Colorado Avalanche F Ryan O'Reilly Crashes Into Boards (Video); Condition Update

During the second period of tonight's Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild game Colorado Avalanche forward Ryan O'Reilly tripped and fell head-first into the boards.

While too early to speculate about the extent of O'Reilly's injury this evening, the initial reports on his condition are at encouraging.

Avalanche beat writer Adrian Dater, and Wild beat writer Michael Russo have both confirmed there is movement in all extremities and his trip to the hospital for further examination is for precautionary reasons.

Update: O'Reilly was allowed to take the team flight back home which is a very good sign in terms of serious injury.

Here's to hoping for the best for the tough young forward and a speedy recovery.  You watch this play, and I cannot help but be amazed that at the speed the game is played things like this happen so rarely. Thankfully that is the case.

Here's video of the injury:

Rangers To Open Next Season In Europe?

Per EJ Hradek the New York Rangers are among the main teams in consideration to open the season in Europe next year.  The other teams that he mentions are Washington, Anaheim, Edmonton to be among the six teams that will go over.

For those unaware the Rangers have already opened the season in Europe before when they played Tampa Oct. 4th and 5th 2008 in Prague.

The move makes sense with MSG undergoing renovations and likely not ready until Mid-October anyway so why not use the Rangers marketing ability overseas to help promote the game.  My guess if the Rangers did go they get at least one game in Sweden having Lundqvist on the roster.  Maybe they will change it up and switch the venues or even the opponents up as well and the other game is against Hiller and the Ducks in Switzerland or something of that nature.

Maybe Rangers vs Canucks in a rematch of the upcoming Cup Finals letting the Sedin Twins seek revenge for New York winning another Cup at Vancouver's expense.

Do you want the Rangers to open the year in Europe?  Who would you want them to play and where?

Alex Burrows Not Suspended For Spearing Marc Staal

Rangers Prospect Ethan Werek Injury Update

New York Rangers prospect Ethan Werek has been out of action since December 10, 2010 with injury.  Originally the injury was just labeled as day-to-day, and then finally it was reported out that the injury was to the wrist area.  The latest update that had been out there was that Werek was hoping to come back last weekend following him getting a brace from the Rangers medical staff.  Obviously that did not happen.

Today, through information passed on via Jess Rubenstein of The Prospect Park, we were alerted to an interview with Ethan published yesterday.  Doug Graham of the Whig Standard interviewed Ethan who is notably frustrated by not being able to play or even grip a stick after a month of missing action.   

In the interview Graham reports “Werek describes his injury as a ligament tear.”

"I'm trying to do every kind of thing so I don't have to have surgery. I tried it on the weekend when I was home but it still wasn't there," Werek said.

I love that Werek is trying to play though it and help his team, but this is a mistake.  He is a 19 year old whose focus has to be on the big picture and this decision to try and rehab instead of taking the sure fix of the operation only hurts him long term.  If he had the surgery immediately he would likely either be back now or within a few weeks of returning.  Now that he has gone this route and still end up needing the operation he will be out another one to two months effectively costing him half of the season.  To make matters worse December is the perfect time to have something like this taken care of in Juniors as the amount games to be missed are fewer than other parts of the year.

One has to wonder at what point injuries and the time missed, development lost might cost Werek in the larger picture when it comes to be offered a contract by the Rangers this summer.  I am not saying all is lost or that he will not be, but these are things in that big picture that Werek has to start considering when he makes these decisions.  Either way let us hope that Ethan gets back as soon as possible, remains healthy and continues to produce in the way he has previously.

As always make sure you check out The Prospect Park daily for your updates on the New York Rangers prospects as Jess is the best there is for the information.

Are This Years Rangers Like The Old New Jersey Teams?

In watching last night’s performance by the Rangers I could not help but think back to the NJ championship teams and apparently I was not the only one.  Arthur Staple at Newsday says that the way the Rangers controlled the game against the Canucks last night was very Devils-like...

"It was Lamoriello-esque, really. With a couple of exceptions, the Rangers have become what their one-time coach, the quotable Colin Campbell, used to call the Devs during Jersey's heyday: They are pretty much an interchangeable flock of forwards."

The comparison as much as it might make my stomach flip is one that is very appropriate for the construction of this club.  Along with that the point about what these Rangers are missing in comparison to those NJ teams could spell the difference between being ready now or not.  What it might mean is, what many of us are thinking, as great as this season is and the possibilities are for the finish, the team is likely one year away from really being there.  If they can get ahead of the schedule all the better, but after all those down years where the future looked bleak I can certainly wait one more.  Besides, if the Cups come I do not care what they call the team as long as it ends with champions.

Rangers Young Defense Core Proving It's Ready Now

Sipkin/News

For the New York Rangers much of the talk this week in the wake of the trade that sent Michal Rozsival to Phoenix for Wojtek Wolski has been about the youth and inexperience in their defensive blue line.  The Rangers now boast the youngest defensive group at just 24.9-years-old, with Steve Eminger now the eldest at all of 27-years-old.  Beyond just age there has been much discussion about the level of experience the group has with only Staal, Girardi and Eminger having amassed more than 100 NHL games at this stage of their career.  The other three defenders, Matt Gilroy, 26, Michael Sauer, 23, and 21-year-old Ryan McDonagh now have a combined 144 games in the NHL following Thursday’s game.

Recap: Rangers Blank Canucks; Burrows Spear, Torts “Break Ankles”; Listening On Gaborik?; Injury Updates

Tonight the New York Rangers took on Vancouver who came is as both the hottest and consensus best team in the NHL.  When the game was over it was the Rangers who had a signature win on the backs of a brilliant all-around performance.  For those waiting for the other shoe to drop on this season need to stop looking for that side of the coin and believe because this team is for real.  They are not the most talented team in the league by any measure.  They are not the most consistent team in the league by any measure.  What they are is one of the hardest working teams in the league by all measures.  When this team plays its game there is no team they cannot compete with and performances like that more than making the league and the fans believe that, reinforces that belief in the players.

The game itself saw the Rangers behind a Wojtek Wolski goal and Henrik Lundqvist shutout defeat Vancouver.  The game was likely the best game of the season for the team as they played a complete sixty minutes, were solid in all three zones and in their typical form found a way to get the win.  There were many stars in the game, but a few stood out above the rest as are detailed in the game recap.

In an ugly moment during the game Alex Burrows speared Marc Staal in the gonads, yet it was Staal’s retaliation that got him the only penalty on the play.  Not sure what it is with the referees and the Rangers that opponents keep getting away with dirty plays against them, but this one more than the others got to coach Tortorella. 

In his postgame Torts did not hold back going so far as to say if he were Staal, “I try to break his ankles.”  Not sure if anything will come out it from the league but props to Tortorella for defending his star.  Tortorella obviously talked about much more and the full thing is worth watching not just that part of the clip.

This morning I took a look at the Rangers captain situation to see if the time had come for Drury to step aside so the young core could take the titles to match their roles.  Maybe it is not logical to think that Drury would take such a step, but that would be why they call it leadership if he did it.

This afternoon there were injury updates on the injuries to Ryan Callahan, Erik Christensen, Vinny Prospal and Derek Boogaard.

Also this afternoon there was a story from Larry Brooks on how the Rangers are potentially willing to listen but not shop Marian Gaborik.  In the end I do not see the Rangers moving Gaborik especially with the position they are in and the move to bring in Wolski this week, but it was interesting to see it written about in that context as well.