The Rangers Tribune

Postgame: Captain Callahan Leads Rangers to First Home Ice Win Over Sharks

I said before the game that if the New York Rangers found a way to somehow beat the San Jose Sharks and snap their five-game winning streak tonight, it would be a tremendous confidence booster for a hockey club that's struggled in their first nine games. Looking at tonight's 5-2 winning performance as a whole, it was absolutely the Blueshirts' most complete game of the season to date, so maybe a little more than just a confidence booster it turned out to be. The Rangers finally have a game to look back on and say "this is how we need to play", because before tonight, I don't think they even came close to having one of those. 

Captain Ryan Callahan wore the cape for the Rangers tonight, tallying two goals and an assist to lead the team to victory with a heroic effort. Cally got it all started at 4:46 of the first period when he fed Ryan McDonagh a perfect pass for a one-timer, which McD buried for his third of the season to give the Rangers an early lead. Later in the period Brandon Dubinsky and Derek Stepan connected for a beautiful powerplay goal to make it 2-0, which happened to be Stepan's first goal of the season. 

The Sharks would strike twice after that, once at the end of the first period and again to begin the second. Joe Pavelski scored the first, sneaking a rebound through the legs of Martin Biron to cut the Rangers' lead to 2-1. Then it was Logan Couture scoring the second when he completely rifled a one-timed slapper to the top corner of the net from the circles. The Rangers' defense was caught on a long shift on that specific goal, but no matter who was out on the ice, no one was preventing that rocket from reaching the net. 

New York came storming back in the second half of the middle stanza, though, and this was ignited by a slick pass from Erik Christensen that Callahan easily tapped-in to regain the lead. Christensen, again, would pick up an assist several minutes later when he led Artem Anisimov on a mini-break to the net. The pretty part of the play, however, was Anisimov's shot, which he somehow was able to backhand between Antti Niemi's shoulder and the corner of the post to the top of the net. 

Finally, Ryan Callahan had the last say on the scoreboard tonight with his second goal of the game coming late in the second period. He found a Brad Richards' rebound, while falling, and was able to swat it into the half-empty cage to make it 5-2 Rangers. I think Joe Thornton, who referred to the Rangers as "soft" in his postgame comments, should've taken notes there, because what Cally did on that goal was how a real captain performs. Thornton was nonexistent tonight. 

While the Rangers scored five goals in this game, I think their best play came on defense. Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh were their usual shutdown selves, but I was more impressed by the play of Michael Del Zotto and Michael Sauer on the second pairing. I've been hard on Del Zotto this season, but that's only because I know he is capable of better things than we've seen so far. Tonight we saw the best of MDZ yet, both offensively and defensively. He played extremely well, especially with the puck, so hopefully this will be a performance to build on for Del Zotto. 

Jeff Woywitka and Steve Eminger had a disappointing game, and were probably the only two that applies to tonight. Thankfully, Marty Biron was on top of his game as well, so when the D was at fault, Marty came up big 24 out of 26 times tonight. Biron is now 2-0-0 on the year and has filled in for Henrik Lundqvist just fine, just as he did last season. 

I think you also have to give the Rangers credit for continuing to attack in the third period, despite holding the 5-2 lead. They learned quickly on Saturday against Ottawa that sitting back on a lead is no longer an option, so tonight they came out and outshot the Sharks from the time Cally scored the fifth goal and the end of the game. That's how this team is going to have to protect leads this season, because the whole defense-first thing hasn't worked out for them. 

And credit where credit is due, Erik Christensen was all over the place tonight. He picked up the two assists, but was also skating well and creating chances out there. It's funny what knowing their job is in jeopardy can do to a player. I’m sure yesterday's news about Sean Avery sent a surge of urgency through his body, and now, after tonight, it’s not guaranteed that Sean will be in Thurday’s lineup.

But again, the spotlight falls on Captain Callahan tonight. He's now tied for the team lead in goals (5) and continues to epitomize just exactly the style of hockey that the Rangers must play in order to succeed. Literally, he was superman tonight, soaring through the air - a Halloween costume that fits him perfectly. 

Pregame: Rangers Should See Match with Sharks as Opportunity to Boost Confidence

Saturday afternoon's loss to the Ottawa Senators was a microcosm of the New York Rangers' season so far. There were times when they looked great, there were times when they looked horrific, but in the end, everything spiraled out of control. Through nine games, the Rangers have yet to give a complete 60-minute effort, and have not been able to control every aspect of their game at the same time.

The team, as is right now, is a very dysfunctional one that has clearly faced many struggles with a 3-3-3 record. Tonight's match-up with the San Jose Sharks will be even tougher than Ottawa's, mainly because the Sharks have a deeper lineup on paper. However, if the Rangers were able to grab a win in this one, it would sure brighten the spirits in the locker room for the time being. 

The Sharks are 6-3-0 this season and are coming off an overtime win against the Islanders this past weekend. The two Joe's, Thornton and Pavelski, have been the club's offensive leaders throughout the season so far. Pavelski has 11 points total, which is more than any Ranger to this point. San Jose is threatening offensively, so the faulty defense we have seen from the Rangers for large parts of the season is not going to fly tonight. 

While on the topic of defense, Jeff Woywitka will enter the lineup tonight being that Tim Erixon was assigned to the Connecticut Whale of the AHL on Saturday. Michael Del Zotto did not take part in this morning's skate as he's been battling a hip flexor problem, but he is expected to be in the lineup this evening. Actually, he most likely WILL be in the lineup tonight because if he wasn't able to go, the Blueshirts would've made an emergency call up by now. 

On offense, as you know, Andre Deveaux will enter in place of Kris Newbury, who was also assigned to the Whale on Saturday. Together, though, they have filled in the roster spot of Mike Rupp. As reported yesterday, Rupp's knee has become a "concern" and he was planned to see doctor sometime today to get another opinion on the injury. Fingers are crossed that he is not told surgery is his only option. 

As for the lines, John Tortorella will stick to what he finished the game with on Saturday against Ottawa. That means Derek Stepan will be between Wojtek Wolski and Marian Gaborik on the top line. Stepan's shown some nice chemistry with Gabby, even when they were first united against the Islanders a few weeks ago. Torts hasn't allowed him to stay there for more than a few games, though. 

And I have to tilt my cap to Brad Richards for gelling nicely with Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky against the Sens. That's the best I've seen him play so far and I hope he can continue that tonight against a tougher opponent. 

Marty Biron will get his second start of the season in goal. 

New York Rangers Lineup

Don't Get Overly Excited About Sean Avery Recall

We got news late Sunday afternoon that the New York Rangers have plans to place forward Sean Avery, currently in the AHL with the Connecticut Whale, on re-entry waivers sometime today (most likely around noon). It will take 24 hours for Sean to clear through the waiver process, assuming he is not claimed by another team for half price, therefore making him eligible to join the squad for Thursday's match-up with the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden. Many see this as a conciliatory move by the Blueshirts that will re-unite them with their number one pest, leaving the past behind. That, though, is far from the case. 

When a player on the NHL squad is injured, the Rangers look for the best possible player with the Whale that they could recall to fill the spot. The problem is, many times the best player is also a developing prospect, making them off-limits since playing them fourth line minutes in the NHL will be detrimental to their development. For example, John Tortorella said yesterday that the Rangers had considered recalling Mats Zuccarello once Kris Newbury was sent down, but realizing that he could not guarantee any ice time, they went with Andre Deveaux instead. 

That is the angle you also have to look at the Sean Avery situation from. With Mike Rupp out of the lineup for an undetermined amount of time due to a struggling knee, Avery is the best possible option to fill Rupp's spot/role, and the coach, by no means, feels obligated to give him a certain amount of ice time. This may not be the perfect way of saying it, but basically, Avery is being used while Rupp is out. Now there is a chance that Rupp is out long-term, which many play into Sean's favor, but right now it's unknown just how long it will take the enforcer to return. 

Now don't get me wrong here, I am happy that the Rangers recalled Avery since I, too, am a big Avery supporter and appreciate what he adds to the team (Lord knows that's more than Erik Christensen). But at the same time, I realize that this does not mean mission accomplished for Sean. He's the same player that was cut by the team four weeks ago, he's the same player Tortorella stated was not good enough for the Rangers, and he's the same player that was never given a fair chance here in New York. None of that has changed, so don't expect it to. 

Avery is not going to enter Thursday's game and score five goals to defeat the Ducks and win over the heart of John Tortorella - it's just not going to happen. He's not going to suddenly be given a spot on the first line with Marian Gaborik to see if he fits there. Hell, I'll be surprised if he plays more than eight to ten minutes per game. I think by now that you should all be catching my drift with what I am trying to do here. 

I don't want fans to get overly excited about Avery being recalled and then be left in disappointment and anger when he is given the same treatment the coaching staff gave him before he was assigned to the Whale. I don't want fans to be disappointed when Sean is returned to the AHL if/when Mike Rupp is in game-shape again. That's not fair to you. 

But for now, enjoy Avery as a Ranger while it lasts. That is, of course, if he clears through re-entry waivers over the next two days. 

Sean Avery to be Placed on Re-Entry Waivers

Larry Brooks of the New York Post has confirmed that the New York Rangers will be placing forward Sean Avery on re-entry waivers tomorrow. All 29 other teams will have an opportunity to claim Sean over a 24-hour period, but if he clears as expected, he would be eligible to play Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks.

I am very surprised to see Avery being recalled after everything he and the organization have went through over the past month. There have been few details revealed about the situation, but I get the sense that this move is management-induced, or in other words, not being made by the coaching staff.

Avery scored the shootout-winning goal for the Whale last night.

I give the fans credit here. You guys spoke and they listened.

Mike Rupp's Knee is a "Concern"

Forward Mike Rupp has missed the past two games with a "cranky" knee as the coach puts it, and according to Tortorella it's not showing any signs of improvement. Rupp will miss his thrid straight game tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks at MSG, and will meanwhile be seeing another specialist to get an opinion on what's best for him. 

"We're having conversations on him about what's exactly best for him," Tortorella said of Rupp on Sunday. "It's a problem because we just have not been able to get him on the ice with any type of consistency practicing. I'll give you this, it's a concern."

To me it sounds like Rupp may have been told he needs surgery and is now seeking other opinions. Knee surgery requires a lengthy recovery, especially as a hockey player, so that's the last thing Rupp will want to do. But depending on what he is told by the doctor tomorrow, that may be his only option.

In Rupp's place will be forward Andre Deveaux, who was recalled from the AHL earlier this morning. Tortorella mentioned that Mats Zuccarello was a consideration but, again, he couldn't gauruntee ice time.

Tortorella also spoke about the reasoning behind assigning defenseman Tim Erixon to the Connecticut Whale, courtesy of Blueshirts United:

"As the games have been going on, especially the past two or three, you can see that he's a kid playing a very tough position on a team that's trying to find itself, and this is not good for his development," Tortorella explained following Sunday's practice. "We're really concerned that we do not want to hinder his development." 

Sending Erixon down to the AHL was the right decision because he does not deserve to endure the ups and downs that the NHL club is going through right now. There is too much negativity and failure for him to be around right now, and staying up would only hurt his confidence. He will excel with the Whale, and I think the coaching staff knows that, hence the move being made. 

Jeff Woywitka will be in the lineup tomorrow versus the Sharks, but Torts did state that the Rangers are discussing different ways to go about acquiring more depth on defense. This is yet another sign that Marc Staal is nowhere close to returning, which is becoming more and more obvious.

Coach, Leadership Must Grab Hold of Team (Update: Deveaux Recalled)

There are 101 things you can point to when assessing why the New York Rangers appallingly collapsed on a 4-1 lead in the second half of the third period yesterday against the Ottawa Senators; a game which New York ended up losing 5-4 in the shootout. Instead of looking at the club's problems individually, you have to look at the grand scheme of things, and there's been a developing pattern in the last few losses. The team mentality is not where it needs to be, and clearly everyone is not on the same page in the locker room. Typically, when you encounter problems such as this, you turn to the coaching staff and the leadership on the club to stabilize everyone and make sure each player is walking to the same beat. 

Starting with head coach John Tortorella, he is partially at fault for Saturday's collapse. After the Rangers made it 4-1 as Brad Richards scored his second goal of the game, the Rangers "exhaled" as Ryan Callahan put it, and they sat back on their lead. With the defense in the state that it is right now, they couldn't have made a more foolish decision than that. This team is not capable of sitting on a lead and would've been in much better shape had they maintained their offensive pressure and continued to push for more goals. 

That's the message Tortorella should have conveyed to his players on the bench and he failed to do that. The reason the Rangers never once gave up a third period lead last season was because of their consistent effort for the entire sixty minutes, not fifty. This is something Torts has preached since he became coach, but why he could not get that message through to his players yesterday is puzzling. 

Also, once Jason Spezza cut the score to 4-2, there absolutely should have been a timeout called. And if not then, Torts had another opportunity to do so when Spezza scored again to make it 4-3. Instead he left the team to fix things themselves, which I think any of us could have told him ahead of time that would result in the Sens tying the game, then had the nerve to criticize the team after the game for not battling to the final buzzer.

John Tortorella did an excellent job getting the team into a groove last season and I gave him a bundle of credit for that. But so far this season, Torts has fallen short of expectations behind the bench. I know that's an unconventional way of analyzing the coach, but I've always viewed the coach as another part of the team, and right now Tortorella is not producing as he should. 

Tortorella shouldn't receive all of the blame that the fan base is putting on him right now, though. Sure, he should be held accountable for certain things, but it's not completely his fault that the team is 3-3-3 through their first nine games. It is my belief that, in addition to the coach, some accusation has to go in the way of the leadership when the team repeatedly comes out flat or coughs up leads. And to be clear when I say this, I am not only referring to Ryan Callahan, Brad Richards and Dan Girardi since they are the only players wearing a C or an A.

There are plenty of impactful voices in that locker room, as you will discover once the cameras start rolling for HBO's 24/7 segment in December. The impactful voices, however, have been everything but impactful so far. Following the second period of Thursday's home opener, which was embarrassing to watch from the stands, someone should have gotten up in the room and ripped the entire team to shreds. There was no excuse for the pathetic excuse of hockey that we were forced to witness the team play that night, and someone needed to step in and get the boys fired up, or to put it more bluntly, get their heads out of their asses. 

And who knows, maybe someone did say something of significance between periods, but we wouldn't know that. And if someone did, they didn't get through to their teammates. In fact, they wasted everyone's time because the Rangers played even worse in the third period than they did in the second that night.

Look, many fans are viewing this ugly start as the end of the world. The Rangers are nine games into an 82-game season, and as of late, there have been some positives to pull out of these losses. For example, in Saturday's match with Ottawa, Brad Richards finally showed us the player he could be and looked to have some chemistry with Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. Also, Marian Gaborik continued his stellar play, picking up another goal and two assists. And the powerplay - it finally showed some life.

The Rangers have had different aspects of their game going for them at different times. As of now, they have not yet been able to pull it all together and get everything moving in one swift direction. That's not something you can necessarily practice, either.  But I think once everyone in the room has the same mentality and the Rangers begin to overcome adversity and never have to look at their effort as a problem, everything else will start coming together.

This is where the coaching staff and leadership on the team come into play, because they are the ones that must lead the way to achieving the above goals. There needs to be motivation, there needs to be a desire to win and everyone on the squad needs to have the same understanding of that concept. That's how it was in 2010-11, and the product was one of the proudest seasons we have ever watched as fans.

UPDATE (10:35 am):  The Rangers have recalled forward Andre Deveaux from the Connecticut Whale (AHL). Deveaux is second on the Whale in scoring with 6 points. 

Postgame: Rangers Choke on 4-1 Lead in Third, Lose to Senators in Shootout (Update: Erixon and Newbury to AHL)

The pathetic effort from the Rangers in their home opener against the Maple Leafs on Thursday was one thing. Tonight's collapse against the Ottawa Senators? A whole different level of disappointment. The Rangers had this game in the palms of their hands, up 4-1 in the third period with the crowd on their side, but once Jason Spezza scored for the Senators to cut the deficit to 4-2, New York deflated and things quickly went downhill from there. At that point, they were destined to lose.

John Tortorella's squad picked up where they left off on Thursday in the first period of this one, playing dismal hockey and being outshot badly. The Rangers were a step slower than their opponent in the first 20 minutes, forcing the crowd to get on them early and bring out the "We Want Avery" chants. Chris Neil scored late in the period to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead, leaving the Blueshirts to get boo'd off the ice.

The team came out with more energy in the second period, and Zenon Kenopka's boarding penalty on Artem Anisimov rewarded them with a 5-minute powerplay. Captain Ryan Callahan got things going when he roofed a rebound over Anderson and that was followed up by a strong attempt from Brad Richards that also resulted in a goal from the low slot. The Rangers entered the second intermission with a 2-1 lead and all of the momentum in their possession.

That continued in the third period with Marian Gaborik's one-timer on a beautiful feed from Derek Stepan, and then Richards buried his second of the game, also a one-timer from the slot area. Jason Spezza responded for the Senators with two goals of his own to make it 4-3 and by then the Rangers entered panic mode and had clearly lost focus.

Milan Michalek scored the tying goal, just barely squeaking a rebound through Henrik Lundqvist's legs. I'm starting to wonder if Henrik is losing his focus in the third period after having to keep his team in the game for pretty much the entire 40 minutes prior, because this is two straight games now in which he's let up uncharacteristic soft goals in the final stanza. It very well could just be a coincidence, but it's also extremely unlike him. Something's not right there in my opinion.

The Rangers had the better of the chances in overtime but Craig Anderson stood tall and forced the game to a shootout. Michalek was the only player to score in the shootout for either team, completing the full comeback for the Senators, 5-4.

One of the players who did not convert for the Rangers in the shootout was Erik Christensen, and that prompted an "A-very" chant among the Garden faithful on hand. Christensen began the game on the first line, but midway through two periods found himself on the fourth line after once again playing emotionless hockey. If Tortorella is not convinced now that Christensen is a waste of a roster spot then he shouldn't be a coach at the professional level because it's quite obvious to everyone else.

Now this is not to make a case for Avery, either. I'm just pointing out that Christensen serves absolutely no purpose on this team.

 The Rangers' concern for their defense must be growing, because a colossal collapse such as this one throws up some red flags. Obviously the team greatly misses Marc Staal in situations like that, but there's not miracle medicine to cure concussion symptoms, so they need to find a fix now. Whether that's through strategy or personnel will be up to the coaching staff and management,    but things are only going to get worse from here if the problem is ignored.

Tortorella said after the game that he did not think Wojtek Wolski's penalty for an "illegal hit to the head" was valid, but it did lead to the tying goal in the third period. Personally, I didn't see it because MSG did not show a replay, so I can't comment. Wolski also disagreed with the call.

But either way, you can't pinpoint the loss on that one play. It's the whole sixty minutes that have been a problem because the Rangers cannot seem to put up a consistent effort for all of them. There are too many separate problems to point a finger at any one of them, so you have to look at the big picture. And right now, at 3-3-3, that picture is very blurry for the Rangers.

UPDATE (7:40 pm): Defenseman Tim Erixon and forward Kris Newbury have been assigned to the AHL. Stay tuned.

Pregame: Rangers Hope to End Sens' Streak, Erase Thursday's Disaster

The Rangers' effort in their 2011-12 home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday was disgraceful. Actually, maybe I am wrong in using the word "effort" to describe what happened that night because there simply was no effort beyond the first period of play. From top to bottom, everything with the Blueshirts' game was ugly, even the goaltending, which is very rare when Henrik Lundqvist is in net. They will have a chance to redeem themselves this afternoon in front of their home crowd, which was disgusted walking out of the transformed MSG two nights ago, when they faceoff with the Ottawa Senators (5-5-0) for the first time this season. 

Ottawa enters today's contest on a four-game winning streak after getting off to a slow start to begin the year. The Sens have been led by none other than Jason Spezza, who heads the team in scoring with 13 points. 13 points? The most any Ranger has right now is 5 (Richards, Gaborik and Fedotenko). While the Senators have scored a lot, though, they've also been prone to allowing goals as well. They are 28th in the league in goal differential, having allowed eight more goals then they've scored. 

But regardless of the opponent and what their strengths and weaknesses are, the Rangers need to come out of the gate playing their game tonight. I know I've said that in pretty much every pregame I've written this season, but until they actually come out and do it, I am going to continue writing it. 

The team's forecheck has been nonexistent for a majority of the season so far, and head coach John Tortorella has continued to switch up the offensive lines in hope that it will get certain trios going. Clearly, though, it's the system that has hit a bump in the road, not the line combinations, but admitting that would be admitting that he is partially at fault, and Torts will not be doing that anytime soon. There's an ego to preserve there, you know. 

What was put together on offense during practice yesterday was really the icing on the cake as far as "seeing everything" goes. Erik Christensen was placed on the first line, instead of Brad Richards, to center Marian Gaborik and Wojtek Wolski. Allow me to remind you that Christensen has not registered a single point in six games played and has been invisible in each and every one of those games as well. Yet the coach still gives him opportunities on the powerplay and now the top line, when meanwhile the guy should have been placed on waivers weeks ago. 

I don't really give a damn what Tortorella says at this point, there is no logical reason that Erik Christensen should be on the first line. I don't know what part of "he doesn't care" that Torts does not understand about Christensen. I have never seen a more hesitant, hollow-hearted player than "crusher" in a Ranger uniform in my life, and now he is centering the first line instead of the $60 million playmaker that GM Glen Sather signed for that exact reason over the summer. 

Richards, instead, will be on the second line with Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. Dubi and Cally play a very different game than Richards, so I don't foresee any success coming as a result of this move. Tortorella should know Richards better than anyone, but based on what I've seen of Richie, I don't expect to see him forecheck hard with those two like Stepan did towards the end of the game on Thursday. And that's not a knock on Richards, I'm just explaining the differences. 

Speaking of Stepan, he and Artem Anisimov will be joining Kris Newbury on the fourth line today. And that's all I have to say about that, because the stupidity involved there speaks for itself. 

But it's not all on the offense, because defensively the Rangers were no better on Thursday night. There was way too much scrambling in their own zone, which in turn gave them no chance to turn things around and get offensive rushes going. Michael Del Zotto was a major victim of this, and I'm not trying to throw Michael under the bus here as many of you claim. If you can't see that he had a horrible outing on Thursday than you should see an eye doctor. 

New York Rangers Lineup

Christensen Replaces Richards as First Line Center

Sadly, this is not a joke.

Head coach John Tortorella switched the offensive lines up in practice again today (insert joke here), and in the process moved Erik Christensen up to the first line, where he centered Marian Gaborik and Wojtek Wolski. So, in place of the All-Star center in Brad Richards that was signed for an arm and a leg this summer, $925,000 Erik Christensen finds himself on the top line despite being absent from every game he has played in so far this season. Try to make logic out of that one. 

Erik Christensen is to John Tortorella as Aaron Voros was to Tom Renney. That's a reference you have to go back a few years to understand, but for those of you that do, it should make perfect sense. See Voros was Renney's favorited player, and even though he contributed close to nothing on a nightly basis, he would still find his way into the lineup over, say, Petr Prucha. 

With Christensen, not only does Tortorella give him an unearned roster spot, but he also plays him on the first line and on the powerplay. 

Maybe this is Tortorella's response to the banner that read "Send Torts to the Whale" last night at MSG, because he's giving Whale players royalty treatment right now. Avery wouldn't change this team's record, but I know he is a better player than both Christensen and Newbury, and probably would even give more than Wojtek Wolski. But this is Torts' team, not mine. 

As for the other lines:

Wolski - Christensen - Gaborik

Dubinsky - Richards - Callahan

Fedotenko - Boyle - Prust

Stepan - Anisimov - Newbury

Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov on the fourth line while Wojtek Wolski and Erik Christensen are on the first. 

I give up. 

NOTE: D Mike Del Zotto did not skate in practice today due to a hip issue. Should play tomorrow. 

Postgame: Same Old Rangers Disappoint in New MSG

The Blueshirt faithful entered the newly transformed Madison Square Garden with heads held high this evening, proud of the  beautiful facility they were walking into for their beloved team's home opener. Three hours later, though, they left with their heads hung low realizing their club just dropped their fifth of eight games this season. The hope was that coming home after a seven-game road trip would renew the Rangers, as they would finally be in front of their home crowd. Instead, their homecoming was nothing short of a complete disaster and having their home fans there to get on them only made things worse.

New York actually got off to a solid start in the first period, skating well and establishing a forecheck. Dan Girardi got the Rangers on the board with a slapshot from the point that squeaked through Gustavsson's legs. The Rangers went on to put two more pucks to the back of the net in the opening period, but both were waived off due to goaltender interference on Ryan Callahan. The first was interference and shouldn't have counted, but the second one was iffy. Ryan was given a shove from behind and head coach John Tortorella was enraged on the bench that the goal was immediately waived off.

I watched Torts on the bench as I was sitting a few rows behind him, and when he requested an explanation, the official held up a finger as if to say "one second" but then blew his whistle to resume play and never returned. Hmmmm.

Things went downhill from there, with the Rangers coming out completely flat in the second period. Matthew Lombardi's tying goal just 1:20 into the period wasn't enough to awake the sluggish Blueshirts and failed powerplays didn't help with that, either.  They continue to stand around with the man advantage, therefore defeating the purpose of the "man advantage" all together. Time to change up the strategy,  Mr. Tortorella.

Everything fell apart in the third period, including goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, which is when you know the Rangers are doomed for sure. The Leafs scored three consecutive goals in the third, and in my opinion, all three could have been stopped. At the same time, though, Lundqvist did stop back-to-back Phil Kessel breakaways in the prior period and still received no help from his blue-line, so it's certainly not only his fault.

I expected the defense to be much better tonight with Michael Sauer returning to the lineup, but while Sauer looked fine, the D as a whole did not. There was too much running around in the defensive zone and the Rangers ended up chasing the Leafs around more than they stopped them. That's part of the reason why there was no offense going the other way.

Michael Del Zotto may have scored tonight, but good Lord was he awful in this game.

Another cause of the lack of offensive attack was the team's sudden strategy of passing to make the perfect play instead of getting the puck on net. This was especially true for the first line, which was pretty much non-existent tonight. Bras Richards has made some fabulous passes this season, but he also possesses a wicked shot that he doesn't use. That's up to the coaches to tell him to let it fly more often, and not always look for Gabby.

Also, I don't what's been up with Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky, but they haven't been themselves the last few games. They're spending far too much time in the penalty box and not getting their well-known forecheck going. Again, I can't really put a finger on what the problem has been there, but those are two very important players the Rangers need to pick up their games. They are supposed to be the support for the Richie-Gabby combo, but right now only one player out of those four have actually performed well this season.

At one point the crowd  began a booming "We Want Avery" chant, in reference to Connecticut Whale forward Sean Avery. Tortorella, meanwhile, had his head buried in his clipboard drawing up new lines.

So while the arena was a sight to see, the team surely wasn't. There are no excuses for playing 40 minutes of lifeless hockey in your home opener, even more so when your home arena is Madison Square Garden. Tonight's effort was disappointing to put it lightly and it would be in their best interest to come out and actually play hockey on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.