They were 20 minutes away from a season best three-game winning streak but then the third period came which saw the Thrashers score three unanswered sending Scott Gordon’s Islanders soul searching after a 4-3 loss in Atlanta.

“After our first two goals, we stopped skating,” the first-year coach explained. “All of a sudden, we were a different team. We were not aggressive.”

His team had gotten goals from Frans Nielsen and Trent Hunter 17 seconds apart in the second to take the 3-1 lead into the locker room. But it was quickly erased when Slava Kozlov and Jason Williams tallied 48 seconds apart early in the third before Tobias Enstrom netted the winner with 8:31 left.

It seems no lead is safe for this Islander club who’s blown three big ones in the third including last week’s meltdown versus the Canadiens where they unveiled their new uniforms honoring the 1972-73 inaugural season. In that third period, they blew a three-goal lead giving up four straight to lose in regulation.

What if they could protect a lead? They’d obviously be better than their 4-8-1 record that has them tied with Florida for the fewest points in the league. The encouraging news is they’re playing better lately despite knowing Rick DiPietro won’t be back anytime soon. But can Joey MacDonald and backup Yann Danis keep them afloat?

In the mean time, whoever gets the nod in goal will be facing the high powered Penguins for the first time ever. The Pens will have the league’s leading scorer Evgeni Malkin (4-17-21) but Sidney Crosby is uncertain and has been playing through an injury. So, he’ll be a game-time decision.

It also marks the return of Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko. Satan spent his previous three seasons on the Island driving Islander fans nuts due to inconsistencies and numbers which plummeted from 35 goals and 66 points in 2005-06 to 27 and 59 in 2006-07 to just 16 and 41 last season making it an easy club decision not to bring him back.

Somehow, Satan landed on his feet getting to play with the very skilled Pens and now enters having scored in three straight leading the club with eight goals. As for Fedotenko, his lone season with the Isles saw him put up 33 points (16-17-33) in 67 contests. He enters with two goals and two assists with his new team.

Obviously, the Isles should have a little added incentive to win tonight aside from looking to bounce back from the Atlanta game.

First-year defenseman Mark Streit has played well leading the team in scoring with 11 points (4-7-11) proving Garth Snow right so far for investing $20 million over five years in the former Hab power play specialist. He’s logged a ton of ice-time playing in all key situations.

Islander team captain Bill Guerin continues to provide solid leadership tied for the team lead with Hunter in goals (5) while also tied with Streit and vet Doug Weight for the team lead with 11 points.

Nielsen’s also been a pleasant surprise totaling seven points and veteran Richard Park has seven points including a deciding shorthanded goal in a 2-1 win over the Rangers earlier this week.

The Isles need more from Jeff Tambellini who re-signed for a couple of years and has no goals and only one assist with a minus-five in 11 games. When does the former Kings’ 2003 first round pick prove he’s worth that committment?

Meanwhile, rookie Kyle Okposo has struggled with only a goal and two helpers with a minus-six rating thus far. He’s capable of more.

The upcoming schedule doesn’t promise to get any easier with the Flyers visiting Tuesday and then a home and home against Ottawa before returning to Nassau Coliseum to host the Canucks on Nov.17.

There isn’t one easy game in it. So, it should be interesting to see how Gordon’s club responds.

The other locals also will be in action with the Rangers visiting the Caps while the Devils pay a visit to The Joe to face the defending Cup champion Red Wings.

Here’s the rest of Saturday night’s sched:

Buf at Bos, 7 ET

Cgy at CBJ, 7 ET

TB at Phi, 7 ET

Mtl at Tor, 7 ET, HNIC

Nsh at Col, 9 ET

Fla at Phx, 9 ET

Dal at SJ, 10 ET

Min at Van, 10 ET

Stl at LA, 10:30 ET

If the first 40 minutes against the hated Sidney Crosby and the Penguins was disappointing, then the last 25-plus were memorable thanks to a third period rally including some late dramatics from Nikolai Zherdev which allowed the Rangers to post an exciting 3-2 come from behind shootout victory on Garden Ice.

It figured to be a stiff challenge for a team which played the night before winning on the road in Columbus before coming back for a home game against a rested Pens’ club which came in hot having won three straight allowing just a goal in each.

When you put two of the top four NHL defensive teams on the ice featuring two of the better goalies in Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury, it was little surprise that goals were tough to come by.

The Pens struck for the only first period tally when after a sustained forecheck, a Darryl Sydor shot ricocheted off Dmitri Kalinin’s leg into the net at 9:04. Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang, who played a solid game got assists.

It could’ve been worse due to a few sloppy turnovers including a couple of glaring ones from Wade Redden but Lundqvist kept them down one stopping nine of 10 shots.

If there wasn’t much going on in the first, the middle stanza was better with more skating and continuous play with the Atlantic rivals combining for 29 shots (Pit-13, NYR-16) testing each netminder. Despite picking up their play getting some good chances on Fleury, the Rangers couldn’t break through and instead saw the building’s most hated man put the Pens up by a daunting two goals when at the end of another dominant shift, Crosby rebounded home a Evgeni Malkin shot for his third at 15:59.

Kalinin had a chance to clear it but instead the deflected puck went right to rookie defenseman Alex Goligoski, whose low shot couldn’t be handled by Lundqvist partially due to Malkin getting a piece with No.87 waiting for an easy putback.

Briefly after, the Blueshirts blew a golden opportunity when not one but two Pens were sent off the ice simultaneously giving them a full two minute 5-on-3. But even minus Czechs Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka, the team tradition of driving the Garden faithful nuts on two-man advantages continued making me wonder what it’s going to take for that to change.

Having been unable to solve Fleury getting seven shots on that man-advantage including another near miss from team captain Chris Drury, who’s now gone a career worst 11 games to start a season without a goal, it looked like it would be a lost night for the home team.

However, they didn’t throw in the towel mustering up enough energy to play an inspired brand of hockey in the third taking it to a defensive minded Pens club which mistakenly sat back getting outplayed severely and outshot 18-2. Something that isn’t easy to do these days.

Some hustle by returning Halloween Ranger ghost Petr Prucha forced the Pens into a penalty when he beat Jordan Staal to a puck and tried a wraparound forcing him to take him down. The popular Czech who only was in his fourth game and first in quite some time played well getting almost 13 minutes and three shots on net. If he’s not in the lineup Monday at the Island, I give up. With this effort, he earned another game.

It only took his teammates seven seconds to cash in the big power play when Scott Gomez setup Markus Naslund in front for his third at 5:09 getting the Rangers within one. More importantly, it gave them a realistic chance to comeback against a good team who still played solid D without Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney with Hal Gill also out.

Drury netted a secondary helper and deserves credit because on the play, he drew two players to him driving the net leaving Naslund wide open. So, he might not be having much luck scoring but his game is coming together.

Credit must also be handed out to Tom Renney, who returned to the bench a night after a scare in which a Columbus stick accidentally struck him on the head. He was back and with his team pushing hard, the coach mixed up his lines rewarding the likes of Prucha and Fredrik Sjostrom putting them with Drury on a makeshift line which came very close to tying it in the waning minute and a half.

My only gripe with the coach was why he didn’t go for the kill pulling Lundqvist when his team had the Pens on the ropes. He sometimes is too conservative there and needs to do a better job in the future.

Tonight, it worked out because Brandon Dubinsky and Naslund teamed to find Zherdev coming out of the zone creating a three-on-two rush with the clock running down. The 23 year-old Russian didn’t hesitate taking his lethal shot from the right wing blasting it past a stunned Fleury miraculously tying it with nine seconds left.

The game went to overtime and the Pens came close a couple of instances but were denied by Lundqvist, who was splendid including a lightning like glove off a deflected point shot off Sjostrom labeled. He also robbed Crosby on the doorstep twice getting across.

Sid The Kid still had one more opportunity to spoil the comeback when he stole the puck from Gomez in the Ranger end and then waited and waited before getting a good setup which Lundqvist was ready for robbing Ruslan Fedotenko.

The game went to a shootout and in it, both netminders were equal to the task through two rounds with Fleury denying Zherdev and Nigel Dawes with pad stops while King Henrik outwaited both Letang (backhand up) and ex-Ranger Petr Sykora (forehand up) stacking the pads.

In the first shootout win a week prior over the Leafs, secret weapon Sjostrom scored to win it with a forehand deke. This time, the underrated Swede went the opposite way sneaking a backhand through Fleury’s wickets for the lead.

All that was left was what any fan dreams of. Great player versus great goalie. Crosby made his move and faked and faked but a patient Lundqvist stayed with him eventually stopping the Pen superstar’s backhand deke before pumping his first giving the Blueshirts a great victory.

THREE STARS

3rd Star-Sidney Crosby, Pit (goal, 4 SOG in 22:07)

2nd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (42 saves)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (27 saves)

Get out the magic crystal ball. We’re about to embark on a long journey. Thirty teams get a fresh start where they can dare to dream of winning Lord Stanley. The most spectacular trophy in all of sports which arguably is the hardest to win.

It’s not just because you have to gut out an 82-game schedule which at times can be trying due to the tireless back to backs, three in four nights and even seven in 11 days the Rangers have beginning with tomorrow’s home opener versus Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and the Blackhawks following a hectic preseason concluding with a two-game sweep of the overmatched Lightning in Croatia.

Such can be life in a league which seems to be pointed for expansion towards Europe emphasizing just how global the game has become with the Penguins and Senators also splitting a series in Stockholm last weekend.

Finally, the other 26 get started including an improved Devils team who dialed up Doc Brown’s time machine and went Back To The Future literally to the year of their first Stanley Cup luring free agent centers Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik for one more run while Martin Brodeur’s still good enough.

For other teams like the Islanders, the immediate future doesn’t look so bright with new coach Scott Gordon behind the bench where returning leading scorer Mike Comrie had only 49 points on what’s a rebuild around Rick DiPietro and young former No.1 Kyle Okposo. They’ll try to overachieve in an ultra competitive Atlantic where the Flyers fresh off a run to the Conference Finals losing to the Pens appear to be the favorite while Pittsburgh lost Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone and are without top D Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar for at least the first three months.

Can the new look Rangers featuring Nikolai Zherdev, Markus Naslund and Wade Redden make fans forget Jaromir Jagr or did Glen Sather slip up?

Are the Panthers ready to qualify for their first postseason since Pavel Bure was the league’s best finisher or will their revamped blueline not be enough without departed captain Olli Jokinen? Can Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals do it again even with Jose Theodore in net?

Meanwhile in Carolina, the injury bug has already hit infecting Justin Williams, Scott Walker and Rod Brind’Amour making the loss of Erik Cole big though Joni Pitkanen was brought into help anchor the D. Will Barry Melrose’s return to the NHL bench be ruined by the Lightning’s apparent weak blueline?

Should the Thashers even bother taking the ice? They’ll have company in Columbus, St. Louis and Los Angeles who all should be ticketed in the John Tavares sweepstakes. Are the Leafs going to be in this process too without Mats Sundin? Maybe Toronto fans should hope.

Can Carey Price recover from last Spring to lead what looks like an even stronger Habs roster into serious contention? Are Craig Rivet and the return of Teppo Numminen enough to get a talented Sabres team back to the postseason? Is Tim Thomas a fluke and will Patrice Bergeron be the same in Beantown? Can the Senators continue defying logic despite losing another key cog?

These questions and more will get answered in due time along with whether Hossa’s addition is enough for the Red Wings to become the first repeat winner since they did it a decade ago. They’ll have plenty of stiff competition in the loaded Stars, Sharks and Ducks with maybe a couple of newcomers sneaking into the parade.

This is how we see it:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

*1.Flyers- plenty of talent in Richards/Carter but can Biron build off last year’s run?

*2.Canadiens- adding Lang and Tanguay up front makes them scarier but it all depends on Price.

*3.Capitals- the game’s best player, a healthy Nylander plus Green and Backstrom should be enough.

4.Senators- best line in game plus deep forward corps and tougher D help despite questions in net.

5.Devils- Rolston and Holik should boost scoring, D remains question but can’t bet against Brodeur.

6.Rangers- Drury leads an improved transition game. could miss Jagr and Avery but Lundqvist helps.

7.Penguins- Crosby and Malkin get them in but we don’t like Satan or Fedotenko. Hard to take seriously.

8.Sabres- balanced scoring led by Pominville, Vanek, Roy plus better D and steady Miller in net.

9.Bruins- Ryder added to solid forward corps but it’s dependent on Thomas and system.

10.Panthers- love their new look with Ballard and McCabe but who’s scoring the goals up front?

11.Maple Leafs- Wilson will get them to play hard but there’s just not enough there to get in.

12.Hurricanes- injuries already taking toll. Laviolette’s a fine coach but Ward needs to be consistent.

13.Lightning- Stamkos should win Calder and they’ll score but the D is brutal and will tire out goalies.

14.Thrashers- Schneider was good addition but they’ll have to outscore teams until Lehtonen improves.

15.Islanders- they’ll work hard but they’re young and don’t have enough scoring even with Streit.
PLAYOFFS

Flyers over Sabres in 6

Habs over Pens in 7

Rangers over Caps in 6

Devils over Sens in 5

Flyers over Rangers in 6

Devils over Habs in 7

Flyers over Devils in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

*1.Red Wings- until proven otherwise, they’re the best team and add Hossa to mix. Conklin’s solid backup.

*2.Stars- play in top division but Avery, full year of B. Richards should be plenty. Need Zubov healthy.

*3.Canucks- scoring could still be tough but like changes and see Luongo bouncing back big time.

4.Sharks- Marleau with Thornton, Boyle, Blake plus Nabokov make them awfully tough.

5.Flames- nice additions including Bertuzzi/Keenan reunion but they’ll be hardpressed to win a round.

6.Ducks- Teemu’s back plus Getzlaf/Perry, Niedermayer/Pronger and Giguere make them lock.

7.Avalanche- Sakic takes one more shot with Tucker added but can Budaj or Raycroft do job?

8.Blackhawks- Campbell and Huet help young core led by Kane/Toews. Huet could get them in.

9.Oilers- bolstered scoring with Cole and Visnovsky. Lots of young talent but what about goalies?

10.Predators- Radulov’s departure hurts scoring. Solid D but can Ellis repeat? Trotz is a great coach.

11.Wild- possess nice blueline led by Burns/Zidlicky and Gaborik’s great but is there enough scoring?

12.Coyotes- Jokinen helps but D is thin past top 3 and they’re depending on too much young talent.

13.Blue Jackets- Umberger and Huselius boost Nash plus revamped D and Leclaire but who else will score?

14.Blues- Love Boyes and Kariya’s due for bounce back season but they’re extremely young.

15.Kings- top line of Brown, Kopitar and O’Sullivan will be fun but LaBarbera in net? They can’t be serious!

PLAYOFFS

Wings over Hawks in 5

Stars over Avs in 4

Ducks over Canucks in 6

Sharks over Flames in 6

Wings over Ducks in 6

Stars over Sharks in 5

Wings over Stars in 7

Stanley Cup Red Wings over Flyers in 7

NHL Awards

Conn Smythe- Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit

Hart- Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit

Vezina- Roberto Luongo, Vancouver

Norris- Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit (renamed The Lidstrom)

Calder- Kyle Okposo, Islanders

Selke- Mike Fisher, Ottawa

Byng- Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit

Adams- Denis Savard, Chicago

In case you missed it, the NHL Draft came and went fairly quickly. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be home to watch the anticipated first round which saw top Canadian prospect Steven Stamkos go No.1 overall to Tampa Bay.

However, it wasn’t the 18 year-old local Ontario native which was the biggest story. Instead, this draft became more about some of the big names which moved to new NHL homes. Olli Jokinen, Alex Tanguay, Mike Cammalleri and R.J. Umberger all were dealt Friday night as the first round was taking place.

In a three-team trade, the 26 year-old Cammalleri went from the Kings to Calgary with the Ducks also involved. Preparing to trade Tanguay across Canada to Montreal which had been rumored since last year, the Flames sent their 17th overall selection plus a 2009 second round pick to rebuilding Los Angeles for Cammalleri. Instead of retaining No.17, the Kings then swapped it along with their 28th overall to Anaheim for No.13 overall to select defenseman Colten Teubert.

The 28 year-old Tanguay was then shipped to the Canadiens with a 2008 fifth round pick (Maxim Trunev) in exchange for No.25 overall (Greg Nemisz) plus a 2009 second rounder. 

The wheeling and dealing wasn’t done though as the biggest name to find a new home was Jokinen. The 29 year-old Finnish pivot who captained the Panthers couldn’t get along with former coach turned GM Jacques Martin. Despite a terrific seven-year career in the Sunshine State which saw him score 188 of his 208 career goals along with 231 of 253 career helpers for an impressive 439 of 461 points, the former Kings’ 1997 third overall selection is moving to the Desert to play with the Coyotes.

Amazingly, Phoenix only parted with defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton off their roster while also including No.49 overall (Jared Staal).

In an attempt to save cash to re-sign potential Group II Jeff Carter, the Flyers sent impressive 2008 playoff performer Umberger to the Blue Jackets along with the 118th pick overall (Drew Olson) for No.19 overall (Luca Sbisa) and No.67 (Marc-Andre Bourdon).

Amazingly, the 26 year-old Umberger will be on his fourth NHL club. Originally drafted in the first round seven years prior 16th overall, he didn’t sign instead getting dealt with minor league defenseman Martin Grenier to the Rangers for Martin Rucinsky. Following a 10-day tryout with Hartford, the Blueshirts passed on signing the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native allowing him to wind up with the Flyers four years prior.

In three seasons with Philadelphia, the two-way center developed into a solid player posting career bests in assists (37) and points (50) this past season. His postseason performance was even better as he tallied 10 goals and five assists for 15 points during the Flyers’ run to the Conference Finals. Eight of those goals came at the expense of the Canadiens in a five-game second round upset.

Instead of having to deal with his asking price, the Flyers opted to get what they could now netting a solid return. Columbus, who still has yet to make the second season will need to get him signed if they’re to challenge for the playoffs next year.

There were a couple of more deals as well with Philly acquiring veteran D Steve Eminger from the Capitals along with No.84 overall (Jacob Deserres) for the 27th overall pick (John Carlson).

Nashville also resolved their goalie issue by trading away Chris Mason to the Blues for a fourth round choice which wound up going back to the Rangers in another deal which saw the Preds get a seventh rounder (Jani Lajunen). The Blueshirts tabbed right wing Dale Weise with their original 111th pick back.

The Preds inked Dan Ellis to a multi-year $3.5 million deal. In 44 games last season, the 28 year-old original Stars’ 2000 second round pick exceeded expectations by posting a 23-10-3 record with a 2.34 GAA, .924 save percentage along with six shutouts. Before the surprise season, he was essentially a career minor leaguer with just one game of league experience coming before the lockout. They better hope it wasn’t a fluke.

As for how the locals did Friday, the Islanders twice traded down from No.5 and No.7 before grabbing center Josh Bailey at No.9 overall. The 18 year-old Bowmanville, Ontario native ranked third in the OHL with 67 assists while pacing Windsor with 96 points (29-67-96).

“Josh was the player we targeted from the beginning,” Islander GM Garth Snow acknowledged to reporters. “He’s a center who makes other players around him better - the type of center we need in our system.”

At 20th overall, the Rangers selected defenseman Michael Del Zotto, making him the third blueliner the club has taken in three of the last four first rounds. In 2005, it was Marc Staal while in 2006, they tabbed American Bobby Sanguinetti. Last year was the exception when they patiently waited for Russian forward Alexei Cherepanov to fall into their lap at No.17.

They went with a player player personnel director Gordie Clark felt had “good hockey sense.” Despite questions about how strong he is in his end, the organization likes the fact he was the first defenseman since Scott Niedermayer to rack up 120 points in two seasons with Oshawa of the OHL. No player in Canadian junior hockey had done it since.

As for the Devils, they traded down from No.21 to No.23 eventually to 24 before nabbing Swedish winger Mattias Tedenby. Despite his small 5-10, 176-pound frame, President and GM Lou Lamoriello was said to be enamored with the Swede’s speed referencing successful past picks such as Brian Gionta and Zach Parise.

In 2007-08 in the Swedish Elite League’s HV 71, Tedenby tallied three goals and three assists for six points in 23 contests. He’s expected to return for another pro season.

Also noteworthy from Draft Weekend was that the Blueshirts gave up on Alex Bourret after one year. Instead, the once highly thought of former Thrashers’ first round pick was traded to former assistant GM and current Phoenix executive Don Maloney for a 2008 third rounder (Tomas Kondratek).

The 21 year-old Bourret was acquired in 2007 from Atlanta for Pascal Dupuis. In 54 games last season with the Wolf Pack, he notched nine goals and 24 helpers for 33 points. Like former top goalie prospect Al Montoya, he’ll look to break into the Coyotes’ lineup and finally make his NHL debut.

It’s amazing how different talent evaluators can be. Maloney always touted his guys to the highest ceiling making you believe the sky was the limit. Wasn’t Hugh Jessiman also under his watch in 2003? The only first round pick from that draft never to play a game in the NHL. Never mind.

Hossa rejects Pens’ offer: Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that according to various sources including the reliable TSN, Marian Hossa rejected a seven-year $49 million contract offer from the Penguins to stay prior to becoming a UFA July 1st. It’s amazing to think the Slovak could turn that down. What the heck does he think he can get on the open market? 

While it’s true he made six million this past season playing with both Atlanta and Pittsburgh, the 29 year-old shouldn’t get much more than that average. Or at least in my eyes, he doesn’t deserve better than what the Pens offered. He had the ideal situation playing third fiddle behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who still must be re-signed by the club before some Russian teams swarms the Hart runner-up with a giant sized offer. Hossa’s never proven to be a superstar who could carry a team which is why remaining a Pen makes sense.

Unless some idiotic team blows him out of the water, he should wise up and return to Pittsburgh. Besides, they lost to Detroit for all the marbles. They’re going to be a large Stanley Cup contender again and for years to come. Hossa needs to stop listening to his agent and get his head out of the clouds.

It’s June 14th, 2008. Alright. You can probably figure out where I’m going and to be quite honest, I don’t even know why other than I just don’t have much other thoughts regarding the Rangers offseason.

The season finally commenced officially the other night in Toronto and once again, no Ranger came close to taking home any hardware. It’s not like there were a bunch of candidates as only the team’s best player Henrik Lundqvist was actually up for something. Though you’d never know it considering how little love he got for the Vezina which was won by the opposite No.30 on the bitter rival out in Newark.

So, why do I feel like rehashing ancient history and mentioning that it’s 14 years later since that special night which most Ranger fans thought would never come at Madison Square Garden. Thankfully, this was before the worst professional sports owner Jim Dolan could get his hands all over the product and destroy every single aspect of what MSG used to stand for. Professionalism and two respectable contending franchises. Has anyone seen the Knicks lately? Never mind.

That hot June seems like a century ago because since then, the Blueshirts have managed to win just two playoff series. Remember when they “painted the town blue” according to MSG due to dismantling a garbage Atlanta team which had no chance? Exactly. More dopey Dolan propaganda. In order to paint a town blue, you have to do better than winning one round.

They sure had their shot against Buffalo last year. Then Chris Drury tied Game Five in the same 7.7 Valeri Zelepukin tied Game Seven of the ECF 14 years prior. Only with a much different and sadder end result.

When I look back on the end of that game and for all intensive purposes series on a phantom new NHL special which allowed Maxim Afinegenov to rescue the Sabres, why do I now believe that was the Blueshirts’ golden opportunity to win a fifth Stanley Cup and stop bitter rival fans from mocking an Original Six franchise which doesn’t have a good track record. Only the Chicago Blackhawks are worse. And these days, the Toronto Maple Leafs have no direction and don’t look to be winning any Cups making 1967 seem obsolete.

If one of our other contributors was reading this, he’d obviously take me to task as his beloved team has given him nothing but sweet sorrow. Maybe it’s something in the water at Niagara Falls. Though I know he’d at least take tremendous delight in Toronto’s continued misery.

When outstanding MSG broadcaster Sam Rosen uttered the words, “The waiting is over. No more curses. …,” at that time, if you rooted for the Rangers you believed anything was possible. Then Mike Keenan left for St. Louis and it really was all downhill after that even if the 1996-97 team featuring Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky somehow reached the Conference Finals before getting plastered by a bigger Flyer team led by Eric Lindros and Legion of Doom members John LeClair and Mikael Renberg.

We all know what’s transpired since. I’m not about to rehash the worst run of Ranger hockey. I’ll just cite some names instead. Valeri Kamensky. Theo Fleury. Stephane Quintal. Brian Skrudland. Mike Keane. Sylvain Lefebvre. Scott Fraser. Mike Dunham (Doneham). Petr Nedved. Heck. Even stars such as Lindros, Pavel Bure and former ‘94 hero Alex Kovalev failed miserably here.

Finally, the organization wised up and used the lockout year to retool. It helped that Jaromir Jagr was so motivated to prove the cynics wrong who all figured me including that the team would once again suck finishing near the bottom of the league. Sometimes, you get a reprieve. For this team, Lundqvist who once was a former seventh round selection was exactly that falling literally from the sky where he developed so well in Sweden playing for Frolunda that he soon became the heir apparent to Mike Richter. The first reliable No.1 goalie since No.35 went to the rafters in 2004. They couldn’t even win that night ruining a great Jagr game by letting the Wild skate circles around them.

Fast forward to the present and the team which got a measure of revenge against an overachieving Devil team bowed out in a close five games against the Pens. I could point out again how close that series was but once they blew Game One, the writing was on the wall even if a garbage call helped decide it. And by now, we all know Sidney Crosby was a stride offside on Marian Hossa’s series clincher. It is what it is. It happened so quick anyway. Truthfully, the Pens were a better team and that’s that.

So, what is there to celebrate these days? It’s so easy to reflect back and see Messier, a young Brian Leetch, Richter, Adam Graves, Kovalev and Sergei Zubov and wonder how the heck they didn’t win another Cup or two. That’s New York in a nutshell. The 1986 Mets were one of the most talented baseball teams but drugs, alcohol and other distractions ruined a potential dynasty which is why you see and hear a lot of bitter Met fans these days. Can you blame them?

So, is it going to get any better for the Rangers who ironically enough are a similar franchise which leaves their fans wanting more? I don’t see it getting any easier. Especially with the Pens now around getting ready to lock up Evgeni Malkin. Oh. And they’ll try real hard to bring back Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone and Brooks Orpik. Don’t just assume they’re coming to Broadway when our GM has his own issues needing to figure out what to do with Jagr and Sean Avery.

Remember last summer when they landed Drury and Scott Gomez subtracting Michael Nylander and how it was supposed to improve the club? How did that really work out in Year One? The team again struggled before making the playoffs and didn’t come as close to the third round as the Spring prior.

That’s what bothers me most. How is it going to get any better? Everyone assumes subtract Marek Malik and Michal Rozsival and the team is automatically better. Perhaps. But you don’t just replace guys who log important minutes. Even if Big Bird fell out of favor. We now know Rozsival played hurt and recently had hip surgery which might explain how much slower he looked in a bad postseason. He stunk against his former team.

The good news is Marc Staal played well and will anchor the blueline. Dan Girardi is the second best defender with enigma Fedor Tyutin either really good or really disappointing. When does the Russian who got a hefty raise play like he’s worth it? We’re talking about consistency here.

In a conference where the Pens will be around a while and have to be dealt with, you have the improved Flyers with a nice core in place along with the Canadiens who should be back. Plus the Senators are always a threat even if the overrated Wade Redden walks. There’s also the Capitals led by Hart winner Alexander Ovechkin who will only get better.

In other words, this conference just got even tougher to win. And you can’t discount the Sabres who still played well without Drury and Daniel Briere, narrowly missing the playoffs. They should be improved too.

The Devils always seem to invent a way to remain competitive.

So, when are the Rangers going to deliver another deep playoff run where a Cup actually is a realistic possibility instead of a classic tease?

I have no clue. Yeah. I’m definitely not picking a 1994 rematch again for next year. I learned my lesson.

Expect nothing. I’m officially down on this franchise until Lundqvist wins a couple of rounds and the team proves it can go deep into the Spring.

It’s time for the Rangers to take the next step. I’m waiting.

It’s been a week since the Red Wings lifted the hardware defeating the Penguins in six games. The offseason is here with NHL Awards on deck. So, what’s floating around my unpredictable mind these days? Let’s find out!

1.Alright. I have to just come out and say it. What exactly are the Maple Leafs doing hiring Ron Wilson as coach? Truthfully, he’s not that bad and did a decent job in San Jose but he’s never proved he can get a team over the hump. The Sharks were plenty talented but always seemed to leave their fans wanting more. Isn’t that Toronto in a nutshell without the direction? They still don’t have a GM yet there’s a new coach. Only the Leafs.

2.Hasan had a nice writeup on the awards which take place in the hockey capital Thursday. I understand the Devil blogger’s allegiance to Martin Brodeur as the future Hall of Fame netminder didn’t have a great D and still performed admirably getting the team as far as they could go without Brian Rafalski (Detroit) and Scott Gomez (Rangers). But I’m also one of those few who believes Evgeni Nabokov should win his first Vezina edging Brodeur. Granted. Nabby played on a better team which boasted a better D. But if you looked at their offense after Joe Thornton, the goal output wasn’t much to speak of forcing the Russian goalie to be at his best in plenty of lowscoring games. Like Brodeur, his backup didn’t play much and that was more out of necessity. Nabokov led the league with 46 wins, accounting for 93.8 percent of San Jose’s 49 wins. By comparison, Brodeur won 44 of the Devs’ 46 for 95.6 percent. If he wins a fourth Vezina, I wouldn’t cry as he would be quite deserving. Where would the franchise be without him? I just have some sentiment that it would be nice to see a Russian win the trophy. Nabokov has had stellar seasons before but had never been recognized as one of the NHL’s best. This is his first nomination for the league’s top goalie. We’ll know in a couple of days who prevailed.

3.As for Henrik Lundqvist’s third consecutive nomination, while it’s true he led the league in shutouts (10), the 26 year-old Swede just wasn’t consistent enough to warrant a first Vezina. Sure. The numbers were again there with 37 wins, a 2.23 GAA and a .912 save percentage but I don’t feel he should beat out either aforementioned goalie. King Henrik’s time shall come.

4.Picking Patrick Kane as the Calder winner isn’t hard as he paced all NHL rookies with 72 points (21-51-72). However, it’s this blogger’s opinion that Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom should win it instead. The playmaking Swedish pivot posted four fewer points but was an integral part of the Caps surprising rise to a Southeast Division crown. Backstrom elevated his game after veteran Michael Nylander went down for the season. I’d have no problem if Kane won on the improved Blackhawks but feel what Backstrom did was more valuable in taking a team which once had the worst record all the way to 43 wins and 94 points edging the Hurricanes for the division.

5.So the Kings axed Marc Crawford. How are they getting better?

6.Speaking of coaching changes, the Avs getting rid of Joel Queeneville and replacing him with Tony Granato is another blah move. While Queeneville didn’t guide Colorado far, he did a solid job despite injuries getting them back to the playoffs. And hasn’t Granato coached the Avs before? Heck. They fired him once demoting the ex-King to assistant to coach on Queeneville’s staff. Talk about a land of confusion.

7.Count me as a supporter of Henrik Zetterberg adding a first Selke to his trophy case which includes the Conn Smythe. He flat out dominated his shifts in every detail. The performance during a two-man disadvantage was one of the best I’ve ever seen. His backcheck robbed Sidney Crosby of a certain tying goal in Game Four. Who knows if that changes the series? The effort was unbelievable.

8.Reading a Glen Sather quote on the Sean Avery situation made me conclude one thing. He won’t be back. Slats is just too cost conservative making the Ranger GM a hypocrite. Cause while he’ll shell out a ton of cash overpaying free agents, he won’t do the same for one of his best acquisitions. It’s no secret that the Blueshirts were always more effective with Avery in the lineup than without. So, watch as he gets his money elsewhere and bolts leaving a gaping hole up front. This isn’t about talent but rather intangibles which are the kind Sean brings to the table. Just ask Brodeur.

9.I’ll say it again. Marian Hossa’s impressive performance with the Pens during the postseason was because the Slovak wasn’t asked to be the man. It’s a lot easier to ride shotgun alongside Crosby and Evgeni Malkin than be called upon to carry a team. Hossa’s a quality star but never could get those past Sens teams over the hump. The Rangers would be better off re-upping Jaromir Jagr for a couple of more years than overpaying for Hossa who will command more years and dollars.

10.Great piece by Brian Sanborn on the weird world of Dominik Hasek who finally retired again after playing second fiddle to a reborn Chris Osgood. While his style was very unorthodox, it worked. Luck had zilch to do with it. What if the Dominator had started his career at the very same age as Brodeur? Would he be on the cusp of shattering Terry Sawchuk’s shutout record? Probably. Oddly enough, Hasek played in 233 less games (735) than Marty (968) who will continue his pursuit of the record next Fall. What a brilliant career the Czech had having plenty of impact on European goalies. Congrats!

11.I was happy for Rafalski who returned home and won a third Cup with Detroit playing stellar D alongside the incomparable Nick Lidstrom but the former Devil should’ve taken the high road about the celebration being better than his last couple in New Jersey.

12.So, who thinks John Tortorella could get a few calls if some teams get out of the gate slowly in 2008-09?

Photos Copyright Getty Images 

Congrats to the Detroit Red Wings on winning the Stanley Cup by hanging on for an exciting 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Six at a loud Mellon Arena. They truly were the best team and very deserving of winning their first Cup in six years and fourth in the last 11.

After losing in very tough fashion with the hardware in their building the other night, the experienced Original Six club responded by playing a whale of a game dominating large portions against a younger opponent. They got the first two goals including ex-Devil Brian Rafalski’s power play tally which opened the scoring at 5:03 of the first.

The Wings doubled their lead when Marc-Andre Fleury couldn’t control a Mikael Samuelsson rebound allowing a cutting Valtteri Filpulla to sneak a backhand through shortside for a 2-0 cushion nearly halfway through the contest. But the Pens responded via the man-advantage when Evgeni Malkin finally got on the board for the first time in the series. Taking a perfect Sidney Crosby cross-ice pass, the 22 year-old Russian rifled the puck past Chris Osgood for his 10th of the postseason.

Clinging to a one-goal lead with 20 minutes left, the Wings ratcheted up their level outplaying the Pens severely by getting 12 of the first 13 shots. They also had some luck fall their way when eventual Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg’s shot trickled through Fleury and with it hanging close to the line, the 23 year-old Pitt netminder accidentally knocked it into his own net. While it was a bad break for the Pens, it was also a great individual effort by Zetterberg befitting of why he took home playoff MVP.

Taking the puck from superb linemate Pavel Datsyuk, the Swede went 1-on-3 and then found room to take his wrister which resulted in his 13th and the Cup clincher. That was the kind of skating which defined how dominant Zetterberg and Datsyuk were throughout the entire postseason. They somehow would make amazing plays out of nothing and score goals which defied logic. Perhaps he was a bit lucky on the goal which made it 3-1 with 12:24 remaining but it also was created by a very smart player who will no longer fly under the radar when it comes to being one of the game’s best.

For the most part, Pittsburgh looked completely outclassed and had nothing going until a Jiri Hudler minor gave them life late. Sergei Gonchar’s slapper was deflected home by Marian Hossa cutting it to 3-1 with still 87 seconds to go. Plenty of time for the Pens, who used a Max Talbot goal to hold off the celebration in Detroit a couple of nights ago.

Could they duplicate that and force another sudden death? Unfortunately, they just ran out of time. Off a broken play, Crosby got off a tough backhander which Osgood stopped. With the puck dangerously close to the line, the veteran Detroit netminder who entered the postseason as a backup to Dominik Hasek got his goalstick on it before Hossa got to it. By the time his backhand attempt took place, the clock was at zero. So even though the puck just went wide, it wouldn’t have counted.

If ever there was a great story which developed out of nowhere, it had to be the clutch play of Osgood, who in relief of Hasek was utterly brilliant winning 14 of his club’s 16 games and posting a splendid 14-4 record to win his third Cup (second as starter).

His team did play intelligent defensive hockey getting in the path of shots and breaking up passes but Ozzie made his share of high quality saves and arguably could’ve won the Conn Smythe as well which went to Zetterberg. He finished with a miniscule 1.55 GAA, .931 save percentage and three shutouts including back-to-back in the first couple of games of the Final series. For a man who had always been doubted as a starter being capable enough to backstop Detroit to championships, it was pretty amazing to see the 35 year-old Peace River, Alberta native lead the Wings to another Cup exactly a decade afer helping them repeat in a sweep over the Capitals.

Just awesome.

As for Zetterberg, with a goal and a helper, the brilliant 27 year-old former 1999 Detroit seventh round gem finished the postseason with 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) along with a gaudy plus-16 rating typifying just how special a player he really is. Complete in every facet.

The selection of him for the Smythe was a superb one. If Osgood wasn’t going to win it, why not give it to the most consistent performer in the 2008 playoffs? I’d have to imagine Datsyuk and Osgood finished second and third though I wouldn’t venture to guess which order.

I also want to congratulate Rafalski on winning his third Cup. The former Devil blueliner who helped the franchise win two of their three Cups was outstanding playing alongside Detroit captain Nick Lidstrom, who broke the Euro hex becoming the first European born captain to lead an NHL club to the championship. I was amazed at the chemistry the two dynamic defensemen had. They always seemed to be a step ahead of the opposition working the puck out diligently and making a smooth transition to offense. The performance by both was oustanding as was the physicality from Niklas Kronwall and a rejuvenated Brad Stuart, who freight trained Crosby during the second with a clean hit forcing No.87 to limp to the bench.

The Mellon Arena crowd also did itself proud by continuing to support their team with chants of “Let’s Go Pens, Let’s Go Pens, Let’s Go Pens” after the final buzzer had sounded. The vast majority remained for the postgame ceremony and respectfully cheered. It was extremely nice considering how tough the circumstances had to be after watching their club come so close to miraculously tying it.

What started as a disappointing series turned into a very good one with the Pens trying as hard as they could to comeback from an 0-2 and 1-3 hole. They weren’t as good as the Wings but did their best to make this a fun Stanley Cup Final which generated some excellent ratings on NBC. This was much needed for the sport with the series only lacking a dramatic final Game Seven.

Congrats again to the Red Wings on their great victory. They truly proved to be the best team.

Copyright Getty Images 

It’s been a while since I did one of these but there was something on my mind while watching the French Open just now on NBC regarding the Stanley Cup Final. So let’s get to it.

-Could the media lay off how many minutes Sidney Crosby plays? He played over 22 last night yet there you had Pierre McGuire stirring it up during an NBC Sports Break about how the 2006-07 Hart winner could’ve played more. Gee wiz. Michel Therrien played his three best star forwards as much as possible and still is catching flak. That’s the Canadian press for ya. Never satisfied even when one of their teams isn’t even vying for the Stanley Cup.

I get that Sid the Kid is a great superstar who carries the weight of the league around with him but enough’s enough. Evgeni Malkin got 23:24 of ice-time and Marian Hossa saw 24:02. That’s plenty for the Pens’ dynamic trio who have been stifled by an excellent Detroit team defense. There’s a reason they’ve only scored four total goals and it’s got little to do with how much time Crosby and ‘mates are getting but rather how well schooled the Red Wings are. Led by captain Nick Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski, they really do a solid job keeping and moving the puck. Of course it helps to have one of the game’s greatest defensemen and two amazing players up front in dynamic duo Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, who receive little accolades despite how special they are. They control the tempo and are so multidimensional that Mike Babcock can put them out there in any situation.

The performance by Zetterberg while down two men with the game and probably the series hanging in the balance late in the third was astronomical. Nobody ever says much about how great a player the Swede is. He might not total as many points as the other Hart candidates or have the cult following of a Crosby but for my money, Zetterberg’s one of the best overall players in the game.

Last Fall, an older buddy of mine who sits in Section 411 at Ranger games and knows the game inside out pointed out that he felt Zetterberg was better than Crosby. Perhaps not in stature but here’s a question for all those Sid backers. How come he doesn’t play shorthanded? If he really was the best player, he’d be out there killing penalties. Zetterberg does it and quite well. So does Jarome Iginla. Datsyuk’s a pretty dangerous skater and is out on the PK too.

Why don’t Zetterberg and Datsyuk get as much attention from the media? Neither has the rockstar persona of an Alexander Ovechkin or the look of a Crosby yet they star for an Original Six franchise who plays in a big market and is on the cusp of capturing its fourth Cup in 11 years. Isn’t about time they got their due?

With a hard fought 2-1 road win over the Penguins in Game Four, the Red Wings are a win away from winning the Stanley Cup. A hotly contested game which saw each team with a goal after 40 minutes was decided by a superior experienced Detroit club who carried the play to their younger opponent in the third.

Off a Pittsburgh turnover, Jiri Hudler’s backhander trickled through Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Wings their first lead of the night. They had trailed 1-0 early on a Marian Hossa power play goal before captain Nick Lidstrom tied it following a power play. The Pens’ failure to clear the zone would comeback to haunt them as this time, the team which entered with a perfect 9-0 mark on home ice couldn’t comeback.

Even a two-man advantage couldn’t get the game knotted. Instead, outstanding penalty killing work by Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Lidstrom allowed the Wings to get out unscathed. In particular, Zetterberg’s doggedness was unbelievable. His anticipation on the backcheck denied Sidney Crosby a pointblank opportunity to tie it. But the worthy Selke candidate wasn’t done stealing the puck at the blueline while generating a shorthanded chance killing precious time. The Swede’s defensive work was something to behold as were his teammates, who did an excellent job protecting the lead.

Detroit outshot Pittsburgh 9-6 in the final stanza limiting their effectiveness. Evgeni Malkin couldn’t generate much and most of the Pens’ chances came from the perimeter. With Fleury pulled for an extra attacker giving a desperate Pitt club a 6-on-4, the Wings dug in getting in the path of shots and clearing the zone.

The Pens’ last gasp came in the final seconds when a puck nearly came to a wide open player but never got there due to Detroit’s pesky D allowing the Original Six club to go home Monday with a chance to wrap up the series and Cup back home.

As the buzzer sounded, a flustered Crosby had words for Zetterberg as he and teammates shrugged it off with ease celebrating their big Game Four victory which put them up 3-1.

The Cup will be in the building at Motown a couple of days from now.

It’s worth noting that the defensive work by Lidstrom and D partner Brian Rafalski was outstanding. They were just dominant in their zone controlling things and keeping the Pens’ forecheck at bay. As NBC guru Pierre McGuire noted at the conclusion, Mike Babcock did a great job running the bench. Maybe the experience of being there before rubbed off. He coached the Ducks when they lost to the Devils five years prior.

It should be interesting to see how the Pens respond to facing elimination with so much at stake. They haven’t been put in this predicament all postseason. Meanwhile, the Wings know a thing or two about leaving the door slightly ajar for opponents as was evidenced last round when they allowed the Stars to win two straight before finishing them off in Game Six.

We’ll see what happens.

[youtubeAlexei Cherepanov goal Omsk vs Lokomotiv]Alexei Cherepanov was drafted by the Rangers last year 17th overall. The 19 year-old Russian had a good season with Omsk of the Russian Super Elite League posting 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 46 contests. That followed an impressive 2006-07 in which he tallied 18 goals and 11 assists for 29 points in 47 games. Unlike last year where Omsk made the playoffs in which the skilled right wing tallied eight points (3-5-8 in 10 GP), they didn’t qualify.

The growing question headed into the offseason is whether there’s a chance of the Blueshirts getting Cherepanov signed away from Omsk. That remains highly doubtful due to his contract status with the Russian club.

In the mean time, here are a couple of highlight reels of the 2007 Ranger first rounder to check out:

Cherepanov goal vs Lokomotiv

Alexei Cherepanov Feature

Devils sign Salmela: The Devils made some news yesterday signing Finnish defenseman Anssi Salmela. The 23 year-old notched 16 goals and 16 helpers totaling 32 points in 56 games for Tappara of the Finnish Elite League last season. The 16 markers ranked best among all blueliners. Certainly, a glaring hole on the New Jersey blueline was lack of offense. With the exception of Paul Martin who had a very good 2007-08, the Devs didn’t have enough firepower coming from the back line. This seems like a good gamble by the organization.

Blackhawks to host Winter Classic? According to a Comcast Sportsnet report, the Chicago Blackhawks could host the next Winter Classic against Original Six rival Detroit. It’s still not certain whether it would be held at Wrigley Field or Soldier Field. If so, that would put a damper on the potential final game at Yankee Stadium where there had been rumors of the Rangers taking part in it against another participant. That would be too bad.

Pens look to draw even tonight: As Hasan already noted in a good recap, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are looking to draw even in the Stanley Cup Final later tonight against the Red Wings. After getting blanked the first two games, the Pens finally mustered some offense thanks to Crosby (2 goals) and former Ranger Adam Hall, who notched the winner as they held on for a 3-2 win Wednesday. Now comes the pivotal Game Four at Mellon Arena which can be seen on NBC.

R.I.P. Luc Bourdon: I’d also like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Luc Bourdon. As many already know, the Vancouver Canucks defenseman tragically passed away after a fatal motorcycle incident. Just awful news. It’s hard to even put into words how badly I feel for his family. Anytime someone is lost at such a tender age, it’s very surreal and humbling. Bourdon was a promising player who Vancouver selected 10th overall in 2005. In 27 games last season, he posted two goals and a plus-seven rating. Obviously, he was viewed as an integral part of the club’s future. A devastating blow. God bless his soul.