Yes, I know…funny title, right? Well that's great, glad I could get a laugh out of all of you. I'll be here all week, by the way.
Unfortunately, I am not kidding.
Yes, by now most of us have heard or read the comments of one, James L. Dolan following the Rangers 3-0 shutout over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. For reasons unknown to anybody but himself, Jimmy Boy decided to interrupt Head Coach John Tortorella's press conference after the game and address the state of the team for the first time since before the NHL lockout in 2004. Basically the 2nd time to my knowledge he has EVER acknowledged the existence of the New York Rangers. In fact, I even wrote a blog for a website called Rangersmix.com almost 2 years ago in which I stated that I sometimes wondered if Dolan even remembered that he OWNED a hockey team.
For those of you who are not aware of what Dolan actually said, and for those who feel the need to anger yourselves just a little bit more (such as me), I present the following from our fearless leader:
“I'm very proud of the organization. I'm particularly proud of Mr. Sather because all the way back to 2004 when things weren't going so well and we had a lot of free agents here and we decided to basically re-do the strategy, Glen and I made a pact.”
Sounds great so far, right? Yeah, keep reading.
"I gave him something," Dolan continued, "Which I won't reveal today, but I gave him something to seal the pact. I said 'You can't give it back to me until we win the Stanley Cup.' And I think we're pretty close to getting that thing back.".
So, what'd you give him Jim? A family heirloom of some sort? Perhaps your father's soul (which you undoubtedly had to rip out of him in order to gain control of Cablevision in the first place)…or maybe something more symbolic of Glen's tenure here...maybe his pink slip in a frame, minus your signature?
One has to wonder...why on earth would you make a statement like that Jim, in flipping January of ALL months? Have you NOT seen this team in years past once they hit the latter part of this month in to late February? Oh wait...stupid question on my part, you haven't acknowledged the team's existence in almost 8 years...OF COURSE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THEM PLAY!!!
There's a few issues I have here folks. The first is the obvious. It was stupid, premature, and downright asinine for Dolan to make such a proclamation that the Rangers are close to winning a Stanley Cup. Yes, they have taken leaps and bounds this year. Yes, despite losing to the Penguins at the Garden last night, they have gone far beyond what I thought they would. Yes, they are still 1st place in the Eastern Conference, and 2nd in the entire NHL, and for the most part, have looked like a bonafide Stanley Cup contender this season. And yes, I have little to no doubt that this team can make a LOT of noise come playoff time. However, to say they are close to winning a cup in the middle of the season is setting yourself up for disaster, even if it may be true. They still need to get through (historically) their hardest period of the regular season: late January, through February. Anyone who watches this team on a regular basis can tell you that. If the way they have played the last 2 weeks is any indication (particularly after last night's debacle) they may not be as ready as people may think. But thank you Jim, thank you for attempting to start that annual mid-season slide ALL by yourself by opening your big fat mouth.
The second issue I have here is that the ONLY reason Dolan is even doing this, in my opinion, is to make himself look good. Despite the way I joke that he doesn't know the Rangers exist, he does. And he knows the team is starting to make noise, both in the NHL, and in this City. And he wants to be prepared to take credit for it, should the Rangers in fact DO the unthinkable, whether it be this season, or the next. He knows the Knicks are not going anywhere, anytime soon. He may be an incompetent owner, but he's not dumb.
But where was he in the years leading up to all of this? The years when he ignored Rangers fans pleas for Sather's firing, for a rebuild that didn't start until 4 years into his tenure here, and didn't really begin to take shape until just a few years ago? Yeah, the team looks loaded now, and built for the long term. But he hasn’t acknowledged the team in SO long. Does he really think he is fooling ANYONE? Even Tortorella looked like he wanted to put his head in an oven and turn on the gas the other day.
Do us all a favor Dolan, and continue ignoring this team. Write the checks, pay the bills, let Glen continue to have carte blanche, and go back to paying all your attention to the Knicks. Just because you may have finally realized what a joke THAT team is, don't think you can just waltz into Rangerland and that people are going to embrace you. We haven't forgotten the way you constantly put the Knicks before the Rangers all the time. From not being there on Draft Day back in 2005 so you could go with Isiah Thomas to recruit Larry Brown, to the Knicks constantly getting priority on TV over the Rangers, your sudden acknowledgement of the BETTER team in Madison Square Garden is not needed, appreciated, nor wanted. It's bad enough if the Rangers ever do the unthinkable in the near future that YOU'RE going to be acknowledged by Mr. "Head moving as I talk, let me make sure the microphone is on before I speak and get booed out of the building" Commissioner himself, Gary Bettman. But in the meantime, don't insult our intelligence. Don't try and make us think you actually care about anything having to do with the Rangers after pretending they haven't existed for so long.
Bottom line, You're not fooling anybody Jim!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Mid-Season Report Card and Second Half Preview
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote a blog. The New York Rangers went from being a good team to an elite team. In fact, up until their 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators last night (snapping their 5 game winning streak), the Boys in Blue were sitting first in the entire NHL in points. That loss, coupled with a victory by the Vancouver Canucks last night, has changed things for the time being. However, there is no denying that the Blueshirts have taken the next step that I talked about after last season. Therefore, let's take a look at just what has made the Rangers so successful in the first half, and what they need to do in the final 41 games in order to assure themselves not just a playoff berth, but a high seed as they head in to what could be a fun spring and summer for myself and fellow Rangers fans:
Defense: A
Yep, that's right. You would think with Marc Staal not even playing until the Winter Classic, and 2nd year player Micheal Sauer, also being sidelined (both with concussions), that this area might have taken the biggest hit. Especially with such "household" names (literally), as Stu Bickel and Jeff Woywitka taking their places. However, Dan Girardi slipped right into Staal's role as #1 defenseman, and played well enough to earn a spot on the NHL All Star team. Michael Del Zotto rebounded from a dismal season last year, to become one of the league leaders in plus/minus with a +24 rating, while putting himself in the top 15 in scoring amongst NHL defensemen. Meanwhile, Ryan McDonagh is right behind him, developing his own offensive skills in the early part of the season. These top 3 have led the way for the rest of the defense to settle in and just play their roles. Now with Staal back, and already playing well, and Michael Sauer hopefully not too far off from returning, the Rangers before long could have a top 6 that could be among the very best in the league. But even with injuries, they have already proven to be better than the sum of their parts.
Forwards: B
Marion Gaborik is back to being Marion Gaborik, Brad Richards has come here and been everything advertised, and Derek Stepan has started to develop into one of the better young play makers in the league. Meanwhile, since being named Captain before the start of the season, Ryan Callahan has taken his already well known status as the heart and soul of this team to a new level. He IS the New York Rangers, and so far is the best Captain this team has had, since Messier. Artem Anisimov has cooled off lately, but had developed instant chemistry on a line with Gaborik and Richards. It will be interesting to see if John Tortorella keeps that line separated for long, now that they have "dried up", as he put it the other day.
Brandon Dubinsky had a slow start in the goals department, but has picked it up of late. He will be pivotal moving forward in the 2nd half if the Rangers are going to consistently hit the back of the twine. Carl Hagelin has been a revelation since his call up, enough to earn a spot on the 2nd line with Richards for a time. It will be interesting to see what his role on this team is in the 2nd half, especially now with the return of Wojtek Wolski to the line up.
Brian Boyle has not scored like he did last year, but everyone expected that. He along with Brandon Prust, Mike Rupp and Ruslan Fedetenko have prominent roles on this team as the grunts, who will do the dirty work in the corners and protect their teammates, and they do it very well.
Goalies: A+
Is anyone really surprised by this? Henrik Lundqvist, always a Vezina "candidate" actually has a legitimate shot at the prized trophy this year, as well as the Hart, for league MVP. He has taken his game to the next level and is currently 3rd in the league in Goals Against Average and Save Percentage, but the man who is #1 is Boston Bruins backup, Tuukka Rask, so I consider him to be 2nd in the league in those respective categories. He is also 5th in wins, but he has also not played as much as the men ahead of him. And that is all part of Tortorella's master plan. To get his #1 goalie as much rest as possible during the regular season, so he is fresh for the real season. The one that starts in April, and (hopefully) ends in June.
Martin Biron has been an excellent back-up going 8-2, with a 2.06 GAA. He will undoubtedly continue to provide the King with the occasional rest through the final 41 games.
Special Teams:
Power Play: D
Unfortunately this continues to be a sore spot for the team, as the Rangers are currently 22nd in the league. You have to think at some point, with Richards, Del Zotto and Gaborik on this team, that will improve.
Penalty Kill: A
Thankfully, the penalty kill is as steady as ever, sitting currently at 6th in the league. The Rangers just do not allow opponents much. Blocking shots and pouring molasses over their own zone is this team's specialty, and when shots do get through, #30 is there to stop them.
Coaching: A-
John Tortorella reminds me a lot of Herb Brooks and what he did with the 1980 Olympics team. He has assembled a team better than the sum of it's parts, with an emphasis on extreme conditioning, hard work and outstanding goaltending, all with an eye on one goal: a championship. He critiques what the team could have done better after wins, and makes them leave the ice and come back out if he doesn't like the way they start practice. He is honest, but fair, and clearly this team is buying into it. They respond to him, and they work their butts off for him.
Outlook:
The Rangers need to be weary of the end of January, and most of February. Historically, the last few years, that is when they have problems. Suddenly Henrik cannot stop a beach ball, guys can't bury pucks into an empty net with a goalie on their back, and the team plays sluggish and hangs Lundqvist out to dry on a lot nights. This usually forces them to put the pedal to the metal come March just to make the playoffs. I expect a fall off at some point, but I also feel this is a different team than years past. One that is very well conditioned, has more confidence in themselves, and is just plain better. As long as they don't lose their focus, and Tortorella does not let up on them, I see this team finishing in the top 4 of the conference and securing home ice advantage for the first time since 1996.
Where they go from there?
Well, that is a blog that will be published after April 7th (along with many others before then), so stay tuned. In the meantime, the second half begins tomorrow night in Toronto.
Defense: A
Yep, that's right. You would think with Marc Staal not even playing until the Winter Classic, and 2nd year player Micheal Sauer, also being sidelined (both with concussions), that this area might have taken the biggest hit. Especially with such "household" names (literally), as Stu Bickel and Jeff Woywitka taking their places. However, Dan Girardi slipped right into Staal's role as #1 defenseman, and played well enough to earn a spot on the NHL All Star team. Michael Del Zotto rebounded from a dismal season last year, to become one of the league leaders in plus/minus with a +24 rating, while putting himself in the top 15 in scoring amongst NHL defensemen. Meanwhile, Ryan McDonagh is right behind him, developing his own offensive skills in the early part of the season. These top 3 have led the way for the rest of the defense to settle in and just play their roles. Now with Staal back, and already playing well, and Michael Sauer hopefully not too far off from returning, the Rangers before long could have a top 6 that could be among the very best in the league. But even with injuries, they have already proven to be better than the sum of their parts.
Forwards: B
Marion Gaborik is back to being Marion Gaborik, Brad Richards has come here and been everything advertised, and Derek Stepan has started to develop into one of the better young play makers in the league. Meanwhile, since being named Captain before the start of the season, Ryan Callahan has taken his already well known status as the heart and soul of this team to a new level. He IS the New York Rangers, and so far is the best Captain this team has had, since Messier. Artem Anisimov has cooled off lately, but had developed instant chemistry on a line with Gaborik and Richards. It will be interesting to see if John Tortorella keeps that line separated for long, now that they have "dried up", as he put it the other day.
Brandon Dubinsky had a slow start in the goals department, but has picked it up of late. He will be pivotal moving forward in the 2nd half if the Rangers are going to consistently hit the back of the twine. Carl Hagelin has been a revelation since his call up, enough to earn a spot on the 2nd line with Richards for a time. It will be interesting to see what his role on this team is in the 2nd half, especially now with the return of Wojtek Wolski to the line up.
Brian Boyle has not scored like he did last year, but everyone expected that. He along with Brandon Prust, Mike Rupp and Ruslan Fedetenko have prominent roles on this team as the grunts, who will do the dirty work in the corners and protect their teammates, and they do it very well.
Goalies: A+
Is anyone really surprised by this? Henrik Lundqvist, always a Vezina "candidate" actually has a legitimate shot at the prized trophy this year, as well as the Hart, for league MVP. He has taken his game to the next level and is currently 3rd in the league in Goals Against Average and Save Percentage, but the man who is #1 is Boston Bruins backup, Tuukka Rask, so I consider him to be 2nd in the league in those respective categories. He is also 5th in wins, but he has also not played as much as the men ahead of him. And that is all part of Tortorella's master plan. To get his #1 goalie as much rest as possible during the regular season, so he is fresh for the real season. The one that starts in April, and (hopefully) ends in June.
Martin Biron has been an excellent back-up going 8-2, with a 2.06 GAA. He will undoubtedly continue to provide the King with the occasional rest through the final 41 games.
Special Teams:
Power Play: D
Unfortunately this continues to be a sore spot for the team, as the Rangers are currently 22nd in the league. You have to think at some point, with Richards, Del Zotto and Gaborik on this team, that will improve.
Penalty Kill: A
Thankfully, the penalty kill is as steady as ever, sitting currently at 6th in the league. The Rangers just do not allow opponents much. Blocking shots and pouring molasses over their own zone is this team's specialty, and when shots do get through, #30 is there to stop them.
Coaching: A-
John Tortorella reminds me a lot of Herb Brooks and what he did with the 1980 Olympics team. He has assembled a team better than the sum of it's parts, with an emphasis on extreme conditioning, hard work and outstanding goaltending, all with an eye on one goal: a championship. He critiques what the team could have done better after wins, and makes them leave the ice and come back out if he doesn't like the way they start practice. He is honest, but fair, and clearly this team is buying into it. They respond to him, and they work their butts off for him.
Outlook:
The Rangers need to be weary of the end of January, and most of February. Historically, the last few years, that is when they have problems. Suddenly Henrik cannot stop a beach ball, guys can't bury pucks into an empty net with a goalie on their back, and the team plays sluggish and hangs Lundqvist out to dry on a lot nights. This usually forces them to put the pedal to the metal come March just to make the playoffs. I expect a fall off at some point, but I also feel this is a different team than years past. One that is very well conditioned, has more confidence in themselves, and is just plain better. As long as they don't lose their focus, and Tortorella does not let up on them, I see this team finishing in the top 4 of the conference and securing home ice advantage for the first time since 1996.
Where they go from there?
Well, that is a blog that will be published after April 7th (along with many others before then), so stay tuned. In the meantime, the second half begins tomorrow night in Toronto.
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