No blueline in Tampa? Goaltending controversy in Ottawa?
Thus far, the New York Rangers free agent signings are already paying dividends.
UFA defenceman pickup Wade Redden opened the scoring for the Rangers, and Scott Gomez potted the game winner to complete the 2 game sweep against the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 yesterday afternoon, drawing a close to their European road trip.
The Tampa Bay Lighntning, who were extremely active during the off-season neglected to focus on improving their defense, and most critics pointed out that as a major concern. In their first two matches of the season, the Lightning have allowed nearly 80 shots on net. On the positive side, Tampa has upgraded their goaltending with the tandem of Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig. The pair allowed only 4 goals over the weekend, however, continuing to face 40 shots an evening will require a Luongian effort...
Speaking of goaltending.... have the Ottawa Senators found a keeper in backup Alex Auld? Auld made 30 saves yesterday to help the Senators to a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins and return from their European trip with a split. Auld's performance may give coach Craig Hartsburg something to think about as he clearly provided better support in net than Martin Gerber did a night earlier. Keep an eye on this one... and you may want to pickup Auld for your fantasy roster. Sens forward Dany Heatley had a great weekend collecting three goals against the Penguins, all on the powerplay.
Markus Naslund scored in his debut as a New York Ranger yesterday, to help lift his new club to a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Ligntning. The game which marked the beginning of the NHL season was played in Prague, Czech Republic.
The Rangers badly outshot the Lightning throughout the game, but were stoned by Tampa Bay netminder Mike Smith (the featured acquisition for the Lightning in the Brad Richards trade last February) who made 39 saves on the game. Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky scored a power play goal with roughly 5 minutes remaining in the game to seal the victory. The second part of the 2 game set will be played today at noon EST.
While goaltending was the strength for the Tampa Bay Lightning it is still a question mark in Ottawa. The Senators fell 4-3 in overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins who were playing their opener up North in Stockholm, Sweden. Ottawa goaltender Martin Gerber failed to provide the confidence in net that his club was looking for and let in several soft goals including the overtime winner that was deposited by Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy (worth a fantasy look, as he's riding shotgun to Malkin for the time being... he scored two including the game winner yesterday). The Penguins and Senators will meet again later this afternoon to conclude their two game matchup.
Jaromir Jagr officially signed a two year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Russian CHL today, effectively ending his Hall of Fame NHL career.
As a Ranger fan, all I can do is wish him the best. I want to thank him for his play, his passion, and bringing the New York Rangers back to a place of respectability not only within the NHL, but the entire sports world.
The Jaromir Jagr era appears to be over in New York, as the Rangers have moved on and signed unrestricted free agent winger Markus Naslund to a two year deal worth $8 million. Jagr's inability to make a decision on his playing future and GM Glen Sather's lack of patience to wait for him to make up his mind forced the Rangers to pursue other alternatives. The Rangers also signed defenceman Dmitir Kalinin to a one year deal.
The San Jose Sharks prepared for life after Brian Campbell by signing veteran defenceman Rob Blake to a one year deal worth $5 million.
The Montreal Canadiens signed tough guy Georges Laraque to a three year deal worth $4.5 million. The Habs also signed buy-out casualty goaltender Marc Denis to a one year deal.
July 1st is always a date to look forward to on the NHL calendar as it usually brings with it the feeling of hope, new beginnings and excitement, and after October those same notions more often than not, rapidly become unfulfilled expectations, let-downs, and bitter dissapointment. This summer obviously has brought us more of the same.
The Detroit Red Wings obviously made the biggest news this week, with their short-term marriage with free agent prize Marian Hossa. Hossa who was a singular thorn in their side in the Stanley Cup Final while facing off against them as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins was difficult to overlook. Similarly, Hossa saw the team that dispatched him and his new team mates an easy path to winning and getting his name on the Stanley Cup. The Pittsburgh Penguins are apparently upset with the manner in which Hossa has quickly switched sides and joined the enemy, and one could hardly blame them. However, the Penguins have just finished locking up superstar winger Evgeni Malkin, defenceman Brooks Orpik, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to long-term deals that will keep the franchise moving in the right direction. They also picked up forwards Miroslav Satan, and Ruslan Fedotenko to plug the gaps left by Hossa, Malone, and Ruutu. Wouldn't it be ironic if the Penguins and Red Wings meet once again in the Stanley Cup finals this year... and this time around the Penguins come out on top? Or perhaps it would be poetic.
The Chicago Blackhawks landed defenceman Brian Campbell, the top blueline free agent to a multi-year deal in the $70 million range. They also signed free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet to a long term deal worth roughly $5 million per year. A curious move that could foreshadow the trade of current goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Otherwise the Hawks will be carrying over $10 million in salary for their goaltending tandem. Either way the Blackhawks should be fighting for a playoff berth next season, as they had already made tremendous strides last year thanks in large part to the youth of their club, specifically Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
The Edmonton Oilers made some big moves that should also have them battling for playoff contention as well. The Oil went the trade route and acquired star winger Erik Cole from the Carolina Hurricanes and defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky. With Visnovsky and Souray on the powerplay, the Edmonton Oilers will be a scary squad to take penalties against... although there have been some Souray trade rumors swirling. Edmonton is also on the Jaromir Jagr watch, and has apparently tendered the big winger a contract offer.
The New York Rangers brought free agent defenceman Wade Redden to the Big Apple for a modest sum of $6.5 million a year over the next years and re-signed defenceman Michal Rosival to a 4 year deal worth $20 million. Redden had an awful season last year in Ottawa, but then again, so did everyone else on the Senators. GM Glen Sather is banking on Redden rediscovering his game... I hope he's right. The Rangers also acquired Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. Jackets fans, you will enjoy Tyutin's play, and as for Backman... well you will enjoy Tyutin's play. The Rangers bid farewell to UFA pest Sean Avery who fled South to Dallas where he signed the multi-year deal he was looking for at nearly $4 million a season, and unfortunately may have also disrespected Jaromir Jagr enough to see him in another jersey next year, or maybe even another country.
The Washington Capitals picked up goaltender Jose Theodore for $9 million over the next pair of seasons, and locked up their stud blueliner Mike Green for $21 million over the next 4 years.
The New Jersey Devils welcomed former Devils Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back into the fold. Holik signed a one year deal worth $2.5 million and Rolston for $20.25 over the next four seasons. The Devils also re-signed Jay Pandolfo for $7.5 million over 3, and defenceman trade deadline pickup Bryce Salvador for $11.6 million for the next 4 years. I like what the Devils have done, and they are apparently still looking for more scoring and testing the waters on a few of the B-list wingers still available.
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed everyone. I kid you not. Forward Ryan Malone signed for $31.5 million for the next 7 years, and former Pens teammates Gary Roberts and Adam Hall followed suit by joining the Lightning. Tampa Bay signed forward Radim Vrbata for $9 million over the next three, and goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a one year deal worth $1.5 million. The new ownership has come out swinging, and stacked the forward lines, but they haven't addressed their blueline yet, and rumors are circling their one big gun in the back Dan Boyle. Regardless of what happens, the offensive corps will be a formidable one and this team doesn't look to be repeating last season where they finished in last place.
For an up to the minute look at all the transactions occurring in the NHL, check out the TSN Free Agent Tracker, as there is certainly much more to come.
The two big fish still remain unsigned. Former Toronto Maple Leaf Mats Sundin, and former New York Ranger Jaromir Jagr. Both have already recieved lucrative deals, but both players have their own sticking points. Jagr is looking for more than one year, and Sundin is not sure if wants to continue playing. Both seem content to wait the summer out now and take time before making a final decision. The Vancouver Canucks reportedly offered Sundin a $20 million contract for 2 years, which would make him the highest paid player in the league, and he is rumored to also have recieved very competitive offers from the Habs and Rangers as well. It is looking more and more like he will either retire, or eventually rejoin the Leafs. As the summer rolls on, most teams will have to make decisions on their rosters long before he makes up his mind. The Leafs will most likely be the only club with the cap space available to sign him in August. For Montreal and Vancouver to gamble on waiting for him, could be disastrous. Jagr has a 3 year deal from a Russian club waiting for him at $35 million tax-free. I could hardly blame him for taking it. There are also reports that the Penguins are trying to lure him back to Steel-town. No matter where they end up, I do hope that both continue to play in the NHL. It would be a shame to see them retire.
Have a Happy 4th of July everyone! Remember to keep your beards away from the fuse.
The Philadelphia Flyers hung on to defeat the Montreal Canadiens last 3-2... barely. The Montreal Canadiens mounted a furious comeback, and in the final moments of the third, pounded the Flyers with shots but were unable to solve goaltender Martin Biron for the second straight game.
Biron helped the Flyers climb back into the series on Saturday and last night helped them take a 2-1 series lead. Unfortunately for Habs goalie Carey Price, for every action there is an equal yet opposite reaction. Price was yanked in favor of back up Jaroslav Halak after surrendering the third goal to the Flyers.
Aside from this series, the rest of the games in this round are very one sided.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have dominated the New York Rangers in the first two games of their series. The Rangers blew a commanding three goal lead Friday night and fell to the Penguins 5-4. On Sunday, they tightened up, and were shutout by Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. I can't say enough good things about this club right now. They overcome adversity, they play good team defense, and they have made Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist look ordinary. They have yet to lose thus far in the post season, and really look like a team of destiny right now.
Now for the bad. While I appreciate the effort, Sidney Crosby's playoff beard (term used very loosely) is undescribable. While teammates Ryan Malone, and Marian Hossa have brought the Beardgame, Crosby.... well he just can't. I will never take anything away from him as a player, but I have found his flaw. Pittsburgh fans.... we have found the new Jeff Friesen. Officer Crosby... the donuts are on us.
I got some crap for my opinion on Joe Thornton last week, and my belief that he is not a big time playoff performer. Two games, 1 assist, two losses. The man has all the skills and tools necessary to carry this club to the promised land, but for some reason fails to do so, or at least has so far. On the positive side, the man does wield a formidable playoff beard... hopefully that facial magnificence will one day translate to Stanley Cup glory. The Dallas Stars look amazing. After knocking of the reigning Stanley Cup Champs, they look poised to easily dispatch the Stanley Cup favorite San Jose Sharks. They bring a 2-0 series lead back to Dallas tomorrow night. Marty Turco is the man.... and he is finally getting his due..... take a page from his playbook Joe.
The sleeping giant has awoken in Detroit. After an amazing regular season, the Detroit Red Wings were tested in round 1 by the Nashville Predators, but now head to Denver with a 2-0 series lead, and look to continue their dominance over an injury depleted Colorado Avalanche lineup. The Red Wings have brought Avs goaltender Jose Theodore back down to earth and have made him look like the Theodore of old (not the MVP old Theodore... last years Rogaine Junkie Theodore). Rumors are abound that back up goaltender (formerly number one) Peter Budaj may start game 3 for the Avs. There is also a chance that Forsberg may return from the groin injury that has hampered him this round. Either way, the Avs better pulll something out of their hats.
The New Jersey Devils got an early 1-0 lead off a Brian Gionta goal early in the first period and looked to take game 6 in commanding fashion. The New York Rangers immediately responded by scoring less than half a minute later to tie it 1-1 on a goal by Michal Rozsival, and captain Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez added two more in the first.
Rangers forward Chris Drury added to the lead in the second to give them a 4-1 lead. The Devils rallied to bring the defecit within 1 goal, but the Rangers refused to relinquish the lead. They even survived a John Madden penalty shot that was stopped by Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
An empty net insurance score from Brandon Dubinsky and some late game heroics from Ryan Callahan (he single-handedly ate precious time from the clock battling for the puck behind the Devils net against a pair of Devils defencemen) were all the Rangers needed to take the 5-3 win, and close out the round 1 series in 5 games.
The Rangers now wait along with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the outcome of the Montreal / Boston series, and the Washington / Philadelphia series to find out who their second round counterparts will be.
Detroit takes 3-2 series lead
The Detroit Red Wings benched starting goaltender Dominik Hasek in favor of Chris Osgood and the gamble payed off. The Nashville Predators tied the game late on a goal by Radek Bonk to force overtime, however the Wings halted their attempted comeback early in extra time on a game winning goal by Johan Franzen and won the game 2-1. The Red Wings now lead the series 3-2.
Anaheim Ducks stay alive, force game 6
The longer this series goes on, the more it will get into Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco. Although I think he shed the monicker of playoff goat last season during their first round playoff exit at the hands of Vancouver ( I know that sounds like an odd declaration, but Turco was amazing in that series, and had 3 shutouts versus the Canucks) I"m sure there is still a small doubt somewhere in his head. The Ducks fired 31 shots at Turco and got goals from Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf and the returning Corey Perry who started the scoring. The Ducks defeated the Stars 5-2 and prevented Dallas from closing out the series. If Dallas doesn't win game 6, they will lose this series. Dallas currently holds the 3-2 series lead.
Quick Shave:
We could have a very interesting day today. Three series could come to a conclusion today.... or we could have ourselves of handful of game 7's. Nice!
Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Matinee matchup as the Flyers will look to closeout the Capitals in Washington this afternoon. The Flyers lead the series 3-1.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
The Montreal Canadiens will look to bounce back after a lopsided loss to the Bruins in game 5, and advance to the second round as they visit the Bruins tonight. The Habs lead the series 3-2.
San Jose Sharks vs. Calgary Flames
The San Jose Sharks finally began showing some playoff chops late in this series and will look to put the Flames out tomorrow in Calgary. The Sharks lead the series 3-2.
Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Wild will look to force a game 7 tonight as they visit the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center this evening. The Avs can finish off the Wild and move onto round 2 with a win. The Avalanche lead the series 3-2.
The NHL deemed New York Rangers forward Sean Avery's actions during their 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils to be unsportsmanlike. Thus if he or any other player screen a goaltender in a manner similar to what you see above, they will recieve a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and enjoy two minutes of luxurious rest and relaxation in the sin bin.
The New Jersey Devils climbed back into the playoffs with a deflected John Madden shot turned game winner last night, and now trail the Rangers 2 -1 in the series.
The Washington Capitals experienced a lot of firsts last night. The franchise first playoff appearance in the post lock-out era and the first playoff game for many of it's participants.
The Capitals enjoyed an early lead, then entered the third period down 4-2 by two goal games from Philadelpia Flyers Daniel Briere, and Vaclav Prospal. For the most part, the Flyers were able to shut down Alexander Ovechkin, keeping him without a shot in the game till the third period. Big players do big things in big spots. With roughly 4 minute remaining in the game, Ovechkin potted the eventual game winner, giving the Capitals the 5-4 win, and the 1-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers.
For the Flyers this loss may be devestating. They did everything right and still couldn't come away with a victory. Keeping Ovechkin from being productive, and also buidling a two goal lead going in to the third period should have been keys to a win. The Flyers should perhaps spend time trying to take Washington Capitals defenceman Mike Green off his game. Green scored twice last night, and was the leading scoring defenceman during the regular season with 18 goals.
New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers
The Rangers will return home to Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, and take with them a 2-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers defeated the Devils 2-1 last night, the second time in a row, and ninth time this season. Another defensive affair, yet with more scoring opportunities and much more spice. These two clubs don't like each other and it really began to show last night. The game really came down to goaltending once again, with Rangers keeper Henrik Lundqvist coming out on top once again. Lundqvist made 26 saves on the night. Brodeur was solved in the third period once again, mostly due to a bump from his own defenceman Colin White which allowed Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr to deposit the puck on the near side. 23 seconds later, Rangers forward Sean Avery sent a wrist shot through traffic which held up as the eventual game winner.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber made 49 saves but even his performance wasn't enough for the Senators to capture a win. Perhaps because the Senators allowed a total of 54 shots to be fired out their goaltender? The Senators did battle back from a 3-0 defecit to tie the game at 3 goals a piece in the third, but Penguins forward Ryan Malone potted the game winner of the with less than 90 seconds to play in the game and sealed the game with an empty netter a minute later. Penguin Evgeni Malkin had three assists on the night and Peter Sykora scored twice. While the Senators were finally able to get a goal past Fleury (as well as two others), the Ottawa defence seems to be completely overwhelmed with the Penguins offensive corps. They stormed the Sens and had it not been for Gerber, the Pens could have finished the game in the first period where they outshot their opponents 20-8. Game 3 comes to Ottawa Monday night, and their are rumors that captain Daniel Alfredsson could make a return. How effective he would be, is hard to say, but I have to imagine an injured Alfredsson is better than no Alfredsson at all?
Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Minnesota Wild evened their series 1-1 thanks to an overtime score by Wild defenceman Keith Carney to give his club the 3-2 win. Colorado Avalanche forward Peter Forsberg scored his 64th career playoff goal and gave the Avs the 1-0 lead in late in the first period. The Miinnesota Wild finally scored on Avs netminder Jose Theodore in the third. Wild forwards Pavol Demitra and Mikko Koivu scored. Koivu's goal came with less than 2 minutes to play in the game, and looked like it would hold up as the game winner till the Avs Miljan Hejduk scored to force overtime with 44 seconds left in the game. Defenceman Keith Carney prevented the Wild from heading to Denver for game 3 down 2-0 in the series.
Game of the Night:
Nashville at Detroit 2:00 PM
Boston at Montreal 7:00 PM
Dallas at Anaheim 10:00 PM
The Ducks, Bruins and Predators will all attempt to rebound today after some rather lopsided losses in game 1. Especially the Ducks. Enjoy the games!
New York Rangers forward Scott Gomez stung his former club the New Jersey Devils last night by setting up three goals enroute to their Game 1 victory.
The game was a tight affair for most of the evening. Scoreless in the first, the Rangers and Devils traded goals in the second and then New York broke it open in the third and won the game 4-1. Rangers forward Ryan Callahan recorded a short handed score midway through the third that would hold up as the eventual game winner. Sean Avery provided some insurance late in the game and Nigel Dawes sealed the win with an empty netter. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves, and a few brilliant ones that kept the Rangers in the game. Game 2 is Friday night.
Quick Shave:
Talk about role reversal! The Pittsburgh Penguins lit up and shut down the Ottawa Senators last night 4-0 and took game 1 of the series convincly. Penguins goaltender Marc Andre Fleury made 26 saves to record his first career playoff shutout. Pens forward Evgeni Malkin scored a goal and added two helpers, and big surprise Gary Roberts returned, fresh from the IR list to score two goals. The Senators looked like the same team that limped into the playoffs. If they don't right the ship soon, the series will be over very quickly.
Jaromir Jagr scored a pair of power play goals to lead the New York Rangers over the New York Islanders 3-0, and help the club into the post season for the third consecutive season.
Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves to complete his league leading 10th shutout.
Quick Shave:
The Minnesota Wild defeated the Calgary Flames 3-1 on a pair of third period scores from Marion Gaborik to lockup the Northwest Division and third seed in the Western Conference. The Montreal Canadiens ended the Buffalo Sabres playoff hopes by defeating them 3-1 last night. The Washington Capitals defeated Tampa Bay Lightning last night 4-1 and moved into 8th place in the Eastern Conference. Caps forward Alexander Ovechkin had another 2 goal game, scoring his 64th, and 65th of the season, and broke Luc Robataille's single season record for goals by a left wing. The pressure now shifts to the Philadelphia Flyers who sit in 9th place in the Eastern Conference with 2 games remaining. The Caps have one. This should get interesting.
The New York Rangers and their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist have agreed to a long-term contract extension.
The new deal is rumored to be worth $39.5 million over the next 6 years. The Lundqvist signed a one-year contract worth $4.5 million last summer as a bridge till a longer term deal could be reached.
Last year Henrik Lundqvist was a Vezina Trophy finalist, and helped the New York Rangers to the second round of the playoffs where they fell to the Buffalo Sabres. This season he is tied for 6th among goaltender with 24 wins, and is second in the league for shutouts with 8.
The New York Rangers are starting to look pretty good, and I'm actually feeling pretty good about them (granted the last time I rah rah'd them they went on a 4 or 5 game slide). The reason? Larry Brooks is happy.
If you don't know this gentleman, Mr. Brooks is the N.Y. Post's chronicler of all things Rangers, and he has been for eons. His off the wall trade rumors often garner him much publicity around the league, and he is favorite of Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey. Larry Brooks is also without a doubt the angriest sports writer in.... well sports. Imagine the nose bleed seats of Madison Square Garden, prior to 1994, populated with a bunch of seniors 50 years of age and up (my father included), and you will not even touch the level of rage Mr. Brooks has for this Rangers team and organization. When they are playing bad, he let's you know it. When they are playing well, he claims that they can do better.... never positive, always negative, that is Larry Brooks.
Until Today. Either Mr. Brooks began celebrating New Years early, or he is genuinely excited about this club. He gushed over their comeback win last night, 4-3 over the Montreal Canadiens where Brendan Shanahan deposited the game winner in overtime. He's pleased with the performance of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez who both seem to be finding chemistry within the club. Perhaps there are good things to come? Or perhaps Larry won't make it to midnight this evening.
Quick Shave:
There's an old samurai tale that says two warriors met on the field of battle, and stood at a distance from one another. Both men had their swords drawn and stood at the ready for a period of time. FInally, one warrior sheathed his sword, bowwed to his opponent and left the pitch. Why? Because the other warrior had one the fight before it began. Such were the presence of these men, that they could achieve victory with but a stare. Why is this so significant? I watched New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur do the very same thing to Buffalo Sabres forward Thomas Vanek in the shootout Friday night. Vanek was so completely psyched out by Brodeur (he completely stoned the previous two shooters) that he misfired on the way down the ice, and really had lost the shootout before he even left mid ice. Game of the Night:
Pittsburgh at Buffalo 1:00 PM
The outdoor game! I've been watching the Pens and Sabres warming up (in frigid windy weather) all day today on the NHL network. This should be really special tomorrow! Enjoy the games, and have a Happy New Year!
Jaromir Jagr asked Santa for a way to break out of his scoring slump. Being that he wasn't on the naughty list, Ole St. Nick rewarded the New York Rangers with not one but a pair of goals in their 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes last night.
The Rangers returned from their Christmas breaks with a sense of urgency last night, after going into their vacation on a very low note, dropping their final three games. The second period was especially nasty last night, as Rangers forward Colton Orr, levelled former Ranger Matt Cullen, and then threw down with Hurricanes defenceman Mike Commodore (Playoff Beard of the year runner up).
Scott Gomez assisted on both of Jagr's goals last night, and the reunion of this line after a failed early attempt at the beginning of the season appears to be bearing fruit. Gomez now has a 10 game point scoring streak. Henrik Lundqvist was stingy in net most of the night, especially later in the match, and made 20 saves for the win.
What a difference a week can make. It wasn't long ago that all of Leafs Nation was calling for the head of Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson (some may be still...) but now the gang up North has reason to celebrate. The Toronto Maple Leafs won their fourth straight game last night over a very sluggish New York Rangers club 6-2.
The Leafs have been offensively gifted all season, but their play on the defensive side of the puck was lacking. In the past 4 games, their goaltender Vesa Toskala who the club acquired from the San Jose Sharks over the summer has been playing like the number one netminder they had hoped he would be. Leafs forward Nik Antropov recorded his second career NHL Hat Trick, and helped chase New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Mats Sundin also scored in the win.
The Rangers after starting the season with great goaltending and stingy defense have now surrendered 10 goals in their last 2 games. I definitely jinxed them after their win over Ottawa last Saturday... but their is a bright side. Toskala and Antropov are on my fantasy team!
Quick Shave: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier scored again... blah blah blah. This guy is definitely making his bid for the NHL Hart Trophy this year. Lecavalier potted his 19th of the year, and helped the Lightning to a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Newly annointed number one goaltender Carey Price made 24 saves to lift the Montreal Canadiens over the Boston Bruins 4-2 last night. I wonder what kind of goaltending controversy there will be in Montreal if Price goes on a lengthy win streak while incumbent number one Cristobal Huet recovers from his groin pull. Can anyone say trade rumors? Daniel Sedin scored a pair last night as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins tour of Canada continues to roll on with success. The Pens battled back to tie the game late on a short handed goal by Ryan Malone, then went on to defeat the Calgary Flames in an extra round shoot out 3-2. As I write this the Los Angeles Kings have a modest 7-0 lead over the Buffalo Sabres (so far, everyone in a Kings uniform has scored), and my desire to watch the rest of the match.... well it's gone. With my luck, Buffalo will win 8-7.
Statement? Perhaps. However it's no question that both the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators are travelling in opposite directions since last time they met. Yesterday's meeting however was top to bottom controlled by the New York Rangers. The superstars contributed (Brendan Shanahan - 2 goals, Jaromir Jagr - 1 goal, Marcell Hossa - 2 assists, Martin Straka and Scott Gomez 1 assist each, Henrik Lundqvist - 31 saves), and the role players did their jobs, none more so than Colton Orr, the Rangers tough guy who refused to be baited into a fight by Chris McGrattan, or Dany Heatley. The Rangers are beginning to look like the club that most expected them to be after this past summers free agent spending frenzy.
The Ottawa Senators who came out of the gates in October sharp, have looked anything but dropping their sixth straight 5-2 yesterday to the Rangers. They didn't necessarily look flat yesterday, but they do have the hints of a team that has lost their confidence. This is personified by the fact that their strong goaltending provided by Martin Gerber has all but dried up. The great goalies in this league will often be able to weather the storm for their teams if they start slow, and unfortunately Gerber was unable to answer the call. Ray Emery took over for Gerber in the second after he allowed 3 goals on 12 shots, and allowed a goal himself in the second. Ottawa will certainly be questioning it's goaltending over the coming weeks, and unfortunately will be unable to much about it. Gerber's stock has dropped, and his salary makes him unmovable (however a few weeks ago, there may have been a few takers). The Senators are still an incredibly talented team, and I doubt this current slump will continue much longer. Every team faces adversity, it's how they deal with it that matters.
Game of the Night:
Vancouver at Minnesota 6:00 PM
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo has not surrendered a goal in over three games, roughly 193 minutes of perfect hockey. Luongo will look to extend his streak against the Minnesota Wild tonight, and a very hot Marion Gaborik who has scored in three straight games. The Wild and Canucks are tied for the Northwest Division lead, so this is definitely your game of the night. Enjoy the games!
Rick DiPietro has been a Ranger killer this season. In their previous 3 meetings the Rangers fell to the New York Islanders and DiPietro afforded his cross town rivals only 4 goals throughout. The Rangers doubled that figure last night.
Jaromir Jagr has begun to rediscover his scoring touch, potting his second goal in as many games. He also added an assist on a sweet tic tac toe pass to Martin Straka who fed Brandon Dubinsky for the insurance score. Chris Drury also scored a goal and an assist in the Rangers 4-2 win over the Islanders. DiPietro made 27 saves in the loss.
The Rangers now have 30 points and are now tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the Atlantic Division lead. Quick Shave:
Is every Canadian team slumping right now or is it me? The Ottawa Senators, the Calgary Flames, the Toronto Maple Leafs.... what is going on? The Ottawa Senators lost their 5th straight last night in spectacular fashion to the Nashville Predators. The Sens overcame a two goal deficit late in the third period to tie the match 5-5, but got sloppy with less than half a minute to play and allowed Martin Erat to bury the game winner with 22 seconds to play. The Predators won 6-5. The Toronto Maple Leafs managed to take a little heat off of themselves and their highly scrutinized GM John Ferguson (out West currently enjoying the GM meetings) by defeating the Atlanta Thrashers 4-2. The Leafs can be thankful that their win will obviously shift the Canadian media towards their Ottawa neighbors for at least a day.
New York Ranger Scott Gomez visited his old team, in their new building for the first time this season and was greeted.... well, not so warmly. Get used to it. You are going to be hearing that for the next 8 years.
Gomez responded well, scoring two assists, as did the Rangers who won their third game in a row defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Their seventh victory in eight games, and after a sluggish start, have climbed back to within a point of the Atlantic Division leading Philadelphia Flyers.
The Rangers youngsters have been the biggest story so far this season. Rookie defenceman Marc Staal (brother of Eric and Jordan) scored his first NHL goal last night against the Devils. Staal has quickly rounded into form, and as he has matured, the Rangers coaching staff have rewarded him with more ice time. Staal's physical play has also been appearing lately, and although he does make an error from time to time, his confidence is growing. Nigel Dawes and Brandon Dubinsky have also thrived in the lineup. Dubinsky was awarded the golden spot of centering Jaromir Jagr's line, and has two goals since taking the position (worth a fantasy look) including one last night.
New Jersey Devils goalender Martin Brodeur was going for his 500th win for the second time this season last night, and was forced to remain at 499. I find it ironic that he didn't get number 500 last night, as 400 of those 499 wins obviously came at the Rangers expense.
Quick Shave: I used to think Vincent Lecavalier was way overrated. I think I was drunk when I was thinking that, because this guy is special. Lecavalier defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by himself last night (just kidding... kind of) scoring a hat trick and adding to helpers to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to victory 6-1. Impressive. Most Impressive. The Carolina Hurricanes who lost Erik Cole to another neck injury the other night still have a solid hold on the Southeast Division and are just 3 points behind 1st place Ottawa in the East.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Ottawa 7:30 PM
Anyone for a little Eastern Conference Championship rematch? Have these two teams gone in opposite directions since last they've played or what? Ottawa looks unstoppable, and the Sabres... unstartable? This could be the kind of game that snaps them out of the funk. Enjoy the games!
This Thursday, Eric Lindros will make it official and call it a career.
After several injury plagued seasons with the New York Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Dallas Stars, Lindros will finally hang up his skates. Lindros never truly rediscovered the dominance he once exerted on the ice when centering the top line for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 90's. In his 13 year career he was never able to remain healthy enough to play a full season (he came close in New York), but still managed to capture the Hart Trophy in 1995 as the NHL MVP. Injuries unfortunately, most notably a never ending series of concussions kept Lindros from ever achieving his full potential.
In 760 games played, Eric Lindros amassed 856 points (372 goals, 493 assists) and was a +215. He also collected 1398 minutes in penalties. In his 53 playoff appearances, Lindros collected 57 points (24 goals, and 33 assists). It remains to be seen if his numbers will be good enough to garner him Hall of Fame consideration, but he will be difficult to overlook.
As a Ranger fan, I loved to hate him when he was a Flyer, but always enjoyed watching him play. He was one of the most intimidating forces on the ice in his prime. I honestly will miss the 'E' Train.
Quick Shave:
I wanted to send out my congratulations to Coach Al Arbour for coaching his 1500 game for the New York Islanders Saturday night, as well as picking up his 740th victory with the club as they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Garth Snow, Ted Nolan, the New York Islanders, and their fans deserve a huge amount of credit for what they did in honoring Arbour. Miroslav Satan who scored the game winner Saturday night, repeated the effort last night against the New York Rangers topping of a 3 goal third period to lift his club to a 3-2 win. The Ottawa Senators own the NHL right now, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sens won their 13 game of the season over the Leafs 5-2 last night. The Atlanta Thrashers continue to roll on the winning side since Waddell became their head coach defeating the Washington Capitals 2-1 last night in the shootout.
Game of the Night:
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Remember how Sidney Crosby and the Penguins owned the Flyers last season? I believe it was a season sweep. Think the Flyers will be looking for some payback? Tune in and enjoy the games!
The New York Rangers found their defense again (after a rough Saturday night bout with the Maple Leafs) and managed to keep the Tampa Bay Lightning's potent offence from taking over. Holding the Lightning to just 4 shots in the final frame of the game the Rangers powered to a 3-1 win.
Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr took a deflected puck to the mouth during the second period, and lost several teeth as a result. During the third, the Rangers captain capitalized on a power play opportunity and one timed the game winner past Tampa Bay keeper Johan Holmqvist (who was outstanding in the loss stopping 32 pucks on the night). Brendan Shanahan also scored and is now 1 point shy of the 1300 mark for his career. Rangers rookie Nigel Dawes potted his third goal in three games, and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist bounced back to make 21 saves for the victory.
Quick Shave:
The Toronto Maple Leafs returned home after a short and successful road trip and resurrected their no-defense style of play dropping a laugher to the Washington Capitals 7-1. Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin scored 2 goals in the win (among many others who potted their first's of the season) and helped chase Leafs starter Vesa Toskala from net after 4 tallies. Backup Andrew Raycroft fared not much better allowing three more goals. The Dallas Stars were looking to wrap up a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks before the Sharks scored three goals on three consecutive shots late in the third period (the game tying and game winning goals were scored by rookie Devin Setoguchi) to capture a 4-2 win. The Calgary Flames have locked up their star goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff to a long term contract. Last night the Flames announced they had agreed to terms with Kiprusoff on a 6 year deal worth $35 million.
The New York Rangers finally found some offence to match the defence they've been playing over the past three games. That scoring was provided by Rangers rookie Nigel Dawes who potted his first goal of the year in the opening minute of the game.
Dawes followed with his second goal of the season to give the Rangers the 2-0 win over the New Jersey Devils. Henrik Lundgvist made 22 saves for the shut out win ( technically his second of the season, since they lost to the Bruins three games ago in the shootout 1-0) over the Devils who played their final road game and can now look forward to their home opener Saturday at the Rock in Newark.
Really Quick Shave:
The Columbus Blue Jackets.... this team is looking good. Jackets goaltender Pascal Leclaire made 36 saves last night to help his club to the 3-0 win over the St. Louis Blues and to record his 4th shutout of the season. Fourth shutout of the season! If this guy is available in your fantasy leagues, jump all over him! Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash scored for the fifth straight game. This team is obviously buying into whatever Ken Hitchcock is selling. Anyone catch the Zdeno Chara and David Koci fight last night? WHOAH! I thought I was watching 70s wrestling for a minute. Chicago Blackhawks David Koci who went into the scrum with a broken nose from a previous engagement with the Toronto Maple Leafs Wade Belak a week ago accepted a little in game rhinoplasty from Chara, who rebroke and opened up his face. The Boston Bruins went to take the 3-1 win, thanks to a pair by young gun Phil Kessel (who I intelligently left on the bench last night... ARRRRRGH!!!).
Game of the Night:
Montreal at Carolina 7:00 PM
San Jose at Detroit 7:30 PM
Colorado at Calgary 9:00 PM
Is this an evening worth chilling the Labatt Blue's for or what?! What a lineup! Habs and Canes always deliver. San Jose will get to test their mettle against the team that knocked them out of the post season in the Wings, and Calgary will look to get off to a better start than they did the other night when they throw down with the Avs. Enjoy the games!
Not even for $50 million! Two games, 6 periods, 125 minutes, 2 hot goalies..... and tons of question marks. The New York Rangers are looking for answers, and they haven't found any so far this season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stoned the Rangers last night (just a few days after Manny Fernandez of the Bruins did) by stopping all 36 shots he faced. Evgeni Malkin scored the lone goal for the Penguins, helping his club complete the 1-0 shutout victory.
On the positive side (which there are few), the Rangers have tightened up defensively, allowing only 1 goal in regulation over the past two games. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves last night, and has been strong in net for the Rangers this season, but has recieved little to no offensive support..... and before the last two games, little defensive support either. It is probably two early to panic yet, but if things don't turn around dramatically for this club soon, changes will be made, especially for a club that is currently kissing the salary cap ceiling. I'd hate to see it, but with the way things are in professional sports, I find it hard to imagine Coach Tom Renney's job not already being on the clock at this point. Hopefully patience will win out.
The New York Rangers scored on their first shot of the season last night. Rangers defenceman Michal Rozsival scored just 37 seconds into the match against the Florida Panthers.
The Rangers followed that goal by allowing the Florida Panthers to dictate play for the next two periods, and eventually surrendering the lead in the second period on a pair of goals by Panther's Brett McLean, and Nathan Horton (who looked pretty sharp, and should be on your fantasy watch list is he's not already been scooped up).
Seven minutes into the third, the Rangers found their legs again thanks to a goal by forward Petr Prucha, which tied the game at 2 a piece, and minutes later Chris Drury collected a Jagr rebound to pot the eventual game winner. Sophomore Ryan Callahan (although he may still technically be a rookie since he only played a handful of games late last season) scored 12 seconds later, and forward Martin Straka capped the scoring to give the Rangers a 5-2 win.
New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist kept his team in the game by turning aside 27 shots in the game, many coming in the first two periods. The Rangers were actually being outshot 16-6 midway through the second.
Chris Drury had a great debut at the Garden. He scored the game winner and also setup two other scores. The youngsters looked pretty good last night, considering the stage they were on, but for first timers, I would say Brandon Dubinsky, and Marc Staal played well, and with good energy.
Quick Shave:
If you have Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley or Jason Spezza on your fantasy roster this season, you are going to have a great year. Alfredsson, and Heatley both scored (actually Alfie scored two including the game winner) to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 for the second night in a row. Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala was just as successful as his predecessor from the evening before in Andrew Raycroft. Neither could find an answer to stop the Ottawa Senators high powered first line. Vincent Lecavalier started right were he left off last season by scoring two for the Tampa Bay Lightning to help his team defeat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 in their home opener last night. Jason Arnott was also a two goal scorer last night potting a pair in the Nashville Predators 4-0 romp over the Colorado Avalanche last night. Game of the Night
San Jose at Vancouver 10:00 PM
A couple of Stanley Cup favorites square off tonight. Are the Sharks worth the press that's been written about them all pre-season? Is EA Games right?
You know it's gonna be a great season, when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers are already hating on one another. Last night's pre-season matchup in Uniondale, so the cross-town rivals battle more with their fists than with the puck. Over 100 minutes in penalties were awarded to the participants including a pair of game misconducts to the goalies.
Yep, former Playoff Beard of the Month winner and Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro dropped the gloves with young Rangers netminder Al Montoya and gave the crowd some old time hockey. This is gonna be a some series this season. Here's the fight for your viewing pleasure (thanks to Stache for digging this up):
Thus far, the New York Rangers free agent signings are already paying dividends.
Markus Naslund scored in his debut as a New York Ranger yesterday, to help lift his new club to a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Ligntning. The game which marked the beginning of the NHL season was played in Prague, Czech Republic.
Jaromir Jagr officially signed a two year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Russian CHL today, effectively ending his Hall of Fame NHL career.
July 1st is always a date to look forward to on the NHL calendar as it usually brings with it the feeling of hope, new beginnings and excitement, and after October those same notions more often than not, rapidly become unfulfilled expectations, let-downs, and bitter dissapointment. This summer obviously has brought us more of the same.
The Chicago Blackhawks landed defenceman Brian Campbell, the top blueline free agent to a multi-year deal in the $70 million range. They also signed free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet to a long term deal worth roughly $5 million per year. A curious move that could foreshadow the trade of current goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Otherwise the Hawks will be carrying over $10 million in salary for their goaltending tandem. Either way the Blackhawks should be fighting for a playoff berth next season, as they had already made tremendous strides last year thanks in large part to the youth of their club, specifically Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
The New Jersey Devils welcomed former Devils Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back into the fold. Holik signed a one year deal worth $2.5 million and Rolston for $20.25 over the next four seasons. The Devils also re-signed Jay Pandolfo for $7.5 million over 3, and defenceman trade deadline pickup Bryce Salvador for $11.6 million for the next 4 years. I like what the Devils have done, and they are apparently still looking for more scoring and testing the waters on a few of the B-list wingers still available.
The two big fish still remain unsigned. Former Toronto Maple Leaf Mats Sundin, and former New York Ranger Jaromir Jagr. Both have already recieved lucrative deals, but both players have their own sticking points. Jagr is looking for more than one year, and Sundin is not sure if wants to continue playing. Both seem content to wait the summer out now and take time before making a final decision. The Vancouver Canucks reportedly offered Sundin a $20 million contract for 2 years, which would make him the highest paid player in the league, and he is rumored to also have recieved very competitive offers from the Habs and Rangers as well. It is looking more and more like he will either retire, or eventually rejoin the Leafs. As the summer rolls on, most teams will have to make decisions on their rosters long before he makes up his mind. The Leafs will most likely be the only club with the cap space available to sign him in August. For Montreal and Vancouver to gamble on waiting for him, could be disastrous. Jagr has a 3 year deal from a Russian club waiting for him at $35 million tax-free. I could hardly blame him for taking it. There are also reports that the Penguins are trying to lure him back to Steel-town. No matter where they end up, I do hope that both continue to play in the NHL. It would be a shame to see them retire.
The Philadelphia Flyers hung on to defeat the Montreal Canadiens last 3-2... barely. The Montreal Canadiens mounted a furious comeback, and in the final moments of the third, pounded the Flyers with shots but were unable to solve goaltender Martin Biron for the second straight game.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have dominated the New York Rangers in the first two games of their series. The Rangers blew a commanding three goal lead Friday night and fell to the Penguins 5-4. On Sunday, they tightened up, and were shutout by Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. I can't say enough good things about this club right now. They overcome adversity, they play good team defense, and they have made Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist look ordinary. They have yet to lose thus far in the post season, and really look like a team of destiny right now.
I got some crap for my opinion on Joe Thornton last week, and my belief that he is not a big time playoff performer. Two games, 1 assist, two losses. The man has all the skills and tools necessary to carry this club to the promised land, but for some reason fails to do so, or at least has so far. On the positive side, the man does wield a formidable playoff beard... hopefully that facial magnificence will one day translate to Stanley Cup glory. The Dallas Stars look amazing. After knocking of the reigning Stanley Cup Champs, they look poised to easily dispatch the Stanley Cup favorite San Jose Sharks. They bring a 2-0 series lead back to Dallas tomorrow night. Marty Turco is the man.... and he is finally getting his due..... take a page from his playbook Joe.
The sleeping giant has awoken in Detroit. After an amazing regular season, the Detroit Red Wings were tested in round 1 by the Nashville Predators, but now head to Denver with a 2-0 series lead, and look to continue their dominance over an injury depleted Colorado Avalanche lineup. The Red Wings have brought Avs goaltender Jose Theodore back down to earth and have made him look like the Theodore of old (not the MVP old Theodore... last years Rogaine Junkie Theodore). Rumors are abound that back up goaltender (formerly number one) Peter Budaj may start game 3 for the Avs. There is also a chance that Forsberg may return from the groin injury that has hampered him this round. Either way, the Avs better pulll something out of their hats.
The Washington Capitals experienced a lot of firsts last night. The franchise first playoff appearance in the post lock-out era and the first playoff game for many of it's participants. 
New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators
Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche
New York Rangers forward Scott Gomez stung his former club the New Jersey Devils last night by setting up three goals enroute to their Game 1 victory.
The New York Rangers are starting to look pretty good, and I'm actually feeling pretty good about them (granted the last time I rah rah'd them they went on a 4 or 5 game slide). The reason? Larry Brooks is happy.
Quick Shave:
Game of the Night: 
This Thursday, Eric Lindros will make it official and call it a career.
Really Quick Shave:
Game of the Night:
The New York Rangers scored on their first shot of the season last night. Rangers defenceman Michal Rozsival scored just 37 seconds into the match against the Florida Panthers. 
Quick Shave:
You know it's gonna be a great season, when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers are already hating on one another. Last night's pre-season matchup in Uniondale, so the cross-town rivals battle more with their fists than with the puck. Over 100 minutes in penalties were awarded to the participants including a pair of game misconducts to the goalies.