She Loves Me Not, She Loves Me

 

Fri  NYR 1,  Avalanche 5   Recap here.

Sat  NYR 5,  Minnesota Wild 2,  Recap here.

It was a wild weekend of hockey for us Rangers fans, as much fun as having your girlfriend break up with you and one day later having her beg to have you back.  In other words, 'rebound love'.   Now hold on Rangers, I'm not suggesting anything dirty like the pat-down you're all going to receive at your neighborhood airport this holiday season, I'm referring to the hate & love of Rangers hockey that we all felt within a 24-hour period.

Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche will never be explained, as the Blueshirts decided that the altitude was good reason to not show-up and play hockey - where a scoreless first period was followed by the Avalanche lighting the lamp four times, our King Lundqvist letting in 3 softies out of 16 shots and soon after replaced by surprisingly stellar backup goalie Martin Biron.  By the time Biron took goal, the rest of the team was deflated and there was absolutely nothing that could be done to revive the scoreboard in our favor. 

"I felt like everything went their way in the second period and that kind of killed the game," Lundqvist said. "I didn't think we were that bad. We needed a couple more saves to keep us in the game but we didn't get them tonight."

Scary bad Henrik in net

Well for once, I disagree with Henrik's assessment.  Coming off the Boston loss last Wednesday and Lundqvist taking responsibility for what probably was his worst focused game of the season, the three goals on Friday night scored against him were stoppable and it is worrisome.  Is it fair to suggest that the more he sits, the softer he gets?  Larry Brooks of The Post posed an interesting article over the weekend, questioning Lundqvist's ability to play in a two-goalie system (go here).

The game against Colorado 'was what it was' - a bad game.  We 'shat the bed' and let's move on.

So Saturday couldn't have arrived any sooner as the Blueshirts arrived as well.  It was the return of Marian Gaborik and as part of Minnesota's greeting, the Wild brass handed out overstocked Gaborik bobble-heads in his Minnesota jersey to everyone at the arena -- a clever little joke gone awry by management, as we stalked them, played as a team and made a 'Wild fool' of their obnoxious psychological giveaway act --- all goals without Marian.  Ha! 

Saturday's game was the parallel opposite to the night before, where on both nights the first period both teams looked strong and solid  - East Conference meets West Conference and the courting before the kill; the second period the Rangers took control scoring four lovelies in a row, one of them a delicious Derek Stepan feed to Michael Del Zotto's coming up the chute goal.  These goals were solid goals, none of them were soft, and Minnesota Wild's goalkeeper Backstrom didn't have a chance as his own squad let him down.  Sound familiar?  Minnesota found two pride goals in the last period, enough to keep their heads up high.  We win.

Biron Battles and deserves the start tonight

But here's the difference - Marty Biron was in goal for the Rangers, with Henrik on the sidelines.  So the operative question is as the Rangers head home tonight against the Calgary Flames - who starts in goal tonight?   I'd actually like to see Marty Biron open the game tonight.  It would fit the Torts philosophy and system.  If you win and play hard, you will be rewarded.   What do you think?

Looking ahead, here are the stats going into tonight's matchup:

The Rangers will face-off against the Calgary Flames at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.), in their third consecutive game vs. a Northwest Division opponent. The Blueshirts currently rank third in the Atlantic Division standings, and seventh in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 11-9-1 (23 pts). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the Minnesota Wild, 5-2, on Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center, to improve to 5-0-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets. The Flames enter the contest with a 8-10-1 (17 pts) record to rank 14th in the Western Conference, and have lost four of their last five games (0-3-1).

There are games we should win and there are games that we just need to work hard and see what happens. Tonight we are expected to win, which are usually the ones we don't. So perhaps Saturday night's game did a little good to the confidence factor - as we meet our old friend Olli Jokinen (who I believe is still suspended for a cross-checking incident here), the Sutter family will be in attendence (former coach of the NJ Devils... "help Sutters, we need you back" - Lou L.) ....and I believe we'll all be treated to Brandon Prust welcoming his ex-teammates to the Garden. It should be a battle. 

The ride continues tonight Rangers fans.....onward!

tdr

Garden fans, look out for that funny looking dude wearing the Flames jersey

A great moment in hockey history, note Olli forgot to defend again.

Tortorella Should Be Careful

A coach genius is made by knowing exactly when or when not to bench your players on the team, rookie or star players alike.

New York Ranger Coach John Tortorella, after yesterday's victory against the Flyers, by the press standards appears to be like one of those geniuses, having benched agitator Sean Avery the game before against The Thrashers (which led to a 5-2 win for the Blueshirts) and inserted back into the lineup against Philadelphia at The Garden a day later. Would you believe it?   It was perhaps Sean Avery's best gritty performance this season.  Two goals, two penalty minutes, drew three penalties (leading to two power plays), played like a hard-hitting leader (with restraint) and a reinvigorated team that followed his footsteps.   The Coach must have known that would piss off Sean and motivate him to play better the next game.  Embarrass him.  Make the fans know it.  He'll want to prove to all that the Coach wronged him.

But Sean Avery has been one of the more hard working hockey players on The Rangers?  What gives?  How many times can a coach effectively bench the same guy to get his best play?

Well, for genius reasons, I suppose, the Rangers beat up The Flyers winning 3-1.  Unrelated to Torts or Avery, check out our very own Brandon Dubinsky getting challenged by Flyer's Captain Mike Richards.  Clearly the Philadelphia tough guy is reeling tonight after getting beat up and over-ranked by a 20-something year old.  Watch this fantastical video here.

Official recap here.

But look again at Torts -- screaming genius for a game and his reasons for shaming team members to the icy wooden plank.  Many players on the current roster fit the bill:  Wade Redden - was brought in to secure the blueline for the next five years (ok...a big mistake):  When he sucks, BENCH HIM.  Michael Del Zotto - first round draft blueliner who has stepped up, but crucial mistakes are made that will ultimately lead to building character and bringing accountability to a 19-year old rookie (no problem):  BENCH HIM.  Even Torts (secretly hating) Sean Avery and benching him for stupid mistakes and creating havoc on the ice and in the locker room:  BENCH HIM.   All easy targets benched by Coach.

So with that, let me state that John Tortorella is far from a genius.

While Torts looks for accountability and consistency from his players on a game-to-game basis, so should the method of his coaching and how he treats the team as a unit.  He is as much the hot-head off the ice as Sean Avery - and, especially, to the press -- this coaching hypocritical manner bleeds into the locker room and the team he represents.  If his methods were consistent, we'd see Olli Jokinen, A. Anisimov, Chris Drury being benched throughout the season based on poor play.  Can you imagine Marian Gaborik getting the bench?   Management would make Torts roll if any of the star players were to be penalized and benched for not scoring goals or working hard.   Many of these players that we covet are not star players, let's call them our cliched' ' overpaid syndrome' extended contracts and Coach is afraid of them because of how it will effect him.   He continues to pick on the secondary characters on the bench, rather than the marquee characters....because he can.  The philosophy of benching should apply to all players if this is something he believes in.

The Dark Ranger says let 'em play and earn their contracts.  If not, bench 'em and send 'em north. 

It's a professional popularity contest of the bench, as if Torts has chosen his favorites and you have to earn your way back into his influence bubble.  That is....unless the Rangers pay you more than 5 million a year.

tdr

But We Scored Five Goals!!??

NYR 5, Caps 6

'Bittersweet' is the word to describe tonight.

Not only is former-super-sniper Atlanta Thrasher Ilya Kovalchuk officially now a New Jersey Devil, but the Rangers lost in regulation for the seventh time in eight games and have slipped below the post-season cutoff in the Eastern Conference.

But we scored five goals???!!!!

Here is the tsn synopsis:

The Rangers carried play in the first period and took a 1-0 lead at 8:58 when Callahan tipped in a shot by Jokinen, snapping New York's 0 for 25 power-play slump over seven games. Gordon tied it with 3:20 left in the frame, despite Washington being outshot 15-5 at the time.  Prospal got that one back just 10 seconds later, and New York finished the period with a 2-1 lead and an 18-6 shots advantage.

The tide turned in the second as Washington quickly caught up in shots and on the scoreboard. Knuble's 20th goal made it 2-2 at 4:41, and Ovechkin's power-play tally at 7:16 gave the Capitals their first lead.  Jokinen, in his second game since being acquired from Calgary on Monday, scored his 12th of the season and first with the Rangers to make it 3-3 at 12:19. Prospal put New York back on top 40 seconds later.  Dubinsky's power-play goal with 1:12 left in the second made it 5-3 and had Madison Square Garden rocking.  It didn't last long as Ovechkin quieted the crowd by netting his NHL-leading 38th, scoring a one-handed goal with only 8.5 seconds left in the middle frame.  Former Rangers defenceman Poti tied it 5-5 just 59 seconds into the third, 36 seconds after New York newbie Michael Del Zotto was sent off for high-sticking.

Despite the loss, it was an awesome game to watch, complete with all of the short-handed turnovers, too many penalties, and defensive gaffs one comes to expect as a Rangers fan, but there was a confidence from the start in our Blueshirts very different than the level of play we've seen throughout this losing streak.  They were fast and hungry and they fed off the Garden, something I don't remember in some time.  Henrik Lundqvist was solid in goal, regardless of how many he let in --- if he hadn't played to his level, the Caps would have scored five more goals.

Alexander Ovechkin is truly a marvel to watch.  He is a guy who loves to win, is motivated by The Garden, and is the consummate hockey player.  I wish he was on our team.  Is it me, or am I the only one scratching my head with Rozsival covering Ovechkin one-on-one?  TORTS you ineffective Napoleon!!!!  - one thing is for sure, Torts has his favorites and sure loves benching Redden.  He's got it half right.

Some quotes of the night:

“For sure this is very, very tough to take, but we screwed it up ourselves,” Marian Gaborik said after the Blueshirts yielded three power-play goals while shorthanded nine times overall, including three times in the second period and five times in the third.  "We have to be disciplined; we can’t take that many penalties against anyone, certainly not against a team like that.  It’s our own fault.”

At the very least, it's refreshing that we're not being fed the usual "We played hard, we're just not getting pucks in the net" sound-bite that bites the ear.

Recently acquired Olli "Twist" Jokinen scored a goal and an assist and pushed the puck forward --- with Proust doing a great job with the body throughout.  The team has improved with them in the lineup.  Time will show what happens, so if our newly acquired Westerners can beat the historical "Lackadaisical Garden Syndrome" (the disease that gradually slows down hockey players to not work so hard, but still hastily cashing their checks), they might improve the tempo of the game.

The NJ Devils of Newark tomorrow, with Stanley Cupping Kovy on their side.  I call on Sean Avery to rise high and make fun of Fatty Brodeur, and do what he does best.  Be a pest.  Throw off their game.  Let's win this one and remind Kovy why he should have taken his Atlantian $100 million dollar contract, rather than one that belongs to a half-attended, half-hearted hockey town.  Yeah...they're on top right now, but a loss to the Blueshirts would do wonders in elevating our half-feeling team.

Who knows?  If not the Devils tomorrow, maybe we'll win a game one of these days!!?  10th place in the Eastern, by the way folks.

tdr

Instant offense? The Joks on you!

RANGERS BOW TO KINGS 2-1


The trade with the flames that sent Higgens and Kotalik to calgary definitely brought fire to the Ranger team... for the first period anyway. The rest of the way, they sort of just got burned by a Kings team that was young, fast and in a winning groove.

Official recap here.

Newly acquired Jokinen started the game at center for the Rangers while being flanked by Marian Gaborik and Vinny prospal. The thought being that this could be a legit first line that could capitalize on a variety of offensive opportunities. To his credit, Jokinen definitely seemed energetic and used his large frame to take the body. In fact it was quite odd to see a Ranger forward that aggressive and interested in playing the game.

The same could be said for our other Calgary import, Brandon Prust. Prust, 2nd in the league in fights, definitely played his game and wasted no time in making his presence known as he racked up a boarding penalty (which was quite worth it in my opinion as I havent seen someone in a Rangers jersey deliver a hit like that in quite a while). Most importantly, the rest of the team seemed to be inspired and stepped up their level of play to seemingly impress their new teammates in the first as if trying to mask the fact that they have been slacking all this whole time.

It would almost all seem to be for naught though as Vinny,Gabby and Olli worked on their chemistry for much of the night... while the Kings had an already queasy Lundqvist on edge in their shooting gallery. As the game wore on it became obvious that we were trying to keep pace with an LA team that just had more focus. Trying to project the same energy and keep the frantic pace was a good step in the right direction, but the difference was that a Kings team going for their 6th straight win was doing so by channeling their energy toward their offense and taking the body and much of our team was simply just committing the usual errors in doubletime and more aggresively. The second seemed to be a 20 minute long version of dueling penalties, with the relentless pressure of LA's offense pushing us to a pace we couldn't sustain for long, as evidenced by the shorty scored on a Kopitar laser of a shot on a break away turnover (There were NO defensemen on the ice during the man advantage). While we weren't done any favors by the refs who interpret the rules how they like, we didn't make much of a case for ourselves with our play. After weathering wave after wave of Kings forwards, we started to come on late in the game as a winded Kings seemed to relax a little. Gabby's coversion of a saucer pass, mid-sacuer, to score would allow him to keep his offense rolling, but it wouldn't be enough as we simply ran out of time before we could get ourselves back into this game.

If theres anything that could be learned from watching the two latest additions, it's that we need to start playing like them before they start playing like us. I've always been amazed at how players that ride into NY bright and shiny, manage to leave the city with a dull finish that covers most of the players during their tenure here. While Prust picked up the instigator for his fight (I disagree with the call), he did what needed to be done... and thats what mattered. After a hit by Segal along the end boards on one of his new teammates, Prust sought out Segal after the whistle. Segal looked surprised to see Prust and rather reluctant to drop his mitts...Prust didn't care and took care of business and Segal was made to answer for his indiscretions. Prust didn't stand there mouth agape, watching things unfold *cough*girardi*cough*, nor did he have to muster up any false bravado before hand. He came, he saw, he conquered. It was business, then it was personal (during the punching), and at the end it was business again.

As for Jokinen, his shock and dismay exressed at the trade and having to move his family, seemed to quickly turn into acceptance. While it didn't pay off on the ice last night, it's only been a game. He was however quick in his assesment and has said something that has been the Achilles heel of this team's offense for a while.

We had a cycle game but we have to find a way to take the puck to the net, too. We don't want to stay in the corner.... I think we can be a lot better as a team, too, getting the puck to the net

A player without the training wheels mentality of using the boards to cycle the puck around and wants to work the prime real estate down the middle and around the net? Here, in NY? Good passing, good skating, good shooting and solid fundamentals is really the only way to go in making this team better. Team changing offense usually doesn't come in one player. It can come from one player but it must be played by everyone.

Olli, Olli, Um Come Blue??? (UPDATED)

from TSN,

Sources tell TSN the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames are expected to announce a trade tonight that will send Calgary centre, Olli Jokinen to the Rangers in exchange for Ales Kotalik and either Chris Higgins or rookie defenceman, Matt Gilroy.

TRADING AWAY OUR FUTURE?......Kotalik we understand, but Gilroy - our Hobie Award Winner Future for an under-delivering Center?  Truth is Jokinen may be the only legitimate CENTER on the roster at this point in the season.....the Flames have been waiting for Olli to deliver for two seasons now....will being in NYC be any different?

Keep checking in with Greg W. of Puck Daddy, who is following the story -- and if such a trade happens, he poses 'how will it affect the Fire Sather Rally, when such a trade at this time delivers another Scott Gomez-like Jedi salary dump for the tired, old GM...???.  Go here for the usual and trustworthy Yahoo update.

Here we go.....business as usual.  I think we won this trade if we can send Kotalik and Higgins for Olli and Prust from the Calgary Flames.  I hope that Sather and Co. will hold on to our future and trade the dead-weight.   What do you think?

UPDATE:


via Sportsnet,

The Flames and Rangers are working out a deal that would send centre Olli Jokinen and left winger Brandon Prust to New York in exchange for centre Chris Higgins and right-winger Ales Kotalik. Sources told Sportsnet the deal is pending approval from Kotalik who has a limited no-trade clause in his contract.
Kotalik’s limited no-trade clause lists three teams he can not be traded to without his permission and Calgary is one of them.
The deal is not expected to be completed until late Monday morning at the earliest.

tdr