Bleacher Report - Articles by Ranger Nation

Rangers-Capitals: How New York Can Win Game Two

Ranger Nation — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:24:53 -0400

Outstanding job by the Blueshirts last night—they stole a game on the road and have put doubts in the minds of the “experts” who saw Washington coming out of the East.

Henrik Lundqvist was brilliant despite giving up three goals. Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan played great games, and Sean Avery was productive in his own right.

Not to mention the Rangers were without their Captain, Chris Drury.

Looking ahead to Game Two, there are plenty of question marks for the second-seeded Capitals, mainly, who will be in net (I will put my money on Theodore).

If the Rangers can play there game and get control we could be looking at a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to MSG. One thing’s for sure, however—Alex Ovechkin and co. will come to play.

Here are five keys to another Blueshirt victory:

1) Take Advantage

Believe it or not, the Rangers' power play has actually been connecting. There were goals in game one as well as the season finale against Philly. A tally on the man advantage could be the difference, plus, you know Washington will get chances and the only way to counter that is score when you get yours.

2) Pepper

Keep shooting on Jose Theodore! This seems simple enough but if the Rangers sit back it only plays into the offensive game of OV, Semin and the Caps. Getting shots on net could exploit a weak Caps defense and lead to goals. If the Rangers score like they did in game 1, I cannot see them losing a game.

3) Play to the King

Number one star of game one was clearly Henrik Lundqvist. If Hank gets in the zone, there won’t be much Washington can do. One of the best goalies in the world, tends to show up on the biggest stage…Let’s hope Saturday’s atmosphere is big enough for the King.

4) Try to “Limit” Ovechkin

The guy is going to get his one way or another. He had 13 shots in game one and missed several more wide of the net. The thing was, he did not score a goal. For the most part, the defense did a great job on him all game and they will need a repeat performance if they want to win another.

5) B-E Aggressive

The forecheck will cause problems and physical play will lead to success. John Tortorella knows this and stresses it. Hopefully it translates on the ice.

There it is, in a nutshell. The Rangers have already made a statement by stealing game one on the road. Hopefully they can make a bigger mark and bring a coveted 2-0 lead to a raucous Garden on Monday.

End On A High-Note

Ranger Nation — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:09:11 -0400

Nobody wants to go into the playoffs after a loss.

After a win on Thursday night against the Flyers, the Rangers will look for two more points against the Broad Street Bullies, when they clash on Easter Sunday at the Wachovia Center.

The Rangers, under John Tortorella are playing with a style that is very conducive to beating the Flyers. Their uptempo play lets them be just as aggressive as John Stevens’ club. Playing their game is key here because giving the Flyers and that roaring crowd any momentum is a bad idea.

Opening night in Philly this season featured a Rangers win where they went up, way up early and relied on perennial Flyer killer Steve Valiquette to hang on for the win. Odds are that Henrik Lundqvist will be in net tomorrow, but if he steps up like he did on Thursday night,and be the X-factor.

Playoff seeding is still up in the air in this one as well as the Blueshirts can potentially end up with the No.7 seed and play Washington in the first round, as opposed to the Bruins who they’d play with the No.8 seed. The Flyers are still fighting to clinch the No.4 seed which would mean home ice in the first round, which means a lot in Philadelphia.

The stage is set for what will be a very interesting season finally. Rangers will want to end the year on a high note, as will the Flyers. When these two teams square off in home-and-homes it always seems like they split but as for a prediction, I will take the Rangers 4-3 in a shootout… Great road win, which will need to be a trend if we want any success in the postseason.

John Tortorella Showing Why He is Perfect Fit for the New York Rangers

Ranger Nation — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:52:04 -0400

Last night wasn’t pretty for the New York Rangers as they found themselves losing in embarrassing fashion 5-4 in a shootout to the Eastern Conference bottom dwellers, the Atlanta Thrashers.

But it didn’t start out all that bad, but even when the Rangers were winning, things just were not going right.

The first five minutes of the game found itself to be a very interesting one at that. There were four penalty calls and a disallowed goal for each team, what had started out as a fast paced exciting game turned out to be drastically slowed down by the referees.

The Rangers were chasing their tails around in that first period, getting seriously outplayed and outclassed by a sub par opponent, but even after that, they still left with a 1-0 lead after the first period. Head coach John Tortorella was not pleased.

When the first period intermission report came on MSG Network, the broadcast crew awaited a Ranger player to show up on camera for a quick intermission interview, but there was none. Deb Placey and John Gianonne would later reveal that no player was allowed out of the locker room.

Their head coach was blowing a gasket, for lack of a less salty phrase. Would Tom Renney have done that if his team was winning 1-0? I highly doubt it as his calm demeanor would be all too pleased just to have a one goal lead.

The Rangers would respond in the second period with three unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead, but that would be their last hurrah as the Thrashers would get a late second period goal to make it 4-2, and then score two more in the third period to tie the game before winning in the shootout.

I couldn’t wait to hear Tortorella’s press conference after the game, and about a half hour later, there it was.

John Gianonne asked him something to the effect of, “Was there a noticeable difference in play from when the team was up 4-1 compared to 4-4?” to which the head coach responded with, “Yeah, I thought we sucked. Right on through the game I thought we were fortunate to get a point, very fortunate to get that.”

A follow up question was later asked about what his thoughts were on the players reactions to the slip in play. He answered, “I don’t give a sh*t what the guys talked about. We sucked.”

As a fan, it was almost worth losing just to hear those statements. After having a coach for the three seasons prior who I often wondered if he had a pulse, it’s great to hear this coach just flat out tell it like it is.

Larry Brooks has since called out the head coach in his daily Rangers article today by calling his comments, “Bush league.” I guess that’s how the media feels about dealing with the previous head coach who would use 50 fancy words just to say, ‘We sucked.'”

Greg Caggiano is happy to be the newest blogger here on Ranger Nation. He also hosts an online hockey radio show called Rinkside.

Nikolai Antropov and Derek Morris Acquired by New York Rangers

Ranger Nation — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:33:00 -0500

Well, the trade deadline is officially over.

How did the Rangers do? Not too bad, if you ask me. However, I am heartbroken to see a player leave, that I wish could have stayed.

First off, the Rangers acquired Nikolai Antropov from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second-round and conditional draft pick. I love this move.

Antropov has been a guy I have followed in this league for the last six seasons. He is big, can crash the net, and also put the puck in the net. This is a huge plus on this offensive-laden Rangers team. I see great things coming from Antropov in New York.

The Rangers also acquired defenseman Derek Morris from the Phoenix Coyotes for Nigel Dawes, Petr Prucha, and Dmitri Kalinin. I am 50/50 on this deal.

Morris is a puck-mover and a decent point-man, but I hated to see the Rangers lose Petr Prucha. I finally thought he would get a chance now, that John Tortorella is the head coach. However, you have to give in order to get, and there are two things that this move does for the Rangers.

First off, it clears space and cap. Second, it makes the team better, in order to crunch in the playoffs.

All in all, I would say this was a pretty good NHL Trade Deadline day for the New York Rangers.

Take care Prucha—you will be missed by the fans.

Sean Avery Claimed by New York Rangers, Make Other Roster Moves

Ranger Nation — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:55:00 -0500

Today was a day that we all saw coming. The New York Rangers claimed our very own Sean Avery off of re-entry waivers from the Dallas Stars. Are you shocked? I definitely am not, even with the hiring of John Tortorella.

In addition to claiming Avery, the Rangers waived Aaron Voros and Erik Reitz. Good riddance to you both. They did this in order to make room for Sean Avery, but also because Glen Sather finally has seen the error of his ways.

Voros was a tough sell, moreso than Reitz. Reitz was acquired for a player the Rangers never used in Dan Fritsche, who I still say was a mistake to trade. Voros could never play a complete hockey game. He always lost agility dead-smack in the middle of the second period, and was seen trailing almost every play.

Am I all for the Sean Avery move? Yes and No. Yes, if they sit Nigel Dawes. No, if they sit Petr Prucha, Fredrik Sjostrom, or Lauri Korpikoski. If they sit either of those three, then this move means nothing—it subtracts from the squad.

It should be interesting—Sean Avery will most likely suit up for Thursday night's game against the New York Islanders.

Return to Broadway, take two.

A Personal Note—Hey folks, sorry I haven't written here in quite some time. Things have been busy in my personal life, and in the land of New York sports. I promise to start devoting more time to my favorite people in the world, New York Ranger fans.

E.J. Hradek on Ranger Nation Radio Tonight

Ranger Nation — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:14:35 -0500

Join hosts Randy Sobel and Jonathan Ragus as they are joined by ESPN Hockey Columnist, Hockey Analyst, and Host of NHL Live on Sirius Radio/NHL Network E.J. Hradek.

The boys will be discussing the Tom Renney and Perry Pearn firings, what John Tortorella brings to this team that Renney lacked, which player or players will get into it with Torts before the season ends, if this was the right move, and SO much more.

Fans and listeners can email questions in for EJ and the boys at radio@nyrnation.com

You can also call in LIVE during the show at 347-884-8692.

The show begins at 9:00 p.m. EST TONIGHT, 2/24, exclusively on Blog Talk Radio.

To tune in visit radio.nyrnation.com

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Sean Avery Sent to Hartford

Ranger Nation — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:48:38 -0500

Sean Avery is getting his second chance.

The Dallas Stars assigned the winger to the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL. The Stars do not have a minor league affiliate of their own, but have made a deal with the Rangers to keep him in Hartford. Should the Stars bring him back up to the NHL, he would have to be put on re-entry waivers. Look for the New York Rangers to try and claim him.

If the Rangers want him this bad, I recommend making a trade with Dallas before they lose him.

Aaron Voros, Patrick Rissmiller, or Nigel Dawes could be traded. Any of these guys will clear cap and a spot on the roster for Sean Avery.

Aftermath of an Embarrassment

Ranger Nation — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:02:47 -0500

I laughed last night.

Not only did I laugh, but I laughed hard.

Last night was a pure definition of what New York Rangers hockey is like in the year 2009. And it's only February.

I didn't want to write this last night as I needed a night to digest what went wrong, who to blame, etc., but I am not going to do that because the blame falls on 95% of the organization. Instead I will write about who is NOT to blame.

- Markus Naslund
- Paul Mara
- Ryan Callahan
- Petr Prucha
- Nikolai Zherdev
- Dmitri Kalinin
- Marc Staal
- Henrik Lundqvist
- Benoit Allaire
- Blair Betts, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Colton Orr

These are the players that I am not blaming for the season that we are having. Granted, Kalinin was terrible in most of the first half, but he has since pulled it out and has been VERY solid in the last 15-16 games for the Blueshirts.

Paul Mara has been a true leader on this club as I believe Chris Drury to be a waste and a disgrace to the "C" on his jersey. Yes, this is coming from a guy who loves Chris Drury as a player.

The team lacks leadership, something that couldve been solved with a $400,000 contract with the name Brendan Shanahan on it, but general manager Glen Sather sat back and watched him go to the division rivals across the Hudson River, who are now also in a very big first place lead minus Martin Brodeur.

As I said, I will not blame anyone for last night because I am tired of naming names. I am tired of wasting $169 a year on a Center Ice package to see a team struggle all season long to score goals and play defense only to get wiped out in the playoffs by a team they could easily handle if the circumstances (and coaching staff) were different.

If you honestly believe the New York Rangers will win playoff games with a first line pairing of Michal Rozsival/Wade Redden and a first line of Gomez/Voros/Naslund (minus Naslund as he is playing beyond expectations) than not only do you have a ton of faith, but you must be an avid church goer and a true believer of dreams.

Pride over Truth

Ranger Nation — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:14:26 -0500

This is what has been happening in the New York Rangers system since Glen Sather has become general manager.

Waving Dan Fritsche today was the only move Slats could make without owning up to his terrible mistakes of signing Patrick Rissmiller and Aaron Voros. By waving or attempting to trade either of the two would be Sather saying, "Hey, I screwed up!" You will never see that happen.

The only way a player like Aaron Voros would be traded if it was in a package with a player of Scott Gomez' stature to bring in another huge player. I can see it now.

Reporter 1: Glen, why would you get rid of young players in Scott Gomez & Aaron Voros that you signed and have talked highly about since their acquisitions?

Sather: I couldn't turn down getting the player we received today. Aaron Voros is a great player who will be an amazing talent in this league some day.

Still basically more of the malarkey that has graced our presence since the dope traded Brian Leetch away for a bag of hockey pucks and Lauri Korpikoski who will turn into a decent player once he doesn't have to play in Tom Renney's system anymore.

It's Glen Sathers pride (and Tom Renney's system) that have stopped the New York Rangers from being nothing more than a second round playoff team.

New York Rangers' Next Three

Ranger Nation — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:50:18 -0500

vs Carolina Hurricanes (Tuesday, January 27, 2009)

The Rangers return from the break to face the Canes, who are second in their division, despite playing nearly .500 hockey (23-20-5).

Carolina went into the All-Star break on a two game winning streak, but had lost five straight prior to that. In January, the Canes are undefeated when giving up less than two goals (5-0), but can’t win when giving up three plus (0-5).

Carolina has scored on the Power Play in seven of their ten games in January, so the Rangers penalty kill (87.6%) will need to be focused in this one.

This seems like one of those games that the Rangers should win, but will let remain too close, and let slip away, but I’m still going to give the edge to the Rangers. Look for Henrik Lundqvist to be sharp, coming off of the All-Star Game.

@ Pittsburgh Penguins (Wednesday, January 28, 2009)

The Rangers are basically facing a mirror image of the Canes, in the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the secong game of this back-to-back. Both teams are under 17 percent on the power play, and under 80 percent on the penalty kill.

One of the only real difference between the two teams is that Pittsburgh gets the majority of their points from two players (Malkin and Crosby with a combined 130 pts), while the Canes take points from whoever can grind them out each night.

The other difference being that the Penguins and Rangers are in the same division, played in the Playoffs last year, and have added four games to their rivalry this year, so there’s the rivalry bit playing into this game. Then again, the last time the Rangers and Penguins played (on NBC), it was about the least emotional game I’ve ever seen.

In the four games played against the Penguins this season, Chris Drury (5) and Scott Gomez (3) lead the team in points, which is good because they are the two forwards who average the most ice time this season. I’ll take the Rangers in the shootout.

@ Boston Bruins (Friday, January 31, 2009)

The Rangers head to Boston Friday to play the number-one team in the East (tied for first overall). The last time these two teams met, the Rangers pulled a victory out of the shootout, in Madison Square Garden. This time, the Bruins have the home-ice advantage, and I think that will make all the difference in this series.

The Bruins are a highly offensive team, forty one more goals than NYR with one less game played, which doesn’t play into the hands of the Rangers’ inconsistent rearguard. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see the Bruins train slowing down here. Their record in January (6-4) isn’t impressive, but I think the All-Star break could rejuvenate their entire team (three players on East All-Stars).

Rangers lose in three periods by my estimation.

Prediction: 2-1-0

Ranger Nation Memo to Tom Renney: Scratch Yourself

Ranger Nation — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:04:20 -0500

And I am not talking about the good type of scratching either when you first wake up in the morning.

Another questionable "coaching" decision by Renney as Sam Weinman is stating that he is scratching Petr Prucha and Lauri Korpikoski in order to install Aaron Voros and Dan Fritsche into the lineup.

Putting Fritsche into this lineup I am all for but not at the price of sitting two players whose intensity and play have jump started a few other players. Voros in my mind is a complete waste of a roster space and his time in the limelight disappeared months ago after his fluke of a start.

If anyone needs to sit on this team it's Scott Gomez or even the "coach" himself.

New lineup

Markus Naslund-Scott Gomez-Ryan Callahan
Nigel Dawes-Chris Drury-Dan Fritsche
Aaron Voros-Brandon Dubinsky-Nikolai Zherdev
Fredrik Sjostrom-Blair Betts-Colton Orr

Ranger Nation lineup

Nikolai Zherdev-Brandon Dubinsky-Ryan Callahan
Markus Naslund-Chris Drury-Fredrik Sjostrom
Petr Prucha-Dan Fritsche-Lauri Korpikoski
Aaron Voros-Blair Betts-Colton Orr

If you are going to mix up the lines at least put players that will complement each other. What do you have to lose? The Rangers aren't gaining anything with the lines Renney rolls out anyway.

Give it a chance, "coach."

New York Rangers Report Card

Ranger Nation — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:39:31 -0500

It's about that time that I throw some grades at the Ranger players and of course their coach. This is a little later than usual, but with the hardships I fell on and the frustration I felt over this team, I felt like I needed a clear mind to hand out fair grades. Let's get right into it.

A+: Henrik Lundqvist: He deserves this more than anyone. He has cracked the All Star roster this season and is one of the league leaders in wins.

A-: Paul Mara & Marc Staal: These two have been doing it all on the defensive end for the Rangers. When these two were paired earlier in the season, they were unstoppable, which makes us ask the very same question over and over again—why were they apart in the first place?

Mara has been the true leader on the ice and in the locker room. He is the only one opening his mouth to refs and other players.

B+: Daniel Girardi & Ryan Callahan: Girardi has been all over the ice and is really stepping up his game. Callahan is also a machine on the ice and seems to be in the right spots at the right moments.

B: Michal Rozsival & Markus Naslund: I gotta say, I am not a huge fan of Rozi, but when he doesn't shy away from contact and shooting, he can be a great D-man.

Naslund, being past his prime, has played far better than how I expected him to play. But with no one setting him up (Gomez has been terrible of late), do you really expect him to score?

B-: Steve Valiquette, Petr Prucha, & Nikolai Zherdev: Vally has been solid when he gets the nod. Zherdev needs to mature and harness his game in order for us to see his full potential; the energy and intensity he shows in the beginning of the season is totally gone.

Prucha has jump-started not only his play, but others since being reinserted into this lineup in December, definitely a jolt this Rangers club needed.

C+: Lauri Korpikoski & Fredrik Sjostrom: Okay, maybe this one isn't extremely fair, but I feel when these two kids are on the ice the Rangers have a better shot of competing with faster teams.

Sjostrom does it all and I would love to see him get some time with some of the more offensive players. Korpedo will be an amazing player eventually, but his intensity now is tops.

C: Wade Redden, Dmitri Kalinin, Blair Betts, & Colton Orr: Redden started off the season very poorly but has turned it around since. However, he still isn't the player the Rangers hoped for.

Kalinin also started off the season poorly and drew the fans' ire early on, but as of late he is redeeming himself with great defensive play.

Betts and Orr have been one of the best lines with Sjostrom and have done what they have been asked to do: Be game changers and hold down the fort when the game gets out of hand.

C-: Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Nigel Dawes, & Brandon Dubinsky: Gomez & Drury are not getting the job done. They are not superstars but are definitely reaping the financial benefits of pretending they are.

Drury needs to give up his captaincy and get back to the basics of hockey that made him a hockey immortal.

Dawes is good for a spot goal here and there (against the Devils or Isles) but other than that, he likes to crowd his own players and is too weak on the defensive side of the puck.

Dubinsky has turned himself around and will definitely be higher than a C minus by the season's end.

D: Aaron Voros: Would probably be higher if he didn't have so much time in this lineup. He had his time in the spotlight only to be nothing more than a roster spot before Prucha was inserted back into the lineup.

F: Tom Renney, Perry Pearn, & Mike Pelino: Not getting the job done. This defensive system with the players they have is a pure waste.

Renney barely shows any intensity on the bench when his team is getting man-handled and his lineups, most of the time, are very questionable. He has lost his basic knowledge of chemistry and hockey fundamentals.

Incomplete: Dan Fritsche & Patrick Rissmiller: Fritsche is being wasted not playing, he should at least be down in Hartford doing some damage while the Rangers figure out when and if they need him.

A very questionable decision by the coaching staff on this. Rissmiller was a complete waste of money.

Let's see what you have as grades for the New York Rangers. Send in your own to info@nyrnation.com. They may very well make it to the blog or even the Ranger Nation Official page @ www.nyrnation.com

Mike Hartman To Join Ranger Nation Radio

Ranger Nation — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:01:45 -0500

Join hosts Randy Sobel and Jonathan Ragus on Thursday, Jan. 15, as they break down the state of the New York Rangers.

Also joining Randy and Jonathan on the show Thursday night is former New York Ranger and 1994 Stanley Cup winner Mike Hartman. Mike will be talking about his Rangers career, what it was like to bring a Stanley Cup back to Broadway, and also what he is doing with his life after professional hockey.

The show starts at 9 p.m. EST and can be listened to at www.blogtalkradio.com/nyrnationradio.

Future guests include:

Former player Jason Doig
Stan "The Maven" Fischler
Kenny Albert
The guys from SNY's Rangers Blog
E.J. Hradek from ESPN
and many others.....!

Mike Hartman hoisting the Cup up in 1994.

New York Rangers: Pru-vIng a Point

Ranger Nation — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:19:41 -0500

A team loaded with superstar contracts, the Rangers have been struggling to get consistent play out of the big names they pay for. Chris Drury and Scott Gomez both received Captain letters this year, but have not played to the true potential expected by the team and the fans. Two defensive signings—the re-signing of Michal Rozsival and long-term deal with former Ottawa Senator all-star Wade Redden—have only given the Rangers inconsistent defensive play, greatly overshadowed by younger defensive stars such as Marc Staal.

Due to the lackluster play of their superstars, the Rangers need a major boost to help right the ship. After a deal for Mats Sundin diminished, they looked within their own organization to find their pick-me-up: Petr Prucha.

Prucha was outstanding in his rookie year 2005-06 scoring 30 goals for a team that clinched the sixth spot in the playoffs. After an injury-plagued 2007-08 season, Prucha was barely given a chance after starting the year playing in his homeland of the Czech Republic. Since then, he's been only a fill-in for players such as Dan Fritsche and Nigel Dawes during injuries or minor lineup changes, playing 13 of 40 games thus far.

Prucha was given a chance on Dec. 3 at home against the Penguins. In a hard-fought game against the division rival, he proved himself as a stand-out performer.

Hours before the game began, Prucha was greeted outside by fans. When asked if he would be playing that night, Prucha smiled and politely nodded his head 'yes.' The fans around him became ecstatic, and began a Let's Go Prucha chant, one that would follow into the arena later that night.

On the ice, he utilized slick puck control around the net, which forced the Penguins to take multiple penalties for his efforts. In the third period, with the score 2-1 in the Penguins favor, Prucha took advantage of a rebound deflected off the boards to score his first goal of the season, tying the game at two. The Rangers would go on to win the game after a shootout.

Coach Tom Renney would leave him in for the next two games, but the outcomes did not help Prucha's staying power. In those games, Prucha made his best efforts to keep himself around. He even dropped the gloves in Montreal—a rarity in his career—but the Rangers were badly beaten by the Canadiens and the Flames. Prucha was removed from the line-up yet again.

In two games this last week, Prucha was inserted back into the lineup due to inconsistent play from Aaron Voros. Prucha was able to prove himself in key spots yet again, as he scored a tying goal against the Islanders last Monday, and scored the only goal in the Rangers' loss to the Capitals on Saturday.

Prucha doesn't bring the star power to the ice that the Rangers are used to, but he plays an aggressive game built on heart and determination. He's been proving his point to the team all season: he can be an asset to the roster by just keeping his head up high and working hard in practices. It could be increased ice time for Petr Prucha that gets the Rangers right back in the playoff mix.

Randy Sobel is the lead host for Ranger Nation Radio and is also a contributor to www.nyrnation.com.

New York Rangers: A Look Ahead

Ranger Nation — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:14:37 -0500

Well Ranger fans, the 2008 portion of the season is done. The Blueshirts are 23-13-3 and lead the Atlantic division with 49 points. While the Rangers have not played good hockey as of late, maybe ’09 will provide change for a club looking to hit its stride.

Here’s a look at what’s in store for the new year:

January: 12 games (4 home, 8 away)

This is going to be a big month for Tom Renney’s team, there is plenty of tough competition, most of which will come on the road. The teams we will get used to seeing are the Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and co. will face the Rangers 3 times. The schedule also features contests against teams that are white hot heading into the year, Washington and Chicago.

January also provides the NHL All-Star weekend, festivities will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal to help celebrate the Habs’ centennial. Hopefully two Rangers will get a call to play in the exhibition, Henrik Lundqvist and Nikolai Zherdev both deserve a chance to show their skills to the world.

Outlook: Tough month, there will be a lot of tests for this team and we will certainly learn a lot about their integrity as a unit. 6-4-2 wouldn’t be bad, but hopefully they will surprise me and everyone else.

February: 13 games (7 home, 6 away)

After what is lining up to be a brutal January, the Rangers have a lot of winnable games in February. They will face teams such as Atlanta, Florida, and Toronto twice and face-off with the Blues and Avalanche.

Special month for some former Ranger greats as 3 numbers will be raised to the rafters. The game against Atlanta on the 3^rdwill be Adam Graves night, where Gravey will go right up there with Leetch, Messier and Richter. Then, on the 22^nd, the team will honor both Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate before taking on Toronto. Both of these nights will be ones to remember, as we have seen of late, the Rangers do a great job with these ceremonies.

Outlook: Wishful thinking says this could be a 10 win month but, I’ve seen this team play an awful lot this year and I would have to assume they drop a few “gimmes”. Lets hope for 8-3-2.

March: 13 games (6 home, 7 away)

This is where the schedule gets very interesting. The race in the division is likely still going to between four teams (sorry Isles) which means ideally, this is where the Rangers hit their stride. The make or break games will be the home and home against the Flyers on the 14^th and 15^th.

With the new schedule in play, the Rangers will face their final tests from the Western Conference in March as well. They will head to the Sommet Center to face Nashville on the 12^th and host a playoff-hopeful Minnesota club on the 24^th.

Outlook: Don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I am going to say 8-3-2 once more.

April: five games (2 home, 3 road)

And down the stretch they come. Five games, four of which appear to be against playoff teams. In addition to another tussle with Eric Staal and the Hurricanes, the Blueshirts will face Boston, Montreal, and another home and home with the Flyers, which will close out the regular season.

This is where the games matter most, even if a playoff spot is locked up you want to end the year on a high note. Those two games with Philly are a good way to close out because the Flyers play a very physical game which should not allow the Rangers to let up.

Outlook: 3-1-1. For once, Renney will get the message across and the team will finish out the season ready for the playoffs.

Doug Fischer is a contributor to Ranger Nation.

Visit Ranger Nation @ www.nyrnation.com

State of the New York Rangers

Ranger Nation — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 08:40:45 -0500

Last night's embarrassing loss to Ovechkin & company didn't even leave me angry or upset. It left me laughing.

It was typical of this Rangers team to push and hustle so hard, gain a 4-0 lead and than just sit back and watch the other team take control for two straight periods. Alexander Ovechkin single handedly sparked this team to a win which had more guys from the AHL playing than regular starters. I would've hated to see the outcome if Washington weren't missing their starters.

It's the poor coaching ability of this team that is bringing it down. The players are to blame as well, but the ball always falls in the lap of the coach correct? Sometimes it's called for, and sometimes it's not. This time it definitely is called for.

Tom Renney lacks the proper hockey knowledge to teach his players how to condition themselves to todays play of the National Hockey League. Mike Pelino and Perry Pearn have been doing a terrible job also.

Thank god for Benoit Allaire, at least we have a great coach in him on the bench.

When will this all end? Ask Glen Sather. The power lies in his hands, and only his, to make the necessary changes to make this team competitive again for all three periods.

Last night was the New York Rangers' way of saying "Merry Christmas to our fans. We are still the same as we were five years ago and we thank you yet again for sticking with us through miserable times."

P.S. To all our friends on Bleacher Report who attacked my blog entry on their favorite player Cindy Crosby, Merry Christmas to you and your whiny little star. Here's hoping he lays a few more cheap shots to players who are already down on the ice so we can see what a joke Gary Bettman really is.

P.P.S. Here is the video again... of what a coward looks like. You are lucky Columbus didn't have a Donald Brashear or Colton Orr on their team, otherwise Crosby would've lost his head after this.

Sidney Crosby: Punk of the NHL

Ranger Nation — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:35:16 -0500

There is a difference between being "The Golden Child" and just a plain, old punk.

Being a plain, old punk is what Sidney Crosby is.

We can put up with the constant whining and marketing of this guy, but what was done on December 18th against the Atlanta Thrashers was uncalled for.

While Penguins teammate Kris Letang had Atlanta's Boris Valabik on the floor during a scuffle, "Sid the Punk" skated over and laid cheap-shot after cheap-shot on Valabik's head, one actually hitting Valabik in the private region.

Now here is my question: What is Gary Bettman going to do with his Golden Child now?

If Marty McSorely, Todd Bertuzzi, Chris Simon and others can be suspended for cheap hits and attacks, then Sidney Crosby should be suspended for at least 15 games.

Really, Sean Avery even got six games for saying "sloppy seconds".

Wake up, Commissioner Bettman. Not only are you losing fans of the game lately with your poor marketing schemes, but if you let "Sid the Punk" get away with this, you are going to lose a lot more than just fans.

Spotlight: Henrik Lundqvist

Ranger Nation — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:29:10 -0500

Through two and a half months of hockey, the New York Rangers have taken the bumpy road of inconsistency to hold a marginal lead in the Atlantic Division.

As the team continues to struggle putting up points offensively, they've had one redeeming factor which has bailed them out consistently.

That redeeming factor makes his home between the pipes. By birth he goes by the name Lundqvist, but the Big Apple has adopted him as their King.

With a league-leading 17 wins, Lundqvist has been a vital part to the teams postgame stick saluting, along with keeping them in good shape for April. His calm and collected demeanor has kept him focused during most of the 28 games he's played, but he does show that he is an outspoken leader on the ice as well.

The Rangers have looked for him to pick them up out of tight jams, and it's that shining spotlight where he seems to excel.

His October record says it best. Only two regulation losses in eleven games played made the Rangers instant favorites. His extraordinary ability to make timely saves in key situations gave him the honors of becoming one of NHL's three most valuable stars for the month of October.

The Rangers enjoyed cruising along with a league-leading 21 points, but as the season progressed, the October run was looking like more of an enigma.

The team encountered many early-season flaws. Few defensive players have made it tough for the Rangers to give Lundqvist the protection needed. A poor performance at home against Vancouver had Lundqvist yanked after a period and a half for letting up five goals. The inadequate play by the defense has prevented Lundqvist from notching a shutout victory thus far.

The Rangers also lacked scoring ability on special teams play. It got so bad at times that it's believed they have let up more goals shorthanded then have scored with an advantage. Ten shorthanded goals so far make it twelve away from tying a league record.

With the many flaws the Rangers sustain, they seem to have a knack for the heroics. In two separate instances this year, they've brought the games into over-time with less then a minute left on the clock. Then the team cautiously waits until they can reach their comfort zone, the shootout.

A tremendous 8-1 shootout record has given the Rangers a nice bulk of their victories. Their shootout specialists—Nikolai Zherdev, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Marcus Naslund—have made a huge impact on those wins, but the dominance of Henrik Lundqvist is what kept this team alive. In 24 shots on goal, only three have made it past him. The remainder of shots have been laughable attempts by those who thought they could outsmart The King.

In four years with the team, Henrik has proven that he is the staple in which to build your team around. Who would of thought a seventh-rounder out of Are, Sweden could come into the world's most famous arena and be a hero? He has certainly proven to the fans of New York and the league that he's a force to be reckoned with, and a name that could someday be mentioned upon the greats.

Right now, he continues to strive as the Most Valuable Ranger hoping the rest of the season can lead him towards two outstanding achievements—being awarded his first Vezina Trophy, and winning a Stanley Cup.

Randy Sobel is a contributor to Ranger Nation. He is also lead host of NYRNation Radio.

Visit us at www.nyrnation.com

New York Rangers: Changes need to be made... now!

Ranger Nation — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:41:36 -0500

Last night's embarrassing loss to the Calgary Flames have proved what I have been saying for the last few weeks, changes need to be made to this team otherwise the season will be lost fairly early.

It starts with the coaching staff. Tom Renney, Mike Pelino and Perry Pearn need to be ousted from their positions and replaced with coaches who will light a fire under this teams caboose. The emotionless Tom Renney was at it again last night sitting behind the bench with his stone face. How many times does Henrik Lundqvist have to lose his cool, go up to Renney and say DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT ME!.

He lacks the skills to preach hustling, accurate passing & shooting and the will to take chances this team needs. Same goes with Pelino and Pearn. Why don't they step up and tell Renney that something needs to be fixed or the lineup needs to stop being messed with EVERY game. Even Stan Fischler ripped into Renney last night saying this needs to stop NOW.

At even strength last night against the Flames, there was one point where the Rangers had 4 skaters on the ice for 30+ seconds. Where was that other skater???? No one knew, not even Tom Renney because his lineups are being changed so much no one knew who was supposed to be out there with that unit.

Don't get me wrong, certain players are to blame also like Michal Rozsival for his poor coverage and lack of shooting, Scott Gomez for his laziness and lack of making the pass hes known to make and Brandon Dubinsky for having an inflated head and playing for a big contract and not his team but it all falls into Renney's lap.

His defensive system is not for the roster the Rangers have, it is a terrible system for this Rangers team.

Make it happen Glen Sather, the fans are calling for it and soon you will have another FIRE ISIAH chant going on at MSG instead it will be FIRE RENNEY.

Keep smiling Tom, soon you'll see the unemployment line with the rest of us regular people.

New York Rangers: Where's the Hustle Guys?

Ranger Nation — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:21:30 -0500

First off, let me say how wonderful it was to call Petr Prucha's goal last night and for him to actually score!

This kid has been working his butt off on the ice, whether it's always hustling to the puck, drawing penalties, or keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Just glad all of that continuous hard work and extra practices have paid off for Prucha.

You can definitely take some positives out of last night's win, and there were finally more positives than negatives. But you still need to look at what this team is missing and realize that come the second half of the season, they may very well tire themselves into the basement of the Atlantic Division.

Also, getting into OT's and shootouts all season long isn't great for the team. I know most fans believe it is, but they gave Pittsburgh yet another point last night. If the Rangers continue to falter against teams like the Panthers, then you can be assured that the Penguins will catch up with the Rangers in no time.

There are three things that the coaching staff isn't preaching to this team lately and you can see it in their play. What are they?

HUSTLING - Besides players like Fredrik Sjostrom and Blair Betts who deserve the more ice time they are FINALLY getting, it just baffles me that Tom Renney isn't preaching the word HUSTLE to this team.

They show flashes of it each game for no more than five minutes of ice time then look like they are ready to roll out their sleeping bags and call it a night.

PASSING - Yes, passing a million times in your defensive zone is fine if you are being chased down by the opposition, but how many times on open ice will you hang around your own zone and pass it around five to six times before taking off down the ice?

It looks like they are practicing how to pass during games instead of at practice.

ACCURACY - What's going on with guys like Brandon Dubinsky and Wade Redden? They can't hit the net even if the goalie was pulled lately.

In my book, these are three things all hockey coaches teach their teams from the beginning, yet who's teaching it to our Rangers lately? Sure isn't Tom Renney; doubt it's Perry Pearn.

Colton Orr - Thank you for taking the game into your own hands last night and shutting down the crybaby Cindy Crosby. How many times after a clean check is Crosby going to complain to the refs that this can't be happening because he is the NHL's Golden Child?

Gotta love watching Crosby getting flattened, especially by Marc Staal. Enjoy!

Sean Avery out in Dallas?

Ranger Nation — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:31:46 -0500

According to TSN.ca and Bob McKenzie, Sean Avery's career as a Dallas Star is seriously in jeopardy after his inflammatory comments against Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf and Phaneuf's girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert:

Sources told TSN that Avery's personal publicist reached out to the Stars' organization first thing Wednesday morning in an effort to get Avery an audience with his teammates so he could apologize to them.

The Stars made it clear to Avery's representative that the door was not open for that to happen at this time and perhaps not at all.

New York Rangers: Heaven Sent

Ranger Nation — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:44:00 -0500

Rangers coach, Tom Renney has never had a problem when it comes to shuffling

lines. In fact, the only line that has stayed consistent for the Rangers this season has been the fourth line of Blair Betts, Colton Orr, and Freddy Sjostrom.

However, a recent emergence of a legitimate scoring line may finally give the Rangers some offensive consistency they need.

The new line of Brandon Dubinsky, Markus Naslund, and Nikolai Zherdev instantly clicked and provided the Rangers the offensive stability they have been waiting for.

For more of this article visit Ranger Nation @ www.nyrnation.com

Pru Blue: Can Petr Prucha Still Help the New York Rangers?

Ranger Nation — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:32:07 -0500

Petr Prucha, who is often a healthy scratch, has opted to stay with the Rangers

instead of shifting gears and playing in Hartford—where he would be guaranteed ice time,

which he needs badly.

So, is this a good thing or a bad thing for a kid who seemed very

promising not too long ago?

Think of it this way—Prucha is clearly saying that he wants a chance to play for

this team. But at the same time, Tom Renney has stressed that in order for Prucha to be

ready to play with the big boys, he would need to get back on the ice, something he

would more than likely do with the Wolfpack and not the Rangers.

For more of this article visit Ranger Nation @ www.nyrnation.com

Sean Avery the Punk Suspended Indefinitely

Ranger Nation — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:19:34 -0500

Usually I wouldn't write about a player who has nothing to do with the New York Rangers—but I couldn't pass up this opportunity to throw my two cents into the equation.

Today, while speaking with reporters, Sean Avery made some inflammatory comments about Calgary Flames defensemen Dino Phaneuf and his girlfriend—actress Elisha Cuthbert, who is Avery's ex-girlfriend.

"I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada," he said. "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. Enjoy the game tonight."

Now, some fans are calling this suspension uncalled for and others are saying its rightfully deserved. I am telling you now, my vote goes for RIGHTFULLY DESERVED. Not only were his comments uncalled for, they weren't even provoked by anyone. This is just another case of a jealous bum trying to make himself look good yet again.

Now Sean, we know you date old hags now and model your tight little jeans that went out with Ron Duguay and his Sassoon's, but how many guys you think had most of your girlfriends before you even laid a hand on them?

The suspension is well-deserved and I commend the NHL for taking matters into their own hands before the Dallas Stars did. Owner Tom Hicks agrees also.

"I completely support the league's decision to suspend Sean Avery," Hicks said in a statement. "Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so."

It was disrespectful to Cuthbert, Phaneuf, their families and the fans of the game.

This just makes me even more happier that Glen Sather didn't bring this bum back.

Mike Smith: The Classless Goalie

Ranger Nation — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:10:10 -0500

Tonight was wonderful on all measures but one.

Not only did the Rangers win, but their power play finally clicked and Captain Clutch Chris Drury scored a hat trick. Drury looked to have his confidence back after sitting on the bench after scoring his second goal of the night.

But the only measure of tonight that killed my joy was the unsportsmanlike play of Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Mike Smith.

Here is a guy who I thought did a splendid job backing up Marty Turco in Dallas, and who I was extremely excited to see start in Tampa Bay. But his play tonight spoke truly for itself.

The stick swinging and cross checking that Smith threw at Rangers forward Aaron Voros was sickening.

You may not care Mike, but you just lost the respect of a fan of yours. Not only that, but you were just dropped from my fantasy team. Here's to hoping no one picks up your classless behind.

Guess you haven't learned anything from Turco and Olaf Kolzig.

A special congrats: Goes straight out to our boy Chris Drury. You proved the nay sayers tonight with your remarkable power play goals and that beautiful shorthanded goal.

Leafs-Rangers: A Loss Well Deserved

Ranger Nation — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:43:02 -0400

Tonight's debacle was a well-deserved loss for the New York Rangers.

A reality check you might say.

After taking a 2-0 lead into the third period, the Rangers started to get lazy. They lacked good defense and didn't bother skating hard for pucks up against the boards and in the corners.

After Toronto scored their first goal of the evening, Michal Rozsival made yet another incoherent, close eyed pass. It was intercepted by Toronto, who then scored a quick goal to tie the game up at 2-2.

Fine, we are used to Rozsival making these kinds of passes, actually (way too often), he makes more than one a game. But the momentum went strictly in favor of Toronto at this point, and they scored five unanswered goals to win the game by a final score of 5-2.

Also, I was being yelled at in the Ranger Nation chat room by Rozi fans during the game, for expressing my concers of having him on this team. First off, he doesn't deserve or warrant a $5 million a year deal. And secondly, I think he is a huge liability on the ice. That's probably why Marc Staal was ripped from his wing and put under Paul Mara's, which he is prospering under.

Just think, Rozi's $20 million four year deal could actually help the Rangers lose Nikolai Zherdev, Marc Staal or Brandon Dubinsky this coming off-season. Is it worth it?

Granted, Rozsival isn't a TERRIBLE defensemen but he also isn't a good one either. I honestly believe Corey Potter could come up and take his spot and no one would even miss the guy. And at the cost of a lot less money also.

My answer: Move Rozisval.

I also blame this loss on poor coaching decisions by Tom Renney

After the second and/or third goals, why wasn't the checking line sent out onto the ice to try and take the momentum away from Toronto?

A fight by Colton Orr, or the defensive skills of Blair Betts and Fredrik Sjostrom along with the amazing defensive line of Marc Staal and Paul Mara, I believe, could have easily helped the Rangers gain back some of that edge.

Terrible loss, but a well deserved one.

*Hopefully my writing made sense tonight. I am still recovering from an emergency operation to remove my appendix and boy those painkillers are making me loopy!

Hugh Jessiman Traded to the Nashville Predators

Ranger Nation — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:04:18 -0400

The Hugh Jessiman experiment on Broadway is finally over. Wait a minute, did he even make it to Broadway?

The Rangers traded Jessiman to the Nashville Predators for future considerations. Considering the Rangers could get rid of Ryan Hollweg, I knew there would be a market for Hugh!

Rumor is the Predators offered up a bag of hockey sticks and a few dozen pucks for Jessiman, but I have yet to confirm that.

It's amazing. The great hockey genius that Sather is and he passed up on Ryan Getzlaf, Zach Parise, Mike Richards and other notable names just to select the New York born Jessiman.

Yeah, who wants Getzlaf anyway! =*(

Ooh La La! It's Princess Sean Avery!

Ranger Nation — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:26:35 -0400

October 8 may have been the most boring day for sports news since baseball season began. Absolutely no professional games the Tuesday night prior, and very little to stir the pot with.

I wonder how the SportsCenter creative team prepared for this lackluster news program. I'm sure it went something like this:

SC Executive Producer: So has Tony Romo picked out his ring for Jessica Simpson yet?

Producer No. 1: No, he hasn't. She refuses to wear it until Jerry Jones gives him a signing bonus of $2 million.

SC Executive Producer: Brilliant! Let's open with it. What else can we use?

Producer No. 2: Well theres Stuart Scott's "Top 10 Boo Yas" highlight reel, a doberman pincher wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey, and with some spare time left we can have Hannah Storm decorate the studio with Boston Red Sox Fatheads!

SC Executive Producer: Terrific!

Producer No. 3: Um, guys? I know this seems weird, but it feels like we're missing a sport.

Producer No. 1: Is it Badminton season already?

Producer No. 3: No, but if memory serves me correctly, it does involve a net.

SC Executive Producer: Oh, right. The NHL. Didn't they move to some foreign country or something?

Producer No. 2: No, they played four games in Europe last weekend. This week begins their season. We should probably do a preview or something.

SC Executive Producer: Didn't we already do that last year?

Producer No. 1: Hey! I got an idea. Why don't we show that piece cut on Sean Avery becoming a fashion intern? That would totally get the audience ready for hockey season!

SC Executive Producer: Perfect! Throw it on after the dog!

Nah...hockey would never take a backseat on ESPN!

Before we continue to digress, ESPN decided to show this fashion piece on Sean Avery instead of doing the obvious preparation for hockey season. And yeah, we all knew some interesting things about Sean during his tenure here. The women he dates, the clothes he wears, etc.

But the truth has finally come out, and it's all good reason to either no longer be fearful of him, or even more so.

He admitted that he never thought he was gonna be an athlete growing up. He was more into dressing up his babysitters' dolls then rolling around in the mud with Tonka Trucks. His young boy hobbies were not collecting baseball cards or playing with Batman action figures. He enjoyed the fine, vibrant, silky smooth looks of women's clothing.

"It's probably my desire for dress up that brings me back to women's clothing," said Avery in the interview.

Handbags, sun bonnets, and evening gowns. Just a few of Sean's many passions off the ice. It was even on his mind during last year's playoffs when he decided to write a letter to the editor of fashion magazine Vogue asking if he could intern with them.

He spent the entire summer critiquing high heels and coach bags, and when New York Fashion Week came along, he was sitting alongside Wynona Rider and Martha Stewart watching the clothes go by on the runway.

Well, we all know if he was commissioner of the NHL, he'd be able to beat out Bettman for Best Dressed. He also thinks he would do a much better job at marketing the sport. Of course, even a mule could do a better job than Bettman.

Avery stated "They haven't figured it out that villains and heroes are what sells...Nobody cares about Jerome Iginla and guys like that. They're just not exciting enough."

Wow. Good point. The only time I ever really cared about Jerome Iginla was when I had the seventh pick in my fantasy draft and he was the best available.

So when the Stars come to town October 20, the Rangers have nothing to worry about. If Avery gets in someone's face, it probably because their skate laces didn't match their jersey stripes, or their helmet is the wrong tint of blue.

It's sad to see, but the current style trends are much more complex then a Scandanavian mullet and a gapped-tooth grin.

Oh, by the way—number one on Stuart Scott's Top 10 Boo Yas? Joe McEwing's two-run Homer.

Dan Fritsche or Fredrik Sjostrom?

Ranger Nation — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:53:18 -0400

Why not both?

People are wondering why they never saw either of these two players in the first two games over in Prague. Hopefully that will change on Friday and one of the two, if not both, will play.

Problem is, 99 percent of the Leafs players are playing great at the moment.

Colton Orr, Aaron Voros and Blair Betts played perfectly with each other. Petr Prucha had a great two games in my eyes.

The only player I saw that gives me the heebie jeebies is Nigel Dawes. Is holding a roster spot away from a player like Sjostrom the best thing to do for a player who really only does amazing against Martin Brodeur and shootouts?

I still would rather see Sjostrom play Friday. What do you guys (and ladies) think?

Life as a New York Rangers Fan

Ranger Nation — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:54:29 -0400

On my debut blog post for Ranger Nation, I would just like to re-post a forum article I wrote before today's game. This was a situation that happened last night and I would like to share it with you all so we as a Ranger Nation can stay true to what we love and believe in, our Broadway Blueshirts.

Last night I was at a bar on Long Island, seeing my friend's band play.

The last couple days I've been getting myself pumped up for these weekend games, loving the fact that the next six months of my life will be dedicated to hockey. So traditionally, I celebrated this opening day eve by wearing my Brendan Shanahan blue sweater to the bar.

I had Ranger fans walking up to me the whole night getting into every kind of conversation there is. From "We shoulda re-signed Shanny," to "They don't need Avery and Jagr," to "Have you seen this Korpi kid?" and my favorite, "Henrik will win 40, shut out 12 and notch his first Vezina Trophy."

It was a nice feeling, all these strangers immediately becoming family members. Rangers fans really do have that way about us. We support each other no matter what—we're one crazy family.

On the other side of the fence, I'm on Long Island, a raunchy, sleazy place, where if you don't know someone you count as their enemy. Really, I can't wait to move to Brooklyn.

So my friend introduced me to this girl and her sister, and we went outside in the lounge and just started talking a bit—you know how it goes. Then outta nowhere, this big dude gets between the two girls right in my space and says "Yo, you ladies don't need to be talking to this piece of trash Ranger fan. Why don't you come over here and talk to a real hockey fan."

Whoa. Dude, A.) Back off, you're stealing my thunder. B.) Real hockey fan? You're trying to convince this girl who most likely knows nothing about hockey that a fan of the Islanders is a real hockey fan?

The conversation was never about hockey. He just wanted to rub his nose in because he thought that he could steal away my ladies for being an Islander fan. I can't begin to think how that thought process would even make sense, but they have IQs of of about 12 so I forgive.

Second incident of the night: I go up with my buddy's band to sing some Pearl Jam like we do every show. Afterwards, a girl comes up to me telling me she enjoyed that and she used to be in a band, and on and on and on. She's playing beer pong so I take a minute to cheer her on.

It's down to one cup. I'm giving the old words of encouragement, and everything is cool. Then this bulldyke girl from the other team just starts stomping over to me screaming about something. I can't even tell what she is really saying. I kinda hear "season ticket holder since whenever for the Islanders."

She then shows me her wedding ring and says stay the hell away from my wife. First of all, the fact they are lesbians really makes no difference—but she had the nerve to scream at me just for wearing this well-knit blue sweater of pride? I never even mentioned hockey; she just went ballistic. That led to other problems where somebody wanted to break my neck, but I'll spare you the details on that.

Now after these incidents last night, I got to thinking—why are all Islanders fans screwed in the head? They had an amazing four-year championship run, and yeah, that's the only thing they can really write home about.

Besides that, what the hell is their beef? If I'm at a bar and I see some guy with an Islanders jersey, I laugh to myself or friends I'm with, move about 50 feet away from the guy, and that's the end of it. No fights, no talking nothing. I want nothing to do with them.

But I don't think I've ever seen an Islander fan wear their jersey to a bar. I don't know many Islander fans who actually own their jerseys. Every Ranger fan has at least one and always wears it with pride. Islander fans don't do that. They would much rather waste their time being angry at the Ranger fans then supporting their own.

Don't get me wrong. Who the hell wouldn't be—their team is terrible. But I remember Rangers fans standing by their team from '98 until the lockout. We were out of it by November every year, but we stuck by them no matter what.

So use this story not only to be angry at the Island enemies, but to remember who you are and take pride in that. We root for a team from the greatest city in the world, always remember that. Always know where your fellow blueshirt fans are and make sure you have their back. Love them like family.

Because we are Ranger Nation. An irresistable force mixed with an unmovable object. A team with great history, a suffering one, but an amazing story 14 years ago changed that all—and that's something to be proud of.

So whenever the games about to begin, get out of your chairs and start screaming as if you were at the Garden—LET'S GO RANGERS!

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Who should play this Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks?
Dan Fritsche Fredrik Sjsotrom Petr Prucha Nigel Dawes