Blueshirt Boggle

Shanahan Whistles Refs -- Again

Brendan Shanahan went on a tirade after the Rangers' 2-1 home loss to Toronto about the way NHL officials treat Jaromir Jagr. "Such disrespect from the referees," he said. "He gets mauled every game. I don't know what it is, if there's some sort of prejudice again him or what the deal is. Guys hit him late, guys hit him high, guys hook his hands. He doesn't complain -- he just goes out and plays and plays and plays. And the referees just seem to have a different set of rules about the way people get to play against him. I'm trying to eliminate the reasons why. But he could draw a penalty almost every shift because of guys chopping at his hands, reaching in on him. It's all season, it's not just tonight. It's like a difference set of rules. The refs allow more on him. If he was 170 pounds and fell down every time someone reached in on him -- the standards should be the same for all players regardless of their size and strength and ability."

Shanahan made a comparison between Jagr and other stars. "The NBA didn't let people grab [Michael] Jordan by the waist every time he went up for a jump shot," he said. "I've played with other superstars and they get a whole lot more respect than this guy. Mats Sundin goes down first period, first shift -- penalty. Jaromir Jagr's gotta carry guys on his back all season long. It didn't happen to Steve Yzerman, didn't happen to Nik Lidstrom, it never happened to Mike Modano. Joe Sakic -- I've seen it all. There's a certain amount of respect -- guys who have the puck on their stick a lot draw penalties. Jags never draws penalties. There's a different set of rules refs have for him. It's a different set of rules for Jaromir Jagr."

He compared the bias to what Slava Fetisov experienced when he was one of the first players to come over from the Soviet Union. "I've just never seen a star player get ignored [like Jagr]," he said. "Not since Fetisov came over from Russia have I ever seen a star player get ignored by the referees. I know why they were ignoring him [Fetisov] back then. But I don't know why they're ignoring the hooks and the holds and the chops and the late hits on Jaromir Jagr. He's been a great player for this league for a long time. I don't know what it is, all I know is that it exists."

He emphasized that he wasn't talking solely about tonight's game, even though the officiating was one-sided, as it usually is when the Rangers play a Canadian team. "It's a cumulative effect," he said. "They had six power plays to our two. Specifically in the second period, there were some plays where Jags had the puck in the offensive zone where he could have drawn two or three penalties. But it's something I've seen every night. It's time to say something on his behalf. He doesn't complain, but I'll do it for him. I don't think he wants to [dive] -- I don't think it's in him. I would never tell a player to do that."

Jagr himself did not complain about how the officiating affected him, but he did have one sarcastic remark about the officiating overall. "They had more power plays -- I don't know how that happened," he said. "Wow! Sometimes they [the refs] just close their eyes. That's where they [the Leafs] get their chances."

Shanahan, who as we all well know by know was instrumental in helping to set new standards of officiating after the lockout, believes things are starting to resemble the old days. "I wouldn't be happy if the refs put the whistle in the pocket for both teams," he said. "I think the rules should be called regardless of the score. The call on Matt Cullen at the end of the game was the right call. I just don't think they were calling that same play [for us]. The calls in general have dropped -- we're starting to creep back to the way it was. I say that not as a player who just lost a game, who's upset about the Jagr situation. It's something I've felt watching games on TV. We're certainly creeping back the other way a little bit with the first tug, the first reach -- crosschecking is right back in the game."

Tom Renney was caught a bit by surprise when learning what Shanahan said. "Shanny said that, did he?" he said. "Shanny was really upset tonight, huh?" But he picked up the rallying cry all the same. "You gotta wonder," he said. "I just watched probably eleven clips where the opposition held sticks, held jerseys, had face-off interference, cross-checked -- what did I miss?" You missed some uncalled trips, hooks, roughing, and interference -- at least six more instances in total. "That about sums it up. I sure saw a lot of penalties tonight that were non-calls. You look at the footage, you say, 'Wow!' There's three faceoff interference non-calls, there's two holding the jersey non-calls, there's a couple holding the stick calls, there's a crosschecking call -- and all of sudden you're asking yourself what happened?"

Asked specifically about any prejudice toward Jagr, Renney said, "I don't know if it's a bias, I don't know what happens to other teams, to their best players." He said he might take it up with league VP Colin Campbel. "I probably would have a talk with him," he said. "They're good at that -- as long as your respect the process and don't go crazy on them, they're open to that kind of feedback. They need it, and we need the rationalization back." Although he regretted the game being taken out of his team's hands, he wouldn't use it as an excuse. "It was one of those games where it would have been nice if maybe we could have decided the outcome," he said. "[But] I'm not going to justify a loss by that, that's for sure -- we lost the hockey game, period."

Nevertheless, he felt the Rangers played a good game but lost because the bounces went the other way, and both of his stars felt the same way. "Solid performance," Renney said. "Solid effort. A couple of mistakes were capitalized on. I thought we played a good hockey game, one we could have won. If we play like this the balance of the games, we'll win more than we'll lose." One of the bad breaks was a centering pass by Alexei Ponikarovsky that deflected in off Aaron Ward's skate in front. A couple of other bad breaks were goal mouth chances by Shanahan that were deflected away, one before the Leafs took the lead, one after.

But the deciding goal was not a bad break, it was a bad error -- Karel Rachunek's pass to Martin Straka in front of the net was cut off by Ian White and quickly turned around into a breakaway pass to Sundin that he converted for the game winner. While Rachunek was a bit guilty of admiring his pass, the responsibility for Sundin belonged to his defense partner, Thomsa Pock, who initially started back into the neutral zone but then inexplicably turned back into the Leafs' zone. "You've got to cut the ice in half as the off-side defenseman and be in front of something that might come out," Renney said of the play. But he said that Pock wasn't benched for the costly miscue. "We were getting to the short strokes, so we decided to shorten the back end and try to generate more offense. I realize that's Tommy's forte but -- it's a learning experience [for him]."

The Rangers have now given up only eight goals (excluding one empty net goal) in their past six games (all Henrik Lundqvist). But they're only 3-3 in those games because they've scored only six goals in five of those six games (plus six in the sixth game)... In addition to Pock, Dan Girardi and Colton Orr saw no ice time after Sundin's go-ahead goal, while Adam Hall, Marcel Hossa, Blair Betts, and Jason Krog saw limited ice time rotating through Shanahan's line -- they generated just two shots on goal throughout the game (Shanahan also had four power play shots)... The line of Matt Cullen, Petr Prucha, and Jed Ortmeyer were matched up against Toronto's top line much of the time, and played them even (they scored on the power play and against the first line) -- although they were outshot 9-7 and Prucha took three penalties.

Game reports all over the place, mostly but not exclusively on Shanahan's tirade -- Daily News, Newsday, Journal News, Post, Times, Record, Advance, AP, SNY, and NY Sports Day, with more from the Record, AP. SNY, and NY Sports Day. Toronto area reports mostly about how Andrew Raycroft stole this game for the Leafs -- Sun, Star, Globe & Mail, and National Post, with more from the Sun on Shanahan. Beyond that, not much -- just a feature on Aaron Ward at NHL.com. And of course, a day wouldn't be complete without Jess Rubenstein's daily prospect update:

A fun-filled night at the OHL All-Star game featured three key Ranger prospects. Marc Staal was the captain of the Eastern Conference All-Stars who won 13-9 over the Western Conference, which was captained by Tom Pyatt and had Bobby Sanguinetti on defense. Only Staal registered a point (one assist) but it was a fun time had by all. Before we get to the game action, it is time for the weekly CHL Top 10 and lookie lookie we gots future Rangers helping their teams. Medicine Hat (Michael Sauer) is number two, Kootenay (Ryan Russell) is number three, and Lewiston (Marc-Andre Cliche) is seventh. This poll is voted on by NHL scouts, so it is not a beauty pageant.

Back to game action. Cliche remained out of the Lewiston lineup with a possible concussion. Hint to teams out there: the more you don’t want to talk, the more you say about how badly a player is hurt. At the same time, I support the CHL in erring on the side of caution by keeping anyone who suffers a head injury sidelined for seven days, no ifs, ands, or buts. Lewiston did not miss their leader as they blew out Saint Johns, 7-2. The Rangers' other QMJHL prospect, Ryan Hillier, netted his 25th as Halifax defeated Acadie-Bathurst, 5-3.

In the WHL, Lukas Zeliska got to watch again from the press box as Prince Albert took on Kelowna. Judging from the score sheet, Zeliska might be watching more than playing, as the Raiders had little trouble beating the Rockets, 4-1. Eric Hunter and Prince George traveled south on I-5 to Seattle to face the Thunderbirds, going to overtime to win 3-2. Hunter did not score. Sauer may not have scored, but Medicine Hat are starting to pull away from the pack in the standings, edging Saskatoon 5-4 in an OT thriller.

Our featured game tonight was a battle of Ranger prospect captains as Ryan Russell led Kootenay into Calgary to face Brodie Dupont and his Hitmen. Calgary has been struggling. When their leader "Moose" Dupont is on, so are the Hitmen. Dupont’s 25th goal was the game winner. He added an assist as his Hitmen defeated the Ice, 3-1, to earn second star of the game. Russell ended the month with another assist to finish with three goals and 13 assists, the leading prospect scorer for the January. Think people can guess who is going to be Prospect Park’s player of the month?

Stars of the Night: First Star -- Brodie Dupont (Calgary WHL) -- When the Moose is on, the Hitmen are tough to beat. His goal and assist were the difference in Calgary's win. Second Star -- Ryan Hillier (Halifax QMJHL) -- He does what is asked of him. We wanted to see a strong second half and Hillier is delivering. Third Star -- Ryan Russell (Kootenay WHL) -- We have called Russell a Prucha clone. Maybe we should call Prucha a Russell Clone as Russell does it all at both ends of the ice. No longer can people say he is not big enough to play in the NHL -- the question instead is when will he get his Ranger sweater?

Rangers 4 on 4 Up First This Month

Add Ranger prospect Dalyn Flatt to Thursday night's Rangers 4 on 4 line-up!!!

Blueshirt Bulletin's monthly Rangers 4 on 4 live online panel discussion will take place on the first of the month in February in order to accomodate various schedules, primarily that of the Rangers. Mitch Beck's guests will include John Dellapina, the Rangers' beat writer for the Daily News since 1994; Kevin Greenstein of Inside Hockey; and two or three other guests to be named later -- Mitch is still working on those. Please join us tomorrow (Thursday) evening from 7-9 PM right here at BlueshirtBulletin.com.

Various trade rumors floating around today -- In the Post, Larry Brooks writes about possible Ranger interest in Keith Tkachuk, but not at any price, as well as Bryan Smolinski and Jassen Cullimore, plus Petr Prucha going on the untouchable list and the Isles inquiring about Darius Kasparaitis at 50% off. Rangers Report echoes the Post's speculation of Nashville interest in trading Josef Vasicek for Aaron Ward or Karel Rachunek. Newsday 's Steve Zipay has Michal Rozsival as still questionable for tonight. The Rangers' new second line is Sam Weinman's subject in the Journal News as well as in Dellapina's daily News article which never made it into the paper but which appears in his Blueshirts Blog today.

Update: Sam and Steve report from practice that Rozsival is definitely out and Pock will play, and that Colton Orr will replace Ryan Hollweg as Renney gives Hollweg a rest and tries to light a fire under him. See Rangers Report and Blue Notes.

Toronto comes to the Garden to play their second game in two nights, having beaten the Hurricanes in Carolina last night. Given their travel schedule and their injuries -- Darcy Tucker, Mike Peca, and Kyle Wellwood are all out of action -- the Rangers should in theory be in good position to carry forward the momentum of their past two post-all-star break wins against a team competing directly with them for a playoff spot. The Toronto press has an article on Jaromir Jagr as well as how the NHL's two most valuable franchises are cuffed by the salary cap.

In other news, Mark Messier is considering a return to hockey in a management role. In prospect action, Hugh Jessiman had a goal in regulation as well as in the shootout and Chris Holt stopped two penalty shots in regulation as well as three of five in the shootout in Charlotte's 3-2 win (see the Observer and GoCheckers.com). Jess Rubenstein has this report on other players in action last night:

We start our report by offering a Prospect Park “Job Well Done” to Tom Pyatt and Marc Staal who have been named as captains for tonight’s OHL All-Star Game. This has to be a first, having Ranger prospects as captains of both teams. Good job fellas. We had one game in the college ranks as Dylan Reese and his Harvard Crimson took on Qunnipiac in a key ECAC matchup. Reese did not score as the Crimson wound up with a 2-2 tie. In the QMJHL, David Kveton did not score as his Gatineau Olympiques were beaten by Chicoutimi 5-3 after blowing a 3-0 lead. Ryan Hillier scored his 24th goal of the season but that was all the offense his Halifax Mooseheads had in a 4-1 loss to Rimouski.

In the WHL, Lukas Zeliska is learning the hard way about what he has to do in order to remain in the Prince Albert lineup as he was a healthy scratch as the Raiders took on Kamloops. Zeliska has been told he needs to score goals (he has just three in 45 games) and stay out of the penalty box (54 PIMS). Without Zeliska, the Raiders lost 6-4. Meanwhile Eric Hunter led Prince George into Portland to take on the already eliminated from the playoffs Winter Hawks. Hunter also was scoreless but his Cougars had an easy time, winning 6-2.

We understand the concept of awarding teams a point for a regulation tie, but the extra point is wreaking havoc in the standings and insults the sensibilities of some who believe that no points are earned in a loss. Shouldn't the NHL at least consider how teams achieved a regulation tie as a criteria for awarding the extra point? Case in point -- a team that blows a 3-0 lead in the third period and loses in overtime, as the Islanders did last night, certainly deserves a big fat zero for their awful effort. How about awarding a point only to teams who come back to tie a game in the third period?

Injury Update

Michal Rozsival missed practice today with what the Rangers are calling a mild knee sprain (MCL) and is questionable for tomorrow night. Jaromir Jagr missed practice to take care of a dental problem, and Martin Straka, stricken in recent weeks by flu and back problems, was allowed to rest -- both are expected to play. Sam Weinman has some quotes by Petr Prucha and about Thomas Pock in his Rangers Report entry from practice today.

Orts and Shorts Rouse Ranger Rout

During the season-long search for second line partners to skate with Brendan Shanahan, who knew that the elements were already in place, that Shanahan himself was actually the odd man out? All it took was switching 14 around to 41, and wah-la -- a second line of speedy, hard-working, grinding forwards who get the puck deep and get the puck to the net. Petr Prucha had two goals and an assist, Matt Cullen had a goal (shorthanded) and two assists, and #41 Jed Ortmeyer had three assists as the Rangers' new second line combined for four goals (they set up Michal Rozsival's goal) to rout the Bruins 6-1 in Boston. Meanwhile, Shanahan, now playing with a pair of checkers in Blair Betts and Marcel Hossa, notched a goal himself -- a penalty shot after he was hooked and slashed during a shorthanded breakaway.

Ortmeyer's physical play was key in all three goals he assisted on as well as the line's fourth goal, which he helped set up too. He took a check along the right wing boards and fought through it, getting the puck deep to Prucha, whose centering pass banked into the net off a Bruin backchecker for the opening goal. He didn't get an assist on the huge goal the Rangers scored to retake the lead late in the first period, but he took a check deep in his own zone to start the breakout that led directly to it. He applied the forecheck in the corner that forced loose the puck that Cullen centered to Prucha for his second goal and a 3-1 lead early in the second period. And he used body positioning to shrug off Stan Chistov after he outskated two Bruins to get the puck in that same corner before centering for Cullen's shorthander.

This is exactly what we had in mind the other day, before the Philadelphia game, when we wrote, "A third line of Cullen centering Prucha and Ortmeyer is more likely to generate offense than Shanahan's second line. Cullen and Prucha have been linemates much of the season, and without having to worry about setting up Shanahan, they may be able to loosen up and fare well. Having the relentlessly hard working Ortmeyer forechecking and backchecking on their behalf will free them up even more." Although they didn't score in Philadelphia, the trio generated ten shots on goal. With their nine shots tonight, they are responsible for 19 of the team's 64 shots in the two games -- 30%. They have also been credited with six of 20 hits by forwards in the two games.

Just about everyone else played well too. The Rangers came out with purpose and never let up. The Bruins came on for a while after they equalized the score at 1-1 in the first period, but the Rangers did not show any fragility this time -- they regrouped and pressed on. Jaromir Jagr was a force for a second straight game, renewing the physical play we saw in Philadelphia. Dan Girardi had a standout performance on the night he was supposed to play in the AHL All-Star game. The only downers were Rozsival and Marek Malik, Rozsival suffering a sprained knee near the midway point of the game that sidelined him the rest of the way, and Malik suffering a sprained brain that sidelined his stick skills for much of the game, although he valiantly soldiered on.

If not for the heroics of the second line (yes, they are the second line, seeing as how they don't have to go against the other teams' best units like a third line typically does) and a late Michael Nylander goal, the power play would have been a downer again too -- when the game hung briefly in the balance in the first 25 minutes, the power play failed to win it, coming up empty on three big chances while the Bruins converted their only pre-garbage time advantage. Shanahan did not help matters by continually shooting from sharp angles, allowing Bruin netminders to gobble up his shots and stop the action. When they finally broke their schneid after stretching it to 0-for-27, the score was already 5-1, the penalty killers having already put up two goals of their own.

The Rangers appear to have rededicated themselves to this season since the all-star break. They dominated the game in Philadelphia, but could not put the Flyers away until the final buzzer. In Boston, they dominated on the scoreboard too, in a huge way, this time against a playoff contender, albeit one of the weaker ones. Their next test comes back at home at the Garden against another one of their direct playoff contenders, ditto on the road in Tampa. It doesn't let up after that, with a pair of back to back games against two of the league's top teams, Detroit and Jersey, and another pair of back to back games against two Eastern Conference playoff contenders.

It's going to be a dogfight the rest of the way, and the Rangers are going to have to post complete efforts like these last two games (well, complete if the power play started clicking) game in, game out the rest of the way to make this regular season a success.

Game reports in the Daily News, Newsday, and Post. Among the many pre-game notes in John Dellapina's Blueshirts Blog are extensive quotes from Tom Renney about balancing player development vs. winning now. Boston-area reports in the Globe and Herald. On the second page of the notes in the Herald are regrets about Boston failing to re-sign Nylander when they had him because their skinflint owner didn't want to pay him. Ryan Callahan scored the game winner for PlanetUSA in the AHL All-Star game with 3.3 seconds left -- see reports in the Hartford Courant and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. A couple more stories on Gump Worsley in the Times and NHL.com.

In the main story in the Boston Globe, the Bruins complain about the officiating: "Chara made a sloppy pass that was intercepted by Shanahan [who] took off, forcing Chara and Bergeron to bother his scoring attempt and draw a penalty shot. 'Nothing,' Bergeron said when asked what he did to Shanahan. 'Can't explain it,' [Bruin coach Dave] Lewis said of the call. 'They should get two minutes for bad calls sometimes,' said Marc Savard, a victim of a questionable interference call. 'It's frustrating. You don't know what they're calling anymore.'"

Nice to see the shoe on the other foot and hearing other teams complain -- Chara and Bergeron hooked and slashed Shanahan, and Savard clearly checked Malik to the ice long before the two reached the puck, both clear penalties. Other players complained about obvious infractions as well. The Rangers took only two minors in Philly, and they took only two last night in Boston when the game was close (they took two more in the third period after the score reached 4-1). In each game, the opposition gave the Rangers six power play (plus the penalty shot). Both opponents beside themselves with the officiating, complaining bitterly over each call, and just earning the wrath of the referees in the process. Renney must have had an interesting way of telling his minions "I told you so" while they were watching from their own bench.

Centers of No Attention

Peter Forsberg remains an unknown quantity on the trade market until the status of his oft-injured foot can be determined. And Craig Conroy, long rumored to be on the Rangers' wish list as second line center, was traded to Calgary today for former Ranger first rounder Jamie Lundmark.

Rangers Ready to "Strike" in Boston

The Rangers traveled directly from Philadelphia to Boston after Saturday's 2-1 win over the Flyers to prepare for tonight's contest against the Bruins. They practiced yesterday in the Boston area and held a team building event last evening -- bowling. Expect the Rangers to ice the same line-up tonight when they hit the ice in Boston as they did in Philly. That will include Dan Girardi, who as far as we can tell is the first Ranger to ever wear #46, but not Thomas Pock.

In the news, John Dellapina writes about Brendan Shanahan clearing the power play air with Jaromir Jagr and encouraging Girardi in the Daily News, Larry Brooks pretty much calls Tom Renney's power play strategy insane in the Post, and Steve Zipay covers the third line and Ryan Callahan in Newsday with additional notes and quotes in Blue Notes. Callahan is at the AHL all-star game that Girardi is happily missing to play in the NHL. Bruce Berlet has an article on him in the Courant. The Democrat & Chronicle has a story on the skills competition that focuses on their hometown representatives, which includes Cally.

The OHL all-star game is Wednesday evening in Saginaw, and we've gotten word from the host Spirit that one of their representatives in the game, Ranger prospect Tommy Pyatt, will captain the Western Conference all-stars. Marc Staal, Pyatt's fellow Ranger prospect, will captain the Eastern Conference all-stars. For more on Sunday's prospect action, here is Jess Rubenstein:

The Rangers may have the day off but their prospects didn’t and Prospect Park has all you need to know. We start with David Kveton and Gatineau as they traveled to take on Baie-Comeau. Kveton had his 13th assist in eleven games but his Olympiques lost, 8-6. Ryan Hillier had a goal (his 23rd) and an assist (his 19th) as Halifax defeated Prince Edward Island 6-5 in OT. In the WHL, Brodie Dupont’s 24th goal ended a nine game goalless streak and, along with an assist, helped Calgary rout Kelowna, 5-1. Kootenay and Medicine Hat are fighting it out for the best record not in the WHL. Medicine Hat with Michael Sauer took on Red Deer and, with Sauer netting an assist to go along with a +3, were 4-1 winners. Ryan Russell and Kootenay took on Brandon but could not keep pace with Medicine Hat, dropping a 3-0 decision.

In OHL action, Dalyn Flatt and his Brampton Battalion fell to Barrie, 3-1. Flatt added two more minutes to his prospect-leading 139 PIMs. Staal led Sudbury into action against Kitchener but the Rangers were rude hosts, spotting the Wolves a 2-0 lead only to score three unanswered goals to win 3-2. Staal was scoreless. Trevor Koverko was out of the lineup as Oshawa defeated Peterborough, 4-0. Windsor may not have any Ranger prospects but boy are they are fun to watch as their defense disappears when you play them. Tom Pyatt and Tomas Zaborsky led Saginaw into Windsor and the result was a 9-5 Spitfire win. Pyatt had his prospect-leading 26th goal while Zaborsky had goal #12 plus an assist (his 18th).

Stars of the Night: First Star -- Tomas Zaborsky (Saginaw OHL) -- now has six goals for the month, showing the offense the Rangers touted when they drafted him; Second Star -- Ryan Hillier (Halifax QMJHL) -- career high in goals with 23 as his game has stayed steady in the second half, but somehow we get the feeling that Hillier could do more; Third Star -- Tom Pyatt (Saginaw OHL) -- having now set a career high in goals, we see a bright future in the NHL for a player we once thought of as a checking forward but has grown into a clutch player and leader.

And for more on the recently departed Gump Worsley, see stories in the London Free Press, Toronto Sun, and the Canadian Press -- if you only have time for one, read the first one.

Jagr Leads the Way

In his first game after saying that he needed to carry the Rangers to victory, Jaromir Jagr demonstrated resoundingly that he intends to back up his words on the ice. And not just by scoring goals. Jagr backchecked, forechecked, bodychecked -- he shadowed Peter Forsberg and drew a penalty from him. And oh yeah -- he scored a goal too, one of two Ranger goals in a too-narrow 2-1 win in Philadelphia. Yes, these were the lowly Flyers (don't you just love that?), but with almost all their injured players back in action, including Forsberg, and with Robert Esche holding the Rangers at bay in the Philadelphia net, this game was not a gimme.

Neither was it as good a result as one would think out of a much needed win. In keeping with our assessment heading into the game, the result was "not bad" -- a win, yes, but one marred by another day of failure on the power play, which had a chance to make this a blow-out in the first period, and by the continuing futility of Brendan Shanahan, who hit the goal post twice and fanned on a slam dunk back door set-up, and (as we were worried about) by too much credit being given to marginal players, like Jason Krog, who scored the game winner on a hard working shift by him and his linemates, Adam Hall and Ryan Hollweg.

Good would have been the Rangers converting on one or two of the four full power plays they got in the first period to ignite a blow-out -- though to be fair, after the first advantage fizzled like too many others of late, the rest generated a lot of good action, just no goals. Good would have been Shanahan converting one or two of his golden scoring opportunities to get himself off the schneid -- what happened to the lightning quickness, uncanny timing, and supreme accuracy of his shots that had us shaking our heads in disbelief earlier this season? Good would have been Jagr converting more of his chances too. Good would have been the Rangers standing up for each other more than they did when the Flyers picked up the physical play.

But for now, not bad is good enough.

Game reports in the Daily News, Newsday, Post, AP, and SNY, with more from the Post on the Rangers' fourth line. Philly area reports here, here, here, and here. Sunday columns -- Larry Brooks in the Post on the NHLPA, Sherry Ross in the News on the MVP race and goalie equipment, Steve Zipay in Newsday on the league's TV exposure. We've got a midseason review from SNY, and an article on Lyon Messier from the Edmonton Journal. Petr Nedved has been scratched by his second NHL team this season for his poor play. Ryan Callahan led the Wolf Pack to an OT win with a hat trick (see Mitch Beck's account below). More on Cally from his hometown paper. Read about Gump Worsley here.

Mitch Beck reports from Hartford on the Wolf Pack's weekend action:

The Wolf Pack swept their two home games this weekend to extend their hot streak to 12-1-1, including five wins in a row and ten wins in their last eleven games. Two goals by Brad Isbister and a solid effort in all three zones led to a 4-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Friday, three goals (including the game winner) by Ryan Callahan (making it 29 on the season) and a stellar third period performance by Steve Valiquette led to a 4-3 OT win over the struggling Houston Aeros on Saturday.

In the first game, Al Montoya, riding an impressive 8-0-2 streak of his own, gave up a soft goal to open the scoring, but Isbister answered back just over seven minutes later, ending a personal six game scoreless streak, off a perfect feed from Darius Kasparaitis, playing his first game since being assigned by the Rangers on Thursday. In the second period, Dwight Helminen scored on the second rebound of Bryce Lampman's power play point shot with the rare sighting of a player (Greg Moore) in front screening the goalie. It took just 46 ticks to extend the lead to 3-1, Brandon Dubinsky firing a shot that rebounded right to Dane Byers, who tucked home his 11th of the season. After Connecticut native Eric Boguniecki's 5 on 3 power play goal, Isbister perfectly deflected a Lampman point shot to complete the scoring.

Dane Byers got into a scrap with Jason Pitton off a scrum in front of the Tiger net. Byers landed a couple of blows but Pitton, in his best WWE-like impression, viciously body slammed Byers head first into the ice. It was a frightening moment as it took Byers several moments to get up -- he didn'€™t return until midway through the third period. The one moment of note in that third period was Dubinsky dipsy-doodling in center ice and losing the puck for an odd man rush which led to a penalty. Moves like these show why a player with such great potential needs more time in Hartford.

The three stars of the game were Isbister with two goals (#1), Moore with two key assists (#2), and a hustling Helminen (#3) with a solid game.

The next night, it took only fifteen seconds for the Pack to capitalize on their first power play when Callahan, the team's lone representative in the AHL All-Star game (with Daniel Girardi up with the Rangers), started his hat trick night with a blast from the point off beautiful feeds by Lauri Korpikoski and Dubinsky. The Pack made it 2-0 on a hard shot from just inside the blue line by Lampman that was partially screened by captain Craig Weller. After Houston got on the board with a power play goal, Callahan got his second of the game, converting a breakaway on a brilliantly executed line change by Jarkko Immonen which left him open to receive a home run pass from Isbister.

The Wolf Pack left their game in the dressing room as Houston came out aggressively in the third and really took it to them, outhustling them, outworking them, and outshooting them 24-6 (the most shots allowed in a period by the Pack all season). A brilliant Valiquette held the Aeros at bay for nearly fourteen minutes before he was finally beaten by an impressive top shelf shot. Houston scored with an extra attacker with 34 seconds left to knot the game at 3-3 and send it to overtime. In OT, Immonen kept the puck deep on a sensational forecheck and took a pass from Lampman that he fired on goal. As the puck rebounded in front, Callahan scored on a sensational diving shot for a 4-3 victory that kept the Pack six points behind first place Manchester as they enter the all-star break.

Callahan earned first star with his hat trick, Valiquette was second star for his work in net. The Wolf Pack return to action next Friday after the break against the Hershey Bears, led by ex-Packers Alexandre Giroux, Chad Wiseman, and Dean Arsene.

Jess Rubenstein reports on Saturday night's prospect action:

Hockey and Saturday nights are a tradition, so who are we to mess with tradition? We start Prospect Park in college. Kenny Roche and BU took on my school UMass and skated to a 3-3 tie. Roche did not score. Billy Ryan'€™s seventh goal of the season tied the game for Maine, who were able to split their weekend series with Northeastern with a 2-1 win. Ryan earned second star of the game honors. Jordan Foote did not score but MTU shut out Colorado College 1-0. Darin Olver was scoreless as NMU was beaten by Nebraska-Omaha, 6-1. Greg Beller was not in the lineup as Yale lost 3-2 in OT to Union. Dylan Reese had another assist but Harvard dropped a 4-2 decision to Clarkson.

Marc-Andre Cliche's absence was felt as Lewiston dropped their third straight, this time to Cape Breton, 4-0, in QMJHL action. In the OHL, Marc Staal was held scoreless as Sudbury was whipped 7-3 by Barrie. Bobby Sanguinetti also was scoreless as Owen Sound were whipped 8-2 by London. Tommy "Prime Time" Pyatt delivers the big plays that Saginaw needs. So with the score tied at 4-4 with under four minutes left in regulation, who comes though with the game winner? Why of course the second star of the game, the leading scorer among Ranger prospects, "€œPrime Time", with his second goal of the game (his 25th of the season) as the Spirit edged Windsor, 5-4. Tomas Zaborsky did not score in the game.

Out west in the WHL, Michael Sauer was scoreless but Medicine Hat blasted Lethbridge, 7-2. Lukas Zeliska returned to Prince Albert's line-up needing to score some goals and stay out of the penalty box. He did not score, but he did stay out of the box as his Raiders lost to Vancouver, 4-1. Eric Hunter scored his 16th of the season but it was not enough as Prince George lost to Tri-City, 4-2. And our night would not be complete if we have not heard from Ryan Russell and his Kootenay Ice. Russell scored his 18th goal of the season shorthanded (his 15th point of the month) as the Ice held off Spokane, 4-3.

Stars of the night: first star -- Tom Pyatt (Saginaw OHL) -- two goals including the game winner. Pyatt has earned a Ranger contract -- sign him; second star -- Billy Ryan (Maine) -- seven goals may not seem like a lot, but it is just a hint of next year when Ryan is a senior. Ryan is quietly becoming a legit prospect; third star -- Ryan Russell (Kootenay WHL) -- another of our favorite prospects. His shorthanded goal should tell you that size means nothing. Russell is a player and he too deserves a contract. His twin brother gets all the attention but our Russell is a true warrior -- just ask those who have to play against him.

Some sad news to report -- former Ranger great Lorne "Gump" Worsley passed away Saturday. He was 76. Worsley won the Calder Trophy as a Ranger in 1952 and led the Rangers to four playoff appearances during his ten seasons in New York. He also played for the Canadians, where he won four Stanley Cups, and for the Minnesota North Stars. On behalf of Ranger fans everywhere, Blueshirt Bulletin wishes to express our deepest condolensces to the Worsley family.

Identity Crisis Looms for New Line Combinations

If the Rangers go into Philadelphia this afternoon and really use the lines that were seen in practice Friday (as relayed in Rangers Report), there are only two possible scenarios -- bad and not bad. Bad if this odd mixture of skill sets does not yield enough goals to beat the lowly Flyers, who may have Peter Forsberg back in the line-up -- not bad if the Rangers beat the Flyers, as they should, but take away false hope that these makeshift lines made the difference. It's hard to imagine an outcome that can be uncategorically characterized as good, unless the Rangers simply blow the Flyers out with a reinvigorated power play.

At issue, at least the way it looks from here, is the lack of a clear identity on any line if Martin Straka is unable to play because of the flu -- and if he is available, then all you can do is subtract one line, the top line, from the list, and still be left scratching your head about what you get from the other lines.

Start with the second line, so named only because Brendan Shanahan is on it. He will apparently skate with Blair Betts centering and Marcel Hossa on the opposite wing -- which, as we noted after the loss in New Jersey, gives him a pair of linemates with four assists between them in 1,861 shifts so far this season, not exactly the proper prescription for a sniper in search of set-up men. Shanahan, with just two goals in his last 19 games, will essentially be on a checking line with two linemates who have been checking forwards all season long.

A third line of Matt Cullen centering Petr Prucha and Jed Ortmeyer is more likely to generate offense that Shanahan's second line, depending on which of the two lines draws the assignment of stopping Philadelphia's top line (which really means Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble, still capable of killing the Rangers despite the feebleness of their team) -- Coach Renney is unlikely to use a line with Prucha on it as a stopper. Cullen and Prucha at least have the benefit of having been linemates much of the season, and without having to worry about setting up Shanahan, they may just be able to loosen up and fare well. Having the relentlessly hard working Ortmeyer forechecking and backchecking on their behalf will probably free them up even more.

The best you can say about a fourth line featuring Jason Krog between Ryan Hollweg and Adam Hall is that at least Hollweg will throw some hits in the meager amount of ice time this unit is likely to get. The only possible permutation to all this is if Straka can play and Jason Ward replaces Hall on the fourth line or is the healthy scracth himself. At least in that case the Rangers will have their top unit available to (theoretically) demolish the fragile Flyer defense. Without Straka, Jaromir Jagr will lose the most valuable weak side option he's had all season when double teamed and Michael Nylander will lose the only passing option he's had aside from Jagr.

Jagr will continue to play with his favorite defensive pair, Marek Malik and Michal Rozsival; Aaron Ward will team up with Karel Rachunek, with one of the right defensemen moving to the left side; and Fedor Tyutin will draw the assignment of mentoring Dan Girardi in his NHL debut, with Tyutin still the Rangers' steadiest defenseman despite some shaky play of late. Thomas Pock will join Colton Orr in the press box -- while Pock has played well and deserved to keep playing, one should note that his strength is the offensive side of the game, and he has yet to record a single point since his return to semi-regular action in mid-December (his only goal and only assist of the season came against the Flyers in early October).

The Rangers better not thake the Flyers lightly -- check out their line-up in this Philly-area report, they are nearly fully healthy and still have some weapons. In other news today, Sam Weinman gets himself in the middle between Jagr and Shanahan on the crucial issue of how to run the power play -- see the Journal News and Rangers Report. Other game day reports in the News and Post. Hartford won on a pair of Brad Isbister goals and a good power play -- see the Courant (Mitch Beck will have a recap of this weekend's Wolf Pack action tomorrow). In Charlotte, goals by Bruce Graham and Lee Falardeau were not enough to avoid a blowout loss. In juniors, Steve Colbert of the Colber Report backed the Saginaw Spirit against the Oshawa Generals. Jess Rubenstein has the result in Prospect Park:

As you get ready for a Ranger afternoon game, how about a very busy Friday night in prospect hockey to get you going? We start with the latest on Marc-Andre Cliche of Lewiston, which is to say no news as of this report. Cliche was injured during the Halifax-Lewiston match on Thursday. Depending on which side you listen to, it was a clean hit or it was dirty. The MAINEaics are being tight lipped on this mainly because if they report that Cliche has suffered a concussion then he has to sit out no less than seven days under CHL rules. Without their captain in the lineup, the MAINEaics dropped a 2-1 decision to Cape Breton. David Kveton and Gatineau lost to Moncton 3-2 despite Kveton’s 12th assist of the season.

Switching to the college ranks, Greg Beller returned to the Yale lineup but was scoreless as Yale lost 2-1 to Rensselaer. Dylan Reese set up the tying goal but Harvard still fell to St. Lawrence. Reese also made one heck of a defensive play as St. Lawrence’s Mike McKenzie thought he had a breakaway but Reese skating at full speed caught up and poked the puck away, a solid defensive play from the Harvard captain, normally known as an offensive defender. Billy Ryan and Maine continued to slump as they lost their fourth game out of their last five, this time to Northeastern, 6-1, with Ryan scoreless. Darin Olver was also scoreless as NMU lost 5-2 to Nebraska-Omaha. Jordan Foote also was scoreless but MTU tied Colorado College 2-2. Kenny Roche had an assist but BC ended BU's unbeaten streak at eight with a 5-2 win.

In the WHL, Brodie Dupont did not score as his Calgary Hitmen lost to Brandon 4-2. Michael Sauer had an assist as Medicine Hat defeated Lethbridge 4-1. Eric Hunter did not score as Prince George lost to Tri-City 2-1. Lukas Zeliska remained out of the Prince Albert lineup as the Raiders defeated Chilliwack 5-4. We believe this to be healthy scratch and not an injury. In the OHL, Marc Staal’s Sudbury Wolves were edged 3-2 by Bellville, Staal held scoreless. Dalyn Flatt did not add to his 137 PIMs but was +1 one as Brampton defeated Erie 3-1. Bobby Sanguinetti did not score but fellow Jersey native Bobby Ryan tied the Owen Sound record for career points with 295 with two goals as the Attack lost 4-2 to Kitchener. Even though Ryan is not a Ranger prospect, we salute his efforts as a local player who has made good.

We saved the best for last, as we first must set the stage. Trevor Koverko led his Oshawa Generals into Saginaw to face the Spirit and the Twin Toms, Pyatt and Zaborsky. But this was not going to be just any game. The Spirit are regular features on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Stephen Colbert and the Saginaw Spirit were challenged by the mayor of Oshawa after Colbert complained about being personally attacked by the Generals when fans threw teddy bears on the ice during a recent game. The challenge was this: If the Generals won then Colbert would have to wear a General’s jersey on one of his shows. If the Spirit won then Oshawa would hold a day in Colbert's honor. So let’s get to what was the best game of the night, as both teams appeared to take this challenge to heart.

The game went back and forth all night long as the two teams traded goals. Zaborsky's fifth goal of the month (11th on the season) gave the Spirit a short-lived 3-2 lead. Pyatt set up what turned out to be the game winning goal 1:44 into the third period. For Pyatt it was assist #27 and point #50 as he has regained the lead in the prospect-scoring race from Brodie Dupont. Trevor Koverko had an assist and two more PIMs as the final score was 5-4 Saginaw. So thanks to the Spirit, Colbert will be having a day in his honor in Oshawa.

Stars of the night: First Star -- Tomas Zaborsky (Saginaw OHL) -- He remains hot and this is what we normally do not see from a European player in the second half of a season. Second Star -- Dylan Reese (Harvard) -- It has been a frustrating season for the Crimson but we remain high on Dylan as he has serious potential to become a strong two-way NHL defenseman. We reward not for his assist but his defensive play tonight as he used his speed to stop a scoring chance. Third Star -- Tom Pyatt (Saginaw OHL) -- I call him “Prime Time” because whenever his team needs a big play, Pyatt delivers. Tonight it was setting up the game winner, so I call upon the Rangers to deliver what Pyatt deserves: a Ranger contract.

Jagr Steps Up -- Girardi Steps In

The Rangers got back to work Thursday evening after the all-star break with a spirited high-tempo practice session. While Brendan Shanahan got the day off after returning from the All-Star Game and Martin Straka sat out battling the flu, the group on the ice featured one new player in place of an old friend -- Dan Girardi, looking forward to his first NHL start in Philadelphia on Saturday, in place of Darius Kasparaitis, who will play for Hartford this weekend.

"I found out today [Thursday] that I was coming up here," Girardi said after practice. "We saw all those guys [coach Tom Renney and Assistant GM Don Maloney] on Tuesday in the stands. We were all thinking, 'What is going on?' We had a good practice that day. There was some rumors going around. I'm just real happy and excited about the shot."

Girardi's NHL debut will take place on the same day he was supposed to appear in the AHL All-Star Game in Toronto, his hometown region, along with his junior teammate Ryan Callahan. "I had about thirty people going to Toronto to watch me play," Girardi said of his family and friends. "But I'd rather be here than going to that game. Definitely more excited to be here."

"We looked at a number of people," Renney said of his trip to Hartford. "We always keep an eye on that, what's been going on down there. I went down there to be sure, to confirm in my own mind what I thought and what I had been told. And it was a worthwhile trip. We're content with any number of people down there -- there are some kids there in a position to play here and help us. But at this point in time the numbers don't allow that to happen. We have to make some type of provision for that to happen. Whether or not we're able to do that should we choose to, that remains to be seen."

Renney characterized Girardi as "very steady, good first pass, positional play is real good, he's certainly very reliable, his foot speed was not an issue. We think we've got a guy that can help us, and we'll give him that chance. If I can put Tommy and Danny together, that's appealing," Renney said of Thomas Pock, who was Girardi's defense partner at times last season in Hartford. "So is Toots and Danny together. So I might have to put a righty on the left side" -- a veteran righty rather than Girardi himself. Which defenseman will sit out to make room for Girardi? "I'm not sure yet," Renney answered. "We've got some stuff going through our team here again -- Straka wasn't feeling very good, he's showing a bit of flu symptoms."

"I try to play real hard every night, work hard every day to improve," Girardi said of himself. "I just really try to play my best every game. I really strive to be consistent and staying out of trouble on the ice and make good plays."

As for the team's outlook for the stretch run, Renney definitely sees room for improvement. "We're in eighth place here by almost default," he said. "We've lost games to teams that outworked us that we should beat. There's twenty points out there that if we had ten of them we might not be talking about our team the way we are. To me those were achievable points. That's our responsibility to be a better team and win. We want to do it as bad as the next team and there's no better time than right now."

One way to do that is to start winning games with his world class power play personnel. Renney doesn't believe the power play needs to be torn apart and revamped, he believes it needs to be re-focused on its task, and that it's his responsibility to make sure that happens. "What we've got tp do is come back to a couple, three or four things that we want to see on the power play. We have primary options A, B, C, or D. There are some things we want to pay particular attention to that will allow our power play to click. Maybe the approach of allowing it to be inventive has almost kind of confined them, kind of left everyone to their own devices. It's my responsibility that we have structure there and push it through. In fairness to the players, that's my job."

Jaromir Jagr, for his part, is not looking at how the rest of the team can be successful -- he is focusing on what he himself can do to help the Rangers make some post-season noise. He strengthened himself somewhat during this break with an eye toward that. "I thought I was gonna do more, but a stomach virus [intervened]," he said. "Even with that, I tried to work out every day. I feel like because I started to do something and my body got used to it, I can continue to play and work [on the shoulder] at the same time." He needs to build up muscle that was lost during his idle summer as he recovered from shoulder surgery.

"I truly believe something huge is gonna happen with me," he said. "If it will happen with me, then it's gonna help the team. When you're the top guy and the captain [and you] do well, the team does well. I understand it's a team game -- but when the game is on the line, individuals have to make the difference. That's what I truly believe. If you want to be the special guy you have to have those special moments. That's what I play for -- that's what I live for."

Jagr refuses to pass the mantle of responsibility of carrying this team to his teammates. "I'm not gonna sit here and talk about how the team should do," he said. "I have to be the first guy to do it. I don't play good, the team doesn't play good. That's the way it is. I'm not saying that I'm the team. But I'm spending a lot of time on the ice, the coach gives me the things I need -- I have to be the guy, no question about it. Everybody got their job, I got the job to score goals, make points, to win it. I'm not gonna help anybody if I talk about how the team should play if I'm not gonna play good. I want to make the playoffs and do something in the playoffs. These people in here deserve it. We got everything we need, now we just have to do it."

He was very earnest in his remarks. He wanted to make sure no one misconstrued them as being self-centered. He wanted to make sure that we all understood that he was first and foremost responsible for making sure the team was successful -- that is his job, and he intends to do it. And if his demeanor on the ice during practice was any indication, he is ready.

Jagr's comments are the top story in the Daily News, Journal News, Post, and all the reporters' blogs -- Blueshirts Blog, Rangers Report, and Blue Notes. Girardi is the main story in the Courant, Newsday, and NY Sports Day. The Courant also has a look at the Wolf Pack week ahead. Mark Lee was reassigned to Charlotte after a month in Hartford. Lee Falardeau's hometown paper has a feature on his progress as a pro hockey player. Jess Rubenstein checks in with his daily prospect update:

Trevor Koverko’s Oshawa Generals had a wild night as they took on Windsor in a game that was more pond hockey than anything else. This game had everything from a fight fourteen seconds into the game to fifteen goals scored by both teams. The Generals won 9-6 as Koverko was a force at both ends of the ice despite not scoring. Koverko had six more PIMs to bring his season total to 110. Koverko, one of the nicest guys you will meet off the ice, is playing with more fire and determination with each passing game.

The key match-up of the night was Marc-Andre Cliche’s Lewiston MAINEaics traveling to Halifax to face Ryan Hillier and his Mooseheads, and Cliche didn't fare well, leaving the game in the third period after suffering a jaw or head injury on an open ice hit (see the Halifax Chronicle-Herald and Lewiston Sun-Journal for more information). This was another exciting game as Halifax jumped out to a 2-0 lead only to see Lewiston tie it. Halifax then scored two more goals to go up 4-2 only to watch that lead disappear as well. The game wound up going to a shootout, the Mooseheads winning, 5-4. Hillier and Cliche did not score in the game but Hillier did have a goal in the shootout. Cliche didn't make it to the shootout due to his injury.

Now if you really want some hockey action for your Friday night then boy will we have plenty of action for you. There will be ten games featuring Ranger prospects in the CHL, with our featured match-up pitting Trevor Koverko and Oshawa as they travel to Saginaw and face the Twin Toms Pyatt and Zaborsky. You can catch the audio feed here (click on "Joe Radio" at the bottom of the page). Game time is 7:11. In college action, there are six games featuring Ranger prospects with our recommendation being the suddenly hot Kenny Roche and his BU Terriers (unbeaten in their last eight) taking on arch-rival BC in a rematch from Wednesday night. You can listen to the game here at 7:30. If not, then of course check back with us Saturday morning to find out what you missed, as we will have all the info right here.

Kaspar Not Too Down About Going Down

Don't count Darius Kasparaitis out just yet. Apparently taking his latest demotion more stoically than his first bitter assignment to Hartford, Kasparaitis hopes to work himself back into readiness should the Rangers need him down the road. So he told John Dellapina of the Daily News and Sam Weinman of the Journal News (with additional reporting in Blueshirts Blog and Rangers Report). Kasparaitis told Dellapina that he was informed in person by Tom Renney about the waiver yesterday at the MSG training center, contrary to a report in the Post in which Kasparaitis's agent claimed that Kaspar was not informed directly (or did he mean himself?). Steve Zipay also has his impressions in Newsday and Blue Notes, plus some All-Star Game notes.

Wolf Pack all-star defenseman Dan Girardi is expected to get the call to replace Kasparaitis on the roster, and if he gets into action, the money in Vegas is overwhelmingly on Thomas Pock as the odd man out, so the good news for youngblood fans will likely be tempered by an equal dose of bad news. One should also expect the Rangers to ultimately fill the available cap space with a veteran acquisition as the trade deadline approaches -- Girardi will be the beneficiary of the timing difference between now and then (as we suggested the other day for Brandon Dubinsky), but probably no more than that. Dellapina corrected his original report that Girardi had to pass through re-entry waivers -- he doesn't.

While it seems as if the Rangers are mistreating a popular veteran, Kasparaitis is actually the victim of the new CBA, which has forced many teams to humiliate veterans in this way in order to clear cap space. Widely expected to buy out Kasparaitis during the one-time amnesty period before the start of last season, the Rangers stunned observers by retaining his large and long pre-lockout contract. That paid off last season, but injuries limited Kasparaitis's effectiveness this season -- although the limited effectiveness of some other veteran defensemen has some fans scratching their heads about why Kaspar was singled out. And speaking of cap space and roster spots, Sandis Ozolinsh is currently eating up salary, but is on injured reserve. Expect him to be assigned to Hartford as soon as he medically cleared to come off IR.

Meanwhile, back at the All-Star game, Brendan Shanahan's scoreless streak continued despite playing on a line with Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. There is no truth to the rumors that he asked for new linemates after these guys failed to set him up for goals (they had eight shots between them, he had only one). Just kidding -- Shanahan had nothing but praise for the young stars (see USA Today). Mark Messier was in Dallas working the broadcast booth, but told reporters that he is planning to get back into hockey on the coaching or management side next season. He also presented Crosby with the latest leadership award named after him and the cold medicine he hawks. The Staal brothers were an all-star story too, with Ranger draftee Marc getting a mention in USA Today's article -- although it seems their reporter doesn't realize there is a fourth brother on the way who is supposed to be the best of the bunch.

On the prospect front, here is Jess Rubenstein's report on last night's action: Kenny Roche and Boston University made up a postponed game against arch-rival Boston College. Roche had an assist as BU took care of BC 4-1 to extend the Terriers' unbeaten streak to eight. Ryan Russell and his Kootenay Ice looked to start a new winning streak as they hosted Red Deer. In earning second star of the game, Russell had two assists as the Ice doubled up the Rebels 4-2. With three games left in January, Russell is 2-12-14 for the month, numbers which right now make him the favorite for Prospect of the Month. Russell’s Ice entered the weekly CHL rankings at number eight. Michael Sauer’s Medicine Hat Tigers jumped to fourth, and Marc-Andre Cliche’s Lewiston MAINEaics dropped to fifth.