Blueshirt Boggle

Kaspar to Hartford

The Rangers announced a short time ago that Darius Kasparaitis has been assigned to Hartford on a ten-day conditioning assignment. He did not have to pass through waivers in order to be eligible for this assignment, so it does not mean the end of Kaspar's days as a Ranger.

Thoughts of a Numbed Mind

If the Rangers could score the next goal, MSGN announcer Sam Rosen said late in the second period after the Rangers scored what would prove to be their lone goal of the night, they could realistically make a game of it. This despite having spotted the LA Kings a 3-0 lead with a dreadful, inexcusable, unforgiveable 25 minutes of listless, chaotic, undisciplined play to start the game. That got me thinking. With the kind of firepower the Rangers have on their first two lines, with Jaromir Jagr leading the league in overall scoring (18 points) and assists (15) despite playing with a weak shoulder and Brendan Shanahan co-leading the league with ten goals in eleven games, it was easy to imagine them scoring that goal and one or two more to maybe even pull out this game.

But what was even more imaginable was the Rangers' awful defense allowing the offensively challenged Kings a chance to put them away by scoring the next goal themselves -- whoa! I was in the middle of that very thought when Sean Avery of all people swept a shot past Henrik Lundqvist despite the presence of two defenders to drive the final nail in the Rangers' coffin and complete the scoring in a 4-1 Ranger loss that was never as close as that score would indicate. And that made moot an earlier thought I had -- that it was already too late to salvage anything other than a point or two, even if the Rangers were able to regroup and pull that point or two out, that's how bad their approach to this game was.

Four goals to a team that was averaging less than two per game and had managed only 14 goals in going 1-7-2 over their last ten games, only six goals during the five game losing streak they brought into this game. One goal against a team that had allowed 29 goals during that ten game stretch and 16 during their five game losing streak. Unimaginable, one would think, especially with the team feeling so good about themselves after their 7-3 drubbing of Phoenix that they eschewed a game-day skate in favor of a leisurely bike ride in warm and sunny Santa Monica (supply your own punch line here if you think the final score wasn't enough of a punch to the gut).

We've seen this before -- a team that feels too good about itself after an easy win over a team in disarray that is not even NHL caliber, a team that feels they can win just by showing up for the next game against a rebuilding team with a record nearly as bad, a team that feels it has to play its high-priced veterans like Marek Malik and some of his fellow defensemen over young players like Thomas Pöck who can at least bring energy to the ice while faring no worse, a team that feels it has to stick with failed personnel decisions like trading for the totally unproductive Marcel Hossa when talented young players like Nigel Dawes are chomping at the bit to get that same chance and prove something.

We've seen seven years' worth of that before, and we were under the impression that we would not see that again after the fire sale of 2004 and last season's youth-inflected renaissance built on consistent work ethic, systems play, and attention to detail. So even if it's still early, even if this team has enough talent to come together when it counts next spring, it's time to start pointing some fingers and demand action before it's too late for next spring to matter even if things do eventually gel.

Well, first let's eliminate the guys we're not going to point fingers at. Shanahan, obviously, who not only scored the team's lone goal on his team-leading seven shots on goal, but who also dove to make defensive plays -- of all the high-priced overage free agent ex-superstars brought in over the years, this guy is clearly not in that class, his superlative efforts so far being wasted. Ryan Hollweg is immune from criticism -- he is still a hitter and a sparkplug, and despite a lack of points can advance the attack and backcheck too. Petr Prucha, despite not getting the opportunities at either even strength or the power play, is nevertheless far ahead of last season, when he was lightly used in New York or in Hartford at this juncture.

And despite their poor showing in this particular game (due in part to not getting any ice time early when the Kings were handed five first period power plays), it's hard to point fingers at the top line -- Jagr is amazingly piling up points while still not 100%, Martin Straka is converting set-up passes like he wasn't able to last season (six goals to date), and though he is not a true number one center and is prone to turnover, Michael Nylander is in the top ten in league scoring and, at +6, is not among the top culprits in compiling the NHL's third-worst defense.

On the blue line, you have to say the same about Aaron Ward and Fedor Tyutin, a tandem on defense for much of the season so far, even though, as Ward said last week, being the least worst on defense is nothing to be proud of. The truth is, Ward is doing well for a guy who was never considered more than a physical presence on the second or third defensive pair throughout his career -- he is remarkably leading the team at +7, is even more remarkably leading Ranger defensemen in scoring (he is fifth overall on the team with seven points), and is tied for fifth in the NHL with 34 hits. And Tyutin, still a promising young sophomore, may have work to do in both ends of the ice, especially in developing consistency, but his decent numbers in every relevant category -- points, +/-, hits, blocked shots -- reflect the reality that he is in fact developing and has not been the problem.

So where do the fingers point? Start with the remainder of the defense. Malik has been the worst, with his turnovers (three on one shift last night), his getting regularly beaten by quick young forwards, and his infuriating response to that, taking costly hooking penalties instead of using the body. What has changed for Malik in one season? Last season, his nimble stickwork and footwork jump started many a Ranger rush or stopped opposition attacks -- just a few months later, both skills look slow as molasses and his insistence of using them is hurting the team tremendously. How can a guy deteriorate so quickly?

Well, one reason is that his defense partner, Michal Rozsival, is playing nearly as bad, mainly due to poor decision making rather than lack of skill. Another reason is that support from up front, from the defensive forwards, is not there this season like it was last season. The value of Jed Ortmeyer and Dominic Moore as energetic defensively-minded fourth line forwards is no longer in question because of their lack of point production as it was during the off-season. Blair Betts and Jason Ward need to be reunited to make the most of their chemistry -- Betts is useless as a second liner, unable to pick up even an accidental assist while skating with a goal machine like Shanahan and a speedster like Matt Cullen, and his face-off work is sub-par this season, while Ward is more effective on the right wing than in the pivot of a makeshift unit.

Cullen and Adam Hall are not playing poorly -- both are on a nearly exact pace to duplicate their regular season numbers of last season, 25 goals and 50 points for Cullen, 15 goals and 30 points for Hall, with similar +/- numbers (plus for Cullen, minus for Hall), and with Cullen making good use of his speed and Hall of his size. But the Rangers need more than that from both of them -- Cullen needs to play more like he did in Carolina's playoff run and Hall needs to have a breakout season for the Rangers to step up. Hossa, despite playing a noticeably more energetic game, remains essentially useless, with zero points, and somehow managing to go -7 in limited minutes. Dawes could hardly do worse -- in fact, has done better in even less playing time.

Back to the defense: Karel Rachunek, scratched for a second straight game, has been a detriment on defense (team worst -9) while adding no offense (one point in nine games) despite significant power play time; Darius Kasparaitis has either not recovered from his off-season health problems or is just not going to be the same player he used to be; and Sandis Ozolinsh has quietly gone -4 in his three games back even though the Rangers are 2-1-0 in those games -- he has been on the ice for an incredible seven of ten goals against in his three games, but only three of twelve goals for.

Then there is Lundqvist. Last season, the overachieving defense and young role playing forwards were said to benefit from his work in net. If he is not himself this season, then that might explain why a mediocre defense is looking, well, mediocre, or worse, even though no one is trying to make that case. So it may in fact be as much of a case of Lundqvist not getting adequate support as anything else. Last season he got a lot of credit for the way he controlled rebounds -- but I always thought the key was the way the defense controlled those rebounds. That's not happening this season -- neither is the defense's ability to control opposition rushes or their set play from the point or down low.

Sure, Lundqvist is giving up uncharacteristically easy goals like Brent Sopel's second goal last night or Avery's killer fourth goal. But the former came after a mad scramble on a lengthy five on three, with the penalty killing and possibly Lundqvist discombobulated, and the latter shot would not have been possible without inexcusably lax defense. This is not to excuse Lundqvist, but to suggest that the mix of quality and quantity of shots that he is facing, combined with shocking breakdowns in team defense, are putting him in a position where more of those types of goals happen.

All of which brings us to the coach. At this point in time, he has to hold himself and his staff accountable for the defensive breakdowns. And for the misuse of personnel, like having Betts on the second line, Ward at center, and Prucha on the third line, and for the continued use of Hossa and Malik ahead of Dawes and Pöck. And for the team's inability to summon the chemistry, work ethic, and attention to detail that were the hallmark of his Adams Trophy candidacy a season ago. This is not a call for Renney's head -- he has the tools, the talent, and the time to bring it back together. But he must find a way to muster his troops before he runs out of time.

Rangers roasted in today's papers for their dismal effort -- see the News, Newsday, and Post, plus a prescient pre-game report from Newsday. Game report from NY Sports Day. NYR.com's game recap is an interesting exercise in spin cycling, giving the Kings too much credit for taking advantage of their flawed and listless opponent. LA area reports from their Times and News, and the Orange County Register. Plenty of interesting observations by the beat writers in their blogs -- Sam Weinman watching from back here in Rangers Report and Steve Zipay from the West Coast in Blue Notes. Hockey Rodent has a spot on economic analysis of why it doesn't make sense to stick with high-priced vets just because of their contracts, a lesson the Rangers need to re-learn after their one year hiatus from their seven years of bad luck.

In a lone bit of prospect news, Brodie Dupont extended his point scoring streak to eleven games in Calgary's win last night, assisting on the game winning goal. USA Hockey's college hockey poll for this week has Billy Ryan's Maine Black Bears in the top spot again by unanimous vote. BU (Kenny Roche) dropped four spots to #8 because of their loss to UMass-Lowell, Michigan Tech (Jordan Foote) moved into the top 15, Harvard (Dylan Reese) drops out of the top 15, and NMU (Darin Olver) remains among the other nine schools receiving consideration. Maine was nearly but not quite unanimous number one in the latest poll from USCHO. BU dropped to #7 there, while Harvard, Michigan Tech, and NMU placed 16, 18, and 19 respectively, with Tech entering this list for the first time after their weekend sweep of Alaska-Anchorage.

Hollweg Returns to Hollywood

The Rangers make their first trip to Southern California in nearly three years, so that means Ryan Hollweg gets to play his first NHL game in his hometown. No wonder then that reporters from both coasts lead their game-day articles today with his story. The LA Times has the most extensive, while John Dellapina (Daily News) and Steve Zipay (Newsday) include Hollweg's battle with head injuries back in his junior days. Larry Brooks (Post) makes a lot of Brendan Shanahan stepping in to deal with Derek Morris when the Phoenix blueliner confronted Jaromir Jagr -- we'll get a bit more excited when we see someone other than our leading goal scorer do something during the course of play. Other game day previews from NYR.com and AP -- the rebuilding Kings have a record nearly as bad as Phoenix, but will the Rangers, with the league's third-worst defense, be able to shut down the LA attack, second-worst in the NHL, the way they were able to exploit the Coyotes' league-worst defense?

Tom Renney told Sam Weinman (Rangers Report) that he will probably stick with the same line-up tonight, which means another scratch for Thomas Pöck and Nigel Dawes -- Sam asked him more about Pöck. Steve Zipay has some anecdotes about his day at the practice rink yesterday in his Blue Notes blog, and says Renney told him Henrik Lundqvist will probably start again tonight. There was mention during the telecast the other night that Glen Sather was considering free agent Yannick Perrault -- good thing Phoenix signed him instead, the loser of that game apparently "winning" the Perrault sweepstakes, as the last thing the Rangers need now is a 35 year old to further clog up the path of younger players.

Hockey's Future ranks the Ranger organization as 11th best in the NHL, a fair assessment given the lack of potential impact players up front in the system despite the presence of elite talent at other positions. NYR.com has its daily prospect update, and so do we, as usual courtesy of Jess Rubenstein, checking in with Prospect Park for last night:

In the OHL, the twin Toms continued their hot October as Tom Pyatt got the Saginaw Spirit going with his thirteenth goal, assisted by new linemate Tomas Zaborsky. The Spirit went on to win 5-2 over Plymouth. Marc Staal had two assists as his Sudbury Wolves beat up on the Brampton Battalion 7-4. Blueshirt Bulletin’s newest reporter, Trevor Koverko, did not score but his Oshawa Generals defeated the Kingston Frontenacs in a wild shootout 8-6.

Out in the WHL, Brodie Dupont’s point streak reached ten games, his eleventh goal of the season helping lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 7-0 wipeout of Swift Current. During this point streak, Dupont has gone 8-7-15 and his Hitmen have gone 6-3-0-1. In Portland, Michael Sauer and his Winter Hawks jumped out to an early 3-0 lead over the expansion Chilliwack Bruins and hung on for a 4-2 win. In the QMJHL, Marc-Andre Cliche was not in the Lewiston lineup -- he took an awkward fall in the previous game and was held out as a precaution. Without their captain, the MAINEaics blew a 3-0 third period lead to the St. John's Fog Devils and lost 4-3.

Prospect Park’s three stars: first star, Brodie Dupont (Calgary WHL), his eleventh goal of the season extending his point streak to ten games; second star, Tom Pyatt (Saginaw OHL), his thirteenth goal of the season extending his October hot streak; third star, Marc Staal (Sudbury OHL), two assists to help Sudbury earn a solid win.

Ranger Road Runners Leave Coyotes in the Dust

What exactly do you think Jaromir Jagr said to Derek Morris during the first intermission when Morris complained about Jagr hitting him from behind twice in the first period? Whatever it was, in cartoon language it translated to "Meep! Meep!" Because even though Morris's Coyotes were theoretically still in the game at that point, the score tied at 1-1, that was only because of a couple of fortunate bounces (for them) -- a deflected point shot that eluded Henrik Lundqvist and a Brendan Shanahan screamer that caught metal instead of twine.

The truth was, there was a two-ton Acme anvil hanging over the Coyotes' heads that would flatten them in the second period. And like Wily Coyote of Road Runner infamy, that anvil was placed there by the Coyotes' themselves. Wayne Gretzky may have had unparalleled vision on the ice as a player, but as a coach, choosing to keep his Coyotes back in the neutral zone laying a trap for the Road Runners, er, Rangers, merely gave speedsters like Martin Straka, Matt Cullen, Petr Prucha, and their linemates room to whiz by them. Gretzky and his Desert Dogs were left caught in their own trap.

There is little reason to rejoice about a gimme win over an inferior team that killed itself in every zone, other than imagining what a loss to these guys would have done to the Rangers' already fragile early season psyche. Instead, the Rangers have a launching point for the remainder of their west coast swing that grows increasingly difficult with each stop. And they have some gaudy numbers to flaunt today -- Straka had two goals and an assist, Cullen had a goal and an assist, Prucha scored his second goal in as many games, Shanahan had eight shots on goal and got his ninth goal in his first ten games as a Ranger, Michael Nylander had a pair of helpers, and Aaron Ward had a career high three point night with a goal and two assists.

And Jaromir Jagr had four points with a goal and three assists, giving him 18 points in ten games, a better pace than last season despite the limitations imposed by his continuing recovery from off-season shoulder surgery -- it may have just been the ineptness of the Phoenix defense, but Jagr looked fully recovered in this game. While some might say that too many of his points are assists (he has only three goals) and too many of those assists are secondary, the flip side is that the Rangers appear to accomplished their goal of finding offense beyond Jagr, offense which will only be boosted if Jagr can remain healthy and improve the strength of his left shoulder.

But offense has not been the problem this season. Defense and goaltending have. And despite the seven goals and the fact that Phoenix's last two goals were individual efforts during garbage time, the way they were scored (Jagr's turnover, Rozsival's soft defense) and adding three goals against on 26 shots to the team's defensive numbers remain trouble spots. Those last two goals knocked Jagr and Nylander from +4 to +2 for the night (although Jagr has no one but himself to blame for the Patrick Fischer goal scored off his turnover). Sandis Ozolinsh replaced Karel Rachunek in this game, yet despite playing a controlled game, Ozolinsh still managed to emerge as the Rangers' only minus player (-1), on the ice for two of the three Phoenix goals (even though his defense partner was the responsible party in both cases).

The MSG broadcasting team did not have as good a game as the Rangers. The absence of Sam Rosen hurt. They never once mentioned Jagr's four-point night or his +4 (before the late Phoenix goals). And they went on and on about what they thought was an Adam Hall goal long after we could hear the arena announcer give it to Prucha -- they even showed a replay that didn't demonstrate conclusively whether it was Hall or Prucha who deflected the shot in and gave the goal to Hall, still unaware of the official scoring.

Game reports from the Post, News, Newsday, NY Sports Day, and NYR.com. Additional game notes from Newsday. More from Steve Zipay on Wayne Gretzky in his Newsday Sunday column and on the game in Blue Notes. Larry Brooks takes on the CBA again in his Sunday column in the Post. Coyote point of view on last night's rout from the Arizona Republic and East Valley Tribune.

The Wolf Pack dropped to 1-6 -- their inability to score on the power play (0-21 in their last three games) is killing them. After taking five periods off, Charlotte's offense got back in gear in the third period, with Ranger prospects Jakub Petruzalek and Corey Potter each scoring their first professional goals in the Checkers' 3-1 win. Prospect update at NYR.com, and a busy night in the CHL and college ranks are covered in Prospect Park from Jess Rubenstein:

We start in the QJMHL, where Ryan Hillier’s ninth goal of the season in the Halifax Mooseheads' 7-6 OT thriller win over Rouyn-Noranda will be a candidate for goal of the year. While shorthanded, Hiller stole the puck from a Huskie for a partial breakaway. As he entered the offensive zone, he cut across the crease, but was knocked down. While falling down, he was able to maintain enough control of the puck to flip it past the Huskie goalie. Also in the Q, Marc-André Cliche did not score but his Lewiston MAINEaics were able to handle St. John's 5-2. Next Thursday, Hillier and Cliche will face off against each other.

Moving over to the OHL, Tom Pyatt’s thirteenth goal of the season not only was the game winner but also helped him earn second star of the night. The first star was the other half of the two-headed Tommy monster -- Tomas Zaborsky’s three assists led the Saginaw Spirit to a 4-1 win over Toronto St. Michael's. Pyatt also had an assist. Marc Staal had an assist as his Sudbury Wolves beat Peterborough 5-3. Trevor Koverko assisted on what proved to be the game winner as his Oshawa Generals held off Belleville 5-4. Bobby Sanguinetti had two assists as Owen Sound broke out of their scoring slump with a 8-4 thumping of the Erie Otters.

In the WHL, Lukas Zeliska (six PIMs) and Prince Albert had no chance this evening as the Moose Jaw Warriors, playing for injured teammate Garrett Robinson (now in stable but critical condition), had an emotional 5-0 win at home. Eric Hunter’s fifth goal of the season was the game winner as his Prince George Cougars edged the Everett Silvertips 2-1.

Our college prospects had direct impact on the outcome of their games last night. Greg Beller picked the perfect time to score his first NCAA goal. Beller’s goal at 3:03 of OT was the game winner as Yale shocked #8 New Hampshire 4-3 to go 2-0 on the season. Second star of the game Jordan Foote scored his first goal of the season as his Michigan Tech Huskies continued their hot start by defeating Alaska Anchorage 5-3. Billy Ryan assisted on what proved to be the game winner as #4 Maine defeated UMASS 4-1. Darin Olver was scoreless in NMU's 2-1 loss to Ohio State.

Prospect Park’s stars of the night: first star, Greg Beller (Yale, ECACHL/Ivy), with his first NCAA goal, an OT game winner as his Yale Bulldogs pulled off the upset of the young season; second star: Tomas Zaborsky (Saginaw, OHL), his three assists leading the Spirit to a 4-1 win (Zaborsky has 4 goals and 11 assists in October); third star, Jordan Foote (Michigan Tech, CCHA), with his first goal of the season in Michigan Tech's 5-3 win, giving the Huskies a 5-1 start to their season.

Too Early to Panic

The Rangers find themselves, after nine games, in a position where "it's not too early to panic," according to ESPN.com. Without trying to sugarcoat their sporadic start to this season, we beg to differ, at least about the "not too early" part. At this same juncture a year ago, the Rangers had a 4-3-3 record -- the only difference, record-wise compared to this season's 4-5-0 start, are a couple of losses suffered in overtime rather than in regulation time. Although Jaromir Jagr was on fire already at this time last year, with ten goals, Petr Prucha had not yet emerged (he would be scratched the next three games and then sent to Hartford), and Henrik Lundqvist was splitting playing time almost evenly with Kevin Weekes.

This season, with Jagr's shoulder limiting him to playmaking, he's not scoring goals, but he has the same point total as a year ago (14) in one game fewer, and Brendan Shanahan has picked up the goal scoring pace (see CBS Sportsline). Prucha and Lundqvist have not yet matched their phenomenal form of last season, but at this point in the season they hadn't yet made that much of a difference anyway, and when Lundqvist rounds into form, the defense may not look as porous as it has so far. Last season at this point, the Rangers got hot, winning seven of their next nine games -- before taking ESPN's advice and starting to panic, let's see how the next ten games go.

Despite the vote of confidence the coach gave him after last game, Karel Rachunek will take a seat in the press box tonight in Phoenix, according to Steve Zipay's Blue Notes as well as a footnote in Larry Brooks's Post story on Darius Kasparaitis, another defenseman on the bubble with Rachunek and Marek Malik. Other game previews from John Dellapina in the News, Zipay's regular beat in the Newsday, and NYR.com, plus a story from Phoenix about the Coyotes' problem taking penalties, which holds out hope of the Ranger power play taking advantage of Wayne Gretzky's struggling club.

Also scratched tonight will be Thomas Pöck (again) and Nigel Dawes, the latter to be replaced by Colton Orr. Will Orr get a chance, if necessary, to do what Chris Neil and the rest of the Ottawa Senators did to Darcy Tucker (see Sportsnet.ca)? Or will the Rangers take the same laissez faire attitude toward any aggression that they did when Tucker ran Jagr et.al. in Toronto last weekend? The Wolf Pack continue to suffer offensive woes, according to the Courant. Prospect update at NYR.com, and of course our own version from Jess Rubenstein, with Prospect Park for today:

We start today in college. Kenny Roche had an assist in a losing effort as BU dropped a 2-1 decision to UMASS-Lowell. Greg Beller was scoreless in his college debut but Yale came from behind to beat Holy Cross 2-1. Dylan Reese and Harvard dropped a 5-2 decision to Hugh Jessiman’s alma mater Dartmouth. Darin Olver scored his first goal of the season as NMU shut out Ohio State 2-0. Jordan Foote may have been scoreless but his Michigan Tech Huskies improved to 4-1 with a 9-0 blasting of Alaska-Anchorage.

In the QMJHL, Ryan Hiller tallied his eighth goal of the season but it was not enough as Halifax fell to Val-d'Or 3-2. In the OHL, it's the end of the world as we know it -- Dalyn Flatt scored a goal! His first regular season goal since 2004-05 helped Owen Sound end a three game losing streak in a 4-3 win over Erie. The Flatter appears to have found himself a home with the Attack. Teammate Bobby Sanguinetti, held scoreless, continues his October struggles. In Sudbury, Marc Staal and his Wolves were blasted 8-2 by Barrie.

In the WHL, first star of the game Brodie Dupont continued his hot streak, scoring two more goals to give him seven in his last six games as Calgary shut out Regina 3-0. Dupont now has ten goals on the season. In Prince Albert, Lukas Zeliska was scoreless but his Raiders defeated Moose Jaw 5-3. A lot of credit has to be given to these young men as they played their first game since a car accident left teammate Garrett Robinson in critical condition. Eric Hunter also was scoreless but Prince George defeated Saskatoon 2-0. Finally, in Portland, Michael Sauer’s efforts may not show up in the box score, but his solid two-way play helped Portland beat Kamloops 6-3.

Prospect Park’s Stars of the Night: first star, Brodie Dupont (Calgary WHL), two goals including the game winner as his Hitmen won; second star, Dalyn Flatt (Owen Sound OHL) -- his first goal since 2004-05 deserves recognition, but more so that he did not quit on himself after being waived earlier in the season; third star, Darin Olver (NMU CCHA), with his first goal of the season as the Wildcats defeated OSU.

Road Trip

The Rangers have flown off to Phoenix to begin their four-game west coast swing. Back in New York, John Dellapina of the Daily News takes a look at Jaromir Jagr's shot, Larry Brooks of the Post discusses the role of Petr Prucha and Thomas Pock in the offensive attack, Steve Zipay of Newsday looks for silver linings, and Sam Weinman of the Journal News speculates about the benefits of taking a road trip. NYR.com has a preview of the road trip as well. Down on the farm, Charlotte lost for the first time after winning its first two. Bruce Berlet of the Hartford Courant looks at former Pack forward Colby Genoway and the Wolf Pack week ahead.

There are two weeks left to enter your name for a shot at a pair of tickets for a future Ranger game in Section 115, directly behind the net the Rangers shoot at twice, courtesy of Mitch Beck. Subscriptions and renewals received by November 9th are eligible. Click here for subscription information.

Errors Prove Costly Again

There's something that happens often to my recreational hockey team that happened to the Rangers last night -- you spend much of the game in the other team's end and can't buy a goal, and then you make a mistake and it ends up in the back of your own net. The question we always faced that the Rangers must ask themselves about this game -- and the same was true in the last two games vs. Toronto and Nashville -- is why that is happening. Is it a series of flukes, bad bounces? Or is it symptomatic of deeper problems? A lot has been laid at the feet of the defense -- team defense as a whole and individual defensemen who are struggling. But other factors -- team chemistry, team toughness, special teams play, for example -- are creeping into the mix as possible root causes.

Here is what Jaromir Jagr had to say about last night's game and where the team is in general: "We had a lot of shots -- we just didn't take advantage of it. There were some mistakes in the game. I still don't like the way we play. We're uptight, we're not loose. Maybe we're concentrating too much on the defense and can't do anything else. We just have to play loose, that's the way I see it -- have fun. We're just concentrating not to make mistakes. We have to play hockey, that's the way I see it.

"All of a sudden you make one mistake, two mistakes -- end of the game you outshoot the other guys, you're in the game, they don't outfight you, but you're down 2-1. Same thing against Nashville. I thought we played a good first period, first two periods, we're down 3-0. That's not gonna help you. That's tough. That's the problem -- even when you play good you're still losing, or you play alright, you get behind. If you have a lead, everybody can play defense. They force you with four guys staying back it's not easy.

"I don't know what's going to help out right now. Doesn't matter where we play, home or on the road, we have to start winning or at least play some good hockey. We didn't cycle the puck much, didn't have many chances -- we had a lot of shots, but not many chances. Confidence comes with victories. We didn't have many lately. Or some good plays, that's what confidence builds on. Those things come together. Only one good thing about it, it's early in the season, we have time to change it. The schedule was really favorable to us, we played a lot of games at home, we're just unable to play good or win the hockey games. You don't want to panic cause you don't play good. You want to win the hockey game. Plus you're playing at home, you don't want the fans booing at you. The fans are important to us, no question about it. We just couldn't give them anything lately."

On a personal note, he said, "My shot's not there, that's a problem right now. Hopefully it's gonna come. It's not strong enough."

Here are some of Tom Renney's thoughts: "We lost tonight, I'm not going to dress that up, and I'm not happy -- nobody is. At the same time, there are things from a coaching perspective that you can look at and use as good examples of moving your team forward. We outshot our opponent; the defensive zone coverage, we were fine; we were generally getting the puck deep -- there were turnovers, but they were deep. What I liked about out team tonight, we did do everything we could to try to get ourselves back into the game even when it was 3-1. When we made it 3-2, the bench completely believed that we could win the game. Then there's an error -- the puck is in the net. We got beaten off the rush, we got beaten off a couple of mistakes."

On the quantity of shots not translating in quality chances, as Jagr had said: "That's fair. But you put pucks to the net, there are rebounds and whatnot. You put shots off the pads and go to the net for what might be there. Certainly quantity that might not identify with quality, but you put pucks on the net, you're gonna get rebounds, chances, and that was the idea behind the game plan there."

On the lack of response when Jason Ward was hit, or in Toronto when Jagr was run by Darcy Tucker: "It's a lack of knowledge to give it back. We've had one game this year when we've outhit our opponents. Other than that we've been got outhit. It doesn't mean you're not an engaging team, it doesn't mean you're not in the battle. It's a physical game -- we'd like to be much more physical, sure. We have components in our lineup that are able to do that. We may not have enough tough guys, but I'm not sure that's what hockey needs nowadays either."

On Henrik Lundqvist: "I think he's playing well -- those are turnover goals, the power play goal they scored was a tough goal. There's one that's batted out of the air. I think Henrik's playing fine. Can he play better? Sure, by the nature of how we're playing. But that suggests that we all should play better."

On Jagr's inability to shoot: "I'd take his bad shot any day. I think he can rip the puck right now."

Most of the New York area game reports today focus on the costly errors -- John Dellapina of the Daily News hones in on those by Michal Rozsival and Karel Rachunek, with the Times, Newsday, and NY Sports Day also focusing on this subject, with additional notes on the defense from Newsday. The Post and NY Sports Day tackle the story of Jagr, with Larry Brooks in the former taking a strong stance on the impact of Jagr's injury on the team's fortunes. The Journal News looks at the game's first star, Greg Campbell, Colin's son, as do three South Florida game reportes (here, here, and here) -- Journal News writer Sam Weinman has lots more from last night and practice today in his recent entries at Rangers Report, as does Newsday's Steve Zipay in his Blue Notes blog. NYR.com also has its recap, which gives too much credit to Ed Belfour.

Charlotte news from the Observer, prospect update from NYR.com, and Prospect Park from Jess Rubenstein:

Three Ranger prospects were in action last evening with two of them having important roles in their teams' victories. In the QMJHL, Marc-Andre Cliche’s eighth goal of the season proved to be the game winner as his Lewiston MAINEaics defeated Victoriaville 4-2. Cliche added two assists as well to earn first star of the game. Cliche's totals for the season are now 8-10-18 in just thirteen games. In the WHL, Brodie Dupont may not have earned a star for his efforts but Dupont’s eighth goal of the season proved to be the game winner as the Calgary Hitmen defeated Lethbridge 5-3. Dupont is now 8-8-16 in fourteen games. Bobby Sanguinetti had six goals and ten points in five September games, but in October he has two goals and one assist in nine games. As Sanguinetti struggles, so does his Owen Sound Attack team -- they lost their third straight game, this time 4-2 to the Guelph Storm.

On a sad note, Prospect Park asks that Ranger fans say a prayer for the speedy recovery of Moose Jaw Warrior Garrett Robinson. Robinson suffered severe head trauma as the result of an automobile accident this past Sunday. While Robinson is not a Ranger prospect, the hockey world family all want to see this fine young man recover. The Moose Jaw Warriors have set up a fund to help Garrett and his family deal with the financial burdens of this accident. If anyone is interested in helping, donations can be sent to Moose Jaw Warriors (Garrett Robinson), 422 Main Street, Moose Jaw SK, S6H 3K2 Canada.

Something's Gotta Give

There is a glut of Ranger defensemen, there is a glut of Ranger goals against, and there is a dearth of salary cap space. That means something's gotta give among the eight Ranger blueliners. When you factor in Marek Malik's lack of foot speed, Sandis Ozolinsh's lack of popularity, Darius Kasparaitis's lack of shape, and the plethora of minuses piled up by Karel Rachunek, the likelihood is that one or two of these veterans will be ex-Rangers by the time next week's west coast road trip is complete -- the salary cap and waiver rules make Fedor Tyutin and Thomas Pöck safe, for now. For tonight's Garden game against Florida, Ozolinsh's status among the paying customers makes him the veteran scratch (along with Pöck), according to Sam Weinman's update from this morning's game-day skate at Rangers Review.

More on the Ranger D and the state of urgency surrounding the team from the Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Post, Blue Notes, and NY Sports Day. Game preview from NYR.com, prospect update from NYR.com, and Jess Rubenstein's Prospect Park:

Just two games involving Ranger prospects last night: Marc Staal did not score as his Sudbury Wolves defeated the Kingston Frontenacs 3-2. Brodie Dupont backed up his words with a solid overall game including an assist while earning third star in a losing effort as the Calgary Hitmen fell to the Red Deer Rebels 2-1. Ryan Russell suffered an injury to his index finger last Friday night against Swift Current. He is expected to be out four to six weeks. At the time of the injury, Russell was fifth in the WHL in goals with ten and eighth overall in WHL scoring. He was second among Ranger prospects in scoring as well. I am sure I speak for all of us at Blueshirt Bulletin when I wish Ryan a speedy recovery as he was on the way to an outstanding season. (Sara Jerke of the Kootenay Ice contributed to this report.)

Every season the CHL has a challenge series between teams representing the three CHL leagues and an all-star team from Russia. Four Ranger prospects were selected to play in the challenge series. In the QMJHL, Ryan Hillier of the Halifax Mooseheads and Marc-Andre Cliche of the Lewiston MAINEaics earned invites for games that will be played in Rouyn-Norada November 20th and in Val-d’Or on November 21st. Staal and the Saginaw Spirit's Tom Pyatt were selected to be a part of Team OHL. The OHL games will be played in Sarnia on November 23rd and in Oshawa on November 27th. The WHL will announce their team on Wednesday.

Moving over to the college ranks, we have a new number one in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll -- Maine, with Billy Ryan, jumped from number four to the top spot. Kenny Roche and his BU Terriers jumped from sixth to fourth, Harvard and Dylan Reese were up one to twelve, and we have to acknowledge the efforts of Michigan Tech and Jordan Foote, who enter the poll at eighteen, as do Darin Olver and his Northern Michigan Wildcats at twenty-two. We also have a new poll to introduce that the folks at USCHO/CSTV wanted us to know about -- they too have Maine #1 and BU #4, and rank Harvard at eleven, NMU eighteen, and Michigan Tech twenty-two.

Prospect Park and Blueshirt Bulletin also wish to take the time to say hello to our new friends up in Maine, the fans of the Lewiston MAINEaics. Marc-Andre Cliche and the MAINEaics are now linking us to their web site, so we want to welcome them to the best source for New York Ranger news anywhere (and yes, we cover native son Greg Moore, currently with Hartford).

Finally, thanks to Hugh and his family for the very kind words sent in my direction, words that make me work that much harder.

"Huge" Four on Four on the Fourth

Blueshirt Bulletin's next Rangers Four on Four online panel discussion is coming up in about ten days, and we have a great line-up for you. Mitch Beck will host a panel featuring Ranger great Ron Greschner, Ranger prospect Hugh Jessiman, and Ranger reporter Joe McDonald of NY Sports Day. We are going to do this one in the afternoon from 12:30 to 2:00 so that Hugh can join us between his morning skate and evening game. You can start sending questions in at any time, or you can do so live during the session.

Also, you can send in questions for any member of the Wolf Pack coaching staff, and we will forward them and have them answered for you -- send them in to [email protected].

The Ranger defense is the big story in the newspapers today, reiterating much of what was said yesterday in the reporters' blogs. John Dellapina of the Daily News gets Aaron Ward's always refreshing take on the subject. The Post and Newsday patrol the blue line as well. Sam Weinman of the Journal News has an unlikely defensive subject -- Nigel Dawes, coming off his first NHL goal. Dawes's hometown paper, the Winnipeg Sun, catches up with Nigel on the occasion of his first goal.

Practice Update

Sam Weinman reporting from Ranger practice at his Rangers Review blog discusses the Ranger defense, formed into a new set of pairs today that suggest another scratch for Marek Malik. Among Tom Renney's options, Sam says, is to "do something drastic with one of its floundering veterans, and perhaps open up some cap space." Steve Zipay has a practice update on his blog, Blue Notes, too, also addressing the defense. Nancy Koenig of NHL.com posted a nice article on Adam Graves this morning.