Shanny to Return to Jersey

Brendan Shanahan will be returning to the Devils next season. In a move that will shock no one, Shanahan will sign a one-year deal to return to the black-and-red. This will put an end to the ridiculous rumors that Shanny was returning to Broadway.

Just a few reasons why Shanny returning wouldn’t work (although he would be welcomed):

• He’s old.
• Old people don’t do well in a Torts based attack-attack-attack system over the course of an 82 game season. Shanny would have tired incredibly easily.
• It’s Drury’s team now. As much as he would be welcomed, Shanny would inadvertently throw a wrench into that plan.
• There are no more spots on the team for wingers.
• He’s really old.

I like Shanny, but the Rangers have turned the page.

At risk of overstating the obvious….

That was a big win.  A huge win.  I sometimes laugh at sports reporters and anchors who ask questions that they know the answers to (i.e. “is this a big game tonight?”) and make statements to players that are so obvious its disgusting, but you can’t deny the magnitude of tonight’s W.  Sure, every game this time of year is the biggest game of the season and is a must-win, but when you consider the history and drama between these two teams, it doesn’t get much sweeter than this.  And it speaks volumes to the dynamic change undergone in the Rangers locker room from their last meeting, even though many parallels existed between now and then….

Remember way back in the Tom Renney era, circa February 2009?  The Rangers were coming off three straight losses: a blowout @ the Igloo, a blanking at the hands of the #1 seeded Bruins, and a lackluster effort against lowly Atlanta on Adam Graves Night (salvaged only by Markus Naslund’s miraculous goal with 11 seconds remaining to force OT).  Renney did his best Herb Brooks impression and chose to skate the team until their blades wore thin prior to heading out for a road game in Dallas.  The result (if you need refreshing): a 10-2 drubbing by the Stars.  The Blueshirts had the rest of the weekend to think about how shameful they played, and a shot at redemption was provided in front of a national TV audience against their archrivals across the Hudson.  Back then, I tabbed it as the most important game in Tom Renney’s tenure.  The team responded with an effortless, almost pathetic 3-0 shutout loss.  In the end, it was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back, with Renney getting fired several weeks later, a decision Sather claimed was in the works for about as long.

Tonight was the most important game in John Tortorella’s short tenure.  A blown shootout loss to lowly Atlanta and another failed attempt @ the Igloo, not to mention a pressing Florida Panthers team only 2 points away, and the Rangers again found themselves with their backs against the wall against their archrivals on national TV.  The result was a complete 180-degree reversal of fortune, all due to reasons that have been discussed ad nauseum to this point.  And a certain diminutive player wearing #16 in blue giving everyone grey hairs in red and black (Brendan Shannahan doesn’t count) didn’t hurt too much.

When you put these two periods together side by side, its easy to see how far this team has come in a relatively short amount of time.  Its great to see how everyone on the team has responded.  More importantly, we weren’t all taking crazy pills when we were screaming about how much potential this team had.

Game 54: Rangers at Devils

Maybe this is the game the Ranger need to right the ship. With just one point and four straight losses, they better do it real fast, because they have fallen to 6th in the East, and are just 5 points up on the #9 seed (Florida), with the Pens looming just 6 points behind.

The Devils on the other hand, have only two losses since Brendan Shanahan joined the roster. Let’s see how Shanny handles his old team.

We are all hoping for a Rangers win, but are probably hoping for a strong effort more. Let’s hope they deliver both.

It’s a 7pm game on Vs tonight.

Update 7:11pm: Devils fans are so unoriginal. They take the Potvin Sucks chant and make it a Rangers Suck chant. Seriously? Make up your own. At least the Islanders have the Chicken Dance.

Update 7:15pm: Why is no one in front of the net? Why do you think you don’t score?

Update 7:42pm: Reitz vs. Clarkson. No helmets (uh oh, don’t shit your pants Bettman). Clarkson wins, no contest. You have to admire Reitz’s effort though. That’s a couple of fights already for him.

Update 7:49pm: End of 1, no score. I don’t think anyone is surprised at this result.

Update 8:05pm: Redden is lucky Madden isn’t an offensive force.

Update 8:07pm: Zherdev just ringed one off the crossbar. Zherdev saw the water bottle jump a little and thought it went in. But it was clearly off the bar. That’s just how hard that wrist shot was. The water bottle actually jumped from it.

Update 8:12pm: Orr vs. Rupp. With helmets (happy Bettman?). OH! Orr just knocked him out cold with one punch. Wow!

Update 8:15pm: Nice save by Hank. Elias didn’t get all of it, but it would have gone in if he didn’t stretch for it. And good job by Gomez to go after Zubrus and ensure that the Rangers don’t get the PP.

Update 8:20pm: Sooner or later Renney will send a 2nd guy to forecheck. Sooner or later….

Update 8:20: That’s what happens when you don’t win races to loose pucks. 1-0 Devils, Holik from Shanahan and Elias, and now they are shorthanded. Great.

Update 8:24pm: Parise in front of the net. Parise gets the rebound goal. Why can’t the Rangers do that? Parise is what? 5’11? 2-0 Devils. Parise from Zajac and Langdenbrunner.

Update 8:33pm: Phantom call on Gomez.

Update 8:40pm: More line changes!

Update 8:42pm The lights, like the Rangers, are dimming.

Update 8:47pm: Voros doesn’t play when he’s in the lineup, so why put him in the lineup? Just waive him already. I hear Prucha likes to go to the front of the net. End of 2, 2-0 Devils.

Update 9:05pm: The Rangers have 6 5 goals in their last 14 periods of play.

Update 9:13pm: If anything, the Rangers are showing some life when it comes to fighting and scrums in front of the net.

Update 9:18pm: Redden just got burned again, this time by Gionta. Luckily, Girardi bailed him out. This seems to be a common theme.

Update 9:21pm: And Parise beats Redden to a loose puck.

Update 9:22pm: And Redden takes a penalty.

Update 9:24pm: They better resign Betts. Seriously.

Update 9:25pm: Nick just IMed me, said that the Westminster Dog Show is more fun than the Rangers. I should be surprised by this, but I’m not.

Update 9:36pm: Game over. 3-0 Devils. And just think about this one. The Rangers took Hugh Jessiman #12 in 2003, Parise went #17.

Winter Classic 2010, and others

Yankee Stadium, with the Rangers playing host, is at the top of the NHL’s list of possible venues to host the next Winter Classic. If Yankee Stadium hosts the game, I will be sitting out in the freezing cold to watch.

The full article at Bloomberg can be read here.

Update 12:50pm: Shanny came to terms with the Devils, for $800,000 (roughly $400,000 from now until the end of the season). You’re telling me the Rangers couldn’t waive Fritsche and sign Shanny to that? Really? Sather is lucky the Zherdev trade worked out so well, or else this would be considered a disastrous year for him.

Shanahan a Devil

Well, this was unexpected. Brendan Shanahan has agreed to join the Devils, but has no contract yet. I know we were all hoping he would return to NY, but with the cap situation we all knew better. I am surprised that he went across the Hudson to the Devils though. He will probably end his career with the team that he started it with.

This is not good for the Rangers. The Devils have not flinched since losing Brodeur, and even without Shanahan will be a big threat in the playoffs. The Shanahan addition adds a great two way forward who can probably put up a point a game playing with Elias/Gionta, or Parise/Rolston.

Although Shanny just became the enemy, I will stand and applaud him when he returns to the Garden. Good luck Shanny.