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By Zach Schiff  January 8, 2010, at 1:45 am  Warren Zevon was an incredible singer-songwriter who died of cancer in 2003. For anyone who has never listened to him, I highly recommend listening to his album The Wind, which was released a month before his death. “Keep Me in Your Heart” is an absolutely amazing goodbye to the world.
Anyway, he had a hockey song once upon a time, off of his 2001 album My Ride’s Here, a song the Rangers should take to heart…
There were Swedes to the left of him / Russians to the right / A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight / Brains over brawn, that might work for you / But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do / What else can a farm boy from Canada to do / But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do / What else can a farm boy from Canada to do / “Hit somebody!” was what the crowd roared
Man! Every game, I just want to yell “Hit somebody!”
Eric Boulton and Christoph Schubert had their way with the Rangers’ roster tonight – hitting from behind, knocking them to the ice, leaping off the ice for checks. And what did the Rangers do? Nothing.
Mike Del Zotto and Eric Staal hit hard tonight, sure, but it wasn’t a deterrent.
Donald Brashear makes $1.4M and hasn’t been in a fight since November. Not that fights are the only measure of a man, but it’s not exactly like people are scared of him. This isn’t like 2006 when people aren’t taking runs at Alex Ovechkin because they know that they – or their team’s superstar – will have to face Brashear’s wrath. He is a joke who skates away from confrontation.
To be honest, I don’t care if he’s playing hurt or not. If he is playing hurt, he should still contribute. If he’s too hurt to play, take a seat, and someone will play in your absence. You can yap to the opponent all you want when you’re on the bench, but if you don’t follow it up with physical, punishing play, it’s all for waste.
(Last year, Colton Orr was that deterrent for the team. And if everyone can now remember what Brashear did to Blair Betts in Game 6 when Orr was a healthy scratch…)
When Sean Avery plays his game, he is highly effective, but he’s not a huge hitter. He will throw his body around, but he’s smaller than most guys he hits.
They need to start hitting and taking control of the game. Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Brashear, Chris Higgins, Matt Gilroy, please wake up and start knocking people around.
* * *
One other thing they need to start hitting? The net!
I’m convinced that Brandon Dubinsky and Staal have an aversion to hitting the net. Combined, they must’ve shot high and/or wide 10 times in the back-to-back games against Dallas and Atlanta. Maybe they think Chris Drury is always there to deflect it on goal.
If Higgins ever made an All-Star team, he would go 0-for-everything in the shooting accuracy competition.
Ryan Callahan has 10 goals this year. If he knew how to hit the net, he’d have 20.
It’s getting to the point where the power play is ridiculous because they shoot every puck wide. Two-on-ones, breakaways, doesn’t matter. The puck rarely gets to the net.
* * *
And no, I’m not just saying all this because they lost. I would’ve said the same thing even if they won.
However, if they were able to smash people or hit the net, perhaps they wouldn’t have lost tonight.
By Bryan Berg December 26, 2009, at 9:38 pm When the Rangers scored with 47 seconds left in the third period to tie tonight’s game at 2, I assumed that was it for the Islanders. The Rangers would go on to win in overtime; if they didn’t do that, they’d win in the shootout. I had my mental consolation speech prepared. It went something like this: “It’s a damn shame they didn’t win tonight. Kyle Okposo was a beast. Even if he never scores again, he should make the U.S. Olympic team, because he still makes things happen. Oh, and I f*&@ing hate the Rangers.”
Then, almost out of nowhere, Kyle Okposo, he who was a beast tonight, fired off a wrist shot that deflected off Marc Staal’s skate, then the post, and then found the back of the net. Islanders win in overtime.
MSG Plus gave us a bunch of stats that I thought said a lot about these two teams. First, Brandon Dubinsky’s second goal gave the Rangers their first point in a game where they trailed after two periods. That’s plenty of fodder for the “The Rangers have no heart” chorus. Second, the Islanders earned their 37th point a full 13 games before they hit the 37-point mark last year. Third, the one we all know a little too well, this was Okposo’s first goal in nineteen games. Lastly, and perhaps most pathetically, the Islanders have consecutive wins for the first time in almost two months.
Yes, the Islanders gave up a crucial point to the Rangers, a team they may be battling for a playoff spot later this season. But this was a big win for the Islanders. They took it to their biggest rivals tonight and got two points. They got a bit of a raw deal with the schedule – their game against the Flyers tomorrow starts just 22 hours from the drop of the puck tonight – but the Flyers are terrible and the Islanders are riding a great wave of momentum. Truly, there’s no reason why they can’t beat Philadelphia tomorrow night; there’s even less reason why they can’t beat Columbus on Tuesday night. That’d be four in a row. It probably wouldn’t get the Isles into the top eight before the end of the year, but it certainly would send them into 2010 on a positive note.
Huge win tonight. And one last note on Okposo – now that he’s broken his goal drought, look for him to heat up in the very immediate future.
By Zach Schiff November 20, 2009, at 8:58 am Thanks to Longtime Reader Lou (who was responsible for my seat upgrade a few weeks ago during that not-very-fun Sharks game at MSG), I got a ticket into the Garden of Dreams charity event last night at The Garden.
It was a great night with a free buffet (featuring prime rib), an open bar, Adam Graves, and 4 other Rangers patrolling the area all night.
Pictures? Of course I have pictures! But first, let me say…
- Donald Brashear does not like when you thank him for punching Aaron Ward in the face, even if you say that all Rangers fans wanted to do it.
- Marian Gaborik does not play fantasy hockey. And upon my request to slow down his scoring because my friend Dan has him on his team, he politely refused.
- Dan Girardi’s Dan Girardi jersey looked a lot better than mine, although his was free and mine was the crappiest jersey NHL.com ever sent out. I probably should have returned it.
- Marc Staal will tell you he “dusted” me “for two goals” in air hockey. He would be correct, but I decided to let him score to boost his confidence. If he nets two goals against Florida on Saturday, I will accept kudos and congratulations.
- Time for the Worst Moment of the Night, brought to you by Amstel Light. Staal gave up his air hockey paddle to Gaborik and I decided I needed a picture of it. I put the paddle down a moment, reached for my camera to give Lou, and some 6 year-old girl jacked the paddle. Very rude. And since it was a charity event and she was a guest, I couldn’t ask for it back.
- The coolest guy there was the PA announcer. He gave us really good inside information and even announced a line that we wanted to hear: “Ladies and gentleman, time for tonight’s scratches. Number twenty-five, Petr Prucha.”
 If I knew Gaborik was going to be there, I would’ve worn my jersey!
 This picture looks fake but I assure you, it is not. I was just afraid he was
going to hit me. Donald Brashear does not like me.
 I’m 25. I shouldn’t be taking this kind of picture with an athlete.
 This is me teaching our youth to play air hockey. Protect the puck!
 Reader Lou and Volunteer Brad after the event.
By Zach Schiff September 19, 2009, at 3:15 pm I’m back from Las Vegas (mid-September and still 100 degrees!) and I received a 2-for-1 in the week I was gone. Not only was Dany Heatley traded, but Phil Kessel was as well, leaving September only for training camp, and no drama.
I’m just brainstorming, but let’s say for argument’s sake, the 6 defensemen who make the Rangers roster for opening night are: Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Mike del Zotto, and Matt Gilroy. Not a huge stretch, right? Sure, you could possibly sub Bobby Sanguinetti in for del Zotto, but that has no effect on my point today.
The newspaper today said that Rozsival and Redden would be top pairing, like they were together for most of last season. My question is: Why?
Now, it’s well-documented that I am against having Redden and Rozsival on the team simply because this is a Salary Cap Era. If there was no Cap, then having a waste of space like Wade Redden on the team would simply be par for the course. They’d demote him to 3rd-line pairing or send him to Hartford, and spend big money on someone better than him.
Of course, since his $6.5M/year is looming large for the next 5 years, he has no choice but to play. And of course, it ultimately cost Tom Renney his job, as Renney’s over-reliance on him led to his downfall.
Same for Rozsival. While I may personally like Rozsival and think he is a decent defenseman, he in no way warrants $5M/year, Salary Cap Era or not.
So why pair them together? They were horrendous separately and together last year. Plus, by doing that, you are putting 2 pairs of “kids” on the blueline.
Girardi and Staal should be a tandem. They were last year often, they play well together, one is a lefty, one is a righty. Both broke into the league near the same time and both a re equally as good as the other.
So that leaves Del Zotto and Gilroy, two rookies together, no?
I say John Tortorella should put Gilroy with either Redden or Rozsival, and Del Zotto with the other one. That way the future top-pairing could learn from the veterans, who could (hopefully) cover the mistakes the rookies make.
Couldn’t hurt, right?
My ideal pairings…
Redden – Gilroy (Redden is a left-handed shot, Gilroy a right-handed shot)
Staal – Girardi (Staal, lefty; Girardi, righty)
Del Zotto – Rozsival (Del Zotto, lefty; Rozsival, righty)
I mean, it’s not like Redden and Rozsival were so dominant last season that breaking them up would be disastrous. They aren’t MacInnis-Suter, Leetch-Beukeboom, or Stevens-Neidermayer. Hell, they aren’t even Staal-Girardi. They’re one step better than the pre-lockout pairing of Vladimir Malakhov and Boris Mironov.
It worked 2 years ago when Staal paired with Paul Mara. Why not let the rookies learn from the veterans? At the very least, they could learn what not to do.
By Zach Schiff September 8, 2009, at 12:46 am 
For next season, which begins October 2nd in Pittsburgh, the Rangers currently have 4 defenseman with “guaranteed” spots. I put that in quotes because you never know who might get traded – let’s hope – or injured – let’s hope not – before then.
We have: Wade Redden, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, and Michal Rozsival.
Matt Gilroy is probably going to play in the NHL also. Everyone is very impressed by him, and you don’t pay $1.75M/year to keep a player in the minor leagues.
So that leaves one spot. Corey Potter? Mike Sauer? Possible on both fronts, but more likely they will be in Hartford until their contracts end out, then bounce around the AHL (with some rare NHL appearances). Their career-paths will probably look more like Bryce Lampman’s and Lawrence Nycholat’s than Brian Leetch’s.
I figure it comes down to two players. Granted, I don’t know a ton. I don’t go to training camp, I don’t travel to Traverse City. I just read about the Rangers online, a lot, and I know a certain bit about the NHL from watching it for years.
Those two players: 2006 1st round draft pick (21st overall) Bobby Sanguinetti and 2008 1st round draft pick (20th overall) Mike Del Zotto.
And the early edge goes to Del Zotto. He looks real sharp from all accounts in nearly every aspect, and a lot of people think he can push for a spot. Even if he is bound for the OHL this year (he is too young to play in the AHL), the Rangers can still have him in the NHL for 10 games before they decide to send him there. That’s good experience as a 7th d-man, and a great chance to make the Rangers think they should keep him up here – much like Josh Bailey and the Islanders last season.
So where does that leave Sanguinetti? This kid grew up in Trenton, NJ, and was a Rangers fan even when the Devils were winning Stanley Cups when he was 7, 12, and 15. He had a great 2007-08 season in Brampton (OHL) and didn’t play particularly bad last year in Hartford, either.
But is he improving? Has Del Zotto out-performed him? And this is the year that Sanguinetti’s contract is up. Sure, he’ll only be a restricted free agent and he is still only 21, but Del Zotto is two years younger and seems to have surpassed him.
This isn’t an attack on Sanguinetti at all. It just seems that there aren’t very many roster spots available for the taking – 2, possibly, but probably only 1 – due to a few heavy-handed contracts (as well as the fact that you need veterans on the blueline). Maybe if Gilroy wasn’t signed last year, or maybe if Del Zotto didn’t emerge, Sanguinetti would be the 6th.
What are the options? No doubt they’ll keep him around in Hartford if he doesn’t make the team, but he could be Al Montoya-ed during the trade deadline to get a real nice veteran for a playoff run.
At any rate, Del Zotto vs. Sanguinetti should be one of the best “fights” at training camp. I’m looking forward to it, and I hope both show incredible talent.
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Oh, and if anyone wants half-priced tickets to the Rangers/Bruins pre-season game on Tuesday, September 15, please let me know. I’ll be in Las Vegas (lobbying for an NHL team there) and can’t make it. Each seat is $60 and I’ll sell the pair for $60. Email: arson83@aim.com
By Zach Schiff July 21, 2009, at 2:28 pm Last year, in Chris Drury’s first as Ranger’s Captain, he was flanked by Alternate Captains Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund.
This year, with Gomez jettisoned to Montreal and Naslund deciding to retire, coach John Tortorella has a big decision ahead of him. No, picking two players to wear an “A” on their jersey won’t be the difference maker in going to the Stanley Cup Finals or blowing a 3-1 series lead in the 1st round, but it could signal a changing of the guard at Madison Square Garden.
Ever since the lockout, veterans have worn the A. Jaromir Jagr, Steve Rucchin, Darius Kasparaitis were the 3 Alternates in the Captain-less 2005-06 season. Since then, Brendan Shanahan, Marty Straka, Gomez, and Naslund have worn it. All older players, all on Broadway for a short time (although Gomez’s wasn’t planned that way).
This year, Tortorella can do the easy thing and give Wade Redden (please no) or Marian Gaborik the “A”s to wear, but I hope he doesn’t. Logic says your best player should always get to be a Captain or Alternate (or, in Tom Renney’s case, your highest paid players), but it doesn’t always have to be. For example, can you guess who Washington’s Captain is? No, not Alex Ovechkin. Chris Clark is the Captain. Chris Clark, who scored 1 goal and added 5 assists in 32 games last year.
Who makes a good choice? People who’ve paid their dues, who are probably going to be Rangers for a while, and who give 100% effort every shift.
Scratch Redden off the list. Has less heart than Barry Bonds.
Scratch Gaborik off the list. First season in NY.
Scratch Michal Rozsival off the list. Probably won’t be a Ranger for the entire 3 years left on his contract (it is heavily front-loaded so any team that takes him will take a big Cap hit but won’t have to actually pay much money).
Blair Betts would’ve been a great choice. However, since he probably isn’t returning, he can’t put the “A” on his sweater. (He did last year for a few games, though.)
Brandon Dubinsky, Sean Avery, and Marc Staal would all make good choices. Avery, maybe not so great, but if he gets it, I’ll be the first to say it’s a good move. He plays hard every game, he loves being a Ranger, and we know he’s here to stay this time.
However, the 2 I think should get it are Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi. You can’t argue with Callahan getting it, can you? He defines what a Ranger should be. Plays hard not just every game, but every shift. Scores goals. Happy to be in New York. Loves playing at MSG. Doesn’t complain. Hits everyone in sight. Doesn’t take bad penalties.
And Girardi? Well, the main reason is because he’s one of my 3 in NHL ‘09. (I’m the Captain, and Girardi and Joe Thornton are my “A”s.) But I love Girardi. I love his poise, his hitting, his passing. I love how he was undrafted and then just came out of nowhere to join the team. I remember how he was picked to the AHL All-Star Game, then got called up in late-January ‘07 and had to miss the game. He was happy to be called up, but upset his family and friends wouldn’t get to watch him in the All-Star Game. Plus, I think his talent, as of right now, is better than Staal’s. You can debate me on that, and you might be right, but I think he is a better defender right now, and if every player on the blueline played like him, this team would be a lot better than it was last year.
Just my 2 cents. Would love to hear your choices.
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