Dubinsky Again Taking Heat While Callahan Gets Mostly Free Pass

With the New York Rangers offense struggling to generate consistently, as usual, to start the season the focus has shifted to specific players who are underachieving.  The main player seeming to take the brunt of the discussion is Brandon Dubinsky, who has zero goals in the Rangers opening six games.  Coming off a career year, plus a new contract, much is expected of Dubinsky offensively this season, so it is not surprising to see his lack of goals make him a target.  Dubinsky being a target for the New York fan base is nothing new as he has been a consistent player turned to as underachieving over his career for whatever reason.  What has always been more interesting is that while Dubinsky is normally taking heat, Ryan Callahan always seems to get a free pass and is getting one again from many who follow the team. 

Dubinsky has zero goals and too many bad penalties, but he also has three assists while getting 19:09 of ice time per game.  Callahan on the other hand has one point, a goal in the season opener, while playing 20:56 a night.  Where are the cries of Callahan underachieving on his new contract as there are for Dubinsky?  In the past Callahan’s free pass for lack of offense was always about the fact that he was bringing energy to the team through his hitting and shot blocking, but even that has been severely lacking this year, outside of the opener. 

The fact is that both of the Rangers heart and soul forwards have failed to live up to the way they played last season and the contracts they got this summer so far.  Their line, along with Artem Anisimov, after being the top line on the team last season seemingly has been left over in Sweden as there impact has been negative thus far.  All three are struggling individually and together they are not the factor the Rangers need them to be if they are going to be successful. 

Two years ago the Rangers had primary scoring and no secondary scoring.  Last season all the secondary players had career years and the primary one, Marian Gaborik, had a down year.  Now the Rangers have reverted to two years ago with Gaborik and Richards doing their part while secondary offense has dried up once again.  The problem goes beyond Dubinsky and Callahan as Stepan, Fedotenko and Anisimov all have no goals and Brian Boyle has one, however the focus of the blame seems to be resting on the shoulders of Dubinsky alone.  There is no justifiable reason to single him out while giving the rest a pass on their play thus far.  They all need to be better if the Rangers are going to succeed this season, so let us hold them all accountable when they fail to do so.

Zuccarello Nets Game Winner For Whale; Will Recall Happen?

While the New York Rangers were getting blanked in Edmonton last night one Ranger in exile, Mats Zuccarello, scored the game winning goal for the Connecticut Whale last night as they beat Springfield 2-1.  Brian Ring had the recap for CTWhale.com and said that the Zuccarello goal was in fact a lucky bounce as the Norwegian winger fired the puck towards the front of the net and it bounced off a Springfield player and in.  Certainly would be nice if the Rangers tried things like that instead of getting 19 total shots in a game, wouldn’t it?

Zuccarello is doing his part in proving he deserves an NHL shot on a scoring line with three goals and an assist in two games for the Whale.  His importance and offense skill certainly has not escaped coach Ken Gernander…

“It was awesome,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “He’s [Zuccarello] been a big time player for us in just the short two games he’s been with us, but he’s pretty good at generating offense for us.”

You would think that with the Rangers offensive woes they would want to try using players that have the ability to generate offense, but maybe that is too logical an approach.  Recalling Zuccarello is a popular line of thinking for many fans of the team, especially with his performance in Connecticut thus far.  Howeverr, bringing him back on the fourth line with minimal minutes would be a pointless.  Zuccarello is better off playing top line AHL minutes than riding the bench in the NHL, but there is nothing that says he could not get another shot to play in the top 9. 

The Rangers have failed to generate any forecheck to start the season, so stop using the Boyle line as the third line and give a more skilled line a chance there.  Adding Wolski and Zuccarello back into the lineup and removing Christensen and Newbury would give them at least the opportunity to do something offensively.  The Rangers might lose some “jam” doing it, but regardless of the 2-1 record on the trip to this point the Rangers have really only had a single good offensive period.

Time For Tortorella To Stop Media Antics, Face The Questions

There is no questioning the fire of New York Rangers coach John Tortorella.  It is that fire that makes him entertaining in a number of his press conferences both in confrontation with reporters like Larry Brooks and many appreciate the blunt nature to which he will discuss a number of topics.  However, last night following the 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Tortorella came out to fulfill his contractual obligation to meet with the media by stating off the bat that there will be no questions and calling out his team. 

Tortorella’s statement via Steve Zipay (video here):

"This is going to be quick. I'm not taking any questions. We sucked from head to toe. And we need to move by it. So I'm not going to dissect it with you guys. I know you guys have to do your job, but I'm not answering any questions. Okay?"

Video of the "press conference" can be found

The blunt assessment of the team’s performance is something that all fans appreciate because there was no attempt to insult their intelligence by trying to make the effort seem like it fell just short.  Few will take umbrage with the assessment because of the honest nature of it and the obvious disgust in his tone/body language as he delivered. 

The part that leads to some divide is the immediate dismissal of any questions which had split reactions across the fan base.  While the press conference that should have followed would have done nothing to change the results of the game that just completed and little to impact Monday’s game against Winnipeg, part of Tortorella’s job is to stand there and take questions from the media.    That is part of being a professional, which is exactly what Tortorella expects his player’s to be each time they step on the ice or have to answer for what went on there.

Tortorella loves to preach about accountability and taking responsibility for actions, but he dismisses the media’s ability to stand there and ask him questions about the product he helped facilitate putting on the ice.  Where is the accountability in that?  Why is he above standing there and being asked why Mike Rupp gets benched for taking an offensive zone penalty while Marian Gaborik doesn’t?  Is it inexcusable to him that he be asked why Gaborik and Richards were separated during the game?  Or any other question the media would have asked him for that matter? 

He may view the media as a nuisance that he has to put up with as part of coaching the New York Rangers, and he might even be right, but that doesn’t make him shunning that part of the job description okay.   Following the loss to the Islanders I praised Tortorella for taking accountability for his coaching decision in regards to Brad Richards being left out at the end of the power play and leading to the Islanders winning goal.  There is no reason that his actions following the game last night should have been any different.

As I said, answering the questions, whatever they might have been, changes nothing about tonight’s game nor does it truly prepare for Winnipeg on Monday, but you can be both professional and accountable to answer the questions anyway.  Take the responsibility for where you screwed up and then move on to get better.

Video: Tortorella Postgame: "We Sucked From Head To Toe," No Questions

Rangers head coach John Tortorella was not in a very good mood following his team's embarassing performance against the Edmonton Oilers and made that clear by saying "we sucked from head to toe." Tortorella also made it clear he had no interest in discussing it with the media by refusing to take questions.

Lundqvist Scares Rangers Fans With Early Exit in 2-0 Loss To Oilers

The New York Rangers saw their two game win streak end with a 2-0 loss in Edmonton.  Nikolai Khabibulin blanked the Rangers, stopping all 19 shots he faced, few truly threatening, to earn his 44th career shutout.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist to pace the Oilers who outskated and certainly outworked the Rangers for the majority of the night.  The first goal was thanks to an awful pinch by Brendan Bell leading to an odd-man rush the other way.  The second Nugent-Hopkins showing great patience with the puck and feeding former Ranger Corey Potter for the slap-shot that beat Lundqvist.

Beyond the game itself, the scariest moment of the night was when Henrik Lundqvist left the ice in the third period.  The New York Rangers fan base held their breath and prayed while awaiting news on what was wrong with the star goaltender.  It was reported that this issue was cramping in his foot because of issues with his equipment.  While cramps are not exactly a good thing it was a huge sigh of relief that nothing more serious happened to Lundqvist.

• Rangers continue to struggle with teams that have speed and can move the puck quickly.  Transition teams don’t allow them to get the forecheck going and without it the offense just doesn’t seem to function
• Gaborik was the Rangers best forward on the night showing very good burst again tonight, but his effort on the breakaway with the weak backhander was awful.  Gaborik is not really a great moves guy, which is why he isn’t in the shootout.  He is a shooter and his chance of success is much higher there if he uses his tremendous wrist shot.
• Do not understand Tortorella breaking up Gaborik and Richards to end the first/start the second period.  That pair was the only one creating anything tonight offensively.
• Power play was anemic again.  The 5-on-3 advantage was the most frustrating of the night as they passively play the puck back and forth to one another with absolutely no sense of urgency, which led to them creating nothing.

Canucks Rob Panthers Obtaining David Booth, Reinprecht For Samuelsson, Sturm

The Florida Panthers have been the most active team in the NHL since the trade deadline last year and that continued today with a potentially significant trade with the Vancouver Canucks.  Florida deal forward David Booth, center Steve Reinprecht and a 2013 third round pick to the Canucks for forwards Mikael Samuelsson and Marco Sturm.

The new-look Panthers have been solid to start the season which makes the selling low of former cornerstone Booth even more surprising.  Booth has yet to fully return to the promising form he had before suffering a major concussion in October 2009 when Mike Richards hit him in the head.  However, in Florida Booth was counted on to play on the top line with inferior talent around him, which certainly wont be the case in Vancouver where he will likely play with Ryan Kesler on the second line. 

A team like Florida that clearly is not a contender dealing for aging veterans like Samuelsson and Strum makes it even more puzzling of a move.  Vancouver appears to be a clear winner on the surface of this deal unless Booth never returns to form, which would make the four-year, $18 mil left on his contract a gamble to take on.

Lundqvist Starting, Bell In; Woywitka, Wolski, Sauer Out

Looking for their third straight win the New York Rangers are tinkering with their lineup inserting Brendan Bell on defense and scratching Jeff Woywitka.  Replacing Woywitka is not a big surprise as he struggled against Calgary, especially in the third period giving up multiple chances and taking a penalty with just 2:44 left in regulation.

One change the Rangers are not making is in net as Henrik Lundqvist will make his sixth consecutive start to open the season.  Love the way Lundqvist is playing, but Biron needs to go on Monday against Winnipeg so Lundqvist can get the rest they talked about so much last season.

Wojtek Wolski is out again, but making matters worse for him is that Tortorella referred to the winger as a "healthy scratch," so he could go but Tortorella is choosing Christensen over him. 






Michael Sauer is still day-to-day.

Mats Zuccarello Dominant Force In Season Debut For Whale

When he was demoted to the Connecticut Whale (AHL) Mats Zuccarello said that he was disappointed that he wasn’t given a shot to stick on one of the New York Rangers top lines saying he would have to prove he was worthy of that shot with his play in the minors.  Last night Zuccarello made his season debut with the Whale and certainly made his presence felt with two goals and an assist during the Whale’s 5-0 win over Manchester.

Playing with John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin, Zuccarello showed that his offensive skills are a dominant force at the AHL level.  Unfortunately for Zuccarello, despite their offensive woes, there does not appear to be a natural fit for him on the Rangers top three offensive lines.  Until there becomes an opening at a skill spot in the lineup or Zuccarello gets traded it will be the Whale that benefits from the 23-year-old winger’s skill level. 

The biggest beneficiary might be linemate Carl Hagelin who like Zuccarello is trying to prove he is NHL ready, but the fact that Hagelin has a better mix of skill, grit and penalty killing ability make him a better fit for the Rangers identity.  For those who want Hagelin now however, he would be just as wasted on the fourth line as Zuccarello was and is better off playing huge minutes in the AHL and developing.

What Is Wrong With Ryan Callahan?

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The New York Rangers had a number of questions that needed to be answered coming into the season, but few if any wondered about Ryan Callahan.  Callahan was named the 26th captain of the franchise because of his leadership, but also in part because his play epitomizes the identity the team strives to have.  The Rangers have failed to establish that same identity as last season or the same style of play and to see why you have to look no further than the play of Callahan himself.

In the Rangers opener against the Kings Callahan played his type of game and had a huge impact recording an important goal to help spark a lifeless team and recording a tremendous 11 shots on goal.  Since then his game has seemingly declined and his impact has been non-existent in the outcome of games, which is not what the Rangers need from his both as their captain and as a player who was given a new contract based on last year’s production.  The question has to be asked; What is wrong with Ryan Callahan?

The two easiest theories revolve around Callahan either nursing some sort of injury that is not being publicly talked about or that he is simply pressing trying to live up to his contract/being named captain. 

Playing through an injury is the one that many will naturally gravitate to because his lack of impact both on the scoresheet and in the regular flow of the game.  Injury could be why he does does not seem to be forechecking quite the same way he has his entire career, throwing his body around with reckless abandon, but there doesn’t seem to be an obvious ailment. 

Callahan pressing over the contract or being elevated to captain of the team is a natural concern that you have with all players trying to prove they deserve what the organization gave them.  Solving that can be more difficult because it is purely mental as all Callahan has to do to prove he is worthy of both the contract and the captaincy is play Ryan Callahan hockey.  Gripping the stick tighter is not going to make the puck go in.  Looking for the perfect pass or shot is not going get more points in the boxscore or end of season stat count.  Play the same honest hockey that he has played his entire career and the results will be there. 

Beyond those two main theories the most noticeable issue for Callahan appears to be him misreading the play significantly more often than we normally see from Callahan. Against Calgary there was a prime example as Brandon Dubinsky drove the zone and fired a backhander toward the net leading to a rebound right out front, but instead of Callahan crashing the net as he typically does he was still in the slot allowing Calgary to clear the puck out of danger.  There were other plays where on odd-man rushes he was the one drifting to the wing while letting Ryan McDonagh be the one driving hard to the net.  All of these types of things are unlike Callahan and the way he has always played. 

An interesting idea that is pure speculation on my part is if Callahan is playing a slightly different game this year because he doesn’t want to get hurt and miss significant time like last season.  The worth of Callahan to the lineup is massive as was seen in his absence during the playoffs and it is the double edged sword when discussing him.  The Rangers need him to play with that reckless disregard for his own health while on the ice, but they also need him to stay healthy and the way he plays (blocking shots, delivering hits), at his best, lends itself to him getting injured.

Those expecting Callahan to continue last seasons .8 point per game pace were always likely to be disappointed because of how drastically it differed from his prior statistical output, but those will more reasonable expectations of 25-30 goals and 55 points will likely get what they are looking for when the season is over. Whatever the issue is for Ryan Callahan over the past few games, the New York Rangers need him to figure it out quick or they are going to continue to struggle to find their stride as a team, instead relying on Henrik Lundqvist to save them long enough for the team to steal some points.

Ryan McDonagh Gives Rangers 3-2 Win With Last Second Overtime Goal

Ryan McDonagh scored with 1.8 seconds left in overtime to give the New York Rangers their second straight win.  McDonagh’s goal was started by a great rush by Brandon Dubinsky into and battle to maintain possession in the zone and Dan Girardi while be pressured at the point fired wide and the puck bounced off the back wall to McDonagh who fired it in for the win. 

This was yet another game the Rangers had no business getting even one point from, but Henrik Lundqvist gave kept them alive long enough for the team to steal not one, but two points.  Lundqvist ended the night with 33 saves including numerous highlight reel saves that bailed out defensive mistakes.  No save was better than the glove rob he did on Tom Kostopolous 8:23 into the game.  Lundqvist is as locked in as it gets right now having caused a team that overall could have zero points right now to get points in four of their five games thus far.

Rest of the scoring:

Marian Gaborik got the Rangers on the board first with a beautiful power play goal from the slot at 4:53. Gaborik started the play when he covered for Michael Del Zotto at the point and kept the puck in the zone.  Gaborik worked the puck to Richards at the other point who played it to Stepan low on the left wing side and he fired a beautiful diagonal pass to a streaking Gaborik in the slot for a wicked one-timer over Henrik Karlsson shoulder.  The goal was Gaborik’s fourth in just five games and the Rangers first on the power play this season.

Calgary struck back quickly as only 58 seconds later Jarome Iginla tied the game from right in front.  Dan Girardi had the puck hop over his stick which created a quick transition play where Alex Tanguay fired the puck across to Iginla, who was alone in front as McDonagh not expecting the quick turnover.

The Rangers took the lead again when Brandon Prust scored a shorthanded goal while Marian Gaborik was in the box.  Boyle stole the puck from Bouwmeester in the corner and fed Prust in front for the shortie.

With just over five minutes left in the opening period Cory Sarich checked Brad Richards into the boards and Kris Newbury took exception to the hit.  Newbury immediately skated over and dropped the gloves with Sarich.  It was the kind of move that is great as a fourth liner standing up for teammates.  The problem with the move however was Newbury got the instigator for it and the Flames made them pay on the power play with Mark Giordano beating Lundqvist to tie it up 2-2.  Lundqvist was very upset with himself after the goal. 

• Tim Erixon was phenomenal tonight and easily the third best defender for the Rangers.  Dealing with the boos each time he touched the puck was enough, but to play as solid as he did, the kid is getting better with every game.
• Marian Gaborik is a completely different player to start the year as he is back to skating and attacking the front of the net again
• Dubinsky had his best game of the year.