Trade Recap via Zach...

Now we know why Petr Prucha has been in the lineup for the past few games. A showcase. But does Don Maloney really need to know what Prucha brings? He was a big proponent of him in NY. Did Tom Renney pull the strings on this deal?

The Rangers effectively sold the heart and soul of their team (along with sporadically-gifted Nigel Dawes and always-horrendous Dmitri Kalinin) for Derek Morris.

They tell me Morris is going to QB the PP. For those who actually watch hockey, Morris has 12 points in 57 games this year. Not one of those is on the power play. He has 35 career power play points. Petr Prucha had 16 power play goals in 2005-06 alone, as a rookie.

The one bright spot is that now atleast Prucha will get ice time.

* * *

My computer were haywire before. I was typing letters and they would end up in random spots on the screen. Not fun. So I closed the laptop, shut it down like Vesa Toskala this season, and so I couldn't post.

I do indeed like the Nik Antropov deal. I think he is going to be good in NY. Maybe he can play with Zherdev. He is a UFA next year as well and if he re-signs (I realize we are talking about this before he even plays a game in NY) he will come around $3M.

Best deal of the day? I don't know. Seems like Boston stole Mark Recchi along with a 2nd round pick. Then again, Buffalo got a 2nd round pick for former Ranger Dom Moore? Uh... 12 goals (a career high), 41 points (same), and a shutdown center for a 2nd round pick in a deep draft? Get real. I'd rather have Antropov, for sure. (Granted, Buffalo basically sent the 2nd round pick they received for Ales Kotalik.)

Worst deal? Why would LA trade Patty O'Sullivan? Boston receiving Steve Montador for someone who couldn't stick on the Islanders roster? A win for the Bruins. In fact, Anaheim made a lot of bad trades today, trading Travis Moen, Montador, Sam Pahlsson, and others for a bunch of nobodies. The only one that might stick is Nick Bonino, a late-round pick from 2007. They did also receive Erik Christensen.

This Toronto/Tampa Bay deal sending Jamie Heward, Olie Kolzig, and others for some guy seems ridiculous, and I have to check on this one.

Favorite trade? Antoine Vermette for Pascal LeClaire. Helps everyone, and I am rooting for Columbus whole-heartedly.

Someone should re-name the Hurricanes to the Carolina Rentals. (Bad joke, I know.) In 2006, they traded for Doug Weight and Mark Recchi. Both players won the Cup with them, then re-signed in their respective cities (St. Louis; Pittsburgh). Then, Matt Cullen signs in NY. He later gets traded back. Over the summer, Erik Cole went to Edmonton. Today, he came back to Carolina. What, was Aaron Ward not available today?

Calgary and Phoenix definitely won today, though. Calgary got Jordan Leopold, Olli Jokinen, and a 3rd round pick, automatically strengthening them this year. Phoenix nailed Prucha, Dawes, Scott Upshall, Matthew Lombardi, and a slew of picks including a 1st round pick, helping them now and in the future.

Teams that stood still in the past few weeks: Vancouver (although they did get Glen Metropolit off waivers; they considered Mats Sundin their trade deadline deal); Nashville (no improvment and no fire-sale means they will probably miss the playoffs and not get a good draft pick); Washington (I guess that they wanted Bill Guerin but couldn't trade Michael Nylander's $5M contract). Am I missing anyone? A few teams, like the Devils and Canadiens, made moves in the past 2 weeks so I didn't count them.

* * *

I know it's wishful dreaming, but how sweet would a Wade Redden for upcoming UFA Jay Bouwmeester be?

Trade Deadline Wrap-Up

The post directly this one was truly exhausting. What you see on this page is the result of five hours of rumor scouring, quick posting when the boss wasn't looking, and general hockey obsession. We got a ton of hits for it, which is awesome, but that's not the point. Instead, the point is that this was a pretty unique trade deadline. We didn't see any superstars move; hell, we barely even saw any good players dealt. Probably the biggest name dealt today was Olli Jokinen, he of his zero games of playoff experience.

So what did we see? Glad you asked.

 - There were something like 25 teams buying and 5 teams selling. So we had the usual assortment of "veteran role player for premium draft pick" deals.  We expected this. But one thing we didn't expect would be this little nugget - not one first-round pick was traded today. In fact, the only first-round pick dealt in this entire trading season is the one the Islanders received for Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie.

EDIT: Zach - Olli Jokinen fetched a 1st round pick from Calgary to Phoenix. Phoenix sent Jokinen and a 3rd round pick for a prospect, Matthew Lombardi, and a 1st rounder.

 - There wasn't a single trade made today that helps both teams win now. Similarly, there weren't any "my problem for your problem" trades, unless you count Derek Morris for Petr Prucha. Most of these trades were horribly lopsided - and the vast majority of those deals favored the teams getting good picks for rental players.

 - Let's get into the local teams for a second. A lot of Islanders fans are already killing Garth Snow, not just for failing to get more for Bill Guerin, but for only making one deal today. We'll respond to each of these gripes individually.

Regarding the Guerin deal, I am convinced that the deal the Islanders received on Saturday - assuming this deal actually existed - was far better than the deal the Islanders made with Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, all the buzz regarding this mystery trade caused everyone to, pardon the expression, shoot their collective loads and quickly sour on the idea of a Guerin trade. And when that initial deal fell through, Snow was kind of stuck. But here's the thing. Everyone's complaining that it's a fifth-round pick. It isn't. The Penguins are going to make the playoffs. And they learned enough last year to steal a round. So it could easily end up being a third round pick. If it's not, does it matter? Not really. It's still a crapshoot; even a second or a first round pick doesn't guarantee a future NHL player. So let's back off Snow on this one. He got what he could; outside of the Dominic Moore deal, it's not like any other teams got much better picks for their rental players.

Sure, Snow only made one deal. But what people seem to forget is that next year's team will not be comprised entirely of kids. You still need veterans to lead the team. Brendan Witt is signed to a reasonable contract. Doug Weight could be resigned. And you never know, Guerin could end up back here next year. The point is, Snow is aware that guys like Weight and Witt have value, and that's why he kept them. Hockey is not just about sticks and pucks; there's a lot of stuff behind the scenes we never see. And Weight is reportedly as good as they come in the clubhouse. Besides, the same people who bash Snow for not being active are the same people who bitch about the Islanders never having a consistent core over a number of years. If there was a deal to be made, the Islanders would have made it. It's over now. Let's move on.

EDIT: Zach - I think the deal was to Washington, but Washington had to make room and couldn't move Michael Nylander and his $5M contract.

 - As for the Rangers... um... it's almost as though Glen Sather found out it was the trade deadline at about 2:30 and hastily threw together some Sather Staples (TM) - you know, the type that makes the team a little better now, but at a great future cost. Nik Antropov is a good pick-up - if you can sign him. The Rangers are screwed cap-wise from now until eternity. Derek Morris isn't a bad rental, but at the cost of Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes, two of the better players to come out of the Rangers' organization in recent years? Prucha should fare very well with a change of scenery, and Dawes will probably out-perform Morris this year alone. But hey, least they addressed a need instead of picking up yet another anonymous forward.

The Rangers are taking a huge risk. You could make the argument that since Prucha is a healthy scratch most nights and Kalinin is horrendous, it's not really a risk. That line of thinking is incorrect. The Rangers, who should have had a playoff spot sewn up months ago, had to give up a second-round pick, a conditional pick, and two young players just to get into the playoffs, where there are few guarantees. It's one thing to sacrifice a bit of the future for the present, but it's much easier when there's a good chance of success.  The Rangers, not unlike the Islanders of two years ago, stand a great chance of getting into the playoffs and being unceremoniously bounced in the first round. The Rangers obviously feel they can make a run, and good for them, but now would be a good time to start thinking about the future. Especially since the present isn't all that much to write home about.

EDIT : Zach - The only thing that this does for the Rangers is clear cap room for next year. Antropov and Morris are both UFAs on July 1. Prucha and Dawes were RFAs, and Kalinin is a UFA.

---

All in all, a trade deadline that wasn't super-exciting, but had its share of interesting trades. Only time will tell how the Rangers' deals will work out. But if you're an Islanders fan, just be happy you got anything for Bill Guerin. Given the quality of players who were waived just this week, it sure beats the alternative.

The Rangers Make My Job Easy...

It sure saves me time when the Rangers lose continually - I just keep rehashing old points. Okay, I won't do that today, for sure, because I don't want to bore everyone like the Rangers bored me today. Yes, the first 8 or 9 minutes were good, and they have a furious - for them - flurry in the final 6, but for those other 45 minutes, I was teary-eyed and bored.

They lost to a mediocre-at-best, heavily-injured St. Louis Blues team. They barely beat a bottom-feeding, injury-depleted Islanders team. Then tonight, with a huge 2 points on the line (call it the first "four point game" of the season), they blew it. No rebounds, no hitting, no Colton Orr attacking Patrick Kaleta for his constant attack of the Rangers (Kaleta, by the way, grew up about 20 miles from Buffalo in Angola, NY).

I personally have not played hockey in a professional matter. To be honest, I'm not even great at the amateur level (I have a good shot and nice stick-skills, but I skate like a koala). But even I know that if you're a defenseman you should not be behind the other team's net chasing a puck when you have 3 forwards capable of doing it. ("Capable" might be a kind word for this team.)

That said, when Wade Redden pinched behind Patrick Lalime's net (and in doing so directly caused a 2-on-1 which turned into a goal and a 4-1 Sabres' lead), my first thought was, "Who does he think he is? Dmitri Kalinin?" And my second thought was, "How did this guy ever fool people into thinking he was worth more money than Jason Strudwick is?"

Scott Gomez wasn't bad tonight. He also wasn't good, regardless of what Joe Micheletti tells you. Chris Drury was a non-factor, again. I think he almost had a power play shot, though. Redden had one good play, followed by bonehead ones galore. Henrik Lundqvist was repeatedly out of position for the 2nd straight game. Michal Rozsival doesn't deserve to be wearing Harry Howell's #3. Markus Naslund has been awful lately, as well, "goal" or not. Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, and Lauri Korpikoski also did as much to contribute to the team today as I did (and I sat on my couch with my chubby dog).

Two good things about tonight: Nigel Dawes had a strong game all around (that was a great pass from Nik Zherdev). And I made a pretty delicious guacamole around 5:30.

* * * 

Accuse the Rangers of a lot of things and you might be correct. However, one thing they aren't is dirty. Dubinsky hit someone - I think Adam Mair - on the knee today, and it looked dirty but it was an accident. He was lining him up, the guy turned, and he got upended.

And once again, say what you want about Gomez - second-line player, can't score, can only skate the puck through the neutral zone than gives it away - but he isn't going to run a goaltender. It's not how he plays. It was an accident, contrary to what Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff thinks. He's a clean player who doesn't take the game too seriously - obviously - and he isn't out to hurt anyone.

Aggravation...

It's aggravating when the Rangers put forth a decent effort and still come up blank - and they have now been outscored 8-0 in their 3 afternoon games this season (4-0 to Panthers, 3-0 to Penguins, 1-0 today to Bruins). You will see other writers and media-types call this a "good game" where they "played well" and were "shown up by a rookie goalie." All the while they were "playing down a man."

That said, my doctor told me I had high blood pressure (slightly), so I won't dwell much, but I will say a few things. (To be sure, I did enjoy this game. I thought it was great back-and-forth action, and very exciting. Another Bruins-Rangers 1-0 game that I enjoyed, I just wish the score was reversed. Since they were again shutout, a lot of flaws came to light.)

"Good game" - How good of a game could they have had if they scored 1 goal? They couldn't break through the Bruins' defense, they had no answer for Zdeno Chara's size and wingspan, and while they won a lot of battles along the boards, the one big one they lost turned into a goal.

"Played well" - Again, they couldn't penetrate the Bruins D. They'd try to split the defenders and get stood up, and Tuukka Rask would clear the puck away easily.

"Shown up by a rookie goalie" - Was Rask good? Indeed. Was he great? Not nearly. He made a few good saves, for sure. And when Michal Rozsival hit the post, he was forced to shoot at the post because Rask gave him nothing else to shoot at. But for the most part, the Rangers shot directly at him. Markus Naslund gets a rare rush, shoots right at the "B" on the goalie's chest. Same for Nikolai Zherdev in the 3rd. Earlier in the game, Zherdev has a slight 2-on-1, and instead of passing with a 50% chance of scoring, he shoots from a poor angle and reduces his chance of scoring to about 5%.

Remember when Rick DiPietro made 56 saves against the Rangers in March 2007? People hailed DP as incredible, when in fact he only had a 60-second period in which he made great saves. The rest were right at the logo or right at his pads, where a Shooter Tutor could've made the saves. The Rangers do this all the time - take a lot of crappy shots and turn the opposing goalie into an NHL Star of the Night.

"Playing down a man" - To be honest, they were better off without Dmitri Kalinin. Even Wade Redden had a decent game (sans his awful penalty when the Bruin player - I think Phil Kessel - was already past him because of his poor play).

* * *

Some of the post-game talk and nighttime talk centered on calling up Artem Anisimov because he is doing really well in the AHL for Hartford. I'm a big Anisimov fan and have been ever since they drafted him in 2006. He should've been a 1st round pick but teams were afraid he would never come over from Russia. The Rangers took a chance and it will probably pay off.

But will it pay off this year? If he comes up, who does he replace? He could take Aaron Voros's spot, but Voros plays with his heart a lot and I would rather see Petr Prucha in instead of Anisimov.

You can't sit Blair Betts or Fred Sjostrom. They are invaluable penalty killers who rarely make a mistake 5-on-5 either.

Does Colton Orr take a seat? Maybe, as he is the worst technical player on the roster. But then you call up a player from Hartford and give him 7 minutes a night? And you need Orr on the team most nights (he wasn't needed against Boston but would you like to face Philadelphia without him on the ice?).

The real culprits in today's shutout loss were Naslund, Scott Gomez, Zherdev, and Chris Drury, who was nearly invisible all day. They are relied upon for scoring and couldn't break through the defense or take shots that had any intention of going in the net.

If Renney would sit a Top 6 forward for Anisimov, I say bring him up. But don't bring him up to toil for 6 or 8 or 10 minutes a night.

Plus, like I said, Petr Prucha is waiting in the wings.

Possible UFAs...

After a horrendous bout of what might be either rabies or food poisoning, I was going through a list of players who might potentially be traded at the March 4 NHL Trade Deadline. Traditionally, unrestricted free agents (UFAs) are moved if a team knows they won't re-sign them (as in Marian Hossa and Ryan Smythe).

Yes, sometimes players still under contract are dealt, much like the Aaron Ward for Paul Mara deal the Rangers did in 2007. Ward, a loud-mouth who won 2 Stanley Cups not on ability but by simply being on the right teams at the right time (Detroit in '02, Carolina in '06), was a locker room cancer worse than Sean Avery, and it was high time he headed for other pastures. Both he and Mara had time left on their deals. Those are harder to predict, obviously, and therefore I won't mention them.

I think it's obvious what the Rangers need: a solid defenseman and possibly a top-6 forward capable of potting a clutch goal. Let's also say that Florida might make the playoffs and won't move Jay Bouwmeester (if he is an option, he clearly becomes the number one target of many, many teams, including the Blueshirts).

However, here is a list of 3 defensemen that interest me as a Ranger fan...

3) Ville Koistinen, Nashville Predators - a solid player who had a real good year last year (17 points, 48 games, but was better than the numbers say) and is having a decent year this year. He will be 27 come July 1, therefore a UFA, and the Predators, solid on the blueline even without him, might be looking to sell him cheap. His one drawback is that he was a healthy scratch most of December, but he seems to have found a spot back in the lineup.

2) Filip Kuba, Ottawa Senators - A good defenseman although he doesn't get a lot of power play time (25 points, 1 on the power play). His 24 assists are misleading, as he had 11 in the first 8 games of the season, then slowed down. However, he has only played 36 games. He's a good player, and the Rangers might take the bait on him. He can't hurt the team, as he is much better than Dmitri Kalinin (and on most nights, Wade Redden), but he won't help them exponentially.

1) Cory Murphy, Tampa Bay Lightning - Recently waived by the Panthers and snatched up by their statemates (I'm going to go ahead and coin that word), Murphy is the power play specialist the Rangers need. He will be 31 at the deadline, and is in his second year in the NHL. Similar to Tim Thomas, he entered the NHL late after playing in Finland for 5 years (and the Swiss League for one). He was grossly misused in Florida, where Bouwmeester and Bryan McCabe get huge PP minutes, but Murphy is better than both of them when used correctly. Last year, he was an Even rating on a team that was outscored by 10 goals. In comparison, Olli Jokinen was a -19 on the same team, and Bouwmeester was a -5. 

Yes, Bouwmeester is a more complete player than Murphy (better defensively; better first-pass), but Bouwmeester might not be available, and Murphy would definitely be cheaper. The Lightning have him probably to just fill holes created by injuries and poor play so they can finish out the season, and I would definitely look for him to be available come March 4.

I won't dwell on forwards, but Mike Comrie, Steve Sullivan, Vernon Fiddler, Kyle Calder, Nik Antropov (highly unlikely that Toronto would trade him and that the Rangers would get another center), Keith Tkachuk, and Andy McDonald (same as Antropov) might be available. 

I will dwell on this though. Of upcoming UFAs from non-playoff-bound teams, I assume these names ring a bell: Jay Ward (currently in the AHL via Tampa Bay), Marek Malik, Dominic Moore, Jed Ortmeyer (Orty is injured, however). They are all Rangers from the year after the lockout. Think Glen Sather would be interested in another dream season like 2005-06? Is Steve Rucchin available?

A Call for the Head...

Well, another game, another ineffective power play, another weak performance by veterans, another short-handed goal against, another loss, another 2 points the Rangers will be missing come late-March, early-April.

Who's fault is it? 

The GM who assembled the team? Partly. Wade Redden should never have been signed. Michal Rozsival should have received less money so a real 1st- or 2nd-defenseman could have been signed. They should have signed Scott Gomez or Chris Drury in 2007, not both. (However, signing Markus Naslund has worked out, and the trade for Nik Zherdev was a steal.)

The players who play? Partly. A 7th defender should be brought up so Redden or Dmitri Kalinin can watch the game from the stands. 

The coach? Absolutely. When the power play continually doesn't score and gives up goals, why would he keep putting the same personnel on the ice? The GM gave him these players, the players play to (hopefully) the best of their ability, and when they faulter, he keeps giving them more and more chances. Petr Prucha seems to be a good player. I remember him having success on the power play in 2005-06 when he stood at the doorstep and banged in rebounds. Why not try them instead of the ineptitude of Drury-Redden-Gomez-Rozsival-Naslund? 

I don't know if anyone out there can coach this team better than Tom Renney, but it's becoming obvious that the Rangers might need to try a replacement. As long as said replacement is not Glen Sather again.

The real question, however, is this:

Can this be the first team in history whose power play ends up a minus in the +/- catergory?

* * *

Alex Ovechkin had 9 shots on goal last night. The Rangers' highest player was 3. Hmmmm. By the way, Ovechkin did score. It wasn't a picture-perfect goal, but if you get the puck to the net, good things happen.

I Love Late Night Games...

:: I said it the other day, I'll say it again. I love these West Coast Ranger games that start at 10 or 10:30 p.m. because I can do whatever I need/want to during the nighttime and still watch the games. Now I know what it feels like to be a baseball fan when the Yankees are playing 3 in Oakland or the Mets are blowing a series in San Diego.

:: Telling commentary on Dmitri "With Some Help, He Could Be as Good as Marek Malik" Kalinin. I was driving home from work, listening to the beginning of the Kings game Wednesday night, and Dave Maloney was doing color commentary. Listen to his stunning endorsement of Kalinin: "This is the first time in a while I can remember Kalinin having two mistake-free opening shifts." That's $1.05M for every mistake-free shift, I guess.

:: Imagine what would happen if the Rangers played every game like they played the last 8 minutes of the San Jose game?

:: For all you - for lack of a better word - "haters" who "hated" on Blair Betts in the offseason (calling for him to not even make the team), witness the first period of the Sharks game and see what happens to the penalty kill when he is in the box. Incase you deleted your Rangers in 60 from your TiVo already, let me recap: Betts is in the box, giving the Sharks a 5-on-3 advantage. Two goals are scored.

That's it for me. It's already late and I have a game or two of NHL 09 to play still before I rake in 6 hours of sleep. Hey, busy shopping day tomorrow.

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.

Disaster in Montreal...

Jeez, do they really miss Blair Betts that much?

I will be quick tonight. Since the Rangers didn't show up to play, I shouldn't show up to write much about it.

Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha were the only highlights today, although Henrik Lundqvist didn't play bad. He just had no support in front of him and had to overcompensate many times. Scott Gomez, although a -4, wasn't awful, either.

On one goal, Marc Staal did nothing near the right wing faceoff circle while Michal Rozsival stood in front of Lundqvist. Tic, tac, toe, goal. Rozsival barely moved his head, didn't move his feet. Was he tired? Do the Rangers need a 7th defenseman to come up if only for back-to-back games when Rozsival - a professional athlete, mind you - is too tired to skate? You would think $5M you don't deserve would be motivation enough, never mind the fact that you're playing in freakin' Montreal tonight.

On another goal, Paul Mara went after the puck carrier on Lundqvist's right. Dmitri "Not a Defenseman" Kalinin left his post on Lundqvist's left to attack the same guy Mara was going after. That player passed to the person Kalinin should've been guarding. Goal. Game over.

Dan Girardi, can you repay me for my jersey and the damage you caused my fantasy team today? I'm already getting crushed this week in +/-, I don't need your -2 hurting me. And what a -2 it was! Standing like a tree in a storm as Canadien players thrash by you and you don't move. Great! You're still one of my favorites on the team, but tonight you had a stinker indeed. 

The only reason Wade Redden wasn't horrible tonight is because he only played half a game before getting hurt.

I can deal with a bad game. They happen. You're tired, I understand. But bad effort? I can't stand for that. I wish my ticket money wasn't paying Rozsival and Redden to do nothing continuously.

* * * 

Seriously, though. I joke about it, but why did Kalinin ever decide to be a defender? Was he the only kid on his high school team in Chelyabinsk, Russia, who could skate backwards? He pinches on the rush, chases the puck behind the enemy's goal line, and today, I caught him leading the rush into the offensive zone.

At no point does he make smart defensive plays, check players hard, or use his body to block the shot. His positioning is even horrible, and at least 3 goals in the past 2 games are completely his fault.

We need a 7th d-man up from Hartford if only to have him sit for a game.

17-8-2?...

From the Looks Can Be Deceiving Department, the Rangers are simply the worst 17-8-2 I've ever seen in my life.

First of all, yes, they have 36 points, and that's very good at the 27 game mark, and right now they are "in" first place. However, they've played more games than the followers. Boston has the same 36 points and have played 3 less games. One shootout loss, and the Bruins have more points. The Penguins have 31 points in 23 games. Hell, is the Devils go on a 5-game winning streak again, they would have the same exact record as our Blueshirts (they're 12-8-2 right now).

What I'm saying there is that while it's impressive, the numbers being spouted by Tom Renney (he said something like "we're 14-7 so I'm not worried" earlier this week) and MSG (specifically Stan Fischler) are false. First in the Eastern Conference. I guess. Until Boston plays their next game.

I don't even want to talk about today's game against Florida, but I guess I have to a minute. Florida, perennial basement-dwellers who came in with a dismal post-lockout, shootout-heavy 19 points in 22 games. The Rangers should've been angry about being taken to a shootout in the first game of this home-and-home, come out strong on home ice, and attacked them.

However, this roster isn't built for attack. Scott Gomez is strong on the puck, so is Chris Drury. Yet, both can't finish. If it's not Drury's stick breaking in half (not his fault, I know), it's Ryan Callahan shooting way too high on a shot 4 feet from the net (on a shot that seemed like an 85 degree angle), or it's Brandon Dubinsky, Drury, or Dan Girardi shooting directly into the Panther logo on Craig Anderson's jersey. 

Dubinsky, by the way, had 12 points in 13 October games and has had 4 since then. I should never have dropped Simon Gagne for him on my fantasy team. (I thought Gagne would get hurt again!)

Defense? What defense? On Thanksgiving, when the Detroit Lions gave up 47 points in their game against the Tennessee Titans, I was pretty sure I saw the Titans' RB Chris Johnson burning past Michal Rozsival while Marc Staal fell down.

What I'm saying is that it's an awful defense. And it shouldn't be. Rozsival was good once for the Rangers (actually, he had 2 good years... the first season after the lockout he wasn't good and didn't deserve an extension). Staal was rushed into the NHL and while he plays well a lot, when he makes mistakes, they glow. Dmitri Kalinin was a filler because they needed a 6th defenseman and were too short-sighted to use Andrew Hutchinson (who led the Wolfpack last year and is now a Dallas Star). Kalinin should've been a 4th line winger instead of a 6th d-man. Wade Redden was bad last year. He is bad this year. How bad will he be when he turns 37 and is in the last year of his Ranger contract? Paul Mara and Girardi do what they can, and while they don't light up the ice, I have no problem with them. In fact, I will proudly wear my Girardi #5 jersey Wednesday night at the Garden.

I know there apparently weren't many good defensemen on the free agent market last year (although Mark Streit is working out for the Islanders pretty well), but Redden was the worst choice they could've possibly made. Yes, he can make that all-important first-pass out of the zone. And yes, he sometimes has good defensive plays. But for $6.5M, was Glen Sather looking for sometimes?

The thing with the Rangers this year is that they normally try hard. While teams past would go down 2 goals and then phone it in the rest of the game, these Rangers normally fight back, and have erased a handful of 2-goal deficits this year. I say normally, because every now-and-today, there is a stinker. Two goals in 12 seconds to Florida? Florida had scored 52 goals in 22 games! And I'm pretty sure that figure includes shootout wins.

There are other good things about the Rangers (mostly Gomez, Blair Betts, and Henrik Lundqvist), but after today's frustrating, emotionless, passionless, half-hearted, heavy-legged "performance" in front of thousands of little kids, I choose not to dwell on them.

The Rangers played well against Phoenix, and well against Tampa Bay this week. Yes, they gave up a last-minute goal to Tampa, but they played well all game until that moment. However, that last-minute goal is beginning to be a problem. When you play two games against Florida and give up a goal with 90 seconds left and then get blown out in the next game, something is wrong. 

They got 6 points in 4 games against mediocre-at-best teams. However, it took an incredible Lundqvist (uh, today notwithstanding) and 2 tiebreaking shootouts for those points.

What happens when they face Montreal, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Calgary in December? Not to mention 2 games against the suddenly-streaking Devils, a game against the notoriously hard-to-beat Islanders, and a 3-game swing out in California against Anaheim, the Kings, and San Jose?

This ship, starting from different personnel on the power play and out, needs to be righted, or a 7-game losing streak isn't far away. 17-14-2? Not as impressive, is it??

Notes Not From the Garden, 11/15/08...

A few things were apparent at the onset of the Rangers-Bruins game on Saturday night. First off, it was going to be a goaltending duel (much more exciting to watch than a pitching duel in baseball). Second, it was probably going to be a shootout (I prematurely predicted a 2-1 final score). Third, these two teams with their matching styles (speedy, good forwards, mediocre defense made better by excellent goaltending) would make for an intense, incredible playoff series. 

And fourth, we knew it would be a good game because I sold my tickets. I wind up going to stinkers like Dallas's crappy, sleepy win over the Rangers, and sell my tickets to Chris Drury's hat trick game against Tampa Bay and this exciting game

Ok, so a few notes. I'll keep it short so as not to bore anyone, and I'll try to keep it interesting since I assume most of you have seen the game already...

Dmitri Kalinin - Growing up, I wonder why Kalinin chose to be a defenseman. He is labeled as an offensive defenseman, has a pretty nice shot, always pinches on the point or brings the puck in deep on the rush, and he has shaky-at-best defensive ability. I think he would make a good 3rd or 4th line winger. That said, his defensive play has improved a lot since the first few games of the season, and he had a nice breakout pass on the game-tying goal.

Henrik Lundqvist - No goalie goes post-to-post quite as well as Lundqvist. And if given the choice in the shootout, there's not a goalie I would pick instead of him. He cannot possibly be faulted for Zdeno Chara's goal. He made a great save, then almost made a second.

Boston 2, Rangers 0 - There were 3 goats on the second goal by Boston. One obviously is Michal Rozsival, who is now responsible for another shorthanded goal against. Why is he still playing the points? His PPG to SHG ratio is now horrible, at atleast 2:3 or 2:4. The second goal was Kalinin, who is apparently afraid of the puck. Does he know his paychecks come at the same frequency regardless of whether or not he is injured? Instead of dropping down to block the puck like a real defensmen would do, he half-heartedly stuck his stick out. The shot still got off, and passed Lundqvist (aka goat #3). Again, Hank dropped too soon and the puck went over him. Again.

Zdeno Chara - As I once made fun of Chara, a friend of a friend who works for the Bruins told me how dedicated he is to his body. He is truly a mountain of a man. He works out religiously, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke. And it shows. For a big man, he is incredible flexible. However, Aaron Voros got by him today, and he took a necessary penalty. What is a necessary penalty? The answer is two-fold: It is one that saves a goal from possibly being scored and it is something the Rangers never take. A hooking call because Marek Malik is too slow (an outdated reference, I know), or a holding call because someone blows by Rozsival is not a good penalty. But Chara's slash on Voros might've saved a goal, and the Rangers power play is anemic anyway, so he had nothing to lose.

Ya know, Mike Milbury never should've traded him (and the second overall pick in 2001) for Alexei Yashin.

Tim Thomas  - I man-love Tim Thomas. He came into the league for 4 games at 28, then returned full-time at age 30, after hearing all of his life he would never be an NHL goalie. Then, he played great for Boston and they repaid the favor by signing Manny Fernandez. However, Thomas is still starting and is one of the best in the league this season.

Second Period - Regardless of the 2-goal defecit after the 2nd period, it was still a greatly exciting period. Of course, if the outcome of the game didn't give two points to the Rangers, I would not be saying that.

Chris Drury - I give him credit for taking abuse in front of the net. It's a necessary position for him to be in and he does it well. However, he needs to whip out that yellow board again in practice and try shooting OVER it instead of INTO it. He could've scored in the 2nd but instead shot it right at Thomas's pad. 

However, I fully retract my statement that he should be sent to Hartford. He played good all game, and his overtime pass to Ryan Callahan was why he was signed. He got knocked down, and stole the puck from 3 standing Bruin players, and passed it perfectly to Callahan. That was an All-Star play.

Wade Redden - The Rangers paid for a fast car and got a safe car instead. He has very few points and only 2 goals (none since 10/10 against Chicago), but he is a good first-passer, and has anchored the defense. Still, you can get the safety of a Volvo without paying for a Ferrari, knowwhatI'msayin? (He's overpaid. And 6 years is an awful long time.)

Dave Maloney? Really? - If Dave Maloney was chiming in on Sam and Joe's broadcast, who was doing the radio commentary? Hey, I get mad if John Giannone is filling in for Sam Rosen. I don't want Maloney filling in for... nobody. C'mon, Dave. I just want to see you talking to Ken Daneyko in the studio after the game.

Dan Marouelli - is a scumbag. Remember when Hank was continually crashed into in Washington and no penalties were given out but goals were scored on the same play? First off, his throat must be huge if he can swallow his whistle and not choke. Overtime, same play. Chuck Kobasew buzzsaws through Henrik and no penalty is called. Then, in the shootout, the puck clearly didn't cross the line, but he called it a goal. It wasn't even close. It hit the post and ended up in the crease. 

Come on, Dan. We know you hate the Rangers (maybe he's mad that Glen Sather, then-GM of his hometown Oilers, traded away Wayne Gretzky in 1988?), but like I said all of last season, don't make it so obvious. Don't force the game.

Islanders Win Game 2

Well, that was unexpected.

I sort of expected the Islanders to crap out at some point. Maybe I was just preparing myself for the worst. You sort of learn to do that every now and again when you support this team. But it didn't happen. If anything, the Islanders got stronger as the game went on.

The first period was some pretty awful hockey. In fact, let's forget it ever happened. The second was a little better, but the Rangers pretty much dominated play. It wasn't until the third period that things got going... or, to put it more appropriately, for the Rangers to shoot themselves in the foot.

Two horrendous giveaways on the power play led the Islanders to score two shorthanded goals. And while I'm still not convinced that their standing as the team with the most shorthanded goals in the NHL means anything more than that they take a lot of stupid penalties, those two goals were huge. That they came from the likes of Nate Thompson and Richard Park is quite telling. Because these are the players the make the Islanders a tough team to play against. Nobody's under the illusion that the Islanders are an extremely talented team, but when you're going against guys like Thompson and Park, you have to work a lot harder to win.

After those two shorthanded goals, the Rangers were putty in the Islanders' hands. The Rangers immediately started pressing, trying to make the perfect play. That never works. The Rangers got frustrated, as evidenced by Nigel Dawes dropping the gloves with Jeff Tambellini with less than ten minutes left in the third period. The Rangers ended up getting one to make things interesting, but the game effectively ended after the Isles' secondhanded goal.

So, who to blame for tonight's poor performance by the Rangers? Pretty much everybody. Michal Rozsival is going to get the blame for much of this loss - Billy Jaffe said it best when he said Rozsival was "guilty of not being effective" - but you can also pin some of this on the offense for not scoring, on Dmitri Kalinin for being Dmitri Kalinin, and on Henrik Lundqvist for getting beat on the second goal, which he easily should have had.

For the Islanders? Much of the team played well, even if the supposed "scorers" continued what has pretty much been a season-long vacation. The star of the show would have to be Joey MacDonald, who probably played the best game of his career. Islander fans needed to see this kind of performance out of Joey MacDonald. Going into the building of your biggest rival and coming within 100 seconds of a shutout is pretty special. Plus, his performance led to this post-game exchange between C.J. Papa and Stan Fischler...

C.J.: So, Stan, what'd you see out there tonight?
Stan: I'll tell you what I saw, and it was Old MacDonald's Farm! "And a save-save here and a save-save there, here a save, there a save, everywhere a save-save!"

Had they heard this, I think even the Ranger fans among us would have to say it was all worth it. And as someone who hears these nursery rhymes dozens of times a day, it made me particularly happy. Every MSG Plus broadcast makes me a smarter hockey fan, but a dumber person. And for that, I'd like to thank everybody involved in making the magic happen, from Howie and Billy to C.J. and Stan. You all do a wonderful job.

Anyway.

Jaffe brought up the dreaded "Ranger hangover" in the same sentence as "Thursday's winnable game against Atlanta". Gulp. Make no mistake about it, the Islanders will be destroyed by an awful Thrashers team. The Islanders have been pretty awesome lately, but it can't last forever. At least not as long as guys like Mike Comrie and Doug Weight aren't scoring goals. The Rangers, on the other hand, are facing a Tampa Bay team on Thursday that has won three straight games and are finally living up to their pre-season hype. It's about time. To be honest, the Rangers-Lightning game will be a better one than Islanders-Thrashers. But like tonight, it'll be a good night for hockey in New York.

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.