Valley, Sjo Shoot Down Leafs

Steve Valiquette didn't face all that many shots last night. In fact, he went fifteen minutes at the start of the third period without seeing any shots at all, with his own team raining 27 shots at the Toronto net (only ten of which actually were on goal). You had the feeling, though, with the Rangers having failed to score even a single goal on their 65 shots attempts to that point (only 26 of which actually were on goal), that the next Toronto shot was going to find a way into the net and spoil the night for Valiquette and the Rangers.

Sure enough, the next shot was as high quality as most of the Leafs' few shots on goal to that point. But just as he had on the previous dozen, Valiquette came up with a big save. And his night was just beginning -- the Leafs got ten of their 21 shots on goal during the last ten minutes, including a frantic overtime that included another big penalty kill like the late five on three he faced in his last start in Philly (while the Leafs did get three shots during that advantage, they were all point shots, as nothing closer was allowed to get through to the net).

Chants of "Valley" poured down from the crowd, Valiquette admitting he got goose bumps. But the night was still not over. There was still a shootout to conduct to break the scoreless tie. Nikolai Zherdev scored easily on his opening attempt even though he said he doesn't like to go first. When Matt Stajan smacked at the rebound of his miss, the jacked up Valiquette started to chase him, admitting later that he would have like to smack Stajan for that unsportsmanlike whack.

After Leaf named Nikolai something or other tied it up, fans were looking for a name like Drury, Gomez, Naslund, or Dubinsky to take the third shot. Instead, it was the unlikely Freddie Sjostrom, he of winged blades but hands of stone. Sjooey said later that practicing against the likes of his good friend Henrik Lundqvist -- and yes, Valley too -- makes all the Rangers better at shootouts, so you shouldn't be surprised to see anyone tapped for tiebreakers. He sailed down the middle, deked left, and had his shot hit Vesa Toskala's skate and the goal post and then Toskala's skate or pad again before slithering in.

Valiquette still had another save to make to win the game, and it was against a former Islander teammate, Jason Blake. Valiquette recalled that Blake likes to make moves on shootouts, so he was surprised when he just shot. But it was a good surprise, not a bad one, because that allowed him to make what he considered an easier save than if Blake had tried to make a move. And thus, Valiquette won this goalie's duel with Toskala, the quantity of Ranger shots ultimately winning out over the quality shots he faced.

The win certainly was, as coach Tom Renney said, better than the alternative, given the way the things went. But even a couple of reconfigured lines didn't help many struggling Ranger frontliners find their groove again. Gomez was re-energized skating on a line with Nigel Dawes and Ryan Callahan. He almost had the game winner when a third period shot hit the far goal post, bounced on the goal line, and hit the near goal post -- Ranger video analysts confirmed that the puck appeared to land inside the goal line, but was leaning over the goal line. Dawes remained invisible for much of the game but came alive late for a couple of good scoring chances.

But Naslund and Drury continued to have a hard time generating offense. Drury sent a couple of golden opportunities wide as he moved back to center with Naslund on the left and Dan Fritsche on the right, and he was a woeful 3-7 on draws. He has only one assist in seven games and is a team worst -2. Naslund had a point in each of his first four games but has largely been a non-factor and last night had only three shot attempts -- only Blair Betts and Colton Orr had fewer among Ranger forwards. With the hot Dubinsky line having been shut down the past two games, the Rangers top line players need to start coming through, and without goals from Dawes, the Rangers have to find an alternative potential sniper.

Game reports can be found in Newsday, Journal News, Daily News, Record, Post, Game On!, NYR.com, NHL.com, AP, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Globe and Mail, and National Post. More can be found in the Record, Ranger Rants, Rangers Report here and here, Blue Notes here and here, Inside Shots, and the Globe and Mail on Dominic Moore, who was not a factor last night. Previews of tonight's game in the Times, NHL.com, and the Detroit papers here, here, and here -- the Red Wings, off to a mediocre start, will be without Henrik Zetterberg. The Wolf Pack were shut out in Hamilton last night -- see reports in Howlings, Hartford Courant, WP.com, and Hamilton Spectator. Prospect Park has a recap of other prospect action.

Comments

[jagrmiester]

Calling Markus Naslund in Europe ha.

[rangerbill94]

From the last post:

We played 5 periods of poor pass and catch hockey. It seemed as though most of our passes we behind or just ahead or in the skates of somebody. And when they were on the tape, we couldn't catch them cleanly. This is a very fast team. Screw up the passing and this team comes to a complete halt. In the third period, for some reason, we started making better passes and far better catches and the flow returned. Toskala got the Leafs a point tonight. We should have put this game in the bag in the third. Valli was great and deserved the #1 star. Zherdov, Dawes and Sjostrom will be a formidable trio and we haven't even gotten to the team leadership!

I do think they were looking a little bit ahead last night, what with Renney saying he wanted Hank to get a win in Detroit. Renney is thinking about the playoffs already, and that's a good sign. However, it took the focus off last nights game. Still, we got 2 points and that's all that counts.

[ntb]

The Rangers averaged 2.6 goals/game last year (213/82). I know it's early, but this year the Rangers are averaging 2.6 goals/game (18/7). If you consider the off-season, the Rangers did not pick up any true snipers (Zherdev maybe one day, Naslund was back in the day) -- therefore I see no reason to expect the 08-09 Rangers to be any different from the 07-08 Rangers.

This doesn't mean I think the Rangers are bad. I still think the Rangers will make the playoffs. I still think they have a shot at getting to the Stanley Cup Finals (the East is wide open). I do not believe, however, that the Rangers just need time to gel. Or that the line combinations just need to be perfected. I think the Rangers will continue to throw a ton of shots at the net with only modest results. It just reinforces the notion the Rangers have to out-work their opponent and play solid Defense every game if they want to win.

[Bones]

A very frustrating game to watch. Two things about Tom Renney are also frustrating. First, is he ever going to learn to change lines, without screwing it up and giving the opposition gift opportunities? And the way he puts lines together is totally baffling. He puts Gomez between Dawes and Callahan, when it should have been Drury, since that line was dynamite last year. Does the man suffer from Alzheimers? And Roszival drives me CRAZY. He's the most overpriced D in the NHL. Loafing around, getting off the ice too slowly, and holding on to the puch WAAAAAY too long. Trading he and POrucha would be the wise thing to do. People complain about Mara, but he's better than Rosy and gives it his all. Is Marc Staal as slow a skater as he appeared to be last night?

[paulinflorida]

I think it's a little too early in the season to start looking at the goals per game average and compare it to last years 82 game numbers eventhough the statistic and the way the Rangers look so far do have similarities. In my opinion what are similar is that they 'can't finish' and the power play looks 'out of whack' again. After the Rangers were called for too many men on the power play last night, you could see the steam coming out of Renney's ears...is his patience with Perry Pearn's running of the power play running thin? Heck, the Rangers did have 3 games in a row where they scored 4 goals in each game, so you have to say the potential is there at least. Drury, Gomez and Naslund (among a few others) must step it up or that low goals per game average in the longer term will be very meaningful and we may see the Rangers in same boat as last year....a little time will tell, but you can't argue much with a 6-1 start.

[jagrmiester]

his patience with perry aint running out. Perry nd him are great friends. Trust me Renney doesnt have Alzheimers and i hope he never gets it. I also think Naslund was the so called "man" back in the day not now. I am trying to be patient with him, but it is not going so well..

[oleosmirf]

ntb

i agree with you 100% although i hated the line combos last night. If Renney wants to break up the 1st line then just move Naslund down and leave Gomez and Drury up on the top line.

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

[adam w]

Bones

I agree that Renny does a lot of tinkering with the lines, and that line of Dawes Drury Callahan was great last season. I think the lines should have remained the same from the previous games with Gomez centering Naslund and Drury and so on and so forth. The second has cooled off and that was bound to happen. This team needs a goal scorer and that is what it comes down too. It doesn't help that our prized prosepect may his soul rest in peace passed away. The Rangers front office had a lot counting on Cherapanov to be that stud to build the franchise around. I know many of you will agree with me that this offseason I think we make a strong case for Zetterberg if he does become a Unrestricted Free Agent. You know what may happen is that we may be able to only keep one of Zherdev or Dubinsky. I think that is why it is very Vital that we get Dubi signed for maybe a 8 year 40 million dollar offer if he will accept. The longer we wait the harder it's going to be to sign a Staal Zherdev and Dubinsky. In my book Dawes, Prucha, Fritsche, and Rissmiller are all tradeable. and there needs to be a trade soon.

Going back to the game last night I don't get why you are getting on Rozzi and Staal I was their and the defense played very well actually holding the opposition to 12 shots going into the 3rd period. They played very well defensively with Staal even laying the hammer down with a perfectly clean shoulder hit against Stajan. Still don't understand why that wasn't an instigator penalty against Toronto for going after Staal after the hit. Not that it mattered we were 0-8 on the Power Play and that is the biggest problem like last year.

Drury was a huge mistake in my book the guy deserves maybe 3 or 4 million a year not 7. This guy is a great leader and he is clutch that is one thing I can't take away from the guy but you have to be kidding me the guy has been invisible and when he does get an opportunity he shoots wide. I think we way overrated the guy and him and Naslund need to pick it up offensively cause without them we are going to find ourselves trying to keep our heads above water. We are going to live and die by our 1st line and I think most of you will agree.

[oleosmirf]

adam w

i have been very critical of the Ranger organization for building around Gomez and Drury because they are both complementary players and should not be the best player on their respective line.

That said the Rangers have a solid defensive system and a top 5 goalie and that will make you perennial stanley cup contenders. In my eyes they are still 1-2 players short of being a bonafide Stanley Cup contenders but with the playoffs anything can happen

They need a dynamic goal scorer who is a threat to score everytime he is on the ice like an Iginla. Cherepanov was supposed to be that guy but unfortunately that will never happen. Maybe Zherdev can become that guy??

Bringing a talent like an Iginla or Gaborik is slim to none so instead the Rangers (if they are buyers at deadline) need to bring in a veteran that can bring some offense to the 3rd line Shanahan, Knuble, Tanguay.

[jagrmiester]

adam w,

obviously i am gonna disagree with the Drury signing, It was a great signing. He is sneaky thats what makes him so Clutch.

[Chris]

how can anyone be concerned? i do think that drury dawes and callahan should be tried defiantly

besides gomez has been playing under the weather and is arguably our best offensive player whos not going yet at 100%.

atleast we dont have to watch jagr lean against the boards and stick handle for 25minutes a game

[Chris]

how can anyone be concerned? i do think that drury dawes and callahan should be tried defiantly

besides gomez has been playing under the weather and is arguably our best offensive player whos not going yet at 100%.

atleast we dont have to watch jagr lean against the boards and stick handle for 25minutes a game

[Ant]

ill take Jagr and his 20 min stick handling over drury and naslund in a heartbeat.When Jagr became the C he scored the goal on on 1st shot mr clutch can't score if he had a open net.As for naslund u can't bring in 35 yo and expect him to be what he was at 30 jus because he's on the other team

[rangerbill94]

Will you quit? Jagr is gone, get over it. Maybe we should bring back Messier, Graves and Leetch. If you don't like Drury and Gomez, maybe you need to be an Islander fan. This team, and I do mean team, is 6-1-0 in it's first 7 games. What more do you want? This is NOT a cup team, at least not yet. Lets re-visit this discussion at the 42 game mark. It's just too early in the season to make the kind of judgements that are being made, except for those that dislike Renney or Drury or Gomez or Rozsival or Mara or Kalinin or Nasland or Redden or Dawes or Rissmiller or Betts or...to be filled in by you choice! 82-0-0 is now out of the question, so we now know that this team isn't perfect. With that out of the way, lets play hockey.

[Jameson]

Are we or are we not 6-1-0? We're playing great hockey. Comparing last years goals per game to this years goals per game is weak, last year our line combinations not only weren't scoring, they'd turn it over and not get anywhere near as many chances. We're going to start putting a lot of pucks in the net, you can't continue to get as many chances we are and not start to finish. Guys are gonna get on hot streaks and guys are gonna come out of their cold streaks (Naslund, Drury). The lines are clicking a lot better in my opinion than they were last year, and we're getting great contributions from the backline in terms of offense, and I say that not just with them scoring but especially with outlet passes and scoring on the PP.

[Ant]

Never said team is playing back if you read my post it said i dont like Drury and Nuslund where do you see Gomezs name?

I never said id ont liek the team and at 6-1 i believe unlike you that they can amke a serious run for the cup.

[Sam]

let see if they can work out their quirks after 20 games or something.

Just maybe the offense can be fluid as Detroit. At this moment, their passing is really off. Players reaching or slowing down. Hesitation on where will the player be or at.

[Jameson]

what were you guys saying about Renney making a bad decision with the Dawes-Gomez-Callahan line rather than having it as Dawes-Drury-Callahan

[Jameson]

Hossa apparently picked up the art of diving from Crosby and Malkin last year, good non-call

[Wexman]

gotta love the edge that mara is playing with this year - might he be our best defenseman?

[Sam]

Love Mara, Staal and Girardi. There are the ones taking the bodies.

Wish we had the two points with the effort of coming back trailing 2-0.

[adam w]

Big point for the rangers I know I would have loved to get the win in overtime. We can look back on this game and say we fought back. That call for to many men on the ice was complete bullshyt. I can't believe that, Renny was fuming on the bench. I never saw him get so red before. lol. Overall good game and I like what I saw from them.

[RobZ]

The Ref. conspiracy continues against this team....despicable call at the end...Way to go Rangers! Played hard but got screwed again by the refs.....

[Paul R _ _ _ _ _ D]

the announcers were complaining about that call that was maybe close to marginal, but we did play great and if we can do that for a full 60, we came close 55 tonight we will do great, good to see Dawes get that black magic back

[Chris]

more irrefutable proof that the refs do everything possible to put the team behind in a position to come back... we out played the champs and got screwed as per usual by the refs

NHL got what they wanted a game decided in over time with a pp goal getting us there, not the fantastic transition hockey and forechecking we saw all game from both teams.. nope we wanted to see players stand inthe zone for 2min to decide a game

[Russki60]

I haven't been this exited about the Rangers in years. I think our D-men collectively ranks at about top 3. No rookies on the D. All are solid. Make mistakes? Of course. At this speed of the game, who doesn't? Guys who want to have a big scorer, remember Liefs last year? They had Sandin, and what? (hey, remember Jagr?) Red Wings developed their players. Datsuk wasn't that good at the begging. Let Dubi, Zherdev, Callahan to develop. Backed up by Drury, Gomez, and Naslund this team next year will get a cup. We now look a lot like last year Red Wings, when the whole team contributes.

[adam w]

Did any of you realize who was reffing last night. Effen MCREARY WHO KILLS US ALL THE TIME. WHAT ELSE IS NEW???

[Jameson]

That was some horrible luck for us on the PP too, what are the odds of the puck bouncing off Redden's inside skate straight onto that guy's tape???

[John]

Who knew Voros could play like this? Didn't we have a guy kind of like him last year? A little guy, Sean something? Whatever happened to him? Oh well, who cares. ;)

2007-08 Minnesota Wild NHL 55GP 7G 7A 14P
2008-09 New York Rangers NHL 8GP 5G 4A 9P

Voros will score more in 15 games than he did in 55 last season. And I thought he was going to be a replacement for Ryan Hollweg.