Sunday Speculation

The Rangers are 4-0 so why mess with a good thing? Because it is a slow Sunday and the boys in blue don't play until tomorrow so speculating will make for a fun past time!

First off, lets look at a few things we have seen so far:

1 - Wade Redden and Dmitri Malik Kalinin are as terrible defensively as advertised, but Redden is coming through on the other side of the ice so we will give him a pass for now. Kalinin has had no redeeming qualities.
2 - Despite being given power play time, space on the ice and good linemates, Nigel Dawes hasn't been able to recapture that sniper's edge he flashed last season.
3 - The same can be said for Petr Prucha, who hasn't been able to recapture anything except a spot in the pressbox.
4 - Patrick Rissmiller has been adequate but Dan Fritsche and Freddie Sjostrom bring more to the table in a fourth line slot.
5 - Lauri Korpikoski has a bright future ahead of him, but there will be growing pains before he gets there.

With those five things in mind, what can we do about them? Perhaps a little wheeling and dealing? So grab your Glen Sather cigar and think about who we can target in fair and reasonable deals (and some not so fair or reasonable) and let's start some rumours!

*Let's start big: Redden and a conditional draft pick to Florida for Jay Bouwmeester. The pick will depend on if the Rangers can re-sign the young defenseman at the end of this year. McCabe is already out so the Panthers get an established veteran to base their defense around for the next six years while the Rangers get a younger, bigger player who has yet to show his best stuff. As I mentioned, Redden has shown he still has some offensive skills, but Bouwmeester knows how to play defense too.

*Petr Prucha to Edmonton for Steve Staios. The Oilers get another young, quick skater and the Rangers beef up their blueline with a solid, experienced defender.
OR
*Petr Prucha to Phoenix for Enver Lisin. Lisin is really, really fast and uses it on both sides of the ice. He also didn't endear himself to the Coyotes by refusing to go to the AHL two years back and was barely given a cup of coffee last year. The Russian will find some Brighton Beach comfort in New York and would be a great compliment to Cheraponov if he ever comes over to the States. Prucha has experience, a willingness to work and a scoring touch - Gretzky will just have to work to find it.

*Patrick Rissmiller to Nashville for Ville Koistinen. Koistinen is a Finnish puck moving defenseman who went to arbitration last season and is low on the Preds depth chart. Rissmiller is responsible defensively with good size and some offensive upside that has yet to be tapped (and won't be on the Rangers).

*Malik Kalinin to the Islanders for 'considerations.' They add an experienced defenseman and we get back cap space, while improving our defense with addition through subtraction.

I also figure we hold onto Dawes because he really does have some skills and he just needs everything to click. Unlike Prucha, Dawes hasn't gotten chance after chance after chance to stick. Let's give him them. And all the Kor-pedo needs is time, he has already shown so much in so little time and is well worth a little patience when the times get tough.

So what do you think?

4-0-0: First Real Win Of The Year

lau·rel (lôrl, lawr-uhl) n.
1. A Mediterranean evergreen tree (Laurus nobilis) having aromatic, simple leaves and small blackish berries. Also called bay5, bay laurel, sweet bay.
2. A shrub or tree, such as the mountain laurel, having a similar aroma or leaf shape.
Idiom: "rest on (one's) laurels"
1. To rely on one's past achievements instead of working to maintain or advance one's status or reputation.
2. To sit on a four goal lead against a dangerous divisional opponent.

You know, there is a reason that we are sports fans. To live and die with your team, you experience a wide variety of feelings - both good and bad and you can live with that, because of the passion you feel for that franchise. I have to say, the 4-3 Rangers win over the Flyers definitely tested my fandom. After the Blueshirts played their best period in recent history, the pendulum swung the other way and I nearly had an ulcer. As a friend said to me, it was 'like watching the Montreal game from last season all over again.' This horrible New York trend of resting on their laurels and relaxing in second periods has got to end - of inly for my sanity. If Stephen Valiquette didn't play every inch of his 6'6 frame then the Rangers would have blown it entirely. So let's get going on this rollercoaster ride:

*The fetching yet not-so-bright Sarah Palin dropped the puck so it's official, the Philadelphia Flyers endorse the Republican ticket for the presidency. And, unless Gary Bettman gets a team to have Joe Biden drop the puck at another game, you can assume the league endorses them too. Politics have no place on the ice and the league fumbled the puck by allowing Palin to drop it.

*I am sure some of you out there cringed when Orr was out on the ice in the last minute but he really deserved it. Sjostrom, Betts and Orr were the best three shutdown players for the Blueshirts and they easily kept pace with the much-more-talented first line of the Flyers.

*Speaking of Bettsy, YEAH BUDDY!!! He scored, he actually scored!! People mocked me for nominating Betts for captaincy but he proved that hard work pays off. After battling the first three games and getting chances, his luck finally changed and he racked up a goal and an assist. If you don't think the Rangers practice dumping in the puck like he did on Sjostrom's goal, you would be mistaken. Perfect. And he was incredible defensively as well, but that is par for the course for him.

*Marc Staal needs to learn how to inflict pain. After Danielle Briere ran Valley in the first period, Staal just jumped on his back. Utterly unacceptable. That is an instance where you need to take the penalty, especially at this time of year. Granted, the Rangers scored on the ensuing power play to go up 4-0, but making a statement is much more important. And I don't think that Dubi's battle with Richards after the ppg did it.

*Speaking of that fight, kudos to Dubi in taking off his helmet, because it forced Richards to lose his. The Flyers captain is a pro at the cheap shot because he can hide underneath his visor and by taking off his helmet, Dubi forced Richards to reciprocate. Granted, Dubi still needs to refine his fisticuff form, but it was still fun to watch.

*The other first period tussle was between Colton Orr and Riley Cote, and that was a quick wrestling match. It is sad to see heavyweight battles determined by who can get the other off-balance first rather than the better puncher.

*Dmitri Malik Kalinin had a terrible game and yet the equally-awful Joe Micheletti kept making excuses for him. After a Malik-esque turnover by Kalinin led to a Philly goal, Micheletti glossed over the mistake and attacked the non-call on goalie interference. It certainly was a mistake by the ref, but it would have never happened if Malik Kalinin knew how to play defense. I think it is a matter that Micheletti, who was a piss-poor defenseman himself, sees some of himself in Malik Kalinin so he sides with him at every chance. What a joke.

*While I won't put the two in the same class, Wade Redden sucked nearly as bad as Malik Kalinin. Redden was beaten repeatedly by faster forwards, knocked off the puck a few times and made some really unwise passes. Six million dollars for this?

*On the other side of the puck, I used to think quite little of Paul Mara but the lumberjack is turning into the responsible defensive defenseman that I wanted Jason Smith to be on the Rangers blueline. He is playing well positionally and doing his best to stop the other teams from allowing the other team to take physical liberties in the Rangers end.

*Stephen Valiquette made 25 saves in the game for the Rangers. Starting him was probably a smart move by Tom Renney, given Valley's track record in Philly but the Rangers have to be careful: after an amazing start to last season by Henrik Lundqvist, Valley got a start (and a win) against the Toronto Maple Leafs. For several months after that, Hank wasn't the same goaltender. He still rattled off some wins, but couldn't recapture his Vezina-worthy form until mid-February.

*Kimmo Timonen played over half the game for Philly and came out of it +1. He is definitely one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL.

*Ryan Callahan had his worse game this young season as the Flyers physically challenged him. They stayed close to him and on one shift I counted him getting hit four times. Lauri Korpikoski and Patrik Rissmiller also didn't fare too well, something that will certainly complicate things for Renney going forward.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Antero Niittymaki - 13 saves.
2-Mike Richards - one goal.
1-Nik Zherdev - one goal and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Richards - I hate this weasel but he really did everything for the Flyers. He contributed offensively, getting chance after chance only to be foiled by Valley or the post all but one time. As captain he knew he had to do something and he threw down with Dubi ... one can only hope Drury will put forth a similiar display when called upon.
2-Betts - Aside from his offensive display, Bettsy was a huge part of the penalty kill that shut down the Flyers. Both he and Chris Drury deserve medals for their work during the third period 5-on-3.
1-Valiquette - The three goals against him weren't his fault as the team in front of him relented and he stood tall when he needed to.

3-0-0: Happy Home Opener

The Rangers' 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks had everything, it just didn't feel like it. There were the six goals, there were hits, there were a few big saves, there were two fights (proving me wrong) ... but very little flow, to the point of seeming lackluster at points. But it's a win and we'll certainly take it, so let's start breaking it down:

*Maybe the ice was bad, because both teams had severe troubles puckhandling and making good passes. It led to some sloppy hockey and perhaps the dry feeling that I took away from the game. The Rangers' play didn't help as they would collapse in their own zone to clog the shooting and passing lanes. It wasn't pretty hockey but it worked, so who am I to complain?

*The pregame video tribute was nicely done and hit on all of the franchise's big points and players from its 82 years of history in less than two minutes. It interestingly mixed the I Am A Ranger campaign with historical clips and not really in a bad way. My only problem was that they followed it up with another video montage thing that had a weird video effect and it just didn't seem to work. The Irish drummers on the ice also didn't work great. Perhaps because they were under utilized, perhaps because there were no bagpipers, I don't know. I was underwhelmed.

*To be honest, there were only a few underwhelming performances to be had on the Rangers roster in this game. Nigel Dawes was invisible, Dmitri Malik Kalinen made several bad passes and Michal Roszival couldn't keep the puck in the Chicago zone if his life depended on it.

*Blair Betts has always seemed unable to score if his life depended on it but he unleashed a wonderful slap shot off the wing late in the second while killing a penalty, forcing Cristobal Huet to make a highlight-reel glove save. Betts has never had a shot like that before and it was a fantastic surprise, hopefully its something he pulls out of the arsenal more often.

*Speaking of players using other skills, Colton Orr skated like he never has before. Orr was quick to the puck, forechecked hard and had one awesome shift late where he maintained puck possession for nearly a minute by himself on the offensive boards.

*Orr didn't throw down his gloves but both Ryan Callahan and Paul Mara did. While Cally took exception to a mediocre hit, there didn't seem to be any reason for Mara to throw down. And Mara got the decision in his battle but I don't think a single punch was thrown. How boring.

*On the other side of the coin, Betts lost his stick during a second period penalty kill and skated all the way to the Ranger bench to get another ... while play was still going on deep in the Ranger zone. It seemed like quite a gamble.

*Wade Redden seems to be making smart wagers with jumping up into the play. This time his sneak into the slot resulted in the first goal of the game and his second of the season. It is a nice start to the year but he will have keep it going at the same pace over the next 79 games if he is to justify his contract.

*The other big summer signing, Markus Naslund, assisted on Redden's goal and played a really solid, veteran game. Naslund calmly moved the puck, finished all of his checks and was defensively responsible all night long.

*So long Petr Prucha. After playing the first two games, Pru was replaced by Freddie Sjostrom in the line-up and isn't likely to get back in the line-up any time soon. The Swede skated hard, complimented Orr and Betts well on the fourth line, had a nice scoring opportunity and did well on the PK - pretty much reinforcing the fact that Prucha is expendable.

*Just as I was getting mad at Nik Zherdev for passing too much, he came in as the trailer on a play and scored the Rangers fourth goal. He shot the puck over Huet, who really had a miserable game. Aside from the save on Betts' shorthanded shot, Huet couldn't make the big saves he needed to and gave up rebound after rebound after rebound.

*He was one of several Hawks to disappoint. Newly minted captain Jonathan Toews was invisible, as was a surprisingly-healthy Marty Havlat.

*None of the Hawks were paying the tolls in the trenches. The opposite can be said of the Rangers, with captain Chris Drury leading the way. Drury planted himself in the paint on the power play and went right to the crease on each offensive rush, two things no player was willing to do for the Blueshirts last season.

*Kudos go to Marc Staal, who had a steady game that was marked by one shift where he painfully blocked a shot, slowly got back to his feet and got back into the play. He stood his ground and stayed on the ice until the puck was successfully cleared out of the Rangers zone. Now that is hockey!

*PHW Three Stars, which were different in the arena then on the official box score:
3-Brandon Dubinsky - one goal and two assists.
2-Garden-Henrik Lundqvist - 30 saves.
2-Box score-Lauri Korpikoski - no points.
1-Aaron Voros - one goal and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Ryan Callahan - Cally was all over the ice pressing the action and causing havok. He is turning into a Little Ball of Hate Pat Verbeek-esque player and it is fun to watch.
2-Voros - Last season he flashed some skills when he got ice time on Minnesota's first line and here, playing with Dubi and Zherdev, those skills are coming out again.
1-Dubi - Our Jason Arnott's timing is improving to the point where he can listen to his hockey sense and get into good spots where he could use his size and speed.

Get Ready .... Go!

The Rangers may already be two games into their 2008-09 campaign but, let's face it, Friday night's game against Chicago is the real start to the season. Coming in with two wins ensures the Blueshirts will get a warm reception but who knows how long that will last? Here are some thoughts pregame:

*The biggest applause in the Garden will go to poster boy Henrik Lundqvist but the ovation for Chris Drury will come close. Say what you want about Drury's suitability for the Rangers' C, he is still a local boy who's done good. Most everyone in the building went nuts for Jaromir Jagr when he got the captaincy (I didn't) and Jagr never won a Little League World Series for the U.S. of A.

*After the early festivities, Chicago could very well crash the party. They are young, they are fast and they work hard - three qualities that are very, very dangerous. Just look at what happened to the Red Wings tonight; Detroit played sloppy and Toronto took advantage to win in a huge upset, even for a regular season game.

*Also, what really did it for the Leafs was the play of their netminder. Vesa Toskala was stellar and the Rangers will need Henrik Lundqvist to play like the prince rather than the pauper.

*A big reason for that is the play of Jonathan Toews. There is much hype around Patrick Kane - and deservingly so - but Toews has that certain ability to break through and do something amazing every shift. I mean, just look at this.

*Nik Zherdev is capable of playing like that but he will get a harsh welcome by the end of the game if he doesn't get involved in the offense quickly. I think he is best off as a playmaker, but the media hype has painted him as the goal scoring replacement to Jagr so the fair-weather fans will call for his head unless he buries one.

*Speaking of harsh welcomes, Dmitri Malik Kalinin can't make a single mistake because he is poised to become the next object of ire in the Garden, following Poti and Malik.

*On the other side of the ice, the Hawks defense is quite good. Even with James Wisniewski out, they are a dangerous bunch who can move the puck and contribute to the offense. And you can't forget that they added Soupy Campbell, who pulled a Savard-ian spin last season. At the same time they may be a suspect bunch on their own end of the ice. The Blueshirts owned Campbell last year: he was -6 with just one assist in three games with Buffalo.

*Don't expect a big tussle in home game No. 1. David Koci is gone and former Flyer idiot Ben Eager is suspended already, so Chicago's biggest battler is Adam Burish. Burish isn't an instigator so unless a Ranger plays like Ryan Hollweg used to - late hits and cheap shots - I don't see Burish throwing down the gloves.

I do see it being a great atmosphere and let's hope for a win so we can keep this nice start going. The Rangers can't let the Hawks come in and start pushing them around, this is the time that the Blueshirts will have to make the statement that the Garden is home and no one can come in and steal a win. Because, as a friend mentioned to me this afternoon, every point ends up being quite meaningful come April so let's grab as many as we can early. Let's Go Rangers!

Today Should Be Thanksgiving

.., Because it wasn't too long ago that this happened:


The 2008-09 NHL season starts tonight.

The Battle Over Brendan

Now Sam over at Rangers Report has been staying on top of the Brendan Shanahan situation and giving update after update but the bottom line is that a day before the season starts, we still don't know what the future holds for a certain Brendan Shanahan. When I was a kid, for big decisions my mom always said that I should write down the two options, and then scribble the pros and cons of each one. It was an easy device to analytically choose which way to go. So which way should the Rangers go with Shanny? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each situation:

Brendan Shanahan Is Re-Signed

Pros:
*Adds 20 years of experience and three Stanley Cups to the locker room.
*Capable of playing in all situations.
*Will give everything he has every shift he takes.
*Almost certain to score 20 goals through his wicked shot on the power play.
*Handles media pressure well and will take some of the 'bullets' headed towards Drury.
*Even though the results of the Trial were inconclusive, the Garden faithful will certainly give Shanny a warm reception (and keep buying Shanahan merchandise).

Cons:
*Has slowed down in his advanced age.
*Getting more susceptible to injury.
*Will likely take a while to get into game shape after missing preseason.
*Missed Europe, which the team has already said was a tremendous bonding experience.
*Takes a roster spot from a player with potential.
*Could limit the development of the current younger leaders by taking the media pressure unto himself.

Brendan Shanahan Is NOT Re-Signed

Pros:
*Less jockeying to be done to get the team under the salary cap.
*Captain Drury is forced to speak up to the media, something Jagr didn't have to do with Shanny around, leading to more accountability.
*More movement on the power play as Shanny won't be there just sitting in the circle waiting to unleash his predictable one-timer.
*Don't have to worry about changing team chemistry at this point.
*Younger players have less competition for ice time - is Petr Prucha a NHL-level player?

Cons:
*Is Petr Prucha a NHL-level player? I'm not so sure.
*Fan backlash after Sather led Shanny on for so long.
*After seeing them during the preseason, who will score for the Rangers?
*If Drury doesn't step up and take responsibility in the media, the papers will likely hammer the team hard the first instant things go south.
*Shanahan signs somewhere else (Jersey) where he can come back and make the Rangers regret not signing him.

Final Answer?:
To be honest? I just don't know. Going over this list, I think that the right decision is to not re-sign Shanny. Frankly, I think that call sucks but the home opener is on Friday and you should dance with the date you brought, you know? The NHL doesn't have player/coaches anymore and that would be a perfect role for him to step into, especially on a team in transition like the Rangers. I am a big fan of his and would hate, hate to see him become a Devil or - even worse - outright retire. The man has done so much in his career and has done so much for the sport of hockey that he deserves a farewell tour. Let's hope he gets one ...

"I don't think you understand finance."

Scotty Nostradamus

As I already did Four-casts for every team, I figured I would add a one-stop shop of predictions - the main purpose of which is to see how entirely wrong I always am at the start of a season. I've already made some changes from my four-casts, so I reserve the right to change them again, and again, and again. It's my party, I can do what I want to. Nyeh nyeh.

So, without further delay, here are the Scotty Hockey 2008-09 Predictions:

Standings
Eastern Conference
1. * Montreal - If Price proves to be more than Penney, then they should ace their centennial season.
2. * New Jersey - Return of Rolston and Holik will help big-time.
3. * Washington - Ovie. 'Nuff said.
4. Pittsburgh - Healthy Cindy? Dammit.
5. Philadelphia - Solid line-up and Richards is only getting better.
6. Ottawa - Still have the best line in the league.
7. NY Rangers - King Henrik reigns supreme.
8. Carolina - New mobile D will be huge, as will a healthy RB'A.
--------------
9. Boston - Not enough offense.
10. Buffalo - Young but dangerous.
11. Tampa Bay - Melrose is a joke.
12. Florida - No Jokinen but Vokoun will keep them responsible.
13. Atlanta - Poor Kovy; where have you gone Marc Savard?
14. Toronto - Toskala can't do it himself.
15. NY Islanders - Hahahahaha.
* = Division Leader

Western Conference
1. * Detroit - Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too good not to take first.
2. * Dallas - I heart Brendan Morrow. And add Sean? Go Stars!
3. * Calgary - Iggy remains one of the best in the biz.
4. San Jose - Dan Boyle should be huge and Nabby is a rock.
5. Anaheim - Get Jiggy with them.
6. Phoenix - One or two defencemen and one or two years away from challenging for the conference.
7. Chicago - Huet and Soupy will be the toast of the town.
8. Edmonton - So young, so fast and soon to be so good.
--------------
9. Columbus - Major changes will mean major improvement.
10. Minnesota - Gabby without buddy Demitra? Sorry ...
11. Vancouver - Captain Luongo still can't score.
12. Colorado - Sad to see Joe come back to such a disappointing team.
13. Nashville - Ellis may be a one-year wonder.
14. St. Louis - J.D. is still building.
15. Los Angeles - Tough luck in Tinseltown.
* = Division Leader

Award Winners
Art Ross Trophy (Top Point Scorer): Cindy Crosby - If the Cole Harbour Queen stays healthy, she is just too good not to rack up the points, even with a pair of loser ex-Islander wingers.

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Qualities of Perseverance and Sportsmanship): Chris Chelios - Cheli is like what, 60 now? He shows a passion and dedication that everyone should mimic, both inside and outside of hockey.

Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Steve Stamkos - I am hoping Kyle Turris is deserving in Phoenix, but this No. 1 draft pick just looked too damn good this weekend. If the shots start going in, the trophy is his, no matter how terrible his +/- will be.

Conn Smythe Trophy (Most Valuable Player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs): Johan Franzen - The Mule probably won't come close this season but he would have had it last spring if he had stayed healthy so it would be nice to see a grinder-type player get some hardware.

Frank J. Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward): Jere Lehtinen - If he stays healthy, and that is a huuuuuuuuuge IF, Lehtinen is one of the best up-and-down wingers in the league. Unfortunately this never goes to the actual top defensive forward, just one who scores some points while playing well in his own zone. If things were proper and it went to the forward who excelled the most in the defensive zone, I would nominate Blair Betts.

Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL Most Valuable Player): It would be great to see Ovie repeat, but if Crosby ends up atop the leaderboard then the Hart will go to the golden child.

Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year): Dave Tippett - The Dallas head coach will have to balance the lunacy of Sean Avery, Brett Hull and Steve Ott and anyone who can do that deserves an award.

James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top Defenseman): Niklas Lidstrom - He may be the best overall defenseman since Bobby Orr.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Player who Displays Gentlemanly Conduct): Pavel Datsyuk - I just hope he wins something so we can get another great speech at the awards show.

Lester B. Pearson Award (Most Valuable Player as selected by the NHLPA): Alexander Ovechkin - Everyone loves Ovie because Ovie so clearly loves playing hockey and man, is he good at it ...

Maurice Richard Trophy (Top Goal Scorer): Ovechkin - 70 goals? It's possible, for him.

Vezina Trophy (Top Goalie): Evgeni Nabokov - I still think Brodeur robbed Nabby of the award last year and see no reason why justice won't be served this time around since Fatso is getting older and should, should play less this season.

Ten Other Predictions
*Barry Melrose won't last the full season as coach of the Lightning.

*It won't snow in Chicago on New Years.

*Ranger fans will give Sean Avery a loud ovation upon his return to the Garden and to the Prudential Center.

*Philadelphia will trade for the Sedin twins at the deadline while Ottawa overpays for Gaborik and Jersey makes a play for Jason Arnott. But no one will be willing to trade for Max Afinogenov.

*Mats Sundin will stay in Sweden. Peter Forsberg won't.

*I will call Kalinin Malik at least 50 times.

*Nashville will not average 14,000 fans, will lose their revenue-sharing payments, find another crooked investor while Jim Balsillie sits back and counts his money.

*After not selling out their home opener despite their insane ticket offer, the Phoenix Coyotes will sweeten the deal by having Dan Carcillo beat up your child's school bully.

*Someone, perhaps the Hawks, will beat the Oilers in a shootout when Mathieu Garon is in net (he went 10-0 last year).

*Not only will the Islanders finish in last place, they will lose the draft lottery to Toronto. There is no way Bettman won't Pat Ewing that draw for Tavares. Ha ha!

Not much longer until we get to see how right/wrong I am so good luck to all and Let's Go Rangers!

Them Punks From Syracuse

While they aren't the Bulldogs, the Syracuse Crunch will honour Paul Newman by retiring Reg Dunlop's Chiefs jersey this weekend. It is a wonderful gesture (and a guaranteed sell-out) and every hockey team should do the same as Slap Shot's impact was universal. Dunlop, you don't stink!

You Know Your Franchise Is In Trouble When ...

I am speechless.