Five Things on the Rangers/Panthers Game. . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Five Things About the Rangers/Panthers Game. . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Someone, stop the bleeding - please!

Around the League: Some Early Season Surprises. . .

I know it's still early in the NHL season, but there were just some things that you couldn't have possibly predicted happening.

The Good:

-The Avalanche have opened up to a 10-1-2 record with 22 points and are leading the NHL. The Avalanche. Yes, that team from Colorado who went into the season with big goalie questions and in the wake of the retirement of staple and gentlemanly captain Joe Sakic. I believe someone said if you say you saw this coming - you are lying! I very readily admit I picked them to finish dead last in the West. But if they continue at this clip, they may bulk up enough points by Christmas to make that almost impossible. I mean anything can happen (see: quick start in the first place), but you'd have to admit the Avs have a lot to be proud of, the best of which is the play of young kids Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene. Craig Anderson deserves credit as well, but he's less of a shock to me. He was a solid goalie in Florida when called upon too.

-As of today (*pre-tonights games) and despite the blech performance last night on the Island, the Rangers lead the league in goals for, with 47. Read that again if you have to. The masters last season of 2-1, 1-0 wins or losses, they have scored enough goals in the early going to average 3.6 goals per game. Now, that won't last, especially if they turn out crap-fests like they did last night, but for a team that couldn't score, they are getting ice production from the expected in Gaborik, the surprises in Prospal and Kotalik, and the extreme feel-good-story of young d-man Michael Del Zotto. Trust me, losses are a lot easier to take if the team is at least scoring goals and not just letting them in. We've seen the alternative and I'll take losses by way of 6-4, 5-3, just about every time.

The Bad:

-Now I was not one of the people suggesting they'd be a playoff team, but no one could have expected the Maple Leafs would have been this bad out of the gate. Could they? It took them 9 games, but the Leafs finally won their first game of the campaign, 6-3 over Anaheim on Monday. They are 1-7-2 in their first 10. We all predicted they'd have a problem scoring and that they'd spent the majority of the off-season addressing their defensive concerns. Sadly Burke's mixture has not seemed to create anything workable at the moment. Yes, much blame can fall on Vesa Toskala, the once great San Jose backup, who sadly, cannot seem to stop a puck. (For the record, I do not understand what he is going through, but it's upsetting to watch. I really thought he had a chance to rebound this year and this start has to have wiped away any of what little confidence he had left). The other guy I sympathize with is Ron Wilson. Ron Wilson is a smart guy, a smart hockey man, and I feel for him being in this position of what seems like no win. Literally, no win. Komisarek, on the other side of the Habs/Leafs rivalry this season, has been trying everything he can and he can't seem to make a difference. Opening night I thought he endeared himself to the fans with his energy, although at times misguided, but ten games in, he may be wishing he never left the belle province. The good news is that Phil Kessel is coming. The bad news is...it might not make much of a difference.

-In the tale of the second to last conference teams, Anaheim and Florida were both teams I had as being about equal to last year. On a last minute prediction whim, and for lack of other options, I put Florida in the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Were Chris Pronger and Jay Bouwmeester really that vital to their former teams? In Anaheim, both goalies have GAA's of over 3.00, and their supposed top guys of Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan have not seemed to realize the season has in fact started yet. Niedermeyer, Selanne, and Koivu are a combined -18. As for the Panthers, both goalies have GAA's of well over 3.50, and Steven Reinprecht is leading their team in points with 5-2-7. Stephen Weiss is the only other guy on the team to have more than two goals; he has 3. And with injures a plenty, none looking worse than that to David Booth, I don't know where the help comes from.

The Feel-Good:

-I'm not going to sit here and say I'm either surprised or not surprised with the start the Phoenix Coyotes are having. They are 7-4-0 and have knocked off San Jose, Detroit, Columbus, and Pittsburgh on their way. That's been impressive. Very impressive. Perhaps more surprising than fans could have hoped for. And Ilya Bryzgalov, the other one time super Pacific division backup, is having a masterful start to the season. .917 save percentage and 1.97 GAA are his numbers. (Note, backup Jason Labarbera's are even better at .952 and 1.59). If we're being honest, that part surprised me a bit. Not because they are not capable, but because you just never know what you are going to get with goalies (see: Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, and Cam Ward - Canada's Team Canada perennials and hopefuls. The guys getting it done for them on the scoresheet are guys you need to be the leaders in every regard - Ed Jovonovski (4-6-10) and captain Shane Doan (3-7-10). Those not appearing on the scoresheet as much are still getting it done on shots, energy, and undeniable work ethic (Upshall, and Czechs - Hanzal, Vrbata, and Prucha). This team had the pieces to be good; I truly believed that. Their fast start is just making those outside of their fanbase take notice of a team that is playing some really good hockey and that deserves every bit of success it has.

This Lack of Scoring Thing Is Getting Kinda Old. . .

But...I'm still being more entertained. I know. I know. Way too much of Renney's passive, timid hockey for too long and ANYTHING seems exciting. But the pace of the last two games, even back to back, you have to admit was much better. Much.

Unfortunately the Rangers have still - three games and running - failed to score more than a goal. And that is just never going to cut it. Rememember, even if Hank stops everything - they are still never going to win without scoring.

The good news: They are getting a lot of shots. I keep staring at these defensemen taking quick, hard shots from the point and I'm like, where were you, where was that all freakin' year?

The bad news: The pucks aren't going in. And the team is not getting to rebounds, which has been a problem all year long.

The good news: The pace of the game has been greatly improved. The games have gone quicker for me. And in a good way.

The bad news: The team, tonight I felt even more than last night, seemed much slower in the 3rd. And you saw Florida take advantage of that, like Toronto the night before.

The good news: More movement on the powerplay.

The bad news: I don't think you need me to point this one out do you? You are smart people.


Look, it's not perfect. I didn't expect it to be perfect ever, or even better immediately. It's hard to adapt to anything this quickly.

Problem is - time is standing in the Rangers way. Time in the season. And time before next Wednesday's trade deadline. That doesn't allow much time for the team to adapt to a new coach and a new style, nor much time for the coach to assess what he has and try to take a guess at what he wants and needs going forward.

Make no mistake. Time is this team's greatest enemy.

Well, that and the very real and very serious goal drought they are in the middle of.



On Florida:

I picked the Panthers to make the playoffs. I hope they do. Surely not at the expense of the Rangers, but I'd much rather see them than Buffalo or Carolina, with no disrespect to either of those two teams. I just think, honestly, they have two goalies that have had pretty damn good years. A better than decent defense corp with McCabe and Bouwmeester. And a good chunk of guys that have come around to score this year: Booth, Peltonen, Dvorak, Zednik, Horton, etc. I think they can suprise some teams. Plus it's long overdue.

Vokoun's numbers are sick this year so far. But it's been Craig Anderson that has really done the Rangers in. Marvelous job, last game and this night especially. The difference maker, I think.


Around the League:

**If I hadn't been from the area, followed hockey, and been a Rangers fan shadowed by the accomplishments of the Devils for so long, I might have been surprised by tonight's events in New Jersey. Instead, I nod and say, yes, only Marty Brodeur can come back after not playing for months, make 24 saves, and get a shutout. One closer to greatness. But we all know he's already there. Heck, I don't like the guy (I'm not supposed to), but I'd be doing an injustice to say that there is anything less than 110% compete in that guy. Top notch talent. Great competitor.

That being said, I am curious as to what the Devils plans are for their goalies. So as to not subject Kevin Weekes to loss via waivers, they sent down their MVP this year, Scott Clemmensen, earlier this week to make room for Brodeur. Who will go where at deadline, however, remains to be seen.


**Edmonton lost a tough one to Columbus about a half an hour ago, where Steve Mason pitched the shutout and former Oiler, Raffi Torres, got the games only goal.

Gosh, the playoff push in the West is a tough, tough race, second year and running. There are a few teams fading - Colorado being one, Phoenix being another - but no one is completely out of it. Makes for great hockey down the stretch.


Where Are They Now. . . ?

Team Player Action Note
Toronto Dominic Moore Goal(12) *Shorthanded
Columbus Fedor Tyutin Assist *on only and GWG

For the record, I miss both of these guys. When Moore played with Jed Ortmeyer and Ryan Hollweg, it was a special thing. Ortmeyer was the heart. I think Moore was the talent. And it was perhaps the only time in his career that Hollweg had a role where he was not prone to putting his team in horrible situations on a regular basis.

As for Tyutin. I love Zherdev; it's hard not to. But imagine how much better Tyutin would have gotten had he been allowed to stay and develop. If he were allowed to stay and develop. Because, yes, it's always a question of "if" with the Rangers. As the many, many success stories of former players prove on an almost nightly basis.

Around The League: Flashback One Year, Bowling for Wins, and Renny's Illogical Prucha Theories [UPDATED]. . .

Somtimes one year does indeed a difference make. Just ask Florida Panther's Richard Zednik.

It was one year ago last night he almost lost his life, let alone his career, in a freak accident where teammate Olli Jokinen's skate met his neck.

I happened to be watching that Buffalo/Florida game that night at that moment, even though I'm still not sure why. (I also, somewhat eerily found myself tuning to the Red Wings game right as Jiri Fischer collapsed and was revived on the bench years earlier.)

Zednik's situation was so incredibly scary. I'm sure no one on the ice could stop thinking about it. The fact that the game continued almost surprised me because who could really think about hockey when they'd just seen one of their fellow players go through something so horrific.

Credit all of the medical staff on hand and those in hospital for turning what could have been a tragic story, into an inspiring one.

For Richard Zednik returned to the game he loved, seven months after his injury I'll be honest. If I were him, I'd have a serious fear of getting back out on the ice; a constant thought in the back of my mind of what if. But Zednik apparently had no such fear, or if he did, he worked hard to overcome it. That's a great testament to the person and his love of the game.

And last night, exactly one year later, in Florida's game versus Toronto, he scored both the game tying and game winning goals.

I guess some stories do write themselves.



Les Habitants:

Things have gotten so bad in Montreal that apparently, rather than practice on ice, they've taken it to the lanes. . . literally. Instead of an on ice workout yesterday, the Habs went bowling.

Yes, bowling.

You heard it here first. Unless of course you hear it elsewhere.



Rangers:

In random Rangers news Andrew Gross's at Ranger Rants teases that he'll have some "interesting" quotes on Prucha from Tom Renney.

I wait with baited breath.

The Update:

I'm not shocked Larry Brooks got the ball rolling on this conversation, as he's been Prucha's most ardent supporter this year. But BIG kudos to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants for typing the entire conversation with Renney out. It is much appreciated. Gross often takes the extra time to write tidbits and convos you don't always see on other blogs. Thank you for that!

However, since what Renney said is so completely and utterly moronic and nauseating, I am going to hold off all comments in hopes of not getting violently ill at work.

Around The League: Schenn's 1st, Montreal Boos, Another Win @ Verizon. . .

Just because I was out of state didn't mean I didn't do as much as I could possibly do to catch some hockey games.

First I went to a bar that promised support of the Washington Capitals. Heck, I didn't need support, I just wanted the game to be on. So I was happy, on Saturday night in football/basketball country, to find the hockey game on three screens.

The game was nothing overly spectacular. Another home win for the Caps at Verizon, where they are just outright dominating this year.

I had a few other random thoughts. Washington might not just contend for the division, as I previously predicted, they might take the East too. I still like Boston - who wouldn't - but if Boston slows down and hits a bad stretch, the Caps have something outragous like 14 out of 16 of their final games in division. So that's 2-3 games against the likes of Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta. They have to like those odds.

The game, which ended in a 3-1 final (empty net included) was closer than appeared. In fact, again, I'm holding on to the thought that Florida, if a few things fall into place, are looking pretty good right now. Again, another team I predicted to make the playoffs back in October.

Zednick avoided the check of Tom Poti (do I hear faint boos in here)behind the net, to make a nice pass to Ballard for the team's only goal.

And Mike Green scored two goals, which brought his goal scoring streak to 6 games, a Capitals record. It's also something, folks, that hasn't been done by a defenseman since Ray Bourque in the early 80s.

Talk about company.

The Caps are special. Yeah it's Ovechkin, but it's really so much more than just him. Though you can understand why we sometimes forget.


Also on Saturday night, in Leaf Land, the boos reigned down on the hometown Habs as they fell 5-2 to their rivals from Toronto.

But not before one Luke Schenn got his long overdue and very well deserved first NHL goal:



Congrats Luke!! :)

However, as the Leafs, despite a few bright spots this year, still struggle overall, the GM has said all players except for Schenn, Grabovski, and John Mitchell, are up for grabs.

If you haven't yet had the chance, read the rest of Brooks today. I think it's hilarious that Bettman and the league really thought they had any power at all regarding the Olympics. It's really comical.

I, for the record, am a huge fan of NHL players in Olympics. The entire 2002 display was some of the best I have ever seen, and something I will always remember.

And while I'm not doing any sort of agreeing with Scott Gomez lately, I do agree with what he said above. If the Olympics are being played, with or without NHL players, I'm still going to watch the Olympics over that two week period. No doubt.

Smoke and Mirrors, Baby. . .

Let's skip over yesterday's game for a moment. I know the Rangers want to.

I was listening to XM204 and Inside Hockey yesterday morning before the game. And the basic chatter was that the Rangers and Bruins were the top point getters in the East. That NJ was holding on despite not having Brodeur. And that once the Capitals and the Penguins got some players back, they'd be much stronger.

They then go on to say that the only team they think are doing it with "smoke and mirrors" at this point in the season are. . . .The New York Rangers.

Honestly. Tell me you disagree?

It's actually a perfect analogy. The Rangers are at 17-8-2, which seems like a really nice record. Boston and NY both have 36 points. The only team with more in the league are the San Jose Sharks, with 41. The Rangers essentially lead the East. And yet they are probably one of the most flawed teams in the entire league. Their powerplay is nothing short of atrocious. Their five on five play is not great. Their physical play is nonexistent. Their defense is downright embarrassing at times. The only thing that has kept them afloat is their penalty killing (2nd in league) and their goaltender - league leading 15 wins for Hank Lundqvist and five shootout wins (remember, Valiquette got the shootout win versus Toronto in mid-October).

If that is not a magical act of smoke and mirrors I'm not sure what is.

This is not news. At least not to me. This isn't the first time I've mentioned the team this way and it won't be the last. They are fundamentally flawed. These flaws have been hidden very well behind a very good record, a record that has undoubtedly been bloated by the shootout. If the Rangers did not win 6 shootouts, they'd only have 11 wins. Now perhaps they win some of those, but the point remains - that record is very much bloated by the extra wins. And the shootout has been VERY good to the Rangers. Very good.

So I came back from the game yesterday and then ended up getting on another Petr Prucha rant. I know, I know. Pointless, been there, done that. But I'm beginning to wonder if this kid, who even though at 26 is really just a kid, has any idea what's really going on. At 26 he should. But lest we forget, this is a kid who relied heavily on Jagr, Straka and co, to be there for him because he didn't really have the grasp on the language or the experience in the league. And there is a lot of politics involved in sports. Obviously. Perhaps he just really doesn't know what's going on. And how badly he has been misused. Maybe he doesn't. Which makes me both sad and angry. I mostly alternate between those two emotions when thinking about his time in NY.

Think about it. Apparently Jim Schoenfeld, Sather and Renney met to discuss his "situation" on Saturday. And now, Prucha and his agent are meeting with those in charge today. And people asked, why his agent? Perhaps he is balking at the conditioning assignment. To which I say, I think it's about time his agent gets involved. This kid maybe doesn't even know how much he is being taken advantage of here. If he were American or Canadian, he could call one of his four dozen friends who play hockey or he knew in juniors or in college, and he could be like, "be honest with me, am I getting screwed?" And people would tell him. Who is Petr going to talk to, besides calling Jagr in Omsk? He may have Slovak or Czech friends in New York. I know he hangs out with that Victoria's Secret model from time to time. But something tells me she might not be able to tell him what is going on behind closed hockey doors.

Maybe it's beyond overdue that his agent get involved and help get this kid to where he can be. I think it's selfish that if they aren't going to use him, the don't move him. And honestly, after yesterday's debacle and the "smoke and mirrors" show that has been playing on Broadway this entire year, how can they really think things are A-OK and not want to get some different players in there. To say that the other "interchangeable" parts playing right now are leaps and bounds better that Prucha is just false. His actions have not directly caused a goal against this year. How many other players making more money than he is, can say that???

I'm curious. Is the ownership group blind to how bad this team is playing? Or as long as they are winning, it doesn't really matter, right. It's a joke though, because the winning cannot last forever. Look at yesterday.

Credit Craig Anderson and Florida for stepping up and playing well. But the Rangers did themselves in. No excuses. It was a loss a long time coming. Will there be changes? Can there be changes? I am almost scared for this week's games versus Pittsburgh and Montreal. A long, cold December ahead.

Around the League:

Congrats to Mike Modo Modano for scoring his 1300th NHL point, as he got the game winning goal for the Stars yesterday.

Random Thought:

This didn't really fit in above. But....I seem to remember a fraction between the Czechs and the other players when the team went out on their dreadful West Coast trip a year ago. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I remember after Malik had gotten in the doghouse for not shaking Renney's hand after a Rangers win (Malik had been scratched a few games prior), that the team was going out to dinner on that West Coast trip and everyone went but Malik, Prucha and one other player - Jagr, perhaps? And everyone else went with Shanahan to the team dinner. And I remember thinking at the time, jeeze, Prucha, if there is a line, might not want to stand on the side with Marek Malik, even if he is your countryman.

And now, a year later, I wonder. Was that enough to anger Renney? Sather? Both?

I'm grasping at straws, people, I know.

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.