It’s understandable that even die-hard Ranger fans are questioning just how good their team is. It’s understandable to think that it’s time to pack it in for the season, make some changes and look forward to next year. It’s also understandable to think of where the Rangers were last season at this time and think that they have a shot to do big things.

At this time last year, the Rangers came off the all-star break to lose two games in a row. Then came the Sean Avery trade and the Rangers went on to make a playoff push that no one thought was possible. They made the playoffs, swept the Trashers and put up a fight against the mighty Buffalo Sabres. If this reminds us of anything, it’s that we’re not out of the picture yet. We’re far from it in fact.

Is there another Sean Avery out there that will motivate us and be the missing cog to out inconsistant and frustrating machine? Probably not. Does the team have what it takes to make the playoffs and have a good showing this year? Probably, but only if everyone gets on the same page.

Marek Malik won’t be traded for a top four defenseman. Marcel Hossa won’t net the Rangers a Marian Hossa. In order to get someone of that caliber, the farm system will have to go. Glen Sather said that he is looking around for a top-line centerman for the Rangers. The reasoning? To take pressure off of Chris Drury and move him back to the wing, where he was super successful with the Colorado Avalanche. I’ve read today the names Mats Sundin, David Vybourny and Peter Forsberg as possibilities. Forsberg will cost us only money, which isn’t the worst thing in the world, but Sundin and Vybourny will cost us some combination of Bobby Sanguinetti, Alexi Cherepanov, first or second round draft picks, Petr Prucha, Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, Al Montoya and some similar prospects. Is that the road Ranger fans want to go down for three months of Sundin scoring goals? My vote is no.

Whatever the Rangers do between now and the end of February will have no impact on tonight’s game. The Rangers take on Philadelphia in what is probably going to be an emotional and physical game. Some line combinations may change as these were the lines for practice:

Straka - Gomez - Jagr
Avery - Dubinsky - Shanahan
Dawes - Drury - Prucha
Orr - Betts - Hollweg

Couple of surprises here too. Stephen Valiquette gets the start, which gives Henrik Lundqvist the Devils tomorrow night and Montreal on Sunday. Valiquette has played well in Philly so the move makes sense. Malik is also in the lineup in place of Paul Mara tonight. The big man needs to see the ice to either be effective or be showcased. With the game being against the Flyers, having Strudwick in there should things get chippy is an asset that Renney didn’t want to lose.

Game time is 7pm again tonight. The Rangers need to get points out of these games against Atlantic Division opponents. I’ll check in again later.

This wasn’t quite the way the Rangers wanted to start the final stretch following the All-Star Break. What started out promising when Brendan Shanahan tallied for his first point in nine contests 62 seconds in evolved into another exasperating night for this underachieving bunch.

Welcome to the 2007-08 edition of the Blueshirts. Where they get your hopes up only to dash them away making you flashback to dreadful memories from a decade prior. Where it doesn’t matter who the names are on the jersey because they sure are trying their best to hit the golf course a lot earlier than expected.

If I sound like a broken record, as a fave Nirvana song once said, “All Apologies.”

What else could this team do
They don’t have a god damn clue

What else should Renney try
Bench the stonehands fourth line

Why don’t you try doing what I just did? It’s rather easy if you apply yourself to that classic tune.


A 3-1 defeat on the road in Carolina isn’t that surprising. I think what’s most disappointing is that once again, this team didn’t convert their chances. Oh. They generated plenty playing a solid opening 20 but the key sequence was a four-on-two rush in which defenseman Fedor Tyutin missed the net leading directly to a Canes’ odd-man rush and tying marker from suddenly revived Russian Sergei Samsonov. He outwaited Henrik Lundqvist and went to the backhand flipping it past the Ranger netminder.

Another critical Blueshirt mistake led to the deciding tally. Martin Straka’s errant pass was stolen by Carolina team captain Rod Brind’Amour. The smart two-way pivot walked in and beat Lundqvist on a two-on-zero break deking to the backhand.

The Rangers had some quality opportunities to tie it late in the second thanks to a strong shift by Scott Gomez, Sean Avery and Jaromir Jagr. However, superior goaltending from former 2006 Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward allowed the Canes to escape with their one-goal lead intact thru 40.

Remarkably, Renney’s beloved fourth line helped seal their fate when they got caught up ice. When defenseman Dan Girardi stepped up and turned the puck over at the Carolina blueline, they turned it into another odd-man break. This time the recipient was fourth liner Trevor Letowski who took a pass and deked to the forehand to make it three unanswered Canes’ goals.

After that, the Rangers seemed to give up resigned to their fate.

I threw in the towel too and went upstairs opting to listen to Dave Maloney rip this sadsack team to shreds.

Can anything save the Rangers?

I felt this one short Avery quote summed it up quite well:

“I wish I had some answers, but I don’t really.”

Neither do I.


It wasn’t a good night for the other two locals either as the Devils fell at home for the second straight time 4-2 to the Sidney Crosby-less Pens. Ryan Malone tallied twice and ex-Devil Petr Sykora notched two assists as the Pens got the last three on Brent Sutter’s club a la Montreal before the break. Wonder if he’ll put them through drills again? Mike Rupp somehow hit the back of the net twice. You aren’t winning many nights when he’s your only offense.

The Isles meanwhile went down to the conference-leading Sens 5-2. Mike Fisher and Jason Spezza each had a goal and a helper while Sean Bergenheim and Bryan Berard tallied for the Fishsticks.


The Flyers were 3-2 OT winners as the sizzling Scott Hartnell stayed hot getting the deciding marker.

The Rangers open up the rest of the season tonight against the surging Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. Not much will be different for the Blueshirts when they enter the game tonight as, unlike last year, there were no moves made over the break.

Marc Staal, Brandon Dubinsky and Scott Gomez all joined the team this afternoon after taking part in the All-Star weekend festivities. Dubinsky was named the MVP for the young stars game, recording two goals. Just more confidence builders for this young kid.

The lineup tonight will be the same as on Thursday night, with Marek Malik being a healthy scratch and Marcel Hossa still sitting with the world’s longest case of back spasms. Henrik Lundqvist returns to the net, and might be called upon for double duty later on in the week when the Rangers take on Philadelphia and New Jersey on back to back days, both on the road and both games that the Rangers would really like to win.

If anything breaks between now and 7 pm I’ll be sure to report it. If not, enjoy the game and I’ll check in tonight or tomorrow.

Sitting here watching the Eastern All-Stars enjoy a big first period lead got me thinking about the New York Rangers and what they need to finally live up to their potential for the second half of the season. Feel free to add in your own thoughts and ideas or agree or disagree as well.

1- Shoot the puck. Then shoot it some more.
- Biggest culprits here are Chris Drury and Martin Straka. There’s a reason that Drury is making $7 million a year for the Rangers and it’s not to just win faceoffs. He has a knack for finding the back of the net, and he needs to start shooting more to show us that. Straka is a great playmaker and seems to be making everyone that he plays with better, but when he shoots, he scores. It would add another weapon to the Rangers repetoir if he shot just a little more. Michal Rozsival needs to not be afraid of a booming point shot as well.

2 - More bodies in front of the net.
- When Petr Prucha is on the ice, he can be found around the net. Don’t get me wrong, that’s great, but Prucha is 175 pounds and gets knocked around. Rotate in and out of the crease. Sean Avery is there on the powerplay, but lets get Brendan Shanahan, Drury, Orr and even some defensemen skating through causing havok on the netminder. Paul Mara or Fedor Tyutin pinching in and screening a goalie might work if it’s not done often.

3 - Accept that Jaromir Jagr is no longer the force he used to be
- Sure he’s still good and will undoubtedly score more goals this season, but he’s not going to have 40 goals a season anymore. The offense is not going to flow through him like it used to. Make it go through Prucha, Nigel Dawes and Brandon Dubinsky.

4 - Stop with the stupid, lazy penalties.
- Jagr is most guilty of it, as are Marek Malik and Marcel Hossa. You just don’t see Prucha, Dawes, Shanahan and Gomez in the penalty box.

5 - Play much more physical.
- Take the body, especially at the blueline. The defense is physical with Dan Girardi and Tyutin, and Marc Staal is looking better and better, but Mara and Rozsival need to step in and crunch someone. Bring back the hip check. Make the other team pay for camping out in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Not everyone has to be Avery or Ryan Hollweg, but it would be nice to see Jagr, Straka, Shanahan and Drury start taking the body more as well.

6 - Play for 60 minutes.
- If you don’t want to commit to a 60 minute game every other day, clean out your locker. Show up for every period and give it your best. The second period no longer should be referred as “the bad period” and the team shouldn’t come alive with just 15 minutes left to play.

Anything to add? Anything you just don’t agree with? Let me know. Enjoy the rest of this all star game. I’ll be on frequently from now until Tuesday so I will talk to everyone again soon.

It took a shootout, but the Rangers survived the Atlanta Thrashers last night. Following the hour and a half long ceremony, the Rangers came out flat and unimpressive. They managed to get out of the first period with a 0-0 tie, but 45 second into the second period Marion Hossa made it 1-0 on a soft goal let in by Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers slowly picked up their game and about halfway through the third period, Michal Rozsival was able to capitalize on a nice passing play by the third line, mainly Brandon Dubinsky and Nigel Dawes. The score remained tied up through the rest of the third and all of overtime, even with the Rangers controlling much of the play. Brendan Shanahan converted the only shootout attempt and Lundqvist made two saves before Hossa missed the net on the final shot, giving the Rangers a 2-1 win.

While it was disappointing to see the Rangers come out unmotivated in a Garden just waiting to explode, it was good to see them slowly improve their play. A team better than the Thrashers, however, would have made the Rangers pay for coming out so slowly. A team like Ottawa, Detroit or even the Devils or Islanders may have been able to pop two or three goals in and bury the Rangers. The Rangers survived though, and will be able to take the next four days to rest up and prepare for Carolina next Tuesday.

One thing that did look evident last night was that there seemed to be some decent chemistry up and down the lineup. The defense was pretty good, the top line looks pretty decent with Sean Avery taking Marty Straka’s place and Dubinsky and Dawes continue to impress. Chris Drury is starting to get more opportunities as well, which is good news for the Rangers.

On the Marek Malik front, word is that he refused to shake the hand of Tom Renney after being told that he would be a scratch last night. Renney took it personally and sent Malik out of the building for the night. He said that Malik’s matter would be handled internally, and that big number 8 is still on the roster.

You have to wonder if the Rangers can pull anything off to get Malik someplace where he would be happier. Maybe packaging him with a kid could net us something. Artem Anisimov has been playing well, and could be a good NHL centerman. Problem is, we have Scott Gomez, Drury, Dubinsky and Blair Betts on our lines. Avery, Petr Prucha, Straka and Ryan Hollweg also all have experience at center, and we have some other good young players in the system. Maybe he could make a deal a little sweeter and Malik can be off our hands. It wouldn’t be the end of the world for us, even if he pulls a Marc Savard and starts recording 96 points a season for a team that finishes last in their division.

I’ll keep everyone informed about any Ranger happenings over the break and I’ll weigh in with some All-Star stuff as I’ll almost certainly be checking out the game. Enjoy the break.

I knew that we were in for a truly special night at Madison Square Garden. If you were priviledged enough to be witness to that special retirement ceremony of all-time Ranger great Brian Leetch’s No.2 to the rafters joining the likes of Rod Gilbert (No.7), Ed Giacomin (No.1), Mike Richter (No.35) and Mark Messier (No.11), then you know how unbelievable it really was.

I am not going to go on and on about it because our outstanding blogger Lenny did a very nice job summing up what this classy former defenseman is all about. If you needed proof, just watching how eloquently Leetch spoke about the history of the franchise with Ron Greschner on hand crediting him for how he developed to the recognition of former GM Craig Patrick for having the confidence to draft him to the praise of his teammates and the role the “Ranger Faithful” played in the team achieving their greatest success in winning the Stanley Cup which included a postseason for the ages by No.2 (11-23-34, +19 in 23 GP) in becoming the only American to win the Conn Smythe.

Still, the biggest highlight had to be Brian making the surprise announcement that good buddy and Ranger fan favorite Adam Graves’ No.9 will be retired at some point next year for his outstanding work on and off the ice during a 10-year career as a Blueshirt.

On his own special night where legends such as Harry Howell and Brad Park were on hand for the ceremony and banner retirement, here was the franchise leader in so many categories putting himself aside for a teammate honoring and surprising a guy who had no idea what was about to happen.

I said, ‘If you want me to do it, I’d love to it,”‘ the former 11-time All-Star, Calder recipient and two-time Norris winner flashed back to the Associated Press.

“The only thought that came to my mind was how humble I felt,” an emotional Graves admitted. “Wearing that jersey was gift enough. Having this opportunity, I’m lucky.”

“That kind of made me calm because I knew I had that to come and it was going to be exciting,” a sporty Leetch pointed out. “I knew Adam was going to be blown away.”

“I was foggy. I had no idea,” Graves added. “It caught me off guard and I was like, ‘Go back there, it’s your night.”‘

What else would you expect from a player who was drafted in the first round 22 years prior ninth overall out of Boston College who went on to play 1,129 games as a Ranger in 17 career seasons (1988-2004) pacing the Original Six franchise with 741 assists, second to Gilbert in scoring with 981 points. And of course, tops among New York Ranger blueliners in goals (240) and points (981).

If you wanted to know how he felt about the fans, just listening to him mention how he was only on the wrong side of the bench once as a visiting Boston Bruin- then pointing out and thanking those fans for “getting him through the night when he wasn’t on the right side.”

The place went wild as it did most of this special night. From the loud chants of “Bri—-an Leeettccch” to “Leeeettttttttch,” “Messs—–ierrr” and “Adaa—–mmm Gravvvvvesss,” it was about as perfect as it could get.

Even former Ranger enforcers Tie Domi and Darren Langdon joined the fun presenting him with a Harley Davidson motorcycle featuring a leather jacket and helmet in honor of “Leetch’s wild side.”

We’ll just have to take Ranger emcee and broadcaster Sam Rosen’s word for it.

One of the things I also really appreciated was how generous Leetch and the Ranger organization with Richter presenting him with a check for $25,000 to the John J. Murray Foundation for his former close buddy who died tragically during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

Sometimes, it really does make you appreciate what you got. It can be very humbling and that certainly was the case over six years ago remarkably. God bless Murray’s family.


“I was not that nervous, not that scared of what I was going to say,” Leetch finally said of the great night which New Yorkers will remember for quite some time.

“I was just really enjoying it and I was not sure I was going to be able to do that.“

No.2 will always be No.1 in our H-E-A-R-T-S.

Brian Leetch has been an idol of mine since I started following hockey. I was able to witness his greatness through the 1994 Stanley Cup run and was able to share in the heartache of him being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for draft picks and Maxim Kondratiev in 2004. Tonight’s ceremony did a fantastic job of capturing those moments and recognized a fantastic player.

I think what really showed what Brian Leetch is really about was, while thanking several people and teammates, he paused to make an announcement. The announcement he read was that Adam Graves will have his number nine jersey raised to the rafters next year. On a night dedicated to him, Brian Leetch passed some limelight off to a fellow teammate and friend. It was nicely done, and wonderful to see.

From hall of famers Ed Giacomin, Rod Gilbert and Mark Messier to Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves and Mike Richter, and even Tie Domi and Darren Langdon, the ceremony was great. Sam Rosen did another fantastic job MCing. John Davidson and Craig Patrick were in attendance and both the Garden and the WAMU Theater were packed. Great all around night.

I’ll have a new post in the morning or late tonight about the game, but so far it has been an uninspired effort by the Rangers after one period of play and no score. No word on Marek Malik either, although Spector Trade Rumors has a potential deal with Colorado or Carolina reported. Enjoy the rest of the game.

Already looking at a little easier of a task tonight with Ilya Kovalchuck in the press box, the Rangers will have Marek Malik somewhere other than the ice as well for tonight’s rematch with Atlanta. Even though the fleet-footed defenseman had picked up his game over the last three game since being reinserted into the lineup, Malik was absent from morning skate this morning. To make things even more odd, none of his equipment was in his locker either. A few pictures and a practice jersey was all that remained. Tom Renney answered the questions of where everyone’s favorite defenseman was with “it’s an internal matter,” but made sure to point out that he was still a Ranger.

Maybe Glen Sather is on the verge of pulling off a trade, and the last two games were really a showcase for other teams. I bashed Malik as much as the next guy, but was and still am fully aware that he could be a decent defenseman. In a faster league, however, it is hard for him to keep up. Unable to clutch, grab, hold and take down the oncoming offensemen has hurt Malik’s game. He will undoubtedly be suffering the Tom Poti syndrome should he be dealt, and upon returning will be met with choruses of boo’s at the Garden whenever he touches the ice.

Should Malik really be done as a Ranger, we’ll need to call someone up or acquire another defender. Thomas Pock has played in 39 games with the Wolfpack, registering six goals, 15 assists and a plus-6 rating to go along with 30 penalty minutes. He would have to clear re-entry waivers, but he should be looked at as a platoon partner for Jason Strudwick. Other than that, the only other defenseman that may be ready may be Andrew Hutchinson, who has 33 points in 40 games with the Pack and is +12 on the year. I believe he has to clear re-entry waivers as well, but I could be mistaken.

I’ll be on often today, updating everyone on Malik sightings, passing on Brian Leetch news and covering the game. Until later…

Ilya Kovalchuck won’t be on the ice when the Rangers celebrate Brian Leetch night at the Garden tomorrow night. The league handed down a one game suspension to Atlanta’s main goal scorer for his hit on Michal Rozsival in the first period last night.

This obviously is good news for the Rangers, who will now only have to focus on shutting down Marian Hossa and getting pucks past Kari Lehtonen or Johan Hedberg, both are no small feat.

Ceremonies for Brian Leetch night for those of us who don’t have tickets will begin at 6:30. I’m interested to know how that viewing party and actual ceremony at MSG goes. If anyone that reads this website goes, leave a comment on one of the entries tomorrow, or leave a comment asking for my email address if you want to actually write a blog entry. I’d be more than happy to put up a guest poster, and I’m sure Derek and everyone else here at BoNY won’t mind either.

Talk to you all tomorrow.

End of game - Solid three period, 60 minute effort by the New York Rangers. Jaromir Jagr added a goal from Fedor Tyutin and Scott Gomez to make it 4-0. Tyutin had three assists, jagr had a goal and two assists and looked great, and the new lines looked stellar. They were tight defensively also, allowing only 14 shots. Henrik Lundqvist didn’t have to be overly good, but he was good enough to get his seventh shutout of the season, the first Ranger to do that since a pretty good Ed Giacomin did it in 1970-71. Good game all around, let’s just hope that this isn’t only a one game thing. We’re back in action on Thursday for Brian Leetch night. Until then…

End of 2nd Period - After two periods of play, the Rangers now have a 3-0 lead. Martin Straka scored a shorthanded, unassisted goal off of a terrible line change by the Thrashers. They miss Kovalchuk up front, as I still don’t think they have recorded double digit shots. Brad Larson looked pretty banged up after a collision with Mark Recchi as well. The second period is usually the Rangers’ worst period of the game, and that period wasn’t so bad. The power play is the only thing that looks bad. Actually, it looked downright awful in that period. There has to be some kind of jolt to go through both units. They looked fine in the first period, but the second period was spent waiting to see if Atlanta would score shorthanded more than if the Rangers were going to stretch the lead. See you after the third.

I figured I’d keep you updated on the Ranger game with some of my thoughts and happenings. I figured after the bashing Tom Renney gave them yesterday, that the Rangers would come out hot. Here’s what the first period looked like:

It took 16 minutes for the Thrashers to get a shot on goal. In that span, the Rangers tallied two goals, 12 shots and had a mini-fight. Colton Orr and Eric Boulton dropped the gloves, Sean Avery scored from Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez and then Brandon Dubinsky scored a highlight reel goal from Jagr and Fedor Tyutin.

As we speak, one of the league’s best players made another stupid decision. Ilya Kovalchuk is a marquee player, but as evident from the playoffs last year, he can be dirty. Just now he left his skates and hit a defenseless Michal Roszival from behind into the boards. The hit could have been given with a clean shoulder, but Kovalchuk went over the line. He was thrown out and the Rangers will have a three minute power play at the beginning of the second period. Colton Orr took a roughing penalty by going after Kovalchuk, negating two minutes. Bad move by Kovalchuk and the way this game is going so far, the Thrashers were going to need all the help they could get. The league should look into it as well. I like Kovalchuk, but it was dirty, unnecessary and left Roszival bloodied and hurt. Back after the second.