5-3-3: Done With The Ducks

The Rangers avenged their 2-1 shootout loss to the Ducks in Stockholm with a 2-1 shootout win in the Garden on Thursday.

The two games were quite similar - virtually devoid of intensity and action. Hank, who made 27 saves in each, was beat by Bobby Ryan in the first shootout and stopped him in the second. There were a few minutes of outstanding hockey in both but the rest was drek with the teams more than willing to play for the free point. In Stockholm the Swedish crowd was quietly polite and tame while in MSG the crowd was just plain quiet outside of the awfully incessant Potvin Sucks whistles.

It wasn't particularly entertaining but at least it is out of the way. And it could prove to be important as the Rangers came away with three of four points against their west coast foes. Seeing it will be hard to escape with a lot of points against the Atlantic rivals, these could be the ones that make the difference between eighth and ninth place. You have to look at the big picture when the small one was so hard to watch.

Just a few Late Hits as this is already a day late:

*Nice timing for Jeff Woywitka to have his best performance on a day when the Rangers supposedly signed Anton Stralman - his replacement. Not only did Redden Woywitka score but he played capable defense, something Eminger and Del Zaster seem utterly incapable of doing.

*Del Zaster's failings makes seeing Cam Fowler do so well hurt that much more. MDZ seems to get walked around at least once every game and most of his passes are off by just enough to not help his teammate.

*Woywitka scores and Andre Deveaux immediately gave the Ducks a perfect opportunity to get re-energized by battling George Parros (who definitely didn't look right without the 'stache, even if it is for a good cause). It was impressive to see the minor leaguer absorb a lot of damage and stay upright but there really was no reason for a staged fight seconds after his team landed a punch on the scoreboard. As upsetting as the dance was, Deveaux was actually decent yet again. He does what Boyle doesn't, he uses his size well. But we could hardly see it because Torts strapped him to the bench as he tried (unsuccessfully) to have his team cling to the lead. So much for that whole 'safe is death' nonsense the coach used to spout.

*Really unsure why he would be so reluctant to let his team off the leash given how great Hank can be. The King was outstanding in this one and the one goal against was A-scored through a screen and B-scored on a shot that maybe a dozen NHLers can make.

*Is Ryan exciting to watch or what? Damn New Jersey-ite.

*Is it fate? Avery gets called up and Tortorella loses his one excuse to keep him out of the lineup when Wolski came up lame? Good thing Wojtek has his undeserved $3.8 million to find something to do while his groin heals.

*Derek Stepan seems to be getting into a groove. Slowly but surely he is climbing out of the sophomore-season opening slump and, frankly, is making Brandon Dubinsky look bad. As mentioned before in this space, it seems like Callahan is skating by himself much of the time.

*Erik Christensen finally came through, improving to 1-3 in the shootout this season. I guess we go by baseball where a .333 average is a good thing. Really worthwhile member of the roster.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Marian Gaborik - one assist.
2-Jonas Hiller - 24 saves.
1-Henrik Lundqvist - 27 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Stepan - Gabby did score in the shootout and fired a slew of pucks on goal but Step really seemed like a bigger offensive threat throughout the night. And Gabby got an assist on Woywitka's goal but if Hiller wasn't preoccupied by Stepan skating through the crease the shot might not have gone in.
2-Hiller - Sure four shots got through him (two shootout goals, Woywitka's tally and another that went through his legs), but the Swiss stopper made that great glove save on I forget who.
1-Hank - The King comes through again. Long live the King, as long as he learns to stay in his damned crease.

0-0-2: Take It And Run

If you told me that the Rangers travelled to southern California, faced the up-and-coming L.A. Kings and the Anaheim Ducks with the top line in hockey and they came away with two points, I would be delighted. And so I am trying not to be disappointed to see them steal the same pair of points against those teams in Stockholm, Sweden. Would it have been delightful to see a win? Of course. Was it possible for the team to come away with not two points but three or four? Of course. But the Rangers are still the Rangers so, of course, we saw a mediocre squad play lackluster hockey. But they still escaped Stockholm without a regulation loss so we have that going for us.

This summer the franchise was given a new coat of paint and a new, expensive, shiny hood ornament but the car remains the same. Driven by a fool and ridden by too many passengers, the ride that is the New York Rangers has not changed - they pass up good shots, they miss the ones they get, they have little discipline, they are utterly incompetent with the man advantage, they wake up just in time to make a game of it after long periods of middling play ...

Nothing would have delighted me more than to travel to Europe to see a gritty, tough team battle hard against some of the NHL's elite and come away with some wins or even some good losses. But instead it was the usual, accepted mediocrity we've seen under John Tortorella's reign - the setting changed but the story remained the same.

Late Hits:

*Henrik Lundqvist for Vezina.

*That being said, serious credit should be given to Sauer, Girardi and McDonagh for their dutiful work on defense. Delightful to see them shut down the Ducks top guns. Sauer lost his helmet in a scrum, stayed on the ice and then went to ground to try to block a shot. That takes some brass ones boys and girls, brass ones.

*The Rangers attempted 45 shots, the Ducks 60. Fifteen went on net for the Blueshirts, 28 for Anaheim. I'm no math wizard but that is roughly 1/3rd vs. 1/2, right? New York needs to get more shots though.

*Really nice job by the in-arena production crew for both games at the Globen. They had montages from all the teams, the unique goal songs of all the franchises and more fun arena stuff (stars in the crowd, kiss cam, trivia, etc.). The highlight, for me, probably was pregame tonight during the Swedish national anthem as they dissolved in and out from the Swedish flag to tight shots of Hank and Tim Erixon. Little things like that enhance the experience (unlike the asinine sponsored tee-shirt shooters during the intermission).

*The game was decided in the skills competition where Hank was only fooled by a whiff by New Jersey-born Bobby Ryan. Christy, the Rangers shootout specialist who so fortunately was inserted into the lineup for a game that went to a shootout, missed the entire four foot by six foot net. Brad Richards nearly lost the puck at center ice before blowing his chance while Zuke's trademark move was easily stopped. Arty was the Ranger's final shooter and he was easily stopped by the Swiss keeper Hiller.

*Sadly it appears that Ryan Callahan is going to be injured sooner rather than later. This 110% stuff is fantastic but he is the only Ranger aside from Hank playing that hard and it will cost him.

*Not sure how Dubi and Perry got matching roughings when they both threw down their gloves and squared to fight. Did the refs feel bad that Perry dove to the ice to avoid getting his ass kicked?

*Speaking of such, as I tweeted, if we wanted a bum to get beat up we woulda kept Voros. Mike F-ing Rupp should go back to Pittsburgh. He could hardly skate, he fumbled the puck the one time it touched his stick and he got abused by the educated mustache of George Parros. He laid a hit on Devante Smith-Pelly (who has a big future ahead of him) and bounced off while, a second later, Mats Zuccarello knocked down the Duck. The big man has to be better.

*Zuke had his moments but, as I wrote last game, he needs an improved Stepan and a better winger across from him to achieve. My buddy Joakim, a big Modo fan, said MZA was a different player the season he dominated the Elitserien. Now he doesn't have the same energy and he doesn't have the same confidence. Torts needs to learn how to get the kid back into that kind of form.

*Erixon is slowly finding his feet, as they skate through the fire of NHL competition. He looks like he is wearing his dad's jersey that is three times too big and the opposition targeted him with contant hits but the kid did not look entirely out of place. The building blocks are there and hopefully his growth won't be stunted after being saddled with the experienced awfulness that is Steve Eminger. Eminger was so solid when filling in for the injured Rozsival midseason last year, what the hell happened?

*If not for his game-tying goal, I was going to rant that the Rangers got a nice faceoff specialist in Brad Richards, a lesser version of Manny Malhotra for three times the cost. Aside from the split second when he scored, Richards was woeful and he definitely is not working out on the power play point yet (neither is Michael Del Zotto but we were already well aware of his incompetence). The supposed chemistry with the Slovakian Slacker Marian Gaborik has yet to form.

*Pretty sure most folks want to see a hockey game and not a gong show with a zebra at center stage. Endless special teams are boring.

*MSG president Scott O'Neil was in attendance and gave me a smile and a 'let's go Rangers' during warmups. I still can't believe I was on my good behavior and didn't rip into him for the way he is raping us Ranger fans. I'm sorry folks, I don't know what came over me.

*Brian Boyle needs to decide if he is a fancy scorer or a big, grinding battler because right now he is somewhere in the middle and it is certainly not working out.

*Why didn't exIslander Jason Blake get called for not having his fight strap tied down when he ended up skating half a shift with his sweater over his arms?

*Sat next to a hockey fan from Germany who decided to root for Anaheim years ago because he saw the Mighty Ducks movie when he was a kid. That is Disney magic people.

*I'm sure there is more worth mentioning but it is after 5am and I head to England in a few hours for a week of work. A final Eurotrip post with some pictures will be up once I get back home mid-month. Hopefully a Islander recap will make it up next Saturday, as long as I can either find an open pub in London at that hour or a good internet feed to watch it.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Henrik Lundvist - 27 saves in regulation, three of four in the shootout.
2-Bobby Ryan - shootout goal.
1-Jonas Hiller - 14 saves, four of four in the shootout.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Cam Fowler - The poise of this sophomore was admirable. And, to think, had the Rangers not wasted draft picks on Bobby Sanguinetti and Michael Del Zotto, they might have drafted him ...
2-Ryan McDonagh - No sophomore slump here either.
1-Henrik Lundqvist - No Hank, no points at all in either game. The King retained his crown in his home country despite little assistance from his serfs.

35-30-4: ReDuckulous

An earlier draft of this blog was all about the blame game: who to pin this latest lost on. Anisimov, Dubinsky, Tortorella and Gaborik were my leading candidates. Arty was directly responsible for the first three goals against. Dubi had three great chances to score and blew them all. Torts didn't have an answer to Anaheim's attack and never did anything to kick his team in the ass. Gabby didn't show up until it was too late. Hey, Ron Duguay pinned it on warm weather and palm trees so at least all of these are at least tangible and defensible.

It was a game that both teams desperately needed and only one team played like that for 60 minutes ... and it wasn't the Rangers. In an important matchup like that you need your best players to step up and the Ducks' did. Anaheim has an exceptional first line and all three of those guys stepped up their play to power the team to a 5-2 victory. The Rangers, well, they don't have any first line players. Gaborik has been so utterly underwhelming this season that he can hardly be considered top flight any longer and he was invisible for far too long before scoring in the third period.

If anything, Gabby's goal caused more problems than it solved. It brought the Rangers back within two and the team didn't bother to stand up for Hank as he was hit twice. No physical message was sent. No fight happened to warn teams away from hitting Hank or to turn the tide. The Rangers tried to claw back with mediocre chance after mediocre chance and mediocre goaltender Dan Ellis looked great stopping them. Typical Rangers. Riding a roller coaster down to the wire for a playoff spot is also typical, and the Ranger ride will continue on Saturday in San Jose.

Notes on this one:

*A tale of two top units. Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan-Lydman-Visnovsky = five goals, seven assists, +19. Dubi-Cally-Arty-Staal-Girardi = one goal, two assists, -16.

*Brandon Prust, Ruslan Fedotenko and Brian Boyle all seemed to be playing hurt. When your energy guys have no energy you are in serious trouble.

*Catalyst Sean Avery had three shifts in the first period, four in the second, three in the third on his way to 8:28 in ice time. This is getting ridiculous. The only good thing is that Jarkko Ruutu was just as underused.

*Steve Eminger played with the Ducks, he knows their tendencies and he has been solid when inserted into the Ranger lineup. He was scratched for this one and the two guys who did play over him - McCabe and Gilroy - were little more than jersey fillers.

*Mats Zuccarello played over 15 and I'm pretty sure I only heard his name called once. He and Wolski were completely overwhelmed by the Duck defense, which is sad since that D is a shadow of the unit that won the Cup a few years back.

*The players who should be able to look in the mirror were Derek Stepan, Mike Sauer and Ryan McDonagh - the kids did their damnedest but it wasn't enough. Even though they accounted for the first goal of the game and had several other chances, Cally and Dubi just didn't have it like they did against the easier opponent that was the Flyers.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Corey Perry - two goals and one assist.
2-Bobby Ryan - one goal and three assists.
1-Lubomir Visnovsky - two goals and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Toni Lydman - Lydman was the picture of calm, collected consistency while he swiftly took care of business around the ice. Sharp, smart passing and good positioning ... as I tweeted, his signing last summer was probably the most underrated of them all. His partner Visnovsky racked up the points but they were just bad lucky by the Blueshirts.
2-Perry - Brandon Prust's old teammate on the London Knights spent four seasons under Dale Hunter's tutelage and look at him now: one of the best all-around players in the league. Too bad the Rangers ripped MDZ from Dale's clutches all too early.
1-Ryan - Silver was golden in this one. He used his size and skill to attack the Rangers, getting them to run around in their own end and leave openings to take advantage of.

Peepin' Foes Preview Edition: Anaheim Ducks

So here is the first of the team puck previews for 2010-11. I'll try to do one a day or every two days leading up to preseason. Gotta get back into the rhythm again ...

The Ducks will be missing two of the old familiars this season, with J.S. Giguere sent to Toronto late last year and Scott Niedermayer retiring. Seriously this time. After loathing him for so long while he was a Devil, it was a little odd to see him raise a Cup in Anaheim. Despite all of the hatred, even a Ranger fan has to appreciate his resume. Too bad a lot of it happened across the Hudson ... But back to the Quack Attack.

Familiar Foes: The Ducks have that albino Islander bridge troll Jason Blake but at this point in his career you hardly have to worry about him. You do have to be concerned with Ryan Getzlaf - one of the best all-around players in the NHL - and his wing-man Corey Perry. Jersey boy Bobby Ryan has not been re-signed at this point but it seems like a Dubinsky-esque certainty. Todd Marchant and Saku Koivu are shadows of the players they once were but Teemu Selanne is still dangerous. And if they add Paul Kariya (as is still rumoured) he and the Finnish Flash may be able to find a little of their old form.

N00bz: Nick Bonino, Andy Sutton, Toni Lydman and Aaron Voros. Bonino was assistant captain at BU and had a nine game guest appearance late last season; he has serious skills. Sutton does not, as we well remember from his time headhunting with the Thrashers and Isles and his time as an expert in Ottawa. Lydman is quiet and capable but certainly not a real threat on either side of the ice. And the People's Champ, well, he may be able to block some of Prust's punches with his face, maybe hurting the Ranger's knuckles.

Last Year: Sunday, October 11th, a 3-0 Ranger win.

This Year: Just one game this season - in Anaheim on Wednesday, March 9th, 2011. That should be right before the annual 'oh crap, the playoffs are coming' last ditch pitch for eighth place.

What They Mean To Blue: Very little aside from two points. As a team out west, they won't be battling the Blueshirts for a playoff spot and there is no historical hatred. But, as we saw last year, two points can be the difference between the postseason and golf and the Ducks will likely be battling for a position in the playoffs as well so those two points could be tough to get.

So Much For That ...

@thenyrangers #NYRangers trade Aaron Voros & Ryan Hillier to @AnaheimDucks for Steve Eminger.

The Rangers dealt the People's Champ, a forward who would run through a wall for the team, and a prospect with no future in the organization for an overpaid, journeyman seventh defenseman.

Just 26 years old, Eminger has played for five NHL teams since the lockout - four in the last two years. He is in the last year of a one-way deal and will make $1,500,000 this season; but a cap hit of 'just' $1,125,000 (thanks CapGeek). He has a laundry list of injuries and has not played a full season since making his debut in 2002-03.

He moves the puck pretty well but takes a lot of bad penalties. He has just three NHL fights to his resume but 301 PIM.

Adding Eminger creates an interesting wrinkle in the Blueshirt blueline - when is he going to play and at who's expense? Will he platoon with Hobey Gilroy? Given the Ranger cap situation, will he get the sixth defenseman spot should Staal not re-sign or be given an offer sheet? We shall certainly find out ...

But before that, best wishes to Voros in Anaheim. Sure he wasn't particularly good, but he was dedicated and earned his nickname as the People's Champ with his effort. It was great to chant his name back in January and hopefully he will become a regular part of the Quack Attack.

4-1-0: Quack Attack Silenced

The Rangers - notoriously terrible in weekend matinees - bucked the trend to beat the exhausted Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on Sunday evening.

They came out firing and battered J.S. Giguere with 13 first period shots. Anaheim managed just one before the adrenaline started pumping in the second period. The Ducks rose to the Rangers challenge but couldn't get the puck past Steve Valiquette and a surprisingly composed Ranger defense. The second intermission took the wind out from under their wings and Anaheim got sloppy. Two power play goals spelled their doom as the Rangers rolled to their fourth straight win.

Holy s%^&, I just wrote that. Fourth straight win. The Rangers. These Rangers. Consider me surprised. But there was little shock that the Ducks were easy to hunt after their draining battle with Philly on Saturday. A bigger test will be Toronto tonight, as they are fresh, hungry and physical.

*Speaking of physical, Vinny Prospal was 10 times more physical than Donald Brashear. Prospal played some motivated pucks and stayed involved. His feed to Arty for the Russian's first NHL goal was a work of beauty and, as my buddy Angelo said, he and Gaborik clearly carried Brandon Dubinsky.

*Dubi missed several good chances and seemed to enjoy watching his linemates as much as us fans. Not a good thing. And that late high stick wasn't good either, even if it did lead to Dan Girardi's shorthanded empty netter. A team with more gas left in the tank could have made the most of it; the Ducks certainly weren't up to it.

*Girardi was fantastic. Well, after his shot on Valley early in the first period. He threw his body around, was great positionally and looked like the pre-Redden version of himself that was headed towards stardom.

*Redden and Rozy weren't bad. They weren't good either. Neither saw a second of power play time. All the better ...

*One of these days Chris Higgins will convert on one of his chances down low. It is going to happen. It has to happen. He is so involved and gets himself the puck in good spots but has been stoned time after time after time (sounds like an old roommate I used to have ...).

*At one point in the third period Brian Boyle lost his stick. He fell to the ice and shoved the puck along with his glove. Seeing a teammate nearby, with a Duck closing on him, he got half up and kicked the puck towards the teammate - avoiding the hand pass. It was a little play, but it was a smart play and certainly rose my opinion of him a few notches.

*If you have actually read this far, you are kind of wondering about Sean Avery. Well, Avery finally made his season debut and he was ... (wait for it) ... awesome. Dallas' problem is clearly our solution. Sean just does it all. He mixed things up, went to the net, forced the puck deep, didn't do anything dumb and made some perfect passes. He nearly got Arty his first NHL goal with a centering pass in the second and then did get him it with a pretty drop pass to Prospal that was one-timed to Arty for the power play goal in the third. Go Sean!

*And before I call it a night, best wishes to Todd Marchant. That was one hard fall into the boards for the former Blueshirt. Always liked that guy, hope he heals well/fast.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Vinny Prospal - one assist.
2-Ales Kotalik - one goal.
1-Steve Valiquette - 18 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Valley - All that you ask from your backup is that he come in and give you a chance to win. Valley did that and more. He stood tall in the Ranger net and shot down the Ducks. Plus, maybe it was me, but he seemed to be coordinating the defense a lot more than he has in the past.
2-Giguere - Jiggy had no shot at stopping either of the goals against him. Sure, he was beat four other times when the Rangers hit the post but he still made 35 saves and looked a lot better than his teammates.
1-Avery - Prospal was great, Girardi was awesome but neither one was under the microscope of Avery. The building cheered for him when he stepped on the ice. The building cheered for him when he made his first hit. The building cheered when he took his first shot. And he raised to the occasion. Yeah Sean!

Peepin' Foes: Anaheim Ducks

The Rangers are looking for some afternoon delight on Sunday as they take on the Anaheim Ducks at 5pm at the Garden.

Where We Are: On a three game winning streak, who'da thunk it?

Where They Are: 2-1-1 after a remarkable come-from-behind shootout win over the Flyers. Teemu Selanne scored a fake hat trick - two real goals and one in the skills competition - as the Ducks quacked back from a two-gal deficit to beat Chris Pronger's new team.

Who To Watch For: Apparently there is still some flash left in the Finnish Flash, especially when he is riding shotgun with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Bobby Ryan is one helluva youngster and someone well worth watching - especially in front of some family as he grew up in Jersey (booo). Last season's Ryan Whitney deal almost went under the radar and yet here he is taking Chris Pronger's ice time. Old foe Scott Niedermayer is still around, somehow, and is still a stellar hockey player - even at the age of 67 he skated for 30:42 against Philly.

What To Watch For: Anaheim to be tired after the extra-time spent doing us a favour (by robbing the Flyers of a point). Sean Avery's health as he makes his season debut. The Rangers to come out just as strong for Valley as they have for Hank.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: Marc Staal to keep Perry off the scoreboard the way did stopped Ovie against Washington. A strong, energized team jump out of the gates to tackle the tired Ducks. The physical, tough trio of George Parros, his mustache and Evgeny Artyukhin kept in check by the Blueshirts. Ryan Callahan's back problem to not be a problem. Saku Koivu to be Saku Who the way he was against us last season, rather than the Habs captain and star he was when he was young.

Also Check Out: MVN has On The Pond while the almighty Mirtle added The Battle of California to SBN. There is also the Girl With A Puck and a good MSM Ducks blog at the Orange County Register.

28-16-4: Well Wasn't That Special?

For the first time this season, both of the Rangers special teams were actually special and they accounted for all four goals as the Blueshirts beat the Mighty Ducks 4-2 tonight. Two power play goals and two shorthanded goals gave the Rangers the edge over a bigger, more motivated Anaheim team in what proved to be a heckuva game to watch.

After an initial 10 minutes of hockey where the Rangers played like they did during Sunday's heartless shutout loss at the hands of the Penguins, the home side stepped up their play and put on a show for a surprisingly good Tuesday crowd at the Garden. The power play, which has been utterly terrible for much of this season, scored two goals by doing the things that get goals - shooting the damned puck and crashing the crease. Back on the other side of the ice, with Henrik holding his positions well, the penalty kill eliminated the advantage brought by two of the best defensemen in the NHL by stepping up to the shooters and forcing turnovers. It was, frankly, beautiful.

As a friend said after the game, this team is a tease. It is remarkable how they can get everything to click at times and how they can look so utterly disinterested and awful at others. That is a topic that I have addressed before and will likely return to many times throughout this season but not on this evening. Tonight, the Rangers earned themselves a pass on my questioning of the leadership. Well, except for Tom Renney. The Clueless Coach has absolutely no idea on how to build his roster or how to develop chemistry on it. The additions of Aaron Voros and Dan Fritche both backfired and Renney's ridiculous line rotations cannot be good for the health of the team. At one point, it seemed like he didn't ice the same line once as he revolved wingers like it was going out of style. But we won so he surely won't have learned his lesson. What a doubled edge sword that is ...

*Voros and Fritsche were added as an adjustment due to Anaheim's size. Neither one made an impact, at least a positive one. Voros did try his damnedest to work the crease but didn't succeed in anything except earning a few bad penalties. And he deserved more, going after guys after whistles, trying to act tough (which he shouldn't since he fights just as poorly as Dubi). As for Fritche, the former Blue Jacket's energy went to waste as he couldn't lay any good hits and he couldn't get through traffic - with one exception as he beat out an icing call. There is no way Renney, Glen Sather, or anyone for that matter could look at this game and say that Petr Prucha and Lauri Korpikoski would have done worse than their replacements. And the negative impact on their psyche of being canned despite playing hard nosed hockey every shift of every game they skated in cannot be measured.

*Stemming from that, the Rangers won this game playing their hockey. They can't play another team's hockey. That means that they shouldn't adjust their game plan entirely to match that of an opponent - they are built to play a certain way and when they get away from that, they get into trouble. They can't play "big" like the Ducks, they can't play puck possession like the Wings, they can't get into track meets with the Caps. The Rangers need to make it hard to get into their own zone, need to get Hank the time and space to do that voodoo that he does so well, need to score off of the rush and need to make man-advantages into advantages, not opportunities for the other team to score.

*But back to the positive and tonight's man advantages. Markus Naslund opened the scoring for the Rangers by twisting in the high slot and firing a shot through traffic. It was nice to see the Swede still playing - after many nights of nothing, Naslund seems to pop up once every few games to score a goal. I remember when he was a dangerous sniper who could score on any given rush. Ah, memories. The other power play tally came with him working the crease (as Voros was benched for being an idiot) and Mexican't Scott Gomez resurfacing to chip a loose puck in from the doorstep. Gomez had earlier earned a second assist on Naslund's goal, but second assists, for the most part, shouldn't count. He spent most of the game being marginalized by the big Duck defense but, seeing as he did score a goal and (to steal a phrase) "that's what you're paid for Braiden."

*The penalty kill unit has been the one steady strength of the franchise this campaign and the boys turned the tables and scored two shorthanded goals in this one. Freddie Sjostrom made a strong play inside the blueline and took off like a bat out of hell, bursting down the wing before firing a beautiful shot upper corner, far side past Jonas Hiller. And the other shortie came courtesy of Blair Betts, who forced a turnover with the team skating 4-on-6 and got the puck into the empty net to ice the game.

*As regular readers know, Bettsy is my favourite Ranger and he showed everyone the skills that have earned my adoration in this one (even in just nine minutes of ice time). Earlier in the third period he was out there killing a penalty and broke his stick. He kept his wits about him, tightened up his spacing and went on to block a shot that deflected out of the zone. The play earned a standing ovation from a good portion of the Garden crowd and deservedly so. If the Selke Trophy truly went to the best defensive forward in the NHL, Betts would be on the short list. An argument could be made that he is the most important Ranger not named Lundqvist and he certainly should be Glen Sather's first priority to re-sign as he becomes unrestricted this offseason. Say what you want about the possibilities held by Anisimov or any of the other kids, Betts has proven his worth in the Rangers zone and in the faceoff circle and all championship teams have a guy like that.

*The mighty mustache of George Parros didn't have an impact in this game, aside from beating Wade Redden flatfooted at one point. Sadly he and Colton Orr didn't dance but there was no lack of fisticuffs as Brandon Dubinsky got the edge over Drew Miller in a MMA submission match (earning a pat on his ass from his opponent) and Ryan Callahan got tossed around like a rag doll by Travis Moen after being slewfooted by the dirty Duck (thanks Mr. X for pointing out the cause, I had missed it).

*Something I did catch was a fantastic shift where Dan Girardi and Marc Staal combined to break up two Duck rushes. Staal had been unable to complete a change and got left out on the ice with Girardi and the two were great together. They knocked the puck away and got it right out of the zone both times. For all of Renney's incessant line juggling, these two kids haven't seen the ice together and after that shift, you have to wonder why. Aside from the thought that that would put the defensively lacking Redden and Rozsival together, the gain could be entirely worth it - not only for this season but going forward. Girardi hasn't been the same since Tyutin got shipped out since he seems to be trying to do too much to cover up for Redden's multitude of inadequacies. Putting him across from the strong Staal may be just what he needs to get his game going in the right direction again.

*It was an interesting choice by the Garden staff to follow up their new movie-quote montage with Dancing Larry but it seemed to work. The decision to follow the iconic scene from Network ("I want you all to get up ...") with Adam Sandler making a stupid voice saying 'Let's go Rangers' did not work. It almost seemed like he was making fun of us. Damn that Happy Gilmore.

*Stat of the night: Chris Pronger, 28:42 of ice time. Scott Niedermayer, 29:00.

*On that note, Orrsie got less than five minutes and yet he was the only Ranger who showed up to play from the start. He got scoring chances on each of his first two chances. Let me repeat that - Colton Orr got scoring chances on each of his first two shifts. Voros, who didn't get squat, skated for 12 minutes.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Scott Gomez - one goal and one assist.
2-Henrik Lundqvist - 32 saves.
1-Blair Betts - one goal.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Nazzy - I don't see how the Professional Hockey Writers chose Gomez over Naslund. I just don't get it. As I mentioned before, Gomez's assist was a gift while his goal came courtesy of Naslund's hard work in front of the net. And Nazzy's tally came on a perfect shot ...
2-Hank - As Mr. X from the Blue Seats mentioned to me, early on it looked like the Ducks were 'storming the beach at Normandy.' Hank held his ground and gave his team a chance to wake up and get into the game.
1-Bettsy - When he was re-signed the last time, I joked to a friend, "what do you think those negotiations were like? 'Hey Blair, want a contract?' 'Sure! Thanks!'" This time it won't go nearly as easily. His worth has gone up as more teams have seen how valuable his skill set truly is. Sign him now Glen, while you still can.

Peepin' Foes: Anaheim Ducks

The Rangers are back at the Garden for one of their four January home games Tuesday, a 7 p.m. face off against the Anaheim Ducks. It is the second (and last) time the two teams will meet; the Rangers won the first leg back in December, 3-1.

Where We Are: The Blueshirts are coming off of a 3-1-1 road trip that looks a lot better than it feels - primarily because of the bad taste the Rangers left in our mouths with a lackadaisical loss to the pitiful Pens on Sunday.

Where They Are: Anaheim is an astounding 20 points behind San Jose, their Pacific Division foes. They have lost four of their last six games, including embarassments to Tampa and L.A. but defeated the Devils last Sunday and the Minnesota Wild this Saturday.

Who To Watch For: Ryan Getzlaf always uses his size to his advantage when he faces the Rangers and with good cause - the Blueshirts are soft. If anyone other than Marc Staal ends up covering him, watch out. Bobby Ryan, a southern Jersey native who happened to be drafted after that Crosby crybaby, is averaging nearly a point per game. The kid has some serious skills and deserves recognition, even if he grew up a Flyer fan. Also, more under the radar, is Andrew Ebbett. Ebbett went undrafted after four years at Michigan (including a freshman season under Captain Jed Ortmeyer) and spent a few seasons in the AHL before the Duckies called him up in December. Ebbett has four points in his last five games and is even seeing some power play time.

What To Watch For: As I mentioned, the Rangers are soft so if the bigger Ducks play to their size, then Hank could find himself under seige. And while Anaheim is causing chaos, Corey Perry will pop up at opportune times to pot a goal or two.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: The Rangers actually playing like they care - especially at home; what a nice change that would be. Chris Pronger managing not to elbow, step on or cheap shot anyone. A rematch of last year's heavyweight battle between Orr and Parros.

Also Check Out: MVN has On The Pond while the almighty Mirtle brought The Battle of California to SBN. There is also the Girl With A Puck and a good MSM Ducks blog at the Orange County Register.

As always, I recommend people check out Sam Weinman's Ranger Report. Apparently Dan Fritsche and Aaron Voros both practiced Monday, so don't be shocked to see either or both in the lineup - both are more bigger than Dawsie, Pru and the Korpedo and you know Renney is more than willing to bench his young players at whim ...

21-11-2: Quack, Quack, Quack Mr. Ducksworth

What a way to start a walk through the wild west, huh? The New York Rangers kicked off their California swing with a big, strong 3-1 win over a big, strong Anaheim Ducks team. The Ranger web page got it right when they wrote that the Blueshirts played a "textbook road game" in that it was tight and defensive but no matter how it was done, as my buddy Eric said, it was a "huge 2 pts." If they can beat LA tomorrow before the inevitable thrashing by the Sharks Saturday, this trip will be a huge success. But first things first:

*No wonder Tom Renney loves Nigel Dawes so much. Not because the kid actually scored for once, but because he is a robot. Dawes was interviewed by John Giannone in the tunnel after the game and you would never know that he scored the game-winning goal. His monotone delivery of cliche after cliche was remarkable. He is the exact kind of soldier that Renney wants - highs aren't too high, lows aren't too low, it's all about the team and the opposition will never get bulletin board material. NO PERSONALITY!!

*What makes that even more annoying is how impressive Dawes' goal really was. He easily picked off a bad pass and then walked around Chris Pronger like he was Marek Malik before wristing the puck through Swiss Miss Jonas Hiller. It was a pretty play and something the Rangers desperately need more of out of Dawesie.

*Speaking of Malik, regular readers know that I don't hold plus/minus in high regards as the measure of a player. However, it was nice to see Blair Betts skate away with a team-high +2. It was also great to hear from him during the second intermission in an interview. He has personality and is willing to admit his shortcomings. This guy deserves an A!!

*Scott Gomez (who doesn't deserve his A) yet again led the Rangers in ice time, skating 23:12. And what did he contribute in that time? Two shots and six wins out of 17 faceoffs taken. That is certainly not what this team needs and is playing him for. Perhaps the impending arrival of Mats Sundin will take some pressure off of the Mexican't and he can flourish again. After all, he never was the go-to guy in Jersey ...

*Was it really necessary for the MSG crew to talk about Sundin throughout the game? I am asking, I don't know. Perhaps because I have followed it since this summer, reading every article I could, I am just tired of the tale - even if the end is near. It is a huge story, however, and it would be a disservice to ignore it. What's the cliche? You can only play with the players you have?

*Two plays in the first period set the tone for the game. Teemu Selanne broke in on a rush down the right wing two minutes in and took an easy wrister that Hank handily turned away. Just minutes later the Swedish netminder was in the right spot to block a one-timer by Ryan Getzlaf during a Anaheim power play. The plays got Hank into the game early and helped him get into the minds of the Ducks as well - they seemed to try to make the perfect, pretty play after that instead of outright attacking the Ranger net. Even when they got around the blueliners, they tried to be too fancy and Hank was able to hold his ground and make easy saves.

*Perhaps because of the Ducks' timid tactics, Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden didn't look as bad as usual. Redden, by the way, makes just $250K less than Niedermayer and $250K more than Pronger. The two Ducks - both Norris Trophy winners - each skated for more than 27 minutes and regularly made their presence felt. Redden? Notsomuch.

*Why did Ryan Carter and Bobby Ryan see so little ice time? Both played less than 10 minutes but made the most of their time pressuring the Rangers. Carter even got an assist on the lone goal by the Ducks. I don't get what Randy Carlyle was thinking ...

*There was no heavyweight battle between Colton Orr and George Parros but Orr continued the feel-good story of the season with some good work on the shutdown BKO line. This is a guy who was called the worst skater in the NHL.

*There was some fisticuffs in the form of Aaron Voros vs. Steve Montador. It was a terrible Zach Stortini-type of fight - hold em close and try to inflict damage with short punches to the back of the head or to the body. Bor-ring ...

*How is it that the Honda Center gets to play good music like Living Color's "Cult of Personality" and several old Metallica tracks while MSG spins Kernkraft and other generic garbage?? So incredibly not fair.

*Let's hope that Brandon Dubinsky's 'lower body' injury proves not to be anything big. It happened late in the first period in a collision with Corey Perry and Dubi saw limited action the rest of the way.

*The Ducks have to hope that J.S. Giguere gets over his father's passing quickly. It is a terrible, terrible thing to say but Jiggy would have easily stopped both of the shots that the Rangers scored on. Hiller's positioning isn't as good and his glove is slower.

*There was a third Ranger goal but that really shouldn't count since the puck never went into the net. It is a NHL rule that if a player is pulled down on a breakaway towards an empty net that it is an automatic goal but c'mon, Z shoulda had to actually shoot the damned thing. And it was technically a power play goal, which makes the special team look better than it actually was.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Jonas Hiller - 27 saves.
2-Henrik Lundqvist - 19 saves.
1-Nigel Dawes - game-winning goal.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Selanne - If there was any sign that Mats Sundin will be able to come in and contribute at his age, it is the play of Selanne. The Finnish Flash still flies at 37 and he was the only consistent offensive threat for the Ducks.
2-Hank - Where would the Rangers be without him? Probably last place. He was huge, even if he didn't have to show off his skills in a shootout.
1-Lauri Korpikoski - The Korpedo played the way that earned him that nickname. He threw his body around and pressed the action, which helped get Chris Drury his goal. In one of the few times I will ever agree with Joe Micheletti, it appeared to be Korpikoski's best game of the season.

Peepin' Foes: Anaheim Ducks

After a long flight to the left coast, the Rangers are beginning a big swing through Cali, hitting all three teams. Tonight they face the Quack Attack in Anaheim at 10 p.m.

Where We Are: After a horrifying display against the Devils, the Rangers bounced back by beating the Carolina Hurricanes. It was yet another shootout victory for the Blueshirts, and one that certainly should not have gotten to extra time, much less the skills competition. But the Rangers defense was poor and the offence had trouble closing the deal, so Hank saved the Blueshirts yet again.

Where They Are: Anaheim has won three of their last four, with the loss being a tight 2-0 affair with the NHL-best San Jose Sharks (who will hammer us on Saturday). I watched their last game, a 4-2 win over Minnesota and they were pretty damn good themselves - they scored three goals on beautiful passing plays that the Wild defense was helpless to stop. That doesn't bode well now, does it?

Who To Watch For: Rookie Bobby Ryan has four points in his last four games while the other wunderkinds Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry continue to power the Flying V. Scott Niedermayer has always enjoyed beating on the Blueshirts and every Ranger has to watch out for Chris Pronger's elbows, those things are dangerous.

What To Watch For: The Rangers to use jet lag as an excuse for a sub-par defensive effort that lets the Ducks fly all over the ice and win by four or more goals. Or, a second straight superior performance by Henrik Lundvist that leads to New York's 10th shootout victory of the season.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: Nik Zherdev channeling a young Teemu Selanne, Brandon Dubinsky being more of a force than Getzlaf and Markus Naslund playing better than his formor pivot Brendan Morrison. Oh yeah, and Parros vs. Orr, Voros vs. May and Lundvist vs. Giguere - with the last one being the netminders trading off spectacular saves, rather than punches. But punches would be fun too ...

Also Check Out: MVN has On The Pond while the almighty Mirtle just picked up The Battle of California, but there is also the Girl With A Puck and the MSM Ducks blog at the Orange County Register.

As always, I recommend people check out Sam Weinman's Ranger Report for up-to-the-minute updates on our boys and the latest news on Avery and Sundin.

Bartering With Burke

Today the Toronto Maple Leafs finally admitted to the worst-kept secret in acquiring Brian Burke as their general manager. While the Rangers' dealings with Toronto haven't been great of late (outright horrible if you ask me), I thought it would be interesting to see what the Blueshirts dealings have been with Burke, a Stanley Cup-winning general manager. Using Outside The Garden's excellent transaction log, here is what I found (with commentary):

1992-93 Brian Burke is GM of the Hartford Whalers
07.09.1992 - Tim Kerr Traded to Hartford Whalers for Future Considerations.
Kerr's glory days with the Flyers were well behind him and after scoring 18 points in 32 games with the Rangers, he only managed six in 22 with the Whale before retiring. Those considerations became a 1993 seventh round pick, Sergei Kondrashkin, who never played in North America.

1998-2004 Brian Burke is GM of the Vancouver Canucks
03.09.2004 - Martin Rucinsky Traded to Vancouver Canucks for R.J. Umberger and Martin Grenier.
Umberger was unable to reach a contract agreement with the Rangers and the Blueshirts got a compensatory 2nd round pick from the Canucks in return - Umberger, of course, signed with Philly and is now underachieving in Columbus. Grenier was a minor league goon who is now in Russia. Rucinsky came back to Broadway after the lockout and averaged more than a point per game with his boy Jagr.

2005-2008 Brian Burke is GM of the Anaheim Ducks
08.23.2005 - Steve Rucchin Acquired via Trade from Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Trevor Gillies and conditional 2007 pick.
Gillies is another career minor league goon and the Rangers took on Rucchin's salary for the cash-strapped Ducks and made good use of the former captain as a checking center. I have no idea what happened with that pick.

01.08.2006 - Maxim Kondratiev Traded to Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Petr Sykora and 2007 4th round pick.
Kondratiev spent some time in Portland, a lot of time in Russia, four games for the Ducks and stopped by Ranger camp this year before heading home. Meanwhile, Sykora had 31 points in 40 games and looked good in Ranger blue but the team decided not to re-sign him and he went to Edmonton before heading to Pittsburgh and riding shotgun for Gina Malkin. I couldn't find what happened to that pick.

03.09.2006 - Sandis Ozolinsh Acquired via Trade from Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for 2006 3rd Round Pick.
A former Norris finalist, Ozolinsh played parts of two seasons with the Rangers and was horrible. He was defensively suspect and his alcoholism certainly didn't help. He got sober again and San Jose gave him a shot before he returned home to Latvia this summer. As for the pick, it became defenseman John de Gray, who still plays in the Ducks minor league system with the Iowa Chops but isn't likely to see the NHL.

So what does it all mean? Very little. Burke easily dealt with the Rangers while he was in the West but now that he is in the East he may not be as willing. Plus, since he is at the helm of a rebuilding Toronto team, he will likely be looking for youth that the Rangers aren't ready to part with. While Petr Prucha is still in the early stages of his NHL career, Glen Sather would be foolish to trade him away to another Eastern team, just in the off case that the kid does develop the way we have always hoped. But, you never know ...

Broadcasting Bungles

Just a quick note: If you have NHL Center Ice or can find the game online, I suggest you check out the Phoenix Coyotes game in Anaheim right now. Prime Ticket is giving a preview to their new 'Rinkside' view. It has the standard play calling but uses only low cameras - the robos at either end atop the glass and handhelds in the corners and between the benches.

It is an attempt to give those at home a feel for the speed and intensity of the game and, personally, I think it is awful. You can't tell where the puck is most of the time and I think some of the cameramen are having the same problem as well. People complain about not being able to see the puck on the regular broadcasts and this isn't making it much easier.

And one last thing, while I am finding faults with mass media, the folks over at Yahoo! seem to have put up the wrong picture ...

NHL Four-cast: Anaheim Ducks

Ah to step into the shoes of a meteorologist, you get to make predictions based on basic indicators and you somehow don't get fired if you are wrong. A blizzard is coming! Gale force winds! Sixty and sunny!

Whatever.

Here at Scotty Hockey the weather outside is frightful so we think of the time when it's delightful ... hockey season. And that time is coming soon. So to prepare for the puck to be dropped, I'll take a look at the 30 teams of the NHL, one or two per day and give you a Four-cast where I will ask and answer four questions about that team (get it? four-cast? I need sleep.):

1 - Why is this team worth watching?
2 - Are they better or worse than last year?
3 - Who should YOU draft in fantasy?
4 - Random Question (differs per team)

As always, if there is something I missed, feel free to leave a comment ...

Anaheim Ducks

1 - Why is this team worth watching? They play power hockey. They won the Cup with big, strong forwards and slick puck movement and despite last season's disappointment, they were still fun to watch. Plus, you never know when Chris Pronger is going to try to kill someone next. Scott Niedermayer puts on a clinic every time he steps on the ice and George Parros - the Princeton Punisher - is worth the price of admission, if only for the mustache.

2 - Are they better or worse than last year? Better. They made it through the Cup hangover year and showed flashes of the team that won in the first place. The big parts to the puzzle are still there - Niedermayer won't be causing controversy this time around as he will play for sure - and they got rid of Todd Bertuzzi. In his place will be an older Bobby Ryan (the No. 2 pick from a few years back) who has something to prove. They also took a smart gamble on signing Brendan Morrison who is a solid second line center when healthy. When healthy. But they should make a good run in the West, likely falling in the conference semis.

3 - Who should YOU draft in fantasy? Ryan Getzlaf = stud. Niedermayer = stud. J.S. Giguere = stud. Pronger is solid, as are Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz. Perry should become a point-per-game performer this season, even if he just signed a big money deal. Morrison has something to prove on a one-year deal but is a risk, as is Matt Schneider, who may be dealt before the season starts and who knows where-to. Dark horses are Ryan, who had 10 points in 23 games while getting his feet wet, and Jonas Hiller. The Swiss backup goaltender has a .927 save percentage through 23 games but who knows how much action he will get or when, depending on Jiggy.

4 - Where can I send them money? Here. Why would you want to send them money? If you go to that link you can see that some fans are collecting cash to give to the charity of the player who scores first against the evil Kevin Lowe's Edmonton Oilers. It is a wonderful idea that brings the fans closer to the player, adds more venom to the rivalry and helps out a good cause. Could you imagine the turnout if someone did this walking around the Garden asking for money before the first game against the Isles?

27-24-6: Quack, Quack, Quack Mr. Renney

The New York Rangers are two different teams - the one when Jagr is on the ice and the one when he isn't. There is no clearer example than in the third period of the 4-1 loss to the Ducks tonight. Already down 3-1, Mathieu Schneider took a holding penalty. The Rangers 'second' power play unit took to the ice, and battered the Ducks - pinning them in deep while getting chance after chance. Instead of keeping them on for an extended shift, Renney put the Jagr unit on and the Rangers passed the puck around, getting no chances, while eventually passing the puck away. Jagr turned the puck over and Todd "The Paralyzer" Bertuzzi scored to put the game out of reach. Jaromir Jagr should not be the captain of this team, hell, he should not even be on the team.

Renney ranted and raved how Jagr doesn't go down when battered, how he won't take a dive ... well that goes to show that his personal pride is more important than his drive to win. If you will do anything to help your team win, then falling when a guy is mauling you is a necessary evil. Until the Rangers get a leader who will do anything to win, they won't go anywhere.

Other notes:
*I was one of the biggest supporters of Ryan Hollweg but enough is enough, he has to go. In his first game back from a suspension for a stupid, selfish hit, Hollweg made another selfish play that cost the Rangers. This time, he was attacked by Ryan Carter midway through the third period. The Rangers were down 3-1 and Carter threw down his gloves. Rather than do the smart thing and skate away, drawing a penalty, Hollweg threw down the gloves and took on the rookie nobody. Both got matching penalties, with Hollweg winning - yippee. Try thinking of the team first pal, that's why I hate Jagr and that's why I think your time is through. Dane Byers proved he was capable during the Kings game, its time to get him more ice time with the big boys.

*Blame as I might Jagr and Hollweg, the real culprit was the Man Who Would Be King, Henrik Lundqvist. Hank was horrible, giving up two, maybe three inexcusable goals. You have to wonder what Renney is thinking by putting him in night after night. Hank played decently but lost to the Kings, the worse team in the NHL. So he automatically gets the start against the reigning Stanley Cup champs? Expect Valley to get a well-deserved, well-needed start this weekend.

*Dubi, buddy, I love ya pal, but take a boxing lesson or something. Nick Fotiu is often around, get a lesson or two on how to take care of yourself with the gloves off. I love the fire, but watching you fight is uuuuuuuuuuugly.

*I went home and threw on Rangers in 60 while I typed this ... seriously, how does anyone listen to Micheletti? This guy is terrible!

*Petr Prucha had probably his worse game of the season. Let's hope that once he has hit bottom, things can only get better.

*I feel bad, just tearing on the Blueshirts, there were some good moments - like the late power play shift I mentioned at the top. Drury worked the crease while Gomez, Girardi and Dawes smoothly moved the puck around, shooting at will. Gomez skated like the wind for most of the game and got a few great chances but couldn't finish them. Marc Staal was fantastic. And onto the three stars:

*PHR Three Stars
3-Corey Perry - one goal.
2-Schneider - goal and an assist.
1-Jean-Sebastien Giguere - 32 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Colton Orr - finally defeated another heavyweight in George "I'm Bringing Sexy Back" Parros.
2-Jiggy - he stood strong, even if most of his saves came on shots right into his chest.
1-Matt Schneider - the native son makes a successful return to the city. I told you guys we should get him ...

Here Is A Thought ...

Now I have been known to speculate a little bit before, but usually I try to avoid the whole rumour mill and just deal with the facts.

However, in the wake of tonight's thrashing (get it? ha!), I needed something for a smile and I found it, thanks to another Scott. With Mr. Niedermayer's decision to return to hockey, it opens up legion of possibilities throughout the league.

According to Eric Duhatschek of the Toronto Globe and Mail, Matt Schneider is likely to be moved by the Ducks. The full post is here but you have to wade through a longwinded story about Cindy and how we are supposed to feel bad for her because of all she has to deal with (20 years old, making $3.7 million ... yeah, I feel awful). Whatever, all you need to read is this:

Before they can activate Niedermayer, the Ducks need to trade away a player signed to a contract through to the end of the 2008-09 earning around $900,000 to make the salary-cap numbers work. It would be easiest to move defenceman Mathieu Schneider, for a whole lot of reasons: First, Schneider was signed as Niedermayer's replacement; with Niedermayer returning, the need to have him in the line-up is greatly reduced.

According to NHLNumbers.com, Schneider is making $5.50 mill this year and $5.75 next year. Take away the aforementioned $900k and that leaves 4.6 of freed space. As Duhatschek pointed out later in his piece, the Ducks need to resign Corey Perry. Ok, but he doesn't need a new deal until after next year. So what to do with that money ... hmmmm ...

As much as I would like to hand over Marek Malik's $2.5 mill contract, I don't think that a) the Rangers will part with him as long as they have Jagr and b) no one will take him. However, Paul Mara may work here. He makes $3 mill a year, can carry the puck and play serviceable defense should an injury bug hit the Ducks. Package Mara with a mid-round pick, and both teams are happy. The Ducks can get Niedermayer back in the line up, have added defensive depth and get an extra pick to use for their ace scouting staff. The Rangers, who have $2.5 mil of cap space now, would lose maneuvering room but would gain a power play quarterback who loves playing in New York.

Before being shown the door as a free agent back in 2000, Schneider said that "I'm sure the organization knows my first preference is to stay. I've never made a secret of the fact that this is where I want to be." So if Sather pulls the trigger on the deal and then makes nice, we get back a helluva player who will be happy to pull on the Rangers sweater. I, for one, loved having him here and saw that he was trapped on some underachieving, bad teams.

Having someone who is legitimately happy to be a Ranger (Sean Avery) means so much more than one who can care less (Jaromir Jagr). The passion and pride that they feel for carrying the Blueshirt banner translates into their on-ice play and that is what this team needs right now. Watching this droll, shadow of a team the last three games has made this blatantly apparent. So why not? Let's bring back Matt!

Scotty Doesn't Know

The man who made our life as Ranger fans more difficult and got the not-all-that-mighty Ducks a Stanley Cup held a press conference today to tell the world his decision on retirement.

You know what Scott Niedermayer said? NOTHING. He had a Giambi-esque press conference where he said nothing (but didn't imply anything, unlike Giambi). There are mp3s here from his presser where he apologizes for not making up his mind. If I was a Duck I would be pissed not knowing if the best player on the team wanted to come back or not. I'm not saying he should retire, the guy was the best player on the ice for much of the last year so he clearly has a lot left. But let's face it, he has nothing left to prove so it comes down to whether or not he still has the love to play. Before leaving Jersey he said his wish was to play alongside his brother. He did that, and he won the guy a Stanley Cup he otherwise would not have gotten.

I know it's not an easy decision, but he had two months to figure it out and now people's careers hang in the balance. Some kid is coming to Ducks camp hoping to fight for a spot not knowing if it will be there or not ... not to mention that plenty of Western coaching staffs want to know if they need to prepare for the game that Niedermayer brings. My opinion? He should hang 'em up. He has won at every level, so why not leave a legacy that few will ever come near? His spot in the Hall of Fame is sealed so why risk injury (to himself or that legacy) for another season?