well, chalk one up for the fishsticks. It was bound to happen sooner or later- both them not winning yet, & us not losing yet. :rolleyes:
Hey tommorow Night for anyone interested- on MSG Network- The Boomer Esiason Show ( we all know he is a HUGE NY Ranger fan ) has a full season preview , interviews, & Sam Rosen joins him in studio . Should be good.
wow has Colton Orr come a long way :eek:......., and an honorable mention for Lari Kiprokowski ( i know i most likely misspelled that )
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Jagr and injured left shoulder cleared for practice
NEW YORK (AP) -Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr has been cleared to practice for the first time since undergoing surgery on his dislocated left shoulder nearly five months ago.
"We got a very good report from the doctor," said smiling New York coach Tom Renney after the Rangers lost 5-2 to the New York Islanders in a preseason game Monday night. "He is ready for a full practice and everything that is involved with that."
When pressed on whether that included contact drills, Renney repeated that the star forward can participate in all forms of practice.
When Jagr might be able to play in a game will be determined by Renney and the rest of the coaching staff. Jagr will need to build up his endurance and practice time before taking the next step.
"He is cleared to practice, and then it is up to me," Renney said of Jagr, who set team records last season with 54 goals and 123 points. "He's got to practice."
At the start of training camp, Renney indicated it was doubtful that Jagr would play in any exhibition games before the Oct. 5 season opener against Washington. But Monday, Renney said he hopes to get last season's MVP runner-up into the lineup before then.
"I'd like to," he said. "We'll train here the next few days and we'll see where that takes us."
New York is scheduled to face Boston at home Wednesday, play at the Islanders on Friday, and visit Boston on Saturday to close out its preseason.
Jagr has been on the shelf since being injured in New York's playoff-opening loss to New Jersey last season. He missed one game and then returned for Game 3, but was largely ineffective after finishing second in the NHL in goals and points.
Less than one minute into the final game of New Jersey's sweep, Jagr was felled by a check from Devils defenseman Brad Lukowich and was knocked out for good.
The 34-year-old right winger had surgery nine days later on May 8. He was expected to be ready to go at the start of training camp on Sept. 15, but the Rangers took a cautious approach and kept him out of team scrimmages and games.
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Brian, please come to your senses , come out of hybernation , and contact Glen Sather --- please---, before its too late .
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No Garden party
Ex-Ranger Poti will experience the rivalry from the opposite side
BY GREG LOGAN
Newsday Staff Writer
September 25, 2006
As the would-be replacement for beloved defenseman Brian Leetch, Tom Poti was never embraced by Rangers fans despite very respectable numbers during his three-plus seasons with the team.
But if they treated Poti unkindly at times last season as a Ranger, it's not hard to imagine the reaction tonight when he returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time as an Islander.
Although Poti generally tunes the fans out, he's looking forward to experiencing the rivalry from a different vantage point.
"It's always a game I look forward to playing," Poti said. "Rangers-Islanders games are the 'funnest' games we had all year. I'm sure this will be nothing different, just from the other side."
Poti said his free-agent signing with the Islanders " is good for me to get a fresh start." It's good, too, for the Islanders, who are trying to rebuild a defense that let them down last season.
They added veterans Sean Hill and Brendan Witt for their toughness and leadership, but they needed Poti for his offensive skills. He can man the point on the power play and jump into the attack to fit the style of new coach Ted Nolan.
"In college, I used to always get up with the play and trail the play," Poti said. "It's something I love to do, something I've been doing most of my career."
In the Islanders' two exhibition losses to Boston that concluded their training camp in Nova Scotia, the defense was disorganized. But Nolan said that will change with another week of practice.
Poti had a rough opener partly because he's adjusting to the far-ranging style of goaltender Rick DiPietro. But Poti stepped up his physical play in the rematch and delivered a goal in the final minute, when the Islanders had an extra man on the ice, to cut their deficit to one.
"Ricky likes to come out and play," Poti said of DiPietro. "I think that works to our advantage to have that third guy back there to help you out when you can't get to the puck. It's not going to be an instant-chemistry type of thing, but with time, I think it will work out well for everyone."
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Darius Kasparaitis was in last night's lineup after receiving a tough-love message from Renney, who suspected the veteran defenseman had been coddling himself in his return from offseason shoulder and groin surgeries.
"I was still feeling pain in the abdominal area at the start of camp, so I was pacing myself to get ready for the start of the season," said Kasparaitis. "But Tom told me I had to pick it up and play with more intensity. ... I guess he was just trying to send the message that I have to work harder."
Said Renney: "Maybe there's a psychological barrier Darius has to push through. I told him that the helping hand he might be looking for is on the end of his own arm."
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September 27, 2006 -- Ronald Reagan once played a character in the movies who asked, "Where's the rest of me?" The Rangers haven't had to ask that question this training camp.
For they and everyone else in the hockey universe have known that the rest of the Rangers was in the training room or on the ice by himself wearing No. 68.
It was only a practice session, but with nine days remaining before the season-opener at the Garden against the Caps, Jaromir Jagr for the first time was working with his teammates without medically mandated restrictions. He wasn't bumped hard, he wasn't bumped often, if at all, but he was part of it.
This represents a milestone for the 2006-07 Blueshirts, for while the Rangers have changed their look up front a bit and both want and need to become more reliant on a north-south game, it remains Jagr's team.
"I've been around the guys and in the locker room and in some of the practices, so I don't feel cut off, but it will be a good feeling to do everything," Jagr had said on Monday before the club physicians had examined his surgically repaired left shoulder and cleared him to go. "I never had a training camp like this before where I didn't play at least three or four [exhibition] games."
It's likely that Jagr will play in only Saturday's final preseason match at Boston, though there's a slim chance he might make his debut Friday night at the Coliseum against the Islanders.
"The conditioning is not there, and even though I have been skating twice a day, that's still not like games," Jagr said following yesterday's work. "You can only get conditioning by playing in games, so if I could play in both of those games, I'd like to."
Obviously no Ranger wants to deliver a blow to Jagr's shoulder that might re-injure the club's presumptive captain, but Jagr needs to take hits in order to learn how the shoulder is going to respond under duress. He's not yet confident in his ability to take a check.
"Of course I'm going to worry about it," he said. "It should be OK, but nothing is guaranteed. I don't want to go through the same situation, so that's just natural for me to feel that way. It's going to take time, and I have to get used to the feeling of getting hit.
"If you're unable to walk, the first day you can walk you're going to wonder how it's going to feel. You're not going to start running that day."
Coach Tom Renney will design drills in which Jagr can be tested so that he is able to enter the season with a free mind.
*
In assigning Al Montoya, Lauri Korpikoski, Dwight Helminen, Martin Richter and Lee Falardeau to the AHL Wolf Pack, the Blueshirts are carrying 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goaltenders. ... Brendan Shanahan and Michael Nylander both missed practice with groin issues.
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In other news, the Islanders are at my building at the moment, (right across the street from the Coliseum) doing a meet and greet. I think the featured attraction is Mr. 15 Year Contract, himself, Rick DiPietro. I'm tempted to go down there and start a "DiP Sucks" chant just for old time sake. I know I heard it at enough Isles-Rangers games in that crappy building across the street!
In other news, the Islanders are at my building at the moment, (right across the street from the Coliseum) doing a meet and greet. I think the featured attraction is Mr. 15 Year Contract, himself, Rick DiPietro. I'm tempted to go down there and start a "DiP Sucks" chant just for old time sake. I know I heard it at enough Isles-Rangers games in that crappy building across the street!
dont forget to sday hello to all the former NYRs
Dunham
Ferraro
Poti
Bouchard
Simon
York
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I think its just DiP and some other guy, can't remember his name from the signs that have been up around the building. Like I care anyway, I'd just go to heckle. Get a jump on the season, you know?
In other news, the Islanders are at my building at the moment, (right across the street from the Coliseum) doing a meet and greet. I think the featured attraction is Mr. 15 Year Contract, himself, Rick DiPietro. I'm tempted to go down there and start a "DiP Sucks" chant just for old time sake. I know I heard it at enough Isles-Rangers games in that crappy building across the street!
the new chant at msg for di p is 15/67 15/67 lol it was great
king henrik seems to be in mid-season form ,lets start this season
i think we're gonna be real happy w/ this Hall kid ,,,goes right to the net and has awesome hands ..plus he has great size ,, 20-25 goals is not out of the question
NY Post has overhauled their website.
Seems to take alot longer to get to the stories youre looking for, but oh well. Im sure as we get used to it, it will get better.
JUNIOR ACHIEVER
RANGERS' TOUGH CHOICE ON STAAL
By LARRY BROOKS
The skate was on the other foot when Tom Renney coached the WHL Kamloops Blazers in 1991-92 and was able to ride Scott Niedermayer and Darryl Sydor to the Memorial Cup when the Devils and Kings, respectively, returned the then-teenaged defensemen to junior hockey.
But now that Renney makes his living coaching the Rangers, he has an entirely different perspective on the agreement between the NHL and CHL that mandates that 18- or 19-year-olds drafted out of juniors must be returned to their junior clubs if they don't make their NHL squads.
Of course Renney does, now that he has a personal stake in the development of 19-year-old defenseman Marc Staal, the 12th overall selection of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft who must be returned to his OHL Sudbury team and, thus, cannot be assigned to the AHL Wolf Pack if unable to stick with the Rangers.
"I'm not a big fan of that rule, quite frankly," Renney said before last night's 1-0 Garden exhibition victory over the Bruins. "Far be it for me to be critical of how we develop our players, but I find it hard to believe that when a player is ready, willing and able to challenge for a position on at least the American League level, we're not permitted to assign him to our AHL affiliate.
"I'm a big proponent of growing hockey players, enhancing the product and making it better for the long run, and I think that allowing Marc and other players in his situation to play in the AHL would be a good thing for the NHL, the players and the individual franchises."
Staal, who has played in one preseason match, did not dress last night. He is one of 10 defensemen on the Rangers roster.
There is no deadline confronting the Rangers. Staal can start the season in New York and be returned to the OHL at any time, but if he were to play in 10 games, 2006-07 would count as an NHL season on his contract and toward free agency and waiver eligibility.
"I want to give Marc an opportunity to show what he can do, but if he does go back, he'll be returning to a good program in Sudbury, playing for a good coach in Mike Foligno," Renney said. "I would rather see him be able to develop within our organization at Hartford if he isn't ready for the NHL, but that's an option that's unfortunately not available to us."
*
Ryan Hollweg played center last night. Renney's evaluation of his work in the middle likely will have an impact on whether the Rangers keep winger Nigel Dawes or center Brandon Dubinsky. . . . Henrik Lundqvist protected the victory with a pair of point-blank saves in the final seconds for his second shutout in as many preseason appearances.
i think it sucks that they need to re-assign this kid ( and other prospects on other teams ) back to their minors and cant go to the AHL affiliate(s) . They will get better competition in the AHL ( wolfpack ) and its closer to the NHL level then the squirts. WTF ! ?
And how about Hollweg centering ? - i hope he doesnt lay off his physicality in a new centermans role. And again, its pretty safe to say that Colton Orr has solidified his roster spot - we need this guy every night .
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it cannot be a good sign that our powerplay has floundered so miserably- even with out Jagr out there. Can he be the only factor in a successfulo powerplay ? that is definitely not a good sign - especially with a suspect shoulder .
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RANGERS CONTINUE TO GEAR UP
By PAT REICHART
PrintEmailEmail
September 29, 2006 -- The Rangers will enter the final weekend of the preseason with their lineup two players lighter.
Defenseman Daniel Girardi and rookie forward Greg Moore were both cut from the NHL roster yesterday and sent to Hartford of the AHL, in the first of what will likely be a number of roster moves made by the Blueshirts over the next few days.
Rangers coach Tom Renney had nothing but positive things to say of both Girardi and Moore after yesterday's practice. Each of the players, he said, made progress during training camp and could play roles for the Blueshirts in the future, though neither is expected to make a significant contribution this season.
As for players whose contributions must be significant for the Rangers to compete this year, any discussion must begin with the mention of Jaromir Jagr, who skated well in practice yesterday and could play against the Islanders in tonight's preseason contest.
"We'll see how he is in the morning," said Renney, who will likely play Jagr extensively during tomorrow's afternoon contest in Boston.
As for goaltender Kevin Weekes, who is nursing an injured groin, the prognosis is not as promising. Though he did skate during practice yesterday and said he felt "better," he also admitted he is "certainly not 100 percent" and that there is "not really" any timetable for his return.
Over the weekend, journeyman goaltender StephenValiquette should see some action, but will likely be cut before the start of the season. That, of course, hinges entirely on the health of Weekes' groin.
And while we're on the ever-so-pleasant topic of groin health, veteran Michael Nylander resumed skating in practice yesterday, centering a line of Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. While Nylander promised his groin "felt better," his focus was squarely on the team's preseason scoring woes.
"Of course you'd like to score more," he admitted. "I think we've had chances." As for the still-developing Rangers power play unit, Nylander said, "I think it should be good . . . It's going to be very interesting."
After the set of games tonight and tomorrow, the Rangers will retreat to Lake George for a few days in preparation for the start of a new season. As for a preseason prediction, veteran defenseman Darius Kasparaitis offered the following: "I think our team is looking good, everyone is working hard. We learned from our mistakes last year - we know every game is huge."
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With 30 players remaining in training camp and exactly one week left before opening night, the Rangers staged a vigorous practice at the Madison Square Garden Training Center on Thursday.
On Wednesday night at MSG, the Rangers blanked the Boston Bruins 1-0 behind 30 saves from Henrik Lundqvist. Two players who appeared in that game, defenseman Daniel Girardi and forward Greg Moore, were reassigned to Hartford on Thursday morning, while Francis Lessard, a forward, was added to the training camp roster in preparation for Friday night's preseason game against the Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Rangers have two preseason games remaining, including one on Saturday in Boston. Following the Boston game, the Rangers will travel to upstate New York to participate in three days of practices and team-building activities. Similar team-building exercises last year at West Point were a big hit with the players and coaches, and they played a key role in setting the tone for the Rangers' success in 2005-06.
Rangers head coach Tom Renney met with the media following Thursday's practice and said that Jaromir Jagr would make his preseason debut either Friday or Saturday. In addition, Renney said goaltender Kevin Weekes, who has been hampered by a strained groin, could also see action in one of the two games. Renney said he would like Weekes to get a full game in before the regular season opens.
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I think MSG should have preempted " The Vault " and televised this game- regardless if its pre season or not !
wtf ?
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JAGR CLEARS FIRST HURDLE
By EVAN GROSSMAN
HE'S BACK! Jaromir Jagr, playing his first game since the playoffs last year, takes a shift on the power play in the second period of last night's exhibition against the Islanders.September 30, 2006 -- PRESEASON Isles 2 Rangers 1
There are cozier and more hospitable rinks in the NHL for Jaromir Jagr to have taken his surgically repaired shoulder for the first test run.
But resigned to the belief that the target on his back was no bigger at the Coliseum than anywhere else, Jagr made his preseason debut last night against the rival Islanders. It was the first time No. 68 played in a game since he was helped off the ice on April 29 with a dislocated shoulder in the playoffs.
Jagr survived the first test - a 2-1 Islanders victory - just fine, though his timing seemed off and his devastating shot was held under wraps by a stingy Islander defense.
Jagr's shoulder was never tested by any hits as heavy as the one Brad Lukowich laid on him in Game 4 against the Devils, the check that ultimately ended Jagr's season. But it was a start for Jagr, who is expected to play again today in the exhibition finale against the Bruins.
"My goal was to survive," Jagr said after logging 21:08 of ice time. The one shot he took went wide of the Islander net.
After skating in an abbreviated warm-up before the game, Jagr came on for his first shift 58 seconds into the game with the teams skating 4-on-4. Obviously still shaking the rust from his game, he was admittedly not in midseason form last night.
"To be honest, I was practicing twice a day and it's a lot harder to practice than play in games," Jagr said. "In practice they don't let you rest. Here, you get tired, they let you go change."
But more important for the Rangers, seeing No. 68 tee it up on a 5-on-3 advantage from the right point - opposite Brendan Shanahan blasting away from the left - was a fearsome sight to behold.
*
Alexei Yashin scored the winner at 13:09 of the third period and finished with a goal and an assist.
Islanders signed goalie Mike Dunham, a training camp invitee, to a one-year, $500,000 contract yesterday.
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good to see the PP get going today.. not to mention all of the big boys scoring
looks like Dawes is gonna get a spot,, he has played well and deserves it
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NOW YOU CAN DIE AGAIN!
RANGERS WILL BRING CUP BACK TO BROADWAY
JAROMIR JAGROctober 1, 2006 -- SLAP SHOTS
THE past two Stanley Cup Finals each featured a small-market team from the southeast United States defeating a small-market team from western Canada in a seven-game series. The first came under a collective bargaining agreement which contained no salary cap, the second under a CBA that contains the most restrictive cap of the modern sports era.
Five different teams have won the past five Cups, which means the NHL is tracking its parity on a course equal to the '90s, when six different teams won championships in the six years from 1992 through '97.
Then, of course, marquee teams with star power were capturing titles and the imagination of the U.S. sports public. Then, on either side of the first lockout, teams filled with recognizable future Hall of Famers were winning championships, remaining intact for repeat runs and challenges, setting the bar for their competition in the way that a rising tide lifts all boats. But that was before Sixth Avenue became obsessed with establishing a lowest common denominator for the league and its teams. That was before the fall.
The NHL may have its most appealing product in more than a decade, but not by definition. For this appealing product somehow appealed to fewer people than ever, if TV ratings are the measurement by which all leagues live. But have no fear. The league in which all games have a winner but nearly a quarter of them don't have a loser is about to be saved from itself for the second time in 12 years by its most important and most loathed franchise. The small-market league is going bright lights and Broadway again.
The NHL will rest in peace no more. The Rangers are on their way to another parade up the Canyon of Heroes, this time 41 years ahead of schedule.
Our lightning elimination round eliminates more teams than the Lightning, but it sure is ironic, isn't it, that this small-market champion became the first victim of the cap that penalizes success regardless of geography. The question in Atlanta - Bobby Holik and Steve Rucchin in the middle; we must have missed the punch line - is whether GM Don Waddell or head coach Bob Hartley will pay first with his job when the Thrashers miss again. The Islanders will compete harder than they did last season and, with both Miro Satan and Viktor Kozlov, may never lose a shootout, but will remain adrift. That is better than capsizing.
Boston will be better and better organized, but its goaltending isn't close to good enough. Florida is a joke franchise with a GM/coach in Jacques Martin who has never met a talent he hasn't tried to suppress. It would have been interesting had Pittsburgh and Washington actually tried to attract formidable support people for the glittering Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. It will be as interesting to watch the league attempt to sell itself by marketing players who work for teams that have virtually no chance to be in the playoffs; in other words, this isn't exactly Magic and Bird.
Colorado and Detroit, the glamour teams of the old CBA era, are commoners now, neither with much chance of winning, each likely to lose customers and corresponding cache. There isn't much sadder than Hockeytown believing in 155-pound Dom Hasek, is there? St. Louis is years away, Chicago doesn't count; Phoenix doesn't look like any team for which Wayne Gretzky would have enjoyed playing; L.A. is building very smartly; and Vancouver got the goalie a couple of years too late.
We'll be curious which excuses Doug MacLean makes this time when Columbus struggles; Dallas is no longer among the elite; and, given fair talent, isn't it finally time for Jacques Lemaire to be in the mix to actually win something in Minnesota? Edmonton, which crunched the numbers hard and well, looks like a one-and-done finalist, anyway.
No GM has benefited more from family than Brian Burke, who acquired Scott Niedermayer (the world's best player if Jaromir Jagr isn't) and Chris Pronger in successive summers because of familial tugs, though of different natures. Nashville has kept its work ethic while acquiring talent, and Calgary remains as tough to play and score upon as anyone. These are the three best teams in the West - San Jose a meter behind - that stand in the way of a fourth consecutive Eastern champion.
The Hurricanes were as determined to remove Oleg Tverdovsky's $5M over the next two seasons from the books as they were to trade Jack Johnson for immediate help on defense, and that is why the Rangers - and numerous other clubs - backed off. Carolina will be good again, so will Buffalo and so will Ottawa. The Flyers have an abundance of ability of up front, less so in the back, and what else is new? The Devils, as usual, will stand in the way of anyone serious about winning.
Which the Rangers are, from the front office to the coaching staff, from King Henrik of, no, not Sweden, but now of Broadway, to the pre-eminent Jagr. The Rangers added winners to their lineup this summer. They have young players who are likely to emerge over the course of the year. The roster - and ice time - in March is likely to be significantly different than the one that opens the season.
And there is the approximate $5 million of cap space and overflow of attractive prospects with which the team has to work at the trade deadline. In other words, when John Davidson seeks to move Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis will be dialing 212, not 911.
The Rangers will be going for a ride. Once again, the league is welcome to hop on their backs. If that doesn't upset its small-market strategy.
1) Ottawa
2) Rangers
3) Carolina
4 ) Buffalo
5) Devils
6 ) Philadelphia
7 ) Montreal
8 ) Toronto
9 ) Boston
10 ) Islanders
11 ) Washington
12 ) Atlanta
13 ) Tampa
14 ) Pittsburgh
15 ) Atlanta
West :
1) Nashville
2 ) Calgary
3 ) Anahiem
4 ) Minnesota
5 ) San Jose
6 ) Dallas
7) Los Angeles
8 ) Detroit
9 ) Vancouver
10 ) Edmonton
11 ) Columbus
12 ) Colorado
13 ) St Louis
14 ) Phoenix
15 ) Chicago
East Finals :
Rangers over Devils in 5
West Finals :
Anaheim over Nashville in 7
Cup Finals : Rangers over Anaheim in 7
how sweet it is !
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BY JOHN DELLAPINA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/987-shanahan_rangers.JPG
Brendan Shanahan in a Rangers uniform doesn't mean Blueshirts are back to old ways of throwing money around just to make headlines.
The rebuilding that never really was, clearly is over. The reprogramming of the Rangers' franchise, however, continues on a daily basis.
Because it does - paradoxically because the management team of Glen Sather and Don Maloney has maintained its vow to maintain a long-term view even with short-term success tantalizingly attainable - the Rangers go into the 2006-07 season with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations.
Because they do - with Tom Renney and his superb staff of assistant coaches beginning Year 2 of the Rangers' transformation by paying the same attention to detail and maintaining the same standards for work ethic and professionalism they instituted 13 months ago - the Rangers now are a model for how an NHL team under the salary cap should be run.
The signing of Brendan Shanahan in July did not signal a return to the bad, not-so-old days of trying to buy shortcuts to success that only compound and extend failure. Rather - as were the signings of center Matt Cullen and defenseman Aaron Ward and the acquisition of winger Adam Hall - it was a surgical strike aimed at strengthening a weakness (too much Euro-style weaving) without abandoning an overall philosophy of team-building.
Shanahan was signed to a modest deal (one year, $4 million) that said as much about his desire to play on Broadway as the Rangers' desire to get him. And his acquisition, like the others, was as much about focusing and toughening on-ice style of play and adding locker room character as loading up on statistics and star power.
Which is why this Rangers' summer, though it didn't produce an opening night roster that includes more youngsters, must be viewed as another carefully considered step forward after a long organizational retreat of haphazard missteps.
Having stayed that course after a year in which success came out of the blue, the Rangers open their 2006-07 season Thursday night at the Garden against the Washington Capitals thinking big.
Three Keys to Victory
1. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist must be as good as he was a year ago, with no major injury.
2. Jaromir Jagr must remain happy and healthy while Brendan Shanahan provides depth scoring.
3. Defensemen must minimize own-zone chaos for team to fulfill higher expectations.
Forwards:
Unless the NHL goes back to its old rodeo-style rules enforcement, the Martin Straka-Michael Nylander-Jaromir Jagr line will possess the puck for entire shifts and pile up the goals and assists again. Brendan Shanahan, Matt Cullen and either Adam Hall or the scrappy Petr Prucha figure to form a more straight-ahead second line that should give the Rangers badly needed scoring depth.
Blair Betts and Jason Ward formed two-thirds of a reliable third line last season. It didn't score much and wasn't matched against opposing top lines but it gave an honest effort.
Young winger Nigel Dawes gets his chance to be this year's Prucha.
Defense:
Aaron Ward will add grit and winning know-how where both were in short supply. Fedor Tyutin must take his all-around game to another level, as no other Rangers D possesses his skills. There are plenty of question marks.
Michal Rozsival and Marek Malik are coming off a stunningly successful season as partners. Can they reproduce it or will they regress? Can Darius Kasparaitis overcome a summer of inactivity after surgery to regain his wrecking-ball form? Can Karel Rachunek play at a high level in his return to the NHL after a year in Russia and an unimpressive preseason? Can Sandis Ozolinsh handle playing before booing Garden fans or must he be traded once he's back from knee surgery?
Goaltending
Their roles reversed from a year ago, Henrik Lundqvist and Kevin Weekes could give the Rangers one of the best goaltending tandems in the NHL.
NHL history is loaded with goaltenders who sparkle as rookies and never again approach that level. But Lundqvist appears to have the game, the demeanor and the position coach (Benoit Allaire) for lasting success.
Late last season, veteran Weekes adjusted to the unwanted role of spot-starting No. 2. His ability to perform under those conditions again could make the difference in the Rangers winning a division title and having a fresh Lundqvist for the playoffs.
Special Teams
With Jaromir Jagr in one circle and Brendan Shanahan in the other, the Rangers have the potential to unleash a frightening power play. But is there a point man in the house? Tom Renney will have to find a forward pair to go with the Jason Ward-Blair Betts penalty-killing duo. But given the caliber of the goaltending and the coaching staff's acumen, penalty-killing shouldn't be a problem.
Outlook
Sneaking up on the rest of the NHL is no longer possible. But just who in the Atlantic Division is going to leave the Rangers in their dust? Expect another three-way fight with the Flyers and Devils in the division, with the Blueshirts pulling it out this time.
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RANGERS ROOKIE DAWES DEFIED ODDS TO REACH NHL
10/3/2006
Three years ago, NHL teams drafted smaller players at their own risk.
In a league where clutching and grabbing were still very much in style, and where speed often died in the neutral zone, size was at a premium. Teams needed players who could fight through heavy traffic and overpower those intent on obstructing them.
Even at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville, the search for talent was often dwarfed by size concerns. How else can one explain why 148 picks were made before the Rangers were "bold" enough to select left wing Nigel Dawes.
Dawes had better offensive numbers than most first-rounders that year. Playing for the Kootenay Ice in 2002-03, he had placed third in the Western Hockey League with 47 goals and 10th in the league with 92 points. He was top scorer on his team, and had also played a key role one year earlier when Kootenay won the Memorial Cup as Canada's major-junior champions.
Despite all these accomplishments, Dawes lasted into the fifth round in 2003 simply because of a few inches. He stood 5-foot-8, which was undersized by NHL standards, and scouts were obviously concerned that his stellar junior game would not translate to the pro level.
Who back then could have known the NHL was on the verge of a major change in philosophy that would make players like Dawes more attractive than ever. Two years after that draft in Nashville, post-lockout rules changes put an emphasis on speed and finesse, opening up the ice for smaller players who no longer had to worry about the behemoths hired to make their lives miserable.
"I don't know if I necessarily expected to go any higher in that draft," said Dawes. "I knew I was going to get drafted. It was just a question of whether a team would take a chance on me. Especially then with the old rules. There wasn't a lot of room for smaller players in the league."
In 2003, the Rangers added Dawes as an absolute steal at his draft position. In the three years since, he has bolstered his hockey resume, and few 21-year-olds in history have been able to claim all the achievements Dawes can list. These include:
A Memorial Cup championship (2002 with Kootenay)
World Junior Championship gold and silver medals (2005 and 2004 with Team Canada)
50-goal scorer in major-junior hockey (2004-05 with Kootenay)
A major-junior franchise's all-time goals record (Kootenay, 159 goals)
Two WHL First Team All-Star selections (2003-04, 2004-05 with Kootenay)
No. 2 rookie goal-scorer in AHL (35 goals for Hartford in 2005-06)
Five-point game in AHL (March 31, 2006, for Hartford)
The Rangers' Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award as top rookie in training camp (2006)
The list of Dawes' accomplishments already seems endless. Now, as one of 23 active players remaining in the Rangers' training camp, he has officially broken through to the NHL and earned a spot on the Rangers' opening-night roster. He certainly helped his cause in the preseason, finishing third on the team with four points in five games.
Dawes enters the 2006-07 season as the only player who has never played in an NHL regular-season or playoff game. Not bad for a guy once thought to be too small to make it.
"Honestly, I don't think size is an issue in the NHL at all anymore," said Dawes. "I don't think they look at guys based on their size. If he's a good enough player and he can skate and he has the skills to play in the NHL, then he's going to play in the NHL."
Coming into training camp this year, Dawes said he felt more confident than a year ago, when he attended his first camp. In 2005, Dawes played in only one preseason game against Boston before being reassigned to Hartford.
"Last year I came to camp not knowing what to expect," said Dawes. "This year, I was able to prepare over the summer so that I could have a good camp."
Arrival on the NHL stage is something Dawes has dreamt about since his boyhood in Winnipeg, where he excelled in minor, bantam and midget hockey before entering the WHL. During those early years, Dawes was a big fan of hockey's best league, beginning with his support of the old Winnipeg Jets, who left town for Phoenix when Dawes was 11 years old.
"I was a big Winnipeg Jets fan, and I also liked the Avalanche because (Joe) Sakic was there," said Dawes. "I think I appreciate the Jets a little more now that they're gone than when they were there. But just seeing the whole NHL come back last year was great, and with the new rules, hockey has become an even more fun sport to watch."
Colorado's Sakic was always one of Dawes' favorite NHL players, but unlike some kids, he never made it his goal to emulate one specific star.
"I don't think I modeled my game after anyone's," said Dawes. "I kind of have a little bit of everything, I guess. I like to be physical and I like to be finesse and be solid defensively. I don't think there's one guy in general who inspired me, it's just kind of how the game fell into my hands."
With the Rangers organization, Dawes could follow in the footsteps of many famous Blueshirts who also grew up in Winnipeg. The organization's ties to that city go back to original Rangers coach and general manager Lester Patrick, who ran a prominent hockey school there in the 1930s. Winnipeg was also the boyhood home of Rangers stars Alex Shibicky, Don Raleigh, Andy Hebenton, Andy Bathgate and James Patrick.
At age 16, Dawes left Winnipeg for Cranbrook, British Columbia, where he joined Kootenay just in time for its championship season. The Ice blew out the QMJHL's Victoriaville Tigres in the final game, and one of the teams Kootenay beat in its march to the title was the Guelph Storm, which featured future Rangers defenseman Fedor Tyutin.
Dawes wasted little time becoming a star in major-junior, scoring 47 goals in his draft year, 47 more in 2003-04 and then 50 goals in 2004-05. Despite these accomplishments, there were still questions about his size. Those questions seem laughable today, since the new-era NHL is the perfect place for his type of player.
"I've never been discouraged in my life. I've been facing it (size concerns) since I started playing bantam," said Dawes. "When I went to the Western League there was always the size issue. It's such a repetition to me when people talk about it now. It's not even a question for me. I just kind of learned to deal with that and find other ways to stand out and to produce and move on in hockey. … There's definitely room for smaller players now. You've got be able to play the game, think the game, and be able to skate flat out to play the game now. I think it's just great for the fans. The game is more fun to watch and probably more fun to play as well."
In Hartford, Dawes continued his development, scoring 35 goals and 67 points last season. He finished second on the team in goals and power-play goals (15). Among rookies, only Houston's Patrick O'Sullivan – drafted 93 spots ahead of Dawes in 2003 – had more goals.
"It (the AHL) was a bit of an adjustment for the first four or five games, but after that it's just hockey again," said Dawes. "You get to where you're feeling more comfortable and more confident. I played with great linemates in Dwight Helminen and Colby Genoway. We just really jelled together and just grew as the year went on, and I grew as a player myself."
In his first pro season, Dawes said he tried not to get ahead of himself by setting a timetable for graduating to the NHL.
"You just go out there and take it day by day and play your game," he said. "You go out there and do what's gotten you to that point in your career and hopefully improve on your weak areas and strengthen your good areas."
One of the factors that has helped Dawes enjoy almost instant success at every level of hockey is his self-confidence. Rather than be overwhelmed by the jump from one league to another, Dawes has always tried to adapt his own game to the new environment. The final jump from the AHL to the NHL is no exception.
"I think it's definitely a little quicker out there, so you've got to get adjusted to the speed of the game," he said. "You don't have a whole lot of time to make plays. You've got to think quickly and try to be a step ahead of the play and know what you're going to do before it happens. I think that's what I'm trying to do out there. Other than that, I'm not really trying to change a lot from what I did last year in Hartford."
Dawes said one of the toughest things about this year's training camp was competing for limited roster spots against many of his Wolf Pack teammates.
"Obviously, you're pulling for other players, but when it comes to the bottom line, you're going out there and you want to make the team yourself," he said. "When you skate together in Hartford, you're pushing each other all the time because you never know if an opportunity is going to come and whether you're going to be here. We're always pushing for each other and rooting for each other, but at the same time, we're working on our own things."
Whether or not Dawes follows in the footsteps of teammate Petr Prucha and becomes an instant star with the Rangers, one thing is clear: Playing in the NHL won't change Nigel Dawes' fundamental approach to hockey or the perspective he has on his own development.
"Things have worked out for me so far," he said. "I've continued to get better, and I think that's what you have to do after you're drafted. You can't sit back and coast. You've got to keep working hard."
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Comments
Hey tommorow Night for anyone interested- on MSG Network- The Boomer Esiason Show ( we all know he is a HUGE NY Ranger fan ) has a full season preview , interviews, & Sam Rosen joins him in studio . Should be good.
wow has Colton Orr come a long way :eek:......., and an honorable mention for Lari Kiprokowski ( i know i most likely misspelled that )
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Jagr and injured left shoulder cleared for practice
NEW YORK (AP) -Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr has been cleared to practice for the first time since undergoing surgery on his dislocated left shoulder nearly five months ago.
"We got a very good report from the doctor," said smiling New York coach Tom Renney after the Rangers lost 5-2 to the New York Islanders in a preseason game Monday night. "He is ready for a full practice and everything that is involved with that."
When pressed on whether that included contact drills, Renney repeated that the star forward can participate in all forms of practice.
When Jagr might be able to play in a game will be determined by Renney and the rest of the coaching staff. Jagr will need to build up his endurance and practice time before taking the next step.
"He is cleared to practice, and then it is up to me," Renney said of Jagr, who set team records last season with 54 goals and 123 points. "He's got to practice."
At the start of training camp, Renney indicated it was doubtful that Jagr would play in any exhibition games before the Oct. 5 season opener against Washington. But Monday, Renney said he hopes to get last season's MVP runner-up into the lineup before then.
"I'd like to," he said. "We'll train here the next few days and we'll see where that takes us."
New York is scheduled to face Boston at home Wednesday, play at the Islanders on Friday, and visit Boston on Saturday to close out its preseason.
Jagr has been on the shelf since being injured in New York's playoff-opening loss to New Jersey last season. He missed one game and then returned for Game 3, but was largely ineffective after finishing second in the NHL in goals and points.
Less than one minute into the final game of New Jersey's sweep, Jagr was felled by a check from Devils defenseman Brad Lukowich and was knocked out for good.
The 34-year-old right winger had surgery nine days later on May 8. He was expected to be ready to go at the start of training camp on Sept. 15, but the Rangers took a cautious approach and kept him out of team scrimmages and games.
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the smell of the ice and hotdogs is like none-other !!!!=) lol
p.s. we need a point man on the PP and his name is not matt cullen
LET'S GO RANGER'S!!!
i realize they like him on the PK,, but he has got to do more on offense
when he gets hot ,,he;s awesome , unfortunately its only 6-10 games out of 82
LET'S GO RANGER'S!!!!!!!!!!
What the hell is going on with Brian Leetch ?
Brian, please come to your senses , come out of hybernation , and contact Glen Sather --- please---, before its too late .
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No Garden party
Ex-Ranger Poti will experience the rivalry from the opposite side
BY GREG LOGAN
Newsday Staff Writer
September 25, 2006
As the would-be replacement for beloved defenseman Brian Leetch, Tom Poti was never embraced by Rangers fans despite very respectable numbers during his three-plus seasons with the team.
But if they treated Poti unkindly at times last season as a Ranger, it's not hard to imagine the reaction tonight when he returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time as an Islander.
Although Poti generally tunes the fans out, he's looking forward to experiencing the rivalry from a different vantage point.
"It's always a game I look forward to playing," Poti said. "Rangers-Islanders games are the 'funnest' games we had all year. I'm sure this will be nothing different, just from the other side."
Poti said his free-agent signing with the Islanders " is good for me to get a fresh start." It's good, too, for the Islanders, who are trying to rebuild a defense that let them down last season.
They added veterans Sean Hill and Brendan Witt for their toughness and leadership, but they needed Poti for his offensive skills. He can man the point on the power play and jump into the attack to fit the style of new coach Ted Nolan.
"In college, I used to always get up with the play and trail the play," Poti said. "It's something I love to do, something I've been doing most of my career."
In the Islanders' two exhibition losses to Boston that concluded their training camp in Nova Scotia, the defense was disorganized. But Nolan said that will change with another week of practice.
Poti had a rough opener partly because he's adjusting to the far-ranging style of goaltender Rick DiPietro. But Poti stepped up his physical play in the rematch and delivered a goal in the final minute, when the Islanders had an extra man on the ice, to cut their deficit to one.
"Ricky likes to come out and play," Poti said of DiPietro. "I think that works to our advantage to have that third guy back there to help you out when you can't get to the puck. It's not going to be an instant-chemistry type of thing, but with time, I think it will work out well for everyone."
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:eek: :eek: :eek:
Darius Kasparaitis was in last night's lineup after receiving a tough-love message from Renney, who suspected the veteran defenseman had been coddling himself in his return from offseason shoulder and groin surgeries.
"I was still feeling pain in the abdominal area at the start of camp, so I was pacing myself to get ready for the start of the season," said Kasparaitis. "But Tom told me I had to pick it up and play with more intensity. ... I guess he was just trying to send the message that I have to work harder."
Said Renney: "Maybe there's a psychological barrier Darius has to push through. I told him that the helping hand he might be looking for is on the end of his own arm."
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September 27, 2006 -- Ronald Reagan once played a character in the movies who asked, "Where's the rest of me?" The Rangers haven't had to ask that question this training camp.
For they and everyone else in the hockey universe have known that the rest of the Rangers was in the training room or on the ice by himself wearing No. 68.
It was only a practice session, but with nine days remaining before the season-opener at the Garden against the Caps, Jaromir Jagr for the first time was working with his teammates without medically mandated restrictions. He wasn't bumped hard, he wasn't bumped often, if at all, but he was part of it.
This represents a milestone for the 2006-07 Blueshirts, for while the Rangers have changed their look up front a bit and both want and need to become more reliant on a north-south game, it remains Jagr's team.
"I've been around the guys and in the locker room and in some of the practices, so I don't feel cut off, but it will be a good feeling to do everything," Jagr had said on Monday before the club physicians had examined his surgically repaired left shoulder and cleared him to go. "I never had a training camp like this before where I didn't play at least three or four [exhibition] games."
It's likely that Jagr will play in only Saturday's final preseason match at Boston, though there's a slim chance he might make his debut Friday night at the Coliseum against the Islanders.
"The conditioning is not there, and even though I have been skating twice a day, that's still not like games," Jagr said following yesterday's work. "You can only get conditioning by playing in games, so if I could play in both of those games, I'd like to."
Obviously no Ranger wants to deliver a blow to Jagr's shoulder that might re-injure the club's presumptive captain, but Jagr needs to take hits in order to learn how the shoulder is going to respond under duress. He's not yet confident in his ability to take a check.
"Of course I'm going to worry about it," he said. "It should be OK, but nothing is guaranteed. I don't want to go through the same situation, so that's just natural for me to feel that way. It's going to take time, and I have to get used to the feeling of getting hit.
"If you're unable to walk, the first day you can walk you're going to wonder how it's going to feel. You're not going to start running that day."
Coach Tom Renney will design drills in which Jagr can be tested so that he is able to enter the season with a free mind.
*
In assigning Al Montoya, Lauri Korpikoski, Dwight Helminen, Martin Richter and Lee Falardeau to the AHL Wolf Pack, the Blueshirts are carrying 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goaltenders. ... Brendan Shanahan and Michael Nylander both missed practice with groin issues.
larry.brooks@nypost.com
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dont forget to sday hello to all the former NYRs
Dunham
Ferraro
Poti
Bouchard
Simon
York
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I think its just DiP and some other guy, can't remember his name from the signs that have been up around the building. Like I care anyway, I'd just go to heckle. Get a jump on the season, you know?
the new chant at msg for di p is 15/67 15/67 lol it was great
i think we're gonna be real happy w/ this Hall kid ,,,goes right to the net and has awesome hands ..plus he has great size ,, 20-25 goals is not out of the question
Seems to take alot longer to get to the stories youre looking for, but oh well. Im sure as we get used to it, it will get better.
https://www.nypost.com/seven/09282006/sports/rangers/junior_achiever_rangers_larry_brooks.htm
JUNIOR ACHIEVER
RANGERS' TOUGH CHOICE ON STAAL
By LARRY BROOKS
The skate was on the other foot when Tom Renney coached the WHL Kamloops Blazers in 1991-92 and was able to ride Scott Niedermayer and Darryl Sydor to the Memorial Cup when the Devils and Kings, respectively, returned the then-teenaged defensemen to junior hockey.
But now that Renney makes his living coaching the Rangers, he has an entirely different perspective on the agreement between the NHL and CHL that mandates that 18- or 19-year-olds drafted out of juniors must be returned to their junior clubs if they don't make their NHL squads.
Of course Renney does, now that he has a personal stake in the development of 19-year-old defenseman Marc Staal, the 12th overall selection of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft who must be returned to his OHL Sudbury team and, thus, cannot be assigned to the AHL Wolf Pack if unable to stick with the Rangers.
"I'm not a big fan of that rule, quite frankly," Renney said before last night's 1-0 Garden exhibition victory over the Bruins. "Far be it for me to be critical of how we develop our players, but I find it hard to believe that when a player is ready, willing and able to challenge for a position on at least the American League level, we're not permitted to assign him to our AHL affiliate.
"I'm a big proponent of growing hockey players, enhancing the product and making it better for the long run, and I think that allowing Marc and other players in his situation to play in the AHL would be a good thing for the NHL, the players and the individual franchises."
Staal, who has played in one preseason match, did not dress last night. He is one of 10 defensemen on the Rangers roster.
There is no deadline confronting the Rangers. Staal can start the season in New York and be returned to the OHL at any time, but if he were to play in 10 games, 2006-07 would count as an NHL season on his contract and toward free agency and waiver eligibility.
"I want to give Marc an opportunity to show what he can do, but if he does go back, he'll be returning to a good program in Sudbury, playing for a good coach in Mike Foligno," Renney said. "I would rather see him be able to develop within our organization at Hartford if he isn't ready for the NHL, but that's an option that's unfortunately not available to us."
*
Ryan Hollweg played center last night. Renney's evaluation of his work in the middle likely will have an impact on whether the Rangers keep winger Nigel Dawes or center Brandon Dubinsky. . . . Henrik Lundqvist protected the victory with a pair of point-blank saves in the final seconds for his second shutout in as many preseason appearances.
larry.brooks@nypost.com
i think it sucks that they need to re-assign this kid ( and other prospects on other teams ) back to their minors and cant go to the AHL affiliate(s) . They will get better competition in the AHL ( wolfpack ) and its closer to the NHL level then the squirts. WTF ! ?
And how about Hollweg centering ? - i hope he doesnt lay off his physicality in a new centermans role. And again, its pretty safe to say that Colton Orr has solidified his roster spot - we need this guy every night .
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either way his development is gonna suffer,,,which blows
and then if u go to juniors,,u cant be called up during the year?? if this is the case this really blows
yes we def. need orr in the lineup,,because u know every team is looking to run jagr especially the skanky fishsticks,,so he needs to play
it cannot be a good sign that our powerplay has floundered so miserably- even with out Jagr out there. Can he be the only factor in a successfulo powerplay ? that is definitely not a good sign - especially with a suspect shoulder .
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rangers suck
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
15/67 15/67
RANGERS CONTINUE TO GEAR UP
By PAT REICHART
PrintEmailEmail
September 29, 2006 -- The Rangers will enter the final weekend of the preseason with their lineup two players lighter.
Defenseman Daniel Girardi and rookie forward Greg Moore were both cut from the NHL roster yesterday and sent to Hartford of the AHL, in the first of what will likely be a number of roster moves made by the Blueshirts over the next few days.
Rangers coach Tom Renney had nothing but positive things to say of both Girardi and Moore after yesterday's practice. Each of the players, he said, made progress during training camp and could play roles for the Blueshirts in the future, though neither is expected to make a significant contribution this season.
As for players whose contributions must be significant for the Rangers to compete this year, any discussion must begin with the mention of Jaromir Jagr, who skated well in practice yesterday and could play against the Islanders in tonight's preseason contest.
"We'll see how he is in the morning," said Renney, who will likely play Jagr extensively during tomorrow's afternoon contest in Boston.
As for goaltender Kevin Weekes, who is nursing an injured groin, the prognosis is not as promising. Though he did skate during practice yesterday and said he felt "better," he also admitted he is "certainly not 100 percent" and that there is "not really" any timetable for his return.
Over the weekend, journeyman goaltender StephenValiquette should see some action, but will likely be cut before the start of the season. That, of course, hinges entirely on the health of Weekes' groin.
And while we're on the ever-so-pleasant topic of groin health, veteran Michael Nylander resumed skating in practice yesterday, centering a line of Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr. While Nylander promised his groin "felt better," his focus was squarely on the team's preseason scoring woes.
"Of course you'd like to score more," he admitted. "I think we've had chances." As for the still-developing Rangers power play unit, Nylander said, "I think it should be good . . . It's going to be very interesting."
After the set of games tonight and tomorrow, the Rangers will retreat to Lake George for a few days in preparation for the start of a new season. As for a preseason prediction, veteran defenseman Darius Kasparaitis offered the following: "I think our team is looking good, everyone is working hard. We learned from our mistakes last year - we know every game is huge."
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includes 5 minutes of video from practice
nice new practice jerseys !
RANGERS TUNE UP FOR BUSY WEEKEND ON THE ROAD
9/28/2006
VIDEO – SEPT. 28 PRACTICE
View Footage from the Training Center
http://switchboard.real.com/player/email.html?PV=6.0.12&&title=Practice%5FTeam%5F0928%5F300&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorkrangers.com%2Fmultimedia%2Fvideo%2FPractice%5FTeam%5F0928%5F300.ram%3Fembed
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With 30 players remaining in training camp and exactly one week left before opening night, the Rangers staged a vigorous practice at the Madison Square Garden Training Center on Thursday.
On Wednesday night at MSG, the Rangers blanked the Boston Bruins 1-0 behind 30 saves from Henrik Lundqvist. Two players who appeared in that game, defenseman Daniel Girardi and forward Greg Moore, were reassigned to Hartford on Thursday morning, while Francis Lessard, a forward, was added to the training camp roster in preparation for Friday night's preseason game against the Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Rangers have two preseason games remaining, including one on Saturday in Boston. Following the Boston game, the Rangers will travel to upstate New York to participate in three days of practices and team-building activities. Similar team-building exercises last year at West Point were a big hit with the players and coaches, and they played a key role in setting the tone for the Rangers' success in 2005-06.
Rangers head coach Tom Renney met with the media following Thursday's practice and said that Jaromir Jagr would make his preseason debut either Friday or Saturday. In addition, Renney said goaltender Kevin Weekes, who has been hampered by a strained groin, could also see action in one of the two games. Renney said he would like Weekes to get a full game in before the regular season opens.
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wtf ? :mad:
is he wearing the " C " ?
I think MSG should have preempted " The Vault " and televised this game- regardless if its pre season or not !
wtf ?
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https://www.nypost.com/seven/09302006/sports/rangers/jagr_clears__first_hurdle_rangers_evan_grossman.htm
JAGR CLEARS FIRST HURDLE
By EVAN GROSSMAN
HE'S BACK! Jaromir Jagr, playing his first game since the playoffs last year, takes a shift on the power play in the second period of last night's exhibition against the Islanders.September 30, 2006 -- PRESEASON Isles 2 Rangers 1
There are cozier and more hospitable rinks in the NHL for Jaromir Jagr to have taken his surgically repaired shoulder for the first test run.
But resigned to the belief that the target on his back was no bigger at the Coliseum than anywhere else, Jagr made his preseason debut last night against the rival Islanders. It was the first time No. 68 played in a game since he was helped off the ice on April 29 with a dislocated shoulder in the playoffs.
Jagr survived the first test - a 2-1 Islanders victory - just fine, though his timing seemed off and his devastating shot was held under wraps by a stingy Islander defense.
Jagr's shoulder was never tested by any hits as heavy as the one Brad Lukowich laid on him in Game 4 against the Devils, the check that ultimately ended Jagr's season. But it was a start for Jagr, who is expected to play again today in the exhibition finale against the Bruins.
"My goal was to survive," Jagr said after logging 21:08 of ice time. The one shot he took went wide of the Islander net.
After skating in an abbreviated warm-up before the game, Jagr came on for his first shift 58 seconds into the game with the teams skating 4-on-4. Obviously still shaking the rust from his game, he was admittedly not in midseason form last night.
"To be honest, I was practicing twice a day and it's a lot harder to practice than play in games," Jagr said. "In practice they don't let you rest. Here, you get tired, they let you go change."
But more important for the Rangers, seeing No. 68 tee it up on a 5-on-3 advantage from the right point - opposite Brendan Shanahan blasting away from the left - was a fearsome sight to behold.
*
Alexei Yashin scored the winner at 13:09 of the third period and finished with a goal and an assist.
Islanders signed goalie Mike Dunham, a training camp invitee, to a one-year, $500,000 contract yesterday.
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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looks like Dawes is gonna get a spot,, he has played well and deserves it
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!
LET'S GO RANGER'S!!
it cant start quick enough, for me !
[size=+2] - _/ Lets Go Rangers \_ - ! [/size]
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NOW YOU CAN DIE AGAIN!
RANGERS WILL BRING CUP BACK TO BROADWAY
JAROMIR JAGROctober 1, 2006 -- SLAP SHOTS
THE past two Stanley Cup Finals each featured a small-market team from the southeast United States defeating a small-market team from western Canada in a seven-game series. The first came under a collective bargaining agreement which contained no salary cap, the second under a CBA that contains the most restrictive cap of the modern sports era.
Five different teams have won the past five Cups, which means the NHL is tracking its parity on a course equal to the '90s, when six different teams won championships in the six years from 1992 through '97.
Then, of course, marquee teams with star power were capturing titles and the imagination of the U.S. sports public. Then, on either side of the first lockout, teams filled with recognizable future Hall of Famers were winning championships, remaining intact for repeat runs and challenges, setting the bar for their competition in the way that a rising tide lifts all boats. But that was before Sixth Avenue became obsessed with establishing a lowest common denominator for the league and its teams. That was before the fall.
The NHL may have its most appealing product in more than a decade, but not by definition. For this appealing product somehow appealed to fewer people than ever, if TV ratings are the measurement by which all leagues live. But have no fear. The league in which all games have a winner but nearly a quarter of them don't have a loser is about to be saved from itself for the second time in 12 years by its most important and most loathed franchise. The small-market league is going bright lights and Broadway again.
The NHL will rest in peace no more. The Rangers are on their way to another parade up the Canyon of Heroes, this time 41 years ahead of schedule.
Our lightning elimination round eliminates more teams than the Lightning, but it sure is ironic, isn't it, that this small-market champion became the first victim of the cap that penalizes success regardless of geography. The question in Atlanta - Bobby Holik and Steve Rucchin in the middle; we must have missed the punch line - is whether GM Don Waddell or head coach Bob Hartley will pay first with his job when the Thrashers miss again. The Islanders will compete harder than they did last season and, with both Miro Satan and Viktor Kozlov, may never lose a shootout, but will remain adrift. That is better than capsizing.
Boston will be better and better organized, but its goaltending isn't close to good enough. Florida is a joke franchise with a GM/coach in Jacques Martin who has never met a talent he hasn't tried to suppress. It would have been interesting had Pittsburgh and Washington actually tried to attract formidable support people for the glittering Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. It will be as interesting to watch the league attempt to sell itself by marketing players who work for teams that have virtually no chance to be in the playoffs; in other words, this isn't exactly Magic and Bird.
Colorado and Detroit, the glamour teams of the old CBA era, are commoners now, neither with much chance of winning, each likely to lose customers and corresponding cache. There isn't much sadder than Hockeytown believing in 155-pound Dom Hasek, is there? St. Louis is years away, Chicago doesn't count; Phoenix doesn't look like any team for which Wayne Gretzky would have enjoyed playing; L.A. is building very smartly; and Vancouver got the goalie a couple of years too late.
We'll be curious which excuses Doug MacLean makes this time when Columbus struggles; Dallas is no longer among the elite; and, given fair talent, isn't it finally time for Jacques Lemaire to be in the mix to actually win something in Minnesota? Edmonton, which crunched the numbers hard and well, looks like a one-and-done finalist, anyway.
No GM has benefited more from family than Brian Burke, who acquired Scott Niedermayer (the world's best player if Jaromir Jagr isn't) and Chris Pronger in successive summers because of familial tugs, though of different natures. Nashville has kept its work ethic while acquiring talent, and Calgary remains as tough to play and score upon as anyone. These are the three best teams in the West - San Jose a meter behind - that stand in the way of a fourth consecutive Eastern champion.
The Hurricanes were as determined to remove Oleg Tverdovsky's $5M over the next two seasons from the books as they were to trade Jack Johnson for immediate help on defense, and that is why the Rangers - and numerous other clubs - backed off. Carolina will be good again, so will Buffalo and so will Ottawa. The Flyers have an abundance of ability of up front, less so in the back, and what else is new? The Devils, as usual, will stand in the way of anyone serious about winning.
Which the Rangers are, from the front office to the coaching staff, from King Henrik of, no, not Sweden, but now of Broadway, to the pre-eminent Jagr. The Rangers added winners to their lineup this summer. They have young players who are likely to emerge over the course of the year. The roster - and ice time - in March is likely to be significantly different than the one that opens the season.
And there is the approximate $5 million of cap space and overflow of attractive prospects with which the team has to work at the trade deadline. In other words, when John Davidson seeks to move Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis will be dialing 212, not 911.
The Rangers will be going for a ride. Once again, the league is welcome to hop on their backs. If that doesn't upset its small-market strategy.
larry.brooks@nypost.com
Larry Brooks Crystal Ball :
East :
1) Ottawa
2) Rangers
3) Carolina
4 ) Buffalo
5) Devils
6 ) Philadelphia
7 ) Montreal
8 ) Toronto
9 ) Boston
10 ) Islanders
11 ) Washington
12 ) Atlanta
13 ) Tampa
14 ) Pittsburgh
15 ) Atlanta
West :
1) Nashville
2 ) Calgary
3 ) Anahiem
4 ) Minnesota
5 ) San Jose
6 ) Dallas
7) Los Angeles
8 ) Detroit
9 ) Vancouver
10 ) Edmonton
11 ) Columbus
12 ) Colorado
13 ) St Louis
14 ) Phoenix
15 ) Chicago
East Finals :
Rangers over Devils in 5
West Finals :
Anaheim over Nashville in 7
Cup Finals :
Rangers over Anaheim in 7
how sweet it is !
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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[size=+2]It's all according to plan
Rangers ready to chase Cup[/size]
BY JOHN DELLAPINA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/987-shanahan_rangers.JPG
Brendan Shanahan in a Rangers uniform doesn't mean Blueshirts are back to old ways of throwing money around just to make headlines.
The rebuilding that never really was, clearly is over. The reprogramming of the Rangers' franchise, however, continues on a daily basis.
Because it does - paradoxically because the management team of Glen Sather and Don Maloney has maintained its vow to maintain a long-term view even with short-term success tantalizingly attainable - the Rangers go into the 2006-07 season with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations.
Because they do - with Tom Renney and his superb staff of assistant coaches beginning Year 2 of the Rangers' transformation by paying the same attention to detail and maintaining the same standards for work ethic and professionalism they instituted 13 months ago - the Rangers now are a model for how an NHL team under the salary cap should be run.
The signing of Brendan Shanahan in July did not signal a return to the bad, not-so-old days of trying to buy shortcuts to success that only compound and extend failure. Rather - as were the signings of center Matt Cullen and defenseman Aaron Ward and the acquisition of winger Adam Hall - it was a surgical strike aimed at strengthening a weakness (too much Euro-style weaving) without abandoning an overall philosophy of team-building.
Shanahan was signed to a modest deal (one year, $4 million) that said as much about his desire to play on Broadway as the Rangers' desire to get him. And his acquisition, like the others, was as much about focusing and toughening on-ice style of play and adding locker room character as loading up on statistics and star power.
Which is why this Rangers' summer, though it didn't produce an opening night roster that includes more youngsters, must be viewed as another carefully considered step forward after a long organizational retreat of haphazard missteps.
Having stayed that course after a year in which success came out of the blue, the Rangers open their 2006-07 season Thursday night at the Garden against the Washington Capitals thinking big.
Three Keys to Victory
1. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist must be as good as he was a year ago, with no major injury.
2. Jaromir Jagr must remain happy and healthy while Brendan Shanahan provides depth scoring.
3. Defensemen must minimize own-zone chaos for team to fulfill higher expectations.
Forwards:
Unless the NHL goes back to its old rodeo-style rules enforcement, the Martin Straka-Michael Nylander-Jaromir Jagr line will possess the puck for entire shifts and pile up the goals and assists again. Brendan Shanahan, Matt Cullen and either Adam Hall or the scrappy Petr Prucha figure to form a more straight-ahead second line that should give the Rangers badly needed scoring depth.
Blair Betts and Jason Ward formed two-thirds of a reliable third line last season. It didn't score much and wasn't matched against opposing top lines but it gave an honest effort.
Young winger Nigel Dawes gets his chance to be this year's Prucha.
Defense:
Aaron Ward will add grit and winning know-how where both were in short supply. Fedor Tyutin must take his all-around game to another level, as no other Rangers D possesses his skills. There are plenty of question marks.
Michal Rozsival and Marek Malik are coming off a stunningly successful season as partners. Can they reproduce it or will they regress? Can Darius Kasparaitis overcome a summer of inactivity after surgery to regain his wrecking-ball form? Can Karel Rachunek play at a high level in his return to the NHL after a year in Russia and an unimpressive preseason? Can Sandis Ozolinsh handle playing before booing Garden fans or must he be traded once he's back from knee surgery?
Goaltending
Their roles reversed from a year ago, Henrik Lundqvist and Kevin Weekes could give the Rangers one of the best goaltending tandems in the NHL.
NHL history is loaded with goaltenders who sparkle as rookies and never again approach that level. But Lundqvist appears to have the game, the demeanor and the position coach (Benoit Allaire) for lasting success.
Late last season, veteran Weekes adjusted to the unwanted role of spot-starting No. 2. His ability to perform under those conditions again could make the difference in the Rangers winning a division title and having a fresh Lundqvist for the playoffs.
Special Teams
With Jaromir Jagr in one circle and Brendan Shanahan in the other, the Rangers have the potential to unleash a frightening power play. But is there a point man in the house? Tom Renney will have to find a forward pair to go with the Jason Ward-Blair Betts penalty-killing duo. But given the caliber of the goaltending and the coaching staff's acumen, penalty-killing shouldn't be a problem.
Outlook
Sneaking up on the rest of the NHL is no longer possible. But just who in the Atlantic Division is going to leave the Rangers in their dust? Expect another three-way fight with the Flyers and Devils in the division, with the Blueshirts pulling it out this time.
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ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh baby!! in honor of JD
plus Netflix is starting to ship all 15 discs of the 94 season. ( good thing I prcrastinate and didn't transfer all my old 94 tapes to dvd)
RANGERS ROOKIE DAWES DEFIED ODDS TO REACH NHL
10/3/2006
Three years ago, NHL teams drafted smaller players at their own risk.
In a league where clutching and grabbing were still very much in style, and where speed often died in the neutral zone, size was at a premium. Teams needed players who could fight through heavy traffic and overpower those intent on obstructing them.
Even at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville, the search for talent was often dwarfed by size concerns. How else can one explain why 148 picks were made before the Rangers were "bold" enough to select left wing Nigel Dawes.
Dawes had better offensive numbers than most first-rounders that year. Playing for the Kootenay Ice in 2002-03, he had placed third in the Western Hockey League with 47 goals and 10th in the league with 92 points. He was top scorer on his team, and had also played a key role one year earlier when Kootenay won the Memorial Cup as Canada's major-junior champions.
Despite all these accomplishments, Dawes lasted into the fifth round in 2003 simply because of a few inches. He stood 5-foot-8, which was undersized by NHL standards, and scouts were obviously concerned that his stellar junior game would not translate to the pro level.
Who back then could have known the NHL was on the verge of a major change in philosophy that would make players like Dawes more attractive than ever. Two years after that draft in Nashville, post-lockout rules changes put an emphasis on speed and finesse, opening up the ice for smaller players who no longer had to worry about the behemoths hired to make their lives miserable.
"I don't know if I necessarily expected to go any higher in that draft," said Dawes. "I knew I was going to get drafted. It was just a question of whether a team would take a chance on me. Especially then with the old rules. There wasn't a lot of room for smaller players in the league."
In 2003, the Rangers added Dawes as an absolute steal at his draft position. In the three years since, he has bolstered his hockey resume, and few 21-year-olds in history have been able to claim all the achievements Dawes can list. These include:
A Memorial Cup championship (2002 with Kootenay)
World Junior Championship gold and silver medals (2005 and 2004 with Team Canada)
50-goal scorer in major-junior hockey (2004-05 with Kootenay)
A major-junior franchise's all-time goals record (Kootenay, 159 goals)
Two WHL First Team All-Star selections (2003-04, 2004-05 with Kootenay)
No. 2 rookie goal-scorer in AHL (35 goals for Hartford in 2005-06)
Five-point game in AHL (March 31, 2006, for Hartford)
The Rangers' Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award as top rookie in training camp (2006)
The list of Dawes' accomplishments already seems endless. Now, as one of 23 active players remaining in the Rangers' training camp, he has officially broken through to the NHL and earned a spot on the Rangers' opening-night roster. He certainly helped his cause in the preseason, finishing third on the team with four points in five games.
Dawes enters the 2006-07 season as the only player who has never played in an NHL regular-season or playoff game. Not bad for a guy once thought to be too small to make it.
"Honestly, I don't think size is an issue in the NHL at all anymore," said Dawes. "I don't think they look at guys based on their size. If he's a good enough player and he can skate and he has the skills to play in the NHL, then he's going to play in the NHL."
Coming into training camp this year, Dawes said he felt more confident than a year ago, when he attended his first camp. In 2005, Dawes played in only one preseason game against Boston before being reassigned to Hartford.
"Last year I came to camp not knowing what to expect," said Dawes. "This year, I was able to prepare over the summer so that I could have a good camp."
Arrival on the NHL stage is something Dawes has dreamt about since his boyhood in Winnipeg, where he excelled in minor, bantam and midget hockey before entering the WHL. During those early years, Dawes was a big fan of hockey's best league, beginning with his support of the old Winnipeg Jets, who left town for Phoenix when Dawes was 11 years old.
"I was a big Winnipeg Jets fan, and I also liked the Avalanche because (Joe) Sakic was there," said Dawes. "I think I appreciate the Jets a little more now that they're gone than when they were there. But just seeing the whole NHL come back last year was great, and with the new rules, hockey has become an even more fun sport to watch."
Colorado's Sakic was always one of Dawes' favorite NHL players, but unlike some kids, he never made it his goal to emulate one specific star.
"I don't think I modeled my game after anyone's," said Dawes. "I kind of have a little bit of everything, I guess. I like to be physical and I like to be finesse and be solid defensively. I don't think there's one guy in general who inspired me, it's just kind of how the game fell into my hands."
With the Rangers organization, Dawes could follow in the footsteps of many famous Blueshirts who also grew up in Winnipeg. The organization's ties to that city go back to original Rangers coach and general manager Lester Patrick, who ran a prominent hockey school there in the 1930s. Winnipeg was also the boyhood home of Rangers stars Alex Shibicky, Don Raleigh, Andy Hebenton, Andy Bathgate and James Patrick.
At age 16, Dawes left Winnipeg for Cranbrook, British Columbia, where he joined Kootenay just in time for its championship season. The Ice blew out the QMJHL's Victoriaville Tigres in the final game, and one of the teams Kootenay beat in its march to the title was the Guelph Storm, which featured future Rangers defenseman Fedor Tyutin.
Dawes wasted little time becoming a star in major-junior, scoring 47 goals in his draft year, 47 more in 2003-04 and then 50 goals in 2004-05. Despite these accomplishments, there were still questions about his size. Those questions seem laughable today, since the new-era NHL is the perfect place for his type of player.
"I've never been discouraged in my life. I've been facing it (size concerns) since I started playing bantam," said Dawes. "When I went to the Western League there was always the size issue. It's such a repetition to me when people talk about it now. It's not even a question for me. I just kind of learned to deal with that and find other ways to stand out and to produce and move on in hockey. … There's definitely room for smaller players now. You've got be able to play the game, think the game, and be able to skate flat out to play the game now. I think it's just great for the fans. The game is more fun to watch and probably more fun to play as well."
In Hartford, Dawes continued his development, scoring 35 goals and 67 points last season. He finished second on the team in goals and power-play goals (15). Among rookies, only Houston's Patrick O'Sullivan – drafted 93 spots ahead of Dawes in 2003 – had more goals.
"It (the AHL) was a bit of an adjustment for the first four or five games, but after that it's just hockey again," said Dawes. "You get to where you're feeling more comfortable and more confident. I played with great linemates in Dwight Helminen and Colby Genoway. We just really jelled together and just grew as the year went on, and I grew as a player myself."
In his first pro season, Dawes said he tried not to get ahead of himself by setting a timetable for graduating to the NHL.
"You just go out there and take it day by day and play your game," he said. "You go out there and do what's gotten you to that point in your career and hopefully improve on your weak areas and strengthen your good areas."
One of the factors that has helped Dawes enjoy almost instant success at every level of hockey is his self-confidence. Rather than be overwhelmed by the jump from one league to another, Dawes has always tried to adapt his own game to the new environment. The final jump from the AHL to the NHL is no exception.
"I think it's definitely a little quicker out there, so you've got to get adjusted to the speed of the game," he said. "You don't have a whole lot of time to make plays. You've got to think quickly and try to be a step ahead of the play and know what you're going to do before it happens. I think that's what I'm trying to do out there. Other than that, I'm not really trying to change a lot from what I did last year in Hartford."
Dawes said one of the toughest things about this year's training camp was competing for limited roster spots against many of his Wolf Pack teammates.
"Obviously, you're pulling for other players, but when it comes to the bottom line, you're going out there and you want to make the team yourself," he said. "When you skate together in Hartford, you're pushing each other all the time because you never know if an opportunity is going to come and whether you're going to be here. We're always pushing for each other and rooting for each other, but at the same time, we're working on our own things."
Whether or not Dawes follows in the footsteps of teammate Petr Prucha and becomes an instant star with the Rangers, one thing is clear: Playing in the NHL won't change Nigel Dawes' fundamental approach to hockey or the perspective he has on his own development.
"Things have worked out for me so far," he said. "I've continued to get better, and I think that's what you have to do after you're drafted. You can't sit back and coast. You've got to keep working hard."
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NOW I LIKE HIM EVEN MORE