3-3 meaning all three ranger players scored in last night's shoot out!
i know they are a cool 7-1 for the year.
duh :
srry man had a brainfart i guess.
psyched for tonight , hope they can keep up the momentum, and i'll bitch yet again for a win in regulation for a change, some total dominance for an entire 60 minutes ? .
is that so hard to ask for ?
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
I do not think we should have had to wait 20 games to see Petr Prucha skating on the Garden Ice,... or on the road .
This guys gotta be given the time.
that is all.
[size=+2]
- _/ Lets Go Rangers ! \_ -
[/size]
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
come on Rangers. Payback for what happen the last time we were there. We had a 5-0 lead and lost. Now we gotta do it to them. Down 4-0. Now it's 4-1
4-2 now. If only the refs called off that last goal the Canadiens scored because of goaltender interference. That's the second time this year a team interfered with our goaltenders and scored.
1998 ~ Barrie
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
4-2 now. If only the refs called off that last goal the Canadiens scored because of goaltender interference. That's the second time this year a team interfered with our goaltenders and scored.
If only.
If only dives were called instead of trips it might be 5-2
say what you will about that game last night, but that pregame ceremony dedicated to the 100 years and this original 6 rivalry, nicely done montreal atheletiques,....hadda love the little intro and reference to my namesake ( Andy Bathgate ) and him breaking Jaques Plantes nose,.... causing him to use the first ever goalie mask.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
say what you will about that game last night, but that pregame ceremony dedicated to the 100 years and this original 6 rivalry, nicely done montreal atheletiques,....hadda love the little intro and reference to my namesake ( Andy Bathgate ) and him breaking Jaques Plantes nose,.... causing him to use the first ever goalie mask.
Living history. Good ceremony. I even liked the fact they played the song.
And the game kicked ass, too
Living history. Good ceremony. I even liked the fact they played the song.
And the game kicked ass, too
what song?
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
Possible Potter Debut
Corey Potter got to practice with the Rangers a couple of times last season when regulars were banged up and in danger of missing games. But he never got a chance to make his NHL debut because the regulars ended up playing. Potter is up with the big club again today, practicing, and waiting to see if Wade Redden has to sit out tomorrow night's game against the visiting Calgary Phaneufs. Even if Redden can go, will coach Tom Renney give Potter a chance to show that he is more reliable defensively than Dmitri Kalinin?
Howlings was first to notice that Potter had been recalled in perusing the AHL transaction wire (and has news on a new Wolf Pack try-out signee). Rangers Report and Ranger Rants were first to post from practice this morning that Potter was on the ice with the Rangers. Other Ranger media reports from this in-between day can be found in the Post here and here, with the latter on Henrik Lundqvist, now one of the senior members of the team who, as we ranted yesterday, deserves some loyalty from Ranger management as the defense disintegrates. In other news from the farm, Howlings, Beyond the Blueshirts, and the Hartford Courant recap the Wolf Pack's loss last night and Prospect Park has the three stars of the night.
If you need more to read, let's see -- um, how about Sean Avery? Amazing how many words two errant words out of Avery's mouth have generated. But as time creeps by, some sympathy for Sean has started to emerge -- most notably, see the reader response to this post by Eric McErlaine at AOL Fanhouse about an incident between Avery and a Nashville fan. If you have limited paitence for this story, we recommend reports in local media outlets -- Post, Daily News, Rangers Report, Slap Shot, Game On! -- as well as this defense of Avery in the Hockey News by a writer who challenged Gary Bettman during a press conference about the NHL's lack of action against on-ice incidents.
What we don't recommend is this one in the Globe and Mail where one writer does in all seriousness what we facetiously said writers could do if they didn't want to keep talking about Avery, which is to write about Sidney Crosby instead. Gimme a break! As much as this Avery story has been overblown, the last thing we need is more on the overrated NHL poster boy. Elsewhere: FoxSports, ESPN, TSN, NHL.com here and here, Toronto Star, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, and Slam! Sports here, here, here, and here.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
it looks like only montreal and pittsburgh fans are utilizing the multiple voting trends,... maybe some of you NYR fans can pony up and start voting?
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
it looks like only montreal and pittsburgh fans are utilizing the multiple voting trends,... maybe some of you NYR fans can pony up and start voting?
Who cares about the ASG? I'd rather have the players get a few days rest. Besides, the only cool part is the skills competition; the game itself is boring.
this team looks lost right now, and we only lost 2 in a row ( so far ) .
even poor cory potter took a -1 rating ( mostly because his being paired with kalininin )in his NHL debut.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
I find it hard to believe to think the Rangers played well. Ok, obviously it was better than Montreal and Florida but that was bad, especially the "power play". And it would be nice to score first on home ice, I think the only they've done that in the last month was Nov. 24 against Phoenix.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
nice win tonight, must be a miracle to get a shorthanded and a power play goal in the same game let alone the same period..
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
why are the posts on the 2 forums all outta whack?
im confused,...
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
The top power plays in the NHL contribute a goal per game on average to their teams, net of shorthanded goals allowed. Even bad power plays are worth a goal every other game to their teams. It takes the Rangers' power play three games to contribute one net goal, an average that is second worst in the league. To look at it another way, good power play teams like San Jose are likely to outscore the Rangers' power play 3-1 on average, while average power plays, like the one the Rangers will be up against in Anaheim tonight, are likely to outscore the Rangers 2-1.
That's a huge hole for a low-scoring team like the Rangers to put themselves in. Their league-leading penalty killing closes that gap significantly -- the ratios are reversed in shorthanded situations, with the Rangers allowing one power play every three games, while the worst units in the league allow one each game, giving the Rangers' feeble power play a decent shot at outscoring those league-worst penalty killers and maybe equaling the best power plays. But in the long run, one cannot expect to win games with penalty killing -- you have to win games on the power play.
We've broken the potential problem down to three possibilities -- failure to execute a good power play system, failure to devise a good power play system, or failure to provide proper power play personnel. The Rangers think they have a good system that is not properly executed by the players (the players believe that too, not just the coaching staff). We think the problem lies with a system that too predictably funnels the puck to the points, which makes itself vulnerable to attacks against the point, which lead to shorthanded changes, to the tune of a league-worst ten shorthanded goals against through 33 games.
But what about the personnel? Is there a problem there? We looked at the power play ice time the Rangers' power play units get, and we think we see a reflection in that statistic of a weakness. Most teams -- certainly those with the best power plays -- have a point man who quarterbacks the power play and/or a go-to point producer among the forwards who play almost all of each two-minute power play. The Rangers not only have no players on their power play units who log that kind of dominant ice time, they have few players who ever logged that kind of ice time with their former teams -- and those who did (Wade Redden, Markus Naslund, and Paul Mara) are three years removed from the last time they did it.
This season, Redden is 28th among defensemen in power play ice time, up from 40th last season. Scott Gomez is 31st among forwards, about equal to his 32nd place finish last year and up from 51st place in his last season as a Devil. Chris Drury's current 53rd ranking is roughly the same as each of the prior three seasons, although it is up a little. In other words, the Rangers don't have anyone who is out there for most if not all of every power play. Certainly not the way they did in 2005-06 when Jaromir Jagr was third in the league among forwards in ice time or the following season when he was sixth in power play ice time -- the power play was tied for seventh overall each of those seasons.
Maybe it's not the personnel. Maybe it's the tactic of having two distinct units in which your top forward (we won't make the case that the Rangers have or have had a point man worthy of that kind of ice time) doesn't stay out for most of the time -- last season Jagr dropped to 43rd, not even tops on the club, and the Rangers' power play dropped to 22nd overall. Part of that was the fact that his unit struggled while the other unit did better. No question. But is it a chicken and egg question? Did Jagr struggle to put up the points because he did not get the kind of power play time he was accustomed to getting? He may not have earned the lion's share of power play time the way he did in prior seasons, but could his season have gotten an earlier jump start than it did had the coaches and fans been more patient with him on the power play?
Nikolai Zherdev is not accustomed to getting first unit power play time -- he never ranked higher that 65th among forwards and is currently not even in the top 100 with 3:18 per game. That is obviously because he has played on the second unit most of the season, though he has moved to the first unit recently. But if there is anyone on the Rangers who is a candidate to play a full power play, Zherdev is that person -- he ranks eighth in the league in even strength scoring but only 20th overall because most of the other top scorers rack up more power play points, in part because they get more power play ice time than he does.
If the Rangers land Mats Sundin, can he be the player that makes the power play go? He has a history of getting more power play ice time that any current Rangers -- 30 to 60 to 80 seconds more per game than any current Ranger got in each of the past three seasons. But he hasn't ranked among the very top forwards in ice time -- 22nd, 28th, and 19th in the past three seasons. His Maple Leafs were second overall in the NHL in 2005-06 on the power play with him ranking 19th in ice time. Regardless of ice time, one cannot help but imagine a much improved power play with Sundin, Zherdev, and Naslund on the first unit and a second unit featuring Gomez and Drury.
The Sundin story dominates today's links. The Post, in an article mostly about the Rangers practicing the power play, notes that Sundin stayed in New York after Saturday's game, and the Journal News and Rangers Report quotes his agent as having said that the Rangers have offered the framework of deal. Elsewhere, see Newsday, Blue Notes, Game On!, Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star here and here, Globe and Mail, ESPN, NHL.com, and Spector in the Hockey News. The Journal News looks at shootouts. Game previews: NYR.com and NHL.com. From Hartford, the Wolf Pack Weekly. The Rangers drop to the bottom half of Hockey's Future organizational rankings because of the death of Alexei Cherepanov and the successful graduation to the NHL of a number of prospects. The Toronto Star describes the aftermath of Cherepanov's death.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
Well, at least the Rangers are making one roster move -- Petr Prucha will be in for Aaron Voros. Remember early in the season when Voros was on fire and someone asked Renney about him and Renney responded with tempered enthusiasm, noting that Voros's history suggested a good start but diminishing returns? If they knew this about Voros -- and it was obvious enough to be a key part of our summer preview of him based on his partial season in Minnesota -- why did they sign him in the first place? And why did they wait a month for him to go goalless before making a move? Forget about underachieving veterans -- with so little cap space and no one in Hartford ready to step up, even a role player like Voros got that much leeway before his first trip to the press box.
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That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Comments
duh
srry man had a brainfart i guess.
psyched for tonight , hope they can keep up the momentum, and i'll bitch yet again for a win in regulation for a change, some total dominance for an entire 60 minutes ? .
is that so hard to ask for ?
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
This guys gotta be given the time.
that is all.
[size=+2]
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfBezJq8L8M
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
probably 5th or 6th, like the penguins .
:rolleyes:
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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4-2 now. If only the refs called off that last goal the Canadiens scored because of goaltender interference. That's the second time this year a team interfered with our goaltenders and scored.
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
If only dives were called instead of trips it might be 5-2
na na na, hey hey hey, good bye? didn't know we were playing a game 7 tonight. what a bunch of twits.
prucha for president.
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
And the game kicked ass, too
what song?
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
Possible Potter Debut
Corey Potter got to practice with the Rangers a couple of times last season when regulars were banged up and in danger of missing games. But he never got a chance to make his NHL debut because the regulars ended up playing. Potter is up with the big club again today, practicing, and waiting to see if Wade Redden has to sit out tomorrow night's game against the visiting Calgary Phaneufs. Even if Redden can go, will coach Tom Renney give Potter a chance to show that he is more reliable defensively than Dmitri Kalinin?
Howlings was first to notice that Potter had been recalled in perusing the AHL transaction wire (and has news on a new Wolf Pack try-out signee). Rangers Report and Ranger Rants were first to post from practice this morning that Potter was on the ice with the Rangers. Other Ranger media reports from this in-between day can be found in the Post here and here, with the latter on Henrik Lundqvist, now one of the senior members of the team who, as we ranted yesterday, deserves some loyalty from Ranger management as the defense disintegrates. In other news from the farm, Howlings, Beyond the Blueshirts, and the Hartford Courant recap the Wolf Pack's loss last night and Prospect Park has the three stars of the night.
If you need more to read, let's see -- um, how about Sean Avery? Amazing how many words two errant words out of Avery's mouth have generated. But as time creeps by, some sympathy for Sean has started to emerge -- most notably, see the reader response to this post by Eric McErlaine at AOL Fanhouse about an incident between Avery and a Nashville fan. If you have limited paitence for this story, we recommend reports in local media outlets -- Post, Daily News, Rangers Report, Slap Shot, Game On! -- as well as this defense of Avery in the Hockey News by a writer who challenged Gary Bettman during a press conference about the NHL's lack of action against on-ice incidents.
What we don't recommend is this one in the Globe and Mail where one writer does in all seriousness what we facetiously said writers could do if they didn't want to keep talking about Avery, which is to write about Sidney Crosby instead. Gimme a break! As much as this Avery story has been overblown, the last thing we need is more on the overrated NHL poster boy. Elsewhere: FoxSports, ESPN, TSN, NHL.com here and here, Toronto Star, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, and Slam! Sports here, here, here, and here.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
it looks like only montreal and pittsburgh fans are utilizing the multiple voting trends,... maybe some of you NYR fans can pony up and start voting?
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
Who cares about the ASG? I'd rather have the players get a few days rest. Besides, the only cool part is the skills competition; the game itself is boring.
Jeff Carter should be leading all voting
9/24/96 MD. 9/28/96 Randalls. 8/28-29/98 Camden. 9/8/98 NJ. 9/18/98 MD. 9/1-2/00 Camden. 9/4/00 MD. 4/28/03 Philly. 7/5-6/03 Camden. 9/30/05 AC.
10/3/05 Philly. 5/27-28/06 Camden. 6/23/06 Pitt. 6/19-20/08 Camden. 6/24/08 MSG. 8/7/08 EV Newark, NJ. 6/11-12/09 EV Philly, PA. 10/27-28-30-31/09 Philly, PA., 5/15/10 Hartford,5/17/10 Boston, 5/18/10 Newark, 5/20-21/10 MSG
this team looks lost right now, and we only lost 2 in a row ( so far ) .
even poor cory potter took a -1 rating ( mostly because his being paired with kalininin )in his NHL debut.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
im confused,...
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
The top power plays in the NHL contribute a goal per game on average to their teams, net of shorthanded goals allowed. Even bad power plays are worth a goal every other game to their teams. It takes the Rangers' power play three games to contribute one net goal, an average that is second worst in the league. To look at it another way, good power play teams like San Jose are likely to outscore the Rangers' power play 3-1 on average, while average power plays, like the one the Rangers will be up against in Anaheim tonight, are likely to outscore the Rangers 2-1.
That's a huge hole for a low-scoring team like the Rangers to put themselves in. Their league-leading penalty killing closes that gap significantly -- the ratios are reversed in shorthanded situations, with the Rangers allowing one power play every three games, while the worst units in the league allow one each game, giving the Rangers' feeble power play a decent shot at outscoring those league-worst penalty killers and maybe equaling the best power plays. But in the long run, one cannot expect to win games with penalty killing -- you have to win games on the power play.
We've broken the potential problem down to three possibilities -- failure to execute a good power play system, failure to devise a good power play system, or failure to provide proper power play personnel. The Rangers think they have a good system that is not properly executed by the players (the players believe that too, not just the coaching staff). We think the problem lies with a system that too predictably funnels the puck to the points, which makes itself vulnerable to attacks against the point, which lead to shorthanded changes, to the tune of a league-worst ten shorthanded goals against through 33 games.
But what about the personnel? Is there a problem there? We looked at the power play ice time the Rangers' power play units get, and we think we see a reflection in that statistic of a weakness. Most teams -- certainly those with the best power plays -- have a point man who quarterbacks the power play and/or a go-to point producer among the forwards who play almost all of each two-minute power play. The Rangers not only have no players on their power play units who log that kind of dominant ice time, they have few players who ever logged that kind of ice time with their former teams -- and those who did (Wade Redden, Markus Naslund, and Paul Mara) are three years removed from the last time they did it.
This season, Redden is 28th among defensemen in power play ice time, up from 40th last season. Scott Gomez is 31st among forwards, about equal to his 32nd place finish last year and up from 51st place in his last season as a Devil. Chris Drury's current 53rd ranking is roughly the same as each of the prior three seasons, although it is up a little. In other words, the Rangers don't have anyone who is out there for most if not all of every power play. Certainly not the way they did in 2005-06 when Jaromir Jagr was third in the league among forwards in ice time or the following season when he was sixth in power play ice time -- the power play was tied for seventh overall each of those seasons.
Maybe it's not the personnel. Maybe it's the tactic of having two distinct units in which your top forward (we won't make the case that the Rangers have or have had a point man worthy of that kind of ice time) doesn't stay out for most of the time -- last season Jagr dropped to 43rd, not even tops on the club, and the Rangers' power play dropped to 22nd overall. Part of that was the fact that his unit struggled while the other unit did better. No question. But is it a chicken and egg question? Did Jagr struggle to put up the points because he did not get the kind of power play time he was accustomed to getting? He may not have earned the lion's share of power play time the way he did in prior seasons, but could his season have gotten an earlier jump start than it did had the coaches and fans been more patient with him on the power play?
Nikolai Zherdev is not accustomed to getting first unit power play time -- he never ranked higher that 65th among forwards and is currently not even in the top 100 with 3:18 per game. That is obviously because he has played on the second unit most of the season, though he has moved to the first unit recently. But if there is anyone on the Rangers who is a candidate to play a full power play, Zherdev is that person -- he ranks eighth in the league in even strength scoring but only 20th overall because most of the other top scorers rack up more power play points, in part because they get more power play ice time than he does.
If the Rangers land Mats Sundin, can he be the player that makes the power play go? He has a history of getting more power play ice time that any current Rangers -- 30 to 60 to 80 seconds more per game than any current Ranger got in each of the past three seasons. But he hasn't ranked among the very top forwards in ice time -- 22nd, 28th, and 19th in the past three seasons. His Maple Leafs were second overall in the NHL in 2005-06 on the power play with him ranking 19th in ice time. Regardless of ice time, one cannot help but imagine a much improved power play with Sundin, Zherdev, and Naslund on the first unit and a second unit featuring Gomez and Drury.
The Sundin story dominates today's links. The Post, in an article mostly about the Rangers practicing the power play, notes that Sundin stayed in New York after Saturday's game, and the Journal News and Rangers Report quotes his agent as having said that the Rangers have offered the framework of deal. Elsewhere, see Newsday, Blue Notes, Game On!, Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star here and here, Globe and Mail, ESPN, NHL.com, and Spector in the Hockey News. The Journal News looks at shootouts. Game previews: NYR.com and NHL.com. From Hartford, the Wolf Pack Weekly. The Rangers drop to the bottom half of Hockey's Future organizational rankings because of the death of Alexei Cherepanov and the successful graduation to the NHL of a number of prospects. The Toronto Star describes the aftermath of Cherepanov's death.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Donate Organs and Save a Life
:eek: :eek:
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life