Nik Antropov and Derek Morris

The Rangers got at least one need for a relatively low price this deadline: Nik Antropov for a 2nd rounder and a conditional pick (I’ll try to fish out the details of the pick).

My initial reaction to this pickup: Great job by Sather on this deal. Waiving Voros and Reitz and assigning Bell to Hartford cleared room for this deal. We have been calling for Antropov for a while, he adds size and scoring up front.

Now that was the good news.

The price for Derek Morris: Dmitri Kalinin (cap purposes), Nigel Dawes, and Petr Prucha. I am absolutely livid. Words cannot express how fucking pissed I am at this deal. Derek Morris is the last thing the Rangers needed. I covered this already, I don’t want to repeat myself, but WHY?!?!?! He serves no purpose other than to be the 2nd coming of Dmitri Kalinin.

Overall reaction: Can I get a Fire Sather?

The depth chart has been updated to reflect these deals. A poll will be added shortly to gather your feelings.

Update 3:40pm I’m aware that Prucha and Dawes would have seen less playing time with Avery here. But remember, I did not want Avery back (unlike Stas and Mike, I think), so that’s of small comfort.

And Prucha was a RFA, not a UFA.

Game 59: Rangers vs. Islanders

With the loss on Monday in St. Louis, we could be looking at Tom Renney’s last game as the Ranger head coach. If the Rangers lose and Renney does not get fired, then we are stuck with him until the end of the season.

The Rangers are 1-6-2 in their last 9.

The Korpedo is out with an injury, so Dawes is back in. Mara is still out indefinitely.

It’s a 7pm start on MSG tonight. More later.

Update 7:03pm: Drury on the point on the PP tonight. Think it would have come to this if Sather went after Streit and not Redden?

Update 7:15pm: Wow. They can’t but a goal. Two posts in one shift.

Update 7:16pm: That was a hell of a shift that led to the goal. Nice shot by Dawes, assists from Dru and Pru. 1-0 Rangers.

Update 7:21pm: This Dawes/Drury/Prucha line is looking real good. For all you Prucha doubters out there, let’s see you get a shot off when you get a slash to the wrist. That should have been a penalty.

Update 7:22pm And they give it right back. Someone missed their man. Streit from Comeau and Okposo. I wish Streit was a Ranger. What is it with this team and giving up leads within 2 minutes. It’s absurd.

Update 7:40pm: Joe Micheletti is talking about how the Islanders have no pressure and play easier because they aren’t worried about being benched. I don’t see how this is any different from the Rangers. If your name isn’t Petr Prucha (or Nigel Dawes), you aren’t getting benched.

Update 8:00pm: Good to know the buzzer works.

Update 8:03pm: Can someone please put Staal on the PP? Please?

Update 8:08pm: You ever notice that when Hank makes a glove save, he never closes his glove? He just curves it a little bit. Between that and the heading of the puck, he’s a strange character in net. Awesome goalie, but strange.

Update 8:10pm: Is it against the rules to just say no to the PP?

Update 8:13pm: What the hell just happened? A PP goal? That’s a flukey goal, Gomez surprised him a little bit. I’ll take it, anyone will take it. Danis should have had that though. Gomez from Dru and Hank. 2-1 Rangers.

Update 8:14pm: Another header by Hank. Think Richter cringes when he does that?

Update 8:17pm: Someone lit a fire under Gomez’s ass tonight. He’s playing like the Gomez we expected.

As I wrote that update, all hell broke loose. Everyone got involved. And Prucha is taking on Bergenheim. I would call it a draw. The fans are raining down with Pru chants.

Update 8:31pm: This is old school Rangers/Islanders. Lots of scrums, some fights, good edge to this game so far.

Update 8:37pm: That was a solid period for the Rangers.

Update 9:00pm: Hank just made the save of the game on Bailey, who was left wide open in the slot.

Update 9:22pm: A PPG here would seal the game.

Update 9:27pm: Sjostrom takes the flip out of the zone from Drury to seal the game in the empty net.

Good win for the Rangers tonight. They played very well. Let’s hope this isn’t the exception to the rule. Big game against Buffalo this weekend. That is another must win. Rangers win 3-1.

SEAN SEAN….GET IN THERE SEAN!!!!

So today is the day Sean Avery presumably clears waivers and will be assigned to an AHL affiliate of some sort.  As you all know, the Wolfpack seem to be the front (and only) runners to pick-up the agitator, which will begin the chain of events that may ultimately end in #16 returning to the Big Club.  While my colleague David is mainly opposed to this, I could not be more in favor of this move.  My man-crush for Sean Avery and his legend aside, it is a necessary move for THIS team THIS season.  Here’s how it could work, and here’s why it has to work:

1. There have been few cold-hard undeniable facts for these Rangers in the post-lockout era.  These include (but are not limited to): a) Henrik Lundqvist being a top-5 goaltender in the league b) Tom Renney sacrificing offense for defense 99% of the time c) the Rangers are a better team with Sean Avery in their lineup.  The statistics do not lie: with Avery in the lineup, the Rangers are 51-23-16.  Without him, they are 8-10-3, not to mention the Rangers missing that extra “something.”  Just watch a game this season and you will know what I’m talking about.

2.  The Rangers do not have to resign all those players previously mentioned.  If this season has proved anything, its that the majority of Rangers are expendable (Scott Gomez and Chris Drury trade rumors anyone).  The only members of the group previously mentioned that must be re-signed are Big Z, Dubie, Staal, and Girardi.  While I like Dawes, Korpo, and Cally, you can find another other young player in the farm-system to come in and play their role.

3.  The Rangers would only be on the take for half of Avery’s salary, roughly $2 million per year.  When you consider this is only a minor raise from what he was initially getting with the Rangers and a cut from what they wanted to give him in the offseason, its an acceptable number.  If the Rangers choose to re-negotiate his contract, either for less years or less money, they have a distinct negotiating advantage.  Not many teams will take Avery at this point, and he probably realizes that and history shows this can be a productive marriage.  Put whatever clauses and incentives you want into the contract.  They will have the upper-hand in any contract talk they engage in.  So saving money against the cap won’t necessarily be that difficult.  They can also unload either Redden or Roszival in this deal.  While their contracts are long and fat, that’s the price you must pay for giving top-tier money for 2 players that are obviously not top-tier and bring very little to the team.  Those contracts are going to haunt the Rangers one way or another; better haunt them in an effort to make the team genuinely better.  Also, the salary cap will predictably go up, so the value of Avery’s cap hit will be decreased.

4.  The Rangers are vanilla.  As evidenced on Friday night, nobody respects this team.  You can do whatever you wish to them, and will pay virtually no consequences.  Say what you want about Avery in the locker room, but he always came to his teammate’s defense on the ice, and as an opponent, you probably always thought twice about engaging in something with one of the Rangers for plain-old fear of what Avery might say or do to you.  And if he has made the progress in his rehab everybody says he’s making, he will learn to channel his tactics in a productive manner.  He has also hopefully learn from the past mistakes he made in NY.

5.  Avery has skills.  He has better than average speed, a quick release, is tough and gritty, and can throw off a opposing team’s star player on any given night (see Brodeur, Martin; Kovalchuk, Ilya).  Enough of this Aaron Voros “poor-man’s Sean Avery” garbage and just go get the real thing.  He also puts it on the line every single night, evidenced by playing the majority of a playoff game with a lacerated spleen.  I work in medicine, and that is something that can kill you.

6. Fans (myself immensely included) love this guy.  Since the lockout, you can count on one hand the number of players that get their name chanted during a game at the Garden: Henrik, Shanny, whoever is getting their jersey retired that year, and Avery.  Maybe I’m missing a name here or there, but you get my drift.

The Young Guns

It’s time to get a mid season review of the Rangers present and future. Not the prospects, but the current Rangers that are considered by most to be the future of the team.

Ryan Callahan: 44 GP, 12 G, 4 A, 16 Pts, -2, 24 PIM, 127 SOG. Tied for 2nd on the team in goals (with Drury and Zherdev), trailing only Naslund (14 G). This kid takes a ton of shots (2nd on the team), and has really been playing well. As we all have noticed, he is a hustler and a grinder with a scoring touch. He may actually have a shot at 20 G this year.

Nigel Dawes:34 GP, 7 G, 8 A, 15 Pts, +5, 15 PIM, 57 SOG. Dawes had a terrible start, and even saw some time in the press box this year, something that none of us expected. His play has turned around though, and he is really clicking on a line with Drury and Prucha. He is also tied for 2nd on the team in +/-, and one of 3 Rangers on the plus side of that stat.

Brandon Dubinsky: 44 GP, 6 G, 17 A, 23 Pts, -2, 49 PIM, 110 SOG. After a hot start, Dubinsky has fallen back to earth, and hard. His goal on Saturday was his first in 19 games, and his second since October 24. He is still on a 10 G, 30 A pace, which is about on par with his performance last year while playing with Jagr. His future is probably on the wing once Anisimov arrives.

Dan Girardi: 44 GP, 3 G, 13 A, 16 Pts, -3, 15 PIM, 75 SOG. Girardi is another youngin that got off to a torrid start (well torrid for a defensemen who went undrafted), and has gracefully fallen back to earth. He is on pace to set career highs (in all of his two seasons) in assists and points. Girardi has been tagged by most as one of the three reliable defensemen on this team. He has been very solid, and that -3 is only really due to the fact that the Rangers team forgot how to play defense in December.

Lauri Korpikoski 32 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 Pts, -3, 6 PIM, 27 SOG. Korpikoski has some great potential that was being wasted on the fourth line with the offensively challenged Betts and Orr. After his demotion, and then call up, in November, he has played well, and finally broke his scoring drought with a rip from the circle on Saturday. This kid is going to be good, he just needs some playing time.

Marc Staal: 44 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 Pts, +6, 30 PIM, 78 SOG. What else can be said about Staal? The best Staal not named Eric (and some day might be better than Eric), he has proven to be everything and then more than we expected. His defensive play is the best on the team by far, and his offensive skills are starting to show. Staal has been seen making crisp first passes, carrying the puck himself, and even planting himself in front of the net. The Rangers better lock him up long term. I’m not alone in looking forward to a defensive core of Staal, Del Zotto, Sanguinetti and Girardi.

Graduating from the youngster group: Petr Prucha (4th season).

Side note: I was going to include Nik Zherdev in this group, but he’s in his 5th year. But don’t discount the fact that Zherdev is the future 40 G/100 Pt player on this team. The kid is 24 and keeps getting better.

Renney: “Brain dead hockey”

After another uninspired and rather dreadful effort last night, Tom Renney laid into his squad. Via Sam Weinman:

“Awful,” Tom Renney said. “Brain-dead hockey.”

…

“I can tell you I’m not happy with how our team played. I’m not happy with performance from some very key members of our hockey club, who need to be better,” Renney said. “They need to step up and start taking charge of this hockey club and start playing the way they can. If we do that, we won’t have to worry about personnel changes. We’ll strengthen ourselves internally by how we choose to play. Nobody has to worry about their jobs at all. Show up. Play hard. Compete. Battle. Want it bad enough. Have some urgency in your game.”

So what “very key members of our hockey club” is he talking about? Chris Drury took a -3 last night, although one of those goals against came when he was miscast as a point man on the PP. Scott Gomez was completely invisible all night, and won only 2 of 13 faceoffs to boot. Markus Naslund? Wade Redden? You wouldn’t have even realized they were on the ice if John Giannone didn’t tell you.

Lauri Korpikoski used his speed and was all over the place last night. Nigel Dawes was hitting everyone in sight. Marc Staal was superb yet again. Ryan Callahan was Ryan Callahan. The young players were the only ones skating with a sense of urgency last night; everyone else was in coast mode. It’s frustrating to watch.

Remember this though: the Blueshirts still top the Atlantic Division, and have played poorly in December the past two seasons (combined 12-15-2 record), but turned it on after the New Year (43-25-15 after). Hopefully this holds true again this season.

Mike Axisa writes for River Ave. Blues and can be reached here.

The Odd Joys of Even

It’s amazing how much we as fans rejoice when we see that players are on the plus side of the +/-stat. Nick Lidstrom has been hovering around +182,000 for his career, and he’s going down as one of top defensemen of all time.

The Rangers as a team are -75. This, unlike Nick Lidstrom’s +182,000 above, is not an exaggeration. The Rangers are really -75 this season, with four, count em (Staal, Zherdev, Dawes, Betts), four players on the positive side. Let that sink in for a while….

Ok. Now that you have at least spent some time, probably about one second, thinking about that, let’s break it down further. Who’s the worst culprit?

Do I really need to answer that?

Dmitri Kalinin, whipping boy around these parts, is an astonishing -16 (see: Kalinin Count) with no goals and six assists all season. I have a higher tolerance for an abysmal +/- if the player is at least producing or has been injured (see: Rozsival, Michael).

So what can you do with Kalinin? Trade him? Fat chance. No one wants to pay $2.1 million for the 766th best +/- in the NHL (out of 769). Waiving him is the best option. Send him to Hartford, maybe he can remember how to play defense again. Let Potter replace him permanetly. It will save cap room, and provide a more stable defensive corps. I like to call that two birds, one stone.

It actually makes you wonder why Sather signed and overpaid for the Sabres reject.

Kalinin isn’t the sole offender in atrocious +/-, the other negative double digit offenders are Rozsival (-11) and Gomez (-10). In Gomer’s case, he was -7 for two games in a row. Eliminate those games, he’s a -3, which is what you expect from Gomez. As for Rozsival, refer to two paragraphs above.

Back to Kalinin, I understand that Renney wants to show confidence in his players. But enough is enough. Let Kalinin go. Please. We will do anything for a replacement that is just even.

Dawes: 1, Pronger: 0

Let’s all bask in the great move put on by Dawes last night on one of the top defensemen in the league to win the game.