Posts tagged ‘Eric Rothman’

For those of you who haven’t seen or had a chance to do so yet, check out our season recap podcast up now on the site. It’s tough to see this season come to an end, but Eric and I can’t thank all of you enough for following us all year long and making it fun for us.

We try to emphasize this all the time, but we really mean it when we say this site and podcast is nothing without your interaction. Eric and I feel as though we found a good system this season that kept the site current while balancing our ever-changing schedules. Because of that, we’re hopeful this continues for years to come. Any feedback (pros and cons) is more than welcome. If you have any ideas for next season, we would also love to hear them and see if we can incorporate them.

You can stay current with what Eric and I are up to on our personal Twitter accounts (@TheEricRothman and @Erik_Elken). I also have a personal website that has some blog posts and my work if you want to check that out…I know, shameless plug. Eric is on his way out to LA to start a new, and exciting, life. I will soon be starting a season of baseball play-by-play with the Tri-City ValleyCats (Houston Astros New York-Penn League Single-A affiliate).

We’ll be on here throughout the summer when things come up, especially when the Rangers (hopefully) sign Brad Richards. Hopefully we’ll also be able to get a show or two up in the off-season. Also, be sure to check out Michael Kay’s post-playoff interview with John Tortorella that aired on 1050 ESPN Radio in NYC. Torts is super candid, and it’s really a great look into what’s ahead for the Blueshirts.

In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the playoffs. Aside from the Rangers losing, it was probably one of the most entertaining first rounds I’ve seen in a long time.

Thanks again everyone!

Dear NHL:

On behalf of the NYRangerscast, I am writing to you to support Penguins Co-owner Mario Lemieux’s proposal “to discuss the NHL’s current system of supplementary discipline — and how it affects not only the integrity but the perception of our great game”.

We, at the NYRangerscast, cannot help but echo that, “the current system punishes the offending player but does very little to deter such actions in the future. We need to review, upgrade and more clearly define our policies in this regard, so that they can provide a meaningful deterrence and effectively clean up the game”.

But what concerns us most at the NYRangerscast is what Mr. Lemieux brings up regarding repeat offenders. “And we’ve often seen repeat offenders. We think it is time that teams also are held accountable for the actions of their players. We propose instituting a policy of automatically fining a team when one if its players is suspended — with the amount of the fine based on the length of the suspension. This should serve as a disincentive for teams as well as players to employ these kinds of tactics.”

Penguins forward, Matt Cooke, is the clear-cut definition of a “repeat offender”. After today’s hit on Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonough, an example needs to be made of him. While this hit is bad enough, and the officials made the right call in ejecting him from the game and giving him a 5-minute major, his track record does not lie. Cooke has already been suspended four games earlier this season for an illegal hit on Columbus’ Fedor Tyutin. In the game just two days prior to that hit, he had another one on Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin.

While there are many other episodes like this involving Matt Cooke over the years, these three examples happened within the last month and a half. It is clear that he is not getting the message. What concerns us, at the NYRangerscast, even more is that Cooke is an alternate captain for the Penguins. We see the “A” on a sweater as a mark of someone who should be a leader on the team, and someone players and fans should look up to. To think that anyone may be looking at him as a role model is frightening.

We support Mr. Lemieux’s proposal to outline a stricter plan, which includes his clear-cut layout to fines associated with the following suspensions:

• 1-2 games–$50,000 fine to team
• 3-4 games–$100,000 fine to team
• 5-8 games–$250,000 fine to team
• 9-10 games–$500,000 fine to team
• 11-15 games–$750,000 fine to team
• More than 15 games–$1 million fine to team

Mr. Lemieux also astutely includes a doubling of fines when the offense involves a repeat offender.

While this cannot guarantee the complete removal of these dirty hits from the league, it would send a clear-cut and strong message to players who want to tarnish this great game and league with such hits.

Sincerely,
NYRangerscast

P.S. – We hope that Mr. Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins have deep pockets because they will, ironically, suffer the most from these new rules if they are put in place.

I would like to start a petition to get the Rangers moved to the Western Conference.  I know geographically it doesn’t make much sense, but come on, let’s get creative! We can start a new division in the West.  Call it the “East Division”…No good?

While it is obviously a stretch to consider the Rangers as a Western Conference team, it’s not a stretch to consider them as one of the best Eastern Conference teams when it comes to playing the West.  The Blueshirts have more wins (10) against Western Conf. foes than any other team in the East.  Last night’s SO victory over the Kings puts them in sole possession of first in that category.

The wins aren’t just coming against Western Conference bottom feeders either.  The Rangers have played 6 of the 8 teams currently in the playoff picture in the West.  They have beaten 5 of them.  San Jose and Anaheim are still on the schedule. 

It’s also a win that proves a little bit more than the Pittsburgh game that preceded it.  Wins over Pittsburgh are always tough, but with that team a shadow of their opening day lineup, a win didn’t necessarily prove a whole lot.  A win against a team like LA, who is fighting to get into the playoffs, shows that the Rangers may be coming back to life.

Tonight is no different.  How bout those Devils, huh?  We said it all year on the podcast…Get your wins against the Devils while they’re down, because it won’t last forever.  And it hasn’t.  The Jersey squad is 8-1-1 in their last 10 and with 25 games to go, are only 12 points out of the playoffs. 

Quick Notes:

—King Henrik picked up the 200th win of his career last night against LA.  An NYRangerscast “Tip of the Cap” to you Mr. Lundqvist.  Fitting that it came in a shoot out.

—Hey Gaborik, where exactly has that shot been all year?  When he let that goal shot go last night, I think there was a collective “It’s about damn time,” shouted by Rangers fans around the world. Vintage Gabby.  Now, do it again.

—Erik “Wrong Spelling” Christensen and Mats “Duke Zukem” continue to stun in the SO.  You would think goalies would start catching on…for our sakes, let’s hope they don’t.

I’ll be honest, I just don’t get it.  I look at this Rangers lineup and I try to do the calculations in my head.  Try to find some formulation where this team wins hockey games…and I just can’t find one.

Yet, they continue to prevail. 

The Rangers defied logic yet again last night as they came back in the third period to defeat the mighty Washington Capitals off the leg of Marian Gaborik in regulation and on the backs of Wolski-Zuke Nukem-Artie in the SO.  A Washington team mind you, that was previously a whopping 20-0-1 in games they led after two periods.

Oh, and by the way, not only did they do all this with such star studded names as Newbury, Grachev, and Kolarik; they did it with backup netminder Martin Biron.

Fact is, I don’t get it.  But, you know what, I don’t have to get it.  Because somehow, it works.

Following the December 15th game where Ryan Callahan broke his hand, the Rangers are 10-6-2.  During that stretch, they have beaten top-tier teams in Vancouver, Dallas, and Washington. While simultaneously losing Dubinsky, Fedotenko, Christensen and Frolov to significant injuries.

This team is a train that’s full of misfits, has-beens, reclamation projects, and teenagers.  But, with John Tortorella at the helm, it all stays on track and just keeps plugging away. Win after win.

There is no way not to like this team.  It’s impossible.  Against all odds, they have ridden on the backs of names like Boyle, Stepan, and Prust to playoff contention.

Simply remarkable.

***UPDATE: Another One Bites the Dust***

Anyway, let’s take the positive out of this. The penalty kill was good early. It set the tone. The Rangers dominated from there and collected another two points.

**********

So, you thought this team couldn’t suffer any more crippling injuries?  Oh, how foolish of you!

That’s right, it’s injury update time!

Brandon Dubinsky will reportedly miss 3-4 weeks with a stress fracture in his left fibula.  Apparently this injury occurred after the weight Dubinksy was carrying on his shoulders, more commonly known as the New York Rangers, got too heavy. 

Un-freaking-believable.  I would use expletives here, but I’ll keep them to myself.  Every week it seems the deck gets further stacked against the Rangers.  This is truly heart-wrenching.  Tonight against Toronto, or any game for the next month, is no longer a given. 

Who are we left with? 

BRIAN BOYLE TO THE RESCUE! 

But seriously, this sucks.

First off, apologies for the lack of blog posts over the last couple weeks.  Erik and I are both extremely busy with the jobs that are actually accompanied by paychecks, so the blog has taken a backseat for a second.  Podcasts have been up to date and we will have one coming over the next couple of days, TODAY!

Couple of news and notes to chit chat about in the meantime…

-I appreciate all the e-mails over my mispronunciation of Wojtek Wolski’s name.  I apologize that I am an ignorant American who reads names as they are written.  I will send my regards in a personalized floral arrangement to Vojtek Volski. 

-What a let down after the Vancouver game, huh?  Way to lay eggs against Montreal and Philly!  Side note, the Flyers seem to be the one team the Black and Blueshirts can’t muscle out a win against.  But really, I think the inconsistency goes back to the injuries and lack of Gaborik.  You’re going to have a hard time being consistent with that combination.

-All- Star Captains have been announced.  E. Staal and N. Lindstrom will be ro-sham-bowing it for picks.  First off, I love the format.  Don’t knock it.  All-Star games are meaningless and nobody (seriously, check the ratings from the previous years) watches the thing, so why not give it a gimmick?  Anyway, Rangers M. Staal says he would not like to play with his brother.  This is because and I quote, “He’s too mouthy.”  E. Staal has responded by slapping his brother in the back of his head, sticking out his tounge, and yelling nanny nanny boo boo.

-In today’s NY Post, Larry Brooks says Dubinsky is the only one who can bring Gaborik out of his funk.  Thoughts? At this point, I believe the only one who can bring Gaborik out of his funk is Gaborik.

-Over the half way point in the season.  I look around the league and really believe this is the first year in a while where the East has better Top 8 depth than the West.  Do you agree?  We’re so used to the West being the class of the league, but this year, I really like a lot more teams in the East.

QUICK! Get your emails into hosts@nyrangerscast.com!

This is really starting to get old.  What was a very successful week for the Rangers on the ice, ends with yet another debilitating injury. 

Alex Frolov is out for the remainder of the season after tearing up his right knee against St. Louis on Saturday.  Add him to the list of wounded that already includes Ryan Callahan, Erik Christensen, Vinny Prospal, and Derek Boogaard.  The Rangers offense is taking the shape of a MASH unit.

Say what you will about Frolov, but its another experienced member of this teams offense that will have to be replaced with someone (most likely) of lesser skill.  After signing a 1 year/$3 million deal in the offseason, Frolov failed to be the right hand man to Marian Gaborik that he was brought into be. In half a season with the Blueshirts, Frolov managed 7G and 9A.

For the moment, Kris Newbury has been called up from Captain Ahab’s Connecticut crew.  We’ll see what Glen Sather is able to do on the market, if anything to help fill the void left by all the fallen goal scorers.

It’s yet another blow to this gritty team, who so far this season has seen stars like Gaborik, Drury, Callahan, etc. miss significant time due to injury.  The Rangers picked up 4 points against Dallas and St. Louis, yet with another injury, it seems to be 1 step forward, 2 steps back.

Notes from the road trip:

• - Proving that Coach Torts listens to the NYRangerscast, Sean Avery was given a larger role this past week and really shined.  We’ll see how long he stays out of the doghouse. 
• - Cally has begun skating, however, NY Post says he still at least 3 weeks aways from playing
• - Mats Zuccarello continues to impress, netting the game winner in scintillating fashion in the SO against the Stars.

I know it’s not polite to kick a man when he’s down.  But, when that man happens to be the New Jersey Devils and the New York Islanders, I think we can make an exception.

The Rangers capped off the 2010 part of the 2010-2011 NHL season last night with a 3-1 win at The Rock in New Jersey.  That follows a Monday night victory against the NYI, giving the Rangers a record of 8-3-1 in the final month of the year.  Overall, the Blueshirts sit in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 22-14-2.

Considering where I thought this team would be at the turn of the new year, that ain’t too shabby.  Breakout seasons for Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle and Derek Stepan have carried this team further than expected, with The King still anchoring the crease quite mightily.

So the question becomes, can the beginning of 2011 match the end of 2010?

I think it can.  Here’s what the Rangers need to do in 2011 to continue the success…(As a side note, I hesitate to call these resolutions, because no one ever keeps New Years resolutions…But I’ll do it anyway.)

1) Locate Marian Gaborik: This is by far the most obvious of all the resolutions.  The team’s most prolific scorer is tied for 4th on the team in goals with a mere 10 in 24 games this season.  One problem has been injury.  The other, a lack of a consistent line to play on.  Either way, Gabby needs to be reintroduced to the offense.  A lot of times he looks like he’s waiting for something to happen instead of going out and making it happen.  For this team to make a deep run, Gaborik needs to make his own opportunities and start taking over some games.

2) Pray that Boyle and Stepan don’t collapse: I love both of these guys, I really do.  I mean, how do you not love a rookie with double digit goals and a veteran who has already tripled his previous season high for goals scored?  The problem is, we don’t know what the 82 game projections are for these guys.  Yes, Boyle and Stepan both look poised to continue there success in 2011, but one has never had an opportunity to play a full NHL season before, the other has come up short throughout his career.  2011 needs to be the year of Boyle and Stepan.

3) Cally Comes Back Strong: Ryan Callahan needs to come back and play like the Captain he was before his injury.  Enough said. 

4) Find the Right Position: I think we’ve gotten to a point in this season where we can expect the Rangers to make the playoffs with the way they have played.  Missing out would be a disappointment at this point.  That said, not all playoff positions will be beneficial to the Rangers.  While they’ve played well, they are still under skilled compared to teams like Pittsburgh, Philly and at some points Washington.  The Rangers need to find a favorable match up for the first round and hope the other teams beat each other up before the Blueshirts get to them.

5) Stay the Same: Typically, on New Years, you’re trying to find ways to change.  I ask the Rangers to stay the same.  Please, play with the same intensity, grit and determination we’ve seen thus far.  Don’t slack off.  This team is likable, I don’t want that to change.  Let’s bring the playoffs back to the Garden with some guys everyone can rally behind.

I’ll be honest with you, for most of last night’’s SO Rangers victory, I was bored to tears.  Maybe it was because I had to listen to the Coyotes broadcast, which is not nearly as entertaining as Sam and Joe.  But really, I think it was because last night’s game was much different than the previous two, although the outcome remained the same.

Last night, the Rangers were able to grind out a win.  You could tell the Rangers were tired after having to keep pace with the Penguins the night before.  Yet, they kept pace, they got a garbage goal, and persevered yet again in the 3rd period to steal 1 point and then earn a second. 

The Blueshirts have now won three in a row.  In three of their last four wins, the Rangers have trailed in the third period.  It’s the nature of this team, the personality that Erik and I have talked about all year long.  Grinders.  If you watched the 24/7 premiere on HBO, you saw first hand how quickly a team like Washington got deflated after giving up a goal.  This Rangers team doesn’t fall into that trap.  New York always seems to be 30 seconds away from taking the lead, no matter how many goals.

Another great game by the dynamic duo of Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle.  I continue to be dumbfounded trying to explain these two.  So, I’ll just smile and laugh and enjoy their play.  Prust scored his third SH goal of the season on a team that leads the league in them.  They are just never out of it.

Although it came in the SO, the Rangers are now 7-0 when Erik Christensen puts a puck in the back of the net.  (May be more if you go back and check the other SO’s)

Want more resiliency? Derek Stepan gets benched for the first half of the 3rd period and comes out and scores the game tying goal with less than 6 minutes left. 

The Rangers have picked up 12 of the possible 16 points in the month of December.  They have the 4th most points in ALL of the NHL.  They sit just outside the top 4 in the East.  And the train keeps rolling. 

The question is, nearly halfway through the season, are you starting to believe???

You all know the story by now. We recorded a kick ass podcast only to figure out that 11 minutes of it existed and the rest was off in never-never land. Epic. Fail.

To partially redeem ourselves we bring to you that long, lost podcast in text format. Yeah, not as good but here it is. The topics we covered were: Dubinsky, Gabby’s Return, Pitt Game, Edmonton Brawl and Team Likability. Eric and I each provide our takes.

DUBINSKY

Eric:

During the Pittsburgh game I kept screaming one thing as I watched the game unfold on TV….”Brandon Bleeping Dubinsky.” This guy is world-class. It’s amazing that, for me, the story line coming out of that game (at least from an individual performance standpoint) was Dubi. Amazing because you had stellar career performances from Henrik and Marc Staal that probably could have been the lead when talking about that game. But to me, it was Dubi. This guy has solidified for me the Captaincy for the Rangers after Drury’s tenure. Why? Because of his play this season and his leadership of a team that needed leadership desperately. Yes, he’s had great streaks in the past…and, no, I don’t think there’s anyway he can continue this pace. But, the reason this year stands out is because it was only him out there. When the early injuries hit, the success or failure of this team was put squarely on the shoulders of Dubi and Cally. Both have stood up and shined, Dubi to a greater extent. To me, it’s been one month of extreme maturation for Dubi, who looks primed to be the driver of the Rangers bus for years to come.

Erik:

How can you not like this guy? For a few years now it has seemed that Dubi (and Cally) were on the cusp of greatness. They were always supposed to be that next core of Rangers for years to come. Gabby is the star of now, but the team’s ultimate success in years to come would be how it could build around Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Henrik Lundqvist. Hank is already a star and has been for a few years now. Dubi and Cally showed flashes of brilliance at times but also showed their youth at other times and were overall inconsistent. This is the first season that these two have stepped up and never looked back. Dubinsky is a tad more impressive at this point because he did it from game one this season and, to be fair, is overachieving big time. What makes that most impressive to me is the timing of it all. What did we talk about at nauseam last year? The Rangers’ inability to have any consistent secondary scoring outside of Gaborik and Prospal. Well what do you know this season, Gaborik gets hurt and misses a lot of time, Prospal still hasn’t hit the ice and Drury tried to only to get re-injured. Who the hell is going to score goals now? Brandon. Dubinsky. Without his production at this point where would the Rangers be right now? I’m not trying to take away from the surprise production of Brian Boyle, but Dubinsky is the one who really led this charge. Now Gaborik is back. Drury and Prospal hopefully soon to follow. Bottom line: a very young Rangers team was desperate for someone to step up in a dire situation. Brandon Dubinsky (and Callahan) did that. That is a key characteristic of a Captain (cough). Make this man a Ranger for life.

GABBY’S RETURN

Eric:

Who had the over/under at 60 minutes before Gabby would come back and make a mark? Hat trick in his second game off of injury, not too shabby. When you talk about Dubi taking over as a leader on this team, it’s not because he has all-world talent. When you talk about Gabby taking over on the ice for this team…it is. It’s startling what one guy can do to enhance a team. Alex Frolov had been in a coma for a month until Gabby returned and than…BAM! Two goals. Christensen…Enhanced. Stepan…Reborn. All in the same week they get put on the ice with Gaborik. Truly remarkable. Combine Gabby’s consistent point scoring with Dubi/Cally leadership and you have a pretty tough combination on offense. An offense (and team) that has far overachieved any preseason expectations this season.

Erik:

We’ve come to expect greatness from him. To be fair, why shouldn’t we? He gets paid to do it. He proved it last season in New York and over the rest of his career. What makes him different from any other player the Rangers have (and most other in the NHL) aside from his goal production and salary is his ability to impact a game. He doesn’t have to score a goal. He doesn’t even have to record an assist. His mere presence on the ice makes teams worry. Opponents have to gameplan around him. As Eric said, he makes other players (Frolov, Christensen, Stepan, etc.) all better. We know the Rangers can’t be legitimate threats to do a lot without him. I’ll go back to something I said many times last year: with Gaborik on offense and Hank in net, the Rangers can be dangerous in any playoff series. Does that mean they will win the Cup? No, not necessarily, but it gives them a chance to do things they can’t otherwise.

By the way, how many of you had a minor heart attack when his shoulder went flying into the post after scoring on the breakaway in the Edmonton game? Hey Christensen, next time please don’t proceed to then maul him. Thanks.

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