Rangers Lose, Still Alive

Two of the biggest games for the Rangers all season… first, Montreal on Tuesday and second, St. Louis. The result? 3-1 and 4-3 losses. Most importantly, 0 points.

I was present for the Montreal game and honestly there were only 2 Rangers who even bothered to show up to play that night: Sean Avery and Henrik Lundqvist. The rest of them took the night off. It was very disappointing.

Now, onto the Blues game. I have to admit, the Rangers were obviously more engaged. However, in the end, the results are what count and the result was another loss in a game that had major playoff implications. I keep beating a dead horse… but as usual, the home record is awful. These last two games did nothing but add to the disappointing record at MSG. There’s really no use to give a total run down of this game. I watched it and you watched it. Although, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a big shout out to that great “Euro Style” 5 on 3 PP that the Rangers had in the 3rd period. Keep on passing it! How about, oh… I don’t know… shooting the damn puck?! What a concept: shooting the puck! I think too often we get all happy when we see that “Euro Style”/pretty passing work on a PP. But really, haven’t you had enough of players giving up shots for the extra pass? It’s sickening to watch how much it’s influenced this great game. Like the “Big Whistle” Bill Chadwick used to say, “Shoot the puck, Barry!” If Bill was alive today, it would be, “Shoot the puck, Rangers!”… God rest his soul!

Well, off to Beantown they go. Hey, the road has actually been better for the Rangers this year than playing at MSG (I still don’t get that). So you never know… do ya?

Lastly, I’d like to give thanks to the Quinnipiac Bobcats for another great season. Although it didn’t end the way we all wanted it to, it was a good ride while it lasted. I’d also like to give a special shout-out to my man Bill Schweizer, the voice of the Bobcats. As usual, I had fun working by your side. Over and out!

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The Defense Rests

While I was away last weekend working the Bobcats games, the Rangers dropped 2 games in a row. One to Washington by a score of 2-0 and the other a 2-1 OT loss at home against the Buffalo Sabres. So, heading into “The Rock” for the cross-river battle with the Devils, I was thinking… “Okay, if the Rangers could create some scoring, they have a good chance at winning” (Wins would be good at this point of the year, wouldn’t they?). So what happens? The Rangers come up with a dud of a game defensively. It was quite simply: horrible.

No backchecking, giveaways, too many odd man rushes, and absolutely no support for Henrik Lundqvist. Oh, did I mention the score? 6-3 final in favor of the Devils. You know, that offensive juggernaut of an NHL team. I’m not going to go over every goal and really, why should I? It’s simple. When you play sloppy on the defensive side of your game, you deserve to get pummeled on the scoreboard. The games are dwindling down for the Rangers and wins are what they need. The next 4 games will tell the story of this years squad. It’s sink or swim time!

Now, I really want to discuss the “hot topic” of the NHL at this moment: head hunting and blindside hits. The GMs and NHL brass are in conference as we speak and they have come up with a half-assed rule that will be in the NHL’s upcoming 2010-11 season. Well, let me be the first to tell you… I’m sick of all the crybabies who scream out about every hit in the NHL. Yes, some hits are dirty and cheap. The problem is the monster that was created by all of the NHLs rule changes. Has anyone asked why so many hits like this have occurred? All one has to do is think back to the post-lockout thirst to open up the game. They eliminated obstruction (hooking, holding, interference). At the same time there was chatter for ending fighting, so the instigator rules were to be enforced more. So what did all these rule changes provide the NHL... High scoring hockey? Nope. Numerous 50 goal scorers? Nope. What it did is provide the NHL with a problem. A lack of respect amongst its players. That is why you have all the questions and crying about hits (that are for the most part legal). The NHL will not let the players police their own when these situations occur.

First, if a player reacts to what one feels is a dirty hit or play, it will cost that player a truck load of money in fines/suspensions. Secondly, this is where the lack of player respect comes in… If you know no retaliation is coming, what fear do you have as a player? None! Lastly, the players have a responsibility to understand that this is a physical game played at a high speed. It doesn’t give you the right to admire your pass or shot for too long- or you will get destroyed. It’s as simple as that! A message to the players: Keep your head up! You must know your opponent and who is capable of taking your head off. The last part is the most important to me. If you are not aware of who’s on the ice when you are on, then shame on you! Hockey is not just about skill. Hitting is and always will be part of the game… I hope.

Well, I’ll be in Troy, NY this weekend where the Quinnipiac Bobcats will take on the Union Watchmen in a ECAC quarter-final round (best of 3). My man Bill Schweizer and myself will do the radio broadcast at 7:00 PM on AM 1220 WQUN. If you get a chance, listen in! Friday and Saturday for sure.. And maybe Sunday for a potential Game 3. Over and out!

Bobcats Radio Link: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x981.xml

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Olympics and the Rangers

Wow! What a way to end the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In a big showcase game, Canada defeated a tough and stubborn USA squad by a score of 3-2 in an OT thriller. Sidney Crosby found a way to win it for the Canadian team with a quick shot that beat a surprised Ryan Miller at the 7:40 mark of the OT. The reason the OT session was even needed was because the USA squad (that could have folded numerous times) came back from a 2 goal deficit to tie it up with the goalie pulled and 6 attackers on the ice.

I have to tip my hat to Team USA- big time. They probably where the most consistent team throughout this tournament and it showed how much the gap has closed on all of their opponents. Individually, Ryan Miller (MVP) showed the hockey world that he is the best goaltender in hockey today. Rangers fans might disagree, but if he’s not… who is? As for team Canada, the pressure was enormous and somehow they got the job done! At times they were the most dominant team (see the Russian game) and at times they were not so good.

One thing that I will take away from these Olympics is that North American hockey still rules the world as proved by Canada and the USA (in both the Olympics and the World Juniors). I was extremely happy to see the USA and Canada battle for the gold. It was fast, tough, highly skilled, and physical hockey. Just the way the fans want it. I’m pretty sure if you asked the players, they would agree as well. I hope the NHL takes a good look and figures out a way to get rid of the silly rules and just let the players play!

As for the New York Rangers, a game is coming up at Ottawa on Tuesday. I know the players who didn’t participate in the Olympics have been practicing and getting ready for the big playoff push. I’m sure there’s a few questions that need to be answered: How bad is Gaborik’s injury? Can Lundqvist carry the load down the stretch (Goaltender Alex Auld was picked up)? Will the Olympic break help or hurt the Rangers? What trades are on the table with the trigger ready to be Pulled? It goes on and on.

One thing is for sure- the New York Rangers will have to play better than they have been all season. Currently they are out of a playoff spot with 20 games to go… .500 hockey will not cut it! Stay tuned. Over and out!

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Rangers Come Up Large

After an excellent road win in Pittsburgh (3-2, OTW), which has been a house of horrors for the Rangers in recent years, the boys headed home for a 1 PM matinee. The Rangers squared off against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who just came off of a loss to the New York Islanders the day prior. Like in Pittsburgh, there was no Gaborik or Del Zotto. The Rangers needed to get these 2 very important points before the Olympic break.

Early on, the game didn’t look too good for the Rangers. The Rangers looked slow, lifeless, and really uninterested. As a result, the scoreboard showed it. Down 2-0 with the fans showing their displeasure, the Rangers turned it around with a 4-goal 2nd period. Sean Avery ignited the boys in blue with a gorgeous goal on a penalty shot. On the shot, he completely faked out Mike Smith and roofed a beauty high into the empty net. From there, King Henrik Lundqvist had to make several key saves- especially on Nate Thompson and Marty St. Louis- to keep the Rangers within reach.

Vinny Prospal evened the game on a nice rebound shot with traffic all around the Tampa net. From there, Erik Christensen took over as he scored 2 goals in a row. The first goal was a nice 5-hole shot and the other was very Gaborik-like. It was Gaborik-like in the sense that he got the shot off extremely fast and the quick release surprised Mike Smith. Honestly, that second goal surprised me as well! Christensen should have had the hat trick as he missed 2 glorious opportunities on his next shift. Oh well… who’s complaining? Chris Drury finished off the scoring with an empty netter to make the final score 5-2 in favor of the Rangers.

Some of my observations from the game… first, the bad. How many times are we going to watch the Rangers forget that the game starts when the puck drops in the 1st period? Duh? I just don’t understand it at all. Obviously, the players don’t either. Lastly, there are way too many odd man rushes against the Rangers. If not for some outstanding goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers could have easily been blown out of this game in the 2nd period. Now we’ll focus on the good in this game. I didn’t get to see the win over the Penguins (I was working a Bobcats game), but it sure was nice to see the fight and resiliency that the Rangers showed in Pittsburgh as well as the comeback today. These 2 wins and 4 points will go a long way for the Rangers if they are going to grab a playoff spot. For now, at least, it keeps them close and in decent position to make a good run at it after the Olympic break. Also, isn’t it nice to see the other teams having to be aware of the sudden "toughness" that the Rangers have with (recent acquisition) Jody Shelley, Brandon Prust, and Aaron Voros? It’s been a while, but believe me… teams will take notice if they haven’t already.

Have fun watching the Olympic hockey everyone. But to me, what still counts first is the how the Rangers finish the season… and in 2 weeks or so, we shall find out! Over and out!

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Getting Critical

Coming off of an excellent win last Saturday over the New Jersey Devils (who have been leaking oil lately), the New York Rangers get a few days off before their next tilt against the Nashville Predators. It’s getting to that point in the season where I believe the Rangers must get on some kind of roll as far as wins go. In fact, I think it’s critical to do so.

There are now 23 games left for the blueshirts: 10 at home and 13 on the road. That’s a tough schedule ahead of them. The inconsistency that has plagued the Rangers all season has got to disappear and disappear fast! In order to finish up strong the Rangers will need Henrik Lundqvist to play like he did against the Devils (Sorry Marty, the King still owns you). The team must play disciplined hockey at both ends of the ice. The D must step up and become more like snarling dogs in defending their zone. The forwards have to create offense and score on a nightly basis. Special teams… well, it’s very simple. They must be special!

The outlook is tough for the Rangers. The mentality needs to be one of a playoff mentality. The playoff push starts early for the Rangers. It starts now!

Now, on to some Quinnipiac Bobcats news… Finally! A win! Yes, the Bobcats struck gold on Saturday night with their first win in their last 10 attempts. The Bobcats won with a 2-0 shutout over Colgate. Goalie Dan Clarke got the shutout and Zack Hansen & Greg Holt scored for the Bobcats. I hope that this will finally get this team going after struggling for so long. Over an out!

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Into the Belly of the Beast

The New York Rangers are now heading home to face the Washington Ovechkins this Thursday night at MSG. Talk about going right into the belly of the beast (the Caps are now on an 11 game winning streak)!

The Rangers must regroup after a less-than-stellar west coast trip which ended with 1 win and 2 losses. Once again, the effort overall was there… but the lack of scoring and offensive creation was a huge factor in this trip. Let’s face it folks- 6 goals in 3 games is not going to cut it in the NHL or any other level of hockey.

I’ve got one observation that I’d like to make from the road trip. The poor officiating once again reared its ugly head (Example: Prucha’s nice acting job at the end of the Phoenix loss). Sorry, but this is what was bound to happen and believe me it will continue to grow as long as the NHL continues to play games with changing the rules of this great game. Trust me, there’s more that I could talk about… but I think the fans have picked this up and are disgusted as well.

Now that I have strayed from talking about the Blueshirts, let’s get back to them. First, Gaborik has been a monster again for the Rangers. He’s done everything that a Rangers fan can ask for. However, the scoring has to come from others! That’s where Olli Jokinen comes in. You do know that the Rangers made a trade, didn’t you? Just kidding! GM Glen Sather made what I feel was an excellent trade. He was able to unload Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. It’s a win/win situation for the Rangers. Kotalik and Higgins (I’ll be nice) underachieved in New York- period. Kotalik was brought in to boost the PP and unfortunately, all he ever did was make loud sounds when his shots hit the boards. One question that I have is: how does a player the caliber of Kotalik warrant a partial no-trade clause? On to Christopher Higgins… it was a nice story. He was coming home to New York and all that. In his case… yes, he worked hard and played many minutes. But in the end production is what counts and Higgins simply did not produce, it’s as simple as that.

The recently acquired players made their Rangers debut last night against the Los Angeles Kings. Going forward, Olli Jokinen should be able to give the Rangers a major lift in the scoring department. Yes, he has struggled for a while but he is going to get every opportunity to shine with the Rangers. Also remember that he’s also playing out his contract… if it works, it works. If it doesn’t work, then the Rangers can clear some cap space which is a big thing for this team. Now I would like to talk a little bit about Brandon Prust. If you want physical play, energy, toughness, and a player willing to fight for his team- then you’ve got the right guy. Prust is by no means a heavy weight, but he sure plays like one. I believe Rangers fans will love Prust. I know one thing for sure. The opponents of the Rangers, especially the defenseman, will know where he is and that’s a good thing!

Let’s hope the Rangers can fire it up against the Capitals on Thursday night. They have no other choice. Over and out!

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