SB Nation - Enver Lisin

Ranger Recap: Rangers 4 Panthers 1

Joe Fortunato — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:33:45 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

about 21 hours ago: New York Rangers' Vinny Prospal (20) and Marian Gaborik (10) celebrate a goal by Prospal in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

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The Rangers—looking to win four games in a row for the first time since the beginning of the season—walked into Madison Square Garden having lost five in a row on home ice. They broke that streak tonight playing an overall great game and winning their 4^th game in a row.

The opening period was, in certain respects, a "regression and redemption" period for a few of the players. In the redemption portion we saw Enver Lisin play one of the best periods of his short Ranger career, hustling to negate an icing and then setting up a Chris Drury goal; he also drew a penalty and was flying all over the ice. Chris Drury also finds himself in the redemption category scoring yet another goal (he seems to be heating up no?) to tie things up for the Rangers.

Michael Rozsival, on the other hand, headlines our regression segment. Dominic Moore was driving hard to the net (covered by Michael Del Zotto) and threw a shot on the net which trickled into the slot, where Rozsival—who wasn’t even watching the play—skated by it (not before slowing it down) and allowed Victor Oreskovich to score his second goal of the year. Rozsival also turned the puck over a few times which lead to Panther scoring chances, overall it was a poor first period for him.

The Rangers came out flat in the second period, allowing the Panthers to cycle the puck at will in their defensive zone. For anyone who was listening to the Blueshirt Banter Radio Holiday Show, please remember what me and DBMaven (2 mentions in one day!) were saying about the need for defense instead of offense to stop those types of issues. Just call it Joe and DBmaven 1 Mandar 0, for those of you who are keeping score. Regardless the Rangers found their game in the middle of the period taking over the game and being rewarded when Vaclav Prospal scored his 7^th on the power play. It should also be noted that Henrik Lundqvist had to make some absolutely jaw-dropping saves in order to keep the Rangers in this one.

You really can’t start off a period better than the way the Rangers started the third, with Prospal scoring his second of the game just 23 second into the period. Brandon Dubinsky continued his great play adding an assist on the goal, giving him three points in the last two games. It’s pretty amazing how much Dubinsky solidifies this line-up.

Shortly after the midway mark of the third Chris Drury (who had one of the best games I can remember) made some brilliant plays shorthanded before leading Marian Gaborik who buried his 26^th goal of the year.

Empty Netters:

Although Rozsival had an awful first period he tightened up from the second period on. Nice to see him playing at least relatively well.
I don’t think you can say enough about Marian Gaborik, and to be honest nothing I say here will give what he does for this team any justice, so I will just say that he is a God and leave it at that.
Christopher Higgins is simply becoming frustrating to watch. He works himself into open space, he maneuvers himself into a shooting lane and he either fans on the shot or shoots it into the goalies chest. I’m getting sick of him.
Michael Del Zotto had a solid game offensively but my goodness does he lay the lumber. On two or three occasions he threw a Panther to the ice with some awesome hits.
Sean Avery had a brilliant game tonight. He has shaken off the rust since the start of the year and has turned into the Avery of old. He has been one of the few sparks on this team from the get-go.
Matt Gilroy has answered his five game stint in Hartford with two very solid games for the Rangers, he wants to be here and deserves to be here.
By the way what was the infatuation by Sam and Joe with Michael Del Zotto’s family holiday dinner? They talked about it every five minutes. What guys, you two don’t make enough money to scrape up some cash for a pasta dinner in New York?
Ryan Callahan and Artem Anisimov both had very solid games for the Rangers without hitting the score sheet.
Also how good has Henrik Lundqvist been these past 10 games? The Rangers might not have won all of them but Lundqvist has had a sub 2 GAA in the past 10 game and was once again brilliant tonight.

Okay boys another good one tonight, have at it!

Rangers Recap: Rangers clip Flyers 2-1

Joe Fortunato — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:26:43 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

6 days ago: New York Rangers, including Michal Rozsival (33), congratulate right wing Ryan Callahan (24) after he scored the first of the Rangers goals in their 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders in the first period of their NHL hockey game at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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John Tortorella made headlines the other day by making the statement that he would enforce all of the changes that we were promised when he was hired less than a year ago. He employed his new roster two days ago against the Islanders and it resulted in a 5-2 romping, filled with energy and the type of play you hope to see from a good hockey team. That continued last night where the Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 for their second straight win.

The first period started out well for the Rangers with Chris Drury notching his second goal in two games (2 in his previous 27 games before Thursday). The Rangers surrendered the lead shortly after on a Chris Pronger power play goal after an Enver Lisin boarding penalty. Although the Rangers took four penalties, they played a solid road period and kept the Flyers pretty much in check.

The second period was more of the same from the Rangers, relying on a few great Henrik Lundqvist saves before Artem Anisimov scored his second goal in as many games to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. Marian Gaborik continued to be kept without much space, mainly due to some fantastic defending from Pronger (who really played a great game). The Rangers had their chances to break this one open in the second but Christopher "fanned on the puck" Higgins, well, fanned on a few scoring opportunities. And Ryan Callahan couldn’t find a way to bang his alone in the slot chance, shooting directly into Brian Boucher’s chest.

The third period was pretty much dedicated to tons of defense from both teams—which incidentally lead to tons of offensive chances. The game went back and forth and if wasn’t for some spectacular Henrik Lundqvist saves this game might have easily gone in a different direction. Overall though the Rangers played a pretty composed, and solid road game.

I would still have to say that the Rangers have been taking too many penalties; they just didn’t pay for it today. And while Marian Gaborik was kept off the score sheet he was still very noticeable. Defensively he broke up Flyers outlet passes, lifted stick to stop scoring chances, and didn’t take any crap from Flyers who were simply looking to get under his skin. Have I mentioned that I love him yet?

Oh by the way Gaborik has 24 goals the same amount that Markus Naslund had all of last year.

Empty netters:

Michael Del Zotto quietly played one of his better games this year. He was very physical against a big and tough Flyers team, plus he was all over the ice offensively and ran the power play pretty effectively.
Henrik Lundqvist played his best game of the year. Good to see him back to his old form.
Artem Anisimov is beginning to blossom before our very eyes. The 21 year-old was spectacular today and really seems to have figured out the speed of the NHL. He physically imposed the Flyers all night and was a monster in the offensive zone. Watch him shield the puck with his body, it’s beautiful to watch.
Drury also had one of his best games of the year. Think that goal against the Islanders boosted is confidence? Good for him we need him to get going.
Man Chris Higgins seems to do everything right. He gets the puck, he shields away defenders, he makes space and then he finds ways not to score. I feel for him but he needs to start scoring, he is starting to hurt this team.
We said it in the live thread but I have Chris Pronger with a fiery passion, and would give up quite a bit to have him in Ranger blue. Great move for the Flyers in my opinion.
As much as I hate to say it Micahel Rozsival played his second consecutive great game. Maybe benching Wade Redden was the right move by Torts.
Speaking of John Tortorella he better continue keeping Ales Kotalik and Wade Redden on the bench, things are working right now no need to rock the ship.
Ryan Callahan also played a great two way game, playing great defense and making a few offensive chances as well.
I also think that Ilkka Heikkinen played a great game tonight. He was solid on his own end, threw a few nice hits and didn’t seem out of place at all. I hate to say it but I think he is making more of a difference right now then Matt Gilroy was.

Also Brian Boyle was injured, we will keep an eye on it and keep you posted when we learn more. The Rangers got a huge win today and are finally playing their brand of hockey. Thoughts guys?

Rangers Recap: Rangers woes continue, lose to Islanders 2-1

Jim Schmiedeberg — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:49:03 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

7 days ago: New York Islanders left wing Jon Sim (16) tips the puck past New York Rangers defenseman Wade Redden (6) as goalie Henrik Lundqvist of Sweden (30) defends the goal in the first period of their NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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Do Ranger players even know this is a rivalry?

Time was, Rangers-Islanders meant intensity, bad blood, emotion, heart. The current edition of the Blueshirts showed none of that, and lost the first of a crucial eight game stretch 2-1 to the Islanders at Madison Square Garden tonight.

Throughout the game, the Islanders fore-checked the Rangers to death, and the home team seemed content to stand still and let the Isles cycle around without so much as a hint of physical play. Eventually this bit them in the shorts when Jack Hillen threw the puck towards the net (a novel idea, one apparently the Rangers will take under advisement), and it bounced off Jon Sim and past Henrik Lundqvist to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

Sean Avery tried to get the Rangers emotionally involved as soon as the second period started, mixing it up with Hillen, then again later in the second period. The Rangers need more of this, every night. Ranger fans have begged, pleaded, prodded this team to show emotion, to play with urgency and intensity. It has to come from more players than just Sean Avery, but he just doesn't seem to be getting through to his teammates.

The Islanders tallied what turned out to be the game-winner late in the third, when Blake Corneau scored to give the Isles a 2-0 lead.

Ranger fans voiced their displeasure early and often, with most of the venom directed at the General Manager. The Blueshirts gave them little to cheer about until the final minute, when Enver Lisin scored to break the shutout, but considering it had been well over 200 minutes since the Rangers last even strength goal, to expect them to get another one in less than a minute seemed to be asking a bit much.

Another night to forget for Chris Higgins, who should just be nicknamed "fanned on the shot" because that's all Sam Rosen ever says about him.

Lots, lots more after the jump......

Final Thoughts:

Someone, anyone, explain to me how after the Rangers score to make it 2-1, they take a timeout to discuss strategy, and somehow decide that Michal Rozsival should be on the ice for the final minute with the goaltender pulled.
Speaking of Number 33: 24 minutes of ice time, seriously? Are they that scared of Ilkka Heikkinen?
Marian Gaborik's delay of game penalty in the first period, how is he supposed to stop his momentum after he trips over a players skate and slides into the net?
As someone said in our open game thread, you know the Rangers are playing bad when even Joe Micheletti criticizes them. Joe also said its time for the Rangers to "reassess playing time".
I loved seeing Enver Lisin get that late goal, even though it was meaningless. Lisin was glued to the bench for most of the game again, for whatever the reason, and I liked seeing him get some redemption. Out of all the issues the Rangers have, to single out Enver Lisin is just plain stupid. I can think of at least five players who are a bigger problem than Lisin.
One plus is that it may have been the Rangers best night on face-offs, only Brian Boyle lost more face-offs than he won.
Full marks to the Islanders. Yes, we hate them, but they come to play most every night, and will rarely be outworked. We can't say that about the Rangers.
Props to you guys that were with me in the open game thread, we had over 700 comments, great job by all of you.

I will add the notes and quotes from the Rangers either later tonight or in the morning.

[Note by Jim Schmiedeberg, 12/16/09 10:44 PM EST here are the notes, no quotes tonight]

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES

December 16, 2009 - New York Rangers 1, New York Islanders 2 (Game #33, Home #17)

Click Here For The Official Game Summary

The Rangers were defeated by the New York Islanders, 2-1, in front of a sold-out crowd (18,200) at Madison Square Garden.
New York have sold out 173 consecutive regular season games, dating back to Nov. 5, 2005 against New Jersey; the last regular season non-sellout was Oct. 31, 2005 vs. Montreal (17,697); including the playoffs, the Rangers sellout streak is now at 187 games.
The Blueshirts are now 14-16-3 (31 pts.) on the season, including a 7-9-1 mark at home.
The Rangers won 31 of 51 faceoffs for a 61% success rate; Vinny Prospal led all skaters with 11 faceoff wins and went 11-16 (69%) in the faceoff circle.
Enver Lisin tallied one goal and two shots in 9:14 of icetime; he now has two points (one goal and one assist) in four career games against the Islanders.
Brandon Dubinsky recorded one assist and won 10 of 17 faceoffs (59%); he also logged a season-high 24:28 of icetime.
Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves while starting in his seventh straight game, which ties his season-high.
Dan Girardi notched an assist on Lisin's third period goal and recorded three shots in 22:57 of icetime.
Marian Gaborik led all skaters with six shots and 26:51 of icetime; Christopher Higgins led the team and tied for the game-high with five hits.
The Rangers return to action tomorrow, Dec. 17, when they will face-off against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum (7:00 p.m.), in the second game of a home-and-home set and the Rangers fourth game in six days; the game will be televised live on MSG Network and can be heard on 1050 ESPN Radio.
Prior to the game, the Rangers pre-game skate is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Nassau Coliseum.

Rangers vs. Islanders: "The Little Brother Syndrome", everything to lose, nothing to gain

Jim Schmiedeberg — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:37:59 -0000

Little brother comes to town tonight (photo courtesy of LIfe.com)

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New York Sports is replete with inner rivalries. The Yankees and Mets, the Giants and Jets, the Rangers and Islanders, and even the Knicks and Nets, although I can't say I've ever heard anyone ever get really excited for a Knicks-Nets game.

But each of these rivalries has a big brother-little brother complex to them. The Yankees have been around over 100 years, average a championship every 4 seasons, and have a worldwide fan base, while the Mets haven't had a team identity in over 20 years, and have just two measly banners to their credit, and years of futility and underachievement in their history.

The Giants and Jets follow a very similar path, with the Giants being one of the oldest teams in the league, numerous championships, and really only one prolonged bad stretch in their history (the 70's). The Jets have always lived in the shadow, and continue to live off a championship that happened forty years ago. (Yes Joe, we've heard the "Guarantee" story, at this point I can tell it better than you.)

That brings us to the Rangers-Islanders. The Rangers, with their 80-plus years of history, the flashy names, the bright lights of Broadway, and when newspapers pay attention to hockey: the headlines. The Islanders? Sure, they had their amazing dynasty in the early 80's, but they still suffer the same fate as the Mets, Jets, and I guess the Nets. I call it "The Little Brother Syndrome".

If you have younger siblings, remember when you used to play games with them? You'd beat them, usually by a wide margin, but you were supposed to. You were the big bad brother or sister: older, smarter, and presumably with more tools and resources for defeating your younger opponent. It felt good to win, it usually does, but there was also something missing because you felt like you were just doing what you were supposed to.

When the Yankees and Mets play, if the Yankees win, the Yankee fan mostly takes it in stride, its just another day at the office for them. Same goes for the Giants when playing the Jets, and Rangers when playing the Islanders. It's just big brother doing what big brother does.

But when little brother gets the best of you, your life becomes a living hell. Jet fans live to beat the Giants, and some Met fans would be ok with the Mets being 6-156 as long as those 6 wins came against the Yankees. Same rule applies for Islander fans; when the Isles beat the Rangers it makes their whole year. If you've ever been around an Islander fan after they've beaten the Rangers, you will know what I mean.

And in the case of the Islanders, baby bro is catching up to the Rangers. They are a hard working team that has played better than their record, and they have a flashy new toy in John Tavares. Meanwhile, big brother is struggling right now, his head isn't quite screwed on straight, like his girlfriend dumped him or something. But the Isles are still the little brother, and a couple of games against little brother may be just what the Rangers need to get their confidence going again.

Let's hope so, because nothing is worse than losing to your little brother.

Also, we are doing a Special "Blueshirt Banter Radio Rally" at 5:30 PM, leading up to the game. You can click the link below to listen to the show:

Blueshirt Banter Radio w/Mouth and Jim

Rangers Analysis: When Dubinsky Returns.....

NYRBlogger — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:22 -0000

by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

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Who will get the boot out of the lineup? Well, considering that forward Aaron Voros has been a consistent scratch, I would assume that one of Enver Lisin, Brian Boyle or Erik Christensen will start to watch from the sky box. Do not get me wrong, each of these individuals have been playing fairly well, surprisingly, but when push comes to shove, Tortorella will most likely not scratch Brashear or Anisimov. I feel as if Christensen has not gotten the look he deserves, only receiving 6:01 of ice-time against the Sabres, leaving Boyle as the healthy scratch for the time being.

Having multiple healthy scratches a night would be a bit ridiculous, so I think it is about time GM Glen Sather rids himself of Aaron Voros--waivers would be the best way to go. There is no need for Voros and his $1 million salary to chew up cap space if he is not even contributing to the team in anyway other than staying out on the ice after everyone else has left for the showers in practice. Voros is useless at this point and that is final. It is time he is waived or in some way, removed.

After watching Drury have yet another tough game Saturday night, I would pick Dubinsky to center the second line and move Drury down to the third. Dubinsky centering Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan is an energy line and I think that it definitely could account for some goals. As we saw on his powerplay goal on Saturday, Callahan is a player that needs to be set-up for his goals, and by that I mean he is not really capable of creating his own chances, but rather an individual who can bury pucks when a linemate feeds him. Both Sean Avery and Brandon Dubinsky can pass, so I think Callahan would benefit from that as well.

All three of these players hit, all three of these players skate, and all three of these players have heart. I truly believe that they can be a combination that, if given the opportunity, that has the ability to become a key part of the secondary scoring, which is lacking from the Rangers' game right now. This would leave Drury on a line with Artem Anisimov and either Ales Kotalik or Enver Lisin. Kotalik has been horrid as of late, so my personal choice would be Lisin. John Tortorella seems to dismiss the fact that Anisimov and Lisin were gelling in the beginning of the season, with both of them being Russian. The two forwards have not played with eachother since the beginning of October.

Dubinsky has only played in eighteen games this season before breaking his hand in Calgary on November 7th. However, the Anchorage, Alaska native is somehow eighth on the team in scoring with just ten points. He started off hot, but leading up to the injury, cooled off. Thus far in his career, Brandon has been an inconsistent streaky player, which John Tortorella pretty much swore he would change. During his time in the linuep this season, I cannot really say that I have seen much of a difference besides the fact that he has been shooting a bit more.

Monday's tilt with the Atlanta Thrashers seems to be the game that Dubinsky will return, but there has been no confirmation just yet. If this is true, the below layout is how I think the Blueshirts' offensive lineup should look against the surging Thrashers.

Higgins - Prospal - Gaborik
Avery - Dubinsky - Callahan
Drury - Anisimov - Lisin
Brashear - Christensen - Kotalik

Rangers Recap: Detroit 3 Rangers 1

Joe Fortunato — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:08:35 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

17 days ago: New York Rangers goalie Steve Valiquette (40) makes a save against the Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg (40) during the first period of an NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

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Well you can't say that they didn't have their chances. The New York Rangers had every opportunity to win this game and they simply didn't. I can cite Sean Avery botching a wide open net on one of the Rangers 4 power plays (3 of them late in the 3rd).

Marian Gaborik didn’t get a shot on net for the first time all season (I believe someone check that for me) which was a small problem but he did set up a few plays that (obviously) didn’t go in.

Honestly the bulk of this game falls on Ryan Callahan and Chris Higgins. I don’t care how many scoring chances they are generating or how well they are playing them not scoring directly lead to this Rangers loss. Callahan didn’t convert a penalty shot and he also flubbed a semi-breakaway. Higgins couldn’t finish two brilliant chances all alone in front and he also missed a breakaway opportunity. I have said this before and I will say it again: them not scoring goals are costing the Rangers games.

Also Jim brought this up after the game: once again when the Rangers relied on Chris Drury he let them down. He took the final face-off of the night (and definitely the most important) for the Rangers and lost it clean. When he is not winning face-offs he is useless and he proved that again tonight, 2 goals so far this season is a horrible thing for me to have to look at night in and night out.

As for Henrik Lundqvist I don’t really know what to say. He was brilliant all game except for one mistake which coasted the Rangers. Looks like the Rangers of old eh? They can’t score, they play well and they lose yet another 1 goal game.

This is way too important for the “empty netters” section below so here it goes. Stephen Valiquette (remember him) was sent down to the minors to find his game after a relatively disastrous season so far. Well his game isn’t in Hartford either. So far he has started both games and been pulled from both of them but not before giving up 10 goals in what amounts up to three periods. This is slowly turning into a HUGE problem for the Rangers, who now don’t have a viable option to run with as a back-up. Keep an eye on this one because we may see a shake up soon.

Empty Netters:

Michael Del Zotto played the most minutes of any defenseman on the team and has handled his step up in ice time very well. He is easily the best defenseman overall on this team right now.
Even when Gaborik isn’t playing well (and this was by far his worst game as a Ranger) he is still noticeable and makes a difference when he is on the ice.
Enver Lisin has one of his best games as a Ranger tonight, good for him we need him to step up.
Erik Christensen is making a successful start to his Rangers career. He is awesome on face-offs which has helped the Rangers massively. (Maybe you should take notes “Captain Clutch”)
Also it should be noted that it is looking more and more like John Tortorella has lost this team. He better turn this around soon before things get worse.

Nothing else to say about this, it was a rough game to accept. Vent out in the comments.

Rangers Analysis: Grading the Blueshirts thus far (Update)

Joe Fortunato — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

23 days ago: New York Rangers' Vaclav Prospal (20) and teammates celebrate after a goal by Marian Gaborik, of Slovakia, as Pittsburgh Penguins' Jay McKee (74) and Marc-Andre Fleury (29) skate away during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Since we are literally one-third through this season it's about time to grade the Rangers. Here is a list of every player, coach, and general manager of the team; their grade and the reason why (in no particular order):

Marian Gaborik : There isn’t too much more the guy can do aside from pad up and step between the pipes. His 21 goals lead the league and his 37 points are tops among all NHL players (he has only played in 25 games mind you). He is doing everything the Rangers expected him to when they gave him the 7.5 million dollar contract in July. Grade: A+

Vaclav Prospal: When you think about offense on the Rangers two names come to mind and one of them is Prospal’s. His play with Gaborik has been outstanding and his effort on both sides of the puck is commendable. Prospal has also shown up as a leader on this team which is huge since the Rangers have very little leadershipOne of the few bright spots on this suddenly average team I have no problem rewarding Prospal’s play with a good grade. Grade: A.

Brandon Dubinsky: In the time that we got to see him thus far (18 games) he notched 3 goals and 10 points, and really solidified the top line. His penalty killing was fantastic and currently the Rangers are really hurting without his face-off prowess. On my radio show last night Steve Zipay said he should be back in 10-14 games (you can download the podcast here) and the Rangers couldn’t be any happier. Grade: B to B+.

Ryan Callahan: While I am a huge fan of Callahan and he is a huge fan favorite there is no arguing that he is having tons of problems with his game. Thus far through 27 games he has 4 goals and 4 assists and has simply not looked anything like the Ryan Callahan of last year. While he is giving every shift his all and he is leaving his heart on the ice his play is hurting this team. While normally I would give him a pass because of his hear filled play I can’t, he was expected to be an offensive force this year and currently he simply isn’t. Grade: C.

Chris Higgins: Many people (myself included) expected Chris Higgins to be an offensive force this year. Yet again the Ranger faithful found themselves disappointed as Higgins is also having an off year. With just 2 goals and 5 assists in 26 games it seems as though he is playing horrible hockey. He’s not, he is just as snake bitten as I have ever seen a player in my life. Regardless his lack of goals is hurting this team but unlike Callahan he is at least generating scoring chances. Grade: C+.

Join me after the jump.

Ales Kotalik: In the beginning of the year Kotaliklooked like the steal of free agency, now that he has foundlevel ground Ranger fans are pretty sick of him. While his shot from the point is unbelievable and his shootout prowess is invaluable his five on five play is atrocious. He is also a minus 12 on the year and can’t seem to click with any of the line-mates he is paired with; still he makes the power play lethal and without the power play (even if it is bad right now) the Rangers would be much worse than they are now. Grade: C+.

Michael Del Zotto: Michael Del Zotto hit Broadway like a bang and quickly became the Rangers hottest defenseman. Currently he has 5 goals and 12 assist for 17 points and is a monster on the power play. While his numbers have slowed down a little of late he may actually be the hardest hitting D man on the team. Also his defensive game has come along quite nicely. He is another one of those few bright spots on this team; plus he is only 19. Grade: A.

Marc Staal: Usually the backbone of the Rangers defense this is the first year where Staalseems to be finding level ground. He is suddenly making mistakes he never made before, giving the puck away in the defensive zone and losing his control of the neutral zone. While there have been some blemishes he has still been reliable at the back. Grade: B.

Sean Avery: In the beginning of the year he wasn’t playing his normal brand of hockey but currently he is back on track. When he is on he is one of the most effective players in the league. Grade: B to B+.

Dan Girardi: Had an awful start to the year but has shored up his defensive game considerably. While his offensive game isn’t where we want it to be he is playing better. Grade: B-.

Wade Redden: While he will never live up to his contract he has really played very well defensively compared to last year. He is a solid second pairing defensemen who has played pretty well of late. Grade: C+.

Michael Rozsival: I have nothing to say. Grade: F.

Matt Gilroy: Coming straight from the NCAA I was not sure how effective he would be but he is actually playing quite well and has adapted to the NHL game quite nicely. His offensive game is finally starting to catch on and his defense is coming along nicely as well. He has flashes of brilliance and hopefully we will see more of it soon. Grade: B.

Donald Brashear: While I didn’t expect him to be the next coming of Wayne Gretzky I did expect him to be more effective. He is losing pretty much every fight he gets into and when he does fight it is often at inopportune moments that don’t change the momentum of the game. Grade: D.

Aaron Voros: He goes through stretches where he plays really well and then stretches where he is invisible. His fighting has improved though. Grade: C.

P.A Parentenau: Is a monster in the shootout and has been good five on five. Has earned a spot on this team in my opinion and has been solid of late. Grade: B.

Artem Anisimov: Hard to get a good read on him since he sees so little top line (1^st or 2^nd) time. I like what I see thus far though. Grade: B.

Brian Boyle: I expected more scoring out of him and currently he is doing little more than taking the body occasionally. He always talks about how he needs to score / more but he only has 2 goals. Grade C-.

Chris Drury: I honestly don’t know what to say. He is not playing good hockey right now, and seems like he will never break free. Like Jim said "if Drury is not winning face-offs he brings nothing to the table." Let’s just say he isn’t winning face-offs. Grade: D.

Henrik Lundqvist: Lundqvist has not been the Lundqvist of old and maybe he is taking more time to adjust to the Tortorella system than originally thought. He is still an all-world goaltender and although he has let in more soft goals than usual his play has still kept the Rangers in a lot of games. Can’t go too low on him. Grade: B to B+.

Glen Sather: Can’t blame him for Higgins, Drury and Callahan not scoring. The moves for Gaborik, Gilroy and Prospal were nothing short of brilliant. Still he needs to make some moves to fix this team and he hasn’t. Grade: B.

John Tortorella: In my opinion is trying to force feed this system to some players and has not been the fiery coach we expected. I also have a sneaking suspicion that this team is starting to tune him out. I do like him as a coach though so here is to him turning it around and for him to stop being stubborn. Grade: C.

Update: How did I forget Enver Lisin and Stephen Valiquette?

Enver Lisin: Personally I am a pretty big fan of Lisin. Regardless of whether you like him or not you can't deny that he is a huge upgrade over Lauri Korpikoski. Still he hasn't been great offensivley and I think the injury has hurt him more than we thought originally. Grade: B- to B.

Stephen Valiquette: Again I am unsure what to say here. We all epected alot out of him but his skill simply wasn't there this year. He looked out of place most games and gave up more soft goals than I can count. Find your game again Vally hope we see you soon. Grade: D.

Mike Sullivan: As far as I know he is responsible for the penalty kill which is close to tops in the league. Grade: B+.

Rangers Analysis (aka Rant): Seriously, What Now?

Rob Luker — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:21 -0000

by Frank Franklin II - AP

I feel for ya, King Henrik. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Authors Note: Sorry for no attempt at paragraphs and such, but why should I try to write seriously when the team I support, follow, and love can't even complete the simplest of hockey plays (I'M LOOKING AT YOU, ROZIVAL - STEP UP ON YOUR MAN - EVERYONE LEARNS THAT IN PEE-WEES).

"I'm not gonna go into assessment of players right now, thank you." - John Tortorella

This is why, amongst all the BS that is going on right now, John Tortorella deserves to keep his job. Torts gets it, and he puts it so plainly and perfectly that how can you be mad at him? If Tortorella gets fired at any time during this season, the whole front office of the Rangers should be fired with him, including Messier.
I, like Torts, am not going to get into player evaluations either. The locker-room has to be a mess, and I think for the first time in a while Chris Drury doesn't know what to do. I feel especially bad for Henrik Lundqvist, who is giving arguably the most effort of his career and is getting jack for it. If Lundqvist requested a trade tomorrow, I really don't know if I could be mad at him with what has happened recently.
I know I try to be the guy around here who doesn't act like the typical New Yorker where one loss and the sky is falling, but I beg the question of how long does Glen Sather and the Ranger organization sit on their hands and hope for the best? If the Rangers don't turn this around by Christmas, we might as well become sellers at the deadline and dive for the draft (which isn't a sure thing this year, that's for sure). I would rather see a plan presented and implemented then trying to rebuild the team every off-season.

Keep reading for more thoughts I managed to put on paper Monday night.

This leads me to the FUN topic of the Rangers front office. Why are they so invisible from scrutiny and the potential of losing their jobs? I've been saying it for a couple of seasons now to my buddies, but the Rangers need fresh young blood in the office. I would like to find the hockey version of Theo Epstein, to be honest. The Rangers can't try to be the Yankees of the NHL anymore because of how "fair" Bettman has made the league. I want a GM who will use advanced statistics and knows every player inside and out. I want to see bang for the buck players in Ranger blue alongside Gaborik scoring a goal per game or more.
Speaking of Bettman, everyone needs to read this post by Tom Benjamin regarding the salary cap restrictions. I agree with him wholeheartedly that although the salary cap era has made for great parity, I just hate how no team can distinguish itself into a dynasty. Call me crazy, I guess.
Again, off topic, but if anyone feels bad for Alex Ovechkin possibly being injured, I can't really sympathize with you. Check out this screenshot I took about when the Ranger game ended on Monday night. Clearly, he has got his knee out. He has gotten away with some stuff in the past, and I'm not saying this is bad karma, but it is what it is.
Ok, I'm calming down a bit now. The season isn't over, and it's not like the Rangers are moving to Kansas City. I just hate seeing a dejected John Tortorella and Henrik Lundqvist not knowing what to say. No one is to really blame. The boys played a hard game for two and a half periods against one of the best teams in the league, hands down. Poor bounces and poor decisions have plagued the Rangers for almost two weeks now, and we have to wonder how long can it last?
I will say this one last time for the season. The Rangers NEED control the pace and play of the game. This does not mean they don't give up chances, it just means that for every chance the other team gets, the Rangers get at least one if not two. For every minute the Rangers spend in their zone they need to spend two in the opposing teams' zone. Marion Gaborik cannot support this team, as much as he has come damn close to doing so, and the only way for support players like Callahan, Higgins, Avery, Kotalik, and Lisin to start chipping in points is to spend as much possible time in the opposing teams' zone. This sounds so ridiculously simple, but that is what the Rangers built; a simple well-skating team that can be beat on simple plays like odd and even-man rushes that have plagued the Blueshirts all season.

So that's that. Now that everyone has had a full day off to calm down, what are you thinking now? Still stuck on one or two issues? Still dumbfounded and don't know where to start? Talk it out in the comments.

Rangers News: Lines for tonight, Lisin scratched (as in not in uniform this time)

Jim Schmiedeberg — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:40:03 -0000

by Mike Carlson - AP

This picture says it all, from Prospal's confusion to Tortorella's ire to Drury's indifference.

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From Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, here are the lines for tonight, subject to change after everyone's first shift:

Sean Avery-Vinny Prospal-Marian Gaborik
Christopher Higgins-Artem Anisimov-P.A. Parenteau
Donald Brashear-Chris Drury-Ryan Callahan
Ales Kotalik-Brian Boyle-Aaron Voros
Matt Gilroy-Bobby Sanguinetti
Marc Staal-Michal Rozsival
Michael Del Zotto-Dan Girardi

Can't wait to see Drury and Callahan get it going with Brashear on their line.

Also, Enver Lisin will be scratched this evening, I guess at this point we can call him "Enver Lesson" (ba-dum-bump)

Henrik Lundqvist in goal, in case you had any doubt, and if you did, why?

Be here all week folks........

Rangers Analysis: Fake ID

NYRBlogger — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:26 -0000

by Mike Carlson - AP

26 days ago: New York Rangers' Vaclav Prospal, left, of the Czech Republic, head coach John Tortorella, top center, and Chris Drury (23) watch a face-off during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

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Identity is something the Rangers have lacked not only this year, but in years prior to this one. There is no indication of the Broadway Blueshirts being a great defensive team, an up-tempo offensive club, or a rough and tough squad that will out-muscle you night in and night out. There is nothing to identify this team with other than the fact that they are eliminated within the first two rounds of the playoffs each year. Unlike most team in the league, the Rangers do not have a set style of play that they are known for--an identity.

Take the New Jersey Devils for example. For as long as I can remember they have been a team in which concentrates their game on defense. Because of this, they have built up a reputation around the league for their efforts in their own zone, leading them to several Stanley Cup Championships over the years.

Then you have the Philadelphia Flyers who, as we are well aware, have always been the intimidators on the ice, or the team that uses strength and effort more than anything else to get the job done. For this, they have developed the nickname "Broadstreet Bullies". Granted Philly has undergone some drastic changes and are now a more skilled team than they once were, but that grit and toughness remains in the lineup and will always be associated with that franchise.

So now you look at the Rangers. Well, what are they known for? What are they best at? Quite honestly, I do not have an answer to either of those questions. I do know, however, that head coach John Tortorella wants a team that plays an up-tempo, high pressure, offensive style. The problem is wanting and having are two totally different things, and right now Torts is only dreaming because the players he coaches are far from fitting the profile that he desires.

The offense is inconsistent in the way they play. Chances come in small bunches and in spurts. There is never sustained pressure from the Rangers which makes them an easy team to defend. The effort on the forecheck is minute compared to some of the other teams in this league and for the most part, they are only getting scoring from their top line. That does not make them an up-tempo offensive force by any means, and they look a lot like the club we saw coached by Tom Renney, one that cannot score goals.

Put an "X" in the offensive column.

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The defense is simply lost. The positioning is horrible, they cannot clear the zone, and their fundamentals are off. There is no use in singling out specific players right now because I am viewing the defense as a whole and they are all a part of the disgusting product we see take the ice each and every night.

More often than not when I see a team that is constantly out of position and getting caught I blame the coaching staff. At this point, send the offense home, bring the defense into a room and go over video for an hour. Show them their mistakes over and over and over again until they are sick and tired of viewing themselves falling into the same trap five, ten, fifteen times. As a hockey player myself I can tell you this; when you are taken aside and shown your mistakes in a visual, and are then corrected and told what to do, almost every time you go to make that same mistake you hear the coach's voice in your head and you remember the correct position and move you are supposed to make.

That being said, the coach also needs his players to meet him halfway by giving some effort. Some players just seem like they are out there to collect their paycheck and that is all. Make an effort to better position yourself, make an effort to use the body more often, make an effort to better execute the outlet pass. I mean, it really is not all that hard to turn yourself around. Sure you are going to make mistakes, but you can try. So far I haven't seen that sort of mentality displayed from the Ranger Blueline and it has made them look like Swiss cheese.

Put an "X" in the defensive column.

Another problem with this roster that many of you continue to bring up in comments is the lack of grit or the "softness" of the Blueshirts. Donald Brashear was brought in here to make this club a bit tougher. Fighting every so often and losing those fights does not help this team, nor does taking stupid penalties at key times. Then there is Aaron Voros who has the will power to be a physical player but fails for lack of a better term. If I were Sather, I would bring up Dane Byers because he is more capable in all aspects of the game when comparing him to these two wastes of space.

Softness is not only an issue on offense, as the defense is pushed around a whole lot. My personal favorite moments is when the opposition plants a player in front of OUR net, and that player pushes and shoves OUR defenseman out of the way. Are you serious? Have the guts to protect our all-star goaltender and not get shoved around in your own crease. That is simply pathetic.

Put an "X" in the tough and gritty column.

So that brings us back to the question I presented earlier. What is this team good at? Offense? No. Defense? No. Physicality? No. A team that wants to find their game and improve needs an identity before they can take any progressive steps. It is like this team is trying to solve a puzzle that has no solution whatsoever, and it has haunted us fans for many years now. They have the goaltending in Lundqvist, but nothing much beyond that. They simply do not have an identity.