Anyone who watches the NHL Network particularly late at night has seen the bit about Darryl Sittler's 10 point game. He tells you he usually had a little Bass and Steak as his pregame meal and so on. I found it really cool at first, much happier than the suicide inducing "Don't Give Up" cancer awareness commercial. Don't get me wrong, I fully support cancer awareness, but that tune on that commercial simply has to be the most tear inducing half a bar of music I've ever heard, but seeing it over and over again while watching on the fly has made me think. Wouldn't it be awesome for someone to break Sittler's record? This way they'd stop running that damned piece every 20 minutes. So then inside my little brain, half awake, is what popped into my head. Al Trautwig of MSG Network interviewing Petr Prucha after Prucha not only broke Sittler's record, but also the single game assist and goal records, in the same game.
Al Trautwig: Welcome back everyone to MSG. What a night it was here. Petr Prucha, with his 8 goal and 8 assist night has broken three seemingly unreachable records in one night. He broke Joe Malone's record of 7 goals, Billy Taylor's record of 7 assists and, Darryl Sittler's record for points in a single game. Ah, and here he is joining us in Studio 16, Petr, welcome, quite a game you had.
Petr Prucha: Yah, it was uhh, fun, great night.
AT: I'll say, you gave the Garden crowd quite a thrill. I'm sure you are overcome with excitement right now and it hasn't soaked in yet, but tell me. How huge did Sean Avery come through in helping you achieve what you did tonight?
PP: Whole team was, mmm, great, Aves had goal on power play, I thought was mine but went in off of his helmet, like soccer.
AT: Well yeah and he had an assist on your fifth goal do you remember?
PP: Mmmm not right now.
AT: He had come out of the penalty box and dumped the puck down the ice. Gomez beat out the icing call and found you in the high slot. Anyway, I'm sure you'll remember, as soon as you can sit back and appreciate the moment.
PP: Yah, was great, I always say I not real goal scorer so always is suprise to me when I score goal.
AT: You said that alot during your rookie season and I think people around here are starting to think you were right.
PP: Oh, Ha Ha.
AT: Tell me when Sean Avery came to this team, did you think he would have such a positive effect on your own performance?
PP: Uhh, I don't know, all I really know him from is talking lots of curses and diving from when Jags bump him. Jags had hat trick and two assists tonight and Gomer had goal and 5 assists, G-man and Toots had goals and couple of assists, they play great.
AT: Oh of course they did, and I'll bet you guys are all going out on the town after this one.
PP: Yah, we go to club and have few drinks and dances.
AT: HA! And you know I'll bet if you ask Sean Avery he could get you guys some dates for tonight.
PP: Uhh, maybe, yes.
AT: What did you think, I think it was soon after your tenth point of the night that tied you with Sittler, when the Crowd started the familiar chant of "Ave-Ry Ave-Ry" after he had gotten into the fight he had to complete the Gordie Howe Hat-Trick?
PP: I don't know, we all were suprise he fight with big lead and take instigator too.
AT: Well that is part of his game and these things will happen. As Joe Paterno always says, Boys just being boys.
PP: Joe who?
AT: Haha, doesn't matter, Hey did you ever notice how perfectly Sean Avery's eyes match the home blue of the Rangers jersey?
PP: Umm no have not notice, But I wa...
AT: Sorry to cut you off Peter but John Giannone is standing by down the hall with the man of the hour, Sean Avery. So Peter thank you for joining us here at Studio 16, again congratulations on a great night.
PP: I thought it was studio 11.
AT: We renamed it, cya later.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Is The Paint Dry Yet?
It's bad enough that the Rangers and Devils played their game on a Sunday during the NFL season. And since it was at 5pm of the final week of the regular season for most Fantasy Football leagues it was probably even more of an afterthought for a casual observer. Really the only positive thing that came out of the game was the final result. A 1-0 win for the Rangers in overtime.
Brendan Shanahan scored 30 seconds into OT on a play that simply defied anything the Rangers have shown offensively over the past week/ month/ entire season. A play in which all four Blueshirts on the ice were involved in the play. Crisp, decisive passing. Scott Gomez passes from the right corner to Dan Girardi. Girardi passes to his defense partner Fedor Tyutin, across the ice along the blueline, Tyutin diagonal pass back to Gomez in the right faceoff circle. Gomez passes to Shanahan in the slot for a one-timer that hits the top corner above Martin Brodeur's blocker.
Was it an abberation? Was it luck? Was it because it was four-on-four and the Devils had one less defender on the ice? Was it because it was four-on-four and Shanahan and Gomez were not saddled with their linemate Marcel Hossa? I happen to think it was a combination of all of the above.
Strangely not much has been mentioned about Henrik Lundqvist's performance yesterday. He was not tested often but made 3 or 4 saves that were legit robberies. Aside from that there was not much to discuss. However I am going to harp on the next issue for a while, until the Rangers change their thinking, or until Sean Avery returns. And that issue is toughness, or lack there of.
The softness of this team is beginning to wear on me. During the second period of yesterday's game Zach Parise tried some sort of half gainer-double toe loop-triple lindy combo which he failed to land cleanly. He landed on his shinguards and slid, full speed into Lundqvist, the play was blown dead. Well the tv coverage (for lack of a better word) went to commercial, and I expected to see Parise in the sin bin when the game came back on. Well I was incorrect apparently. Parise was not penalized. Not only was he not sent to do penance for his sins, not one Ranger took it upon himself to distribute any justice for running into the franchise goaltender.
Soon after Brendan Shanahan, while trying to bull rush through a duo of Devil defensemen, while carrying the puck, took a stick to the forehead from Colin White. Again no penalty. No retribution either.
Now I understand that these occurances happened during a 0-0 hockey game where it seemed that one goal could/would win the game. But Come On. Somebody on the Rangers has to stick up for themselves and their teamates. Hell if that isn't what 2/3 of the fourth line isn't in the game for, than what in the hell are they doing in the lineup? This was fourth game in a row where an opponent has started to show that getting rough against the Rangers is something that can be effective and also can be gotten away with. I just hope the Rangers answer before an injury at the hands of an opponent is the result of this Charminism.
Brendan Shanahan scored 30 seconds into OT on a play that simply defied anything the Rangers have shown offensively over the past week/ month/ entire season. A play in which all four Blueshirts on the ice were involved in the play. Crisp, decisive passing. Scott Gomez passes from the right corner to Dan Girardi. Girardi passes to his defense partner Fedor Tyutin, across the ice along the blueline, Tyutin diagonal pass back to Gomez in the right faceoff circle. Gomez passes to Shanahan in the slot for a one-timer that hits the top corner above Martin Brodeur's blocker.
Was it an abberation? Was it luck? Was it because it was four-on-four and the Devils had one less defender on the ice? Was it because it was four-on-four and Shanahan and Gomez were not saddled with their linemate Marcel Hossa? I happen to think it was a combination of all of the above.
Strangely not much has been mentioned about Henrik Lundqvist's performance yesterday. He was not tested often but made 3 or 4 saves that were legit robberies. Aside from that there was not much to discuss. However I am going to harp on the next issue for a while, until the Rangers change their thinking, or until Sean Avery returns. And that issue is toughness, or lack there of.
The softness of this team is beginning to wear on me. During the second period of yesterday's game Zach Parise tried some sort of half gainer-double toe loop-triple lindy combo which he failed to land cleanly. He landed on his shinguards and slid, full speed into Lundqvist, the play was blown dead. Well the tv coverage (for lack of a better word) went to commercial, and I expected to see Parise in the sin bin when the game came back on. Well I was incorrect apparently. Parise was not penalized. Not only was he not sent to do penance for his sins, not one Ranger took it upon himself to distribute any justice for running into the franchise goaltender.
Soon after Brendan Shanahan, while trying to bull rush through a duo of Devil defensemen, while carrying the puck, took a stick to the forehead from Colin White. Again no penalty. No retribution either.
Now I understand that these occurances happened during a 0-0 hockey game where it seemed that one goal could/would win the game. But Come On. Somebody on the Rangers has to stick up for themselves and their teamates. Hell if that isn't what 2/3 of the fourth line isn't in the game for, than what in the hell are they doing in the lineup? This was fourth game in a row where an opponent has started to show that getting rough against the Rangers is something that can be effective and also can be gotten away with. I just hope the Rangers answer before an injury at the hands of an opponent is the result of this Charminism.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Ecstasy & Agony
Two words that could describe the Rangers last two performances. On Saturday afternoon, against the Ottawa Senators, the Blueshirts played possibly their best first 20 minutes of the season en route to building a 3-0 advantage after the first period.
Dan Girardi, Jaromir Jagr and, Brendan Shanahan all lit the lamp in the first period, with Jagr's goal coming on the Power Play. Shanahan also scored a Power Play goal in the second period on a beautiful deflection from the high slot off a feed from Martin Straka.
The first line was dominant in the Ottawa zone throughout the game, playing a puck possesion cycle with Brandon Dubinsky having a strong game. This made the third game in a row that the top line played like a top line. A mere coincidence that Straka returned and Marcel Hossa was moved down the lineup?
After the second Shanahan goal the Rangers seemed to let up a little bit, and the Senators seemed to awaken. The final score ended up being 5-2 with Blair Betts sealing the scoresheet with an empty net goal, his first goal of the season, off of a beautiful pass from Tom Corvo. Unfortunately for Corvo, who scored the first Senator goal, he was not given an assist on the play.
It was a big win for the Rangers. A win that they haven't had many of through the first quarter. A win against a first place team, A win against the Eastern Conference leader. All signs seemed to be pointing upwards for them. It was a game where they could all look around the locker room and say that they took two steps forward. Well, I don't think I need to say the next part of the cliche'. But I will. Because the next game on Monday night was exactly that, well, maybe not exactly, it might have even been two steps back.
Monday night the Rangers had a chance to come back to home ice on a high after a nice road win and put the exclamation point on it. A win against the Southeast Division leading Carolina Hurricanes could have done so.
If the first period on Saturday was the team's best, a frontrunner for the worst would have been Monday night's first frame. The Broadway boys came out slow, they came out flat, they came out unfocussed. And the 2-0 deficit at the end of the first certainly showed it. Marek Malik, playing in his first home game in a month due to a back injury lasted a good shift and a half without being booed for a bad turnover.
Brandon Dubinsky made bad plays that led to both of the 'Canes goals. Jagr looked like his head was still in Ottawa, if not his head than his legs.
For one night Henrik Lundqvist seemed to say, "Hey boys, I don't have it tonight to carry you on my back, how about you guys take this one?" And the rest of the team replied, "Huh". I can't recall a decent scoring chance from the entire game for the Rangers. So Cam Ward got a shutout that may be the easiest shutout I've ever seen.
The final score was 4-0, and I don't think there was a single positive to point out, other than Sean Avery seemed to have a good time up in the Heavenly Blues again. He's out at least another 2-4 weeks after undergoing Arthoscopic Surgery on his wrist.
As he was shown signing autographs up in the rafters I thought, wouldn't it be funny if the Rangers recalled 20 year old defenseman Ivan Baranka and had Malik sit out. Would Avery be able to take Malik on a tour of the blue seats, without a riot ensuing?
The Rangers face Darcy Tucker and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night and it's a shame we won't see Avery defend his home turf.
Dan Girardi, Jaromir Jagr and, Brendan Shanahan all lit the lamp in the first period, with Jagr's goal coming on the Power Play. Shanahan also scored a Power Play goal in the second period on a beautiful deflection from the high slot off a feed from Martin Straka.
The first line was dominant in the Ottawa zone throughout the game, playing a puck possesion cycle with Brandon Dubinsky having a strong game. This made the third game in a row that the top line played like a top line. A mere coincidence that Straka returned and Marcel Hossa was moved down the lineup?
After the second Shanahan goal the Rangers seemed to let up a little bit, and the Senators seemed to awaken. The final score ended up being 5-2 with Blair Betts sealing the scoresheet with an empty net goal, his first goal of the season, off of a beautiful pass from Tom Corvo. Unfortunately for Corvo, who scored the first Senator goal, he was not given an assist on the play.
It was a big win for the Rangers. A win that they haven't had many of through the first quarter. A win against a first place team, A win against the Eastern Conference leader. All signs seemed to be pointing upwards for them. It was a game where they could all look around the locker room and say that they took two steps forward. Well, I don't think I need to say the next part of the cliche'. But I will. Because the next game on Monday night was exactly that, well, maybe not exactly, it might have even been two steps back.
Monday night the Rangers had a chance to come back to home ice on a high after a nice road win and put the exclamation point on it. A win against the Southeast Division leading Carolina Hurricanes could have done so.
If the first period on Saturday was the team's best, a frontrunner for the worst would have been Monday night's first frame. The Broadway boys came out slow, they came out flat, they came out unfocussed. And the 2-0 deficit at the end of the first certainly showed it. Marek Malik, playing in his first home game in a month due to a back injury lasted a good shift and a half without being booed for a bad turnover.
Brandon Dubinsky made bad plays that led to both of the 'Canes goals. Jagr looked like his head was still in Ottawa, if not his head than his legs.
For one night Henrik Lundqvist seemed to say, "Hey boys, I don't have it tonight to carry you on my back, how about you guys take this one?" And the rest of the team replied, "Huh". I can't recall a decent scoring chance from the entire game for the Rangers. So Cam Ward got a shutout that may be the easiest shutout I've ever seen.
The final score was 4-0, and I don't think there was a single positive to point out, other than Sean Avery seemed to have a good time up in the Heavenly Blues again. He's out at least another 2-4 weeks after undergoing Arthoscopic Surgery on his wrist.
As he was shown signing autographs up in the rafters I thought, wouldn't it be funny if the Rangers recalled 20 year old defenseman Ivan Baranka and had Malik sit out. Would Avery be able to take Malik on a tour of the blue seats, without a riot ensuing?
The Rangers face Darcy Tucker and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night and it's a shame we won't see Avery defend his home turf.
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