At this point, I’m not sold on this team getting there due to the many shortcomings that they have shown on most nights this year.  Too many defensive lapses in which Lundqvist has been hung out to dry and not enough offense on a lot of evenings.  I would rather see them retool for next season and try to become a true contender instead of a mediocre midpack team, which is what they have become over the last few years. 

Well, this homestand continues with games against MTL on Tuesday on VS, which I still don’t get thanks to Directv/Comcast’s ongoing BS and Thursday against STL, which is their last game vs. the West.  After this, they have to play 8 of their final 11 on the road where it’s a true crap shoot for them.  Well, I’m not sure about what else to comment about them except that I will continue to hope that they can sneak in to postseason play, but I won’t be upset if they don’t make it.

So, on that note, until next time

Howie

It was nice to see them play a full team game even though they played short a couple of guys as Gaborik tried but couldn’t go after about 4 minutes of ice time in the first as well as Del Zotto, who was cut early in the game by an accidental skate into his side. This also was their first win over the Pens in their last 8 tries and was their first win in Pittsburgh since 2007, so this turned out to be a huge 2 points for them. Even though I don’t see them going anywhere, they remain in the hunt for the last few playoff spots.

Well, the final game before break is on Sunday vs. Tampa and then it’s 2 weeks off while Olympic Hockey is being played. I plan on doing a summary of the pre break highlights and lowlights as well as preview their final 20 games afterwards so stay tuned.

Until next time,
Howie

Looking at this game tonight, the top performers for this game were:  Callahan, who had a pair of goals including a PPG, the first in 6 games as well as 2 assists; Dubinsky, who had a pair of goals including a SHG; Gaborik with a goal and 2 assists; Drury, who had a goal and 2 assists; Prospal who had a pair of assists, and Lundqvist; who once again was solid in net when he had to be as the Rangers D limited the number of chances to score the rest of the evening after allowing 2 in the first.

Callahan’s goal broke a 147 plus minute goalless drought and the floodgates just seemed to open with goal after goal coming.  It then became a boxing match with a few fights with Redden and Avery being some of the featured pugilists.  Hey even Drury scored tonight and he played solidly for a change and acted like the Captain that he is out on the ice.  It was nice to see the Garden rocking and really loud for a change as it has not been pretty in the building lately.

Going forward this month, they will face Tampa on Tuesday at MSG and then they are off to Philly on Thursday to take on the Flyers at the Wachovia Center.  I will be in the building on Tuesday evening for the Tampa game.

Anyway, that’s it for tonight folks.

Until next time,

Your NYR blogger,

Howie

The bright spots tonight were that there were goals from Gaborik (SH), Prospal with 2 goals (broke a 14 game drought), and Drury who scored his 3^rd goal in 4 games and looks like he has come out of his funk.  This also was their first home win in a month, which shows you how bad it’s been at the Garden lately, maybe this will help them to play better at home going forward since they need the home cooking in order to get on a huge streak.  The other key at home tonight was that they had the crowd in the game all night long which gives the players extra confidence out on the ice to perform a little harder. 

It’s also nice to see the Rangers show some edge to their game this evening as well as Avery having returned to his annoying style of play and Callahan showed a ton of hustle all over the ice.  In addition, they played as a team again defensively and limited the Panthers for a lot of the night despite them having 4 power plays to work with.  This style of play can go a long way to them continuing to climb up the ladder and hey even some secondary scoring is beginning to appear as well.  The secondary scoring is important because without it, there is no way they could even stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. 

I now believe that whatever Torts is preaching in the locker room and practices is beginning to sink in during games as I haven’t seen them play this well since early October.  This is the time to pick up points as they are playing teams that are behind them in the standings and they should not throw away these potential points as they have over the long slump that looks like they are now out of.  If they lose to the teams ahead of them, that’s not a good thing, but is understandable if it happens, but losing to the league bottom feeders is a sure way to miss the postseason.

Anyway, their next game is at MSG on Saturday evening where they will face the Islanders and the reeling Flyers on the 30th before they head back out on the road on New Year’s Eve to face the Hurricanes after which they come home for another 3 game home stand on January 2nd to begin the 2010 portion of the schedule which leads up to the Olympic break in mid February.

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well folks, that’s it till Saturday night.

Your NYR blogger,

Howie

One continuous bright spot is Gaborik who scored both NYR goals and leads the league in that category. The other bright spot is Prospal who has been a great complement to Gabby on the top line. As far as the rest of the team goes, there is zero secondary scoring and it’s getting much worse by the game. The scary thing is that is simply isn’t getting better related to this problem. Higgins, Callahan, Kotalik, Drury, Lisin, and a cast of others have simply not done enough to contribute to the scoresheet which has been a huge part of this long slump. As far as the goaltending, Lundqvist is taking a lot of heat, but cannot do it all by himself and there have been times where the D has left him hanging out to dry by not clearing out the crease and leaving the middle of the ice open way too often.

To me, it looks like this team has no sense of direction, sense of urgency or any heart right now and things don’t seem to be looking up anytime soon unless by some miracle the secondary scorers begin to put some pucks in the net. I was in the bldg. last night and it just seems that something is missing besides that issue, maybe there is no team chemistry which also causes problems not only on the ice but in the locker room as well. They need to start having some fun when they are on the ice because it doesn’t seem like they are right now. Also, losing all of these games early means that they have thrown away a ton of points and giving away games at home which is also a bad trend.

The latest three game slide, where they have been outscored 18-6 and played tons of non-competitive, unwatchable hockey is just a continuation of a prolonged slump that has now spanned 19 games. I’m starting to believe like some other fans I have talked to that it may be time to show Sather the door since in his 10 years of running the team, they only have 2 2nd round exits and 2 1st round exits, some really bad trades, and a boatload of over the hill, overpriced free agents that haven’t worked out. As far as the bad free agents go, I wouldn’t know where to begin since the list is so big. The Dolan’s seem to have a love affair with this guy, but I think his time has run out with the team. At least Neil Smith in his 10 yrs won a Stanley Cup in 1994 and had them in the Conference Finals in 1997. I’m not sure who should replace Sather, but anybody has to be better than him to run this organization.

Anyway, their next games are on Saturday night in Buffalo against the Sabres at the HSBC Arena and then on Sunday night at the Garden where they will face the Detroit Red Wings. This is going to be a rough weekend, but maybe they can scratch out a win out of one of these.

Well folks, that’s it till next time.

Your NYR blogger,

Howie

The once promising start to the season is now turning into a nightmare as they are now 4-9-1 in their last 14 games.  The season is slowly slipping away from them and I’m not sure what, if anything can turn them around other than putting together a few wins to make themselves feel better and give the fans some hope.

Something else that is bothering me is that the officiating in this game faded away in the 3^rd as the Panthers were allowed to pretty much do what they wanted.  I’m starting to wonder if we are headed back to pre-lockout officiating, which allowed tons of garbage to go on.  The games have gotten more defensive, the goalie equipment is gigantic and scoring is down in a lot of games….this formula makes for a bad product and oh wait, empty seats in a good portion of arenas league wide, but yet the commissioner says all is well around the league.  He needs to take the blinders off and see that things need to change and quick.

Lastly, why in the world would the NHLPA hire Donald Fehr?  This guy is clearly responsible for the lack of a salary cap in baseball, a sport that badly needs one, and I’m a Yankee fan. Do the players think that if they go back to no cap that things will get better, they won’t as the haves will out do the have not’s, which is seen in baseball.  The NHLPA should have left things alone, but they didn’t and now there is a potential for another lockout when this CBA runs out.  This is what happens when people who have no clue what they are doing try to run things.

Well, the Rangers next game is Monday night at MSG vs. Columbus and the key for them is that they need to play big time desperate hockey since winning has been a foreign thing to them lately.

Until next time

Your NYR Blogger,

Howie

The Rangers face the NY Islanders over at the Coliseum. Sure, the Islanders aren’t exactly scaring anyone at dead last in the conference. But, hell, at least they aren’t Toronto. Meanwhile the Rangers have been on quite a run.

But when they play one another, it doesn’t matter who is first nor last. That’s what makes the rivalry so special. Sometimes, well, it’s all you have.


That’s right, it’s time for Sibling Rivalry, as two blogging brothers square off debate-style on HockeyIndependent.

Scott Gallof - (Occasional Hockey Independent Blogger)

Well, well, its been a long, long offseason hasn’t it? Well not so much for you guys and this silly Lighthouse hoopla. How is that all going anyhow? When do they break ground, soon? Hell it’s only been a decade.

I can’t even poke all that much fun at you, even I a Rangers’ fan is pretty irked on how both sides have conducted themselves in this giant mess. You guys are supposed to be a hockey team not a platform for silly non-essential Long Island legislators to flex their slovenly, pizza greased muscles over. Just build the damn thing already, I’m sick of hearing about it.

Btw, a belated congratulations on your first win of the season. Don’t let anyone tell you how pathetic it is to take 7 games for your first win. With the steaming piles of fecal matter you have in goal and everyone you have playing minus your first line and Marc Streit, I’d say it was quite the achievement.

They say if you spent 100 hours a week bashing your head against a concrete block, eventually a piece will fall off.

BD Gallof – (Owner, HockeyIndependent.com)

Laugh it up, fuzzball. I think it is a nervous laugh as your contractual leap of faith, Marion Gaborik is now out from tonight’s game due to an undisclosed ailment. The man with the glass hip and nads clearly is encased in Carbonite when traveling with the Rangers for away games.

Yeah, I get it. We suck. What else is new? We signed two goalies that make Valiquette look good when our defense is in front of them.

But don’t look now, slappy, but your team is an injury away from a tip over the edge. Amazing how a hot start has Ranger fans getting all hyped up. Paper chumps is more like it.

Talk to me in December to let me know if you have the real thing. San Jose’s whupping you should already give you a clear idea that you have along way to go.

Scott Gallof - (Occasional Hockey Independent Blogger)

The only reason he is out tonight is just a precaution and since we aren’t playing a real team ole Tort’s figured he’d give the big guy some rest. He twinged his knee at the end of his last game, which has nothing to do with either his groin or hip. So let’s not get all panicky kid.

The fact of the matter is our “leap of faith” has been paying off quite splendidly with 18 points in just 12 games. But what you fail to mention up on your pulpit is that the Rangers are also getting plenty of scoring from other places as well.

Prospal 16pts, Kotalik 12pts, and our rookie gem Michael Del Zotto who also has 12pts racked up and at the tender age of 19 is already quarterbacking the now productive power play. Measure that against your prized first draft pick, with his 7 points and -6 +/-.

So suck on that.

B.D. Gallof - (Owner, HockeyIndependent.com)

Yes, a precaution. Surely. Because if it’s anything more, your offense falls faster than Owen Hart. Then watch all those players: one rookie and two guys: Prospal and Enver Lisin who are clearly reaping rewards of Gabby-Gabba-Ouch.

Let’s hope they are encasing something else in Carbonite, so that offense you tout so highly actually stays afloat.

Oh, speaking of dinged up, how bout Henrik Lundqvist hitting a guard rail when his car slid off the road on the way to practice. There’s another collective breath from the Rangers faithful, who would have slid right through the standings without their fashion-plate fop who was probably trying to fix his quaffe through the rear-view mirror.

Maybe you could have asked his brother to play goalie had he hurt himself . . .

Scott Gallof - (Occasional Hockey Independent Blogger)

You know really, as an Islanders fan you shouldn’t even be allowed to type Lundqvist’s name let alone ridicule him. You know deep down in that flakey deep battered fish fry heart of yours you’d give up one of your own metal balls to have him in net for your team. But alas you got the first round pick that year, how is ole wobble knee/hip/upper/lowerbody anyhow?

It’s completely ironic to me that you can do an image of Gaborik frozen in Carbonite yet your own franchise goaltender has played a total of 5 games in the last two years… those in glass Mausoleums should not throw pucks.

Speaking of the Mausoleum did it ever occur to you that perhaps the Rangers’ were so embarrassed to having to play in such a scrapheap hellhole tonight they are sitting Gaborik just so that building’s taint would not reach a player of his skill and caliber. It would certainly be something I would consider.

.

The building is an abomination as is the team that plays there. Maybe instead of passing out Lighthouse posters to their fans maybe it’s due time the Islanders’ brass just hand out cyanide capsules to put you all out of your collective misery.

Btw,  that Lighthouse hat I got, will it be a collector’s item at any point?

B.D. Gallof - (Owner, HockeyIndependent.com)

Yeah, yeah. Well, it is true that you might be the only Ranger blogger ever invited to a Lighthouse Project meeting. Just having you walk into the room to a round of boos from the staff and Isles bloggers was quite a treat.

Rick DiPietro is just fine, btw. The Isles brass said so, so it must be true.

Speaking of people who love the media, how is old Hot Head Torts? One wonders if he’s just a day or two away from a complete blowout with Larry Brooks or some fan in the seats.

See that water bottle he’s heaving into the air? That is about the closest you will get to heaving a cup as long as you have Glen Sather and Chuckie Dolan as the brain trust.

So, you can strut your way in to the Coliseum, rump roast. But, methinks there is a lot of concern and fear behind that strut. That any second that the Rangers will suddenly be shown for the posers they are.

How you like them apples, paunchy? Oh that’s right, I get to finish this.

So…suck it.