Just to clarify one thing on the previous post:
The coach said that Ward was receiving treatment for his shoulder and that Karel Rachunek didn't skate on Friday because he was resting his knee. Today, Rachunek had flu symptoms.
I assume we will find out more later, but at this time of year, players are often scratched when there is a deal on the table to eliminate the possibility of an injury. This is the last Rangers game before the trade deadline.
Let's see who's scratched on those teams. The Sharks are in Calgary; Kings at home...
When Ward hurried through the locker room, past his cubicle---which had a coffee cup and some yogurt on the seat--- he had nothing visible on his shoulder.
Maybe he could just use a rest, and Pock can fill in, although there's probably no practice Sunday....
Seems suspicious, especially after hearing several people mention Ward's shouting match with Jagr on the bench in Tampa Bay on Feb. 3, which apparently was nasty and accusatory...
Comments (37)
Who cares, the Rangers suck. Ward esp. sucks. Fire sale, Renney first.
I think if we can traded Karel Rachunek for a 9th round draft pick and an Arby's sandwich, we should pull the trigger.
Get rid of defensmen except Tytuin and Girardi. The others are weak and are a liabilty out there.
Trade the Europeans for some young North American players and rebuild that way.
As a Ranger fan the only NY team that is good is Buffalo. They have built that team through drafts and smart singings.
It is time for Sather to be fired. What has he done here in the last 8 years? He is a loser and he builds loser teams.
BRUTAL!!! Thats all I can say is, BRUTAL!!! When they show Renney behind the bench, he always has his hands in his pockets,probably playing pocket pool. I'll bet he's good at that. Blame Sather for this mess. The team has obviously stopped listening to Renney, and he's refused to get rid of him. They should have changed coaches at the allstar break, to try and jump start this team emotionally, and get a different coaching phylosophy behind the bench. The usual bad plays defensively, and whats also becomming a trend lately is Lunquist letting in a bad goal a game. Just BRUTAL!!!
Outside of a 60 game mirage from last season, Sather's 6 season reign has been a complete and utter failure. It seriously is time for him to go.
I'm down on Renney but I guess he deserves a little more time. Maybe, maybe not.
Most, not all, but most of the Euros need to go (yes, Jagr included). Keep the young guys, call up more young guys (i.e. Callahan, Dawes, Baranka), hold a fire sale these next few days leading up to the Tuesday deadline and clear house for an opportunity to rebuild over the summer. I've finally had enough of this team, the season's over. In that respect, this loss to CBJ couldn't have come at a better time. FIRE SALE! FIRE SALE! FIRE SATHER!
I agree, if we can get an Olive Garden gift card for Rachunek, Maloney should do the deal.
In terms of the Number 23, Rachunek is more Jim Carrey than Michael Jordan.
Renney isn't God. Renney doesn't have a lifetime pass to coach the Rangers. Heaven help this team if he's back next year, I don't care who's on the roster!
And I guess it won't be till they're mathematically eliminated from the post-season that we'll finally be spared all the quotes about 'We know what our situation is, we know it's tough, we just need to start winning and we need to start now,blah blah blah.'
To be up 2-0 at home to Columbus and lose a game like this - I-N-E-X-C-U-S-A-B-L-E!
I agree. Purge the roster of all Euros (except Prucha). This team has no heart and it all starts with the guy wearing the C. The only D worth keeping is Girardi and Tyutin. Rachunek should be released outright - get him the heck off the team. The fact that he's found a way to not only stay on the roster, but play just about every night should tell you all you need to know about the state of our D corps.
I can't blame Renney for this mess - he has to make the best with what's been given to him. Sather is presiding over this mess and it keeps getting worse. FIRE SATHER!
I think the entire Rangers hierarchy was lulled into a false sense of security when the Rangers came out of the lockout and succeeded for a while under the new rules with their lineup of European players.
Rules may change but the basics of North American hockey don't - you still have to take the body and you HAVE to VICIOUSLY clear the front of your net and, and I cannot stress this enough - YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOUR STAR PLAYER. Right now, on a good night, you have two forwards who take the body and no defenseman who know the meaning of 'clearing the crease' and absolutely NO ONE steps for Jagr when he gets leveled on a nightly basis. Plus, I have never seen two defenseman with the size of Rosival and Malik who are more reluctant to make body contact.
Ward makes a lot of mistakes but at least he plays a hard nosed game.
If Glen 'gone fishing' Sather does not get some defensemen in front of Lundqvist and someone scarier than Orr to protect Jagr, the season is over.
The Hockey News 'On the Block' mentioned Sheldon Souray may be available.
If Glen 'Gone Fishing' Sather isn't on another vacation during the trade deadline, he should see if what Souray's asking price is...he is tough and his offense has REALLY picked up over the last couple of years.
DK1994... Souray is a UFA come July 1st, and the price for someone to help the Rangers not make the playoffs would be too high (atleast a first rounder and a prospect).
All that to golf in May? If you want Souray, make an offer to him in the summer.
This team needs an overhaul.
Jagr is obviously not what he was last season. Adding Shanahan has taken away Prucha's role. The 4th line is offensively useless (unlike Islanders, whose 4th line can put puck in the net, Rangers' fourth-liners do little with the puck).
Lundqvist was superb last season. This season, he's been only very good -- a B+ rather than an A. Makes a huge difference on a team that doesn't have a big margin for error.
Contrast Rangers with either of their two local rivals: They've been outworked, outcoached and out-goaltended so far. Out GM'd, too: Isles added Sillinger, Witt, Hill, Kozlov, Poti - all very useful. Also shucked Zhitnik and York to get younger, faster and cheaper. Rangers after last season swapped the very useful Dominic Moore for Adam Hall/Pascal Dupuis (messing up PK and fourth line), signed Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward (disappointing so far). They have little physical presence on blue line, nor have they ever replaced Brian Leetch's ability to QB the power play.
If the Rangers miss the playoffs, as now appears likely, Dolan should remove Sather (though I wouldn't bet on it) and give Maloney the job. The Rangers do indeed appear to have been seduced by their first 65-70 games last season into thinking they were better than they are. The makings of a good team are there, but there's a lot more work to be done than most of us thought at the start of the season.
Expert analysis, drdon!!
Agreed drdon. A firesale makes no sense, and many of the people we hate are unmovable.
as much as i want to give up on this team, i find myself refusing too, and to read all of these posts makes me sick...this is all too typical of our fans and our city. how can you blame management after last season especially after the moves they made that most "expert" people believed would make us a top 3 team in the east. its obvious that the rangers should have made a deal early to fix thier flaws but its rediculess to throw in the towel like all of you have...im disgraced to be a fan if all of you are my peers in this catagory
I think one of the biggest problems existing in the NHL is the impatience with coaches. Tom Renney did a very good job last year with a team that lacked talent compared to the powers of the NHL; now that the team has come back down to earth, the Rangers should fire him?
That makes no sense at all. If you want to blame somebody for this team, blame Glen Sather who felt that the only players the Rangers needed this offseason were two "workhorse" players in Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward - when the team itself was made up of "workhorse" players in people like Blair Betts, Marek Malik, Dominic Moore (and then Adam Hall), Jed Ortemeyer, Jason Ward, etc. He needed to land a scorer on offense and defense and virtually did nothing to improve the organization.
This is not a team that can be fixed through the trading deadline unless they are willing to get rid of all the talented young prospects they have stockpiled in Marc Staal, Al Montoya, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, etc. I would stick to my guns, finally replace Sather at season's end, and actually spend some money this offseason instead of doing nothing.
drdon - good post until the last paragraph. Maloney should not be the gm - he was terrible with the Isles and was a big part in drafting Jessiman.
weez - it is not so much giving up but rather looking to the future. Would you rather trade what ATL or Nashville traded for KT or Foppa. I would rather trade players of some value (Nylander, Ward) to help for the future.
good post drdon
I agree with most of it.
a very very dissapointing season for the rangers, not making the playoffs, and if they do it will be a miracle, i've been a die hard ranger fan for years now, and i think its time to move alot of people, Jagr was great last year, and this year he isnt even on the team, shoulde surgery or not its no excuse to be playing how he is, get rid of him next year, make shanny the captain the only player who deserves it, get rid of nylander im soo sick of seeing him skate around like a balerina and do absolutely nothing, get rid of renney, rachunek, malik, ward, orr, ortmeyer, the one thing they should have done before the season was jump on chara he would have been big this year, in order to make the playoffs they need to make a few big big big deals before the tradeline and the time is running out
Get rid of Ortmeyer? What are you thinking.
This team was fine last year with Jagr, get rid of Shanny instead. why jagr? Chemistry was so much better last year.
If the New York Rangers make just one trade before the deadline, they should get Martin Biron from the Buffalo Sabres because they nedd a solid, world-class goaltender. Henrik Lundqvist consistently allows 2 or 3 bad goals every game and can't handle the pressure of being the main goaltender. Biron would at least be able to keep the lead and steal a lot of games on his goaltending alone. Lundqvist, however, should stay with the team as backup goaltender.
Lundqvist is a world class goalie and is certainly not the problem. The blue line could use an overall though.
The Rangers might as well have NO coach as have Renney behind the bench. How on earth can he be let off the hook when the team he's supposed to be in charge of blows a game like the one last night?? There is NOTHING in the way of a positive (never mind inspirational) connection between Renney and his players. Maybe there was once upon a time, but not any more.
All the crap about doing this or that to get into the playoffs just shows how deluded he is. You think a miracle trade is gonna turn this into a miracle team?? When exactly do they stop disgracing themselves? I'm betting April 8.
You can't blame this on Lundqvist. Please, since January 10th he's given up more then 2 goals only 3 times.
In January his GAA was 2.01 and he had a .921 save %. February was 2.14 and .917%.
The Rangers have 3 big problems:
1.Offense - their powerplay has been miserable, Renney has failed to address it in any way, shape or form, and for most of the yeasr only 4 or 5 guys can put the puck in the net EVER.
2. Defense - Rachunek, Ward, Malik, even Pock looks horrible out there. Too many own goals, too many great opportunties given to the opposition.
3. The coaching - Tom Renney not only fails miserably to get as much or more out of his players than they're capable of, but consstently gets LESS from them. They don't believe in him, his ability, or his system. He should step down or be fired.
To put it more bluntly, what's wrong with the Rangers? EVERYTHING.
If the first two problems are the offense, which you say can't score, and the defense, which you say does not help Henrik at all, then how can you expect Tom Renney to have this team in the playoffs?
Contrary to most of you, I think Renney is a very solid coach. Are there better out there? Of course. But the fact is this team gets little to no contribution from the 3rd and 4th lines and the defense is absolutely atrocious. Even Fedor Tyutin, who everybody claims as the Rangers best defenseman, has been an utter disappointment for this team when all of us expected him to be a star in this league.
BTW, Henrik Lundqvist is a very good goalie and anybody arguing that point does not watch closely enough. He is far from the problem.
Honestly the Rangers problem this year is the coaching. Unfortunettly this is a team that needs to be smacked around when they arent playing well. Mike Keenan was the best coach because he dosent take the teams bad play and hes not afraid to bench people. Yes Sather is a terrible GM but lets face it that Dolan is even worse and he wont fire him.
Henrik has not been as good as last year. Yeah his numbers might be good since Jan but he hasn't outplayed the other goalie. Marty outplayed him and then Norea outplayed him also on Sat.
Richter would stand on his head some nights and the Rangers would still win because he never allowed that one weak goal. Lundquist hasn't been the same this year.
The problem with this team is the way they play. Where is the passion and heart for the game? How do they quit playing hard after they are winning 2-0 the other night?
Didn't the coaching staff tell the team to keep the pedal down? Everyone in the organization is to blame. I just can't believe after the Devils swept this team in the playoffs, Sather thought this roster was any good.
Oh that's right he was fishing with James "I'm clueless" Dolan. Right Sather is here forever so he can do whatever he wants.
I wonder what Steinbrenner would do if the Yanks struggled this bad this year? I don't think Cashman would have a job.
All I am saying is that if the team only has legitimately two good lines and does not have one very good defenseman on the team, I don't think so much should be expected of the team's coach. True, when there is a lack of effort there is a cause for concern. But I think the difficulties stay more with an ineffective group of players than the man calling the shots.
rebuild for the future, trade all marketable veterans for good young players and build for the long haul. no combinations on the current teamm work. straka is the only one who plays hard every nite. and Jagr, as captain, and especialy with his talent should always participate in the shootouts
Well based on looking at the Hartford Wolfpack vs. the Rangers, I vote we just switch teams for the final weeks of the season. I think we can all agree that the current Rangers have no business in the playoffs, and if that's the case, we should let all the young kids get experience and at least show some heart out their on the Garden ice.
Hell, I'm just going to see if my cable company can get the AHL Center Ice package. Let's Go Hartford!
Anyone who blames Lundqvist for this seasons compleat let down is insane. He is the ONLY reason why we have ANY chance at making the playoffs. If anything blame the Defense. But dont blame Lundqvist.
I'm sick and tired of hearing Shanahan took a spot from Prucha....people I hate to break this to you, but Prucha can't backcheck and fumbles passes in the slot... Complete opposite of Shanahan.
Good posts one and all...
But I think something is being overlooked.
Look at the local teams, and how they compete. If there is one common thread, its consistency. NJ, isles and sabres all bring 100% every night, even when they lose. The R's? Hmmm..They look like they are at a public skating session.
From the net out; Lundquist is stellar at times, and shaky others. Some of the goals he's let in should not have been; other goalies woulda stopped 'em. Just run down the list at NHL.com. The top five guys are there for a reason.
Defense. Tyutin and Girardi have played well; Rozival and Malik, maybe; Rachunek? Ward? No FREAKIN WAY.
Forwards; Avery, Straka, Prucha, Shannahan, Ortmeyer, Hossa; Everybody else is expendable (yes, even JJ). These guys have been the most consistent.
Coaches. I dunno, I think I am just about ready to pull the plug on Renney. The guy may have a good hockey mind, but cannot motivate his players to compete. This has been a common thread for this team for quite a long time. The Messier/Keenan era is the exception, regardless of the cup. If they did not win in 1994, you could still say that there was a commitment to winning and competition. Also look back at the Nielson era, or Herb Brooks. Although the team didnt't win a championship with those guys, they certainly were competetive.
This group, I just don't see it.
POST SOMETHING TO STOP THE MUMBLING HERE!!!
IT IS AMAZING TO READ THIS THREAD HERE! WHERE WERE YOU ALL WHEN YOU DIDN'T HAVE SOMETHING TO WHINE ABOUT???
TRADE 75% OF THE FANS HERE AND THAT FILL SEATS AT THE GARDEN ALONG WITH JAGR FIRST!
FIRE RENNEY, FIRE SATHER, LUNDQVIST SUCKS, SHANNY SUCKS, JAGR IS THE MAN, PRUCHA IS GOD!!!?!?!?
YOU PEOPLE ARE RIDICULOUS AND HALF THE REASON THAT THIS TEAM WILL NEVER COMPETE! BECAUSE AS LONG AS ALL YOUR FRONT RUNNERS CHEER FOR THIS 'MARQUEE' CRAP THEY SUPPLY YEAR AFTER YEAR THERE WILL BE NO CHANGES!
Krog, waived....
Trade coming?