Help Me Out Here / Pre-Season Edition. . .

Alright, going to throw some stuff down here and see where we net out. I'm confused, Rangers fans. See if you can help me make sense of it all....

So, say our defense are among:
Staal
Girardi
Del Zotto
Roszival
Gilroy
Eminger/Valentenko/Sauer

Fine.


And our centers are among:
Stepan
Anisimov
Christensen
Boyle
White/Kennedy

Fine.


And therefore our wingers are among:
Gaborik*
Frolov*
Callahan*
Dubinsky*
Prospal
Prust
Boogaard
Avery
Drury*

Not. Really. Fine.

In the case of wingers, am I the only one not seeing how one of the above, except Boogaard, should not be every day player on the team?

I'm taking it Boogaard, despite the contract - (but, well, who agreed with that besides Glennie boy?) - will not play every night. A thought I've always had, but I could be wrong, of course. But when a guy like Prust can fight, and skate, and score more than a goal a year - to me, Boogaard is not needed versus every team.


Therefore, my question is when Drury comes back, and Boogaard needs to play because it's Philly...just who sits for him??

I starred the players I don't think will be sitting. That leaves Prospal, Prust, and Avery.


Take 'em one by one:

Prospal, even though older and perhaps more prone to injury, was the team's alternate captain last year and their second leading scorer. This guy was vital to the team moral and frankly to the score sheet. Unless he resorts to the one year great, next year not so great pattern he has been known for in the past, I don't see how you bench him.

Prust was one of my favorite players since he came to New York. Spunky, hard-working, a good team guy, and deeply underrated as a player. He was not just a fighter - he skated, played, and scored better than many during the final month of the season. Above all, he worked hard and exhibited an enthusiasm and work ethic too few Rangers have shown in the last decade, so I don't know what message it sends if you bench him.

Avery. What can you say about Avery. If Avery is Avery, true AVERY - electric, cunning, quick, and smart - he is as vital to this team as almost anyone. We've seen it since he came to New York. We saw it on Saturday versus New Jersey. If he's not that guy, yes, then he should be on the bench. But if he is THAT guy that Rangers fans embrace and need and want, I don't see how you bench someone with such heart.

So, Rangers fans, - just what the heck does this team do???

Thoughts on Pre-Season Games 2 and 3. . .

How wonderful has it been having some hockey to watch? Two games, one weekend. I was a pretty happy hockey fan, I won't lie.

Some thoughts:

*Am I the only one VERY excited for every NJ/NY matchup, even beyond normal excitement, because I think Avery/Kovalchuk is going to be worth the price of admission every time. He may have a $100 million dollar contract, but something tells me that Ilya has not quite gotten over Playoffs 2007.

*I'm excited having watched these new players the last few games: Frolov and Stepan. And these returning players: Del Zotto, Anisimov, and Boyle, who looks much improved. (Gaborik and Staal are always on my excited to see them play list). Overall, I think having levels of competition for spots is playing into the Rangers favor. I like what I've seen. These guys look ready to play.

*Without repeating everything I wrote about two entries ago, let me just say this. The Rangers finally have that depth at center. They are going to be turning centers away. I know Drury hasn't been playing center. (Yes, I know, the $7 million penalty killer who is not even able to play his natural position...) But it seems a shame to me, even now, three games into camp, to send down another winger in favor of Drury. Did you see Frolov and Anisimov on the penalty kill today versus Detroit? I think he's a nice guy, but tell me the team REALLY needs him?

*Tell me that Roszival didn't suddenly jump to the most useful of the three horifically overpriced salaries the Rangers haven't gotten rid of yet? (Au revoir Scotty Gomez and Bon Voyage Wade Redden). This may seem wrong and it may be wrong, but if Rozsival plays the way he did for half of last season - he is more useful to the team, even at $5 million, than Drury, if what he did last year is what we are to expect from him. Clean slate, notwithstanding.

Okay, before I get further into the bash-Captain Mumbles mode, I'll leave off. Not a bad guy, but now that Gomez AND Redden are gone, without a doubt, the guy that - to me - has to do the most to justify his being there. (There, I said it; don't hate me.)


More later in the week. Go Rangers! =)

Belated Thoughts on 1st Pre-season Game and...Redden...

Before we get to the news of today, let's get to the news of Thursday night.

I didn't get to see as much of the game as I wanted to - would have liked to spend more time studying the new guys like Zuccarello and Stepan - but what I saw, I liked. I liked the way the team looked, even if it was just pre-season. Even if it wasn't a Hall of Fame goalie the Rangers faced in net for NJ.

Oh wait, that was future Hall of Famer Brodeur?

Then just how nice were those goals by Frolov and Boyle huh? I loved that!!

Overall though, Stepan played with poise and looked quite comfortable in his role with top players - Frolov and Gaborik. In my mind, if he's good enough and almost close enough - let him do it. We may just be lucky enough to have that good a talent that young. (Makes me all the more mad we have to make room for Drury when he comes back - see last post - but it makes me all the more happy we have a guy like Stepan on the way).

Boyle had a good game, and showed two sides of his game: ability to step in and fight, and ability to use his body to gain position. His goal was actually pretty sweet. Brodeur wasn't given a ton of help from defense - it seemed at times - but, he was beaten by Boyle here, and Frolov, and both were very nice goals.

Frolov made a nice first impression, Gaborik (2 goals including Game Winner) picked up right where he left off. Prust had a very nice fight. Staal played almost 30 minutes in the game - what else is new?

Very happy, and very excited hockey is back!!


____________________________________

It'll be said a hundred times today about Redden:

Haha!
Well deserved!
About time!
Thank goodness!

Redden needed to go to Hartford, this year, if not last year. It was too much money to tie up in one player that was certainly not worth it now, was maybe never worth it. We expected it would happen, but we weren't sure it would. Although given the math, we didn't see how it could possibly not happen. This morning, it finally did.

And many such variations.


However, I don't think many people will be saying this, so I will:

While it is Wade Reddens' responsibility that he's not playing up to his contract, - it is NOT his responsibility that it was given to him. He didn't ask for the $39 million Sather threw at him, undeservingly though it may be. No one would ever have expected him not to take it.

So while everyone is happy today that he has finally been waived, the NYRs can finally move on, a small part of me feels bad for Redden the person. He did what almost every human being would do - took what was given to him. And now, his life will change because of something he never really had control of.

I know that's business, and I know that's life, but a small part of me feels for the guy beyond the athlete and beyond the Ranger.

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....