Battle Of Hudson

The Hudson rivals combined for seven goals in a seesaw affair that featured a scrap between ex-Devil Mike Rupp and Eric Boulton. Boulton was a pest throughout, again emphasizing why Lou Lamoriello signed the ex-Thrasher. He’s always drove our team nuts. Finally, Rupp accepted his challenge and had a decided size edge even though Boulton did a decent job late. That’s the kinda spunky exhibition it was with the physical play ratcheting up in a wild third.

The Devils rallied back from a 3-1 deficit. Jacob Josefson cashed in a Brad Richards turnover and went top shelf on Martin Biron. After having the play taken to them the first half by a Ranger lineup that included Richards, Marian Gaborik, Wojtek Wolski, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan, Ruslan Fedotenko, Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello up front. In particular, Stepan’s line stood out with superb forechecking while the Richy top line looked cohesive. Callahan played with Boyle and Fedotenko, who as predicted, wore Erik Christensen’s former No.26. Feds’ old number since Brad went back from the cool 91 he donned in Big D to his original 19 that he likely wears for Steve Yzerman.

Encouraging for the Devs was the play of hot prospect Adam Henrique, who flourished with Petr Sykora and Mattias Tedenby. Henrique opened the scoring with an early power play goal that showed off his skills- combining with Adam Larsson and Ilya Kovalchuk and then flying into the slot where he pulled off a nifty backhand deke upstairs on Biron. Highlight reel. If there’s one noticeable difference with the Devs, it’s their power play thanks to the point tandem of Larsson and Kovalchuk, who later snapped a perfect pass from the bright Swede that tied it. With the addition of Sykora, who’s shown flashes of his A-Line days, it looks like Lamoriello might’ve struck gold. If the former ’00 Devil Cup hero sticks, that gives them another skilled forward with experience that can create and finish. Who would you rather have on a third line? David Clarkson or Sykora? He played right wing and wouldn’t be a bad choice if Henrique centers Tedenby.

The Blueshirts answered quickly thanks to a nice play by Richards, who took a Gaborik feed and then abused a Devil before centering a pass off Larsson past Martin Brodeur. Before you knew it, a great shift from the Stepan unit saw D-Step roof one over Brodeur’s glove for two in a 81-second span. The Rangers also connected on the power play thanks to another smart decision from Richy Rich. Instead of being fancy, he passed for Callahan in front forcing a juicy rebound that Gaborik cashed. We hope to see more North American style during the season. Simple is better. Callahan did a great job screening. He also had a nice one-time try from the slot prior that Marty gloved.

Though Brodeur could’ve had the Stepan shot, he still made a few sparklers when his younger squad was under siege. At one point, the Blueshirts led in shots 20-8 before the Devils came on late to close the gap. I think the final totals were 31-26. Confirmed. Nice to see my memory still works. 😛 Brodeur went the distance in his debut making 27 saves while Biron permitted three on 13 shots before Chad Johnson turned aside the remaining 10 before getting reassigned today with Cam Talbot to Connecticut.

The Devils had an apparent tying goal waived off after Kovakchuk redirected a Larsson shot past Ocho Cinco. Palmieri was called for goalie interference. Though it looked more incidental which still would’ve disallowed the goal even though Ilya vehemently protested.

Here are last night’s rosters:

NYR F: Boyle, Callahan, Fedotenko, Gaborik, Hagelin, Newbury, Richards, Rupp, Stepan, Weise, Wolski, Zuccarello

D: Bell, Del Zotto, Erixon, McDonagh, Sauer, Valentenko

NJD F: Boulton, Henrique, Josefson, Kovalchuk, Mills, Palmieri, Pelley, Sestito, Steckel, Sykora, Tedenby, Zharkov

D: Fayne, Greene, Larsson, Salvador, Taormina, Volchenkov

Reflecting back, it was a ferocious hit near the end of the second period. At the time, nothing was made of it. Funny how things turn out. While the Pens foolishly brought Sidney Crosby back too soon from his first concussion only to see their captain suffer a second on a Victor Hedman check from behind, the Rangers kept and Staal kept his under wraps. Instead, the former ’05 first round pick sat out three games for a knee injury and missed two more down the stretch for unspecified reasons. The club’s top blueliner played 20 more games, including all five alongside overlooked partner Dan Girardi in another physical showdown with Alex Ovechkin. Perhaps that explains a couple of hiccups that led to two Washington goals in Game One.

Nobody can question Staal’s toughness. His willingness to compete is commendable. Especially without Ryan Callahan. However, where was last year’s team going even if everyone was healthy? In hindsight, it probably made better sense to rest the kid from Thunder Bay with an eye towards the future. At 24, he’s entering his fifth year. Following career highs in assists (22), points (29), power play goals (4), and shorthanded goals (2), expectations have increased for the budding shutdown defenseman. However, with Staal unable to participate in full body contact drills and still having lingering effects (headaches), the Rangers are being cautious. It’s unlikely he’ll fly to Europe for the season’s start. Like Crosby, he’ll continue to practice on his own and rest.

Could all this have been avoided if the club was more careful? When it comes to head injuries, nothing’s minor. You’re entering the unknown. Some athletes recover better while others need more time. With the news not encouraging, the Blueshirts very might be without their D anchor for October. If that’s the difference between health and risk, the organization is better off long-term. Sure. With Brad Richards’ arrival, most Garden Faithful can’t wait for the season to begin. Count us in. Regardless, it’ll still be a challenge in an improved East just to reach the postseason. If that means Staal sits and we miss, it’s for the best. You don’t toy around with a player’s future. We’ve seen some sad cases of great talent (Lafontaine, Lindros, Kariya, Stevens) who were never the same. While all the hoopla has been over Crosby, the Blues’ David Perron still hasn’t been medically cleared to practice a year later- only emphasizing how scary head injuries are.

There’s no magic potion. With Staal, the Rangers must hope he has a full recovery and returns up to speed. They won’t rush him. What that means for their season is very much up in the air. Staal is part of a strong core (Girardi, Dubinsky, Callahan, Anisimov, Lundqvist) that want to take the next step as a team. Richards’ addition should aid Marian Gaborik. There’s also the anticipation of sophomores Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer while fans are optimistic about Tim Erixon. Subtract Staal and expectations decrease. The Rangers don’t exactly boast a lot of talent. Defense is still the team’s biggest strength. Take out our top minute logger who’s a superb penalty killer and it throws everything out of wack. Do we really want Mike Del Zotto and Steve Eminger both playing if Erixon is sent down? The team is said to have interest in ex-Ranger Paul Mara, who knows the system. That would be just a stop gap.

Nobody knows how long Staal will be out. That’s the unpredictable nature of the human brain. For now, it’s keep your fingers crossed after Halloween. No tricking or treating about it.

Goals were scored by Petr Sykora (remember me???), Dale Weise and finally Patrik Elias, who cashed the OT winner off a dreadful Steve Eminger turnover. For the most part, New Jersey dictated play due to a stronger crop up front led by former A-Line members Elias and Sykora, who thus far has looked good in his tryout. It certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if he made the cut and got to play with his Czech pal and perhaps a healthy Zach Parise on a first line B. If Ilya Kovalchuk plays on the top line with Dainius Zubrus and Kyle Palmeiri, it’s not like there’s much of a drop off. Kovalchuk also took part, getting robbed by Cam Talbot, who flashed some leather. More on him in a bit.

The Devils outshot the Rangers by a wide margin (42-21). With rookie Adam Larsson also debuting to oohs and ahhs, Pete Deboer had to like what he saw. The No.4 overall pick is as advertised. A smooth skating D who is a good passer with a nice shot- showing poise when he was on the power play, including a nifty set up for Sykora’s marker. You can tell that pro experience back home has aided the mature Swede, who paired up alongside Henrik Tallinder. While he did get pushed off the puck by an aggressive Weise leading to the tying goal late in regulation, there was a bit of a mix up with Tallinder and Sykora botching the coverage. Artem Anisimov made a good play, using his strength to find Weise for the equalizer past backup Jeff Frazee.

Most encouraging for the black and red was Parise, who was flying all night. It was intercept of a poor Eminger pass off the mark for intended target Weise, that led to Elias’ winner. Zach Attack simply passed for the Devils’ all-time leading scorer, who neatly deflected it home in the first minute of OT. The Devs should benefit greatly from Parise, who always seems to be in the right place. In his walk year fully recovered, he should be dynamite. The Devils also were encouraged by Union College product Keith Kincaid, who blanked the Rangers before Frazee took over. He was fine but only faced 10 shots due to a lineup mostly comprised of kids, including top pick J.T. Miller, Christian Thomas, Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin, Shane McColgan and ’10 first rounder Dylan McIlrath, who fared better than in last week’s prospect tournament. Tim Erixon also took part, again not damaging his chances. Ironically, he faced former Swede ‘mate Larsson with both demonstrating why scouts like each. I particularly enjoy Erixon’s poise, which is similar to Larsson. Perhaps the Rangers stole him from Calgary with Roman Horak going the other way.

-There were fisticuffs with behemoth Andre Deveaux going after David Clarkson at the end of a shift, earning 17 penalty minutes for instigating with the smaller Devil, who doesn’t back down from anyone. Sure. Deveaux gets the edge but only due to his size. In another scrap, gritty Brad Mills got the better of Weise with a unanimous decision. Mills hustled all game, providing energy for the Albany hosts- also turning in exceptional PK work.

-Erik Christensen has been put on notice already, not even wearing his No.26 which maybe going to Ruslan Fedotenko following Brad Richards’ arrival. Christy didn’t exactly standout. Sean Avery, who’s no lock to make it, was okay. John Tortorella was pleased even though you hardly noticed him. The Rangers didn’t attack much but picked up their forecheck in a more competitive third.

-The MSG broadcast included Chico Resch to the already annoying Joe Micheletti and voice of reason, Sam Rosen. While Chico went gaga over Kincaid, Michidiot kept trying to get his attention following a couple of sparklers from Talbot, who was more impressive due to quality of shots. His takeaway of Kovalchuk’s high rocket made it look easy. There was absolutely no chemistry between the Odd Couple. I guess it was expected. The rivalry won’t be the same without Doc Emrick, who at least we’ll see on Versus/NBC.

-They showed a new rule to help determine goals with a green line added behind the goal line. It only confused me more. I guess I just prefer one stinkin’ line. Sometimes, this league overdoes it. Though this was Brendan Shanahan’s concoction. Hopefully, it will work. Kudos to Shanny for fully explaining Jody Shelley’s 10-game suspension, including the first five regular season games after foolishly boarding Darryl Boyce during last night’s Flyers-Leafs match. I like how he stated that Shelley had time to slow up and was a two-time repeat offender. Excellent stuff. He also explained a four-game ban for former Devil Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, including the Flames’ season opener following an incident with Vancouver’s Matt Clackson, who cameback to win an entertaining scrap between the two.

-Some other players of note who played Wednesday:

Devils-Anton Volchenkov, Jacob Josefson, Eric Boulton, Anton Stralman, Cam Janssen, Steve Bernier

Rangers-Brandon Dubinsky, Dan Girardi, Henrik Lundqvist, Mike Del Zotto

-Del Zotto was shaky getting taken off the puck by Mills, who got a shorthanded chance out of hustle.

-Lundqvist was sharp, only permitting Sykora’s PPG. He finished with 16 saves.

-Girardi and McIlrath were the team’s best blueliners with each making solid plays in their end. Dylan blocked a couple of shots, threw a nice check and played poised.

-Janssen struggled throughout and didn’t go. Signed teammate Boulton was a pest.

-Stralman, who had stints with Toronto, Columbus and Calgary, was active and did a nice job jumping in. He definitely should be on an NHL roster.

-The rematch tomorrow should see Martin Brodeur debut while Mike Rupp does the same for the Blueshirts.  Game time is 7 ET and MSG will have it.

“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.“

Playing their fourth game over five days, the Ranger prospects coached by a determined Ken Gernander certainly gave it their best, rallying from a two-goal deficit thanks to goals from 2011 first round pick J.T. Miller and they’re most consistent forward, Ryan Bourque. Miller put away a Carl Hagelin feed in the slot that got them back in it despite Sabre dominance mostly on the strength of big line Luke Adam, Zach Kassian and Marcus Ruutu. That line combined for six points, including Adam’s early power play tally followed by Ruutu’s sweet finish off a Kassian set up.

The trio took advantage of a turnover that allowed Kassian to find an unchecked Ruutu 10 feet away for a quick shot that beat Ranger goalie Scott Stajcer for a two-goal lead. However, the Blueshirts replied back 19 seconds later thanks to some nice work from Hagelin in the corner, allowing Miller to cash in. After a stern talking to from Gernander who was displeased with their lack of discipline, the club cameback with a strong middle stanza. Similar to their struggles in the first, the Sabres hurt themselves with a lazy turnover resulting in Bourque’s equalizer. Thanks to great pressure from Christian Thomas, the son of former NHLer Steve Thomas intercepted the puck and then got the puck to Bourque, who buried his fourth past Nathan Lieuwen.

Dylan McIlrath, who captained the Rangers- nearly put them ahead with a strong move to the net but his backhand try slipped wide. The ’10 No.1 pick was alright during the tournament but definitely still needs work. Another year of juniors should help. He did use his size during a few instances, throwing some good checks and challenging when needed. He also showed off underrated passing skills, finding teammates for chances. The skating and decision making can still improve as evidenced by a pinch that forced him to take a penalty in the third.

Jason Wilson lost a scrap to Buffalo’s Corey Tropp, who seemed to enjoy the festivities. Ironically, Tropp notched the winner 78 seconds into the final stanza thanks to a nice set up from Jonathan Parker. The Sabres then played steady D, limiting the Rangers to the perimeter, allowing Lieuwen (21 saves) to see everything. Gernander emphasized taking 10-15 shots but his troops couldn’t break the Sabre D. Eventually, they took chances that led to Stajcer getting victimized with Daniel Catenacci beating the netminder on a clean breakaway, backhand five-hole. A move I called. The sweet finish came with five minutes remaining. Kassian put the icing on the cake with 2:13 left.

Finally, the clock wound down and the Sabres celebrated a well deserved victory. Both teams shook hands before the winners took a nice photo with their trophy. Buffalo replaced Tampa Bay, who didn’t participate this year- opting to stay close to home with rival Florida.

POSITIVES

-Tim Erixon stood out on defense, making a lot of good reads while also contributing offensively. He’s not expected to provide a ton of offense like now project Mike Del Zotto but it’s the Swede’s uncanny ability to be in the right positive defensively that has Ranger management excited. In a game they gave up a tourney high five goals, Erixon managed an Even rating while teaming with McIlrath, who finished plus-one. Erixon definitely will compete for a job with Del Zotto in camp that began today.

-As noted above, Bourque was Mr. Consistency throughout- notching a shorthanded goal while outworking opponents. A small guy who’s unfairly viewed by many fans who don’t pay attention, Bourque could be another gem who overachieves. He’s sound overall and uses his speed effectively. Another short kid with a big heart.

-Hagelin impressed, demonstrating what four years at college can do for an afterthought. There’s a lot to like here. Perhaps we’ll see the Swede sometime soon.

-Of all the guys, Shane McColgan was the biggest surprise, showing off tons of grit and speed. He was willing to get dirty, scoring both his goals from in tight while providing energy and even standing up for a teammate. Looks like a character player Garden Faithful will be rooting for.

-Both Miller (2 goals) and Thomas (1-4-5) showed flashes of why they are highly regarded. Each possess speed and playmaking abilities. In particular, Thomas was really strong at finding open ‘mates. Both are slippery and look like fun prospects who could be heard from.

–Randy McNaught provided a lift physically, even going in a 5-2 win over the Blues while also notching a goal.

–Jonathan Audy-Marchessault was a revelation offensively (2-3-5) but needs work in his end.

NEGATIVES

–Jyri Niemi struggled badly, often caught out of position. One such poor read led to a goal against versus Buffalo.

-Niemi wasn’t alone with Blake Parlett lost defensively in spite of five helpers. He has a good shot from the point but must improve in other facets.

–Sam Noreau and Kale Kerbashian were pretty blah.

-Of the two netminders, Stajcer’s considered the better prospect but was beaten easily a few times. It wasn’t all his fault with plenty of breakdowns. He needs to work on challenging shooters. Especially on breakaways where he was beaten twice in the third by Catenacci and Kassian. It wasn’t all bad for Staj, who made a couple of nice sprawling saves that allowed his team to get back in it.

-I didn’t see enough of Jason Missiaen, who went 1-1 in his two starts.

Overall, it was a chance for the hockey community to get a closer look at their teams’ prospects. One of the cooler aspects was the interactive questions used via Twitter by John Giannone and Dave Maloney, who asked guests such as Adam Graves, Mark Messier, John Davidson, Darcy Regier, Ken Holland, etc. quite a few. It was nice to see some familiar faces in Tweepland getting through!

All in all, a great tournament well put together and outstanding job by MSG, who when they really cover something, always go the extra mile. Kudos to the entire production crew for all their hard work and dedication.

“Ryan Callahan embodies all the leadership qualities we seek from our Captain,” Ranger Team President and GM Glen Sather said.  “He leads by example with courage and a tireless work ethic on and off the ice, which is why he is so deserving of this honor.“

Joining Cally as alternates are defenseman Marc Staal and much publicized new No.1 pivot Brad Richards. Staal had an ‘A’ last year while Richy Rich commands respect as a former Cup winner, who teamed with coach John Tortorella in Tampa. Most reaction was positive with everyone thrilled for our do everything forward who leads by example on and off the ice. Well deserved for ‘C’allahan, who registered career highs with 23 goals, 25 assists, 48 points while pacing the club with 10 power play goals and five game-winners despite missing 22 games. A former ’04 fourth round selection, the Rochester native is the classic overachiever who does everything well. It’s not about stats with Cally but much like recently retired former captain Chris Drury, intangibles. To borrow a phrase from WFAN Ranger talkie Steve Somers:

Whether it’s diving in front of a dangerous shot for one of his many blocks or dishing out the punishment with a thunderous check despite his 5-10, 190 frame, Ryan exemplifies what it means to be a Ranger. The kind of gritty, in your face, hard working guy who New York City identifies with. Even if you despise the Blueshirts as our rival blogger does, there’s a level of respect for how Callahan plays the game. His effort along with Drury’s helped Team USA to a silver medal at the 2010 Games in Vancouver. There’s no doubt that this is the right choice for a still young nucleus that boasts home grown products Brandon Dubinsky, Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov, Henrik Lundqvist, Staal, Dan Girardi and Mike Sauer, going forward. With a core that includes key pieces Ryan McDonagh, Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust along with Richards and Marian Gaborik, Garden Faithful are looking forward to the season.

Some wondered why Dubinsky was passed over for the other ‘A,’ that was given to a player who’s never played for us before. However, I don’t think anyone would argue that an experienced player like Richards is a bad choice. He not only won Lord Stanley but was the Conn Smythe winner during the ’03-04 Lightning’s run to the Cup- posting 12 goals, 14 helpers and 26 points. At 31, the former ’98 third round pick who wasn’t taken until 64th, has plenty to prove in the Big Apple. He’s not just here for show but to try to help lead the Rangers into serious contention. Something we haven’t seen since ’94 hero Mark Messier teamed with Wayne Gretzky, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, Adam Graves and Jeff Beukeboom– making a surprising run to the Conference Final before being overwhelmed by the Legion Of Doom.

Since ’07-08 when he was dealt to the Stars for a package that included Mike Smith and Jussi Jokinen, Richards has only seen the postseason that same year when he helped get Dallas to the Conference Final, tallying 15 points (3-12-15 in 18 GP). Despite putting together back-to-back big seasons averaging 26 goals, 58 assists and 84 points, it still wasn’t enough to get the Stars into the playoffs where they weren’t helped by the competition. With uncertainty surrounding the franchise, Richards bolted for Manhattan. If you’ve seen the promo, then you know what lies ahead. All eyes will be on him like never before. Can he revive Gaborik, who is mourning the loss of close friend Pavol Demitra? Is he the right fit? He’ll start with an ‘A’ while last year’s leading scorer Dubinsky tries to live up to a new contract. So must Callahan.

It won’t be easy. Not in a conference that boasts defending champ Boston, Richards’ ex-team, the Ovi Caps, the revamped Flyers, improved Sabres and Pens, who hope to have Sidney Crosby back at some point. The East is getting better with the Habs, Canes, Devils and Leafs all expected to be in the mix while a rebuilding Islander club boasts great potential. You never can tell when another team will emerge. In this league, much can change year to year. Expectations are up. Now, it’s up to the Rangers’ 26th captain and the rest of his teammates to prove they’re ready for a new challenge. Let’s drop the puck already!

“I think it has something to do with the job. Absolutely,” Janssen told James O’Brien in an NBC sports feature on depression. “People look at the fame and the money part of pro athletes and they don’t understand how hard and stressful it can be. Listen, I have the absolute coolest job in the world, but it’s also one of the most stressful jobs in the world, too.

“If you look at me, talk to me and see me every day, you’d say, ‘This kid has absolutely no depression.’ But everybody has depression. Some have it more than others. It’s how you deal with it. You can feel sorry for yourself, lock yourself in your room all day and kind of crawl into a hole and deal with it that way. Or you can go out and get something accomplished, work out and do the right things to get over it. There are different ways of coping with depression.”

Fedoruk, who once was laid out by a Colton Orr right during a Flyers/Rangers game on NBC- has battled his own demons. The vet’s being given a tryout with the Canucks but recently discussed his struggle with The Province’s Tony Gallagher.

“Depression is a disease of the mind and if you haven’t experienced it, a lot of people don’t feel it’s real. It is. And it needs to be dealt with because it’s a disease of the mind, body and spirit. You need help. Alcohol is a depressant and I only know about this because I’ve screwed up so many times trying to beat it by myself.

“If I wasn’t feeling good I used alcohol to feel the way I wanted to feel. If it was there, I was using it. I used it to go from A to B, but it’s A you have to deal with.“

Sometimes, pride can get in the way of admission. In a sport where a majority of the audience supports their fighters for the tough role they play protecting teammates, perhaps the perception keeps them from coming clean.

“You’re conditioned not to show weakness at any time, and that’s the way you think,” added Fedoruk. “You go out and you get punched in the face for a living and we’ve all taken those punches, so you’re thinking, ‘What does feeling sad for a day or so matter? If I can handle punches in the face I can certainly handle a bad mood. I can get through this, no problem, if I can get through those guys.’

“You never want to show weakness, but that’s not the way it’s beaten. I know because I’ve fought it so many times and lost. You have to surrender to it first to win.

To hear Laraque on the issue, he sounds off an even bigger alarm about life after hockey.

“This job is so hard, physically and mentally,” Laraque told the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. “You can go to a movie theatre the night before a game and you’re thinking of the fight you’re going to get into the next day.

“Like, you have to fight Boogaard. Then that game’s over and it’s like, ‘OK, I have to fight Jody Shelley.’ After that it’s Brian McGrattan. You try not to think about it, but you start with the drugs or the alcohol and that creates the problem,” Laraque continued.

“And, when you retire, most of the tough guys aren’t set (for life). You don’t make a lot of money as a fighter, so they’re thinking ‘OK, now what do I do?’ So they go back to drugs and alcohol. There’s no options.

While Boogaard lost a bout with an addiction to painkillers, Rypien fought depression. Of the three deaths, Belak’s has drawn the most reaction. The vet had recently hung up the skates and was set to compete on Battle of the Blades.

“The thing with Belak that’s hard to understand is he was going to be on Battle of the Blades (a TV figure skating show). After the first day of practice, he was talking about his daughter, and he seemed pretty happy. He didn’t have any drug or alcohol problem. It doesn’t make sense. We don’t know what caused this. He had a job waiting in Nashville in broadcasting,“ a startled Laraque said.

“But we’ve talked about Boogie and Rypien and now Belak. Before that it was Probie (Bob Probert) dying. All fighters. On top of the people who’ve died, we could talk about all the other guys who’ve had trouble with alcohol or drugs, but they’re not dead yet.”

“I was very upset when I heard that Wade had died,” former Ranger Jason Strudwick admitted. “He was full of life, and today he’s not with us anymore. He was a tough guy, but we used to hang out. He was fun guy, he had a great spirit.

As a league and players association, we have to offer more support somehow. I don’t know what that would entail, but we have to do it.”
With camps a few days away from opening, it will be harder for players to focus more than ever. How they cope with the loss of friends and foes will be extremely important. Combined with the terrible KHL tragedy that took the lives of almost the entire Lokomotiv roster, including ex-Rangers Alexander Karpovtsev and former property Jan Marek, former Devil Alexander Vasyunov and one-time Islander Josef Vasicek, the NHL must ensure that everyone has plenty of outlets. Everyone handles death differently. Whether it’s a close relationship like the one current Ranger Marian Gaborik shared with former Slovakian hero Pavol Demitra or ties that bond like ex-’94 Cup hero Karpovtsev, this season will be more challenging than any other.

With the Ten Year Anniversary of 9/11 this Sunday, the Rangers visited FDNY firehouses, paying tribute. There is much to mourn. The games will go on. But how we remember those lost shall live on.

The awful tragedy occured around 4 PM in Russia, devastating the KHL and hockey. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl were traveling to Minsk for their first regular season match against Dynamo Minsk when the Yak-42 crashed on the Volga river. Weather conditions weren’t an issue for a plane that’s been in existence since 1993. It was carrying 37 passengers and eight crew. Of the 45, only two survived including player Alexander Galimov, according to officials.

Lokomotiv, a three-time Russian League champion, included former NHLers Pavol Demitra, Karel Rachunek, Josef Vasicek, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins and new coach Brad McCrimmon, who spent 18 years in the NHL. He recently was a former assistant of the Red Wings. Former Swedish netminder Stefan Liv also was on the team.

According to resident Gina Pryakhova, who witnessed the horrifying plane crash, it was in bad shape. A chaotic scene saw rescuers pull bodies out of the Volga River as tons of police rushed to Tunazhna- a nearby village.

“It was wobbling in flight, it was clear that something was wrong,” said Pryakhova. “It went down behind the trees and there was a bang and a plume of smoke.”

“I saw them pulling bodies to the shore, some still in their seats with seatbelts on.”

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent his transport minister to the site.

“We will do our best to ensure that hockey in Yaroslavl does not die, and that it continues to live for the people that were on that plane,” said former hockey legend and current Russian Ice Hockey Federation president Vladislav Tretyak.