The Rangers Tribune

Take Your Pick; What do the Rangers need most?

Courtesy of AP Photo

The Rangers Tribune now has a new poll up on the site asking fans if they rather see the Rangers acquire a first line center, depth forward, or a defenseman in the offseason, which is creeping up on us rather quickly. It is a question that will be the cause for much debate over the next couple of months, and you can go anyway with it, really. The Blueshirts need all three, I don't think many would disagree with that statement, but if they could only reel in one, which would you pick?

I think I have made my choice quite clear in previous articles. I believe that this team now needs to be build around star forward Marian Gaborik, which starts with the acquisition of a capable first line center. Sure, Prospal and Christensen played somewhat well with Gaborik, but there is better material out there that can definitely improve the Slovakian native's production, if you can believe that.

A depth forward would also help since the Rangers struggled majorly in the secondary scoring category throughout the entire season. All of the better teams in the National Hockey League receive a certain amount of production from each of their four lines on offense. They never solely rely on their primary trio to put all the points on the board. The Rangers were guilty of doing that this year, and that is why they failed more often than not.

A solid stay-at-home defenseman wouldn't hurt either. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is forced to deal with much more traffic in front of his crease than he should compared to the netminders that are participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now. I think the Blueshirts should have hung on to Paul Mara instead of letting him go via free agency, because he was a player that would the gap. He would play with heart and will and not take anything from anyone. New York lacked that attitude/individual this season.

So head over to your left and submit your vote on the poll located on the sidebar. There is no rush, though, as I know the question being proposed requires quite a plentiful amount of thought to come up with an answer. Also be sure to stop by the blog tomorrow as I share my final thoughts on the 2009-10 regular season.

Around the NHL: Ovechkin Goes 0 for 2 on the Year

Courtesy of AP Photo

Alexander Ovechkin entered the 2009-10 season, not only looking forward to the Washington Capitals chances to win the Stanley Cup, but also Team Russia's chances of capturing Gold in the Winter Olympics up in Vancouver, British Columbia. With last night's fall to the Montreal Canadiens in game seven of their Quarterfinal series, and the Russians loss to Team Canada in the semifinals of the Olympics, Ovechkin is 0 for 2 on the year and failed to complete two of the biggest tasks that he will have an opportunity to complete in his career.

There most likely is nothing more meaningful to Alex than a Gold Medal and a Stanley Cup. The chances of "The Great Eight" being able to win both in the same year with teams that are favorited to do so again are very slim, and the opportunity he passed up on here is going to have him kicking himself until the day he retires. As a star player, you're never complete until you have a championship of some sort in your possession. Right now, Alexander does not have any rings on his finger or medals around his neck (unless of course he is engaged without us knowing).

I love Alex Ovechkin as a player and I love what he brings to the sport of hockey. I feel that he is the most exciting player to watch in the National Hockey League, and he is one of the more emotional players to play the game. Those emotions are what I enjoy most about him. Based on his actions, you can tell when he is excited, you can tell when he is determined. On the flip side, you can also tell when a sense of failure mixed with disbelief and depression has sunken in on arguably the most talented hockey player on planet Earth.

Last night, watching him rest on one knee and watch the Canadiens celebrate their upset victory, and then bend backwards and look towards the sky as he exited the Verizon Center for the final time this season, that feeling of failure was evident because he knows he same close, but not close enough in both the NHL Playoffs and the Olympics. If you put yourself in his shoes for a moment, you realize how much that actually hurts and how much responsibility he must be taking on himself for both of these devastating losses. Those losses he will take with him to his grave.

He may win the Hart Trophy as the League's Most Valuable Player, but for once in his career, I do not think it will mean as much to Alex if he does. Many claim that he is a selfish player and is out there for himself. You know what, at times that statement may be true, but majority of the time Ovechkin wants his team to win and he is one of those players that will do everything and anything in his power to make sure that happens. He cares about his teams, hence the reason he Captains them, and the fact that he was not able to fulfill expectations and take his club to the promise land has to be killing him inside right now.

Ovechkin now has to wait five months until his next journey to a possible Stanley Cup begins, but it will be another four years until he will again have the opportunity to win a Cup and a Gold Medal in the same year. Until then, no one knows what will happen to the teams that play around him. They may improve, they may take a turn for the worse, but either way, these next for years may be the longest of Alex Ovechkin's life.

Video: 09-10 New York Rangers "Save of the Year"

We are almost done with our complete recap of the 2009-10 New York Rangers season here on the site, and since many of you enjoyed my "Goal of the Year" post yesterday afternoon, on this day I have decided to bring you my choice for "Save of the Year". Unexpectedly, there were many different goaltenders that protected the Blueshirts' net this season with the whole back-up goaltender catastrophe. But of course, the player to win the "Save of the Year" award is the one and only Henrik Lundqvist.

In early February, a short time before the Olympic break, the Rangers were facing their cross-river rivals in the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden. It was late in the third period of a very emotional tilt and the home team found themselves leading by the score of 3-0, but did not want to allow New Jersey to creep back up and make a comeback that would result in a devastating loss in front of an electric home crowd.

Devils defenseman Mike Mottau was up on the play, sneakily making his way into the slot unnoticed, when a loose puck suddenly popped out of a cluster of players in front of the net and onto the blade of his stick. Mottau, quickly reacting, shot it immediately, but Lundqvist, without even knowing where the puck was, sprawled across the crease and made an amazing and flashy glove save to preserve the 3-goal lead

Henrik Lundqvist made a bundle of great saves this season, as he manages to do each year, but in my mind, this was by far the best one. Not many goaltenders can do a complete split and commit absolute larceny by making a glove save. Lundqvist did just that, and you can watch it in the video below. Special thanks to Brad, a frequent reader/commentor on the site for sending me the video.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIMklvbigfw]

Kreider and Del Zotto Going to Worlds

Earlier this afternoon, Steve Zipay of  Newsday reported that Rangers prospect Chris Kreider will be headed to Germany to play for Team USA in the World Championships starting on May 7th. The Blueshirts' first round draft pick in 2009 is the only college athlete to be attending the tournament, which is a pretty impressive fact considering he is only turning 19-years-old tomorrow. This is just another experience that will help Kreider's development experience a much better one.

Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto will also be playing in the tournament, but with Team Canada. Del Zotto registered 37 points in 80 games played with the Blueshirts this season, and will be a great addition to the Canadians blue-line. He will be joining New York teammate Marc Staal, who was also invited to join the squad earlier in the month.

I don't think it is a coincidence that Mark Messier is the general manager of the team and two Rangers will be on defense for Canada this year in the tournament.

Could they Have Went Far?

Courtesy of AP Photo

Watching some of these series unfold and different teams moving on to the semifinals, I could not keep myself from wondering how far the New York Rangers could have went if they happened to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. Before the end, New York had a great run that propelled them into the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Considering that they would have brought all of that momentum with them into the playoffs, there is a chance they could have done more damage than was expected.

If the Blueshirts would have been able to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in the final game of the regular season, they would have went up against the Washington Capitals in the first round. Tonight, the Caps will again fight to keep their season alive when they clash with the Habs at the Verizon Center. When they wanted to, the Canadiens have been able to dictate the pace of that series, which is a major reason why it is going to the final game.

In my opinion, the only thing the Habs have on the Rangers is speed. Their overall speed is much better than that of the Blueshirts, but when you go down the rest of the lineup, the two teams are not all that different. They compare quite well when you think about it, actually. So could the Rangers have handled Ovechkin and the "Red Rockers"? I would say yes, even if it took a game seven. They came oh so close last year and I do not think their chances would be much different this time around being that the Caps are not playing inspired hockey in this series.

And then of course you factor in that Henrik Lundqvist was beginning to get extremely hot for the Rangers towards the end of the regular season, which would have given the good guys yet another advantage over the Caps.

It is just a thought, I know, and probably a very hopeful one at that. But I am a big believer that anything can happen in the postseason and that any team has a chance.

Anyway, below are the set playoff match-ups for the semifinals so far. The final game, as mentioned above, will be played between the Caps and Habs on this night.

Western Conference:
Chicago vs Vancouver
San Jose vs Detroit

Eastern Conference:
TBD

Video: 09-10 New York Rangers "Goal of the Year"

We are getting closer to the end of our recap of the 2009-10 New York Rangers season here on The Rangers Tribune. In this post, I share my choice for the "Goal of the Year" Award, presented to the player who I felt scored the prettiest goal in the regular season. The Blueshirts registered a total of 219 goals this season, but only one of those tallies qualifies for "Goal of the Year".

Sadly, of those 219 goals, almost twenty percent of them came from one player. That player was Marian Gaborik, who by the way, receives the "Goal of the Year" award from me this season. On October 14th of 2009, the Rangers were locked in a tight battle with the Los Angeles Kings at Madison Square Garden. Only leading by one in the third period, the Blueshirts needed an insurance goal that would enable them to breathe a little easier and eventually capture their sixth straight victory to open the season. Of course, there was only one player to look to at that moment. That player was Marian Gaborik.

After goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made a key save with only 15:50 remaining in regulation, Marc Staal cleared the loose puck from the slot and around the boards behind his own net. Dan Girardi was stationed on the other side of the net waiting to receive the pass, which he instantly pushed up to Vinny Prospal along the boards. Prospal, with his head down and facing the opposite direction of the play, fired a backhanded pass across the neutral zone without looking. Marian Gaborik received that feed behind his back with one hand on his stick, pulled the puck over the blue line and into the offensive zone, and then lasered a snap shot over Erik Ersberg to give the Rangers that 4-2 lead they were looking for.

It takes great skill to receive a pass one handed, let alone when it is behind you and let alone when you are moving at a decent speed toward an oncoming defenseman. Then it  takes even more talent to move that puck up to shooting position and then send a rocket into the top right corner of the net when you are shooting from a sharp angle along the left boards.

To me, this was the prettiest goal of the year scored by a Ranger, but there are certainly some that can contest it. If you could think of another "Goal of the Year" choice, let me know in the comments. Meanwhile, you can watch Gaborik's one-handed magic against the Kings in the video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7lMPgKOCg]

2009-10 New York Rangers Season Report Card

Courtesy of AP Photo

 At last, I present you with my 2009-10 New York Rangers Season Report Card as we continue to recap the season in its entirety here on The Rangers Tribune. In order to qualify for grading, players had to be in the lineup for at least ten games this season. From there, they were graded on a scale of "A to D", with "A" being the best and "D" being the worst. Enjoy the read and let me know what you think in the comments.

GRADE A

Henrik Lundqvist- It may be getting old, but to make sure it is clear, the New York Rangers would have finished in the bottom five in the league this season if it were not for goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. No, he did not have the greatest of seasons in 2009-10, but considering the team he has in front of him, he did one heck of a job even giving this team a chance to make the playoffs. The team’s limited offense forced Henrik to be near perfect, yet he was still able to post a 2.38 GAA and .921 save percentage on the season.

Marian Gaborik- What more could you have asked for from star winger Marian Gaborik in his first year on Broadway. Before the season started, many predicted Gaborik to not even play 40 games with the Rangers because of past injury problems. Well, he ended up playing in 76 of 82, and in those 76 games, recorded 42 goals and 44 assists for a career-high 86 points. Much like Lundqvist, Marian helped to carry this team, specifically on offense, and at times would seem like the only player on the ice. As long as he can stay healthy, the Blueshirts have another four fantastic years of Marian Gaborik ahead of them.

Vinny Prospal- You talk about getting bang for your buck. Vinny Prospal, signed as a free agent after being bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning, was absolutely phenomenal for the Rangers this season. Anytime you can get a player being paid just $1.1 million to 58 points in a season is tremendous, but when that player can also provide leadership and intensity, you have a very special individual on your hands. That is what the Rangers have and they would be very wise to re-sign Vinny for another go before July 1st when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.


GRADE B

Brandon Dubinsky- In 64 games played, Brandon Dubinsky put up career numbers this season with the Rangers (20-24-44). The reason he gets a “B” is because, like many players, he lacked consistency. When he would heat up, he would go on three, four, sometimes even five game point scoring streaks, but would then cool off and go through an extended slump. If Dubi can improve his consistency for the future, there is no doubt in my mind that he can net 30 goals.

Ryan Callahan- I like to call Ryan Callahan “Mr. Everything” for obvious reasons. He can score, he can hit, he can lead and he can defend. There isn’t much that alternate captain Ryan Callahan cannot do. If Callahan would have been able to match last season’s numbers, I would have given him an “A”, but his 19 goals, 37 points fell a bit short of my expectations. Nonetheless, a solid Olympic performance and a great effort with the Rangers makes him well worth his $2.2 million contract.

Michael Del Zotto- Entering the league as a defenseman is not an easy task, but rookie blue-liner Michael Del Zotto impressed all who follow the team on a regular basis, including many outsiders. His quick start to the season had him leading all rookies in scoring at one point, but as expected, he was not able to keep that pace. He finished the season with 37 points, which, as I said, is exceptional for a rookie on defense.

Marc Staal- Statistically, Marc Staal was the best defensive defenseman in the National Hockey League this season, which is about par for the course by his standards. Marc is quietly effective for the Rangers, and earlier in the season when head coach John Tortorella wanted him to be an offensive defenseman with a lot of bang, things were not working out for Staal. However, he quickly returned to form and was looked upon as the Rangers’ top defenseman for the remainder of 2009-10. Not many complaints about the Thunder Bay native, who will be a RFA come July.

Erik Christensen- Erik Christensen was acquired by the Rangers in the month of December when he was claimed off of the waiver wire. GM Glen Sather saw it as a potential low-risk, high reward opportunity and he jumped on it. Turns out that Christensen became Marian Gaborik’s most successful center and claimed a spot on the powerplay as well. Christensen finished the season with 26 points in 58 games.

Dan Girardi- I believe that defenseman Dan Girardi is an underrated asset in the Rangers World and he had yet another good season in New York. When paired with Marc Staal, he becomes one half of one of the best shutdown units in the league in my opinion. Girardi is a restricted free agent this summer, and I would love to have him back, along with Staalsy. Both are key parts to the Rangers’ blue-line.

Brandon Prust- Brandon Prust was yet another one of those surprise players for the Rangers this season. Acquired several weeks before the deadline in a deal that shipped Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins to the Calgary Flames, Prust came here and was an instant success. The scrappy youngster played the best hockey of his career when playing on a line with Jody Shelley and Artem Anisimov. Without a doubt, Pruster should be re-signed by the Rangers brass.

Jody Shelley- Just like Brandon Prust, Jody Shelley became a very important player since his acquisition from the San Jose Sharks. In my mind, he was a major upgrade from former enforcer Donald Brashear. Shelley is not just a fighter by any means, he has some offensive ability as far as forechecking goes and is surprisingly a very intelligent individual.

P.A. Parenteau- Each time P.A. Parenteau was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack, he always seemed to make an impact when in the lineup. All call-ups combined, Parenteau compiled a total of eight points, and I have a feeling he has a good chance of making the squad out of training camp next season. It all depends on what holes the Rangers need filled.

Artem Anisimov- I originally predicted Anisimov to bury 15-20 goals this season, which was slightly off the mark by three. Regardless, Artem produced right in the target range of a rookie with his potential. I would like to see Artem put on some weight and some muscle in the offseason, which will eventually enable him to maneuver his way around the offensive zone with force.


GRADE C

Sean Avery- To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Sean Avery’s season this time around. Sure injuries had a major impact on him only scoring 11 goals, but I feel like he could have been much better. I do not fully blame Sean for that, though, as the coach was trying to control him too often instead of just letting him play his game, which is when Sean is most effective. Towards the end of the season, Tortorella realized that he needed to let up. He did just that and there was an immediate (positive) response from Aves.

Michal Rozsival- Michal Rozsival, believe it or not (and I am ready to take criticism for this), showed some improvement this season. He was nothing great, we know that, but at the same time, he had some great performances and was not “horrible” along the way. That being said, I wouldn’t mind seeing his contract shipped away. For what he contributes, he does not deserve to be making $5 million per year.

Matt Gilroy- Matt Gilroy had a decent start to the season this year, but as the months went on, his confidence slowly diminished, as did his overall game. I think Tortorella made some poor decisions in handling Gilroy, such as sending him down to Hartford for a while in the first half of the season. If he was going to do that, they might as well have let him play the season in the minors or with the Pack.

Brian Boyle- Heading into the season, it was not expected that Brian Boyle was going to make the team out of camp. Once he did that, many thought he would be a scratch more often than not. Wrong and wronger were those predictions as Boyle made a very strong case to remain in the lineup consistently. His penalty-killing was superb and he took over the role of Freddy Sjostrom/Blair Betts as a direct result of this.

Chris Drury- Captain Drury, I felt, had a better year than the prior one. The veteran center recorded 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points, but took his leadership a step further with the things he did on the ice. Of course, intangibles and a few goals are not worth $7.5 million, which is why he gets a “C”. However, if he were maybe paid 3-4 million, he would have gotten a “B” from me.

Alex Auld- It feels unfair giving Auld a “C” since he only had one legitimate start, but I will say this much. When he was given the nod, Alex Auld was very impressive in goal for the Blueshirts. Auld will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and I think he would be the ideal back-up for Henrik Lundqvist next year.


GRADE D

Olli Jokinen- All Olli Jokinen has proved to me this season is that his career in the National Hockey League is coming to a close. He no longer can skate with the puck, he does not have the same shot and overall he has slowed. The trade served its purpose by dumping Kotalik’s contract, but now the Rangers should just let Jokinen walk. Luckily he is a free agent in July.

Wade Redden- There is not much to say here really. $6.5 million and you give us 14 points. That is pathetic and I think Glen Sather should make it a top priority to get rid of this albatross contract. Redden is not the player he was in Ottawa, and Slats needs to admit that and admit that he has made a mistake.

Enver Lisin- Lisin was a huge disappointment in my eyes. I expected a lot out of him in 2009-10, but all he produced was six goals and 14 points. I am aware that Tortorella did not give the Russian youngster the opportunity he deserved, but even still, he did not play how I thought he would. The Blueshirts may have been better off keeping Lauri Korpikoski, because at least he could play well defensively and was not one-dimensional.

Aaron Voros- I have said it over and over again. Voros is useless to this team. I would love to see him somehow him traded away or sent down to the minors, but if not, he is a free agent after the upcoming season anyway.

Donald Brashear- The day Donald Brashear was sent down to Hartford was probably one of the most celebrated dates by Ranger fans this season and rightly so. Brashear can no longer fight, he cannot skate, and certainly cannot score. Brandon Prust/Jody Shelley have taken over his spot on the roster and I am pretty confident in saying that his time with the Rangers is done. Quite frankly, it never should have started.

Ales Kotalik- Ales Kotalik was yet another failure on this team, hence the reason he was sent to Calgary before the deadline. His powerplay production was horrendous, he was invisible at even strength, and towards the end of his time in New York, Tortorella could no longer trust him in any situation. I was delighted to see his contract go bye-bye.

Chris Higgins- Snake-bitten could only be used for a few weeks until it becomes clear that a player simply cannot finish. That is what happened with Chris Higgins this season, who many of us had high hopes for heading in. Smart move by Sather to also send Higgins to the Flames before we had to suffer from Higginitis any longer.

Steve Valiquette- Steve Valiquette was given his chances, but after blowing the seven-game winning streak in October at the hands of the Sharks, and then allowing eight goals to the Penguins in November, there was no doubt that Valiquette was done as Lundqvist’s back-up. He may be a world-class guy off the ice, but he was a liability on the ice. If there was one player that surprised me the most this season, it may just have been him.

Rangers Should Stay Away from Kovalchuk

Courtesy of Getty Images

I know that I said I would take this week to finish up recapping the 2009-10 New York Rangers season with report cards and offseason plans, but I felt the need to make this post you are about to read because of the talk I have been hearing among the Blueshirt faithful. Of course, when it comes to this time of the year, with the team eliminated and free agency just around the corner, people tend to be attracted to the big names without considering all of the pros and cons. The good comes with the bad, and I think that is the perfect phrase to sum up star winger Ilya Kovalchuk as a player.

As we know, in mid-January it was rumored that Atlanta Thrashers general manager Don Waddell was shopping Kovalchuk and testing the waters around the league with him. Supposedly the Rangers showed some interest, but on February 4th it was the New Jersey Devils who landed the Russian enigma and it was with the New Jersey Devils where the faults in his game were exposed. No, he is not to blame completely for their early exit from the playoffs, but he certainly was not an impact player in that series, nor did he do much to help the club. In other words, he was not impressive at all.

In 27 games played with the Devils this season, Kovalchuk had just ten goals, in addition to the two he netted in five games played against the Flyers in the quarterfinals. Those are not horrible numbers, obviously, but they are not what we have seen in previous years of his career and they are the only reason why he does not have an atrocious plus/minus rating. His performance in the playoffs this season was below-par, and I think that was the assuring fact that he will not be back with the Devils next season.

This may sound harsh, but Kovalchuk does not give a rat's tail about the defensive end of the rink. He does not make an effort to backcheck, he does not make an effort to help around by the net, and he is not an option to put on the penalty kill. His only ability is scoring, which he can do quite well, but only when he chooses that he wants to.

People have recently been asking why Kovalchuk did not fit in New Jersey. Well, the Devils, sine their birth, have always been a defense-first team. Kovalchuk does not know how to play a system like that, in fact, he doesn't know how to play much of any system at all. He is a floater that waits for the puck, and when he gets it, he chooses if he wants to do something with it or not.

This is not necessarily Kovalchuk's fault, though, it is just they way he grew up learning the game of hockey. European hockey is much more different than that of the North Americans and especially with the Russians, that is evident. Alex Ovechkin and Alexei Kovalev are also prolific scorers who often find themselves being criticized for their defensive play, or lack thereof.

Taking all of this into consideration, the idea of bringing Kovalchuk to New York may be tempting, but it would not be a solution for this hockey team, or at most only a short-term one. GM Glen Sather needs to focus on signing players that are going to give him bang for his back. He cannot afford to spend 6, 7, or $8 million on a player that is going to give a carefree effort and produce on occasion. Been there, done that. As fans, we don't need to go through anymore of that time-wasting nonsense. According to ESPN, head coach John Tortorella slipped Sather a note reiterating that once the season ended.

As I have said before, I feel the Rangers need to get a center this offseason. I think that is going to be their number one priority, followed by a rough and tough defenseman. When you have Marian Gaborik, Ilya Kovalchuk is not a need, simply a want. At this stage, needs are extremely more important than wants.

Around the NHL: Jacques Lemaire Retires (UPDATE)

Courtesy of AP Photo

I am sure most of you have already heard, but New Jersey Devils coach Jacques Lemaire announced his retirement earlier this afternoon, after his hockey club made a first round exit in five games at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 64-year-old coach was in the league for 17 years, many of those spent with the Devils, and won the Stanley Cup in 1995. Lemaire also coached for nine years with the Minnesota Wild, where he has a combined record of 293-255-108 and coached current Rangers forward Marian Gaborik.

This is a move that certainly took the National Hockey League by surprise, as well as the Devils. Now general manager Lou Lamoriello must go out and retrieve a coach over the summer for the second straight year. Is Tom Renney an option? It certainly is possible since he has previously been successful in coaching a defensive style with New York.

Below is the press release from the NHL:

The New Jersey Devils announced Monday that Jacques Lemaire has retired from his post as coach but will remain within the organization in some other capacity. The announcement comes on the heels of the team's stunning five-game first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last week.

"After reflection and 17 years of coaching, I decided to retire," Lemaire told the media during a press conference at Prudential Center. "It's tough to leave what you like aside, but it's a decision that I made and I will do."

Lemaire said he asked Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello to break the news to the team since he was too emotional at the time.

"Lou did it for me because I tried to tell the coaching staff and I had a hard time," Lemaire said. "I didn't tell the players, Lou did it for me. I tried to tell the coaching staff and had a hard time."

Lamoriello, who said Lemaire's decision was made over the last 24 hours, has not yet announced a new coach or made any decisions on the future of Lemaire's assistants, which include Mario Tremblay, Tommy Albelin, Scott Stevens, Jacques Caron and Larry Robinson.

This season, the Devils finished with 103 points and won the Atlantic Division. But as the second seed in the playoffs, they were eliminated by the seventh-seeded Flyers, who finished 15 points behind them in the standings.

UPDATE/REMINDER: As a quick reminder, be sure to swing by the blog tomorrow to read my 2009-10 New York Rangers Season Report Card, analyzing and grading each and every player to put on the Blueshirts sweater this past season.

Rangers Tribune Mobile Launches

With today being a slow Sunday and not much going on in the Rangers World, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce readers to the site's newest feature. The Rangers Tribune took yet another step in keeping up with the times this past weekend when we officially launched our mobile site. With more and more people using BlackBerrys, iPods, iPhones, and many other mobile devices now-a-days, I figured it would be smart to make a mobile version of the site so that articles can easily be read on the devices listed above.

As a BlackBerry user myself, I know that it can sometimes be a pain to play around with your smartphone so that you can clearly read articles, or even just waiting for the entire webpage to actually load on the device's browser. With a mobile-friendly format, there is no hassle in accessing the site's material on your phone or iPod.

Their are two ways in which you can get to Rangers Tribune Mobile as I like to call it. The first is by simply heading to the very bottom of this page and clicking the "mobile" link. That will automatically take you to our mobile site. The second way is to physically type the address in your web browser. The address for the mobile site is m.rangerstribune.com, with the "m" obviously standing for mobile. So basically instead of typing "www" before the site's address, you just have to type "m". To view an article, all you have to do is click the link with the post's title on the main page of the mobile site.

I just set everything up this past Friday, so there are still some things I have to fix and adjust so that the layout of the mobile site is perfect. For now, though, it works quite well and I was even able to add the Rangers Tribune banner to the top of the page. If you have any problems with it at all, or have a suggestion, please do not hesitate from contacting myself via e-mail, which is located on the "About the Author" page up top.

Be sure to stop by the blog all this week as we continue to recap the 09-10 season with our report card and player reviews. Also, sometime this week I will have my offseason plan for the New York Rangers up on the site.