Pucks on Broadway: Analysis, Discussion, and Musings on the New York Rangers

Internships at Blueshirt Bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:45:00 +0000

Join the family!
We are currently looking for interns beginning Spring 2010 in the following areas:
Marketing Agent: Grow the Blueshirt Bulletin brand, increase exposure and subscribers through creative and unique events, gatherings, and promotions.
Prerequisite: 21 years of age or older, min. 2 years college experience in marketing or advertising, good communication skills, professional demeanor, basic computer and digital media skills

Advertising Agent: Make valuable contacts, practice selling skills, explore new and upcoming markets through marketing and advertising sales
Prerequisite: 18 years of age or older, min. high school degree, good communication skills, ability to travel, basic computer skills, professional demeanor

Editors: Use your editorial skills in both the print and online editions of Blueshirt Bulletin! Test your skills in a real professional magazine!
Prerequisite: Min. 2 years college experience in English or journalism course work, familiarity with AP Style Guide, min. 1 year experience with collegiate publication or another professional publication, Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite experience

Send a resume to danielakeson@blueshirtbulletin.com or fillout the form and fax to 6319230875!

Blueshirt Bulletin Subscriber Event!

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:20:00 +0000

Blueshirt Bulletin is proud to announce the first exclusive subscriber event of 2010. To kickoff our new partnership with the Official New York Rangers Fan Club, fans will have the opportunity to participate in a writer's roundtable discussion with New York Rangers Beat Writers Jim Cerny and Andrew Gross, as well as members of the Blueshirt Bulletin and Fan Club staffs.

Have your questions answered by those closest to the team in a small, up-front setting!

Space is limited, so sign-up is required.

Print and fax/or email the sign-up sheet below by midnight on February 13th, 2010. Confirmations will be emailed prior to the event to the email address provided. Printed confirmations MUST be presented at entry.

Draft Recap and Blueshirt News

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Welcome fans back to Pucks on Broadway, after a short break and some re-organization, we are back in full swing.

First, a minor announcement.

As many of you know, I have taken on a greater role with Blueshirt Bulletin. This has led to taking a major role and being the lead content writer for BlueshirtBulletin.com. In light of this, my posts here will be less frequent and we will be having additional contributors come the fall.

Now onto some Rangers.

Over at Blueshirt Bulletin, I have done a short draft recap including players selected and some analysis.

The Rangers needed to go out and get forwards and goalies and that's what they did. While none are truly NHL-ready or near-ready, they have stocked the farm enough to have some wiggle-room with player movement and future transactions.

With the prospect of UFA's Paul Mara, Derek Morris, Nik Antropov, Nik Zherdev, and Blair Betts returning looks bleak, rookies Corey Potter, Mike Sauer, Mike Del Zotto, Bobby Sanguinetti, Evgeny Grachev, and Artem Anisimov are all going to get an opportunity to make the club in September.

There have also been rumblings of the Rangers in the Dany Heatley sweepstakes, as well as Marian Hossa so expect the Rangers to dump some additional salary if they are going to make a push and most likely need to fill gaps with additional rookies.

And it's never too early to have a preliminary roster, so let's take a stab at it.

Assume first that Michal Rozsival is part of whatever trade the Rangers make. Next, assume that the Rangers do not re-sign both Nik Zherdev and Nik Antropov, perhaps one is retained. Also, Glen Sather has made it clear that both Blair Betts and Freddy Sjostrom will not be returning.

Left Wingers:
Sean Avery
Lauri Korpikoski
* Dany Heatley
Aaron Voros

Centers:
Scott Gomez
Chris Drury
Brandon Dubinsky
Artem Anisimov

Right Wingers:
Ryan Callahan
Nik Zherdev/Antropov
P.A. Parenteau*
Colton Orr*

Defense:
Marc Staal
Dan Girardi
Wade Redden
Matt Gilroy*
Corey Potter*
Mike Del Zotto*

Now, this is putting a lot of pressure on the rookies and clearly shows some gaps that the Rangers must address in free agency.

A veteran defenseman and perhaps a guy like Mara, would fill out the defensive core and allow one or two rookies to be acclimated to the NHL.

The Rangers also must look at a couple wingers to fill out the third and fourth lines.

This week we will profile some UFA's and potential destinations.

As always, more to come...

Chiming In on NYR Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:33:00 +0000

As the Rangers get set for Game 4 at MSG tonight, there was one topic I wanted to chime in on.

Yesterday, Steve Zipay said on his blog Blue Notes, (in so many words) that he dislikes the bloggers out there who pretend to be professional. This created a bit of a stir in the comments section.

Now, I have met Steve (though I am sure he couldn't pick me out of a crowd) and he was a gentleman. He is also well respected and a fine writer. Additionally, he contributes to Blueshirt Bulletin and always has very interesting insight.

I believe his mini-rant was taken a bit out of context.

My purpose for addressing his comments was that I am in a unique position where I am part blogger/ part professional and can see both sides of the coin.

When I began this blog a couple years ago, there were only a handful of really active up-and-coming blogs. You had Scotty Hockey, Rangers Review, The Dark Ranger, The Hockey Rabbi, just to name a few (didn't mean to leave anyone out, but you check ALL of them out over on the right hand side) and we all associated and grew together.

We each also had our own style and way of presenting our views. Scotty, for example, is very detailed and has a wonderful light-hearted humor aspect to much of what he writes. Inferno at Rangers Review is incredibly thorough and leaves no angle uncovered. The Dark Ranger relates to the fans incredibly well and makes you feel like you are sitting in the Blue Seats.

Myself, I fall somewhere in the middle. My journalism background keeps me a bit at bay with my opinions, but my "fan-hood" allows me to be emotional.

There is no right or wrong way to any of this, it's just what happened to work for each of us.

And our blogs have become a community. As I have transitioned over to Blueshirt Bulletin more frequently, I have had some contributors here. Scotty has worked with the NY Times and still continued his own blog. And we have all met new bloggers and websites that we have affiliated with or at the very least gave a link to.

However, as is the nature of the beast, blogging has grown exponentially and because there is no restriction or legislation, anyone can say what they want and how they want.

I don't believe Zipay was referring to those blogs who go out and share the links of the professionals or comment on the games themselves. I believe he was more or less talking about those who steal quotes as their own or present themselves to be authoritative when in reality, they are fans like anyone else.

The Blueshirt Bulletin, for example, has nearly the same press access as the major beat writers (we just don't get the premium ice level seats) and since I work with them, does that give me any more insight ? To a degree, as does my work with Stan Fischler and other various hockey outlets.

But at the same time, freedom of speech is an uncompromising ideal regardless of experience. If I am allowed to say what I feel, than anyone else can (and should) do the same.

What I think the blogging community and readership should strive to do, however, is keep the level of integrity as high as possible. If you use a photo or a quote, attribute it properly because someone worked hard to get it. If someone uses poor unnecessary offensive language, you don't need to visit or respond. And just because you disagree doesn't mean that the writer needs to be bashed for their view. That's why it's opinion.

Here, I have always cherished feedback and comments (though they come a bit less often now that I am here less) and if you disagreed with me, I countered with a point or gave you credit for your opinion. And that's all blogs are: a place for opinions and debate.

In the end, almost no bloggers have press access with the Rangers or are paid for their perspective. But many of them do pay to see the team and in this day and age, there's something to be said for that.

Blogging isn't going anywhere and all we can hope is that the standard that many exhibit are maintained by those who are getting into it.

Stop by Section 212 tonight to say hi...

Rangers to face Capitals

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:14:00 +0000

It was a matter of pick your poison. Do you want Alex Ovechkin or the Conference-leading Bruins?

In the end, Montreal's follies against Pittsburgh sealed the deal and a Washington D.C. match-up for the Rangers.

There are some interesting 1994 references embedded in this season's playoffs. First, the number of Rangers home record (26-11-4) is the most wins since the Championship season. It is also the first time the Rangers have faced the Capitals in the playoffs since 1994, though it was in the second round.

Could this season provide a similar magic? Well, it's not impossible, but it's certainly not going to be easy.

Over at BlueshirtBulletin.com, we'll have a full preview and comparison as well as game coverage of tonight's game at Philadelphia.

More to come this afternoon...

(Photo from Zimbio)

Tuesday Night a Must-Win

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:05:00 +0000

First off, I want to apologize to Pucks readers for my lack of consistent posting lately. Now that the baseball season under way, things at my internship are extremely busy. I've also begun taking an online class to fulfill a requirement toward graduation in May, so needless to say I'm not able to post as much as I'd like to right now.

On to the Rangers.

After a convincing victory over the Devils last week, the Rangers followed their impressive performance with back to back losses and fell to 8th place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. The Panthers have the same amount of points, but if the season ended today the Rangers would sneak in over them.

The term "must-win" is not one that I like to use on a regular basis. When used by broadcasters, anchors, analysts, and columnists, it's often in a context that is far too dramatic for the scenario in question.

However, I won't hesitate to use the terminology this time around. Tomorrow night's game against the Canadiens at MSG is a MUST-WIN.

The Rangers are clinging on to their playoff lives right now, and a home game against the team that leap-frogged them in the standings this week, and has a game in hand, can only be considered as such.

Yes; a loss tomorrow will keep the Rangers mathematically alive, and may not even bump them out of 8th. But, from a fan's point of view, it would be yet another devastating blow to their confidence in this team, which has been wavering for months now.

Beating the Canadiens on Tuesday will rely heavily on two aspects of the Ranger's game; special teams, and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. The Rangers take plenty of shots nowadays, but finding them in the back of the net has been a struggle as of late. If they can get the power play going for once, this could change drastically. The two go hand-in-hand.

If the Blueshirts find themselves saluting the crowd at center ice tomorrow night, it will act as a re-energizing shot of B-12 for them and the fans. The team could use a win of that magnitude to solidy their spot in the post season, finish the season strong, and carry momentum into the playoffs.

This would have been the hope after last week's drubbing of the Devils, but with the season now more "on-the-line" then ever, you can expect the Rangers to dial up their intensity to the highest level.

Avery Won't Add Fuel to the Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:07:00 +0000

Leading up to tonight's game against New Jersey, Rangers forward Sean Avery refused to delve into last seasons saga between he and Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.

We all remember the infamous stick waiving incident that occured with Avery and Brodeur in the playoffs last year, which ultimately resulted in NHL Commish Gary Bettman to create the "Avery Rule", which was effective immediately following the game.

The incident led to Avery calling Brodeur a "fatso", followed by the Devils net minder refusing to shake Avery's hand after the Rangers had won the 5 game playoff series over New Jersey. A rivalry, in addition to the pre-existing Ranger/Devil rivalry, was born.

However, what's most important to Avery at this point in time is winning, and it seems as if Rangers head coach John Tortorella is noticing the change in mind set and attitude.

"I think Sean is smart enough to understand what this game means to us. Obviously, the Devils are in but they’re looking to get to some other spot. We’re trying to get in. That overrides everything."

"This is about discipline, concentrating," Tortorella added. "This is about trying to get two points. Worrying about the other stuff, the shenanigans as the league goes through [the stretch run], it can’t happen."

The Rangers are coming off disappointing back-to-back losses, and are seeing their grip on the 7th place seed in the post season race get looser by the day. The 8th place Canadiens are only a point behind the Blueshirts now, and the 9th place Panthers trail by only two points.

New Jersey has also struggled recently, losing their last four in a row, and winning will be the first and only priority on their end as well. Although the Devils have clinched a post-season birth, they will look to end the regular season with momentum to carry them into the playoffs.

The Rangers on the other hand, will need to scratch and claw their way into a locked playoff spot. The team has six games left to play, all of which are against playoff contenders.

The Canadiens also have a game in hand.

In order to win, The Rangers will need Avery at his best. When effective, he becomes one of the team's most effective offensive weapons.

Tonight will be the first test of Avery and the Rangers moxie, when they face Martin Brodeur's first-place Devils at the Garden, in what should become an intense contest.

Hello Again...It's Been Too Long

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:09:00 +0000

Props to anyone who knows where that lyric came from.

I know the younger Pucks has been serving all of you here, but I thought I'd pop in with a few notes. Jason will be back this afternoon with the quick recap of the Rangers victory Tuesday night against Minnesota and a preview of tonight's contest against Atlanta.

Now, onto hockey talk.

The Rangers are playing with more pace, but with increasingly more defensive gaffs. While this is to be expected under this system, it begs the question of whether it is the right choice for championship contention.

If you look at the past couple Stanley Cup Champions, the Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Carolina Hurricanes, their victories were built around defense and goaltending.

Not to say that they weren't offensive teams, but their success started from the back and worked it's way out. Players like Nik Lidstrom, Chris Pronger, etc. were relied on to keep the opposing forwards at bay while J.S. Giguere and Chris Osgood took care of the easy saves and the occasional tough ones.

This is how former Rangers Head Coach Tom Renney approached his philosophy: defense wins championships.

In the modern era, this is a proven recipe for success.

Now, I am not proclaiming that the current system can't work. Current Head Coach John Tortorella showed that it can be successful when he took the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004 and won.

The Edmonton Oilers were notorious for this style.

Yet, this group of Rangers forwards are not Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Vinny Lecavalier, or Martin St. Louis.

That's where the disconnect comes in. No fault of Tortorella's, but this team isn't necessarily built for this system. Yes, as professional athletes they are doing it and having some success, but can that be sustained?

I am still skeptical.

Bottom line, it's a fun system to watch that keeps you on the edge of your seat. However, that edge is also used for the 2-on-1 breaks and breakaways the other way as well.

In other exciting news, I am a featured Contributing Writer this month in the March issue of Blueshirt Bulletin. For those of you who don't subscribe or haven't seen it, check it out.

Also, tonight at BlueshirtBulletin.com, I will be hosting a LIVE GAME BLOG. Stop by and drop a line or two as the Rangers take on the suddenly resurgent Atlanta Thrashers.

As always, more to come...

**********************************
Errant Pucks: (A new feature with musings, rumblings and tidbits)

The Three Horsemen: Last night I attended a Steiner Sports event featuring Mike Richter, Mark Messier, and Brian Leetch. The trio looked good and in their retirement have grown incredibly funny and witty (especially when jostling each other)
Orr Not: Was anybody else bothered by Colton Orr's fight against Owen Nolan. Obviously Nolan gave Orr an unfair shot, but his crazy reaction was a bit much. I love a good fight as much as the next guy, but it was a bit too much given Nolan's age.
Speaking of Fighting: Nobody asked me, but fighting has a place in the game and should not be tampered with. Both Messier and Leetch agree...

Ottawa Snaps Ranger's Streak

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:07:00 +0000

After coming off an impressive win over the Buffalo Sabres at the Garden on Saturday, the Rangers came up short against the streaking Ottawa Senators last night.

Ottawa beat the Rangers 2-1, in what was a sluggish game for both sides, in my opinion.

The Blueshirt's performance on the ice was dull and bland last night. It was a disappointing showing, especially considering how dominant they seemed the night before, and in the last couple of weeks for that matter.

The Rangers got off to a nice start after Sen's goalie Alex Auld, whose never lost to the Rangers in regulation, misplayed a puck behind the net that resulted in a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his first in 24 games.

After taking the lead, the level of play gradually dwindled until the end of the first period, when the Rangers had registered an unimpressive 6 shots on goal.

Although the Rangers were consistently winning face-offs (Drury didn't lose one), there were too many open-ice turnovers to build significant momentum. The biggest turnover of all, was caused by an unlikely candidate in Scott Gomez, who tried dropping a pass off behind him that was picked off by Mike Fisher in the third period.

Fisher took the puck down into the Rangers defensive zone where it wound up on Ryan Shannon's stick, and then over Henrik Lundqvist's shoulder to break the 1-1 tie only a couple of minutes into the period.

"I thought the game was sloppy, by both teams," Tortorella said. "It was one of those games where you're about to make a play, you can't get it done. You try to make a pass, it's picked off. You turn the puck over when you should be making an easy play. By both teams, I thought."

The Rangers dialed up the intensity on offense after going down 2-1, but were never able to find more then a couple of legitimate scoring opportunities. That part of their game just wasn't there last night.

Call it tired legs after playing the day before, call it unlucky, or call it Sean Avery having too much fun on a Saturday night in Manhattan, like Boomer Esiason did this morning on the FAN.

Regardless, the loss last night was a disappointment.

Unfortunately, the Broadway Blues were unable to gain ground on the teams seeded in front of them, but the Rangers are still sitting nicely in seventh place of the post season race. The team is 7-3 in their last 10 games, and still playing great hockey compared to what we saw a month ago.

They will look to rebound from this defeat immediately tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild.

Rangers Sign Collegiate Paul Crowder

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:33:00 +0000

Center Paul Crowder, of the University of Anchorage Seawolves, has signed a contract with the New York Rangers.

A British Columbia forward, Crowder is 24 and was 14-19-33 in 35 games this year for the University of Anchorage Seawolves. He's 6-3, 202, a right-hand shot, and will likely be assigned to Hartford.

I like his size and offensive prowess, although at 24 I wonder what has taken him so long to get to this level. Newsday's Steve Zipay believes he could be a "late bloomer". We'll see what kind of progress he can make with his game in Hartford.

Rangers Win 4-1, Avery Scores Twice

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Yesterday afternoon the Broadway Blues beat up on the Flyers en route to a 4-1 victory at MSG. In a game that was broadcasted nationally on NBC, the Rangers bounced back from a loss to Philadelphia the previous day, splitting this weekend's home-and-home.

The story of the weekend, undoubtedly, was the return to form of our beloved Sean Avery.

Avery scored two power play goals on Sunday, his third and fourth goals registered in the last three games.

"I think it probably has to do with my mind-set and where my head is more than anything," Avery said. "We talked about it after the first couple of games, how I was just nervous and kind of playing a little too hard. So I was just trying to slow it down and think about the plays and where they are going to end up."

Perhaps even more beneficial then his offensive output, it was clear that Avery, and his instigating and agitating, completely threw Philadelphia off their mark.

"I think his probation period is over and now he's back up to his old antics," Philly coach John Stevens said. "And we got sucked in, to be quite honest with you. We gave ourselves no chance to win."

Often seen barking in the ears of players like Jeff Green and Mike Richards, Avery helped to keep the Flyers on edge and in the box, where they earned 24 penalty minutes on the day.

"They took way too many penalties to win this game," said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 24 saves for his 31st win.

As I'm sure I can speak for the majority of Rangers fans, it's great to see Avery becoming more and more comfortable out on the ice. He is playing with a certain swagger now that seemed to be missing from his game when he was first called up from Hartford.

This was a solid bounce back from a disappointing loss to the rival Flyers, and the Rangers are now tied for 6th in what is becoming and incredibly tight race to the Eastern Conference post season.

Rangers to Receive Compensatory Draft Pick

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:18:00 +0000

The Blueshirts will receive a compensatory pick in June's entry draft, resulting from the death of former prospect Alexei Cheraponov.

Though it is unclear whether Article 8.3 (b) of the CBA must be amended to accommodate this specific circumstance, the Blueshirts now stand to receive the 17th pick of this year's second round following Glen Sather's presentation yesterday at the NHL GMs meetings in Naples, Fla.

Cheraponov, who died on the ice several months ago from a cardiac condition, was drafted 17th overall by the Rangers in 2007. An incredibly sad story, he was considered one of the elite talents making his way through the ranks at the time.

Avery Returns, Rangers Win 4-2

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:11:00 +0000

The Rangers beat the Islanders 4-2 in what was a slightly uncomfortable win last night at the Coliseum.

Dan and I went to the game with our father, and while it was a nice win for the Blueshirts, it wasn't without struggle either. The pesky Islanders just would not go away.

While the score ended at 4-2, the Isles outplayed the Rangers in two of the most important statistical categories, hits and shots. Besides the stats, it seemed like the Islanders had just as many, if not more scoring opportunities as the Rangers, but struggled to capitalize.

The Rangers looked terrible in the defensive zone. They seemed helpless at times, and I found myself constantly holding my breath as the holes in the defense grew larger and the Islanders scoring chances multiplied. I'd imagine this will become a trend under Tortorella's high octane offensive attack.

To quote my father, "Tortorella would rather rely on an All-Star calibur goalie like Lundqvist to make more saves, if it means scoring more goals down the other end; completely opposite of Renney's mentality."

I couldn't agree more, and this theory seemed to work to perfection last night.

The Rangers forecheck was aggressive, and the offense found it's way into several high-quality scoring opportunities. Unlike the Isles, they were able to capitalize on those chances.

Two of the Ranger's goals were on power plays, one was on a 3 v. 1, and the other a clean-up in front of the net. Besides the goals, there were a handful of shots that rang off the posts as well. Zherdev, Gomez, Dubinsky, and Drury accounted for the scoring on the night.

As for the much-anticipated return of Sean Avery, although putting together a solid game in the end he seemed very timid to me. This is to be expected for a guy who hasn't seen NHL ice in several months.

The Islanders made it their priority to rough Avery up every single time he was out there. Unfortunately for Avery, they pulled this act off with flying colors. I followed his play very closely last night, and every single time he was near the puck an opponent was there to hit him. Unlike the Avery of old, he didn't retaliate once. Perhaps, Avery knew thats exactly what the Islanders wanted him to do.

It wasn't until the third period that #16 looked comfortable and confident on the ice. He had a few nice hits, handled the puck well, and even set up a couple of scoring opportunities. His first game back in the NHL after the "sloppy seconds" ordeal, Avery just needs some time to shake the rust off.

I believe we'll see the '07/'08 instigator back in no time.

A solid effort overall from the Blueshirts last night, and a good road win over their bitter cross-town rivals.

Rangers Acquire Morris, Antropov

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:22:00 +0000

As the trade deadline dwindled down to it's final minutes, the New York Rangers sent Peter Prucha, Nigel Dawes, and Dimitri Kalinin to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for veteran defenseman Derek Morris.

Morris has registered 12 points in 57 games this season.

The Rangers also acquired center Nik Antropov from the Toronto Maple Leafs, in exchange for a second round draft pick, as well as a conditional draft pick.

Antropov has 21 goals and 25 assists already this season.

Updates to follow soon...

Voros Placed on Waivers

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:21:00 +0000

In an attempt to free up some salary cap space, the Rangers placed Aaron Voros on waivers this afternoon.

After getting off to a hot start this season, Voros hasn't done much of anything the last couple of months.

Although I liked Voros' gritty style of play, he just wasn't producing for the Rangers, and so his departure isn't too shocking.

For more on this and a number of other NHL player moves leading up to tomorrow night's trade deadline, click HERE

BREAKING NEWS: Rangers Claim Avery on Re-entry Waivers

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:22:00 +0000

Word out of TSN Canada right now is that the New York Rangers have claimed winger Sean Avery on re-entry waivers this afternoon.

Rangers' general manager Glen Sather sees Avery as a boost to a struggling Rangers squad and believes that his coach and new acquisition will be able to co-exist.

''He doesn't have the history with Sean that we do,'' Sather said on a conference call last week. ''Over time, you learn to love him, just like I do.''

The Rangers will be responsible for paying half of Avery's remaining contract with the Dallas Stars.

Although this move has been expected for some time, it is not known at this point whether or not Avery will suit up against the Islanders Thursday night.

More to come...

Avery on Waivers, Bell Sent to Hartford

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:51:00 +0000

Good evening everyone.

TSN is reporting that the Dallas Stars placed Sean Avery, who has been playing for the Ranger's affiliate in Hartford, on re-entry waivers Monday afternoon.

At the same time, the Rangers sent recently acquired winger Mark Bell to the Wolfpack.

The move to relegate Bell to the minors is believed to be in order to make room on the roster to sign Avery once he clears waivers. Bell was probably just a back up plan.

While the potential move is definitely controversial, I think it can only make the Rangers a better team. During Avery's last stint in New York he was effective; he brings a lot of toughness to the ice, and has a celebrated ability to throw opponents off their game (go ask Martin Brodeur). This is perhaps Avery's best attribute as a hockey player, but he also provides an offensive boost, which the Rangers could certainly use.

Best of all, Avery was well liked by Rangers fans, including myself. His most productive season in the NHL thus far has been with New York, and the hope is that he can fit back into this team and thrive in John Tortorella's aggressive style of play. After having a rough divorce with Dallas, I believe Avery will be happy to return to New York and get his career back on track.

Unless a team lower in the standings swoops in to sign Avery, which is not expected to happen, the expectation is that he'll be ready to suit up for Thursday night's game against the Islanders at the Coliseum.

More on this to come, and check out TSN for other news.

Not Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:07:00 +0000

Another heart-breaking loss for the Rangers last night.

Perhaps the only changes seen in last night’s loss compared to Wednesday’s loss in Toronto, was the fact that the Rangers played in the Garden, against the Panthers.

Everything else seemed to followed suit.

The Rangers out-played their inferior opponent, the Rangers out-shot their inferior opponent, the Rangers scored first against their inferior opponent, and of course, the Rangers ultimately lost to their inferior opponent.

Same old story last night against Florida.

I was watching the game with Dan and we both agreed the Rangers looked great from the get go.

Right from the drop of the puck the team was playing with intensity, and passion.

An early goal that was overruled (erroneously, might I add), followed by another early goal that actually was allowed gave the fans hope of an exciting night to come.

Just like Wednesday, the Rangers were aggressive on the fore check, sent a barrage of shots toward the Panther’s net, and completely dominated and controlled the game through two periods.

Then came the dreaded third.

Late in the period, David Booth and Nathan Horton scored back to back goals to take the lead, and the Panthers held on to beat New York 2-1.

Other then missed scoring opportunities, which Rangers fans have now become accustom to seeing, the team was in it until Henrik Lundqvist had a hiccup in net.

Michael Obenauer of the NYDN says of Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist’s performance; Lundqvist - who once again had to be flawless to get a win - said he misread Booth's backhander from the right faceoff dot, expecting a high shot and being beaten for a soft goal through the legs. "It was a weak goal, no question," Lundqvist said.

So while there are definitely positive signs being shown by John Tortorella’s team, the growing pains of playing in his new system will take some time to overcome.

Although it will be difficult, fans who were expecting to see a dramatic “turnaround” will need to be patient.

For now, I still have faith that the Rangers will dig themselves out of this hole eventually, and find their way back into significance.

Rangers Lose 2-1 in Shoot Out

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Last night, the Rangers played their first game under fiery new coach John Tortorella and lost in an overtime shootout to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I watched the game, and to be honest I really liked what I saw on the ice.

The Rangers applied more pressure on the puck then they normally do, and you could tell the offensive minded system was having a positive effect.

The forecheck was strong, and the team outshot Toronto 32-24 (24-12 through the second period.)

The Rangers had several scoring opportunities throughout the game, and Wade Redden scored the Rangers' lone goal on a power play, which are all positive signs.

The Rangers completely dominated through two periods of play, but seemed to finally run out of gas midway through the third.

Toronto tied it up at 1-1 on a Niklas Hagman goal, and the game went to an overtime shootout where the Leafs picked up the victory.

Drury, Zherdev, and Naslund all failed to score on their shootout attempts, and Nikolai Kulemin sealed the deal with a wrister passed Lundqvist for the win.

If you're wondering how Toronto pulled this one off, look no further than Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala, who had a very impressive night between the posts.

Overall, last night's game showed signs of promise for the future.

Unfortunately, the Rangers are still having trouble putting the puck in the back of the net, but with a revved up offensive attack, I have to believe the goals will soon follow.

Other than the lack of scoring, the bigger concern last night was the Rangers lack of conditioning.
After playing an up-tempo brand through the first two periods of the game, it was obvious that fatigue began to set in by the third.

The Rangers are playing a completely different style of hockey now, and the team needs to adjust to that as soon as possible. Tonight's home game against the Panthers would be the perfect time to do so.

Hey Everyone!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:13:00 +0000

First, I’d like to thank my brother for that nice introduction. As mentioned, my name is Jason and I’m currently interning at a New York sports network while finishing up my senior year at Syracuse University. Although I study sport management at Syracuse and not journalism, I have been blogging for about two years now. One of my current projects is a new, New York sports blog called the New York Sports Vent (nysportsvent.blogspot.com).

I have been following and rooting for the Rangers for as long as I can remember. My childhood hero was none other than “The Captain” Mark Messier, and my very first online screen name was “BlueshirtFan22”. Needless to say, I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to begin contributing to Pucks on Broadway, and I look forward to building a good rapport with all of you.

On to tonight’s game against Toronto…

I’m not going to be irrational and call this a “must-win” or anything along those lines. There’s a new sheriff in town and with that will come some slight growing pains. Keep in mind; Renney and Tortorella have two completely different styles and philosophies when it comes to coaching. What I will say however, is that the Rangers need to have to come out swinging tonight. Toronto is a mediocre team at best, and after posting a lackadaisical effort against the Leafs on Howell/Bathgate night, the Rangers need to put together a high-energy and competitive performance. Again, this doesn’t necessarily have to come by way of a victory. A loss tonight will be attributed to the coaching change, but at the very least the fans deserve to see a respectable performance.

I’m particularly interested in focusing on the first line tonight. Sather brought Tortorella in to get the Rangers “bland” offense going, and that starts with Gomez, Naslund, and Zherdev. This line is built to be a high-octane, attacking force, and we have yet to see that this season. Another point of interest tonight will be how Coach T handles the special teams, which has been a tremendous area of weakness all year. On a side note, newly acquired forward Mark Bell will not be playing.

Tonight marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Rangers 2008-2009 season. As a fan, I’m looking forward to turning the page.

Another Puck on Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:52:00 +0000

While John Tortorella gets squared away in preparation for his first game behind the bench tonight in Toronto, we have our first addition here at Pucks on Broadway.

Who better to take some of the reigns here than my own minor league system: family.

Our newest writer is Jason Akeson, a current graduate of Syracuse University. He is interning with a local sports network and operates the blogs Your Sports Lock and most recently New York Sports Vent.

Jason will be blogging daily in addition to my features and provide an intriguing insight into pregame notes, trades, postgame, and other happenings around the league.

He will be by this afternoon to give you a brief background of his credentials as well as preview tonight's game at Toronto.

Exciting News

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:45:00 +0000

When this blog began a while back, I never dreamed it would lead to so many different avenues. I have taken pride in the frequency of posts as well as the quality of the writing here. In turn, I have had many positive experiences with readers and fellow bloggers.

Unfortunately, over the past couple months many of you have noticed that I have been a bit AWOL when it comes to posting here on Pucks.

While I hate not updating, it comes with good reason and an exciting announcement.

I have been asked to take a greater role with the Blueshirt Bulletin, the Rangers Indepent Monthly Publication. Part of this role is being the exclusive front page blogger on BlueshirtBulletin.com.

In order to focus on this, I have had to sacrifice some of my other writings, much of which has come at the expense of Pucks.

However, this blog isn't going anywhere.

My daily posts will now be seen on Blueshirt, but I will maintain feature stories, analytical pieces, and opinions here on Pucks.

In the coming weeks, I will also be speaking with some other Rangers' writers about contributing here so that we never lose the daily content.

If you are interested in contributing, shoot me an email at pucksonbroadway@gmail.com.

Nonetheless, I promise to continue and provide the readers here with intriguing content and debate while providing the readers of Blueshirt Bulletin the daily content that made Pucks so successful.

So stay tuned because as always, more to come...

Tom Foolery

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:03:00 +0000

Back before a critical afternoon match-up between the Rangers and the top - seeded Boston Bruins.

Having parted ways with Dan Fritsche (for seventh defenseman Erik Reitz), the onus will now be on Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha, Aaron Voros, and Lauri Korpikoski to try and establish themselves as part of the top four lines.

In addition, the presence of Reitz also places a little pressure on the likes of Paul Mara, Wade Redden, and Dmitri Kalinin. Perhaps this is the little fire that the defense needs to shore up and get back on track.

Today's lineup will look like:
Markus Naslund - Scott Gomez - Ryan Callahan
Nigel Dawes - Lauri Korpikoski - Chris Drury
Aaron Voros - Brandon Dubinsky - Nik Zherdev
Freddy Sjostrom - Blair Betts - Colton Orr

All the D - pairings will be the same.

I have to admit I am a bit surprised by this. Drury is a proven NHL center, and he is being stepped over and forced to wing for Korpikoski? No disrespect to the "Korpedo," but Drury should have the second line center spot.

Which leads me to our title, Tom Foolery...

As anyone who visits here will attest, I like Head Coach Tom Renney and feel that he is currently the best coach for this group. However, that does not mean that he is infallible. And there are a few items worth noting:
1. Drury's Place: Clearly a team player. Clearly the team Captain. Clearly established. Yet, not once has he had the security of knowing his position for more than a game or two nor has he known who his linemates would be. Is this a testament to his ability to adapt or just mis-use of a fine player? I would argue the latter.

2. Positive Prucha: He works hard. Comes into the lineup and scores. Then he's benched again. Are the Rangers showcasing Voros at the expense of Prucha? Or did Prucha insult Renney's mother? Something doesn't add up.

3. Too much #4: Renney has overused the fourth line plain and simple. I am not claiming that they are ineffective because they play an important role. But late in periods, after goals, etc. the line has come out and simply been overmatched and resulted in goals against. Think of the most recent Carolina game. Rangers get a two-goal lead, Renney puts the fourth line out. A few seconds later, goal against. The Rangers allow far too many goals on the immediate shift after scoring and that is due in large part to the use of the fourth line.

More after the B's game...
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Errant Pucks: (A new feature with musings, rumblings and tidbits)

So Long Sammy: First we lost John Dellapina of the Daily News, now former Rangers beat writer Sam Weinman of LoHud is waving goodbye as he takes on ventures in the golf world. I know I speak for all bloggers when I say "thank you" as he was the most frequent and intriguing Rangers blogger over the past couple seasons.
The King: Henrik needs to get back to his throne, and worry less about his off-ice ventures. If he doesn't, his career will be as successful as another King. He of Graceland.
The Gravy Train: Tuesday marks the retirement of No. 9 to the Garden Rafters. Stay tuned for additional coverage...

An Unholy Union in Uniondale

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:47:00 +0000

It's that time again, Rangers v. Islanders and the odds are drastically tilted.

The Rangers are in the midst of relocating their early season form while the Islanders have already thrown in the 08'-09' towel and are banking on a Jon Tavares selection in the NHL Draft.

Yet, as we all know, none of this matters when these two teams hit the ice. The game becomes about heart, effort, and whichever team decides they dislike the other more.

How can we analyze the Rangers play of late? I think resurgent is a bit of a stretch, but could be applied to certain players.

Henrik Lundqvist can certainly make a case that he has been resurgent, with two shutouts in the last three starts. Yet, that only qualifies if we forget that clunker in Montreal.

Petr Prucha is definitely resurgent. With points in nearly every game since returning to the lineup, he has shown the heart and passion that made him so special his first season.

Also, don't discount the play of Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin. While their seasons have been sub-par, their last seven games have not. Both have shown a lot of confidence and have settled their games down considerably. They have also landed themselves in the plus column over the past few games.

Resurgency in the waiting? I would look toward Brandon Dubinsky and Nik Zherdev as they have gotten off the snide.

We have seen flashes of excellence in the power play and penalty killing and now we await , as Head Coach Tom Renney would call it, "traction." Can the Rangers sustain the solid efforts and improved special teams play?

With games coming against Chicago and Pittsburgh, they had better hope or they will continue to fall in the standings.

Regardless, we are getting to the point where the Rangers need to take two points from certain games. Tonight is one of them. There are no guarateed points in sight and the Rangers need to take advantage of teams that are clearly below them talent-wise.

Also, don't discount the effect of momentum and psyche. The Rangers could use some and this game would propel that.

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Errant Pucks: (A new feature with musings, rumblings and tidbits)

Satanic Shanny: We knew that Martin Brodeur was a (the) Devil, but so is former Ranger Brendan Shanahan. Terms were not disclosed, but we can only wish him well. So long as it isn't against the Rangers.
Valient Vally: Valiquette has proven more valuable than any Rangers fan could have guessed before the season. His steady play and integral role in the locker room and bench have shown through brighter than your average backup.
All Stars: Lundqvist will go for the big show, but Dubinsky and Marc Staal will make appearances in the Young Guns game. You could make a case that Staal belongs in the big show as much as any other Ranger.

Ushering in the New Year on Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (Woodside Acres) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:58:00 +0000

Thankfully, the Rangers salvaged my off-time with a victory against the Icelanders so this post won't be totally negative.

Yet, we obviously have enough to be discouraged about and questioning where this team is heading.

Can the coaching staff be trusted with this group going forward? Will the players finally play to the standard of the contracts they signed? How will the Rangers defense tighten up in the second half? If they tighten up.

But let's not allow these predicaments and quandries to ruin the remainder of the holidays, it certainly isn't affecting the players (just ask Captain Drury).

Instead, let's make some predictions of what the remainder of the season will hold:

* Petr Prucha will be a mainstay in the NHL: but it may not be for the Rangers. The fiery winger has done all he can to earn the limelight from Head Coach Renney, now it will be up to the Rangers whether they want to move forward with him.

*The Power Play will improve: because it has to. At near-worst in the NHL, the worst they could feasibly do is stay the same. So brighter skies are on the horizon.

*A big move will come: Just finished editing the next Blueshirt Bulletin which has a lot of very intriguing and pointed articles regarding the blueshirts. Suffice to say, there is more inner turmoil than many suspect in this lockerroom of "outstanding chemistry." A huge move might be enough to motivate this group.

*Vezina in Sweden: Four times a charm for Lundqvist who is the most deserving candidate to this point, except for perhaps Evgeni Nabokov and Tim Thomas. Yet, expect both the Boston and San Jose trains to slow down as is the ebbs and flows of the NHL.

*Cap crunch: The salary cap will most likely be forced to a lesser number as the economy has begun hitting the NHL. Teams have begun cost cutting and efficiency measures such as aid from the league and inexpensive ticket packages.

So drink some champagne, ponder these thoughts, and enjoy the New Year. We will be back in frequency in 2009.

Until then, thanks as always for a successful year and have a safe and happy New Year.

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Errant Pucks: (A new feature with musings, rumblings and tidbits)

Happy Holidays!