Friday, May 27, 2011

The NYR Facts Of Life: #24 Ryan Callahan

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #24, Ryan Callahan.

#24's #s: 60 games, 23 goals, 25 assists, -7, 46 PIM.

Take the good: It would be easy to throw out the stats - Cally had set career highs in goals, assists and points despite missing 22 games, blah blah - but a quote sums it all up. I have always been of the belief that there is no higher praise than that from an enemy and after Callahan broke his ankle blocking a shot from Zdeno Chara, Chara told ESPN, "Callahan is a top-six guy, yet he still plays with so much heart and grit. You don't see many guys that throw their bodies around to block shots like that. He plays the game so hard. You have to respect a guy like that. I just hope that he's OK long term."

Take the bad: When Chara shoots the puck, get the hell out of the way! There is being brave and there is being stupid. Don't throw your life away young man! That's a joke, and is only intended as a joke. But it is something to fill this space as there was hardly any bad in Callahan's game.

Take them both and then we have: A young player who took another step towards seizing one of the biggest, toughest, most infuriating, most rewarding jobs in professional sports - captaincy of the New York Rangers. He showed a terrific combination of leadership, selflessness and skill this season and hopefully will only get better. He isn't there yet - his appearance on crutches before the Atlanta game should have inspired his team to a far better showing (they lost 3-0, to the Thrashers) - but it is plain to see that that C will adorn his sweater at some point. He's won us fans over, he just has to win his teammates the same way. And Chris Drury has to go, there is that too.

5 comments:

@VinnieLorenzo said...

I haven't been commenting much on the Facts of Life, but I have been reading all of them. I am in agreement with everything that's been said. I think anyone that reads these player-by-player breakdowns can't disagree with anything because they are what they are: FACTS.

Callahan will for sure be the NYR captain at some point in the (hopefully near) future. Cally has the respect of his team and also the whole league. It is exciting to think about what his game will be like with steady linemates and staying healthy for a full 82 games.

Ranger.S said...

Ryan Callahan had a great season and he showed amazing heart. I think that maybe next year he'd be good on a line with Dubinsky as center, Avery as LW, and Cally on RW. Maybe?

Scotty Hockey said...

I think I would rather see him back with Arty and Dubi, at least at the outset. Arty needs his confidence inflated by playing with tough linemates and they clicked for a little while this season.

PPH Services said...

I think the good outweighs the bad on this one!

Ranger.S said...

Yeah, you're right. Thanks Scotty!