Thursday, March 31, 2011
Rangers Embarass The Sweater With Performance Against Isles, Risk Playoff Spot
There
are no words to accurately describe the disgrace that was the New York Rangers
performance tonight in a 6-2 loss to the “rival” Islanders. Coming off a mediocre performance in their
biggest game of the year last night in Buffalo the team decided it didn’t really
have to show up at all with the belief the Isles were going to roll over and
hand them two points. The power play was
atrocious in going 0-7, defensive zone coverage was even worse, but the utter
lifelessness and lack of effort for the team as a whole was the worst part of
it all. There is no way in the last five
games of the year that you should lack effort and energy while battling for a
playoff spot. The performance was an embarrassment to the sweater that they wear and should have all the men in that room ashamed at their "effort".
Hard
to believe but the Rangers actually did lead in this game when Vinny Prospal made
it 1-0 Rangers 14:25 into the first period.
The goal was created by excellent work from Marian Gaborik down low
would get him the puck, he stepped out and fired a shot that was blocked by
Jack Hillen, then Gaborik played the puck over to Prospal who fired a quick
slap shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Montoya high.
Following
the goal the Rangers would have a series of four power plays over the next
eight minutes of action including two different 5-on-3 advantages in which the
team converted nothing and ended up creating momentum for the Islanders and
they would actually feel like converting something tonight.
Blake
Comeau and Radek Martinek would score 33 seconds apart to take what was a 1-0
deficit and turn it into a 2-1 Islanders lead.
After killing off the Rangers sixth power play of the game the Islanders
would could get two more quick goals during the latter stages of the period
with the first from Jesse Joensu on a deflection and then Parenteau would score
76 seconds later to make it 4-1.
Matt
Moulson added to the insult mid-way through the third and then the ultimate
indignity occurred when Trevor Gillies scored at 14:00 of the third period to
make it 6-1. Prust gets an absolutely
meaningless goal with 13.6 seconds left to make it 6-2.
Now
they have to pick themselves up and show some of the heart they showed before
the last two nights on Sunday or all the work of the first 76 games could
unravel rapidly.
Rangers Recall Cam Talbot, Precaution or Lundqvist Not Available Tonight?
According to the AHL Transaction Log,
the New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Cam Talbot from the
Connecticut Whale of the AHL. There was no corresponding move to send Chad Johnson down to bring Talbot up so that means the Rangers will have three goalies on the roster for tonight which brings into question the availability of Henrik Lundqvist tonight against the Islanders.
Lundqvist took a shot off his right leg above the knee last night, but was able to stay in for the third period. It would be no surprise to see that once the adrenaline left the body and the injury had the night to set in that the issue is worse today than yesterday, but even if Lundqvist is out tonight I would expect him to be back shortly. The move for Talbot is likely one of precaution in case Lundqvist cant go so the Rangers dont end up with only one goalie available.
Lundqvist took a shot off his right leg above the knee last night, but was able to stay in for the third period. It would be no surprise to see that once the adrenaline left the body and the injury had the night to set in that the issue is worse today than yesterday, but even if Lundqvist is out tonight I would expect him to be back shortly. The move for Talbot is likely one of precaution in case Lundqvist cant go so the Rangers dont end up with only one goalie available.
Ryan McDonagh Strides Into Hockey's Future Top 50 Prospects
Ryan
McDonagh has been so good since being brought up to the Rangers in early
January that there are many points where you forget he is still a rookie and
technically even still a prospect. Today
is one of those reminders as the Hockey’s
Future countdown of the top 50 prospects in the game has started and
McDonagh comes in right at number 50.
McDonagh had been ranked by HF before when he came in at number 39 back
in Fall 2009.
The
heady McDonagh has impressed during his time with the Rangers this season, and
seems poised to move his career to another level.
There
were those who were concerned with McDonagh’s game last season with his lack of
offensive production at Wisconsin and then his slow start in the AHL at the
beginning of this year but he has more than erased those doubters since coming
to the NHL. From nearly day one he has
played with a tremendous amount of poise, intelligence and skill on the ice
that when you watch him you see a veteran on the ice not a player still
eligible for prospect lists. In 35 games
for the Rangers McDonagh has eight assists with an impressive plus 17 rating in
18:39 of ice time per game while combining with Michael Sauer to be arguably
the Rangers best defensive pair in the stretch drive. The sky is the limit for this young player
who might come in at number 50 on this list but will be much more valuable to
the Rangers than that for the next decade.
Rangers Offense Still Boom Or Bust, Will It Cost Them Playoff Spot?
The New York Rangers are a team that prides itself on the
consistency of their effort in order to gain results and that has shown itself
throughout the 2010-11 season. The one
place the Rangers have failed to find that consistency is on the offensive end
of the ice. After the offense exploded
for 17 goals in three games the team has gone back to struggling only
accounting for three goals in the last four games. Luckily for the team they have played
tremendous defense over the same stretch only surrendering three goals and
going 2-1-1.
It is great to have a defense and goaltender that can shut
teams down like that and it will give you a chance in just about every night,
but you have to score some goals to win in this league. It is not too much to ask for an offense to
find two goals a night and yet over these last four games the Rangers cannot
seem to find a way to do it. A lot of
the offensive struggles are confidence related as this team is one that when it
starts flowing in a game can explode because everyone else loosens up. When they struggle to score early in the game
they get tighter and tighter and then the problem seems to snowball on itself.
On the season, according to NHL.com, the Rangers have scored
210 goals in their 77 games, an average of 2.73 goals per game which ranks them
16th in the league. That does not seem
all that bad, but that factors in the fact that the Rangers have scored six
goals or more on nine different occasions this year. If you take those games out the Rangers are
left with 152 goals in the other 68 games the team has played which is an
average of only 2.24 goals per game and would rank them 29th in the
league. To further that they have had 20
games this season in which they scored 1 goal or less.
Obviously all teams are going to have games where they have
big offensive nights that inflate their numbers and others where they struggle
and the numbers slide, but the Rangers have been a huge team for the
differential. Until the Rangers figure
out a way to get more consistent with their offense their ability to be a true
contender for the Cup will be in question and maybe even their spot in the playoffs altogether.
Video: Did Getzlaf Play Hide-and-Seek With Puck To Rob Flames of Goal?
Quick thinking and a will to do whatever it takes to win are things any team wants from its players and it appears on Wednesday night Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks put both of those to work by breaking the rules to prevent a Calgary goal late in the second period. With the Ducks up 2-1, Tim Jackman deflects the puck on net and it appears to be resting on top of the prone Ray Emery over the goal line when Getzlaf comes in, closes his hand on the puck to hide it from the video review and then slides the puck out under Emery.
Following the review it was ruled that no goal was scored as there was not enough video evidence to overturn the call. TSN does an excellent job breaking down the play:
Did Getzlaf steal a goal from Calgary? Is that leadership from the captain of the Ducks?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Rangers Lack Urgency In Shutout Loss To Sabres, Drop To Eighth in East
Rick Stewart/Getty Images |
The Rangers were given a gift in catching the Sabres without Ryan Miller and acted ungrateful as they made the majority of the night on backup goaltender Jhonas Enroth. Enroth would only have to make 23 saves to get his first career shutout. To Enroth’s credit he did make three or four beautiful saves in the third period to secure the 1-0 victory.
As for the action the Rangers were dominated for the first half of the first period, but would mount some pressure late in the period including a disallowed Artem Anisimov goal with just over two minutes left. On the play Ryan Callahan was skating through the crease and ended up sandwiched between Enroth and Sekera. While not a malicious play by Callahan it was the right call to disallow the goal because it did impact Enroth’s ability to get back and play the rebound from Anisimov.
During the second period the Rangers were woeful and the only goal of the game would happen. Brian Boyle broke down on a two-on-one, while shorthanded, with Ryan Callahan and elected to make the pass which was blocked and Buffalo came back the other way. The puck would eventually end up on the stick of Tim Connolly along the left wing board and he wound up for a blast that beat Lundqvist high at 5:28 of the second.
Adding injury to the insult of the effort of the first two periods was Henrik Lundqvist being down again, but this time not from being run into by the opposition. With just 24.4 seconds left in the second period Lundqvist appeared to take a shot just above his right knee while he was down in the butterfly. After shaking off the leg and being checked by Jim Ramsey he stayed in the game for the rest of the night.
The third period saw the Rangers finally show some urgency and create some scoring chances that tested Enroth, but they could not solve him tonight. The best chances were had by Stepan and various others by
- Marian Gaborik and it had the feel they would find a way to
get one though it was not meant to be.
Prospal-Stepan-Gaborik was the most dangerous line for the Rangers tonight
Sean Avery had an impact in his minutes
Wolski or Christensen need to hit the bench tomorrow and let Zuccarello get back in.
Buzz: Rangers Interested In Stephane Da Costa, What He Would Bring To New York
As the college hockey season winds down the undrafted free agent signings from the college ranks really heat up and one of the most sought after players out there this season is Merrimack forward Stephane Da Costa. Da Costa is a 5'11" 180lbs center that starred during his sophomore year for Merrimack College, with a team leading 45 points (14-31) in 33 games. Following his freshman campaign Da Costa was named the NCAA (Hockey East) Rookie of the Year and NCAA (New England) Rookie of the Year as well.
Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post the Rangers are in on the bidding war that will be the Da Costa recruitment. The team most frequently connected with him at this point has been the Minnesota Wild, but Darren Dreger reported yesterday that as many as 20 teams were in on him.
In terms of what you are getting in Da Costa he is 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, plays center and is an extremely intelligent hockey player that has vision and goal scoring touch. Playmaking is his best attribute, but he is a very good skater, even if not fast, and handles the puck very well both in moving it and protecting it from the opposition.
If the money is all the same, as it appears to be from reports, then Da Costa is going to go to the team that gives him the best chance to play right away and prove he belongs at the NHL level. If that is what the decision is based on, then coming to New York likely would not happen with the number of young and talent players we already have that he would be competing against for roster spots next season, but it would be great to add him to the mix.
Will The Rangers Buyout Wojtek Wolski This Summer?
When the New York Rangers acquired Wojtek Wolski for Michal
Rozsival back in January the word no-brainer was used by anyone and everyone
around as the move brought New York a young player with offensive upside, save
the team cap space and opened up a defensive spot for Ryan McDonagh to play at
this level. Over the course of his 32
games with the Rangers he has amassed only 16 points (5-11) and has been
brilliant in some games and healthy scratched for one as well. The move is still the right one, but the
questions have to start becoming more concrete about just how long Wolski’s
stay in New York will last.
With a cap hit of 3.8 million dollars next season and the
Rangers in need of relief to sign their own restricted free agents and possibly
chase the likes of Brad Richards the team will need to find the money from
somewhere and Wolski could be part of that process. According to Capgeek
the buyout for Wolski this summer would only cost the Rangers 466,667 against
the cap next season and 666,667 which would create over 3.3 million in cap
space for the team this summer which would provide significant breathing room
and options for the organization.
The lure of Wolski’s skill could entice the Rangers to keep
him around, but if he keeps going like he has been where he is scoreless in his
last seven games and providing little to nothing else on the ice then one would
have to think that they would consider cutting bait on him whether it be trying
to deal him or just walking away for pennies and taking the cap space with the
roster spot. It will be up to Wolski to
go back to how he was playing when he was first brought to New York which was a
dangerous offensive game with defensive effort and grinding play along the way
or he will be on his fourth NHL team to start the 2011-12 season.
What Is Derek Stepan's Ceiling?
photo by Robyn Florek (@njrobynf) |
When Derek Stepan signed with the New York Rangers there was
hope that he would be able to make the team out of training camp, but no one
could have hoped or imagined the season he was going to have in his rookie
campaign. At the start of training camp
there was debate about whether playing on a lower line at the NHL level or
going down and being a top line player getting large minutes in the AHL was
better for his development. That
question appeared to be one that was going to go on throughout the preseason
and make the roster decisions for the Rangers difficult, but with his play in
camp and the preseason Stepan locked up his spot on the roster and has not
looked back.
Tonight when he returns to Buffalo he will not only be going
back to the site of his first career game but where he scored a hat-trick in
his debut. That hat-trick set the
20-year-old rookie on his way to a campaign that with his goal against Boston
on Saturday now has him as the youngest New York Rangers player to score 20
goals since Alexi Kovalev did it during the 1992-93 season. Overall in his rookie season he has posted a
scoring output of 20-21-41 in 76 games.
Coming out of college I expected Stepan to adjust well to
the NHL, if not this quickly, and to be a very good playmaker that could you
his intelligence, vision and passing ability to make his teammates better. Additionally there was no questioning of his
maturity, two-way play, willingness to play the body and penchant for the big
spot as he started his career. What I
did not expect was for him to chip in as many goals as he has this season which
leaves the question as to where the ceiling is for Stepan?
I expected Stepan to be a 15-20 goal guy who chipped in
45-50 assists when he established himself as a consistent NHL player. The fact that he has scored 20 goals in his
rookie season will make some expect higher and higher outputs from him going
forward. Even with that level of
production I still would not refer to him as a goal scorer, as his many of his
goals are not beautiful plays that make the jaw drop, but just plays that get the
job done. If his ceiling even changes
from maybe 15-20 to 25-30 that is a huge difference on a team like New York
that has so struggled to find consistent offensive production and the
difference between a very good second line type playmaker and a first line
player if he can reach his potential in the assist department.
I do not want to focus solely on the surprise that is goal
scoring and neglect to discuss how impressive the transition he has made has
been. Stepan has this knack for being in
the right place at the right time and the puck seeming to find him and that is
something that cannot be taught. For a
player to shift from the college to pro game as he has in terms of the longer
schedule, the bigger, tougher opponents and hold up has been crucial to where
the Rangers currently are in the standings.
There have been dips in his game, but with each dip there has been no
sulking, no complaining about being moved down in the lineup just a resolve to
do whatever it takes to help the team win.
That team first, win first mentality is what had him as the captain of
Team USA’s gold medal effort just a year ago, why he was a letter wearer at
Wisconsin and why before all is said and done he will have a letter on his
chest with the New York Rangers.
With the combination of work ethic, intelligence and hockey
skill the ceiling on his career is completely in the control of Derek Stepan
and I look for him to maximize everything he can out of it and give the fans of
the New York Rangers reasons to cheer for many years to come. The biggest thing that Stepan has to work on in his game is his faceoffs
if he wants to remain at center over the long term, but he will likely
end up playing left wing. To have a ceiling as a 70-80 point guy is
certainly nothing to sneeze at and while it might take a few more years to get
to that level it will certainly be worth the wait and I am not willing to bet
against him.
What do you think Stepan's ceiling is?
*Thanks to Robyn Florek for the Stepan picture
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Video: Shawn Thornton Gets 40 stitch Wound In Face From Skate, Wants At Hawks Bench
During the second period of Tuesday night’s Bruins
Blackhawks game Shawn Thornton on the Bruins was cut in the head by the skate
of Fernando Pisani. The cut was purely
accident and left behind a wound that took 40 stitches to close above his
eye.
After taking the skate to the face Thornton got up and was
skating off the ice while bleeding profusely when he heard something from the
Chicago bench that made him attempt to get at them before the linesman stepped
in.
Video:
Hat tip to Puck Daddy
Stepan Back With Gaborik, Breaking Down the Healthy Scratch Contenders
Based on practice today there appears to be at least one
change to the New York Rangers lineup tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres and
it has nothing to do with who the healthy scratch might be. The lines that were reported from practice
showed two that remained intact and the other have been shifted at the center
position. Derek Stepan has been moved
from his recent role as centering the fourth line to playing with Marian
Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. The move is
one that coach John Tortorella has employed with Stepan already this year where
he drops him down in the lineup when his game slips and then when he finds it
again he moves back up. Moving down in
the lineup was Erik Christensen who after his four game point streak has gone
scoreless in his last three. This move was done for large parts of the Boston game as well.
In terms of the healthy scratch for tomorrow it is a very
safe bet that it will come from the foursome of Wojtek Wolski, Sean Avery, Mats
Zuccarello and Erik Christensen. Here is
a quick breakdown of the candidates:
Wojtek Wolski:
Wolski has been healthy scratched once already and has been scoreless in his
last seven games. Combine his lack of
impact when he isn’t scoring with those facts and he is certainly a candidate
to end up wearing a suit tomorrow night.
The potential skill of Wolski likely saves him for this game, but no
telling for how long after that.
Sean Avery: Avery
has been a scratch in four of the last six games, and only played 5:45 of ice
time against Boston, but he was a spark with his fight and contributed that
huge shot block late in the third so I expect him to be in again.
Mats Zuccarello:
Zuke was scratched against Boston with the size of Bruins seen as a factor and
that factor should not exist tomorrow Buffalo who has a number of small players
of their own. That said Zuccarello has
seen his ice diminished significantly over his last six games before the
scratch. He has three assists in his
last six game so while he is not scoring goals the combination of his even
limited production with his effort might get him back in the lineup.
Erik Christensen:
Christensen is by far the biggest enigma on this team in terms of figuring out
what version of him is going to show up to the rink on a given night. You can either get the guy who looks like a
top line player and makes beautiful plays on the ice with and without the puck
or you get a guy who looks like he couldn’t make a recreational league team and
plays like a ghost in a uniform. While
Wolski and Avery have both played center at times in the past I think being a
center is what saves Christensen for this one.
As of now I would assume that Zuccarello will be the odd-man
out again as, but I would not discount the chances that it is Wolski who goes
back to the pine given how little he is giving right now.
Rangers Sign Forward Tommy Grant
Per the New York Rangers twitter the team has agreed to terms with Tommy Grant, an unrestricted free
agent forward out of the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Grant, 24, an
undrafted free agent, played four seasons there and had a career senior season with 32 points in 37 games this year (16-16) including five game winning goals.
Grant played for the Whale on Sunday and recorded two assists. Grant is
6’2, and 195 lbs, and played in all situations for UAA including on the point during the powerplay.
Should Kreider Sign or Spend Another Year At BC?
Over the past few months much has been written about Rangers
2009 first round pick Chris Kreider and whether he will or won’t leave Boston
College this summer to sign with the New York Rangers. Everything that has been said to this point
suggested the Rangers will attempt to bring him into the fold even if to play
for the Connecticut Whale in the AHL next season. The hesitation appears to have been more on
the side of Kreider himself. According
to John Connelly at the Boston
Herald that might be changing as Kreider is considering leaving Boston
College for the Rangers.
In the past few days both Cam Atkinson and Jimmy Hayes left
BC early to sign with their respective NHL clubs. Those moves might make it easier for Kreider
to do the same based on the level of talent that will be left in the program
next season. The question remains though
if Kreider is really ready to make the transition from college to the pros.
There are those who say he might be bored with the college
game and that is a possibility, but if it is so easy for him you would think he
would put up better numbers than 11 goals and 12 assists in 37 games. Those stats do not speak to domination or
even Kreider coming close to tapping the potential he has at this point. For those who throw out the Derek Stepan
comparison you have to realize the utter differential in the way the two
performed in college and have reasonable expectations both for Kreider’s
performance next season and whether he should leave at all. In 41 games last season Stepan had 12 goals
and 42 assists for an average of 1.32 points per game while Kreider was at .62
this season.
Personally I would rather see him stay at BC for another
season and work on his game in a great program where he is likely to be the
main focus of the offense next year instead of forcing him into the
professional ranks early and looking to “fix” the issues with his game. College hockey is certainly a place where he
can develop. The biggest negative being
that he will not be preparing for the grind of the long professional season with
the shorter schedule, but if it improves his game and ability to be an impact
player down the road it is still the right move.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Henrik Lundqvist Named NHL's Third Star of the Week
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images |
Lundqvist play last week was critical to propelling the Rangers considering the offense only mustered three goals in the three games and yet still managed to get five critical points in the playoff race that not only has them much more comfortably inside, but now looking ahead in the standings. The two shutouts brought Lundqvist season total up to a career-high eleven on the season and his primed to carry this team into the playoffs as a darkhorse to be reckoned with by whomever they draw.
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