January 31, 2008

See what happens when we score goals- Post Game Thoughts - Rangers 4 - Flyers 0

There really isn’t that much to say about that game but that it was exactly what we needed. That was a dominating game on all levels. That was the first time the Flyers have been shutout at home since 2006 and its great when your backup goalie can get it done.

The Rangers played a sound offensive, even-strength game. They scored 3 great goals with even strength play. Dawes goal was beautiful patience and a perfect shot. Prucha's goal was great rushing the net and finding the loose puck. That was a very quick play and I was surprised Prucha got a stick on it. He rushed hard at the net which is exactly what you need. Shanny's goal was also a great goal. He showed off his shot that has made him a sure Hall of Famer. He placed it well and that’s something that has to continue. Along with the goals the puck control was excellent. They worked the puck well up the ice and in the neutral zone and stopped the Flyers from really getting a chance to get in the game.

On the defensive side, the Rangers shut down the Flyers. Vally step in and played an excellent game. He made 20 saves, nothing too challenging but the Flyers definitely had their chance.

Now there is not much analysis to do in a dominating and one sided game like that. There is one problem with this game. If the play doesn’t continue then this play meant nothing but one win. This is a game that should bring momentum to the offense which desperately needs it. You see what happens when you score goals. The pressure on the defense to stay up a goal or within a goal is gone. They can play relaxed and do what they do best, shut people down. We just dominated the first place team, but one game doesnt put us in the playoffs. We need to keep this play going because this is the play that we have been looking for all year. This play will get us in the playoffs.

Rangers at Flyers - Second Period Thoughts

It doesn't take any in depth analysis to understand that we are utterly DOMINATING this game. 11 shots against of which 1 maybe 2 were high quality. All around, simply fantastic. As a matter of fact, the first line might be our worst line tonight.

Yes, its only one game but Rangers fans can, for at least one night, be completely satisfied (assuming nothing changes in this game...gulp). Everyone contributing, working hard, and taking this game.

Two things of note:
1. Un-freaking-believable job not taking to many penalties. Only 2 so far, one of which was cut short when Malik to a low hit. Keep this up.
2. Credit where credit is due. I've said before that Marek Malik can be a solid player for this team. Rozsival and Malik work well with each other and this can really help us down the stretch.

Great job Vally, keep it up!

Rangers at Flyers - First Period Thoughts

Welcome to how to play a road period 101. The Rangers did a fantastic job. The home team flyers came out strong, they withered the storm till they got their feet uder them. They crashed the net, got contributions from all 4 lines, played good team defense, and got a big save from their goaltender. I don't want to get to high on them so I'll stop here. Good period but this 2 goal lead is all too familiar.

When negative note: lets just stay away from special teams all together. Their powerplay is good, ours isn't. They get PK chances, we don't. Lets stick to neutral zone even strength play.

Keep it up Vally. Take it to em!

PreGame: Rangers at Flyers (1/31 at 7:00pm)

Big news coming out of tonight's game...Stephen Valiquette gets the start. What does this mean for the Rangers? Well, it's hard to say. The trend appears to be that when Valiquette plays, the game tends to be low scoring. Why? Because the Rangers collapse around their own net. Vally's presence in the goal always seems to mark an extremely noticeable shift in the Rangers' play. Overall the team tends to play a neutral zone game, with few offensive and defensive zone risks. We tend to see fewer odd man rushes for and against. While Vally's presence forces the players to play conservatively on the offensive end, it does inspire a high level of defensive accountibility.

I think this could end up being a good thing for this team. The Flyers play a very wide open style of hockey and the chances of the Rangers winning a 7-8+ goal are very unlikely. A goal here, a goal there, and shutdown D might be this team's best chance at a win.

If the Rangers are willing to play a defensively tight, low scoring game they will HAVE TO come through on the powerplay. What we saw on Tuesday night was nice but that was 4 on 3. The Rangers need 3-4 high pressure 5 on 4 powerplays to score the goals they will need to win this game. Que up Shanny, Jagr, Drury (the usual suspects) to come through. Jags always seems to light up Philly so we'll see what happens.

Btw, has anyone seen Scott Hartnell's line in the past 10 games. 17 points in that span is impressive but 5 GWG!!! is ridiculous. Got to be careful of this guy as well as the rest of the Philly powerplay, ranked #1 in the league right now. Easy solution, don't take any penalties. Easy enough right?

Let's Go Rangers!

January 30, 2008

Rumor Mill


Couple of rumors circulating around the NHL. Here they are:

According to the New York Post, Malik is on the trading block and Sather is looking for a top-four defensemen. Interest is high around the league, I wonder what they see that's good about him, but no one wants to meet Sather's offer. I wonder why no one wants to meet his offer. This is a tough trade for Sather since this is supposed to be our top-line defensemen but he is a terrible player. Interesting to see what the offers will be and if Sather will just take any offer to get rid of him or maybe get what he wants. I suspect we end up with 5th or 6th defensemen just to get rid of Malik.

In the New York Daily News there is a report that contract negations for Henrik are on track regardless of his play. Really his play isn't that bad and I am glad it isn't hindering the extension. This is something that I trust will get done and really is nothing to worry about. The question is how long the contract will be. With Ovechkin getting such a long contract, is it really out of the question that Henrik could want something of the same length?

January 29, 2008

Post Game Thoughts

If you had told me the Rangers were going to lose this game after seeing the first period I would have thought you were crazy. Yes, it was only a 1 goal lead but man, the way they were playing, I didn't think it could happen.

I want to reserve total judgement about this team's potential for a second half run until after the 3 games this weekend against teams above us in the standings.

I've been trying not to pay attention to the standings put I glanced at them after tonights game. The Rangers sit 9th and I can't really see any of the teams below them (Washington?, Atlanta, Florida) making a run. It's still early but I think it will be the Rangers, Islanders and Boston for 2 of 3 spots down the stretch.

We Can't Catch a Break - Hurricanes 3 Rangers 1 - Post Game Thought

I don't know what to say anymore. We play these great periods where fans get happy and say hey, we are going to have a good game. Then nothing goes right what so ever. They gave up two terrible 2 on 1 in the 2nd and the 3rd was disgusting. Carolina had the puck for what felt like 90% of the period. Every shot we had either hit the glass or Ward right in the chest. This is horrible. The even strength play was just terrible. Opportunities were wasted with poor shots, missed pucks, and shots that were easy for Ward to save.

The Rangers have 30 games remaining and every team they are in the playoff hunt with has games in hand on us. Today's lines just didn't work, there is no other way to say it. They didn't play well together, Carolina was able to get plenty of odd man rushes and if not for some nice saves by Henrik, the game could've easily been 5-1. I really don't know what to say about this team anymore.

So much for great playing - Rangers @ Hurricanes Second Period Analysis

Well there isn't much really to say here. The speed of the game was the same but unfortunately that benefited the Hurricanes twice. They got two 2 on 1 rushes and took advantage of both. I thought Henrik could've had the first one but both were well placed shots. They showed some energy at the end of the period and had some chances but no luck. They need to come back out with the energy they ended the period with. This is a team that we should beat. Yea, they are in the playoffs but that is because their division is horrendous. This is not a playoff team we are playing and we need this win.

Well that was Crazy - Rangers @ Hurricanes First Period analysis 1/29

Well that period was filled with just about everything. There were 16 penalties, one big fight, 3 game misconducts. The intensity on both sides of the ice was extremely high, except for Marc Staal. He seemed like he wanted to drop the gloves after the hit on Gomez but he didnt. A little disappointing but he is young. Regardless he should've dropped the gloves or something right away. Avery had some built up rage from the All-Star break. He got a roughing penalty right off the face-off, he stood up for his teammate and got 2 game misconducts. Personally I see nothing wrong with what he did. I am glad he stood up for Gomez even if he got the game misconduct penalties. Now we have to hope for no suspension. I also really REALLY like the intensity shown by Jagr. He threw his gloves down and got into it a little bit. It shows this team is ready to make this very difficult run.

Besides the intensity and all the fights, the Rangers are playing pretty well. The defense is good, especially on the 5 on 3. That was a great kill on almost a full 2 minute 5 on 3. There were great saves, great clears and an overall great job by the PK units. That was a key point in the period.

The goal scored by the Rangers was a well run 4 on 3. Crisp passing and patience led to a great opportunity and a great shot by Shanny. It would be nice to see if the Rangers could keep up this speed and intensity and continue to throw pucks at the net.

By the way, if Orr fights again he is gone from the game. With all of this happening in period 1, whats gonna happen with the 2 more left.

January 28, 2008

Malik fixed everything

In a very heartfelt story, Malik talked to Tom Renney and addressed the team regarding his disrespectful actions last week. So for all of you out there that wanted him gone, keep on dreaming. He is still here and who knows, maybe this will make him play better (I am trying to be optimistic).

The entire team will get back together on Tuesday in Carolina for the beginning of the run to the playoffs (Gomez, Dubinsky and Staal didn't go back to New York after the All-Star game). With so many teams in contention in the East these next 31 games are going to be either very exciting or very disappointing. It all depends on how the team comes out to play.

January 27, 2008

Lineup Stability

The Rangers have spent the first 51 games of the season moving guys in and out of the lineup on a nightly basis. As we enter what will hopefully be the stretch run into the playoffs, I think it is very important for this lineup to remain consistent from game to game. This will allow regulars to better establish their presence in the lineup and to develop a sense of familiarity with teammates they will share the ice with every night. We’ll take a look at the Offense, Defense, and Goaltending (this based on no pending deadline deals):

Forwards
Behind Jagr, Straka, Avery, Gomez, Drury, and Shanny:

Betts: While no one has ever questioned his spot in the lineup, he has and will always remain underappreciated. The absolute best 4th line center in the league. He brings superior defensive accountability to the lineup every night and, with the proper line mates, may show slight offensive improvement. (IN)

Dubinsky: The only reason this guy isn’t listed with the guys on top is because of his age and relatively slow start. Young Stars game MVP. This kid is for real. (IN)

Dawes: I’ve spoken in detail before about Nigel. The guy puts up points consistently and always seems to come through in low scoring games. Works really well with Dubie. (IN)

Prucha: Petr Prucha hasn't done much this season to warrant praise but the recent success of his linemates has earned him a spot in the lineup. (IN)

Orr:
In my opinion, Colton Orr fights enough, but not at the right times. Wether this is his fault or Renney's fault I do not know. The fact remains, however, that an NHL team needs this type of player in its lineup. (IN)

Hollweg:
Does he bring energy? Yes. Is he one of Renney's guys? Yes. Unfortunately, we already have two guys who can't score (Betts, Orr), can't afford a third. (OUT)

Hossa:
Marcel Hossa is one of the only guys on this team save Jagr that can create and score himself. He doesn't do it often but he can do it. I think this player can single handedly turn our 4th line into somewhat of a threat. With Betts banging in rebounds I think a 4th line of Orr-Betts-Hossa can contribute a big goal down the stretch. (IN)

Defense

Behind Rozsival, Girardi, Tyutin, and Staal:

Malik: Marek Malik is a good player and I’ve always though the Malik-Rozsival pair was the backbone of our defense in seasons past. However, with the amount of disrespect this guy has for his coach, he may be better suited to be 6th man on the Knicks than 6th D-Man on the Rangers. (OUT)

Mara: As questionable as Paul Mara’s play has been during his tenure as a Ranger, his Paul Bunyan like playoff beard, his experience, and his slap shot earn him a spot in the lineup. The nature of his game suits him to play with Drury and Shanny, guys who crash the net and put in rebounds. (IN)

Strudwick: Nope, sorry. If his leadership qualities are so important put him in a suit and tie on the bench. (OUT)

You may notice that leaves only 5 players on D. Time for Glen to make a move. Struds can hold the 6th spot down in the meantime.

Goaltending

Our goaltending question simply concerns how much Stephen Valiquette should play. With 31 games left, I imagine Valiquette should get 4 or 5 starts. One possibly in the upcoming game against LA, a couple on a road trip, and maybe 1 or 2 in our almost daily divisional play to rap up the season.

All-Star Game: East 8 - West 7


So the All-Star game just ended and I have to say the NHL did a great job this weekend. The arena was packed tonight and the fans got really into it the game. The beginning events on Saturday were great to watch. Many of the problems that ruined last year's Skills Challenge were fixed very well. The youngstars game was fun with just 3 on 3. There was plenty of open ice for the future of the NHL to show their skills, and that they did. I really like the new shootout challenge. Hopefully it could become the NHL's slam dunk contest or homerun derby. The players got very creative and I feel if the event continues so will the creativity and excitement. I think my favorite part about the skills challenge is that almost all the players are included. Its good for the fans to see every All-Star compete in an event that can showcase what makes them an All-Star. No other professional sports All-Star game has that. A definite A+ for the Skills Challenge.

Moving on to the game that just happened. That was some game in my book. It was close, there was a good balance of offense and goaltending, and overall it was a lot of fun. The players worked pretty well together and the goalies were making some unbelieveable saves. I was suprised how well some of the lines were passing the puck. Overall, the best talent in the NHL really showed their stuff tonight.

Staal, no not Marc, Eric, earned MVP honors with 2 goals and 1 assist. He scored the game tying goal and assisted on the game winning goal by Savard. I personally would've given the award to Nabokov. He didnt give up a goal in his period, something that hasnt happened since 2002. It was a crucial period too since the West was down by 4 to start it off. All I know is that the game was great, the players came out ready to play. I mean come on, they somehow had a marching band on ice after the 2nd period. Thats impressive.

As for our boy Gomez, he played as he usually does. He passed the puck well and often, he got himself an assist and won 3 of 5 faceoffs. Nothing special but hey he represented us well.

Now after reading this you would think the event was perfect. But there was one problem. It was on Versus. Many people didnt even have the oppurtunity to watch an All-Star game that was very entertaining. It had defense in the form of goaltending, something the NBA event doesnt have any of. Everyone got to play a significant amount of time, unlike the MLB All-Star game. And dont even get me started with the Pro Bowl. Every hockey fan knows that the sport isnt as popular as it should be. This game tonight is one big reason. My friends and fellow writers couldnt watch the game because they dont get Versus. A game like this is something that could get people into hockey, unfortunately they would need Versus, a channel with hockey and bull riding that most people dont have. This has to change soon to get some exposure out there. Other than that, it was great event.

January 26, 2008

Youngstars Game

So I actually just watched this 3 on 3 offensive show with the young great players of the NHL and it was kind of fun to watch. The young players showed some very good skills with moves and shots. I was very impressed with Kane and Gangner and the goalies made some sick saves. Our two boys that were in this game had some good goals and assists. Staal had a nice upper corner shot on Osgood and Dubinsky had a few nice tip ins and some nice passes. He was actually named the MVP of the Youngstars game. It was fun to watch and it was definitely nice to have 2 players amongst all those top picks and players in the run for the Calder trophy.

Oh yeah the guy that is actually an All-Star, Scotty Gomez, he scored in his competition too. Overall it was a good night for the Rangers.

Starting Next Season Abroad?

Not much going on obviously since it is the All-Star break but the Rangers announced some news for next season. Upon the success of the two sold-out games in London between the Ducks and Kings, the NHL has decided to open next season in Prague and Stockholm. Unfortunately Lundqvist will not be able to play in his own country. The Rangers will play a home-and-home with Tampa Bay in Prague on Saturday October 4th and 5th. Ottawa and Pittsburgh will play in Stockholm and the same days. It should be fun and good exposure for the NHL. I like the idea mainly because of how successful the games in London were. Unfortunately there is one problem. The NHLPA says that players aren't so fond of the idea and haven't signed off on it yet. They didn't want the NHL to make such a firm announcement before talking to them so as of now the plans aren't 100% offical.

Other than that game, they will also play in the Victoria Cup before the season starts. According to the press release "the Victoria Cup is an International Ice Hockey Federation event featuring the winner of the European Champions Cup and an NHL team. Earlier this month, Russian team Metallurg Magnitogorsk beat Sparta Prague 5-2 to earn a berth in the Victoria Cup. The tournament will take place in Berne, Switzerland." Hopefully all this travel wont hurt the Rangers, but we will worry about that after we get through this season.

Unfortunately no trade rumors or any new news regarding Malik. Actually read a rumor that the Rangers have showed interest in LA Kings defensemen Rob Blake. Maybe that's where Malik comes in, we'll see soon enough. One thing that is missing is Henrik Lundqvist rumors about a new contract. I would really like to hear about some extensions soon for him and Avery. Once again we'll have to wait and see.

January 25, 2008

Malik: An Alternative View

As the Marek Malik era seems to be coming to an end here in New York, it begs the question, whose to blame?

While Malik's poor play in the beginning weeks of the season certainly didn't help matters, I'm not completely convinced that he wasn't given a raw deal by Tom Renney and co.

First off, was Malik that bad? He stands right now as a +1. Not bad on a team with only a handful of players over the even mark. He's a solid penalty killer and especially stands out in 3 man PK situations. His lapses defensively are sometimes a direct result of ill-advised plays by Jaromir Jagr and Michael Rozsival. And lets not forget, through the legs anyone?

Secondly, even if he was that bad, does he really only deserve 11 games to prove himself (Malik played 11 games before assuming a semi-permanent spot in the press box). And it's not as if the Rangers were bringing in Chris Pronger to replace him. Why was Renney so eager to get Jason Strudwick back into the lineup?

Glen Sather needs to be intelligent on how he handles the Malik situation. I firmly believe that if Renney and Malik can kiss and makeup, Malik is a player that can help us make a run. If they can't and Malik is indeed traded or released, Sather needs to go out and find a D-man, because if we want to make a run, Jason Strudwick's intangible leadership is not going to cut it.

- Justin

Malik Update: Just Take The Loss

Well it appears as if coach Tom Renney and Marek Malik had an incident after Tuesday nights win where Malik refused to shake Renney's hand, which then led to him packing up his things and leaving the Garden. I'm very curious to why this would happen especially because Tuesday's game was a solid one for Malik (aka he did not cost the Rangers a win), and Tom Renney has seemed to be the only person who has not gotten down on Malik and has continued to give him some ice time (more then any fan would like to see).

Hopefully this will be the last straw and Malik will either be traded or the Rangers will just outright cut him. At this point, I, like most others, am willing to just take the loss and cut him instead of trying to get something in return. This guy is not what this team needs, he's not a team player and let's face it, he doesn't do much good on the ice.

All-Star Break

Well its now the All-Star break and the Rangers get some nice rest, other than Gomez, Staal and Dubinsky. Good luck to the guys going to Atlanta. The Rangers got a W yesterday even if it wasn't the nicest looking win ever. At this point we'll take them anyway we can get them. Not much news except this Malik saga. Greg gave a nice summary of it and i guess we will have to wait and see. I hope he is gone.

Some analysis of the team at the break:
- The Rangers are 5 points out of first in the Atlantic but have played more games than everyone in the division, which always seems the case. So the Rangers are there but obviously the play has to change to make a run.

- They are tied for 8th in the conference with the Islanders and 6 points behind the 4th place spot. Carolina is in the playoffs right now with 52 points which really shows how bad their division is.

- Jagr, 46 points, needs 38 points in the final 31 games to reach that number mentioned on his contract. Not the easiest thing ever. Gomez leads the team with 47 points. Nice that the new free agent signing is leading the team in points. The other big newcomer Drury is actually third in points. Nice to see them up there but definitely not the type of production everyone was looking for especially for the cash that was shelled out.

- The Rangers schedule gets very interesting in the last part of the season. The month of March and the last few games in April are almost all division games. Its going to make this next part of the season very intense. Every game in March is big enough as it is when your fighting for a playoff spot but to be playing division rivals, the teams your chasing, almost every single game to end a season is crazy. It could be a very nerve wrecking time.

January 24, 2008

NYR def. ATL 2-1 (SO)

Isn't it ironic that on a night honoring hockey's history the game ended in the new age shootout.

I'll get this out of the way... the powerplay, ARE YOU KIDDING ME! It has to get better. End of story. Kind of getting sick of saying it.

We gotta be happy about getting out of this shootout with win. What used to be a team filled with shoot-out specialists (nylander, cullen, sykora) has reached a level of such shoot-out mediocrity that even King Henry can't save them.

Rangers Stars Of The Game (in no particular order):

Brandon Dubinsky - This guy is quickly transforming himself from a good young player to a good young star in this league (no pun on the Young Stars game). He has become a constant threat every time he is out on the ice. He is one of the few players on the team who consistently takes the shot. With his offense surging and his defense improving, his all out effort every game is turning him into a LEGITIMATE second line center.

Nigel Dawes - It doesn't really matter if Nigel Dawes has earned the approval of coach Tom Renney because he has certainly earned the approval of the Garden faithful. Dawes and Dubinsky have fully assumed the role of the young, exciting, talented kids on this team a role left void by the 07-08 performances of Petr Prucha and Ryan Callahan. I've been a consistent fan of Nigel Dawes throughout the season and was firmly against sending him down the first time....and the second time. I think the difference this time is that Nigel's consistently solid play has now coincided with a bit of a winning streak (7 out of the last 10 points). Nigel has twice been the victim of a much needed roster shake up, but as long as the Rangers keep winning, Nigel will stay.

Henrik Lundqvist - Allowing one goal in regulation and zero in the shootout certainly warrants Henry a star of the game. While Henrik has certainly improved his game of late and is a big reason why the Rangers have allowed one goal or less in 3 of the last 5 games, I think the real credit goes to the overall team defense. Solid defense combined with improved back-checking from the forwards (Sean Avery,Chris Drury) has seen the Rangers return to their stellar defensive numbers of early this season. With the offensive numbers showing no signs of improvement, tight team defense might be the only thing that can allow this team to make a run to the playoffs.

Positive Notes:
  • Brendan Shannahan has absolutely saved us in shootouts this year.
  • The Rangers have never been able to field a scoring defenseman since Brian Leetch left town. Michael Rozsival is now second among NHL defenseman in goals with 12 (Mike Green (WAS) . Interesting.
  • Some much needed rest this weekend will help this team. Hopefully Shanny, Jagr, and Drury can gear up for a huge second half return. Gomez, Staal, and Dubie headed to Atlanta (do they really need rest?).
  • As ugly as it was against a much depleted Thrasher team, a win on Brian Leetch night...priceless
It might not have been the 6-1 domination we all expected but a win is a win, especially at this point in the season. 2 Game winning streak going into the all-star break. Good luck Scotty, Marc, and Brandon.

Is there anything more classy than a Rangers jersey retirement ceremony. Great to see Brian Leetch's jersey soar to the rafters. A guy who really deserves.

In other news...Adam Graves, wow. Watching his face after Leetch announced it, gave me the absolute chills. As much as we want #9 to the rafters, he wants it more. He has devoted himself to this team, this town, and these fans and absolutely deserves a spot next to his teammates in the rafters.

New York Rangers vs. Atlanta Thrashers

As John Amirante kicks us off, time to get down to business.

Goalie Matchup - Johan Hedberg (ATL) vs. HENRIK LUUUUNDQVIST (NYR)

Same lines as tuesday night.

Lets put on a good show for the Ranger greats in the crowd.

Leetch Ceremony

The number 2 will never again be worn by a New York Ranger, and this just became official as the number 2 of Brian Leetch has just been raised the the rafters.

Here are some quick notes from the ceremony...

-Leetch was given a motorcycle by the organization, and it was being ridden by who else but...Ty Domi
-Nice touch by the Rangers, all wearing the number 2 on their sweaters.
-Wow, didn't Leetch's daughter just look miserable out there?
-As expected, Messier had his usual waterworks, on the other hand, Leetch didn't shed a tear.
-Fans didn't take too kindly to Brian's mentioning of the name Dolan.
-Leetch gave thanks to a lot of people in his speech, Glen Sather got none of the love.
-Last but not least...probably the biggest news of the night. During his Speech, Leetch announced that Adam Graves will have the honor of having his number 9 being retired by the Rangers as well sometime next season.

Wow, great ceremony, but now it's time for some hockey. Huge game for the Rangers, lets hope this emotion carries over.

Rangers v Lightning (Prague)

Jagr, Rozy, Straka potential FA departures. Prucha possibly on the trading block for next season.

These Czech fans might not be to happy with the look of the Rangers roster as they open the season in Prague next year.

- Justin

Mess Passing The Torch To Jagr -> What Will Tonight Bring?

Remember that day...retiring #11, beating the Oilers in OT 5-4, Jags scoring the GWG. In the symbolic passing of the captain's torch, the Rangers became Jaromir's team. The Rangers went on to win 12 of the next 16 games following Mess's retirement ceremony all but cementing themselves their first playoff birth since 1997.

So what inspiration will Brian Leetch provide?
  • Maybe Fedor Tyutin will finally start putting some points on the board (3 points the other night all on secondary assists)
  • Maybe Marc Staal will finally duplicate that end-to-end rush (OHL Sudbury Wolves) we all love seeing on YouTube
  • Maybe Marek Malik will get traded
In all seriousness, tonight is a night of Rangers lore. It is a night to honor the great accomplishments of the past and more importantly, it is a night for these players to start to realize what team they play for. And it all starts with the Captain. It is time for him to STEP UP!! I'm not saying 3 pucks in the net...i'm not even saying one. He just needs to show that he has the passion and capability to lead this team. In light of Leetch and the Larry Brooks article, let's see it Jaromir.


The general opinion is that this team needs a shake up. Well, the stars are aligning. Leetch night, Jags coming off a 3 point game, Kovalchuk suspended, some much needed rest this weekend. Tonight could be the spark/shake-up that this team needs to make a run.

- Justin

New Writers

As mentioned in the header to this blog, I am not the only writer. My friends Greg, Justin and Vinny will be joining me on this blog. They are all die-hard Rangers fans and love to debate and talk about them just like I do. You may be wondering how are 4 people going to write on a blog together. We plan on bringing you up to date news, game analysis and debate amongst the 4 writers, which will allow for a different persepctives that fans can relate to. We want to try and give you, the reader, many different perspectives on games, trades, signings, call-ups, etc. because not every fan thinks the same way. As a group we plan on bringing you a unique blog, different from anything else out there. No Rangers blog has both news and game analysis or even more than one opinion. We plan to bring you all of that and give you complete coverage of your favorite NHL team, the New York Rangers.

Busy Day in the Rangers World

A lot is happening today in the Rangers world. Obviously the great Brian Leetch will have his #2 raised into the rafters, finally. But there is a mystery going on with Marek Malik. I read Rangers Report, as I usually do, and Sam Weinman said that Malik did not skate this morning. On top of that, the only thing hanging in his locker was his practice jersey and 2 pictures of his kids. Now Renney said it is an internal issue but obviously, who knows. I have tried to hold in my excitement of the possibility that Malik is gone but its not working. Getting rid of him and his salary would be so wonderful but we will see what happens.

I also read the Post today and saw an article about Jagr regarding his contract by Larry Brooks. I was talking about this issue with my friends recently. If you don't know the issue here it is, if Jagr'sdoesn't get 84 points AND the Rangers advance one round in the playoffs be becomes a free agent. Now this isn't impossible but the Rangers are going to have to play better for this to happen. I would really like to have Jagr back one more year and he even said he would like to stay in New York in the article. He has also said before that he wants to play with Sid the Kid so who knows. It is a little early to really worry about this but as the season winds down this issue will be revisited and become a big concern.

January 23, 2008

Remebering Brian Leetch


On the eve of #2 being raised into the rafters I thought I would look back on Brian Leetch. I am a relatively young fan only being 19 years old. I was only 6 when they won the cup but I do kind of remember it. Around that age was when I started following the Rangers and Brian Leetch was always a player I could look up as an athlete. The man was one of the best of his time and one of the best Rangers ever. You have to be able to make a good argument that he is in at least the top 10 when it comes to all-time defenseman. He worked hard day in and day out, he was a leader and a great man off the ice. Leetch along with Graves, Messier and Richter, were the guys that I first remember when I watched the Rangers. They were my favorite players and now 3/4 of them will have their number retired (hopefully Graves will join the club). I am so happy to that Leetch is getting his number retired, he deserves it. He was a player that really got me into the Rangers and was one of my childhood idols and congratulations to Mr. Leetch and I hope the night is one to remember.

News and Such
- Great news for the Rangers. Mr. IIya Kovalchuk was suspended one game so he will not be playing on Thursday. Hopefully the Rangers can take advantage of this and the Thrashers terrible play and get 2 more points before All-Star weekend.
- Lets Go Rangers and win this next game for Leetch.

January 22, 2008

Now Thats What Im Talking About - Rangers vs. Atlanta 1/22

Thats what I call a dominating hockey game. Now it wasnt perfect because our powerplay was not that good. But even strength was dominating and penalty killing was amazing. Henrik didnt have much work to do but he didnt let a goal in. Our stars got on the board with Jagr having two points, Drury getting assist and going 11/18 on faceoffs, Gomez getting another point, hell even Straka scored. It was a great game and something the Rangers really needed. Now this great game means absolutely nothing if we dont come out and beat Atlanta again. 50 games through the season, cant believe they are that far through, the Rangers need some consistency and a win like this should have some momentum carry over into the next game and the next and so on. And if the Rangers can go into the break with a little win streak and some overall good play it could mean some good things to come in the last 31 games after the break. We can only hope.

One thing I find strange in this game is how you can control the puck so well on 5 on 5 play but have such a bad powerplay. They didnt get many chances and it really didnt look too good. I agree with fellow blogger Inferno over at Rangers Review that the Rangers didnt let the bad powerplay effect them. If the Rangers converted a powerplay chance or two this would've the perfect game. But personally I'll take the way they played today everyday. The Rangers had better chances when they were shorthanded than Atlanta did when they had the advantage.

As for the hit. I had respect for Mr. Kovalchuk because he is a good player, but that was disgusting. He went right after him and really looks like he had the intent to hurt somebody. I hope he gets a suspension because if someone like Orr or Hollweg did that they would absolutely be suspended so I hope the league acts accordingly.

Maybe We Arent so Bad Off

Recently I was thinking about last season and how that season went. From what I remember the Rangers werent playing too well and were 23-21-4 at the break on January 24th. Now last years team did not have the Stanley Cup expectations at the beginning of the season that this years team had, but they were thought to be a top contender for the Atlantic Division title. This years record is worse right now but not by much and there are still two games before the break. Last year the All-Star break was the turning point of the Rangers season. They stepped it up and fought there way into the playoffs and carried that momentum into a nice playoff run. So maybe we arent so bad. This is really the only optimistic view the Rangers have. Not to mention last year they also acquired Avery at the trade deadline. But who knows. Maybe Henrik will have a GAA under 2.00 in the second half of the season like last year. And maybe the Rangers will make a nice deadline deal for a defensemen or a quality hardworking player like Avery, and the Rangers will have another great second half of the year. We can only hope because the current play of the Rangers isnt going to get this team anywhere close to the playoffs.

News and Such
- Sid the Kid is out for 6-8 weeks. Thank God. Its always nice when a top player on a top team in your division goes down.
-In a recent article in the New York Post by Tim Bontemps, Renney said he believes this team can win and he doesnt want to break up the guys they have committed too. Well tonight the lines dont show that and have taken a serious jumble. Here they are:

Avery-Gomez-Jagr

Dawes-Dubinsky-Shanahan

Straka-Drury-Prucha

Hollweg-Betts-Orr

On defense:

Malik-Rozsival

Tyutin-Girardi

Staal-Strudwick

Lets hope it all works out.




January 20, 2008

Something Has to Change Rangers vs. Bruins 1/20

The Rangers started the game very well. They were checking, they using traffic and they were shooting the puck. Unfortunately none of these things ended up in goals. Henrik just looked off again letting up a weak early goal and letting up two other goals that he couldve saved in my mind. The Rangers had plenty of chances off rebounds and in traffic to score a goal but couldnt. I thought this team was filled with all-stars who knew how to score in these situations. Who knew how to score goals. Obviously this team doesnt have those players. Every puck just seemed to miss the net or hit the wall that was Thomas. He made some excellent saves but we put it right at him almost every time but the late goal. Speaking of the goal, the third line is great. They deserved the playing time they got because they hustled the most and didnt give up. This is a line that could stay together for a long time if we kept these players. They have great chemistry and seem to be our best line. The time is coming where something has to change, something drastic. If the Rangers dont change something, this team will be compared to the Lindros, Bure teams that everyone that were so good but accomplished nothing. A long fall from Stanley Cup contenders.

January 16, 2008

We Needed That One

That was a game we were supposed to win with the Sabres on a serious slide. Miller had a great game really making some great saves but my new favorite line of Prucha, Dawes and Dubinsky played like superstars. They hustled, played well and put in two great goals. The penalty killing was excellent when it needed to be, especially on the 5 on 3 in the beginning of the second period. Henrik didn't get tested that much late in the game, with only 5 shots in the 3rd period, but he made a huge save at the end of the game and made sure the Rangers came away with a much needed win. It wasn't a blowout or complete domination but it was a hard fought game against a good goalie and a good win that we had to have. The biggest thing that needs to happen now is some consistency. This play needs to carry over so we can start a nice win streak and rise in the standings.

Pre-Game News for Sabres Game

The struggling Rangers will be in full force tonight. Avery and Shanny will be playing as will Jagr who reportedly was doing so limping around the practice facility. Henrik will be in net. Hopefully a full roster will help this team get back to where it should be, and that is consistently winning games. I have a good feeling about tonights game and hopefully it can be a game that turns this season in the right direction.

First Post

Hello Rangers Fans out there. My name is Ryan Hughes and I am a die-hard New York Rangers fan. I have been a fan all my life and really love the team. Me and my friends have always wanted to start our own Rangers blog to talk about the team that we love and share it with everyone else. So I finally decided to create one and begin on this journey. I will have some of my close friends also be authors on this site and they will introduce themselves later on. I will be posting Rangers news and rumors that I find and also game analysis. Unfortunately I go to school outside of Philly so it is hard to see every game but I will always listen and hopefully soon will have a way of watching every game on my computer. Hopefully you like the blog and I am looking foward to hearing from readers and talking about the New York Rangers.