The Rise and Fall of the 2011/12 New York Rangers Part I: Greg’s Thoughts

One goalie leaving, the other in his prime. Could this be a passing of the torch?

This is going to be a two-part series, the second of which will feature some guest writers and their take on the surprising rise and disappointing fall of the New York Rangers in this 2011/2012 season.

The NHL playoffs can be described as one word: relentless. The pace is non-stop, the play is aggressive, and there is never a moment’s peace where one can step back and take a deep breath. On that basis alone, one could argue that the New York Rangers have been in the playoffs for the entire season, starting before the season actually started. Playoffs are full of endless trials and tribulations, elated moments of victory and agonizing moments of defeat. It does not matter how it ends, and people rarely think about how it even begins. For the Rangers, it started with a 10,000 mile trek across Europe for some pre-season match-ups with local teams, culminating with two season-opening games in Stockholm, Sweden against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. When they returned to North America, they then had to go on an elongated break and even more road games, as Madison Square Garden’s phase one transformation had not yet been completed. It took a while for the Rangers to get going, but once they did, there was never a break. Even with some bumps in the road along the way, the Rangers managed to lose three regulation games in a row only twice in the regular season, and then once in the playoffs. They did all of this while being watched by HBO’s cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the month of December, and then had to prepare for a mini-Stanley Cup game, as I refer to the Winter Classic, against the Philadelphia Flyers in Citizens Bank Ballpark, in front of 50,000 fans, a game which they won with a late comeback and some stellar goaltending.

On the Rink with Gootz: New York Rangers First Half Recap

Even though the NHL season always seems like a long a grueling one (it is), I always find myself in amazement at how fast it actually all goes by. It is January 28th, and the proverbial first half of the season has come to an end with every NHL team skating into the All Star Break for a restful few days before the playoff chase officially begins. Who would have thought at this point, that the New York Rangers would be second in the entire league and in first place in the Eastern Conference? I can guarantee no one had it pegged as such. The highest aspirations I had for the team for the regular season were what they have been for the last few years: battling for a playoff spot the entire year, and going down to the last day.

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.

Rangers & Flyers Matchup Tonight Could Be Game of the Season

‘Twas the last game before Christmas, and the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers are both surging toward the highly anticipated Winter Classic on January 2nd. Both of these teams, the stars of HBO’s hit series 24/7, have given the network and fans alike plenty of entertainment. From a hockey marketing standpoint, the scenario could not be any better. The Flyers currently sit in first place in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, while the Rangers sit in second in the former, and fourth in the latter, just two points behind. Should the Blueshirts win tonight, they would take over first place, because they would have played one less game with one fewer loss, though both teams would have an identical number of wins.

New York Rangers Keep on Rolling with Five Wins in a Row

Yes, Virginia, he can write a positive article on the Rangers!

The New York Rangers, after starting off with an abysmal record and level of play seem to have reversed themselves in a stunning 360. Perhaps it was overreaction, or maybe a European trip hangover, where recovering from many different changes in time zones while traveling more than 10,000 miles took its toll. Now, 14 games into the season, the Rangers are playing how everyone expected. Okay, so all of these games have not been masterpieces, but they did not have to be—the bottom line is, the Rangers are playing some great hockey, coming through when they need it the most, and all while experiencing some self-examination and quite a few blessings in disguise.

The Rangers needed a center for Marian Gaborik, but unbeknownst to them, he was already on the team when Brad Richards was signed. After starting out the season like almost everyone else, youngster Derek Stepan seems to be blossoming into a force to be reckoned with, after being placed on the team’s first line (one that has gone three games without be juggled by John “The Mixologist” Tortorella). He had only one assist in his first eight games, and he now has three goals and six assists in his last six. Meanwhile, Marian Gaborik continues to be the goal scorer that they signed two seasons ago, when he put up 42 goals in his debut year on Broadway. After experiencing a myriad of injuries last season and never being able to find his game except in a few multi-goal outbursts, he has settled in nicely with his new-found linemates, with nine goals and six assists for 15 points in 14 games. Should he score two more goals, he would have cut last season’s 62 game total in half. In actuality, he only scored in 14 games last season, including two hat tricks and one four-goal game. This season, he has already scored in seven.

The blessing in disguise here, for the Rangers, is the fact that Brad Richards is not centering Marian Gaborik, the exact reason why he was signed to a very expensive, multi-year deal to begin with. This is actually the best thing that could have happened to the Rangers, because now, instead of a first line, two third lines, and a fourth line, they have lines 1a and 1b, followed by a third line and a fourth line. Everybody has found their niche and the role they are supposed to be playing in—no one is being asked to do more, at least offensively. Defensively, poor Dan Girardi is probably going to have a heart attack by Thanksgiving, after averaging nearly a half a game’s worth of playing time every night. Not to jinx him, but his play has been nearly flawless, and his style has been gritty and effective. Throw Ryan McDonagh, and a nice $4 Thank-You card from Hallmark to Bob Gainey, into the mix, and I would say that the Rangers have the best defensive corps in the league, one that additionally sports the solid and physical Mike Sauer and a revitalized Michael Del Zotto, who has matched the amount of goals he scored in 47 games last year already this season.

As much as we Rangers fans like to complain, we sure like to eat crow as well. Who would not want to eat their words as opposed to seeing this team transform right before our very eyes? The development over the last two weeks alone is very encouraging, because they will only get better. As much as I like to rag on Brandon Dubinsky, he is not going to go the entire season without scoring a goal. Hopefully, once he nets one, they will come in bunches. Until then, though, fans do have a right to be on him, especially since he is coming off signing his first really big contract. He reminds me of Chris Higgins, during his short stint in New York. Higgins too did everything right, everything except score— he got plenty of shots on goal and chances, and was good at killing penalties, he just could not get that little black disk into the net. Once he gets going, and Richards actually has wingers to pass to, the Rangers may find themselves as one of the more formidable teams in the eastern conference.

The Rangers can also say they have one of the best goaltending tandems in the league, with perennial Vezina candidate Henrik Lundqvist, and the always dependable Martin Biron. Combined, the two have a 1.96 GAA, which is good for third best in the league. The Rangers have also shown a considerable amount of toughness in and around their own net. As opposed to years past, where opponents had free reign near Henrik Lundqvist in the crease, the defense, namely Ryan McDonagh, have done a good job in promptly setting such people on their rear end.

This may finally be the Rangers team we can be excited about. There is still a long way to go, but this is definitely a step up in the right direction, and if they keep playing this way, we will all be in for a treat on Broadway in this 2011/12 NHL season.

If the New York Rangers Miss the Playoffs, It Is Their Own Fault

These last few days have provided horrific flashbacks to last season for fans of the New York Rangers, because just like last year, the Rangers had their fate in their own hands. In game 81, the Rangers needed to win the two final games of the season, both against the Philadelphia Flyers, and they were able to accomplish only half of that. With their final home game just two days before the season finale, the Rangers came through in the clutch, with a hard-fought 4-3 win that had Madison Square Garden rocking, giving a resounding cheer for the Blueshirts who then had to travel to the City of Brotherly Love to clinch a playoff berth. The scorer of the game-winning goal? Marian Gaborik, capping off a fantastic debut season on Broadway. Then the last day came, and after another well-played game that headed to a shootout, the entire Rangers’ season rested on the shoulders of Olli Jokinen, who flubbed the chance, and sent them home packing, without a playoff appearance for the first time since the lockout. Two games were all they had, two wins were all they needed.

This season, the Rangers had three games remaining, and found themselves trailing the Boston Bruins 3-0 in the second period of a game on April 4th. The crowd booed, and rightly so, but then the Rangers woke up, and scored five unanswered goals against one of the best defensive teams in the NHL to keep the season alive, but not only that, to keep it in their hands. This is more important than anything, because when you have control of your fate, all you have to do, as a team, is win. You do not have to scoreboard watch or hope for help from others. Unfortunately, last night, the Rangers ruined those chances against the 11th place Atlanta Thrashers. All they needed was a win, to get two points, and they failed miserably. There was no aggressive forecheck, no glaring scoring chances, just all around stagnant play. When the Thrashers exited the building with a 3-0 win, you can be sure that visions of last season were floating around the locker room. There is only one difference: the Rangers are not in control of their fate anymore.

Should the Carolina Hurricanes win their next two games in regulation, the Rangers season is over, even if they win tomorrow afternoon against the New Jersey Devils. There are also a bunch of other scenarios, but I will not waste time going into them because all of it should have been for naught anyway. There was no reason for this, the Rangers needed to win last night, and they failed. Just like last season, coming 0ff their biggest win of the season, they fell flat, and that will cost them.

There is no place to direct anger at, if the Rangers fall short, other than the team itself. Part of me says not to get angry, because this is a rebuilding year. The other part of me says, this team was in playoff contention all year long, has the highest paid goaltender in the league, and another $7 million goal scorer, so of course I will be angry if they come up short.

Just think, what if Lundqvist had not let in a slew of soft goals early in the season? What if Alex Frolov actually produced after signing here? What if Vinny Prospal wasn’t injured for most of the season? What if Martin Biron did not suffer a late-season practice injury? What if Sean Avery was just half as good as he was a couple of seasons ago? What if Marian Gaborik actually played like he gives a shit?

That is probably the most important of these “What if?” questions, and that is what happened to Marian Gaborik? He goes through months of being invisible, has a big game and gets everyone excited, only to disappear again. Well, Marian the Magnificent has now gone eight straight games without scoring a goal, and he only has 22 in 61 games, which equates to about a goal every three games, as opposed to last season when he averaged a goal per less than every two games. It might not seem like much, but in the long-run, they add up. It is one thing to slump, but it is another to just fall off the map and not care, which is where Gaborik is right now—skating around in circles, shooting from the perimeter, and just coasting. On the bright side, he may be due for an explosion tomorrow, since that’s what he does. After all, he hasn’t scored since March 20.

The Rangers powerplay is also to blame, even with the acquisition of Bryan McCabe who has only two goals and six assists in 18 games. After seeing him QB the powerplay, I am convinced that he is not the problem. He is not a bad player, in fact, he is the most skilled player out there who happens to be surrounded by players who are not on his level of thinking. His passes are hard, his shots are even harder, but when is someone ever in a position to do something with them? Take last night for example, with McCabe on the point and Gaborik in the right faceoff circle. McCabe released a hard fake-shot pass right to Gaborik, but the puck bounced over his stick. How is it that a player as skilled as he cannot handle a simple pass? Did he forget how to play hockey all of a sudden? Does Tortorella need to hold a fundamentals practice? These idiots skate around trying to make plays, the puck goes to McCabe, and when he passes it back, they seem like they have never seen that shiny, black, rubber disc before—it’s like they are shocked.

The shining of all examples of this ineptitude of course came on March 31 against the New York Islanders, in a game they had to win. To be honest, I don’t think anything thought the Rangers were going to lose that game, especially since they always play well on Long Island. The Rangers took a 1-0 lead despite playing sloppily, but then they somehow managed to give up six straight goals before adding one late, to fall 6-2 in their most embarrassing performance of recent memory. The killer in this one? Going a mind-numbing 0-9 on the powerplay. That’s almost the equivalent of spending an entire period with the man-advantage, only to score zero goals.

No matter what happens in these next two days, the Rangers can look at that matchup against the Islanders and say that is what did them in.  For the second straight season, the Rangers can get eliminated by a division rival; first the Flyers, now the Devils (which is worse?). Even if they do lose tomorrow, the Rangers can still get in if the Hurricanes lose their last two games, but I would not count on it. Carolina is playing well and actually deserves to make the playoffs. The Rangers deserve absolutely nothing.

The Rangers just have to go out there and win tomorrow, then pray for some divine intervention. I can see the Rangers winning tomorrow, even though the Devils are going to come out firing on all cylinders since this is their playoff game this season, but what I cannot see is the Hurricanes losing their next two games. Either way, it is out of our hands. This season will be known as the one that got away, it’s that simple.

Canadiens Pounce on Rangers and Hand them 3-2 Defeat

If you have any information, please call 1-800-GetScoring

The Rangers entered tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens coming off one of their best games of the season, which was a 1-0 win over the NHL’s best Vancouver Canucks. Unfortunately, more stagnant offense and an undisciplined penalty by Brandon Dubinsky (in retaliation for the P.K Subban slew-foot the last time these two teams met, contributed to the Rangers 3-2 loss tonight in Montreal.

• First period: The Rangers seemed to get off on the right track when Brian Boyle (15) knocked a loose puck past Carey Price a little less than seven minutes into the game. Brandon Prust had swiped at it as well, but Boyle was the last one to touch it; Girardi would also get an assist. It would be all downhill from there, as the Rangers would collapse for three minutes after failing to maintain their discipline. The Canadiens would get powerplay goals from Roman Hamrlik and Tomas Plekanec to take the lead, and then Andrei Kostitsyn would score their third goal. The Rangers failed on the two powerplay opportunities they had, as their offense was simply putrid. It has looked like this for many games, and they don’t even get shots on goal, let alone quality chances. This has to change—a peewee team would look better than they do.

• Second Period: What was a relatively tame period, aside from another two blown mad-advantages, turned very intense at the 17:47 mark. Lundqvist had been bumped into on the Canadiens powerplay minutes earlier, but then he would be completely run into by Matt Pacorietty, causing the goaltender to fall over hard into the net. With Pacioretty laying on the ice, Lundqvist got up and pounced on him, punching him numerous times until it turned into a pile-on. Brian Gionta then jumped on top of Lundqvist, and bodies were locked up everywhere. This was a play that was years in the making—Lundqvist is constantly being bumped into and remains perfectly calm while the gutless dolts this team has on defense do nothing to protect him. Pacioretty was pushed by Dubinsky, but this was something Lundqvist had to do—enough is enough. This melee came off of three amazing saves on Montreal’s powerplay. Lundqvist was not assessed a penalty for the incident, and the crowd would boo him every time he touched the puck or made a save the rest of the game.

• Third Period: For the first few minutes, there seemed to be no indication that the Rangers could come back in this game. They looked disinterested to say the least. There would be a breakthrough at the 6:57 mark when Mats Zuccarello (2) shot one in off a pass from Derek Stepan behind the net, but that’s as close as they would come to tying the game up. Lundqvist continued to be brilliant, but it was to no avail as the team in front of him could not shake their uninspired play, and the Rangers would fall 3-2.

Every game recap after a loss seems to sound the same: the Rangers aren’t shooting enough and with that comes a lack of goals. Gaborik yet again was invisible and I’m not even sure if Chris Drury is actually on the team anymore. It’s great to see the Prust-Boyle-Fedotenko line playing well, but if they are the Rangers’ best line night in and night out, the Rangers are going to start to slip in the standings. That and the atrocious powerplay is equating to some listless offensive play.

The Rangers have been very good at cycling and keeping the puck in the opponents’ zone, but that is a moot point if they aren’t getting shots through. Though the Rangers were able to put up 21 shots in the third period, it was too late. Had they kept the pressure up all game long (and stayed out of the penalty box), they would have won. The Rangers can’t seem to play more than one solid period every game, and that is a big problem.

The team will now return home for a game against the Flyers tomorrow. I would like to see Biron in net, but because it is an important game, Lundqvist may get the start on back-to-back nights. If it was up to me, Biron would have played tonight and Lundqvist tomorrow, but that ship has sailed.

Biron Backstops Rangers to 2-1 Victory in St. Louis

This game began looking like the early-90′s Roger Neilson-led Rangers against the mid-90′s Jacques Lemaire-led Devils—it was just that boring, but the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues were able to put together some solid entertainment from the second period and on, as the Rangers skated to a 2-1 victory tonight in St. Louis. It was not necessarily a bad game, but neither team was too sharp early on, and it was not a masterpiece, but the Rangers were able to win their third game in a row, once again without the help of Gaborik.

• First period: Everything that hockey should be was nowhere to be found in the first twenty minutes. There were no glaring scoring chances, no big hits, no nice passes, just nothing but boring and slow hockey. The total shots on goal for the period were 6-2 in favor of the Rangers. They did find a way to blow two powerplay opportunities, though, while being able to kill off one of the Blues’.

• Second Period: The Blues would open the scoring a little more than two minutes in, when Brad Winchester redirected an Eric Brewer shot past Martin Biron, who had no chance on the play. The Rangers would even the score seven minutes later, on a beautiful passing play by Mats Zuccarello, who found Derek Stepan (12) streaking to the net, before he shot the puck between the legs of Jaroslav Halak. Stepan remains third in the league in rookie scoring. Six minutes after that, Sean Avery (2) would finally snap his 35-game goal scoring drought when he tapped home a rebound off a Marian Gaborik shot. Originally, it was thought that Gaborik had scored the goal, but after looking at the replay, the puck went off Halak’s shoulder, then off the crossbar before floating even with the goal-line, for Avery to knock in. I somewhat predicted Avery’s goal on Twitter, when early in the first period, I said, “I say Avery scores a goal tonight. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sooner or later.” Dubinsky would end up with an assist on both goals, giving him 20 on the season.

• Third Period: This would be much like the first period, only it was the Blues who controlled the play for most of the time. The Rangers had a hard time even entering their zone for the first half of the period, and had to kill a double-minor to Sean Avery near the midway point. They were able to hold St. Louis to only one shot on goal in the four minutes, and only eight for the period, despite spending most of the period in their own end. With the Blues pressing late, David Backes would take a bad cross-checking penalty with under a minute to go, and the ensuing faceoff in their end would kill any hopes of a rally, and the Rangers would finish with a 2-1 victory.

Martin Biron may have only faced 25 shots, but he was superb tonight. He made several key stops in the second period, and more in the third. He was very steady and had excellent rebound control. The move to play him tonight instead of the hot-hand in Lundqvist was questioned by some, but this is why Biron was brought in—to play in, and hopefully win the second of back-to-back games. (By the way, he is also a fantastic talker. What a post-game interview this guy gives!)

The Rangers powerplay was futile once again tonight. It’s almost comical that they get better scoring chances while shorthanded than with the man advantage. As nice as it is to score a shorthanded goal, or rush down the ice and get a good chance, their powerplay is in trouble. As I said earlier today when I called out Gaborik, he and the team as a whole need to shoot more—it is that simple.

Not related to the team’s play, would the Rangers consider replacing Joe Micheletti with Kevin Weekes, who filled in with the HNL crew tonight? Every time I see him, whether on MSG or a Canadian Network, he always sounds intelligent and his commentary is spot on. In other words, he is not a bumbling, nonsensical fool like Micheletti. He and Sam Rosen would work well together.

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 Report: Parenteau Mocks Blueshirts After Goal; Alarming Defense Against Islanders

Today it was reported in the New York Post that after the Islanders scored at the 14:10 mark of the third period to tie the game 5-5, P.A Parenteau, a former Rangers forward who got the primary assist on the Blake Comeau goal, skated by the Rangers bench and “mocked” them, according to Sean Avery, who later added, “It was the wrong move for a guy like that.” Exactly what kind of “guy” is Parenteau? Just another career minor leaguer and scrub who was given plenty of chances to succeed with the Rangers last season, who now holds a grudge against the team for not re-signing him (or is he just angry he’s stuck on the Islanders?)

Bottom line is, the move was purely classless, and the Rangers responded just 25 seconds later with the game-winning goal by Marian Gaborik, on assists from Sean Avery and Erik Christensen. Many fans were torn last season over exactly what to do with Parenteau—obviously he did show some flashes of skill, especially in a shootout, but then he would go on disappearing acts and remind us why the 27-year-old minor league “star” only had five games of NHL experience before last season, and a grand total of 49 if you include games played up until last night. I know the Islanders haven’t been competitive for some time, so its possible that playing the Rangers is like their version of the Stanley Cup, and let’s be honest, competitive regular season games six times a year may be as close as they ever come to that.

Meanwhile, the Rangers should really be alarmed at how they have played against the Islanders this season. It does not matter if the Isles wake up for these games or not, but the truth is, the Rangers have essentially sucked (as much as I hate to use that word, it’s really the only one that fits) this season against the Islanders, a team that Larry Brooks today called, “An NHL club with a minor league roster.”

The Islanders, in 23 games, have scored a whopping 51 goals; 11 of them have been against the Rangers in only two games. I also love how the Rangers broadcast team last night worked the jinxes to perfection. Before the game started, it was Joe Micheletti who called Martin Biron the most consistent player on the team. About an hour later, Biron was yanked in what was he shakiest start of the season. Then we have to hear about how the Islanders had only scored more than two goals once in the last thirteen games. Lo and behold, they would score five last night. And finally, poor Blake Comeau, who only had three goals all year, two of which were against the Rangers the first time these two teams met. Guess who scores the Islanders fifth goal? Yep, you get the idea. Oh, and Comeau now had five of his thirteen points on the season against the Rangers.

I don’t know what it is as to why the Rangers are always sloppy against the Islanders, who sit in last place in the entire league. It can’t be arrogance, contrary to what Avery says they need, because the Rangers are not too amazing themselves. But the Islanders are a shell of a franchise who might as well be wearing Bridgeport Sound Tiger jerseys, and the Rangers can do nothing less than go down to the wire with them time and time again, and most often, of late, come up on the losing end.

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.