Five Things on the Rangers/Bruins Game. . .

After today's game, I feel the need to ask, "Who are these guys?"

* They were getting to loose pucks, moving the puck swiftly, connecting on passes, dominating the play. And in an afternoon game! Who are these guys?

* Did you hear what Sam said? This team is 4-0-2 in their last 6. 8-3-1 in their last 12. And have had points in 19 of their last 24 games. Who are these guys?

* Michael Del Zotto's goal was beautiful. Ladies and gentlelmen, THAT will never get old! It's been too, too long.

* Think Avery's words about what it meant to put on the Rangers sweater and how they need to play with the pride and energy necessary of it perhaps hit home with anyone? Don't discount Avery's voice in the lockeroom. This was the most dominating effort I've seen from the NYRs in a long while. Beginning to end.

* As much as I have to credit the NYRs, Boston is a decimated team. They are without Savard, Bergeron, Ferrence. And for whatever reason they are not connecting. As pretty as those three Rangers goals were, they Bruins let them have a lot of space to score in. Just saying.


I'm not sure where it came from, I'm not sure if it'll last but - who are these guys?

Those were your New York Rangers!

=)

Some Thoughts on the Rangers/Flyers and Rangers/Hurricanes. . .

Okay, playing some catchup. And don't feel like doing five of anything, so just some random thoughts. . .

On the Flyers:

So treked to Philly, in the snow. Treked back from Wachovia Center, in the snow. A lot of snow. ;) Arena I'd say had 9,000 about, regardless of the 19,000 announced attendance. It was emtpy, pretty quiet, and a pretty quiet game too. Two or three mini scrums, but nothing like the Rangers/Flyers games we know and love.

But the Rangers won, so that was good. And if you've never, and do have the chance to go, people at Wachovia are overall very nice. Concession people, parking lot people. And the fans. I've never felt out of place or like I was going to get my face punched in for wearing other colors. Which, for a game in Philly, is pretty good, don't you think? ;)

Shame this was the first game of the season between the two. When they were both dwelling in the bottom of the conference, amid pretty un-impressive stretches of games. Because to see the two teams firing on all cylinders and then win, that would be saying a lot more of the win. But you take the win on the road, and move on.


On the Canes:

How nice is it to have fan (read: my!) favorite Rangers back in good graces. Marc Staal has looked much more comfortable as of late. And that makes me happy. Marc - you go the way you have to go, pave your own way. You are 22! Plenty of years to live up to all the promise and, call me biased, I think he's already a very, very good defenseman. He just needs to take one thing at a time, because, for the most part, he doesn't get a ton of help on every occasion.

Important the Rangers penalty kill is making some ground, because they keep taking penalties. Although only 3 on the night.

Gaborik had 6 - count'em 6 - shots on goal and his league leading 25th goal of the season! Go Gaby Go! It was also his 15th multi-point game of the year as well for those keeping track.



Overall:

The Rangers may not be good team. But on any given night, you look to find ways to win. That's what these last three games have been (although if they had lost to the worst team in the league, I'm not sure what that would have been saying...) It's important. Step by step. They have to build confidence and get some points some ways.

I'm more curious who shows up on Wednesday, at home, at a place once kind to the NYRs, but now a place they haven't won at since Columbus came to town.

Time will tell.

Five Things on the Rangers/Islanders Game. . .

As I wrote in the comments of the last post, I did not watch, so instead, some numbers for you:

* Callahan's two goals now give him 4 goals in the last 4 games and 6 in the last 10. It's important to everyone to contribute, yes, but this was one of the BIG guys that needed to be.

* When Cally scored his second goal (Rangers 3rd of the game) it was the first time the Rangers scored 3 goals in a game in the last 8 games.

* When they scored their 3rd goal, that was only the 5th time in 22 games they had scored more than 2.

* Gaborik's goal, his 24th of the season, was his 12th powerplay goal. That ties his career high.

* With 2 goals and 2 assists Callahan had his first 4 point game of his NHL career.


It'll be interesting to see how it carries over.

Five Questions on the Rangers/Islanders Game. . .

Okay forget things, we're going to do questions. Here goes:

* Do you blame Tortorella for the state of the current team? Are you mad that "safe is death" seems to be words, not actions?

* Who is the most detrimental to the team at present? Drury with his 7 million, or Redden with his 6.5? (And yes, both can be an acceptable answer although I have my preference).

* Who thought Avery was going to get kicked out of the game - right, wrong, or indifferent - just for looking at Roloson the wrong way, let alone taking a swing at him?

* Who is able to admit to themselves what may just be the real and honest truth? - The Islanders are, right now, a better team than the Rangers. Who thought that'd be so when the season started?

* What do the Rangers do to fix this? Do they bench someone, make a trade? Tear it up? What do they do? Because, honestly, what can they do?


I like this group a lot better than last year, but after tonight I am convinced this year's team is having worse problems than last year's team - at least on the surface. Yes, last year they were happy and they couldn't score. Last year they had no personality where this year you WANT to like them. Last year they had a fast start and tumbled, JUST like this year. What gives? I honestly am beyond baffled. Tortorella promised changes for tomorrow. I'm just as baffled as the next guy in what exactly that will be...

Five Things on the Rangers/Thrashers Game. . .

* Johan Hedberg owns the Rangers. This is nothing new. He always has. At least in my memory. (Again, again, again, - if Bob Hartley had stuck with Hedberg in game 3 versus the Rangers in the playoffs maybe, maybe, maybe it would have been a series. Not a different result but a series and instead of a sweep). The saves he made in the first period during that sequence. Yikes. Amazing. (And for the record, I am a Hedberg fan. Who doesn't love players nicknamed Moose?!).

* The Rangers now have, I think we can say, a dreadful record at home. With the exception of the game versus Columbus, I can't even remember the last time they won at the Garden. Any much more of this, someone will have to pinch me and tell me it's not 2003-2004.

* The Rangers record last year and the year previous was decidedly better at this stage of the season. Why? In part due to getting games to OT and to the shootout where they'd steal one, and usually 2, points. Not so this year. This was the Rangers third shootout game, their first at home and first without P.A. "I went on waivers today" Parenteau. They didn't get it done. The last two years, these shootouts bulked points and jumped spots in the standings. Now, they are infrequent and apparently not a guarantee.

* Michael Del Zotto makes me smile. At least someone on this team makes me smile. Please, please, please. Let him stay here FOREVER!

* Gaborik's goal in the 3rd was his 10th of the season in that period. That leads the NHL. Once again, big round of applause for Gaby. As much as I "like" this group better than last year, and he's a big part of that, he really, on many nights, leaves you thinking - my gosh, what if he weren't here? Thankfully he is. Thank you Gaborik. Which translates to "thank you Bob Gainey for taking Scott Gomez so we could afford Gaborik." Thank you. Thank you all.

Overall, not a bad game. A good one in fact. Normally (normally the watch word here) putting 48 shots on a goalie would result in more than 2 goals (if you are not the NYRs...). Normally shooting that much would result in a win (if you are not the NYRs). Again, all props in the world to Hedberg and Atlanta. A good win. A smart road win. The Rangers looked closer than they have been and tonight may have not been their fault. It just feels worse, of course, because they've lost so many, and so many at home.

HUGE two games versus the Isles. Huge! Too early to say "must-win." I'm actually not sure it is.

Five Things on the Rangers/Sabres Game. . .

* It's never a good thing when you feel like you are just doing the same thing over and over again is it? Well, I'm writing the same things. The Rangers are doing the same things. We're all thinking the same things. Not good. Not good at all.

* The set-up on that powerplay (wait did someone say powerplay?) goal by Ryan Callahan looked brilliant. Fantastic to see but all the more annoying because they can do it. They can. Despite their recent blechy-ness on the PP, the Rangers still hold a pretty impressive stat with the extra man on home ice.

* Loved the initial energy and movement of the line of Higgins, Prospal, and Gaborik. Even though PJ Stock thinks that Higgins is better as a complementary checker than a goal scorer...I don't really mind him playing with these boys as long as he keeps up, and shoots the puck. He doesn't have to be the flashy guy, but since his two goal outburst on the West Coast trip, Higgins has seemed a more confident player. And the Rangers need a lot of things surely, but someone with confidence is nice.

* Did my eyes mistake me or did Derek Roy help up Dan Girardi after the tumble in the far boards? I always like to see sportsmanship. And I always thought Derek Roy was a good guy.

* Since we don't want to keep saying the same things over and over, let's talk instead about Ryan Miller. I was suprised to see him give up two goals so quickly (let alone all game) because he's just been so lights as of late. While that's good things for Buffalo, surely, it's very good news for Team USA for him to be having such great numbers.


What will the Rangers do tomorrow? Will it be a different story here? I'm not sure. The Buffalo game at least kept my interest. Actually the last four games (1-3) have been better to watch than the previous handful.

I just wish they'd win a couple in a row - for themselves, for us as fans, for everyone. To prove they can may help build what I'm sure is a pretty low confidence at this point.

Five Things on the Rangers/Blackhawks Game. . .

I'll be honest, I wasn't able to watch the game closely as I was out with friends and that always proves difficult. Meanwhile...

* Higgins and Callahan are some of (the many) that need to be scoring. It was a nice goal from Higgins from a nice feed from Gaborik.

* Hank made 39 saves and had no chance at that goal mouth scramble that resulted in the tying goal for Chicago. It's a shame for him. As much as the less-than-stellar goal on Sunday night was arguably a fault of his, he's helped this team more than he's harmed them. Tonight was an example of that.

* You have to feel Hank's frustration. Staal alluded to it in his interview, saying that it was a case of Chicago having the puck all night long, chasing them, and taking untimely penalties. He said Hank deserved the 2 points. And watching Hank's interview, you can tell how upset he is. No one can ever tell me HE doesn't care. He always does.

* MSG.com game poll - Which Original Six Team will win the Cup next? Results were: 49% Chicago, 30% Rangers, 10% Red Wings, 8% Bruins, 3% Montreal and 0% Toronto. I guess a lot of Rangers fans have more confidence than me. But I'd put Chicago at #1, Bruins at #2, and Detroit at #3.

* In some regard it's nice to get a point in a hard building to play in (Blackhawks are #1 in the NHL at home), but in the other it's terribly disappointing to give up another late lead. Look, I mentioned it on Twitter. The Rangers are not a 1-0 team. They really have never been, not in my fandom. Yes, Renney tried to make them that, and yes, over the last few years there have been many low scoring games versus Boston, but...that doesn't make them a 1-0 team. They don't have the collective composure to hold onto that type of lead. They just don't. It's been rare when they have. They were close this time, but...couldn't hold it.

Five Things About the Rangers/Red Wings Game. . .

* How do the Rangers not score on ONE of their powerplays in the 3rd? How? The Rangers are actually VERY good on the powerplay at HOME. Detroit is LOUSY on the penalty kill on the ROAD. This does not fundamentally make sense!

* Detroit, despite not having all their players, is still Detroit. They can never be taken lightly. The Rangers played them well for most of the game. A shame, and a disappointment, they couldn't hold on.

* Word on the street (aka Twitter friends) is that Drury was so upset that he showed he has...get this - a pulse! By breaking his stick in frustration. My reaction to that. Umm - GOOD! (Well as long as you don't harm any teammates). Good. Show some emotion. Show - something! Make the team see that you, as "Captain Fun," do not think this is, um...fun. (To lose that is.)

* On the way home, I heard the Detroit commentary of the Stuart hit on Anisimov. "He's a rookie. Hasn't learned yet. Ding dong." - Seriously. That's what the broadcasters say. "Ding dong." Poor Arti. Kid's been trying hard and he gets his bell rung twice in a week. Poor kid.

* I would call this, on the surface, the Rangers playing a good enough game, but not a good enough game for the full 60 minutes. Another partial effort. Howard made some saves, yes, but was he lights-out enough that the Rangers couldn't have gotten another goal, after having so many glorious powerplay opportunities? I would lean towards no.

This one is disappointing. It is. Not that all losses aren't, but this one was such an achievable win. To not get it, and to have it all fall apart, seemingly, in the end, that hurts a bit. Not going to get any easier in a very slow week as the Rangers battle Chicago on Wednesday. We'll see how they respond.

Five Things on the Rangers/Sabres Game. . .

* Due to technical difficulties with the satellite (ie: snow), I was not able to watch the first half of the game in its entirety (although Rangers fans kick butt for being so great as to send links to watch online! Thank you!). From what I did see though, that was a complete team effort. Supporting each other. Grinding. Moving. Skating. Passing. Pretty much doing what needed to be done to win. And they did.

* How important was it that Callahan and Higgins scored? These are two guys that many Rangers fans - and me too - expected to be able to pot around 20 goals easily this year. Easily has not been the case and even though there is plenty of the season to go, the Rangers have not scored in such a manner that would make me think that original assumption is still possible. BUT - if these guys can start to contribute more in any degree on the score sheet, the Rangers will benefit from it.

* Hank looked to have one of his more solid games than in the past handful. Honestly, I love the Rangers - I do! - but I did not think the Rangers stood much of a chance going into Buffalo on a Saturday night to play the red-hot Ryan Miller. I was proven wrong. Yes, the Rangers needed two goals to do it, but Hank kept them in the game with some nice saves.

* As much as the win was important, I think the way in which they played was more so. They need to play on the same page. They need to play as a team. And they need to do the little things. They are not "good enough" to just skate through the motions. They need to work and they need to work for a full 60 minutes. Last night was a good example of it, but sadly we've seen much to little of those games from them this year.

* With his assist on the Higgins goal, Marian Gaborik has scored points in 23 of his 26 games as a Ranger. Seriously? The guy is simply unreal.

That is all. Rangers quick turnaround to play Detroit at home in just under 5 hours. Enjoy the game everyone!

Five Things on the Rangers/Penguins Game. . .

I so should be sleeping right now, but...

* How good did Christopher Higgins, PA Parenteau and Artem Anisimov look together in their first few shifts? Now, how sad that didn't seem to last much beyond that?

* My grandmother asked me if the coach was changing lines as much as Renney was last year? I said perhaps not quite as much, but she had a point, one we've all made at one time or another. I know the Rangers do not have much to work with, but they seem to take every line that seemingly has or will ever have chemistry and tear it apart. Worse in Tortorella's case is because he has "feelings" for some players, he will pull them from the lineup, sit them on the bench, play them minimal minutes. Well that all further disrupts any chemistry that may be going on with those or other lines. Again, I'm all for accountability but I'm thinking it's something else that has to change.

* This morning Mike Ross on Hockey This Morning/XM204 and Larry Brooks in the Post both said the same thing. It's Tortorella's responsibility to get this team going in the right direction. To get them on one page, one page where they know what effort is expected of them. Where they come to play. He can't control what they do on the ice, whether they win or lose, score or don't score, but he can help control the way in which they do it. I think we'd all be a lot happier if they were playing hard and winning, but honestly, I'll take playing hard at this point. And playing hard so we all can say, damn, they got robbed. Not playing hard so they can just say that they did but we can't notice as fans.

* While I'm mentioning Tortorella, how about Captain Fun? Everyone has to take accountability for how they approach the game and individual work ethic, yes. But if we're placing blame on Torts, we have to blame some on Captain Mumbles too. We can belabour (sp?) the point over and over that he's a great 3rd line center being paid 1st line center marquee player money. BUT really what we should be concerned about - more concerned about - is that this group turned from a group of fun players into a bunch of mindless drones. Again! And this time they actually have personality to squash! The captain needs to get the players motivated. Get them angry. Get them to show - anything. Once again, I'm just not seeing enough of that.

* Lastly, as much as I love to see Gaborik score goals (#20 and #21 on the season tonight), it's becoming all the more sad to see him do so. Sad you ask, why? Because it's becoming all the more obvious that he's the only one that can, truly can score goals. And if not the only one that can, the only one that will. Worse? It's being wasted. Not to get into the Jagr/Gaborik debate, but when Jagr had his season of all seasons here, he was playing well, the team was playing well, and more than just he was contributing. With Gaborik, no one else seems to be playing the same game. Yes, part of that is blamed on youth, and bad pieces, and bad game plan, but all of it makes me sad. Gaborik came to New York for many reasons. I doubt he came to be what's turning into a one man show.


Rangers have four big days off before the next game. I do need a break from this, but I'm very scared to see what they throw out this coming weekend.

Five Things About the Rangers/Lightning Game...

Okay, I'm going to be honest here, part of me really wants to suspend the "Five Things" when the Rangers give up five goals and "play" as badly as they did. But we'll give it a go...

* The Rangers played a game last night. Seriously? Did someone tell them that?

* Tortorella called this the worst game of the season. I couldn't continue watching it with the interest I would if the Rangers were actually playing, so I'm not sure, but I'd have to think he was right.

* What a sad first NHL game for NJ native Bobby Sanguinetti. Although he played over 16 minutes, took a shot, and was only a -1 for all the damage, so I only mean sad for the sake of the result, not for his effort in it.

* Why does, with the exception of that game vs Tampa early last season when Voros fought him, Mike Smith always seem to look brilliant when I see him play. He's 4-4-4 in games played with a .892 Save % and 3.17 GAA, but yet when I see him, he's always looking sharp. Why is that?

* I think I expected they'd start Valiquette in Pittsburgh on Saturday BEFORE the game got away. Now I think they have to. I'm not saying Hank was the reason it went wrong last night, but...I think he needs a break with the back part of the home and home on Monday.


And a bonus question - with a Washington/Montreal game going as well tonight, how long do I give the Rangers before I turn the game off if it goes badly?

It's a good question. Hopefully the Rangers do their part and I won't need to answer it.

Five Things on the Rangers/Panthers Game. . .

First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Even though I caught up on some games (like the Calgary/Coyotes game that had more former Rangers than I could count - Prucha, Korpikoski, Sjostrom, Lundmark, and Dawes (GWG) and the Canucks/Kings tilt), I apparently didn't find myself time to update the blog. ;)

* Does anyone else remember last year's Thanksgiving Eve? (Well, alcohol may or may not have played a factor in that...) The Rangers played Tampa, they led the game late, gave up the tying goal with less than a minute to go to St. Louis, and then won in a shootout. Thankfully. This Thanksgiving Eve, the Rangers played Florida, led the game late, gave up the tying goal to Moore, and then won in a shootout. Thankfully. Only difference was 3-2 SHW a year ago, and a 2-1 SHW this year. If the Rangers beat Tampa Bay tonight in a shootout (as they did Thanksgiving Friday against Florida last year) we'll really see history repeating itself.

* Who is not thankful for P.A. Parenteau. The guy said he wanted to come up and stay up this time around and he's doing everything to be considering for that. Two deciding goals in the Rangers only two shootout appearances this season. Can't ask for more than that. And did you see Tortorella's grin after he scored? It was like, damn, this kid. He was right.

* Gaborik scored a goal, on the powerplay, for the Rangers? You don't say. No, honestly here. It was smart movement on the PP all around. And a very smart tip by Gaborik. Not that we should be surprised anymore with his talent. But we're happy to continue to see it displayed. The goal was Gaborik's league leading 19th and currently has him in a tie for points, at 33, with Thornton and Kopitar.

* It's always nice to see a player defend his teammate. Even nicer when it's someone you may not have expected. Matt Gilroy, seeing Prospal hit by the same player whose hit took out Redden early in the game, jumped in for his first career fight. He took 17 minutes in penalties, but the message was clear - don't mess with our guys. Great to see from the young guy. But why can't everybody be so willing to defend their own?

* Because it's Thanksgiving time and there isn't much else to talk about here, why not give a quick rundown of what or who I am most thankful for on the Rangers 2 months into the season:

- Gaborik, Gaborik, Gaborik. If there's a Rangers fan that is not thankful for this guy, I'd love to know it. He scores, sometimes the Rangers only goals. He PKs, even though we sometimes wish he wouldn't. He playmakes. He does it all and in a way that makes you think it's effortless. A priceless talent. Very thankful for him.

- Del Zotto and Gilroy. Again, I can not express to you, after years and years and years where the Rangers had no youth or no defensive anything, besides stopgaps, how wonderful it is to have two (really four) players that are OURS. Two players that are young, are ours, and are good. This isn't discounting Girardi and Staal (my favorite player how has struggled this year but has looked better as of late) but Del Zotto and Gilroy have hardly seemed to struggle to settle in. It's remarkable really. Just do the job and do it well. Del Zotto's offense is just icing on the cake. It's been a long time for something like that.

- Hank. I can't go through a thankful list without mentioning the goalie. No, he's not perfect. At some moments he's very pedestrian. But on a scale, overall, he's been able to do things other goalies have not. Play with as much consistency in his first years in the league as to be recognized as one of the best. Play with as much talent as necessary to keep what has been a very low scoring (after the Jagr years) and defensively challenged team in playoff contention. He may not be perfect. But take Hank out of the equation, this team has not been a playoff team for all four years. No way.


Enjoy the games this weekend!! Again, I think we can all agree to be thankful for the greatest game of all - hockey! I know I am.

Five Things About the Rangers/Blue Jackets Game. . .

* Who were those guys and what did they do with the Rangers? You may think I'm being all "haha" but no, I'm serious. Who were those guys? I haven't seen them in. . . well, in a long time.

* Important not just that the Rangers scored 7 - count 'em 7 goals - last night, but important in who scored them. One, a recently struggling and seemingly unhappy Sean Avery, and two, defensemen Gilroy and Del Zotto - both who had been off the score sheet for much too long. For the Rangers to win, the defense has to contribute, not just in their own end, but with points as well. Not meaning to forget about Parenteau and Anisimov - both had career highs in points with 2 and 3 respectively. An important night for contributions all around. A real team effort. And Christopher Higgins didn't look too bad on the top line with Gaborik (2G, 2A) and Prospal, did he now?

* The fact that they won was almost a side story to how they won. And I don't even mean the 7 goals. Whatever Tortorella said - and even if he did indeed just say breathe, there's a lot more hockey left to play - that deserves credit. Credit him for knowing what to say to get the team to get back to playing a go-go-go game. And credit the players for actually looking alive and doing so. This was much needed and it had been much, MUCH, too long since they had played this way.

* Del Zotto's goal was pretty. There's still something about a defenseman making a play like that that just makes you feel there is something right in the world.

* Speaking of special defensemen, think the Rangers will try to have Brian Leetch do TV work at all their games? He brought them luck, he helped them win. Heck he even was around for when the Sean Avery (2) and Marian Gaborik scored three goals in 111 seconds, the fastest three goals by the Rangers since Theo Fleury, Sandy McCarthy, and Brian Leetch himself did it back in 2001.


I am sure Hank didn't love the game and giving up four goals, but man. After not having seen so much as a sniff of goal scoring in what was weeks, feels like months, I'll take it. Every time. Columbus is not a bad team. They just couldn't stop the bleeding.

And if anyone knows how that goes, the Rangers are surely among them.

Five Things About the Rangers/Panthers Game. . .

This is going to be rough, because honestly, I'm not sure what to say that hasn't been said:

* If you missed it, the Rangers pre-game showed a great interview with Adam Graves and spokesperson for the NHLPA Goals and Dreams organization Rob Zamuner. Zamuner talked about visiting Bosnia, and how people would never realize how hockey has reached everywhere, even that war-torn corner of the world. Great stuff. Really great stuff. On NHTP favorite PJ Stock, his fellow spokesperson, he said:

"We were roommates in Boston. I'm glad he's gone and he's back home. We'll catch up with him tomorrow, but he was outstanding with the kids. Every tour needs a clown and he was ours."

* Speaking of...well. Anyone else surprised that Avery didn't get a goaltender interference penalty when he tangled with Vokoun last night. Not saying he either deserved it or didn't but, some restraint by the referee in not calling him for it. And some sarcasm by the author of this blog right there.

* Gaborik scored his 16th goal of the season which ties him with Alex Ovechkin for 2nd in the league, two behind Dany Heatley. Ho-hum, Gaborik scored again. Ho-hum, he's the only one that can. Seriously, what would the Rangers do without Gaborik? I argue they'd have won half as many games - at least.

* The Rangers took their patented second period nap in this game, but to me, they didn't look awake at all. Sure it wasn't the worst snoozefest of the year or recent past, but it was close. It's bad enough they are not winning, not scoring, but do they have to do it with such lifelessness? Callahan, once always a factor, has been a non-factor more than he's been one. Half the team seriously looks invisible. You ask me what any player did on the ice last night, save Gaby and Hank, and Prospal, and I really can't answer you.

* On that note, the Rangers team has too many passengers, not enough drivers. (Somehow I think I just referenced something from my college Leadership class - um, scary). They finally have a game changer again - thankfully- but they are wasting him by having almost every other person go idly by. No one was particularly bad in last night's game, but no one was particularly good either. And it's not good enough. The Rangers will continue to lose if they do not put forth a better effort. And that's what hurts the most. Yes, Captain-Fun is gone and Dubi is out, but how come Florida was able to win the game with three American Hockey League players in their lineup? The Rangers look like a disheveled and disinterested mess!

Someone, stop the bleeding - please!

Five Things About the Rangers/Capitals Game. . .

Another game, another loss. Please don't tell me this is how the home stand is going to unfold.

* For the first 10-or-so minutes of this game, the Rangers were flying. They were go-go-going in the manner we envisioned Torts pushing them to go. They won battles, put pressure on, kept the puck in Washington's zone. As wonderful as it was to see, it was just as evident that it was so rare to see from this team as of late.

* At the Garden tonight they showed a really great clip montage of vintage Rangers clips meshed with current Rangers clips. Whoever thought of that - very good idea. You could tell many fans at the Garden were watching and saying, hmm, this is new, this is cool.

* In the 2nd period, the Rangers normal "nap" period, they actually pressed the puck. I'd guess they had no less than 6 takeaways. Which is something I hadn't noticed before, so I'm going to go with - this is something they don't normally do. Getting to those loose puck battles, standing up and taking the puck away from someone on the Capitals unexpectedly.

* Gaborik has a special something. It should have - and was - evident in every single game so far, it would seem, but yet tonight, with his two goals, it was incredibly obvious. If you are a goalie, you almost can't see his shot. He's that quick. But my favorite thing about Gaborik, a quarter into the season, is the way he is able to pick up a puck. A puck is coming to him, and he has one hand on the stick to pick it up, without any bit of effort, and he slides so easily into his motion of - making a play, a pass, a shot. The way he appears to be barely holding on to the hockey stick, and yet he can make such fluid motions. It's really something. It really is.

* Such a disappointing loss tonight. Really. You have your guy - let's face it, your ONLY guy, score two goals, to keep you in a game that perhaps, you shouldn't have been in, and you manage to lose the tie with less than five minutes to go. Very depressing. They didn't play badly, but they didn't play well enough to win.


The Rangers have three days off before Florida comes to the Garden on Saturday. We'll see how they rebound. I don't even know what to expect to expect.

Five Things About the Rangers/Senators Game. . .

* I tried to watch the Rangers defensemen more closely. Thought Redden had a good start to the game in terms of offensive movement. Chipping the puck, a few nice little passes, smart plays at the blue line and neutral zone. As the game went on, he had a few more. This is the most composed I've seen him in a while AND he was in Ottawa. Interesting.

* In case you were late getting back for the 3rd period, MSG announced that Prospal's shorthanded goal was the ONLY shorthanded goal of his career. Kinda seems hard to believe, but I don't know how much PK time he had in Tampa, I'll be honest. And as much as I have to hold my breath everytime Gaborik is on the ice down a man, this is a benefit of having him there - the chance to get some offense. The Rangers used to get a lot of shorties when the Czechmates like Dvorak and Nedved were on PK duty.

* This team has serious offensive problems. They can't seem to buy a goal. Earlier in the season the Rangers had a bunch of scoring from defensemen which made their totals look better (they were leading the league in goals scored for a whlie) but it seems everyone has stopped scoring at once. Except for...well, the guys that always do - Gaborik and Prospal. Them and whomever is called up for the game from Hartford.

* Can someone tell me where the team that was supposed to go-go-go went to? I know the Rangers usually take a winter nap in November or December, but there is little excuse when this team doesn't hit, doesn't skate, and doesn't play with some level of tenacity. I find it hard to believe Tortorella is happy with the effort in that regard. As a fan, I'm not happy with the way they've regressed.

* One sign these aren't last year's Rangers - it's almost American Thanksgiving and this was their first shootout game. Congrats to P.A. Parenteau for getting the deciding goal in the skills contest, in front of his family and friends. Good for him and he (and Hank) stole the Rangers two points tonight.

Five Things About the Thrashers/Rangers Game. . .

Another game, another loss. 2 in a row for the Blueshirts. =(

* The Rangers giving up the two very, very quick goals to Atlanta (like, oops, blink, they scored again, goals) reminded me of last year. It really did. Never a good thing. Good teams need to know how to focus and stop the bleeding.

* Gaborik's goal was - nice. I wasn't even sure who shot it at first, but given the reaction and the fact that it, umm, went in the net, you had to be 90% sure who it was. Guy has a special talent. Shame the Rangers don't have 4 more of him.

* Props to Cally for sticking up for himself after that hit. I don't know much of Zach Bogosian, probably due to his being injured last year and playing for, umm, Atlanta, but they had a nice little tangle. If no one else is going to do the dirty work, I'm happy Cally did it himself. (A little like Doan, although immediate in reaction). He had a fired up game, Cally did. I thought to myself, he looks better than he has in recent games. I noticed him more. Drury absense = better Cally?

* During a TV time out, Boyle stood with referee Kerry Fraser and talked for quite a bit, getting an explaination of his tripping penalty. Sometimes you catch it and sometimes you don't, but this was a lengthy conversation. At first glace, which is all I really had, it looked relatively harmless, but you are responsible for your skate, no?

* Rangers scored 3, which was a big plus over these one goal showings, but still fell apart at the wrong times. A few bad penalties. A second period nap. And they couldn't rebound. Disappointing, because even though Hedberg often beats the Rangers, this game probably was a should have won game.


Who wants a real blog entry? I do! Special events aside. I want a real blog entry on the Rangers. So, coming this weekend. Something more than "Five Things" - something deeper on the red, white, and blue. Looking forward to it.

I just hope I keep my word. ;)

Five Things About the Rangers/Flames Game. . .

Alright, admittedly, I did not see much of this game apart from the 3rd period. I apologize, but I think I used the Rangers west coast trip as a much needed break time. As much as we all love the game, we do all need a break from time to time, realize it or not at the time. It's been a busy start to the year on a work/personal level, and trying to keep up with two teams has been hard at times. So worth it, but difficult. So another fractured group of random thoughts...

* Some called this Rangers game one of the best efforts of the season. I sure hope so. Injuries to Dubinsky and Drury in addition to an already ailing Brashear, will cause more substitutions to be made. Here's hoping whoever is called up has as good of games as Parenteau and Byers had in their call up games.

* Former Ranger Nigel Dawes got 3 - count-em, 3 - assists against his former club. I haven't seen as much of Calgary as I'd have liked to, and usually do, but Nigel seems to be playing pretty well for them. Remember, even though Renney called him a playmaker, I still hold true to the fact that he's got a better shot. He can be a goal scorer if he doesn't forget how to shoot on the net.

* There's been talk of why someone didn't stick up for Drury after the hit by Glencross. That reminds me of when Zherdev got his nose broken in the "chew-toy" game in Dallas back in February, and pretty much everyone stood idly by, except for one (it may have been Dubinsky). If we thought there'd have been a lot of players on this team that would have played the role, perhaps we were mistaken. Although two of those that may have probably had good reason not to. Byers, coming off his one game suspension, and Avery, just probably treading very carefully so as to not breathe on anyone wrong given what happened last time he was Calgary.

* As much as we don't like to see Hank injured, it's nice to have Valiquette come in and play two strong games in back to backs. Even though the Rangers only got one win in three games, you'd have to say that minus the injuries, this Western swing looked miles better than last time they made the trip, no?

* Long break for the Rangers could be a good chance to rest some tired bodies. I'll be curious to see how they respond against a team in Atlanta that is better than I thought they'd be. I can just see that young goalie Ondrej Pavelec stopping 40 shots against us. If the Rangers were to get their season high and shoot 40 times, that is.

Fun Fact: If Pavelec's place of birth in Kladno, Czech Republic sounds familiar, it's because it's the same as Jaromir Jagr's.

Five Things About the Rangers/Oilers Game. . .

(Note, didn't see the whole game tonight, so these will be really simple, random thoughts. What? You always get simple, random thoughts here? Hmmmm. I try.)

* Christopher Higgins follows up his first goal of the season on Tuesday with his second goal of the season in the very next game. Is this just a breathing the Western Canadian air thing, or will he bring it back to the States with him next week?

* Three, count-em, three power play goals on the night. How refreshing the powerplay is working again. How refreshing to see guys like Gaborik, Prospal, Kotalik, and Del Zotto on it. I still have nightmares from last year sometimes, so the reminder that those days are over is nice.

* As much as part of me loathes the man for what he did in his final season here, Tom Renney will get a moment of thanks from me for what he did in the years previous. Yes, Jagr and Hank carried that team, but Renney was the right coach for the team coming out of the lockout. It's just a shame that no one seemed to realize any sooner last year, that such was no longer the case.

* Anyone shocked that Renney and Jagr want to potentially re-unite the perfect relationship they shared in New York in Edmonton next season? Jagr was the dominating force he could be when healthy and Renney stood back and let him do it. If we are so lucky, it will be great to see Jagr return to the league, because yes, he is good enough. More than good enough. As for Renney, I'm kinda pretty happy the Rangers only play Edmonton once a year, for his sake, and ours.

* I was just going to comment last game on how Callahan was really having a slow start to the season and to add to Carp's thoughts (at Rangers Report, #2) where he asked where he had been, noting relative invisibility, when along Callahan comes and scores a pretty goal. This guy doesn't need to score (although after a 20+ goal campaign last year, we were all expecting him to do that more), but he needs to be effective in other ways. Goodness knows he always hustles and hits, but I have to question whether "Captain Fun" is dragging him down a bit.


Important win for the NYRs. A win in Calgary on Saturday would really help make the Rangers (and me) feel good before a 4 day hiatus. We'll see how that goes...

Five Things About the Rangers/Canucks Game. . .

I know this is days late (and dollars short surely) but...

* I know it was only 4 games in betwen there, but I can't believe the Rangers haven't won in Vancouver since October 11, 1997. That may as well have been another lifetime ago.

* How long a lifetime ago, you ask? That was Messier's first game versus the NYRs after the Vancouver exodus. And that night also marked the last regular season hat trick (#50) of the Great One's career. See, lifetime ago.

* I hate to say, but the melee that occurred early in the third was...fun. It was fun to see that sense of old time hockey which is rare. Ironic it all happened during a line change, but that made it even more exciting. Sad that this was the most exciting part of the game, but the Rangers did not do their part to help that.

* The Rangers undiscplined play and lack of goal scoring continued. The end of the game proved that. They had a chance to really use the melee as a jumping-off point, and they chose to self-combust instead. Again.

* A shame it was in a loss, but congrats to Christopher Higgins for goal #1 as a New York Ranger!