How to Win and Lose With the Power Play

"I don't have an answer for it," Brendan Shanahan said in analyzing why the Rangers lost 3-2 today to Dallas despite thoroughly dominating the game. "We seem to go to the net, we seem to get scoring chances. But we're not burying them with any real consistency." Jaromir Jagr said, "I thought we played pretty good. We had a lot of chances. We had the opportunities to get rebounds. We just didn't do it. We just didn't score goals. We could have won this game."

The answer is simple. One team, despite getting no offense otherwise, capitalized on its two full power plays to tie the game and win it. The other team, despite all its offense, ground to a near standstill whenever it got the man advantage. Dallas 2-for-3 (the lone failure a three-second power play after the Rangers negated an advantage with a penalty of their own) -- Rangers 0-for-6. Not to mention the Stars scoring on the four on four after the Rangers negated their own power play.

What went wrong? The Rangers had some set-up time on the power play, but a) they missed the net six times, b) they had their flow consistently disrupted, limiting their attack time, and c) not one of their ten shots on goal generated a rebound, the majority of them held by Dallas back-up Mike Smith. By contrast, in less than three minutes of power play time, the Stars got six shots on goal, two of them goals. "There is certainly reason to believe that that's going to be there," coach Tom Renney said of his power play. "But what our team needs to do is understand that the blue paint is vital for scoring. We generated a lot of shots today, and that's great. But we are not a second or third chance team in close at this point in time."

The Rangers have gotten where they are on defense and goaltending. In a game when that's not all there -- Henrik Lundqvist did not look like his usual stellar self on the two breakaway goals, and Dan Girardi was keenly disappointed with himself for his role in all three goals against -- it's up to the star-studded power play to make a difference. That's what the Stars did with their power play in a game where they literally had nothing else. That's what the Rangers failed to do when they had chances to extend the lead with the man advantage or tie the game back up. There is no reason in the world for this group of players -- so deep that power play specialist Petr Prucha can't even get any ice time -- to hurt themselves so badly with the man advantage that they end up losing games they should win, and win easily.

Comments

[Alan]

I don't know why they thought they played so well. i was there. they didn't. they had a lot of shots but they gave up so much in return. girardi and tjutin had their worst game as a duo. besides the pp, and besides him even scoring a fluke goal, jagr is reminding me of what the last few years with mess was like. don't get me wrong, i loved mess, but there was no more selfish player those last couple of years. to my eyes, jagr is becoming another mess and is causing one consistently on the ice. he overextends his shifts all the time which disrupts the flow. his either constant calling for the puck or hogging the puck or just him being there with now straks and always rosey, and even dubi to an extent deferring to him causes countless problems. and i've been saying this for years. everyone knows the other four guys with him are looking for him so the defense can always afford to deny him the puck with more than one guy because they know one of the other four will try to force him the puck because he always wants it. he had the puck taken from him more times than i can remember today. his strength on the puck was always the best part of his perimeter game but he seems less strong this season. and in the first period today, he just seemed to refuse to touch up on an offsides and deliberately stayed in the offensive zone while dallas controlled the puck, delaying a line change on top of everything else.

whoever posted a while back that more people post when we lose is right, as i've been quiet for a few weeks, but the last few games really bothered me. even in fla. the other night, putting himself in the shootout in lieu of prucha just reeks of selfishness, particularly after the horrible game he had prior to that. and renney's idiotic attempts to right the power play without using prucha really piss me off. and hossa needs to sit for a while. when cally comes back thursday, play him with prucha and dubi and i bet they start generating something. from the beginning of the year the chemistry has been missing. we started winning which takes the focus off of who really belongs with who, but our commitment to D and hank was what was winning those games not because our lines finally clicked, with the one exception of the fourth line. gomez is losing the puck again with regularity, and drury is stuck playing with hossa. we have three lines that are still not cohesive and just can't rely on the D and hank to win every game for us. when is this going to stop??

[K24]

"putting himself in the shootout in lieu of prucha just reeks of selfishness"

Oh come on! That's Renney's decision, and Jagr has always chosen to go later in the shootout if given the choice.

I thought Jagr played better than he has the past few games, fluke goal or not. He actually shot the puck. You must have been looking for the giveaways because he didn't give up the puck nearly as much as he has been, and when he did it was because he had 2-3 guys on him. Why the hell shouldn't he want the puck? Slow start or not he's still one of the best players on this team and he should get the puck. I agree that guys (Roszival in particular) defer to him a lot, but he's not the only one they do that to. Gomez was interviewed in between periods and he admitted he's deferring to Shanahan too much. I also agree about Renney not playing Prucha on the power play. It's just stupid. Sit some of the damn stars for the PP if they're not doing the job and give Prucha a chance.

[akayama49]

alan I couldn't agree with you more; I sat in my seat Sec. 67 behind the goal on 8th ave where the Rangers attack twice and as I see it we lack a player who releases the puck quickly and who can get open quickly; in other words a top flight power play specialist. either we trade for one (not likely available in today's NHL) or more likely we choose one from our myriad goal scoring prospects and plant him on the PP; the forwards currently being used on the PP have many hockey strengths that justify their large salaries, but they are unimpressive compared to some of the rookies I have seen sparingly used by Renney on the PP this season; by the way if Ranger management is concerned about defensive deficiencies of these youngsters, I suggest we employ them in the manner that the old Montreal teams did with the likes of Yvon Cournoyer, to wit, use them as specialists solely for the extra man situations and sit them otherwise

[akayama49]

In his second game back with Wolfpack, Dawes for example managed 2 goals and one key assist all on the power play; he scored at least one vs. Brodeur on the PP and I suggest his production dropped off because Renney curtailed his power play time, not the other way around!

[Leo]

Please Tom Renney, find a way to make this team net some goals, FOR GOD'S SAKE.

[Jess]

K24

Thank you for being a voice of reason. Jagr does not tell Renney what to do or how to do it. However on the power play the biggest issue in my eyes is not who is playing on the unit but other issues.

Renney himself hinted at the problem but did not come out and directly acknowledge that the lack of traffic in the crease is the problem.

Akayama

You would like to see the Rangers see the Rangers carry someone as just a power play specialist and sit them otherwise so does that mean you want to see the Rangers roll only 3 lines constantly then?

That is what would happen if one followed your idea would it not?

You keep acting as if Dawes is the solution to the Ranger problems but that is not the case, Dawes over his last week with the Rangers was not playing well.

He was turning over the puck, his defense was almost non-existent and it was not because of how Renney was using him it was because of how Dawes was playing.

If Dawes played his way into the lineup in the first place he also played his way out the same lineup

[akayama49]

Jess: Dawes is most certainly a possible solution to one of the most troubling problems, to wit, the power play; no one said he was the solution to all that ails the Rangers; you have grossly overstated Dawes' defensive flaws and conveniently regularly overlooked other young player's growing pains; but i'm even willing to overlook that---he still would constitute an upgrade now on our power play efficiency, but if he continues to be buried in Hartford while our PP languishes management has no one to blame but themselves

[Orr And Avery Are PISSED !! Vote for HANK, JAGR, SHANNY, GOMER, and DRU!!!]

Lol, this team needs alot more then Dawes to help them out.

Hossa, Straka, and Jagr need to realize they can shoot, and stop wasting there teamates time.

[Jess]

Akayama

How exactly am I overstating Dawe's flaws?

[akayama49]

stating his defense was "almost nonexistent"---hey i've been watching this team regularly since 1963--and i consider that statement a gross overstatement; he played for most of the 16 game stint here with Drury/Prucha and ended up +1 so if his defense was nonexistent what about those players? But I would concede that late in the last Islander game he muffed a breakout pass that slowed the team; my point is to paraphrase Renney "use him in a way that he can succeed"and help the team, that is, get him on the power play where there's one less opponent to have to deal with and he will deliver---for what other reason do you think he was drafted given his small size; he lives in the blue paint zone!!

[Rich]

How many times have we heard the announcers say the following: "(fill in name of player) tries to feather a pass to (fill in the name of player)." Can't any player on this team make a hard pass? I know Avery made at least one "bullet" pass from behind the net to Shanny (I think) in front of the Dallas net.

Tell you what folks, the PP is too stationary as Jess pointed out (just doing some sucking up :) )in the previous thread. In fact it appears that they purposely slow the game down looking for the "picture perfect play." All this does is help the opposing team's penalty killers. We know what the Rangers are going to do and so does the opposition. Couple that with the fact that the team consistently over passes the puck (softly) looking for the highlight reel goal and you get the Rangers PP (lack of) results.

[K24]

"Can't any player on this team make a hard pass?"

Yeah, they can. Unfortunately, no one on this team can ACCEPT a hard pass! ;)

Honestly, I haven't noticed the announcers saying that all that much.

[NYR56]

I would say i am PISSED at the rangers but i ended up at Giants game today and well that organization should be embarrassed.
Eli Manning couldn't pass for Peyton's sister.......

Only from what i heard Rangers need to score more, Line changes needed...(duh)
Does it feel good to finally be the team well rested in the Isles series?

[K24]

Nothing will feel good about the Isles series until we actually win a game or two against them.

[stuart]

hey how is strudwick doing??? Man is he slow, anyone who thinks he is better then Malik is a drinker.....

Hossa brings nothing to the game and the 4th line is a joke..

I bring up dawes and when callahan is back sit either Hossa, hollwegg, or Orr.. the team cannot score at present and there 4th line is a joke.. yeah they hit and try and all that stuff but with cally and dawes in the lineup the rangers have 12 legit forwards...

Tyutin is pretty good player but he makes way more defensive mistakes then Girardi.. He makes even more then Stall. Mara is not as good today as Staal is.....

[Jameson]

Straka will make the powerplay better in my opinion, it looked a lot more organized today with Straka out there, at least we're establishing the zone and getting chances and shots.

Callahan will also give the powerplay a spark in my opinion. We need more from the points, Roszival hasn't been great on the powerplay lately and Mara isn't getting shots. When our powerplay is affective, those two are getting the puck in the net. Girardi and Tyutin earned powerplay ice time earlier in the year but I think it's time to take them off the powerplay, at least Girardi, he's just not much of an offensive minded defenseman, and he doesn't really have the best shot. I say Staal-Mara and either Straka-Roszival or Tyutin-Roszival on the points...

[Jess]

akayama49

Fair enough OK then you are right I did overstate that much about his defensive game but as you also pointed out he muffed that pass in the Islander game.

Dawes also turned the puck over in the Pens game which directly led to a Pen goal. It was not just one event that led to his being sent back to Hartford it was several and we also have to acknowledge that he was replaced by the leading scorer of the Wolfpack.

I will not argue with you that Renney should use him in situations which play to his strengths but at the same time IF you only use him as a PP specialist then you are only going to roll 3 lines which in my eyes is not a good idea in today's NHL.

Dawes has to play a 2 way game if he is going to stick with the Rangers and it has to be consistent.

Do not get me wrong I am a Dawes fan, I happen to think he is an exceptional human being who just for the stuff he does off ice deserves to be a Ranger BUT I am sorry to repeat this it was not how Renney used him but his own mistakes that hurt him.

Rich

LMAO you did a so-so job of kissing up (I prefer cash since the Teddy Bear Attacked my laptop and fried it) so off to Newark you go.

NYR56

And I thought Jet fans were suckers for punishment.

[Jameson]

Stuart, why should the 4th line players get benched because of the lack of scoring? It's not their job to score..they're probably the only forwards that have actually done everything asked of them. I just don't think the answer to our scoring problems is stocking the lineup full of more goalscoring forwards...we have them on the first three lines, it's a matter of getting it to work with those lines. The 4th line is really underappreciated around here, the energy they bring, the forecheck, the hitting, we need that. Orr's presence in the lineup usually means guys aren't going to be taking liberties with our star players either, because they know they've gotta answer to a heavyweight.

[paulf]

Nobody says anything about Girardi? Everybody loves the kid but he's starting to get toasted with alarming regularity. He looked terrible on the Panthers second goal and he was beaten badly today.

[mr sooke]

Jess do you really think jj has no input as to what goes on with the team ? I would think that every superstar and team captian has a little input . If the pp is not doing what Renney wants then change it up . Put out the players who will do what the coach wants . See who is going in the game and ride them not the same old same old , that's not coaching .Why not try Prucha or Dawes when he was up , TRY SOMETHING NEW!!!!
.

[Blaze]

Indeed there need to be some new line changes. Get Dubinsky off the 1st line to start with. We have a phenomenal player like Drury languishing on the 3rd line with Hossa. Drury is a fantastic playmaker. He needs to be with players that are of his caliber.
The 2nd line is touch and go. They have “some” chemistry but it's not quite there yet. Gomez is still struggling to find his game....and he needs to start being selfish with the puck. It is not nit-picking to consider that the offense needs to generate more scoring opportunities. I was happy to see they were shooting the puck today, but they need better shots on goal. Although Smith rarely gave up a rebound.

How come no set plays on the PP? It seems they pass the puck incessantly around the perimeter hopping for the best. Renney is relying way too much on his forwards to generate ALL the offense on the PP.

It’s expected that Girardi will make his rookie mistakes from time to time but we also expect our offense to offset that too. Girardi is going to be a fine defenseman in a few years time.

[pghas]

It isn't just Gomez, everyone has to be more selfish with the puck. Guys need to start acting like they're going to be the ones to put the puck in the net, not someone else. The only ones doing that at all are Jagr and Shanny.

I love Drury, his game is terrific all-around, but he's just got to bury that second period breakaway with tyhe Rangers up 2-1. Just has to. That's why he's paid the money he is. And I don't mean that in a negative or whiny or obnoxious way, I just think it's the truth. That's just one example (Avery's post with 2 minutes left on an open net in FLA also comes to mind) of what needs to happen. I think at this point it's just gotten into alot of guys' heads that they can't score, which is ridiculous. If they all relax and just start shooting the puck and playing hockey and stop worrying about it, this team will start averaging 4 + a game. They'll get there, it just won't be until after another brief slump (perhaps we're headed there now) and after New Years'. But they'll still be right in the thick of it when it all comes together, then they'll take off.

It will happen. No way this continues all year. Not with the roster they have. If nothing else, they'll all sort of hit bottom and then start feeling like they really have nothing to lose, and that's when the goals will come in buckets.

[K24]

Not that I want to start a panic around here, but is anyone else worried that we just lost 2 in a row, and our next 3 games are against the "we-can't-beat-them" Isles, league-leading Senators, and SE-division-leading Hurricanes?

[Blaze]

Ottawa is currently on a 3-game losing streak. Hopefully this mini-slump turns into a BIG slump.

[NYR56]

Jess-hate to say, i am a skins fan(i just bet the g-men today)

GO RANGERS!

[Vlo]

Jess, your right about the traffic, but I think Smith played a pretty darn good game as well. One thing that seems to be of concern is the perimeter play and the lack of finish shown by this forward group. Scoring isn't only skill, it's an unabashed desire to put the puck in the back of the net. Players have to will their way to the net and bury the son of a bitch! That desire, anger, hunger isn't present. One factor continues to stand out: the lack of size up front. I know this is supposed to be the new NHL and all, but it seems this year especially, that all 30 NHL teams, ok maybe not the Mapleleafs, have figured how to play within a defensive system (cough, deep trap!!!) without all the cluthcing and grabbing. More and more games are turning into half-ice cycle fest. During the Islander game, the Rangers were continualsy out -muscled along the offensive and most importantly defensive boards. Now, I hope no one interprets this as an need for a couple of goons because the team is getting pushed around. Quite the contrary actually. This is a cohesive unit that always sticks up for themselves. But we need some type of physical presence, other than Sean Avery, who will engage and pay the price to get to the net. Some beef would be a nice addition to distract netminders and to tie up opposing defenseman. I beleive the Ranger system is as strong as any organization, but were developing the same type of forward. Dawes, Prucha, Callahan, Bourret. Dubinsky is the excpetion, but hasn't fully developed his physical game. You can see it in spurts but no consistency yet. It will come with age and added strength, but for the time being the Rangers are pretty flimsy up front.

[Dan]

I was at the pack game last night, a win over the baby devils, Dawes was ok( he apparently had a good game Friday) but in the 3 games I've seen the pack play this season including last night, Pierre Parenteau has been the best forward on the ice.

[Vlo]

Oh, I still blame this loss on Bob W. Darn JINX!!!!

[rangerbill94]

Dubi

I think you are right, the answer to why we lost is simple. However, your reason is only partially true. This team lacks any real passion to win. To win at all costs. They are relying on a system to win it and, while a system is a very good thing and is working well, the last two games produced nobody to step up and take charge. All this talk of QB's for the PP and the like don't define the problem. In times like these you look toward the guy who will defy gravity, as it were, and WIN the game. That guy is not on this team, yet.

[Jess]

mr sooke

I think Jagr's input is limited, I do not think Jagr tells Renney how to run the team or who to play with whom. I do think he will make suggestions but Renney is not going to let anyone (other than Sather) to tell him how to run the team.

Blaze

THANK YOU that is an excellent post. I agree that the team should go to using set plays on the PP but I would also like to see someone as willing to set up in crease.

If you want to move Dubinsky off the first line then put him back with Prucha and Cally as those 3 did have chemistry at the beginning of the season.

The question though is who is the odd man out now? Who do you sit for Cally? Hossa, Orr or Hollweg?

I think the Sens are this season's version of the Sabres, just like last season the Sens jumped out to a fast start and just like the Sabres I expect them to peak too soon.

See that is the one point that I think many Ranger fans are overlooking is when for the team to "peak". I can handle struggling at this point of the year because like Pghas I believe the team will come together after the New Year.

[rangerbill94]

"That guy is not on this team, yet." Let me rephrase that...That guy has not showed up on this team, yet.

[czechthemout!!!!!]

Another game lost due to a lack of suffucient offense.Every chance to shoot by the first two lines is deferred to jagr and shanny at the cost of great scoring chances not capitalized on.

To some of those blaming dubinsky for that two on one with straka,are you kidding?Straka's pass was into his skates.

Jess-the players are being driven to the sides because most don't have the necessary determination to go to the net except Avery.Callahan coming back should help.Drury,Callahan,Avery should help.Prucha,Shanny,Gomez should work too.

Can Renney please break up the fourth line and put hossa there instead of Hollywood?
The fourth line gets way too much ice time.they should not have more than one shift a period.

[czechthemout!!!!!]

And anpther point i'd like to make is that the rangers real record is 10 wins,eight losses and five ties.Doesn't look like much of a stanley cup quality team to me.This team will probobly finish with around 83to86 real pts and be eliminated either in the first or second round of the playoffs.With that i hope they will allow jagr to walk and shanny as well and start to rebuild with gomez and drury as the veteran leadres on offense and tyutin and girardi on defense.They need to infuse the lineup with some more of their fine prospects,jettison finally hossa and some more of the offensivly inept forwrds and replace them with real soild dfensive forwards either from inside or through free agency/trade that can also chip in with 8-12 goals.I for one am looking forward the next phase of the development of this franchise.I also hope that Lindy Ruff gets out of buffulo,he would make a fine addition behind the bench instead of our current passive coach.

[ivrydov]

The Dallas TV announcer and a guest between periods choose Henrik as the league MVP for the first quarter because if it weren't for him the Rangers would be in 31st place. The Blackhawks won the 1938 Stanley Cup with the weakest attack in the league, but it hasn't happened since because you are not going to win consistently if you can only score two goals a game. Notice how Dallas down low always was working to have someone in position for a high percentage shot whereas with the Rangers the closer they get to the net the more befuddled they become. A lot of times it's like watching an ongoing Alphonse-Gaston act. Too bad hockey wasn't like baseball where as soon as they cross the blueline the coaches could send signals what to do, these guys seem lost. Yes there were even times I was looking for Renney to send in Malik on defence. We've even come to that. Very, very frustrating game.

[ntb]

Jess, nice point about the lack of player movement on the PP. I guess I have a more general observation. When I watch the PP, it seems like everyone is moving in slow-motion. When you watch good PPs they have crisp passes, players moving into gaps, quick shots, and 2 guys going for loose pucks. The Rangers stand relatively still, think about their passes, hesitate for that extra second before shooting (allowing the goalie to get into position or a defender to block the shot), and always seem to lose the race to the puck. Does anyone else see this?

[Ryan]

Czech,

I actually agree with some of your points for once. This must be a first! I skipped most of the comments so I didn't see people blaming Dubi for that 2 on 1, but if they did, the blame is all on Straka. Once Callahan is back, Hossa will thankfully be either on that fourth line, or just sitting. Disagree that the fourth line should get one shift a period though. They don't help our offensive woes but last year we definitely had more success rolling all four lines. Also, it helps to keep everyone else a little fresher as time goes by. It might just pay dividends once the playoffs roll around. Still not sold on Renney being a bad coach too. To me it all depends on the result in the playoffs.

[Blaze]

Sather needs to go after NHL ready young players. Try picking up first rounders that are just about ready to make their mark on the NHL level. That's what Paul Holmgren did since taking over as GM for the Flyers. He did great by picking up Hartnell & Upshall....and naturally Daniel Briere was a huge signing. Briere and Gomez got almost identical contracts...I think the Flyers got the better player for that kind of money.

The Flyers are the team to watch-out for this year.

[iceycup]

ok.

shots on goal : 41-18, rangers.

hello, coaching staff. let's address this.

we look like a ****ing LensCrafters commercial out there and have for some time.

i believe that this coaching staff can address this concern.

is everyone gripping the stick too tight?

if so, that can be addressed too.

man... put the pie plates up in the goal corners every practice like they do at the all star skills competition.

[Bhemscott5]

Several points worth considering:

Try the hated dump and run

Put Colton Orr in front of their net

Use Jagr as decoy--he is either hurt or maybe his gambling escapades have him distracted--its a pretty easy formula for the opposition-all the Rangers will defer to him, double team him one for the body, the other for the puck--wait till he looks down-which he's doing a lot lately and grab the puck off of his stick or wait for his poor pass to nobody.

Clearly something is not right with him. I don't know if its the body is willing but the mind's not or vice versa. Groin? No Nylander? We are seeing the same result when a team has no faith in the backstopper-the whole show falters.

As the hockey strategists say--alot of hockey is counterintuitive--you may think a great player makes a great penalty shot artist--very often the opposite is true.

Gifted players just "do"; when they have to "think" to "do" very often you get confusion, frustration, etc.

This team has perimiter shooting, no one out front, and aside from Avery, and maybe the 4th line they seem to be under Jagr's spell.

No doubt he's one of the best in the world but something is going on. Give me 5 Mark Staals and now we are onto something.

[Jess]

Vlo

Yes Smith played well but the Rangers did help him by not generating any traffic in front of him. The Rangers did not have any screens or any deflections which would have made Smith's job tougher.

I did not misread what you wrote as a need for more goons but I also do not think the Rangers need to get bigger up front but rather they need to keep skating. The "New" NHL rewards those who keep skating as if you keep moving your feet then odds are better than you will get the calls.

The Rangers are being pushed outside but they are helping the cause too. All of a sudden Avery has stopped being much of a pest so I wonder if his shoulder is acting up. Avery should know that it is his job not Shanny's to mix it up with Ott.

If I am the Stars I would love taking a Shanny for an Ott anyday. Avery is supposed to prevent that. And as much as I dislike the namecalling that Shanny is subjected to here today his fighting was not very smart for him to do.

Can I blame the Jet season on Bob W too? He is their radio announcer and he is even worse with football.

NYR56

If you are a Skin's fan and you bet the Giants then sorry you got what you deserved LOL.

Czech

Sorry but I disagree that the Rangers lack the determination to attack the net. In my eyes it is part defense against them and as Bhem pointed out a failure to "dump the puck and chase".

NTB

I am seeing what you are but even more frustrating is to see the players not in a good shooting position either. We are not seeing any one timers and as you pointed out are losing the race to the puck.

Blaze

I spend most of my time looking at the players in the CHL and NCAA level and for the most part once you get past the first 5-6 players in each draft then you are into the not ready zone.

For starters most of these kids are neither physically or mentally developed enough to handle the rigors of the NHL. Just about every single one needs to improve their upper body, change their diet and improve their game by attending a specialized school.

As for the Flyers, they will do what they do best breakdown by the end of the season so I am not too worried about themn. They have perhaps more injury prone players than any other NHL team.

[Bhemscott5]

Jess-

The Colton Orr scenario is simply take a big immovable force and stick him in front of the goalie to screen him-if all your team can muster up is a perimiter shot at least get in the way or maybe buy a penalty when they try to move you (enforcer).

As to Avery I think he knows he's on the "most wanted" list; that is, with the refs and their bad calls. He knows he is on the verge of or may already have arrived at the Kovalev level. If you remember if Kovalev looked at the scoreboard, adjusted his helmet or skated near the ref--he got a diving penalty. Avery knows he's a target--it amazes me how the calls can be so calculating or targeted at a player--regardless of whether the guy is engaging in anything warranting a penalty.

By the way, Kovalev didn't help his cause when he said in a midgame interview that the season didn't count, that only the playoffs mattered and he had to be careful not to get hurt during the regular season so that he could "shine" in the playoffs. It was early in his career-before he said-(last year)-but claimed he didn't say. that the Habs-and the fans didn't like Russians.

[Jess]

BH

Avery has no choice if he wants that Ranger long term contract, he has to attack the net, he has to be the pest and he has to it consistently for him to be effective.

If he does not do it then the Rangers would be better off getting rid of him.

I also really doubt that Avery cares what the NHL thinks or does so I really do wonder if perhaps he is hurt more than he is letting on.

Avery has been taking a beating from his shoulder to his hand to now his face. Let us see how he plays after having some days off.

If he does not go after the Islanders then something is wrong

[Dunny]

Girardi lacks the primo 1 on 1 skills of a top tier guy at this point.. I've freakin read published reports comparing this guy to some of the greats (all N.Y. media).. That's just assinine, doesn't even have a full season under his belt, wasn't drafted, and certainly didn't dominate junior.. he was a good player on a good team.

IMO the jury is out on this guy, he has to keep improving or he'll be made redundant pretty quickly. Obviously, this is the case with all young guys.

Staal on the other hand, is the real deal, he's already dominated big games and had an entire team on his back last year.. He's gonna be the guy, not dan Girardi.. No offense to Dan.

[brian]

so i sat in the " 3 quarters was long enough for me" giants game, man was that brutal, but it sounds like despite doing everything imaginable to win the game, we did everything imaginable to lose it. We had 41 shots on goal we limited them to 18, so we def had the puck more. We had 6 pp, they had i think it was 3? BUT, we went 0-6, gave them 2 pp goals, and didt score on a crucia breakaway, and didnt score more tha two goals against Mike dont call me Billy Smith. We didnt even have to play turco. I am sorry but with the way this ranger team plays, this is where the coaching needs to step in and say enough is enough with not burying the chances already.

Enough is enough, its time for a change. Mike Smith should not make 39 saves on you, and its horrible to watch other teams score 4 or 5 goals nightly and we will lose if we give up 2 or more..you cant live like that in the penalty filled world of the new NHL...hence the reason over the whole season, we will sink if we dont score AND play defense...right now its either or...no excuses, get it done..

PS we need an adam graves type payer for the front of the net..Calling Pat Verbeek anyone?? think he can still do it?

[Three Chord Monte]

Great blog, I read it daily. The last time I chimed in, early in the season, I was pleading to trade Jagr for a top-shelf defenseman. Oh well. Now it would be next to impossible.

The Rangers have been winning by pure will. They have willed themselves to victory. I agree with Tom Renney, now they need to get the pp going by willing themselves into the blue paint.

As a Ranger, Adam Graves scored more goals off his ass than Jagr has scored off his stick. It's time to rotate Orr and Hollweg into the pp along with Avery. The Rangers can afford to take a couple of penalties to nullify a pp or two. They're not scoring now anyway.

Job #1 should be to fight for space in front of the opposing crease.

[i]

DUBI have you asked Renney why Prucha is not getting PP time & why he's now playing 2 D on it? The PP is the key to winning, & burying opponents.

[Blaze]

anyone read this yet?

http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/rangers/archives/2007/11/not_good_enough.html#more

I agree with it 100%

[cwgatti]

Like I said the other day, the Girardi watch is on. . . . . .Fatigue is becoming an issue. A lot of guys will disagree (which is fine), but if I see a problem with a player, from Immonen to Shanny, I am gonna let you know. No one is above criticism. Girardi has been great in limited games. Great in a short season last year, great in the early going this year. But we are starting to see the cracks. He used to not fall for those deeks. We wouldn't see him use the one handed hold/ shivers he has been guilty of recently. He would keep it simple and take the body. Either he is hurt, or running out of gas already. It wouldn't hurt to give him a night off here and there, especially seeing how Malik will be coming back soon. Expecting he and Tyutin to be the 1st D pair, may have been a little too much a little too early.

[lennynyr]

Czech, do the Rangers or Jagr have the option to walk away next season?

[lennynyr]

A few words about Avery. If he kept his big mouth shut he wouldn't be the target for the refs that he is today. Makes his play almost useless to the Rangers since any aggression on his part will result in an immediate penalty and any counter hit on him, dirty or not, will be ignored by the refs.

As he said he needs to change his name and I'd also suggest plastic surgery and a different uniform number.

At this point in time, I wouldn't offer him a contract for next year and beyond.