So we get a lot of questions on Twitter, and it is unfortunate that we cannot always respond to every question. In an attempt to address the most popular questions, we are going to start with these “Twitter Bag” posts, where we answer some of the more consistent questions we get on Twitter. We love addressing these, so keep them coming, and we will do everything we can to answer each question sent to us.
Q: Why is Stu Bickel playing still? Wouldn’t Jeff Woywitka or Steve Eminger have a better effect?
A: It’s tough to really say why Bickel is still in the lineup. He played better on Saturday with double the normal amount of ice time, but his usual three minutes don’t really give him an opportunity to be a difference maker. Tortorella likes him because of his physical ability, which is something that neither Woywitka nor Eminger really have. Eminger is ahead of Woywitka on the depth chart, so we can essentially eliminate Woywitka from the occasion (barring injury). In terms of ability, Eminger is a marginally better skater than Bickel, but it is clear Torts likes the latter. I think the club can benefit from having someone like Eminger take more than three minutes of ice time, but only if Torts trusts him to do so.
Q: Why did Torts bench Chris Kreider? Isn’t that sending the wrong message?
A: I’m in the minority that agrees with the benching. The club is in a tough spot of trying to teach the kid on the fly while winning games in the playoffs. That turnover –and Hank’s flub– was the direct cause of the goal. Every other youngster that Torts has coached has seen significant time on the bench when similar mistakes are made. It would be a coaching inconsistency to not bench Kreider. Lesson learned. He won’t do it again.
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The amount of hatred throw at Marian Gaborik for the Rangers loss last night, or for any loss in general, is frighteningly disturbing. I understand the need to have a scapegoat for a loss, but picking on someone who had an assist in the game and was nowhere near invisible is just irrational. The guy isn’t Wojtek Wolski. He’s not Erik Christensen. He’s not invisible out there.
Gaborik, in fact, is second on the team in scoring in the playoffs, with five points (1-4-5) in nine games thus far. Only Brad Richards has more points than him. It would be nice if he shot the puck a bit more (just 16 shots on goal so far), but that’s not a measure of how well he’s playing.
Gaborik is in fact creating offensive plays, finding open ice, and giving his teammates opportunities to score. Look at last night’s goal by Richards for an example of what Gaborik is doing to create offense for the team. As Suit pointed out, Gaborik found the open ice after blown coverage and a bad change by Brooks Laich. After getting the puck, he feathered a perfect pass to Richards for a tap-in goal.
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Welcome to the biggest game in the Rangers recent history, well since the lock out. Those of you who disagree, by all means do so but it doesn’t get much bigger than a do or die game 7 on home ice as the conference’s top seed. Especially with the defending champs and possibly biggest threat (Pens) already out. Musings Time.
Marian Gaborik needs to step up yes, but he hasn’t been that bad. We need more of him, but its times like this that attention is given to the guys like Gaborik and depth guys step up. Exhibit A: Brian Boyle. Exhibit B: Chris Kreider.
Brandon Dubinsky has zero points in six games. Would you like me to remind you how much he earns? What’s the likelihood Dubinsky plays well tonight? I didn’t think so either. See you in a different uniform next October Brandon.
Henrik Lundqvist, Vezina Trophy nominee. Well we’ve heard that before. I just hope the voters take into account the division he played in, his absolute position as most vital Ranger and the fact well, hey… it’s his turn.
The Pens are out. The Bruins are out. The Caps have a goaltending sub plot this April. The Devils and the Panthers aren’t all that scary…. Hey, if this team actually gets past this tricky, awkward Senators team there’s real opportunity to progress. Yes, I am not concerned about the team with Bryzgalov in net.
I wonder how long Brian Boyle is going to be out and how damaging that is to the Rangers (assuming they can squeak past Ottawa).
Respect Time: There is a legitimate chance Daniel Alfredsson, a true modern great of the game, plays his last NHL game tonight at the Garden. Against any other team I’d hope he had a few left in him. Maybe he comes back next year but if he doesn’t…. happy retirement Danny boy.
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The Rangers made it through the regular season by dominating teams at even strength. Their powerplay was nothing to write home about, and it was actually considered the biggest weakness in their game. But now, four games into the series with Ottawa, the Senators have managed to expose the Rangers at even strength. The last even strength goal: Brian Boyle’s goal in the third period of Game Three. The one before that? Boyle’s goal in the third period of Game Two.
For those keeping track, that’s two even strength goals in seven periods of hockey. That is not what made the Rangers the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They have a lead in even strength goals (7-6 thus far), but considering the weaknesses of the powerplay*, there needs to be a wider gap.
*-Statistically the Rangers powerplay isn’t awful this series, but it cost them Game Two. Timing is everything with powerplay goals.
The biggest offenders at even strength are the two guys that were signed to provide scoring for the Rangers: Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. Both have just one even strength point (a goal a piece). Simply put: they need to be better at even strength.
The Senators aren’t exactly a defensive juggernaut, but they have managed to hold the Rangers to two goals or less in three of the first four games. Only Game One saw a successful Rangers attack at even strength. As Suit pointed out, the Senators aggressive hybrid trap has the Rangers running around in their own zone, and seemingly unable to get anything going on offense.
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So the Rangers lost another heartbreaker last night in overtime. It’s their second loss to the Senators in the series, both coming in overtime. The fan base is on edge, and for good reason. The Senators are a good team, and a team that the Rangers do not match up well against. It’s going to be a stressful series, that’s for sure. But enough of that, let’s get to the musings for the day.
I’m in the process of reading a book called “Losing the Edge: The Rise and Fall of the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers”, and there was a great quote in the book, from none other than Mark Messier:
“Leadership isn’t about the win, it’s about how you rebound after the loss.”
This statement is more true now, in this series, than ever before. The Rangers have more leaders on this team with Cup experience than the Senators. It’s time for the leaders to take charge. In fact, one of the leaders –Mike Rupp– almost won the game for the Rangers in overtime with his forecheck in the Senators zone. People still rip on Rupp for no reason whatsoever. Maybe it’s the contract, but I get the sense that it’s a feeling of “he doesn’t do anything for this club.” That is so false, it pains me every time I see it. Hockey is more than goals and assists. It’s about dirty work, especially playoff hockey.
Speaking of playoff hockey, is last night’s game what we are reduced to? There were a toal of 12 penalties last night totaling 24 PIMs. Some were legitimate calls, but I can point to two penalties, one per team, that were questionable at best. Ryan McDonagh’s “trip” on Zenon Kenopka in the first period and Zach Smith’s “interference” on Ruslan Fedotenko in the second period were very iffy calls. But such is the life after a dirty first two games. The refs aren’t going to allow this stuff to fly. This is now a special teams series, and that makes most people nervous.
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The Rangers lost a frustrating game to the Ottawa Senators tonight, 3-2 in overtime. It was frustrating because the Rangers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead (on two power play goals no less), and then allowed Ottawa to control the play and eventually claw their way back before Kyle Turris ended the game 2:42 into the extra frame.
1-0 Rangers
- The Rangers jumped out to an early lead, just :49 seconds into the game. Brad Richards won an offensive zone face-off and was able to gain position in the slot. Marian Gaborik worked the puck off the wall and hit Richards for a nice chance. Craig Anderson seemed to get handcuffed by the shot and sent a juicy rebound to the weak side. Anton Stralman jumped up and snapped a shot past Anderson from the slot. This goal served as a reminder of being able to establish possession in the offensive zone off the draw when your team has the man-advantage.
2-0 Rangers
- The Rangers struck again on the power play just 6 minutes later. Dan Girardi was able to keep an Ottawa clearing attempt in the zone and made a nifty little behind the back pass to Brad Richards which opened up the ice on the far side. Richards put a hard, low shot on Anderson, which created a rebound and ensuing scramble in front. Marian Gaborik had a couple of whacks at the rebound, which eventually found its way onto Ryan Callahan’s stick for an easy tap in. Good net front presence by the Captain, and solid work by Gaborik staying diligent on the scramble in front. Read more »
It’s late and for that I apologise. On to the Musings.
The way Brad Richards has taken his game to a higher level recently is why the Rangers gave him the big dollars. He’s peaking at the right time heading in to the playoffs and the Rangers have a (legitimate) first line for the first time since the Jagr-Nylander-Straka years.
Ryan Callahan deserves a 30 goal season; hopefully he bags one in the next two games. If you could re-do the 2004 NHL draft there is no way he’d last in to the fourth round. He’d be a nailed on first rounder.
Rick Carpiniello recently discussed the Rangers passing ability. I think it’s underrated and has clearly improved this season. The Rangers may not be as skilled as the Red Wings or the Penguins but they don’t get the credit they deserve in regard to their skill level.
Hopefully fans (the team sure won’t) don’t overlook the Capitals should they be the first round match up. They have underachieved all year but are remarkably talented and could easily go deep. They’re a huge potential banana skin for the Rangers.
If the Rangers make some noise in the playoffs they’ll do so because Marian Gaborik is scorching hot. There are very few players in the entire league playing better right now. His pace makes people back off him and he has the talent to back it up. Right now, it’s an absolute joy to watch him on the ice.
Can you imagine how dangerous the Rangers could be if Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky ever find some offensive consistency?
Ryan McDonagh: Within the next five years he’ll be a Norris Trophy candidate. That’s how good he can become.
NHL.com recently tipped Jon Quick to pip Lundqvist for the Vezina. While he’s a quality goalie, he’s the beneficiary of a stingy system and doesn’t have to face the ridiculously deep Atlantic division so often like Lundqvist has. If Hank doesn’t win it this year he may never get it; how good does he have to be?
Wonder if any of Woywitka, Eminger or Stralman will be back next year?
Question Time:
- Yes or No: Does Lundqvist retire as a Ranger? Does he get his number hanging from the ceiling?
- Will Marian Gaborik have a 50 goal season as a Ranger?
- Will the Rangers bring back Jon Mitchell next season?
- Brand Dubinsky or Anisimov; which will be an ex Ranger sooner?
- Who will be the Rangers highest scoring defenseman in the playoffs?
Rangers take on the Pens today. I’m expecting fireworks. Not a bad game at all to rest Lundqvist.
Should the Rangers get the Caps, it could add a huge dollop of intrigue to game 82 of the regular season. Do the teams try and beat each other up ahead of their series? Do the teams rest players, starting goal tenders or change up the special teams personnel? An interesting game to coach…
When the Rangers signed Marian Gaborik before the 2009 season, they knew what type of player they were getting. When healthy, Gaborik is an elite scorer in the NHL, with skills that make it almost impossible to defend against him. In eight previous seasons, Gaborik had reached the 30 goal mark five times. He averaged a point per game in four of those seasons. But therein lies the problem, his health.
Gaborik’s groin had always been an issue, dating back to 2001 when he missed three games with that wonky groin. In 2005, Gaborik missed six games with a groin injury. In 2007, it was another 34 games. He missed another three games in 2008 because of his groin, but other injuries (back, hip) caused Gaborik to miss all but 17 games before he signed with the Rangers. In fact, excluding his 2007-2008 season, Gaborik hadn’t played 70 games in a season since his 2002-2003 campaign.
But, the Rangers took the risk, and after a new procedure on his groin (the same one that Alex Rodriguez had done), Gaborik appeared to be a new man. He only missed significant time last season (17 games) when he separated his shoulder. He missed six games with a concussion that year as well, but his other injuries have been of the day-to-day variety (or the freak accident type). In three years with the Rangers, he has missed only one game due to his groin.
Gaborik has been amazingly durable through his first three years as a Ranger, and makes the organization look extremely smart in this risky signing. With a pair of 40 goal seasons already under his belt, Gaborik is the elite scorer the Rangers had desperately needed when Jaromir Jagr left town. And now with Brad Richards in the mix, if Gaborik can remain healthy, he could be one of those rare free agent signings that actually works out.
On a night where the lowly Islanders of all teams were able to stop the freight train that is the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers gutted out a much needed win in Minnesota, 3-2 over the Wild, to extend their Eastern Conference lead to 3 points with 6 to play. Brian Boyle had a big game for the Rangers, scoring a goal, winning key face-offs and playing a solid physical game. Let’s get to the bullets…
1st Period
- The first period started off physical. Both teams are low-scoring, physical groups and they acted like it to start the tilt. For the first 10 or so minutes, the teams traded pedestrian scoring chances.
- As the period progressed, the Rangers started to sustain more pressure and create some decent scoring chances. They fell victim to a quick whistle on a play where the puck was clearly loose in the crease, and by the time the puck had made its way to the back of the net, the play was long dead.
- Marian Gaborik was flying during the first period.
- The Rangers would finally break the scoreless tie at the 11:23 mark when a shot from Anton Stralman was redirected and a scrum in front of the net ensued. Brandon Dubinsky got the shot past Josh Harding and Brian Boyle popped it in the back of the net. 1-0 Rangers.
- The Blueshirts had two power play chances in the first, and the unit actually looked pretty good. The puck movement was there and they were getting shots to the net. Unfortunately, the results didn’t match up with the effort and the score remained 1-0.
- The Rangers dominated the first for the most part, outshooting the Wild 13-6. Josh Harding had to be, and was, the best player on the ice for Minnesota.
2nd Period
- Brian Boyle took a delay of game penalty to start the 2nd period when Mikko Koivu pressured the big pivot into sending the puck over the glass. The Rangers would fall into some bad shot blocking luck on the PK. Callahan had to play with a broken stick after blocking a shot, and Ryan McDonagh was left limping after another block. Kyle Brodziak was able to pot a rebound on a shot that Hank would probably want back. 1-1.
- After seeing the overall physicality wane in the latter half of first, it returned again in the second.
- The Rangers would regain the lead on Marian Gaborik’s 38th goal of the season, off a beautiful feed from Brad Richards. Richards won the draw and followed the puck down low, finding a lane to Gaborik. Absolute thing of beauty to see Richie finding his game at the right time. 2-1 Rangers.
- Shortly after the Rangers took the lead again, some miscommunication in the slot between John Mitchell and Mike Rupp resulted in a fantastic save by Henrik Lundqvist, and an interference penalty by Marc Staal. This was a case where they were both looking for the other to clear the puck, and the whole play broke down.
- The Rangers were subsequently burned on the ensuing power play by some beautiful passing by the Wild. Mikko Koivu would eventually deposit the puck into a wide open net off a great feed from Dany Heatley. 2-2.
- For the second half of the period, the Wild controlled the play. They won battles along the walls and pinned the Rangers back in their zone for long periods of time. It was a blessing when the buzzer went off.
3rd Period
- Brandon Dubinsky, who had played a strong first two periods was rewarded by starting on a line with Callahan and Stepan. Dubi was all over the place tonight and was rewarded for his strong play.
- The Rangers looked like a team trying to hold onto the point that they would receive if this game went to overtime. They were tentative in all areas of the ice, which led to some chances for Minnesota. Hank was up to the task and made some key saves in the third.
- The third continued in a fairly uneventful fashion until the Blueshirts struck with a little under 7 minutes to go. Ryan McDonagh made a nice pinch and carried the puck down low. He tried to throw the puck toward the net, but it fortuitously bounced off a Wild defender and right onto the stick of Ruslan Fedetenko. He was able to beat Josh Harding on the far side and give the Rangers the lead and the win. 3-2 Rangers.
Goaltending Analysis
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The return of Sidney Crosby promptly ended the Rangers mini-winning streak as the Pens dropped the Rangers tonight 5-2 at Madison Square Garden. The Blue shirt’s Jekyll and Hyde play in this game ultimately was their undoing. There was a lot of positives to take away from this game as well as quite a few negatives. To the bullets…
- 1st Period
- The Rangers started off the game trying to establish a physical presence. Boyle and Prust were targeting Malkin relentlessly. Unfortunately, that physical edge would not last long.
- It seemed like the Rangers were getting their bearings for the first half of the period. They almost needed to prove to themselves that they could skate with Pittsburgh.
- Tough bounce on the Pen’s first goal. Biron made a nice pad save and the rebound went off the crossbar, off Bickel and into the net. 1-0 Penguins.
- The PK unit looked great in the first. They were all over Crosby at the point and not allowing the wingers to gain possession along the sidewalls.
- Carl Hagelin was able to pot a rebound chance off a scramble in front to tie the score at the 13:36 mark. That line was at it again. 1-1.
- Marty Biron had a rock solid first period, with great saves on several Penguins chances.
- 2nd Period
- Carl Hagelin was the best player on the ice (non-Malkin addition) in the first period and continued his strong play into the second. He was a forechecking machine and created several turnovers in the offensive zone.
- James Neal had a tremendous individual effort on Malkin’s goal. He stripped the puck from Ryan McDonagh and made a fantastic pass to Malkin on the doorstep to give the Pens the lead. 2-1 Pittsburgh.
- 1:12 later, Matt Cooke put the Pens up by a pair. Broken defensive coverage allowed Cooke to sneak in the far side for basically an empty net goal. Gabby got caught in no man’s land on the back check. 3-1 Pens.
- The Rangers got some chances in the latter half of the second. Marc-Andre Fleury had an unbelievable glove save on Marian Gaborik, and Brandon Prust followed that up by banging one off the crossbar.
- The Rangers would pull within one with about five and a half minutes to go in the second. Gaborik made a terrific back pass on a give and go to Brad Richards and eventually found himself in the slot and buried the shot under Fleury’s right arm. 3-2 Penguins.
- Late in the second period, the Ranger’s lost Artem Anisimov with an upper body injury sustained on a body check. He would not return for the remainder of the game.
- 3rd Period
- Play was a little timid to start the third. The teams started out 4-on-4 before the Penguins would eventually see the last minute or so of the double minor to Stu Bickel assessed at the end of the second. The Rangers did a nice job killing the penalty, but as it was expiring, Brian Boyle blocked a shot that left him limping. It was essentially a 5-on-3 as Bickel raced from the box and Chris Kunitz was able to beat Marty Biron over his right shoulder off a feed from Crosby. 4-2 Penguins.
- The Penguins would put the final nail in the coffin several minutes later after Pascal Dupuis banged home a rebound that Biron probably should have controlled or deflected. 5-2 Penguins.
- The Rangers had several good chances in the final 6 minutes or so but Marc Andre Fleury had a couple ridiculous saves.
Goaltending analysis
- Marc Andre Fleury was terrific tonight, making 29 saves. He quashed several good scoring chances the Rangers (mostly the Hagelin-Richards-Gaborik line) created. His glove was a major weapon tonight.
- Marty Biron obviously faired a little worse than Fleury in this one. Overall, I thought he played pretty well though. The first goal was a brutal bounce and there was very little he could have done on the Malkin and Cooke goals. The rebound on Dupuis’ goal and his positioning on Kunitz was a little sketchy, but he battled and made some nice saves for the team.
Random thoughts
- Although the result is not what we were all looking for, it wasn’t as bad as the score would indicate. Considering the absences of Lundqvist, Callahan and Del Zotto, the Rangers could have played much, much worse.
- That said, the Rangers lost this game when they stopped forechecking and maintaining their physical edge. The only line that was really doing much of anything offensively was the new top unit.
- Too many wide shots tonight. When your opportunities are limited, you need to at least force the goalie to make a save.
- Kris Letang was +5 tonight.
- McDonagh had a rough game. He saw Staal take his spot on the top pair after the Malkin goal and made a few questionable decisions as the game went along. Hopefully he can put it behind him and come out strong against Colorado.
- The secondary scoring has to start to come with some consistency. The Stepan-Dubi-Anisimov line has to be better than they were tonight. They showed flashes of promise, but they need to put it together consistently.
- Even though Crosby’s line did some damage, I actually thought they defended him personally pretty well.
- Health is so unbelievably important down the stretch into the playoffs. This team needs Cally/Hank/DZ back asap.
Off tomorrow then the red hot Avalanche come to town Saturday night.
