2011-2012 Preview: New York Rangers

Last season: 44-33-5, 93 points. 8^th East, lost in first round to Washington (4-1).

Additions: D Tim Erixon, C Brad Richards, LW Mike Rupp

Losses: LW Derek Boogaard, C Chris Drury, D Matt Gilroy, LW Alex Frolov, D Bryan McCabe, F Vinny Prospal

Offense:  The Rangers’ offense got a huge punch when they signed Brad Richards.  Richards should be a good playmaker for Marian Gaborik, provided both guys stay healthy.  Their linemate could be Wojtek Wolski, who was traded midseason for the second year in a row.  The second line consists of team points leader Brandon Dubinsky (54), new team captain Ryan Callahan and young Russian Artem Anisimov.  The trio combined for 65 goals and 146 points.  Derek Stepan started off hot in his rookie year, scoring 14 goals by the All-Star break, but tailed off after.  In rookie scoring, he finished fifth in both goals (24) and points (45).  Brian Boyle was an unlikely contributor, scoring 21 goals, shattering his full season career high of 4.  Ruslan Fedotenko is a reliable veteran who can fill any hole in the lineup.  Tough guy Brandon Prust had 13 goals to go along with his 18 fights.  Sean Avery might have played himself off of the team.

The New York Rangers Summer: Haves and Have Nots

There were a lot of questions for the New York Rangers going into this summer. Many of them were answered within the first few days of free agency, though some are still looming.

What we have:

Glen Sather did what many a Rangers fan thought he couldn’t do; reel in the season’s prized free agent. In bringing in Brad Richards the Blueshirts now have a nifty center to feed Marian Gaborik the puck. Though both the winger and center are oft-injured, the two could make some magic on the ice if they mesh well. Having Ruslan Fedotenko, Richards’ linemate during their Championship in ’04, could help improve their dynamic.

Another free agent brought into New York was Pittsburgh center Mike Rupp. The main question with the 6-foot-5 center was where did that leave 6-foot-6 center Brian Boyle? Apparently it simply meant bringing along a hard-hitting Cup winner (2003, NJ) into the fold, and not the departure of Boyle, who signed a three year contract a couple weeks later.

The last thing Sather did was ensuring the stability of the Rangers ‘core’ by re-signing RFA’s Michael Sauer (2 year, $2.5m) and Artem Anisimov (2 year, $3.75m), relatively good contracts for those who would have otherwise gone to arbitration. The Rangers got away with a lot, considering how well of a rookie season Sauer had in New York. One of the last pieces of the defensive puzzle was a trade with Calgary in mid-June, bringing in Tim Erixon; who was drafted 23rd overall by Calgary in 2009. Since he had not signed a contract with the Flames, Erixon was set to be re-entered into the 2011 draft. Instead, his rights were traded to his father’s former team, with whom he settled an entry-level contract with. With two more years under his belt with the Swedish Elite League, he is considered a top-ten level prospect, and is considered to crack the roster this season.

What we still have left:

5 Things Learned During Game 1

After tonight’s Vancouver’s Game 1 victory, thanks to Raffi Torres’ late goal, there are a few things we learned during the course of the game.

1. Daniel & Henrik are brothers

Over the course of the whole game, Doc Emrick may have mentioned that the Sedins were brothers about 479 times.  I can understand mentioning it a couple times, because there are new viewers, tuning into the playoffs for the first time.  But it seemed like everytime the two were on the ice together, or passing to each other, it was mentioned.  Reminded me of the old Slapshot quote from Ned Bradon to the Hansons, “are you guys brothers or something?”

2. Zdeno Chara is in the wrong spot on the Bruins PP

Not that I’m an NHL coach or anything, but one would have to think Chara would be more effective on the powerplay at the point with his booming shot.  Yeah, Chara can out-muscle and outreach any other player on the ice for a loose puck in front of the net, but wouldn’t you want a 106 MPH cannon on the blueline?  Just ask Ryan Callahan how that feels.

2a. Speaking of the Bruins PP….

The Bruins’ powerplay woes were well known coming into the series, going 5 for 61 (8.2%) heading into tonight, including an awful 1 for 26 (3.8%) on the road.  Their woes continued tonight, as the team went 0 for 6, making their overall playoff percentage 7.5. Yikes. The Bruins failed to score on an early four minute powerplay and a 1:32 two man advantage, and it cost them in the end.

3. The referees’ whistles work

Through the first two periods, the refs called 13 penalties for 28 minutes.  Thankfully they put the penalty whistles away in the third period.  Unfortunately they still had to blow them for offsides and icing, which seemed to happen every couple minutes during the game.  Hopefully Game 2′s flow is a bit better.

4. Patrice Bergeron tastes like chicken

At the end of first period, there was a scrum, in which Patrice Bergeron got mixed up with Alex Burrows.  Bergeron picked up a minor for roughing; Burrows a double minor for roughing and a quick snack.  Video appears to show Burrows biting Bergeron.  Burrows should probably be suspended, but do the importance of the Stanley Cup Finals cancel that?  I’d bet no, but regardless, Brendan Shanahan has his new job cut out for him.

5. Thomas & Luongo are good; really, really good

Everyone knew these two guys were two of the best goalies in the league, as shown by their Vezina nominations.  But their play in Game 1 was stellar.  People talked about nerves, as these guys are playing in their first Stanley Cup.  If either one is nervous, neither is showing it.  Both goaltenders made “wow” saves throughout the game to keep their team alive.  When Pierre McGuire said, “the goaltending has been magnificent”, he actually wasn’t exaggerating for once.  The two were the clearcut first and second stars of the game, combining for 69 saves on 70 shots.  If these guys keep playing this well, we might have a bunch of 1-0 games in our future.

Captaincy Conundrum

Today, word out of Rangers camp is that Captain Chris Drury will be out for four weeks with a broken finger. While some are more concerned as to who will fill his spot on the roster, I’m more concerned as to who will be the team’s captain for the month while he’s out. Normally I wouldn’t be bothered as to who is named captain if the injury happened in the middle of the season. However, this is a new season and the tone has to be set early, and the league has to know who the Rangers are and what they’ll bring to the table. Picking the new temporary captain is like me searching for a mid-afternoon snack; you have a bunch of options, each with their own appeal. I’ve narrowed it down to seven choices, unique in their own way.

Most likely candidates:

✧Ryan Callahan. Callahan is like the peanut butter sandwich; always something you know will never disappoint you. You can mix it up a few ways, too, with crunchy or creamy peanut butter. Cally is a candidate for captain mainly because he already has a letter on his jersey, and because he plays like there’s no tomorrow. He is already the first member of the ‘core’ to be bestowed with any type of captaincy.

✧Valclav Prospal. Vinny is the bran muffin of the situation, and I’m not making him the bran just because he’s the veteran of the group. The muffin is a good choice because you know that it’s been good in the past. However, if you hit a burnt spot, you feel like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.

✧Marc Staal. Number eighteen is like the ever-popular New York fall treat Mallomars. (For those unfamiliar with the munchies, they’re essentially small moon pies.) Just like Mallomars, Staal’s captaincy would be a limited time engagement; one that New Yorkers will sink their teeth into once the opportunity arises again. Staal captained the Sudbury Wolves before coming to the Rangers, and is the leader of the defensive corps. Some form of captaincy is in the future for Staal, so why not start now?

Other options:

✧Sean Avery. Would it surprise anyone that Sean Avery is like the chips and salsa? Though a favorite amongst many, it doesn’t go without risks. Will the salsa be too spicy? Will the chip break under the salsa’s chunky goodness? It could be a gamble, but it could be one that you can reap the benefits of if it works in your favor.

✧No Captain/Alternate captain rotation. Of course there’s always just water. Coach Tortorella might opt for a three-assistant captain rotation (in which the “most likely candidates” will in all likelihood, rotate.) It’s a very likely option, but I’d love to see a captain named for opening night.

Please Don’t Pick Them:

✧Henrik Lundqvist. It didn’t work for Vancouver & Roberto Louongo. Please, please, please don’t take the bread and butter and make him captain. You got Biron to take the weight of of Hank’s shoulders, so don’t put it back on with the captaincy.

✧ Marian Gaborik. While being the top scorer and captain usually go hand-in-hand, this shouldn’t be in Gaborik’s hands. While pita crisps and peach vinegar sound like a sexy option, it may not work out so well in the end.

In the world of John Tortorella, you never know what you’re going to get. Just savor the meal no matter what you end up with.