Battle Of Hudson

It looks like the end for Sean Avery. The controversial superpest will be placed on waivers tomorrow. Perhaps the writing was on the wall when he didn’t play the last two exhibitions, including an eye popping 8-4 blowout defeat at the hands of Swiss’ EV Zug Monday.

Lost in all the chaos is that the 31-year old Pickering, Ontario native carved out a solid career despite not being drafted. Sure. He’s an easy target due to the antics on and off the ice. Whether you agreed with Avery’s recent allegation that Wayne Simmonds used a homophobic slur in the heat of battle, the two-time Ranger was an engaging personality who was viewed differently by a league that held him to a different standard following his off color commentary- prior to a Dallas/Calgary match that earned him a six-game ban and sensitivity counseling. His mouth eventually cameback to bite him, making it doubtful another team will claim him.

Ironically, for all of Avery’s shenanigans (ie Avery Rule), he never was suspended for anything outside of the references to ex Elisha Cuthbert, who was dating then Flame Dion Phaneuf. Understand Sean pushed the envelope during scrums but never delivered any controversial hits that have become a league-wide epidemic thanks to borderline players such as Matt Cooke, who at least in preseason has gotten Brendan Shanahan’s message. In fact, Avery was an asset when he used his speed and grit, while agitating foes including favorite target Martin Brodeur and recently Ilya Kovalchuk.

The trouble for Avery was his inconsistency under John Tortorella, who once called him out on TSN following the Phaneuf/Cuthbert incident, hinting that he didn’t belong in the league. That’s what made them such an odd couple once Tortorella replaced Tom Renney. At times, Avery was still a solid player, always coming to the aid of teammates and playing with the edge that earned him the nickname Grate One. Another of New York Post writer Larry Brooks’, whose King Henrik has become a Blueshirt favorite for Henrik Lundqvist. Other instances, you hardly noticed Sean, which led to benchings with Tortorella wanting him to be more engaged.

In their ’09 first round series against Washington, Avery was one of the club’s best players. However, a controversial benching in Game Five allowed the Caps to regain momentum. When he returned for the last two games, it was Avery who was the most effective Blueshirt, factoring in on their only goal in a crushing 2-1 Game Seven elimination. One ponders if Tortorella gaffed despite the 22 penalty minutes in Games 3-4 that led to the benching. Guess we’ll never know.

Despite not the best relationship, Avery managed to put together a good ’09-10, registering 11 goals, 20 assists and 31 points with a career best three power play goals, along with 160 penalty minutes. It was the fourth time he registered at least 10 goals and third instance he hit 30 points or better. He also missed a dozen games with the Rangers losing out on the playoffs the final day to the Flyers.

Last season, he started quickly with four assists in the club’s first three games with seven of his 24 points (3-21-24) coming during October. However, his production along with his play slipped particularly in the second half, leaving skeptics. One of the issues under Tort is you never knew what Avery’s role was with it frequently changing games to game. If he was going good, he could see first line duty. But if there were a couple of poor shifts, his ice-time dwindled probably leaving the loquacious left wing at a loss for words. Often, he took the high road, refusing to criticize Tortorella. A point that gets lost among critics.

Perhaps Avery’s salary ($1.93 million) was too much to justify keeping him even if he could still provide a boost. With the Rangers blueline questionable without anchor Marc Staal, they likely had no choice but to sever ties with a player who fell out of favor. With Mats Zuccarello impressive all camp earning a spot and Tortorella opting to retain shootout ace Erik Christensen, there was no room for Sean. Overlooked was the improvement of ex-Ranger Dale Weise, who outplayed both but still didn’t make the cut. The Canucks picked him up today. It also is apparent that prospects Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin and surprise Andreas Thuresson passed him on the depth chart.

With Staal still in limbo due to headaches stemming from a concussion suffered last February on a hit from brother Eric, the back end could use another addition. Especially with both camp revelations Brendan Bell and Stu Bickell on waivers. That could be encouraging for Mike Sauer, who has sat out with a right shoulder sprain. Perhaps he’ll be ready for Friday’s opener in Stockholm against the Kings, strengthening the blueline.

Currently, the Rangers have Ryan McDonagh taking Staal’s place with Dan Girardi while Sauer, Mike Del Zotto and Steve Eminger, who all played last year. That’s five minus Staal. Are the Blueshirts preparing to sign someone or make a trade? Nothing would surprise me. This is usually where Glen Sather does his best work. If it turns out like Eminger, that works. The organization already reassigned Tim Erixon to Connecticut, which is why it’s a bit perplexing that they didn’t keep Bell or Bickell, who have to pass through waivers. I’m sure there’s a good reason behind it.

As for Avery, if it is indeed the last time we’ll see him in a Blueshirt, he was a good teammate and a fan favorite. Even if Avery Part Deux wasn’t as fun as his Broadway debut, I still liked what he brought. Anyone even on the other side of the Hudson who despised him, has to admit he energized the rivalry. Though we’re certain Brodeur, Kovalchuk and nemesis David Clarkson are popping the champagne.

Whatever his future holds, I wish Avery the best of luck. Hope he keeps his head on straight.

In somewhat of a surprising move, the Rangers cut defenseman Tim Erixon, reassigning him to Connecticut. The 20-year old Swede who impressed so much at Traverse City, still needs fine tuning. Though the son of former Ranger Jan Erixon possesses the speed and skating along with a potent shot, he had trouble with the speed of the game defensively- forced into bad penalties this preseason.

There’s no shame in not making the roster even if Marc Staal remains very much up in the air due to headaches. It’s unlikely Staal will join the team in Europe for the final two preseason matches before ’11-12 gets going with back-to-back games versus Pacific rivals Los Angeles and Anaheim. As I’ve repeatedly said, the Rangers are better off playing it safe with their 24-year old D anchor. If that means missing the first seven games before the club finally returns to a renovated MSG for the home opener on Oct.27, so be it. His health is the most important thing.

Erixon will start with the Whale like Ryan McDonagh, who had a better camp last Fall before going down to get ready for the bigs. His development paid off with the former Wisconsin standout becoming a reliable top four blueliner, allowing the Blueshirts to trade Michal Rozsival to Rangers West Phoenix. Hopefully, Erixon can make a similar progression. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him.

Joining Erixon in Connecticut are defenseman Blake Parlett and forwards Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin, Dale Weise, Kris Newbury and John Mitchell. Considering nearly everyone showed something, it’s easy to be excited about our team’s depth. Especially Bourque, Hagelin and Weise, who deserved a better fate. Perhaps another team will give him a shot.

Not surprisingly, 2010 first round pick Dylan McIlrath was set back to his junior club Moose Jaw. I really liked what I saw from the big guy, who Garden Faithful should be counting down the days till he becomes part of our team. Sure. That probably won’t be till ’12-13 at the earliest but it’s hard not to like the edge he plays with along with underrated stickhandling and passing capabilities.

With the Rangers down to 25, Erik Christensen, Stu Bickell and Brendan Bell are still around. So are Sean Avery and Mike Del Zotto, who boosted his chances with a goal in the club’s 4-2 win over Henrik Lundqvist’s former pro club Frolunda yesterday. Hopefully, that’ll give the third-year defenseman some much needed confidence as they get down to the nitty gritty. Steve Eminger is likely to start until Staal returns. The gritty vet was a revelation last year, silencing many cynics with sound physical play and elevating his level when called upon. It looks like Del Zotto, Bickell and Bell are fighting for a couple of spots while Avery has the inside track as an extra forward over Christensen, who also notched a goal Friday.

If I had to guess what the Opening Day lineup will look like, here’s what I see:

Wolski-Richards-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
Fedotenko-Stepan-Zuccarello
Prust-Boyle-Rupp

Extra F: Avery

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Bell-Eminger

Extra: Bickel

Lundqvist
Biron

For now, I excluded Staal, which means Bickel stays as the backup. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tort teams Eminger with Sauer and has Del Zotto with either Bell or Bickel. Last year, Eminger stepped up. We’ll see.

The Rangers arrived in Prague yesterday for the first part of their Euro Tour. Shortly at the top of the hour (1 ET, 7 PM Czech), the Blueshirts will take on HC Sparta Prague at Tesla Arena. Courtesy Jim Cerny of Blueshirts United, here’s today’s lineup:

Wolski-Richards-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
Fedotenko-Stepan-Zuccarello
Rupp-Christensen-Prust

Del Zotto McDonagh
Bell Bickel
Eminger Erixon

Biron
Lundqvist

MSG won’t televise it but I’m sure some will find a feed. Eric Christensen gets another chance to change Tort’s mind while Brendan Bell, Stu Bickel, Steve Eminger and Tim Erixon all will be closely watched as the blueline battle heats up. We’ll try to catch up on things later tonight. Happy Rosh Hashannah to those who celebrate!

Two days have passed since the controversy surrounding Wayne Simmonds and Sean Avery in a chaotic preseason match in Philly where emotions ran high. During scrums, a lot of stuff is said in the heat of battle. It was the heat of the moment cries a classic 80’s Asia tune. Sometimes, it becomes personal. Perhaps Avery’s threat on Simmonds’ Flyer teammate Claude Giroux pushed the former King over the edge. Whatever the reason, Simmonds appeared to have crossed the line if what Avery said was true.

Homophobic overtones have no business in athletics or in the real world. They’re just as offensive as the ridiculous banana peel tossed in Simmons’ direction during an exhibition in Longon, Ontario a week ago. All the more ironic that the same player would be involved in two incidents that couldn’t be anymore different. Following the latest gutless ruling from Colin Campbell, the thing that gets us is the lasting image of Mr. Simmonds never denying Mr. Avery’s accusation following the Flyers’ 5-3 win at Wachovia Center.

“I can’t remember what I said,” the newest Flyer told reporters afterwards while later adding, “I might’ve said some things he didn’t like. … It’s Sean Avery, come on, now.”

As if that’s reason enough for the rumored slur he’s accused of. Of course, 24 hours later he suddenly remembered like a light switch flipping when the gullible Campbell came calling. Simmonds did nothing wrong. So, it’s over with! Why take serious something so offensive that GLAAD asked the NHL to take action? Nah. Only unless they’re making the 100th tweak to rules post-lockout. As Martin Brodeur echoed regarding all the suspensions, this is what you get these days from a circus which would make Charles Wang proud. But Campbell hinted they could revisit the case. And perhaps I can date Rihanna someday. So, you’re saying there’s a chance?!?!?!?!?!

Over the past two days, we’ve seen rhetoric like Simmonds so misguided that it’s left us speechless. ‘Avery had it coming.’ Yada, yada, yada. We get it. Avery’s no angel as past evidence points. Elisha Cuthbert and Dion Phaneuf not withstanding, for all the theatrics of No.16, he’s never been suspended since that foolish episode before a Stars-Flames match that earned him half a dozen games and even NHL counseling before returning to Broadway for Act II. But it’s Avery and he’s the saddest excuse for a player. Are there things I don’t like about him? Absolutely. I’m no fan of ducking challengers. Better known as turtling. Sometimes, he gets carried away, which is not something I want from any Ranger. When he’s finishing checks of which are clean unlike a few scums that shall remain unnamed, along with skating and forechecking vigorously, Avery’s a valuable commodity capable of drawing penalties and driving the opposition batty. That’s what we got the other night. He gives away the puck a lot and isn’t consistent, which is why I remain objective when it comes to his standing. John Tortorella should use him as he sees fit.

I heard people on Twitter accuse him of saying exactly what Simmonds supposedly did. So, now we’re assuming based on who he is? Come on. Every player should get a fair shake. Let’s make one thing clear. I never expected a suspension. However, a hefty fine would’ve been enough, which Simmonds could’ve donated to GLAAD or a similar charity for awareness. Instead, we’re left wondering again what it’ll take for the league to show some balls.

Fans can continue hating Avery and even cheering an injury like some classless Flyer fans did after he blocked a shot. This is bigger than him. It’s a serious issue that happens too much in society. There’s no excuse. Showing respect and common decency is how I was raised. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Yes. There’ll continue to be trash talk as long as there are sports. There are kids watching. Sometimes, it can go too far, which is the likely scenario that played out. The NHL had a chance to do something right and failed. If only it were a surprise.

Already, the loss of Marc Staal is showing. The Rangers have played three exhibition games and the defense has been dismal minus the 24-year old anchor who didn’t accompany the club to Europe due to headaches. Even if Glen Sather’s right that it might not be caused by concussions, it’s still a lingering issue that must concern the organization as ’11-12 approaches.

With the team still carrying 11 defensemen (10 without Staal) including Dylan McIlrath, Stu Bickell, Blake Parlett and ex-Sen Brendan Bell, John Tortorella’s still trying to figure out what his blueline will look like when the Rangers take on LA and Anaheim back-to-back at the end of next week. Meanwhile, second-year blueliner Mike Sauer is out at least a week with a shoulder sprain after taking a spill into the boards courtesy a clean check during last night’s preseason match at Philadelphia.

“My adrenaline was going so I tried to gather myself,” Sauer told Blueshirts United. “But then the pain just kept coming. It’s frustrating because you never want to come out of a game like that, especially before this trip we’ve got going. The good news is that the x-rays came back negative.”

Tortorella still hopes to get Sauer into some preliminary games. With Staal’s status still uncertain, the Blueshirts can’t afford to lose another top four D who logs important minutes. Much depends on the sophomore tandem of Sauer and Ryan McDonagh, who last night paired with Dan Girardi. Meanwhile, Mike Del Zotto and Tim Erixon are competing for a spot while vet Steve Eminger seems a virtual lock despite a poor showing in a loss to the Devils. Brendan Bell helped his case with a good performance that included the decider in a rematch with the Devs at Newark. Tortorella will get more looks at everyone, including McIlrath, Bickell and Parlett before making more cuts.

With the back end uncertain, it’s had trouble clearing the puck and failing miserably on the PK, where Rangers have made frequent trips to the box. With the Flyers lighting it up for three more, including a pair from ex-captain Jaromir Jagr, they’ve allowed at least half a dozen thus far with five all off uncovered one-timers. Areas where Staal excels include getting in the path of shots and making great reads defensively for key clears that allow a penalty killing unit to change and get fresh bodies.

Until Staal’s given the okay, the Ranger D is a question mark with everyone except Girardi moving up on the depth chart, which means increased responsibility. When healthy, Staal works well with Danny G as a top pair that sees the league’s best- allowing McDonagh and Sauer to face secondary scoring. Subtract Staal and they’re broken up, which leaves a bevy of question marks (Eminger, Erixon, Del Zotto, Bell) as to how Tortorella will deploy the remainder. Unless McIlrath surprises, he’s going back to Moose Jaw while Bickell and Parlett are ticketed for the Whale.

The Rangers are doing the right thing making sure Staal is 100 percent before allowing him to even have full contact. The season is 82 games. So, if it requires him to miss the crazy first part that has the Original Six club traveling all over, including a three-game Northwestern swing featuring matches in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver before finishing at Winnipeg, they’re probably better off being cautious. With stops in Prague (Thu), Gothenburg (Fri), Bratislava (Sun), Zug (Mon) before headed to Stockholm for the opening pair against the Kings and Ducks, the Rangers will be doing a lot of flying before coming back to face the Islanders on Oct.15. Their first seven games are on the road due to the renovation with 10/27 the home opener against the Leafs.

It’s still hard to say when Staal will be ready. However, Slats may want to bring in an insurance policy just in case. Much depends on Tortorella, who will make important roster decisions in the next week, finalizing the roster. The Rangers don’t want to rely too heavily on their offense even with Brad Richards. Defense and goaltending are what’s defined them. It says here that if Staal is out a significant amount of time, the playoffs take a backseat.

A day later, I’m still not sure what happened. But all hell broke loose at Wachovia Center during last night’s final exhibition in North America for the Rangers when they paid a visit to the enemy Flyers. Perhaps the barbs exchanged between Glen Sather and Ed Snider fired everyone up because it literally felt like a playoff spot was on the line instead of a meaningless preseason match.

Whatever the reason, even with several regulars out for both sides, madness ensued. The Flyers may have prevailed 5-3 on the strength of Braydon Coburn’s third period decider and Wayne Simmonds’ empty netter but that was irrelevant compared to the garbage we got. And by that, one of the new Flyers Simmonds is front and center still following a heated exchange with our bad boy Sean Avery, who displayed why he still should make the team. Following a certain suspendable hit from behind by Tom Sestito, Avery and Simmonds got together as Ranger teammates came to Andre Deveaux’s aid. Deveaux was defenseless when Sestito flew by and boarded him, earning the rest of the night off. Defenseman Stu Bickell came to his defense immediately.

Unfortunately, there’s no video but it was brutal because Sestito never let up. Well, he was put on waivers with a double digit ban coming from League Deputy VP Brendan Shanahan, who’s been proactive. During the scrum, Avery and Simmonds exchanged pleasantries. A theme that continued throughout. As the old Patrick rivals combined for six goals after two periods with Jaromir Jagr (2 PPG) doing damage to his ex-team, the intensity was up with each side throwing the weight around. Dale Weise was bloodied by Zac Rinaldo in a one-sided scrap. Maybe he should stick to hockey cause he’s shown improvement thus far.

Avery, who duped Simmonds into a silly penalty, was at his best getting underneath the Flyers’ skin and ‘his fans’ booed. Beautiful really. When he plays like that, Sean is a valuable commodity who John Tortorella can insert into the lineup. He’s best used versus rivals (NJD, NYI, Phi, Pit). With Mats Zuccarello again standing out, it looks all but certain Tort has his four lines when they face the Kings a week from Friday before meeting the Ducks the following day. More later.

The Flyers torched our PK for three power play goals with Jagr connecting twice, featuring that deadly one-timer. No.68 looked great, dominating shifts while having no trouble getting open for Claude Giroux or Daniel Briere. Even minus James Van Riemsdyk, Chris Pronger and Scott Hartnell, the Flyer offense was scary. For the Blueshirts, guys competing for spots impressed with Swede Andreas Thuresson (trade with Nashville) and ex-Leaf John Mitchell notching two of the club’s three goals. While Thuresson was reassigned to Connecticut, Mitchell flew with the team to Europe- clearly ahead of pass happy Erik Christensen, who didn’t help himself.

Brian Boyle was terrific winning a faceoff and deflecting home a Dan Girardi right point shot for a tying PPG. He also wore a mic and was seen giving pointers to Thuresson and Mike Del Zotto, who had a strong second that at least emphasized his strengths on the man-advantage. He looks bigger, which can only be a plus. With partner Tim Erixon having a rough game (2 minors) and Mike Sauer nicked up (out 7 days), the third-year blueliner could start the season.

Flyer prospect Matt Read impressed with a nice finish off a no-look Briere feed that Henrik Lundqvist had no chance on. King Henrik went the distance, faring okay despite a shaky D that hung him out to dry. He finished with 26 saves while counterpart Ilya Bryzgalov turned aside 17 of 20, including a two pad stack on Brandon Dubinsky, who otherwise took the night off.

Despite the offense and defensive breakdowns, everyone’s talking about Avery’s accusation which Simmonds didn’t deny. Sean claimed that the same player, who a week ago, had a banana peel tossed at him in Canada, called him a derogatory name. Considering that there was video and it was homophobic, it’s pretty serious.

“That type of comment has no place in the game,” Maple Leaf GM Brian Burke told ESPN.COM. “If that happened, that is just so embarrassing and the league should not tolerate it. That should be treated on the same level as a racially charged incident. It’s the same level of offensiveness and inappropriateness.“

GLAAD (Gay And Lesbian Against Defamation) got in touch with the league today and the Flyers about possible discipline against Simmonds. “Hate speech and anti-gay slurs have no place on the ice rink,” GLAAD President Mike Thompson said. “The word that Simmonds used is the same word that is hurled at LGBT youth on the playground and in our schools, creating a climate of intolerance and hostility. He should not only apologize for this anti-gay outburst, but the Philadelphia Flyers and the NHL have a responsibility to take action and educate their fans about why this word is unacceptable.“

Recently, Avery became an advocate of gay rights and supporting gay marriage.
“It’s an issue,” he said while indicating he didn’t feel he did anything that drew Simmonds’ controversial reaction. “It’s an issue that people are dealing with and trying to overcome and 10 years ago, maybe it wasn’t so much an issue but it’s certainly an issue politically with people in the game. And just in life in general.”

Former Deputy Colin Campbell will review the tape. Hopefully, the league will look make a justified decision. It’s a chance to make Simmonds an example so future incidents are avoided. They must get this one right. 

A couple of days ago over at John’s in South River, our Fantasy Hockey Draft was held. The SRFFFHL (South River Flat Fee Fantasy Hockey League) enters another year with eight participants ready to take aim at the trophy. Yes. There actually is a trophy. My name’s been engraved twice. Ironically, 10 years apart with my second run to the title in ’09-10.

Unfortunately, I sacrificed a plethora amount of picks to edge my brother, Justin and suffered a cruel fate last year. You guessed it. From first to worst. With a better draft, can I recover and go all the way? It’s sure to be competitive. This year’s defending champ John, who also won it all in ’08-09, had a similar downfall before turning it around. That’s the price you pay to win. Early contenders could come from league commish Harry, Jim/AJ and perhaps newcomer Marc, who is the only Devil fan in a Ranger-esque league. Though there always is the entertaining Big One, my best friend Brian, who seems to have taken this Terry Pegula thing $eriously as evidenced by the four Sabres (Tyler Myers, Ville Leino, Tyler Ennis, Nathan Gerbe) on his roster.

So, how does my roster stack up? For starters, it was nice to have most of my picks, including a couple of Bri’s early on which I used to reconstruct one of the worst bluelines. Even though I had the choice of James Wisniewski or Erik Karlsson as part of my five protects, I opted instead to keep Jamie Benn, who should play a pivotal role in Dallas with the departure of Brad Richards. With an emphasis on goaltending, I kept Carey Price and Jimmy Howard while living up to my Centercessssssed mantra by retaining centers Henrik Sedin and John Tavares along with Big Benn, who is shifting to center. If only he qualified. 😛

In past years, I put together an extensive list. However, this time I did it differently by doing a round by round look filled with players on my radar. For the most part, I actually stuck to the script. My main objective was to go heavy on D and scoring wings. However, when Brian kept Cam Ward over Ryan Getzlaf, he was too good to pass up with the first overall pick. Being that I had a second pick, I was hopeful Bobby Ryan would still be there but Patrick scooped him up. Instead, I went for Jarome Iginla, who had a huge second half last year, nearly pushing Calgary into the postseason. Hopefully, the Flames’ all-time franchise scoring leader can have a repeat of the 43-goal, 86-point season he put together.

After grabbing Iginla, I went D back-to-back with Keith Yandle and Duncan Keith. Joining my improved corps is Chris Pronger and newest Shark Brent Burns. Up front, I did a solid job grabbing Benn’s teammates Loui Eriksson and Brenden Morrow while beefing up with Dustin Brown and Centercessssssed fixture Steve Downie. As with Pronger above, I took risks going for Martin Havlat and Jaromir Jagr. Both Czechs are on new rosters and could benefit if things break right. Want youth? Super soph Taylor Hall provides that along with Logan Couture, who joins a strong batch of pivots featuring H. Sedin, Tavares and Getzlaf.

Perhaps the only area I’m concerned with is goalie because I waited till Round 14 to select vet Miikka Kiprusoff. One of the reasons I am skeptical is because in a league that emphasizes GAA and Save Percentage, Kipper isn’t the best choice. However, the Finn should win 35-plus and post a few shutouts. The hope is that Calgary is competitive again and Howard takes the next step with powerful Detroit. If that happens, I should be okay. If not, that’s why there’s 20 Free Agent moves. We’ll see.

Here’s a complete breakdown of my 2011-12 Centercessssssed roster:

G Carey Price
G Jimmy Howard
G Miikka Kiprusoff

D Keith Yandle
D Duncan Keith
D Chris Pronger
D Brent Burns
D Alex Pietrangelo
D Kevin Bieksa
D Kimmo Timonen

C Henrik Sedin
C John Tavares
C Ryan Getzlaf
C Logan Couture
C Jason Spezza
C Zenon Konopka

W Jamie Benn
W Jarome Iginla
W Loui Eriksson
W Dustin Brown
W Steve Downie
W Martin Havlat
W Brenden Morrow
W Jaromir Jagr
W Taylor Hall
W Jakub Voracek

Starter Breakdown

4 C
8 W
6 D
2 G

6 Bench

Total: 26

The worst kept secret is official. Today at a live press conference covered on NHL Network, former Flyer and current Versus analyst Keith Jones announced the obvious to the hockey world. The Winter Classic has become a signature event for hockey. The fifth edition pits the New York Rangers versus old Patrick nemesis Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park on January 2 at 1 ET/10 PT. As usual, the game can be seen on NBC. But really, who won’t be checking out the festivities in HD! That’s the only way to watch this prestigous game.

It really is exciting for the Rangers to finally be part of it. Even as a road participant, it’ll give our young core more exposure against one of its best division rivals in the City Of Brotherly Love. There also will be a Legends Game set for New Year’s Eve two days before the teams take the ice in a unique setting where the Phillies play. The baseball home of the ’08 World Champs becomes the the third ballpark to host the Winter Classic. Last year’s took place at Heinz Field- home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here’s a brief look at the history of the game:

WINTER CLASSIC HISTORY


’08 Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Buffalo Sabres 1 (Crosby shootout winner) at Ralph Wilson Stadium
’09 Detroit Red Wings 6 Chicago Blackhawks 4 at Wrigley Field
’10 Philadelphia Flyers 2 Boston Bruins 1 (OT-Marco Sturm) at Fenway Park
’11 Washington Capitals 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 1 at Heinz Field
’12 New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park

Most notably, the Sabres hosted the inaugural game on New Year’s Day 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium where the Buffalo Bills play. In what can be described as the defining moment of the Classic, Sidney Crosby beat Ryan Miller in a shootout to win an exciting contest while mobbed by teammates as snow fell, creating a magical scene. Seeing our heroes play the game outdoors as many did growing up on ponds is what makes it so special. Enough credit can’t be given to all the people behind the scenes who work so hard to give us such a wonderful game. Without their dedication, it’d never happen. Even commissioner Gary Bettman deserves some due for this marquee game made for network TV.


At today’s conference call, the 26th Ranger captain Ryan Callahan and Brad Richards were present along with Glen Sather and John Tortorella. On the Flyer side, club owner/founder Ed Snider spoke eloquently about how much hockey’s grown in Philadelphia since he started the Flyer franchise in 1967. One of the highlights was when he stated that he never envisioned he’d be standing up at a podium all these years later talking about an outdoor game on a ballfield. Flyer captain Chris Pronger and I believe Claude Giroux were on hand.

Also speaking was Mr. Bettman, who didn’t get booed. Neither did Sather, who was in rare form, deadpanning, “I can’t remember the last time I was at a pep rally in Philadelphia (smiling),” in regards to earlier commentary on the Phillies winning the World Series. “You actually gave me a nice round of applause, so I do appreciate all of you guys down here in the orange uniforms.“

It wouldn’t be Slats without a bit of cockiness as the former architect of five Oilers’ Stanley Cups noted who they beat twice while basically making a guarantee along with some more eye popping commentary that was hilarious.

“We’re proud to play in Philadelphia against the Flyers. They’re a great hockey club. Mr. Snider has been one of the greatest owners I’ve had a chance to be associated with in all the years in hockey. I have nothing but respect for him and his hockey club. But we’re going to come to Philadelphia and we are going to win. I knew I could get a rise out of you sooner or later. That’s more like it (laughter).

It’s a great event. I respect the fans in Philadelphia. I’m sorry that we kicked the hell out of you twice in the Stanley Cup. We’re going to do the same thing on the 2nd. At the end of the year we will be carrying the Cup, just like the Yankees are going to have the World Championship, as well. “

Even if you despise Sather, you gotta admit he has balls. The humor certainly wasn’t lost on Snider, who reminded him that those two Cups came in Edmonton. Not here. And so, the most entertaining exchange in entirety:

ED SNIDER: When he says, We kicked the hell out of you in two Stanley Cups, he wasn’t talking the Rangers. I remember kicking the hell out of the Rangers on the way to our Cups.

GLEN SATHER: It’s nice to see you haven’t lost your edge.

KEITH JONES: We told you it was a rivalry. You can see what happens (laughter).

About the only thing missing was a peptalk from Mickey and the theme from Rocky. If the game’s anything like the press conference, we’re all in for a treat. Regardless of the outcome, it’s tremendous for the sport.

Once again, HBO will run 24/7 with the first episode debuting on Dec.14 at 10 ET with a special encore presentation at 11 ET. Road to the Winter Classic airs on three consecutive Wednesdays starting with 12/21, 12/28 and 1/4 wrapping things up. It will also air at 10 and 11 ET. Considering that our coach Tortorella doesn’t mince words, it should be quite interesting to see if he becomes the star as Washington coach Bruce Boudreau did last year with his team struggling. Hopefully, the Rangers will be playing well heading into it. I’m also curious to see Laviolette and Pronger just to get a better gauge on the Flyers following their overhaul.

I definitely can’t wait for the season to start. Especially after watching NHL Net’s coverage. Preseason is fun just for fans to see players they’re unfamiliar with who are looking to make an impression. I loved how Tortorella afterwards told Kevin Weekes that he was looking forward to tonight’s exhibition against the Flyers and wanting to win it. It just gives you even more perspective into the fire that burns inside our coach.

Rangers face Jagr, Flyers before Europe: Tonight is the final tuneup before the Rangers fly to Europe. Ailing defenseman Marc Staal will not make the initial trip but did practice. It’s hard to see the organization taking any risks with our top defenseman, who still has his best years ahead of him. Considering all the heavy travel due to Part I of the World’s Most Renovated Arena, I see them playing it safe which means we might not see Staal until the October 27 home opener at the earliest. Much depends on how he progresses. Head injuries are so unpredictable. Sidney Crosby hinted that he’s closer to returning to full contact. A great sign for everyone. Hopefully, Staal won’t be out long.

The Rangers and Flyers both will ice lineups close to what we’ll see when ’11-12 kicks off. Jaromir Jagr will play against his former teammates for the first time since he left for the KHL. Catch all the action on MSG at 7 ET.