Reader Q&A: Gabby benching, Torts’ Pressers, & More

It’s Thursday, which is usually Chris’s day to do his Musings, but unfortunately he’s “busy flirting with middle-aged women in hopes to earn more beer money,” so you’re all stuck with me. Yes, that was his email to me this morning. Love it.

Anyway, I can’t match his British wit, so instead I decided to take questions and hot topics about the Rangers from Twitter, email, and down in the comments section.

What did Marian Gaborik do to get benched for the first half of the second period? Is Torts going overboard?

I don’t think there is a definitive right or wrong answer when it comes to benching players or decreasing their icetime.  The fact of the matter is we’re not on the bench, in the locker room, or at practice. We just don’t have a 360 degree view.

With that said, in my not so humble opinion, I think Gaborik deserved to be benched. He was playing passive and wasn’t sticking to the game plan. His role is to attack the puck and the slot in the OZ. In the defensive zone, he wasn’t sticking with his man or trying to win battles along the wall. He just wasn’t getting it done and others were playing better than he was.

PS – Dave Maloney also brought up similar points during the radio intermission on 1050.

As far as Torts going overboard, I disagree with what others are saying. If Gabby is doing the things I just outlined, how do you not bench him? What kind of message does that send if Torts benches others, but not their star player? Not a very good one. Tortorella has been consistent in this regard all season. You can’t change your philosophy now. Players will tune you out.

What do you make of the moaning coming from the media about Tortorella’s press conferences? Some have suggested a walk out or asking the league to get involved.

Tortorella has the media taking shots at him and not his players, job well done. Nick Monte at Rangers Tribune said it best. “Media complaining about not being able to do their job because of Torts is absurd. I don’t get quotes from the coach, yet still produce better material.”

What do the Rangers have to do to clear the zone better?

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Valentenko signs with KHL

It looks like Pavel Valentenko is headed back to Russia. Per Evgeny Belousov, Valentenko has signed with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. This confirms the relatively cryptic tweet that Valentenko himself tweeted after the Connecticut Whale season ended last week:

It was two great seasons for me here, in Hartford! I was proud to be one of the part of Wolfpack/Whale team! Thanks everyone for support!

It was a bit curious to see him tweet that, considering he was still a part of the Ranger organization, but now it is clear as to why.

What is also clear is that Valentenko really had no future with the Rangers. He is blocked by a number of current roster players and a few other prospects like Dylan McIlrath and Tim Erixon. In fact, the acquisition of Erixon and the emergence of Stu Bickel might have sealed his fate.

Update: Per Laurie Carr, the deal with Avangard is a two year deal.

It’s a powerplay goal? Yup, it is

Ever since Jaromir Jagr departed the Rangers for greener pastures, the Rangers powerplay has struggled. The complaints were always the same, no matter the personnel. There weren’t enough shots, they were trying to be too fancy, and they weren’t moving their feet. A static powerplay is easy to defend. However, the story appears to be a bit different in the playoffs this season.

Very quietly, the Rangers have had one of the better powerplays in the postseason, ranking in the top 50% of playoff teams. Their conversion rate is at 16.9% in the playoffs, which is a full percentage point above their regular season conversion rate of 15.7%. It may not seem like a big jump, but that 1% can go a long way. After all, three of the Rangers five goals in the Eastern Conference Finals have come with the man advantage.

The Rangers actually have the second best powerplay conversion rate of the teams still in the playoffs. Interestingly enough, the Devils are the leaders at an even 20% conversion rate, while the Coyotes (12.5%) and Kings (10.2%) are sitting well behind the Eastern Conference teams.

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ECF Game Two: Goal breakdown

If there’s one thing this series is proving, it’s that you can have a low scoring exciting game. This was the second straight game where no team eclipsed three goals, but it was a great game nonetheless. The Devils came out on top on three shots that Henrik Lundqvist had no chance on. One failed clearing attempt and one over zealous wrap around the boards, and the Rangers find themselves tied as opposed to up 2-0. The Devils weren’t going to roll over in this series.

1-0   Devils take the lead on the powerplay

This goal was a matter of missed positioning on the penalty kill. There were three Rangers in the corner, including Ryan Callahan. Cally got caught on the boards, forcing Derek Stepan to cover two point men. Ilya Kovalchuk was wide open for the pass from Marek Zidlicky, who Stepan bit on a bit too much. Kovi was able to walk the puck in, tee up, and shoot. Yes, this went high glove, but this was not a stoppable shot.  When Kovi has time to tee it up from that distance, he scores 99 times out of 100.

1-1 Rangers tie it up on the powerplay

This goal begins with Travis Zajac breaking his stick. Marc Staal, Brad Richards, and Dan Girardi worked the puck along to attack the 5 on 3 up high masterfully. This, in essence, isolates Zajac on a three-on-one. Richards wound up feeding Staal at the top of the circle for a one timer that was blocked by Salvador. Unfortunately for the Devils, this one took a wild bounce off the boards, and banked in off an out of position Martin Brodeur. Brodeur was out of position because he didn’t see the puck ricochet off Salvador. Stepan was the man in front to cause that.

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ECF Game Two: Devils at Rangers

Series: Rangers lead 1-0

NYR Leading Scorer: Brad Richards (6-5-11)
NJD Leading Scorer: Ilya Kovalchuk (5-7-12)

NYR Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist (15 GS, 1.57 GAA, .940 SV%)
NJD Goaltender: Martin Brodeur (13 GS, 2.05 GAA, .920 SV%)

Rangers Lines:

Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik
Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Ryan Callahan
Artem Anisimov-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Ruslan Fedotenko

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Marc Staal-Anton Stralman
Michael Del Zotto-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.

Probable Scratches/Injuries: Mike Sauer (concussion), Mats Zuccarello (wrist), Brandon Dubinsky (lower body), Jeff Woywitka (healthy), John Scott (healthy), Steve Eminger (healthy)

Preview: Everything you need to know about this series can be found in our preview. Looking for info on Brodeur? Check Justin’s review of his style. As for this game, the Rangers are attempting to go to Newark up 2-0, which would be their first two game lead of the playoffs. In each of the previous series, the Rangers looked dominant in Game One only to falter in Game Two. Let’s hope they avoid that this time around.

Crazy Thought: Bickel gets a point.

Anisimov versus Dubinsky?

Artem Anisimov still isn’t playing to the level he has the ability to reach. It is this statement that makes Anisimov both frustrating and exciting at the same time. That all said, Anisimov has provided plenty of big moments for the Rangers this off season and has quietly put together a solid playoffs even if it has been punctuated with poor games and an occasional trip to Hotel ride-the-pine.

A side plot of his offseason may be how Anisimov has pushed his teammate Brandon Dubinsky further toward the exit door. Earlier this season we discussed the potential ‘play off’ between Anisimov and Dubinsky in regard to a future with the Rangers. Both are blessed with skill and ability and both have been productive Rangers yet both have often left you hoping, expecting more.

With the Rick Nash rumours and the apparent inclusion of Dubinsky in the Nash package every man and his dog is aware that inside Madison Square Garden the lust is starting to wear off of Dubi. He’s likely in play and his future is clearly tenuous. He’s not earning his Benjamin’s.

To an extent one could have argued the same about Anisimov. However, the Russian has stepped up (somewhat) this post season while Dubinsky has first been mired in an awful campaign and secondly has now had to sit and watch his teammates work towards a Cup. Dubinsky was poor in last year’s playoffs and one point in seven this time around doesn’t inspire confidence he can do it better any time soon.

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Rangers shot-blocking mentality, the next media gripe

____ is killing hockey. That seems to be the only headline that moves the dial in Canada these days.

Every couple of weeks it’s something else that is supposedly destroying the game. First it was keeping a hockey team in Nashville, a market that was never supposed to succeed. Whoops.

Then it was the Lightning’s 1-3-1 trap, which was supposed to lift them from mediocrity while simultaneously sink the NHL and its ratings. Shhh…don’t tell anyone they missed the playoffs and the ratings are breaking all kinds of records.

Finally, in the most recent piece of garbage written by Ken Campbell of The Hockey News, the Rangers strategy of blocking shots will kill the league because as Kenny said, everyone “found it frustrating to watch and devoid of excitement.” Further, he says, “The Rangers are bad for the NHL, that’s why. If you found the Rangers seven-game second round series against the Washington Capitals to be compelling hockey, then good on you.” Interesting stuff.

I swear a zombie apocalypse could be destroying mankind and Ken Campbell would still be finding some irrelevant hockey nugget and acting like it’ll cause hockey and humanity’s impending doom. But hey, what else do you expect from a writer who is anti-salary cap because of rookie initiation dinners?

I digress.

The real issue is the media has picked up this idea that the Rangers are in fact ruining the game and predictably all fingers are pointing to the man behind the bench. John Tortorella. Some have even gone as far to say that the NHL should develop rules to prohibit teams from blocking shots.

Well, as Samuel L. Jackson once famously said in Pulp Fiction, and I continue to say on this site…“well allow me to retort.”

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WCF Game 2 Open Thread

Haven’t done one of these in a while, that’s my bad. I think the open thread thing is a good idea, epecially when there’s some good hockey on. Preds/Kings in Game Two, with the Kings leading 1-0. The Yankees (vs. Orioles) and Mets (vs. Brewers) are also in action, although that Met game might get rained out. As for basketball, you have the Pacers/Heat and Clippers/Spurs tonight.

Discuss whatever your hearts desire, just keep it civil.

Tim Erixon is a Ranger because of Al Montoya

When I get bored, I like to research how specific players came to the Rangers organization. One of the first ones I researched was how Matthew Barnaby’s acquisition led to Brandon Dubinsky becoming a Ranger. Another I did was how Vladamir Malakhov’s signing led to Marc Staal becoming a Ranger. Now in some more research, feast your eyes on how Tim Erixon became a Ranger:

• 2004: New York Rangers draft Al Montoya with the sixth overall pick.
• 2/26/2008: Rangers trade Montoya and Marcel Hossa to the Phoenix Coyotes for Frederick Sjostrom, John Gratton, David LeNeveu, and a conditional fifth round pick. The conditions of the pick were that LeNeveu did not re-sign with the Rangers (he did not) and that Montoya played at least 15 games with the Coyotes (he did).
• As a result of these conditions being met, the Rangers were award the fifth round pick in 2009, which they used on Roman Horak.
• 6/1/11: Rangers deal Roman Horak, and two second round picks to the Calgary Flames for Tim Erixon and a fifth round pick (Shane McColgan).

Your mind has been blown. Stop hating on drafting Montoya already.

Does this team miss Dubinsky?

Everyday on Twitter, I see the beat writers giving answers to the same question: Did Brandon Dubinsky skate? The answer has been ‘no’, and the answer will likely be ‘no’ for the forseeable future. Dubinsky is still using his walking boot and has not skated since the Ottawa series. Prior to that, Dubinsky was alternating between second line duties and third line duties (following the injury to Brian Boyle), although this was before Chris Kreider was inserted into the top six.

With Boyle back, and Kreider showing he deserves his top six minutes, the question about the Rangers missing Dubinsky hasn’t been brought up too often. After all, why question something if the Rangers are winning? John Mitchell is doing just fine on the fourth line, and won a key face off that led to Marc Staal’s overtime winner in Game Five of the Washington series. Mike Rupp is playing very well. Ruslan Fedotenko is too.

So the question becomes: If Dubinsky comes back, who would sit? Does the team even miss him?

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