Up in the Blues

Tough Loss for the BlueShirts

2010-03-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

Just got in from the game..

1 shot in the 3rd period.. really? My neck hurts from watching all the play in one end of the rink.

Terrible call on Redden. But was expected since we are playing Cindy.

Matt Cooke needed his head punched in by Shelly. Good job Torts on not playing your tough guys. When the score went 4-3, you should have unleashed a line of Avery-Prust-Shelly.

Some positives...

Drury played a great game. Was very happy with his effort. Looks like he is carrying his play over from the olympics.

Callahan will be a future captain of this team when Drurys time is up. He may only score 20 goals, and 20 assists, but he is all heart out there. Love his work ethic.

Dubinsky played a good game, but had his moments. Kid has to learn to more aggresive going to the net, and forget stickhangdling so much. May work 2 out of 10 xs, but the other 8 your gonna turn the puck over. Start shooting kid, you have a good shot.

Hank was awesome. He was going at it with Cindy all night. Guy faced 55 shots, and 2 went off his teammates skates. Anytime your goalie saves 51 shots, you have to win.

We have the softest Defense in the league. Del Zotto and Staal were the only two who used the body.

Im done with Gilroy, bring back up Potter please. Another hobey baker failure.

Honestly, im done with Torts too. This team is a train wreck and has no direction from management to coaching. I was all for Torts and his ways. But its not working out here in NY. After the season, if a good coach becomes available, id dump Torts and jump on that guy. Not sure who would be available, but should a solid guy go, time to replace Torts. Its obvious he has no system. The one thing he preached all season was "conditioning" but i have yet to see a full 60 minute effort. I mean 1 shot on goal. Thats pathetic.

Sather goes to. Cant keep finishing in the lower half of the east year in and year out and keep a job.

Dolan hopefully gets run over by a mack truck or mauled by a wild animal

Up In The Blues Report Card 20 games in

2009-11-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

Ok folks, 20 games in, lets see how this season ticket holder grades his beloved blueshirts

Artem Anisiminov - C+ - The Kid dominated the AHL last year, and has shown some great flashes, however, it will take time to really judge where he stands. He does have a nose for a net, which is something you can not teach

Sean Avery - D - What happened to Aves? Hes gone soft on us. Once a pest who threw other teams off their games, we have seen a tame Sean Avery. Are the penalties getting to him? Has Torts used a short leash? Whatever the case may be, Sean needs to use his aggression and pest like ways in order to be effective. So far, he has not been effective AT ALL.

Brian Boyle - C - Kid has tremendous size, but plays as if he was Nigel Dawes. Has performed well on the PK, but we need more now with Drury and Dubinsky out. Sadly, I dont see that production coming from the former LA King.

Donald Brashear - F - Brings nothing to the table, nuff said

Ryan Callahan - C+ - Somewhere over the summer, his scoring touch turned into cement hands. Struggling now, but no denying his heart and hustle. We need goals those, as heart and hustle will only get you so far... see Jed Ortmeyer.

Chris Drury - F - Failure as Captain and player. 7 million a year for what Blair Betts did for the league minimum.

Brandon Dubinsky - D - what happened to this kid? Is the contract holdout effecting his play? When paired with Gabby, you need to produce. Out now 4-6 weeks with a broken hand.

Marian Gaborik - A+ - As good as advertised. Without him, we are dead last. Only guy scoring. By far and wide the teams MVP. A true artist on the ice, he is worth the price of admission

Christopher Higgins - D - another guy who just cant produce. 2 goals isnt cutting the cheese. Would get an F, but part of the deal that ride of Turn Over Gomez, he gets a D for breathing.

Ales Kotalik - B - Great PP specialist, however at even strength is non existent. Will now see time on the First Line with Gabby and Vinny P. If you cant produce there, back to the 3rd line you go.

Enver Lisin - C - kid has skill, great speed, shot and work ethic. Terrible away from the puck. Which means he has to start producing more goals, or all that talent is a waste.

PA Parentau - C+ - solid few games, big shootout goal to win a game, lazy on the backcheck.

Vinny Prospal - A+ - Might be the best captain we have seen since Jagr, even though he doesnt wear the C. Vinny gets it, and has been a Torts Minion before. Love his edge, attitude and ability to mesh with Gabby. I dare you to find a better free agent pick up in the offseason.

Aaron Voros - D - more useful then Brashear, but so is Hugh Jessiman.

Michael Del Zotto - A+ - another kid who gets it. Front runner candiate for the Calder trophy, kid has a very bright future on broadway.

Matt Gilroy - B - after showing flashes of offensive brillance in the pre-season, Gilroy has worked on fine tuning his defensive game. The offense will come folks, the kid is smart and works hard, but right now, you can see him really holding back on the offense to focus on becoming a legit NHL defenseman.

Dan Giradi - C - has some great games, and some terrible games. Needs to be more consistent.

Wade Redden - B - while he is not worth the money he is making, and never will be, Wade has shown a new dedication to the team. Many games have gone by where I dont notice him on the ice, and for him thats a good thing. Has provided veteran leadership on the blueline.

Marc Staal - C - same as Giradi, just when you think he is gonna turn the season around, he has a clunker. 3 year Dman needs to start showing some snarl and consistency.

Michael Rosival - F - Garbage, the Donald Brashear of defenseman

Henrick Lundqvuist - C - An Elite goalie who hasnt lived up to that billing this year, While its true you cant win when your team scores 1-2 goals a game, his penchant for making the big save has disappeared this season.

Steven Valliquette - C - Either he shuts a team out or gets lit up. Could do worse at backup I suppose.

John Torterella - C - what happened to holding players accountable? Being a tough in your face forechecking team? Still only 40 games under his belt, but right now, he has disappointed me greatly.

Glen Sather - B - had a tremendous offseason with trades, drafting and free agent signings. Would be an A if he didnt hand out that terrible contract to Brashear.

OVERALL GRADE - D - after a hot start, this team has gone back to its lazy, spineless, gutless ways. A team who doesnt stand up for their own is a team who wont go anywhere. Looks like another long season on broadway.

Brian Leetch Night

2009-11-09T16:11:00.001-08:00

From NHL.com - who did an AMAZING write up on # 2 Brian Leetch

Brian Leetch ranks at the top of great American hockey players and the captain of the 1996 World Cup champions will receive a well-deserved honor Nov. 9 when he is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame -- even if he questions his worthiness.

"It's a funny feeling because you don't feel like you belong, especially when I look at Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille, great players that I played against. Then there're the older players that I've read about and seen highlights. It seems like they should have a separate Hall of Fame for them that you'd never be able to get into. You're happy just to make this part.

"It's going to be a humbling and strange feeling to be in the same building with so many greats of the game."

Believe us, Leetch's accomplishments are vast. He was a champion high school and prep-school hockey and baseball player while growing up in Connecticut and a member of three U.S. National Junior teams from 1985-87. He also was a member of the 1987 U.S. National team. He became a member of the 1988, 1998 and 2002 U.S. Olympic hockey teams and also was a member of the silver-medal American team in the 1991 Canada Cup.

Leetch was voted the best American player on the silver-medal team at the 2002 Olympics, and at the 1989 World Championship. He was named to the First All-Star Team at the 1987 World Junior Championship.

He played one year at Boston College and took nearly every available honor short of the Hobey Baker Award. He was the first freshman finalist for NCAA hockey's highest award. Leetch was named to the Hockey East All-Star Team and the NCAA East First All-American Team. He was the Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

"I played that year at Boston College for Len Ceglarski and the competition really improved my game," Leetch said. "I was making a big jump from prep school to college and I got a lot of ice time against guys who were three or four years older than me."

Despite all those credits, Leetch will be remembered most for his outstanding play in helping lead the New York Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup, ending a 54-year drought for the Rangers and their fans. Leetch had 34 points, including 11 goals, to lead all players in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

"My biggest memory was watching the city celebrate and embrace the team for three days. We knew it was 54 years and to see how much it meant to so many people who followed the organization through parents and grandparents," Leetch said. "Anytime I go back it's inevitable that someone says thanks for 1994. It was a great run and it meant a lot to a lot of people.

"It's always nice to go back to New York, I live in Boston now and we're very happy here, but I go back there once in a while. I sometimes forget that 1994 meant so much to a lot of people. I played so long and people remember that too. I get reminded when people thank me or say 'good to see you.'"

Leetch's 34 points during the 1994 Playoffs were the second-most ever for a defenseman, behind only Paul Coffey's 37 points in 1985. He led the Rangers with 5 goals and 6 assists in the Final against the Vancouver Canucks.

Long regarded as one of the NHL's best offensive defensemen, Leetch was on the ice for 61 of the Rangers' 81 goals in the 1994 Playoffs, including 19 of their 22 power-play goals. He had a point in each of the team's first nine playoff games and in 19 of the 23 games.

NHL awards were not rare for Leetch. The Rangers made him their first pick, ninth overall, in the 1986 Entry Draft and he debuted in 1987-88 with 23 goals and 71 goals to earn the Calder Memorial Trophy. After recovering from a broken ankle, Leetch had his most productive season in 1991-92, when he had 22 goals and 102 points and won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman.

He was the first Rangers defenseman to capture the Norris since Harry Howell in 1967. Leetch won the Norris Trophy again in 1997 when he had 20 goals and 58 assists. He was also named captain of the Rangers that season, holding the post until Mark Messier returned in 2000.

Leetch said his professional progress was greatly aided by the 1991 trade that brought Messier to New York. The two men became close friends and the leaders of the 1994 championship team.

"When Mark came to New York the first time, it couldn't have been better for me," Leetch said. "Mark is the person who had the most influence, on and off the ice, in my professional career. My parents have had the greatest influence on me, but Mark is next in line. I couldn't have a better person as a friend and teammate. I learned from him because he did such a great job.

"When he left and I became captain, it wasn't a burden for me or changed what I did."

Leetch was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs late in 2003-04 season. He finished his 18-year career with one last season with the Boston Bruins.

Leetch retired with 247 goals and 781 assists for 1028 points in 1,205 NHL games.

Leetch is a quiet, consistent person, and it was reflected in his play. But he admits that he's been riding waves of emotion since being named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in June.

"I think I've had every emotion and I'm definitely nervous," Leetch said. "They only give you four minutes (for a speech),. so I've been paring down notes. I've got at least 15 minutes worth of stuff I want to say. I'll be excited to see the guys go on the ice on Sunday. I've been skating lately, just to see how it feels again."

Leetch loved hockey and chose it over baseball for a professional career, but he never envisioned the day he'd be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

"I grew up in Connecticut and didn't know anybody who was playing in the NHL or had played," Leetch continued. "There was no way for me to compare skills. I looked at the Olympics and saw a bunch of American college kids competing with the best players from other countries. That was my far-off goal, not the NHL. Growing up where I did, you couldn't see yourself making the jump to the NHL. That was too far-fetched.

"I don't think I had any frame of reference to halls of fame until my dad, Jack, got into the Boston College Hall of Fame. I never thought about it for myself until I was about 10 years into my career and writers started to refer to me as 'a future Hall of Famer,' and I'd think to myself, 'What? I've got like what, 29 goals?'"

It's that self-deprecating approach that makes Leetch uncomfortable when compared to great offensive defensemen like Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey.

"I hate it," Leetch said. "Bobby Orr was so far ahead of everybody, it makes others look bad in comparison. Orr could do this or that that Leetch couldn't.' Bobby changed everything, right up to the way hockey was played after him. That's what I mean about a separate wing for guys like him, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, those guys who have done so much in the game. I just don't like those conversations."

Obviously, Leetch was a great competitor, a champion, but it's funny to hear from him where he got the motivation to be as good as he was.

"I didn't look at it as my competitiveness, but rather my responsibility to my teammates," Leetch said. "I got a lot of ice time and I played in important situations so I had a sense of responsibility to not let my teammates down. My motivation was my fear of failure. Maybe that's where you got a sense that I was highly competitive, but I'm not in a lot of ways. I don't always have to win at ping pong. I want to do my best, sure, but if I lose it's not going to bust up the rest of my day. Not so when I was playing hockey.”

Leetch has talked a lot about his dad, Jack, who taught him hockey and was able to give his son plenty of ice time while he managed a Connecticut hockey rink. Brian Leetch followed his dad to Boston College and has been generous in his praise of his father. Leetch was asked how his mother influenced him in life and warmed to the question.

"My mom, Jan, Janice, is the one who has kept our family together," Leetch said. "We have a lot of quiet personalities and it's my mom who is always calling and asking questions and giving pats on the back. I might not talk to my brother or sister for a month, but Mom knows everything that's going on and that's how I usually learn what's up.

"She's a warm, loving person and she passed on to her kids the importance of communication and family. She was the one who did it all the years that my dad was working and sometimes traveling a lot. It's important to have that kind of foundation. Mary Beth and I have three kids, Jack, 9, Riley, 6, and Sean, 4, and we're trying to be the same kind of supportive parents."

Ok Ok... So I havent been around... Lets Catch up..

2009-11-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Not sure where to start on this , but I do apologize for not being around to post since the start of the New Season. So I'll hit a few bullet points home, and hopefully I can continue to update this blog more often.

Season started out as a success. Gaborik lived up to the hype, and the team once again came flying out of the gate. Hank was great between the pipes, and the teams future is looking brighter then ever with 19 year old rookie Michael Del Zotto.
Ahh.. but much like every season prior, we seemed to hit a rut, and the struggles began. The low light coming when we lost to the New York/Kansas City Islanders 3-1.
Vinny Prospal has been everything and a bag of chips for this team, and was proudly awarded the second "A" on his jersey. Vinny P has played with courage, grit and is in the top 20 NHL scorers, not bad for 1.1 million a year.
For 1.4 million, you can get a 37 year old goon who only dresses every other game or so. Once again, I reiterate , TERRIBLE SIGNING.
Captain Coma, I mean Chris Drury became the most overpaid 4th line penalty killer in the history of the game. Congrats Captain Little League.
The pairing of Staal and Giradi has been somewhat of a disappointment. I believe both these players need to be split up. Let Del Zotto and Staal log 1st line minute ice time, and pair up Gilroy with Giradi.
Wade Redden has been better, and has won me over with his stellar play. Is he a 6 million + dollar defenseman? Absolutely not. However he came prepared to play for Coach Torts, and is at least showing effort to improve his game.
Did I mention this Del Zotto kid is the real deal?
Michael Rosival is a complete and utter waste of cap space. He is a horrendous fit for Coach Torts team, and the sad part is, with his hit of 5 million, expect him on this team until the trade deadline.
The 2009-2010 slogan - " New Coach, Same results"

A few more tidbits

Drury will be sidelined indefinitely with a concussion
Dubinsky will be sidelined at least 3 weeks, with what appears to be a broken hand.

What happened last night vs the Flames is inexcusable. Now grant it, this blueseat fan has been overly critical of Captain Drury on many occasions. However, no one wants to see blatant cheap shots to the head. Well, unless your wearing the Blue Shirts Jersey.

How do you not respond in any shape or form when you see YOUR CAPTAIN, get brasheared? Where are your spines or are we reverting back to our jellyfish ways.

What happens next is all teams will be lining up to take shots at Gabby, knowing fully well we don't have anyone capable OR willing to stand up for his teammates.

We are BACK! The NY RANGERS 2009-2010 Free Agent Assestment!

2009-09-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to year 2 of Up in the Blues. I intend, hopefully, to keep up as much as possible with this seasons events concerning the NY Rangers.

Now that we have that out in the open, lets begin our assessment of what Uncle Glen and gang gave us over the summer of 09.

First up is Marian Gaborik. The enigmatic RW is without a shadow of a doubt a top 5 NHL Player, WHEN he is healthy. Gaborik was a 1st rd pick of the Minnesota Wild back in 2000. He underwent hip surgery back in January, and appeared in only 17 games for the Wild in the final year of his contract.

Now, most pundits will point out that Gaborik is a delicate flower who breaks at touch. And while, his past does have a few injuries, lets look deeper into it.

2001-02 was his rookie season in the NHL, in which he played in 71 games and recorded 18 goals and 18 assists.
2002-03 - skated in 78 games and recorded 30 goals and 37 assists
2003-04 - skated in 65 games and recorded 18 goals and 22 assists
2004-05 was the lockout year ( Thanks Bettman!)
2005-06 skated in 65 games and recorded 38 goals and 28 assists
2006-07 skated in 48 games and recorded 30 goals and 27 assists
2007-08 skated in 77 games and recorded 42 goals and 41 assists
2008-09 skated in 17 games and recorded 13 goals and 10 assists

Now - based on that one can assume that he isnt exactly Chris Chelios out there - but he does average 60 games a year, and that # is dropped due to last seasons 17 game effort.

If we can get 70 games out of Gabby - pencil him in for 40-40 easily. We haven't had the likes of that since the arrival of Mr. Jaromir Jagr.

Now - after we got the finesse, Uncle Glen went out and got some brawn, in the name of Donald Brashear.

Its well stated my EXTREME DISLIKE for this man, however, after watching him skate during the pre-season, I must admit his hockey skills are above Colton Orr's ( left for Toronto ). He will provide much needed grit and occasional skill on the 4th line along with Aaron Voros ( hes been a beast in the pre-season) and Brian Boyle. That line will give other teams nightmares, and I honestly cant remember the last time the Rangers were able to tote out a line with that size and strength against opposing teams.

Ales Kotalik is up next - and he comes here after spending time in Buffalo under Lindy Ruff. Kotalik is a former line mate of Chris Drury , and one can hope that Kotalik will spark our captain and get a pulse going again for him. Kotalik is known for his shot and not being gun shy on the point come Power Play time ( or as we call it in section 420 Pee Break time ). He is a PP specialist of sorts, and will get a chance to play on the wing with Drury. The bad knock on him is he is soft in the corners, something that will undoubtedly get him on Torts good side.

Enver Lisin, who I have pegged as my "boy" this preseason, came over from Phoenix in exchange for Lauri Korpokski ( Don Maloney's love child, im convinced ). Lisin has Radek Dvorak's speed, except he isnt afraid to go into the traffic areas. Keep an eye out on him kids, he needs a little more time , and he will become a very solid player.

Vinny Prospal was a late summer addition after Tampa Bay bought out his contract. So what does that mean for us? We get a very good 2 way player, who has EXCELLED under coach Torts, for dirt cheap ( 1.1 for 1 yr ). Prospal has been the best veteran forward in camp, and has earned himself a chance at playing on the 1st line here on Broadway.

Next up tomorrow will be my take on all the young kids in camp.

4 years ago...

2009-07-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

Our prospects looked like this..

RANGERS PROSPECTS ATTENDING CALGARY DEVELOPMENT CAMP:

GOALTENDERS:
Chris Holt
Jason LaBarbera
Alvaro Montoya

DEFENSEMEN:
Ivan Baranka
Nate Guenin
David Liffiton
Jonathan Paiement
Thomas Pöck
Corey Potter
Rory Rawlyk
Dylan Reese
Danny Syvret
Jake Taylor

FORWARDS:
Zdenek Bahensky
Dane Byers
Ryan Callahan
Nigel Dawes
Ivan Dornic
Brandon Dubinsky
Lee Falardeau
Rob Flynn
Jordan Foote
Trevor Gillies
Bruce Graham
Dwight Helminen
Ryan Hollweg
Hugh Jessiman
Marcus Jonasen
Rick Kozak
Greg Moore
Darin Olver
Jakub Petruzalek
Roman Psurny
Ken Roche
Juris Stals
Mike Walsh

Whose left in the FA pool?

2009-07-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

Besides some of the names we have mentioned, here is a list of FREE AGENTS we would consider good finders here at Up in the Blues...

Francois Beauchemin - coming off a torn ACL - he can be a project for the 2010 season... sign him now, and see what you can do - maybe makes a return for a playoff push. Owns one of the hardest point shots in the NHL. Usually keeps the game simple from the back end. Uses his 6-0 frame to punish onrushing forwards.

Brandon Bell - another guy who can in and compete, and is 26. Owns plenty of offensive upside and the mobility to succeed in a wide-open system. Has improved his defensive-zone coverage at the minor-pro level. Might work well in Torts system. ( RFA )

Marc-Andre Bergeon - Has the ability to rack up points if given enough ice time. Makes a crisp first pass out of the defensive zone and joins the rush with aplomb. Powerplay Specialist - and lets face it folks - we suck on the PP.

Tyler Bouck - Is versatile, pesky and a sound defensive forward. Always gives maximum effort. Displays sound work ethic.

Nick Boyton - Plays a physical game and loves a heavy workload. Reliable in the defensive zone. Smooth skater and sound puck-handler. Possesses a hard, accurate shot from the point.

Dan Cloutier - and play him vs the Islanders - seriously though - if he can accept a backup job at league minimum - it would a MASSIVE upgrade over beachboy Valli.

Kurt Foster - Has a tremendous shot from the point and the potential to become a physical force from the back end--due to an imposing frame.

Jaime Lundmark - Why the hell not....

Travis Moen -Has good size and a sound work ethic. Possesses team skills and is a solid role player. Kills penalties with aplomb and adds toughness to the lineup.

Brandon Morrison - Is an excellent skater and playmaker. Has racked up points at every level. Is an important player on special teams and a decent face-off man

Joe Sakic - Owns one of the league's best wrist shots. Has smooth skating ability and crafty playmaking skills. Sees the ice well and is rarely out of position. - 10 yrs too late maybe.. but a 1 yr deal - maybe he helps drury rekindle his touch

Rangers make push for Koivu

2009-07-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

http://insidepittsburghsports.com/story/nhl-free-agency-frenzy/13682/

The Wild remain front runners for Saku Koivu, but the NY Rangers are making a strong late push for the veteran centerman.

More to come...

Rangers Land Gaborik.....

2009-07-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Love the signing - hate the money.

Hes not proven hes a 7.5 million dollar player. Can he be? Yes... Should have worked for it.. absolutely.

Not the end of the world - if he stays healthy - he can break 80 pts and adds a dynamic we havent had since Jagr.

From TSN.Ca-

Gaborik played his entire seven-year career with the Wild, scoring 219 goals and 437 points in 502 games. Injuries limited Gaborik to just 13 goals and 23 points in 17 games this season. Gaborik set career highs in goals (42), assists (41) and points (83) in 77 games during the 2007-2008 campaign.

The 27-year-old was Minnesota's first pick (third overall) at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Before we get excited its July 1st..

2009-07-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

The free agents that we have signed the last 10 years:

Theo Fleury
Val Kamensky
Sylvain Lefebvre
Stephane Quintal
Kirk McLean
Tim Taylor
Ray Ferraro
Bruce Driver
John MacLean
Bobby Holik
Darius Kasparaitis
Wade Redden
Chris Drury
Scott Gomez
Brendan Shanahan
Martin Rucinsky
Steve Rucchin
Vladimir Malakhov
Mark Messier (the sequel)
Aaron Voros
Markus Naslund
Martin Straka
Jason Strudwick
Alex Gusarov
Dave Karpa
Matt Cullen
Dan Girardi
Marek Malik
Michael Nylander
Michal Rozsival
Aaron Ward
Jason Ward
Kevin Weekes
Greg DeVries
Chris Simon
Ted Donato
Zdeno Ciger
Barrett Heisten
Steve McKenna
Igor Ulanov

I know... it inspires a ton of confidence in Lord Sather

Rangers trade Gomez, acquire Chris Higgins and 2 defensive prospects.

2009-06-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

The NY Rangers have acquired winger Chris Higgins along with defenseman Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh, and Pavel Valentenko in exchange for Scott Gomez, Tommy Pyatt and Mike Busto.

Gomez, signed in 2005 to one of the worst contracts in NHL History, has been largely a disappointment in NY. Known for his speed and play making ability, Gomez never settled down here in NY. He is coming off a down season for the Rangers, finishing with 58 points, his lowest total since 2002-2003.

Higgins, a 26-year-old restricted free agent winger, also struggled in 2008-2009, scoring a career-low 23 points in 57 games as he missed a combined 25 games with hand and groin injuries. However , Chris has major upside and a cheaper contract. He has tremendous quickness and two-way aplomb. Can line up anywhere and be used in virtually any game situation. Owns above-average offensive upside.

Higgins recorded three straight seasons of at least 20 goals and he'll be a more economical option for the Rangers as he earned $1.7-million last season.

McDonagh, 20, was Montreal's first-round pick in 2007. He is a defenseman with the offensive skill to rush the puck and gain the offensive zone. Has a quick first step, makes quick and accurate passes out of the defensive zone, and shows a good shot from the point. Has the ability to dominate games but still shows the inconsistency of a young player in some of his decision making.

Valentenko, 22, has good size at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, but left the Canadiens' farm team in Hamilton early last season to play for Moscow Dynamo in the KHL, where he finished with one assist in eight games.

Credit TSN.Ca.

Latest on Danny Boy

2009-06-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

From Bob Mckenzie at tsn.ca

Dany Heatley could be traded before July 1, but it's going to take a significant offer from the New York Rangers or the Edmonton Oilers -- the two clubs seemingly most interested in the goal-scoring winger -- to get it done.

Sources say the Ottawa Senators do not have a trade offer from those teams, or anyone else, that is deemed worth of acceptance and the list of suitors looks as though it's getting shorter rather than longer. The St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings appear to have pulled out of the sweepstakes, leaving the Rangers, Oilers and Sharks as considerations.

Heatley is owed a $4 million signing bonus on July 1. If the Senators pay it, and absent an improved trade they will have to, Ottawa may simply decide to hold onto Heatley in spite of his desire to play elsewhere or the post-July 1 acquisition price will go up accordingly and the team getting Heatley may have to take back other players in order for Ottawa to reconcile their accounts.

The UFA List - your Guide to July 1st

2009-06-28T22:07:00.001-07:00

Who should we target... Here is the Up in the Blues Shopping list for July 1st

Ales Kotalik - RW - 30 yrs old - Has good size and sound offensive instincts. Can score goals in bunches and owns a howitzer of a shot.
Chris Neil - RW - 31 yrs old - Never backs down from a challenge and always gives maximum effort on the ice. Has the makings of a solid team player.
Jason Williams -C - 29 yrs old - Is gifted and savvy. Can put up solid numbers and works well with talented linemates. Is very useful on the power play and can even play the point
Travis Moen - LW - 28 yrs old - Has good size and a sound work ethic. Possesses team skills and is a solid role player. Kills penalties with aplomb and adds toughness to the lineup
Jodan Leopold - D - 28 yrs old - Owns untapped offensive potential. Moves the puck quickly out of danger and likes to start the transition game. Is positionally sound. Can log big minutes

I know the names Gaborik and Hossa will come up - but right now this team needs quality role players to give depth throughout the lineup.

Draft Day - Day 2 - What did Lord Sather bring us?

2009-06-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

On Day 2 of the NHL Draft 2009, the NY Rangers drafted a legends son and made one deal.

The deal that was made was struck with the LA Kings. The NY Rangers shipped off a 3rd pick in the 2010 draft for Brian Boyle. Boyle is a 6"7 250lb center, who was a former 1st rd pick for the Kings.

Boyle has some upside, but most scouts will tell you he is projected as a 3rd line center. After reading some Kings boards about the kid, he seems to play like he is 5"10 and not 6"7. The scouting report is that he has impressive size and the ability to play an all-around game. A natural center, he's also able to play defense. Is a tremendous athlete.

In other news and rumors....

The Rangers did not qualify Betts or Sjostrom - which means they are all but gone from the team. Small rumor going around that Betts will be traded prior to July 1 to be reunited with Tom Renney up in Edmonton. Here at Up in the Blues, we wish both players success, as they were one of the few bright spots in a dark season.
Nik Zherdev was qualified - which means - if another team would resign him, the compensation would go as follows :

Compensation Due

$863,156 or less: None

$863,156 - $1,307,811: 3rd round pick

$1,307,811 - $2,615,623: 2nd round pick

$2,615,623 - $3,923,434: 1st and 3rd round pick

$3,923,434 - $5,231,246: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick

$5,231,246 - $6,539,061: Two 1st's, one 2nd, one 3rd round pick

$6,539,061 or more: Four 1st round picks

As for the Rangers draft picks on day 2, here is how it went...

Round 2 Pick 47 - Ethan Werek - Center - Ethan Werek is a combination of offense and grit. He isn’t particularly quick by any means, but he has decent skating ability once he gets going. He scores most of his goals down low, utilizing his decent hands and reach to finish. As he still seems to be growing, he hasn’t quite learned to utilize his size yet. He does shoot the puck fairly well though, and his passing is above average. He goes strong to the net on the offensive rush, looking for goalmouth feeds or rebound opportunities. He’s not afraid to muck it up along the boards.

However, his defensive game could use some work, as he is occasionally caught out of position in his own zone. He also takes a fair amount of undisciplined penalties.

Werek has had a solid rookie campaign for the struggling Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League, and could reach 30 goals this season. He could afford to fill out his frame a little bit more and improve his quickness in order to adjust to the bigger, faster NHL.

Round 3 - Pick 80 - Ryan Bourque - Center - Ryan Bourque is an interesting pick as the son of Ray Bourque is going to have to listen to how great a player his father was. Stop those thoughts right there because other than the last name and the drive to work hard there is nothing in common.

Bourque nobody is going to question his offensive skill but if people were worried about Prucha or Dawe's size then Bourque is even smaller. In a division where physical play is on the upswing then Bourque who is 5'9 170 is going to need to a bodyguard.

Bourque is going to be a playmaker at the NHL level if he gets there but there are concerns about his ability to play defense as there have been with anyone who is Bourque's size.

Bourque is going to play for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL rather than attend the University of New Hampshire. It is a move we like because Bourque will get a chance to show he can play against the goons and be forced out of a comfort zone.

Round 5 - Pick 127 - Roman Harek- Center - Horak has a lot of offensive skill and breakaway speed, but the rest of his game needs work. He doesn't put in much effort when he doesn't have the puck.

Round 5 - Pick 140 - Scott Stajcer - Goalie - He's an unflappable goalie. To put it bluntly, he just makes saves. He forces guys into taking perfect shots and he's got unbelievable size and NHL guys always tend to gravitate towards those types of players

Round 6- Pick 190 - Daniel Maggio - Defense - six-foot-two, 198-pound defenceman, Sudbury Wolves (Final Central Bureau Ranking North America
189th)"He plays hard and has good size. He needs to play more and keep developing himself

Maggio is a stay at home defender who will play the body and he plays for Mike Foligno who has a proven track record of producing NHL talent. There is also one other detail which encourages us; our experience with teams that have former Ranger defensemen as assistant coaches.

The Wolves just hired Jeff Beukeboom from the Barrie Colts to become an assistant coach. We have no doubt that if Maggio's knee is sound and he works as hard as his new coach used to then the Rangers might have themselves a steal here.

Round 7 - Pick 200 - Mihail Pashin - Defense - With their final pick (#200) in this weekend’s NHL Entry Draft the New York Rangers selected 20-year old Russian defenseman Mikhail Pashnin from Chelyabinsk Mechel of the Russian second league. It was quite a drop for the young blueliner, who earlier this month became the first overall pick in the inaugural KHL entry draft, during which teams selected players from a pool of non-KHL affiliated junior clubs and international leagues or KHL-schooled players under 22 years of age who were no longer contractually obligated their KHL club. (In other words, KHL teams were allowed to protect the top players from their own developmental systems, making it a bit of a “best of the rest” situation.)

Pashnin was selected by Sergei Nemchinov’s CSKA Moscow, which traded their top three picks in the four round draft in order to secure the first pick overall and take the highly sought after defenseman. Nemchinov, who serves as coach and general manager of CSKA, has coached Pashnin as part of Russia’s U20 junior team for the better part of two years, and has long been a fan of his aggressive style and strong character.

A defensive-minded defenseman, Pashnin plays a hard-nosed, physical game despite his somewhat undersized 5′11″, 187-pound frame. He likes to hit and is tough along the boards and in front of the net. Based on various reports in the Russian press, he’s got a good outlet pass and an accurate shot, but not a whole lot of offensive upside. In 32 games last season, he put up four goals and 12 assists for 16 points, adding 32 penalty minutes. An intelligent player, Pashnin will spend his summer studying to be a mechanical engineer at Chelyabinsk’s state agricultural and engineering university while preparing for what he hopes will be his first season in the KHL.

Special Thanks to Beyond the Blueshirts, Sportsnet.ca,Hockeyfutures.com and NHL.com for the scouting reports for these players.

With the 19th pick... the New York Rangers Select..

2009-06-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

Chris Kreider

NHL Central Scouting's Gary Eggleston: "Chris is an excellent skater with explosive speed and acceleration. His short-distance speed is exceptional. He sees the play ahead of time and knows what he's going to do with the puck as soon as he gets it. He is an excellent passer and playmaker. His foot speed, combined with his anticipation and quick stick, gives him the ability to create turnovers and gain puck possession. He is a constant threat to develop breakaways on the penalty-killing unit. He has both an excellent wrist and slap shot, which he disguises well and releases quickly. He can score goals in a number of ways."

The 6-foot-2, 205 pound Kreider, is a junior, but committed to Boston College. "He's gonna be a one or two year player wherever he goes," said Clark. "That's for his family and advisors to decide. He's a very intelligent kid. He can shoot a puck at full speed from the tops of the circle. He gets a lot of breakaways because he's so bloody fast. He's got that Alexander Mogilny-type speed. He's going to a great school. He can get the puck almost anytime he wants. We tried to move up to get him, as one of they guys we were keying on. We tried four or five teams and they were happy with what they had. So many teams had this guy in to test him. Everybody was there watching him through the year."

Draft Day Eve

2009-06-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

As we approach Draft Day 2009, I am left with an empty feeling. History has shown that draft day is often a thud for the NY Ranger Organization. Sure, we have had a few big time hits ( Leetch, Richter, Staal and Lundqvuist all come to mind ), but the old saying goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

So what do we have to REALLY look forward to come Draft Day. Two words - SALARY DUMPING.

Its time for Lord Sather to start dumping of the Salaries of Redden and one of the 3 amigos ( Gomez, Drury or Rosival ).

Theres a ton of rumors circulating out there. Once we get confirmation here at Up in the Blues, we will be sure to post it. For now , here are some prospects the Rangers should be looking to get...

1 - Zack Kassain - Scouting Report
NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards: "Kassian is one of the toughest guys in the OHL and probably the entire draft. Last season as an under-ager there were overage guys in the league who would not take him on. He has not fought much this season (because) he has not had to. He is at his best when he is playing physical and tough along the boards. He protects the puck very well and fights through checks. He has very good play-making and puck-handling abilities."

2 - Carter Ashton - ranked No. 12 by NHL Central Scouting in its final rating of North American skaters, led the Hurricanes with 30 goals, including 10 on the power play, and was the team's fifth-leading scorer with 50 points. A solid 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he starred at the NHL Scouting Combine. Ashton had the highest average grip strength, at 156 pounds for each hand, and had the highest push strength at 352 pounds.

"Power forward, power forward, power forward," said E.J. McGuire, the director of NHL Central Scouting. "He works the corners, works the front of the net, all the tough areas, with skill. He had 30 goals and 20 assists, and his 93 penalty minutes shows he's not afraid to mix it up. If those people try to move him out with authority, he asserts his right to that kind of territory. He has great focus and he finishes checks. Carter Ashton is going to be a power forward in the National Hockey League."

2009-06-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

from hockey-bums.com

Reports are coming out tonight from a very unreliable source in New York that the New York Rangers have acquired Dany Heatley. The Rangers reportedly have dealt Michal Roszival,Nikolai Zherdev, Defensive prospect Cory Potter, a 1st and 5th Round pick in exchange for Dany Heatley. This is Not official as of yet.

15 Years ago today... The Guarentee!

2009-05-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon - More Ranger News !!!

2009-05-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Game 1 goes to the Good Guys

2009-04-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

"It was unfortunate for us," Green said. "They got some lucky shots."

Really Mikey? Lucky Shots? Did you attend the same game the rest of the world watched? Cause, I gotta be honest Mikey - your way off base here.

And, lets say they were "lucky shots" - whats that say about Jose Threeormore.

Folks, I've rode the Rangers hard this season. Ive been all over them for many things. From Management on down, no one was spared.

Tonight, is not one of those nights. The Heroes from Broadway where sensational all night long. While, they stumbled out of the gate, it was no doubt due to the Refs tripping their feet from the start.

How do you make such a petty call 10 seconds into a playoff game?

The first period, the Caps were flying, but the Rangers played rope a dope with them. Taking their best shots, and standing firm. Henrik Lundqvuist was unconscious all night. Hank made some crazy saves.

None being more important that the skate save after Fleishcmans PP goal, on another shaky call by the zebras. Shortly after, Gomez scored to knot it 1-1, when it could have easily been a 2-0 deficit. Before you knew it, it became 3-1, and things were looking solid going into the third period.

The Blueshirts DOMINATED the 2nd period , well 19:30 seconds of it.

Then, the third period opens, and BOOM, another Caps goal, and the 3-1 lead was no more. Credit the Rangers here folks. For this team many times in the past, this team had folded when adversity hit. Not tonight, not on the road, not in the playoffs.

Brandon Dubinsky, which, could very well be his stepping stone into the upper echelon of players, made a silly move around Schultz, and lasered a shot past Jose Threeormore.

Then, much like all night, the Bodies hit the Floor. Blocking shots, sacrificing their bodies to move the puck, staying disclipined. It was quite the sight, and one that hasn't been the norm on the season.

But if the Rangers are ready to play their best hockey now, then we are in for a fun ride.

A quick note - Playoff Preview on the Way !

2009-04-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Its well established my disdain for Glenny Boy.

But alot of the blame has to be directed at James Dolan who gets googly eyed over a big name. To say it was JUST Sather who signed those players in the first 4 yrs would be completely wrong. Dolan had a mandate for big names, regardless of the cost. Same theory applied to the Knicks.

Now, The game may have passed Sather bye. And he certainly does himself no favors by being hidden at all times. Also didn't help he blamed the fans the year before the lockout.

The Leetch saga also put a major dent in the mans credibility in the eyes of Ranger Fans as well.

Do I think Sather should be the GM past this year? No... I agree his time is up. But I don't think he was a total failure, all joking aside. He did start a decent rebuilding process ( one that could have been done better, but hindsight is 20-20). He signed the wrong players to the wrong contracts.

But Raise of Hand, and be honest, if you thought July 1st, 2007 wasn't seen as a coupe with Drury and Gomez. I wasn't totally sold on Gomez, but I wanted Drury really bad.

I was wrong, Sather was wrong. What makes those moves worse were the contracts he handed out to Naslund, Redden and Rosival this past offseason with the remaining cap space he did have. That's where Sather totally lost the fan base. ( or at least 99% of it ).

Prior to this season, the Fire Sather talk had died down to a whisper. When we started 10-2, it was quiet. Now a full season under our belts, and the look of the future ( cap wise ) looking bleak, its easy again to point fingers at Sather, and rightfully so. He is the president of the team.

So it has be written, So it shall be told... Rangers vs the Washington Ovechkins

2009-04-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

Now, the waiting is over, the New York Rangers have not only clinched the playoff berth ( done on Thursday when Hank beat the Phility Flyers ), but we now know we will be squaring off vs the Washington Ovechkins.

The last time the Rangers played the Capitals in the playoffs, was 1994, in the second round of the playoffs, where the Rangers took the series 4-1. In true dominating fashion nonetheless.

This time, it will be different, as the Capitals are the # 2 seed. They are LOADED with offensive talent. Besides Alexander the Great, they have Alex 2 - otherwise known as Alex Semin. On the blue line, they have All-Star Mike Green, who has more goals then any current Ranger. ( again, Green is a defenseman )

But they are a flawed team. Goaltending and a swiss cheese defense is a major concern ( Tom Poti is on the blue line for them ).

What does this all mean? Well - means the Rangers for one round at least, escaped the machine known as the Bruins.

We will be back before the playoffs with a detailed breakdown of this matchup. For now, Happy Easter and Passover everyone.

JUST WIN BABY!!!

2009-04-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

Not a long Post today - Win and In.

Orr Wins!

Playoff Situation - How it Shakes out

2009-04-07T23:13:00.001-07:00

From HockeyRodent.com - ( one of the better blogs out there )

The only possible way Buffalo earns a berth is if NYR folds completely and the Sabres run their table and the Panthers get two points or fewer. If NYR gains so much as one point, it's over upstate.

The Rangers can clinch a berth with one more victory, be it in regulation or extra time. Even if Florida wins out, the Blueshirts would have one more victory than the Panthers and that's the first tiebreaker.

Now earning two points with consecutive overtime or shootout losses to Philadelphia won't necessarily work for New York. If Florida beats Atlanta and Washington, they'd match NYR with points and wins. But the cats own the season series with Gotham. So they'd vault MSG's Finest in the standings.

That might still work out okay as long as Montreal loses both their games in regulation. The Canadiens own the season series with New York by way of goal-differential. So two points for NYR against none for Montreal drops the Canadiens out of contention.

What if NYR gains just one standings point by Sunday night?

That clinches a berth for Montreal, ends the Sabres' season and leaves Gotham at the mercy of Florida who could edge out your heroes with a four-point finish.

What if NYR loses both remaining games in regulation?

Habs are in, fersure. Florida would need just three more standings points to oust the Broadway Blues. Or... Buffalo could do that with three wins

So what went wrong this season?

2009-04-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

In the coming weeks, many will ponder what went wrong. Most will point to the offense and the Power Play and they would be correct.

But those people will just say that and not give you a base for that criticism. Here, at Up In The Blues, we will.

We have the least amount of PP goals at 36 on 5 on 4 situations

5 on 3 - we are at 6 goals ( ranks 12th )

4 on 4 - we are at 9 goals ( ranks 6th )

5 on 5 - we are 123 goals ( ranks 26th)

we are 191 goals for the season ( 2nd to last ) and 2.42 goals a game ( 2nd to last as well )

On the flip side

we are 6th in goals against - which ranks us 6th.

out of the teams ahead of us

1- Boston ( Thomas has been awesome , no doubt - so has Fernandez )

2 - Minny ( plays a Renney style system )

3 - San Jose ( great goalie, GREAT OFFENSE ) - we would be with San Jose if we had an offense

4 - Devils - ( doesn't matter who is in net, team just knows how to win in the regular season )

5 - Chicago ( starting to come back to earth, but this team has an ABUNDANCE of youth, and is how you rebuild in a only a short period of time )

6 - NEW YORK RANGERS

Powerplay

2nd worse in the league at 14.3%

47 PP goals ( T-29th in league )

14 short handed goals allowed ( 29th in league ) - only team to allow a 5 on 3 goal

Now, some will be quick to point out Hank has been less then stellar in recent weeks, and that would be true - but lets look at the overall picture.

Wins - 35 ( ranks 5th )

GAA - 2.46 ( ranks 12th)

Shots Against - 1913 ( ranks 5th)

Goals Against - 163

Saves - 1750 ( ranks 5th)

Save % - .915

Total Ice Time - 3rd in the league

Out of the 5 goalies with the most minutes, here are there GAA

1 - Turco - GAA 2.82
2 - Kipper - GAA - 2.84
3 - HANK - GAA - 2.46
4 - Backstrom - GAA 2.33
5 - Cam Ward - GAA 2.44

In shootouts, Hank is 9-4 this year ( Best in the NHL )

Out of his 32 losses, 28 of those the Rangers have scored 2 goals or less

6 of those have been losses when the Rangers were shutout

President Obama - The NY Rangers need Bailout Money.

2009-04-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Dear President Obama,

I write to you today on behalf of my favorite team in pro sports. See, I am a regular guy, making a decent salary in a middle management role. I work hard for my money, and spend wisely. One of the great joys in life I get is being a fan of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League.

Ive said my pennies and a few years back became a season subscriber. Being able to see my team live, has often eased the stress of the grind known as work. In the current times we are living in, I believe we all need some form of stress relief.

Except, Mr. President, watching my team has made me even more stressed. I see, a bunch of millionaires playing a game I love for money! I pay to play every Friday at the local recreational league. These guys are being paid to play!

And President Obama, there are 3 very big culprits in this. Let me fill you in on who I am speaking about before I make my request.

President/GM Glen Sather - Mr. President, as you know, holding a position of power is nothing something to take lightly. In order to do your job as President, you have to be willing to put in 25 hour work days, research both your enemies and allies, and see every decision thru. Well, President Obama, Mr. Sather has done none of the above. He has spent foolishly, much like the AIG execs. He has not done his homework, and brought in players who are making too much money, much like AIG staff who received large sums of bonuses with the taxpayer dollars. And President Obama, he has continually eroded the future by making poor decision after poor decision. Mr. Sather is being paid 5 million per season.
Wade Redden - This is a dozy Mr. President. Wade Redden is 31 years old, and making 6.5 million dollars a year. Before he was brought to the NY Rangers, he was located in Ottawa, north of the border. Again, I repeat, he is making 6.5 million dollars a year. Mr. Redden has been a complete disaster for our team. Mr. President, what makes it worse is that he has shown no signs of correcting his mistakes or taking accountability, much like you talked about in your inauguration speech. Tonight, for example, he was lazy on what turned out to be the game winning goal, in what can be deemed as the most crucial game of the year.
Chris Drury - This was suppose to be your type of guy Mr. President. All - American, hard working, blue collar guy. He was once everything you asked for in an American, he even won a LiL League World Series in 1989. Since coming to the NY Rangers however, he has become everything but what he once was. He is no longer Mr. Clutch, more like Mr. Invisible. And, to boot President Obama, he is currently making 7 million a year.!

So , as you can see Mr. President, the New York Rangers are in need of an 18.5 million dollar bailout ( Sather 5mm + Redden 6.5 + Drury 7 mm = 18.5 mm ). The New York fans are the most loyal in all of sports, and we are suffering. We suffer due to the economic issues, and our one piece of happiness is being stolen away by these 3 thieves.

I hope this letter reaches you. Kudos to you and your first 100 days.

Pessimistic in NY,
A Disgruntled NY Rangers Fan

PS.... if you find any extra room in your budget, we would also like to buy the Dolans from Cablevision. But , that's a separate letter entirely.

Rangers nominate Betts for the Masteron Award

2009-04-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one player in competition. It is often awarded to a player who has come back from career- or even life-threatening illness or injury. A player can win this trophy only once in his career.

Blair Betts has neither come back from a career or life threatening injury. However, what Mr. Betts does provide is what qualifies him for this award.

Blair Betts is the 4th line center. He is often asked to take crucial faceoffs and kill penalties. Stats not for the fantasy hockey players of the world. Betts , every night , plays as if he will not have a job tomorrow.

Betts was acquired during the great purge of 04, along with Greg Moore and Jaime McLennan for Chris Simon and a 7th rd draft pick.

Blair Betts blocks shots with reckless abandon. Blair may not score more then 5 goals in a season, but his contributions go far beyond those stats.

Every team needs a Blair Betts. He is a team guy, He is a guy who you want to go to war with. He is a guy who does the little things that some of the stars these days forget and are so crucial to getting a W.

Tom Renney relied on Betts for major minutes for the opponents top lines, with Betts often coming out on top. Torts uses him and Sjostrom on the PK first unit, and its no coincidence we are top 5 in penalty killing.

While Blair Betts may not win this award - he has won over many of the garden faithful and more importantly his teammates. He is a true Ranger. He is everything we the fans seek in a hockey player. Hard working, blue collar, bring your lunchpail type.

He may never get his number up in the rafters, but if the Rangers are to go about a winning a cup in the upcoming years, they would be wise to keep Mr. Betts on board for when the battles become wars. He is just the type of guy you want in that foxhole with you.

Former winners:

2000–01 — Adam Graves — New York Rangers — Awarded for all-around dedication to hockey
2001–02 — Saku Koivu — Montréal Canadiens — Overcame non-Hodgkin lymphoma
2002–03 — Steve Yzerman — Detroit Red Wings — Eventually overcame several health problems, but played only a small part of the 2002-03 NHL season
2003–04 — Bryan Berard — Chicago Blackhawks — Overcame an eye injury that rendered the eye legally blind.

2005–06 — Teemu Selänne — Mighty Ducks of Anaheim — Overcame major knee surgery to score 90 points
2006–07 — Phil Kessel — Boston Bruins — Missed 12 games because of testicular cancer mid season.
2007–08 — Jason Blake — Toronto Maple Leafs — Was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia but still played a full 82-game season.

Take that Fatso!

2009-03-31T05:47:00.001-07:00

Last night at MSG - the 2008-2009 NY Rangers played like a team who can do damage in the playoffs. 60 minutes of total effort and complete dominance of the NJ Devils was on the menu.

They won loose puck battles, they pelted Marty with shots, they hit, they skated and they put the puck behind Mr. Brodeur.

It was a complete team effort, something many of us have been searching for. Scott Gomez - Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery were once again , for lack of better words - AWESOME.

This line under Torts tutelage, has become one of the best in the game recently. Gomez is playing with a new found passion, taking the puck with desire and direction. Cally has 8 goals in 14 games ( which would put him on pace for 47 over the regular season ) and Avery has been nothing short of fantastic.

The devils once again, in a big spot vs the Rangers pulled up lame. Hank now goes 14-2-4 overall head to head vs Mr. Marty.

Avery was in their heads the entire night. On Cally's goal, the Rangers broke in 3 on 3. Gomez had the puck on the far side, and Avery then made a b-line for the net, drawing 2 Devil players with him. That left Cally wide open on the off wing Gomez made a great pass, and Cally converted.

It was Avery that drew the 2 players that allowed the play to develop.

Then, in the third, the Devils showed true class by continually to attack Avery. Clarkson, tossed Avery down TWO times, and Rupp with 10 seconds left in the game, took a cheap shot.

Avery on Clarkson's roughing him up and twice tossing him to the ice, without retaliation: "It's a 3-0 game at that point and I don't think there's anything to gain by doing anything at that point. It certainly takes discipline for sure. You fight for your team and your teammates. At that point, I didn't need to fight for either of them."

Sounds like Gotham's favorite pest has a little bit of Captain in him these days.

Avery vs Brodeur - 2009 Edition

2009-03-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight is just not another night at MSG. Tonight will be as close to a playoff atmosphere as you will get during the regular season.

The Avery vs Brodeur Show comes to town.

The Rangers are 2 points away from once again being out of the playoffs. The Devils are on a 4 game losing streak.

Do you think they need an extra motivation tonight? If the Rangers don't adjust and play smart, they will be humiliated at MSG.

In other related Ranger News -

Michael Rosival is scheduled to begin skating again this week, and hopes to play Thursday vs Carolina
Mike Sauer was sent back to the AHL, and the Rangers recalled Corey Potter.
Torts is hoping the NHL looks into how bad the officiating has been concerning the calls for and against Sean Avery.

Speaking of bad/corrupt officiating. My buddy Joe ( who is the Max Kellerman of the forum ) from the New York Rangers Cafe , has come up with some interesting numbers concerning officiating during Penguins games :

Before Sidney was in the NHL, Penguins Power-play opportunity rank:

00-01: 15th
01-02: 19th
02-03: 16th
03-04: 10th

With Sidney in the NHL, Penguins Power-play opportunity rank:

05-06: 11th
06-07: 1st
07-08: 4th
08-09: 6th

and

In the last three seasons, whenever the Rangers play the Penguins the Rangers have been called for 43 minors in the 3rd period while the Penguins have been called for 29.

Time for Wade Redden Experiment to End

2009-03-28T17:46:00.001-07:00

To say that Wade Redden signing has been a disaster would be an understatement. Mr.Redden, has been an albatross. This man is committing the biggest robbery in NYC in quite sometime. And to boot, he is doing it in broad daylight.

The Ottawa Citizen has said the following :

Although it seems like a very long time ago now, in the late-1990s and early-2000s Redden was among the NHL's best half dozen defenseman, a master of the quick outlet pass to a streaking forward and a power-play specialist who scored 17 goals in 2003-04.
And as hard as it is to imagine five years later, Redden did not look out of place on the team of all-star Canadians that won the World Cup in 2004.
By the time he arrived in New York last fall, however, Redden was only a shadow of that player. Everyone has a theory about why. The most popular suggests he's never trained hard enough, relying instead on skills that eroded rapidly with age.
Whatever the reason, New Yorkers weren't interested in anything except results. There is nothing they love more than a sports hero except, perhaps, the chance to excoriate a well-paid sports hero who is underachieving.

Well - Mr.Sather, here is my question. WHAT IN THE GOOD NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY DID YOU SIGN THIS MAN TO A 6 YEAR DEAL WORTH 39 MILLION DOLLARS?

Yes, folks , that's 6 million a year for a player, who HIMSELF has said " Ive never trained hard enough".

Wade Redden is the worst free agent signing EVER in the salary cap era. Even if the Rangers were to buy Mr. Redden out, he would cost us 3.25 million for the next 10 years towards the cap.

We could ship him to Hartford, let him rot there for the next 5 years, and the contract would be off our hands, but Jimmy Dolan would still be paying his lavish contract.

We could attempt to find another GM willing to take " change of scenery " and trade Wade for pennies on the dollar. Ill take a 7th rd pick in 2084 and feel like its a steal.

Today, in Pittsburgh, as per usual, Mr Redden was clearly outmatched vs a powerful offensive team. Crosby, Bettman's son ( I'm convinced ), took the puck in a one on one situation with Redden, and the rest is history. 4-3 Penguins. Heartbreaking loss, considering it leaves only a 7th or 8th seed for the taking. Which then means, a 1st round matchup with the Devils or Bruins looms.

"WE SUCKED TONIGHT"

2009-03-26T21:44:00.001-07:00

So says Coach Torts. This team, going into night in the drivers position still.

There was a team who forechecked feverishly. There was a team that gave it everything that had. There was a team, who after the game could say " I left it all on the rink ".

And then there was the Rangers.

What an absolute disgrace tonight was for this team. I mean completely disgusting. A team, who is fighting to stay in the playoff race, needs to come out and squash a lowly Thrasher team.

From the get go, you could sense it was a weird game. Penalties galore. Each team looking to hand the game to each other, and neither would take hold, like a game of hot potato.

Then, the Rangers get a 5 on 3. Time to nip this in the bud early you thought. Except, once again, a NY Ranger player had a brain fart, and caused a too many men on the ice penalty.

Dumb mistakes have been the Achilles heel. This is nothing a coach can teach.

Then, there was Wade Redden, who was consistently out of positon all night. Except, since he doesn't play anymore vs top lines, the Staal/Giradi combo decided to follow suit and come up with a stinker. Mara and Sauer were OK, but didn't stand out.

Forwards played a good game for the most part - but good isn't great, and if they want to be a playoff team, they have to be great the rest of the way, cause theres no more softballs on their schedule.

Here's the look of it :

@ Pitts
vs Devils
@ Hurricanes
@ Bruins
vs MTL
@ Philly
vs Philly

If your gonna play like this vs Atl. Whats going to happen vs a red hot Pittsburgh and Canes team? Vs a Devils team who is salivating at the mouth to destroy the Rangers chances in the playoffs ( trust me, they want no part of us come April ), Bruins team who is on cruise control, but also doesn't want any part of them come the playoffs, MTL who is neck and neck, and Philly, who like the devils would take great pride in destroying the Rangers and being the final nail in their coffin.

Tonight was the softball. It was an archball softball. And we whiffed big time.

Coach Torts said it best " We Sucked Tonight"

The lights are dimming on Broadway folks, we may be seeing the final few shows for the spring season in the next 2 weeks.

RIP Walt Poddubny 1960-2009

2009-03-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Walt Poddubny had a brief stay with the NY Rangers. However, his stay was memorable. In 1986, he made his Ranger debut, and went on to score 40 goals that season to go along with 49 assists. In 1987, he would follow up his 86 season with 38 goals and 50 assists. He was the recipient of the New York Rangers Fan Club's Frank Boucher Trophy for the most popular player on and off the ice in both years and the team's Most Valuable Player Award from the Professional Hockey Writers Association in 1987.

These stats in today's game would put him in the elite echelon of players. Its truly a sad day when we lose a member of the Ranger Family.

Walt, my thoughts and prayers go out to our family, and here's to you skating on the big rink upstairs.

Rozsival's Injury is Lethal to the Rangers

2009-03-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

Michael Rozsival has often been the butt end of many Ranger Fan's outbursts, and rightfully so. Over the course of his career he has often been weak on defense, gun shy at the point and never shows any emotion.

However, this season, he has been an improvement over his recent years play. Is he worth 5 million dollars? No, he is not, but he established himself as an NHL defenseman.

Now, the Rangers are faced to play the remaining stretch of games without his services. And that is a very scary thought. As you saw tonight, the defense had break downs. The unit of 6 has been relatively injury free all season. Mara missed a few weeks, and the rest a game here or there. But they have been lucky when it comes to injuries.

What does this all mean? Surely you could replace Rozsival you say?

But lets look at some facts

As stated before, the defense has been healthy 90% of the time, which means they have played every game with little rest. The NHL season is a grind, and we are at the end of that grind. These players are feeling those effects ( look at Giradi who had his first point on a 2nd assist in 37 games ). Now this unit of 6 has become a unit of 5. More minutes for a group that needs a break.
By not playing better in December, January, and February the Rangers are to blame for being in this spot. Instead of working in Potter , Sanguinetti or Sauer, they will be throw in to the fire. Now, Potter, -8 ( 9 goals, and 19 assists ) has played a few games, but he is NOT an NHL defenseman. Sanguinetti is a -15 in the AHL ( 5 goals and 30 assists ). Bobby is not ready for a NHL playoff race by any means. Sauer is the best of the bunch, at + 19 ( 6 goals and 16 assists). However, none of the 3 have much NHL experience.
Blame Sather folks. Due to his poor drafting and lack of depth, this team is now in position to fail because of it. How is it that Devils lose key guys to injury every year and never skip a beat? Or the Red Wings?

While there's no official word on Rozsival yet, one can speculate at best , its a 3-4 week recovery ( think callahan 2 yrs ago with an MCL Sprain ). Even at 3-4 weeks, it will take time to re-adjust. If its worse then an MCL, and we are talking ACL - hes done for a year plus. Which, again, kills the rangers, because he is the most tradeable of the 4 albatross contracts on the team come the offseason.

On a night where they decided to not show up ( shocked, i know ), the final result wont be remembered as a 2-1 loss, but it will be remember in the months as the night the Rangers were once again exposed due to lack of heart, guts and terrible front office management.

Not even Mark Messier could prevent the inevitable this team is about to face in the next month.

Torts is Loving his Sjoey

2009-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

"He can really skate, he's one of our top penalty killers. I think the system we’re trying to play fits in with his type of play as far as going in, trying to create turnovers; when he didn’t play when he was banged up, I missed him on the bench. Not sure what his goal production is, not sure if its top six, but he’s a guy you could put up there. It’s not always about scoring goals in the top six position; it’s about creating chances for some other people. You can bounce him around, I've used him a lot after we scored goals, I’ve used him at the end of games."

This are the direct work from Coach Torts mouth this past week. But who is Fredrick Sjostrom. Who is this unsung hero.

Sjostrom has been a skilled penalty killer that was used on 4th line duty under the Renney Era. He has shown flashes of speed and skill, but when your stuck playing with Blair Betts and Colton Orr your offensive numbers will suffer.

But since Coach Torts has signed on and took over as Commander of the Rangers, Sjoey has seen his role increase. No longer is he expected to just kill penalties.

Tonight, vs Buffalo, with the Rangers needing to hold onto a once 3 goal lead, Sjoey made an amazing play to spring Ryan Callahan for the empty net goal to seal the deal.

Torts knows something we don't see yet - but Sjoey before long may just become one of those type of players the Garden Embraces.

Few other quick notes from tonights game :

How good is Marc Staal? I mean seriously folks, this kid had better go buy a nice trophy case for the Norris Trophies he is going to win in the future.
Sean Avery Effect - Embrace it and Believe it - Funny, how you don't hear about what type of scumbag Avery is now from those fair weather sheep fans.
Brandon Dubinskys name will only show up on the Stat Sheet for an assist -but he played a very good game. Sometimes the stats that don't how up on a sheet are more important then the ones that do.
Chris Drury is playing better - and while I'm still heart broken over his play - at least he looks to be coming out of his coma.
Paul Mara Beard Night MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

Glen Sathers Next Hire...

2009-03-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Glen Sather's draft track record over the last 25 years was recently questioned. So, I decided to back track and check into his former first round picks since 1984. I will also include draft picks who have played over 200 NHL games in the following rounds of that year. What follows is shocking to say the least. The players in bold are players who have went on to Hall of Fame Careers.

Heres the Stats Folk - for 20 yrs ( 1984 - 2004 )

205 Picks
41 NHL PLAYERS with more then 100 games
13 1st rd picks played LESS THEN 100 games or never saw action in 20 yrs!!!!!!

1984 NHL Entry Draft ( 12 picks )

1-21 -Selmar Odelein - ( 18 games, 0 goals, 2 assists)
8-168 - Todd Ewen - ( 518 games, 36 goals, 40 assists)

Players Picked after the 1-21 - Todd Gill, Scott Mellanby, Stephane Richer, PATRICK ROY

1985 NHL Entry Draft (11 picks )

1-20 - Scott Metcalfe ( 19 games, 1 goal, 2 assist )
9-188 Kelly Buchberger ( 1182 games, 105 goals, 204 assists)
Players picked after 1-20 - Joe Niewendyuk, MIKE RICHTER,

1986 NHL Entry Draft - ( 12 picks )

1-21 Kim Issel - ( 4 games, 0 goals, 0 assists )
( no one else drafted played more then 25 games in the NHL )

Players picked after 1-21 - Adam Graves ( picked right after Mr. Issel ), Teppo Numinmen

1987 NHL Entry Draft - ( 13 picks )

1-21 - Peter Soberlak ( never played in the NHL )
2-42 - Brad Werenka ( 320 games, 19 goals, 60 assists )
3-63 - Geoff Smith ( 462 games, 18 goals, 73 assists)
5-105 - Shaun Van Allen ( 794 games, 84 goals, 185 assists)

Players picked after 1-21 - John LeClair, Mathieu Schneider

1988 NHL Entry Draft -( 13 picks )

1-19 - Francois Leroux - ( 249 games, 3 goals, 20 assists )
6-124 Len Barrie ( 184 games, 19 goals, 45 assists )
8-166 Shjon Podein ( 699 games, 100 goals, 106 assists )

Players picked after 1-19 - Tie Domi , Tony Amonte, Alex Mogilny, Rob Ray

1989 NHL Entry Draft - ( 9 picks )

1-15 Jason Soules - ( never played in the nhl )
4-78 - Josef Beranek ( 531 games, 118 goals, 144 assists)
5-92- Peter White ( 220 games, 23 goals, 37 assists )
6-120 Anatoli Semenov ( 362 games, 68 goals, 126 assists)

players picked after 1-15 - Olaf Kolzig, Adam Foote, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper, Sergei Federov, PAVEL BURE,

1990 - NHL Entry Draft ( 11 picks )

1-17 Scott Allison ( never played a shift in the NHL )

No one in this draft actually made it to the NHL

Players picked after 1-17 - Keith Tkachuk, MARTIN BRODUER, Doug Weight, Sergei Zubov, Robery Lang

1991 - NHL Entry Draft - ( 11 picks )

1-12 - Tyler Wright - ( 613 79goals,70assists )
1-20 Marty Ruchinsky ( 961 , 241goals, 371 assist)
7-144 David Oliver ( 233 , 49 goals, 49 assists)

Players picked after 1-12 - Alexi Kovalov, Marcus Naslund

1992 - NHL Entry Draft ( 11 picks )

1-13 - Joel Hulbig ( 55 , 4goals, 4assists)
3-65 - Kirk Maltby (941 games, 119 goals, 124 assists)

Players picked after 1-13 - Sergei Gonchar, Jason Smith, Martin Straka , Mike Peca, Mattias Nostrom

1993 - NHL Entry Draft - ( 11 picks )

1-7 Jason Arnott ( 971 , 331 goals, 439 assists)
1-16 Nick Stajduhar ( 2 games, 0-0)
2-33 David Vboney ( 543 , 113 goals, 204 assist )
5-111 - Miroslav Satan ( 947 337 goals, 348 assists )
9-215 Brad Norton ( 124 , 3 goals, 8 assists)

Players Picked after 1-16 ( since 1-7 was a good pick ) - Saku Koviu, Todd Bertuzzi, Jamie Langerbrunner

1994 NHL Entry Draft - ( 16 picks )

1-4 Jason Bonsignore ( 79 games, 3 goals, 13 assists)
1-6 Ryan Smyth ( 843 games, 243 goals, 317 assists)
2-32 Mike Watt (157, 15 goals, 26 assists )
11-266 Ladislav Benysek ( 161, 3 goals, 12 assists)

Players picked after 1-4 - ( oilers won the first round with ryan smyth )

1995 NHL Entry Draft - ( 9 picks )

1-6 Steve Kelly ( 149 games, 9 goals, 12 assists)
2-31 Georges Laraque ( 634, 52 goals, 96 assists)

Players picked after 1-6 - Shane Doan, Jerome Iglina, Marc Savard

1996 NHL Entry Draft - ( 10 picks )

1-6 Boyd Deveraux ( 604 games, 61 goals, 107 assists)
1-19 Mattheiu Descotaux (5 games, 1-1 )
3-59 Tom Poti ( 665-60-221)
8-195 Fernado Pisani ( 324-69-61)

Players picked after 1-6 - Daniel Briere, Colin White, Zdeno Chara

1997 NHL Entry Draft - ( 10 picks )

1-14 Michael Reisen ( 12-0-1)
5-121 Jason Chimera ( 375-65-68)

Players picked after 1-14 - Brendan Morrow

In retrospect - this was a terrible draft

1998 NHL Entry Draft - ( 10 picks )

1-13 Michael Heinreich ( Never played a shift in the NHL )
3-67 Alex Henry ( 175-2-9)
4-99 Shawn Horcoff ( 480-103-182)

Players picked after 1-13 - Simon Gagne, Scott Gomez, Jonathan Cheechoo, Mike Fisher, Brad Richards, Brian Gionta, Pavel Datsyuk

1999 NHL Entry Draft ( 9 Picks ) - Sathers Last Draft as Oilers GM

1-13 Jani Rita ( 66-9-5)
2-36 Alexi Semenov ( 164-6-19)
2-41 Tony Salmelainen ( 70-6-12)
3-91 - Mike Comrie ( 462 - 144-167)

Players picked after 1-13 - Barrett Jackman, Martin Havlat, Mike Commodore, Ryan Malone, Ryan Miller

2000 NHL Entry Draft - ( 9 picks )

No 1st rd pick

2-64- Filip Novak
3-95Dominic Moore
7-205 HENRIK LUNDQVUIST

2001 NHL Entry Draft - ( 9 picks )

1-10 Dan Blackburn
2-40 - Fedor Tyutin
6-176 - Marek Zdlicky
8-238 - Ryan Hollweg

Players picked after 1-10 - Mike Cammalleri , Jason Pominville, Jordan Tootoo

2002 NHL Entry Draft - ( 10 picks )

No 1st rd pick
8-240 - Petr Prucha

Players in the draft - Pick your winner

2003 NHL Entry Draft - ( 10 picks ) - THE HUGH JESSIMAN DISASTER!!!!!!!!!

To painful to list all the names...

2004 is still under evaluation. But as you can CLEARY SEE - Sather is not the genius he would have us believe.

Montreal - The House of Horrors

2009-03-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Even Superman had kryponite. The Rangers kryponite happens to be the Bell Center. And so begins a match up, pitting two teams with 80 pts a piece.

Both teams are struggling. Both teams expected to competed for the Eastern Conference Title, not a 8th seed. Both teams leading point getting is sitting around the 50 pt mark. Both teams have recently ousted their Head Coach in search of salvaging in the season.

With a win tomorrow night, the Rangers could move into 5th place. The Habs are struggling big time. Bob Gainey has stepped behind the bench to motivate Les Habs in their centential season. The Habs have mucho pressure and are running out of time to find their game.

Played on neutral ground, you could even make a case for the Rangers to be the favorite. But my dear friends, this is not neutral territory, this Les Habsville. This is a place where the Rangers falter. This is a place where they play some of their worse hockey.

Having played twice already the season, the Rangers spot an impressive 0-2 record, losing by a combined score of 12-5.

If the Rangers want to be considered a playoff team, then they MUST win this game. They MUST show each other then can win in this house of horrors.

Glen Sather Bails out Pocklington - Conspiracy Theory

2009-03-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

According to sportsnet.ca - Glen Sather has posted 1 million dollar bail for his old chum Peter Pocklington.

New York Rangers general manager Glen Sather has posted US$1 million in bail for former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington in California court. Pocklington pleaded not guilty earlier this week to bankruptcy fraud charges.

First - call me nuts ( you wont be the first ) - but I have a conspiracy theory about Sather. Let me shoot from the hip here.

When Glenny Boy was in Edmonton, he was a cherished hero. He was the father figure to many of the legends of the Oilers Dynasty. Messier has often called him a 2nd father.

Now, for a moment, step outside the box and wonder how you would feel if another person offered your child more money to come live with them , and you couldn't do anything about it, but you know for his/her future, its in their best interest to accept that offer, since you can no loner provide the luxuries being offered.

Sure, you would be happy to see them succeed, but inside be seething and curse those people who stole your loved ones.

Well, this is how Glenny Boy and co. in Edm must have felt when they had to trade away piece by piece their dynasty to the Rangers ( and Gretz to LA ). Imagine if you will, how scorned Slatzbee felt when he announced to the world " Id win more cups if I had NY's Budget"

Really Glen? You would? How many more cups? Like 0 more?

Sorry, moment of anger, back to subject at hand. So, now in the early 90s, the NY Rangers ransack the Oilers for all of the quality players. Two of those players now have their numbers retired to the rafters at MSG ( Messier and Graves ) and the others were key parts to the success and cup of 94 ( Beukeboom, Lowe, McTavish, Glenn Anderson).

Fast Forward to 2000 - Slatzbee is out as GM of Edm and searching for a Job. Neil Smith is out as our GM in NY.

And Jimmy Dolan is the big cheese in charge. Jimmy D, who knows NOTHING about hockey or its rich history. So what does Jimmy D do, he throws the barn at Slatzbee.

Slatzbee sees this as a chance to destroy the Ranger Franchise the way the Rangers destroyed his franchise.

Now, keep that in mind when you see the dealings, drafting and player development that has happened since 2000.

Here are the facts folks

The Great Purge of 2003 netted us a 4th line center and backup goalie. The players we traded away included a Legend ( Leetch ) and Greg DeVries ( who is better then any Defenseman not named Staal or Mara we have ).
His draft record has been putrid. After the Hugh Jessiman debacle, he should have been immediately thrown out of hockey.
His Free Agent Signing Record - for lack of better words - SUCKS! But hey, give him NYs Budget and we all will have Stanley Cups for toilets.
His Coaching Track Record has been iffy at best ( Renney was great, Torts is great). He hired Bryan Trottier cause he WROTE 8 PAGES!!! Is that all that was needed to be the next suit behind the bench?
Hes called out the Ranger faithful for being too hard on his players. Blamed us for the losing ways.

In a future post, ill get into greater detail on all of this.

OK, you can now take off your tin foil hat now.

The Road to playoffs takes a stop in Philtyville

2009-03-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

There are certain matchups in hockey that become wars. Certain matchups that when the stakes are high, blood will be spilled.

Rangers vs Flyers qualifies as one of those wars. Dating back to the 70s,when the broad street bullies ruled the ice, this series has been one that is very "fan friendly".

There have been Bench Clearing Brawls in the 70s. Bench Clearing Brawls in the 80s.

There has been knockouts of the epic kind.

However you slice it, these two teams LOATHE each other. Eastern Conference Rivals, 90 miles separate the two teams.

And come Sunday, 4 pts separate the Rangers and Flyers for 4th place. The Rangers can make a major statement to the hockey world by sweeping the Flyers in a 36 hour period. The Rangers can make a statement among themselves, giving them confidence going forward as they march to the playoffs.

The Rangers have more to loss this weekend then the Flyers. Rangers are desperate for any points. Rangers NEED at LEAST 2 pts to keep above water. If the Rangers get swept, they have a game looking Tuesday night vs Les Habs, in an arena that gives this team the heebie geebies. Rangers need to go in that MTL game still in a playoff spot. If not, this season will all but be dead.

The King Sits Alone

2009-03-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

The King came to North American hockey back in 2004. Most pundits couldn't tell you if he would ever cross the ocean and play on NHL Soil. This is why, the king slipped to round 7.

On that glorious June day in 2000, Glen Sather ( who was no where to be found by then ) and his group of scouts ( underpaid, because, well.. the GM has to make 5 million a year ) choose upon a young swede goaltender named Henrik Lundqvist. Young and brash, the prince at the time, was making big waves in Swedish Hockey. He was quickly establishing himself as a world class netminder.

Due to the lockout of 03 ( Thanks Gary ), Hank stayed in Europe to play against some of the finest talent the world knows. This event gave Henrik the confidence he can come straight to NHL ponds and skate with these players. He knew all along he would play in the NHL, however, he did not want to ride the buses of the AHL to get there.

In 04, in which was a magical season on Broadway, Hank was splitting time with Kevin Weekes. Well, for the first week. It was on a October night, vs the Thrashers, that the King was born. Making one save after another, the King was showered with praise by the garden faithful.

HEN-RIK! HEN-RIK was born, and he delivered. Quickly becoming the most popular Ranger player amongst men and females. He produced results at an astonishing clip. So astonishing, it surprised even his die hard fans who tracked his career from Sweden.

Now, he has a reached a milestone no other NHL goalie in the History of this great game has sniffed. Its quite an honor.

The scary part folks, He has yet to fully mature into a true NHL goaltender. Hes been in the NHL for 4 seasons. Full Time Starter for 3.

Lets look at Hanks numbers for his first 4 yrs

W - 134
L - 78
Shutouts - 19

Lets Look at Marty

W - 117
L - 66
Shutouts - 22

Lets Look at Roy

W - 101
L - 51
Shutouts - 9

Now - grant it - all 3 came in different ERAs - but you can see how the stats match up.

Congrats Hank - A truly King like start to a career!

The King about to sit on his Throne Alone!

2009-03-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

With his next victory, Henrik Lundqvist will do something no other NHL goalie has ever done. Not Patrick Roy, not Martin Brodeur, not Ken Dryden. What's that remarkable feat? Winning 30 games in each of his first four seasons playing in the NHL.

All Hail The King!

PS - Imagine if the King had an offense in front of him that could score, and defenseman that didnt muffle pucks and shy away from contact?

Its a Long Way to the Top if you wanna Rock N Roll...

2009-03-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Heres how I see it breaking down

@Nashville - Win
@Philly - Loss
vs Philly - Win
@ MTL - Loss
vs Sabres - Win
vs Sens - Win
vs Wild - Loss
@ ATL - Win
@ Pitts - loss
vs Devils - Loss
@ Hurricanes - Loss
@ Bruins - Loss
vs MTL - Win
@ Philly - Loss
vs Philly - Loss

Thats a 6-9 record to close out the season - not good enough to make the playoffs unless 2 other teams falter big time

Thats a big time schedule for a team that , as Torts has said, isnt conditioned to play his uptempo style, and we have seen that over the last 2 games.

Going up 3-1 vs Bahsten, the Rangers came out flat , and barely held on for a crucial two points. Last night, they ran out of gas after 1 period.

Its a rough mountain to climb thats for sure.

52-20-16

2009-03-08T21:44:00.001-07:00

No, that's not the winning mega ball lottery numbers, but for Jimmy D and gang, it may very well be. See - that's the record of the New York Rangers with Mr. Sean Avery dressed in uniform.

Let that sink in for a second.

Very - VERY few times over the last decade have played at a clip like that. But our heroes from Manhattan have done that.

Why may you ask? Some people will argue that its because we sell our soul to devil himself. But I counter that with this

Sean Avery vs the Devil(s)

As you can clearly see from this footage, not only does it prove we are not selling our sole to Lucifer, but Sean Avery has come here to help slay the nasty beast below.

So what else could it be? Could it be tenacious forechecking, ability to draw the ire of the other team and thus throwing their game off? Or maybe the fact that this little water bug is the exact spark that a team with a low pulse rate needs.

Up until Avery and Torts arrived, this team was a dead car battery. First you put Torts on one end, then Avery,and your seeing a team sparked and hitting on all cylinders.

Now, some people will tell you that you can manipulate stats - and you can, if you use a small enough sample size.

Such as the Martin Straka effect, which reads:

Martin Straka is 6th on the team in points, 5th among forwards. He holds those same rankings in goals, too. This is despite playing in a little more than half of the team's 40 games so far. His points per game average is probably not far off the pace of Gomez or Jagr, and a little bit better than Drury and Shanahan.

He's a +2 on the season. A little over 19 minutes per game on average, so he's out there a lot.

Most people would agree he's an energetic player who gives a good effort. He kills penalties. Will take a hit to make a play. Doesn't take many bad penalties. He's far from perfect, but there's not much to complain about in Straka's game.

You would think a player like this would have a positive effect on the Rangers chances, right?

The Rangers are 9-16 when he's in the lineup.

Now, that is a nice little story, credit to our friends over at rangerland, rocha. However - 9-16 is 25 game sample. In 25 games, you could make a case for many things that just aren't true. Such as:

Mets would win the NL 2 yrs running
Jets would be getting a bye in the NFL playoffs
Brett Favre would be a great pick up and worth the investment
Alabama would have played Texas Tech in the BCS Game

You get my drift, I hope...

Impressive - Now lets Roll

2009-03-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

So the Boston Bruins, holder of the # 1 spot stroll into MSG on the heels of a big 5-3 win over the Blackhawks yesterday. National TV, Biggest Stage in Hockey, Rangers coming off a big win vs the Islanders. It had all the recipes for disaster for the Rangers.

However our heroes in blue came out firing. They came out hitting, shooting and doing all the things needed to be a Cup Contender. Our heroes for the first 40 minutes of action looked like a # 1 seed.

Then, the wall hit, and out came the third period, Uncle Tom Renneys Rangers. Slow, no hitting, missed assignments and UN-Clutch Goaltending from the king. All of a sudden, 40 mins of great hockey went down the pipe in 4 mins ,as the Bruins knotted the game up at 3.

And here is where the new Rangers showed their colors. They didn't fold, they didn't crumble, they didn't even stray course under General Torts. No, instead they continued to weather the storm.

Now, a lesser team would have folded, as we have seen with the Rangers this past year. We didnt, we stood tall, took the bruins best punch , and stood tall. Kudos to our heroes.

Now, Ill give you that some of the goals scored over the recent games have been somewhat flukes. But at a certain point, the Hockey gods will reward you for your hardwork. That's whats happening folks, the Rangers are getting greasy, they are getting tough, they are winning those battles that don't show up on the stat sheet. In short, they are playing solid playoff hockey.

Manny Fernadez was brutal. Bruin fans have to be discouraged by that. On the flip side, how nice is it to finally run into a goalie who didn't morph into a in his prime Ken Dryden.

On to Carolina , who has put up 15 goals in their last 2 games. On to Carolina, where the biggest game of the season is to be played tomorrow night.

The Hurricanes are coming folks, but today we saw the Rangers do their best Jim Cantore impression by weathering a storm. Tomorrow, they will need to continue to channel good ole Jimmy if they want to get into the playoffs for a slice of Stanley's Pie.

Credit AP with photo

Take some Pepto before Reading Below

2009-03-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

Here is what July 1st Cap #s should/will look like for our heroes on broadway:

Players signed through next year 2009-10
Gomez, $7.357m cap hit through 2013-14
Drury, $7.05m cap hit through,2011-12
Henrik, $6.875m cap hit through, 2013-14
Redden, $6.5m cap hit through, 2013-14
Rozsival, $5m cap hit through, 2011-12
Naslund, $4m cap hit through, 2009-10
Avery, $1.938m cap hit through, 2011-12
Girardi, $1.55m cap hit through, 2009-10
Voros, $1m cap hit through, 2010-11
Staal, $827k cap hit through, 2009-10

RFAs
Zherdev, $2.5m cap hit this year
Korpikoski, $1.018m cap hit this year
Sjostrom, $840k cap hit this year
Dubinsky, $633k cap hit this year
Callahan, $575k cap hit this year

UFAs
Morris, $3.917m cap hit this year
Mark Bell, $2.167m cap hit this year
Antropov, $2.05m cap hit this year
Mara, $1.95m cap hit this year
Valiquette, $725k cap hit this year
Betts, $615k cap hit this year
Orr, $537k cap hit this year

Now, I am no math major, but that leaves us with roughly 11 million to sign 10 players. Out of that 11 million, we have to qualify Zheredev, Dubinsky, Callahan, Sjostrom and Korpikoski. Who, my my accounts, have been our top 5 forwards most games.

Mikey says Relax

2009-03-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Howdy folks - lets shoot some straight out facts about our beloved blueshirts.

We won 2 in a row
We scored 10 goals in 2 games
Our top goal scorers are getting the job done
Our defense has been stellar - 3 goals in those 2 games
This is the type of attack we should have employed from day 1.

Now - Those are Facts - 100% true, and yours truly can not dispute. However - when you look at facts, you have to look behind those to see some more real truth that you dont always get with one line statement facts.

We won 2 in a row - beating the 2 worst teams currently in the NHL
We scored 10 goals in 2 games - 4 of them being "fluke" goals, the others beating 3 goals ( avs replaced budaj remember ) who currently would have a difficult time cracking an AHL lineup.
Our top goal scorers are getting the job done - Z has 2 goals ( 1 of which he didnt even realize he scored, the other on a horrible "Redden Like" Giveaway ), Drury has 2 goals ( one on a 5 on 3 dunk in, the other off an opposing piles skate), Gomez has 2 goals ( legit ), Naslund's goal last nite was off a broken stick, was going 10 feet wide, only to have another Pile direct it into his own net
Our defense has been stellar - well, if you break down the video from last nite, you will see the Piles consistently getting quality scoring chances. Hank was world class nite vs a team who currently has no one who should be on an NHL roster. Our defense was runningg around all nite. And the two worst offenders were Staal and Giradi - who have not played well at all lately. And , its well -established about my man-love for Staal.
This is the type of attack we should have employed since Day 1 - Yes - 100% true - except we dont have the personal to run this attack effectively vs NHL quality teams. Our defense is too soft to withstand an onslaught coming back their way. If an AHL team in the Piles can create numerous scoring chances, what do you think teams like the Bruins, Flyers, Devils , Canadiens, and Capitals will do, who all have legit snipers.

As for the trade dead line moves - Look - you had to make these deals to, if your the Rangers, you HAVE to make one round for the novice Ranger fans, so when the subscriptions come in you can say " Hey, we made the playoffs 4 yrs in a row "

I think they were good deals considering our position. I dont think Morris or Antro are on the team in 09-10.

The real story of the day is this...

for 10 yrs running now, we have had to fight for our playoff lives starting in march. Barely getting by teams who have no right being in the same class as us.

We continue to make horrible FA signings under this regime, Very bad drafting and very bad player evaluations of who we do have.

After 10 yrs, we should not be just barely making the playoffs, we should be a strong contending team for the cup year in and out.

if a team across the river can do this, while managing 6k to a game, there is absolutely no reason we cant.

Also - when you see other larger market teams like Chicago have a quick turn around, or Boston - you have to wonder if we have the right fit as the GM.

Welcome Home Avery!!

2009-03-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

You may read over the course of the next 24 hours mixed reactions to the Rangers re-acquiring Sean Avery. You will hear stores about how hes a bad teammate, a dirty hockey player, and the anti-christ.

But, let me put this into perspective for you, so you can draw your own conclusions rather then acting like sheep of the media.

Can you spot Sean Avery in this clip biting Andrew Peters? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLBUToVM4w
Can you spot Sean Avery in this clip breaking someones neck? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz9RE9RGrVY
Can you spot Sean Avery in any of this clips? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_v7ORTjd8c
Can you spot Sean Avery smacking Hollweg with the stick? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esETGHljQi4

No - but let me show what Sean clips of Sean Avery you WILL find :

In his first game back at MSG after missing 11 games with a wrist injury Joe Michelleti goes on to say " Can anyone liven up a crowd like Sean Avery, this place has been quiet for 2 1/2 hours without him in the lineup." Shocker! Sound familiar fans of 08-09 Rangers? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5TUVYxT_z8&feature=related
How about he did to Broduer what every one of us have wanted to do since 94? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbFmJrUbwOw&feature=related
How about the skill level ? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp-pLY1W-Gs&feature=related
Or - this only happened when the Rangers were in a must win situation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqbeo4uBF78
how about - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTMpCtndOsM
How about telling Crysbaby how it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHJLNi31Esg

So, theres the proof - I DARE ANYONE who reads this to show me a clip or highlight of Sean Avery using a dirty elbow, stick, skate, or as rumor has it from NHL offices, the hidden switchblade he conceals in his hockey glove.

Maybe you wont find a clip, maybe you'll pick up a paper and read some of these headlines

Did Sean Avery Gamble? - http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2882460
Did Sean Avery have drug problems? - http://penguinslegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/kevin-stevens.html
Did Sean Avery Kill a teammate? - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64521-2005Feb4.html
How about DUI ? - http://www.hockeyforum.com/florida-panthers/44183-panthers-jay-bouwmeester-pleads-guilty-dui.html
Certainly, youll find something then with organized crime right? - http://ballhype.com/story/crime_lords_and_prostitutes_and_kostitsyns_oh_my/

Just as I suspected... All Avery does is talk trash. Sure, its vicious and crude. But isnt that part of sports? Ever see a guard in basketball dribble down the court mouthing off to everyone in earshot? You think Ray Lewis is telling the opposing QB he likes his hair cut? Reggie Miller was only joking on national TV when he did the choke sign to Spike Lee right?

So, in a game where your going 30 mphs with a stick in your hand and blades on your feet, people really get upset over a few words?

This is how Sean Avery plays. Its the only way the 5"10 185lb player could crack an NHL lineup. He had to stick out and make a name for himself. He had to fight and claw to the pro level. Once he got there, he had to continue to do the same in order to keep a job. Could he be a pain in the ass for both opposing teams and teammates? Yes.

Should he be blacklisted by the NHL because of this? No - they should be frying much larger birds.

Now - as for the whole " beats to his own drum " - well he does. Nothing wrong with that. As long as from puck drop to final buzzer he gives his all, he can beat on any drum he so damn pleases. As long as he continues to run to his teammates aid, pot a few goals, and stir the garden again, im game for whatever he plans on doing off the ice. It apparently doesnt include anything that will get him in trouble, like some other NHL players with vices that could land them in jail.

I leave you with this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0bc2V27weE

Now - the waiting begins....

2009-03-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

With 4 days off, the next time the New York Rangers step on the ice, you may see a few new names and numbers.

Then again, based on prior history, that may be an outlandish statement. Glen " Let me blame everyone but the guy who signs the contracts" Sather, has shown to be rather incompetent when it comes to deadline day deals. Lets look at some of the past "achievements" made by Mr. 5 rings.

2008 - Rangers acquire Christian Backman for a 4th rd pick - Now, grant it, trading away a pick under this regime is probably a good thing based on track record. However, the Rangers were ready and posed to make a big push towards the cup. Their one downfall was the defense. Knowing this, and supposedly having "depth" now in our system, Sather falled to acquire a game changing blueliner. Backman quickly made a push to replace Malik as the crowds boo bird target.
2007 - Rangers after a memorable 2006 season, looking to win their first playoff game and series in 10 yrs, trade Aaron Ward for Paul Mara. While this trade has paid off recently, as Mara has established himself a solid blueliner, it did little at the time to address the needs at the time. Earlier in the beginning of February Sather did pull of a nice deal for Sean Avery while only giving up 2 prospects who would never lace up skates on pro-ice.
2006 - Sandis Ozolinsh for a pick. Here is imcomptance at its best. For the first time in 9 years, the Rangers were poised to make the playoffs. In what was a memorable season, the Rangers needed blueline depth ( see a recurring pattern yet). So what does Mr. Sather do...he acquires a blueliner who didnt know how to play defense. He acquired a recovering alcoholic, who was no longer on an NHL roster. The best part of this deal was when Ozolinsh put a puck in his own net during the playoffs... CLASSIC!

2004 - The Purge - so many deals... Leetch, Holik, DeVries, Malakov, Markannen amongst others - you would figure that it would help restore the farm system... you would figure wrong. As the only players 5 yrs later from the pre-lockout purge is Blair Betts ( 4th liner ) and Steven Valliquette ( Backup)

Kudos to you Mr Sather!!! Wed, March 4th should bring about another one of your wonderful dealings that will surely lead to John Torterella being dismissed in the future.

Chris Drury - You broke my heart

2009-02-27T21:03:00.001-08:00

Drury has been my heartbreak.... for so many reasons.

Forget the lack of goal scoring, i never expected above 25 to be honest. 30 was tops, and that was icing on the cake.

But , he kills me .. he doesn't find the open areas, 90% of the time, hes not driving to the net with purpose, he lost his soft hands.

You never hear once about how hard he works off the ice and how he makes his teammates better around him. That's ALL you heard about his stints at his previous stops.

You don't see the take charge personality he displayed in Buffalo. You don't see him showing any emotion. I'm not advocating breaking a stick over the knee... but go out there and drill an opposing player. Drop the gloves, even if you will get your ass beat. Score a big goal.

Hell, a good start would be staying out for the full warm up. It use to drive me INSANE watching Jags skate in pre-game for 5 out of the 15 mins, and never take one shot on net. I know its not a big deal, but it really upset me for some reason, especially when he was struggling.

Win or Loss, i just wanna see the team Gel like they say they do in the locker-room. I wanna hear how on off day skates, Drury is bringing Dubi, Cally, Dawes, Korpedo and Prucha in and working with them. I wanna hear him show some emotion in a post game interview, instead of the rhetoric " blame me " crap. SHOW ME YOU CARE, and you will be rewarded with cheers by the garden faithful no matter how much you struggle.

We like blue collar, hard working, bring your lunch pail, roll your sleeve up type of guys here. You work hard, You play hard, You battle hard, and even if you lose, the Garden Faithful will shower you with cheers.

That team coming out of the lockout, in what was the final game of a sweep vs the Devils, got a 3 minute standing ovation, even though we were embarrassed by a rival, and struggled down the stretch that year.

But we knew they left it all on the ice, We knew, we were hurt, we were depleted , and we were still giving max effort, and for that, you would have thought we were sweeping the devils.

Jagr heard MVP from January on. In what was his final game at the Garden, the fans recognized that in Game 4, and gave Jagr a long standing ovation for his efforts as a Ranger.

Avery came here, and immediately brought the attitude we love, so the Avery Chants started. Shanny would get in the mix, SHANNY!, Cally would do it, CALLY!....Henrik is adored cause of his worth ethic and results hes proven. Even Valli has gotten the garden faithful to its feet.

We've accepted the whole cup every 54 yrs... but for all that is holy boys, WORK HARD! Make us proud! Show emotion the way the fans do.

Avery to be placed on Re-Entry Waivers Per TSN

2009-02-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=268940&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_main

Few Observations - Rangers vs Panthers 2-26

2009-02-26T22:57:00.000-08:00

1 ) All we hear all season is how "tight" this group is, and how " much they care about each other " - well folks, we all see how far that gets you now... the only time a "tight" group and " caring for each other " works is an orchestra or synchronized swimming. Great teams need conflict, Great teams need motivation from within.

Last season, we had our conflict in Sean Avery, and the season before. Every game with him was an adventure, and the team had to stay on its toes. He was gonna run his mouth, and get the game to a new level. In turn, it brought the levels of others around him higher. Now that he is gone, there is no one to do that, and you get the feeling its ok with the vets to stay at one level and never really push it forward.

BTW - for you avery haters, He netted 15 goals in 57 games... which would have put him # 2 on the rangers currently, had he played another 20 games, he would have cashed in on over 20, and only one ranger ( naslund) seems poised to do that.

So when you cry about how " disruptive " Aves was, remember that stat, while the players you protect Gomez 12-31-42-(-9) and Drury 15-24-39-(-11) wont come close to matching Averys stat line of 15-18-33 - +6

Avery has more heart in his pinkie that captain monotone will ever have. And it breaks my heart saying that, but thats just the truth of the matter.

As for the conflict, its now here with Torts, i believe that. I believe he will be kind and friendly like he has till the camp opens, and then hell breaks loose. He cant change the team the way it... but next season... he WILL start calling players out, and putting them in uncomfortable situations.

Right now, he cant, he needs to establish confidence first if he plans on a playoff push.

B ) MVP outside of Hank this season is Paul Mara. The guy playing with basically one arm still was throwing the body more then Gomez or Drury has all season. He will not be a Ranger next year, which makes me sad.

C ) There are often times when a team needs a leader to step up and fall on a grenade. Now, the grenade this year has already exploded. But lets look back at some of the great moments in recent memory shall we...

2 yrs ago, Dec 30th vs Wash - Donald Brashear running around the garden, until 39 yr old Shanny drops the gloves with him. That was a major turning point until Avery came a month later to further that spark.

Last Year - Struggling - Jagr decided to play like a man again, and carried the teams offense on his back.

This year - Nothing, not one memorable moment.

Leaders step up in times of crisis. Leaders rise to the occasion. Leaders are the ones who when all doubt, stand up and have their voices raised the loudest.

Which, is why its no surprise Drury speaks so softly. Why Scott Gomez is always clowning around, as a way to deflect the tough questions.

I have heard one voice recently, but its a whisper in a sea of white noise, and that was Dubinsky. But its hard for a young kid to make an impression on vets who are collecting a paycheck.

Drury needed to bleed for this team, or Gomez. Those were the two who had this team handed to them by Sather and pushed Jagr and Co. out the door.

2 cup winners, who had legends to learn from, have failed the course. You think Joe Sakic, Scott Stevens, Ray Bourque or Ken Daneyko would allow this type of lethargic leadership happen in their dressing room?

Where are these 2 to step up and score the big goal, willing the team to victory. Or did we get spoiled by having some of the best leaders of our generation all together on one team ( Mess, Graves, Larmer - yeh, i said Stevie L ).

Fact is, these 2 "hockey" players need a rude awakening. They need a shakeup. Torts is right in saying he needs his best players "CURRENTLY" to be their best players.

D) sorry for the long post - bare with me - Ive read on a few places 2nite that " at least the games are fun to watch, and the quality scoring chances have gone up "

Great - you played Toronto and Florida folks, not the Bruins and Wings. 2 teams who , by all means, are chocked filled of AHL players. Outside of Jason Blake, Bouwmester, Horton and Hagman, who really is NHL ready on either team... NOT EVEN THE GOALIES PEOPLE.

Chris Drury might not score again this season. Scott Gomez might not make another tape to tape pass. Wade Redden may never actually hit someone to deter them off the puck.

How Sad is this?

Its nice to see Torts behind the bench...but maybe we should fire Jim Ramsey and bring in heart and back Dr so we can fit these "leaders" with a heart and spine.