Message Sent

It's not a good idea to piss off John Tortorella.

After playing 20 minutes of uninspired hockey in Nashville, the New York Rangers found out why.

Trailing 2-1 after one period, and with his team managing only 6 measly shots on net, Tortorella ripped into his new team in the locker-room for the very first time, but certainly not the last. JT called for accountability. He called for effort. And he called for it immediately. 

While exactly what he said to his players between periods remains a mystery, the result of the reported tirade was an energized, enthusiastic Ranger squad- one that looked like a playoff team.

The Blueshirts propelled 17 shots on net in the 2nd frame, a period in which they controlled the puck, dictated the pace, and took the lead back into their hands for good. 

Other than the fear of Tort's wrath, what was the difference between that first Ranger squad, and the group that hit the ice for the 2nd period?

The answer to that question- in a word- is AGGRESSIVENESS.

The "losers" that were on the ice at the culmination of the National Anthem were a passive bunch. They allowed a quick Nashville team sufficient ice with which to clear their own zone and gain speed. The defense backed themselves all the way into Henrik Lundqvist's grill. Nobody threw body checks. Everybody took LAZY penalties (cough Naslund cough). They showed no determination and had no sense of urgency.

Then they got an earful. 

New York came out from the doldrums to play 40 minutes of solid, aggressive, in-your-face hockey. The forecheck was tenacious, the defense stifling, and the shots were plentiful. We saw a hard-working, confident hockey team on the ice for the last 2/3 of that game.

The results on the scoreboard speak for themselves.

After an inauspicious start that would have seen the Rangers-of-three-weeks-ago implode, this group pulled it together, and picked up an important two points. 

In Torts We Trust.

GAME NOTES

- For the 3rd time in 4 games the Rangers have scored 4 or more goals. The Rangers are 28-3-2 when they score 3 or more goals this season. This is not a coincidence when Henrik Lundqvist is your goaltender.

-Speaking of The King, with this win Hank became the 1st goalie in NHL history to start his career with 4 consecutive 30-win seasons! (Granted a number of those have come via the shootout... including 8 of his 30 W's this season). Nonetheless a hell of an accomplishment!

NOTE: He is the 2nd Rangers goalie to record 4 consecutive 30-win seasons at any point in his career (ED GIACOMIN).

- This is a very important place in time for Nikolai Zherdev, who did not see the ice AT ALL in the final 40 minutes of the game in Nashville. Tortorella benched the Ukrainian after Z's risky stick-handling became a defensive-zone turnover, and wound up in his own net. Zherdev, who did record a first period assist, can go in either of two very different directions at this point. He could use his benching as motivation, learn his lesson, and grow as a player and person from here. OR he may mope about his lack of ice time, get on Tort's bad side, and his play will suffer because of it (as happens to many European players). Nik is also a free agent at season's end- so if he chooses the latter, this could mean goodbye after just one season.

- Sean Avery has been the Rangers best skater since his arrival 4 games ago. JT has rewarded Sean's hard work with a spot on the 1st line, and even some Power Play time. Avery's antics and irritating style are an important part of his game, but when he produces points on top of all that... GOD is he good. He's been great on the forecheck, and I love how he goes to the net. He fits into Tortorella's system perfectly.

- The player whose 1st line spot was taken by Sean Avery was none-other than Markus Naslund. The wear and tear of the long season has clearly taken it's toll on Nazzy's legs, and apparently his scoring touch. Still, it's one thing to disappear from the scoresheet, it's another to hurt your team with stupid penalties because you're getting caught flat-footed. His demotion to the 3rd line is part of the accountability we see Tortorella taking with his players.

- Dan Girardi has clearly struggled mightily of late, but after kicking the Preds' 2nd goal into his own net, Danny settled down. Girardi is at his best when he simplifies his game and just does his job.

-I appreciate Torts listening to my suggestion of separating the defensive pair of Rozsival and Redden. Thank God.

- The jury is still out on Derek Morris. Is he doing a good job? Is he doing any more than Dimitri Kalinin was? I don't know yet. He's been awfully quiet... but steady.

-Marc Staal is officially the Rangers' best defenseman. And he should be patrolling the blue-line at MSG for a LONG time.

- The player who has benefitted most from Tortorella's system? Scott Gomez. As previously mentioned, Gomez now has the free reign to use his speed deep in the offensive zone to create chances- a threat that was under-utilized in Tom Renney's defense-first scheme. Gomer now leads the Rangers in points this season after a really terrible start to the year.

- I have been critical of the 4th line and the amount of playing time they've received in the past, but I have never denied the fact that Blair Betts and Fredrik Sjostrom are the best penalty killers in the entire league. Not only were they stellar ONCE AGAIN 4-on-5, but the Shorthanded goal they combined to score was a thing of beauty, and the timing of it was so incredibly important in putting the Predators away for good. 

And just like THAT, with a win and a few rivals losing some of their games, the New York Rangers are right back in the top 8 in the Eastern Conference. They sit in 7th place, just two points out of the 5th spot, but merely one point ahead of 9th. There will be much more juggling and flippy-flopping in the standings as the final 14 games of the regular season come to an end. 

The Philadelphia Flyers sit just 4 points ahead of the Rangers in the East (with 2 games in-hand). The upcoming home-and-home series between the teams is sure to be an all-out war. 

Stay Tuned.

-Rif

Take A Deep Breath

After an uninspiring loss like the one suffered tonight against the up-swinging Carolina Hurricanes, it is easy to feel disheartened and pessimistic about the Rangers' chances of getting into the post-season. After all, it is these very Hurricanes whom the Blueshirts are battling for the remaining playoff spots.

After falling out of the top 8 in the Eastern Conference, it is easy to foresee this team never regaining a position that would grant them a ticket for a post-season trip.

And after such a frustrating defeat, it is easy to forget a spirited and hard-fought win against Boston the previous evening. 

The Rangers played about a period and a half of strong, hard-skating hockey tonight, before the effects of last night's tilt began to weigh in on NYR skaters. At that point, legs became weary, strides shorter, hits fewer, and shots invisible. 

Tortorella's club simply ran out of gas against a fast, hard-working Carolina team. 

I'll go further into that in the GAME NOTES which will follow shortly..

Now if you look to the right of this column... go ahead and look... you will see the current Eastern Conference standings, where the Rangers currently sit 9th (AKA the first team out).

While first glance at that chart is very depressing, one must look deeper into the numbers to see the whole truth.

The Rangers have 15 games remaining. Of those 15 games, 11 are against teams that currently sit ahead of them in the standings. 9 of THOSE are against the five teams whom they have a chance of catching in the East (including 4 games vs PHI , 2 vs MON, 1 vs CAR, 1 vs BUF, 1 vs PIT).

While so many games against tough opponents may be concerning to some fans, the fact is that the Rangers' schedule could not be better for a team who is chasing a playoff spot this season.

First of all, head-to-head games against said teams provide NYR with an opportunity to not only gain points in the standings, but prevent their opponents from attaining those same points. These are known as "4-point games".

Most importantly, if the Rangers can not deal with (WIN) their difficult remaining schedule, they do not belong in the Cup Chase to begin with. These are the very teams whom the Blueshirts will have to face and defeat in order to sip from Lord Stanley's Cup. If they can't beat these teams NOW, they certainly won't do so in a seven game series. 

There will be no sneaking into the post-season for New York this year- They will have to earn their place. The fact is that the fate of the Rangers' season remains in their own hands. 

They just have to win.

I figure a 7-4-4 record through the final 15 games (which would put the Rangers at 94 points) should be sufficient to achieve a post-season birth.

 

Now being a Ranger fan in these deciding days is not going to be easy. Knowing this team, it is going to be a very bumpy ride one way or the other. 

True Blue Ranger fans tend to ride so high on each win, and crash and burn so hard with each loss. With the standings as tight as they are, it is just too early to bank a season on any ONE game. Even with just fifteen games remaining in the season, SO MUCH can happen to alter the shape of the standings. 

So buckle up Garden Faithful, it's going to be a hell of a ride.

GAME NOTES 

(Some Boston, Some Carolina)

In Boston...

- Bruin's goalie Manny Fernandez was flat out brutal. 3 of the 4 Blueshirt goals Sunday afternoon were a direct result of Manny's inability to be a good goaltender. Having said that, it was very encouraging to see that the Rangers noticed this, and thus fired pucks from all angles at the Bruin cage. Overall though, if the Rangers were playing against a goalie who doesn't wet the bed, they may well have lost that game.

-Scratch that. The Rangers almost lost that game ANYWAY. If Henrik Lundqvist wasn't as ridiculous of a goaltender as he is good looking, the Blueshirts would have been in big trouble. The King made big stops on numerous Bruin break-ins while the game was hanging in the balance. I don't care if I say it during every game wrap- Henrik Lundqvist is the best goalie in the world.

- The Rangers' forecheck was impeccable... for two periods. At that point, NYR ran out of gas, and thus Boston was able to dictate most of the play in the final frame. Still, for two periods, Ranger hustle and execution was a pleasure to watch.

- The Ranger PP looked fresh and good. Notice the movement with AND AWAY from the puck, and the quick shots propelled toward the net. This is how you score on the Power Play, and the Blueshirts did so.

-Why do the Rangers suck so badly 4-on-4??

- Sean Avery is home. Anybody else notice Avery become a little emotional on the bench while hearing his name cheered at MSG after his assist? He adds that gritty dimension to this team that was clearly missing all season long. I'm glad he's back to his usual yapping self, though perhaps a little more reserved and disciplined. 

- I think Avery put it best when he said, "Even a mild Sean Avery is not that mild."

-While Sean Avery's interference at the end of the game was clearly a penalty, why was it NOT a penalty when Scott Gomez was the man being checked away from the puck just minutes earlier? Oh yeah... it's Sean Avery who committed the infraction. That's why.

-Nik Antropov can shoot. That is a big Kazakh man. VERY NICE!

-Where have you gone, Dan Girardi. The usually steady blueliner has been exposed by opposing offenses in recent weeks. I don't know if it's a lack of confidence, an injury, or just the wear and tear of the season, but Girardi must step his game up.

- It was a pleasure to not watch the Rangers fold after giving up their two goal lead so early in the 3rd. Instead of putting their heads down, Tortorella had his group push forward. If Tom Renney is still coaching, Marc Staal never leads that rush up ice that became the game-winning goal.

In Carolina...

- Some people wonder why I bash Steve Valiquette. This is game is why. When Sean Avery signed with Dallas, Valiquette made some remarks about him, to which Sean responded, "he's a minor leaguer" (Sean Avery is fun to quote- give that man a camera! Just Kidding, Sean.) 

         Valiquette overplayed the pass on the first Hurricane goal, and even when Wade Redden broke up the 2-on-1 pass, Valli was too busy out of position on his butt to cover up the slowly sliding puck. which sat tantalizingly near the goal line for seconds before being knocked in by a Cane. On the 2nd goal, Valli was just too deep in his crease to have a proper angle on Brind'Amor's shot. One nice save in the 3rd period of a 2-0 game isn't enough to hide the fact that his rebound control was awful all night, and he isn't capable of winning important hockey games for this team.

 

        John Tortorella's aggressive scheme is one that concedes a number of scoring chances against in a hockey game. For this tactic to remain successful, NYR skaters must be confident enough in their goaltender that they are willing to rush up-ice, and risk a decent scoring chance against. With Henrik Lundqvist in net, this is plausible. The Rangers simply can not have that same confidence when they look back and see lanky #40 in net. 

      I'm sorry you have the flu, Henrik, but we needed you in this important tilt- if not only for moral support. GET HEALTHY NOW.

- In Valli's defense, Tort's system also requires some goal scoring in order to work. The Rangers were an Epic Fail tonight in that department. It doesn't matter if it's Mike Richter or Mike Dunham in your net. If you don't score, you're not going to win. 

- The pairing of Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden must be separated NOW. These two have no chemistry, no heart, and no talent. They are SLOW and LAZY individually, and two wrongs do not make a right.

- The next time Chris Drury breaks into a zone and looks only for the pass, I am going to snap. Drury has been better in recent games, but still M.I.A. is captain CLUTCH. 

- Nik Antropov. If you continue to turn down shooting opportunities for passes to people outside of the circles, you are going to become a very unpopular person at MSG. Skate your huge ass down the slot and rip that shot son. 

- As good as the Rangers were at getting shots through to the net against Boston, they were Hechting brutal tonight. The reason: They took too damn long to shoot! When you hesitate before blasting the biscuit, you give the opposing skaters, not to mention the goalie, time to adjust to your positioning and block your shot. Shoot faster, and HARDER.

- So Tortorella went back to the basics in practice with some shooting drills, I think next up is PASSING. I stopped counting how many turnovers were made by Rangers with the puck today, most notably while making the all-important first pass out of the defensive zone. Every NYR pass was put into a skate, out of reach, hopped over a stick, went directly to the other team, or was simply sent to nobody. The puck movement was simply atrocious.

-I've always been told by coaches that the worst place to commit a turnover is in the neutral zone, just outside the opposing blueline. The Rangers committed that very turnover countless times in this game.

-When you take terrible passing and add with it slow decisions and easily blocked shots, you get an awful Power Play. Tonight, it cost the Rangers the game.

- I saw this coming with the acquisition of Sean Avery. I'm talking, of corse, about the fact that Avery is a marker man in the NHL. Any borderline infraction, or opposing player taking a spill while Sean is on the ice will result in a penalty called against #16. He has lost the benefit of the doubt in the eyes of the zebras. He loses an edge and slides into an opposing player, call it tripping on "SIXTEEN NEW YORK". On the other end, a Carolina player goes barreling into Valiquette, and it goes uncalled. If that Hurricane is Sean Avery of New York going into Cam Ward, Avery gets AT LEAST two minutes for goaltender interference. It's unfair, but this is how it's going to be so long as Sean Avery plays in this league.

- The Fourth Line hardly saw the ice in the 3rd period tonight. Thank God.

-The Rangers STILL suck 4-on-4. Yet another goal allowed- I have to find some stats on that.

-Markus Naslund needs his ice time reduced. He looks slow and tired right now, and he has been far from productive of late. I expect Torts to notice this and take action.

- Did I mention that the Power Play really blew this one?

And with this loss comes the end of the Ranger's 3-game winning streak. While a win in this game would have created some real momentum, and would have provided some breathing space in the playoff race, the loss must be taken in stride.

There's a lot of hockey to be played, and the Ranger's fate remains in their own hands. 

Win, and you're in. It's just that easy.

-Rif

Fishsticks For Breakfast

With a couple of new faces, and one particular familiar one, donning the Red, White, and Blue for the first time this season, there were bound to be some chemistry issues when the Rangers took the ice tonight.

And issues there were.

But, luckily for the Blueshirts tonight, they were matched up against the New York Islanders. Such an opponent on this particular date afforded Head Coach John Tortorella some breathing space to throw his new players directly into the fire without risking the two points at stake.

It certainly wasn't the prettiest of wins against the leagues worst team, but the game gave a glimpse or two of the potential that the team has. And with teams around in them in the standings losing tonight, these two points were very important. 

It's getting late here, so let's get right to...

GAME NOTES

TONIGHT'S LINES WERE:

Naslund- Gomez -Zherdev

Dubinsky- Drury -Antropov

Avery- Korpikoski -Callahan

Sjostrom- Betts -Orr

NYR LINES SHOULD BE:

Antropov- Gomez -Zherdev

Naslund- Drury -Callahan

Dubinsky- Korpikoski -Avery

Sjostrom- Betts -Orr

- This game could have been a travesty if not for the play of Henrik Lundqvist... again. The Isles had 3 odd-man rushes in the first 5 minutes of the tilt, and could have really taken control of the game early. Unfortunately for them, they were playing against the best goaltender in the league. The King made some ridiculous, acrobatic stops on pucks that he had no business even trying to save. He made 28 saves on the night, and the Rangers needed every one of them. Hank is good at this game.

- Having said that, how does the Rangers defense get repeatedly beaten like a tied-up goat by the freakin' no-name Islander offense? Wade Redden was outmustled and outraced to pucks all over the ice. Dan Girardi definitely had a game he would like to quickly forget. The Rangers can get away with a game like this today, but they won't be so lucky against the likes of Boston or Philly.

- Nik Antropov is very, very big. Though he isn't the fleetest of foot, he uses his other attributes very well. He didn't seem to have much chemistry with linemates Drury and Dubinsky tonight, but I'm sure he will find his stride quickly. He's a big body with very good hands to have on the Power Play, and that paid off tonight. He also had several good scoring chances and hit a post in the game.

- Derek Morris played a very quiet, yet pretty solid 17 minutes tonight. It is far too early to reach any kind of a verdict on him at this point.  (Nigel Dawes, one of the players traded away for Morris, recorded an assist for Phoenix tonight. Petr Prucha wore #16 for the Coyotes. I miss him.)

- Sean Avery had himself an eventful hockey game tonight. Overall I thought he played very well for a guy playing his first NHL game since Nov. 30th. Avery was his annoying, effective self on the rink tonight, and that is a very good sign. He drew penalties, threw a couple of nice hits, and even set up some nice scoring chances. The only negative to point out for Sean was that he spent too much of his ice time on his butt. He was knocked around quite a bit in the game, but I'm sure as he gets some more practices in, his balance and skating will return to top form.

- Sean Avery gets rocked from behind, and the first player flying in to his defense is Lauri Korpikoski. I like it.

- Scott Gomez looks like a new player under Tortorella. Gomer is skating with authority, driving hard to the net, and setting up offensive chances with his speed. It seems that Torts has given Scotty the green light to turn on the jets and be creative in the offensive zone.

- Nik Zherdev is starting to score again, and that is a very good thing. He ripped a nasty wrister for the game's first goal, and his assist to Gomez for the third goal was a thing of beauty. Hopefully he, too, will regain some of the confidence that he seemed to lose during the past two months.

- Chris Drury was very noticeable on the ice today. He certainly played his best game in a long while, and was efficient in all three zones tonight. I'm glad to see Drury shooting the puck more, particularly on the PP. The only negative to his game today was that he keeps pulling up and fading out on 3-on-2 rushes. Take the puck to the net, Chris.

- Speaking of the Power Play, the Rangers have scored with the man advantage in 5 of their last 7 games (2-for-5 in this game). Hey, better late than never I guess.

- Let's take a look at tonight's scoresheet:

• GOALS:  Zherdev, Drury, Gomez, Naslund 
  
• ASSISTS: Antropov, Dubinsky, Zherdev, Mara, Drury

If the Rangers are to be successful, these are the guys that need to continue scoring for this team.

3 Stars Of The Game

3rd Star) Nik Zherdev- (1g, 1a). Goals in consecutive games is a very good sign. Very nice goal and assist in this game. Has found some chemistry with Scott Gomez.

2nd Star) Chris Drury- (1g, 1a). Captain Clutch sighting! Has put up points in recent games. Expect him to turn up his play as the games become more important. 

1st Star) Henrik Lundqvist- (28 saves, W). Makes key stops from point-blank angles at important times. Never allowed the game to really be in question at any point. He is "The King" for a reason.

This W marks the first time that the Rangers have won consecutive games since Jan 20-Jan 27th. That's a long time to go without two wins in a row. 

Now, before we get too excited, let's remember that these two wins have come over the worst team in the Western Conference, and the worst team in the Eastern Conference, respectfully. Yet, at the same time, you have to start building wins from some point, and this could be a very good place to begin.

The real test for NYR begins now. Of the Rangers 12 games remaining in March, TEN of those are against potential playoff teams. 

Clearly, the road to the second season has already begun for the Blueshirts. 

-Rif

A-Very Welcome Return (WITH UPDATE)

The New York Rangers have claimed Sean Avery off of waivers from the Dallas Stars!

Avery, who had been playing for the Hartford Wolfpack, the Rangers' AHL affiliate, will join the Blueshirts for practice on Wednesday, and is likely to play Thursday against the Islanders.

The Rangers will only have to pay half of Avery's contract, which runs through the next 3 years, with a salary cap hit of about $3.8 million per season.

Sean played 23 games for the Stars at the beginning of the season, registering 3 goals, 7 assists, and 77 penalty minutes. He was run out of town on December 2nd, after making some pretty hilarious comments about his extremely hot ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, who is now dating Calgary Flames' defenseman (and goofy looking dude) Dion Phaneuf.

My friends, Sean Avery was born to play on Broadway. 

This guy NEEDS to be center stage. He LOVES the city. He CRAVES the attention. 

And the Garden Faithful will give it to him. We're still in his corner.

Sure the guys a super pest... you know what? He's a flat-out asshole. But the guy can also play the game when he wants to, and THAT is what makes him so valuable.

in 76 games as a Ranger, Avery has recorded 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points, plus 212 PIMS. In the PLAYOFFS, he has picked up 12 points in 18 games, which is not too shabby at all.

In Fact, in the 1 1/2 years Avery spent as a Ranger, the team was 50-23-13 with him in the lineup, and only 24-35-9 without him. This is not a coincidence, kids.

"But what about Tortorella? He ripped Ave's apart as an analyst, is he going to give Avery the slack he requires to be effective?"

He will. Because right now, Avery has the backing of G.M. Glen Sather- and we know now how invincible Sather is to the Rangers' brass. 

However, you better believe that Sean is going to be on a VERY short leash in Tort's book. JT will not put up with any off-ice, attention grabbing antics, or any action that is detrimental to this team. Tortorella is not a "players coach", as Tom Renney was. This man is a WINNING coach. He wants W's, and W's are a team effort. He doesn't mind hurting a player's feelings. Sean will not receive any special treatment- he will produce, or he will not play.

But Tortorella WILL give Avery a clean slate, and the chance to prove himself.

''He doesn't have the history with Sean that we do,'' Sather said on a conference call last week. ''Over time, you learn to love him, just like I do.''

What does remain to be seen is how #16 will effect a NYR locker room that is seemingly very quiet and reserved. Who is there to hold Avery back?

Jaromir Jagr is gone. There's no Brenden Shanahan on the roster. Chris Drury just doesn't command the respect that the two aforementioned legends do.

The only PLAYER I can see keeping Sean reserved is Paul Mara, but who knows how much Mara can take? 

Instead, this duty is going to fall to Coach Tortorella. I'm sure Avery will be called into the Coach's office on more than one occasion in the last 17 games of this season. The important thing will be to keep the two heads from clashing in a confrontational manner. 

Good luck with that.

Still, the most important aspect of Avery's return to The Garden will be his play on the ice. The Rangers need the 28-year old to play his game. It is important for him to be his old sandpaper, tip-toe the line self against his opponents. At the same time, they need him to be careful and disciplined (to some extent), because if you don't think that he is going to be targeted by every Zebra on this side of the universe, you're off your rocker.

Now where will he fit in this lineup? I'm thinking something like this:

Naslund- Gomez -Zherdev

AVERY- Drury- Dubinsky

Prucha- Korpikoski -Callahan

Sjostrom- Betts -Orr

As you can see, in this scenario Nigel Dawes would be the odd man out. But you're better off believing that there are going to be some more changes in personnel come Wednesday's trade deadline (which comes before the Rangers' next game). So exactly who sits and who plays where is still very much To Be Determined.

As for Sean Avery, I hope he can get back up to NHL game-speed quick, fast, and in a hurry. The Rangers need him to be effective both in the heads of opponents, and on the scoresheet. 

The only thing that can hold Sean Avery back right now... is Sean Avery. 

UPDATE: Aaron Voros has reportedly been placed on waivers. Mazel Tov. 

-For those of you wondering, the Rangers already opened a roster spot for Avery yesterday when they sent newly acquired Mark Bell to Hartford.

UPDATED UPDATE: Erik Reitz has also been placed on waivers.

-Rif

A-Ha!

I've been saying it all along.

Seriously... I knew it.

What is the question that has frustrated the Rangers and their fans all season long? Well, it has to do with that good old Shots On Goal (SOG) statistic.

Here, lets look at the past 3 games:

• How can the Rangers get 32 shots on goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs (the league's worst defensive team), and only score ONE freakin' goal
• How do you fire off 41 shots against the Florida Panthers, and, AGAIN, only cash in one time?
• How do you only out-shoot the Colorado Avalanche 30-24, yet outscore them 6-1?

The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is very basic. 

Ready.... here it is:

The Rangers do not shoot to SCORE.

Now I know what you're thinking. This seems very contradictory and confusing when one considers the basic strategy/purpose of a hockey game. Usually, a hockey team would want to propel the puck towards the cage with the grand purpose of scoring a goal, so that their team may be awarded a "point", if you will.

While New York's skaters were able to deceive the average hockey fan into thinking that they out-chanced their opponents in each tilt, the Blueshirts actually had FEWER quality scoring chances than their opponents in MANY of the games in which they out-shot their adversaries.

Instead of working harder to create "quality" chances, the Rangers were merely slapping lazy pucks toward their opponents' nets from bad shooting angles such as the side boards or other spots outside of the faceoff circles. While these pucks are marked off in the box score as Shots On Goal (SOG), rebounds and second chance opportunities were a rarity because shots from such angles are so easily handled or kicked aside by NHL caliber goaltenders.

While bad-angle shots can sometimes be effective by surprising a goalie (as has happened AGAINST Henrik Lundqvist several times this season), such a ploy only works if 1) you have people going to the net for rebounds, and 2) the opposing goalie is actually surprised by your shot. Neither of these requirements were in the NYR gameplan.

Now when the Rangers DID manage to create a "quality" scoring chance, they had a different issue:

They don't shoot the puck hard enough.

Ranger forwards, Scott Gomez most notably, repeatedly find themselves walking down the slot with the pill just feet away from enemy goaltenders, but instead of picking a corner and ripping a wrister past a backstop, they are more concerned with merely getting a puck on net, and adding to their SOG totals. 

Why do you think Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, or even Philadelphia's Jeff Carter score so many goals? Because when they shoot, (and they shoot often), they shoot quickly, they shoot hard, and the shoot to score. 

So John Tortorella watches his new team lose it's first two games under him, having scored 2 goals combined in those two losses. Because Torts is a very bright man, and a great hockey mind (just like me), he spots this team's Projectile Dysfunction, and then he takes action in the team's next practice.

What does he have his squad do, you ask? The most simple of hockey shooting drills. 

the CW11 (the channel the NYR-Colorado game was broadcasted on for some reason), gave a great video performing this simple drill at their practice.

Henrik/Valiquette are at the top of their goal-creases, laying on their left sides (thus taking away the bottom half of the net), with their pads stacked, and their blockers (both goalies wear their blockers on their right hand) in the air. The goalies are not allowed to sit up during this drill. They lay still, allowed to move only their blockers, and lift their stacked leg pads in the air.

Meanwhile, Assistant Coach Jim Schoenfeld stands in the corner with a bundle of pucks, and slides one at a time into the high-slot/hashmarks area, where a Ranger shooter breaks in from center ice, and attempts to one-time it up high past the lounging goaltender.

SO simple, yet SO effective. The Rangers were certainly picking their corners on Saturday night.

Speaking of which.. here are a few

GAME NOTES

- Despite the score, Henrik Lundqvist made some great saves in net tonight, including two ridiculous stops on two separate 2-on-1s. These are saves that KEPT this game out of reach when a goal may have shifted some momentum. And the Rangers know all too well what can happen with a few quick goals (I.E. Montreal, Washington).

-Hank has now allowed 2 goals or fewer in 9 of his last 15 games. The problem? This was only the second time that he has won in those 9 games.

-The change in the dynamic of this team has been apparent since Tortorella's first game in Toronto. The new system has Ranger players skating harder on the forecheck, punishing more bodies, and creating more turnovers. Watch how the 3rd forward, and especially the defense jump into the rush with much more frequency than was allowed in Renney's defense-first strategy.

- Torts also really has his players going hard to the net, something Tom Renney was very apprehensive about doing. Tonight at least 4 of the goals were a direct result of Rangers buzzing around the enemy net.

- Scott Gomez SHOULD flourish playing in Tortorella's system. Scott now has the green light to take the puck end-to-end and attack the net, while being A LITTLE less mindful of his d-zone responsibilities. Gomer certainly looks more comfortable on the ice right now than he has all season.

-Brandon Dubinsky was born to forecheck like mad and work the puck down low in the offensive zone. He is not a checking-line center, he is a second-line center. He is skating harder, and better, than he has since the departure of Jaromir Jagr.

- I'm not yet sure where Nik Zherdev stands in Torts' mind. Z will, clearly, be given an opportunity to showcase his offensive creativity. However, the first time he attempts a toe-drag around a forechecker just inside the NYR blueline, we may never see him on the ice EVER again.

- Petr Prucha should have been in this lineup from the very beginning. PP did not fit into Renney's system. He fits right in with JT.

- Can we clone Ryan Callahan?

- Wade Redden has been better of late. Not great, but better. Wade has been borderline steady, and sorta solid, and has shown signs of masculinity on the blueline in the past few games. Good for him.

- I'm happy that the team showed some grit and toughness on their own turf at the end of the game when Colorado started to get a bit chippy. I LOVE when Prucha gets in their to mix it up with the big boys. That kid can do it all.

While this win was certainly a step in the right direction for the Blueshirts, we must again keep in mind that this effort was put forth against a pretty crappy Avalanche squad who stand in last place in the Western Conference. Their next game, against the Islanders, would be much of a measuring stick, either. What it can do, however, is give the Rangers their first 2-game winning streak since January 27th, and maybe some confidence.

The 4+ days between games will definitely provide Tortorella with an opportunity to install his full system into a team that is still transitioning under their new coach. 

With the trade deadline set for Wednesday afternoon, the question remains whether or not the team that Torts is working with right now will be the same set of players available to him when they plays the Islanders on Thursday night. One has to believe that Glen Sather will make some kind of splash at the deadline, not to mention the impending re-arrival of Sean Avery onto Broadway.

(you can catch me and my Sin Bin radio team giving instant NHL trade deadline analysis on Wed. starting at 2:30 on Comradio.psu.edu)

The problem for Sather is that he is so cash strapped by the salary cap, that most moves involving any big-name players are going to be very difficult to pull off. The long term deals that he has signed some of his under-achieving players to are going to be very difficult to move, and may handcuff him at the deadline.

My (Basic) Trade-Deadline Advice to G.M. Glen Sather:

1. Untouchables: Lundqvist, Staal (I want to put Nik Zherdev on this list... but I wont)
2. Team Needs: Top 6 winger, PP Quarterback, Hard-hitting defenseman
3. Target: Smyth (COL),  Antropov (TOR), Kaberle (TOR), Tkachuk (STL), Bouwmeester (FLA)
4. Unload: Rozsival, or Redden, or Gomez, or Drury (one of these big contracts).
5. Do not mortgage the future. Do not trade more than one 1st round pick, and preferably none this year.

Your move, Mr. Sather.

-Rif