Should Girardi Garner Norris Trophy Consideration?

Any one that saw highlights (or the full game) in Boston would have seen Dan Girardi play a brilliant game all-round. It’s not a shock anymore, however, as Girardi makes his way through a brilliant season individually. However, can a defensive defenseman really garner Norris Trophy consideration? Is Girardi a sexy enough brand name, are the points missing from the resume?

If All Star voting was any indication of Girardi’s league wide respect then it doesn’t bode well for the rock on the Rangers blue line but if the numbers get stripped down, the whole picture looked at and the realisation of just how essential Girardi has been to the Rangers is seen, then Girardi deserves real consideration.

Look beyond the 27+ minutes per game that Girardi gets. Look past the 30 point season that he is on course for (which compared to the usual Norris candidates is a paltry sum). Forget about Girardi being a league leader in both hits and blocked shots. However put it all together and you have a player that excels in almost everything he turns his hand to. Girardi is a good decision maker, is constantly up against the league’s best offensive stars (and usually wins) and yet he still manages to be a legitimate option offensively.

What perhaps goes unnoticed about Girardi is the unreal 8 penalty minutes he has been assessed this season. When you play a physical game like he does and play the minutes he does then 8 penalty minutes is an astounding figure. It is testament to Girardi’s positioning, the aforementioned decision making and technique that he is such a fair player. Lady Byng anyone?

When all is said and done the Norris trophy will be decided between the usual candidates like Shea Weber, Zdeno Chara and Nicklas Lidstrom but let’s hope Girardi gets a mention. A player like Girardi is rarely in the spotlight around the league, yet is one of the key reasons the Rangers are one of the best teams in the NHL this season despite injuries mounting and travel being a burden. Here’s hoping the underappreciated get some love.

Lundqvist, Gaborik, Girardi Join Tortorella In All Star Game

The NHL announced the rest of the rosters for the 2012 All Star Game, and joining John Tortorella for the festivities over the January 28-29 weekend will be Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik, and Dan Girardi. Lundqvist and Gaborik were the shoe-ins, with Gaborik among the league leaders in scoring (23-11-34 in 40 GP) and Lundqvist leading the Vezina race (1.85 GAA, .940 SV%, 3 SO).

That  brings us to Girardi, who garnered a lot of attention when Tortorella ripped the fan ballot, as Girardi’s name was not on the ballot initially. The fan write-in campaign fell short, but never fear, the selection process was fair and Girardi was elected to the All Star Game, and deservedly so. Girardi does not have the flashy numbers, nor does he have the big game physical presence that others bring.

No, instead Girardi led the young Rangers blue line that was without Marc Staal and Mike Sauer for extended periods. Girardi became the rock on the blue line that the Rangers needed during that time period, and helped lead them to an NHL best 27-9-4 record through the first half of the season.

Girardi’s selection means that Michael Del Zotto, having an All Star caliber season himself, was left off the roster. It’s tough to call Del Zotto’s omission a snub, considering the rest of the All Star’s selected.

Overall, the selection process was pretty fair when looking at the rosters, but there will always be people that have issues with it.

Halfway There Report Card: The Defense

With the halfway point of the season upon us (for the most part), and the Rangers in first place, it’s as good of a time as any to begin with the mid-point report cards. We are going to do these in a series of posts, with Chris covering the top six forwards, Suit covering the bottom six forwards, Justin covering the goalies, and myself covering the defense.

The Rangers have used a whopping 11 defensemen since the season started. This is mostly due to the Marc Staal injury, but other injuries along the way have forced the Rangers’ hand. Despite the obvious disadvantage, the Rangers have allowed just 82 goals against, good for second in the league. The Bruins top this, but let’s be honest: The Bruins are in a class above everyone else right now.  Let’s get to those grades:

Marc Staal: He’s played just a handful of games. Everyone knows he’s the rock on defense, and the Rangers just upgraded tremendously with him coming back. Grade: INC.

Dan Girardi: With Staal out indefinitely, the blue line was put in Girardi’s hands…and boy did he deliver. Girardi has been flawless in his own end. He plays the most minutes in the entire league, he plays against top competition, he consistently shuts down that top opposition, he has been contributing offensively, and he has been a leader for this young Rangers team. Grade: A+.

Ryan McDonagh: Staal’s injury opened up a spot for McDonagh on the top pairing, and he has been sensational in that role. He and Girardi have clicked, and aside from a few poor games, McDonagh has been a monster. Rick Carpiniello of LoHud calls him McMonster, and that’s exactly what he is. Throw in his growing offensive skills, and this sophomore defenseman has been a tremendous pickup. Thank you Mr. Gomez. Grade: A.

Michael Del Zotto: Another player that was forced to play up a pairing due to injury, Del Zotto has also been phenomenal. He leads the defensemen in scoring, and is fifth on the team in that same category with 23 points (5-18-23). He leads the team in assists, plus/minus, fan girls, and haters. Seriously, what else does this kid need to do? Sure, he makes a bad pass every now and then, but he’s 22 years old. I’ll take this from a 22 year old any day. Grade: A.

Mike Sauer: Currently out with a concussion, Sauer was the rock on the blue line that most thought was the reason for Del Zotto’s re-emergence.  Although Del Zotto has succeeded without Sauer in the lineup, Sauer is still an integral part of the Rangers blue line. He doesn’t put up the fancy numbers that Del Zotto does, he doesn’t garner the All Star consideration that Girardi does, but he just does his job. The best thing you can say about a defensive defenseman is that you don’t notice him, and rarely does Sauer go noticed. Grade: A.

Steve Eminger: Eminger had an atrocious start to the year. He just couldn’t do anything right, and was a bit of a whipping boy ’round these parts. However, when Sauer went down with his concussion, Emmy stepped up. Much like last year with the Michal Rozsival injury, Eminger assumed top four minutes and played like a champ. His start hurts his grade, but he gets significant bonus points for his ability to play up to his role, no matter what. His injury was supposed to be the one that crippled the Rangers, who were already without Staal and Sauer, but it didn’t. Grade: B.

Jeff Woywitka:Serviceable, reliable, tough, and surprisingly reliable. Much like Eminger, Woywitka was a whipping boy here after his poor start to the season. However, unlike Eminger, he played better as he got used to the John Tortorella way of life, and has been a great bottom pairing guy since. Maybe he has received too much ice time because of injuries, but the Rangers sure haven’t noticed. Kudos to Woywitka for persevering, and earning his continued stay with the Blueshirts. Grade: B.

Anton Stralman: Signed as a free agent a few weeks into the season, no one knew what to expect from Stalman. After a few weeks with the team, it was clear that Tortorella wasn’t a big fan, a point confirmed on HBO’s 24/7 last week. However as he has played, he has grown into a player that is not only reliable, but someone that Tortorella can play top-four minutes without hesitation. Stralman has been paired with Del Zotto, and both have flourished. Martin Biron might be the best offseason acquisition in a while, but the signing of Stralman might be the most underappreciated. Grade: A-.

Stu Bickel: The last man cut from the blue line in the preseason, Bickel earned a call up following Eminger’s separated shoulder and Woywitka’s bruised foot forced the Rangers’ hand. Bickel has been a physical presence on the blue line that has rarely made a mistake. He’s still a rookie, and yes his mistakes have and will come, but the Rangers couldn’t have asked for more from him. With Sauer out, Bickel has replaced that physicality that was sorely missing. Grade: B+.

Tim Erixon: He played in the beginning of the year when Sauer was out, and most recently while Woywitka was out. It’s clear he’s still not ready for the big show, but he’s a promising young defenseman that has done many things right. He’s only played 13 games, but it’s apparent the Rangers have a serious NHL player on their hands. Grade: INC.

Brendan Bell: Played one game. Grade: INC.

*Here is Justin’s mid-season report for the goalies & Suit’s report for our bottom six forwards. Stay tuned for reports on our top 6 forwards and our coaches.

Changes Are Coming On The Blue Line

Not sure if you guys caught this, but Marc Staal returned to the lineup in dramatic fashion, just in time for the Winter Classic. Again, if you missed this, I don’t blame you, the news was sort of buried amidst the other Winter Classic hooplah.

All kidding aside, Staal’s return marked the 11th defenseman the Rangers have used this season. Stepping back, it really is remarkable how they are this good despite playing everyone except my mother on defense this season.

With Staal back in the lineup, the obvious scratch choice was Jeff Woywitka, and as expected, he was scratched for the Winter Classic. Woywitka, claimed off waivers, was essentially an insurance policy and a body to dress for games. In all fairness, he exceeded expectations and was extremely serviceable. He came in, adjusted to the new system, and played some steady third line minutes…with some hiccups of course.

Now with Mike Sauer looking like he is on the path to return –he skated with the team– the Rangers are going to need to find a place to insert him when he returns. The only realistic options for replacement are Anton Stralman and Stu Bickel, as none of Staal, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, or Michael Del Zotto will be sitting any time soon.

Considering the current pairings, it is my guess that Bickel will be the one who sits for Sauer, when he returns. It’s nothing against the kid, who has played very well (again with some hiccups) in his call up, it’s just a numbers game. It makes more sense for Bickel to be returned to the AHL and get significant ice time than for him to sit around as the healthy scratch for weeks at a time. It is for that same reason that I expect Woywitka to stick around for a long time, at least until Steve Eminger heals.

The decisions about scratches and replacements are easy decisions. The decisions for defensive pairings however is a very tough choice. Does John Tortorella go back to his bread-and-butter pairing of Staal-Girardi? Does he leave Girardi with McDonagh and put Staal with Sauer? Does Del Zotto get matched back up with Sauer, leaving Staal to play with Stralman? These are questions that can only be answered by the coaching staff and by the players’ performance on the ice.

Personally, I would go back to ole reliable: Staal/Girardi, McDonagh/Sauer, MDZ/Stralman. That gives the Rangers two legitimate shut down pairings that also have some offensive upside, plus the surprisingly strong pairing of MDZ/Stralman to give the top four much needed rest. That leaves Eminger as the odd man out, but you would have to assume Stralman and Eminger would be rotating. Assuming those three pairings play the way that is expected and the way that they have all year, the Rangers have one of the deepest blue lines in the league.

The Rangers haven’t played a single game this season with a full strength blue line, yet they remain in first place in the conference. The Times They Are a-Changin’.

A Look At The NYR GVT/PVT Leaders

With the Rangers seemingly in cruise control heading as the season flipped to January, we have been taking the time to look at advanced metrics to determine who exactly is contributing and in what fashion. One of the overall metrics we use here, Points Versus Threshold (or PVT), has been unavailable because it is derived from Goals Versus Threshold (GVT), of which the numbers were not available until recently. Now that Hockey Prospectus has made the GVT numbers available, PVT is now available*. Just a note about the numbers: these do not include the Winter Classic or any January games.

*-Note to the HP and BTN guys: I can help you with getting these out regularly if you want. </shameless plug>

Looking at the defensive unit, which has been marred by injuries, there might be a bit of a surprise at who leads the way:

Key for the tables: GP=Games Played; OGVT=Offensive GVT; DGVT=Defensive GVT; SGVT=Shootout GVT; GVT=Overall GVT; PVT=Overall PVT

Yes folks, that is Michael Del Zotto ahead of both Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi for tops among the defensemen in PVT. Del Zotto has earned the Rangers 2.5 extra points in the standings. That is as much as both McDoangh and Girardi combined. That’s not to discount the top pairing, as they are critical to the success of the team by shutting down the opposition. It is more to play up how Del Zotto has done a complete 180 from last season.

Looking more into these numbers, don’t look too deep into Mike Sauer’s numbers. GVT and PVT are counting metrics, and since Sauer has only played 19 games, his number appears lower. When you average it out to the 36 games played, he has about a 1.1 PVT (3.3 GVT) and sits in the top three or four.

As for Steve Eminger, who sits in the bottom three with a 0.3 PVT, it shows how much he struggled early in the season. He played better as he received more minutes, but his PVT numbers suffer because of his horrendous start.

Looking at the PVT numbers, it’s easy to see why Jeff Woywitka was scratched for Marc Staal’s return, and not Stu Bickel. Bickel has the same PVT as Woywitka, but in almost 1/4 the games. That number says it all. Plus the youth and “jam” factor of course.

Analysis of the forwards after the jump

Just Like Dan?

Remember when Dan Girardi was an unheralded, undrafted, free agent nobody? Remember when he was playing ECHL hockey, then got an unnoticed promotion to the AHL and then an unlikely shot at the NHL? Yeah, that worked out pretty well for Mr Girardi didn’t it? Hope you’re enjoying that multimillion dollar contract Dan.

They’re don’t play the same position, aren’t the same stature, didn’t play in the same junior league and are at different stages of their careers but there’s some kind of potential parallel between Dan Girardi and the wonderfully named Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, aka JAM.

This season, in relative obscurity amid the Rangers impressive season, there is a little forward making waves in the AHL for the CT Whale who may be on his way to earning a shot at the NHL if he keeps his recent play going. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault has been an offensive surprise for the Whale this season – to the tune of 25 points in 29 games (good for the club lead) – and is getting better game by game.

Consider the AHL rookie, undrafted like Dan Girardi, began his first pro season scoreless in his five games as he got his feet wet and JAM is a point/game player for the majority of his first pro year. Impressive stuff. All this leads to the question of NHL/Rangers potential. Can eventually he make the jump?

Good friend of the blog, Brian Ring of the CT Whale, has seen JAM a lot this season. So what does Brian think of JAM, now and in the future?

I think the Girardi comparison is fair, as you’ve already noted they play different positions and are obviously of different build. They both, however, were maybe a bit overlooked before joining the professional ranks.

Audy-Marchessault has had an immediate impact on the Connecticut Whale, and as of this writing, he leads the team in scoring with 28 points on the season (10-18-28) in 31 games. With the call-ups to Hagelin and Mitchell, he has been getting the majority of his ice time on the top line with Kris Newbury and Andre Deveaux, who have also served as the primary power-play unit.

He couldn’t have landed in a better spot to debut as a professional, playing with former Quebec Remparts teammates Kelsey Tessier and Ryan Bourque. Tessier, a bilingual, not only helps JAM with his English but as a second-year pro knows the ropes as far as playing in the AHL and living in the Hartford area. Bourque is also surely a comfort as they go through the transition to the professional ranks together.

In his first extended time away from home, Audy-Marchessault has excelled and obviously adjusted quite well. He had his break-out game during a home-and-home set with one of the Whale’s most bitter rivals, the Springfield Falcons, on Oct. 22-23. He netted his first pro goal at Springfield, a third period equalizer, before tallying three points (1-2-3) the next night against the Falcons. The Whale won both games.

Since then, he’s been one of the most consistent Whale forwards, tallying 13 points in 11 November games and 10 points in 11 December games (two remain). He is third among rookie scorers in the AHL, eight points behind Norfolk’s Cory Conacher for the lead.

I don’t think there’s much question of whether or not he will make the jump to the next level or not. The ability and desire is certainly there and his tools are great, size hasn’t been an issue as he has withstood the punishment of nearly a half season without a problem. P.A. Parenteau has a size advantage over JAM, however Audy-Marchessault reminds me of him quite a bit. Look for him to add size and strength over the coming months as he continues to hone his professional game.

Following his quick rise to becoming a player relied upon for offense on a strong AHL club it seems JAM has a lot of potential and a promising future. It seems the Ranger scouting and player development may have found another gem.

Big thanks to Brian Ring for his contribution. For more updates on both JAM’s progress and the club as a whole be sure to check the Whale’s website as well twitter for as great insights from Brian and the Whale .

Stralman’s Short Stay

One of the more underrated aspects of the Rangers recent impressive stretch is Anton Stralman stepping up and playing solidly on the second pair. Increased minutes (17/game), sound defense (+9 rating) and a decent offensive game (5 assists in just 12 games); Stralman has helped ease the Rangers through a torrid stretch of injuries on their blue line. However, we probably shouldn’t get used to Stralman patrolling the Rangers blue line.

There’s a very good chance Stralman is auditioning for the rest of the NHL. The Rangers are pretty stacked on the blue line. With Marc Staal and Mike Sauer set to return and with Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Mike Del Zotto all core pieces of the blue line going forward there’s only really one spot left to fight over on the blue line with lots of candidates aiming for that spot six.

The also-impressive (surprising) Stu Bickel, Dylan McIlrath and Tim Erixon will all also be in the mix for the final spot next season. Steve Eminger and Jeff Woywitka (at this point in time) may also be considered, especially Eminger. Hopefully with Erixon getting big minutes in CT, he’ll be ready for a full time NHL role next season making competition at camp intense.

Stralman could be a viable candidate from the Rangers point of view. As we’ve said, he’s proven he can handle minutes and make plays at both ends of the ice but the main reason he’s probably not a realistic option for next year is price. The better Stralman plays, the higher his price will be. He may command double his current 900k on the open market. He may command more. Warped theory suggests that the Rangers want to hope they can’t afford him next year because it’ll mean he’s played well enough to command a raise.

The thing is, while the actual $$/sum for Stralman may not be prohibitive the Rangers likely won’t want to invest too much more money in the defensive part of the roster, especially with new deals (AKA raises) on the horizon for Del Zotto and McDonagh. With significant salaries already tied into Staal and Girardi, and the aforementioned raises on the blue line due, the more realistic options are a cheap contract like Eminger or a prospect like Bickel.

The best case scenario for Rangers fans is Stralman plays out an impressive season and earns himself a good contract in the NHL; maybe with the Rangers, probably not. Here’s hoping both the Rangers and the fans enjoy this very public audition. It’s in everyone’s interests it keeps going well.

All Star Worthy?

The Rangers deserve to have multiple representatives at this year’s All Star game. The fact that so many of the roster should be in contention speaks volumes for the way the Rangers have moved up through the standings and developed this season. So which Rangers players should represent the club? Who deserves the nod?

• Marian Gaborik. It goes without saying that when you lead the entire NHL in goals scored you’re doing something right. Gaborik is having a dominant season; scoring important goals, showing tremendous consistency and giving the Rangers an offensive game changer they lacked last season.
• Henrik Lundqvist. The King is doing what he does best. Like Gaborik he’s tremendously consistent, rarely has he given up a soft goal this year and has been the very backbone of the Rangers once again. Despite being on course to play considerably less games this year – thanks to Martin Biron – the Swedish netminder could be in the discussion for league MVP, such is his impact so far.
• Dan Girardi. The amount of time he spends on the ice is borderline insane – not far off a minute/game more than second in the league. Girardi blocks shots, provides the Rangers with immense stability and chips in offensively too. Not a ‘sexy’ player or a dominant offensive blueliner, guys like Girardi (unfortunately) rarely get the kudos of all star games even when they deserve the recognition. Critical to the Rangers.
• Mike Del Zotto. Yes, you read it – Mike Del Zotto. Especially in the past month he has been consistent, increasingly dangerous offensively, physically impressive and has shown great ability to swallow minutes all season. Del Zotto is the league’s leading blueliner in plus/minus and is one three point game away from being in the league’s top 10 in scoring from the blueline. Easily, the most improved Ranger this season.
• Ryan Callahan. Like Girardi and his ‘type’, rarely are the Ryan Callahan’s of the NHL rewarded with all star weekends. Amongst the league leaders in hits, and ice time amongst forwards Callahan has taken his offensive game to another level and is on course for his first 30 goal season. Maybe the best lead-by-example captain in the league today does any player try harder? Guys like Callahan deserve to be officially titled ‘all star’.

Gaborik and Lundqvist surely should get the call to head to Ottawa early next year. Anything other than invites for the Rangers marquee talents would be a travesty. Will any of the others get a call? Unfortunately Rangers players rarely get the exposure around the league due to the blue collar reputation the roster has.

It’s assumed this team does things by committee, which it does. However the above list proves that this team has serious skill and top end players too. All this and we’re forgetting a hot streak from Brad Richards and there could be another candidate. The 2011-12 Rangers, they’re pretty stacked you know.

Musings At Christmas

Its Thursday, it’s a musings day and a game day. It’s the beginning of a three game home stand against divisional rivals. Don’t get used to it with relocation coming though. Anyway, let’s get into it.

Something I tweeted last night: Dan Girardi has gone pointless in 9 games. The entire tweet was a joke but what it did was reinforce how some players really do go beyond stat lines. Girardi is a solid two way guy who is good for 30 points but there may be no defenseman in the entire league – given the circumstances in NY – that is currently more important to their team. Girardi does it all.

Quietly, several Rangers are near the league lead in statistical categories. Carl Hagelin is third in shorthanded goals, Mike Del Zotto is in the top ten for plus/minus, Gaborik is right in the mix for the Richard trophy (trailing Stamkos but just one goal) while Brad Richards is tied for third in the league in game winning goals. Then there’s a certain goalie. With goalies of at least 16 starts only Brian Elliot and Tim Thomas have better GAA’s and save percentages than Henrik Lundqvist. Vezina season?

Beginning tonight, the Rangers have the Islanders twice and Philly over the Xmas period. 3 wins would be huge and are a realistic target given the new found strength on home ice. If the Rangers can get up for those games like they did against the Devils it will be a great stretch. I’m not being greedy; all I want for Xmas is 3 wins this week.

Back to goaltending. Kudos to Tortorella for managing Lundqvist’s minutes perfectly this season. He’s on course to play ‘just’ 62 games this season, by far his least since 2005 – his rookie year. He’s been his most consistent this year and his usual dominant self. The extra breaks (and the presence of Biron) are the reasons why.

The league needs to sort out concussion issues quickly. With four new additions (including ex Ranger Al Montoya) the list of players out due to concussions now stands at over 30. That’s an awful figure. Great players such as Chris Pronger may never play again and Sid Crosby could be well on his way to being the new Eric Lindros – dominant and cut down in his prime by the head issue. The league needs to be tougher on head shots, change unnecessarily tough equipment such as elbow pads and generally show more willingness to solve a horrible trend.

After 19 goals last year, ex Ranger forward Lauri Korpikoski is headed towards 20 this year. The Rangers have handled player development (drafting, ice time, minor league development etc, etc) very well in general but I still think the Rangers gave up on Korpikoski a little too early.

Be honest, did you think the Rangers would be ahead of the Penguins at Christmas, with three games in hand?

Question Time:

• Will Gaborik hit 50 goals this season?
• Will Ryan Callahan hit 30 goals this season?
• How many regular season games will Marc Staal play in this season?
• How many current roster players will be ex Rangers before the season is out?
• Who do you think is the Rangers MVP after 31 games?

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As it’s the last Musings before Christmas on behalf of the Suit, Dave and myself, allow me to wish everyone a Happy Christmas, or if you don’t celebrate it, a wonderful holiday season. A skinny tie for you all

The Dan Girardi Appreciation Post

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know that although we are fans of Dan Girardi, we generally tend to think that he may not have a future with the team throughout the life of his contract. The Rangers already have several key cogs on defense in Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal, and Michael Del Zotto. They also have two key prospects that will likely crack the roster in the next two years in Dylan McIlrath and Tim Erixon. While that does leave one spot open on the blue line, assuming it all plays out like this, there will be several routes the Rangers can go to fill that spot.

That is not a sleight against Girardi, it is just a matter of business. In a salary cap world, Girardi’s $3.325 million cap hit may be too much to handle for a defenseman that has no specific “specialty” on the blue line. Girardi is good at most aspects of the game, but he doesn’t excel in one particular area, the way Del Zotto is an offensive defenseman or the way McIlrath is supposed to be a bruiser.

All that said, it is time that we eat our words and say that Girardi has been magnificent for the Rangers, and I for one hope he continues to be magnificent for many years to come. In a year where the Rangers are without their best defenseman, Girardi has stepped up to the plate and carried this Rangers blue line. The undrafted defenseman now wears an ‘A’, and that speaks volumes of what the coaches and locker room think of him.

Katie Strang of ESPN penned a fantastic article about Girardi, which follows the timeline of when the Rangers first discovered him through the current season. Girardi leads all defensemen in average ice time per game; and as stated above, has the locker room’s complete respect due to the way he plays and carries himself on and off the ice.

Without Girardi, the Rangers would be lost. He plays almost 30 minutes per game, meaning the Rangers don’t have to play the third pairing of Steve Eminger and Jeff Woywitka that much. Strang points out that Girardi is rarely winded, and while his immense ice time is a concern, the fact that he can just keep on keeping on is a great motivator for the young kids on the team needing someone to look up to.

So take a step back, and give Girardi some much needed appreciation. The best compliment you can give to a defenseman is that you rarely notice him on the ice, because that means he isn’t making mistakes. The fact that Dan Girardi has gone overlooked for this long is as big of a compliment as it is a disgrace. He should be representing the Rangers in the All Star Game, and although he may not win a write-in campaign, he should be a shoo-in for a selection.