So, I got 4 free tickets to the viewing party for tonights game 4, but I have never been to one so I was wondering if anyone can answer my questions.

1) I believe its at MSG, correct?

2) Is seating on a first come first serve basis?

3) Are there bigger screens to watch it on or is the game played on the ones that are on the scoreboard over the ice?

4) Is it worth going? How about if your on crutches with a torn ACL and ridiculously swollen knee, nonstop pain, and live in jersey?

(Note: there is a Nash reference in this post)

Just minutes ago, the CBJ traded Jeff Carter to the LAK for Jack Johnson and a conditional 1st round pick.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=618589&navid=DL|NHL|home

I think this is a win for LA. Why? Well, they pretty much just got Philly's number 1 line (past seasons) on their team now in Richards, Carter, and Gagne. Pretty filthy. Try to guess who ill be cheering for in the West now. LA? You bet!

How sweet will it be if LA wins a cup before the Flyers do....LOL

Anyways, rumors also have it that apparently Dustin Brown is on the move. Now lets consider this. Would you rather have Brown or Nash?

Now lets consider this, who would you give up Dubi, Thomas, McClrath, and a 1st for...Brown or Nash?

Would love to hear what you guys think.

Oh, and by the way, I don't see CBJ sending Nash to SJ. Why would you trade to teams in your own conference...regardless of what you get in return. Nash will come to the east...if a trade goes down.

Im stuck at RU working on last minute papers and studying for exams and obviously theres no HBO here. When 24/7 started last year, I was excited for it but I was expecting to watch re-runs when I finally got home at the end of the semester.

To my surprise, the day of the premiere at like 9PM, I went on Pensburgh and saw that people found live streams of the show and I was able to watch it live over the internet. As a huge favor, if anyone knows of any streams or will be streaming it online, can you send me the link to mpkid09@live.com ?

I'd appreciate it but remember, as per SBNATION rules that BB enforces, do not include any links in the comments...just send it over and once you do, please let me know on here.

Thanks for you help, looking forward to learning some new things about our Rangers that the PR hide from us, and good luck to those studying for exams as well.

Wojtek Wolski has had some groin issues lately that aren't going away. He's been "in the tub", putting heat on it, and resting it. However, somehow he keeps re-injuring it. Its been an ongoing problem with him and it starting to make me worry. 

Im no doctor but I have had my fair share of injuries over the years. I always had groin problems and I know how annoying a groin injury can be. Last year, while snowboarding, I jumped off a 15 foot cliff, kind of flew back and felt like I pulled my groin. I ended up riding for the next week and then took 2 weeks off after that to rest it. The next time I went out I stretched out in my house and got in the car for a 2 hour drive with my friends to the mountain. When we got there, I couldn't get out of the car and when I did, I couldn't stand up straight. I spent the half of the day fighting through the pain and the other half sitting by the fire-pit like a softy because I was in so much pain. 

I came to the decision that I should probably go see a doctor. He sent me for an MRI and at 19 years old I was already dealing with hip problems. I was diagnosed with a Torn Labrum in my hip that would eventually require surgery based on how much I can deal with the pain. Recovery from surgery usually takes about 3 months minimum. I never got the surgery done because it was not possible to do it during the semester and than in the summer I already had tickets booked to Europe. Now when I play hockey and soccer (we will see how snowboarding goes this year) I sometimes don't feel it at all, and other times it just kills me.

Enough about my situation.

What I am getting at is that Im worried Wolski might be dealing with something similar. Torn Hip Labrums are a rather new diagnosis in the medicine world. Athletes who have had surgery on it are players such as Tim Thomas, Ryan Kesler, A-rod and probably in the near future there will be more cases of this since surgery is a good option now that doctors are getting more experienced with it.

I wish him the best and I know the guys got some nasty skill (oh if only he can put it all together on a consistent basis) so Im hoping Im wrong and its just a slight groin pull.

But reading NHL.com this morning and having Torts say he's out indefinetly really makes this a possibility.

Don't tell me I didn't warn you. 

Before reading any further, just a bit of a heads up, this is kind of personal and I know some of you may not find it worth your read, and thats perfectly fine.

By getting that out of the way, let me continue.

I don't like to share my "misfortunes" with people, not even friends, relatives, anyone really. I feel like here at the banter, Im on site where I don't know anyone personally, you probably wont see me on the way to class or work or things like that, so since you all just know me as polishBlue and not much more than that, I kind of have the urge, the need to share this with you. 

My father passed away exactly 12 years ago today. I don't talk about it with my mom, my step-bro's, my girlfriend, my friends, or anybody. I don't make facebook statuses about how much I miss my dad and how hurt I am and how many "likes", or sympathy, I can get for such a status. Since I have nobody to comfortably share my father's memory with, probably by my own choice, I'll repost an old fanpost from last year when we got on the subject of how we became Ranger fans.

Obviously, my father introduced me to the Rangers, and I guess one way to keep his memory alive is through them. Whether you think this is wierd, nice, pathetic, dumb, unique, or kind of nice, its your choice to keep reading. 

Like I said, Im reposting an old post in memory of my dad.

And before you read after the jump, let me advise you to take a minute this weekend to give your dad a man hug or take him out for a beer, because you never really know how many more chances you'll have to do that.

RIP Tatus

Continue reading this post »

If your happier than ever to finally see regular season hockey on TV and your watching the Bruins-Flyers season opener right now, Im sure you noticed something different. Unfamiliar. Just wierd.

Pierre McGuire is praising Jagr every chance he gets. 

"Look at Jagr getting back!"

"Jagr hustling back on D"

"Jagr looking great, getting his 1600th point!" (congrats btw I still love you JJ)

Ok, I realize these are just little things, but from what I remember when he was with the Rangers, Jagr was always Pierre's scapegoat. Always bashing on him. Suddenly he comes back after 3 years to play from the Flyers and this guy is deepthroating the Czech superstar.

I guess, what Im trying to say is...

I hate you Pierre.

[UPDATE 15:00 into the 2nd period --> Pierre: Eddie, Jagr has to be one of the best powerplay players you've played with, ehh?]

(Prediction for tomorrow: NYR 1 LA 4)

As free agency begins on Friday, so does the Brad Richards Sweepstakes. Ranger fans have been waiting for this day for a long time now. This could be the day when the Rangers land that center who will click with Gaborik and help all his teammates achieve greatness. Then again, there may be many other scenarios too. He can turn out to be a total bust and another "best first passer" the Rangers threw their money at. It's also possible that maybe he will have two good seasons that justify his $7.5million cap hit and after that, the team is stuck with another Drury contract for the next three years. But then again, we may not deal with either of those scenarios, as there are 29 other teams in the league that may try to take a run at him as well.

From the contenders to the bottom of the standings dwellers, anyone can go after him when the market officially opens on Friday. As a famous person once said (he's gotta be famous right?), be prepared for the worst but expect the best. So, in case the Rangers don't land their prized possession this summer, and another team snatches him from out of nowhere, let's asses all the possibilities that each team has - just to be ready for any surprises.

Continue reading this post »

BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!

You DO need a good goalie to succeed in the playoffs!!!

After the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the hockey world took a 180 turn in a different direction, and suddenly, all hockey pundits/experts/even some GM''s, agreed that average goaltending can win you a cup.

Fast-forward to today, and the hockey world is once again taking another 180 turn, and realizing that YES!, last year was a fluke, and you DO need a legitimate goalie to make a run in the playoffs. 

As of today, the final 4/5 teams in the 2011 Playoffs, (depending on tonight's result in the Nashville-Vancouver game [GO PREDS!]) have number-1 goalies.

Pekka Rinne, Roberto Luongo, Tim Thomas, Dwayne Roloson, Jimmy Howard, and Anti Niemi (yes, he is good) are all pretty damn good at keeping the puck out of the net. You can obviously make a case for each individual about how good he REALLY is, based on the teams in front of him, but the theory that a "back-up goalie who has no history of consistently performing at an elite level(or performing at all) can still carry the team from Game 83 to win#16" has been put to rest, after just 1 season.  

Even an extremely talented team, that is stacked with snipers, playmakers, grinders, danglers, more snipers, douchebags, thieves, and a rediculous defensive corps (cough Philtydelphia Flyers cough), can't get past the 2nd round with two three back-up goalies. 

So on this day, I would like to officially put an end to such a silly theory. Agreed?

Henrik Lundqvist, we really DO need you!

(If I was a certified journalist/writer/etc., I would leave out this next piece of information; however, I am not, so I'm just letting my fellow banter-ers? know, that this realization came to me on the 9th hour of my current finals-study-session. GOOD LUCK TO ALL MY FELLOW HARD-WORKING COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO PUT IN A LOT OF HARD WORK INTO THEIR STUDIES AND TO  THE ONES WHO DRANK THEIR ASSES OFF, NEVER WENT TO CLASS, PUT HOCKEY AND THE RANGERS BEFORE ANY SCHOOL/JOB/GF RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES, BEST OF LUCK TO YOU TOO!)

...ohh, so that's how the CAPS button works ;)

Today it was announced that Anton Volchenkov of the Devils will be suspended 3 games for an elbow to the head in last nights game against the 'Canes. The right call was made by the NHL disciplinary office and in no way am I defending AV. Here is the video: 

Pretty reckless, right?

Which brings me to my next point. How would  you feel if one of our own Rangers threw an elbow to the head and was suspended like AV? Well, that was almost the case (or should have been).

The other night against the Habs, Brian Boyle got away with the same thing when he caught Jaroslav Spacek with an elbow. How was this not a straight blow to the head, blindsight hit too?

As you can see

(0:11)...it was. 

You don't want to call out your own player, and by no means is Brian Boyle a dirty player, but even if that wasn't called on the ice, how did the league not punish him for it? You would like to see the league be consistent with the headshot calls. If the league treated everyone fairly, Boyle deserved to be suspended.

I wanted to start this thread earlier but I couldn't do it on my phone. Whoever is watching the skils competition and just chime in over here.Theres only 30 minutes left or so but why not make the best of it. 

Shea Weber or hardest shot? Zdeno must be feeling the heat

Haven't seen Hank do anything yet, i guess hes in the last competition.

And OV just broke his stick, lol

***

Inspiried by Tripodi:

"So the Rangers helped me have a great relationship with my dad and they will always be great memories to me because of our connection in hockey. I never really thought about until now, but I feel lucky to have a dad like that because I know there are Ranger fans that probably wished to grow up watching the Rangers as a family like I did. I hadn't really appreciated that until I realized what it did for me."

((I read Tripodi's fanpost [ http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2010/12/9/1865674/growing-up-with-the-rangers ] and felt like I can relate))

***

How unbelievably true and honest this is. Im not one to share sad or feel good stories like this but after reading the piece written by Tripodi I figured I would add a little about me and my Ranger history to this banter. After all, I might be the only Polish fan on here. Whatever that may mean.

For my 4th Christmas I got a box with the 2 plastic hockey sticks, orange ball and puck, and 2 small nets. Then the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Finals and instead of watching the Power Rangers or The Price is Right on tv, I sat by my dad watching the Rangers beat the Devils in game 6 at the other home arena in the swamps. Do I remember this? Well call me crazy and full of it but I have an exceptional memory and I remember that moment. Not because I was watching this historic game but because that was the first time I tasted a beer (Heineken). My dad gave me a sip and just laughed. He wasn't your typical drinking pole but he enjoyed a nice beer in front of a classic game, and I got a sip. 

Fast forward, the next 4 years defined my life, in a way. I started playing roller hockey at Juniper Park in Middle Village in '96. Without trying to brag, I pretty much dominated the league. This was probably because of practicing in the street with my dad at 4PM in the street on Mondays and Wednesdays, in between my soccer practices. I immediately fell in love with the game. And soccer. The rest is history.

When i was 6, I learned my dad had cancer and so the practices in the street were now just every once in awhile. I stayed watching all the games with him. But I was only able to watch until the 2nd period because 9PM was my bedtime. Then in the mornings when he woke up at 5 for work (before all that chemo), the first thing on the tv was ESPN, which was left on until I left for school at 7:30 just so I could see the score of the game. 

Then in 1999, Gretzky's last game. My dad told me about it and he was so excited to watch the game. However, our close friends (well my parents friends) came down from MA and they wanted to see some show on Broadway blah, blah, blah. My dad was obviously not up for that but he took one for the team. I remember he told me to watch Gretz on every shift and see how he passes the puck, and takes his slapshots. As a reward he would bring me back Micky D's from the city. Being able to prove my Ranger passion to my own dad was a reward in itself. The happy meal was an extra.

I don't recall watching my dads last game with him but there were games that stook out in my mind over the years. Obviously '94, '97 vs Florida, '98, '99 seasons, May not seem like much but those years were the years I cherish greatly. Even losing the the Flyers and Devils games stick out in my mind. My dad was raised as a soccer guy in Poland, came to the US in '89, planned on making $ and going back but then I came along and somehow we settled in Queens. After his passing, I did everything in his memory, sticking to soccer, hockey, my Rangers and other futbol teams. Over the years, that passion grew greater and helped me keep his memory around. Without trying to share my grief with others and bring out the sad past, I just shared my Rangers passion that my dad instilled in me. My mom is a Rangers fan. She calls me during the games and even if she can't pronounce half the names of the players she still tries to call me when im away at school and let me know that she is watching the game too. Since he met my mom and I, my stepdad (not officially married together) grew tolerant of my Ranger mania. He fell into the whole thing for a little and now watches the games everytime i shoot both of them a text that "rangers vs sindy crybaby @7 on ch. 78(fios) ".

My dad was the first one to come here from the motherland, but being the sports fanatic that he was, he fell in love with the Rangers. Being that he was my best friend and because of the immense influence he had on me, I obviously became a die-hard fan. So like Tripodi mentioned in his fanpost, I wanted to thank my dad for introducing this passion, hobby, and overall appreciation for hockey and other sports to me. Even if he may not be here, I always had a feeling he would like it if I took the positives of our time spent together rather than the sickness he tried to overcome, which eventually took his life at such an early age. The Rangers for one, keep me close to him and help me cope with the loss. Now ever since the lockout, I can probably count the number of games I've missed to this point on one hand. By mentioning that, all I want to say is that if you have kids/will have kids, introducing them to this passion is only beneficiary and helpful in the long run. Im not going to go into any psychological or mental aspects of this statement, but to summarize this ridiculously long and possibly pointless post (nevermind the boozing we did tonight, and other stuff) I guess I just wanted to  share my Rangers history with the banter (and in away thank my dad for this).  

"So what I'm getting at is to cherish your grandpa or your father for showing you this great sport, because they really deserve the praise. Sorry if this all sounds weird, I just can't sleep and I thought how thankful I am to still have my dad around, because I know a lot of other people sure miss their dad."

Couldn't have said this better myself. Cheers!

Check out this trade proposal-obviously submitted by a Leaf fan...

From Puck Daddy's blog:

User "pookeo9" is a Leafs fan who would like to get rid of He Who Must Not Be Traded.

To NYR

Tomas Kaberle(notes)

To TOR

Sean Avery

Brandon Dubinsky(notes)

As a Ranger fan, this is a tough decision. I mean we get a top notch Defensemen who is absolutely adored by the Leafs fans for 2 no name players who are only heart and soul players with a fair amount of skill. 

Pull the trigger, Glen? 

Editors note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAH

I contributed to the Avery campaign 30x today but while were at it, why not try and get as many Rangers on there.

I voted for the following:

Avery, Dubinsky, Gaborik

Staal, Girardi

Lundqvist

This whole Avery Campaign is actually a pretty good idea to get back at the commish so I hope Ranger fans take advantage of it. While were at it though...why not vote for our other favorite Ranger players as well.

I mean I much rather see Girardi on there than the whole Montreal Canadians starting line-up.

Cheers!

As reported by TSN, Ruslan Fedotenko has officially accepted a training camp invitation.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=333323

A solid top nine forward here who has played well under Torts in the past. However, is he worth a roster spot that could belong to a rookie? I honestly don't think so. One thing that might make sense is that no rookies are good enough to play 1st or 2nd lines so unlike AA last season, they wont be wasted on the 3rd and 4th lines. Instead, they will stay in Hartford to fully develop. If thats the case than why not give the guy a shot, he can't possibly miss the net more than Higgins did, right? ;)

Check out this interview with Avery about his former and now current teammate, Alex Frolov.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=535201&navid=DL|NHL|home

I remember I was always amazed with this guys talent (nhl08) and I hoped he would end up a Ranger some day. Maybe he's a bit inconsistent (Zherdev) but this guy is 28 years old, this was his free agent year (which usually means big $$$) but he took a 1 year deal on a team where he will be relied on to score. 

Its not that this COULD be, but it IS his most important season as a professional hockey player, in the NHL.

...as they unofficially share the award with the canucks for the "Most-Old-School Moment" of the 2009-10 season. Here's a link and it's the first video on the page.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Honoring-the-best-in-2009-10-hockey-pugil;_ylt=AjJU8Ni_SUT39bK2trajxA97vLYF?urn=nhl,256626

Maybe not very news worthy, but what else can you possibly read thats hockey related on a 100F Sunday afternoon.

I saw the previous post asking who might be the next Callahan in the Rangers organization. Well, this is another suggestion that we can add to the list of Byers, Weisses, etc.

From the rangers website:
http://rangers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=530952&navid=DL|NYR|home

Ironic? ... Yaayyyy another 3rd line star !! 

[ i decided to make this its own post rather than add it to the comments section on the previous post, just so everyone, not only the comment readers/writers, will see it ]

This was on the SB site for the blue jackets (i think, its real late) Simple 'copy and paste' by me. Now the question is, NYR GM's, yes or no? ((read below))

5) Michal Rozsival and Bobby Sanguinetti - New York Rangers

This one may be way in left field, but on paper the Jackets would be getting a veteran offensive defenseman and an up-and-coming player of the same ilk. Roszival's cap hit is a whopping 5mil for the next two seasons, and Sanguinetti is still on his entry level contract.

Potential Trade Offer: Kristian Huselius, Nikita Filatov, Marc Methot

Result: The Jackets gets a major upgrade in offense from the blueline, and the Rangers get some added scoring. Methot and Juice's cap hit will make Rozsival's a wash. Filatov is the wild card- would the Rangers be willing to trade defense to Columbus for another enigmatic Russian?

Even though the Rangers aren't in it, and even though I don't have any hockey channels at college other than MSG, Im still trying to watch every single game these playoffs on the internet. I guess if anyone else is watching nonstop like I am, feel free to use this thread to chat it up during the games. 

I'll pretty much be using this thread for every game and I hope I wont be the only one (i might be)...

(UPDATE: I have a life, i swear... its just that im in the middle of studying for finals and hockey seems to be the perfect addition to my procrastination :)  )

NON RANGER RELATED: As Ranger fans, I think we know when and how to appreciate talent and individuals not just on our team but the whole league (Marty who? ;] ). Because of this, I wanted to pass along this video (LINK at the bottom) about Mike Modano's last game this season and possibly his career.

I've always been a huge Modano fan and watched him throughout the years. For whoever feels the same way, or atleast appreciates the guy, check out the link and admit to tearing up..I'll be the first one to say that I did.

BTW, do you guys think he should give it one more year? 

In my opinion, this was just to perfect of an ending for him. The STARS are struggling with money and they probably wont be contenders next year. It would be best for Modano to call it quits after this season, but maybe he has more left in the tank after an injury plagued season. Regardless of what he decides to do, he'll always be one of my favorites and a Hall of Famer, i think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxHg1Nm7BUE

Read this on Aol fanhouse a few minutes ago and found it a little surprising. In Bruce Ciskie's WEEKLY POWER RANKINGS, he puts the Rangers in the 20th spot, down 2 spots from the previous rankings. I guess I can agree with his rankings(i might even put them lower) but what really shocked me was his brief summary about the Rangers recent play:

• 20. New York Rangers (18) -- Marian Gaborik can only do so much. The Rangers work hard most of the time, but they aren't even the best of this group of average teams fighting to make the East playoffs.

The Rangers working hard most of the time? If they were working hard then I think all this money the team has spent on these "high caliber" players would at least get us into the playoffs (not that I wanna be in the dance anymore; TANK). I hate to be the bearer of bad news Mr. Ciskie, but my Rangers are not working hard. DROP THEM LOWER!

Yupp, typical ranger fans blowing everything out of proportion. Every season we see what we like and we label this team a contender. A few losing streaks come our way and we yell FIRE EVERYBODY. I was just about to start my computer program that is due tomorow 11am but before I left for the lab here on campus, I took a quick glance at blueshirtbanter here to see if anything new is going on in Ranger World. My page loads and what do I see? A letter to ranger fans from an everyday fan, speaking like a typical ranger fan (nevermind me using "ranger" 232434x). Everyone is calling for sathers head (I'd agree), the coaching staffs heads (NO!), and our core players heads (i think i just threw up in my mouth). Despite the lack of consistency and success that has followed this team around (much more so the last 2 seasons, really), there is enough panic as it is. To make this easier to follow, and for me to write, let me use basic points here:

1) CLEAR THE FRONT OFFICE!? What? How does that help? Glen Sather, the GM, sure he has to go. He's built a mediocre and inconsistent team and like its been pointed out over the whole season and beyond, getting to the playoffs every year and losing in the first round is just unacceptable. But besides Sather, who else do you want out? His assistant Cameron Hope? Yea, he probably helped Sather make idiotic and pointless decisions during his tenure. Then there is Mark Messier as the Special Assistant to the President (whom I believe will take Sathers place in the next 2-3 years). I guess if he's getting his tips from Sather than were screwed, but I feel like Mess being an actual Ranger and knowing the culture and the fans in and out will prevent him from pulling off a Wade-and-Holik-and-Bure-and-Ozolinsh-and-Lindros-etc. kind of signing. He will stick to his young guns and home grown talent.

2)FIRE THE COACHING STAFF!? And why do that...again? This is Torteralla's and CO. first season behind the bench. Remember, its a foundation their trying to built and a core their trying to build it around. Its not going to happen in one season, probably not in two or three (unless we get as lucky as the Avalanche). Building a foundation and bringing the culture back to the Rangers organization is not going to happen overnight. Calling for his head, Sullivan's, and Allaire's just puts us a step behind. Just because it seems like the players don't believe in him or have enough of him doesn't mean that we should give up on him. He never brought immediate success to Tampa. He had his feuds with Vinny Lecavlier and our own Vinny (Vaclav) Prospal. He built a fire in them that led to a championship a few seasons later. Just stop with this, let the coach build his team and in three years if we regress or get nowhere, I'll be sure to come back to this site and take all the critiscism I deserve.

3) Trade Gabby and Henrik? Not gonna happen and not gonna work. Why? Well follow me on this one. We need our top players to believe in their coach and his system. Before I go any further, let me just point out who the core of this team is: Hank, Gabby, Staal, Cally, Dubi, MDZ, AA, Avery (and i DID put them in order of importance) Eight players? Let me explain. Hank is the superstart goalie we haven't had since Richter. Gabby is the superstar sniper we haven't had since Rod Gilbert, Staal and MDZ in one package are (OK, NOT YET) like Leetch and Zubov, Cally has the heart of Mess, Dubi is like Esa, AA is the young Kovalev, and Avery...well it's not like any other team wants him + he actually wants to be a Ranger. They will be forced to deal with Torts' antics and tirades. However, they will have no choice but to accept it. Now when players like Stepan, Graychev, Kreider, Bobby Sangs, McDonagh, Bourque, Werek, etc. fight for their spots on the team in the upcoming seasons, they will be aware of the fact that no player is bigger than the team and the current core will set the tone and culture that needs to be followed.

ALL in all, there is no need to panic and clear the house. This team (managers,coaches,players)will build from mistakes and let-downs and use it as motivation. The future is bright and we need core players to build around. I understand everyones frustration, but at this point in the season, my take on the season is that once again we start off strong, slowly regress, and than fight for that final playoff spot-but this time around, instead of pushing for that playoff spot I am REAAALLLYYY hoping that the Rangers finish top 5 (from the bottom), get a good pick, chose a good and motivated player, and move on from there. 

Ok well my work here is done. Agree or disagree...it wont change my view on things. And MR. GREG CAGGIANO, this was written with ZERO intention on making you look bad (it might actually make me look bad) but your post really got to me and a simple comment on it wouldn't be enough for me. 

----- Time to go start on that computer program (anyone good at INTRO TO COMPUTERS AND APPLICATIONS?)