Photo: Connecticut Whale Get New Home White Jersey

Per @CTWhale there will is a look at the new home jersey's of the Whale.  Some said they were not a fan of the green third jersey's, but personally I liked them overall and certainly liked them more than this version.  This resembles the third jersey too much and just feels like a weak attempt, especially for a home jersey.  Let's hope they come up with something better for the road jersey or maybe run a contest to design next year's uniforms.

Video: Anze Kopitar Delivers Picture Perfect Pass To Dustin Brown; Play of Year?

In the era of the sports highlight it is typically the finish which gets the attention, and the finish on this play deserves its own credit, but as someone who enjoys the art of the assist there is no better than what Anze Kopitar pulled off last night for the Los Angeles Kings on a goal scored by Dustin Brown. On the play Kopitar lobbed a pass from just over his defensive blue line over the heads of two Sharks defenders and had it land perfectly at the top of the right face-off circle in the offensive zone. Dustin Brown like any good wide-receiver would take the puck and work some magic of his own going to the backhand over a sprawling Antti Niemi. 



What makes it even more impressive was how Brown never hesitated while the puck was in the air as if the play had been drawn up and practiced before that he had such trust in teammates immense talent to deliver it right where he did and not worry about the puck landing on his head. This is definitely the best passing play I have seen this year and for overall goal scoring play has to be right up there.

With Matt Gilroy Earning His Spot, Who Loses Theirs?

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Matt Gilroy, coming off his first career two goal game and coach John Tortorella proclaiming he is in the top six defense right now, for the first time in a long time seems to at least temporarily be off the scratch list.  As I discussed yesterday even before the big offensive game last night Gilroy had done everything the coaching staff had asked of him not only in improving his own game but in having the defense join the rush more.  That kind of a philosophy plays right into Gilroy’s natural instinct as an offensive minded defenseman and with the level of confidence he is playing with right now he is letting all the tricks out of the bag.  Games like last night where exactly what many envisioned when Matt Gilroy was signed in the summer of '09 following his Hobey Baker winning senior season in that you have a huge threat from the back end to add offense to your club with his shot, his speed, his vision and his ability to rush the puck.

Gilroy displayed his extremely high confidence level last night in the utter lack of hesitation to take the shot, something that has not been the case for him in the past.  Evidence of what happens was clear for neither of the goals were great shots, but to score you must get shots headed at the net and see what happens.  Even before the shot on the second goal the confidence exuded in his decision to rush the puck through the neutral zone that eventually led to the goal.  While being rewarded for his stellar play on the power play Gilroy pulled out the toe-drag to go around a defender and create space and all of these things are things he could not do at the end of last year or even early on this year when his confidence was shot.  For the moment he has certainly earned his spot in many ways by doing everything that thus far this year Michael Del Zotto has failed to do.  In the zero sum scenario that is an active roster if Gilroy is moving up into the lineup then someone else will have to move down out of it.  So who loses their spot so Gilroy can take the one he has earned?  Immediately I will remove Staal, Girardi and Michael Sauer from the discussion as I think all three have outplayed the other four this season.

Daily Recap: Gilroy Earning Spot Leading Win; Zuccarello Here To Stay?; Torts Calls Effort Sloppy

Today was all about two guys who just a week ago were not even thought of as likely candidates to have been in the lineup the last two games; Matt Gilroy and Mats Zuccarello-Aasen.  In the game tonight Gilroy, the oft scratched Gilroy, who was in for the struggling Michael Del Zotto would score two goals and try to stake a claim to remaining in the lineup on a more permanent basis.  I said this afternoon that he had done everything to earn that chance but it was up to the coaching staff to believe he could be used beyond the role of injury replacement and punishment for other’s bad play.  Tonight’s performance certainly helped Gilroy’s chances of doing all of that as it was his offense and overall play that helped lead the charge in the Rangers burying the Islanders 7-2 and had his coach praising him following the game.

The full game recap details the all the goals and thoughts on how certain players performed during the game as always and tonight as you would expect in a blowout win there were a lot of performances to have positive thoughts on including Marian Gaborik of whom I have been critical of lately.

Jordin Tootoo In Entirely Different Fight As He Enters NHL Rehab Program

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As followers of the NHL we see all different types of players in the game who each play their particular roles on their teams in order to help the team win and also stay in the league.  What we often times lose sight of is that with each different role a player has in the league comes consequences in their life away from the ice.   Today Nashville Predators forward Jordin Tootoo reminded all of us that what goes on away from the ice matters more than just what these athletes do in the games they play when he voluntarily entered into in-patient care through the NHL-NHLPA substance abuse and behavioral health program.

Normally when we talk about Tootoo it is for a hit he has made, a fight he has had, but today is that reminder of humanity we all forget when we talk about these players as if they are machines.  Tootoo on the ice is a player who plays on the edge and it is that style which makes him effective for his club, and also a fan favorite, but playing that way can have it an impact on life away from the ice and all credit in the world to Jordin for seeking help when he needed it and for the NHL in supporting his call. 

The NHL release reads:

The National Hockey League Players’ Association and the National Hockey League announced today that forward Jordin Tootoo of the Nashville Predators has voluntarily entered in-patient care as part of the Joint NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program (SABH).

Tootoo’s care will be administered by SABH Program Doctors Dave Lewis (NHL) and Brian Shaw (NHLPA). Tootoo will continue to receive his full salary and benefits and will have no penalty imposed, provided he complies with his prescribed treatment and follow-up care program.

There will be no further comment.

In that vein I will not personally nor will I tolerate any speculation on what has caused Tootoo to feel the need to seek this type of help, just hope that in this process Jordin gets the help he needs for whatever it is that ails him and that we will see him back on the NHL ice as soon as he is ready to be there.

On the ice this season he has 10 points through 32 games and a team-high 47 penalty minutes, but today all we hope for is that he goes 1-0 in this battle he is now getting help to wage.

Video: Tortorella Press Conference - Not Happy With Team Despite Big Win; Gilroy In Top Six

Video: Tim Thomas Imitates Superman To Stone Wideman

Say whatever you want about the style with which Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas plays, but what you cannot say is he ever quits on a play. Thomas showed that again tonight with this lunging save to rob Dennis Wideman on the doorstep. The save is even bigger because he made it with two minutes left in a tie game and while it does no top the save in Toronto it is right up there with the best of the year.

Gilroy Leads Charge As Rangers Bury Islanders 7-2

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After a blizzard pounded the New York City area over the last 36 hours the New York Rangers unleashed a blizzard of their own by dumping a whopping 52 shots on net and scoring 7 times in their 7-2 victory of the rival Islanders this evening.  As difficult as it was to move around the city today it was that easy for the Rangers to do nearly whatever they wanted in the Islanders zone.  The offense was sparked early by an unlikely candidate in the often scratched Matt Gilroy who scored his first of the season and would make me look smart for saying just this afternoon that he has done everything to earn a legit shot at getting a regular spot on the defense core.  Gilroy would only help his cause and my case by adding another goal in the second.  The goals for Gilroy were his first in 64 games and only his 5^th and 6^th in 91 career games.  Gilroy would get some help from his friends as Marian Gaborik, Brian Boyle, Brandon Dubinsky, Ruslan Fedotenko and finally Derek Stepan would get in on the act.  The scariest part is if not for some phenomenal work from Dwayne Roloson it could have been a lot bigger score.

The first period saw the Rangers start fast as just 44 seconds into the game Matt Gilroy would fire a shot from the right point that would deflect off of Islander Rob Schremp and in to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.  The Rangers would continue to have good puck possession but fail to get the second goal and then the Islanders on a counter would score on a shot from Rob Schremp that Henrik Lundqvist has got to stop at 7:51 of the period. 

The negative play would continue just 1:52 later as an overall team breakdown would lead the Islanders taking a 2-1 lead when the Islanders would break down 3-on-2 and after a failed pass attempt by P.A. Parenteau would go to Matt Moulson, Parenteau would score on the rebound but the failure of the forwards to backcheck left him wide open.

The Rangers would have their share of chances in trying to tie the game, but it would not be until 19:09 of the first where they would finally strike.  On the shift Mats Zuccarello would make a beautiful feed to Chris Drury in front but he could not convert, but eventually the puck would work back to the point and Marc Staal would pinch down and give a beautiful feed through the seem to Marian Gaborik for the one-timer to tie the score at 2-2.  The Rangers would have chances late in the period for Drury hitting the post and Prust missing the net, but the period would end 2-2 with the shots at 18-12.

The Rangers would dominate the second period from start to finish but for a while Dwayne Roloson had their number and it had the feeling of one of those game that could go the other way.  At 12:08 of the period Matt Gilroy would change all that and start the floodgates opening as he would drive into the Rangers zone and with no hesitation let go of a quick shot that deflected off Andy MacDonald and in to make it 3-2.

The Rangers would strike again late in the period as at 18:21 Brian Boyle would beat Dwayne Roloson short side hide with a backhander that Roloson is supposed to save and as good as he was for the first 30 minutes that goal had the makings of a back-breaker for his club.  At the end of two the Rangers were now up 4-2 and outshooting the Islanders 36-16 overall.

After killing of an Artem Anisimov early penalty in the third the Rangers would keep the throttle down and blow it open and it would be Anisimov’s hard work behind the Isles net that would lead to Brandon Dubinsky scoring his 15^th goal of the season when he lifted the puck over Rollie to make it 5-2 4:14 in.

At 9:05 in typical Fedotenko-Boyle-Prust fashion they would get a grinding type goal for Fedotenko to make it 6-2.  The Rangers would cap the scoring at 10:34 when Derek Stepan scored his 11^th of the season and the Rangers second power play goal of the evening.

• Marian Gaborik was much more involved tonight as he took the play to the net, fought for the puck and was much more decisive, especially on the power play
• Zuccarello was not quite as noticeable on a shift to shift basis tonight but again proved he belonged and got his first NHL point.
• Derek Stepan scored in his fourth straight game and now has 11 goals on the season only pushing him higher in the Calder conversation
• Brandon Dubinsky played another very involved game tonight, which was great to see with Gaborik back in there.
• Artem Anisimov played another excellent game as he was a force to be reckoned with in the offensive zone and love that he was around the crease all night and not drifted as he sometimes does
• Chris Drury did not score a goal, but he was in the right spot on numerous occasions and eventually one has to go
• Brian Boyle is giving Dubinsky a run for his money as the MVP of the club for the half way mark
• Matt Gilroy has earned more games and if Del Zotto is to come back in it should be at the expense of Eminger right now.
• Mike Sauer had another quietly effective game as usual

Lineup: Gaborik Returns on Top Line; Zuccarello With Avery, Christensen

The New York Rangers have announced tonight's lines and while I really hate saying it, but I told you so.  Once again Marian comes back and everyone else has to bend over backwards to help him get going.  Here are the lines:

Dubinsky-Stepan-Gaborik
Frolov-Anisimov-Drury
Fedotenko-Boyle-Prust
Avery-Christensen-Zuccarello


So, on Thursday night the combination of Dubinsky, Stepan and Zuccarello did some very good things as the team's top line, and some wishfully thought with Zuke coming back they would leave that alone.  I guess those people missed the memo that this team has all line movements revolve around Marian Gaborik.  For a team that is supposedly built on an identity of hard work and no one bigger than the team you would know it with the way the lines are always catered to get Gaborik going.

All the talk of why you could not bring up Mats Zuccarello unless it was for a top six role is apparently garbage as well considering after playing well in the offensive role he is now sitting down there with Sean Avery and Erik Christensen on the fourth line.  If he was going to be in that spot then the guy who should have gotten the call is Dale Weise as he is equipped for that kind of role.  Yes, these are the lines to start the game and with one bad shift they will all change, but it is comical how garbage the whole "you get the minutes you earn" mantra from Tortorella has become in how he makes his line choices.

Will Gilroy Get a Fair Shot To Remain In Lineup This Time?

Bruce Bennett/Getty

Matt Gilroy will dress for the second straight game tonight as again Michael Del Zotto will sit, this time with his second healthy scratch of the season.  Gilroy will now be playing in 22^nd game this year, but other than early in the year the main cause of his appearances have been through injury to other defenders or as a tool in the punishment of bad play.  The question is whether this is more of the same of Gilroy is finally getting a legit chance to get a spot back in the lineup.  Gilroy struggled in his transition a season ago and had some struggles early this year but has been very solid in his recent play, so it would be nice to see him given a fair chance to get back in.

Combine the increased play from Gilroy in terms of positioning, and physicality along with his willingness to push the puck and the declining play of both Steve Eminger and Michal Rozsival and Gilroy deserves a chance to get back in the lineup consistently.  I realize that much of tonight’s move is  because of the up and down play of Del Zotto who they are trying to get to learn some lessons as he develops but that does not mean with the chance Gilroy cannot show he is outplaying another member of the defense core.  You could argue over the last month he has been the fourth best defender on the club, when he has been in there, behind only Staal, Girardi and Sauer.