B R O A D W A Y***B L U E S H I R T S

and it appears this guy will be fighting to break the roster wide open:

Bulletin



August 26, 2007

[size=+2]Anisimov Arriving in North America Brimming Wth Confidence [/size]


Artem Anisimov is coming out this year. After toiling for a year in obscurity even in his native Russia, getting little ice time in his first season in the Super League, he is poised to hit North America, first as part of Russia’s entry is the Under-18 Super Series vs. Canada, and then as part of the New York Rangers’ organization. He has gotten a taste of the Rangers already in Prospect Development Camp last June. “I loved New York,” he said of his week at the MSG Training Center. “I worked productively there. I was in camp a week, and in that time had to pass several small tests and undergo on-ice training.”

He was not surprised by the Rangers’ invitation. “I had long wanted to try going overseas and did not turn down any options,” he said. “The invitation to me was a major success, because few receive it. In America, [we go through] intensive one-hour training sessions. The entire training process moves very quickly at maximum speed.” He said that he got along well with the people he met here. “It was surprisingly easy. I tried to communicate with everyone -- Americans are a friendly and affable people. Besides, it helped me to practice English -- thus far I cannot boast good language proficiency.”

Despite having only one full season in the Super League under his belt, Anisimov is confident that he can conquer North America. “It is better to leave earlier than not go at all,” he said. “This opportunity happens once in a lifetime, and I do not think it is worthwhile to miss this chance. My goal is to break in with the New York Rangers, and I will pursue that. [But] even if I have to go through the lower leagues, I will, and I will work. I will play in the NHL!” He is doing “nothing special” to prepare for his North American adventure. “In the summer, I practiced with Lokomotiv’s top team,” he said. “I’m thankful to team management and the coaches for allowing me to do so.” Lokomotiv was Anisimov’s team last season, but he did not make an impact there until the playoffs. The reason, he said, was “common bad luck. Cross-bars, posts -- sometimes it was not even possible to shoot on net. The puck simply did not want to go in the net.”

Fellow Russian draftee Alexei Cherepanov was at Ranger Prospect Camp too, immediately after being drafted in the first round (17th overall) by the team a few days earlier. Anisimov described their relationship as “normal, friendly.” Asked if the two would unite to lead the Rangers and conquer the hearts of New York fans, the upbeat young man answered, “Everything is possible -- we will try! Nothing is impossible!” He had no explanation for Cherepanov dropping out of the top ten in the draft. “Am I a scout?” he said, laughing. “If it happened, they must have their reasons.” One could have very well have asked him why he fell to the second round in his draft year when he was projected as a first rounder -- the answer is the same: the lack of a transfer agreement between Russia and the NHL.

Anisimov will initially team up Cherepanov in the Super Series. “We will beat them!” said Anisimov of his team’s prospects. “Our team is very strong in character. We have kids who won silver at the last world championship. We already have some experience in international tournaments. Furthermore, we are now joined by kids a year younger who this spring took gold at the [Under-18] World Junior Championships.” For Russia to prevail, they will have to get past devastating losses to Canada in recent WJC finals. Anisimov explained the difference between the two countries at the junior level. “The main reason, I think, is that our young people lack experience in playoff games,” he said. “In Canada, the experience gained in elimination games is very important. Our rivals are in a league where they get in-game practice, in contrast to Russia's young players, who are rarely trusted in the critical moments.”

Sergei Nemchinov, a Ranger when they won the Stanley Cup in 1994, makes his head coaching debut in this series. “If the management of Russian Hockey Federation appointed Sergei Lvovich head coach, that means they trust him,” said Anisimov. “This Super Series -- his debut, we will try to make a success.” Nemchinov named Anisimov as one of the team’s leaders. “Any player on our team can take upon himself the role of leader,” Anisimov said. “Maybe it is best when there is no one specific person pulling evenyone along behind him. In one match, the burden will fall on some, the next day the lead will be accepted by others. This was the story with us this year in Sweden. All parts were of equal importance and in their own way interesting.” Anisimov is nevertheless a top candidate to wear the captain’s C for Russia. “Let’s wait for the decision of the coaching staff,” he said. “If they make me captain, it is good. If not, I will not be upset. I will help however I can.”

Thanks to Blueshirt Bulletin reader Laurie for the above quotes, all of which come from her translation of an interview at AllHockey.ru -- sure beats those weird Babelfish translations. A Cherepanov interview is presented in English at RussianProspects.com, but like the one we linked to yesterday, he talks only about the Super Series, not about the Rangers. In other Ranger reading, Marc Staal and Tommy Pyatt are preparing for training camp with other Thunder Bay natives, including Marc's less sensible brothers -- Staal speaks about his preparations in an article in the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal. And the Detroit Free Press checks back in with former Red Wing and current Ranger Brendan Shanahan in a brief interview.

Bulletin

August 30, 2007

Straka Ready For A Cup Run

Martin Straka is back on the ice, working himself into shape after his recent knee arthroscopy. “Getting back on the ice is always difficult,” he said in an interview with Denik Sport. “The break without practice didn’t help my psyche. You know camp’s coming and you’re loafing. Loafing isn’t the right word, I was doing things in the gym, but weights aren’t the same as working out on the ice in full equipment. I was watching the other guys skate and I was just waiting for the knee to be fit. Thank God it’s behind me.”

He expects to be ready for training camp. “It will be OK,” he said. “But I’m not fully satisfied on the ice. My advantage -- starting on the puck and acceleration -- aren’t there just yet.” He said that “the strength in the knee isn’t 100%,” but asked if it hurt, he said, “No, not at all. It’s a little loose -- it needs to get stronger. I’m working out on my legs -- I had to save them up until now.” He appeared to be skating well. Once, he missed a scoring opportunity and screamed in anger and slammed the bench door. “I’m mad,” he said later, smiling. “Why not? I missed a certain goal. Glaring chance -- horrible!”

He has kept the Rangers up to date on his situation. “The Rangers know about my problem,” he said. “They were afraid it would be worse. But once the doctor explained to them what was going on, they calmed right down. They were asking how experienced the guy was. I assured them he had lots. Dr. Nepras cleaned my knee in the past, he has the NHL license, so in fact, they were glad. I talked to them two days after the surgery and once more on Monday. That’s how they got to know that I was going on the ice for the first time. They were satisfied. I was told to keep them updated how I feel on the ice.”

The rink where Straka works out is North American-sized. “It seems smaller,” he said. “Ideal. We’ve been doing this for four years now. The conditions are great here. We can leave our stuff in the locker room, the gym is right above us. We go there before and after practice, sometimes we go from here to play golf. It’s even close to home.” Just like in New York, where Straka maintains a home in Tarrytown near the MSG Training Center. “It’s an ideal place for my family,” he said. “We live five minutes from the facility, our girl is going to start school, it’s just better in all aspects.” Most of his countrymen live in the area. “The Maliks, the Rozsivals, and us,” he said. “Marcel Hossa lives there too. What houses there are! The villages in the neighborhood are very nice.”

Jaromir Jagr and Petr Prucha are the only Czechs who have stayed in Manhattan. “He was thinking about it for awhile,” Straka said of Jagr. “But he’ll probably stay in the city. It depends on him, what suits him better.” Straka is happy where he is. “I don’t go anywhere anyway,” he said. “If we want to go to the city, it takes 30 minutes, 40 tops.” Straka hasn’t had much chance to talk to Jagr over the summer. “Jagr said it’s a great thing we added some guys,” he said, referring to the signing of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. “Other than that there wasn’t much time to chat. I wanted to go watch Team Jagr play Team Demitra, but it was impossible with the knee.”

Straka believes the Rangers have a real chance to make the Stanley Cup final, and joked that he would be willing to bet as much as $10,000 on it. “We have a really good team,” he said. “I believed that last year, but we had a bad start. I still can’t figure out what was happening to us. Then we pushed and proved to ourselves we were a quality team. We were unlucky in the Sabres series -- the better team lost. When we turn it on, we can accomplish a lot. We have a great goalie on our side, as well as Jagr, who has the ability to decide every game. Add to that the new signees -- I’ve heard only good things about Drury and Gomez from the other guys. Especially Drury is said to be a fantastic team guy. We certainly do have a chance!”

He does not think that signing Drury and Gomez marks a return to the bad old days before the lockout when the Rangers overspent on every available star. “That was a totally different situation,” he said. “Formerly, the Rangers bought players who were closer to the ends of their career. Now, we added young players in a great shape who already achieved something and it didn’t happen a long time ago. They’re 27, 28 years old -- they should be in their prime.” Thanks, DaTeL, for another great job!

NY PJ1 wrote:

We were unlucky in the Sabres series -- the better team lost


LOVE THIS LINE

HAHA

you sound even more confident then Martin !

i like this part :

Straka believes the Rangers have a real chance to make the Stanley Cup final, and joked that he would be willing to bet as much as $10,000 on it. “We have a really good team,” he said. “I believed that last year, but we had a bad start. I still can’t figure out what was happening to us. Then we pushed and proved to ourselves we were a quality team. We were unlucky in the Sabres series -- the better team lost. When we turn it on, we can accomplish a lot. We have a great goalie on our side, as well as Jagr, who has the ability to decide every game. Add to that the new signees -- I’ve heard only good things about Drury and Gomez from the other guys. Especially Drury is said to be a fantastic team guy. We certainly do have a chance!”

unfortunately for both these teams the powerhouse ottawa senators were just waiting in the wings.