NYR Top Post-Lockout Moments #10-6...

First off, how about that USA-Canada game last night! It was great seeing Chris Drury score a clutch goal again. If there's a God in Heaven, it will be a USA-Sweden Gold Medal Game.

And now, on with the countdown...

10) Rangers Win First Game After the Lockout
Philadelphia - October 5, 2005
I remember how excited I was the first time I was in MSG for a while. It was a Dane Cook comedy show in September of 2005, and even though it wasn’t technically at the Garden (it was at the Theatre at the Garden), it still smelled like hockey in those hallways. (I have since stopped listening to Dane Cook.)

Imagine how excited I was for the first Rangers game since Bobby Holik scored an overtime winner in Washington in April 2004 (Jamie McLennan was the winning goalie; yes, he was a Ranger, for 4 games).

And can you even fathom how great it felt when the Rangers took a lead on a goal by Jason Strudwick?! Who? It didn’t even matter!

Of course, then the rails came off, and the Flyers scored 3 unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead (A fellow named Jamie Lundmark - remember him? - scored to make it 3-2 before the 2nd intermission). I remember getting incredibly angry and screaming about how this was the “same old Rangers” and how Jaromir Jagr was “just another washed up player.”

Okay, I never said that about Jagr (I did say the first part, though), and it’s a good thing I didn’t, because he took over in the 3rd, scoring two power play goals to go with his assist on the Strudwick goal. Marcel Hossa sealed the deal for the Rangers 33 seconds after Jagr’s 2nd goal.

I was on Cloud Nine after this game. Hossa scored, Strudwick scored, Ryan Hollweg had an assist. All of these people came out of nowhere, and I knew, just knew, that Hossa and Hollweg would be offensive dynamos for the rest of the year.

Sure, they weren’t, but Hollweg played good for his rookie year, Jed Ortmeyer worked his heart off, Dominic Moore had a great rookie campaign while playing in every game, Henrik Lundqvist was a phenomenal discovery, Jaromir Jagr broke the Rangers points and goals record, and Martin Straka was great. It was a dream season for the Rangers.


And it all started here, on a chilly October night in Philadelphia.

9) Shanahan Fights Brashear
MSG - December 30, 2006
The Rangers had lost 7 in a row, starting with a 9-2 beating in Toronto and a 6-1 loss at home to the Devils and culminating in being shutout twice in a row against the Islanders and Ottawa. They went from 18-10-4 to 18-17-4 and were in a pretty bad jam. When they could score goals, they let in too many. When Henrik Lundqvist was hot, the offense couldn’t put one in.

Leave it to Brendan Shanahan to be the sparkplug. In his first season with the Rangers, he took exception to Donald Brashear making runs at Jagr all night long. He challenged him to a fight at center ice, dropped his gloves, and put some fists on his big bald head.

Maybe he didn’t win the fight - because Brashear pulled his jersey over his head and brought him down - but Shanahan, “a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” as Joe Micheletti said, revved up his team and the crowd, and the Rangers won 4-1, the first win of 4 straight.

What did Brashear do in response to getting called out by a player with actual skill? Skated by Aaron Ward and sucker-punched him in the mouth and the helmet.

What did the Rangers do in response? Waited for Brashear to injure unsung hero Blair Betts, then signed him to a huge contract, realized he was awful, and sent him to the minors.



8) Shootout Against Washington
MSG - November 26, 2005
What do Michael Nylander, Ville Nieminen, Jason Strudwick, and Marek Malik have in common? Besides short careers with the Rangers, they all scored goals in a 15-round shootout.

The Rangers shot last, meaning that all three times the Capitals scored, the Rangers happened to score also, which is a pretty crazy feat in itself. Olaf Kolzig was particularly good on this night, both in the game and the tiebreaker, as he always played great against the Rangers.

My personal favorite goal from this was Strudwick’s wicked wrister. The Rangers had to think their chances were slim when Bryan Muir put one past Lundqvist, and then Tom Renney puts Strudwick out. He skated down with speed and ripped one right by Kolzig, who wasn’t expecting such a hard shot. I always loved Jason Strudwick and seeing him save the day was incredible. He started pounding the glass and then throwing his arms up to rile the crowd.

Of course, when Malik put the puck in, his reaction was the extreme opposite of Strudwick’s. He acted like a 50-goal scorer instead of a 6’6” defenseman who scored 8 goals in 3 years as a Ranger (6 regular season, 1 shootout, 1 playoff).

You know what happened. Matt Bradley missed his shot for Washington. Malik - goalless the whole year so far - took the puck at center ice, goes left, cuts right, puts the stick and puck between his legs, waits for Kolzig to drop, and put it home - from between his legs.

I can watch this goal over and over and never get sick of it. I still don’t entirely know how Malik did this. Marek Malik!

Said John Davidson, “I’ve seen it all.”



7) Jed Ortmeyer's Penalty Shot
MSG - January 13, 2007
Jed Ortmeyer was lucky to be alive - much less still playing in the NHL - after suffering a pulmonary embolism in the summer of 2006. In fact, he missed 40 games to start the season, and in his 5th game (a 6-4 loss to Ottawa on January 11) he notched 2 assists and got a standing ovation on both of them.

The next game, his 6th game back, was a game against Boston. The Rangers were up 2-1 late in the 3rd period when Tomas Pock took a high-sticking penalty. Ortmeyer, one of the best penalty-killers on a great penalty-killing team, broke free and had a short-handed breakaway until he was dragged down by Patrice Bergeron.

The ref pointed to center ice and Ortmeyer skated to the bench. Jaromir Jagr wondered if they could decline the penalty shot and play 4-on-4. Ryan Hollweg (who had 0 points so far in the season) told him to shoot high on Tim Thomas. Ortmeyer said in the post-game interviews that Hollweg probably saw that on SportsCenter.

With the Garden on their feet, Ortmeyer went straight down the ice, faked a shot by kicking his left leg out, waited for Thomas to go down, went to the right and put the puck into the net.

If anyone ever deserved a highlight-reel goal like that, it was Jed Ortmeyer, who played his heart and soul out every single game.

6) Leetch Returns to MSG
MSG - March 20, 2006
Brian Leetch's last game at Madison Square Garden was March 2, 2004, in a loss to Atlanta. Since then, he was traded to Toronto and signed by Boston.

The Boston Bruins' first visit to the Garden was 4 months earlier, on November 20, 2005, but Leetch didn't play because of a strained knee that kept him out for a while.

The inevitable day finally came in late March, and the Garden greeted him with a video celebrating his time as a Ranger - a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Award, a 102 point season, 1,129 games in blue, 82 playoff games, franchise records for goals, assists, and points by a defenseman, and a goal in Game 7.

Leetch was "in a fog," according to him the entire night. At random points in the game, fans would chant "Bri-an Leetch, Bri-an Leetch" (including me). He was visibly affected by the reaction to him in what was his only game at MSG not in a Rangers jersey (besides the 1994 All-Star Game...).

Besides Leetch's return, it was a great game, with the Rangers jumping out to a 3-0 2nd period lead that caused Boston to use their timeout. The fans even cheered the fact that Boston was forced to use its timeout early. The Bruins wound up scoring 2 goals, but the Rangers won 5-2.

The only bad part of the night was realizing that Leetch would never again be part of a good Rangers team. As it was, the Rangers improved to 39-19-10 that night while the Bruins fell to 4 games under .500.


(The last 26 seconds of the game.)

NYR Top Post-Lockout Moments #15-11

Part 3 of an 8-part series. Up tomorrow: Top Islanders' Moments #15-11.

15) Messier Night / Jagr Scores in OT
MSG - January 12, 2006
Can you imagine how angry the fans would have been after spending $500 on one ticket to Mark Messier Night only to see a loss? Granted, the ceremony itself was great - albeit very long. But during the last retirement ceremony (Mike Richter’s), the Rangers blew a 3-2 lead and lost 4-3 to Minnesota.

Steve Rucchin started the scoring, but then Edmonton scored 3 straight to take a 3-1 lead. The Rangers jumped ahead 4-3 on an early 3rd period goal by Petr Prucha, but Mike Peca’s shorthanded goal was his second of the night scored his 2nd goal of the night and tied it at 4 (his first goal tied it at 1 and it was a power play goal with Martin Straka off the ice for an illegal stick penalty!).

Maybe predictably for a fast-paced, back and forth game, overtime didn’t last very long. Just fourteen seconds in, Jaromir Jagr whipped one past former Ranger Jussi Markkanen, capping off a great night for Rangers fans.

How fitting of an ending for a 75-minute ceremony than an extra session of hockey?

Oh, but my overall favorite moment? Christopher Reeve’s widow (now deceased herself) Dana singing Carole King’s “Now and Forever.”



14) Leetch Announcing Adam Graves’ Night
MSG - January 24, 2008
For how good the game was during Mark Messier Night, Brian Leetch Night’s game was a rolling disaster.

Sure, the Rangers won in dramatic fashion, but it was more a matter of desperation than anything. They needed the points badly (they were merely 2 games over .500 at the time) and they had played a lackluster, downright boring game so far. Michal Rozsival potted one with 11 minutes left in the 3rd period to finally give the Rangers something to cheer about since the ceremony ended.

(Brendan Shanahan wound up scoring the only shootout goal to give the Rangers 2 points, but the game, overall, was still very boring.)

The ceremony, of course, was excellent, and definitely shorter than Messier’s marathon. The highlight was definitely when Leetch took the time out of his own night to announce that Adam Graves Night would be held the following season.

They played great together on the ice, and it was a great touch for Leetch to do this. He was never completely comfortable with the spotlight on him, and even on his special night, he shone the light on someone else. That’s a good teammate.

13) Jagr Scores :29 Into Season
MSG - October 5, 2006
Five months ago, Jaromir Jagr couldn’t even lift his shoulder after hurting it throwing a weak, awkward punch at then-Devil Scott Gomez. He had surgery to repair it, but there were doubts surrounding the team coming into the start of the 2006-07 season. The three main questions concerning the team were about Jagr’s shoulder, how Henrik Lundqvist would be after his problems in the ’06 playoffs after the Olympics (he played awful, if you remember, after coming back from Italy grinding his teeth while he slept and with migraines), and if Brendan Shanahan was a good signing.

Well, 29 seconds into the season, newly-introducted Captain Jagr stormed up the ice, cut across center, and fired one past notorious Ranger-killer Olaf Kolzig on the first shot of the season. The crowd chanted “MVP! MVP!” to Jagr, as he should have been crowned it the season before, but Joe Thornton won it when he overtook him in the points race at the end of the season.

Shanahan wound up scoring 2 goals in his Ranger debut, goals 599 and 600, Lundqvist stood tall, and for a night, all was perfect in Rangerland.

Who knew that the deciding factor of the season wouldn’t be Jagr’s shoulder, Shanahan’s ability, or Lundqvist’s migraines, but a last-minute icing in May in Buffalo.

12) Lundqvist Robs Savard
Boston - October 20, 2007
The Rangers and Boston have played some very close games since the Lockout, but none of them could top the 1-0 shootout won by Boston in October of 2007. Lundqvist had 19 saves, Manny Fernandez had 26, and the game was won in a shootout by Phil Kessel after the first 5 shooters didn’t score.

It almost didn’t get to that shootout, however, if not for an excellent save by Lundqvist on Marc Savard.

If you remember, this was also the game where Marty Straka blocked TWO Zdeno Chara slappers from the point and broke the same finger in two separate spots on both shots. If we had this website during this game, I would have called Straka a Warrior.

On the same power play, a rebound came to Savard and he absolutely rocketed a shot to an open net, except Lundqvist whipped out his left arm and caught the puck. A shocked Savard fell to the ice (partly due to the force he took the shot with) and looked to the heavens.

Between Straka being immortal and Lundqvist making one of the Saves of the Decade, the winner of the game didn’t even matter.



11) Nylander’s Playoff Hat Trick
MSG - April 17, 2007
The last time the Rangers had won a playoff game at MSG, well, I don’t know, but I assume it was in 1997, a full 10 years before they beat the Thrashers 7-0.

The previous year, against New Jersey, they got outscored 7-2 in their two home playoff games, and even though they got a standing ovation after being eliminated, it stung.

This was the complete opposite.

Kari Lehtonen was reinstated as starting goaltender after being replaced by Johan Hedberg for Game 2. The Rangers made quick work of him, though he was never pulled in the game. Michael Nylander scored his first goal 32 seconds into the game and his second 9 minutes later. His 3rd goal was the team’s 7th, completing what he started.

Ryan Callahan also scored twice on this night, 11 minutes apart in the 2nd period, and even Marek Malik scored on a great shot from the left circle. Shanahan scored the other goal for the Rangers, and Jagr had 4 assists.

It was a great night to be a fan from start to finish, and the sweep of Atlanta the next night made for a flawless first round victory.

NYR Top Post-Lockout Moments #20-16

This is my personal favorite moments from Ranger games starting in the 2005-06 season. It only includes NHL moments (for example, it doesn’t have Henrik Lundqvist winning the Gold Medal in the ’06 Olympics) and it doesn’t include bad memories (for example, Game 5 vs. Buffalo, or Jaromir Jagr and Lundqvist coming back hurt from the Olympics, or Jagr throwing a punch at Scott Gomez).

20) Three Goals in Ninety Seconds
Madison Square Garden - November 14, 2006
As a rule of thumb, I never like to go to Ranger-Devil games at MSG. I don't know if it's the Devils' fans or the fact that I've seen some real stinkers, but they just don't appeal to me. So, on this day, I sold my friend my tickets to an early season game between the Hudson River Rivals.

This seemed like a great decision after 2 lifeless periods, and that's when everything got great. Jaromir Jagr scored just over two minutes into the 3rd period, and then, 26 seconds later, Jagr's puck went high and somehow floated over Martin Brodeur's head and into the net. A minute and 4 seconds later, Brendan Shanahan wristed one in the net to make it a 3-2 game, in a game the Rangers trailed 2-0 90 seconds earlier.

The icing on the cake? Marcel Hossa's two assists.

On the way home from work that night, I was listening to talk radio, and a called said it was "the single greatest regular season game I have ever witnessed in person." I texted my friend, and all he replied was, "I concur."

19) Strong Comebacks Against Canadian Teams
MSG - January 11, 2007
Kevin Weekes gave up 4 goals in 32 minutes and Lundqvist gave up an early 3rd period goal as Ottawa built a 5-0 lead on the Rangers. Half of the Garden left at this point, but the Rangers mounted a big comeback. Petr Prucha, Jay Ward, and Marcel Hossa scored within 3 minutes of each other and Blair Betts scored 4 minutes after that to bring the Rangers to within a goal. Jed Ortmeyer’s two assists were his first points since coming back from a pulmonary embolism, and he got a standing ovation both times his name was announced.

The Rangers kept pressing, and might have tied the game if not for a bad call by Mike Hasenfratz. The Senators flipped the puck over the glass in their own end, which should have been a penalty, but the referees didn’t call it, even though replays on the big screen proved that it went out while still in the zone. Brendan Shanahan refused to leave the zone, arguing that it should be a penalty, nearly getting a penalty of his own. The Rangers were then forced to pull Lundqvist, ending in a Dany Heatley empty-netter which sealed a 6-4 win for the Senators.

This was also Weekes’ last game in a Ranger uniform, as he hurt his leg in practice the next day and Steve Valiquette replaced him.

Montreal - February 3, 2008
The only game on Super Bowl Sunday (when the Giants beat the Patriots), the Canadiens jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a Sergei Kostitsyn penalty shot, but then the Rangers roared back. They scored 3 goals in 7 minutes in the second to tie it at 3, then Chris Drury and Martin Straka scored in the 3rd to complete a great comeback in front of a stunned La Centre Bell crowd. It was the 3rd straight win for the middling Rangers, who would soon go on a 10-0-3 run to make the playoffs.

18) Dom Moore Scores Against Roberto Luongo
Sunrise, Florida - November 9, 2005
The Rangers were losing to the Panthers 3-2 with three seconds left in the 3rd period. Dominic Moore was behind the net and saw an opening between Roberto Luongo’s pad and the post, so he aimed for it, hoping it would bank off of his leg and into the net - and it did. In the postgame interviews, he said that he knew time was winding down and had no other choices, so he whipped it towards the net and hoped for what eventually happened.

Petr Prucha wound up scoring the only shootout goal for the Rangers, and they won, 4-3.

17) Sean Avery Night
MSG - January 6, 2010
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nothing makes me happier than when Sean Avery scores. This year, there haven’t been too many of those moments - in fact, until this game, he had only scored 4 goals and they came in 2 games.

He was like a man-possessed on this Wednesday night in New York City, playing his former teammates. He scored to tie the game at 1-1, then had the primary assist on the next 3 goals as the Rangers jumped to a 4-2 lead and eventually won 5-2 on an empty netter.

He was hitting, shooting, getting under the skin of the team, and even undressing a defenseman with spin-o-ramas.

In short, this was Sean Avery’s night, and it was the way he should play every game.



16) Gomez Traded for Gaborik
June 30 - July 1, 2007
If I had asked any Ranger fan if they would have traded Scott Gomez straight-up for Marian Gaborik, do you think they would have said, “No, I’m happy with Gomez.” Well, in essence, that’s what the Rangers did. They traded nearly identical contracts (5 years, $7M+) and came up on the winning end of the deal.

Of course, it wasn’t an actual trade, but on the eve of the start of free agency, the Rangers traded Scott Gomez to Montreal for Chris Higgins and prospect Ryan McDonagh. With the cap-space now free, the Rangers didn’t trade for Dany Heatley and instead signed Gaborik to a five-year deal.

Another reason this trade was great was that Montreal was interested in Gaborik, but with Gomez’s contract now on their hands, they couldn’t even make a run at him.

It was risky for the Rangers: What if Gaborik signed elsewhere, who would the Rangers go for? What if they signed him and he got hurt?

But so far, it has worked out. He’s young, he’s fast, he’s immensely talented, and he isn’t afraid to stick up for himself. And he’s a great player to build around.

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.

Free Agents Still Available...

Hope everyone had a good weekend celebrating America's birthday. And what's more American than hockey?! Okay, a lot, but what's more American than getting paid a ton of money to play a game?!

Don't forget that I made a list of still-available free agents the other day (before Day 2 of Free Agency). Keep it on hand - it comes completely with my impressive HTML knowledge, which consists mainly of only strike-throughs).

Names still available that could help the Islanders or Rangers...
... Alex Tanguay; Saku Koivu; Paul Mara; Derek Morris; Ales Kotalik; Blair Betts; Brendan Shanahan; Chris Chelios; Corey Murphy; Mike Comrie; Brendan Morrison; and if Glen Sather wants another 4th line player, Travis Moen is indeed still out there, unsigned and waiting.

0-4-1...

Let me regale you a tale about a fellow hockey fan - and hopefully, avid reader of this blog - named Lou.

I’ve known Lou since 1997 or 1998, and while I don’t follow other sports as much as hockey, we share the same teams in all sports (Rangers, Mets, Jets, nobody likes basketball).

I like Lou, and consider him a good friend. However, we have one problem: We have never been together at MSG to see the Rangers win a game, and we try every year. 

Sure, we’ve had our successes alone. We’ve been to the Coliseum a few times when the Rangers beat the Islanders (including the game where Jaromir Jagr broke the Rangers’ points record with a slew of first period assists). 

Oh, we’ve even seen wins at MSG when we were both there but not together. We both saw the shootout victory on Brian Leetch Night, and we both were at a Penguins game where they won 4-2 (his seats were much better than mine).

But together, we are the Buffalo Bills of Ranger games - there once a year, can’t win.

And they lose in majestic fashion as well. This tradition started in 2002-03 and here are the games...

2002-03 :: 3/26/03 :: A game against the Penguins (we had a total of 3 Ranger fans and 1 Penguins fan with us) where the Rangers got thoroughly outplayed by the equally-crappy Penguins (Rangers ended the year with 78 points; Penguins had 65). The Penguins didn’t have Mario Lemieux, hadn’t won a game in over a month, and had Sebastian Caron in goal. Of course the Rangers would lose this game. PIT 3, NYR 1

2003-04 :: 1/20/04 :: We lost the Penguins fan, and me, Lou, and another Rangers fan went to see Boston on Vintage Night, where both teams wore retro 1970s jerseys and prices on cotton candy and popcorn were rolled back to 75 cents. Disco music even played during the game. Apparently the Bruins beat the Rangers a lot in the 70s, because it happened this night too. The one saving grace was me yelling “SHOOOOT!” (which, ironically, I don’t like when people yell that now) when Leetch had the puck, and he shot, and scored the Rangers lone goal. Joe Thornton didn’t play in this game. BOS 4, NYR 1

2005-06 :: 3/12/06 :: The Rangers were beating the Thrashers 2-0 entering the 3rd (on goals by Jagr and Marty Straka), and then gave up one midway through the period. “Sweet Caroline” came on with 5 minutes left in the game, Ilya Kovalchuk scores, and the Rangers lose in overtime. Quite a depressing ending, and if the Rangers had won the game, they would’ve had an extra point in the standings, and at the end of the season that would’ve translated to home ice advantage in the 1st round. One point. ATL 3, NYR 2 (OT)

2006-07 :: 2/5/07 :: Okay, so seeing Detroit play probably wouldn’t help our winless streak, we admitted, but we wanted to see an Original Six matchup, as well as Brendan Shanahan’s first game against his old club. Two red-clad females sat in front of us and asked us not to hurt them (we didn’t). I was on the phone with my friend Dan, talking about the Sean Avery trade that just went down, when I saw Shanahan skate down the wing and I said, “I’ll talk to you later. Shanny’s about to score.” Shanahan actually scored 2 minutes in and then 13 seconds later Michael Nylander followed suit. A Marcel Hossa goal gave them a 3-1 lead after the first period.

In the third, the Wings made it 3-2, and the whole place fell silent. When it was 3-3, we knew what was happening. Keep in mind, the Rangers weren’t on their “run to the playoffs” yet, and they had blown mutliple 2-goal leads. They lost 4-3 in regulation, dropping their record to 25-24-4. DET 4, NYR 3

2007-08 :: 12/6/07 :: Desperate to break the streak, we picked an easy game. A slumpbuster, if you will. Toronto. One of the worst teams in the league. How could they not beat Toronto? This was also the 3rd Original Six matchup we'd gone to.

Tied 2-2 after one, Nik Antropov took over and scored 3 straight goals. The final was 6-2 Toronto, and the Rangers completely mailed in the 3rd period. I have memories of Michal Rozsival giving up (what? him?) and having Alexander Steen ravage him for the 6th goal. Toronto actually only had 10 shots in the first 2 periods, yet had 4 goals. TOR 6, NYR 2 

* * * 

So the point of the story is that me and Lou will be going to the matinee against Philadelphia at the Garden today, carrying an 0-4-1 record when going to a game at the Garden together. If the Rangers lose, please blame us (unless it's squarely Wade Redden's fault - entirely possible), and we promise we’ll pick a game against Tampa Bay next year.

Nashville...

One of my favorite things in life - besides Americanized Mexican food, Internet pastimes not including this blog, and TV shows on DVD - is going to Ranger games outside of New York. I go to enough Ranger games at MSG (I have a half-season package) and I go to a few at the Coliseum every year (although this year I've only been to one, the January 13 2-1 win).

In 2006-07, I went to Boston. The Rangers killed them, 6-1, on a Monday night. Petr Prucha had 2 goals, and the Prucha-Jed Ortmeyer-Matt Cullen line all had 3 points. I also would have gone to both playoff games in Atlanta that year, but I owned a business at the time and couldn't just up and leave, although I was tempted to (and good seats were available in that hockey hotbed the day of both games).

In 2007-08, I planned a 3 in 4 Extravaganza. Three games, 4 nights. The Rangers were playing Wednesday in New Jersey, Thursday in Philadelphia, and Saturday in Pittsburgh. We ended up just going to the first 2, because Pittsburgh is 5 hours from Philadelphia and 7 from NY.

So me and 3 others went to the game in Jersey, which I believe was the 3rd at the Rock ever. Nice place, though it was unfinished then (I have since returned for a Metallica concert, and while the drinks are crazy expensive, it is a nice place... but $10 for a shot of Jameson is nuts). The Devils scored 35 seconds in, Nigel Dawes scored 50 seconds later, the crazy fans behind us shouted "Die, Scotty, Die!" the whole night, two of us moved to very nice seats to see Marc Staal score his first ever NHL goal, and the Rangers won 4-2.

Then, the next day, we went to Philadelphia. Prucha scored on a great shot to make it 3-2 in the 3rd, but the Flyers tied it and the Rangers won in a shootout on a Brendan Shanahan goal.

We didn't go to the Penguins game, but they won 4-3 in overtime on a Jason Strudwick goal. The weird thing about this game was that all 4 goals were by defensemen. Michal Rozsival scored 2 within 4 minutes (one shorthanded), Dan Girardi had one, and then Struds got the winner.

On Super Bowl Sunday, the day the Giants beat the Patriots, I was in Montreal for the NBC game - along with 35 other Ranger fans. The Habs were up 3-0, and then the Rangers scored 5 straight for the great win. I'm pretty sure you could hear the Ranger fans on TV that day. Ryan Hollweg got crushed by Alex Kovalev at one point, then boarded (of course) one of the Flying Kostitsyn Brothers (Sergei?) and got tossed from the game, and I think suspended.

Great city, that Montreal.

* * *

Point being, Thursday is a jumping off point for me. I haven't been to many games this season, for a few reasons. 1) The economy stinks, so if I'm supposed to work a day when I have a game, I sell the tickets to friends so I can work and make money. 2) The team has been mediocre, which I can watch, but for a while the team wasn't even likable, so I didn't want to spend the money (train, bar, food, tickets, etc.) to go.

Thursday, though, I'll be at the game, then I'll be at Sunday's game vs. Philly, then a game March 24th vs. Minnesota, and finally April 7 vs. Montreal.

Thursday's game is in Nashville, Tennessee, marking my 2nd foray into Music City, and first for a Predators game. We got very good seats, and I'm jazzed. Okay, to be honest, I'm not sure if the seats are good. It's a goofy system they have, with row A, then row AA somewhere. I think I'm in row CC, which is either 3rd row or like 14th row or something. Couldn't make sense of floor plans there, and I'm not an idiot either. Hockey hotbed, it is not.

Nashville is a great city though, and I'm very curious to how their fanbase is. I think they have a good core of fans, somewhere around 12,000 season subscribers, but they only sell a little over 13,000 tickets per game, so the city isn't rabid about the Predators. I do also hear people from Nashville calling the XM Home Ice channel (channel 204) once in a while.

They also have a good team who is hot. They've won 6th straight although they didn't get any help at the trade deadline.

Please answer the poll question on which jersey I should wear to the game.

If I'm lucky, I'll get to see Hugh Jessiman's first NHL game! (No, that's not true, he won't be there.)

* * *

By the way, 78 goals were scored in the NHL tonight! Not one of them was a shootout goal, either! The Islanders beat the Devils 7-3; Carolina won 9-3 over Tampa Bay; Columbus beat the Wings 8-2. Crazy night. There was also only one 1-goal game (LA over Minnesota, 4-3).

Coming Soon...

To be honest, I was going to write a little entry here about how important Johnny Tavares would be to the Islanders, and how much pressure it is on an 18-year old who isn't really thinking yet that he will have to be a savior for a franchise, but Bryan hit the points pretty well on his last post. Since he's the Islander blogger, I'll leave it at that for now. 

I also hope that this isn't a point that we write about and look back on and realize it never mattered at all. In that bucket are posts about acquiring Marian Hossa and Mats Sundin, Mike Comrie and Miro Satan being traded at the 2008 trade deadline, Petr Prucha being traded, and Brendan Shanahan/Sean Avery/Jaromir Jagr/Marty Straka returning.

Yes, as a devout, lifelong Rangers fan, I wholeheartedly hope the Islanders get Tavares. For the past 3 years, I had hoped the Rangers tanked the 2008-09 season so that they could get the #1 overall pick, but now that they have no chance at being in the lottery, I really wish the Islanders get their chance.

* * *

By some divine streak of luck - aka my friend Tom texting me today - I will be at the Coliseum for the first time since the Rangers clinched the playoffs last year with a decisive victory.

In truth, it will only be my 4th game of the season, which is weird for me. Last year, I hit like 14 or 15 Ranger games (and one Islanders/Coyotes game as well). Most were at the Garden, but I traveled to New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Montreal as well to see them. This year, I saw "Opening Night" against Chicago (a victory), Avery's return against Dallas (a game in which my friend Tom passed out in the 2nd period, and the Rangers were playing so bad that I didn't wake him), and Petr Prucha's game-tying third-period goal against Pittsburgh in December (a shootout win). I'll probably be at 8, 9, or 10 games this year when all is said and done, including in Nashville in March.

Should be fun. I love going to the Coliseum for Ranger games. I like drinking in the parking lot and being in a 50/50 split. 

My hope is for some quality "Let's Go IslandersLet's Go Rangers!" chants (not a typo). My prediction is a Rangers overtime victory... not shootout... overtime! And as always, I predict Prucha scoring 2 goals.

Rangers Blank Senators...

Can I tell you how relieved I am that the Ottawa Senators weren't wearing those atrocious jerseys that say "SENS" in big letters across the front? (The jersey is a second-cousin of the "BOLTS" jersey in the hockey hotbed of Tampa Bay, and hopefully their family doesn't grow to include an "ISLES" jersey in Uniondale.)

Ottawa played woeful as their record (1-6-1 on an 8-game road trip, now 2-7-1 in their last 10) indicates. What happened to this team? No defense is one, I assume, but the big guns aren't playing well. Daniel Alfredsson was called out by his coach after their loss in Boston the other night. Dany Heatley has done nothing lately except earning an unearned spot on the All-Star team, and Jason Spezza threw the puck out of the zone and down the ice with 2 minutes left in the game and the team down two goals.

It was said today that Dmitri Kalinin is now a +6 in his last 8 games. While he is now an impressive -10, let it be known that Dave Maloney said this about him during a broadcast last week (and I'm paraphrasing since it was a week ago): Kalinin is having another good game for him. He'll never play mistake-free hockey, but he has been better as of late.

I love how Steve Valiquette stepped in against Buffalo and played a great game. I was nervous to have him in after he got bombed on with 5 straight goals against Toronto a few months ago, and I think Tom Renney was also because he didn't play for a long time after that. However, when called upon every other time, he has played nearly lights out.

Two shutouts for Lundqvist in 3 games is good form, and I'm glad he got the first out of the way, much like Brandon Dubinsky's goal will hopefully knock down the dam and more can come.

This blog lobbied for Petr Prucha from the beginning of the season, and I'm glad to see that crow is not on my dinner plate for tomorrow. He has 5 points in the 6 games since he's been back in the lineup. Oddly enough, the one game in which he was blanked (Friday vs. Buffalo) was the one in which he played the most, getting 17:23 in ice time. Words can't express how happy I am to see him playing well.

I don't know if they still put missing people on milk cartons anywhere except in cartoons, but if they do, can someone put a picture of Scott Gomez on one for me?

* * *

Brendan Shanahan, a Devil? What's next, they re-sign Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik? Exactly. This in no way shores up the Devils team, even if people say he is a "born leader" and a "locker room presence". Did the leadership and playoff experience of Shanahan, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury, and Gomez get the Rangers anything except an early playoff exit last year?

Shanahan had nothing left in the tank as of mid-January 2008. He was hurt in his knee and his back, he was slowing down, and he brought nothing to the table. I hate to say that because he is a legend and was a great guy in New York, but he was just a waste of ice time at the end of last season, and unless a great cure for old age and creaky bones was discovered in late-2008, then I'm afraid it's more of the same.

A Case for Mats Sundin...

In years prior, the Rangers would sign big-name contracts to big-name deals and would get nothing in return. Eric Lindros, injured and slow, would play like Brett Lindros. Pavel Bure played like Pavel Bure for 51 games before his knees wouldn't let him skate. Alex Kovalev never played up to his potential on his return-trips to Broadway, Bruce Driver didn't do much as a Ranger, Bobby Holik got paid 1st-line money even though he was a checking-line player, and when he played the checking line role, he got dumped on. 

The list goes on and on of people who gladly accepted money from the Rangers and didn't produce. Kevin Stevens, Val Kamensky, Matt Schneider, etc., etc., etc.

Mats Sundin is a different breed. If he wanted the money, he would be in Vancouver and taking 20 million of their dollars until next season is over.

Yet, he wants the prize. He wants a Stanley Cup.

Many people - me included, and hopefully him as well - think the Rangers are a few parts short of contending. They have a Top 3 goalie and some good quick forwards. Their defense is questionable-at-best, but if they employ Tom Renney's system, they can mask their flaws and Henrik Lundqvist can do the rest, much like they did at the beginning of this season and most of last.

Now, is Sundin an aging superstar? Obviously, but isn't everyone? His stats have never wavered. The last time he didn't have 72 points or more in a season? 1994-95 when the strike shortened the season, and he had 47 points in 47 games.

Since the lockout, he has averaged over a point per game, which would make him easily the most proficient Ranger on a roster where someone gets hot for 5 games then cold for three weeks. See: Chris Drury, and his 5G, 1A week in November, and his 4 points since then. 

He is a leader in the Brendan Shanahan-mold, except he isn't so injured that he becomes useless like Shanahan was from January to May of 2008. He is big, he takes up room around the net, and two players flock to him, leaving another player open.

He is the equivalent of Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06, before hip and shoulder injuries bested him.

I'm not going to pontificate on who the Rangers should trade or waive to make more cap room (although if I were Dmitri Kalinin, I would certainly keep a suitcase on hand). But the point remains, Sundin for one year makes a whole lot of sense for the Rangers.

Notes From the Garden, 12/3/08...

A solid night overall at a packed Madison Square Garden. Lots of people there tonight, including most of the lower bowl where tickets are always sold but the businesses that own them rarely show up. Apparently all it takes to get people there is a Staal Family Rivalry.

- I don't see as much of the Western Conference as I would like to, but from what I see, one of the only people in the NHL better at handling the puck than Nikolai Zherdev is Evgeni Malkin. Zherdev was a true magician out there tonight, and on no less than 3 occasions wowed the audience, but Malkin is incredible as well, causing the guy next to me to say "Wow" to himself for 65 seconds.

- Dmitri Kalinin should, once again, never have become a defenseman. He pinches more than an Asian businessman at a strip club, and would make a better 4th line winger than a crummy 6th defender.

- Jaromir Jagr shooting from the right faceoff circle in 2005 is much, much more intimidating that Chris Drury shooting from the left faceoff circle in 2008.

- In a stunning show of solidarity with the NHL and Gary Bettman, the referees were strongly rooting for the Penguins today. With no double-minor penalties to avoid (like Game 5 last year when Drury had a blade-shaped cut on his face and the ice had to be cleaned of his blood while no penalty was called), one of the zebrae actually ran into a Ranger during what would've been a breakaway. I'm interested in listening to the replay of the game to hear how Sam and Joe play off the "A**hole" chants.

- The Rangers should have blasted Danny Sabourin. When they pressured him in the 3rd, good things happened, and they could've had more than 1 goal if they knew how to finish. Once it went to a shootout, you knew the Rangers would win because Sabourin wouldn't be able to stop Markus Naslund, Zherdev, and Freddy Sjostrom.

- That said, the Rangers managed 5 shots in the 1st period. They were credited with 6, but the 6th was a dump as they were leaving the zone on a line change. Five shots, 20 minutes. That's a shot every 4 minutes. What was happening the other 3:59?

- Petr Prucha's emotional goal was an incredible moment that goes down as one of my favorite in-person hockey memories. His goal in his first game back after being scratched for 10 (and refusing a conditioning assignment) ranks up there with these post-lockout goals...

    :: Jed Ortmeyer's shorthanded penalty shot against Boston, his first goal since returning to the lineup after being out for half a season with pulmonary embolism.

    :: In the 14th round of a shootout against the Capitals, the Rangers were down 3-2, and Jason Strudwick had a beautiful wrist shot to keep the shootout going, setting up Marek Malik's between-the-leg game winner.

    :: Brendan Shanahan's breakaway goal for his first goal in his first game as a Ranger, his second goal of the game that was his 600th career tally, and Jagr's goal :29 into the game during the 2006-07 season opener vs. the Capitals.

- If Wade Redden is known as a first pass defenseman, Michal Rozsival is a pass-first defenseman. 

- Prucha was buzzing all night and the crowd was rooting for him. He missed a nearly-open net in the 2nd period, but had a good game otherwise. Tom Renney must've liked what he say, because he was getting double-shifted too, being put on the 4th line with Blair Betts and Sjostrom at times. Brandon Dubinsky played well too, and Renney had a lot of confidence in the Voros-Dubi-Prucha line.

- When Scott Gomez stole the puck with 11 seconds left in the 3rd period and rushed up ice with Naslund and Zherdev, the whole Garden thought they were going to put it in the net. They almost did.

- I've never seen a standing ovation from a check before, but when Marc Staal rocked Sidney Crosby (who should've had a penalty against Colton Orr as well when Brooks Orpik took his 4 minute penalty) in the extra frame, the crowd spontaneously stood up and cheered. I assume nobody chanted because his name doesn't sound good in a chant. (Try it.)

- Sign me up as someone who loves the shootout, if only because I hated ties with a passion. Nothing was worse than sititng through a game and having it be a 2-2 tie. Here, atleast someone gets an extra point. If it's your team, great, if not, well, you still get a point. They only time I hate shootouts is in March and April when everyone clamps down and we see 3-point games everywhere when the Rangers are fighting for a playoff spot and Boston and Pittsburgh each get points.

I know people hate on the shootout, but for me, it could be a shootout, it could be a game of Three Post (where you take out the goalie and have to hit both posts and the crossbar to win), it could be an accuracy contest like in the Skills Competition, whatever, as long as there are no ties.

- Great resiliency today by the Rangers. They went down 2-0, and while they didn't play incredibly well, they did fight back. Prucha had a great game and deserves his spot back instead of Dan Fritsche. They had no goats today in the lineup on offense. Everyone contributed, from Betts and Orr to Lauri Korpikoski and Ryan Callahan.

Coach Switch...

Considering how often Tom Renney switches up lines when they are clicking (Zherdev-Dubinsky-Voros, Drury-Callahan-Dawes, Gomez-Naslund, Cullen-Prucha-Ortmeyer), why does he never switch the power play lines up?

How many times last year did Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan not score before he started throwing Petr Prucha out there? Oh, he didn't switch them up. This year, it's been Drury-Gomez-Naslund-Redden-Rozsival the whole year for about 80 seconds, then they lose the puck, and Zherdev, Dubinsky, and others take their place with 30 seconds to score.

Blair Betts technically has scored more times than Chris Drury, yet Drury goes out time and again to swipe at pucks and miss. (I saw "technically" because while they both have 2 goals, one of Drury's was barely a goal and he hardly touched it before it deflected in from behind the net.) Rozsival has one PP goal. In tonight's game against the Islanders (currently in the 3rd period), he has been responsible for more SH goals than that. Embarrassing.

Am I saying Betts is the answer? Obviously not. But why not have Nik Zherdev, Brandon Dubinsky, and Aaron Voros get a crack at it? Prucha would love some PP time. So would Ryan Callahan.

For Pete's sake (not Prucha's), Joey MacDonald is a career backup goaltender who the Rangers are making look like Dominik Hasek, not the guy who backed him up for 8 games in Detroit two years ago. They are making him look like an All-Star with their low angle shots that go right into the crest on his jersey. 

10-3-1, 10-4-1, 11-3-1, 10-3-2, whatever they end up after tonight, their power play is atrocious and while Renney keeps telling reporters he's going to change things, I'm very skeptical about it.

De-Bunking the Shanahan Return...

It's flowing everywhere today - Brendan Shanahan is going to be a Ranger. Well, atleast if you believe the hype. To be honest, the Rangers can't sign him yet. There would have to be some tinkering with the line-up. With under a quarter of a million dollars in Cap space available, salary would have to be moved.

I personally think Shanahan won't become a Ranger. If he does sign with the team, I will be the first to sauté my words with a little garlic and oil and eat them. However, for the following reasons, I don't see it happening...

1) They already have 15 NHL-caliber forwards. Yes, I called Colton Orr "NHL-caliber."

2) He doesn't fit with "the new Rangers." Meaning, he isn't a speedy young gun like they are trying to become. 

3) Shanahan missed all of training camp. At his age, it will take a while for him to get into game shape. He will need at least 10 or so games to get to the point where he was at the beginning of last season. Why do that when you already have 15 forwards who are healthy, in shape, and ready to play? Why waste the time? Especially when the Rangers have harped on the fact that they need a fast start, unlike the past 2 years when they only made the playoffs because of a) Sean Avery and b) a late-season rally.

4) They won 4 points in 2 games. The Lightning lost both games, got thoroughly outplayed, and traded immediately for an upgrade at defense. The Rangers won both games, and while they didn't light the scoreboard up, there were no glaring holes needing to be filled by an over-the-hill, injured, former superstar.

5) He had nothing left at the end of last year. Yes, he had hip and knee problems, but did those heal up? From mid-January on, he had nothing in the tank, save for Game One against the Devils in the playoffs. Freddy Sjostrom, Petr Prucha, Patrick Rissmiller, and Dan Fritsche will give you the same effort in May as they will in the home opener against Chicago. The same can't be said for Shanahan.

6) He offers nothing they don't already have. Ten years ago, twelve years ago, the thought of having Shanahan around for 70 regular season games would cause me to kiss ugly babies. Now? Not so much. He was never very fast, he was just smart and a gritty power forward with a great wrist shot. Naslund, Dawes, and Zherdev have that great wrist shot. Drury, Callahan, Prucha, and others have that "never quit" attitude. Sjostrom, Voros, and Rissmiller throw the body around. Dawes is positioning himself in front of the net on the power play. And all of those players are younger and fresher than him and won't crap out after the all-star break.

Listen, I love him. I think he was a great Ranger for two years, and he is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I just think making room for him when the season has already started would be a grave mistake.

My Last Post...

This will be my last post for about a week on this blog. Tomorrow, I catch my pre-8 a.m. flight to Las Vegas.

Sorry to usurp Bryan's Gretzky DVD post (found below) but here is my wishlist for when I get back on Thursday:

- for Brett Favre to no longer be on the back page of the newspaper

- for hockey to become larger in popularity than basketball

Since neither of those will happen in the next 6 months, here is my back-up plan...

- for Mats Sundin to finally sign somewhere, so the hockey media can concentrate elsewhere

- for the Islanders to have signed a new coach, hopefully someone like Scott Gordon (as I write this, it's been reported that John Tortorella will no longer be considered)

- for Michael Phelps to be en route to 8 gold medals

- for the Rangers to have a definitive answer on Brendan Shanahan (I love Shanny, but I'm hoping the Rangers lean away from him this year)

- for the Rangers to clear up some roster space, maybe trading a middling player or two for a draft pick or a 7th defenseman (hey Dan Fritsche; how are you, Tomas Pock?)

- for enough season ticket holders to not renew their package at the Garden so I can move up (contrary to me telling everyone I wouldn't be renewing my package, I will be... just call me "Brett Kerry Edwards Sundin")

- for $5,000 extra cash in my pocket from playing craps and/or poker

- for Bryan to text me if anything huge, NHL-wise, goes down... unlikely!

But Isn't Nikolai Zherdev Going to Wear Number 13...

Reports, false or otherwise, have the Rangers still interested in Mats Sundin, even with all the forwards and high priced players already on their roster. 

While I do doubt that he will play on Broadway, there is a chance, and we do know that he spoke to the Rangers' organization even before Toronto gave Montreal permission to talk to him. So, there is an outside chance.

Of course, the Rangers would have to move salary to get him there. And he would have to agree to a discount. Vancouver's $10M per year for 2 years deal is still on the table. Would he give that up to play for a chance at the Cup in Manhattan, even if it means taking less money than 2002 All-Star Wade Redden's $6.5M? Would Sundin also accept a one-year deal?

Part of me thinks the Rangers should give this up and continue with the rebuilding that has renewed the organization since the lockout. They have homegrown talent named Dawes, Callahan, Dubinsky, Korpikoski, Anisimov, Byers, Moore and Prucha who can put the puck in the net (yes, I realize they all will not be on the team come October). Those people have rejuvenated the franchise, and another big-name veteran would again delay their development.

Also, with 5 centers on the roster (Gomez, Drury, Dubinsky, Fritsche, Betts), another 3rd first-line center would be overkill.

However, there is no denying his skill, even at 37. He was drafted in 1989, a year before Jaromir Jagr, two years after Brendan Shanahan, and one pick before the Islanders drafted Dave Chyzowski (nice cheap shot).

His stats have never wavered. Most superstars tail off towards the end of their careers. Mark Messier had a great season in 1996-97, then never again reach point-per-game status, scoring 60, 48, 54, 67, 23, 40, and 43 points until he retired. Mike Modano, drafted the year before Sundin went 1st overall, had good seasons in 2002-03 and 05-06, but has been a damper on the team in other years. In Eric Lindros' last 2 seasons, he played a total of 82 games and scored 48 points, a far cry from his pre-concussion 70 points in 41 games in 94-95 and his 115 points in 73 games in 95-96.

Sundin has had a couple of off-years, but ever since his rookie year (58 points, 82 games) he has gotten atleast 72 points (47 in 47 in the strike-shortened 1994-95 year). He has averaged over a point per game every year since the lockout, an accomplished feat on a team that has been just under mediocre and missed the playoffs in each of those 3 seasons.

I guess I wrote this post to maybe convince myself that if I log onto the computer tomorrow and read "Rangers Trade Prucha, Sign Sundin", or I get a text while I'm Vegas saying "sundin a ranger, sweet", I won't be upset.

After all, he is a leader who stands up and takes responsibility. He's a Brendan Shanahan type player who will always face the media and take the heat when needed, except he can still play unlike the older and more-injured Shanahan.

I still think they should take the team they have now, but if they do sign him for one-year, it automatically makes them favorites in the non-improved East. 

Think about it: Pittsburgh replaced Marian Hossa with two former Islander journeymen. Montreal's biggest signing was Georges Laraque. Philadelphia didn't do much. Boston signed an unproven kid (Blake Wheeler) and bought out a veteran who will end up in Hollywood (Glen Murray). Atlanta is horrible. Washington didn't do much either besides locking up their own players and getting worse in goal. The Devils signed two back-up goalies and one past-his-prime center (Bobby Holik) and one solid winger (Brian Rolston). But besides Tampa Bay, who has really improved? Nobody. Whoever lands Sundin automatically becomes a favorite... unless it's Toronto, who might never be good again.

Not Yet Done...

Quick! Name the Rangers forwards under contract!

If you said Scott Gomez, Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev, Blair Betts, Ryan Callahan, Nigel Dawes, Chris Drury, Aaron Voros, Patrick Rissmiller, Dan Fritsche, Brandon Dubinsky, Colton Orr, and Petr Prucha, you win a cookie.*

You also might have said Lauri Korpikoski, Dane Byers, P.A. Parenteau, Artem Anisimov, and/or Greg Moore.

Restricted free agent Freddy Sjostrom might also have made your list.

That's 19 forwards for a 12-man roster. With healthy scratches and injuries, figure 14 forwards on the roster and one (Moore) making the trip from Hartford to MSG for 5 games this year.

Oh, what's that? Brendan Shanahan still might sign?

I don't think Anisimov will make the team, nor do I think Byers will see more than 3 or so games in the NHL this year. Parenteau has the talent - as Anisimov does - but might not be ready. Then again, he might be a better choice in the line-up then Fritsche or Rissmiller. However, you have to think Korpikoski, a 2004 1st round pick, will make the team from training camp.

That's not the point of this blog.

The point of this blog post is that I doubt the Rangers are done. We assume Sjostrom is going to sign, making him the 14th NHL-ready forward on the roster. Then there are youngsters ready to make the jump and play their menial minutes on the 4th line. And then Shanahan might be the dark horse here. He wants to play, he believes he still has it in him, and he believes GM Glen Sather wants him back.

There's no way they go into training camp with this many forwards. Expect a 7th defenseman or a few draft picks to be picked up after the Mats Sundin domino falls.** The 2009 NHL Entry Draft is going to be very deep, and a few extra picks couldn't hurt the Rangers.

* No actual treats will be awarded by the blog owners, although they will recommend the fantastic chocolate creme stuffed Oreos.

** In no may am I hinting that Mats Sundin will become a Ranger. I'm just saying that his self-imposed August 1st deadline for making a decision on what his future holds will be another domino to fall. Remember on July 1 when Brian Campbell signed, then defensemen starting signing left and right, including but not limited to Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival.

A Quick Goodbye to Jaromir Jagr...

An alternate title to this could have been "How Radek Dvorak Turned Into the Best Player the Rangers Have Had in a Decade."

Radek Dvorak and Cory Cross (bad memories!) were traded to Edmonton for Anson Carter (and Ales Pisa, who never quite fit in the NHL). Ten months, 54 games, and 22 disappointing points later, Carter was dealt straight up for Jaromir Jagr. At first, I was angry at the trade, saying the Rangers didn't need another aging superstar.

Then, the decision was made to buyout Bobby Holik's contract the summer before the NHL re-started operations and to build the team around JJ. History was made.

Jagr's first and last games as a Ranger were bad. The first game happened in Ottawa and the Rangers lost 9-1, causing someone I was friends with at the time - who had no knowledge of hockey - to say, "What was that, baseball? I didn't know hockey scores got that high." Especially pre-lockout! (Hey, Jussi Markkanen and Jason LaBarbera were in goal that night.) His last game was Game 5 in Pittsburgh (fittingly), where the Rangers lost in overtime, 3-2. Also fittingly, he took two hooking penalties in the game.

I happened to be at the Garden for his first and last home games, as well. His first home game was against the Panthers, and the Rangers won 5-2. Jagr assisted on Brian Leetch's goal, then scored the game winner, then got an assist on Matthew Barnaby's empty-netter. One goal, two assists on his first night in NY. It was a great game in a dark season and it drew his first standing ovation from the Garden faithful. 

His last game at MSG was Game 4, where the Rangers shut-out Pittsburgh 3-0. This time, the statline was reversed. He had 2 goals - the game winner and an empty netter -  and 

assisted on Brandon Dubinsky's goal. He clapped at the crowd as we chanted "Jag-er! Jag-er!" (Editor's Note: Glen Sather must have forgotten about this game.) (Editor's Note 2: The "Re-sign Av'ry!" chants were also forgotten.)

Besides those 2 games, I was there in October 2006 when he was introduced as Captain, then scored 29 seconds into the game with a still-injured shoulder. I was there in March 2006 at the Nassau Coliseum when he had 4 first period assists (with one incorrectly given to his as a goal for a short time) to break Jean Ratelle's Rangers record for points. I was there in March 2007 when he scored in a shootout in the turning point of the season for the Rangers. If he didn't score, they would have lost, and he was getting heat for not participating in shootouts. So he came out, did a move, scored, and they wound up winning on a Marcel Hossa goal in the 4th round of a game there were down 2-0 with 9 minutes left.

Anyway, there's not much that I can say that hasn't been said by every newspaper and online outlet out there. Yes, he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he was much more than that. He was an extremely nice and vulnerable man. He would sign autographs for every kid there was, but if there was an autograph hound looking for one to sell, he wouldn't sign a thing for him.

He got a bad rap from the crowd at the Garden when he slumped. He bought into Tom Renney's defense-first system, which severely hampered his goal-scoring. However, he was still a beast when he could. He played injured ever since 2005 with hip flexor problems, yet he never complained and he didn't miss one regular season game as a Ranger (his last full season before 05-06 was 95-96). He did miss one game as a Ranger, and that was Game 3 against the Devils in the 2006 playoffs. He came back for Game 4, but got crushed against the boards and couldn't return. 

He was a great Ranger in his time in New York. I remember during the lockout, he said that if he wasn't a Ranger, he wouldn't come back to the NHL. So it doesn't surprise me that he is playing in Russia this year instead of signing with another team in the NHL. But can you imagine if he signed in the Western Conference? With all that open ice, he could have put up another 100-point season.

I wish him luck in Russia, and wonder what Petr Prucha is going to do without him.

L-R: Mario Lemieux, Jagr, Mark Messier, Brendan Shanahan. 

Jagr and Shanahan being honored at MSG for scoring their 600th NHL goals.

A Sad Week...

Not only is today a sad day to be a Ranger fan, but it is a sad week, or at least a bittersweet week.

Sean Avery - the reason the Rangers made the playoffs the past 2 seasons - is gone. Jaromir Jagr - the reason the Rangers are no longer a joke - is gone. 

Wade Redden is here. Markus Naslund is here. Are there any other members of the 2002 All-Star Team that want to sign here, while the checkbook is out? Are Ziggy Palffy, Mike York, or Alexei Zhamnov available?

Michal Rozsival got a huge paycheck. $5M per year for 4 years translates to about $6.50 for every time he opts to pass the puck into traffic instead of shooting the puck on net.

There have been upsides this week. Nik Zherdev is a good pick-up. Brendan Shanahan might be back. Like I predicted on June 27, Dmitri Kalinin is a Ranger.

Truth be told, I am not against signing Naslund. It's a relatively short deal, 2 years, at $8M total. Decent money if he scores a lot. What I like it that he wants to be a Ranger. He told his agent that the top team on his list was the Rangers. 

I like that. Pre-lockout, the Rangers enticed players with money. I like that post-lockout, the Rangers sign players who want to be here (Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Paul Mara when he re-signs, Shanny, Jagr, even Bobby Sanguenetti and Brandon Dubinsky and Petr Prucha grew up Ranger fans). If Naslund wants to play in NY, he won't phone it in like players used to from 1998-2004.

What I most dislike about Naslund signing here is that it spells the end for Jagr. When the super-Free Agency period started on July 1, 2005, I was hoping Ray Whitney, Naslund, and/or Peter Forsberg would come here. Naslund and Jagr on the same line? Incredible. Now, he is replacing Jagr.

Jagr declined last year, yes, but he was incredible in the playoffs, even with hip problems nagging him since 2005. It won't be the same team next year, that's for sure.

* * * 

For those counting, the Rangers now have 15 forwards (not including about 4 people from Hartford who can make the roster or Shanahan) and 5 defensemen. If you believe the rumor of Paul Mara returning, that's 6 defenders. Fifteen is a glut of forwards. Expect only one or two minor signings (defensemen) and a trade or two to make some room both on the roster and in the salary cap.

Straka Done in America...

Rangers winger Marty Straka has ended his NHL career, according to a Czech website. (Hope you can read Czech Republican if you click on it.) He will be playing with the Plzen hockey club in the Czech Extra League. Straka was a warrior, and he will be missed. He played severely hurt in 2006-07 (with a not reported torn bicep) and injured in 07-08 yet never complained and didn't miss a shift if he was able to.

How this relates to Jaromir Jagr will be seen on July 1. 

With a glutton of forwards signed already, as restricted free agents, or unrestricted (Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Sean Avery), the Rangers should concentrate on defense. Look for my defensive preview tonight or tomorrow.

2008-09 Rangers: Offense...

The second in a three-part series of how the 08-09 Rangers will shape up.

OFFENSE

There seem to be 4 big questions about the Rangers offense come October.

Will Sean Avery re-sign? Will Jaromir Jagr? Brendan Shanahan? Will they make a splash on July 1 during free agency?

My guesses: Yes, yes, no, minimally.

First off, who is under contract next year?

The middle looks solidified with Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Brandon Dubinsky, and Blair Betts coming back. Ryan Callahan, Ryan Hollweg, and Colton Orr are also under contract, making 7 out of 14 signed.

Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha, and Freddy Sjostrom are restricted free agents (known as RFAs, the Rangers have first rights to them before they can hit the open market... if another team offers them a contract, the Rangers can either match it or let the other team sign them and receive draft picks as compensation).

Regarding those signed to contracts and the RFAs, I would see most of them playing in blue next year, except two of them, especially Sjostrom. He really seemed to take to NY and the fans really took to him in his two months with the team.

I believe a team might offer Petr Prucha an offer sheet with the Rangers letting him go for 2 draft picks, or whatever the compensation for him would be based on the contract. He was wasted the past two years, mainly last year, and is no longer a big part of the team like he was in 2005-06. Plus, the team isn't going to be Czech-centric any longer, as it's moving towards a Swedish/North American unit. Keep in mind I love Prucha, and would like to see him given a chance somewhere else.

I think Hollweg might be moved in the off-season, maybe even as a draft-day package to move up. Think about it. If you're Glen Sather, who would you rather have on your ice, Lauri Korpikoski (goal in his first playoff game) or Hollweg (season-killing boarding penalty in playoffs). Hollweg was once a big energy player, but that was 2 seasons ago, and now he is more of a liability then anything else.

I also can see Colton Orr being moved on deadline day, but that's a while away. He has proved to be a real good enforcer with better skills then when the Rangers picked him off waivers from Boston, and a team lacking in toughness (hi, Dallas, hello, San Jose) would need him for a deep run.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Right off the bat, I don't think Shanahan will return. He was obviously hurting in the playoffs, but regardless, he has lost a step since his concussion in February of 2006. He is a legend with 3 Stanley Cups. Would he return to be a 3rd or 4th line player? Plus, the Rangers already owe money against the cap for his 07-08 season.

I do think Sean Avery will return, regardless of what Swedish Tomas Holmstrom wannabe's they acquired today. A multi-year, $3.3M deal sounds good. The Rangers obviously need him, and he needs New York as well.

I also think Jagr will come back, in a one-year, $4M contract, maybe with bonus incentives. He wants the Cup. However, this is his first year of free agency in his lifetime, and he might want to test the waters. Atleast people are saying that. I think for him, it's either NY or Russia or Czech. After the lockout, he said he wasn't going to return to America if he wasn't a Ranger. He doesn't want to be a Red Wing, or a Senator, or anything else. 

Marty Straka hinges entirely on Jagr. If Jagr doesn't return, Marty isn't either. If Jagr does, Straka might do a one-year deal, around the $2.5M mark. I would venture to say this warrior still has gas in the tank. He has been a great Ranger since Day One, playing hurt (a not-reported torn bicep for the last few months of the regular season and into the playoffs in 2007; breaking his finger in 2 spots blocking 2 different shots on the same play in Boston this year).

Prospects

Expect Korpikoski, P.A. Parenteau, Brodie Dupont, Artem Anisimov, Dane Byers, and Greg Moore to get looks in camp. Although I doubt Dupont and Byers will make the club, the rest will get a solid shot. If Anisimov can bulk up, he might surprise people. Remember, he should have been a first round draft pick but went 2nd round because teams were scared he would never transfer from Russia. 

Korpikoski is next season's Dubinsky, I believe. Using one game as a focal point isn't fair to anyone, but when the Rangers season was dim, he scored a key goal while Shanahan, Gomez, Drury, and Jagr sat on the bench doing nothing. 

Moore might be next season's Dawes - a player who goes up and down to the minors and breaks in when someone gets injured.

Parenteau is the player I'm looking forward to (as well as Anisimov) the most. He did very well in the AHL the past few years, and once scored 118 points in a season in the Q. 

Oh, don't forget to keep in mind Hugh Jessiman. Oh, and here's an expression I don't use often - LOL! The Rangers will keep him in preseason games, pretend they're looking seriously at him, then send him to Hartford again. They just don't want to admit that they should have drafted Zach Parisa, Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Brown, Brent Burns, Mike Richards, Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber, Patrick O'Sullivan, or Dan Carcillo instead of him.

Final Thoughts

Expect the forwards to be something like this...

CENTERS: Drury, Gomez, Dubinsky, Betts

WINGERS: Dawes, Callahan, Orr, Sjostrom

UFAs: Jagr, Avery, Shanahan or Straka (can't see Sather bringing both veterans back)

KIDS: Korpikoski

That leaves one spot, either a free agent signee or a prospect. 

The free agent pool isn't terribly deep. Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison are sexy picks. Oh, no, this isn't 2003. 

Marian Hossa will be grossly overpaid, and since Drury and Gomez were grossly overpaid (and Michal Rozsival might be), they can't afford another Hossa mistake. Brian Rolston is older now, but still solid. However, the Wild want him back so bad they can taste it. Ladislav Nagy gets a bad rap but is really a good player. However, I just don't see him being signed.

The only free agent wingers I can see the Blueshirts getting are Radim Vrbata (had a very good season in the desert), Michael Ryder (had a very bad season in Montreal), Matt Cooke, and maybe Pascal Dupuis, who left NY and became very dependable and quite dangerous. Of course, I would blow a load on my keyboard if I log onto TSN on July 1 and see "RANGERS SIGN RYAN MALONE TO MULTI-YEAR DEAL."

I'm sorry I'm long-winded. The defensive preview will be shorter.