Video: Tortorella Rips Into Officials, "A Horseshit Call"

While the Rangers have struggled for the better part of two months coach John Tortorella has managed to keep an upbeat attitude about the team and the games for the most part.  Today some of the frustrations of that time and today's lousy officiating came out in full force at how the officiating was in the game.

Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants has quotes from the post game press conference in which Tortorella ripped into the refs and the league:.

“It’s a tough one,” Tortorella said. “We gave them *&$)#@ all night long and they beat us five on three on a horse*&$)#@ call to start.

“As the game went on, it was one of those games. Both teams were grinding. I just wish the league would stay the hell out of it and let the teams decide it. It’s bull*&$)#@. There’s too much at stake here.

“We took some stupid penalties but Danny Girardi’s is not a boarding call. It’s just a simple guess. We gave them nothing five on four, nothing and we get beat five on three and it starts with a bad call.”

I would expect that Torts will be receiving a call and a fine from the league for his comments.  Courtesy of Jesse Spector's Blueshirts Blog here is the video of the post game presser.

Lousy Start, Lousy Officiating Doom Rangers in 2-1 Loss to Lightning.

Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images

In a refrain that Rangers fans are tired of hearing, Sam Rosen ended today’s game with, “they just ran out of time.”  This team continues to battle late in games, but they are coming up short in the close ones far too often right now.  Losing the games is one thing, but losing in regulation and failing to get any points is really hurting them both in securing a solid playoff footing and in their ability to rise in the standings.  Other than against Carolina on Tuesday they are just unable to come up with that tying goal late in games and that is why it ended up in a 2-1 defeat against Tampa Bay.  The loss dropped New York back to 14-14-3 at home and that simply is not good enough if you want to go anywhere in the postseason.

I am with everyone that there was some horrific officiating in this one whether it was the phantom boarding call on Girardi or the even more made up interference call on Dubinsky at the blue line when the Lightning play fell on his ass all by himself.  Having said that, the officiating is not responsible for the utter lack of effort the Rangers put on offensively in the first period this afternoon.  This team still seems to fail to grasp the concept of playing 60 minutes and that is not about the officials. Overall the team played an awful first period in which they developed nothing offensively and generated only one lousy shot in the first 19 minutes.  Defensively they played pretty well on the whole, but would give up the only goal. 

The Lightning struck first on a slap shot from Martin St. Louis at the right faceoff circle.  The shot would squeeze through Lundqvist as he was working from side to side to get into position.  Dan Girardi got caught pinching on the play and it led to a 3-on-2 for Lecavalier, St. Louis and Downie against McDonagh and Stepan the two Rangers back.  St. Louis carried the puck down the right side, dropped it back to down who fed it back to St. Louis for the one-time goal.  I will not call it a soft goal, but it is one that Lundqvist usually stops.  Lost in the goal itself was Roloson getting away with illegally touching the puck outside the trapezoid not long before the goal.

New York played a much better second period than first and they would get rewarded on the scoreboard.  The Rangers penalty killing unit was again their best source of offense and led to their only goal.  While down a man Brian Boyle ties up a man in the defensive zone along the wall, Ryan McDonagh picks up the puck and outlets it to Brandon Prust in neutral ice.  Prust collects the puck and skates aroun Marc-Andre Bergeron and in on goalie Dwayne Roloson.  Prust and Roloson collided as the puck went in the net, but the goal stood after a review.  The tally was Prust’s fourth shorthanded goal, which is one off the NHL lead and gave the Rangers 10 on the season.

The penalty kill was brilliant this afternoon in fighting through the combination of lousy penalties by Rangers players and lousy calls by the officials, but you knew if you kept giving them chances that Tampa would finally convert.  They did in the third period.

While on a 5-on-3 the Lightning scored the go ahead and eventual game winning goal. Vinny Lecavalier would score from almost the identical spot as Martin St. Louis, except his one-time was a perfect shot far side off the post.  The reason for the 5-on-3 was some ridiculously bad officiating.  Dan Girardi was called for an awful boarding call at 1:11 of the period and then Brian Boyle would go off for flipping the puck over the glass for a delay of game at 2:04.  Against that offense you cannot be down two men or you will likely be fishing the puck out of the net as they were 2:40 into the third.

The Rangers would again generate chances late, but not find a way to get the tying goal to at least get one point out of the game.

• McCabe played well in his debut while doing excellent work keeping pucks in the zone and firing his shot at the net.  He will get better, but you already saw that he can make a difference on the power play.
• No forwards really stood out to me today.  Callahan, Boyle and Prust played well on the PK, but we generated nothing offensively in the game.  Stepan was probably the most noticeable in their zone.
• Lots of talk about Sean Avery and the 54 seconds he played the last two periods today.

Rangers Analysis: Brad Richards Is The Easy Move, But Not The Right One.

Once the New York Rangers made the move to trade for McCabe yesterday the rumors predictably turned back to discussing Brad Richards being moved to New York.  There really is no easier rumor to write about than that one.  The Rangers love big name players, and they have a need for a first line center.  Richards is the biggest name potentially on the market and well what do you know, he just happens to be a first line center.  As it is the easy rumor to write it is the easy trade for the Rangers to make.  It is the Rangers answer to the Carmelo trade of earlier this week that says to the media and the fans that the team is in it to win the whole thing instead of just squeaking in the playoffs.  The fact that the move is the easy one to make and the flashy one as well does not mean it is the right one.

The Rangers have preached all season about how important the youth and the young core of this team are.  Trading for Richards goes against that movement.  Brad Richards is a great player.  He would be the best offensive player the Rangers have on their roster today.  My concern is not about today, but making sure there is a tomorrow. 

At a minimum, you have to assume that, New York would have to give up at least Artem Anisimov or Michael Del Zotto and a number 1 pick in a package for Brad Richards.  There are surely some who are willing to take that risk whether it is a lack of belief in the development of those Rangers players or the fascination with the big name first line center.  I am not one of those people.  Hopefully Glen Sather is not one of those people either.

After years of building with aging veterans the Rangers rebuilding has reached a point where there is enough contributing youth in the lineup to see the bright future on the horizon.  The same people who complained about the lack of young talent are now ready for a quick fix to improve today.  Cashing in some of those assets for a soon to be 31 year old center who is not only a rental player, but currently out with a concussion is a horrible idea.  Even with Brad Richards the New York Rangers are not winning the Stanley Cup this season. 

I know that is hard for some to hear and they will tell me that anything can happen in the playoffs.  It is true that anything can happen in the playoffs and if every single thing fell right there is the remotest of possibilities they could win it, but I try to deal in more realistic terms.  Richards ensures the Rangers get in, which they will either way, as long as they don’t play Boston or Philly first round that the team wins at least one series.

There is this magic theory for some that if the Rangers trade for Richards he will suddenly decide that he does not need to test the free agent market and sign an extension here before July 1.  Sorry, but I am not buying this at all.  Pierre LeBrun at ESPN.com sort of dealt with this idea last night in regards to Richards.

“I still think July 1 is the best play for Richards. One NHL GM I spoke with Saturday said while he can't make a play for him now, he'll certainly get into the fray July 1. And this is a team that hasn't been remotely linked to Richards this season. Translation: July 1 will be a bonanza for Richards, who will clearly be the top UFA in a weak market.”

It is fun to think about how we could convince him that he loves New York and that he wants to stay here forever and even at a discounted price, and it could all happen, but I do not see any of it happening before he plays the market come July 1.  If you want him to give that up you likely have to overpay him since he has the leverage knowing you dealt assets for him and need to make it worth it by signing him.

Then there comes the question of what Richards is worth in terms of not his past production but his future.  Richards is going to be 31 and coming off a season where he has 24-39-63 in 56 games and even with a concussion issue someone will pay him at least 7 million a year and my bigger problem is the number of years which anything over 3 or 4 means he will be paid to be Scott Gomez in production by year 3.

The combination of cost in being counter to the building around the you for the long haul, the assets, the money, paying for declining production and lack of any guarantee he stays makes trading for him the wrong move.  As I said earlier this week, I am not averse to making a big move and going after a top line talent, but if I am moving a Del Zotto or an Anisimov or both in a deal then I want a young top player who is signed longer term back, not an older one who has hit his peak and had no certainty to his future destination.  The Rangers do not need to make a Carmelo splash. This team is not built on sexy moves anyway.  What they are is a team at critical point where they just need to make the right move which is Paul Stastny and not the easy  one in Brad Richards. 

NYR Live Chat: McCabe Trade, Del Zotto Demotion, Richards Rumors, Etc.

Michael Del Zotto Sent Down to Whale; Is He On The Trade Block?

When the Rangers completed their quest to acquire Bryan McCabe a little while ago the questions began as to what the next move would be.  The answer has come quickly, at least for the short term.  According to the AHL transactions page, the team has optioned second year defenseman Michael Del Zotto back down the Connecticut Whale.  The move is somewhat surprising in that Del Zotto has played better of late and the Rangers have discussed wanting to continue to develop him at the NHL level. 

I must caution that this could be a temporary move as the Rangers could make a trade including a defender other than Del Zotto before the trade deadline on Monday and then recall the young player.  There are plenty and will be plenty of rumors floating around about the availability of Del Zotto in a trade over the next few days.  I still will not believe the team is trading him until it actually happens and it should be in a package a healthy front line player who is young and under contract not an expiring deal like Brad Richards.

Sather Works Trade Magic Again By Getting Bryan McCabe At His Price

The wait and speculation is finally over as the New York Rangers have pulled the trigger on a trade to bring Bryan McCabe into the fold.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first I saw with the details, but Darren Dreger was the first to confirm that it will be Bryan McCabe to New York for Tim Kennedy and a 2011 3rd round draft pick.  I have been on the fence about giving up assets for McCabe, but at this price the move had to be made as Kennedy has no future with the Rangers and the ability to keep their top three draft pick (one first, two seconds) this year makes this a no brainer move for Sather. 

McCabe, 35, has five goals and 17 assists in 48 games this season.  He will bring a veteran presence, experience, a big shot and added toughness to a young and emerging defense corps.  He should help with the Rangers power play as well given his experience on the point and his quality shot.  He is not the type of player at this stage of his career to put a team over the top, but at this price point what he brings is more than worth it to the team.  He is an unrestricted free agent this summer and in the final year of his contract earning $5.75 million dollars.

Now that the Rangers were able to add McCabe without giving up a defender in the trade the question becomes, what is the Rangers next move?  They could look to trade someone like Gilroy or Eminger before the deadline for draft picks or a prospect.  They look to move Michael Del Zotto in a trade for a big piece, such as a top line center.  They could also send Del Zotto back down to minors to get more time.  There are a lot of options for Rangers’ GM Glen Sather and company to sort through over the next 48 hours until the deadline, but a lot of those options might depend on the knee of Rangers defender Marc Staal as well.

Temporary answer o which option Rangers will choose has come in: Del Zotto Sent Down; Is He On Trade Block?

Great work by Sather once again in the trade market.

Reports McCabe Will Waive NMC For Rangers, But No Deal Yet; Should There Be One?

What would the world of a New York Rangers fan be if not for another round of conflicting reports on how close a deal for Bryan McCabe is to happening?  What went on this morning is no different than what has been going on for the past week or so as one person says it is about to happen and then others chime back in to tell how the people they talk to say nothing is imminent.  Before I go into what each person said there are a few baseline facts that appear clear right now: 1) No trade has happened yet, so people acting like McCabe is a Ranger need to stop. 2) McCabe appears to have agreed to waive his no-movement clause to come here.  3) Until a deal actually happens, everything is just a rumor.

According to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, Bryan McCabe could be a New York Ranger as early as today and is willing to waive his no-movement clause to come here.  Darren Dreger of TSN would respond by saying that his sources in Florida say there is nothing to the McCabe-Rangers trade at this time, but that McCabe will not hold up a deal if one is agreed to.

Per Pierre LeBrun at ESPN, a deal could go down as early as today according to a source and that after spending the last few days contemplating the move that McCabe seems ready to waive for New York.

As of 10:30 a.m. ET, a Panthers source said no trade was in place and there was still work to be done. But expect the Panthers and Rangers to try and work out a trade sometime this weekend.

Of all the reporting this morning, the most intriguing tidbit comes from Arthur Staple  of Newsday who says that McCabe is only willing to waive his no-movement clause to come to the Rangers.  The reason that this would be huge news is that it should give the Rangers added leverage in the negotiations to lower their price to acquire McCabe.  If he is telling Florida that he will only go to New York, then Sather can play hardball and basically give Dale Tallon a take it or leave it type offer.  Obviously if McCabe is willing to waive for the Rangers the hold up right now is between Sather and Tallon over the price to acquire him.  

The idea of McCabe was a lot more intriguing to me a few months ago than it is today and the price will be a huge factor in how I feel about the move.  I still believe that McCabe, while a fit for the system, is not the key to the Rangers making a long run in the playoffs, so sacrificing anything of value from the future (yes, high draft picks count) is a mistake for a team that is in a development not a contention year.

Video: Tortorella Postgame: "Larry, You Write What You Want."

Last season New York Rangers coach John Tortorella and New York Post columnist Larry Brooks had their share of issues, but they have been pretty good with one another this season, until maybe tonight.  In discussing the hit by Derek Stepan on Mike Green Tortorella made it clear that he thought it was a clean hit.  Brooks continued to press Tortorella on the hit to which he responded, "Larry, you write what you want."

During the presser Torts also praised the play of Michael Sauer, Ryan McDonagh, discussed Erik Christensen, the injury to Ruslan Fedotenko and why the Rangers have been successful against Ovechkin this season.

Christensen Career Night, Lundqvist Shutout Pace Rangers in 6-0 Embarassment of Capitals

Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images

The Rangers walked into Washington, D.C. a wounded group without their top offensive player in Marian Gaborik and their top defender in All-Star Marc Staal and for one night at least they did not miss either one.  New York would embarrass the Capitals for the second time this season with a 6-0 laugher that should make the Rangers feel good, but hopefully not satisfied as they have to bring this effort again on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Having Henrik Lundqvist playing in top form certainly helped the result tonight as his made 35 saves, some of the gorgeous variety, en route to his league leading eighth shutout.

The bigger worry than Gaborik being out as the Rangers have faced that before this season was how they would do without their defensive stud.  The loss of Staal meant that Ryan McDonagh would have to take on the challenge of facing Alex Ovehckin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble and McDonagh did it beautifully.  The reaction of McDonagh to the assignment was the same as it has been to everything in his 22 games as an NHL player, to just play his game and show he has the strength and poise of a ten year veteran.

On the offensive side the night would belong to an unusual suspect in Erik Christensen.  There has never been a debate about the talent that Christensen possesses, but that talent is also the source of much frustration in that he fails so often to exercise it.  Tonight was one of those nights where he let the talent show as he scored a career high four points including two goals and two assists.  If Christensen did this more often, then the Rangers would not need more offense, but since he doesn’t all I could think to myself with each passing point was how it increased his trade value and Glen Sather should sell high.

New York struck first at 5:56 of the first period when Steve Eminger beat Neuvirth from the right point with the help off a Capitals deflection.  Earlier in the shift Mike Green cross-checked Derek Stepan behind the net, but no call was made.  As play continued the puck went back to the corner where Derek Stepan hit Mike Green in the head and there is going to be controversy here.  On the live look it appeared he hit him with his elbow, but I did not see that on the replay.  Regardless there is head contact and discussion of whether he will get suspended.  Check out the video and discussion here.

The Rangers did not let off the gas this time as late in the first Erik Christensen scored his first goal since returning to the lineup from his injury.  The goal itself was really a tap-in for Christensen off a beautiful saucer pass feed from Michael Sauer.  The goal was Christensen’s seventh of the season and the beginning of a huge night for the talented but inconsistent forward.

Just like the first period the Rangers struck early and then late.  Christensen was the culprit again this time with the early goal in the second period, this time on the power play on a beautiful passing play by the Rangers.  Prospal worked the puck along the boards, feed it down low to Callahan at the left side of the net and he threw a behind the back pass to Christensen on the other side to shoot into an open net.

The goal to close the period came from Derek Stepan and gave the Rangers their second on the power play.  This play was purely the work of beautiful puck movement and a shot/pass from Del Zotto that missed the net, nothing new there, but this time the bounce came to Stepan and he roofed it on a prone Neuvirth.

Third period thankfully saw more of the same with Vinny Prospal getting in on the act 6:16 in with his third of the season.  Like with all Prospal goals the celebration is equivalent to winning the Stanley Cup, but that is the enthusiasm you love about Prospal.  Christensen picked up the primary assist on the goal to give him his third point of the game.

The Rangers rubbed some salt in the wound with a goal by Brian Boyle with 33.7 seconds left in the game.  The goal was Boyle’s 20th of the season and came off a gorgeous backhand pass from that Christensen fella to give him a career high four point night.

• Stepan was the most visible forward tonight other than Christensen with his willingness to play a physical game.  We shall see if he gets disciplined for the play with Mike Green, but he plays better when he is physical.
• Michael Sauer was also phenomenal in this game as he continues to improve on an already stellar season.
• Del Zotto, Eminger and Gilroy were all solid tonight, which might give New York enough confidence to not feel the need to bring in another defender, at least not an expensive one.
• Ruslan Fedotenko would have to leave his first game back from shoulder/appendectomy caused absence with an injury to that same shoulder.

Derek Stepan vs. Mike Green, Headshot? Could Stepan Get Suspended? (Video)

Early in the first period, on a play that would result in the New York Rangers goal, Derek Stepan and Washington’s Mike Green had multiple altercations.  Early in the shift Green would cross-check Stepan behind the net, which went uncalled, and then when the puck worked back to the corner Stepan and Green would collide with Green tumbling to the ice after being contacted in the head.  So was this a headshot?  Will Stepan be subject to suspension?

Here’s the video:

Larry Brooks of the NY Post  is reporting that the NHL will review this hit by Stepan and he indicates that he expects a suspension.  When I watched the video live I thought it was an elbow to the head, but on the video it does not appear it was the elbow that contacted Green.  It does look like Stepan was expected to battle with him and clearly swings out the elbow.  I do not know if that will matter because there clearly is direct contact to the head.  

The fact that Green was coming off concussion/inner ear trauma the last few weeks and that he did not return to the game certainly works against Stepan here.  The NHL might take into consideration the cross-check which could have injured Stepan earlier in the shift, but I would not be surprised if with the heightened caution over concussions to see Brooks be right and Stepan get a punishment.

What do you think?

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