Battle Of Hudson

In a fairly negative review, he manages to point this out:

Given that Versus’ NHL telecasts are designed to be bad – live play is now covered by promo graphics preceded by a Star Trek-like appearance of a large, computerized hockey player, creating a startling distraction (not to mention a too-many-men-on-the-ice situation) – as long as Doc Emrick remains in the mix, they can be indulged.

Monday, with the Rangers and Isles at 1-1 and the Rangers relentlessly blasting away at Rick DiPietro – at this point he’d made 46 saves with still 12 minutes still left in regulation – Emrick nailed it. “Marvelous chaos!” he hollered. One more example of why Emrick’s the best.

Doc was a bit off his game tonight. But still, would you rather hear Doc call tomorrows game, or Dave Strader, like you’ll be forced to.

Would you rather have heard RJ’s call of that goal?

We all know Doc probably bleeds red and black as much as us, but at least he makes an effort. When we play you, he’s very fair, considering the blowjob Chico often gives the Rangers.

Somehow Boston-Detroit is GotW and Canes-Rangers isn’t. Same thing next NBC time. March 25th – Boston-Pitt over Rags-Isles.

And by the way, I didn’t mean he was supposed to fight with Laraque. I’m just sayin, it’s curious that the one man with an actual reason to beat the living snot out of Avery rendered him ineffective this afternoon.

What is with your aggrivation over the Isles-Caps game dude? It just seemed kind of odd how mad you were about it.

I rarely work out personal issues on this, but where have you been man, we haven’t talked into ages.

Batman’s gone missing. And this blog turned into a message board.

If you saw the last part of the Devils-Sabres game up at HSBC Arena, then you know what I’m referring to. Oduya crosschecks a Buffalo player into the boards. No call. Madden blatantly takes down a Sabre. Nothing. Brylin knocked into the wall. And it finally was properly called. But the other two fouls weren’t. Why not? I think there was also one instance on that Devil power play too where Zajac tripped a Sabre. But oh yeah. Mike Rupp slightly interferes and that’s a penalty. Or a phantom hook against any Pen and it’s a guaranteed trip to the box. Where’s the consistency?

When the FSNY camera zoomed in on Lindy Ruff late, he was stone cold. You could tell how he felt. Not that his team deserved to win. They didn’t. The Devils played their grind it out type of hockey, getting in the path of about 100 Buffalo passes and shots. Well, that’s what it felt like. And that’s why I refuse to put Brodeur on a pedestal the way Chico Resch does. The Devils defensemen are taught better than anyone about how to play the puck. I’ll take their system over anyone’s. Nobody has more active D in terms of being in the right position and no team has better backchecking forwards. Every bit helps. I don’t believe Brodeur would disagree. He would probably smile and chuckle because the future Hall of Fame netminder understands how important that aspect of his team’s game has been for over a decade. He’s great. We get that and don’t need Chico shoving it down our ears every two minutes. But having a smart bunch of players in front of him has never hurt. And that right there is what separates the Devils system from others. It doesn’t matter that they don’t have Stevens or Niedermayer or even Daneyko. The players may change but the results don’t. Isn’t it about time Jacques Laperriere got his due?

That system doesn’t allow too many breakaways or odd-man rushes. It’s one that will once again be a royal pain in the ass to beat this Spring. I hope I’m wrong. I don’t want the Devils to win ever. That’s how much I despise them. But with that passionate hatred comes respect. Because it’s very hard to win in this league and do it as consistently as these guys. To quote Indiana Jones from The Last Crusade, at one point he says, “Nazis. I hate these guys.”

That kind of sums up my feelings. But unlike that evil regime which Harrison Ford referenced during that entertaining trilogy, it’s a lot easier to respect what the Satans as I like to refer to them have accomplished. Drafting and developing players such as Parise and Zajac, who mean every bit to their playoff aspirations this Spring as Elias and Gomez. In this salary cap era, you better be able to select the right players because you won’t be able to keep everybody. The Devils could lose Gomez this summer. But if they do, you know someone will step up and emerge. Why? Because they always do.

Hard Hits: So the Craps got 2 goals at the Isles in their latest loss. Color me unimpressed. Any team that plays goon Donald Brashear significant minutes isn’t interested in winning.

I see the Sens were at it again, blowing another third period lead (3-1 this time) before falling to playoff desperate Toronto 4-3 in OT. And hockey extraordinaire Darcy Tucker scored his second for the winner. That’s 22 on the season. Imagine if he didn’t miss the prior two months. He is a pain in the ass but also is a very good hockey player. He’ll mix it up against anyone and also can score big goals. He might be a jerkoff but I’ll take him anyday.

With their win, the Leafs moved into an eighth place tie with Carolina with 75 points apiece. By the end of the night, if the Habs don’t choke away another one at St. Louis, they could be tied with the Rangers for 10th with 74 points. Don’t count on it. The Habs D sucks and their goaltending is even worse.

Seeing Don Cherry wearing a chest protector on HNIC was priceless. Grapes never ceases to amaze us.

Avery is a hockey player unlike Cam Janssen. Was he out of line the other night? Sure. But that’s Avery. He obviously felt Janssen’s hit should’ve earned a heavier suspension. I’ve seen plenty of people including yourself turning the other cheek and acting like he didn’t deserve any time off. The three games seemed okay in my book.

And also, Avery’s role isn’t to battle the best heavyweight in the league. It’s to be a pest, much like ex-Devil Claude Lemieux. You remember him, don’t you? The biggest agitator there was and a freaking pain in the ass. To be honest, Lemieux was a jerkoff and never went out of his way to throw a cheapshot. So I don’t want to hear it. That guy helped your team win two Cups. But I guess because you had him it was okay.

Speaking of which, Doc Emrick is getting on my nerves in this game. He’s not being as professional tonight, using the silly tired complaint about “the trap,” and not sounding all too enthusiastic on Briere’s goal before but exploding during Rafalski’s shorthander and the other two. Who says Doc doesn’t have a bit of homerism in him? Every announcer does. He’s still great though. Chico Resch on the other hand…

Hallelujah…the Crapitals scored one at the Isles. Is there a more gutless team than this one? They are tanking.

Buffalo’s D just sucks in this one. The injuries have caught up. Darcy Regier didn’t do enough at the deadline and it might wind up costing them. They don’t look like worldbeaters anymore.

After watching the tape the morning after Thursday’s game, I was disgusted. There is absolutely no place in hockey for what I did.
I want to apologize to Ryan Hollweg. I was grateful to learn that Ryan is okay and that he returned to the game. My hope is to reach out to him in the near future.
I want to apologize to my team and Islanders fans everywhere. My actions Thursday night played a major part in our team losing a crucial game. I also want to apologize to the National Hockey League for the damage I have caused this great game of ours.
What you saw Thursday is not the person, player and competitor that I am. I know my teammates and opponents over my 14 years in the NHL understand that.
I do not remember much about Thursday’s incident. When I saw the tape on Friday morning, it explained a lot to me when I saw the look on my face after being hit into the boards. I was completely out of it. When I met with the media about 30 minutes later, I still was not feeling well.
I met with our medical staff briefly Thursday night and underwent a series of tests on Friday afternoon. They have told me that I suffered a concussion when I hit the boards. Because I was not cleared by our doctors to travel, I would like to thank Colin Campbell for traveling to New York for today’s hearing.
I need to make clear that this is not justification for the danger I put Ryan Hollweg in and the damage I have caused the game. I understand disciplinary action will be taken.
Since Ryan is thankfully okay, what hurts the most is knowing my actions will result in me losing the privilege of being in the Islanders lineup.
Finally, I want to thank my Islanders teammates for their support throughout this process. It means everything to me.

I wonder why Sean “Meathead” Avery was so quiet today.

Hmm…still afraid of Big Georgey Laraque Sean??? Pfft.

Pens come back to win 3-2 in OT. Crosby gets Point 100 on a marvelous goal where he batted the puck down out of mid-air and on to his stick into the net.

Devils take on the Sabres tonight. Brad Lukowich says he is going to play no matter what. Luko, never my favorite, is certainly endearing himself to Devil fans, including this one. Of course this begs the question: Since Luko’s OK, does that make what Colby Armstrong did OK?

Anyway, Luko a definite, White and Gio are maybe’s, and Cam the Great is freed from injustice and returns to the lineup tonight.

Today, the league held a hearing with Chris Simon for his reckless baseball swing which connected with Ryan Hollweg’s jaw in Thursday’s 2-1 Ranger win. The NHL handed down a 22-game suspension to the Islander, which means he’s done for the regular season and out for the first round of the postseason if the Fishsticks make it.

I’ll be honest and say that I felt what Simon did deserved the gate. An early vacation until the Fall where the tough guy would have to attend Anger Management courses before applying for reinstatement.

That said, I believe the suspension handed down by the league is sufficient enough. Of course, had Hollweg suffered serious injuries, there’s little question that Simon’s season would’ve been over. That might’ve factored in here. Still though, it’s good to see that the NHL handed out a stiff penalty. There’s no place in the game for what Simon tried to pull.

Our Isles writer Rob asserted earlier that Hollweg’s hit deserved a boarding penalty. Sorry buddy but you are wrong in this instance. I heard one Fishstick fan say the same thing on WFAN the other night and also read it from my broadcast partner and co-host Gary Harding. But if you took your rose colored glasses off and watched the play closely, Ryan hit Simon from the side as he played the puck. That isn’t boarding or any penalty whatsoever. If it’s from behind, then you’d have a point. But that wasn’t the case.

Bottom line. It was hockey. Unfortunately, Simon lost his sense and reacted poorly. You can’t make it about that here. I’ve seen some Isles fans doing that and it’s just as embarrassing as the morons who were applauding Simon’s near criminal act behind the glass. If the situation was reversed, I’d come down just as hard on the team I support. This was as bad as it gets for the game.

Responding also to what you said about Jed Ortmeyer, that’s one of the most inaccurate things I’ve ever seen anywhere. Ort is a third line energy player who plays the game the right way. Maybe you should check how many times he’s been in the penalty box (seven minors in 27 GP). If you need further evidence, check out his career stats. Ort does play physical but never cheapshots anyone. He hustles all over the ice and is a valuable penalty killer, playing his role well.

As for Marek Malik, it wasn’t a crosscheck on Ryan Smyth. He pushed him down. That btw is what defensemen (even Big Bird) were taught to do. Take out the man in front. Sadly, sometimes that’s called a penalty in this new wussy NHL which makes it very difficult for defenders to legally play against players in front. Malik was just doing his job. The same one you see rugged vets such as Brendan Witt (115 PIM) and Sean Hill (88 PIM) doing. Those guys can mix it up a heck of a lot more than Malik but you’ll never see me complaining about it because being physical is a vital part of the game.

You want to complain about how Sean Avery plays the game, go right ahead. He’s a pest and drives the opposition nuts, playing the game on the edge and frequently opening up his big mouth (even more than Slick Rick). But he does play hard never taking a shift off and was badly needed on a roster that was way too soft. Teams need those kind of players. As for Colton Orr, ha. He’s an enforcer. No more. No less.

And with that, I said my piece. Enjoy your easy win against the Crapitals later.

The afterglow of the trade deadline has faded, and with one swing of the Simon stick, the Isles now find themselves with one point against the Rangers out of a possible four. Worse yet, Simon will probably be banned for the rest of the season after today’s league hearing and faces possible criminal charges as well. My take on this is that Simon deserves at least 10 games, but Hollweg should have gotten a penalty for boarding. No excuses for Simon’s behavior, but day in and day out, Hollweg is a dirtier player than Simon, this latest slash to the face aside.

So now the playoff race thickens, the Rangers are in the hunt, the Isles are minus one enforcer, and full details of Ryan Smyth’s condition are unknown other than he is expected to play tonight against the Caps. He certainly did not look good after getting checked from behind by Malik. We now understand how the Rangers plan on proceeding with this season – they are going to goon their way to the playoffs. I know that after the Simon hit, you are saying which team has the more dirty players? The answer in terms of goonery as a style of play is the Rangers. Between Orr, Hollweg, Ortmeyer, and Avery, you can’t play the game without looking over your shoulder for a cheap shot. Well that may get them to the playoffs, but they will be bounced in short order.

So back to the Isles. Is it possible that the addition of Smyth to the team has actually disrupted the chemistry of the team? Not because Smyth is not a team guy, of course he is, and the other guys are happy to have him. But the adjustment period may be 10-15 games and the Isles really don’t have time for such an acclimation. Add to that the new addition of Zednik, Bergeron, and the return of Yashin, and we are talking about a major infusion of new talent into a lineup that was established and functioning like a well oiled machine. Tonight’s game against the Caps is more important than anyone imagines. The Islanders need to cycle the puck, keep a firm forecheck going, and methodically take the Caps apart tonight. A victory is an absolute must. If the Isles lose tonight, they will be a psychological mess; and when they are messed up mentally as they were in December, a seven game losing streak was in order.

Some questions to be answered this week:

How hurt is Smyth?
Will Yashin be the scoring Yashin or the lazy do nothing Yashin?
Will other teams try to manhandle the Isles with Simon gone or will Witt and Asham be able to protect them?
Will they recover mentally from the Rangers home and home?

I knew coming into this series with the Rangers that the Rags were going to play cheap hockey and I was wondering how the Isles would handle it. Well we got our answer. On several occasions, Witt and Simon lost their composure giving the Rangers key power plays. I don’t know how many years need to go by before the Islanders learn how to play against that team. It was clear at the trade deadline that the Rangers realized that they were lacking in talent and didn’t have the assets to pick up any star players, so they took the rough road picking up Avery and figuring that they could simply goon their way to the promised land. And it just may work.

And the league would like nothing better than to bring the Rags back to the playoffs, which is why the refs failed to call several penalties against the Rags. Avery should have been called for at least two additional infractions, and Hollweg on the boarding of Simon. And let’s not forget the video review judges in Toronto who must be 85 years old without glasses (or told by Bettman to get the Rangers into the playoffs at any cost). The Islanders disallowed goal of course really was a goal as the replay clearly showed. It was clear on the TV replay and is crystal clear in this still shot:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=355859&page=3

Even Dave Maloney said it should have been a goal. But playoff TV ratings are at stake here, so get the Rangers in the playoffs – it’s a mandate.

Later,
Rob

1:00 Rangers at Penguins
If Rags Win: They Keep pace with Carolina and Toronto, whom they have games in hand on.
If Pens Win: They hold off Tampa Bay and have a chance at moving to 4th if Ottawa loses.

1:00 Bruins at Flyers
If BOS Wins: They have a prayer again. Simple as that.
If PHI Wins: Meh, no one cares.

7:00 Devs at Sabres
If NJ Wins: 1 point away from top-seeded Buffalo.
If BUF Wins: a 5 point lead on NJ and 2 games in hand.

7:00 Sens at Leafs
If OTT Wins: They stay in 4th place.
If TOR Wins: They keep pace with the Rags and Canes.

7:00 Caps at Isles
If WSH Wins: Those “Thank You Garth” chants subside.
If NYI Wins: Stay ahead of the pack of hungry dogs chasing them, move closer to Tampa and even Pittsburgh.

7:30 Thrashers at Panthers
If ATL Wins: They keep at least 2 points on TB in the SE.
If FLA Wins: As with the Bruins, they keep a prayer.

8:00 Habs at Blues
If MTL Wins: They keep hope alive, but need A LOT of help.
If STL Wins: Nothing really.

10:00 Lightning at Flames
If TB Wins: They can tie Atlanta in the SE again.
If CGY Wins: They can go as high as 5th by the end of the nigh, as low as eighth.