Tom Renney...

The last two times that the Edmonton Oilers faced the Rangers, the Rangers lost in a shootout. Last time, they fired 42 shots on net and scored on only 2 - on a backup goaltender. Ah, the Tom Renney era...

Well, tomorrow, the Rangers meet Tom Renney again, and while not many current players were there for a lot of his reign (Henrik Lundqvist and Michal Rozsival were the only ones there from his first full season in 2005-06), it should be an emotional night for him. Imagine if the game were at Madison Square Garden?

While I rip on Renney a lot here, I do think he was a very good coach, and I'm sure he will be sometime soon. There are a few coaches who will "always be a Ranger," no matter where they wind up coaching or working. Mike Keenan, though he only had 1 season, is one of them. Renney is another.

No coach could have done what he did after the lockout. He took a team destined to fail -at least according to the experts - and brought them into the playoffs, one point away from winning the division. He got 123 points out of Jaromir Jagr - a man who would have refused to return to the NHL if he wasn't playing for Renney in New York, he once said. He turned a team of veterans - Rucchin, Jagr, Straka, Rucinsky, Kasparaitis, Nylander - and young no-names - Jay Ward, Ortmeyer, Dom Moore, Hollweg, Orr, Prucha, Betts - into a contender.

I still say that if not for the Olympics, the Rangers could have gone far that year. Jagr and Lundqvist came back injured - Jagr with hip and groin problems, Hank with headaches from grinding his teeth. And then there was Sandis Ozolinsh, who seemed like a good trade at first until he came apart in the Devils' series and cost the team 2 games.

Still, Renney was a huge part of the rebuilding process. While they rebuilt, he brought them into the playoffs. He just wasn't a good fit for the team last year and going forward. His style had stopped working, and he continued to play people based on their paychecks rather than skill (see: Wade Redden on the power play while Petr Prucha sat in street clothes).

For all the good he did, he will be remembered for 2 things: being fired when the team couldn't score and for Game 5 in Buffalo, where Fedor Tyutin and rookie Dan Girardi were on the ice with 30 seconds left with a 1-0 lead. When they iced the puck, Tyutin and Girardi had to stay on, they couldn't clear the puck, and Chris Drury scored.

Besides that being the one game that still upsets my stomach (and the only time I ever lost sleep over a sports event), you know that if they won that game and went up 3-2 in the series, they would not have lost Game 6 at MSG. I'm not saying they would have won the Stanley Cup - hell, they might not even have beaten Ottawa in the Conference Finals - but they would have beaten Buffalo. And maybe Chris Drury never would've been signed the following summer, and maybe everything would've been different.

But this is how it's played out, and I wish Tom Renney the best in Edmonton - no matter how often I make fun of his healthy scratches or his power play.

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!

Wade Redden's cousin, or nephew, or some other family member, at Madison Square Garden. 10/19/09

Brian Boyle is Like Flash...

Here are 4 reasons I don't like when Ranger games are on Versus:

1) Doc Emerick annoys me. Not just his homer-ism for the Devils - I understand that, and he leaves a lot of it behind when the game is on national TV - but the way he talks, his phrasing, his know-it-all attitude. I know a ton of you will disagree with me, but it's one reason I don't like watching Versus games.

2) It's one big advertisement. I didn't notice it as much tonight, but last year, it seemed like every 10 seconds I was being force-fed a Bud Light or rodeo commercial.

3) My DirecTV doesn't carry Versus anymore, so I have to find watch the game elsewhere.

4) It's one big power play. It always seems that every game on Versus has more penalties called than regular games that are only on local TV. I would imagine that the referees are conditioned to call more penalties than normal for these games so that "fringe fans" can see more power plays and goals, but it really screws over the real fans who are only watching Versus because MSG or MSG+ doesn't show the game. They make those phantom calls all game long, much like when a team is playing the Penguins.

* * *

- I saw someone speed down the ice to make a defense play. As I tried to see the number on the back of the jersey, my mind only had 3 names in mind: Callahan, Dubinsky, or Lisin. magine my surprise tonight when the number read "22" and the name on the jersey was "Boyle." It's looking like Aaron Voros will be the odd man out when Sean Avery returns.

- Speaking of Brandon Dubinsky, he looks like a beast out there. Besides his scoring, his skating looks excellent and he's stronger on the puck this season than last. However, don't get too excited. Remember how awesome he was last year in the beginning? He had 12 points in 13 games in October '08 before dropping off the planet. That probably won't happen as dramatically this year, but it's still something to think about.

- I wanted Alexei Semenov to be a Ranger this year, and I felt bad that he wanted to be a Ranger, Glen Sather wanted him to, and John Tortorella wanted him to, but his wife nixed it. However, I don't think that a 7th defenseman is entirely necessary right now. Matt Gilroy has been playing great and scored his first goal tonight; Marc Staal and Dan Girardi aren't lighting it up, but they haven't been messing up; and Mike Del Zotto has looked great. He scored the past 2 games, and he had two open nets in the Penguins game where he just couldn't get his stick on the puck. Plus, he's manning the point on the power play pretty well considering he's a 19 year old who was thrown into the fire.

- What happens if and when the Rangers do find a 7th defenseman? One would hope that Wade Redden or Michal Rozsival would take a seat, but would Sather let Tortorella do that? One of Tom Renney's big mistakes was not only never sitting either of them, but relying on them for the power play. Tortorella isn't relying on them, per se, but he is using them on the 2nd unit, which is a huge mistake. I know he said he didn't watch many Ranger games before he took over last year, but didn't he hear about why Renney got fired?

Just Brainstorming Here...

I'm back from Las Vegas (mid-September and still 100 degrees!) and I received a 2-for-1 in the week I was gone. Not only was Dany Heatley traded, but Phil Kessel was as well, leaving September only for training camp, and no drama.

I'm just brainstorming, but let's say for argument's sake, the 6 defensemen who make the Rangers roster for opening night are: Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Mike del Zotto, and Matt Gilroy. Not a huge stretch, right? Sure, you could possibly sub Bobby Sanguinetti in for del Zotto, but that has no effect on my point today.

The newspaper today said that Rozsival and Redden would be top pairing, like they were together for most of last season. My question is: Why?

Now, it's well-documented that I am against having Redden and Rozsival on the team simply because this is a Salary Cap Era. If there was no Cap, then having a waste of space like Wade Redden on the team would simply be par for the course. They'd demote him to 3rd-line pairing or send him to Hartford, and spend big money on someone better than him.

Of course, since his $6.5M/year is looming large for the next 5 years, he has no choice but to play. And of course, it ultimately cost Tom Renney his job, as Renney's over-reliance on him led to his downfall.

Same for Rozsival. While I may personally like Rozsival and think he is a decent defenseman, he in no way warrants $5M/year, Salary Cap Era or not.

So why pair them together? They were horrendous separately and together last year. Plus, by doing that, you are putting 2 pairs of "kids" on the blueline.

Girardi and Staal should be a tandem. They were last year often, they play well together, one is a lefty, one is a righty. Both broke into the league near the same time and both are equally as good as the other.

So that leaves Del Zotto and Gilroy, two rookies together, no?

I say John Tortorella should put Gilroy with either Redden or Rozsival, and Del Zotto with the other one. That way the future top-pairing could learn from the veterans, who could (hopefully) cover the mistakes the rookies make.

Couldn't hurt, right?

My ideal pairings...
Redden - Gilroy (Redden is a left-handed shot, Gilroy a right-handed shot)
Staal - Girardi (Staal, lefty; Girardi, righty)
Del Zotto - Rozsival (Del Zotto, lefty; Rozsival, righty)

I mean, it's not like Redden and Rozsival were so dominant last season that breaking them up would be disastrous. They aren't MacInnis-Suter, Leetch-Beukeboom, or Stevens-Neidermayer. Hell, they aren't even Staal-Girardi. They're one step better than the pre-lockout pairing of Vladimir Malakhov and Boris Mironov.

It worked 2 years ago when Staal paired with Paul Mara. Why not let the rookies learn from the veterans? At the very least, they could learn what not to do.

I Was Right; I Was Wrong...

Of course, no Ranger games will be played at the Coliseum next season. Got to save those for weeknights since they'll close-to-sell-out anyway. No need to waste a Saturday where you'll sell 14,000 tickets anyway, no matter who the opponent. I was right about that.

I was wrong, however, when I predicted that 80% of their last 10 games would be division rivals. In fact, only half are, and we get to see that always exciting "Florida road trip" in April. Whoa, Schedule Makers, I'll make sure I take my heart medicine, because that's one to get the blood pumping!

And of course, what season would be complete without a home & home versus Philadelphia?

When the Penguins won the Cup, an avid and eager reader of this website, Dan, sent a string of angry text messages. One of them predicted that the Rangers would be the opponent when the Penguins raise the Stanley Cup banner to the rafters. Indeed, a short month later, his Nostradamus-like prediction is in fact a reality. I'm not mad. First of all, it's a crappy thing to get mad about. Second of all, maybe watching it will light an illusionary fire under the arses of certain Rangers players and get them going.

When the Rangers were awful in 2002-03, I wanted to send a mail to MSG. Specifically, I wanted to mail it to Gord Dwyer. I figured he never got any fan mail, so he would atleast open it, as opposed to sending it to Mark Messier or Tom Poti (it would have been lost in Poti's hatemail). I wanted to send him the video tape of "Oh Baby!" which was the highlights of the 1993-94 season, from playing in Europe to winning the Cup in Game 7. I figured it would start a fire under him, and he would show it to everyone and they would then be inspired to reach for glory.

Alas, I never sent it, the Rangers missed the playoffs, and I've blamed myself ever since. So maybe the banner-raising ceremony in Steeltown will be the "Oh Baby!" that is still sitting on my desk upstairs in my room.

A few notes...

In 2005-06, the Rangers played a very short February also, due to the Olympics. They played 6 games and won all of them, 5 in regulation and 1 in overtime on a Jaromir Jagr goal (from Martin Rucinsky and Michal Rozsival... ah, to be Czech in America). This year, that's do-able as well. Six games, 4 at home, including the Lightning and Predators.

With 24 games vs. the Atlantic, 40 vs. the rest of the East, and 15 against the West, that leaves them playing 3 Western teams twice this year. If I remember from last year, they played Chicago twice, Dallas twice, and the Ducks twice. This year's repeat offenders are St. Louis, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

No "California Trip" this year, since their only game out there is against LA. That trip sees them in Phoenix, Colorado, then LA. The "Florida Trip" not only happens near the end of the season, but the Rangers also make the same trip during Thanksgiving week, as they do every year (Panthers on Thanksgiving Eve, Lightning on Black Friday).

They do have a Western Canada trip, though, as they play Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton in early November. Mark that down as a loss, as they normally do awful on that road trip. That will also be Tom Renney's first - and only - meeting with his old team. They also stop in Minnesota before hitting Canada.

Don't bank on any romantic Friday evenings at the Garden. The Rangers have 6 road games on a Friday (including the opener in Pittsburgh) but if you want to see them in the City on a Friday, you'll have to wait until the last home game of the year, 4/9/10 (looks weird to write!) against the Flyers.

Three home games that my girlfriend will kill me if I don't sell my tickets: 11/21 vs. Florida, her birthday; 2/14 vs. Tampa Bay, Valentine's Day; and 3/18 vs. St. Louis, our anniversary.

Possible road trips: October 24 & January 23, Montreal; December 9, Chicago; December 17, Philadelphia; January 9 & March 21, Boston; March 6, Washington; March 27, Toronto; December 21 & 31, Carolina. Sadly, no trip to Nashville is in the works, atleast not for a hockey game.

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!

Fedor Tyutin...

The Columbus Blue Jackets clinched a playoff berth today when their game against Chicago went to overtime. They sealed the deal with a shootout win. Rick Nash, Jonathan Toews and Pat Kane missed, but Fedor Tyutin, the second Columbus shooter, scored.

Also, today, I was listening to NHL Home Ice 204 on XM and they were listing the nominations for the Espo Awards, their yearly award ceremony. I highly disagreed with their list for Michel Bergeron Trophy (for Coach of the Year).

They had: Andy Murray (Blues); Barry Trotz (Predators); Claude Julien (Bruins); Brent Sutter (Devils); and Paul Maurice (Hurricanes). Phil Esposito added Ken Hitchcock (Blue Jackets) to the list.

Uh, where is John Tortorella in this list?!

No, kidding, but seriously, where is rookie coach Todd McLellan? The Sharks are far and away the best team in the league this season. While having Joe Thornton, Rob Blake, Danny Boyle, and Evgeni Nabokov helps, are you telling me he doesn't belong in the top six of all coaches this season?

If I had to pick a top 3 to nominate, I would say McLellan, Julien, and probably Hitchcock. All are good choices, and I think Julien would/should win the real award, the Jack Adams Award. He has taken a ragtag group of players and turned them into dominant forces.

Ahh, remember the good ol' days in the year after the lockout, when Lindy Ruff (Sabres), Pete Laviolette ('Canes), and Tom Renney (Rangers) were nominated? After this season, all 3 might not be on those teams anymore, especially if the Sabres miss the playoffs again.

Pretty Horrible Game...

The Rangers never got a break today. Sure, the refs gave them some when they whistled Carolina for 4 straight penalties in the first. But they never took advantage, never pounded while the iron was hot, never cashed in, never put a nail in the coffin, except possibly their own.

John Tortorella said last night that if the Rangers can't wake up for a big game against a team in the same boat, then they don't have the right players. He said, "But we do." No, he doesn't, and he knows it.

Twelve forwards were all shut-out tonight. Twelve. Nik Zherdev tried for some of the game; Sean Avery played well; Ryan Callahan tried his best; Blair Betts was there for them as was Fred Sjostrom.

But where was everyone else? Scott Gomez took a few crappy shots straight at Cam Ward. Markus Naslund had 3 shots, all at even strength and all in the 2nd period. Useless the rest of the way. Chris Drury, the "new point man on the power play," had 1 shot all game, and none in the first period during those 4 failed power plays. Wade Redden? One shot, lots of ice time.

Let me put this in bold lettering...

The Rangers will not win with Wade Redden on the power play.

Tom Renney couldn't figure that out, or didn't want to admit it, and look where he is now - getting paid by James Dolan without working (okay, maybe that isn't actually horrible). I'm not a coach, far from it, and I can see it. Can John Tortorella not see that he does more harm than good for this team? I know GM Glen Sather gave him a monstrous, absurd contract. But he is good as a 4th or 5th or 6th d-man only, not a top player, and NOT a power play quarterback!

The Hurricanes scored to make it 3-2, and once the puck dropped, I said, "They're gonna score again." Sure enough, 10 seconds later, it's 4-2. Carolina scores fast and the Rangers unravel quicker. Once again, not a coach, but I know this. Tortorella should've called a timeout, given them a chance to regroup, not yell, and sent them back out to score. Instead, it was a quick faceoff and a quick goal.

Four games left, all against playoff teams. One is the best team in the East, one is now in 7th and will need a huge road game at MSG Tuesday, and two are against a Philadelphia team who plays real tough against the Rangers.

* * *

If they miss the playoffs, I won't be heartbroken, but I will be pissed. Pissed that only a handful of players play like they care (Antropov, Girardi, Betts, Callahan, Dubi, Mara, Orr, Sjostrom, Lundqvist, Avery), and even madder that players like Gomez, Redden, Rozsival, and Naslund are wearing a sweater that I've sworn by since I was 3 years old. They put shame to the blue and red, even more than Kevin Stevens, Stephane Quintal, and Alexandre Daigle did.

For the record, on the goal that made it 3-2, Redden's stick was behind him. He wasn't hitting anyone, he wasn't swinging his stick, it was behind him, he stood, a goal was scored. Crease-clearing defenseman? Offensive threat? Noif. Defensive threat and offensive liability is more like it.

Playoff Tickets...

I got my playoff ticket invoice today. Madison Square Garden is telling me that for $3,888, I can 2 tickets to 16 home playoff games. That assumes that not only will they have home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, but that every series will go 7 games. 

Home ice advantage? They aren't even technically in the playoff picture. They had two objectives today - get 2 points, and stop the Carolina Hurricanes from getting any points. They failed in both.

But don't worry. If I pay nearly four grand, anything left over from games not played or series (don't know the plural of "series") not played goes towards my tickets next year. 

All of this on a day when the offense thought Tom Renney was behind the bench. And to be honest, with all the ice time - and power play time - that Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden had, I thought Tom Renney was behind the bench. Wasn't one of his biggest problems his over-reliance on players who didn't ever help the offense? John Tortorella comes in claiming "change" and "hope" and "a better economy" and we get #33 passing the puck continuously and #6 getting busted on goals time and time and time again.

The first period of tonight's game was sporadically exciting but mostly boring. The second period I enjoyed, very fast, up-and-down. Steve Valiquette was excellent for most of the game. Sean Avery was a monster all game, especially on one shift when he left the penalty box and rocked 3 hits in 10 seconds. The 3rd period made me wish I hadn't napped earlier in the day. It was boring, horrendous hockey with uninspired play.

Wade Redden is making $6.5 million dollars this year (or enough to buy 3,433 people playoff tickets for all 16 home games). Maybe he can take some of that money, catch up with Dorothy, go to Emerald City, and buy some heart.

* * * 

I must say, as much as I hate the Hurricane's "cheerleaders," I hate the Versus broadcast even more. I appreciate that they take on hockey and lead in with shows about dead deer, but every Monday night game on that channel makes me cringe. The first 3 minutes were like watching a stop-motion movie (I think Coraline was more fluid than the Versus' choppy camerawork). I knew before the game that the Canadiens fired Guy Carbonneau, I didn't need everyone to tell me throughout the whole game and intermission. I can't stand hearing Eddie Olczyk being referred to as "Edzo." 

But above all else, I wish they would leave a non-commercial-time-out alone. Every time the whistle blew for an icing, penalty, or offsides, we were treated to the Marines.com Player of the Game (where you could find out for the 8th time that Rod Brind'amour was in his 600th game as a Hurricane). Or maybe it was the Bud Light Drinkability Stat of the Game. 

Ridiculous. Thankfully they only have 2 games left on Versus, and I'll be at one of them so I won't have to watch it. 

Couple of Tidbits...

A few notes regarding Tom Renney...

First off, out of the 4 teams who started the season in Europe, none of them have the same coach they started out with. Barry Melrose was replaced in Tampa Bay early on. Craig Hartsburg was fired from Ottawa, and then Michel Therrien was fired in Pittsburgh. Peter Laviolette (Carolina) and Denis Savard (Chicago) are the only coaches to have been fired who did not play overseas.

Secondly, out of 32 teams in the NHL, only 9 have made the playoffs every year since the lockout ended. Six of them (Wings, Stars, Flames, Predators, Sharks, Ducks) are from the West. The only East teams to do so? Ottawa, New Jersey, and the Rangers.

Renney ended his Rangers career 164-121-42 (those 42 are overtime/shootout losses, as he had no ties in the 2003-04 season when he went 5-15-0). He received 363 points in 327 games. He was 11-13 in postseason play, winning 2 playoff series (Atlanta, New Jersey) and losing 3 (New Jersey, Buffalo, Pittsburgh).

Two Sides to the Renney Firing...

Islanders Writer BRYAN - Rangers Report (among others) is stating that Tom Renney and Perry Pearn have been fired. Whether it's the right move, whether it's Renney's fault or that of GM Glen Sather, none of it matters anymore. The truth is, this was an ongoing story that distracted the team big-time. Simply put, this HAD to happen. And, quite frankly, it should have happened at least two weeks ago.

The question now is, was the trigger fired too late? Baseball fans know that the Mets' hemming and hawing about whether or not to fire Willie Randolph last June ended up digging the team a pretty big hole. Thankfully for the Mets, it was early enough that they could salvage their season. These Rangers are in deep trouble. There's still 20 or so games left, so a playoff berth is certainly in the cards as long as the team gets its act together, but you can forget about home-ice, a division win, or any of the other things that seemed certain just two months ago. At this point, just getting in would be an accomplish for the new coach, who is yet to be named. The odds of this new coach being Glen Sather are approximately 1:1.

There's certainly more to report on this story - even TSN doesn't have this news on its website yet  - so we'll be on top of things as they develop. The one thing inquiring minds want to know, though, is who will replace Perry Pearn in talking to Al Trautwig between periods?

* * * * 

Rangers Writer ZACH - Tom Renney certainly needed to accept responsibility for the Rangers' atrocious record as of late (3-7-3 in the last 13 games). He is a good coach and a good guy, and he did to the Rangers what no other man could've done the past 3 seasons. However, his main flaw was relying continually on players who did not perform (last season as well, but I'm talking mainly about this season). Instead of changing the power play or sitting struggling veterans in favor of fresher legs, he (almost comically) put out the same dreadful names shift after shift after shift. 

That said, Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, Chris Drury, Markus Naslund, and Michal Rozsival all played a part in the firing of Coach Renney. 

Coach Renney has now been held accountable. When will the rest of the team?

And the question is worth asking: Does the remained of the season fall on the poorly-dressed shoulders of GM Glen Sather? If the Rangers miss the playoffs after riding the top of the standings until winter, does James Dolan fire Sather?

(The answer is "probably not," but it is worth asking anyway.)

* * * 

The common train of thought is that John Tortorella will become the coach of the Rangers. He is a coach in the Mike Keenan-style - as in you can't give him rookies to nurture (which is where Renney excels) but he can whip a group of veterans into shape real quickly. He holds players accountable, and best of all, he yells at the officials when they mess up. We only saw that from Renney once.

Breaking News...

WESTCHESTER, NY - It was leaked today from a source inside the New York Rangers organization that Petr Prucha is responsible for shooting and killing Tom Renney’s dog, Scratch. The accidental killing of the Bullmastiff happened in mid-October, but details started emerging Thursday.

Coach Renney, when confronted by reporter Dan Pagano, immediately confessed that this news is indeed true. In retaliation, Mr. Renney said, he has been benching Mr. Prucha often since the incident.

Mr. Renney has claimed that he will only put Mr. Prucha in for sporadic, three- or six-game stretches throughout the season, regardless of performance.

Certain members of the team, including captain Chris Drury and defenseman Michal Rozsival, have spoken directly to Mr. Renney, clamoring for Mr. Prucha in the lineup and offering to pay for grievance sessions for Mr. Renney. Thus far, the four-and-a-half-year coach has refused.

“We need his enthusiasm, spirit, and offensive skills playing for us every night. I believe Coach Renney knows this, but he is refusing to play him,” Mr. Drury said before the Rangers game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.

Mr. Rozsival added, “I think he knows we need [Mr.] Prucha in uniform, but he keeps going back to Aaron Voros. I don’t understand.”

Mr. Rozsival and then Mr. Drury then debated on if Mr. Renney really believed Mr. Voros adds to the team, even though his stats (1 point, minus-6 in the last 20 games) stand firmly against that standpoint.

On the contrary, Mr. Prucha has 2 points in his last 4 games, although he is a minus-1 in the same span. In a span of 6 games from December 29, 2008 to January 10, 2009, he notched 2 goals, 3 assists, and was a plus-1.

Mr. Renney also confided to Mr. Pagano that to spite Mr. Prucha, he will play Mr. Voros on the power play. This drew the ire of players, as well.

“It’s bad enough that I get put on the power play. What business does Aaron Voros have being out there, especially with the game on the line? Scratch was a good dog, but Coach Renney is going to lose his job if we keep losing,” said Wade Redden.

As is his nature, Mr. Prucha politely declined being interviewed for this story at first, but later changed his mind. He said, “I know what I did was wrong, and Coach knows it was an accident. However, this team is starved for offense and passion, both of which I bring every single night. I have bought him three other dogs. I don’t know how [many more I have to buy] him before he does what is best for this team and sits Aaron. Putting him on the power play, a position he can’t play at all, is like spitting in my face.”

Mr. Prucha has admitted to his mistake, and he - and the team - hope Renney can admit his and fix it. The Rangers next play in Toronto on Wednesday, and the players all individually told Mr. Pagano that they hope Mr. Prucha plays instead of Mr. Voros.

The preceding story was a work of fiction. The writer of the story has no connections to the New York Rangers or any of the real-life people mentioned in it.

Tomorrow Night's Game

It's been a while since an Islanders-Rangers game has really mattered. Sure, they're always good to get the fans riled up or to break a team out of a slump. But this? This is HUGE.

With the Rangers in freefall, all eyes in the hockey world will be on this game. The Islanders have a huge opportunity tomorrow night, for two reasons. First, they have the opportunity to make life extremely uncomfortable for their biggest rivals. Imagine the ugly scene at MSG - the Islanders are winning big, the game devolves into a series of brawls, and angry mobs of Rangers fans are chanting at 100 decibels for the heads of Tom Renney and Glen Sather. I know these games aren't supposed to be a big deal because the Islanders are in last place, but that's exactly why this would be so huge. Forget about the Islanders-Rangers rivalry for a second - the Rangers, losing at home to the 30th-place team in the NHL? Not pretty. Secondly, and slightly less significantly, the Islanders can take advantage of the spotlight (or as much of a spotlight as the Islanders are going to get going forward) by showcasing the veterans they might want to move in two weeks. For the Islanders, it's a win-win.

For the Rangers? Not so much. Instead, it's pretty much a lose-lose. If the Rangers lose, as detailed above, things will not be very happy in Rangers Country. If the Rangers win, big deal, right? I mean, they only beat the Islanders. A last-place team with an AHL lineup. At home, no less. It's a game the Rangers are supposed to win. So a win doesn't really solve anything, not unless it's followed up by another four or so wins in a row.

This game is huge for just about everybody. The rivalry has always meant a little bit more to Islanders fans, so they're seeing this as their chance to stick it to the Rangers, maybe force some heads to roll, and contribute to what might be a drastic freefall out of the playoffs for the Blueshirts. Rangers fans see this game for what it is - a must-win game, a gut check for their biggest (and best-paid) stars. Maybe they can't get up for the Islanders in light of their recent history with the Devils, but this is certainly two points a playoff team should expect to pick up. It'd be nice to see the Rangers play that way for once.

No matter how you slice it, this is going to be one awesome game. As an Islanders fan, this is all we have left, so let's enjoy. And as for the Rangers, I hope they show enough to give their fans reason to believe a postseason birth is in the cards. Let's face it, the NHL needs the Rangers in the playoffs, and as a fan of hockey in general, I hope they get their act together soon. That said, I wouldn't exactly mind a 5-1 win that completely destroys the Rangers for the rest of the season. Either way, it's gonna be fun. Enjoy!

Ice Time...

Ice time on the power play tonight (of the Rangers' 4:35 total)...

Wade Redden - 2:30

Marc Staal - 9 seconds

Scott Gomez - 2:31

Chris Drury - 2:53

Petr Prucha - nothing

Lauri Korpikoski - 22 seconds

I'm not saying Prucha is the be-all-and-end-all of the New York Rangers. I'm not saying Korpikoski is worth the 2004 1st round draft pick. But Gomez has done nothing - in an incredible fashion - on the power play lately. Redden has done nothing the entire season, on the power play AND even strength. Drury - eh, nothing, at least Drury wants to play for the Rangers.

Could it really hurt the Rangers to put Prucha or Korpikoski on the power play? (Ryan Callahan played just over 2 minutes today on the PP). Korpikoski has 3G, 1A in the past 4 games and, along with Callahan, Prucha, Henrik Lundqvist, and Paul Mara, appear to be the only Rangers interested in playing past early-April.

Listen, I love Tom Renney. He will go down in history with Lester Patrick, Emile Francis, and Mike Keenan as the most important coaches in Ranger history. But, he has an over-reliance on these bums - for lack of a better word. Gomez and Redden don't perform. Why keep putting them out there? 

I sincerely think that Renney won't get fired, because either GM Glen Sather is clueless, or he is out on vacation somewhere. He is an absentee GM, and because Jim Dolan will make money on the Rangers (and Knicks) regardless of how they finish, he has no need to change things.

It makes me angry just typing this. Redden either needs to refrain from showing his loyalty so much, or he needs to step away from the bench and move to a cozy office a few floors below ice level at MSG.

Homegrown Talent (aka I have no interesting title)...

I could make myself angry and harp on the same stuff I've been saying for months about what flaws the Rangers: always staring at the puck and never looking at who is sneaking up behind them; over-reliance on overpaid players; Wade Redden; Scott Gomez; taking bad shots; lopsided ice time; same crappy players on the power play who continually give up short-handed goals and can't score.

I will just say one thing. In the first period, Markus Naslund was skating down the left wing and took a "shot" from a bad angle that Martin Biron easily covered for a whistle, and we go to commercial. What was Naslund thinking? It appeared that he actually wanted to get the whistle so he passed it to Biron. I had to watch this about 5 times on TiVo and I still can't come up with why he thought this shot was a good idea. It was an awful angle, no one was there for a rebound, and it was a weak shot.

But anyway, all I really wanted to write tonight was...

Did you see that play by Ryan Callahan on the Lauri Korpikoski goal?!!? Great! Being chased and hit, he somehow pokes the puck out to Korpikoski, who himself made a great spin-move for the goal. Excellent, excellent play.

Give them some power play time, Coach Renney. Your livelihood depends on it.

Rangers Finally Score Goals...

The Rangers didn't play great last night, but they outplayed Washington, finally scored more than 2 goals in a game, didn't play atrociously, and got two points out of the deal.

I wonder if Scott Gomez has watched the replay of Paul Mara's goal a few dozen times. If Tom Renney still had control of this team, he would probably make him do that to show him what can happen when you fire from in front of the net as opposed to a crappy, low-angle shot from the boards. (He also should be force-fed replayed of Ryan Callahan's, Lauri Korpikoski's, and even Markus Naslund's goals so he can learn to crash the net/shoot from the slot to score goals).

Gomez's play has gone from serviceable to inconsistent to poor to horrendous. Nobody making $7M/year should be described as "horrendous" now that we have a salary cap in place. It was different when Eric Lindros and Val Kamensky ate up money, because it only affected the wallet. Now, it affects the entire team like an 800-pound gorilla in the room. As opposed to when it used to just cost money, it now handcuffs the team from making other moves because they have a non-performing player with an un-trade-able contract.

He's not just a non-performer. He actually hurts the team with his giveaways near his own goal, in the offensive zone, and his blown coverages that lead to goals (namely, when he was staring at Henrik Lundqvist instead of the man who eventually scored the Capitals' 2nd goal last night).

Between him and Wade Redden, $13.8M in salary cap room is alloted to players who actually help the other team. For the next 5 years after this year, as well.

Think these two are bad now? Wait to see them slower and older in 2013.

* * * 

I want you to look, next time the Rangers give up a goal, at where the players are standing/looking. Nearly every goal they give up, including the first 3 last night, the players were looking at the puck-carrier and not paying attention to the rest of the ice. Joe Micheletti brought it up on the first goal, where everyone (biggest error was Redden) was staring at the puck. 

It was also evident on Mike Green's goal to make it 3-2 Capitals, when he was alone just above the right circle. Four Rangers were "hounding" the puck-carrier - who in reality wasn't pressured at all - and Green was wide open as the 5th Ranger was nearer to him but was also staring at the puck.

* * * 

Aaron Voros was in the lineup presumably because Renney likes his "size" and ignores the fact that he is a poor skater, doesn't punish people with body checks like a man his size should, and doesn't put pucks in the net. 

I've been harping on the fact that his size hasn't given the team anything lately except a blowout loss, a bunch of shutouts and one near shutout.

Well, I stand corrected. Last night, he correctly demonstrated to all those in the system how to effectively lose a fight to someone you tower over. 

Not sure, but I think even Petr Prucha would've stood a better chance against Matt Bradley.

Progress Of The Best Kind

Check out Zach's post below about not chanting for Tom Renney's dismissal, especially if you're an Islanders fan and think your team has it bad. Hey, at least you weren't pre-season Cup contenders who are now fighting for their playoff lives. Could be worse, right?

For the Islanders right now, we're seeing the best possible results. We're getting great efforts each night, but falling just short. Last night, playing against a suddenly red-hot Kings team, the Isles blew a third-period lead, but still got a point. And it didn't hurt them at all because Atlanta won. Same can be said for Saturday, when the Islanders lost a tough 1-0 game to Tampa Bay. At this point, you're better served playing well and losing. This way, fans get to see progress being made, but not at the expense of a draft pick.

Now, similar to what Zach said about the Rangers, we shouldn't be rooting for the Islanders to lose or anything. The team has been playing great hockey for the past two weeks, and if they end up winning some games, great. We all know the top spot in the draft lottery guarantees absolutely nothing. The next two months aren't about losing games or giving points away. They're about seeing this team come together and play the best hockey they can. In a month, they might trade some veterans away and be a shell of their current selves; maybe then we can watch the standings more intently. For now, though, enjoy what we're seeing out of this Islanders team, because it's special to watch young players figure out the NHL game right before your very eyes.

That brings us to tonight. On paper, the Devils should destroy the Islanders. But I don't think it'll happen. These two teams always play close games, and that's exactly what we should be seeing tonight. Maybe the Islanders pick up two points, maybe they don't, but they should do exactly what they've been doing lately - playing good hockey that's fun to watch. At this point in the season, that's all we can ask for.

Chants...

While I am advocating for Tom Renney to be replaced, in no way do I think he is a bad coach who needs to be ostracized from the league. Like Emile Francis, Lester Patrick, and Mike Keenan before him, Renney will always be remembered as a Ranger coach - regardless of when he is relieved of his duties and regardless of what other teams he eventually coaches.

He brought the team that was predicted to be 15th in the Eastern Conference the year after the lockout and took them to the 6th seed. They were a group of Czechs (Jagr, Straka, Rucinsky, Rozsival, Malik, Sykora), a group of rookies (Moore, Ortmeyer, Hollweg, Prucha), and a group of ragtag veterans (Nylander, Rucchin, Jay Ward, Strudwick, Nieminen), and he took them to within 1 point of the Atlantic Division title.

This year, his loyalty almost got the best of him. To be honest, last year it almost did too, until Jaromir Jagr started playing like a beast and he started relying less on Brendan Shanahan. But this year, he keeps sending out the same players (Gomez, Redden, Naslund, Drury, Rozsival) who aren't getting the job done. Time and time again, the same ineffective players go out on the ice. Sometimes, Markus Naslund gets lucky and connects with 10 seconds left, or Nik Zherdev scored with 10 seconds left, but most of the time, Scott Gomez misses the net and Wade Redden loses the puck. Yet, they are still counted on.

I am merely advocating for his termination because his time has come. He has done all he can with the Rangers, and a replacement is necessary.

In January, February, and March of 2004, the Garden chanted relentlessly for GM (and interim coach) Glen Sather to be fired. (We also chanted "RE-FUND" when they lost a home game.) 

Under no circumstances do I want to hear "Fire Renney" chants. I can care less about a recurrence of the "Fire Sather" chants, because he isn't very likeable, he hasn't done much for this team (whatever good he did, like trading for Jagr and drafting Marc Staal, Artem Anisimov, and Brandon Dubinsky, could've been done by any GM), and replacing him should probably be done sooner rather than later.

But Renney was serviceable as a coach, and put his heart into it, from when he replaced Sather for the final 20 games of the 2003-04 season (5-15-0) to right before the All-Star break this year. He was so good in 05-06 that he was nominated for Coach of the Year.

So no. Please don't chant for Renney's head tomorrow. If it happens, it happens, but treat him with respect.

Drop the Axe...

Aaron Voros's size, Chris Drury's leadership, Scott Gomez's incredible shots from the boards, Wade Redden's fantastic play from the point on the power play, and Petr Prucha looking snazzy in a suit and tie brought the Rangers another shutout - the 2nd in 4 games (and almost the 3rd if Markus Naslund didn't connect with 10 seconds left on Adam Graves Night).

Yet, the "coach" deploys the same players in the same situation, night after night. Gomez played 19:49 tonight, nearly an entire period of uselessness.

I can hear the axe coming for Tom Renney's head. The hammer should be falling sometime this week.

* * * 

Oh, and was that not the most boring fight you've ever seen between David Clarkson and Eric Reitz?

Henrik Lundqvist was sharp tonight, whcih was the one saving grace for them.

But seriously, Tom Renney's time is up. He's lost this team.

Ridiculous...

We all know that "coach" Tom Renney likes to keep lines intact after a win. Well, apparently he has given up on the team, because he isn't tampering with them after a 10-2 "game."

Okay, that's not entirely true. If the beat writers are to be believed (and they should be), Aaron Voros is down on the 4th line and Fred Sjostrom is up on the 3rd.

Why even play Voros? He was great, great!, in October, and has since faded to obscurity. He can't skate, barely hits, is awful on the power play, and takes bad penalties.

Yet, Petr Prucha sits. What has Voros' "size" given this team? I know I harped on this a few days ago, but it adds nothing to the lineup. It doesn't get them power play goals, that's for sure. They couldn't even score in two games against Boston or Atlanta until the 120th minute. It didn't help them not get slaughtered against Dallas.

Ridiculous.

Once again, I know Tom Renney can't do anything about the players he has on the team. But dictating ice time is his one power tool, and he has lost control of that. 

Regardless of whether he thinks Voros is a good player (and besides Voros' family, he might be the only one... which hurts me to say because I know he grew up a Ranger fan and I respect that he is living his dream in blue), wouldn't he want to shake up the lineup?

Remember when they lost in a matinee to Florida in November? It was a 4-0 horror show, and the next game, he inserted Prucha in. Prucha got the game-tying goal in the 3rd and the Rangers beat the Penguins in a shootout.

Is it really time for Renney to go? I'll give him one more game, but if he keeps deploying the same personnel (aka Voros, Scott Gomez, Wade Redden, even Michal Rozsival on the power play), then yes, it is.