Posts tagged ‘Shanahan’

Is Brendan Shanahan coming back?

Is Petr Prucha on his way out?

If a tree falls in the middle of the woods and nobody’s around to hear it, does it make a sound?

All of these questions, except for maybe the third one, have been making the rounds on the message boards today.

So, we would be remiss not to tell you that there are reports that Darren Dreger of TSN says the signing of Shanny is imminent by the Rangers.

I have looked over TSN’s website and cannot find if this is printed or just speculation.  But, I figured I’d pass the information along anyway.

Rumor also has it that Peter Prucha is on his way out.

Again, this could all be just mindless speculation, but it’s good chatter none the less.

In my opinion, this whole limbo thing with Shanahan needs to end.  The more the rumors keep flying, the more a distraction it becomes.  One side needs to make a statement or a decision before it gets out of control.

More info here when it drops.

Well, it looks like he could be back.

According to our good friend Sam Weinman Shanahan was at the team’s informal skate this morning.

No deal has been made, but Shanahan was invited to participate in the skate by Coach Tom Renney and GM Glen Sather.

Shanahan says that his agent is talking to Sather currently about finalizing a contract.

The Rangers have little room to maneuver, they have just over $700,000 left in salary cap room. So some finagling would have to be done to get Shanny back. But, according to Weinman, the impression around Rangers Camp is that a deal is imminent.

Shanahan turns 40 this January and would be a great leader in the locker room if he does return. The question is, can he sustain a full season?

We saw last year that Shanny had trouble with fatigue and the pace of the game later in the season. But he was also third on the team with 23 goals.

It will be interesting to see where he fits in if he comes back.

Personally, I think Shanny can bring a lot to this team if he can learn to manage the season and his body properly.

If he can do that, and the Rangers can have a Brendan Shanahan who is healthy and fit come playoff time, than I don’t think you can deny that he’s a benefit to this team.

We’ll have to see what happens…if he even gets signed.

I love Shanny’s heart, but if he’s going to break down like last year then you have to question how valuable he’ll be.

If he can pace himself, ala Jaromir Jagr, than that’s a different story.

So who was expecting an April Fools joke from the guys at the NYRangerscast? After doing an hour long episode yesterday, I don’t think Steve or I had the energy to come up with one. So consider yourselves lucky NYRangerscast faithful, we’ll get you next year. Or, maybe we’ll surprise you and have a belated April Fool’s prank sometime in June.

Either way no hockey has been played in the past few days but there are some injury updates to report. Courtesy of Rangers Report, we learn that Blair Betts and Brendan Shanahan will be game day decisions for the game against the Fish Sticks. I expressed my view on resting Shanny the last three games in the Podcast. I think the Rangers are in a spot now where they can afford to rest him and (YES Steve) play Jason Strudwick for a game or two. I would much rather have a healthy Shanahan come playoff time, rather than a hurt one.

With Betts, I think you have to be careful about bringing him back too soon. But, if he is healthy and ready to go, I will be excited to see him back on the ice. The Prucha/Sjostrom/Betts line is an intriguing one for me and I’m interested to see how they play together.

In other news from around the league. ESPN.com is reporting that the NHL is close to completing a new advertising deal with over thirty North-American corporations. The goal is to integrate the corporations logos onto NHL Jerseys, goalposts, and ice over the next five years. That’s right, the NHL is going the way of professional soccer to generate income. No word yet on what corporations have been picked for what team. But, the Rangers were mentioned as possibly being sponsored by Virgin Mobile. This is not official but it looks like a new look is coming to the NHL and I’m not sure it’s for the best.

This is a prototype of what the new jerseys would look like…let me know what you guys think.

Phew, the Rangers certainly dodged that bullet.  Playing a team that was spiraling out of control having lost nine straight, a win tonight was ABSOLUTELY VITAL for the Rangers moving forward.

And they did win, maybe not as convincingly as you would have liked, but right now “style points” are out the window and the only points that matter are the ones in the standings.

Now don’t get me wrong, there were certainly some good signs tonight:

-  The third line continued to look good scoring both goals and creating countless chances.  It looks like this trio is finally starting to lock in.

-  The return of Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan was great to see (it was also great to see someone finally putting pucks on net).

-  The King was solid, not spectacular, but he did what he had to do.

-  The penalty kill was fantastic (although they again were called upon WAY too much).

So those were the positives.  But don’t feel too good if your a Rangers fan right now because boy was there a lot to be bothered by in tonights game:

-  Tom Renney again gave the fourth-line third-line minutes.  Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr both got 12:16 minutes and Blair Betts got just under 15.  No player on the third-line even got nine minutes of time, despite again being the best and hardest working line on the ice.  The third line contributed two-goals and a combined for a +6 on the night.  The HBO line contributed a bad penalty and no offense again.  How Renney can justify playing Ryan Hollweg for over 12 minutes and not even give Brandon Dubinsky 6:30 is beyond me and is flat our ridiculous.

-  Renney again didn’t have the courage to send a message to his team and bench his “captain” when he played another lackluster game and was a detriment on the ice.  Jagr took two more lazy penalties and was the culprit on the Sabres lone goal.  If you watch the replay you will see Jagr, upon losing the puck at the Buffalo blueline, glide back and allow an odd man rush for the Sabres.  He gave an absolutely embarrasing effort on that backcheck and made a half-hearted attempt at the last minute to catch up to Pominville.  But J.J. doesn’t miss a beat and is rewarded with nearly 20 minutes on the ice.  No accountability=no change.  It’s that simple.

-  The Rangers again gave the opposition man-advantages immediately following Rangers goals.  The Blueshirts went up 1-0 at the 6:15 mark of the first and went on the penalty-kill just over two minutes later.  They then went up 2-1 at the 9:42 mark of the second period, only two one up themselves from earlier in the game and go down 2 men just over a minute later.  That 5 on 3 disadvantage was their fifth in the last four games…absolutely unacceptable.

-  The Rangers power play was again more of a disadvantage then their penalty kill.  They couldn’t capitilize on any of the man-up opportunities given and gave up countless numbers of odd-man rushes against in the process.  I’d be willing to venture a guess that Buffalo got their best chances when they were down a man.

But in the end they were able to pull this one out, just don’t be fooled.  Against a half decent team we would be talking about another terrible loss.  But as I said in the title, a win is a win is a win is a win and at this point that’s all that matters.  Maybe the Rangers can gain traction from this and get going.  I guess we’ll see this weekend.

Could this be the day? Could tonight possibly be the night that the Rangers get things going? Boy do I hope so.  Not only is Chris Drury being welcomed back in Buffalo, but Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery will be welcomed back by the Rangers tonight.  Talk about some leadership returning to the ice.

Steve and I touched on these next few games in our podcast that FINALLY got out last night.  Buffalo is a beatable team, especially with the Rangers being at full strength.  So are the Bruins for that matter.  Right now the Rangers need to forget about tops in the Eastern Conference, they need to focus on just making the playoffs.  The Blueshirts need to beat teams they are supposed to beat and move up the totem pole over lesser talented teams…and that can begin tonight.

Also, Chris Drury is returning to Buffalo tonight.  It has been an up and down season for Drury with the Rangers.  I’d like to hear your thoughts on Drury’s performance this season.  Has he lived up to the expectations you had for him? Or does he still have to prove himself as a Ranger?  Just a little point for discussion.  Enjoy the game tonight and don’t forget to get your contest entries in soon.

I don’t think I need to state just how big a game the Rangers/Canadiens tilt is tonight for the Blueshirts.

A win and the Rangers break a 5-game losing streak and jump back into the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.

A loss? Well, another loss and the Rangers fall further into the Atlantic Division abyss and set themselves up to at least tie last year’s seven game losing streak when they’re forced to face the WHITE HOT Pens on Monday.

 Straka in; Shanny out. 

And in a bit of a suprise, fan favorite Marek Malik will suit up along side former partner Michael Rozsival.  The other two D-Combos will be changed as well with Girardi alongside Staal and Tyutin playing with Mara.  In case you can’t do the math, Jason Strudwick is out so clearly I’m upset…

 I actually have a good feeling tonight…Rangers 3, Habs 2.

With the Rangers lineup dwindling due to the injury bug, tonight’s lines have become a Lets Make a Deal of sorts.

· Behind Door Number One: The always underachieving Marcel Hossa will be thrust into the top line with Jagr and Gomez.

· Behind Door Number Two: Chris Drury will dance in between Brendan Shanahan and Greg Moore. Shanahan will be playing left wing.

· Behind Door Number Three: Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky and Petr Prucha

Now it’s just a matter of figuring out which door contains the $8,000 fur coat and which door has the donkey pulling the wagon that nobody wants. Boy, what a few hours of the Game Show Network will do to you.

Classic game show references aside, a big game tonight against the Flyers. The Rangers slide has taken them down to the bottom of the Atlantic (oceanic pun intended). Flyers stand one point up on the Blueshirts and are returning Simon Gagne to the ice after missing the last two months.

Steve and I will be back with a new show tomorrow. This team desperately needs two points, so we can have at least a partially positive show.

Well if the western Canada swing wasn’t bad enough, the Rangers have some new injuries to report. After only getting 1 point out of a possible 6 on the road trip, Martin Straka is out with a concussion. The man that has been credited with reviving the first line is out at least two games. Hopefully, Jagr and Gomez (who skated in practice with Nigel Dawes) will be able to keep up some offensive production in Marty’s absence.

• In other injury news, Brendan Shanahan is day-to-day with a knee injury. Don’t expect him to miss any game time even though he’s been out of practice.
• As Steve called for on the show last week, Ryan Callahan has been sent down to Hartford. This brings up the always traveling Nigel Dawes and Greg Moore.

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.

We’re now nine periods into the ‘07-’08 Rangers season and we’ve yet to see this vaunted Blueshirt offense we’ve heard so much about. Outside of a four goal outburst in the third period on opening night, the Rangers have scored a total of two goals in eight periods. And these tallies were not put up by guys named Jagr, Shanahan, or Gomez, but rather by defensemen named Roszival and Tyutin. So the question is…what’s the problem?

First of all, it can’t be expected for a team with this many off-season changes to have instant chemistry, but I think there’s a bigger issue in play here. To me, the wrong players are centering every line.

Second, if you’re Tom Renney I think you’ve got to try Scott Gomez with Jaromir Jagr, and Chris Drury with Brendan Shanahan. I know these were the original combos early in pre-season, but they weren’t given a long enough look.

Both Drury and Gomez are obviously world class centers, but both have very different styles. Gomez is the king of the end to end rush. He uses his speed to gain the offensive zone and then makes plays once he’s there. Drury on the other hand, plays more of an “American” style of hockey. He dumps the puck into the opposition’s zone and then goes and gets it. He makes a living off of, as he puts it, being in the right place at the right time, and cashing in rebounds. In short, Gomez plays Jagr’s game and Drury plays Shanny’s.

Jagr and Gomez tend to look more for the “pretty” goals, whereas Drury and Shanahan will take ‘em any way they can get ‘em. No one style is correct, but to have the optimum success, linemates need to be on the same page. The way the two lines are set up now, that’s just not the case.

When it comes to lines three and four, Brandon Dubinsky and Blair Betts should be switched as well. After a shaky first game that saw Renney move Dubinsky down to the fourth line, the center’s played a strong last two games. But let’s be honest, even Gretzky would have trouble generating offense with Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr on his wings. Dubinsky deserves another shot at developing offensive chemistry with Prucha and Callahan.

On the other hand, Betts has proven over the last two seasons that he’s an ideal fourth line center. Sure, he’ll pop in his ten goals a year, but at the end of the day he’s a fundamentally sound defensive forward. He stabilizes the banger fourth line and usually allows them to get off the ice without giving up a goal.

Now, it’s too early to panic about the lack of offense, but a couple more games like this and a change will need to be made. I could very well be eating my words after a seven goal outburst tomorrow night against Washington, but I just don’t see it happening. To me, these changes make too much sense to not be given a shot.