Actually a pretty complete game all around for NY. The first and third periods, especially, had the Rangers skating hard and quicker to the puck. Rather refreshing, I must say.
Hank looked much improved over Wednesday's diabacle against Montreal. 19th career and 2nd shutout of the season. You can tell by his facial expressions and body language in the post game interview just how comfortable he felt.
Prucha was - again - a man possessed. Hitting, skating, shooting, doing all the good things he needed to do. When Dubinsky scored that first goal, I said immediately:
"That was all Pete."
Not that Dubinsky and Korpikoski didn't finish it, but none of that happens if Pete doesn't keep the play alive with two guys on him and playing from the ice.
If Pete can do it - why can't some of the other guys on the team show such effort, huh? He always does. Always has.
So Prucha had another great game. Dubinsky looked much improved. And who woke up Niki Zherdev?? Wow.
Korpikoski, who had a goal and an assist, said in the post game, "Z? He was just doing his thing. Dipsy-doodling." Although he said it more like his 'ding, dipzshe doodling. So cute!
Korpi played well, for sure. I didn't even see his goal. Even on the replay. It was that fast.
But Zherdev. Wish we could see more of that from him. Not that he hasn't been one of the Rangers best players this year. He has. But he's still inconsistent in it. Games like this though, we all get to see something very special. Another man possessed, if you will.
Only other thing I have to point out is I loved how after Chris Neil went after Staal - again - the whole team seemed to try to stick up for one another. I love Pete taking Schubert and ?? into the boards. He has ALWAYS been the first to jump into a scrum for a teammate. Others may cower, but him? Nah.
And who's not able to love Marc Staal? Neil is a pest. Staal stood his ground. Great stuff.
Really, though, about Neil. I mean I'd be fine if it was just shoves or talking crap at the faceoff or whatnot. But he's been elbowing Prucha in the face for years unpunished (except that one time that Prucha was able to nail him back :) and Neil was all like, look what he did to me). It's just a little dirty to me. Going for a guys face all the time. That's just my two cents. I'm sure I'm not alone. And Neil is not the only one, I'm sure.
As for Ottawa, I think they didn't play that badly but knowing how good they "should" be, it wasn't a great game. It's disappointing watching once great players like Spezza and Heatley not be effective. It's been rumored for a while, but if Spezza can get out of town, I think it would be a good thing for both sides. Let him jumpstart and shake up the existing team. Otherwise, for his part, goalie Brian Elliot played well for the Sens.
Bottom line. Rangers won. Pretty complete game. If you combine last game and the start of this game and that the Rangers went that long without a penalty - let alone a stupid penalty - that's news in itself. And a big win, I think given that it was a lot of games for the Rangers this past week. Important going forward. Nice to see them end on a good note.
Showing posts with label Brandon Dubinsky. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandon Dubinsky. Show all posts
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Friday, November 28, 2008
Live - Rangers @ Florida. . .[UPDATED]
8:23pm...Break in game action. So I moseyed downstairs a few minutes late to the game and low and behold, the Rangers had a 2-0 lead. Which was surprising on many counts. 1) The Rangers already had their total amount of goals per game on average and less than 4 minutes in. And 2) They scored in the first, not once, but twice.
A thought. So maybe it wasn't Aaron Voros that was making the Zherdev/Dubinsky/PS3 line click. Maybe it was the Dubinsky/Zherdev combo after all. Because those guys have looked very sharp once again and for the last handful of games. I'm not sure what happened during the Dubinsky "lost" phase and the Zherdev "benched" phase, but you know what, as long as the two of them look that good together, keep it that way. I hope they do. Now Naslund. I was never down on Naslund. I thought a player like him, who was switching conferences and teams to come to NY, should be given a fair amount of time to judge his play. And I did, and about 1/2 way through the Rangers games, I started being relatively impressed with him. His talking to the refs, his being a leader. And the way he began playing. He is a good puck mover. And I think playing with young guys (a la Dubinsky and Zherdev) complements his style more than playing with Gomez and Drury. I'm still holding to the fact that that combo was doomed from the start. I think Naslund needs speedy young guys and I like this line a lot right now.
As for Gomez and Drury. I don't really care how much they like playing with one another. Unless they can start to show consistent results together, it's a waste of Gomez. I'm sorry. The Rangers already have two lines that aren't scoring. They need another one that does!
I was just going to say that Aaron Voros has been invisible recently - another case of a player playing with the wrong type of linemates perhaps or just a player gone dry? - when he drew that penalty. I'm not sure.
So Renney did not put Prucha in the lineup after all. He can still do so against Florida on Sunday at the Garden. If not, he must, must, send him to Hartford for conditioning. In the pre-game, Renney said his "good solider" might not be "game ready" after being out of the lineup for 8 straight games. Excuse my language, but no $hit, Tom, really? Honestly...
Florida is not as bad a team as their record. And no, this isn't my trying to justify making Florida playoff team. They have good goaltending from time to time. They have the strength of guys who should be playing better, but aren't. I think it's yet another case of one or two missing pieces or just something that needs to be jumpstarted. But they are better than their record, much like the Rangers are perhaps not as good as their record indicates.
Off to watch the 2nd. . .
9:05pm - end of 2.
Ah, now those late period penalties. Team being undisciplined. That's the Rangers I know and love. Honestly, Florida did not look bad to start the game. One had to assume if the Rangers gave them the opportunities, they could come back in this game. A powerplay goal late in the 3rd (after the Rangers took 3 penalties in a row) and the game is now tied. Credit Florida for taking advantage of the Rangers mental lapses.
Of note: Dubinsky is 8-0 on faceoffs through 2 periods.
Curious to see how the 3rd plays out.
10:32pm - end of game.
Okay so is it wrong I actually chuckled to myself when the Rangers took that many penalties and gave up the tying goal? Probably. But I'm sorry, this team does not play 60 minutes. If they do, it's a rarity. Betts and Sjostrom did not have good games this time around. And their minutes were actually less than usual I think. Fritsche and Voros both scored, and both they and Korpikoski had no more than 7 minutes each. In that sense, they made the most of their time on the ice. Although Korpedo did not seem to be very visible to be honest.
Chalk this game up to another typical one for the red, white, and blue. Play glimpses of smart hockey, mixed in with undisciplined or indifferent play. Allow a team to catch up (if they themselves are not the team playing catchup) and get the game to OT, then a shootout, use the secret weapon (re: Hank) and go home with 2 points. Reverse the early quick 2 goals in this one with the coming from behind late which they've done so often, and that's been a good percentage of the Rangers games this year. Different night, same story.
And it will not work forever. So I guess enjoy it while you can. I enjoy the 2 points, yes. But the team is not exactly playing inspired hockey. Something is missing, guys. What? Again, I'm glad I'm not the coach.
Credit Hank though, for keeping them in it. And credit Florida for taking advantage. Their goalie Anderson made 43 saves. Well deserved point for them.
Random mention. I love Devo, but that was a lousy non-thinking move by Dvorak slew-footing Sjostrom. Not a typical move by him. Now, according to rules, he should get a suspension for it, no? But we all know how Evgeni Malkin got one for the 2 times he slew footed Paul Mara in last year's playoffs, so I'm guessing Radek will play on Sunday. Good guy - bad move.
All in all, a game I'd like to just forget. And perhaps they would like to as well.
One more little funny thing (although not really funny at all, if you get me). As per Andrew Gross's of the Record on his blog [http://njmg.typepad.com/rangersblog/] Tom Renney had a few more interesting things to say about Prucha:
"He's still a Ranger," Renney said. "He's a very helpful player. What we have is a guy that hasn't had an opportunity yet. Because of that, he's had no base on which to develop any level of confidence. He might need a jump start. That's why I contemplated in a game like tonight or the next one or maybe it is the other option we have available to us. It's very important this kid knows he's very well thought of by this organization, coaches, and his teammates. We want to get him playing at a level he can play at."
So this is what it means to be "very well thought of" by an organization? Oh COME ON now.
It's been bandied about on the blogs that the Rangers organization doesn't want to let Prucha go outright because they feel he'd be a good player for another team. So they don't play him, waive him, or send him to Hartford for that reason. Which is great. As the situation stands he benefits no one. To me, it's selfish to not let him play somewhere. If it's Hartford on a conditioning assignment, that's fine. If it's on another team, that's fine. But to let him have "no opportunity", no "level of confidence" and no opportunity to "get him[self] playing at the level he can play at" not only wrecks a player, it wrecks a human.
Unless Prucha has more heart and more loyalty and more inner strength than any of us have.
And you know what - he just may have that. Because for him to still be smiling and still wants to Be A Ranger!, takes a lot more heart, loyalty, and inner strength than I think I'd have right now if I were him.
A thought. So maybe it wasn't Aaron Voros that was making the Zherdev/Dubinsky/PS3 line click. Maybe it was the Dubinsky/Zherdev combo after all. Because those guys have looked very sharp once again and for the last handful of games. I'm not sure what happened during the Dubinsky "lost" phase and the Zherdev "benched" phase, but you know what, as long as the two of them look that good together, keep it that way. I hope they do. Now Naslund. I was never down on Naslund. I thought a player like him, who was switching conferences and teams to come to NY, should be given a fair amount of time to judge his play. And I did, and about 1/2 way through the Rangers games, I started being relatively impressed with him. His talking to the refs, his being a leader. And the way he began playing. He is a good puck mover. And I think playing with young guys (a la Dubinsky and Zherdev) complements his style more than playing with Gomez and Drury. I'm still holding to the fact that that combo was doomed from the start. I think Naslund needs speedy young guys and I like this line a lot right now.
As for Gomez and Drury. I don't really care how much they like playing with one another. Unless they can start to show consistent results together, it's a waste of Gomez. I'm sorry. The Rangers already have two lines that aren't scoring. They need another one that does!
I was just going to say that Aaron Voros has been invisible recently - another case of a player playing with the wrong type of linemates perhaps or just a player gone dry? - when he drew that penalty. I'm not sure.
So Renney did not put Prucha in the lineup after all. He can still do so against Florida on Sunday at the Garden. If not, he must, must, send him to Hartford for conditioning. In the pre-game, Renney said his "good solider" might not be "game ready" after being out of the lineup for 8 straight games. Excuse my language, but no $hit, Tom, really? Honestly...
Florida is not as bad a team as their record. And no, this isn't my trying to justify making Florida playoff team. They have good goaltending from time to time. They have the strength of guys who should be playing better, but aren't. I think it's yet another case of one or two missing pieces or just something that needs to be jumpstarted. But they are better than their record, much like the Rangers are perhaps not as good as their record indicates.
Off to watch the 2nd. . .
9:05pm - end of 2.
Ah, now those late period penalties. Team being undisciplined. That's the Rangers I know and love. Honestly, Florida did not look bad to start the game. One had to assume if the Rangers gave them the opportunities, they could come back in this game. A powerplay goal late in the 3rd (after the Rangers took 3 penalties in a row) and the game is now tied. Credit Florida for taking advantage of the Rangers mental lapses.
Of note: Dubinsky is 8-0 on faceoffs through 2 periods.
Curious to see how the 3rd plays out.
10:32pm - end of game.
Okay so is it wrong I actually chuckled to myself when the Rangers took that many penalties and gave up the tying goal? Probably. But I'm sorry, this team does not play 60 minutes. If they do, it's a rarity. Betts and Sjostrom did not have good games this time around. And their minutes were actually less than usual I think. Fritsche and Voros both scored, and both they and Korpikoski had no more than 7 minutes each. In that sense, they made the most of their time on the ice. Although Korpedo did not seem to be very visible to be honest.
Chalk this game up to another typical one for the red, white, and blue. Play glimpses of smart hockey, mixed in with undisciplined or indifferent play. Allow a team to catch up (if they themselves are not the team playing catchup) and get the game to OT, then a shootout, use the secret weapon (re: Hank) and go home with 2 points. Reverse the early quick 2 goals in this one with the coming from behind late which they've done so often, and that's been a good percentage of the Rangers games this year. Different night, same story.
And it will not work forever. So I guess enjoy it while you can. I enjoy the 2 points, yes. But the team is not exactly playing inspired hockey. Something is missing, guys. What? Again, I'm glad I'm not the coach.
Credit Hank though, for keeping them in it. And credit Florida for taking advantage. Their goalie Anderson made 43 saves. Well deserved point for them.
Random mention. I love Devo, but that was a lousy non-thinking move by Dvorak slew-footing Sjostrom. Not a typical move by him. Now, according to rules, he should get a suspension for it, no? But we all know how Evgeni Malkin got one for the 2 times he slew footed Paul Mara in last year's playoffs, so I'm guessing Radek will play on Sunday. Good guy - bad move.
All in all, a game I'd like to just forget. And perhaps they would like to as well.
One more little funny thing (although not really funny at all, if you get me). As per Andrew Gross's of the Record on his blog [http://njmg.typepad.com/rangersblog/] Tom Renney had a few more interesting things to say about Prucha:
"He's still a Ranger," Renney said. "He's a very helpful player. What we have is a guy that hasn't had an opportunity yet. Because of that, he's had no base on which to develop any level of confidence. He might need a jump start. That's why I contemplated in a game like tonight or the next one or maybe it is the other option we have available to us. It's very important this kid knows he's very well thought of by this organization, coaches, and his teammates. We want to get him playing at a level he can play at."
So this is what it means to be "very well thought of" by an organization? Oh COME ON now.
It's been bandied about on the blogs that the Rangers organization doesn't want to let Prucha go outright because they feel he'd be a good player for another team. So they don't play him, waive him, or send him to Hartford for that reason. Which is great. As the situation stands he benefits no one. To me, it's selfish to not let him play somewhere. If it's Hartford on a conditioning assignment, that's fine. If it's on another team, that's fine. But to let him have "no opportunity", no "level of confidence" and no opportunity to "get him[self] playing at the level he can play at" not only wrecks a player, it wrecks a human.
Unless Prucha has more heart and more loyalty and more inner strength than any of us have.
And you know what - he just may have that. Because for him to still be smiling and still wants to Be A Ranger!, takes a lot more heart, loyalty, and inner strength than I think I'd have right now if I were him.
Just How Valuable Is Loyalty. . .?
Before I get to the point of this particular blog entry, let me admit that I did not see all of Wednesday's Rangers game versus Tampa Bay. I made it to a bar that had the game on with about 8 minutes to go in the 3rd. Hoped actually for reasons that can't exactly be mentioned here that Tampa Bay would tie it and the game would go longer (I know, how can I not be more clear? sorry!) and got my wish. The game went to a shootout and shock of shocks, the Rangers won. But I was glad for it. And Naslund (goals 8 and 9 and the first goal in the shootout) looked on the surface to have had a strong night. Zherdev potted the other deciding shootout goal.
My question on that, though, remains - is this or is this not, still the case of one line producing? If it wasn't Zherdev and Dubinsky on Monday, and now Naslund on Wednesday, what other line is scoring goals? Don't get me wrong. I think it is great these guys are producing. Almost nothing would make me happier than seeing these three play consistently and well - because so far this season, when Dubinsky and Zherdev are playing well, so is the team - and having Naslund play well is an added bonus to that. BUT...that means the Rangers still have a Betts/Sjo/Orr tandem of solidity, a ever-changing third line of inconsistency, and a "1st? line" of Gomez/Drury/Callahan that combines the two 7-million dollar centers in what I feel is a doomed relationship.
Am I alone? I'm not sure. The Rangers on Monday obviously garnered some sort of boost from having Gomez back. But he or his line, minus the empty netter, did not appear on the final game sheet for goals or assists. Callahan's energy alone makes him a key part of the Rangers team. But, didn't we already realize the Gomez and Drury pairing left something to be desired. I ...have no idea what else to think on that.
Except. [And now after a little rambling], we get to the point of the blog. Larry Brooks, again, brought attention to the Petr Prucha "situation." I am applauding him for seemingly being the only one to give full page time to this "situation" and I'm grateful for it. There is either something more to it than meets the eye or nothing to it - which means Renney is lying through is teeth. I'd like to pull a few quotes from the article:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11282008/sports/rangers/prucha_may_play_tonight_141234.htm
After saying he's been giving the Prucha "situation" a lot of thought recently and might play him tonight against Florida, Tom Renney says:
"If not, though, then Hartford will become a consideration . . . We've got to get Petr playing, for his good and the good of the organization. A conditioning assignment has helped to jump-start other players, so I see no reason why it wouldn't have the same impact for Petr."
To which I ask, and why not at ANY early point than now. . . after he's been sitting since November 8th and has NOT played in more than THREE consecutive games this year, does this ONLY NOW cross the coach's mind?
He goes on to say that Nigel Dawes is more of a playmaker than Prucha, and that he has played Dan Fritsche 8 consecutive games (count 'em - 8) so he can wrap his head around what Dan has to offer. And then:
"I know what Petr can do. I know that he can score and has scored in this league, 52 goals his first two seasons. I don't care who he was on the ice with, that tells me something. Now he needs the opportunity. I know that."
"It would be easy for me to say that when he plays, he needs to score, but considering the circumstances, I don't know that he can. So it's B.S. for me to say that he's been given a shot and can't do it. He needs playing time."
Hallelluja! The coach has woken up. Someone has shown him the light. Hallelluja!
Here we have Renney saying it's all B.S. to imply Prucha has been given the opportunity to succeed (an opportunity in training camp that Renney himself said he most definitely would be giving the young forward to start this year) when quite obviously he's been a) shuffled in and out of the lineup and not in it for more than 3 games in a row, b) been playing with the worst possible combinations when he is in the lineup, and c) given about 45 seconds of powerplay time all year. I've been saying the above all year now.
So I'm applauding Tom for saying the above. But...I'm just not sure whether he's actually hearing what he himself is saying. Whether it will sink in. Whether if Prucha does get the opportunity to play tonight, whether or not he'll get the opportunity to play eight straight games in a good situation so it can be determined whether or not his "situation" is worthy of further consideration. I don't know.
My personal fear is that if he plays tonight he'll be on a the line with whoever does not come out of the lineup - Korpikoski, Fritsche, Voros - and be stuck in a similar line of disillusionment. That's my fear. My hope is that he plays with Callahan and Gomez so we the fans, the team, the coaches, can actually see what he plays like when he's on a line with a true set-up guy. And on the power play, having someone dish him the puck. See if he can't pot a goal and build his confidence.
Of course the most bittersweet part of all of this remains that despite his "situation" Prucha has not asked for a trade, does not want a trade, and wants to play and remain loyal to the Rangers. An organization that, this year at least, has not appeared to be looking to act in his own best interest.
Prucha said: "Tom told me to stay positive and patient and that I am still a valuable player for the Rangers. It's been very difficult, but I love the Rangers, and this is the place I want to play."
Larry said" "Still, somehow, it remains impossible to wipe the smile off the irrepressible winger's face. He remains optimistic. He remains committed to the Rangers. He just wants to play."
That says miles about his character. A loyal, want-only-the-best-for-the-team type guy. There are probably too few.
I guess a few of us still have some faith.
My question on that, though, remains - is this or is this not, still the case of one line producing? If it wasn't Zherdev and Dubinsky on Monday, and now Naslund on Wednesday, what other line is scoring goals? Don't get me wrong. I think it is great these guys are producing. Almost nothing would make me happier than seeing these three play consistently and well - because so far this season, when Dubinsky and Zherdev are playing well, so is the team - and having Naslund play well is an added bonus to that. BUT...that means the Rangers still have a Betts/Sjo/Orr tandem of solidity, a ever-changing third line of inconsistency, and a "1st? line" of Gomez/Drury/Callahan that combines the two 7-million dollar centers in what I feel is a doomed relationship.
Am I alone? I'm not sure. The Rangers on Monday obviously garnered some sort of boost from having Gomez back. But he or his line, minus the empty netter, did not appear on the final game sheet for goals or assists. Callahan's energy alone makes him a key part of the Rangers team. But, didn't we already realize the Gomez and Drury pairing left something to be desired. I ...have no idea what else to think on that.
Except. [And now after a little rambling], we get to the point of the blog. Larry Brooks, again, brought attention to the Petr Prucha "situation." I am applauding him for seemingly being the only one to give full page time to this "situation" and I'm grateful for it. There is either something more to it than meets the eye or nothing to it - which means Renney is lying through is teeth. I'd like to pull a few quotes from the article:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11282008/sports/rangers/prucha_may_play_tonight_141234.htm
After saying he's been giving the Prucha "situation" a lot of thought recently and might play him tonight against Florida, Tom Renney says:
"If not, though, then Hartford will become a consideration . . . We've got to get Petr playing, for his good and the good of the organization. A conditioning assignment has helped to jump-start other players, so I see no reason why it wouldn't have the same impact for Petr."
To which I ask, and why not at ANY early point than now. . . after he's been sitting since November 8th and has NOT played in more than THREE consecutive games this year, does this ONLY NOW cross the coach's mind?
He goes on to say that Nigel Dawes is more of a playmaker than Prucha, and that he has played Dan Fritsche 8 consecutive games (count 'em - 8) so he can wrap his head around what Dan has to offer. And then:
"I know what Petr can do. I know that he can score and has scored in this league, 52 goals his first two seasons. I don't care who he was on the ice with, that tells me something. Now he needs the opportunity. I know that."
"It would be easy for me to say that when he plays, he needs to score, but considering the circumstances, I don't know that he can. So it's B.S. for me to say that he's been given a shot and can't do it. He needs playing time."
Hallelluja! The coach has woken up. Someone has shown him the light. Hallelluja!
Here we have Renney saying it's all B.S. to imply Prucha has been given the opportunity to succeed (an opportunity in training camp that Renney himself said he most definitely would be giving the young forward to start this year) when quite obviously he's been a) shuffled in and out of the lineup and not in it for more than 3 games in a row, b) been playing with the worst possible combinations when he is in the lineup, and c) given about 45 seconds of powerplay time all year. I've been saying the above all year now.
So I'm applauding Tom for saying the above. But...I'm just not sure whether he's actually hearing what he himself is saying. Whether it will sink in. Whether if Prucha does get the opportunity to play tonight, whether or not he'll get the opportunity to play eight straight games in a good situation so it can be determined whether or not his "situation" is worthy of further consideration. I don't know.
My personal fear is that if he plays tonight he'll be on a the line with whoever does not come out of the lineup - Korpikoski, Fritsche, Voros - and be stuck in a similar line of disillusionment. That's my fear. My hope is that he plays with Callahan and Gomez so we the fans, the team, the coaches, can actually see what he plays like when he's on a line with a true set-up guy. And on the power play, having someone dish him the puck. See if he can't pot a goal and build his confidence.
Of course the most bittersweet part of all of this remains that despite his "situation" Prucha has not asked for a trade, does not want a trade, and wants to play and remain loyal to the Rangers. An organization that, this year at least, has not appeared to be looking to act in his own best interest.
Prucha said: "Tom told me to stay positive and patient and that I am still a valuable player for the Rangers. It's been very difficult, but I love the Rangers, and this is the place I want to play."
Larry said" "Still, somehow, it remains impossible to wipe the smile off the irrepressible winger's face. He remains optimistic. He remains committed to the Rangers. He just wants to play."
That says miles about his character. A loyal, want-only-the-best-for-the-team type guy. There are probably too few.
I guess a few of us still have some faith.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Step In A Direction. . .
I'm not going to necessarily say it was the "right" direction, but it was a step nonetheless.
Is having Scott Gomez in the lineup a mental thing? Is he like their lucky rabbit's foot or something? Because credit the guy for having a monster night on faceoffs (19-4) and actually looking VERY speedy, especially in light of his being off for the last five games with a stress fracture. But ironically, it was not really his line - Callahan, Drury, and himself - who played the best for the Rangers on the night.
It was actually other lines stepping up. Dubinsky/Naslund/Zherdev looked sharp and Zherdev had a great night, getting primary assists on the first three Rangers goals. Dubinsky finally looked back in stride, after appearing lost in the last bunch of games. A loud shot rung off the post behind Ilya Bryzgalov in the first by Dubinsky, but he would later bury a shot for his first goal since October 24th in Columbus. Big time to step up. Even if the kid is not a fighter. In case there was any doubt, he has not much improved since Luke Richardson knocked him out last season.
And Betts - yes Blair Betts - had a nice looking goal. I had to look down, look at the replay, before saying, Betts? Seriously? But, it was a nice one. And it helped the Rangers re-gain the momentum in the game.
Overall, though, without trying to burst bubbles, it has to be taken into consideration that this victory was against a Phoenix team, who was ranked 14th in the West coming into last night.
Does that mean it doesn't count? No. It counts and because it was a "much needed" win, it counts for more than just two points. But the point remains, I'm not sure they'd have been able to get away with some of their early (and characteristically) sloppy play in the first, if they were playing a stronger team.
It should also be noted that specialty teams were not really a factor last night, but not even for the reason you may think. Phoenix took only 2 minor penalties. Therefore, with Girardi's powerplay goal, the Rangers were 1-2 on the PP. 50%. Amazing.
Almost more importantly, the Rangers did not take stupid penalties. In fact, the Rangers took only one minor all night. When was the last time that happened? Anyone?
Now, the question for this Thanksgiving week is - will the Rangers be able to build on this and beat the very beatable Tampa Bay (1) and Florida (2) teams they face in their next three games? I sure hope so. But, at the same time, the Rangers sometimes confuse trips to Florida for early summer vacations. Let's hope that's not the case when the Rangers face Tampa Bay tomorrow at 7:30. I'm probably missing the game live, but I'll catch up at some point. Enjoy!
p.s. was that Sweet Caroline I heard playing in the Garden? Hasn't that been on a hiatus, win or lose? I wonder why it came back, but I wonder even more why it went away in the first place.
Is having Scott Gomez in the lineup a mental thing? Is he like their lucky rabbit's foot or something? Because credit the guy for having a monster night on faceoffs (19-4) and actually looking VERY speedy, especially in light of his being off for the last five games with a stress fracture. But ironically, it was not really his line - Callahan, Drury, and himself - who played the best for the Rangers on the night.
It was actually other lines stepping up. Dubinsky/Naslund/Zherdev looked sharp and Zherdev had a great night, getting primary assists on the first three Rangers goals. Dubinsky finally looked back in stride, after appearing lost in the last bunch of games. A loud shot rung off the post behind Ilya Bryzgalov in the first by Dubinsky, but he would later bury a shot for his first goal since October 24th in Columbus. Big time to step up. Even if the kid is not a fighter. In case there was any doubt, he has not much improved since Luke Richardson knocked him out last season.
And Betts - yes Blair Betts - had a nice looking goal. I had to look down, look at the replay, before saying, Betts? Seriously? But, it was a nice one. And it helped the Rangers re-gain the momentum in the game.
Overall, though, without trying to burst bubbles, it has to be taken into consideration that this victory was against a Phoenix team, who was ranked 14th in the West coming into last night.
Does that mean it doesn't count? No. It counts and because it was a "much needed" win, it counts for more than just two points. But the point remains, I'm not sure they'd have been able to get away with some of their early (and characteristically) sloppy play in the first, if they were playing a stronger team.
It should also be noted that specialty teams were not really a factor last night, but not even for the reason you may think. Phoenix took only 2 minor penalties. Therefore, with Girardi's powerplay goal, the Rangers were 1-2 on the PP. 50%. Amazing.
Almost more importantly, the Rangers did not take stupid penalties. In fact, the Rangers took only one minor all night. When was the last time that happened? Anyone?
Now, the question for this Thanksgiving week is - will the Rangers be able to build on this and beat the very beatable Tampa Bay (1) and Florida (2) teams they face in their next three games? I sure hope so. But, at the same time, the Rangers sometimes confuse trips to Florida for early summer vacations. Let's hope that's not the case when the Rangers face Tampa Bay tomorrow at 7:30. I'm probably missing the game live, but I'll catch up at some point. Enjoy!
p.s. was that Sweet Caroline I heard playing in the Garden? Hasn't that been on a hiatus, win or lose? I wonder why it came back, but I wonder even more why it went away in the first place.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Snoozefest. . .?
At least a few apologies in advance, because I honestly am not sure what I am going to comment upon in last night's Isles/Rangers game. And that is because I almost unbelievably and regretfully, fell asleep.
Yes, asleep. In the third period. Which from my continuing to wake up every time a goal was scored, sounded like the better of the three.
To start, I was delayed out of work, so I missed the first goal on the radio. Anyone want to tell me what channel Rangers games are on now that it's not 1050 or 1130 or even 1560? I finally caught the Islanders feed on XM Radio in time to hear it was 1-0. So by the time I got home, I watched what I could of the first, and the second, but again, regrettably I fell asleep for the third. And not because I don't love hockey. But because apparently I was THAT tired.
So in the quickest wrap-up in history:
-Didn't think it was the prettiest game, but again, I guess they don't have to be. The important thing is they won.
-Chris Drury scored a goal. I'm not going pat him on the back and say he scored two. Because even if (even if) he touched the puck by a millimeter on that first goal, he didn't mean to. They second one was a legit goal, however, and I hope that breaks him out of his funk. Besides PK, the guy is not doing much else.
- Speaking of, thank goodness this team has good penalty killers, honestly. Because the PP is a joke. 1-8. Just sit back and think how good this team would be if they could get more than one PP goal a game. Honestly now. . .
- Joey MacDonald, in for a mysteriously injured Rick Dipietro, played very well. For a while, at 1-1, I thought it was going to be a close game the whole way through. Credit him. He kept them in the game until the Rangers (apparently) came on strong in the 3rd.
-Petr Prucha got more ice time (and a whopping 0:54 on the struggling powerplay) than Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros, his linemates to start the game. This was because Dubinsky, the first center to be benched since Michael Nylander a few years ago (to my memory at least), came out of the gate and took 2 penalties. And because Voros fought Nate Thompson, who I think had grabbed Voros' undershirt, because it appeared Voros could not get a clean swing; and then later took a boarding call, which, from my slumber, sounded like a not great move on his part. I'll review that tonight. Of note for Prucha, a blocked shot. Which is all I seem to remember. And hustle. Of course, presumably, he was playing with a whole slew of different guys throughout the night. Will he be back Thursday?
Yes, asleep. In the third period. Which from my continuing to wake up every time a goal was scored, sounded like the better of the three.
To start, I was delayed out of work, so I missed the first goal on the radio. Anyone want to tell me what channel Rangers games are on now that it's not 1050 or 1130 or even 1560? I finally caught the Islanders feed on XM Radio in time to hear it was 1-0. So by the time I got home, I watched what I could of the first, and the second, but again, regrettably I fell asleep for the third. And not because I don't love hockey. But because apparently I was THAT tired.
So in the quickest wrap-up in history:
-Didn't think it was the prettiest game, but again, I guess they don't have to be. The important thing is they won.
-Chris Drury scored a goal. I'm not going pat him on the back and say he scored two. Because even if (even if) he touched the puck by a millimeter on that first goal, he didn't mean to. They second one was a legit goal, however, and I hope that breaks him out of his funk. Besides PK, the guy is not doing much else.
- Speaking of, thank goodness this team has good penalty killers, honestly. Because the PP is a joke. 1-8. Just sit back and think how good this team would be if they could get more than one PP goal a game. Honestly now. . .
- Joey MacDonald, in for a mysteriously injured Rick Dipietro, played very well. For a while, at 1-1, I thought it was going to be a close game the whole way through. Credit him. He kept them in the game until the Rangers (apparently) came on strong in the 3rd.
-Petr Prucha got more ice time (and a whopping 0:54 on the struggling powerplay) than Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros, his linemates to start the game. This was because Dubinsky, the first center to be benched since Michael Nylander a few years ago (to my memory at least), came out of the gate and took 2 penalties. And because Voros fought Nate Thompson, who I think had grabbed Voros' undershirt, because it appeared Voros could not get a clean swing; and then later took a boarding call, which, from my slumber, sounded like a not great move on his part. I'll review that tonight. Of note for Prucha, a blocked shot. Which is all I seem to remember. And hustle. Of course, presumably, he was playing with a whole slew of different guys throughout the night. Will he be back Thursday?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Return of Avery. . .Post Game. . .
"He's a career minor-leaguer and he's got to get in the paper some way. So why not talk about me?" Sean Avery on Rangers goalie Steve Valiquette.
That may have been as ugly as it got last night. Or it may have gotten much uglier. We'll probably never know everything that happened in #16's return to the place he called home for the better part of the last two seasons. So all I can review is what was seen and heard:
Avery's Antics:
I happen to really like and respect Steve Valiquette. I happen to really like and appreciate Sean Avery. It's a simple as that. Appreciation versus respect. Sean Avery, the hockey player and the personality that goes along with it, is entertaining. I appreciate that. As a fan and for what it does for the league - making it all a little less cookie cutter. I appreciated it when he was a Ranger and now that he's a Star. Above all else, no one can ever say he is boring. However, I respect Steve Valiquette. I've had the pleasure of talking with him for a few brief moments after a game once, and he is as nice and genuine as he appears on his post game interviews. A real good guy. Does a genuine good guy deserve that swipe from Avery? Certainly not.
But I'm not going to throw Avery under a bus for it either. Why? Because he's wrong. The above statement is blatantly wrong. Valiquette has better things to do than talk about Avery to get his name in the papers, for one. I'm pretty sure his play against teams like Toronto and Philadelphia mean he gets plenty of press at those games for the right reasons. He's not a minor leaguer. In fact, he can probably be starting on a few teams in this league right now. So it's false. End of story. They are just words meant to get a rise.
But the real reason I won't allow myself to worry about it - is because this is Sean Avery. Sean being Sean. He said he wasn't going to talk to the media. And yet, not at all surprisingly, he still did take time to talk to Stan Fischler (where the above quote came from on MSG network). And he said something marginally controversial. Is anyone really shocked? Anyone? This is Sean being Sean. I'm sure Vali slept just fine last night. And in defense of the entire situation - which for the record started because apparently Brandon Dubinsky and Valiquette both said things about how the atmosphere around the team was different this year and that it had to do with the absence of Avery - these guys that have a right to their opinions. I heard that Sean sat in the locker room (I'm assuming visiting or perhaps at the training center because I am pretty sure the Rangers home locker room has the two goalies sit side by side) with Dubinsky on one side and Valiquette on the other. If ANYONE has the right to be sick of his mouth, it's those two. And like him or not, and again, I still like him, Sean has a big freakin' mouth. And that can grate on anyone, day in, day out. I'm going to leave it at that.
Except for one more thing and I apologize for what might seem to be a tangent. I defended Mark Messier and will continue to do so probably forever, against all those who said he left to go to Vancouver for more money. I really ,really, really think it has everything to do with respect. I read once that he called Brian Leetch as the situation was going down and said, "I can't believe they don't want me." It might appear, on the surface, to be money. But for a guy like that who has plenty, isn't it really more about what you've done and the respect you should get. The guy gets standing ovations whenever he enters the arena. He did more for the team than just the actions of that one year, but it is that one year that cemented his legacy. He can live forever on that one year. And they pretty much said, we don't need you THAT much. And that hurt and he left, poised for the next challenge. Although I know he never wanted to leave. If I had to guess, he felt he had to. Hockey players are people, and people are prideful mammals. That hurt his pride. He moved on. That's my opinion.
Now Avery is not Messier, or Brian Leetch (who also to this day believes - very rightly so - that he was greatly disrespected by the Rangers organization), but he still might feel something of the same vein as those two great players did.
Allow me to explain before you jump at me. Are these situations on the same scale? Don't be serious. I think Leetch was the most disrespected and did the most in his time in New York, even over Messier and over Mike Richter. Again, I think Messier's moments in 1994 paints his strong legacy to this team and he will be remembered forever.
Sean Avery could not be further away on that list. It's not a contest. He might fall somewhere 300 players down the line of guys that have stood and contributed for the red, white, and blue, whereas you might be looking at 1 and 2 in Leetch and Messier.
But . . . like it or not - he made the Rangers a more effective team. He loved his time in NY. Despite his attitude and his mouth, he was very rarely a reason they lost. More often than not, he was a reason they won. Somewhat unorthodoxly? Yeah maybe. But effective. All I am really saying is the guy probably just wanted to see some respect. And in his mind, he didn't get that.
Is he worth what he was asking monetarily? Probably not, but I am not sure. I hesitate to say no way in hell, because, face it, Gomez, Drury, Redden and Rozsival are not worth what they are making for this team at all. (Neither were guys, although good guys like, Eric Lindros, Bobby Holik, Darius Kasparaitis, et al). And yet they get to stay. So. . . I'm not going to suggest he is or isn't worth it. It's not important. But the process is a business. (Ask Bobby Holik how he felt when he played for the Devils and went to arbitration. He's a smart guy, but his feelings were hurt. So he turned and walked away from a team he loved. For the extra $500,000? Puhhhleaaseee. It was because he felt disrespected. Right, wrong, or indifferent. He moved on.) And Sean made a business move. Whether he felt he was going to take whoever was offering the most money OR he felt disrespected by a team that was, in all honestly kissing his @ss a little at times during his years there, OR a combination of both - he moved on. In my mind it's as simple as that. We should probably move on too.
Avery's Game:
Avery's game was nothing special. He wasn't bad, he wasn't good. He was just there. Chirping at moments. Chipping at others. But nothing insane. At one point he tried to hit Dmitri Kalinin behind the net, and half missed, falling to the ice. That prompted laughs from the crowd. Which, for the most part, was in the anti-Avery corner. Whether a few guys decided to start to boo and it caught on from there, I'm not sure. I, for the record, do not boo. I really don't. I'll mumble stuff under my breath, but I don't boo. It's not my style. If fans got pleasure out of doing it, then fine. But, at the end of it all, the Stars still won the game. Which brings me to:
The Game Itself:
It was really pretty uninspired. Gomez, in my opinion, might really have been suffering from effects of the flu in the games last week, because he looked much quicker last night. I'll admit that. The rest of the team, with the exception of Callahan and Dubinsky, who always look fast, did not. It was a good start. The Rangers drew a powerplay on Loui Erikkson's penalty at 25 seconds and potted their first (and consequently only) goal at 58 seconds.
For the next 59:02, it was mostly Stars or indifferent. Rangers got some shots, definitely. But even their goal - and if it helps his confidence than I'm all for him getting it - by Naslund was into an essentially empty net. Kudos on his being open for it though. And he did have five shots on the night.
Drury continued to be invisible. Is it too early to say that he is letting the "captain" stigma get to him? I mean I honestly, and I haven't said one word about this, felt the Rangers shouldn't have named a captain this year. Why do they really need one? Have 3 assistants, like they did post-lockout, and let someone step up and earn it - both on the ice and in the room. No personal disrespect to Drury, but it is not going to look good to have your team captain also being the worst player on your team. And can you ever take that back?
Gomez, Callahan, and a slightly renewed Nigel Dawes, also had a good number of shots, so it continues to prove that Gomez plays well with guys with the younger guys, rather than Drury and Naslund.
Michal Rozsival is a question for me. I never hated him, never loved him. The guy has helped score some goals over the years, many clutch. But. . . he always takes penalties - in good games, in bad games, and at all types of moments. At some point you have to ask, is he just dumb to keep taking the same penalties, or does he get caught in bad spots on the ice? I'm not sure. I don't hate him like some people seem to, but he and his co-D on the power play (one Wade Redden) are both grossly overpaid. Speaking of #6 - he hasn't had a point since opening night. At least Rozsival finds the net from time to time. Or helps others find it.
On a personal level, I loved seeing Mike Modano get the game winner. I've been a big fan of his for a very long time and to have him still play and continue to contribute (6 pts in 6 games this season) makes me happy. He's a loyal guy, and has played for the Stars franchise for all his season in the league, which is rare in this day's NHL. And he's American born, and arguably one of the all-time best from the USA. And if you are looking at goals and points, he already is that guy. I watched the Stars big time during the 99 season and the early 2000s. They had some epic playoff matchups against Edmonton and Colorado. Those were great. I've never quite understood the switcher-oo the Stars played with Modano being captain and then not, but I think he was a good enough guy to take it in stride for the most part. A part of a team, and if the team succeeds, I'll be happy, kind of guy. Or else he would have been out of there too. But he does great things for Dallas. Not many people, especially from a state like Michigan, play in Minnesota, go onto Dallas, and then stay there. In Dallas. Year round. The city of Dallas owes Michael Thomas Modano a lot. And for me, he's had a great career to watch.
Overall:
Sean said good things about the Rangers - last night, when he was with the team, and at times in between. Whether it was all in the name of public relations, we won't ever know. But I think he liked NY. I think NY was good to him. And I think he was good for the Rangers as well. I'm not his teammate, so I can't guess whether or not the Rangers players (that were on the team the last two years with Sean) feel it is a good or bad thing he's not around. But, for me, he is entertaining and he is more than just the character that no one can deny he is. He came back to the Garden last night, and was essentially nothing less than his true self. And, whether he pumped up his new team or distracted his former team, his new team won the game. And that's the bottom line.
That may have been as ugly as it got last night. Or it may have gotten much uglier. We'll probably never know everything that happened in #16's return to the place he called home for the better part of the last two seasons. So all I can review is what was seen and heard:
Avery's Antics:
I happen to really like and respect Steve Valiquette. I happen to really like and appreciate Sean Avery. It's a simple as that. Appreciation versus respect. Sean Avery, the hockey player and the personality that goes along with it, is entertaining. I appreciate that. As a fan and for what it does for the league - making it all a little less cookie cutter. I appreciated it when he was a Ranger and now that he's a Star. Above all else, no one can ever say he is boring. However, I respect Steve Valiquette. I've had the pleasure of talking with him for a few brief moments after a game once, and he is as nice and genuine as he appears on his post game interviews. A real good guy. Does a genuine good guy deserve that swipe from Avery? Certainly not.
But I'm not going to throw Avery under a bus for it either. Why? Because he's wrong. The above statement is blatantly wrong. Valiquette has better things to do than talk about Avery to get his name in the papers, for one. I'm pretty sure his play against teams like Toronto and Philadelphia mean he gets plenty of press at those games for the right reasons. He's not a minor leaguer. In fact, he can probably be starting on a few teams in this league right now. So it's false. End of story. They are just words meant to get a rise.
But the real reason I won't allow myself to worry about it - is because this is Sean Avery. Sean being Sean. He said he wasn't going to talk to the media. And yet, not at all surprisingly, he still did take time to talk to Stan Fischler (where the above quote came from on MSG network). And he said something marginally controversial. Is anyone really shocked? Anyone? This is Sean being Sean. I'm sure Vali slept just fine last night. And in defense of the entire situation - which for the record started because apparently Brandon Dubinsky and Valiquette both said things about how the atmosphere around the team was different this year and that it had to do with the absence of Avery - these guys that have a right to their opinions. I heard that Sean sat in the locker room (I'm assuming visiting or perhaps at the training center because I am pretty sure the Rangers home locker room has the two goalies sit side by side) with Dubinsky on one side and Valiquette on the other. If ANYONE has the right to be sick of his mouth, it's those two. And like him or not, and again, I still like him, Sean has a big freakin' mouth. And that can grate on anyone, day in, day out. I'm going to leave it at that.
Except for one more thing and I apologize for what might seem to be a tangent. I defended Mark Messier and will continue to do so probably forever, against all those who said he left to go to Vancouver for more money. I really ,really, really think it has everything to do with respect. I read once that he called Brian Leetch as the situation was going down and said, "I can't believe they don't want me." It might appear, on the surface, to be money. But for a guy like that who has plenty, isn't it really more about what you've done and the respect you should get. The guy gets standing ovations whenever he enters the arena. He did more for the team than just the actions of that one year, but it is that one year that cemented his legacy. He can live forever on that one year. And they pretty much said, we don't need you THAT much. And that hurt and he left, poised for the next challenge. Although I know he never wanted to leave. If I had to guess, he felt he had to. Hockey players are people, and people are prideful mammals. That hurt his pride. He moved on. That's my opinion.
Now Avery is not Messier, or Brian Leetch (who also to this day believes - very rightly so - that he was greatly disrespected by the Rangers organization), but he still might feel something of the same vein as those two great players did.
Allow me to explain before you jump at me. Are these situations on the same scale? Don't be serious. I think Leetch was the most disrespected and did the most in his time in New York, even over Messier and over Mike Richter. Again, I think Messier's moments in 1994 paints his strong legacy to this team and he will be remembered forever.
Sean Avery could not be further away on that list. It's not a contest. He might fall somewhere 300 players down the line of guys that have stood and contributed for the red, white, and blue, whereas you might be looking at 1 and 2 in Leetch and Messier.
But . . . like it or not - he made the Rangers a more effective team. He loved his time in NY. Despite his attitude and his mouth, he was very rarely a reason they lost. More often than not, he was a reason they won. Somewhat unorthodoxly? Yeah maybe. But effective. All I am really saying is the guy probably just wanted to see some respect. And in his mind, he didn't get that.
Is he worth what he was asking monetarily? Probably not, but I am not sure. I hesitate to say no way in hell, because, face it, Gomez, Drury, Redden and Rozsival are not worth what they are making for this team at all. (Neither were guys, although good guys like, Eric Lindros, Bobby Holik, Darius Kasparaitis, et al). And yet they get to stay. So. . . I'm not going to suggest he is or isn't worth it. It's not important. But the process is a business. (Ask Bobby Holik how he felt when he played for the Devils and went to arbitration. He's a smart guy, but his feelings were hurt. So he turned and walked away from a team he loved. For the extra $500,000? Puhhhleaaseee. It was because he felt disrespected. Right, wrong, or indifferent. He moved on.) And Sean made a business move. Whether he felt he was going to take whoever was offering the most money OR he felt disrespected by a team that was, in all honestly kissing his @ss a little at times during his years there, OR a combination of both - he moved on. In my mind it's as simple as that. We should probably move on too.
Avery's Game:
Avery's game was nothing special. He wasn't bad, he wasn't good. He was just there. Chirping at moments. Chipping at others. But nothing insane. At one point he tried to hit Dmitri Kalinin behind the net, and half missed, falling to the ice. That prompted laughs from the crowd. Which, for the most part, was in the anti-Avery corner. Whether a few guys decided to start to boo and it caught on from there, I'm not sure. I, for the record, do not boo. I really don't. I'll mumble stuff under my breath, but I don't boo. It's not my style. If fans got pleasure out of doing it, then fine. But, at the end of it all, the Stars still won the game. Which brings me to:
The Game Itself:
It was really pretty uninspired. Gomez, in my opinion, might really have been suffering from effects of the flu in the games last week, because he looked much quicker last night. I'll admit that. The rest of the team, with the exception of Callahan and Dubinsky, who always look fast, did not. It was a good start. The Rangers drew a powerplay on Loui Erikkson's penalty at 25 seconds and potted their first (and consequently only) goal at 58 seconds.
For the next 59:02, it was mostly Stars or indifferent. Rangers got some shots, definitely. But even their goal - and if it helps his confidence than I'm all for him getting it - by Naslund was into an essentially empty net. Kudos on his being open for it though. And he did have five shots on the night.
Drury continued to be invisible. Is it too early to say that he is letting the "captain" stigma get to him? I mean I honestly, and I haven't said one word about this, felt the Rangers shouldn't have named a captain this year. Why do they really need one? Have 3 assistants, like they did post-lockout, and let someone step up and earn it - both on the ice and in the room. No personal disrespect to Drury, but it is not going to look good to have your team captain also being the worst player on your team. And can you ever take that back?
Gomez, Callahan, and a slightly renewed Nigel Dawes, also had a good number of shots, so it continues to prove that Gomez plays well with guys with the younger guys, rather than Drury and Naslund.
Michal Rozsival is a question for me. I never hated him, never loved him. The guy has helped score some goals over the years, many clutch. But. . . he always takes penalties - in good games, in bad games, and at all types of moments. At some point you have to ask, is he just dumb to keep taking the same penalties, or does he get caught in bad spots on the ice? I'm not sure. I don't hate him like some people seem to, but he and his co-D on the power play (one Wade Redden) are both grossly overpaid. Speaking of #6 - he hasn't had a point since opening night. At least Rozsival finds the net from time to time. Or helps others find it.
On a personal level, I loved seeing Mike Modano get the game winner. I've been a big fan of his for a very long time and to have him still play and continue to contribute (6 pts in 6 games this season) makes me happy. He's a loyal guy, and has played for the Stars franchise for all his season in the league, which is rare in this day's NHL. And he's American born, and arguably one of the all-time best from the USA. And if you are looking at goals and points, he already is that guy. I watched the Stars big time during the 99 season and the early 2000s. They had some epic playoff matchups against Edmonton and Colorado. Those were great. I've never quite understood the switcher-oo the Stars played with Modano being captain and then not, but I think he was a good enough guy to take it in stride for the most part. A part of a team, and if the team succeeds, I'll be happy, kind of guy. Or else he would have been out of there too. But he does great things for Dallas. Not many people, especially from a state like Michigan, play in Minnesota, go onto Dallas, and then stay there. In Dallas. Year round. The city of Dallas owes Michael Thomas Modano a lot. And for me, he's had a great career to watch.
Overall:
Sean said good things about the Rangers - last night, when he was with the team, and at times in between. Whether it was all in the name of public relations, we won't ever know. But I think he liked NY. I think NY was good to him. And I think he was good for the Rangers as well. I'm not his teammate, so I can't guess whether or not the Rangers players (that were on the team the last two years with Sean) feel it is a good or bad thing he's not around. But, for me, he is entertaining and he is more than just the character that no one can deny he is. He came back to the Garden last night, and was essentially nothing less than his true self. And, whether he pumped up his new team or distracted his former team, his new team won the game. And that's the bottom line.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Return of Avery - Preview. . .
"That boy never played with a doll in his life. Why would he tell people that?" - Al Avery (Sean's father) on Sean's recent interview
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/101908dnspostarsavery.3005bed.html?npc
I think that pretty much sums up almost everything you need to know about Sean Avery. The guy, as I've said before and will continue to hold true to, is a character. Plain. Simple. Done deal. He says what he says to get a rise out of those around him. He is an actor, playing a role, and the NHL and it's rinks are his stage.
In between it all, he manages to play hockey (sometimes), but he, like me, much prefers his part time job. His - pain in the @ss!
But I write this all with a smile on my face. Sean, a character, is also a heck of a hockey player. When he wants to be. I can't in all of my running it through my head, figure out why he would sign in Dallas and purposely try to play poorly there. Again, I've made it clear. If he doesn't play well and keep as good an attitude as possible, no one will take him off Dallas' hands. And the Sean Avery show will come to an end - on ice at least.
However, it's really kinda early to be saying that, in my opinion. True, Sean came to the Rangers and the impact was like a flame to gasoline. He ignited. Perhaps he is still getting used to the southern climate. More cowboy boots and less Naked Cowboys. . .maybe?
He will return tonight though to a climate he was very familiar with for the bulk of the last two years - New York City. Will the fans great him with open arms and chants of Avery-Avery? Probably not. I do, if I had to take a guess, think he'll get a good reception. I do. He was a big part of this team's success. And I think people will remember that. And given the absolute lack of personality and character on this team right now, I think some miss Sean Avery more than ever.
Dallas comes into the Garden at 1-3-1, which I think is below their standards and certainly what I expected from them. The Rangers are currently at 6-1-1 and, might I be so bold to admit, are getting better results than they might be deserving.
I didn't get to see Saturday's game, and I only read a few articles, so I can't really comment on it. But, to sum up:
-The Rangers PP has been horrible. 5 for 39, good for 22nd in the league. Just over 12%. Honestly. . . I never should have said it couldn't get worse.
-Naslund and Drury are a combined -7 on the year. So not only have they not been scoring, but I noticed they were both -2 for the game on Saturday as well. Drury continues to be, until proven otherwise, my biggest personal disappointment on this team. (And faceoff, smashe-off; this team was awesome on faceoffs. This year, so far, slightly less awesome. Same, stupid non-difference!)
-To expound upon my comment above on the lack of personality on the team. I love the Rangers I really do. I think that's clear. But while I'll try to apologize while being blunt in some of my comments, I'm not going to sugar coat either. If the Rangers did not have Aaron Voros and Brandon Dubinsky, this team would be in a much worse place. In the standings. In moral. End of story. They are contributing in bulk and they are looking alive in doing so. If I were to list the Rangers that had personality (on the ice), I'm looking at a rare few: Valiquette, Dubinsky, and perhaps and at times: Aaron Voros, Paul Mara, and Colton Orr (smiling after fighting never hurts). But seriously, this team is not bursting at the seams with life. It's not. They are winning, which is great, but with the exception of a good goal celebration run from the PS3 line, this team does not really make you feel that they well. . .feel it. It's obviously too early to really comment on this, but I'm just taking a moment to say what I feel. They are winning - yes. But are they really doing it in the way you thought they'd be? Cause I can certainly say, not at all. And I'm also not sure how long it will last at this rate. A strong PK, one line of scoring, and good goaltending can only last so far before more holes are exposed. Just my opinion.
Around the league:
Biggest surprise to start the season - negative: a tie for me between Philadelphia and Anaheim's lackluster starts.
Biggest surprise to start the season - positive: St. Louis's PP and Buffalo's going 4-0-1
I'll check in tomorrow with The Return of Avery. . .the Recap. Enjoy everyone.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/101908dnspostarsavery.3005bed.html?npc
I think that pretty much sums up almost everything you need to know about Sean Avery. The guy, as I've said before and will continue to hold true to, is a character. Plain. Simple. Done deal. He says what he says to get a rise out of those around him. He is an actor, playing a role, and the NHL and it's rinks are his stage.
In between it all, he manages to play hockey (sometimes), but he, like me, much prefers his part time job. His - pain in the @ss!
But I write this all with a smile on my face. Sean, a character, is also a heck of a hockey player. When he wants to be. I can't in all of my running it through my head, figure out why he would sign in Dallas and purposely try to play poorly there. Again, I've made it clear. If he doesn't play well and keep as good an attitude as possible, no one will take him off Dallas' hands. And the Sean Avery show will come to an end - on ice at least.
However, it's really kinda early to be saying that, in my opinion. True, Sean came to the Rangers and the impact was like a flame to gasoline. He ignited. Perhaps he is still getting used to the southern climate. More cowboy boots and less Naked Cowboys. . .maybe?
He will return tonight though to a climate he was very familiar with for the bulk of the last two years - New York City. Will the fans great him with open arms and chants of Avery-Avery? Probably not. I do, if I had to take a guess, think he'll get a good reception. I do. He was a big part of this team's success. And I think people will remember that. And given the absolute lack of personality and character on this team right now, I think some miss Sean Avery more than ever.
Dallas comes into the Garden at 1-3-1, which I think is below their standards and certainly what I expected from them. The Rangers are currently at 6-1-1 and, might I be so bold to admit, are getting better results than they might be deserving.
I didn't get to see Saturday's game, and I only read a few articles, so I can't really comment on it. But, to sum up:
-The Rangers PP has been horrible. 5 for 39, good for 22nd in the league. Just over 12%. Honestly. . . I never should have said it couldn't get worse.
-Naslund and Drury are a combined -7 on the year. So not only have they not been scoring, but I noticed they were both -2 for the game on Saturday as well. Drury continues to be, until proven otherwise, my biggest personal disappointment on this team. (And faceoff, smashe-off; this team was awesome on faceoffs. This year, so far, slightly less awesome. Same, stupid non-difference!)
-To expound upon my comment above on the lack of personality on the team. I love the Rangers I really do. I think that's clear. But while I'll try to apologize while being blunt in some of my comments, I'm not going to sugar coat either. If the Rangers did not have Aaron Voros and Brandon Dubinsky, this team would be in a much worse place. In the standings. In moral. End of story. They are contributing in bulk and they are looking alive in doing so. If I were to list the Rangers that had personality (on the ice), I'm looking at a rare few: Valiquette, Dubinsky, and perhaps and at times: Aaron Voros, Paul Mara, and Colton Orr (smiling after fighting never hurts). But seriously, this team is not bursting at the seams with life. It's not. They are winning, which is great, but with the exception of a good goal celebration run from the PS3 line, this team does not really make you feel that they well. . .feel it. It's obviously too early to really comment on this, but I'm just taking a moment to say what I feel. They are winning - yes. But are they really doing it in the way you thought they'd be? Cause I can certainly say, not at all. And I'm also not sure how long it will last at this rate. A strong PK, one line of scoring, and good goaltending can only last so far before more holes are exposed. Just my opinion.
Around the league:
Biggest surprise to start the season - negative: a tie for me between Philadelphia and Anaheim's lackluster starts.
Biggest surprise to start the season - positive: St. Louis's PP and Buffalo's going 4-0-1
I'll check in tomorrow with The Return of Avery. . .the Recap. Enjoy everyone.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Should He Play or Should He Go. . .?
I have read, listened to, and literally gotten sick keeping track of all the talk over keep him/trade him, like him/think he's not worth it, on Petr Prucha, and I've waited a long time to respond. So, now that I am . . . let's go. . .
I've listened to it all. Really. And I'm not saying he is blameless. I'm not saying he is perfect. I'm not saying anything really. Except give the kid a damn break. There, I said it. Give him a break. Whether he sticks with this team for ten years or gets traded tomorrow. . .this is a kid that has, honestly, tried his best. Really. I'd like to see someone argue that he hasn't.
And now the facts and then my honest to goodness opinion.
Petr came into the league as an unknown in the 2005-2006 season. During which, he came in under the radar and at a time when almost everything was clicking on the Rangers. Guys like Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Michael Nylander were resurrecting their careers. Hank Lundqvist emerged, also as a relative unknown, to lead the team into the playoff picture. The way the team was clipping before the Olympic break, I'd be hard pressed to believe they wouldn't have continued on into the late rounds of the playoffs and perhaps even the Final. As it was, the team fell apart post-Olympic break and stumbled into the playoffs, leading to a quick, painful exit in four to the team from NJ.
Regardless, Jagr would go on to have a career type year, setting all time records for Rangers goals and points in that year. Prucha would get prominent time on the Powerplay with Jagr, and on the team's top lines. He managed to score 16 goals on the man advantage that year- a Rangers record for a rookie. He scored in six straight games in December of that year, tying a franchise mark for rookies. His shooting percentage was one of the highest in the entire league.
A knee injury right before the 2006 Olympic break set him back a little. His heart was bruised most of all, but he still managed to have a great rookie year.
The following year, in came Brendan Shanahan. And, because I grew to like the guy, I will not say I'd want to take that back. He provided strong leadership, proved he was not washed up, and came through with goals (especially timely shootout ones). However, if I were Petr Prucha, I'd wish that Shanahan never came to the Rangers at all. (I also feel Petr is probably too nice a guy to say that himself but it's true). He went from starring on Broadway with Jagr and piling up Powerplay goals, to sitting on the bench during those key stretches. His numbers were good, but they weren't as good as the previous year. Am I suggesting that the only reason he didn't produce OR that the equation is a simple as << shanahan =" Prucha's">>? - no. But I am saying that to not think one has anything to do with the other is maddening.
During Petr's first year here, they had more role and support type players, and in my opinion more success (05-06 could have won the Cup. 06-07 they beat themselves in the playoffs. 07-08, not a good year at all really). That team was built around one or two really good guys. But when you added Shanahan to a team that already had Jagr and Straka and co. . . things were going to be different. A coach like Renney and/or a GM like Glen is not going to have a player like Petr Prucha out on the Powerplay when he could have Brendan Shanahan out there. Bottom line. So, those numbers went way down. Also for whatever reason (blame Jagr, blame Renney, blame Glen, blame Perry Pearn - take your pick. Although if seriously, if any of the guys in suits were letting Jagr dictate everything that happened on that PP and who should be on it - the team was doomed anyway. So much for democracy) the powerplay failed to score as much in 06-07 and especially 07-08, and the guys on it were rarely changed. It was the same thing night after night, month after month. Again, blame who you want for that. But Petr went from 16 PP goals, to 8 the following year, to finally 2 last season.
Year three for Prucha on Broadway was the most frustrating yet. He scored in his first game, I believe, but then took a long time to score again. He totaled merely 7 on the year after getting 30 and 22 in his first two campaigns. His two best stretches of the year were towards late December 2007, where he scored two goals in a game against Toronto, and a good stretch in January where he played on a line with Nigel Dawes and Brandon Dubinsky. His best game (ironically one I missed - damn business trip) was a 2-1 win over Buffalo on January 16th, where he scored a goal, got an assist and was named the game's first star. That seems a thousand years ago for me. Probably for him too.
But those moments were few and far between. Why? Because as a result of that 2 goal game in Toronto, his hand got slashed and he missed some games. Luckily he came back during a time he could fit in on a line with Dubinsky and Dawes. That line worked for probably 2-3 weeks. Then, Petr got injured again, I believe in an early February (10th?) game against Washington. This time it was his knee and he was held out a little longer. And longer still when guys like Callahan (who had been in Hartford rehabbing his own knee) came back into the lineup and deserved to stay. Dawes, for his own, played well in the tail half of the season. Jagr, obviously, did not have a great year. Dubinsky was called on to play with Jagr. Two $7 million centers and he has to play with the 21-year-old kid. (Which for the record, is fine by me; I'm not attacking what worked. He and Dubinsky looked great at times last year and both benefited from each other). My point is, there really wasn't a place for Petr to come back to. He finally got a sniff in the lineup for two games when Scott Gomez needed a few days. But for the most part, he didn't play. Even when guys like Shanahan should have been resting so that someone would be fresh for the playoffs the team was limping towards. But, no, no one did rest.
When he got back in for a random game or two in the playoffs, he looked lost. And who can really blame him. Think about it. As a goalie can tell you how hard it is to play after not playing for a while, it is no easier for a young skater to do so.
Sports are funny. Chemistry and confidence are everything. Well maybe not everything, but two of the most important aspects.
Excuse what I'm going to say next. I realize there is more to it all that just this. But I'm allowed my opinion.
I personally believe we can bring all this back to Michael Nylander's departure from the Rangers. If Nylander stayed, Jagr would have been fine. He would have scored more goals, triggered his contract and would probably still be a Ranger today. That's my opinion. But Nylander couldn't get his 4 year $4 million contract, and they gave $7 million a piece to both Gomez and Chris Drury instead, neither of whom could play with Jagr. I personally, and I won't know for a few years, maybe more, think this was the turning point for the franchise. Now, if the Rangers go forward and succeed, fine. But if they go back to the dark ages before the lockout, I'll look back to that moment. That's my lesson on chemistry. Savoring it when you have it because you don't know when it'll come again. Or if. . .
As for confidence, it's a mental thing. Hockey is a mental game. Most sports are! And you can't take a kid who has all the confidence in the world and loves playing the game, and use him in a game of musical lines. It hurts their progress. If nothing else, when all is said and done I hope (I hope!) whether it is in NY or on another team, that Prucha can rebound and be a good player. Because he was without a doubt and with no uncertainty in my mind - misused. His progress was halted. He was, of course, also the recipient of bad luck and bad timing. Those things happen. But to be misused as so many young athletes have been on this team before him, must sting even more.
I have an analogy for you. In baseball when a player is slumping, you don't keep him on the bench, at least not usually. You let him stand there and hit .100 while he figures it out. You count on the other guys in the batting order to pick up the slack for him. And he does other things, like field and make defensive plays. True, hockey and baseball are not the same, but you tell me how a kid is going to gain any confidence by being shuffled in and out of the lineup every third or fourth game? And when its his turn to be shuffled in, it's with completely different linemates that he finds himself. Because I don't think that's how it works. And that's what's been asked of Petr for the entirety of last season and so far again this year.
All I'd have hoped for to start this season was for Prucha to get a chance to get into a groove. If he played the first 10 or so games, game in, game out, with the same line, and he still didn't produce anything - then maybe it can be called a failed experiment. But to shuffle him (and the other poor guys in this horrific and saddening game of 3rd line carousel) around like this, does nothing for his own confidence or for any chemistry that he might build with anyone.
The only thing beyond that I can say is that while everyone wants to do well, I'm not sure everyone else shows it more than Petr. (Except perhaps the former Ranger Marty Straka). Pete wants to play, wants to contribute, and wants to get the chance, and it shows. The concentration on his face during the pre-game skate and during the game on Wednesday were particularly visible. This guy wants to be there. He wants to be counted on. And to contribute. And the fact that he didn't score, probably plummeted his confidence still. Even more, the fact he doesn't know when or if he'll get another chance.
Right now, thanks to the above and the fact that the Rangers already HAD a bunch of excess forwards and proceeded to go out and sign even MORE guys during the off-season, there is little room for Petr. And he's not alone. Dan Fritsche, Patrick Rissmiller, and Dawes are the other guys in this roulette wheel, and I honestly feel for all of them.
But I feel the worst for the guy that never complained, did everything with a smile, and put his heart on the line over and over again.
If Prucha can't be on this team - and I mean truly, truly, on this team - and be given a chance to regain his former status, then for his own sake, I hope he gets traded. It will break my heart, but I hope that if he gets traded, he goes to a team that can let him play solid minutes for all 82 games and that he gets into a groove and shows the hockey world something. That he shows the 30 goals his rookie year were more than just a fluke, shows that he can contribute more than just goals for his game to be effective, and shows that he can be confident and productive in this league.
For him, I hope. And I hope soon. Because to watch the roulette-carousel-musical chairs charade, it's getting old. And just imagine how he feels.
*Note: as of 11:30 am this morning, Prucha is scheduled to be scratched for tonight's game, after what was in my opinion, a v. strong effort on Wednesday. My previous line suggestion of Callahan, Fritsche and Prucha, is almost complete again, minus one. Dawes is scheduled to skate with those two tonight. If Dawes stubs his toe, will Prucha play with those two instead? Will he play with them Saturday, or Monday? Time will tell.*
*Note 2: A bunch of people will be saying that Prucha is first in line to go and/or should be producing more because of his $1.6 million contract. Right. Sure. I'd blame a kid for taking what was probably a fair amount of money two years ago when he signed the contract. (And I mean fair cause he had a great year and because look at what other guys get after having crappy years!!) Cause we all thought that in two years people would be jumping to trade a guy for the extra $0.6 he is making. The argument makes me sick. Don't blame him. Blame Sather for paying four guys 49% of the team salary when only one (Hank) of which deserves it! Prucha and his $1.6 should have nothing to do with it!*
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Moments of Silence. . .
Alright, perhaps last night's game at the Garden will help silence some of the disbelievers of the Rangers perfect start this season. Myself included.
Trying to pay close attention to the details, I think the Rangers got it much better last night. Their passing was crisper, they managed to get to more loose pucks, they hit, they skated, and they twice took advantage on the Powerplay. Yes, 2 big PP goals for the . . . 2nd unit?
Yes, once again the "$18 million" line was held without a point. But the PS3 Line - :) - notched up a total of 7 points, three each by Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros. I can't help but continuing to be impressed with this line. For these reasons, and more:
- Voros, in his words and to our eyes, is being utilized in the way he can best contribute and play. Is has been a LONG time since Rangers fans have seen a big guy (or a guy in general) stand in front of the goalie on the man advantage. A welcome sight, definitely. And, yes, two PP goals for the new #34 last night.
-Dubinsky, as I very much thought he would, is having no problems adjusting to life without Jaromir Jagr. And that isn't at all a knock on Jagr. It's a credit to Dubinsky. A guy that scores in the Young Stars game (although a somewhat throwaway games of goals), the World Juniors games, and seemingly on lines with whomever he plays with in NY, is a guy that can play - plain and simple. Jagr or no Jagr. Brandon - welcome to your coming out party.
- They look like they are having fun! All of them. And especially in light of the most recent tragedy to hit the Rangers team, to see young guys having fun and doing what they love, we, as fans, have to be happy they are doing so well, and be happy to see them happy. I know I am.
In other thoughts, I don't know if Sean Avery has permanantely gotten under the skin of Marty Brodeur, even in #16's absence from NY. In the last two or so seasons, I've continued to see Brodeur play to the top of his game, although of course, not as perfect as he once was. But against New York, he seems to be a little un-Marty-like. In what would have been an uncharacteristic goal against any other team, the Devils goalie let in another fluke goal last night, and never really regained his pre-game mentality. He looked out of place a few more times, a little scrambly, and of course, there was the over-exaggerated dive after Callahan made contact, thanks to Johnny Oduya's interference, which, yes, was called. As a Rangers fan that has watched NJ and Brodeur dominate my team for the better part of a decade, I can't be disappointed that that dominance has not been so strong these last three years. But I can question it. Hockey, after all and like most sports, is very much a mental game. You wonder. . .
Which brings me to the 3rd line. I never much paid attention to who was the 1st and who was the 3rd line. I really didn't. I'm talking years ago. But after ALL the debate of this year's lines, especially their 3rd and 4th, and well actually 1st and 2nd, I have paid very close attention. And obviously the 2nd line is clipping at a pace that is making me shake my head and smile. The 1st line, is, well, overpaid and underproducing, but I don't suggest for a moment it should be torn apart right now in any way that might affect our big three guys who ARE contributing. When something works, well, you . . .yeah, you don't do that. The fourth line - is what it is right now. I'm actually not going to complain about them, as much as I once wanted to. Fredrick Sjostrom and Colton Orr are cycling and playing responsible, and making Blair Betts look better than he, perhaps, is. But they haven't been a liability at all. And . . . we'll see if the goals come. Again, anything more than 5 is a victory for a line centered by Betts, no?
My issue now, is with the 3rd line. Lauri Korpikoski, who looked brilliant in training camp, has not seemed to translate his game into the NHL - yet. And my question is, how long do you give him? The 10 or so games that they usually give to "test" a player before sending him down? Perhaps. And that's fine. As a guy, however, that is your ONLY guy who can safely go to Hartford via waivers, I'm suggesting maybe you do. If you want to give it the 10 games, fine, we're half way there (oh, oh, livin' on a prayer; where did that come from?). And then, after which and assuming there is no major lightbulb going off, why not, why not stick Dan Fritsche or even Petr Prucha at center. I'm pretty sure Fritsche was a center, or at least played a bulk of his time there. And while I'm not saying the way to boost a guy's ever-decreasing confidence is to stick him in a position that he is not most familiar with, I'm pretty sure Prucha played center at one point, and while I can't find the stats, I am quite sure he has taken faceoffs. So, argue with me for a moment, as I play a bit of devil's advocate. Prucha, Fritsche and Ryan Callahan. Even though Callahan plays RW, Prucha can fill in on the left; he's done it before. I want to see THAT line play for a game. They'd be fast, at the very least. And if you take some shots. . . you never know. I think Callahan deserves some better linemates right now.
And maybe I'm just grasping at straws. I guess what it comes down to is, I continue to see a guy that used to smile like there was nothing in the world that could touch him, walk around with a frown because he hasn't gotten to play and he probably, like me, sees no clear picture about if and when he will play again. Petr Prucha, folks. Yeah, that guy who scored 16 PP goals his rookie year, and set or tied some Ranger rookie records. That guy. So, even though I didn't want it to be this way, and still don't, if the ONLY way this kid can play consistently is to play elsewhere, I will help him pack. Seriously, I'm the worst packer in the world, but I'll gladly help him pack if it means he can go somewhere else, play hockey every day, and be happy. It's depressing, especially for a guy that gave so much, and, honestly, didn't deserve the in and out treatment over the last few years, to be so miserable because he can't play the game we all love. Do I still wish it works out in New York - yes. Is my hope ever decreasing that it does - yes.
Notice, I've ignored Nigel Dawes in the above line combination of #24, #25, and #49. Purposely. Prucha, Fritsche, Callahan, and even what little I've seen of Patrick Rissmiller, have shown more speed and togetherness than Dawes showed all pre-season and so far into the campaign. I apologize, but I wish there was a way HE could go to Hartford and get his head on straight. I'd hate to lose him, but to say he should be playing over any of these other guys is wrong. And to those who thought he should be in the lineup because he plays well against New Jersey. Fair point. But guess who else has played well against NJ and had his moments with Marty in the shootout. Prucha.
In other news, the Rangers penalty kill continues to impress. 21 for 21 on the year. Will it last - I'm sure not. But the PK boys have gotten the job done for years now. And, honestly, taking an average of 4 penalties per game is really not that bad for these guys. Really. . .I've seen these guys. That is very doable. And for a Rangers/Devils game, it as a little mild yesterday. A few roughing calls. Even Chris Drury got in a little with Devils Captain Jamie Langenbrunner. But nothing major.
I guess we'll see how the team continues to fair with three games in four nights to close out the week.
Around the League:
Listened to a bit of the Toronto/St. Louis game yesterday, post-Ryan Hollweg's disgressions. I won't bother touching on that again. I know we can't un-penalize the Leafs, but they were in control of that game. The five minute major led to two goals and St. Louis was able to pull it out in shootout. What if, asks, Luke Schenn. What if?
On the way home, I caught the last 15 minutes of the Chicago/Nashville game and the shootout. Wish I was watching because that seemed nothing less than an intense finish. It's still early, so I hold faith that the young guys for Chicago will come together. Nashville wins in a shootout; their captain Jason Arnott goes out with an injury. And speaking of and somewhat suprisingly, it's been three full games, and Chicago's Martin Havlat has not gotten injured yet. (Sorry, sorry, I know, one of the big fears of Hawks fans, and I sincerely hope he plays healthy the whole year).
And I know it was against the Islanders, but ----, the Sabres scored a lot yesterday.
As did the Capitals, with 5 goals. And yet, Alex Ovechkin had three shots and no points. Does he still have the flu? It's early, Ovechkin fans, it's still early.
Lastly I want to go back to yesterday for a moment, and the very sad passing of Alexei Cherepanov. At the arena last night, it was hard to judge the mood. It would seem it was like any other Devils/Rangers matchup. Outside the young kids were chanting "Let's Go Rangers. Let's go Devils." Inside, the fans were excited to see what team would gain the early advantage and bragging rights among rivals. Then when the announcement was made, I heard collective gasps go up in the crowd, obviously among the many that had not yet had the chance to read the computer or listen to sports radio. Walking into the arena earlier I heard one girl, on her cell phone and carrying a Rangers jersey, say, "I really thought I'd be seeing him play here next season." And that was the collective emotion. Disbelief. Sadness. Something we are all unable to comprehend.
The moment of silence ended, but that silence might stick with some longer than others. Maybe you don't think as seriously about a sports tragedy until it's your own team. A name you've heard. A face you thought you were going to see play for your team. It doesn't make any of it fair, but perhaps, it brings it all closer to home. Closer to reality. Something we can see and feel.
Win or lose, the Rangers lost an important piece of their future yesterday, and all indications were, the world lost a great player and a great human being. I think I'll close with a quote from Rangers coach Tom Renney, and a reminder that, yes, sometimes there is more to life than hockey:
"It serves as inspiration for the rest of us not to take anything for granted, live life and love the people that are important to you."
Trying to pay close attention to the details, I think the Rangers got it much better last night. Their passing was crisper, they managed to get to more loose pucks, they hit, they skated, and they twice took advantage on the Powerplay. Yes, 2 big PP goals for the . . . 2nd unit?
Yes, once again the "$18 million" line was held without a point. But the PS3 Line - :) - notched up a total of 7 points, three each by Brandon Dubinsky and Aaron Voros. I can't help but continuing to be impressed with this line. For these reasons, and more:
- Voros, in his words and to our eyes, is being utilized in the way he can best contribute and play. Is has been a LONG time since Rangers fans have seen a big guy (or a guy in general) stand in front of the goalie on the man advantage. A welcome sight, definitely. And, yes, two PP goals for the new #34 last night.
-Dubinsky, as I very much thought he would, is having no problems adjusting to life without Jaromir Jagr. And that isn't at all a knock on Jagr. It's a credit to Dubinsky. A guy that scores in the Young Stars game (although a somewhat throwaway games of goals), the World Juniors games, and seemingly on lines with whomever he plays with in NY, is a guy that can play - plain and simple. Jagr or no Jagr. Brandon - welcome to your coming out party.
- They look like they are having fun! All of them. And especially in light of the most recent tragedy to hit the Rangers team, to see young guys having fun and doing what they love, we, as fans, have to be happy they are doing so well, and be happy to see them happy. I know I am.
In other thoughts, I don't know if Sean Avery has permanantely gotten under the skin of Marty Brodeur, even in #16's absence from NY. In the last two or so seasons, I've continued to see Brodeur play to the top of his game, although of course, not as perfect as he once was. But against New York, he seems to be a little un-Marty-like. In what would have been an uncharacteristic goal against any other team, the Devils goalie let in another fluke goal last night, and never really regained his pre-game mentality. He looked out of place a few more times, a little scrambly, and of course, there was the over-exaggerated dive after Callahan made contact, thanks to Johnny Oduya's interference, which, yes, was called. As a Rangers fan that has watched NJ and Brodeur dominate my team for the better part of a decade, I can't be disappointed that that dominance has not been so strong these last three years. But I can question it. Hockey, after all and like most sports, is very much a mental game. You wonder. . .
Which brings me to the 3rd line. I never much paid attention to who was the 1st and who was the 3rd line. I really didn't. I'm talking years ago. But after ALL the debate of this year's lines, especially their 3rd and 4th, and well actually 1st and 2nd, I have paid very close attention. And obviously the 2nd line is clipping at a pace that is making me shake my head and smile. The 1st line, is, well, overpaid and underproducing, but I don't suggest for a moment it should be torn apart right now in any way that might affect our big three guys who ARE contributing. When something works, well, you . . .yeah, you don't do that. The fourth line - is what it is right now. I'm actually not going to complain about them, as much as I once wanted to. Fredrick Sjostrom and Colton Orr are cycling and playing responsible, and making Blair Betts look better than he, perhaps, is. But they haven't been a liability at all. And . . . we'll see if the goals come. Again, anything more than 5 is a victory for a line centered by Betts, no?
My issue now, is with the 3rd line. Lauri Korpikoski, who looked brilliant in training camp, has not seemed to translate his game into the NHL - yet. And my question is, how long do you give him? The 10 or so games that they usually give to "test" a player before sending him down? Perhaps. And that's fine. As a guy, however, that is your ONLY guy who can safely go to Hartford via waivers, I'm suggesting maybe you do. If you want to give it the 10 games, fine, we're half way there (oh, oh, livin' on a prayer; where did that come from?). And then, after which and assuming there is no major lightbulb going off, why not, why not stick Dan Fritsche or even Petr Prucha at center. I'm pretty sure Fritsche was a center, or at least played a bulk of his time there. And while I'm not saying the way to boost a guy's ever-decreasing confidence is to stick him in a position that he is not most familiar with, I'm pretty sure Prucha played center at one point, and while I can't find the stats, I am quite sure he has taken faceoffs. So, argue with me for a moment, as I play a bit of devil's advocate. Prucha, Fritsche and Ryan Callahan. Even though Callahan plays RW, Prucha can fill in on the left; he's done it before. I want to see THAT line play for a game. They'd be fast, at the very least. And if you take some shots. . . you never know. I think Callahan deserves some better linemates right now.
And maybe I'm just grasping at straws. I guess what it comes down to is, I continue to see a guy that used to smile like there was nothing in the world that could touch him, walk around with a frown because he hasn't gotten to play and he probably, like me, sees no clear picture about if and when he will play again. Petr Prucha, folks. Yeah, that guy who scored 16 PP goals his rookie year, and set or tied some Ranger rookie records. That guy. So, even though I didn't want it to be this way, and still don't, if the ONLY way this kid can play consistently is to play elsewhere, I will help him pack. Seriously, I'm the worst packer in the world, but I'll gladly help him pack if it means he can go somewhere else, play hockey every day, and be happy. It's depressing, especially for a guy that gave so much, and, honestly, didn't deserve the in and out treatment over the last few years, to be so miserable because he can't play the game we all love. Do I still wish it works out in New York - yes. Is my hope ever decreasing that it does - yes.
Notice, I've ignored Nigel Dawes in the above line combination of #24, #25, and #49. Purposely. Prucha, Fritsche, Callahan, and even what little I've seen of Patrick Rissmiller, have shown more speed and togetherness than Dawes showed all pre-season and so far into the campaign. I apologize, but I wish there was a way HE could go to Hartford and get his head on straight. I'd hate to lose him, but to say he should be playing over any of these other guys is wrong. And to those who thought he should be in the lineup because he plays well against New Jersey. Fair point. But guess who else has played well against NJ and had his moments with Marty in the shootout. Prucha.
In other news, the Rangers penalty kill continues to impress. 21 for 21 on the year. Will it last - I'm sure not. But the PK boys have gotten the job done for years now. And, honestly, taking an average of 4 penalties per game is really not that bad for these guys. Really. . .I've seen these guys. That is very doable. And for a Rangers/Devils game, it as a little mild yesterday. A few roughing calls. Even Chris Drury got in a little with Devils Captain Jamie Langenbrunner. But nothing major.
I guess we'll see how the team continues to fair with three games in four nights to close out the week.
Around the League:
Listened to a bit of the Toronto/St. Louis game yesterday, post-Ryan Hollweg's disgressions. I won't bother touching on that again. I know we can't un-penalize the Leafs, but they were in control of that game. The five minute major led to two goals and St. Louis was able to pull it out in shootout. What if, asks, Luke Schenn. What if?
On the way home, I caught the last 15 minutes of the Chicago/Nashville game and the shootout. Wish I was watching because that seemed nothing less than an intense finish. It's still early, so I hold faith that the young guys for Chicago will come together. Nashville wins in a shootout; their captain Jason Arnott goes out with an injury. And speaking of and somewhat suprisingly, it's been three full games, and Chicago's Martin Havlat has not gotten injured yet. (Sorry, sorry, I know, one of the big fears of Hawks fans, and I sincerely hope he plays healthy the whole year).
And I know it was against the Islanders, but ----, the Sabres scored a lot yesterday.
As did the Capitals, with 5 goals. And yet, Alex Ovechkin had three shots and no points. Does he still have the flu? It's early, Ovechkin fans, it's still early.
Lastly I want to go back to yesterday for a moment, and the very sad passing of Alexei Cherepanov. At the arena last night, it was hard to judge the mood. It would seem it was like any other Devils/Rangers matchup. Outside the young kids were chanting "Let's Go Rangers. Let's go Devils." Inside, the fans were excited to see what team would gain the early advantage and bragging rights among rivals. Then when the announcement was made, I heard collective gasps go up in the crowd, obviously among the many that had not yet had the chance to read the computer or listen to sports radio. Walking into the arena earlier I heard one girl, on her cell phone and carrying a Rangers jersey, say, "I really thought I'd be seeing him play here next season." And that was the collective emotion. Disbelief. Sadness. Something we are all unable to comprehend.
The moment of silence ended, but that silence might stick with some longer than others. Maybe you don't think as seriously about a sports tragedy until it's your own team. A name you've heard. A face you thought you were going to see play for your team. It doesn't make any of it fair, but perhaps, it brings it all closer to home. Closer to reality. Something we can see and feel.
Win or lose, the Rangers lost an important piece of their future yesterday, and all indications were, the world lost a great player and a great human being. I think I'll close with a quote from Rangers coach Tom Renney, and a reminder that, yes, sometimes there is more to life than hockey:
"It serves as inspiration for the rest of us not to take anything for granted, live life and love the people that are important to you."
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Pre-season Ramblings Part One. . .
I know I have been remiss in writing on this blog, so you have my utmost apologies for that. For I am, myself, very disappointed. It's been due to lack of time and situations at work that have stopped me recently, not for lack of interest. There are just some things we can't control. Again, once hockey season truly gets under way, I will make the time. You can count on it.
Anyway, as a good little hockey fan, I cleared my Saturday evening for the Rangers first pre-season game in Ottawa. I mean it might not be 2-points-or-bust-hockey, but it's hockey. And that was good enough for me. So watch I did. Through the 21 penalties. Through the choppiness. Through the speed from both sides. And through it all I took away a few key things:
- Brandon Dubinsky is a great hockey player. With Jaromir Jagr, without Jaromir Jagr. He can skate and he has a nice shot. A nice shot. He showed in the Young Stars game at All-Star in Atlanta that he could contribute. In fact he won game MVP honors. He's a special kind of player. I think playing with different players this year, his point totals will go up. I will be very surprised if this prediction does not prove to be true.
-Michael Del Zotto, the guy who I was talking about on draft day only in that he looked like former Ranger Al Montoya (a little, you know when you squint, tilt your head, and. . . never mind), played a quite solid game. Nothing super, nothing flashy. But he looked good on the power play. His passes were crisp. And he didn't stand out for the wrong reasons either which is always important when you are young, making your debut against guys like Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, and, oh yeah, all of 18-years-old.
-Aaron Voros is going to be my type of Ranger. Immediately the interviewers on TV and the beat writers made mention of his story: a kid who loved the Rangers, while crowing up in Vancouver. In 1994. Yeah, my kind of Ranger, boys, my kind of Ranger. To boot, he "stupid" liked Mark Messier back in the day. LOL! It was a great interview with him. And his game - there has been nothing not to like so far. Setting up some goals, hitting, going to the net. Being a force. If the aforementioned Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Voros make up a 3rd line this season, I don't think I'll be disappointed.
- Colton Orr. I like the guy. Actually really like the guy. It always struck you that there was "more" to him than there was to some other "fighters" on the team. Yes he can fight, he can play that role. I want him on the roster when we are playing the Flyers, hands down. But....he can do more. And I started liking him when he said a few years ago that he was going to work on being a more complete player. I respected him completely when he said he was working with Jagr to become a better skater (I believe it was last year). And I now am to the point where I think he's legit in that he made the committment to stay in New York all summer (and he lives in NY State folks, not NYC) to train. He looked better. His skating has, without a doubt, improved every year that I've seen him. And you know what, good for him. He can do more than just fight and he's showing that.
In other hockey news, on Sunday I drafted my fantasy hockey team. :) I love playing fantasy hockey. Now, I'm not really one to talk about who I drafted or the day in and day out of it all; but if by All-Star break, I'm blowing out the competition, I'll be sure to throw that in somewhere. Let me just say I am very satisfied with the skaters on my team. Very.
Back to the game at hand. So last night there was some action at the Garden, the second half of a home and home with Ottawa. The "other" half of the lineup saw game action, with a few exceptions. Again, some key takeaways:
- I trust that the line of Scott Gomez, Marcus Naslund, and Nikolai Zherdev will look better the more they come to play together. It's hard to judge on one night. I know they'll be fast though. And hopefully accurate. The first time Zherdev tried a little move and lost the puck, I heard more than one person say the name [Alexei] Kovalev. (oh!)
-Lauri Korpikoski might be the next player in line from Hartford (of the offensive boys) that I'd say gets a serious look for the club. He came up last year and played his one game, one goal, effort in Pittsburgh to close out the Rangers playoffs, but in all due honesty, this would be first real go around. He looked good.
- That Wade Redden got manhandled on that goal set up by Brad Isbister was only slightly ironic. I hope it doesn't become a habit, but I'm sure nerves had a lot to do with it. I hope. (also hope for the record that Isbister fits in well in Ottawa. Good guy who plays a good role).
And we'll end with . . .
- Petr Nedved being first star of the night really made me think that it was 2002 all over again. I won't go into my thoughts on Nedved. They have been made clear in the August 6th blog titled 'The Great Petr Nedved Debate.' BUT. He looked good. And better than him looking good, people responded to him. Fans, although many of them posers with short memores, were jeering him as they took the ice only to stand and cheer as he scored. And the media was all over it. Everyone got asked about Petr Nedved. Even Wade Redden. Not, oh, Wade, how was your first game as a Ranger? But, oh, Wade, whaddya think of Petr Nedved? For the record, and for the (maybe but I can't guarantee it) last time, I like Blair Betts. I like his penalty killing and his faceoffs. But.....if you want a fourth line center who is going to lead a line to score 15-25 goals (in addition to playing the role of penalty killer and providing veteran leadership), Betts is not your guy. Unless you saddle him up with other wings. But, for the sake of all the lines being already almost set or at least in serious consideration - (Drury, Prucha, Dawes/ Callahan, Dubinsky, Voros/ Zherdev, Gomez, Naslund) - you are looking at a guy that is going to center Colton Orr and TBD. I just got finished praising Colton Orr. But a dream and a commmittment does not automatically a 15 goal-scorer make. He needs time. He needs someone who can pass him the puck in order for him to score. And likewise, an aging center in Nedved, would benefit from having someone to crush a guy in the corneres to make more room for him to skate down the wing.
It's just one game. They all said it. Its just one game. But. . . if nothing else, I got a good feeling watching Petr Nedved take that skate. He's a good guy who's giving it one last try. And if he proved anything last night, both to his fans and to his naysayers, he is not washed up just yet.
More later, as this week of 5 games, and 6 games in 8 nights continues....
Anyway, as a good little hockey fan, I cleared my Saturday evening for the Rangers first pre-season game in Ottawa. I mean it might not be 2-points-or-bust-hockey, but it's hockey. And that was good enough for me. So watch I did. Through the 21 penalties. Through the choppiness. Through the speed from both sides. And through it all I took away a few key things:
- Brandon Dubinsky is a great hockey player. With Jaromir Jagr, without Jaromir Jagr. He can skate and he has a nice shot. A nice shot. He showed in the Young Stars game at All-Star in Atlanta that he could contribute. In fact he won game MVP honors. He's a special kind of player. I think playing with different players this year, his point totals will go up. I will be very surprised if this prediction does not prove to be true.
-Michael Del Zotto, the guy who I was talking about on draft day only in that he looked like former Ranger Al Montoya (a little, you know when you squint, tilt your head, and. . . never mind), played a quite solid game. Nothing super, nothing flashy. But he looked good on the power play. His passes were crisp. And he didn't stand out for the wrong reasons either which is always important when you are young, making your debut against guys like Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, and, oh yeah, all of 18-years-old.
-Aaron Voros is going to be my type of Ranger. Immediately the interviewers on TV and the beat writers made mention of his story: a kid who loved the Rangers, while crowing up in Vancouver. In 1994. Yeah, my kind of Ranger, boys, my kind of Ranger. To boot, he "stupid" liked Mark Messier back in the day. LOL! It was a great interview with him. And his game - there has been nothing not to like so far. Setting up some goals, hitting, going to the net. Being a force. If the aforementioned Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Voros make up a 3rd line this season, I don't think I'll be disappointed.
- Colton Orr. I like the guy. Actually really like the guy. It always struck you that there was "more" to him than there was to some other "fighters" on the team. Yes he can fight, he can play that role. I want him on the roster when we are playing the Flyers, hands down. But....he can do more. And I started liking him when he said a few years ago that he was going to work on being a more complete player. I respected him completely when he said he was working with Jagr to become a better skater (I believe it was last year). And I now am to the point where I think he's legit in that he made the committment to stay in New York all summer (and he lives in NY State folks, not NYC) to train. He looked better. His skating has, without a doubt, improved every year that I've seen him. And you know what, good for him. He can do more than just fight and he's showing that.
In other hockey news, on Sunday I drafted my fantasy hockey team. :) I love playing fantasy hockey. Now, I'm not really one to talk about who I drafted or the day in and day out of it all; but if by All-Star break, I'm blowing out the competition, I'll be sure to throw that in somewhere. Let me just say I am very satisfied with the skaters on my team. Very.
Back to the game at hand. So last night there was some action at the Garden, the second half of a home and home with Ottawa. The "other" half of the lineup saw game action, with a few exceptions. Again, some key takeaways:
- I trust that the line of Scott Gomez, Marcus Naslund, and Nikolai Zherdev will look better the more they come to play together. It's hard to judge on one night. I know they'll be fast though. And hopefully accurate. The first time Zherdev tried a little move and lost the puck, I heard more than one person say the name [Alexei] Kovalev. (oh!)
-Lauri Korpikoski might be the next player in line from Hartford (of the offensive boys) that I'd say gets a serious look for the club. He came up last year and played his one game, one goal, effort in Pittsburgh to close out the Rangers playoffs, but in all due honesty, this would be first real go around. He looked good.
- That Wade Redden got manhandled on that goal set up by Brad Isbister was only slightly ironic. I hope it doesn't become a habit, but I'm sure nerves had a lot to do with it. I hope. (also hope for the record that Isbister fits in well in Ottawa. Good guy who plays a good role).
And we'll end with . . .
- Petr Nedved being first star of the night really made me think that it was 2002 all over again. I won't go into my thoughts on Nedved. They have been made clear in the August 6th blog titled 'The Great Petr Nedved Debate.' BUT. He looked good. And better than him looking good, people responded to him. Fans, although many of them posers with short memores, were jeering him as they took the ice only to stand and cheer as he scored. And the media was all over it. Everyone got asked about Petr Nedved. Even Wade Redden. Not, oh, Wade, how was your first game as a Ranger? But, oh, Wade, whaddya think of Petr Nedved? For the record, and for the (maybe but I can't guarantee it) last time, I like Blair Betts. I like his penalty killing and his faceoffs. But.....if you want a fourth line center who is going to lead a line to score 15-25 goals (in addition to playing the role of penalty killer and providing veteran leadership), Betts is not your guy. Unless you saddle him up with other wings. But, for the sake of all the lines being already almost set or at least in serious consideration - (Drury, Prucha, Dawes/ Callahan, Dubinsky, Voros/ Zherdev, Gomez, Naslund) - you are looking at a guy that is going to center Colton Orr and TBD. I just got finished praising Colton Orr. But a dream and a commmittment does not automatically a 15 goal-scorer make. He needs time. He needs someone who can pass him the puck in order for him to score. And likewise, an aging center in Nedved, would benefit from having someone to crush a guy in the corneres to make more room for him to skate down the wing.
It's just one game. They all said it. Its just one game. But. . . if nothing else, I got a good feeling watching Petr Nedved take that skate. He's a good guy who's giving it one last try. And if he proved anything last night, both to his fans and to his naysayers, he is not washed up just yet.
More later, as this week of 5 games, and 6 games in 8 nights continues....
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