Who the Rangers Should Sign...

It appears Donald Brashear reads this here website. A few nights ago, after the overtime loss in Atlanta, I wrote that the entire team needs to start hitting more; I then singled him out for being a complete waste of money and being a shell of what he used to be. Teams aren't afraid to take runs at Marian Gaborik, Henrik Lundqvist, or the rest of the team, because Brashear isn't going to make them pay with a fit of violence like he used to.

Maybe it's being injured (I don't care, if you're too hurt to play, don't play); maybe it's being scared of the league suspending him (really?); maybe it's him just not having "it" anymore (most probably). Regardless, he hadn't been in a fight since Thanksgiving-time, and he hadn't stuck up for anyone in weeks.

In today's matinee tilt against Boston, he changed his tune. He was hitting people after the whistle, trying to get involved, and even had a fight.

Of course, he was ineffective. He lost the fight - pretty badly. In fact, it was embarrassing. Donald Brashear circa 2003 would pummel Donald Brashear 2010 into a bloody pulp, then sucker-punch Aaron Ward en route to the locker room. He wouldn't even care about the 2-game suspension that follows.

Hell, you know Brashear is useless when Ranger fans would rather see Aaron Voros in the lineup. Atleast Voros cares and sticks up for teammates.

So, you ask, who should the Rangers sign?


That's right, there he is. Ronnie from MTV's Jersey Shore.

Let's look at the facts...

1) He's from New York. He was born and raised in the Bronx. The team needs homegrown talent, not mercenaries born in Indiana and raised in Quebec. You know he'd do NY proud.

2) He comes to the defense of teammates. Who could forget when Snooki got punched in the fact by that guy at the bar and he went looking for blood? If that gentleman wasn't arrested, Ronnie would've delivered his own brand of vigilante justice.

3) He'd be a cheap Salary Cap hit. With virtually no ice hockey experience, he'd be signed for the league minimum and he'd be on a two-way contract. If it didn't work out, they could send him to Hartford and not fear him being picked up by a different team.

4) He's cocky. He has a swagger. He's overly confident. The last time the Rangers had an enforcer like that, well, it was last year with Colton Orr. Orr went into every fight knowing he was going to win. Ronnie has the same mentality. Maybe he'll even have the same sadistic win every time he knocks out Todd Fedoruk.

5) He'd be a great deterrent. And, uh, he's pretty strong. Look at those muscles! And did you see the size of the protein powder he brought with him for his month at the Jersey shore? No one in their right mind would run over Lundqvist in the crease with Ronnie sitting on the bench waiting to knock someone's skull in.

6) He whooped that guy on the Boardwalk. He delivered about 5 or 6 solid shots to that guy's head. And you know every time they play the Devils he would get up for that game.

If anyone has Glen Sather's number, let him know.

An Odd Weekend...

Four years ago, you could have said the Rangers would get 2 points in this weekend's back-to-back games, one in Buffalo and then home against Detroit. They could've beaten the Sabres but would have been mauled by the Red Wings.

Three years ago, you could've written this weekend off as a total loss. The Sabres were flying on the wings of Danny Briere and Chris "More Than 2 Goals in 22 Games" Drury, and the Red Wings again would have mauled them.

This year, it could be interesting.

The Sabres are flying high at 16-7-2 and are on a 4-game winning streak. They are also 9-3-2 at home, while the Rangers are 6-7-1 on the road. However, the Rangers are well-rested and have arguably the best player in the league playing for them. If Marian Gaborik scores another 2 goals tonight and Henrik Lundqvist shows up with a good performance, they can steal 2 big points from a conference rival.

The Red Wings, however, are just 3 games over .500 and are breaking even on the road. Old incarnations of the Wings have mauled the Rangers every game. There was a cold January game in 2006 where Brendan Shanahan buried them for 2 goals (the Rangers lost 4-3, but there was a late 3rd period goal to make it seem closer); there was a game when Shanahan was a Ranger where the Rangers were winning 3-1 and then stopped playing and lost 4-3 (that was the night Sean Avery was traded to the Rangers); and then there was last year, where Aaron Voros scored 2 goals and the Rangers still lost, in overtime (Aaron Voros... two goals? What?).

Though the Red Wings are struggling, so are the Rangers, and the Rangers do have to travel back from Buffalo in order to play this game. Detroit has a game in New Jersey tonight; traveling from Jersey to New York, however time-consuming the traffic may be, is not as bad as a flight home from Buffalo.

This weekend is really a crapshoot. If I was guessing, I would say they win in Buffalo and get mauled by Detroit. However, knowing my betting record, they're going to beat Detroit but lose tonight to Buffalo.

Hey, maybe back being in Buffalo will wake Chris Drury and Ales Kotalik up.

* * *

In answer to reader Eric the Lev, who inquired if I thought John Tortorella would get fired like John Stevens - no, I don't. It's way too soon to tell if he will last. The team is suffering injuries and are still treading water. However, I think the tide will have to sway in his favor soon to save some more jobs.

In my opinion, the GM should be gone. One coach (Tom Renney) didn't work. Another one is having problems. Time to point the finger at the man who signed Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, and Chris Drury to a total of $19M per season, isn't it?

I also don't know why Stevens was fired from Philadelphia. The team is doing decent and most of the team is performing well. They don't have good goaltending yet are staying competitive in games.

I think he was fired because of pre-season expectations. Everyone predicted the Flyers to be great and go deep into the playoffs, yet they have a weak blueline (including overrated Chris Pronger) and poor goaltending (although Ray Emery and Brian Boucher have been playing better than I thought, they still aren't a top-notch tag team). So they fire the coach, bring in Peter Laviolette, and hope for the best. Bad move.

Good Stuff Tonight...

I try not to be one of "those fans" - you know, the type who sulks and glooms and says the team is horrible after a loss, but they're the first one to chant "We Want the Cup" after a convincing win.

However, tonight was a good game. The difference between Edmonton and Vancouver, between 1,160 kilometers or 721 miles (thank you, Google Maps), was the offense. It was firing tonight. They took advantage of power plays. (The 0% on the power play was misleading in Vancouver, by the way. Chris Higgins scored a second after one expired.) They swarmed the net. They passed well. But more importantly, they took shots. Take a shot, you never know what will happen.

They had 23 shots in Vancouver - 14 in the second period and then 9 combined in periods 1 and 3. Tonight, they had 39. Phil Esposito always says - and I'm sure Alex Ovechkin will concur - you can't score if you don't shoot. Dan Girardi had a great pass/shot today that Sean Avery deflected. It didn't go in, but it was close. Get the puck to the net. If they don't get the puck to the net, Marian Gaborik doesn't one-hand that last goal home.

The effort was definitely there tonight...

Aaron Voros - Horrible 1st period, but he did play better in the 2nd and 3rd... saving his job for another day. Granted, he probably only had another 3 minutes all game, but they were better than his first minute, where he took 2 penalties. When he swung his stick at an Oilers' knees (can't remember which Oiler) and took a two-minute minor, did you see how *shocked* he was? How could he be surprised! It looked like he was cutting down a tree!

(By the way, I've never used the two asterisks on a word before in my life.)

Brian Boyle - Good ol' T-Bone. How many open nets can a man miss in one period? The answer, it seems, is two... twice. But he had a few good shots, a couple of good hits, and played like a 4th line player should: Good enough for the coach not to be nervous to put you out on the ice.

Chris Higgins - I won't profess him a great pickup yet, although we're all happy he is here instead of Scott Gomez. However, isn't it amazing how much better he is playing since he scored one goal? He has another goal already and played inspired, tough hockey tonight. If only he would do a move on a breakaway. Every time he gets one, he just shoots, and so far, it hasn't worked.

Ryan Callahan - "Gritty." Good word to describe his play tonight, as far as most nights.

Brandon Dubinsky - Was he even out there tonight? I noticed his play as much as I noticed Healthy Scratch Donald Brashear.

Wade Redden & Michal Rozsival - Weak games as well. Redden reminds me of myself, when I was 9. Any time I got the puck, I would get scared and pass it to the nearest teammate. That's what he does. Don't believe the hype in his "great pass to spring Higgins on a breakaway." It was lucky, he was just clearing it. And Rozsival? For a defender, he sure doesn't defend. I wouldn't want him on my team during an autumnal game of capture the flag, let alone near my crease in an NHL game.

Steve Valiquette - The team played good in front of him - especially Girardi and Marc Staal. It was huge for him to win this game, especially after the Sharks game where he got shellacked. Now, like Boyle, John Tortorella should feel safe putting him into a game.

Now, let's not be overly optimistic. Edmonton is a mediocre team. They were .500 going into tonight, and they were on a slide. Sheldon Souray is hurt, significantly impacting their power play. Mike Comrie was sick. A lot of other players got hit with the flu bug also the past 10 days.

So, what did the Rangers really do? They beat up on a weak team. And sometimes, that's just what you need to get back on track. Now, let's see if they can keep up the pace against the 9-4-1 Flames, who suddenly are an offensive team.

(By the way, I love these 9:30 games. I leave work at 8:20, clean up, eat, and I'm ready for pre-game and the opening faceoff.)

A Few Thoughts on Rangers/Capitals...

- There is this really cool place called Black-Eyed Sally's in Hartford that has decent food and always have awesome rock/soul/blues musicians. You can get a table, drink, and eat cajun food all night long while listening to sick guitarists and singers. I should email Aaron Voros and tell him. What's his email address? Oh, there it is. AVoros34@hartfordwolfpack.com.

- No, seriously. Who will come out of the lineup when Sean Avery returns? Enver Lisin, who plays hard, is fast as hell, and hits people twice his size on every shift? Brian Boyle, who had a rocky first game but then picked it up tenfold and now even kills penalties? Donald Brashear? What happens when you take the enforcer out of the lineup? Well, just ask Donald Brashear, who took liberties with the Rangers in the playoffs when Colton Orr sat out. It's got to be Voros, who took an awful penalty with a 2-2 game (of course, Brashear took a horrible penalty of his own late in the game, but Brashear serves a purpose while all Voros brings is a pretty cool beard).

- Artem Anisimov seemed to have a breakout game. The assist aside, he played well offensively. He finally seemed comfortable out there, especially on the shift where he had the assist. He was controlling the play and if Ales Kotalik didn't score, Anisimov was waiting for the puck with an open net.

- I was ready to berate Chris Higgins for a very selfish play when he stole the puck in the Capitals' zone then shot instead of passing to Drury. But on replays (both MSG's and my TiVo's), you can see that Jose Theodore was showing a lot of 5-hole, then snatched it away as soon as Higgins shot. So, no, not a bad play by Higgins at all, but I think Theodore trapped him into shooting when he knew he would close the hole immediately.

- It's not that the Rangers of 2008-09 would've quit when the Capitals went up 3-2 with about 12 minutes left because they wouldn't have. However, they probably wouldn't have tied it up because they were missing a player like Marian Gaborik. There were a few games where Markus Naslund or Nikolai Zherdev tied it with under a minute left, but they were missing that certain something - call it a sniper, a game-breaker, a superstar, whatever you want to. They had the drive last year, most of the time, but not always the skills.

- Re: Marian Gaborik's 2nd goal of the game that gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead. That, Bruce Boudreau, is why you don't play Tom Poti on the penalty kill.

- The refereeing definitely wasn't as bad as a Penguins game, but it's obvious the refs let some calls against the Capitals slide. For instance, there was on play where the Rangers were pressing in the zone, close to scoring. Two different Capital players committed two different penalties right in front of the refs. No call on either, both Rangers go down to the ice, puck is cleared, play continues. There was one play where a Ranger beat out an icing, and I actually thought the ref was going to blow the whistle and send the faceoff down the other end, regardless.

- I used to formerly say that I would like to have Wade Redden on my team at $1.5M-$2M/year. I thought he was a decent 3rd-4th defender who was making top-5-in-the-NHL-money. So I thought he was okay on the team just eating valuable cap space.

Not true this season. He has simply become a bad player, and the emergence of Mike Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy only highlights his flaws. He coughs up the puck, he bobbles it when trying to clear the zone, he gets beat in footraces, he lets skaters blow by him, he doesn't finish checks, and for that matter, he doesn't start checks either. If, for some ungodly reason, a team would like to have him and would like to give the Rangers a 5th or 6th round draft choice, Glen Sather should accept that trade.

- You'll read about Henrik Lundqvist giving up that goal everywhere (who cares, they won, he's never done it before and he won't do it again). You'll also read about Ryan Callahan's play (spirited and gritty, but I've been saying that since we first started this website in February of 2008).

- Kotalik for Zherdev. Vinny Prospal for Naslund. A better Brandon Dubinsky. Chris Drury in a less-prominent role where he isn't relied on for goals. A young D who actually try. Two players from Long Island. And a Petr Prucha-lookalike in Lisin. I'll take it. It's not scary this year if the Rangers go down a goal or two like it was last year. Plus, if Lundqvist gives up a bad goal, it's not the end of the world because the forwards - and D - can put one home.

- Seriously, it's October. Why isn't Voros scoring? This is his month!

Rangers Fill Their Quota of Players Named "Vaclav"...

No, his real name isn't Vincent. He isn't Italian; he's Czech.

With the signing of Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal, the Rangers have added one more 3rd/4th line player, to join Artem Anisimov, Tyler Arnason, Donald Brashear, Enver Lisin, Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle, and anyone who might join the team from Hartford, namely Dane Byers, Pat Rissmiller, and P.A. Parenteau.

That's a lot of people for 6 or 7 roster spots. The Rangers also have 7 players for the top 2 lines: Drury, Higgins, Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky, Avery, Kotalik.

What am I saying? I'm saying something's got to be up, unless Sather forgot what happened last year.

Last year, he traded away Ryan Hollweg for a draft pick. Excellent move, especially when Hollweg got suspended during the preseason for checking from behind. To replace him, he signed Voros and Rissmiller with Colton Orr, Lauri Korpikoski, and Freddy Sjostrom already on the team. Bad move. That resulted in a salary cap ordeal, with Rissmiller being sent to the AHL and Voros riding pine until he was needed as an injury replacement for Drury and Blair Betts.

This year, there are a lot of forwards again. As the players keep signing and there is only 1 real scoring threat - Gaborik, obviously - the mind gets going.

Trade?

Probably something is in the works.

I'm not going to say that Dany Heatley will be a Ranger in the next 48 hours. I don't even know if I want that or if it's going to happen. But there is a glut of forwards for 13 or 14 roster spots, and that doesn't include a surprise that might happen, like Dale Weise or Brodie Dupont.

I am saying that this situation does lend itself nicely to a trade. It would appear Sather is stocking up forwards to package a few to get a superstar. Maybe not even a superstar, but a first-line center to feed Gaborik the puck, or a second-line sniper to take the defensive pressure off the first-line to free up ice for Gaborik. Of course, we can never underestimate the fact that this is Glen Sather we're talking about, and he might have no actual clue of what he's doing.

Of course, Dubinsky is the name that will be floated around, but don't be surprised if a Voros, Boyle, or Anisimov is included in the mix.

* * *

On Prospal: Prospal himself isn't a bad player, despite being bought out by Tampa Bay. He would've been great as a Ranger in 2005-06 as one of the Czech Mates, when he scored 80 points in 81 games. But since that is not an option, you have to assume that John Tortorella knows enough about him from their time in Tampa that he thinks he can contribute in New York.

He didn't score much last year - 19 goals, 45 points - but he does come at a discount. He had a 4 year, $14M deal with Tampa Bay ($3.5M/year) and since he was bought out, he is still getting $1.67M for the next 6 years, so him being a Ranger at $1.1M for one-year really isn't bad at all for either party.

The Good News...

Not going to dwell on the debauchery that was Game 6. I said all along that they wouldn't blow Game 6 at home up 3-2, and they made me look like fools.

However, there is good news.

The Rangers scored 3 goals on a backup goaltender!

Okay, so now Simeon Var-lah-mov is now the starter in Washington, but his goals against average was like 0.75 going into this game. He gave up 1 goal, 0 goals, 2 goals, and 0 goals. So they got 3 past him, albeit one of them when the game was a wash and it was 5-2.

Still, 3 goals is 3 goals, and if Henrik Lundqvist reads his own scouting report, they have a chance to win Game 7. Maybe not a strong chance, but a chance indeed. If they can score 3 goals and he can stop all but 2, well, you know how scoring works.

For the record, here is the scouting report on Lundqvist...

"Great goalie. Goes side to side better than any goaltender in NHL history. Flops down early in anticipation of a low shot, leaving the entire top of the net open."

* * *

Here is a list of players who played every regular season game for the Rangers: Dan Girardi, Brandon Dubinsky, Marc Staal, Colton Orr, Markus Naslund, and Nik Zherdev.

Yes, Colton Orr played 87 games this season, coached by Tom Renney and John Tortorella. Does Jim Schoenfeld not like him that he would sit Orr in the playoffs when that goon Donald Brashear is out there?

Capitals fan or not, you can't agree with how Brashear went up and randomly attacked Blair Betts. He did it at MSG in 2007 also when he went up and sucker punched Aaron Ward in the mouth.

Today, he nails Betts for no reason other than he was angry about something that had nothing to do with Betts, and he gets a 2-minute penalty. You can guarantee that if someone did something like that against the Penguins, they would get a 10-game suspension.

And here is where Schoenfeld erred. Without Orr in the lineup, and without proper officiating, Brashear had the chance to do this. Nobody was going to make him pay. Paul Mara ran at him, pushed him a little, grappled with him, didn't drop the gloves, and got a 2-minute minor of his own.

No one was in the lineup to offer accountability. The Rangers had very little injuries this year (I believe they had the 2nd least man-games lost this season). Some of the credit has to go to Orr, a great fighter who isn't afraid to pummel someone into oblivion. No one like Dion Phaneuf or Chris Pronger is going to take a run at Scott Gomez (but really, why would you?) if Orr was there, because they have to answer to him.

(Do you think Shaone Morrison would've bitten Brandon Dubinsky if Orr was there to beat him down afterwards?)

When Gomez injured Ryan Miller a few months ago (on accident), no one made him pay. If Derek Roy or Maxim Afinogenov ran into Lundqvist, they, or someone on their team, would have to lose a fight to Orr.

Orr needs to be in the lineup. Maybe Schoenfeld wanted offense and saw Orr's 4 career goals. Maybe he doesn't know that he is there to keep the peace.

Someone should also show him Orr's scouting report before Game 7...

"Can't skate well. Has better accuracy with a left hook than a wrist shot. Will fight anyone on the other team. With him in the lineup, no one will take runs at your top penalty killer or star goaltender, and no one will bite your second-line center. Better than Aaron Voros. Don't sit him the playoffs in favor of aforementioned player, who should be a healthy scratch."

* * *

And finally, let's give it up for Tom Poti, who apparently had his first power play point ever at MSG, and Wade Redden.

Here's to you, Wade Redden. You are stealing 39 million dollars from the fans of the Rangers over the next 6 years, and when your team is down 2-1 in a clinching game, and you get gifted power play time for some reason, what do you do? Lazily reach for a pass, miss it, and slowly chase the puck back into your own end.

Bravo. Bravo. Bravo.

You are hockey's version of Stephon Marbury, with one major difference. He hurt his team by stealing money and not suiting up; you steal money and you play.

Calm Before the Storm...

The day before the NHL Trade Deadline is always interesting. To me, it's like how the supermarket is always crowded the day before a blizzard or a hurricane - people are getting ready for the next day.

But instead of stocking up on canned corn, American cheese, blueberry preserves, and frozen dinners, NHL GMs are placing players on waivers and making room for additions and preparing for subtractions.

Some surprising names on waivers, too, including Gary Roberts, whom teams have interest in. You would think some team would have atleast offered Tampa Bay a late-round pick for him.

Islander Jon Sim is also on waivers. I asked Islanders' writer Bryan, and he made it seem like the Islanders want him taken so they don't have to have him on the roster next year (he has one more year at $1M left). Makes sense. He has 7 points in 5 games, including 3 assists last night, so maybe some team can take him while he's hot.

Miroslav Satan also was put on waivers by the Penguins. Surprising as well, because while he wasn't having a great year but he is only on a one-year deal, and he can contribute as a 4th line player. His whole career, people have been saying he hasn't been living up to his potential. Well, maybe his potential is 50-60 points a year only. (He also was the team's 4th leading scorer... you think they would atleast have packaged him in a deal for a higher-scoring winger?)

Of course, the big news here (and I guess in Calgary and Dallas) is that Sean Avery is back on the Rangers, immediately making my signed #16 jersey relevant again. His last game was on November 30 against Edmonton, where he scored a goal, had 9 shots, and played just over 18 minutes. Then, he made a joke and was suspended 6 games.

Here's who else has been suspended since Avery "was mean." (I probably shouldn't have put that in quotes since I said it, but, well, you know.) ...

Tomas Plekanec suspended 2 games for tripping. Mikhail Grabovski got 3 games for pushing an official during a scrum. Jarrko Ruutu bites someone and gets 2 games. Evgeny Artyukhin received 2 games for a knee-on-knee hit that had an intent to injure. Denis Gauthier gets 5 games for literally attacking Josh Gorges when he skated up to him and leaped into his head. Tyler Kennedy got 1 game for leaving the bench to fight. And this week, Steve Ott received 1 game for an eye gouge, also an intent to injure.

All of these offenses were less serious than a bad joke aimed at Jack Bauer's estranged daughter (Elisha Cuthbert) and a dirty player (Dion Phaneuf). And while Avery was banished from the league, Frans Nielsen returned from being Superman-ed by Mike Mottau (who received a 2 game penalty).

Hey, atleast Ryan Hollweg didn't get suspended by the NHL in that time. (Of course, that bum hasn't played since early January).

* * *

Anyway, didn't mean to get off topic, but tomorrow should be an interesting day. I don't think the Rangers will be doing too much, because of salary cap concerns. They can't be involved in "big splashes" because players like Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Wade Redden are nearly untradeable (because of the length/amount of the contract; poor performance; no-trade clauses). And they did have a productive day today, getting Avery, and putting Aaron Voros and Eric Reitz on waivers.

A couple of players, like Dmitri Kalinin and Nigel Dawes (and yes, even Petr Prucha) have expiring contracts and could be jettisoned for picks or equal roster players, like when Aaron Ward was shipped out for Paul Mara. (I could definitely see it happening in Kalinin's case.)

I do wish that they atleast got a low-round pick for Voros, but maybe that wasn't going to be happening so they put him on waivers, hoping he gets picked up by someone, or atleast he'll be off the books and playing in Hartford.

Then again, maybe Glen Sather only contacted John Davidson in St. Louis and Don Maloney in Phoenix.

Don't Buy!...

As we all know, the NHL Deadline will be here Wednesday at 3, formerly Tuesday at 3 p.m. but since there was a big slate of games on Tuesday, they pushed it back to a more open day.

The Rangers, by and large, always buy, with the rare exception of 2004, when they had to get rid of contracts because of the upcoming salary cap. That year, they dumped Petr Nedved, Greg de Vries, Vladimir Malakhov, Brian Leetch, Chris Simon, Jussi Markkanen, Matthew Barnaby, and Martin Rucinsky for prospects, picks, Blair Betts, and Steve Valiquette. (I will have a post on this later in the week).

In 2006, they traded Ville Nieminen for a draft pick, then used that pick to get Sandis Ozolinsh, who, during the first round against New Jersey, did more damage to the Rangers than Jaromir Jagr's shoulder or Henrik Lundqvist's teeth-grinding-induced headaches did.

In 2007, Aaron Ward got shipped off for Paul Mara. They also traded Pascal Dupuis (formerlly Adam Hall) to Atlanta for Alex Bourret (since traded away). A pick also exchanged hands in the Atlanta trade, but I don't know who received it. I think it was a 3rd rounder.

Last year, Christian Backman came to the club for a 4th-round pick. No, he wasn't good, but he did add depth and it was cheap.

This year, the team needs more than a mediocre defenseman. They already have Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Eric Reitz, and Dmitri Kalinin playing that role.

Yet, what they do need will be expensive, and to be honest, won't work. 

With the exception of Carolina picking up Doug Weight and Mark Recchi in the months leading up to the 2006 playoffs, trade deadline deals don't always equal a sip from the Cup. (Carolina also never should've won the Cup. They got lucky against Buffalo, who was tired from a grueling series against Ottawa, and if Dwayne Roloson didn't go down in Game 1 vs. Edmonton, the Oilers would have won easily.)

What the Rangers SHOULD do is more like what they did in 2007. Trade money-for-money, as in ditching Aaron Voros for someone cheaper (maybe even an expiring contract), or trading a big name player like Redden for someone young and cheap. Of course, Redden won't be going anywhere. Other GMs aren't going to fall for him like Glen Sather unfortunately did. 

I like Nigel Dawes, but he is going to be a RFA, so maybe he can be moved to a team looking for forward depth for a pick or a young prospect, like Dupuis was. 

The Rangers probably will try to make a big splash, maybe moving pieces around to try to get Jay Bouwmeester. Bad move. Don't trade the future to have him for a month. Trade the present to try to get him in the summer for nothing but money.

I hope the Rangers don't deplete themselves like they did in the late-90s until 2003 at the deadline. Reason says they will not win the Cup this year. They might make the playoffs (probably will), may even eek out a win in the first round and be competitive in the 2nd, but their collection of 2nd line centers and 2nd pairing defensemen won't win them any silver in June.

Glen Sather doesn't read this blog, that's for sure. If he did, we wouldn't be suffering with Wade "I scored a goal!" Redden for the next 5 years. But let's hope he uses common sense, realizes the reasonable expectations for this team he assembled, and looks towards the future.

Mark Bell...

So John Tortorella thinks Sean Avery should "stay home" because of a bad joke he made about an ex-girlfriend (comments he made on TSN), but apparently being arrested for a hit and run made while driving under the influence is perfectly acceptable.

Why do the Rangers need another 3rd/4th line winger? Are Nigel Dawes, Lauri Korpikoski, Ryan Callahan, Petr Prucha, Colton Orr, Fred Sjostrom, and Aaron Voros not enough? Not to mention Avery in the wings if he doesn't get picked up by another team on his way up.

Were Theo Fleury and Sandis Ozolinsh not available?

Unless he goes straight to the AHL, or unless this is a prelude to a trade where the Rangers unload a bunch of players, this makes no sense at all. It's not like he's a great value. For Christ's sake, Toronto didn't want him!

Wasn't this the Rangers' problem in the beginning of the year? Too many forwards signed for no reason (Voros, Pat Rissmiller) that there wasn't room for everyone?

* * *

And for the record, I'm not picking on someone who made a mistake once in his life. I'm pointing out that he's a jerk - for lack of a dirty word - and he's always been, on and off the ice.

* * *

Bell was chosen 8th overall in 1998 by the Chicago Blackhawks, 7 spots after Vinny Lecavilier, two spots after Calgary took Rico Fata, one spot after the Rangers chose Manny Malhotra, and 19 spots before New Jersey took Scott Gomez.

Drop the Axe...

Aaron Voros's size, Chris Drury's leadership, Scott Gomez's incredible shots from the boards, Wade Redden's fantastic play from the point on the power play, and Petr Prucha looking snazzy in a suit and tie brought the Rangers another shutout - the 2nd in 4 games (and almost the 3rd if Markus Naslund didn't connect with 10 seconds left on Adam Graves Night).

Yet, the "coach" deploys the same players in the same situation, night after night. Gomez played 19:49 tonight, nearly an entire period of uselessness.

I can hear the axe coming for Tom Renney's head. The hammer should be falling sometime this week.

* * * 

Oh, and was that not the most boring fight you've ever seen between David Clarkson and Eric Reitz?

Henrik Lundqvist was sharp tonight, whcih was the one saving grace for them.

But seriously, Tom Renney's time is up. He's lost this team.

Ridiculous...

We all know that "coach" Tom Renney likes to keep lines intact after a win. Well, apparently he has given up on the team, because he isn't tampering with them after a 10-2 "game."

Okay, that's not entirely true. If the beat writers are to be believed (and they should be), Aaron Voros is down on the 4th line and Fred Sjostrom is up on the 3rd.

Why even play Voros? He was great, great!, in October, and has since faded to obscurity. He can't skate, barely hits, is awful on the power play, and takes bad penalties.

Yet, Petr Prucha sits. What has Voros' "size" given this team? I know I harped on this a few days ago, but it adds nothing to the lineup. It doesn't get them power play goals, that's for sure. They couldn't even score in two games against Boston or Atlanta until the 120th minute. It didn't help them not get slaughtered against Dallas.

Ridiculous.

Once again, I know Tom Renney can't do anything about the players he has on the team. But dictating ice time is his one power tool, and he has lost control of that. 

Regardless of whether he thinks Voros is a good player (and besides Voros' family, he might be the only one... which hurts me to say because I know he grew up a Ranger fan and I respect that he is living his dream in blue), wouldn't he want to shake up the lineup?

Remember when they lost in a matinee to Florida in November? It was a 4-0 horror show, and the next game, he inserted Prucha in. Prucha got the game-tying goal in the 3rd and the Rangers beat the Penguins in a shootout.

Is it really time for Renney to go? I'll give him one more game, but if he keeps deploying the same personnel (aka Voros, Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, even Michal Rozsival on the power play), then yes, it is.

As We Speak...

As I type this, it's the 1st intermission and it's 3-1 Dallas.

Listen, Wade Redden is a bum. We know this. Scott Gomez - he of 36 points and an infalted 6.2 shooting percentage due to his proclivity for empty nets - is a bum as well. Not a surprise. Aaron Voros - he of 3 points since Thanksgiving - is a bum as well. Oh, wait, Voros is big and weighs 215 pounds. The Rangers need size in their lineup. Hey, Tom Renney, I weigh over 215 pounds. I'd be just as useless as Voros is out there.

Listen, Petr Prucha is a strikingly good-looking gentleman. He looks great in a suit and tie, probably better than Voros does.

That said, I hear he also looks good in Ranger jerseys during hockey games. 

The Rangers have had Voros's "size" in their lineup for a bunch of games now. Did it help them beat Atlanta, or even score in Boston? Did it stop them from being crushed in the 3rd period by Pittsburgh?

This team is made up of the parts it is made up of. They aren't a great team. They have a decent core, they don't give up, and they are awful defensively. That's going to be the same every game as long as they have the same players.

However, the way they are deployed and (mis)used falls solely on the soldiers of Tom Renney.

Not Much to Say...

What do you say about a game in which the Rangers were nearly shut out 1-0 for the second time in a row?

Well, for one, it was a miserable performance. Losing 1-0 to Boston proved to be an exciting game where the Rangers relied on defense and couldn't penetrate Boston. (Not that they played great, but atleast they weren't atrocious on Saturday.)

Losing 1-0 to an Atlanta team is unacceptable for a team that thinks it should be in the playoffs. One team in the league has given up more goals than Atlanta has, and the Rangers couldn't score one goal until 59 minutes, 50 seconds in? (For the record, the team with the most goals against in the NHL is Toronto - whom the Rangers battled to a 0-0 tie earlier in the year.)

What went wrong? Well, for one, the Rangers have an awful defense - regardless of the fact that Wade Redden actually played pretty well on Adam Graves Night. So since the defense is so bad and can't stand alone, they are forced into a "team defense" system. To be sure, if they didn't play that system, the forwards would be able (hopefully) to pot more than 0.5 goals a game. However, they would also give up 4 or 5 per game, regardless of how good their goaltender is.

So the team defense is stifling the Rangers, but it's also their only choice if they want to win games. They can't run-and-gun like Buffalo or Carolina, where the defense has holes but the team still wins games because if can score goals in an instant. And they can't sit back on leads and pounce when the opponent makes a mistake (like Boston does) because their forwards aren't that good.

But isn't Scott Gomez paid $7M/year for that reason? Yes. And he is overpaid. The year before he became a Ranger he only had 13 goals (and 47 assists... why that equals a $51M contract mystifies me). He is not a goal scorer, he is a playmaker.

Yet, he makes no plays. He had 21:17 of relatively useless ice time in Boston. Last night, his reigns were shortened and he played "only" 18:12. Yet, he still got 1:57 of power play time (the Rangers only had 4 minutes on the PP). 

Why does Tom Renney still employ the same personnel night in and night out on the power play? Aaron Voros played 1:57 on the power play also. He hasn't been effective since early-November yet still wastes space there (oh, I forgot, his size makes him more useful than Petr Prucha). 

Artem Anisimov - him of 9 power play goals and 2 shorthanded in Hartford - was brought up for 9 minutes, all at even strength. Why even bring him up? So he could play as much time as Colton Orr (who actually had a very good game)?

If you are going to bring up a scorer, use him. Tom Renney is overly loyal - we saw it with Jaromir Jagr when he was hurt and ineffective, and we're seeing it now with the shell of Scott Gomez, and with Chris Drury, and with Markus Naslund (who scores a goal then seems to disappear for 3 games). 

Until Tom Renney sits a "superstar" - in reality a 2nd line center who is making huge money to underperform on Broadway - who isn't playing well, this team will not chance. When ineffective players are ineffective and still get huge minutes, and players who give heart and soul sit on the bench (Ryan Callahan) or in street clothes (Prucha, Nigel Dawes), nothing changes. 

This team might have to fight to make the playoffs. And to do that, they'll have to give up something good at the trade deadline. Lord knows Gomez isn't going anywhere, except on the ice in overtime.

Notes From My Bed, 11/6/08...

In January of 2006, I went to see the Rangers against the Lightning at the Garden. The game, quite simply, was atrocious. A 0-0 game until the Rangers game up a goal in overtime. Boring, slow, horrendously played. 

Fast forward to November of 2008, and I have two tickets to see the Lightning again at the Garden. So, holding a grudge against the team from Tampa Bay, I sold my tickets to a friend and watched from my bed with my girlfriend and my chubby little dog.

Bad game to sell my tickets! Reminds me of when I sold my tickets to a Devils game in 2006 citing reasons such as the Devils were boring and I hate Martin Brodeur. The Rangers scored 3 goals in 90 seconds in that game and won 3-2.

Good Effort

The Rangers didn't just get lucky today, they outplayed Tampa Bay. Yes, they had some bad plays. A bad line change, a few bad penalties, some sloppy defense; they overcame those flaws with solid defense the rest of the game, hard work, good backchecking, and an offense that clicked more often than not.

Power Play Ineptitude

Gomez-Naslund-Drury-Redden-Rozsival were on the power play for 80 seconds and didn't score. Callahan-Dubinsky-Zherdev get on the ice, and 10 seconds later, put the Rangers up 1-0. If I were coach (which I am not and chances are will never be), I would immediately put the line that scored on the ice first for the next power play. But what does Tom Renney do? He puts the non-performing line back on the ice.

While the Rangers PP did click today, their 5-on-3 was atrocious again, until Chris Drury was in the right place at the right time for his 3rd goal. They consistently play too close to the net, which a) doesn't tire out the penalty killers like it should and b) gives them less room to shoot and more room for the shot to be blocked. If the point men played the blue line, the shots would be deflected more, the PKers would tire out faster, and rebounds would be plentiful. Instead, when a shot is blocked, it is easily cleared.

Hat Tricks

Drury finally had a great game. His second goal was a great one-timer (of which the Rangers need more instead of "setting up the shot"). His first of the game put the soon-to-be-a-backup Mike Smith on his rear and was a great play. His third goal was just good timing and a veteran's shot. A rookie might've missed that but he nailed a low-angle shot.

However, the captain's trio of goals wasn't the only hat trick of the night. Garden fan favorite and now Lightning defenseman #22 had what will now be known as a Marek Malik Hat Trick... two penalties and an assist!

Stunning Conclusion

All together, a very enjoyable game. Isn't that why we watch? Entertainment?

No. I watch so I can dance after a goal and make my dog crazy.

A very fun game to watch, five goals scored, a hat trick by a Ranger on home ice, Aaron Voros with two fights including punching the goalie's mask, a good team effort, a Melrose Mullet, and some great saves by Henrik Lundqvist that guaranteed two points for the good guys. What else can you ask for?

Rangers 4, Islanders 2: A Live Report

It's a fun tradition in my life. Every time someone buys me tickets to a sporting event for my birthday, things usually go horribly wrong. For my 25th birthday two years ago, my brother got me tickets to Game 7 of the Mets-Cardinals NLCS. A crushing ninth-inning home run ended the Mets' season. The next year, my brother got me tickets to the Mets-Marlins season finale, which was interesting for all of ten minutes before Tom Glavine secured the Mets' ticket to collapse immortality. This year, I told my brother to put the kibosh on sports tickets. But that didn't stop my friend Leslie, she of the half-season ticket plan, from offering me a game for free for my birthday. Ignoring my previous history with birthday tickets and the heartbreak that inevitably follows, I chose tonight's Islanders-Rangers game.

Whoops.

The evening started out innocently enough. Unfortunately, there wasn't time for parking lot hockey or pre-game boozing, but there was time for Checkers. We brought it to the parking lot, where we saw an obscene amount of Ranger jerseys. Uh-oh. Fortunately, a car of Islander fans pulled up next to us. They brought Coors Light, a weak choice, but I had to let it slide. Even when they drilled my car with the football they were throwing around, I was totally fine. After all, one of them had an old-school wavy jersey, just like the one I was wearing. I went with my Zigmund Palffy throwback; Leslie wore her Trent Hunter RBK Edge jersey.

We headed into the Coliseum, still aghast at the number of Ranger jerseys we saw on the way in. Immediately upon entering, we were handed a pamphlet full of Islanders propaganda along with a flyer showing the team's new third jersey, which had just been unveiled about 90 minutes prior. I got a press release in my e-mail from Corey Witt, but I ended up getting an even better view of the jersey...

Clearly, this was going to be a good night.

We decided to head down for warmups, something Zach got me into doing when we went to an Islanders-Coyotes game last year. The first goalie we saw was Yann Danis, which was a pretty clear sign that Rick DiPietro wouldn't be playing. Warmups were fun enough, but even more entertaining were the scores of bad jerseys I saw throughout the Coliseum. Particularly notable jerseys included, but were not limited to: Garth Snow, Mattias Weinhandl, Chris Simon (Islanders), and Dan Blackburn. There were some impressive ones too, including Rich Pilon, Aaron Voros, and Henrik Lundqvist's Swedish league jersey.

Finally, it was gametime. Much of the crowd hadn't found their seats by the time Chris Drury opened up the scoring with his first goal just 56 seconds into the game. But the Islanders ended up being the better team for much of the first period, with Kyle Okposo's goal being pretty much the first thing he's done all season for the Islanders. After the first period, we headed down to Knucklehead's at Gate 20. The former Dom's Deli locations are now called Knuckleheads, serve a variety of exotic beers (including Bluepoint), and have tables and a nice atmosphere. I ended up going with a Sly Fox Pilsner, which wasn't all that great; fortunately, the pretzel twist that went with it was exquisite. I swear, there is no better arena snack in the entire world than the Nassau Coliseum pretzel twist.

We got back to our seats just in time for the second period, which was pretty uneventful. It was nice to see a fight between these two teams. Even though it wasn't the best fight, it was something to get things going. After the second, we watched the in-arena entertainment, which quite honestly sucked. The new arena interviewer asked Mike Comrie perhaps the dumbest question of all time: "What do you need to do in the third period to tie up the game?" Um, how about, SCORE A GOAL?!? The insanity didn't end there, as there's now a thing where you can text anything you want to some number and the text appears on the scoreboard. Leslie's text ("Marry Me, Hilbert!") appeared on the scoreboard; my text ("Buy a pretzel twist") didn't. You could also vote on which song the Islanders would come out to as the third period began. All three choices were pretty cliche choices, as was pretty much all the rest of the music we heard tonight. Or, at least, that music which wasn't of the emo persuasion. Ugh.

Anyway, the third period told the story of the game. It also shed some light on the significant gap between the two teams. Though they performed admirably for the first 40 minutes, the Islanders just didn't have what it takes to hang with the Rangers for a full 60 minutes. Even before taking a ton of dumb penalties, the Islanders didn't show a great deal in the third. The Islander fans in attendance, on the other hand, did show quite a bit in the third period, resulting in a number of fights in the crowd. These proved to be more entertaining than the game. Of particular note during the Islanders' denoument was the time the Islanders gave the Rangers a five-on-three, resulting in a Chris Drury goal just moments later. But to me, the moment that told the story was when Aaron Voros nearly beheaded Jack Hillen by dumping him into the boards. Bill Guerin immediately jumped all over Voros, knocking him to the ground and punching him. Honestly, Guerin probably deserved a fight instigator and game misconduct, but it never happened. What's important, though, is that nobody else bothered to defend Hillen. The game ended without incident and, thanks to Scott Gordon waiting until there were ten seconds left to pull Joey MacDonald, the Islanders never stood a real chance of coming back.

(NOTE: Zach informs me that the Islanders were trying to get MacDonald over to bench for some time, only MacDonald wasn't paying attention and only got the message when the Islanders started banging on the boards. To be honest, I'm not sure which is worse - MacDonald not paying attention, or Gordon taking way too long to pull the goalie for like the fifth game in a row. Whichever truth you believe, it's not good.)

That Guerin/Voros play was the key to the game. Here, you have your captain and a leading scorer from last year fighting the physical battles, the kind of things your enforcer should be doing. And that's the Islanders' problem. They don't have any purely physical forces to intimidate the opposition. They also don't have a sniper that changes the way opponents organize their defenses. The Islanders aren't just a young team, they're a young team with no identity. They should look at their rivals and learn some hard lessons about life in the NHL. You need to be able to play every style in order to be a successful team. The Rangers can plug in size if they need size, speed if they need speed. Tonight, the Rangers sensed that the Islanders didn't have the horses to play the physical game these teams usually play, so they threw Petr Prucha in there. Not that Prucha made the difference or anything, but it shows the difference between these two teams. One team can give a number of different looks; the other can only hope to play their "system", whatever that is.

Leaving the Coliseum, we talked about all of these things while simultaneously noting that these Islanders-Rangers games are sort of getting old. We estimated an approximate 60-40 split, with the Rangers' faithful being the dominant group. Now, most times, road team fans keep to themselves and stick to cheering for their team. Not so with Ranger fans. They stuck it to Islander fans every chance they got, which is the fan's reward for winning. Still, it's annoying to come out, support your team against their biggest rivals, and get crapped all over for doing so. This whole "Garden East" reputation isn't going anywhere until the Islanders get better, which could take a while. I guess it's just another thing us Islander fans are going to have to deal with.

After the game was over, I head to Miller Ale House to watch Monday Night Football with some friends. While at the Ale House, I saw a ton of Islanders and Rangers shirts, jerseys, and hats. Maybe hockey isn't dead after all. That sort of made me happy.

The rest of the night? Not so much. Tonight served as a sobering reminder that the Islanders are light years behind the Rangers and that Ranger fans by far outnumber Islander fans on Long Island. But hey, if you're an Islander fan, it can't get much worse. You're fifteen points behind the Rangers. They have the best record in the league; you have the worst. You've already hit rockbottom in October, so the coming months should only bring better things. And if you're a Ranger fan, you might dismiss tonight's game as "only" a victory over the Islanders. But you also went on the road and beat a team that always plays you tough. You outlasted their best efforts and not only found a way to win, but to win convincingly. That's impressive.

So Round 1 of this season's rivalry goes to the Rangers. Congratulations, Ranger fans. I guess.

On that note, I'm going to go drink some more. I leave you with this question. Suppose Joey MacDonald, after taking a slapshot off his mask, ended up with a concussion and had to miss some time. Would the Islanders still publicly proclaim his concussion as an "undisclosed injury"?

A Scoreless Tie...

If tonight's Rangers vs. Maple Leafs game had occured during the 2003-04 season, it would have been a scoreless tie, and the fans would have been angry. However, it was a very exciting game besides the final tally, and the third period was especially fun to watch. 

Personally, I have been in attendance for one game that went 0-0 through regulation, and it was horribly boring. NHL.com doesn't let me search for all games after the lockout like they used to anymore (hmm... am I missing something?) so I'll guess on the day. I believe it was January 2, 2006, the first season back. Rangers vs. Tampa Bay, at MSG. It was an awful, boring, horrible game. Both teams played with a complete lack of passion and I believe Vaclav Prospal scored the game winner quickly into overtime. Awful game.

Tonight's atleast was interesting. While the Rangers did have 32 shots, most of them were bad, low-angle shots that didn't test Vesa Toskala. However, the 8 or 9 good shots they did have that tested the Toronto netminder were turned away, and Toskala did indeed have a very good game. 

Likewise, Steven Valiquette also played good. He wasn't tested tremendously, but when he was called to action, he responded very well. A great showing by the backup, and that is very good news. As good as a team player Kevin Weekes was in his tenure as Henrik Lundqvist's backup, it was always a scary moment when he was announced as starter. Anyone remember 1/11/07, his last game as a Ranger, when he gave up 4 goals on 8 shots against Ottawa and was pulled?

Some other notes...

1) The Rangers should start declining penalties like they do in football. I mean, technically, when they negated two power plays by taking penalties themselves, they almost did that. However, on one power play they stunk it up, and as soon as the Toronto offender left the box, the Rangers played great 5-on-5 thanks to Marc Staal and Aaron Voros. 

2) Chris Drury should either a) play on the fourth line with Colton Orr and Blair Betts or b) be sent to Hartford for a conditioning stint to regain some scoring touch. 

No, I don't think he should be sent to Hartford. I know how the waiver wire works. I do, however, think his playing time should be reduced or he should watch a game in the best suit $7M can buy. Never has a player making so much money whiffed on the puck so many times since Eric Lindros played on the Rangers. 

3) I'm not saying I'm a psychic or anything, but I do watch enough hockey to correctly predict events. How many times today did Sam Rosen or Joe Micheletti tell us that Michal Rozsival shot the puck... and missed the net? Three? Four? Five? 

I'll give it to him, though. At least he was shooting. His overtime shot probably would've gone in on a goalie who wasn't as hot as Toskala.

On Voros, Renney, Being Undefeated, and Cherepanov...

1) When the Rangers didn't re-sign Sean Avery, I never imagined that his replacement would be Aaron Voros. His celebrating the goal right in front of Colin White was awesome. By the way, Voros had 3 points in only 13 minutes of ice time.

2) This Dubinsky-Zherdev-Voros line (the "PlayStation" line) is pretty good. Based on prior seasons, the over-under on how many games until coach Tom Renney breaks them apart is 6 games. Dawes-Callahan-Prucha, anyone?

3) Being undefeated is nice, but it's still early. Last year, the Rangers were down 2-1 after the 2nd period of the opening game of the season against Florida. They scored 4 goals in the 3rd, won the first game of 2007-08 by a score of 5-2, and fans chanted "We Want the Cup". A nice touch, but too early. And much like Marek Malik's 3 assist performance in that first game, this streak will come to an end. But it's a good 10 points to have when fighting for a playoff spot in March.

4) It's very sad about Alexei Cherepanov. He was going to be a great talent in Ranger blue, I believe. I had been salivating at the thought of him and Artem Anisimov on the same line. The Rangers basically stole him at the 2007 Entry Draft. The rumors were that Washington was going to take him with the 5th selection so he could one day play with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Rangers then tried to move up to 3rd in a trade with Phoenix so they could take him there. The price was too high, Phoenix took Kyle Turris, Washington grabbed Karl Alzner, and Cherepanov fell to 17th because teams were afraid he was never going to come to America to play. Turns out they were sadly correct, although he was planning on coming over after his 2-year deal was up in Russia. 

I won't bore anyone with lessons on life. I'm sure everyone reading this already knows life is fragile and I hope everyone is happy with their life.

Your Notes from the Garden...

A few notes follow from the home opener at Madison Square Garden. It was the 3rd straight home opener I have attended (the previous two also being season openers) and the first in which a Czech player did not score a goal in under 30 seconds.

First off, I think either Aaron Voros or Brandon Dubinsky will hurt themselves this season if they keep celebrating goals like they do, although I love the enthusiasm (and I love that line with them and Nik Zherdev). Voros had an Ovechkin-like glass pound, and Dubinsky slid, fell, raised up, and got tackled by Voros.

Secondly, the worst item for sale that I saw was not the $5 16 ounce bottle of water (a 32 oz. soda is cheaper... go figure), but rather the $28 mini-bobble-head set. My friend Dan said it was on sale for $20, but that is an unsubstantiated rumor. The three players: Petr Prucha, Henrik Lundqvist, and Fedor Tyutin. That's a suit-and-tie wearing healthy scratch, a badly modeled replica of the best goaltender in the metropolitan area, and a Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman. 

Christian Backman mini-bobble-head sold separately. 

Thirdly, I keep winning money betting on hockey online. Relax, I'm not immoral. I bet between $5-$10 per game. I mostly bet parlays for hockey, where you pick two events to occur on the same night and you odds go up atleast 50%. For instance, I bet the Bruins would beat Colorado yesterday and San Jose would beat Anaheim. Since both occurred, I won. Last week, I bet on the Rangers and Pittsburgh and won. Today, I bet on the Rangers over Chicago and Columbus over Dallas. Thanks to Rick Nash's overtime heroics, I am a (slightly) richer man today.

And finally, I really like that the Rangers are excited this year. Everyone wants to be here, to win, not just for the paycheck. Paul Mara took a discount. Aaron Voros and Markus Naslund both wanted to sign here. Scott Gomez plays hard every shift. Chris Drury was a Ranger fan growing up and is now the captain of the team. Zherdev feels good and is in a real market now. Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan love being Rangers. Prucha missed school the next day to watch the Rangers win the Cup in 1994. Lundqvist loves the city and the spotlight. And for all I will beat on Wade Redden this year, he chose to come here when other cities offered him the same (bloated) contract as Glen Sather did.

Wanting to win is the difference-maker in close games. A few years ago, the Rangers left so many points on the table that they should have had just because they had no will to succeed. 

Here's hoping this year is different.

* * * 

And one non-Ranger note.

I am on record as saying I don't like listening to Doc Emerick when he does games I am watching. His voice irritates me, he's pretentious, and a know-it-all.

However, I would rather listen to him read the phonebook than ever listen to Chico Resch do color commentary. Actually, calling it color commentary is an insult to color men like Joe Micheletti and John Davidson. Is yelling "Whoo!" after a Martin Brodeur save something that enhances the game for the fans at home?

I guess it doesn't matter if no one is watching the Devils, to be honest. (They once had 736 people tune in for a game against the Panthers.)

Hello, Aaron Voros...

... Goodbye, Ryan Hollweg? Or maybe, "Hello, Aaron Voros... Goodbye, Colton Orr?" Essentially, the Rangers now have 3 players in the exact same mold. 

To be fair, Voros actually is more offensive, even on a tight Wild team. He was 7-7 with 14 points last season, and 141 penalty minutes. 

With a glut of forwards already, maybe this means Glen Sather knows Sean Avery isn't coming back.

If the uncredible reports are true, and the Bruins really are offering Marian Hossa over $11M per season for 7 seasons, they should read my blog from yesterday where I mentioned his 66 points in 72 games are equivalent to Jason Arnott and Ales Hemsky, not Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin.