Bleacher Report - Articles by Zachary Schiff

Meet Kirill Petrov...

Zachary Schiff — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:34:46 -0400

If you read Newsday today, you would have thought that Mike Milbury was fired from his job for no reason, and that Garth Snow became GM of the Islanders by sleeping with Charles Wang. Articles by Greg Logan today and yesterday questioned Snow (somewhat rightfully), and the readers who sent in "daily rants" seemed like an angry mob looking for blood.

Let's get one thing straight. Garth Snow traded down 4 spots to take Josh Bailey. Mike Milbury would definitely have drafted Nikita Filatov or Luke Schenn in the 5th spot, and then would have immediately traded him to the Penguins for Adam Hall and a 2009 6th round pick.

By the way, Josh Bailey is the second best player the Islanders got in the 2008 draft. The first best is Kirill Petrov, taken 73rd in the draft. Remember last year when the Rangers took Alex Cherepanov at 17th when he probably could have gone 3rd or 4th overall? He slid so far because teams were wary of him being able to transfer from Russia within a few years. (Yes, teams also worried about his work ethic.)

With Petrov, he might never come here. Ever. He makes a boatload of money in Russia and is completely content playing there. However, if you take into account raw talent and skill, he was Top 10 in the draft, probably around 8th. If he does ever come from Russia, the Islanders have an incredible talent on their hands. The only reason they were able to draft Petrov was because they stockpiled so many picks (13, the most of any team in the '08 draft) that they were able to "waste" one on a prospect who might never see a North American rink.

Without further ado, the highlight video...

Now, as a logical, smart, street-wise Ranger fan, I hope he never comes here. Oh, and we talk about Mike Milbury way too much on this blog.

Http://www.nyhockeyrivalry.com

New York Rangers' Secret: Learn From Your Mistakes

Zachary Schiff — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:34:18 -0400

On January 20, I had the great displeasure of being at The World's Most Famous Arena to see the Rangers put up a stinker, a near-shutout against the Boston Bruins. If Brandon Dubinsky didn't score in the final minute of play, it would have ended 3-0 Boston.

The Rangers were in a funk, with the loss dropping them to 2-6-2 in the last ten. In fact, they only had two wins in January until this point, home wins against Buffalo and the Canadiens.

Since that time, the Rangers have gone 14-3-3.

The losses

The loss to Carolina after the All-Star break wasn't an awful game, but would have been a huge two points, especially at the time. Brendan Shanahan scored early on with a power play goal, but Carolina scored twice in two minutes in the second to break the game open. The Rangers had a second period letdown which cost them the game.

What was taught: Stop having second period letdowns.

This lesson has not been learned yet. See: Win over Islanders, 3/6/08.

Then they put two stinkers up right after the comeback win in Montreal on Super Bowl Sunday. In another game I wish I wasn't at, they lost to LA 4-2 and then 4-1 to Anaheim, in a game where I turned off my TV because I was so disgusted. Both games were awful but showed a big flaw.

What was taught: The Rangers can't win against Western Conference teams.

The lesson might have been learned as the Rangers beat San Jose two weeks later.

Since then, they've lost once in overtime, a Mike Green power play goal in overtime. The Capitals second goal was scored with 15 seconds left in the second period with the fourth line on the ice. Hollweg then took a penalty near the end of regulation.

What was taught: Don't have Ryan Hollweg on the ice in crucial situations.

Lesson learned. Hollweg (of whom I happen to be a big fan, regardless) has only played once since acquiring Freddy Sjostrom on Deadline Day, rendering my No. 44 jersey useless in March.

They had two shootout losses since the stinker against Boston in January. One was the meltdown against Montreal, the other the comeback game against the Islanders where two of the three goals against them were fluke bounces.

What was taught: No matter the score, you could always lose.

Lesson learned, as they came back from down 3-1 against the Islanders to bring it to overtime.

Moral of the Story: Learn from your losses.

Regarding today's matinee against Boston, it was another 1-0 shootout win, which would have been a scoreless tie circa 2003-04 and before. They had a ton of chances today but couldn't finish. Jagr, Drury, Dawes, Straka, Dubinsky, they all had golden chances but couldn't jam it home.

What would the score of the game had been if Zdeno Chara had played?

Originally posted to http://www.nyhockeyrivalry.blogspot.com

Islanders-Rangers: One-Year Anniversary

Zachary Schiff — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:35:50 -0500

This blog was cross-posted to my own blog (co-run with a friend) at http://www.nyhockeyrivalry.blogspot.com

After I saw Borat and Superbad, I got depressed. Not because I hated both movies, but because I believe I will never see a comedy as funny as either of those two movies were. In all of my cinema-adventuring years, I have never seen another movie I thought were comedic gold quite like these two.

I had the same feeling last March, after a home-and-home series with the Islanders and Rangers. The games in question were the March 5th game at the Garden and the March 8th game at the Coliseum, both won 2-1 by the Rangers. (For NHL.com recaps, click the links.)

March 5 - Rick DiPietro makes 56 saves, an Islander-record. Admittedly, many of those saves were bad-angle shots or shots that Marty Straka shot right at the logo on his jersey. However, some were incredible stops, including one he made with his head that no goalie short of Jesus Christ himself should have stopped. The lone regulation goal was a rebound by Petr Prucha on a Jed Ortmeyer shot from the hash marks. Carolina's-own Matt Cullen scored five-hole in the shootout, and then Henrik Lundqvist stopped Randy "Not Luc" Robitaille for the win.

As a strong opponent of DiPietro, saying that this was all his game kills a little piece of me inside. But, as a smart hockey fan (after all, I am a Rangers fan), I have to admit that he played spectacularly. Yes, like I said before, some of those saves were ones my Shooter-Tutor could have made. However, DiPietro stood on his head, figuratively, and in some instances, literally. The shootout was a perfect end to one of the most exciting regular-season games I could remember.

March 8 - Forever tainted as the "Chris Simon Game," where he Paul Bunyon-ed Ryan Hollweg, this game stood on its own as a fantastic match. Simon happened to score the lone Isles goal that game, and eight minutes later, newly-acquired Paul Mara's howitzer from the point tied it up.

With the score tied 1-1 in the third, Hollweg hit Simon into the boards, Simon swung his stick at Hollweg's face, and Petr Prucha scored on the five-minute power play to give the Rangers the lead. With 20 seconds left, Trent Hunter thought he scored the tying goal. One of the longest video reviews I can remember followed. There were 16,234 people in the Nassau Coliseum that night, and 8,117 were chanting "GOAL!" with 8,117 throwing in a "NO!" before it. The ruling: Inconclusive Evidence. The puck might have crossed the line, but the War Room in Toronto had no evidence and had to stand with the referee's initial decision. If the ref had initially ruled a goal, that decision would have stood also.

The parking lot was ripe that night. Ranger fans chanted "Inconclusive Evidence," "Eighth Place," and "No Goal!" Islander fans griped - rightfully so - about the now-infamous No Goal call.

And I questioned whether or not we will ever see such passionate, intense, well-played hockey again.

Of course, we would, and we wouldn't have to wait long. From a Rangers standpoint, every game in the sweep of Atlanta was great. The 7-0 game stands out, but it was a far cry from the home-and-home. I would put Games 3 and 4 of the series against Buffalo up there, where Michal Rozsival slapped home a double OT winner in Game 3 and another no-goal call went the Rangers way with 17 seconds left in Game 4. However, that was the playoffs. Playoff hockey is a whole different beast.

The current home-and-home just finished were good games, with the Rangers getting three out of four points and moving into sixth place in the East. This March's series did lack the excitement of last March's games, though. I guess we will have to wait to this year's playoffs to see if we can find some more games as exciting. Hopefully for New York, both teams will be in there.

Maybe comedy movies like Borat and Superbad are the regular season of movies. Great, great movies like those two games last season. I might never see a funnier movie than those two like I might never see better regular season hockey games than I did in March of 2007. However, there are better movies that have been made, just not better comedies, movies like Braveheart and American Beauty. Those are the playoffs of movies. A different standard, a different level.

Playoff hockey. I can't wait.

NHL Trade Deadline: Deals Don't Always Work as Planned

Zachary Schiff — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:51:32 -0500

I know, I know, everyone gets all excited about trade deadline day, myself included. Writers have been talking about it since Christmas, maybe before.

Some teams (Islanders, Columbus, Washington) are trying to decide if they should be buyers or sellers. Other teams (Tampa, LA) have already decided on selling. Philly has already decided on buying. Toronto would have decided on selling if they hadn't given their whole team a no-trade clause. Was Pavel Kubina really that important to give him a no-trade clause?

Marian Hossa and Brian Campbell seem to be the big names out there, but let me first de-bunk the Campbell hype, especially for Ranger fans.

This year Campbell has five goals (two on the power play) and is a minus four. Michal Rozsival has 13 goals (six on the PP) and is a plus two. Yes, Campbell has seven more assists on the PP than Rozsival, but he isn't the "power play quarterback" people have been clamoring for on Broadway since Brian Leetch was great?

Rozsival (admittedly, I am not his biggest fan, but I am using this as a comparison) angers fans by not shooting and constantly looking to Jaromir Jagr for a pass. Campbell has one less shot this season. Yet Rozsival might command $4-5 million on the market come July 1, while Campbell will be looking for $6-6.5 million.

For what? He's eight months younger and has more assists. Great. If the Rangers go for him, they will be paying for it years from now when they have no draft picks.

Hossa will automatically help any lineup he enters, but at what cost? His 56 points in 60 games are the first time he is averaging less than a point-per-game since 2001-02 when he was 23. And he didn't have the luxury of playing with Ilya Kovalchuk then. At -14, he is also not a plus for the first time since he played seven games in 1997-98, when he was a -1. Last year, he was a +18 with 100 points.

So when Detroit, Dallas, Montreal, Boston, or Ottawa goes for Hossa, what are they giving up? A prospect, a player to fill Atlanta's void (they still are competing in the weak Southeast Division), and probably two first round picks. All for a declining player who might be gone in two months.

Last year the Ducks won the Stanley Cup by trading for...Brad May. Then-35-year-old, fourth line winger Brad May whose best years came in the mid-90s as a Sabre.

I'm saying that a blockbuster at the deadline doesn't always work out. Just ask Garth Snow where Ryan Smyth's jersey is now. Hey, Glen Sather, how are Pavel Bure's knees? I bet John Ferguson would rather have his job as GM in Toronto than Brian Leetch and Ron Francis in 2004.

I bet David Poile of Nashville wants his draft picks and prospects back instead of Peter Forsberg and Brendan Witt for two months each. Every time Don Waddell watches Braydon Coburn, does he cringe and wish he could un-trade Alexei Zhitnik?

The only two big deadline day deals in recent memory that I can think of that worked out great (read: Stanley Cup filled with bubbly) were Rob Blake to Colorado in 2001 and Mark Recchi to Carolina for a nobody and a second round pick in 2006.

If Carolina didn't win the Stanley Cup, I would have written about Dwayne Roloson and Sergei Samsonov going to Edmonton in 2006. If Roloson hadn't gotten hurt in Game 1 of the Finals, maybe those deals would have worked out.

My advice, in case any GMs are reading this and wondering, is don't overpay. Most teams are built through free agency, offseason trades, and character-player trades on deadline day.

Rangers News: Henrik Lundqvist Signs Contract Extension

Zachary Schiff — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:26:17 -0500

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has signed a six-year extension with the New York Rangers. All six years will between the six and seven million dollar mark.

This was the first move the Rangers had to make before making any sort of trade. Now they know more of where they stand in terms of capacity space for next year, so they can trade for someone who will be a restricted free agent due for a raise next year (hello, Marek Svatos).

They can even make trades like Carolina, who got right wing Patrick Eaves and defense-men Joe Corvo, who still have years on their contract.

It also frees up Al Montoya, the sixth overall pick in 2004 (five picks after Alex Ovechkin, nine before Alex Radulov). The Rangers were hesitant to trade him because without him, Lundqvist and agent Don Meehan could have tried to rob the Rangers.

General manager Glen Sather, most likely used the fact that Montoya could step into the starting role to get Lundqvist's contract down.

Also, with the goalie situation settled until 2014, the Rangers can trade Montoya, either for someone this year, or for a pick/prospect package.

Without Lundqvist set in stone for the next few seasons, they needed Montoya as an insurance plan.

The core has now been settled.

Lundqvist is wrapped up for the next six years, center Scott Gomez for the next six, and Chris Drury for the next four after this year. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are here to stay (most likely Fedor Tyutin as well), Bobby Sanguenetti is on the way up, and hopefully Alex Bourret, Antem Anisimov, and Alex Cherepanov will be on Broadway within two seasons.

This is presumably the last year in Rangers' blue for right wing Jamorir Jagr, left wings Martin Straka, Brendan Shanahan (although Shanahan gets money next year through this year's contract), and defense-men Michal Rozsival (who will demand more than he's worth in the offseason, and the Rangers should let some other team overpay).

Out with the old, in with the new.

Maple Leafs News: GM John Ferguson Jr. Fired

Zachary Schiff — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:52:33 -0500

John Ferguson, Jr. has been fired by the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Board of Directors.

No word on if Cliff Fletcher has been hired, but it is almost certain he will be.

Good move for the Leafs.

Maybe the new GM will get a larger portion of control than JFJ had and can rebuild this team at the deadline so they can be competitive in two or three seasons.

Why the New York Rangers Need to Make a Trade

Zachary Schiff — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:43:08 -0500

Two days always stand out on the NHL-fans calendar, and neither of them is the All-Star Game. They are July 1, the first day of free agency, and the trade deadline, this year on February 26 at 3:00 p.m. The Rangers did what they had to do on July 1, getting the formerly-defensive-minded Scott Gomez, and Alternate Captain Clutch Chris Drury.

Nearly 8 months later, it will be time to do what they have to do to compete for a Stanley Cup. This team is set up to win the Stanley Cup this year, and this year only. Next year, it will be hard to build a solid team under the salary cap. Drury and Gomez will be locked up, both counting a little over 7 million against the cap. Brendan Shanahan, locked into a one-year deal this year, might not return, and has about 2.3 million against the cap next year, given to him so he could be fit under it this year. If Jaromir Jagr returns, he will count nearly 5 million. Henrik Lundqvist’s upcoming contract extension might be in the $6-6.5M range. Avery, who has made it clear he wants to play in NY, will earn around 2.5M. Martin Straka will cost $3M if he returns. On defense, Paul Mara, Marek Malik, and Michal Rozsival become free agents and will need to be replaced. Teams will throw big-time money at Rozsival, so his uncertain return will be costly. Where to fit another big defenseman or a solid sniper?

Long story short, this is the year they have a chance. Next year, they might reach the playoffs, but it will certainly not be as a strong contender. Glen Sather knew when he made a huge splash on July 1 that this was his one-year window to victory. However, the Stanley Cup is awarded in June, not July, and the road from one summer to the next is a bumpy one, paved with bad goals to Calgary, an inability to beat the Islanders, red-hot Edmonton goaltenders, stinkers against Phoenix and Toronto, an October where goals were less-than-scarce, and comebacks that fall short.

That’s not to say the team is in bad shape. They were in much worse shape when Avery arrived. He breathed life into the organization. By the end of February, dead-weight like Adam Hall, Aaron Ward, and Jason Ward were gone in favor of Avery and Mara. This team has less dead-weight, namely just Malik and Marcel Hossa. It will be hard to trade both of them for much, and others will need to go in order to get important pieces of this puzzle. That is what this team needs – a big shake-up, a fresh start with two months to go.

They need to be careful, though. They need to be wary of getting another Sandis Ozolish or Anson Carter. A player like Mats Sundin would be great, but would also cost prospects and at least two first round picks. Then what happens if they lose in the first round, like Nashville or the Islanders last year. The future was forsaken, and nothing was gained. There will be options out there as teams realize if they are buyers or sellers. They need to find the right person who maybe needs a change of scenery like Mara did, or who will fire up the locker room like Avery did.

A big defenseman might be more necessary than a sniper like Sundin. Rob Blake will be out there, but at what cost? Darryl Sydor also will be out there, but will cost $2.5M next year. J-M Liles has been rumored, and makes sense, but Colorado would want a Prucha, Dawes, or Callahan in return. Is that a fair deal for an unproven defenseman who might not provide what the team is looking for.

It’s an undesirable situation - try to save the future for this year, because this year is brighter than your future. Anybody like Blake or Marian Hossa would mortgage the next few years, but maybe that’s what this team needs if Sather believes it’s all-or-nothing this season. I believe the best bet would be Michael Ryder or Jarrett Stoll, a forward who could spark the team, then sign Liles to an offer sheet on yes, July 1.