Battle Of Hudson

This is just a list of things I wanted to comment on regarding last night’s loss to the Bruins.

BLUESHIRT NOTES

-The Bruins played like champs. They’ve been playing much better lately and served notice. Don’t forget they’ll be the 2nd seed and likely draw the Sens.

–Marc Staal had one of his better games, looking more confident with and without the puck. He was involved offensively, leading the rush and made smart decisions. He has played well since a sitdown with Tort.

–Anton Stralman continues to play with Staal on the third pair with Steve Eminger out and Tim Erixon sitting. While I do get the reason Tort wants a more experienced guy in in the puckmoving Stralman who’s been working harder defensively, I hope he keeps an open mind about Erixon, who did nothing wrong since his recall.

-The way Artem Anisimov played yesterday is how he must play all the time. There are too many nights when you barely notice him. Artie is too talented for that. It’s up to him, Brandon Dubinsky and Derek Stepan if we’re to make a deep run.

-The Rangers got owned in the circle with the Bruins doubling us up 32-16. Most of it was Patrice Bergeron (17-2), who won more than half his team’s draws. Sick. Faceoffs are so important in the playoffs because it allows you to have puck possession and dictate. Our team chased the puck too much.

-Most games are going to be like that when it all starts in 10 or 11 days. Playing the Flyers, Pens and potential Round One foe Washington is good preparation. It’d be nice to clinch in Philly tomorrow and sweep. Just don’t expect it to be easy. Flyers are playing much better and just beat Pittsburgh twice. How about our team send a message to the Pens on Thursday. Pitt’s taken the last three meetings.

-At times, Ryan Callahan looked like the only one playing. When our team was dead in its tracks, there was Captain Cally who also took home the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, playing his butt off that included one inspiring shift that woke everyone up. He already is a good leader. Having him as captain gives me confidence because he hates losing as much as King Henrik. We can’t afford to have lulls when the playoffs begin. As they know, it’s a different animal.

-Speaking of Steven McDonald, I really wish I could’ve caught his speech. I can’t remember the last time I missed it. Not being there or even watching it killed me. He is such an inspiration for everyone. A guy who sacrificed for so many. Shot in the line of duty and in a wheel chair. But the enthusiasm and passion he exhibits every year is remarkable. If anything, I want this team to do it for him. It’s been a long time since our team was in this position. They better put on the hard hats and go to work. It’s high time the Rangers are the big story over all the nonsense that gets covered in this town. Outside of the Giants, our team’s the best story. Play like you WANT it!

-For what it’s worth, I voted for Dan Girardi cause without him, there is no season. The unbelievable effort he’s put in when Staal was sidelined and our D was in shreds, is what defines a New York Ranger. Danny G deserved to win. It’s easy to vote Callahan because he exemplifies everything that’s right about the sweater. I love Captain Cally but it would’ve been nice to see Girardi recognized cause we all know he won’t even finish in the top 5 for the Norris.

It was all there for the taking. Earlier in the day, the Penguins had lost to the Flyers 6-4 in gruesome fashion, blowing a two-goal lead and giving up five straight before a chaotic end thanks to Dan Bylsma’s boneheaded move. I guess it’s okay when his team dishes it out. I have plenty of thoughts on another message sending incident when the outcome was decided. Of course, Bylsma doesn’t expect to hear from the NHL. Why would he or any other Pen when they got Mario Lemieux? Some league.

Be that as it may, the Rangers went into last night needing one point to wrap up the East’s top seed and home ice for the first three rounds. However, Tim Thomas and the Bruins had other ideas- upstaging the party with a convincing 2-1 win at MSG. They bounced back with a strong second, riding goals from Dennis Seidenberg and do everything leader Patrice Bergeron, whose power play goal stood up as Boston finally got a win versus our team.

Initially, the Blueshirts came out strong taking the play to a weary Boston club who played the night before. That included a highlight reel Marian Gaborik opening goal for his 40th in which he got to a loose puck and blew by Zdeno Chara, neatly going five-hole on Thomas. It’s been by far Gabby’s best year on Broadway due to how hard he competes in all facets. He’s a more complete player, doing whatever it takes to help this team win. If it means scoring ugly, he has. If it means blocking shots or coming back hard defensively, Gaborik has done it. He really has bought in, which is encouraging. We’re going to need a big postseason from our offensive leader. Right now, the chemistry he and Brad Richards finally have along with Carl Hagelin make them a dynamic trio. The game breaking speed, skill and grit is something to behold.

While much of the focus will be on them, the newly constructed Brian Boyle line with Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan just might provide more balance as could a third line of Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov and Ruslan Fedotenko. They all generated chances, including a dominant shift from the Stepan line early that had the Bruins pinned in for a good minute, leading to cheers. In the second, Anisimov also had a great opportunity to make it two when he took a Marc Staal feed and coasted past Boston defenders. But his deke went off the post, proving to be a turning point.

If the first 10 minutes were controlled by the Rangers, the middle portion was all Bruins as they adjusted well. So much of how these teams play is based on the neutral zone. Boston owned it for much of the night and was able to get their aggressive forecheck going. Henrik Lundqvist (19 saves) didn’t face a ton of shots but made some key stops that kept us ahead after the first. In the middle stanza, Julien’s scrappy bunch turned up the physicality with Brad Marchand, Milan Lucic and Chara stemmind the tide. They’d already begun to come on late in the first. The B’s possess bigger, stronger players that can wreak havoc. Marchand in particular was outstanding, creating chances just off the combination of speed and grit. He really is a good player as is big bruise Lucic, who drives you batty with his smashmouth style.

On the tying goal, it was the work of Chara that caused a problem. He had already taken over the game by getting more involved, transitioning from D to offense in a jiffy. It’s amazing what big Zdeno is capable of. His reach is so scary. And he floats out there. Not literally of course. Chara got the puck in and everyone went to him, forgetting about Seidenberg who used a moving Bergeron screen to beat Lundqvist high glove. He didn’t pick it up until it was too late. Once they leveled it, Boston came hard with their cycle, banging everyone. One sequence saw Mike Del Zotto muscled off the puck by Lucic while Looch also threw his weight around on Callahan, sending our captain flying. When he plays like that, it is a sight to see. There also was a dumb penalty later which Anton Stralman suckered him into when our team was down. But predictably, the power play reverted.

With the game tied, Del Zotto picked up the first penalty for interference. It looked like our PK was up to the task but an unfortunate sequence led to Bergeron beating Lundqvist on a stuff-in. The play was symbolic of how much the Bruins dictated. They got the puck in and three of our guys couldn’t move it out. That included a sprawling dive by Ryan McDonagh to deny a chance. But the puck stayed in the corner to Lundqvist’s right. Bergeron was outnumbered but Dan Girardi made a foolish decision trying to move it up the middle. A Bruin got a stick on it deflecting to Bergeron, who stunned Lundqvist with a wrap right through the wickets. Just an awful play all around. Our No.1 D and Vezina candidate beaten by some hustle. Credit Bergeron, who dominated in the faceoff circle going a ridiculous 17-and-2, including 10-for-10 at one point. The guy deserves to win the Selke. He has been tremendous all season. Chalk it up to a bad goal by Lundqvist on a forgettable play.

The Bruins continued to carry the play until a determined Callahan shift with four minutes left in the second woke up his teammates, who followed suit with a strong shift that got the crowd back in it. Boyle, who nearly got into it with the towering Chara, got Shawn Thornton to take a silly penalty with under a minute left, giving the Rangers a power play. He really has played well. Unfortunately, he wasn’t used enough on it. If the PP was effective tallying twice against Winnipeg and Montreal (not exactly defensive powerhouses), it was the polar opposite. The ineptitude that included an abbreviated five-on-three thanks to a Lucic interference was mind numbing. Sure. Boston aggressively came after us, which is a good strategy. But simple passes turned into adventures and there was no fluidity. It sucked the life out. Another game where a power play goal could’ve been the difference between winning and losing. Coincidentally, our team has a great record when they score one. Something like 24-0-1. But we’re talking out of 79 games! Gee wiz. Three more games till the playoffs.

Nearly as predictable was that Boston sat on the lead, which led to New York outshooting them 16-3. Even though we had the edge territorially, there wasn’t enough grinding necessary to get it tied. Thomas saw every shot and stopped them all except for Gabby’s lightning strike way back in the first. Sure. He made some nice sparklers but never had to stand on his head. If our team had gotten traffic in front, there’s no doubt the game gets tied. He was letting out rebounds. There also was a funny play where he ventured out and nearly paid for it but calmly backed his way back to glove Stepan’s try.

The best chance came with under a minute left with Lundqvist on the bench for an extra skater. Anisimov, who was one of our best forwards all game, had a glorious chance off a broken sequence. The kind where you were expecting them to find a way to tie it. That’s how relentless our team was late. Anisimov got to a loose puck from 15 feet away and had the tying goal labeled but Thomas somehow got a pad on it to push it wide. From there, the Bruins held on for the win.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (5 SOG, 4 hits, tried to carry team in 23 shifts-21:19)
2nd Star-Zdeno Chara, Bos (assist in 35 dominant shifts-26:36)
1st Star-Patrice Bergeron, Bos (game-winning PPG-22nd of season, 17-2 on draws, +1 in 18:09)

I didn’t see any of tonight’s game due to work. But from the sound of it, our team took care of business with a 4-1 home win over Original Six rival Montreal. Even if they rank last in the conference, it always is sweet to beat them because they really own us up north. And when I saw the score update via texts, it was nice to see the Rangers go from 1, 2 to 4 up. For once, there was an easy win and at this time of year, that’s never bad. Especially with what’s on the horizon.

Mike Del Zotto tallied twice for No.’s 9 and 10, following up a multi-point effort in our comeback ‘W’ over Winnipeg. I’m always pining for Del Zotto to shoot the puck more. Maybe that game gave him confidence, which certainly bodes well. Let’s face it. Flaws aside, the third-year blueliner is by far our most skilled and we need him to have a good postseason. Too bad I didn’t get to see it. At least Dad did live as he went to MSG.

Even with that, it always bring a smile to my face when our team has success while I’m busting it. Makes my shift go easier. And hell. It improved leaps and bounds once the game started, which had nothing to do with the hockey. Maybe the hockey gods were lending me a helping hand. In any event, a 4-1 triumph over the Habs made it four straight. Even if the previous three all on the road didn’t come easy, it definitely had to give the Blueshirts a lift. You take it anyway you can. To think our club now has 50 wins is kinda sick. But it still is Bettman induced even if they’re not a shootout team. All the better.

Combined with the Islanders’ sweep of the Penguins, who finally got back on track tonight with a damaging 5-3 win at Buffalo, the Rangers are in great position to finish atop the East and claim home ice. Their win also put them temporarily ahead of the Blues for the league’s top spot. It still boggles the mind how not the most talented team has 107 points. Of course, you could argue that St. Louis is a cardinal copy out West and they trail us by one with four left. Vancouver also won over Dallas which puts them at 105.

Marian Gaborik scored his team best 39th and also set up another in the win. Brad Richards notched his 25th on the power play and Del Zotto also had a helper for a three point outing. That effort put him over 40 points for the first time in his career. MDZ now is 10-31-41 over 73 games. Three points better than his rookie season in ’09-10. A great turnaround after last year which saw him demoted. Del Zotto had his first power play goal this year. Hard to fathom. But he is a pass oriented blueliner who always looks to find teammates. Sometimes, he needs to be more selfish. So, the two goal night is great. Derek Stepan added two assists and Carl Hagelin ended a five-game pointless streak with a helper.

With recent strong outings from Brian Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko, it’s a plus to see our supporting cast getting involved. The Rangers are a T-E-A-M in every sense of the word. That’s the only way they’ll have success. Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves in his eighth consecutive start. The only question is when might John Tortorella give him a day off or is he going for it all. He is playing better with the heavier workload not unlike Marty Brodeur across the Hudson. Let’s just hope he saves the best for last like another former Ranger hero. 

In his first year as Rangers captain, Ryan Callahan has gone above and beyond in meeting the requirements of a team leader. Whether it’s blocking a shot, delivering a hit or scoring a big goal, Captain Cally has delivered. If ever there was a game that proved why the classic overachiever is the heart and soul of our first place club, it was on display in last night’s come from behind 4-2 win over Winnipeg.

With nothing going right in what amounted to a dismal first half where the team lost discipline in falling behind two, Callahan took it upon himself to lift the Rangers with a great individual effort that led to a Mike Del Zotto shorthanded goal that turned the tide. Needing the game to keep any faint hope alive, the Jets used the momentum of some unnecessary Ranger penalties to finally go ahead by a pair. Spencer Machachek and Bryan Little had put the Manitoba hosts up a deuce less than a minute apart, turning hockey’s biggest home ice edge into a frenzy.

It looked like it was headed for a rout when Brandon Dubinsky took another one of his mindless penalties, slashing a stick out of a Winnipeg player. Even though our penalty killing unit had more than done the job which included a lengthy five-on-three, you were waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never came thanks to Callahan, who outhustled the Jets down the ice, creating a couple of chances. The first which Ondrej Pavelec denied but the hardest working Blueshirt stayed with it, sending a backhand stuff attempt on the Winnipeg netminder which a cutting Del Zotto put home. From that moment, everything changed.

“The entire building felt it,” Henrik Lundqvist said while picking up career win number 250 after turning in a solid performance. “We started to get our game going. It was a big turning point.”

“The turning point in the game really was the short-handed goal that we gave up because they didn’t have a lot of life,” Jets coach Claude Noel said.

Sometimes, all it takes is a hustle play to swing momentum. As Callahan has proven, he’ll do anything to help our team win. Not surprisingly, John Tortorella kept sending him out, awarding him over 27 minutes. By far the most. Sure enough, the captain came through with the tying goal late in the second when he took a Marian Gaborik feed in front and slid the puck past Pavelec for his career best 28th.

“Our special teams need to be great in the playoffs for us to have success. It’s something for us to build on,” Callahan noted following a two-point night in which he did a bit of everything. “We showed character. We have been doing it all year long.”

Not coincidentally, there were no more Winnipeg power plays after Callahan set up Del Zotto for his first goal in 22. Speaking of the third-year blueliner, he also notched an assist on Callahan’s PPG for his first multi-point game since Mar.4. A big positive for a key player who the Rangers need in the postseason. Despite his flaws, he logs important minutes and is our most skilled defenseman. He shot the puck more yesterday. Something that must continue for our power play to have success.

Brian Boyle’s backhand from in tight eluded Pavelec early in the third, proving to be the winner. It was his third goal in four. Another positive. His play has picked up at the right time. As has been mentioned before, our team isn’t the most talented. They need everyone contributing. Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko have been involved lately, which bodes well. And Brandon Prust is always working. Boyle also won 15 of 26 faceoffs in 18:05.

The Jets never recovered from Callahan’s big play to Del Zotto. They once led in shots 15-4 due to five man-advantages. From that point, the Rangers outshot them 24-9 the rest of the way, getting back to the hardnosed hockey we’re used to. That’s how it has to be no matter who they face in the first round. They now lead the Pens by five points for the top seed and are tied with the Blues for the President’s Trophy. Pittsburgh looks to avenge a loss to the Islanders tonight when they visit Long Island. Each rival will have five left following it.

Even more encouraging is that Derek Stepan got on the board with a power play goal that sealed it. He’d been ice cold and just hasn’t looked right since being taken off the Gaborik line. Maybe the goal will get him going.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marc Staal, NYR (3 hits, 3 blocked shots, strong throughout, +2 in 22:10)
2nd Star-Mike Del Zotto, NYR (SHG-snapped 21-game drought, assist)
1st Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (PPG, game-turning assist for MDZ SHG, 4 SOG, 4 blocked shots in 27:20)

Copyright Getty Images

There should be more homecomings like this one. Well, at least for Ryan McDonagh, who continued his outstanding play in a big 3-2 win over the Wild earlier tonight. In front of family and friends, Minny Mac delivered offensively and defensively as the Rangers steadied late to edge Minnesota in St. Paul. Coupled with a Penguin 5-3 loss to the Islanders, the Blueshirts now hold a three-point lead with six to go for the East’s top spot.

They wouldn’t have gotten it without McDonagh, who notched two assists, including a breathtaking set up on Ruslan Fedotenko’s winner that was more than enough to give Henrik Lundqvist his 36th win of the season. After an unbelievable play that allowed Fedotenko to score his ninth, McDonagh and partner Dan Girardi were stellar as the Rangers shutdown the neutral zone, limiting the Wild’s chances. Combine that with a tremendous effort from the trio of Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust and there were enough positives despite not the greatest game from our club.

Dubinsky was solid in all facets after again earning the wrath of John Tortorella in a recent win over Toronto. His presence in front following a faceoff allowed Boyle to deposit his eighth and second in three games. A good sign. Dubinsky picked up a primary helper on the play that steered the Rangers in front early on. He was defensively responsible along with Boyle and Prust with each physical. That kind of attention to detail is what’s been missing from our team’s game for quite some time. Lundqvist saw a couple of routine shots which he stopped and the defense did the rest. King Henrik also was sharp stoning Devin Setoguchi following a Mikko Koivu rebound with the game tied.

The problem for the Rangers was they fell asleep in the second, allowing an opportunistic Wild club to get back into it. Lazy penalties led to a pair of Minnesota power play goals, which allowed them to hang in after two periods. Kyle Brodziak steered home a Cal Clutterbuck rebound for his career best 20th that knotted it 1-1. However, former Wild star Marian Gaborik restored order thanks to a great feed from Brad Richards, beating Josh Harding with his club best 38th four and a half minutes later. McDonagh drew an assist.

A Marc Staal penalty allowed the Minny hosts to tie it again when this time a great passing play saw Dany Heatley make a sweet dish for Koivu for a gimme. A play like that reminds you just how skilled Heatley is, who was drafted just before Gaborik in 2000. It’s a mystery how he’s went from elite status to second tier. Good thing Slats got Gabby and didn’t ante up for Heater. His 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points are a far cry from Marian’s 38-31-69. Plus he’s played all three zones this season, making it by far his most complete as a Blueshirt. Part of it’s the club Heatley’s on but it’s still sad to see.

For too much of the third, the Wild played well with some chances to go ahead. Something which MSG radio analyst Dave Maloney noted while pointing out on my drive back home that someone needed to make a play. As I walked in the door, that someone turned out to be McDonagh, who turned a harmless Girardi pass across into a goal by skating past Wild defenders and then centering a seeing eye pass for Fedotenko, who didn’t miss.

Dad gushed how it was remarkable as did Sam and Joe. Considering that he celebrated a birthday Saturday, it was nice to see our team win two in a row even if they weren’t pretty. At this time of year, they don’t have to be.

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (24 saves, including a big one on Setoguchi)
2nd Star-Brian Boyle, NYR (8th of season-2nd in 3 games, 5 hits, 10-5 on draws, +2 in 17:10)
1st Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (2 assists incl. great set up on GW, 3 blocked shots, +2 in 21:46)

Notes: With his 36th victory, Lundqvist is two shy of his career high 38 set in ’08-09. He did that in 70 games. This year, the 36 have come over 57. It was the sixth consecutive start for King Henrik, who allowed two or less for the fourth time during that stretch. He previously permitted seven in the last two starts against Buffalo and Toronto. … In defeat, Harding turned aside 29 of 32. … Erik Christensen was scoreless with one shot and three faceoff wins in his first appearance since being traded. … Jed Ortmeyer also saw limited action. … Fedotenko’s goal snapped a nine-game drought. … With an assist, Dubinsky has five points over the last five. … Derek Stepan was held to one shot and has no points over four. … Since returning, Mike Del Zotto has one assist over six. … In place of Tim Erixon, Anton Stralman saw 21 shifts (19:45) while picking up a helper, going plus-one and blocking a team high four shots. … Rangers visit Winnipeg tomorrow. Figure Martin Biron to get the call.

RACE FOR FIRST
                  GP    ROW  PTS   Games Remaining
1.Rangers  76      44       103    3/28 @ Wpg 3/30 vs Mtl 4/1 vs Bos  4/3 @ Phi 4/5 @ Pit 4/7 vs Wsh
2.Penguins 76      38       100    3/29 @ NYI 3/30 @ Buf 4/1 vs Phi 4/3 @ Bos 4/5 vs NYR 4/7 vs Phi

In a few hours, the Rangers will pay a visit to St. Paul to face the Wild. For a few players, it’ll be extra special. Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh and Stu Bickel will return home to great support from family and friends, who’ll be at Excel Energy Center for tonight’s game. Maybe it’s exactly what Stepan needs to snap out of it. He’s been vital during this season and the Blueshirts need him if they’re to go anywhere in the playoffs.

While Stepan tries to get untracked, McDonagh returns as arguably our best defenseman in only Year Two. So advanced is the former Badger that it amazes that Bob Gainey basically gave him away in the Scott Gomez deal. He was in Stan Fischler’s Hockey Night Live top five shot blockers list. Though it could be debated that teammate Dan Girardi could’ve gotten the edge for his experience along with Pen bruiser Brooks Orpik, McDonagh does everything you’d want with great skating, anticipation and physicality. Sure. He’ll make a mistake every now and then as most kids do but the man is steady enough to go against Ilya Kovalchuk. No small task.

For Bickel, it’s even a better story because he was not really on the radar. Even after an impressive camp, Stu became the odd man out sent back to Connecticut. If not for injuries, we probably don’t see him. Sometimes, positives come out of adversity. Bickel plays with the edge needed to stay in our top six. Especially without Mike Sauer, who I sure hope they bring back. Let’s just pray for a full recovery. It’s going to be awfully tough in the second season without the toughest D here since Beuke. Especially with Marc Staal a shell of himself. Bickel is very rootable as he always stands up for teammates. Yes. He does have a few brain cramps. But he’s easy to respect. It sure would be nice to see him score a goal tonight.

While the focus will be on our three kids from Minnesota, Marian Gaborik also returns to face the franchise that selected him in the top three 12 years ago. It’ll always be remembered for the Islanders trading Roberto Luongo and taking Rick DiPietro. Then two stars in Gaborik and Dany Heatley followed. The rest is history. Once, a Gabby led Wild team went on a miraculous run to the Western Conference Final before J.S. Giguere and the Disney Ducks did them in. Hard to believe that was nine years ago. Now, Gaborik’s in his third year on Broadway in line for his second 40-goal season- needing only three. Wouldn’t it be something if he turned back the clock and scored a hat trick against his former team to get it?  I’m sure Henrik Lundqvist wouldn’t mind.

This game is important because basically, the Pens seem to have two points when they face the Islanders. No disrespect. But I just can’t see John Tavares & Co. holding off the machine that is Pittsburgh. They are scary. It’s not like the Rangers should expect any help from their blood rival. That game will already be going when they take the ice an hour later. So, it’s about getting the job done against a team they should beat. Even if Erik Christensen has other ideas.

Lately, our team’s been struggling. There are still too many breakdowns and Lundqvist isn’t seeing the puck like he did most of the season. It could end up costing him the Vezina, which might just go to the Blue duo of Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak or Marc-Andre Fleury. Pekka Rinne has slumped. Jon Quick remains the darkhorse, especially if he can get the lowscoring Kings in. Jimmy Howard would’ve been in the mix if he didn’t get hurt. Bottom line King Henrik needs to start making the big saves and tightening up the rebound control. That’s why he’s paid handsomely.

While that’s another focus, one other key storyline is the return of Anton Stralman, who’ll get another look from John Tortorella while rookie Tim Erixon sits. This isn’t a benching but rather Tort just wanting to see if Stralman can show him something. He was good initially but has faded since. Erixon has looked solid since his recall, making no glaring mistakes and tallying two assists his last two games. I am fine with Erixon as our sixth. But Tort has his own way of doing things. Hopefully, he makes the right decision.

Whether they want to admit it or not, there’ll be some scoreboard watching. And you know both the Rangers and Penguins had to be relieved that the Lightning did them a favor beating the Flyers yesterday. It looks like a two horse race for the top seed. Who wants it?

While on the rink, it’s been a mixed back lately with our team doing just enough to hang onto the top seed over the surging Pens, the Rangers made some news off it today by signing prospect Andrew Yogan to an entry level contract.

The former ’10 fourth round pick scored 41 goals for Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season. That was a career best along with the 78 points he tallied. From Blueshirts United:

Yogan, who led Peterborough in both goals and assists, ranked sixth in the OHL in goal scoring and tied for 15th in points this season. IN 240 career games in major junior, Yogan recorded 96 goals, 186 points and 287 penalty minutes.

Last year Yogan completed his season by playing in two games on an amateur tryout with the Connecticut Whale of AHL, notching a pair of goals in his pro debut and finishing with three points in two games. He has already played three games with the Whale this season on another amateur tryout, and he is scoreless.

What this signing means is that we add another young forward to our already strong farm system. Had they not reached agreement, Yogan could’ve turned unrestricted on July 1. Instead, he’s signed and should be part of our 60-man roster next Fall.

Of course, some fans were already speculating if we would see Yogan this Spring. But the contract is for next year and would’ve been unrealistic to expect an unproven 20-year old to basically skip Connecticut and contribute on our roster that’s challenging for tops in the league. Come on. Meanwhile, Chris Kreider and Boston College advanced to the Frozen Four with a dominant 4-0 blanking of former champ Minnesota-Duluth yesterday. He didn’t get on the score sheet but in their previous win, scored both goals. His size and speed are evident. It’ll be interesting to see if he turns pro after two weeks when the college hockey tournament concludes.

Zuccarello to go under knife: In their recent defeat to Buffalo Friday, forward Mats Zuccarello fractured his left wrist while diving to block a shot in the 4-1 loss. Unfortunate since the mighty mite had looked good since his recall, tallying twice on the power play and setting up another. Zucc was more feisty on the forecheck and adding skill to an otherwise putrid unit. His creativity is gone unless the team goes far.

Instead, Zuccarello will undergo surgery tomorrow which will keep him out indefinitely. It really stinks because he looked like he was finally going to stick. Who knows if he’ll ever play for us or even in the NHL again? His contract is up. Even though the Rangers hold a club option, it’s a two-way deal, which makes it very unlikely MZA would stay. I wouldn’t. John Tortorella didn’t exactly treat him fairly. This isn’t an extreme case like Sean Avery, who is expected to retire after his banishment from the Whale. Zuccarello was younger and had more ability that could’ve helped our inconsistent offense.

I really hope we do see him again. Just don’t get your hopes up.