24-9-4: Classic Classic

It is getting to the point where it is nearly impossible to ignore the position of the Rangers in the standings. The fact of the matter is that the Blueshirts are in first place. First. Having watched every second of every game that fact is virtually unfathomable. The team is flawed in several major areas, it has been battling crippling injuries and it has yet to play a full 60 minutes this season.

The Winter Classic in Philadelphia was a microcosm of the season to date because all of that was on display under the open sky in Citizens Bank Park. And yet - as they have been doing all season so far - they pulled out a win. And ya know what? It was delightful. Two periods of atrocious, inexcusable drek wiped away by one well-played frame where the guys nearly reached their potential. Simple north-south, hard working, hard hitting, relentless hockey is this team's bread and butter and it is wonderful to watch. To have seen it working after being surrounded by swirling snow, well that was classic.

Late Hits:

*Mike F-ing Rupp. Can you believe it? Two goals from Mike F-ing Rupp. I've been chirping the guy on Twitter of late, saying he was just as irrelevant as Jody Shelley and he scores not once but twice. Just as shocking was that he mocked Jaromir Jagr with a salute after the first goal and instead of giving him a beating, the Flyers let him score again.

*I laughed hysterically when the second one went in before delighting in the moment - who in the world could have guessed Mike F-ing Rupp would score twice in the biggest game of the year? His first goal, however, was even better, because it brought the snow, as seconds later the first flakes drifted down into the stands. After basking in the wonder of the snowstorm in Buffalo and the flurries during Frozen Fenway, it was awesome to experience it again - it definitely adds to the awesomeness.

*Also awesome? Fireworks after a Ranger win in Philadelphia. You have to wonder what the hell was the NHL thinking ...

*Also questionable? Saving Kate Smith/Lauren Hart's rendition of "God Bless America" for an intermission, instead of starting the game with it. The game was in Philly and that is something inherent to Flyer hockey. Why do the anthems? And, if they did insist on saving Kate for the Broad Street Bullies tribute and bring out old Patti LaBelle for the Star-Spangled Banner, why do the Canadian anthem? There were two American teams playing. Was it some kind of pittance for our friends north of the border who won't get to experience an outdoor game thus year?

*And did the league want the Flyers to get a chance to tie things up or what? I can't imagine a first time viewer of hockey not thinking the sport was fixed after watching that - even though the calls were both legitimate penalties.

*Live by the sword, die by the sword. Del Zaster has been picking up points by jumping into the play in the offensive zone. So he tried it in this one and got caught. Claude Giroux came down and scored to make it a 2-0 game. It happens. MDZ was not particularly good in this one but he was not nearly as bad as Ryan McDonagh.

*All of the extra minutes have clearly cost McD as he has not been his sharpest in the last few weeks and he was horrid here, at least until the end. The defenseman made up for all of his earlier mistakes by scooping the puck out of the crease with 20 seconds left in the third period. Sure it brought about Briere's penalty shot but it stopped a sure goal against; I will put the game on Henrik Lundqvist's shoulders any day.

*Hopefully Marc Staal can get his mojo back to take some of the time and pressure away from McD. It was shocking to hear that he was dressed and it was sad to watch him play because "rusty" would be an understatement. Everyone was happy to see him step out onto the ice but it was nerve-racking to watch him go to the wall and take contact. No one wants a Crosby situation to occur with the team's best defender.

*The Roots? Not really hockey music.

*Best line overheard walking out of the ballpark? "At least we won the alumni game."

*Worst line overheard walking out of the ballpark? "Go back to Jew York Ezekiel!" screamed by a drunk Flyer fan at a Ranger fan.

*That idiot aside, the Flyer fans that I saw were largely well behaved, even boring. The pockets of Ranger fans around the stadium started more chants and were largely louder than the home fans. We travel well.

*It is hard enough to follow a hockey puck from the upper deck of a ballpark but to have NBC's cable camera constantly drifting through the line of sight was horribly distracting.

*I paid $85 for a sweatshirt. A sweatshirt. Tees were $40. Yep.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Claude Giroux - one goal.
2-Henrik Lundqvist - 34 saves.
1-Michael Rupp - two goals.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Brayden Schenn - The kid collected his first NHL goal and won a ton of faceoffs. He's still not worth Mike Richards but perhaps he will grow into a real player.
2-Rupp - Mike F-ing Rupp. Seriously. Wow.
1-Hank - If he doesn't make all of those glove saves then Rupp's two goals would have been about three short of tying things up. And to think that high glove side was the King's weakness not too long ago ... great work by Benoit Allaire.

A Quick Look At The Alumni Roster

The rosters for the Winter Classic Alumni Game were announced this afternoon. The bad guys are listed at this link but here is the Ranger roster:

Glenn Anderson
Dan Blackburn
Paul Broten
Ron Duguay
Nick Fotiu
Mike Gartner
Adam Graves
Ron Greschner
Pat Hickey
Darius Kasparaitis
Kris King
Nick Kypreos
Tom Laidlaw
Darren Langdon
Brian Leetch
Dave Maloney
Stephane Matteau
Brian Mullen
Dale Purinton
Mathieu Schneider
Darren Turcotte
John Vanbiesbrouck

Some observations of the old guys:

*Beezer is my all-time favourite Ranger, even if he sullied his legacy by playing for the Flyers, Isles and Devils at the end of his career. It will be nice to see him take the ice in a Blueshirt again.

*Someone should have told whoever picked the teams that the Broad Street Bullies are now filing social security, they didn't need to select so many goons. Nicky, Dale, Maloney, King, Kypreos, Langdon ... were Joey Kocur, Chris Nilan and Rudy Poeschek busy?

*In all seriousness, it would have been great if Sergei Zubov could have made it. That is one great Ranger that the franchise unceremoniously dumped and never replaced.

*How did neither team bring in Sandy McCarthy?

*I would love to see Mike Gartner skate over, take out teammate Glenn Anderson, take his rightful Stanley Cup ring and skate away.

*Will Blackburn be playing with his two blocker set up?

*Saw Brian Leetch play outside last winter in Hartford with the Bruins alumni. Look for him to be every bit as good as recent-retiree Mark Recchi will be for Philly.

*If Paul Broten can make it, why not Jan Erixon?

*HBO has to put a microphone on Philly's goaltender Mark LaForest. I interviewed Trees when he was with the Binghamton Rangers and that guy can talk - lotta swearing but that is the whole point of 24/7, right?

*Terry Carkner and Kjell Samuelsson are both playing for Philly. Not sure why the Flyers didn't put in Ian Laperriere too so us Ranger fans can weep for three draft picks who got away and ended up with the enemy.

Winter Classic Info For Ranger Season Subs

Just got this e-mail, looks like we may get screwed (I underlined the part I'm nervous about):

October 24, 2011

As you know, your New York Rangers will be participating in the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® versus the Philadelphia Flyers which will take place on Monday, January 2nd, 2012 at 1:00pm in Philadelphia, PA. We couldn't be more excited to share this historic experience with you!

As the visiting team and with limited inventory, we have the opportunity for a limited number of Season Subscribers to purchase tickets through the Rangers organization. In addition, there will be a limited number of tickets available to purchase for the Legends game taking place on December 31st, 2011 at 1pm. This game with feature some of the top alumni from Rangers and Flyers teams of the past.

Based on the number of tickets we have available to offer our Season Subscriber family, we will be reaching out to you via email the week of October 24th, 2011. At that time, you will receive detailed information on the seating configuration and a questionnaire that asks you to rank all available price points in order of preference. Please note that as the visiting team, we will be unable to accommodate all Rangers Season Subscribers with an offer to purchase Tickets. As such, we will be contacting you in order of your Subscription tenure with an offer. Those Subscribers that wish to purchase tickets and receive an offer will be assigned a maximum of 2 seats based upon availability. Should you not receive an offer to purchase tickets through the Rangers organization, you will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Legends game on Saturday, December 31st at 1:00pm. In addition, Subscribers will receive an opportunity to purchase fan trip experience packages.

We will begin the process of assigning seats and contacting Subscriber accounts on or around the week of October 31st. During that process, you will speak with me, your Dedicated Experience Manager. Please note that all purchases will be based upon available inventory. For more detailed information, visit Newyorkrangers.com.

Should you have any questions prior to that communication ... (call your rep)

We are extremely excited to share in this historic experience with you! Thank you for your continued support of the New York Rangers! We look forward to seeing you at The Garden in the coming weeks.

Winter Classic-bound

I wrote this months ago but wanted to wait for the official announcement. Now that announcement is being made Monday, when I get on a plane for Prague. So here it is a few days early ... my take on the Rangers playing the Flyers in this season's Winter Classic.

I love outdoor games and have been to four: Sabres vs. Pens in Buffalo, Hawks vs. Wings at Wrigley, BU vs. BC at Fenway and Whale vs. Bruins in Hartford (I never did a post on that, huh? Shot this there though). It has been an event that I've looked forward to each year but this time is different, there is just so many things wrong with it. Here are 10 of them:

*The venue is atrocious. Baseball stadiums are simply not good for hockey games. It was one thing to deal with the awful sight lines because you are in the two ancient and historical parks of Chicago and Boston, it is another to go to one of the new, generic stadiums. Anyone down by the field can't see the ice and in return, they get to feel the wonderful history and atmosphere of a seven-year of park as well known for this as for this.

*The building holds 46,528 with standing room - that's it. Ralph Wilson held 71,217, Heinz Field 68,111. That is over 20,000 fans who aren't able to enjoy what should be a celebration of hockey. When you have a draw as big as the New York Rangers, why would you want to leave all of those people out in the cold (har har)??

*Here is one reason: smaller capacity plus larger demand equals utterly outrageous ticket prices. All of you who are pumped right now, be prepared to pay at least $200, probably more. And that is from the league, just wait and see StubHub and eBay - last year prices were ridiculous.

*It rained last year in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is on almost the same latitude (40 degrees north) so weather is a concern.

*Philadelphia's roads and traffic are ... less than pleasant. And that is on a daily basis, in good weather. While Philadelphia drivers are sober.

*Rangers vs. Flyers has been a pretty good rough and tumble rivalry. And now it will be on bad ice, in the middle of a spectacle. None of the outdoor games have been pretty good or rough and tumble from buzzer to buzzer.

*I heard that Penguin fans were insufferable last year. And now we will be talking about Flyer fans. Philadelphia Flyer fans.

*While many Ranger fans liked how the Heritage sweaters came out last season, a good portion were upset at the clear money grab of the whole thing. Well, another year, another money grab. You can be sure there will be a special jersey to buy for this special game at a special price.

*The game will be on January 2nd, not the 1st. After making the Classic a New Years staple, the NHL is cowering away from the NFL and having it on Monday. While many folks will have it off - as companies feel they owe their employees a holiday even when it lands on a weekend - not all will.

*24/7 is an unnecessary distraction for a hockey team, especially for one in a city already full of distractions. Camera crews stalking players and coaches for over a month. The coach sets the tone for the team and he doesn't want the show around, so just think of what the mood will be like. Several Rangers were found on Page 6 last season for extracurriculars and were vilified for their actions - now HBO can follow the Ranger kids to the clubs, that's a good recipe for sure. Oh, and it should be pointed out that neither the Pens nor the Caps made it to the conference finals last year.

Just sayin' ...

Frozen Fenway Friday

I just sorted through some of the shots from my Bahston experience on Friday and figured I would share here on the blog. No game shots - I was too far away and the little point-and-shoot camera I brought was too terrible to get them with any clarity - but there is enough for you to get a little idea of what it was like. But before I get to them, I just want to throw out some quick outdoor game/Winter Classic observations:

*I went to Buffalo in 2008 and Chicago in 2009 and had great times at both but this BU/BC game at Fenway was definitely my favourite.

*College bands are fun and they are so, so, soooooo much better than the retread canned music that deafeningly thunders around NHL arenas. The bands have personality and they can be quite good ... all except for Northeastern's, who was out of tune and sucked.

*Having the game at night makes it colder, but a bit cooler. Seeing the snow coming down from the night sky is much better than the drab grey clouds that were the backdrops for the other outdoor games.

*Then again, at night there were no cool flyovers by helicopters, Super Hornets or stealth bombers.

*When players stopped hard, you could clearly see the snow kick up 10, 15 feet into the air. It was really quite trippy.

*The players weren't tripping much, literally; having the rink up for longer clearly paid off as there were no stoppages that I noticed due to the quality of the ice. It was a world away from the Buffalo experience where it felt like a football game with the constant stoppages.

*Vendors walked the crowd slinging soup and hot chocolate and they were making a killing as everyone sought to combat the chill.

*Unlike the pro game on the Fenway rink a week prior, this entire game had good action - not just a good ending. And the ticket cost was a quarter that of the NHL's Winter Classic. Talk about more bang for your buck ...

Ok, onto the photos. Walking up to the ballpark, I had to take a shot to prove that the Sawx actually won multiple championships ... once upon a time, before the 2004 Yankee meltdown allowed the curse to be kicked (after that, who cares? even the Boston fans I know weren't as impressed with '07):

When I finally got inside it was the first period of the girls' game. The crowd, if you can call it that, was sparse (to say the least) with a few hundred people around the stadium, more walking around and most not even arriving until just before the boys' game:

The view of the ice from my seat between the first and second periods of the Northeastern/UNH game:

I walked up to try to get into the seats above the Green Monster but security wasn't having it. The did let me hang over the railing to attempt to get a picture of it though ... and down on the ground the bands from all four participating schools were getting together to play for a bit between games:

Brian Leetch was the honorary captain of BC, Mike Eruzione was the honorary captain of BU and both teams had a pair of assistant captains - Travis Roy was one of BU's, which was a really classy move. That's Leetch walking to the rink below:

A giant American flag was draped over the Green Monster with troops lined up along it's base as the national anthem was sung. It's snowing and completely mind blowing:

Taken as two of the three BU netminders went down to the locker room between periods, you can see the awesome throwback sweaters and Kieran Millan's awesome pads (B on one, U on the other):

The snow kept coming and going throughout the game, at times getting heavy:

The final score after a really good hockey game:

And, finally, the post-game handshakes:

While I still think that having the Rangers in an outdoor game would be folly - they aren't particularly entertaining most of the time and, frankly, I want to go and enjoy the experience rather than yell at Brashear and Redden - there is no way in the world I would miss it, not after three straight successes under the open sky.

Random Thoughts For This Friday

*No Peepin' Foes for the Hurricanes game tomorrow (1 p.m. MSG). We just played them Thursday, we won and we need to win again. But it is at home so it isn't bloody likely. Especially as the Canes has four straight days off after the game so they can throw everything at the Rangers to get revenge for the 2-1 loss in Carolina yesterday. But one can dream.

*It is sad that I find Larry Brooks' article today humorous. That it takes Wednesday's 6-0 loss for him to come out with a column saying what we have been saying for months is just sad - like THN coming to the same realization two weeks ago. I understand that a beat guy has to pick his spots but c'mon already.

*Congrats to Cally on making Team USA. Chris Drury ... well ... whatever. More on the Americans when I do the V2010 scouting report (which should be this weekend).

*It was weird not being at the Winter Classic but after watching it at home I don't think I missed too much. Nice spectacle, boring game, great finish. As I mentioned during the Puck Daddy live chat, it looks like the stands were much closer to the rink than they were in the friendly confines of Wrigley last year. I guess I will see for myself next week when BU faces BC on the same ice.

*Why is Atlanta playing Buffalo tonight? If the Winter Classic is something special for New Years, why have any other game? The Thrashers and Sabres could easily have met on Monday night - both teams have off, both have favourable travel and the Buffalo rink is free. I don't get it.

*After much thought and deliberation, I decided that I don't want the Rangers playing in a Winter Classic. Of course, they will sooner or later but I would prefer they didn't - at least not for a long time. This current roster isn't the least bit entertaining more often than not and there is no way I would be able to enjoy the spectacle with them sucking it up on national television.

*Of course, the Washington Post said today that "A league source says Washington is the strongest candidate to play in the fourth Winter Classic. The Penguins and Rangers are two of the possible host teams." Of course.

*Just a reminder, if you don't already, head over to Prospect Park where Jess is doing his usual bang-up job covering the Ranger prospects. At least there is some hope for the future ...

*Doesn't this ticket deal by the Phoenix Coyotes make you want to cry? I either want to shed a tear or strangle every one of the Dolans. Maybe both.

*Welcome to the new Whalers. Just look at their logo and their ticket deal; I love minor league hockey.

*And finally, best wishes to Christy from Winging it in Motown as she is signing off in the hopes of getting a real job. Here is to hoping that she gets the sports PR job she wants and is allowed or encouraged to blog a la Chris Botta. Best of luck until then!

Ice Hockey In Arlington?

It sure would make one helluva rink, right? From its Wiki:

Cowboys Stadium is a domed stadium with a retractable roof in Arlington, Texas, for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys. It replaced the open-air Texas Stadium, which opened in 1971, as the Cowboys' home. It was completed on May 29, 2009 and seats 80,000, but is expandable to seat up to 111,000.

The stadium is the largest domed stadium in the world, has the world's largest column-free interior, and the largest video screen hung from 20 yard line to 20 yard line. [9] The facility can also be used for a variety of other activities outside of its main purpose (professional football).

Tickets would have to be quite cheap to get over 100,000 people to pay to watch the Stars but still, what a sight that could be. Maybe they should keep the Winter Classic up north but what about something special? I know the All-Star Game was in Dallas in 2007 so it isn't due to come again anytime soon but - should the NHL bail out from the Olympics and should they revive the World Cup of Hockey - Cowboys Stadium would make for a mighty host for the final game ... What do you think?

Bronx Blueshirts?

Anthony J. SanFilippo of the Delaware County Daily News reported that sources confirmed to him that the Flyers are set to play the Bruins at Fenway for this coming season's Winter Classic (h/t Puck Daddy).

Wyshynski wrote that "Alexander Ovechkin will have to wait for Yankee Stadium or an outdoor date with the Pittsburgh Penguins (one imagines)." It is certainly no surprise that NBC and the NHL would love a Ovie/Crosby Classic but is it necessary? Does the outdoor match really need that extra layer of appeal? Would the ratings for that be that much better than a red, white and blue Winter Classic at one of the most famous sports venues on the planet?

Rumour has it that NHL lobbied for the Caps to play the Bruins this year but NBC was reluctant considering the first round ratings of Caps/Rangers. Those playoff games, however, weren't played in Yankee Stadium. I had the pleasure of going to cover a Yankee game last week and the new building is an amazing tribute to capitalism and greed. If it's not perfect for Gary Bettman, then I don't know what is.

With all of the other rumours of a major move by Glen Sather in the works, perhaps an improved Ranger squad - one that can score goals - could advance past the first round next year and become enough of a draw that NBC approves. At the end of the day, it is (sadly) all about NBC and, unlike James Dolan, the network cares about the on-ice performance of the team as it has a direct relation to ratings (however screwed up that measuring system is). So that leaves the ball back right where it has always been: in Sather's hands.

Who thinks he is going to fumble it?

Capping The Winter Classic

Where to start, where to start? Today the NHL rang in the New Year with their second January 1st outdoor game, the Winter Classic in Chicago. But you probably know that. And you know that the Wings blew the Hawks out of the open sky 6-4. So, I will only quickly address the game itself, before adding some of the fun stuff I saw from Section 231 of Wrigley Field. A warning, this may get long and I have yet to peruse other blogs so I donno what is already out there (it keeps things pure that way).

Chicago stepped on the ice a motivated team and played a stellar, physical game for a period and a half. Then they either got cold or they became wrapped up in the moment or something, because they stopped playing. Detroit, meanwhile, recovered from their early frustrations (after that horrible missed boarding call on Lilja that somehow resulted in a Chicago power play, I'd be pissed too) and then started playing Red Wing hockey - something few teams in the NHL can handle. The Hawks are not one of those teams.

But, let's face it, this is a Ranger blog so I am not going to expound on the Second City's deficiencies ... at least those on the ice ...

When I was in Switzerland to watch the Rangers play, I spoke to Rod Gilbert and asked him what he thought of the atmosphere and the people there. His response was that he hated it because the people weren't hockey fans, they were just folks out to watch a spectacle and have a night out of the house. I wasn't so sure I understood what he meant until today, after seeing the Blackhawk fans around Wrigley.

I guess that is the kind of thing when teams get a buzz and the bandwagon gets rolling, but many of the Chicago folks seemed utterly clueless and were just there to see the show - not that there is anything wrong with that, but it certainly took something away from the atmosphere. The stunning thing about the Winter Classic last year was that you could feel the adoration for the sport in the air - it was tangible throughout Ralph Wilson and throughout Buffalo. Here? Notsomuch. Sure they were some hardcore fans there, but there were thousands upon thousands of brand new jerseys and seemingly brand new fans.

At the same time, there was a huuuuuge contingent of Detroit fans. In Buffalo, I was in the clear minority of those in Penguin sweaters (to never be worn again, I assure you) but here I didn't feel the least bit out of place in my Joey Kocur Wings jersey.

The bandwagoners spent most of the game chanting "Detroit Sucks" rather than "Let's Go Hawks" or, well, anything positive towards their team. And when the fans went back and forth at each other individually, the Chicago folks seemed to attack the Lions more than anything - seemingly not knowing that it was a hockey game. It was kinda sad. A few folks went off on the bailouts, unemployment and crime in Detroit (funny) but were quickly silenced by mention of the Illinois senator. Good times.

Reebok gave out handy little binoculars to help promote the 'missing logo' contest but not a single person in my area did any looking for patches, they were all wrapped up in the experience. The other promotion - a 'stunt' - proved to be hilarious. I don't know if it made the broadcast but they had us put signs up so the stadium would spell out two things (one for each side of the sign). The first was Happy New Year (aww) while the other was the Winter Classic title with the team names. When the folks wearing Hawks jerseys realized that they were part of the "Red Wings" they threw their signs away - it was quite hilarious.

On the other side of the coin, I have to say it was quite disappointing that the teams did not salute the fans after the game. They seemed to grudgingly lineup for postgame handshakes and then beat a quick path back into the locker rooms. The Wings waved individually and a few guys even threw out some pucks and their toques, which was nice. I could not see if the Hawks did the same but, judging from the way they left the ice, they did not.

Some other quick parting shots from Chicago:

*The weather was quite nice, just a little chilly. Most people were dressed properly and/or had handwarmers so there were few complaints.

*The league brought out the sparklers to flank the players' runway. It wasn't the towers of flame from last year, but it still looked kinda neat.

*The folks in the rooftop bleachers had better views of the ice than the people who spent $225 to be in the building proper. Not only were the field level seats incredibly obscured, they did not have video boards right in front of them as the folks in Buffalo did. There were just two boards suspended in either outfield. But those screens proved to be the only way some people could watch the game at all as the NHL sold every seat - including those with a post obstructing the entire view of the ice. My buddy got a pic of it and I will try to up it so you can see how bad it was. And that seat cost $225. Insanity.

*To the right is a pic of something crazy ... crazy cool! That is a couple of Blues Brothers impersonators who drove around the stadium in a Bluesmobile before the game singing classic songs from the movie and rooting for the Hawks. Now THAT is 'sweet home Chicago.'

*They did this whole Chicago Sports Legends announcement before the game introducing Ryne Sandberg, Ferguson Jenkins, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito and two others I don't remember or care enough to look up. Each player had a long-winded video intro before stepping on these small round stages by the batters boxes. Few people listened and fewer cheered but then the organizers decided to re-introduce them again for the ceremonial puck drop. NO ONE CARED. Here is this amazing spectacle of hockey outside and you are telling me about Jenkins winning the Cy Young nearly 40 years ago? Ugh!

*The Spectator Plaza that they talked about so much opened up late and was nothing more than a trap for sponsors to shamelessly promote their crap. But they had guys on stilts!! How could that not be fun? Actually, quite easily.


*There were a lotta jersey fouls present. Some were ok - the Hawks Griswald jersey is iconic, but others were not - an Obama Cubs jersey?? Not only doesn't the politician PLAY but he is a proud White Sox fan.

*And talking about shamelessness: the merch on-site at Wrigley was incredibly marked up. I guess that is to be expected but you could buy the same $72 hooded sweatshirt that they had at the ballpark at NHL.com or at any of the licensed FansEdge stores around Chicago for $40. By my math, that is a 80% increase. The scary thing? The bandwagoners appeared to be buying up everything no matter the extreme gouging. (I managed to wait on buying the hoodie there but found myself lured in for a hat and a official game puck.)

So I guess when it comes down to it, the friendly confines were friendly - if expensive. A good buddy of mine just asked if I would go to the next Winter Classic or if the appeal has waned ... my response is absolutely; there is still something special about seeing the best sport in the world played outside of its normal confines and just, well, outside. Perhaps next year it will be in New York so I can root for my own team? Let's Go Rangers!!!!!

Hello From Chicago

Hiya folks, how's life? I just wanted to check in from the chilly second city. The pic above of the rink was taken from the roof over at Murphy's, one of the many bars with bleachers up on the roof around Wrigley. After heading back downstairs to watch the Red Wings smoke the Blackhawks 4-0, I ventured outside where it was snowing:

Oh, and before I forget, we tried to talk our way inside through the utility gate but to no avail. We still got a neat perspective of the grandeur that the players will feel:

I didn't head over to Wrigley today but saw the inside of the Intercontinental Hotel, which is the downtown headquarters of the Classic and is plastered with logos. A few blocks away is a Blackhawks team shop and I managed to not spend too much money. Go me! Tomorrow should be quite amazing. For more reading this evening, check out the Goal Line Report where Patrick decided to do an interview with ... me?!?

Enjoy!

Question of the Night

It is October 19th, the NHL season is underway and there are 73 days left before January 1st. So why hasn't there been any word on tickets to the 2009 Winter Classic?

The Chicago Blackhawks have the same FAQ up that they did this summer, when Hawks prez John McDonough told the Daily Herald that "The NHL will make an announcement in the near future regarding ticket availability." The exact date of the article that quote appeared in was July 22nd, and I think we are pretty far past the "near future." I know that they want to cater to and satisfy the Chicago fanbase, but there are those of us who are willing to make the pilgrimage to watch the historic game at Wrigley.

So what's the deal?

NHL Four-cast: Chicago Blackhawks

1 - Why is this team worth watching? Because Jon Toews can do this and because Pat Kane can do this and because new addition Brian Campbell can do this. A young, exciting team, you need to Commit To The Indian as they revive an Original Six franchise.

2 - Are they better or worse than last year? Much, much better. The kids are a year older, Crazy Khabibulin has a motivated backup to challenge him, Soupy came from San Jose ... Denis Savard has them playing exciting hockey and I am more than willing to say that I am jumping on their bandwagon. After the Blueshirts I root for Original Six teams and these guys are making it really easy to join the fanclub.

3 - Who should YOU draft in fantasy? Expect good offense - upwards of a point per game - from Campbell, Kane, Toews and Pat Sharp. I would add Marty Havlat to that but he is such a huge injury threat that you never know. If he stays healthy for an entire season, he could score 100 points easy; too bad that's a big IF. Robert Lang will be available later and will get 50 assists. On the blueline Dustin Byfuglien, James Wisniewski, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook would fit in great as second or third defensemen to get 40 points or so, some PIM and solid plus/minus. You will be taking a big risk drafting either Khabibulin or Huet early because no one knows how many starts either will get or when they will come.

4 - What will the Winter Classic be like? It will be extremely difficult to get tickets; people are considering buying season tickets just for that game, then reselling it to pay for the season tickets. While I didn't want it in New York, you can be sure I will be doing my damnedest to get to Wrigley. After going to Buffalo and experiencing that wonder, you can be sure the Chicago version will be impressive. And it should have better ice as the league will have longer than a week to build the rink ...

Hmmm, I Could See It ...

No Heat Wave Can Kill Hockey

As the weather gets hotter and hotter here in New York, my longing for the frozen pond grows exponentially ... and its not even July yet. So, as my brains become scrambled in the torturous heat, I figured what better thing can I do to cool down than to write about a winter sport?

*Larry Brooks asked "are the Blueshirts better off with a combined $6M investment in Rozsival and projected third-pair defenseman (Josef) Melichar, or with a combined $6.5-7M investment in (Brooks) Orpik and, say, impending Montreal free agent Mark Streit"? I would say no, they aren't. Melichar didn't play in the U.S. this year, and didn't do so well when he did, often falling victim to a bum shoulder (more in his Wiki, which was clearly edited by a Pens fan). Rozy was a mess this year, no matter how Brooksie wants to justify it. Orpik is a hitter and Streit is a power play stud - both qualities needed by the Rangers that neither Rozy or Melichar would be able to provide. Although I think Streit and Orpik will end up costing at least a million more than Brooks estimated.

*Jaromir Jagr wants to remain a Ranger. Should he return, he had better play like it ... for the entire season. If he doesn't come back, I said it before: I think Mats Sundin would be a fantastic replacement for around the same cost.

*The Rangers have yet to give out any information about season tickets for next year or even anything about their Eurotrip to open the year. The Tampa Bay Lightning, their opponents in Prague, have had a travel package available for weeks. What could the Blueshirts box office folks be doing? The Rangers have been out since the second round, the Knicks ... hahaha and the Liberty are already well underway.

*I went through some of my archives and noticed a lot of pictures were down. Sorry about that. When I first started I would just grab Yahoo! photos without realizing they dump their archives. I'm not about to go back through all of them (sorry) but have taken some steps to avoid that going forward.

*Its kinda funny: I lament the loss of the Jets, Puck Daddy memorializes the Whalers and this week's Hockey News brings up the Nordiques (no direct link, sorry). Do you think many people will fondly remember the days of the Thrashers and the Predators as fondly?

*And I love the Hockey News. I have read it on regularly for most of my life but they have to improve their production schedule. As a subscriber, I received the June 10th issue on June 7th and it talks about the upcoming Stanley Cup Final series, while the damn parade already made its way through Detroit on the 6th. Jason Kay and the crew have done a really good job trying to make THN not as time sensitive but for things like this, they need to do better and altering the production schedule by condensing it and improving the means they print will help keep them relevant.

*For Wings fans, the Behind The Jersey blog is a must-read by a great young writer but this photo is a little bit unfortunate/perverted/leading for the poor girl, don't you think? Maybe I just have a dirty mind ...

*Pierre McGuire pointed out that the ice at the Igloo wasn't the greatest due to the heat and humidity in the building. As the NHL continues to stretch their schedule into June, don't you think they would prepare for this kind of thing by now? The ice was awful in Florida and Tampa Bay and, well, pretty much everywhere in the states during June hockey. Why wouldn't they have insisted the Pens bring in more dehumidifiers and air conditioning units?

*For everyone who is still salivating over the thought of the next Winter Classic, I just want to again voice my concerns. The Heritage Classic in Edmonton that got the outdoor thing started wasn't nearly as good as the Winter Classic but was so well received because it welcomed back some of the best players in history in an exhibition before the game. The NHL had better have one helluva gimmick up their sleeve for the next one because you just can't replicate what happened in Buffalo.

*Those Winter Classic jerseys will be back as third jerseys next year. The NHL Tournament of Logos has been having a lot of fun pitching other prospective kits so check them out.

*Speaking of jerseys, if anyone hits a garage sale this summer and sees someone selling an Islanders fishsticks jersey in XL for 10 bucks or less, let me know. I want one of those, just for laughs. Maybe I'd get it personalized "HAHAHAHA 94" or something.

*The NHL Draft is again scattered across two days, so they can put the first round in primetime the night before the second through seventh rounds. Simply said, I think its terrible. Aside from a few geeks like me (and probably you), who is going to sit home on a Friday night to watch the draft? And aside from viewership, by splitting up the draft, it kills any kinds of draft parties team might/should hold. I remember going to MSG on the day of the 1999 draft for all sorts of festivities including tours of the locker room, player appearances and bubble hockey. Of course I left early when they traded Dan Cloutier and Marc Savard and drafted Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark, but the party was still a good idea.

*And no time-killing post would be good without some YouTubage so I turn it over to the Sharks fans over at We Bleed Teal for a look at the best NHL commercials.

Ok, that's it. I'm spent. Time to revel in some air conditioning.

The Terrible Dichotomy of the NHL

As I was still warming up from being out at the Winter Classic, the huge television ratings were released today. The 2.6 overnight rating and 5 share on NBC were the most the NHL had gotten for a regular season game since 1996. Impressive, right?

Now try getting any of those people to watch the NHL All Star game on January 28th in Atlanta. First off, it is in Atlanta (not a hockey market like Buffalo). Secondly, its on a Sunday afternoon at 6 p.m. (not New Years Day at 1 p.m.). Thirdly, its on Versus (not NBC). The NHL does something so great with the Winter Classic, then absolutely shoots itself in the foot with the All Star Game.

The Winter Classic had one, maybe two top of the talents in the league - Cindy Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (Vanek and Miller are borderline). The NHL All Star Game will have all of the top NHL players. And yet it is quite likely that very few people will tune in to watch them. See something wrong here??

I mentioned it earlier today but really feel the need to reiterate that the NHL should make the All Star weekend the/an annual outdoor affair. Then it will combine the novelty of open-air hockey with the best players the league has to offer, with nothing on the line. It allows for the regular season to remain uncompromised and would showcase the stars to more people, something the league desperately needs.

Writin' On The Rails

So, stuck on the Amtrak for the better part of a day, I figured I would keep a rambling diatribe of nonsense on the Winter Classic, the Rangers and whoknowswhat. Just warning you now, I have no idea where this will go:

*The Toronto Star floated the idea that the NHL needs to hold an outdoor game in New York City, a major market. As much as I think that it would be something truly wonderful, it is also utterly impossible. The writer, Rick Westhead, first off says that the game should be held in Central Park. While idealistic in terms of images, its also utterly impossible as there is no way they can build the necessary seating and amenities in a national park. He then says Giants Stadium could easily host a game, and it could ... but it would be a logistical nightmare for New York hockey fans to get to as the Meadowlands are very, very difficult to access as any Jets or Giants fan can attest to. The Yankee Stadium idea had been a cool one, and very well could have worked except for some piping. Perhaps the new Yankee Stadium or the soon-to-be-completed Citifield will be able host the game. Regardless, it is rarely cold enough to make hosting a game in New York worthwhile - the ice would be horrible (even worse than in the Garden!). Mr. Westhead wants an outdoor game in a major market, he should look no further than Soldier Field in Chicago or even Gillette Stadium outside of Boston. Both receive hockey weather, hockey fans and are major U.S. markets.

*Another interesting idea that I saw last night was a proposition that the next outdoor game should be an All Star game. I forgot where I saw that but it really is a genius idea. There isn't much hitting anyway, and an outdoor game adds a spectacle to what usually is a boring, corporate mid-season exhibition game. The same article mentioned placing it in Quebec City, which would be fantastic and very scenic. As I've mentioned in the past, I am all for placing the All Star game in a non-NHL city. How about making a five year run of it around Europe in 'football' stadiums, with at least one in Red Square in Moscow? They already played one outdoor game there, why not another? Regardless, I certainly think that both the All Star game and the spectacle that is an outdoor game would be better served together rather than seeing a regular season game wasted outdoors. As much fun as yesterday was, the quality of hockey was subpar and, as playoff spots will be hard to come by, the points in every game should be contested for under ideal conditions.

*Something that I didn't see mentioned anywhere in coverage of yesterday's game, it looked like the Sabres fans handed their sticks into the crowd as they walked off the field. I think that that is an fantastic gesture. It really is great that teams are doing more to recognize fans and realize that sports are a two way street. In the NHL all things seem to have started with the Rangers - first the raising of the sticks (now mimicked across the league) and hopefully soon the puck throwing (Rangers chosen as stars of the game - except for Jagr, of course - throw a puck into the crowd, not to forget Nicky Fotiu's old habit back in the day).

*I can't believe I included the 'Crosby is a p---y' story in my game blog ... my parents, loyal readers both, are sure to give me hell for using an obscenity.

*The Rangers are heading out on a three-game west coast swing starting tonight. I still plan on doing post-game blogs so feel free to stop by first thing in the morning!

*So January 24th is coming up. The Rangers are retiring Leetchie's number and grown men will be crying all throughout New York. My hope and guess is that it will be a short and sweet ceremony as he is a humble guy. Its just a shame that it will come in the second of back-to-back games against the Atlanta Thrashers of all teams. So I guess that means it will be a packed house to start, and maybe even for most of the first period but after that the Garden will be a ghost town. Gotta love New York fans sometimes.

*Some more on the Winter Classic: Buffalo knows cold weather and most everyone was dressed appropriately - in ski pants or cold weather hunting gear. It was kind of funny to see bright orange and camouflage body suits at a hockey game.

*I really wish I coulda tailgated a bit, it really looked like everyone was having a good time.

*I had an extra ticket to the game. There was no one in the near vicinity of the stadium scalping tickets, which I found strange. I didn't end up minding, it just gave me more bench space to put my souvenirs on so they didn't have to sit in the puddles on the ground beneath the seats. But, according to the other people in the row, the ticket could have fetched at least $300 bucks. Initially I responded quite dubiously, but then it was pointed out that over 11,000 people watched the game on the big screens in the HSBC Arena. That's dedication, and stupidity ... I coulda used that cash, lol.

*Speaking of cash, I was considering a trip up to Montreal later this season but think I will pass. As awe-inspiring as a game in Montreal would be, I think that money will be better spent for the playoffs. Although it will come down to whom the Rangers play (if we even make it); I am not about to revisit Buffalo. Last year's 5-2 Game 1 loss to the Sabres was enough for me.

*I have to admit that I was surprised that there weren't giveaways of any sort at the Winter Classic. With the corporate sponsors, I would have thought that someone would have done something, if only silly pompoms or something of that sort. I saw one kid with Amp thundersticks but that was it. It certainly wouldn't have detracted from the legion of people buying stuff ...

*I mentioned last night that the merch was overpriced; here are some numbers from what I saw: programs $10, t-shirts $30, thermal shirts $45, hoodies $75, replica jersey $175. Pucks at one stand were $15, at another, $10. And none of the four stands that I went by had the cool RBK hat that I wanted or the furry winter hat that woulda made a neat gift. Disappointing.

*I don't particularly care for Pittsburgh, and I think I already said this, but man, the Penguins' throwback jerseys were gorgeous. Such a fantastic shade of baby blue with black trim, the league did well to have the Pens don them for the game. The Sabres wore their throwback whites, which are miles above the crap that they wear now. Also, if you didn't get a chance to see it, the Sabres staff were wearing awesome varsity jackets with huge logos. They need to start selling those around Buffalo, they will make a mint.

*A limo ran right into the side of the bus that I was on as we were in the mass exodus and the bus driver didn't get out or blink. Strange. The bus was ok, the limo wrecked its bumper/driver-side light and the woman who was sitting where it hit was a little shaken.

*I guess it is all in what you get used to but it was amazing how well the Buffalo people dealt with snow. Everyone seemed able to drive in it, and even then, cleanups were pretty quick. I never felt out of control or in any kind of danger, unlike when driving in inclement weather on Long Island. Those people are crazy and incompetent.

*Do you think that in Gary Bettman's wildest wet dream he ever imagined just how idyllic the Winter Classic would be? Cindy assists on the first goal, makes a few amazing plays and scores the game-winner ... in a shootout. It snows though most of the game, yet the sell-out crowd doesn't budge, making for an incredible atmosphere and some really fat wallets. And some had thought that the game wouldn't be as good as the last one because Edmonton-Montreal had their alumni play before hand (some of the best players of the last 20 years) and because of the iconic picture of Jose Theodore with the toque. And now this ... and the best question: how could they possibly top it next time???

*Hockey teams used to travel by rail to face each other and, midway through my 10 hour journey today, its of little surprise to me that the old-time players used to hate the other teams. I'll be quite surly by the time I get off and I, luckily, won't have to take on a bunch of well-rested, home-fed Canadiens/Bruins/Red Wings/whatever.

And on that note, I'm gonna pass out and up this when I get home. I hope it makes some sense. And if not, too bad!!!

Now That Was Cool

Cool and pretty damn cold, but still a helluva time. So where do I start ... hmmm, how about the start?

Thanks to a bulletin board post, someone pointed me to the NTFA-Metro bus service for a cheap ride (har har). It was a half hour, 45 minute bus ride, but it cost all of seven bucks so it definitely comes in cheaper than renting a car or shelling out for a hack. Granted, there was only one bus so I couldn't get there early to scope things out all that well.

From what I saw, there was a ton of tailgating and the league set up a little fairgrounds area with giant blow-up players and jerseys flanking a little stage with local acts.

There were also several merchandise stands around the outside of the stadium that were utterly mobbed. Me being me, I of course hit two of them and bought a bunch of hugely overpriced things: pucks, programs, shirts and a sweatshirt ... and I wanted several more but couldn't justify it, lol.

So after signing away a paycheck, I ventured inside Ralph Wilson Stadium. It was the first time I have ever been in a football stadium (despite eight years of covering both college and pro ball) so I have to say that the amenities are sparse. But I guess its understandable since they are only used once a week for a small part of the year. Metal bench seating, trough urinals, narrow concourses ... it wasn't comfy.

And everything of course was all wet because of the snow, but that I am not complaining about. The snow was awesome, it made for such an amazing scene that made the freezing temperatures and wet clothes entirely worthwhile.

The rink looked cool, but with the rush job of putting it up, there was little time spent for aesthetics on the rest of the field, with looked pretty nasty with churned, dirty snow and big plywood planks. The ice quality looked ok, but the puck was slowed by all of the accumulation and a big crack apparently opened which delayed the game twice. For those that watched on tv, if you have any idea what took so long to repair it, please tell me. Its freezing out, there is a crack, they have snow and water to fill it. The same with the issues on the Pen's goalpost. What took so damn long?

I went for a walk during the first intermission so I missed the entertainment but the second intermission I stayed put and listened to a band called the Sam Roberts Band ... quite likely the worse band I have ever seen live - and I have seen hundreds upon hundreds of groups over the years. The Winter Classic is the biggest game for the league this year, if not ever and that was all that they could come up with?

I stress that it was the biggest game for the NHL for several reasons:
1 - Over 70,000 people there, the most to attend a game.
2 - It was on New Year's Day with a national television audience and the league spent a ton to advertise that it was happening.
3 - Aside from a Rangers v. Canadiens or Rangers v. Blackhawks Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, there is no way the league could possibly have a situation that will draw more viewers.
4 - And that begets this: my guess is that the future of the NHL on television will be based on the ratings of this game. NBC and ESPN's interest will hinge on those numbers.

Well, back to the stadium. The people there were really cool, even though I was wearing a my Rangers hat and a Penguins jersey (mentioned in an earlier post). Funny moment - a Sabres fan asks me as I walk by why I don't have Crosby on the back so I reply "because he is a p***y!" and nearly a hundred people around start laughing. Guess I'm a comedian, don't forget to tip your waiter. ... And I was just bein' honest, lol.

Joke as I may, Cindy's skill is undeniable. She tried to split the Sabres defense once and the entire crowd when "Ohhhh!" And when she scored the game-winner in the shootout, not a single person was in their seat. It was pretty damn impressive.

The one disappointment, and it is very minor, but the Professional Hockey Writers Association named the three stars and decided to play it straight and narrow and named the two netminders and Cindy as one, two and three. Since they are a boring, stodgy old groups of fellas used to pandering to a niche sport and a niche sport's fans, I will offer up my three stars:

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres - for agreeing to be part of the game.
2-Dan Craig and his staff - they built a rink in the middle of a football field in Buffalo, 'nuff said.
1-The fans - simple. 71,217 people showed up to watch a hockey game in a football stadium while it was freezing cold and occasionally snowing.

So all in all, I give the league a big thumbs up for the event; I had a great time and I think that feeling was mutual for all of those stuck in the traffic jam on the way out of the Ralph parking lot. As one of the MCs said, "let's do this all again sometime soon, how about next week??"

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

I awoke this morning in an unnamed fleabag hotel in Buffalo to some snow outside. Weather reports say it should snow on and off all day but the Winter Classic should go off as scheduled. As my room faces the highway, I can clearly hear and see cars flying by so I think these people are used to a lil snow. I have several layers on so I am going to give it by best not to freeze my ass off. I also have a nice Penguins jersey to wear, courtesy of former Pens coach Eddie O. I figured I would root for Cindy and company after thinking about last season and how much it sucked to come all the way to this northern New York outpost to only see the Rangers lose 5-2 and have thousands of Sabres fans chanting Rangers suck as I walked out. So screw them, let's go Pens!

Well, its time for me to try to catch my ride to the stadium so wish me luck!

Let's All Go To Buffa-lo

Well, this first writing comes while I am on the Amtrak train up to Buffalo for the Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Sabres. Its kinda funny if you think of it, I am traveling almost 10 hours by rail to see a game between two teams I don't particularly care for out in the freezing cold. What is wrong with me?!?!?

As the league has decided to ban cameras with actual lenses, any/all photos will be from my little point-and-shoot. Some will make it up here, some will end up on my Flickr page.

The game should be a quick one, as there will likely be little contact - too damn cold to board someone. My guess is that the teams will be giving each other a lot of room and we should see Cindy finally making a name for himself outside of the realm of hockey geeks. However, he will go up against a goaltender already versed in playing outdoors, in fact both goaltenders expected to start - Ryan Miller and Ty Conklin have played actual open-air games, Miller with Michigan State and Conklin with Edmonton in the Heritage Classic.

Regardless of the game itself, the Winter Classic should be something to watch, if only for the spectacle of 72,000 hockey freaks succumbing to frostbite as Gary Bettman burns dollar bills to light his cigar.

So stay tuned!