I was first introduced to the wonderful music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at a very young age, by way of the film Amadeus, starring Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham. Though years later, I found out that most of the film was fiction, it still gave a decent portrayal into the turbulent life of the child prodigy, and how his drinking and lifestyle led to an untimely death, thus leaving us all to wonder how much more music he could have written. No composer ever wrote such depth and such beauty, and even though he is not quite my all-time favorite (Tchaikovsky still holds that title), he is no doubt that greatest composer to ever live, hands-down. Because he celebrated his 256th birthday on Friday (personally, I don’t think he looks a day over 200), I decided to devote this first Musical Monday of 2012 to his honor.

The hardest part of this simple article was picking which of his pieces I would like to feature. My absolutely favorite work of his is Requiem, which has been for years and will no doubt remain, unless scholars and historians dig up some sort of long-long composition. This music is like no other ever written—it goes up and down through so many emotions. It is fiery and angry at times, then calm and tranquil the next; and we can all agree that it invigorates your soul like no other sound. My second favorite piece would be the music featured in the Don Giovanni scene of Amadeus (I do not know the exact part of the opera), which is one of the best in the film. However, I did not think it was very fitting of a celebration to play such dark, gloomy music. Instead, we will go with one of his most well-known pieces, the lighthearted overture to The Marriage of Figaro.

In addition to that, I also wanted to post a compilation of Mozart’s music (albeit set to a disco-like theme) from Hooked on Classics, which were big in the 1980′s and 90′s, and really stirred up an interest in classical music once again, because people never realized just how much they already knew. I guarantee that if you listen to this one, and explore all the others, which go through hundreds of different works and composers, you will have a smile on your face because of all the music you will recognize. These albums have really done wonders for music appreciation, and I probably should write an article solely about them, and the work of Louis Clark and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Enjoy!

So, once again, a very happy birthday to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! He was a man who came into the world at the right time and left his mark, leaving it a much better place for all of us. Just think: what would the world of music be like today if it wasn’t for him?

The soldier's name, stamped inside one of the uniform cuffs, blurred by time.

Last week, I wrote about how a co-worker and I found two World War II uniforms buried in the back of a closet at the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy, and how friend, historian, and actor Ed Mantell was helping me do some research to find out who exactly these belonged to. After a few days, we found out, and I am delighted to be able to write this for you all today. I had asked Ed how we would be able to identify these, and he said that the name of the soldier could usually be found inside the sleeve or cuff. A day or two earlier, I had looked there and seen some smudgy ink, dismissing it as being the name of the factory who made them, but when Ed told me that, I realized that must have been his name. I was disappointed that it was barely legible and would leave me guessing, but then, right there on the belt that was attached to the hanger of the longer uniform, was the name, stamped clear as day.

These uniforms had belonged to a sergeant named Josef S. Jankola (the actual markings read “J.S Jankola”), who had been from Perth Amboy. I tried to find information online and came up empty handed, but Ed knew where to search, and ended up finding a lot more than I ever hoped we would. The uniforms we have, one of a private first class and the other of a corporal must have been “retired” as he rose in rank to sergeant, the rank he held when he was killed in action on June 16, 1944. He is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and his date of internment was January 26, 1950. There are still a few lingering questions, though, such as:

• How old was he when he died?

• Exactly where and how was he killed?

• Why was there a six year gap between his death and official burial?

Ed’s guess is that he was wounded and succumbed to his ailments, or was killed outright in the Battle of New Britain, which was a part of Operation Cartwheel. He was then buried in a makeshift cemetery with his comrades until they could be moved for a proper burial with full military honors. There is no real way to find out, though, unless we can get access to official records of some kind, and Ed has made a few phone calls in an attempt to find out. Hopefully, we will soon have that information, because this has become very important to me in the last week or so. This also leads me to ask: how did these uniforms end up at the Proprietary House? They must have been there for years, given where they were found, which makes me speculate that they were donated to the house by his family, to use in the many living-history events we have, some of which cover all wars. Maybe some record of this donation will be found in the files of our office, but I feel that has probably slipped through the cracks. We will just have to keep on digging, and my ultimate hope out of all of this is to find more details of his life and a picture of him, and get these two uniforms put in a nice display case with some kind of placard on the front telling a little bit about them.

Obviously, that could still be a possibility depending on which Rangers show up when the second half starts on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, but for now, let us look back on a first half that has, overall, been a great one. It seems like a long time ago that the Rangers were literally traveling all over the world to play hockey games and having a bumpy start to the season. But from then until now, Ranger fans have watched a team gel and combine to form a potent force that finds ways to win. If you think about it, it is kind of amazing that the Rangers are where they are when you consider a few things. First, the defensive core has never been healthy for a long period of time. Whether it was Marc Staal starting late, or him coming back and Mike Sauer and Steve Eminger going out, the D-corps has not been at full strength.

Surprisingly, the Rangers do not have a player in the top-35 in scoring for the entire NHL. Marian Gaborik leads the team with 39 points. The New York Islanders, who are ranked 25th out of 30 teams in the NHL, have three players in the top-30. The power play, which started off well, has fallen to 25th in the league with the penalty kill all the way up in third place. You would think that if you read just those three blurbs that the team would be on the edge of playoff contention. In fact, these all sound like facts from the last few years, but somehow this team has found a way to make it all the way to the top.

One clear reason that this has occurred has been because of goaltending. Of course Henrik Lundqvist has shouldered the lion’s share of the load this season, but you cannot ignore the contributions of Martin Biron. Lundqvist has 22 wins and a sparking 1.87 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. Yet it really does not  matter if he or Biron plays, because Biron’s stats are just as great. He has nine wins in 11 starts with a 1.88 goals against and a .927 save percentage. Having a dependable backup behind Lundqvist may be one of the most important moves the Rangers have made in the last two years, and certainly one of the least unnoticed. Henrik will not be hitting the 70 starts mark that he has hovered around the last few years, unless Biron were to get injured like last season.

Another reason for this successful first half, to me at least, seems to be John Tortorella and the coaching staff. As we were all privileged to see in HBO’s 24/7, and just from interviews in the papers, Tortorella has been approaching this team the right way. It seems to be a cautious optimism with him and even in the midst of all the long winning streaks the team has had, he has been able to keep the players grounded into focusing on what is right in front of them and what they need to improve on. There is no doubt the man knows what he is talking about, having won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay back in 2004.

But it isn’t just that either. What else could it be? Let us play a little game here:

What do all of these names have in common? Henrik Lundqvist, Derek Stepan, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Marc Staal, Carl Hagelin, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, and Michael Del Zotto. It isn’t rocket science, people. All of these players grew up through the New York Rangers’ system. With the exception of McDonagh, everyone here was drafted or signed originally by the Rangers. It has taken a lot of yelling, screaming, and a few punches thrown, but the Rangers finally have figured out how to build a team from the ground up and adapt to the cap system. It is all about the chemistry and familiarity that has developed over the last few years between all these players. Why do you think those USSR teams of the 60′s, 70′s, and 80′s steamrolled? Because they had all played together for years and developed an amazing chemistry level.

Lord knows, I am going to be attacked by 99% of the Ranger fan base, but we have to give a little credit to Glen Sather. [Take a deep, deep breath.] Okay, I gave you an extra minute there to finish yelling and screaming at the screen. So why do we have to do this?

Has Glen Sather made some bad decisions as the general manager of the Rangers? Yes. I am sure he looks back on many of the decisions he has made over his career and regrets some of the things he has done. It happens…we all make mistakes. We are all wrong at one point or another. What Sather had, which most GMs do not, was the patience and trust of a man like James Dolan who really believed that Sather would bring this team back to the top. Now, are they back at the top? Are they as close to a Stanley Cup as Dolan thinks? No, not even close. A lot of work is yet to be done.

Still, the credit does not all go to Sather in terms of the development of players. The credit goes to him in terms of surrounding himself, like any good manager does, with the right people. He has surrounded himself with some very smart hockey minds in the last few years, from John Tortorella, to names like Jim Schoenfeld, Jeff Gorton, Gordie Clark, and Doug Risebrough. All of these guys, along with others, have had a major hand at affecting the team that now skates on the ice at Madison Square Garden. Whether it was through day-to-day development, trades, scouting, or drafting, everyone I just mentioned has done something major for the organization that many people will never know the specifics about.

And who hired them all? Yes, Ranger fans. I know it pains you so much to say it, but it was old Uncle Glen. Now, I am not giving the man a pat on the back just yet. We have a long way to go before Sather solidifies himself in Rangers history (in a positive sense). But the man has figured things out and has done something that he hasn’t done since the early 1980′s when he was with the Edmonton Oilers, and that is build a franchise from the ground up. He has helped put together a core group that is the foundation of the team and sprinkled in some acquisitions from other organizations such as Brad Richards, Ruslan Fedotenko, Brandon Prust, and Brian Boyle, who have all become integral pieces to the team in their own ways.

All of this has led us to where we are now. As Ranger fans sit back and enjoy the All Star festivities, we all can take a little page from Coach Tortorella’s book in seeing the successes as good, but not getting too far ahead of ourselves. I admit, it is hard not to get all excited about the way the team is playing. That is good to be excited, but there is plenty that needs to be worked on before we can consider our team a Stanley Cup contender. In fact, I know there is not one team who believes they have come even close to winning the Holy Grail as of right now.

The bandwagon is already starting to fill up in New York, and some of the things that I have heard come out of people are mind boggling, but we have to remember that the Stanley Cup is not awarded in January. It is awarded in June. So we have February, March, April, and May in between before any hardware is handed out to anyone.

So, look back on the first half fondly and get ready for what are going to be a stressful few months of Rangers hockey. You know why they will be stressful? Because everyone is going to be gunning for New York. What good can come out of this for the Rangers? Well, as a player on the Danbury Whalers has mentioned many times, that is when things become fun.

Chris Hoeler is the assistant director of player personnel for the Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League. He has been a fan of the New York Rangers his entire life.

This past week, I spent every day substitute teaching at the school where I taught the Civil War class, and coach hockey at (the next league starts in a little more than a month, which guarantees more funny stories being posted here). My first day ever at this new job actually occurred in the week prior, when I was called in on a Wednesday morning. Because of this, I have not really had much time to write here on my blog, because of the change in my schedule that leaves me drained of energy when I get home, until my body can completely adjust to the new routine. Substituting did have its positives, though, as I now got my first taste of what being a full-time teacher is really like. Before this, all I had done was teach one class here and there, or, when I went into the local high school to do some field work for college, it was mainly just sitting and observing, save for the occasional lesson I was allowed to teach. But here it was, five days of classes and dealing with many different students (most of which I had coached already), and I must say, it did get better as the days went along, though there were a few bumps in the road, as every substitute must face.

This past week, I filled in for the same person every day, which was for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade science, one of my least favorite subjects. Still, it had its rewards, as we got to talk about animals and fish with the younger grade, something that is more interesting to me, then, let’s say, chemistry. The week before that, though, had me teaching some history to 4th and 5th graders, and ironically, the 4th graders just happened to be up to a lesson on New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution, which gave me my chance to tell these kids about where I work, and the importance of figures such as Royal Governor William Franklin and the man who arrested him in 1776, Colonel Nathaniel Heard. We are also trying to work out an after-school field trip of some kind to the Proprietary House, so these students can actually step foot in the place they learned about, in addition to me giving a more in-depth presentation before we take the trip over there.

Perhaps the two best quotes I have heard from students so far came from the 5th grade history class that happened right after that one. One kid said, “My mom says that every time there is something bad on the History Channel, you write about it on your Facebook.” This made me laugh, prompting someone to ask me if there was anything incorrect in their current text-book. Not wanting to go into one of my rants, I simply left it at, “No, they just exaggerate a little.” Had these students been in the older grades, I would have been chomping at the bit. At the end of the class, someone then told me, “Wow, you sound like you actually know what you’re talking about.” Right on, kiddo.

In getting to this blog, I will be trying for a more active February, as hopefully, there will be something to actually write about (movie news has been really slow of late). I must thank my friend Chris Hoeler who has stepped up to contribute some hockey articles for his column here called “On the Rink with Gootz”. He has done a great job recently (his New York Rangers first-half recap is coming this afternoon), and will hopefully be writing a lot more in the future. Given his involvement with actually taking part in the management of a professional hockey team, he has an eye for things on and off the ice that someone else might not see. Rest assured, I still watch every single Rangers game, but by the time they are over, I just do not feel like sitting down to write a recap. I will, however, write when something major occurs, such as the Andrew Ference suspension last week, and if a trade is made as we near closer to the deadline. For broader recaps and opinion, Gootz will step up to the plate.

Now for some history, if you read my article last week on those two World War II uniforms we found in a closet while working at the Proprietary House, I now know who they belong to, and have a little information about him. Many thanks to historian Ed Mantell for assisting me in the research, and look for an article to come on that in the next day or so. As for interviews, a few are in the works, the only one I can really mention being with filmmaker Justin Dombrowski, who will give us some insight into his Civil War film project titled 1863. Lastly, for “Musical Monday”, we will be having a belated birthday celebration for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who celebrated his 256th yesterday. The only problem I have here is selecting which one of his pieces I want to feature, because so many of them are my favorites!

As we are currently in the process of re-renovating the historic house I work at in Perth Amboy, we decided to clean out one of the closets last week, and hanging in the back, completely out of sight, were two World War II uniforms, each one on a wooden hanger inscribed, “October 31, 1942″. Because I will be teaching a weekly class on this war starting in a few weeks, I wanted to learn more, so I took some pictures and posted them on Facebook, with an open request asking for any information, and hoping one of my history buddies would be able to tell me something. Within a few hours, I received some comments, until a friend sent me more information than I thought I would ever be able to find out about two simple uniforms.

An actor and historian who I have known for a few months, Ed Mantell, who has appeared in nearly 30 films and television specials, such as The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth, Stealing Lincoln’s Body, and Sherman’s March, was kind enough to send me the following information:

Both are USMC, the single stripe chevron designates PFC, Private First Class and the other is a Corporal. The unit patch designates “Marine Forces Afloat.” The Corporal’s blouse also has the “Ruptured Duck” which was a cloth insignia depicting an eagle inside a wreath. It was worn on uniforms above the right breast pocket by WWII servicemen and women. It was issued to service personnel who were about to leave the military with an Honorable Discharge. It also allowed them to continue to wear their uniform for up to thirty days after they were discharged since there was a clothing shortage at that time. This showed the MP’s that they were in transit and not AWOL. There’s a good chance this Marine was in the Pacific Theater attached to the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division or the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). The cording on the Corporal’s blouse is a World War II Marine Corps Fourragere and only certain units in the Corps. were designated to wear them, the 5th. Marines being one of them. After the outbreak of war, the 5th Marines deployed to Wellington, New Zealand in June 1942. During World War II they fought on Guadalcanal, New Britain, Eastern New Guinea, Peleliu and Okinawa. Immediately following the war in September 1945 they deployed to Tientsin, China and participated in the occupation of North China until May 1947. They were redeployed to Guam in May 1947 and reassigned to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. In 1949 they were relocated to Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton.

A bit more on the Fourragere, it’s a carry over from WWI. The 5th Marine Regiment and the 6th Marine Regiment of the United States Marine Corps, were awarded the fourragère for having earned the Croix de Guerre with palm leaf three times during World WarI for their actions at the Battle of Belleau Wood, (1–26 June 1918) on the Western Front. One of the most famous quotations in Marine Corps legend came during the initial step-off for the battle when Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly, a recipient of two Medals of Honor who had served in the Philippines, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Peking and Vera Cruz, prompted his men of the 73rd Machine Gun company forward with the words: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” Also, Gunnery Sergeant Ernest A. Janson—who was serving under the name Charles Hoffman—repelled an advance of 12 German soldiers, killing two with his bayonet before the others fled; for this action he became the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in World War I. The first waves of Marines—advancing in well-disciplined lines—were slaughtered; Major Berry was wounded in the forearm during the advance. On his right, the Marines of Major Meyer’s 3/6 Battalion swept into the southern end of Belleau Wood and encountered heavy machine gun fire, sharpshooters and barbed wire. Marines and German infantrymen were soon engaged in heavy hand-to-hand fighting. The casualties sustained on this day were the highest in Marine Corps history to that time. On 26 June, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines—supported by two companies of the 4th Machine Gun Battalion and the 15th Company of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion—made an attack on Belleau Wood, which finally cleared that forest of the enemy. On that day, a report was sent out simply stating, “Woods now U.S. Marine Corps entirely,” ending one of the bloodiest and most ferocious battles U.S. forces would fight in the war.

It is moments like this when history really comes alive. All I wanted was to walk into my classroom saying something other than, “These are two WWII uniforms”, and now I have a fountain of information. We will definitely have to do some more digging around the house, because who knows what else we might find. Though built during the French and Indian War and rising to prominence during the American Revolution as Governor William Franklin’s mansion, the house has been privy to witnessing many historical eras, and even served as a hospital during the Civil War in 1863. We do know that soldiers frequented the house during WWII, for a wide variety of reasons, and also because of its close proximity to New York, as it borders both the Raritan River and the Arthur Kill along the shores of Staten Island. Ed also provided me with additional background info which I will save as a part of the research. I just wanted to share this with all of you, because every lover of history looks forward to the day when they may uncover something special.

These uniforms are currently on loan to me for educational and research purposes and I do not own them. They remain property of the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy. I am going to search the linings to see if I can find any identification as to who these may have belonged to. Either way, upon their return to the house, we might have to make a nice display for these, including the information that Ed has provided.

Yesterday’s game between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers was the first meeting of the season between the two Eastern Conference powerhouses. For most of the season, these two clubs have just dominated the opposition and have vaulted themselves to the top of the league standings. It is no surprise that the Bruins are where they are, after having won a Stanley Cup this past spring and not having much of a turnover. The Rangers, however, have been a surprise for many who expected they would be battling for the sixth, seventh, or eighth spots in the East. Yes, you can count me as one of the surprised. When Marian Gaborik scored in overtime yesterday with 3.6 seconds to go, I was at work in the break room and yelled. Of course, being that many people were at my job, they were all confused and a few were afraid I think. But now that my emotions have leveled off and I have gotten a chance to watch the highlights a few times, there are a few things that have stood out:

• More Power will Equal More Wins: Obviously, I am stating the obvious here, but it has been more evident with the last two games. The powerplay needs to get going for the boys in blue. Going back to Thursday night’s debacle vs. Pittsburgh, what a different feel that game would have had if the Rangers had even gotten one powerplay goal. Fast-forward to yesterday and the powerplay finally cashed in during the waning seconds. If this game had been at MSG the place would have had the boo-birds out in full force. Just like the fans, the players need to relax on the powerplay and make smart plays and keep things simple. When things aren’t working, you go back to the fundamentals on the powerplay: puck movement, foot movement, and traffic in front of the net. The latter is never an issue when Ryan Callahan plants himself there, but what we did see big yesterday was some of that puck and foot movement. The goal was to get the puck to the net with Brad Richards and Gaborik firing one-timers when the shooting lanes were there. When the team was on the rush they crashed the net and cashed one in. Whether that one goal sparks the powerplay for the future remains to be seen, but when the Rangers were rolling during their winning streaks, the powerplay was a factor even when it wasn’t scoring actual goals. It gave the team momentum, which can be even more valuable than one goal on a powerplay.

• The Big Guns Need to Get Going: Gaborik had two goals yesterday and was an absolute animal all over the ice. He was forechecking and shooting well all over the offensive zone while making plays in the defensive zone. Callahan had a goal yesterday as well, when he sniped one in on Tuukka Rask. These guys score and the Rangers win; it is that simple. Brad Richards had his first point yesterday in what has seemed like forever. As much as I love the play of Carl Hagelin, he can’t be the only offensive force for the Rangers. Everyone goes through slumps but the big guns for the Rangers need to get going and some of the supporting cast as well. Artem Anisimov has been invisible for many games, and while Brandon Dubinsky has played well, he just can’t seem to get points. Derek Stepan has a good game and then disappears for a bit and then comes back. It is all about consistency. It is hard to win games when most of the top offensive guys on the team go cold at the same time. Hopefully this game sparks some of them to get a move on, because the Rangers need them badly.

• Playoffs Have Begun: The style of play in that game yesterday reminded me of a playoff game and that is how the Rangers have to play the rest of the season. Being at the top of the league means teams are going to be gunning for them and the only way to make sure teams do not beat them is by consistently playing well. Everyone wants to knock them out and if this team wants to have success in the playoff picture come April, they need to establish a certain level of play. It has slowly been developing all seaso,n but yesterday was another benchmark in establishing that game which they need for the rest of the season.

• NHL Needs to Get Serious: If the NHL is indeed serious about getting rid of dangerous hits and having players respect each other, than they need to take a hard-line stance on someone like Andrew Ference. Yes, he has no prior history but that shouldn’t matter. A dangerous play is a dangerous play, and if you want people to stop doing hits like this then you need to be hard on them. Hopefully Ryan McDonagh is alright and his injury won’t keep him out too long.

• Playoff Preview? If this game was a preview for what we may see in the playoffs then sign me up. Obviously, these teams meet three more times over the rest of the regular season, but what a playoff series these two teams would have! It would become an absolute war and would be a great series to watch. Yesterday certainly lived up to the hype of the matchup with the Rangers coming out on top for round one. A seven game series between these two? Even though I would have a stake in one team, I would be sitting back and enjoying the ride.

Everyone remembers when the owner of the Rangers, James Dolan, made a surprise appearance the other night and declared the Rangers are close to winning a Stanley Cup. John Tortorella instantly shut him down on that one and rightfully so. Dolan represented the bandwagon that is beginning to develop with the Rangers having a successful season (so far). If the Rangers continue where they are then you can bet there will be more and more fans coming out of the woodwork. I have noticed a lot more people wearing Rangers gear around these days and it is nice to see the team is finally getting recognition. But by no means is this team where it needs to be. Things need to be worked on and certain expectations need to be met first. Whether it is issues of consistency or discipline or anything else, this team has a long way to go before they can be what the Bruins or Blackhawks or Penguins or Red Wings or any other past Stanley Cup champion has been…but they are certainly on their way there.

Chris Hoeler is the assistant director of player personnel for the Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League. He has been a fan of the New York Rangers his entire life.

What has changed in the last few months? What has changed since Brendan Shanahan gloriously took over as the NHL’s disciplinarian, promising much stricter action? The only noticeable one has been that things have not gotten better or even stayed the same, they have gotten worse. Blindside hits and cheap-shots never seemed to be a problem until the last couple of seasons, prompting a change and an ushering in of the new era of safer hockey. Suspensions would be handed out like candy to children at a carnival, and because of it, dangerous hits would stop, and the offenders would gradually find themselves out of a job. Well, as most teams near the 50 game mark in this safe hockey haven, thanks to the tireless efforts of Shanahan and league officials, do you feel that the status quo has changed at all? When your favorite players skate near the boards, do you feel any safer watching them?

Concussions have been an epidemic in the league this season, whether they were caused by dangerous hits, unintentional collisions, or freakish accidents. Maybe out of direct correlation or not, blindside hits and dangerous plays have also increased, and it seems a respect for one’s opponent is at an all-time low. We have seen it all season, courtesy of the replays being shown ad nauseum in highlight reels on the NHL Network, and now, most popularly of all, when Shanahan releases one of his gimmicky videos explaining why a certain suspension is to be handed out. These replays and techy breakdowns have only become a mask for the sport, to make it seem like the right people are doing their jobs, and that things really are getting better. However, the only purpose they really have served is to hide the fact that there are more scumbags in this league, now more than ever before, and they are not going away any time soon.

Perhaps even more dangerous than a blindside hit to the head, or the smashing of an opponent face-first into the glass, is what we call a “slew-foot”, an act when a player skates up behind another and deliberately kicks the feet out from under him. Multiple risks are involved here, which include, but are not limited to a player slamming his head or shoulder into the ice, and even that player’s feet flying up in the air as he falls backwards, putting razor sharp skate blades at throat level, if only for a fleeting second. We saw this Thursday night, in the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, forward Matt Cooke of Pittsburgh, who nearly found himself out of the league last season for multiple suspensions, committing a slew-foot on Brad Richards of the Rangers. You can probably gather that it went undetected by the referees, who saw it in full view, and the league after the game—how convenient. Then, the next night, it was a Penguins player to be the victim of such a play, when the Montreal Canadiens’ reckless defenseman and perpetrator, P.K Subban, did it to Chris Kunitz. After the game, a severe punishment of a $2,500 fine was dolled out. My, what a lesson he learned there!

As a side note, it is quite comical to watch Penguins’ fans up in arms whenever one of their players is attacked, because their own players have committed their fair share of dirt. You can even go back to the 2008 playoffs, when Evgeni Malkin enacted a vicious slew-foot on Rangers’ defenseman Paul Mara, another play that went undetected, with not even so much as a minor penalty for tripping. Malkin has become the sly cheap-shot master, constantly doing things behind the backs of the officials (or do they know all about it and just let it slide?).

Back to the topic at hand, today we had another chance to see a dirty play, when Andrew Ference of the Boston Bruins slammed Ryan McDonagh of the Rangers head-first into the glass. McDonagh was lucky, as replay shows his head did not hit the boards on initial impact, but rather his shoulder and upper body. There currently is no word on the injury, but it stunned him bad enough that he was down on the ice and unable to get up for several minutes. This was such a cheap play, committed by a veteran of nearly 700 games. Should he not have known better? Of course, but why did he still commit to the hit? The game was in overtime, tied at two goals a piece. It was a hard-fought battle in a game filled with hits and one fight. It was a matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, in a fight for first place, and instead of talking about how the Rangers won such an intense game (ironically, on a goal scored on the ensuing powerplay), despite being outplayed and outmatched for much of the contest, here we are, talking about yet another injury and another dirty play. Oh, but I thought the league was safer now?

Not to convey a pro-Ranger bias here, even after seeing one of my favorite players crumpled up on the ice, the suspension for Andrew Ference needs to be severe, and I would be saying that if this hit had occurred by anyone on anyone. I hate to use the phrase, “Make an example out of him”, but are we not at that point? How many times has this same scenario happened, over and over and over again? I do not write about hockey much on this blog anymore, but it seems that every month I am calling for the league to take action or do something to stop plays like this. What wake-up call do these players need? What will get the job done? Will a 10 game suspension send a message? No, probably not, so how harsh does it need to be? It’s a shame that we cannot answer this question, thanks to the results of other previous hits. Part of me says he will only get a game or two, which is merely a slap on the wrist. The other part of me says that I, along with many others, will be disappointed no matter what.

There are many people involved in the sport of hockey who want to get rid of fights and severely reduce, or even eliminate, every kind of hitting. I have always been against that, and always will be, but it is the checks like this that give fodder to the people who make that argument. After all, we are 33 suspensions and 18 fines into the 2011/12 season and nothing has changed—nothing has gotten any better. How long before hitting has to be erased all together? Is there any other course the league can take? Because I fear that the people in charge are going to spit the bit on this once again.

Before the Rangers’ broadcast, MSG Network showed an interview with the Bruins’ Marc Savard, who has not played in a year due to post-concussion syndrome. It deeply saddened me to see such a great player sitting there, possibly facing the end to his career, because he is still unwell and has his bad days, even after such a long time. You would think a story such as that would make players change their antics, but it hasn’t, and pretty soon, more players will face his unfortunate situation.

Since released in May, the director’s cut releases of both Gods and Generals and Gettysburg have garnered rave reviews, as the missing pieces of the enormous puzzles were finally put in place and made available to the general public. In many articles, we have read that sales figures for these two films have been good, but just how good, exactly? After browsing on Blu-Ray.Com, which has become a daily read for me, I just happened to scroll down the right side of the page to view the top-sellers for the United States, and lo and behold, there was the Limited Collector’s Set of both films that was released in July, sitting at #3 overall (with a total, worldwide sales rank of 23). This definitely came as a pleasant surprise, if not complete shock. This was no mirage or speculation, but actual statistics detailing the success of these two films. The LCS also currently sits at #1 on Blu-Ray.Com’s best bargains list, where you can now purchase the massive boxed set, loaded with extra goodies, for only $36.49

This set trails only The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (which is on pre-order since it has not even been released yet) and Moneyball, which came out just last week. With such a diverse group of titles sitting amongst the top 20, it is, in fact, the only historical drama present there, unless you count season one of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire as history, which comes in at #11. If you take some time to look at this list, the duo of Gettysburg and Gods and Generals has outsold The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Set (which came out last June) and even the complete Star Wars saga, probably the most hyped-up Blu-Ray release of all-time.

For all those who felt, or still feel, that the Civil War cannot be a moneymaker, they must think again. Granted, theatrical figures have never been impressive for any film of this genre, and the running times of these two made it difficult, but the overall interest is indeed there, and should open up some eyes, hopefully those of producers looking to get in on the action. This begs the question to be asked: is there still hope for The Last Full Measure? Director Ron Maxwell told me himself in July that he works on it frequently and it is not forgotten, but all that hard-work may be for naught without the big bucks. One of the main reasons why we even saw director’s cuts of these two films is because DVD (and earlier, VHS) sales had always been enormous. That sentiment, combined with the 150th anniversary of the War, is what led to the two long-awaited releases back in May. Perhaps this is what is needed to get the ball rolling on the final installment of the trilogy. One can hope, right?

Mike Milbury, an in-studio analyst for NBC and their newly formed network NBC Sports, has long been a critic of the New York Rangers. For years, his slanted, biased pre-game, intermission, and post-game anti-Ranger tirades have polluted the airwaves and have come with such regularity, that normally, they do not even upset or surprise me. Coming out of the lockout, Milbury never ceased to amaze, as he tore into then-Rangers superstar winger Jaromir Jagr all season long for being soft or not having what it takes to be a leader, even in the midst of his franchise record-setting 54-goal, 123-point season. One would think that the bias shown in those years bordered on xenophobia, but thankfully, we have Don Cherry up in Canada for that. More recently, before last night, that is, during the pre-game show of the Winter Classic, when describing the Rangers and using their nickname “Blueshirts”, he just so happened to leave the “r” out of the word, causing him to call the team an expletive. Accidental? Probably. But a Freudian Slip? Most definitely.

Then came last night, one of the all-around worst television hockey broadcasts I have ever seen in my life, and believe me, I have seen a good amount. Between play-by-play announcer Dave Strader (who I normally admire and respect), Brian Engblom who was in between the glass, and Milbury who was in the studio, the night proved to be a dizzying array of stupidity and nonsense. As the Montreal Canadiens took a monumental 1-0 lead in the first period, Strader and Engblom were quick to jump on the chance to say that the 17-20-8 squad from Quebec looked like the Canadiens of old, and might be on their way to a renaissance. When the Rangers tied it 1-1 later in the period, that kind of talk stopped, until the Canadiens retook the lead, of course. From then on, it was a bash-John Tortorella, praise-the-heck-out-of-Randy Cunneyworth type of evening. For what its worth, I have nothing against Cunneyworth, and do not know enough about the job he has done to critique him, but I do take exception to the non-stop Tortorella attack that was underway for what seemed like the entire night. The man who is a major part of why the Rangers have the best record in the NHL at 28-11-4, even with their top players struggling, was repeatedly jabbed at, until the icing on the cake came after the Canadiens took a 2-1 lead.

During the second period, a brief clip was shown of Tortorella yelling at defenseman Stu Bickel on the bench because the play he made led to a Canadiens’ goal. While Engblom and Strader had some fun with it, which I actually did not mind, Milbury took it to another level during the intermission. There was also the item of Engblom’s interview with Tortorella, during the middle of the game, which is something I absolutely detest. As most coaches are concentrated on the play and bench, with no time to answer questions asked by someone who has not changed his hairstyle since the 1970′s, Tortorella did not take his eye off the play, and was very brief and emotionless with his answers, as a coach should be. Just like the video previously mentioned, Milbury had something to say about both in-between periods.

First, he mentioned how Tortorella was wrong for yelling at Bickel, because his play did not even result in the goal, and that yelling was not going to accomplish anything. This happening after a replay clearly showed Bickel’s clearing attempt being blocked, and him deflecting the puck past Lundqvist as well. Okay, we’ll let that one slide, but what cannot be overlooked is the statement he made regarding the interview. Milbury said, “Maybe next interview, Brian should wave his three Stanley Cup rings in front of the coach’s face to teach him some respect.” Excuse me? Did you really just go down that road? Respect? This coming from a man, who, as a player in the 1970′s, got involved in the infamous player-fan brawl at Madison Square Garden while a member of the Boston Bruins, and proceeded to jump into the stands, rip off a fan’s shoe, and beat him over the head with it?

The almighty hockey expert himself, breathes and speaks with the arrogance and ego of a 10-time Stanley Cup Champion, even though he failed miserably at both coaching and being a General Manager, when, while at the helm of the New York Islanders in the late 1990′s, traded away Roberto Luongo, Zdeno Chara, Olli Jokinen, Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and Tommy Salo. As if that was not bad enough, this was a man who drafted Rick Dipietro while Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik were still available, and then traded the second overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft, who turned out to be Jason Spezza, for Alexei Yashin, a player whose contract was so egregious, that the Islanders are still paying him money, and will be until 2015, even though he has not played in the league since 2007. Is this a man qualified to talk about hockey, much less take shots at a coach who has actually won a Stanley Cup? I think not.

The NBC broadcasting corporation will be a joke as long as this man is allowed to work for them. This blowhard adds absolutely nothing but negativity and insults to their broadcasts to make for an unbearable viewing experience. It has gotten so bad that I will now have to mute the TV every time he is talking, and I do not do that often. When is enough going to be enough? When can the NHL finally say Aur Revoir to Mike Milbury?

Film enthusiasts and historians, the next few months will prove to be very exciting! For the first time ever, two of the best, most classic movies ever made will be heading to Blu-Ray. The first, All Quiet on the Western Front, hits shelves on February 14th (and will be in DigiBook Packaging). This film, best known as one of the first accurate depictions of what warfare is really all about, premiered in 1930, and shocked audiences with the graphic brutality of war, which was a far cry from the Hollywoodesque romanticism of war that had become a mainstay of theater at that point in time. It was so shocking that it was actually banned in Germany, though mainly for political reasons, and its unflattering portrayal of a losing German Army, the nation blamed for starting World War I, which was punished severely by the Treaty of Versailles in 1918. The second of these films is one that deals with the luxury of the most famous ship in history, the Titanic, and the subsequent disaster of its sinking, in one of the most accurate tellings of the story, based on the book by legendary author Walter Lord, titled, A Night to Remember. This film will be released a month later, on March 27.

Both of these films are two of my favorites, and both equally deserve the restoration they are going to receive, not just for film history, but world history all together. I consider All Quiet on the Western Front to be a physical part of history, because of the groundbreaking nature of its release, and because the battle scenes still hold up to today’s standards. The only qualms with the film I have are the actual faults in the film quality, as present on the DVD version that I own, which is probably standard on everyone’s. The film is now more than 80 years old, so it definitely has its share of wear and tear, but some scenes are just painful to watch. One can only hope that Universal Studios went the extra yard to spend an adequate amount of money on film experts to make for the ultimate viewing experience. If there was one film ever made that deserves such attention to detail, this is the one.

As for A Night to Remember, the previous qualities seen on DVD are actually quite good, thanks to the Criterion Collection, which I have lauded several times on this blog for their preservation of such an eclectic group of films, both American and foreign. While the above-mentioned film needs restoration to merely save itself, this film’s enhancement should just be an added bonus, because there really were not that many kinks in the film quality at all, at least not that I remember from about a year ago, when I last viewed it. You can also rest assured in its handling, because Criterion will once again be conducting the transfer, and so far, every Blu-Ray release of theirs that I have seen has been stunning (The Battle of Algiers will blow you away). This is one of my favorite films, even more so than All Quiet on the Western Front, though I consider myself a war film buff more than anything else. Something always struck me about the acting and imagery here. There are no major stars, save for the always wonderful Kenneth More (who has minimal lines in the star-studded The Longest Day, yet still utters my favorite: “What are you two doing standing over there chatting? This isn’t Hyde Park Corner! There war’s over there!”) but it does not seem to matter, because of the performances director Roy Ward Baker was able to sap from his actors. Everyone, from More as Lightoller, to the players of Captain Smith, J. Bruce Ismay, and builder Thomas Andrews, are convincing and delightful to watch. Also, keep in mind that this 53-year-old movie has not aged a bit, even with the camera-trickery effects of the actual Titanic’s sinking, and you have yourself quite the viewing experience!

Are you excited for these two films to hit the shelves on Blu-Ray? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!