Rangers/Blue Jackets recap

The Rangers avoided the dreaded “trap” game tonight, beating the last-place Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime at the Garden.  This one had a little bit of everything; beautiful passing plays, some good saves, refereeing controversy and a Rick Nash goal.  Let’s get to the bullets…

• What I was looking for in a rebound from the Chicago game was a defensively responsible performance, while getting back to a hard forechecking, physical offensive zone style.  The Blueshirts delivered tonight.  They played a little tentative offensively, but were tremendous on defense (save for two defensive zone face-offs) and played a physical game, winning battles and creating pressure.
• The forecheck was much better tonight.  They forced Columbus to make mistakes in their own end, creating sustained pressure and turnovers.
• Some beautiful passing on Richard’s goal and Stepan’s game winner, :22 seconds into OT.  Michael Del Zotto made fantastic passes on both goals.
• Artem Anisimov played one hell of a game, as did Brad Richards.
• For those who missed it, Michael Del Zotto made a tremendous move around a Blue Jacket defender and slid the puck past Steve Mason as the second period came to a close.  The MSG jumbo-tron clock had the puck crossing the line with .01 seconds remaining.  The referees subsequently waived if off, claiming the “official” clock read 0.00.  A picture was shown during the broadcast showing the puck still not across the line with 0.00 on the clock.  Goal disallowed.
• Torts can claim it was the right call all he wants, but someone screwed up.  How in the world is the NHL’s official time clock not synced to the Garden clock?  It’s pure insanity to me that there could be a discrepancy between the two when there is so much on the line.  If the Rangers had lost in overtime, they would have been robbed of a point.
• The Rangers carried play for most of the game, out-shooting Columbus 35-23 and giving Hank a relatively easy night.
• Two defensive zone draw losses lead to both Columbus goals.
• The Power Play looked like crap yet again.  That 5-on-3 was painful to watch.
• Did I mention how well Del Zotto played?
• The much-maligned Steve Mason played well tonight, excusing some ugly rebounds.  I still see a ton of talent in the kid, I just think he needs a change of scenery badly.
• Hank played a solid game, though I have a feeling he might want Nash’s goal back.  He didn’t have a ton of heavy lifting to do, save for one beauty on Jeff Carter in the final minutes of the 3^rd.
• That makes 8 straight wins following a loss dating back to mid-December.
• Now, I know I’m poking the bear here, but from a purely salary cap standpoint, if you were to think of Nash as a replacement for Gaborik (he would have to be resigned at age 32) does that change the analysis at all?  If Nash were a free agent right now, would you advise Sather to give him 6/47 and then save money by letting Gaborik walk in 2014?
• I admit it, I miss Vinny Prospal a little…

Off tomorrow, followed by a tough divisional match-up in Pittsburgh Tuesday night.

Three “trades” the Rangers will make by the playoffs

As the trade deadline grows nearer, there is discussion amongst fans about whether now is the time to buy for a Cup run. The Rangers are the best team in the Eastern Conference, and are just points behind the Detroit Red Wings for best in the NHL, with games in hand. That said, many feel the Rangers are overachieving, and might be best served letting things go as they are, and not mess with chemistry. Others feel that now is the time to make a deal. Well, luckily for the Rangers, there are two “trades” the Rangers will hopefully make between now and the playoffs to make their team stronger.

1. The Rangers will trade Steve Eminger or Anton Stralman for a top-four defenseman: If and when Michael Sauer is healthy, he will return to the lineup and make that strong blue line even stronger. Right now, the Rangers are getting by with Anton Stralman playing top four minutes. If Sauer can return healthy, then he adds an extra element to the Rangers that they haven’t had since December, and it costs them Stralman’s or Steve Eminger’s presence in the lineup. That’s a solid trade there.
2. The Rangers will trade absolutely nothing for a streaky 20-goal scorer: Brandon Dubinsky won’t stay in single digit goals for long. He is one of the streakiest players on the Rangers, and they have been winning despite his lack of offense. The defense and goaltending have really saved Dubinsky, who has seen a lot of time on the bottom six. Dubi is still a key cog for the Rangers with his defensive and physical play, but they are paying him to score 20+ goals. He won’t get there this year, but he could be a wild card if he gets going.
3. The Rangers will trade nothing for one of the best centers and powerplay point men in the game: Brad Richards is starting to come alive. He struggled mightily, ironically around the time that Olivia Munn broke up with him. But now, his game is getting back on track, and the powerplay is starting to look better and better. They are doing the right things, and they are finally starting to see results. A hot Brad Richards is a dangerous Brad Richards. Imagine where this team can go if their powerplay starts clicking at a 20% clip.

As you can see, the word “trade” is used rather liberally here. These aren’t really trades, but they are players that the Rangers hope to get back from injury or purgatory. Nevertheless, these are significant improvements that the Rangers can see from their players without even giving up a draft pick.

Rangers/Lightning Recap

The Rangers clipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in overtime tonight at the Garden on the strength of a Brad Richards goal on a beautiful feed from Artem Anisimov.  After a tough offensive night against Jersey, the Blueshirts got back to their game and were able to outlast a pesky Lightning team.  On to the bullets…

• The first half or so of this game lacked any flow whatsoever.   It seemed as the two teams were trying to get a read on the other’s forechecking scheme.  Tampa didn’t appear to be running a full 1-3-1 but there was a hybrid trap thing going on that gave the Rangers trouble in the neutral zone.
• The Rangers only allowed 17 shots tonight (season low) and managed 31 of their own.  Defensively, the Rangers were very solid with the exception of a couple costly breakdowns.
• Artem Anisimov played a much better game tonight than we have seen in recent weeks.  He was contributing on each shift and going to work in the dirty areas.  Hopefully this will be a sign of things to come.
• The powerplay actually looked a little better tonight.  The new emphasis on getting pucks to the net from the perimeter can only bring better results.  While they didn’t live up to Dave’s lofty goal of two PP goals (actually, Dave just said two PP goals…didn’t specify it could only be the Rangers) but I invite everyone to check out the comments of the Game Thread to Chris C’s crazy prediction about that PP goal.
• Prust’s line looked great all game.
• Outside of the one penalty he took, I barely noticed Steve Eminger out there.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  For a 5/6 type defenseman to go unnoticed, it means he’s chewing up minutes without giving up too much.
• Carl Hagelin with another strong game.
• While I am psyched Brad Richards scored the clutch game winner in OT, I was more impressed with the shoulder fake Anisimov pulled off drawing two defensemen and a goalie right to him.
• Steven Stamkos is a force out there.
• Marty Biron played a quality game tonight.  Exactly what a good backup should do.  I’m curious to see if Torts plays Hank back to back this weekend or if Marty will see another start.
• Mathieu Garon played great in net for Tampa.  He made a number of tough saves on Rangers’ chances and kept this game from getting out of hand.
• Good to see the Giants supporting New York solidarity at the game tonight.
• The Rangers have done a remarkable job this year coming back after losses and tonight followed the trend.  The next few days will be another big test of this team’s resolve.  With Philly, Washington, Boston and Chicago coming up, the Rangers can really start to position themselves to make a deep run into the post season by beating some of the NHL’s best teams.

Off tomorrow and then into enemy territory at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly for a Saturday matinee.

One last shameless plug, remember to be here on 2/10 at noon where I’ll be hosting a BSB Live Chat.

Tortorella Must Focus On Richards

The Rangers played two abysmal periods against the Devils Tuesday night and despite a better third (and a shocking refereeing decision in waiving off a late tying goal), they deserved to lose. That said, this is a tight-knit bunch who know how they need to play and (usually) play their style of game well.

The Rangers listen to their coach. Now that Tortorella has his team singing from the same hymn page, he needs to be spending a lot more of his time and energy on re-focussing his biggest issue right now, and that’s Brad Richards.

Richards’ sub-par play is a bigger issue than the power play. He should have been a huge upgrade on the regular line-up and should have been the biggest difference maker on the power play this season. Thus far, this has not been the case. The powerplay if anything has regressed.

We have seen Richards score clutch goals and we have seen the player he can be. However, we have not seen it nearly enough. The longer his sub-par play continues, the bigger a story it will become and a bigger distraction to all the good going on at the MSG.

Against the Devils, Richards looked lost. He looked devoid of confidence and most alarmingly, he made numerous bad decisions with the puck. It’s normally his confidence and decision making ability that sets him apart. One shift in the third period aside, Richards brought almost zero to the Rangers last night. That cannot continue.

Tortorella and Richards have a long standing relationship and if anyone knows what is going wrong with Richards it is Tortorella.  The coach needs to spend as much time as needed focussing in on the skilled center to find his spark. Given how the Rangers have managed to get to first place overall (despite an inept powerplay) Tortorella should realise, if he can get Richards firing on all cylinders then this could truly be a special season.

It doesn’t stop there though. Essentially, this was still a developmental year for the Rangers, so any significant success would be gravy. That said, Richards is going nowhere for a long time and we’ve seen how underperforming big-tickets get treated by the media and fans when they underperform. It’s crucial Tortorella gets Richards going, as much for the long term as it is for this season.

Tortorella has faced several challenges as Rangers coach. He has helped oversee a huge change in organisational concept and approach and has helped usher in a bright future with his emphasis on youth. Getting Brad Richards to be front and center of that future (where he needs to be) may be his biggest – and most critical – challenge to date.

Rangers/Flyers Recap

After a couple of days off, the Rangers took to the ice at the Garden for a pre-Superbowl matinee and threw the Flyers a well deserved 5-2 beating.  This was a tremendous game with a ton of talking points for analysis, but I’ll try to be brief.  Onto the bullets…

• Overall, the Rangers played an incredibly solid game today.  They minimized mistakes, took advantage of some soft goals by Ilya Bryzgalov and played a hard-nosed, physical game.
• The offense was once again lead by Marian Gaborik.  He finished with a goal and an assist, a +3 and 8 shots on goal.  He was flying from the opening face-off and being reunited with Derek Stepan (2a, +3) and Artem Anisimov (1g, 2a, +3) yielded significant results.
• Speaking of Anisimov, that tip was an absolute beauty off Girardi’s point shot.
• Michael Del Zotto (Zaster?) continues to get stronger as the season progresses.  He is seeing open ice and making strong decisions when to join the rush.  His hockey sense has gone through the roof this season and it’s showing on both sides of the puck.
• The Rangers got some timely secondary scoring with Fedotenko, Dubinsky and Del Zotto chipping in goals.  Hopefully Dubinsky’s game will continue to improve and take some of the pressure off Glen Sather to make a move for a top-6 forward at the deadline.
• The PP continued to be ineffective, but there were plenty of signs of improvement in this game.  They began to force the puck toward the net from the points, which took some of the pressure off the wingers down low.  There were several lateral chances between the forwards as it forced the Flyer’s PK unit to operate a little higher in the D-zone.  10 PP shots on goal is a step in the right direction.
• On the other side of the coin, six penalties is way too many to take even in a physical game like this one.  While Stu Bickel had a solid overall game, the interference and boarding penalties are going to keep Tort’s from trusting him with more ice time.  It was great to see him standing up and taking some of the fighting responsibilities off Prust and Rupp.
• I continue to be impressed every game by Ryan McDonagh.  He is such a heady player and makes defending the top lines from every team look routine.  Once Staal rounds back into form (he looked much better again today) the Rangers will have an embarrassment of riches in the top-4.  Although they still lack the big bomb from the point, you have a puck mover (DZ) and three shut-down defenders who can chip in on offense more than occasionally.
• I don’t know who has less business being on an NHL roster, Sestito or Rinaldo…
• Another pedestrian performance by Brad Richards today.  He needs to step it up, and quickly.
• The Rangers blocked an absurd amount of shots again today.  They had 25 blocks to the Flyer’s 10.
• What else is left to say about Henrik Lundqvist’s play?  He only had 21 saves (mostly because of the 25 blocks), but man does that guy come up big when the team needs it the most.  Looks like he learned his lesson on Giroux (same move as the Winter Classic goal) with only a few minutes left.
• Ilya Bryzgalov did not fair so well this afternoon.  His game was pretty much a microcosm of his entire season.  He had some tremendous saves, but was done in by three soft goals.  His save % in this game was .892, for the season, .899.
• This team continues to find a way to win all types of games.  These intense, physical tilts are the best way to prepare for playoff hockey, and this team is making it clear they are going to be extremely difficult matchup to draw come April.

Off tomorrow and another big division game against the Devils on Tuesday at the Garden.

Everyone be safe tonight and enjoy the other big game!

Musings Day; Devils, Sabres and Stags

It’s a musings day once again, and it’s the day after a game day. A Trip to Buffalo. Without further delay, let’s get into it. After all, I have a stag weekend to attend.

The Rangers loss to the Devils; there was still a lot to like. The way they conceded the tying goal hurts, but ask the Phoenix fans about Brad Richards’ game winner a few weeks back and it just shows that luck comes and goes.

The thing that most stood out for me in the Devils game was the amount of high quality chances the Rangers created/had. Credit Brodeur for making several top quality saves but it’s been a while since the Rangers had this many quality chances in one game. Again though it comes down to one thing: conversion.

It’s time to start worrying about Brad Richards. He had a few peaks and valleys through the season but he’s probably playing his worst hockey of the year at the moment. Some people suggest an injury but I’m not sure what to think. One thing is sure though, there’s not a single aspect of his game that’s firing right now. He needs to be better and quickly.

That stag weekend I’m attending? Anarchy is planned. Sunday night will be the peak; Cuban’s, whisky and Superbowl all in abundance. I’m the only Giants fan amongst Miami, Packers, Bears, Buccs and Chiefs fans. Luckily there is no Pats fan although I’m pretty confident my friends will be rooting for the Pats to spite me. And yes, there really is a Chiefs fan here in the UK.

Carl Hagelin has played 15 games less than Brandon Dubinsky this season and is only 3 points behind his considerably richer teammate.

You want an example of how Del Zotto is improving defensively this year? In the first period against the Sabres, his positional play on Kassian was excellent. He kept Kassian out of Lundqvist’s line of sight and allowed Lundqvist to see the shot all the way, making it an easy stop for the goalie. Subtle but solid play from Del Zotto.

How can the Rangers survive subpar seasons from the likes of Anisimov, Richards and Dubinsky? 13 different players have game winners for the Rangers this season. Clutch contributions all over the roster.

Someone had a great statistic on twitter during the All Star game: Marian Gaborik has scored on 8 of his last 17 shots on Henrik Lundqvist. Wow.

Derek Stepan is going through a period recently where he simply cannot get on the score sheet, much like Anisimov. The difference? Stepan is still making plays as evidenced by his great chance in the overtime period against the Devils. How often have you noticed Anisimov make such a notable offensive contribution (regardless of end result). You don’t. I’ve always worried about the influence Anisimov’s fragile confidence has on his game. When he’s on he looks like a potential star but when he’s off, well he’s almost a waste of a roster spot. If this poor stretch goes on much longer his Rangers career may be in threat.

Sometimes it’s the little things that tell you about a player. During the Devils game Ryan McDonagh got to the puck before a Devil to get the icing call. His body positioning was exceptional and there was no way the Devil was getting to the puck first despite coming in quick. McDonagh rarely makes mistakes, is a very heady player and simply put, is a revelation, although you already knew that.

It’s amazing the Rangers haven’t missed Mike Sauer more. Huge credit has to go to the team’s overall commitment to defense– the team wide mindset, as well as the blueline corps. One of the THN writers questioned this week whether this ‘inexperienced blueline’ can keep it going. I have no concerns especially when you factor in Marc Staal getting back to his best.

Mats Zuccarello had a 3 point game in the AHL All Star game. Just saying…..

Morrow Could Make Rangers Cup Threat

Some players simply fit well with certain teams. Brendan Morrow and the Rangers would fit. If Morrow, as suggested by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, is potentially up for grabs then the Rangers should seriously look in to getting him off the Dallas Stars.

There are several reasons Morrow would be a success as a Ranger. First of all Morrow can play the style employed by John Tortorella. He’s an excellent forechecker, plays a physical brand of hockey but is also a good finisher and has two 30 goal seasons on his resume (as well as four seasons of 49+ points). He’s also not afraid to go in to high traffic areas and look for rebounds.

Then there is the leadership and experience Morrow brings. A successful, cup contending team can never have too much leadership, it can never have too many players willing to assume responsibility and Morrow has never been a player to shy away from responsibility. He’s been a leader on the Stars for a long time now and given his previous success with Team Canada is a man that would instantly command respect in the locker room.

Morrow has experience playing with Brad Richards and adapting to the Rangers way would surely be made easier by being so familiar with someone such as Richards. Morrow would also (possibly on Richards’ line) solve an issue that is affecting the Rangers which is a top six scoring left winger that is. Anisimov has disappeared, Dubinsky has had a very underwhelming season and will all due respect, Fedotenko is not the answer for a team wanting to go deep.

Acquiring Morrow would also see other pieces fall into place to form a quality third line. While his long term future may (should?) be in the top six, acquiring Morrow would likely see Dubinsky dropping to the third line to form a dangerous trio, likely with Boyle and Prust. It allows the team to ice a third line competent both defensively and offensively, something that Morrow’s presence would cause. How does the idea of a Morrow – Richards – Callahan line sound? It would give the Rangers two first lines in theory, something this club hasn’t had much of.

Scared of the contract? Don’t be. Morrow is making a reasonable $4.1m (a similar annual salary Sean Avery makes…tumbleweed) and has one more year beyond this season. He has the quality to contribute this year and next and should he not be a success in New York, a player with his resume possessing an expiring contract should be relatively easy to move and not a subsequent cap anchor.

There are also concerns with Morrow however. He is a controversial character that has had league discipline issues and isn’t afraid to voice his opinion. Would he get along with the coach? Then there is a relatively recent injury history in which Morrow has missed significant time. Throw in the fact that the Stars are in the playoff hunt (albeit it currently on the outside looking in) and Morrow isn’t likely to be cheap if he’s available.

To sum up however, if the Rangers feel like they can contend (as they approach the deadline) Morrow makes sense for so many reasons. This team needs more offense, could benefit from more big-game experience and likely has the pieces to acquire a proven player such as Morrow. In the short term, he’s a better solution than Bobby Ryan financially, and doesn’t block the highly touted prospects (or roster youth like Hagelin) mid-to-long term. There’s a lot to like about acquiring Morrow.

Zuccarello Healthy; Can He Help Rangers Offense?

Amid the Rangers stumbling offense and the awful nine game losing streak the Whale find themselves in down in the AHL, perhaps unnoticed to many, is the pending return of Mats Zuccarello. Many have given up on the small Norwegian and depth has certainly helped pushed him back in to the AHL, but his talent and skill have never been doubted.

It just so happens that the Hobbit’s game doesn’t fit a checking style and he needs to be in a scoring role, but if the Rangers continue to be (at best) inconsistent offensively an opening could appear. So, should the undersized winger make a strong impression in the next week or so, could he become a candidate to help kick start the Rangers offense?

The skilled winger could have some success if paired with a passer like Richards and a hard hustling winger like Callahan, however, Zuccarello may not be able to influence his own future regardless of how impressive his AHL return is. There are players already in New York (Dubinsky, Anisimov, Richards among others) who, if they raise their game, would render the Zuccarello scenario moot. However, so long as the Rangers offense – and power play- remain underwhelming Zuccarello may be able to force himself back in to the equation.

Zuccarello shouldn’t be lacking for motivation. With his all star appearance in the AHL this weekend to look forward to ‘Zuke’ also knows that from the minute he gets back on to the ice, he’s playing for his Rangers and perhaps NHL future. He needs to show progress, desire and above all, production.

Can Zuccarello force himself back in to the equation? If he can show that he can play without the puck yes. If he can control and be effective on the powerplay for the Whale, yes. If Boyle, Dubinsky, Anisimov and (insert underwhelming forward’s name here) continue to shoot blanks, yes. There’s certainly an opportunity there for Zuccarello if he can make a quick impact in the AHL, but it goes without saying he’s running out of time.

Do The Rangers Rely Too Much On Callahan?

He sets the tone with his hustle and effort and leads with his desire and (growing) offensive ability, but do the Rangers rely too much on Ryan Callahan? It’s a worthwhile question, because during a period in which Callahan had been at his most ordinary (in a stretch prior to the Boston game) the Rangers went through their roughest patch since the start of the season. Coincidence?

Callahan has developed offensively to a point where he now literally does everything for the Rangers. He’s the team’s second most prolific goal scorer, he’s annually a league leader in hits, blocks countless of shots and plays in every single situation. We saw last year, when Callahan went down for an extended period of time, just how much the Rangers missed him. What is the remedy to the over reliance? Other players need to step up.

After a promising start to the campaign, more often than not Brad Richards has been a passenger. That is unacceptable for a man brought in to help lead the team to bigger things. Derek Stepan has cooled off considerably but, in all fairness, it’s too early to place too much pressure on the young sophomore. Brandon Dubinsky has been better but is clearly not the player this team needs him to be and then there are players such as Fedotenko and Brian Boyle who leave it all on the ice but at some point that is not enough. Anisimov? MIA.

It’s hard to be overly critical of a team that has the record the Rangers boast, however such is that record that the focus naturally switches to post-April potential. This Rangers team, without a better spread of production, cannot beat Boston over an extended series. If the Pens get healthy there’s a likelihood the Rangers struggle with their rivals in Pittsburgh as well.

With all due respect, when a solid journeyman like John Mitchell is one of your better players of late (3 points in 5) and you’re expecting too much from a talented but still rookie Carl Hagelin there’s an issue. If teams are able to shut down Marian Gaborik and then Ryan Callahan as well, Henrik Lundqvist has to be brilliant. It’s a good job he is just that.

Captain Cally is playing close to 21 minutes per game and given his style and reckless endeavour that’s possibly too much. Whether it’s through a transaction or changes in the line up several Rangers need to be better offensively. Not previously known for his offense (in the first instance) it may be a bad sign that the team is needing to rely on its heart and soul leader to score the big goals.

Rangers/Bruins Recap

Took all the way to game 46 for the Rangers and Bruins to finally collide, but what a game it was.  The Rangers bested the defending champs 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Marian Gaborik with 3.6 seconds remaining.  To the bullets…

• This one now makes 15 of the past 18 games these teams have played each other that has been decided by one goal.
• This game was an incredibly physical one, as expected.  It seemed like Boyle was a Lucic-seeking missile every time he was on the ice, and pretty much everyone had that extra edge this afternoon.
• Once the second period started, the offense began to come through.  4 of the 5 goals came in the second, and had McQuaid’s shot not deflected off of Brian Boyle’s stick, it could have easily been all the scoring.
• Brandon Dubinsky was the one Ranger I felt really struggled in this one.  It seemed like he tried to do too much physically and got thrown off his game.  He missed his coverage on the Ference (more on him later) goal and seemed more or less lost in both ends of the ice.
• I’m going to get all the critiques of the Rangers overall play out in this one bullet.  The power play looked god-awful again today.  If the last one was not a 4-on-3 for 5 minutes, it would have been another wasted opportunity.  I thought the Rangers turned the puck over far too many times at the top of the their defensive zone.  The Bruins point men did a nice job keeping clearing plays in, but too much through the middle and miscommunications on the breakout could have cost the Blueshirts a lot more than it did.  Lastly, they seemed a little soft in the slot area.  Boston does a great job of creating time and space in the offensive zone, but you have to clamp down.  But overall, they played a very solid game in both ends.
• The heart and will that this team has blocking shots is really something isn’t it?
• I fully believe that this game can be played perfectly.  It rarely happens, but you have to strive for it every single time you step on the ice.  I love that Torts has engrained that message in this team.
• I thought Brad Richards played a much better game today.  He had an assist and 6 SOG.  Much more effective than he has been recently.
• Marian Gaborik was obviously the star of the show today.  He had a tough assignment in Chara and managed to put 2 in the back of the net.  He stuck with the goal in overtime, putting the third rebound past Tuuka Rask for the game winner.
• Good call on the musical chair line combos Suit…
• Hank played his usual Vezina caliber game for the Rangers with 32 saves.  He is making all of the saves he needs to and a ton he has no business making.  He very much embodies the success of this team.  I thought Tuuka Rask played an exceptional game as well.  I believe that he is the better goalie in the Boston tandem and kept the Rangers from putting some distance between the teams in the middle of the second.
• There was so much in this game that was worth discussing, but for the sake of keeping the length of the recap reasonable, I’ll close with this.  Ference’s hit on McDonagh was absolutely gutless.  I hope Shanny takes a good long look at this play.  Exactly the type of hit that needs to be removed from the game.

The Rangers need to keep up the intensity from this tilt and prevent a let down game when they return home to host Winnipeg on Tuesday at 7pm.