Torts Apologizes

Well, today was break-up day for the Rangers, and coach John Tortorella finally addressed his suspension for Game 6. You can read the full extent of what he said at any of the beat writer blogs (links on the right). I’m not going to copy and paste it.

I must say, it’s about damn time that he responded to this. He took full responsibility for his actions, and made hiumself accountable for his mistakes, which is something that he preaches. He was definitely wrong in his actions, and it’s great that he finally admitted his mistakes, but his suspension didn’t really have an effect on the outcome of Game 6. Losing 5-1 is domination, not a simple coaching mismatch. And plus, it’s not like Jim Schoenfeld is a slouch behind the bench, he’s a former head coach who has been with the Rangers for a decade and probably knows the players better than anyone.

He also spoke on the Avery benching, also on the beat writers’ blogs, saying that he would do it again if necessary. I still say kudos to him for benching Sean Avery, because it was clear that he needed a day off just to relax from the obvious bias against him. It worked, and Avery was one of the best, if not the best, Ranger skater in Game 7.

It took a while for Torts to discuss these issues, his reasoning being that he didn’t want to distract the team from the task at hand, but it was a distraction already, so maybe just being open right away would have helped. You can’t fault him for not wanting to take the spotlight though.

Don’t forget to vote in the poll on the right. And make sure you check out Stas’ year-in-review.

Poll: Which Nik?

With the offseason upon us, the Rangers, and GM Glen Sather, have a very difficult choice ahead of them. Do they go with Nik Antropov, or Nik Zherdev? Let’s analyze this a bit:

Zherdev
Pros: Younger, has the ability to be a superstar, great hands, more on the faster side, should come relatively cheap and probably for two years max.
Cons: Sometimes looks apathetic, work-ethic always in question, enigmatic, disappeared in the playoffs.

Antropov
Pros: Entering his prime, huge body, mroe devloped offensive upside, more consistent.
Cons: Definitely more expensive and will require more years, never really met his potential in Toronto or NY, not as fast as one might want a top winger to be.

It’s a tough choice, and you know the Rangers will only have the ability to sign one of them. Considering the cap room, or lack thereof, I would go Zherdev. This should spark a nice debate. The poll is on the right. Fire away.

Finals Thoughts and a Recap on a Season on the Brink

I allowed myself to decompress for 24-48 hours after the Rangers season officially ended to talk about what happened.  Much like a legendary player being asked to retire when he’s ousted from the playoffs, you have to sift through your emotions before you give an honest assessment of things.  100% agree with Dave that the better team won this series, but ironically, I thought the Rangers were the better team for the most part in Game 7.  The game itself was a microcosm of the the Blueshirts season and series:  strong to start, treading water in the middle, and plagued by an inability to score and create chances in the end.  This team truly gave their all in the final game though, and that makes the sting a bit more bearable.  Now that the smoke has cleared, it has become obvious to me (and hopefully all of you) that John Tortorella got the most out of a team that has seemingly zero offensive firepower, and the fact that he got them to claw all the way into the playoffs says a lot about the type of coach he can be for this franchise.

So now that the sting is starting to subside, lets take a look back on the highs and lows of this season, and what’s to come from the 89 games:

HIGHS

-The Blueshirts got off to a fantastic start, going 10-2-1 in the month of October and staking themselves to a huge early lead in the Eastern Conference

-Three players had their numbers retired: Harry Howell (3), Andy Bathgate (9), and Adam Graves (9)

-Tom Renney and his stale style of hockey were finally replaced by John Tortorella’s aggressive attack, making for a much more efficient and relatively exciting Rangers team to watch.

-The Rangers re-acquired Sean Avery off waivers from the Dallas Stars, adding the edge that the team needed down the stretch.

-Henrik Lundqvist gave no doubt to the fact that he is easily one of the top 3 goalies in the world today

-After falling out of the playoff picture in late February/early March, the Rangers made a remarkable turn around, headlined by John Tortorella’s coaching, to finish 7th in the Eastern Conference standings.  The team had several key wins down the stretch to jump into the playoffs.

-Nik Antropov and Derek Morris were acquired via trade at the deadline, and provided some size and stability to their respective positions.

-The combination of Blair Betts and Frederik Sjostrom (throw Hank in there if you’d like) emerged as the best penalty killing unit in the NHL.

-While maybe not necessarily a high, Markus Naslund provided exactly what was expected of him: a 20-25 goal season and consistency up front.

LOWS

-The start of 2009 brough no joy to the Rangers, as they started to collapse under the Tom Renney regime.  The low-point was highlighted by a 10-2 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Stars, and ultimately would signify the end of the Renney era.

-The tragic death of top-tier prospect Alexei Cherapanov cast a shadow over the Rangers future.

-Nikolai Zherdev’s did not provide the 30+ goal output that many believed it would, and the youngster crumbled in his first post-season

-The offseason acquistion of Wade Redden was nothing but a complete disaster.

- Michael Roszival’s absurd contract extension (mainly its length) is beginning to rear its ugly head, and the combination of Redden and Roszival’s salaries and contract length will plague this franchise for years to come.

-The power-play never amounted to anything, under both coaches, and has been the most pressing issue since the lockout ended.

-An inability to provide consistent offense or any offensive threat whatsoever doomed this team as the season progressed

-Leading 3-1 in their opening round playoff series, the Blueshirts fell apart when it mattered most, a series headlined by the suspension of John Tortorella for Game 6

-Versus continues to cover the NHL

WHATS TO COME

-Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Lauri Korpikoski, Sean Avery, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi will be the core of this team under the John Tortorella regime.  The new coach must also find the right players for his style of play, as it became obvious that the current group cannot provide the type of play Tortorella would like to play.

-Blair Betts, Frederik Sjostrom, Colton Orr, and Nik Antropov MUST be re-signed.  Betts and Sjostrom combine to be the best PK tandem and 4th line in the league.  Orr is the best fighter in the NHL, and you still need at least one of them on your team.  Antropov provides much needed size and scoring touch going forward.

-Markus Naslund, with only one-year remaining, should be dealt somewhere.  The aging forward, once considered the best two-way player in the NHL, did not thrive in Tortorella’s system.

-Time for Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to finally step up and take the reigns as the elder statesmen on this team.  The honeymoon is over boys.

-Say goodbye to Paul Mara (regretably), Nik Zherdev, and Derek Morris.  In addition, Sather must find a way to part ways with either Redden or Roszival, either through a buy-out or trade.

-Its time for the Rangers projects and farm system to step-up and become elite players in the league.  This includes players currently on the team (who have now played in enough tight playoff series) and players in their farm system (who up until this point have done nothing but be talked about).  History shows that free-agent/trade acquisitions don’t do it for this team, and the home-grown talent must finally rise to the top.

-If they are going to keep him for the next 3 seasons, the organization must get on the league’s case about the officiating bias towards Sean Avery.  While he is no saint, the abuse this guy takes on a nightly basis is absolutely absurd.  Game 7 was just an example.  Generally speaking, the officiating around the league in general must change, as these ticky-tack calls are making even the most die-hard hockey fan’s head spin.

-While no fault falls on him, Henrik Lundqvist must find a way to be better than spectacular come playoff time.  I’m talking god-like, all the time.  If you want to know what I’m looking for, see Giguere for the Ducks and Khabibulin for the Lightning.

-The power-play can no longer be the Achilles heel of this team.  Either through someone currently on the team stepping up or by acquiring someone via free agency or trade that can FINALLY do it themselves, the Rangers must learn to capitalize on the opportunities provided.

-Whatever the makeup of this team comes to be, they have to find a way to be consistently good all season long.  The continuous ebb and flow of the Rangers the past few seasons has come back to haunt them in the playoffs, as the lack of home-ice advantage has made things very difficult.

Whew.  I’m sure there are plenty of things here that plenty of you agree/disagree with.  I’m pretty sure there are plenty of things that I missed and will think about later.  It was a crazy season for so many reasons, and to try to cover it all would take weeks and months.  I’d like to hear about what you all have to say about the Rangers season, and what you think should/shouldn’t happen as the organization moves forward.  Either way, this has been a very enjoyable experience, and I’m looking forward to adding thoughts and insight to a team I love so much.

Canadian Juniors Playoff Update

As per BSBer Rick in Boston:

Evgeny Grachev’s Battalion were shelled 10-1 by the Windsor Spitfires in Game 1 of the OHL Finals. Grachev was a -2 on the night according to the OHL’s scoresheet.

Game 2 will be Friday. According to the Battalion’s website, Grachev started the game skating on Cody Hodgson’s line – Hodgson is one of Vancouver’s top prospects and the #10 overall selection in the 2008 draft.

Looks like it wasn’t just Grachev who had a rough night. Losing 10-1 in the Finals is embarrassing. Let’s hope he answers back in Game 2.

As for Tysen Dowzak, Game 1 in the WHL Finals is tomorrow.

So, What’s Left to Watch?

So, with the Rangers’ season over, and the Wolfpack’s season over, what else is left to watch? Well, aside from the rest of the NHL playoffs (if you can stand Versus coverage), which is setting up to have some spectacular matchups, and some Yankee baseball, you can follow two Ranger prospects compete for the Memorial Cup (Canadian Juniors Championship).

H/T to BSBer Rick in Boston for pointing this out to us. Top prospect Evgeny Grachev is leading his Brampton Battalion with 24 points (11 goals) and a +10. Game 1 of the OHL Finals is tonight. The winner heads to the Memorial Cup. Unfortunately, top defense prospect Michael Del Zotto and his London Knights were eliminated last round in the OHL Semis.

Also, Rangers free agent overage signee Tysen Dowzak with the Kelowna Rockets will be playing in the WHL finals. Again per Rick in Boston, Dowzak’s a stay-at-home type guy, with just two points in 16 playoff games, but a nice +7.

We won’t be shutting down shop, and will be attempting to get at least a post a day in during the offseason. So keep checking back.

They Just Got Tired

This wasn’t an all-of-a-sudden swing to the Caps. This was a very gradual tilt. The Rangers were great in the first period, outplayed the Caps, and everyone had one of the best periods I had seen from them all year. Zherdev had his best shift of 2009.

Then came the second period, another strong period for the Rangers, but you got the sense that the Caps were gaining momentum. They were starting to get better shots, beating the Rangers to loose pucks, and getting more room to be creative.

Then came the third period. Summarized with two words: One Shot.

They just got tired. They didn’t have the personnel to match up with Washington at the skater level. They needed to win the goalie matchup, and Simeon Varlamov was spectacular. You have to hand it to the just-turned-21-year-old. He was fantastic.

I’ll let Stas handle the Avery-bias, and the inconsistent officiating from the entire series. He will have a lot to say on that. I’m looking forward to reading that.

But, let me say this, the Rangers, on the last game of the season, played their hearts out. They just got tired. I applaud the Rangers for taking this series to seven games, when I thought they were going to be done in five.

Kudos to the Rangers for stealing three games. Kudos to the Henrik Lundqvist for being a God in net. Kudos to Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan, who were the only two Ranger forwards to consistently play well and look like they cared. Another kudos to those two, who will be wearing the C and the A real soon. Kudos to Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, who were solid all series.

This is why they play a seven game series. The better team will usually win. The Capitals are a better team.

Round 1, Game 7: Rangers at Caps, DO OR DIE

Well, there’s not much else to say about the impending Game 7 tonight. The Rangers have blown a 3-1 series lead, and have looked downright awful in doing so. Betts was beheaded, and Brashear was suspended.

As per Zipay, Anisimov is in tonight, as expected, with Betts out and Brashear suspended. The need for the center now outweighing the need for two enforcers. Aaron Voros is also in tonight, meaning Colton Orr is the odd man out. I don’t know how I feel about Voros playing and Orr sitting. Usually I’d want Orr in, but with Brashear out, you can argue that Voros has more offensive upside than Orr, so Voros should be in. But you can also argue that Voros is incredibly slow, and at least Orr can skate better. I guess it’s a wash when you think about it.

Game time is 7pm on MSG and Versus.

Game 7 Viewing Party, Anisimov Recalled

The Game 7 viewing party will be at Clearview’s Ziegfeld Theater on 54th between 6th and 7th. You need to RSVP (it’s free), so follow this link to print out your tickets. Doors open at 6pm.

Also, as expected, Artem Anisimov was recalled from Hartford. It’s still unclear if he will play tonight. Tortorella may go for the bigger Voros/Orr combo. But with Brashear out, it may be overkill to have both of them in the lineup.

Last Night of the First Round

With Chicago and Anaheim closing out their first round, the final two games (both Game 7’s) will be played tonight. First off, congrats to the city of Chicago. Poor ownership had left your team futile for a decade, and you couldn’t even watch the games on TV for most of that time. It’s good to see Chicago hockey getting some recognition.

As for San Jose, can we call them the official choke artists of the 2000’s? They have had solid teams, usually a 1-3 seed, but never made it past the 2nd round (except for 2003-2004, where they lost in the Conference Finals). They are now just the 4th team in history to win the President’s Trophy and lose in the 1st round. This year has to be the biggest disappointment though. They stole Boyle from TB for nothing, giving them the PP QB they desperately needed. They had a breakout year from Setoguchi. But yet, nothing to show from it. I wonder what kind of shakeup they will have this offseason. It will be interesting to watch.

More on the show-down in DC later.

Brashear Gets 6 Games

In all seriousness, Donald Brashear has been suspended 6 games for his part in the blindside hit on Betts (5 games) and provoking Colton Orr during warmups (1 game).

Good riddance. I hope he gets mugged. Douche.