The Mental Health of NHL Enforcers: Time to Ban Fighting in Hockey?

There is a new epidemic in the National Hockey League, one that officials and fans alike are praying is not contagious. Yesterday, it was announced that 35-year old NHL enforcer Wade Belak was found dead in his home, a victim of an apparent suicide. Just two weeks prior, Rick Rypien of the Canucks committed suicide, and in May, the Rangers saw their top fighter, Derek Boogaard, accidentally mix alcohol and painkillers, which led to his death. While it was not a suicide, his mental and physical health had fallen into severe disrepair in the months that he was out with injury. All of these deaths have one thing in common: the victim was a fighter. We all know of the toll enforcers take with constant bare-knuckle punches to the head every time they square off, but it was never really brought to light, at least until former player Bob Probert passed away at only 45 years of age, back in 2010. Slowly but surely, awareness and activism has been increased; is it time to ban fighting in hockey?

The question is not that simple, because if it was, why doesn’t every fighter suffer the same fate? I firmly believe that drug use in the NHL is fervent, and just ignored by the media, because they are too busy with football and basketball, however, these three recent deaths (not to suggest that Belak and Rypien were on any kind of illegal drugs) should really pressure league officials into being more involved with drug testing. Drugs, depression, or a mixture of both, is almost always fatal, because when a person thinks that they have no way out, no way to get better, there is always one surefire option that they see as reliable. Unfortunately, that option takes them from this earth, and leaves us all wondering if something could have been done.

Enforcers suffer the brunt of these issues, because their job is a lot less glamorous than the superstar scorer. They play maybe five to seven minutes a night, each time they are out there, wanting to chip in a goal, but more than likely not doing so. They live to fight, and without it, would not have a job in the NHL. When they win, they are revered. When they lose, they are washed up in the eyes of fans. Their careers are also much shorter, because normally, they are not very good skaters to begin with (because of their size), and with age, it gets worse. Then there are the punches to the head they have taken, and the smashed fingers that make it impossible to correctly hold a hockey stick—it’s almost as if these kinds of players age twice as fast as everyone else. No role players in the game of hockey are discarded towards the tail end of a career faster than enforcers. This applies to everyone: when you do something you love for so long, and all of a sudden, someone comes along and says that they don’t need you anymore, it hurts. While Derek Boogaard was not released, he saw himself being a fan favorite and king of the world in Minnesota, to experiencing a severe injury, and having to watch the rest of the season from home. Bright lights began to hurt him, and next thing you know, his world becomes one of darkness. There are people, I am sure, who tried to help him, but a lot of times, there is simply nothing that one can do. Depression is a fight that no one should have to battle alone, with support groups, family, friends, and medication available to them.

Being a hockey coach myself, of much younger kids, whenever my players get to a game or practice, I like to ask how they are doing. Naturally, we want to see a smile on their face because then we know they are ready to play. No coach or teacher wants a downtrodden child to work with, and that is something I look for, because a coach should care about his players. We are all taught to look for warning signs when we feel a child has been abused, or may be struggling with some kind of depression. As educators, we see it as something even more important than actually teaching or coaching, because noticing a problem in a child could save a life. If this is so important, though, why does it stop when our children move out of youth hockey and become adults and play professional hockey? Should this care and attention not continue?

The NHL needs to call an immediate round table discussion with team general managers and physicians. The league needs to invest in caring for the mental health of all players, not just enforcers. As fans, we would love to believe that these players have no stress, after all, they get paid millions to play a game that we love. But let’s get real here: constant travel, battling with injuries and slumps, dealing with unhappy fans, and the like, can wear down a player both mentally and physically. We know teams have psychiatrists, but perhaps a mandatory monthly visit from every single player on the team would be partly an answer to the solution. Players need someone they can talk to, and maybe, in getting a chance to spill their guts to a shrink would help to alleviate some of that stress.

It is said that hockey is as much mental as it is physical, but we have seen in the last few months that it may be even more than half the game. But is it time to ban fighting in hockey? The answer is no. It is something that has always been here, and something that should always remain. If we take care of the mental aspects that these players suffer from, than fighting will just go back to being that other exciting aspect of hockey that most of us know and love. We need to start caring for the mental health of our players, and if we do that, then fighting can remain. The only problem is, can the negative stigma be broken? As this next season winds on, for better or for worse, we will know the answer to that question.

New York Rangers Sign Fighter Mike Rupp

On the heels of the tremendous successes the New York Rangers have witnessed with Donald Brashear and Derek Boogaard in the past two seasons, they are determined to add yet another enforcer, with the signing of Mike Rupp this afternoon. Rupp, a 30-year old fighter, has signed a three-year deal worth $4.5 million. Fans will remember him, not for his fighting ability, but for the fact that he seemed to score a goal every time he faced the Rangers while a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. If this is a case of “Can’t beat em? Sign em!”, then I am elated with joy. After all, it worked so well with Chris Drury.

I am not going to rip this deal, however, because he comes on the cheap, can fight and hit, and even chip in a goal here and there, with more regularity that any other enforcer the Rangers have brought in. According to TSN, ten teams were going after Rupp this afternoon, and the Rangers were the high bidders. Lucky us. From Joe Aiello: “I love how we win all these bidding wars. We are like the spoiled rich kids.”

If Rupp can somehow find a way to net five to ten goals and protect Gaborik and Lundqvist, like Boogaard was brought here to do, then it will be worth it. Overall, if you are waiting for a blockbuster deal from the Rangers, keep in mind that Gomez, Drury, Redden, and Gaborik were also signed after 6pm EST if memory serves me correct. The Rangers have a habit of waiting until the early evening to make a splash, so stay patient.

In 497 career NHL games, Mike Rupp has 49 goals and 40 assists for 89 points. He has also racked up 656 penalty minutes.

New York Rangers’ Enforcer Derek Boogaard Found Dead at 28

It is unfortunate that my first hockey article in weeks has to deal with the death of an NHL player at such a young age. Derek Boogaard, who the New York Rangers signed during the off-season to be the team’s enforcer, was found dead in his Minnesota apartment today. The cause of death is unknown, but if I had to venture a guess at what it might be, the severe concussion he sustained on December 9 in a fight against Matt Carkner of the Ottawa Senators might have something to do with it.

Once again, this is complete speculation and hopefully we will learn more shortly. The man who had made a career out of giving, and taking, punches to the head had his season ended with one jab during that game, keeping the amount he played to only 22 last season. We knew the injury was bad, because an enforcer rarely misses that much time, but it could end up being a lot worse than we thought. I do hope that this is not the case.

Derek Boogaard was only 28 years old, and a veteran of 277 games. During that time he scored 3 goals and 12 assists while amassing 589 penalty minutes, and earning the reputation as one of the most feared fighters in the league. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates.

Will post more info when we get it…

New York Ranger Rookies: Baptism by Fire

I just had to take a picture when this came on the screen during last night's game.

Just one look at the screen shot above, taken during last night’s game between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, and you can tell it just has not been an easy season for the Broadway Blueshirts. Decimated by injuries ever since it was reported in September that Vinny Prospal, coming off knee surgery, would be out indefinitely, the wound has kept on getting wider. Chris Drury also injured himself during training camp, missed several weeks, came back for one game, and got injured again. Marian Gaborik has missed 14 games so far due to two separate injuries, and leading scorer Brandon Dubinsky has missed the last five with a stress fracture; the list goes on and on.

Through all of this, though, has bit a been of a blessing, because like it or not, the Rangers are rebuilding without having to actually rebuild. What is the definition of a rebuild? To get rid of all the veterans and those not hacking it in favor of giving the promising youth in the system an extended look, so that in the next season, management will know who should remain in the NHL, who will be sent to the AHL, and who will be cut all together. If you notice the eight currently injured Rangers, you will see that all of them are veterans, and all have been replaced by rookies or those not far from being rookies. Essentially, the Rangers are rebuilding because they are getting a look at all of their top youth, the only difference is, the veterans will be returning this season, oh, and they are actually playing competitively.

To think, that a team that has had six players make their NHL debut, another four join with under fifty games of NHL experience, and the “old man” on defense be 27-year-old Steve Eminger, sit in 6th place in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Break, is not only mind-boggling, but tremendously encouraging. The rookies the Rangers are sporting are not being carefully inserted into the lineup for a glimpse, but thrust into games with a regular role because this team cannot afford to waste time analyzing.

 

Mats Zuccarello has impressed in shootouts this season.

The Rangers needed the help desperately, and they have gotten key contributions from Mats Zuccarello, who, since his call-up, has three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 17 games, including going four-for -four in shoot-out attempts. Derek Stepan, who has been with the team since the beginning of the season, has 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points, and has become the team’s most reliable center, next to Brian Boyle who could vie for Comeback Player of the year. Boyle is looked at as a veteran, and may be on this crop, but before this season he had only 107 NHL games experience spread out over three seasons, with only 12 goals and four assists. This season, he has come up clutch time and time again, with a team-leading 18 goals, more than both teammate Marian Gaborik, and Washington Capital star Alex Ovechkin.

Dale Weise has also been a pleasant surprise because of his willingness to fight, and newcomers Kris Newbury and Chad Kolarik, who have spent a lot of time in different systems in the minors, have fit in well, but will most likely not stay once the injured players make their return.

And how about toughness? This team has never been more eager to drop the gloves and stick up for teammates until after Derek Boogaard was injured. At any given time, the Rangers can throw someone out there who will fight, even if none are “enforcer”-type material. Brandon Prust continues to have an amazing season doing a little bit of everything, while Sean Avery, Newbury, and Weise also hold their own rather well.

Last night’s loss to the Panthers was disappointing, but it was part of the learning curve for this Rangers team that just will not die. They lead the league in games on back-to-back nights, yet always prove to be a tough foe when they play. They have been excellent in third periods when trailing, which they showed last night in rallying to tie the game at three after trailing 3-1 heading into the final frame, despite losing 4-3. Resilient would be the perfect word, because as soon as someone gets injured, the call-up comes right in and plays well.

These rookies have made it difficult for the coaching staff to decide who stays and who goes. When Dan Girardi returns after the break, will it be Ryan McDonaugh or Michael Del Zotto that gets sent back to Connecticut? Ryan Callahan is also close to returning, who goes when he gets back? I think it is safe to say that Zuccarello has won his spot on the team this season because of his outstanding play and speedy footwork, so I guess the first candidates to go back down will be DuPont and Weise, with Newbury and Kolarik remaining until Fedotenko and Dubinsky return.

The Rangers finally have a young, homegrown team that we have all been clamoring for years to get. Would it be a success? That is the question we have been wondering about for all this time. I think with this recent stretch of play, the Rangers will have a bright future ahead of them. The old saying holds true, the best discoveries are made, sometimes, entirely by accident.

Gretzky Would Play for Rangers in Legends Game; Why Not Right Now?

Just finished reading a great piece by Larry Brooks in the New York Post, where he asks Wayne Gretzky, who turns 50 on Wednesday, how his life is going and should the Winter Classic be in New York next season, would he play for them in the legends game. The Great One responded with an emphatic yes and an, “I’d be there in a minute if the Rangers had one.” If this doesn’t help sell the NHL that the Rangers should be hosting the WC next season, I don’t know what will. As someone alluded to on Yahoo, wouldn’t it be sweet to see a Rangers-Kings classic, where Gretzky suits up for Los Angeles for the first half of the game, then finishes in Ranger blue? But that does not appear to be the likely scenario, because it seems the Rangers and Flyers are the leading contenders for 2012.

This all begs me to ask the question, if Wayne is so eager to play for them in the legends game, would he play for the Rangers right now? With injuries to Dubinsky, Callahan, Christensen, Fedotenko, Boogaard, Frolov, Prospal, and now Girardi and Prust, Gretzky would be a top-flight player on this team who is featuring half of the Connecticut Whale on their roster. If you would have told me that by January, the Rangers would have peeks at Zuccarello, Weise, Dupont, Kolarik, Newbury, McDonaugh, and Williams, I would have thought you were crazy, but the Rangers have caught the injury bug this season, and no one has escaped it, including Marian Gaborik and Chris Drury who are healthy now but missed an extended period of time earlier in the season.

The Rangers four current centers are Brian Boyle, Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov, and Chris Drury…HELP! Where would Gretzky fit into all of this, even at fifty years old? I’d say pretty damn well if you ask me. The Rangers are one of the worst teams in the league on faceoffs…do you think Wayne has slipped up in that department. And how about for goals, a category the Rangers are strapped for considering half their team is watching in the press box? I think he still has a few biscuits left in his arsenal.

So Wayne, if you are reading this and still feel ties to New York, please come and help us out! If I see Captain Clutch miss one more open net or flub one more slap shot, or lose a faceoff, because apparently, that’s the only thing his $7 million salary is paying him to do, I’ll scream. You will always be welcome here Wayne, so how about a comeback attempt?

Rangers’ Alex Frolov Done for Season with Torn ACL

Last night, Alex Frolov appeared to have a lower body injury, when he skated gingerly towards the New York Rangers bench in the third period of a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. A few minutes later, he would take one more shift, earning the post-game praise of analyst Kevin Weekes, who said the character Frolov showed in even trying to continue the game embodied what this Rangers season has been like. It now appears that this will be Frolov’s last shift as a Ranger, with the team announcing that he has a torn ACL, second degree sprain of the MCL, and slight medial meniscus tear, and is done for the season.

Either way, Frolov was not going to be wearing Ranger blue next season. The two-time 30 goal scorer who struggled last season was a no-loss gamble by the Rangers this past summer, as his $3 million, one-way contract really did not cost the team much. There was no budding youth whose spot he was stealing, and they had the money to take a chance with him. But much like Chris Higgins did last season, Frolov came with a lot of potential and just did not pan out. By late October, I was already calling him out, as most Ranger bloggers were (the article has only now be linked on Yahoo’s Puck Daddy).

I was never a fan of the Frolov signing, as just days after he was signed, I said he was not the answer to the Rangers’ problems, but nevertheless, I still held out hope that he could put up at least 20 goals, even if I never expected him to reach the 30 he did twice while on the Los Angeles Kings. As the season progressed, though, we could tell that neither of those goal totals would be neared, let alone eclipsed.

As Yahoo says, he is currently on pace for a 13 goal season—in 43 games he has only 7 goals and 9 assists. He has played everywhere from the first line with Gaborik, to the fourth line with Boogaard, and even the bench for long stretches, and never looked comfortable. The problem with Higgins as mentioned earlier was not that he looked bad, but that he was snake-bit. He got plenty of chances but couldn’t bury any. With Frolov, he wasn’t even getting any quality chances and when he skated it looked like it was through cement. His nightly wrap-arounds became a joke within the fan base—he seemed to think he had a better chance scoring from behind the net than in front of it. There is no total of how many he took, but he only scored on one this season.

This injury may not spell the end of just his season, but his NHL career, as he was contemplating an offer from a KHL team at the time he signed in New York. I cannot see any team in this league wanting him, so hopefully after a speedy and healthy recovery, he will find a nice career over in Russia. I wish him all the best, just stay the heck away from the Rangers.

P.S: Hundreds of people are now lining up outside of Marcie Braverman’s apartment for a celebration. Please enjoy this music while you map-quest directions to her palace.

Rangers Leave Senators With Sauer Taste After 5-3 Victory

Boogaard drops the gloves with Carkner, who would land a punch square in the face of Boogaard, keeping him out for the rest of the game.

The New York Rangers found themselves trailing three times tonight, but each time they fell behind, they fought back, and ultimately found a way to defeat the Ottawa Senators tonight 5-3 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. It was not pretty, and the Rangers found themselves stuck in stretches of clumsy play, but they needed a win tonight after playing horribly against these same Senators Saturday night. In the end, they would have an unlikely hero as one of their young defensemen would score his first NHL goal, and send the Rangers to victory.

• First Period: The Rangers were looking to have a better start to the game than their last, which included an awful first period. They would not get started off on the right foot, as the Senators would score on an early powerplay less than three minutes in. Henrik Lundqvist would make a terrific stop on Nick Foligno before Mike Fisher netted home the rebound. But from there on out, the Rangers would pick up their game and tie the score nearly two minutes later, when Derek Stepan (7) found a fanned shot attempt by Marian Gaborik land on his stick, and shot it past Brian Elliot. The Rangers would not play a great period, but they had a lot more jump in their step than Sunday night’s game. Late in the period, Matt Carkner would fight Derek Boogaard and land a massive punch square in the face of Boogaard, and taking him down to the ice moments later. For the first time all season, an opponent landed a perfect punch to his face. The Rangers would exit the period tied at one a piece, despite taking three minor penalties, including one by Alex Frolov, which resulted in the Senators’ goal.

• Second Period: Once again the Senators would get the early goal, as Jason Spezza would tally one with the man advantage 34 seconds in. And once again, the Rangers would quickly counter, with a goal at an even faster minute and nine seconds later. This one would be from newly placed first liner Ruslan Fedotenko (5), from Gaborik, who got his second assist of the night, and Rozsival whose slapshot hit the post just seconds earlier. Minutes later, it would appear that the Senators had retaken the lead, when Mike Fisher took a shot from the circle that the referee signaled went in just under the crossbar. But the replay would show a miraculous example of physics that kept the puck out of the net—first it struck the crossbar, then bounced straight down off the goal line, and then sideways off the post, before bouncing forward, and directly between the leg of Lundqvist and an oncoming skate of Rozsival. Just moments later, though, Fisher would have retribution when he scored a breakaway goal on assists from Foligno and Campoli. The Rangers powerplay would fail twice more in the second period, and their lack of discipline cost them yet another goal.

• Third Period: With the Rangers trailing by one heading into the third, they needed to hunker down and play a solid period of hockey. The Rangers would shut down the Senators and put some goals up on the board. For the third time in the game, they tied the score, when Erik Christensen (5) wound up for a shot in the corner along the goal line, and somehow, the puck trickled past Elliot—it was a horribly angled goal, and for the first time in a while, the Rangers are beneficiaries of such luck. With five and a half minutes remaining in the period, the Rangers once again found themselves on the powerplay. With only seconds remaining on the advantage, and it seeming like the Rangers were going to waste another opportunity, Tortorella sent out his grinders, and among the makeshift unit, defenseman Michael Sauer (1), who ripped a slapshot that found its way through a maze of people and into the net. It would be his first NHL goal, on assists from Prust, and Avery, who now has 13 on the season. The goal would stand to be the game winner, and Brandon Dubinsky (13) would tack on an empty net goal when the Ottawa defenseman playing the puck fell down, giving it away to Dubinsky. It was not a masterpiece, but the Rangers got a very important bounce back win.

Over the last few off days, the Rangers practiced a lot of different things, emphasizing the powerplay. Up until the Sauer goal, one could hardly tell that, and even so, the powerplay is cause for concern. They are not even generating chances, but spend much of the two minutes skating up and down the rink after they allow their opponents to clear the puck.

Ruslan Fedotenko looked very good on the first line with Gaborik and Stepan, that is, when Tortorella wasn’t experimenting with and reverting back to old line combinations. The Rangers’ offense is still not getting nearly enough shots, but Fedotenko’s checking and backchecking will be a welcome sight on the top line should he stay there.

Regarding the Boogaard-Carkner fight, it was originally Tweeted by Darren Dreger of TSN that Carkner flicked blood off his fingers at players on the Rangers’ bench. No one watching the telecast noticed this, though Carkner did get a ten minute misconduct. It could be possible that was the reason. If this is true, he should face further discipline from the league. Showboating after winning a fight is one thing, but to flick a bodily fluid at someone? Not only is it disgusting and immature, but it is dangerous as well. I truly hope this was all a misunderstanding, because that would be a new low for a hockey player to have stooped to.

Hockey Books That Would Just Never Sell: 2010/11 Rangers Edition

Ever wonder what it would be like to see your favorite players take some time out of their busy schedule to sit down and write a book? Well, below, we have uncovered some of the writing projects currently being undertaken by your 2010/11 New York Rangers. What we found may surprise you.

“Staying Onside”, by Sean Avery

“Strong Legs, Powerful Arms and a Muscular Chest: A Guide to Human Anatomy”, by Joe Micheletti

“How I Impressed H.G Wells and Walked Away a Multi-Millionaire”, by Alex Frolov

“Sticking Up for Teammates”, By Erik Christensen

“Accuracy 101″, by Ryan Callahan

“Stickhandling for Success”, by Derek Boogaard

“2010/11 Hartford Real Estate Guide”, by Mats Zuccarello

“Boris Karloff Impersonations”, by Mike Keenan

“Staying Calm and Relieving Anxiety”, by John Tortorella

“Sex Appeal in Winter: A Guide to Tanning Beds and their Radioactive Fallout”, by Vinny Prospal

I swear, I tried to get an Aaron Voros joke in there but couldn't. This picture will have to suffice.

“Look at Me Please! How to be Noticed on an Offensive Attack”, by Todd White

“Nerds Can be Sexy Too”, by Bill Pidto

“The Art of the Toupee: Getting Your Hair Swagger On”, by Sam Rosen

“The History of American Pie, Volume One: Stifler’s Mom”, by Derek Stepan

“Channeling Your Inner Guido”, by Michael Del Zotto

“Consistency in Back to Back Starts”, by Henrik Lundqvist

“Long Island Sun Tan: Burning Your Neck Without UV Damage”, by Martin Biron

“A Geographical Guide to New York City Bus Stops”, by Larry Brooks, Foreword by John Tortorella

“Wrist Shots, Slap Shots, and Jello Shots”, by Dave Maloney

“Life of the Party: How to Stun Your Guests with an Enthralling Personality”, by Chris Drury

An oldie but goodie.

Rangers Defeat Islanders in Wild and Wacky Battle on Long Island

The New York Rangers have officially played their craziest game of the season, tonight, against the New York Islanders. In a game that saw hits, fights, leads disappear, and oh yes, plenty of goals, the Blueshirts were victorious in front of a very small crowd at Nassau Coliseum, 6-5. It truly was surprising at how few people were in attendance tonight. The Islanders have had problems drawing fans all season long, but the Rangers are usually their one sure night for packing the house—a beat writer on Twitter estimated that there were less than 11,000 people in the stands just after the puck dropped. But nevertheless, tonight’s game was absolutely crazy. From a fan’s perspective, it was pure entertainment, from a coach’s point of view, it was a nightmare.

• First Period: The Rangers started out on the right foot, although the first four minutes of the game were brutally slow, with plenty whistles and no flow to the play. It took a fight, between Trevor Gillies and Derek Boogaard, to get things going. Both players agreed to scrap, and Gillies danced around Boogaard faking and deking while the latter stood perfectly still, waiting for punches to be thrown. Needless to say, Boogaard handily won the fight, landing punches throughout, though Gillies did take him down in the end. The pace of the game would then increase, and the Rangers jumped on top when Erik Christensen (4) scored top corner on Rick DiPietro, who thought he had the net covered. The goal was a result of a complete team effort in the newly formed first line, with Avery and Gaborik getting the assists. The Rangers would extend their lead with three minutes remaining, when Ryan Callahan (8) one-timed a Dubinsky pass in front, after a falling Derek Stepan was able to slide the puck over to him. At this point, the Rangers were completely controlling the play, though they were missing the net wide with a lot of their shots. Despite this, however, they could not get out of the period with a two-goal lead, as Zenon Konopka scored with just under a minute remaining. Poor rebound control would finally come back to bite Biron, though he played very steady in the period. 

• Second Period: As good as the Rangers looked in the first was as bad as they looked for the majority of the second. The Islanders came out strong and were polar opposites of how they played in the first period. They would tie the game on a Matt Moulson goal in front, and then take the lead three minutes later when Rob Schremp scored. As for Martin Biron, it was just not his night and he looked shaky for the 32 minutes he played. By that point, Tortorella had seen enough, and yanked him in favor of Lundqvist, who would only have to make one save in the final seven minutes of the period that he played. Meanwhile, the Rangers used the goaltending change as a chance to turn their game around. A Marc Staal shot would deflect off Brandon Prust’s (2) stick and then off the Islander’s Radek Martinek and into the net. Three minutes later, the Rangers would retake the lead on the powerplay, when a Marian Gaborik (6) pass would deflect off Konopka’s stick and past DiPietro. The goal would originally be credited to Callahan, but he admitted during the intermission that it was Gaborik’s goal. The Rangers finished the period on a very high note, and left the second exactly where they left the first, with a one goal lead.

• Third Period: The Rangers would continue their improved play from the end of the second early in the third, when Marian Gaborik (7) scored off a great set-up by Avery who passed it to him from behind the net. The joy would not last long, though, as the Islanders would quickly make their two goal deficit vanish. Michael Grabner scored with less than eight minutes remaining, and Blame Comeau tied it less than two minutes after that. Their lead was gone in the blink of an eye, and the Islanders seemed to have all the momentum. Just when it looked like the game was slipping from the Rangers’ grasp, Marian Gaborik (8) would net his hat-trick goal to give the Rangers a lead that they finally would not relinquish. Lundqvist looked shaky during those two hectic minutes, but rebounded with some nice saves towards the end of the period. Overall, he would only face 11 shots in just about a half a game played. The Islanders would end up out-shooting the Rangers 32-26.

As fun as this game was to watch, and as nice as it is to score six goals in a game, the Rangers really need to take a look at this game and be alarmed at the fact that they allowed five goals to the worst team in hockey. Granted, this was a rivalry game and the Islanders always wake up to play them, but the coaching staff will really not be smiling much after this game. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

It is also truly amazing at how important late goals are. Had the Islanders not scored their goal in the first, the Rangers’ momentum would have not been halted, and they probably would have blown them out of the water. But instead, the Islanders get on the board, and the Rangers barely win it. This definitely has to be a concern.

On a good note, the Rangers’ newly assembled first line was almost unstoppable tonight. Sean Avery was played on the wing to work with Gaborik and Christensen, and just this morning, was told by John Tortorella to not be a playmaker, and work on being physical. He responded with a three assist night. Gaborik would have three goals and an assist, and Christensen would have a goal and an assist. Combined, they were a plus-eight.

Brandon Prust also continued his outstanding play, and showing how much of a warrior he really is. Already not 100%, he was banged up even more tonight after he went hard into the boards in the third period, but kept on chugging along, refusing to sit out. It is nice to see a hard worker like him rewarded with a goal every now and then.

Michael Sauer got into yet another fight tonight, with Travis Hamonic. He has shown some good size and toughness this season, and the Rangers could really use that physicality on the blueline on a regular basis.

With Rick DiPietro saying earlier today that he takes a special pleasure in beating the Rangers, it was really nice seeing him give up six goals tonight. These two teams will meet again tomorrow night, at Madison Square Garden, which will hopefully be as intense as this one was—I only hope that the defense is much tighter.

EDIT: This just in, the Islanders have been placed for sale on Craiglist.

Rangers Burn Flames in Hard-Fought Win at the Garden

With the way the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames played tonight, you would they were hated cross-town rivals. For sixty minutes, both teams skated back and forth, throwing checks, getting physical, and causing tensions to rise in the third period, keeping fans on edge. The Rangers would pull out a 2-1 victory at MSG tonight, behind a solid effort by Martin Biron, who made his second straight start, giving Henrik Lundqvist additional time off to tweak his game. Unlike Saturday, where Biron did not have to be great, he actually found himself quite busy tonight, stopping 31 of 32 shots.

The Rangers controlled play for most of the first period, but could not get many quality shots on goal. They would have a powerplay just 14 seconds into the game, but once again, failed to capitalize. The game would then develop a nasty edge as Michael Sauer would check Stefan Meyer from behind, before being jumped by Rene Bourque. Both players would head to the penalty box, and minutes after the penalties expired, Sauer would fight Tom Kostopoulos. Sure enough, the fisticuffs would not end there, and later in the period, Sauer would fight again, this time with Meyer himself. Sauer would win both fights, though not decisively. The first period would end scoreless.

In the second period, the Rangers would finally break through with a goal as Brian Boyle came in on a two-on-one with Ruslan Fedotenko against the Flames’ Brendan Mikkelson. While attempting to get the puck to Fedotenko, Boyle’s (9) pass would deflect off the defenseman and past Miikka Kiprusoff for the game’s first goal. Three minutes later, Brandon Dubinsky failed to get a shot on goal while near the net, and the puck was knocked away to center ice. The Flames would come in three-on-one and after two passes, Jarome Iginla would one-time it over the glove of Martin Biron to tie the game. Things would then get nasty again, as later in the period, Ryan Callahan would lay a clean check on Jay Bouwmeester. Curtis Glencross, who knocked out Chris Drury last season with a blindsided hit, came over and high-sticked Callahan in the back of the head, receiving a penalty. The Rangers would finally come through on the man advantage, when Dan Girardi (2) would take a slapshot off a Derek Stepan faceoff win. Stepan continues to put up points and improve his game, while Girardi finally has a goal to show for all his hard work.

There would be no goal scoring in the third period, but the physical play would continue. As Matt Stajan entered the Rangers zone with the puck, he passed it to his left, and kept looking at it. With Stajan putting himself in a susceptible position, Marc Staal would use that opportunity to level him with a clean shoulder-to-shoulder hit, that sent Stajan’s helmet flying and knocked him to the ice. He would be a little wobbly before skating to the bench by himself; he would not return. Tension would then rise to such a level that you could cut it with a knife, however, there would be no more fighting, despite Meyer trying to goad Derek Boogaard into a fight, but he was smart and did not risk taking a penalty. The game would end with the Rangers up 2-1, and victorious for the second straight game.

Martin Biron has now won four games in a row, but will bow out to Lundqvist who has already been announced as Wednesday’s starter. The Rangers have been waiting years to have a reliable backup, and now that they have one and he is playing well, Tortorella decided to go with the hot-hand. A win or a loss tonight, this was the right move, and hopefully it will prompt Lundqvist to improve his play, and cut down on the one soft goal per game he has allowed. Also, in case you have not already noticed, Biron is a fantastic interview—I see him having a job as a color analyst somewhere when his career is over.

As for the defense, they were once again solid. Dan Girardi continued his excellent play, Sauer showed some toughness and strength with the two fights he was in tonight, and Eminger continues to be the team’s most improved player since the beginning of the season, blocking shots and taking the body.

Multiple times this season the Rangers have had a good team effort and win, yet they have not developed any consistency. They will be visiting the Stamkos-led Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday night, and they will need an all-around team effort like tonight if they are to stop them.