Have no fear, folks, I have returned from sabbatical in San Diego and will be writing about our favorite .500 team, the New York Rangers, tonight when I return from work.
What have I missed?
My 13-10 team quickly hit the skids with 3 bad losses. Marian Gaborik, however, is playing MVP-caliber hockey. Can you be an MVP on a team that misses the playoffs? Someone should call Anze Kopitar and tell him the award might be his if this pace continues.
Erik Christensen is now the Rangers 37th third-line or fourth-line player. His claim to fame is once being traded in a package for Marian Hossa. No points in 9 games this year - he should fit right in.
I actually don't mind the Christensen move because he plays center and he should give a few other 3rd/4th liners a run for their money. Hey, maybe the change of scenery will do him good.
Steve Valiquette was put on waivers since I last wrote here. It's sad to see, but the team couldn't rely on him this year. Last year, he'd play against certain teams, have shutouts, and everyone loved him. This year, he lets up a lot of weak goals and the team gets embarrassed 8-3 in a game that was close with 39 minutes and 59 seconds played.
I blame his poor performance this year on the fact that the Rangers have not yet played Philadelphia.
Is Chad Johnson the answer? Most likely not, though it doesn't really matter. They can rest Henrik Lundqvist all they want, but he's still playing the Olympics, and it still will take a huge toll on him like it did in Italy in 2006.
Anyway, more tonight.
Two friends. Two bitter enemies. Two obsessed fans. One Rivalry.
Showing posts with label steve valiquette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label steve valiquette. Show all posts
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Good Stuff Tonight...
I try not to be one of "those fans" - you know, the type who sulks and glooms and says the team is horrible after a loss, but they're the first one to chant "We Want the Cup" after a convincing win.
However, tonight was a good game. The difference between Edmonton and Vancouver, between 1,160 kilometers or 721 miles (thank you, Google Maps), was the offense. It was firing tonight. They took advantage of power plays. (The 0% on the power play was misleading in Vancouver, by the way. Chris Higgins scored a second after one expired.) They swarmed the net. They passed well. But more importantly, they took shots. Take a shot, you never know what will happen.
They had 23 shots in Vancouver - 14 in the second period and then 9 combined in periods 1 and 3. Tonight, they had 39. Phil Esposito always says - and I'm sure Alex Ovechkin will concur - you can't score if you don't shoot. Dan Girardi had a great pass/shot today that Sean Avery deflected. It didn't go in, but it was close. Get the puck to the net. If they don't get the puck to the net, Marian Gaborik doesn't one-hand that last goal home.
The effort was definitely there tonight...
Aaron Voros - Horrible 1st period, but he did play better in the 2nd and 3rd... saving his job for another day. Granted, he probably only had another 3 minutes all game, but they were better than his first minute, where he took 2 penalties. When he swung his stick at an Oilers' knees (can't remember which Oiler) and took a two-minute minor, did you see how *shocked* he was? How could he be surprised! It looked like he was cutting down a tree!
(By the way, I've never used the two asterisks on a word before in my life.)
Brian Boyle - Good ol' T-Bone. How many open nets can a man miss in one period? The answer, it seems, is two... twice. But he had a few good shots, a couple of good hits, and played like a 4th line player should: Good enough for the coach not to be nervous to put you out on the ice.
Chris Higgins - I won't profess him a great pickup yet, although we're all happy he is here instead of Scott Gomez. However, isn't it amazing how much better he is playing since he scored one goal? He has another goal already and played inspired, tough hockey tonight. If only he would do a move on a breakaway. Every time he gets one, he just shoots, and so far, it hasn't worked.
Ryan Callahan - "Gritty." Good word to describe his play tonight, as far as most nights.
Brandon Dubinsky - Was he even out there tonight? I noticed his play as much as I noticed Healthy Scratch Donald Brashear.
Wade Redden & Michal Rozsival - Weak games as well. Redden reminds me of myself, when I was 9. Any time I got the puck, I would get scared and pass it to the nearest teammate. That's what he does. Don't believe the hype in his "great pass to spring Higgins on a breakaway." It was lucky, he was just clearing it. And Rozsival? For a defender, he sure doesn't defend. I wouldn't want him on my team during an autumnal game of capture the flag, let alone near my crease in an NHL game.
Steve Valiquette - The team played good in front of him - especially Girardi and Marc Staal. It was huge for him to win this game, especially after the Sharks game where he got shellacked. Now, like Boyle, John Tortorella should feel safe putting him into a game.
Now, let's not be overly optimistic. Edmonton is a mediocre team. They were .500 going into tonight, and they were on a slide. Sheldon Souray is hurt, significantly impacting their power play. Mike Comrie was sick. A lot of other players got hit with the flu bug also the past 10 days.
So, what did the Rangers really do? They beat up on a weak team. And sometimes, that's just what you need to get back on track. Now, let's see if they can keep up the pace against the 9-4-1 Flames, who suddenly are an offensive team.
(By the way, I love these 9:30 games. I leave work at 8:20, clean up, eat, and I'm ready for pre-game and the opening faceoff.)
However, tonight was a good game. The difference between Edmonton and Vancouver, between 1,160 kilometers or 721 miles (thank you, Google Maps), was the offense. It was firing tonight. They took advantage of power plays. (The 0% on the power play was misleading in Vancouver, by the way. Chris Higgins scored a second after one expired.) They swarmed the net. They passed well. But more importantly, they took shots. Take a shot, you never know what will happen.
They had 23 shots in Vancouver - 14 in the second period and then 9 combined in periods 1 and 3. Tonight, they had 39. Phil Esposito always says - and I'm sure Alex Ovechkin will concur - you can't score if you don't shoot. Dan Girardi had a great pass/shot today that Sean Avery deflected. It didn't go in, but it was close. Get the puck to the net. If they don't get the puck to the net, Marian Gaborik doesn't one-hand that last goal home.
The effort was definitely there tonight...
Aaron Voros - Horrible 1st period, but he did play better in the 2nd and 3rd... saving his job for another day. Granted, he probably only had another 3 minutes all game, but they were better than his first minute, where he took 2 penalties. When he swung his stick at an Oilers' knees (can't remember which Oiler) and took a two-minute minor, did you see how *shocked* he was? How could he be surprised! It looked like he was cutting down a tree!
(By the way, I've never used the two asterisks on a word before in my life.)
Brian Boyle - Good ol' T-Bone. How many open nets can a man miss in one period? The answer, it seems, is two... twice. But he had a few good shots, a couple of good hits, and played like a 4th line player should: Good enough for the coach not to be nervous to put you out on the ice.
Chris Higgins - I won't profess him a great pickup yet, although we're all happy he is here instead of Scott Gomez. However, isn't it amazing how much better he is playing since he scored one goal? He has another goal already and played inspired, tough hockey tonight. If only he would do a move on a breakaway. Every time he gets one, he just shoots, and so far, it hasn't worked.
Ryan Callahan - "Gritty." Good word to describe his play tonight, as far as most nights.
Brandon Dubinsky - Was he even out there tonight? I noticed his play as much as I noticed Healthy Scratch Donald Brashear.
Wade Redden & Michal Rozsival - Weak games as well. Redden reminds me of myself, when I was 9. Any time I got the puck, I would get scared and pass it to the nearest teammate. That's what he does. Don't believe the hype in his "great pass to spring Higgins on a breakaway." It was lucky, he was just clearing it. And Rozsival? For a defender, he sure doesn't defend. I wouldn't want him on my team during an autumnal game of capture the flag, let alone near my crease in an NHL game.
Steve Valiquette - The team played good in front of him - especially Girardi and Marc Staal. It was huge for him to win this game, especially after the Sharks game where he got shellacked. Now, like Boyle, John Tortorella should feel safe putting him into a game.
Now, let's not be overly optimistic. Edmonton is a mediocre team. They were .500 going into tonight, and they were on a slide. Sheldon Souray is hurt, significantly impacting their power play. Mike Comrie was sick. A lot of other players got hit with the flu bug also the past 10 days.
So, what did the Rangers really do? They beat up on a weak team. And sometimes, that's just what you need to get back on track. Now, let's see if they can keep up the pace against the 9-4-1 Flames, who suddenly are an offensive team.
(By the way, I love these 9:30 games. I leave work at 8:20, clean up, eat, and I'm ready for pre-game and the opening faceoff.)
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, June 20, 2009
The Purge at the 2004 Trade Deadline...
With a 2-week lull between the Stanley Cup Finals and the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, it's time to look back on what happened in March of 2004 during the week of the trade deadline. I wanted to post this around this year's deadline, but there was a lot of action going around and it would've gotten lost in the flood.
It seemed every time I looked online, or at ESPNews, or in the newspaper, they made another deal. (Remember, no beat writers had blogs back then, and this delicious website wasn't around for another 4 years.) In total, 7 Ranger trades were made in that week...
March 2, 2004
- Alex Kovalev to Montreal for Jozef Balej and 2004 2nd round pick.
:: A great move to dump Kovalev's high salary before the cap was implemented, as essentially this was a cap-saving move. Balej should've been great. He had a goal and 4 assists in 13 games with NY and 16 points in 16 during the AHL playoffs, but his lockout year was very poor in the AHL. Balej was eventually sent to the Canucks for Fedor Fedorov, who eventually became a punchline and an empty roster spot.
The 2nd rounder became Dane Byers. Byers was hurt much of this year (7 points, 9 games) but his past season stats and scouting reports suggest he'd be a replacement for Blair Betts if Betts doesn't return. He might have a decent NHL career but will never be a superstar. (I have also heard Byers' name as a possible replacement to Colton Orr - a grinder with better hockey skills than Orr - but it was purely speculation.)
March 3, 2004
- Petr Nedved and Jussi Markkanen to Edmonton for Dwight Helminen, Steve Valiquette, and 2nd round pick in 2004.
:: Nedved did good in Edmonton but they didn't make the playoffs and he never played there again. Markkanen played in Game 7 of the Finals in 2005-06.
Valiquette was a throw-in here. He was a big goalie with not much skill but he was re-signed as Henrik Lundqvist's backup because he was cheap. Benoit Allaire also helped a lot with him, and he has become a dedicated Ranger and a solid backup when called upon, especially against the Flyers.
Helminen is now a bubble player with Carolina, being called up when injury strikes. Not a big loss with him not in the Rangers system.
That draft pick became Brandon Dubinsky, one of the bright spots in the Rangers' future, regardless of his inability to hit the back of the net for long stretches at a time.
- Brian Leetch to Toronto for Jarkko Immonen, Maxim Kondratiev, 1st round pick in '04, 2nd round pick in '05.
:: A king's ransom for the greatest American defenseman of all-time that didn't really pan out for either team. Toronto traded their futures for Leetch (and Ron Francis) and lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Immonen was slow and underutilized by Tom Renney, scored 8 points in 20 games (aka Chris Drury numbers, quick, sign Immonen for 5 years!), and now plays overseas.
Kondratiev was a bust and quite frankly not NHL material. He was traded to Anaheim in January of 2006 for Petr Sykora, which was a great move for the Rangers. Sykora went 15-16-31 in 40 games and loved his time as a Ranger. This would have been considered a strong move if he was re-signed, but despite waiting until August to hear from GM Glen Sather, he never wore Rangers blue again.
The 1st round pick in 2004 was Lauri Korpikoski, who shows some good moves sometimes, but is either too slow, too mis-used, or not 1st round material. He could be, and I might be wrong. Next year is a big point for him, as other 1st rounders that year are already materializing. Korpikoski was picked at 19th. Still available at that point: Travis Zajac (20th), Wojtek Wolski (21), and Mike Green (29).
The 2005 2nd rounder was Mike Sauer, a good AHL player who had a cup of coffee with the big club this year. He looks to be trade-bait with a depth of good D-men in the system already (Staal, Girardi, Sanguenetti, Del Zotto, Potter) and two big contracts taking up space in the NHL (Redden, Rozsival).
March 6, 2004
- Chris Simon to Calgary for Blair Betts, Greg Moore, Jamie McLennan
:: The Rangers needed a goalie to play out the season with Markkanen gone, and McLennan played in 4 of those games, going 1-3. After that season, he played 19 more NHL games in 2 years and retired after a season in the Asian Hockey League. Yes, Asian. He went 8-4 in the Orient and decided to hang 'em up.
Moore probably won't get a real shot in the NHL, but he is a good asset to have and has played admirably when called up.
Betts, well, you know Betts. Best penalty killer in the league, good centerman, not terribly offensive, good team player, never complains, took a cheap shot in the playoffs and broke his face.
- Vladimir Malakhov to Philadelphia for Rick Kozak, 2nd round pick in 2005.
:: Malakhov's stats decreased from the Rangers to Flyers to Devils, and he eventually left the NHL. Kozak never did anything in any league, and now plays in England.
That draft pick got moved around a lot and eventually became Marc-Andre Cliche, who was traded to the Kings in March 2007 for Sean Avery.
March 8, 2004
- Matthew Barnaby and a 3rd round pick in '04 for David Liffiton, Chris McAllister, and a 2nd round pick in '04.
:: McAllister was a decent NHL player who played in the NHL for the last time in 03-04. Liffiton is currently playing in Denmark after 3 career NHL games with the Rangers.
The draft pick was traded to Florida and the Rangers eventually drafted Bruce Graham out of it, who is currently in the ECHL after never doing well in Hartford.
March 9, 2004
On the actual day of the deadline, the Rangers only made two moves.
- Greg de Vries traded to Ottawa for Karel Rachunek and Alex Giroux.
:: It was obvious that de Vries wasn't going to be back after the lockout, and he had horrible numbers (15 points in 53 games, which by the 08-09 standards would've been phenomenal), so he was shipped for a roster player and a prospect. Rachunek played in Russia during 05-06, but came back in 06-07, and most Rangers fans agree he should've stayed. He had 20 assists but was absolutely atrocious defensively.
Giroux, however, was let go during the summer of 2006 and signed with Washington. He then went to Atlanta and was traded back to Washington, and he has lit it up in the AHL. He had 28 points in 22 games in Hershey's march to the AHL title, and he had 60 goals in 69 games during the regular season. The Rangers probably should've held on to this guy instead of signing "talent" such as Mitch Fritz. Giroux broke Brett Hull's record for most consecutive games with a goal when he scored in 15 straight games. He won the AHL MVP as well.
- Martin Rucinsky traded to Vancouver for R.J. Umberger and Martin Grenier.
:: Rucinsky was a true rental for Vancouver as he returned to Broadway after the lockout and had great numbers in an injury-riddled season (55 points in 52 games). He did nothing in the playoffs (2 in 7) for the Canucks. Grenier played in Hartford, Charlotte, and 3 games for the Flyers, and now is in the KHL.
Umberger, however, was another prospect who went away. In 07-08, he had 50 points in Philadelphia in 74 games before falling to 46 in a full season with Columbus this year. Still, he would've been good to have on board as a center and maybe the Rangers wouldn't have gone out on 7/1/07 and spent $14M on 2 overrated centers.
Overall
Isn't that how it always works with the Rangers? The crappy players stay and the good talent is let go. That explains why Marc Savard is now in Boston (he was traded for Jan Hlavac and the pick that became Jamie Freakin' Lundmark). It also explains why, at one point, Dale Purinton was the most-tenured Ranger.
The best trades for the Rangers were getting Brandon Dubinsky and Steve Valiquette for Nedved/Markkanen, and ditching the dead weight of Simon for Blair Betts, who has helped offensively-challenged teams by keeping the other teams from scoring. Besides Henrik Lundqvist, Betts is the one most responsible for those 2-1 wins.
The worst was sending Barnaby away for Liffiton, McAllister, and Graham. Not that losing Barnaby was a huge disadvantage, but they basically got nothing for him - 2 mid-level prospects and a retiring veteran to play out the season.
I have no interesting way to end this, because it's late and I've been working all day, so I will just like to remind everyone that the Rangers actually traded Brian Leetch for Maxim Kondratiev. Hell, I wouldn't even trade a retired Leetch for Kondratiev!
It seemed every time I looked online, or at ESPNews, or in the newspaper, they made another deal. (Remember, no beat writers had blogs back then, and this delicious website wasn't around for another 4 years.) In total, 7 Ranger trades were made in that week...
March 2, 2004
- Alex Kovalev to Montreal for Jozef Balej and 2004 2nd round pick.
:: A great move to dump Kovalev's high salary before the cap was implemented, as essentially this was a cap-saving move. Balej should've been great. He had a goal and 4 assists in 13 games with NY and 16 points in 16 during the AHL playoffs, but his lockout year was very poor in the AHL. Balej was eventually sent to the Canucks for Fedor Fedorov, who eventually became a punchline and an empty roster spot.
The 2nd rounder became Dane Byers. Byers was hurt much of this year (7 points, 9 games) but his past season stats and scouting reports suggest he'd be a replacement for Blair Betts if Betts doesn't return. He might have a decent NHL career but will never be a superstar. (I have also heard Byers' name as a possible replacement to Colton Orr - a grinder with better hockey skills than Orr - but it was purely speculation.)
March 3, 2004
- Petr Nedved and Jussi Markkanen to Edmonton for Dwight Helminen, Steve Valiquette, and 2nd round pick in 2004.
:: Nedved did good in Edmonton but they didn't make the playoffs and he never played there again. Markkanen played in Game 7 of the Finals in 2005-06.
Valiquette was a throw-in here. He was a big goalie with not much skill but he was re-signed as Henrik Lundqvist's backup because he was cheap. Benoit Allaire also helped a lot with him, and he has become a dedicated Ranger and a solid backup when called upon, especially against the Flyers.
Helminen is now a bubble player with Carolina, being called up when injury strikes. Not a big loss with him not in the Rangers system.
That draft pick became Brandon Dubinsky, one of the bright spots in the Rangers' future, regardless of his inability to hit the back of the net for long stretches at a time.
- Brian Leetch to Toronto for Jarkko Immonen, Maxim Kondratiev, 1st round pick in '04, 2nd round pick in '05.
:: A king's ransom for the greatest American defenseman of all-time that didn't really pan out for either team. Toronto traded their futures for Leetch (and Ron Francis) and lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Immonen was slow and underutilized by Tom Renney, scored 8 points in 20 games (aka Chris Drury numbers, quick, sign Immonen for 5 years!), and now plays overseas.
Kondratiev was a bust and quite frankly not NHL material. He was traded to Anaheim in January of 2006 for Petr Sykora, which was a great move for the Rangers. Sykora went 15-16-31 in 40 games and loved his time as a Ranger. This would have been considered a strong move if he was re-signed, but despite waiting until August to hear from GM Glen Sather, he never wore Rangers blue again.
The 1st round pick in 2004 was Lauri Korpikoski, who shows some good moves sometimes, but is either too slow, too mis-used, or not 1st round material. He could be, and I might be wrong. Next year is a big point for him, as other 1st rounders that year are already materializing. Korpikoski was picked at 19th. Still available at that point: Travis Zajac (20th), Wojtek Wolski (21), and Mike Green (29).
The 2005 2nd rounder was Mike Sauer, a good AHL player who had a cup of coffee with the big club this year. He looks to be trade-bait with a depth of good D-men in the system already (Staal, Girardi, Sanguenetti, Del Zotto, Potter) and two big contracts taking up space in the NHL (Redden, Rozsival).
March 6, 2004
- Chris Simon to Calgary for Blair Betts, Greg Moore, Jamie McLennan
:: The Rangers needed a goalie to play out the season with Markkanen gone, and McLennan played in 4 of those games, going 1-3. After that season, he played 19 more NHL games in 2 years and retired after a season in the Asian Hockey League. Yes, Asian. He went 8-4 in the Orient and decided to hang 'em up.
Moore probably won't get a real shot in the NHL, but he is a good asset to have and has played admirably when called up.
Betts, well, you know Betts. Best penalty killer in the league, good centerman, not terribly offensive, good team player, never complains, took a cheap shot in the playoffs and broke his face.
- Vladimir Malakhov to Philadelphia for Rick Kozak, 2nd round pick in 2005.
:: Malakhov's stats decreased from the Rangers to Flyers to Devils, and he eventually left the NHL. Kozak never did anything in any league, and now plays in England.
That draft pick got moved around a lot and eventually became Marc-Andre Cliche, who was traded to the Kings in March 2007 for Sean Avery.
March 8, 2004
- Matthew Barnaby and a 3rd round pick in '04 for David Liffiton, Chris McAllister, and a 2nd round pick in '04.
:: McAllister was a decent NHL player who played in the NHL for the last time in 03-04. Liffiton is currently playing in Denmark after 3 career NHL games with the Rangers.
The draft pick was traded to Florida and the Rangers eventually drafted Bruce Graham out of it, who is currently in the ECHL after never doing well in Hartford.
March 9, 2004
On the actual day of the deadline, the Rangers only made two moves.
- Greg de Vries traded to Ottawa for Karel Rachunek and Alex Giroux.
:: It was obvious that de Vries wasn't going to be back after the lockout, and he had horrible numbers (15 points in 53 games, which by the 08-09 standards would've been phenomenal), so he was shipped for a roster player and a prospect. Rachunek played in Russia during 05-06, but came back in 06-07, and most Rangers fans agree he should've stayed. He had 20 assists but was absolutely atrocious defensively.
Giroux, however, was let go during the summer of 2006 and signed with Washington. He then went to Atlanta and was traded back to Washington, and he has lit it up in the AHL. He had 28 points in 22 games in Hershey's march to the AHL title, and he had 60 goals in 69 games during the regular season. The Rangers probably should've held on to this guy instead of signing "talent" such as Mitch Fritz. Giroux broke Brett Hull's record for most consecutive games with a goal when he scored in 15 straight games. He won the AHL MVP as well.
- Martin Rucinsky traded to Vancouver for R.J. Umberger and Martin Grenier.
:: Rucinsky was a true rental for Vancouver as he returned to Broadway after the lockout and had great numbers in an injury-riddled season (55 points in 52 games). He did nothing in the playoffs (2 in 7) for the Canucks. Grenier played in Hartford, Charlotte, and 3 games for the Flyers, and now is in the KHL.
Umberger, however, was another prospect who went away. In 07-08, he had 50 points in Philadelphia in 74 games before falling to 46 in a full season with Columbus this year. Still, he would've been good to have on board as a center and maybe the Rangers wouldn't have gone out on 7/1/07 and spent $14M on 2 overrated centers.
Overall
Isn't that how it always works with the Rangers? The crappy players stay and the good talent is let go. That explains why Marc Savard is now in Boston (he was traded for Jan Hlavac and the pick that became Jamie Freakin' Lundmark). It also explains why, at one point, Dale Purinton was the most-tenured Ranger.
The best trades for the Rangers were getting Brandon Dubinsky and Steve Valiquette for Nedved/Markkanen, and ditching the dead weight of Simon for Blair Betts, who has helped offensively-challenged teams by keeping the other teams from scoring. Besides Henrik Lundqvist, Betts is the one most responsible for those 2-1 wins.
The worst was sending Barnaby away for Liffiton, McAllister, and Graham. Not that losing Barnaby was a huge disadvantage, but they basically got nothing for him - 2 mid-level prospects and a retiring veteran to play out the season.
I have no interesting way to end this, because it's late and I've been working all day, so I will just like to remind everyone that the Rangers actually traded Brian Leetch for Maxim Kondratiev. Hell, I wouldn't even trade a retired Leetch for Kondratiev!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Disaster in Atlanta...
One thing is for sure, if Atlanta keeps selling tickets like they did tonight, the Rangers will have very few more disasters in that city. Those disasters will be in either Kansas City, Seattle, Las Vegas, or Hamilton.
Which Ranger rose to the occasion tonight when the season hung in the balance? Not Steve Valiquette - he played good and had no chance on those first two goals, but the next two? C'mon! Wunderkid Marc Staal? "This wraparound attempt brought to you by #18's inability to check a player."
For the past 3 seasons, I had a joke with some friends. If a Ranger took a penalty while on the power play, he "Rozsival-ed," because Rozsival would often lose control of the puck on the point, and have to hook or hold a player to stop a short-handed breakaway. If the Rangers were already down a man and took another penalty to go 3-on-5, you "Tyutin-ed," because he had a penchant to take a bad penalty.
What's it called when you're about to have a 3-minute 5-on-3, and then 6 players hop on the ice? "Naslund-ing"? "Drury-ing"? "Why is Redden even on the power play-ing"? No... it's called "Sabatoge."
A 3-minute 5-on-3, nearly a guaranteed goal in other parts of the country (like in San Jose, New Jersey, Boston, or Detroit) was null-and-void before it got started because 6 Rangers were so eager to not score that they all had to be on the ice at once.
My friend, Dan, wants me to point out Markus Naslund is "slow, tired, and sloppy with the puck almost every night." I cleaned up the puncuation, but he makes a point. He is older than he was when they should have signed him - July 1, 2005. Someone made a real nice pass to him today, and if he accepted it, he would have had a real nice shot on net. I didn't even get excited when I saw the play because I knew he wouldn't settle the puck down, and if he did, he would wait 2 seconds too long to shoot. And he doesn't do much away from the puck. I do give him props, though, for not giving up on that goal he scored in the 2nd period. And atleast he's cheap (yes, $4M is cheap for a player with his resume). And I do like him as a person, he's just lost a few steps since he played with Brendan Morrison and Todd "Murder" Bertuzzi.
I want to take John Tortorella to task. You had a chance to send out 6 shooters in the shootout, and you send out Scott Gomez and Ryan Callahan while Nik Zherdev sits on the bench, clutching his stick in his golden hands, waiting for his chance? C'mon! I know you want to reward them for playing well, but there is an extra point to be had against a backup goalie on a weak squad, and you leave you best chance for that point riding pine?
Say what you want about Tom Renney, Lord knows I have, but atleast he threw out Zherdev each and every shootout.
Valiquette did well in the shootout, very well. A goalie should be allowed to let in 1 out of 6 breakaway attempts. You only hope that your coach can throw out the best chance to win, not "make a statement" by benching someone or rewarding someone in what is a skills competition. Skills competition, not "heart & soul competition."
* * *
A horrible ending to what was setting up to be a good win. Maybe I'm too hard on the Rangers tonight because they've done decently well lately, but in late-March, against a lottery-bound team in a half-empty building, you need 2 points. Two. Not one and an inability to get one past the Penguins 2001-02 starting goaltender in a shootout. Because, guess what? The last 7 games are ALL against playoff teams - Flyers x2, Bruins, Devils, Penguins, Canadiens, and Hurricanes.
No one showed any heart in the 3rd period until a minute left. Redden? Did you see when Ilya Kovalchuk cross-checked Sean Avery and then went down with him? Watch the replay... Redden gets on the ice, looks at them, and turns to head back to the bench. A real teammate would have gone and checked Kovalchuk to make a point and stand up for his mates.
Apparently, in Emerald City, $39M can't buy you heart.
Which Ranger rose to the occasion tonight when the season hung in the balance? Not Steve Valiquette - he played good and had no chance on those first two goals, but the next two? C'mon! Wunderkid Marc Staal? "This wraparound attempt brought to you by #18's inability to check a player."
For the past 3 seasons, I had a joke with some friends. If a Ranger took a penalty while on the power play, he "Rozsival-ed," because Rozsival would often lose control of the puck on the point, and have to hook or hold a player to stop a short-handed breakaway. If the Rangers were already down a man and took another penalty to go 3-on-5, you "Tyutin-ed," because he had a penchant to take a bad penalty.
What's it called when you're about to have a 3-minute 5-on-3, and then 6 players hop on the ice? "Naslund-ing"? "Drury-ing"? "Why is Redden even on the power play-ing"? No... it's called "Sabatoge."
A 3-minute 5-on-3, nearly a guaranteed goal in other parts of the country (like in San Jose, New Jersey, Boston, or Detroit) was null-and-void before it got started because 6 Rangers were so eager to not score that they all had to be on the ice at once.
My friend, Dan, wants me to point out Markus Naslund is "slow, tired, and sloppy with the puck almost every night." I cleaned up the puncuation, but he makes a point. He is older than he was when they should have signed him - July 1, 2005. Someone made a real nice pass to him today, and if he accepted it, he would have had a real nice shot on net. I didn't even get excited when I saw the play because I knew he wouldn't settle the puck down, and if he did, he would wait 2 seconds too long to shoot. And he doesn't do much away from the puck. I do give him props, though, for not giving up on that goal he scored in the 2nd period. And atleast he's cheap (yes, $4M is cheap for a player with his resume). And I do like him as a person, he's just lost a few steps since he played with Brendan Morrison and Todd "Murder" Bertuzzi.
I want to take John Tortorella to task. You had a chance to send out 6 shooters in the shootout, and you send out Scott Gomez and Ryan Callahan while Nik Zherdev sits on the bench, clutching his stick in his golden hands, waiting for his chance? C'mon! I know you want to reward them for playing well, but there is an extra point to be had against a backup goalie on a weak squad, and you leave you best chance for that point riding pine?
Say what you want about Tom Renney, Lord knows I have, but atleast he threw out Zherdev each and every shootout.
Valiquette did well in the shootout, very well. A goalie should be allowed to let in 1 out of 6 breakaway attempts. You only hope that your coach can throw out the best chance to win, not "make a statement" by benching someone or rewarding someone in what is a skills competition. Skills competition, not "heart & soul competition."
* * *
A horrible ending to what was setting up to be a good win. Maybe I'm too hard on the Rangers tonight because they've done decently well lately, but in late-March, against a lottery-bound team in a half-empty building, you need 2 points. Two. Not one and an inability to get one past the Penguins 2001-02 starting goaltender in a shootout. Because, guess what? The last 7 games are ALL against playoff teams - Flyers x2, Bruins, Devils, Penguins, Canadiens, and Hurricanes.
No one showed any heart in the 3rd period until a minute left. Redden? Did you see when Ilya Kovalchuk cross-checked Sean Avery and then went down with him? Watch the replay... Redden gets on the ice, looks at them, and turns to head back to the bench. A real teammate would have gone and checked Kovalchuk to make a point and stand up for his mates.
Apparently, in Emerald City, $39M can't buy you heart.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Rangers Blank Senators...
Can I tell you how relieved I am that the Ottawa Senators weren't wearing those atrocious jerseys that say "SENS" in big letters across the front? (The jersey is a second-cousin of the "BOLTS" jersey in the hockey hotbed of Tampa Bay, and hopefully their family doesn't grow to include an "ISLES" jersey in Uniondale.)
Ottawa played woeful as their record (1-6-1 on an 8-game road trip, now 2-7-1 in their last 10) indicates. What happened to this team? No defense is one, I assume, but the big guns aren't playing well. Daniel Alfredsson was called out by his coach after their loss in Boston the other night. Dany Heatley has done nothing lately except earning an unearned spot on the All-Star team, and Jason Spezza threw the puck out of the zone and down the ice with 2 minutes left in the game and the team down two goals.
It was said today that Dmitri Kalinin is now a +6 in his last 8 games. While he is now an impressive -10, let it be known that Dave Maloney said this about him during a broadcast last week (and I'm paraphrasing since it was a week ago): Kalinin is having another good game for him. He'll never play mistake-free hockey, but he has been better as of late.
I love how Steve Valiquette stepped in against Buffalo and played a great game. I was nervous to have him in after he got bombed on with 5 straight goals against Toronto a few months ago, and I think Tom Renney was also because he didn't play for a long time after that. However, when called upon every other time, he has played nearly lights out.
Two shutouts for Lundqvist in 3 games is good form, and I'm glad he got the first out of the way, much like Brandon Dubinsky's goal will hopefully knock down the dam and more can come.
This blog lobbied for Petr Prucha from the beginning of the season, and I'm glad to see that crow is not on my dinner plate for tomorrow. He has 5 points in the 6 games since he's been back in the lineup. Oddly enough, the one game in which he was blanked (Friday vs. Buffalo) was the one in which he played the most, getting 17:23 in ice time. Words can't express how happy I am to see him playing well.
I don't know if they still put missing people on milk cartons anywhere except in cartoons, but if they do, can someone put a picture of Scott Gomez on one for me?
* * *
Brendan Shanahan, a Devil? What's next, they re-sign Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik? Exactly. This in no way shores up the Devils team, even if people say he is a "born leader" and a "locker room presence". Did the leadership and playoff experience of Shanahan, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury, and Gomez get the Rangers anything except an early playoff exit last year?
Shanahan had nothing left in the tank as of mid-January 2008. He was hurt in his knee and his back, he was slowing down, and he brought nothing to the table. I hate to say that because he is a legend and was a great guy in New York, but he was just a waste of ice time at the end of last season, and unless a great cure for old age and creaky bones was discovered in late-2008, then I'm afraid it's more of the same.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
(Crappy) Hockey Night In Canada
How do you describe what happened to both New York teams last night?
The hour between 8:30 and 9:30 last night was one of the more surreal I can recall. I was at Hooters with some friends. The Islanders were on many of the TVs, but our table had the Islanders and Rangers side-by-side. Things were looking good for both teams; the Islanders were playing really well and had taken a 4-1 lead, while the Rangers were blanking the Maple Leafs behind the goaltending of Steve Valiquette. Suddenly, things took a turn for the bizarre.
The Canadiens scored to make it 4-2. Toronto scored to make it 2-1. And that's when all hell broke loose. It was literally back-and-forth. Every time you looked up and saw the Canadiens celebrating a goal, you'd look a few feet over and see the Toronto fans going wild after a goal in their game. All in all, Canadian teams outscored New York teams in the third period by a score of 9-0. And it was really unfortunate because I wanted to rub it in to Ranger fans that they'd just let up five goals in five minutes. Of course, since the Islanders had just blown a three-goal lead, so I couldn't say a word. Worst lead in hockey? You bet.
Thankfully, we all had a mutual reason to be happy later on in the night - we found out Martin Brodeur got hurt. At least we can all agree on something.
The hour between 8:30 and 9:30 last night was one of the more surreal I can recall. I was at Hooters with some friends. The Islanders were on many of the TVs, but our table had the Islanders and Rangers side-by-side. Things were looking good for both teams; the Islanders were playing really well and had taken a 4-1 lead, while the Rangers were blanking the Maple Leafs behind the goaltending of Steve Valiquette. Suddenly, things took a turn for the bizarre.
The Canadiens scored to make it 4-2. Toronto scored to make it 2-1. And that's when all hell broke loose. It was literally back-and-forth. Every time you looked up and saw the Canadiens celebrating a goal, you'd look a few feet over and see the Toronto fans going wild after a goal in their game. All in all, Canadian teams outscored New York teams in the third period by a score of 9-0. And it was really unfortunate because I wanted to rub it in to Ranger fans that they'd just let up five goals in five minutes. Of course, since the Islanders had just blown a three-goal lead, so I couldn't say a word. Worst lead in hockey? You bet.
Thankfully, we all had a mutual reason to be happy later on in the night - we found out Martin Brodeur got hurt. At least we can all agree on something.
Friday, October 17, 2008
A Scoreless Tie...
If tonight's Rangers vs. Maple Leafs game had occured during the 2003-04 season, it would have been a scoreless tie, and the fans would have been angry. However, it was a very exciting game besides the final tally, and the third period was especially fun to watch.
Personally, I have been in attendance for one game that went 0-0 through regulation, and it was horribly boring. NHL.com doesn't let me search for all games after the lockout like they used to anymore (hmm... am I missing something?) so I'll guess on the day. I believe it was January 2, 2006, the first season back. Rangers vs. Tampa Bay, at MSG. It was an awful, boring, horrible game. Both teams played with a complete lack of passion and I believe Vaclav Prospal scored the game winner quickly into overtime. Awful game.
Tonight's atleast was interesting. While the Rangers did have 32 shots, most of them were bad, low-angle shots that didn't test Vesa Toskala. However, the 8 or 9 good shots they did have that tested the Toronto netminder were turned away, and Toskala did indeed have a very good game.
Likewise, Steven Valiquette also played good. He wasn't tested tremendously, but when he was called to action, he responded very well. A great showing by the backup, and that is very good news. As good as a team player Kevin Weekes was in his tenure as Henrik Lundqvist's backup, it was always a scary moment when he was announced as starter. Anyone remember 1/11/07, his last game as a Ranger, when he gave up 4 goals on 8 shots against Ottawa and was pulled?
Some other notes...
1) The Rangers should start declining penalties like they do in football. I mean, technically, when they negated two power plays by taking penalties themselves, they almost did that. However, on one power play they stunk it up, and as soon as the Toronto offender left the box, the Rangers played great 5-on-5 thanks to Marc Staal and Aaron Voros.
2) Chris Drury should either a) play on the fourth line with Colton Orr and Blair Betts or b) be sent to Hartford for a conditioning stint to regain some scoring touch.
No, I don't think he should be sent to Hartford. I know how the waiver wire works. I do, however, think his playing time should be reduced or he should watch a game in the best suit $7M can buy. Never has a player making so much money whiffed on the puck so many times since Eric Lindros played on the Rangers.
3) I'm not saying I'm a psychic or anything, but I do watch enough hockey to correctly predict events. How many times today did Sam Rosen or Joe Micheletti tell us that Michal Rozsival shot the puck... and missed the net? Three? Four? Five?
I'll give it to him, though. At least he was shooting. His overtime shot probably would've gone in on a goalie who wasn't as hot as Toskala.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
2008-09 NY Rangers: Goaltending...
The first in a three-series look-ahead at the 2008-09 New York Rangers.
GOALTENDING
Obviously, Henrik Lundqvist is the man in goal, what with his $7.75M coming to him in two-week installments next year.
The question is about the back-up. The Rangers had two NHL-worthy back-ups last year. Steve Valiquette stood tall (bad pun, only works if you know he's 6'6") when called upon, and David LeNeveu went 8-3-2 with a .924 save percentage.
Both happen to be free agents this year. Valiquette is unrestricted, and LeNeveu will probably be a RFA.
Whoever it would be would probably be needed for 12 games the whole season, needing to go 6-4-2. Lundqvist would start all 82 games if he could, so 70 games seems to be in his range for 08-09. Last season, Hank played 72 games, getting decisions in 71 of them.
The smart money would be on Valiquette being re-signed to a 1 or 2 year deal at around $700,000, with LeNeveu being re-upped for a few years on a two-way deal so that if Valiquette falters, LeNeveu could step up. He would be splitting time with young Miika Wiikman in Hartford. LeNeveu has a losing record in the NHL at 5-9, but those were played with a poor Phoenix Coyotes team in front of him. What is troubling, however, is his .888 save percentage.
The Rangers could go a completely different route and sign someone on the fringe, like Bob Esche, who kept himself in shape by playing in Russia and for the US in the World Championships this month.
However, I don't see that happening. Valiquette is the consummate professional. He knows his role and he loves it. He knows no one is usurping the King from the net, and he is happy being the back-up and a morale-booster during practice and on the bench.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A Question...
It appears I'm all alone here as Bryan welcomes a newborn into his family.
But really, I've been all alone since the playoffs started. Ay-oh!
It's set. Penguins/Rangers and Montreal/Flyers. If the Rangers win and the Flyers win, does Tom Renney start Stephen Valiquette in Game 1 of the Conference Finals?
P.S.: It's a bad night to be Tom Poti. The refs, whistle-swallowing all night, called him for a trip (and it should indeed have been a penalty, as Ranger fans know all to well) which led to the power play goal to knock the Caps out in Game 7 overtime.
P.P.S.: "Is this the year" for Jeremy Roenick? 2004 had Dave Andreychuk, '05 had Tiger Woods winning the Masters, '06 had Rod Brind'Amour and Glen Wesley, and last year we had, well, no one really, but Daniel Alfredsson almost won it. So, is this his year?
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