The Rangers Tribune

Postgame: Rangers Embarrassed by Habs Yet Again

Well that was ugly. We haven’t seen many disappointing performances from the Rangers this season, but as of late, we’ve seen them far too often. There was the 3-0 loss to the Senators on Thursday and now a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens tonight, so this team has some soul-searching to do before they enter a tough week coming up on the schedule. I don't know what it is about Montreal, but that was the team's sixth straight loss at the Bell Centre, and there was not one positive to pull out of it. 

The Rangers got off to a very sloppy start in this game, so they didn’t exactly set themselves up for much success right out of the gate. Just 2:39 into the game, the Rangers found themselves in a defensive scramble with Henrik Lundqvist also down and out in the crease. Max Pacioretty took advantage by easily raising a wrist shot over a sprawled Lundqvist to give the Canadiens an early 1-0 lead.

New York did pick up their game after that, though, following a powerplay that they were very active on but didn’t convert. They did convert, however, at 12:49 of the first when John Mitchell buried a Derek Stepan rebound to tie the game at one. It was a great play that started with Marian Gaborik’s perfect pass to Derek Stepan, who sent a one-timer on net. A blown coverage by Montreal left Mitchell open, so it was a pretty easy goal for him.

Now you would think the Rangers would enter the second period amped up after a strong finish to the first, but the exact opposite occurred. The Rangers came out completely flat, they didn’t put any offensive pressure on the Habs and were an absolute mess in their own zone. Max Pacioretty deflected home his second of the game just three minutes in, and then Mike Blunden found open space and ripped a slapper past Lundqvist just four minutes later. At that point the Canadiens would take a 3-1 lead, but it would only get worse for the Blueshirts.

At 12:18, David Dashernais was left wide open and finished a nice pass by Pacioretty to extend the goal differential in the game to three. The bleeding would stop after that, but the damage had already been done, and done majorly. The Rangers were completely embarrassed by one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League right now, and there’s no getting around that.

The third period was just unbearable to watch because the Rangers didn’t even seem to give a damn at that point. The Canadiens easily secured the victory without much contest from the Rangers, and I know for a fact that is something that John Tortorella must’ve been very agitated with.

Obviously in a depressing loss like this, the entire team is to blame for the poor effort. However, there are several guys that had me throwing fits tonight. The first is Brad Richards, as he’s just straight up playing stupid hockey right now. His passing was sloppy, he was out of position on defense several times in this game and clearly he doesn’t have the greatest amount of confidence, either.

The same goes for Ryan Callahan, who wasn’t himself at all tonight. I’m going to get torched for lighting up the captain, and I know that, but I couldn’t care less right now. Leadership is to blame for a loss like this, especially when they do very little to help make matters better. That was the case with Callahan tonight, which simply cannot be.

And where’s Marian Gaborik been? He was on such a hot streak but has now cooled off quite a bit over the last few games. In fact, I have barely noticed him shooting the puck as often either. The Rangers can get all the secondary scoring they want, but at the end of the day, Gabby is their most important offensive player. He at least needs to get pucks to the net.

All together, the Rangers need to get out of this haze that we’ve seen them in against both the Senators and now the Canadiens. The Blueshirts have a tough week coming up on the schedule, and cannot afford to play anywhere near the way they did tonight in Montreal.

That was just pathetic. 

In-Game: Rangers at Canadiens, 1/15/12

CLICK HERE for Rangers-Canadiens Pregame

Pregame: Rangers Conclude Busy Week in Montreal

The New York Rangers bounced back exactly how they wanted to Saturday night in Toronto. After a poor showing at Madison Square Garden earlier in the week when the Ottawa Senators came in to visit, the Blueshirts needed a rebound performance last night against the Maple Leafs, and that's what they got in a 3-0 shutout win. They will look to conclude a busy ‘four games in six nights’ stretch this evening when they take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. In contrast to the game against the Leafs, this tilt includes two clubs coming from totally different worlds right now in respect to the standings. For the first place Rangers, though, they know that is not en excuse to take their foot off the gas pedal.

Montreal has been making tons of headlines as of late, but for all the wrong reasons. Not only have they lost three straight games and 7 of their last ten, but they also faced some off-ice controversy earlier this week when sniper Michael Cammalleri stated that the Habs were "playing like losers" when talking to a member of the media. For that comment, the Canadiens pulled Cammalleri out of the next game to notify him that he had been traded to the Calgary Flames in return for Rene Bourque and a goaltender prospect. 

This may not be the time or place to expand on this ordeal, but I think Cammalleri was actually correct in what he said and had every right to say it. Now I have not followed the situation close enough to know if there were prior events leading up to the major one that eventually had him traded, but this was a dictatorship-like move by the Canadiens, no?

Anyway, the trade brought a ton of negative attention in the direction of the Habs, which is exactly what they didn't need in the midst of a sour season. At 16-20-8, Montreal is 12th in the Eastern Conference, and only two points ahead of the last place Tampa Bay Lightning/New York Islanders. I've always looked at the Canadiens as the New York Yankees of hockey - they are a very proud franchise, so a deflating season like this is not something that's acceptable to them, let alone the extremely loyal fan base. 

Meanwhile, the Rangers walk in at the very top of the National Hockey League with a 28-10-4 record and 60 points in the standings. They've won eleven of their last 13, 6 of their last 7, and are now three points ahead of the second place Boston Bruins in the East. They will be looking to extend that spread to five points with a win over the sinking Canadiens tonight, but they know that just being the favorites is not enough to win a hockey game.

The Habs will be hungry, especially after another overtime loss to the Senators just 24 hours ago, so the Rangers are going to need another strong effort throughout their entire lineup just as they got against the Maple Leafs on Saturday.  They forechecked well, they were physical, and in that way dictated the pace of the game. If the Blueshirts can establish that sort of dominance tonight against the Canadiens, they will cruise to a victory no problem. 

That's not always easy for New York, however, as they were smacked around, 4-0, in their last visit to Montreal. 

Henrik Lundqvist will be back in goal for the Rangers tonight after getting a game off in Toronto while Marty Biron got some work in. That will be the only change unless Ruslan Fedotenko is unable to play, as he left last night's game in the second period due to back spasms. The Rangers have recalled forward Kris Newbury from the AHL as a safety net in case Feds is unable to go. 

Brandon Dubinsky (shoulder) is expected to remain out of the lineup. 

New York Rangers Lineup

UPDATE: Kris Newbury will be in for Ruslan Fedotenko (back spasms) tonight. This is the first game Fedotenko will miss all season.

Postgame: Rangers Blank Leafs to Take Over Top Spot in NHL

It was quite clear going into this game that the Rangers needed to play better hockey, despite having won five of their last six prior to tonight. They did that and managed the blank the red hot Maple Leafs, 3-0, to again take over the top spot in the National Hockey League. For the first time in several weeks, the Blueshirts again played a complete team game, and as they’ve shown plenty of times over the course of the season, they can be very dominant when doing that.

The Rangers had a very active first period in the physicality department. Led by captain Ryan Callahan, the team was hitting everything in sight and was making sure to set the tempo right from the get-go. At one point in the opening stanza, the Blueshirts held a 13-3 advantage in hits over the Maple Leafs. One weakness the Leafs have acknowledged having in their lineup is size, and the Rangers made sure to exploit that from the beginning.

New York did not find a way to get a puck past Jonas Gustavsson until the second period, however. At 3:35 of that period, Derek Stepan led an odd-man rush that saw him skating alongside Wojtek Wolski and Mike Rupp. Stepan dropped to Wolski, Wolski gave it back to Stepan, and then Step sent it across for Mike Rupp, who one-timed the pass to the back of the net. Hard to follow? It should be, but that speaks to how well executed this play actually was.

The Rangers would strike again at 16:28 of the second when Brian Boyle’s long wrister beat Gustavsson to break a 22-game scoreless streak. Out of anyone in the lineup, Boyle was the one who needed a goal the most, and finally he was able to get it on a simple shot to the net through traffic. It was a perfect way for the Rangers to cap-off an absolutely dominant 20 minutes in all three zones.

In the third period, Derek Stepan found himself on the scoresheet again when he took a Carl Hagelin pass and made a slick move to beat Gustavsson to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead at 6:01. That came shortly after the Leafs came very close to scoring, but were not given a goal due to inconclusive evidence upon video review.  To be honest, though, I do think that puck crossed the line.

The Rangers would eventually cruise to a 3-0 win over the Leafs.

I liked Marty Biron’s play in goal tonight, even though he was not tested all that much. When he was challenged, however, he was very strong in the net because the Leafs were coming very hard to the crease area. Again, Biron has been incredibly reliable when backing-up for Henrik Lundqvist this season, and that makes life for Hank and his team much easier. Aside from making 19 stops tonight, Biron also picked up an assist on the Stepan goal in the third period.

Derek Stepan has taken some heat as of late for hitting a slump, but he had an excellent outing this evening in Toronto. I felt like Derek skated very well tonight and that enabled him to earn more space and time with the puck. And when Step has space and time, he’s almost always going to make something happen. We saw that on both the Rupp goal and the one he scored on his own in the third.

Yet again, the Brian Boyle line was very effective tonight, even though the coach has previously said “that line cannot be our best.” It all starts with forechecking and relentless effort, and both of those were going for this trio all game long. They did lose Ruslan Fedotenko late in the second period due to back spasms, though. Fedotenko has played in every game for New York so far this season. 

And on defense, Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh were rock solid. They kept Phil Kessel quiet, they were very physical and obviously played a big part in earning Biron the shutout. Can’t ask for anything more than that.

The Rangers will be back at it tomorrow night against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. The Habs are a frustrated team right now after losing again tonight, so the Rangers are going to need another strong effort like they had tonight. 

Pregame: Rangers Seek Improvement Against Leafs

The New York Rangers cannot win every game on their schedule, and everyone knows that, but Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden was unacceptable. By climbing to the top of the standings with repeated winning streaks, the Rangers have set the expectations ultra high for themselves this season. Therefore, losing a game in which they had opportunity after opportunity to win is not satisfying by their standards and tonight they will be seeking redemption when they face the seventh place Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. 

This will be the third meeting of the season between the Rangers and the Maple Leafs, as the first two ended in favor of Toronto, 4-2, both times. The first was the Rangers' home opener back in October, and the second came on December 5, both of which were in front of the Garden crowd. In each game, momentum swings were the main deciding factor in the outcome of the tilt, and the Leafs ended up taking advantage of their opportunities while the Rangers didn't. Sound familiar? (see first paragraph)

Toronto, however, enters this game coming off a loss as well; 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Still, though, the Maple Leafs played well in that game and quite simply came up short in the end. Before Friday, Toronto had won six of their last nine games and, in addition to that, are also a solid 12-5-4 on home ice this season. The Leafs, in many ways, have been yet another surprise team this season, and have been extra hot as of late. They're going to give the Rangers a real test tonight for sure. 

Mikhail Grabovski has been the club's hottest player as of late, registering six goals and 11 points in his last nine games. He and Phil Kessel will be the duo to keep an eye on in this one. 

For the Rangers, prior to Thursday's loss, they were on a five-game winning streak and had won 10 of their last 11 games. They remain atop the Eastern Conference with a 27-10-4 record on the year, but this weekend's back-to-back against the Leafs and Canadiens can surely change that. With the Leafs being a surging team of late and the Canadiens very frustrated and hungry for any wins they can get, the Blueshirts have their work cut out for them over the course of the next two days. 

Despite the winning streak, the Rangers haven't necessarily been playing impressive hockey. They've been streaky in that way, and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was quick to point that out on Thursday. Granted Hank will not be in the lineup with Marty Biron getting the start, he still made a very good point that the Rangers need to take note of. From top to bottom, their entire game needs to be raised to the next level and brought up a notch. 

They will again have to try and do that without Brandon Dubinsky in the lineup tonight, since he will again be out because of a shoulder issue. The Rangers have released no other information on Dubinsky other than that. 

And as I mentioned above, Marty Biron will be getting the start in goal for New York in this one. 

New York Rangers Lineup 

No Getting Around Powerplay Struggles

It's ridiculous that I have still have to address a struggling powerplay on here - it really is. The New York Rangers have performed below their ability for the entire season while playing with the man advantage and still, midway through January, it remains unfixed and maybe slightly improved if anything. They've gotten away with-it for most of the season to this point because they've been able to match their powerplay struggles with strong penalty-killing on the other end. However, there's been more than a few times where missed opportunities with the extra skater have come back to haunt this team, and Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Senators was one of them. 

The Rangers are 1-for-20 in their last eight games on the powerplay. That's a 5-percent success rate. Some may ignore that since the team has also won 10 of its last 12 games, but a 5-percent success rate to me signifies some serious problems. Those are numbers that should have the coaching staff in a scramble to get this thing fixed as soon as possible, but again, we're sitting here on January 14 continuing to talk about the club's struggles with the man advantage. 

New York is 22nd in the NHL in the powerplay percentage category. To put things in perspective, the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and the Islanders all have better powerplays than the Rangers. Every one of those teams is below the Rangers in the actual standings by a large margin, so there's no excuse for the Blueshirts to have a weaker powerplay than them all. 

In the past I have called out the technicalities of the Rangers' powerplay, and pinpointed that as their weakness. However, the powerplay's actual function, once they gain the zone, has shown improvement. The players are moving, they are getting bodies in front of the net and shots are getting through. So no longer can I criticize the actual structure of the powerplay as being the main cause for the team's struggle there. 

I think the two largest problems there are gaining the zone and just simply finishing (as pathetic as that sounds). Over the past eight games or so, the Blueshirts have had severe trouble gaining the blue-line and setting up shop in the offensive zone when on the powerplay. They are a mess coming through the neutral zone, they turn the puck over and everyone is out of position. They are not coming down ice as one swift moving unit. As Tortorella would say, they are breaking out as "individuals, not as a unit" and that's where the problem begins.

Once they have gained the zone, like I said, they've found ways to get more pucks to the net and set-up plays. Burying those pucks and finishing those plays, though, haven't been the easiest of things for this team to do. Just look, the Rangers made Mike Smith and Craig Anderson look like All-Star candidates in the past two games. Neither of those goalies was as good as they appeared to be - the Rangers made them look good. 

As far as finishing a play, there's not much a coach could do there to help make improvements; that's more on the players. But with the whole breakout thing, on the other hand, that's entirely up to the coach to get straightened out. There needs to be more structure to the club's attempts to gain the zone on the powerplay, and if they can perfect that, they'll find themselves with a lot more time to make things happen. 

I really hope this is the last time I need to address a struggling powerplay this season. I really do. 

"It's going to bite us. You start getting this grind of the year and these months here, that's [the powerplay] going to have to help us win some games. That's a concern that we can't get some sort of consistency there." - Tortorella to Newsday

Rangers Refuse to Give Sean Avery Up Despite Interest Being Shown Around League

It's been several weeks now since the New York Rangers placed forward Sean Avery on waivers and later assigned him to the Connecticut Whale of the AHL, where he is playing now. Being that it was the second time the Blueshirts had put Sean through this process, many, myself included, felt that they should have put him out of his misery and sent him to another organization within the league. This way both parties would finally be at peace with the situation and the saga would drag on no longer. However, Avery ended up clearing through waivers and, as we know, then assigned to play with the Whale. 

Just yesterday, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that another NHL team has inquired about Avery and requested that the Rangers place him on re-entry waivers so that he could be claimed for half of his normal cap hit. According to Brooks, however, GM Glen Sather rejected the suggestion and has decided to hold on to Sean for the time being. 

From The Post...

Sean Avery will remain a member of the AHL Whale for the time being despite the fact the Rangers have been asked by a NHL club to place the exiled winger on re-entry waivers, The Post has learned.

Sources have told The Post general manager Glen Sather rejected that request, instead offering to trade Avery in a minor-league deal under which the Rangers would take back additional dollars but the responsibility for placing Avery on re-entry would then pass to the acquiring club that would then bear the burden of carrying dead salary-cap space upon a claim.

The Post has learned there is at least one other club also prepared to claim Avery, who cleared waivers on Dec. 30 and was thereafter assigned to Connecticut for the second time this season, if the Rangers place him on re-entry.

Why the Rangers would pass up on this opportunity is something I cannot wrap my head around. Avery being claimed on re-entry would leave the team with just $445,000 of dead cap space - something they can afford to take on. 

We all know the coach wants no part of Sean with the team playing as well as they have lately, but more importantly, this is unfair to Sean as well. The man wants to play NHL hockey and is ready to do just that if given the opportunity. He will not get that opportunity here, therefore the Rangers are trapping him in a situation he doesn't want to be in. 

It's unhealthy for both sides. 

Postgame: Rangers' Offensive Struggles Evident in Shutout Loss to Senators

The New York Rangers haven’t lost very much this season, but when they have, they’ve really lost. Tonight’s effort that ended New York’s winning streak was no different, as the team was embarrassed when getting shutout by the Ottawa Senators, 3-0, in front of their home crowd. It’s a game like this that sort of makes you look back on the club’s recent wins and realize that they haven’t played acceptable hockey in quite some time now. So at this point the best thing this game can serve as is a wake-up call for the Rangers, because the display they put on tonight was unacceptable.

The Rangers actually got off to a solid start, outshooting the Senators, 13-8, in the opening stanza, but they were unable to find the back of the net, even despite two powerplay opportunities. Sound familiar? The reason I ask is because we saw the same pattern on Tuesday against the Coyotes, as the Blueshirts outplayed Phoenix in every aspect, but still came up empty-handed at the first intermission. As much as players and coaches try to deny it, that’s a deflating feeling and one that can get frustrating if the team continues to miss chance after chance later in the tilt.

Ottawa tightened up defensively in the second period, which was not good news for the Rangers since they weren’t forechecking to the best of their ability to begin with. Actually, the reason they dominated during the first period was due to the fact that Ottawa simply hadn’t awoken yet. They did in the middle frame, however, and at 8:54 Jason Spezza put them ahead on the scoreboard, 1-0. The play formed on a turnover by Artem Anisimov, which eventually ended up on Spezza’s stick, and he walked into the offensive zone and ripped a wrist shot past Henrik Lundqvist.

Chris Neil took a penalty late in the second period, so the Rangers had a carry-over powerplay heading into the third period, and a great chance to tie the game along with it. As they did on the previous two, though, the Blueshirts failed to convert with the man advantage and remained down a goal.

At 13:58, with the Rangers in the midst of building up some momentum, a missed opportunity at one end resulted in a converted opportunity at the other. Brian Boyle had a prime scoring opportunity on an odd-man rush, but shot into the legs of a Sens defenseman, which sent the puck out of the zone and Milan Michalek then beat Lundqvist down the other end to put Ottawa up, 2-0.

Finally, Jason Spezza found his own rebound 1:35 later to give the Senators a 3-0 lead and put an end to the game as well as the Rangers’ five-game winning streak.

You can choose to look at this loss one of two ways. The first being that the Rangers did produce opportunities and had a chance to win the game. Or you can say that the Rangers struggled offensively and didn’t play to their max. I’m choosing to go with the latter, only because this is getting repetitive. The Rangers struggled to produce offense in the Winter Classic. They struggled again against Phoenix, and now there’s tonight. The team has hit a bit of an offensive rut here.

Looking at this game specifically, I don’t think the Rangers got what they needed out of their top players, and that’s something the coach acknowledged after the game. Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan were all kept relatively quiet. Artem Anisimov found himself benched for a stretch in the second period, Derek Stepan continued to look lost and, even though he may not be considered a “top” player, Brian Boyle was also a mess. After the season Boyle had last year, it’s amazing to see how much his game has sank this season. He’s not the same player anymore. 

Defensively I didn’t think that the Rangers were all that bad. It was offense that was the problem tonight, and between even strength and the powerplay, the Blueshirts need to make improvements, or at least return to their old ways. With all due respect to the MSG Network crew, they were wrong on pinning this game on Craig Anderson’s performance in goal. The Rangers shot into his gut the entire night and to be honest, he didn’t have to make too many outstanding saves, despite facing 34 total shots.

The loss cannot be blamed on the absence of Brandon Dubinsky (shoulder) in the lineup tonight, either. Trust me, he wouldn’t have singlehandedly done anything that would’ve changed the outcome of this game. In Dubi’s place, I didn’t think Wojtek Wolski was too bad in his first game back since November. He actually had some chemistry going with Cally and Richie early in the game, but saw a decrease in minutes by the time the third period rolled around.

Carl Hagelin and his linemates saw an increase in minutes, as they were again the team’s biggest threat offensively. That’s great, but not necessarily something for the team to be proud of. They need more from their top two lines. 

Things don’t get any easier from here, either, as the Rangers will be facing another hot team in the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, followed by a very frustrated club in the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. 

It’s time to turn things up a notch. 

Pregame: Rangers Reach Midway Point Tonight Against Senators

Tonight's contest between the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden will be game 41 of the 2011-12 season for the Broadway Blueshirts. This means that we have reached the official midpoint of the year, and in first place in the entire National Hockey League with a 27-9-4 record, the Rangers couldn't be happier with what they've been able to accomplish to this point. But as we know, the second half of the season is far more important than the first, so it's crucial that the club is able to keep up what they are doing and continue to rack up the wins. 

The Rangers enter this game having won nine of their last ten. That's extremely impressive and immediately sets off alarms in the minds of the opposition when stepping into MSG. However, the Senators aren't far behind having won seven of their last ten and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They are currently on a two-game winning streak, with their most recent victory coming, 5-1, against the Pittsburgh Penguins to begin a 10-game road swing. 

Meanwhile, in the Big Apple, the Rangers are still smiling after a thrilling 2-1 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday night. The Blueshirts had control of that contest from start to finish, but were unable to put the game away due to a hot goaltender in Mike Smith and several failed opportunities. They were able to pull out the "W" in the end regardless, thanks to goals from Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan. You also cannot forget the stellar performance of Henrik Lundqvist in net, either. 

Surprisingly, though, the Rangers' best line in regulation during that game was Ruslan Fedotenko's line. They worked hard, created traffic and eventually scored the tying goal during a scramble in front of the net. Contributions from the bottom six are always welcome on this team, and that's what made the difference on Tuesday. 

Brandon Dubinsky may not be able to play in tonight's game due to a shoulder injury suffered against Phoenix. Both he and Tortorella say that Dubi will be a gametime decision, but if he is unable to play, Wojtek Wolski will fill-in the open spot. 

Henrik Lundqvist will start in goal for the Rangers. 

New York Rangers Lineup

* Lundqvist, Gaborik and Girardi named to NHL All-Star Game. 

UPDATE (4:55 p.m.): Wojtek Wolski is in the lineup for Brandon Dubinsky (shoulder) tonight. 

Lundqvist, Gaborik and Girardi Named to All-Star Game

The National Hockey League just released the complete roster for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, and representing the Rangers will be goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, forward Marian Gaborik and defenseman Dan Girardi. 

To view the complete roster, click here. 

Also, here's my article from this morning on why Girardi deserves the honor.