Hey Billy!!!!! Welcome Back....

A huge 'shout-out' to the ultimate combination of 'New York Ranger' fan and East Village artist here in the Great NYC. Billy the Artist is back and MSG will welcome back a great fan and a great NYC institution after a long hiatus in Woodstock....plus painting hot chicks and gratuitous pictures of hot chicks never ruined a hockey fan's day.

With all of the rumors and trades happening in the blogosphere, I thought it best to wait and see what the 'Great Slats' has to show over the next couple of weeks as we approach "free agency-land" July 1. For anyone watching the "What the Rangers Need Most" post, you'll see the two top voted needs are:

1. re-SIGN Sean Avery. & 2. Reinforce the blueline with defense that means something

Ironic that these were the most important issues for the Rangers one year ago -- only now we have a handful of free agents that (should) will leave, freeing up close to $20 million in salary cap. If management treats this right, we could be looking at an improved 2009 playoff picture and a long-term veteran/youth mix for years to come. But they won't....if Coach Clueless and SLATS the Barbarian refuse to adapt to new opportunities.

...at least we have Billy the Artist...for now.

tdr

Pittsburgh Are The Losers! Red Wings Win Cup in 6!

In 1991, the Giants won the Super Bowl
In 1991, there was a Bush in the White house
In 1991, there was a Clinton running for President
In 1991, there was a war in Iraq
In 1991, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In 2008, the Giants won the Super Bowl
In 2008, there is a Bush in the White House
In 2008, there is a Clinton running for President
In 2008, there is a war in Iraq
In 2008, the Penguins?

(source thePittsburghChannel.com)

tdr

Jagr Haters? Hardly.

Rumors are abuzz throughout the blogosphere that Avangard Omsk - the Russian hockey league - is offering New York Ranger forward Jaromir Jagr upwards to $12 million to play in this upcoming season, which puts our very own GM Glen 'Slats' Sather in quite the precarious position as he is currently negotiating with Jags, probably looking to secure some one-t0-two year deal for less than he was paying him this current season - with incentive bonuses. Stay tuned.

While we eagerly await our 2009-10 fate of whether Tom Renney will finally coach (for real) our team without Jagr or will he (pretend to) coach with Jagr in the lineup, I thought it was thoughtful to look back at the playoffs and see what the Pittsburgh fans really think of their ex-Pittsburgh Penguin Jagr , when Jags played side-by-side to Lemieux's #1 seating. The very fact that Pittsburgh fans boo'ed him every time he touched the puck this season is a good reading of 'Jagr Hating', but in looking a little closer the reality was very different. (As you know, The Dark Ranger has been accused of being a "Jagr Hater" myself (which I am not - "it's just time to move on...")).

**************************************************

from Mike244:
''I have been a Pittsburgh Pens fan all my life.''
You should be ashamed of yourself saying anything negative about Jagr after what this man did for your hockey team .You and the rest of the pitt boobirds should not be so quick to forget. Ask any Ranger fan if they ever booed Messier when he came back to the garden in a Cannucks uniform, Leach in a Bruins uniform. the answer is NO, Why Beacause Ranger Fans Have CLASS .something all of pitts. needs to learn .BTW IT AINT OVER TILL ITS OVER !!!!

from JGBerc:
I have never really understood the venom Penguins fans display to one of the all-time greats in Jaromir Jagr. It makes me very sad and cringe every time the igloo boos him. It seems like one, people forget what Jagr did while he was a Penguin, I don't. He carried this franchise during some of the darkest days of the Penguins era. Two, people also forget that Jagr, though vocal about his desire to be traded, knew there was no other option. Do people forget the team was in financial ruin? Do they forget this team was in danger of leaving the city?

It was not just Jagr who was victim of the post Howard Baldwin spending spree. Was he not supposed to take the money? Baldwin spent like a teenage girl with a credit card at Macys. Ron Francis, Martin Straka, Alexei Kovalev, and Robert Lang were among many players who simply had to be moved due to financial constraints. In the pre-salary cap NHL, many teams could not keep up with the free spending Red Wings, Flyers, and Rangers. Jagr saw the writing on the wall and personally, I think he asked for a trade because he knew there was no other options. Out of respect for Mario Lemieux, he took the role as bad guy. Could he have handled the situation better? Sure, but he and the Pens were out of options.

Look at it this way. If Jagr does not get traded...Pens never get Marc-Andre Fleury, Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. The Pens are likely playing in Kansas City or Seattle. Mario Lemieux is not the super-hero he is deservedly considered to be now for saving the Pens. We are not waiting for a beatiful new arena. We are watching another team dominate the NHL like no one has in a long time.

To anyone reading this who boos Jagr every time he touches the puck. Did you become a Pens fan after Sidney Crosby got drafted? Did you not watch Jagr play a critical role in winning two Stanley Cups? Did you not have the pleasure of watching the best player not named Lemieux or Gretzky for a decade? Next time you feel like being a dim wit and booing someone who was a victim of circumstance and the mismanagement of others, think about it and shut up. Im done ranting...Lets go Pens.

from GoHabsGo:
For anyone that boos Jags at the Igloo, you must be one of those Pens fans who didn't know any of the Pens' names 2 seasons ago. Jagr's a big reason the Pens won their last cup. I think you should go back to playing tiddlywinks. Bloody bandwagoners who suddenly think they know something about hockey.. ugh!


from The Burgh Blog:
I realize that the following are true:

• Jaromir Jagr is no longer a Penguin and hasn’t been one for a long long time.
• Jaromir Jagr had/has a gambling problem.
• As a good Burgher, I should boo and hate and possibly try to Juju-curse Jaromir Jagr, because he is a “traitor” and because he talks smack about Sid.
• However, all of the following are true as well:

• I love Jaromir Jagr. I always have and unless he hunts me down and sticks an angry pigeon down my shirt, I always will.
• If I wasn’t already dealing with the constant bickering of three very different imaginary self-united husbands, I’d totally self-unite with Jaromir Jagr, too.
• Jaromir Jagr is a fun name to say.
• When Jaromir Jagr and Ruutu were jawing at each other yesterday, and Jaromir threw some jesting kissy-kisses at Ruutu, resulting in Ruutu pushing him to the ice in anger … I loved Jaromir Jagr all the more. I love Ruutu, but come on, that was awesome.
• When the game was over and Jaromir Jagr didn’t just shake the hands of the Pens, but looked every single one of our boys in the eyes and congratulated them with sincere graciousness and a smile on his face … well, I wonder if Jaromir Jagr has any babies he’d like me to birth for him? (Coming up at 11:00!)
• As suggested to me by a reader, I completely agree that the Pens should sign Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract so that he can end his career as a Penguin.

from BolognaMan03:
I have never and will never boo Jaromir Jagr at a Penguins game for several reasons, about 429 of them. After watching his spirited play last night and his solid play throughout the playoffs I hope he doesn't go to the Russian Super League next year. Jagr is still a great player and should continue to play in the NHL. If the next game is perhaps his last in the NHL, as he stated, then I wish Jagr the best and hope he goes into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Penguins.


from PSUimu said:
If Jaromir Jagr hates Pittsburgh so much, then why does he maintain a residence in Muraysville PA and rent it to... you guessed it... Peter Sykora? They're really close friends. In fact, Jagr still stays there when he's in town against the Pens. Dateline...1992...conference semi-finals.... Mario Lemieux gets his wrist broken by Adam Graves. The ENTIRE WORLD believed that Mario WAS the Penguins, and just like Evgeni Malkin in this day and age, Jagr stepped up his game, helping the Penguins sweep the next 12 games and win the 1992 Stanley Cup. Certain Pens fans forget this. If you have questions about Jagr... just like the interview thanking his mentor, remember this...

J A R O M I R when rearranged spells MARIO JR.

**************************************************

So with that, there is some Jagr sentiment in The Igloo -- not that us Rangers fans need to cheer on the Atlantic Division during the Stanley Cup finals this weekend, but it was a surprise to see how much support Jaromir Jagr has received from his former fan base.

Let's go Red Wings and bring on the "Sid Haters", a more timely discussion point as the first game arrives this Saturday.

tdr

The Devil Wears Prada

REPORTING FOR DUTY: Sean Avery started his internship at Vogue on Monday, and already staffers at Condé Nast Publications Inc. are buzzing about the New York Ranger star's presence at 4 Times Square. Observers say he's involved in all sections of the magazine, including features and accessories, and attends edit meetings. And while Avery pulled down $2 million last year with the Rangers, he's earning minimum wage for his time at Vogue, a magazine spokesman confirmed, denying speculation Avery was being paid $5,000 for his summer job. While Vogue has been mum on the specifics of Avery's internship, insiders say there's been talk of the hockey hard man attending the couture shows in Europe next month along with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and editors André Leon Talley, Hamish Bowles and Sally Singer (which would be sure to raise the eyebrows of jealous Voguettes). No word yet on if he'll be filing reviews on the shows, or, like tennis star (and Wintour favorite) Roger Federer, appearing on an upcoming cover of Vogue or Men's Vogue.

Not sure I understand this venture from Ranger's bad boy....it is the most unlikely venture thus far, but I wouldn't be surprised if Marty Brodeur -- who is at the end of his career -- follows in Avery's footsteps by making appearances on Sesame Street or leaves hockey entirely to become the fifth member of The Wiggles. You never know.

tdr

An Open Letter to Glen Sather

Dear Slats,

Bet you never thought some kid from High River, Alberta would become the general manager of the most prestigious hockey organization in North America?........You did.

As a lifelong and loyal New York Rangers fan, I want to congratulate you on everything you've done through now. I am most impressed in how you've morphed our beloved team into a 'once again' true contender in the NHL post-lockout. You've surprised your critics with your ability to adapt to the new-NHL and ridding us with the moniker of "veterans come to the New York Rangers organization to die." The veterans you have added of recent have contributed and added much-needed depth to the team over the last couple of years.

Though, your biggest challenge is now.

Knowing who the free agents are this summer and as you sit in your little bungalow with NYR brass this week, you must find yourself in a bit of a pickle? Turns out the entire roster of Blueshirt free agents are declaring their love of New York, MSG, the fans and leaving it to you to decide their fate. You 'aint called the Big Cheese for nothing, because my future Stanley Cup team rests in your chubby and overfed hands, Herr Sather! Scotty Hockey has some great ideas to start.

Maybe we should start with the most obvious?

As a former hockey player with the Memphis Wings, the Oklahoma City Blazers (giggle) and soon after the Boston Bruins, you gained your own young reputation with a gritty style of play- others referring to you as 'Slats.' Even as a successful coach in Edmonton, you followed through with your antics and no one got in your way. Maybe this is the time for a change? For once in your career, 'we the people' are beginning to see that you are threatened by a similar thug -- one who has become the 'Bigger Man' than you dear Glen "Slats" Sather.

There are times in a career that you need to hire the guy that is more talented or visible than you - THAT is good management; hiring the people that make you look good. You may not like Sean Avery. He probably doesn't like you either. Despite how well you've done thus far, his record when playing for the Rangers speaks louder than yours playing "THE MAN" upstairs; with the big free-agent changes ahead, we need to at least hold onto our team attitude & troublemaker. Until you have found a 'real goon' on the squad that respects you, he's the best and most affordable even at $3.5-4 million per year, and no one can argue that with Sean Avery on the ice, we win games. Plain & simple. I know, I know, Glen - "it's the placebo effect when he plays and if you don't listen to him he has no effect"....yada, yada, yada. Stop your head from spinning, Glen, and do the right thing for the team. For the team. The team is first.

If you were to listen to some of your critics (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here) you'd just sign the f**king guy! Sorry to get harsh, but you are beginning to annoy all of us and becoming a detriment to OUR TEAM. Soon we will be calling you 'The Malik of GM's.'

Back to good news, Brandon Dubinsky with a hat-trick in the worlds competition? Slatty baby, gotta hand it to you in the prospects department as we have more than a handful of young'ens that stepped up to the ice this season and provided much-needed support in some of our lazy veterans. We are all thrilled to watch the improvements of Dubie, Callahan, Girardi, Dawes, Staal and the risings of Bobby Sanguinetti and Cherapanov (we'll wait another year for the Russian).

Take care of our superstars Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan this summer. Respectfully decline their invitations and find some Gomez-supporting forward, another front-line mega-star and add two defensemen (one goon and one offensive-minded). Rozzy should walk, Malik is sawdust, and Valiquette deserves a potential starting position if needed on another team (otherwise, we should keep him).

I will not and cannot tell you who is appropriate for the team -- that is your job. Just be respectful in handling our franchise and, especially, the franchise players. They keep you in the holy-high office, so look no further than your own hockey family as a starting place in re-building the New York Rangers this off-season.

I feel privileged to be a Rangers fan and blogger. Others agree with me. We know you will make the 'right' decisions this week and pursue the 'right' path for our Blueshirts.

Good luck and "don't eat that third cheese danish"...

Warmest regards,

The Dark Ranger (a.k.a. 'tdr')

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/NEWSDAY/TSN/CP: all reported NY Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr claims his priority is to return with the Rangers next season. The reports note the Rangers aren't the only option for Jagr, as he could also sign with Avangard Omsk of Russia, and eventually he intends to return to his hometown club Kladno in the Czech Republic. He noted any deal he signs probably won't be longer than two years because his father would like him to return by that time. John Dellapina of the Daily News suggested the Rangers could offer Jagr a bonus-laden contract much like the one they signed with Brendan Shanahan last season, as bonuses for players over 35 can be deferred toward the following season's salary cap.

(the above courtesy of Spector's Hockey)

The Off-Season Is Upon Us (UPDATED)

It is 'The End' my dear Blueshirts. The Dark Ranger salutes the team, the fans and the hockey Gods.

We are officially on hockey hiatus and it hurts.

Aside from the tongue twister, in looking back at last summer, the entire season and our playoff run - all in all - I think it ended how we all expected it would end. Our demise in the second round was due to our lack of defense, simply. We knew it during the season and we wanted to ignore it in the playoffs. King Lundqvist kept us in the game with his amazing ability to 'step up' when needed, but even his worldly skills weren't enough to support an empty blueline. Our forwards were stifled having to play defense, much due to our Tom Renney defensive system - and our specialty units were some of the worst in the NHL.

The Rangers were overrated this season. Plain & simple, but we discovered a youth movement along the way that gives us hope for years to come. The future is looking bright, and one needs to look no further than today to see who might be available come free agency.

Let us assume for a moment that Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Michal Rozsival, Martin Straka, Marek Malik, Paul Mara and Jason Strudwick are all leaving the Rangers for free agency. With the additional cap, that leaves us around $19 million to play with and target until July 1. Enjoy some links regarding 'what's next?' for our dear Blueshirts here (NY Times, pursuing the guy who ended our playoff run), here (NY Daily News, outlining the hard work ahead in the off-season) , and here-(Newsday article and the salary cap discussion).

Below is a list of all available free agents this year post season. Assuming most of our free agents were to leave this summer I'd say we need a 'real goon'(and I 'aint talkin' Colton Orr), a solid offensive defenseman (thinking Brian Campbell), and a first class forward to support Scottie Gomez (think Marian Hossa).

The list is below. Tell me how to fill that $19 million of opportunity.

Discuss:

Centers - Potential 2008 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
Player	Age	Team	07-08 Salary	Contract Notes
Joe Sakic	37	COL	$6,750,000
Sergei Fedorov	37	CLB	$6,080,000
Mats Sundin	36	TOR	$5,500,000
Bobby Holik	36	ATL	$4,250,000
Alexei Zhamnov	36	BOS	$4,100,000
Doug Weight	36	STL	$3,500,000
Martin Straka	34	NYR	$3,300,000
Brendan Morrison	31	VAN	$3,200,000
Craig Conroy	35	CGY	$2,850,000
Daymond Langkow	30	CGY	$2,442,000
Steve Rucchin	35	ATL	$2,400,000
Bryan Smolinski	35	MTL	$2,000,000
Sean Avery	27	NYR	$1,900,000
Vaclav Prospal	32	PHI	$1,900,000
Jason Williams	26	CHI	$1,600,000
Yanic Perreault	36	CHI	$1,500,000
Chris Gratton	31	TBL	$1,500,000
Mike Peca	33	CLB	$1,300,000
Chris Kelly	26	OTT	$1,262,000
Stephane Yelle	33	CGY	$1,250,000
Mike York	29	PHX	$1,000,000
Marty Reasoner	30	EDM	$950,000
Stu Barnes	36	DAL	$900,000
Niko Kapanen	29	PHX	$900,000
Ryan Johnson	31	STL	$800,000
Josef Vasicek	26	NYI	$750,000
Dominic Moore	26	TOR	$700,000
Curtis Brown	31	SJS	$700,000
Byron Ritchie	30	VAN	$675,000
Kevyn Adams	32	CHI	$650,000
Randy Robitaille	31	OTT	$625,000
Jaroslav Hlinka	30	COL	$600,000
Trevor Linden	37	VAN	$600,000
Patrick Rissmiller	28	SJS	$595,000
Kris Beech	26	PIT	$585,000
Mark Hartigan	29	DET	$550,000
Jason Krog	31	ATL	$500,000
Glen Metropolit	33	BOS	$500,000
Zenon Konopka	26	CLB	$500,000
Wyatt Smith	30	COL	$500,000
Jim Dowd	38	PHI	$500,000
Jeremy Roenick	37	SJS	$500,000
Andreas Karlsson	31	TBL	$500,000
Craig MacDonald	30	TBL	$500,000
Tim Taylor	38	TBL	$500,000	Retiring
Mike Glumac	27	STL	$495,000
Mark Smith	29	CGY	$488,000
Michael Ryan	27	BUF	$475,000
Krys Barch	27	DAL	$475,000
Brad Winchester	26	DAL	$475,000
John Pohl	28	TOR	$475,000

Defenseman - Potential 2008 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
Player	Age	Team	07-08 Salary	Contract Notes
Wade Redden	30	OTT	$6,500,000
Rob Blake	37	LAK	$6,000,000
Adam Foote	35	COL	$4,600,000
Mattias Norstrom	35	DAL	$4,250,000
Brad Stuart	27	DET	$3,500,000
Darius Kasparaitis	34	NYR	$3,116,000
Paul Mara	27	NYR	$3,000,000
Aaron Ward	34	BOS	$2,750,000
Teppo Numminen	38	BUF	$2,600,000
Oleg Tverdovsky	31	LAK	$2,500,000
Marek Malik	32	NYR	$2,500,000
Bret Hedican	36	CAR	$2,432,000
Michal Rozsival	28	NYR	$2,300,000
Dmitri Kalinin	26	BUF	$2,250,000
Keith Carney	37	MIN	$2,100,000
Dick Tarnstrom	32	CLB	$2,000,000
Jason Smith	33	PHI	$1,976,000
Brian Campbell	28	SJS	$1,750,000
Mark Eaton	30	PIT	$1,600,000
Bryce Salvador	31	NJD	$1,500,000
Aaron Miller	35	VAN	$1,500,000
Andrei Zyuzin	29	CHI	$1,475,000
Glen Wesley	38	CAR	$1,400,000
John-Michael Liles	26	COL	$1,400,000
Karel Rachunek	27	NJD	$1,400,000
Richard Matvichuk	34	NJD	$1,368,000
Mike Commodore	27	OTT	$1,300,000
Jim Vandermeer	27	CAL	$1,225,000
Nolan Baumgartner	31	DAL	$1,200,000
Jaroslav Modry	36	PHI	$1,200,000
Petteri Nummelin	34	MIN	$1,200,000
Jan Hejda	29	CLB	$1,000,000
Andreas Lilja	31	DET	$1,000,000
Ron Hainsey	26	CLB	$900,000
Chris Chelios	45	DET	$850,000
Branislav Mezei	26	FLA	$850,000
Steve Montador	27	FLA	$800,000
Steve McCarthy	26	ATL	$725,000
Bryan Berard	30	NYI	$725,000
Kurt Sauer	26	COL	$719,000
Joe DiPenta	28	ANA	$700,000
Magnus Johansson	33	FLA	$700,000
Patrice Brisebois	36	MTL	$700,000
Alexei Semenov	26	SJS	$650,000
Sandis Ozolinsh	34	SJS	$625,000
Joel Kwiatkowski	30	ATL	$600,000
Mark Streit	29	MTL	$600,000
Matt Walker	27	STL	$600,000
Mike Weaver	29	VAN	$600,000
David Hale	26	CGY	$590,000
Nolan Pratt	31	BUF	$550,000
Rory Fitzpatrick	32	PHI	$550,000
Jassen Cullimore	34	FLA	$535,000
Alain Nasreddine	31	PIT	$535,000
Freddy Meyer	26	NYI	$525,000
Rob Davison	27	SJS	$525,000
Bobby Allen	28	BOS	$500,000
Dan Jancevski	26	DAL	$500,000
Jeff Jillson	26	COL	$500,000
Wade Brookbank	29	CAR	$500,000
Sheldon Brookbank	26	NJD	$500,000
Andrew Hutchinson	27	NYR	$500,000
Jason Strudwick	31	NYR	$500,000
Luke Richardson	38	OTT	$500,000
Micki DuPont	27	STL	$500,000
Garrett Stafford	27	DET	$500,000
Andy Wozniewski	27	TOR	$500,000
Kevin Dallman	26	LAK	$490,000
Jeff Finger	27	COL	$475,000
Allan Rourke	27	EDM	$475,000
Sean Hill	37	MIN	$475,000
Mike Mottau	29	NJD	$475,000
Matt Carkner	26	OTT	$475,000
Ryan Caldwell	26	PHX	$475,000
Brad Norton	32	SJS	$475,000
Doug Janik	27	TBL	$475,000
Bruno St. Jacques	26	ANA	$475,000

Goaltenders - Potential 2008 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
Player	Age	Team	07-08 Salary	Contract Notes
Jose Theodore	30	COL	$6,000,000
Olaf Kolzig	37	WAS	$5,450,000
Cristobal Huet	31	WAS	$2,750,000
Dominik Hasek	42	DET	$2,050,000
John Grahame	31	CAR	$1,400,000
Johan Hedberg	34	ATL	$1,150,000
Johan Holmqvist	29	DAL	$1,000,000
Patrick Lalime	32	CHI	$950,000
Jocelyn Thibault	32	BUF	$760,000
Stephen Valiquette	29	NYR	$635,000
David Aebischer	29	PHX	$600,000
Alex Auld	26	BOS	$600,000
Curtis Sanford	27	VAN	$600,000
Michael Leighton	26	CAR	$550,000
Jean-Sebastien Aubin	29	ANA	$525,000
Mike Morrison	27	NJD	$525,000
Fred Brathwaite	34	ATL	$500,000
Frederic Cassivi	32	WAS	$500,000
Scott Clemmensen	29	TOR	$500,000
Ty Conklin	31	PIT	$500,000
Dan Ellis	27	NAS	$500,000
Jordan Sigalet	26	BOS	$500,000
Wade Dubielewicz	28	NYI	$500,000

Left Wingers - Potential 2008 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
Player	Age	Team	07-08 Salary	Contract Notes
Markus Naslund	33	VAN	$6,000,000
Ladislav Nagy	28	LAK	$3,750,000
Sergei Samsonov	28	CAR	$3,525,000
Martin Rucinsky	36	STL	$3,000,000
Ruslan Fedotenko	28	NYI	$2,900,000
Brendan Shanahan	38	NYR	$2,500,000
Gary Roberts	41	PIT	$2,500,000
Petr Cajanek	31	STL	$2,000,000
Cory Stillman	33	OTT	$1,750,000
Andrew Brunette	33	COL	$1,600,000
Matt Cooke	28	WAS	$1,525,000
Geoff Sanderson	35	EDM	$1,500,000
Scott Thornton	36	LAK	$1,500,000
Ryan Malone	27	PIT	$1,450,000
Kristian Huselius	28	CGY	$1,400,000
Martin Gelinas	37	NAS	$1,250,000
Jarkko Ruutu	31	PIT	$1,150,000
Donald Brashear	35	WAS	$1,100,000
Jason Chimera	28	CLB	$1,000,000
Antti Miettinen	26	DAL	$885,000
Pascal Dupuis	28	PIT	$880,000
Todd Fedoruk	28	MIN	$875,000
Jay Pandolfo	32	NJD	$836,000
Jan Hlavac	30	NAS	$700,000
Niklas Hagman	27	DAL	$675,000
Jody Shelley	31	SJS	$650,000
Eric Boulton	30	ATL	$525,000
David Koci	26	CHI	$525,000
Brad Isbister	30	VAN	$525,000
Darcy Hordichuk	26	NAS	$517,000
Kip Brennan	26	NYI	$500,000
Steve Kelly	30	MIN	$500,000
Matt Murley	27	PHO	$500,000
Jeff Taffe	26	PIT	$500,000
Ryan Bayda	26	CAR	$475,000
Raitis Ivanans	28	LAK	$475,000
Chris Simon	35	MIN	$475,000
Mathias Tjarnqvist	28	PHX	$475,000
Mathieu Darche	30	TBL	$475,000
Noah Clarke	28	NJD	$475,000
Jeff Giuliano	28	LAK	$475,000

Right Wingers - Potential 2008 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
Player	Age	Team	07-08 Salary	Contract Notes
Marian Hossa	28	PIT	$7,000,000
Pavol Demitra	32	MIN	$4,500,000
Miroslav Satan	32	NYI	$4,500,000
Michael Ryder	27	MTL	$2,950,000
Brian Rolston	34	MIN	$2,432,000
Martin Lapointe	33	OTT	$2,400,000
David Vyborny	32	CLB	$2,200,000
Owen Nolan	35	CGY	$1,750,000
Mark Recchi	39	ATL	$1,750,000
Teemu Selanne	37	ANA	$1,500,000
Georges Laraque	30	PIT	$1,300,000
Radim Vrbata	26	PHX	$1,225,000
Andre Roy	32	TBL	$1,000,000
Shean Donovan	32	OTT	$925,000
Brian Willsie	29	LAK	$900,000
Trevor Letowski	30	CAR	$800,000
Mike Johnson	32	STL	$750,000
Arron Asham	29	NJD	$700,000
Matt Bradley	29	WAS	$700,000
Branko Radivojevic	26	MIN	$680,000
Wade Belak	30	FLA	$625,000
Niko Dimitrakos	28	OTT	$575,000
Dallas Drake	38	DET	$550,000
Darren McCarty	35	DET	$535,000
Aaron Downey	32	DET	$525,000
Adam Hall	26	PIT	$525,000
Josh Langfeld	29	NAS	$500,000
Junior Lessard	27	TBL	$500,000
Jeff Hoggan	29	BOS	$495,000
Mark Mowers	33	ANA	$475,000
Darren Haydar	27	ATL	$475,000
Keith Aucoin	28	CAR	$475,000
Eric Godard	27	CGY	$475,000
Scott Parker	29	COL	$475,000
Jesse Boulerice	28	PHI	$475,000
Kyle Wanvig	26	TB	$475,000
Craig Weller	26	PHX	$475,000

Still Digesting

As of yet I have no words for the final game of the season for the Rangers - we were beat, fair & square, and it was definitely a physical matchup, but perhaps some pictures will illustrate how Rangers fans are thinking of the referees in this series. Most questionable was the OT winning-goal by Pittsburgh's Marian Hossa, which on second look was 100% off-sides!!!!

Gary Bettman of the NHL is certainly happy that his 'Kid Wonder' is moving forward in the series.

Nothing like a little picture-book of good 'ole fashioned hockey - take a look below: no calls against Pittsburgh, and not even a 4-minute major for slashing Chris Drury. I know, I know..."poor baby Rangers cannot take a beating..." That's right, Penguins -- wait until the finals -- LET'S GO FLYERS!!!! You will see it back in spades.








tdr

The End

Almost doesn't count. More to follow...

TDR

King Lunkan Steals It, NYR 3, Penguins 0

If you've seen the movies Invincible or Miracle recently, last night at the Garden you might have experienced similar goosebumps watching the impossible made possible, minus the dramatic music and melodramatic acting (though one only needed to look as far as the Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby for dramatic music and acting). The win last night must be credited and made possible by our Captain Jaromir Jagr (rumored if the Rangers lost it would have been his last game in the NHL), more thanks to our 'kid' Brandon Dubinsky (physical brute and flair) and mostly, our King, or Prince & Pauper - Henrik Lundqvist, goalkeeper of the Gods. Tonight he displayed the earned title treatment as he made up for the lack of defensive strength on the NYR blueline and stole any potential goals away from Pittsburgh beginning to end. Dan Girardi certainly didn't contribute in this game, nor did anyone on the blueline, but superhero Chris Drury was there to play both ends of the game in true 'clutch fashion.'

It just so happens fellow blogger BlueNationLeafs joined me for the game and we were sitting in front of a couple of Swedes who flew in just for the game. The Dark Ranger proudly wore his Lundqvist jersey and during one of the many "HEN-RIK" chants during the night, he informed us that Henrik in Sweden, during similar chants, is affectionately referred to as "LUN-KAN", which means spectacular one. Certainly a better nickname than 'Foppa' which means nothing!!? We have proudly taken both Swedes into our homes only for good-luck-sake - they will not leave if we keep winning!

If only for one game, Jaromir Jagr took the heat (and a shoulder to his face) and delivered on his promise that we all "have to believe that it will happen" and followed through on his promise. At this point, I think it is inevitable that this will be his last season as a Ranger and if last night was the last time Jagr plays at MSG, then my 'having lost my voice from screaming' was worth every moment.

I am absolutely looking forward to seeing more of Nigel Dawes and Ryan Callahan - our Ranger-'kids', as they kept the flow alive and contributed to the game throughout. With the addition of Chris Drury, Scottie Gomez, and our kids brilliantly playing uniformed hockey, we shouldn't feel bad about the potential departures of Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka, Marek Malik and others post season. Whether or not Sean Avery re-signs, there will be plenty of salary cap available to strengthen the blueline (we need one goon and one offensive-defenseman) and find that forward play-maker that the Blueshirts will desperately need without Jagr.

Last night's game, the bounces went our way and we followed through with it. We halted the Penguin-roller coaster and reminded them that this franchise is a strong one - full of pride and greater fan base than any in the world.

We all go into Sunday's game with low expectations -- which is an emotional safe-haven, as most of us had already written off the game thinking July 1 trades already. Something tells me, though, if they win in Pittsburgh on Sunday -- we will take it all this series. Something about the '33 years' myth....

Tomorrow The Dark Ranger will camp out in the deep recesses of The Igloo, making sure Malkin and Crosby get a very, Dark curse during practice.

Cross your fingers...

tdr

Brodeur Allegedly Lacerates Avery's Spleen!!!

Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Sean Avery suffered a lacerated spleen in Tuesday night’s game, and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

He was taken to St. Vincent’s hospital after the game, and was admitted following a CT scan. He is expected to make a full recovery during the off-season.

The Rangers return to action tomorrow, May 1, when they face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Four of their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.)

Rumor has it that Marty Brodeur of the Newark Devils may have had something to do with it and could not be reached for comment and has not been able to provide a reasonable alibi.

tdr

Crushed! NYR 3, Penguins 5

The New York Rangers 2008 Dynasty may have come to an end this evening as the Pittsburgh Penguins grabbed the third in a row in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The fourth (and potentially last) game this upcoming Thursday feels like an exercise, and for us season ticket holders, an expensive one at that.

Referee calls aside, the Penguins outplayed the Rangers this time and what was most evident in this series thus far was what all Rangers fans knew going into the season.....no blueline! Where is Darius Kasparitis when you needed him the most? Our power play unit fumbled on two turning-point 5-on-3 opportunities and remains one of the worst PP units I have ever witnessed (unless you are used to watching The Blue Jackets or St. Louis Blues). We lack defense. We are lucky to have made it this far with our 'Rock in goal'.

The King remains defeated, but strong. We have no Brian Leetch. Instead we have Christian Backman and Marek Malik (and some disappointing dude referred to as "Toots"). Maybe that is a problem in itself.

The better team won the game tonight and they contained and pinned the Rangers in their own zone for the remaining 15 minutes. Maybe our dear coach, Tom Renney, might have had some nice words for the team on how to beat their third period rut, but instead opted to teach them a lesson. Losing hurts. Thanks Tom.

It's closing in on us dear Blueshirts and another chapter is near. We'll bring it with everything we got (have) on Thursday. Honor. Courage. Resilience. Who needs golf when there is an important game to be played this week?

I salute you Rangers fans and team for the first round against the Newark Devils - that might have been worth everything. I also salute you for the entire season behind us and, most importantly, for never actually enjoying Sidney Crosby play hockey. I am also proud to not properly pronounce Malkin's first name. But most of all, one thing if for sure toward the end......

"I am a Dark Ranger!"

TDR

P.S. Ryan Hollweg deserves a permanent boarding penalty after tonight's treachery. Cut the damn beard too.

I Am Still Exhausted

Sorry no posting. I am still exhausted from yesterday's loss. Will be at the Garden tomorrow night with my referee shirt and cape calling the game as I see it. Maybe teach 'Crosby-the-Diver' a thing or two about 'going up against the boards.'

Henrik salute!!! Keep us in it, as you attempted to do yesterday. Awesome goaltending. You did the best you could.

tdr

Rangers Lose To Montreal., NYR 4, Habs 5......Um....I Mean To Pittsburgh

Strangely, the opening of the playoffs second round last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins felt eerily reminiscent of a similar game in-season against the Montreal Habs, where the Blueshirts were leading by three or four goals, only to lose it all in the third period.. Well, well, well. Full circle, folks!

Overall, it wasn't a good start to the series. The game opened well filling me with exuberance and disbelief when leading 3-to-0 against the 'all and powerful" Pittsburgh Penguins, led by the 'Somewhat Great One' Sid Crosby. These were the Rangers I dreamed of. I saw the Cup for a fleeting moment. Of course, come the middle of the second period when Pittsburgh scored twice within a minute of each other, I was again filled with exuberance and disbelief (in a bad way) as I watched the Rangers fall apart at the seams. This team, my fellow Rangers fans, was the team that we've grown to love this season. A complete blueline breakdown, and worst of all, a debunking of confidence.

This was one ugly game for all.

NY Ranger goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist couldn't manage - and should never be expected to - the deluge of offensive Penguin advance, without Ranger blueline support. He was simply overwhelmed and every defensiveman on the Rangers side played sub-par, unable to clear the zone. As my wife likes to say, now with a 3-year old and a 6-week old newborn,..."IT WAS A SHIT-SHOW!". That about sums it up.

Sean Avery, who in the first half played a great game, should next time think twice after scoring the then-leading-third goal about pumping his fists at the Pittsburgh bench and coaching staff. Not that this could have been the reasons for our loss, but it doesn't sit well in the karma department.

Our front lines were awesome. I have grown to enjoy the delicate mastery of their skills, but it is too bad they have to make-up for our blueline and constantly support our own zone rather than charging our opponents net.

Christian Backman simply blows. Rozzy and Toots forgot how to play defense 101 last night, and the only figure deserving of praise is Marc Staal. Parents in the house; Staal brother love all around!

I keep saying to myself this is only one game, but it was an important one -- it set the tone that any amount of lead we might have in this series doesn't mean a damn thing. This will motivate us or this will sink us.

Last night's loss to Pittsburgh I rest to bad luck and coaching. Tom Renney sat back to let them sink in their own failures, and this is not what a playoffs coach should allow. There are no lessons to learn now. If they are doing something wrong, tell them how to fix it. Coach them, Coach!

Tomorrow we will take it back. I promise. If not, it's going to get very Dark in here.

TDR

The Dark Ranger Predicts

Because everyone else is going on the line, here are my solid predictions for the second round:
Rangers in 6
Red Wings in 6
Flyers in 7
Sharks in 7
Discuss.
(sorry Jibbles)

tdr

Hours Before The Big Game

As all Blueshirts fans eagerly await tonight's game, The Dark Ranger wanted to suggest some pre-game reading....see you tonight.

One of my favorites here, here, and here. From a Rangers point of view look no further than here, here , here, here, here and here.

Gary Bettman is sure to be looking for my League rule changes as NYR Sean Avery will be sure to pull some new tricks tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

May the force be with us - or if not, maybe just a better defense. Good luck Blueshirts......

tdr

Glen Sather Speaks!!!

RISE MY YOUNG APPRENTICE

nuff said, bluenationleafs

The King!

Simply.

Congrats Blueshirts!

The first round against the New Jersey Devils is over. I haven't posted, as life always has a way of sucking away needed hockey viewing!!!!

Obviously, The New York Rangers won it in five games and articles galore are, and only for a moment, putting Sean Avery over Marty Brodeur. For now, he earned it.

Short and sweet, The Dark Ranger couldn't be more thrilled with the efforts of Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers' old and (mostly) young, and I might even give Coach Tom Renney a thumbs up.

I do hope we meet Montreal over Pittsburgh in the second round, because we would have better confidence. Either way, see you next week and....

Let's Go Rangers!!!!!

TDR

Staal Scores Winning Goal and The Hockey Rabbi Speaks, NYR 5, NJ 3

Call it 'Rookie Ranger Redemption' or just simply call it 'Making Marty Brodeur Eat Dirt.' Whatever suits your fancy, newcomer Marc Staal scored the third and goal-winning goal, a beautiful slapshot that slipped underneath NJ Devil goaltender Marty Brodeur's pads -- even this one MAAARRRTTTTYYyyyyy admitted to the press was a good shot and "sometimes they get past us", referring to the plural use of 'us' - meaning the entire team let a great shot through, not Brodeur himself. Typical.

Official recap here. The game last night was solid 'old-time' hockey -- good hits, going to the net for dirty goals and high scoring, despite what most people expect from these defensive-mind franchises. Unlike the first and second games of this series, Coach Tom Renney let the Blueshirts take to the net -- special mention goes to our rookies out there: Staal with his first playoff goal against the 'Greatest Goaltender Ever...and ever...and ever....', Dan Girardi contributed remarkable blueline coverage, and Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky were everywhere the puck was -- relentless, physical and a threat to those 'Sutter Demons of Louie.' NJ Devil General Manager 'Lucky Louie Face' may be ready to fire Sutter before the fifth game, sending a negative message to all AHL coaches throughout the land. Place your bets.

The New York Rangers now lead the first-round of the post-season 3-1, the fifth game tomorrow night; we all hope our Blueshirts will close the series Friday at the beautiful 'Prudential' home of the Newark Devils (when walking from the train to the arena, speak softly and carry a big hockey stick).

If we close out the series, we can expect to meet the 'red-hot' Pittsburgh Penguins, starring the second-biggest-whiner-to-Brodeur, The Kid Known as Sid (Crosby). No one could have expected the in-season powerhouse of the Ottawa Senators would have been sweeped by the Penguins in the first-round, when most expected Ottawa to take the Eastern Conference and be a true contender in the final round. Truth hurts. Weak goaltending (Gerber) will end any playoff run.

Some comments on the officiating:

The Hockey Rabbi says:
The atrocious officiating, on the other hand, absolutely erodes the integrity of the game. The Devils' 3rd goal in game 4 should have never occurred. The play should have been blown dead when Parise clearly and intentionally interfered with Lundqvist by knocking Lundqvist's stick out of his hands. Instead, the Devils are allowed to tie a pivotal game relatively late in regulation. This non-call could have easily changed the out come of the game AND the series. That's just unacceptable.

I couldn't agree more, Rabbi. I do think Joisey's had a 'bug up their turnpike' since the first playoff game in Newark, when in the last minute of play they were unfairly called for hooking. That may have changed the course of the series in their favor, but that is the Devil's Advocate point of view- and who cares about anything related to the Devils anyway?

Tune in tomorrow night on MSG (7pm EST) when the New York Rangers hopefully close-out the first round and force all of us to absorb the double-cost of the second-round playoff tickets. Worth every penny.

tdr