It's All About the D

Wednesday night the New York Rangers will be in Buffalo to take on the Sabres, in what really turns out to be the biggest game for both teams this year. The Rangers are currently tied with the Montreal Canadiens at 87 points. Buffalo has 85 points, followed by Carolina who has 80 points. Both of those teams have have one game in hand on the Rangers and Canadiens.

The question most Ranger diehards have is how did the Rangers get to this point? With a 8-1-1 run in their last ten games (Timing was perfect for this run) and 41-30-5 overall record it’s the one thing that may have gone unnoticed and that my friends is the overall team defense that the Rangers have played this year. Starting, obviously, in the nets with the “King” Henrik Lundqvist- who has quietly maneuvered himself up the ladder in the numbers department of the top goalies in the league. The King leads the league with 11 shutouts and with a goals against of 2.24 that’s good for 5th best in the NHL. Lundqvist should get some serious attention when it comes to the Vezina Trophy voting.

The other part of the overall defense of the Rangers are the defensemen themselves. Mark Staal, Dan Giradi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Steve Eminger, Brian McCabe, and Matt Gilroy have contributed greatly in the Rangers fortunes. These names on the D may not frighten many opponents when it comes down to the nasty, physical department (Someday?) but they have done the job blocking shots and playing smart hockey. I mean, really, check these numbers: the Rangers have scored 218 goals, 181 goals against (2nd in the East and 3rd overall in the NHL) with a goal differential of +37. The +37 ranks in the top 4 in the entire NHL! That folks is absolutely incredible! The numbers don’t lie in a league where scoring is almost extinct. You have to rely on solid team defense and the Rangers are getting that from goaltender on out. Impressive? I’d say so.

Okay now for some of Kotsy’s thoughts on a few topics that need to addressed… First off how about the comments coming out Detroit from Kris Draper and Nicklas Lidstrom concerning the cheap shots and hits the NHL has a problem with today. Both player’s have hinted that maybe the NHL should get rid of the instigator rule… Really? I’m all for that, but I also hold Redwings mostly responsible for why the game is what it is today. So to hear this from them, I’m not really sure it passes the laugh test.

“The Hammer”, Dave Schultz has surfaced and came out with some strong opinions about the state of the game when it comes to the respect- or lack there of. It’s a good read check it out at the link below.

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2011/03/26/17768281.html

Finally, I wonder if most hockey fans realize that the NHL might possibly be without a 50 goal scorer this season. Corey Perry currently leads with 44 goals and Steven Stamkos has been stuck on 43 for a while now. I thought the NHL improved it’s game with all the rules changes over the last few years to open up the game? At least, that’s what we were told… wasn’t it? Over and out!

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Rangers Rolling, Cooke Strikes Again

Rangers fans you have to like what you see with Boys in Blue lately. After a lousy effort on the road against the Anaheim Ducks (A horrendous 5-2 loss) the Rangers have been on quite a roll winning 4 games in a row. Starting with the 3-2 shoot out win in San Jose over a strong Sharks team, 6-3 over the Islanders, 6-3 over the Canadiens (both at home) and finishing up with a tough hard-earned win in Pittsburgh, 5-2. Yes, you could say the Rangers are rolling and the timing couldn’t be better as the playoff race is winding down. Great goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist, solid play by all 3 defense pairings, and just super all around effort by the forwards has led to this nice run by the Rangers. With 2 home games coming up against Florida and Ottawa the Rangers can further distance themselves from the teams that are chasing them and solidify there spot in the chase for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Couple of thoughts by the big man (That would be me LOL.) I was present for the Rangers win over the Montreal Canadiens, a team the has given the Rangers all sorts of problems over the past few seasons. The fight to start the game involving Brandon Prust (How good has he been for the Rangers) and Travis Moen was a perfect way to get the team and the fans going at MSG. I mean come on, one second into the game? Just perfect, in my opinion, and the Rangers used that to dominate the Habs to a tune of 5-1 at the end of the 1st period. When was the last time the Rangers had a lead like that over anyone in the 1st period?

One other thing from the that game was the constant hammering of Henrik Lundqvist. Intentional or not- this has to stop. For some reason the NHL seems to do a poor job when it involves the Rangers, sorry that’s just how I see it. That being said the Ranger players must come to his aid and make it quite clear you touch our goalie- you pay the price. Every now and then it’s okay to take a message sending penalty in order to protect your biggest asset which is the King himself. I’m okay with that and I’m pretty sure coach Torts would be too.

Now let’s talk about the Matt Cooke blatant elbow on Ryan McDonagh. To me this one was so obvious as Cooke cocked his elbow straight out a good 5 feet before the contact with McDonagh’s jaw. When Matt Cooke hit Marc Savard a few years back he followed through with the elbow and we all know the end result in the damage to Savard’s health and his career. This might sound like I’m a homer, but to me this one was much clearer on the replay than the Savard hit. Ryan McDonaugh was and is fortunate the damage was very limited. As for Cooke what his penalty will be… who knows? I will go on record and repeat what I’ve saying for years when will the NHL realize that all it’s rules and suspensions have done nothing to deter players from incidents like this. The more they tinker with these type of plays the worse it has gotten Anyone who thinks that the NHL can remedy this alone is sorely misguided.

I’ll say it one more time 1st take the instigator rule out, make these players face the music immediately by letting the players police their own game. It will not eliminate all the cheap shots, but I will bet anything the numbers will decrease to a livable number. If the NHL feels it has to be the overseer then makes the fines substantial. A player like Cooke as well as others have made a small fortune and have plenty of money put away in the bank that 20 to 50 thousand (Can’t believe I’m saying this about these numbers, just crazy isn‘t it?) doesn’t hurt them like most would think. Make the fines 100 to 200 thousand and then watch if they will continue to play on the edge. I think not. Over and Out!

Remember to check out the “Instigators Hockey Show” as my co-host Pauly D and I will be discussing the Rangers and the Cooke hit and much, much more.

Instigators Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pauly-d

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Rangers, Barry Beck, and More!

The Rangers are in Anaheim tonight to take on the Ducks to begin an all important western road swing that will keep the Rangers above water in the race to the playoffs or drop below it. After 2 straight wins over Ottawa on the road and at home against the Flyers (What an ass kicking that was!) the Rangers must keep the momentum on their side. The time is now! Points are getting to be more precious for the Rangers than gold is on the open market. Players like Dubinsky, Callahan, Staal, and of course the “King” Henrik Lundqvist must lead the way. If Marian Gaborik is healthy (That’s still questionable?) and finds his scoring touch the better off the Rangers will be. All four lines need to do their jobs, The defense pairings must step their game up as well. Hard work and effort has been the key to the Rangers this season. Nothing less than that is acceptable. It’s playoff mode for the Rangers. They got a few gifts last night with Buffalo, New Jersey and Toronto losing. However, relying on others to do your job for you, is in my opinion, a certain way to miss the playoffs. It’s all in the players hands and there can be no excuses because excuses left the building a long time ago.

Tuesday night on the “Instigators Hockey Show” my co-host Pauly D and I had the great pleasure of having former Ranger Captain and Legend Barry Beck on as a special guest for a very informative chat. Barry was gracious enough to come on the show even though there was a 13 hour time difference (Bubba lives and works in Hong Kong) and stay on for over an hour to talk with us. If you are a Ranger fan you don’t want to miss out the chance at listening to what Barry’s up to these days and his time with the Rangers. We had plenty of laughs and great story telling. Trust Me! If you wish to listen to the show you can hit the link below.

As for me I will be in Ithaca NY Friday night for a best of 3 to do the color for the Quinnipiac Bobcats as they head on the road to take on the Cornell Big Red in the 2nd round of the ECAC playoffs in men’s Division 1 Hockey. This should be a great match up and after all it is the playoffs so one never knows, do they? If your interested in listening to play by play man Bill Schweizer and I hit the link. Tune in it’s great hockey!

Please feel free to make your comments known on the blog site and I will respond back to you. Don’t be afraid…Over and out!

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

Instigators Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pauly-d

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No Place Like Home?

Regardless of how tonight’s outcome with the New York Rangers/Minnesota Wild game ends up (Hopefully a win for the Rangers) . One thing is certain, the Rangers have treated MSG like it was a house of horrors this season. Home ice has not been to kind for the “Boys in Blue” over the last few seasons. Think back to last year’s one-game showdown with Philadelphia for the right to make the playoffs in the final game of the season. It shouldn’t have come down to that had the Rangers taken care of business at home. This year it’s much of the same with a record of 14-15-3 at the world’s most famous arena. I certainly don’t have the answers and it’s obvious no one else does either. One thing I do know is that playing in your own barn is supposed to be an advantage for the home team. Clearly this isn’t the case for the Rangers. Games are starting to have more meaning as teams chasing for a playoff spot are closing in. The New York Rangers must find a way to start winning their final games at home in order to secure a playoff spot. The time is now! and let’s all hope it starts tonight with a win over the Wild.

Now that the trade deadline has come and gone. I personally liked the fact that Glen Sather didn’t do anything drastic and ruin the good this organization has done in a short period of time. It wasn’t long ago that the Rangers were pushed to limit salary cap wise… which was a huge problem. Adding huge potential contracts (Brad Richards) through the trade deadline would have put them back to square 1 with no room to maneuver and that is something you don’t want. This team has gotten younger and the core players have yet to reach their full potential. I feel that if you want to make moves or add to the roster you do it in the off-season where no one has a gun to your head. That’s the way I feel and I’m sticking by it!

It’s obvious that with out a healthy Marion Gaborik the Rangers are going to be challenged to find the dynamic offensive player for the stretch run. That being said, it’s up to the players on the roster to find a way to score- plain and simple. “How”, you say? To me it means someone has to play the hero role each and every night. Not just one or two players, it has to be done by committee. If the Rangers can do this it should be more than enough win and proceed to the playoffs. It wouldn’t hurt to spot Henrik Lundqvist a few goals would it? (Especially now that Biron’s injured).

This Friday night I will be in Hamden CT for the 1st round of the ECAC playoffs where the Quinnipiac Bobcats and Brown Bears get under way in a best of 3 series. If you are in the area come by and check it out. If you want to listen to the game here’s the link below.

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

Also this past Tuesday My co-host Pauly Dee and I had the pleasure of chatting with a former Ranger/Whaler and a teammate of mine in Toronto Jeff Brubaker. “Bru” was a tough, team first type player and was very insightful and really gave the listeners a realistic look into what it took for him to play in the NHL. Also we had Lou Lafrado, who runs one of the best hockey websites in “Pro Hockey News”, on to talk about his site and Hockey in general. If you missed the show you can go back and listen to it in archive just hit the link. That’s it over and out!

Instigators Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pauly-d

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Rangers End Skid, Whalers Fest, and More!

Hey Ranger fans… you can breath again after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 5-3 and putting a halt to a season high 6-game losing streak. Those who were thinking about jumping off a cliff or off the bandwagon should relax. I know it’s only one win, but really folks knee-jerk reactions about the state of the team are just silly. Remember losing streaks happen in the NHL and how your team reacts to them shows what kind of personality they have. We will soon see how the Rangers deal with it. Are they out of the woods? Of course not, but they are still in a decent position to make the playoffs.

The team is finally getting most of their roster back minus a couple players and what is needed is finding that chemistry that made the Rangers a tough team to play against for most of the year. With the time off between Penguins game and the Kings game coming up on Thursday at MSG, hopefully the coaches and players reacquainted themselves during the practice sessions. Having a familiar lineup is the key to any team’s success and the Rangers are no different. What I’d like to see is line combinations that stay together and the PP chosen few the same. With games dwindling, this team needs to find that cohesive togetherness that made them a hard team to play against.

On to other NHL news. I have a few thoughts about Mario Lemieux’s comments after the brawl with the Islanders last week. First off, I totally respect Mario for what he has done as a player in his HOF career. All of us who had the great fortune of playing in the NHL wished we could have had the ability and skill of a Mario Lemieux. No one can deny that. I do realize that some cheap shots were obviously taken by the Islanders and they were subsequently dealt with fines and suspensions. That being said, I believe that his timing was very suspect to say the least. Not one time in his tenure as an owner has Mario ever spoke out about any of the transgressions that any of his players that he has employed. If Super Mario feels that strongly about what happened in Long Island… then why doesn’t he take the lead and start by purging players on his team like Cooke, Goddard, Rupp, Engelland, Asham and see how that works out for him? Self-serving? Hypocritical? Certainly looks that way to me.

As most of you know, I will be playing with the Hartford Whaler Alumni against the Boston Bruin Alumni this Saturday in the Whale Bowl at Rentschler Field the outdoors home of the UConn Huskies Football team. The game will take place before the CT Whale/Providence Bruins AHL game. I’m looking forward to seeing some of my former teammates and the die hard Whaler fans. Howard Baldwin and Howard (Bubba) Baldwin Jr. are the masterminds of the great event and have put in a ton of hard work and money to put this event on. It’s a showcase for the city of Harford and the state CT. So don’t be afraid to show up and let’s break the outdoor record for attendance for an AHL game. Check out the link!

Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 Link: http://www.ctwhale.com/default.asp?ctwhale=134

Don’t forget to check out the “Instigators Radio Show”. Tuesday night 8:30 with my co-host Pauly D and I as we talk everything hockey. Just hit the link below. Over and out!

Instigators Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pauly-d

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Crisis? What Crisis?

Well Ranger fans the New York Rangers have hit a critical point in the season. After losing 5 in a row the Rangers find themselves treading water playoff-wise heading into a huge match up in Atlanta with the Thrashers Friday night. Carolina, Atlanta, Buffalo and even Florida are fast on the Ranger’s tails. Is it time to panic, as many of my Ranger friends have suggested? I think not. Is there reason for concern? Absolutely! The Rangers have played with effort and energy- there’s no denying that. What they haven’t been able to do during this losing streak is score goals. Plain and simple.

Let’s break it down a little bit here. 1st the Big guns have not, and I repeat have not, pulled their weight in producing offense that the team desperately needs. We can all look to Marian Gaborik as the lead man and his lack of production and the trickle down effect goes right down the line of the roster from there. Gaborik needs to pick up his game and lead the Rangers in scoring, that’s what he does and from there the rest will fall into place. Second, how about crashing the net and creating more traffic in front of the goaltender? More goals are scored from a few feet out than any other place on the ice. It may be down right ugly, but it sure is effective.

Other thoughts I have at this point of the season. One thing that I’m sure of is you can’t point fingers at the goaltending with Henrik Lundqvist as the lead man and Martin Biron. They are, in my opinion, as good a tandem in the entire NHL. Has there been night’s where the “King” has looked less than stellar? For sure. Overall though, in my humble opinion, there is really no concern in this area. The defensemen on this team have done an admirable job all season and really surprised most us with their play. Once again no problem there. Now if you want to talk about the PP that’s another story… Yes you can point a huge finger in this area. I do know one thing about Power plays and that is you can’t SCORE if you don’t SHOOT the puck. I know I’m beating the dead horse here, but really stop with the “Euro I’m going to paint you a pretty picture perfect goal” attitude on the Power Play. PASS PASS PASS… No shots, just keep passing it. Drives me nuts! If you watch the successful PP’s in the league they shoot the puck every chance they get. Why is this? Well maybe it’s because most goals that are scored on the PP come from rebounds and deflections. Duh! The Ranger players have got to start shooting the puck and forget about painting a picture.

This past Tuesday, Pauly D and I had the great pleasure of talking with Hartford Whaler legend Blaine Stoughton on our “Instigators Hockey Show”. “Stash” as he is commonly referred to, also played a short time with the New York Rangers. The show was filled with stories and laughter. It is a must listen You can go back and listen to the show by hitting the link below.

One other thing I’d like to give Claude Julien head coach of the Boston Bruins a standing ovation for his comments about the players taking more responsibility for the head hits and hitting from behind. Finally someone with some kind of stature and importance in the NHL telling it like it is. Julien basically called the players out and I applaud him for that. You can read the whole article here: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=352460

Finally, I’m looking forward to the Rangers game on Friday night. This game will tell us plenty about the Rangers and where they are heading. Feel free to make your voice heard here on “Kotsy’s Korner” by adding your 2 cents. I dare ya! Over and Out!

Instigators Hockey Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pauly-d

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