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.)
Two friends. Two bitter enemies. Two obsessed fans. One Rivalry.
Showing posts with label donald brashear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label donald brashear. Show all posts
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Brashear Asks for Trade...
Excuse me, because it's 4:55 a.m. and I just got home from work/bar and I am just reading up on the hockey news of the day, but did Donald Brashear ask for a trade?
To who? Hartford? Charlotte? Oh, no, wait, the Charlotte Checkers won't be the Rangers ECHL affiliate next year.
Looks like Hartford it is. I hear the Rangers will trade Brashear and his $1.4M contract this season and the next for $1.4M in cap space.
Bringing up the question, why was he signed in the first place?
And why was Colton Orr let go?
Now, I know it's probably tough to be an NHL General Manager, and I'm not saying I'm qualified. Hell, I'm just a lowly restaurant manager.
But I watch the games. I have known for years that Brashear has offered nothing to any team he's been on - Philadelphia, Washington, now the Rangers - and that Orr has graduated into one of the best fighters in the league.
Odd choices, Mr. Sather. Odd choices.
To who? Hartford? Charlotte? Oh, no, wait, the Charlotte Checkers won't be the Rangers ECHL affiliate next year.
Looks like Hartford it is. I hear the Rangers will trade Brashear and his $1.4M contract this season and the next for $1.4M in cap space.
Bringing up the question, why was he signed in the first place?
And why was Colton Orr let go?
Now, I know it's probably tough to be an NHL General Manager, and I'm not saying I'm qualified. Hell, I'm just a lowly restaurant manager.
But I watch the games. I have known for years that Brashear has offered nothing to any team he's been on - Philadelphia, Washington, now the Rangers - and that Orr has graduated into one of the best fighters in the league.
Odd choices, Mr. Sather. Odd choices.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Did You Expect a Different Result?...
Did you really expect something different than what happened tonight?
Did you expect Donald Brashear to do more than Erik Christensen or Ales Kotalik would? Look at this stat-line: 5 shifts, 5 minutes 35 seconds, 2 hits, minus-1.
With (essentially) a 6-minute power play and Michal Rozsival running the point, what did you expect? A shot to hit the net? A goal?
Get real. With Kotalik watching from above and Mike Del Zotto playing the opposite side (so he can't get a real shot off), there was nobody to blast the puck from the point. And with no Rangers wanting to stand in the crease, even if they did, there was nobody to bang home a rebound.
Kotalik sits during the "winning streak" against Montreal and Tampa Bay, so he sits again in Philadelphia. Okay, I see that. If it's working, run with it. They lose, but he sits again in Montreal. Interesting, but I see what John Tortorella is doing. But now they've been shut out 2 straight games and their cannon-shot is still not dressed, while gutless players like Brashear and Chris Higgins get to go in.
At one point during the extended power plays in the 3rd period, all four Penguin penalty-killers and their goalie were facing the same direction - towards the corner so Marc-Andre Fleury had to turn his neck left to face the puck. Rozsival, for some unknown reason, was on the left point (maybe Wade Redden was changing his tampon, I don't know, I'm not the bench boss).
Now, if this was a team playing the Rangers - say, Montreal, Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh - that point man would have skated down so that he was facing the penalty-killers' backs. He would have received a pass and banged it home before Henrik Lundqvist had adequate time to slide back to the other post.
However, this is Mikey Rozsival we're talking about. What did he do? Waited for a pass. Just to pass again. Just to have the puck fumbled out of the zone, thus killing any chance of a good play.
Apparently, the PK-men on Pittsburgh weren't the only ones not paying attention on that play.
I'm not saying that Kotalik himself would've saved this game. But if he was out there shooting and someone wanted to get dirty in the crease - hey, Sean Avery can't play every shift, can he? - then maybe a garbage goal would've gone in and all of you would be singing the praises of this team for coming back from a 1-0 deficit and finally winning at home.
But no one wants to shoot. No one wants to get dirty. No one wants to hit.
And I guess no one wants to play in May, either.
Did you expect Donald Brashear to do more than Erik Christensen or Ales Kotalik would? Look at this stat-line: 5 shifts, 5 minutes 35 seconds, 2 hits, minus-1.
With (essentially) a 6-minute power play and Michal Rozsival running the point, what did you expect? A shot to hit the net? A goal?
Get real. With Kotalik watching from above and Mike Del Zotto playing the opposite side (so he can't get a real shot off), there was nobody to blast the puck from the point. And with no Rangers wanting to stand in the crease, even if they did, there was nobody to bang home a rebound.
Kotalik sits during the "winning streak" against Montreal and Tampa Bay, so he sits again in Philadelphia. Okay, I see that. If it's working, run with it. They lose, but he sits again in Montreal. Interesting, but I see what John Tortorella is doing. But now they've been shut out 2 straight games and their cannon-shot is still not dressed, while gutless players like Brashear and Chris Higgins get to go in.
At one point during the extended power plays in the 3rd period, all four Penguin penalty-killers and their goalie were facing the same direction - towards the corner so Marc-Andre Fleury had to turn his neck left to face the puck. Rozsival, for some unknown reason, was on the left point (maybe Wade Redden was changing his tampon, I don't know, I'm not the bench boss).
Now, if this was a team playing the Rangers - say, Montreal, Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh - that point man would have skated down so that he was facing the penalty-killers' backs. He would have received a pass and banged it home before Henrik Lundqvist had adequate time to slide back to the other post.
However, this is Mikey Rozsival we're talking about. What did he do? Waited for a pass. Just to pass again. Just to have the puck fumbled out of the zone, thus killing any chance of a good play.
Apparently, the PK-men on Pittsburgh weren't the only ones not paying attention on that play.
I'm not saying that Kotalik himself would've saved this game. But if he was out there shooting and someone wanted to get dirty in the crease - hey, Sean Avery can't play every shift, can he? - then maybe a garbage goal would've gone in and all of you would be singing the praises of this team for coming back from a 1-0 deficit and finally winning at home.
But no one wants to shoot. No one wants to get dirty. No one wants to hit.
And I guess no one wants to play in May, either.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Difference in 2 Players; Montreal Update Coming Soon...
I will update later today about the Rangers game in Montreal. For the record, it's the 1st time I've seen them lose in an opposing building (not including the Nassau Coliseum). I saw them win in Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Montreal before the 6-0 disaster I witnessed first-hand Saturday night.
* * *
Do you know the differences in Dan Carcillo and Donald Brashear? Carcillo has 6 goals and 6 assists this year; Brashear had no goals and 1 assist. Carcillo dresses for games while Brashear stays nice and clean in a suit and tie. Carcillo wins fights (his record this year is 7-3-2, including beating Marian Gaborik and losing to Sean Avery last Thursday) while Brashear skates away from confrontation. In fact, the last fight Brashear won was against Jared Boll of Columbus three days before Thanksgiving. Brashear's record this year stands at 3-4-2.
As for Brashear's claims that he wouldn't fight Carcillo - "I don't even fight a guy like Carcillo. I don't think he's in my league." - and then his claims that he isn't a guy who only goes out and fights staged fights... well, what? Do you fight everyone or will you only fight heavyweights?
"If I would have played" Gaborik would not have been fought by Carcillo, Brashear said. Oh yeah? If you're out there fighting people like Matt Carkner, Eric Boulton, Eric Godard, and Shawn Thornton, is that really a deterrent for people like Carcillo? Will he not get under Gaborik's skin just because there is a chance that Brashear might lose a fight to Aaron Asham or Ian Laperriere?
Did Brashear's presence in the first half of the season stop any team from running over Henrik Lundqvist? Were they afraid he was going to go after Ilya Kovalchuk or Johan Hedberg, or did they know that, no matter what, he would fight Boulton and leave everyone else alone?
Like what Carcillo did or not, he got the Flyers an extra 2 points that night. He got the best player on the team to thrown down his gloves and fight him. He threw an entire team off their game, because they then stopped trying to score and started looking for revenge. The only person nearly capable of getting under a team's skin like that on the Rangers' roster is Avery. Not Brashear.
Guess what, Donald. Carcillo might not be in your league for long - because he'll still be in the NHL for the next decade.
* * *
Do you know the differences in Dan Carcillo and Donald Brashear? Carcillo has 6 goals and 6 assists this year; Brashear had no goals and 1 assist. Carcillo dresses for games while Brashear stays nice and clean in a suit and tie. Carcillo wins fights (his record this year is 7-3-2, including beating Marian Gaborik and losing to Sean Avery last Thursday) while Brashear skates away from confrontation. In fact, the last fight Brashear won was against Jared Boll of Columbus three days before Thanksgiving. Brashear's record this year stands at 3-4-2.
As for Brashear's claims that he wouldn't fight Carcillo - "I don't even fight a guy like Carcillo. I don't think he's in my league." - and then his claims that he isn't a guy who only goes out and fights staged fights... well, what? Do you fight everyone or will you only fight heavyweights?
"If I would have played" Gaborik would not have been fought by Carcillo, Brashear said. Oh yeah? If you're out there fighting people like Matt Carkner, Eric Boulton, Eric Godard, and Shawn Thornton, is that really a deterrent for people like Carcillo? Will he not get under Gaborik's skin just because there is a chance that Brashear might lose a fight to Aaron Asham or Ian Laperriere?
Did Brashear's presence in the first half of the season stop any team from running over Henrik Lundqvist? Were they afraid he was going to go after Ilya Kovalchuk or Johan Hedberg, or did they know that, no matter what, he would fight Boulton and leave everyone else alone?
Like what Carcillo did or not, he got the Flyers an extra 2 points that night. He got the best player on the team to thrown down his gloves and fight him. He threw an entire team off their game, because they then stopped trying to score and started looking for revenge. The only person nearly capable of getting under a team's skin like that on the Rangers' roster is Avery. Not Brashear.
Guess what, Donald. Carcillo might not be in your league for long - because he'll still be in the NHL for the next decade.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Three Metro Teams in Action, 5 Points Given Out...
Can't be any disappointed hockey fans out in the NY-NJ area tonight, from the 17,000 Ranger fans at MSG, to the 1,000 Devil fans at MSG, to the 4,000 Islander fans who routinely sell out the lower bowl on the Nassau Coliseum, to the 17,000 fans that the New Jersey Devils have accumulated since Aaron Broten first led them on the ice in 1982.
Yes, Bryan, the Rangers-Devils game was excellent, except for one thing - it underscored how bad the Rangers are at mustering offense. Henrik Lundqvist was great in stopping 45 shots - downright incredible on a few.
And I won't bash Marty Brodeur as I normally would. Any time you stop 51 shots, you played great. Of course, the Rangers made it very easy for about 40 of those shots. He did make a few excellent saves, and while he didn't do much on Marian Gaborik's overtime-near-score, that save on Michal Rozsival with time running out in the extra period was good.
Shots from the boards, shots with no traffic in front, shots to Brodeur's glove. C'mon! Do you really think a wrister from the left circle is going past Brodeur's glove? You can tell me all you want about how many shots they had, and I will tell you until I'm blue in the face that it doesn't matter if they're 90% crappy shots.
And I guess that old hockey adage "If you shoot enough, one is bound to go in" was proven wrong tonight.
Remember March of 2007 when Rick DiPietro made, what, 56 saves in a shootout loss to the Rangers? The Rangers made him look like Jesus Christ that night - albeit he was clean-shaven, and Christ would wear #33 not #39. But they had so many awful, easy-to-save shots that it looked like nothing would get by him, and rarely anything did except for a goal in regulation and a Matt Cullen goal in the shootout.
Anyway, fast-paced, end-to-end action with good defense play that wasn't boring. It was a very good game to watch and would've been sweeter with a Rangers' win, but now the Rangers web site can say they are 9-1-3 in the last 13 games.
And I can't even get mad at the shootout result. It would've been nce to have had a Ranger score, but they couldn't, and Patrick Elias' wrister that beat Lundqvist was awesome.
* * *
Telling stat of the night brought to us by Versus and Jack Daniels Old No. 7: Marian Gaborik was 2-for-17 in shootouts going into tonight. Now, he is 2-for-18, around 11%. By comparison, Erik Christensen, Zach Parise, and Ales Kotalik are near (or over) 50%.
Why does John Tortorella keep putting Gaborik in? I know he's a superstar, I know he'd the "stud" on the team, and I know he scored in the shootout in Atlanta, but he isn't a breakaway artist.
Jaromir Jagr wasn't. Gaborik isn't either. Stick to Kotalik, Christensen, Vinny Prospal, Artem Anisimov, and maybe even Ryan Callahan. But keep Gaborik out of it until at least the 6th round.
Enver Lisin would've been nice to have seen pull some moves out of his bag. But alas, Donald Brashear needed to have his customary 8 shifts and 5:53 of ice time.
Hey, didn't Lisin score in Atlanta?
Yes, Bryan, the Rangers-Devils game was excellent, except for one thing - it underscored how bad the Rangers are at mustering offense. Henrik Lundqvist was great in stopping 45 shots - downright incredible on a few.
And I won't bash Marty Brodeur as I normally would. Any time you stop 51 shots, you played great. Of course, the Rangers made it very easy for about 40 of those shots. He did make a few excellent saves, and while he didn't do much on Marian Gaborik's overtime-near-score, that save on Michal Rozsival with time running out in the extra period was good.
Shots from the boards, shots with no traffic in front, shots to Brodeur's glove. C'mon! Do you really think a wrister from the left circle is going past Brodeur's glove? You can tell me all you want about how many shots they had, and I will tell you until I'm blue in the face that it doesn't matter if they're 90% crappy shots.
And I guess that old hockey adage "If you shoot enough, one is bound to go in" was proven wrong tonight.
Remember March of 2007 when Rick DiPietro made, what, 56 saves in a shootout loss to the Rangers? The Rangers made him look like Jesus Christ that night - albeit he was clean-shaven, and Christ would wear #33 not #39. But they had so many awful, easy-to-save shots that it looked like nothing would get by him, and rarely anything did except for a goal in regulation and a Matt Cullen goal in the shootout.
Anyway, fast-paced, end-to-end action with good defense play that wasn't boring. It was a very good game to watch and would've been sweeter with a Rangers' win, but now the Rangers web site can say they are 9-1-3 in the last 13 games.
And I can't even get mad at the shootout result. It would've been nce to have had a Ranger score, but they couldn't, and Patrick Elias' wrister that beat Lundqvist was awesome.
* * *
Telling stat of the night brought to us by Versus and Jack Daniels Old No. 7: Marian Gaborik was 2-for-17 in shootouts going into tonight. Now, he is 2-for-18, around 11%. By comparison, Erik Christensen, Zach Parise, and Ales Kotalik are near (or over) 50%.
Why does John Tortorella keep putting Gaborik in? I know he's a superstar, I know he'd the "stud" on the team, and I know he scored in the shootout in Atlanta, but he isn't a breakaway artist.
Jaromir Jagr wasn't. Gaborik isn't either. Stick to Kotalik, Christensen, Vinny Prospal, Artem Anisimov, and maybe even Ryan Callahan. But keep Gaborik out of it until at least the 6th round.
Enver Lisin would've been nice to have seen pull some moves out of his bag. But alas, Donald Brashear needed to have his customary 8 shifts and 5:53 of ice time.
Hey, didn't Lisin score in Atlanta?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Who the Rangers Should Sign...
It appears Donald Brashear reads this here website. A few nights ago, after the overtime loss in Atlanta, I wrote that the entire team needs to start hitting more; I then singled him out for being a complete waste of money and being a shell of what he used to be. Teams aren't afraid to take runs at Marian Gaborik, Henrik Lundqvist, or the rest of the team, because Brashear isn't going to make them pay with a fit of violence like he used to.
Maybe it's being injured (I don't care, if you're too hurt to play, don't play); maybe it's being scared of the league suspending him (really?); maybe it's him just not having "it" anymore (most probably). Regardless, he hadn't been in a fight since Thanksgiving-time, and he hadn't stuck up for anyone in weeks.
In today's matinee tilt against Boston, he changed his tune. He was hitting people after the whistle, trying to get involved, and even had a fight.
Of course, he was ineffective. He lost the fight - pretty badly. In fact, it was embarrassing. Donald Brashear circa 2003 would pummel Donald Brashear 2010 into a bloody pulp, then sucker-punch Aaron Ward en route to the locker room. He wouldn't even care about the 2-game suspension that follows.
Hell, you know Brashear is useless when Ranger fans would rather see Aaron Voros in the lineup. Atleast Voros cares and sticks up for teammates.
So, you ask, who should the Rangers sign?
That's right, there he is. Ronnie from MTV's Jersey Shore.
Let's look at the facts...
1) He's from New York. He was born and raised in the Bronx. The team needs homegrown talent, not mercenaries born in Indiana and raised in Quebec. You know he'd do NY proud.
2) He comes to the defense of teammates. Who could forget when Snooki got punched in the fact by that guy at the bar and he went looking for blood? If that gentleman wasn't arrested, Ronnie would've delivered his own brand of vigilante justice.
3) He'd be a cheap Salary Cap hit. With virtually no ice hockey experience, he'd be signed for the league minimum and he'd be on a two-way contract. If it didn't work out, they could send him to Hartford and not fear him being picked up by a different team.
4) He's cocky. He has a swagger. He's overly confident. The last time the Rangers had an enforcer like that, well, it was last year with Colton Orr. Orr went into every fight knowing he was going to win. Ronnie has the same mentality. Maybe he'll even have the same sadistic win every time he knocks out Todd Fedoruk.
5) He'd be a great deterrent. And, uh, he's pretty strong. Look at those muscles! And did you see the size of the protein powder he brought with him for his month at the Jersey shore? No one in their right mind would run over Lundqvist in the crease with Ronnie sitting on the bench waiting to knock someone's skull in.
6) He whooped that guy on the Boardwalk. He delivered about 5 or 6 solid shots to that guy's head. And you know every time they play the Devils he would get up for that game.
If anyone has Glen Sather's number, let him know.
Maybe it's being injured (I don't care, if you're too hurt to play, don't play); maybe it's being scared of the league suspending him (really?); maybe it's him just not having "it" anymore (most probably). Regardless, he hadn't been in a fight since Thanksgiving-time, and he hadn't stuck up for anyone in weeks.
In today's matinee tilt against Boston, he changed his tune. He was hitting people after the whistle, trying to get involved, and even had a fight.
Of course, he was ineffective. He lost the fight - pretty badly. In fact, it was embarrassing. Donald Brashear circa 2003 would pummel Donald Brashear 2010 into a bloody pulp, then sucker-punch Aaron Ward en route to the locker room. He wouldn't even care about the 2-game suspension that follows.
Hell, you know Brashear is useless when Ranger fans would rather see Aaron Voros in the lineup. Atleast Voros cares and sticks up for teammates.
So, you ask, who should the Rangers sign?
That's right, there he is. Ronnie from MTV's Jersey Shore.
Let's look at the facts...
1) He's from New York. He was born and raised in the Bronx. The team needs homegrown talent, not mercenaries born in Indiana and raised in Quebec. You know he'd do NY proud.
2) He comes to the defense of teammates. Who could forget when Snooki got punched in the fact by that guy at the bar and he went looking for blood? If that gentleman wasn't arrested, Ronnie would've delivered his own brand of vigilante justice.
3) He'd be a cheap Salary Cap hit. With virtually no ice hockey experience, he'd be signed for the league minimum and he'd be on a two-way contract. If it didn't work out, they could send him to Hartford and not fear him being picked up by a different team.
4) He's cocky. He has a swagger. He's overly confident. The last time the Rangers had an enforcer like that, well, it was last year with Colton Orr. Orr went into every fight knowing he was going to win. Ronnie has the same mentality. Maybe he'll even have the same sadistic win every time he knocks out Todd Fedoruk.
5) He'd be a great deterrent. And, uh, he's pretty strong. Look at those muscles! And did you see the size of the protein powder he brought with him for his month at the Jersey shore? No one in their right mind would run over Lundqvist in the crease with Ronnie sitting on the bench waiting to knock someone's skull in.
6) He whooped that guy on the Boardwalk. He delivered about 5 or 6 solid shots to that guy's head. And you know every time they play the Devils he would get up for that game.
If anyone has Glen Sather's number, let him know.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Warren Zevon; A Call to Arms...
Warren Zevon was an incredible singer-songwriter who died of cancer in 2003. For anyone who has never listened to him, I highly recommend listening to his album The Wind, which was released a month before his death. "Keep Me in Your Heart" is an absolutely amazing goodbye to the world.
Anyway, he had a hockey song once upon a time, off of his 2001 album My Ride's Here, a song the Rangers should take to heart...
There were Swedes to the left of him / Russians to the right / A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight / Brains over brawn, that might work for you / But what's a Canadian farm boy to do / What else can a farm boy from Canada to do / But what's a Canadian farm boy to do / What else can a farm boy from Canada to do / "Hit somebody!" was what the crowd roared
Man! Every game, I just want to yell "Hit somebody!"
Eric Boulton and Christoph Schubert had their way with the Rangers' roster tonight - hitting from behind, knocking them to the ice, leaping off the ice for checks. And what did the Rangers do? Nothing.
Mike Del Zotto and Eric Staal hit hard tonight, sure, but it wasn't a deterrent.
Donald Brashear makes $1.4M and hasn't been in a fight since November. Not that fights are the only measure of a man, but it's not exactly like people are scared of him. This isn't like 2006 when people aren't taking runs at Alex Ovechkin because they know that they - or their team's superstar - will have to face Brashear's wrath. He is a joke who skates away from confrontation.
To be honest, I don't care if he's playing hurt or not. If he is playing hurt, he should still contribute. If he's too hurt to play, take a seat, and someone will play in your absence. You can yap to the opponent all you want when you're on the bench, but if you don't follow it up with physical, punishing play, it's all for waste.
(Last year, Colton Orr was that deterrent for the team. And if everyone can now remember what Brashear did to Blair Betts in Game 6 when Orr was a healthy scratch...)
When Sean Avery plays his game, he is highly effective, but he's not a huge hitter. He will throw his body around, but he's smaller than most guys he hits.
They need to start hitting and taking control of the game. Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Brashear, Chris Higgins, Matt Gilroy, please wake up and start knocking people around.
* * *
One other thing they need to start hitting? The net!
I'm convinced that Brandon Dubinsky and Staal have an aversion to hitting the net. Combined, they must've shot high and/or wide 10 times in the back-to-back games against Dallas and Atlanta. Maybe they think Chris Drury is always there to deflect it on goal.
If Higgins ever made an All-Star team, he would go 0-for-everything in the shooting accuracy competition.
Ryan Callahan has 10 goals this year. If he knew how to hit the net, he'd have 20.
It's getting to the point where the power play is ridiculous because they shoot every puck wide. Two-on-ones, breakaways, doesn't matter. The puck rarely gets to the net.
* * *
And no, I'm not just saying all this because they lost. I would've said the same thing even if they won.
However, if they were able to smash people or hit the net, perhaps they wouldn't have lost tonight.
Anyway, he had a hockey song once upon a time, off of his 2001 album My Ride's Here, a song the Rangers should take to heart...
There were Swedes to the left of him / Russians to the right / A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight / Brains over brawn, that might work for you / But what's a Canadian farm boy to do / What else can a farm boy from Canada to do / But what's a Canadian farm boy to do / What else can a farm boy from Canada to do / "Hit somebody!" was what the crowd roared
Man! Every game, I just want to yell "Hit somebody!"
Eric Boulton and Christoph Schubert had their way with the Rangers' roster tonight - hitting from behind, knocking them to the ice, leaping off the ice for checks. And what did the Rangers do? Nothing.
Mike Del Zotto and Eric Staal hit hard tonight, sure, but it wasn't a deterrent.
Donald Brashear makes $1.4M and hasn't been in a fight since November. Not that fights are the only measure of a man, but it's not exactly like people are scared of him. This isn't like 2006 when people aren't taking runs at Alex Ovechkin because they know that they - or their team's superstar - will have to face Brashear's wrath. He is a joke who skates away from confrontation.
To be honest, I don't care if he's playing hurt or not. If he is playing hurt, he should still contribute. If he's too hurt to play, take a seat, and someone will play in your absence. You can yap to the opponent all you want when you're on the bench, but if you don't follow it up with physical, punishing play, it's all for waste.
(Last year, Colton Orr was that deterrent for the team. And if everyone can now remember what Brashear did to Blair Betts in Game 6 when Orr was a healthy scratch...)
When Sean Avery plays his game, he is highly effective, but he's not a huge hitter. He will throw his body around, but he's smaller than most guys he hits.
They need to start hitting and taking control of the game. Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Brashear, Chris Higgins, Matt Gilroy, please wake up and start knocking people around.
* * *
One other thing they need to start hitting? The net!
I'm convinced that Brandon Dubinsky and Staal have an aversion to hitting the net. Combined, they must've shot high and/or wide 10 times in the back-to-back games against Dallas and Atlanta. Maybe they think Chris Drury is always there to deflect it on goal.
If Higgins ever made an All-Star team, he would go 0-for-everything in the shooting accuracy competition.
Ryan Callahan has 10 goals this year. If he knew how to hit the net, he'd have 20.
It's getting to the point where the power play is ridiculous because they shoot every puck wide. Two-on-ones, breakaways, doesn't matter. The puck rarely gets to the net.
* * *
And no, I'm not just saying all this because they lost. I would've said the same thing even if they won.
However, if they were able to smash people or hit the net, perhaps they wouldn't have lost tonight.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Garden of Dreams Charity Event...
Thanks to Longtime Reader Lou (who was responsible for my seat upgrade a few weeks ago during that not-very-fun Sharks game at MSG), I got a ticket into the Garden of Dreams charity event last night at The Garden.
It was a great night with a free buffet (featuring prime rib), an open bar, Adam Graves, and 4 other Rangers patrolling the area all night.
Pictures? Of course I have pictures! But first, let me say...
- Donald Brashear does not like when you thank him for punching Aaron Ward in the face, even if you say that all Rangers fans wanted to do it.
- Marian Gaborik does not play fantasy hockey. And upon my request to slow down his scoring because my friend Dan has him on his team, he politely refused.
- Dan Girardi's Dan Girardi jersey looked a lot better than mine, although his was free and mine was the crappiest jersey NHL.com ever sent out. I probably should have returned it.
- Marc Staal will tell you he "dusted" me "for two goals" in air hockey. He would be correct, but I decided to let him score to boost his confidence. If he nets two goals against Florida on Saturday, I will accept kudos and congratulations.
- Time for the Worst Moment of the Night, brought to you by Amstel Light. Staal gave up his air hockey paddle to Gaborik and I decided I needed a picture of it. I put the paddle down a moment, reached for my camera to give Lou, and some 6 year-old girl jacked the paddle. Very rude. And since it was a charity event and she was a guest, I couldn't ask for it back.
- The coolest guy there was the PA announcer. He gave us really good inside information and even announced a line that we wanted to hear: "Ladies and gentleman, time for tonight's scratches. Number twenty-five, Petr Prucha."
If I knew Gaborik was going to be there, I would've worn my jersey!
This picture looks fake but I assure you, it is not. I was just afraid he was
going to hit me. Donald Brashear does not like me.
I'm 25. I shouldn't be taking this kind of picture with an athlete.
This is me teaching our youth to play air hockey. Protect the puck!
Reader Lou and Volunteer Brad after the event.
It was a great night with a free buffet (featuring prime rib), an open bar, Adam Graves, and 4 other Rangers patrolling the area all night.
Pictures? Of course I have pictures! But first, let me say...
- Donald Brashear does not like when you thank him for punching Aaron Ward in the face, even if you say that all Rangers fans wanted to do it.
- Marian Gaborik does not play fantasy hockey. And upon my request to slow down his scoring because my friend Dan has him on his team, he politely refused.
- Dan Girardi's Dan Girardi jersey looked a lot better than mine, although his was free and mine was the crappiest jersey NHL.com ever sent out. I probably should have returned it.
- Marc Staal will tell you he "dusted" me "for two goals" in air hockey. He would be correct, but I decided to let him score to boost his confidence. If he nets two goals against Florida on Saturday, I will accept kudos and congratulations.
- Time for the Worst Moment of the Night, brought to you by Amstel Light. Staal gave up his air hockey paddle to Gaborik and I decided I needed a picture of it. I put the paddle down a moment, reached for my camera to give Lou, and some 6 year-old girl jacked the paddle. Very rude. And since it was a charity event and she was a guest, I couldn't ask for it back.
- The coolest guy there was the PA announcer. He gave us really good inside information and even announced a line that we wanted to hear: "Ladies and gentleman, time for tonight's scratches. Number twenty-five, Petr Prucha."
If I knew Gaborik was going to be there, I would've worn my jersey!
This picture looks fake but I assure you, it is not. I was just afraid he wasgoing to hit me. Donald Brashear does not like me.
I'm 25. I shouldn't be taking this kind of picture with an athlete.
This is me teaching our youth to play air hockey. Protect the puck!
Reader Lou and Volunteer Brad after the event.Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Western Canada Road Trip...
Ah, the dreaded Western Canadian Road Trip. Remember last time, in January of 2008 when they got 1 points in 3 games?
They ran into a red-hot Calgary team featuring Kristian Huselius, who had 4 points in the 4-3 game, including a goal from behind the goal-line that somehow sneaked past Henrik Lundqvist.
Steve Valiquette had no offense in a 3-0 loss to Vancouver.
And if not for Chris Drury scoring with 7 seconds left to force overtime, they would've left with 0 points instead of 1 (Edmonton was monstrous in the shootout in '07-'08, partially because then-rookie Sam Gagner was unstoppable in the tiebreaker).
Last night against Vancouver felt like that trip all over again. The Rangers applied little pressure, even in the 2nd period when the shot-counter went in their favor. Sure, they fired 14 shots in that frame, but how many were legitimate scoring chances? Two? Maybe just one?
They ought to have pounced on Vancouver, especially in the 3rd. They had, what, 4 power plays in a row, including a double-minor to end the 2nd period? And they couldn't do anything with it. Vancouver was shorthanded for 8 minutes, had good players in the penalty box, had Henrik Sedin and Willie Mitchell playing at 40% because of injuries, and still, no good opportunities. Other than Chris Higgins, who worked hard for Goal #1, there were a handful of Rangers who actually showed up. Matt Gilroy was one of them; he looked fantastic. Mike Del Zotto wasn't a standout but played good. Ryan Callahan played hard, again, and couldn't score, again. And Brandon Dubinsky... is on the trading block?
You would have thought that the big brawl would have fired them up, but it really just jazzed up the Canucks as it seemed the Rangers were content bringing the game to overtime and settling for a point - or a shootout.
* * *
I love that Dane Byers is in the lineup. As opposed to Evgeny Grachev or Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Byers is never going to light it up in the NHL, so he doesn't need to "dominate the minors before becoming an NHLer," and the old "it's better to play 20 minutes a night in the AHL than 7 minutes in the NHL" adage doesn't apply to him.
I would rather have Byers in the lineup over Donald Brashear any night. Maybe Brashear of 2003 or 2006, but not the 2009 version, where he is slow, shows the same hockey sense as Colton Orr, and doesn't fight - and when he does, he loses. Byers showed fire last night. Sure, he didn't win the fight, but he was out there battling, starting stuff, and showing that he belongs in the NHL. Even John Tortorella gave him a "good game" en route to the locker room - although Tortorella's good game pat fell in an awkward spot.
They ran into a red-hot Calgary team featuring Kristian Huselius, who had 4 points in the 4-3 game, including a goal from behind the goal-line that somehow sneaked past Henrik Lundqvist.
Steve Valiquette had no offense in a 3-0 loss to Vancouver.
And if not for Chris Drury scoring with 7 seconds left to force overtime, they would've left with 0 points instead of 1 (Edmonton was monstrous in the shootout in '07-'08, partially because then-rookie Sam Gagner was unstoppable in the tiebreaker).
Last night against Vancouver felt like that trip all over again. The Rangers applied little pressure, even in the 2nd period when the shot-counter went in their favor. Sure, they fired 14 shots in that frame, but how many were legitimate scoring chances? Two? Maybe just one?
They ought to have pounced on Vancouver, especially in the 3rd. They had, what, 4 power plays in a row, including a double-minor to end the 2nd period? And they couldn't do anything with it. Vancouver was shorthanded for 8 minutes, had good players in the penalty box, had Henrik Sedin and Willie Mitchell playing at 40% because of injuries, and still, no good opportunities. Other than Chris Higgins, who worked hard for Goal #1, there were a handful of Rangers who actually showed up. Matt Gilroy was one of them; he looked fantastic. Mike Del Zotto wasn't a standout but played good. Ryan Callahan played hard, again, and couldn't score, again. And Brandon Dubinsky... is on the trading block?
You would have thought that the big brawl would have fired them up, but it really just jazzed up the Canucks as it seemed the Rangers were content bringing the game to overtime and settling for a point - or a shootout.
* * *
I love that Dane Byers is in the lineup. As opposed to Evgeny Grachev or Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Byers is never going to light it up in the NHL, so he doesn't need to "dominate the minors before becoming an NHLer," and the old "it's better to play 20 minutes a night in the AHL than 7 minutes in the NHL" adage doesn't apply to him.
I would rather have Byers in the lineup over Donald Brashear any night. Maybe Brashear of 2003 or 2006, but not the 2009 version, where he is slow, shows the same hockey sense as Colton Orr, and doesn't fight - and when he does, he loses. Byers showed fire last night. Sure, he didn't win the fight, but he was out there battling, starting stuff, and showing that he belongs in the NHL. Even John Tortorella gave him a "good game" en route to the locker room - although Tortorella's good game pat fell in an awkward spot.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Islanders-Rangers, Game 1
Most teams look forward to April and beyond for their most meaningful games. The Islanders, on the other hand, play Game 1 of their annual six-game "playoff" against the Rangers tonight. It's not a stretch to say that these rivalry games can save a season, particularly for a subpar team. For example, the Rangers didn't make the playoffs in 2003-04, but did beat the Islanders six times in six games. The 2009-10 Islanders obviously aren't going to be anywhere near the playoffs this year, so a good showing against the Rangers would do a lot to please their fans, who are losing patience after nine losses in ten games.
Both the Rangers and Islanders are playing similarly to their counterparts from last season. The Rangers have jumped out to the third-highest point total in the NHL so far in this young season. The Islanders, on the other hand, are blowing third-period leads left and right, but at least they're competing on most nights and have taken some of the league's best teams (Boston, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Washington) to overtime. We all know how last year turned out - the Isles stopped blowing leads and simply began getting blown out every night, while the Rangers slowed dramatically off their hot start, fired Tom Renney, then blew a 3-1 series lead over Washington. In short, this writer isn't sure what to make of either team just yet.
One unfortunate thing about tonight's game is that we aren't likely to see the physical play and fighting that has made this rivalry so much fun over the years - and the absence of which has made this rivalry much less fun in recent years. The Islanders simply don't have the toughness to match up with the likes of Donald Brashear. Perhaps we'll see some fights involving middleweights, but it's not likely. Add in the trend of Rangers fans taking over the Coliseum when the Rangers play there, and things suddenly don't look too promising for the Islanders.
That said, these are games both teams routinely get up for. Nobody takes anything for granted when the Rangers meet the Islanders. Even when there's nothing to play for, there's everything to play for. Here's hoping tonight's action reflects that sentiment.
One last note about tonight's game - for the first time in the NHL, John Tavares and Michael Del Zotto face off. These former teammates with the Oshawa Generals and London Knights are the early front-runners for the Calder Trophy, and it should be interesting to see how they play against one another.
NOTE: A big thank-you goes out to Zach for holding down the fort while my wife and I welcomed the newest addition to our family. And thanks to the NHL Network's non-stop repeats of NHL On The Fly for keeping me company during 3 AM feedings.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tom Renney Would Be Proud...
It appears I'm alone over on this website as Islanders Writer Bryan celebrates the birth of Baby #2. He doesn't answer any of his texts, no matter how funny I am, or how hilarious the picture I send him is. And no, rumors the baby being named Avery Henrika are greatly blown out of proportion.
Without further ado...
4 Reasons I Think Tom Renney Was Coaching Tonight's Game vs. San Jose Instead of John Tortorella...
1) The first clue I had that Mr. Renney was behind the bench and not Mr. Tortorella was that Steve Valiquette wasn't pulled after the 4th goal was given up. Mr. Tortorella would have put in Henrik Lundqvist at that point, regardless of whose fault the goal was. He would have switched goalies to wake his team up. This inkling that Mr. Renney was coaching tonight was only made stronger when the game became 5-2 and Valiquette stayed in net.
2) The 2nd clue was the Intermission Switch. Classic Tom Renney right there. Mr. Renney doesn't switch goalies mid-period. He waits until the 2nd intermission, then sends the new goalie out. He doesn't like to hurt anyone's feelings.
2) Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden were defensive partners for much of the game, especially at 4-2 and 5-2. Mr. Tortorella would never do that, he has too much sense. However, Mr. Renney still seems to be relying on players' salaries, not players' skills, to win the game.
3) The 4th line was on the ice in the 3rd period. While Mr. Tortorella "shortens the bench" when he wants to win the game. In previous seasons, Mr. Renney often would use Colton Orr, Blair Betts, and whoever else was on the 4th line to "shut down the opposition" while they added no offensive value whatsoever. Notice tonight's 4 shifts in the 3rd period for Donnie Brashear when they needed a goal.
4) Petr Prucha didn't play tonight for the Rangers. That's a staple of Mr. Renney's reign.
No, of course, I jest. There are 3 reasons I know Tom Renney didn't coach the Rangers tonight...
1) He works in Edmonton, and Edmonton won a 2-1 game. If that doesn't scream Tom Renney, I don't know what does.
2) Redden and Rozsival played a grand total of 0 seconds on the power play. If this was a Renney Game, they each would've had time at the point, passing up on shots, missing the net, and letting the puck bounce over their sticks and out of the zone.
3) Jed Ortmeyer scored tonight. He never scored in a Tom Renney game!
* * *
Redden and Rozsival were especially atrocious tonight. Any good that Redden did in those games against Toronto was washed away tonight. He wasn't physical (okay, he did land one check when he fell onto a Shark); he couldn't pass the puck correctly; he let people fly by him. To those who say I'm too harsh on him, were you watching this game?
When either of them are on the ice, I want the Garden fans to chant "AHL! AHL!"
* * *
That said, I did see two firsts at MSG tonight. One was my first Michael Del Zotto #4 jersey - the first of many, no doubt. (I saw my first Matt Gilroy #97 jersey Wednesday against the Kings).
The other first? The first time I ever saw a Wade Redden #6 jersey on a Ranger fan. Don't believe me? Look!
Without further ado...
4 Reasons I Think Tom Renney Was Coaching Tonight's Game vs. San Jose Instead of John Tortorella...
1) The first clue I had that Mr. Renney was behind the bench and not Mr. Tortorella was that Steve Valiquette wasn't pulled after the 4th goal was given up. Mr. Tortorella would have put in Henrik Lundqvist at that point, regardless of whose fault the goal was. He would have switched goalies to wake his team up. This inkling that Mr. Renney was coaching tonight was only made stronger when the game became 5-2 and Valiquette stayed in net.
2) The 2nd clue was the Intermission Switch. Classic Tom Renney right there. Mr. Renney doesn't switch goalies mid-period. He waits until the 2nd intermission, then sends the new goalie out. He doesn't like to hurt anyone's feelings.
2) Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden were defensive partners for much of the game, especially at 4-2 and 5-2. Mr. Tortorella would never do that, he has too much sense. However, Mr. Renney still seems to be relying on players' salaries, not players' skills, to win the game.
3) The 4th line was on the ice in the 3rd period. While Mr. Tortorella "shortens the bench" when he wants to win the game. In previous seasons, Mr. Renney often would use Colton Orr, Blair Betts, and whoever else was on the 4th line to "shut down the opposition" while they added no offensive value whatsoever. Notice tonight's 4 shifts in the 3rd period for Donnie Brashear when they needed a goal.
4) Petr Prucha didn't play tonight for the Rangers. That's a staple of Mr. Renney's reign.
No, of course, I jest. There are 3 reasons I know Tom Renney didn't coach the Rangers tonight...
1) He works in Edmonton, and Edmonton won a 2-1 game. If that doesn't scream Tom Renney, I don't know what does.
2) Redden and Rozsival played a grand total of 0 seconds on the power play. If this was a Renney Game, they each would've had time at the point, passing up on shots, missing the net, and letting the puck bounce over their sticks and out of the zone.
3) Jed Ortmeyer scored tonight. He never scored in a Tom Renney game!
* * *
Redden and Rozsival were especially atrocious tonight. Any good that Redden did in those games against Toronto was washed away tonight. He wasn't physical (okay, he did land one check when he fell onto a Shark); he couldn't pass the puck correctly; he let people fly by him. To those who say I'm too harsh on him, were you watching this game?
When either of them are on the ice, I want the Garden fans to chant "AHL! AHL!"
* * *
That said, I did see two firsts at MSG tonight. One was my first Michael Del Zotto #4 jersey - the first of many, no doubt. (I saw my first Matt Gilroy #97 jersey Wednesday against the Kings).
The other first? The first time I ever saw a Wade Redden #6 jersey on a Ranger fan. Don't believe me? Look!
Wade Redden's cousin, or nephew, or some other family member, at Madison Square Garden. 10/19/09
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Orr vs. Brashear, Round I...
If Colton Orr and Donald Brashear square off against each other Monday night when the Maple Leafs come to town, who are you going to root for?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Colin Campbell's Double Standard Strikes Again
Before we get to the latest BS suspension from Colin Campbell, there's some important Lighthouse stuff going on at Hofstra today. Read up on the importance of today's meeting here and here; follow along with the proceedings here.
***
The news that Pascal Morency was suspended for ten games (five preseason, five regular season) comes as no surprise to the writers of this blog. No, it's not because we believe, as many do, that ex-Rangers coach Colin Campbell has a secret vendetta against the Islanders. Instead, it's because we're well aware of the double standard that exists in the NHL when it comes to suspensions.
The NHL has no problem throwing its weight around when it comes to suspending a fringe player. However, when a superstar is involved, things become very shady. For instance, Chris Pronger still having a very well-paying job in the NHL despite his lengthy rap she
et. Of course, that rap sheet was significantly lessened by the the likes of Campbell, who just can't seem to pull the trigger when superstars are under review.
You may recall Chris Simon's stomp of Jarko Ruutu from December of 2007. You know, the incident that netted Simon a 30-game suspension. You may also recall that Pronger did the exact same thing to Ryan Kesler three months later and got nothing. Until, of course, everybody flipped out, and then Pronger got an 8-game ban that conveniently ended when the playoffs started.
By giving Morency ten games, Campbell is essentially saying that what Morency did is worse than what Pronger did - and that's something that got a lesser player 30 games. And what exactly did Morency do? Yes, he jumped the boards to start a fight, but he was about to come onto the ice for his shift anyway. He then attempted to defend a teammate that was knocked unconscious, which is what an enforcer is supposed to do. So, if you think about it that way, he was suspended for ten games for doing his job. And yet, if he didn't do his job, he would have been cut immediately by the Islanders for not standing up for his fallen teammate.
Now, let's go back in time once again, this time to the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. You may recall Evgeni Malkin receiving a fight instigator penalty in the final minutes of Game 2. NHL rules clearly stipulate that any player receiving an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of a game also gets a one-game suspension. But do you really think the NHL was going to suspend Malkin in its big TV-ratings showcase? Of course not!
If you really want to get picky about it, you can argue that Malkin's instigator was far more egregous than Morency's. At least Morency had a reason to start a fight. Malkin's fight came at the end of a game as the result of a scrum caused by his own teammate (Max Talbot), which could be interpreted as "sending a message" - the very thing the NHL legislated against before the playoffs. Yet, Morency's the one who gets the big suspension. Go figure.
But we all know that the NHL kowtows to its superstars. Every league does it; most don't stoop to the levels of the NHL. So the NHL bullies its lesser-known players just to prove a point. Donald Brashear deserved something for his attack on Blair Betts in last year's playoffs. But there was no way he'd get six games if he wasn't playing roughly five minutes a game. Morency's suspension falls into the category of the NHL abusing its power. Unfortunately, Colin Campbell's ruling has all but killed any chance of Morency playing for the Islanders in 2009-10. True, he wasn't going to make the team. But now, if the Islanders want to call him up, they must take into account his five-game regular season suspension. The Islanders don't have the roster room to keep someone on their NHL roster just to clear a suspension. So, not only does this screw over the Islanders, but it potentially costs Morency a ton of money, as two-way deals are exponentially more lucrative in the NHL than they are anywhere else.
One last note about this suspension. If you really want someone to blame for all of this, blame the NHL itself. The NHL is the organization that allows preseason games to become endless fight-fests in the first place. The NHL charges full price for preseason games, then turns a blind eye when games devolve into mindless line brawls just so aspiring goons can fight established goons for no reason. The NHL does this for as long as it can, then suspends the crap out of someone who dares to touch a superstar. The shame of it is, a guy like Chris Pronger would never be in this situation, largely because no team would give its biggest stars serious minutes in a game where players go out of their way to hurt each other just to stand out. So, while Colin Campbell screwed up by handing Pascal Morency a ridiculous suspension, it's really the NHL's fault for allowing this violence to occur.
***
The news that Pascal Morency was suspended for ten games (five preseason, five regular season) comes as no surprise to the writers of this blog. No, it's not because we believe, as many do, that ex-Rangers coach Colin Campbell has a secret vendetta against the Islanders. Instead, it's because we're well aware of the double standard that exists in the NHL when it comes to suspensions.
The NHL has no problem throwing its weight around when it comes to suspending a fringe player. However, when a superstar is involved, things become very shady. For instance, Chris Pronger still having a very well-paying job in the NHL despite his lengthy rap she
et. Of course, that rap sheet was significantly lessened by the the likes of Campbell, who just can't seem to pull the trigger when superstars are under review.You may recall Chris Simon's stomp of Jarko Ruutu from December of 2007. You know, the incident that netted Simon a 30-game suspension. You may also recall that Pronger did the exact same thing to Ryan Kesler three months later and got nothing. Until, of course, everybody flipped out, and then Pronger got an 8-game ban that conveniently ended when the playoffs started.
By giving Morency ten games, Campbell is essentially saying that what Morency did is worse than what Pronger did - and that's something that got a lesser player 30 games. And what exactly did Morency do? Yes, he jumped the boards to start a fight, but he was about to come onto the ice for his shift anyway. He then attempted to defend a teammate that was knocked unconscious, which is what an enforcer is supposed to do. So, if you think about it that way, he was suspended for ten games for doing his job. And yet, if he didn't do his job, he would have been cut immediately by the Islanders for not standing up for his fallen teammate.
Now, let's go back in time once again, this time to the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. You may recall Evgeni Malkin receiving a fight instigator penalty in the final minutes of Game 2. NHL rules clearly stipulate that any player receiving an instigator penalty in the final five minutes of a game also gets a one-game suspension. But do you really think the NHL was going to suspend Malkin in its big TV-ratings showcase? Of course not!
If you really want to get picky about it, you can argue that Malkin's instigator was far more egregous than Morency's. At least Morency had a reason to start a fight. Malkin's fight came at the end of a game as the result of a scrum caused by his own teammate (Max Talbot), which could be interpreted as "sending a message" - the very thing the NHL legislated against before the playoffs. Yet, Morency's the one who gets the big suspension. Go figure.
But we all know that the NHL kowtows to its superstars. Every league does it; most don't stoop to the levels of the NHL. So the NHL bullies its lesser-known players just to prove a point. Donald Brashear deserved something for his attack on Blair Betts in last year's playoffs. But there was no way he'd get six games if he wasn't playing roughly five minutes a game. Morency's suspension falls into the category of the NHL abusing its power. Unfortunately, Colin Campbell's ruling has all but killed any chance of Morency playing for the Islanders in 2009-10. True, he wasn't going to make the team. But now, if the Islanders want to call him up, they must take into account his five-game regular season suspension. The Islanders don't have the roster room to keep someone on their NHL roster just to clear a suspension. So, not only does this screw over the Islanders, but it potentially costs Morency a ton of money, as two-way deals are exponentially more lucrative in the NHL than they are anywhere else.
One last note about this suspension. If you really want someone to blame for all of this, blame the NHL itself. The NHL is the organization that allows preseason games to become endless fight-fests in the first place. The NHL charges full price for preseason games, then turns a blind eye when games devolve into mindless line brawls just so aspiring goons can fight established goons for no reason. The NHL does this for as long as it can, then suspends the crap out of someone who dares to touch a superstar. The shame of it is, a guy like Chris Pronger would never be in this situation, largely because no team would give its biggest stars serious minutes in a game where players go out of their way to hurt each other just to stand out. So, while Colin Campbell screwed up by handing Pascal Morency a ridiculous suspension, it's really the NHL's fault for allowing this violence to occur.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Rangers Fill Their Quota of Players Named "Vaclav"...
No, his real name isn't Vincent. He isn't Italian; he's Czech.
With the signing of Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal, the Rangers have added one more 3rd/4th line player, to join Artem Anisimov, Tyler Arnason, Donald Brashear, Enver Lisin, Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle, and anyone who might join the team from Hartford, namely Dane Byers, Pat Rissmiller, and P.A. Parenteau.
That's a lot of people for 6 or 7 roster spots. The Rangers also have 7 players for the top 2 lines: Drury, Higgins, Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky, Avery, Kotalik.
What am I saying? I'm saying something's got to be up, unless Sather forgot what happened last year.
Last year, he traded away Ryan Hollweg for a draft pick. Excellent move, especially when Hollweg got suspended during the preseason for checking from behind. To replace him, he signed Voros and Rissmiller with Colton Orr, Lauri Korpikoski, and Freddy Sjostrom already on the team. Bad move. That resulted in a salary cap ordeal, with Rissmiller being sent to the AHL and Voros riding pine until he was needed as an injury replacement for Drury and Blair Betts.
This year, there are a lot of forwards again. As the players keep signing and there is only 1 real scoring threat - Gaborik, obviously - the mind gets going.
Trade?
Probably something is in the works.
I'm not going to say that Dany Heatley will be a Ranger in the next 48 hours. I don't even know if I want that or if it's going to happen. But there is a glut of forwards for 13 or 14 roster spots, and that doesn't include a surprise that might happen, like Dale Weise or Brodie Dupont.
I am saying that this situation does lend itself nicely to a trade. It would appear Sather is stocking up forwards to package a few to get a superstar. Maybe not even a superstar, but a first-line center to feed Gaborik the puck, or a second-line sniper to take the defensive pressure off the first-line to free up ice for Gaborik. Of course, we can never underestimate the fact that this is Glen Sather we're talking about, and he might have no actual clue of what he's doing.
Of course, Dubinsky is the name that will be floated around, but don't be surprised if a Voros, Boyle, or Anisimov is included in the mix.
* * *
On Prospal: Prospal himself isn't a bad player, despite being bought out by Tampa Bay. He would've been great as a Ranger in 2005-06 as one of the Czech Mates, when he scored 80 points in 81 games. But since that is not an option, you have to assume that John Tortorella knows enough about him from their time in Tampa that he thinks he can contribute in New York.
He didn't score much last year - 19 goals, 45 points - but he does come at a discount. He had a 4 year, $14M deal with Tampa Bay ($3.5M/year) and since he was bought out, he is still getting $1.67M for the next 6 years, so him being a Ranger at $1.1M for one-year really isn't bad at all for either party.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Quick Thoughts on Free Agency...
Well, I'm a lot happier today than on July 1, 2008, when the Rangers signed Wade Redden and I started ripping apart my girlfriend's house in anger. By the way, she was mad.
Let's put it this way. If I had told you 3 days ago that the Rangers were going to trade Scott Gomez and his $7.357M Cap hit over the next 5 years for Marian Gaborik and his $7.5M Cap hit over 5 years, would you? And as an added bonus, Long Island-native Chris Higgins would be on board, adding grit, passion, energy, and a few goals. Sounds like a good deal, right?
Indeed it is. Glen Sather got it right - get Gaborik and his frail body for just money, and ignore Dany Heatley and his mind games when it would have cost money AND a few players.
Donald Brashear... whatever. It's going to be very hard to root for him, but he'll protect Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, and whatever Russian named Nik ends up on the team.
I would like to wish a fond farewell to Freddy Sjostrom, though, who is off to Calgary, where he will no doubt be beneficial to their defense-first movement and can also play first-line winger with Jarome Iginla, if need be. Better him than Jamie Lundmark with Iginla, no?
And while I'm upset that Mike Cammellari signed in Montreal, he did get a very high deal from them. $6M for him is too much I think. If he signed in New York for $5M, okay, but not that much.
I also think Gomez and Cammellari, if teamed up, should do very well. If nothing else, a power play with Gomez dishing to Cammellari and his old buddy Brian Gionta will be spectacular. With Andrei Markov and possibly Alexei Kovalev on the ice then also, that could be killer.
Oh, and about the Hossa deal. It's not 12 years. It's 8 years. Well, it's 12 years, but it's a fake 4 years at the end. He'll be making the league-minimum for a player over 35 then, and he might not even play. Either him or Chicago probably said, "Ok, 8 years for 7 million each year." "No, better idea, higher amount, 4 longer years, $5.2 million Cap hit. Detroit did it, why can't we!"
* * *
So this is how the Rangers roster shapes up, as of now. Don't pay any attention to lines or positions, and keep in mind trades can still happen. Last year, if you remember, Ryan Hollweg was traded to Toronto on like July 14th.
Avery - Dubinsky - Gaborik
Higgins - Drury - Callahan
Voros - Anisimov - Boyle
Korpikoski - Brashear - Zherdev
That's 12 forwards, but we don't know about Zherdev. Brashear and Voros won't be everyday players, and who knows about Boyle. We also don't know about Hartford and who might make the team (P.A. Parenteau? Mark Bell? Jordan Owens? Dale Weise?) So we have 8 forwards to play everyday, possibly 10, but there still is a need.
Expect atleast one or two more forwards, hopefully a puck-carrying, first-line center, if there are any available. Not everything happens on July 1, remember. Markus Naslund was signed July 3 last year. Uh, so was Dmitri Kalinin.
On D...
Redden - Rozsival
Staal - Girardi
Potter - Gilroy - Sanguenetti - Del Zotto
No room for a big D really, especially since the money should be spent on offense instead. Mike Komisarek would've been excellent, but maybe Rob Scuderi can be signed on the cheap.
* * *
Should make for an interesting Day 2. I would definitely expect 2 forwards to be signed, and maybe a veteran 7th D so that there aren't too many rookies on the backline. Hey, maybe Paul Mara will take another discount to play here.
Let's put it this way. If I had told you 3 days ago that the Rangers were going to trade Scott Gomez and his $7.357M Cap hit over the next 5 years for Marian Gaborik and his $7.5M Cap hit over 5 years, would you? And as an added bonus, Long Island-native Chris Higgins would be on board, adding grit, passion, energy, and a few goals. Sounds like a good deal, right?
Indeed it is. Glen Sather got it right - get Gaborik and his frail body for just money, and ignore Dany Heatley and his mind games when it would have cost money AND a few players.
Donald Brashear... whatever. It's going to be very hard to root for him, but he'll protect Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, and whatever Russian named Nik ends up on the team.
I would like to wish a fond farewell to Freddy Sjostrom, though, who is off to Calgary, where he will no doubt be beneficial to their defense-first movement and can also play first-line winger with Jarome Iginla, if need be. Better him than Jamie Lundmark with Iginla, no?
And while I'm upset that Mike Cammellari signed in Montreal, he did get a very high deal from them. $6M for him is too much I think. If he signed in New York for $5M, okay, but not that much.
I also think Gomez and Cammellari, if teamed up, should do very well. If nothing else, a power play with Gomez dishing to Cammellari and his old buddy Brian Gionta will be spectacular. With Andrei Markov and possibly Alexei Kovalev on the ice then also, that could be killer.
Oh, and about the Hossa deal. It's not 12 years. It's 8 years. Well, it's 12 years, but it's a fake 4 years at the end. He'll be making the league-minimum for a player over 35 then, and he might not even play. Either him or Chicago probably said, "Ok, 8 years for 7 million each year." "No, better idea, higher amount, 4 longer years, $5.2 million Cap hit. Detroit did it, why can't we!"
* * *
So this is how the Rangers roster shapes up, as of now. Don't pay any attention to lines or positions, and keep in mind trades can still happen. Last year, if you remember, Ryan Hollweg was traded to Toronto on like July 14th.
Avery - Dubinsky - Gaborik
Higgins - Drury - Callahan
Voros - Anisimov - Boyle
Korpikoski - Brashear - Zherdev
That's 12 forwards, but we don't know about Zherdev. Brashear and Voros won't be everyday players, and who knows about Boyle. We also don't know about Hartford and who might make the team (P.A. Parenteau? Mark Bell? Jordan Owens? Dale Weise?) So we have 8 forwards to play everyday, possibly 10, but there still is a need.
Expect atleast one or two more forwards, hopefully a puck-carrying, first-line center, if there are any available. Not everything happens on July 1, remember. Markus Naslund was signed July 3 last year. Uh, so was Dmitri Kalinin.
On D...
Redden - Rozsival
Staal - Girardi
Potter - Gilroy - Sanguenetti - Del Zotto
No room for a big D really, especially since the money should be spent on offense instead. Mike Komisarek would've been excellent, but maybe Rob Scuderi can be signed on the cheap.
* * *
Should make for an interesting Day 2. I would definitely expect 2 forwards to be signed, and maybe a veteran 7th D so that there aren't too many rookies on the backline. Hey, maybe Paul Mara will take another discount to play here.
Free Agent Frenzy
We're past 12 PM on July 1, which can only mean one thing - deals are being made by the second. We'll try to give our thoughts on some of the big moves of the day as they pop up.
1:10 PM: Mattias Ohlund to Tampa Bay, 7 years, $24.5m ($3.5m/year)
- Bryan: Um... interesting? On one hand, Ohlund is the first casualty of the long-term deals given to the Sedin twins and the rumored long-term deal the Canucks are working on with Roberto Luongo. On the other, seven years is a lot of years, particularly for a 32-year-old defenseman. Hey, you know who would have been a great fit for Tampa Bay? Dan Boyle! Oh, wait, nevermind...
1:18 PM: Colton Orr to Toronto, 4 years, $4M ($1M/year)
- Bryan: This one comes from Darren Dreger's Twitter and a text from Zach. Leafs fans will expect the world from Orr with a 4-year contract, then will promptly turn on him when they realize he isn't a superstar. Four years is a ton for an enforcer. But God forbid Brian Burke doesn't make a splash on July 1.
- Zach: Wouldn't call him a "splash" but he is a big loss to the Rangers. Not points wise (1G, 4A, and an awful -15 last year), but they should try to pick up a big-name medical staff for their players with all the cheap shots Chris Pronger is going to take on them next year. Who's going to protect them? Aaron Voros? Wade Redden? Get real.
1:58 PM: Craig Anderson to Colorado, 2 years, $3.6M ($1.8M/year)
- Zach: Not huge news, but I think the Islanders probably wanted him, and he would've been good there if Rick DiPietro can't play this year.
- Bryan: Anderson would have been great for the Islanders to nab, but this is actually a good signing. It sets a fairly low price for whoever they end up signing. Besides, if Anderson actually plays well for a depleted Colorado team, he'll be in line for a big payday in two years.
2:07 PM: Marian Hossa to Chicago, 12 years, $62M ($5.2M/year)
- Bryan: Chicago is aware that they have to sign Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to long-term deals, right? The Hawks are starting to make the Rangers look like a fiscally responsible team. That said, Hossa should fit in great with the high-flying Blackhawks. And the price isn't bad at all.
- Zach: Contract is probably front-loaded like Zetterberg's so that in 8 years if they have to buy him out or trade him, it's a lot easier. Still, 12 years for someone who hasn't been a point-per-game player in 2 years is crazy. Some might also argue he is a loser, being on the losing end of the Finals twice.
- Bryan: As per Darren Dreger's Twitter (ugh), the first eight years of the deal will pay $59.3 million, while the final four will pay $3.5. Smart move by the Hawks.
2:18 PM: Ty Conklin to St. Louis, 2 years, $2.6M ($1.3M/year)
- Bryan: Obviously, this is a temporary move, as Conklin will be moved to one of the Winter Classic participants before long. Conklin might have found himself a home in St. Louis as the team grows, but he probably deserves more money after having a fine season in Detroit.
2:21 PM: Dwayne Roloson to NY Islanders, 2 years, $5M ($2.5M/year)
- Bryan: I can get on board with this. The money is a bit steep, but you're getting a guy who will play at least 25 games each of the next two years. Roloson can also provide some veteran leadership, as he was part of the 2006 Oilers as well as some Minnesota teams who have made deep playoff runs. As per Darren Dreger, Roloson wanted a second year, which the Islanders were willing to do and the Oilers were not.
2:58 PM: Donald Brashear to NY Rangers, 2 years, $2.8M ($1.4M/year)
- Bryan: Great recovery from losing Orr. Brashear wore an A in Washington and could provide the Rangers with some good leadership as well as some toughness. Not exactly the big splash Rangers fans were looking for (or dreading, as the case may be), but there's still time.
- Zach: In the past 3 years, Brashear has been suspended twice for actions he has done AGAINST the Rangers! He sucker-punched Aaron Ward (something we all wanted to do) and then tried to decapitate Blair Betts. One, I assume Betts won't be back. Two, it's a decent move from a hockey sense (he is more talented of a player than Orr) but I'm not sure I'll be able to root for Brashear, especially when he fights Orr in Toronto. Of course, I'll always root for the Rangers, but rooting for him will be very hard.
3:48 PM: NHL Network needs new commercials
- Zach: If I see the "new" NHL.com commercial with Eddie O or a 2-minute commercial for debt reduction starring a Barack Obama speech, I might give Donald Brashear $1.4M to attack Bob McKenzie.
And I love that commercial of everyone lifting the Stanley Cup, but I've seen in 9 times today alone.
By the way, it's so awkward watching McKenzie, Pierre McGuire, and Darren Pang banted while no news trickles down.
Jaroslav Spacek just signed in Montreal and they said, "Finally, we have news to report."
1:10 PM: Mattias Ohlund to Tampa Bay, 7 years, $24.5m ($3.5m/year)
- Bryan: Um... interesting? On one hand, Ohlund is the first casualty of the long-term deals given to the Sedin twins and the rumored long-term deal the Canucks are working on with Roberto Luongo. On the other, seven years is a lot of years, particularly for a 32-year-old defenseman. Hey, you know who would have been a great fit for Tampa Bay? Dan Boyle! Oh, wait, nevermind...
1:18 PM: Colton Orr to Toronto, 4 years, $4M ($1M/year)
- Bryan: This one comes from Darren Dreger's Twitter and a text from Zach. Leafs fans will expect the world from Orr with a 4-year contract, then will promptly turn on him when they realize he isn't a superstar. Four years is a ton for an enforcer. But God forbid Brian Burke doesn't make a splash on July 1.
- Zach: Wouldn't call him a "splash" but he is a big loss to the Rangers. Not points wise (1G, 4A, and an awful -15 last year), but they should try to pick up a big-name medical staff for their players with all the cheap shots Chris Pronger is going to take on them next year. Who's going to protect them? Aaron Voros? Wade Redden? Get real.
1:58 PM: Craig Anderson to Colorado, 2 years, $3.6M ($1.8M/year)
- Zach: Not huge news, but I think the Islanders probably wanted him, and he would've been good there if Rick DiPietro can't play this year.
- Bryan: Anderson would have been great for the Islanders to nab, but this is actually a good signing. It sets a fairly low price for whoever they end up signing. Besides, if Anderson actually plays well for a depleted Colorado team, he'll be in line for a big payday in two years.
2:07 PM: Marian Hossa to Chicago, 12 years, $62M ($5.2M/year)
- Bryan: Chicago is aware that they have to sign Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to long-term deals, right? The Hawks are starting to make the Rangers look like a fiscally responsible team. That said, Hossa should fit in great with the high-flying Blackhawks. And the price isn't bad at all.
- Zach: Contract is probably front-loaded like Zetterberg's so that in 8 years if they have to buy him out or trade him, it's a lot easier. Still, 12 years for someone who hasn't been a point-per-game player in 2 years is crazy. Some might also argue he is a loser, being on the losing end of the Finals twice.
- Bryan: As per Darren Dreger's Twitter (ugh), the first eight years of the deal will pay $59.3 million, while the final four will pay $3.5. Smart move by the Hawks.
2:18 PM: Ty Conklin to St. Louis, 2 years, $2.6M ($1.3M/year)
- Bryan: Obviously, this is a temporary move, as Conklin will be moved to one of the Winter Classic participants before long. Conklin might have found himself a home in St. Louis as the team grows, but he probably deserves more money after having a fine season in Detroit.
2:21 PM: Dwayne Roloson to NY Islanders, 2 years, $5M ($2.5M/year)
- Bryan: I can get on board with this. The money is a bit steep, but you're getting a guy who will play at least 25 games each of the next two years. Roloson can also provide some veteran leadership, as he was part of the 2006 Oilers as well as some Minnesota teams who have made deep playoff runs. As per Darren Dreger, Roloson wanted a second year, which the Islanders were willing to do and the Oilers were not.
2:58 PM: Donald Brashear to NY Rangers, 2 years, $2.8M ($1.4M/year)
- Bryan: Great recovery from losing Orr. Brashear wore an A in Washington and could provide the Rangers with some good leadership as well as some toughness. Not exactly the big splash Rangers fans were looking for (or dreading, as the case may be), but there's still time.
- Zach: In the past 3 years, Brashear has been suspended twice for actions he has done AGAINST the Rangers! He sucker-punched Aaron Ward (something we all wanted to do) and then tried to decapitate Blair Betts. One, I assume Betts won't be back. Two, it's a decent move from a hockey sense (he is more talented of a player than Orr) but I'm not sure I'll be able to root for Brashear, especially when he fights Orr in Toronto. Of course, I'll always root for the Rangers, but rooting for him will be very hard.
3:48 PM: NHL Network needs new commercials
- Zach: If I see the "new" NHL.com commercial with Eddie O or a 2-minute commercial for debt reduction starring a Barack Obama speech, I might give Donald Brashear $1.4M to attack Bob McKenzie.
And I love that commercial of everyone lifting the Stanley Cup, but I've seen in 9 times today alone.
By the way, it's so awkward watching McKenzie, Pierre McGuire, and Darren Pang banted while no news trickles down.
Jaroslav Spacek just signed in Montreal and they said, "Finally, we have news to report."
Monday, June 29, 2009
What I Expect on July 1...
This is what I expect to happen on July 1 at noon, the start of free agency...
- TSN/Versus to have awkward coverage from noon until 2:00, when the signings start to happen. People like Ed Olczyk and Pierre McGuire (whose real name, by the way, no joke, is Regis) will sit talking about what might happen and periodically write text messages to other people, fishing for a story, while on the air.
- Colton Orr will not be offered a contract with the Rangers. On a related note, expect a lot more mangames missed in 2009-10 to injury without an enforcer in the lineup (remember the awful decision to sit him in Game 6 and what Donald Brashear did to Blair Betts?).
- The Islanders will sign an enforcer to protect John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, and Josh Bailey, much like the Capitals did when they signed Brashear to protect Alex Ovechkin. By the way, Orr and Brashear are both unrestricted free agents.
- Marian Hossa will sign on in Pittsburgh, citing "I think the Penguins give me the best chance to win a Cup, and I'm just happy to be here... again."
- The Rangers will not make a big splash in the free agent pool for once, mostly because they'll have no Cap-space due to 4 big splashes in the past 2 Julys.
- Noticing that they only have Aaron Voros, Mark Bell, and Brian Boyle under contract, the Rangers will go and sign another "gritty" 3rd/4th line winger who can't fight and won't score. Oh, what? Ryan Hollweg is a free agent? Quick, give him a million dollars!
- Glen Sather will once again laugh at Nik Antropov wanting $5M for his 59 points last year, while basking in the fact that he gave Chris Drury over $7M for comparable numbers.
- Bill Guerin will stay in the Atlantic division, either re-signing in Pittsburgh, or heading to Philadelphia or back to New Jersey.
- No free agents will want to play on Long Island again, regardless of who they drafted 1st overall.
- Both the Islanders and Rangers will want Mike Cammallari and his 40-goal season, but won't be able to sign him. The Rangers won't because they have no money, and the Islanders won't because, well, see above.
- The Sedin twins will not get their 12-year contracts because no GM in their right mind would give away two contracts to people who will be 40 when they expire. And no GM would be willing to pay $6M against the Cap to two different players when they are 37, 38, 39, or 40. Except, of course, Glen Sather, but luckily, the Rangers have no Cap room.
- Blair Betts and Freddy Sjostrom will not re-sign in New York. On a related note, the #1 PK will fall to around #15 or so, and Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Michal Rozsival, etc., will be too tired to do anything on offense from playing so much PK-time.
- Journeyman Mike Sillinger will retire.
- Sather will forfeit 4 1st round draft picks by sending a $6.5M offer sheet to Vancouver for horrendously out-of-shape Kyle Wellwood.
- Instead of big, mean, passionate Antropov, Sather will opt for gutless, fancy, non-scoring Nik Zherdev.
- Instead of going for a good defenseman like Rob Scuderi, Mike Komisarek, Mattias Ohlund, or Francois Beauchemin, they'll probably take a salary-eater like Hal Gill or Marc-Andre Bergeron.
- Scuderi... Islander? He's in line a for big raise and they have the Cap-space, and he's from Syosset.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Brashear Suspended 6 Games...
Donald Brashear has been suspended for 6 games. One game was for his pre-game shove of Colton Orr, the other 5 for intending to injure Blair Betts.
This makes his intent to injure only 5/6th of the seriousness of Sean Avery's comments about Hollywood actress Elisha Cuthbert, you know, the girl in her underwear from Old School.
From Colin Campbell: “It is also my opinion that the hit was delivered late and targeted the head of his opponent, causing significant injury."
So for getting two suspensions in one game, Brashear was given 6 games, or, to him, 18 minutes.
This makes his intent to injure only 5/6th of the seriousness of Sean Avery's comments about Hollywood actress Elisha Cuthbert, you know, the girl in her underwear from Old School.
From Colin Campbell: “It is also my opinion that the hit was delivered late and targeted the head of his opponent, causing significant injury."
So for getting two suspensions in one game, Brashear was given 6 games, or, to him, 18 minutes.
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