Decent news on the Stepan front; No hearing for Orpik

This afternoon some good news has hit the Twittersphere about the status of Derek Stepan, recipient of a dirty knee-on-knee hit from Brooks Orpik last night. Per Andrew Gross, Stepan attended the Rangers team photo shoot this morning. Although Stepan didn’t skate at practice, his attendance at the team picture is at least a good sign. It means he can walk on that leg.

The other good news is that Ryan McDonagh, who rode to practice with Stepan (per Steve Zipay), said that Stepan was sore, but didn’t think it was serious.

More good news: there have been no call ups from the AHL yet. It would be a surprise if Stepan played tomorrow against the Caps though. Expect John Scott to see some time tomorrow while Stepan rests up. The President’s Trophy is nice, but not at the expense of the health of key members of the team.

Obviously the NHL had to rain on the good news parade today. There won’t be a hearing for Orpik concerning that hit. Thought the league wanted that kind of play out of the game?

A look at the Brooks Orpik knee-on-knee hit on Derek Stepan

Well, anyone who watched the game last night saw that in the third period, with the Penguins well on their way to a victory, Derek Stepan carried the puck through the neutral zone, and was hit by Brooks Orpik. The hit was a knee-on-knee hit, and Stepan was down on the ice for a while before skating to the bench. Video is below:

When watching the video, different angles show different aspects of the hit. First, Stepan made a move at the last second to try and get around Orpik. Those last second moves are generally a precursor to this type of hit. However, Orpik appears to have led with his knee on the hit, which makes it a dirty hit. I went over to Pensburgh to see what they thought, and in the game thread even they thought it was a dirty hit.

That said, Orpik is not a dirty player. His hit on Stepan in the first period was as clean a hit as they come. It just so happened a hard nosed defender made a boneheaded play, and now the Rangers are going to suffer for it. It’s not the dirtiest hit I’ve seen, look at who else is on that roster, but it’s still a dirty hit.

The in-game call of a five minute major and a game misconduct was the right call on this hit. A suspension, likely a game, would also be the right call. After all, there is zero chance that Stepan will play tomorrow, so shouldn’t Orpik be punished as well?

But of course we are talking about the NHL and the Penguins, so Orpik will likely get one of those $5,000 slap on the wrists. If he does, expect another colorful interview with John Tortorella (more on that after the jump), because that will be one of those calls that goes in the Penguins favor.

Tortorella’s press conference after the jump

Rangers Hold Off Devils; Recap

Two smart periods and one sloppy period equals Rangers win. It wasn’t perfect but the Rangers got what they deserved out of the game as they beat the Devils 4-2. They were the better team throughout and ten minutes aside in the second controlled play, were defensively solid and could have scored more if not for some sharp goaltending by Brodeur. On to the notes from the game…

First Period

Perhaps they were inevitable, but if ever a series of fights can be a seminal moment for a team then maybe the melee at the start of this game was such a moment for the Rangers. They admitted they didn’t match the Devils the last time out but three fights to kick this game off set the tone of the first period for the Rangers. Rupp and Boulton (who has no right to be in the league), Prust and Janssen and a highly entertaining Bickel and Carter scrap got the game going immediately with the crowd lapping it up.

The Rangers dominated to begin. Their physicality, speed, forecheck and desire to win every puck battle was impressive. The Devils were rocked as the Rangers took command; the result of the scraps or sheer desire?

The Rangers goal in the first came on a breakdown by the Devils leading to a 4 on 2 which saw Stepan feed Dubinsky who beat Brodeur from between the hash marks. So often the Rangers fail to capitalize on odd man rushes because they overplay it so it was nice to see them convert.

The Rangers generated a few additional chances including one which led to a review after Boyle spun out from the corner and his centering feed creating havoc in front. The correct call was made but it was still good play from the Rangers: Boyle putting it on net with other Rangers (Fedotenko) crashing the crease.

Huge break for the Rangers midway through as Kovalchuk had a huge chance in front only to be denied by a great poke check by Lundqvist when the puck broke to Parise who ringed one off the post.  Lundqvist deserved the break: he was aggressive on Kovalchuk with his stick yet at the same time, showed patience sliding across goal to follow Kovalchuk’s attempted deke.

Biggest concern for the Rangers in the first was on the penalty kill. While it was aggressive in parts, the one player they simply cannot allow to load up and fire away is Kovalchuk. Several times the Russian had clear sights on goal and was only stopped by his (on this occasion) lack of accuracy and a Hank glove; Kovalchuk was given too much space on the PP.

Given their recent slump, it was on the whole a fine first for the Rangers. They controlled the period for the most part.

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Stepan Maturing

Two things really stand out about Derek Stepan this season; when he has a bad game or bad period it doesn’t linger and he comes straight back with an improved performance. That is evidence in itself that he is a quick learner which will stand him in good stead for his career. Secondly, this season Stepan’s game is really rounding out despite being on course for fewer goals than his rookie year.

During the Carolina win Thursday night, Stepan was credited with a game high four hits. He blocked two shots, had three of his own and of course grabbed two assists. There wasn’t much Stepan didn’t do against the Canes. It’s become a typical all-round performance from the still 21 year old American center.

Stepan is on course for a 50+ point season and his development this year has probably kept the criticism of Brad Richards’ production from being louder. It’s not often the coach leaves lines in tact but barring a mid season divorce, the ‘GAS’ line has remained a constant. A large part of that has to do with Stepan’s ability to mesh so well with Marian Gaborik.

You want consistency? Taking into account Stepan is a 21 year old sophomore he has only once gone longer than three games without a point this year and that was the very first four games of the season including the Sweden trip.

Stepan has already registered more hits, in twenty games less, than in his first year, equalled his powerplay production, is blocking more shots, and will likely take more shots in his second year as well. Overall, Stepan has shown tremendous signs of development including in his already quality decision making. Stepan is becoming an essential part of the Rangers and has cemented himself a place in the top six for the foreseeable future.

It doesn’t matter where the Rangers play, Stepan makes sure he contributes. 22 points on home ice, Stepan also has 19 away from the world’s most famous arena; evidence that he isn’t a home bird. Against possible playoff opponents such as the Devils, Flyers and Senators Stepan has produced against them all.

He hasn’t been perfect by any stretch, but Derek Stepan continues to show the kind of developmental trajectory that gets fans excited. A player blessed with intelligence, maturity and skill Stepan will be a quality Ranger for many years to come – exactly why Glen Sather refused to even consider parting with the Rangers’ very own McLovin.

The Latest on Rick Nash

12:47pm: Via Mark Spector, talks between the Rangers and Blue Jackets regarding Rick Nash have “advanced.” The reported package includes one of Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, a prospect (apparently Tim Erixon), and a first round pick. The Rangers believe this offer gives them the edge over the Maple Leafs, and I would sure hope it would. That’s a serious haul.

As Dave said on Twitter, any deal bringing Nash to New York would have to involve Brandon Dubinsky going elsewhere for salary purposes. Columbus apparently doesn’t want him, which complicated things. It’s worth noting that Wojtek Wolski was not placed on waivers today according to Bob McKenzie, so his rather pricey salary will still count against the cap on Monday, trade deadline day.

I’m of the belief that the Rangers should look for an upgrade over the Stu Bickel/Steve Eminger/Jeff Woywitka trio, not subtract potentially two defensemen. We’ve seen the d-men get beat with speed quite a bit lately, and I don’t think that’s an accident. Dan Girardi, McDonagh, and MDZ have logged a ton of ice time this season, so adding another guy to soak up some minutes down the stretch makes sense. Anyway, I’ll update this post with any Nash-related rumors throughout the day.

Update (2:24pm): Per David Pagnotta, the Blue Jackets badly want Derek Stepan but will settle for Carl Hagelin. He mentions a package of Dubinsky, Stepan/Hagelin, Chris Kreider, plus a pick (not necessarily a first rounder), though it’s unclear if that’s on the table or if he’s speculating. Meanwhile, Larry Brooks hears that there’s nothing to the MDZ talk, but Erixon is in play. After the Wolski trade, the Rangers can add close to $11 million in cap hits at the deadline according to CapGeek. The money’s there if they want to do something big, or even two something bigs.

Anisimov’s Precarious Rangers Future

When the same thing happens season after season you begin to wonder whether a player truly is developing or whether he has already hit his ceiling. Artem Anisimov, every year with the Rangers, has had spells where he looks like a great piece for the future and then periods when he disappears.

Anisimov is pointless in twelve (yes, twelve) games prior to Thursday’s Penguins game. That’s almost impossible given his line mates for the majority of those games and even lately with a reduced role Anisimov is still averaging over 15 minutes/game on the season. That’s plenty of opportunity to make an offensive contribution, one that his team needs.

The Russian is still on pace to hit 40 points for the season but that’s just it. Is the talented forward topping out as a 40 point player or do people still see his skill set, his size and age and think (hope?) he can make it to a 60 point player? It’s looking less likely with every additional barren streak.

What’s more, Anisimov is moving himself into dangerous territory. Derek Stepan has made himself almost untouchable as he develops nicely this year. With Gaborik, Richards and Callahan going nowhere anytime soon and Brandon Dubinsky (prior to injury) showing signs of getting back to his normal, top six self, should the Rangers look to make a significant addition this season Anisimov may be the forward that gets dangled off the roster.

With the Russian’s poor play and the other aforementioned players security on the roster, Anisimov’s potential may play against him. Despite his up and down season his potential is still appealing to other teams as trade bait. A relatively small contract, youth on his side and a solid (but unspectacular) CV, Anisimov would be a solid starting point for many trades negotiations around the league.

As the Rangers continue to move towards the playoffs, Anisimov may either be auditioning to secure his Rangers future or become a trade piece. We discussed it at the start of the season that Anisimov may be in a play-off with Derek Stepan for a long term future in the top six with the Rangers. Right now, he’s losing hands down.  It promises to be an important few weeks before the deadline, for the Russian.

Halfway There Report Card: The Top Six Forwards

When you’re a team sitting at the top of the NHL standings there’s usually not much to moan about. The Rangers have been blessed with production and top quality performances from all over the roster including the top six. A team cannot win consistently if it doesn’t get production from its key guys and the Rangers have been getting it. To the grades…

Marian Gaborik. In December we discussed the possibility of whether Gaborik was the league’s best right wing this season. That kind of says it all about the year he’s having. On pace to establish a new career high in goals, Gaborik is flirting with the magical 50 mark. Despite occasional stretches without production he’s been remarkably consistent and blew past his subpar 10/11 season goal total with less than half the season gone. Gaborik is the Rangers best offensive talent and he’s showing it. Fully healthy, he looks explosive; the sky’s the limit this season. A+

Ryan Callahan. The most underrated captain in the league? The best player in the league no one ever talks about? The Rangers captain does it all. He’s 4^th in the league in hits, was on course for a 30 goal season and gives 100% every single shift. Seven power play goals, three game winners and a short-hander suggest Callahan produces in every scenario. If there was any kind of criticism of Callahan it may be that he’s taken a few too many penalties this season but that would be nitpicking in a brilliant season for the best Rangers captain in several seasons. A+

Brandon Dubinsky. This is a tough grade because it depends what your expectations are for the talented Alaskan. Dubinsky has had a pretty rough first half even though he’s clearly improved recently. The bottom line however is that for a player making around $4m annually, counted on to be an offensive contributor, a physical leader on a blue collar team then 5 goals and 21 points do not cut it. Nor does the 6% shooting percentage or the meagre 76 shots. Luckily for Dubinsky, the team has great depth and have coped without consistent production from him. Slowly turning his year around, it’s almost like a new addition making the Rangers potentially even more dangerous. C-

Derek Stepan. Please remember this kid is 21. He’s centering the top line on the NHL’s best team (points wise), is likely to comfortably surpass his rookie totals and doesn’t look out of place at all. Stepan was an eagerly anticipated prospect but I’m not sure many people thought he would be this good, this quickly. He still has some developing to do, like his shot selection, but when his contract expires he’ll likely be a lot better financially next time he signs on the dotted line. Stepan is scoring important goals (but not enough), playing a pivotal role in Gaborik’s bounce back year and is growing up right before our eyes. Rarely do you see Stepan make a bad decision and his passing ability is incredible, as we saw once again throughout the Coyotes win last night. A huge future lies ahead. B+

Artem Anisimov. The Russian is another player showing solid progression this year. Unfortunately he has cooled off lately; pointless in eight games. Anisimov has a tendency to be streaky, and he needs to score more goals but a lot of the work Anisimov has done this season has not shown up on the score board. He’s a nice fit on the top line with Gaborik and Stepan and has handled his move to the wing nicely. His play along the boards has improved immeasurably and don’t forget Anisimov is also still young at 23 and figures to have room to develop offensively. If his production ever catches up to his talent then he could be a monster. B-

Brad Richards. Like Dubinsky, critiquing Richards’ season so far depends on what your expectations were. If you judge Richards with the massive contract in mind or place much emphasis on the relatively small stretch where he wasn’t contributing offensively then it may not look that impressive. If you measure the impact his presence has had on the rest of the roster (depth), the clutch goal scoring or the way he has influenced players like Del Zotto then Richards has been a great addition and has had a fine beginning to his Rangers tenure. That said, one of the key reasons for his signing was to help fix the powerplay and he hasn’t managed to help turn it into a more effective unit.

Despite being on course for his first 30 goal season he’s also on course for his lowest points total since 08/09. Of course that total would have led the Rangers over the last few years but it’s a different measuring stick for an elite player. Richards’ faceoff results have been quite inconsistent this year too, much like his production. Richards has improved defensively as the year has developed which no doubt helps his game when not scoring. The best part of Richards’ year is that there should be more to come. Lined up with Callahan and Dubinsky, the Rangers now have two quality scoring lines. When was the last time they could say that? If Dubinsky really has turned his year around, expect more from Richards as a result too. B-

In case you missed it. We also wrote report cards for our bottom six forwards, defense, & goalies.

Is Gaborik League’s Best?

Marian Gaborik is on course for 50 goals this season. How impressive is it? Well in the entire history of the Rangers organisation you can count on one hand the amount of players that have reached that milestone as a Blueshirt. If he gets there it will be a hell of a feat.

Pointing out that potential milestone is just one way of acknowledging the tremendous year the Slovakian winger is having. Gaborik’s goal scoring exploits and overall form this season this may also a question as to his status among the game’s best. Is the Rangers winger the best right wing in the game this season?

Gaborik is doing so many things right this season. First of all he’s playing a better defensive game and showing a much better (and more consistent) effort to get the puck back. In the offensive zone he’s putting the puck on net as much as possible while he’s very effective on the power play (on course for 13 powerplay goals, which would be his second best return).

Above all, Gaborik is going to the high traffic areas to score a lot of his goals. How many have you seen come from rebounds and right in front of the net? A lot. He’s effective too as his 17% success rate suggests. In short, there isn’t anything Gaborik is doing wrong right now and he deserves to be acknowledged among the best.

When people think of the best right wings in the game people usually think Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Martin St Louis, Jerome Iginla and Corey Perry. Gaborik stands eye to eye with all of them. Perry sports an ugly -11 and isn’t leading the Ducks to any kind of success this season. St Louis is having a solid but unspectacular season in Tampa, while Iginla isn’t the same force he was in recent seasons. Only Kane and Hossa of the aforementioned few are having excellent years offensively. Which brings us to another point in the argument for Gaborik as the league’s best right winger.

Gaborik is doing everything so successfully this season with two kids as line mates. While Derek Stepan is absolutely on his way to forging a fine career and Artem Anisimov is improving every season, Gaborik doesn’t have the benefit of a Jonathan Toews, Steven Stamkos or Ryan Getzlaf as an elite center as Brad Richards is doing just nicely on the second line. Gaborik doesn’t have a Bobby Ryan or Patrick Sharp on his opposite wing. Yes, Gaborik is part of a line blessed with chemistry and has two very talented youngsters to assist him but he certainly hasn’t the same calibre of line mates (yet) to feed off.

As Gaborik potentially works towards career highs in total shots, power play goals, game winning goals and most importantly total goals the Slovakian star deserves to be – at the very least – in the discussion as the league’s best right winger. He deserves an all star nod and hopefully when he pots number 50 later this season he’ll be deserving of a huge ovation from the Garden faithful.

Guest Post: Derek Stepan Appreciation

This weekend’s guest post comes courtesy of Jordan Ozer (poster: JordanO), who put together a nice Derek Stepan appreciation post. Thanks for the contribution Jordan, great job.  As a reminder, if you want to have your own guest post, feel free to email us and let us know. We run these on Sunday’s.

Derek Stepan Appreciation Post

- Jordan Ozer

I am prejudiced to like Derek Stepan. As a student at the University of Wisconsin, I watched from the student section as he put together two very successful seasons at the collegiate level. In 2009-10 he recorded 54 points, which led the NCAA runners-up squad that included eventual NHL’ers in Craig Smith, Blake Geoffrion, Jake Gardiner, and Brendan Smith. Even in college he was more of a distributer than a scorer, tallying 66 assists against 21 goals in 81 collegiate games. After two strong seasons in Wisconsin, he jumped to the pros and made the Rangers out of training camp.

So while my expectations were high going into last season, even the biggest of Stepan optimists could not have predicted that he would burst onto the scene the way he did, beating Ryan Miller three times en route to becoming the fourth player in NHL history to score a hat trick in their debut. Stepan displayed a remarkable maturity that enabled him to successfully make the jump from the NCAA level to the NHL and becoming a budding start in New York City at just 20 years old. One of just four Rangers to play in all 82 games, he finished fourth on the Rangers in goals (21) and points (45).

The remarkable strides in Stepan’s game have come this season. Rather than fall prone to a sophomore slump, Derek has in fact elevated his game, recording 20 points (7 goals and 13 assists) in his first 29 games. Stepan’s play has been improving in all phases this season. He has established a spot on the point for the power play, helping a unit that has moved the puck well and created good chances as of late. He has also contributed on the penalty kill, recently evidenced by his play in the 6-1 win over Buffalo where he took the puck on an end-to-end rush to kill the penalty and finished with a highlight reel goal.

Where last season his ability to be a twenty-goal scorer in the NHL was noteworthy, this season his passing and vision have stood out. His skills as a passer and playmaker have helped him earn a spot on the first line, developing instant chemistry with Artem Anisimov and Marion Gaborik. Stepan’s talents have meshed especially well with Gaborik. The Slovakian winger has been streaky at times with the Rangers, but Stepan has helped him light the lamp with consistency this season. If Stepan continues to play this well, he is likely to be a fixture on the first line for the remainder of the season.

The Rangers have been off to a fast start in 2011, racking up wins with a youthful core. It’s clear that a big part of the future is the 21-year old kid from Hastings, Minnesota: Derek Stepan.

Tangible Progress – Part One

I feel pretty qualified (even from afar) to be able to pass judgement on how the Rangers have progressed over the first, now almost third, of the season.  Why? Simple really. We all watch the games but I was there for games one and two in Sweden and I was there for arguably there two stiffest challenges to date against the Flyers and Penguins. In between there has been a lot of development if you ask me. So, without further delay let’s talk Rangers, but in stages. Today, we’ll discuss the kids on this team and how they have done.

What concerned me most prior to – and following – the two losses in Sweden was the depth in the defensive department and whether the lines – and personnel – could mesh in time after a completely disjointed preseason. Its one thing to beat middling European clubs (no disrespect) but it’s quite another to be ready for NHL play with a makeshift preparation.

I also had concerns about some of the young talent (legitimate talent) and whether they were ready or able to grab responsibility. Could this team get more scoring? Could this team compete with the more skilled teams in the league? Could this team progress to the next level?

To all the above concerns, they are concerns no more. I think we can all say with both hysteria and realism, that the Rangers have gone to a next level in their development, regardless of last night’s pretty ugly loss. The best part of it all is the results have been obvious on the eye. They have, as the title of this post suggests being tangible. So, what about the kids?

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