Photo Of The Day

Courtesy of the Whale, a certain favourite of the blog scoring last night (moments before getting 14 min in PIM and getting benched for the rest of the game):

The Avery Era Is Over (for good this time)

I'm not sure what there is to say that I haven't already ranted on Twitter. John Tortorella always hated Sean Avery and, with Sather's summer signings, finally had the opportunity to get rid of him and he used it.

That simple.

The nonsense about Erik Christensen getting the job because of his versatility is just that, nonsense. Yes, Christy can play center and wing, but he can also lose the puck at the lightest touch and not play defense. And show up for two, maybe three games a season. And be a supremely smug jerk in interviews and to fans. And not be Sean Avery.

The writing has been on the wall since Torts was hired but it still is sad that this day has come to pass. The head coach of a team should do everything he can to make the team better, to make it win games - not to placate his own ego and carry out a personal vendetta.

I, an avowed Avery supporter who has gone to bat for him before, fully admit that he didn't perform up to par last season - I gave him a C- in my report card - but he was still a valuable player for the team.

As I wrote in my Facts of Life:

The Rangers were 12-4-1 when he registered a point. ... Torts never gave him the chance to gain any chemistry with his teammates, bouncing him around the lineup. And the super pest was stupefyingly scratched for several games down the stretch and once during the playoffs (Torts clearly not learning his lesson from 2009).

I truly hope that Sean is able to find another NHL job, just not in the Atlantic division. Perhaps there is a GM out there willing to look beyond the bad reputation and see a voracious forechecker, a guy who actually stands up for his teammates and a lightning fast skater. Off the ice he is also great for public relations as he is great with the fans and a charitable person.

Hopefully Avery can find someone who believes in his ability and puts him in a position to achieve, not someone who refuses to give him a fair shot. Best wishes to a good and loyal Blueshirt.

The NYR Facts Of Life: #16 Sean Avery

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. And this time around we started with the high numbers and are up to #16, Sean Avery.

#16's #s: 76 games, 3 goals, 21 assists, -4, 174 PIM (4 playoff games, no goals, one assist, -1, 12 PIM).

Take the good: When Sean Avery was being Sean Avery, well, he was Sean Avery. He was a prime pest, a hustling dervish who drove his opponents to distraction. On multiple nights when the Rangers played flat, uninspired puck, Avery was one of - if not the only - Rangers to bring his game, in fact he seemed to step it up when his teammates stepped down. He forechecks well, he is one of the best skaters on the team and he was one of the few Blueshirts to actually get Gabby to wake up. Despite putting up a team-high 174 PIM, he showed remarkable patience as he was often a prime target for opposing checkers and rabble rousers. For all of the talk about what a dirty player he is, Avery had just two unsportsmanlike conducts and no diving calls the entire season. The Rangers were 12-4-1 when he registered a point.

Take the bad: That means he made it onto the scoresheet in just 17 of his 76 games. Not enough. Avery scored just three goals - his lowest total since his rookie season in Detroit - and his .022 shooting percent was the lowest of his career. His penalty minutes were the highest they've been since he was a King, thanks to six 10 minute misconducts. Avery had 12 fights, his highest season total since before the lockout, and he won just four - going 4-5-3. Fighting minor league nobody Mike Haley on the Islanders may be one of the dumbest things he has ever done.

Take them both and then we have: One confused hockey player with a dubious future with the franchise. Avery averaged 11:14 minutes per game but played far less than that in 15 of the last 16 games he played during the regular season. That was before the playoffs where he played four of the five games and averaged 12:22. Torts never gave him the chance to gain any chemistry with his teammates, bouncing him around the lineup. And the super pest was stupefyingly scratched for several games down the stretch and once during the playoffs (Torts clearly not learning his lesson from 2009). The unadulterated adoration of the Garden faithful wore down as his effectiveness diminished this season but the class he has shown in his public backing of gay marriage has gone a long way to restoring support throughout New York and the rest of the NHL.

The Devil's Advocate

Sean Avery teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign this weekend to publicize his support for marriage equality - the ability for gays to get married like everyone else. Media and blogs alike have picked up the story with the same basic slant: 'Sean Avery is known for being a scumbag but hey, look, he is doing something nice.'

Avery's reputation, as many True Blue Ranger fans will attest to, is completely unjust. There is no denying that he is a pest of the highest magnitude on the ice - a waterbug that nips and annoys the opponent to distraction. That's his job, that's what he does and - when unshackled by his coach - he does it pretty damn well.

Avery's on-ice obnoxiousness led to a harsh welcome to Dallas. The locker room leaders of the Stars - Turco, Modano and Morrow - all publicly spoke out against his signing and created an untenable environment. Avery and Steve Ott teamed up to create a two-punch of pestiferous play but it was Avery that was consistently called on the carpet. With Modano, Morrow and Turco all struggling through their season, Avery tried to spark the team and get a little animosity going for what would be a lifeless affair against the Flames, an almost certain loss for the Stars. The infamous 'Sloppy Seconds' interview was all Avery's detractors needed to get him off the ice.

The PC Police went wild and Avery was banished to counseling. Now, most grown adults - and even most 12 year old girls Mr. Bettman - were hardly offended by Avery's words but he paid his penance just the same. He did it quietly, he did not voice his dissent over the utter absurdity of the entire situation.

Afterwards Sather set up Avery's move back to New York and the player returned to his old stomping grounds supposedly a changed man. And yet Avery went back to doing the same kind of things he did during his first stint in New York: charity work and fan interaction. His initial tenure saw him help out Ice Hockey In Harlem and do the unthinkable - sit with the diehards to watch a game. Since Avery has been back he continues to interact with fans and has upped his charity work. He went on Jimmie Fallon to promote Career Gear, an organization that gives suits so people can go to job interviews. He has regularly joined his teammates in supporting the Garden of Dreams (remember this?). He took his clothes off for skin cancer.

And now Avery is back to advocating for gay rights. The same kind of dubiousness that greeted his comments back in February - that he would stand beside any player who wanted to come out of the closet - has also returned with his support of gay marriage.

As many of us Avery fans have said: he has the reputation that Matt Cooke deserves, and sadly that reputation has unjustly carried off-ice for years. It is about time that that is changed. Despise the player all you like - and we hope you do, because that means he is doing his job - but don't slur the person. What have you done for society lately?

The NYR Facts Of Life: #16 Sean Avery

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad then take them both and see what we have. And we are up to the infamous Sean Avery.

#16's #s: 69 games, 11 goals, 20 assists, even, 160 PIM.

Take the good: As Avery goes, so go the Rangers. He returned to his normal, acerbic self at the end of the season and the Blueshirts took off. Avery at his best drives the other team to distraction and still manages to chip in the occasional goal or two. He had nine points over the 12 games he played in after the Olympics and his absence was certainly a factor in the final loss as the Flyers had no trouble keeping the Rangers on their heels. And who can forget Avery mocking Max Talbot? That was one of the highlights of the season.

Take the bad: When Sean wasn't being Sean, the Rangers suffered. Avery was emasculated in the '09 playoffs and had trouble finding his manhood (as Torts had it in a box somewhere). Without it, Avery spent a solid amount of the season disappearing into the background, which is somewhere someone with his talents certainly can't be. He had three goal droughts that lasted more than 10 games (15, 19 and 11); he didn't score once in the entire month of December.

Take them both and then we have: The little engine that powers the Rangers and entertains the hell out of us fans - and at a reasonable price thanks to Dallas. This season he was as inconsistent as the team around him but the good thing is that in the postmortem interviews he seems to realize that. Hopefully he learns from it.

Quote Of The Day

"You can say it's a lack of preparation, but that's BS; it's a lack of competitiveness. I don't have the explanation for it. I don't know if it's us not holding each other accountable, or what, but it's a total lack of respect for our fans and the organization. It's a joke." -Sean Avery to the New York Post

And that is why we love him.

21-17-5: Sloppy Seconds, Ha!

In an interesting turn of events, Sean Avery ended up with sloppy seconds for once and, pardon the lewd metaphor, he nailed them proper. Unlike half of the NHL falling in love with his exes, Sean Avery took a Dallas team that was broken in by the New Jersey Devils and put them over a barrel. Nicklas Grossman roughed Avery up in the opening minutes of the match and unleashed the beast as Avery went on to take Dallas for all they were worth - one goal, three assists and one victory.

He slapped them around and sent them home with their third straight loss.

And the best part of it? The Stars paid him to do it. Seeing as they are on the hook for half his salary after buying him out last year, the same Dallas team that openly loathed him when he was signed by their side - Marty Turco, Mike Modano, Brendan Morrow especially - were whipped like the gimp in Pulp Fiction. This was a performance by the Sean Avery of old, the one prior to the Tortorella playoff castration last season. It was a work of art from Mr. Avery, who was still hit by the officiating for 12 minutes in penalties (one an undeserved misconduct, the other a deserved cross check). Hopefully Grossman's aggression not only unleashed his team's demise, but that of the remainder of the Ranger opponents. With Sean Avery playing as he did and with Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist playing as they always do, this Blueshirt squad is that much more difficult to beat, despite all of it's flaws.

But how long will it last? We'll certainly see, starting tomorrow. But first, notes on tonight:

*Marty Turco was terrible.

*Karlis Skrastins was not. I pointed out Skrastins to a friend before the game, professing my admiration for the Latvian defender. My buddy had no idea who he was and laughed. In the third period Turco went wandering, leaving an open net and Skrastins came flying in to lay out and block the certain Ranger goal. It was one of the best defensive plays I have seen in the Garden and it left everyone in the building breathless. Lat-V-ia, Lat-V-ia!

*And there was a lot of people in the building. Sure it wasn't as full as it was for the Christmas week games, but there was a very good showing by the True Blue.

*I know he is not with the organization anymore but watching the Ranger power play makes me want to punch Perry Pearn.

*Avery gets knocked around after most every whistle, Marian Gaborik takes a few cheap shots, Hank gets hit once or twice. Donald Brashear tries to start a fight in the final seconds when the game is already over at 5-2. This troglodyte needs to be sent back to the Stone Age and left there.

*Enver Lisin saw limited action but made a fantastic forecheck where he forced a Dallas turnover. Of course, he screwed it all up by passing to Brashear open in front - who completely shanked the shot - but credit must be given to the kid for keeping up a high energy level in limited minutes.

*Dallas, dudes, Chris Drury scored against you. Ha.

*I kept yelling at Brian Boyle throughout the game, calling him by the more appropriate moniker Susan. There was a poor girl sitting near me who clearly was named Susan and kept turning around thinking I was yelling at her. I felt bad. If you are out there darlin', sorry.

*It would be easy to get on Alice Kotalik as always but the Czech had one incredible blast past Turco in the second period and then proceeded to add insult to the injury by running the Dallas netminder in the third. Not too shabby, for once.

*Just glanced at the final box score, saw Michal Rozsival with his two assists. And yet he was still -2. This guy is a disaster out there and it is rare that someone gets points in the Garden and is booed so mercilessly. Ok, maybe not that rare, but Rozy is horrific.

*Think the officiating was afraid of losing control of the game? They called 12 minor penalties. And the Rangers took six of them, and rocked killed them all. The PK unit was all solid - even Drury and Redden - but Dan Girardi was particularly exceptional.

*We've seen plenty of puck over the years but can anyone remember so many posts getting hit night after night?

*How in the world was Stephane Robidas, he of the cowardly cage, not called for a delay of game when he just fell on the puck and stayed on it in the Dallas zone in the third period?

*Mike Ribeiro went down like a ton of bricks after being slapped by an errant stick, spends minute after minute down on the ice and there was no blood to be seen. How was he not called for a dive or delay of game himself? EDIT: I just read it was a slash across the throat, so I feel a little bad. But not really.

*Programming note, no Peepin' Foes for Atlanta tomorrow night (MSG+, 7p). I will try to get a post-game up before catching an early morning train to Bahston Friday for the BU/BC outdoor game and the Ranger game on Saturday but no guarantees.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Ales Kotalik - one goal.
2-Henrik Lundqvist - 25 saves.
1-Sean Avery - one goal and three assists.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Avery
2-Avery
1-Avery - Sean deserves all three stars because he was the engine that ran the Rangers to a huge home win. People around the NHL wonder why we love this guy so much in New York ... well, tonight was case in point. Avery does it all, Avery gives it all and Avery doesn't give a damn what you think about. That is New York. And after a spectacular night, Avery was asked what he liked best, his goal or his spin-o-rama assist on Chris Drury's goal and he replied "the win." Attaboy Aves. Good answer. No go out and do it again tomorrow.

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!

This Just In!!!

MSG reported on the pregame that Sean Avery was benched for Game 5 tonight in favour of Aaron Voros.

So who is coming to Game 6?

Weighing In

There are people today on call-in shows and blogs questioning whether the Rangers should bench Sean Avery for Game 4, given his penchant for penalties last night.

I feel that I have to offer my opinion: Those people are insane.

Avery was one of four Rangers who played his hardest yesterday - Hank, Betts and Cally being the others (all of the defenseman took turns watching plays). I keep Avery in the lineup – even with the high likelihood of two or three minors called against him deserved or not. We have the top penalty killers in the NHL, what he brings is well worth it. Did any of these folks out there actually watch the games prior to Sean's arrival? Do you want this series to end in six, losing four straight?

As I said in the comments over at Blueshirt Banter where a Ranger fan actually raised the debate, if you want a bold move you don't bench Avery. Try benching the still injured Drury. Try benching the ineffective Zherdev. The ineffective Mexican’t Gomez who aborted every damned attack single handedly. Try winning a power play faceoff for once for chrissake. Try not going offsides 18 times a game. Benching one of the four players who show up for every game is just stupid, no matter how many penalties he is ‘awarded’.

Avery's presence is worth it even if the Blueshirts should start Game 4 shorthanded after sending Colton Orr over to send the message that showing up your opponent at center ice of your own building (below) is utterly unacceptable.

40-28-9: That Is More Like It

For months I was accused of being quite negative, trashing the Rangers and looking too hard to find faults in the team. After last night, I feel vindicated. This team, despite its various inadequacies, has always been capable of playing like they did last night and yet they didn't. It took a new coach, a new sparkplug, a major rival and the loudest Garden crowd to date but the Rangers played like they cared and won a huge game. The 3-0 victory was the kind of game that could and hopefully should propel the team into the playoffs and perhaps well into them.

Now the odds against this team maintaining the momentum are certainly high as they have often won good games only to fall flat on their faces the next time out but let's not think about that for now. Let's just bask in the glow of victory and the shame of Mmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaarrrrtttttyyyyy.

*The well-hyped Seanvs. Mmmaaaarrrrtttyyy matchup didn't manifest itself far beyond a stick to the groin, a few shots on the net and an assist on the game-sealing goal. Not bad work for Mr. Avery as he still managed to keep the Devils occupied. Granted, for the second straight game he managed not to receive any assistance from the officiating. Avery gets thrown around like a rag doll by a minor leaguer and took a roughing penalty for his troubles. Had he been, say Sidney Crosby, he would not have been penalized and the aforementioned minor leaguer would have gotten a game misconduct as well as the double minor rough and 10 minute misconduct. Semantics? Perhaps, given that it was in the last 10 minutes of the game so it was a virtual game-ender for the minor leaguer but that isn't the point. The refs will do no favours for Avery so he has to maintain the amazing level of restraint he showed in this one.

*Devil fans can try to defend Clarkson all they want and say he is more than a minor leaguer but if he was, then Sutter would have been able to put him out there opposite Avery all night. Instead, Avery skated for 15:41 and Clarkson 4:52.

*As I said up top, the Rangers are capable of winning despite their inadequacies. The power play went 0-5. They still don't cycle well, they have trouble getting the puck through traffic and they have difficulty keeping the puck in the zone.

*And yet, they scored three goals. Not too shabby.

*Blair Betts, yet again, anchored a penalty kill that kept the Devils off the scoreboard. He certainly deserved the nomination for the Masterson pregame and should get more than a look for the Rangers Extra Effort award - even if his ice time has gone down and down over the past few weeks, dropping to just 4:36 last night.

*Bobby Holik remains nothing more than a caveman thug with little skill and less brains. Holik, much like Mike Rupp, decided to play less hockey and attempt to intimidate through meaningless physical play. It is a shame, once upon a time he was the top checking center in the NHL. As for Rupp, he scored one decent goal once upon a time and has parlayed that into classless, skill-less career.

*Mr. X From The Blue Seats made an argument that Ryan Callahan has the top Ranger on the ice and I certainly won't take anything away from him, but as you will see in the stars, I disagree. Nevertheless, the kid has steadily been getting better and better and will certainly receive interest this summer as an RFA.

*In the Peepin' Foes I said even Versus couldn't screw up the broadcast of the game. Watching the replay this afternoon, I was proved wrong. While it is nice listening to Doc Emerick, the production value was its usual disappointing level and the directing left much to be desired. Why they feel the need to switch to a tight camera iso of a player a second or two after said player was in the action is beyond me. I still haven't seen a definitive angle of Drury making or not making contact with Mmmmaaarrtttyy on the second Ranger goal. Oh, and it was nice of Versus to show a goal by Sidney Crosby in the middle of play during the first period. Gotta make sure they show WonderBoy ... Crosby Sucks.

*Oh, and Versus, the Sabres do NOT have the most passionate fans in hockey. That would have to go to the Canadiens, sorry. Half of the Sabre season ticket holders are people who couldn't get tickets for their real team, Toronto.

*Scott Gomez showed several flashes of being the MexiCan he was during the Ranger-Devil playoff series, rather than the MexiCan't he has been all too often this season. I understand playing with emotion and motivation does wonders, but how that switch can be turned on and off so easily is beyond me.

*Corey Potter acquitted himself well in his first game in the bigs in months. He was given a good amount of power play time too, which was bizarre but not unwelcome. Potter made a good case to be with the club during training came and during his other call up but was sent back down. Hopefully he will stick this time and take some ice time away from Wade "Out and Drown" Redden. Granted, I didn't think he was especially better than Mike Sauer was but every coach has his favourites and clearly Sauer rubbed Torts the wrong way.

*Poor Shanny, no ovation, no video tribute and no respect from the Rangers. He was a nonfactor in this game and only got on the scoresheet by taking exception to a Freddie Sjostrom check.

*For the Islander fans out there - if this game wasn't proof enough that no one else cares about your silly excuse for a franchise I don't know what is. The Rangers have a rival that they care about playing, hope you enjoy Kansas City.

*But at the same time, perhaps many Garden-goers thought they were watching a Ranger/Islander game as that damned Potvin Sucks whistle rang out time after time after time. Dammit, make it stop! Even with replacing Potvin with Marty, enough is enough. I was surprised that my "Al-I-Mo-Ny" chant didn't go too far, but still stand by it.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Dan Girardi - one goal and one assist.
2-Scott Gomez - one assist.
1-Henrik Lundqvist - 38 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Brandon Dubinski - Dubi played his best game in a while. He forechecked, backchecked, made good passes, scored a nice goal and was a perfect 9-0 at the dot. Torts may also have been testing the waters to see what a life without Betts would be like as Dubi saw several shorthanded shifts.
2-Girardi - Back when Girardi was pared with Redden he was forced to do too much and, by overextending himself to cover his partner's many gaffes, he was worse of a hockey player. Now that he has been freed from the anchor and put alongside the competent and ever-improving Marc Staal, Girardi has been the team's No. 1 defenseman.
1-Hank - Devil fans can talk Cups and records, but the King is 18-6-4 (fixed, thanks guys) now in his career against Fatso. Could you imagine what Hank's numbers and success rate would be if he played behind the likes of Stevens, Niedermayer, Rafalski, Daneyko, et. al. instead of Rozsival, Poti, Malik and Redden?

34-24-8: Another Great Memory

What is it about the Original Six matchup against the Boston Bruins that seems to provide memorable games more often then not? Think about it. Recent history of this rivalry is filled with some magnificent moments. Since the lockout we have seen the return of Brian Leetch to the Garden, Jed Ortmeyer (of all players) scoring a penalty shot goal, two 1-0 shootout games in one season, one of the best saves of Henrik Lundqvist's career and yesterday a standing ovation for a player who got an assist on a garbage goal.

Welcome back Sean.

The Garden buzzed every time Avery stepped on the ice (Torts should have started him) and he didn't disappoint. Sean was Sean, working hard to get the puck, getting good opportunities and running his mouth. Sure there was the break down the wing where he took a shot and missed the net by 10 feet. Sure there was the 10 times he fell down. Sure there was the ridiculous interference penalty on him. All have to be expected - he is getting back into NHL shape and the referees will call anything and everything they see as remotely borderline (even though it wasn't even close) as he is public enemy No. 1.

Now, I understand what Torts was trying to do by putting him on a line with Ryan Callahan and Lauri Korpikoski but I hope that experiment doesn't last. Both Callahan and Avery work better alongside skill players. They will certainly get chances to score, but their best offensive work comes when they are making room for playmakers - Jagr, Z, etc. Korp just seemed to be lost out there, trying to figure out where he fit in beside these two lunatics who were throwing their bodies around. But this was just their second game, there are 16 more to go so we will see how things flesh out.

But back into the Bruin game:

*That memorable moments things goes both ways - Boston fans are sure to recall Zdeno Chara's slap shot shootout winner and Tuukka Rask's 35 save domination of the Blueshirts. I bet the Bruin faithful wish that Rask started this game. I know I would Manny Fernandez singlehandedly gave the Rangers the win by allowing three pitiful goals. After standing tall during the pressure-filled first period, Manny lost his bearings and his mind and started spinning and flopping and letting pucks in. While there is no way to say that Rask or Tim Thomas would have fared better, it is almost certain that they wouldn't have fared much worse.

*How cool is it that Hank likes to head away shots? Ole!

*Did Markus Naslund play? I couldn't tell. How about Chris Drury? I am serious, they need to get him a hypnotist or psychologist so he just sees the opposing team wearing Islander jerseys every night.

*Where was Marty Straka when you needed him? Without Straka, Zdeno Chara had a clear lane to the net and rocketed a shot past Hank to make it a 3-2 game.

*Why is it that when Drury and David Krejci went at it in a real hockey fight - one that was actually a result of play - the Garden was deathly silent? When the idiot goons Colton Orr and Shawn Thornton battled in a contrived, pointless dance at center ice the building shook with energy. It is that kind of stupid hooliganism that will get fighting banned from hockey and for folks to go nuts over it is just sad. I love, LOVE a good hockey fight but it has to have some kind of reason. When the other team scores to tie the game at one, there is no reason to fight off of the ensuing faceoff.

*On the fisticuffs note, what is sadder: that we all complain that there are more fights today after clean hits then ever or that it felt like someone should do something when both Scott Gomez and Brandon Dubinsky got absolutely creamed in the third period?

*Stat of the game: Maybe it was me, but as physical as the game was, I really don't think there were 89 hits between the two teams. Somehow Sean Avery had just three while Milan Lucic led all players with nine.

*Sticking with old time hockey, it was a shame that the Garden didn't hold a moment of silence before the game for Alf Pike. Pike was a big enough part of the history of the franchise that he deserved that. Instead we got a quick history lesson during a first period commercial break that most people ignored (for shame!).

*The two newest Rangers got some respect from the home crowd and Nik Antropov put up a pair of points. As much as I dislike Borat, I gotta give him credit. Granted, he got lucky on his goal because he dodged to avoid contact and looked up to see Dubi screening Manny, but it was a nice effort for the big softie. Derek Morris still needs work. Morris clearly has yet to regain the chemistry he had with Paul Mara and nearly collided with his partner at least once. Petr Prucha has two assists in two games with Phoenix.

*When is John Tortorella going to come to his senses and realize that Redden and Rozy are two of the main reasons that the power play sucks? They are useless out there and prone to turnovers.

*My buddy Pete had the line of the day. When I compared Redden to a traffic cone he pointed out that that wasn't true because "people try to avoid traffic cones." Redden may just take over the place of my most loathed Ranger, he has already surpassed Malik and is treading into Poti territory ...

*PHW Three Stars
3-Brandon Dubinsky - no points.
2-Zdeno Chara - one goal and one assist.
1-Nik Antropov - one goal and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Chara - He is the size of a small mountain and will very likely never win a Norris Trophy (at least not while Nick Lidstrom is still playing) but he truly is an incredible defenseman. Chara is smart, moves well for a big man and that shot ... damn.
2-Nik Zherdev - Z disappeared in the second period like most of the Rangers but in the first and the third he was incredible. Maybe Torts has indeed lit the fire because Z played close to his potential and was a constant offensive threat. A better goaltender probably would not have given up Z's game winning goal but that was just one of many times he threatened the net.
1-Avery - Sure the new coach and aggressive style of play has helped, but Avery brought life back to the Garden. That place has been dead for most of the season so far and it was exciting to see him back. There is just something right about seeing him in a Blueshirt.

Watch Out World

Sean's comin' back.

Rangers claimed him off the wire and John Tortorella's job just got that much harder. How soon until the rumours of a locker room brawl break out?

Sean should help kick Zherdev, Drury and Gomez in the ass so perhaps they will start playing somewhere near their potential ... perhaps.

EDIT: New poll question - will Sean help or hurt the Rangers? Hey, there are some people out there that don't like this guy, are you one of them?

Odds, Ends And Avery

First off, this is post #700 in Scotty Hockey history so I just want to take a second to say thanks to everyone for their support and their readership. When I started I was getting about a dozen or so hits a day, and now I get four hundred or so a day. You guys rock and I thank you all.

So to start off the special post, let's talk about a special player: Sean Avery. If I have given off the impression that I don't want him back, let me apologize because it is far, far from the reality. This summer I bought an Avery jersey because he left the Rangers with a fantastic legacy - he worked hard, he helped the team win, he cared about the fans and he hated our rivals almost as much as we do. If he can come back and do it again, then let's welcome him with open arms because the current crop of Blueshirts struggle with all of the above.

On another side note, with Alex Rodriguez taking the headlines for juicing, it really brings up an interesting contrast - baseball has steroids, hockey has sloppy seconds. According to Baseball Almanac:

The first positive test will result in a suspension of up to ten days. The second positive test will result in a suspension of thirty days. The third positive test will result in a suspension of sixty days. The fourth positive test will result in a suspension of one full year. Finally, the fifth positive test will result in a penalty at the discretion of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Avery's last game with Dallas was on November 30th (a game which he scored a goal). That means that as of right now, he has missed 29 games over two-and-a-half months. While his official suspension was just six game, in effect he was suspended longer then a baseball player who had been busted three times for performance-enhancing drugs.

Does that make sense to you?

Ok, enough on Aves and other other items:

*There is a fantastic, fantastic article about one writer's day as an assistant coach for the Rangers' ECHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. It is a fun read and many thanks to Kukla's Korner for the heads up.

*Carp saw new lines on offense at practice today. My question is why is Renney so willing to juggle his offense while he sticks with the defensive pairings? Redden and Rozsival are allowed to drag down Girardi and Staal and hinder their development game after game but Scott Gomez gets to try every possible winger to find some sort of chemistry. It just doesn't make sense.

*If you haven't checked lately, The Dark Ranger has really stepped up his game of late and his two 'political' cartoons atop his page are fantastic. I highly recommend heading his way and keeping up with with the darkness.

*There aren't many better ways to stick it to your former employer than the way Brendan Shanahan did last night. Tossed away as too old and too slow, all Shanny did was skate for 12:41 (with 1:16 on the power play and 3:42 shorthanded) and collect a beautiful assist on the game-winning goal. We miss you Shanny, as you can clearly tell. Thanks Glen.

*Ok, maybe I am not done with Avery yet. The incompetent columnist Mark Herrmann, who somehow survived the staff cuts at Newsday despite poorly writing about a sport he clearly has no clue about, made the pitch that the Rangers should go after Ottawa's Chris Neil instead of adding Avery. He incorrectly claims that Neil is on the trading block and Neil, frankly, is nowhere near as good as an agitator as Avery. A better fighter, yes, but he can't come close to getting under opponents' skin the way Avery does.

*And there is no telling how long he will have to be in the AHL, where he will be faced with every AHL idiot looking to make a name for himself, but that hasn't stopped The Manic Ranger from putting the cart before the horse and figuring that we will see the last of Lauri Korpikoski once Avery gets picked off waivers. The sad/scary thing? He is probably right. There is no way that the completely useless Aaron Voros will join Pat Rissmiller in Hartford, because that would show that three of Sather's summer free agent signings were complete failures (even though all six were).

*I will throw a Peepin' Foes together for the Caps later tonight or tomorrow morning but as sad-sounding as it is likely to come out we at least can look forward to seeing Alexander Ovechkin, the most exciting player in the NHL. Even Renney's soulless system can't keep Ovie's star from shining. It should be fun.

Just In Case ...

If a certain person clears waivers and happens to get assigned to Hartford, and if he actually goes there to play, here is their remaining home schedule:

Wednesday 2/11/09 vs Manitoba

Friday 2/13/09 vs Lake Erie

Saturday 2/14/09 vs Manitoba - Nigel Dawes Bobblehead night!

Wednesday 2/18/09 vs Bridgeport (Islanders AHL team)

Saturday 2/21/09 vs Portland

Friday 2/27/09 vs Manchester

Wednesday 3/4/09 vs Worcester

Saturday 3/14/09 vs Bridgeport

Wednesday 3/18/09 vs Lowell (Devils AHL team)

Saturday 3/28/09 vs Providence

Wednesday 4/1/09 vs Portland

Sunday 4/5/09 vs Lowell

Saturday 4/11/09 vs Springfield

Sadly, they do not have any more games against Rochester, who happen to have a solid goaltender named Brodeur (Mike, no relation).

Just in case you were wondering ...

Sloppy Seconds

I Don't Get Why They Hate Him So ...

The NHL.com Store is having a big sale and check out one of the first results on the list, right behind useless Prague merch that didn't sell ...

Stay Strong Sean!!

Sean Avery is due to meet with Gary Bettman this morning.

One can only hope that Avery can grovel low enough to placate Gary's ego, which may be the only one in hockey bigger than Avery's own. Bettman is married with three kids, there is no way he understands the complications that arise from dating starlets in today's day and age. Maybe he should bring the commish a bottle of wine, some Hannukah presents for the kiddies and a whole lotta humble pie:

'I'm sorry Gary, I'm so sorry. I am not bigger than the game. I am not bigger than you. I did get hockey on ESPN, ESPN2, CNN ... hell, pretty much every news and sports station there is. When were you able to do that? Oh yeah, when you killed the game for a year. I just thought that any publicity is good publicity, they taught me that at Vogue with all of the coked out models. Really, I'm sorry. I will try my hardest to stay in line, keep things as boring as you want, not spread hockey into popular culture and not do anything else to embarrass the game and my teammates any more than my teammates are already embarrassing themselves by playing so piss poorly. Seriously, Marty Turco, stop worrying about me and try to block a puck every now and then. I don't know what else to say Gary, my bad ... please let me play hockey again or I will have to start getting rich selling men's fashions and I'm not ready to do that until I get a Stanley Cup.

Perspective is a valuable thing and scarily enough, Larry Brooks has provided it by pointing out that Avery has already been suspended for as long as Randy Jones was for his terrible hit to Patrice Bergeron and twice as long as Chris Pronger was for trying to decapitate Dean McCammond.

By suspending Avery for any longer, Bettman would send the message that falling into line is more important than the health of the players. The sad thing? In Bettman's case it is more important to him than the health of the players - you can always get more players ...

No (Sense Of) Humour League

Moments after I left work today I received word that Bettman had suspended Sean Avery for his earlier comments, which he felt were - by the code with which he suspended Sean - "detrimental to the League or game of hockey."

This is, of course, ridiculous. How is golden boy Crosby crying to the referees at every infraction not detrimental to the game of hockey? It isn't very sportsmanlike. How is the league's own disciplinarian clearly having a double standard when it comes to deciding suspensions not detrimental to the game of hockey? Oh wait, neither of those are, because they protect the players whom the league has chosen to promote.

This league can't have any controversy, nor any personality. Look at the new ad for the Winter Classic - the players are drones going about their routines. There are no idiosyncrasies, there is nothing to make them unique. There is only the brand. Gotta uphold the brand. The boring, corporate brand. Because no one would tune in to watch personalty ... /sarcasm

I would say that free speech is a cause worth boycotting, but let's face it, Bettman doesn't care about empty seats in his buildings. Attendance is slipping, revenues are slipping, teams are laying off staff ... he doesn't care. He simply doesn't care. Not about you, not about me and certainly not about the game. He still has his job and the old codgers who hired him and keep him employed are so rich that they don't care about losing some cash on their toy teams. Colourful characters might make some noise, might make those owners actually take a look at their teams and see how in trouble they are. So let's keep everyone quite, let's keep them all regurgitating the same boring, blase cliches because they don't rock the boat. No characters are allowed, no actual emotion is allowed, no free speech is allowed. Especially for people like Sean Avery.

Sean Rocks!!

From the awesome Eric Duhatschek of the Globe today (h/t to Kukla):

As [Sean Avery] emerged from the dressing area at the back of the visiting dressing room, he asked if a TSN camera were present.

When he saw that it was, Avery stepped in front of the microphones, didn't wait for a question to be asked and started talking.

“I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada,” began Avery. “I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my (former girlfriends).

“I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight.”

And with that, Avery walked away and didn't stick around to explain any further.

This guy sells hockey better than the Cindy and Gina show in Pittsburgh. There is nothing, NOTHING like injecting some hate into hockey and Sean has done it better than anyone this millennium. This sport has gone far towards Gary Bettman's ideal of a corporate, clean, midwest soccer mom-approved game between robots and Avery's antics help us remember how wonderfully entertaining it could be.

If seeing him face Elisha's new boyfriend Dion (and the "boring" Jarome Iginla) doesn't get you to tune into tonight's Dallas/Calgary game, I don't know what will.