......by edging Czechs on Mattias Weinhandl's goal at 3:15 of OT, so Henrik Lundqvist & Co. move into the IIHF semifinals...Canada leads Norway 1-0 in the first minute on a Dany Heatley goal...Oh, and from their Palm Sprngs meetings, Rangers have confirmed that Ivan Baranka accepted an offer from Spartak Moscow, but that New York will retain the 23-year-old d-man's rights.
Marcus Nilson ties it with under four to play in regulation with a high glove-side wrister just seconds after goaltender Milan Hlinka tumbled backwards from a brush with a Swede skater...
.....on a pretty high backhander as Lundqvist slid out to his right; 2-1, Czech Republic with about 7 minutes to play
At the IIHF World Championships...
Elias (knee) and Rozsival playing.
Just caught the live feed at hockeywebcasts.com
Rangers defenseman Ivan Baranka, a restricted free agent, will be playing in Russia next season, according to eurohockey.net.
The 6-3 Slovakian defenseman, who was 5-21-26 and a plus-9 in 61 games in Hartford last season, will skate for Spartak Moskva, the site reports.
I am awaiting confirmation with the Rangers.
Hope you all enjoyed/survived Mother's Day with your families, and also remembered moms no longer around, but not forgotten.
I had scheduled a few days off this week, so please don't expect the usual torrent of updates.
Will give you this though: In the worlds, Brandon Dubinsky today had a hat trick, including a goal from the right circle midway through the third period, as the U.S. hammered Norway 9-1. Pat Kane was tremendous as well. The U.S. will play Finland or Canada next in the quarterfinals.
The craziest story has been the controversial Finn goal against the U.S. that went through the mesh at the side of the cage and was allowed to stand after video replay. The IIHF then fessed up to the error after the game, and in a bizarre move, fired the goal judge.
Team Canada looks very potent and should take it all. Lundqvist's Swedes beat the Czechs yesterday..
With the injuries to top defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn, it appears as if the Flyers are fried. Even if they win one of two in Philly, the Pens will likely end the ECF in five at the Igloo. I thought it would take six.
Detroit is certainly dazzling everyone. Should be a terrific finals.
On this front, Cablevision---which owns the Garden, Rangers, Knicks, Radio City, News12 and provides cable television, broadband and phone service to millions in the New York/New Jersey metro area---has agreed to buy Newsday. The deal is supposed to close in August.
In the past month, the mood of the people I've talked to around the newspaper is first, goodbye and good luck to the current Tribune ownership, which had sliced and diced and tightened the purse strings and didn't exactly encourage the business of first-hand, on-site reporting, which is the lifeblood of journalism.
You can only hope Cablevision appreciates Newsday for its legacy of editorial integrity and independence in news, sports, business and entertainment coverage, invests in this valuable asset and allows it to blossom again---not only on Long Island and in the New York metro area, but for readers everywhere via newsday.com.
In the interim, we're still here (outside of some summer vacation weeks), reporting, commenting and exchanging views on the Rangers and the NHL as before.
Here's the names of seven restricted free agents who might not be signed by their current teams. Should the Rangers be interested? I'd be monitoring.
Antoine Vermette, Senators; Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Predators; Marek Svatos, Avalanche; Joe Pavelski, Ryan Clowe, Sharks; Steve Bernier, Sabres.
Thoughts? Other candidates?
No major news on the Rangers front so far today.
Pens-Flyers tonight. Loss of Kimmo Timonen (blood clot) will hurt Philly D. Pens power play could be the difference in the series. Martin Biron will have to steal a couple games for Flyers to advance.
Meanwhile, Rangers assistant coach Perry Pearn told the Palm Beach Post that he's interested in the Florida bench job---he has ties with GM Jaques Martin. The possibility was first reported down there weeks ago. Paul Maurice and Pat Quinn also are candidates.And Joel Quennevillle got the ax today in Colorado Pearn has a year left on his contract, but the story says that Glen Sather would let him go if he lands a head coaching job.
If Pearn leaves, who should replace him? Ken Gernander from Hartford, who has worked with the young turks? Brendan Shanahan? Mark Messier (probably not, he prefers the front office scene). Thoughts? Candidates?
