Rozsival’s struggles could overshadow Redden’s first game versus former team

November 17, 2008   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

Michal Rozsival has struggled while Wade Redden has settled in as he faces his former club tonight.

It won’t be just another game for Ranger defenseman Wade Redden when he faces off against his former team, the Senators who visit the Garden for the first of two meetings this week with his new team also visiting Ottawa for a Saturday matinee.

That’s where the 31 year-old veteran out of Sasketchewan who was originally an Islander 1995 second overall selection before traded there for former Calder winner Bryan Berard blossomed into one of the better overall defensemen. In 11 seasons with the Sens, Redden amassed 410 points (101 goals, 309 assists) along with a respectable plus-159 rating over 838 career games.

How consistent was he during his Ottawa career? Only once did Redden finish with a minus-rating while going plus-17 or better in six seasons including five straight between 2000-01 and 2005-06 when he put up his best numbers posting 10-40-50, plus-35 with eight power play goals and four game winners in just 65 contests. Had he not missed time, he gets nominated for the Norris and maybe wins the annual Nicklas Lidstrom Award.

Redden’s contributions helped lead the Senators reach the Stanley Cup before they lost in five games to the Ducks. A series which wasn’t one of his finer moments.

Still, his time spent there was very successful and helped prepare him for his first season with his new team on Broadway where he signed up for the next six years at an average of $6.5 million per year to try to help the Rangers climb further. Thus far, he’s been up and down through the team’s first 20 games posting two goals and six assists for eight points with a plus-two rating.

However, unlike struggling teammate Michal Rozsival, who reupped for four more years getting $20 million, Redden’s settled in and is coming off his best game of a 2008-09 season which has seen a team many questioned get off to a 13-5-2 start good for tops in the East while his former club struggles sitting dead last in their division with just 14 points following being swept by the Islanders.

You just know they want to come into New York and spoil the party. This isn’t just another game for Redden. If you’re Rozsival, you probably wish it was considering how badly the 30 year-old Czech has struggled. It was his two giveaways which led to both Bruin goals putting his team in a two-goal hole before they found the wherewithal to mount another late comeback. One thing about this Ranger club is they never give up. They might not be the most physical but they’re never out of a game.

Rozsival’s poor play has not gone unnoticed where Garden Faithful have booed him for his weak defensive play and awful turnovers on the point while running a power play which has been a sore spot ranking 23rd clicking at just 15.8 percent while permitting a league worst six shorthanded goals (tied w/CBJ) in large part due to the defenseman’s lack of decisiveness. He just refuses to shoot and has lost so much confidence that even the simplest passes are too much for him to handle drawing the ire of home fans.

Add it all up and the Blueshirts are paying him an annual salary of five million to take up lots of space while playing unsteady turning his end into an adventure even making weak link D partner Dmitri Kalinin look better. Though to the former Sabre’s credit, he’s played better lately taking more of the initiative physically and moving the puck well.

The question becomes are the boos getting to Rozsival? It certainly looks that way but with a continued glut at forward with the club not carrying any extra blueliners, Tom Renney has no choice but to continue playing him and hope he snaps out of it. Not surprisingly, the player’s coach showed tremendous loyalty to a player the Rangers have gotten the most out of since taking a waiver on him prior to the 2005-06 season:

“I’m disappointed in what he’s getting right now because he’s a hell of a human being and a great teammate. He’s a good player and he has been since he got here. He needs to know that from us and he gets that every day from his teammates every single day. We’ll stay with him.”

Truth be told, Rozsival has been a key contributor during the club’s three trips back to the postseason including a couple of EC Semi appearances which saw him score a huge triple overtime goal to get the Rangers back in that series against Buffalo.

In his first three seasons, Rozsival notched at least 30 points or better taking on large responsibility playing in every key situation taking advantage of his big opportunity. He went 5-25-30, +35 in Year 1 and followed it up with 10-30-40, +10. Last season, he set a new career high in goals (13) with six coming via the man-advantage while totaling 38 points while going Even over 80 games while playing through a knee injury which he had surgery for during the offseason.

So, he hasn’t been a bad performer here which is why his dreadful start in the first year of a big contract is so alarming. Despite nine points (2-7-9), Rozsival is minus-six and has not looked good.

Tonight, he’ll reach a milestone taking part in his 500th career NHL game looking to reverse the jeers to cheers.

According to Sam Weinman’s Journal Ranger blog, Scott Gomez (ankle) skated this morning but is again out and remains doubtful for Wednesday versus the Canucks.

So, figure the line combos to remain the same:

Naslund-Drury-Callahan

Voros-Dubinsky-Zherdev

Dawes-Korpikoski-Fritsche

Sjostrom-Betts-Orr

Redden-Girardi

Staal-Mara

Kalinin-Rozsival

Also expect Henrik Lundqvist to make his 12th start in 13 games thanks to a schedule which hasn’t had any recent back-to-backs.