Extra Effort. . . ?

Well, to start, since I wrote the last post following the Boston game, the Blueshirts have gone 5-0-1 and garnered 9 of the last 10 available points. They've done it with grit, they've done it with tenacity, and they've done it with heart.

For that I give them a hearty bravo.

And, of course, a small chastizing for not having started doing that - playing hard, coming from behind, winning! - 10 games prior. You know, so we wouldn't be watching our team, with four games remaining, and seriously having no idea whether or not they'll make the playoffs.

As much as it's in the NYRs hands to win - and win out - it's in the hands of the others surrounding them - Philly, Boston, Atlanta. The Rangers must win, but two of the above must falter as well.

I won't say it's over til it is and they can very much still make the playoffs - they can - but it's been fun to watch them over these last week of games. It really has.

A shame it wasn't sooner, but...again...what can we say?

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Which brings me to The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, the annual award as voted by the fans for the player that goes "above and beyond the call of duty."

Normally, almost ever year in fact, I have a clear cut favorite, a "that's my guy," a "he's the one."

This year, I am in a quandry. I come up with two answers.

a) No one

b) A bunch of someones.

Last year, Ryan Callahan exemplified the award and he deservedly won it. My rational was explained here.

He gave his all, every night, but more importantly, it was not expected of him. Who was Ryan Callahan? I mean sure he was great, the fans loved him, but he was not the guy anyone expected to be "that guy" going into the year. But he was, when all was said and done, the ONLY guy it seemed, that showed up and gave 100% every single game.

Well, even Ryan Callahan couldn't live up to his own billing this season. I love the guy. Think the Rangers are a better team for having him. I hope he stays a life-long Ranger.

But Ryan Callahan doesn't even make my cut.

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I will again go back to the days when the Award was given to the Jed Ortmeyers, the Sandy McCarthys, the Matthew Barnabys. The guys that weren't the highest paid, the guys that didn't play the most minutes, but the guys that got the job done, did the little things, and did them humbly, with the team in mind.

I've always had a very specific vision of this, and that's why, oftentimes, one player just jumps out at me.

This year, not so. I mentioned in my Ryan Callahan epic of last year, that I didn't think this award was for the highest paid or for the team MVP. Sometimes it works that way. Maybe when Lundqvist won it in 06 he was our MVP (next to Jagr of course). And maybe on last year's at times disaster ridden teams, Cally was our MVP. I can accept both of those.

But I hesitate to do the same this year. Instead, I'll give you a handful of guys, and see where we go from there.

Lundqvist, to some degree, has gone above and beyond his expectations for himself and that we have of him. More-so, at times, than even last year, he's had to carry this team. Go further than we thought he could. Further than we should expect. For that, I'm okay if he gets the award. He should be one of our best players, yes. But we are spoiled rotten by how he's kept the Rangers in this playoff race at all. No Hank - no chance.

Gaborik, in any normal sense, would not have my vote for this award. He's paid the most money and we had amazing expectations of him. But did we? I'd consider Marian Gaborik for this award not based on the fact that he is the second half of our MVP tandem (Hank the other), but because with his injury-riddled past - who could have legitimately seen this happening? A 41-goal season? Only a relative few man games lost to injury? A stretch for much of the season where he scored what seemed like 50 percent of the teams goals? (In actuality, he's got 41 of the teams 210 - so 20%). Even though we knew he potentially could, and hoped against hope that he would, can we honestly say that we knew this would happen? I can't.

Prospal, even though he has trailed off as the season has gone on, has been perhaps the biggest surprise. I know he only got paltry $$ because he knew Tortorella, had no other offers at the moment, and, perhaps, understood that thanks to Fisher Price Glen the NYRs simply had no more to give, but he has been the biggest steal the Rangers have. He's one goal shy of 20, is second on the team in points with 56, and is a plus 10. And those smiles after someone scores. I can believe, for a while, he was the only true veteran leader these kids were looking up to. Having been around, having won a Cup, having been a positive person to be around. The Rangers are much better for having Prospal. If he's stay (sadly for the again paltry $$ they'd be sure to give him) I'd love to have him in blue next season.

I'm not sure if anyone else would give a vote to the guy I'm going to talk about next, but I would. (And did).

Erik Christensen. Erik Christensen may have just blown up anyone's expectations of him when the Rangers claimed him off the waiver wire in early December. Why? Because I don't think anyone had ANY expectations for this kid. I heard of him, saw him play sparingly, but I sure didn't. I didn't think he'd be the guy that could play with Gaborik. I didn't think he could be the guy winning faceoffs. I didn't think he could be the guy making those sweet moves (goal on Brodeur, set-up to Drury on goal on Brodeur). Heck, right there alone we should love him - he plays well against Brodeur! Kidding aside though, to me, Erik Christensen may just be the best true example of "above and beyond." The guy may have made it clear he had to try hard because this was, perhaps, his last shot. But he didn't let the pressure get to him. Not on the ice, or off of it. For putting aside those pretty moves for a minute, the top reason I respect Erik Christensen? He tells it like it is. Not the "we did what we had to do, things just didn't go our way," variety to often spun in the NYR lockerroom. But real, to-the-core honest assessment. Of himself and of the team. I may have thought nothing of him coming onto this team, but once he was on it, I think he has cemented himself as a valuable asset and someone who clearly gets what it means to "Be a Ranger!"

And there you have it, my (one-less-than) handful of players who I can see winning the award, for very different reasons. If I have to cast my vote here, I pick Erik Christensen, for getting back to what I felt the award was truly about. But any of these guys are very deserving.
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Ah, it's been a weird year in Rangerland. I love this team when they play the way I know they can. I hate that they wait so long to do it.

Four more games to go. Where the team will end up...they have to win to find out.

A Few Ramblings Thoughts on the NYRs. . .

A few thoughts, some long overdue, that have been floating around in my mind for the last while, especially given the last week of fun that was being a New York Rangers fan.

The Rangers scored last night. Really that shouldn't be news, but it is. Because they can't score. Or they won't score. And they hadn't scored in over a week - literally - after being shutout at home twice in a row.

I knew they'd have problems scoring, but come on now...

The game against the Bruins was up tempo and great, a real put-together effort.

The game against the Devils was frustrating in only that they lost in the skills competition of the hockey menu. (And that thing about Brodeur but I won't digress).

The game against Ottawa was some of the most mind-numbing play (if we can call it that) I've seen in this year. Did they even know they had a game? Should they have to have been told?

The game last night. Well, I kinda had a feeling that, for irony sake, if Voros was in the lineup he'd have something to do with scoring. He had an assist. As the Rangers finally score a goal.

Again, shouldn't be news, but in NYR world, it kinda is.


After the last week of "whatever-it-was" I have a few questions/thoughts/confusions going on.

One (as mentioned in my last entry) I'd read in Rangers Rants that after Erik Christensen missed in the shootout, he had a hard time sleeping.

After the Ottawa game, Rangers.com writer Jim Cerny tweeted that:

Maybe most down post-game locker room all year for #Rangers; Del Zotto, Boyle, Prospal among those really taking it to heart #NYR
10:50 PM Jan 14th from web

We all saw Gaborik's quotes that he said that Ottawa's first goal in the dying minutes Thursday was "his fault" and it "cost us the game."

Every game we see Hank take the burden of the game on himself. I've said for along time, no one takes it harder when the NYRs lose than him. I'm sure he's even hard on himself in games he does NOT EVEN PLAY. Because that's the type of player he is.

So, why, I ask, is is so easy for these players to feel badly. And for others to seemingly not care?

Prospal is a gamer, a Marty Straka type guy. He gets it. He gets what it takes to win and feels bad when they lose.

Del Zotto, the 19-year-old rookie who has had a great year and who makes me happy to be a fan. He gets it.

Boyle, the 4th liner, he gets it.

Gaborik and Hank, the two guys who going into this season we knew would be carrying this team on their back, they get it.

And Christensen, Erik - I wasn't even here a month ago - Christensen, he gets it?


I'm happy these players get it. I am. It just makes me curious who else does?

Does Drury get it? I realize he may not be the captain we expect, or certainly not the player he is paid for, but at what point do you have to, for benefit of the team and the fans, consciously put aside the fact that you are a boring, mumbling human being, and act like a captain. Even if that isn't who you are. At what point do you show the world that you care?

Erik Christensen couldn't sleep the other night.

Did Chris Drury have a problem?


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I've spoken before, namely last season, and a lot, about passion and personality, and how it matters.

And it matters less when you are doing your job, surely, and gets magnified, to me, when you are not.

I like this team better. I really do. But more than halfway through, we can come to some conclusions.

*Brashear is useless to this team. I tried to give the benefit of the doubt (to a degree) to start the season. But I think we can safely say that if he was ever to be effective, he is now too old, too injured to do so in any capacity.

It now makes perfect sense (and lacks all sense not) to play Aaron Voros every night in his place. Why? At least Voros seems to care. That much can definitely be said. Not one can, and ever will, show the grace and humility Prucha did when scratched repeatedly, but I think Voros has done an admirable job of taking it. And tell me how he's worse? He skates better, and if the last two Brashear fights are any indication, he may actually fight better at this point. Or at least not fall down anymore.

$1.4 million waste of money. And most of us knew it in July.


* This team will only go as far as Gaborik takes them. Another conclusion we probably could have reached in July. Gaborik is upset he thinks he cost the Rangers one game in January. Marian, how many did you win for them? Seriously, how many games were you the only one scoring, the only one providing any enthusiasm or sense of purpose? And he's on himself because he's not a shootout wizard? Please. Gaby, if you were not here in New York, the Rangers would be holding up Carolina and Toronto in the standings.

* As much as Gaborik is important, vital, to this team, Hank has proven himself to be the backbone. This is Hank's team, guys. No doubt anymore. It doesn't matter that he doesn't wear the C.

- He (and Avery) called that meeting to try to get the team back on track.

- He is very often the reason they win or remain in games they should not.

- He is the guy who you have no doubt - NO DOUBT - tears himself up over this team.

Hank, Hank is the backbone of this team. No question about it.

* Beyond a bright future on defense (I include Staal with Del Zotto and Gilroy), a superstar talent (Gaborik), and Hank, this team is not as good as I thought they were. Not that I thought they were good, mind you. But I thought they were 8th place material, that perhaps they'd fall between 6 and 10th, and hopefully squeeze into the playoffs at 8. They probably aren't even good enough to do that. They'll benefit surely from a weaker East. They may very well get into the playoffs if other teams collapse. But they are a team trying to put it together, not a team with their act together.


* Inconsistency has been the worst part of this team, has it was last year, and times before that. A 60 minutes effort is a rarity. And even when it is there (like Tuesday versus NJ) there is sometimes nothing to show for it. I'm disappointed, for myself as a fan, and for the players that do try so hard. Why should Hank and Gaborik (and Boyle and Del Zotto, and Christensen, and Prospal) beat themselves up all the time? When it's a 20 player game and so many of the rest of them are invisible.


Rangers take on the Habs tonight. I can see this going badly. Since Poulliot has joined the Canadiens, Gomez has looked a real player again. Yep, I can see this being an interesting return trip to MSG.


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In happy news, Prucha scored 2 goals (and almost a 3rd) in a 6-4 win over the Wild in the desert last night.

Prucha has 11 goals on the season.

More goals than any Ranger that is not wearing #10 on his back.

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.

The Power Play on Sather. . .

Just a quick blog (I know! I know!) before I get to some more thoughts this week.

I'm driving home today and I'm listening to Rossi and Boomer on the Powerplay, XM204. And there was a list of bad free agency teams this season and the Rangers were #4.

The reasoning was hilarious though.

They (I'm saying they because I am actually not 100% sure who it was because I was in the car for so few minutes) said the hockey gods gave Sather a break for all his consistent stupidity. They gave him a break and they let Gainey do something stupid, so that Sather could get out of Gomez's contract.

He said, fans of the Rangers were like, yes, contract is gone, we are going to do it with youth.

And then bam, Sather gives $7.5 million a season right to Gaborik. And they were like, there he goes.

He likened it to Sather being like a drug addict. He tried to wait and he couldn't wait 24 hours with having $$ to spend. So he did.

And he said, fans of the Rangers, that is what they are stuck with. And he didn't mean Gaborik.

He meant Sather.

Hilarious.

I'll give my take later, just had to share that.