Rangers Report Blog

(Ed. note: Eric Nova writes his own Rangers blog which you can see at http://www.ericnyr.blogspot.com)

Thoughts:

1. Teams with lots of highly skilled and speedy players have proven to be very dangerous to the Rangers. NYR’s grinding and fore-checking game is a great thing when run right. There were glimpses of that last night, but not enough. The problem is when the NYR play skilled teams like the Pens; they tend to get pushed away from their game and don’t control the puck enough. When the NYR set the tone of the game with a physical start they tend to control the game. This could be a big problem in the playoffs depending on matchups.


2. We have to ask whether the team as currently constituted would beat the Penguins in a seven game series. Do their playmakers trump our grit and goaltending? Malkin is one of those guys who can take over a series. Do the Rangers have that? Hard to say. In theory, Gabby is that guy. But one worries if he has the strength, durability to dominate game after game, series after series. You have no doubt about that with Malkin. He is simply a beast. I am not saying we can’t or won’t beat them. But they have won two in a row, including a dominant game in MSG. Unlike the Flyers and Bruins, the Blueshirts are not in the Pens’ heads.


3. 3. Give Marc-Andre Fleury the Academy Award for best theatrical goalie!!! First, he acts like he has made highlight saves on none too difficult shots. He has these exaggerated flourishes after making glove saves like he snared a guided missile out of the air. Add to this his sell-it acting job leading to goalie interference and it is fitting this game was a week before The Oscars. That said, he played a very strong game. He was quick, didn’t give up rebounds, he seemed to see everything. Give credit where it is due but please, stop with the theatrics. By the way, how out of control is this goaltender interference penalty now? …the league has to address it in the off season…they are treating goalies like they are all Golden Boy Tom Bradys.


4. Anisimov played very well again. He was even able at time to slow Malkin when they were paired. He showed grit all night and was more physical than usual. Since that debacle of a 17-game stretch in the middle of the season, he has picked up his play with 7 points in his last 8 games and 4 goals. Where was this AA from the start? He may be playing himself out of a trade.


5. PP continues to be a problem and arguably a liability. True, they did generate some chances, and if Mac buries that shot instead of posting it maybe this game turns around. The puck control is better but it’s always to the outside, and passes and shots continue to be a split second too late. Add to this the absence of a net presence to screen the goalie, no bomber from the blue line and it spells trouble with a capital T. Of course, this is hardly a new area of concern but in a tight game when you give up a PP goal and go 0 for 3 on the PP, that‘s all she wrote.


6. The King played yet another stellar game. Needless to say he has been nothing short of amazing this season and always comes up big in these types of games; however the continued pressure from Pittsburgh was too much to handle. Hank seemed to be very downcast in the postgame, reflecting on what he described as breakdowns in his technique at times, offering that he was fighting the puck in the second but felt more on his game in the third. The guy is his toughest critic and you gotta love that he never seems satisfied. Now, if he could only start handling the puck better! Speaking of Hank, have you ever seen Torts pull him with two minutes left? I liked the move, but it seemed out of character.


7. The progression of Michael Del Zotto continues to be apparent. He has been great in jumping into the play and reading when to do so. No question he made a dumb play leading to the first goal with what Torts called a “dumb” backhand flipper. Bad enough on its own but when his defense partner had also jumped up and both were at the end of the shift, it was poor judgment. But hey, the guy has been a force and let’s be honest, who among us thought he would be one of the top plus/minus guys in the league, and such a good playmaker? Good to see that Torts coupled his “dumb” comment with one noting that MDZ has been great all year. No need to drill the guy for one poor play. In fact, one could argue that it was Brad Richards’ pinch, or whatever that slide was, which really opened that play up and turned it into a goal.


8. After the embarrassment against the Hawks (who, mind you, have won four in a row) and the almost humiliation against the Jackets, coupled with this loss, is there cause for concern in Blueshirt Land? Well, the easy answer is there is always cause for concern in Blueshirt Land but the truth is this was not a blowout, we ran into a goalie playing what Dave Maloney said was his best game of the year, and we did have chances. Worth noting this was game 9 in 17 days against some pretty tough opponents, and it was on the road against an inconsistent but elite level team (I do not want to imagine how good these guys will be if and when Sid returns although I will say Geno plays better w\o the Kid.). That said, there are no softies in this league and you only need to look at the Devils to see how quickly a team can rise or fall.


9. What does Sather do now? It is clear to me that some added fire power is needed. Does he go for it all this season or continue on the current path of internal growth?


10. The penalty on Marc Staal was questionable at best.  Bottom line is it led to a goal and effectively ended the game. The team really needed to clamp down and kill that one.


11. How much do you want Jordan Staal on the Rangers in two years or less? That guy played with an edge and with skill. I say unite all the Staal brothers on Broadway. A man can dream can’t he?

***********************************
Eric’s Three Rangers Stars
1) Artem Anisimov.
2) Henrik Lundqvist.
3) Brian Boyle.

***********************************

AP photos, above.

From the Rangers:

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
February 21, 2012 (Game 58, Away Game 30)
CONSOL Energy Center — Pittsburgh, PA

1st   2nd   3rd   OT   Final
New York Rangers                 0      0        0       –      0
Pittsburgh Penguins              0      2        0       –      2

Team Notes:

-        The Rangers were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-0, tonight at CONSOL Energy Center, and are now 9-3-1 in their last 13 games.

-       New York has posted a record of 38-15-5 (81 pts) on the season, including a 19-8-3 mark on the road.

-       Tonight’s loss snapped a five-game winning streak for New York in Pittsburgh, dating back to a 3-2 overtime win on Feb. 12, 2010.

-       New York currently holds a nine-point lead over Boston for first place in the Eastern Conference standings, and own a nine-point lead over New Jersey for first in the Atlantic Division.

-       The Rangers out-hit the Penguins, 30-18, and were credited with 14 blocked shots in the contest.

Player Notes:

-       Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves and is now 28-12-4 overall, including a 14-6-2 mark on the road this season.  He is now 8-2-0 with a 1.29 GAA, .953 Sv% and three shutouts in his last 10 games.

-       Brandon Dubinsky was credited with a game-high, seven hits and registered three shots in 16:21 of ice time in the contest.  He ranks fourth on the team with 152 hits on the season.

-       Brian Boyle registered six hits and three shots on goal in 14:53 of ice time.  He ranks second on the team with 170 hits on the season.

-       Marc Staal and John Mitchell tied for the game-high with three blocked shots in the contest.

-       Derek Stepan led the team with eight faceoff wins in 12 attempts (67%), and logged 19:51 of ice time.

Team Schedule:

-       After an off-day tomorrow, the Blueshirts’ next practice is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, at MSG Training Center.

-       The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the New York Islanders on Friday, Feb. 24, at Nassau Coliseum (7:00 p.m.), in the first game of a back-to-back set.  The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.

Game 58.

Ya boys on a one-game winning streak, 5-1 in their last six, 9-2-1 in their last 12, 21-6-1 in their last 28.

They are 2-1 against the Ice Birds, losing 4-1 at MSG on Jan. 19.

The Penguins—minus Sidney Crosby (update coming soon, no doubt)—have lost two of three. Their piece of clarke Matt Cooke skated this morning, though he’s nursing some sort of injury, the pile of carcillo. Brooks Orpik is out.

Ruslan Fedotenko is a game-time decision for the Rangers. Otherwise, either Stu Bickel or Wojtek Wolski will play, and the other will likely be prucha’d with Jeff Woywitka.

Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Did you know the Staals are related?

Pre-game notes courtesy of the NYR:

NEW YORK RANGERS at PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7:00 p.m.
CONSOL Energy Center — Pittsburgh, PA
Rangers: 38-14-5 (81 pts)
Penguins: 33-21-5 (71 pts)

• All information through NHL games on Feb. 19

  TONIGHT’S GAME
  The Rangers will face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center (7:00 p.m.; TV: MSG Network; Radio: 1050 ESPN Radio). The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, and rank third in the league overall, with a record of 38-14-5 (81 pts). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in overtime on Sunday at Madison Square Garden for their fifth win in six games, and are now 9-2-1 in their last 12 games. The Blueshirts are 21-6-1 in their last 28 contests, dating back to Dec. 17, and have registered at least one point in 38 of their last 49 games since Oct. 29 (35-11-3) after beginning the season with a 3-3-2 mark. The Penguins enter the contest with a 33-21-5 (71 pts) record to rank sixth in the Eastern Conference, and have lost two of their last three games. Following the contest, the Rangers will face-off against the New York Islanders on Friday, Feb. 24, at Nassau Coliseum (7:00 p.m.), in the first game of a back-to-back set.

  RANGERS vs. PENGUINS:

• All-Time: 117-98-23-8 overall (65-47-9-3 at home; 52-51-14-5 on the road)
• 2011-12: Tonight is the fourth of six meetings this season, and the second of three at CONSOL Energy Center. New York is 2-1-0 overall (1-1-0 at home; 1-0-0 on the road) following a 4-1 loss on Jan. 19 at MSG. The Rangers are 2-10 (20.0%) on the power play, and 9-10 (90.0%) with one shorthanded goal on the penalty kill in three games. Brad Richards leads the team with two goals and four points, and Henrik Lundqvist is 2-1-0 with a 2.34 GAA and .930 Sv% in the series.
• Last Season: New York was 4-1-1 overall (1-1-1 at home; 3-0-0 on the road). The Rangers power play was 7-22 (31.8%) in the season series, while the penalty kill was 20-22 (90.9%). New York out-scored Pittsburgh, 21-15, including a 10-4 margin in the third period and overtime. Ryan Callahan led the Rangers with five goals, nine points, four power play goals and three game-winning goals in six games, while Brandon Dubinsky tallied a team-high, six assists in the season series. Henrik Lundqvist was 4-1-1 with a 2.29 GAA and .926 Sv%.
• The Rangers have registered at least one point in nine of their last 11 meetings with the Penguins, posting a record of 7-2-2 over the span
• The Blueshirts have won four of their last five games against the Penguins, having out-scored Pittsburgh, 18-13, during the streak
• New York ranks second with a 19-7-3 (41 pts) record on the road; Pittsburgh ranks 11th with a 17-8-2 (36 pts) mark at home
• The Rangers are 11-3-1 vs. the Atlantic Division; the Penguins are 7-7-0 vs. the Atlantic Division
• New York lists two former Penguins on their roster: Ruslan Fedotenko (2008-09 – 2009-10); Mike Rupp (2009-10 – 2010-11)
• Pittsburgh lists one former Ranger on their roster: Pascal Dupuis (2006-07)

(more…)

Thoughts:

1) On the Michael Del Zotto non-goal … I understand that the replay everybody saw on TV and in MSG was with the unofficial scoreboard clock. The NHL situation room in Toronto and/or the replay judge (John Damante in this case) in the arena, has the actual official clock burned into their video replay.  They should absolutely show the official video replay to the arena crowd. No reason to not do that. But this is the NHL, where offending teams get to choose whether they will kill a 5-on-3 or a four-minute 5-on-4, where cross-checks to the head are punished by a one-game suspension and elbows to the face are punished by couch-change fines, and where losers are awarded points just about every night.

2) It’s worth noting that Columbus got jacked out of a point when the clock stuttered in Los Angeles, apparently freezing for a second, and the Kings scored with .4 left earlier this month.

3) Say what you want about the way the game went, but a lot of Rangers played well, and you have to admit the Rangers almost always seem to respond … whether it be from a loss like that one to Chicago Thursday, or from a late goal to “We don’t want you” Rick Nash late in the third period, or whatever. Henrik Lundqvist spoke about it in the post-game interview a couple of threads down. It’s a pretty cool characteristic of this team, and it has become an absolute strength. Something that could/should serve them well if they make the playoffs (kidding).

4) Given that I already said a lot of players played well, I thought a few guys passed up shots when they had them and instead chose to pass … including that give-and-go with Brad Richards created by Carl Hagelin’s speed. And they missed the net high a lot, though one of those high misses hit the glass and ended up in the Artem Anisimov goal.

5) And if we’re going to praise him when he does well—to the dismay of some who don’t appreciate the guys who do the heavy lifting—we have to point out when he doesn’t. I’m pretty sure Brian Boyle cleanly lost two draws that ended up behind Henrik Lundqvist.

6) The power play. Despite the people screaming “SHOOT!” from the moment the player sat down in the penalty box, the 5-on-3 didn’t get anything of note to the net, and the 5-on-4 was mildly better. I am one who sometimes thinks “shot” on the 5-on-3 is a bad thing, especially a shot that could be blocked or misses the net. How about that first PP unit on the first PP: Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Brandon Dubinsky, John Mitchell and Anisimov? I know, it’s at the point where you pretty much try anything. … but …

7) People in MSG were actually cheering when they showed Jeremy Lin in a promo on the big screen. I don’t recall that happening since the Starks-Ewing days, if then; though it used to be cool when Anthony Mason came into hockey games wearing a Rangers jersey. The atmosphere in the building was pretty good. It amazes me how it varies from game to game, regardless of the opponent sometimes. You would think this would be a silent night, and it wasn’t.

8) I know it’s been mentioned before, but Glen Sather was Edmonton’s GM when Scott Howson was the GM of the Oilers’ minor league team. Just sayin’.

9) Here is the column I wrote for The Journal News and LoHud.com on the Rangers’ craving for Rick Nash … and though I’m not sure it’s the right move or the wrong move, I think it’s going to be a full-court press to get him. And I think the Rangers, right now, this year, will be a much better team for it; and for the next little while. People a lot smarter than me will have to figure out the salary cap implications later on.

10) Nash looks like a very good player on a very bad team to me.

****************************************
My Three Rangers Stars:
1) Michael Del Zotto.
2) Derek Stepan.
3) Ryan Callahan.
**************************************** 

AP photos, above.

Guys, I already have a volunteer to review tomorrow’s game. Thank you to all who offered.

 

 

Courtesy of the NYR:

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
February 19, 2012 (Game 57, Home Game 28)
Madison Square Garden — New York, NY

                                                 1st   2nd   3rd   OT   Final
Columbus Blue Jackets        0      1        1       0      2
New York Rangers                 1      1        0       1      3

Team Notes:

-       The Rangers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in overtime tonight at Madison Square Garden for their fifth win and the last six games, and are now 9-2-1 in their last 12 games.

-       New York has posted a record of 38-14-5 (81 pts) on the season, including a 19-7-2 mark at home.

-       Tonight’s win was the Rangers’ first against the Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden since a 7-4 victory on Nov. 23, 2009.

-       New York increased their lead over Boston atop the Eastern Conference standings to nine points, and are now within three points of Detroit for first in the league overall.

-       The Blueshirts’ 19-7-2 (40 pts) mark at MSG is their best start at home through 28 games since 1995-96 (19-3-6, 44 pts).

-       The Rangers’ .711 win% through 57 games is the team’s best start in 39 years, when the 1972-73 Blueshirts began the season with a 38-14-5 record (.711 win%), and is tied as the second best start in franchise history.

-       With the win, Head Coach John Tortorella registered his 132nd victory as Rangers’ head coach to move past Herb Brooks into sole possession of sixth place on the Rangers’ all-time coaching wins list.

Player Notes:

-       Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves to improve to 28-11-4 overall, including a 14-6-2 mark at home.  He is now 8-1-0 with a 1.20 GAA, .955 Sv% and three shutouts in his last nine games.

-       Derek Stepan recorded the game-winning goal 22 seconds into overtime, and was credited with three takeaways in 20:29 of ice time to earn third star honors.  He has now tallied seven points (two goals, five assists) in the last eight games.  The goal was Stepan’s first career overtime game-winning goal.

-       Brad Richards notched the game’s opening goal at 17:49 of the first period and registered five shots on goal in 20:56 of ice time.  He has now tallied six points (two goals, four assists) in the last six games.

-       Artem Anisimov tallied a goal and registered three shots on goal in 18:00 of ice time to earn second star honors.  He has now recorded seven points (four goals, three assists) in the last eight games, and the Rangers improved to 16-2-2 when he tallies a point.

-       Michael Del Zotto tallied two assists, including the primary assist on Stepan’s overtime, game-winning goal, was credited with three takeaways and posted a game-high, plus two rating in a team-high, 25:14 of ice time.  He has now recorded nine points (two goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games, including six assists in the last six contests.

-       Marian Gaborik registered an assist on Stepan’s overtime, game-winning goal, and recorded five shots on goal in 21:16 of ice time.  The assist was Gaborik’s 50th point of the season, marking the seventh time in his 11-year career, and second time in three seasons as a Ranger, he has reached that plateau.

-       Carl Hagelin tallied the primary assist on Richards’ first period goal and logged 19:09 of ice time.  He has now recorded 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in the last 14 games.

-       Dan Girardi recorded an assist and was credited with a game-high, four blocked shots in the contest.  It is the 11th time this season Girardi has recorded four or more blocked shots in a game.

-       John Mitchell registered an assist on Anisimov’s goal at 13:13 of the second period.  Mitchell is now two games shy of 200 career NHL appearances.

-       Ryan Callahan registered a game-high, six shots on goal, was credited with three hits and logged 22:34 of ice time to capture first star honors.

Post-Game Quotes:

-       John Tortorella on tonight’s game…
“I thought we got underneath the hash marks and forechecked, kept the puck and developed some scoring chances.  We played better territorially than we have the past couple of games and hopefully we can build off of it.”

-       Ryan Callahan on tonight’s game…
“They’re a talented team, they’ve got a lot of skill up front. They came at us pretty hard.  I thought Mason played well in net.  Anything could happen any night in this league, and every team is good, so it was important for us to come in and take this seriously and I thought we did that.  I think we wanted to focus on our start.”

-       Marc Staal on tonight’s game…
“They have been playing some pretty good hockey. We knew coming in that they would be playing hard in the back-to-back. We wanted to come out with a good start like we did and I felt like we continued to play hard. We got in a little penalty trouble but other than that I felt like we did a pretty good job for 60 plus (minutes).”

-       Michael Del Zotto on the game-winning goal…
“I put it out front to Step (Derek Stepan), it squeezed out to Gaby (Marian Gaborik) and he made a great play faking the shot and (Steve) Mason came all the way out. Step put himself in a great spot and I slid it over to him and it was an empty net. It was great puck movement.”

Team Schedule:

-       The Blueshirts’ practice schedule for tomorrow, Feb. 20, is 12:00 p.m. at MSG Training Center.

-       The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at CONSOL Energy Center (7:00 p.m.), in an Atlantic Division match-up.  The game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.

John  Tortorella:

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Henrik Lundqvist:

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Ryan Callahan:

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Michael Del Zotto:

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Derek Stepan:

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Game 57.

Rick Nash in the house … a Blue Jacket for the time being. Vinny Prospal and Fedor Tyutin here, too. Can you believe Columbus has only been here four times since its inception.

Ya boys on a one-game losing streak, 4-1 in the last five and 20-6-1 in their last 27. Haven’t lost two in a row since Dec. 13-15, and have lost two in a row in regulation only one other time this season.

Henrik Lundqvist back in goal. Same lineup otherwise, which means Stu Bickel up on the wing and Wojtek Wolski and Jeff Woywitka are prucha’d. Ruslan Fedotenko skated today, but there’s no update on his condition.

The Blue Jackets are playing better, though maybe not as well as Nash seems to think (hear the pre-gamer in the thread below). They’ve won four of seven, and were bombed by Chicago 6-1 at home Saturday after beating the Blues earlier in the week.

Keep an eye on Nash tonight … because I think there’s a really good chance he’ll be switching from jackets to shirts, if you know what I mean, by next Monday. Also keep an eye on mini-enforcer and Jackets alternate captain Derek Dorsett (175 penalty minutes) who fought Chicago’s John Scott, giving away eight or nine inches and about 80-90 pounds, Saturday.

 

 

Columbus’ Rick Nash was mobbed by the New York media outside the Blue Jackets’ lockerroom before the game. He answered questions, but didn’t really say much.

Rick Nash:

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The NHLPA has posted its players poll. You can see it here.

In it, Henrik Lundqvist is voted the hardest goalie on whom to score (though not in proper English). Marian Gaborik is voted the best skater and the fastest skater.

John Tortorella is voted the most demanding coach, and is in the top five coaches for whom players most would like to play. Imagine? Yeah, that’s what I’ve been telling youse.