Posts Tagged ‘Matt Gilroy’
Let’s start by saying what everyone knows: this team is FLAWED. It was built with no real direction and couldn’t help but fail with this collection of spare parts, playing out of position, and expected to excel. The fact that this club even sniffed the postseason is testament to the incredible talent of franchise cornerstone Henrik Lundqvist and an inspired first season on Broadway by sniper extraordinaire Marian Gaborik. Even with the huge holes that management could never fill despite making in-season moves and numerous call-ups from the minors, the team still strung together an impressive first month of the season and an exciting last few weeks to make a serious run at the final playoff spot. This team is not in need of a total rebuild and there shouldn’t be close to the wholesale turnover we saw at the end of last season but there are a few moves that GM Glen Sather must make if this team is going to make it back to the playoffs and actually be expected to make noise once it does. Here is a breakdown of the current roster:
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.
Tags: Aaron Voros, Alex Auld, Alexander Frolov, Alexander Radulov, Anders Eriksson, Artem Anisimov, Bobby Ryan, Brandon Dubinsky, Brandon Prust, Brian Boyle, Chris Drury, Corey Potter, Dan Girardi, Dane Byers, Dean Lombardi, Enver Lisin, Erik Christensen, Evgeny Grachev, Free Agency, Glen Sather, Henrik Lundqvist, Illka Heikkenen, Illya Kovalchuk, Jack Johnson, Jeff Beukeboom, Jody Shelley, Joe Thornton, John Tortorella, Larry Brooks, Los Angeles Kings, Marc Staal, Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, Michal Roszival, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, NHL, Nikolai Zherdev, P.A. Parenteau, Patrick Marleau, Pavol Demitra, playoffs, Ryan Bourque, Ryan Callahan, Ryan McDonagh, Sean Avery, Stanley Cup, trades, Vinny Lecavalier, Vinny Prospal, Wade Redden
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In yet another contest where the Rangers could not find their offense, Henrik Lundqvist once again showed why he is this club’s “most valuable player” and in doing so, had arguably his best performance of the season but it still wasn’t enough to lift an anemic offense past a shorthanded Ottawa team playing without it’s two top scorers and starting goaltender. Ottawa’s Mike Brodeur, an afternoon call up from the AHL, shut down the Rangers in his second career NHL start to give his team the 2-0 victory. The Blueshirts have now been held scoreless for 144 minutes of play and are in desperate need of a spark on offense or they may be in danger of dropping right out of the playoff picture.
Thumbs Up- Chris Drury dominated in the faceoff circle and was the Blueshirts best forward tonight. Brian Boyle used his size to control play along the boards and had a strong game. Sean Avery showed some snarl taking on Jarkko Ruutu and was full of energy from the opening puck drop. Matt Gilroy skated well and played one of his best games since his return from Hartford.
Thumbs Down- Marian Gaborik was a non factor tonight as the Senators matched defensemen and were able to keep him mostly to the outside in the offensive zone. Gaborik also left the zone early, looking for a breakout, on the Senators late goal that broke the shutout. Michael Del Zotto looked lost at times tonight and wasn’t skating very well throughout. Wade Redden should be in Hartford tomorrow if anybody who makes decisions for this organization was actually paying attention to this game.I thought Vinny Prospal returned from injury…Did anybody notice him out there tonight?
Three Stars- 3-Sean Avery- Avery has suffered from Jekyll/Hyde disease this season and while he wasn’t the fireball he was against Dallas last week, he was a spark each time he took the ice and his willingness to mix it up was an example of what this team needs on a nightly basis.
2-Chris Drury- Drury was a monster in the faceoff circle and continued to show that he is ready to raise his game to a level that fans have been clamoring for since he came to Broadway. His strong skating and all out effort in the third period led to a power play opportunity and his back checking was key in keeping the Senators scoreless for almost 60 minutes.
1- Henrik Lundqvist- It’s a shame to see this kind of performance wasted for the second straight game. Lundqvist did everything he could to keep the Senators off the scoreboard and was only solved when Gaborik committed a defensive gaffe that led to a late tally that cost him a shutout. Henrik is playing his best hockey of the season and the Rangers need to give him some offensive support and take advantage of his mastery before the league shuts down for the Olympic break.
Tags: AHL, Brian Boyle, Chris Drury, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, Jarkko Ruutu, Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, Mike Brodeur, New York Rangers, NHL, Ottawa Senators, Sean Avery, Vinny Prospal, Wade Redden
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The Rangers recalled Matt Gilroy from Hartford this morning. He is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow night vs. Carolina.
Tags: Hartford Wolfpack, Matt Gilroy, New York Rangers, NHL
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Gilroy headed to AHL.
Earlier today, the Rangers made a surprising move when they sent rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy to the AHL. It was expected that Ilkka Heikkinen would be the odd man out with the return of Wade Redden from injury but the Blueshirts decided to keep the recent call up with the big club and send the impressive first year blue liner down for some work on his overall game.
According to assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld, Gilroy was demoted because the team felt that Gilroy’s game had been ” chinking down, in small increments, not just one thing, his entire game, all season.” Schoenfeld also added “Probably the biggest area of concern was winning one on one battles and closing checks out with strength or speed or guile”. When asked about how the team views Gilroy, Schoenfeld offered “We still have high expectations but some things can’t be overlooked unless you’re putting up big numbers and six points is not…It’s part of the process that a lot of first year players go through, they come into camp in tremendous condition and get a head start and then the league kind of catches up with some people.”
I understand this move from a growth standpoint for Gilroy but to say his game was suffering and that the “league has caught up to him” is a joke. Michal Roszival has been a distaster this season and looks like he is all but washed up at this point in his career but still gets ice time over a promising youngster like Gilroy due to his contract. The league has obviously “caught up” to fellow rookie Michael Del Zotto as well as evidenced by his declining numbers and recent invisibility on the power play but I don’t see the team sending him down to “get his game back”. This is another head scratching move by Sather (who sent Schoenfeld to address the media instead of answering questions himself, of course) in a long line of head scratching personnel moves during his tenure. Just a week ago, the team paired Heikkinen with Gilroy because of his versatility and steadiness playing either side and now his game is “chinking down”?. Another suspect move by Sather and Co.
In other moves, Chad Johnson was returned to Hartford and G Matt Zaba was called up to backup Henrik Lundqvist.
Tags: AHL, Barack Obama, Chad Johnson, Glen Sather, Hartford Wolfpack, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, Ilkka Heikkinen, Jim Schoenfeld, Matt Gilroy, Matt Zaba, Michael Del Zotto, Michal Roszival, New York Rangers, NHL, Wade Redden
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The Rangers once again tried to ride a spectacular effort by Marian Gaborik to victory and once again were unsuccessful as they fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second time in three nights 5-2 at MSG. Gaborik, who scored two goals to raise his league leading total to 21, was the only offense for the Blueshirts as the rest of the Rangers looked lost in the offensive zone. Henrik Lundqvist had another poor performance, giving up two soft goals to Mike Rupp and was no help to a struggling defensive corps that gave up way too many opportunities on this night. The only standouts in this game for the home team were the aforementioned Gaborik, the ever improving Artem Anisimov (who had a very strong game on the puck) and Dan Girardi, who was by far the team’s best defender and had multiple big plays in his own zone.
The biggest issue for this team so far during these recent struggles is not it’s lack of scoring past it’s top line but the disappointing play of an underperforming unrecognizable Henrik Lundqvist in goal. It seems as if Henrik has not fixed his problems of last postseason and continues to go down way too early giving the opponents the top corner on a consistent basis. Tonight, he was beat again up high by Mike Rupp (an enforcer with very little offensive skill) on a shot Henrik would routinely stop in the past. Coach Benoit Allaire has to do something to help Henrik fix this flaw or it won’t matter how many goals the Blueshirts (Gaborik) score, this season will slip away faster than that series with the Caps in last year’s postseason.
Thumbs Up- Gaborik, Gaborik, Gaborik! Sean Avery joined the top line with Gaborik and Vinny Prospal and had another energetic performance. Matt Gilroy was buzzing throughout the first two periods. Donald Brashear (Who?) probably had his best game as a Ranger. P.A. Parenteau continues to be among the hardest workers on this team every night.
Thumbs Down- Michal Roszival followed an o.k. performance on Saturday with a downright horrible one tonight. He is just about done here in New York if he can’t find a way to fix his myriad of problems. He can’t join the offense, he no longer plays a physical game at all and his defensive zone coverage is just plain atrocious. Bobby Sanguinetti is not ready to play major minutes at this level. Has anyone seen Chris Drury, Ryan Callahan or Ales Kotalik lately?
Three Stars- 3- Dan Girardi- Strong game at both ends. Continues to be physical force in his own end even as his teammates continue to shy away from contact on a regular basis.
2- Artem Anisimov- While the goals haven’t come yet for the strong, talented youngster, everything else has. He controls the puck and uses his body to shield off defenders like a veteran. He plays a heads up style and is defensively responsible. He never seems to take a shift off (like fellow impressive youngster Parenteau) and is playing major minutes for this club.
1- Marian Gaborik- Who Else? Another typical night for Gabs. 2 Goals. Takes a beating in front and stands up to any and all comers. This guy is a complete player and right now might be the best player in the NHL this season.
The Rangers next game is Saturday against a very hot Sabres club in Buffalo. Let’s hope they can work on fixing these problems before they travel upstate or they will be in for more of the same butt kickings they have been experiencing as of late.
Tags: Ales Kotalik, Artem Anisimov, Benoit Allaire, Bobby Sanguinetti, Chris Drury, Dan Girardi, Donald Brashear, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, Michal Roszival, Mike Rupp, New York Rangers, NHL, P.A. Parenteau, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sean Avery, Vinny Prospal
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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 Rangers played only their second overtime game of the season and participated in their first shootout of the year today against Ottawa and when all was said and done P.A. Parenteau was the hero for the Blueshirts. Parenteau, who was called up for the second time this season from Hartford on Friday, beat Ottawa netminder Brian Elliot with a quick wristshot to give the Rangers a 2-1 victory and two important points for a team that has been struggling as of late. Henrik Lundqvist played a strong game (allowing only one goal to Senators defenseman Brian Lee) and the Blueshirts’ defense corps stood strong in the face of a surging Daniel Alfredsson and the Senators power play on a late 4-on-3 in OT to send the game to the shootout and give the youngster the opportunity to win the game.
Thumbs Up- Vinny Prospal scored his first career shorthanded goal (a shocking stat considering he has played 894 carrer games) to tie the game at 1-1 and was once again a factor all over the ice. Marian Gaborik, who set up Prospal’s goal off a beautiful rush, has now scored in 16 of the team’s 18 games this season. Christopher Higgins adapted to his move to center seamlessly and had one of his best performances as a Ranger. Ryan Callahan was huge on the penalty kill (especially in OT when he blocked two big blasts from Daniel Alfredsson during the late kill) and Dan Girardi and Marc Staal had solid games both at even strength and on the penalty kill. Sean Avery looked like he was trying to ratchet up the intensity in his game today and it lead to a bad penalty but it was definitely a step in the right direction for the agitator hoping to return to being a factor every night. Wade Redden and Michael Del Zotto had strong games and some timely defensive stops.
Thumbs Down- Michal Roszival and Aaron Voros were once again invisible and continue to be non factors. Ales Kotalik took a horrible penalty late in overtime and had to be bailed out by an impressive penalty kill unit. Brian Boyle passed up a great scoring chance early and wasn’t much of an impact today and i’m not even sure if Donald Brashear took the flight to Ottawa with the club as I don’t remember seeing him on the ice at all during the contest.
Three Stars- 3-Matt Gilroy- While Del Zotto has gotten all the attention, Gilroy has been very quiet and has played a string of very good games as of late. Today, he showed his ability to join the rush and create offensive opportunities and also had some good moments in his own end including breaking up a 2-on-1 rush late in the third period to help preserve the tie and send the game into overtime.
2-P.A. Parenteau- The call up who told Rangers announcer John Giannone that his goal was to “stick with the big club this time and not be sent back down” took a big step in that direction this afternoon with a spirited performance at both ends. He could have lost confidence after whiffing on a wide open net late in the third period off a perfect pass from Higgins but instead he came back in the shootout and potted the game winner past Elliot. A very impressive game from the young man who wants to make a name for himself.
1- Henrik Lundqvist- The King was in control all game long. His ability to control rebounds and his lateral quickness when under duress from an attacking Ottawa squad were the biggest reasons that the Rangers came out of ScotiaBank Place with two important points.
The Rangers return to action Tuesday night when Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals visit MSG at 7PM.
Tags: Aaron Voros, Alex Ovechkin, Brian Boyle, Brian Elliot, Brian Lee, Christopher Higgins, Dan Girardi, Daniel Alfredsson, Donald Brashear, Henrik Lundqvist, John Giannone, John Tortorella, Madison Square Garden, Marc Staal, Marian Gaborik, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, Michal Roszival, New York Rangers, NHL, Ottawa Senators, P.A. Parenteau, penalties, Ryan Callahan, ScotiaBank Place, Sean Avery, Vinny Prospal, Wade Redden, Washington Capitals
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Mike Cammalleri puts the finishing touches on a Rangers loss with his third goal of the game in OT.
In a wholly frustrating performance tonight, The Blueshirts failed to hold a two goal lead twice and were beat by a Montreal squad that wanted it more than they did. A third straight loss, after reeling off seven straight wins, has to have coach Tortorella seething and if he isn’t then I don’t know what game he was watching tonight.
The Canadiens jumped out to an early lead but the Rangers roared back with 3 goals including a beautiful rebound by Artem Anisimov to build a 3-1 lead at the end of one period. Once again, as they have done throughout the season, the Rangers came out flat in the second period and the Canadiens cut the lead to one on a goal by Matt D’Agostini. The highlight of the game for New York came 3 minutes later as Marian Gaborik took a pass from Enver Lisin and broke in untouched on Jaroslav Halak sliding the puck between his pads on the deke. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there as the Canadiens would get a power play goal off a blast from Marc Andre Bergeron (why didn’t we sign this guy again?) and would tie the game when Christopher Higgins (who has been nothing short of horrible this season) was late picking up Mike Cammalleri, who would score his second goal of the game to knot it at 4-4. Higgins would earn a seat on the bench (along with Brandon Dubinsky, who had his own costly gaffe) for the remainder of regulation and overtime. The third period was full of scoring chances on both ends but no one could solve Halak or Lundqvist.
The Rangers (minus two of their top 6 forwards) started OT with some strong play in the offensive zone but couldn’t get the game winner and when Mike Cammalleri skated all the way from his own blue line into the offensive zone (without being touched by any Ranger player) and ripped a laser over a down too early Lundqvist the game was over. Marian Gaborik knew that he didn’t skate and backcheck hard enough (coasting and just reaching with his stick the whole time) and you could see it on his face.
All night the Rangers gave the Canadiens too much room in the neutral zone and did not play an energetic game. Brandon Dubinsky, Christopher Higgins and Marian Gaborik (despite his highlight reel goal) had disappointing nights as they seemed to become complacent with the two goal leads and stopped skating hard.
John Tortorella has said after both previous losses that the team played well and just got bad breaks. It’s time for Tortorella to stand up and call this performance what it was, horrible. The Rangers may have fixed their scoring woes but their lack of discipline once they get a lead is alarming and if Torts doesn’t see this (or isn’t willing to admit it) then that is a huge problem going forward.
Thumbs Up- Tough to find bright spots in this performance but Artem Anisimov and Michael Del Zotto both had strong games and impressed in the opportunities they recieved. Brian Boyle stood up for his teammates and played with an edge.
Thumbs Down- Christopher Higgins needs to get out of his own head before this season passes him by and he’s looking for a new team come summer. Brandon Dubinsky had a terrible performance and has been invisible during the three game skid. Henrik Lundqvist had an inconsistent game and went down way too early (like in last year’s first round collapse vs. Sergei Fedorov) on the game winner. Sean Avery played hard but hasn’t been a factor and might be too worried about pleasing Torts and not worried enough about being a pest and playing with an edge.
3 Stars- 3- Wade Redden- Just an all around solid game by the much maligned defenseman.
2- Artem Anisimov- Anisimov took his demotion to the fourth line well and played a strong game, scoring one goal and almost converting on another late in the third period.
1- Matt Gilroy- The rookie blueliner who has gotten less buzz than his fellow rookie Del Zotto since the season began had a great first period (including a huge blast to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead) and an overall solid showing. He still needs to work on stepping up at the top of the circles and stopping a rush (he was on the ice for the game winner) but he is improving with each game and was a factor offensively throughout.
The Rangers hope to stop the bleeding on Monday night at MSG as the surprising Coyotes visit at 7 PM.
Tags: Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Christopher Higgins, hockey, John Tortorella, Marc Andre Bergeron, Marian Gaborik, Matt D'Agostini, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, Mike Cammalleri, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, NHL, Sean Avery, Sergei Fedorov, Wade Redden
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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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After taking the day off yesterday, the Rangers returned to practice today but were minus two of their key players when forwards Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik were sent home due to illness. Coach Tortorella had this to say about his two missing players “they were sick, colds or something, and we wanted to get them out of here and keep them away from the other guys.” It won’t be known until tomorrow whether either player will be unable to dress for the game against the Devils.
After the departure of Callahan and Gaborik, the team practiced using the following line combinations:
Prospal-Dubinsky-Lisin
Avery-Drury-Kotalik
Higgins-Anisimov-Voros
Brashear and Boyle were spares.
Let’s hope Cally and Gaborik are feeling better tomorrow and this was just precautionary as the Rangers need both of them in the lineup tomorrow night as the team hopes to rebound from the beating it took against San Jose.
In other news:
-After his two periods of rest on Monday, Henrik Lundqvist is expected to start tomorrow night.
-There are no current plans to call up a player from Hartford in case Callahan or Gaborik are out but that could change sometime tomorrow and it would be expected that Evgeny Grachev would get the call.
- Former Rangers superstars Mark Messier and Mike Richter (along with Red Wings Senior VP Jim Devellano) recieved the Lester Patrick Award, which is given for outstanding service to hockey in the United States, earlier this evening . The award was presented to the National Hockey League by the Rangers in 1966. It honors the memory of Patrick, who spent 50 years in hockey as a player, coach and general manager and was a pioneer in the sport’s development. Congratulations to all 3 of these very deserving honorees. For more on the award and the ceremony click here
Finally, here is an interesting video of Michael Del Zotto talking about the success of the power play this season and John Tortorella shares his thoughts on the play of Del Zotto and fellow rookie Matt Gilroy.
Tags: Evgeny Grachev, Henrik Lundqvist, hockey, Jim Devellano, John Tortorella, Lester Patrick, Marian Gaborik, Mark Messier, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, Mike Richter, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, NHL, Ryan Callahan
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