Rough Start Cuffs Rangers

Tom Renney was not taking any solace from the highlight reel goals Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev scored this afternoon in making the Rangers' 4-2 loss to the Devils look more respectable than it actually was -- the first pre-season goals for each of the two snipers the Rangers will be heavily counting on to score goals this season. "I wasn't real positive about today's game," he said. "I didn't think we were very good. Tonight was a classic case of trying to do too much when we weren't working hard enough to have anything successful happen. You have to outwork your opponent. They waited for us to make mistakes and they capitalized on them, and we made plenty of them too early."

Not helping the cause was a new set of line combinations that didn't click. Having gone with the same set of lines from day one of training camp until today, it was somewhat surprising to see things changed up so drastically for the first game where the entire team was pretty much together. The short of it is, as the New York Post reported, Chris Drury was moved to the right wing on the top line so that Brandon Dubinsky could move up to the second line, with Nikolai Zherdev on his right wing, and the Czech who couldn't shoot straight, Petr Prucha, scratched.

Not only did that belie Renney's assertion after the last game that he had enough depth to ice four NHL lines (why not stick with the energetic third line of Dubinsky, Callahan, and Fritsche or Voros?), but it became quickly evident that there was not enough rubber on the ice for Dubinsky and Zherdev to share. Things got further complicated when Lauri Korpikoski was ejected early in the game for an erroneous boarding major ("They've already rescinded the call," Renney said after the game), causing a lot of juggling to fill the middle on the third line the rest of the way.

Matters weren't better on the blue line or in net. While the Rangers left Henrik Lundqvist defenseless, he was also complicit in allowing four goals on eleven shots before being pulled halfway through, the original plan to play him the full sixty minutes scuttled at that point -- Renney made the move not only to get Lundqvist out of the line of fire, but also to "suggest to others they better step it up." He also juggled his defensive pairs, starting out with Paul Mara alongside Wade Redden but then moving Michal Rozsival into that spot, with Mara joining Marc Staal.

Renney defended Redden after another game in which he committed several glaring defensive errors. "It's hard to play this game with one foot on the gas and one on the brake," he said of his marquee two-way defenseman, praising his offensive contributions so far. "If you've got backchecking help, if you've got numbers at your blue line -- and even is good -- you're in good shape. If you don't, you get caught on the trolley tracks. When you've got numbers, you don't give up the blue line -- you stay up instead of letting teams in. Inadequate checking up ice, inadequate back pressure -- trying to be a proactive player that way and sometimes without the help that's required will expose anyone, whether it's Wade Redden or Bobby Orr."

So the Rangers finish the domestic portion of their pre-season with another two-goal performance. They won the one time they held their opponent to fewer than two goals, but they lost the other five, dropping two straight 4-2 decisions after losing three in a row by a 3-2 score. They fell behind by at least 3-0 for the third time (this time falling behind 4-0) before attempting to mount a comeback. They have two more pre-season tune-ups ahead, but they won't be easy, as they will be in Berne, Switzerland, against a pair of European teams determined to show that they can compete against an NHL team. The Rangers left for Switzerland by charter after today's game.

Game reports and notes can be found at the Daily News, Journal News, Newsday, Record, Post, Ranger Rants here and here, NYR.com, NY Sports Day, and AP. >From yesterday, see the Daily News, Newsday, and Record for stories on the Rangers' roster cuts. Howlings has the Wolf Pack training camp roster. Prospect Park has a report from junior action last night.

When the Rangers announced their roster cuts yesterday, they said of Thomas Pock, Hugh Jessiman, and P.A. Parenteau only that they will continue training camp with the Wolf Pack, not that they were re-assigned. That's because the trio was placed on waivers, which they haven't yet cleared. If they are unclaimed by Monday, they will then be officially re-assigned. Thanks to Rangers Report for digging up this information from a Ranger source.

Corey Potter's increasingly likely bid to make the Rangers out of training camp is the subject of our latest posting at Blueshirt Bulletin+ -- click here to read it if you subscribe to Blueshirt Bulletin and have registered for BB+ access. If you need instructions on how to access BB+, write to us at [email protected]. If you are not a subscriber, E-mail us or click here to learn how to take out a subscription to get the magazine as well as BB+ access.

Comments

[BrooklynHockeyGuy]

I actually thought that the combo of Naslund-Gomez-Drury played pretty good, especially towards the end of the game.

[f-champs]

one game and we're already making judgments on chemistry?

[Scott Smith]

I have not a clue on why Renney decided to switch lines today? He must have lost his mind...switching lines that have been playing together since the start of training camp. Maybe this was him just joking with rangers fans...who knows?

[T_Bird]

I know it's pre-season, but 2 goals a game isn't going to do it. This game did not instill confidence in me for the upcoming season.

I thought that the Jagr Era peaked last season at the second round of the playoffs, and would probably not get any further.

I agreed with not signing Nedved, Sundin, Shanahan etc. as going with old rent-a-players hasn't worked in NY for a long time.

If going with home grown, younger players turns out to be one step back to take two steps forward, then so be it. It is obviously too early to jump ship on this year's team, but I did glance around, just to see if the life preserver was where it is supposed to be....

[T_Bird]

Paul Neuman dies at 83.

Slapshot. Reggie Dunlop. Old Time Hockey.

Rats!

[jack]

Rangers are the softest team in hockey.

They were soft last year and you remove Avery, Hollowaste and Strudwick and the writing is on the wall.

They will be manhandled all year.

Orr will have a very busy year.

8 vs. the flyers, devils and fishsticks and lets rid ourselves of all grit.

The Smurfs are back.

Long season and missed playoffs again or barely get in and gone in one.

[Tony M]

Jack you beat me to it. I came here to write that this is the softest Ranger team in the NHL and their history.

When renney asked clarkson in Nj the other day why he fought a non-fighter like Mara, Clarkson chellenged the whole ranger team saying he will fight anybody. . Not one came over the boards to send a message. This is very REPUGNANT to me. Our defense is so soft and bad that I cringe as to how many nights we are going to get physically pulverized.
This is all on Sather and Renney. I am preparing myself for a long and uninspiring year.

[Jameson]

Scott Smith,
Everyone has been calling for Drury to be on Gomez's wing all off-season, it happens for half a pre-season game and doesn't work and Renney is insane.

[Jameson]

Brooklyn,
I think taking Zherdev off the Gomez line is a big mistake, they look good together and Dubinsky and Zherdev just didn't look comfortable with each other.

Renney is just getting a feel for what lines work better, we're scoring 2 goals a game but the only thing that worries me is when our probable first two lines are together they have a hard time finishing (Naslund-Gomez-Zherdev; Dawes-Drury-Prucha). They create a ton of chances but miss the net a lot and just haven't had a lot of quality shots.

[paulinflorida]

Easy does it folks....lets not push the panic buttons....not yet anyway. With all of the changes the Rangers made this summer I think it's totally crazy to think that this team is going to come together in the course of a few pre-season games. Adding to the problem in trying to find the right combos (offense & defense) is that the team was split into three teams to get through the preseason. I believe that in order to make a judgement of what this team is all about it will probably take as much as 15-20 games into the regular season. Granted, from what we have seen the offense looks anemic, the defense suspect, and if that's the look the Rangers have a quarter of the way into the regular season, then yes everyone can press the panic buttons and it may be long season. We are not there yet, and lets give the coaches and the players a chance before we start beating everyone up.

[Scott Smith]

Jameson Who is everyone calling for it? Not me. It doesn't matter what any of us say its all on Tom. and I'm not saying putting Drury on the wing was crazy...I'm saying that changing the lines he had for the whole preseason at the least minute is crazy.

[Scott Smith]

Jameson Who is everyone calling for it? Not me. It doesn't matter what any of us say its all on Tom. and I'm not saying putting Drury on the wing was crazy...I'm saying that changing the lines he had for the whole preseason at the least minute is crazy.

[BLAZEPHR]

Anyone interested in going to Hartford Wolf Pack game? I have really good seats in section 115, row C, seats 3-4.

I'm originally from New York now living in Vermont for the past 4 years. I'm spending an entire hockey filled week in New York from 10/26 to 10/31.

26th is my nephew's game up in Westchester. 27th I have 7th row tix for NYR @ Isls (3 tix still have not been claimed if you're intersted). 10/29 is the Hartford game. 10/30 is NYR vs. Atlanta.

let me know if you're interested in going.

[oleosmirf]

now that the mets choked again and the yankees are not in to root against i can now focus all my attention on the Rangers. now that we can post again (prob wont last long though) I would like to first go on the record that i am very skeptical about the Rangers this season.

1) the Rangers decided to get rid of Jagr (thats perfectly fine by me) but have decided to build a team around Gomez and Drury. Drury has made a career out of being the final piece of the puzzle, the last guy u bring on board, not the guy u build around. Gomez is a very good player but the Rangers are building their team around a guy who doesnt score more than 20 goals and 50 assists. That to me is the biggest problem.

2) the Rangers decided to give 6.5 million for 5 years to Wade Redden who is clearly nowhere near the player he was a few years ago but to be fair the defensive core should be one of the best in the league. The question is like with Gomez's ridiculous contract how will it affect the cap down the road.

3) Our first line of Naslund/Gomez/Zherdev looks pretty good and our 3rd line of Voros/Korpikoski-Dubinsky and Callahan looks very promising but we still have noone to play RW on the second line. Callahan is not going to produce enough offensively and Prucha is not gonna be a 30 goal scorer again so move him and maybe one of our expendible wingers (fritsche, rissmiller, sjostrom) for a draft picks and then sign Shanahan. Even at the end of his career, hes better than those 3.

4) the goaltending looks awful so far, while i expect this to change this should be the year Henrik wins the vezina and finally dethrones Marty as the best goalie in town.

I know i sound very pessimistic but after all that i expect the Rangers to make the playoffs, but i dont see them advancing past the 1st or 2nd round.

[Jameson]

oleosmirf,
You're right, after a handful of pre-season games its VERY CLEAR that Wade Redden is not close to being the player he once was.

lol, talk about a knee-jerk reaction.

Give the team a chance to work. No one here has really seen much from Rissmiller and the plaeyrs like him, they haven't gotten as much ice time as you would think they would've so far this pre-season. Yet we're ready to ship away all of them to bulster our 2nd line. And at the same time all I've heard is that we don't have enough scoring from the 4th and in some cases 3rd lines, we get guys that are going to score from these lines(Fritsche, Rissmiller, Voros, Sjostrom) and all you want to do is package them together to trade for draft picks?

Something that surprises me, maybe it's because everyone was so in love with Sean Avery and he's the closest to him in terms of agitator, Voros seems to be viewed as drastically better than Rissmiller, Fritsche, and Sjostrom so far by the fans. He's a big guy and plays a decent physical game but so far he hasn't shown much in terms of goalscoring or hands, and he gets taken off his skates A LOT for a big guy. I appreciate the chippyness but Rissmiller can provide that too, and he doesn't fall down every time someone pushes him either. On top of that Rissmiller had 17 points as a 4th liner. Rotate him with Orr as your 4th line winger depending on the opponent, have Sjostrom/Fritsche/Voros on the other side depending on how the second and third lines pan out.

[Jameson]

Scott,
All last season with the growing up of Dubinsky everyone wanted to see Drury play wing with Dubinsky or Gomez. Once the off-season came it became even more of a topic for fans.

And I don't know why everyone is so up in arms about Renney mixing up the lines "last minute" we still have two pre-season games, he's looking for some kind of spark, and one pre-season game isn't going to change much in terms of the original lines building chemistry. Just sounds like the pessimists who are still all upset about letting a locker room liability in Avery and some old guys past their prime in Jagr(who obviously was more interested in $$ than coming back to us anyway), Straka(who was gone without Jagr), and Shanahan(who played like he was 60 down the stretch).

[oleosmirf]

jameson

you can throw out the preseason that means nothing i'm talking about his last 2 years in Ottawa. He's not the same player he was before the lockout.

[Jameson]

How many games did you see over the past two years of Redden's game? He was a big part of the team that went to the stanley cup, which was the season before last. And that's all I can say. The number say that he had a bad year last year and so do the experts but I think he can turn it around, he looks good on the powerplay thus far and he actually hits the net unlike most of our other defenseman.

[jszivos]

"I haven't seen those guys - guys like Naslund, Gomez and (Wade) Redden - in a week," Drury said. "Since day one of camp, we've been on completely different schedules. So to expect it just to click wholeheartedly on day one, it'd be nice. But it's not really realistic."

[oleosmirf]

jameson

i'm not saying he cant turn it around i just dont think he deserved a 6.5 million dollar contract over 5 years especially when you consider his production will naturally go down now that he doesnt have a PP unit with Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley.

btw if Korpikoski can prove he can be the 3rd line center then Drury should absolutely be on the wing but I love the way the Naslund-Gomez-Zherdev line looks. If i were the rangers this is what I would do:

Naslund-Gomez-Zherdev
Drury-Dubinsky-Dawes
Voros/Prucha/Fritsche-Korpikoski-Callahan
Byers-Betts-Orr

Staal-Roszival
Redden-Girardi
Kalinin-Mara

Lundqvist
Valliquette

[BrooklynHockeyGuy]

Hey Jameson,

I think one thing that the Rangers coaching staff has realized is that Dubinsky has the potential to be a second line center. The only possible way to fit him in to that position is to move Drury up and to the wing and drop down Zherdev. Dubinsky centering Zherdev and Dawes has the potential to be a line that is very quick and very fast with the puck. Even though this line may cause some defensive headaches I still think it's worth a shot.

[Jameson]

oleo,
That's how much it was going to cost to get one of the better defenseman on the market. Look at how much we had to pay Roszival..

Korpikoski is scheduled to make 1.1 million next season if he's with the Rangers. Look at how long Renney made Callahan and Dawes prove themselves before they got a somewhat sure spot on the roster...Korpikoski won't start the season with us. He played center for about 3 shifts in the last game before he got a game misconduct and I don't think he's been playing center at all in Hartford. That probably spells out that he's not going to be able to win the 3rd line center spot, especially with Fritsche on the roster. I'd imagine if the plan does become to move Drury up on the wing then Fritsche takes the 3rd line center spot, and I bet that Drury double shifts at times centering that third line. They made a good point on MSG as well, Drury will still take key face-offs in certain situations. He's our best face-off man and you're all ready to throw him on the wing for potentially 10 or so more points out of Drury and a few more minutes ice time for Dubinsky. I'm guessing Renney is going to roll 3 lines, being third line center isn't going to mean 10:00 ice time a game for Dubinsky. He'll probably get some powerplay minutes and penalty killing time. He's been doing both a lot in the pre-season, successfully.

Brooklyn,
Maybe Dawes-Dubinsky-Zherdev has the POTENTIAL to be a line that moves the puck fast but Naslund-Gomez-Zherdev has already looked to be that. They've shown the best chemistry out of any line combination this pre-season, it'd be foolish to break it up. If Drury moves to the wing he should be on the 2nd line with Dubinsky and Dawes in my opinion but you're taking your best faceoff man out of the circle and your best defensive centerman and putting him on the wing with the move, I don't like it. I don't care that he's smaller than the average center, so is Gomez and no one wants to move him to wing?