Monday, February 27, 2012

And So The Rangers Trade Deadline Day Ends Not With A Bang...

                                                                  but with a whimper...

I admit, I was one of those Rangers' fans that half-thought Dubinsky was on his way out.  I also half-thought that Nash was on his way to NYC.  I was wrong.

Most every NHL fan stayed glued to the snoozefest of a trade deadline.  There were a few trades here and there in the earlier parts of the afternoon.  Then names like Oduya, Gilroy, Motteau, Pahlsson got thrown around.  Still, no mention of Nash.

I thought the Rangers, or heck ANY team at this point, would pull a big trade in the last few minutes.  As the clock ticked down, there was the shocking trade of Kassian (BUF) to Vancouver for Hodgson (VAN).

"Did someone say cupcake?"
Photo Credit:me
Then the Rangers made their move around 3pm EST.  They obtained John Scott (D-CHI) in exchange for a 5th round draft pick.  Now, I was big on "The Rangers need another defenseman like I need a cupcake..." theory, but you have to admit, it was a smart move.

Scott is, in Bryzgalov's words, humungous big. standing 6'8" 280lbs (although I've seen him listed as 6'7" 270lbs. Either way, he's big).  He brings Boogaard-esque size, heart and grit to the blueline.  It will be interesting to see where he fits in in the grand sceme of the Rangers' defense pairings.

I wouldn't expect big things from Scott as far as goals and assists.  You'll be more inclined to see him with PIMs and such.  He'll bring a physical force to the team and use his size.  Something that Boyle has struggled with, as of lately.

Take a look at some of John Scott's work...

Scott's got wicked arm-span....


It appears, based on the tweets of many a beat writer, that the NYR were in discussion with CBJ, but the deal just wasn't in the stars.

Either way, the deadline has come and gone and the next game is right on the horizon...

The Looming Trade Deadline

I can not tell you how many trade rumours have floated down my Twitter timeline. Some are hilarious, some are ridiculous and some are ridiculously hilarious.  But there is a lot of chatter, on Twitter and on NHLNetwork's TradeCentre.

There is some valid trade speculation out there... and shockingly, the Rangers' are not really the hot topic right now.  The names I've heard thrown around recently are Paul Gaustad (BUF) and Andrei Kostitsyn (MTL). Johnny Oduya (WPG) has also been mentioned a bit.

Apparently, someone made a funny on Wikipedia and already traded Kostitsyn to the Predators:

This appeared at 10:00am EST. So either someone is psychic or had inside knowledge.....

So, as the day moves on, the Canadiens are rumoured to be making big trades.  I'm also waiting not-so-patiently to see what the Rangers will do today...

Friday, February 24, 2012

Avery News Twit-Bombs Lundqvist

Earlier this morning, news broke around the world...  Henrik Lundqvist and his wife are expecting a child in July. Okay, so it's not really breaking news, but fan girls every where ooogled over the perfectness of the soon-to-be Prince(ss) Lundqvist.

But now, as I check my Twitter feed, there is a resurgence of Sean Avery news.  It's rumoured by several beat writers that Avery is speculated to be put on waivers. According to Larry Brooks, Avery would have to be put on waivers Saturday morning.


There's speculation that the Flames are the ones interested in Avery. Not sure what would be headed to NY in that trade, if it were to happen. It should be interesting to see what unfolds as the Monday 3pm deadline quickly approaches.  You can almost guarantee that if Avery is waivered, he is half-way out of the NYR organization, by trade or by claim.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Tips To Surviving The NHL Trade Deadline

...because I fear that many fans may stroke out if they continue to overreact to all potential trade rumours.

So sit back with some valerian root and chammomile and chillax with these fine tips:


  • Until the trade is announced by a CREDIBLE source, stop fussing. 
  • Look at the source where the potential trade is coming from. If your mom's best friend's brother-in-law's half-sister knew the manager of a bar where someone thought they overheard someone talking about a team trading one of their best players for the other teams best player and 4 prospects, you may want to think before announcing it on the internets via numerous Twitter RT's and FB status updates.
  • If you see a rumour that gets you all twitterpated with either excitement, nervousness, anger and/or the feeling of impending vomit: sit down, take a deep breath, count to 10 and walk away from the computer. Trust me, it's for the best.

"What?! Columbus wants DiPietro, Parenteau, Tavares AND
Montoya for Nash?! What'chootalkinboutwillis?
"

Now, don't get me wrong. I love seeing some of the realistic trades pop across my timeline. Heck, I even like watching a lively twit-debate over Nash every once in a blue moon.  But in all honesty, it's not worth it to get all worked up over potential trade rumours from not-so-credible sources.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

2 Minutes for Improper Mouthguard Use

                                                                                      Get in the penalty box…

"But none of the other guys actually have their
mouthguards in their mouths
"
-Martin St Louis
Photo Credit
Anyone who has watched and/or played hockey, you know 99.9% of the players have mouthguards. Whether they actually use them properly, is another question.

I’m not sure why, but guys earn extra swoon points when I catch them chewing on their mouthguard.  I often find myself the victim of a blank stare, and possibly some drooling, when they pan the bench during a game and I see a player improperly using this device.  While I understand the boredom one may experience on the bench during shifts and the incessant need to chew on something, what I don’t get is how they do that while skating?  I'd be afraid of losing a chiclet or two.

What I also find intriguing is the logos on the mouth pieces. Especially yellow logos on the front of the mouth guard. Honestly, I do a double take each time I see it thinking the player has ungodly yellow coloured teeth. I, personally, would be all for a blinged out sparkly mouthpiece.

Here are some of the biggest offenders:



John-Michael Liles (or #JML as I like to call him):

Sweet fancy moses... once you get past the blue eyes (I'll give you a moment.....) watching him chomp down on his mouthguard... Need another moment?


Mouthguards need to be in the
mouth to be functional, #JML

Photo Credit

Mark Stuart:

Good gravy, this calls for not one, but TWO photos. Just cause he's that awesome.

Photo Credit

Wearing your mouthguard
properly is so overrated.

Photo Credit
Jeff Woywitka:

Yet another one that beckons multiple photographical proof.  
Bonus Swoon points for the cele
mouthguard chomp.

Photo Credit
Bad Ass
Photo Credit
Another cele mouthguard!
Photo Credit
Sweetfancymoses
Photo Credit






















Stu Bickel:

Sadly, his antics have only been caught on TV. I have no photographical proof. Well, at least not until I saw this. 
Prepare yourselves. There are not one, but TWO mouthguard infractions here. See if you can find 'em.

Tortorella and Rangers Bench Watch a Distinct Kicking Motion
Bickel AND Woywitka with the infractions. Two minutes boys... Photo Credit

Alex Ovechkin:
Now, I find A-Ovary to be hideous. But give the guy props for playing with his mouthguard not in its proper place. Kinda takes some talent.

Ovechkin Looks Over Girardi
"In former Soviet Russia, we chew on guard of mouth as we stare at Girardi."
Photo Credit: Flickr



Brad Richards:
While he's not big on the chewing, he does sport an UnderArmour mouthguard that has made me take several double takes.  Now, he doesn't really need to draw more attention to his large teeth, so I'm perplexed about why he would choose a mouthguard that does just that.  I couldn't find a photo of his yellow one, which almost gave me a minor bout of cardiac arrest, but I did find this snazzy blue one.

" 'scuse me, Mr Richards? You got somethin' on your teeth..."
Photo Credit

My bad... no sooner did I type that I could not find a photo of said yellow mouthpiece when GoogleImages surprised me with this gem:

Not sure if the scowl is because he played for
Dallas, or if he's trying to scare off a defender
with the glow of his yellow teeth?

Photo Credit

Seriously boys, keep your chiclets safe. Wear your mouthguard properly.
Because, frankly, this is scary....
Photo Credit





I've Got #Lundsanity

It's what happens when your team has the best goalie in the NHL.
#LUNDsanityPhoto Credit

Sadly, there is only one cure... winning the Stanley Cup.

So, while we wait for the cure, order yourself a #Lundsanity t-shirt here!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Cupid Brings Us Trade Rumours On The Day Of Love

Yes, it's not diamonds, or a dozen roses.  Just trade rumours.  Apparently Cupid is a cheap bastard.

The NY Rangers will take Nash for Dubinsky, Kreider,
Thomas, 4 draft picks and a new set of golf clubs.
Make it happen Sather.  

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
But all these rumours make me want to down a box of Russell Stover's candy out of sheer aggravation.  People need to use common sense before spitting out what teams could get what player.  There are things to be figured in: cap space, UFA, talent, what the one team is willing to give vs what they are going to get…

That being said, I’ve stated earlier that I didn’t believe that the Rangers needed to make a trade, but I wouldn’t be opposed to them making a trade.  Providing that the Rangers are smart about the trade.  I’d hate to see them let a guy like Kreider or Thomas go. But again, it comes down to what each team is willing to part with. How I feel about the trades have little to no significance to the organization.



So let the speculating and trade rumours fly. But I should at least get some chocolate out of all this.

Friday, February 10, 2012

It's The End Of The World As We Know It....

...and I feel fine...

Last night, there were 3 things that happened that now have me convinced that the Rapture just may be coming. Let's take a look:

I scored on the power play! Whoooooo!!!!!Photo Credit: BSU
First, and make sure you're sitting down folks, The Rangers scored in the 2nd period.  Not a big deal, right? WRONG. They didn't just score, they scored on the POWER PLAY.  See, aren't you glad you sat down? Twas a sweet tip in from Callahan that made it's way past Matthieu Garon.  It clearly sparked the Rangers' game and gave them a sense of hope. This also started the chain of events that led me to believe that the rapture is, in fact, coming.




"Hey Guys, I just scored my first goal in 368 days... No big deal..."PhotoCredit: NYI
Second was something that has nothing, or very little to do with the Rangers. Yes folks, Scott Gomez scored. On the ice, just in case that needed clarification.  Gomez had gone 368 LONG days without scoring a goal.  Last night in the 3rd period against the Islanders, Gomez lit the lamp against Nabokov. Normally, that's not something so odd or unusual to score against the Islanders, but maybe they felt bad for him and since they were eventually going to lose the game, they took pity on Gomez? Either way, he scored. The Rapture is coming.



When in doubt - hug it out!
Photo Credit: BSU
Then, apparently the #RichardsMunnEffect peters off after a few weeks. Richards broke his silence on the scoreboard netting his long-awaited 17th goal of the season in the OT to win the game. Apparently he got a GPS to find the net after admitting he was a little 'lost' to the media this week.  I hope it's a Garmin, my TomTom isn't very good - always sends me the long route. It was nice to see the whole bench clear to celebrate with him, thankfully, Anisimov left his rifle on the bench. We didn't need a repeat of what happened the last time the Rangers played the Lightning.

So, now grab all your non-perishables and hide in your basement. The Rapture is now headed here... I just hope we get to the playoffs first.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Battle Of The Hudson Wasn't Really A Battle, Per Se...

The game last night against the Devils was a hard fought game.  The Rangers had some low points and some high points to the game. Am I happy that they lost? No. But these things happen folks...

You can blame it on the officiating, the fact that Richards isn't scoring, Eminger should have dressed in lieu of Bickel or even that McDonagh hasn't registered a point in the past 6 games.  But it's not any of those. The Rangers played a sloppy game. The power play, or lack there of, had 3 chances to capitalize. THREE. But yet again, the power play was ineffective.

There were good scoring chances where the Rangers just couldn't bury the puck. Prust had a good chance to get a shot on goal and shanked it.  As much as the Rangers fans poke fun at Brodeur's weight, you have to give credit to the guy. He's still a good goalie.  Hagelin, again, shows why he's in the lineup. His speed draws penalties.  But it may almost be a moot point if the Rangers can't get the PP working. He also managed to get 4 of the teams 15 shots on goal. Boyle also was good on the face offs - winning 16. Lundqvist, despite taking the loss, was quite good between the pipes, not stellar.  But he also did what he could, aside from scoring goals.

When in doubt, crash the net. Just don't touch the goalie.
Photo Credit: BSU
Then there was the goal, which turned out to be a no-goal.  You could see that Gaborik made an effort of stopping (notice the spray of ice from his skates), but it was ruled that he 'ran' the goalie. You can argue til the cows come home about the goalie interference call on Gaborik as he was pushed into Brodeur, and how the goal should stand... but in all reality, would that mean that the Rangers would have won?

Probably not. They were outplayed most of the game, so going to an overtime and potentially a shoot out, would not really be to their advantage.

So Rangers fans, calm down. It's one game. The NYR are still at the top of the Eastern conference. Take a deep breath and move on.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Now Can We Plan The Parade?

As the Super Bowl 46 hoopla draws to a close, another team is now in the spotlight. Again.

The New York Rangers.

Good Gravy... NEVER kiss the trophy. Ever. 
Photo Credit: NJ.Com
Now that the Giants are the proud owners of the Vince Lombardi trophy, it's only natural that NY Rangers fans expect the Rangers to be the next team planning a parade down the streets of Manhattan with the Stanley Cup in tow.

Mere minutes after the Giants were crowned #SB46 champions, fans were already chirping up the NY Rangers players with words of encouragement. I saw tweet after tweet declaring Lundqvist as the still-reigning King of NY, that the NY Rangers must win the Cup, and that it's time for the Rangers to shine, etc. Not to add any additional pressure to the players or anything.  Not that they haven't been playing their hearts out. Not that they're in first place or anything.

This has been a fantastic season for the Rangers. One of their best since their last Cup hoist in 1994. The Rangers have found themselves sitting at the top of the league since December and while there have been some bumps in the road, they've stayed true to their course. Rangers fans should be proud of their team, regardless if they hoist the cup or not.  Rangers fans should be happy regardless of who won the Super Bowl.


So, go to QVC order your NY Giants commemorative Super Bowl 46 gear and wait for the Rangers to win. We can start planning the parade when they make the playoffs.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Back Up Goalies: Princes of the Pipes

One often underestimates and/or undervalues the role of a backup goalie.  This is quite common amoung the top teams who have an outstanding number one goaltender.  The number two guy is often overlooked, or cast over.  Then, when the number one is given a day off, many question the skill set of the backup.  But there are a few teams where the back up is more than just a back up. Being a Rangers fan, the obvious first conclusion is the 1-2 combo of Lundqvist and Biron.  Biron is just as good as Lundqvist is, but since he doesn’t play 60+ games a season, his contribution is sometimes overlooked.

I’ve always felt that some goalies, like Biron, don’t deserve the title of ‘back up goalie’.  They deserve a title a little less… déclassé.  Like, Prince Biron. Or Number Tuu (get it? Tuu instead of two?). Or the generic, goalie #2.  Either way, here are some of the NHL’s finest Princes of the Pipes.



Martin Biron NYR
Looking at stats (pardon me while I shudder for a moment…) Biron’s numbers are quite comparable to Lundqvist’s.  Lundqvist has played 37 games, Biron has 13. Their GAA are 1.82 and 1.95 respectively. Save percentages? You ask…. .939 and .924, respectively.  But stats alone are quite boring, so here, take a look at these clutch saves….




Tuukka Rask BOS
Now, no one can top Tim Thomas’ snubbing of the White House. But Rask’s performance between the pipes comes a close second.  Thomas has 32 games under his belt, Rask has 19, with strikingly similar save percentages of .933 and .936, respectively.  While Thomas may not be able to negotiate with Peggy very well to get his credit card conundrum taken care of while sitting in the back of a creepy Boston cab, Rask proves that he can take care of business between the pipes…




Cory Schneider VAN
Moving to a Western Conference team… Vancouver’s Cory Schneider is a valuable asset to have as a back up to Roberto Luongo.  While their stats are not stellar (we’re talking LOLuongo here, remember?), Schneider has moves like, wait for it…. A top notch goalie. Heh, you probably thought I was going for moves like Jagr or something stupid. But I digress… Even with a 2.28 GAA, Schneider is still worthy of being a Prince of the Pipes. Evidence is in the video below.



Jonathan Bernier LAK
The tale of two Jonathan’s in Los Angeles.  There is no denying that Bernier would make a great number one goaltender.  He’s still young and has the skill.  At 23, he’s still got years left to impress us with saves like these:


A little shout out to @msconduct10. As I ‘researched’ the info for this piece, I came face first into what she lovingly calls ‘goalie porn’.  I now know why… Sweet Fancy Moses goalies are mind-boggling, amazing athletes. Flexible, mind-boggling, amazing athletes.