46-20-7: Cally Clips The Wings

Sure they didn't have their best defenseman in their line up. Sure they didn't have their leading goal scorer. Sure they didn't have their starting goaltender (or their backup). Details, details. On Wednesday night the Rangers still defeated Detroit, the team that - over the last 30, 35 years - has set the bar for sustained success in the NHL.

It feels nice.

It also shows that the ball is beginning to roll and it can pick up some good speed with the next five games against teams not in playoff positions. But that also makes them that more dangerous, and thus let's ignore them for this evening and focus on the 2-1 overtime win at the Garden.

It is a lovely result but all is not copacetic with either team. Ed. note: Yes I say either team; I am admittedly a Wings fan, they have been my second fav team since the bruise brothers years. The low numbers bely the many missed scoring chances by both sides, ones that both teams should be kicking themselves over. There were times when the intensity was lacking, there were times when sloppiness and mental mistakes proved costly. There is room for improvement, and improvement needs to occur before either side suits up for the playoffs.

Time is tight, so onto the Late Hits:

*There really is something special about Original Six matchups: the history, the sweaters ... even the atmosphere feels different.

*Was happy to hear that the octopus thrower was thrown out, because had he stayed he would have ended up in the hospital. Utterly unacceptable in our building.

*Mats Zuccarello was the best Ranger for about two periods. Zuke did everything asked of him and more, he just didn't score. Outstanding effort by the youngster. Liten mann, stor innsats. (Hope Google translate got that right ... small man, big effort.)

*On the other side of the coin, someone was simply Del Zastrous. DZ's simple cross to Cally in OT does not wipe away the rest of his horrendous play the rest of the night. Gross incompetence, which seems to be par for the course. Thankfully Hank bailed the boy out for the most egregious of his errors, one can only hope he does the right thing and treat the King to dinner.

*Nick Lidstrom and Chris Chelios were in the press box and signed autographs throughout the first intermission. Class. And there were a lot of requests, which shows how Ranger fans appreciate greatness.

*You know why Brad Richard$ gets vilified in this space? Because he has it in him to score goals like the one he put in during tonight's game. Coast to coast, speedy, slices through the defense like butter and calmly puts the puck past the netminder. A true thing of beauty. More consistency of effort would be appreciated. That being said, he has a pretty hot hand now with 12 points in his last eight games - too bad there is still plenty of time until the playoffs.

*Mike Rupp played nearly six minutes, which was nearly six minutes too many. It was perfectly clear that he didn't belong on the same ice as the Red Wings. He can't skate well, he can't stickhandle, he can't do much of anything. It was he who gave Zetterberg the time and space to score the Wings lone goal of the night and how Torts even could have put him out there at the same time as Z is inexplicable. Hell, how he was in the lineup over Feds is also questionable - have to hope the Ukrainian is ok...

*Cally's eighth shot of the night was the one that went in. Dubi had no shots and Gabby just two. Something wrong with that ratio. Everything was right with Cally's final shot - off the post and in - but he shouldn't be the team's triggerman.

*Arty looked tentative with that bum shoulder of his. Have to hope that it keeps healing and he regains his confidence because he needs that to be a factor.

*Love Carl Hagelin but he needs to be reined in a bit - the Swede seems to kick things into overdrive and gets out of control out there. Also needs to use that speed of his to backcheck as well as he forechecks.

*Not sure if Detroit's Brendan Smith was partners with Ryan McDonagh all three seasons the two were at Wisconsin, but they certainly were teammates. That being said, the Rangers certainly got the better of the two Badger blueliners. Smith has ability but McDonagh is the total package (thank you again Bob Gainey, wherever you are).

*PHW Three Stars
3-Ryan Callahan - one goal.
2-Ty Conklin - 32 saves.
1-Henrik Lundqvist - 26 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Datsyuk - Even on an off night, Pasha was still outstanding. Sure he didn't score or do any of his Datsyukian dekes but every shift he did something impressive - make a pass, pick off a pass, force a Ranger play, set up a Detroit rush... amazing.
2-Hank - Several solid stops and his second assist of the season!
1-Cally - Cally is such a good captain that he gives gifts to other people for his birthday. Helluva guy right there.

45-20-7: Delightful Defeat Of The Devils

Opponents of puck fisticuffs will claim that the game is good without the pugilism, for there is a poetry in the motion of skill - in, say, anything Pavel Datsyuk ever does.

But there is a beauty of another kind in the game, the kind that comes with the pure hatred of rivalries. Seeing the players' seething dislike for the opposition is positively heartwarming - because it is one of the rare moments when you can actually believe that they care as much as you do. The Mona Lisa moment of last night's game came off of the initial faceoff with it's trio of bouts.

These were no nonsensical staged bouts to justify the neanderthal goon culture, as many of the fights between these two teams have been this season. This was a statement by both squads, a warning that neither would be an easy opponent - especially with the playoffs coming and despite recent disappointments. And, unlike the February 7th game between the teams that also started with pugilism, the Rangers actually responded in this one with a spirited performance and they went on to defeat the Devils 4-2.

Now the trick of it will be gaining some momentum from the win. The schedule lends well to it as five of the next six games are against teams out of playoff position but that also means that they are all the more dangerous. The one that is against a playoff team is vs. Detroit but the Wings have melted without injured Nick Lidstrom; you'd suck too without the second- or third-best defenseman of all-time in your lineup. So we'll just have to see, but the win against New Jersey was a nice step forward.

Late Hits:

*Should rumours be true and Martin Brodeur was thinking of calling it a career after this season, he might be reconsidering now. There is no way a competitor like he supposedly is would want to leave the lasting memory of this game as his final on Garden ice. Although he did manage to punctuate his performance with one of his signature flops; while his antics won't be missed, the serenades of Mmmmaaaaarrrrtttyyy from around the arena will.

*While mocking Mmmaaarrttyyy is always a fun pastime, it must be mentioned that his Ranger counterpart was not particularly good in this one either. Both goals against were uncharacteristically awful. As I tweeted, one has to wonder if he is playing himself out of his long-deserved Vezina. Pekka Rinne and Nashville are as good as ever while chinks are starting to appear in the King's armour. There is still time to get things back together but there is also enough cause for concern.

*French playwright Pierre Corneille wrote "to take revenge halfheartedly is to court disaster: Either condemn or crown your hatred." Brandon Dubinsky donned the crown on this night, with a little help from his friends. First Bickel battered Carter, and when that idiot Bryce Salvador tried to get involved Dubi was the first one over to intervene. Luckily Dubi escaped penalty himself as less than a minute later he converted a feed from Step for just his second goal in his last 20 games. And, to top it off, he fired the shot that Step tipped past Fatso for the game-sealing goal. It was good to see 17 step up and show he still can be a big part of this team, after more than a few nights of nothingness.

*Dubi's goal came after Step shanked his first pass attempt. The mistake drew the defender towards Step, opening up the lane for Dubi. Love when that works out that way. His own assist was just as fortuitous as it appeared like he was heading back to the bench when Hagelin's pass came from down low.

*Quickly on the fights, Stuuuuu vs Carter was clearly the top tilt of the three - even if most of the injury came from the fall to the ice. Rupp beat up Boulton, who seemed like he didn't want to fight. And poor Prust clung on to Janssen for dear life. Ever since that Barch fight earlier this season he simply has not been the same.

*Not sure how much credit should be given to the Devils but Marian Gaborik was limited to just two shots and missed the net on both. Gabby was largely invisible all night aside from one sexy shift with Hags and Richard$ where they kept the puck deep in the Devils end but ultimately came up empty.

*Seeing Kovalchuk get frustrated during the Devil power play in the third period brought back memories of the sweep of the Thrashers several years back. Delightful. It is amazing for as good a player as he is, how easy it is to knock him off his game.

*Yet another evening where Tim Erixon looked capable. The extra time with Wade Redden and JJ Daignault has certainly helped the Swedish youngster as he is stronger and more decisive. That being said, Torts clearly doesn't trust him and is trying to shield him from tougher opponents - tougher physically and skillfully. And yet Torts trusts Del Zaster despite being burned again and again. Ah well.

*Love everything that Zuke is doing right now. The Norwegian registered three hits - one of which was outstanding on Volchenkov in the corner - and he added a power play goal, one from going to the net and being in a position to pounce when the puck went his way. It is clear that the kid has done all that he has to in his own end to gain Torts' trust and earn more ice time. Now whether it will earn him a new contract is something else ...

*PHW Three Stars
3-Mats Zuccarello - one goal.
2-Brandon Dubinsky - one goal and one assist.
1-Ryan Callahan - two assists.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Hagelin - Bork bork bork.
2-Cap'n Cally - He leads, they follow.
1-Dubi - Nice to see him again, eh?

44-20-7: Free Fallin'

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

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

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

Late Hits:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Thought Matt Duchene had a broken ankle?!?

*Dubi. Nothing. Again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

44-19-7: Reality Check

Hey Rangers, this is Earth - welcome back to it. The Rangers deceptive run to the top of the Eastern Conference belied many of the teams flaws, not the least of which was the team's lack of depth and it's inconsistency. Both hurt the Blueshirts as Pittsburgh came to town On Thursday and proceeded to go to town on them. This one wasn't even close. Despite being within one goal at the end of the second period, the result was never in question and the Pens cruised to a 5-2 victory.

The Rangers were outclassed from the start by the team destined to take their top seed away. Even before Crosby and Letang returned Pittsburgh was dangerous - now the Pens are outright lethal. They have primary scoring, they have secondary scoring, they have tertiary scoring, they have a decent defense in front of a showboating-but-solid goaltender. The Rangers have one line, three defensemen and a goalie with a bad immune system.

There is some consolation for this loss - Hank and Cally were both out, this was in March and not April and the Rangers didn't play the game that has earned them first place. There was no crash-bang hockey, little pressure, little heart ... And the wear and tear of playing every other day took the rest of the life out of the team and they stood around and watched the Penguins dominate.

Had this been unexpected, had this been in the playoffs, had this been with Hank in the net it would have been unacceptable. Now it is just unfortunate. Hopefully the guys will learn from this experience and realize that they - all of them - have to work hard every night, all night. This is a lesson that should have been learned months ago but the combination of bad opponents and great Lundqvist has held it until now. Hopefully it is not too late.

Late Hits:

*Not a single guy went after Crosby. The kid came back from his overhyped headache and wasn't challenged physically in the least. They gave him time, they gave him space and they watched him work. An utter failure by the Blueshirts.

*Marty Biron is a sieve. He didn't give the Rangers a chance to win, allowing five stoppable goals. His angles were off, he ranged too far from the goal mouth, he went down too fast, he lost track of the play. Simply said, he was horrid - yet again. You can take the guy off the Islanders but you can't take the Islanders out of the guy. He may be a helluva guy in the room but he is atrocious in the net. Get well soon Hank.

*It has to be said that the Blueshirt blueliners certainly didn't help much. Torts inexplicably broke up McDonagh and Girardi in the second period, because that pairing has only worked well all season long. Girardi was reunited with the shadow of the player Marc Staal once was and McD played alongside Stu Bickel. Poor Stu played far, far too much - nearly 22 minutes. Have to dig all that he has brought but he is not good enough to handle that much time against an opponent that skates as well as Pittsburgh. And Stralman and Eminger continued to show how they are AAAA players, too good for AAA but not good enough for the big leagues.

*Also seeing too much ice time was Boyle, Prust and Fedotenko. The Rangers have grinded so long that their primary grinders have been grinded down to nothing. Except for Rupp, who was nothing long before the Rangers ever got him.

*Nothing was what the power play contributed. The Rangers had two man advantage chances, both of which would have been huge if the team had been able to come through and score. A quick explanation? Boyle saw 1:32 of pp ice time, while the red hot Hagelin had :44 and Zuke had :48.

*Bork, bork, bork! Best Ranger out there - the only one skating at the same speed as Pittsburgh. Gabby and Richard$ had their moments as well but Hagelin was the only one busting his ass from buzzer to buzzer.

*Did Dubi play? Couldn't tell.

*Had a very excitable crowd early that calmed down after the back-to-back goals in the early minutes of the second period. There were farrrrrrr too many opposition fans scattered throughout the building, something that we have to get used to as the ever-rising prices force more Ranger fans out.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Kris Letang - one assist and +5.
2-Evgeni Malkin - one goal.
1-Matt Cooke - two goals.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Crosby - Just by showing up he gave Pittsburgh the mental edge and the Rangers never stepped up.
2-Letang - Calm, cool, collected quarterback.
1-Cooke - No one wanted to get around Pig-Pen (get it? because he is so dirty?), and he handily collected a pair of goals.

44-18-7: Stars Looking Like The Stars

Last season we saw how someone with wheels could help Marian Gaborik. Gabby was paired with Sean Avery and the two instantly clicked. Unfortunately their on-ice success was cut short by John Tortorella's off-ice hatred for Avery. Torts quickly removed the Grate One from the Slovak's side and that was that. Luckily for us now, the head coach likes Carl Hagelin.

Since his promotion, Hagelin has acclimated himself to the pace and physicality of the NHL. Red Berenson's training in Michigan has served the 23 year old well and he quickly became one of Tortorella's go-to guys. During the coach's incessant line juggling he found that Hags had chemistry some with Brad Richard$ and, with Ryan Callahan out, Torts made Marian the final piece of their troika. Now Gabby has the Swede's speed to help him out and Richard$ is finding his form from last year.

Honestly it should be of little surprise that Richard$ is getting his game together now, getting it back to the level it was with the Stars. During his final campaign in Dallas he combined with Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn in one of the NHL's best lines. Well, right now Gabby is playing the part of Eriksson, Hagelin has replaced Benn and the Ranger threesome has quickly become lethal.

On Tuesday they provided all of the offense as the Blueshirts beat the Hurricanes 4-2 at the Garden. It was a very necessary win for the Rangers, as they continue to work their way out of their recent funk. It should increase their confidence and give them a very necessary boost towards Thursday's massive meeting with Crosby and the Pens.

Late Hits:

*Lost in the mix is Derek Stepan. The kid is sinking down the depth chart like a rock and his play has gone south as well. Hopefully Callahan's eventual return will help fix that but we will have to see. For now reuniting Step with Zuke might be a short-term solution as the two worked well together last season. If you can pry Prust away from Boyle, his grit could give them both a boost.

*Not only is the shot that Boyle once had gone, but the gains from his much-publicized skate lessons also seem to have disappeared. He had one decent backhand but seemed to constantly be chasing the Canes around the ice. And when he doesn't use his size and doesn't win faceoffs, well there isn't much use for him.

*Speaking of useless, perhaps the Museum of Natural History can use Mike Rupp for their early human display because his presence adds nothing to the Rangers on the ice. He may be a great teammate off of it but that's not something we can see.

*Mats Zuccarello had two shots, on the same shift! And one hit the post! Shocking. Zuke had himself a pretty solid game on both sides of the ice, although he couldn't help the power play convert on any of their three opportunities. The tripping call on him was one of the most ridiculous penalties this season. Because someone his size can make someone Tim Gleason's size go flying. Yeah, ok.

*Bobby Sanguinetti, haha. Not quite the folly that was Hugh Jessiman but still a big bust. Bobby looked like an even poorer version of Del Zaster. Perfect example? On the first goal. Watching him chase Mitchell up the boards, slapping the Ranger with his stick like he was trying to swat a fly was hilarious. It achieved nothing, and Mitchell sent it to Dan-O, who took the big shot. Girardi intentionally send it wide, so the ricochet off the end boards ended up on Gabby's stick and the Slovak scored.

*Credit to Marty Biron, for not giving up a goal before Cam Ward did. Biron was barely tested but still managed to make a pair of nice saves that I noticed. Also noticed that he owes Ruslan Fedotenko a nice steak dinner for making a save of his own after the goaltender overcommitted.

*Please Mike Sauer, get well already; Steve Eminger should not be playing regularly in the NHL. Neither should Anton Stralman, although the Swede did have a few really strong, even physical shifts against Carolina. Stu Bickel, on the other hand, is proving he belongs. Stu played nearly 22 minutes and is clearly not chasing the play as much as he used to - not bad for a guy who was in the ECHL not too long ago.

*What are the odds that Callahan's eventual return will transform Brandon Dubinsky back into the player who earned his four-year, $16.8m contract, rather than the one enjoying his four-year, $16.8m contract?

*Justin Faulk was fantastic for Carolina, that kid has a helluva future ahead of him.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Marian Gaborik - one goal and two assists.
2-Carl Hagelin - one goal and two assists.
1-Brad Richards - two goals and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Gabby - How he deals with defenders is impressive.
2-Richard$ - So shooting the puck is a good thing, eh?
1-Bork - The kid makes things happen.

43-18-7: Slump-Buster

After losing three straight road games the Rangers returned to the Garden on Sunday to see if they could snap out of their slump. The evil Islanders stood in their way but proved unable to extend the Blueshirts' run of futility, ultimately falling 4-3 in overtime.

The match was a big test for the one true New York team and they came out of it with solid marks. Sure this one should have been a definitive demolition of Wang's minions but it isn't often that a team simply snaps out of a funk. After the loss to Chicago, I wrote how the Ranger "skill guys rarely come to play, their power play is atrocious, and their grit - their wonderful, endearing and enduring grit - only goes so far." Well, the skill guys came to play, the power play worked and their grit matched that of the Islanders.

Now the trick of this will be for all of those things to keep on clicking so the Rangers can find their groove and stride into the playoffs firing on all cylinders. What a trick that would be.

Late Hits:

*Boyle using his freakish size for once was nice. Twice in the same game? Wonderful! Amazing the things that happen when someone stands in the slot.

*"Shoot the puck! Shoot the puck! Shoot the puck!" Hilarious. This team spends too much time trying to be too cute too often. They aren't good enough to be doing behind the back passes and other nonsense - just shoot the damned thing and good things happen. Look at the mistake that was the Mark Streit shot: the damned thing caromed oddly off of the glass and Moulson was positioned well to pounce on it.

*It is good to know that other teams' tv analysts are as brain dead as Joe Micheletti. About six minutes into the first period Butch Goring said: 'Michael Del Zotto is out and the Rangers really miss that young man - he is a plus 24. The Rangers have so many positive players and Callahan and Richards are minus two and minus three. They need to be worried about how those guys are playing.' Yeah, definitely need to be worried about that Callahan guy...he's like, totally incompetent. Methinks Goring suffered a few too many hits to his head when he played.

*Del Zaster wasn't missed in the least, again. Bickel answered the bell against Haley, Stralman rebounded from a rough start with some of his most solid play in a while and Eminger managed not to suck. And I'd say that the power play was able to survive without Del Zaster, wouldn't you? It was amazing what a decisive, skilled passer could do with the extra ice.

*Speaking of such, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke. The nano-sized Norwegian was greeted by the fans on his first shift and most of his others as well. The kid needed to be a factor if he was to save his NHL life and he did just that. He skated hard, he was defensively responsibly and his passing was quick and decisive. That being said, the big knock that knocked him into the AHL was his reluctance to shoot and that still remains.

*Andrew MacDonald's breakaway goal ranks among the worst that Hank has allowed this season. The King is definitely slumping of late, hopefully not enough to take away the Vezina Trophy that he worked so hard to earn.

*Hank overcommitted on P.A. Parenteau's initial shot and Dan Girardi's poor positioning gave Tavares the slot, where he was able to kick the rebound in. Like Hank, Dan-O has not been himself of late but at least there has been no let down in his partner's play. Ryan McDonagh had himself yet another solid outing, playing major minutes and coming through with big plays on both sides of the ice. Have to hope that he doesn't burn out the way Landon's dad has.

*Proof that the official scorer is a giving soul? Brad Richard$ skated the entire length of the ice and beat Nabby for the Rangers' first goal and yet the scorer awarded two assists on the play - one to Stralman and one to Hank. Technically they were indeed the last two to touch the puck before RIchard$ but that is just silliness, they had nothing to do with the final result of the play. Actually, I'm surprised DZ wasn't given a helper on that from the press box.

*Asked an Isle fan why Travis Hamonic was wearing a cage and got this reply: "I donno, cause he's gay?" These people are the worst form of life on earth.

*Too many Islander sweaters in the Garden. The ever increasing prices allow that to happen, sapping out the home ice advantage of the building. While that is utterly infuriating, I must admit the Portland Winterhawks Nino Niederreiter sweater I spotted was pretty cool.

*Not saying that Nabby deserved to be Malarchuked for his blocker punches to Prust's head at the end of the second period but he should at least have been ran the way Lucic destroyed Miller, with a nice high head shot. Eye for an eye, if there is to be no proper punishment. Head punches with blockers are pretty far from being ok - that is assault with a weapon. But the NHL is not that serious with their concussion consciousness and Brendan Shanahan doesn't have the gall to make a call on that. Neither did the game's officials, who came up with a mythical slashing penalty on Prust to match the roughing they gave Nabby. Roughing? Should have been attempt to injure. If the Kazakh keeper wants to try to injure a Ranger, a Ranger should try to injure him.

*Shoulda sent Rupp to do it. He was good for nothing (as per usual) and had four minutes of ineffective ice time. Once Cally comes back it should be Rupp who sits, not Zuke - at least the mighty midget can be useful in certain situations.

*And finally: why yes, Potvin does suck.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Marian Gaborik - one goal and one assist.
2-John Tavares - one goal and one assist.
1-Brad Richards - two goals and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Bork Bork Bork - Hagelin couldn't get the puck past Nabby and he wasn't on the ice for a single goal for or goal against. But he was utterly relentless every second that he was out there. Would have loved to give this to Zuke but the little guy was saddled with some poor linemates during five-on-five play.
2-Tavares - His goal was nice, his assist was nice, his dive to draw a boarding call on Boyle was nice.
1-Richard$ - That's what you're paid for Braden.

42-18-7: Grit Can Only Go So Far

The Rangers were on the road during the recent raise in temperatures around New York and thus remained mired in their mid-winter doldrums. On Friday they completed their three-game road trip with a 4-3 failure to the Blackhawks.

The recent skid has exposed the Rangers as the one-trick pony that they are. Their skill guys rarely come to play, their power play is atrocious, and their grit - their wonderful, endearing and enduring grit - only goes so far. Harsh? Absolutely. But seemingly true.

Gaborik breaks down the wing and gives up an open shot to try to pass it though a defender towards Richard$. Two futile power plays. Six forwards on the ice at the end of the game - inexplicably including John Mitchell - and they dump and chase, with just one forward doing the chasing ...

The team has to do some soul searching and they have to do it fast with the evil Islanders in the Garden on Sunday. Despite being a bad joke of a franchise, the Isles always step up their game against the Rangers and an embarrassment at their hands would be ... well, I don't even want to consider it.

Late Hits:

*Yet again the Rangers came out flat and Marian Hossa very nearly made them pay. Luckily he faced Henrik Lundqvist instead of Marty Biron and the Rangers didn't immediately fall behind. But Hank wasn't infallible. After the game Cally said his stick didn't deflect Johnny Oduya's shot, meaning that the Rangers starting goaltender gave up a goal just as bad as his backup did a day before. A sad truth is that Hank has to be as close to perfect as possible for his team to have a shot to win - as it has been for far too long.

*Been advocating Hank For Hart for a while but perhaps Dan Girardi is the Rangers most valuable player. All of the minutes earlier in the season - and that slap shot to the arm a few games ago - are finally getting to Logan's dad. Torts finally noticed the wear and tear and played Girardi less than 25 minutes in each of the last seven games ... and the Rangers went 3-3-1 during that span.

*It was unfortunate the Rangers waited to finally find their forecheck after Patrick Kane kicked in the game-sealing empty netter. The Blueshirts were voracious off of the ensuing faceoff and it resulted in Richard$' goal. Where was that effort the previous 59:07?

*Arty's goal was dirrrty. He is finally gaining the confidence he needed, now he needs the strength to help use it with regularity. If Vassili Zaitsev (get it? the Russian sniper from Enemy at the Gates?) ever bulks up to add power to that skill, man could he be a helluva player.

*While piling upon the Rangers, credit must be given to the 2010 Stanley Cup winners. Chicago played a complete game from Emery on out. Emery improved to 7-1 lifetime against the Blueshirts (thanks @KevinComplains) by being solid during the rare times that the defense in front of him faltered (which wasn't often). And the Blackhawk offense was working on all levels with their first three lines all accounting for goals.

*While his goal was a gift from Hank, Oduya had himself one solid game. Damned former Devil. Had Sather not been sucked in to the Nash derby, perhaps he could have picked up Oduya from Winnipeg. A solid citizen who is well aware of Atlantic Division hockey, he surely would have been an upgrade over Eminger and Stralman (and a certain someone else).

*Can you imagine what this one would have been like had Chicago had their best player, one of the top five all-around talents in the NHL?

*Also missing was my favourite punching bag, so there was no blaming Del Zaster on this one as he was a late scratch. But he wasn't missed, as the power play was as ineffective without him as it has been with him.

*Bryan Bickell edged out Stu Bickel in this one. Each accounted for three hits but Bickell had an assist on the Shaw goal that saw Bickel stumbling around the crease.

*Love Pruster. Good things happen when you go to the net kids.

*Proof plus/minus is nonsense? Cally was -3. Boyle was +2.

*Another stat anomaly? Anton Stralman was credited with a game-high seven hits. What?

*Rangers survive the early onslaught, escape the first period with the lead and what happens? Mike Rupp decides to defend his own selfish honour against an undrafted minor league goon. Rupp was supposed to be a multi-dimensional veteran who would give more to the team then a thug and yet - Winter Classic luck aside - has done nothing to help his team or his teammates on the ice this season.

*Those Blackhawks sweaters are beautiful.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Patrick Kane - one goal and one assist.
2-Brandon Prust - one goal.
1-Johnny Oduya - one goal and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Mackey D - Thought he was the best of the Blueshirts.
2-Hossa - Unlike Gaborik, Chicago's Slovak sniper was a constant threat every time he stepped on the ice.
1-Oduya - A defenseman with a heavy shot who is not afraid to use it? What a concept!

42-17-7: Overlooking Ottawa

Perhaps John Tortorella had his sights set on Chicago. After all, Friday's match will be against a recent Stanley Cup winner and an Original Six foe. But before the Blackhawks came the Ottawa Senators and Torts' oversight doomed his team to a 4-1 loss.

The Rangers are smack dab in the middle of their annual winter doldrums. They have put forth far from acceptable efforts over their last dozen or so games. Thanks to a little bit of luck and some regal performances by the King, the Blueshirts have escaped with a few wins over that span but don't let that fool you - this team is struggling.

Tonight's loss started with the decision to start Marty Biron. Facing an Eastern Conference foe - one with a 8-3-1 record in their previous 12 games - Torts went with his backup and the decision backfired. Biron has been outright bad of late and he did nothing to turn around his fortunes. The netminder allowed two goals on the first four shots he faced - the first of which was outright amateurish, a wide open shot from the top of the circle. Given how the Rangers have been stumbling out of the gates, to lose an early lead one minute after going ahead was huge.

From there on out it was a battle for the Blueshirts to get their game together and they were unable to do it. There was little intensity and little effort. Big Ben Bishop had a harder time during the AHL All Star Game last month than he was in this one.

Given the trajectory that the Penguins are on and the imminent return of Sidney Crosby, the Rangers' time atop the Eastern Conference may well be coming to a close. They certainly aren't doing much to stay there. A win against Chicago will help, but a win over Ottawa would have been more important.

Late Hits:

*No one kills a Ranger power play like the Rangers. They had four power plays in this one, for a total of 7:27 of ice time. They managed all of six shots, not one of which really tested Ottawa's giant goaltender. It is hard to rip on Richard$ given his exceptional feed to Cally for the first goal, but he certainly didn't do much with the man advantage.

*And neither did Del Zaster, who was his usual DelZastrous self. Sloppy in the offensive end, awful on defense. For all of those who defend DZ because of his age, Erik Karlsson - Norris candidate Erik Karlsson - is less than a month older.

*What I would have given to see DZ fight against Sergei Gonchar. I imagine it would have been a bit like this. Del Zaster, by the way, has yet to have a NHL fight and I am pretty sure he never tossed the gloves in junior either.

*Love Pruster, but why fight late in the third period? The game was well out of hand. He should have tossed the gloves to go after Chris Neil when that goon was cheap shotting the Rangers earlier on. But at least he escaped the fight with Smith without injury.

*Speaking of goons ... Mike Rupp. I say a lot of bad things about him but on this evening he deserves my thanks. His missed hit in the third period was hilarious. After watching the team struggle all night, I needed that laugh. And, thanks to a reader - click on the pic for endless fun!

*Almost as amusing was John Scott's breakaway. The big guy had no idea what he was doing and by the time he decided it was too late. Had he scored, the Rangers would have went up 2-1 and who knows what would have happened (pigs may have taken flight, dogs and cats may have started living together, mass hysteria may have ensued ... ).

*Rangers deserving of accolades were Cap'n Cally, Feds, Mitch and Arty. All four hustled all night long (all night) and were rewarded with chances. Sadly they couldn't convert but they get an A for effort.

*Paul MacLean's mustache is magnificent.

*I admit to being a long-time fan of Jason Spezza. Saw him fight Jason Botterill in Binghamton back in 2003 after Botterill went knee-on-knee with Spezza's teammate Christoph Schubert. He may not be the do-all power pivot folks in Ottawa hoped for but he has a heap of talent.

*Sam and Joe were horrible, one of their worst broadcasts of the season. They got names wrong, facts wrong, analysis wrong ... how does the colour man of the Rangers not know the franchise's ECHL affiliate? And geez Joe, stop with the hair dye - you look as ridiculous as you sound.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Rob Klinkhammer - one assist.
2-Jared Cowen - no idea. Five hits?
1-Ben Bishop - 25 saves.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Chris Neil - Cheap-shotting shift disturber did his job. Makes you miss a certain former Ranger ...
2-Chris Phillips - Several times the Rangers got themselves into good scoring positions only to have the Sens' vet smoothly diffuse the situations.
1-Zack Smith - Sure his goal should have been an easy stop but it came at the tail end of a relentless shift. And he came just short of a Gordie Howe hattie when he beat up Pruster at the end of the third.

42-16-7: Rocked

The Rangers have won most of their games this season through a combination of hard work and good luck. As the idiom goes, one begets the other and against the Devils the Blueshirts didn't have much of either in the match. The result was a poor one, a 4-1 loss to their cross-river rivals.

It was awful at the start, as the Rangers played one of their worst periods of the year. They got their game together for the second period before falling apart in the finale. Lack of consistency has been a killer at times and it certainly proved fatal in this one. But at least they weren't consistently bad. The success during the second showed that they can get their act together under duress and that perseverance should prove to be a powerful quality during the postseason.

Late Hits:

*Poor Brandon Dubinsky, he really is trying. So Chris Higgins-ish. After the top unit completely fell apart in the first minute, Dubi tried to jump-start his teammates by tussling with Ryan Carter. Too bad the former Duck channeled Hurricane Carter and kicked the hell out of him.

*Tortorella's line juggling was just as hurtful to the Rangers as the punches Dubinsky took to the face. No one had any clue as to where they were going or who they were playing with (especially in the third period) and the lack of chemistry killed.

*The coach's call to dress 'toughness' was also a massive mistake in judgement. Keeping goons John Scott and Mike Rupp in the roster while dropping grinder John Mitchell and selecting Steve Eminger over Anton Stralman both backfired. Scott lost a fight to a guy nearly a foot shorter than him, Rupp achieved absolutely nothing (as per usual) and Mitchell's energy was missing. Eminger couldn't do a single thing right, while Stralman's puck skills could have helped get the team out of their own end once or twice. The devil is in the details and the Devils managed their details better than the Rangers did.

*It is astounding how the Rangers have yet to learn that dumping the puck around the boards and chasing doesn't work against Mmmaaaaarrrrttyy? The tubby tender has always gotten his exercise ranging out of his crease, it is no revelation that he will beat the Blueshirts to puck after puck - even with a speedster like Hagelin heading into the Jersey end.

*Bork bork bork! The youngster's set up to Step was simply stellar: he won a battle behind the net against two Devils and threaded the needle through the slot to Stepan. Beautiful stuff, and we are only scratching the surface of the Swede's talent. Adam Henrique may be more of a Calder candidate, but Hagelin can be better down the line.

*Del Zastrous. In his own end. Along the boards. On the power play. Just Del Zastrous.

*Dan Girardi was almost as awful. Ok, no, not really. But he wasn't his usual solid self. While he may have physically survived to this point of the season the many minutes that he has played have taken a mental toll and he is making uncharacteristic mistakes.

*Thankfully Marc Staal is raising his game. He was strong, confident and decisive on both ends of the ice. Frankly, Staal had his best performance in a long, long time - a throwback to the pre-concussion kid who rose to become the Blueshirts' best blueliner.

*Timing is everything. During a game where Sean Avery's presence would have helped immeasurably, news came out that he has been told to not come back to the Whale. Not sure if I have another post in me lamenting Avery's fate but the gist of it would just be a sad, slow shake of the head.

*Man do I hate David Clarkson. That's all, just wanted to say that.

*PHW Three Stars
3-Ryan Carter - one goal and one KO.
2-Martin Brodeur - 25 saves.
1-Ilya Kovalchuk - one goal and one assist.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Hank - A ton of astounding saves to keep the Rangers close. Sure he probably coulda grabbed one or two of the goals against, but many of his 25 stops were just stellar.
2-Carter - Eight minutes, four shots, one goal, one demolition of Dubinsky. Not bad.
1-Kovy - New Jersey's top skill player was their top player, shaming Gaborik and Richard$.

42-15-7: Bumping Uglies

Sunday's tilt between the Bruins and the Rangers, the two top teams in the Eastern Conference was not an attractive display. It was not an exhibition of grace and skill. It was raw, gritty, grinding hockey. And in the end the Blueshirts emerged victorious 4-3.

It was yet more proof that the Rangers can contend with the beasts of the lEast. Whether they can hang with them (or the Pens) in a seven game series is still questionable but they can certainly give them a run for their money.

Late Hits:

*Rangers dumped and chased, Bruins dumped and chased. Really brutal stuff for long stretches. Given that there were skill players out there, it is astounding how this one went to the team that outhustled the other.

*Speaking of such, bork bork bork!

*Staal has had several moments over the last three games that were glimpses of the guy who was one of the NHL's top blueliners and this may have been his best all-around performance. With Sauer out long term, Staal's continued improvement is key to the team's future success.

*Nice tip by Ruslan Fedotenko to re-direct Anton Stralman's shot past Timmy Thomas. Stralman gets credit for just throwing the puck into traffic but he wasted that credit just minutes later with a bone-headed turnover. Passing the puck through your own slot is one of the no-nos they teach you in Defense 101.

*Feds also sliced to the net on the Stepan goal, crossing into Thomas' line of vision as Step took his shot. That's what you need to do in today's NHL to score, especially against the elite goaltenders.

*Mike Rupp decided to show up and do something for once, but it wasn't to do anything necessary to the game. Rupp justified his paycheque and the role of the one-dimensional goon by entertaining a minor league nobody in exactly the kind of meaningless bout that the pacifists are using as evidence the sport doesn't need fighting. Bickel's bout with Campbell at least came in the flow of play, Rupp's neanderthal dance was senseless.

*While on the subject of fighting, what was Prust thinking? The Bruins had just gotten back into the game, scoring to cut their deficit to one and he added more fuel to the fire by taking on the bigger, stronger Milan Lucic. Haveta love Prust's willingness to fight out of his weight class but answering the bell for this one was not the brightest move he's made. At least it took Lucic off the ice for five minutes and luckily Prust survived to show his other skills with stellar penalty killing the rest of the afternoon.

*It has been clear that the power play has had many problems but for Torts to think that John Mitchell is the solution ... I mean, seriously? Having John Scott plant his enormous body in front would make more sense than putting Mitchell out there.

*Scott jousting with Chara got me all excited. Would have loved to see the two titans square off, too bad Chara realized that was a trade off that Boston couldn't afford.

*Big game by Boyle, but I still wish he wasn't so soft.

*Tyler Seguin is scary good. And just 20 years old. Stupid Maple Leafs.

*Nice of the scorekeeper to give Del Zaster that assist on the Gaborik goal. He broke his stick and skated to the bench while Richard$ put the puck on net. That shot was stopped and Richard$ got the rebound over to Gabby for the goal, and yet DZ still got a helper. No slamming DZ's drop pass to Step though, that was a good play. Hilarious watching the kid literally stumbling around the Ranger end at one point.

*Dubi had no shots on goal but he played the same high level of motivated, physical hockey that we saw against Tampa. Let's hope this fire remains lit.

*PHW Three Stars
3-David Krejci - one goal.
2-Marian Gaborik - one goal.
1-Derek Stepan - one goal.

Scotty Hockey Three Stars
3-Feds - The Ukrainian is lunchpail guy. While he has large stretches of invisible play, games like this one show how he can be big in the playoffs.
2-Lucic - The Big Bad Bruin was a force to be feared all game. He beat up Prust, he set up Krejci and he sent a message at the final buzzer. Old Time Hockey!
1-Hank - While he wasn't as huge as he was in the 1-0 game in Boston, the King still made 30 saves, six of them shorthanded.