The Hockey Rabbi

Ramblings

So I'm driving home from work this evening listening to WFAN.  Steve Sommers, my all time favorite is on the air.  The schmooze takes a call from some guy who rambles on about how the NHL must have fixed the Rangers-Pens series in order to make sure that Crosby advances in the tournament.  Hmmmm.....  Let's see.....

Does the NHL want Pittsburgh to advance?  Of course.  Did the NHL sabotage the Rangers to make sure Pittsburgh wins?  Please.   However, I will give the conspiracy theorists this:  isn't it strange that when watching a game on a local network like, say, MSG, when a goal is being reviewed, the local network gives you every possible replay angle so that you can effectively make the call for yourself.  Yet when watching games on NHL networks like Versus or NBC, you barely get even a simple replay.  What's that all about?  Does the NHL want us to take their word for it?  Are they afraid that by giving us all the looks, we might catch them making a mistake? 

Guess who's going to be a restricted free agent after next season?  Evgeny "Slew Foot" Malkin.  If the Pens are crazy enough to let him get to July 1 without a new contract, I can see Glenn Sather personally backing the Brinks truck up to Malkin's door.  How does a 10 year maximum contract front loaded to the greatest extent permitted by the CBA sound?  I can hear the good folks in Pittsburgh PA whining already!

So Drury takes a blatant stick to the face.  He's cut so badly the blood had to be scraped out of the ice.  Obviously, none of the on-ice officials see anything.  Tom Renney, of course, makes no attempt to protest the missed call.  What was Tom Terrific thinking?  "What does a guy have to do to get fired around here???" 

 

Did I mention how well Chris Drury did the "little things" in round 1?!?!

   

Rangers Go Bust

Flashback to July 1, 2007:  By the close of business the Rangers were anointed "winners" of the 2007 free agency derby.  Having signed Scott Gomez AND Chris Drury the Rangers had turned themselves into instant Cup contenders.  Make no mistake, the goal for this season was to win it all.  When viewed from that perspective, this afternoon's disappointing game capped off a season of failure for the Blueshirts.

I'm sure that in the coming days and months, some pundits will lament the rash of key injuries suffered by important members of the team.  Some will decry the horrible officiating (how could all the on ice officials  miss the stick to Drury's face?!?!).

The bottom line, however, is that with the notable exception of Jaromir Jagr, the Rangers' best players simply did not play their best hockey. 

Gomez's turn-overs set up more plays for Pittsburgh than his passes did for New York.  Drury disappeared long before he injured his ribs.  Actually, I'm not really sure Drury ever appeared this post-season.  If I hear another person talking about how well Drury does the "little things" I think I'll puke!  Drury was NOT signed to his monstrous contract (complete with a "no-movement" clause) in order to do the "little things".  Drury was signed in order to score those huge franchise defining playoff goals.  You know the type...think "Matteau...Matteau".  Blair Betts wins face-offs and kills penalties too. 

Management has some huge and difficult decisions to make in the coming months.  A number of the teams top players are heading into free agency.  We'll get into all of that in due time.  For now, though, the Rangers go bust.             

To Suspend Or Not To Suspend?

Towards the end of last night's Rangers victory, Evgeny Malkin "slew footed" Paul Mara of the Rangers (for anyone who doesn't know, "slew footing"  is where one player kicks the feet out from behind and under another player which is often- but not always- done while simultaneously pulling the victimized player backwards to the ice).  Fortunately for Mara the play did not result in an injury to the Rangers defenseman.  Pursuant to NHL Rules, "Slew Footing" is an automatic match penalty.   Not surprisingly, given the sorry state of officiating in the NHL, no penalty was called on the play. 

The question is, should the NHL do something about the incident?  This morning I heard fans calling in to one of the local sports talk radio shows in order to discuss the subject.  Some folks fealt that a suspension was warranted as "slew footing" is an inherently dirty and dangerous play and, therefore, has no place in hockey.  Other folks fealt that since there was no injury there should be no supplemental discipline.  Virtually everyone agreed that since a superstar like Malkin commited the act, there would be no reprecussions (that in and of itself is a topic for another day!).  To me it's a no-brainer:

The NHL rule book does not give a referee any discretion in this matter:  slew-footing is an automatic match penalty.  Period.  It also results in a player being ineligible to play until the NHL reviews the incident to determine whether or not a suspension is warranted.  Therefore, at the very least, the NHL should review the play.  The fact that the refs missed the call does not mean that the incident did not occur. 

Now we get to the juicy stuff!  Assuming the NHL reviews the play (and by the way, if a guy like Avery or Hollweg commited this act there is no doubt that the play would be reviewed), should they suspend Malkin? 

First, Malkin should be suspended.  There is absolutely no place in the NHL for a play like that.  The fact is that dangerous incidents are par for the course in hockey.  That's what happens when you play a high speed and high impact game.  However, most of the dangerous plays that occur in the course of a game are unintentional and incidental to otherwise legal contact.  For example, two players collide, one of them inadvertently looses control of his stick which gets raised too high and dangerously hits another player in the face.  Is this a penalty?  Definitely.  Is it worthy of suspension? Absolutely not.  How about this one:  Player A goes into the offensive zone hard on the forecheck.  He lines up Player B for a body check.  At the last instant, Player B turns his body so that Player B ends up getting hit from behind into the boards. Penalty?  Probably.  Worthy of suspension?  Not if Player A had no chance of avoiding what would otherwise have been a clean hit.  How about this one:  6'7' Hal Gill goes to take the body on 5'7' Marc Savard who is hunched over playing the puck with his head down.  Because of their massive size difference, Gill's elbow unintentionally ends up in Savard's ear.  Penalty?  Possibly.  Worthy of suspension?  No. 

What do these three common examples have in common?  (1) they all involve contact that is ultimately "illegal" yet the contact stems from otherwise legal actions which routinely occur in the course of a hockey game; and (2) there is clearly no intent to injure. 

Contrast that with "slew footing".  (1) Slew footing is not a play that in any way shape or form arises out of or is incidental to normal, ordinary, routine or expected contact in the course of a hockey game; and (2) the very nature of this deliberate action evidences an intent to injure or (at the very least) an unacceptable and reckless disregard for the safety of another player. 

Based on that, Malkin should be suspended. 

What about the "no harm no foul" theory?  After all, Mara wasn't injured why should Malkin be suspended?  First, I don't think that injuries or the lack thereof should play any factor in determining whether or not to suspend a player.  Certain conduct is unacceptable and players must know that if they perpetrate those unnacceptable acts they will be punished.  Without a clear rule, players will continue committing dangerous acts which will one day lead to serious injuries. 

However, I don't discount the "no harm no foul" theory all togther.  I think that the injuries or the lack thereof should absolutely be considered in determining the length of a suspension and/or the fine imposed.  As a lawyer I'm borrowing this theory from our legal system:  When a plaintiff sues a defendant, in very general terms there are two aspects to the lawsuit:  the first is liability the second is damages.  In english that means that first we have to determine if the defendant did anything wrong.  If he did, then we decide what his punishment is.  If the defendant did nothing wrong, the case is over. 

So let's assume the defendant did do something wrong (i.e. he is liable to the plaintiff).  Now we have to figure out the damages (i.e what's the right punishment).  How do we decide?  We look at the damages suffered by the plaintiff as a result of the defendant's wrongful conduct and we tell the defendant to pay back that damage.  Sometimes, you can have a defendant who did something wrong but no damage resulted therefrom.  That defendant is still found liable, but he's only required to pay a small "symbolic" amount to the plaintiff since after all, the plaintiff's rights were trampled. 

But then there's another measure of damages.  It's called punitive damages (from the same word as punish).  Sometimes a defendant does something unacceptable that shocks the conscience of society and must be punished for it even beyond the damage that his actions caused to the plaintiff.  One of the theories behind punitive damages is deterrence:  we want people to know that certain conduct is not acceptable and if anyone engages in that conduct they will be punished beyond the direct consequences of their actions. 

That's the Malkin slew foot case.  Thankfully, Paul Mara was not injured.  Nonetheless, there's no room for that kind of nonesense in the NHL.  Instead of worrying about the "Avery Rule" the NHL should be worrying about real and potentially dangerous infractions. 

I say let Malkin sit out game 5.  Discuss amongst yourselves!                  

Relatively Speaking, It's No Big Deal

I've said it before: sports are a microcosm of life.  So instead of analyzing the Rangers' chances or looking at NHL history, I figured I'd tell you guys a story of a hero who really beat the odds to come from behind and win (the story is true but the names have been changed to protect the identity of the parties involved):

I had just come back to my office after a lunch meeting a few years back.  I got a call from my friend Sam.  He asked me if I had heard from our mutual friend Dan lately.  Dan was I guy I grew up with.  Over the years we drifted apart a bit.  However, we always touched base every few weeks to catch up. 

I told Sam that as a matter of fact I had not heard from Dan in about a month which, come to think of it, was a little out of the ordinary.  Sam told me that he had reason to believe that Dan's "occasional" and "recreational" drug use had spiraled out of control.  I was worried to say the least.

I immediately tried calling Dan every few minutes.  My calls went straight to voice mail.  I decided to call Dan's father.  When he answered the phone and I asked him about Dan, his father told me that he'd have to call me back.  His tone sounded strange.

A few minutes later my phone rang.  It was Dan's father.  He told me that he had not been able to reach Dan for a full week.  He also told me that Dan's drug use had spiraled out of control.  Apparently, a lot of people were worried about Dan and he had been getting a lot of worried calls.  A few hours later, Dan decided to call me.  He sounded terrible.  He wouldn't tell me where he was.  He wouldn't tell me how I could reach him.  I asked him to please call me regularly.  I told him I wanted to come pick him up from wherever he was.

A few days went by when I would get random calls from Dan telling me he was O.K..  I knew that he wasn't.  Finally, he called me and told me where he was.  I immediately called Sam and we went to get Dan.  He refused to come out of the "house" he was holed up in. 

After a few hours of hide and seek, we finally got him into the car and on the way to a hospital.  We sat in the hospital waiting room all night waiting for a bed to become available in the detox unit.  Dan would disappear into the bathroom every 20 minutes.  My heart was breaking.  Sam was crushed by the horrible suffering our friend was experiencing.  Finally, Dan got a bed.

I wish I could say that Dan's road to recovery was all uphill from their.  It wasn't.  That wasn't his last trip to detox. 

I remember Dan telling me that he could not imagine living the rest of his life without drugs.  The task was just too daunting.  His friends told him not to worry about the rest of his life.  Just worry about the next 60 seconds.  String together 10 minutes.  Then another ten.  Then another ten. Then another ten. 

Dan listened to his friends.  Today, thank G-d, he's a hero.  Dan was down much worse than 0-3 and today, one day at a time, he's kicking the day lights out of his opponent. 

I'm certainly not equating a hockey series to addiction.  Tonight's game is just that...a game.  We often learn lessons in sports that we can apply to every day life.  Sometimes, however, athletes can learn lessons from the triumphs of ordinary people that those athletes can then apply to their sports.

Hey Dan......I'm proud of you.         

Food For Thought

The Rangers are staring summer in the face right now.  So are their fans!  There's so much to say and so little time. Here's a little food for thought:

1.  Jagr is a great captain.  I don't care what anyone around the league says about the guy.  I don't care what happened in the past.  The guy's playing with passion.  He wants to win.  He's pushing his 36 year old body to the max.  As far as I'm concerned, he should be proud of himself.  I know I am.

2.  Is it just me, or is Lundqvist making anyone else just a tad nervous?  Every goalie is bound to let up "bad" goals.  It happens.  Even the greatest goalies are human and every human makes mistakes.  One of the things that turns a great goalie into a champion is mental toughness.  For goalies, part of what that means is the ability to shake off a "bad" goal.  Thus far in his career, Lundqvist doesn't have that kind of mental toughness.  That deficiency doesn't bode well for the Rangers championship chances. 

3.  Finished.  A big part of the reason that the Rangers are pretty much finished is because they can't finish.  The Rangers fire 42 thousand shots on goal and only score 3 goals.  Isn't it a shame that Renney decided to finish Prucha?!?  I'm not saying Prucha's a superstar or that he would have been the difference in this series.  However, for all of the Rangers offensive weapons what they're clearly lacking is a true "finisher".  The coach's job is to manage his assets.  He clearly dropped the ball with Prucha.

   

It's All On The Line For New Jersey

Whether they realize it or not, tonight's game is about so much more than just surviving to play another game for the Devils.  It's about so much more than bragging rights, too.  For years, people have been saying that the Devils are on the verge of collapse, that their era of domination is coming to an end.  Yet year after year, the Devils are right there in the thick of things.  Now, however, the end may finally be near. 

Marty has managed to keep his team competitive for years now.  But Marty's clearly getting older.  Marty used to get into opponents heads even before the game started.  Not any more.  Marty can't do it alone anymore.  The problem for the Devils is that they don't really have the players necessary to help him.

What happens when the face of your franchise is on the decline?  Hopefully you have some young stars waiting in the wings who can step in and begin carrying the torch.  The Devils do not.  In fact, Hockey's Future ranks the Devil's a dreadful 28th out of 30 teams in the NHL with respect to the quality of the franchise's prospects  (FYI: the Rangers are ranked 8th).   

Option number two is to go the free agent route.  The problem for the Devils is that they're simply not a sought after destination for many of the league's top free agents.  The biggest bonus that Jersey had going for them was the winning culture that surrounded the franchise.  Certain athletes may have overlooked the less desirable aspects of playing hockey in New Jersey for a chance to win.  That winning culture seems likely to fade sooner rather than later.  Maybe even tonight.  So why would any top free agents choose New Jersey?  Money?  Probably not:  the salary cap prevents teams from blowing other bidders out of the water.  Top free agents will get very similar offers from all potential suitors.  Players will be making their selections based on the location of the club, the likelihood of success, etc...  Those criteria do not bode well for the dwindling Devils. 

A Rangers win tonight will be less noteworthy than a Devils' loss.  The Devils have much more at stake then just the chance to play another game in 2008.  This could be the end of an era.  Cap'n Lou surely recognizes his team's dilemma.  The players certainly realize it as well.  How dreadful it must be for them to recognize that the final nail in their franchise's coffin may very well be hammered in by the hated Blue Shirts.

Under normal circumstances the Devils' players never quit.  Under these circumstances, well....the team from Broadway better be ready for the fight of their lives because that's exactly what the Devils will be playing for.   

      

Game 4 In Review

The Rangers managed to win game 4 against the Devils last night.  There's a lot to talk about regarding the game and the series in general.  Here goes:

1.  Shades of Buffalo v. NYR ('07):  In last season's playoff loss to Buffalo, the Rangers had to play their A++ game in order to beat the Sabres.  Buffalo, on the other hand, managed to win while playing an A-/B+ game.  Simply stated, Buffalo was the superior team and the Rangers could not match Buffalo's depth.  I get the same sense this year versus Jersey.  The Devils have to give a 200% effort to compete with the Rangers.  The Rangers, however, have a commanding lead in this series despite not being able to play their "A" game for a full 60 minutes in any of the first four matches.  It's far from over, however, the Rangers are clearly the better and deeper team.  Most importantly, the Rangers have to bring their "A" game for a full 60 minutes if they want to compete for the Big Prize, otherwise the Rangers may advance another round but they're likely to meet the same fate as they '07 Sabres did after defeating the Rangers with their B+ work.   

2.  Brandon Dubinsky:  As well as all of the Rangers' "kids" have played thus far, Dubinsky has been the best of them.  The kid just keeps getting better.  He manages to create space for himself with the puck in the offensive zone and he's brilliant at establishing an offensive cycle.  This kid will be a special player in this league.  He may never put up huge offensive numbers, but he may very well continue to develop into a very solid all around big game performer. 

3.  Class is already out in Jersey:  It's not June yet, but apparently class is already out in Jersey!  Jersey's coach spent half his post game press conference talking about how his team handed the Rangers all five of their goals last night.  I guess Sutter never got the message that you make your own breaks in life.  Juxtapose Sutter's comments to those of Rangers' coach Tom Renney after game 3 where Renney said that (although the OT winning goal was clearly a fluke) the Devils made their breaks by keeping it simple and throwing the puck at the net. 

The other half of Sutter's press conference last night was spent making stupid (and desperate) threats of taking runs at Henrik Lundqvist in the next game.  And what's with Sutter complaining after virtually  every call that goes against his team?  Four and a half words for the Devils coach:  take it like a man!  The bottom line is that the Devils have not shown any respect for the Rangers off the ice.  They're either very foolish or very insecure. 

4.  The Officiating:  This should actually be item number 1 on the list.  The refs are horrible, plain and simple.  Bettman and Campbell had their panties caught in a bunch over the Sean Avery thing.  Maybe they need to spend more time fixing a real problem affecting the league.  When horrendous officiating is a major topic of discussion after a huge Rangers-Devils playoff game, something is seriously wrong.  We're not just talking about missed calls that may have prevented scoring chances (like last nights unpenalized trip against Scott Gomez that prevented an apparent breakaway, or the "phantom" hooking call against the Devils late in game 1) we're talking about a blatant non-call that directly lead to a goal relatively late in regulation which could have changed the nature of game 4 and of the entire series (i.e. goal 3 for the Devils scored last night despite the fact that Zach Parise clearly and intentionally interfered with Lundqvist on that play by knocking Lundqvist's stick out of his hand.)

5.  Maybe Sather Could Speak Up A Bit:  Renney has the Rangers in a strict "business as usual" mindset.  That's great and that's the way it should be.  In order to keep his players totally focused, the coach should not lose his cool over bad calls because it could distract his players.  Taking the high road makes sense for Rennney (although an occasional controlled outburst would be nice.  However, since it's just not his style, and there's nothing more destructive than trying to be someone that you're not, I'll give Renney a pass on this one).    

BUT, maybe just maybe, Glenn Sather can put down his cigar long enough to complain a little bit out loud or even call the league a la Cap'n Lou after game 1.  It seems to have worked for the Devils as the refs seem intimidated by the Devils' vociferous objections to the quality of the officiating.  Heck, even the league seems intimidated judging by their immediate and over blown reaction to Sean Avery's "screen" on Marty Brodeur.  I'm not suggesting that Sather make a mockery of himself or the league.  Sather has been around long enough to know how to get a message across in the appropriate manner.  Now let's see him do it.   

  6.  Marty, Marty, Marty:  I've said it once and I'll say it again, Marty is NOT the greatest goalie of all time.  Marty was extremely fortunate to play for the team that reintroduced the trap to the NHL.  Had Marty played for a more offensively oriented team his stats would have been much different.  He would have certainly been one of the best in recent history and one of the all time greats, but no one would be making any arguments about his status as the best ever. 

As far as stopping the puck goes, I'd take Richter over Brodeur any day.  What separates Marty from Richter (and many of the other top goalies in recent years) is (1) Marty's phenomenal puck handling ability (in that respect he may very well be the greates ever and (2) Marty's longevity (the guy's been playing 70+ games per year forever).  Those factors make him a great goalie, but not the greatest goalie.  And the proof is in the pudding:  once again Marty has let in "soft" goals in every game of this series. 

7.  Jagr:  They guy has been awesome.  His point totals don't tell the whole story.  They guy does his thing on virtually every shift and there's nothing Jersey has done or can do to stop him.  The most telling signs regarding Jagr are that (1) he's driving to the net with the puck; he's going to the front of the net without the puck and he's shooting the puck (TEN shots last night alone!).  The guy is doing what needs to be done for the team to have success.  I don't hear anyone calling Jagr a selfish prioblem child, do you? 

8.  Hank:  He's been great at times, not so great at other times.  The verdict:  he's been better than Brodeur thus far. 

9.  Drury:  He's been relatively quiet thus far.  But was anyone surprised to see his name on the score sheet in last night's pivotal game 4?  How does the guy do it?

10.  Give The Devils Their Due:  As much as I think the Devils are a classless and whining organ-eye-zation, you've got to give them a lot of respect for one thing:  their players just do not quit.  Every time the Rangers scored a goal last night the Devils came back hard.  Their players have definitely earned my respect.  The Rangers better learn from their rivals:  first, this series is NOT over and second the Ranger need to learn how to mimic the Devils work ethic and "never say die" attitude.      

    

Six Degrees Of Separation: Gretzky & Jagr

Gretzky was back in town.  Too bad the Rangers didn't show up to greet him!  Seeing the Great One got me thinking... about Jagr!  Here's what I mean:

Both Gretzky and Jagr are the greatest players ever from their respective countries (Canada and The Czech Republic).

Both Gretzky and Jagr have led the league in scoring (although Jagr's stats aren't even close).

Both Gretzky and Jagr have won awards.

Both Gretzky and Jagr have won Cups.

Gretzky was asked to carry the Rangers after The Captain left.  The Captain came back.  Jagr was asked to carry the Pens after Mario The Magnificent retired (the first time!).  Mario The Magnificent came back!

Gretzky played for the Rangers.  Jagr plays for the Rangers.

Gretzky retired as a Ranger.  Jagr probably will too.

Jagr scored the game winner in Gretzky's final NHL game.  At the Garden. 

When Gretzky played for New York, the team could never find suitable linemates for him.  Gretzky lobbied hard for Pavel Bure.  Bure ended up in Florida.

This season, the Rangers can't find a suitable centerman for Jagr.  Jagr was unbelievable with Michael Nylander.  Nylander signed with Edmonton Washington. 

Gretzky's lack of suitable linemates never really caused much of a distraction for the team. 

The End. 

 

A Penny For Your Thoughts...

It's good to get some time to write again!  I've been extremely busy at work, thank G-d.  Anyway, just a few thoughts from the last few weeks.

1.  Sean Avery.  For those of us, myself included, who argued against Avery's off-season antics, there is no denying his mid-season value.  The Rangers are a different team when Avery is in the lineup.  If the guy can manage to stay out of his own way, he may very well have found a long term home in New York. 

2.  Henrik Lundqvist.  We knew that he would have to carry the team early.  We didn't know he'd have to single handedly carry them!  Lundqvist has been extraordinary for much of the season.  That's good news for the Rangers.  The bad news is that when he's been human, the Rangers have lost.

3.  0ffense.  I actually spelled it with a zero, not an "o"!  Need I say more? 

4.  Marc Staal.  Wow!  The kid is incredible.  The kid plays like a veteran.  A good veteran!  I think he's the best defenseman on the team.  I can't even imagine how good he's going to be once he fills out a little bit and gains some more experience. 

5.  Brandon Dubinsky.  Another wow!  In the off-season, I wanted the Rangers to sign Peca.  I'm thrilled that they didn't!  Dubinsky is an excellent hockey player.  He's got great hands, excellent instincts, great size and phenomenal fore-checking ability. 

6.  The 4th Line.  Kudos to Tom Renney & Co.  They managed to turn these guys into a reliable line.  Betts, Hollweg and Orr have earned the Coaches trust.  These guys have effectively reduced the amount of time that older players like Jagr, Shanny and Straka have to play.  That should pay some dividends as the season progresses.  It also forces opponents to play their fourth lines or run the risk of getting tired as games near their end. 

7.  Tom Renney.  After reading item #6, you might be surprised by what I'm about to write.  I don't think Renney is the right guy for the job.  He's too nice and he's too soft on his players.  He was the perfect coach to help the franchise turn the corner towards becoming a playoff club.  I don't think, however, that he's got what it takes to lead the team to real and meaningful success. 

Renney is the ultimate "player's coach".  He understands each players unique strengths and weaknesses and he tries, to the best of his ability, to put each player in their optimal circumstances.  He protects his players from the media and from public scrutiny in general.  He is careful not to bruise the delicate egos of his athletes, especially those of his super-stars.  Don't get me wrong, these are all virtues and admirable ones at that. 

So what's the problem?  The Rangers (like most if not all other teams) suffer from mental lapses.  They'll play exceptionally well for significant stretches of time and then they'll abandon the things that made them successful.  In response, Renney plays the role of the exceedingly patient, loving and all knowing Daddy.  He believes in his kids and knows that eventually they'll learn from their mistakes.  He doesn't punish them, he doesn't even lose his cool and he will certainly NEVER "call out" his older boys for setting bad examples for their younger siblings. 

The truth is that over the long haul, that approach probably makes the most sense.  Especially with the Rangers.  They are, after all, a veteran club with very capable leaders in the locker room.  They are a mature and proud bunch who will, if given the time, correct their own mistakes without the need for loud reminders. 

So again, what's the problem?  Time.  Sports are a microcosm of life, yet they are different.  In life, you have a lifetime to find yourself (which G-d willing means a very happy long time!).  In sports you don't.  You have a relatively short regular season and an even shorter playoff tournament.  If the Rangers get derailed when it counts, they will not have three or four games to "find themselves".  They'll be playing golf by then! 

G-d gave us two hands.  Jewish mysticism (also known as Kaballah) teaches that the right hand represents kindness while the left represents severity.  We have been given both of them for a reason.  Sometimes you have to be kind and patient.  Other times you have to crack the whip.  Renney is a very powerful "righty".  Most great coaches are ambidextrous!            

RANGERS LOSE, ISLES ARE LOSERS!

Admittedly, I missed most of last night's Rangers-Islanders game.  I only managed to catch the last 10 minutes of the game.

As I sat there watching those few minutes I was more then a little frustrated and angry.  On the one hand, you can't expect any team to win every game.  The Rangers had won four in a row.  They were playing their second game in as many nights.  Lundqvist has been super human and you can't expect that every night.

On the other hand, they were playing the Isles.  This team should be able to show up against the Isles no matter how tired they are.  If a game against their most bitter rivals doesn't get their adrenaline flowing, then there's an issue!  I sat there imagining the excuses Renney would probably make for his players after the game and it frustrated me.

Most of all, there was no escaping the fact that if Lundqvist doesn't stop everything, the Rangers still can't win.  That's a problem.  A huge problem. 

Then the final buzzer sounded.  My concern turned to anger as I imagined the joy my friend thedirtyboy (an Isles fan) was probably feeling as his beloved farm team accomplished the Long Island equivalent of winning the Cup. 

But then it happened.  The anger and frustration instantly subsided.  Instead all I felt was a strange and satisfying sense of pity for the icelanders.  What caused this massive emotional shift?  I watched as the hopelessly overshadowed icelanders lined up along their blue line and raised their sticks in victory to salute the crowd (which was almost half filled with icelander fans!).

Where have I seen that before?  Oh yeah! The Rangers started that trend.  Who would have ever thought that the Isles would shamelessly copy the Rangers?!?!  Oh but wait, the Isles are really being original.  You see, the Rangers line up at center ice while the Isles do something totally different and original by lining up along their blue line!!!  That was such a pathetic display of "Ranger Envy" that I couldn't even be angry about the loss.  I actually felt badly for the Isles.  They're so pathetically shameless.  Losers!