Posts Tagged ‘Ales Kotalik’
The Rangers finally showed their fans what could be, if the team uses it’s forecheck, plays for sixty minutes and most importantly stays out of the penalty box. Last night’s 7-4 dismantling of the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets was far from a perfect performance by the struggling Blueshirts but was definitely a big step towards righting the ship for a club which has been seemingly lost at sea over the past few weeks. Another virtuoso performance by Marian Gaborik was the catalyst but for the first time in a while, the Rangers got contributions on the score sheet from all over the lineup.
The first period saw the Rangers in all too familiar territory with a sluggish start leading to a quick 2 goal deficit and Coach Tortorella was not about to let this game slip away as he called a timeout in attempt to get his team back on track. Surprising just about everyone in the building and watching at home, Torts calmly told his team that they had “done some good things” and just needed to work harder instead of reading them the riot act and looking like he was about to stroke out as he had done before in these situations. the blueshirts responded almost immediately to their coach’s confidence in them as they got goals from Marian Gaborik (who else?), Artem Anisimov (tip-in off a nice shot-pass from Wade Redden) and Michael Del Zotto (on a play that reminded everyone who was watching of a young Brian Leetch, as Del Zotto gained the blue line with some nifty stickhandling then ripped a wrist shot through two defenders and past goalie Steve Mason) to give them a 3-2 lead going into the second period.
The Rangers came out in the second and just dominated the Blue Jackets defense in the offensive zone. Sean Avery was a monster on the boards and scored two goals less than a minute apart. Marian Gaborik followed Avery’s second goal with his own second tally less than :30 seconds later to give the Rangers a commanding 6-2 lead and when Matt Gilroy scored on a breakaway (off a beautiful feed from P.A. Parenteau) the rout was on as the Blueshirts had put up 7 unanswered goals. The Rangers did not give the Jackets an opportunity to get back in the contest as they played smart, aggressive hockey and stayed out of the penalty box throughout the contest. Kristian Huselius and Jacub Voracek made the final score look more respectable with late tallies but the Rangers really dominated for most of this one sided match up.
Thumbs Up- What else can you say about Marin Gaborik? He can take over the game when he wants to and last night was unstoppable when he had the puck on his stick registering another 4 points. Vinny Prospal had another strong performance all over the ice. P.A. Parenteau played a physical game and kept building his case for staying with the big club once the injured players return. Donald Brashear was noticeable and actually drew a power play with some strong work in the offensive zone. Matt Gilroy had one of his best games as a Ranger. Wade Redden was involved and had a nice game defensively. Ryan Callahan, in his first action at the center ice position, played well and looked very comfortable. Aaron Voros actually held his own in a fight. Artem Anisimov continues to gain confidence and was one of the best players on the ice last night.
Thumbs Down- Marc Staal had a strong game against superstar Rick Nash but when Nash ran Henrik Lundqvist late in the game, Staal gave him nothing more than a facewash with his glove. Staal is not a fighter but if he wants to be considered a physical defenseman and a team leader, he is going to have to start punishing anyone who makes contact with his goaltender. Chris Pronger, Dion Phaneuf or Zdeno Chara would have broken their sticks over Nash’s back had he run their goaltenders. This has been way too long coming. Lundqvist played a good game but once again went down way too early (exposing that suspect top corner) on the Huselius goal. Ales Kotalik is struggling and needs to get more shots to the net.
Three Stars- 3- Christopher Higgins- This spot could have easily gone to Anisimov but Higgins played a very energetic and impressive game with his new linemates. All over the ice fighting for every loose puck, Higgins proved he could definitely keep up with Gaborik and Prospal and win the battles in the corners for that line. He may have finally given Torts a solution to his problem of finding a physical force to balance his offensive juggernauts and if he can put a few pucks in the net (he hit two posts last night) this could become one of the most dangerous combinations in the league.
2- Sean Avery- Welcome Back. Avery has been his old self as of late with his edge and spirited play bringing a renewed sense of confidence to his game. Last night, Avery finally got back on the score sheet and gave the team a huge lift. Let’s hope this is only the beginning for the super pest, who is truly a factor for this club when he is playing his style of aggravating high energy hockey.
1-Marian Gaborik- Besides Jaromir Jagr, when have the Rangers ever had a player who was a threat to score EVERY time he touches the puck? Gaborik has been otherwordly so far this season and last night showed again why he is an early Hart Trophy candidate. He got the team believing they could turn things around with his first goal and pretty much crushed the Jackets confidence with his second tally. Gaborik has become the Rangers heart this season and last night he was stronger than anyone on the Garden ice. Another amazing performance.
The Rangers begin their road trip by trying to avenge Saturday’s loss when they visit the Florida Panthers Wednesday night at 7PM.
Tags: Aaron Voros, Ales Kotalik, Artem Anisimov, Chris Pronger, Christopher Higgins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dion Phaneuf, Donald Brashear, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, Jakub Voracek, John Tortorella, Kristian Huselius, Madison Square Garden, Marc Staal, Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, New York Rangers, NHL, P.A. Parenteau, Rick Nash, Ryan Callahan, Sean Avery, Steve Mason, Vinny Prospal, Wade Redden, Zdeno Chara
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The Blueshirts had one of their best performances of the season tonight but couldn’t overcome the loss of their top two centers and incredible goaltending by Mikka Kiprusoff during a hard fought and physical contest won by the Flames 3-1.
Chris Drury left the game only 49 seconds in when Calgary’s Curtis Glencross blindsided him with a cheapshot that is sure to lead to a suspension for the winger. Drury was helped from the ice and was later reported to have suffered a concussion as a result of the dirty hit. The Flames jumped out early on a deflected shot by Daymond Langkow that beat Stephen Valiquette. The Rangers would even the score with under three minutes to go in the first period when Dan Girardi’s wrist shot from the point slipped past a screened Kiprusoff.
The second period was back and forth and physical with both teams finishing their checks and aggressively forechecking on both ends. The Rangers, already without Drury, would lose Brandon Dubinsky when he blocked a slapshot with his right arm. There is no official word on his injury as of yet but it looked like he hurt his wrist/forearm. The Flames would take the lead on a Jarome Iginla power play goal that came off a great pass from former Ranger Nigel Dawes at 16:47 of the second. The Rangers had some great scoring chances in the second but Kiprusoff was impenetrable robbing Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan on back to back shots during a power play.
It was more of the same during the third as Kiprusoff repeatedly stoned the Rangers and kept his team in the lead. Rene Bourque would put the finishing touches on the win for the Flames when he beat Valiquette with a shot deflected off Girardi’s stick late in the third.
Thumbs Up- Vinny Prospal, Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins all continued their string of solid performances as of late and accounted for many of the Rangers’ quality offensive chances. Marc Staal had a wonderful game and held Iginla in check at even strength throughout the contest. Marian Gaborik didn’t score but had at least 4 quality chances in the second period and was a victim of great goaltending by Kiprusoff.
Thumbs Down- Michal Roszival has become the worst player on the team. He has not made an impact offensively at all this season and his defense has been spotty at best. There is no way that he can be allowed to remain with this club at the NHL level if he continues to play the kind of uninspired, terrible hockey he has played so far this season.
Three Stars- 3- Marc Staal- Another solid performance defensively against one of the league’s most dangerous players.
2- Ales Kotalik- Kotalik’s bombs from the point on the power play are a thing of beauty and he was a crossbar away from adding to his impressive body of work so far this season.
1- Vinny Prospal- Prospal is continuously the Rangers most active player and has made an impact offensively in almost every game this season. He collected another assist on the Blueshirts’ lone goal and even showed some physical edge in his battles along the boards tonight. Another good performance from the season’s biggest surprise.
The Rangers return home to face the Atlanta Thrashers at MSG on Thursday.
Tags: Ales Kotalik, Brandon Dubinsky, Calgary Flames, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, concussion, Curtis Glencross, Dan Girardi, Daymond Langkow, hockey, injuries, Jarome Iginla, John Tortorella, Marc Staal, Marian Gaborik, Michal Roszival, Mikka Kiprusoff, New York Rangers, NHL, Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, Stephen Valiquette, Vinny Prospal
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After two straight losses, John Tortorella has decided it’s time to shake up the lineup. Not only did he switch up the lines (after juggling them throughout last night’s contest while unsuccessfully trying to find a spark) but he also changed up defense pairings as well.
These were the lines at preactice today and should be the lines tomorrow night when the Blueshirts visit Montreal:
Lisin-Prospal-Gaborik
Higgins-Dubinsky-Callahan
Avery-Drury-Kotalik
Brashear/Voros-Anisimov-Boyle
Staal-Gilroy
Redden-Girardi
Del Zotto-Roszival
I guess Torts liked what he saw out of Prospal during last night’s game enough to keep him at center. The coach has been raving about Enver Lisin for a few games now so he gets a shot with the top line. The All-American Line with Dubinsky centering Cally and Higgins will probably be under the most pressure as Higgins’ struggles have become big news and the coach has been talking about how Callahan has to get going soon. The thought here is reuniting Dubinsky and Callahan may be just what he needs to break out of a mini slump. Ales Kotalik (who has been more than worth the money so far) finally gets reunited with his old Buffalo center Chris Drury and will get some quality minutes. I still think the best answer would have been leaving Dubi on the first line and giving Artem Anisimov a shot at second line center. Torts seems to be pushing Lisin in an attempt to boost his confidence but I think Anisimov could use the same kind of confidence boost and a promotion could be just what he needs to break out (like Dubi did when he was moved to Jagr’s line two seasons ago). Instead, Anisimov will be playing sparingly on the fourth line (and most likely will be a healthy scratch tomorrow night unless Donald Brashear can’t go with soreness).
On the D, Torts has decided the Staal-Girardi pairing is not working and has split them up after two games in which they struggled. Torts, who is notorious for running players out of town that he has problems with (see Paul Mara), has set his sights on Girardi as of late and may be looking to give him a chance to redeem himself before he gets further into the coach’s doghouse. After criticizing him following camp, he has now called out Girardi over the last week and called his game “very average” following yesterday’s loss to New Jersey. Let’s hope Girardi can bounce back and find his game because I would hate to see him moved. Matt Gilroy has played big minutes but it hasn’t translated to much production offensively so pairing him with Staal could produce a breakout from the talented and aggressive rookie. Michael Del Zotto (who is getting all kinds of buzz in the Calder Trophy race) will remain with partner Michal Roszival.
Other notes from practice:
-Henrik Lundqvist will get the start against Montreal.
-Anisimov stayed on the ice late with Stephen Valiquette so it looks likely that he will be scratched tomorrow night.
Tomorrow is the first game back in Montreal for Christopher Higgins (whose goal less streak now stands at 10 games). It should be an emotional night for the winger as he returns to play the team that drafted him for the first time. “It’s going to be a pretty strange experience,” Higgins said. “I played for them for four years, it was a dream come true to have a career with that organization. To go back in an opposing uniform will be a little surreal. I’ll probably get booed.” Higgins said he still has plenty of friends in an organization he described as his family for four years. Of course, Higgins grew up on Long Island as a Canadiens fan. Beyond that, he said it was a great life experience to live in a foreign-speaking city. He still has a tremendous respect for the people of Montreal. “Just how ingrained the Canadiens were to the culture of the city,” Higgins said. “It seemed the mood of the city dipped and rose with how they were doing”. When he was asked which French words he learned living in Montreal, Higgins said, “All the bad words.”
It is also the first time former Rangers Scott Gomez ( 2 G, 3 A, +1) and Paul Mara ( 5 A, -3, 23 PIM) will face the Blueshirts since their departure this summer.
Newsday’s Arthur Staple has some quotes from Dan Girardi on his recent play, including one that makes it seem like he doesn’t agree with Torts assessment of his play so far. This may be a situation that bears watching. For more click here.
Tags: Ales Kotalik, Artem Anisimov, Bell Centre, Brandon Dubinsky, Christopher Higgins, Donald Brashear, Enver Lisin, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, John Tortorella, line changes, Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, NHL, Paul Mara, Ryan Callahan, Scott Gomez, Stephen Valiquette, Vinny Prospal, Wade Redden
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The Rangers lost their second straight home game earlier tonight vs. the Devils.
Here are the highlights from the loss:
Here is the video of Coach Tortorella’s post game news conference:
Henrik Lundqvist had this to say about tonight’s loss:
“It hurts to lose the game. We came back after the first couple of periods. They came out pretty strong. When you lose the puck at the wrong time of the game, it is going to really hurt you. We came back and played really well in the second half of the game. It is a tough way to lose a game.”
I really don’t think the Rangers played as well as they seem to think they did tonight. They came out in the first with no push and almost no forecheck and were down 2-0 after one. The second period was the only highlight for the Blueshirts as Torts must have read them the riot act between periods but even with the goals by Marian Gaborik and Ales Kotalik they couldn’t grab the momentum and control of the game. After the Dainis Zubrus goal in the third, they were unable to solve Brodeur and tie it up. Another lackluster performance from a team that seems light years from the high energy attacking squad that reeled off seven straight wins. Torts better find some line combinations during tomorrow’s practice and stick with them because tonight he juggled just like Tom Renney used to and got a similar result to that of his predecessor.
The Rangers next game is Saturday night in Montreal.
Tags: Ales Kotalik, Dainis Zubrus, Henrik Lundqvist, John, Marian Gaborik, Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, NHL, Tom Renney
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Here are some observations from today’s practice:
-Donald Brashear skated today and says he expects to be in the lineup tomorrow night in Toronto when the Rangers play the Leafs. Brashear, who had missed tuesday’s practice and wednesday’s game vs. the Kings, told reporters he is feeling “much better” and that it is “good to take a rest and get your body right sometimes”.
-With Brashear returning, the lineup may look a little different tomorrow night as Ales Kotalik was moved to the third line during practice today. Enver Lisin, who Kotalik replaced, was rotated with Aaron Voros on the fourth line and might be a healthy scratch tomorrow night depending on whether Coach Tortorella wants speed or toughness against Toronto. My guess is Voros will sit with Brashear returning. The moving of Kotalik to the third line isn’t a huge surprise as the winger’s production so far (3G, 4A, +1) has impressed Tortorella and certainly warranted increased minutes.
-Henrik Lundqvist is expected to get the start tomorrow night.
Here is a video of Torts talking about tomorrow night’s matchup:
Tags: Aaron Voros, Ales Kotalik, Donald Brashear, Enver Lisin, Henrik Lundqvist, John Tortorella, New York Rangers, NHL
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As we talked about in yesterday’s post game recap, Christopher Higgins has yet to score a goal this season despite having many scoring chances as a result of his hard work and intensity on each shift. I believe Higgins is suffering from a case of being nervous while playing for his hometown team and in front of friends and family each night. When asked about Higgins after today’s practice, Coach Torts had this to say about the Smithtown, L.I. native and his offensive struggles so far:
“I talked to Higgy at the end of last night’s game”. “I think he has done everything for this team at a high pace, a high temp. He’s been a really good player for us except for scoring a goal. Do I think he’s pressing? You might have to ask him that. In our talk, I told him I just want him to continue doing what he’s doing and the goals will come in bunches. He’s been very under the radar because he hasn’t been scoring goals. He’s done a lot of good things on both sides of the puck.”
According to Rangers Rants , Higgins spent more than a half hour on the ice after practice shooting pucks at the empty net. Sounds to me like Higgins is feeling the pressure of not finishing and it might be getting in his head. Let’s hope he can break through soon and this doesn’t effect his play, as a confidence crisis could become detrimental to a team where there are players like Ales Kotalik, who are making a case for more minutes with their production, and could lead to a breaking up of lines that have performed well so far.
Here is video of Coach Torts remarks after today’s practice. He also touches on the play of Wade Redden and Artem Anisimov:
Tags: Ales Kotalik, Christopher Higgins, hockey, John Tortorella, New York Rangers, NHL
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Earlier today, the Ducks visited the Garden but the Rangers were the team that came out flying and never came down while dominating play on their way to a 3-0 shutout. From the opening puck drop, the Blueshirts attacked the Ducks with a relentless forecheck that kept the action in the Anaheim zone for most of the first period. Both teams ratcheted up the physical play during the second period and the play evened out as both goaltenders faced down quality chances and kept the game scoreless going into the third period. The Rangers, thanks to a suddenly dangerous power play unit, finally got on the board early in the final period when Ales Kotalik ripped a one timer (which was deflected past J.S. Giguere by Scott Niedermayer) off a perfect pass by Michael Del Zotto. The power play came through again later in the period as Artem Anisimov buried his first NHL goal off a pass from Vinny Prospal after some strong board work by the returning Sean Avery. The Rangers would put the game away a few minutes later when Dan Girardi scored into an empty net and Steve Valiquette made one last save to preserve his first shutout of the season.
Thumbs Up- Marian Gaborik (who assisted on the first Ranger goal) scored in his fifth straight game and was strong on the puck throughout. Ryan Callahan showed once again why he is the heart of the team with his physical play and relentless energy. He was a factor even without scoring a point. Artem Anisimov continued to show confidence and a nose for the puck and scored his first NHL goal. Michael Del Zotto once again proved that he is ready for the NHL and may have quieted any and all doubters with a very strong performance. Michal Roszival had a bounce back performance after being benched during the last game.
Thumbs Down- It’s tough to find any negatives in the Rangers’ performance tonight but the only thing that sticks out again is Christopher Higgins inability to finish so far. He is giving 110% on each shift and has been very strong on the penalty kill but has yet to cash in any of his chances and may be in line for a drop to the third line (with Avery or Kotalik moving on to the Drury and Callahan line) until he finds his finishing touch around the net.
Three Stars- 3-Dan Girardi- It’s not often that Girardi has a better game than his partner Marc Staal but tonight Girardi was the team’s best defender. He was constantly in the right position to break up plays, threw some huge hits (including his complete wipeout of Todd Marchant late in the third period) and once he iced the game with his empty netter, it was evident that tonight he was playing the way John Tortorella had hoped he would throughout camp and the preseason.
2- Sean Avery- Avery returned to the lineup and played an emotional but smart game. His hard work helped set up Anisimov’s goal and he had numerous scoring chances of his own. If Avery can continue to straddle the line with his aggravating style of play without taking bad penalties or taking himself out of games mentally, he will be a big part of the Rangers’ success from this point on.
1- Stephen Valiquette- While Vally had a reasonably easy night between the pipes facing only 18 shots and no real sustained pressure from the Ducks, he played a very strong game and always seemed in great position anytime he was challenged. He was able to control his rebounds and was very good at moving the puck. A good performance from Valiquette, whom the Rangers are counting on big time to back up Henrik Lundqvist more frequently this season.
The Rangers’ next game is tomorrow night at 7 pm versus Toronto.
Tags: Ales Kotalik, Anaheim Ducks, Artem Anisimov, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Dan Girardi, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, J.S. Giguere, John Tortorella, Marc Staal, Marian Gaborik, Michael Del Zotto, Michal Roszival, New York Rangers, NHL, power play, Ryan Callahan, Scott Niedermayer, Sean Avery, Stephen Valiquette, Vinny Prospal
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In a game that at times resembled a parade to the penalty box, the Rangers overcame a late one goal deficit to edge the Capitals 4-3 in D.C. earlier tonight. Marian Gaborik scored two late goals after Nicklas Backstrom put the Caps ahead with his second tally of the contest. Henrik Lundqvist had an uneven performance, allowing a soft goal on a dump in attempt from Backstrom from center ice but also made key saves throughout to keep the Rangers close and earn his third victory of the year.
Thumbs Up- Ryan Callahan, who was injured in practice and almost didn’t play tonight, was the team’s best forward (and the catalyst of the team’s impressive forechecking) through the first two periods and his goal on a breakaway as time expired on a penalty kill was huge in giving the Rangers momentum early on. Ales Kotalik, who scored two minutes after Callahan to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead had another strong performance on both ends of the ice. Artem Anisimov, who set up the Kotalik goal, looked comfortable and confident for the first time this season and had a strong game. The Rangers penalty kill was awesome tonight and reminded of last season’s stellar play by the unit. Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Marc Staal and the aforementioned Callahan and Gaborik all had key plays during the Rangers’ two 5-on-3 disadvantages and were probably the biggest reason for the victory tonight.
Thumbs Down- Michal Roszival was once again a non factor and his inability to get the puck deep and subsequent turnover led to the Caps first goal. Aaron Voros and Donald Brashear both committed stupid penalties late in the third and Voros heard it from Tortorella after returning to the bench after his gaffe allowed Backstrom to give the Caps a 3-2 lead on the power play. Christopher Higgins is working hard and had some bright moments while killing penalties but still has yet to find his touch offensively and may be suffering from a case of nerves playing for his hometown team. He should break out soon but the situation bears watching as long as he keeps finding glove instead of net on his many chances so far this season.
Three Stars- 3- Brandon Dubinsky had another strong outing with his heads up play and aggressive on the puck style. He did not score tonight but was all over the ice and had one shift early on where he he took the body 3-4 times and really set the pace for the game physically.
2- Ryan Callahan- The heart of the Rangers was on full display again tonight. From his tremendous effort blocking a shot and leading a rush on the PK to stealing the puck from Alex Ovechkin and racing in untouched to beat Jose Theodore on the very next play, Callahan showed once again that he is a force to be reckoned with every night.
1- Marian Gaborik- What else can be said about Gaborik? He took the game over with the Rangers seemingly crushed emotionally after Backstrom’s PP goal and tied the score only :18 seconds later. He then scored the game winner off a beautiful entry pass from rookie Michael Del Zotto. Gaborik showed tonight that while he may not be the “superstar” that team’s game plan for like Ovechkin or Crosby, he can be just as dangerous any time the puck reaches his stick in the offensive zone.
The Rangers next game is Sunday at 5 PM against the Anaheim Ducks at the Garden.
Tags: Aaron Voros, Ales Kotalik, Alex Ovechkin, Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Donald Brashear, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, John Tortorella, Jose Theodore, Madison Square Garden, Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto, Michal Roszival, New York Rangers, NHL, Nicklas Backstrom, Ryan Callahan, Washington Capitals
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Marian Gaborik (Getty Images)
After an offseason for the Blueshirts that was defined by wholesale changes up front, the team is returning only 5 forwards (Dubinsky, Callahan, Chris Drury, Sean Avery and Aaron Voros) who played significant minutes for the Rangers last season. In an attempt to bolster the team’s ability to score goals at even strength and on special teams, the Rangers revamped their roster to include proven scorers such as Marian Gaborik, Ales Kotalik, Christopher Higgins and Vinny Prospal amongst others. GM Glen Sather even let his best defensive minded forwards (Blair Betts and Frederic Sjostrom) walk away and replaced them with players who the team felt had a better chance to contribute secondary scoring from the usually checking oriented fourth line. Such turnover amongst the forwards may take some time before the new players can find a comfort level with their linemates and will most likely lead to some experimenting by coach Tortorella as the season begins. Rangers fans have to hope that they find their footing quickly as this team cannot afford a slow start in such a talent laden division.
The biggest acquisition for the Rangers this offseason is also the one causing the most concern amongst fans. Glen Sather won the bidding war for talented winger Marian Gaborik this summer and brought him to Broadway. Gaborik, when healthy, is an explosive offensive force and one of the top scorers in the entire league but the big question mark is: Will he stay healthy? Gaborik has been hampered by injuries throughout his career and even as he joins the Rangers, he is still rehabbing from hip surgery that caused him to miss most of last season with the Minnesota Wild. When he did play last season, he showed why the Rangers wanted to add him to their anemic roster scoring 13 goals and 23 points in just 17 games. If Gaborik can stay healthy and stay on the ice, he gives the Rangers an offensive weapon they have sorely missed since Jaromir Jagr left. He has the ability not only to take over games himself (as witnessed by his 5 goal explosion against the Rangers in December of 2007) but to makes his teammates better by opening up the ice for them with the defensive coverage he demands from opponents. There has been some question as to who will be the center on Gaborik’s line since he arrived and with Brandon Dubinsky’s lengthy holdout causing Tortorella to shake things up in camp, it looks like at first veteran Vinny Prospal will be the man with the assignment of setting up the speedy sniper. Rangers fans (as well as mamagement) will hold their breath every time Gaborik goes down this season because of his history ,but if he can somehow stay healthy and give the team 65-70 games, a 40 goal campaign is not out of the question for the talented winger.
As we mentioned, Vinny Prospal will probably get first crack with Gaborik when the season opens on friday in Pittsburgh. Prospal is a smart player with deceptive skills. He spent most of his career playing wing until he played for Tortorella in Tampa Bay (where they won a Stanley Cup together) and he understands what the coach expects out of his players at both ends of the ice. Prospal may not stay at center as the Rangers have many options up the middle and if he is ultimately moved to the wing he will provide a veteran presence there as well. The biggest thing Prospal brings to the team is his outstanding passing on the power play and he figures to be a part of the number one unit as the year begins.
Christopher Higgins
While Gaborik was the most exciting pickup for the Rangers this offseason, the most important acquisition might turn out to be getting Christopher Higgins from Montreal via trade for Scott Gomez. Higgins is exactly the type of two way player the Rangers have lacked over the last few seasons. A responsible defensive minded forward who can also put the puck in the net, the Smithtown L.I. native will bring energy to the ice in all situations and may team with Ryan Callahan in the near future to give the Rangers a formidable penalty killing duo. Higgins is coming off a disappointing season in which injuries caused him to put up his lowest point totals of his career but he is now healthy and looking to rebound big with his new club. The team is expecting a big year from the 6′0, 200 lb. 26 year old LW and a return to the 20-25 goal plateau he reached the previous three seasons.
Another winger brought in by Sather to add scoring punch is former Buffalo Sabre and Edmonton Oiler Ales Kotalik. The 6′1, 230 lb. RW brings a booming slapshot and an accurate wrist shot with him to the Garden and will man the point on the Rangers power play. Kotalik has had some issues during his career with coaches questioning his work ethic and drive so a conflict with Tortorella sometime down the road would not be a surprise but the Rangers are hoping he will blossom with a change of scenery and use his size and shot to help this team improve greatly on the man advantage. Kotalik had his best season while playing with Chris Drury in Buffalo and will be reunited with his former center here in New York.
Blair Betts, Frederic Sjostrom and Tough Guy/Fan Favorite Colton Orr all left this offseason and the Rangers have made some moves to try to fill their shoes both on the fourth line and the penalty kill. We mentioned Artem Anisimov yesterday and the team hopes he can help the PK along with Higgins, Callahan and the newly acquired Brian Boyle. Boyle is a former first round pick (26th overall, 2003) who has been all but labeled a bust during his first few years in the league. He has tremendous size (6′7, 250) and a strong work ethic but it has yet to translate to any offensive success for him at the NHL level. He had an uneventful training camp and may start the year in Hartford if the Rangers keep Prospal at center but most likely Glen Sather’s version of “My Giant” will see significant time with the fourth line and on the team’s PK throughout the season. Another fourth liner acquired by Sather (and the most controversial move by the GM this season) is Tough Guy/Cheap Shot artist Donald Brashear, who is best remembered (reviled) by Blueshirt fans as the guy who knocked Betts out of last year’s playoffs with a blindide hit that broke his orbital bone. Both Sather and Tortorella have championed this signing by saying that Brashear is a “good team player” and that he “brings an element of offense with his jam” that the Rangers were missing with Orr in the lineup. There is a good chance that once Brashear stands up for a teammate or blindsides Sidney Crosby, that the Rangers faithful will forgive and forget his past transgressions but if he costs the Rangers some games by taking ill timed penalties, I don’t think Tortorella will be so understanding.
The reutrning forwards from last year’s squad are all expecting to step up this season. Brandon Dubinsky ended a lengthy holdout by signing a two year deal and will be counted on to provide more offense than he did last season as he struggled at times to find the back of the net. Super pest Sean Avery will look to put his disappointing playoff performance behind him and make nice with coach Torts while still being one of the most aggravating players to play against in the league. Ryan Callahan is poised to take a huge step towards the next level with his confidence at an all time high after signing a multiyear deal and being invited to attend the USA Olympic team camp this offseason. Aaron Voros got off to a great start last season but faded late and was almost invisible once Tortorella took over the coaching duties. He came to camp in great shape and worked his way onto the team and looks to bounce back and put together a full season of work worthy of his contract numbers.
Chris Drury (Getty Images)
The most important returning forward is the team’s captain and biggest lightning rod Chris Drury. When Drury came to Broadway with Scott Gomez, he was brought here for his big play in pressure situations which earned him the nicknamed “Captain Clutch”. So far, he has been referred to more by another moniker “Captain Clueless” by many of the Garden faithful. Drury has never equaled the level of production he had during his time in Buffalo and this season could be make or break for the talented and hard working center. He spent the offseason having conversations with Tortorella in an attempt to develop a better “coach and captain relationship” and came to camp with a “just shut up and play” mantra that he hopes will not only jump start his own game but that of his teammates as well. Drury is a gamer and no one questions his work ethic or heart but if his production lags offensively it could become tough for him to command respect in a locker room full of new faces. With the greatest Rangers captain ever now working with the organization, Drury should look to him for a sounding board and ear to chew on about what it takes to lead a team on the sports world’s biggest stage. If the team gets off to a slow start and Drury struggles offensively, Tortorella will not be afraid to shake things up in the locker room (just like he did in Tampa with Vinny Lecavalier) and it probably wouldn’t be long before Drury met the same fate as Gomez. Let’s hope for the good of the club that none of this comes to fruition and Drury, playing with old friend Kotalik, bounces back and has the kind of year we have been expecting from him since he signed on with the team.
Tags: Aaron Voros, Ales Kotalik, Artem Anisimov, Blair Betts, Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Colton Orr, Contracts, Donald Brashear, forwards, Frederic Sjostrom, Glen Sather, hockey, Jaromir Jagr, John Tortorella, Marian Gaborik, Mark Messier, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Callahan, Scott Gomez, Sean Avery, Sidney Crosby, Team USA, Vincent Lecavalier, Vinny Prospal
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A year ago, when the Rangers acquired Nik Zherdev from Columbus, the knock on the young russian was that he had tons of talent but lacked the heart and work ethic to truly reach his potential in the NHL. Earlier today, Glen Sather decided that the Rangers would not be the organization stuck waiting for him to improve those weak spots for another season.
The Rangers have decided to walk away from the arbitrator’s $3.9 million dollar award making Zherdev an unrestricted free agent and ending his tenure on Broadway after one disappointing season full of stretches of uninspired play, sulking and a complete disappearing act during the postseason by the enigmatic winger.
While Zherdev seemed to be off to a great start with the club last season, saying and doing all the right things under coach Tom Renney, he still found it hard to bring a consistent effort and results to the ice every night. After Renney was replaced by John Tortorella at mid-season, Zherdev found himself in the coach’s doghouse on many occassions and seemed disinterested in subscribing to the team’s new attacking style of play. By playoff time, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Zherdev was not going to be part of the team’s future plans if Tortorella had any input on personnel changes during the offseason.
GM Glen Sather qualified Zherdev before the deadline last month but the winger and his agent decided he was worth more than the team’s $3.25 million dollar tender (even after his uneven first season) and elected to go to arbitration with an outrageous $4.75 million dollar proposal (most likely designed to make the Rangers walk away from the decision no matter the outcome). It seems today as if Zherdev got his wish of leaving NY and possibly returning to Russia for an even bigger payday in the upstart KHL.
In my opinion, the Rangers made the right move in letting Zherdev walk. To bring back a player who obviously was not on board with the coach’s philosophy just because there was a chance of a breakout season offensively would have been a huge mistake. While this move could come back to haunt the team should Zherdev sign with another eastern conference club, more than likely the cap space savings by letting him go will allow the team to re-sign a key player like Brandon Dubinsky and maybe even pick up a badly needed physical presence on the blue line and will make the team a much stronger group for the upcoming season. My prediction is Ales Kotalik will thrive playing with former teammate Chris Drury and will soften the blow from the loss of Zherdev and Rangers fans will appreciate his work ethic much more than the departed playmaker he will be replacing.
For the official release click here. Check out Larry Brooks’ interesting take on the whole situation here.
Tags: Ales Kotalik, arbitration, Brandon Dubinsky, Columbus Blue Jackets, decision, Free Agent, Glen Sather, John Tortorella, KHL, New York Rangers, NHL, Nikolai Zherdev, Tom Renney
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