The Rangers’ first two victories of the John Tortorella era came against what you might call inferior opponents: the Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders. Of course that doesn’t take away from the fact that they were solid victories, each in its own way (the blowout over Colorado was fun and needed; the win over the Islanders was clutch and satisfying). But those are games a playoff team, even a suspect one, needs to win.

Today’s opponent at Madison Square Garden, the Boston Bruins, are a different animal. Yes the B’s only had one win in their last three games coming into the game, but we’re nevertheless talking about the top team in the Eastern Conference. It would be a solid test for the new Rangers, while also giving the team a chance to redeem itself after its last two embarrassing outings on national TV.

Test passed with (almost) flying colors. Redemption achieved. The Blueshirts beat the Bruins 4-3 for their third victory in a row and second in as many games since Tuesday’s NHL trade deadline brought them Sean Avery, Nik Antropov and Derek Morris.

Just like they did in the midweek victory over the New York Islanders, the new players made their impact felt. None more than Avery, who assisted one goal (the Rangers’ third) in vintage fashion and who seemed to energize the team (and the crowd) every time he stepped onto the ice.

Asked if he was a different hockey player, Avery said “no.” A different human being? “Maybe.”

In the first two periods especially, the Rangers at time dominating the visitors through aggressive forechecking schemes. The B’s were able to answer the Rangers first tally when they did finally break through (courtesy of Antropov, who has been stellar in his first two games as a Ranger) but after going down 3-1 were only able to get back in the game due to some stupid double minors picked up by Dan Girardi and Chris Drury. They did so in the first minutes of the third period.

What was most impressive to me was that the Rangers were able to rally to score the winning goal after suffering such a clear shift in momentum. Yes, they got lucky on the winner, but as Tortorella said after the game, “You need to work for your luck.” Amen, Torts. The team is finally doing that now. How far will it take them? Impossible to say at this point, but you have to figure the playoffs are definitely in the cards.

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The New York Rangers are in freefall. This much is clear. After yesterday’s embarrassing 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the team has won just once in its last eight games and is in danger of all but disappearing from the Atlantic Division race. Time to point the finger. Actually, first it’s time to play a little game called “I told you so.” Back on Feb. 2, my last appearance in this space, I cautioned that the season appeared to have suffered an unfortunate turn, from which the team might not recover:

“We can go as far as to pinpoint the precise moment when perhaps (though hopefully not) the fortunes shifted dramatically in the Rangers season: The start of the third period in Pittsburgh last Wednesday (Jan. 28).”

As it turns out, that loss in Pittsburgh turned out to be the start of its present slump (the “last eight games” referred to above). I point this out partly mainly largely because I want to demonstrate how brilliant I am and that you absolutely should stick with me here, even if I disappear for weeks at a time (not by choice but due to my various other obligations, including my wretched day job). More importantly, however, this demonstrates just how desperate the Rangers are for a change in momentum if they are to salvage the season. Can the current coaching staff deliver the goods? Tonight should give us an idea, but the signs are not encouraging. Many of the players, chief among them Scott Gomez, appear to have quit on Renney. With Sean Avery not yet available, management simply does not have many other options to provide a spark. If the Rangers lose at St. Louis tonight, the Renney era at Madison Square Garden could be over.

Lost in this equation is the fact that Renney is not the biggest culprit for the team’s current malaise. That honor goes to Glen Sather, who saddled the team with overpriced free agents (Gomez, Chris Drury, Wade Redden). Ironically, Sather will be the guy dropping the ax on Renney’s stint as Rangers head coach. I’m not saying Renney doesn’t deserve some blame (why oh why does he refuse to play Petr Prucha for example?) but the larger problems with this team are a reflection of Sather’s moves as general manager. If anybody needs to go, it’s him. But there’s no justice in this world. Everybody knows that.

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The New York Rangers had what must be considered a successful weekend, taking three points from two road games to maintain their hold on fourth place in the Eastern Conference. And what if the one victory came at the expense of the Ottawa Senators, a team that is essentially in free fall and should, if there were any justice in this world, be forced to play next season in the American Hockey League as punishment for their woeful performance? (Joining them should be a certain team from Long Island, but that’s another topic for another day). The Rangers’ performance was by all accounts pretty decent, even if they probably should have won Friday’s game in Buffalo. But what stood out most from the weekend wasn’t so much what the team did as what it did not do:

• It did not commit any penalties at all in the Buffalo game or in the first period of the Ottawa game
• The Rangers defense did not give up any goals in the Ottawa game or in the final 28 minutes and 34 seconds of the Buffalo game (including five minutes of overtime). That’s a stretch of 88:34 going into Tuesday night’s game at Nassau.

What do these two points tell us? They tell us this team played with discipline. And that, in turn, tells us they are well-coached.

Say what you will about Renney’s four year (and counting) reign behind the bench at Madison Square Garden, he has always preached defense and discipline as vital parts of any winning team’s makeup. If his team is true to that, he has to be doing something right as a coach.

Granted, “something right” is not enough to guarantee a coach’s success in this town. And we have plenty to fault him on scouting and player development, a system that in four years has produced few bonafide stars (that list starts and ends with Henrik Lundqvist, pretty much). And of course this team has at times also failed at the very principles Renney has said to preach, such as in the embarrassing 5-4 loss to Washington and more recent 6-3 drubbing at home to the Canadiens. But this weekend, at least, it took a step in the right direction.

Finally, consider just how short this team is on real talent: no Jaromir Jagr, no Sean Avery, a first line offense that has a combined age of 96 and a nucleus of largely untested players. Sorry folks, but this is not a team you can realistically expect to challenge for the Eastern Conference top seed. If they make the playoffs as one of the top four teams I’d consider it quite an achievement. If they do so by incorporating Renney’s system and demonstrating that it is jelling into a cohesive unit that gives us reason to hope for the future, then the coaching staff will deserve even more credit. We’re not there yet, and there is a lot that can still go wrong, but firing Renney should be the last thing on anybody’s mind after this weekend.

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I know a guy on the board of this charity and went to this event a number of years ago. I recomend it.

New York, February 8, 2008 – The New York Rangers’ Blair Betts, Dan Girardi, Colton Orr and Marc Staal join alumnus and honorary chairman Adam Graves at the 11^th Annual Family Dynamics fundraising event on Tuesday, February 12^th from 6:00 – 8:30 PM at the “Play by Play” restaurant at Madison Square Garden. Family Dynamics, a member of SCO Family of Services, is dedicated to strengthening families and preventing child abuse and neglect. Rangers team members will host a series of activities, including kids games, a live Rangers sports memorabilia auction, an autograph session and a street hockey clinic.

Family Dynamics is supported by the Rangers and the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden to “make dreams come true for kids in crisis.” Attending children will receive goodie bags from Garden of Dreams and the Rangers.

For more information, please contact Family Dynamics at (718) 895-2555, ext. 113 or the New York Rangers at www.newyorkrangers.com and 212 465 6486.

 

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No the Rangers didn’t get anyone big, but it’s still a trade. Here’s the release:

New York, October 11, 2007 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has acquired right wing Pierre Parenteau from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional seventh round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Parenteau, 24, skated in 68 matches with the Portland Pirates and Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) last season, registering 30 goals and 49 assists for 79 points, along with 47 penalty minutes. His 79 points tied for ninth overall in the AHL last season. He also appeared in five games for the Chicago Blackhawks, tallying one assist, along with two penalty minutes.

A native of Hull, Quebec, Parenteau has appeared in 266 career matches with Cincinnati, Portland and Norfolk (AHL), registering 83 goals and 116 assists for 199 points, along with 167 penalty minutes. He also skated in 41 post-season matches with Cincinnati, Portland and Norfolk (AHL), registering 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points, along with 40 penalty minutes.

The 5-11, 195-pound winger was originally Anaheim’s ninth round choice, 264th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Madison Square Garden, L.P. is owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

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Here’s the release:

 

RANGERS ANNOUNCE 2007-2008 SCHEDULE

Team Opens 81st Season on October 4 Against Florida At Madison Square Garden

New York, July 11, 2007 – The New York Rangers will open the 2007-08 season on Thursday, October 4, taking on the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden. This marks the fourth time in the last 10 years that the Rangers have kicked off their season on home ice.

With a continued emphasis on division rivalries, the Rangers will face Atlantic Division foes New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Islanders eight times each over the course of the season. New York will face the other Eastern Conference opponents a total of four times a piece. Also, the Rangers will host the Pacific Division – Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Jose – and will travel to meet the Northwest Division opponents – Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, and Vancouver.

The schedule features five Saturday contests at MSG and 10 Sunday games at home. The Rangers will play two back-to-back sets in New York, the first on Friday, October 12 vs. Washington and Saturday, October 13 vs. Ottawa, and the second on Saturday, February 16 vs. Buffalo and Sunday, February 17 vs. San Jose. The team’s longest homestand will be six games from October 25 – November 5 and the busiest nights on the Rangers’ home schedule are Thursday and Sunday, with 10 dates a piece. In addition, the Rangers will play five home games on Mondays, seven on Tuesdays, two on Wednesdays, and two on Fridays during the season.

Starting times for all home games will be 7:00 PM, except for the following eight dates (which includes potential national selections for NBC*): Sun., Nov. 25 vs. Dallas (1:00 PM); Sun., Dec. 9 vs. New Jersey (5:00 PM); Sun., Dec. 16 vs. Phoenix (5:00 PM); Sun., Jan. 20 vs. Boston (TBD*); Sat., Feb. 16 vs. Buffalo (1:00 PM); Sun., Feb. 17 vs. San Jose (TBD*); Sun., Mar. 2 vs. Philadelphia (TBD*) and Sun., Mar. 9 vs. Boston (TBD*).

*Please note games listed as TBD are based on a potential national TV schedule. Start times on these games will not be confirmed until 13 days prior to the game day. Please check newyorkrangers.com for final start times.

Single-game tickets will be put on-sale to the public in September. No date has been set at this time.

Madison Square Garden, L.P. is owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.

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Joe’s note: I was away all day on a personal matter, so NYS’ editor Joe Pietaro pinch hit for me on the conference call. Here’s his report:

Rangers Knot Up Series at Two with 2-1 Win Over Sabres

Madison Square Garden was ablaze once again on Tuesday night as the Rangers held on for a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres to even their Eastern Conference Semifinals series at two games apiece. After dropping the opening two hard fought contests in Buffalo, the Blueshirts took Sunday’s match in double overtime and followed that up with a close regulation victory.

The Rangers led the latest game 2-0 before the Sabres came right back. Jaromir Jagr (second period) and Brendan Shanahan (third period) had power play tallies before Buffalo’s Ales Kotalik scored only 33 seconds later to cut the lead to one.

Sabres’ captain Daniel Briere had a potential game-tying shot with only 13.4 seconds left in the game kicked out by Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist that was sent for a long video review. It was determined that the puck did not fully cross the goal line and the Rangers took the two-game set at home. Counting the end of the regular season and first-round sweep against the Atlanta Thrashers, it was their ninth consecutive win and 12th in their last 13 games at the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena.’

“In that situation, you’re handcuffed. You’re at the mercy of the video review,” Rangers’ head coach Tom Renney said on a conference call to the media on Wednesday. “You have to prepare yourself to continue to play with the worst fate possible. Our video people thought it was a no-goal.”

The Rangers’ special teams were very effective, not only scoring twice with the man advantage, but killing off all four power plays that the Sabres’ had.

“We’re working together,” said Renney. “We tried to make their entries a little tougher. We have to continue to work very, very hard.”

Now the Rangers head back up to Buffalo for Game 5 on Friday night. A big shift has occurred in the series since the Sabres led two games to none.

“It’s on behalf of the players more than me,” Renney continued. “I felt as a coach that the guys had it in them (to come back). We just stayed with the game plan. This may be a special story this year.”

Renney also felt that due to the low scoring and effective goaltending in the series, scoring first would be major. “The goaltending has been great. Scoring the first goal is important. The bottom line is controlling the puck, controlling the ice. We understand what they’re (Buffalo) capable of doing.

“If you want to move through the playoffs, you have to play in a certain manner,” Renney said. “I truly believe our guys fell they can beat anybody.”

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