44-20-7: Free Fallin'

Spring officially begins this week and it can't come soon enough for the Rangers. The Blueshirts continue to languish in their winter doldrums and on Saturday were beaten by Colorado 3-1. The Avalanche, a young team that came in hungrier than the hefty Rangers, who have grown fat on points they barely had to work for this season.

Now is the time that Rangers should be rounding into form and instead they are languishing in laziness and ineptitude. And things aren't going to get any easier

But you know, this slide may very well be the best thing for the Dolans, as the Rangers could tumble to sixth place. The air down there is far better than at the top as they will face the SouthLeast Division winner and have their best chance to not get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

Late Hits:

*Is Varley French Canadian? He loves to over-emphasize every one of his glove saves the way those goalies do. I hate that. The former Cap somehow collected 40 saves and yet barely had to break a sweat. He had time, he had space and he barely had to face any rebounds. Why would the Rangers go hard to the net? The one time they did crash the crease they scored a goal, but why bother doing it again?

*Del Zaster returned from injury and stepped right back in his usual position of ruining Ranger power plays. He can hardly hold the blue line, he is constantly looking for his own glory with a backdoor chance and he wastes hours of time with the puck, allowing the defenders to get set ... And Torts gave him hours, well close to it - an outrageous 8:38 of man advantage ice time.

*Brad Richard$ certainly didn't pull his weight with the man advantage either. But, as we've seen this season, consistency isn't his strong suit so we have to expect him to disappear for a few games - even with nearly nine minutes of power play time. Random fact, Landeskog was 11 years old when Richard$ won his Conn Smythe.

*Mike Rupp may be the most useless player in the NHL. A grinder who doesn't grind, a fighter who doesn't fight, a former hat trick scorer who doesn't score. And yet he got some power play time. Seriously.

*Then again, everyone except for Stu saw at least three seconds of power play time. Talk about grasping at straws Torts. THe head coach is completely clueless about how to make the power play work, and it is mid-March. Not October, March. Seventy-one games into the season.

*Nice of the ECHL version of Stu Bickel to show up and get embarrassed by Boston cast-off Matt Hunwick to allow Colorado to tie things up in the 1st period. And then Stu decided to goon it up in the second with a poor fight for no reason against Cody McLeod. There is a lot to like about Bickel's game but the whole package simply isn't up to par.

*Hunwick went to the University of Michigan from 2003-2007. His goaltender during his first two college campaigns was Al Montoya. Monty was there one year prior to Hunwick, and played for captain Jed Ortmeyer that season. Hunwick spent three years alongside the Whale's Chad Kolarik. Kolarik was one year behind him, and during Kolarik's senior season he got to play with a fresh-faced Swedish rookie named Carl Hagelin. Bork bork bork.

*The second Avalanche goal was just atrocious. Colorado rushes in, Del Zaster chases one Av into the corner and Staal didn't notice DZ was out of position because he was busy blocking a shot. Pruster had covered Landeskog as the Avalanche came into the zone but he got spun by the soon-to-be-superstar Swede. Boyle watched as O'Reilly crossed to Wilson. Fedotenko didn't bother to close with Wilson and Landeskog was left alone, making it an easy deflection. A comedy of errors by the Blueshirts.

*Thought Matt Duchene had a broken ankle?!?

*Dubi. Nothing. Again.

*Jan Hejda does nothing flashy, but most things right.

*Speaking of such, enjoyed Timmy Erixon's return. He was quietly capable and solid with the puck. The extra time with Wade Redden seemingly has paid off - seriously.

*Couldn't believe the Garden played a clip of Pantera's "Cowboys From Hell" - but sadly couldn't enjoy it as it came right before the end of the night's failure.

*For the first game in a while, there weren't many opposing fans in the Garden. It didn't make for an especially outstanding crowd but there were a few Let's Go Rangers chants that got quite loud.

*Love Hank, but how the hell was he named the third star? He allowed two goals on 10 shots and went on to close with all of 17 saves - just one of which was particularly impressive. Another example of why I do my own stars after every match.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Henrik Lundqvist - 17 saves.
2-Gabriel Landeskog - one goal.
1-Semyon Varlamov - 41 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Varley - No softies allowed.
2-Ryan Wilson - Some solid defense, good puck movement and the perfect shot for Landeskog to tip home.
1-Landeskog - Damn Swedes are building more hockey robots to take over the world.

10-9-1: When Is Enough Enough?

This will be quite quick because the Blueshirts will be back in action Saturday night against Minnesota - none too soon after tonight's 5-1 loss at the hands of the Avalanche. The Rangers were as sloppy as the ice they were playing on and simply couldn't keep up with the faster, younger, more talented Colorado crew.

Notes:

*Mistake after mistake by Michael Del Zotto ended up in the back of the Blueshirt net and, before you knew it, the team was down 4-0 and that was the game. I was vilified earlier this season for pointing out (or nitpicking as some said) MDZ's many deficiencies and those flaws in his game have gotten worse and more obvious. My arguments have not changed, until the team decides to blow off the playoffs, MDZ would be best served in the minors. Dave Tippett sent Kyle Turris down in Phoenix and the player is better for the experience. If the organization really believes in MDZ, they will do the same. It does him and the team no good playing minute after minute, night after night with no chance to learn or grow or gain confidence.

*Henrik Lundqvist allowed three goals on 16 shots; two off deflections, one a rebound after the initial stop. As I tweeted, the Rangers could replace Hank with Biron but that wouldn't take MDZ off the ice ... and MDZ promptly helped Colorado score on their first shot on the backup.

*The power play continued to be powerless. A lot of that is the personnel and the personnel's lack of confidence and willingness to pay the price for goals. Same old story ...

*David Jones crashed the net several times in the first period hitting Hank twice and no one did a thing about it - it was little surprise to see him bang home the first goal of the game.

*It is hard to say this but it will be nice to have Chris Drury back in the lineup, if only because it will likely take Erik Christensen out of it. Mr. Softie the Backstabber does have offensive skill but lacks the killer instinct that puts pucks in the net - and without that, he is all but useless.

*Happy to see Derek Stepan score. He had troubles on the play, blowing a pass and shanking a shot but that actually helped throw Craig Anderson off. Let's hope that this sparks the kid's scoring touch so we don't have to wait 19 games for another goal.

*Best three Rangers of this game? Sean Avery, Mike Sauer and Brandon Prust. Avery hustled every second of every shift and drew several penalties that his teammates blew. For giggles he went after Cody McLeod after a whistle with a minute left in the game and not one of his teammates tapped him as he went off the ice. It is sad he gives his all for the team while the team won't reciprocate. It shouldn't matter what a ginormous d-bag he may be off the ice or even in the room, once his skates hits the ice he battles for Blue. And that is where it matters. Sauer was solid but Torts keeps shielding him from the opposition's top talent - at some point he should get his shot against the big boys. And Prust, well, the guy got hurt and clearly did not want to give up. In visible pain after an awkward fall, Prust stuck around for several minutes trying to force his body to listen to him and get back into the game ... the game which was well out of reach. That is dedication boys and girls.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Scott Hannan - two assists.
2-Craig Anderson - 25 saves.
1-Matt Duchene - one goal and two assists.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Jones - A 6'2, 220 pound kid uses his size well and goes to the net. Not the most skilled guy, his persistence and fearlessness paid off.
2-Kevin Shattenkirk - Any wonder why this guy was a first round selection and Matt Gilroy wasn't drafted at all? Shattenkirk plays with a poise that belies his experience.
1-MDZ - If not for Del Zotto, the Avalanche might have had a tough time scoring tonight.

Peepin' Foes: Colorado Avalanche

The Rangers are out west tonight, opening a short two-game road trip with their second game this season against the Colorado Avalanche (9pm, MSG-Plus).

Where We Are: The first one didn't go so well, a 3-1 loss in the fourth game of the season. Since then the team has picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and played a more cohesive game. Sometimes it has worked out - vs. Buffalo last week - and sometimes it has not - vs. Boston this week.

Where They Are: Winners of three of their last four and five of their last eight, Colorado is a young, well-coached hungry team that combines top end skill with solid goaltending.

Who To Watch For: That goaltending, surprisingly, has come in the form of Petr Budaj of late as Craig Anderson was injured. That may change tonight as Anderson is healthy and looking to get back into the game. Their blueline has been stepping things up with John-Michael Liles leading the way. Liles, who was trade bait last season, has seven points in his last four games. Kevin Shattenkirk scored his first NHL goal in their last game and looks far, far better than his old Boston University teammate Matt Gilroy. Matt Duchene hasn't scored in nine games but had his first career fight the other day. Even though he is slumping, the Avs offense have been in good shape with Chris Stewart and Paul Stastny putting up points like it is going out of style.

What To Watch For: A Ranger team struggling to keep up with the speedy Avs in the altitude. Hank to either bounce back from the back goal against Boston or to implode. Chris Stewart to strike again after scoring two in the first game against the Rangers this season. Liles to show MDZ how to play point on a power play. Foote to be the filthy, dirty, slow, old warrior that he is while he - along with Scott Hannan - makes himself acquainted with Dubi and Gabby. Brandon Yip to pop up in the most annoying of places down low.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: A decent Ranger power play. The Rangers blocking the passing lanes so capably used by wily vet Milan Hejduk. Alex Frolov to do anything (other than a wraparound). Cody McLeod vs. Brandon Prust (and not Dubi).

Also Check Out: Quebec Nordiques Preservation Society and Quebec Nordiques Legends for the nostalgia, Mile High Hockey, All Things Aves and my personal favourite Jibble Scribbits for the current pretenders.

1-2-1: Dreadful

You can look at the Rangers' 3-1 loss to the Avalanche (and the next month of action) one of two ways:

1- What did you think would happen? Marian Gaborik, Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal - arguably three of their most valuable forwards are injured. Without them, well, the Rangers can't be expected to compete with healthy, skilled, well coached teams.

2- Even without the injured trio, the Rangers still have Henrik Lundqvist and that makes them competitive against anyone. If only a few breaks went their way ...

I, as you surely guessed, refuse to use the crutch that is the first option. But, that being said, the players who aren't hurt and the coach who runs their bench have to come together and give Lundqvist something to work with. You make your own luck and on this evening the Rangers did not. Desperately grasping at the straws of the barren cupboard of forwards, Tortorella slapped together some lines that were utterly devoid of chemistry or capability. The Rangers had no idea of where their teammates were, had no idea what do to with the puck the rare times they had it and were completely outworked by the younger, hungrier Avalanche squad.

The box score, in it's black and white way, allows an observer to say that it was just a momentary mental/defensive/whatever lapse in the third period that gave Colorado two goals in 26 seconds and decided the game. But it was so much more than that, and so much more painful. Sure it was just the fourth game of the season but it was just the fourth game of the season - how can the team already be so far off the message and look so disorganized?

Notes:

*Without Hank, the Aves would have put up a 10 spot. He was surely culpable in the goals he allowed but the barrage of good scoring chances he endured was ridiculous.

*We knew that the defense would be bad, but really, who thought it would be this atrocious. As in the days when they were saddled with the incompetence of their partners Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are regressing. They are trying to do too much and end up doing far too little. Rozy is still far from the player he was when Jagr was here and Michael Del Zotto simply does not know how to play his position. The third pairing of Steve Eminger and Hobey Gilroy isn't fit to play in the AHL, much less the NHL. How and why Tortorella insisted on bringing them back again after the Toronto game is utterly beyond me but the two should be sent to Greenville ASAP. Reinsert the quietly capable Mike Sauer and either re-sign Anders Eriksson (who I believe was released from the Isles) or bring up one of the kids from the Pack. Eminger is a journeyman for a reason and Hobey was a great college player but is not a NHL caliber guy - at least not yet.

*The lack of chemistry was painfully obvious. Colorado would skate as a unit to gain the zone, moving together with smart, short passes and some actual puck carrying. The Rangers just kept panicking and going back to their classic dump and change - not dump and chase. Not to mention the utter incompetence of the power play unit. Different year, same complaints: no decisive QB, telegraphing passes, painful shot selection (if there is a shot at all) and no one battling in the crease.

*If Mark Messier can't teach the Rangers how to win faceoffs, how do you people expect him to take over the GM job and run the organization? The centers couldn't win a draw to save their lives and it allowed the Aves to dictate the play from the drop. Being at home is supposed to give you an advantage at the dots ...

*Chris Stewart is everything I had hoped Brandon Dubinsky would be when they moved him to wing. Instead Dubi mucks about in a north-south game looking to pass to guys who can't finish. He should be the finisher, a power forward willing to drive to the net.

*When the Rangers were bored and listless and going through the motions with it tied at one, it woulda been great to see Derek Boogaard go out there and make something happen, huh? And his intimidation factor is so great that it, like totally, stopped TJ Galiardi from boarding Dan Girardi, right? Oh wait, it didn't and MDZ took a retaliation penalty that negated a Ranger power play (not that they wouldn't have blown it like the other five, but still).

*I honestly did not notice Erik Christensen was in the lineup until the 16 minute mark of the third period. I did notice Todd White several times and thought that seeing that 12 jersey skating around doing nothing was awfully familiar of too many nights last season - when both Kotalik and Jokinen donned the digit.

*All of you guys who tore me apart for being critical of Arty Anisimov, are you finally seeing what I saw from day one? For his size he can be pushed off the puck 99 percent of the time by a strong gust of wind. His skating is lacking - he kept falling down in this one. And he simply doesn't have the drive. Call me Don Cherry but it is a trait shared by fellow former communist Alex Frolov. Frolov seems to believe that doing the same move 18 times coming out from behind the enemy net will somehow have a different result some day. The bottom line is that both of these guys are obviously talented but they just don't seem to have that extra oomph that would make them reliable night in and night out.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Alex Frolov - one goal.
2-Craig Anderson - 31 saves.
1-Chris Stewart - two goals.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Hank - Two of the three goals against came when shorthanded. Its been said before and will be said again - the Rangers are wasting away what appears to be the prime of his career.
2-Paul Stastny - He doesn't have the flair that his dad seemed to have but he certainly has the grim determination and will to win. Stastny was battling all over the ice and had no trouble taking his fight to Hank's doorstep.
1-Stewart - Prior to the game I pointed out to a friend - a lapsed Avalanche fan - that Stewart was the hottest player on the Aves entering the evening and he proved me right. The strides that he has made in his career have been remarkable and, judging from what we saw tonight, he still has yet to reach his peak.

Peepin' Foes Preview Edition: Colorado Avalanche

The Aves are another of those Western Conference teams the Rangers don't often face, and that is reason to be happy. Colorado is young, hungry and hard skating. They lost in six games to San Jose back in the spring in one of the more wild series of the playoffs. Their speed and skill was nicely bolstered by the stellar netminding of Craig "Ice Girls" Anderson.

Familiar Foes: Anderson for one, Adam Foote and Milan Hejduk for two and three. While they make up the veteran backbone, Paul Stastny is star at the heart. When healthy Stastny has shown that the apple didn't fall far from the tree as he has a lot of his dad's abilities as well as his drive and determination. Old familiars Scott Hannon, Kyle Quincey and John-Michael Liles add experience to the blueline as well. Peter Mueller came to Colorado at the deadline for Wojtek Wolski in what seems like one of the most even trades in NHL history as both players starred in their new locales.

N00bz: The Avalanche spent the summer hibernating. Well, not really; they just decided to stay the course and not waste money on mercenaries. They are giving their kids chances and that faith was rewarded last season by Chris Stewart, Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly and Brandon Yip. This year's batch could include Ryan Stoa, Luke Walker (who was in Ranger camp last fall) and Kevin Shattenkirk.

Last Year: Sunday, January 31st, 3-1 win.

This Year: Monday, October 18th at MSG and Friday, November 19th in Colorado.

What They Mean To Blue: Not much more than four early season points. The first match-up is just the Rangers' fourth game of the year and the second is part of the first Rangers road trip off the east coast, in late November.

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.

I'm So Confused

Could Glen Sather actually be deserving of his Hall of Fame status?

That can't be possible, can it? I looked outside and there doesn't appear to be any airborne swine. But Sather did it again, getting a blue chip blueline prospect for virtually nothing. First he gets Montreal stud Ryan McDonagh as a throw in return for the Gomez salary dump and now he deals a career AHLer for a defensive defenseman the like the Rangers haven't seen since Jeff Beukeboom. Sure, Nigel Williams hasn't gotten to that point yet, but the boys-in-the-know over at HFBoards are raving about the former Colorado second rounder's potential.

Jess from Prospect Park didn't share the same enthusiasm for the Belleville blueliner when I asked for his two cents but even if this kid doesn't work out, all it cost us was Brian Fahey - a defenseman who was never going to make the team anyway. I saw him in Switzerland last September and was unimpressed; apparently he was even worse in Hartford.

It's a good, smart transaction - certainly not the type of thing we are used to from Joe McGrath our fine general manager. Seriously, what is going on? Are we being Punk'd? It certainly seems like we are being set up for a big, unfunny joke. So what is it? What does Sather have up his sleeve? What horror are we in for? A deal for DP? A Redden contract extension? Marek Malik's return as a assistant coach in charge of the defense?

Speaking of coaches, today Torts brought in his right hand man from Tampa, Mike Sullivan. It will be sad to see Jim Schoenfeld kicked back upstairs; I liked having someone behind the bench who was tougher than anyone on the other team. But Sullivan was a rock solid player and a capable coach in Boston before riding shotgun with Torts so this seems like just another wise move.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up here so the ground doesn't shake as much when the other shoe drops but I may just be starting to like the direction the Ranger franchise is going in.

Scary.

Say It Ain't So Joe, Say It Ain't So!

The title of this post is the line from Eight Men Out, when a young boy questions Joe Jackson after he was included in the Black Sox scandal of 1919. The boy was shocked and disappointed that his hero had failed him. Well, Joe Sakic was one of the true hockey heroes of the last 20 years and, to the best of my knowledge, has never failed anyone.

All Sakic has done is rack up a ton of points, collect a slew of trophies - including the big silver one twice - and earned himself a ticket to the Hall of Fame. Along the way he has shown a dedication and determination that has won the hearts of millions of hockey fans - and not just those from Colorado and Quebec City. I'm one of them, and it will be sad to see him officially call it quits on Thursday.

I've taken a significant amount of flak lately for my vocal dislike for Donald Brashear, and the fact that he is now a Ranger. Where I see Brash symbolizing everything that is wrong with the game, Sakic represents everything that is right with it. I've spoken about Scotty Hockey Heroes here in the past and Sakic certainly is one. There are few higher praises that I can think of than to say, "damn, I wish he was a Ranger." For a brief moment, he almost was one - something I explored when he re-signed with the Aves before the 08-09 season and reposted it below.

It is scary to think that Sakic was thiiiiiiisss close to being a Ranger 11 years ago. Unfortunately the Aves matched the Rangers' offer sheet and New York was doomed to seven years without the playoffs.

Had Sakic headed for Broadway, who knows what would have happened. At the least, New York would have remained competitive against the stifling Devils system. Sakic would have been the crown jewel in a rebuilt Ranger roster and found immediate comfort thanks to the signings of his Colorado teammates Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland. Sakic could have helped keep Theo Fleury on a leash and perhaps Valeri Kamensky wouldn't have been as big of a bust.

And Rangers wouldn't really have missed the five first round draft picks that went the other way, as they pissed them away themselves by drafting Manny Malhotra (1998), Pavel Brendl (1999), Jamie Lundmark (also '99), Dan Blackburn (2001) and Hugh Jessiman (2003). They didn't have first rounders in 2000 and 2002 ...

Now I am not about to say that the signing would have brought Stanley back, but I am sure that the Aves would not have won the 2001 Cup. Sakic had 118 regular season points and 26 more in that magical Run For Ray Bourque. Bourque left Boston to take one last run at a championship and if Sakic was in New York, maybe he would have chosen the Rangers. Could you imagine a Blueshirt blueline with Bourque and Leetch? And think about a one-two punch down the middle with Sakic and Messier, who had returned from Vancouver by then. How scary would that have been?

But I have to say, even scarier is the thought that the Rangers' offer of three years $21 mill was extravagant at that time. Now say that it was worth it and take the dream of Sakic as a Ranger a step forward and say that his addition would indeed have brought another Cup to New York. Now there is nothing that can replicate the boom in popularity that breaking the curse at 54 years brought to the NHL, but another Ranger Cup would have served the league much better than the wins in Colorado, Dallas and even Detroit. If the Rangers won at the turn of the century, would we still have lost the 2004-05 season to a lockout? Would the lockout have come even earlier or would it have not happened at all?

Something to ponder ...

Like Stevie Y, Joe never went for the limelight, it just came to him. And he handled it with a level of class and humility that belied the warrior spirit that carried him to victory on the ice. There aren't a lot of players left like that in the league (Nick Lidstrom, Jarome Iginla and ???), which makes Joe's retirement that much more poignant. He will be missed.

32-24-8: Is This What Happiness Feels Like?

Several hours after walking out of Madison Square Garden, I find myself wrestling with a strange emotion. I am sure I have felt it before, but my memory is failing me as to when. It certainly has been a long time since I felt this particular emotion but I can't pin it down. Time certainly takes it's toll. Hmm, what could it be?

Could it be ... joy??

I think so! Joy! This is wonderful! However, it is quite scary - another performance like the 6-1 demolition of the Colorado Avalanche, and the Rangers may actually fool me into believing that they are a good hockey team. Seriously!

The wonder that was their performance was certainly helped by the utter and complete ineptitude of the Avalanche. Until the late fireworks, the Avs looked like the Rangers did during the 10-2 Dallas debacle. They were caught flatfooted, they couldn't get much going offensively, and they made some outright stupid plays. Where the Montreal Canadiens were able to jump all over the Rangers when the Blueshirts took their feet off the gas in the second period of that classic come-from-behind 6-5 win, Colorado was only able to manage one goal. (And that one goal was entirely Dmitri Kalinin's fault, of course.)

But let's look deeper into this one, which was a win! Joy!

*John Tortorella finally made the statement that he is the head coach of the team. Tom Renney would never, ever have let the Rangers battle physically the way they did at the end of the game. Colton Orr would have been forced to make a beeline for the bench after his roughing penalty and forced to stay on it. There is no way he would ever have been allowed to kick the crap out of Chris Stewart.

*I am willing to make the argument that Colton Orr is the best enforcer in the NHL. Insane? Hear me out - Georges Laraque's reputation has limited his engagements and when he does throw down (like tonight) the fight is over in moments. It is the same thing for the Minnesota Mountain Derek Boogaard. Laraque has played in just 27 games, Boogaard 47 - and is now suspended for five. Don't even put that idiot animal Brashear in the conversation. Orrsie has played in every single Ranger game, takes on middleweights and lightweights alike and wins, and he has turned himself into a solid shut-down winger. This is the same guy who's head I hollered for last year because he couldn't skate but he has turned into a damn good hockey player and deserves accolades for that.

*But back to this game and sticking with the late violence - any goodwill Wade Redden may have earned from his solid play of late was completely washed away by him essentially sitting things out - he skated around the pile tugging at occasional players while Petr Prucha had to jump in and help out Brandon Dubinsky. Someone needs to tell Redden that the jersey he wears is blue, red and white ... not yellow.

*Even Paul Mara answered the bell when that dolt Darcy Tucker jumped him. As many people pointed out, Mara shouldn't be fighting with a mending shoulder but he didn't go looking for a fight, it came to him and he defended the honour of Charlestown. Attaboy.

*I will get to the goals but the different layers of fisticuffs was just so compelling. Two of my friends ripped on Ian Laperriere but Lappy showed why he is one of the best teammates a NHL player can have - the tough little bugger will do anything and everything to stand up for his teammates. After taking that scary puck to the face, he came back to the game, stood up for his guys in the first tussle going nose to nose with Colt, then called out the opposing coach and the rest of the Ranger bench. Was it ridiculous? Sure, Jim Schoenfeld could have kicked his ass. But it was wonderful. Every player on the Avalanche know that Lappy will go to war for them and whichever team trades for him in the next week will be that much better for it.

*Ok, so the Rangers scored like, what, six times? Insanity! Great play by Dubi and Cally to open the game and open the scoring. Ranger fans have to hope that those two can keep that kind of chemistry going for along time to come because that was beautiful. Cally was a beast.

*We have to be happy for Chris Drury as he finally scored - and on the power play to boot. However, this is still the Rangers and the Ranger power play still only went 1-7. But the combination of one goal for and no shorties against make the special team a complete winner tonight. Drury's goal was an easy slam dunk on a five-on-three and it makes me wonder why they couldn't do it countless times this season. Sure, most goaltenders aren't as incompetent as Raycroft, but still - it can be that easy.

*Anyone else have a flashback when Markus Naslund got his stick stuck in the boards? I clearly remember the Rangers-Stars game when Eric Lindros had his stick find a seam in the glass and the idiot stood there trying to wrestle it free as the Rangers went the other way and scored. Classic.

*Scott Gomez made a great tip on Marc Staal's shot to make it a 4-0 game, made a smart pass to Drury for the power play goal and collected another assist when Naslund's shot found it's way through Razor Raycroft (who was ridiculously out of position). That being said, Gomez's best play came when the Rangers were trapped in their own end in the second period and Paul Mara lost his stick. Gomez recognized it and handed his own lumber over but stayed in the action and eventually kicked the puck out of the zone. That is smart hockey and something we need to see from him more often.

*A quick congrats to Nazzy for reaching 20 goals for the 10th straight season. I still think he is far past his prime and is nothing more than a second line winger, but that is still quite the achievement.

*Between his goal early on and his involvement in the donnybrook, is there any way Prucha loses a roster spot on Tortorella's team? And Renney thought that the kid didn't have it in him ... he 'wears down' ... it certainly hasn't looked that way to me.

*Now that the other scoring forwards have gotten going, it is time for Nigel Dawes to put in a goal or two. He certainly is working hard but he has to convert or be replaced on trade deadline day by someone who will.

*Why is the MSG in-house crew so afraid to show replays? They often show just one angle of a goal and rarely replay penalties. Instead of showing the third period chaos, we were treated to children dancing around. Awww. I don't care. I want to see what happened. This is a hockey game, not some five year old's birthday party.

*A five year old would probably do a better job than Michal Rozsival does defensively. What is it with this guy that is making it so hard for him to keep control of the puck? And he seems utterly incapable of keep the puck in the offensive zone, especially on the power play. Arg.

*Also frustrating - the ridiculous number of Potvin Sucks chants. Enough already. And I think there were more of them during this game then there were against the Panthers, when Potvin was actually in the damned building. So annoying.

*Stat question of the night: they posted a graphic after the second period that said the Rangers had blocked 20 shots through two periods. The official event summary has just 14 for the entire game. What gives?

*PHW Three Stars
3-Wade Redden - no points, no heart, a bad penalty, a couple of blown coverages and probably some payola to the PHWs.
2-Scott Gomez - one goal and two assists.
1-Henrik Lundqvist - 23 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Hank - The King looked great compared to the clowns on the other side of the ice but Colorado rarely tested him. Most of their shots were like those of the Rangers in recent weeks, soft shots from the wings that barely challenged.
2-Gomez - The Mexican't finally is remembering the lessons he learned from Lamoriello and is actually playing like he cares. A couple more efforts and I may have to call him the MexiCan.
1-Dubi - His hard work has paid off an his new coach gave him more ice time than any other forward. And you know what? He is playing up to expectations. This was the standard that he had set early in the season when Nik Zherdev was playing like Jaromir Jagr. Now Dubi is proving he doesn't need a big winger to take the heat off of him, he can dominate on his own.

Peepin' Foes: Quebec Nordiques

Saturday night's game will be on Channel 11 here in New York, a throwback to the days when the Rangers were on local broadcast television. It is a nice touch, but it is no National Hockey Night.

Where We Are: Life at the Garden is same as it ever was.

Where They Are: Moved to Colorado. What kind of crap is that?

Who To Watch For: Their roster still has the names Stastny, Sakic and Foote on it more than a decade after the move. Unreal. Granted, it is Peter Stastny's son Paul, Joe Sakic has gotten so old and senile that he can't work a snowblower and Adam Foote screwed over the Columbus Blue Jackets - a team that didn't exist while there was hockey in Quebec - to come home and use Denver's altitude to avoid the ravages of his advanced age.

What To Watch For: A complete lack of the brilliant combination of speed, grit and flair that marked so many of Quebec's best teams. Ugly jerseys that don't even have a single fleur de lis on them.

What We'll (Hopefully) See: The franchise to move back to Quebec City. Chris Drury to show up to play against the team that drafted him in the third round of the '94 draft. A good old time tussle or two.

Also Check Out: Quebec Nordiques Preservation Society and Quebec Nordiques Legends for the real team, Mile High Hockey, All Things Aves and my personal favourite Jibble Scribbits for the current pretenders.

Broadway Burnaby Joe

Joe Sakic re-signed with the Colorado Avalanche yesterday with a one-year contract worth $6 million that will bring him back for his 20th NHL season.

It is scary to think that Sakic was thiiiiiiisss close to being a Ranger 11 years ago. Unfortunately the Aves matched the Rangers' offer sheet and New York was doomed to seven years without the playoffs.

Had Sakic headed for Broadway, who knows what would have happened. At the least, New York would have remained competitive against the stifling Devils system. Sakic would have been the crown jewel in a rebuilt Ranger roster and found immediate comfort thanks to the signings of his Colorado teammates Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland. Sakic could have helped keep Theo Fleury on a leash and perhaps Valeri Kamensky wouldn't have been as big of a bust.

And Rangers wouldn't really have missed the five first round draft picks that went the other way, as they pissed them away themselves by drafting Manny Malhotra (1998), Pavel Brendl (1999), Jamie Lundmark (also '99), Dan Blackburn (2001) and Hugh Jessiman (2003). They didn't have first rounders in 2000 and 2002 ...

Now I am not about to say that the signing would have brought Stanley back, but I am sure that the Aves would not have won the 2001 Cup. Sakic had 118 regular season points and 26 more in that magical Run For Ray Bourque. Bourque left Boston to take one last run at a championship and if Sakic was in New York, maybe he would have chosen the Rangers. Could you imagine a Blueshirt blueline with Bourque and Leetch? And think about a one-two punch down the middle with Sakic and Messier, who had returned from Vancouver by then. How scary would that have been?

But I have to say, even scarier is the thought that the Rangers' offer of three years $21 mill was extravagant at that time. Now say that it was worth it and take the dream of Sakic as a Ranger a step forward and say that his addition would indeed have brought another Cup to New York. Now there is nothing that can replicate the boom in popularity that breaking the curse at 54 years brought to the NHL, but another Ranger Cup would have served the league much better than the wins in Colorado, Dallas and even Detroit. If the Rangers won at the turn of the century, would we still have lost the 2004-05 season to a lockout? Would the lockout have come even earlier or would it have not happened at all?

Something to ponder ...

Thought Of The Night

Larry Brooks claims to have sources that say Mats Sundin wants to come to New York. His agent denies them. At this point, its all speculation. I wouldn't be shocked if Mats retires from the NHL and plays at home just long enough to captain Sweden to the 2010 Olympic gold medal. But if he does want to come back, and if it is to New York then the Rangers will be forced to make a move. Colorado fans on Hfboards broached the idea of taking Chris Drury off of our hands and that wouldn't be a bad idea for either team involved. The Rangers would get Sundin, while the Aves would get a fantastic replacement for Joe Sakic, should Burnaby Joe indeed call it a career. Drury put in a solid season on Broadway and could very well be the captain here should he stick around but he doesn't bring the star power (and offense) that Sundin would.

Personally, I don't care either way - I am still upset over the Zherdev deal ... and the Redden signing ... and the Naslund signing. But let's go Rangers!

NHL Four-cast: Colorado Avalanche

1 - Why is this team worth watching? Because Scott Parker is on their team and he is one scary lookin' dude. But seriously, while I don't hail Paul Stastny as a all-powerful hockey god like Kevin over at BMR, the fact remains that Peter's son is pretty damn special. They also should have an agitating edge thanks to father of the year Ian Laperriere, who will be joined by the former chief punk on that Toronto team, Darcy "It is NOT a girl's name" Tucker. There may also be that Joe Sakic guy, but he appears to be undergoing a Selanne-esque crisis of faith, and that Peter Forsberg guy, but he just can't stay out of the trainer's room.

2 - Are they better or worse than last year? Worse. Paris Hilton's boytoy Jose Theodore had some terrible seasons but he stepped it up last year (final year of his contract, typical) and actually played like a starting goaltender. He left to replace Huet in DC and the Aves replaced him with Andrew Raycroft. While I don't think Raycroft was nearly as bad as the Toronto media and fans made him out to be, unless he steps up his play significantly, Colorado is entering the season with two back-up goaltenders. And while super-skilled T.J. Hensick will get a legit chance to play with the big boys, the Aves didn't do anything to improve their offense or at least make up for the loss of Andrew Brunette. I guess they just hope that Ryan Smyth's head can be put back on.

3 - Who should YOU draft in fantasy? Stastny is the only sure thing. Until they make public announcements, Sakic and Forsberg are tough choices. You would be gambling if you went after former sure-thing Milan Hejduk, who sees the end is near. Smyth, Svatos and Wolski could all provide some late-round points, provided they stay healthy. Hensick had six goals in 31 games, four on the power play, so if he has matured, he may be a good dark horse. Having Adam Foote on defense will be a good crutch for the goaltenders but Raycroft or Petr Budaj aren't worth more than a third-string spot on your team.

4 - What is the best instance of self-expression in the NHL? The back of Budaj's goalie mask. Budaj has Ned Flanders holding the Slovak flag - shows his patriotism, devotion to his faith and sense of humour all at once. Good stuff.

17-14-4: Rangers Survive Avalanche (Barely)

So, as I spent this fine Friday evening at home watching the game, my points are essentially train of thought watching the game. Hopefully they make some sense. Because the Rangers certainly aren't: how they could be so undisciplined in Minnesota and so solid the next night is astounding. Losing in overtime sucks, but a) at least it went to overtime so we still earned a point and b) no one scored five goals against us. So I'll call the evening a success. Here's what I saw:

*Hahaha, one night after being embarrassed by the best player on Minnesota, the Rangers try to take out the top player on Colorado in the first shift (with a high stick on Stastny). Who said old time hockey is dead?

*Say I am harping on him and I am, but I find it funny to see the trainers working on Jagr. I think they are trying to find the Tin Man's heart. I think it was replaced by that C they mistakenly sewed onto his jersey. He played a few decent minutes and then allowed himself to be marginalized yet again; definitely not the way to be the leader of the team.

*Has anyone thought that maybe the movie "Invincible" is based on a true story and Petr Prucha secretly is the superhero played by Bruce WIllis? The guy gets thrown around like a rag doll and is still playing, its amazing and unnatural.

*Wow, Rangers cycle and take a shot on the power play and they score. Amazing how that works. Too bad they forget how to do it once they are on the ice in the Garden. 1-0 thanks to Shanny's one-timer from Gomez.

*The 5-on-3 penalty kill at the end of the first period was hugely impressive, with Toots going down to cut off passing lanes, Betts wearing himself out and Girardi plugging the middle. However, look at it from the point of view of a Colorado fan and you just watched the Rangers power play waste time, pass, pass, pass and take a poor shot before seeing the puck get cleared. Kinda sad ...

*So the Aves tied the game at one on a tic-tac-toe play. It was a nice goal but came with the Rangers having slid out of position, with Rozy low and Staal cheating high on the same side. With him cheating, the middle was open and the pass went into the slot to the sniper Milan Hejduk and that was that.

*And Hejduk made it 2-1 on the same kind of chip shot from the slot after another great passing play. Paul Stastny is really, really good. So was his dad. I really liked Peter Stastny, he is one of the reasons why I wear No. 26 on my jersey; the guys who usually don 26 are the ones who embody the qualities I love in the game - hard work, dedication and fearlessness.

*Wow, I type that and Rozy scores. There is no denying that he has a great shot. I just wish he could play defense too.

*Oh baby, Gomez put the Rangers ahead! I just got a message from a friend that I have to start being nice to him now but I'm not ready to. He needs to be consistent before I do that.

*Ryan Hollweg vs. Ian Laperriere = solid scrap. It would be spectacular to think that Ryan is a younger version of Ian, who has put together a really respected, yeoman-like career as a tough, solid checking forward who stands up for his teammates.

*I didn't mention it before, but if you didn't see the game. Dubi got into a fight too. He was standing up for Pru and ended up battling Cody McLeod to a draw. Definitely better than his pathetic attempt against Luke Richardson earlier in the year.

*You know, for all of the talk about the Rangers going after Jon Mike Liles, the guy seemed to enjoy doing the second period intermission interview with Sam and Joe. He was articulate and interesting. Might be nice to have an American guy like that on the blue line. Bye bye Malik ...

*Man, that's rough seeing Colorado equalize at three. The Rangers started scrambling in their own zone, the forwards didn't keep the Aves in check enough and Girardi tried to step up to the shooter, leaving Marek Svatos open to score on Hank who had bit on the initial shot.

*There are going to be some people out there, you know who you are who are going to go off on Hank. No, he is not the impenetrable wall he was at the start of the season, but he has - for the most part - been giving the Rangers a chance to win and that is all that you want. The Rangers success shouldn't have to hinge so closely on his ability to limit the other team to just one or two goals a game.

*And you can't blame Hank for the game winner, the Rangers blew their defensive assignments, scrambling for a bouncing puck. Whatever, as Sam said, the Rangers got a point out of the game and that's all you can ask for at this point.

*I said it before, I will say it again and defend it if needed: Chris Drury has been underachieving and was disappointing yet again. He had one good chance but often he was scrambling to find his place on the ice.

*PHW Three Stars:
3-Petr Budaj - 20 saves
2-Hejduk - two goals
1-Wojtek Wolski - game-winning goal

Scotty Hockey Three Stars:
3-Jeff Finger/Scott Hannan/Liles - all three were rock solid on D for the Aves.
2-Gomez - Ok, I will give credit where due, he made some really nice plays and showed signs of being a good player. Don't get ahead of yourselves!
1-Wolski - he played 25 minutes and still was fresh in the OT, I'm impressed.