Boyle Means Goodbye to Betts, Orr

With the recent acquisition of Brian Boyle from the LA Kings, for a 2010 3rd round pick, the Rangers acquired a very big center that can fight, and presumably skate. I say presumably because I really don’t know much on him. What I do know is that Boyle is 6’7 250 lbs, and is just a beast. He may have a little bit of an offensive touch to him, he put up decent numbers in the AHL for a fighter. This pickup also gives the Rangers their very own 2003 first round pick, so now they are not the only team in the NHL that didn’t have a 2003 first rounder play in the NHL.

With this trade, the Rangers are tipping their hand at their offseason plans. It is known that Fred Sjostrom was not qualified as an RFA, and that Colton Orr was not being pursued at the moment for next season. Boyle can replace Orr as the fighter, so no big deal there. As much as I love Orr, he is replaceable. Orr will get considerable interest from a lot of NHL teams, after making incredible improvements in his skating last season. What I don’t like here is that Boyle also replaces Blair Betts as the fourth line center. It’s tough to watch the best penalty killing unit in the NHL not get resigned, but I guess that’s hockey.

The more you think about it, the more you realize that there is no way Betts was going to be back next season. Superb on the kill he may be, but he has little offensive talent, and saw a dramatic decrease in playing time under the John Tortorella regime. It’s safe to assume that Betts wants more playing time, maybe even on a third line (or a team that rolls four lines….Edmonton).

I don’t know if a 4th line of (insert LW)-Boyle-Jordan Owens is an upgrade over Orr-Betts-Sjostrom. It depends on how effective the new guys are on the PK, and if they can actually net a few goals.

But, I guess it’s time to say goodbye to Colton Orr, Blair Betts, and Fred Sjostrom. And it’s also time to give a big thank you to Sjostrom and Betts, talking about a fantastic PK tandem.

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.

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.

I saw this going bad when….

I saw Colton Orr was not in the lineup and Donald Brashear was.  Don’t laugh.  Think back to a time when Tom Renney failed to have the big enforcer in the lineup for a game against the Flyers, and they proceeded to run rampant all over the Blueshirts.  After that game, Renney vowed to never sit Orr again and #28 has been a staple ever since.  Especially after watching Brashear challenge Orr during pre-game warmups, you had to believe he was going to be in there right?  Right???

Well apparently not, and the injury sustained by Blair Betts is a direct result of not dressing Orr.  Brashear knew he could perform that act without fear of having to face the reprecutions of Colton Orr.  I applaud Paul Mara for standing up to him, and we can argue until we’re blue in the face about how many minutes Brashear should have gotten for it.  As a player, when you see that happen to a teammate of yours, it does something that’s hard to explain.  Whatever it is, it takes a lot out of you and its hard to recover from.  Brashear didn’t get much ice time after that, and you can speculate as to whether or not this was premeditated, but the Rangers staff allowed it to happen by not having Colton Orr ready to go at a moment’s notice.

I’m in no way pinning the Rangers loss solely on this decision and subsequent event, but it definitely was a factor.  Now the Rangers are likely down their best faceoff man and penalty killer.  I’ll bet Colton Orr will be dressed for Game 7.

Either way, its time to find out what these Rangers are really made of on Tuesday night….

Suspensions/Fines for Torts, Orr, Voros?

During last night’s debacle, and really ugly 3rd period, we saw Orr and Voros lay out some dirty hits, and Tortorella get into it with some Washington fans. There is a very good chance we will be seeing at least fines for all three, and possibly suspensions.

What to do if/when someone is suspended? Who do you call up from Hartford to fill in? Artem Anisimov? Greg Moore? maybe give P.A. Parenteau a shot? We shall see later. Right now, we all wait in limbo as Colin Campbell and the rest of the disciplinary committee meet to discuss the fates of Aaron Voros, John Tortorella, and Colton Orr.

On a different note, what is with the Washington fans? Talking about classless. In Game 1, they were throwing stuff at the Rangers, and in Game 5, they throw stuff at Tortorella? I mean, grow up. Seriously. There is no need for any of that. It’s hockey, not the WWE.

I won’t be around for the rest of the day. It’s too nice out to stay in and wait for the result. So I won’t be posting an update on the suspensions until tomorrow. Go outside. It’s beautiful.

So what’s it gonna be Mats?

As we sit on the eve of Mats Sundin’s big decision, one has to wonder…is this a move the Rangers have to make?  Or are they simply reverting back to their old ways, going after the the biggest available name out there, and not necessarily for the right reasons? 

One would have to think that given Sundin’s track record that this is not just a move of desperation.  Let’s face it….the Rangers offensive attack has all the symptoms of the worst types of anemia, and a big, able-bodied scorer (not named Aaron Voros or Colton Orr…sorry boys) will do wonders for an eye-gouging power play.  The presence of another fellow countryman will also help in the progress of Markus Naslund, who will be a critical cog in the machine down the line, not to mention making your franchise goalie feel a little more at home.

But at what cost do the Rangers bring Sundin in?  It will take a great deal of player movement and sacrifice to get him signed to the roster at the current asking price.  The Rangers have taken great pride in the post-lockout era in holding on to their products, whether it be players they have drafted, or exports that have grown exponentially in their system.  A commitment to Sundin will certainly mean the end of Petr Prucha (whom I believe the Rangers organization completely ruined, but thats another story for another time) and surely Michael Roszival, whose combined salary lands at $6.6 million/year.  Besides, as a Rangers fan, you can’t help but cringe every time Slats goes after that big name (see Lindros, Eric; Bure, Pavel; Holik, Bobby, etc etc etc etc etc).

We can sit here all night and argue pros and cons over the decision, but it all comes down to which situation one future Hall of Fame center feels better about.  In the end, the bright lights of New York, the prospect of playing with his notable natives, and remaining in the Eastern Conference will be enough to sway Sundin to the Big Apple. Then Rangers fans have to ask themselves two questions: how many line combinations  will Tom Renney experiment with before he gets it right, and how much will Mats donate to Big Z for #13?