An uphill climb...

With the Rangers now down 2-0 in the series against the Penguins, they now face a very daunting obstacle in order to have a chance to win the series. I will touch on that later. What I feel needs to be addressed is NBC's blatant favoritism towards the Penguins. Not once did I hear Emrick, McGuire, or any of the announcing crew say anything positive about the Rangers.

Here are some of my thoughts on the game overall:

-NBC's favoritism towards the Penguins is UNBELIEVABLE...I'm listening to the radio feed the next time a game is on NBC

-without that quick whistle, overtime hockey will be in progress right now

-MAF never had control of the puck on that particular play....it should have been 1-1 Rangers; anyone who knows hockey knows that should have been a goal, and the referee was simply not in the right position to see that the puck was still loose

-the Penguins PP is unstopable, the Rangers need to find an answer for that and fast
-this series is over unless the Rangers win both at the Garden. I still stick by my prediction of Rangers in 6, you still have to like the Rangers chances if they win Game 3, and with 3 of the next 4 potential games in the series at the Garden.

LET'S GO RANGERS!!!! Keep the faith!!

Rangers vs. Penguins Series Preview

As the start of the series swiftly approaches, I will break down each aspect of the series that will determine the outcome. First off, the matchups between the two teams:

Jagr vs. Self: Pittsburgh fans will most definitely be booing him after leaving Pittsburgh a few years ago. Historically, he has not played well in Pittsburgh. If Jagr can get over the personal demons that he left in Pittsburgh, and continues his very stellar play, things could get difficult for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh offense vs. Henrik Lundqvist: If Henrik shows up to play this series and plays his A game, the Rangers will certainly be the favorites to overcome the Penguins. However, if Lundqvist is just average this series, the Rangers are heading for a quick exit. Henrik Lundqvist needs to exhibit his Vezina finalist game if the Rangers are to contend.

Rangers offensive depth vs. Pittsburgh defense: Pittsburgh has a very solid defensive core, whom are very tight, yet are very beatable. Facing three New York offensive lines that are very capable of scoring will test the strength of the Pittsburgh defense, as well as Marc Andre Fleury, the young goaltender of the Penguins. Pittsburgh has the firepower to score 3 goals in an average game. The Rangers' top guns need to come out firing as well.

Now for advantages:

Offense-You have to love the balanced scoring that the Rangers have, but the hard work of Crosby and the pure skill of Malkin merely headline the very high-octane Pittsburgh offense. High scoring games are definitely in store this series

Edge: Pittsburgh

Defense-The Rangers play a very solid team defense, often with the forwards helping out on the backcheck. The Penguins defensive corps is very experienced save Letang, but they are getting slower.

Let's call this one even-Push

Goaltending: Lundqvist is a Vezina nominee in his first three years that he has been in the league. Any questions?

Edge: New York



Final Prediction: Sean Avery was definitely a huge part of the Rangers success against the Devils in the Conference quarterfinals. He threw Brodeur off his game enough that he gave up 3 or more goals in 4 of the 5 games in the series. It is hard to say who Avery's target will be this time around, but with Colton Orr slated to be in the lineup tonight, Avery will be able to focus his attention towards the star players on Pittsburgh. Who will it be? Crosby? Malkin? Hossa?Fleury? Gonchar? Only time will tell. However, bank on him chatting amicably with one of these players.

On the big picture, both teams are coming off an extended rest, so I expect the rust factor to be a prevalent theme in the first 2 games of the series. The Pittsburgh offense will come out firing early, but if the Rangers defense and Lundqvist do their job, I can see the Rangers stealing a couple of games at the Mellon Arena. This will be a very hard, fought out series that will be determined by defense and goaltending. Mistakes in the defensive end will determine the outcomes of most games. I would not be a Ranger fan if I didn't say that the referees will play an integral part in the series as well. The Rangers better be careful when the poster boy of the league Sidney Crosby has the puck. The Rangers will most likely be on the penalty kill if any them do as much as sneeze on Crosby. Conspiracy theories aside, staying out of the box and penalty killing will be very important for the Rangers.

As for how I think it will play out, the first couple of games will be very hardly fought, but the Rangers will lose either Game 1 or 2. Marian Hossa will put on his disappearing act again in the playoffs against the Rangers, but secondary scorers like Staal and Sykora will step up in a big way for the Penguins. Lundqvist will continue his amazing play, and the Rangers will be for the most part average offensively.....until they lose a game on a questionable penalty, most likely in Game 3 or 4 at the Garden. The Rangers, however, will rally around this game and not put their heads in the sand. They will put it together, courtesy of some timely scoring from the Rangers vets in the closing games. The first Stanley Cup for Sidney Crosby will have to wait at least one more year.

Rangers in 6

Pittsburgh it is

Game 1: Friday, April 25th at The Mellon Arena. It begins...

UPDATE: 4:12 pm April 23rd

The rest of the schedule is as follows...

*if necessary

Sunday, April 27, 2008 2 p.m. NY Rangers at Pittsburgh NBC, CBC
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at NY Rangers VERSUS, CBC
Thursday, May 1, 2008 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at NY Rangers VERSUS, CBC
*Sunday, May 4, 2008 2 p.m. NY Rangers at Pittsburgh NBC, CBC
*Monday, May 5, 2008 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at NY Rangers VERSUS, CBC
*Wednesday, May 7, 2008 TBD NY Rangers at Pittsburgh

And now we wait.....

I apologize for my mini-sabbatical from writing this blog, but I was so excited about the Rangers playoff win on Friday night that I just drank myself into a coma until now in celebration. Well, not really anyway. Although there is much reason to celebrate the exorcism of the demon of the dreadful '06 playoff first round sweep, the road to the Stanley Cup is far from over.

With Boston forcing a Game 7 at Montreal, they are one team to keep an eye on if they steal another game in Montreal as they did for Game 5. Not only would they have a lot of confidence after beating the best team in the East, they have played the Rangers to two 0-0 draws that ended up as 1-0 victories, one for each team, in the shootout this season. Two teams with similar styles of play would certainly make for a very interesting Eastern Conference Finals down the road, but the Rangers are by far not guaranteed to get there looking at possible opponents for the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Here are the possible opponents for Round 2:

Montreal- The scenario: Rangers go to Montreal if the Habs beat Boston in Game 7,and the Caps top the Flyers completing an improbable comeback. Despite the February 19th nightmare in Montreal that every Ranger fan would like to forget, I really like the Rangers chances against a Montreal team that the Rangers got 7 out of an 8 possible points against this season. While Montreal has it's fair threats on offense, a Montreal back-end is not to be so worried about if Mike Komisarek is not playing his best hockey. An otherwise average defensive corps held by a rookie 20-year old goalie in the first playoff games of his career is the perfect recipe for an upset. I have an itch that Bob Gainey will regret trading Huet to the Caps. Bank on a Montreal exit from the playoffs next round or sooner, regardless of who they play.

Pittsburgh- The scenario: The most likely of all scenarios, the Rangers start off in Pittsburgh if Montreal wins Game 7, and the Flyers finish off the Caps. While Pittsburgh boasts the best offensive corps in the East, they have a potentially lights out defensive crew along with another young goaltender that has the ability to steal games. The forecheck will definitely be key if the Rangers meet the Penguins. As long as the Rangers bring the heavy offensive pressure, play a consistent defense, and Lundqvist continues his Vezina caliber play, I can see the Rangers advancing without too much difficulty. Staying out of the penalty box wouldn't hurt either. Pierre McGuire, NBC, Versus, and all of the other Sidney Crosby lovers, eat your heart out.

Philadelphia- The scenario: If Montreal chokes at home in Game 7 and the Flyers beat the Caps, the Rangers will start on home ice against the Flyers. You may say. "Wouldn't it be great to have home ice advantage in a playoff series?" The answer is not necessarily, especially when you are playing the Flyers. I will go on the record and say that out of the 3 likely playoff opponents, the Flyers are the team that scares me the most. With a pretty steady defense, a good goaltender, and young guns on the offense, they have the style of play that can wear down and beat a team in a best of 7 series. We saw very good games between the two teams during the regular season, including a couple of contests that went to a shootout, suggesting a very close series that would go down to the wire if the two teams were to meet in the postseason.

Right now, I believe that the Rangers are capable of beating any team in the Eastern Conference in a 7 game series, but as we saw in the Devils series, all it takes for a series to completely change is one lucky goal that came off of a deflection or odd bounce. As fans, all we can do is wait for the next opponent, and hope that the hockey gods are on our team's side.

The "Sean Avery" Rule

As most of you know, the technique that Sean Avery used to distract Devils goalie Martin Brodeur last night during a 5 on 3 power play has stirred quite a lot of controversy. Many say that Avery's antics were "Bush League", and that it has no place in the sport, but conversely, others say that it was an ingenious way to cause a distraction for an opposing goalie within the rules of the game. However, as mandated by the NHL, rule 75, describing unsportsmanlike conduct, has been amended. Here is the actual text of the updated rule.....

“An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty (Rule 75) will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play.”

Now you may ask my personal opinion on the rule change, and here it is: Absolute bull****......to put it nicely. While such an instance may be distracting to an opposing goaltender, isn't the purpose of the goaltender screen the same? To prevent the goaltender from getting a clear view of the shot? Yes, I will admit Avery's antics last night were Bush league, but until today, it was within the rules and perfectly legal. It is players like Avery who bring excitement and attention to the game, something the NHL needs to put itself on the map here in America. To add to that, old style hockey that we see today is what sets the NHL apart from other North American major league sports. In what other sport is assaulting another person only punishable by 5 minute timeout from the game? In what other sport can you hit a guy on the other team with the puck as hard as you can against glass boards? This is why people love hockey and the NHL over other sports.

While the NFL is gaining the reputation as the "No Fun League" for considering the regulation of how long an athlete can grow out his hair, hockey players are putting their bodies on the line and doing whatever it takes for just a chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. Even as a fan of a rival team, you have to appreciate what each and every player does on a day in and day out basis to prepare for that chance. However, when people don't appreciate hockey players that are unorthodox, namely Sean Avery in this case, for doing something innovative and new, and complain that the player is a disgrace to the game, then ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem.

For your viewing pleasure, attached is a video of Sean Avery doing what has caused this controversy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec_2oKWe2Gw

Keys to Game 4

I won't dare to comment on Game 3, so I will sum it up in one sentence: The hockey gods did not allow the Rangers to win this game. Instead, this is a series again, where the Devils have cut the series lead the Rangers have to 1 game. The last thing the Rangers want to happen is to go back to Newark with the series tied 2-2. Here are some important points that will most likely determine the outcome of Wednesday night's Game 4 at the Garden:

• STAY OUT OF THE PENALTY BOX- This absolutely killed the Rangers in Game 3. Two power play goals, legit or not, made the game tightly contested. If the Rangers play smart and don't take bad penalties, I guarantee a 3-1 lead in the series for the Rangers 72 hours from now.

• Defensive coverage- On the game clinching goal, Madden was not checked, and the puck shot from his stick proceded to go off of a Ranger skate and into the net. Playing more tight down low will surely limit the scoring opportunities that the Devils get.

• Keep up the intensity- The Devils are going to come out on fire for Game 4, so the intensity of their team must be matched. However, as I mentioned before, the Rangers need to be very careful to not take stupid penalties that could jeopardize any momentum that they may have.

• Play the game- As a team, the Rangers are playing brilliant hockey right now, but there are the small things that they must do to beat a very well rounded opponent. Their offense seems to be clicking, and as long as the Garden Faithful and the Rangers skaters get into the head of Brodeur, they should have no problem closing out this series.

So there you have it, Game 4, Wednesday, April 16th, 7 pm at the Garden. Believe in Blue! Until then...

What if.....

On this warm and balmy mid-April afternoon, one cannot help but to think of hockey, most specifically the Game 2 contest between the Rangers and Devils that we witnessed last night. The first 2 periods of the game were played very conservatively by both teams, as we were treated to a very even contest between the two teams during this time. However, during the third period, there are so many things that could have happened that could have had implications on the rest of the series. Here are just a few:

What if....

-Colin White didn't screen Brodeur, and Brodeur was able to get on the post to prevent the first Ranger goal from going in?

-Chris Drury was illegally taken out of the play when the Devils scored with less than 2 minutes left?

-The Lagenbrunner penalty wasn't called?

-Betts was called for hooking on Paul Martin?

Speculation aside, I believe that we would have seen a similar result in the end, with the Rangers going ahead on Avery's perfect shot into the upper-right corner. If, however, the opposite of some things I listed above occurred, we could be looking at a different series going into tomorrow's game at the Garden. I do believe that there were questionable calls and non-calls by the referees last night, but as a Rangers fan, I'll take the 2-0 lead in the series that they have.

Game 1 to the Blueshirts

What we witnessed tonight was a very close game. The Rangers came out somewhat flat in the first period, and were fortunate to end the period at a tie. However, the Rangers came out firing in the second and third periods, and they were able to put the game away and win the game 4-1. Tonight's win was due in the most part to something the Rangers are not known for, and that is to crash the net for a rebound. Two of the most crucial goals in the game for the Rangers came off of rebound opportunities, much to the disdain of Martin Brodeur. Despite giving up one power play goal in the second period, the Rangers penalty kill came up big in the third period, killing off two key penalties.

The game ended with Shanahan unselfishly sliding the puck to Dawes to allow him to score his first career playoff goal into the empty net to make the score 4-1 and end the game.

Either way, we will all be treated to another entertaining and exciting game between the two

Metro-area teams two days from now this upcoming Friday in Game 2 at the Prudential Center.

*Picture courtesy of tsn.ca*

Here we are...

One day before the most highly anticipated series of this year's playoffs. After the Rangers' impressive stretch run, they look more than ready to make some noise in the playoffs this year after an early exit in '06 and a second round loss last season. I can guarantee one thing, and that is that the series between the Devils and Rangers will not be a sweep as it was two years ago.

Lundqvist is more mature than he ever was, and is already a veteran to playoff hockey in only his 3rd season of NHL competition. Add that to the playoff minded signings of Gomez and Drury, supplemented by solid play from the young players on the team, and you have a serious Stanley Cup Contender.

Martin Brodeur, is, well, Martin Broduer. Even at his age, he still has the ability to steal games for his team. The emergence of Zach Parise as a 1st liner and the continued consistent play of Patrik Elias and the Devils' defense will make for a barnburner of a series against the Rangers.

My prediction: This series will be the closest of all 7 other playoff series going on this year. Both teams have excellent goaltending and team defense, so the result of the series will be dependent on the offense of each team. You have to go with experience in a series like this. Rangers in 7



On a side note, Tampa Bay won the Stamkos Lottery...ahem...the Draft Lottery last night. However, I believe that Tampa is really hurting on defense. and they just might trade the #1 pick to get some help. Teams like Columbus and Minnesota would kill for a #1 center next season, and I see them as possible suitors that have trading chips that the Lightning would be interested in. If they do, this, however, the Lightning should be wise and lock up Vinny to a contract extension before considering a trade including their #1 pick.

The Playoff Push of 2008

I'll be honest with you, if you had told me 2 months ago today that the Rangers would be the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, I would have laughed thinking of such an occurence. The investments of Gomez and Drury were looking to be busts, and the 6 year, $6.875 million contract extension Henrik Lundqvist was given looked to be a mistake. Once 10th in the East, many of us were calling for the heads of Tom Renney and even Rangers GM Glen Sather. But here we are, in the beginning of April, with our team looking primed to be a tough team to beat in this year's playoffs. Here are a couple of factors that I attribute to the Rangers' surge in the past few weeks:

• The resurgence of Henrik Lundqvist as a top 3 goalie in the Eastern Conference: This guy has been playing out of his mind lately; a sub 1.00 GAA against key rival New Jersey, and most recently, earning his 10th shutout of the year, the best in the NHL and the most by a Ranger since the time of Bun Cook and Lester Patrick. In the contest today versus the Devils, he gave the Rangers a fighting chance to earn home ice advantage against the Devils in the upcoming Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Playoff series. With the exception of dropping a couple of eggs along the way, this man has been the team MVP next to Scott Gomez this calendar year.

• Trading for Christian Backman and the play of Marek Malik: Before you all bash me, let me say a few things. At the time of the trade deadline, the Rangers were wearing thin defensively with the injury to Paul Mara and the slight injury to Michal Rozsival. For a 4th round pick, the Rangers acquired their 3rd best defenseman in the past couple of weeks. After shaking off early nerves. Backman has turned into a reliable defenseman with some offensive upside. He is mistake prone, but there has only been one instance in which Backman could have cost the Rangers the game. Overall, a good trade by Sather, since mid-round draft picks are all relative in value. Onto Marek Malik, after being declared an "enemy of the people" by the Garden Faithful, he has stepped in the past few games and has done a solid job on defense. No glaring mistakes have been made, and that ever dangerous outlet pass has led to many Rangers scoring opportunities. Despite this, Malik is likely to be shown the door this offseason for salary cap reasons.

• Scott Gomez and Chris Drury earning their paychecks: What can I say, Scott Gomez has been the Rangers' best skater and leading point getter all season. He is a quick, dyamic player that creates a scoring chance on almost every end to end rush across the ice that he has become known for. With a bonafide sniper on his wing, Gomez is easily a point per game player, coming close to that rate with the likes of Nigel Dawes, Brendan Shanahan, and Petr Prucha as his linemates. Chris Drury has more than held up his reputation as "Captain Clutch" as a New York Ranger. Most recently with an OT game winner against Pittsburgh, his tendency for heroics will come in handy during the playoff run. Perhaps if he continues to maintain his reputation during this year's playoffs, it is possible that he will be awarded with a certain important letter on his sweater next year.

• The emergence of Nigel Dawes and Brandon Dubinsky: I always knew that Nigel Dawes would earn a roster spot on this team, it was just a matter of when. After this year, Nigel has rightfully earned his top 9 spot on the Rangers after toiling in Hartford for the past couple of years. I first witnessed his game in person at the first Rangers-Devils game at MSG this season. He scored 2 brilliant goals to give the Rangers a 2-0 win against Brodeur's Devils. At this point, I knew that he had earned his spot. He is a sniper with a very quick release that I believe is capable of reaching the 30 goal/65 point range in the very near future. Count me a very unhappy Ranger fan if he is at any point traded by Sather. As for Dubinsky, I don't think that any Ranger fan can say that this guy was going to come out of the gate like he did this season. He has been a very pleasant surprise for the Rangers this season, coming as close to a "five tool player" as you would call in baseball as any Ranger I can think of. His speed, shot, stickhandling, toughness (not to mention his willingness to drop the gloves), and responsibility in the defensive zone have catapulted him to the first line center job with Jagr. If he keeps improving, I see Dubinsky as a #2 center on this team with an A on his jersey in 4-5 years.

Outside of Staal's amazing rookie campaign and the consistent play of Tyutin and Girardi, that just about accounts for the improvement among the Rangers in the past couple of months.

I look to be posting again soon, probably in the next couple of days before Game 1.

Welcome!

Here in this blog, I will offer my insight to the progress and current events of our beloved Broadway Blueshirts. Being a Ranger fan for as long as I can remember, I share all of your passion and desire for our team to succeed. For those reading right now, this blog is a work in progress, as I plan to be putting some time into this in the very near future.

More later.....