17-15-3: Home Grown Heroes

For all of the asinine pre-season predictions touting victory after victory and a shiny Cup in the Rangers' future, not a one said that the Blueshirts would go only as far as Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan would take them. But that is where we are right now, as their efforts have spurred most of the Ranger success to date.

Cally has six of New York's 14 special team goals and when Step scores the side is 9-1-1. The True Blue duo drove their team to a 4-2 victory over the Southeast Division-leading Atlanta Thrashers Winnipeg Jets with three goals and three assists between the two of them. As ranted in this space a few weeks back, the mercenaries are supposed to supplement the home grown talent and, on this night, Rick Nash did just that. The former BJ rode his linemates coattails for two points, a goal and an assist. Nash, so used to doing things himself, still needs to adapt to being a bit player and lining up alongside selfless players like Cally and Step should certainly help.

Let's see how long this line combo lasts, as Torts juggles more than a clown in a circus. And he's far less coordinated. Once the team faces some adversity, say on the first or second shift on Wednesday, it's a sad certainty that they'll be broken up. Sad, sad, sad.

Late Hits:

*Hard to imagine but even Hobey Gilroy would be better on defense than Roman Hamrlik. So would a nun with a ruler, a traffic cone or a sign that says 'Beware of Dog.'

*Cally's goal? Wow. Just ... wow. Did you know he had that in him? Can't say I did. He's outstanding.

*Poor penalties aside, Zuke had a terrific game. The minute Norwegian knows what to do with the puck and does it. Decisiveness is an asset.

*The penalties have to stop. Even with Powe rightfully back in the lineup, the team can't give good teams those opportunities night after night.

*Explain how getting 3:23 of ice time is beneficial to Chris Kreider's career. You can't. Torts can't, and he is the bench boss who gave it to him.

*Brian Boyle ... steaks are tougher than he is. Amazing how he gets pushy once the stripes show up; I think there are harder shoves in the mosh pit at a Nickleback show.

*Sad how JT Miller was benched when it was Boyle who blew the faceoff leading to Bogosian's goal. As usual, Torts would rather 'teach lessons' to younger players rather than show some actual accountability.

*For all his money Brad Richard$ can't even buy an empty net goal. Kinda pathetic, especially as we are the ones who gave him that money.

*Going to the net is a good thing. Someone remind Pyatt of that.

*PHW Three Stars:
3-Henrik Lundqvist - 26 saves.
2-Derek Stepan - two goals.
1-Ryan Callahan - one goal and three assists.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars:
3-Girardi - Over 29 minutes of ice time, no points for Evander Kane.
2-Step - Time to stitch a letter on his sweater. Take it off of Richard$ sweater.
1-Cally - Selfless. Skilled. Tenacious. If there was only a way to clone him ...

Aye Aye Cap'n Cally

It was as inevitable as raised ticket prices at MSG - Ryan Callahan was named the captain of the Rangers this morning.

Callahan was the obvious and expected selection, albeit one that was expected to be made next week. He was the pro tem captain last season when Drury battled his injuries so he steps into a familiar role. His heart and dedication to the franchise is unquestioned and his playing style has long made him a fan favourite. As we have seen in his interviews, Cally has matured from a fresh-faced kid a few years ago into a man that the guys in the room and around the league respect. He is a fantastic choice.

However, I wouldn't be me if I didn't see the possible gray clouds lurking on the horizon.

As I wrote in the Captain Conundrum, the Blueshirts did not step up at the sight of the injured Callahan before an important game against Atlanta on April 7th and had one of their worst performances of the entire season. You can respect someone without following that person's lead. I respect the Dalai Lama but I am not a Buddhist.

The other concern is the obvious - Callahan gets injured. Annually. His 100 percent style puts his body in the line of fire and it takes a toll on him. As my buddy Phil pointed out to me, as a captain he is Brendan Morrow. Unquestioned passion and ability but a tendency to miss time because of it. In his five seasons as captain, Morrow has made it through two of them unscathed. Cally has yet to play a full 82 regular season games in his NHL career.

That is where the Alternates will come in. Marc Staal retained his A from last year and Brad Richards, who wore that letter in both Dallas and Tampa, will join him. Richards' experience makes the decision a no-brainer, despite the perceived oversight of Brandon Dubinsky. One of Dubi's most endearing qualities is his occasional hot-headedness, so perhaps it is for the best that the more experienced, more level-headed veteran gets the A instead. That being said, once Callahan gets hurt should Callahan get hurt, the trainers can easily add a letter to Dubi's sweater and the team can go with three Alternates.

Today's decision puts the team in a far better position then they were in the last few seasons. Jagr was famously moody on and off the ice and Chris Drury was more concerned with celebrating holidays than winning hockey games. Unlike the two of them, Callahan was raised a Ranger and now he is in a position to lead the team to the next level. Let's just hope he stays healthy enough to do it.

The Captain Conundrum 2011

The news is out, the Rangers are done with Chris Drury, leaving the Blueshirts without a captain.

Before the C was sewn to Drury's sweater I held the belief that the team needed a cult of personality to lead them and, if anything, the last few seasons strengthened that philosophy. Us fans will never know what Drury brought to the table in the room and outside the rink - he may very well be responsible for the quick acclimation to New York by all of the Ranger kids the last few seasons. We will never know. But it is sad the way things worked out from what we did see.

We are pretty much right back where we started from. Back in 2008 the Rangers were transitioning from the Jagr generation to the Renney's American Rangers and it was clear that the C would go to one of the two big money Cs that were signed, Drury or Scott Gomez. Seeing as Gomez was a clown, that pretty much sealed the deal for Dru. Now the team is transitioning from the mercenary Sather signings to a generation of home grown kids.

So who will it be?

The obvious choice is Ryan Callahan. Cally's on-ice abilities are well known and he matured before our eyes as the New York media turned towards him in Drury's injury-caused absences. Callahan may very well be the next captain and he may very well prove to be worthy of the letter (and I truly hope so) but April 7th opened the door to doubt. Cally stood on crutches alongside Steve McDonald to present the extra effort award before an important home game against Atlanta. The sight of their injured teammate alongside New York's hero cop did nothing to inspire the team and they fell 3-0 in an utter embarrassment.

What we need to figure out is who will be able to inspire this team and lead them to a Stanley Cup? Callahan may very well be the man, but let's just look at a few other candidates:

Henrik Lundqvist: Hank is clearly deeply emotionally tied with the team and it's performance - after wins he is happy, after losses he looks like someone kicked his puppy. He doesn't hide from the media and isn't afraid to call out his teammates. As much as he is the King, he is also the Atlas holding up the Ranger world. But Roberto Luongo proved that goaltenders just shouldn't be captains in this day and age. While Hank can surely handle the pressure, he doesn't need or deserve the distractions.

Brandon Dubinsky: Dubi has been right there alongside Cally, growing up and giving all he has for the team. He is willing to fight for his teammates - physically at times - and call out the opposition *cough, cough, Crosby, cough, cough*. But he is on the verge of yet another possible contract holdout and you simply don't want to see that from the captain.

Marc Staal: The Rangers' top defenseman, Staal is yet another product of the developmental system who is rightfully taking his place among the best blueliners in the NHL. On the ice he is quiet and steady and perhaps the best foil for Alex Ovechkin in the league. While we saw a hint of a sense of humour with him at the All Star draft, Staal is usually as straightforward, bland and dour as Drury was with the media. He is best just going about his business rather than having to deal with all that captaincy holds.

Derek Stepan: In his first season Step stepped right in and often didn't look like a rookie. With the media and the fans he is gregarious and gracious and is already well loved by his teammates. A leader at Wisconsin and with the junior Team USA, Stepan clearly has the personality and ability to be 'the man' when called upon. But, going into his sophomore season he needs to be able to work to avoid the infamous slump without having the team's fortunes weighing upon him.

Brad Richards: Since it seems to be all but certain Richards is signing with the Rangers on Friday, he should be considered a candidate. The former Conn Smythe winner already has a good relationship with the head coach and several of the players and at 31 years old has plenty of experience in dealing with the ups and downs of the league. However, Richards will need to acclimate to the city and, unless his contract demands are far less than expected, will be just another mercenary coming to New York for the money.

Twice in recent history the Rangers chose poorly between two candidates for captaincy - picking the reluctant Leetch over Graves and Jagr over Shanahan. Drury was definitely a better selection than Gomez would have been but he didn't prove to be the leader the Rangers needed. Let's hope that they decide on the right one this time.

Chris Drury: A Sad Commentary

Larry Brooks wrote today that the Rangers can't buy out Chris Drury. Because of Drury's knee injury, Glen Sather can't hand him a golden parachute and send him out of town. Instead, should things play out as Brooks expects, Dru will be placed on Long Term Injured Reserve because the knee "will render him medically unable to play next season." So no matter what happens in the next few days/weeks/months - whether Dru is bought out, placed on LTIR or pulls a Naslund and retires - one thing is all but certain: Chris Drury will not play for the Rangers again.

Please, wait a moment before hosting a celebratory pizza party.

Sure, Drury's tenure as a Ranger was not a good one. But the proud man, a winner throughout his career prior to his time in New York, is headed off Broadway as a loser. While being handsomely compensated, the guy lost his job and it was not for a lack of effort on his part. That is the one thing - when all is said and done - that can be said about Drury as a Ranger: he never gave it less than everything he had. And for that we should pause before delighting in his dismissal.

No, seriously, put that slice of pizza down.

It is not his fault that Glen Sather handed him that ridiculous contract, five years at $7.05 million per. It is not his fault that the bar was set in accordance to that contract and not his abilities. Throughout his NHL career he succeeded when he wasn't relied upon to be 'the man' and that role was thrust upon him. Granted, it was shared by the grinning Gomez, but the MexiCan't clearly didn't care. It weighed heavily upon Drury and he did care, except when it was Christmas time.

Ah, the infamous Christmas quote. On December 23rd, 2008 Drury assisted on three of four Ranger goals as they leaped out to a 4-0 lead against the Capitals before blowing it and losing in overtime 5-4. After the game Dru told the media, "“I’m certainly not going to let it ruin my Christmas and I don’t think anyone here is going to let it ruin their break, either."

Now only the insane would ever truly believe that the players, in this day and age, live and die with the results the way fans do. We may want it to be that way - we even may often delude ourselves that it is indeed so - but, deep inside, we know that that just isn't how it goes. These guys are professional athletes doing a job - if you have a bad day at work, are you going to let it ruin your holiday? But the problem is that Drury said it out loud. And, in doing so, he burst our bubble of delusion. And that is unacceptable.

Before Drury was given a sweater with a C stitched on the breast, I wrote that "the C brings with it a legacy and it should not be tarnished just because fans or pundits feel that somebody has to have it." Since that time, especially post-Xmas comment, I called Drury the worst captain in Ranger history. It is a harsh statement but one I stand by. Now that is based on the observations of an outsider; reports say Drury was respected and loved inside the locker room and that is all fine and good. Hell, that is wonderful. But that doesn't change that for us fans in the stands his ability was never apparent. Drury never picked the team up on his shoulders on the ice, never gave impassioned speeches on the bench and was a monotone, benign cliche machine in interviews.

The Rangers had many great captains over the years from Bill Cook to Red Sullivan to Dave Maloney, but the station will forever be defined by Mark Messier. The Captain set a standard that will be, frankly, unmatchable. It will take something and someone extraordinary to simply get out of the shadow cast by him. The sheer skill of Jaromir Jagr couldn't do it and the quiet determination of Chris Drury couldn't do it. We can't blame Drury for that because like his contract, that shadow was not of his doing.

What can we blame him for? For not having Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg around to distract defenses? For not being Mark Messier and willing this team to victories? For not being the exceptional fourth liner that he was in the Olympics? No. We can't blame him for any of that. Say what you want but his character and his effort were completely unassailable.

And because of that the pizza should be put away. Seeing someone with the class and dignity of Chris Drury exit the organization is not cause for celebration. The Drury era was brought about by Glen Sather and now Glen Sather has ended it. Best wishes to Drury and a warning to the GM, for he can't possibly put us through that again.

It might ruin our Christmases.

4-2-1: Three Games, Four Nights, No Problem

All of the worries that New Jersey and Ilya Kovalchuk would come out flying after their Saturday embarrassments proved unwarranted on Sunday. The Rangers kept them grounded in a 3-1 win by the boys in blue.

Any win over Mmmmaaarrrtttyyyy and company is a good one but this marked the third straight solid effort by New York. The Rangers simply did their jobs and skated their hardest first against Toronto, then against Boston and then this evening. It is the kind of consistent, honest effort that we have been crying for for years now and it was a delight to watch.

That being said - because you know there had to be a hitch here - the Rangers have often stepped up their game against big opponents. I mentioned it in the Bruins wrap: these are the games you kind of expect them to come out for, the two coming up will where we see the true makeup of this bunch of Blueshirts. It is one thing when they take the ice against the Devils and another when they face the Hurricanes. I'm not taking anything away from what they've done, I'm just tempering my excitement and feel you would be wise to as well.

Some slap shots on this one:

*Games at the Garden just have a different feeling when it is John Amirante signing the national anthem. It was nice to have him set the tone for the night.

*On another musical note - the tunes during warmups were an offense against my ears. Dance remixes of metal songs (Danzig, Metallica), techno and hip hop? Really? How do you get pumped up from that? Oomps, Oomps, Oomps, ugh. After warmups there was just an odd mix through the game with Pantera popping up (YES!!) but sandwiched through the usual Garden garbage.

*Speaking of garbage, why is it that Jersey fans are seemingly embracing the Jersey Shore look and attitude? There were at least a half dozen of those ... people ... in my section. How vile.

*The title of the post is a bit misleading because there have been problems, just not crippling ones. The Rangers continue to lose more faceoffs than they win and the power play went just 2-14 over the three games. The lack of man advantage ability can be attributed to several factors, 1-the quarterbacks are not quarterbacking well, 2-the point people aren't getting pucks on net (if they shoot at all) and 3-few Rangers are paying the price in front. It is not surprising that the Rangers scored when Arty was by the net, Ryan Callahan joined him in the slot and was able to redirect a Dubi feed through Fatso's legs.

*Yes, that was me giving credit to Arty again. Buoyed by Dubi and Cally, the former Pack pups are pushing each other to play better. Cally set the tone with his relentless work and the other two have fallen in step to form a solid unit - they are simply getting it now.

*It would be a lesson well learned by some of the other Rangers, specifically Alex Frolov. He continues to play along the perimeter and continues to be a nonfactor.

*Sean Avery, always a factor when facing Fatso, had a pretty quiet game but was still effective. That high sticking hiccup aside (a dubious call if you ask me), Avery skated hard without being a distraction for his own teammates. He and Fedotenko play a good, simple game that can only be good for young Derek Stepan. Step yet again showed his nerves on Garden ice but it should only be a matter of time before he finds a comfort level that allows him to bring those stellar road efforts home.

*As with Corey Locke last season, Torts said he wanted to take a look at a Pack player and proceeded to give him virtually no ice time. Jeremy Williams saw less than four minutes so it is next to impossible to judge his ability. He saw 16 more seconds than Derek Boogaard, who has proved he has no ability.

*As Eric from 5-Hole asked me, it may be time for me to bust out my Michal Rozsival sweater. Rozy was ... wait for it ... wait for it ... good. He is not the player he was when Jagr was here - that is clear - but during the last few games he has been a solid, veteran presence on the blueline.

*But don't you guys worry about me, I still have someone to hate - Steve Eminger. The guy has no place on our team. Jim Cerny said that Mike Sauer was nicked up hurt and it certainly could have hurt the Rangers. Without his ability, Torts had to limit the third pairing to just over eight minutes - giving MDZ over 28 minutes. Torts burned MDZ out a bit early last season as well and that can not happen again. It is difficult to learn and grow when the pressure is that great.

*Credit to Brandon Prust for playing a day after a scary high stick. Usually when a player adds the protection of a visor or facemask, they can play with an extra level of fearlessness but Prust did not. He skated well and showed a good effort but was not the factor that he was against Toronto or early against Boston.

*There is nothing great about David Clarkson. He is like a scummier version of Avery, without the ability.

*Ilya Kovalchuk? Much ado about nothing. Overrated, overpriced, one-dimensional loser. He is a big reason why none of his teams have won a playoff series and that, hopefully (likely), won't change this year.

*Sorry about the delay on this wrap guys, it ended up being quite a late night, even for me.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Brandon Dubinsky - one goal and one assist.
2-Ryan Callahan - one goal and one assist.
1-Henrik Lundqvist - 27 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Rozy - This is the second time this season he has broken into my top three, which I think is two more times than all of last season. As I said, the younger offensive weapon that Rozy was is no longer but he is using the tools that he has left to be a pillar of the blueline. He could still be better, that is for certain, but he hasn't been the liability he was in recent seasons.
2-Hank - Much like he has done most matches against the Devils, Hank outdueled Mmmaaaarrrtttyyyy, clearing getting the better of the former Vezina winner. Hank's positioning has been perfect, he hasn't over committed and his puck tracking has been second to none.
1-Cally - A tale of two captains: there was Jamie Langenbrunner on one side of the ice, taking dumb penalties, arguing with the officiating and doing nothing on the ice. On the other side, Cally. Skating, hustling, keeping his feet moving, battling, working. Standing up for his teammates, drawing penalties and swarming Marty the Poo's honey hole (that just sounds dirty, sorry). Chris Drury's finger has helped Cally grow into the leadership role and we can only pray that his eventual return won't change that.

Hmmm ...

Press release from the Rangers:

Rangers alternate captain Ryan Callahan, last year's winner of the team's Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, is in the running for another honor this season -- the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award...

What does it say when Cally gets the call for consideration for a leadership award while the actual New York Rangers team captain, Chris Drury, does not?

A Quick Update

After more than 16 hours traveling yesterday, I am back in the ole U.S. of A. It feels weird to tell you the truth, and it didn't help that I came home, dropped off my luggage and went over to a friend's house for a late fantasy draft. When I hit the wall, I hit it hard but I am starting to recover.

While I was running around, Chris Drury was named captain and the Rangers re-assigned Brian Fahey and Corey Potter to Hartford. Both moves were expected and thus not a big deal. Drury is supposedly a "big guy in the locker room" according to a source of mine and let's face it, he is clutch. I am sure Renney was already thinking of giving him the captaincy going into training camp and Dru cemented that C with the game-tying goal the other day. Good for him, but I still think he needs to put himself out there a little more, you know?"

That's all for now as I have to get moving towards the city for the viewing party. Hope to see you all there!

The Captain Conundrum

There is much debate of late over who will become the 25th captain of the New York Rangers. From all that I have read, and I am not about to link all of the pieces as both MSM and bloggers are weighing in on it left and right, everyone seems to think this is a two horse race: Chris Drury vs. Scott Gomez.

I find it remarkable and completely disagree with either choice. First off, let's look at why they are the leading candidates: Both have won Cups, both can put up some points, both are signed to well-paid, long-term contracts. The arguing points used by proponents of each against the other is that Drury is too quiet and Gomez acts too immature. Both statements are true, and that should disqualify each of them in the battle for the captaincy.

Markus Naslund and Wade Redden both have worn letters before but both fall into the same category as Drury as leaders by example. Captains of that ilk work in Detroit, in Colorado and in Ottawa but they don't work here. History has proven that.

New York needs a cult of personality to lead them, and none of the aforementioned 2008-09 Rangers qualify as that. Mark Messier, widely acknowledged as The Captain, was one. Neither his predecessor (Kelly Kisio) nor his successors (Brian Leetch and Jaromir Jagr) had the power to force their will upon others, to motivate others and to resuscitate others. They were great, great hockey players but they couldn't make those around them great.

And New York demands greatness.

Is that quality in the current Ranger locker room? In skill ... perhaps but, at least at the moment and at least on the surface, not in personality. Drury and Gomez are both good hockey players and proven winners but Drury keeps to himself and Gomez smiles in postgame interviews after losses. The short term solution for this is to spread three A's around until someone steps up and brings the team with them.

Perhaps the captaincy could go to Staal, Girardi, Dawes or Callahan but not yet. The C brings with it a legacy and it should not be tarnished just because fans or pundits feel that somebody has to have it.

One ... More ... Day ...

Just one day until the Rangers open their season at home against the Florida Panthers. I, for one, can't freakin' wait!!!!!!!!

Sorry about no updates yesterday, I was quite busy at work.

So now that I am done with the excuses, some notes:

*Steve Downie was banned by the AHL for a month, who are being all tough upholding the NHL's suspension (but shorter). Funnily enough, he can come back to play in the AHL three days before Mark Bell, who was cleared by doctors to play. So a drunk driving substance abuser can come back to the NHL months faster than a kid who made a helluva hit that incidentally/accidentally injured someone ...

*A slew of new captains have been named this season. The Philadelphia Flyers listened to me and named Jason Smith captain. Ethan Moreau took will be Edmonton's new captain, which is great because he is a heart guy who battles every shift and will do anything for the team. The Thrashers, who so nicely rolled over for the Rangers in the playoffs last season, gave the C to Bobby Holik, which may not be a bad move, but only if he returns to form as a top shutdown center. That idiot goon Chris Pronger will lead the Ducks since Scotty Niedermayer hasn't decided about retiring, still. The Blackhawks, Blues, Bolts and Devils still have yet to name one.

*The Boston Bruins signed Glen Metropolit, who had 14 goals and 19 assists in 77 games with two teams last season. He probably won't do much for the B's but I care because he is the lone Long Island Jawz player to make the NHL.

*Tonight there are four season openers. Two games will be on Versus, if you actually have it (the first two I mention):

Anaheim vs Detroit - Todd Bertuzzi returns to Detroit! Who cares, he only guested there last season. Matt Schneider is hurt. The Ducks already played two games so they should be in better form earlier, if a bit jetlagged.

Dallas vs Colorado - Best defensive corps in the league vs. a reloaded Colorado offense. Joe Sakic looked awesome last year and now he has Ryan Smyth and some great young talent around him. Should be the best game of the night ...

Montreal vs Carolina - I think Montreal will surprise some teams this year. We know about their top notch goaltending (Huet and Price) but their offense isn't that horrid, even without Sheldon Souray. It will come down to Roman Hamrlik to replace him somehow. Carolina is overrated but they do believe in a system and we all know from the Devils, that is a scary thing.

Ottawa vs Toronto - Ah, the first loss of the season for the Leafs. Martin Gerber is expected to start for the Sens, who barely changed from last season's Stanley Cup Final visit. Even with a new coach, they should smack around the limp Leafs.