Peepin' Foes: Nashville Predators

The Rangers are due to battle the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night at the Garden at 7 p.m. (MSG).

Even with local television making the forecast sound like the coming of the apocalypse, the odds of the game being cancelled are slim. For one, the NHL played the NBC Caps/Pens game on schedule despite a state of emergency due to snow. And for two, New York is a real city - no reason to close down for something so petty as a few inches of snow. Of course, the LIRR has already put out a warning that 10 inches will shut down the system so my personal four year streak of not missing a regular season home game is in jeopardy. And not the fun kind with Alex Trebek.

Where We Are: Coming off of a huge win over the Devils on Saturday. They've actually had two straight days of practice, which hasn't happened in a month.

Where They Are: Nashville lost Tuesday in a shootout on the Island. The Fishermen had their triple backup goalie Biron in the net so it was all the more embarrassing. However, they are in seventh in the West with 67 points in 59 games; the Rangers sit in 10th with 59 in 59.

Who To Watch For: They are doing quite well without having and real standout scorers. The neck-less Barry Trotz has them playing such a great team game on both sides of the ice that the entire team is dangerous - from Hank's soon-to-be-teammate on Sweden Patric Hornqvist down to Milwaukee call-up Cal O'Reilly, who scored his first goal against the Isles. That being said, old Devil foe Jason Arnott is always dangerous, as is Martin Erat.

What To Watch For: The Rangers giving too much room to the Pred blueliners, who are all capable of blasting the puck on goal. Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, Cody Franson all have incredible shots that they are not afraid to take. If Francis Bouillon has a decent game, rumour has it that Sather may swing a deal for him (and despite his name, Bouillon is a NY native). Joel Ward broke free for a gorgeous breakaway goal on the Isles and can turn on the jets just like that. Dan Ellis can get hot and run away with games - just ask Chris Mason - seeing as Pekka Rinne started against the Isles, we are likely to see @dellis39.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: No snow. Another outstanding effort from the Rangers, including Chris Drury - he has a one game scoring streak. Marian Gaborik not to show any signs of injury from his cut in practice (see! that's what happens when we start talkin' bout practice!). Hank shutting down Hornqvist. Sean Avery not wasting time with Jordin Tootoo but Brandon Prust beating down Wade Belak after the albino does something dumb.

Also Check Out: The local MSM guy is John Glennon SBN has On The Forecheck, Nashville's Sommet Center has born Section 303, See Puck City is good, as is What the Puck?

26-26-7: Here He Comes To Save The Day!

Let the entire NHL hate Sean Avery. Let the refs grind their axes against him. It's ok. Really. It is ok because New York loves Sean Avery and Avery loves New York. On a night where Henrik Lundqvist makes Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy Brodeur look like a house league goaltender, on a night when hell freezes over and Chris Drury scores an important goal, it was Sean Avery who saved the day.

No, Avery didn't mess with Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy but instead he turned his talents upon Ilya Kovalchuk. New Jersey was pressuring and getting deep in the Ranger end late in the third period but Avery provoked Kovy and the Russian lost his mind. Both players got double minors (Kovalchuk should have gotten more) and both went to the box. That meant that Sean got Devils' top scorer off the ice with less than three minutes to go to preserve a 3-1 win for the Rangers.

Were the Henrik Lundqvist glove saves monumental? No doubt. Was Drury's goal a nail in the heart of New Jersey? Absolutely. But Avery being Avery was what closed another fantastic chapter in the Hudson rivalry. It was smart, calculated hockey by the super pest and exactly why love him in New York. Go Sean.

Notes:

*Kind of ironic that Hank made at least a half dozen outstanding glove saves and Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy gives up the eventual game-winner on a shot right past his catcher. Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy, Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy, Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy ...

*Late in the third but prior to Avery's achievement, there was the most exotic of animals on the ice - a cycling Ranger side. The Blueshirts capably moved the puck around the New Jersey zone for what seemed like an eternity. And they were sending crisp, clean simple passes around while moving their feet and getting to space. It was incredible. Just as they seem to have learned that dumping and chasing isn't a good game plan, they are hopefully learning to cut down on the cuteness in their passing. Simple, direct feeds work just as well, if not better, than blind behind-the-back drops.

*Gabby's tic-tac-toe power play goal to open the night's scoring was sweet. Gabby finally made some space for himself on the doorstep and Ryan Callahan turned a feed from Michael Del Zotto down to the open superstar for the tap-in.

*As I mentioned up top, Chris Drury actually scored. His off-balance shot somehow went through a screen and past Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy to make it 3-0 Rangers. It was a nice consolation for the captain's terrible first period penalty and his two faceoff losses in the Ranger end in the final minutes.

*Matt Gilroy is under the weather; like Dan Girardi last season, Gilroy is suffering from Redden-itis - a horrible disease where a promising young defenseman has his growth stunted by being paired with the old albatross. Something should be done before it is too late to salvage some hope for Hobey.

*The ice crew was all wearing the new Olympic player-number tee shirts. It was a nice touch as the team tries to convince fans to spend $32 on a tee shirt.

*The Rangers debuted two new features on the big board on this night. First off they had a new pre-game montage where they dropped common players in with guys from days gone by. The other was a constant listing of which lines were on the ice. It was humourous watching some poor intern keep up with who was going over the boards but other than the comedy it was completely worthless. A numbered listing of players who are on the ice is just ridiculous.

*Brandon Prust fought Andrew Peters twice, for no apparent reason than entertaining the former Sabre and justifying his paycheque. The first tussle went on forever and was horrible, with Prust holding onto the glass behind him for some inexplicable reason. The second should never have happened. Peters dropped his gloves and Prust could have skated away, giving the Rangers a power play. Instead he waited until the refs saw that he didn't want to go and then fought him anyway - and got his ass kicked in another boring bout. This kid is supposed to be a improvement over the imbecile Donald Brashear, he should start acting like it.

*There was a lot of red in the building but really not as much as expected. I think there were just as many, if not more, Washington fans on Thursday but luckily these guys walked out disappointed. Amid the army of red, I spotted a half dozen or so Cardiff Devils fans. Let's hope the Welsh weren't rooting for their namesakes.

*The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem Choir Alumni sang the national anthem and I have to admit that they did a helluva job. They needed to give a little more space where we scream "Let's Go Rangers" after "gallantly streaming..." but that was the only complaint. Their singing was spectacular.

*Olli "Doll's Eyes" Jokinen needs to get his game together. He took yet another bad minor, his fourth in two games. Sure, he is more involved than Ales Kotalik ever was but he needs to be smarter and better.

I'm sure there is more but a bit of college hockey and a bit of celebration after the Ranger game has taken its toll. Keep an eye on my twitter @truebluefan329 for anything that may cross my mind in the morning (or at this rate, afternoon) tomorrow.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Marian Gaborik - one goal.
2-Ryan Callahan - one goal and one assist.
1-Henrik Lundqvist - 41 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Cally - He kills penalties, he hits, he shoots, he scores.
2-Avery - Sure he didn't screw with Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy and missed a great scoring chance but he came through anyway in the end.
1-Hank - Mmmmaaaarrrrttttyyyy who? The Swede owns Fatso in MSG and hopefully will in Vancouver as well.

Peepin' Foes: New Jersey Devils

Seeing as the big storm that has freaked people out is now only expected dump all of two to four inches on New York (as of 2:45am), the Ranger game Saturday night should go on without a hitch. Well, it should start on time, but the New Jersey Devils will definitely muck things up a bit. Puck drop is still scheduled for 7 p.m. and it will be on MSG2 for the Ranger-cast and MSG+ for the Devils.

Where We Are: Coming off of the seventh loss in eight games, one where the power play finally scored (three times!) and players other than Marian Gaborik found the back of the net but the team still blew a two goal lead to steal defeat from the jaws of victory. Despite the slide, the team is still in the thick of the playoff hunt in the Least.

Where They Are: Second place in the Least. They played Toronto three of the last four games and won two of them, including a wild one Friday night where they did a reverse-Rangers by not folding and blowing a lead at the end of a period and instead scoring three goals in three minutes to come from behind and win.

Who To Watch For: That game marked the Devil debut of Ilya Kovalchuk and he contributed two assists for his new side. He may do even better on Saturday should the rumours prove true and Patrik Elias return from that big hit last month. David Clarkson and Paul Martin will still be on the IR, but Jersey still has Zach Parise, still has Travis Zajac and still has Jamie Langenbrunner. But, the Rangers being the Rangers, Dainius Zubrus or Rob Niedermayer could just as easily strike or Vladimir Zharkov could score his first NHL goal.

What To Watch For: More goals than the last time this two teams met (the insanely exciting 1-0 shootout loss). Kovy to get more comfortable with the Devils and get off more shots in space. Langenbrunner making himself comfortable around Hank thanks to the Charmin Blueshirt blueline. Dean McAmmond building off of his goal and assist against Toronto. I always liked his work ethic but easily hate him now that he went from Ottawa to the Isles and then the Devils.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: Marian Gaborik to keep his four-game point streak going. Ryan Callahan being better than Langenbrunner at his own game. Sean Avery re-introducing himself to Mmmmaaarrrrtttyyy. MDZ to regain a bit of a scoring touch. Michal Rozsival to get less ice time. Olli Jokinen staying out of the penalty box. Brandon Prust vs. either Andrew Peters or Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (what a hockey name).

Also Check Out: The solid Fire & Ice, SBN's In Lou We Trust and Rich Chere's MSM blog.

25-26-7: Well, That Was Something

As we get ourselves wrapped up into the day to day grind of the hockey season, we sometimes forget that hockey is supposed to be entertainment. As a Ranger fan, the 6-5 loss to the Capitals on Thursday night was utterly infuriating ... but it must be said that it was insanely entertaining. What a wild game. Heroes, villains and action all night. Taking away the massive disappointment, it was awesome.

That massive disappointment came from the Rangers being the Rangers - playing up the the level of the best team in the league before folding like a cheap suit. They blew leads three times and gave up three straight goals to lose. Who is at fault? The usual suspects - Glen Sather for building a pathetically soft defense. John Tortorella for being the worst coach in the NHL. Chris Drury for being the worst Ranger captain of all time. All time. When the leadership doesn't lead, the rank and file can only go so far.

Quick notes:

*Before I get into the game, I want to address the Kovalchuk trade to New Jersey as it had Ranger fans getting upset all night long. To all of those freaked out fans, relax. There was no way the Rangers were going to catch New Jersey in the standings. All this will do is take points away from the teams we will be battling for a playoff spot with. Kovy will be huge for the Devils this season - and that is where it ends. They won't re-sign him, not for the money he wants. Jersey added him to make a big push to get Mmmaaaarrrtttyyy one more Cup and Kovy will help in that effort. They get a young defenseman with him and surrender talented youngster Nik Bergfors, capable defenseman Johnny Oduya, overrated elbow-throwing Patrick Cormier and a first rounder, which will likely be quite late in the opening round of the next draft. That package is nothing compared to what Atlanta tried to get from the Rangers ...

*One of the things that was most impressive about the Ranger effort on this night was that they actually carried the puck. They didn't do their normal dump, let the other team get the puck and backtrack back into their own zone. They hauled it over the blueline and made things happen using their talent - which is much more appropriate with their skill set.

*As my buddy Miserable Eric pointed out, when the team gets a 5-3 lead at the end of the second period, how does the coach put the fourth line with Redden and Rozsival out on the ice to counter the Caps top unit to finish off the frame? They oh-so-unsurprisingly choke up a goal with nine seconds left and gave Washington back some life.

*The Rangers helped it along by taking penalty after penalty after penalty. But discipline comes from the aforementioned leadership and the lack thereof will doom this team to mediocrity for a long time coming.

*Tortorella talks about accountability and yet Redden was the only one to feel the whip. When does Michal Rozsival take his proper place in the press box? The guy made one great defensive play on a three-on-one but was directly involved in giving up three goals against.

*Olli Jokinen had himself a power play goal but took himself a hat trick of penalties - two of which resulted in Washington goals. Then he was called upon to take an offensive zone faceoff in the final minute with the team down one and he lost it cleanly. Cleanly! The Caps cleared and that was pretty much that.

*Is it bad when Chris Drury blocks a shot and everyone prays that it is a long term injury? While he played up the impact of the Ovechkin shot to get some kind of sympathy, the Caps scored a goal. Mysteriously he went from being doubled over in "pain" to being right back on the ice the next shift. And later the captain takes a borderline penalty to negate a Ranger power play. Usually when a player is hurt we are happy to see the ugy bounce back and play and yet an audible groan was heard when he jumped right back on the ice, good as new. Drury was on the fourth line and yet he played nearly 20 minutes. Why? The Rangers scored five goals and he had no part in any of them on his way to a -2. That number is a lie as he was on the ice for five of the six goals against. That's $7 million a year for what? The Blueshirts finally scored on the power play - three times in fact - and he wasn't on the ice for two and had nothing to do with the third; coincidence? I think not.

*Tom F-ing Poti scored. Poti. Sure he was woeful in his own end and essentially gave the Rangers at least two if not three of their goals, but the goal he scored just made me want to puke and I am hoarse right now from yelling at him all night. What a bum. Still, would rather habe him than Rozsival or Redden - cheaper incompetence.

*Dan Girardi and Hobey Gilroy needs to play less with Redden because the veteran is clearly rubbing off all of his bad qualities upon the two of them.

*Is there a more useless player on the Ranger roster than Arty Anisimov? He doesn't necessarily hurt the team but he certainly doesn't help it. Chalk that two-goal game from a few weeks back up to a fluke and he still belongs back on the farm.

*After tearing apart the team I feel I should say something nice. Vinny Prospal wasn't bad. After he skated away from a loose puck in the Washington end in the first period so he could take a rest, he became the focus of some hate but he came back and put up four points on the board by cashing in on all of that play with the man advantage. Let's hope that this was the game that finally gets him back on track after that injury.

*Erik Christensen was also quite good. Christy is a capable puck mover who certainly has chemistry with Vinny and Gabby.

*Wouldn't have been nice to have Marian Gaborik score?

*Gotta love Ryan Callahan and his heart but seriously, why can't he score on a breakaway?

*Brandon Prust and Jason Chimera came together after a whistle early in the first but didn't throw down and frankly, a fight was all this game was missing.

*There was a good number of Caps fans in the building, and the vast majority was clearly bandwagoners wearing jerseys and t-shirts that still likely had the tags on them. Two particular clowns in my section had brand new, red Mike Green and Semyon Varlamov sweaters over their monogrammed dress shirts. Lame! The only Washington fan that garnered any credibility was the dude wearing the black Steve Konowalchuk jersey.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Vinny Prospal - two goals and two assists.
2-Nicklas Backstrom - one goal and four assists.
1-Alexander Ovechkin - two goals and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Prospal - Nice to see him wake up.
2-Backstrom - His hands are great, his timing is great and his skating is phenomenal. This kid is the real deal and doesn;t get enough credit playing in OV's shadow.
1-Ovechkin - Yeah, it's a big shadow cast by this guy because he's good. Very, very good.

Hartford 3, Lowell 2

Last night the New Jersey Devils allowed their AHL affiliate from Lowell to play a regular season game at the Rock, facing off against the Ranger affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. It was the third time this season that they did it, once in preseason and once earlier this month. I missed the one on January 6th (a Devil 3-2 win) but made it to the preseason match and last night's 3-2 win in overtime.

In Lou We Trust was there as well and posted a Devil-centric wrap. So here are some of my observations; sorry no photos as I have a contentious relationship with my camera at the moment:

*Minor league hockey is really fan friendly - it is cheap entertainment that is great for families. It is a shame that this game wasn't promoted more as it surely could have gotten more people. As is, there were a decent number of fans - probably a few thousand. The entire upper bowl of the Rock was cordoned off and most was blocked by black curtains but the lower bowl's luxury seats (between the bluelines) were all full - something that never happens during Devil games. It was general admission for $15 a ticket ($10 for kids) so everyone got to enjoy the high life for a bit. And perhaps the best thing is that the youngsters got to sit by the glass to see the speed and everything up close, which is only good for the future of the sport.

*Even with the game not getting much advance talk on the blogs or the papers, there was still a good showing of Ranger/Hartford fans. At one point I sat a few rows behind a guy wearing what looked like a game-worn Wolf Pack Blair Betts sweater. That's awesome.

*It was very quiet, which was creepy. When the Hartford power play did it's best impression of the Blueshirts special team, I pointed out that they indeed had the man advantage and it reverberated around the arena. Very strange, but funny. I had a bunch of high school kids chanting "sit down, shut up" clap-clap-clapclapclap which was utterly hilarious and something I plan on stealing for use in the Garden. Of course, these same high schoolers were unattended by parents and used vicious blue language that should have gotten them ejected as there were so many little kids around.

*As I mentioned, the Wolf Pack power play was pretty damn bad. They ended up going 1-7 with the lone tally coming from Brodie Dupont working the slot.

*Dupont was the best Hartford player on the ice. He went to the net, he carried the puck, he backchecked, killed penalties ... he was all over the place and his effort was exceptional.

*Evgeni Grachev? Notsomuch. If this kid is the future of the franchise, then our franchise is f-ed. Grachev was abysmal and was kept off the ice in the overtime. He definitely has size, he definitely has hands but he just couldn't get his act together out there. I saw him cough up the puck several times in the first period and then didn't notice him at all.

*The game went to overtime because Hartford clung to their 2-1 lead late in the game and collapsed into their own zone. Lowell was able to move the puck around to get the equalizer in the last minute and had what would have been the game-winner go over the goal line inside the far post past the sprawled Matt Zaba just a second after the final buzzer. Talk about saved by the bell...

*Zaba plays an entirely different game from Chad Johnson. Where DosNueve is economical with his movements, Zaba is outright twitchy. Still, he made several big saves and couldn't be faulted for at least one, if not both of the goals against.

*His counterpart, Mike McKenna, is a long goaltender like Valley who uses his pads well. McKenna had a clear view of Dupont's overtime game-winner (with 20 seconds left in the extra frame) and it just eluded his glove. He got a taste of the NHL last season but will need to do better than he did on this night if he is to get back to the show.

*Jordan Owens, who fed Dupont for the game-winner, kept himself involved all game. I would like to think he will get a shot at the show as a Higgens/Sjostrom-esque grit and goals guy but I didn't see enough of his offense to make a fair judgement.

*Earlier in the season I asked why Corey Locke wasn't given a shot when the Rangers suffered through so many scoring woes but now I see why. The diminutive center is easily shut down by tight checking.

*I would like to say good things about Ilkka Heikkinen but I didn't really see him doing too much. Still, he has to be an upgrade from Rozy and should be more comfortable in a Blueshirt with fellow Finn Jokinen around so let's give him a shot...

*The Devils' Louis Robitaille is an obnoxious thug. He is just the kind of player you love to hate and I definitely hate him. The guy cheap shots, takes big liberties with his hits and tries to start fights from behind the officials. Basically he is Cam Janssen with less courage (if that's possible). It was great seeing Devin DiDiomete land a few punches despite being hugged to death when the two tussled in the first period.

*Few Devils stood out other than that clown. Tim Sestito scored on a sweet shot over Zaba and was a major part of the Lowell offense but even then, that isn't saying too much as they play typical Devil hockey.

And even with the Devils being tight and boring for much of the penalty-filled affair, it was still a enjoyable experience and one that will hopefully happen again. Perhaps the next time they will advertise it better so more people can get in on the inexpensive fun.

Peepin' Foes: Washington Capitals

Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust make their Garden debuts in Blueshirts tonight as the Rangers take on the Washington Capitals at 7 p.m. (MSG).

Where We Are: Coming off a three game road trip where the team went 1-2 but played considerably better than they did in the four straight losses that preceded the western swing.

Where They Are: Oh, just on a 11 game streak - 11 wins. In a row. Can you imagine? And, all it did was put them in first place in the league. And they've won six of the last eight games against the Rangers. Yeah, this looks good for us.

Who To Watch For: Really? Do I need to list 'em? Ovie, Nick Backstrom and Alex Semin are all scorchingly hot right now. Tomas Fleischmann, Mike Knuble and Brooks Laich are all providing secondary scoring - heh, that would be nice. Secondary scoring, on the Rangers?

What To Watch For: Matt Bradley has one goal in his last 18 games, which of course makes him the odds-on favourite to score. Washington started slowly in each of the last two games, yet still pulled through - if the Rangers can score a bunch of goals early ... ok, any goals ... they can not rest on their laurels and certainly can not do the typical Ranger second period slacking.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: Smarter coaching - no five forwards on the power play. No Chris Drury on the power play. Jose Theodore to change back from Theorgasm to Three-or-more. Someone cream Tom Poti for skating off the ice with his hand to his ear last spring; that sight still haunts me. Brandon Prust not to be all Ryan Hollweg again and not take a borderline boarding penalty and to get into a real fight this time, likely with Jason Chimera.

Also Check Out: I could give you a list but really, there is no point. Japer's Rink is the best Caps blog, hands down.

25-25-7: My Kingdom For A Goal

There are a lot of ways to look at the Ranger 2-1 loss to Los Angeles tonight. You could say they played a tight road game against a red-hot young team and only lost by a goal. You could say that the power play cost the Rangers the victory. You can say that the Rangers picked up their game and got great chances late but couldn't solve an Olympic goaltender in Jonathan Quick. You could say the Rangers made two bad mistakes and they ended up behind their Olympic goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. You can say that the pucks didn't bounce the Ranger way as they hit the post twice and got a puck through Quick that didn't go in. You could say that a loss is a loss and the Rangers lost.

You can say all of those things and you would be completely right on all counts. But the simple statement is Rangers 2, Kings 1. And that is what matters. The Blueshirts went 1-2 on the three game western swing and will come back to the Garden to face Washington and New Jersey later this week. This is not an easy stretch but with the playoff race being what it is, if the Rangers can keep treading water with occasional wins until they get their ship together it will be enough to keep them in the hunt. Notes for now:

*I've mentioned it here before, Christensen should not have been removed from Gabby's side when Prospal returned. The two have chemistry, which seems to be a dirty word to john Tortorella but in actuality something good for a hockey team. What a sexy goal by the two of them. And Cally came oh-so-close to redirecting in that Prospal feed that it makes you wonder how these lines should be fleshed out.

*Olli Jokinen had the first shot of the game with a shot late in the first period. Sure it was just a low shot but 1- it wasn't right into Quick's glove and 2- Jokinen followed it to the net. Too often this season Rangers are lettin' 'em fly and going for a change or pulling up and waiting for teammates. Throughout the night he went to the boards, tried to fight through traffic and seemed more than willing to let it fly so let's hope this is the start of something good.

*Everyone has been focusing on Jokinen's magnificent biker mustache but anyone notice his eyes? All I could think about was the line from Jaws, "Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living." They were kinda creepy but hey, if it works for him ....

*Here is a question for the Meigrey folks out there - did Jokinen get a new jersey or just a Kotalik with a new nameplate sewed on top?

*Joe Micheletti is a tool. Saying the Rangers are skating well after they were pinned in their own zone for four minutes is just dumb. Talking about the good, young Kings defense while the truck is airing a highlight from 38 year old Sean O'Donnell also isn't good television. His continual apologizing for Redden and Rozy is just shameless PR to boot. I mean, most people forget that the TV announcers are not real journalists but team employees and the constant positive spin for these colossal failures is just ridiculous. Who are you trying to fool? Not a single word as how Rozy stood frozen while Brown passed the puck right through him to Smythe for the second Kings goal.

*Playing the part of incompetent fourth liner who makes a mistake on the power play that results in a shorthanded goal? Chris Drury, aka the worst Ranger captain ever. And, going back to the whole MSG as a extension of the team's public relations, Ron Duguay hangs the mistake on the new guy Jokinen instead of the captain. If Drury wasn't holding onto the boards to stay on his skates far away from the action, the Kings wouldn't have had the width of the ice to pick off the pass. And later, with the game hinging on an offensive zone faceoff with seconds left, Drury couldn't get the puck - instead he stood there tying up his opposition and praying someone else comes in. You had to know this was coming: Blair Betts > Chris Drury.

*I watch a significant amount of hockey and it appears to me that the Rangers, more than most other teams, rely upon dumping and chasing to gain the zone on a power play. It doesn't work when they can't regain possession. And it definitely doesn't work if Chris Drury is a part of it.

*Not to disparage the MSG guys, but missing the first fight of Brandon Prust's Ranger career sucked. I understand that they want to get into the replay as quickly as possible so they can get the analysis in before the puck is dropped again but damn, it was a bang-bang kinda thing and all of a sudden we see the guys falling to the ice. Even with the replay, we didn't see what led to Prust throwing down the gloves - the bad angle replay cut in with him spinning in the zone and going over to the guy.

*On Prust, I have already heard one comparison to Ryan Hollweg after this performance. I think it is mistaken, and I think Prust showed why in the third period with smart, good play and a good scoring chance.

*Not Rangers but Dion Phaneuf also fought in his first game with his new team tonight and Dion, who many of us would have loved to have in NY, fought and kept his helmet (and visor) on while fighting. Classless. Also in that Leafs' game, Freddie Sjostrom was the third star after getting the primary assist on the game winner. Miss you Sjo.

*Talking with friend of the blog Andrea, we decided it would be utterly incredible if Sean Avery had "BITE ME" written on the front of his mouth guard. Of course, you would rarely see it as he has his mouth open yapping so often, but it would be hilarious nonetheless. MSG caught Sean yapping at fans coming off the ice after the first period and with Kings after most every whistle. Love that guy.

*If Michael Del Zotto can develop as quickly and as well as Drew Doughty, we will have one helluva defenseman on our hands. He continues to make amazing long-distance passes and shows a willingness to hit, we just have to get the rest of his game together.

*Totally random but do you think that James Patrick cursed the number three when he was dumped by the Rangers? Since him Stan Neckar, Kim Johnsson, Tom Poti and Michal Rozsival all wore it. Ok, so Johnsson wasn't terrible but he was dealt for the concussed, clueless Eric Lindros so it's still a loss.

*Funny how during his second intermission interview Brian Boyle pointed out that it was sad saying goodbye to Chris Higgins, oh yeah, and Kotes too, but really Higgins. Ha. Guess Kotalik didn't make many friends on the team ...

*Ranger fans are great - anyone else catch the Potvin Sucks whistle midway through the third period? It may be a nuisance at the Garden every game, multiple times per game, but once, loudly, in an away arena? Awesome.

*Last game I mocked the third jerseys of the Avalanche but I only have praise for the Kings. Throwback black-white-silver colour scheme and clean, simple design. That's a nice sweater.

*Jack Johnson will be playing on Team USA in Vancouver but after watching this one, you just have to question why? I don't know about you guys but I was completely unimpressed. I thought that his teammate and fellow American Matt Greene was far better in this one.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Henrik Lundqvist - 19 saves.
2-Jon Quick - 20 saves.
1-Anze Kopitar - one goal.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Wayne Simmonds - I initially wanted to give this start to Kopitar but you expect the young superstar to have the speed and hands he showed. And Anze beat Hank gloveside, which we know is no big accomplishment. But Simmonds really impressed me with smart, responsible play on both sides of the ice.
2-O'Donnell - The old guy is exactly what the Rangers need: a steady, physical, crease-clearing defenseman. Exactly what Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival (and Hobey Gilroy and Dan Girardi of late) are not.
1-Quick - As Andrea said to me, USA would be better suited going with Quick right now instead of Tim Thomas. Of course, neither one will start over Ryan Miller but Quick is certainly making his case for it; the kid is good.

The Deal Is Done

Of course, not long after I finished the Peepin' Foes and watched the rest of the Calgary game, the trade we've all been waiting for has finally gone through: the Rangers have dealt Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins to the Flames for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. Sorry to see Higgins go but this trade is a win for the Blueshirts. Kotalik's New York experiment was not unlike Valeri Kamensky's at the turn of the millennium - the guy put up points but that contribution wasn't enough to overcome his defensive weaknesses and he didn't get the ice time he wanted. As for Higgins, as I have always said, at least he tried. Smithtown's hustle was admirable, but his inability to score was distressing (at best).


So in return for those guys, the Rangers add a playmaking center in Jokinen who clearly needed a change of scenery. The guy had been a all-world talent for a span but somehow lost that of late. But if there is a single coach in the NHL who believes that Olli Jokinen can still be a star, John Tortorella has to be it. Post-lockout, Tortorella saw Jokinen skate against his Lightning on Florida 23 times and Jokinen scored 33 points in those games, including six three-point nights. The last two times he played against the Rangers, he grabbed an assist in each game (one with Phoenix on Nov. 24, 08 and one with Calgary Nov. 7, 09).

Now Torts can slot Jokinen in the middle between Prospal and Gabby, and can slide Dubi down to the second line. A second unit of Dubi, Cally and Avery could be outright scary. Dru or Arty can get slotted out on the wing on the third line with Lisin while you put Boyle, Prust and @Voros34 out as a don't-f@#k-with-us, grind-it-out fourth line. Or mix them in with the third line "talent" to balance the bottom two lines out. Seeing as Prust can fight, this could also hopefully be the end of Brashear's stay on Broadway, which would make this deal an outright victory - even if Jokinen never scores a single point.


Sorry for the Photoshops, they were quite rushed.

Peepin' Foes: Los Angeles Kings

Prepare to stay up late Tuesday night because the boys are out West for a 10:30 start on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings (MSG).

Where We Are: Coming off of four periods of inspired play. Of course that came after many more periods of uninspired play but let's not think about those. Having won three of the last 11 games kinda shortens the memory.

Where They Are: Flying. L.A. has won eight of their last nine and six in a row - five on a road trip capped off with a wonderful come-from-behind beating of Mmmmaaaarrrrtttyyyy that had two goals in the final 1:46 turn the tables on the Devils. They are young, they are exciting and they may fly all the way up to the Olympic break ... unless the Rangers can stop them now.

Who To Watch For: Ahn-Jay Kopitar is a superstar and has only been helped by the presence of (former) Captain Canada Ryan Smyth. The Slovenian - not to be confused with Slovakian - has great wheels, sick hands and hockey smarts. Sloppy Seconds Jarret Stoll and a rejuvenated Michal Handzus add depth down the middle. I heart Dustin Brown, a kid who hits everything that moves and has no issue with working in the trenches. He is like a cleaner version of Pat Verbeek or the Western version of Ryan Callahan. Alex Frolov has been under-whelming but Wayne Simmonds is developing into a good player. Oh yeah, and they have Drew Doughty, who doesn't get the credit he deserves out East. Forget sophomore slump, Doughty is flourishing into Ray Bourque.

What To Watch For: People harped on Craig Anderson's omission to the Olympic team because of the hot season he is having. Well, Jon Quick has been just as good and is still getting better. I watched Quick shut down Ovechkin and the Caps in early January and he was utterly astounding. See if he is jut as astounding against the Rangers. See if Hank is healthy enough to start or if Chad (and the rest of the Rangers) can keep their momentum going after the win in Colorado.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: The Kotalik trade saga come to a close. Callahan to be better than his future Olympic teammate Brown. Any Ranger defenseman keeping Smyth away from the crease. A power play goal ... by the Blueshirts.

Also Check Out: The Battle of California, Life in Hockeywood, A Queen Among Kings sold out and moved to SBN at Jewels From The Crown, Purple Crushed Velvet and Rich Hammond moved over to Kings Insider.

25-24-7: The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

No matter what happened in Sunday's Ranger game against Colorado, you knew the result would be a good one when they mentioned that Ales Kotalik would not be a Ranger for much longer. Now the details of Kotalik's departure are up for debate just past midnight EST but anything that rids us of him would be nice.

When the initial report was revealed, I was asked where did I think he would go and said "hopefully to hell for wasting my season ticket money" and I was close - Calgary ... if reports prove true. They are just reports so I won't waste this entire post on speculation but I will say that Torts saw a lot of Jokinen when Ollie was in Florida and he was in Tampa and I enjoy watching Brandon Prust, who is a stronger, tougher, better skating version of @Voros34. Having both of them on the roster would certainly address team toughness and ensure that no one jumps Gabby ever again. Losing Chris 'At Least He's Trying' Higgins would hurt but let's face it, Smithtown hasn't had a good homecoming. The salaries would pretty much wash, with the Rangers getting more space as Prust's presence would essentially usher Brashear off of Broadway. Hey, we can all dream, can't we?

As for the Sunday night game, that was a bit of a dream come true. The Rangers carried the momentum from Saturday's third period into the game against the Avalanche and never stopped skating on their way to a 3-1 win. All too often this season (and in years past), they have been outworked by younger, hungrier teams and on this night they kept the wheels spinning all night long. It was delightful. I mean, seriously, a Ranger gets a hat trick, the goaltender doesn't let up any soft goals and the team holds strong in the face of obscene officiating. Completely unreal, completely enjoyable. Since there is no telling when the Ranger train will be grabbed by gravity again, let's enjoy it while we can.

Another night where I don't have much time so some notes, starting with some questions:

*Was it me or did the National Anthem singer Jake Schroeder look an awful lot like Mats Sundin?

*How is it that half the teams in the NHL have problems with Stephane Auger's officiating and yet he still has a job?

*Did a toddler design the Aves' third jersey? It seems that way; a little kid picked crayons close to the actual Colorado colours and scribbled that half-assed, rip-off design.

*Has there been a single Ranger game this season where they didn't hit the post at least once?

*What is wrong with Michal Rozsival? Ok, that's enough for the questions because now I am just getting ridiculous. Rozy was the worst Ranger on the ice and put on a clinic of how not to play defense. When you are on all fours with the puck under you, you aren't supposed to hand pass it back through your own legs towards your own net with an opposing player standing right there waiting for the puck. Common sense, right? Guess not.

*The other half of the R&R albatross around the Ranger neck, Wade Redden, actually wasn't horrible. I even caught him laying a hit down on an Av (either Cody McLeod or Scott Hannon). Amazing! Now if he can only get Hobey Gilroy to start being a little physical as well ...

*Of all of the blueliners, Marc Staal played like it was his task to defend the rookie goaltender and keep the puck out of the net. This was probably his best performance of the season.

*Gabby was pretty hot too, which coincided with Vinny Prospal rediscovering part of his game. The feed to his Slovak friend on the second goal from the endboards to the slot was perfectly practiced precision. Gorgeous. And a Ranger getting a hat trick? I mean, wow. Ahem, I mean, that's what you're paid for Braden! Gotta retain some composure here, especially seeing as everything can fall apart on Tuesday.

*So, coming back to earth, the Ranger penalty kill went 6-6! Yay! The Ranger power play went 0-6. Boo. It blew almost two full minutes of 5-on-3 play at the top of the first period before a bad penalty negated the end of it. Double boo.

*Didn't MSG mention that Chris Drury was being demoted to a lower line? Funny but I saw him out on the ice seemingly every other shift. He was on both special teams, killing penalties pretty well (win a damn faceoff idiot) and being his usual pathetic self on the power play point. Drury had motivation to play better facing his old franchise, he just didn't.

*There was a funny moment when Dru pried Adam Foote off another Ranger in a post-whistle scrum where the captain actually seemed to be smiling. Drury! I know! I guess it was just a chuckle at his old buddy Foote's expense or something. Foote remains the epitome of old time hockey, which just seems dirty and crass compared to the current state of the game. For better or worse.

*@Voros34 took on McLeod in one helluva tilt and stayed in there despite taking one heckuva punch. That fight came at 11:01 of the first period; Gabby's first goal came at 13:53. Coincidence? I'm not so sure.

*At one point, Higgins and Drury had a two-on-one break down the ice on the Avalanche goal, with Higgins getting turned away by Anderson. I am not sure which is more striking, that Smithtown had confidence that his shot could go in while he was being pretty tightly marked or that he didn't have confidence in Dru shooting on a mostly empty net.

*Darcy Tucker is a shadow of the player he used to be. Such a shame not to see Avery kick his ass again.

*Paul Stastny really looks like his dad. If he keeps maturing and turns into half the hockey player the old man was, the Aves will be one lucky team.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Vaclav Prospal - two assists.
2-Chad Johnson - 34 saves.
1-Marian Gaborik - three goals.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Johnson - Hank skated over to DosNueve after the final buzzer and handed him the game-puck from his first career win. It was well deserved as the kid maintained his composure all night long. He played big, didn't overcommit and didn't allow any bad goals. Hopefully he can keep it up and settle the murmuring asking for a veteran backup.
2-Staal - Johnson was good but looked even better because of the efforts of Staal. As I said, Marc played his best game of the season and was the defensive pillar that we have been hoping he would turn into.
1-Gabby - He's good. Really, really good. If he can cut out the sloppy stickwork, which keeps leading to penalties, he might even be great.