What if there was no 1994?

Recently the National Hockey League has been running ads for the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs in which they show great moments from the past, and rewind them like they never happened. One of the videos shows Mark Messier, during the 1994 Championship ceremony, being stripped of the Stanley Cup by Commissioner Gary Bettman. The video is below.



That hurts to watch as a Ranger fan for many years, but I would like you to think of the question they pose at the end of the video. "What if Messier didn't lift an entire city?" What if the Rangers did not win game seven in front of their home crowd? What if there was no 1994? How would your life be different?

I know one thing is for sure, these fan would be much more disgruntled when it comes to the Rangers right now. Instead of 54 years without a cup, it would be 70 years and those awful "1940" chants would still haunt us. If you look at Messier's face at the 00:25 mark, it would show the feeling among fans today if there was no 1994.

Rangers Penalty Kill Consistently Consistent

Courtesy of Getty Images

Throughout this roller coaster season, there has been one part of the Rangers' game that has been consistent all year. That is the penalty kill, which is currently ranked ninth in the National Hockey League at 83.8 percent. Heading into the season, many felt that the Blueshirts would be a weak team when defending against the man advantage because of the dismissal of free agents Blair Betts and Fred Sjostrom. While it may not be league leading like last year's was, it sure has been an effective part of this hockey club's game.

Last night on Long Island, the defusing of the Islanders 5 on 3 powerplay was essentially what turned the momentum in favor of the Rangers, helping them to complete the comeback and defeat their rivals 4-3. The key to that specific penalty kill, and most of them anyway, was the players' will to do whatever it took. For example, on the first unit Captain Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky were paired together with Ryan Callahan out thanks to a leg injury. At one point, Drury dove to block a shot and then followed up with a marvelous effort to clear the puck. Right after, it was Dubinsky who was shutting the Isles down as they attempted to make plays in order to get the puck down deep.

Tortorella then put Artem Anisimov out on the ice with Marian Gaborik to finish up the 50 or so seconds that were left on the Islanders man advantage. Anisimov, more than once, gave every ounce of energy he had to stretch and get his stick in the passing lane of the two point men to deflect the puck out of the zone. So you can see that the Rangers are getting an equal effort from the veterans and the youngsters,  the first and the second unit, and the forwards and the defense. It is not often that you can combine all of those factors to make up one solid pk. Fortunately, the Blueshirts can.

I remind you that the Rangers were able to do that last night without two of their man special teams guys when it comes to the penalty kill in Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle. Both of these players have been instrumental in New York's frequent success while a man down this season. Callahan, along with Drury, was even Team USA's go to player when the opposition had a powerplay in the Vancouver Olympics. Being given that duty, I think, speaks for itself about the kind of player Callahan is, as well as Drury.

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist deserves a lot of credit in addition to the forwards listed above. As we have come to know, this team's defensive squad is on the soft side. Because of this, they do not exactly do a great of clearing the crease to give Hank a lane to see shots through. This means that in addition to making the save, Lundqvist has to work to track the puck puck down first, which can be a demanding task when you have a 6-foot-2 hockey player planted five inches in front of your face.

Who knows? Without the great penalty kill, the Rangers may not be in the middle of a playoff race right now, but rather looking forward to the Entry Draft at the end of June. To further prove that point, just look at some of the worst penalty killing units in the league, and then look where they sit in the standings. The Maple Leafs, Stars, Islanders and Oilers are all at the bottom of the list when it comes to penalty kill percentage, as well as in their respective conferences. The only club that doesn't fit in with the rest of the teams with one of the worst penalty kills in the NHL is the Washington Capitals, who are ranked 25th out of 30.

The penalty kill, since the lockout, has become one of the very few trademarks of the New York Rangers' game. They are not known for much, and are not very good at much, but when it comes to killing off a penalty, they are superior. This is a good thing when you have players like Sean Avery, Brandon Prust, and Michal Rozsival, who seem to manage to take a walk to the sin bin at least once per game.

Postgame: Rangers Keep their Season Alive with 4-3 Win over Islanders

Courtesy of AP Photo

It took them until the second period, but once the New York Rangers got going tonight at the Nassau Coliseum, they were relentless and fought hard for the full two points in the standings. Those two points were vital to the Blueshirts playoff hopes being that both the Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers won tonight as well. They now sit four points behind the Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with six games remaining in the regular season. It was a must win for the Rangers in Long Island and they got the job done to keep themselves in the race.

The first period was not indicative of the Rangers overall team effort tonight, though. It took only two minutes for the Islanders to draw first blood in this one when Mark Streit’s one-timer from the point was redirected past Lundqvist to make it 1-0. From that point on the Isles trapped the Blueshirts in their own zone and did not allow their rivals to establish any sort of forecheck. To make matters worse, Blake Comeau’s lofter bounced off of the chest of Henrik Lundqvist and over the goal line, giving the Islanders a 2-0 advantage going into intermission.

The Rangers responded with an inspiring effort in the second period, however. First, it was Vinny Prospal receiving a pass from Mike Del Zotto which he ripped over the shoulder of Roloson and into the top corner of the net. Del Zotto deserves a lot of credit on this play for multiple reasons; he was the one who started the rush, he beat two Islanders in the neutral zone, and instead of taking the shot, fed a wide open Vinny Prospal along the boards. It was a veteran play by the rookie blue-liner.

Eleven minutes later, Olli Jokinen took advantage of forward Kyle Okposo breaking his stick while attempting to clear the zone by taking the puck, spinning around and firing one through “Rollie the Goalie” to tie things at two. Following that, Marian Gaborik finished an Aaron Voros centering feed for his 40th goal of the season and to give the Blueshirts the lead for the first time in the game. With that goal, Gaborik becomes the first Ranger to have a 40 goal season since Jaromir Jagr (54) in 2005-06.

The Rangers did a great job of weathering the storm in the third period, because you just knew the Islanders were going to bring it after a disappointing effort in the second. Five minutes in, Marc Staal registered his sixth of the season after making a defensive play in his own zone and then joining the rush. That goal would turn out to be the game winner with Blake Comeau later netting his second flukey tally of the night to cut the Rangers lead to 4-3.

The main point I would like to make about tonight’s victory is that there was not a fantastic individual effort from a single player that led the Blueshirts to the win. It was more of a team win in which everyone (or most players) contributed in some way, shape, or form. Seven different Rangers made the scoresheet on this night. That says something about this team’s mindset right now, especially without forwards Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery.

On offense, the two players that stood out the most tonight were Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. Prospal had a goal and an assist, Gaborik a goal. These two need to be the main guys up front if this team has hopes of making the playoffs. Also, P.A. Parenteau played yet another outstanding game and is making a case for the coaching staff to keep him up for the remainder of the season. He could definitely play at the National Hockey League level; there is no doubt about that.

Courtesy of AP Photo

On the back-end, Michal Rozsival, Mike Del Zotto, and Marc Staal all played well. Del Zotto has been on a tear as of late and is closing out his rookie season in a good way after going through some ups and downs this year. As for Staal, he looked like his old self for the first time in quite a while tonight. He was patient, he skated with confidence, and most of all, used his head.

Corey Locke and Anders Eriksson were both called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League recently. Both played less than seven minutes in tonight’s game, which makes me wonder why head coach John Tortorella would even want them in the lineup. You scratch Matt Gilroy and Enver Lisin, two players that have not been bad this season, and put Locke and Eriksson in and barely play them? What is the point in that? We are not even getting a chance to see what these guys have.

Anyway, the Rangers will be off until Friday night when they visit the Lightning in Tampa Bay. Again, a must win contest for the Blueshirts if they want to remain in the playoff race. Whether or not either Avery or Callahan will be able to return in that game is something that will be determined in the next few days, but having them back would only be a plus to this already motivated lineup.

Pregame: Rangers Can Gain Ground with Win over Islanders

Courtesy of AP Photo

It is up to the New York Rangers to decide their fate now. It is out of our hands. We just have to watch and hope for the best, and keep our fingers crossed that this team can somehow pull off a miracle and sneak into the playoffs. Last night, that miracle took a step closer to becoming reality when both the Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers lost in regulation. Unfortunately both of those teams will be active again on this night, but if both lose and the Blueshirts edge the Isles, they will be just two points, one win, out of a playoff spot.

This is a must win game against the New York Islanders tonight at Nassau Coliseum, especially if the Bruins and Thrashers find a way to pull out a victory. If the Rangers lose, they have a chance of throwing away their last hopes of making the playoffs. And an overtime loss doesn’t count tonight either. The Blueshirts need to grab the full two points and move on. As we saw in Toronto on Saturday, just one is not going to leave this hockey club satisfied.

Rangers Projected Lineup

Dubinsky - Christensen - Gaborik
Prospal - Locke - Drury
Voros - Jokinen - Parenteau
Shelley - Anisimov - Prust

Staal - Rozsival
Del Zotto - Girardi
Redden - Eriksson

Lundqvist

Scratches: Enver Lisin, Matt Gilroy, Brian Boyle (left foot), Ryan Callahan (right leg), Sean Avery (left leg)

Henrik Lundqvist has to be near perfect after allowing the Leafs back into the game on Saturday. There is no excuse that anyone could come up with that would take the blame off of Henrik for letting in Tomas Kaberle’s shot from along the boards. Sure, we wouldn’t be where we are right now if it wasn’t for Lundqvist, but goals like that are simply unacceptable.

Ryan Callahan, Sean Avery, and Brian Boyle will remain out of the lineup due to injuries suffered over the course of the past couple of weeks. Brian Boyle was able to put a skate on his foot on Monday, meaning that the swelling went down, which is good. Callahan and Avery went for platelet-rich treatment yesterday, which is supposed to speed up the recovery process. However, they are scheduled to sit this one out.

All of these injuries will give some new faces opportunities in the lineup tonight. First off, P.A. Parenteau will be playing again after performing very well against the Leafs. Corey Locke, recalled from the Pack (AHL) on Monday, will also be in the lineup. On defense, head coach John Tortorella confirmed that Matt Gilroy will once again be a healthy scratch, so veteran blue-liner Anders Eriksson will play his second game as a Ranger. I do not understand the thought process behind this, but then again, I have not understood many of the coaching decisions this season.

Islanders Projected Lineup

Courtesy of Getty Images

Tambellini - Tavares - Comeau
Moulson - Bailey - Okposo
Bergenheim - Nielsen - Hunter
Sim - Park - Jackman

Streit - Gervais
Hillen - Meyer
Klementyev - Flood

Roloson

Same Old Story

No changes from yesterday's practice as Sean Avery, Ryan Callahan, Brian Boyle, Enver Lisin, and Matt Gilroy will all be out of the lineup tonight against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. Andrew Gross reports that both Avery and Callahan's treatments went as planned on Monday, but there is still is no timetable for their return. Basically, they are taking it day by day for the next week or so.

Avery, though, had an interesting outlook on the injury situation from a team perspective.

"I think it can be a good thing because guys can step up to the challenge with me and Cally out. It'll show the character of the team."

He is right about one thing. That being the true character of the team will be shown without their two most energetic members available, but it has not been often this season that we have seen individuals "step up" at key times. In addition to Henrik Lundqvist, someone will need to step up against the Isles, otherwise it will turn out to be another one of those emotionless losses that have us fans up in arms.

Lastly, the Rangers signed free agent goaltender Cameron Talbot earlier this morning from Alabama-Huntsville.

My Interview with Kukla's Korner

Yesterday I agreed to answer some questions for Pat Hoffman of Kukla's Korner in which I discussed the current state of the Rangers and their upcoming match-up with the New York Islanders. Pat asked some terrific questions and I gave some truthful answers, leading me to believe that my readers would want to take a look as well. Below is a portion of the interview followed by a link to Kukla's Korner to read it in its entirety.

PH: How tough was it for the Blueshirts to lose a point to the Maple Leafs on Saturday night in Toronto?
NM: Not being able to capture two points in that game is already beginning to come back and bite the Rangers in the behind. With the Flyers defeating the Devils on Sunday and moving ahead of the Blueshirts by six points, New York really has to kick it into gear if they want to make it before they fall out of reach. If the Rangers lose against the Islanders, I am pretty convinced that their season will be over.

PH: How does a team recover from a loss like that and keep their confidence up that they can still make the playoffs?
NM: They need to forget it right away. That game isn’t going to help them anymore and all that is important right now is theirmatch-up with the Islanders. Henrik Lundqvist is mentally stable and has a focused train of thought, so I am not too worried about him as far as letting in the flukey tying goal to Tomas Kaberle on Saturday goes. As for the defense, they need to regroup and play much better in the final seven. The Rangers blue-line had a complete collapse in overtime, which led to their downfall.

Read Full Interview Here

Also, you may or may not have heard me on Blueshirt Banter Radio last night, another place in which I discussed my feelings towards the Rangers, so I decided to post the podcast here on the site. The show actually turned into a bit of a "Tortorella Bashing Fest", so I figured you guys would enjoy it.

Rangers Luck Out, Bruins and Thrashers Lose

Courtesy of AP Photo

So the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference will not change tonight as both the Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers lost, giving the New York Rangers a major opportunity to gain some ground Tuesday against the Islanders. Whether or not the Blueshirts will take advantage of that opportunity or not remains to be decided, but one thing is for sure, and that is the ball is in their court now. If they cannot get two points against the Isles, they may have just blew their last chance at making the playoffs.

Heading into the night, the odds of both the Bruins and Thrashers losing were at about 50/50. So the Rangers should certainly consider themselves lucky here. They remain four points out of eighth place, but with a win against the Isles that difference can be shortened and the Rangers would just be two points out with six games to go. Now you can see how much of a difference just one game could make.

Two points is just a win away, and another win after that accompanied by a Bruins loss would have the Rangers in the playoffs. Obviously easier said then done here, but the Rangers are not in as tough of a situation as many may think. I did not think the Rangers would be able to rebound like this after the 2-1 loss to the Bruins, but those back-to-back victories last week were huge. Now if they only can string together five or six in the final month of the season and they would be in business.

It is possible folks, it is very possible.

Updates from Practice: Callahan and Avery Injuries, Tortorella's Demands, and More on Locke

Although five players may have missed today's practice, it was a very eventful day at the Rangers Training Center. First off, as I reported earlier, the Blueshirts recalled forward Corey Locke from Hartford and was up in time to practice with the team this morning according to Andrew Gross. Locke centered a second line with Chris Drury and Enver Lisin on his wings. Again, I am surprised he is being played at center considering the surplus of players that can play that position on this team.

Secondly, head coach John Tortorella confirmed that forwards Ryan Callahan (right leg) and Sean Avery (left leg) will not return to the lineup for tomorrow's contest against the Islanders on Long Island. Avery and Callahan, as detailed in Avery's tweet this morning, underwent platelet-rich treatment to hopefully speed up the recovery process. Brian Boyle will also be out of the lineup with his lower-body injury.

In addition to all of the scratches on offense, rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy will be a healthy scratch on the blue-line tomorrow as well. John Tortorella finally decided to comment on that when addressing members of the media following practice.

"This is part of the process," Tortorella said. "It could go either way for Gilly. I thought Eriksson played well, you could see his puck handling and his poise. No one told Gilroy or any first-year player they're going to play all the games."

Torts also said that P.A. Parenteau, recalled on Friday, was the Rangers best forward Saturday night in Toronto against the Leafs. His follow up comment was an interesting one.

"That's great for P.A. but not so great for the hockey club," Tortorella said. "It can't be that way."

Lastly, Tortorella urged that the top players on this team need to step up. He did not specifically name players such as Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal, but you know that those are two of many that are overdue. This is the worst time of the year for Gaborik to enter a slump, but that is the way it has been ever since the Olympics. Basically, exactly what we were afraid of.

I will have another post up tonight during both the Bruins and Thrashers games as they are right in the middle of the playoff race along with the Rangers. Those games will be very important from a Rangers standpoint.

Rangers Recall Corey Locke from Hartford

The AHL Transaction Log is reporting that the New York Rangers have recalled 25-year-old center Corey Locke from the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) this morning. Locke has 29 goals and 51 assists for 80 points in 73 games played with the Wolf Pack this season. In fact, the Toronto, Ontario native is having his best year in the American Hockey League of his career. Despite these stats, though, it has been said numerous times that Corey does not have what it takes to play at the NHL level.

Here is more on Locke from the Wolf Pack expert, Mitch Beck of Howlings:

While Locke is a very good and offensively talented AHL player, he is clearly not an NHL caliber competitor.

The Toronto native doesn’t skate nearly hard enough. He avoids contact at all costs, and who can blame him. Generously listed at 5-9, 189 pounds, he’s too small and slight to go into any of the high traffic areas.

It will be interesting to see how and where John Tortorella uses him. He can’t play him on the fourth line. Like P.A. Parenteau, Locke isn’t cut out for that. He needs to be used in an offensive capacity. Maybe the thought process is to use him on the wing in place of Sean Avery?

I think I will agree with Mitch here. The only reasonable spot to put Locke right now is on the wing in place of forward Sean Avery, who is getting examined today and will find out the extent of his injury. Locke may be a center, but the Blueshirts already have a surplus in that position and need wingers with both Callahan and Avery out.

As Mitch said above, Locke's problem seems to be his battle level and effort. Unfortunately, sometimes the most talented of players do not have the desire to compete and give a 100% effort. With that being said, Locke is not the player that should have been called up. Both Avery and Callahan are energy players that provide a spark to this lineup. Locke will not be doing that.

Nonetheless, it will not hurt to see what the kid's got. The Rangers need to be looking towards the future and by calling up youngsters with potential they are doing just that. However, I still would have liked to see Dane Byers called up instead of Corey Locke. Byers has been an impact player each and every time he has been recalled this season.

Flyers Defeat Devils, Move ahead of Rangers by Six

If you were following my tweets tonight, you would have seen that the New Jersey Devils were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 at the Wachovia Center. For the Rangers, the result of this game decreases their likelihood of making the playoffs slightly, as the Flyers have now pulled ahead of the Blueshirts by six points in the Eastern Conference standings. The Rangers can only hope that Boston loses to Buffalo on Monday night, otherwise their chances of making the playoffs will be extremely slim.

If the Bruins happen to defeat the Sabres tomorrow, I am pretty convinced that the Rangers will have to win out to conclude the regular season in order to make the postseason. As you can see, not winning in Boston last Sunday and not being able to capture the full two points in Toronto on Saturday is already coming back to haunt this hockey club, and now they have a ton of pressure on them.

New York has seven games left this season, which means there is a total of exactly fourteen points up for grabs. If they were to get all fourteen, they would be at 90 on the year. Based on recent trends, I have a feeling that the postseason cut-off will be somewhere between 88 and 90 points, which is why the Rangers cannot afford to lose another game. I just do not see them being able to go on a seven-game winning streak right now, because the last time that happened was in the first three weeks of October.

Right now, the Rangers need to take it day by day, game by game, period by period. I know it is hard, but they cannot look too far ahead. They need to focus on the task at hand and that is the New York Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday. Get two points in that game and you are still alive. That needs to be their mentality, otherwise they will get too far ahead of themselves and not have the right focus. This happens to many teams each and every year.

Like I said, the fight for the final playoff spots will come down to which team is more consistent. The Bruins have been streaky, the Flyers have been streaky, as have the Atlanta Thrashers. It is anyone's playoff spots right now based on how these teams have played as of late, and it will provide for a very exciting finish to the season. That is, of course, if the Rangers are able to somehow sneak in.

Updated Playoff Race in the East:

6. Montreal Canadiens - 82 pts
7. Philadelphia Flyers - 82 pts
8. Boston Bruins - 80 pts
------------------------------------------------
9. Atlanta Thrashers - 78 pts
10. New York Rangers - 76 pts

Both the Bruins and Thrashers will be in action on Monday night.

Rangers Will Hurt without Avery and Callahan

Courtesy of AP Photo

The last thing the Rangers needed was two of their more energetic and passionate players suffer from injuries in the middle of a playoff push. Unfortunately, that is the case with Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery both injuring their legs when attempting to beat out an icing call this past week. Callahan’s occurred last Sunday in Boston when he collided with defenseman Zdeno Chara. Callahan did in fact make a return after that injury in the next game against the Islanders, but then re-aggravated the pain in his right leg Thursday in New Jersey.

Sean Avery has been playing some of the best hockey of his career as of late. It has not only been scoring goals, but using his mouth, skating, knowing how to get under the skin of opponents. Sean has been a key to the Rangers recent success, or, at least their two-game success. That being said, it is going to hurt this team if Avery is out long term after having his leg pinched along the boards when chasing a puck against Luke Schenn last night in Toronto.

For once, I think head coach John Tortorella hit the nail on the head when referring to Avery’s injury in his postgame comments.

“It’s a tough break, he’s probably playing his best hockey of the year,” Tortorella said. “He’s really focused in the past couple of weeks, he’s a big part of us trying to find a way and it’s a tough break, not only for him, more importantly, for the hockey club.”

Both Callahan and Avery remain unsure whether or not they will be able to play Tuesday against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. However, if both are out long term, the Rangers will have a very difficult time establishing a forecheck and playing an energetic game. On their respective offensive lines, Avery and Callahan are always the first players in the corners, chasing down the loose pucks on the forecheck. Other than them, there are not many players who are efficient in doing so on this team like Sean and Ryan are.

The good thing is, Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants confirmed that Avery walked out of the Air Canada Centre without crutches following last night’s contest. That is a hopeful sign considering Avery could not put any weight on his leg after the collision and could barely walk for that matter. I am sure we will find out more on Avery’s status in the coming days after he skates in practice, and the same goes for Ryan Callahan.

Either way, the Blueshirts are keeping their fingers crossed that both can return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Isles. Without them, I do not see the Rangers even coming close to that final eighth place playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, because the key from this point on will be effort and desire. Not many players on this team, other than Avery and Callahan, have that.

Postgame: Mental Mistakes lead to Rangers Downfall against Leafs in Overtime

Courtesy of AP Photo

Tonight’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs hurts. It may just hurt more than any other loss this season because they New York Rangers should have won this game in regulation and continue on with their quest for one of the last few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they let up a late goal and next an overtime wraparound. Unfortunately, this team never makes things easy on its fans and now will have to pretty much win out, or at least win six of seven in order to make the playoffs. It is going to be extremely difficult now.

Midway through the first period, P.A. Parenteau’s spin-around shot beat Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson low to give the Blueshirts the 1-0 advantage. Brandon Dubinsky then followed that up with a beauty of a goal with the final seconds ticking off of the clock in the period. Brandon made his way through the defense, made a quick move around the net, and then stuffed the puck past the goal line to give the Rangers a two goal lead heading into intermission.

That lead would not last long, though, as John Mitchell was left wide open in the slot where he easily put home his sixth of the season. There is no excuse for the lack of coverage on that play. At this stage of the season, you just cannot afford to make mental mistakes like that. That would not be the only mental mistake of the night for the Rangers, however.

In the third period, the Blueshirts were doing a great job of holding the lead with a couple of strong penalty kills and a solid forecheck. That is until Tomas Kaberle flung a puck at the net from the goal line which somehow beat Lundqvist to the post to tie the game with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. This time, there is no scapegoat that us fans can come up with for Henrik allowing that goal. He was having a great game up until that point, but he must stop that puck. This is not the first time Lundqvist has been guilty of allowing a tying goal of that nature in his career.

Nikolai Kulemin’s wraparound won the game 3-2 rather quickly, 39 seconds in to be exact, and no one is at fault for that goal other than Chris Drury and Wade Redden. First, Redden was caught sliding on the side of the net allowing Kulemin to easily go behind the net on one side. On the other side, where Kulemin stuffed the puck in, Chris Drury watched and gave a half-a$$ pokecheck that wasn’t going to do anything. Henrik had no chance of stopping that, even though he almost did, and it left Hank in frustration, slamming his stick on the glass when exiting the rink.

The Rangers did not play a bad game tonight, so do not take this postgame recap as a complete rant. What was said above was simply steam being letting off after watching this hockey club drop a must-win game because of foolish mental mistakes. They cannot be satisfied with just a single point tonight. It was a game that needed to be won and they could not do that, which only hurts themselves.

Anders Eriksson, replacing a benched Matt Gilroy, played well when put onto the ice. Granted he did not play all that much, but when he did, the veteran blue-liner was sharp. As for Parenteau, as long as he is re-signed this summer, he will have a great chance of making this Rangers team out of training camp next year. Parenteau has been remarkable whenever called upon this season.

Sean Avery left the game in the second period after going into the boards hard with Luke Schenn in an attempt to beat out an icing call. If Avery is out long term, this team will be hurting because besides Lundqvist, Sean has been the best player for the Rangers lately. As head coach John Tortorella said, it was a “tough break”.

As I said above, the Rangers will most likely have to win six out of their final seven games in order to make the playoffs. The Bruins and Thrashers won today while the Flyers lost, meaning the Rangers remain five points out of playoff position in tenth place. Their next game will be on Tuesday against the Islanders in Nassau.

My postgame analysis can also be found on Blueshirt Banter.

Pregame: Leafs Look to Play Spoiler against Rangers in Toronto

Courtesy of Getty Images

The Rangers have just eight games remaining in the 2009-10 regular season. Of those eight games, five of them will be against teams that are currently below the Blueshirts in the Eastern Conference standings. I have said that New York will need to win at least six of their last eight in order to secure a playoff position. Well, clearly five of those six wins are just waiting for this team to grab them, but as we know, getting points in games that the Rangers should win has not been an easy task for this team.

The bottom line, at this point, is that the Rangers must defeat teams that are below them, because the double header against Philadelphia at the end of the season is most likely going to be what is going to decide this team’s fate, and neither of those contests will be easy. Getting wins in the next few games leading up to that home and home, against less-skilled teams, will be crucial.

That includes tonight’s match-up against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have done a great job of playing spoiler lately. Toronto has been winners in seven of their last ten games and even though they are out of the playoff picture, they still are fighting and they still continue to push. The Rangers will need to match that push on this night, because as I said in this morning’s article, a single loss could potentially end the team’s playoff hopes.

Rangers Projected Lineup

Dubinsky - Christensen - Gaborik
Prospal - Drury - Parenteau
Avery - Jokinen - Voros
Shelley - Anisimov - Prust

Staal - Rozsival
Del Zotto - Girardi
Redden - Gilroy

Lundqvist

Scratches: Enver Lisin, Matt Gilroy, Brian Boyle (left foot), Ryan Callahan (right leg)

Henrik Lundqvist was the reason the Rangers were able to comeback and defeat the New Jersey Devils in the shootout on Thursday night. I know I am repetitive in saying this, but this time of the year is when Henrik always plays his best hockey. There is a reason for that. That reason being Henrik is a goaltender that thrives on pressure and loves to play in vital situations. That is the description of many elite goaltenders in the National Hockey League.

As I reported earlier, Matt Gilroy will sit on defense tonight. In his place will be veteran blue-liner Anders Eriksson, who the Blueshirts acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes at the trade deadline. Head coach John Tortorella says he has not been happy with Gilroy’s battle on defense as of late, which is the reason why he will watch tonight’s game unfold from the press box.

As far as Eriksson goes, I thought Larry Brooks of the New York Post had an interesting view of the situation in his tweet from earlier.

“It cannot be good news for the organization if Anders Eriksson is more worthy of promotion than Heikkinen, Sanguinetti or Potter.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle will also be out of the lineup tonight with injuries. This means P.A. Parenteau, recalled yesterday, and Aaron Voros will dress. Why Tortorella would choose Voros over Lisin is anyone’s guess.

Leafs Projected Lineup

Courtesy of Getty Images

Kulemin - Bozak - Kessel
Caputi - Grabovski - Stalberg
Mitchell - Hanson - Sjostrom
Primeau - Wallin - Orr

Schenn - Kaberle
Phaneuf - Beauchemin
Exelby - Gunnarsson

Gustavsson

Gilroy, Callahan, and Boyle to sit against Leafs

As expected, there is a handful of changes being made to the Rangers lineup for when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the Air Canada Centre. First off, Andrew Gross is reporting that both Ryan Callahan (right leg) and Brian Boyle (left foot) will not be able to play through their injuries and will take the night off. In their place will be forwards P.A. Parenteau, who was recalled from the Pack (AHL) yesterday, and Aaron Voros.

In addition to the switches on offense, Anders Eriksson will suit up on defense as Matt Gilroy will watch from the press box. Head coach John Tortorella mentioned that he has not been pleased with Gilroy's effort on defense as of late, therefore he will sit. This is the second time this season that Gilroy is paying the price for not battling in his own zone, something the coaching staff will surely work with him on in training camp before the next season.

To be honest, I have not felt that Gilroy's play has hurt the team, but it has not necessarily helped it either. He has been very quiet for almost the entire season, actually. The former Hobey Baker Award winner had a tremendous preseason, but once we got into the months of November and December, it seemed like he vanished. It may be a confidence thing, it may not, but I do not feel like Tortorella has handled Gilroy properly. The kid has a lot of talent and he should be showing it.

Rangers - Leafs Pregame Preview Later......

Rangers Cannot Afford a Single Loss

Courtesy of Getty Images

The fact that just one loss in the final eight games of the season can take the New York Rangers out of the playoff race is frightening. Right now, the seventh seed and the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference are separated by just five points, with the eighth and ninth seeds placed somewhere in the middle. The fight for the final two playoff spots is extremely tight and will only become tighter as we approach the season’s end. For the Rangers, they cannot afford to drop a game in the middle of that race, because it could potentially crush their playoff hopes.

Of course, this all depends on what the teams around the Blueshirts are doing as well. As of late, the Philadelphia Flyers (7th) and the Boston Bruins (8th) do not look like they will be able to hang onto those final two valued playoff slots. In fact, if there is one team that could slip out and allow the Rangers to jump in, it would be Philadelphia being that they are 3-5-2 in their last ten games. They are hurting without Alternate Captain Jeff Carter and starting goaltender Ray Emery, both out with injuries, and have not been able to capture points when they need them most.

As for Boston, they have been playing similar hockey to the Rangers. One night they may look like an all-star squad, when on another night they are an uninspired group players that have no desire to win whatsoever. The fans are irritated by management, underperforming players are being called out, and people around the team do not feel the right decisions are being made within the organization. Sound familiar? It most certainly does.

The Atlanta Thrashers, the only team between the Rangers and the Bruins, have been a surprising contender this season. Remember, their season turned around and did a 180 once star winger and former Captain Ilya Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils. Perhaps the attention surrounding Kovalchuk was affecting the team in a negative way, but nonetheless, their “hybrid” squad of youngsters mixed in with veterans is right where they want to be; in the middle of a race to the finish. With the way they have been playing, there is a good chance they beat the Rangers to the finish line, but it is not even close to being over just yet.

The Rangers will play their next five games on the road, which may be a good thing considering their inability to win on home ice this season. When looking at the remainder of the schedule as a whole, yes, the Rangers have an easy finish. However, defeating cellar dwellers is not necessarily something New York has been able to do this year. The Leafs, Islanders, Lightning, and Panthers are all beatable teams and teams that the Rangers are ahead of in the standings. Pick up points in three of those four games and I think the Blueshirts will be in good shape.

With that being said, I still believe it will be extraordinarily difficult to pull this off. The Blueshirts have not been a, for lack of a better term, “clutch” team this year. When they needed wins, they did not get them, and when they needed a spark and energy, the team came out flat. For some reason, and I am not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, I just do not see them being able to get the job done. Like it says in the title, one loss could officially put this season in the books without any postseason action for the first time since the lockout.

Although, with last night’s resilient effort against the Devils, I think some of the faith in the hearts of fans has been restored. There is always that small chance, and even though it is small, it still exists. Nothing is impossible in the National Hockey League, and any team could beat any team. I am a strong believer in that philosophy, however, I have watched this team fail far too often this season, and I almost know what to expect in the final eight games.

Rangers Recall Parenteau and Eriksson, Friday Standings Update

Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants is reporting that the New York Rangers have recalled veteran defenseman Anders Eriksson and forward P.A. Parenteau from the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) this afternoon. As far as Parenteau goes, the reasoning behind this move is most likely because Ryan Callahan, who left last night's game against the New Jersey Devils with a lower-body injury, may not be able to play tomorrow in Toronto.

Callahan originally suffered the injury against the Bruins when Zdeno Chara collided with him along the boards, and last night's minor bumping seemed to aggravate it. Also, Brian Boyle is currently out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, so Parenteau could be a replacement for him as well.

Anders Eriksson, acquired by the Rangers at the deadline, will suit up in the Blueshirts uniform for the first time since being traded from the Phoenix Coyotes. Eriksson has registered three assists with the Pack so far. Why is he being brought up? Well, it could be one of two things, really.

First, head coach John Tortorella may want a seventh defensemen traveling with the team being that they are on the road for their next couple of games. On the other hand, Tortorella may have intentions on having someone that is currently on the Rangers blueline sit for a night and give Eriksson a shot. The coach has not commented on the call-ups just yet, so his reasoning remains unclear.

Meanwhile, with Thursday's shootout win over the New Jersey Devils, the Blueshirts are just three points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Three points may not sound like a whole lot, but when you think about it, they will have to win at least six of the final eight games remaining in the regular season. Sure, they may have a rather easy schedule as we go down the final stretch, but even still, consistency has been something the Rangers have not been able to accomplish at all.

Below are the current Eastern Conference Standings. No teams around the Rangers will be active tonight, but Saturday will be a very busy night with multiple games that we will have to keep tabs on.

Postgame: Rangers Make Late Comeback to Defeat Devils in the Shootout, 4-3

It will be very difficult for the New York Rangers to make the playoffs, and the odds are against them, but as a fan, you must admit that they put on some show tonight at the Prudential Center in their 4-3 comeback win over the New Jersey Devils. There are certain games in a season that a fan always remembers and will talk about for years to come. For some reason, tonight’s eventful contest feels like one of those games with the Blueshirts being able to comeback against a rival team and eventually win in the shootout. Each team had their ups and each team had their downs, but overall, it was an emotional effort by both clubs on this night, which provided for quite a spectacle.

The first period saw some atrocious hockey played by the Blueshirts. Their defense was all unorganized, they could not generate much offensively, and the passion just did not seem to be there. That could have been because they were involved in a wild contest at MSG just the night before against the Islanders, but even still, there is no excuse for the way they came out and played to start this game. Luckily, Ilya Kovalchuk’s rebound goal was the only one to be allowed in the first.

Brandon Dubinsky responded to that goal on the powerplay in the second period when he pulled up at the circles and let a wrister fly. That wristshot deflected off of two Devil defensemen and eventually passed Martin Brodeur. For the second straight game, the powerplay cashed in for the Rangers and proved to have a major impact on the result of the tilt. I think the key to their recent success with the man advantage is that they are finally getting traffic in front of the goaltender and are actually getting low shots through. It is not pretty, but it is getting the job done and that is what’s most important right now.

Four goals were exchanged between the two teams in the third period. Elias’ blast to make it 2-1 was answered by Artem Anisimov’s goal scorer’s goal six minutes later. With just about 7:30 remaining in regulation, New Jersey Captain Jamie Langenbrunner capitalized on the Rangers falling asleep at their bench with a slapshot tally. That seemed to be the dagger in the Blueshirts’ heart, but following a John Tortorella timeout with just over 20 seconds left, Erik Christensen fed Chris Drury camped out in front of Brodeur. Drury slammed the pass through the legs of Brodeur and sent the Rangers bench, the arena, and fans watching at home to their feet in celebration. That tying goal came with exactly 17 seconds left in regulation.

It was all Henrik Lundqvist in overtime, as he was forced to stop six Devil shots in the extra period. With overtime ending scoreless, they would then head to the shootout where Erik Christensen scored the only goal to propel the Rangers to the full two-point comeback victory. Actually, that goal was originally waved off being that it bounced in and out of the net fast, but the review proved it to count, end eventually become the winner.

Rangers - Devils games always seem to be a battle of the goaltenders. Once again, that was the story tonight in Newark. Lundqvist made a total of 35 saves--Brodeur 28--and both netminders had at least a handful that will make the highlight reel. If not for Lundqvist, the Rangers do not win this game. Head coach John Tortorella deserves credit for making the decision to play Lundqvist in both back-to-back games; he was unreal tonight.

Led by Artem Anisimov, the Rangers fourth line was arguably the best for New York. That is not only because of Anisimov, either, because Jody Shelley and Brandon Prust also played very well in this game. But focusing on Anisimov, he has been on a role as of late, scoring his second goal in two games, which was also his 12th of the season. Once Artem puts on some weight and builds some strength, he will be a dominant player in the National Hockey League—no question.

I also think Sean Avery deserves credit tonight. He may not have made the scoresheet, but he sure was effective in every other aspect. Between mixing it up with Clarkson and providing a consistent effort on the forecheck, Aves kept his streak of incredible play going with yet another terrific outing tonight.

So the Bruins and Flyers both lost, meaning the Rangers are now only three points out of the playoffs. Unfortunately, three points have not been easy to come by, and there is a team standing in their way in the Atlanta Thrashers. The Rangers next game will be on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto.

You can also find my postgame analysis on Blueshirt Banter.
(Pictures courtesy of Getty Images and AP Photo)

Pregame: Rangers Face Devils in Second of Back-to-Back Rivalry Games

The good thing is, when the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils clash on the ice, standings never seem to matter. If standings did matter, well, New Jersey is ahead of the Rangers by seventeen points and in fourth place in the East. The Blueshirts currently sit in tenth where they are attempting to catch the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot. Unfortunately, they only have nine games to do that, making their chances of slipping in rather slim.

Tonight’s contest at the Prudential Center will mark the second of back-to-back rival match-ups for the Rangers in two days. Last night they defeated the Islanders 5-0 at Madison Square Garden, and will look to take some of the momentum that effort left them with to Newark on this night. Of course, they run the risk of having to deal with fatigue, but if the team knows their situation right now, I don’t think that will be stopping them.

What we saw last night against the Isles was desperate hockey, something the Rangers have not played often this season. The game was exciting, for once, and actually gave the fans something to cheer about. Although, like I said, it may have come a bit too late. The Blueshirts really have to push themselves if they want to somehow continue to play hockey after the regular season concludes in mid-April.

Rangers Projected Lineup
Dubinsky - Christensen - Gaborik
Prospal - Drury - Callahan
Avery - Jokinen - Lisin
Shelley - Anisimov - Prust

Staal - Rozsival
Del Zotto - Girardi
Redden - Gilroy

Lundqvist

Scratches: Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle

Henrik Lundqvist, coming off of a shutout, is expected to start tonight despite it being the second of back-to-back games. Head coach John Tortorella is obviously going to go with the lineup that will give him the best chance of winning night in and night out, and with Hank in goal, those chances go up by at least ten percent. This is Henrik time; he thrives on pressure, he loves being in these situations, and it is when he performs to the best of his ability. The spotlight is on Lundqvist for sure.

On offense, the Rangers would love to have another multi-point outing from star winger Marian Gaborik. Gaborik’s two goals and assist played a major part in the Blueshirts win on Wednesday and for the ninth time this season, he recorded two or more points within a game. Sitting at 39 at the moment, Gaborik needs just one more goal to hit the 40 marker, something you know he will be eager to do.

Devils Projected Lineup

Parise - Elias - Langenbrunner
Kovalchuk - Zajac - Rolston
Zubrus - Niedermayer - Clarkson
Peters - McAmmond - Pandolfo

Skoula - Martin
Salvador - Green
White - Motteau

Brodeur

Reminder: Anyone who attended Rangers vs Islanders in 3D last night, please contact me via e-mail (located on the right sidebar) about putting a post up about your experience. We are interested to hear your opinion of what will become a common feature on television in the future!
(Photos courtesy of Getty Images)

Rangers to Add Alternate Jersey to Wardrobe in 2010-11

You may or may not have seen this already, but according to Ice Thetics, a website dedicated to covering jerseys within the National Hockey League, Reebok has confirmed that the New York Rangers will be adding an alternate (third) jersey to the rotation for next season. The last time the Blueshirts had a third jersey was the year before the NHL switched over from CCM to Reebok, which was a change that was made in 07-08. Since then, many teams within the league have created alternate jerseys, which are most often worn at home.

There has been no confirmation on what the actual design for the Rangers third jersey will be, but there is a rumor that it will be modeled after the vintage sweaters that say "New York" diagonally going down, instead of "Rangers". Personally, I would love to see the white Liberties make a return, although I know that jersey was not popular among the fans.

Below is what Ice Ethics had to say in regards to the Rangers....

New alternate jersey: Reebok verifies the news we've all been dying to hear. The Rangers will wear an alternate jersey next season. But will it be the Lady Liberty logo make her glorious return?

The Rangers arguably had the best third jersey of the '90s with that Statue of Liberty logo emblazoned on the front.

Those navy blue sweaters were so popular that in 1998 the Rangers even added a white version for a short time. They were used up until 2007 when Reebok took over the league.

The Rangers previously wore a blue jersey with NEW YORK on the front from 1978 to 1987. The team's home and road sweaters will not change next season.

Thoughts?

Postgame: Gaborik Scores Twice, Helps Rangers Snap Skid in 5-0 defeat of Isles

What may have been the Rangers most complete win of the season tonight against the New York Islanders may have come just a little too late. Sure, a 5-0 shutout victory is always going to help the confidence of a team, but at this point, it barely puts a dent into their playoff situation and there is a small chance the Blueshirts actually build on it. With that being said, we should enjoy it while we can, right?

It only took three minutes for the Rangers to open the scoring when Artem Anisimov scored his eleventh goal of the season by picking up a loose puck in the slot and roofing it over Islander goalie Dwayne Roloson. About two minutes after, Marian Gaborik scored his 38th goal of the season and what would be the first of two for Marian on the night. Give credit to Brandon Dubinsky for setting up the play with a beautiful feed from behind the net.

Gaborik would get on the scoresheet again in the first period when he found a wide open Michael Del Zotto in the faceoff circle. Del Zotto buried the powerplay goal for his ninth of the season and gave the home team a 3-0 lead through twenty minutes played. Nine goals for a defenseman in his rookie year is pretty darn good and I am very anxious to see what this kid brings to the lineup in the future. Right now, that future is looking fairly bright.

The second period was a snorefest for lack of a better term, but it set up for quite an eventful third. First off, the powerplay created some great chances and was able to maintain a solid forecheck. Dan Girardi scored on the powerplay to make it 5-0, but just before that Gaborik notched his second of the night on a beauty of a goal in which he broke in on Roloson and backhanded the puck top-shelf.

Also in the third came a lot of the physical activity and of course, who else was in the middle of it all?

Sean Avery, who had an assist in the contest, played another great game. Much like he did against the Flyers two weeks ago, Avery used his presence and, well, his mouth to throw the Islanders of course a bit. For example, he got Trent Hunter to take an unnecessary penalty in the third, he got Trevor Gillies thrown out of the game, and also looked like he was getting in the heads of the Isles top players like Okposo and Tavares. Although Okposo always seemed to be a player that let's that sort of nonsense in one ear and out the other.

Henrik Lundqvist did not have to be amazing on this night, but his 27 saves certainly played a big part in the Rangers dominating performance. Henrik deserved an easy night after everything he has been dealing with as of late, between the team in front of him playing atrocious hockey and just not getting the bounces. As we know, Henrik is a strong competitor, so winning games like this surely helps his self-esteem.

The Rangers remain five points out of the playoffs and like I said, did not put much of a dent in their scenario right now with this win. There are nine games left in the regular season now, and the Blueshirts would have to win around seven of them to make the playoffs, possibly even all nine depending on what the teams around them do. However, for a night, we can put all of that aside and enjoy our bragging rights after a tremendous win over a rival team.
(Images courtesy of AP Photo)

Pregame: Rangers and Islanders Battle for Bragging Rights at MSG

Basically, all tonight's contest between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders will provide for is bragging rights between fans, because besides that, both teams have a very low chance of making the playoffs this season. The players in the locker room, like I have said, may claim that they believe they still have a chance, which they are entitled to, but us fans know the truth, especially after enduring the disgrace of an effort on Sunday against Boston. The Blueshirts do not have the desire to make the playoffs and it wouldn't be surprising to see them come out completely flat against what used to be a rival team in the Isles.

The Rangers are now seven points out of the playoffs, four points behind the ninth place Thrashers, and are now tied with the Florida Panthers. You think that is bad? How about when I tell you that the Carolina Hurricanes, the same Carolina Hurricanes that were last in the league by fifteen points earlier in the season, are now trailing the Rangers by just two points. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a disgrace.

Rangers Projected Lineup

Dubinsky - Christensen - Gaborik
Prospal - Drury - Callahan (?)
Avery - Anisimov - Jokinen
Shelley - Boyle - Prust

Staal - Rozsival
Del Zotto - Girardi
Redden - Gilroy

Lundqvist

Scratches: Aaron Voros, Enver Lisin

Henrik Lundqvist will likely be back in goal tonight for the Rangers. A lot of you said in the comments following Sunday’s tilt that you felt bad for Henrik. Well, I will agree that I feel for him too, but at the same time, he is a professional and should be able to overcome the faults in the team’s game in front of him. That is what goaltenders like Ryan Miller and Ilya Bryzgalov have done with their respective clubs this season, and they are potential Vezina candidates.

Sean Avery will definitely be in the lineup tonight after being shaken up in Boston when blocking a shot in the third period. Head coach John Tortorella stated that it was nothing major and Sean would be ready to go. Ryan Callahan, on the other hand, has yet to confirm whether or not his lower-body injury will be something he can play through tonight against the Isles or not. I will have that update for you on twitter as soon as I get word.

Lastly, if the Rangers are not going to make the playoffs this season, they can at least entertain us for the last ten games of the year. Home games against rivals have not turned out too well for the Blueshirts as of late, but of course that could change if they just play with a little effort. There is no excuse if they come out flat against the Islanders tonight, and if they do, you can count on the crowd giving them a rude awakening.

Islanders Projected Lineup

Moulson - Tavares - Comeau
Sim - Nielsen - Okposo
Bergeinheim - Bailey - Hunter
Gillies - Park - Jackman

Streit - Gervais
Kohn - Hillen
Meyer - Reese

Roloson

I will be reporting live from Madison Square Garden tonight during the game, so follow my tweets over at twitter.com/rangerstribune. I will not be at the 3D viewing party, but for anyone who attends, please contact me via e-mail and we can try to arrange a guest blog post here on the site in which you describe the experience, because I know many fans are interested.
(Pictures courtesy of AP Photo and Getty Images)

Around the NHL: Board of Governors Pass Rule to Prohibit Headshots

Late last night, the National Hockey League’s Board of Governors unanimously approved a rule that will finally attempt to put a stop to hits to the head when players are in a vulnerable position and/or are unsuspecting. In their meeting last week, all thirty general managers proposed the new rule which would work to prohibit hits to the head after several incidents have occurred which severely injured players for long periods of time this season. According to the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, now that the Board of Governors has agreed to pass the rule, we only have to wait on the support of the joint NHLPA/NHL competition committee, who says they will have a decision made later this week.

From a Rangers standpoint, we have felt the effects of these horrific hits to the head when Captain Chris Drury was out of the lineup for a month after being tagged by Curtis Glencross of the Calgary Flames back in December. Drury, just nineteen seconds into the game, was skating with his head down, he did not have the puck, and was blindsided. Glencross took advantage of that and took a run at the veteran center, giving him a concussion that left Drury suffering from more mental pain than physical pain.

Say what you want about Chris Drury and his contract, but no one deserves to be a victim of a headshot like that. These types of hits can end a game, a season, a career, or even a life if they are not taken care of sooner rather than later. I believe that suspensions like we saw handed out to Curtis Glencross of the Flames for his hit on Drury should become automatic when a player is head-hunting, and that should be accompanied with a game misconduct within the game it occurred. People have the nerve to say that some of these checks are "clean". Sorry, I don't buy it. If someone is nailed in the head on an "intentional hit", it is dirty and deserves punishment.

Marc Savard, David Booth, and Brent Seabrook have been the victims of headshots this season, and two of the three have missed extended amounts of times. Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins put a hit on Bruins star forward Marc Savard last week that saw Savard carried out on a stretcher nearly unconscious. What was Cooke’s punishment? Nothing. Not a single game. Instead, the Bruins had to seek retribution themselves by sending Shawn Thornton out on the ice to fight Cooke, but to me, and many Bruin fans that are now left without one of their top players, just a single fight was not enough.

James Wisniewski of the Anaheim Ducks recently hammered Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook. I am not sure if you have seen the clip of that hit or not, but basically Seabrook was run while he had his head down and leaning against the boards. Upon being stapled, Seabrook’s knees buckled and he tumbled to the ice, just as a boxer would after being hit by the knockout punch. It was a scary moment, just like Savard’s was, but the main difference between the two was that Wisniewski received a suspension; Cooke did not.

In my opinion, what needs to happen here is that a mandatory punishment needs to be laid out for these hits. The punishment should not be based on opinion, or injury, or how hard the hit was. There needs to be an automatic five to seven game suspension if being guilty of landing a headshot, that player should be removed from the contest by receiving a game misconduct, as well as being penalized with a personal fine. This is the only way these hits are going to stop, or at least occur at a less frequent rate.

Below is more details about the rule courtesy of TSN, followed by a clip of the Cooke hit on Savard.

As reported earlier, there is no desire to institute a specific rule change at this time that carries a minor and/or major penalty. The intent is to get approval to permit supplementary discipline this season to punish those types of hits.

While any rule change requires approval of the competition committee, the NHL, if it were inclined, could unilaterally impose the policy. Obviously that would cause hard feelings with the Players' Association but in the short term the only recourse would be for the Players' Association to file a grievance with an independent arbitrator. Grievances are not likely to be heard for quite some time.

So if the NHL were to follow that route, it could enact the new policy/rule as early as Wednesday night.

The NHL said it is awaiting the Players' Association's response and want to see what counter proposal they are suggesting. The fact the NHL took it to the board of governors before getting competition committee approval suggests it's possible the league could impose it. It remains to be seen.

(Image courtesy of AP Photo)

Circle the Wagons

With ten games to go in the regular season, the Rangers are currently four points behind the ninth place Thrashers, five points behind the eighth place Bruins, and eight points behind the seventh place Canadiens. These facts do not seem to phase the Blueshirts, though, as the players in that locker room apparently still have hope and still believe that they can pull off a miracle here, which was probably the message in Captain Chris Drury's meeting with the team on Monday.

Much of the media and many other private sites covering the team, including myself, have written off the Rangers chances of making the playoffs. We have said it is close to impossible and we have said that the team does not have the desire or will to paarticipate in the postseason. We say this for good reason, because what this team has showed us as of late has been embarrassing and clearly they do not know the meaning of life and death. However, what we say and what the beliefs are in the locker room are most often contradicting, which is why the players are beginning to install a "circle the wagons" atmosphere in which they lean on each other and ignore what is said out on the Internet and in the newspapers.

The main difference between a writer's opinion and a player's opinion is that the writer is going to base his/her statements on facts and probability, and they aren't afraid to face reality and admit to it. The players, on the other hand, are always going to have hope and tell us that they believe, because really, at this point, they cannot do anything else but believe, otherwise they might as well just not even play the remainder of the season.

Us writers are realists and we are not afraid to portray to our readers the worst case scenario. Right now, the New York Rangers are in a worst case scenario; not being high enough in the standings to make the playoffs, and not low enough to get a top draft pick. The players are not going to admit that, nor is the organization, but I, as a writer, will.

Below are some of the conversations Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants had with Brandon Dubinsky as well as coach Tortorella this afternoon following practice, just so you can get a better idea of what I am saying here.

Brandon Dubinsky on team mentality: “I think, the last two days, we’ve loosened up a little bit, in a good way,” Brandon Dubinsky said. “Obviously, we know what’s at stake right now. Somebody said it best, we still have an eighth of the season. We’ll take it one game at a time. No matter what happens, until there’s that tiny asterisk besides eight teams for a playoff spot and we’re not one of the teams, we’re not going to quit. A lot of people have counted us out. All we have is the 22 guys in here and the coaching staff to lean on.”

John Tortorella on team focus: “I don’t think the attitude of the team has been poor at all through this stretch at all, as far as a little bit of a struggle,” Tortorella said. “It’s true, the most important people we have to worry about are ourselves. A lot of people have given up on us. A lot of people have poured coals and, when you lose, rightfully so and you’ve got to eat it and take it and not let it bother you so the most important people are the people inside the four walls and nobody outside the room. So we’re going to play and hopefully we’ll be successful. So we don’t want to extend our views or worry too much about what’s going on around us.”

Also, forward Sean Avery will play tomorrow against the Islanders after blocking a shot in Boston and missing practice yesterday, but Ryan Callahan, who took a hard hit from Zdeno Chara along the bords, remains questionable.
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Jokinen is as Good as Gone

The Olli Jokinen trade served its purpose in that it took forwards Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins off the books. As far as Jokinen’s contributions to the Rangers since arriving go, well, there have not been many and there is no reason for the Blueshirts to bring him back for a second stint next season for multiple reasons. It is sort of like the trade-off general manager Glen Sather was willing to make to get rid of Scott Gomez over the summer. He took on Chris Higgins, a player with a sinking career, in order to dump Gomez’s salary. That is how I see the Olli Jokinen trade with the Calgary Flames as well.

Jokinen, 31, has recorded two goals and eight assists in 16 games played with the Rangers this season. Other than those two goals and eight assists, Jokinen has been invisible. He has not been creative on offense, it is almost to the point that he is a liability on defense, and he has also been ineffective on the point while on the powerplay. Right now, the Rangers cannot afford to keep lack luster players like this around, especially when they are being paid over $5 million per year.

Jokinen, I think, is past his prime. He had an excellent career with the Florida Panthers but after that has struggled. There is a reason he is bouncing from team to team on a yearly basis at this point in his career. He just does not seem to fit anywhere. Certainly not in New York anyway. So come summertime, Glen Sather would be best off allowing Jokinen to walk away and sign with the next team in his career.
As I mentioned above, Jokinen’s efforts on defense have been the worst of his game.

He is a minus-3 on the season and is not even used on the penalty kill. Quite honestly, head coach John Tortorella has no choice but to not play him on the penalty kill, because that would be an utter disaster. Enver Lisin has been docked ice time and waived for the same reason; lack of performance in the defensive end.

Also, Olli Jokinen is supposed to be a top-line center, but does not have the ability to gel with star winger Marian Gaborik. You want to know why? Because Jokinen and Gaborik are both snipers and players that prefer to shoot the puck, rather than pass it. Most often, two players with that style do not mix well together, and are sometimes ineffective without a playmaker. If this team cannot come up with a playmaking center for Gaborik, then what makes them think they can have someone set-up Jokinen?

Letting Jokinen walk come July 1st when he becomes an unrestricted free agent will clear $5.25 million off of the cap. That is enough to reel in a nice solid defenseman to add to the soft Blueshirt blue-line. Like I said, I see the trade with the Flames as a way to dump Kotalik and Higgins, plus bring in Brandon Prust, who should definitely be brought back next season. Jokinen, not so much.
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Rangers Not Giving Up, Lee Baldwin Signed

As I warned you yesterday after the 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, many of the Rangers players were going to tell you that the season is not over and that they still have hope. Well, no surprises this morning when both Michael Del Zotto and Captain Chris Drury told Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants that they still have a chance.

“No one here is going to quit, no one here is going to mope around,” captain Chris Drury said. “It’s a historic division rival in our building. “The only thing anybody is this locker room should be worried about is the opening faceoff against the Islanders.”

Or, as defenseman Michael Del Zotto put it, “We have no time to feel sorry for ourselves. Basically, we have one-eighth the season left. That’s a lot of hockey.”

No one here is going to quit? I think it is a bit too late to be saying that after a non-existent effort against the Bruins on Sunday in a do or die game. Like I have said, these players can claim all they want, but what matters most is what they do out on the ice, and as of late, they haven't done much.

Clearly there is a fault in the leadership on this team, and that starts with the coach, followed by the man speaking above; Chris Drury. That fact that the Blueshirts were not motivated to win in Boston yesterday, after saying themselves that it was a game-seven type tilt, is alarming and once again proves that they cannot back up their words. The chances of the Rangers coming out hard against the Isles on Wenesday are slim, because right now that locker-room is most likely discombobulated, with all different feelings among the players.

Also, earlier today, the New York Rangers announced that they have signed prospect defenseman Lee Baldwin, 21, of the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. More information on Baldwin can be found in the Rangers official press release below.

Baldwin, 21, skated in 32 games with the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves this season, registering one goal and nine assists for 10 points, along with 51 penalty minutes. He ranked second among team freshman in assists and tied for third in points. Baldwin ranked sixth on the team overall and third among team defensemen in assists, fourth among team defensemen in points, and fifth on the Seawolves in penalty minutes. He registered his first collegiate point in his second game with two assists on October 9 vs. Mercyhurst. Baldwin notched his first career NCAA goal, and posted a career-high three points (one goal and two assists) and plus-three rating on November 7 vs. Denver.

Prior to joining the Seawolves, the 6-4, 205-pounder skated in 150 career British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) games over three seasons with the Burnaby Express and Victoria Grizzlies, recording 20 goals and 74 assists for 94 points, along with 174 penalty minutes. Baldwin enjoyed his finest BCHL season with the Grizzlies in 2008-09, establishing career-highs in goals (13), assists (41), points (54), power play goals (seven), shorthanded goals (one) and penalty minutes (79) to capture Team MVP and Top Defenseman honors while serving as an assistant captain for Victoria. The 2009 BCHL All Star also led the Grizzlies in plus/minus rating, and led all BCHL defensemen in points. In addition, Baldwin has registered five goals and 14 assists for 19 points, along with 20 penalty minutes in 33 career BCHL playoff games with Burnaby and Victoria.

(Photo courtesy of Reuters Pictures)

It Would be Wise to Look Towards the Future

With yesterday’s loss to the Boston Bruins, the Rangers sit in tenth place in the Eastern Conference and are five points out of a playoff spot. They have ten games left in the regular season, and would probably have to win nine of them to make the playoffs, which as we know, is not happening. Basically their playoff hopes were crushed on Sunday in Boston, and based on the way the team played, they thought it was over before they even hit the ice at the Boston Garden. So what should be the approach from this point on, in the final ten games?

Well first thing is first. The coaching staff, management, and ownership needs to realize, or admit, that the season is over, even if they did happen to squeak into the playoffs. This roster has no hope, and quite frankly, lacks the skill as well. With that being said, it is important that the Rangers look towards the future here, and not trap themselves in the present which will come to an abrupt ending once the season concludes.

Looking towards the future means allowing the youngsters a legitimate shot to succeed in the lineup. In order for that to happen, players like Artem Anisimov, Matt Gilroy, and Michael Del Zotto should be getting extra minutes and should be played in all situations. This will only help their development, and prepare them for next season. Right now, the youngsters are more important than the veterans on the Rangers.

Evgeny Grachev, in my opinion, should also be called up for the final five games. This kid, although he had a slow year in the American Hockey League, has the potential to be a superstar in the NHL. The 19-year-old Russian has the skill, the brain, and the gift of talent to be successful. If you recall, the Islanders, before allowing Kyle Okposo to play a full season in the NHL, had him play the final five games or so of the season before his freshman year, just so he got some action before making the permanent leap to the big leagues. The move proved to be critical in his development and gave him a good taste of the speed in the National Hockey League.

This is what the Rangers must do with Evgeny Grachev. Grachev can be just as good, if not better, than Okposo if given the opportunity. Letting him play in the NHL this season will be instrumental to his bright future and will send him into the regular season next year with a bit more background and experience than if he was just thrown out there as a rookie playing in the NHL for the first time.

Also, Henrik Lundqvist should get some rest. For a goaltender, Henrik is still young and in his prime. However, you do not want to burn him out. Let’s face it, this team is nothing without Lundqvist and to burn him out or put him at risk of an injury that could affect him in the long-run is just foolish if the season is basically over. Play Auld, see how he performs, and consider re-signing him for the next season to back-up Hank.

Again, none of this will actually happen unless the organization as a whole is willing to face the facts and realize there is no hope for the current roster this season. It is time to improve for the future and get the team back on the right track, because having more seasons like this one down the road is going to be costly.
(Image courtesy of AP Photo)

Postgame: Rangers Playoff Hopes are Crushed as they lose to Bruins, 2-1

The New York Rangers apparently do not desire to participate in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs based on the sub-par effort displayed this afternoon in a 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. The players can tell you that they still believe, they can tell you they have what it takes, but the fact is that they could not get up and play in a game seven atmosphere this afternoon, which is a tell-tale sign that they do not have what it takes. They do not have the heart, or the desire, and because of this their playoff hopes have been crushed.

An entire season, seventy-one games, was played by this team before today, and all of those games came down to this one single contest in Boston. It was do or die for this team, otherwise they would likely not make the playoffs. Taking these conditions into consideration, you would think that John Tortorella’s hockey club would be able to come out and play some desperate hockey. Well, once again they surprised us and came out flat in the most important game of the season. The bottom line is that they do not deserve to make the playoffs, because apparently they just do not care.

The way in which the Blueshirts started this game was comical. Henrik Lundqvist was forced to stand on his head while the rest of the team stood around dumbfounded. That scene right there is a microcosm of the Rangers season; letting their goaltender do all of the work while they stand around and hope for the best. I am surprised Lundqvist has yet to explode.

The second period may have been even worse than the first, not being able to get a single shot on goal during a four-minute powerplay. The powerplay has been bad this season, there is no question about that, but it has never been this bad. No shots with a man advantage for four minutes. This goes back to what I was saying about not caring and having no desire.

On Satan’s goal, yet again, the players stood around and watched the play develop, giving Henrik Lundqvist no help.

After Dennis Wideman’s backhander beat Lundqvist high in the third to give the B’s a 2-0 lead, the Blueshirts responded with a goal by Michael Del Zotto, his eighth of the season. Then, like the Rangers always seem to do, they showed desperation in the final two minutes but came up short of the comeback. It was too little too late at that point, and the final Bruin clear that got past Rozsival sent head coach John Tortorella jumping up and down in rage on the bench like a little toddler when they are told they cannot get the toy they want at the toy store.

I am not even going to go into specifics about this game because right now, it is more about the season as a whole. When you think about what we have learned about this team this year, only negative thoughts seem to pop into your mind. They are inconsistent, soft, lazy, non-caring, pathetic, cannot score, and do not know how to play defense while playing offense at the same time.

As Joe Fortunato of Blueshirt Banter said yesterday in his article, this season is over. It is over whether the Rangers make the playoffs or not, because you aren’t going very far with efforts like this in the postseason. It is almost like nothing anyone does can motivate this hockey club and nothing can get them going. For example, they were being hit constantly in today’s game, and it did not increase their urge to win or adjust their attitude. They just accepted it and did nothing about it.

The New York Rangers do not deserve to make the playoffs, and nothing they do in these last ten games is going to change my mind about that. There are so many other teams like the Thrashers and Hurricanes that want a spot in the playoffs much more badly than the Rangers do, and quite honestly, I rather see those teams playing in April than the Rangers.

My postgame analysis can also be found on Blueshirt Banter.
(Photos courtesy of Reuters Pictures)