Battle Of Hudson

Copyright Getty Images/by Mary Altaffer

When Steven McDonald visits The Garden to hand out the Extra Effort Award to the Ranger who goes above and beyond the call of duty, it reminds us how lucky we are. On a special night in which the former cop dedicated the prestigious award to eight-year year old Martin Richard who died tragically, for once the Blueshirts responded by winning against the lowly Panthers 6-1. Presenting the trophy on what’s the 25th Year Anniversary of the award named in his honor, McDonald as usual  spoke elegantly before surprising Ryan Callahan with his fourth Extra Effort Award, tying Adam Graves for the club record.

Pyatt-Richards-Zuccarello
Hagelin-Stepan-Callahan
Clowe-Brassard-Nash
Kreider-Powe-Asham

There’s already been plenty of reaction on Twitter. What in the hell is our coach doing? Maybe sticking Nash with Brassard will spark him because he sure has been invisible the past two games. Clowe has cooled considerably since his memorably Broadway debut. He’s slow and is demonstrating why the Sharks dealt him.

Most baffling is seeing Pyatt with Richards and Zuccarello. Say what? I get that Pyatt plays hard. But he has done nothing since a strong start. It’s painfully obvious that Tort hates the roster. Even after the trades Slats made, these are easily the craziest combos under him with the exception of Hagelin, Stepan and Callahan. For those complaining about our captain, you gotta be kidding. He deserves to be on that line. Everything else is open for debate.

I wish I could say I was optimistic about tonight. Ahem.

The Blue Jackets celebrate a big win. Copyright Getty Images/by Chris Carlson

Somewhere in the Pacific, a band of former Blueshirts helped their team to a big win over a formidable Western contender. Fedor Tyutin’s overtime winner lifted the Blue Jackets over the Ducks 3-2. Their fourth consecutive win moved them into eighth out West. 

There are few better than Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk. Copyright Getty Images

When one watches Pavel Datsyuk skate on the ice, it’s like watching a magician trick the opposition into submission. The 34-year old Russian dynamo has made a career out of turning players into bad actors in his human highlight reel. When he finishes off one of his brilliant rushes, it’s referred to as ‘Datsyukian.’

He can beat you so many ways. Once he has the puck, it’s impossible to take it from him. It’s amazing to think that the Red Wings selected Datsyuk in the sixth round of the ’98 NHL Draft. In a draft that produced stars such as Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards, nobody has better point production than Datsyuk. With 41 points in 41 games this season, he’s hiked his career total to 759 in 773 games. The breakdown is 253 goals and 506 assists. Most impressive is his play away from the puck where he’s posted a plus-223. It’s no fluke with Datsyuk only having one minus year over an 11-year career. His brilliant play has been rewarded with the Selke for the league’s best defensive forward.

What separates Datsyuk is his ability to play at an elite level without breaking the rules. A four-time Lady Byng winner for most gentlemanly, he has only 200 penalty minutes. He’s one of the few stars who gets it done without controversy. You’ll never see any stick work from him or any post whistle shenanigans that even the game’s best gets involved in. What’s more. Datsyuk is a proven winner who’s been an integral part of two Stanley Cups in Hockeytown. He won it as a rookie in ’01-02 on a veteran team led by legendary Red Wing captain Steve Yzerman. After Stevie Y retired, Datsyuk and another former legend Nick Lidstrom teamed with Henrik Zetterberg to win Lord Stanley again in ’07-08. He finished with 23 points (10-13-23) and went plus-13.

The Red Wings find themselves in a dogfight for the final spot in their final year out West. They’re currently tied with the Blue Jackets with each having 47 points. Detroit hasn’t missed the playoffs since ’89-90, holding the longest active streak in North American sports at 21 consecutive seasons (1991-2012). Datsyuk has done his part pacing the Original Six club in goals (13), points (41), plus/minus (+15), power play goals (7) and game-winners (6). On any other team, he’d be a regular for the Hart Trophy. However, neither he nor Zetterberg have ever won the prestigious award. In fact, the Wings have only had one MVP since Gordie Howe dominated the sport with six. Sergei Fedorov won it in ’93-94 wearing the Winged Wheel for the historic franchise’s only Hart winner since ’62-63. Howe has won six of their nine with the other two going to famed linemate Sid Abel of The Production Line and Ebbie Goodfellow.

With a year left on a contract that pays him $6.7 million, Datsyuk can turn unrestricted in the summer of 2014. He’ll be a young 35 due to not playing right away like Lecavalier or second overall pick David Legwand. Another player who came up earlier is Scott Gomez, who’s near the end. It’s hard to picture Datsyuk in another uniform even though I’d go bonkers if he ever came to Manhattan. The game’s most electrifying player is arguably the best overall with probably Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin ahead of him. Both are younger and in their primes.

If a player pulls off a highlight reel goal or beats a goalie badly in the shootout, it’s referred to as ‘Datsyukian.’ Datsyuk is the all-time career leader in the shootout. He leads active skaters with 33 goals edging former Devil Zach Parise. Datsyuk has converted 33-of-71 shootout attempts (46.5 percent) with Parise second at 46.4 (32-of-69). Ten of his 33 have decided shootouts. When he’s up, everyone stops and watches because they want to see what he’ll do next. There’s not another player like him. I’d pay just to see him skate. He’s one of the smartest players ever. A man among men who in the blink of an eye can takeaway the puck and shift from defense to offense. Before you know it, it’s in the back of your net.

Datsyuk is strong along the boards. The puck sticks to his curve like a magnet. He doesn’t shy away from physicality, often winning battles despite his 5-11, 197 frame. Need a face-off win. Just ask No.13, who’s over 55 percent in 2013 and 53.9 percent for his career. He’s the kind of caliber player who can impact the game without tallying a point. That’s how dominant he is with and without the puck. Entering tonight’s match against Calgary, it’s his 774th career game. When it’s over, he’ll be 226 shy of 1,000. At nearly a point-per-game clip, he’s 241 away from 1,000. Even if he never reaches it, in my book he’s already a future Hall Of Famer. One of the best players Russia’s ever produced.

One day, Datsyuk’s former teammate Fedorov will be recognized in Toronto. In a year where they finally elected Pavel Bure, there’s plenty of room for two of the best two-way hockey players of our generation. Fedorov should have remained a Red Wing. Hopefully, Datsyuk won’t make that same mistake. Like Yzerman and Lidstrom, he belongs in Detroit. Appreciate the brilliance as long as we can.

Copyright Getty Images/by H. Rumph Jr.

It’s the worst case scenario. A game they needed and the Rangers lacked the edge necessary against a hated rival. The Flyers aren’t making the playoffs. You wouldn’t have known it by how hard they competed. They were hungrier all night and sent the Blueshirts to a crushing 4-2 loss in a sea of orange.

With every game being critical, the Rangers can’t afford to let up. They did against an opponent they’ve owned. They entered winning 11 of 12 and were well rested. It didn’t matter. It was the Flyers who wanted it badly. They spoiled the fun. While every team around them took care of business, the Rangers fell behind by two in a dismal first. Brayden Schenn and Erik Gustafsson scored for Philadelphia.

Finally playing with more desperation, the Rangers got back in it. Mats Zuccarello netted his first from John Moore. Zuccarello took a Moore pass and beat Steve Mason from the right circle. Then, something asinine happened that made no sense. Inexplicably, Arron Asham fought Jay Rosehill less than a minute after Zuccarello cut the deficit to one. If you just scored, you’re not supposed to fight. Asham’s boneheaded move sealed what’s been an awful year. Even if you side with him when it comes to his war of tweets with Scotty Hockey, it was uncalled for and provided the Flyers a lift on home ice. Scotty’s 100 percent right about Asham, who’s proven how clueless Glen Sather is. If they miss the playoffs, it’s on Slats.

Ironically, the Rangers got a power play thanks to Scott Hartnell. If there’s one area that’s defined this club, it’s the lack of cohesion on the man-advantage. Time and again, they fail. Not to harp on a broken record. But Henrik Lundqvist has referenced the lack of special teams. It rared its ugly head again. Our powerless play went zero-for-five. The Flyers cashed in on one-of-two with Kimmo Timonen’s power play goal holding up as the winner. That’s the difference. After killing off a Ryan McDonagh minor, Ryane Clowe was called for boarding. Listening to our radio broadcast, Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney agreed that it was at best questionable. It didn’t matter. They had a job to do and failed miserably. Who else but Brad Richards was beaten cleanly by Claude Giroux off a draw, leading directly to Timonen beating Lundqvist for a 3-1 Flyers’ lead.

It didn’t matter that the Flyers cut off the ice and mugged our guys to protect the lead. Does anyone actually believe our PP would’ve come through? They stink. Have all year except for a couple of occasions. Following another powerless failure, Derek Stepan scored to pull the Rangers within 3-2 with 12:32 left in regulation. He came back after hurting himself on a previous shift. Stepan had no problem going to the front of the net and finding a Ryan Callahan rebound, sneaking it past a screened Mason. Derick Brassard made a great play to keep the puck in with his right skate. Callahan wisely took a shot that caromed to Stepan, who instantly shot. If more players on this roster played like them, maybe they wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Rick Nash had a second straight poor effort. He threw away the puck aimlessly and didn’t spark Richards after being moved up due to Brian Boyle leaving the game in the first. Both our highest paid forwards turned it over right into the teeth of the Flyers’ D. There was a stretch when Mason, who stood on his head, was visibly shaken. The Rangers never applied pressure. They never tested him. Zuccarello had the best chance after Mason saw the trainer and miraculously continued with Mr. Universe warming up. Clowe fed Zuccarello in front but Mason made a great kick save. Stepan had the other opportunity, just missing on a tip with over two minutes left. That’s as close as they came.

Despite out-shooting the Flyers 17-3, the Rangers lost two draws including Giroux beating Stepan, which led to Jake Voracek scoring into an open net at 19:46 to seal it. A damaging loss. With Winnipeg prevailing in a shootout over Tampa Bay, they’re tied for eighth with us. The Jets own the No.1 tiebreaker with 20 ROW compared to our 17. The Rangers remain in eighth due to having one extra game left. Don’t forget Buffalo, who remained four out. The Senators and Islanders each won, extending their lead.

Here are the updated East Standings:
                    GP      Pts   ROW
1.Penguins  42        64      29    
2.Canadiens 42       57      23  
3.Capitals    43       50      21
4.Bruins       41      56       22
5.Leafs         43      53       24
6.Senators    42      50       18
7.Islanders    43     49        19
8.Rangers     42     46         17
9.Jets            43     46         20
10.Sabres      43     42         13
11.Flyers      43     41         18
12.Devils      42     40         13
13.Lightning 43     38         16
14.Canes      42      36        17
15.Panthers  42      32        10