N.Y. Rangers: Le Blueshirts House de Horrors

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

 

TONIGHT

 

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Les Habitants de Montreal

FROM

The Great White North

NEW YORK RANGERS: The Feeling-Out Process Between Coach Vigneault and the Blueshirts Is Growing More Curious.

Last season, the Rangers got shut out twice in Montreal.   In fact, the Rangers have been outscored 14-1 in their last four meetings there, and haven't gained a victory in Montreal in four seasons.  The good news is, the Rangers have scored 28 regulation time goals in the last ten games, and limited themselves to 18 goals against.  Additionally, the Habs are currently trending downward, having lost six times in their last ten games, while the Rangers are 7-3 over the same stretch.

The Rangers however, recently had their momentum interrupted by the New Jersey Devils.  Coach Vigneault issued a harsh criticism of Henrik Lundqvist's last effort.  The King outwardly accepted and even agreed with Coach's assessment.  On the heels of Tuesday's loss, Cam Talbot is expected to start between the pipes this evening - a curious situation.  It is also worth mentioning again, Henrik Lundqvist is still without a contract extension, and is perhaps more accustomed to John Tortorella's unwavering protectionism with regard to Henrik's ups and downs - or not.  The Rangers goalie insists there is nothing there.

Is there further evidence the (media) protectionism is over?  You bet there is.  Not that long ago, J.T. Miller and Derek Dorsett got a taste.

Amid rumors and trade speculation, Michael Del Zotto may be a healthy scratch for tonight's game.  It would mark the second time he's been listed as a healthy scratch this season.

Former coach John Tortorella may have gotten the best from Del Zotto we fans will ever see.  Because at current, Zotto is an undisciplined, unrepentant plague of turnovers upon the ice, who otherwise still routinely makes bad decisions with the puck.  The fleeting flashes of brilliance he used to demonstrate, have been reduced to very infrequent flickers of competence amid fading minutes.  If you think I'm being too harsh, then consider he just pissed off his second coach in the only organization he's known.  Coach Vigneault is in no way pleased with Del Zotto's play.  Thus, the defenseman is facing time, in what appears to be the first real usage of the new regime's doghouse.

What can the Rangers potentially expect in return for Del Zotto, a former #1 draft choice, who perhaps would benefit from a change of scenery?  Before pondering any return for the beleaguered defenseman, I say we sweeten the deal and include Mats Zuccarello in a package.

Yeah, I went there.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers: Ryan Callahan Is Back, But Where Are The Goals?

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEW YORK RANGERS: Who Needs To Do What, And How Often Do They Need To Keep It Up In Order To Win Games?

Meet the new boss.  In their first game of the season, the Rangers scored a power play goal by defenseman Marc Staal.

Same as the old boss?  No goals from the forward lines during even strength; Rangers lose 4-1 to the Phoenix Coyotes.

I shake my head to the new revolution.

The Captain, Ryan Callahan should be back on the ice tonight at the Office Supply Arena when the Rangers take on the Los Angeles Kings, who always present a supreme challenge.  Another challenge facing the Rangers is once again, where will they get their goal scoring from.  The returning Ryan Callahan has to be counted on for thirty goals this season.  After all, the offense is supposed to be opening up under new coach Alain Vigneault, right?

There are some other obvious names who need to supply goals.  Carl Hagelin needs to be counted on for at least twenty to twenty five goals this season.  Like Callahan, Derek Stepan needs to come within the twenty-five to thirty goal range.  On the next tier of scoring, I think the Rangers would greatly appreciate fifteen goals from Brian Boyle.  If Mats Zuccarello adds another fifteen, better for the Blue Shirts.

On the extreme end of things, Rick Nash needs to be a forty goal scorer.  Period.  Then, the Rangers 800 lbs. gorilla on skates needs to transform himself into an effective player again.  Brad Richards is up against IT in the worst way.  No player likes to be up against IT.  The Rangers have to get at least twenty goals and sixty points from Brad Richards to justify that money.  Even then, he would fall woefully short of living up to his contract.  So here's hoping he has a little renaissance man in him.

The wild cards are going to be players like Derick Brassard, Taylor Pyatt, and Derek Dorsett.  Down the line, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, Brandon Mashinter and Darroll Powe will need to be reconsidered for a part on Broadway as well.

I like the Rangers depth on the blue line.  The more goals they get from their defensemen, the deeper they can conceivably advance in the post-season.  I hope that wasn't assuming too much though.  The biggest question worth answering is - can Marc Staal become a fifteen, or even a twenty goal scorer again?  He reportedly had an excellent training camp, and incidentally scored the Rangers first goal of the season.  In the three seasons spanning 2008 through 2011, Marc Staal scored fifty-three goals, then was felled by a lengthy concussion.

Dan Girardi hasn't registered double digit goals since he scored ten during the '07-'08 season.  Last year he scored two in forty-six regular season games.  With some more experience under his belt, Ryan McDonagh could conceivably chip in ten goals.  Michael Del Zotto is a wild card.  During the '11-'12 season, he was a forty-one point player, with ten goals in seventy-seven games played.  In forty-six games last season, he was a twenty-one point scorer.  This season, Del Zotto needs to play smarter hockey and chip in with forty-five points.

After that, any one else is welcome to step up and contribute.



Mike.BTB

Henrik Lundqvist's Sore Shoulder Means Forward Lines Need To Step It Up

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

 

2012 - 2013

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Round Two - Semi Finals

 

Boston Leads Series 2-0

I - BOS 3; NYR 2*

II - BOS 5; NYR 2

*overtime

 

 

GAME THREE

 

Boston Bruins

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

FROM

 

 

NEW YORK RANGERS - The Better The Forward Lines Play, The Less Action Henrik Will See.


I found myself disagreeing with Coach regarding many things this season.  My son never got over his treatment of Sean Avery.  Frankly, neither did I.  We could really use a player like Avery right about now.  I digress.  Nor did I appreciate Tortorella's recent dress-down of Carl Hagelin.  I know coaches only say things about their players when they want them to hear it.  What Torts had in mind, I don't know.  Coach's characterization of Hagelin's struggles on the PP were rather two face considering his season long protection of Brad Richards.  That's the guy who's PP performance and overall play deserves a tongue lashing.


But when it comes to questioning or critiquing Henrik Lundqvist into a microphone or to a reporter, I'm behind Coach Torts one hundred percent.  I'm not going there either.  After eight seasons of brilliant goaltending, Henrik Lundqvist has earned at least that.  I'll tell you how to react to Game Two - silently.  Because any audible rant as it pertains to a goalie who stopped 92% of all regular season shots taken against him in his career is irresponsible.


Next year Henrik Lundqvist will most surely win his 300th NHL game, but yes, he is still looking to hoist his first Stanley Cup.  If he had to do that yesterday, his shoulder might have been too sore for lifting. If you've ever bruised your shoulder, you know its nature is to feel worse before getting better.  The best report out of Rangers camp since Game Two regarding Henrik's shoulder was that it was stable.  How vaguely unreassuring.  Henrik added today, it was under control.  That means pain management to you and me.


There is no getting around Lundqvist had a bad Game Two, and that the Rangers did many things right.  The Rangers benefited from Boston's sixteen give-aways, and wound up with more SOG, including numerous quality chances.  Credit Tuukka Rask.  The Rangers also won more face-offs.  It is still wholly unfair to demand perfection from Henrik however, when he is surrounded with such overall offensive ineptitude, on the power play in particular.  Fewer and fewer of us civilians have  confidence in this offensive system anymore and the lack of goals it creates.  In the name of Patrick Lester, they can't even enter the offensive zone with a man advantage, much less score.  Two power play goals in the playoffs?  They were 0 for 5 in Game Two.  Save me Henrik's overtime record.  Goalies like Marc Andre Fleury, who got the stuffing beat out of his pads by the Islanders, can't hold Henrik's stick, yet Pitt's offense gets him through round after round, and year after year.  Goals cover up many many mistakes and poor play.  We're lucky Henrik is cool cat, because he goes off somewhere after nights like Game Two, and performs his ancient Swedish pagan meditation ritual, then returns to the ice good as new.  But this is not a case of - here we go again.  Henrik put it best in saying this is a different round against a better team.  So if there is a directive for the Rangers forwards to follow heading into Game Three, it would be to show up in defense of their goalie, play in Boston's zone, stay low and go right at their defensemen, punish Tuukka Rask, score goals, and protect this house!


It was nice that Rick Nash finally decided to score.  Perhaps he can inspire Brad Richards now.  But if you're like me, you stopped relying on the names on the back of their jerseys last round.  This is my position on Rick Nash - once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend.  Show me.  In the mean time, Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, and Ryan Callahan have been the primary scorers, and they'll need to continue doing so.  Their mission - Make Tuukka Rask lose this game.


The blue liners are not without blame.  Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto need to play better than they did in Game Two.  All of them need to do a better job of keeping the slot closed to traffic, and keeping Henrik's lanes clear.  They should be alert to all Bruins skaters and all four lines because every Boston player minus one, had at least one shot on goal in Game Two.  Four different Bruins topped out at three each.  Conversely, the Rangers had five players with four shots on goal and three players with no shots.  That tells me the Rangers are pressing with limited line-ups, while the Bruins are sharing the puck and throwing fresh lines on the ice.




Mike.BTB

Rangers vs. Bruins - The Round Two Trolley Preview

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

2012 - 2013

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference - Semi Final Round

 

 

SERIES PREVIEW

 

Boston Bruins

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

 

 

 

Sizing Up The Blueshirts And "Weighing" Their Options.

THE SIX AND SIX FORMULA

Rangers versus Bruins, an Original Six match-up...Nice!  Aint nothin' wrong with a little old school for us old fools.   ...But some older than others.


I was too young to remember when the Blueshirts and Bruins last met in the 1973 playoffs.  The NHL was different when I was a kid.  Teams had to play out of their own division before meeting the other division winner in the Eastern Conference Finals.   I first became a Rangers fan soon after the blockbuster trade that sent principle players Brad Park to Boston in exchange for Phil Esposito, who not incidentally became my favorite player.  After Espo retired, I put myself in Ron Greschner's corner.  This match-up already brings back memories.  This series should be epic.


I have good news Rangers Fans, I think this is a great match-up for the Blueshirts.  The Rangers have the better goalie, I think they play better defense, and they are faster than Boston up front.  I have but two main concerns.  Will the Rangers match Boston's grittiness?  Second, I fret over Boston's ability to knock the Rangers off the puck, and crash the net.

Speed and Size

The key for the Rangers will be striking a balance between maintaining speed and size on the ice.  Let's call this a Six and Six Formula.  The Rangers have speed with Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan, Ryan Callahan, Rick Nash, Derick Brassard and Matts Zuccarello on the ice.  These are the six who ideally need to score goals against the Bruins.  Coach Torts did well to open up the offense a bit, but they can't open things up too much against Boston.  While the Blueshirts were successful creating offense further up by the circles, their shots from the point are still relative duds - Not enough power in those shots.  Therefore, they need to remain a little closer to the dots, like they've been, and find the guy in the slot.


Boston likes to grind out games too.  That's where the Rangers Bigger Six come into play.  Generally speaking, the Rangers need to prevent themselves from getting pushed off the puck.  That won't be easy.  Everywhere you look, the Bruins have size.  They have six wingers who weigh over two-hundred pounds each.  The new Rangers might even enjoy a good grind.  So, in order to compete, the Rangers will need to maintain a physical presence on the ice and bang bodies.  Arron Asham, Taylor Pyatt, Brian Boyle, Ryane Clowe, Darroll Powe and Chris Kreider all need to throw their bodies around and thump with the Bruins, and when the offensive opportunities present themselves, crash the net with reckless abandon.


I would have never thought Arron Asham could be this important to the Rangers.  Yet, against the Bruins, he becomes even more important.  I guess timing is everything.  I wish other Rangers were as decisive with the puck as Asham.  Chris Kreider and all of his 226 pounds of mass needs to be on the ice.  Period!  In Game Seven against the Caps, he was throwing his body into every red jersey he saw.  Put him on a line with Taylor Pyatt (230 lbs.) and Ryane Clowe (225 lbs.), and let those guys go bang all night.  They are the Rangers three biggest players, and they have skill to boot.  A tough, skilled line like that can propel the Rangers throughout the series.


If you noticed, I made no mention of Brad Richards.  Why do you think that's so?  The answer is the same reason why Coach Torts should not give him any ice time.  He is horrible at the point, he is slow, and he's just an overall lagger.  That's right.  I said it - a lagger.


Boston eventually won their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the way they collapsed on Toronto's net.  They took booming shots from the point and cleaned up rebounds.  In Game Seven, they were all over Toronto's James Reimer like flies on crap.


Marc Staal's return is still questionable.  Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and John Moore played outstanding hockey against the Caps.  Steve Eminger had a very good series as well.  They all need to keep the ice in front of Henrik Lundqvist free of Bruins.  The key player will be Michael Del Zotto.  First, he needs to stop the Jekyll and Hyde act.  He needs to be consistent game in, and game out.  The Rangers need the Del Zotto who lays big hits.  We've seen him do it before.  That's the Del Zotto we need now.  And the Rangers need his booming shot from the point.  He possesses one of the few booming point shots the Rangers have.


If you think about it, Henrik pitched regulation time shutouts in games two, six and seven.  In games one, three and four, he allowed nine goals.  So how many games will Henrik Lundqvist need to steal this round?  The consensus says, two or three....again.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers: Blueshirts Set To Finally Rid Themselves Of Redden

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS


NEW YORK RANGERS - Providing For The Common DEFENSE, And Promoting The Blueshirt Welfare.


"Hey, hey Paula..., I wanna marry you!"


That little diddy was sung by Boone and his girlfriend Katie in the movie Animal House, while they were getting high at their college professor's house.  And that's how I feel right now - high, and with a need to sing.


"Bye, bye Redden..., we're finally through with you!"


The New York Rangers will work out the terms to finally waive useless defenseman Wade Redden, and rid themselves of a financial albatross.  He no doubt had to be one of the highest paid players in AHL history!  In a nutshell, terms of the new collective bargaining agreement allow each team to jettison two costly club mistakes.  This was the big break the Rangers needed.  Damn the cap hit..., the season is a resounding success already.


Six years at thirty nine million dollars....   What the hell was Glen Sather thinking?  Those were the years Sather was possessed by the devil himself; Mike Milbury.  Redden, Scott Gomez; Chris Drury; - need I say more?  By the way, Montreal called, they want their defenseman back.  If I said it once, I said it a thousand times.  If you want to pat someone on the back for turning this organization around, credit Gordie Clark and John Tortorella.  But if you must, credit Sather for hiring Clark after Don Maloney left to work for Wayne Gretzky in Phoenix.  These two have kept Glen Sather on the straight, and narrow, and have made him look far smarter than he deserves credit for.  But hey, that's just me.


With or without Wade Redden, a compressed schedule poses a challenge for the Rangers blue line.  The third and fourth lines are more important than ever.  The onus will be on guys like Stu Bickel, Steve Eminger, Matt Gilroy (who recently agreed to a deal), and Anton Stralman to gain Coach's trust, and share the burden he places on Marc Staal and Dan Girardi.  Meanwhile, the Canadiens are no doubt kicking themselves in le posterior, after handing Scott Gomez a pink slip and watching Ryan McDonagh develop into a blue line star.  And now that Michael Del Zotto is signed, we know the Rangers are confidently three lines deep.  The trick will be in creating a good fourth line pair.  Here's a nice stat that should go a long way.  All eight Rangers defensemen are below the age of thirty.


On a more distressing note, I think Michael Sauer's career might be over.  He is still unable to shake the effects of a concussion suffered back in December 2011 when Toronto's Dion Phaneuf checked him into the boards.  Sauer missed the rest of 2011-2012, and all of last season.


I think the Rangers have the best collection of defensemen in the division.  Sure the Penguins still have Kris Letang.  But without Jordan Staal, I think they are substantially compromised.  Philly's defense corp is unsettled.  They are trying to infuse some youth among a collection of fossils like Kimmo Timonen and returning dinosaur, Chris Pronger.  The Islanders?  No, stop.  Really....  But the Devils are the Devils.  Their defense will be stout and physical.  They played in the finals for a reason.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ The Big Blue Iceberg Will Surge Again

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

The NYR's 2011-2012 Season Was Still a Classic.

NEW YORK RANGERS:  If That's the Way it Ends..., So Be it.


Right off the bat, I will tell you the New York Rangers met my 2011-2012 expectations.  And today, I am a happy fan.  I am one of those forward thinkers, who believes the best days for these Rangers are still ahead of them.  Of course I wouldn't be so comfortable saying that had this team not been under construction the right way.  Or at least the way they've been constructed so far, which most of us have been quite satisfied with.  So why kill them for losing?  If anything, these youngsters still need to learn how to become finishers.  And there are other matters to address as well.


But look how far they've come in such a short time.  Today we beat on the door.  Tomorrow we knock it down.


I still believe we will have our day soon.  I do not view this as an opportunity lost, and a fleeting chance we'll have to wait another eighteen years for again.  Hardly.   I was against making a deal at the trade-deadline for a reason.  And with this blog as my witness, I stand by it all.


Knowing everything we knew about the Rangers, I think our downfall had more to do with the absence of Brandon Dubinsky than anything else.  Now that I've had some separation between Game Six and today, I'm less inclined to hurl blame at people for our Conference Finals failure against the Devils.  Winning a Cup would have been nice and all, but I'm still of the notion we are a young rebuilding hockey club.


The time to tinker with this club is now, or soon; during the up coming off-season.  Not during the trade deadline that passed.  Now we can go out and find more scoring, having still retained Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, and Chris Kreider.  And we'll be better for it.  This is not Back To The 'Ol Drawing Board.


The Big Blue Iceberg got held up.  But when it slips forward again, watch out.  There will be a lot of stored energy released.




Mike.BTB

N.J. Devils ~ Coach DeBoer Putting Rangers Through Hell

From the desks of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS  &  THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

GAME FOUR FINAL

N.Y. Rangers   1

N.J. Devils       4

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  DeBoer's Demons

Playing With Pitchforks High!

NEW YORK RANGERS GET BURNT IN DEVILS' PLAYGROUND

Battle of the Coaches Heats Up ~ Coach Tortorella and Coach DeBoer moved their series feud from the press room to the benches.  The two engaged in a heated third period exchange, which rumor has it, turned personal in nature. 
Both coaches declined to comment after the game.

Game Four Preview; GRUDGE MATCH, and links to all my Eastern Conference Finals posts.


The Devils beat Philadelphia, primarily because the Flyers were terribly undisciplined and because the Devils wouldn't allow themselves to succumb to their level.  Coach DeBoer constantly implored his team to look the other way in the face of any Flyers' transgressions.  They all listened, and after Game Four against the New York Rangers Monday night, New Jersey is again, clearly the more composed and competent team on the ice.


The Rangers put the Devils on the Power Play another six times in Game Four, although New Jersey only scored once.  But for the Rangers, you can't establish a tempo, or flow, and in the Blueshirts case - grind, or mount any kind of offense when you're consistently killing penalties.  Now, here's the worst part of that.  If Blueshirts fans think staying out of the penalty box alone will help the Rangers, WE are all sadly mistaken.  For a team who's forte used to be playing at even strength, the Rangers have scored a mere two goals throughout these four games while playing five on five hockey.


Late in the first period, Mike Rupp authored the Rangers' best offensive rush of the evening; Ruslan Fedotenko's goal aside.  Rupp's attempt didn't get past Martin Brodeur, but he did draw a penalty.  And for a change, that wasn't a bad proposition.  Unlike the regular season, the Rangers have actually been somewhat successful on the Power Play these playoffs.  They are four for eleven this series.  And we all know they didn't have a near 40% success rate during the season.  But unlike the Rangers were doing, the Devils only put the Rangers on the power play this one time.


Let's be clear.  Mike Rupp was the Rangers' best forward Monday night, right up until he wiped out Peter Harrold behind the net, took a swipe at Anton Volchenkov, then punched Martin Brodeur in the chest.  When a melee ensued, Steve Bernier came charging in towards Mike Rupp.  But Bernier made a mistake by leaving his feet and lunging at Rupp.  So, Mike Rupp wiped him out in mid-air too.


That's it.  That's the extent of the Rangers speakable effort from Monday.


While New Jersey's Forwards were busy skating circles around the Rangers and accumulating eight points, the Ranger Forwards looked like they were skating in sand.  Zach Parise scored twice and assisted once.  Travis Zajac scored his sixth goal of the playoffs.  Ponikarovsky, Clarkson, and Zubrus all assisted on those goals.  Then you can figure in contributions they got from their defensemen.  Bryce Salvador's scored the opening salvo of the evening, and they got an assist from Adam Henrique.


The Rangers' blueliners?  Michael Del Zotto had perhaps his worst game of the playoffs.  And Ryan McDonagh can't be tangling with Adam Henrique like that.  The Devils will take that trade off every time.  Especially now, since the Rangers' defensemen represent so much of the Blueshirts' offense.  Which brings us right back to Mike Rupp.


Mike Rupp was indeed the Rangers best forward Monday night, even as he walked through the tunnel on his way to the locker room.  So what does that say?  The same thing I said yesterday.  I'm still waiting for a Rangers' forward line to dominate a game, like Parise-Zajac-Zubrus did in Game Four, and not having us pray for another Lundqvist miracle.


But John Tortorella's usage of Mike Rupp represented everything that went wrong for the Flyers last round against the Devils.  As a matter of fact, Coach Torts' usage of a number of players showed that some old grudges never went away.  But Peter DeBoer and the Devils, just aren't going there.  Or that's what they would have you believe.  They've successfully fought their battles so far through the Media, inside the Rangers zone, and now from the corners of the bench.  Coach DeBoer even snuck in a goon too.  However, the Devils consistently posted four goals a night against Philly because the Flyers played exactly the way the Rangers did Monday night, over an entire series.  So with the Rangers mirroring something from that series, the Devils wound up posting four goals against the Rangers as well.


As the series heads back to the Garden Wednesday night, even I, a self-admitted Torts Grunt, believes he needs to come up with a better plan than the one he unleashed Monday night.  There was something a little desperate looking about Game Four's decisions and efforts, considering it was the Rangers who held a 2-1 series lead, and not the other way around.  Nor in Game Four did the Rangers resemble the team who made adjustments after games two and three of the previous two series.  This lot looked more than just a little bit lost.


After the game, Coach Torts said his team needs to possess the puck more.  That means our forcheck isn't working.  Martin Brodeur's ability to make a long stretch pass to the blue line has something to do with that.  The Devils' quickness and accurate passing has been another factor hampering the Blueshirt forcheck.  And without the puck, that means the Rangers aren't spending much time in the Devils' zone.  Game Four ended with both goalies facing twenty-nine shots each.  But the Rangers shots came in late period flurries, and not through anything sustained like the Devils have created for themselves.


Nothing is lost for the Rangers.  Not by a long shot.  For Blue leaning Fans like myself, the series boils down to them imposing their will upon the Devils.  But Peter DeBoer and the Devils have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Rangers better do it smartly.  Reducing the game to alternative hockey will not help the Rangers.  In Game Four, the Devils also proved they can be patient enough to negate many of the Rangers blocked shots.  For Monday night, the Devils managed twenty-nine shots against Henrik, while the Rangers and Devils were tied with only six blocked shots each by the midway point of the third period.


The third period was supposed to be the Rangers' period.  That's how the first three games played out.  The Rangers have outscored the Devils 6-1 in the third period this series.  But not this time.  It is Coach Tortorella's turn to make adjustments now.  The series might only be tied, but after Game Four's performance, Coach DeBeor holds a distinct edge.


The Rangers can not continue to rely on their defensemen for scoring, nor the wily machinations of their Head Coach.  At some point, and it better be soon, the Forward Lines need to start taking control of these games or else the Devils will be playing for a Stanley Cup.


But these are the Rangers, and they prefer to do things the hard way.  They've been in worse positions than this.   After all, we are only headed into Game Five tied at two apiece.  The Rangers have dug down deep before.  They'll know how to dig in again.  But can they?  Or has their system reached it Law of Diminished Returns?


In any case, Coach Torts is right - it starts with possessing the puck.

The Battle of the Hudson Continues...

2011-2012

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE - STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

SERIES TIED 2-2

I  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

II  -  NJD 3; NYR 2

III  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

IV  -  NJD 4; NYR 1

GAME FIVE ~ WEDNESDAY

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

From

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

33rd Street at 7th Avenue

NYC

*Devil's Playground ~ Bushwick Urban Art, BK
Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Grudge Match; Game Four

From the desks of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS  &  THE BRICK CITY DEMONS

Battle of the Hudson

Game Four ~ Grudge Match

2011-2012

NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Rangers Lead Series 2-1

I  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

II  -  NJD 3; NYR 2

III  -  NYR 3; NJD 0

TONIGHT

GAME FOUR

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

From

THE ROCK

Brick City - Newark

The King Lays Siege to Newark in Game Three

Rangers vs. Devils; Game Three at The Rock

Coach Torts Versus The Media

Devils Pounce On Blueshirts in Game Two

King Henrik Puts The Devils On Ice

Rangers Versus Devils ~ Eastern Conference Finals

NEW YORK RANGERS:

Tonight, We Dance Around The Fire!

The deeper these playoffs have gone, the longer Ranger Fans wait for their forward lines to dominate a game for a change, instead of looking to their goalie for miracles.  Well, that's what I've been doing.  In the mean time, the Rangers have three pairs of defensemen who've been contributing an overwhelming portion of the team's offense.  And the Devils?   They have done everything they've needed to do in order to get plenty of shots on Lundqvist.  But Broadway's liege has stopped them cold, as he's done to all comers in these playoffs.

That almost seems secondary now.  The real battle has just begun.  While the Media kept badgering Coach Torts to talk, he quietly compiled his own list of gripes against the Devils, but never aired them out; until Sunday that is.  He's been refusing to delve into any kind of outward exchange with the opposing coach or the Media.  Conversely, Peter DeBoer and Marty Brodeur continued to air out their grievances in public.  Now, finally, by speaking out Sunday, Coach Torts finally gave everyone what they wanted ~ a grudge match.

In response to Peter DeBoer's "head-hunter" barb regarding Brandon Prust, Coach showed up at his media session Sunday armed with accusations the Devils were setting picks on their power play opportunities, he voiced displeasure with Zach Parise's hit on Michael Del Zotto, and likewise expressed his annoyance with Dainius Zubrus' hit on Anton Stralman.  Coach was going to keep all that in-house, and between him and the League.  But the cat is out of the bag now.

What John Tortorella worked so hard to avoid in these playoffs is now front and center.  Damn if you do, and Damned if you don't, Coach.  The Media wanted it, and now they got it.  The inner beast in Coach has been summoned upon the instigation of a one, Coach Peter DeBoer.  Brilliant!  Remember, I like Caoch DeBoer.  But going forward, whether this becomes his folly remains to be seen.

Game Three ended with both teams feeling a little ill-tempered too.  Upon the final horn to end regulation, a scrum ensued surrounding Brandon Prust.  That won't happen in Game Four.  Brendan Shanahan suspended Prust one game for his elbow the back of Alex Volchenkov's head.  That doesn't mean the bad blood between these teams won't spill over tonight.  We'll see, as we have ill will between teams, dirty hits and other questionable player infractions to ponder, and two coaches finally engaged in a full blown war of words.

But what Coach DeBoer is trying so hard to accomplish in the now, still does not compare with what Coach Torts started working on back in October.   Coach Torts made it his business to make sure Henrik Lundqvist was fresh (fresher) for these playoffs, than in years and playoffs past.  Coach made the reluctant King sit for twenty-one games during the regular season.   They signed Marty Biron precisely to get that accomplished.   Henrik Lundqvist started 62 regular season games this season; his lowest total in six years.  If you don't think there a correlation between Coach Torts' plan and the fact Henrik Lundqvist shut out the Devils twice now in this third round series, you're stoned.

Outside of Chris Kreider, Coach Torts long ago ensured Henrik Lunqvist would be the freshest guy on the ice in Game Four tonight.  That fact continues to go unspoken.  Instead, the Media continues to prod Coach Torts for their columns.  If they just look at his methods and moves over a full season, and not just casually show up in April or May, they'd know full well Coach Torts is in full control of his team and his faculties, and has all his bases covered.  Which points directly to the reason why he treats the Media the way he does.

Instead, it is the Devils who seem rattled.  Their Coach and goalie are the chirpy ones.  On the ice, the Devils are proving to be the chippy ones as well.  And Zach Parise shuns the Media?  Those are the signs of a frustrated team.  Whether or not the Devils really have a sympathetic media on their side remains to be seen.  Coach DeBeor is trying his damnedest.  But Coach Torts seems well prepared to take them both on regardless.

The Rangers can make life very miserable for the Devils tonight.  The Devils know that, and are acting like it.  But if they do have any temerity to them, which I think they do, the Devils will salvage a game at home tonight and tie the series.  The odds say if they keep doing what they've been doing, eventually, some shots will find the net.  If only Henrik Lundqvist wasn't so well preserved by a coach who many think acts and behaves like a troglodyte.  Well, so far the Grunts lead this series two games to one.

But not so fast.  The Rangers are asking for trouble if they let the Devils hang around.  Especially if they are going to put New Jersey on the PP another five times.  Or let the Devils outplay them two out of three periods again.  Or let them take over thirty shots against Henrik Lundqvist again.  All that aside, the Rangers still came out in Game Three and played a much darker shade of Blue.  In order to secure another two wins against the Devils, they'll have to get even darker.  For the Devils will not go quietly into the night.

Tonight, everyone dances around the fire.

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Blueshirts Put a Cap on Second Round

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESH WITH THE GREATS

BRING ON THE DEVILS!

 

NEW YORK RANGERS:  The King Lifts Blueshirt Nation Above Capitals in Game Seven Victory.

COACH  TORTS' PLAN TO GET HENRIK MORE REST THIS SEASON IS PAYING OFF

RANGERS WIN SERIES 4-3
I  -  NYR 3; WASH 1
II  -  WASH 3; NYR 2
III  -  NYR 2; WASH 1
IV  -  WASH 3; NYR 2
V  -  NYR 3; WASH 2
VI  -  WASH 2; NYR 1


GAME SEVEN FINAL:

Capitals   1

Rangers  2

...And now the New York Softies are going to the Eastern Conference Championship round.  That's right, the softest team Joe Thornton ever played will now take on the team Wayne Gretzky once characterized as a Mickey Mouse organization.  Please, someone send Joe a telegram.  I believe he can be found at home, in his living room, somewhere near or about the San Jose area.


Brad Richards immediately put the Rangers ahead 1-0 at 1:32 of Game Seven.  From then, all the way to the 9:17 mark of the third period, Henrik Lundqvist stopped every shot Washington took; twenty to that point.  Just prior to that, Michael Del Zotto gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead at the 9:55 mark.  But thirty-eight seconds later, Roman Hamerlik of the Capitals finally got one passed Henrik to make it a one goal game again.


The second period seemed destined for a Capital break through.  But the Liege of Blueshirt Nation near single-handed turned them away.   So there you go Media - there is your masterpiece.  Two goals was good enough because Henrik made it so.


And to all that nonsense levied against John Tortorella, I will continue your education.  Coach Torts made it his business to bring the number of Henrik Lundqvist's yearly starts down considerably this season.  And with the help of Marty Biron, the Rangers accomplished that.  Henrik started his least number of games in a season in over five years.  Coach Torts' aim was to have a fresher goalie come playoff time.  The King has responded in two playoff series stretched to seven games; to include one triple overtime win.  And he'll have to get between the pipes again Monday, while the Devils, and Marty Brodeur have been resting.


That also brings up how some also railed about the Rangers being pushed to a second consecutive Game Seven series, and as a result, being overly taxed.  Brian Boyle and Michael Del Zotto laughed off such notions.  Coach Torts would say after the game how valuable this experience would really be for the team.


A nemesis; a demon of sorts; the Washington Capitals have been exorcised from recent Rangers history.  Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers no longer bear the burden of getting eliminated by Washington.


They will now take on the Devils.





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ War of 2012; The Blueshirts Are Coming

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEW YORK RANGERS:   Series Tied By Our Own Devise...

* Brad Richards Playing Big Time Hockey.
* Blueshirts Miss Brandon Dubinsky.
* Rangers Defensemen Getting Offensive.
* Where's Marian Gaborik?



...That's what I say.  I'll take the effort of either Game One or Two, and take my chances in Game Three again.  The opportunities have been there.  The intensity has largely been there too.  This is just evenly matched hockey.   Otherwise, there was the usual assortment of hit crossbars, missed chances, and questionable whistles.  Ask Brad Richards about that last one.



So let's see if I understand this right.  Coach Boudreau tried converting his team, and preached defense to the Washington Capitals.  Ovechkin pouted and resisted.  Boudreau got fired as a result.  Dale Hunter got named Head Coach of the Capitals.  He came in preaching defense like Boudreau tried.  Only this time, because Dale Hunter was himself a supreme agitator when he played, he has turned out to be the alpha-coach which Ovechkin couldn't ignore like he did with Boudreau.  So Alex Ovechkin had to fall in line and be part of a system now.  Am I right so far?  This is the part I don't understand.  This is news?  Now?  Sorry.  I just can't stand frauds during Hockey playoffs.  I digress.



Of course Dale Hunter has no problems keeping Ovechkin off the ice for defense sake.  We've seen that since Hunter took over.  Like I said, Dale Hunter isn't the kind of guy you want to have a confrontation with - at least not back in the day you didn't.  So Ovechkin buys in now.  The Captitals' tasmanian-devil sat out for huge portions of the first forty-minutes.  Then in the third period, he was finally unleashed and scored the go ahead goal off a power play of what was a 2-2 contest.  His goal was vintage Ovechkin.  But with lead in hand, Coach Hunter took Alex off the ice again.



That's how Game Two ends.  Washington steals one on the road.



There's something to be learned about the third period of Game Two.  Brandon Dubinsky matters folks.  The Rangers game takes a distinctive down-tick whenever he misses games.  Remember back no further than Game Two against Ottawa.  Brandon Dubinsky could have influenced the third period of that game and factored in causing a very different outcome with his defense, face-offs, fore-checking, his willingness to throw his body, and digging in corners.  Brian Boyle might have made it back.  But the Rangers need Dubby back also as winning face-offs become more paramount the deeper this run goes.



So what now?   For starters, we can stop scoring goals on our own net.  After watching Del Zotto do it twice recently this season, it sickens me to see Blueshirts put pucks past Henrik.  This time the King helped author his own folly.  The Rangers gave the Washington Capitals a goal when Henrik turned over a puck and Ryan McDonagh inadvertently kicked it over the goal line.  That came as the Capitals were building a 2-0 first period lead in Game Two.



But the Blueshirts clawed back to tie.  Gaborik and Del Zotto set up Brad Richards on a fine goal to cut Washington's lead in half before time expired on the first period.  Then seven minutes into the third period, the Rangers created a little chaos in front of Washington's Braden Holtby while on a power play.  Ryan Callahan then cashed-in to finally tie the Rangers at two apiece.



Brad Richards got whistled for holding 12:29 into the third period.  Then at the 12:33 mark, Ovechkin happened on Washington's power play.  That's the way the game stayed.  We clanked one off the cross bar in the final minute though.



Moving forward means looking back.  Marian Gaborik hasn't been the same since Carl Hagelin was taken off the first line due to his three game suspension after Game Two of the quarter finals.  Chris Kreider was given that slot and has played not surprising, but exceptionally well.  He scored the Rangers go ahead goal at 7:00 of the third period of Game One's Ranger win - which is to say his was a big goal in a big moment.  It was the kid's second goal of the playoffs.



So now, does Coach Torts put Carl Hagelin's speed and familiarity back on the top line to help out Marian Gaborik?  Or, does Coach leave Chris Kreider where he is to help out..., Chris Kreider?  For now, while Alex Ovechkin remains on a leash, the disappearance of Marian Gaborik kind of coincides.  Yes, Ovechkin scored Monday.  But for the moment, both Gaborik's and Ovechkin's individual situations cancel each other out.  If Gabby can just get uncorked, it sure would make the Rangers' world a lot better place to be.



In the mean time, let the record show, Brad Richards has shown up for the playoffs.  Richards leads the top line, and leads the Rangers with four playoff goals.  He scored in each of the first two games this series.  His late goal sealed the deal in Game One to make it a 3-1 final.



The offensive play of our defensemen should not go under spoken either.  Remember how Staal and Girardi scored goals together in a game.  Without Gaborik scoring, we'll need more of that.  Ryan McDonagh led the Rangers with four shots on goal in Game One.  In Game Two, Michael del Zotto came in second behind Richards with four shots on net.



Over two games, Henrik Lundqvist has faced forty-three shots and has stopped thirty-nine.  The Rangers have taken forty-two shots against Braden Holtby.  The Flyers goalie has made thirty-seven saves.  On the power play, neither team sports an advantage.  Both teams went scoreless in four opportunities in Game One.  In Game Two, they both scored once in three chances.



After splitting the first two games of this series at The Garden, the Rangers better make it their business to win at least one of the next two in Washington.  Lest here they go again.



Let's Go Rangers!

TONIGHT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE  ~  STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Game Three

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Washington Capitals

From,

The Old Cap Center

Where Ever, USA

SERIES TIED 1-1

I  -  NYR 3;  WASH 1

II  -  WASH 3;  NYR 2

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ GAME SEVEN TONIGHT

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS - 2012 - QUARTER FINAL ROUND

Series Tied 3-3

I - NYR 4;  OTT 2

II - OTT 3;  NYR 2

III - NYR 1;  OTT 0

IV - OTT 3;  NYR 2

V - OTT 2;  NYR 0

VI - NYR 3;  OTT 2

TONIGHT

GAME SEVEN

Ottawa Senators

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

NEW YORK RANGERS:   In Game Six, the Blueshirts Showed Their Way Still Works Just Fine.


Thank you Brandon Prust.  Someone needed to finally take-on Chris Neil.  And it was long overdue.  I thought Mike Rupp would have been the one to drop gloves with that degenerate; as, in the grand scheme of things, Rupp is the more expendable forward.  But Rupp never even tried.  So all hail Prust for doing what needed to be done.


Game Six was the exact type game Ottawa played against us in Game Two.  In each case, and for both teams, that kind of effort made all the difference.  Ottawa was able to parlay Game Two into another pair of wins.  The Rangers are now in a position to parlay Game Six into a home-ice, Game Seven series clincher at Madison Square Garden.


There may be more men in these boys than we might have given them credit for.  Game Six was a prime game to lose.  Monday would have been the right way to crash and burn.  Instead, the Blueshirts came back with a strong, convincing, game in which they imposed Ranger Hockey upon Ottawa on their ice.  It was not the clinging to 1-0 lead late in the game affair that are as predictable as a coin flip.  In Game Six, they faced elimination and rose to the challenge.  That's very telling.  The Rangers showed their way still works just fine.


Similar to the manner Henrik Lundqvist related his disgust after Game Six to the Media, I think most Rangers; and why not - Ottawa fans too; are fed up with the Stripes.  I'm still wanting to know who Mike Rupp's first period roughing penalty was against.  He basically earned a trip to the box for roughing a mirage.  With thirteen minutes left in the first period, the Sens capitalized during the ensuing power play with a (who else) Chris Neil goal, putting Ottawa ahead by one.  That Chris Neil was even on the ice to begin with was a slap in the face by the NHL and Brendan Shanahan. 


And another thing - Henrik never saw that power play shot coming.  But we on TV saw that goal coming from a mile away.  Ottawa had TWO skaters camped right in front of Henrik, without so much as a tap, a push, or an "excuse me" from a Blueshirt player.  Whether on the penalty kill, or at even-strength, the Rangers need to do a substantially better job of clearing out all that traffic in front of Henrik in Game Seven.  In that regard, Marc Staal needs to have a renaissance game and throw his body around a little more.


For their part, the Rangers were two of seven on the power play.  Two goals are better than no goals.  In the playoffs, we all know PP scoring is paramount.  How Boston won a Cup without scoring a power play goal last season is beyond me.  But in Game Seven, the Rangers must make Ottawa pay for mistakes.  The Blueshirts most definitely need at least a goal, if not a pair, from their special teams.  If the Rangers just stay ferocious on the body and relentless on the fore check, the Rangers can goad Sens into the box.  Once we let them skate around freely, we'll be the ones in the box wasting time.  And we can't let them stretch-pass their way out of their defensive zone either.


The Rangers rode a huge second period to victory Monday night.  At nearly the nine minute mark, Derek Stepan scored the first of New York's PP goals to tie the game at one.  Later in the period, the Rangers discovered the knockout punch they've been searching within themselves for.  At 17:08, Brad Richards showed up to have a big moment upon scoring the Rangers' second PP goal of the evening for a 2-1 Rangers' lead.  Just before the period ended, the Blueshirt Blue Chip; Chris Kreider: finally broke through and scored his first goal as an NHL player.  After being turned away after numerous high quality opportunities, his first goal since joining the Rangers came at the 19:19 mark.


Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto, Anton Stralman, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, and Brad Richards; the younger gents of this team plus one; all either scored or assisted on the Rangers' three second period goals.  Absent from the Game Six roll call are Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan.  In the biggest game for the Rangers to this point in their remarkable season, they'll need their best players to show up and be factors in Game Seven.


The only real matter of the third period in Monday's game was whether Jason Spezza kicked in Ottawa's second goal of the game, or not.  The questionable goal came with just thirty seconds left in regulation time. Incredulously, the Toronto offices said the goal, which to me was clearly scored via a distinct kicking motion, counted.  With the way the series has been called so far, who can blame Henrik Lundqvist for being so hot as to speak his mind, for him, in an uncharacteristic fashion.  Just add that goal to the long list of horrific calls over the course of this series.


The King faced twenty-seven shots Monday and stopped twenty-five.  Ottawa ended the game with five more shots-on-goal than the Rangers took against Craig Anderson; who for a change, looked a little more human between the pipes.


Especially after Game Two, the Senators now seem to revel playing in MSG.  That must change tonight!  With Carkner and Neil around, the Rangers know they'll need eyes in the backs of their heads.  Compromised by a concussion or not, who isn't paying attention to Daniel Alfredsson?  But the skater that troubles me is Nick Foligno.  I want a set of eyes on him at all times.  In Game Six, Nick Foligno, Daniel Alfredsson, Erik Karlsson, and Jason Spezza, accounted for fourteen shots on goal.  Foligno had four.


For the Rangers, Brad Richards led the Rangers with three shots on goal.  Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan accounted for two shots each, as did a few others.  If I include Derek Stepan - two shots; and Carl Hagelin - two shots; the five together still do not add up to the Senators top four shot takers.  So just shoot!  And be in front to clean up any loose pucks.


Otherwise, just go out there and play Rangers' Hockey.  And believe, for our boys just may have learned how to seize the moment.







Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ It's a Series Now; Game Three

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Pictures from Game Two

NEW YORK RANGERS:  Just Keep Playing Blueshirt Hockey.


I wonder how the Refs like their payoff, in American dollars or Canadian?  Because Saturday's Game Two against the Sens was one of the worst officiated games I ever witnessed.  Yeah, I was there, and what I saw made me sick.  And not because the Rangers lost in overtime either.  I'm still waiting for someone to show me where Brad Richards deserved a roughing penalty.  Sorry, that one was a little lost on me.  Just as an elbow to Ryan Callahan's head went unpunished.  At one point, two pucks appeared on the ice at the same time.  Way to go guys!


Sometimes I forget this isn't the old NHL from my childhood, when players still policed each other.  This league of never ending rule modification is getting farther and farther away from what's in the best interest of their players.  In the League's system, you get to be an on-ice rogue for as long as you act first and don't target the head.  Do that, and odds are you'll get away with something.  But don't you dare retaliate.  Or at least that's the way Brendan Shanahan sees things.  Because apparently, what's good for one player, isn't necessarily good for the other.


When I was growing up, players thought twice before perpetrating any kind of crap upon each other. Why?  For fear of getting their ass kicked - Period.  I will only say the Player System was far more successful in striking an equilibrium between players, thuggery, and a hockey game, than the Big Brother legislation technique practiced by the League today.


Bottom line, Brendan Shanahan served Carl Hagelin a three game suspension for a hockey play that ended rather high to the head of Daniel Alfredsson, which resulted in yet another concussion for the Sens' forward.  It wasn't any different than the elbow Ryan Callahan took.  Difference was, Callahan kept playing seemingly undeterred.  While Alfredsson did not return to Game One action.  Meanwhile, Matt Carkner only received a one game suspension for premeditated violence upon Brian Boyle.


This just wreaks of the call against Adam Graves for a slash to the wrist of Mario Lemieux back in 1992, that supposedly broke the Penguins' star's wrist.  While Graves sat out his suspension, Mario Lemieux returned to play and helped eliminate the Rangers from the playoffs.  It sucked then.  This sucks now.


Aside from all that, and losing, Saturday's game was actually a great game to be at.  And say what you will, but the Senators did what they needed to do at the precise time they needed to do it.  The Sens took a time out from Hockey to send their own message at MSG Saturday.  It was smart on their part now that they are headed back to Canada, and have wrestled home ice advantage away from the Rangers after literally knocking the Rangers off their game.


It took roughly twenty-two minutes to get through the first 2:30 of the game.  That's because the Sens'  Matt Carkner stalked Brian Boyle and assaulted him in retaliation for shenanigans stemming from Game One.  Brandon Dubinsky was labeled as a Third-In during the ensuing melee, and along with Carkner, was served a Game Match penalty.  On the way off the ice towards the locker room, Brandon Dubinsky did his best to channel his rage on a water cooler before disappearing from sight for the rest of the evening.

The Stripes try and assess the damage of the opening melee.

Matt Carkner is led off the ice after assaulting Brian Boyle.

Dubinsky's ejection would hurt the Rangers dearly late in the game.  Boyle and Dubinsky are usually on the ice together.  In Dubinsky's absence, Brian Boyle was forced into taking face-offs the rest of the evening.  Dubinsky's defense, fore check, and overall physicality would have been a welcome presence in the third period.  With him on the ice, maybe Ottawa doesn't tie the score late in the third period.


And maybe if Michale Del Zotto doesn't knock yet another puck inside his own net, we win that damn game!  Michael Del Zotto has done that before.  I like him, but he better get his crap together now.  He takes far too many unnecessary chances handling the puck in front of Henrik.  And that needs to be corrected.  It's the second time in the last month and a half I watched him score on our own net.  I find that absolutely PONDEROUS!


The rest of the story goes like this - Overtime.  Loss!

The Rangers and the Sens are now tied at a game apiece as the series shifts to Ottawa for the next two  games.


Just regroup and play Ranger Hockey boys.  I personally don't think the Senators can sustain their toughness all series.  That's more our style of play.  At some point, Ottawa will need to go back to doing what they do best, which is pass, skate with speed, and move without the puck.  The Sens did what they had to do Saturday.  But were it not for a Del Zotto and some bad breaks, they should be down 2-0 this series.  The Sens were fortunate to gain a tie.  There are only so many minutes the Sens can afford to keep Chris Neil on the ice.

TONIGHT

Game Three

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Quarter Finals

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Ottawa Senators

From,

The Great White North

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Devils; Battle of the Hudson - VI

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

BATTLE of the HUDSON - VI

GAME SIX

New Jersey Devils

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

From,

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

33rd Street at 7th Avenue

NYC

Devils Lead Series 3-2

I - NYR 4; NJD 1

II - NJD 4; NYR 3*

III - NJD 1; NYR 0

IV - NYR 2; NJD 0

V - NJD 4; NYR 1

*shoot-out

NEW YORK RANGERS:  March Has Been Madness on Ice.

THE MARCH of the PENGUINS HAVE BROUGHT THEM to our EASTERN GATE!

I'd rather know what this team lacks heading into the off-season, than to have rued the day we destroyed what we once had and worked so hard to build.  Would Rick Nash, minus Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan McDonagh, or Michael Del Zotto, have helped us beat the Penguins or the Avalanche?  Against Pittsburgh; I doubt it.  Against Colorado; we took our highest shots on goal total of the season and overall did more than enough in the game to win.  But Colorado's Semyon Varlamov did what he did to us a few years ago in the playoffs when he tended net with Washington; which was shut us down cold..., again.  So my answer is no.  Rick Nash wouldn't have made the difference.  Would he additionally have provided the difference against the Chicago Blackhawks?  Again, I don't think so.



That said, perhaps better goal tending on our part could have served us better.  Marty Biron certainly had better days and Henrik is coming off the flu.  Ryan Callahan and Michael Del Zotto missing several games hasn't help either.  But I'm not one for excuses.  While the Rangers are winding down a great regular season, there are still problems that stem back to multiple early season poundings suffered against Toronto and Montreal, followed by season long problems handling Ottawa, and New Jersey, whom (minus Ottawa) we will all face next.  If not for Marc Staal, they all defeated us during our healthiest times.



March has been Maddening for the Rangers.  They are 4-6 this month, and are losers of four of their last six games.  And YES! - The Penguins are at the gates.  They are now only one point behind the Rangers for the Atlantic Division lead and two away from knocking us down to fourth place in the Conference where Philly lurks; and who will want to have a say in the final standings too.



On Sunday, the Pens lost to Philly ending their eleven game winning streak.  So for the moment, everything is fluid.  The Rangers must take advantage and gain two points against the Devils Monday night.  For points are now of the utmost impotance in order to gain some separation over Pittsburgh before we meet them again for the final time this season.  The reappearance of Sidney Crosby just makes things that much more tougher for the Rangers on all counts.  In any scenario, the Rangers now most likely have to win that game and many more in order to preserve their current standing.  They will have to do this while the Pens are playing incredible Hockey.  It's a simple as that.  No team has had an answer for them in the last eleven games until Philly finally beat them.  And Sidney Crosby is only getting started.



But to panic now would be wrong.  I am very glad the Rangers held their ground during the trade deadline.  This team is still telling us who they are and look like they have a lot more to say before being through for the summer.  The season they've had already is well on it's way to making a lasting mark in 'Ol Tex's history book.



The Rangers have been flying high since December 23rd.  But now, the late in-season corrections are taking their due course.  The defending champion Boston Bruins aren't proving themselves to be too formidable anymore.  Unlike last season, New Jersey isn't playing as feeble.  And Washington has played it's way back into the pack.  The Rangers will fall in line where they fall.



The Blueshirts have 95 points with eleven games left to play.  For the moment, it is safe to say they will achieve the century mark in points for the first time since the 2005-2006 season (100 points), and for only the second time since their last Stanley Cup (112 points) winning season.  In all, since 1926, they have gained 100 points in a season six times.



Recent Ranger history says seasons like this only come along once every nine to ten years.  Overall, Ranger history says it only happens once every fourteen and a half years.  But the Rangers never earned more than 100 points in a season before the 1970-1971 season.  Between 1970 and 1973, they managed the feat three consecutive seasons.  They gained 100+ points twice more in the 1990's, then did it for the last time during the 2005-2006 season.



As Ranger Fans, how can we be critical of that?  Therefore, do not lose sleep over the Penguins.  The final stretch is going to be great.  You watch.  I suggest you sit at the edge of your seat at home or in the Garden, and enjoy it.  The end of the regular season will be like an old school 15th round of a heavy-weight title bout, only reoccurring eleven times.



After the Devils, they will face the Red Wings; Sabres and Maple Leafs.  Fast-forward two games, and waiting for them will be Montreal; Boston; Philadelphia; and Pittsburgh again.  They will finish the regular season against the resurgent Washington Capitals.  As we see, in the context of this season, the Rangers still have a daunting task ahead of them.  However, within the context of their storied history, we are in the midst of something great and still developing into something special.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:  With Mighty Pitchforks in Hand,

the Devils are Back and Offering No Quarter.

Just Ask the Rangers.

Very quietly, the Devils have tormented Eastern Conference souls this season.  Like many teams, they may have gotten drubbed by the Penguins recently, but they are savvy, cunning, and smart.  They are also powerful, and dangerous, and offer no quarter.  Just ask the Rangers what happened to them the last time they played each other.



These Devils are playing more in line with New Jersey teams of old than last year's squad.  They are well on their way to officially reducing the 2010-2011 season to a complete aberration within the Devils' brief, yet very successful history.  After a disastrous start under Coach John MacLean last season, the Devils came on like a bat out of hell under Jacques LeMaire to make the final games of the regular season matter.  But by Devils' standards, they only finished the season with thirty-eight wins and eighty-one points.  Unable to overcome a debilitating 9-22-2 start, they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in fourteen years.



With ten games remaining on their schedule this season, they already have eighty-seven points, and under Coach Peter DeBoer, have regained their forty-win form by winning forty-one games to date.  Last year's disappointing campaign broke a run of thirteen consecutive seasons with at least forty wins.  Last year also marked the first time in fourteen seasons they didn't break ninety-points, and only the second time they didn't break one-hundred points in a season.



In their 2010-2011 season, their defense wasn't too far off from playing up to their yearly averages but grumblings about Martin Brodeur's advancing age and ability to stay healthy got louder.  Offensively however, particularly early on, they struggled mightily as newly signed Ilya Kovalchuck's scoring touch disappeared and Zach Parise was lost for the season before ever making it to New Year's Day.  The team failed to score over 200 goals for only their second time in their New Jersey history, and narrowly averted breaking their record low of 136 goals scored set however *in the strike shortened 1994-1995 season; the season incidentally, they won their first Stanley Cup.  So yes, last season marked their all-time scoring futility.



This season, a well adjusted Ilya Kovalchuck; a healthy Zach Parise; and life-long Devil Patrick Elias; have provided consistent season long scoring.  The three have combined for eighty-two goals so far and are all over sixty-points.  Add in David Clarkson's twenty-eight, and the Devils' top four scorers have 110 goals this season which is more than half of New Jersey's total.  As a team the Devils have 198 goals on the season.



The Rangers have scored 195 goals in one less game played and only have one player above sixty points; Marian Gaborik.  The Rangers' top three goal scorers; Marian Gaborik; Ryan Callahan; and Brad Richards; have combined on eighty-four goals this season.  Of course, the Rangers' League true advantage this season is on Defense.



The Devils are currently the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.  They've managed this playing in the NHL's toughest division.  Four of the five Atlantic Division teams have at least forty wins this season.  If the season ended today, I can certainly envision the Devils getting passed the Florida Panthers in a first round match-up.  But for now, they have Ottawa fast approaching in seventh place with eighty-four points to worry about.



The 2011-2012 season was a season in which New Jersey retired #27 in honor of long time favorite and Devils great, Scott Niedermeyer.  And this was also the season in which Patrick Elias played in his 1,000th game as a Devil.  On December 17, 2011, he also passed John MacLean to take over the New Jersey Devils All-Time lead in goals scored.  He broke Johnny Mac's franchise record with his 348th goal.  To date, he has 359 goals and counting.  Elias, like the Devils, has already out-produced last season's output.  He finished last season with sixty-two points.  This season, he is up to sixty-eight.



While the Devils are at the tail end of a glorious run, they have shown this season, that it's not over yet.  Not if Martin Brodeur has something to say about it.  There is still greatness left in the All-Time NHL wins leader. - Enough for this season at least.  Again, you can ask the Rangers about that.  He shut them out 1-0 back on February 7th and helped the Devils become the first team to beat the Rangers three times this season.



Hey Devil fans, even you have to admit I give the Devils a fair shake.






*CREDIT - Devils Playground Graffiti; Bushwick

Mike.BTB