Take Your Pick; What do the Rangers need most?

Courtesy of AP Photo

The Rangers Tribune now has a new poll up on the site asking fans if they rather see the Rangers acquire a first line center, depth forward, or a defenseman in the offseason, which is creeping up on us rather quickly. It is a question that will be the cause for much debate over the next couple of months, and you can go anyway with it, really. The Blueshirts need all three, I don't think many would disagree with that statement, but if they could only reel in one, which would you pick?

I think I have made my choice quite clear in previous articles. I believe that this team now needs to be build around star forward Marian Gaborik, which starts with the acquisition of a capable first line center. Sure, Prospal and Christensen played somewhat well with Gaborik, but there is better material out there that can definitely improve the Slovakian native's production, if you can believe that.

A depth forward would also help since the Rangers struggled majorly in the secondary scoring category throughout the entire season. All of the better teams in the National Hockey League receive a certain amount of production from each of their four lines on offense. They never solely rely on their primary trio to put all the points on the board. The Rangers were guilty of doing that this year, and that is why they failed more often than not.

A solid stay-at-home defenseman wouldn't hurt either. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is forced to deal with much more traffic in front of his crease than he should compared to the netminders that are participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now. I think the Blueshirts should have hung on to Paul Mara instead of letting him go via free agency, because he was a player that would the gap. He would play with heart and will and not take anything from anyone. New York lacked that attitude/individual this season.

So head over to your left and submit your vote on the poll located on the sidebar. There is no rush, though, as I know the question being proposed requires quite a plentiful amount of thought to come up with an answer. Also be sure to stop by the blog tomorrow as I share my final thoughts on the 2009-10 regular season.

Kreider and Del Zotto Going to Worlds

Earlier this afternoon, Steve Zipay of  Newsday reported that Rangers prospect Chris Kreider will be headed to Germany to play for Team USA in the World Championships starting on May 7th. The Blueshirts' first round draft pick in 2009 is the only college athlete to be attending the tournament, which is a pretty impressive fact considering he is only turning 19-years-old tomorrow. This is just another experience that will help Kreider's development experience a much better one.

Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto will also be playing in the tournament, but with Team Canada. Del Zotto registered 37 points in 80 games played with the Blueshirts this season, and will be a great addition to the Canadians blue-line. He will be joining New York teammate Marc Staal, who was also invited to join the squad earlier in the month.

I don't think it is a coincidence that Mark Messier is the general manager of the team and two Rangers will be on defense for Canada this year in the tournament.

Video: 09-10 New York Rangers "Save of the Year"

We are almost done with our complete recap of the 2009-10 New York Rangers season here on the site, and since many of you enjoyed my "Goal of the Year" post yesterday afternoon, on this day I have decided to bring you my choice for "Save of the Year". Unexpectedly, there were many different goaltenders that protected the Blueshirts' net this season with the whole back-up goaltender catastrophe. But of course, the player to win the "Save of the Year" award is the one and only Henrik Lundqvist.

In early February, a short time before the Olympic break, the Rangers were facing their cross-river rivals in the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden. It was late in the third period of a very emotional tilt and the home team found themselves leading by the score of 3-0, but did not want to allow New Jersey to creep back up and make a comeback that would result in a devastating loss in front of an electric home crowd.

Devils defenseman Mike Mottau was up on the play, sneakily making his way into the slot unnoticed, when a loose puck suddenly popped out of a cluster of players in front of the net and onto the blade of his stick. Mottau, quickly reacting, shot it immediately, but Lundqvist, without even knowing where the puck was, sprawled across the crease and made an amazing and flashy glove save to preserve the 3-goal lead

Henrik Lundqvist made a bundle of great saves this season, as he manages to do each year, but in my mind, this was by far the best one. Not many goaltenders can do a complete split and commit absolute larceny by making a glove save. Lundqvist did just that, and you can watch it in the video below. Special thanks to Brad, a frequent reader/commentor on the site for sending me the video.

Around the NHL: Ovechkin Goes 0 for 2 on the Year

Courtesy of AP Photo

Alexander Ovechkin entered the 2009-10 season, not only looking forward to the Washington Capitals chances to win the Stanley Cup, but also Team Russia's chances of capturing Gold in the Winter Olympics up in Vancouver, British Columbia. With last night's fall to the Montreal Canadiens in game seven of their Quarterfinal series, and the Russians loss to Team Canada in the semifinals of the Olympics, Ovechkin is 0 for 2 on the year and failed to complete two of the biggest tasks that he will have an opportunity to complete in his career.

There most likely is nothing more meaningful to Alex than a Gold Medal and a Stanley Cup. The chances of "The Great Eight" being able to win both in the same year with teams that are favorited to do so again are very slim, and the opportunity he passed up on here is going to have him kicking himself until the day he retires. As a star player, you're never complete until you have a championship of some sort in your possession. Right now, Alexander does not have any rings on his finger or medals around his neck (unless of course he is engaged without us knowing).

I love Alex Ovechkin as a player and I love what he brings to the sport of hockey. I feel that he is the most exciting player to watch in the National Hockey League, and he is one of the more emotional players to play the game. Those emotions are what I enjoy most about him. Based on his actions, you can tell when he is excited, you can tell when he is determined. On the flip side, you can also tell when a sense of failure mixed with disbelief and depression has sunken in on arguably the most talented hockey player on planet Earth.

Last night, watching him rest on one knee and watch the Canadiens celebrate their upset victory, and then bend backwards and look towards the sky as he exited the Verizon Center for the final time this season, that feeling of failure was evident because he knows he same close, but not close enough in both the NHL Playoffs and the Olympics. If you put yourself in his shoes for a moment, you realize how much that actually hurts and how much responsibility he must be taking on himself for both of these devastating losses. Those losses he will take with him to his grave.

He may win the Hart Trophy as the League's Most Valuable Player, but for once in his career, I do not think it will mean as much to Alex if he does. Many claim that he is a selfish player and is out there for himself. You know what, at times that statement may be true, but majority of the time Ovechkin wants his team to win and he is one of those players that will do everything and anything in his power to make sure that happens. He cares about his teams, hence the reason he Captains them, and the fact that he was not able to fulfill expectations and take his club to the promise land has to be killing him inside right now.

Ovechkin now has to wait five months until his next journey to a possible Stanley Cup begins, but it will be another four years until he will again have the opportunity to win a Cup and a Gold Medal in the same year. Until then, no one knows what will happen to the teams that play around him. They may improve, they may take a turn for the worse, but either way, these next for years may be the longest of Alex Ovechkin's life.

Video: 09-10 New York Rangers "Goal of the Year"

We are getting closer to the end of our recap of the 2009-10 New York Rangers season here on The Rangers Tribune. In this post, I share my choice for the "Goal of the Year" Award, presented to the player who I felt scored the prettiest goal in the regular season. The Blueshirts registered a total of 219 goals this season, but only one of those tallies qualifies for "Goal of the Year".

Sadly, of those 219 goals, almost twenty percent of them came from one player. That player was Marian Gaborik, who by the way, receives the "Goal of the Year" award from me this season. On October 14th of 2009, the Rangers were locked in a tight battle with the Los Angeles Kings at Madison Square Garden. Only leading by one in the third period, the Blueshirts needed an insurance goal that would enable them to breathe a little easier and eventually capture their sixth straight victory to open the season. Of course, there was only one player to look to at that moment. That player was Marian Gaborik.

After goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made a key save with only 15:50 remaining in regulation, Marc Staal cleared the loose puck from the slot and around the boards behind his own net. Dan Girardi was stationed on the other side of the net waiting to receive the pass, which he instantly pushed up to Vinny Prospal along the boards. Prospal, with his head down and facing the opposite direction of the play, fired a backhanded pass across the neutral zone without looking. Marian Gaborik received that feed behind his back with one hand on his stick, pulled the puck over the blue line and into the offensive zone, and then lasered a snap shot over Erik Ersberg to give the Rangers that 4-2 lead they were looking for.

It takes great skill to receive a pass one handed, let alone when it is behind you and let alone when you are moving at a decent speed toward an oncoming defenseman. Then it  takes even more talent to move that puck up to shooting position and then send a rocket into the top right corner of the net when you are shooting from a sharp angle along the left boards.

To me, this was the prettiest goal of the year scored by a Ranger, but there are certainly some that can contest it. If you could think of another "Goal of the Year" choice, let me know in the comments. Meanwhile, you can watch Gaborik's one-handed magic against the Kings in the video below.

Could they Have Went Far?

Courtesy of AP Photo

Watching some of these series unfold and different teams moving on to the semifinals, I could not keep myself from wondering how far the New York Rangers could have went if they happened to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. Before the end, New York had a great run that propelled them into the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Considering that they would have brought all of that momentum with them into the playoffs, there is a chance they could have done more damage than was expected.

If the Blueshirts would have been able to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in the final game of the regular season, they would have went up against the Washington Capitals in the first round. Tonight, the Caps will again fight to keep their season alive when they clash with the Habs at the Verizon Center. When they wanted to, the Canadiens have been able to dictate the pace of that series, which is a major reason why it is going to the final game.

In my opinion, the only thing the Habs have on the Rangers is speed. Their overall speed is much better than that of the Blueshirts, but when you go down the rest of the lineup, the two teams are not all that different. They compare quite well when you think about it, actually. So could the Rangers have handled Ovechkin and the "Red Rockers"? I would say yes, even if it took a game seven. They came oh so close last year and I do not think their chances would be much different this time around being that the Caps are not playing inspired hockey in this series.

And then of course you factor in that Henrik Lundqvist was beginning to get extremely hot for the Rangers towards the end of the regular season, which would have given the good guys yet another advantage over the Caps.

It is just a thought, I know, and probably a very hopeful one at that. But I am a big believer that anything can happen in the postseason and that any team has a chance.

Anyway, below are the set playoff match-ups for the semifinals so far. The final game, as mentioned above, will be played between the Caps and Habs on this night.

Western Conference:
Chicago vs Vancouver
San Jose vs Detroit

Eastern Conference:
TBD

2009-10 New York Rangers Season Report Card

Courtesy of AP Photo

 At last, I present you with my 2009-10 New York Rangers Season Report Card as we continue to recap the season in its entirety here on The Rangers Tribune. In order to qualify for grading, players had to be in the lineup for at least ten games this season. From there, they were graded on a scale of "A to D", with "A" being the best and "D" being the worst. Enjoy the read and let me know what you think in the comments.

GRADE A

Henrik Lundqvist- It may be getting old, but to make sure it is clear, the New York Rangers would have finished in the bottom five in the league this season if it were not for goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. No, he did not have the greatest of seasons in 2009-10, but considering the team he has in front of him, he did one heck of a job even giving this team a chance to make the playoffs. The team’s limited offense forced Henrik to be near perfect, yet he was still able to post a 2.38 GAA and .921 save percentage on the season.

Marian Gaborik- What more could you have asked for from star winger Marian Gaborik in his first year on Broadway. Before the season started, many predicted Gaborik to not even play 40 games with the Rangers because of past injury problems. Well, he ended up playing in 76 of 82, and in those 76 games, recorded 42 goals and 44 assists for a career-high 86 points. Much like Lundqvist, Marian helped to carry this team, specifically on offense, and at times would seem like the only player on the ice. As long as he can stay healthy, the Blueshirts have another four fantastic years of Marian Gaborik ahead of them.

Vinny Prospal- You talk about getting bang for your buck. Vinny Prospal, signed as a free agent after being bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning, was absolutely phenomenal for the Rangers this season. Anytime you can get a player being paid just $1.1 million to 58 points in a season is tremendous, but when that player can also provide leadership and intensity, you have a very special individual on your hands. That is what the Rangers have and they would be very wise to re-sign Vinny for another go before July 1st when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.


GRADE B

Brandon Dubinsky- In 64 games played, Brandon Dubinsky put up career numbers this season with the Rangers (20-24-44). The reason he gets a “B” is because, like many players, he lacked consistency. When he would heat up, he would go on three, four, sometimes even five game point scoring streaks, but would then cool off and go through an extended slump. If Dubi can improve his consistency for the future, there is no doubt in my mind that he can net 30 goals.

Ryan Callahan- I like to call Ryan Callahan “Mr. Everything” for obvious reasons. He can score, he can hit, he can lead and he can defend. There isn’t much that alternate captain Ryan Callahan cannot do. If Callahan would have been able to match last season’s numbers, I would have given him an “A”, but his 19 goals, 37 points fell a bit short of my expectations. Nonetheless, a solid Olympic performance and a great effort with the Rangers makes him well worth his $2.2 million contract.

Michael Del Zotto- Entering the league as a defenseman is not an easy task, but rookie blue-liner Michael Del Zotto impressed all who follow the team on a regular basis, including many outsiders. His quick start to the season had him leading all rookies in scoring at one point, but as expected, he was not able to keep that pace. He finished the season with 37 points, which, as I said, is exceptional for a rookie on defense.

Marc Staal- Statistically, Marc Staal was the best defensive defenseman in the National Hockey League this season, which is about par for the course by his standards. Marc is quietly effective for the Rangers, and earlier in the season when head coach John Tortorella wanted him to be an offensive defenseman with a lot of bang, things were not working out for Staal. However, he quickly returned to form and was looked upon as the Rangers’ top defenseman for the remainder of 2009-10. Not many complaints about the Thunder Bay native, who will be a RFA come July.

Erik Christensen- Erik Christensen was acquired by the Rangers in the month of December when he was claimed off of the waiver wire. GM Glen Sather saw it as a potential low-risk, high reward opportunity and he jumped on it. Turns out that Christensen became Marian Gaborik’s most successful center and claimed a spot on the powerplay as well. Christensen finished the season with 26 points in 58 games.

Dan Girardi- I believe that defenseman Dan Girardi is an underrated asset in the Rangers World and he had yet another good season in New York. When paired with Marc Staal, he becomes one half of one of the best shutdown units in the league in my opinion. Girardi is a restricted free agent this summer, and I would love to have him back, along with Staalsy. Both are key parts to the Rangers’ blue-line.

Brandon Prust- Brandon Prust was yet another one of those surprise players for the Rangers this season. Acquired several weeks before the deadline in a deal that shipped Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins to the Calgary Flames, Prust came here and was an instant success. The scrappy youngster played the best hockey of his career when playing on a line with Jody Shelley and Artem Anisimov. Without a doubt, Pruster should be re-signed by the Rangers brass.

Jody Shelley- Just like Brandon Prust, Jody Shelley became a very important player since his acquisition from the San Jose Sharks. In my mind, he was a major upgrade from former enforcer Donald Brashear. Shelley is not just a fighter by any means, he has some offensive ability as far as forechecking goes and is surprisingly a very intelligent individual.

P.A. Parenteau- Each time P.A. Parenteau was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack, he always seemed to make an impact when in the lineup. All call-ups combined, Parenteau compiled a total of eight points, and I have a feeling he has a good chance of making the squad out of training camp next season. It all depends on what holes the Rangers need filled.

Artem Anisimov- I originally predicted Anisimov to bury 15-20 goals this season, which was slightly off the mark by three. Regardless, Artem produced right in the target range of a rookie with his potential. I would like to see Artem put on some weight and some muscle in the offseason, which will eventually enable him to maneuver his way around the offensive zone with force.


GRADE C

Sean Avery- To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Sean Avery’s season this time around. Sure injuries had a major impact on him only scoring 11 goals, but I feel like he could have been much better. I do not fully blame Sean for that, though, as the coach was trying to control him too often instead of just letting him play his game, which is when Sean is most effective. Towards the end of the season, Tortorella realized that he needed to let up. He did just that and there was an immediate (positive) response from Aves.

Michal Rozsival- Michal Rozsival, believe it or not (and I am ready to take criticism for this), showed some improvement this season. He was nothing great, we know that, but at the same time, he had some great performances and was not “horrible” along the way. That being said, I wouldn’t mind seeing his contract shipped away. For what he contributes, he does not deserve to be making $5 million per year.

Matt Gilroy- Matt Gilroy had a decent start to the season this year, but as the months went on, his confidence slowly diminished, as did his overall game. I think Tortorella made some poor decisions in handling Gilroy, such as sending him down to Hartford for a while in the first half of the season. If he was going to do that, they might as well have let him play the season in the minors or with the Pack.

Brian Boyle- Heading into the season, it was not expected that Brian Boyle was going to make the team out of camp. Once he did that, many thought he would be a scratch more often than not. Wrong and wronger were those predictions as Boyle made a very strong case to remain in the lineup consistently. His penalty-killing was superb and he took over the role of Freddy Sjostrom/Blair Betts as a direct result of this.

Chris Drury- Captain Drury, I felt, had a better year than the prior one. The veteran center recorded 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points, but took his leadership a step further with the things he did on the ice. Of course, intangibles and a few goals are not worth $7.5 million, which is why he gets a “C”. However, if he were maybe paid 3-4 million, he would have gotten a “B” from me.

Alex Auld- It feels unfair giving Auld a “C” since he only had one legitimate start, but I will say this much. When he was given the nod, Alex Auld was very impressive in goal for the Blueshirts. Auld will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and I think he would be the ideal back-up for Henrik Lundqvist next year.


GRADE D

Olli Jokinen- All Olli Jokinen has proved to me this season is that his career in the National Hockey League is coming to a close. He no longer can skate with the puck, he does not have the same shot and overall he has slowed. The trade served its purpose by dumping Kotalik’s contract, but now the Rangers should just let Jokinen walk. Luckily he is a free agent in July.

Wade Redden- There is not much to say here really. $6.5 million and you give us 14 points. That is pathetic and I think Glen Sather should make it a top priority to get rid of this albatross contract. Redden is not the player he was in Ottawa, and Slats needs to admit that and admit that he has made a mistake.

Enver Lisin- Lisin was a huge disappointment in my eyes. I expected a lot out of him in 2009-10, but all he produced was six goals and 14 points. I am aware that Tortorella did not give the Russian youngster the opportunity he deserved, but even still, he did not play how I thought he would. The Blueshirts may have been better off keeping Lauri Korpikoski, because at least he could play well defensively and was not one-dimensional.

Aaron Voros- I have said it over and over again. Voros is useless to this team. I would love to see him somehow him traded away or sent down to the minors, but if not, he is a free agent after the upcoming season anyway.

Donald Brashear- The day Donald Brashear was sent down to Hartford was probably one of the most celebrated dates by Ranger fans this season and rightly so. Brashear can no longer fight, he cannot skate, and certainly cannot score. Brandon Prust/Jody Shelley have taken over his spot on the roster and I am pretty confident in saying that his time with the Rangers is done. Quite frankly, it never should have started.

Ales Kotalik- Ales Kotalik was yet another failure on this team, hence the reason he was sent to Calgary before the deadline. His powerplay production was horrendous, he was invisible at even strength, and towards the end of his time in New York, Tortorella could no longer trust him in any situation. I was delighted to see his contract go bye-bye.

Chris Higgins- Snake-bitten could only be used for a few weeks until it becomes clear that a player simply cannot finish. That is what happened with Chris Higgins this season, who many of us had high hopes for heading in. Smart move by Sather to also send Higgins to the Flames before we had to suffer from Higginitis any longer.

Steve Valiquette- Steve Valiquette was given his chances, but after blowing the seven-game winning streak in October at the hands of the Sharks, and then allowing eight goals to the Penguins in November, there was no doubt that Valiquette was done as Lundqvist’s back-up. He may be a world-class guy off the ice, but he was a liability on the ice. If there was one player that surprised me the most this season, it may just have been him.

Around the NHL: Jacques Lemaire Retires (UPDATE)

Courtesy of AP Photo

I am sure most of you have already heard, but New Jersey Devils coach Jacques Lemaire announced his retirement earlier this afternoon, after his hockey club made a first round exit in five games at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 64-year-old coach was in the league for 17 years, many of those spent with the Devils, and won the Stanley Cup in 1995. Lemaire also coached for nine years with the Minnesota Wild, where he has a combined record of 293-255-108 and coached current Rangers forward Marian Gaborik.

This is a move that certainly took the National Hockey League by surprise, as well as the Devils. Now general manager Lou Lamoriello must go out and retrieve a coach over the summer for the second straight year. Is Tom Renney an option? It certainly is possible since he has previously been successful in coaching a defensive style with New York.

Below is the press release from the NHL:

The New Jersey Devils announced Monday that Jacques Lemaire has retired from his post as coach but will remain within the organization in some other capacity. The announcement comes on the heels of the team's stunning five-game first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last week.

"After reflection and 17 years of coaching, I decided to retire," Lemaire told the media during a press conference at Prudential Center. "It's tough to leave what you like aside, but it's a decision that I made and I will do."

Lemaire said he asked Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello to break the news to the team since he was too emotional at the time.

"Lou did it for me because I tried to tell the coaching staff and I had a hard time," Lemaire said. "I didn't tell the players, Lou did it for me. I tried to tell the coaching staff and had a hard time."

Lamoriello, who said Lemaire's decision was made over the last 24 hours, has not yet announced a new coach or made any decisions on the future of Lemaire's assistants, which include Mario Tremblay, Tommy Albelin, Scott Stevens, Jacques Caron and Larry Robinson.

This season, the Devils finished with 103 points and won the Atlantic Division. But as the second seed in the playoffs, they were eliminated by the seventh-seeded Flyers, who finished 15 points behind them in the standings.

UPDATE/REMINDER: As a quick reminder, be sure to swing by the blog tomorrow to read my 2009-10 New York Rangers Season Report Card, analyzing and grading each and every player to put on the Blueshirts sweater this past season.

Rangers Should Stay Away from Kovalchuk

Courtesy of Getty Images

I know that I said I would take this week to finish up recapping the 2009-10 New York Rangers season with report cards and offseason plans, but I felt the need to make this post you are about to read because of the talk I have been hearing among the Blueshirt faithful. Of course, when it comes to this time of the year, with the team eliminated and free agency just around the corner, people tend to be attracted to the big names without considering all of the pros and cons. The good comes with the bad, and I think that is the perfect phrase to sum up star winger Ilya Kovalchuk as a player.

As we know, in mid-January it was rumored that Atlanta Thrashers general manager Don Waddell was shopping Kovalchuk and testing the waters around the league with him. Supposedly the Rangers showed some interest, but on February 4th it was the New Jersey Devils who landed the Russian enigma and it was with the New Jersey Devils where the faults in his game were exposed. No, he is not to blame completely for their early exit from the playoffs, but he certainly was not an impact player in that series, nor did he do much to help the club. In other words, he was not impressive at all.

In 27 games played with the Devils this season, Kovalchuk had just ten goals, in addition to the two he netted in five games played against the Flyers in the quarterfinals. Those are not horrible numbers, obviously, but they are not what we have seen in previous years of his career and they are the only reason why he does not have an atrocious plus/minus rating. His performance in the playoffs this season was below-par, and I think that was the assuring fact that he will not be back with the Devils next season.

This may sound harsh, but Kovalchuk does not give a rat's tail about the defensive end of the rink. He does not make an effort to backcheck, he does not make an effort to help around by the net, and he is not an option to put on the penalty kill. His only ability is scoring, which he can do quite well, but only when he chooses that he wants to.

People have recently been asking why Kovalchuk did not fit in New Jersey. Well, the Devils, sine their birth, have always been a defense-first team. Kovalchuk does not know how to play a system like that, in fact, he doesn't know how to play much of any system at all. He is a floater that waits for the puck, and when he gets it, he chooses if he wants to do something with it or not.

This is not necessarily Kovalchuk's fault, though, it is just they way he grew up learning the game of hockey. European hockey is much more different than that of the North Americans and especially with the Russians, that is evident. Alex Ovechkin and Alexei Kovalev are also prolific scorers who often find themselves being criticized for their defensive play, or lack thereof.

Taking all of this into consideration, the idea of bringing Kovalchuk to New York may be tempting, but it would not be a solution for this hockey team, or at most only a short-term one. GM Glen Sather needs to focus on signing players that are going to give him bang for his back. He cannot afford to spend 6, 7, or $8 million on a player that is going to give a carefree effort and produce on occasion. Been there, done that. As fans, we don't need to go through anymore of that time-wasting nonsense. According to ESPN, head coach John Tortorella slipped Sather a note reiterating that once the season ended.

As I have said before, I feel the Rangers need to get a center this offseason. I think that is going to be their number one priority, followed by a rough and tough defenseman. When you have Marian Gaborik, Ilya Kovalchuk is not a need, simply a want. At this stage, needs are extremely more important than wants.

Rangers Tribune Mobile Launches

With today being a slow Sunday and not much going on in the Rangers World, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce readers to the site's newest feature. The Rangers Tribune took yet another step in keeping up with the times this past weekend when we officially launched our mobile site. With more and more people using BlackBerrys, iPods, iPhones, and many other mobile devices now-a-days, I figured it would be smart to make a mobile version of the site so that articles can easily be read on the devices listed above.

As a BlackBerry user myself, I know that it can sometimes be a pain to play around with your smartphone so that you can clearly read articles, or even just waiting for the entire webpage to actually load on the device's browser. With a mobile-friendly format, there is no hassle in accessing the site's material on your phone or iPod.

Their are two ways in which you can get to Rangers Tribune Mobile as I like to call it. The first is by simply heading to the very bottom of this page and clicking the "mobile" link. That will automatically take you to our mobile site. The second way is to physically type the address in your web browser. The address for the mobile site is m.rangerstribune.com, with the "m" obviously standing for mobile. So basically instead of typing "www" before the site's address, you just have to type "m". To view an article, all you have to do is click the link with the post's title on the main page of the mobile site.

I just set everything up this past Friday, so there are still some things I have to fix and adjust so that the layout of the mobile site is perfect. For now, though, it works quite well and I was even able to add the Rangers Tribune banner to the top of the page. If you have any problems with it at all, or have a suggestion, please do not hesitate from contacting myself via e-mail, which is located on the "About the Author" page up top.

Be sure to stop by the blog all this week as we continue to recap the 09-10 season with our report card and player reviews. Also, sometime this week I will have my offseason plan for the New York Rangers up on the site.

Sather Rumors End Here

Courtesy of AP Photo

Ever since a ridiculous rumor was rapidly spread through the hockey world earlier in the regular season when it was said that Glen Sather would be ousted from his general managing position with the New York Rangers if his club did not defeat the Islanders in Nassau, speculation has increasingly been shaped into the form of a rumor. More and more writers out there are claiming to have "inside information" that indicates that Sather will be fired in the near future.

We know the position TSN's Darren Dreger holds in the National Hockey League media, we know about his trustworthy connections, and most of all, we know of his responsibility and accountability. With that said, last night Dreger posted a message on twitter that can be read below, basically attempting to shutdown all of these stirrings about Sather.

"Speculation should end. Glen Sather will remain President + GM for the New York Rangers."

This is not the only reason why I am almost certain that Sather will be back for another season at the very least, though. The owner of the Rangers, Mister James Dolan, is very loyal to the people he hires for organizations that he oversees, just as we saw with the Knicks and Isiah Thomas. I do not see Sather being removed from the front office until he physically announces his decision to step down and let someone else, most likely Mark Messier, take over the reigns.

Say what you want about the man, rip him apart for some of the free agent signings he has made which have handicapped the team, but in several aspects, I have to defend him. First of all, his trading abilities are superior. Just look at the past offseason with Sather pulling off a deal to dump dead weight in Scott Gomez and reel in Montreal's top defensive prospect in Ryan McDonagh in addition.

Secondly, he has taken a franchise that was never shown a prospect development system of any sort, and transformed them into an organization with a farm system that is ranked in the top ten out of thirty each and every year by Hockey's Future. Recently, a handful of Rangers prospects were all listed in the Top 100 prospects list in the National Hockey League. That is impressive in my eyes.

Of course, there is the painfully long list of mistakes Sather has made over the years that also come into play. Overall, he has been a mediocre general manager and I say that because it is the best term to describe the team he manages. They are never dominant, but they never really are cellar dwellers. They are just stuck in the middle of the two ends.

Again, I do not see Glen Sather being fired, but rather stepping down when he is good and ready. I do not think that Messier is able to take on such commitments of being the manager just yet, so I do not plan on the change being made anytime soon, because it likely won't.

Citi Field a Possibility for 2011 NHL Winter Classic

When addressing the media earlier today, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that Citi Field, the current home of the New York Mets, is a serious consideration for holding the 2011 Winter Classic, reports Steve Zipay of Newsday. The Wilpon family, who owns the Mets, have been aggressive in trying to lure the NHL over to Citi Field, and as a result, the league has sent officials to check out the park for themselves.

Obviously being about a two-year-old ballpark, it would not be too difficult to potentially create the setup for the January 1 game, and being in the middle of a New York market, it would attract a lot of attention as well. Yankee Stadium probably would have been the ideal location if they were to hold the event in the Big Apple, but for undisclosed reasons they are out of play.

Now comes the question of which teams would participate if it took place in New York. Obviously the Rangers would be one of them being that they are one of the more popular hockey franchises, not only within this area, but around the country. As for their opponents, I would bet on either the Islanders or the Washington Capitals.

It was no secret that this past Winter Classic hurt from a ratings aspect without a legitimate superstar on either team. Because of this, the NHL is going to do everything they can to improve ratings in the 2011 outdoor game, and there is no better way to do that than to include Alex Ovechkin, the most excitable player in hockey. Not to mention that names like Lundqvist and Gaborik have also become well known, and would attract viewers.

Lundqvist Nursing Knee Injury; Will Not Play in Worlds

Courtesy of Getty Images

In a recent article on Sport Bladet, a Swedish sports website that covers hockey, it was reported that New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will not be participating in the IIHF World Cup starting next week due to what appears to be a knee injury. The article was brought to my attention when I read a feature on it over at the 5-hole blog, so credit goes to them for being the first publish the story here in North America.

I took it a step further by taking the time to translate the entire Swedish article into English using technology available to us on the Internet (Google Translate), and according to the writer, Lundqvist sent a late night text message to the site, telling them that he would not be participating in the tournament this past Sunday. Below is what was said, by Henrik himself, in the message.

"The knee is not better, so I have to say no. It is both physically and mentally tough to play the World Cup when you are not 100 percent."

He later reiterated what he said above, this time revealing that he has been through rehab since the end of the Rangers' season two weeks ago in Philadelphia.

"I've been running a week in rehab and the knee does not improve, so I have to say no. It's not okay to go."

This obviously is not good news, I think we can agree on that. However it is not something to be worried about......yet. If his knee is giving him fits, it is best that he sits the Worlds out and nurses the injury as well as he can. He has four months to allow this to heal before he must report to training camp in preparation for the 2010-11 season in September, which is a bountiful amount of time. The only thing in which you keep your fingers crossed for is that surgery will not be needed. As we have seen with Islanders' goaltender Rick DiPietro, that can easily become a career-ending nightmare.

The article also states that in the final few games of the regular season with the Blueshirts, Lundqvist was taping his knee to prevent further injury. Based on the way he was playing in those last few contests, no one could tell that he had his knee taped and was possibly in pain. He was outstanding in those games, which tends to lead me to believe that this is a not so serious injury.

Nonetheless, it is still a cause for slight concern. We have heard rumors in the past about Lundqvist's knee problems but it never seemed to affect  his play as far as I could tell. The author of the article where this is all coming from also said that "Lundqvist has had injury problems virtually the entire season". If this is true, it most certainly is news to me. I do not know how much I believe that statement, to be honest.

The only thing that comes to mind was when Hank and fellow teammate Marian Gaborik had a collision in practice back in February, which resulted in Gaborik sitting out for several games with a cut thigh. Lundqvist did not get the worst of that incident, though, Gaborik did, so I do not feel like that could have been the cause.

The Rangers are nothing without Henrik Lundqvist; I made that crystal clear in my end of season awards post on Wednesday. The Rangers would be cellar dwellers in the National Hockey League without him. That run they put on at the end of the season to give themselves a chance at making the Stanley Cup Playoffs would have been meaningless because they would have been eliminated from the race about three to four weeks prior to that. This just puts how important he is to this team, this organization, into perspective. It would be extremely unfortunate to lose him to injury.

Like I said, though, I do not believe this is something that we should be sweating just yet. It is the offseason and there is plenty of time for this knee injury to heal, as long as no surgery or operation of any sort is needed. I will be sure to stay on top of this story and keep readers in the loop.

Around the NHL: 2009-10 Calder Trophy Nominees

Courtesy of AP Photo

The National Hockey League announced their top three choices for this year's Calder Memorial Trophy earlier this afternoon. The Calder Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding player in his first year in the league over the course of the regular season. The nominees are forward Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, defenseman Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres, and goaltender Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings. All three had incredible rookie seasons and are a main reason why their clubs are participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now.

In 81 games played with the Avs this year, 19-year-old Matt Duchene recorded 24 goals and 31 assists for a total of 55 points. I think it is safe to say that Matt lived up to his second overall draft pick expectations quite well, and performed better than the only other two individuals to be drafted in front of him in John Tavares and Victor Hedman. Colorado has a very skilled centerman on their hands that they can now build their team around.

Tyler Myers, who was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 12th overall in the 2008 Entry Draft, sort of came out of nowhere. We heard things about his potential leading up to the season's start but once this kid hit the ice, it was made very clear the talent he holds while playing the defensive position is breathtaking. The freshman blue-liner compiled  11 goals and 37 assists for 48 points in 82 games played with the Sabres. If you notice, that is only seven points less than Matt Duchene's total, who is a forward. Needless to say, Tyler had an extremely impressive first season in the NHL.

Jimmy Howard, age 26, took the starting goaltender job from Chris Osgood this season in Detroit. His 2.26 goals against average and .924 save percentage, without a doubt, puts him in the mix for the Calder Trophy. With a veteran Red Wings defensive squad in front of him, Howard was stellar in his first professional season and even put up better numbers than last year's Calder winning goalie, Steve Mason. While the numbers may be better, the competition he is going against is much tougher, however.

My personal choice has to be Tyler Myers. He had a ton of poise with the puck, smart in his own zone, and was superior to many defensemen in the league, both young and old. I think he is the most likely to take home the Calder, especially since defense is the hardest position to come in and play as a rookie. The fact that there are so many considerable candidates for rookie of the year, though, just goes to show how great the development of hockey is as well as the drafting and scouting that goes on in North America and in Europe.

Prospects McDonagh and Stepan Elect to Stay with Wisconsin instead of Joining Rangers

Courtesy of AP Photo

As Jess Rubenstein of The Prospect Park suspected a week ago, Rangers prospects Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan have elected to remain with their college club in Wisconsin instead of attempting to make the jump to the National Hockey League next season with the Blueshirts. In fact, McDonagh, who was acquired from the Canadiens in the Gomez deal last June, was named team captain of the Badgers and Stepan alternate captain. Both players were a major reason why Wisconsin made it to the finals in the NCAA tournament last month.

This from the University of Wisconsin Badgers website:

Also of note are Wisconsin’s captains for the 2010-11 campaign. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who served as one of the team’s tri-captains this past season, will hold the duty by himself next season. Joining McDonagh in the leadership corps will be forward Derek Stepan, who will serve as assistant captain. Stepan finished this past season as the Badgers’ leading scorer, and also captained Team USA to a gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship. A second assistant captain is expected to be named at a later time.

Both of these players are pretty much guaranteed to eventually make it up to the NHL with the New York Rangers and will immediately have positive impacts. Stepan is a dynamic two-way forward that plays well on both sides of the puck (especially on offense), and McDonagh is one of the top rated defensive prospects in the country. The Blueshirts have two very talented prospects on their hands in Stepan and McDonagh, and they need to make sure that the development process leading up to their entrance into the NHL is near perfect.

That being said, another year playing in the NCAA is not going to hurt these two. They are young and still have much more room to improve their games. College hockey, besides the American Hockey league, is probably the best league to develop in before entering the NHL. The competition continues to grow in the NCAA as hockey becomes more popular in the United States. These guys are in very good hands.

To this day, I felt like another year of college hockey would not have hurt rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy, who had a disappointing season with the Rangers this year, either. He may have been rushed to play at a level he was not yet ready to handle. After seeing that, I am happy to see Stepan and McDonagh taking their time, which I am sure is also a suggestion from Gordie Clark, who is head of scouting for the Rangers.

My 2009-10 New York Rangers End of Season Awards

Courtesy of Getty Images

Now that the 2009-10 regular season is officially over for the New York Rangers, and we have had ample time to swallow that, it is time for the site to start doing everything it can to recap the season and  portray thoughts on the future from report cards to offseason plans. Yesterday I posted my take on the direction in which I believe the front office should move in with the offense. Today I present you with my end of the season awards for the New York Rangers, basically taking many of the awards that are handed out in the NHL, and making selections for them within this team, and only within this team.

Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Michael Del Zotto

- Michael Del Zotto developed much quicker than I thought he would in his rookie season with the Blueshirts. His nine goals and 28 assists were good for sixth on the team in scoring, and if he was on a better hockey club, I truly believe he would be a contender for rookie of the year in the National Hockey League.  Michael has an extremely bright future and we can only hope that he will spend most of it here in New York.

Frank Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward): Ryan Callahan

- I think this is a unanimous choice among Ranger fans. There are not many players out there that bring the same amount of effort that Callahan does, let alone bring that effort while backchecking and in their own zone. Ryan had yet another great season on the penalty kill and was relied upon heavily in that area by head coach John Tortorella. These tremendous effort in his own zone basically earned Ryan a spot on the U.S. Olympic roster this past February as well.

Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender): Henrik Lundqvist

- I really hope I do not have to explain myself on this one, but I will anyway. Lundqvist may not have had his best of seasons in 2009-10, but he certainly gave this team a chance to win every night with strong goaltending. I know there are people out there that feel like Hank is not a world class netminder like most people claim, but in my eyes, those people are just looking for attention. Lundqvist is one of the best in the World and this team is very fortunate to have him on the roster.

Mark Messier Leadership Award (Best Leader on and off the ice): Vinny Prospal

- I have to go with alternate captain Vinny Prospal for the best leader this season mainly because of the intensity and passion he brought to the rink night in and night out. This guy doesn't take games off, he comes with the same attitude against every opponent. Prospal plays with heart, which can easily spread among the lineup and help to pick up a team. I think we saw that happened more than once this season. His leadership qualities alone are a reason to bring Vinny back for another season in 2010-11.

James Norris Memorial Trophy (Best Defenseman): Marc Staal

- Statistically, Marc Staal was proven to be the best defensive defenseman in the National Hockey League this year. If you do not believe me, check out this piece from James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail. Anyway, obviously if Staal was one of the top blue-liners in the league, he must have been the same on this team. Marc had a rough start, I will say that, but after the first few months, he really settled in and was excellent in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Now it is time that Tortorella stops trying to force him into playing an offensive role, which is something Staal is not comfortable with at this level.

Art Ross (Most Points): Marian Gaborik
Rocket Richard (Most Goals): Marian Gaborik

- I group those two simply because they are awards based on statistics, not opinion, and both of them go to the same player. Marian Gaborik was this team's only consistent scorer this season, hence the reason he lead in both goals and points with 42 goals and a career-high 86 points. Could not ask for much more from the Slovakian star. Amazing first season on Broadway for Marian, and I am anxiously looking forward to the next four.

Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Henrik Lundqvist

- This was a tough one, it really was. Needless to say it was a choice between Lundqvist or Gaborik, and I will do whatever it takes to defend my choice. Lundqvist is the reason the Rangers did not finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Lundqvist is the reason the Rangers finished with a record of above .500. Lundqvist is the reason that the Rangers had an opportunity to make the playoffs at the season's end, he was the reason that final game against Philadelphia went to overtime, and the reason why it went to a shootout. I can assure you that without Henrik Lundqvist's outstanding play in goal, this team would be nowhere, even with Gaborik's 42 goals. Henrik Lundqvist was, and will continue to be, the Rangers' most valuable player.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know what your selections are in the comments!

Mats Zuccarello-Aasen Modo Hockey Highlight Reel

Recently acquired forward Mats Zuccarello-Aasen out of the Swedish Elite League has been the recent talk in Rangerland since the Rangers (reportedly) signed him as a free agent this past weekend. The Norwegian Hobbit, as he is referred to as, certainly has some talent even though he is just 5-foot-7. His Modo Hockey highlight reel, below, displays some of that talent, and shows how he uses his quick hands to make up for lack of size around the net.

I was very impressed when watching this video and I think most readers of the site will be as well, hence the reason for me posting it up.

Time for Rangers to Build Around Gaborik

Courtesy of AP Photo

Season after season, the message from the New York Rangers’ front office is that their objective is to build the team around goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Obviously when you have a superior netminder on your team, you want to form the roster so that he is comfortable. However, when you take into consideration what really hurt Lundqvist the most this season, you will realize that defense should not totally be general manager Glen Sather’s focus this summer.

In past years, it was true that the Blueshirts left their goaltender out to dry in the defensive zone. In fact, at times this year that was even true; I will give you that. But what really came back to bite Lundqvist in the behind all season long was the fact that the team in front of him struggled to produce offense. Lundqvist has a developing defensive squad to help him out (minus Redden and Rozsival), and honestly, they did not do a horrible job of protecting their all-star netminder in 2009-10. The problem was that if Hank did not play a near-perfect game, it would not be good enough for a victory since the offense could not score more than one, sometimes two goals.

The defense, as a whole, is moving in the right direction and all they need is a rough and tough, “old school” mentality defenseman that will clear the crease, and then they can be one of the better blue-lines in the National Hockey League. I truly believe so. With that, the focus needs to shift to the lack of skill and ability up front, and that means no longer building the roster around Lundqvist, but building it around the club’s top forward in Marian Gaborik.

Erik Christensen and Vinny Prospal were arguably the only players that gelled with Gaborik on the first line this season. And really, that was just pure luck since Prospal was pulled randomly from the free agent market and Christensen the waiver wire, both being given a chance just for the sake of doing so. These guys were not brought to New York to center and wing a line with Gaborik. In fact, at the time of the acquisitions, I can almost guarantee you that the thought of either of these individuals playing with Gaborik did not even cross Glen Sather’s mind.

Do not get me wrong, I was very impressed with what Prospal and Christensen added to the lineup, but let’s get real here. Gaborik needs to be playing with legitimate first line players. The Rangers have a very limited amount of assets on offense, and by having all of those on the first line, the wealth is not being spread. Besides the first six games of the season, and the last six or seven games of the season, it was extremely rare to see multiple forward trios heat up at the same time. It just never seemed to work out that way.

By getting Gaborik a real center, Prospal and/or Christensen are then enabled to drop down to the second and third lines, where they can produce with players like Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. That is, of course, if Prospal and Christensen are both re-signed in the offseason. Anyway, now you would have a solid first line, depending on who that center is that Gaborik is playing with, and then two capable lines as secondary scoring under that. Now you can begin to see how building around Gaborik and having him as the nucleus of the offense can improve this lineup from a broader angle.

Now comes the question, the one that always causes debate, of who? Who does Glen Sather bring in? How does he acquire him? When does he make his move? Draft? Free agency? Trade? Clearly there are many options here, but you really can only go down one path and stick with it. That is where Sather usually makes his mistakes that cost the team.

Out west, you have young stars in Joe Pavelski and Sam Gagner as free agents who play the centerman position, but both are restricted free agents, meaning it will be very tough to pry their rights from their respective teams. It was rumored that the Blueshirts were interested in Mike Comrie, who will also be a free agent come July 1st, but if I were the general manager, I would stay clear of that potential mess. Comrie’s time has come and gone in my opinion.

Tomas Plekanec, who is red hot for the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs right now, is an affordable free agent center. Plekanec recorded 24 goals and 70 points and did not miss one single game the entire season with the Habs. Believe it or not, that makes a player’s value automatically go up. He would probably be the Rangers best option at 27 years of age.

It’s not going to be easy, it is not going to happen overnight, but it is certainly possible. With three, even two moves that positively affect the Rangers offense, they can automatically improve their production drastically. Just think of Gaborik’s point totals if he had a legitimate playmaker to feed him every time they took the ice. The offense, and the team for that matter, needs to start being built around Gaborik, because that will also be aiding the team’s other star, Henrik Lundqvist, in addition to increasing the production of the secondary scoring.

Around the NHL: 2009-10 Vezina Trophy Nominees

Courtesy of Getty Images

The National Hockey League announced their top three choices for this year's Vezina Trophy earlier this afternoon. The Vezina Trophy is awarded to the best all around goaltender in the league over the course of the regular season. The nominees were Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres, Ilya Bryzgalov of the Phoenix Coyotes, and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils. To be honest, I do not agree with Brodeur even being a nominee, but regardless, it is going to come down to Bryzgalov and Miller, and both were instrumental in their team's success this season.

Miller was 41-18-8 this season with a save percentage of .929, a goals against average of 2.22, and notched five shutouts as well. Not to mention he was absolutely incredible in the Olympic games, which shouldn't have an impact on the final decision, but I still think it may give him a bit of an edge.

Over in Arizona, Bryzgalov recorded eight shutouts and was 42-20-6 on the season. His GAA of 2.29 and save percentage of .920 are one of the main reasons the Coyotes are in the playoffs right now, let alone playing with the home ice advantage in their series with the Detroit Red Wings.

Brodeur had yet another "Brodeur year" for New Jersey, but I do not feel like he was anything special compared to Miller and Bryzgalov. Sure his Devils finished second in the Eastern Conference and first in the Atlantic Division, but he was not the primary force that drove them to that position. Players like Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner were the standouts in my mind.

My pick for the Vezina would have to be Ryan Miller. Buffalo improved as a whole this year, but there was no better player on that team than Miller, and no better goaltender in the NHL than Miller. Night in and night out this guy put on a show and I believe he deserves recognition for that. As far as Bryzgalov goes, though, he is my pick for the Hart Memorial trophy, which is awarded to the league MVP.

I will have all of my league award predictions up on the site in the coming weeks.

Rangers Would Have Advantage in the Playoffs

Courtesy of AP Photo

Now a week into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there have been many developing trends around the league so far. The underdogs are pulling ahead, many contests are going to overtime, and unlikely heroes are emerging. The most noticeable trend, though, has been the poor goaltending in net. Some of the better teams are not getting the netminding they need, which is leading to their downfall. Taking this into consideration, if the New York Rangers happened to make it, they would have had an automatic advantage over several clubs in the league.

Besides Ryan Miller (Buffalo), Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles), Roberto Luongo (Vancouver), and Tuukka Rask (Boston), the rest of the top goalies have been below average. First, we shall take a look at save percentage. The all-mighty Martin Brodeur has put up a .884 save percentage for his New Jersey Devils, and they find themselves trailing the Flyers in that series, 2-1. Former Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been even worse with a .870 save percentage, which is very surprising.

Evgeni Nabakov of the San Jose Sharks is currently at the bottom of the pack with a .865 save percentage, which is not going to help his club if they want to prevent themselves from yet another early postseason exit. You look at these names, and then the stats next to these names, and it astonishing how some of them have not been performing like they are used to.

Now we look at goal against average, which is even more pathetic than the save percentage statistics. Ilya Bryzgalov, who is a runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) this season with what he has been able to do for the Coyotes, has a goals against average of four. Washington’s Jose Theodore, who has already been replaced by Semyon Varlamov in their series against the Canadiens, has a GAA of 3.70. Their opponents, though, have not been much better in goal with Jaroslav Halak’s 3.58 goals against average.

These are not playoff numbers by any means, and quite frankly, they are embarrassing. That being said, the Rangers would have had a major advantage heading into the playoffs if they had beat the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center last Sunday. Henrik Lundqvist, even when streaky, always seems to manage to keep his save percentage above .900 and his goal against average below 3.00, and if not, somewhere around there. This is incomparably better than what is listed above.

So just imagine for a moment that the Blueshirts were going up against the Washington Capitals in the opening round, which was the case just a year ago. Henrik Lundqvist would be red hot after leading his team to two straight victories over the Flyers to get into the playoffs, in addition to the performances he put on prior to that. He is then matched up with Jose Theodore, who would again be replaced by Varlamov due to poor play. Varlamov, so far against the Habs, has not been much better than Theodore. There would be a ton of pressure on the youngster with the Caps being projected by many to win the Cup, and the Blueshirts would have had a decent chance at making it to the semifinals for the first time since 07-08.

Of course there are other areas in which they could be beat being that the Caps are no joke on offense, but Lundqvist has the ability to carry this team and I think he would have been presented with that opportunity if the Rangers made it.

With goaltending this faulty, many of these series are up for grabs. You see teams like the Coyotes, Flyers, and Predators giving their skilled opponents a run for their money and that is a direct result of the competition allowing an ample amount of pucks into the back of their net. This just makes us fans regret that the Rangers were not able to pull off a win in that shootout game in Philly even more.

Around the NHL: They're All Locked Up at One (Update)

Courtesy of AP Photo

Seven out of eight playoff series are now tied at one game apiece, which was not at all expected heading into the quarterfinals. As we looked at yesterday, several upsets occurred in game one around the league, including the Canadiens over the Capitals, the Flyers over the Devils, and the Coyotes over the Red Wings. However, in game two the top seeded clubs redeemed themselves with a victory to even things up at one going on the road for games three and four. There is a lot of exciting hockey still to be played here in the opening round.

First off, the Devils rebounded after a tough loss to the Flyers on Wednesday with a dominating performance on Friday. Their big players such as Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk stepped up in that contest to bring the series to a tie going to Philadelphia. As I have stated in the past, though, the Flyers are a much better squad than their record this season may suggest. They have a stellar top six on offense, one that could definitely compete with New Jersey’s top six, and have notable grinders as well. It is defense and goaltending that is going to make the difference in this series and I think that the Devils have the edge in both of those categories.

Then you have the Capitals and Canadiens series, which looks like it’s going to be a dramatic story every night. The Caps did not have much of a response to their overtime loss to the Habs in periods one and two of game two at the Verizon Center, but it was in the third period when they came back numerous times to eventually force the game to overtime tied at five. Just several minutes into the extra period, Nicklas Backstrom’s hat trick goal put a sudden end to the gut-wrenching action.

This series is going to be a very entertaining one to watch over the next week or so, especially since it now shifts to Montreal. Many had the Caps down to sweep this series, including myself, but to the Habs credit, they have put up a good fight to this point. The Capitals, on the other hand, were lucky to come away with a win last night, because if it were not for some key goals in the third, they would have been embarrassed by their opponents yet again.

The Bruins also tied their series with the Buffalo Sabres earlier on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins, like the Caps, made a third period comeback to earn their first victory of the playoffs. This game could be a major turning point in the series, not only because the Sabres were unable to win, but because they lost a big time scorer in Thomas Vanek. It remains unclear how long Vanek will be out, but it does not sound like he will make a return in game three.

Meanwhile, the Penguins, led by Captain Sidney Crosby, topped the Senators in game two after being upset in game one. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was much sharper and the Penguins were able to rack up some goals. This series is going to likely come down to the wire, as long as the Senators can play disciplined hockey.

As mentioned yesterday, the Red Wings man-handled the Coyotes in game two in Phoenix to bring that series to a tie heading to Joe Louis Arena. The ‘Yotes were caught in a back-and-forth scoring frenzy in that one, both a coach’s and goaltender’s nightmare, which is something they do not want to do with the Wings if they want to move on to the semifinals. I am pulling for Phoenix in this series, simply because of all they have been through and because it would be nice to see Detroit knocked out early for once. In my opinion, this match up has been the best of the playoffs so far.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks put their worries to rest for now, as they defeated the Colorado Avalanche in overtime late Friday night. Desperation took over in their game when they were able to send it to overtime with just 31.1 seconds left in regulation. Again, if the Avalanche find a way to come out on top in this series, expect some major changes to be made within the Sharks organization over the summer.

You talk about there being many storylines in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I do not recall there being this many in the opening round last season. I feel like I cannot afford to not watch a single game because then so much will be missed. One thing is for sure, though, and that is the results, to this point, have been very unpredictable. We may very well see an underdog walk away with the Cup this time around.

UPDATE: The Los Angeles Kings also tied up their series with the Vancouver Canucks last night in overtime. In three games played yesterday, all three were comeback victories for the team that was down in the series, and two of those three were in overtime. Quite a thrilling day of playoff hockey on Saturday.

Rangers Sign Mats Zuccarello-Aasen

Courtesy of Getty Images

He may be listed at just 5-foot-7, but the MODO Hockey Star is a big time player over in the Swedish Elite League, registering 64 points in 55 games this season. TSN is reporting that the Blueshirts have signed Zuccarello-Aasen as a free agent, which was not an easy task considering many teams were apparently going after the skilled forward.

It was reported that the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs were all pursuing the 23-year-old Aasen. The Maple Leafs even went as far as offering him an entry level contract, but he passed on it for the Rangers.

I think this kid has the potential to maybe give Marian Gaborik some scoring support, but again, size does matter in the National Hockey League. At the same time, though, you see guys like Patrick Kane and Brian Gionta succeed so it is worth a try. Zuccarello-Aasen played for Norway in the past Olympics in Vancouver.

Also, as a side note, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has been elected to play for Team Canada in the World Championships. Artem Anisimov, it was reported, could also be joining Team Russia.

Around the NHL: Upsets Abundant in Opening Round of Playoffs

Courtesy of AP Photo

This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, through two games in some series and one game in others, have been full of early surprises. The top seeded teams have found themselves in early holes, the underdogs are showing that they are not going to be pushed around, and both of those factors add up to create for some fantastic Quartefinal match ups in the East and West. Not to mention that many of our series predictions are being made inaccurate with already.

I guess we should start with the most shocking upset so far, and that has been the Washington Capitals being defeated on home ice in overtime by the eighth place Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Of course, it is only the series opener, but the offensive potent Capitals were only able to find the back of the net twice despite outshooting their opponents drastically.

Also, star winger Alexander Ovechkin was held to no shots in that game, which is the first time that has happened since about the middle of the regular season. In my opinion, the Habs deserve credit for what they did to shutdown arguably the best current player in the National Hockey League, but Ovechkin himself had other feelings.

“It’s not about the Canadiens, it’s all about me” said Ovechkin following the 3-2 overtime loss at the Verizon Center. He went on to say that he did not play his game and could be much better. While I do not doubt that, I don’t think he is able to admit that he was simply stopped, because that is how I saw it.

Staying in the East, the Ottawa Senators edged the Pittsburgh Penguins in game one of that series by the score of 5-4. The defending Stanley Cup Champions did not get the support in goal they needed form Marc-Andre Fleury in that contest, that is for sure. However the Sens deserve credit, as they were able to gain a 1-0 series lead without one of their more prolific scorers in Alexei Kovalev, who is out for the remainder of the season with an injury.

The Pens, though, fought back to tie things at one with a win on Friday. I have a feeling that this may turn into a series that will be back-and-forth all the way up to game seven. I think neither team, at this point, is willing to take their opponent lightly. This will be a fun series to watch.

Lastly in the East, it was the Philadelphia Flyers topping the Devils in game one, 2-1. Basically, the Devils were not able to generate much offense in this one, which is not much of a surprise when you consider they play under a Jacques Lemaire defensive style. But like the Pens, New Jersey answered back last night, pulling out a victory to even the series heading to Philadelphia.

Now we shift our view out West where things are not much different than the East. The Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks opened their series last night at the United Center, one of the best places to watch playoff hockey in my eyes. The Predators, with four late goals in the third period, won that tilt 4-1. Granted two of those four goals were empty netters, but Chicago’s only weakness was exposed in this loss, and that weakness is goaltending. Niemi can be a good netminder, but not one that has the ability to carry a team to a Cup just yet. If the Hawks can find was to produce and make up for the lack of goaltending, there is no doubt in my mind that they can go all the way.

The San Jose Sharks saga continues, as they are a hockey club that will dominate during the regular season, but once April comes around they choke. This was again shown to us when they fell to the Colorado Avalanche in game one on Wednesday. That starts with their biggest players in Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, and of course, Dany Heatley. Sharks fans are not going to be satisfied with yet another early exit, neither is the organization, so all three of these players mentioned above need to pick up their game.

San Jose has the offense, the defense, and the goaltending. They are a team that could easily make their way to the finals in June, but for some reason they just cannot seem to put it all together in the postseason. It is one of many unexplainable mysteries in the National Hockey League.

Last but certainly not least, we have the Phoenix Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings competing in the most exciting series of the Quarterfinals so far in my opinion. The ‘Yotes fought hard to gain the early series lead against the 2008 Champs, but it was a very tight game all the way, and I think that is how the rest of the series will be. Unfortunately the Wings were able to tie the series led by Henrik Zetterberg's hat trick in game two. Nonetheless, it is very fun to watch these two teams clash on the same sheet of ice. As Wayne Gretzky said in my interview with him, Phoenix is a city that is beginning to get excited over hockey.

The greatest part about all of this is that the postseason action is only getting started. Buffalo - Boston, Washington - Montreal, and Vancouver - Los Angeles all will be back at it today starting at 1 pm. For once, with the Rangers already eliminated, it gives us a chance to sit back and observe. All of those observations, or at least most of them, will be shared on the site, as we will have complete coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs until Lord Stanley’s Trophy is awarded.

The Interview File: Face to Face with Wayne Gretzky

Me and Wayne after Interview

As you may know, this past Wednesday I attended the EASports - Gillette Champions of Gaming event in New York City, where I would interview the one and only Wayne Gretzky for Blueshirt Banter. To give you a brief rundown of the event, it basically saw the best sports gamers from around the world compete in one place for the championship. If they won that championship, they would move on to play an athlete in the game, depending on what sport game they were champion in. For example, if you were the NHL champion, you would take on Wayne.

Anyway, I spent my time in the media lounge, which was quite an experience. Sure I have been near athletes before, attending sporting events and what not, but something about being up close and personal with these guys as a member of the media was very special. When I was walking in, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was being escorted in right in front of me. When I made my way through bouncers and security, I reached the media lounge where NFL star Matt Ryan was being interviewed on television and a ton of media outlets were running around. This was the first time in my life that I was experiencing something like this.

After waiting for a bit and trying to soak it all in while I could, my time to interview "The Great One" came. In fact, he walked up to me and obviously did not have to introduce himself. Wayne and I were then brought to a private room where the interview was held.  Just me, him, and a few observers. From there, I began the Q and A, which can be read below.


NM: Do you ever want to return to coaching in the National Hockey League?

WG: You know what, I don't think about it. Really just because I am enjoying my life right now. I think it is the greatest game in the world and I love the NHL, and right now I am having fun just watching it as a fan. At this point in time, I have not really thought about it, no.


NM: On Tuesday, the NHL held their Draft Lottery in which the Oilers were awarded the first overall pick in this year's draft. Now they have a choice between two future superstars in Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. If you were the GM of the Edmonton Oilers and had the first overall pick in your possession, would you go with Hall or Seguin?

WG: That's hard for me because truth of the matter is I have only seen each of those guys play probably one time. It would not be fair for me to comment other than say that from everybody that I have talked to, both kids are going to be really good players and will be good acquisitions in the National Hockey League, and will have great careers. If I saw them, I would tell you, but I really haven't seen them play.


NM: During your career, was there any specific goaltender that had your number and would give you fits to play against?

WG: There are a lot of good goalies. I always look back at guys like Pelle Linbergh, Ron Hextall, and I always thought that Billy Smith was the best big game goalie who ever played. Then along came guys like Patrick Roy and Marty Brodeur. We've had a lot of great goaltenders who have stopped me a great number of times, but the challenge to go against them was always fun.


NM: If you could pick any player that has ever laced up the skates to captain a team that you coached, who would that player be and why?

WG: Well it's pretty simple. You pick number eleven [Mark Messier] because first of all he was a great captain and a wonderful player, and he was a six-time champion. I think that's a pretty easy choice. I think even you can make that choice [laughing].


NM: Hockey players have always been known as pranksters on and off the ice. Would you consider yourself one of those pranksters?

WG: The way it works is, if you don't bother anybody, they won't bother you. I didn't have enough energy getting ready for a game to do stuff like that. I just got ready for practice and for games.


NM: Earlier today, it was reported that Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, had his proposed arena lease for the Phoenix Coyotes approved by the Glendale City Council. Now all Reinsdorf has to do is come to an agreement with the NHL, who bought the team in bankruptcy court last year. Since you were previously a part of the Coyotes organization as head coach, I wanted to know what your take on this was.

WG: I think it's great. Phoenix is a wonderful city and Jerry Reinsdorf has had great success with the Bulls and the White Sox. He lives in Phoenix for half the year and I think he is going to be a great owner for that city, and it is exciting news for the entire sport.


NM: My last question is who is your prediction for the Stanley Cup Champion this year?

WG: You never go against the defending champions, so if somebody knocks out Pittsburgh, watch out.


This was an experience  that I will always remember and it certainly means the world to me. Being able to stand face to face with the greatest hockey player to ever live, an ambassador of the sport, and an icon in general was truly breathtaking. He was nice, he was funny, and just an all around great guy. He treated me as if we were friends that meet up once a month just to talk.

I was thrilled that not only I would be able to take part in this, but also that I would be able to share it with my readers. With that being said, I want to personally thank Jim Schmiedeberg, the man that makes Blueshirt Banter work, as he is the one that coordinated all this and set it up. All I had to do is accept. This was not only a hockey experience, but a personal one, and I appreciate all of the people that worked at the event who also made this happen. And of course, a big thanks to Wayne Gretzky.

To read more about the night and the emotions that went along with it, read my main story over on Blueshirt Banter.

Who comes out of the East?

Courtesy of AP Photo

As the Capitals and Canadiens are all locked up at one after the first period of play in Washington, I put a new poll onto the site, asking which team you think will come out of the Eastern Conference in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the site's last poll, which had fans decide whether or not the Rangers would make the playoffs, majority of votes were for "no", meaning you guys guessed right.

As for this poll's question, I will have to go with the Washington Capitals as my choice to come out of the East. When watching them play, they skate very well, their puck movement is superior and they are not a team that I see being eliminated, at least by a Conference foe.

Agree? Disagree? Submit your vote in the poll on the left sidebar. And remember, be sure to stop by the site tomorrow to read my interview with Wayne Gretzky.

Dubinsky and Gilroy Headed to World Championships

Courtesy of Getty Images

It may not be the playoffs, but the World Championships in Germany will certainly be keeping Rangers Brandon Dubinsky and Matt Gilroy busy starting next week. Both were elected to play for Team USA in the tournament, reports Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants, and are the first of several Blueshirts that have the opportunity to represent their country. Marian Gaborik, Henrik Lundqvist, and Marc Staal are also very likely to be going to Germany to play for their respective teams, in addition to Vinny Prospal and Dan Girardi, who are possibilities.

For both Gilroy and Dubinsky, this presents them with a great opportunity to brush up on their skills and work on their game. I know Gilroy especially was disappointed in his play this season, which eventually saw him benched at the end of the season by head coach John Tortorella. The former Hobey Baker Award Winner with Boston University of the NCAA struggled a bit in his freshman year in the National Hockey League, specifically in the defensive end of the rink.

Something has to be remembered, though, and that is that Gilroy is a natural forward that made the transition to the blue-line only five years ago. So really, he is still learning the position of defense and this tournament will only help him to accomplish that.

The same could be said of forward Brandon Dubinsky, who had a very strong second half of the season this year, being able to reach the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. Watching Brandon this season, he is growing quicker as a player, but in my opinion, has to work on his mental game. I think his poor decision making hurts him at times, but that is always something that can be fixed. I was impressed that Dubi reached twenty goals this season, as I think I may have underestimated his abilities.

Meanwhile, Ryan Callahan would have also been eligible for Team USA if it were not for his recent leg injury. Ryan has already confirmed that he will just take the few weeks off to allow proper healing.

Also, my face to face interview with the greatest player the game has ever seen, Wayne Gretzky, last night was fantastic. It was a marvelous experience, and I will have all of the details, as well as the interview itself up on the site tomorrow.