November 2007
Monthly Archive
Mon 26 Nov 2007
Alright. Maybe Fedor Tyutin (closing eyes in this picture) isn’t really to blame for the pathetic power outage that continues to plague the Rangers.
The defenseman has scored three goals this season which is only a couple fewer than struggling captain Jaromir Jagr. Even though No.68 actually broke his slump in yesterday’s disappointing 3-2 defeat to the Stars, the 36 year-old Czech is clearly not himself. Or maybe he picked up Patrik Elias disease! They do hail from the same country.
I am starting to wonder if maybe this team is better off without Jagr much the way the Devils are without their most overrated and overpaid star.
Call me crazy but I am beginning to doubt that the Blueshirts will ever win anything with Jagr leading it. Just look at the lack of chemistry he has displayed with the two new pivots Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. Was Michael Nylander really that vital?
So the question is who’s the more valuable player? You decide:
Jagr- 24 GP, 5 goals, 13 assists, 18 points, 1 PP, 2 GW
Nylander- 23 GP, 6 goals, 16 assists, 22 points, 4 PP, 1 GW
Maybe we’re being a bit unfair because Jagr has played with rookie pivot Brandon Dubinsky and just got back complementary overlooked wing Martin Straka. Sure. Nylander plays with an elite talent who can finish his passes (Ovechkin). But the Caps are a much worse team which might help explain the minus-11 rating.
Since when did styles make the player or in Jagr’s case the superstar? If he truly is a great player, it shouldn’t matter who he plays with because No.68 should be able to make any linemate better. He also should be able to elevate his game when the team needs it most. Were the old Reebok sticks that important? Does that help explain why everytime he has the puck on a rush, he morphs into the biggest waste of space Marcel Hossa and carries it around the net and doesn’t dare shoot?
Jagr is 36 and it’s true he’s not what he once was. A dominant star player. But part of that seems to be mental. The skating is still there. So is the size and strength.
Here’s a quote from a frustrated captain summing up how his team failed to win despite outshooting Dallas by a ridiculous 41-18 margin:
“I thought we played pretty good. We had a lot of chances, we just didn’t score
goals.”
The final sentence could well sum up the entire Ranger season. Through the quarter mark, no team is worse at putting the biscuit in the basket than these Rangers! The 53 goals in their first 24 average out to a league low 2.21-per-game. Just brutal!
Just how anemic are they? The first place Flyers have played two less games and scored 17 more times. If you calculated their average, it’s almost an entire goal more than the Blueshirts who continue to leave their fans blue in the face wondering how this could actually be possible.
Sure. It’s not all bad. They’re still 13-9-3 with 28 points and have arguably the best goaltender in the game in Henrik Lundqvist. But if you play every contest close to the vest, this sort of Devilish grinding style could be fatal to any postseason aspirations they have next Spring.
The defensemen have certainly chipped in. Led by Michal Rozsival’s seven, the underrated no-name group have put home 15 which ranks second most in the league by a team’s blueline.
It’s the forwards who aren’t holding up their end of the bargain. Drury has been a disappointment and hasn’t found chemistry with anyone. Gomez already centers the team’s best line but would someone please tell the likeable Alaskan that it’s okay to shoot the puck every once in a while! Maybe if he did yesterday during a four-on-four instead of toying around with it, he wouldn’t have fallen down and lost control leading to Jussi Jokinen’s sick tying goal in the last minute of the opening stanza.
He’s certainly the best skater this team has had in a long time and has the skills to go with it. But until he utilizes his underrated shot, Gomer is becoming too one dimensional.
The stars aren’t the only problems. Petr Prucha is one of the hardest workers but the lack of production (2-5-7) is alarming. He’s got the speed, grit and desire. He also has a deadly shot. But 36 shots in 24 games just isn’t cutting it! He should be shooting it much more. If he did, he could be another Gionta.
I was a firm backer of Hossa last season in this space. And his outstanding play down the stretch last year and virtuoso first round performance where he outplayed big bro Marian proved he had some capability. But this experiment needs to commence already. Three assists and no goals despite the ice-time! And I don’t care if he can be a shootout threat or is somewhat decent on the PK.
How can this Slovak be stealing a paycheck while the much more gifted Nigel Dawes is back in Hartford? Come on! Isn’t it about time this organization woke up?!?!?!?!?!
If Hollweg, Betts and Orr can have spots for being effective fourth liners despite no finish, then the team can afford to play the much more offensive minded Dawes (1 less goal than Jagr in 8 less games including 3 on Brodeur).
Can this club afford not to get this kid back up here? He has excellent skating ability, instincts and great hands. So maybe he isn’t as solid overall yet as Dubinsky. Newsflash. Not every player is going to be great defensively.
Maybe that’s the problem which is why scoring continues to plummet despite the league’s improvements for skaters. Let’s be perfectly honest here. Almost every organization with only a couple of exceptions (Toronto, Tampa, Pittsburgh) is obsessed with defense. Here’s a new word from the Felix vocabulary: They’re D-sessed!
That’s right. It says here that any player can backcheck. That it doesn’t always have to be so D oriented. Who pays the ridiculous prices these days for tickets, food and parking to see players block shots but have absolutely no finishing ability? Stone hands. If the league is becoming a bunch of Mike Rupps and Marcel Hossas, please count me out!
The offensive ineptitude of these one dimensional players can drive fans nuts. It’s nice to have some checkers. But isn’t it also nice for them to have some offensive capability?!?!?!?!?!
Vets who can’t do anything but check are hogging up roster spots which could be filled by kids. How are they going to learn if they’re stuck in the ‘A?’ No player likes to stay in the minors forever. And despite whatever good can come out of it, it’s not the NHL! Not even close.
The only way for prospects to fully develop and fulfill potential is to get ice-time and responsibility up with their big club.
It’s time for the Rangers to get into the 21st century. Unfortunately, they’re not the only team.
Which reminds me. Give us one good reason Bobby Ryan isn’t on the Ducks.
Random thought:
Jamie Langenbrunner making less than half the salary is a much more valuable player than Elias. Who knew?
I’m Derek Felix and that’s my take!
Sun 25 Nov 2007
Posted by admin under
Battle NewsNo Comments
We’re about 23 days from the 1st anniversary of the creation of The Battle of New York Blog. Here’s what I said when I pondered just why I was doing this, in December of 2006:
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Why create Battle of NY?
Because, well, Rangers, Isles and Devils fans are a fun bunch, and we figure you’d love to hear how different our perspectives are on various issues, including our teams’ performances.
I started this site so that you could get a fresh perspective on hockey from 3 sides of the NHL’s most intense American rivalry.
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REAL REASON? Wanted a blog, didn’t wanna do all the work.
Anyway, we’ve accomplished some of the goals in this first 1000, we’ve had some great perspective from all three angles of the mighty New York hockey triumverate, and much of it has been fresh.
Overall, I’m proud of what we’ve done here. So, this week, we’ll be counting down the 10 Best Posts from our first 999. Two a day. Here’s Numbers 10 and 9.
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#10. “What Have I Gotten Myself Into Exactly?”
by Derek Felix
December 18, 2006
I am still trying to figure out why I decided to participate in this. If you know me, then you know I will give you my no-nonsense take on anything to do with sports. Particularly the NHL (soon to be renamed the No Hitting League). Sorry Steve. Couldn’t resist!
It’s been a while since I actually sat down at the computer and wrote something worthwhile about sports. To be quite honest, I’ve been in a funk since covering the repeat champion Staten Island Yankees. I’ve only covered two Devils games and now have no time to get out to the arena due to helping out with Berkeley Carroll High School basketball. It’s been a fun gig so far and actual money. Imagine that. Good god. Today, I ran into an old friend who was coaching the Staten Island Academy Girls Varsity team. We go back 10 years and I once worked for him in a similar capacity when he coached the Tottenville Boys team. P.S. I discovered just before that his former school hasn’t won a game this year and has been blown out as much as the Knicks. Good! He got the shaft over a year ago. So justice is being served.
Anyway, you probably are thinking why am I even filling you in on this? Because maybe me and the old coach could be reunited at the JCC like old times. We’ll see.
In any event, when it comes to this intro title, I may as well be discussing the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this year’s Rangers. Can anyone honestly figure this team out? After winning five straight in which they only managed to allow six goals mostly due to great netminding by both Henrik Lundqvist and whipping boy Kevin Weekes, the Blueshirts had one of the worst weekends an NHL team could have- losing by a combined score of 15-3 at Toronto and then back home to the archrival Devils. Or as I like to call them the Satans!
Now it’s one thing to not have it and lose 9-2 at the Air Canada Centre but quite another to get thoroughly embarrassed by a bitter rival on your own home ice the following night. A loss of discipline cost the Rangers big time last night as they allowed the Devils to connect three times out of five on the power play. That’s like a week’s worth for the offensively challenged team from New Jersey. (They also gave up six to a team that might be lucky to reach that total in the next three games). And in the same game, while the Blueshirts made their fans including myself feel eternally blue (no thanks to that vintage little Giant performance against the Eagles) with an awful 0-for on just as many PP opportunities, not only did they quit and force the home crowd to a quick exit reminiscent of what goes on in the Swamp. But also allowed the contingent of Devil supporters to turn MSG into their own adopted home. It is kind of ironic though that these fans who turn up in Manhattan are almost never found at their own abysmal arena which has morphed into a 24 hour construction site. I also found it funny that these “great fans” bragged about the “Let’s Go Devils” chants with six or so minutes left with their team comfortably in front. Where were those chants earlier when the game was still close? Guess they feared another monumental Devils collapse or just weren’t brave enough to pull it when the building was still full. That’s what I’ll never get about Devil fans.
So what’s wrong with the Rangers? Well, the effort certainly hasn’t been there the last two games. But also, they were lucky to beat Dallas before this weekend thanks to Lundqvist. What did he finish with? 43 or 44 saves? They are a weird team. But then again, you could say that for almost any of the four Atlantic teams who are separated by five or six points. The Devils looked like world beaters recently also winning five straight before coming down to earth with three consecutive losses before a strong response last night. So who wants this pathetic division? Stay tuned.
So today, the Rangers finally waived defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh. Carrying his $2.75 million salary wasn’t making much sense. But neither does basically placing the blame on the much maligned vet who worked hard to return early after such a tumultuous offseason which included taking part in the league drug and alcohol rehab program and recovering from offseason surgery. For the most part, the former Av who helped them win the Cup in 1996 acquitted himself well. He didn’t take as many chances in Tom Renney’s system and tried to make pairing with Karel “Poti II” Rachunek watchable. So when does Poti II stop cashing a paycheck? Nevermind.
With Ozolinsh out of the picture and Marek “Big Bird” Malik straining his groin and missing the final two periods last night, the Rangers recalled Thomas Pock from Hartford. The 25 year-old Pock who was once a Hobey Baker finalist has lingered for most of the season waiting for another chance to break into the lineup. Why Ranger management is so afraid to put him in is mindboggling. Is he really worse than what they got? The best D on the roster is Michal Rozsival. Malik gets bashed a lot but the team is actually worse without him. Recently, Fedor Tyutin and Aaron Ward have struggled. When an out of shape Darius Kasparaitis is outperforming most of your regulars, you know things are bad. And I like Kaspar but come on. Aside from that, the fans have grown tired of the predictable man-advantage where the pointmen never shoot and continue to overpass to Jaromir Jagr’s right side allowing for opposing PK units to just overplay and leave the points vacated. Brendan Shanahan is given little space. The fans last night chanted, “Bring Back Leetch.” And really, can the aging Leetch look out of place running the Blueshirts power play? At this point no. A move I have been against for seemingly ever now makes sense because the one thing No.2 can do is run a PP and take some pressure off Jagr, Shanahan, Martin Straka and Michael Nylander. So will it happen now that Ozo’s salary is coming off the cap? We’ll see.
With the dreaded Islanders coming in for the second match-up of the season tomorrow (a game I’ll be at in 411), the team needs to show a pulse. Especially after getting shellacked this weekend and outclassed by those same Fishsticks two weeks prior 7-4 once again at MSG in the Viktor Kozlov career game (4 goals). It’s hard to say what will happen. But it’s another big game between two rivals in a division nobody wants. Will someone please step up already? Till tomorrow.
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9. Tranny-han?
by Steve Lepore
March 20, 2007
Interesting stuff from today’s Post:
March 20, 2007 — LINDSAY Lohan continued her New York party over the weekend. On Saturday night, she and her pals, deejay Samantha Ronson and p.r. powerhouse Lisette Sand-Freeman, hit the Beatrice Inn before going to The Box at 1 a.m. - where Lohan got up on the stage and sang while doing a “stripper dance” to thunderous applause. She got off easy - after her, New York Ranger Brendan Shanahan was blindfolded and ball-gagged as trannies danced around him.
Sun 25 Nov 2007
Didn’t get a chance to check it out, but Brendan Morrow’s goal sunk New York, 3-2.
At this rate, NJD will be in first by New Year’s.
Sat 24 Nov 2007
A Big 3-2 victory for the Devils. Two goals for Brian Gionta, and one by David Clarkson on a brilliant feed by John Madden.
Four consecutive ROAD wins for New Jersey. They come home for Dallas, Montreal, Atlanta, Boston and Washington. Consecutively.
I’m scheduled to go Friday (MTL), Sunday (ATL) and the Friday afterwards (WSH).
8 Points out of 10 is particularly possible for this stand. Hell, 10 out of 10 is if Brodeur keeps playing at his God-ly standards. No Elias for 2 nights in a row and 2 wins.
Fri 23 Nov 2007
The Rangers lost in a shootout tonight against the Florida Panthers, 3-2. Stephen Valiquette got the start tonight and really looked great for every shot he faced, except for the two that went in during regulation and the one in the shootout. All three goals were somewhat soft, but the amount of great saves he made outweighs the soft goals. Chris Drury broke out of a scoring slump and recorded both of New York’s goals, but couldn’t get the equalizer in the shootout.
The Rangers were really outplayed in the first period, but came out with a 1-0 lead. From there, their play picked up and was extremely sharp towards the end of the third period. The Rangers downfall, however, was the speed of Florida. They were quicker than almost every Ranger defender, which led to three breakaways in regulation, and several partial breakaways that led to scoring chances.
Sorry for the lack of updating over the last couple of days. I’ll be busy again most of the weekend, and probably won’t get a chance to update again until Sunday night or Monday morning. The Rangers take on the Dallas Stars at 1pm at home on Sunday afternoon on My9 for those of you in New York. Ryan Callahan is expected to return to action, which may be a good sign since Martin Straka, who returned today, left the game at the end of the third period. Enjoy the rest of the shopping weekend and I’ll check in after the Dallas game.
Fri 23 Nov 2007
Scoreless after a lifeless first period until about the final minute.
Devils, Rags coming up later. Enjoy your day of hockey!
Wed 21 Nov 2007
What a game. The Devils save their season with a huge win over Pittsburgh 2-1. Zach Parise got both goals on the power play. Marty Brodeur played a fantastic game, only an Evgeni Malkin goal off a redonkulous turnover by Johnny Oduya (sigh) kept him from the shutout.
Great game, including a key 5-on-3 kill by the Devils in the third period.
Devils take on the Thrashers on Friday at 7.
Wed 21 Nov 2007
Tonight’s Ranger game against Tampa Bay will feature a bit of a lineup shake up. Here are the tentative lines for the Blueshirts, which is subject to change based upon how many times Tom Renney changes his mind.
Drury - Dubinsky - Jagr
Avery - Gomez - Shanahan
Hossa - Moore - Prucha
Hollweg - Betts - Orr
Tyutin - Girardi
Mara - Staal
Strudwick - Baranka
Michael Rozsival is nursing a sore knee. Strudwick is also skating on one leg after suffering a bruise on Monday. It’s the NHL debut for both Baranka and Moore. Should be an interesting game.
The game is also on MSG2, which sometimes I get and sometimes I don’t. So any updates will be pending I am watching the game. If’ not I’ll check in later on.
Wed 21 Nov 2007
Devils and Pens tonight on FSN NY and WFAN at 7:30 PM. NHL Network in the US will broadcast the game.
Colin White and Paul Martin “may” play tonight. If so, the Devils will be much more adept on Defense, and perhaps more confident on the offensive side.
Aaron Asham also may play tonight. If so…OK.
For the Penguins tonight, they have to balance the lineups and get offense outside the Crosby line.
The Devils have to stop Crosby. I don’t care what Sutter wants, Madden’s line and White (If he plays) should be against Crosby on every possible shift.
I feel confident in my team tonight. No, really.
Marty will start tonight for NJD.
Tue 20 Nov 2007
In what can only be described as a head-scratcher of a move, the Rangers demoted Nigel Dawes to Hartford today. Tom Renney issued a statement saying, for the most part, that Dawes needed to be more of a two way player. Renney said he was looking for consistency from the second highest scorer on the team. To fill his slot, Greg Moore was recalled from Hartford.
Moore will play alongside Petr Prucha and Chris Drury tomorrow night as the Rangers’ third line. Also up from Hartford is Ivan Baranka. Baranka is up incase Jason Strudwick can’t play tomorrow. Strudwick took a shot off the leg last night and did not play much of the third period. If he can’t go, Baranka will slide in next to Paul Mara as the third pairing.
The Dawes demotion is most likely a precursor to Martin Straka and Ryan Callahan coming back. Straka will most like shift back to the top line, with Brandon Dubinsky and Jaromir Jagr, and Callahan will take Moore’s spot with Drury and Prucha. While Marcel Hossa is a valuable two way player, you have to imagine that his lack of offensive ability will ultimately spell the end of him as a regular player while everyone is healthy. Either that or he gets stashed on the fourth line, and we lose Ryan Hollweg or Colton Orr.
What would you do? I think the demotion of Dawes was unwarranted, but there is so much depth right now that he is unfortunately expendable. It shouldn’t be too long before he gets another call with the big club, or in maybe a more likely scenario, he is traded. We’ll see.
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