Blueshirt Boggle

Halloween Happenings

The Rangers got the day off yesterday, after beating Tampa, that they forfeited on Sunday after losing to Toronto the night before. But they were back on the ice again today preparing for tomorrow night's match against the Caps. Sam Weinman reports in Rangers Report that Sean Avery might return to action in this game -- if not, no doubt on Saturday, barring setbacks. Ryan Hollweg missed practice with the flu, Marcel Hossa skated despite flu symptoms, and Jaromir Jagr skated a bit after getting some dental work done. In the papers today, the Post looks at Steve Valiquette's chances of playing and how he feels about that, and the Daily News looks at Nigel Dawes.

In prospect news, Joe Barnes had a goal and assisted on the late game winning power play goal as Charlotte won last night. Bruce Graham scored as well. Matt Zaba has been returned to Charlotte as Al Montoya gets ready to return to action, having recovered from a sore back -- see Howlings and WP.com. Also, see Bob Crawford's weekly review and weekly preview. At Prospect Park, Jess names red-hot Tomas Zaborsky Ranger prospect of the week.

Breaks Finally Go Rangers' Way

Things were not breaking right for Jaromir Jagr last night. "Broke my skate in the first period," he said. "Broke my gloves in the second, broke my teeth, broke my heart," he said of a sequence in which he lost the handle on a clean breakaway from the blue line in as he tried a forehand deke, took a puck to the mouth that out knocked his three front teeth, and was out of the play as Vincent Lecavalier got a breakaway the other way that earned him a penalty shot that tied the game at 1-1.

But Jagr was not done breaking things at that point. Having weathered the disappointment of the losing their 1-0 lead in a season when they have rarely been able to muster more than one goal (they have scored one or none in six of their seven losses), Jagr got the power play goal that broke the tie in the third period and proved to be the game winner in a desperately needed 3-1 win. The goal broke the right way, deflecting in off a defender, breaking a hellacious run of bad luck in which all manner of offensive attack was thwarted every which way -- tight Ranger sticks shooting wide or right into the goalie's belly, pucks sitting in the crease behind beaten goalies but not going into the net (happened at least twice last night), and pucks hitting the goal frame (three more last night). Even when a puck went into the net, it was off the glove of Chris Drury, obviously not a goal from the moment Drury reached up to try to catch the airborne disk.

Not all of that was bad luck, though. While much was the result of pressing too hard for their elusive finishing touch, much was the result of not going hard enough to the net. Jagr stayed late after the 4-1 loss to Toronto with Brendan Shanahan discussing what the team had to do to reverse its fortunes. The consensus was to crash the net. "We talk about putting pucks on the net," coach Tom Renney said. "But also having bodies there, having screens there, working the blue paint, getting the greasy goals. That's the way it is. That's the way we are going to have to score." And that's how it was last night -- three deflections, one a beauty by Nigel Dawes in the first period to give the Rangers the lead, one off a defender by Jagr with Shanahan setting a screen in front, and one a re-direction in the crease by Shanahan after a great pair of passes from Jagr to Drury to him.

While all was well after it all ended well, for two and a half periods this game was Rangers redux. The defense was there -- after an eleven minute stretch of the first period in which the Lightning got half of their 22 shots on goal, the Rangers held them to just eleven more over the ensuing 44 minutes of play, one of those shots being Lecavalier's penalty shot. The Rangers had their shots -- 29 of them during that 44 minute stretch, and that doesn't include the three that went off the goal post or crossbar. And there were the requisite bad calls that went against the Rangers during the first half of the game -- every penalty call was in fact a Tampa dive, and the penalty shot call wasn't even a penalty, with Lecavalier slowing down and backing into Marek Malik rather than going to the net for a shot. And of course, the Rangers exited the ice after two periods to a chorus of boos from the home crowd, having failed to come close to scoring on a five on three.

But they persevered and pulled this one out against a team that is now 0-4 on the road and left their coach, John Tortorella, spewing an R-rated analysis of his team afterwards -- "We spent more time [freaking] looking at referees for [freaking] calls, pissing and moaning instead of playing, so we don't deserve [freaking spit] tonight." Before the game, Tortorella has said that he knew the Rangers were going to break out of their scoring slump and he hoped that it wasn't going to happen against his team. It took fifty minutes for it to happen, but after getting only four goals in the prior fourteen periods -- three of the four by Dawes -- and going 1-2-1 in those games despite Henrik Lundqvist giving up only four goals during the course of play (there was also a shootout goal, a penalty shot goal, and an empty net goal), the Rangers' big guns finally broke out -- Shanahan and Jagr each had a goal and an assist, and Drury added two assists. Scott Gomez was active in the game, hitting a crossbar, but his passes continue to be off target and he put a point blank back door power play shot right into the goalie off a nice pass by Shanahan.

Jagr was reluctant to speak after the game even though he was number one on everyone's list for interviews, just as he was number one star of the game. One look at his mouth -- bloody swollen upper lip and missing teeth -- made it obvious why. But he couldn't help laughing at his predicament, made easier by the win. "It's Halloween tomorrow," he said. "I don't have to buy a mask." Asked what he thought about Lecavalier getting a breakaway off his misfortune, Jagr said, "At that time, I don’t think. I was looking for my teeth." Shanahan said he was the one who found them. "I brought them over to him," he said. "Do I get an assist for finding them?" Asked if those were his real teeth, Jagr said, "Gentlemen never tell," drawing a roar of laughter. "I told my girl they were real." "He'll have to eat soup," Lundqvist said. "He didn't look too good. That's the face of a warrior." Added Jagr: "I always say, first you have to suffer if you want to accomplish something. This is the suffering time right now."

Sean Avery, close to returning to action, made himself highly visible during and after last night's game. Looking sharp in a black suit and a tie dotted with skull and crossbones, he watched part of the third period from the blue seats. "Thirsty people," he joked about the fans he met up there. "They don't serve much water." But he said he had fun. He also had fun with his teammates during their postgame interviews, listening in on Jagr, Shanahan, and Gomez, and chiming in on the latter two. See Blueshirts Blog and Blue Notes for more on his imminent return from a separated shoulder.

Game reports: Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Times, Post, Advance, NY Sports Day, SNY, NYR.com, and AP. Tampa point of view here, here, and here. More from Blue Notes here and here, Rangers Report, and USA Today. Spector analyzes the persistent but illogical Ed Jovanovski rumors at FoxSports. How does the NHL feel about the Rangers? Every day, NHL.com has a "Game of the Night" feature -- not last night. Not even a link to the AP report of the game. And though Jagr makes their list of three stars of the night (there were only three games), he was only third star, bested by Alex Ovechkin, who had the third and sixth goals (with no assists) in a 7-1 rout -- Devin Setoguchi, having scored the equalizer and winner in San Jose's third period comeback win, was a deserving star no doubt, but given Jagr's dental situation and the Rangers' desperation, one still has to wonder. Elsewhere, Jess Rubenstein has an update at Prospect Park and Mitch Beck has a report on the Wolf Pack's meet and greet last night at Howlings.

Rangers Must Strike Goals Before Lightning Strikes

The Rangers get a bit of a do-over tonight at the Garden when the Tampa Bay Lightning come to town. Nothing will erase Saturday's disheartening loss to Toronto, but the Rangers will again get to put their defense (2.00 goals per game) up against one of the highest scoring teams in the league (3.56 goals per game) while sending their stalled offense (1.60 goals per games) out against a team that has given up a few (3.00 per game). The difference may well be special teams -- the Lightning boast one of the top power plays in the league (22.5%), while the Rangers have one of the best penalty killing units (88%). But -- the Lightning are second to last in the league in drawing power plays in the first place, and are only 7.7% efficient in converting them on the road (hence their 0-3-0 record away from home as they begin their longest road trip of the season tonight).

In the news today, Brendan Shanahan talks to Larry Brooks about the Rangers' woes in the Post, and Newsday has a report on yesterday's unscheduled practice session. Sean Avery practiced today with full contact as he prepares to return to action, according to Rangers Report and Blue Notes. Howlings echoes their report of Dave Scatchard being released by Hartford. From Tampa, one article on former Ranger Jason Ward finding a home with the Lightning, and another article on the team's road woes. Additional game previews can be found at NYR.com and TBL.com. And our day can never be complete without a report on what the young guys are up to in the amateur ranks, courtesy of Jess Rubenstein at Prospect Park.

The Toughest Loss To Date [Links Added]

This was the most frustrating loss yet for the sputtering 2007-08 Rangers. More than losing in a New York minute to the slick Senators, or melting down against the winless Thrashers, or even being shut own in back to back games last week. This one was all Rangers -- until the lack of goal scoring came back to bite them. Having finally gone up 1-0 and then going on the power play, the Rangers' mindset changed. They went from what Toronto coach Paul Maurice described as "D-zone coverage [that] was absolutely perfect" to what Brendan Shanahan called "playing like a bunch of individuals" in a bid for more of those elusive goals. Instead, one unlucky deflection and two defensive zone breakdowns did them in in a 4-1 loss to the Leafs

After the game, Jaromir Jagr was nearly speechless, while Shanahan was angry. "Just score goals, that's all," Jagr said. "If we score more goals, it would give us some confidence. Hank can't stop all the shots, it's too much pressure for him." It may seem as if he was stating the obvious, but he couldn't find anything else to say -- the Rangers are doing everything else right, including getting the better of the play offensively as they did through most of this game and much of the past three games as well. But the puck isn't going into the net -- they have just three goals to show for their efforts in those four games despite outshooting their opponents a combined 126-86.

"It puts a lot of pressure on everybody when the margin of error is so slim," Shanahan said. "We changed the way we played. We got into a bit of a track meet with them, trading chances. We got caught going long on a couple of shifts. We made a big mistake by getting away from our game. It's tough to stick with it. We're playing a good style as far as the defensive side, but it's no fun when as a team you're not scoring. You press, you cheat, and they took advantage of some our plays. Being disorganized and running around like chickens with their heads cut off is not a solution."

The Rangers held the Leafs to just five shots on goal through the first 27 minutes of the game -- shotless for a stretch of sixteen minutes. They held them shotless for another stretch of eighteen minutes through most of the third period as they pressed for a comeback. The Rangers outshot the Leafs 30-12 -- except for a ten-minute stretch of the second period when they let up three bang-bang-bang goals. The first one was a double deflection off two Rangers. The second came off a Henrik Lundqvist turnover after the Rangers failed to get the puck out of the zone three times -- the third because of a weird carom off the glass. The third was a complete breakdown by all five defenders, allowing the Leafs an easy goal off a rush. Meanwhile, the offense made another goalie with a goals against approaching 4.00 and a save percentage well south of .900 into one of the stars of the game.

"You can't keep covering up for your squad in those circumstances," said coach Tom Renney. "But I think we'll be fine. [We're] not quite ready to take on the responsibility of the rest of the season, quite honestly. [But] the beauty of it is they want to win -- they'll play hard moving forward. You just have to get results -- score." Although his words sounded a note of optimism, the Rangers will be practicing on Sunday, a day they were scheduled to have off, as is the case almost every Sunday.

Too bad we can't call a practice for fans. Coach them on how to properly root for a team. That means chanting "Let's Go Rangers!" rather than reminding everyone for the millionth time that you still don't like a player who retired a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. And that means not booing one of your players when you're in a one-goal game, especially when he has done nothing wrong except overskate a puck (and still manage to do something with it), and most especially while fans of the other team cheer their team on unopposed. These fans who believe themselves to be so knowledgable even booed Ranger defensemen for holding the puck behind their own net while waiting for their forwards to complete a line change. Practice tomorrow morning at 11:00, folks -- back to basics, simplify the game, just root for your team and forget all the other silly nonsense.

Game reports: Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Times, Post, NY Sportsday, NYR.com, and AP. Notes from Newsday, including an update on Darius Kasparaitis. Larry Brooks in the Post on the decline of the Devils and an apology to Brendan Shanahan. From the other side, a lot of back-patting by the Leafs for a game the Rangers lost more than they won -- see the Toronto Sun, Star, Globe and Mail. Greg Moore scored the game winner for Hartford for the second day in a row -- see Mitch Beck in Howlings, plus the Hartford Courant and Worcester Telegram. Charlotte won without either of their Ranger properties in net -- Matt Zaba was recalled by Hartford with Miika Wiikman out with a groin injury. And Jess Rubenstein has the lowdown on all the other prospect action in Prospect Park.

Weather Forecast: Rain Today, Storm Tonight

We have quite a streak going here in New York. No, not the Rangers' one-game winning streak, matching their season high. No, not the Rangers' one-game goal scoring streak. Nothing Ranger-related. It's been raining forty days and forty nights. The skies should clear by game time, but after witnessing only three goals in total by both sides in the Rangers' last three games, tonight could be the night when the Rangers' unleash a storm of their own and pour down goals against their defensively challenged guests, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are second to last in the league with a goals against average just shy of four per game (compared to the Rangers' league-leading 1.78).

Of course, those numbers do a virtual about-face when you look at offense -- the Leafs are tops with 3.82 goals per game and the Rangers remain last, the only team averaging less than two goals per games (1.67). But Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, and Chris Drury are not going to end the season at their current scoring pace of 10 goals over 82 games, and Scott Gomez will likewise end the season somewhere north of 10 assists. So who better to break out against than the leaky Leafs? The Ranger defense is the subject of stories today in the Daily News, Journal News, and New York Post. Newsday's story on their penalty killing has some interesting quotes. From the Toronto press, read about the teams' opposite fortunes here and here, the Leafs' injury situation here and here, and more about the match-up here and here. NYR.com has a game preview too.

In other reading, Blueshirts Blog has the story about Darius Kasparaitis signing to play in Russia, with the Rangers' blessing; Rangers Report has some notes from yesterday's Ranger practice; and the AP has an interesting article on Drury choosing hockey over baseball while Tom Glavine chose baseball over hockey. On the prospect front, Greg Moore got the shootout winner for the Wolf Pack last night, solidifying his position as the Rangers' next likely call-up -- see reports in Mitch Beck's Howlings, the Courant, and MassLive.com. Jess Rubenstein has a round-up of other prospect action from last night in Prospect Park.

And the Children Shall Lead...

Not one more minute was going to pass without a goal for the Rangers. Three seconds shy of their 127th goalless minute, 57 seconds into the first game of their six-game homestand after an 0-3-1 road trip, Nigel Dawes got that elusive goal. But when 45 more minutes passed without a second goal -- with Jaromir Jagr missing the net after a highlight reel move, with Chris Drury's shorthanded breakaway stymied by the shaft of Martin Brodeur's stick, with Brendan Shanahan extending his league lead in shots with four more to 54 with only one goal to show for it, with the opposition being the historically troublesome Devils -- another stellar defensive and goaltending performance was in danger of being undermined.

That's when Tom Renney did what he was afraid to do in Pittsburgh -- he started his young second unit on a late power play. Brandon Dubinsky bullrushed down the right wing, protecting the puck with his body, got the puck behind the net, and chipped it over to Petr Prucha in the corner. Prucha moved it out to Dawes at the right wing half boards, the area you'd expect to see Jagr patrolling for most if not all a crucial two-minute advantage. Dawes looked around for options, but getting no resistance, stepped to the middle and fired a quick-release wrister past Brodeur to seal the Rangers' much-needed 2-0 win.

It all added up to a series of firsts for the Rangers beyond their first goal in more than two games. It was their first meaningful goal(s) in 15 periods of play, their first even strength goal in over 343 minutes of play. It was the first NHL point for Dubinsky, the first point for Prucha since opening night, the first two-goal game for Dawes. It was the first time in forever that the Devils did not represent a real threat, even in such a tight game. And though it was Scott Gomez's first game against his former team, more critical to the outcome was Karel Rachunek playing his first game against his former team.

Despite all the focus on Gomez, someone did in fact ask Rachunek about facing the Rangers. He responded by saying that he hadn't played for the Rangers long enough for that to matter, especially since the Rangers didn't want him back anyway. He then proceeded to show why the Rangers didn't want him back, earning an assist on Dawes's opening minute goal. Rachunek came off the bench and was handed the puck by Johnny Oduya, who skated off for a shift change. Rachunek lamely passed the puck in front of his own net toward his own bench, where Oduya had not yet completed his change. With the Devils trying to avoid a too many men on the ice penalty, Shanahan got the puck and set Dawes up.

Dawes was a victim of a cruel numbers game when he was sent down to Hartford at the start of the season despite a good pre-season. But he was told -- and he knew -- that he would get a chance in the injury-riddled world of the NHL, and that chance came sooner rather than later when three left wingers -- his position -- went down in the opening weeks of the season. He was skating well even before last night -- now he has placed Coach Renney in the enviable position of having too many options when Sean Avery, Martin Straka, and Ryan Callahan return to action (although the latter two are still weeks away). Marcel Hossa also acquitted himself well in this game -- it's impossible to single him out for not scoring goals when no one else is either, but in the long run, playing well on the first line with Jagr will not be sufficient unless he puts pucks into the net.

Henrik Lundqvist finally got his just reward. Imagine giving up just one goal in three games but having no better than a 1-1-1 record! With the Rangers having scored just the one goal through most of last night, the young franchise goalie had to be perfect to add a win to his other glowing stats -- the league's fourth best GAA of 1.78 and sixth best .934 save percentage. Remember way back when during a playoff series when Eric Lindros stole the puck from Mark Messier and scored, and it was called a passing of the torch to a new generation? With Lundqvist outdueling Brodeur last night, and Brodeur betraying the degradation of his game in the way he fought off the puck even while making saves and especially while trying to handle the puck, this might be a changing of the guard in the crease.

Game reports -- Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Times, Post, Record, Star-Ledger, Advance, AP, SNY, NYR.com, and NY Sports Day. More from the Post on Ranger youth and from the Ledger on Dawes. Game notes from the Ledger and USA Today. Blueshirts Blog on the demotion of Thomas Pock, Rangers Report on the Nigel Dawes dilemma, and Blue Notes on Dawes. Dubinsky's first NHL point garnered notice in his hometown paper. That bloody fight that was shown between periods last night has put fighting back in the spotlight, so EPSN has a list of the ten dirtiest incidents ever, with Chris Simon's attack on Ryan Hollweg ranking high on the list. Jess Rubenstein has a Thursday night update at Prospect Park, Mitch Beck has a new entry at Howlings on Dawes and other subjects, and the Courant has the Wolf Pack week ahead. The Journal News also has a piece on the Manhattanville college kid who worked out with the Rangers yesterday.

Spotlight on Goals, Not Gomez

The story line is obvious -- Scott Gomez meeting his former team for the first time tonight at the Garden. But events have rendered it moot. The Rangers haven't scored a meaningful goal in 14 periods, haven't scored any goals at all in the last two games. So the last thing on their minds is Gomez's reunion with the Devils. For their part, the Devils are no longer the same team Gomez played on. As their coach Brent Sutter so bluntly put it, he doesn't know Gomez from a hole in the head (or words to that effect). And if any team is going to be ripe for a Ranger offensive break-out, it will be Martin Brodeur's Devils -- the Devils are 26th in the NHL with a 3.50 goals against average, Brodeur 28th among goalies with a 3.51 GAA.

To read about all this, see the Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Post, Record, Star-Ledger here and here, and NYR.com. At ESPN, Brodeur is one of four goalies spotlighted for their poor starts -- and so is Henrik Lundqvist. Not until fairly deep into the article does the writer recognize that Lundqvist is playing well, it's his team that's off to a poor start. At FoxSports, Tom Renney is one of several coaches on the hot seat for his team's poor start. The Ottawa Citizen is unimpressed with the Rangers' start too -- join the club. At NHL.com, an interesting question -- is Sergei Zubov Hall-worthy? Down on the farm, Hartford lost last night -- reports in Howlings, the Courant, and Providence Journal. Chris Holt was recalled by the Pack to replace injured Al Montoya (sore back). Jess has an update on other prospects at Prospect Park.

With Ryan Callahan out for two weeks with a knee sprain (according to the Daily News), the Rangers have so far not recalled a replacement from Hartford, according to reports from the morning skate at Rangers Report and Blue Notes. That means the Rangers are down to twenty healthy players, all of whom will dress tonight, including Jason Strudwick as the twelfth forward.

Snakebitten Rangers Shut Out Again

FURTHER UPDATE [4:30 PM]: From the Rangers -- "Ryan Callahan suffered a grade two knee sprain last night in Pittsburgh and is out indefinitely. He underwent an MRI today. He will not require surgery."

UPDATE: Thomas Pock waived, Ryan Callahan likely out tomorrow with a slighly sprained knee, per Rangers Report -- badly bruised, according to BB reader Marc (his girlfriend attended to Callahan at MRI). Look for a call-up from Hartford to replace Pock/Callahan -- won't be Dave Scatchard, who is sidelined with a groin strain.

Only two teams have given up fewer goals per game this season than the New York Rangers, and those teams are a combined 13-1-1. Only one team has taken more shots on goal per game than the Rangers, and that team is 8-1-0. Only two teams have a larger positive differential in shots for vs. shots against than the Rangers, and those teams have a combined record of 10-4-1. Only ten teams have given up fewer shots on goal per game than the Rangers, and those teams are a combined 43-28-5. Only seven goalies have a better goals against average than Henrik Lundqvist's 2.00, and they have a combined record of 28-6. Only seven goalies have a better save percentage than Henrik Lundqvist's .927, and they have a combined record of 31-6. By every measure, the Rangers should be at their rightful place among the league's elite -- except one: goals.

The Rangers are dead last in the league in goal scoring. They've scored the fewest goals of any team. They are the only team who don't even average the meager sum of two goals per game (1.62). They've been shut out three times and have scored just one goal twice in eight games. They've been shut out twice in a row now, and in the last four games have only scored power play goals and only when they were trailing by three. They have had three periods in which they've scored three goals or more, and have scored just three in total in their other 21 periods of play, plus one overtime and one shootout. So it's hardly a surprise that they've stumbled out of the gate at 2-5-1, 1-5-1 since opening night, 0-3-1 in their last four.

Last night in Pittsburgh, the Rangers did everything but score. They outshot the Penguins 36-22 (73-44 in total shot attempts). They dominated all but two shifts per period plus the five power plays the Penguins were gifted by referees playing to Versus's "Sell Sidney" promotional effort (while the Penguins were allowed to freely trip Rangers left and right, especially around the net). They skated hard and with purpose and made plays. But nothing went into the net. Despite all their good work, they were shut out for the second straight game by a goalie who didn't have to make a single big save -- all of their best chances they either shot wide (including three off the goal frame) or shot into a defender or the goalie.

Every Ranger except one felt that they were on the right track pouring shots onto the net, knowing that eventually they would start going in. Perhaps the most important of that group was Lundqvist himself, who has given up just one goal in the past two games but has lost both. "Don't change anything, just keep playing the way we are," he told the Daily News after last night's game. "Maybe a little bit more intense, be a little more hungry. We're doing all the other stuff right. The 'D' play is great." The lone exception was Jaromir Jagr, who took twelve shots last night but got only four on net (one hit iron) -- his line with Scott Gomez and Marcel Hossa took 21 total shots but put only eight on goal. Jagr told the News that he thinks the Rangers need to be more patient and generate higher quality scoring chances.

Either way, Jagr has to be front and center in solving this problem. He has just one goal in eight games, the slowest start of his career in a season he promised would be his best ever. And he is the captain, so he must lead the Rangers out of the quagmire they have dug for themselves. Right behind him is Brendan Shanahan, who also has just one goal in eight games despite leading the league with 50 shots on goal. A few games ago, Shanahan could say his shots were high quality shots, but not the past two games. Larry Brooks raises some valid concerns in the Post about whether age has finally caught up with Shanahan.

These are the team's leaders, a pair of 600-goal scorers who are sure Hall of Famers. Coach Tom Renney said before the season that if things were going well, he'd stand behind his leaders, but that if they faltered he'd get in front of them. He did all the right things preparing the team for this game -- simplifying the attack, focusing it on net, sticking to a sensible line rotation, and getting a good effort in every zone. Now he has to take an intangible step to break the logjam. Maybe this wouldn't have happened had he started the season with the line configuration he said in pre-season was obvious to the whole world -- maybe they would have worked the kinks out by now. Now that he's squandered his early-season cushion, he has to come up with something to turn the team's fortunes -- and it's not going to be an X or an O or a new line that does the trick.

Other games reports: the Times, Newsday, NYR.com, NHL.com, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Post-Gazette. Game notes from the Post-Gazette (including a summary of Jagr gambling allegations from a new book that we've seen before) and USA Today. Pre-game notes from the reporters' blogs -- Blueshirts Blog on Sean Avery, plus Blue Notes. The Times has a report on yesterday's hearing in the Rangers' lawsuit vs. the NHL over their web site. On the prospect front, the Courant has a feature on Greg Moore, Matt Zaba impressed in his pro debut in Charlotte (Chris Holt was recalled by the Wolf Pack to take the place of Al Montoya, out with a back injury), Jess Rubenstein has an update at Prospect Park, and Mitch Beck checks in at Howlings.

Marc Able to Raise Cane vs. His Brothers

Marc Staal is the second oldest of the four Staal brothers, but he was third to make it to the NHL. That's not because he is any less of a player, it's because he's plays defense, a position where players typically take longer to develop and are brought along more deliberately due to their exposure. But because he plays defense, his first NHL meeting tonight against one of his brothers is magnified, as he will have to defend against Jordan, a center, when the Rangers face the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

"Last year, Jordan made it and I didn't, so -- younger brother making the NHL," Marc said during a conference call with Jordan, Carolina center Eric, and father Henry. "He had a great season, [but] that didn't bother me at all. I don't really feel like I have to prove anything -- I think the fact that I'm a defenseman and they are both forwards is a lot easier. I don't have to try to match their goal totals or anything like that. I'm more of a stay at home, I try to take care of my own end first. I just want to play well and show that I can stay here all year and just have fun with it."

One might speculate that Marc became a defenseman in his early youth because he had to play against older brother Eric all the time. But the choice was actually made during organized play. "It happened when I was like six or seven," Marc said. "Our team wasn't very good, so they put me on defense and I played more -- I liked it. I could skate backwards -- not well, but better than most of the other people. So it kind of stuck after that. Obviously everyone loves to score goals, and when I was younger I scored goals. I don't anymore. But it doesn't bother me at all."

Asked if today's date was circled on anyone's calendar because of Marc's and Jordan's first head-to-head meeting, Eric jumped in and said, "Circled on mine." Jordan responded with surprise. "It's on yours?" he said. "Yeah, I'm going to watch that one," Eric said. "Unless -- I don't know if we're playing or not, but if we're not, I'm sure I'll be watching it." In fact, Carolina is not scheduled to play tonight. So Eric will have the pleasure of watching Jordan be the first to come down against their stay at home brother Marc. "I played against Eric last year all the time," said Jordan. "But it's definitely a lot different playing against a brother who is a defenseman."

Marc has told everyone who would listen -- not an insignificant number -- that he will not pass up an opportunity to hit his brother. "If I get a chance to play against those two, it will be a lot of fun," he told Blueshirt Bulletin for our current issue. "I did against Jordan in junior and it was a lot of fun. To compete against them would be pretty unbelievable. If I get a chance to crush one of them, I’m going to take it." Last week, he added, "In junior I believe I laid him out," Marc said. "Have a picture of it, too. I can send that to any of you guys if you want," he joked. "It's always fun to play against your brother. It's a little bit different and a little bit weird, but I feel like it's pretty exciting."

For his part, Jordan wants to beat Marc. "Going down his wing, I'm going to end up dangling him this time," he said. "We'll see -- it should be a lot of fun, and I'm kind of excited for it." Despite their kidding around, the brothers do actually compete hard against each other. During their summer training with other Thunder Bay hockey players, a "Staal rule" was installed that allowed the brothers to hit each other during the otherwise no-check work-outs. The physical play doesn't bother Henry, their father. "I don't mind the hard contact," he said. "I enjoy that they are going head-to-head against each other. The actual winning and losing part of it doesn't really excite me because there's always one guy not too happy and one guy pretty happy."

Asked which was the rowdy brother, Henry said, "You know what, they are all very [rowdy]. Marc probably had the biggest -- I don't know how to describe it -- the guy that could kind of push buttons a little." Marc recalled his father's impact from his youth. "Both my parents, Mom and Dad, were both obviously really busy all the time," he said. "They had to figure out how to get all four of us to different arenas at one time. But they never complained. They love watching us play. He was not like a high pressure, work hard every day kind of dad. He gave you constructive criticism, he liked to call it, and likes to give you tips and things like that. But he never pressed you to play or work on things or anything like that. He just was always there to support us. He loved to play the game, and it rubbed off on us. He loved watching it. So it was a lot of fun for us growing up in that house."

The whole experience remains an ongoing dream come true for the Staal family -- Eric winning a Stanley Cup at such a young age, Jordan being a Calder Trophy candidate at age 18, Marc making it to the NHL as a regular for a contender in his rookie season, and youngest brother Jared on track to make it four brothers in the NHL. "Just a couple weeks ago," Jordan said, "me and Eric were sitting on the couch watching Marc play with the Rangers, and I kind of looked at him, like, 'Can you believe this? I'm playing you tomorrow, and we're watching Marc on TV.' I don't think any of us really expected it to happen. You know, it's unbelievable that we all made it to this level. I'm proud of my brothers and I'm proud to be here."

When the Staals meet tonight, both of their teams will be trying to shake off early season struggles and restake their claims among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. For the Rangers, Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez will give it another go, with Marcel Hossa returning to action on their left wing. Contrary to popular opinion, the Jagr-Gomez pairing has not been ineffective overall -- they have just had trouble finishing. In two-plus games since they were united late in the second period vs. Ottawa, Jagr attempted 21 shots and Gomez attempted 14 -- their third linemate (Hossa or Nigel Dawes) added 7 attempts. That adds up to 42 of the team's 140 shots in that span, exactly 30%. But only 21 of them were on goal -- less than 25% of the team total of 92. Still, Jagr has a goal and two assists, Gomez a goal and an assist, and Hossa an assist since they united.

Dawes will remain in the line-up on an all-rookie third line with Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. Petr Prucha will move up to take the place of Martin Straka (out several weeks with a broken finger) on the second line with Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan. The pairing of Drury and Shanahan has not exactly been chopped liver either since they were united -- Shanahan has attempted 26 shots in the two-plus games, 20 of them on goal, while Drury has added 20 shot attempts, 12 on goal (Straka had 5 attempts before missing most of last game). The line combinations are working, at least when it comes to taking shots -- 51 shots (or more -- there were other left wingers last game), with 33 of them on goal, for the second line alone in 145 minutes of play. The problem is getting the shots on net for the first line and getting them into the net for the second line.

So it's no surprise that when Jagr was interviewed after pracitce yesterday (see the Journal News, Newsday, Rangers Report, and Post), he identified lack of confidence and over-pressing as the likely problems with the offense rather than lack of talent or chemistry -- when you press because you lack confidence, you shoot it wide, or you shoot it into defenders, or you shoot it into the goalie. But at least they're getting shots and taking them. Shanahan believes the two new centers need to be less selfish and shoot more, according to the Daily News.

In other game-day reading, you can catch up on what's happening in Pittsburgh here, here, here, here, and here; NYR.com has a game preview; Stan Fischler's thoughts at MSG.com can be found here and here; NHL.com has a feature on Tommy Pyatt; SI.com includes Benoit Allaire among five low-key high-impact figures in the NHL; Charlotte's defensive woes after a 6-2 weekend loss are discussed here; and Prospect Park would like you to help name its Prospect of the Week award.

A Matter of Execution

Are Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr compatible as linemates? They better be, because Gomez got the big contract the Rangers awarded him because his playmaking abilities made him a natural replacement for Michael Nylander alongside Jagr, and on into the post-Jagr future. Tom Renney tried the two together during most of training camp and pre-season. "Just trying what everybody on the planet would suggest would be obvious," Renney observed at that time. "You're talking about veteran players who have great hockey instincts who can assimilate with anybody," he said a few days later. "Jaromir is an outstanding player who can adjust and adapt to anybody," he said at another juncture. "It doesn't suggest for a minute that others might not have to work within what he likes to do too."

The players agreed with Renney's various assessments. "I've always approached my job is to get whoever I'm playing with the puck," Gomez said when he first arrived. "It doesn't matter who you play with, they all bring something special to the table. I know what my role is." Jagr said similar things. "Me and the center have to work together," he observed. "The whole five guys have to work together one way." On Gomez specifically, he said, "I think we play a similar game. He likes to pass a lot, he has great hockey sense, he can see you and make a pass. It's up to me how many goals I'm gonna score. He likes to carry the puck through the neutral zone -- I have to adjust in one way. Then he has to adjust the other way -- I like to be in the corners by myself."

The truth in all these statements has not changed from the rosy forward looking vantage point of training camp to the point of panic the offensively challenged Rangers now find themselves in. Gomez has not racked up a grand total of just one assist solely as Jagr's center -- he has spent only two-plus games there. Jagr's grand total of just one goal has come with someone other than Gomez as his center for most of the time. And Brendan Shanahan has a grand total of just one goal despite Gomez being his set-up man for most of the season to date. The truth is, as they have all said, these are all accomplished players who should be able to mesh with any linemates. What has been lacking has been individual execution -- Shanahan has not been able to score on his multitude of good to great shots, Jagr has not been able to hit the net on more than half of his shots, Gomez has not gotten puck support during his rushes and has not been able to make many plays in the attacking zone.

Draw up all the line combinations you want. Analyze styles and tendencies all you want. Practice this and practice that until your skates wear out. It's not going to do anyone any good until Jagr and Shanahan start putting pucks into the net, even strength and man up. If they can't do it with Gomez and Drury as their centers, they won't be able to do it in any other configuration either. They'll be the first to tell you that's what they get paid to do, and that's what they're not doing so far. But watch out -- once it starts, there's going to be no stopping it.

For more on the subject, see today's New York Post, where Larry Brooks analyzes why Jagr and Gomez are in fact incompatible and suggests the Rangers try Dave Scatchard as a short-term solution as Jagr's center. Meanwhile, down in Hartford, as Mitch Beck notes in his Wolf Pack game recap in Howlings today, "Scatchard didn't play much at all in the third period" of the Pack's 4-3 shootout win in Toronto last night. Al Montoya left that game in the first period with an injury after a goal mouth collision that incited some nastiness. "Unofficial word on Montoya, who did not return, was that the stopper suffered a muscle strain, but the injury was not thought to be serious," reports the Canadian Press. In other prospect news, see Jess's latest update in Prospect Park. Looking ahead to the Rangers meeting Pittsburgh tomorrow night, USA Today and the Post-Gazette preview the first-ever NHL match-up of Marc Staal with one of his brothers (Jordan).