Posts tagged ‘Marc Staal’

It’s the eve of the NHL season opener and I don’t know that I’ve been more excited to see the Rangers back in action. Maybe it’s just that natural feeling of giddiness that hockey is back, but I think there’s something different this year. The most obvious is the addition of Brad Richards. Who’s not excited to see him in a Rangers jersey for the first time in a real game?

But my excitement really stems from last season. The Rangers sputtered down the stretch, barely got into the playoffs, got bounced in the first round pretty handily, etc. But what Eric and I have discussed countless times is how fun that team was to watch. The youth, the energy, the grittiness. It was just a genuinely fun team to watch.

At the same time, we knew while that was a fun team to watch, it was also a team that didn’t have enough to actually contend for a Stanley Cup. That’s what is different about the New York Rangers going into 2011-2012 (I think/hope). With the addition of another star player in Brad Richards, plus the nucleus of last year’s team coming back this should be a year the Rangers aren’t fighting just to make the playoffs – rather, they should be battling for positioning in the upper-half of the Eastern Conference standings and perhaps even an Atlantic Division title.

The one red flag, and it’s a major one, at this point that could really put a damper on all those expectations is the health of Marc Staal. The Rangers know they won’t have him to start the season because of post-concussion problems, and Sidney Crosby’s continuing issues on that front provide all the evidence you need to be very concerned.

There’s no question while there is a lot of young talent on that defensive unit, it is largely inexperienced. To address that, the Rangers claimed a veteran defenseman per Andrew Gross.

The other obstacle the Rangers will be dealing with early on is their schedule. Obviously, they have their first two games overseas against two very good teams in LA and Anaheim. Further, their first seven games are on the road because of the MSG phase I of construction. Not only that, but they go from two European games to a roadie at the Islanders (never a gimme) and then on a West Coast Canadian swing. That’s a ton of travel in the first couple weeks of the season, so it will be interesting to see how the Rangers are able to deal with that. Perhaps the caveat to all of that is how good of a road team they have been over the past couple of seasons.

Eric and I discussed in our first show how important it will be for the Rangers to establish some dominance on their home ice this season, but they will also need a good jumpstart on the road.

On the Avery front, it’s definitely bittersweet for me as well. He’s an incredibly emotional guy who can often provide a spark, but it just seemed like Avery lost touch with his coaches and teammates as last season wore on. He became totally ineffective in the offensive production department and lacked overall consistency in his play. From a talent standpoint alone, I thought it was best to choose Christensen over him. I will miss Avery, but at the end of the day the Rangers made the right move.

Eric and I wanted to get one more show out before the puck drops tomorrow, but unfortunately our schedules didn’t pan out this week. We’ll get back on it after these first two European games and break down the start of what should be a very exciting season.

Before I wish you a Merry NHL Season, I leave you with a gift. Here’s to hoping this magic returns in 2011-2012.

Merry NHL Season!

After the free-agent acquisitions of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury this summer, the expectations in the big apple were high. However, instead of the Rangers dominating the first half of the season, it’s been quite a roller-coaster ride with the Blueshirts showing signs of brilliance and ineptitude during various stretches.

The Rangers began the year going 2-5-1, before going on a stretch of 12 games in late October/early November that saw them lose only twice. But that was only the pre-cursor to a dreadful 4-8-2 stretch in late November/early December that moved the Rangers to the brink of being outside the playoff picture. And all this was of course, just before the recent three-game winning streak by the Blueshirts to finish out 2007.

So the question is: Who are the real Rangers?

The answer: They are this most recent team that’s on a winning streak to close out the year. And here are the reasons why:

First of all, the Rangers finally have a bona fide 1st Line. After all of the shifting and mutations that this top line has seen, the current Jagr/Gomez/Straka line is here to stay. Since being united in the game against Pittsburgh on December 18, the trio has combined for 32 points in 7 games. This line will be one of the most potent in all of NHL in the second half of the season.

The Rangers second line is also finally coming together. For Chris Drury, the transition to New York has taken longer than many had hoped. However, over the past couple weeks, number 23 seems to be finding his grove. He’s been a monster on face-offs and in the last few games has started showing why he’s known in hockey circles as “captain clutch.” As for Shanny, the guy’s been a rock all season long and provides the necessary leadership needed on a championship team. And of course, there’s Sean Avery who, in my opinion, is this team’s MVP. If you look at the season, the Rangers have gone through their two slumps when he’s been out of the lineup. When he’s been in, the Blueshirts have looked like gangbusters. Barring injuries, this second line will be the perfect second half of a great 1-2 punch for the Rangers going forward.

The third line is where some questions lie. Ryan Callahan and Petr Prucha have both struggled to build off of a great opening night performance. Brandon Dubinsky has been very solid, but overall the trio isn’t adding much secondary scoring. However, I really like the way the line works and think that it’s all just a matter of time until the goals start to come. Ryan Callahan has scored at every level he’s been at and adds feistiness to a lineup that is sometimes lacking in that department. Prucha looks like he may have had a breakout game in Toronto on Saturday. He did suffer a wrist injury at the end of the game that kept him out a night later, but doesn’t appear to be serious. As for Dubinsky, there is no part of me that is worried about this kid. I really think he’s exceeded expectations this season and this year will prove invaluable to him as he learns to play the game at the NHL level. My prediction is that by the end of January this line will be pumping in a couple goals a week.

As for the fourth line, they’ve really been the one constant on a team that has seemed constantly in flux. They have been phenomenal against the opposition’s top line and on a rare night can even light the lamp. The one small complaint is that I’d like to see a little more of the rough stuff from Hollweg and Orr, but outside of that I really can’t ask for more than what they’ve given. When it comes to Betts, I think you’re talking about the best fourth line center in the league. He is as shut-down a forward as there is in the league and is as good a face-off man as they come. He’s also probably the best penalty killer the Rangers have, never hesitating to block a shot to make the play. I have no doubt that this line will continue their defensive dominance moving forward.

And speaking of defense, the top four on this year’s backline have been phenomenal. Marc Staal has settled into the NHL nicely and in him and Michael Rozsival the Rangers have a nice top pair. The second pairing of Girardi and Tyutin has exceeded expectations with Girardi forcing everyone to question how he could have possibly been passed over in the draft two years in a row! All four have also provided an offensive punch from the backline that was absent a year ago. This year’s Rangers defense has scored 24 goals already; only 6 less than last year’s total. The most prolific scorer of the bunch this year has been Roszival who is in the second in defensemen goal-scoring in the NHL with nine goals. Yet my criticism of the foursome lies with Roszival, who could have double his goal total if he would just shoot more. Roszi still defers too much to Jagr, passing up open shots to get the biscuit to number 68. He’s definitely doing it less than last year, but I’d love to see Roszival shoot more in ‘08.

Where the questions on the defense lie are in Paul Mara, Marek Malik, and Jason Strudwick. While Mara’s been fine defensively, you’d like to see him be more noticeable on the offensive end. He’s got a rocket of a shot that he very rarely uses. If he’s not going to provide the offense, then he’s a very ‘vanilla’ player. As for Malik, I’m one who believes the big guy gets too much criticism from the Garden crowd. 95% of the time he makes the right play, but the problem is that in the 5% of the time that he doesn’t, the puck usually ends up in the back of the Rangers net. When it comes to Strudwick it’s pretty simple. He’s a fine seventh defenseman, but the Rangers have used him WAY too much this season. He’s not a NHL regular (last year he played in Europe for most of the year because nobody wanted him) and his leadership skills aren’t important if he’s a liability on the ice.

Looking ahead, I’d say that if the Rangers make a move, look for one of those three to be involved, but specifically Mara and/or Malik. Both still have value and in the case of Malik, I don’t think he’d be opposed to a change of scenery. Marcel Hossa may also be on the block as it seems that there simply isn’t a place for him on this team right now.

On the goaltending end the Rangers are set. Not much needs to be said about the King and Valiquette has proven to be a worthy backup (and a cheap one at that).

So you may say, “This is a pretty optimistic look at a team that had been struggling badly just a few games ago.” Well it may be, but at this point it seems that everything has finally clicked into place. So much of the year has been spent trying to find the right spots for everyone and it seems like Renney and Co. have finally found them. The key for the second half is simple…STAY HEALTHY! This especially applies to Sean Avery who, as was said earlier, is the key piece on this team. When he’s gone everything else falls apart.

Barring any injuries, look for the Rangers to make a second half surge to take the Atlantic Division. I predict a second place finish overall in the East, losing out to Ottawa for the number one seed, but giving the Sens a scare in the process. When it comes to playoff time all bets are off. This team has all the pieces of a championship puzzle; the goaltending, the offense, the defense, the leadership and, of course, “captain clutch.”

In the end we’ll have to wait and see, but they have as good a chance as any.

Well isn’t that a relief. A win against the Isles for the first time all season and it couldn’t come at a better time. Rangers now jump back to the top of the division (Tied with the Flyers) and create a little space away from the Islanders. Also, Ottawa has lost their last five games; so Saturday could be a good time for the Blueshirts to get the Senators on the ropes.

On the defensive end for the Rangers, some changes will be made for Saturday’s game. With the injury to Paul Mara, the always reliable Marek Malik will be back in the line up. He will be paired with Michal Rozsival and Marc Staal will get the honor of playing side by side with Jason Strudwick. We’ll have to see how these changes affect the game tomorrow night.

Steve and I will be back on with a podcast on Monday. Make sure to get your calls in on what will hopefully be two Rangers wins.

Hey guys, so I wanted to do a blog today where I touch briefly on a bunch of different thoughts I have on this team. I’m going to try and do this at least once a week. Here it goes:

• Tonight’s game pits brothers Marc and Jordon Staal against one another for the first time. Don’t be surprised to see Marc lay out his little bro at least once, when Jordon comes down his wing.
• Martin Straka’s out 4-5 weeks. Sean Avery is still recovering from a shoulder separation. A key to the Rangers success over the last couple of years has been their ability to stay healthy. You wonder if their luck is running out in that department.
• With Straka out, who gets his ‘A’? It’ll probably go to Drury, but wouldn’t you love to see Renney slap that sucker on the King?!
• And speaking of #23, can the real Chris Drury please stand up? None of the big guns have been getting it done, but Drury is the only one you never notice on the ice. For a guy Barry Melrose termed, “The best leader the Rangers have had since Messier,” he seems to be blending in a lot more than he stands out.
• Henrik Lundqvist has given up an average of 2.14 regulation goals a game. The King deserves better than 2 wins.
• Jaromir Jagr has one goal (and it was in garbage time) in the first seven games. He looks absolutely lost with every center Renney pairs him up with. Anyone miss a certain #92?
• One brightspot early on in the season has been the play of Brandon Dubinsky. The rookie looks good and is strong on the puck, but still hasn’t hit the back of the twine. Look for that to change sometime in the next week
• Dan Girardi is looking more and more like one of the bigger steals in the NHL. With every passing game, the formerly undrafted free agent looks more and more like the real deal. With him, Tyutin, Staal, and the crop of youngsters coming up, this Rangers D could be one of the best in the league within a few years.

That’s it for today. Big game tonight for the boys. Need to finish out the road trip strong and build momentum before 7 of 8 at the Garden.