A Star Is Born

So, I lost power last night. It literally just came back on 15 minutes ago, and it was down for 24 hours. (Aside: I lose power a lot. Every time it’s windy out, I lose power. I’d invest in a generator, but I’m moving in the summer. Not because of the power issues. But, that did play a (small) role. But I digress).

Anyway, I had to listen to the game on the radio, which really isn’t the same. But, the name I kept hearing was Artem Anisimov. Anisimov with the puck. Anisimov with the defensive play. Anisimov with the goal. It appeared that Anisimov was the best player on the ice last night (Those who watched please confirm or deny).

Anisimov is not going to score 30 goals this year, like he did in Hartford. But he may get 20. He’s quickly learning the defensive side, and he’s a really good in his own end. He can play on the power play, and kill penalties. In the future, Anisimov will be a 30 goal scorer. He’ll be great in his own end.

My point is this: Anisimov is a star in the making. He’ll center the first line for years to come. Best part: He’s homegrown.

Top Draft Picks of The Decade

Yeah, yeah, I know. The decade ended already. We’re in a new one. But, better late than never, right? I’ve seen a lot of these, and wanted to throw in my two cents. Here are the Rangers top 10 draft picks of the decade (Note: I considered time played with the Rangers. Marek Zidlicky was a great pick, but he never suited up. So he’s not on the list.)

10. Lauri Korpikoski

The “Korpedo” was the 19th overall pick in the 2004 draft. In his one full season on Broadway, Korpikoski established himself as a nice defensive forward with some offensive skills. He was later traded for Enver Lisin. He was 6-8-14 last year. I’m kind of disappointed the Rangers gave up on him so early. While Lisin clearly has some great offensive skills, the “Korpedo”could’ve been another Ryan Callahan type.

9. Bobby Sanguinetti

He hasn’t played much in the NHL, but he clearly has a lot of talent. He has offensive skills, and is improving defensively. He’s playing well in Hartford, but still needs time in the AHL. You’ll see a lot of him next year.

8. Fedor Tyutin

Fedor Tyutin was a stalwart on the blueline for the first couple years of the Rangers resurgence. Big, strong, composed, he had a bright future ahead of him. Still does. Only it will be in Columbus. Tyutin was part of the Nik Zherdev deal. Again, I’m disappointed that they gave up on him. We could’ve used him now.

7. Artem Anisimov

Still only a rookie, Anisimov  is showing flashes of offensive brilliance, with an improving defensive sense. So far, he is 7-8-15, and he seems to improve every game. We know he can score; he scored 37 goals in Hartford last year. I think he has star potential. He’s 6-4 and has room to put some weight on his frame.

6. Brandon Dubinsky

Dubinsky is starting to live up his potential, as he’s getting first line duty with Marian Gaborik. Selected in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft, Dubinsky is a talented forward. Score, hit. He can do it all. He has the potential to be a big time player.

5. Petr Prucha

One of the surprises coming out of the lockout, Prucha posted 30 goals in his rookie year. Of course, he fell into the doghouse after that, and saw his goal totals dip, before being shipped off to Phoenix. A fan favorite, Prucha really got the short end of the stick. Once Jagr left, he wasn’t getting the same chances. Making this pick even better was that it was in the 8th round of the 2002 draft. A steal, to say the least.

4. Michael Del Zotto

Taken in the first round of the 2008 draft, MDZ surprised some by making the team this year. He quickly took the lead on the power play, and has been one of the best rookies in the NHL. He has Leetch-like skill. Great vision, unbelievable passing, and a good shot. He’s a keeper, that’s for sure.

3. Ryan Callahan

Taken in the 4th round of the 2004 draft, Callahan’s rise has been breathtaking. He’s an energy winger, who works hard, but it pays off as he scored 22 goals last year. A great penalty killer, and he loves to hit. He is the alternate captain of the Rangers, and was named to the US Olympic team. He’s a future captain.

2. Marc Staal

Another first round pick, Marc Staal is quickly becoming a shut down defenseman. His offensive skills are still a work of progress, but he is always paired against opposing teams best players. He is one of the best young players in the league, and will anchor the Rangers blueline for a long time.

1. Henrik Lundqvist

Some may say this was the best pick of the decade for the entire NHL. He was taken in the 7th round of the 2000 draft. He wasn’t even the first goalie the Rangers took. They took Brandon Snee in the 5th  round. Who is Brandon Snee? Exactly. Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the league. He led Sweden to a gold medal. He has been nominated for the Vezina trophy multiple times. He is the key to the Rangers success. What a draft pick.

There are others who didn’t make this list. I didn’t include promising youngsters such as Chris Krieder, Derek Stepan, Ryan Borque, or Evegeny Grachev. They haven’t played a game yet in the NHL. Alexei Cherepanov would be on this list somewhere, if not for his tragic death. But, in the last part of the decade ,the Rangers have done a great job of drafting. Some really promising players in the system. I can’t wait.

Anisimov In, Lisin Out

It looks like Artem Anisimov isn’t feeling any lingering effects from the Matt Cooke cheapshot, as he will be playing tonight in the back-end of the home-and-home.

Enver Lisin, on the other hand, will be a healthy scratch tonight. He played a total of 0:0 in Saturday night’s abomination of a game, and you have to assume that broken foot is really bothering him.

Anisimov: First Line Center?

Before Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky went down with injuries in the same game, a combination of Dubinsky and Vinny Prospal (with Enver Lisin on the wing) was used to center the top line. It generally produced the same results: Gaborik and Prospal score, other player gets an assist or two. The best chemistry came when Prospal was playing the wing, as Dubinsky was producing at a 50-60 point pace. Of course, with the aforementioned centers out, the Rangers have been forced to scramble, and Prospal is required to play center.

That all changes with the news that Drury will be back from his concussion tomorrow night against Florida. Aside from the discussion of who will sit, another question is who gets moved from center. Gut reactions are going to say Ryan Callahan, because he’s a natural winger playing center. But I say, let’s try a different route.

Move Prospal back to LW on the top line, and put Artem Anisimov up front to play pivot between him and Gaborik. Believe it or not, Anisimov is fifth in points and fourth in goals on the Rangers. He does all this while averaging barely 11 minutes a game, of which 23 seconds is on the powerplay. That’s a pretty good point/TOI ratio right there.

The skill is obviously there for Anisimov, as he has put up his points (5 goals, 6 assists) while playing with the likes of Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle, Dane Byers, and Donald Brashear. Suffice it to say, that’s impressive. He has also outscored all of those four combined, but that’s less impressive as pretty much everyone on the team has outscored those four.

At the least, Anisimov has earned more playing time than his 11 minutes a game. Those currently playing more time than Anisimov: everyone not on the fourth line. That’s right, everyone. But yet, here is Anisimov in fifth on the team in points. I think it’s about time he gets rewarded for his hard work and results. At least he doesn’t give up the puck every time he touches it (see: Lisin, Enver; averaging 14 minutes a game).

What does John Tortorella have to lose by putting Anisimov on the top line for a game? He can definitely mesh with Prospal and Gaborik. Let’s see how it goes.

The Kids! The Kids!

My dad has a saying for success in sports: The Kids! The Kids! Play the Kids!  He says that kids provide enthusiasm, exuberance, talent. It seems the Rangers were listening. After three games, it’s hard to tell if Michael Del Zotto is going to play as well as he has. It’s hard to tell if Matt Gilroy is going to play as well as he has. It’s hard to tell for Enver Lisin, even Brandon Dubinsky. It’s hard to tell for Artem Anisimov. But for three games, these guys have shown that they can produce, that they can infuse life into a team.

Let’s take last year’s team for example. Pretty veteran laden team. How many rookies did they have? Just Lauri Korpikosi. Include Callahan and Dubinsky, and that’s only 3 kids. Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes were traded midseason. You see, the problem of the Rangers in the early 2000s was the lack of youngsters. You can overpay for veterans, and your team could be very talented, but unless you have that youthful exuberance, that youthful spirit, you’re not going to go very far. The Red Wings always call up a rookie or two for their playoff run. The Yankees in baseball infused youngsters and vets on their way to the best record in baseball this year. Youngsters are crucial to success in sports. 

Now you have MDZ, Gilroy, Anisimov, Lisin on the ice nightly, and playing in all situations. It’s been three games. It would be foolish to get over excited. But, it’s exciting to watch these guys develop, produce, it’s good for the team. The Rangers might not win the Cup. But their success is crucial to the team’s success. It’s all about the kids. My dad was right all along.

Scoring: A Problem?

Before I start, I’d like to properly introduce myself: My name is Jeremy Fuchs and I’m really excited to join the team here at BlueSeatBlogs. A life long Ranger fan, I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on my beloved Blueshirts. You may have seen my other work on GiantsGab, or The Blog of Champions. Now that you know a little bit about me, let’s talk hockey.

Last year, all we heard about was scoring. Or the lack thereof. Scott Gomez didn’t (or couldn’t) fill the large shoes of Jaromir Jagr. Chris Drury was playing like a second or third line center, not a first. Markus Naslund, while solid, certainly didn’t set the world on fire. Nikolai Zherdev oozes talent, but can’t get it done on the ice.

As in typical Ranger fashion, they re-tooled in the offseason. They traded Scott Gomez to Montreal, getting Chris Higgins and promising blueliner Ryan McDonagh. Markus Naslund retired, Nik Antropov went to Atlanta, and Nik Zherdev went to the KHL. They signed Marion Gaborik to a mega deal. They signed Vinny Prospal and Ales Kotalik. On paper, this seems to make up and then some for the losses. Yet all I hear from fans is: Where’s the scoring? All I read about in season previews is: Where’s the scoring? Is it an issue? Or are we just too wary of Glen Sather to think he actually did a good job?

184. That’s how many goals the Rangers scored last year. In comparison, the Cup winning Penguins scored 255. Big difference. Well, how many goals can we project the Blueshirts to score this year?

Marion Gaborik: 32

If he’s healthy, he scores 40+ goals. However, I’m accounting for the fact that he might not stay healthy. I think 32 is a reasonable estimate.

Chris Drury: 24.

Hopefully, he’ll rekindle his magic with Kotalik.

Brandon Dubinsky: 16
Playing with Gabby should increase his outptut.

Sean Avery: 15

He scored 8 goals in 41 games. 15 in 81 sounds about right.

Chris Higgins: 24

Higgins was hurt last year, limiting his goal production to 12. I think he can double that if healthy, especially if he plays on a wing with Gaborik.

Ales Kotalik: 20

Scored 20 last year, too

Ryan Callahan: 28

28 might seem like a lot, but Callahan scored 22 goals last year, and was on fire at the end of the season, and in the playoffs. He’s a perfect fit for Tortorella’s system.

Vinny Prospal: 20

Scored 19 last year on a Tampa team in turmoil.

Artem Anisimov: 10

I don’t want to expect too much from the rookie, but he’s a goal scorer, and proved that in Hartford.

Donald Brashear:  2

Hey, it’s an improvement over Colton Orr

Brian Boyle: 5

That’s a nice number for a fourth line center.

Enver Lisin: 15

Lisin scored 13 in Phoenix. His speed is too tantalizing from him not to improve on that total, and he’ll flourish with Torts. He’ll score some on the Power Play as well.

Marc Staal: 8

I think he’s going to flourish in Tortorella’s system. He’ll be leading the rush a lot more.

Dan Girardi: 5

He’s got a very underrated shot.

Wade Redden: 5

I expect him to improve, and he was much better once Tortorella came on.

Michal Rosival: 8

If he just used that shot of his more, this total would be in double digits.

Matt Gilory: 5

He’s been very impressive in preseason duty.

Michael Del Zotto: 4

He’s a true power play QB. He’ll have a good number of assists as well.

So how many goals is that? 246. That’s a HUGE improvement over last year. I think the Gaborik addition, and the development of youngsters aids in the increase. And even if Gaborik gets hurt and only scores 10 goals, it’s  still 224 goals scored. Am I being a bit optimistic? Perhaps. But, it’s reasonable to think. This team is more well balanced. And judging from preseason games, they are a much better passing team. They attack, and they shoot the puck more.  If the Rangers get this goal amount, they will be a much better team. And with Lundqvist, it could lead to a deep playoff run.

Artem Anisimov Interview

The guys over at NYRangerscast did an interview with prospect, and soon to be Rangers center, Artem Anisimov. They did a great job, and you should definitely head over there to check it out.

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.

Sloppy Play Leads to Game 7

The Rangers were dominated in today’s game too, thus allowing Washington to gain all the momentum they will need heading back to DC for Game 7. They came out strong, but had the life sucked out of them after Hank got beat on the short side, twice. It looked like they just gave up after Poti scored on the 3-on-1.

I’m all in favor of benching Nik Zherdev right now. Stas brought up a very valid point when we were talking about the Avery suspension, Zherdev does nothing but give the puck away and miss empty nets. He has been downright awful, and really screwed himself over for the offseason. It’s his contract year and he sucked it up since 2009 began. So much for him getting the deal comparable to Erat/Roy/Brown. He’s not the only one missing empty nets (Naslund), but I’m singling him out because he has been downright atrocious. He’s been almost as bad as….

The officiating in the NHL Playoffs over the past years has been terrible. I’m trying to stay away from select four-letter words, and it’s really tough to do so. How can you give Dubinsky 14 minutes for the hit on Green, and give Brashear 2 minutes for his hit on Betts? The hit on Betts can end someone’s career. Ask Brett Lindros. Or hell, ask Eric Lindros. Elbows to the head alter careers. The refs should at least call the game consistently. Bettman should be ashamed of himself for what he has turned this game into. This is why no one takes hockey seriously. But I digress. This officiating issue is a topic that most Ranger fans already know.

With Betts’ concussion (assumed), I’m guessing Artem Anisimov will be called up to take his place in Game 7.

But hey, let’s end this on some positive notes: Dubi and Cally had strong games. Gomez decided to show up in the first period, two PPGs, and it looks like they’ve solved Varlamov, for now.

Game 7 on Tuesday.