHL was going to suspend Malkin in its big TV-ratings showcase? Of course not!

If you really want to get picky about it, you can argue that Malkin's instigator was far more egregous than Morency's. At least Morency had a reason to start a fight. Malkin's fight came at the end of a game as the result of a scrum caused by his own teammate (Max Talbot), which could be interpreted as "sending a message" - the very thing the NHL legislated against before the playoffs. Yet, Morency's the one who gets the big suspension. Go figure.

But we all know that the NHL kowtows to its superstars. Every league does it; most don't stoop to the levels of the NHL. So the NHL bullies its lesser-known players just to prove a point. Donald Brashear deserved something for his attack on Blair Betts in last year's playoffs. But there was no way he'd get six games if he wasn't playing roughly five minutes a game. Morency's suspension falls into the category of the NHL abusing its power. Unfortunately, Colin Campbell's ruling has all but killed any chance of Morency playing for the Islanders in 2009-10. True, he wasn't going to make the team. But now, if the Islanders want to call him up, they must take into account his five-game regular season suspension. The Islanders don't have the roster room to keep someone on their NHL roster just to clear a suspension. So, not only does this screw over the Islanders, but it potentially costs Morency a ton of money, as two-way deals are exponentially more lucrative in the NHL than they are anywhere else.

One last note about this suspension. If you really want someone to blame for all of this, blame the NHL itself. The NHL is the organization that allows preseason games to become endless fight-fests in the first place. The NHL charges full price for preseason games, then turns a blind eye when games devolve into mindless line brawls just so aspiring goons can fight established goons for no reason. The NHL does this for as long as it can, then suspends the crap out of someone who dares to touch a superstar. The shame of it is, a guy like Chris Pronger would never be in this situation, largely because no team would give its biggest stars serious minutes in a game where players go out of their way to hurt each other just to stand out. So, while Colin Campbell screwed up by handing Pascal Morency a ridiculous suspension, it's really the NHL's fault for allowing this violence to occur.

The Purge at the 2004 Trade Deadline...

With a 2-week lull between the Stanley Cup Finals and the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, it's time to look back on what happened in March of 2004 during the week of the trade deadline. I wanted to post this around this year's deadline, but there was a lot of action going around and it would've gotten lost in the flood.

It seemed every time I looked online, or at ESPNews, or in the newspaper, they made another deal. (Remember, no beat writers had blogs back then, and this delicious website wasn't around for another 4 years.) In total, 7 Ranger trades were made in that week...

March 2, 2004
- Alex Kovalev to Montreal for Jozef Balej and 2004 2nd round pick.
:: A great move to dump Kovalev's high salary before the cap was implemented, as essentially this was a cap-saving move. Balej should've been great. He had a goal and 4 assists in 13 games with NY and 16 points in 16 during the AHL playoffs, but his lockout year was very poor in the AHL. Balej was eventually sent to the Canucks for Fedor Fedorov, who eventually became a punchline and an empty roster spot.

The 2nd rounder became Dane Byers. Byers was hurt much of this year (7 points, 9 games) but his past season stats and scouting reports suggest he'd be a replacement for Blair Betts if Betts doesn't return. He might have a decent NHL career but will never be a superstar. (I have also heard Byers' name as a possible replacement to Colton Orr - a grinder with better hockey skills than Orr - but it was purely speculation.)

March 3, 2004
- Petr Nedved and Jussi Markkanen to Edmonton for Dwight Helminen, Steve Valiquette, and 2nd round pick in 2004.
:: Nedved did good in Edmonton but they didn't make the playoffs and he never played there again. Markkanen played in Game 7 of the Finals in 2005-06.

Valiquette was a throw-in here. He was a big goalie with not much skill but he was re-signed as Henrik Lundqvist's backup because he was cheap. Benoit Allaire also helped a lot with him, and he has become a dedicated Ranger and a solid backup when called upon, especially against the Flyers.

Helminen is now a bubble player with Carolina, being called up when injury strikes. Not a big loss with him not in the Rangers system.

That draft pick became Brandon Dubinsky, one of the bright spots in the Rangers' future, regardless of his inability to hit the back of the net for long stretches at a time.

- Brian Leetch to Toronto for Jarkko Immonen, Maxim Kondratiev, 1st round pick in '04, 2nd round pick in '05.
:: A king's ransom for the greatest American defenseman of all-time that didn't really pan out for either team. Toronto traded their futures for Leetch (and Ron Francis) and lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Immonen was slow and underutilized by Tom Renney, scored 8 points in 20 games (aka Chris Drury numbers, quick, sign Immonen for 5 years!), and now plays overseas.

Kondratiev was a bust and quite frankly not NHL material. He was traded to Anaheim in January of 2006 for Petr Sykora, which was a great move for the Rangers. Sykora went 15-16-31 in 40 games and loved his time as a Ranger. This would have been considered a strong move if he was re-signed, but despite waiting until August to hear from GM Glen Sather, he never wore Rangers blue again.

The 1st round pick in 2004 was Lauri Korpikoski, who shows some good moves sometimes, but is either too slow, too mis-used, or not 1st round material. He could be, and I might be wrong. Next year is a big point for him, as other 1st rounders that year are already materializing. Korpikoski was picked at 19th. Still available at that point: Travis Zajac (20th), Wojtek Wolski (21), and Mike Green (29).

The 2005 2nd rounder was Mike Sauer, a good AHL player who had a cup of coffee with the big club this year. He looks to be trade-bait with a depth of good D-men in the system already (Staal, Girardi, Sanguenetti, Del Zotto, Potter) and two big contracts taking up space in the NHL (Redden, Rozsival).

March 6, 2004
- Chris Simon to Calgary for Blair Betts, Greg Moore, Jamie McLennan
:: The Rangers needed a goalie to play out the season with Markkanen gone, and McLennan played in 4 of those games, going 1-3. After that season, he played 19 more NHL games in 2 years and retired after a season in the Asian Hockey League. Yes, Asian. He went 8-4 in the Orient and decided to hang 'em up.

Moore probably won't get a real shot in the NHL, but he is a good asset to have and has played admirably when called up.

Betts, well, you know Betts. Best penalty killer in the league, good centerman, not terribly offensive, good team player, never complains, took a cheap shot in the playoffs and broke his face.

- Vladimir Malakhov to Philadelphia for Rick Kozak, 2nd round pick in 2005.
:: Malakhov's stats decreased from the Rangers to Flyers to Devils, and he eventually left the NHL. Kozak never did anything in any league, and now plays in England.

That draft pick got moved around a lot and eventually became Marc-Andre Cliche, who was traded to the Kings in March 2007 for Sean Avery.

March 8, 2004
- Matthew Barnaby and a 3rd round pick in '04 for David Liffiton, Chris McAllister, and a 2nd round pick in '04.
:: McAllister was a decent NHL player who played in the NHL for the last time in 03-04. Liffiton is currently playing in Denmark after 3 career NHL games with the Rangers.

The draft pick was traded to Florida and the Rangers eventually drafted Bruce Graham out of it, who is currently in the ECHL after never doing well in Hartford.

March 9, 2004
On the actual day of the deadline, the Rangers only made two moves.

- Greg de Vries traded to Ottawa for Karel Rachunek and Alex Giroux.
:: It was obvious that de Vries wasn't going to be back after the lockout, and he had horrible numbers (15 points in 53 games, which by the 08-09 standards would've been phenomenal), so he was shipped for a roster player and a prospect. Rachunek played in Russia during 05-06, but came back in 06-07, and most Rangers fans agree he should've stayed. He had 20 assists but was absolutely atrocious defensively.

Giroux, however, was let go during the summer of 2006 and signed with Washington. He then went to Atlanta and was traded back to Washington, and he has lit it up in the AHL. He had 28 points in 22 games in Hershey's march to the AHL title, and he had 60 goals in 69 games during the regular season. The Rangers probably should've held on to this guy instead of signing "talent" such as Mitch Fritz. Giroux broke Brett Hull's record for most consecutive games with a goal when he scored in 15 straight games. He won the AHL MVP as well.

- Martin Rucinsky traded to Vancouver for R.J. Umberger and Martin Grenier.
:: Rucinsky was a true rental for Vancouver as he returned to Broadway after the lockout and had great numbers in an injury-riddled season (55 points in 52 games). He did nothing in the playoffs (2 in 7) for the Canucks. Grenier played in Hartford, Charlotte, and 3 games for the Flyers, and now is in the KHL.

Umberger, however, was another prospect who went away. In 07-08, he had 50 points in Philadelphia in 74 games before falling to 46 in a full season with Columbus this year. Still, he would've been good to have on board as a center and maybe the Rangers wouldn't have gone out on 7/1/07 and spent $14M on 2 overrated centers.

Overall
Isn't that how it always works with the Rangers? The crappy players stay and the good talent is let go. That explains why Marc Savard is now in Boston (he was traded for Jan Hlavac and the pick that became Jamie Freakin' Lundmark). It also explains why, at one point, Dale Purinton was the most-tenured Ranger.

The best trades for the Rangers were getting Brandon Dubinsky and Steve Valiquette for Nedved/Markkanen, and ditching the dead weight of Simon for Blair Betts, who has helped offensively-challenged teams by keeping the other teams from scoring. Besides Henrik Lundqvist, Betts is the one most responsible for those 2-1 wins.

The worst was sending Barnaby away for Liffiton, McAllister, and Graham. Not that losing Barnaby was a huge disadvantage, but they basically got nothing for him - 2 mid-level prospects and a retiring veteran to play out the season.

I have no interesting way to end this, because it's late and I've been working all day, so I will just like to remind everyone that the Rangers actually traded Brian Leetch for Maxim Kondratiev. Hell, I wouldn't even trade a retired Leetch for Kondratiev!

Nik Antropov...

Patrick Kaleta is a punk, we know that. Paul Mara broke his eye socket and cheek bone in a collision last year with him, and in their first meeting this year on October 15, he left his feet for a hit then taunted Mara about his face.

Last time the Rangers played the Sabres, in Ryan Miller's last game, he was doing the same stuff. He ran amok, hit dirty, got under their skin, and tried injuring players. In my post-game wrap that night, aside from calling the Rangers awful (as they most certainly were in the dead of February), I called out Colton Orr for not teaching Kaleta a lesson. Why have someone like Orr, who doesn't contribute offensively or defensively, on the team if he isn't going to punish the players taking runs at his teammates? Tie Domi or Bob Probert would've pummelled Kaleta into the hash marks.

Well, tonight, one of the sweetest things my eyes ever have seen was Nik Antropov using his 6'6" body to crush Kaleta, then seeing him dazed on the bench. I normally don't root for people to be injured, but when you intentionally attempt to injure someone, I'm all for you getting rocked hard.

For example, Domi never tried to hurt people. Trent Hunter is irritating to play against, but he's clean. Darcy Tucker takes runs at players (or at least did when he was relevant). Sean Avery, like him or not, will get under your skin, but he won't try to take you out of the game. Matt Barnaby and Ville Nieminen played the same way, just not as good. Gary Roberts, Chris Pronger, Chris Simon, and Jarkko Ruutu try to injure opponents, so when someone like them gets absolutely nailed, I smile.

Antropov creaming Kaleta fits that bill. It was awesome, and worth the 2nd round pick just to have him do it. (And yes, worth next year's conditional pick as well.)

The Reason I Don't Hate the Islanders...

Last year, I'll admit it, I hated the Islanders. They also beat the Rangers in a few games I was at (including a stinker at the Coliseum in the beginning of the year and a shootout in the Rangers last home game of the season), while this year I haven't been to any Rivalry games yet. They also had Ted Nolan, Chris Simon, Sean Hill, and Rick DiPietro. 

This year, all 3 are gone. Their replacements are first-time NHL coach Scott "Flash" Gordon (anyone see that video of him from Boston College in 1985?), Rangers cast-off Mitch Fritz (I mean, I guess he's the enforcer of the team, right?), someone who actually belongs in the NHL as a defenseman, and Joey MacDonald.

You can't really hate any of those guys. And to be honest, I never hated Nolan, but he did annoy me a lot, and I do like Gordon a lot better.

MacDonald is the main reason I don't hate them this year. He comes out to play every game, except that Boston game where he just collapsed. He also never complained about playing time in Boston or Detroit and he never complained about being stuck in the AHL last year because of the waiver wire.

Kudos to the NHL for giving him 3rd star of November. Although he might not have deserved it with his stats alone - the NHL curiously only lists his games played, shots faced, and minutes played and not his save percentage or goals against average - he definitely has the heart and he's a hell of a team player.

However, while he might be the reason I don't hate the Islanders this year, that all might go down the drain if I see Andy Sutton take a run at Brandon Dubinsky or if Brandon Witt cheap shots Henrik Lundqvist or if DiPietro returns or if some stupid fan passes out photocopies of the hooker who someone said was bought by Sean Avery. If Avery can sleep with Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert) or Catherine Keener, he doesn't have to pay.

Colin Campbell...

For the first time, I watched the Mike "4 Career Goals" Mottau's hit on Frans Nielsen. Very reminiscent of Brandon Sutter giving the Rayden Torpedo to Alexei Cherepanov in the Summit Series. He left his feet, he was looking for an injury. Here, Mottau headhunted Nielsen. A disgusting play on par with Chris Simon attacking Ryan Hollweg and Todd Bertuzzi-ing Steve Moore, and he gets 2 games for it.

Michael Peca touches a linesman's arm, automatic 5 game suspension. (Yes, I'm familiar with the ruling on an automatic suspension when an official is touched.)

Doug Weight gives a clean, feet-on-the-ice check to Sutter, and people vilify Weight for two weeks.

"Disciplinarian" Colin Campbell - and I use the term disciplinarian very lightly - claims it wasn't a direct hit to the head. Well, maybe he didn't see Mottau single out Nielsen and then LEAP off the ice and attack him.

Very questionable ruling.

Some plays are accidental. Weight on Sutter, for example. Jason Doig, while a bad player and a victim of the lockout (where only skilled players stay be in the NHL), injured Eric Lindros for the season, not on purpose but from a hard hit. Same can be said for Scott Stevens leveling Lindros.

However, my view on plays where the person is obviously looking for blood is that they should be suspended until the injured player can play again. Mottau should be out 2-3 months or however long it takes his victim to return. If it means a player will never play again, as it should be in Bertuzzi's case, so be it.

Anyone who wants to take the NHL to task on this horrific ruling can do so Thursdays at 4 as Gary Bettman goes on XM Home Ice 204 (and Sirius 208) to take calls from the fans. No doubt he will be hearing about this next Thursday (as I'm assuming he doesn't host a show on Thanksgiving), and no doubt he will be sticking to party-lines and reiterating what Campbell said, as he never makes waves and always touts the league as in the right. While I love the fact that the Commissioner of the NHL has a radio call-in show (that is always a good listen), I wish he wasn't so vanilla and he would stray from middle-0f-the-road, my-employees-are-always-right answers. If he came out and said Campbell flubbed this, maybe something could be done to change it.

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Links to mentioned videos...

Sutter flying into Cherepanov

Nielsen getting attacked by Mottau

Weight's clean hit on Sutter

Moore getting his neck broken by Bertuzzi

The Rivalry: Game 1

So here we are - finally, the Islanders and Rangers face off.

It's been a while for these two teams. In fact, they didn't even play in the pre-season. The last time the Islanders played the Rangers, the Isles fielded an AHL-caliber team and beat the Rangers in a shootout in the Islanders' final game of the season. The night before, the Rangers and their fans made the Coliseum their own, clinching a playoff spot in enemy territory. But it's the two games that preceded the final two that are particularly noteworthy.

After Jeff Tambellini's shootout goal against Henrik Lundqvist silenced Madison Square Garden, the Islanders sat just three points back of a playoff spot. We all know what happened two nights later. Ex-coach Ted Nolan decided to play Wade Dubielewicz instead of Rick DiPietro, the Islanders got killed at home, the Islanders lost their next five games, and that was pretty much the season. The Rangers, on the other hand, proceeded to go 7-3-4 to finish out the season and made it to the second round of the playoffs.

Even with that background, it seems like a tepid buildup to tonight's game. These two rivals barely have any animosity these days. Part of that is because their respective talent levels are so far apart. Part of it is the lack of villains on either side, with both Chris Simon and Sean Avery playing for other teams. And with Rick DiPietro likely out for tonight's game (he's currently nursing a... oh wait, I forgot the Islanders don't disclose injuries anymore), it's almost like these teams have no mutual emnity.

I, for one, don't expect the Islanders to come away with a victory tonight. More than anything, I'd like for them to spice this rivalry up a bit. I don't even know if Ranger fans would consider the Islanders their biggest rivals anymore, which is a shame. The Islanders always play the Rangers tough, and they always play the Rangers physically. We could have a Mitch Fritz sighting and hopefully a fight or two. Forget the score. I just want to see some fire in this team. And the Rangers are the only team that can bring it out of the Islanders.

Enjoy the game. I'll be there, though I'm not Blog Boxing tonight. Pending sobriety, we should have more thoughts later.

The Difference...

I've probably spoken about this before, but there is a stark difference in this year's Rangers team as opposed to years past. 

Before the lockout, the Rangers were notorious for leaving points on the table. It was a few years ago, so my memory of those lean years is (thankfully) fading, but in 2002-03 and 03-04, I used to try to keep track of how many games the Rangers blew when leading 2-0 or 3-1, only to lose in regulation or overtime or tie. Points lost to weak links like Atlanta, Columbus, and Chicago would have led the team into the playoffs.

Back when Chris Simon, Matt Barnaby, Petr Nedved, Eric Lindros, and Mike Dunham wore Ranger blue, no one played as a team, and they had no chemistry. Nobody besides Leetch, Messier, and Richter cared if the team won or loss. They were there for their paychecks, and that was that. Free agency hit at 31, so they collected big money from the big bosses in NY, then rested on their laurels (does that phrase apply?).

The years after the lockout were different. The Czech Contingent played as a team, and everyone adapted to it. The 2005-06 season was a dream season. Jaromir Jagr playing like a beast, Marty Straka and Rucinsky playing great, rookies like Hollweg, Ortmeyer, and Moore playing with heart. 

In the past 2 years, the team was good, but it lost some identity. There were a lot of points left on the table as well, however, no one complained because the team reached the playoffs. 

Do you remember in 2007 when the Rangers would consistently blow 2-goal leads? As a fan, I would cringe when they would go up 2 goals. They were up 3-1 to Detroit at MSG, and the whole building was waiting for them to blow it. And they did, in regulation.

I remember one game against the Penguins, March 2007. The Rangers were up 2-0, gave up two shorthanded goals to tie the game, went up 3-2, then gave up a powerplay goal. They lost 4-3 in a shootout. At that point, the season seemed lost. However, the next game, the Rangers beat St. Louis in a shootout after being down 2-0, came back and made the playoffs.

This year, they are playing much like the did down the stretches in 2007 and 2008, like they did that night against the Blues at MSG. Yes, they have flaws. They had shaky-at-best offense against Dallas and Buffalo, including some shaky-at-best defense against Dallas. 

But they fight back. They were behind against Detroit on the second game of a back-to-back (after a flight to Michigan) and scored 2 third period goals. They were down 2-0 to Pittsburgh even though they played well for most of the game, and they didn't give up.

The difference in this team from the teams in previous seasons is that they don't let their flaws bring them down. They still find ways to win. They haven't played like Stanley Cup champions every game this season, but an 8-2-1 record after a shortened training camp and 8 preseason games is nothing to complain about.

Plus, I'm smiling like a 7-year-old on Christmas morning from watching that Nik Zherdev goal over and over again.

Gary Roberts

Now that the Finals are over with, we can start discussing New York hockey again. There's just one thing I wanted to get off my chest.

We all saw Gary Roberts take a cheap shot at Johan Franzen's head in Game 2. I have to admit, I cringed when I saw this. Concussions are no joke. I suffered a concussion last year in a car accident and it affected me for days. Even now, I have to be really careful, because you're that much more susceptible to another concussion once you've had the first one.

We're seeing the danger of concussions - namely, that the dangers we don't know are far scarier than those we do know - with Ryan Church of the New York Mets now. For those who don't follow baseball, Church suffered a concussion a few weeks back trying to break up a double play. The Mets, in all their infinite wisdom, kept trotting him out there to pinch-hit. Now, he's totally disoriented and can't play. Oh, and Church has been their best player all year. So, in their rush to get the team going, they might have dug themselves an even deeper grave.

How many great athletes have lost their abilities due to concussions? Eric Lindros, Bret Hart, and Wayne Chrebet come to mind. How many others never got the chance to succeed because of concussions? Say what you want about Brett Lindros, but he was a top-ten draft pick and could have been a solid player if head trauma didn't end his career before it even began.

Another player who lost something after a concussion was Kenny Jonsson. With that in mind, let's bring Gary Roberts back into the picture.

No Islander fan will ever forget April 26, 2002. That night, the Islanders didn't just get blown out by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the wind was taken from their sails in a big way. It could be argued that the franchise is still trying to recover from this night. In the first period, Roberts skated the length of the ice to drill Jonsson into the boards so hard that his helmet cracked. One period later, in the more famous of the two hits, Darcy Tucker took out Michael Peca's legs and put him out of action for seven months.

Peca's injury still bothers me to this day (less so since he tried to do the same thing to Zdeno Chara after returning), but the more important one is Roberts' hit on Jonsson. People look up to Gary Roberts for returning from his own injuries, and he's played an important role on quite a few good teams now. But he now has two strikes against him. However, what has the NHL given him for his transgressions? Five minutes in the penalty box.

Five minutes. For essentially killing one man's NHL career (Jonsson was never the same) and endangering another's. And yet, Chris Simon gets 55 total games for his attacks on Ryan Hollweg and Jarko Ruutu. Now, I'm not going to compare who did worse things to who; that's irrelevant. All I'm saying is that Roberts has gotten off extremely easy. What if Roberts' punch to Franzen's head triggered something in his brain that caused him serious brain damage? It's not out of the realm of possibility; after all, Franzen did have blood seep between his brain and his skull.

There's "old-time hockey", which we all associate with grizzled veterans and playoff beards and guys playing hurt and players policing themselves, all that good stuff. That's fine. But there's a very fine line between "old-time hockey" and the thuggery that many associate with the league thanks to people like Todd Bertuzzi and Chris Simon. Gary Roberts, somehow, is still considered a "good guy". I'm sure he's a wonderful person off the ice; however, I really don't care. He not only put Johan Franzen's career in jeopardy, he could have killed the sport completely. After all, with a record audience tuning in, how would it have looked had Roberts done some serious damage to Franzen? Imagine the field day the hockey-hating media would have had with that one.

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...

Most Hated Players...

Off the top of my head, I believe the 4 players I hate the most in the NHL are (in no particular order)...

Chris Simon (although I liked him as a Ranger)

Rick DiPietro

Chris Pronger

Martin Brodeur

And this April, all is right with (my end of) the world. Simon is being sat in the playoffs in favor of seven-goal scorer Aaron Voros. Rick DiPietro can't even play golf because his hip is injured. Okay, I made that up, but it could be true. Translation: He has no second season. Marty the Overrated has given up 2 goals in 2 games to Sean Avery, and Chris Pronger, he of an unstoppable defense, was on the ice for 3 of Dallas's goals in Game 1 and has been on the ice for 2 of Dallas's 5 goals tonight. 

Quick note on Brodeur: When the Devils win, it's because of him. When they lose, it isn't his fault. Just ask him! When the Devils beat the Rangers, it's because he outplayed Lundqvist, and it's extra sweet because of who they defeated. When the Rangers go 7-0-1 against the Devils (or 1-4-3, depending on who you are a fan of), it's because the Rangers got lucky, or it just doesn't matter, because it's the regular season and only playoffs matter. 

When the Rangers beat them in the playoffs on goals he lets in, he blames the offense for not scoring. Hey, Marty. You play on the Devils. Your team hasn't been scoring for 10 years. Now, you just happen to be facing a goalie better than you.

One-Year Anniversary...

This is both a Rangers and Islanders post by Rangers writer Zach.

After I saw Borat and Superbad, I got depressed. Not because I hated both movies, but because I believe I will never see a comedy as funny as either of those two movies were. In all of my cinema-adventuring years, I have never seen another movie I thought were comedic gold quite like these two.

I had the same feeling last March, after a home-and-home series with the Islanders and Rangers. The games in question were the March 5th game at the Garden and the March 8th game at the Coliseum, both won 2-1 by the Rangers. (For NHL.com recaps, click the links.)

March 5 - Rick DiPietro makes 56 saves, an Islander-record. Admittedly, many of those saves were bad-angle shots or shots that Marty Straka shot right at the logo on his jersey. However, some were incredible stops, including one he made with his head that no goalie short of Jesus Christ himself should have stopped. The lone regulation goal was a rebound by Petr Prucha on a Jed Ortmeyer shot from the hash marks. Carolina's-own Matt Cullen scored five-hole in the shootout, and then Henrik Lundqvist stopped Randy "Not Luc" Robitaille for the win.

As a strong opponent of DiPietro, saying that this was all his game kills a little piece of me inside. But, as a smart hockey fan (after all, I am a Rangers fan), I have to admit that he played spectacularly. Yes, like I said before, some of those saves were ones my Shooter-Tutor could have made. However, DiPietro stood on his head, figuratively, and in some instances, literally. The shootout was a perfect end to one of the most exciting regular-season games I could remember.

March 8 - Forever tainted as the "Chris Simon Game," where he Paul Bunyon-ed Ryan Hollweg, this game stood on its own as a fantastic match. Simon happened to score the lone Isles goal that game, and 8 minutes later, newly-acquired Paul Mara's howitzer from the point tied it up.

With the score tied 1-1 in the third, Hollweg hit Simon into the boards, Simon swung his stick at Hollweg's face, and Petr Prucha scored on the 5-minute power play to give the Rangers the lead. With 20 seconds left, Trent Hunter thought he scored the tying goal. One of the longest video reviews I can remember followed. There were 16,234 people in the Nassau Coliseum that night, and 8,117 were chanting "GOAL!" with 8,117 throwing in a "NO!" before it. The ruling: Inconclusive Evidence. The puck might have crossed the line, but the War Room in Toronto had no evidence and had to stand with the referee's initial decision. If the ref had initially ruled a goal, that decision would have stood also.

The parking lot was ripe that night. Ranger fans chanted "Inconclusive Evidence," "Eighth Place," and "No Goal!" Islander fans griped - rightfully so - about the now-infamous No Goal call.

And I questioned whether or not we will ever see such passionate, intense, well-played hockey again.

Of course, we would, and we wouldn't have to wait long. From a Rangers standpoint, every game in the sweep of Atlanta was great. The 7-0 game stands out, but it was a far cry from the home-and-home. I would put Games 3 and 4 of the series against Buffalo up there, where Michal Rozsival slapped home a double OT winner in Game 3 and another no-goal call went the Rangers way with 17 seconds left in Game 4. However, that was the playoffs. Playoff hockey is a whole different beast.

The current home-and-home just finished were good games, with the Rangers getting 3 out of 4 points and moving into 6th place in the East. This March's series did lack the excitement of last March's games, though. I guess we will have to wait to this year's playoffs to see if we can find some more games as exciting. Hopefully for New York, both teams will be in there.

Maybe comedy movies like Borat and Superbad are the regular season of movies. Great, great movies like those two games last season. I might never see a funnier movie than those two like I might never see better regular season hockey games than I did in March of 2007. However, there are better movies that have been made, just not better comedies, movies like Braveheart and American Beauty. Those are the playoffs of movies. A different standard, a different level.

Playoff hockey. I can't wait.