Battle Of Hudson

At times, Martin Brodeur can say too much. That was exactly the case the other day in regards to losing. A term the future Hall Of Fame Devil netminder is unfamiliar with. Unless you count the Devils’ being eliminated by the Senators on the final day of the season back in ’95-96 which kept them from defending the Cup, Brodeur has never known the feeling of missing the playoffs.

The all-time leader in wins and shutouts is a winner who’s accomplished everything this game has to offer. Winner of three Stanley Cups, Olympic Gold and the Vezina awarded to the game’s top goalie, he certainly has a lot of pull with the media. A friendly person by nature, he’ll always weigh in on any issue. The man for who those silly lines were painted behind the net restricting him and other effective puckmoving types like Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury, is a good source when you want to know what can be done better to improve the game.

In what’s been a tumultuous season uncommon to MB30 and a few of his Devil teammates such as Patrik Elias, Colin White, injured Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, the once proud franchise sits in last place with their 37 points trailing Edmonton by one and the Islanders by two. Despite playing much better lately winners of seven of nine including a 2-1 triumph over Ottawa, the Devils bring a 17-30-3 record into the latest Battle of Hudson installment against the Rangers at MSG. Perhaps because of the unenviable position he finds his team in, Brodeur felt obligated to speak about the differences between the two franchises.

‎”We don’t like not making the playoffs,” Brodeur told NJ.com Wednesday. “It hasn’t happened a lot, but (the Rangers) have been through seven years in a row not making the playoffs. We feel fortunate. We had a great run. This has been a …difficult season but those guys, seven times in a row. That’s tough. I just can’t imagine that.”

While it’s true that the Rangers endured a brutal stretch spanning nearly a decade, why is the past relevant to where the bitter rivals currently are? Entering tonight’s match, the seventh seeded Blueshirts boast a 29-20-4 mark with 62 points- 25 more than Brodeur’s club. Gone are those chaotic days when the club couldn’t get out of its own way. With last year’s exception that saw an inferior Ranger outfit miss the postseason by a point thanks to a shootout loss to Cup finalist Philadelphia, who promptly bounced the Devils out, the Blueshirts have made the playoffs four out of five seasons since the lockout. Something even the all-time great can’t ignore.

“If you miss it by 20 points or miss it by one point, you don’t have a chance to win the Stanley Cup,” Brodeur pointed out. “The first thing is to make it and right now they’re making it.“

Correct. Missing by a point last Spring sucked. Especially losing to the hated Flyers with Brian Boucher of all people besting Henrik Lundqvist in the skill competition. True enough, Philly had better shooters. When you’re relying on Olli Joke-in-en to keep your season alive, you’re screwed. And so, another desperate Ranger push fell short deservedly so even if the shootout is a lousy way to decide such important points. Just ask all the teams Edmonton beat back in ’05-06, coming within a game of beating the Hurricanes for Lord Stanley.

For Brodeur who’ll soon have to make an important decision on his future, it’s got to kill him that his team put themselves behind the eight ball. Unable to string any kind of consistent effort that resembled their team mantra, a good man John MacLean lost his job with Jacques Lemaire returning one final time to at least save face. Ironically, their much more inspired play coincided with the trade of former captain and ’03 Cup hero Jamie Langenbrunner who gets to compete for another with his former team in icy cold Dallas. Home of the Super Bowl. Is it a bit strange that they’re suddenly playing more like the team we’ve grown accustomed to? Just by how they pushed the Rangers the last time before the New Year demonstrated that the Devils wouldn’t be an easy game anymore. Pride has been restored.

What we don’t get is why Brodeur felt obligated to speak about a team he loathes. He’s always commanded the spotlight. Playing in the Garden State hasn’t always been easy. Had the Devils been located in Manhattan, they’d build a statue for him. That’s how great he’s been. That doesn’t mean it’s cool to take subtle shots at the close Hudson rival. Something he’s done throughout his career. Do you ever hear a peep out of nemesis Lundqvist? Only praise when it comes to the opposite No.30 who he has the utmost respect for.

Brodeur is right about one thing. He’s been fortunate to play for a good organization that made winning a priority. For that, he should be grateful. However, a little friendly advice to Marty. Stick to your team. You know plenty of Garden Faithful will let him know about it tonight. Get your popcorn ready!

Sometimes, the game of hockey is quite simple. In the playoffs, it usually comes down to goaltending. In Tuesday’s case between a pair of All-Stars, Marc-Andre Fleury was better than Henrik Lundqvist. The Cup winner bested the gold medalist with Fleury making 26 saves and going seven-of-seven in the Pens’ 4-3 shootout win over the Rangers.

Alright. Say this a few times. The Blueshirts have won 12 of 26 games at Madison Square Garden. Save us the Bettman substandard record of 12-11-3. Our team is really two games under .500 at home which simply is unacceptable. I get that this team gives it all they got every night. I also realize that for whatever reason, they’re far more comfortable winning on the road where they’ve gone 17-10 (17-9-1), translating to Road Warriors. Ah. I do love using the name of arguably the greatest tag team in wrestling. God bless Hawk. It’s fine that John Tortorella’s club wins more away from MSG. But at the same time, at some point they better turn The Garden into a home ice advantage instead of home ice disadvantage. There’s still 16 games left on 33rd and Seventh including tomorrow’s grudge match against the revamped Devils. They better get it together soon.

So, how in a game where six combined goals was Fleury the difference? If you saw the goals our team scored compared to the softies Lundqvist let in, it was obvious. For some reason, he just wasn’t sharp fumbling rebounds even in the first where our team led thanks to a Brandon Prust tap-in set up by Brian Boyle and Wojtek Wolski. Our team built a two-goal lead early in frame two when Artem Anisimov did something- batting the puck out of mid-air to notch his 11th from Brandon Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik. With Dubi back along with third goalscorer Ryan Callahan, our lineup looked decent considering it was their first games. I really liked how Dubinsky meshed with Anisimov and Gaborik. Hopefully, Tort will keep them together. Callahan played with Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello, who took turns with an effective Wolski.

The fourth line was anchored by Chris Drury who worked with recently demoted Kris Newbury and Sean Avery. I thought they played well forechecking effectively. Newbury may have racked up 32 penalty minutes in his time here but he played with energy and mixed it up. Sure. A few of his penalties were undisciplined and probably explains why he’s been an AHLer. But he worked hard and fit in. Kudos to Ken Gernander and the rest of the Connecticut Whale staff. As for Drury who most figure could be the odd man out when or if Vinny Prospal returns, the captain acquitted himself well putting together a couple of inspired penalty killing shifts. For a guy who gets killed due to his hefty salary, Dru always gives effort. It’s a shame that his body has broken down and he’s likely done after this year regardless of the contract having another year remaining. I’ve seen tweeps ask for him to be stripped of the ‘C.’ But that would be detrimental to the team. I don’t think outsiders realize his importance in the locker room. Intangibles can never be underestimated. It would’ve been nice if Dru had beaten Fleury with a great try that the Pitt netminder gloved for one of his best saves.

As for Boyle and Prust, Batman and Robin did their thing combining on a goal while playing solid all around hockey that we’ve come to expect. I guess Wolski will stick with them as I feel MZA is a better fit with D-Step and Cally. Aside from Callahan’s tying tally with 12 ticks left in the second, the power play stunk. Michael Del Zotto was again shaky despite setting up Cally’s redirect. He also failed to take Ranger killer Mike Rupp on the Pens’ second goal- an awful rebound by Lundqvist on a routine Max Talbot shot. Honestly, he could’ve had all three, including rookie Dustin Jeffrey’s unscreened one-timer for a Pens’ power play goal that gave them life. In a word, deflating. No wonder the Pens soon tied it and then surged ahead on a similar play off a faceoff after Tortorella burned a timeout. Yes. Chris Kunitz tipped home Zbynek Michalek’s blast but there again seemed to be enough time for our two-time All-Star to stop it.

Predictably, Lundqvist took no heat afterwards in a game we should’ve come out with two points in. What do these media people do during games? Yawn when Henrik allows clunkers similar to Martin St. Louis’ in the All-Star Game?!?! Lundqvist has had a great season and I’m not trying to take away from it which includes seven shutouts. However, there are instances where he lets in goals that mystify. For a man praised for consistency, you expect him to make those saves. Especially in a game where Jordan Staal punched Prust following an elbow, earning a major late in the second ending his night. For how Tort felt about his team’s game being good for the first game back, it sure seemed like the Pens were hungrier to the puck. They won most of the battles. In effect, they out-Rangered us without Crosby and Malkin.

Yes, our team dominated the third and overtime outshooting Pittsburgh 13-4 but Fleury wouldn’t have any of it. Aside from Zuccarello trying to go five-hole which nearly worked, it was little shock that Fleury didn’t allow one shot in the seven round skill comp to beat him. He wasn’t losing it. When Lundqvist made the first move against unlikely hero Jeffrey who went five-hole in Round Seven, it was over. Especially when Gaborik was sent out. He simply isn’t good at shootouts. So, Fleury easily padded away his feeble attempt and the Pens had the deserved extra point on a night their goalie was better.

Cookeing Up A Storm: Before I close the book on the other day, one thought on the Pens. Particularly Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke. These two constantly swing their sticks, which is potentially dangerous. While I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to Kennedy who at least attempts to play an honest game most of the time, there’s no love lost over Cooke. A man who continually gets away with garbage and never has to pay the price. At the opening faceoff of the second, he tried to goad Prust into a penalty simply because he chickened out of a fight. A low move typifying what this guy is about. Then, there was a shift where he chased Gaborik around looking to go low on him with the puck nowhere in the vicinity. To top it off, there he was running his mouth looking to instigate stuff at the end of the period with Boyle having none of it. This guy is a flat out embarrassment to the game of hockey and makes Avery look like a Lady Byng candidate. Yeah. I know Sean’s no angel but he’ll never look to hit someone cheap or take it to the level Cooke does. Isn’t it about time someone puts this guy through the glass? The day can’t come fast enough.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brandon Prust, NYR (8th of season, fight vs Deryk Engelland-draw)
2nd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (26 saves incl.7/7 in shootout)
1st Star-Dustin Jeffrey, Pit (PPG, shootout winner in Rd.7)

Even the Devils’ 2-1 win against Ottawa isn’t enough to lift the latest dark cloud hanging over the franchise – and no I’m not talking about the dopey icestorm that kept me and thousands home as no-shows for the game tonight, just the latest weather disaster in the Northeast this winter.

After a tranquil five days between Devil games, a bombshell was dropped on Devils Nation early this morning with the news that the team is now being put on the market. First reported by Bloomberg News, the initial story appeared to have been somewhat clarified by Jeff Vanderbeek‘s statement that his partner ‘Brick City Hockey’ (headed by minority owners Mike Gilfillan and Ray Chambers) didn’t share his vision of the franchise and was putting their share of the team up for sale but that he expected to maintain a controlling interest.

Later reports have clouded the picture again though, with speculation that the minority owners can, in fact initiate a sale of the whole team and the Prudential Center arena. If you believe the Post, Vanderbeek only owns 30% of the Devils (if you have enough partners, that could still be enough to own a majority but not enough to ensure the others won’t eventually buy you out of control), other reports have his stake at the team at 50%, with Chambers, Gilfillan and co-owner Peter Simon – who won’t be selling his interest – splitting the rest of the team. If there really is instability with the team, that could further complicate the efforts to give Zach Parise a long-term deal this offseason, among other consequences of whatever nonsense is going to come of this latest spectacle in the days, weeks and months.

Vanderbeek can protest all he wants that nothing’s going to change but in the span of a week I’ve now seen two of my teams be put up for sale and have been doubly lied to. That’s a pretty bizarre coincidence, though the Devils’ problems seem to be coming from left field even more than the Mets. If the Devils were in such dire straits, why exactly did we spend nearly $200 million aggregate in salaries this offseason between the contracts of Ilya Kovalchuk, Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov and trading for Jason Arnott? Is one bad season at the box office enough to get half of ownership to cry wolf or are they just looking for a profit now that the team’s value has peaked?

At the very least, clearly we haven’t been told everything about Vanderbeek’s agreement with his partners, just like the Mets admitted nothing to us about how Bernie Madoff would affect the team. The shame of it is, Vanderbeek looked like he came straight from central casting as an owner who is a legitimate fan and kept involved on a day-to-day basis with the team and the fans PR-wise but didn’t micromanage the hockey operation a la a Dan Snyder with the Redskins. Although he hasn’t admitted he’s looking to sell yet, his former firm at Lehman Brothers also took a huge hit during the recession but until now money certainly hasn’t been an issue with the team. Who knows if we’ll be as lucky with the next guy or group that comes in, since either way this looks like the beginning of the end of Vanderbeek being the face of the franchise.

It’s too bad that whatever happens in the last 32 games, this will now loom over the rest of the season and the offseason. We really can’t get a break from contreversy, between the Jamie Langenbrunner insubordination towards Jacques Lemaire last year to the Kovalchuk nonsense this offseason and Johnny MacLean‘s ill-fated tenure as coach, probably the worst stint as a coach ever in the NHL since it was so short and a spectacular failure. This is just more nonsense to add onto the pile.

About the only good thing you could say for today is the team won, and played fairly well if a bit uninspired at times against a subpar Ottawa team playing another goalie I never heard of (19-year old Robin Lehner). Of course, the 2009 second-round pick gave us headaches for most of the night – as have most goalies this year – stopping 31 shots, 24 of them in the first two periods with only Nick Palmeri beating him in the first minute of the second period. At least one of our rookie forwards is playing well – Palmeri has four goals in his first eleven games – of course that rookie’s not Matthais Tedenby who was scratched yet again after a subpar game in Detroit last week. And once again I ask, if he’s not going to play here then why is he here?

At least our defense was about as healthy as you could expect at this point, with Colin White‘s return after two games on the shelf with a lower-body injury. For one of the few times all year we had our top four of Volcheknov-Tallinder-White and Andy Greene intact on defense and the two free agent signings both seem to be hitting their stride now after slow starts. Among our top six, only Mark Fayne (flu) missed the game, with Anssi Salmela taking his place.

While defensively and system-wise we looked more like the Devils of the last three weeks of January, offensively we looked like the pre-Lemaire version for the most part. Until the final six minutes, when Danius Zubrus scored on a weird deflection (a break we weren’t getting for the most part earlier this year), which gave us just enough breathing room for a regulation 2-1 win. Our seventh win in nine games was played in front of a crowd who was announced at just over seven thousand but in actuality probably much less due to the icy roads keeping ticketholders away.

Somewhat nonsensically, reporters have been asking the team whether they still feel they’re in the playoff chase and were pestering Lemaire about it during the postgame, as if being some eighteen points back with 32 games left constitutes being ‘in’ it. Rightly the coach poo-poohed the question with this response:

“I never talk about that (with the players),” Lemaire said. “We’ve just got to take it a game at a time and that’s it because it’s nearly impossible, so why are you going to look at the whole picture?”

Really, you can’t look at the playoffs until you get to .500…that should be the first goal and goaltender Martin Brodeur admitted as much on numerous occasions. Not that I want fans to completely give up the ghost, it’s better than all the ‘tank’ talk that dominated December and early January but you’ve got to be somewhat realistic here. For the Devils to make the playoffs they’d have to do something more than twice as improbable as anything that’s ever been accomplished in hockey history. We’re not even out of last place yet.

At least things on-ice are looking a lot better than it is off-ice these days.

Figures, doesn’t it? Right after we bury out of one week’s worth of snow, another big storm’s on the way tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the Devils’ return for the final 33 games of the season in spite of our current position in the standings but I’ll probably have to sit out of going to tomorrow’s home game against Ottawa since it looks like the snow’s going to wreak havoc on attendance yet again (see: December 26 against Toronto). Hopefully none of our players will be sleeping in their cars again tomorrow night.

Aside from the snow, it will be nice to have real hockey back, whether on TV or in the arena. Yes, I admit the All-Star game was a nice diversion…especially with the unique format of picking teams encouraged by former legend and current NHL exec Brendan Shanahan (can we just nickname him the Mad Scientist now?). Whether it was staged or not, I still got a kick out of Johnathan Toews staring daggers into teammate Patrick Kane – assistant captain for Nicklas Lidstrom‘s team – for bypassing him in the first several rounds.

The shenanigans of the ‘draft’ also included Eric Staal‘s theatrical hold once he indicated a certain pick was going to be from the Rangers, but instead of his brother (defenseman Marc) it turned out to be goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Of course he picked his brother in the next round and made sure to have his other two Canes teammates with him as well – wunderkid Jeff Skinner and goalie Cam Ward, the first draft pick thanks to team colors and the fact the game was going to be in Carolina. Hometown and family blood trumped Lidstrom’s collection of talent in the skills competition and narrowly went down to defeat in an 11-10 shootout during the game itself.

Still, even with the new format (and my personal fave Patrik Elias being the Devils’ only ASW representative) I can’t really get into watching the game. It’s hard to watch a game where teams don’t even attempt to play defense. Then again, I got used to it during the first half of the season – well, at least one team wasn’t playing defense then. Which perfectly segways into my team’s return from the All-Star break tomorrow night against the Senators. To think, eight years ago these teams met in an epic conference final, now they’re among the dregs of the league. Even last year, both teams made the playoffs but were ousted in the first round by Pennsylvania teams.

Thankfully the Devils played their best hockey of the season in the three weeks prior to the All-Star break, but will the long layoff and another tough loss in Detroit (still winless there since ’96) stall the momentum gained by a seven-game point streak? At least the 3-1 loss to the Wings can quell the silly playoff talk for a while, since we’re still twenty points back of a spot. Don’t delude yourselves with futile playoff hopes, Devils fans. At least not until this team gets back to .500. Unlike the playoffs, .500 is at least a semi-realistic goal and I can’t take the playoffs seriously until we at least get to that point since it’s likely going to take being several games over .500 to get the eighth seed.

Even that will be a challenge though, since the team’s overall record is 16-30-3. Can the team go, say 21-7-5 in its last 33 games? That’s what it would take just to get to 82 points and a .500 record. Our last three weeks of January cautiously suggests it’s possible but further complicating the march to respectability is the trade deadline looming at the end of February. Granted, the only likely candidate to be moved is center Jason Arnott, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season – but I certainly can’t picture the Devils adding anyone at the deadline.

Whether this team gets back to .500 or not, at least we’re on our way to accomplishing what should have been the only goal at the halfway point – making the second half of the season fun to watch and worthwhile since we’re seeing vets return to form (Brian Rolston‘s among the hottest Devils, for crying out loud!) and rookies learn from vet coach Jacques Lemaire. Both will serve us well next year, whoever the coach may be since Lemaire’s already ruled out a return.

At least I’m glad I decided to go to the home game against the Panthers before the break, since that turned out to be another winning effort. My only regret was I should have stayed for the third period instead of rushing home to catch the Jet game. Not so much cause I missed anything at the Devil game (we were already up 4-1 when I left, well on our way to a 5-2 win) but because I had to watch the ridiculously lethargic start to the AFC Championship that doomed the Jets. Sometimes things in sports are just unexplainable, like the Jets’ effort level in that game or the Devils’ in Game 6 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals at home.

Maybe the first half of the Devils’ season will fall into the ‘unexplainable’ category if this team returns to its winning ways and gets its pride back over the final two plus months of the season. Or then again, maybe the problems will be far more explainable given the two major changes from the first half of the season till now (offing the coach and captain).

In Inspector Gadget, Dr. Claw was the evil character who he took on and outwitted in the entertaining cartoon when kids could be kids. These days with what passes for TV during the afternoon, there are no Claws trying to ruin Gadget’s day or Lotors seeking to destroy Voltron. Skeletor versus He-Man won’t be happening anytime soon but unfortunately for the Rangers, they felt the Claw last night against their kryptonite in the form of the Panthers, who came into MSG and posted a whacky 4-3 win.

For some reason unknown to the universe, the Rangers simply cannot beat Florida. Throw out the shootout win and we’d be 0-for-3. It doesn’t matter what the records are. Even if half of Connecticut is on our roster, the bottom line is the Rangers are still sending three All-Stars who are thankfully all healthy. That Marian Gaborik isn’t one speaks volumes. Maybe he needs more odd goals like the one that went off his stick and shoulder to tie the Caps, who our team rallied to beat in the skill competition the other day. Where would this team be without Brian Boyle, who will probably get overlooked for the Selke despite leading the team with 18 goals and doing everything the award for game’s best defensive forward details? It’s Boyle who John Tortorella trusts so much to the point that he stuck Gaborik with him and saw Gabby set up the big man’s 18th which tied the game.

In a testament to their character, the Rangers again rallied this time from two down to tie Florida early in the third. One they absolutely owned except for the final tally. Sometimes, you’re unlucky. Just ask goat Artem Anisimov who went from shootout hero to No.1 Star for the Cats in 24 hours. Alright, maybe that’s a bit unfair. But come on. He had not one but two Panther shots go off him past a stunned Henrik Lundqvist for goals, including the bizarre winner off Mike Santorelli’s stick which caromed off No.42’s back and bounced over our helpless goalie. You can’t make it up.

What is it about Florida that makes them such a thorn in the Rangers’ side? Even when we win, it’s by the slimmest of margins. Granted. Tomas Vokoun is a good goalie who never gets his due playing in obscurity. Now, he knows how Roberto Luongo felt all those years before forcing a trade to Vancouver. Sometimes, people forget that the former Predator is a top 10 netminder who can steal a game. So, losing to the Panthers isn’t as humiliating as our favorite Ranger blogger Scotty Hockey makes it. What can you do when two shots go off a player for goals? What can be done when the Blueshirts dominate the third but the Panthers’ only shot resembles Adam Sandler’s winning shot in Happy Gilmore? Like all games, hockey’s a funny sport. If bounces don’t go your way, sometimes you lose.

Tortorella wasn’t disappointed with the team’s effort mostly because of how they responded after seeing Lundqvist give up a klunker that deflated the building. To those wagoners who gave him a Bronx cheer when it was 3-1, find another team to latch onto. Such childish behavior is inexcusable. You aren’t real fans. Anyone who acts like that should be tossed from the building by the dopey Dolan security and never be allowed to attend another game. I’ve gotten on Lundqvist plenty in this space but without him, we’re simply not a playoff team. He’s played his ass off and deserves better than that garbage. His team didn’t help much either being lazy on a pair with even Boyle’s line getting victimized.

Of course, they’d atone later with warrior Brandon Prust igniting a rally and then Boyle depositing loose change in front for a power play goal. See how easy that is? Stick your hardest working player out with size and grit and watch him get dirty to score a PPG. That’s how it’s done folks.

So, am I upset about the bitter loss ending our team’s play prior to the break? Of course. Losing to the Panthers irks me. Especially when they beat us in the flukiest way possible. But hey. Couldn’t we say the same thing for Gaborik’s goal that allowed us to steal two points in DC? Case closed.

Immediately following the game, the Rangers designated Mike Del Zotto, Kris Newbury, Chad Kolarik, Evgeny Grachev and Brodie Dupont for assignment so they could stay fresh in Connecticut. Enough can’t be said about the play of Newbury and Kolarik whose hustle is indicative of what this team is all about. They fit right in. Big kudos to Ken Gernander and Jim Schoenfeld.

Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan were bright spots again last night with MZA dishing out three assists and Stepan tallying his 14th and 30th point. Not bad production from the 20 year-old out of Wisconsin. Oh btw, Zuccarello’s up to 3-8-11 in 17 games proving he’s going to stick. It won’t be long before the little engine that could is scoring big goals. He’s a keeper.

When they return for the Feb.1 home game against the Pens with probably Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin back, figure Ryan Callahan to be there for his teammates which should be a big lift for a team that’s struggling to score goals. Brandon Dubinsky won’t be far from behind. All things considered, Tortorella has done a superb job keeping our team in playoff position with a 29-20-3 record for 61 points, good for sixth seed- two ahead of Montreal and two behind Washington.

I’d say you got a Jack Adams candidate there. Hope the break treats our players kindly. They’ve earned it.

Over the weekend, the Islanders put in a claim on free agent goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who had signed for the rest of the season with the Red Wings. Obviously looking to cash in and win a Cup after a failed stint with SKA St. Petersburgh of the KHL in which five years, $25 million weren’t enough, the former Shark has put himself in an unenviable situation.

By rejecting the Islanders after agent Don Meehan said his client would report anywhere for work, it reflects poorly on the 35 year-old Nabokov who guided San Jose to the Conference Finals twice. Even worse, if he did hang up on Islander GM Garth Snow and then speak to ESPN afterwards, it’s very unprofessional. The rules are what they are. It wouldn’t be fair to the other 29 teams if he just chose Detroit without the waiver rule in place. After all, he did leave the NHL to play in Russia before getting released by SKA. Even the veteran netminder was aware that this could happen.

“I understand the rules,” Nabokov told ESPN.com. “We’re not stupid. We knew what was going on before we made the decision. But I made this decision because the goal was to play with Detroit.“

If only it were that simple. You can’t just choose your destination without teams with poor records identifying if they want to pick the player up. The Islanders have a unique situation with Rick DiPietro in and out of the lineup and rookie Nathan Lawson on the mend with a left knee sprain. The organization doesn’t want to rush Kevin Poulin, wisely deciding to keep the 20 year-old former ’08 fifth round pick in Bridgeport where he can develop. So, it makes all the sense in the world for a team short on goalies to want Nabokov.

“I think I’m going to stay home for now, I’m sticking with my decision,” Nabokov echoed yesterday. “It’s nothing against the Islanders and their organization. It’s nothing to do with that. It’s just that I’m at the point in my career where I want to help a team win in the playoffs. I don’t see how I could help the Islanders or what I could do for them. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. And I hope they understand that.

“I was surprised they picked me up. I was like, ‘Wow, what’s the point?”‘

While it’s understandable why Nabokov doesn’t want to report due to the Islanders’ place in the standings, it is still blatant disrespect and lacks class. It shouldn’t be that easy for a player who returns to play on a winner with a chance. This isn’t fantasy. Mr. Nabokov needs a reality check.

“It’s a situation where I feel we got a talented player off waivers and we’d be thrilled to have him part of the organization,” Snow said. “He has a standard player’s contract with our organization.”

“I’m not going to speculate,” he added of whether Nabokov changes his mind a la Adam Banks in The Mighty Ducks. “I’m looking forward to having him in an Islanders uniform. We can cross those bridges when we get there. I’m not there yet.”

Do you think a kid who gets traded midseason would not want to play hockey? Come on. The Islanders can toll the contract and have Nabokov owe them a season next Fall or place him on waivers again. I’d suspend him without pay. It’s not right what he’s doing and childish.

We’ll see what happens.

Meet the walking wounded. Or in the Rangers’ case, the skaters who are piling up on the IR. Injuries are part of sports. The Pens are dealing with life without the game’s top player Sidney Crosby and finding out it ain’t so grand. Yesterday, the Bears had to play the second half without Jay Cutler yet emergency third string QB Caleb Hanie nearly played unlikely hero with Chicago falling just short against archrival Green Bay.

There are always injuries which make life more challenging. Only the really good teams can overcome them and keep winning. Before the Ranger roster resembled the Connecticut Whale with Michael Del Zotto and Evgeny Grachev being summoned the other night with Dan Girardi going down and warrior Brandon Prust nicked up, they already were without key cogs Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky with spare parts Ruslan Fedotenko and Erik Christensen also out, plus Alex Frolov done. That John Tortorella’s club have been able to keep it together is a tribute to this team’s character which will keep getting tested with what’s sure to be a tough visit to the nation’s capital tonight with suddenly surging Alex Ovechkin and the Caps seeking revenge for a 7-0 humiliation last month.

So, it continues for the seventh seeded Blueshirts, who again found a way to win Saturday coming back twice in stunning the Thrashers 3-2 in a shootout with Selke candidate Brian Boyle tying it and shootout sniper Mats Zuccarello playing hero by faking Ondrej Pavelec out for the only goal, which Henrik Lundqvist made stand up. For a team that’s scored two-or-less in 11 of their last 12 since the start of the month, the Rangers have managed to survive bringing a 6-5-1 mark into tonight’s Versus showdown with the puck drop at 7:30.

“We had many guys out,” Vezina hopeful Lundqvist stated after finishing with 20 saves including a stone job on Atlanta captain Andrew Ladd late in regulation to give his team a shot. “We tried to rebuild the team a little bit. We’re trying to get everybody on the same page.

“We’re not in an easy spot, but we’re doing the best we can now to get points.”

With a lineup that now features former Whale Del Zotto, Ryan McDonagh, Kris Newbury, Chad Kolarik, Jeremy Williams, Brodie Dupont or possibly Grachev who’s fresh off a hat trick, these Blueshirts bend but don’t break. No matter the adversity, they respond. Especially after a poor defensive effort that saw the Hurricanes blitz them 5-2 last Thursday with All-Star Marc Staal and Danny G with a rare dreadful showing. Not surprisingly, the Rangers were more focused and played with better intensity against another team trailing them in the standings.
 
When you twice battle back from one-goal deficits and allow only 20 shots with dangerous All-Star duo Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien hardly factors, it speaks to the committment of your team. One that never quits nor backs down from any challenge. Even if Girardi got tagged by Ladd after stepping in for Staal following a clean hit that caught his partner turned the wrong way stumbling into the boards, it was another team building moment. So, Girardi sits out tonight with bruised ribs and probably a busted nose from his scrap. Just last year, he watched Flyer fodder Daniel Carcillo suck Marian Gaborik into a one-sided fight. A humiliation he took a lot of heat for. Those days are over. These Rangers fight, claw and scrap.
 
With two more huge games before the break including the Caps later with backup Martin Biron getting the call against Braden Holtby before Tortorella comes back with Lundqvist versus the Panthers in a Garden match tomorrow, it’s important for the Blueshirts to finish the month strong. They know they’re in a heated race with sixth place Montreal, eighth Atlanta who were routed by Tampa Sunday and ninth Carolina who you never can can’t out as long as Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Calder frontrunner Jeff Skinner have anything to say about it.
 
Every point is so valuable. The Rangers are finding a way not using the injuries as a crutch. They’ve rallied around each other to make sure a bitter ending last year doesn’t get repeated. So, they’ll skate, check and sacrifice until Callahan returns with target date Feb.1 versus the Pens likely. They’ll continue to plug away until Dubinsky’s ready. Girardi and Prust will be back because they’re leaders who exemplify what it is to be a New York Ranger. An identity formed under one of the league’s best coaches in Tort who’s handled things much better this time. Even he gets it. It’s about keeping everyone on the same page and having them ready to work. That’s why they’re one of the hardest working teams in the NHL despite the lack of finish with Marian Gaborik using most of his ammunition against lesser lites Edmonton, the Islanders and the Leafs.
 
At some point, Gaborik must pick it up and carry the load. Putting it on the shoulders of kids Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov won’t work. Neither should Wojtek Wolski who’s been good since he arrived from the Desert going 3-3-6 over seven contests. On this team, everyone contributes. McDonagh already evolving into a steady defenseman since Michal Rozsival exited stage left. Mike Sauer logging big minutes in place of Girardi to get the Rangers a ‘W.’ Newbury playing gritty bumping into anyone in his way while winning board battles. And Kolarik notching his first NHL point.
 
In every sense, this is a T-E-A-M. Exactly how Tortorella wants it. One True Blue faithful can be proud of. The job isn’t done.

Courtesy of the MSG broadcast…see how many mistakes you can find in this one screenshot!

If the circumstances favored us on Thursday when the Devils shut out a Pens team without Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, we had things up against us today. Facing our nemesis in Philly (who’d taken three of four from us so far this year), a team that’s leading the entire NHL with 67 points while we’re still fighting to get out of dead last. Not to mention we had backup Johan Hedberg in net for the first time in two weeks, since he got pulled after allowing two quick goals against that same team in that same city. To top that off, hot rookie Nick Palmeri sat out the game due to injury and we also lost top defenseman Colin White early in the game due to whatever-body injury.

Yet, the Devils overcame all that to pull off a 3-1 win that might have been the team’s most satisfying of the season. For starters, it was the team’s third straight win – as I’ve been harping on for a long time, a win streak of that long hadn’t occured since December of 2009. In addition, the Devils don’t have a regulation loss in their last six games, all since the halfway point of the season. You didn’t even roll your eyes when you heard Steve Cangelosi and Ken Daneyko whispering in the postgame about how the resurgent Devils may be the hottest team in the league right now.

Hedberg played well with 26 saves, many of the highlight-variety in the final two periods. Yes, I would have played Martin Brodeur myself, especially after his shutout Thursday – and after all, there’s really nothing to save Brodeur for this season (unlike prior years where I wanted him to sit more to have some gas in the tank for the playoffs). Thankfully Jacques Lemaire went with his own instinct and now Hedberg feels a part of the win streak as well, just like everyone else. Not to mention we don’t run Marty completely into the ground before the break, since today’s game was our fourth in a week’s time.

While other vets like Patrik Elias – two goals this afternoon – you sort of expected to turn it around, even guys like Henrik Tallinder and Brian Rolston (!) are contributing to the six-game result streak, with Tallinder getting a goal and an assist today in about twenty-six minutes of icetime. Rolston added two assists, giving the embattled vet eight points (two goals, six assists) in his last six games, which is nothing short of remarkable considering that Rolston had just five points in twenty-four games before this. Maybe putting him through waivers, which seemed like a fruitless exercise at the time, actually did have an upside?

Now the Devils are just four points back of the Isles for last place, with two games left before the All-Star break, a home tilt against Scott Clemmensen and the Panthers tomorrow (unbeaten in his three starts against us since leaving) and then a trip to Detroit against a team that suddenly has problems in net – exacerbated when the Isles blocked the Wings’ attempt to sign Evgeni Nabokov from Russia by putting in a claim for the former Sharks goaltender. Presumably Brodeur will be back in the net for those final two games as the Devils attempt to go into the break on the kind of high that seemed impossible just two weeks ago.

Of course, now the Devils’ resurgence has left yours truly with a dilemma. Do I go to the game tomorrow afternoon, with the Jets playing at 6:30? True, the hockey game itself wouldn’t overlap with the start of the AFC Championship since it starts at 3 but I would have to drive – something I’ve only done once since the move from the CAA – and pay for parking there in order to get home in time for the game (since the train wouldn’t get me home till 7:15, unless I left the game early). With as bad as the team’s played for much of the season I really do want to go now, especially since I’ve missed going to several games lately for a variety of reasons – blizzard, New Year’s eve stuff, selling my pair against Tampa in case the Jets were playing that day on Wild-Card weekend.

Then again, the only bad thing about going tomorrow – besides the hassle in getting in home on time for the game – is the fact that most Devils fans seem to be bitter football Giant fans who get jollies out of chanting ‘J-E-T-S suck suck suck’! Certainly the goofballs in the back of 208 were doing this on Thursday, as well as changing the ‘Rangers suck, Flyers swallow’ chant by substituting Sanchez for Flyers. Perhaps it was inevitable there’d be a confrontation at the end of Thursday’s 2-0 against the Pens, with an incensed season ticket holder behind me going up after the instigators, with another sth in the back row (one of the main antagonists) egging him to come on up.

Fortunately the sth at the end of my row (who’s also a Jets fan) held the other guy back to avoid any real fisticuffs but really if you’re coming to a Devils game and ragging on a team you know at least a good portion of the crowd likes, you’re just asking for trouble. And these guys are all sth’s, they’ve all been at the games since the team moved to the Rock so one way or the other, everyone’s gotta live with each other. I don’t care for the chants, but if people want to act like doofuses, fine by me just so long as they’re not in my face with it.

In any case, I don’t know how much hockey’s going to be on my mind tomorrow as the football game draws closer but I do know with two games left before the All-Star break I finally want to see this Devils team play. And that’s about as big an accomplishment as I could have hoped for out of the second half, at least intangibly. Tangibly, there’s a chance this team can still get to .500, as far away as that seems. It would take something like a 22-8-5 stretch to do it but with what I’ve seen in the last six games, why not?

If you were playing the lotto, the winning numbers were 43. Well, at least a successful pair that worked its magic for the Marian Gaborik and the Rangers in a game of 7up over a bad Leaf team last night on Broadway. It’d be easy for us to poo poo the offensive explosion 10 games in the making due to the opponent. However, unlike other bloggers I’m going to accentuate the positives of a game the Rangers badly needed to snap a two-game skid.

For starters, Gaborik answered the bell after learning Brandon Dubinsky was out with a stress fracture three to four weeks. It’s essential for the Great Gabby to pick it up and by that, I don’t mean just the first four-goal game in the league this season. Here’s the facts. With his finest outing that also included a helper for a five-point effort since that virtuoso five goal, six point performance victimizing us when he played for Minnesota, that makes it 10 of his 15 goals scored in three games with the other two hat tricks coming against lesser lites Edmonton and the Islanders. One thing I agree with from the cynics is that Gabby must remember to save some ammunition for stiffer competition starting with a visit to ninth Carolina tonight. The Blueshirts need No.10 to be consistent during this pivotal stretch before the break.

Yesterday was a great start with John Tortorella taking our easy advice of moving Sean Avery up with Gabby and Artem Anisimov, who netted a career high four assists, including a pair of beauties right on the Slovakian sniper’s stick which was smoking literally. He started quickly thanks to a great Avery feed with Gaborik doing the rest undressing poor Leaf starter Jonas Gustavsson who was without a stick for the first goal.

It began an onslaught of four in a 4:45 span, blitzing a putrid Toronto club that may have been feeling the effects of a recent road swing that includes stops out West. Ironically, Ron Wilson’s club laid a smackdown on the Thrashers recently. On this night, they were no match for a determined group of Blueshirts who made a statement after finding out before the game about Dubinsky’s injury. Brian Boyle followed up Gaborik with a neat redirect of a Marc Staal shot for a power play goal. Already with a goal and assist, Gabby lit the lamp again courtesy of a brilliant Anisimov backhand feed across the goalmouth for a tap-in 36 seconds later.

“It feels good,” Gaborik said after ending an eight-game drought in fine style. “It has been a battle lately. I need to get going. It is always a big relief to get the first one. It just took off from there.”

They weren’t done with Ruslan Fedotenko’s peculiar shot dipping under temporary reliever J.S. Giguere for 4-zip 2:19 later. Brandon Prust set it up with a nice pass in the neutral zone. His second point in three after going dry the previous seven this month.

With Wilson wanting to save Giguere for his ex-team tonight, Gustavsson mercifully came back in for more punishment. Before Gaborik completed his third hat trick followed by No.4, the Leafs played more physical with Mike Komisarek throwing his weight around. One such hit came after Fedotenko released the puck with the rugged defenseman going shoulder to shoulder KO-ing the ex-Lightning forward for an extended period. Fedotenko suffered a separated shoulder, meaning Brodie Dupont gets recalled from Connecticut. The way things have been going in that department, pretty soon we’ll be fielding an AHL roster. I’m not gonna bother listing the guys who are still here for fear of jinxing them.

Rookie Dale Weise lost a fight to Luke Schenn. Kris Newbury would late take on Dion Phaneuf stemming from a hit from boarding the Toronto captain early on. Former Ranger enforcer Colton Orr also got involved, taking a charging minor which Gaborik finished off for his fourth with a laser past a helpless Gustavsson. Prior, Gabby turned the trick when a harmless shot snuck through The Monster. Anisimov and Wojtek Wolski netted helpers.

Up six having allowed just 13 shots with Henrik Lundqvist hardly breaking a sweat, the Rangers made it a touchdown and a PAT when rookies Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello worked a give-and-go with MZA finishing off his third 53 seconds into the final stanza. Wolski drew his second assist as well. He’s 2-3-5 over five thus far and seems to have good chemistry with D-Step and Zucc. The Rangers will need that trio big time without Dubinsky with Ryan Callahan close to returning. The target date is February 1 versus his favorite opponent Pittsburgh. He began holding a stick the other day.

As sometimes happens when you’re up big, you let down. That allowed the Leafs to take a few cracks at breaking the shutout. However, Lundqvist wasn’t biting. The King made a pair of scintillating stops from in tight late to huge support and the familiar chants of “Hen—rik, Hen—rik, Hen—rik.” Even in a rout, the emerging Vezina candidate kept his focus stopping all nine shots in the third (22 overall) for his league high seventh shutout- tying him with frontrunner Tim Thomas.

“They got a couple of chances,” Lundqvist said. “I wanted to get a shutout.”

With the contest winding down, Orr lost his mind intentionally slashing Steve Eminger, earning a major and game misconduct. The kind of ugliness we didn’t see when he donned our jersey. I don’t know if it’s because he’s playing for Brian Burke but the way that team plays sometimes leaves something to be desired. Colby Armstrong again tried to pull some shenanigans but Ryan McDonagh wasn’t having it. Speaking of McD, he quietly gets better and better combining with Eminger to go plus-six while logging a career best 21:21, including a late power play shift and some PK time as well.

This was one game against inferior competition. The Rangers finished 3-0-1 in the season series against the Leafs. Now, it gets tougher with the Canes tonight, visits to Atlanta and D.C. before returning for the Panthers. Eight points up for grabs. Every single one valuable. Time to put the pedal to the metal.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Sean Avery, NYR (3 assists-1st helpers since 12/16 vs Phx)
2nd Star-Artem Anisimov, NYR (career high 4 assists, +3 in 13:56)
1st Star-Marian Gaborik, NYR (4 goals-12, 13, 14, 15/assist, 7 SOG, +3 in 17:28)