Staal Talks Stalled?

What the hell is holding up restricted free agent defenseman extraordinaire NYR Marc Staal from being signed to the Rangers this season?  DARK reader Bill P. shot us a quick note and pondered:

I hear that San Jose is contemplating signing Staal to an offer sheet in the 6 year 30+ million range. The compensation would be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick. They are apparently in love with his game and feel he is the missing piece. The question is: how would Sather respond? If the picks were ...higher than San Jose's typical finish it would be worth considering. Here's one link I caught from another great Ranger website regarding this scenario. As DR points out, something fishy (no pun intended) seems to be going on here. How would you respond if this scenario pans out? 

This very realistic rumor is making the rounds on hockey talk radio XM Sirius NHL and various radio shows -- and NY Rangers fans and bloggers are not talking about it.

Let us know.  How would you, the fan, respond?

tdr

Boys In Blue Beat Brodeur, NYR 3, NJ Devils 2

 It keeps looking better.

In the opening minutes of the game last night, the Devils scored on the Rangers forcing NYR Coach John Tortorella to use his only timeout.  "Sh*t or get off the team!" or something related was the message forcefully delivered by Torts as he proceeded to wake-up their lazy asses and send the right message back on the ice.

It worked.  We are 2-1.  Official recap here.

Both rookies Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy changed the tone of the New York Rangers last night against the NJ Devils, both scoring one goal each and revitalizing the anemic power play.  So our top D-men are 19, 22 and 25 year olds.  Already there are improvements in the power play -- evidenced by a tighter passing, more confident looking unit, they were bound to begin scoring goals in this third game of the season.  It is entirely too early to compare these young D-men to other great Rangers defencemen -- in fact, it is taboo at this point, but with Michael Del Zotto bound to stay in the NHL having scored two goals in his first three NHL games, along with Matt Gilroy and his one goal, it does bring two potential candidates for the Calder Trophy into the thinking.  (on a side, the last time two rookie Rangers defensemen scored a goal each in the same game was 1990 by Miroslav Horava & Jeff Bloemberg)

Other obvious observations:  'The King" Lundqvist remains the best asset for the Rangers.  He was the true 'Rock' at the Prudential Center showing his nemesis Marty Brodeur a thing or two about rival goalkeeping.

Ales Kotalik scored the second goal in the first period on the power play, his first as a Ranger and the first reminder that he is actually wearing a Ranger's jersey.  Nice work Kotty.

But I am way ahead of myself...

Together with the potential talents of these young Ranger newbies, plus Marc Staal and a (hopefully improving) Dan Girardi, we are getting what the coach has been preaching - forward puck moving blueliners that are not afraid to shoot the puck.  That should motivate the play of invisible Dan Girardi, not-as-bad-as-usual Wade Redden and horrifyingly bad Michal Rozsival.   If not, things will change.  Torts is running this team, not Chris Drury and it shows; he won't have it any other way.  Even the Captain has been taken off power play duty, and the Coach rules.

Some don't like him.  I do.  He is good for the team.

Plus the Devils (albeit only 2 games in the season) are in last place in the Eastern Conference.  How cool is that? (someone chant M-A-R-T-Y very loudly right now).   Ironically, the Detroit Red Wings are in last place on the Western Conference side.   How that will change, but enjoy it while it lasts.

So without giving in to all their potential and yet believing in this new Rangers team, I have to admit --  I am starting to believe.  It is convincing enough that the youth of this new Blueshirt squad can and will motivate the veterans to 'step up' and improve the inconsistent crap we've all become so accustomed to supporting.  Today I am "Torts happy" and giving him credit for last night's win; motivating by fear, integrity and strong words.

Now a healthy Sean Avery is another story....

tdr

Blueshirts Impress With a Loss, NYR 1, Bruins 2

The 'new' New York Rangers opened the pre-season last night against the Boston Bruins and certainly held their own.  Our Blueshirt squad consisted mostly of prospects vying to impress coach John Tortorella in making the starting team, with only three or four slots that may be in question.  Visibly absent was our center Brandon "Dumb-ie" Dubinsky, but they counted on Ryan Callahan to pick up the tempo when necessary.  Most of our starters were a scratch with the exception of our dear Captain Drury, newbie Kotalik (who demonstrated what might become of the power play), Christopher Higgins and the 'much-booed' Donald Brashear.

Official recap here.

Though a loss (that doesn't count), there were impressive performances by both Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto, who if they continue to play throughout the pre-season as they did last night, will certainly find themselves professional Rangers come opening day.  Both were impressive, confident and strong --- and most important to Torts - forward moving blueliners. For anyone not watching the pre-season games, I would highly recommend you watch these two rookies, Michael Del Zotto at 19 years of age plays an aggressive game and wasn't backing down from Boston's Lucic -- "please the coach, please the coach..." - a very different style than former coach Tom Renney.  Matt Gilroy at 25 years of age, looks as solid as Blueshirts Dan Girardi and Marc Staal.  Missing, though, is our "stay at home" defensive stud.  Chris Pronger would have been nice.  Higgins and Kotalik were extremely impressive on the point, and will certainly make a difference in the power play.

As to be expected, the first period was sloppy and dribble - in other words, a pre-season debut - but the Blueshirts picked up the tempo in the second and third periods, controlling the last half of the game. 

I actually enjoyed last night and look forward to tonight against the NJ Devils -- as we've all read that NJ's Jamie Langenbrunner has been scratched in place of Brendan Shanahan tonight (look out for that upcoming trade, folks...ha ah ah aha h ).   MSG at 7pm.

tdr

Some 2009-10 Hockey Predictions

What???  A NY Rangers site not predicting them to win The Cup???  Heresy...I know.

As summer feels gone and we are 22 days, three hours and 19 minutes away from the debut of our new and improved 'Tort-shirts', one of our part-time contributing bloggers - BlueNationLeafs - wants to share his predictions for both conferences and who will eventually win the 'Bacterial Lord Cup of Post-Sid'.   Scream at us, comment at will, and if you feel you have any questions on his hypothesis -- send them my way and I'll be sure they are answered.    I will agree that he is putting great stock and prestige in our Atlantic Division rival - the Philadelphia Flyers -- something The Dark Ranger is not happy about in any form.  Chris Pronger is the missing piece in probably the strongest blueline in the East, a team with great depth, but that doesn't mean we need to like them.  In fact, I think they stink.  (but it is inevitable that Chris Pronger will lay out the welcome wagon for an overconfident Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby...hence this picture), but I digress....

So I introduce to you --- another list by another expert.   TDR

Eastern Conference 2009/2010 Predictions                        

1. Philadelphia Flyers 
2. Boston Bruins 
3. Washington Capitals
4. Pittsburgh Penguins 
5. New Jersey Devils 
6. Carolina Hurricanes 
7. New York Rangers 
8. Tampa Bay Lightning 
9. Ottawa Senators 
10. Buffalo Sabres 
11. Atlanta Thrashers 
12. Toronto Maple Leafs 
13. Montreal Canadians 
14. Florida Panthers 
15. New York Islanders

Western Conference 2009/2010 Predictions

1. Detroit Red Wings 
2. Vancouver Canucks 
3. Anaheim Ducks 
4. San Jose Sharks 
5. Chicago Blackhawks 
6. Calgary Flames 
7. Dallas Stars 
8. Columbus Blue Jackets 
9. St Louis Blues 
10. Edmonton Oilers 
11. Los Angeles Kings 
12. Nashville Predators 
13. Minnesota Wild 
14. Colorado Avalanche 
15. Phoenix Coyotes

The Final Four 2009/2010

Philadelphia Flyers vs.  Boston Bruins  (Flyers in 7)        

Detroit  Red Wings vs. Calgary Flames (Flames in 6)

The Stanley Cup

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Calgary Flames (Flyers win Stanley Cup in 6)

Tortorella Speaks

If you missed it and you're reading this post, go here for mandatory reading. Jeff Klein of the New York Times interviewed 'Coach Torts' and we get honesty like we haven't heard since the days of Mike Keenan (the similarities are uncanny).

I do think Tortorella is a 'tone-setter' for training camp, someone who cares about the team as much as we do as die-hard fans. Even during the playoffs, it felt that Jaromir Jagr and Tom Renney left their marks on the franchise -- inconsistent style of play, tired, lazy, 'looking for the perfect shot', horrible power play, etc.

A month from now, these things will be addressed and we can thank the new coach for the attitude change.

Though, we can only hope this season he'll resist throwing chairs at fans that have a quicker wit than he does...

tdr

"C"oming Out Party in Chi-town

What to say about Friday's game? How about -- too bad if you missed it. Perhaps one of the most entertaining games in some time. NYR 3, Hawks 2 OT

The Rangers arrived with their fathers along (it's father's weekend for the team) to face the feel-good story of the NHL this season -- the rising Blackhawks in the Windy City. The Blackhawks are a top team in the Western Conference, led by their rising young stars, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, and lead the league in attendance. More than 22,600 were on hand to support them against the Blueshirts. Goalkeepers' NYR Lundqvist (23-12-3) and Hawk's Nikolai Khabibulin (13-2) started.

What the fans witnessed either live or on t.v. (but not in HD) were the efforts of Captain Chris Drury who demonstrated why on this night he is the captain. His overall skating was tremendous. His work on the penalty kills was magnificent (and he got a lot of work in), his 2 powerplay goals were wonderful -- a laser shot in the 2nd and a deflection in OT. He skated for 19:52 and was awarded the first star but made a strong case for having a star named for him.

In the face of a hostile environment, the Rangers came to play and nearly every player brought their "A" game. A for attitude, that is. Lots of hitting came from the Rangers. Dan Girardi (my personal favorite, I wear his jersey) threw his body around like he was auditioning for The Wrestler. But it had its consequences. He pummeled Dustin Byfuglien late in the first period and clobbered Kris Versteeg in the second. After that one, Cam Barker took exception to the checks being delivered by Girardi and attacked the usually peaceful Girardi (who does not play dirty) and body slammed him headfirst into the ice after a brief but energetic fight. Dan did not return and you get the feeling he will be out for a while if he has a concussion. Barker received 17 penalty minutes for his efforts.

Early on, it looked like the refs wanted to call penalties to get control of the game. Still, the first period was pretty even with the Rangers skating well (especially Gomez) and some nice chances were not converted. The Blackhawks scored late in the first period on a deflection by Jonathan Toews that hit the crossbar and dropped in behind Henrik.

In the second period, it looked like the refs wanted to tilt the ice to the home team. Staal said some magic words to the refs after Roszival was penalized and drew a 10 minute misconduct. So the Rangers were down to 3 defensemen (with Girardi hurt) for a sizable portion of the 2nd period. During the 2nd period, the Rangers defended for 4:15 being down 2 men five separate times (and down 2 defensemen for a good portion of the time). The Blackhawks did not score, much to the vocal dismay of their fans. The penalty killing led by Drury, the skating of Gomez, the backstopping by Lundqvist and work of all the defensemen (with kudos to Redden and Kalinin) were simply fantastic. Unbelievably, only the Rangers scored in the 2nd period thanks to Drury's pinpoint laser beam of a shot during a Rangers powerplay, the Rangers scored the only maker in the 2nd period and the game was tied 1-1.

During the game, the Rangers mustered only 22 shots v. Chicago's 34 -- in the third period, the Rangers made their first one almost last. The Korpedo led a rush from the left side and broke free for a nice shot that was stopped by Khabibulin but Dubi was there to knock in the rebound for a 2 -1 lead.

The defense had succeeded all night long especially in the face of penalty kills by clearing slots, giving Henrik clear views, deflecting numerous passes during penalty kills and clearing the puck regularly (Mara, Roszival and Redden had more than 25 minutes of ice time). Henrik was particularly aggressive at times (no stickhandling fortunately) but he came out to the top of the crease on one sequence to block a shot and then retreated to the goal line to guard the post. Recently, it seemed he had been hiding at or behind the goal line. The Blackhawks were shut down for nearly the entire game. The question became whether the Rangers would have the legs to last.

Unfortunately, the Rangers were called for a 4 minute minor (Rozsival high-stick) and then a 2 minute slash on Callahan -- both questionable calls -- with less than 7 minutes to go. So the Rangers had to face a lengthy 5 on 3 starting with 6 minutes to go. The Blackhawks tied the score on some nice passing leading to a Brent Seabrook slapshot from the left point that eluded Henrik's right foot into the corner of the net.

Instead of a letdown, the goal ignited the Rangers led by of all people, Coach Renney. After the recent home loss to Montreal (a game that turned on 2 PP goals for the Habs early in the 3rd), Coach Renney told the press that perhaps he shouldn't be so gentlemanly to the refs during games. During the Blackhawk game, you saw his mild demeanor turn into something less placid. After the game-tying goal (the result of a 2 man advantage), the camera was trained on Renney marching over to the team's gate by the penalty box, throwing it open and delivering a diatribe of the type that he is rumored to give his players behind closed doors after lackluster play. I thought he was going to march out on the ice like Lou Piniella and throw sticks or overturn the goals.

The Blackhawks still had the man advantage but Renney's anger may have influenced the refs because Brian Campbell was called for a penalty after tackling two Rangers in the offensive zone. That penalty negated the remainder of the Chicago powerplay. That turned out to be a bad mistake as the game went into overtime.

In the overtime, Andrew Ladd drew a slashing penalty. The Rangers passed the puck smartly and Drury batted in (a skill honed in his Little League days) a nice shot form the point by Redden for the game-winner about halfway into the overtime.

In the home stretch of the road trip, the Rangers easily could have been excused for losing this game -- they were playing an inspired team in front of a full house. Referee calls were curious (some would say outrageously in favor of the home team), and you can accept a bad game after several stellar efforts.

Instead, led by their captain, the team displayed character, grit, perseverance and guts that we have come to associate with the team during this campaign. The PK unit successfully defended 10 out of 11 Blackhawk powerplays. They successfully defended 5 out of 6 (yes, 6) Chicago 5-on-3 advantages, totaling nearly 7 minutes. Only late in the game, did they finally succumb - but they at least had the lead so instead of a heartbreaking loss, the teams went to overtime. And for another game, the powerplay scored for the 2nd straight game, 2 PPG including the game winner.

I have to admit that after the game finished (I was watching it at the food bar at my local pizzeria), I was exhilarated because of how the Rangers played. To be honest, for this one game on a Friday night on a freezing cold day, I could not find much, if anything, to criticize -- their overall effort was that good. So now it's on to Pittsburgh for a Sunday noontime game. The Rangers have collected 7 out of an 8 possible points on the road trip and remain in first place. Right now, I have nothing to complain about other than the weather.

- Tony

Scooby 'Dubie' Does, NYR 2, Senators 0

Call it the return to scoring for New York Ranger young'en Brandon "Dubie" Dubinsky, who scored his sixth goal of the season, his first since November 24, as the Blueshirts blanked the struggling Ottawa Senators 2-0 last night in Ottawa. The Rangers are now 25-15-4 for the season sitting in second place in the division, one point behind the raging and rising Philadephia Flyers.

But the highlight of the game was watching a flawless goaltender Henrik "The King" Lundqvist who owned the night. This game was in anyone's corner, but Hank took control in goal and made up for his semi-performing blueline (including 'turn over'er Wade Redden). It wasn't until recently benched Lauri Korpikoski scored the game winner midway through the third period, off of an awe-inspiring feed from Nikolai Zherdev. Even on television, the silent Canadian crowd "oooh'ed and aaawww'ed" when Nicky Z deeked their defense with a behind the back feed. The "Amazing Zherdev" is an appropriate knickname for the Russian as half of the time he is invisible and the other half, well....like last night.

Official recap here.

In other news, to my dismay -- former (2 season) New York Ranger Brendan Shanahan is now officiallly a New Jersey Devil. Last night Lucky Louie of the 'Devils of Newark' finalized Shanny's return, terms not disclosed. Shanny stated again to the press that he wanted up until yesterday to be a NY Ranger, but cap issues got in the way and he had put his trust in NY Ranger GM Glenn Sather to work it out. Not to be. So he comes full circle -- the team that drafted him in 1987 will have another shot with him. Best of luck to you Brendan. I will always be a fan -- you did a lot for the team, but now I have to dislike you. Have fun in Newark!!!

"Omsk My God!" - in other Ranger-related news, Jaromir Jagr publicly admitted yesterday that he wouldn't mind coming back to the NHL next season as a Penguin -- and completely willing to do that under the minimal salary requirements (meaning $350,000 per season) as Mario is his mentor and he owes everything professionally to him. Jags could teach a thing or two to The Diver. He'd also be killer in line with Malkin. Or not.

Tipping the glass for another Hank shutout, another win and the possibility that an offense is emerging.

tdr

The Diver Falls Deeper While The King Lives! (UPDATED)

Sidney Crosby - the NHL's poster child and alleged fake-diving-penalty-drawing leader - was held without a point for the third straight game, and Evgeni Malkin - the NHL scoring leader - has only two assists in seven games. HA HA AHA HA AH AHA Ha.

The New York Rangers spanked the Pittsburgh Penguins blanking them 4-0, in a surprising display of 'playing like a real hockey team.' Everything clicked. We gave the slumping Penguins a real treat in the form of power play points (really?), scoring more than 1-2 goals and shutting down "The Diver" Sid Crosby and the menacing E. Malkin.

Official recap here.

The Garden was wild last night and it was undoubtedly the best performance we've seen from our Blueshirts this season. By the fourth goal, section 118 was harmonizing the 'Goal Song' (we are a creative bunch!) and some Dad showed up parading around in a full diving outfit. The game was foreshadowed by some 80-year old dude in front of me wearing a Colton Orr jersey. Now THAT is 'f*ck-you money'.

The Dark Ranger is thrilled with the win. Don't get me wrong - I love our team. Though, I still feel that Coach Tom Renney and his gum chewing needs to depart from MSG and find new employment; even with last night's stellar performance, we remain an inconsistent team with a horrible track record on the power play and a consistent team that loses two to four goal advantages. Despite our own DARK-stats, the Penguins were 0-for-24 on the power play in their previous six games and failed on all eight chances against the Rangers last night- including five in the first period when they fell behind 1-0. Pittsburgh had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:59 that generated only one shot. Cringe worthy at best. S-I-D-N-E-Y S-U-C-K-S.....

Regardless, kudos to goaltender extraordinaire "The King" Henrik Lundqvist - who had a brilliant game with 27 saves, and has already achieved 20-wins this season. Nigel Dawes (and it hurts to say this) played an aggressive game and looked like he belonged on the ice. Drury had a goal and played like a pro. Scott Gomez and his speed scored on the 4th empty net, and huge kudos to secondary players Paul Mara and Colton Orr for enforcing nothing except fighting other enforcers -- and doing a damn good job of it. Even Tom Renney's power play coaches deserve a nod (once).

The only invisible player was Nik Zherdev. I don't understand this, but...

Here's to a great game that will, in all probability, not be repeated against Montreal tomorrow night at MSG. Looking forward to another win as our mediocre New York Rangers again take back the first place spot in the Atlantic Division.

Who knew? Who knows...

tdr

(For your enjoyment, various internet shots of SIDNEY THE DIVER....cheers! and LOOK OUT!)

Fire Tom Renney & Fire His Special Teams Coaches!

It is time. Make it a Happy New Year for all. Last night's defeat against the Washington Caps (again) provided another unwatchable power play and an apparent lack of motivation for the Rangers - especially during the last three minutes of the game, down one-goal 2-1 and continuing to play defensively.

Official recap here.

Light a fire, Dolan Family! With all the fire power on this team - play to score goals, not to prevent them. Fire Tom Renney, Mr. Dolan. Think about replacing Slats as well -- the current management overspent and should be responsible for it.

We are a devoted following of Blueshirt Faithful, but there are limits to how much 'pain & hurt' we are willing to pay for.

tdr

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry...

Santa will not be delivering the goods for us Rangers fans this year, tonight's game against the Washington Caps came as no surprise as we dramatically lost to the Caps 4-5 in OT, after opening the third period with a three goal lead. Alexander Ovechkin scored two goals leading his Caps rallying four straight goals in regulation followed by the game winner in OT.

Official recap here.

We took a point, but hardly deserve it. Coach Tom Renney may feel differently and demonstrate the positives to take away from the game, but tonight's abomination stands as a game of precedent that the Rangers will be judged on for the remainder of the season. Eerily reminiscent to a similar loss against Montreal at the end of last season, this one hurt more because it was in front of the fans - the home crowd - and most importantly, the Dolans.

The only other time the Rangers lost at home after leading 4-0 was March 27, 1979.

The Dark Ranger had the pleasure of sitting with Rod Gilbert in section 118 (okay....two seats from)- our supportive leading New York Ranger All-Star hero, holding the NYR team record for career goals (406), team record for career points (1021) - who actually uttered the following phrases in no particular order when Washington decided to show NYR how to play hockey in the third period:

(Rod Gilbert mutterings throughout the third period):

"Uh oh"....

"A defensive system works when you have defensemen to support it"...

"(shouting angrily) ...don't leave the center open!!!!".....

"...The Habs Game!".......

"We've seen this before!"

Thanks Rod. The Dark Ranger couldn't have said it better myself. I am certain my blogger Blueshirt comrades will have plenty to say about Coach Tom Renney, Wade Redden, Rozsival, Khalinen and our horrible defensive system without defense, but tonight spoke louder than words.

Might I add for pain-sake, the words of Alexander Ovechkin post-game:
"They stopped playing hockey," a jubilant Ovechkin said. "They probably believed 4-0 they'd win the game. They tried to play conservative, but we play a different way. We play a hard, physical game and take lots of shots. You see the results."

As our fellow Atlantic Division rivals are building stronger and climbing in the ranks (i.e. Philadelphia and New Jersey in particular) the unforgivable Rangers loss to the Capitals tonight will demand accountability to the coaches, the players and reflect how the fans have been feeling all season long.

If nothing is addressed and dealt with swiftly and immediately, the season is over!...so with that, happy holidays and all that, as our boys are tonight getting a good 'ole fashioned management ass-whooping!

tdr

(thanks Rod)

It's Over!

Cash is King!

Our own King Lundqvist attempted to persuade elite-player-free-agent Mats Sundin to be a Ranger for less money than the 20 million, two-year offer from Vancouver.

No luck this time around. He's a Canuck!

Mea Culpa. The Dark Ranger mis-called this one. We will continue to live with our terrifically bad power play and questionable leadership. BUT HEY......WE'RE IN FIRST PLACE (sigh)!!!!

TDR

Listen To The Pin Drop (ssshhh.......)

The Blueshirt blogosphere is quietly crossing all fingers and toes and reiterating over and over how 'you better be good for goodness sake'. Everyone is thinking and no one is writing. What is the big secret that everyone spoke of ad nauseum all summer and now afraid to jinx?

Mats Sundin.

My inner-Dark believes the former Toronto Maple Leaf Captain will be a Blueshirt by Friday of this week. Simple. My source (a.k.a. my brain) tells me this is a done deal and fellow Swedes Sjostrom, Lundqvist and once-rumored linemate Marcus Naslund all escorted Mats out of the Garden Saturday night - coming off another God da*n shootout victory - proving that the team is a contender missing and actually in need of the "Sundin factor." He would bring an improved power play unit, locker-room leadership and guts. Drop and/or trade Prucha & Co. to clear a couple more million and it leaves Mats a respectable salary for a half and post-season.

Though, there are hilarious comments and rumors of Sean Avery coming back to the Rangers (Sorry bro, we finally left your attitude with Dallas) --- bad timing for such rumors and unfortunate for Sean because the Rangers now need to clear and dump salary cap limit to bring in our only hope - the new Broadway Savior -- a guy who has never won a Cup. We'll take him over the instigator.

People...hear me out. This Sundin business is happening. It's real. When he signs, maybe I'll stop bitching. Or not.

tdr

Yankee Stadium game likely for Rangers, and NYR 1, Bruins 0

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/03/09/2008-03-09_yankee_stadium_game_likely_for_rangers.html

The Dark Ranger is thrilled that this may be a possibility as long as the MSG season ticket holders are guaranteed first buy-in. As it would be a historic final game at Yankee Stadium - and strangely odd - you can count on the Dolan family (owner of MSG and The NY Rangers) to give something back to the fans and keep the ticket prices low. (not!)

Knowing there were disputes with Penguin Igloo ticket holders for this year's Winter Classic, we can only hope for smooth sailing for those - including myself - that shell out our kids' college 529 plans to attend the playoffs this season!

Sorry to have missed posting yesterday's game against the Boston Bruins, as Little Dark Ranger will be brought into the world tomorrow morning. Not much to say about the game, except we will take the two points and we will also take that level of goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist was stellar in goal -- deserving of his contract. The Lundqvist we once knew.....confidence.....sharp.....the goalie who will steal two games in the playoffs and bolster the confidence of our zero defense. Rozy played well toward the end of the game, but still needs to be reminded that he can be replaced if necessary.

There were numerous scoring opportunities; if a 0-0 game in regulation could be judged on goal post-hits the Rangers would have won 15-1. Luck didn't go our way in scoring: Jags failed breakaway, Chris Drury's beautiful far corner miss, Sean Avery's hustle for nothing. But all in all, Henrik took the game from Boston and Nigel Dawes (the lone scoring goal in the shootout) took the game for the Rangers!

Everyone welcome a guest Flyers fan who will objectively attempt to cover the Buffalo-Rangers game this evening, 7PM EST. I have no idea what will happen!!!???

Let's go Rangers! Lookin' good these days.....but for how long?

TDR

"But It's Not Our Fault", NY Rangers 1, Anaheim Ducks 4

"I don't think they outplayed us, but they took advantage and had more patience," - Jaromir Jagr, Captain of the NY Rangers

"We have a hard time beating the West Coast teams," - Henrik Lundqvist, goalkeeper of the NY Rangers

"It's just one of those crazy things that can happen every year. You can't really put your finger on why it happens." - Scott Gomez, center for the NY Rangers

“The first period they came out hard, kept it simple. We played hard and should have won.” - Michal Rozsival, Defense on the NY Rangers

“We’re not going to win games by just playing hard and having good emotion and all of those types of things. We have to win by having poise and composure whether you’re winning or losing. There are a lot of teams we’ve struggled against. At least we’re not discriminating.” - Tom Renney, coach of the New York Rangers

"We have Marek Malik fighting Sean Avery during practice yesterday and the team is constantly making excuses or justifying in their heads that they're doing nothing wrong. No one is in control of the Rangers locker room. No one is willing to take responsibility. Three wins in a row and they believe - 'it must be last year again', but this is a very different Blueshirts squad and we lose the next two. Wrap your heads around that!" - The Dark Ranger, Objective Witness

tdr

City of Newark Doesn't Attract A Winner, NYR 3, Devils 1

It must feel like a broken record for anyone that bought season tickets to the Prudential Center in Newark, home of the Devils - as The New York Rangers have beaten the Devils five in a row this season. Poor little Devils. Official recap here.

Last night's game was a treasured one - the much needed second win in two games push the Blueshirts four points forward reminding every 'doubter' that they can actually play like a hockey team when they want it. Four stars to Brandon Dubinsky who continues to work harder and make better plays than anyone on the team (especially strange off-ice when he is not wearing his helmut and looks exactly like the kid who cuts your grass). His tireless effort is acknowledged by all of us looking for some God d**n passion. Perhaps he has brought out the best in our dear Captain Jagr, who has played some of the best hockey all season over the last three games -- this is the Jagr we love, respect and vindicates the 600+ goals, etc, etc...

To the "disbelievers of Chris Drury" club, I said it this week and I will go on the record AGAIN to state that Chris Drury is the future of the Rangers franchise. Aside from his scoring two goals last night against NJ, he again provided opportunities for everyone on the team. He is the ultimate playmaker and The Dark Ranger predicts he will be the silent threat that unexpectedly brings victory to our boys. Even though he has not stepped up thus far, he is respected by management, a great presence in the locker room and, most importantly, a great hockey player. He plays best when it's desperate, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see this franchise is in trouble.

With the Rangers winning two division rivals in a row (26-22-6), they surprisingly find themselves only three points away from the first place Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers are two points away from the second place Pittsburgh Penguins, and one point away from the Devils of Newark. Our Atlantic Division is unquestionably the most competitive division in the league, as there is a strong possibility that all five teams could qualify in the Eastern Conference playoff run.

Breathe deeply....we can all start believing again.

The Dark days are looking somewhat brighter, and even if we continue to lose stupid games and miss the playoffs this year - as long as we keep beating the Flyers and Devils every time we play them, in my mind the season was a good one!

tdr

A Long Road Ahead (24-21-6)

So we tied in regulation with the Atlanta Thrashers and the Blueshirts won on the shootout 2-1. Good. Official recap here. The official NYR site proclaims - "The Leech Night Thriller", but not sure if I was then watching the same game as the official Ranger organization was. The shootout went our way and that is all. The third period was the only period we played like a contender. The first and second periods were business as usual. I am certain Coach Tom Renney felt "there is room for improvement, but regardless we played hard and I wouldn't change a thing." An almost brilliant diatribe on Tom Renney and his inner-thoughts can be found at Rangerland here -- great stuff and so true.

On the trading and rumor front, I thought I'd share some non-credible hockey reading from Ecklund the anonymous hockey blogger who this morning wrote

Sundin. I was told 90% now that Sundin is moved. The latest rumblings include Vancouver and Calgary leading the way, but don't count out the NY Rangers I am told. With rumours of Malik being shipped to Chicago very prevalent, and also rumours popping up that the Sharks have interest in "another highly paid Ranger" I get the sense that the Rangers are up to something big. I would be pretty shocked if Mats would decide to go to NY however as everything I have heard is still pointing him towards a Western Canadian team, and he has told people he will ONLY play for a team he feels can win it all.

For once I hope Ecklund is right and Blueshirt management is doing something before the deadline. I actually don't believe Jags is on his way out, but Malik is a sure thing which would free up an additional $2.5 million in cap room - which would allow someone to come in around the $4 million mark only. Knowing Slats, he would probably guarantee a multi-year contract plus bonuses, spurring a 'dumping salary spree' come the off-season.

Whatever happens, I do think the Rangers are in for a major re-organization this June/July.

Enjoy the break everyone - and look for our 'very own and grown' Dubi playing in the kid-All-Stars game this weekend.

(clap, clap, clap, clap....'LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!)

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The Man!

One of the greatest defenseman in the NHL will be honored this evening at The Garden as #2 will join the ranks of The New York Rangers Elite. For histories, events, stories and pix go here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and....here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Fantastic to see that those who play the game with integrity are recognized by their peers and their fans. Leetchie is one of the best. Thank you, Brian.

May our current Blueshirts honor this man by kicking The Thrashers ass post ceremony.

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What We Expect Of Our Team, Rangers 4, Habs 1

It's too bad every game cannot be against Montreal.

It was a celebratory night as The New York Rangers ended their five-game winless streak, and knocked out the Montreal Habs with four-sucker punches, 4-1. New York is 2-4-1 in its last seven games, with both wins coming against our favorite opponent at the Garden -- four wins in the last four home meetings with the Habs. It was the Canadiens' first regulation loss since Dec. 23 (5-0-2), despite eight power plays.

The system works when you play disciplined hockey.

Similar to the Rangers previous game (and loss) to Philadelphia, it was a game full of penalties by our Blueshirts, including two 5-on-3's, the difference this time our special team built for killing penalties managed the job - all of them. The defense finally played defense for a change, with the exception of a ridiculous Marek Malik turnover that could have changed the tone of the game, had the Canadiens delivered on the shot. Lucky for us.

Despite his -12 for the season, newcomer Chris Drury delivered on the first goal and looked strong as he buried himself into Habs goalkeeper Christobal Huet's far post throughout the game. It is a pleasure to see a consistent player, like Drury, playing the post looking for dirty goals. Jaromir Jagr actually skated hard throughout, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes delivered on excellent goals, and our mentally ailing goalkeeper Henrik Lunqvist looked sharp, focused and unstoppable.

May this all continue 'hopeful Rangers fans' as it feels good seeing the win; it is what we expect of our team when we are on the verge of making/breaking the playoffs.

Currently The Rangers are in last place in the Atlantic Division and ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings (21-19-5). We are four wins away from the top division seed and four losses away from the worst team in the Conference, so needless to say, the race will be a close one. In order to secure and guarantee a spot in the playoffs, the Blueshirts will have to win two of every three games for the remainder of the season - a streak we haven't seen since this time last year.

Can history be repeated? Better yet, can last night be repeated?

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Happy Boxing Day, Rangers 4, Hurricanes 2

There was more to the evening than Ranger's Colton Orr checking Matt Cullen across the face and the return of Sean Avery's antics (major and minor punishments galore) in this special, magical time of year.

Knowing young Tom Renney wanted nothing more than to beat a Red and White Rider Pump carbine action, five-hundred range model hockey team, he was told pre-game there was one more present behind the wish tree. Suspiciously, he didn't change anything in his lineup and still got want he wanted. A win. Spoiled kid.

Jagr broke out with two tallies (you heard that right!) and Brendan Shanahan set up a pair of third-period power-play goals to help the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Wednesday night. Chris Drury and Dan Girardi also scored for the Rangers, who snapped a three-game losing streak, winning for only the third time in the last 11 games. Official recap here.

The Rangers were at it again, a defense-first minded team and stuck with their guns. Although there were sloppy turnovers in the first period, the team was generally solid - crashing the net and outshooting Carolina 2 to 1 throughout the game. In fact, 'one-game rejuvenated' Captain Jaromir Jagr scored his first goal of the evening by planting himself on the far-end of Hurricane Cam Ward's net - a Euro-Dirty-Goal. Congrats to our Jagr for playing hockey on the boards, as opposed to playing European style. Whether it was Tom Renney, Brendan Shanahan, Chris Drury or Dancing Grandma, Jagr took his lead from someone and we are all grateful. Forgive my repetitiveness, but a "don't get my fingernails dirty" A-level player like Jaromir Jagr does not crash the net, so it was refreshing to see.

Marek Malik started the game and did a decent job. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi continue to amaze Blueshirt fans -- this youthful depth will only benefit the NYR franchise this year and seasons to come, or until Slats trades them this February for an aging potential Columbus Blue Jacket veteran?

Joking aside, rumor has it that the Blueshirts are trying to pry either veteran Adam Foote or top-four defenseman Rostislav Klesla from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Petr Prucha. Some of our young'ens may be thrown into the deal -- none of us like the sound of this. Just for fun, throw in Malik & Hossa for 'shits & giggles'....we triple dare you Slats.

According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, "...The 36-year-old Foote, a physical presence the Rangers so obviously lack on the blue line, is on the final year of a three-year contract at $4.6M per that contains a no-trade clause he would have to waive in order to come to New York. If willing, the two-time Cup-winner with Colorado will become one of the prime rentals on the market as the Feb. 26 deadline approaches. Hence, the Rangers' attempt for a pre-emptive strike. Klesla, the multi-dimensional fourth-overall selection in the 2000 Entry Draft who will turn 26 in March, is under contract through the 2009-10 season at $1.6M per. "

Though teams are frozen through the New Year, we can expect some major trades throughout the NHL come January and February. The Blueshirts will be dumping some of our assets to strengthen that blueline. We all knew this last summer; we just didn't realize how valuable such rookies as Staal and Girardi would be and how they need to remain on this team. So here lies the mystery. (CORRECTION: Will anyone take Malik and how much of that salary will the Rangers continue to pay? - As pointed out by Scotty Hockey, this is no longer allowed as part of the collective NHL salary capping. Players can trade at the full salary only.)

The Dark Ranger feels that management is finally addressing some of the depth problems with the team, and in the end, the Blueshirts are already ahead of where we were last season -- and the 'fire-power' on paper is still an improvement. So optimistically, this looks good and as long as the brass upstairs is continually improving the team, we have to jump on the bandwagon and support the team. As long as we play solid 'last-night knock-em-down-Carolina Hurricane hockey' throughout the season, we are a 'shoe-in.'

The next five games are all against Canadian franchises and we begin the trek with the Toronto Maple Leafs this Saturday night at the legendary A.C.C. in Toronto where tickets are not accessible and 'standing-room only in the rafter passes' goes for $125 a pop. Prepare for a revival of the most-famous Sean Avery/Darcy Tucker meeting -- tickets for that alone are sold-out and the potential pre-warmup alley fight will be available on pay-per-view, so watch for the agitation, check in with The Dark Ranger - more entertaining on a Saturday night than Die Hard 4!

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Battle Of The Goalkeepers, Rangers 3, Avalanche 4 OT

The Rangers can't hold a lead. We lose again. Recap here.

There is no question that tonight's meeting with the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche was a nail-biter. No, it wasn't the offensive prowess of either of the teams. No, it wasn't the brilliant defense either.

There were two reasons - NYR goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist & Colorado Avalanche Peter Budaj. Simply stated, Henrik kept NYR in the game. Budaj made major saves. The game was about goaltending - ultimately leaning toward the west.

So back to RangerBlue reality, that leaves us with two wins in the last nine games. Let us ponder. The Blueshirts had one of the top defensive NHL records about a month ago, with the least amount of goals per average in the league and best save percentages by King Lundqvist, while simultaneously registering the 'least shot attempts in the NHL.' Our rookie defense made up for all of our offensive struggles. Even still, we were winning games by containment, not by winning goals.

With our two front lines recently clicking with Gomez between Straka and Jagr, and Drury moving forward to the second line, we are finally scoring goals... a lot of them. The newly missing link is our strength on 'D' ; it is falling apart before our eyes. Who's karma is granting us such events? The Jagr good years? Calling Sean Avery a nuisance? The Nylander Curse?

There isn't more to say that hasn't been said, which in itself is disappointing enough. It was a good game to watch - high scoring, Ranger turnovers that Henrik brilliantly saved, but ultimately it ended with another loss. Tonight was not about good/bad coaching, the Captain, etc., this was more about equal play leading to OT, gaining a point and losing the game to the Avs taking advantage of a dead-center loose puck. F**K ME! God Da***t, Mother Frackin' Sons a B*tch*s, STUPID F****N COACH, INVISIBLE CAPTAIN.....Why Lord? Why Slats? 2 Wins in 9 games? Who are we, The Knicks?..........

So we'll take the point & take the 'high road' and wish our Western Conference Brethren a proud New Yorker middle finger. Take your solid, discipline hockey system and shove it. Or even better yet, take it to the Garden. We'll prove to ya'll that Denver aint no place to watch hockey. Sigh.

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