Saturday, January 10, 2009

Rangers, Young Stars, Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. . .?

Rangers:

Okay, this will be short and sweet. I was at a bar watching the game last night, and as so often happens when I'm at a bar watching a game, I cannot pay full attention. Too much noise, no sound on the TV, and someone's head always in the way. ;)

That being said, it apparently was as much the goalie's duel as it appeared from my vantage point. Credit Valiquette with what seemed to be a good game and for getting his team a point. Ryan Miller might have been spot on, but the Rangers seem to have this problem with scoring, if you haven't noticed.

I looked at Prucha's numbers today and he played 17:23, which is not only a season high, but a very high number for him in general. I only saw that he was on the ice for the goal against, although I didn't really see how it transpired. I figured though, as I lamented with a friend at the bar, that might be enough to anger Renney. You know how it works. No goals or assists to speak of, and you never know what will happen.

That's pretty much all I can say on the game. Looks like Rozsival took a face to the boards and might not play tonight. I will have to go back and take a look at that. If he can't go, Bobby Sanguinetti will make his NHL debut in Ottawa.

Game starts in just over an hour. Have fun guys.


Young Stars:

Congrats to Dubinsky and Marc Staal for making the squad. Staal is very much deserving, and Dubinsky had a great year there last year. I think the new format will prove interesting. But my first thought upon looking at the rosters was - -

Rookies are going to clean up!

Maybe that's not fair, and maybe it's going to prove very wrong, but as much as I like sophomores Staal, Nicklas Backstrom, Devin Setoguchi, Bryan Little, and Milan Lucic, I have to think that in that open ice setting, guys like Michael Frolik, Steven Stamkos, Kris Versteeg, and Blake Wheeler will score more goals.

And even if they don't, they have Drew Doughty, Luke Schenn, and goalie Steve Mason on the backend.

Either way, that will be fun!


Brendan Shanahan a Devil. . .?

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=262692&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main

TSN says - almost? maybe? I'm not sure if we can trust completely, without a contract or agreement, believe this is 100% going to happen. But, face it, if he were going to play, he'd play as near to NY as possible. So NJ does not surprise me. I DO NOT like the Devils, but I hope the perennial good guy does well if this is how it shakes down. More when it becomes official.


The Man Known As Jaromir Jagr:

I miss Jaromir, badly. So badly. Especially when this team is not scoring and their current captain lacks anything resembling a pulse.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/22224-THNcom-Blog-Jagr-says-return-to-Penguins-not-out-of-the-question.html

Turns out, he might consider returning to where it all began for him, in Pittsburgh. If Mario wanted him to. Apparently all is not rosy in Russia.

Hmm.

I have so many opinions that I can't even express. I did not want Jagr to leave the Rangers. This man transformed a team that was going and had been going nowhere for almost a decade. He believed, he guaranteed, he made it happen. A historic run for him on Broadway.

People may disagree and argue over whether the Rangers are better or worse without their departed leader. I think we can all agree they are different though. And in my mind, certainly more vanilla. (Again, Stamkos, not the good kind).

If Jagr decides to come back to the NHL, and to Pittsburgh, it will be weird for a dozen reasons. I won't want him to play badly because I care for him and respect him so much. But the Penguins are a now very much hated rival for me. Then there's the whole quasi-hatred for #68 from those fans in Pittsburgh. I wonder how it would all pan out. With a year and a half more on Jagr's contract in Omsk, perhaps it isn't even worth it to think that far ahead. So much can happen.

But would I like to see Jagr return to the NHL and have a full-out farewell tour...? Absolutely. He deserves it, he really does.

2 comments:

Kerri said...

I'm not sure what Renney's trying to prove by giving Prooks ice time. I'm sure it's not good. I just can't figure it out yet, lol.

Shanahan and Jagr- it's like being punches repeatedly in the gut over and over again. And you know what? It's not Jags or Shanny doing it. It's Sather, for his stupid decisions I tried really hard to agree with but could never find myself doing.

Shanahan will have success with the Devils because they will use him correctly, unlike how Renney and the Rangers gassed him for the playoffs. The only thing that softens the blow is that he began his career there... As for Jagr, he was probably just saying this to remind the KHL he wants money from them. However, I'd love to see Jagr back in the NHL, and I think it's a shame he's not playing here. Something else we can pin on Glenn.

Jagr for one or two years OR Drury/Gomez/Redden/Rozsi, etc for four or five years or more, leaving us screwed when the cap goes does next season?

Answer was simple in my head this summer.

Plus, give a little credit to the guys who deserve it. Since Jagr saved this pathetic franchise... maybe we COULD have found the money we were willing to find for Sundin.

Asshole. I miss Jagr way more than I want to talk about.

Kerri said...

I named my PUPPY SHANAHAN!

MY PUPPY!!!

-cry-

Named after a Brodeur-loving, Lou-praising, Mickey Mouse New Jersey DEVIL.

-cry again-