On Wednesday, New York Rangers forward Sean Avery was part of a Youth Hockey Clinic series that took place at Rye Playland, the team’s former practice facility.

You can check out the photos here.

I also wanted to remind you Blueshirt fans that friend of the blog Jim Cerny hosts Rangers Radio every Friday afternoon. You can check that out here.

Burning up the hockey news wire the last few days have been reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are close to inking their “Big 3″ – forwards Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and defenseman Duncan Keith, to long-term contracts that will keep them in Chicago for the foreseeable future.

Similarly, a Boston Globe report says the Boston Bruins are close to signing their star forward (and impending unrestricted free agent) Marc Savard to a 7 year deal that will keep the Ontario native in Boston through the end of his career.

For hockey fans in Beantown and the Windy City, this is good news. Chicago has seen a resurgence in the last two seasons, and Kane, Toews and Keith have been the single biggest reasons behind the Blackhawks return to prominence. The former duo are two of the NHL’s brightest young stars, and Keith has developed into one of the NHL’s premier blueliners. Locking these three tremendous talents up long-term is an excellent move by Chicago GM Stan Bowman; he’s identified his core, and intends to build around that core for the future, cap ramifications be damned.

The same story rings true in Boston, where Savard has emerged as a perennial NHL All-Star, finishing near the top of the scoring race every season he’s donned the Black and Gold, and playing a key role in the Bruins’ rise to the top of the Eastern Conference (this season notwithstanding, as Savard has played in just 7 games due to a broken foot).

Of course, these impending signings haven’t been met with universal applause, as there are some who feel both franchises are hedging their bets on a small number of players, something to avoid in a cap world, or so they say.

Click here for more.

I am not sure if it’s a black cloud or a full moon, but there’s something wreaking havoc on the National Hockey League so far this season.

As discussed here before, the amount of injuries to star players is off the charts. Plus there have been a string of strange incidents that add to the question: what the heck is going on here?

Two more stories from today fit right in with what has been par-for-the-course over the first quarter of the NHL season.

First, the Los Angeles Kings placed winger Ryan Smyth on Injured Reserve this morning. So down goes another star player---and another one who was off to a very strong start this year. Smyth joins the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jonathan Toews, Cam Ward, Brian Gionta, Simon Gagne, Sergei Gonchar, Roberto Luongo, Marc Savard, Joe Pavelski, and seemingly half of the entire Detroit Red Wings roster as star players forced to the sidelines for an extended period of time.

Click here for more.

Anyway, here are my first-quarter report cards. As always I’d love to hear what you think, or how you’d grade them:

Michael Del Zotto: A …He’s going to get stronger and a little meaner and he might be a star.
Dan Girardi: C … Is is possible that the Staal-Girardi pair was a product of Tom Renney’s system?
Wade Redden: B … Fits much better in this system, is playing with some passion; but will never earn that type of salary.
Marian Gaborik: A … Absolutely as advertised, and remained upright for most of the first quarter. Where would they be without him?
Ales Kotalik: B … Probably could do a little more, but that shot has given the Rangers a legit PP pointman they didn’t have at all last year.
Sean Avery: C … Don’t know if the benching in last year’s playoffs put too much of a leash on him, or what. I do know that the Avery Rules, as called by almost all officials, are ridiculous.
Brandon Dubinsky: C … Got the big contract, and didn’t produce before the injury. He’s not a first-line center, but he should be more than he was.

Click here to see how the rest of the team was graded.

One problem has been consistent throughout.

“Obviously our biggest weakness is that we are not getting any secondary scoring,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “We just aren’t creating enough.”

That was the Rangers’ biggest problem last season and it was supposed to go away with Tortorella and his aggressive forechecking system now in play. But lack of secondary scoring appears to be haunting this team once again.

Over this 13-game stretch, 15 players have combined for just 30 goals (2.31 per game). The Rangers have had nights when they scored four and five, but they have also been held to two or fewer in eight of the 13 games.

Click here for more on the inconsistent Blueshirts.

Anyways, I wanted to point you readers out there to Reid, who took an in-depth look at what Team USA should look like in a few months on Pete Prose. Here is a brief sample of what he wrote:

Team USA doesn’t have the depth up front that Canada or Sweden will possess in droves, and they don’t have the All-World game-breakers that Russia will present, but nonetheless, this is a formidable, and perhaps underrated, group of skaters.

Leading the charge will be New Jersey Devils star Zach Parise, who broke out in a big way in 2008-09, leading the Devils with 45 goals and 94 points. He is unequivocally the top American skater on the planet, and is the closest thing Team USA has to a world class superstar.

Look for Colorado Avalanche forward Paul Stastny to center Parise on the first line, as the cerebral pivot is off to a good start this year for the upstart Avs, with 4 goals and 14 helpers in 20 games. Defensively responsible, much like Parise, these two could shine together.

Click here for more on the potential look of the red, white and blue.

As we continue our rankings of the best in the last decade, it’s time to look back at the best single-season performances from players in the 2000s.

We’re going for the total stats picture, and not just one facet (goals, for example). Looking back at the last 10 years, there have been some awesome performances, but only a few that cracked the NHL record book in a significant way.

Some criteria to keep in mind: This is a regular-season list. History matters, as far as records and awards. So does context, when considering where that particular season falls in with a players’ career. The differences between the NHL before and after the lockout should be kept in mind in a grain-of-salt way, although they’re not a primary consideration here. Oh, and if your favorite forward isn’t here, it’s because we tried to make room for defensemen and goalies.

Jaromir Jagr’s 2005-06 season is on this list at No. 10, when he posted 54 goals and 123 points.He had the Art Ross Trophy lead until the last game of the season when San Jose Sharks’ forward Joe Thornton took over and won the scoring crown.

Click here for more. 

Fortunately, this ended with a 2-1 shootout win for the New York Rangers over the Ottawa Senators. Surprisingly, the game-winning shootout goal came from P.A. Parenteau, recently called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack.

However, this game was all about the big-time effort from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 35 saves in the game and made some huge stops in the skills competition. After reading yesterday’s papers and listening to him during the post-game on Thursday night after the team lost to the Atlanta Thrashers, it was easy to see/hear that Lundqvist was frustrated and wanted to get things back on the right track. 

Continue reading "A Start"

This is not going to be in the usual format that I post interviews. By now, you folks know all the questions that I asked so instead, I am going to post it more as a story where you get to know the guy behind the site and how he got into hockey, the New York Rangers, blogging and his thoughts on the current team.

So before the Rangers get underway in Ottawa against the Senators or some time in between periods, please check this e-mail interview out.

Continue reading "Ranger Crisis?"

Why did they lose? Who played well despite the loss? Who played poorly in the losing effort? Why did Henrik Lundqvist have to allow that fourth goal?

As it turns out, Scott over at Scotty Hockey describe the team’s loss perfectly:

Don’t let the 5-3 scoreline or the 36-27 shot total fool you, the Rangers were dominated tonight by the Atlanta Thrashers. Yep, the Atlanta Thrashers.

It was atrocious, and yet the Blueshirts were a post and a crossbar away from winning the game. I guess that is a good thing, but walking out of the Garden I don’t feel the least bit good about the Ranger performance. Atlanta kept them bottled up in their own end for long stretches, had little trouble breaking up most Ranger rushes and kept the shots away from the danger zones. You would think that after finally getting a few days off to practice the Rangers would be better, not worse. You would think that.

Efforts like this make you wonder if the team has tuned out Tortorella already or simply have no clue or capability to play his hard-nosed, open ice hockey. The slot remains empty with no one paying the price to go to the net, the defense isn’t helping the offense and isn’t playing defense, and players are passing up good shots while taking bad ones.

Click here for more from Scotty.

Continue reading "The Perfect Description"

“Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later,” Dubinsky said. “It’s tough. But, then again, injuries are a part of the game. It’s one of those things that wasn’t really avoidable. We’ll just take care of it and hopefully I’ll be back as soon as I can.

“You never know how bad it is until you find out,” he added. “It’s not so bad. Hopefully it can be one of those things that can heal quicker than we expect.”

Dubinsky was asked whether he’s worried this injury will affect his chances of making the Team USA squad for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver this February with the roster announcement set for the end of the year.

“Not really,” Dubinsky said. “I would love to be on the Olympics team but the most important thing is the team that’s most important to me, that means the most. I’ve got to make sure I’m 100 percent and don’t jeopardize what’s going on with this team first.”

Click here for more on Dubi.

Last season, the Rangers had tremendous luck when it came to injuries, losing a remarkably low 31 manpower games to injury or illness. However, just six weeks into the 2009-10 campaign the Rangers have seen that last year’s good fortune regarding injuries has not carried over into a new season.

Just one look at their last game in Calgary on Saturday night provided a glimpse into what a difference a year can make.

Center Brandon Dubinsky will miss a few weeks of action with the hand injury he suffered blocking a shot last weekend in Calgary. Already without No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist and rugged forward Donald Brashear in the lineup due to minor injuries, the Rangers lost their captain, Chris Drury, to a concussion just 49 seconds into the contest, and another top center, Brandon Dubinsky, who broke a bone in his right hand while blocking a shot in the second.

Click here for more.

Ryan Bourque was just 10 years old when his Hockey Hall of Fame father glided across the ice one last time.

The last impression Bourque had of father in the NHL was 2001, when the old man was taking a lap around Pepsi Center as a member of the Colorado Avalanche with the Stanley Cup raised high above his head after his team had just scored a Game 7 victory against the New Jersey Devils.

Being the son of a legend certainly has its advantages.

“It’s neat more than anything and it hasn’t made things tough for me at all,” Bourque told NHL.com. “Obviously there’s going to be a little adversity, but you learn to deal with it—there are more positives than negatives. It’s great having him there as support and to hear his feedback and just seeing what he does day in and day out; the professionalism he brings to everything he does is great.”

Click here for more on one of the Rangers’ top prospects.

According to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:

Chris Drury (concussion) was in the building briefly and rode the stationary bicycle, which is a good sign. Coach John Tortorella would not rule him out for Thursday’s game against the Thrashers but that seems like it’s a bit of a stretch. Regarding the Curtis Glencross hit on Drury, TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting via his Twitter account that the NHL has scheduled a disciplinary hearing with the Flames left wing. Tortorella said the NHL has not contacted him about the incident but he believed Rangers GM Glen Sather had spoken to the league. Tortorella said he believes the hit warrants disciplinary action.

Brandon Dubinsky, who has a broken right hand, was walking around with a cast. Tortorella said Dubinsky was out for “an extended period.” Henrik Lundqvist did not skate today and said he’s still not 100 percent, though he hopes to practice Wednesday after the team gets tomorrow off. He’s dealing with either a thigh or a groin issue but he sheepishly admitted he didn’t want to say to much because Tortorella doesn’t like his players talking about their injuries. Lundqvist obviously said too much in Canada when Tortorella said he was being rested for the Flames game and Lundqvist said he was dealing with a minor injury.

“It’s not perfect,” Lundqvist said. “I’m still trying to get to 100 percent.”

Click here for more.

Drury had been a near-zero some nights, and Dubinsky maybe a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10 so far. … and yet now we will see how much they mean to the Rangers. We will also see how thin this roster actually is. And we’ve had an idea of that right from the start of the season, because some nights they barely have 20 bodies to put in uniforms.

Later on....

Drury’s probably going to be a while. Concussions are a nasty thing, and they get more severe with each one, and each one makes the next one more likely, or cause by a lesser collision. We know that from many experiences here with LaFontaine, Richter, Beukeboom and Lindros. Drury’s had some (upper body) concussions. This will be tricky.

Dubinsky, we don’t know what he has, but we know it’s his (upper body) hand or arm. And Tortorella seems to think he will be out for some length of time, too.

As for retribution … I don’t think it would have proven much, but you still have to stick up for a teammate—especially your captain, for God’s sake—in a situation like that. It’s hockey, for crying out loud. Somebody brashears your captain and you let it slide in a November game in Calgary because the two points are too important? Not. Not.

Click here for more.

Early into the 2009-2010 season, it appears that history is looking to repeat itself as all four of those teams have winning records just over a month into the season. Even the New York Islanders are trying to get into the act as they are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games.

Let’s take a look at how the division is shaping up as we head towards the middle of November.

Continue reading "Atlantic Division Report"

Tonight, the Blueshirts look to beat the Calgary Flames at the Pengrowth Saddledone, an area in which the team has struggled over the last decade or so. If the Rangers can win tonight, they’ll increase their point total to 23 and be one point behind the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins.

Every point is important in the “new” NHL. With shootouts being added to the game, any team (the slightly below average, average, and above average) has the ability to give themselves a chance to make the postseason. That certainly proved to be true for the Rangers last season as their month of October in 2008 really gave them a solid cushion.

Continue reading "Rangers Looking to Put out The Flames"

For 2010, USA Hockey will have its deepest goaltending trio between Ryan Miller, Tim Thomas and Craig Anderson, who stamped his place on the roster with a red hot month of October. The battle now for the next three and a half months will be about which one will watch from the press box at GM Place and which two will dress.

Coming into this season the debate was between Miller and Thomas for the No. 1 job; but if Anderson continues to carry the Colorado Avalanche, how can his place in the argument be denied?

Click here for more.

“Ryan Callahan is a guy who blends in, especially in a short tournament,” Tortorella said. “When you have a versatile guy, that’s very important because there may be an injury along the way, and when you have someone who can do a lot of different things and play in different situations, that’s an important guy to have.”

Callahan’s style of play hasn’t gone unnoticed around the League, either.

Leafs coach Ron Wilson will coach the U.S. team in Vancouver, and he has been impressed with Callahan’s well-rounded, physical game. When asked what Callahan’s chances were of donning the red, white and blue in February, Wilson said “very good.”

“He’s the type of player that you need in your lineup because he can play in every single situation,” Wilson said. “He’s good defensively, he’s a great skater, he plays with a lot of intensity, a lot of pride. From a coach’s point of view, I’d love to have him on my team.”

Click here for more on New York Rangers’ assistant captain Ryan Callahan.

Tyler was kind enough to tell us about how he got into the game of hockey, who is favorite team/player was growing up, how he came up with and helped develop NHL Digest along with his thoughts on the current season.

PH: How did you first get into hockey?
TM: I started playing hockey at the age of 5. I grew up in a small town in Manitoba, Canada and there wasn’t much going on other than hockey in the winter...And, I just happened to live right across the street from the rink!

PH: Growing up, who was your favorite team? How about your favorite player?
TM: No question about it. From day one it has always been the Montreal Canadiens. Mats Naslund was my favorite player growing up. Why Mats with all of the storied Hall of Famers in the history of the Habs? Well, he just happened to be the leading scorer for the Canadiens when I first seriously started watching hockey and I admired his skill and ability for a player his size.

Continue reading "An Interview with Tyler from Nhl Digest"