Rangers Report Blog

Thanks to Blogmama for the title. And thanks to NYRGuy for the link on the last thread to that unbelievable story that the NHLPA booked Team USA players for Sunday morning flights.

I am so jealous that I can’t watch this game live. Hope youse all enjoy. Don’t tell me the score.

Anybody want to predict a score (beforehand). My heart is saying USA, but my brain (poorly-functioning as it may be) is saying Canada. I’ll go with 5-4.  

By the way,  I don’t mind having two Canadian referees as much as I mind having one of them be Bill McCreary. Worst big-game ref, and he gets all the big games.

Is anybody counting Edzos today? Maybe they’ll keep Pierre’s microphone off like they did in the other US-Canada game. 

Does anybody think Captain Clutch might actually score the gold-medal winning goal to add to his legacy? That would trump LL World Series/Hobey Baker, wouldn’t it? Would it top Stanley Cup champion?

/peels out in Clutchmobile (sorry CC).

From the NHL:

NHL STARS FROM U.S. AND CANADA TO SHINE IN GOLD MEDAL SHOWDOWN ON SUNDAY

VANCOUVER (Feb. 27, 2010)—On Sunday, February 28, Canada and the U.S. will meet for the second time in eight years in the men’s Olympic hockey final.  The puck drops at 3:15 p.m. ET/12:15 p.m. PT.   Here’s a closer look at the opponents—a game which features the NHL’s brightest stars on the world’s largest hockey stage.
CANADA USA

Avg. Height        74.1” (6’2”)        72.7” (6’½”)
Avg. Weight        208.6 lbs.        203.7 lbs.
Avg. Age            28.0                 27.0
GP (skaters)       11,155           7,602
Goals (skaters)     3,148           1,609
Assists (skaters)    5,284          2,765
Points (skaters)        8,432        4,374
Hat Tricks               47               13
Stanley Cups           14              7

LUONGO MILLER

Height        6’3”                              6’2”
Weight        207 lbs.                    174 lbs.
Age            30                                29
Hometown    Montreal, Que.      East Lansing, Mich.
GP               596                         316
Wins            261                         176
Shutouts        51                         17
GAA           2.55                         2.58
Save Pct.    .919                       .914

• The average age of both rosters combined (27.5—Canada 28.0, USA 27.0) is younger than that of the NHL League-wide (27.6)
• 70% of the players on both rosters are under 30 (32 of 46)
• 90% of the players on both rosters are under 35 (41 of 46)
• There are eight players aged 23 and under (Drew Doughty, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Erik Johnson, Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby, Bobby Ryan, Jack Johnson), all of whom were picked among the top five their respective draft years (Crosby-Ryan-J. Johnson went 1-2-3 in 2005; E. Johnson, Toews and Kessel went 1-3-5 in 2006; Kane went 1st in 2007 and Doughty went 2nd in 2008)
• Only one player on the Team USA roster ranks among the top 50 U.S.-born players for career NHL games (captain Jamie Langenbrunner is 37th with 945)
• There are only three Team USA players among the top 150 U.S.-born players for career NHL games (Langenbrunner, Chris Drury, Brian Rafalski)

• The average age of the gold medal finalists from the USA and Canada at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City was 31.55 (USA 31.7, Canada 31.4)

From the Rangers:
RANGERS CLAIM ALEX AULD OFF RE-ENTRY WAIVERS
New York, February 27, 2010 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has claimed goaltender Alex Auld off re-entry waivers from the Dallas Stars.
Auld, 29, has posted a record of 9-6-3, along with a 3.00 goals against average and an .894 save percentage in 21 appearances with Dallas this season.  In his last seven starts at home, Auld has posted a record of 6-1-0, registering a 2.51 goals against average and stopping 181-of-197 shots for a .919 save percentage over the span.  Auld registered a 4-1-0 mark with a 2.71 goals against average in a five-game stretch from January 16 vs. Detroit to January 29 vs. Colorado that included his 200th career NHL appearance, a 4-3 win vs. Minnesota, on January 18.
A veteran of eight NHL seasons, Auld eclipsed the 30-win plateau in 2005-06, recording career-highs in wins (33) and appearances (67) while capturing team MVP honors for the Vancouver Canucks.  His 33 wins ranked eighth in the NHL overall.  He posted a career-high four-game winning streak twice that season – December 4 vs. Boston to December 15 at Philadelphia and January 14 at the NY Islanders to January 21 vs. Montreal – and a career-best six-game unbeaten streak from October 10 at Detroit to November 4 vs. Columbus (5-0-1).  Auld also started in 17 straight games, a career-high, from January 24 at Columbus to March 13 at Dallas, during the 2005-06 season.
Last season, Auld posted a record of 16-18-7, along with a 2.47 goals against average, a .911 save percentage and one shutout in 43 appearances with the Ottawa Senators.  He notched his sixth career shutout on February 16, stopping all 24 shots faced in a 2-0 win at Nashville.  He also made a season-high, 41 saves in a 4-2 win on February 24 vs. Carolina.
The 6-5, 223-pounder has appeared in 204 career NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars, posting a record of 83-81-2-26, along with a 2.78 goals against average, a .904 save percentage and six shutouts.  Auld owns a career 13-9-5 record vs. Atlantic Division opponents.  He registered a career-high three shutouts while skating with Phoenix and Boston in 2007-08.  Auld stopped a career-best 47 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss at Toronto while skating with the Florida Panthers during the 2006-07 season.  He recorded his first NHL shutout with a 14-save effort in a 6-0 win for Vancouver on March 23, 2003 vs. Washington, and tallied his first career win and assist in his NHL debut on January 23, 2002 at Dallas.
The native of Cold Lake, Alberta was originally selected as the Florida Panthers’ second round draft choice, 40th overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.
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No update available on Gaborik, but many sources are reporting it’s not related to the laceration on his leg. He was apparently feeling something—perhaps hamstring/groin—during the game last night. But he could play tonight. If he doesn’t, then we can start jumping to conclusions as to its severity.
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AFTERNOON UPDATE, 1:37 P.M.: No surprise, goaltender Miika Wiikman has been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL.

That’s me. I’m going to be fairly useless the next couple of days. Six basketball games today (thanks to all the snow-outs) and I’ve lost count how many tomorrow. I only know I’ll be watching the bouncing ball when the gold medal is up for grabs in Wancouver.

And not really too happy about it. The tradeoff, I think, is that I will be excused from hoops on Wednesday for wall-to-wall trade deadline (a/k/a the annual Glen Sather Rent-a-Vet Festival) coverage.

I’m waiting word on Gaborik. No idea if that will materialize.

So after that Tremendously Tremendous first period and solid victory by the Red, White and Blue, I have this question for y’all:

Do youse want Canada to win tonight so Team USA can go head-to-head with the Canucks for the Gold and take it right out of Hot Dog Lips’ mouth? Or would you rather avoid the big red machine on its home ice? Just wondering?
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As we noted earlier, the Rangers  sent Chad Johnson to Hartford and recalled goalie Miika Wiikman today. It just means Wiikman will be the practice target and that Ocho  will get some game action before Tuesday. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ocho play in Ottawa.

Good late morning everybody! It’s a great day. Why? Because today we have the men’s Olympic semifinals, because today a lot of us don’t have to work (unless you count shoveling snow as work), and so today we can sit on our abdelkaders and watch hockey!

I know that’s my deal. I was supposed to go see four basketball games. Instead I’m doing some interviews on the phone, writing something, shoveling, and watching hockey.

You all know the deal: USA-Finland at 3 on NBC; Slovakia-Canada at 9:30 on CNBC. Losers play for the Bronze on Sunday. Winners play for the Gold on Sunday.
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So how much snow did youse get? We got a good 6-8, and it’s still coming down pretty hard.
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We’re also getting closer to resuming the NHL season. Check out the Rangers’ site for some news, and some Olympic-related features. On there is video of Michael Del Zotto’s meeting with the press yesterday. Del Zotto said he expects to get his stitches out this weekend, and that once he does he will go for a little spin on the ice to see how it feels before determining when he can really begin skating again. He sounds optimistic about playing in Ottawa Tuesday, but there’s no way to say when he can or will play for certain.
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Finally, if you experience any tech troubles today, please e-mail me at rcarpini@lohud.com. We’re still trying to get this thing percolating at 100 percent, especially as we steamroll toward Glen Sather’s Rent-A-Vet Festival.

… Four teams, four Rangers.

Henrik Lundqvist can get his rest now. The Swedes were sent home by the Slovaks.

So the semifinals will have four Rangers: Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan for the U.S. against Olli Jokinen and Finland on one side, and Marian Gaborik for Slovakia against the team that, despite its uneven pool-round play, is again the favorite for the gold, Canada.

And I wanna tell you that I fear the U.S. might be in danger of looking ahead, needing one win for a medal and one win for a potential Sunday gold-medal showdown with the hosts whom they surprised last Sunday. I’m figuring the Yanks will have their mitts full with Finland tomorrow (the team they beat for the gold in 1980).

And I’m guessing that Canada, while having that same danger against Slovakia tomorrow, is now refocused and re-started, and could cruise in front of the home crowd.

But what the heck do I know, 3,000 miles away and watching basketball during the Olympic quarterfinals?
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Once again, we apologize for the technical problems yesterday. Hopefully we can get everything lined up correctly so that the semifinals and the gold-medal game (and the consolation game for the bronze) won’t have any glitches.

Not to mention next Wednesday, the NHL trade deadline, when we brought the place down repeatedly last year.
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I didn’t hear Mike Milbury’s “Eurotrash” comment, but that’s exactly what NBC deserves since it has hired Milbury and clueless Jeremy Roenick to basically act like punks and feuding teenagers. I’m sure there will be no repercussions. But think about it. What if Milbury had slandered an ethnic group of Americans like that?

OK folks, mama here while Carp is on assignment. So sorry for the problems we’ve had today, and I hope this new post sets things right…Let me know! We think part of the problem may be that some of your creative fonts may have messed things up a bit (remember the tiny type and dash through problems a while ago?)

Yes, that’s our problem, not yours. But until we figure things out, stay pure in your typography. We’re at go time for the USA’s next victim. Who would you rather have, Fins or Czechs?

… since we’re, you know, a Rangers blog, I thought I should point out that your heroes return to practice under assistant coaches Mike Sullivan and Jim Schoenfeld today. Or at least those Rangers who aren’t involved in that little tournament on the other side of the continent.

About that tournament: Canada did as expected last night, bounced back from the loss to the USA, and put itself back into medal contention. But, that is, only if the Canadians can survive the tough road that loss handed them, which means Russia tonight in the quarterfinals, just one night after dousing Germany.

Here’s the complete schedule, which includes the Red, White and Blue’s game this afternoon with the Swiss.

In case you missed this, the hit Russia’s Alex Ovechkin laid on Jaromir Jagr Sunday turned out to have injured Jagr’s neck. He’s questionable for today’s Czech Republic game against Finland (the winner plays the US-Switzerland winner in the semifinals). Jagr originally said only his pride was hurt, but it turned out he was dinged up and sore.

On the other side of the bracket, Henrik Lundqvist and Sweden play Marian Gaborik and Slovakia, the winner moving to the semifinals against the Russia-Canada survivor.
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AFTERNOON UPDATE: As expected, Chad Johnson was recalled from Hartford (AHL) and Steve Valiquette was re-assigned to Hartford.
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We appear to be experiencing technical difficulties

Mama here: I knew something was amiss when I saw such low numbers in the comments for a USA game, and from your posts, it seems we’re having some kind of problem getting comments through. It may be system-wide, not just at the Report. So sorry! So frustrating I know. I’ve alerted someone who I hope can help. Stay tuned. Hopefully it will be corrected before the Fins take on the Czechs.

All this talk about this being the last of the NHL’s participation in the Olympics has caused mixed feelings for me.

Because of the professionals in the Games, we can’t see another Miracle On Ice, as much as NBC’s newbies want to try and fabricate one this year. There can’t be that type of David and Goliath. And there can’t again be the magical year like the one Ken Morrow had in 1980 when he went from Lake Placid Gold to the Stanley Cup in a matter of months. Since then Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman have done the double-title-dip, and many more will if NHLers play in the Olympics.

All that ideal stuff said, though, this is the best hockey on the planet, with the best talent on the planet all gathered on one ice surface. Incredible hockey. I always say the best hockey I’ve ever seen was the 1996 World Cup, which I was fortunate to cover, and when you have all this talent at one Olympics there is the chance to see that ‘96-caliber of hockey again. We might be seeing it this year, although that ‘96 USA team was the best this country has ever assembled.

But I understand that the NHL doesn’t like closing its doors for more than two weeks (it is longer when the Games are on another continent) and providing all the talent (including officials and coaches and massage therapists and equipment managers) and assuming all the risk (how do you think Washington will feel if Ovechkin gets hurt, as an example?). And that the NHL especially doesn’t like not getting a big cut of the Olympic green pie. And that some years the games may not appear live or, you know, when most of North America is awake.

Perhaps Gary Bettman is just posturing for a deal with the Olympic committee, bluffing to get cut in. Who knows?

But it has become a topic for debate once again.
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A couple of things I forgot to mention yesterday:

1) Sidney Crosby blew his nose with his hand before the handshake line Sunday night. He wiped it on his pants. Some of you mentioned it last night. Yuch. Well, at least he shook hands this time, unlike when he snubbed Nick Lidstrom, the Detroit captain, after winning the Stanley Cup last year.

2) Kessler’s goal might have been the best empty-net goal I’ve ever seen, including those scored by goalies.
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FINALLY, WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES THIS MORNING. NOT SURE IF YOUR COMMENTS ARE GETTING THROUGH YET. I KNOW THEY’RE WORKING ON IT.——————————————-

Oh Carp, hope you don’t mind me popping in, but I know you have LOTS to do this week, and the heads seemed to enjoy these Olympics posts, and I’m still jonesing to be Report host, so I thought I’d just offer some tidbits :)

For you’re reading pleasure heads:
• Kane says he’ll do better
• Ovi is not shocked by USA win

Can’t find anything on Swiss win (WTF??) If it’s out there, please post in comments.

Seriously, who wants Germany over Canada….don’t you want a rematch?