SB Nation User Blog: Rob Luker

Messier Gets His Chance

Rob Luker — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:13:21 -0000

via www1.pictures.zimbio.com - Messier performing his "special assistant" duties for Glen Sather.

If you have read this site regularly since the end of last season then I'm sure you've heard me rant and rave about how I think current GM Glen Sather should be ousted. I say this because in the end I believe that with the tremendous parity of the NHL these days a team is only as good as their management is for the most part. Obviously a lot can go on that a GM cannot control, but in the end I think good management can still make the fans feel more secure. For example, take a look at the Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs; who both inserted new GM's over the summer and now have positive situations that the fans are enjoying (Exhibits A and B for the Leafs)

Messier, as we all know, has made his interest in the Rangers GM position known back in 2007. He currently is a "special assistant" to Glen Sather where he is reportedly monitoring Ranger prospects in the system and attending many NHL games all while (hopefully not from Sather) learning the ropes to being a GM. Most recently, though, he was named to be Canada's GM for the 2010 World Championships which will run from May 7^th through the 23^rd in Germany. I (and Scott Morrison) think Messier is a great choice for the position and hopefully he will construct a solid team that will medal for the Canucks.

Lost in all of this though is the fact that this is a huge opportunity for Messier to prove that he has the wits and ability to be a GM in the NHL. Although he will not be chasing after free agents, trying to conduct trades, or building through the draft; Messier will have to put together a solid management team that will have to identify talent from a limited available pool due to the timing of the tournament. By time the NHL season reaches May, about ten or so teams will be out of contention for the playoffs. Add on about four to six more teams who fall out of contention or make early playoff exits, plus any players who do not wish to participate; and there you have Messier's available player pool. Finally, as Scott Morrison pointed out in his blog post, there will be a little added pressure on Messier to produce a medal this coming May:

"Now, Canada hasn't fared well in the world championships that have followed an Olympics, failing to win medals in 1998, 2002 and 2006, but maybe Messier is the guy to snap the streak"

One of my usual criticisms of Sather is that he has lost touch with the game and all the new rules that promote parity within the NHL. His frequent over-spending in Free Agency has not only put the Rangers in a tight financial spot salary-cap wise, but also has made a complete rebuild of the club a possibility down the road. Every summer since the lockout it seems as though Sather tried to accomplish a mini re-build to try to cover up from the previous summers' mistakes. What all of this has in common to me is Sather's inability to identify talent a build a team that can work together well. The only thing Sather has done well in his recent tenure has been his ability to obtain solid prospects with the Rangers draft position. But, as we also know from other drafts across major sports, drafting well is an organizational effort that starts with good scouting; something Sather has little to do with.

Messier also could set himself up for future jobs with Hockey Canada if he succeeds. The previous three Olympic GM's for Canada have been Steve Yzerman (current), Wayne Gretzky, and Bobby Clarke. Yzerman has been rumored to be chasing after the Blackhawks GM position, while Gretzky is still trying his hand at coaching and Bobby Clarke is currently the Senior Vice President of the Flyers. It should be noted that Clarke had good success with the Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, and the Florida Panthers; reaching the cup finals three times with the Flyers (on two separate occasions), and once with his two year stint with the North Stars.

In the end, Messier has a huge opportunity here to show that he is ready to take over for Glen Sather. None of us know at the moment if Messier will be any better than Sather, but all of us Ranger fans are longing for a change at this point. Sather and any of his personal staff have been riding on their reputations for the past year and a half or so, and if a change isn't made within a year the on-ice play may get even worse. Many eyes will be on Messier to begin with as many hope and expect him to do well; but if Canada fails to obtain Gold in Vancouver a little pressure might be added to the equation come May to top it all off. Go get ‘em Mess, this is your first good chance and all of us Blueshirt die-hards will be pulling for Canada this spring.

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

Rob Luker — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:25:23 -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.

I just took this screenshot above moments ago. I do not really feel bad for Ovechkin because...

Rob Luker — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:58:08 -0000

I just took this screenshot above moments ago. I do not really feel bad for Ovechkin because clearly he stuck his knee out somewhat. No one should be "shocked" that he is injured after looking at that picture above. Don Cherry is going to have a field day with this.

Rangers Analysis: Creating Open Ice

Rob Luker — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:57:04 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

Ryan Callahan had the wheels going all night against Columbus. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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"It's only one game..." my Penguin-fan friend says to me during the third period of last night's game against the Blue Jackets. "...and it's the freakin' Blue Jackets!" Guess what, he is 100% right with both those comments. But, what finally gave me the kick in the behind to write this article was watching our Rangers finally put together an effort that needs to be replicated night in and night out for as many minutes per game as humanly possible. The Rangers finally outplayed a team that is one of the more similar teams to them in terms of style of play than most would realize; but more importantly finally gave the Blueshirt faithful a win to forget the past month.

What I saw last night was an underachieving Ranger team breaking out of its shell and get back to the style of play that allowed them to win 7 games in a row earlier in the year. Not to prop myself up, but here is what I wrote back at the start of the season about the style of play necessary for the Rangers to be successful this year:

"Of all the wins the Rangers will accumulate this season, 98 percent of those will come in a full-on team-effort style (the other 2% is Hank, and we all know it). As of today, there are twenty-two men who represent the Rangers as a chain. Each man is a link, and the way this team is built if one player weakens for even a game then the chain might break as a whole."

Now I pose a simple question: Can you (the reader) think of a single Ranger that played poor enough to "break the chain" after coach John Tortorella called the timeout after the second Blue Jacket goal? We could make a slight argument because of the third period about a couple of individuals, but in general I cannot think of anyone. The Rangers took control of the game with their legs and started outworking and outhitting every single player in a white shirt; and that is the simple reason why the Rangers ended up getting the chances they did to win the game.

The Blue Jackets are a young and talented team with one stud in Rick Nash. The Rangers, to be honest, are a mix of young and old with experience before talent with one stud in Marion Gaborik. To start the game last night, the Rangers were trying to do everything perfectly, just like they have been for the past six weeks. They went down two after they got caught puck watching twice, and Torts just told them to sharpen up and keep working. Instead of circling around in their own zone, the Rangers held onto the puck and circled around the visitors which allowed them to get three lines rolling with momentum. They found the lid to the pressure cooker and didn't let it off until the third period, but by then enough damage was done.

In the bigger picture, though, is the fact that the Rangers need to focus on playing their game night in and night out. As much as the Rangers took advantage of the Jackets last night, the style of play that dominated the second period for the Rangers will keep it a close game even if they were to play an All-Star team. The NHL is so parity-filled that with a fringe team like the Rangers it really does come down to how hard and smart they want to work. What I especially liked about tonight was how they went from aimlessly defending to specifically defending the right spots in the D-zone. Both early Columbus goals came from the slot, and I don't think they got a decent chance there again until the third period. On the other end, the Rangers went from trying to force the puck into certain areas of the O-zone to working the puck around the Blue Jackets. Columbus was clogging the middle, a typical strategy for a young team. So what the did the Rangers do? They swung it wide, worked the boards, and tried some bad-angle shots on a good-but-young goaltender that ended up working; simple as that.

That stuff worked tonight, for sure, but that has got to be the starting point every and any night the Rangers take to the ice. The Rangers now go on the road against the Panthers, Lightning, and Penguins. The games against the Panthers and Lightning are perfect games to keep this pace up and go in guns-a-blazin' against the Penguins. Both the Panthers and Lightning are capable opponents that will not easy to play, but that is exactly what this team needs; which is a challenge. They have the feeling of what they have to do now again, and they need to replicate it. Come out flying, put every team on their heels, and create the open ice needed for Gaborik and company to put the pucks in the net; simple as that.

On Ottawa and the NHL

Rob Luker — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:22:43 -0000

Hey Sens fans. I was at the game on Saturday (Ranger fan if you can't tell by the avatar), and it was a lot of fun. It's our third year doing this trip up to Ottawa and we have a great time every year. I wrote this for my little blog I'm doing on the business of hockey and soccer (just my ideas on stuff). Let me know what you think.

The Senators as a franchise were lucky enough to have the distinct advantage of being placed in Canada to start from a business perspective. Unless they never win a game for the next five years, I don't see how their attendance could ever dive below the top 15 (in terms of percent capacity). The biggest business challenge for the Sens to me? They are going up against the history of the Maple Leafs, Canadiens, and even the Quebec Nordiques to an extent.

I was thinking about this at the game. Ottawa is, for the most part, just stuck between Montreal and Toronto. With the Leafs and Habs being apart of the original six, generations upon generations of Canadians grew up supporters of one of the two clubs typically. With the Senators playing only their 17th season this year (16 if you want to subtract the lockout), its no wonder some people seem to think Sens fans aren't as dedicated as others.

Read the whole piece here and please let me know what you think.

EDIT: Keep reading before you lose it about the end of the quote there, I'm not anti-Sens.

- Rob

"Your arena isn't even in Ottawa"

Rob Luker — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:47:05 -0000

A fellow Blueshirt fan (crazy but hilarious) enjoying our tailgating session. I didn't mean to take the picture with my phone in this color, but it actually turned out pretty sick.

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Authors note: I was at Scotiabank Place Saturday afternoon to witness the Rangers 2-1 shootout victory. The following is not necessarily a story or anything; it's just the latest installment of a trip me and my friends do every year. This was our third year doing to the trip and the first year the Rangers have won, so once again the weekend didn't disappoint. Join me after the jump for a quick timeline of the trip, and then I'll tell you why Ottawa is a great place to catch a Ranger game.

- The Trip/Weekend:

The group has changed every year, but the four core members always stay the same. Those are myself, my roommate from college (Sens fan), and two of our older buddies from back home (both Ranger fans, one of which was my coach from youth hockey until college off and on). We had a great group this year because we added another older friend and a friend our age which gave the group a good mix. Were all hockey guys, all single, and all just looking for a good time. I cannot stress this enough to people trying to plan a trip: DO NOT bring the "in-love"/whipped boyfriend along. He will drag you down when it comes to the nightlife portion (you don't go to Canada to sit in the hotel room in my opinion).

The game was set for 2 pm, so the cocktails (and by that I mean Moosehead's) started around 11:30 am in the Scotiabank parking lot. We got lucky with the weather this year as it was about 40 degrees with some wind, but compared to the 2008 game it was a blessing (temps around 5 degrees, snow, wind - just a mess). A key we have found is to buddy up with the parking attendants, as they will let you get away with almost anything if they think you will listen to them. We got as close as we could to the arena and actually got the attendants to designate, as they put it to us, a "party zone." As an hour or two roll by more and more people are stopping to have a beer with us, and in the end it was one of the better tailgating sessions I've ever had. As one of the group members put it, "You know were doing it right when they have to come out and threaten to remove us from the lot."

The game, which was apparently a good one on tv, seemed a little boring for periods at a time. The lowest was the second half of the second and the first half of the third. The OT and shootout were great, and we obviously had a ball. Plenty of Let's Go Rangers chants were started as we had Blueshirts scattered in different sections around us, along with screaming "MARION GABORIK" every time he touched the ice (think like how Rosen used to say "Jaromir Jagr!")

Scotiabank Place is actually located not in Ottawa but in Kanata, Ontario, which is about ten to fifteen minutes outside of the city. Kanata itself is great, plenty of shopping, bars (which turn into dance-clubs essentially), and women for those who are young and single. There's nothing like going downtown in a nice city like Ottawa, but the majority of both Friday and Saturday night this past weekend were spent in Kanata. Friday night we went out, had too much fun, but no-body got hurt. Saturday night started after a mandatory hot-tub then pool session, and then we hit up Kanata again. Only I and one other made it to downtown Ottawa Saturday, but the key is hitching a ride. We were lucky enough to find three lovely ladies who wanted to head downtown for a bit, so we latched on. The cab fare is anywhere from $50 to $80 just one way to downtown Ottawa, so that is something to take into consideration. Either way, morning came the next day and the two cars went our separate ways. It was the smoothest trip yet (we've had bad weather, fights, and some other problems), and I think it will really set the bar for trips in the future.

"This is my buddies Sens jersey, I didn't tell him what I was using it for..."

- The Rangers @ Ottawa Experience:

Sens fans are great. Very friendly and for the most part not hostile (we will get to what caused the title of this story in a second). They will break your balls about the Ranger jersey or just boo you, but everyone has smiles on their faces. One of the great parts about going to an away game that isn't at New Jersey or the Islanders is that when Ranger fans see each other you suddenly have another best friend. Young or old, Jersey or t-shirt, the person wearing some sort of Ranger blue or white is part of the club.

After the game we ended up back at the car waiting for the traffic to clear. We were outside doing a post-game tailgate when these (hammered drunk) Sens fans saw us and starting taunting. We took it in stride just like all day as we figured they were kidding, but when we saw one spit at the feet of one of the members, tempers flared. Somehow, because we weren't from New York City, we weren't real Ranger fans. This prompted the absolutely golden response that is the title of this article; "Your stadium isn't even in Ottawa!" Everyone went our separate ways, but in true New York fashion we got the last laugh.

Ottawa and Kanata is just a great area in general. Everything is clean, safe, and of good quality. I've been to games (recently) in Montreal, Boston, and Buffalo; and it's the easiest for me to say Ottawa is the place I feel the safest. The best part, to me, is that because you're in Canada and you say you're here for the hockey game, everyone knows what you're talking about and wants to hear more. I saw Flames jerseys, Penguins jerseys, and even a Nordiques jersey; it just seems that in the end most of the fans are there for the hockey, which is great.

So that's the story. Three years in and I really think our little trip will be an annual thing for plenty more to come. If you are young enough to be able to do almost whatever you want on your weekends, I highly suggest trying to setup an annual getaway like this. I'm in the middle of the hardest and busiest semester of my life, but when last Friday finally came I had not a worry in the world because I was in another country. Worried about the financials? I did this whole trip with under $200 American. Everyone wants to go to the Garden, as I plan on making an appearance this spring, but experiencing an away Ranger game in a nice city is one of the most fun road-trips you can make as a Blueshirt fan.

Byers Suspended for Thursday; Tortorella Fined

Rob Luker — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:15:26 -0000

Byers Suspended for Thursday; Tortorella Fined

"TORONTO -- New York Rangers forward Dane Byers was suspended one game for his role in a fight during the third period of Monday's game in Vancouver.

The NHL announced the punishment Wednesday. Byers will forfeit $2,590 in salary to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Rangers coach John Tortorella was fined $10,000 because one of his players was deemed the instigator of the altercation. His fine goes to the NHL Foundation."

Rangers Prospects: October Notable Prospect Update

Rob Luker — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:52:16 -0000

via www.cyberpresse.ca - Ryan Bourque (#91 - Middle) has been doing plenty of celebrating thus far this year.

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Authors Note: Welcome to the Notable Prospect Update which will give a quick statistical update of the more intriguing Rangers prospects in the system. This list is not set in stone so please do not panic, just leave a comment with the name of the prospect and I'll add him to the list (I want to keep it under 15 or so). In the end I think it's safe to say we are all more interested in the big club, but it's always good to keep one eye on the road ahead. It should also be mentioned that I am making assumptions from looking at stats, and that I have not watched any of the games I mention. With that said, enjoy.

With the month of October in the books, it's time to look back at some notable Ranger prospects to see how their season has gone thus far. I have a list of eleven players who, for the most part, are some of the more popular Ranger prospects because of their skill, story, draft position, or in one case last name (take a guess). Could I list every single prospect with upside and put their stats down? Sure... but if you're that big into the prospects you can do that yourself (Jim, Joe, and I do have lives, ya know! - j/k - but we do have lives...). This is essentially the Rangers Prospect Update/Guide for dummies. I tried to give the list a nice mix of AHL, NCAA, and CHL players which yielded six forwards, three defense, and two goalies. Let's take a look at the fancy chart shall we?

Some (possibly) out-of-context assumptions and ridiculous statements:

Bobby Sanguinetti! 13 points in 11 games?!?! Fire Torts, Slats, and Dolan! Trade Redden! Cut/someone somehow cause a season-ending injury to Rozi! His biggest game this year was just this past Saturday on Halloween with 2 goals and 2 assists against Providence in a 7-nil Wolfpack win. Keep it up Bobby...
Ryan Bourque will be better than his father. Six goals and fourteen points in fifteen games? Smells like domination in Quebec City (or is that the poutine?). In all seriousness, Ryan has been pretty consistent thus far with the Remparts, failing to register a point in only six out of fifteen October games.
Another Ranger forward prospect lighting up a league in the CHL is Ethan Werek of Kingston. Eight goals in thirteen played? I think we will take that.
Now to some bad, Ryan McDonagh of Wisconsin. I'm sure he's playing great defense, but in a game on October 24^th at Minnesota State McDonagh received a Game Misconduct for hitting from behind just over halfway through the third period. He responded with a two-assist weekend in two wins over New Hampshire along with only two penalty minutes.
Although the stats aren't great, how about Chad Johnson going down to Hartford and taking over the starting job? He impressed us all I think in pre-season, and his record has actually improved to 4-3 with a 33 save win over Manchester on Sunday (November first).
Finally, I'm glad to see Ilkka Heikkinen (Can anyone pronounce that?) has adjusted well to the North American game. Get this, as a D-man he has no penalties thus-far this season. Gotta love them Fin's! He also notched his third goal of the season in the same game against Manchester last Sunday.

So what do you guys think of some of the young gun's thus far? I'm particularly happy that Ryan Bourque is ripping up the QMJHL, but at the same time I'm a little worried about Chris Kreider starting off a little slow with BC in Hockey East. I have a feeling he will come around though. Anyone been to any Hartford games? I'll have to look up if the Rangers have any ECAC prospects to keep an eye out for as I work in the Penalty Box for Clarkson games. Either way, sound off in the comments.

Rangers Recap: Canucks 4, Rangers 1: What the French Just Happened?

Rob Luker — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:28:41 -0000

More photos » by Darryl Dyck - AP

I'll take that.

Browse more photos »

So much more actually went on in this game than I might relay over the next ten minutes you're reading this; but I'll do my best to cover this latest tango between the last team we beat in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The game started out reasonably ok with end to end action and a crossbar shot by Ales Kotalik that had Ranger fans believing the club would find the back of the net soon. But, as they failed to take their momentum onto the scoreboard, the Canucks eventually woke up and took over the second half of the first period. This eventually led to a goal being scored by Mikael Samuelsson which was assisted by Ryan Kesler to put the Canucks up one going into the second period.

The second period started out the same way as the last two games for the Rangers, in the fact that they actually decided to play to their potential. The Blueshirts outshot the Canucks 14 to 8 in the period that saw them level the game at one going into the third. The Rangers made their statement about six and a half minutes in when Brandon Dubinsky saucered a pass to a somehow open Christopher Higgins right in front of the net who snapped the pass through Andrew Raycrofts five-hold to tie the game (Late night/Labatt Blue's must have gotten to me as this actually occured in the third period). The Rangers could have had the lead going into the third when Shane O'Brien got four minutes for high-sticking Ryan Callahan. The Power-Play was above-average, and in the end set the game up for an interesting third period.

At this point of the re-cap, I want to state that I am going to just repeat what I saw, and leave my opinion to a rant which will come at a later date. The Canucks played great team defense when it came to Marion Gaborik tonight. They crowded him and cut off his shooting lanes, which is very frustrating as a forward. Kevin Bieska and Gaborik were battling all night, and Bieska got Gaborik pretty good one time. Gaborik went back at Bieska as best he could, but in the end received more of the same from the Canuck blueliner. This led to a line-change where Ryan Kesler found himself surrounded by Gaborik and three other Rangers, who had no intentions of asking him for an autograph. Tempers like you don't see that much nowadays were evident, to the point where Sean Avery ripped the stick out of a Canucks hand while both players were on their respective benches. But back to the boring hockey. The Rangers end up with a Power-Play out of all of this, where Christopher Higgins tied the game at one on a one timer from right in front of the net. The Rangers then get caught puck-watching Ryan Kesler skate circles around their zone while Rick Rypien snuck in back-door to put the Canucks up 2-1. Voros takes a penalty, Rozival puts the cherry on top, and the Vancouver Canucks grab the game by the neck with the spirit of the 18,630 at GM place to finish off the Rangers with a Power-Play goal by Mikael Samuelsson. The night was topped off by an Empty-Netter by Henrik Sedin (who took a hard shot to the foot), which finally ended an interesting game for both teams to say the least.

Quick thoughts as more will come:

The Rangers are standing around in the wrong ends of the rink. You're taught as a kid to play zone when you're tired, but to never stand still when you're in the Offensive zone. If you're in the D zone and you're tired, get it out. If you're in the O zone and you're tired, get off the ice. Simple as that.
I will not go into the Gaborik-Bieska situation in full detail at all, but who I am disappointed in is Dane Byers. Not for his role in the first situation, but for his fight at the end of the game. I understand he might have been trying to make a statement, but the Blueshirts tonight stood up for its star player but then couldn't get the job done where it matters; which is on the scoreboard. Just let it go at that point, in my opinion.
Admit it, you thought the Rangers were gonna win when Higgins netted the tying goal. I thought he was going to score two his next shift. Congrats to Mr. Higgins as I really like him as a player and I know he has the talent to riddle the scorehsheet.
Henrik Lundqvist was Vezina-caliber, again.
Finally, do not write this team off for the next two games. I really thought the Rangers were going to win the game after the Gaborik-Bieska situation. This team needs to be tested here early on if they have any hope in getting to an Eastern Conference final unlike any other Ranger team since the lockout. The next two games, to me, could be bigger than any Devil, Penguin, Islander, or Flyer game all year if they manage four points. We will see, though.

BBHL Update (Not Good)

Rob Luker — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:57:12 -0000

BBHL Update (Not Good)

Hey all,

I have to break the news that I cannot in fact run the BBHL for XBOX360. I bit off more than I could chew to put it neatly. My schedule here at college is too unpredictable and I'm actually starting to have XBOX troubles connection wise.

Sorry to set it all up and then have it go this way, but I had to let you guys know so I wouldn't lead you on any further. The thread where I set it all up is linked in the title, if someone wanted to take the reigns (copy/paste and start a new thread is what I mean). Thanks for your continued support of Blueshirt Banter.