Rangers Report Blog

There are going to be days like this. Momma said, momma said.

I got nothin’.

Except this. Somebody suggested the other night that we do some guest reviews of playoff games. I’m up for that, I guess. I can’t do reviews every night, but might be able to do a few later in certain series, depending on situations.

Anybody want to do one? If so, let me know at rcarpini@lohud.com. And if so, let me know when, or what game, or what series you’d like to do.

It’s going to be a long off-season. They always are. So some days I’m just going to give  you a blank canvas for your whacky hockey conversations. We won’t shut down like the other sites, though.

See youse.

The Block Ness Monster, Girardi, said on break-up day that he would not need any surgery. Ooops.

From the Rangers:

DAN GIRARDI AND BRANDON PRUST INJURY UPDATE

New York, April 29, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that Dan Girardi underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair his inguinal hernia.  In addition, Brandon Prust underwent successful surgery today to repair a labral tear.  Both are expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Girardi led all Rangers defensemen and ranked second and seventh on the team, respectively, with career-highs in assists (27) and points (31) this season.  He also led the league with a career-high, 236 blocked shots, and ranked second on the Rangers and 15th in the NHL with a career-high in average ice time (24:34).  The fourth-year player skated in his 300th career NHL game on November 19 at Colorado.

Prust captured the 2010-11 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, voted by the fans as the player who performs “above and beyond the call of duty.”  He established career-highs in goals (13), assists (16), points (29), and shots on goal, and was one of four Rangers to have skated in all 82 games this season.  Prust tied for second in the NHL with a career-high, seven shorthanded points, third with five shorthanded goals and 12th with two shorthanded assists.
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From the NHL:

BYLSMA, TROTZ AND VIGNEAULT NAMED JACK ADAMS AWARD FINALISTS

NEW YORK (April 29, 2011)—Dan Bylsma of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators and Alain Vigneault of the Vancouver Canucks are the three finalists for the 2010-11 Jack Adams Award, presented to the head coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association submitted ballots for the Jack Adams Award at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 22, during the 2011 NHL Awards from the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas. The 2011 NHL Awards will be broadcast by VERSUS in the United States and CBC in Canada.

Following are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, in alphabetical order:

Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh— Bylsma, a first-time Adams finalist, helped the Penguins (49-25-8) gain home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season under his direction, securing the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins earned the second-most points (106) and victories (49) in franchise history, overcoming a total of 350 man-games lost due to injury in the process. Most notable were the prolonged absences of star centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who missed most of Pittsburgh’s final 35 games. During that stretch Pittsburgh posted a 20-11-4 record for a .629 points percentage.
Barry Trotz, Nashville— Trotz guided the Predators (44-27-11) to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, finishing fifth in the West after the most competitive Conference race in League history. The Predators again employed stingy defense and balanced scoring to finish in the West’s top eight; they ranked third in the NHL in team goals-against (2.28) and had their four top scorers (Sergei Kostitsyn, Martin Erat, Patric Hornqvist and Shea Weber) separated by just two points. Trotz is an Adams nominee for the second consecutive season, finishing runner-up to Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2010 voting.
Alain Vigneault, Vancouver— Vigneault led the Canucks to their finest regular season since joining the NHL in 1970-71, capturing the Presidents’ Trophy as the League’s top club with 117 points (54-19-9). The Canucks set single-season franchise records for most points, most victories and most road wins (27). They scored the most goals in the NHL (262), allowed the fewest (185), ranked number one in power-play percentage (24.3%) and placed third in penalty killing (85.6%). Vigneault is a third-time Adams finalist; he captured the award with Vancouver in 2007 and finished second with the Montreal Canadiens in 2000.

History: The award was presented by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association in 1974 in honor of the late Jack Adams, longtime coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

Some first-round highlights, from the NHL:

WILD COMEBACKS, OVERTIMES, GAME 7 DRAMA HIGHLIGHT

EXCITING AND UNPREDICTABLE OPENING ROUND
NEW YORK (April 28, 2011)— Fifteen days, 14 overtimes and several dramatic comebacks and nail-biting finishes later, the 16 teams that began the post-season quest for the Stanley Cup have been narrowed to eight. Here are some highlights from an exciting and unpredictable Conference Quarter-Final round:

EXCITING AND UNPREDICTABLE

• The four Game 7s were the most in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1995.
• Each of the final nine days of the first round featured an overtime game, an unprecedented streak. There were 12 OTs in that span.
• The 14 total overtimes were the most since the record 15 in 2001.
• The 49 total games matched the most ever in the first round.
• There were two Game 7 overtimes, tying the pair in 1997 as the most ever in the first round.
• Seven of the eight series had a game decided in overtime.
• Three of the eight series ended with an overtime goal.
• Road teams posted a winning record (26-23), one victory short of the most ever in the first round.
• Following a 2010 first round in which each of the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference were toppled, the top three seeds in both the East and West survived the first round for the first time since 1996.

  HISTORY WAS MADE

• The Boston Bruins came back from an 0-2 series deficit to win a best-of-seven series for the first time in franchise history. The Bruins also became the first team in playoff history to win a seven-game series without tallying a power-play goal (0/21).
• The Chicago Blackhawks forced a Game 7 after trailing the series 0-3 for the first time in franchise history.
• The Detroit Red Wings reached the final eight for the 13th time in the past 16 seasons.
• The Nashville Predators won the first playoff series in franchise history.
• The Philadelphia Flyers became the first team since 1988 to win a playoff series with three starting goaltenders.
• The San Jose Sharks became the fourth team in NHL history to win a playoff game they trailed by four goals (Apr. 19 at Los Angeles).
• The Tampa Bay Lightning came back from a 1-3 series deficit to win a best-of-seven series for the first time in franchise history.
• The Vancouver Canucks became the fourth team in NHL history and the first since 1975 to win a playoff series after winning the first three games and losing the next three.
• The Washington Capitals became the first team in nine years to win a playoff game after trailing by three goals in the third period (Apr. 20 at NY Rangers).

  Not Too Small
  The top three scorers in the first round were Michael Cammalleri of the Montreal Canadiens (3-7-10 in seven games), Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning (1-8-9 in seven games) and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers (4-4-8 in seven games). The average height and weight of this trio is 5-9, 177 lbs.

  Michael Cammalleri (Montreal): 5-9, 182
  Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay): 5-8, 176
  Claude Giroux (Philadelphia): 5-11, 172

  Not Too Old
  41-year-old Tampa Bay goaltender Dwayne Roloson backstopped the Lightning to their series win over Pittsburgh by posting a 1.77 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.

  43-year-old Boston right wing Mark Recchi tallied four points, including a crucial goal in Game 7, and a +4 rating in the Bruins’ seven-game series win over Montreal.

  Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who is celebrating his 41st birthday today, tallied a pair of assists and a +3 rating in the Red Wings’ four-game sweep over Phoenix. Lidstrom has appeared in 251 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, second on the all-time list behind Chris Chelios (266).

  Anaheim right wing Teemu Selanne, 40, shared the League goal-scoring lead in the first round, tallying six in the Ducks’ six-game series loss to Nashville.

  Not Too Inexperienced
  Boston right wing Nathan Horton entered the Bruins’ showdown against Montreal with 502 career regular-season appearances, the most among all players making their playoff debut. Horton became only the third player in the past decade to score two overtime goals in the same series, winning Games 5 and 7.

  Rookie Washington goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who excelled in a pair of deep playoff runs in the American Hockey League but had no previous NHL playoff experience, led all goaltenders in goals-against average (1.38) and ranked second in save percentage (.946) as the Capitals eliminated the New York Rangers in five games.

  Chicago rookie goaltender Corey Crawford, whose previous Stanley Cup Playoff experience was in a brief mop-up role two years ago, sparkled for the Blackhawks in their seven-game series loss to Vancouver, posting a 2.21 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.

  Buffalo Sabres rookie defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani, a late-season call-up from the AHL, entered the playoffs with just 15 career NHL regular-season appearances but led all defensemen in scoring during the first round with seven points (one goal, six assists).
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  NEW STANLEY CUP ODDS:

  Courtesy of Bodog, www.Bodog.com.

  Odds to win the 2011 Stanley Cup
  Vancouver Canucks                   11/4
  Washington Capitals                  4/1
  San Jose Sharks                       5/1
  Detroit Red Wings                      11/2
  Boston Bruins                            8/1
  Philadelphia Flyers                     8/1
  Tampa Bay Lightning                  12/1
  Nashville Predators                    14/1

  Odds to win the 2011 Eastern Conference
  Washington Capitals                  7/5
  Philadelphia Flyers                     7/2
  Boston Bruins                            11/4
  Tampa Bay Lightning                  9/2

  Odds to win the 2011 Western Conference
  Vancouver Canucks                   7/5
  San Jose Sharks                       5/2
  Detroit Red Wings                      5/2
  Nashville Predators                    7/1

  What will be the Matchup in the Stanley Cup Final?
  Washington Capitals vs. Vancouver Canucks                   9/2
  Washington Capitals vs. San Jose Sharks                       6/1
  Washington Capitals vs. Detroit Red Wings                      13/2
  Washington Capitals vs. Nashville Predators                    17/1
  Philadelphia Flyers vs. Vancouver Canucks                      10/1
  Philadelphia Flyers vs. San Jose Sharks                          13/1
  Philadelphia Flyers vs. Detroit Red Wings                        14/1
  Philadelphia Flyers vs. Nashville Predators                       35/1
  Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks                             9/1
  Boston Bruins vs. San Jose Sharks                                 12/1
  Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings                               13/1
  Boston Bruins vs. Nashville Predators                              30/1
  Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vancouver Canucks                   12/1
  Tampa Bay Lightning vs. San Jose Sharks                       16/1
  Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings                     18/1
  Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Nashville Predators                    42/1

OK, kids, I just finished tabulating the results of our first-round predictions contest.

I will wait to make it official in case anybody thinks I made an error in my calculations. If so, please let me know by midnight tonight. I will double-check if you think I made a mistake. Otherwise, I will declare LW3H the winner at that time.

Here are the final standings according to my findings (and you know how much I hate counting, calculating or any other type of math, and how likely it is that I screwed it up):

1. LW3H … 8-0 record (it didn’t come to a tiebreaker, but he picked three series exactly correct, and had the Caps winning 4-1 in the clinching game).

2. Doodie Machetto … 7-1 record, four series exact, Capitals 4-2 in the clincher.

3. RT … 7-1 record, two series exact, Capitals 3-1 in clincher.

Congratulations, Boneheads. Since we’ve still got to vote on the Paul Mara Beard contest, and we’re having a second-round predictions contest, I’m only going to give out three prizes for this one.

Also, thanks to our good friend, ilb, for donating a few prizes for these contests. He’s the man.

LW3H, Doodie and RT, please email me your addresses to rcarpini@lohud.com.

As for me, I picked six series correctly (including three of the Game 7 series), as did many of you. I was surprised how many of you (us) picked the Rangers to win their series, and even more surprised how many picked Nashville over Anaheim (which was the other one I got wrong). Why didn’t you guys tell me that?

Eight of youse picked seven out of eight series correctly, and most of those lost only on the Rangers.

For those who still haven’t shaved, or want to give the stubble another go …

from the players’ union:

NHLPA BEARD-A-THON RAISES OVER $50,000 IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS
To start up second round, NHLPA will be matching fan pledges
…Proceeds go towards Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada purchasing AEDs for Canadian arenas

TORONTO (April 28, 2011) – Following an exciting first round of the playoffs, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) are pleased to announce that the NHLPA Beard-a-thon has already raised over $50,000. The money raised goes towards the Foundation purchasing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for local hockey arenas and communities across Canada. As the second round is set to begin, the NHLPA will be matching the first $50 pledge that each beard growing participant receives prior to May 14^th.

The NHLPA Beard-a-thon continues until the final game of the playoffs and both organizations are optimistic the amount of money raised will continue to grow.

NHL players such as Scott Hartnell (“Chairman of the Beard”), Patrice Bergeron, Dan Cleary, Dan Hamhuis, Ryan Kesler, Brooks Laich, Jamal Mayers, Mason Raymond, and Martin St. Louis continue to participate in the NHLPA Beard-a-thon by growing out their playoff beards and seeking pledges. Close to 500 people – consisting of both NHL players and fans – are registered to grow a beard as part of the NHLPA Beard-a-thon, with over 1,000 pledges made so far for a total of more than $50,000.

“It is great to see hockey fans across Canada support the Heart and Stroke Foundation through the NHLPA Beard-a-thon,” said Dan Hamhuis, Vancouver Canucks defenceman, who has currently raised the second most among all beard growers in Canada and the most among NHL players. “Hopefully, more people will sign up to grow a beard or pledge someone so that we can keep the dollars increasing!”

“With hockey fever gripping Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation is thrilled that more than 1,000 pledges have been made already by participating fans in the NHLPA Beard-a-thon to help us raise $50,000 in just the first round of the playoffs,” says Irfhan Rawji, Chair, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. “Contributions from our donors over the course of the 2011 playoffs will go a long way towards ensuring we create a cardiac safe Canada for everyone.”

Hockey fans can grow a beard of their own and seek out pledges, or make a pledge to their favourite beard grower – player or fellow fan – simply by visiting www.beardathon.ca. Remember, it is never too late to join in supporting the cause.

Starting today and continuing until 11:59 PM ET on May 13^th, the NHLPA will make a $50 donation to the online profile of the first 200 NHLPA Beard-a-thon participants who increase their donations by $50 or more, matching up to $10,000 in total pledges among beard growers. The NHLPA intends for this matching program to help beard growers reach their fundraising goals and, more importantly, help save lives across Canada. The opportunity to grow does not stop there, as there will be a great prize for the most money raised during the second round. The fantastic prize will be an authentic, autographed jersey of the fan’s choice!

Proceeds raised in the NHLPA Beard-a-thon will go towards HSF purchasing AEDs to place in local hockey arenas and community centres nationwide, and will be allocated based on the local province where each donation is made; donations made outside of Canada will go towards the home province of the player or fan who is receiving the pledge. As many as 45,000 cardiac arrests occur each year across Canada.  Research shows that the first three minutes are the most important when helping someone who suffers cardiac arrest. The use of an AED with CPR before the arrival of Emergency Medical Services can increase the chance of survival by up to 75 percent.

Hockey fans everywhere can log-on to www.beardathon.ca or www.nhlpa.com for more information on the NHLPA Beard-a-thon. Every day during the playoffs, a “Beard of the Day” is chosen online, with the winner receiving a prize. The fan who raises the most money in the NHLPA Beard-a-thon will receive the grand prize: an all-expenses paid trip for two to watch Scott and his team play next season where they will meet Scott and will also receive signed jerseys and spending money. There are other great prizes to be won as well, including merchandise, signed photos and jerseys.
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FINAL REMINDER: Those who want to enter our second-round series predictions contest, scroll a couple of threads down, read the rules, and join before 9 p.m. or forever hold your peace. You must enter your predictions in that particular thread only.

And those who joined our Paul Mara Beard contest with “before” photos, I need your “after” photos by 9 p.m. tonight. Include your screen name. Send them to me at rcarpini@lohud.com

First, the finalists for the Hart Trophy: Corey Perry, Daniel Sedin, Martin St. Louis.
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Got this from the NHL this morning:

NEW YORK RANGERS TO PLAY EXHIBITION GAME IN PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC,
SEPT. 29 AS PART OF 2011 COMPUWARE NHL PREMIERE CHALLENGE
New York/Toronto (April 28, 2011)—The New York Rangers will play a special exhibition game against HC Sparta Prague at TESLA Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Sept. 29, as part of the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere Challenge.

One of the most popular teams in the country, HC Sparta Prague not only has over 100 years of hockey tradition, but the club is a perennial contender in the highest levels of the Czech extraleague.  The Rangers first played in Prague when the NHL opened the 2008-09 regular season in Europe in front of capacity crowds.  The Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning played two games at the O₂ Arena in Prague, with the Rangers winning each game by a 2-1 score.

“The New York Rangers are excited to have the opportunity to face off against one of the most storied franchises in Europe, in HC Sparta Prague, in an exhibition match as we prepare for the 2011-12 NHL season,” said New York Rangers President and General Manager, Glen Sather.  ”Having already played in Prague, Czech Republic in 2008, we are fully aware of the passion that the city’s and country’s fans have for the game of hockey, and we look forward to experiencing their enthusiasm firsthand, once again.”

The Rangers will open their 2011-12 regular season by playing two games at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday, Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Kings and Saturday, Oct. 8 against the Anaheim Ducks.  2011 Compuware NHL Premiere marks a record fifth consecutive season the NHL will be playing regular-season games in Europe.  NHL teams will play a total of four games in three different European capital cities—Berlin, Stockholm and Helsinki—Oct. 7-8, 2011.  Last year, six NHL teams—the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks—opened the 2010-11 NHL regular season by playing six games in Europe.  The Bruins and Coyotes met twice in Prague.

By the end of 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere 17 NHL teams—over half of the NHL—will have played regular-season and exhibition games in Europe since 2007.  A complete overseas history of the NHL is available on media.NHL.com. More information on 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere will be released at a later date, including broadcast information, training camp schedules and complete preseason schedules.
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Reminder: To join the second-round predictions contest, use the thread below. And those who entered the Paul Mara Beard contest, submit your “after” photos to me at rcarpini@lohud.com. Both contests close at 9 p.m. tonight. Include your screen name with the beard photo.
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Finally this: We went over 300,000 views for April earlier today. You guys are the best!

Just felt like doing this.

I was going to weigh in on the pros and cons of Brad Richards, but we have two months and a week to do that ad infinitum. So on this night of Game 7s—neither of which was as sick as the Chicago-Vancouver Game 7, but both better than the Philly-Baby Buffaloes Game 7, some thoughts:

1) What a piece of carcillo Carcillo is. I’m glad Philly advanced because I won’t be happy until he costs his team a playoff game, maybe a series.

2) Count how many times Jeremy Roenick says “unbelievable.” What a peabrain. He also said “a-dismal” when he meant “abysmal” and said it again when the host asked him what he had said the first time.

3) Hey, those byfuglien guys at TSN stole my Monster thing. They picked a Monster of the game. That’s mine. They stole it, the filthy bums. Anybody know a good lawyer? Make that a cheap lawyer.

4) Goodbye, Matt Cooke, you piece of carcillo. Goodbye, too, to the Skid Crosby updates. Thank God. Though I do feel for a couple of good guys in the Penguins front office and assistant coach Tony Granato. Still, the Penguins lead the league in cheap-shot artists. Bye.

5) Karma for the Lightnings. They showed character and professionalism in playing all-out in Game 82, which meant nothing to them, and got the Rangers in. More karma for the Lightnings. Just before the play0ffs, seven of them got their heads shaved to raise money for a couple of pediatric cancer charities. I hope they win the Cup.

6) Have you ever seen such a spate of hairballs coughed up by defensemen at crucial moments as have happened in the last two nights?

7) I like the TSN guy calling the “netting” the “screen.” I’ve been thinking about that for a long time, since they put the nets up. Screen makes so much more sense, especially in a sport where, you know, there are already nets. And netting? What the heck is that? Something the cafeteria lady puts on her head?

8) Man, they have to get rid of that stupid hit-from-behind rule. Guys all turn now, looking to draw a penalty, and they put themselves in danger, and they make things tough on the officials. Get rid of it. If these guys know they’re going to get drilled without a penalty, they won’t turn. End of story.

9) How about this Roloson. I laughed when Tampa Bay traded for him, shortly after the Rangers’ strafed him as an Islander. Good for him. I don’t mind being proven wrong once in a while.

10) Good thing Skid Crosby was in the pressbox. He didn’t have to shake hands. Oh, that’s right, he doesn’t shake hands.

11) I was mowing the lawn and killing dandelions and enjoying a day off yesterday. And wishing I was working at a Game 7.

12) How about Roman Hamrlik staying on the ice after being hit, while Boston was going down and scoring? Get the byfuglien up. I don’t think the Block Ness Monster would have stayed down, or Brandon Prust.

13) Even though it was the TSN crew calling TB-Pitt, I would have been happy with any Versus crew after watching some of the game via the Pittsburgh homer feed on NHL Network. That was dreadful.

14) I’m not even going to comment on what an idiot Don Cherry is. … oh, wait, I just did.

15) Tail wagging the dog: Because of TV, the Rangers and Capitals played one game over five days, and Montreal and Boston had to play Games 6 and 7 on consecutive nights.

16) Also didn’t mind seeing Scott the Clown Gomez and P.K. Slewfoot get sent home.

17) When do the Knicks play?
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AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, above.
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I’m not going to do this every night, but maybe I will once in a while during the playoffs. Just for fun.

Hope to tally up the first-round predictions contest soon. Maybe today if it’s raining.

Do youse want to do another contest in this round? Same rules. Must be in by puck drop of Game 1 tonight.

Here are my picks:
Canucks over Predators in 6.
Sharks over Red Wings in 7.
Lightning over Capitals in 6.
Flyers over Bruins in 6.

Click “more” below for the rules. (more…)

From the NHL:
2011 STANLEY CUP CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE

NEW YORK (April 27, 2011) – The National Hockey League today announced the dates, starting times and national broadcast coverage for the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Semifinal round, which begins Thursday, April 28, when the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators.  On Friday, April 29, the Washington Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning and the San Jose Sharks host the Detroit Red Wings.  Saturday, April 30, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Boston Bruins in Game One of that series.  CBC, TSN and RDS televise nationally in Canada.  NBC and VERSUS provide national television coverage in the United States, with VERSUS providing exclusive coverage of two games in each series.
2011 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
SERIES I                        TIME (ET)        #1 Washington vs. #5 Tampa Bay                Network
Friday, April 29, 2011                7 p.m.                Tampa Bay at Washington                        VERSUS**, TSN
Sunday, May 1, 2011                7 p.m.                Tampa Bay at Washington                        VERSUS**, CBC
Tuesday, May 3, 2011                TBD                Washington at Tampa Bay                        VERSUS, TSN
Wednesday, May 4, 2011                  7 p.m.                Washington at Tampa Bay                        TSN

*Saturday, May 7, 2011                12:30 p.m.        Tampa Bay at Washington                        NBC, TSN

*Monday, May 9, 2011                TBD                Washington at Tampa Bay                        VERSUS, TSN

*Wednesday, May 11, 2011        TBD                Tampa Bay at Washington                        VERSUS, TSN

SERIES J                        TIME (ET)        #2 Philadelphia vs. #3 Boston                Network
Saturday, April 30, 2011                3 p.m.                Boston at Philadelphia                        NBC, CBC
Monday, May 2, 2011                7:30 p.m.                Boston at Philadelphia                        VERSUS**, TSN
Wednesday, May 4, 2011                7 p.m.                Philadelphia at Boston                        VERSUS**, CBC
Friday, May 6, 2011                8 p.m.                Philadelphia at Boston                        VERSUS (JIP), CBC

*Sunday, May 8, 2011                3 p.m.                Boston at Philadelphia                        NBC, CBC

*Tuesday, May 10, 2011                TBD                Philadelphia at Boston                        VERSUS, CBC

*Thursday, May 12, 2011                TBD                Boston at Philadelphia                        VERSUS, CBC
2011 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
SERIES K                        TIME (ET)        #1 Vancouver vs. #5 Nashville                Network
Thursday, April 28, 2011                9 p.m.                Nashville at Vancouver                        CBC, VERSUS
Saturday, April 30, 2011                9 p.m.                Nashville at Vancouver                        CBC, VERSUS**
Tuesday, May 3, 2011                TBD                Vancouver at Nashville                        CBC, VERSUS
Thursday, May 5, 2011                TBD                Vancouver at Nashville                        CBC, VERSUS
Saturday, May 7, 2011              8 p.m.        Nashville at Vancouver         CBC, VERSUS*

*Monday, May 9, 2011                TBD                Vancouver at Nashville                        CBC, VERSUS

*Wednesday, May 11, 2011        TBD                Nashville at Vancouver                        CBC, VERSUS

SERIES L                        TIME (ET)        #2 San Jose vs. #3 Detroit                        Network
Friday, April 29, 2011                10 p.m.                Detroit at San Jose                        VERSUS, TSN
Sunday, May 1, 2011                3 p.m.                Detroit at San Jose                        NBC, TSN
Wednesday, May 4, 2011                8 p.m.                San Jose at Detroit                        VERSUS (JIP), TSN
Friday, May 6, 2011                7 p.m.                San Jose at Detroit                        VERSUS**, TSN
Sunday, May 8, 2011                8 p.m.              Detroit at San Jose        VERSUS*, TSN

*Tuesday, May 10, 2011                TBD                San Jose at Detroit                        VERSUS, TSN

*Thursday, May 12, 2011                TBD                Detroit at San Jose                        VERSUS, TSN

• If necessary                          VERSUS** denotes exclusive telecast                  JIP – Joined In Progress                ALL TIMES LISTED ARE EASTERN TIME

Hi kids. We’re not going to one of those dumb-as-dirt Keep ‘Em/Dump ‘Em polls as one NYC paper does every season in every sport. Why is that dumb? Because there’s no room to explain how you are going to dump so-and-so, or how you are going to replace him, etc.

So we’ll go with straight report cards:

4-Michael Del Zotto … C- … Not the first young defenseman to have a sophomore slump. He’s still big in the team’s plans; still has a chance to be special.

5-Dan Girardi … B+ … The Block Ness Monster sure grew a lot this year, and became another symbol of the Rangers’ blood and guts (not to mention bruises and dislocations).

8-Brandon Prust … A … coined “It’s Just Pain.” Won the Steven McDonald award. Led the team in short-handed goals. Fought everybody. And more.

10-Marian Gaborik … D … Not nearly enough production, not nearly enough consistency, and on some nights not enough effort. Part of the blame was his lack of linemates.

16-Sean Avery … C … Whether he was hamstrung by being forced to walk the line and not cross it is the argument. For two years now, hasn’t been the player he once was.

17-Brandon Dubinsky … B+ … Was the first half MVP, and shone when Ryan Callahan went down the first time. Still inconsistent, though, and was in the playoffs, too.

18-Marc Staal … A … I agree with John Tortorella. Staal was really good, especially when challenged by an Alex Ovechkin type, but there’s more to come.

19-Ruslan Fedotenko … B+ … Pretty fabulous short-term signing on a tryout in camp. Did pretty much everything; was excellent in the playoffs. Earned another contract.

20-Vinny Prospal … INCOMPLETE … Would have been a tough grade if he played more games, because he was very up and down. With a bum knee and more kids coming, barring a trade of some of those, he probably won’t be back.

21-Derek Stepan … B … The rookie was pretty darn good. Had his freshman hiccups, as expected. His future is still not defined. Can he be a top-two-line player?

22-Brian Boyle … A … We all know the story by now, how Boyle took skating lessons and won a job that nobody, especially his coach, expected him to win, then scored like crazy in the first half.

23-Chris Drury … INCOMPLETE … His one goal was a big one, and he sure looked better after his knee surgery than before it.

24-Ryan Callahan … A … Heart, soul, leader. Second on the team in goals and points, despite missing 22 games. And the Rangers twice sorely missed him

26-Erik Christensen … C- … Did well in shootouts. Not so much in the regular 60 minutes. Provided very little in the postseason, too. Could be a goner.

27-Ryan McDonagh … B+ … Had some tough moments in the playoffs, but was mostly solid after a spectacular breakthrough as a rookie D. Tremendous upside.

28-Bryan McCabe … C … Was brought in to shoot the puck and make the power play go, which was probably an impossible task. But was slow and struggled defensively.

30-Henrik Lundqvist … A … Yeah, he had some struggles in the middle of the season. But when it came time to carry the mail, he played his best in big games, including the playoffs. He’s elite, no question about it.

31-Alex Frolov … D … Another guy signed for offense, at a pretty big price tag, who didn’t get it done.

36-Mats Zuccarello … B … Looks like he will be able to play in the NHL, and did some big things, but wasn’t ready for the grind yet.

38-Michael Sauer … A … Another out of nowhere guy who not only made the team but was as about as good as any other defenseman.

42-Artem Anisimov … B- … Struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs. First half, though, was terrific with Dubinsky and Callahan. Plays both ends, too.

43-Martin Biron … A … You couldn’t have a better backup goalie, who not only gave Henrik Lundqvist enough breathers early on, but won some big games.

44-Steve Eminger … B … Did his best when asked, had some jam, ultimately wasn’t one of the top six D-Men, but surely contributed.

86-Wojtek Wolski … C … Well, we saw why he’s been around the block. Wildly inconsistent, despite good size and tremendous skill.

94-Derek Boogaard … INCOMPLETE … Another signing that was doomed to fail. Came in with injuries from last year, was out of shape, then had shoulder and head injuries.

97-Matt Gilroy … B- … Had a tough sophomore season, but in the end he might have earned himself another contract. Was darn good in the playoffs.

Coach-John Tortorella … A … You can give him some blame for the power play, which really didn’t have any weapons, but made this the most honest, hard-working, rugged Rangers team in years and years, and is the reason you believe the plan is working, and will work.

GM-Glen Sather … B … His checkbook aquisitions continued to be spotty with Boogaard and Frolov, but Rozsival for Wolski gained some cap space, the Biron signing was terrific, getting guys like Boyle and Prust and McDonagh and Fedotenko, too. And his draft record lately, pretty darn good: Staal, Callahan, Dubinsky, Stepan, Anisimov, with Krieder and a bunch more coming.
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Hope I didn’t forget anybody. Thoughts?

We’ll wrap up the pick-the-playoffs first-round contest results in the next couple of days after all the Game 7s are played.

As for the Paul Mara Beard Extravaganza, for the few who entered, please send me your “after” photos, to rcarpini@lohud.com. And remember to include your screen name so my tech guys can match you up with your “before” photos.
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Does anybody watching this postseason still want to argue with me that there is  momentum that carries over from one game to another in the playoffs? Not.

Got a big, big meeting this morning, with you know who …

So, didn’t want the actual first day of the off-season to go without a post … plus I had some player quotes to transcribe from yesterday.

Here is my column from The Journal News and LoHud.com today.

Fore, right!
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Dan Girardi:

On getting through Game 5 with a mangled finger (he had it wrapped yesterday) and another bruise on his leg:

“It was pretty tough, but it was that time of year where we needed everyone to be playing and everyone to be playing hard. It’s just, kind of, suck it up and battle through whatever you have. Everyone’s nicked up here and there. It’s just what you have to do at this time of year.”

Does he need any further medical treatment?:

“No, just rest it, make sure it doesn’t get infected. That’s it.”

“Just got to take it easy. A couple weeks here pretty much, marinating, doing nothing, just let everything heal. Then spend some good quality time with the family in the summer.”

On what Tortorella said, that he was the best defenseman in the series:

“I don’t … I just tried to play my game, play hard, do my best to help the team win. To get that compliment from Torts is obviously, it’s quite a big deal for me as a player, that he sees my game improving, and playing well, and that he knows that I can play that way. It’s definitely good to get those comments.”

“It’s not the finish we wanted, got knocked out early. But I think we really had a good year with our resilience and staying with the gameplan and not getting away from it. We came back a lot this year and had a lot of comeback wins; obviously a lot of injuries, but guys came in and played the spots, did their jobs right. We got in the playoffs, and that’s all that really matters. Get in the playoffs and anything can happen there.

“Moving forward, we’ve got a good group of guys that have been together a couple of years. Obviously you want to get farther every year, but the main thing is to try and have a good year and get into the playoffs.”

“We do have a fairly young team and obviously we have some older guys to help us along the way, help guys like myself, Staalsie, Cally, Dubi, to start taking on some of that leadership role. And as a core group of the team, we’ve got to take responsibilty and be leaders and play well to help the team win, and not just kind of keep relying on that we’re still really young and still growing. I think we’ve got to be ready. That’s the way our team is built now, on some youth and some guys who have been here a while, like ourselves. We’ve just got to make sure we’re heading the guys in the right direction.”

“That’s got to help you as a player, knowing the team’s putting some extra expectations on you. … I love having that responsibility and being able to show what I can do under those circumstances.”

Henrik Lundqvist:

“When I look back at the series, it definitely wasn’t a 4-1 series. We were right there almost every game and we had an opportunity to win some games. But we didn’t grab it. That’s very frustrating and disappointing to lose and be out this early. We just have to learn from it.”

“Our biggest opportunities were in Game 1 and Game 4, where we had a chance to win. When you play a good team like Washington you really need to grab that opportunity. All year we were pretty good in the third period with the lead.”

“It’s always a weird feeling when it’s over. It’s really intense and so exciting, and the next day it’s all over. It’s weird.”

“Overall it was a good year, a fun year. A great group. It was a great feeling to reach the playoffs and be back there again and feel the atmosphere and excitement, especially playing at home. It’s hard to be really satisfied, though. You lose in the first round. The goal this year was to have a good run in the playoffs. And I think we had a chance. We didn’t get it done.

I asked him of the team goes into next year in a better position because the foundation of the identity of the team is in place:

“Oh, I haven’t thought about next year yet. I think, hopefully it carries over. There’s a lot of contracts that need to be signed here, and obviously we don’t know what the team’s going to look like next year, yet. But the foundation is there. We have a lot of good young hockey players who hopefully will keep  improving and hopefully just learn from this year and the past years and get better and smarter. Me personally, like I said, with this year I’m happy with the way I played. Of course, some games could have been better. But overall I played a lot of hockey and I’m pretty happy with the performance.”

On progress from two years ago to this year, both resulting in first-round losses to Washington:

“I think we were closer this time, but it was  a 4-1 series. It’s weird the way it works. This time around we definitely had a chance. Two years ago, I felt the difference between the teams was bigger. We just didn’t manage to get it done in a couple of games here. We had a really big opportunity to win. But when I look back at the six years I’ve been here, the team has changed a lot. A lot of new players. I feel now with the core we have, with a lot of young defensemen, really good defensemen and skilled forwards, we definitely have something to build on. But again, you start next year, and it’s hard to say we’re going to be good for two or three years because every summer a lot changes.”

“Right now it’s just disappointment. It’s hard to be satisfied when you lose this early. We wanted to be playing right now. Two weeks ago we were so excited to be in the playoffs, and now it’s all over. So it was a quick turnaround. I’m going to sit down and think about my year and about what I can do better and try to improve next year.”

“I felt good. I felt like I was in a good place physically and mentally and going down the stretch I wanted to play every game. I wanted to be out there and help the team. There was no question that I didn’t want to sit on the bench and rest. I wanted to be out there and play.”

“I think early on I got a lot of rest. It was different. I wasn’t used to sitting out, play a few games, then sit out a game. It was definitely different mentally. In the long run it was good for me, and I think in the future I just have to get used to it. Our goal is still to play for another month and a half. I think that’s the time when it’s really going to pay off.”

“This year is the first time I’ve felt, you’re not going to have that many opportnities. I’m getting older. I’m still 29, but you also realize, to get a great team together—you need some bounces too, to get there—that’s what I’m talking about, when the opportunity’s there you need to grab it. As you get older you realize you really need to grab it because you don’t know when it’s coming next time. But, hopefully I have another 1o years. I don’t know. I don’t know how long I’ll play. But we have a good group here. Yes, we need to improve, but it’s a start and we’ll see what happens over the summer. A lot of contracts are up. We’ll see how the team’s going to look next year.”

I asked him if the prime of a career of a goalie starts a little later, or lasts a little longer, than a skater’s prime.

“I don’t know. We’ll see if I get better or worse. No, I think if you look at other goalies, yeah, a lot of guys, they improve as they get older because you learn the game better, you learn  how you work as a person, because such a big part is the mental part. And when you realize that—not realize, but you get smarter, how you approach games, how you approach the pressure, just being able to mentally be in a good place. I don’t think you get better technically as you get older. I don’t think you get faster. I don’t think I’m faster now compared to when I was 22. But mentally, I think I’ve grown, so I think that’s the biggest part.”

I assured him that I had covered a few goalies who got dumber as they got older.

He cracked up. “I get smarter. I don’t know about your goalie buddies.”

On getting married:

“Getting older. I’m growing up, I guess. It’s time.”

Said he would take a few days to decide on World Championships, though there were reports last night that he wouldn’t play.

Then the same guy started asking him restaurant questions. Unlike Avery, and typically like Lundqvist, he gave some straight answers, even though he didn’t look comfortable talking about his new side business.

Vinny Prospal:

On where he’s going to be playing next September:

“I didn’t know where I was going to be last September. So it’s the way it is. I mean, I’m not 26 anymore. So it goes from year to year and, like I said, hopefully I’ll be back here. This is a fun team to play on and I’d like to continue here.”

On his knee allowing him to get through a season:

“That was one reason I said no to the World Championship, to make sure that I’ll train as much as possible to make sure there is strength in the leg, that I’ll play as many games as possible. I don’t really intend to go through what I went through last year  when it gave out on me after the first two day of training camp.”

“You can do stuff to prevent that, that’s to make sure your quad muscles are strong.”

“Let’s put it this way, I really had no time not to produce. If I wanted to play and get some ice time … when you pronounce yourself healthy to play, you have to go out there and be a factor, and even though it was like a roller coaster, up and down, I still scored some goals, put up some points, so it’s something that I was hoping for, to get an opportunity like that, because it could have gone the other way as well. Maybe I would have to tell you there’s no chance I would be back.”