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?!?!

   

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!                  

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! 

RANGERS STRIKE LIGHTNING!

Make no mistake, last night's victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning was important.  The Lightning are not one of the league's better teams.  Nor was this a "measuring stick" game.  However, there were some very important "events" in this game:

1.  The Goals:  The Rangers managed to score three (3) goals!  That, in and of itself, is an important accomplishment for this team!  Even more importantly, however, is how the team scored its goals.  The first goal came courtesy of a Nigel Dawes deflection.  The second goal was the result of a shot (gasp!) from the point by Jagr which found its way to the net courtesy of the traffic generated in front of Tampa's goalie as a result of Shanny crashing the net.  The third goal was scored by Shanny setting up shop directly in front of the net with his stick on the ice.  Simple, fundamental hockey. 

2.  Jaromir Jagr:  In my last post, I referred to Jagr as the captain (lower case "c").  Last night, Jagr played like a Captain.  He drove to the net.  He kept his feet moving.  He shot the puck.  He scored a power play goal off of a slap shot from the point (really!)  Most importantly, he literally got his teeth knocked out and managed to finish the game with a two point first star performance.  Like I said, he played like a Captain. 

3.  Nigel Dawes:  In my season preview, I wrote about the need for someone other than the big guns to step up for the Rangers.  It's only been a few games but Dawes looks like he could be that player this season.  Admittedly, I've been slow to warm up to this kid.  However, Dawes is absolutely earning respect and praise with the way he's been playing.  The kid can skate, pass, shoot and even hit!  If Dawes continues to perform, Renney will have some very difficult decisions to make when Avery, Straka and Callahan are ready to get back into the line up. 

It was only one game.  It may be the beginning.             

Time For Tom To Wake Up

The Rangers didn't break down tonight.  Ottawa broke through.  There's a BIG difference.  Sure it's early in the season.  Sure there are a lot of positives to take out of tonight's game.  But those things can't be used as excuses for the Coach.  The bottom line is that it's Renney's job to give his team its best chance to win every night.  Thus far, Renney hasn't done that.  Renney is annoyingly stubborn when it comes to certain players.  Most notably, Malik and Hossa.  Keenan used to have a thing for certain players as well.  Remember guys like Doug Lidster and Brian Noonan?!?!  At least those guys didn't hurt the team.  Renney's use (or should I say gross over use) of Malik and Hossa is hurting the team. 

Malik shouldn't be in the lineup.  Period.  He contributed to two of Ottawa's three explosive goals.  These were the latest in a long list of Malik inspired debacles stretching back to last season.  The Rangers can no longer afford to waste a roster spot and $2.5m in cap space on Malik.  Malik MUST be traded or waived.  At the very least, it would be addition by subtraction.

Then there's Hossa.  This one is really starting to bother me.  I can see why Renney's intrigued by the kid.  He does have a tremendous combination of size and skill.  He does have a super-star brother.  But so what?  He clearly can't put it all together.  Any player who only plays inspired hockey while playing on the top line does not deserve a roster spot.  That kind of an attitude shows an utter lack of professionalism.  It's disrespectful to his other teammates, it's disrespectful to the organ-eye-zation, and worst of all it's disrespectful to the fans. 

If the Rangers had no other options, I could understand the need to continue to dress Hossa.  However, the Rangers do have other options.  In fact, continuing to play Hossa on the top line is actually hurting the team.  Prucha should get that spot.  The Rangers desperately need a finisher on their top lines.  Prucha is the closest thing the Rangers have to a pure goal scorer.  You would think that with Avery out of the lineup, Prucha would move up the depth chart and get a shot on one of the top two lines.  You'd be wrong!  Not with Tom Renney running the bench.  In the third period of tonight's game, Prucha got half a shift with Gomez and Jagr.  Not only did he almost score, he helped draw a power play that ultimately led to a 5 on 3 advantage for the Blueshirts.  In half a shift with the top line, Prucha accomplished more than Hossa has all season!  Did Renney take notice?  Did he give Prucha another shift with the big boys?  Nope. 

There's a fine line between patience and stubbornness.  There's an even finer line between stubbornness and stupidity.  It's time for Tom to wake up and stop being so stubborn stupid.         

Here We Go!

The regular season starts tomorrow night!  Unfortunately for me, it's a Jewish holiday so I will not be able to watch the game. 

The hockey world is filled with previews and predictions.  There's not much to add in those categories.  Besides, making predictions is really more for entertainment than anything else.  Especially in the new NHL where parity reigns supreme.  The truth is that there really isn't a team in the league that's dominant from top to bottom.  Many teams have overwhelming strengths.  Yet they all have fairly significant weaknesses as well.  Ultimately, the last team standing in June of 2008 will be determined primarily by hot goaltending and good health as opposed to any other factor(s).  That being said, I've prepared my top five lists.  I've got two lists for you here:  (1) The Top Five Reasons Why The Rangers Will Win The Stanley Cup This Season and (2) The Top Five Reasons Why The Rangers Will Not Win The Stanley Cup This Season.  Here we go!

I.  THE TOP FIVE REASONS WHYTHE RANGERS WILL WIN THE STANLEY CUP THIS SEASON:

1.  Offense.  This team is stacked up front.  The Rangers are quite possibly the deepest offensive team in the league.  Jagr, Gomez, Drury, Shanahan, Straka, Avery and Prucha.  That list doesn't even include Marcel Hossa (who came alive late last season) or the up and coming rookie Nigel Dawes (who may very well get a shot with the big club this season).  The Rangers have scorers on each of their top three lines. 

2.  Henrik Lundqvist.  He's the King on Broadway.  After a slow start last season he really came alive to carry the team through their unbelievable run down the stretch.  He gives the team the confidence it needs to play an offensively oriented game.  When he's hot he gets into shooters' heads forcing them to try to pick their spots carefully, too carefully!

3.  Jaromir Jagr.  Yes he fits into reason number 1 (offense).  But Jagr is literally in a category of his own!  He's an old school super star who can literally change the course of a game (or a series) by himself.  To me Jagr is the Rangers' nuclear weapon.  His skill and game breaking ability are virtually unparalleled.  If opponents don't match up against him, he'll break the game open.  If they do match up against him, they'll be forced to pay less attention to the team's other stars.  A no loose situation for the Rangers!  Most importantly, he's in great shape and appears to be determined to win it all. 

4.  Transition/Speed.  This team can fly.  Period.  Of the top 9 forwards, 7 of them have serious wheels:  Jagr, Drury, Straka, Gomez, Prucha, Callahan and Avery.  As weak as the defense is, Roszival, Mara, Tyutin, Pock and Staal all have respectable mobility.  They can all make outlet passes as well.  We're obviously not going to have flashbacks of Leetch and Zubov, however, this team should be able to get down the ice in a hurry.

5.  Grit.  The Rangers are not what you would call a big bruising team.  Nonetheless, they do possess a handsome serving of team grit.  Avery loves the rough stuff.  Drury plays a fearless in your face style.  Shanny's big and strong (albeit slow!) and he's earned high marks for dropping the gloves in the preseason to stand up for teammates.  Jagr may not be tough but he's absolutely huge.  Trying to get body position on him will wear out even the biggest and strongest opponents.  Prucha and Callahan are fearless cannonballs.  Dubinsky is a big strong physical presence.  Even Gomez has good size (5'11" 200lbs.) and is used to playing Atlantic division hockey.  Hollweg is a physical presence.  Betts is a gritty player and Colton Orr is a legitimate heavyweight.  On defense, Roszival and Tyutin played like warriors down the stretch.  Although neither is overly physical, they both have good size and know how to use their bodies.  Strudwick is a tough player.  Staal has good size (although he is young and has some filling out to do) and he seems to be proficient at playing the angles well.  Malik has great size... forget it!   The bottom line is that although no one will mistake this team for the old Broad Street Bullies, the Broadway Blueshirts can handle the physical demands of a long and grueling Stanley Cup tournament.      

II.  THE TOP FIVE REASONS WHY THE RANGERS WILL NOT WIN THE STANLEY CUP THIS SEASON:

1.  CHEMISTRY, CHEMISTRY, CHEMISTRY.  The Rangers' opening night roster will apparently feature up to 10 new players who were not on the opening night roster last season.  That's a huge turnover.  An adjustment period seems inevitable.  If that happens, it's not outside the realm of possibility for the Rangers to find themselves in the same boat they were in last season: being forced to play playoff hockey in February just to qualify for the posteason.  The Rangers' offense is their strength, yet we don't even know if the forwards will form a cohesive unit.  The Gomez-Jagr experiment has already been put on the back burner (for now) and the season hasn't even started!  Chemistry makes the Rangers' offense a double edged sword: it could turn out to be tops in the league or it could wind up being far less then the sum of its (very significant) parts. 

2.  Defense.  Enough said!

3.  #2 Goalie.  Right now there is none.  At least not an NHLer.  Even though Lundqvist is expected to play the lion's share of games, it is very important to have a reliable back up.  It's one thing to play 70 games a season because you are an elite goaltender who can and should carry that kind of a load.  It's a very different thing to play 70 games in a season in part because there is no adequate back up.  The latter creates a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure.  Goaltending is already the most psychologically grueling position in the sport, Hank doesn't need any extra adversity. 

4.  The "Kid" Line.  The 3rd line for the Rangers could turn out to be the energetic, cycling and responsible line that this team desperately needs it to be.  Or......  Dubinsky may prove ill suited to handle the pressure of anchoring an important line for a contending team in his rookie season.  Callahan was impressive down the stretch, but he's also a rookie having played a grand total of 24 NHL games in his career (regular season and playoffs combined).  2/3's of the Rangers' kid line has a grand total of 30 games of NHL experience between them (regular season and playoffs combined).  Then there's the Prucha factor: he looks ready to break out.  Is it in his best interests to be lined up with two gritty rookies rather then on a more offensively oriented line?  Prucha had great chemistry with Jagr as a rookie.  Why not put him on Jagr's left and move Straka to the left of Dubinsky?  The Rangers don't really have a pure goal scorer in the prime of his career right now.  Prucha could be that guy.  But will he be while playing with Dubinsky and Callahan?  Like I said, the 3rd line for the Rangers could turn out to be the energetic, cycling and responsible line that this team desperately needs it to be.  Or...... 

5.  Specialty Teams/Flow.  Another double edged sword for the Rangers.  On paper, the specialty teams look to be pretty impressive.  However, could this be a case of relying on too few players to do too many things?  Drury will get significant time on the power play, penalty kill and even strength.  Ditto for Shanny. Ditto for Avery.  Ditto for Straka.  Maybe even a ditto for Gomez.  In fact, Blair Betts seems to be the only player who will not be asked to "do it all".  In the "New NHL" a lot of time is spent on special teams play.  If many of the teams top players on on the ice killing penalties, who does Renney send out for that very important first even strength shift? Jagr will be rested, but Straka and Drury won't be.  Gomez may be rested but Shanny and Avery won't be.  Renney will be forced to mix and match his lines which hurts the teams' flow.  The same thing will happen after power plays.  Apparently, Renney has recognized this potential problem and has decided to keep his top two lines primarily intact for power plays.  That will make it easier for him (although certainly not easy) to continue rolling his lines after the power play is over.  You might think that I'm being hyper sensitive here, but these little things make a big difference in a long season and an even longer (in some respects!) playoff tournament.      

It should be a great season in New York.  Here we go!                

Someone's Got To Step Up

We all know that two of the biggest keys for the Rangers' upcoming season are goaltending and chemistry.  Lundqvist has to continue to stand on his head.  Not just because goaltenders are the most important players for any team (especially in the playoffs).  Not just because the Rangers' defense is thin and Lundqvist will have to erase their inevitable mistakes.  But also because the Rangers will probably experience some serious growing pains throughout the season as their new faces struggle to adjust.  Lundqvist will be called upon to keep the ship afloat during those periods. 

The other obvious key to the season is team chemistry.  If the team can adjust and come together quickly, it should be a great season on Broadway.  If not, well...... 

There is, however, a third key:  Someone's got to step up.  I'm not talking about Lundqvist, Jagr, Gomez or Drury.  Those players are expected to step up.  They must step up or the Rangers' will not have serious success.  I'm talking about a "surprise" performance. 

Two seasons ago the Rangers surprised the hockey world by qualifying for the playoffs.  Obviously Jagr was a huge reason for their success. The other main ingredient that season was a "surprise" performance by a young goalie named Henrik Lundqvist.  Let's not forget the 30 goal outburst from a relatively unheralded rookie named Petr Prucha.  How about the high energy, high octane performance from the HMO line (Hollweg, Moore and Ortmeyer) that came as a very pleasant "surprise".  Two seasons ago, Jagr was phenomenal.  He gets paid to do that!  Ditto for Straka and Nylander.  The "surprise" performances, however, were vital in putting the Rangers over the top. 

Let's take a look at last season.  The big two (Jagr and Lundqvist) started slowly.  Not surprisingly the Rangers floundered.  Then Sather pulls the trigger and acquires the controversial Sean Avery.  People expected Avery to add some much needed grit and attitude.  No one expected the "surprise" performance that followed.   Remember Jagr's quote echoed shortly after the Avery trade, "We need more than Sean Avery right now".  That pretty much summed up the league's sentiment on Avery's worth.  No one expected Avery to totally re-energize the club the way he did.  In hindsight, however, it was Avery's "surprise" performance that helped propel the Rangers into the playoffs.  On a much smaller scale the Rangers' also got a "surprise" performance from Ryan Callahan.  His determined play allowed Renney to ice a highly competitive and energetic third line of Prucha, Cullen and Callahan.

So like I said, someone's got to step up this season.  We all know that the top players must perform in order for this team to succeed.  There's just no getting around that.  However, we also need a pleasant "surprise" or two (or three!).  So here's my list of the potential unsung "surprise" heroes to watch for this season:

1.  Petr Prucha.  I love this kid.  He's skilled, gritty and fearless.  If Prucha can breakout with a 30 something goal performance (not at all unreasonable), he'll add tremendous balance to the Rangers' forward lines.  The stumbling block for Prucha will be ice time.  Prucha doesn't seem to be a favorite of Renney's.  If he gets buried on the third line without meaningful power play minutes it will be hard for him to produce.  If he gets stuck with a rookie centerman like Dubinsky, it'll be even harder to produce! 

2.  Marcel Hossa.  He's not one of my favorites.  There's even some talk of him possibly not making the team!  However, it's hard to ignore his combination of size, strength and skill.  More importantly, Renney seems to really believe in this kid.  For whatever reason, he'll probably get more of an opportunity to shine than Prucha.  If Hossa responds with a 25-30 goal performance, he may well be the Rangers' "surprise" contributor this season.   

3.  Marc Staal.  I didn't get to watch him play much thus far (a bunch of the pre-season games fell out during Jewish holidays).  However, the people that did get to see him play are saying good things.  Defense is a tough position to learn and in a perfect world, Staal would get a chance to shine in Hartford before making the jump to Broadway.  This is NOT a perfect world and the Rangers' blue line is very far from perfect.  So it looks like Staal will at least start the season in New York.  If this kid steps up he could provide much needed talent and stability to the Rangers Achilles heel.   

4.  Blair Betts.  No that's not a typo!  Everyone has Betts cemented into the role of fourth line center.  The Rangers' line combinations are definitely a work in progress.  It wouldn't shock me to see Betts work his way to the third line.  He plays hard, he skates fairly well and he's not at all lost in the offensive zone.  Admittedly, this is not plan "A" for the Rangers third line.  However, don't discount the possibility of Betts stepping up and solidifying the third line. 

5.  Nigel Dawes.  Dawes may not survive the final cuts which should be announced soon.  I was unimpressed by what I saw of him thus far (although admittedly, I didn't see much!)  He seems to get knocked off the puck too easily.  That being said, there's no denying that he's got the skill and determination to succeed.  If the Rangers can figure out a way to get him some quality minutes he could be this years pleasant "surprise". 

6.  Brandon Dubinsky.  As of now (with the final cuts not yet being announced), Dubinsky looks to have the inside track as the team's third line center.  I like the kid.  He's big and strong and not afraid to mix it up.  Personally, I wouldn't give him the job though.  The Rangers need a quality, reliable third line center.  First, the team will already rely too heavily on its top two lines, those guys need a rest from time to time.  In order to give them that rest, the team needs a solid third line.  Second, Prucha and Callahan look to be on the verge of break out years.  Is it fair to either player to saddle them with a rookie centerman not known for his offensive capability?  Don't get me wrong, I like Dubinsky.  He's my kind of player.  However, I'm not sure that the timing is right.  Nonetheless, if given the opportunity I hope he can "surprise" me. 

It should be a great season on Broadway.  Especially if someone unexpected can step it up.             

            

You Can't Hurry Love

Did you ever try to set someone up on a date?  You have this buddy that's single and your wife or girlfriend has a friend that's also single and you think that they'd be perfect for each other.  You know the drill, you have your wife/girlfriend call her friend while you call your buddy.  You tell your buddy how perfect this girl is for him and your wife/girlfriend does the same on her end.  Everyone's all excited, your friends agree to exchange numbers and ultimately they go out on their date.  Nine out of ten times it just doesn't work!  Maybe their expectations were too high after getting hyped up about the "perfect" date.  Maybe there's a bit too much pressure knowing that all of their friends will be waiting to hear about how things went.  Maybe the atmosphere is just too artificial and too planned.  Maybe it's all of the above! 

Then there's this scenario: You've got a buddy that's single.  Your wife/girlfriend has a friend that's also single.  Once again, you think that they'd be perfect for each other.  So you plan a night out with a bunch of your friends.  You invite a bunch of friends including your single friend and your wife/girlfriend's single friend.  You might make casual reference to your single friends that there's going to be someone there that you'd like them to meet.  Or maybe you don't say anything at all.  You get the two of them together in a nice relaxed atmosphere with no preconceived notions or expectations.  They're each just part of a larger group that's gone out for a night of fun.  At some point in the night, they talk to each other.  No pressure, no expectations, just some conversation.  Maybe sparks fly, maybe they don't.  The bottom line is that you just let the chips fall where they may.  Even if sparks don't fly right off the bat, if they've made a pleasant impression on each other there's nothing stopping you from suggesting that they go out at some later date.  They've already met, they've already gotten to know each other a bit and all of a sudden it's not a "blind date" anymore.  Not surprisingly, this second scenario has a much higher success rate!  We probably all know of someone who has met their significant other on a group outing. 

By now you're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about?!?!  Isn't it somewhat obvious?  I'm talking about the Rangers' line combinations!  Conventional wisdom says that Gomez will start with Jagr and Drury will start with Avery and Shanny.  Up until today, I've agreed with those combinations.  But over lunch today it hit me: you can't hurry love! 

Here's my proposal:  Let's not force Jagr and Gomez into a relationship!  Moreover, let's not even allow them to "date"right away!  Instead, let's start the season playing Jagr with some of his old running mates.  Here's what I propose:

Hossa- Straka- Jagr

Avery- Gomez- Shanny

Prucha- Drury- Callahan

We know from past experience that Jagr will be able to function with Straka and Hossa.  That line may not be as effective as the Jagr-Nylander combo was, but it will be functional.  More importantly, there will be no unnecessary pressure on the first line to try to manufacture instant chemistry. 

Starting Gomez on the second line will allow him to be the puck carrier and play maker he has always been.  More importantly, lining Gomez with Shanny and Avery will create much less pressure on Gomez to immediately manufacture chemistry.  He won't have the pressure and the expectations of having to immediately mesh with #68.  The guy will have enough on his plate early on as he adjusts to life in the Big Apple.

Drury with Prucha and Callahan could be a blessing in disguise.  On the one hand, you'd like to try to keep your top players on the top two lines in order to maximize each players ice time.  On the other hand, Drury's high energy and high intensity game might blend very well with young, hungry, gritty and skilled players (especially Prucha). 

By setting the lines this way, Renney would be taking a lot of the pressure off of his players to deliver instant success.  Ultimately, the best thing for the team would be for either Gomez or Drury to click with Jagr.  However, with so many early season adjustments in store for this team, is it really necessary to hurry things?  There will be plenty of opportunities as the season progresses to get Gomez and Jagr together.  Perhaps they can start their "relationship" on the power play.  Inevitably, the Rangers will have to juggle lines during the course of a game.  Maybe Drury and Straka will be exhausted after long penalty kills necessitating a quick shift for Jagr and Gomez.  Perhaps a player will go down with an injury and Jagr and Gomez will have to hit the ice together.  Eventually, they'll have a good shift together and progress as a line in a more natural and less forced manner.

The regular season is a funny thing.  On the one hand it sometimes seems unnecessarily long.  On the other hand it can get late very early with a bad start.  The line combinations that I propose minimize the "getting to know you" stage as much as possible.  The worst thing that can happen to this club would be for it to stumble badly out of the gate.  The Rangers have nothing to loose by bringing Jagr and Gomez together slowly.  On the other hand, a forced relationship that gets off to a rocky start could have more long lasting and disastrous consequences.

Make no mistake, this is not a reaction to the embarrassing Philly loss.  It's certainly not a case of pushing the "panic button".  It's simply a recognition that you can't hurry love!  Let me know how you'd like to see Renney line 'em up.                     

Lundqvist Holds Key To The City

Unfortunately, I didn't get to watch the Rangers' first two pre-season games as they fell out at the very beginning and the very end of one of Judaism's holiest days of the year: Yom Kippur.  From what I've read, however, it doesn't seem as though I missed much.  Especially not in the second game against Philly! 

Not surprisingly, whatever chemistry Gomez and Jagr seemed to develop at the practice rink didn't translate onto the ice during their exhibition match versus Philly.  Obviously it's extremely early in the season and their is absolutely no cause for concern...yet!  Expecting instant game chemistry between offensive minded skilled forwards is unrealistic.  That's especially true in the pre-season when players are still working through their off-season rust. 

That being said, there's also no denying that it may take some time for the Rangers' to develop chemistry and the all important team identity.  The Rangers' underwent a major overhaul this summer.  That's a lot for any team to adjust to.  How much more so for a team like the Rangers that is first learning how to win again after nearly a decade in the abyss. 

That's why Lundqvist may very well be the most important player heading into the season:  If he plays well he'll keep the team in  most games as they struggle to adjust to one another and their own individual roles.  With the amount of individual talent this team has, they'll be able to score some opportunistic goals here and there in order to win some games that they should have lost based on their play.  If Lundqvist plays well he can help "steal" some of these games for his teammates as they struggle through their adjustment phase.  Those "stolen" points will prove crucial down the stretch.

On the other hand, if Lundqvist starts slowly (as he did last season) the Rangers' may very well need to start playing playoff hockey in February just to qualify for the postseason. 

Goaltending has long been considered the most important position in hockey.  For this years Rangers that may surely hold true. Many people have felt that Lundqvist would have to stand on his head to mask the team's porous defense.  That's probably true.  Now, however, Lundqvist may have to stand on his head for another reason as well: to give his teammates some breathing room as they adjust to their new roles. 

Perhaps management was wise in not spending what little extra money the team has on Michael Peca.  Perhaps Slats & Co. should consider spending that money on a quality back-up to give Hank a little break here and there.  Let's not even talk about having an insurance policy in case of a .....(gulp!) injury to Lundqvist!