Difference Makers?

While studying the Rangers current NHL roster the other day (and not considering who might make the roster from the minors/juniors/Europe) it was interesting to note who may be the most crucial influences in making the club a playoff team again. Not considered were Gaborik, Lundqvist, Frolov and Del Zotto. Those players will obviously have a big say on the season ahead and until Marc Staal signs on the dotted line its hard to consider him. Let’s have a look at three players that can make a huge difference.

Chris Drury. The captain’s goal output in the last 4 years: 37, 25, 22, 14. That’s a worrying trend. He also took 71 shots less last year than the year before. Everyone knows the defensive skills he brings on the PK but if Drury can ‘just’ get back to the 22 goal form of 2 years ago then he will have a huge influence on the secondary scoring of this team. Simply put Drury needs to get into dangerous positions more and shoot the puck. He’s never been a plus player as a Ranger and his ice time may be limited given the additions to the roster but thanks to his captain status and cap hit it’s hard to imagine Drury wont atleast get an opportunity to make an impact. We should know early into the season whether Drury has anything left in the tank offensively. If he does, it bodes well for the Rangers.

Artem Anisimov. The lanky Russian is hugely talented and has progressed a lot since his rookie year in Hartford. Defensively proficient and with the ability to both score himself or make a play it’s unclear just where on the depth chart Anisimov will start the year. If Anisimov grabs a top 6 centre spot it serves the Rangers well in the long term. Given his solid totals from last year in limited ice time it’s fair to expect progression from the Russian. Anisimov’s play also hugely affects other roster players. All of Brandon Dubinsky, Eric Christensen and Todd White’s ice time may be affected by AA so his training camp performance directly affects a lot of players careers. Training camp competition at center should be fierce which can only be a good thing.

Dan Girardi. Girardi wasn’t very good last year yet he got more than a 100% rise in salary. It’s time to earn the pay rise Dan. Given the potential change and lack of experience on the blue line Girardi needs to step up. If Girardi can show the composure that highlighted his early Rangers career, can show more consistency and score a little heavier then Girardi can become a key cog for this team. A good Dan Girardi allows Del Zotto and any rookie such as McDonagh to not have their development rushed. The Ontario native isn’t great at any one facet of the game but can make positive contributions in several areas. Stepping into a senior role this season would benefit the Rangers long term development massively.

Drury Nominated for Masterton

Chris Drury is the Rangers nominee for the Bill Masterton trophy, which is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. A member of the Rangers has won this award four times since its inception in 1967-68: Jean Ratelle (1970-71), Rod Gilbert (1975-76), Anders Hedberg (1984-85), and Adam Graves (2000-01).

Drury: Rangers ‘Immature’

After last night’s loss to Montreal in a crucial four point game, the often quiet captain Chris Drury let loose on his teammates, saying that “immaturity is the reason for the inconsistency”. When asked to elaborate, Drury said that the Rangers “need to grow up fast or watch playoff hockey”.

It has taken two years for Drury to be outspoken, and I must say, it’s about damn time. For the team to be playing this badly that it warranted an outburst from a lead-by-example captain says a lot about the makeup of the team. There aren’t enough players that want it bad enough to play 100% every night, and give the effort that they did against Philadelphia day-in and day-out. It really is sad to see that, after all the debates we have had as fans, it’s the effort that is the true reason for this teams’ inconsistency.

Since the effort is called into question, you have to wonder what the Rangers can do to fix this next year. Does it start with the coaching staff? Is John Tortorella’s immature relationship with the media the example that the Rangers follow? No one knows for sure, and one can only debate that. What we do know is that the coaches do not play the game. The players do. The players are the ones responsible for their efforts on the ice. So the players are the ones that either need attitude adjustments, or need to be sent on their not so merry way.

The Rangers only have four UFAs going into the offseason: Olli Jokinen, Vinny Prospal, Alex Auld, and Jody Shelley. Of those four, you can bet that Jokinen and Shelley will be gone. There’s a chance that Prospal will be re-signed, he isn’t one of those players that takes games off. If he was, he wouldn’t have the ‘A’, which came at the recommendation of Drury. Maybe Auld will be re-signed, if he can be had on the cheap, as the backup goalie. Doubtful though.

In addition to the four UFAs, the Rangers have five RFAs (Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Enver Lisin, Erik Christensen, Brandon Prust). Of these, Staal is the only lock to be re-signed. I would guess that Prust and Christensen will be given short deals, while Girardi and Lisin are let go, either by trade or just simply released like Nik Zherdev.

So the Rangers aren’t going to have the major roster overhaul they had last season, or at least it doesn’t look that way yet. Unless some trades are made the shake the foundation, we are looking at a good portion of these players again next year. Maybe the young kids will come in next year with a new fire, after having been through the jitters of their rookie years. Maybe some of the veterans will come back and realize that this may be their last shot at a winner. That’s an awful lot of maybes.

What isn’t a maybe is that the Rangers, as currently built, are not a team that is going to work hard game after game. If the current roster can’t provide the effort, then identify those that do, and if possible, dump the rest. Easier said than done, but hey, the Rangers are used to massive roster changes. What’s one more to us anyway?

Chris Drury

Everyone has said it, Chris Drury has been great so far for Team USA. Defensively excellent he has killed penalties blocked shots and been a strong veteran presence for the young Americans. What may have surprised some is Drury seems to have re-found an offensive game in the Olympics as well… With 2 goals thus far (including a game winner), he’s taking shots and going to the net – Drury has been very visible on the ice.

So why can he do it for USA and not the Rangers? His performance so far asks several questions; is he being deployed right in NY? does he actually have more to give? and if The Rangers arent using him correctly what are the American coaches doing differently?

With Tortorella on the coaching staff in Vancouver one can only hope he is seeing whatever is different fellow Coaches Gordon and Wilson are doing offensively and will look to perhaps replicate it with Drury after the games in NY.

There’s no doubt that if Drury plays for the Rangers like he has done for Team USA, The Rangers immediately become a lot better.

Roenick Issues Apology

When Chris Drury was elected to Team USA, Jeremy Roenick was, for lack of a better phrase, appalled:

“Not to take anything away from the guy because he’s had such a great career, but for Chris Drury to be on the team, it baffles me,” Roenick told Toronto radio station AM640.

“I know he’s a great leader and if he’s captain of the team, he’ll be a great captain, but I just don’t see him being as good for the team as a guy like Gomez would be or T.J. Oshie. Oshie would bring so much energy to this team and this type of format in an international event, that I don’t understand how those two guys aren’t on the team.”

Now, after the US victory over Canada and the #1 overall seed in tournament play, Roenick is changing his tune. He has issued an apology:

I think being in New York, I owe a huge apology, both in the New York area or across the country, to Chris Drury, who I said probably should not have been there, here in the Olympics. [He's] been a monster for Team USA. He’s been one of their best players. I’ll eat crow when crow needs to be eaten. This is my national apology to Chris Drury. He’s just been a great, great hockey player

Team USA is the youngest in the tournament, and a veteran like Drury, who has participated in a few Olympics before, is essential to help guide the youngsters as the team focus shifts into a new generation, headed by Zach Parise, Drew Doughty (I meant Jack Johnson, oops), and Ryan Miller.

The young guns have a solid chance of earning a medal, as the qualifying round begins tonight.

Controlled Excitement

Team USA, the youngest team in the Olympics this year, was supposed to be an afterthought for the 2010 Olympics. The pool play favored the Americans slightly, placed in a pool with two very beatable teams in Norway and Switzerland. However, the young Americans were supposed to get blown away by the Canadians, the overall favorite to win the gold this year. After last night’s stunning victory, these young guns are changing the course of these games.

However, despite all the hooplah surrounding last night’s upset, we have to remain a bit controlled. This, in no way, shape or form, is comparable to 1980. So just stop with those comparisons please, you look stupid when you make them. Canada is stacked, but they’ve won a single gold medal in hockey since 1952. 1952!

Team USA does not have to play Canada, Sweden, or Russia until the gold medal game. However, they still will need to face one of the Czech Republic or Finland, both very strong teams who are very capable of beating not only the Americans, but the aforementioned powers of the other bracket. Before we get excited about a potential medal, let’s make sure these young guns beat the winner of the Swiss/Belarus game on Wednesday. At that point, and only at that point, are they guaranteed to at least compete for a medal. They would then have to beat either Finland or the Czech Republic AND Canada/Russia/Sweden. That is no easy task.

But let’s hear it for Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury. Both are playing very well, especially on the penalty kill, and have proved doubters wrong about what they bring to the team. Hopefully this will give Drury a boost after the Olympics and he can get some of those garbage goals he’s been collecting.

Olympic round up

So several teams of interest started their Olympic campaigns yesterday. A Quick look at the scores;

Team USA 3 – Switzerland 1

Team Canada 8 – Norway 0

Team Russia 8 – Latvia 2

All the Rangers involved on Tuesday were in the US game where Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan went scoreless for the US team and Andreas Ambuhl did the same for the Swiss. The goals scored for Team USA were by Bobby Ryan, David Backes (GWG) as well as a powerplay marker for Ryan Malone. Next up for the US is Norway on Thursday.

Team Canada looked impressive against the same Norwegians the US will face next. Dany Heatley got 2 goals, Jarome Iginla got a hatrick while the other scorers were Ryan ‘hows my ankle’ Getzlaf, Mike Richards and Corey Perry. Sid Crosby got 3 helpers for the Canadians but perhaps most pleasing for the home crowd was the shutout for Roberto Luongo on his home ice.  Next up for Canada is Switzerland…

Russia managed a big win over Latvia on Tuesday with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk amongst the scorers. As befitting a side with AO in it, the Russians peppered the Baltic side with 45 shots. Next up for Russia in 2 days is Slovakia who have the ‘luxury’ of playing games on back to back days.  Slovakia, who start today against the Czech Republic are still expected to be without the Rangers very own Marian Gaborik for both games.

For those of you who watched the US game how did you feel Drury and Callahan played?

Drury Doesn’t Get A Letter for Team USA

In a surprise move, Team USA did not give a letter to Chris Drury. The captain is Jamie Langenbrunner. The alternate captains are  Zach Parise, Dustin Brown, Ryan Suter and Brian Rafalski. To me, Drury was selected because of the leadership he provides. And that was going to be rewarded with a ‘C’ or ‘A’. Here’s what GM Brian Burke had to say:

“Leaders lead,” Burke said. “Leaders don’t need letters to lead. Ron Wilson and I were co-captains together in college and it didn’t change one thing on how we acted when they put a C on us. So, to me leaders lead. If you need a letter to lead, then you’re not a leader anyhow. We know what Chris Drury can bring. He doesn’t need a letter. We’ve got a number of guys who are wearing letters in the NHL that aren’t going to wear a letter on this team. I wasn’t defensive at all about picking Chris Drury. In fact, every single guy — this will be illuminating for the people in the media that are skeptical about Chris Drury — every single guy on the selection committee had him on the team. So, I wasn’t defensive at all.

I get that, but if you pick Chris Drury because he’s Chris Drury, Captain Clutch, you give him a letter. Maybe I’m just being biased as a Ranger fan. But, he deserves a letter. And he didn’t get one.

Callahan, Drury Make Team USA

Good news for Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury: They have made the US Olympic team. Drury was pretty much a given. Callahan was on the bubble. Good for them. They’ll most likely play a checking/3rd line/penalty killing role on Team USA.

Drury Maybe, Christensen In

As per Andrew Gross, Erik Christensen will be in tonight for the injured Vinny Prospal. Chris Higgins will be on the top line with Brandon Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik. Hopefully it will help him get some bounces to go his way.

Chris Drury may or may not play tonight, so Aaron Voros will partake in the warmups, and will play if Drury cannot go tonight.