This guy has to be the worst defenseman to ever play for the Rangers. How was his latest performance? Let’s see:

A.Roughly a minute after the Rangers got the lead on Brendan Shanahan’s PPG which I was told shouldn’t have even counted (depending on the skate rule as the Leafs bench bitched about but the review said otherwise), Karel Rachunek struck again with a mistimed boarding penalty. Not long after, Alexei Ponikarovsky’s centering feed went off the back of Aaron Ward’s skate and in to tie it. This seems to happen a lot with this team at home. They get leads only to botch them quickly. Might explain the disgusting 10-15 record on home ice. No, I don’t go by the new piece of crap NHL rules!

B.With the game hanging in the balance about halfway thru the final stanza, Rachunek decided to pinch and take a shot which had no chance of getting through traffic. Predictably, Leafs defenseman Ian White intercepted it and then found a streaking Mats Sundin in stride at the Ranger blueline. The Swedish Leaf captain then beat his countryman Henrik Lundqvist with a wicked wrister off the bar and in for his 20th of the season. That was enough for the Leafs to get the win and pull two points up on the Rangers for eighth in the East.

So what can be concluded aside from the fact Rachunek is god awful:

1.Jaromir Jagr and his linemates Michael Nylander and Martin Straka didn’t show. Where was the leadership from No.68?

2.Outside of the third line (really the 2nd) of Ortmeyer, Cullen and Prucha, nobody established much. Hello coach! Playing Shanahan with Betts and Hossa isn’t working. And if your top line isn’t going, why not break it up and have someone play with Shanny to try to get the tying goal in such a crucial game?

3.Daniel Girardi, who played a great second game got 12:49 of ice-time. For some reason, he wasn’t out there down the stretch as the coach shortened the bench. Mindboggling.

4.The club missed Michal Rozsival (knee sprain) badly.

5.Colton Orr suited up in Ryan Hollweg’s place. To his credit, he was good in his 4:42 of ice throwing a couple of thunderous checks. But he didn’t play enough to make an impact as Renney opted to doubleshift Shanahan in the third.

6.Toronto got six penalties including a couple of tacky ones. The Cullen holding call with over a minute left in the contest was in one word disgusting and typical of the Bettman new NHL. There was an article written the other day on yahoo about Bettman’s 15-year anniversary. It was appropriately entitled “Happy Unhappy 15th Anniversary.” Signaling all the moronic moves this dopey commish has made.

Here is the link:

Unhappy anniversary

We’ll go over some of it tomorrow and why much of Dan Wetzel’s article makes sense.

If you like stats, here’s a couple of interesting ones coming from the NHL Today after last nite which involve two metro area teams:

SALVAGING POINTS LATE — LAST-MINUTE, GAME-TYING GOALS
There have been 26 last-minute, game-tying goals in 2006-07, four more than at this stage of the 2005-06 campaign. Clubs scoring such goals have been successful in carrying the momentum through the game’s conclusion, posting a 17-0-9 record.

New Jersey Devils RW Brian Gionta leads the League with three last-minute, game-tying goals (at 19:22 in a 7-6 victory over Toronto, Oct. 12, at 19:48 in a 4-3 shootout loss to Nashville Oct. 19 and at 19:39 in a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia Jan. 20).

Not surprising that Gionta leads the league. He’s clutch. As ESPN’s John Buccigross says, “Clutch is everything in life.” That sums up the Mighty Mite who I despise when our teams clash. Cause I know he’s going to be in front getting one of those tips in front or finding a loose rebound.

And now for one Fishstick fans will be yelling and screaming over:

FROM THE STAT WIZARDS AT ELIAS SPORTS BUREAU
The Islanders led the Red Wings 3-0 in the third period but Detroit rallied for a 4-3 overtime victory at Nassau Coliseum. It was only the fifth time in Islanders history that they failed to win a home game in which they led by three-or-more goals in the third period. The other instances were a 6-6 tie against the North Stars in November 1980, a 7-6 loss to the Penguins in October 1991, a 5-5 tie versus Ottawa in October 1993 and a 3-3 tie with the Bruins in December 1995.

In the kind of race they’re in, that hurts big time. Sure, they got at least a point for the third straight game since the Break. But it’s not enough. Especially with the teams around them getting their act together. The Pens have been red hot lately and the Lightning continue to win. The Rangers take a two-game win streak into a huge clash against Toronto tonight. For whatever reason, the game begins at 7:30 instead of 7:00. We’re not sure why. But it will be a big one between two Original Six clubs fighting for playoff positioning.

Don’t forget to tune into our NY Hockey Report show tonight from 8:05-9 PM. It looks like Gary Harding will be flying solo at the start before I call in after the first period.

Check us out by going to:

allinbroadcasting.com

Then go to the NY Hockey Report link and click to listen live. It should be a fun show. See ya’ll later!

Not much to divert from what Derek said. I only saw the third period, as my crazy swinging drinking teenage lifestyle (Read: Mock Trial) continued.

I’ll agree, from what I saw, a fantastic game. I feel like the Devils proved they can keep themselves in a high-scoring game. Great goal by Madden in regularion, then Hossa in the Shootout.

A playoff series, particularly late-rounded, would be insane. Imagine Holik in the Swamp for a Conference Finals?

It’d probably go to the Devils in 6, but be a preamble to the Thrashers winning the Cup in 2008, similar to NJ’s victory of the Lightning in 2003.

Alright. I’ll echo the same thoughts everyone’s favorite homer color analyst Chico Resch concluded as it neared the end of OT into the predictable shootout:

“One of the best games I’ve seen this year.“

It was that kind of game between two evenly matched Eastern teams battling for that second seed in Phillips Arena. Rarely will you ever see the Devils in a wide open affair that’s back and forth like the one tonight which they fell 5-4 to the Thrashers to tie each team for that second spot with 66 points apiece. Six behind Buffalo, who finally snapped their season worst three-game skid with a 7-1 explosion over the hapless Bruins. It featured a hat trick by recent All Star MVP Daniel Briere and also the key return of top defender Henrik Tallinder. Want to know the key to Buffalo? They improved to 17-1-1 with Tallinder in their lineup.

I’ll be honest. I’d love to see these teams meet in a playoff series because I feel it would be a potential classic. Sure, their styles are very different. While the Swamp Rats play an airtight system reliant on discipline, the Thrashers like to open it up and use their speed. Maybe the clash in styles is what makes their games so much fun to watch. You can’t say either has an advantage at this point.

What can be concluded is that the Devils can thank their shutdown line for the point they got. Trailing 4-3 in the third thanks to a Glen Metropolit power play tally, it was a smart play by the underrated Sergei Brylin which setup the tying goal. Catching the Thrashers in a line change, he utilized his speed to find a vacated John Madden at the goalmouth for a nifty redirection which tied it.

If you thought the action stopped there, wrong! This was back and forth with each team getting quality chances to take the lead. But both goalies were up to form to get it to OT. In it, the wild pace continued as each pressed for the ‘W.’ But it was the Devils who controlled it. If it was Hart hopeful Martin Brodeur’s two stops in the final minute of regulation which got it to this point, it was Kari Lehtonen’s big saves in the 5:00 session which forced a shootout.

In it, it was the Thrashers’ skill which was the difference. First, Slava Kozlov, who always seems to score in these, nudged a backhand off the pad of Brodeur and just over the line. We’re still trying to figure out how it went in. Down one, the Devils went to shootout ace Brian Gionta to tie it. And he came through with his patented backhand deke where Lehtonen left way too much room for him to tuck it in. Then Marian Hossa flat out made Brodeur look silly. It’s not often the future Hall of Famer looks this bad. If you recall, it was Hossa’s lesser skilled younger brother Marcel who beat him upstairs over the stickside. Well, older bro basically used the same move except making it look even easier. Pumping his leg and waiting for Brodeur to go down, he ripped it upstairs to give Atlanta the 2-1 lead. Super soph Zach Parise nearly tied it but his forehand backhand forehand toe drag move was repelled by a sliding Lehtonen pad. As Doc Emrick would say, “A remarkable stop.” After the Atlanta ice got the better of Ilya Kovalchuk during a weak attempt which Brodeur ate up, the Devils turned to Madden. He previously was a perfect three-for-three. But tonight, the tying goalscorer’s luck would run out as he ran out of real estate on his backhand attempt to give Atlanta the victory.

We’ll leave it to Steve to further comment on this game.

So, while I was typing this entry, I noticed that the Islanders managed to blow a 3-0 third period lead to Detroit and then lose in OT on a ridiculous no-look backhand pass setup by Norris wonder Nicklas Lidstrom. Looking like Brian Leetch, he went through three Isles and then dealt the feed to a streaking Henrik Zetterberg, who buried it into a wide open net for the crushing winner in Nassau Coliseum. I’m sure our cohost Gary Harding will be displeased tomorrow night during our NY Hockey Report show. I’ll be calling in live from The Garden at the Leafs-Rangers game. It should be interesting.

The Pens won yet again to pull two points ahead of the Rangers thanks to a 3-0 blanking of Florida. And the Lightning drove Flyer fans crazy in NHL Siberia by tying it late and then predictably beating them in a shootout 2-0. How predictable was it? Let’s just say that I called Brad Richards’ goal which was a cardinal copy of the one he beat Brodeur on a couple of weeks prior. And naturally, Flyer team captain Peter Forsberg tried his backhand with no success once again. God. Can he get any lamer? And so the Lightning and Pens are both tied with 56 points for sixth in the conference while the Rangers are eighth two behind. With their win in Carolina, Toronto pulled within two of the Rangers making tomorrow’s contest a must win.

So I tuned into some of the Devils-Thrashers game in time to see Ilya Kovalchuk score his second power play goal of the first with Scott Mellanby setting a perfect screen in front of Martin Brodeur. Of course, Brodeur wasn’t too pleased about this. But Mellanby never touched him and just used his veteran smarts to distract the goalie from seeing the shot.

Fast forward a couple of minutes later when the Devils were assessed a bench minor for abuse of officials probably for protesting a good noncall. There was team captain Patrik Elias having a lengthy discussion with the one of the officials before a faceoff. And I’m glad the guys at the production truck in Atlanta picked this up. The Devils entered as the most disciplined team in the league. At last check, it wasn’t even close. So was it any surprise that when calls went against them, they were upset? Of course not. They’re not used to being in the penalty box.

And apparently, whatever Elias said worked as they wound up getting the next three power plays in less than a 6:00 span. And would you believe they scored twice to tie it? Of course. They’re the Devils. When they get the calls, they take advantage. That’s why you got to be extremely smart when playing them. Any little hole and your lead is gone. Atlanta imploded against them last time too back at the Meadowlands in a 2-1 loss.

In any event, it changed the momentum of this 2nd place game in the East which now is 3-3. Zach Parise broke a drought and Niclas Havelid cameback to knot it. Now Colin White just lost his mind and took an unnecessary penalty late in this seesaw period which has had a little bit of everything.

It should be an interesting third.

Alright, the headline probably has some people chuckling. But if you’ve watched the new and improved Jed Ortmeyer since he returned from a life threatening pulmonary embollism condition, then you can appreciate how well Ort is playing. He also was a ton of fun while mic’d up by Versus. Singing apparently is part of his daily routine.

As I noted on the Outside The Garden forum www.outsidethegarden.com Jed has definitely improved offensively. There were a couple of recent games where he was getting more scoring chances and getting tough shots on net. Well tonight, the hard work paid off as he had a career best three points (all assists) in an impressive Rangers 6-1 rout of the Bruins up in Boston.

This was a very solid performance. The second straight game since the All Star break that you couldn’t find anything to complain about. Even the power play connected when out of all players, Michael Nylander “went hard to the net and shot the puck,” taking a hard check by Andrew Alberts to score his 16th goal late in the third, putting an exclamation point on the ‘W.’

So, how good was Ortmeyer in this game along with linemates Matt Cullen and Petr Prucha? The trio was splendid following up a very effective game in NHL Siberia with an even more inspired one tonight which produced results:

Prucha-2 goals, 1 assist
Cullen-goal, 2 assists
Ortmeyer-3 assists

No, this isn’t a misprint. They combined for nine points and were absolutely dominant. Btw those are your three stars. A miracle that Renney just might have found the right combo. Now if only he could find someone to play with Brendan Shanahan at even strength. Another day I guess.

The 28 year-old Omaha Nebraska native was the catalyst. His grunt work in the corners resulted in both of Prucha’s tallies. And his hustle on the PK resulted in Cullen’s shorthanded tally which gave the club a three goal lead after two periods.

The best part about the trio was they easily could’ve had another one in the third, which tells you how well they clicked.

Aside from that line, every other Ranger competed extremely hard. Team captain Jaromir Jagr might’ve been held off the scoresheet but he didn’t take any shifts off.

A shorthanded Shanahan was rewarded with a phantom penalty shot in the middle of the third. Yes, it was a bad call as he did get a shot off which went wide. But hey, he needed a break and got it, by going to the backhand top shelf inside the bar against Hannu Toivonen or as my brother refers to him as Toivo Trash. It was Shanny’s first ever penalty shot goal in four tries and put him back in the club lead with 25 goals this season (one better than Martin Straka).

Only drawback was Michal Rozsival left in the second and didn’t return, forcing Renney to play five D in the third and mix up pairings. His status won’t be known till tomorrow.

So, what else did I like about this game?

1.Daniel Girardi asserted himself well in his 2nd game logging 16:33 and finishing plus-one. Could the Rangers have a steal? He really has looked good. He doesn’t do anything flashy but doesn’t have to.

2.Marcel Hossa was on the puck most of the night and had some near misses on the PP in the first. He takes the body well and works hard. It’s just a matter of finally getting rewarded.

3.Henrik Lundqvist had an easy night. Yeah, he made 29 saves but how many of them were tough? This felt like a Devil game where the D does the job and doesn’t allow any real pointblank chances. He barely broke a sweat.

What we saw tonight was a desperate team playing very determined on the puck all night. That’s how the Rangers must be if they want to qualify for their second consecutive postseason in this crazy Eastern race. The win was their second in a row and improved their record to 25-21-4, tying eighth seeded Tampa Bay with 54 points. By virtue of one less game played, they moved percentage points ahead.

And so, the club’s next test comes against another competitor in Toronto when they return to MSG Wednesday night to host the 10th seeded Leafs (52 pts). The last time the two met, the Leafs spanked them 9-2 up in Air Canada Centre on December 16. So the Rangers definitely owe them some payback. If they come with the same team effort, they’ll come out victorious. But they’ll have to also deal with the Leafs’ physicality. It will be a true test.

Callahan Scores Winner In AHL All Star Game: Congratulations to Hartford All Star Ryan Callahan on tallying the winning goal up in Toronto tonight for Planet USA in their 7-6 win over Canada during the AHL All Star Game. It’s no secret that the Rochester native has flourished in his first season of pro leading the Wolf Pack with 29 goals. Hopefully, he’ll get another opportunity later this year with the big club.

Canadiens Retire Dryden’s No.29: Congrats are in order for Hall of Famer Ken Dryden, who finally had his No.29 retired by the Canadiens tonight, becoming the 12th Hab to have such a prestigous honor. The 59 year-old former Leafs’ executive was one of the best goalies ever, leading Montreal to six Stanley Cups during the 1970’s. Originally selected by the Bruins 14th overall in the 1964 NHL Amateur Draft, he opted to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree at Cornell University rather than turn pro and play for Boston. Due to his failure to report back in ‘64, the Bruins traded him to Montreal for Guy Allen and Paul Reid. Both never even became NHLers.

It was in the middle of 1971 that Dryden made his Canadiens’ debut. How well did he perform? Only wound up leading them to the Cup and taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Still not considered a rookie, he cameback the next season and won the Calder. It was during the 1972-73 season that he established himself as one of the league’s best netminders by winning his first Vezina for best goalkeeper. It was the first of five Vezinas for Dryden as he went on to share the award four consecutive times from 1976-79 when he helped lead Montreal to four straight Cups before retiring at the tender age of 31. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

Just how remarkable was Dryden’s seven-year career up in Montreal? In 397 regular season games, he was 225-57-61 with a 2.24 GAA. Even more impressive was the 46 shutouts posted, meaning he almost had as many career blankings as total losses. That is utterly unthinkable.

It should also be pointed out that after leading the Habs to their second Cup and taking home his first Vezina in 1973, Dryden held out during the 1973-74 season due to displeasure with the contract the team offered him. How many more wins and shutouts would he have been good for during that year off? Who knows. But he had a very brief but dominant career which makes him one of the best goalies to ever lace’em up. We’ll leave where No.29 ranks up to debate.

Flames Reacquire Conroy: As noted by Rob earlier in his Islander weekly entry, center Craig Conroy is going back to Calgary. Three years removed from almost leading them to their second Cup, the former No.1 center was shipped to Alberta earlier today by the lottery bound Kings for ex-Ranger farmhand Jamie Lundmark, a 2007 fourth round pick and a 2008 second rounder. While it’s true the Flames gave up two picks for the versatile Conroy, this is a solid deal for them. With C Daymond Langkow on pace for a career season and Matthew Lombardi also playing well at the pivot, Conroy provides some depth up the middle and maybe even a little more offensive balance. With Krisitan Huselius (21 goals) lighting it up en route to his own career season, getting the experienced Conroy makes sense. He can play in a scoring or checking role and is also reliable at winning faceoffs as well playing in any situation. It makes Calgary stronger as they push for another Stanley Cup appearance. The best part is they only lost the replaceable Lundmark off the roster. In 39 games, he had zero goals and four assists. Can you say nothing?

In reply to Rob’s pointed statement that he’d begin doing Ranger entries if the Isles got Forsberg. If they gave up that package, I wouldn’t blame ya. That’s insane. The other rumor of Hill for Kotalik is interesting. While Hill has played well on the blueline, the Isles could use another offensive player up front. Kotalik certainly would fill that void.

The positive point of view is that the Islanders took 3 of 4 points from two tough teams. The negative point of view is that the Isles have to put in 110% effort to achieve that outcome. Just as they have gotten 3/4 points they could easily lose four out of the next five games, because, frankly, they are missing a few key pieces. Not to beat a dead horse, but this team is going nowhere without a solid second line center (some might say a solid first line center too!). They may hang around the eighth spot for awhile, but will eventually start to fade away. I’ve been a proponent of doing a deal now rather than Feb 27th and the rumor mill is starting to heat up.

Conroy going to the Flames today may open the floodgates for some substantive deals before the deadline. Islanders rumors include Forsberg to the Isles for a first rounder, Grebs, and Okposo. I will instantly start writing Rangers blogs if this goes down. Forsberg is like a BMW on the outside held together with rubber bands on the inside. You may go a few feet with no problem before it all comes apart.

Other rumors have Bates going to Carolina for Tanabe - (I’m not sure whom this helps but Bates has been better of late and Laviolette loves him from his days on LI) and Blake going to the Canes for Ladd or Hutchinson (No thanks on this too).

Rumor out of Buffalo has Ales Kotalik coming to LI for Sean Hill. I would do this deal if the Islanders were fading and no longer in the hunt for a playoff spot. Hill has played great but in terms of moves to better the club for the future, it makes sense.

Finally, the annual Fred Modin to the Islanders for who knows what is floating around as well. Modin is having a so-so year with much less points than in the TB days.

See ya later.

Saturday, the NHL lost one of its Hall of Famers Gump Worsley. The former goalie who didn’t wear a mask until his final season with the Minnesota North Stars in a brilliant 21-year career passed away at the age of 77 Friday at his home in Beloeil. He had suffered a heart attack last Monday.

Small in stature, the five foot-seven Worsley debuted with the Rangers in 1952-53 winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. After spending his first 11 years on Broadway, the netminder was dealt to Montreal for Hall of Fame goalie Jacques Plante. It was in Montreal where Worsley shined the most, backstopping the Canadiens to four Stanley Cups in 1965, ‘66, ‘68 and ‘69. During that span, he won 29 of 36 playoff games.

He also went on to win two Vezinas in 1966 and 1968 for the game’s best goalie. During his distinguished career, he finished with a record of 335-352-150 to go with a 2.88 goals against average (GAA) and 43 shutouts in 861 games. His postseason record was 40-26 with a 2.76 GAA and five shutouts.

The four-time All Star (’61, ‘62, ‘65, ‘72) concluded his brilliant career with Minnesota in 1973-74, wearing a mask for the first time in his final six games.

Worsley was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980.

I saw what he said and pretty much had the same reaction. If the Rangers had a better D, I might agree. But when you look at some of Renney’s line combos, it’s basically begging to trade for a real No.2 center. The problem is Forsberg would cost a lot in terms of prospects and maybe picks. Considering all the injury history and the question marks surrounding his status this summer, it makes little sense to deal for him. I’ve said it before. But the solution must come from Hartford. Daniel Girardi was a start on the backline yesterday. What does AHL All Star and Pack leading scorer Ryan Callahan (29 goals encounting after a hat trick in an OT win last night) have to do get another shot?

So, if you’re the Devils and you don’t score a lot of goals, who scares you the most as a potential first round match-up?

A.Tampa Bay
B.Carolina
C.Pittsburgh

How about “Hully’s” insinuation that Brendan Shanahan has been begging for a center all season (like Peter Forsberg)? Brendan Shanahan could use 4 or 5 defensemen before he could use a center. I’m all for Hull speaking his mind, but Ferraro or Clement needs to call him on it when he says something stupid. Peter Forsberg would NOT make the Rangers a Stanley Cup winner because playoff games are not won by a count of 7-6.

Otherwise, Emrick-Olczyk-McGuire got chemistry pretty quick eh? Paul Kukla agreed with me that they are already tops. JD who? The difference between Edzo and JD is that Edzo seems willing to argue with Pierre a little bit. This announcing team has now become quotable.

Eddie: “It’s not about the stick, it’s the guy holding the stick”.
Pierre: “You’re turning into your friend Mike Keenan”.

Doc: “Datsyuk was unable to get by, must be the stick.”

If NBC could add 5 or 6 more games to it’s schedule, it could really run on all cyllinders. The program will not run for more than 3 weeks straight this season. These guys won’t build chemistry if they don’t see eachother. It’s like when CBS has the MLB game of the week in the early 90’s. They have to add some games. It’s better than ABC, who never aired more than 5 in a season, but not quite what we need just yet.

Rangers at Boston on Versus on Monday at 7. Also available on Versus HD. Doc and Edzo calling it again? I sure hope so.