So I’m watching the third period of Game 1 last night, Detroit up 3-1 with about six minutes left, and Pierre McGuire is surprised that MIke Babcock is giving his fourth line major minutes, and he expresses it to Eddie Olczyk (who is not surprised), and he carries the theme into a post-game interview with one of the fourth-liners.

And I guess that’s what happens when you put an extraneous color analyst into a role where he feels he has to speak constantly, even over the main color analyst.

My points:

1) Detroit historically has the best fourth line in hockey, and historically uses its fourth line in big moments.

2) Detroit’s fourth line provided the 3-1 lead, scoring the final goal in the third period, and was playing very, very well.

3) If not up two late in the third, then when?

4) And this is the crucial point: The finals start with two games 21 hours apart, and three in four nights, and Detroit is the oldest team in the NHL. If there is any opportunity at any point for Babcock to play his fourth line late in a game, it is most beneficial to the Red Wings, and will pay off as the series goes on.

To me, it’s fairly simple, and Babcock should have been praised, not questioned.
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Over at TSN.ca, today the Rangers’ off-season situation is analyzed by Scott Cullen. You can check it out by clicking here.

My lawn is calling me.

So I took Steve Zipay’s advice and skipped over to TSN’s site for its ongoing pre-draft coverage, and its stories about the scouting combine this week.

I’m not into the prospects as much as some of you guys—don’t have the time, and still think the draft is an enormous crapshoot—but for those interested in future stars (and busts), check it out here.

Me? I’m heading to a lacrosse triple-header today. Beautiful weather. Golf weather, actually, and sadly.

See yas.

Paul Coffey was on the commish’s radio show yesterday and it reminded me of yet another one of my dumb stories, as Coffey always does.

Not sure if it was the ‘83 or ‘84 Cup finals at Nassau Coliseum. My softball season had already begun, and in the opener, I stumbled coming out of the batter’s box, fell and broke my wrist. Naturally, that was cause for much mockery from my teammates—me going down about two steps toward first base, sliding head-first, and wrecking my season in the first inning.

Anyway, I was back at work pretty quickly with one of those removable casts with the velcro, and a tape recorder, since I couldn’t write. It was postgame and I’m standing right next to Coffey’s locker with a large group of writers. I put my bad arm up toward the top of the side of his locker just to get it out of the way, while I held the recorder in my left.

Well, Coffey’s agitated about something or other, and as he’s snapping at questions, I decided to move for some reason. Only the velcro on my wrist had grabbed the velcro on his shoulder pads up on top of his locker, and now the shoulder pads were pulling pretty much everything—his helmet, pads, even a skate, I think, down on top of Coffey. He wasn’t happy.

I guess the NHL changed its mind on the scheduling and is ready to get the party started sooner than later, which is a good thing for NBC and a good thing for people who, you know, actually care about hockey and don’t want to wait for the championship series.

Now, as far as scheduling back-to-back games to start the series, then having two days between Games 5 and 6, and two more days between Games 6 and 7, well that’s pretty stupid. But we all know what tail is wagging the dog, right?

Here’s the official schedule:

2009 Stanley Cup Final—Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 

Date        Match-up        Time (ET)        National TV 

Saturday, May 30        Pittsburgh at Detroit        8 p.m.        NBC, CBC, RDS 
Sunday, May 31        Pittsburgh at Detroit        TBD evening        NBC, CBC, RDS 
Tuesday, June 2        Detroit at Pittsburgh        8 p.m.        VERSUS, CBC, RDS 
Thursday, June 4        Detroit at Pittsburgh        8 p.m.        VERSUS, CBC, RDS 
* Saturday, June 6        Pittsburgh at Detroit        8 p.m.        NBC, CBC, RDS 
* Tuesday, June 9        Detroit at Pittsburgh        8 p.m.        NBC, CBC, RDS 
* Friday, June 12        Pittsburgh at Detroit        8 p.m.        NBC, CBC, RDS 

* if necessary 
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I haven’t forgotten by long-since shaven ones. I am in the process of shipping out prizes for the top vote-getters in the Inaugural Paul Mara (unofficially) Rangers Report Playoff Beard Extravaganza brought to you by Festivus and the Boneheads.

PS, I’m pretty impressed that we did more than 200 comments on a nothing day like yesterday. You guys rule (the other possibility is that you have no lives, but I will not entertain that notion … keep on doing what you’re doing).

Here’s the question that a few have asked recently, and again yesterday and today with the signing of Mike Del Zotto:

Where does he stand in the organization?

And the feeling I’ve gotten from people inside is that he has a good chance to really be special, and to make the team right out of camp this year. Yes, ahead of all the others.

I wasn’t around for it, but apparently Del Zotto opened eyes last training camp, especially with the way he moved the puck on the power play—better, I’m told, than anybody else did it during the 2008-09 season in New York.

So he is probably the No. 1 defense prospect at this point, and he will get an opportunity to jump right in.
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On a personal note, the blog lost a great friend. Long-time Rangers fan Frank Becerra Sr., one of the great newspaper artists in the country and one of the finest men in all the land—an Adam Graves type—has passed away.

His son, Frank Jr., is a photographer for The Journal News and LoHud.com and he was with me every step of the way during the ‘94 playoffs, spending the wee hours with me in Vancouver, and plenty of days on airplanes, and he was on the ice during the Cup ceremony and at the parade.

Frank Sr. was the Rangers fan, though. He’d often see me and say, “So how’s the best hockey writer in New York today?”

And I’d say, “I have no idea how he is, but I’m fine.” And he’d laugh … not because it was funny, but because he always seemed happy. He was a legend around local sports, too. I will miss him dearly, as will all those who knew him.
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AFTERNOON UPDATE, 2:36 P.M.: Just got this from NYR. Sounds like another minor signing:

RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH FREE AGENT FORWARD ANDRES AMBÜHL 

            New York, May 27, 2009 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with free agent forward Andres Ambühl.

Ambühl, 25, skated in 50 games with HC Davos of the National League A in Switzerland (NLA) this past season, registering 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points, along with 90 penalty minutes.  He established career-highs in games played (50), goals (17), assists (24), points (41), and penalty minutes (90).  Ambühl tied for the team lead in scoring and assists, while he finished fourth on the club in goals.  In addition, he collected four goals and three assists for seven points in 21 postseason contests, including two goals in the NLA Finals series against the Kloten Flyers to help HC Davos win their fourth NLA championship in the last eight years.

The 5-10, 190-pounder has appeared in 358 career NLA games with HC Davos, recording 64 goals and 108 assists for 172 points, along with 425 penalty minutes.  In 2006, he helped HC Davos capture the Spengler Cup, collecting the game-winning goal in the final game vs. Team Canada.  Ambühl has also skated in 112 career postseason games, registering 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points, including a career-high, five goals and eight points in 13 playoff contests during the 2008 playoffs.  Internationally, Ambühl has represented Switzerland in several tournaments, including the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

Four posts in one summer day. Not likely to happen again …

Anyway, in case you missed it, Pat Quinn was named Edmonton coach, and Tom Renney will be one of his assistants.

I wonder if there’s a future for Craig MacTavish or his assistants— - Charlie Huddy and Bill Moores, who were Rangers assistants in the past – in New York.

Here is the AP story:

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP)—The Edmonton Oilers have hired Pat Quinn as coach.

The 66-year-old Quinn has been out of the NHL since being fired as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs after the 2005-06 season.

The Oilers also hired former New York Rangers coach Tom Renney and former Oilers player Kelly Buchberger as assistant coaches.

Quinn replaces the fired Craig MacTavish. He also coached Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto.

The Oilers were 11th in the Western Conference last season and failed to make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last seven seasons.

Sad news from the NHLPA. Peter Zezel—whom I remember as a tremendous competitor when he was with the Flyers, a strong skater, a former soccer player as I recall—has passed away. Here’s the release:

FORMER NHL PLAYER PETER ZEZEL PASSES AWAY

TORONTO, ON (May 26, 2009) – It is with great regret and deep sadness that the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announces the passing of former NHL forward Peter Zezel on Tuesday afternoon at the age of 44. Zezel passed away following complications from a long-time blood disorder. 

Zezel played 15-years in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks.  Originally drafted 41st overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the 1983 Entry Draft, Zezel played 873 regular season games, scoring 219 goals and 389 assists. Zezel retired from the NHL following the 1998-99 season.

Following his NHL career, Zezel, a native of Toronto, remained active in the hockey community running a successful hockey school and coaching in the Greater Toronto Hockey League with the Don Mills Hockey Association. Zezel was also an active member of the NHL Alumni Association and completed countless hours of charitable work during and following his hockey career. 

Zezel’s family released the following statement:

“Peter will forever be remembered as a great teammate and a wonderful individual, who touched the lives of many both on and off the ice.  In his typical character of generosity, Peter has donated his organs through the Trillium Gift of Life Network. We would like to thank all of Peter’s friends and family for their support and we ask for privacy during this difficult time.” 

Glenn Healy, NHLPA Director of Player Affairs, issued the following statement on behalf of the NHLPA:

“The hockey community has suffered a great loss today. Peter was a friend and a great family man who was well liked by everyone he crossed paths with in our game. Our thoughts are with Peter’s family and many friends during this difficult time.” 

The family has requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made in Peter Zezel’s name to the James Birrell Fund at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Cheques are payable to “The James Fund” and can be mailed to:

The James Fund
625 Whitaker Street #4
Peterborough, ON
K9H 7L5
Canada 
Or contact Diana Birrell at: diana.birrell@jamesfund.ca

Memorial services are pending.

Just got this from the NYR:

RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO
First Round Pick from the 2008 NHL Entry Draft 

            New York, May 26, 2009 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Michael Del Zotto.

Del Zotto, 18, skated in 62 games with the Oshawa Generals and London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season, registering 13 goals and 50 assists for 63 points, along with 78 penalty minutes.  The two-time OHL All-Star finished the season ranked sixth among all OHL defensemen in scoring and assists, while his 50 assists tied for 11^th in the league overall.  He also ranked fifth in the league with 32 power play assists.  Del Zotto recorded the sixth longest assist streak in the OHL this season, registering an assist in seven straight contests from February 1 at Ottawa to February 16 at Guelph (nine assists).  In addition, he posted 14 multi-point games, including five, three-point efforts.  In the postseason with London, Del Zotto led the team with 16 assists and tied for fourth on the Knights with 19 points in 14 games.  His 16 assists ranked second among all OHL defensemen in the playoffs, while his 19 points finished third among league blueliners.

The 6-0, 195-pound defenseman has skated in 190 career OHL games with Oshawa and London, collecting 39 goals and 144 assists for 183 points, along with 238 penalty minutes.  Last season, Del Zotto tied for third among all OHL defensemen in scoring with 63 points and ranked fourth with a career-high, 16 goals.  He also tied for fifth in the league overall with five shorthanded goals.  The second overall pick in the 2006 OHL Priority Selection, Del Zotto was twice named OHL Defensemen of the Month – November 2006 and December 2007.

The native of Stouffville, Ontario was the Rangers’ first round choice, 20^th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.  The selection marked the third time in four years the Rangers have chosen a defenseman in the first round, having drafted Marc Staal with the 12^th overall pick in 2005 and Bobby Sanguinetti with the 21^stoverall pick in 2006.

Not sure what to make of this, if anything, but USA Hockey announced its annual award winners today and the college player of the year award went to Boston University’s Colin Wilson, the son of ex-Ranger Carey Wilson.

In other words, it did not go to Wilson’s teammate, defenseman Matt Gilroy, the Rangers’ signee who won the Hobey Baker award as college hockey’s best player. Wilson had been a finalist for the Hobey Baker. He is a draft pick of the Nashville Predators (No. 7 overall in 2008).

Here is the entire list of USA Hockey award-winners.

First of all, I hope you enjoy your Memorial Day and remember what it is about. It’s not just a three-day weekend. It’s about remembering those who sacrificed so much for us.

Second, a memory … and it’s just a coincidence that it falls on Memorial Day, and I’m certainly not suggesting we recall it because of the holiday.

Today is the 15th anniversary of Mark Messier’s greatest game as a Ranger, Game 6 of the Eastern final against the Devils, when he guaranteed victory and delivered a hat trick and an assist in a 4-2 win that evened the series and forced a Game 7 … and you know the rest.

For those who need a reminder, click here.

A few things I like to recall about that game. First, Messier never said “I guarantee” or anything like that. He said “We will win the game.”

Second, he did not say, as the famous Post headline blared, “We will win tonight” because he said it the day before the game. He would have had to say “We will win tomorrow.” But he didn’t.

Third, when he said it, it didn’t sound at all like it sounds in retrospect. A few of the writers actually looked at each other in the crowd around Messier’s locker at Rye Playland rink and asked, “Did he just say that?” It was so benign the way he said it that none of the local TV stations even used the supposed “guarantee” that night. It wasn’t a big deal until the newspapers came out the next day.

Fourth, the Rangers sure weren’t inspired at the start of Game 6. Indeed, they were awful. And when Mike Keenan called a timeout and just stared at them and let them know he was angry—he had already had a meltdown, benching players in the previous game—the Rangers got even worse when play resumed. A lot of the credit for the turnaround goes to Keenan putting Alexei Kovalev on Messier’s wing, and deservedly so. But the guys who really made it all happen were Mike Richter, who held off the Devils’ bombardment, and Brian Leetch, who was unbelievably good in that game.

Fifth, this may not have been the best game of Messier’s career. His most memorable game to that point, which may have been better, was Game 4 in Chicago Stadium in 1990, when he was as mean and nasty as anybody has ever been, and offensively dominant with his speed and skill, in a must-win game during the Oilers’ Stanley Cup run post-Gretzky. Keenan, who was the Blackhawks coach at the time, told me later that he knew his team was finished after seeing the look in Messier’s eyes as he sat in the arena during the morning skate.
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Non-hockey-related, I wrote a Memorial Day column for The Journal News and LoHud.com about a local high school coach who inspired after losing her fiance in a mortar attack in Iraq. You can see it here.