Thursday, May 31, 2007

22 Wins, 48 Losses This Season

A D R I A N !!!!!!!!!

A simple reflection of this past season, it is nice to see the Ranger's arch-nemesis (The Philadelphia Flyers) in the proverbial dumpster -- ironic they are making real dumpsters with the Philly logo inside. The Dark Ranger hugely dislikes the Flyers and it was a pleasure this season watching their fans -- disappointed and heart-broken, something Philly fans are not used to. Not so "Invincible" are you?

A hopeful cheers to the Blueshirts, perhaps, acquiring Simon Gagne during the off-season. That would be a pleasure.

"Oh, Ken Hitchcock in Columbus feeling burned
It's just as well as Bobby Clarke has returned."

Tough season for the orange -- if I lived there, I'd have to move!

tdr

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Maloney To Coyotes and Messier........?

So it is official.

Don Maloney has signed on as the GM for one of the worst teams in the NHL - the Phoenix Coyotes -- straight from the Ranger Glen Sather Assistant to running a bad team.

I see this as good news for Phoenix and tough news for the Blueshirt Ranger locker room. Maloney was well-liked by the players and was a huge supporter of certain individuals. My boy Prucha may have something to worry about come trade time, as Maloney was a huge supporter of his level of play over the last couple of seasons -- such that it kept him on the ice, despite Sather's feelings of his value on the team.

With such a vacancy in the Ranger brass, I smell another return of Mark Messier - his third Captain-ship, or as Sather will never give up his job -- the second stepping-stone in removing Sather as the GM of his favorite team. If such a thing were to happen, I have mixed feelings about it -- as I am nostalgic as a Ranger fan (yes, I have the Jersey -- a great present from my better half), evident with his first announcement of his intentions of becoming GM of the Rangers, I get the feeling he is a "talker before thinker." Just because he says it, doesn't mean it will be.

In '94, his pronouncement to the press during the playoffs that 'We Will Win!" after losing three straight against Jersey was what every player would be thinking -- what every Captain would say to the press in the playoff series to the Cup. He had the responsibility to announce this to his team, to the media and to the world of hockey. If they didn't win, people would not have taken him as seriously from that point on.

So I see this as a window for M&M -- The Dark Ranger is wary, but willing to take on the dark forces of Glen that inhabit the Garden!

tdr

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Is it just me?

Two things:

1. Is it just me looking at this blog and my proud greatest fan observations?

2. Is it just me who isn't even thinking about the Lord Stanley Cup finals tomorrow through june? Aside from the tremendous talent and earning of the two finalists, I couldn't even give two hoots about Anaheim and Ottawa! Sure, the games will be fun to watch (and I will) and it will be exciting to watch two teams that haven't played once this season....could be a romp!

But to say it in two words:

Anaheim and Ottawa

Blah and blah!

Tdr


Friday, May 25, 2007

A Rangers Legend Retires

Brian Leetch, one of the NHL's top defensemen who helped the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994, retired Thursday after an 18-year career. He ranks first on the Rangers' all-time scoring list for defensemen He was a monster defensemen.

Leetch sat out last season as an unrestricted free agent after spending 2005-2006 with the Boston Bruins, when the 10-time NHL All-Star had five goals and 27 assists in 61 games. "I have been fortunate to be an NHL player since 1988," Leetch said in a statement. "I missed being in the NHL this past season, but believe it was the right time for me to stop playing."
Leetch played one season at Boston College before he was selected by the Rangers with the No. 9 pick in the 1986 NHL draft. He went on to become the defensive cornerstone of the Rangers, who ended a 54-year championship drought by winning the '94 Stanley Cup. Leetch was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs that season.

Leetch spent more than 16 seasons with the Rangers before being traded late in the 2003-04 season to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He became an unrestricted free agent before he signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Bruins in 2005.

In addition to two Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman, Leetch won the Calder Trophy for top rookie in 1988-89 and played on U.S. Olympic teams in 1988, 1998 and 2002. In 1,205 NHL games, Leetch scored 247 goals with 781 assists for 1,028 points, making him one of only seven NHL defensemen with at least 1,000 career points.

We will miss him, but thank GOD he decided to retire and not replace our resident skating 2x4, Malik.

tdr

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

What Was He Thinking?

I have to admit, this picture makes me laugh out loud -- not only the mullet in the back, but the feathered bowl in front. He could be appearing on the Facts of Life or maybe related to Tammy Wynette.

Perhaps this hair is what the Penguin fans come to expect with those from Pittsburgh -- Mike Ditka, Joe Namath, Scott Ferrall, Christina Aguilera, Charles Bronson, Bobby Vinton, and our most descriptive and appropriate, Madalyn Murray O'Hair — (founder of American Atheists).

All of them have had confirmed mullets (aside from the O'Hair chick - to the best of my knowledge).

Former Penguins Alexei Kovalev, Martin Straka, Aleksey Morozov, Robert Lang, Petr Nedved, Sergei Zubov, Darius Kasparaitis and Kevin Hatcher all having played with Pittsburgh have been embraced by their fans when later either making appearances or playing for other teams.

Throughout the season when the Rangers were playing in Pittsburgh, every time our own Yah-ger-mullet got hold of the puck, it was followed by a simultaneous boo'ing - one of hatred and deceit. One would think that Penguin fans would be satisfied with their own team and celebrate those that have moved on to other adventures in far-reaching cities beyond the Pittsburgh-proper (yes, folks...there are bigger cities than your own happy milltown). Even with some of the top leading scorers and the best young players in the NHL, the once-Penguin/now-Ranger Jagr received verbal sucker punches and bad karmic energy from the Pittsburgh fans that once loved him and embraced his flaming wrist-shot and furry little head.

Jagr's hair has been trimmed and updated and I strangely think their behavior has something to do with the "do". Until next season Mullet-town!

tdr

Monday, May 21, 2007

Larry Brooks is Making Up Crap Again!

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports a signing bonus grievance filed by former Ranger Bobby Holik could have an impact on the club's salary cap for next season. The Rangers withheld signing bonuses due to Holik during the lockout and subtracted his $2 million signing bonus for July 2006 from his 2005 buyout package. Brooks writes if the Rangers lose the case it'll cost them $1.52 million against their cap, enough to have a potential impact in player movement decisions during next season.

Even scarier, "Do we hear a starting bid of Fedor Tyutin, Petr Prucha or Ryan Callahan and Al Montoya?", asks Brooks in regards to Glen Sather considering trading a package of youngsters for a more experienced center.

If there is any truth to this, this would be another throwback to the old veteran team management; when it finally feels that the League is exposing young talent -- the new NHL -- The Dark Ranger will not allow this to happen. Must go to work and conduct some persuasion tactics with the Blueshirt Brass.

Larry Brooks is making crap up. Maybe he needs to justify a salary in the off-season.

tdr

Sunday, May 20, 2007

There is Hockey Justice - Sabres Fall

I hope the city of Buffalo enjoys the day off, and we all wish them an enjoyable remainder of the weekend.

The Senators have taken the series against the Buffalo Sabres 4 games to 1. So much for their birthright to win the Lord Stanley Cup. If that slap in the mouth wasn't enough, Chris Drury took an Ottawian slapshot in the mouth in the remaining minutes of the third period.

Sorry Chris....take care of that injury and prepare to become a Ranger!

tdr

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Toronto - The City of Dead Leaves (or is that Leafs?)

The Dark Ranger happens to be in Toronto at this very moment, waiting for a client who is late. I cannot help but laugh at Sean Avery in the final game of the season between the Rangers and Toronto, when he was referring to Darcy Tucker as a whiner and when after the Maple Leafs took a major beating, we were treated to further abuse from Avery (he said after the game, "You say you don't like his hair and he'll be upset.'')? A verbal sucker punch!

Where the hell did we find this guy? The Buffalo series aside, I cannot wait for even the exhibition games come September!

The Dark Ranger applauds you Mr. Dark Sheep!

tdr

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Sean Avery For Mayor!

As a life-long New York Rangers fan and with the season at a close, I reflect a little on what made the team this season fun to watch. With Mayor Bloomberg reserving one billion of his own dollars for his own presidential run as a third party, who better would we want as his replacement here in the grand Big Apple?

A solid performer, a gritty physical presence (though a bit of short man's syndrome), tough as nails and words that could make an East New Yorker turn red, I can only think of one man qualified for the job. Sean Avery.

He rejects Los Angeles, he has demonstrated great diplomacy and his relations with Canada, and a know how to move the right lines, make the right hits and overall say the right things.

He is the man for the job.


tdr


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