Posts tagged ‘Strudwick’

That was a nice win.  No that’s not a typo, I’m only giving it nice.  The reason: we’ve seen this before.  This win becomes big, great, huge, and whatever other word you want to throw out it when, and only when, the Rangers win another, then another, then another.

But that being said, tonight was an utter domination.  The Rangers paid attention to the little things and capitalized on the opportunities they were given.  More importantly this team didn’t panic when faced with almost the exact situation in which they fell apart on Thursday.

Up 2-0 after a dominating 1st (again), the Blueshirts went down 2 men early in the second.  But this time they were able to kill off the disadvantage and even got a big save from Henrik Lundqvist who took back his throne with a vengence!

And once the 5 on 3 was killed off, the Rangers again did something we’ve seen so little of recently…step on the throat of their opponent.

Led by the line of neophytes, the Blueshirts stormed to a commanding 4-0 lead and never looked back.

Kudos are in line to Tom Renney for his defensive shakeup.  The backline troops responded with a stingy performance reminiscent of the Rangers team we saw in November and say what you want about Marek Malik, but the big guy stepped up tonight.

If you can’t see the difference between Malik and Strudwick I really don’t know what you’re watching.  I’m not going to sit here and say that Malik is a top-pair defender nor am I going to make the claim that he can replicate tonight’s performance on a consistent enough basis to remain a Blueshirt.  But the fact is he is an NHL caliber defenseman and Jason Strudwick simply isn’t.

 So again, a much-needed nice win for the Rangers that can turn into a much-needed GREAT win depending on the team that shows up Monday against the Pens.

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.

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.

Nigel Dawes and Thomas Pock will, in all likelihood, make their season debuts for the Rangers tonight in Atlanta. For Dawes, it’s almost a sure thing that he’ll play, seeing as Marcel Hossa can’t go because of a hip flexor injury. For Pock, it’s not as certain, but following yesterday’s practice it seems probable. According to the Blueshirt Blog and Rangers Report, Pock was paired along side Michael Roszival in practice and Marek Malik was paired with Jason Strudwick. Although Tom Renney said not to read too much into it, look for Struds and Malik to be watching tonight from the Press Box. (If you’re quiet, you can hear champagne corks popping in the home every Rangers fan as we speak.)

For Dawes it’s a shot; for Pock it’s the shot.

When it comes to Nigel Dawes, it’ll be nice to see what he can do tonight. He’ll be playing on the first line with Jagr and Gomez (certainly different than last year when he got to play, but with the likes of Jason Ward and Adam Hall). But let’s be realistic. No matter how well Dawes plays, the road still leads back to Hartford. Even if he makes a case to be in the lineup over Hossa, Sean Avery is on the horizon. And when Avery comes back, Dawes will go back. So take tonight for what it is with Dawes, a possible glimpse into the future. But for Dawes, no matter what he does, the future is not now.

For Thomas Pock this is a completely different situation. For him, this is the be all, end all. Sure he’s been in the lineup before (he actually played 44 games last year). But in most of those games he was subbing in for an injured player and even though Pock probably deserved to win a lineup spot, he continually got scratched for a lesser veteran when the vet came back. This time it’s different. This time Malik is taking a seat because of poor play and Pock needs to seize the moment one more time. He needs to get into the lineup and stick; not allow the coaching staff to take him out. And whether or not it’s unfair, it has to happen tonight. If Pock doesn’t play well, he won’t get another shot on Saturday in Boston. Malik will be right back on the ice and Pock will be right back in street clothes. This is it. Pock knows it, and don’t be surprised if Pock takes advantage of it.

Now let me say this. No matter what happens tonight, it is becoming more and more evident that something has to give on this Rangers backline. Marek Malik, Paul Mara, and Thomas Pock are every day players fighting for two spots. None of them will stay content to be scratched for long periods of time. I’d expect a trade sometime in the near future.