Battle Of Hudson

The news wasn’t all good for the Rangers, who look to extend a four-game win streak to five with tomorrow’s visit to Kanata against the Senators. Aside from Mike Rupp needing arthroscopic knee surgery, forward Wojtek Wolski requires abdominal surgery to repair a sports hernia which should keep him out at least four weeks. New York Rangers President And GM Glen Sather made the announcement yesterday.

The 25-year old Wolski was acquired from Phoenix Rangers West last Jan.10 in exchange for Michal Rozsival. In 37 contests after being acquired, he tallied 19 points (6-13-19) for the Blueshirts the rest of ’10-11 while adding a goal and two helpers in a first round loss to Washington. This season, a groin issue limited him to just half a dozen games with the Polish former ‘Yote reinjuring it in a win against Anaheim. He had two assists.

With Wolski and Rupp both placed on IR, Sean Avery has seen limited fourth line duty in two games. Look for the organization to recall Mats Zuccarello and retain Andre Deveaux, who has been better than first thought. The 27-year old enforcer recorded his second NHL point in Saturday’s win over Montreal, helping set up a goal. It was his first point since ’08-09 when he got in 21 games with the Leafs. He also took part in one game in ’09-10 for his hometown team who he’ll likely see this Saturday at Air Canada Centre.

Staaling For Time: There’s nothing new to report on defenseman Marc Staal, who continues to suffer PCS stemming from brother Eric Staal’s clean hit at the end of a period in a game versus Carolina last February. It’s looking like the Rangers will place him on LTI with the arrival of Swedish defenseman Anton Stralman, who recently signed for a year and $900,000. Stralman still needs to pass some medical tests before he can play. So, he won’t travel with the team for tomorrow’s game at Ottawa.

At the beginning of the newly renovated Garden, it looked like the Rangers would tease us. After dropping one to the improved Leafs, they blew a 4-1 third period lead against the Sens- falling in a shootout. That put our record at a bizarre 3-3-3 with games still against the Sharks, Ducks, Canadiens and newly reformed Winnipeg Jets.

With John Tortorella’s continued odd line combos, something finally worked when the Blueshirts responded to two consecutive San Jose goals that tied a pivotal game by getting the next three, including the Goal Of The Week scored by captain Ryan Callahan, recapped on NHL Network yesterday by Kathryn Tappen. Sparkling goaltending by popular backup Martin Biron got the team going. It was followed by a repeat versus Anaheim but this time Henrik Lundqvist prevailed in the shootout thanks to shooting stars Erik Christensen and Marian Gaborik, whose beauty gave them two straight wins.

With the team feeling better about itself thanks to some high character performances from club leaders Callahan, Lundqvist, Gaborik and ultimate warrior Dan Girardi, it set up a big weekend with Les Habitants and their legions of fans invading Manhattan the other night with Winnipeg right behind. In the coolest, most chaotic atmosphere of the season, the Rangers came out strong scoring the first three on Carey Price in a dominant first period that saw them score a power play goal (Christensen) and two others (Girardi & rejuvenated Mike Del Zotto who donned the Broadway Hat afterwards) while outshooting the Habs 16-3. But before you could breathe at the beautifully minted place which happened to be my ’11-12 inaugural debut, Montreal reversed momentum with goals from Max Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn much to the delight of a strong Habs contingent that even had fans in our section and 412 with one waving a Montreal towel. Precisely why these games have superceded Isles, Devs, Flyers and Pens as the most entertaining in my view.

The Canadiens were dangerous the rest of the way, outshooting us 25-12. Lundqvist, who fought the puck a bit, had to deal with breakaways and odd-man rushes- making some tough stops while also having his best friends, the crossbar and goalpost at his disposal. Part of the issue for the Rangers was the ejection of Mike Sauer following a wild first period scrum that featured a pair of fights with Captain Cally pummeling Mike Blunden in retaliation for Brandon Dubinsky. With things breaking up, Sauer squared off with Petteri Nokelainen, also getting the decision to loud cheers.

Between the crazy Habitants driving our area nuts and the scraps, it was some kinda time. The predictable “USA, USA” chants were a result of their traditional “Ole, Ole, Ole,” led by an energized row in front of us. Real funny kids with one even telling me he went to the same high school as Pacioretty at Taft in Conneticut, referring to the Habs’ pest in a way not worth repeating. However, he also added that Patch tore it up and praised his play. We agreed that he’s a solid player. One worth keeping an eye on for Montreal. If only they had kept Ryan McDonagh. Thanks again Bob Gainey. Speaking of which, he continues to excel alongside Danny G. The skill the former Badger possesses is something to behold. He makes great reads, anticipates well and is now jumping in offensively. There’s a lot to like about this kid, who is really mature and is making a lot of experts look good for ripping the Scott Gomez trade, which was better known for the return of now rejuvenated Canuck Chris Higgins.

With our team on its heels most of the second, Brad Richards stepped up with a momentum swinging goal late in the period by beating Price with a wrister from the left circle, restoring a two-goal lead. With McD, Danny G, MDZ and Steve Eminger logging the bulk of the minutes, it was enough for our team to hang on even though known killer Brian Gionta made things interesting with Price pulled. McDonagh and Dubinsky combined to set up Callahan for his sixth into an open net, sealing it. A fun night. I’ll have a review of the building and update on our Section 411 in a latter post.

After coasting to a 5-3 triumph the night before, the Rangers gave a complete team effort in a 3-0 shutout of Winnipeg. Its first game in 16 years at MSG. Only then the names were a lot different with Cup hero Mark Messier still leading us instead of finishing the NYC Marathon yesterday in 4:14:21 at age 50 for a great cause. The man is so admirable. He personifies what our city’s all about. Congrats to all the runners who ran, including the champions in the men’s and women’s field.

Winnipeg didn’t have Teemu Selanne, which still even after all these years, doesn’t feel right. And there was no Keith Tkachuk, Alexei Zhamnov or Teppo Numminen either with all represented by the now Phoenix Coyotes franchise which is struggling mightily at their fancy arena in the Desert. Instead, a list of former Thrashers led by ever improving ’10 first rounder Alex Burmistrov with Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom, Andrew Ladd, Evander Kane and overlooked goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who was heroic in defeat much the same way Jonas Hiller was in his visit here. The first was kind of a drag with the teams combining for 13 shots, probably a bit tired from the night before.

However, it picked up the rest of the way with chances for both sides. A lack of discipline on Winnipeg’s part allowed our team to go ahead thanks to a wonderful power play goal. Brad Richards started it with Del Zotto dishing across for intended target Gaborik. But the puck went off Gabby right to a wide open Derek Stepan, who buried his second. D-Step was sensational, latter setting up Gaborik’s first of two in the third, while earning First Star. Despite all the penalties that allowed the Blueshirts to have back-to-back two-man advantages, they couldn’t put another past Pavelec, who other than a stone job on a flubbed Christensen shot, didn’t see as much rubber as he should’ve. Both Richards and Gaborik misfired and also made some poor choices. Fortunately, it didn’t cost us.

Despite generating quality chances, it remained a one-goal contest with Pavelec’s splendid play allowing his team to stay alive. When they finally tested Marty Biron, the unflappable vet was perfect stopping all 23 in his path, including a few sparklers. I’ll tell ya. The former No.1 for Buffalo and Philadelphia was a great move by Slats as was Tort favorite Ruslan Fedotenko. We love to bash the GM and justifiably so for not one advance past the second round during a lengthy tenure. But he’s also made some good moves that have worked out. Even if Mike Rupp needs arthroscopic surgery for his knee that will sideline him, there’s Crazy One Andre Deveaux making the case to stay, earning his first NHL point the other night.

In the third, our guys didn’t sit back, instead forcing Pavelec to be good by firing 14 shots. Okay. Only 13 counted due to the empty net. But you get the point. Artem Anisimov, who’s been in Tort’s doghouse, was elevated to the top line and didn’t disappoint. A day after netting two helpers, the enigmatic Russian made a strong defensive play along the wall that sprung D-Step and Gabby on a two-on-one. Anisimov cleared it to Stepan, who waited and headfaked before dishing across for Gaborik for a lay-up. Gabby’s reaction was priceless. D-Step has that knack and more and more reminds me of Chris Drury. A guy with a high IQ who makes the big play when the game’s on the line. He’s so solid defensively and his physical game is coming. But it’s Derek’s vision that really stands out. His patience with the puck is fun to watch. Another non-first rounder who we stole in the second round that looks like a keeper. His poise is why I’m genuinely excited about D-Step.

“I guess it’s just an instinct to find the shooter on the line, and Gaby is quite a shooter,” Stepan said. “You look at Step, his game is really stepping out, no pun intended there,” Tortorella added to some chuckles. “The game is clear to him, you can tell. I think he’s allowing himself to play.”

“We showed some resilience, some battle and some heart,” Biron noted after notching first shutout in two years. “It’s hard when you go on the road for that amount of time because sometimes there’s a let-down feeling that we’re home and it’s going to be a lot easier. There was none of that. It was a lot of hard work that has paid off in the end and that has to keep going.”

There’s a lot more to be happy about with a team that finally seems to be gelling. Now, they hit the road mostly with a stop in Ottawa Wednesday before a quick return home for the Canes Friday with a visit to Air Canada Centre Saturday. Sure. Brandon Dubinsky remains without a goal but it’ll come. Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust were better Sunday too. Another plus. The Rangers should be pleased with reeling off four straight to conclude the big homestand 4-1-1 (4-2 really). Now, comes another challenge.

Whenever the Canadiens come to town, they usually bring their overwhelming support with them, invading our building. As the other two Rangers’ rivals know all too well, it’s become a Montreal tradition for fans who probably can’t get to see their beloved team at Bell Centre, to travel on buses and cheer on their heroes.

Hockey is religion north of the border. So, it comes as little surprise that so many fans follow their club around. You can pretty much say that for any of the seven Canadian teams that now includes the Winnipeg Jets again. I can reflect on meeting people from Alberta who flew cross continent to support the Flames and Oilers. It’s what makes these games so special. Meeting fans who go the distance to borrow a phrase from Field Of Dreams, is what’s so compelling. The atmosphere is great and I’m very excited to be seeing my first game at the World’s Most Renovated Arena.

It’s unlike when the Rangers play the Islanders, Devils or Flyers. There’s not as much hatred unless you’re an older Blueshirt fan like our Dad, who can’t stand the Canadiens. This probably dates back to the 1970’s when the Habs were one of our adversaries who prevented some real good Ranger teams from sniffing Lord Stanley (’79). That and a guy named Bobby Orr in Beantown. In ’86, it was rookie Patrick Roy upending our team again after a nice run to the Wales Conference Finals, going on to win it all over Calgary. Combine with this that Les Habitants outnumber us by 20 in Cups (24-4) with their last preempting the most recent moment which inspired a, “Now I Can Die In Peace” sign that now seems like a cold death eons ago.

To be perfectly honest, the last time either team was relevant was when I was a teenager in high school. Sure. Our ’97 club led by The Great One and The Messiah, Leetch, Richy and Gravy made a surprising run to the Conference Finals before the Legion Of Doom ousted us in five. That’s the last time the Blueshirts were in the Final Four. And yes, the Canadiens had their own similar moment upsetting the Caps and Pens before losing to the miracle Flyers, who fell to the Blackhawks two seasons ago. Those have been rare exceptions.

Both Original Sixes have competitive rosters who are eerily similar relying on star goalies. For us, it’s Henrik Lundqvist while for them, Carey Price is the man, making fans forget Jaroslav Halak, who has fallen apart in St. Louis. More on that another time. Remarkably, you can make a case that our team boasts more talent with resurgent Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards leading the charge. The Habs are gritty and must outwork opponents. They do have the annoying P.K. Subban, who’s off to a poor start. Mike Cammalleri is healthy again and the most skilled offensive player who can finish and create. Scott Gomez is hurt. Why did Bob Gainey do that trade again? The Rangers are laughing all the way to the bank with Ryan McDonagh looking like our most versatile blueliner- really benefiting from Marc Staal being out.

After a dreadful start, the Habs enter red hot having reeled off four straight since unceremoniously dismissing former assistant Perry Pearn. I was no fan of him here but the way that was handled, was a disgrace. Odd how using an assistant has woken up Montreal with Erik Cole reviving and Max Pacioretty displaying a lot of toughness. One look at their IR and it’s no wonder they must squeeze every ounce of energy required to win. Why they re-signed Andre Markov remains a mystery? He’s morphed into Vlad Malakhov. Unable to stay healthy.

I don’t want to see Mr. Hacks, Brian Gionta scoring on one of those redirections. Nor do I want to see him or any other Hab chopping away at Lundqvist after the whistle. The Rangers must stay away from turning the puck over. Montreal’s transition game is quick, turning D into offense. Tomas Plekanec is their best overall player. Always dangerous shorthanded and sound defensively. He doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is. Midget David Desharnais is someone to watch. Andre Kostitsyn has been putting the puck in lately. The Habs are not a pretty team but one who is a reflection of their coach Jacques Martin.

Kinda reminds me of us. When will Tort reunite the Draft Line? Especially if D-Step is centering Gaborik and Fedotenko. Right now, he’ll stick with Richy between Cally and Dubi, who have been reinvigorated. Though the longer Dubi goes without a goal, the more you pull your hair out. If only he had Stepan’s IQ. Sean Avery should see the ice tonight for the first time after the coach basically threw him under the bus. Look for him with Boyle and Prust, which could benefit each. The fourth line might be better if Christy continues to show up and Arty makes the most of his shifts. He really is in the doghouse and must turn it around. This is a guy capable of 20+ goals and 50 points. I’d hate to see him sacrificed and find it elsewhere. He could be on the block.

At the moment, Mats Zuccarello has not been recalled. Andre Deveaux has been a pleasant surprise. When does Anton Stralman arrive and what does that mean for Jeff Woywitka? At the very least, we should be entertained with King Henrik and Price likely to duel while also finding plenty to banter about with the opposing fans.

Fasten your seatbelts.

Nobody comes under more scrutiny than Erik Christensen. Not even the much debated Sean Avery, who will make his season debut tomorrow versus the Canadiens with Wojtek Wolski on the shelf.

Christy is an interesting character, who gives you a lot of perspective into the person he is on and off the ice. When the inconsistent center isn’t there driving myself and many fans nuts, it’s hard to make a case for retaining him. Just when you think you know someone, we got a very different look into a young man who’s contributed to two consecutive home wins over San Jose and Anaheim. Against the Sharks, he made two nifty passes to set up big goals and versus the Ducks, there he was again solving Jonas Hiller along with Marian Gaborik in the Rangers’ 2-1 shootout victory at MSG Thursday.

“I’m happy I got a chance to go. My record isn’t that good,” the Great Gabby said after converting only his third in 20 career attempts. “I had my move before I went. I tried to fake a move before I shot and it worked out well. Before I went to shoot, I tried to make up my mind, and I looked at him, and he was kind of challenging me a bit.”

While it’s easy to point to the Great Gabby’s (yes, he’s back) wizardry in Round Three that ultimately decided it with Henrik Lundqvist snuffing out Bobby Ryan in last licks, Christensen kept a cool head leading off in the first to score the team’s first shootout goal of the season. After being blank in two prior attempts, he went back to his Swedish roots by emulating Peter Forsberg with the ever exciting one-handed deke which snuck through Hiller. Perhaps that was enough to finally break the brick wall the much overlooked Anaheim goalie put up following unsung hero Jeff Woywitka’s first as a Ranger. It’s not often but the goaltending from Hiller was off the charts. Fantastic. Super. Sensational. Yes. Lundqvist wound up with three more stops (27 to Hiller’s 24) but that was due to a strong Duck third where they used their speed and tempo to make life difficult. Outside of maybe one he’d like back on a ripper of a shot from Ryan that knotted it late in the second, King Henrik was stellar- standing up to the challenge in a busy third that saw Anaheim outshoot New York 15-4.

In particular, Cam Fowler was everywhere. Some still like to compare the rebirth of Mike Del Zotto, who ironically sports the identical No.4 as the second-year Duck. However, John Tortorella doesn’t trust MDZ enough to put him out in the final minute of tie games. He can lean on emerging star Ryan McDonagh and warrior Dan Girardi while Marc Staal recovers from PCS. Randy Carlyle doesn’t have that luxury. Even with Lubomir Visnovsky, Toni Lydman and Francois Beauchemin, he opted to give Fowler the opportunity to go for it in crunch time. The man who skates like Scott Niedermayer didn’t disappoint, creating dangerous chances by jumping in and shooting the puck. If there’s one bugaboo with Del Zotto, it’s that he still is hesitant to fire away- instead opting to defer to either Gaborik or Brad Richards. Not that there’s anything wrong with it as one odd pass to Gabby nearly ended it in overtime.

Speaking of the fancy four-on-four, it was terrific. Both teams went for it but the Blueshirts had like five different chances to win it only to see Hiller get in the path or alter shots high and wide. Our team made the extra passes and cut it too fine. All credit to the elite goalie, who has recovered nicely from vertigo. His play didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hiller is good,” Lundqvist praised of his Swiss counterpart who displayed a cat-like glove that even denied unlikely first period candidate Steve Eminger, who could only chuckle during a stoppage. “He’s a good one-on-one goalie. He’s quick side-to-side.”

“He made some real big stops,” Carlyle added. “I think the first period, he kept us alive and we only gave up the one goal.”

Hiller’s act was good enough to earn 2nd Star even though in our book, he was No.1. They gave it to Gaborik. A fine choice. He once again dominated throughout. It doesn’t seem to matter who he plays with. Though when our team failed on a couple of power plays and couldn’t find a second goal, I was begging Tort to doubleshift him with Richards to try for another. Instead, Ryan came flying down the right side and used McDonagh’s backing in to blast one past Lundqvist. Sometimes, the coach must do what it takes to get offense. What’s wrong with giving Artem Anisimov a shift with former Draftmates Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan? He’s been outplayed by Derek Stepan but isn’t being put in a position to succeed. These are areas the coach can do better.

Early on, a wonderful diagonal Gaborik pass found Woywitka, who shot through a D-Step screen for his first. Pretty awesome. News had spread that the club had reached agreement with D Anton Stralman (rumored to be 1 year, $900,000). So, who knows how long Woywitka will stick around. I’m rooting for him to stay as he’s been a pleasant surprise. Nice move giving Woywitka the Broadway hat. A very cool moment.

“We had some good zone pressure and Gabs is coming around the net there, he made a great play and I stayed a little wider, a little higher and he got the pass through to me,” the steady waiver pickup said. “I wanted to get it off as quick as I could, as hard as I could and got it past the first set of legs, and once you do that anything can happen. It was exciting.”

In the skill competition, ageless wonder Teemu Selanne tied it with a backhand deke top shelf. I swear the Finnish Flash could play till 50 if he so desired. The skating, hands and ferocity are still there. He’ll always be one of our faves. During MSG’s coverage, they flashed back to that amazing rookie season of ’92-93 when he shattered Paul Stastny’s records with 76 goals and 132 points the same year Eric Lindros came in. Teemu has 642 career goals, ranking second to Jaromir Jagr (646) among active players. Both should pass Brendan Shanahan (656) for 11th all-time with Luc Robitaille (668) within reach.

After Richards was denied by Hiller, Lundqvist got a piece of Corey Perry’s high labeler, setting the stage for Gaborik. Instead of doing something ordinary, he danced and faked shot twice before going to the backhand for a spectacular goal. All that was left was for Lundqvist to exact revenge on Ryan, who got the better of him in oddly enough, a 2-1 Anaheim shootout win in Stockholm. King Henrik got a shoulder on it and pumped his fists.

“He’s been our best player this year,” a pleased Tortorella explained of Gaborik. “Two for 19, but he’s ready to take the next step. I’m glad for him. I hope it helps him. Because he’s been our most consistent player offensively and I’m glad for him it worked out.”

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Cam Fowler, Ana (27:03, 2 SOG, +1, dangerous)
2nd Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (assist, shootout decider, game high 7 SOG)
1st Star-Jonas Hiller, Ana (24 saves incl. some highlight reel)

Our quote of the day belongs to Joe Thornton. Apparently, losing 5-2 to the Rangers Monday was too much for the former No.1 overall pick (’97) who’s won exactly no Cups to bare.

“They were probably the softest team we played on the trip. We should have had these two points.”

Ah. Perhaps frustration is building for the superstar center who watched former club Boston win its first Stanley Cup since 1972- defeating the same Canucks who ousted Jumbo Joe’s team in the Western Conference Final. Whatever the motivation behind such a statement, it comes off as sour grapes and reflects poorly on one of the great playmakers our sport has. Thornton recently eclipsed 1,000 career points. This won’t win him any fans. A day after a one word reply of “Wonderful,” to Thornton’s assessment, John Tortorella didn’t mince words following the Blueshirts’ morning skate:

“It surprised me, and I’ve never heard a player say that. Joe’s a heck of a player, but here’s a player popping off about our team, and Joe hasn’t won a god d___ thing in this league. He could go down as a player, being one of the better players in our league never to win anything. So what he should do is just shut up. It was uncalled for, it was classless, and I’ve never had it happen like that before.”

Are the Rangers soft? When they aren’t proactive, yes. Last night was the first complete effort of the season. Somewhat taking advantage of San Jose’s third in four of a grueling road trip. Albeit all three in the metro area with the teal getting the better of the Devs and Isles prior to the Rangers’ three unanswered that broke open a 2-2 game in the second. There’s little doubt that this club isn’t as physical and lacks enough D minus Marc Staal, which explains why they were outshot in the first nine prior to Monday. The Blueshirts had gotten away from their blue collar, aggressive forechecking style that this city identifies with. It took onto Game 10 for the club to put together a 60 minute effort led by captain Ryan Callahan (2-1-3), Brandon Dubinsky (2 assists) and Dan Girardi (2 assists). Artem Anisimov also scored his first and Martin Biron was stellar in net for the team’s first win at the renovated MSG. Even Erik Christensen had two sweet dishes.

The Rangers next host the Ducks Thursday with the Habs visiting Saturday as part of the six-game homestand. It’ll be interesting to see how the club responds to the rude criticism from Thornton. Honestly, they shouldn’t need any extra incentive.
 
Avery Returns: After predictably going unclaimed on re-entry waivers, Sean Avery returns Thursday. With Tortorella finally icing a lineup that worked, don’t expect him to play. May as well go with what worked. It still should be interesting to watch how this plays out. Especially with Andre Deveaux having a solid debut, fulfilling a dream by playing alongside childhood pal Dan Girardi. Pretty cool story.