Parenteau Re-Assigned to Hartford

The Rangers have announced that forward P.A. Parenteau has been returned to the Hartford Wolf Pack in anticipation of either Gaborik, Higgins, or Avery returning to the lineup tomorrow against Boston. Parenteau was recalled to the Blueshirts on Tuesday in place of the injured Marian Gaborik, and ended up registering his first NHL goal against the Islanders. In fact, Parenteau was one of the very few players who actually played well in that game on the Island, so expect him to be back up with the team if need be in the future.

Obviously this move implies that at least one of Gaborik (right knee), Higgins (left foot), or Avery (right knee) will return tomorrow, most likely two of the three. As I reported earlier, all three skated in practice today.
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Practice Update: Gaborik, Higgins, Avery Skate

According to recent tweets from Steve Zipay, all three injured forwards Marian Gaborik, Christopher Higgins, and Sean Avery took part in practice earlier today in New York. Focusing on one at a time, Marian Gaborik, who has missed two consecutive games due to a sore knee, skated today and should be in the lineup against the Boston Bruins tomorrow afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Gaborik first suffered the minor injury on Monday, but says that the discomfort has improved everyday.

Chris Higgins missed out on yesterday's contest because of a lower body injury that occurred Wednesday on Long Island. The night off on Friday may have helped Higgins both physically and mentally, as he was struggling greatly leading up to this point. The New York native will most likely play tomorrow against Boston.

Sean Avery also did not play last night in Minnesota also because of a knee problem. Sean skated for the first time today since suffering the injury, and he did so without a brace. Avery will take part in warm-ups, but remains questionable heading into the game.

Both P.A. Parenteau and Dane Byers are still with the team if they are needed, and if they are not sent down prior to the Western Road trip, I would expect them to fly out with the team to Vancouver tomorrow night.
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Player of the Month: October 2009

Well here it is, our very first Player of the Month poll on Rangers Tribune. Since this is the first time we will be doing this, I will give you a quick rundown of how it will work. At the conclusion of the final game of each month (yesterday vs Minny), I will post up the POTM (player of the month) poll, which will include my top four candidates for the best player on the Blueshirt squad during that specific month. From there, you, the readers, will have the opportunity to submit your votes over a one to two week period. After the one-two week stretch is up, I will close the voting, and crown the Rangers Tribune Player of the Month. At the end of the season, the player with the most accumulative votes including every poll will be the reigning Player of the Year.

So without further ado, here are October's Candidates for Player of the Month:

1. Marian Gaborik

Games Played: 12

Goals: 10

Assists: 8

Points: 18

plus/minus: 6

2. Mike Del Zotto

Games Played: 14

Goals: 4

Assists: 8

Points: 12

plus/minus: 3

3. Vinny Prospal

Games Played: 14

Goals: 4

Assists: 13

Points: 17

plus/minus: 7

4. Henrik Lundqvist

Games Played In: 13

GAA: 2.68

SV %: .914

Record: 7-4-1

So now it is your time to be heard. Head over to the sidebar where the polls are always located, and submit your vote for player of the month. I am really looking forward to doing this every month, and it would not be possible without you guys, so I thank you in advance. Now get out and vote!

(Images courtesy of AP Photo and Reuters Pictures)

Postgame: Rangers Topped by Wild in Minnesota, 3-2

With their second consecutive loss to a lowly team such as the Wild, the Rangers now have five losses in their last six games. Tonight, it was a lack of effort and emotion that hurt the Blueshirts, and the way in which they played reminded me a lot of last year's team, which was unable to gain the zone and not execute the dump and chase method. Granted, there were three players out with injuries for New York, but regardless, there is no excuse to display little to no effort against a struggling club like the Wild. This game should have been a win whether or not Gaborik was in the lineup, but again, there was no sense of urgency from this team.

I do not know what Tortorella is waiting for to change the defensive pairings. I mean, the defense, game after game, has been putrid, and although they may be making small mistakes, the opposition is burning them on almost every one. On the first Minnesota goal, no one was covering the wide-open Sykora who tapped home the beautiful pass by Koivu. Instead, everyone collapsed on Koivu to prevent the pass, and when Miko ended up threading the needle, the defense was completely lost and out of position. In addition to this, there was a lazy back-check by Aaron Voros as well. Yes, he had a goal, but that does not erase his defense errors.

Marc Staal has been terrible as of late, and I never really though that we would be concerned over his play in a million years, but here we are. I thought head coach John Tortorella summed it up best in the postgame media conference; Staal needs to learn that he is there to begin the rush, not lead it, and that is where he ran into trouble in this game, and many others lately. Staal made a great play along the boards to retrieve the puck, and then had Drury wide-open in the neutral zone. Instead of making the pass and joining the offense, Staal attempts to skate it out of the zone and start up the rush himself. Staal was rejected, and Minnesota quickly turned it the other way and made it a 3-1 game. This is what I mean about such acute mistakes costing the Rangers the game.

Staal's partner in Dan Girardi has not been much better, if not worse. Unlike Staal, it is not on the transition where Dan runs into trouble, but rather in his own zone is where he is having difficulties. Defense is all about positioning, and knowing your surroundings. Girardi, as of late, has been out of position because of the lack of knowledge of where the opposing forwards are located. I feel like Girardi is taking on too much responsibility on the first pairing, maybe more than he is able to handle, and I believe it is time for a change.

Matt Gilroy also had yet another rough game, specifically because of turnovers. I think Gilroy will eventually learn to get rid of the puck quicker, as he is constantly getting pick-pocketed in his own zone, but that is just a matter of holding onto the puck for too long. I would like to see Gilory playing with Staal, but there has been no signs of Tortorella changing up the pairings.

I will say this, however, Wade Redden is my vote for player of the game. While Redden my not be putting up the points that we would like to see, he has been lights out on the defensive side of things, and also picked up an assist on the Byers tally. Redden has flourished under Tortorella, and has made a complete a 180 from last season.

The offense, much like on the Island on Wednesday, was not present. First off, the Rangers were outshot 32-20 by an offensive squad that only had eleven goals in twelve games played in Minnesota. That is pathetic, and there really is no better adjective to describe that statistic than that. The forecheck was only half there, as one player would dump it in, and then the defense would beat out all of our players to the puck and clear the zone. Nothing gets more frustrating the the inability of a team to gain the zone, and that has been the exact problem for the Rangers in the previous two contests.

Players like Chris Drury, Ryan Callahan, Ales Kotalik, and Vinny Prospal are expected to step up their play when you lose man power to injuries, but they did not, and were near invisible in the game. Drury is producing at an even lower rate than he did last season in the month of October, which is quite alarming for the Rangers' Captain. Something needs to be done, and I think that a good 'ol benching would do him well.

Donald Brashear, playing in his return, was guilty of a terrible turnover on the first Minnesota goal. Brash decided that he would attempt to make a move out of the zone and it ended up behind the Rangers net and in front for the goal. Ignorant errors such as this one are unacceptable, especially when the game is tied at zero.

In place of the injured Avery/Higgins, the Rangers recalled Harftford forward Dane Byers earlier today, and after arriving at Excel Energy Center just fifteen minutes before gametime, the gritty winger came out and skated very well for the Blueshirts. I really like his game, as there is a grit presence, a determination presence, as well as the ability to create offense, as we saw on his first NHL goal. Much like Byers, Enver Lisin was all over the place tonight, and had some great opportunities. Enver was one of few Rangers to express any emotion over the course of the game.

Henrik Lundqvist kept the Blueshirts in the game, no question. Hank made some remarkable saves, and the ones he did not stop were either one-timed tap ins, or shots through traffic. I have no complaints with the way Lundqvist played, but once again, he did not receive much help from the defense in front of him.

At the conclusion of Wednesday's postgame analysis, I asked whether or not this team is any better without Gaborik than last year's team with Gaborik. Based on the past two performances, the answer is no. The fact that the Rangers offense has been so ineffective without the aid of Gaborik is not a good thing at all, especially considering how injury prone Gaborik is. There needs to be a team beyond Marian Gaborik, and right now there is none.

The Rangers will now get back to work in practice on Saturday in preparation for the Bruins on Sunday. That game will be at 1 pm and will be the Rangers' first matinee of the regular season. Hopefully updates regarding the statuses of Gaborik, Avery, and Higgins will be available tomorrow, and I will be sure to share any information I am made aware of about the situation as soon as I get word.

(Images courtesy of AP Photo)

Pregame: Rangers Match-Up with Wild in Minny, Gaborik/Higgins/Avery Out

The Blueshirts, now 8-4-1, are coming off of a pathetic effort against the Islanders on Wednesday, but now have the opportunity to redeem themselves against another low-ranked team in the Minnesota Wild tonight at 8 pm. After the early season surge during the first two weeks of October, the Rangers have certainly slowed down since, and have a horrendous record of 1-3-1 in their last five games, in which the team has been inadequate overall. The Wild are on a two game losing streak, and have put up a 3-9-0 record in their first twelve, which places them dead last in the Western Conference with only six points. This is yet another game that can and should be labeled a "must win" for the Rangers considering what Minny has accomplished this season, but as we have learned the hard way, we cannot count on an easy victory tonight.

In the matter of 24 hours, the injury list has grown quite drastically. It is now definite that Marian Gaborik will not be playing against his former team tonight, but he did skate earlier in the morning drills. This is most likely a case of the coaching staff preserving their star forward and not putting him at risk of a more severe injury against a cellar dweller like the Wild. Whether or not he will play in Boston on Sunday, I am not sure, but the fact that he skated today is a good sign.

Moving right along, both Chris Higgins and Sean Avery were banged up Wednesday on the Island, and will sit this one out. Quite honestly, Higgins needs the rest, not only for physical purposes, but to straighten himself out mentally as well. It is suspected to be an ankle problem for the struggling winger. As for Avery, he tweaked his leg after a scrum for a loose puck against the Isles, leaving him out for now. No word on when exactly either of the forwards will return.

With this, the Rangers elected to recall forward Dane Byers of the Wolf Pack earlier today, and is currently on a flight to Minnesota as we speak. He will be in the lineup in place of Avery/Higgins, and Donald Brashear will return as well, as he missed two of the three previous contests. With Gaborik out, P.A. Parenteau will play his second career game as a Ranger.

Tonight's projected lineup for New York (totally based on speculation):

Lisin - Prospal - Callahan
Parenteau - Drury - Kotalik
Byers - Dubinsky - Voros
Brashear - Anisimov - Boyle

Staal - Girardi
Redden - Gilroy
Del Zotto - Rozsival

Lundqvist

Scratch(es): Gaborik (right knee), Avery (right leg), Higgins (left ankle)

While the offensive lines may not be confirmed, one thing is for sure, and that is Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes for the Blueshirts in this one. I felt Hank played exceptionally well against the Islanders, holding off the pressing attack, and preventing the game from being a lot worse than it ended up. Lundqvist did not receive much help from his defensemen in that game, and I would hope that it will be a different story tonight.

Speaking of defense, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi have been straight-up horrid. I never really thought I would be saying this, but Staal's play as of late has hurt this team, and his partner in Dan Girardi has not been much better. Neither can be found in position, they are constantly getting caught, and an ongoing problem of clearing the front of the net continues.

Now we all know Staal is a much much better player than what he has displayed in recent games, but he must settle himself, and get back to playing his game. I know that the coaching staff wants him in on the offense more often this season, but at this point, Marc should focus on straightening out his game in his own end, and then worry about the offense.

Matt Gilroy also had a rough outing against the Isles, maybe even his worst yet, but games like that are expected from a rookie, no question. However, it cannot become a consistent problem. Del Zotto, on the other hand, skated quite well on Wednesday, as he was one of the few players that I did not have complaints about.

The offensive game for the Rangers was not present on Long Island, and it has raised the question of whether or not Marian Gaborik accounts for this team's production in its entirety. I do believe that there is talent beyond Gabs, as I stated this morning, but that talent was far from viewable without the Slovakian star.

Now with the injuries, this lineup is even more handicapped than what we saw earlier in the week, so I am honestly not sure how the Rangers will respond to that. I mean, two impact players in Sean Avery and Marian Gaborik will not be playing, and that will hurt this team, no doubt. But at the same time, the available individuals must realize this and up the anty, if you will, because we cannot rely on Gaborik to do everything, especially him being the injury-prone forward that he is.

With that said, I do feel that this roster can rise up to the occasion and defeat a dismal team in the Wild, but there cannot be effortless play like we saw against the Isles, because than you will be outworked, outhustled, and outplayed, and there goes the "easy win".

Minnesota Wild Projected Lineup:

Brunette - Koivu - Miettinen
Sykora - Belanger - Havlat
Kobasew - Brodziak - Nolan
Pouliot - Sheppard - Clutterbuck

Zanon - Burns
Hnidy - Zidlicky
Schultz - Scott

Backstrom

When looking at the Wild team on paper, they are improved from last season. With the additions of Marty Havlat and Petr Sykora, the offense is a bit more capable, but they obviously have not been efficient just yet. But like I said, if the Rangers choose to have their heads in the game for only 25% of the sixty minutes, this team will find ways to beat us, and that would be nothing short of a total embarrassment losing to two last place clubs back to back.

As usual, you can follow live game updates all throughout the night on my twitter, as well as any lineup changes prior to the drop of the puck. Also, tonight's game will be televised on MSG2, check your local TV listings for details.

(Images courtesy of AP Photo)

Avery, Gaborik, Higgins Out- Brashear, Byers In

It has been reported that the Rangers have recalled forward Dane Byers from Hartford in order to replace the injured Chris Higgins and Sean Avery, who will not play in tonight's contest. Gaborik, skated this morning, will also not play. Brashear will return after sitting out two out of the three previous games.

More in a bit......
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Morning Update: Rangers in Minnesota

Coming off of a devastating loss on the Island on Wednesday, the Rangers now travel up north to Minnesota where they will match-up with the Wild tonight at 8 pm. Obviously no one is happy with the effort displayed against the Isles, but it has become a concern if that was totally due to the lack of Marian Gaborik in the lineup. While I do believe there is talent on this team beyond the Slovak star, it was not visible the other night.

The big question heading into the contest is whether or not Gaborik will be able to play against the team he spent nine years with. Right now, I do not have a definite answer as it is 50-50, but we expect to know after today's morning skate. Hartford call-up P.A. Parenteau will be ready if needed, and he skated very well on Wednesday.

Minnesota, 3-9-0, has clearly struggled this season, but this Rangers team evidently cannot be trusted against lowly clubs. There is no doubt the Blueshirts can handle the task, but it is a matter of execution and there was none on Wednesday.

Check back later for lineup updates and postgame this afternoon. Also be sure to follow my twitter for instant updates. Back later......
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Another Gaborik Update- Doubtful Aganist Wild

Earlier today, I reported that injured winger Marian Gaborik will make the trip to Minnesota with the rest of the team, which is true, but it is becoming increasingly unlikely that we actually see Gaborik in the lineup tomorrow night. While the right leg injury has been improving, and was "not as bad" as Gaborik originally thought it would turn out to be, it is still sore, and there is no reason to rush his return and put him at risk for a more concerning setback.

Yes, the game would mean a lot to play in for Gabs because, as I mentioned earlier, he would be facing the team he spent nine years playing on and entering the NHL with, and also playing in front of his former fans to boot, but he realizes more than anyone that with his brittle body, the recovery cannot be rushed. Now I am well aware that this team was putrid without the Slovak forward in the lineup against the Isles, but there needs to be a team beyond Gaborik, and so far that team has been invisible.

Anyway, here is what Steve Zipay of Blue Notes had to say about the situation. Click for Article

Personally, I believe the Slovakian right winger isn't playing until Sunday afternoon against Boston in the Garden, but there's a chance he'll dress in Minnesota, where he played eight years, on Friday night.

Standing in the locker room with reporters after another practice in which he did not participate ---he was receiving treatment on his right leg, possibly thigh or hamstring, the club is not disclosing---he called himself "day-to-day."

Not playing would be disappointing, Gaborik said. "We don’t play them that often. Definitely it would be something special."

He confirmed that he was still sore from a front of the net collision late in the third period against Phoenix on Monday, but would be on the plane to Minneapolis this afternoon. The team's top scorer, with 18 points, said he initially thought the injury was more severe.

"It’s not that serious," said Gaborik, who skated another shift after the hit before shutting down. "I thought it was going to be worse the way it felt. I have to make sure I do the right thing and treat it and take it day by day. It doesn’t feel great but it feels better."

Head coach John Tortorella has been pretty mum about the ordeal and has released limited details regarding the injury, which is standard procedure now-a-days in the NHL. Torts must get the Gaborik-less lineup in order if he feels that his top forward will not be available for him in the contest. The lines were changing much to frequently for my liking on Wednesday night, but at the same time, the team was giving him nothing so there is some understanding there.

Rangers fans are up in arms after lass night's loss, and I do not blame them, and the main reason for that is because the team was ineffective without Gaborik providing his services, and that is unacceptable. Tomorrow will most likely be a second chance to prove us fans wrong that there is offense on this team beyond Gaborik, and that opportunity will come against a not so hot team in the Minnesota Wild.

Gaborik to Make Trip to Minny

According to a recent tweet from Steve Zipay of Blue Notes, injured winger Marian Gaborik will be making the trip to Minnesota where the Rangers will face the Wild tomorrow night, but it remains unclear whether or not Marian will play against his former team. Gaborik said that he felt a but better today, after sitting out last night's contest due to a right leg injury he suffered on Monday night against Phoenix.

Gaborik has a nine year history with Minnesota, so clearly this game would have a lot of meaning to it, especially that it will be played in front of the Minnesota fans.

While Gaborik did not skate today in practice, he will most likely participate in the morning skate on Friday, depending on the severity of the soreness in his leg. Marian mentioned that he still felt discomfort in that area today, so I am not sure of the likelihood of him returning to the lineup so quickly.

Remember, the coaching staff is going to be extra careful when it comes to handling any injury involving their star forward. With that being said, do not count on the Blueshirts having his services available to them against the Wild, as they would be Gaborik-less for the second consecutive game.

The Rangers were completely out of sync without Gabs against the Islanders and the Wild are a bit tougher opponent, so at this point, we must keep our fingers crossed, hoping that the unlikely will occur tomorrow in Minnesota.

More Later.....

Postgame: Rangers Fall to Isles 3-1 at the Coliseum

Embarrassing would be the most commonly used adjective when looking at this game from a Ranger fan's standpoint. Not only did the Blueshirts give the Islanders just their second win of the season, but their first victory in regulation at that. Some more splendid statistics you say? The Rangers put up their lowest goal output of the season against a club that had only one win heading into the night, and were the first team in which did not come out of a game against the Isles with at least a point. That single goal was scored by an emergency call-up from the AHL in P.A. Parenteau. Yea, embarrassing isn't it?

Now that the "Fun Facts" section of the postgame has concluded, it is time to pick out some of the many troubles the Rangers were confronted with in the contest. First off, the defense continues to be a problem for the Rangers, as evidenced by the first Islander goal that came within a minute of the puck being dropped. On this specific play, Gilroy was caught up on the offense, while Wade Redden was drifting in the neutral zone, far from being in position. Simple mental mistakes like these cost the Rangers the game in my opinion, as the team was playing catch-up throughout the night.

Gilroy had a horrendous first period, and I do not know if it was nerves because he was playing in his hometown or if it was because he was not mentally prepared. Whatever the case may be, Gilroy was not ready for the pressuring Isles in the first stanza, and quite honestly, the entire Ranger team was not. The Islanders out-shot the Blueshirts 13-8 in that first period, and if it wasn't for Lundqvist, the Rangers would have been buried early.

Rozsival and Girardi played dismal games, allowing turnovers, not in position, the whole works. These two need to do some soul-searching, because both have been very inconsistent to start the season. The only positive on defense was Mike Del Zotto, who I thought played a spectacular game. Del Zotto was leading the rush, taking shots, and most of all, was solid in his own zone. No complaints about MDZ tonight.

Henirk Lundqvist was stellar in net for the Rangers. He may have allowed three goals, but it could have been much worse, as he made some highlight real stops out there. Unfortunately, the start goaltender did not receive much support from the defensive squad in front of him. Lundqvist made a total of 29 saves in the game.

On offense....scratch that. The only offense that came from the Rangers was from Prospal and Parenteau. Other than the opportunities that these two created, there was nothing. The Rangers were unable to even gain the zone, let alone sustain pressure and get a forecheck working. The few times that they did have a forecheck in action, it ended with a shot off of the post or crossbar, and no conversion. The one that did go in was off of a beautiful display of hands by Parenteau to record his first NHL tally on a sweet shot that beat Roloson top shelf.

Brandon Dubinsky played one of his worst games as a Ranger. Dubi turned the puck over at least seven or eight times, five of which were in the neutral zone, or made by attempting to make low percentage passes. This is the second ugly performance by Brandon in three games, and I am sure that Tortorella will have something to say about that. If not, than Brandon must realize that his play has been below par, and take matters into his own hands and get them straightened out.

Higgins and Callahan continue to show the effort, but no conversion. Callahan especially, as he had multiple opportunities to bury a goal and failed in doing so. His chance set up by Prospal in the second period sticks out in my mind, for example. I know it is early, and I know that Callahan does all of the little things, but he has not looked like the Cally we knew last season. His puck control has been terrible, but hopefully he will be able to turn things around.

I do not even know what to say about Higgins at this point. He is given his chances, Tortorella has put him in prime situations, and what is the result; two points in thirteen games. Higgins was being looked upon as one of the "top players" on this team heading into the season, and now fans are happy that his contract is only for one year, and expect his exit come July. It seems like if the puck does not land on Higgins' stick, than he does not create an opportunity, much like Chris Drury who is on pace for about a thirty point season.

For Drury, I think a benching of the Captain would send a loud and clear message, but I doubt that we would ever see that. Then again, with Tortorella behind the bench, anything is possible.

Speaking of Tortorella, he had many different line combinations out on the ice in this one. Vinny Prospal had about five different linemates over the course of the game, and most players played on at least three different lines. Obviously the absence of Gaborik played a major part in the line juggling, but hopefully the lineup will be somewhat solidified in the near future.

One last thing before we part ways for the night. Without Gaborik, the team clearly struggled to create any offense. With that being said, I propose this question; Are this year's Rangers a better team than last year's without Gaborik, or is Gabs really "all" of our offense? Just something to ponder until the star forward makes his return, which I keep my fingers crossed will be on Friday in Minnesota against his former team in the Wild. The Rangers have the day off tomorrow, but I am quite sure they will be worked hard in practice after this loss.
(Pictures courtesy of AP Photo and Getty Images)

Pregame: Rangers Set to Face Isles in Nassau, Gaborik Sits

The Rangers and Islanders will be renewing their rivalry for the 2009-10 season tonight at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Whenever these two clubs meet, the records are thrown out the window, as there is a level of intensity brought to the ice by both teams that allow the contest to go either way. The rivalry will be much different this year than the last, at least in my eyes, considering the facelifts the franchise's have undergone. Anyway, the Blueshirts head into this one coming off of a big rebound win on Monday against the Phoenix Coyotes, to improve their record to 8-3-1 on the season. The Islanders, on the other hand, have clearly struggled to gain wins so far, but the fact that they have taken some of the top teams in the NHL to extra time proves that they cannot be taken lightly, or underestimated by any means.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, they will be without star winger Marian Gaborik tonight due to his undisclosed lower body injury suffered in the third period against the Coyotes. Ironically, tape shows that it was former Ranger Petr Prucha that had a leg-on-leg collision with Gabs, but thankfully the injury does not involve the hip or groin, areas that have taken a toll on Marian in the past. Head coach John Tortorella spoke with Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants regarding Gaborik's absence, earlier today:

"He won’t be playing tonight,” Tortorella said. “And, again, I’m not going to get into explaining his injury but it is not anything from prior as everybody is always worried about and certainly we are are. But, no, I’m not concerned. We’ll keep him out tonight. I have no idea (when he’ll return)."

In place of Gaborik, the Rangers recalled Hartford forward P.A. Parenteau late yesterday. Parenteau has gotten off to a very quick start in the AHL, as he currently leads the league in scoring. Even though I expect him to be playing on the fourth line, this is a great opportunity for Parenteau to prove that he is worthy of being called up in the future.

All things considered, I have created a Ranger lineup based on speculation and probability, and below is what I have come up with. I would expect Dubinsky to return to centering the first trio, with Prospal and Lisin to the left and right of him. That would leave Artem Anisimov to play between Higgins and Callahan on the third line, and Boyle centering Brashear and Parenteau on the fourth. From my knowledge, the defensive pairs will remain the same.

Prospal - Dubinsky - Lisin
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Higgins - Anisimov - Callahan
Brashear - Boyle - Parenteau

Staal - Girardi
Redden - Gilroy
Del Zotto - Rozsival

Lundqvist

Scratch(es): Aaron Voros, Marian Gaborik (lower body)

Despite the whispers that Valiquette would possibly get the start in goal for the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist will be between the pipes in this one. As reported, Henrik was involved in a two-car collison yesterday, but it did not affect him physically or mentally enough to keep him from playing in one of his most favorite games. In fact, Lundqvist says he enjoys playing at the Coliseum, due to the fact that the crowd is almost evenly split between Ranger and Islander fanatics.

The first line for the Rangers has been exceptional to begin the season, but a big part of that success will be not be playing tonight in Marian Gaborik. However, red hot Vinny Prospal and new addition Enver Lisin will look to carry the offense against the Isles. Lisin has been an instant success since joining the first trio, recording his third goal of the season on Monday. Prospal has been a point accumulating machine with sixteen points in twelve games played.

Chris Drury has been an Isle-Killer in past years, so expect him to turn it up a notch in this contest. Drury always seems to rise to the occasian againts his rivals, even though he may be on cold streak. I feel like the second line that was once dormant has been a major improvement since Avery and Kotalik have joined it, as they have been great on the forecheck, and are beginning to develop some chemistry.

The third line contains two forwards in Chris Higgins and Ryan Callahan that are extrememly hungry for goals. Both players have struggled majorly as of late, and have been called out for their play by coach Tortorella several times. As for Anisimov, the rookie center has registered goals in each of the last two games.

The defense played a much more sound game against the Coyotes than what was being displayed during the three game losing stretch. Wade Redden has really turned it around, and I hope that he can continue this and stay consistent. Staal and Del Zotto also played very well on Monday, spefically Del Zotto who continues to surge as a rookie blueliner. Former Knights teammate John Tavered had some kind words to say about DZ earlier today, and you can read about that over at Ranger Rants.

Overall, I do believe that the Rangers can come out with two points in this game, despite not having Gaborik in the lineup, but one thing is for sure; they cannot afford to come out and not show effort, because the Isles will absolutely out-work them.

Now here is where I would normally do my scouting report on the opposing club. Luckily for us, my best pal Pete Truszkowski (Islander Obsessed) has elected to share his unbiased thoughts on the team, and their roster for tonight's match. Pete is one of the more knowledgeable people I know when it comes to the sport of hockey, so this guy knows what he is talking about. The following is Pete's preview from an Islander standpoint, and we thank him for his efforts.
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If you look at the Islanders' record of 1-4-5, you are probably thinking "they suck." With one win in 10 games, you can say that. And you would actually be right. However, the reason they suck is due to their talent level, and not their work ethic. The Islanders have been in almost every game they have played in this year, as evidenced by their 6 overtime games. The team works hard, and battles for every good fortune they get. The team is not blessed with skill, so hard work is the only way to achieve success.

Ranger fans will get their first look at young phenom John Tavares today. Tavares has played well in his first 10 games in the NHL, achieving 3 goals, 4 assists for 7 points in 10 games. He however does not have a point in his last 4 games. A cold streak to be expected for a just barely turned 19 year old. He'll get his first taste of the rivalry tonight, and knowing John's character and desire to be the absolute best, he will rise to the occasion and take this rivalry very seriously.

The following is the New York Islanders line-up for tonight:

26 Moulson / 91 Tavares / 21 Okposo
20 Bergenheim / 51 Nielsen / 16 Sim
15 Tambellini / 12 Bailey / 93 Weight
10 Park / 45 Thompson / 28 Jackman

2 Streit / 8 Gervais
24 Martinek / 25 Sutton
32 Witt / 38 Hillen

30 Roloson
43 Biron

Healthy Scratches: 13 Robbie Schremp / 57 Blake Comeau / 44 Freddy Meyer
Injured: 7 Trent Hunter / 39 Rick DiPietro

The first line was put together for the season opener, and they played the first 6 games together. In this time they were dynamic, giving the Islanders a legit first line. When Frans Nielsen returned from injury a week ago, Kyle Okposo and John Tavares were split in hopes of finding secondary scoring. That experiment lasted one game, before being put back together for the last three. Since then, they haven't produced at their previous level.

The second line consists of mucky forwards Sean Bergenheim and Jon Sim as well as crafty and shifty center Frans Nielsen. They work well on the forecheck and have created chances in the past few games, without results.

The third line, especially Jeff Tambellini, has been the Islanders "money maker" over the past two games. Tambellini has 3 goals in the past two games, showing why he was one of the top AHL players in recent years. Maybe he finally gets it. 2008 9th overall pick Josh Bailey has had a slow start, but hopes that his linemates can pick him up. Doug Weight returns to the lineup tonight after missing 3 games with SWINE FLU. Let's see if his veteran leadership will even further help these two youngsters.

The fourth line is a typical fourth line. It can be used as a shutdown line, and all 3 are absolute beasts on the forecheck. Nate Thompson and Tim Jackman could also drop the gloves when needed. The line has the puck when they are on the ice due to their incredible cycling.

The defense is a mess. Mark Streit has not been himself to start the year. He seems a step slower, and is not being the powerplay quarterback the Islanders need him to be. Bruno Gervais is also off to a slow start, as can be seen by his benching for 4 games a week ago. Andy Sutton and Radek Martinek are the Islander's shut down pair. They shut down Ovechkin/Backstrom/Knuble and Cammalleri/Gomez/Gionta over the past two games. They should be a challenge for whichever Rangers line shows the most promise. Jack Hillen has had a decent season so far after being a healthy scratch to start the season. He has forced Scott Gordon to keep him in the lineup. Brendan Witt on the other hand, has been abysmal. He is quite a few steps slower then two years ago where he was one tough SOB to play against, ask Jaromir Jagr. He now constantly gets beat, and is a terrible fit for the system.

Dwayne Roloson gets the start in goal for the Islanders. Roloson is 1-1-3 in 5 starts. He has played well in 4 of the 5 games hes played. For the most part, Roloson looks solid. He almost always puts the team in a position to win. His problem has been the third period. He has an almost perfect game, and then halfway through the third he gives up a goal, and all of a sudden he loses focus. The Islanders have blown third period leads in 4/5 games hes played. Roloson needs to be able to maintain focus, and provide the timely save when this young team needs it. The Isles made a big deal about their improvement in security behind Rick DiPietro this off-season, but so far, Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson aren't seperating themselves from Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald.

No matter what, the Isles will be ready to play. They always are for Isles vs Ranger games. Ranger fans accuse the Isles players and fans of taking these games too seriously, but when your a last place team, beating your biggest rival is like winning the Stanley Cup. It should be a fun, intense, and physical night. Just remember, enjoy the game, we are fans of not only our teams, but the sport of hockey. Tonight should be a good one for us fans of hockey. Isles vs Rangers always are.
(Images courtesy of AP Photo)

If Gaborik Sits.....

The following is what I believe tonight's offensive lineup will look like if the coaching staff elects to give Marian Gaborik the night off on account of his undisclosed lower body injury.

Prospal - Dubinsky - Lisin
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Higgins - Anisimov - Callahan
Brashear - Boyle - Parenteau

First off, with Gaborik absent, it is likely that Torts moves Brandon Dubinsky up to center the first line like he did earlier in the season. That would move Prospal to wing, and keep Lisin where he is. Lisin has been improving more and more every game so there is no need to remove him from the first unit, as he has earned his spot on that line.

With Dubinsky now on the first, I would assume that Anisimov would be placed between Higgins and Callahan on the third line. Anisimov has a goal in each of his past two games, and has made the most of his limited ice time. Anisimov deserves an upgrade in the lineup, and now is a perfect opportunity with Gaborik out.

Yesterday, the Rangers recalled forward P.A. Parenteau from Hartford as insurance. If the AHL scoring leader is needed, I would expect to see him on the fourth line in his National Hockey League debut. Brian Boyle would then move back to center, and Brashear remains at left wing.

Remember, this is just speculation by myself, as there has been no guarantee whether Gaborik will be in the lineup or not. Based on the fact that Parenteau was recalled yesterday, I would deem it probable that Gabs sits this one out, and quite honestly, I rather him be well rested and 100 percent against his former team in the Minnesota Wild on Friday than aggravate the injury tonight against the uni-win Isles. Be sure to keep tabs on my Twitter, as well as here for any lineup changes or updates on Gabby prior to puck drop. Pregame, as usual, will be up this afternoon.
(Image courtesy of Getty Images)

Rangers Recall Parenteau, Insurance for Gaborik?

The Rangers have announced that they have recalled Hartford Wolf Pack forward P.A. Parenteau earlier this afternoon. Parenteau, leading the AHL in points, is most likely being used as insurance if Marian Gaborik will be unable to play in tomorrow night's game against the Islanders. I have a feeling that John Tortorella will elect to keep Gaborik out of the lineup on Wednesday, not only for precautionary reasons, but just to make sure that he will be ready to go against his former team in the Minnesota Wild, as that game will obviously have a lot of meaning to him.

I cannot blame the staff for wanting to keep the star winger rested, as he has undoubtedly been the best player for this team so far (along with Lundqvist), and they cannot afford to have the injury progress into anything major. This team would be in trouble if Gabs was out long-term, but thankfully it does not seem like it will turn out that way. If Gaborik does, in fact, sit out tomorrow, I would expect that he would play on Friday against the Wild.

Back Later......

Gaborik and Lundqvist Absent From Practice

If you have read my latest tweets, you would have seen that both Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik did not participate in today's practice in Greenburgh. For those who did not, Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants reported that Ranger goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was involved in a one car collision on saw mill road earlier today. Thankfully, the all-start netminder said he was "okay", but was late to practice, hence the reason he did not skate. I would assume that he will start in goal for the Rangers on Long Island tomorrow.

As for Gaborik, the team is not releasing many details on what part of the body is causing discomfort after last night's early exit, but they have confirmed that it is not his hip or groin, places that Marian has had problems in the past. Like I said, Gaborik was flexing his leg on the bench before leaving to the locker-room, so it is likely a lower body injury. John Tortorella mentioned that he is not too concerned, but there was no word whether or not the league leading point scorer will be available for tomorrow's contest with the Isles.

More Later.....
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Good News for Gaborik

As we know, Marian Gaborik left last night's game against the Coyotes with a reported lower body injury. Thankfully, Gaborik has indicated that it is nothing major in his meeting with Steve Zipay after the game.

"It's nothing related to my groin or hip or torso," Gaborik said afterward. "We'll see how everything is in the morning. I collided with one of their players, but it's nothing major. It happened with about five minutes left and the game was pretty much over."

To hear that the injury has nothing to do with either his hip or groin is very good news, but we must see how he feels when skating. There is still a bit of concern, but personally, I do not believe it is too serious. Will update after practice.......
(Sent using my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry)

Postgame: Rangers End Losing Streak, Defeat Coyotes 5-2 (Gaborik Injured?)

The Rangers finally terminated their three game losing streak by defeating the Phoenix Coyotes 5-2 tonight at the Garden, but a sub-story has begun to take the spotlight away from the win. Ater Enver Lisin scored the fifth Ranger goal, a report came out that forward Marian Gaborik left the game limping off of the ice with six minutes remaining in the game. Gaborik, who registered two goals and an assist in this one, seemed to be flexing his knee before leaving to the locker-room, and was able to walk on his own. I am not going to jump to conclusions just yet, so I will just wait this one out and deliver any information I receive on the matter to you.

Anyway, now to focus on the win, in which the Blueshirts almost allowed to slip away from them in the second period. The Rangers controlled the game from the opening face-off, started by a goal from Artem Anisimov just over two minutes into the contest. From there, the Rangers pinned Phoenix in their own zone, and earned a powerplay as a result of the great forecheck and skating. It was Brandon Dubinsky, who was benched during the third in Montreal, that came up big, sending a beautiful pass through the slot to Marian Gaborik, who already has his stick ready for the one-timer that beat Bryzgalov blocker side.

In the second stanza, the Rangers came out with two more goals, and both were created by, and finished by Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. The first came off of a give and go, when Gaborik fed Prospal in the slot. Prospal slid a backhander through the legs of Bryzgalov to give New York a 3-0 lead. Prospal then returned the favor by setting up Gabs at the face-off circle on the powerplay, where Marian absolutely lasered a slap shot top shelf, and the Rangers had themselves a 4-0 lead at that point. This is where the Rangers began to slip, allowing Phoenix back into the game with two quick goals. The turning point essentially was when PHO removed Ilya Bryzgalov from net to end his hot streak, and replaced him with former Ranger Jason Labarbera.

Thankfully, John Tortorella had some choice words for his team during the intermission, and then oddly came onto the bench five minutes before the start of the third. Anyway, the Rangers began to tighten up a bit, but still found themselves being out-shot by the relentless Coyotes. All was quiet until Enver Lisin, who played extremely well tonight, came in and sent a slapper past Labarbera from the top of the circles. The goal clearly meant a lot to Lisin based on one of the odder goal celebrations I have seen in my day, but especially because it buried the team that traded him away this past summer.

The Rangers as a whole responded very well to their three game skid going into tonight. The defense, which was a large problem in prior contests, tighten up majorly against the 'Yotes, and did a dandy of a job blocking and preventing shots. Players that particularly stood out to me on defense were Marc Staal, Mike Del Zotto, and Wade Redden. Yes, Staal may have been a minus two overall on the night, but he was a force offensively, and found himself in on the offense quite often.

Mike Del Zotto continued his early season surge with two assists in the game, and is currently leading all NHL rookies in scoring. I will say that DZ made a rookie mistake on the shorthanded goal allowed, but other than that, I liked what I saw from the teenage phenom. The same could be said for Wade Redden, who has gotten off to a very solid start this year. Redden is doing everything right in his own zone, and has been very reliable.

The blueline also had help from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, making some big saves at important points in the game. Hank showed no clear discomfort from his sore foot, and that is a very good sign.

On offense, the obviouss difference maker was the first line of Lisin, Prospal, and Gaborik. Gaborik recorded his ninth and tenth goals of the season, Prospal his fourth, and Lisin his third. That right there is pretty self-explanatory, but now you can add two assists to Prospal's totals, and one each to Lisin and Gaborik's. The trio was an unstoppable force, creating opportunities everytime they stepped foot onto the ice. I am very happy with Lisin's play on this first line with two players that have been red hot. As a side note, Gaborik is now tied for the league lead in scoring, so we hope and pray that his injury is nothing too serious.

I also felt that Dubinsky and Higgins had great bounce-back games after being benched in Montreal on Saturday. Dubi skated very well, made some mistakes, but for the most part, played a solid game. As for Higgins, the effort was there, but the points still are not, and really it is now just coming down to luck. Higgins had several prime opportunities, but none of them found the twine. I do feel, however, that the points will start to come if he can continue with the effort he had tonight. His back-check was very much present, unlike in previous contests.

One last thing I would like to touch on is the play of the Rangers fourth line. Brain Boyle is more than filling the role of Blair Betts, as he has been great defensively, but also has the ability to create offense at the same time. Brian made a great pass to Artem Anisimov for the first tally, and had some shots on goal of his own. I am very pleased with that line's play, and am impressed with Anisimov's willingness to make things happen with such limited ice time.

So, an ongoing story of Marian Gaborik's unknown injury will most likely develop until we receive any news that gives us an update. Like I said, I will not jump the gun here, but it did not seem to be anything major, and it is definitely lower body. The Rangers will hit the ice on Wednesday when they will match-up against the rival Isles (1-4-5) out on Long Island for the first time this season. Stay tuned for any Gaborik updates on my Twitter and right here......
(Photos courtesy of Getty Images)

Pregame: Rangers Look to Snap Skid Against Coyotes

The New York Rangers will look to prevent themselves from dropping four straight games tonight, as they will be hosting the Phoenix Coyotes at Madison Square Garden. As we know, the Blueshirts have been far from the team that they were to open the season lately, and are coming off of a painful loss to the Montreal Canadians on Saturday. The Coyotes, similar to the Rangers, have had a surprisingly quick start to the season with a record of 6-3-1.

This contest has great meaning to it, as several players on this team will look to redeem themselves of their poor play, while others will look to get things going in the right direction. Despite giving up a two goal lead to the Habs and eventually falling in overtime, head coach John Tortorella has elected to keep the lineup looking the same, which is something that I did not anticipate coming into today.

Donald Brashear will be back in the rotation today, after missing two consecutive games because of hand soreness. With Brashear back, Aaron Voros will, once again, be the team's healthy scratch. As for Dubinsky and Higgins, they will both be playing in this one, after sitting out the third period in Montreal for their costly mistakes.

All things considered, tonight's lineup will look like this, courtesy of Ranger Rants:

Lisin - Prospal - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Higgins - Dubinsky - Callahan
Brashear - Anisimov - Boyle

Staal - Girardi
Redden - Gilroy
Del Zotto - Rozsival

Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist said that the stiffness in his right foot remains from his collision with the post the other night, but it will not prevent the all-star goaltender from getting the start against the 'Yotes. I admire Hank obviously for his play, but for his toughness as well. Most goalies would take this game off, knowing that the will be up against a division rival in the Isles on Wednesday, but not Lundqvist. He is willing to play through it, and I applaud that.

Tortorella said that he liked the way in which forward Enver Lisin played on the first line in Montreal, so that will be a constant tonight. The Lisin, Prospal, and Gaborik line was played the most frequently with the bench being shortened, and I felt that they played quite while, despite being clearly gassed towards the end of the game. Prospal and Gaborik have been a dynamic duo all season long, and now with the addition of Lisin, the trio is even more capable than it was before in my eyes.

I also liked the way Sean Avery and Ales Kotalik played together against the Habs, especially while on the forecheck. These two players have had endless commitment, and it paid off on their first period tally in the last game.

Now, the third line better hope that they come out with their best performance of the season tonight, because Tortorella is not joking around when he says that he will decrease their role on this team if need be. Particularly Chris Higgins, who found himself planted to the bench in Montreal for not backchecking and for a careless penalty in the second stanza. Chris only has two points in eleven games played, and it is now time to get things going, or he will face dramatic consequences.

The same goes for Brandon Dubinsky, who also rode the pine because of a costly turnover that allowed the Habs back into the game. Dubi, for the most part, has been quiet ever since his production in the home opener, and is sort of repeating his streaky play from last season. At the same time, Brandon has always been a player that responds, so I expect him to improve his play over the next few games or so.

Lastly, Tortorella has made the questionable decision of leaving the defensive pairs the same for now. The Ranger blueline has been a major factor during their stretch of losses, and has cost them games when you get right down to it. While I do feel Redden and Gilroy were the best pairing for New York on Saturday, the remainder of the defense was slack-luster, with exception to Dan Girardi, who had a decent bounce back game after his poor performance against the Devils last Thursday.

The key here is that the defensemen must step up in their own zone, and not allow the opposition ample time to make a play. This exact mistake cost us two goals in MTL, as well as the overtime winner, so it is definitely a habit that must be changed.

Here is the projected lineup for the visiting Phoenix Coyotes, with former Rangers Petr Prucha and Lauri Korpikoski included:

Pyatt - Lang - Doan
Prucha - Hanzal - Vrbata
Mueller - Lombardi - Upshall
Winnik - Fiddler - Bissonnette

Michalek - Jovanovski
Vandermeer - Aucoin
Yandle - Lepisto

Bryzgalov

The Coyotes have been an intriguing team so far this season. They have come out and posted one of the better records in the league, which was unexpected considering all of the commotion back at home. General Manager Don Maloney went out and signed forwards Taylor Pyatt and Radim Vrbata this past summer, as well as acquired a solid veteran defenseman in Adrian Aucoin. In addition to these signings, they have two stars in Shane Doan and Ed Jovanaski.

Ilya Bryzgalov has been the key to the Coyotes' early success, so if the Rangers can get to him, they will have the game in the palm of their hands. I do not care what type of start Phoenix has gotten off to, the Rangers are the better team and this should be two points in the standings for them. This team has been unpredictable as of late, so we shall see the product that presents themselves in front of the Garden crowd tonight. Remember to follow me on Twitter for live game updates starting at puck drop.
(Images courtesy of AP Photo)

Morning Update: Rangers Host Coyotes, Higgins/Dubinsky Look to Answer

With the red hot Phoenix Coyotes coming into the Garden tonight, the Rangers are looking for a win that would put an end to a three game skid that has developed over the course of the past week. The Blueshirts are coming off of maybe their most painful loss of the season in Montreal, solely because they squandered a two goal lead, and eventually lost in overtime. Tonight's contest will be one of redemption as well as responses.

As we know, forwards Chris Higgins and Brandon Dubinsky both rode the pine in the third period of Saturday's game. Higgins entered the doghouse for two reasons; not backchecking, and a costly penalty. Dubinsky, on the other hand, made a turnover that was the climax of the game, and allowed the Habs to mount a comeback.

Steve Zipay of Blue Notes spoke with head coach John Tortorella about the benchings earlier yesterday:

"I thought Higgy gave us some good shifts, but he’s not doing enough right now. I’m not trying to turn this into a bigger story than it should be, but the player needs to do more. Will he get a chance to show more offensively. I think he will. It’s not trying to embarrass him at all."

"One of the most frustrating things…I think we beat ourselves. Dubi turns the puck over, then Vinny Prospal takes a bad, selfish penalty, and along with some missed coverages, that cost us the game…I thought it was a huge mistake by Dubi, we spent two days talking about those things. The stubborness in that type of play changed the momentum of the game."

"I’m anxious to get an answer (from them). I hope they answer the right way. I’m not looking to be throwing people down the end of the bench, but if that is where we have to get things straightened out, that will happen. This is part of becoming a disciplined hockey club and I don’t think we’re anywhere near where we should be."

Zipay also reported that Higgins was moved down to the fourth line in practice, which means Aaron Voros will move up to the third line with Dubinsky and Callahan. Tortorella is now sending a clear message to Higgins that his role on this team will be lessened if he does not begin to produce. I agreed with the move to bench Chris in Montreal, and I am also happy that Torts is downgrading the winger to the last line, and will allow Voros a chance on the third. This coaching staff clearly shows no mercy, so it is either their way or the highway, and Higgins must change his direction quickly.

Donald Brashear still appears to be suffering from hand soreness, so it is likely that he will sit out of his third consecutive game tonight against the 'Yotes. I still believe that Brashear's fight with former Ranger Colton Orr two weeks ago was the event that ignited the discomfort for the enforcer, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, considering that Higgns and Voros swap, and assuming that the remainder of the offense will stay the same, tonight's lineup should look something like this:

Lisin - Prospal - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Voros - Dubinsky - Callahan
Higgins - Anisimov - Boyle

As for the defense, I am unsure what Tortorella will do with them at this point. They have been guilty of inconsistency as of late, and I feel that the pairings should be changed, but there has been no indication of that just yet.

And finally, Henrik Lundqvist says that his right foot, which was pinned against the post in a collision on Saturday, feels a bit stiff, but nothing major. I do not foresee this keeping Hank out of the net in this one, but worst comes to worst, Vally gets the start, and then Hank will jump back in against the Isles on Wednesday.

Please check my Twitter for any other lineup changes/updates prior to the game. I will also have the routine pregame post up this afternoon. Back later.....

A lot of Questions

A team that was near perfect to begin the season now has a bundle of issues after dropping three straight games in the past week. The Rangers, now 7-3-1, had their seven game winning streak snapped by the San Jose Sharks on Monday night, and it seems as if the team has not been able to recover after the 7-3 slaughtering. With this, there have been many questions raised by both the fans and the coaching staff concerning the struggling Blueshirts.

I will start with the offense. On the first line, the duo of Prospal and Gaborik have been phenomenal, so there really isn't any concern there. The second line, on the other hand, started off very dull. Chris Higgins, Chris Drury, and Ryan Callahan were the original occupants of the second trio, and they were not converting whatsoever. After about seven consecutive contests of no production, head coach John Tortorella moved Sean Avery up to the second unit, which saw Higgins down to the third. Avery, at the time, had two goals as opposed to Higgins' goose egg, so I felt that it was a smart swap by Torts. However, despite the spark brought to the line with Aves, they still were not giving Tortorella what he wanted. So now Ales Kotalik was brought up in place of Callahan, and I liked what I saw from Avery and himself together on the same line last night in Montreal.

The chemistry was initially supposed to be between Drury and Kotalik, but Drury is continuing his invisible-like ways from last season. The Captain only has 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in eleven games played, which brings me to question number one; Where is Chris Drury?

Moving right along, the third line has been less than stellar, now with Dubinsky centering two struggling forwards in Callahan and Higgins. First off, Dubinsky found himself planted to the bench after a careless turnover midway through the second period, which ended up in the back of the Rangers net. Dubinsky started the season centering the first line, but his play began to slip, therefore was dropped to the third. Now on the third line, Dubi has looked even worse. So where do you put him? The fourth line? I wouldn't doubt that Torts would pull a move like this and bring Artem Anisimov up to center the threesome. This would definitely send the message that Torts is not afraid to take Brandon's role away from him and give it to Anisimov, who has really began to pick up as of late.

Another player that joined Dubinsky while riding the pine was Chris Higgins, who was guilty of a lazy penalty, as well as a lack of smarts in the defensive zone. At first, I felt bad for Higgins being that the effort was there and he was simply snake bitten, but after last night, I no longer feel that way. Higgins was in front of his former team and fans in a game that had a lot of meaning, and what does he do? Shows no effort and makes blatant mistakes. Unacceptable, and I applaud Torts for the benching. Higgins only has two points in eleven games. So what if the effortless play continues? Does Torts scratch him for a game?

Newly crowned Alternate Captain Ryan Callahan is another player that has not been himself. Granted, the electric forward has been slowed down by a case of the flu, but even so, he only has 2 goals and 3 assists in eleven games. With a big contract and the "A" on his chest, I expect a lot more from Cally than just checking.

My final question on offense is regarding the fourth line. Brian Boyle has been solid, so he is a lock, but what about Voros and Brashear? Voros has been a much more impactful player than Brashear to begin the season, but I am afraid that Brash will get the nod over Aaron just because of his contract. Who should be the fourth line wing, Voros or Brashear?

On defense, I cannot complain about three players thus far. Now this may come as a surprise to many, but those three players, in my opinion, are Redden, Gilroy, and Del Zotto. None of these three have had terrible games yet this season, but Girardi, Staal, and Rozsival have. Staal had a decent start, but he has been at fault for at least one goal against in the last three games, and the same can be said about Girardi. The problem with Staal is that he has not been stepping up enough while on defense. I feel like Marc is more willing to step up in the offensive zone than on D, and a perfect example was last night when Staal allowed Cammalleri to walk in and rip the game winning shot uncontested. Staal must take the body there, something the he usually is good at.

Girardi just seems a bit lost out there at times, especially when other team are breaking in on odd-man rushes. For example, On the first Canadians' goal, Marc Staal was forced to cover two players at once, as Girardi was nowhere to be found. While I do feel like Girardi is sometimes over-rated by Ranger fans, there is no excuse to be absent from play like he was in Montreal.

As for Rozsival, he has just been his usual self with careless turnovers, bad coverage, and mis-positioning. I will admit that Rozy has played better after being benched in Washington, but his lack of speed is very noticeable out there, and he really needs to be the first to go if this team plans on building a defensive powerhouse with their young prospects and rookies in the near future.

With that said, is it time for the defensive pairings to be changed for the first time this season? I think so.

The only question I have about goaltending is back-up netminder Steve Valiquette's ability to handle the larger work load that Tortorella has promised going into the season. One game, Vally will pitch a shutout, and in the next he will let up five goals in two periods. We know we will get the big saves form Henirk Lundqvist, but there is still doubt when Lundy gets the night off for rest.

I feel like there will be numerous changes to the lineup before tomorrow's game with Phoenix, and hopefully a lot of these questions will be answered in the coming week. But for now, this team is still a puzzle that remains unsolved by John Tortorella and the rest of the coaching staff.
(Pictures courtesy of AP Photo and Getty Images)

Postgame: Rangers Drop Third Straight to Canadians in Overtime

In maybe the most painful loss so far this season, the Rangers have dropped their third straight game tonight at the hands of the Montreal Canadians. The game was full of momentum swings, physicality, and intensity. The Blueshirts had a two goal lead heading into the second period, and had full control over the contest, but that quickly changed over the course of the second period, and resulted in two pine readers in the Ranger lineup.

The Rangers came out with yet another horrid start defensively, and it cost them early when Brian Gionta displayed a spectacular effort to get the wide open Mike Cammalleri the puck for the goal. I have several problems with this play alone. First off, Marc Staal did not take out Gionta nor did he prevent the pass. On that play, you must simply take the body, and eliminate any further chances. Secondly, Cammalleri skated in on the wing all alone with Dan Girardi nowhere in sight. Thirdly, the original pass that started the play by former Ranger Scott Gomez was near perfect, and that is because the Blueshirts defense allowed Scott to walk the puck in, survey the zone, and then make the pass.

From there, the Rangers bounced back and scored three unanswered goals in the second half of the first stanza. The surge was started by a tally from Artem Anisimov, who found the top corner from the side of the net on the rebound. That was followed up by a magnificent forecheck by the second line. Sean Avery and Ales Kotalik were relentless along the boards, and the play ended with Avery making a spectacular pass to feed Kotalik for the one-timed goal. At that point, the Rangers had all of the momentum, and the sold out Bell Centre was silent. To add some salt in the wound, Matt Gilroy threaded the needle from the point with under a minute remaining in the period.

In the second period, the Habs came out with another early goal, in which Henrik Lundqvist was on the ice in pain. It was a very scary moment for Ranger fans, but thankfully Hank got up and was fine. Despite Gaborik netting a beauty on the breakaway, the Canadians found a way to spoil the Rangers two goal lead, and set themselves up for the third period tied at four.

The defense in this period was not great, but neither was the offense for New York. Lets face it, this team's best defense has been their offense, and that was not the case in the second period, leaving the Ranger Blueline lost and confused. I felt like the Canadians were allowed to enter the zone way too easily, and uncontested. A problem that was constant throughout the second and third was the lack of physicality from the Rangers, yet, they still managed to end up in the box five separate times.

One of those penalties came from the lack luster Chris Higgins, which found hims riding the pine for the remainder of the game in front of his former team and fans. Along with Higgins on the bench was forward Brandon Dubinsky, who did not receive any ice time in the third period because of a careless turnover that lead to the fourth Canadians tally. By doing this, John Tortorella proved that he has both the bark and the bite, not one or the other.

Higgins has struggled since game two of the season, and was very disappointing in a game that I thought he would come out and make a difference. Some felt bad for Higgins when he was benched in a game that had a lot of meaning to him, but I look at it this way; If the game was so important to Higgins, why didn't he make himself noticeable besides the effortless penalty? He deserved it, and I applaud Tortorella for the move, because it is exactly what Chris needs to wake him up.

As for Dubinsky, Tortorella said he felt that Brandon made the ignorant decision in the neutral zone, but as a whole, Dubinsky was not effective away from the puck, and if you are not going to help on the offense, you better take care of business on the defensive side of the puck, and Dubi obviously did not do that. I believe the same statement can be applied to Higgins as well.

With Higgins and Dubinsky in the doghouse, Tortorella went with his players that were showing some spark in their game, and those individuals included Gaborik, Kotalik, Anisimov, Lisin, Avery, Prospal, and Voros. These six were skating very well, and created many chances, including the beautiful goal by Marian Gaborik on the breakaway. Along with his eighth goal on the season, Gaborik recorded an assist in the contest to bring his point total to fifteen.

Ales Kotalik was very effective for the second consecutive game, and was rewarded with his fifth goal this season. Rookie center Artem Anisimov, who was set to play on the fourth line but was moved up and down the lineup accordingly, scored his second of the season. Sean Avery was another player that was all over the place tonight, and made the accurate pass to Kotalik for the second Rangers goal.

On defense, Matt Gilroy was the Rangers best player. Yes, he scored his goal, but the 25-year old rookie was excellent on defense, which was not the case for the entire blueline. Wade Redden also played a very smart game, and he was on a pairing with Gilroy which makes sense. Dan Giradi also had a nice bounce back display after Thursday's loss to the Devils. Originally, there were rumblings that the defensive pairings were being changed heading into the contest, as I pointed out in the pregame, but Torts decided to leave them be. We will see what he does with them after tonight's performance.

For the most part, Henrik Lundqvist was solid in goal for New York, but Cammelleri capitalized on Hank's only weakness; high glove side. Cams came into the zone in OT, once again uncontested, fought through a lazy backcheck by Marian Gaborik, and roofed a shot over the glove of Lundqvist to complete the hat-trick, as well as the game. This is a perfect example of my complaint of the Ranger defense not stepping up and taking the body, a habit that must change.

Anyway, now with a 7-3-1 record, the Rangers come home to clash with the red hot Phoenix Coyotes Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The Blueshirts will look to prevent themselves from dropping four straight games, which would not be a good thing this early in the season.
(Pictures courtesy of AP Photo and Getty Images)

Pregame: Rangers and Habs Match-Up at Bell Centre

Tonight will mark the first meeting between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadians of the 2009/10 season. There are several attention grabbing storylines heading into the contest, including Chris Higgins' return to his former town, as well as New York's first time facing former Ranger Scott Gomez since trading him in late June, and Paul Mara who was taken in free agency. For the Rangers, the focus will not be on these sideshows, as they will look to get a win that would prevent them from dropping three straight games in the standings. They are coming off of two rough losses at home, and now have to turn it around in an arena that has been a house of horrors for them the past few years.

After the Rangers 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, head coach John Tortorella had no choice but to change the lineup a bit, including the defensive pairings which have stayed the same since game one in Pittsburgh. First off, Enver Lisin will move up to the third line, where Prospal will shift to center. On the second line, Ales Kotalik now plays on the left of Chris Drury, leaving Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinksy on the third line with Chris Higgins. On the fourth, Artem Anisimov will center Brian Boyle and Aaton Voros, as Donald Brashear will be a scratch for the second consecutive game.

On defense, Matt Gilroy and Dan Girardi will swap places, meaning that Staal will play alongside Gilroy, and Redden with Girardi. The pairing of Del Zotto and Rozsival will remain unchanged.

Taking all of these changes into consideration, tonight's Ranger lineup will look like this:

Lisin - Prospal - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Higgins - Dubinksy - Callahan
Boyle - Anisimov - Voros

Staal - Gilroy
Redden - Girardi
Del Zotto - Rozsival

Lundqvist

As noted in the above lineup, Henrik Lundqvist will get the start for the Rangers. Lundqvist, I thought, played very well in Thursday's loss to the Devils, as two of the three tallys he allowed were deflections. Other than that, Hank was stellar, but was left out to dry by his defense.

Speaking of the Ranger blueline, I will be looking for much improvement against the Canadians. During the wining streak, the defense was the first area of the Blueshirt's game to begin to fade, and they have gotten worse and worse as time goes on. I feel that the Staal and Gilroy combination will benefit both of their games, and pick up Gilroy who has been fairly quiet in the past. Redden and Girardi is a pairing that we saw often last season, but it was one that did not work out too well. This year, Wade Redden has picked up his play, and it is Dan Girardi who has been the unstable one. They will be an interesting duo to watch. Del Zotto and Rozsival have been carried by DZ, so they have not looked too bad, hence the reason that they will stay together.

The defense has to clog the middle in this game, because that is where they were punished the most against the Devils. The pointmen were getting caught too deep, resulting in odd man rushes against, so that is another aspect of the game that the Rangers must limit. Also, opposing players cannot be left alone in front of Henrik Lundqvist as they were on Thursday.

Focusing on the offense, I am happy to see Enver Lisin promoted to the first line. Enver has showed some good signs in recent games, and he also has said the right things to the media. Tortorella notices this, and will try the Russian winger with Prospal and Gaborik as a result. Vinny and Marian have been unstoppable together, and one would hope that they will take Lisin under their wings, and start to include him in the scoring mix.

Chris Drury and Ales Kotalik will be reunited for the first time since their Buffalo years. Kotalik was, in my eyes, the best player on the ice for the Rangers Thursday night, and has been a pleasant surprise thus far in the season. To boot, Sean Avery will add his excitement to that line, and will hopefully have the Rangers second unit producing for the first time in ten games.

On the third, Chris Higgins and Ryan Callahan are two players in which have gotten off to below average starts this year, and they know it. For Higgins, tonight will present him with the perfect opportunity to get the scoring drought stopped, as he will be up against his former team and fans in Montreal. Callahan just hasn't had too much luck on his side, but that could easily be changed with the correct mentality, so we will see what kind of impact he has tonight.

For the Habs, I am expecting back-up goaltender Jaroslav Halak to be in net in place of the struggling Carey Price. Halak is slowly but surely taking over the starting job in Montreal, and is coming off of a big 5-1 win over the Isles on Thursday.

Tonight's projected lineup for the Habs:

Cammalleri - Gomez - Gionta
Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Lapierre
Moen - Metropolit - D'Agostini
Pacioretty - Chipchura - Latendresse

Hamrlik - Spacek
Gill - Gorges
Bergeron - Mara

Halak

The first line, centered by former Ranger Scott Gomez, is the one that the Rangers will keep a close eye on throughout the night. Brian Gionta has been red hot for the Habs, and leads the team in goals scored. This entire trio was acquired this past summer via trade and free agency.

The Habs have been victorious in their last two contests, and have begun the season with a 4-5-0 record.

Again, the Blueshirts have to sustain offensive pressure, as well as be aware on defense. The team cannot afford to drop three straight games this early in the season, and hopefully that is the message in the locker-room. I am feeling some big performances out of some key players tonight against the Canadians. Live updates all throughout the game will be on my Twitter, as usual.

(Pictures courtesy of AP Photo and Getty Images)

Lineup Update- Brashear Scratched

Andrew Gross reports that Donald Brashear will be the scratch tonight in Montreal. That leaves Artem Anisimov centering Brian Boyle and Aaron Voros on the fourth line. It was also confirmed that Enver Lisin will be the left wing on the first line with Prospal and Gaborik. So the confirmed lineup will be the following:

Lisin - Prospal - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Higgins - Dubinsky - Callahan
Boyle - Anisimov - Voros

Staal - Gilroy
Redden - Girardi
Del Zotto - Rozsival

Lundqvist

Pregame in a bit........

Morning Update: Rangers in Montreal

The Rangers will be in Montreal tonight for the first time this season, and they will look to prevent themselves from dropping three straight games in the standings. The Canadians have been victorious in the their last two contests, but have been riding back-up goaltender Jaroslav Halak, due to the poor play of Carey Price. The Canadians currently sit in eleventh place in the Conference with a record of 4-5-0.

The Rangers, as we know, are 7-3-0 and have been in fourth place in the East for the past week. The defense had terrible performances in their past two games, which left head coach John Tortorella with no choice but to switch up the pairings. If you did not see my post from yesterday, here is the projected lineup for the Rangers:

Lisin - Prospal - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Higgins - Dubinksy - Callahan
Brashear/Boyle - Anisimov - Voros

Staal - Gilroy
Redden - Girardi
Del Zotto - Rozsival

There is still a question mark if Artem Anisimov will play in tonight's match-up with the Habs or not, as there was talk that he would be a healthy scratch, most likely to send a message. The Rangers will have their morning skate at 11:30 am, so we will know the definite lineup sometime then. I will be sure to get that up later in the day, followed by the usual pregame this afternoon.

Rangers Tribune Now Working with VERSUS

The Rangers Tribune is happy to announce that they will be advertising for the television channel VERSUS from here on out, to assist in spreading their fantastic coverage of NHL Hockey. You may have noticed the ad on the sidebar already and there will be more to come. In return, VERSUS will provide us with some free giveaways that I will raffle off to my readers, a Q & A with an NHL player in the future, as well as boost the traffic to the site. The Rangers Tribune is honored to now be a part of the growing community of VERSUS hockey.

Versus has made a great amount of progress since changing from the Outdoor Life Network just a few years back, and has begun to do a spectacular job with the NHL. The world class staff that Versus hires for their NHL portion of their channel is phenomenal, as it includes the award-winning broadcaster in Doc Emerick, in addition to the knowledgeable Eddie Olczyk to do the color commentating. In fact, Versus received their highest television ratings in their history this past October when doing an "Opening Night" doubleheader for the National Hockey League.

Hockey is not the only sport in which Versus covers, as they also show college football, fishing, cycling, hunting, bull riding, fighting, and the list goes on and on. It just goes to show how big of a name this channel has made for themselves, and how many different areas in sports they provide coverage for.

Anyway, we are thrilled to now be working with VERSUS, and are looking forward to all of the great benefits we will receive in return. For more information, please visit the VERSUS main page at http://www.versus.com/. Also, below is their latest television ad for the NHL, starring Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

SeanAvery.com

From what I understand, it was just launched yesterday. The most interesting part of the site, for me anyway, was his blog, in which he posted a picture of Aaron Voros and himself on the plane to Montreal earlier today. In addition to the blog, Sean has many pictures, videos, and information in various sections of the site.

There is also an area that you can comment on his blog posts, and interact with the pesky forward. I highly recommend checking it out for yourself at www.seanavery.com.
(Sent using my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry)

Torts Forms New Lines/Pairings After Loss to Devils

As expected, head coach John Tortorella switched up the lines in today's practice, after the team dropped their second straight game last night against the New Jersey Devils. In addition to the offense, Tortorella also made changes to the defense for the first time this season. Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants reports that Gilroy and Girardi wave been swapped, and Del Zotto and Rozsival have stayed together.

Before I analyze the new lines, here is what they look like on paper:

Lisin - Prospal - Gaborik
Avery - Drury - Kotalik
Higgins - Dubinsky - Callahan
Brashear/Boyle - Anisimov - Voros

Staal - Gilroy
Redden - Girardi
Del Zotto - Rozsival

Gaborik and Prospal have played very well on the first unit, so it is wise of Tortorella to keep those two together. Notice that Vinny Prospal now moves to center instead of left wing, something that we saw quite often in the preseason. Prospal has proved himself as a solid playmaker in the first ten games, so it would be fitting that he plays down the middle. As for Lisin, the young winger has been visible lately after a slow start, so he will most likely be rewarded with first line ice time tomorrow night in Montreal.

On the second line, the only change is the addition of Ales Kotalik on the right wing. Kotalik, in my eyes, was the best individual player on the ice for the Rangers last night, which results in him being reunited with former Buffalo linemante, Chris Drury. I have liked how Avery has played on the second line, as he brings a spark to what most would consider previously, a dormant threesome.

Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky will both be dropped to the third line, after starting the season in the top six. While I do feel that they will both make their way back to the top of this lineup, for now, they will play on a trio with Christopher Higgins. Both Higgins and Callahan have been going through a period of struggle, but maybe a change of personnel in which they play with will change that.

This leaves the fourth line with a new center in Artem Anisimov. However, Gross did mention that Anisimov may be the healthy scratch tomorrow night against the Canadians, as both Anisimov and Valiquette were the last to leave the ice in the morning practice. This would also imply that Henrik Lundqvist will get the start at the Bell Centre.

On defense, I mentioned that Staal and Girardi had rough outings against the Devils. Well, Tortorella evidently felt the same way, as the dynamic duo was split up today, leaving Staal paired up with Gilroy, and Girardi with Redden. In a way, I think this might benefit Gilroy in the sense that it will get him going. The 25-year old blueliner has been quiet since his goal earlier in the month, and will look to jump back on the offensive track, as well as continue to play solidified D.

Redden and Girardi is a pairing that we saw much of last year, but the difference is that Wade Redden has actually been acceptable so far. I mean, he is not producing a whole lot points-wise, but he has been reliable in his own zone. I do not feel like this pairing will be a problem, and who knows, it may work out for the better.

I believe that the new look will lift this team, just as it did in the second period of Thursday's contest. The defense definitely needed to be changed, because they have been the most inconsistent part of the Blueshirts' lineup thus far.

More Later....