Practice and Waivers

Both Brad Richards and Dan Girardi did not practice today because they were given maintenance days. Forward Andre Deveaux was placed on waivers. If he clears, he will be reassigned to the Connecticut Whale, meaning Carl Hagelin and John Mitchell will remain of the Rangers roster. The speculation continues on how much interest the Rangers have in Bobby Ryan, and who they would have to deal if they actually wanted him.

Rangers Defrost Frozen Chickens

The Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 4-3 for their third straight win and their second over division rivals.

Thoughts-

• The 1st period was horrible for the Rangers. I almost stopped watching, but like a loyal fan, I endured the agony. 
• The calls were against the Rangers in the 1st. Off the top of my head, I can think of 4 times when there wasn't a penalty called against a chilled chicken. 
• Hank did a good job of keeping it 1-0, and so did the defense and penalty kill. Without the good defensive effort by the entire team, this would have been a blowout by the time the 1st period was over.
• In the 2nd period, the power play was great. Who would have thought that Rangers would have scored at least one power play goal in the last 3 games? When was the last time the Rangers ever scored TWO power play goals in one game? 
• Gaborik was a maniac tonight. He not only made an amazing pass on the first goal, he scored an awesome one himself when he batted the puck out of midair. He deserved his first star, and maybe the Broadway Hat as well, if not for the second goal...
• That pass by Hagelin is amazing. I have never seen someone that fast, not only skating-wise, but quick to pass shoot, hit, or whatever else he decides to do. As the announcers gleefully repeated every time he was on the ice "Boy, is that guy fast!" Great finish by Mitchell for his first goal as a Ranger and the Broadway hat.
• Hagelin and Mitchell have been amazing call ups. Makes you wonder why Eric Christensen was starting instead, and it took the suspension of Andre Deveaux to give the new guys a spot on the Rangers.
• Just when you were gleefully taunting the dejected looking Fleurry, those annoying frozen poultry took advantage of the dreaded 3 goal lead and started to stage a comeback.The semi-good news is that this almost-comeback stemmed from the brain farts of the Rangers, and not from players the Rangers weren't able to handle. At least they can fix mental lapses. 
• Can Rangers just shoot on the 5-on-3? Please?

Rangers Vs. Penguins

The Rangers will play the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7:30 pm on MSG.

Probable Lines-
Anisimov-Stepan-Gaborik
Fedotenko-Richards-Callahan
Hagelin-Boyle-Mitchell
Avery-Dubinsky-Prust

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Woywitka-Eminger

Scratches-Marc Staal (concussion like symptoms), Mike Rupp (knee), Wojtek Wolski (groin), Andre Deveaux (suspension), Anton Stralman (healthy)

Notes-"Superstar" Sidney Crosby has returned from a concussion that kept him off the ice since last year. The last time the Rangers played the Penguins, Matt Cooke elbowed Ryan McDonagh in the head, and was suspended for 10 games and the first round of the playoffs. That wasn't the first time Cooke was suspended for a dirty hit. In November 2008 he was suspended for 2 games for a check to the head of Artem Anisimov. Torts has confirmed that Staal is skating on his own. Jesper Fasth, a Rangers draft pick, badly injured his foot during a game. Here is the video, but you may not want to watch it because it is extremely disturbing.

It is rumored that the Rangers have expressed an interest in the Duck's Bobby Ryan. I hope the Rangers don't pay an arm and a leg for this guy because the team is doing pretty well right now. I would also hate to lose a lot of prospects because the team has established an identity as a homegrown team. Dan Girardi was not ranked in the newest update of votes for the NHL All-Star Game. Please remember to vote a smany times as you can. The Rangers Winter Classic jerseys were revealed yesterday.

Rangers Chain Down Flyers

The Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers today by a score of 2-0. Just 4 seconds into the 1st period, Prust fought (and demolished) Zac Rinaldo. He then squared off with Wayne Simmonds (and beat him) right after leaving the penalty box. To me this set the tone for the entire game, and the Rangers didn't give the Flyers any room for the rest of the game. This also preserved the statistic that the Rangers are perfect after Brandon Prust fights in the first 2 minutes of a game. For the second game in a row, the Rangers converted on a power play. The first goal on the power play was waved off, but Brad Richards scored a goal that would stand just seconds later. Richards didn't get a great shot off, but Ryan Callahan screened the goaltender, and proved that good things happen when you throw the puck at the net and take shots. What followed during the rest of the 2nd period and the beginning of the 3rd was spectacular defense and goalkeeping. Carl Hagelin gave the Rangers some breathing room with his 1st NHL goal, and earned the Broadway Hat for his efforts. In the end, the Rangers won an important and emotional game against a "good" team. I'm sure the people at HBO were loving all the drama during the game. I can't wait to see how they portray this game on the 1st episode of 24/7, although if the preview that was on last night was any indication, it will mostly focus on Philadelphia. The Rangers are back in action on Tuesday when they face off against the recently returned Sydney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Rangers CAPITALize

The Rangers beat the washington Capitals by a score of 6-3 tonight. Fedotenko had two goals, and the other goals were scored by Gaborik, Boyle, Anisimov, and Richards. On the first goal of the game, Derek Stepan made an amazing pass over a defenders stick to set up Gaborik for this 10th goal of the season. It's amazing how well Stepan can pass the puck, and in only his 2nd year in the NHL. Hagelin played very well, earning his first NHL point, and didn't look out of place against the Capitals. What impressed me most was a great shift he had in the 1st period. The Rangers lost the puck in the offensive zone, and Ovechkin was trying to enter the Rangers zone. Hagelin demonstrated his speed and flew across the ice for a big hit on Ovechkin and helped the Rangers to recover the puck. He lost his helmet as he hit Ovechkin, but continued to put pressure on the capitals, and eventually ended up with a scoring chance. I'm sure Torts loved that. Mitchell also had a very good game, earning his first assist as a Ranger on the goal by Brian Boyle. Dan Girardi did a great job on Ovechkin the entire game, and continues to justify our efforts to get him into the All-Star Game. Fedotenko earned the Broadway Hat. Finally, Henrik Lundqvsit was spectacular, as per usual, and did a great job keeping the Rangers in it during the 1st period. Without the King, the Rangers are down by 3 after the 1st period. The Rangers look to keep the momentum moving against Philadelphia tomorrow afternoon. If I were Torts, I would go with the same lineup, considering the great game Hagelin and Mitchell had.

Lines, Scrtaches

Torts has announced that the healthy scratches for today's game against the Washington Capitals will be Erik Christensen and Anton Stralman. Both Hagelin and Mitchell will be making their NHL debuts, in the place of the suspended Devaux and Christensen. Hagelin will wear number 62 and Mitchell will wear 34.

Deveaux Out, Hagelin or Mitchell In?

Andre Deveaux was suspended 3 games for the elbowing incident on Wednesday. The Rangers have already called up forwards Carl Hagelin and John Mitchell. The question now is what forward will be scratched? Personally, I think it should be Christensen, but it might be Avery considering he was sent to Connecticut instead of Christensen and he was scratched a lot towards the end of last season. I would make the lines as follows:
Hagelin-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Richards-Callahan
Anisimov-Mitchell-Prust
Avery-Boyle-Redorenko
The healthy scratch would be Christensen. I would also give the fourth line more playing time than Torts usually does. The game against Washington is toady at 4 pm.

Rangers Recall Hagelin and Mitchell

The Rangers recalled forwards Carl Hagelin and John Mitchell from the Connecticut Whale, must likely because of the inevitable suspension of Andre Deveaux for an elbow to the head of a Florida Panther last night. Hagelin brings his speed, which the Rangers desperately need, and Mitchell brings potential offense, demonstrated by the fact that he was the leading scorer for the Whale.

Skid Continues With Loss to Panthers

The Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers by a score of 2-1 last night. Anton Stralman made his debut for the Rangers, but was unable to help on the power play. After going down 2-0, Gaborik set up Stepan for a sweet goal, and provided the glimmer of a comeback. All hopes were ended just a short time later when Andre Deveaux elbowed Fleischmann in the head and earned a himself a match penalty and a five minute penalty kill for his team. Deveaux will likely be suspended after his mandatory meeting with Brendan Shanahan today  at 2 pm. As always, Henrik Lundqvist was the best penalty killer for the Rangers. Even though there were a few more chances for both teams, the goalies proved themselves up to the task and the game ended 2-1. The Rangers are now faced with the decision of who to call up to replace Deveaux after he receives his inevitable suspension. If the Rangers were to call up Carl Hagelin or mats Zuccarello, they would have to receive sufficent amount of ice time to be effective and develop their game. In this situation, there just might be some line shuffling. Artem Anisimov has been ineffective on the GAS line recently, so I am in favor of putting either Hagelin or Zuccarello on the top line.

Other News-The Rangers Winter Classic jersey will be revealed on Monday. Jaromir Jagr will not play against the Rangers on Saturday due to a groin injury. Brendan Bell of the Connecticut Whale scored his second overtime winner in the Whale's 3-2 victory over the Pirates. Goals were scored by Blake Parlett, JAM (shorthanded), and Brendan Bell. Tim Erixon assisted on all three Whale goals, John Mitchell had two assets  and Carl Hagelin had one.

Staal Traveling

For the first time since experiencing headaches during training camp, Marc Staal will travel with the team, along with Wojtek Wolski and Mike Rupp. He will most likely not play tomorrow because he hasn't been fully cleared yet and is not in game shape, but it is a step forward to his return.

Rangers Lose Calendars and Game to Canadiens

The Rangers might have had a game last night in Montreal, but they must have lost their calendars because they didn't play. They had no pressure on Carry Price, and the combined disaster of Del Zotto and Biron lead to a 4-0 defeat and the end of a winning streak. Of the 4 goals that went in, 3 were stoppable. Del Zotto seemed to make a mistake every time he was on the ice, like moving up on the first goal, and then getting beat. The officiating was horrible, but wasn't the reason the Rangers lost. I still don't understand why the icing was called off at the end of the penalty kill and the faceoff was taken in the Ranger's zone. There was no diving by Del Zotto, no boarding or roughing by Deveaux, and certainly no roughing by Prust. The Rangers need to move on now and try to get some points  against the string of better teams they have lined up.

Rangers Vs. Canadians-Take 2

The Rangers will play the Canadians in Montreal tonight at 7 pm on MSG. The last time the Rangers played the Canadians, they won 5-3.

Probable Lines-
Anisimov-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Richards-Callahan
Avery-Boyle-Fedotenko
Prust-Christensen-Deveaux

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Eminger-Woywitka

Biron

Scratches-Marc Staal (concussion like symptoms, IR), Mike Rupp (knee), Wojtek Wolski (groin), Anton Stralman (healthy)

Former Canadians-Ryan McDonagh (Scott Gomez trade)

Former Rangers-Scott Gomez (Ryan McDonagh trade)

Reminder-Keep voting Dan Girardi for the All Star Game. You can only vote 30 times per account, but you can make more accounts using different e-mail addresses.

Lundqvist Cheated in Win Over Fish Sticks

The Rangers beat the Islanders by a score of 4-2 tonight on Long Island, avenging a loss earlier in the season. Sean Avery had a good first period, scoring his second goal in as many games. The lead didn't last long however, as McDonagh made a bad judgement call, and a shot from a Fish Stick was almost saved by Lundqvist before it fell into the back of the net. A great pass by Captain Cally gives the Rangers a one goal lead. The Islanders score on the power play, but Brad Richards scores the game winner with a wicked slap shot. I thought the defense didn't have a very strong game, Girardi in particular. The were a couple of bad give aways that almost lead to Islander goals. However, he did make some very great plays, as always. The diving play by Lundqvist in the 1st nearly gave me a heart attack, but thank god Sauer was there to play goalie while Lundqvist checked out the view from outside the crease. I'm beginning to wonder if the Ranger coaches are training other players as goalies to help Lundqvist and Biron out. A couple of games ago, Anisimov made a couple of great saves with his skates during a melee in front of Biron, and now Sauer saves the day tonight. That being said, Lundqvist robbed the Islanders many times, but was then robbed himself. I thought if anyone deserved the Broadway Hat, it was him. Without Lundqvist, the Rangers lose this one by at lest 6. It was kind of poetic that Brad Richards finally got to wear the Broadway Hat after bringing back from Europe and starting the tradition. The Rangers next game is at Montreal on

P.S.-Loved Torts calling the Coliseum "this damned building" :)

Rangers Vs. Islanders-Take Two

The Rangers play the Islanders tonight at 7 pm on MSG. The last time these teams met, the Islanders won 4-2 while John Travares got a hat trick.

Probable Lines-
Anisimov-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Boyle-Callahan
Avery-Richards-Fedotenko
Prust-Christensen-Deveaux

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Woywitka-Eminger

Lundqvist

Scratches-Marc Stall (concussion like symptoms, IR), Mike Rupp (knee), Wojtek Wolski (groin), Anton Stralman (healthy)

Former Islanders-Ruslan Fedotenko (left as a free agent)

Former Rangers-P.A. Parenteau (left Ranger as a free agent and signed with the Islanders in July 2010), Mike Mottau

Other News-Former Ranger Aaron Voros skated with the Whale today on a professional try out. The New York Rangers Blog continues it's campaign to get Girardi in the All Start Game.

The Avery Effect and the Monkey off Dubi's Back

The Rangers won their 6th straight last night against the Carolina Hurricanes, continuing to be  unbeaten since the recall of Sean Avery. Avery played his best game of the season, scoring his first to but the Rangers up 1-0 in the 1st, and drawing two penalties in the 3rd, forcing Torts to give him more ice time. The Hurricanes were able to tie it up in the 2nd off a defensive breakdown. Things were looking down for the Rangers, who were 27 seconds into killing a penalty, when a struggling Eric Staal, who had been booed the whole game by the Garden  was called for high sticking against Dan Girardi. This was the turning point of the game as the Rangers went on to score 4 goals in an explosive 3rd period. During the Rangers 27 second power play, Richards made an amazing pass cross ice to Girardi who hammered it in for a 1 goal lead. The next goal came just seconds later When Dubinsky put the puck into a wide open net, after a shot by Callahan had rebounded. Some good play by Dubinsky along the boards lead to a penalty against Caroline, but Callahan scored off a rebound before the play stopped. The final goal came from Brad Richards, who capitalized off of Cam Ward's mistake behind the goal for one of the easiest goals in his career. While the GAS line had a ton of chance, they were unable to get on the score sheet. This game showed that Rangers have secondary scoring, as they don't have to rely on the top line for all their goals. Also, the replay of the Callahan goal shows Cam Ward trip up Dubinsky behind the net with his stick, and it also shows Ward waking Brian Boyle with his stick after the goal. That should have been a penalty, but I think the Rangers got revenge anyway on the Richards goal, which, personally, I think is better than a power play. Dubinsky was awarded the Broadway hat for his efforts, and the three stars of the game were Avery, Dubinsky, and Girardi.

Girardi was not put on the All-Star ballot despite his stellar play, so The New York Rangers Blog has started a write in campaign, similar to the one for Sean Avery last year. Voting starts in Monday.

Del Zotto is not practicing today, and the lines appear to be the same as they were at the end of the game-
GAS
Dubinsky-Boyle-Callahan
Avery-Richards-Fedotenko
Prust-Christensen-Deveaux

Rangers Vs. Hurricanes

The Rangers will play the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at 7:00 on MSG. This game would usually be of note because Marc Staal's brother, Eric, plays for Carolina. However, this game features a struggling Eric Staal, who delivered the hit that gave Marc a concussion and has kept him off the ice all season.

Probable Lines-
Anisimov-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Richards-Callahan
Fedotenko-Boyle-Prust
Deveaux-Christensen-Avery

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Eminger-Woywitka

Lundqvist

Scratches-Marc Staal (concussion like symptoms, IR), Mike Rupp (knee, IR), Wojtek Wolski (groin, IR), Anton Stralman (healthy)

Hats, Visors, and Stralman

Torts said that newly signed defenseman Anton Stralman will not play tomorrow against the Hurricanes because he needs a better understanding of the system.

I forgot to mention it in the recap, but I think Deveaux did great in his fight with Cowen, who was a coward and fought with his visor on. Deveaux showed he wasn't all brawn when he beat Cowen with a nice hit to the chin. Here's the video-

For his solid play last night, Artem Anisimov (The A in the GAS Line) was awarded the Broadway Hat by Derek Stepan.

GAS Line Powers Rangers to Win over Senators

The Rangers beat the Ottawa Senators 3 to 2. All three goals for the Rangers were scored by the Gaborik-Stepan-Anisimov line (newly dubbed the GAS line). This line continues to fly, and it weren't for them (and a certain net minder) no way the Rangers would have won. Who would have thought, at this point in the season, Stepan would be the best center of the game? Hopefully all the line shuffling by Torts will finally find another good combination that has some chemistry. Did anyone see how horrible the ice was? Players were falling left and right, especially Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh and Dan Girardi continue to play over 28minutes. I would complain, and worry about tiring them out, but the major mistake by Woywitka proves that Torts isn't comfortable giving some players big minutes. Maybe the debut of Anton Stralman will change that. Finally, I loved the commercial that played during the game for the Rangers next game against the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow. "Who says Hurricane season is over? The Ranger." :)

Rangers Vs. Senators-Take Two

The Rangers play the Ottawa Senators tonight for the second time this season at 7:30 on MSG. The last time these two teams met, the Rangers appeared to have a commanding three goal lead, but were eventually defeated in the shootout.

Probable Lines-
Anisimov-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Richards-Callahan
Fedotenko-Boyle-Prust
Deveaux-Christensen-Avery

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Eminger-Woywitka

Lundqvist

Scratches-Marc Staal (concussion like symptoms, IR), Mike Rupp (knee, IR), Wojtek Wolski (groin, IR), Anton Stralman (healthy)

In other news Rupp's knee surgery was successful and he should return to the line in 4-6 weeks, the same time as Wolski is supposed to return from his second groin injury of the season. Stralman has passed his physical and will skate with the team tomorrow. Connecticut Whale defenseman Jyri Niemi was assigned to the ECHL Greenville Road Warriors. He has 1 assist in 8 games player with the Whale.

JAM

Rangers prospect Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (who I will be calling JAM because of his ridiculously long name) has been grabbing the attention of the Rangers with his recent stellar play with the Connecticut Whale. HE plays center and right-wing, and has 5 goals and 6 assists in 7 games. The only concern right now is his small  size. JAM first grabbed my attention during the Traverse City Prospect Tournament, and I hope he can crack the Rangers roster next year. 

Recently signed defenseman Anton Stralman was not on the ice at practice because he hasn't finished medical testing. He will not make the trip to Ottawa. 

Injury Update

Wolski will undergo sports sports hernia surgery tomorrow and is projected to miss the nest four weeks, suggesting Sean Avery will remain on the team for a while.

Marc Staal's brother Eric, who delivered the hit that might have caused the concussion like symptoms that has Marc on the IR, says that Marc is "on the right track" but doesn't think he will play soon.

Rangers Vs. Habs

The Rangers will play the Montreal Canadiens tonight at 7:00 pm on MSG.

Probable Lines-
Fedotenko-Stepan-Gaborik
Dubinsky-Richards-Callahan
Anisimov-Boyle-Prust
AVERY-Christensen-Deveaux 

McDonagh-Girardi
Del Zotto-Sauer
Woywitka-Eminger

Lundqvist

Scratches-Marc Staal (concussion like symptoms, IR), Mike Rupp (knee, IR), Wojtek Wolski (groin, IR), Anton Stralman

Former Canadiens-Ryan McDonagh (traded from Montreal with Christopher Higgens, Pavel Valentenko, and Doug Janik for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Michael Busto on June 30th, 2009), Jeff Woywitka (claimed off waivers on October 6th, 2011)

Former Rangers-Scott Gomez (traded with Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto for Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko, and Doug Janik on June 30th, 2009)

Notes-Agitator Sean Avery makes his Rangers season debut tonight, and can't let the fans down after their insistent "We Want Avery" chants and banners. Ryan McDonagh needs to continue his strong play as the Habs continue to regret that trade. It would also be great of Scott Gomez had a terrible game, or at least played as bad as he did with the Rangers.

Rangers Sign Stalman, Staal placed on LTIR

The Rangers officially signed defenseman Anton Stralman to a one year, $900,000 contract. He will likely compete with Jeff Woywitka (who got his first goal of the season and as a ranger last night) and Steve Eminger for a position on the bottom pair. To free up some cap space (and to confirm Rangers fan's worst fears) Marc Staal was place on the long term injured reserve. Based on this move, it looks like Staal might not be back before next season. In other injury news, Mike Rupp will receive knee surgery and Wojtek Wolski is getting an MRI on his groin. Personally, I hope this means Zuccarello will get a call up. He recently stated that he would leave the Rangers to play in the NHL, or possibly go back to Europe.

Avery at Practice

At his first practice since being called up by the Rangers, Sean Avery was the extra forward. Lines were the same as Monday night, and it looks like Avery will be the healthy scratch tomorrow night. He said he is okay with that, seeing as the team was playing well. He also said he loves playing for the Rangers and can't wait to play at the new MSG. Ever since his demotion to the Whale, Avery has said all the right things. I personally can't wait to see the impact he has on this team. Mike Rupp was not skating again because of his knee. 

According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, the Rangers have called the Toronto Maple Leafs about a possible trade for a defense-man, most likely Cody Franson. This isn't necessary at all. The Rangers had a great game on Monday and will hopefully play like that more often now that Avery has been recalled. The defense is a possible issue, but the Rangers already have an abundance of bottom pair defense-men. I don't think they should make a big deal for a top defense-man either. The defense has been okay, and I don't think it would be worth it to give away any players or prospects who might develop into great players, otherwise we might feel just like Montreal does right now about giving up Ryan McDonagh. 

Christensen Whips Off Invisibility Cloak in Much Needed Win Over Sharks

The Rangers defeated the Sharks with a score of 5 to 2 last night. Erik Christensen finally realized that the season had started, and decided to make an appearance with 2 assists in the game. The bad news is he will probably put that invisibility cloak back on for the next 9 games. Anisimov and Stepan scored their first of the season, and Callahan seems to have recovered from his slow start with 2 goals. Ryan McDonagh scored his third of the year. Who would have thought that McDonagh would have more goals than Dubinsky? Great to see McDonagh developing into a solid defense-men and offensive threat. In Dubinsky's defense, he has been getting a lot of chances, and I think (hope) that he is close to breaking out. The only thing he needs is target practice, seeing as he can't seem to hit the net. I think there were two keys to this game, the beginning and after San Jose had tied the game. After their epic collapse, most Rangers fans were left wondering whether the Rangers would sink deeper into the hole they were digging, or finally find the spark they needed to play a full 60 minutes of hockey. While some people may claim that the recall of Sean Avery inspired the Rangers, I think the Prust fight in the beginning of the game should receive most of the credit. Dating back to last season, the Rangers are 6-0 when Prust fights in the first 2 minutes of the game (thanks to Scotty Hockey for this great stat). Biron was solid in goal, giving me confidence he is up to the task of giving Hank a rest when he needs it. In some interesting post-game drama, Joe Thorton of the Shark said the Rangers were soft and they should have won the game. It doesn't really mean anything though, just like it doesn't matter that the Rangers should have held on to their 3 goal lead on Saturday. At the end of the day, the Rangers dominated the game, and earned a well deserved 2 points.

In other good news, Sean Avery has officially cleared waivers and has been recalled by the Rangers. I'm assuming he will play Thursday night or the fans might try and lynch Torts.