The Rangers played their best game since the season opening win in Buffalo and blocked an incredible 30 shots tonight as Martin Biron backstopped them to a 2-1 victory over the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. Without Marian Gaborik and Chris Drury, who were both injured the last time these two teams met, the Blueshirts used a total team effort and a flawless defensive game plan to neutralize the speedy Leafs and hand them their first regulation loss of the season.

The Rangers used a strong forecheck to set the pace early and jumped ahead when Ruslan Fedotenko scored his first goal as a Ranger, poking home a loose puck from behind Toronto net minder Jonas Gustavsson to give the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead. Artem Anisimov, who was the Rangers’ best skater tonight, deflected a perfect pass from Ryan Callahan past Gustavsson with under 3 minutes to go in the first period to stretch the lead to 2-0. Martin Biron took over from there. Biron, making his first regular season start as a Ranger, was solid if not spectacular for most of the evening, making 24 saves en route to his first win. Derek Stepan, Erik Christensen and Sean Avery also had strong performances and always seemed to be in on the action.

The biggest story of the night was the Rangers team defense. The Blueshirts, led by Dan Girardi, who has been the team’s best blueliner thus far,and Ryan Callahan were all over the defensive zone blocking 30 Leafs shots in a very impressive performance. The penalty kill which was also led by Girardi and Callahan shut out Toronto on 5 chances and Biron’s stop of Kris Versteeg late in the third period sealed the victory for the Rangers.

I don’t want to put all the blame on Steve Eminger but the defense looked much better tonight without him, as he was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Matt Gilroy and Mike Sauer looked like a pretty good combination and hopefully the coaches gained some confidence in the young pair following tonight’s outing.

The Rangers will attempt to start a winning streak when they visit the Bruins in Beantown on Saturday afternoon. It wouldn’t be surprising if John Tortorella gives Biron another start after tonight’s win.

Martin Biron will make his New York Rangers debut tonight when the Blueshirts face the Maple Leafs in Toronto. He will be opposed in goal by Jonas Gustvasson (1-0-0 3.00 GAA). The Rangers will be hoping to avenge an overtime defeat at the hands of the Leafs last week during which they lost Marian Gaborik and Chris Drury to injuries.

The line combinations and pairings will be:

Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov-Ryan Callahan
Sean Avery-Derek Stepan-Ruslan Fedotenko
Alex Frolov-Erik Christensen-Brandon Prust
Derek Boogaard-Todd White-Brian Boyle

Marc Staal-Michal Roszival
Michael Del Zotto-Dan Girardi
Michael Sauer-Matt Gilroy

Steve Eminger will be a healthy scratch.

The line combinations and defensive pairings will be:

Marian Gaborik-Chris Drury-Alex Frolov
Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov-Ryan Callahan
Sean Avery-Derek Stepan-Ruslan Fedotenko
Derek Boogard-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust

Marc Staal-Michal Rozsival
Michael Del Zotto-Dan Girardi
Matt Gilroy-Steve Eminger

Henrik Lundqvist (1-1-0 4.03 GAA) will be opposed by Toronto netminder J.S. Giguere (2-0-0 1.51 GAA).

Former Ranger Colton Orr will play tonight after suffering a head injury Wednesday night vs. Pittsburgh.

The Leafs (3-0-0) are experiencing their best start to a season since 1999-2000.

Repeat after me: The sky is NOT falling, the sky is NOT falling. It is way too early in the season to sound the alarms and begin worrying. This team is obviously better than last year’s squad. The power play looks good, the effort is there and the goals are coming in bunches but unfortunately, so are the mistakes.

In a game in which the Islanders were without two of their biggest offensive weapons and their top defenseman, The Rangers were unable to match the skating of the Isles and were burned by some undisciplined play in the third period, falling 6-4 at the Coliseum in the early afternoon contest. The offense showed up again as Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov had standout performances but the blue line (with the exception of Dan Girardi, who played second straight strong game) looked lost for most of the matchup. Steve Eminger was atrocious for the second straight game and Michael Del Zotto really struggled in his own end throughout. Henrik Lundqvist made some big saves early when the Isles were controlling the pace but wasn’t very sharp as the game went on and has now allowed 7 goals in 2 games.

The Rangers had problems all last year with undisciplined play and in the words of coach Tortorella “with being consistent, night in and night out” and today that inconsistency reared it’s ugly head again. In a game that the Rangers should have won, especially after fighting back and taking the lead midway through the third period, taking two bad penalties and allowing the hard working Isles to grab the momentum and the victory, is exactly the type of thing Blueshirt fans saw all last season and ultimately what would keep them from the postseason. The effort of this team can’t be questioned so far but the discipline and intelligence of this team is still something that needs to be improved upon even after another summer of “teaching” from the coaching staff.

I hate to jump on a guy after only two games but Steve Eminger is looking early on like this season’s Wade Redden, Tom Poti or Marek Malik. I don’t know what Tortorella was watching on Saturday to  say that Eminger “played well” and was “aggressive” and if Eminger is in the lineup instead of a deserving Matt Gilroy on Friday night at MSG, Tortorella should be forced to spend a weekend locked in a room with Larry Brooks.

The Rangers will look to put this disappointing loss behind them in front of what should be an electric crowd on Friday night at MSG and they might even welcome the return of their captain as Chris Drury will see a doctor tomorrow and may be cleared to return for the home opener.

The lines and defensive pairings are expected to be the same for the Blueshirts:

Gaborik-Christensen-Frolov
Callahan-Anisimov-Dubinsky
Fedotenko-Stepan-Avery
Prust-Boyle- Boogaard

Staal-Rozsival
Girardi-Del Zotto
Eminger-Sauer

Henrik Lundqvist (1-0-0  3.00GAA) will get the start in goal and will be opposed by Rick DiPietro (0-0-1  3.69 GAA), who once again is trying to come back from injury for the the Isles.

In other news, Chris Drury is progressing well and is likely to return to the lineup for the home opener.  The question most Rangers fans want answered however, besides why is John Tortorella heaping praise on Steve Eminger, wasn’t he watching the same game as everyone else on Saturday?, is who will be out of the lineup once Drury returns…Boyle? Prust? Boogaard?

What do you think…Who will be out when Drury returns?

In arguably the most impressive debut in Rangers history, rookie Derek “The Real Deal” Stepan stole the spotlight with a hat trick to lead the Blueshirts to a win in their season opener, 6-3 over the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena. The Rangers, who spent last season desperately seeking complementary scoring for Marian Gaborik, rode the precocious rookie’s big night to an impressive road victory.

The Blueshirts got strong performances from their entire lineup tonight as Brandon Dubinsky, whom the Rangers are counting on for a big season, scored 2 goals and Erik Christensen, who had a lackluster preseason, added a tally off a perfect pass from Gaborik early in the third period to give the team a 4 goal cushion. Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan played up tempo hockey all contest long and the defense led by Dan Girardi (2 A) and a solid game by Michael Sauer kept the Sabres at bay for most of the matchup. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 31 of 34 shots to earn his first victory.

Even with all the great performances, the story of the night was undoubtedly Derek Stepan. With his 3 goals, he became the first player in the long and storied history of the franchise to score a hat trick in his first NHL game. Stepan, who had an impressive training camp and preseason, still might not have been on the opening night roster if Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal were not forced to miss time with injuries. Stepan, who could have had 5 goals tonight but who missed high on a breakaway and hit the post in the closing seconds on an empty net, proved that he is ready to not only play but make an impact at this level, threw his hat into the ring for Calder Trophy very early on.

It would be foolish to expect this kind of offensive output from the Blueshirts on a nightly basis but it would not be a stretch to expect the level of effort we saw tonight consistently as the season progresses. The Rangers’ biggest problem last season was giving that type of effort on a nightly basis but with the competition to stay with the club from youngsters like Stepan and Sauer, newcomers like Ruslan Fedotenko and Steve Eminger and even players like Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust, whose jobs might be in jeopardy with the return of Drury expected soon, the effort we saw tonight might come easier for this group than last year’s squad. The Rangers will try to follow up tonight’s victory with another strong performance against the Islanders in a matinee at the Coliseum on Monday.

In other news, Chris Drury, who is currently on injured reserve, skated with the team this morning. There is still no timetable for his return.

Probable Lineup:

Marian Gaborik-Erik Christensen-Alexander Frolov
Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov-Ryan Callahan
Sean Avery-Derek Stepan-Ruslan Fedotenko
Derek Boogaard-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust

Marc Staal-Michal Rozsival
Michael Del Zotto-Dan Girardi
Mike Sauer-Steve Eminger

Henrik Lundqvist will get the start in goal and will be opposed by Ryan Miller (1-0-0, 1.00 GAA).

The Core: (Will be back next season)- Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik, Marc Staal (RFA), Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery, Michael Del Zotto and Michal Roszival.

Should I Stay or Should I Go: (Players who may or may not be back, with my best guess)-UFA’s: Vinny Prospal (will be back if he accepts one year deal with small raise), Olli Jokinen (Don’t Let the Door Hit Ya!!!!), Alex Auld (probably gone), P.A. Parenteau (will get a better offer somewhere else), Anders Eriksson (gone), Jody Shelley (I think the Rangers will bring him back based on his play down the stretch), Corey Potter (I would let him walk). RFA’s: Staal (long term deal), Dan Girardi (might be priced out by Staal but my guess is he returns), Erik Christensen (50-50 I think he goes), Brandon Prust (could be a choice between him and Dane Byers, he gets my vote), Byers (probably edged out by Prust), Enver Lisin and Ilkka Heikkenen (nice to know ya!).

Fire Sale: (players who should be in Hartford or will be offered around for a bag of pucks)- Wade Redden, Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle and Matt Gilroy.

I have read many articles over the last few days (from some great writers like Larry Brooks of the NY Post and Steve Zipay at Newsday) about what the Rangers need NOT to do this offseason. I agree with most of what they say about free agency and trades. The Rangers do NOT need Vinny Lecavalier, Patrick Marleau, Illya Kovalchuck, Joe Thornton, Pavol Demitra or any of the other big name, huge contract suspects that will most likely be available at season’s end. The one thing I haven’t read in any of these articles is a plan for what the Rangers SHOULD do once the final buzzer sounds on another NHL campaign. Most likely the Blueshirts will have anywhere from $10-14 million dollars in cap room this offseason to re-sign Marc Staal and a few others but Glen Sather should not go on a boldface buying spree in hopes of filling his team’s needs. He should show restraint, sit down behind his desk, light up a cigar and make three phone calls. That’s it, 3 simple calls.

Call 1: Dean Lombardi, GM, Los Angeles Kings- Jack Johnson is the type of physical, edgy, stand up defenseman the Rangers have not had put on their sweater since the days of Jeff Beukeboom. A 23 year old physical specimen who plays with a chip on his shoulder and goes right up to the whistle. The Kings would love to retain Johnson to a long term deal but Lombardi has been unable to come to an agreement with him (and may not want to, looking at the huge payday that Drew Doughty will no doubt seek in a few seasons) and he is currently one year away from hitting the open market with a cap number for 2010-11 of 1.425 million. Sather should call Lombardi and ask what it would take to get the hulking defenseman to Broadway and continue to listen even after the discussion begins with the name Evgeny Grachev (whom the Kings might have interest in if they lose Alexander Frolov via free agency). If Sather could get Johnson to MSG and lock him up long term, the Rangers could have their No.1 pair (along with Staal) under contract for the foreseeable future.

Call 2: Bobby Ryan‘s Agent- The Rangers have a number of promising youngsters in the pipeline (Stepan, Kreider, Grachev, McDonagh, Bourque, Hagelin) and nobody is suggesting that Sather mortgage the future by sending these youngsters away in a deal for a quick fix but signing a 23 year old forward who is on the verge of being a top 5 power forward in the league to an offer sheet and surrendering draft picks in return if the offer is not matched is not the kind of move that could hurt this franchise. The Rangers have built up depth through the draft as of late but no one knows if any of these youngsters or anyone that the Rangers draft during the next year or two will ever be stars at the NHL level. Here is a chance to get a young player who has already proven himself on the biggest stage and will only get better. John Tortorella wants younger players who come to work every night. If the Rangers got Ryan they could have three forwards under the age of 25 who could conceivably put up 30-goal campaigns with Dubinsky, Callahan and Ryan.

Call 3: Alexander Radulov- We already had the Nik Zherdev saga, with the young talented winger who left the NHL for Russia and now here is another young, supremely talented sniper who might just be ready to give the NHL another chance. Nashville GM David Poile has had enough of Radulov and his agents and would probably be more than happy to move this headache for a mid round pick and a prospect. Reports have said that Radulov is interested in returning to the league and the idea of playing on the brightest stage in NYC might just be the dangling carrot that gets the deal done. Wouldn’t Radulov fit perfectly playing across from Gaborik on the top line next season?

I know these three moves aren’t all the GM needs to do to make sure this team takes the next step. I know it’s easy to throw out names and scenarios and think that you know better than a guy who has multiple Stanley Cup rings. I know nothing is easy in the NHL especially winning. I’m not saying I have all the answers and that the powers that be (who get paid much more than I do) haven’t already pondered these moves but what I am saying is no one gets better by standing still or staying pat. Nobody gets better by hoping that players with potential will someday mature into leaders and superstars. The Rangers have a superstar backstop entering his prime, a game changing sniper ready to rise to another level, a shutdown defenseman about to become known on a league wide basis and a group of hard working youngsters on the verge of being valuable NHL performers. Now is the time for creative thinking, creative moves and creative building. Now is the time for Glen Sather to stop filling holes and start building a winner.

Chris Drury celebrates his goal with :17 secs left to force OT.

In another must-win situation for the Blueshirts (let’s face it, every game is must-win from here on out), Henrik Lundqvist had one of his best performances of the season and “Captain Clutch” Chris Drury scored what might have been his biggest goal as a member of the Rangers, leading the team to a huge come from behind shootout victory over the Devils tonight in Newark. A botched line change by the Rangers late in the third period led to a turnover and a Jamie Langenbrunner tally that gave the Devils a 3-2 lead with under 8 minutes left in the contest but the Rangers never quit and Chris Drury beat Martin Brodeur with the equalizer off a brilliant feed from Erik Christensen with 0:17 on the clock to force OT. After an overtime period which saw both Brandon Dubinsky and Illya Kovalchuk have golden opportunities turned away on spectacular saves by both netminders, Erik Christensen once again came up huge and scored the only goal of the shootout, beating Brodeur with a nifty deke and shot off the post and in, giving the Rangers the victory and two huge points in the standings.

Thumbs Up- Dan Girardi, who has been a target of many fans this season, had one of his best games of the year and should quiet any of the critics who think the Rangers shouldn’t try to lock him up long term over the summer when he is an RFA. Marc Staal, like Girardi, was tremendous tonight and helped keep Zach Parise in check all game. Brandon Prust continues to impress and was all over the ice tonight. If Prust could find a way to finish, he could really do some damage considering the opportunities he has been able to create so far. Erik Christensen had another solid performance. I know he will never live up to the hype that was heaped upon him entering the league but this kid has shown tons of heart and while I don’t think he’ll ever be great, he is a very GOOD player and should be a priority for Glen Sather come season’s end. Who’s tougher than Ryan Callahan? Anybody?

Thumbs Down- Wade Redden was responsible for the first NJ goal when he missed the backcheck on Kovalchuk and once again was just plain tough to watch on the ice tonight. Olli Jokinen, who got less than ten minutes ice time, is in no uncertain terms, simply terrible, and looks like a shell of the player he once was. Did anybody notice Vinny Prospal tonight? Or Matt Gilroy…other than when he took that delay of game penalty?

Three Stars- 3- Artem Anisimov- I scratched my head earlier today when I heard that the kid admitted he was “more comfortable playing in the bottom six than the top six forwards” but I guess if being comfortable is gonna bring more performances like tonight than so be it. The fourth line centered by Anisimov, along with linemates Prust and Jody Shelley, was the Blueshirts best line tonight and were a huge component in the comeback win. Anisimov’s patience on his goal to make it 2-2 showed that the young man is not only gaining confidence in his offensive game but may be ready to start next season in a more important role (comfort not withstanding).
2- Chris Drury- The much maligned captain was once again a penalty killing standout and source of energy tonight for a team that truly needed to build off the momentum of last night’s shutout over the Islanders. Drury’s HUGE goal in the final seconds was possibly his finest moment on Broadway and could turn out to an all time highlight should the Rangers somehow slip into the playoffs.
1- Henrik Lundqvist- Let’s face it, The Rangers don’t win this game without Henrik standing on his head over and over again and turning back Illya Kovalchuk, from point blank range off a wicked carom off the end boards, in overtime. The “King” then stoned Parise, Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac in the shootout to secure the victory. On a night where Lundqvist had to be the best player on the ice for New York to escape with two points, he was just that.

The Rangers try to keep the playoff push alive when they travel to Toronto the face the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Ryan Callahan scored twice to lead the Rangers to a 4-1 win.

The Rangers began their post Olympic push for the playoffs, minus injured stars Marian Gaborik and Michael Del Zotto, by disposing of the Ottawa Senators 4-1 at Scotia Bank Place tonight. After falling behind 1-0, the Blueshirts roared back with a 4 goal second period keyed by Ryan Callahan, who scored twice. Henrik Lundqvist was nearly flawless in goal making 24 saves to record his 25th win of the season.

Thumbs Up- Enver Lisin, who was put on waivers earlier in the day, had his best game in over a month and obviously used the situation as a motivational tool. Erik Christensen continued his strong play assisting on 2 goals and playing an impressive two way game. Brandon Dubinsky was a factor all over the ice, playing a physical contest and also scoring the go ahead goal during the second period offensive outburst. Chris Drury kept his recent string of inspiring play alive with another huge performance on the penalty kill. Corey Potter impressed with his steady play.

Thumbs Down- Jody Shelley was about as effective as Donald Brashear has been so far this season as he looked lost during a matchup that didn’t call for much physical play. Olli Jokinen had a pedestrian effort coming off a very strong showing in Vancouver. Dan Girardi, who has been the subject of numerous trade rumors, did nothing to make Glen Sather think twice about including him should the right deal come along before 3 PM tomorrow.

Three Stars

3- Sean Avery- “The Grate One” looked rested and ready following the break and was able to find his edge without going overboard. His hard work on the forecheck and his willingness to crash the net paid off early in the second period when he scored off a beautiful feed from Enver Lisin to give the Blueshirts a 3 goal cushion. A late scrum with Matt Cullen, which followed Cullen’s mistimed attempt at a body check and possible elbow to Avery’s head, finished Avery’s night a few minutes early but served notice that he is ready for what promises to be a rough and tumble run for the postseason.

2- Henrik Lundqvist- Lundvist led all Olympic netminders in Goals Against Average (1.34) and shutouts (2) and looked very solid between the pipes in his return to the Blueshirts. While the Senators did not mount the kind of offensive attack you would expect from a squad featuring Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Alex Kovalev, Lundqvist made the few tough chances he had look effortless and was the biggest reason that the Rangers picked up two important points on the road.

1- Ryan Callahan- Callahan was all over the ice tonight and took over the game during a raucous second period in which he not only got the Rangers even with a beautiful rush and top shelf goal to start the onslaught at :22  of the frame but also giving the team a 2 goal lead by slipping a backhanded rebound past sprawling Senators backstop Brian Elliot at the 17 minute mark. Without Gaborik in the lineup, the Rangers needed someone to step up and lead the offensive and tonight Ryan Callahan made himself that person, showing once again why he wears the “A” and why he is one of the few “untouchables” on the squad as the trade deadline nears.