Back from Europe and Western Canada, Rangers Happy To Be Home, Ready To Rock "New" Garden

It's been 6 months and 7 days since the Rangers last home game. One that closed out the old version of Madison Square Garden in not so great fashion as the Blueshirts we're defeated in double overtime by the Washington Capitals, 4-3 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. A game in which the Rangers led 3-0, and one in which the Garden faithful responded in true fashion to the comments of Caps coach, Bruce Boudreau, who earlier in the series had bashed the Garden, claiming that "It's reputation is far better than the actual building. "The locker rooms are horrible. The benches are horrible." and "It’s not that loud in there."

The fans made their presence well known that night, taunting the portly Washington coach with chants of "CAN YOU HEAR US?!?!" that rocked the old building on 33rd and 8th. But in the end, that was the only act of revenge that was extracted as the Rangers blew a 3-0 third period lead, and then lost 12:36 into the second overtime on a goal by Jason Chimera that was basically handed to him by Marian Gaborik who, instead of letting Henrik Lundqvist freeze the puck, tried to clear it out of the crease himself and swept it right to Chimera who put it past the King, ending the game, and effectively ending the season for the Boys in Blue.

When Mr. Boudreau makes his first visit to the building in February, he will most certainly have a different opinion as "phase one" of the 3 year plan to renovate the World's Most Famous Arena is complete. Some of the changes include the widening of the sixth-floor concourse which has also has been brightened and has new concessions. The eighth floor has been expanded as well, also with new concessions and open viewing areas so you still see the game while getting food. Half of the 10th floor concourse is open (and will eventually expand the length of the arena) with viewing areas behind each net, new concessions, direct views into the arena bowl and a ledge with barstools, so you can eat comfortably while watching the game.

In addition, the entire lower bowl has been re-done, with wider, darker and more comfortable seats and the in-arena walkways have been removed. Bathroom space has also increased by about 50 percent, and for those who can afford it, the Delta Sky360 Club has been opened and will accommodate about 800 season ticket holders who will be able to see (through a glass partition) the Boys in Blue walk from their locker room on to the ice. The Rangers locker room has been completely redone and is state of the art, not sure about the visiting one, but hopefully that will be upgraded as well...if for any reason, just to shut Boudreau up!

More changes are coming for the Garden in the next 3 seasons as the upper bowl will get a similar renovation as the lower. The seating will apparently be shifted an average of about five feet closer to bring fans closer to the action, and in essence, create more concourse space. Also new mid-level suites will be built, and two bridges will be put in and run the length of the arena on either side and have about 1000 seats on them. I think the bridges are an awful idea, are dangerous, and personally hope they will NOT be put in, but that's a blog for another day. Also on the horizon for the 2013-14 season is a complete remodeling and widening of the Seventh Avenue entrance and box-office area.

I am very happy about everything I have heard, and seen with the renovations so far. I love the Garden, but have admittedly grown a little disgruntled with it over the past few seasons. Mostly with the awful sight lines in certain areas, and how hot it always is in there, but also with the "one way" escalators that work on your way into the arena but shut down after the game, forcing you to either walk down them or pile into a very cramped, urine smelling stairwell. My hope is that the next few years that will be a thing of the past.

I am also very pleased Garden management has decided NOT to tear the arena down and build a new one. Yankees fans expressed how they never wanted the old Yankee Stadium torn down, no matter how nice the new one is, and I think most Rangers fans feel the same way about the Garden. Granted, our building doesn't have the same history as the one in the Bronx, but the bottom line is it's not that old, and is considered an iconic structure in New York. Why tear it down when in this day and age with all the modern technology you can just rebuild it from within and make it state of the art? I have been to the Prudential Center a lot over the past few seasons, and it is a beautiful building. And if what I've seen so far from the pics of the "new" Garden are any indication, in a few years, it will be just as beautiful as any new arena in the country. Yet it will still maintain some of the old feel and history that has made the Garden, "The World's Most Famous Arena". There's something to be said for that. Think of how Cubs fans feel about Wrigley Field, or how Red Sox fans feel about Fenway Park, that's how Rangers fans feel about the Garden.

Now, all that aside..we've got a hockey game tonight! The Rangers, after a LENGTHY 7 game road trip to start the season, finally return home tonight for a 7 pm tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs AT the Garden. The Boys in Blue are coming off a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets this past Monday, a game in which they really had no right winning, but somehow managed to pull off anyway. The Blueshirts are 3-2-2 so far and begin a 6 game home stand in their "newly" renovated digs. This will also be the Broadway debut for newly acquired Brad Richards. Pre-game show starts at 6:30 pm, but cameras start rolling at 6 pm with a special "Blue Carpet" show which will probably be provide an inside look at the renovated Garden and will feature interviews with Rangers Alumni.

Less then 2 hours til Game time, and I can't wait. Let's hope the boys look as good tonight as the new center ice logo does:

LET'S GO RANGERS!!!

Smart Offseason Needed For Blueshirts to Take Next Step

So, after letting the disappointment of the Rangers season ending loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon seep in for a few days, I am now officially "over it", and am ready to talk off season moves.

Despite the fact that the Rangers struggled down the stretch just to make the playoffs, and bowed out in the first round, there were a lot of good things to come out of this season. The question now is what next? What do they have to do moving forward this off-season? How can they take that "next step", and go from a young team that barely made the playoffs, to an upper echelon team in the NHL? Do they stay the course as Glen Sather has continuously preached these past few years, and continue to build through the farm system? Do they explore the trade market, and try to trade some pieces for an impact player? Or do they dive into free agency, throw big money at another big name (let this read Brad Richards) and hope it works out?

I think we all know how well that last choice has worked out in the past. And while I don't think the Rangers should just open up the check book, and throw a king's ransom at another 30 plus year old player who has had big success elsewhere, I also don't think they should turn a blind eye to Richards either. Like many other free agents the Rangers have pursued in the past, he appears to be "the solution" to a lot of their problems. He is a legitimate # 1 center, a big time threat on the power play, and it does make sense to bring him here. The downside to all of that is, he is 31 years old, coming off a bad head injury, and has typical free agent bust written all over him for the Boys in Blue. That doesn't mean he can't be successful here, but the Rangers need to be very cautious in their pursuit of Richards and make sure that if they do bring him in they a.) don't hand out another ridiculous contract, and b.) give him the tools to be successful in New York.

The truth of the matter is the Rangers have done about as much as they can with rebuilding. All of the "home grown" elements are now in place. They have a top 5 goalie in the league in Henrik Lundqvist. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are one of the best shut down defensive pairings in the league. Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh both had strong rookie seasons, and round out a very solid top 4 tandem, that are sound defensively, and very good at what they do. Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan have developed into the unquestioned leaders of this team, and from this point on should be consistent 23-27 goal scorers. Artem Anisimov, whom I thought might take a step back this year, actually progressed, and along with Derek Stepan, have the potential to develop into consistent 55 to 60 point players. The bottom line is the Rangers have produced more players since the lockout then in any period I can remember in recent memory, but at this point there really is nothing more that they can do through the farm system.

This team now needs difference makers.

They need to go out and acquire the players necessary to put them over the top and put them up there with the elite teams in the Eastern Conference, and eventually, the rest of the league. Teams like Washington, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. These are the teams the Rangers need to be up there with, and in order for them to do that, they need a legitimate, #1 play making center, a legitimate power play quarterback, and most importantly, Marian Gaborik either needs to bounce back next season, or the Blueshirts need to trade for another legitimate scoring sniper, and get rid of him. That is most likely not going to happen, and in all honesty, it doesn’t need to. Get the right pieces in here and Gaborik can return to the 40 to 45 goal scorer he has been in previous seasons. So, as upset as everyone may be because he had an off year, and made that bone headed play in Game 3, get over it. When healthy, Marian Gaborik is an elite player in the National Hockey League, something not easy to come by, and a player the Rangers can’t afford to just give up on. Yes, he needs to stay healthy, but the Rangers need to help him out, and give him what he needs to be successful here.

They need difference makers, skilled players. Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust are grinding, balls out type players, who will do the grunt work, and provide a little scoring, but they’re not goal scorers. Boyle is more likely a 10-13 goal scorer, then the 20 he potted this season. Anyone else notice he hadn’t scored a goal since March 18th, and before that, February 25th? Cause I sure did.

Free agency is definitely a route, but trades are more what I am suggesting. Am I saying they mortgage the future? Not at all, but Glen Sather needs to be smart here. He has an awful track record with free agency, which has been well documented. For some reason however, he seems to do a lot better when it comes to trades, at least when it comes to getting rid of a big contract for an expiring one. So, instead of waiting until mid-season like he usually does, and trading a big contract for the Wojtek Wolskis and the Olli Jokinens of the world, perhaps he should explore the forbidden route of trading a few prospects for someone who is already established, but is still young and still in his prime. You can't hold on to every single piece in your farm system, and never take a gamble. And besides, not all of them are going to pan out anyway. They already have a nice established young core that is in place, and is very good.

But if the Rangers ever hope to be any higher than a 5th or 6th seed, and get past the 2nd round of the playoffs, they need to add to it. Last time I checked, Lundqvist is not getting any younger, nor is Gaborik. And as good as this current core is, they’re not difference makers. That’s not an indictment on any of them, it’s just reality. They need to get players in here that are going to compliment what they already have, and take them from a blue collar team, to a team that is a true Stanley Cup contender. Most likely, the farm system is not going to produce a player like that anytime soon.

So yes, get Brad Richards if you can. I’m sure all my fellow Blueshirt fans are already saving their pennies for a #91 home blue, or heritage jersey, and that’s fine (as long as it is not another a ridiculous contract). But more importantly, Sather needs to make some trades and get players in here who are REALLY going to make a difference. He can’t just open the check book July 1st, throw money at another big name, and say that’s it. That’s the reason free agents don't succeed here, because no one else is brought in to support them. Well, that’s not good enough anymore.

You have the pieces in the system to really improve this team Glen. So for once, be smart, and get some differences makers in here.

An Open Letter to the Rangers

Dear New York Rangers,
In the past 3 weeks, I have had the following unfortunate events happen to me:

I lost my wallet, and had to get a new license, ATM card, and Firestone credit card.

I had a nasty finger infection, that kept me in pain for a week, and eventually required me going to the doctor, and getting the sucker popped.

And finally, yesterday morning on my day off, while making breakfast with the wife, I rammed my foot into our washer-dryer unit in the apartment, and now I have a broken freaking toe.

I still have to finish updating all my online accounts with my new ATM card information, so my bills will get paid, and I will not get hit with late charges.

I still have a band-aid on my finger from the infection.

I have to constantly ice and soak my foot, and tape my 2 toes together.

And, I am tired as hell from the Tylenol Codeine that kicked my butt last night.

I AM MISERABLE.

Don't make it worse today.

JUST WIN.

GO RANGERS!!!

Don’t Mess With the Garden Faithful

Seriously, don’t mess with the Garden faithful Boudreau.

In case anyone missed it, Bruce Boudreau, Head Coach for the Washington Capitals decided, after his team lost 3-2 to the Rangers on Sunday, to basically whine about everything. From bashing the visitor locker rooms at the Garden, to complaining about the benches being too small (gee, I wonder why), to the hit Marc Staal put on Mike Green on Sunday afternoon. And those are all fine Bruce. Whine all you want about the Garden, it’s not the most perfect building in the world, and Rangers fans know that. It’s old, the sight lines suck, the escalators shut down after games, and we all have to file out of the building either by walking down said turned off escalators, or down the urine smelling stairwell to the left. And cry all you want about a hit that was not even close to warranting a suspension. It just shows what a whiner you are, and how frustrated you are. And it also shows that you’re nervous. You know your job is on the line, and you know there’s a good chance that you will be fired, if you blow this series to the Rangers and bow out AGAIN in the first round.

But don’t mess with the Garden faithful.

Don’t say we were not loud enough on Sunday.

First of all, it’s not true. The place was absolutely rocking Sunday afternoon. From the drop of the puck, when loud, “Let’s Go Rangers” chants rained down from the rafters, to the eruption that ensued when Vinny Prospal put the Boys in Blue up 2-1 in the 2nd, to the pandemonium that engulfed the entire building when Brandon Dubinsky scored the game winner late in the 3rd, to the final buzzer that produced a mad, towel waving fury, the Garden was in typical playoff fashion on Sunday. It may not be what it once was back in the 70’s and 80’s, when rooting for an opposing team in the Blueseats could get you anything from a beer bath, to a jersey being forcefully removed, or even get you tossed over the balcony. It may be filled with a bunch of corporate yuppies down in the 100’s nowadays, and it may not be the mass hysteria that engulfs the Bell Centre on a nightly basis up in Montreal (what place is?), but we do not need any rooting tips from you Bruce.

Rangers fans are known as among the most loyal in all of sports, sell the building out when we suck (unlike Washington), and don’t need gimmicks like blow horns, or the jumbotron telling us when to make noise. And when it comes to the playoffs, we don’t need the Red C in Calgary, the White Out in Pittsburgh, or the Orange Crush in Philly. We’re Rangers fans. We’ve been around 85 years, and we can make plenty of noise. So if you think we weren’t loud enough on Sunday, you’d better bring a good supply of ear plugs tonight. Cause in case you weren’t aware, we have a long list of chants reserved for types just like you.

Chants for Dennis Potvin.

Chants for opposing goalies.

Chants for a large coach with an even larger mouth.

You name, we have it.

Don’t mess with us Bruce.

We weren’t loud enough on Sunday, you say? You have no clue what you’re in for tonight!

Garden faithful...kindly show Boudreau how loud 18,200 people can REALLY be.

Oh, and Blueshirts..please beat this team.

LET’S GO RANGERS!!!!

An Open Letter to Sean Avery

Dear Sean Avery,

Let me be the first to say to you Sean, that when you first came to the Rangers, I loved you. Loved the passion you played with, loved the way you got under the opposing teams skin, and I particularly loved how you made it a point to get under the skin of Devils goalie, Martin Brodeur. After that first Rangers-Devils game, when during a scramble in front of the net, you knocked the great Mar-tan on his rear-end, you won the hearts and affections of Rangers fans everywhere. And for a while, you pretty much could do no wrong. You became the most important player on the Rangers next to Henrik Lundqvist, himself. You would score timely goals, piss opposing teams off, get into fights. I even remember affectionately coining you, "the Little Bastard", and at one time was seriously considering getting a #16 jersey, personalized with that very name.

Boy, am I glad I saved that money.

And the reason for this Sean is because you have not been "Sean Avery" in a very long time. You've scored 2 goals this entire season, don't get under anybody's skin and you don't even get into fights anymore. You pretty much don't do anything you used to do. I mean seriously, when was the last time you had a "Sean Avery" type game? You know the type of game I'm talking about. Scoring a goal and doing that arrogant fist pumping celebration, getting in the goalie's face, maybe "accidentally" knocking him in the back of the head with your stick when you skate past him after a stoppage in play. How 'bout a little pre-game trash talking with someone during warm-ups, or saying something to a top player when you line up for the face-off? I used to LIVE for those moments, wishing I could be a fly on your jersey to hear what you said to them that would just completely unravel them seconds after the puck was dropped..when was the last that happened? Hmm?

For you to be affective Sean, you need to be a jerk. It's really that simple. Cause when you are, it elevates your WHOLE game. You score goals, your speed becomes an asset, and most of all..the opposing team wants to KILL you! You used to have that Sean. I still remember that playoff series against the Atlanta Thrashers a few years ago, where you threw Ilya Kovalchuk off his game so badly, he pretty much self-destructed trying to go after you, and it made that 4 game sweep by the Rangers that much easier. I also remember the next season in the playoffs against the Devils when your "screening" tactic against Marty resulted in a change of the unsportsmanlike conduct rule the very next day. Heck, it angered Brodeur so much he wouldn't even shake your hand at the end of that series. I mean, Rangers fans were sporting t-shirts that said the "Avery Rule" on the front, and the amendment to the unsportsmanlike conduct on the back..how cool was that??

My wife and I made the trip down to D.C. for Game 2 yesterday, after a long 5 hour plus car ride, just in time for warm-ups. During the day we had heard, via twitter, that you would be in the line up for the game. Now, if this was a few years ago, I would've been excited about that. But I gotta tell ya Sean, I was pretty ho-hum about it, cause you have given me no reason this whole season to be excited about you being in the line up. I was honestly a little ticked off that John Tortorella would remove a young, energetic player like Mats Zuccarello in favor of someone whom, right now, is a shell of his former self.

And seriously Rangers fans, get over the whole love affair with Sean Avery already. I really didn't get that whole scene down by the glass during warm ups yesterday. Here you have a bunch of Caps fans holding up signs that said, "Avery Sucks", and this one "Avery fangirl" is like, "Why do all these stupid Caps fans have 'Avery Sucks' posters? Do they really think that bothers him? He feeds off stuff like that".

Not anymore he doesn't honey.

Then this other young kid says to me right after warms ups ended and the Rangers headed off the ice, "We're gonna win tonight dude...we got Avery back in the line up..I can feel it!!"

I wanted to say to him, "No, we're really not...not because of Sean Avery anyway!"

Perhaps as an older fan I have become more cynical, or maybe just over the years I have gained that sense of perspective about the game that a seasoned fan eventually gets. Either way, there are times when you just know whether or not your team is gonna win, and truth be told..I had a bad feeling about last night. There also comes a time when you know a player is not "panning out" anymore, or when they have lost it. And that is the sense I have gotten about you Mr. Avery.

The bottom line is that if you are in the line up tomorrow Sean, you need to start acting like Sean Avery again. Otherwise, you are of little use to this team. You need to get under Alex Ovechkin's skin. You need to crash the net, and get in goalie, Michal Neuvirth's face. He's a young kid, he CAN be rattled. And who knows, if you actually start doing what you were brought in here to do, and what you've made a career out of, your offensive abilities may soon follow, and it may wake the rest of this Rangers team up. They need something, that's for sure. They're down 2-0 in this best of seven series, and you're one of the veterans on this team, Sean. You need to start leading, and you need to step up your game. Otherwise, you might as well just take a seat in the stands because your lack of "Sean Avery-ness" is killing this team!

Sincerely,

TheGr8Tony

Pain - A Necessary Evil That Opens Door of Potential for Blueshirts

The New York Rangers fought, scratched and clawed their way into the NHL Playoffs this season, and it was not easy. It was an 82-game “grind” in the purest sense of the word. One that involved the Boys in Blue putting their bodies on the line on a nightly basis, with a defensive style that can best be described as painful. They had the 6th most man games lost to injury in the NHL, and towards the end of the season, John Tortorella was even questioned as to whether or not, this was the smartest strategy to employ, in order to secure victories.

The Head Coach balked at that mere notion that he should even think about changing the team’s style of play. This was the way the team played, this was who they were, and it wasn’t going to change. And in the end, it paid off with a post season berth.

As Brandon Prust put it after a game back in late January when asked if he was going to play after blocking a shot off his foot, “It’s just pain.”

That has been the mentality for this Blueshirts team this year. They are not the most talented group in the world, and they know it. The players themselves agreed early in the season that if they were going to be successful, this was how they would have to do it. They are not favored to win this opening round Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against the Washington Capitals, which begins tonight at that the Verizon Center, and rightfully so. And if they do get through this series, they will be underdogs in the next round as well. But that is what this team does. They beat teams they shouldn’t beat. They win games no one expects them to win. And if any team is primed for a Cinderella run, it is the New York Rangers. They have that defense first mentality, they have a world class goaltender, and they believe in themselves. And they are willing to make the sacrifice with their arms, with their legs, with their ribs, and yes…even with their faces, in order to block a 99 mph slap shot from the point that is heading towards the net that Henrik Lundqvist can’t see, because he is being screened.

It’s just pain.

And if the Rangers are going to play deep into the post season this year, they will have to do it in the exact same fashion that got them here: By pouring molasses all over the ice, by fore checking, by taking the body, by fearlessly throwing their own in front of pucks, and by riding the coat tails of the King. And they will have to do all of this without the player most associated with this lunch pail, blue collar group, their captain in the making, Ryan Callahan.

It’s just pain.

But let’s also not be deceived here. If the Rangers are going to win this series, not only are they going to have to shut the Capitals down, they’re going to have to score. And that means Marian Gaborik, the man the Rangers are paying a lot of money to score a lot of goals, is going to have to shake off the cobwebs, and do just that. No small task considering Gaborik had no goals in the last 8 games of the regular season, and was benched in numerous 3rd periods by Tortorella. This cannot happen. He needs to put pucks on net, and he needs to finish. It’s just that simple.

The Rangers had no problem scoring goals in the season series against the Caps, outscoring Washington 18-6, and winning 3 of the 4 meetings, 2 of them by the scores of 7-0, and 6-0…the latter of those beat downs coming just 6 weeks ago. They also held superstar scorer, Alexander Ovechkin to zero goals and just 2 assists in the four meetings between the teams this season.

This will not be an easy series. It will be nasty, back and forth, will probably go at least 6 games, and possibly a seventh. The Capitals have been upset the last few seasons by lower seeds, have lost the last 3 of the last 4 Games 7’s in their building, and clearly have something to prove. Keep in mind also that the Rangers themselves took the Caps to a seventh game just two seasons ago, and blew a 3-1 series lead. That defeat is still fresh in their minds.

Breaking it down:

Offense: Edge to the Capitals

Defense: Edge to the Rangers

Goalies: Edge to the Rangers

Special Teams:

Power play – Edge to the Capitals
Penalty Kill – Edge to the Rangers

Coaching: Even

The potential for an upset against the top seed in the Eastern Conference is there, and waiting for the Blueshirts. And if they can get through this series, it will fill them with a lot of confidence. They already have tons of it. Brandon Dubinsky said the other day, "I think we're right there as far as Washington is concerned. We're a confident team and our group is not just happy to be in the first round.” Brandon Prust echoed those sentiments by stating, “We're not just satisfied with getting in. We want to make a move. The Stanley Cup isn't far off in our minds. It'll be a lot of work but it's attainable."

The potential is there, and the confidence is as well. But if the Rangers are going to do this, they will most likely have to endure a lot of pain in the process.

Nothing new for this team.

As Prust said, back in January:

It’s just pain.

Superstitions Abandoned

You suck Atlanta.

Really, really suck.

Hope your pathetic franchise folds and you never make the playoffs again.

Screw it.

Going with the Callahan USA Jersey today.

They win, it's because it was meant to be.

They lose..it had NOTHING to do with what I wore.

Don't let us down today boys.

LET'S GO RANGERS!!!