Notes From the Garden...

:: My lead off today was going to be "Chris Higgins couldn't score at a bar near Arizona State University" until about 90 seconds remained in the Rangers/Bruins game tonight.

Still, I guess even the fat mathlete can find the drunk sorority girl every now and then.

:: To the people who said the following regarding my Steve Rucchin jersey...
- "Isn't Prospal number 20?"
- "It must be his own last name."
... is this your first season watching the Rangers? Do you know know who the best - and only competent - second-line center on the Rangers since the lockout is? By the way, both Jason Krog and Freddy Sjostrom wore #20 between The Rucch and our favorite player named Vaclav.

I understand it's an obscure jersey, but when you go to a lot of games, it's nice to dig deep into the closet once in a while.

But to the guy in the Scott Gomez jersey... please... retire it.

:: Best jerseys of the night...
- Marco Sturm #19 German Olympic jersey
- Marc Savard # 33 Rangers jersey

:: Fun game tonight, and it was a relief from the 1-0 Bruin/Ranger games we're used to, but it definitely got a little hazy in the 3rd period. My head still hurts from when I involuntarily hit it after Blake Wheeler scored to tie it 2-2.

:: Paging Sean Avery: Eventually, you're going to have to score. You have still only scored in 2 games this year. I appreciate that in both games you scored 2 goals, but a 5th goal in forthcoming, no?

:: I know it's a little premature, but I'd like to keep Erik Christensen with Brandon Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik when Prospal returns. Christensen has found his niche - playing with superstars like Gaborik, Sidney Crosby, and Ilya Kovalchuk - and it's relieving to see him fitting in. When Prospal returns, have him center Ales Kotalik and Ryan Callahan. Have Avery play with Chris Drury and Artem Anisimov, and then have a 4th line that doesn't do anything. I'm never one to speculate on line combinations, but that sounds good, no?

What Ranger Jerseys Can You Comfortably Wear?...

I started compiling this list after I was at the Ranger-Islander game at the Coliseum last Wednesday and saw Nikolai Zherdev and Lauri Korpikoski standing next to each other. Of course, it wasn't actually them, but two people who paid a combined $360 for the jerseys of two players who no longer play on the Rangers.

Yet, some players no longer play in New York, but you can still wear their jersey and be proud of it. And even further, there are some players who play here whose jersey should not be worn, and if it is, you should be ridiculed.

Think you're safe? Check the list...

Good (Wear Proudly)
Jaromir Jagr #68 (had a great resurgence in NY; since he didn’t win a Cup, you have about 2 more years with this jersey before you should move on)
Brendan Shanahan #14 (I would never fault someone for having a Shanny jersey)
Henrik Lundqvist #30
Blair Betts #15/19; Jed Ortmeyer #41 (you can wear there jerseys for years and they would be appropriate)
Nigel Dawes #10 ; Petr Prucha #25 (it’s not your fault they were traded)
Sean Avery #16
Dan Girardi #5; Brandon Dubinsky #17; Marc Staal #18; Ryan Callahan #24; Artem Anisimov #42
Mike Del Zotto #4; Matt Gilroy #97 (buy with no hesitation; there two will be around a while)
Marian Gaborik #10
Steve Rucchin #20 (because I have one, and every once in a while, I still wear it)
Petr Nedved #93
Brian Leetch #2; Adam Graves #9; Mark Messier #11; Mike Richter #35
Jeff Beukeboom #23 (or mostly any member from the 1994 Cup team)
Ales Kotalik #12; Vinny Prospal #20; Martin Straka #82; Michael Nylander #92 (not the superstar of the team, but they compliment a Jagr or Gaborik well)
Eddie Giacomin #1; Rod Gilbert #7; Andy Bathgate #9; Ron Duguay #10 (or any other number he wore); Phil Esposito #77 (if you were old enough to watch these players play)

Iffy (Wear Cautiously)
Darius Kasparaitis #6; Pavel Bure #9; Theo Fleury #14 (I don’t mind the players, but it’s time for a new one, don’t you think?)
#28 Colton Orr (had a solid season last year, but there weren’t other choices?)
#99 Wayne Gretzky (can’t fault a Gretzky jersey, but it has been a decade since he left and he was in the twilight of his great career here. If he won a Cup, that would be different, of course.)
Alex Kovalev #27 (hey, he still might come back, and after all, he did win the Cup here as a rookie)
Chris Drury #23 (you obviously bought it during the summer of 2007 when you thought he’d be a superstar in New York, but he plays hard enough most of the time to warrant wearing him on your back... sometimes)

Bad (Give Them Away to the Garden of Dreams Foundation)
(Before you ask, yes, I have seen all of these jerseys recently.)
Dale Purinton #5 (seriously, I once saw one)
Andy Bathgate #9 (if you were born after 1955, you should not wear a Bathgate jersey. If you have seen him play in person, go for it.)
Lauri Korpikoski #29; Fedor Tyutin #51 (while it’s not your fault they were traded, it’s your fault for buying one in the first place)
Wade Redden #6 (must’ve been a present)
Ivan Baranka #21 (one NHL game and you have a jersey?)
Steve Valiquette #40 (you got it to be different, admit it)
Michal Rozsival #33
Eric Lindros #88 (Only one other jersey makes me madder, and I even have a Lindros jersey... safely in my closet. While Lindros, the player, wasn't awful, this jersey symbolizes a horrible stretch of time in Rangers history and wearing it only brings up good memories. No one goes, "Oh, the Lindros Era! What a jolly time!")
Luc Robitaille #20 (he wasn’t here long enough/didn’t play good enough to warrant having his jersey still 10 years later)
Chris Higgins #21 (until he proves otherwise)
Nik Zherdev #13
Markus Naslund #91
Ryan Hollweg #44 (Yes, I have one - I got it after his great 2005-06 season - and no, I’ll probably never wear it again, even though about 15 players have signed it)
Tom Poti #3/16
Dan Blackburn #31 (by this logic, you should’ve gotten a Lundqvist when he first came up)

And the worst Rangers jersey to wear...
Scott Gomez #19 (You bought it when he was signed. He never did anything in New York except play well against them. Everyone sighed when he was finally traded. Yet, you continue to wear this on your back when real players like Prospal and Gaborik actually show up to play. If you have a Scott Gomez jersey, please don't wear it. No one wants to see it, no one wants to remember him.)

Captaincy...

Last year, in Chris Drury's first as Ranger's Captain, he was flanked by Alternate Captains Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund.

This year, with Gomez jettisoned to Montreal and Naslund deciding to retire, coach John Tortorella has a big decision ahead of him. No, picking two players to wear an "A" on their jersey won't be the difference maker in going to the Stanley Cup Finals or blowing a 3-1 series lead in the 1st round, but it could signal a changing of the guard at Madison Square Garden.

Ever since the lockout, veterans have worn the A. Jaromir Jagr, Steve Rucchin, Darius Kasparaitis were the 3 Alternates in the Captain-less 2005-06 season. Since then, Brendan Shanahan, Marty Straka, Gomez, and Naslund have worn it. All older players, all on Broadway for a short time (although Gomez's wasn't planned that way).

This year, Tortorella can do the easy thing and give Wade Redden (please no) or Marian Gaborik the "A"s to wear, but I hope he doesn't. Logic says your best player should always get to be a Captain or Alternate (or, in Tom Renney's case, your highest paid players), but it doesn't always have to be. For example, can you guess who Washington's Captain is? No, not Alex Ovechkin. Chris Clark is the Captain. Chris Clark, who scored 1 goal and added 5 assists in 32 games last year.

Who makes a good choice? People who've paid their dues, who are probably going to be Rangers for a while, and who give 100% effort every shift.

Scratch Redden off the list. Has less heart than Barry Bonds.
Scratch Gaborik off the list. First season in NY.
Scratch Michal Rozsival off the list. Probably won't be a Ranger for the entire 3 years left on his contract (it is heavily front-loaded so any team that takes him will take a big Cap hit but won't have to actually pay much money).

Blair Betts would've been a great choice. However, since he probably isn't returning, he can't put the "A" on his sweater. (He did last year for a few games, though.)

Brandon Dubinsky, Sean Avery, and Marc Staal would all make good choices. Avery, maybe not so great, but if he gets it, I'll be the first to say it's a good move. He plays hard every game, he loves being a Ranger, and we know he's here to stay this time.

However, the 2 I think should get it are Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi. You can't argue with Callahan getting it, can you? He defines what a Ranger should be. Plays hard not just every game, but every shift. Scores goals. Happy to be in New York. Loves playing at MSG. Doesn't complain. Hits everyone in sight. Doesn't take bad penalties.

And Girardi? Well, the main reason is because he's one of my 3 in NHL '09. (I'm the Captain, and Girardi and Joe Thornton are my "A"s.) But I love Girardi. I love his poise, his hitting, his passing. I love how he was undrafted and then just came out of nowhere to join the team. I remember how he was picked to the AHL All-Star Game, then got called up in late-January '07 and had to miss the game. He was happy to be called up, but upset his family and friends wouldn't get to watch him in the All-Star Game. Plus, I think his talent, as of right now, is better than Staal's. You can debate me on that, and you might be right, but I think he is a better defender right now, and if every player on the blueline played like him, this team would be a lot better than it was last year.

Just my 2 cents. Would love to hear your choices.

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?

Is Tom Renney's Time Up?...

I was discussing Tom Renney with a native of the Czech Republic the other day (the one man from there I have ever met who was not on the Rangers in 2005-06).

He said that Renney's time is up and he should be replaced. I said that we should give him to the end of the season, partly based on past performances. 

I don't think you should replace a coach mid-season when they do happen to have a good record (thanks to an early hot streak, a great goalie, and the addition of the shootout to the NHL), and I also think that Renney is on a good level with the team. They respect him and trust him.

Plus, honestly, I don't think GM Glen Sather is going to pull the trigger this early. However, if Renney and the Rangers fizzle in the 2nd round of the playoffs again, I think an unceremonious firing might happen. What's the point of keeping a coach around if he cannot bring his squad past the 2nd round of the playoffs in 4 full seasons (not counting when he took over from Sather in 2004).

As for past performances, what he did with the team the past few seasons can't be disputed. He took a Jaromir Jagr who was seemingly past his prime, got him on board with a new system, and got 123 points out of him. He took a team of misfits (Steve Rucchin, Jay Ward, Blair Betts, Ville Nieminen, Jason Strudwick) and Czechs and made them part of a dream season in his first full year behind the bench at MSG. He has made the playoffs in every season he's had, and truthfully, they could've beaten both Pittsburgh last year and Buffalo two years ago. 

 

If it does happen, though, I can't entirely say I disagree with it. At some point, the coach has to accept responsibility for what is happening with this team. (And remember, they didn't beat the Penguins and Sabres.)

Now, as for this year, it is his fault that the power play isn't working. What's that, you say? He doesn't play on the PP or even really coach it? That's true, but doesn't he tap the players on their oversized shoulder pads to go out on the ice?

What justification does he have to keep sending Michal Rozsival out on the ice. The man doesn't shoot (probably for a reason, as when he does it goes wide) and has more shorthanded goals against than he has power play points this season. Renney puts too much trust in Wade Redden, also responsible for shorthanded goals, while not scoring a goal himself since very early in October. 

Is it stubbornness or does he think these broken parts will actually work if he uses them enough?

Petr Prucha is another example. Nigel Dawes gets Prucha's spot in the lineup after Prucha scored a goal in his three-game audition. Dawes has 6 points this year in 23 games, on par for a huge 21-point season spread out over 82 games. Yes, I know Prucha's numbers are even worse, but he is viciously under-utilized. No power play time, 4th line minutes. And did I spot Renney call Prucha a "Jack@$$" when Prucha stood up for himself and his teammates in Montreal?

There are probably more examples, but I'm tired now and I think I've typed enough. For the record, I'm in favor of sticking with him for the remainder of the season, but if Renney can't lead this team to the 3rd round or later, than it's time for a fresh face back there.

Two for Tonight...

1) As I have written about before, I have bad luck with Ranger jerseys. I currently own no jerseys of anyone on the team. I bought a Pavel Bure jersey when he was injured and he didn't return (it's a Russian jersey). I got an Eric Lindros one and then he got injured on a cheap shot by Jason Doig (currently a scrub in the Swiss leagues). He never returned as a Ranger and went to Toronto after the lockout. My Steve Rucchin jersey was short-lived, as he signed in Atlanta the next year. Then, I got a Ryan Hollweg jersey that lasted two seasons, although he was awful in both seasons. My Sean Avery jersey lasted one entire season until he signed in Dallas. I did, however, turn a vintage Rangers jersey into a Jaromir Jagr one, and although I didn't wear it much, it was available to me over 3 seasons.

This afternoon, I went to NHL.com and bought a new one. It's a road white Dan Girardi #5 jersey. I did research and made sure friends didn't want a Girardi jersey so we wouldn't look like tools in the same exact jersey. It helped that I put the word out towards the end of last season that I wanted a Girardi, and that my friends should get Marc Staal or Brandon Dubinsky or Nigel Dawes.

I think it would have been easier to just replace the nameplate on my Dale Purinton #5 jersey with a Girardi nameplate, but, alas, I never had a Purinton jersey. I did see one though, once, after a game, in Penn Station. The lady was too far away but I wanted to ask if she was related to him. Who gets a jersey of a 7th defenseman with marginal skills even for the AHL?

2) I watched Olympic soccer between Argentina and Nigeria on TV last night, which is the only thing more boring than Islanders hockey. Hey-oh!

In-Game Blogging...

Jarkko Ruutu is like Ville Nieminen without the skill.

Now that Freddy Sjostrom has a permanent spot on the team, I wonder if I can peel off the "KROG" on the back of my #20 jersey and put "SJOSTROM" on it. (Okay, that's a lie, "RUCCHIN" is on my #20 Liberty jersey.)