It merits asking
-
- March
- 14
If Jaromir Jagr has any desire to be a Ranger next season, why wouldn’t he just say so when we asked him about it yesterday?
That was one reaction I took away from a conversation in which the captain was otherwise perfectly vague. It appears the only other person present for it had the same take
Again, there is the chance that Jagr simply doesn’t want his contract status to be a distraction at such a pivotal time, which is understandable and even admirable. But the other side to consider is the issue loses steam the moment Jagr declares he wants to be back.
Stay tuned…
In other news, I got this e-mail from the NHL this morning:
The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) today announced a new global multi-year partnership with Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) and Bridgestone Firestone Canada Inc. (BFCA) in which the Bridgestone brand will serve as the “Official Tire of the NHL, NHLPA and the Hockey Hall of Fame.â€
Oh, thank heavens at least that’s been resolved. The lack of an Official Tire for the league has been gnawing at me for months….
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on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 8:29 am by Sam Weinman.
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Josh Thomson Josh, who is 26 and a native of Carmel, graduated from Boston University in 2002 and began working for The Journal News the following March. 
Can I just say that I got the NHL Network last night and I now no longer feel afraid of having hockey withdrawal over the summer. I absolutely love that channel.
Back when you were a young lass NYCEd?
and I agree, where not the same team as we were that night but it pisses me off that the devils keep winning. I don’t get it. I look at that team and I’m not impressed but year after year not only do they win but they battle for the top spot in our division.
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coaching/management/pride in organization
coaching/management/pride in organization
coaching/management/pride in organization
coaching/management/pride in organization
coaching/management/pride in organization
coaching/management/pride in organization
coaching/management/pride in organization
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ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
Why make a controversy out of something when there is none. He doesn’t want to distract from what the team is doing right now. Also with Jags he doesn’t want to say he wants to be back if he feels he’s not sure the team wants him back. From his comments about what Sather said in Prague. Jagr has always stated how much he likes it here and how much it means to him to be the captain. I say bring Jagr back. :)
If this is Jags last year, I wish he would get on his high horse and bust out scoring. AND WIN THE CUP. That would be one hell of way to leave the NHL.
I think it’s admirable that Jagr is trying not to be forced into lying to the fans that he’s dying to come back to NY next year. He doesn’t seem to know what he wants, and is in the position to decide post-season. I’d rather he be honest and focus on this year then lie and rave about how he’s dreaming of his career ending in a Blueshirt.
He’s looking to finish, probably when he’s irrelevant in the NHL, in his smaller hometown of Kladno, about 20 miles outside Prague. I think that’s cool.
Jagr does not say anything because he is an upstanding guy and does not want to tell a lie … he probably does not 100% know what he is going to do and does not want to say something and then 3 months later do something else… He does not want to do a Saban or a Jr. Seau or a Peter Forsberg saying he is done or staying and then going a little while later.
Great article on the Rodent website. I agree 100%. He says not to get too excited on the recent Ranger hot streak. He correalates it to October/Nov when Henke was stealing games but team not playing well … then they hit the skids … same thing here—- team is winning but not really playing well … 3 of the last 4 teams have gotten points off of the Rangers … the powerplay is still bad … no scoring from lines 3 and 4 … territorially they have been dominated …he suggests resting Shanahan and Straka … that would be OK … I would also like to see Prucha play … and play on the powerplay … Avery could go with Betts for a great sandpaper line with offensive potential and Prucha or Callahan can play with Jagr …
Really, I am ok either way with or with out Jags. We seem to have enough offence, maybe repalce him with a big deal d-man. But then again, I really like watching him when he is at his best. I think if he really does go I will be bumed for awhile.
Koffy…I don’t get it why must the lines aways change…NO!
Fine the team may not be playing great hockey but they are finding ways to win…
Last night the Devils played terrible defense and gave up 2 quick goals…then with that same bad defense…tied the game then before the end of the second the Wild scored. So I was happy…but no the Devs came back tied it again and won in the shootout…
Point is good teams find a way to win whether the goalie steals one or the game is a shootout and is won 6-5.
The last thing we need is to shuffle the lines
Yea I kind of have been thinking the same thing as what THE RODENT is saying. Although I didn’t read and going by what Koffy is saying. But yea we are not really scoring a LOT of goals. I don’t think we are in a scoring slump, but we are just not scoring a lot of goals. But I think we can turn that around pretty easily though, the closer we get to the playoffs. The more players will step up and start scoring for us. And if Henrik can keep it up we should really do well. Hopefully we will find out tonight, lets see some nice passing and some nice goals. I know we can do it.
Compare the current 13-game “point” streak to the 1993-94 Rangers’ 14-game truly unbeaten streak at http://carp.lohudcrime.com
I’ve been saying what “Rodent” said, all season. Winning does not automatically = good, strong hockey.
Also, they are not a playoff team. I’m on board with them, but I’m not dumb. They are going nowhere special.
salty,
who do you think is the team in the eastern conference that will make it to the stanely cup this year?
“Also, they are not a playoff team. I’m on board with them, but I’m not dumb. They are going nowhere special.”
Salty, I hope you eat those words
I like what Stan is saying better…
http://blogs.msg.com/gameon/stan_fischler/index.html
In particular…”Renney notes that his lads have slipped in terms of their “defensive conscience” and that only proves that the coach is paying attention. Perfection doesn’t come with every win.”
I’d be interested, salty, to know what team from the east you think will reach the final. If you could also add what the difference in that team compared to the Rangers.
You also said all year this team won’t make the playoffs.
Montreal will win the East because they are the only team with consistent special teams. 5 on 5 play is so even, that MTL is the team with an edge because of their PP. Pitts PP is good, but their D and goaltending are suspect.
Prucha27,
I watched the senators last night beat the candiens 3-0 in the bell centre. The senators look like they got there game back on. If I had to pick i would pick the senators.
I don’t think anyone can say they or any other team are not going to do well in the playoffs. You just NEVER KNOW, when a team will light fire. IT COULD HAPPEN, Henrik could stay hot and the boys could start scoring goals. BUT COME FELLOW BLOGGERS WHY WOULDN’T YOU HAVE A POSITVE ATTITUDE????
tomg – Ottawa’s goaltending is just too inconsistent. They have also shown they they can be as brutal as they are superb. Montreal has steadily clicked along betwenn good and great all year, no significant team slumps to speak of.
They are fast, they are mean, they have a great goalie who’s probably too young to understand the pressure (a la Cam Ward). They’re backup isn’t that bad either.
I just see it being extremely difficult for any team in the east to beat Montreal 4 times before they lose 4 times.
hockeymanrangers # 2,
its easier for most here to be negative.
hockeymanrangers # 2,
I agree, there is usually a team that gets hot in the playoffs and makes a run at the cup and the way the eastern conference has played out this year you never know what team will make it to the cup. The only problem I have with the rangers making it to the cup is there blue line. In the playoffs the stakes are much higher and more physical play is the results of the stakes being higher. I just don’t think the rangers have the d-men to get to the cup. The rangers have to soft of a blue line to play 4 rounds of hockey.
Guys, I suggest you watch the highlights from last night’s Devils game. The 3rd Minnesota goal was RIDICULOUS!
Doodie Machetto,
I watched the game, I saw it, it was a nice setup and easy goal but the devils still found a way to come back and win, urgh!!!!
Tomg Yea I kind of agree, lets just hope we are wrong. And IF WE CAN go aways it will give some of our young players some playoff experiance for seasons to come.
I want the Rangers to finish 2nd in the conference and to play Philly, whom I hope will be in 7th.
The Rangers should try and avoid Ottawa and Boston at all costs.
Blows my mind that people keep saying our Defense sucks, yet we have consistently been in the top 5 in the league in D all year long!!
Doodie Machetto
Hey that sounds good, being as I live in PA and have several Flyer fans around here. We are always at each (all in fun) when we play the Flyers. And it’s been a good year for the Rangers against them, I always like to see them lose.
Gerry D
I don’t think anyone said they sucked. I think some people are concerned to see if our D can hold up in the gruelling playoff run. We all should know the playoffs are a whole other game. The speed and hitting, game in and game out it is a LONG HAUL. The other thing we have been a pretty good defensive TEAM as whole MOST, OK SOME of the time.
At this point ANY corporation that is willing to give the league money is a good thing. Support those that support our favorite sport and go out and buy Bridgestone Tires.
I would not want to play Ottawa, Boston or Philly in that order …yes we have beat Philly pretty easily this year but I think they can intimidate us—- actually intimidate Renney … Renney is not a good ‘game’ coach … in-game adjustments … that is not his strength … Julien has outcoached him every Bruin game .. I see no reason we cannot catch the Devils … the Penguins will be the harder catch.
Such friekin negativity. Salty needs some meds and soon. I bet if we had 26 of 26 pts instead of 23 of 26 pts you dopes would still be complaining.
“This is not a playoff team.” Salty I give you the benefit of the doubt by tolerating things you say and chalking it up to you being a glass half empty guy. Then you say something like that and it borders on plain old stupidity. I am not saying you are stupid. I am saying that statement reeks of stupidity.
Name 8 other teams in the conference who are “playoff” teams if the Blueshirts are not.
All the parity in this league and we are 10-0-3 in our last 13 and everyone thinks we still suck. Some Hockey Rodent aka a Rat has some stupid opinion and everyone is like, “Oh yeah, we suck.” Do some statistics work you idiots. And I don’t mean GAA and GF and stuff like that. Just think about probabilities of going 10-0-3 with all the parity in this league. For most of you the probability stuff (again, not talking about goals for, goals against stats), is above your heads. The odds are huge. In fact, I challenge anyone out there to tell me how many teams in this league have put a streak like that together this year. I am guessing that the Sharks have one right now, Detroit maybe did it once, Ottawa did it once at the beginning of the season, and that is probably it.
Yeah, the Rangers suck right now. Yep, you guys are right.
Umm, we beat Montreal more than they beat us this year. We are playing better hockey than they are right now. We had on period and a half of brainfart against them. Big friekin deal.
Doodie you said you would not want to play Boston right now. They are like 4-4-2 and in their last 10 and we beat them while playing bad hockey. They lost 6 of their last 7 (2 in OT but still) and would have lost 7 of 7 if Donald Brashear wasn’t a dumbass.
Ottawa was just shut out back to back in late Feb and espite winning their last 3, lost 6 of 7 before that.
I watched the Devils game last night and they looked very beatable. In fact, Minnesota doesn’t even have that good a record against good teams this year and the Devs got outplayed by them. (BTW, I hate listening to Chico and Emrick. They sit there and fellate each other and the Devs all night. Yuck!)
There is a lot of parity out there and the fact that the NYR are undefeated in their last 13 speaks volumes.
All you crackerjacks are saying, “This sucks. That sucks. Change the lineup. Etc. Etc.,” I think just like to see your names in print. Pathetic.
Changing the lineup to rest some guys is a fair call. But changing it just to change it and put Prucha in because someone has a mancrush on the guy is the dumbest thing I have heard. Taking Avery off the 1st line to play with Cally and Betts…again, just stupid.
The team I would least want to play right now is probably Carolina.
Beer Me! help me out here….
I don’t know who will win the East. Montreal, NJ, and even Ottawa still all come to mind. I do know it won’t be a New York team. The New York Rangers simply don’t have it, personally I think many of you should be ashamed for being so certain a conference final is in our future, let alone challenging for the cup. (though I’m cheering) I know that once the playoffs roll around this team is going to be severely exposed and ultimately DOA. We’re playing strong lately but we are so far from dominant… there is such a glaring difference since last year.
And the thing all those teams have is that “5th gear” to shift into when the going gets tough. The New York Rangers do not have that. Coming from behind, like, once all season does not spell “winner”. Even down this last stretch of points…. we don’t have that gunners dream to just get that late goal and crush another teams hopes of OT.
I’m negative because it’s impossible to forget 1997-2004. I think we have everything necessary for a successful post season run, EXCEPT for special teams success… Look at Montreal.. Markov and Kovalev are pretty much their PP.. and they have a GREAT PP…
Our PP is a joke, and there’s no excuse for going 0-5 every game!
20% PP + Vezina-worthy Lundqvist = Cup.
I predict Jagr catches fire in the playoffs. Hes been holdin’ back I know it.
Salty…go smoke some dope or something. Drink some tequila. Get laid. Rub one out. Watch a porn. Do something. You are just captain negative.
Don’t cheer for the NYR. We don’t need your one foot out the door cheers and then your the first one saying Rah Rah when we get to the conference finals.
Lame.
“This team will ultimately be exposed…”
Yes, I know Jagr, Shanny, Gomer, Drury, Straka….those guys are all known to be flash in the pan guys with no playoff experience.
Name 8 other teams in the conference who are “playoff†teams if the Blueshirts are not.
...
ATL “made the playoffs”... did you really consider them a “playoff team”? Getting to the dance doesn’t mean you can break it down.
I’m sorry guys. I think the Rangers are on a hot streak but from my observation they are not playing like they are after the conference or anything like that. They are still teetering by teams that they should be SMOKING, and it’s just not very convincing. I could not agree more with the Rodent on this one.
That said, I havent been as psyched for a game as I am tonight… I would love to see some DOMINANT play. Believe me, I want to be genuinely excited and confident in the Rangers more than anyone but I will not allow myself to buy into fools gold! Not my style.
Lets go RAGZ
Fair point on Atlanta Salty. But that was one team who deservedly should not have been there. We swept them!
Then we were within 7 secs of beating the Sabres. We took the sting out of the Sabres that allowed Ottawa to beat them, IMHO.
This year with Carolina going 8-1-1 in their last 10 I find it hard to think they are not a playoff worthy team.
I still firmly believe in a 7 game series, I like our chances versus anyone in our conference.
haha – newman. As I was reading that, I was like ‘I guess this is where I come in’. lol
I’ll be glad to help, but it’s really no use. I can’t try to change their minds anymore. If people don’t want to enjoy this team, they don’t have to. The people who doubt their team and bitch to other Ranger fans about this guy sux, that guy sux, are the same one’s who turn around and bash the other local teams to their fans.
It’s easier for them to say “I told you so” when their team doesn’t win a championship b/c the odds are in their favor to be correct. I DO think that positive fans are better fans. There’s nothing physical to prove that. It’s an emotional connection to something that you love. Win or lose, I love the Rangers.
Pavel – good thing it’s not pre-2004 anymore huh? It’s 2008 and we’re a few points out of the conference lead.
We’ve earned the most points over any 13 game stretch that any other team in the NHL has this year. This team does not suck. To the contrary, we’re playing our best hockey at THE most important time of the regular season.
The playoffs are anyone’s. Detroit is going to hobble in with injuries to some of their top players. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them exit in round 1 … again. Haven’t we learned anything from seeing them win the Pres trophy year after year? I actually think it’ll be Ana or CGY in the finals from the west. (I picked cgy at the start of the season, so I have to stick with it).
The East is ABSOLUTELY any (of the top 6)team’s for the taking right now. Regular season and playoffs.
uh guys….NEW POST!!!!
“Doodie you said you would not want to play Boston right now. They are like 4-4-2 and in their last 10 and we beat them while playing bad hockey. They lost 6 of their last 7 (2 in OT but still) and would have lost 7 of 7 if Donald Brashear wasn’t a dumbass.”
True, but we always seem to play like absolute “Sugar Honey Iced Tea” against them. That’s my only motivation in wanting to avoid them.
As for Ottawa, they slumped for a while, but on any given night are the most dangerous team in the East. Their biggest weakness remains in between the pipes, but I think that’s why they would match well against us, since the Rangers have a habit of making B level goaltenders look like Vezina winners.
You mention Carolina, and while I would agree, I think that they are too weak defensively to compete effectively in the playoffs. I think even our lame PP would be able to destroy their even lamer PK.
Don’t cheer for the NYR. We don’t need your one foot out the door cheers and then your the first one saying Rah Rah when we get to the conference finals.
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Hey, I do hear you on that, and it is absolutely a fair criticism. Believe me, I have actual guilt about that. End of the day, I’m still a Ranger fan. Maybe just a harsh parent who expects my “kid” to be the best though.
All I can say is I want to be proud of the team, for real…the funny thing is they don’t have to neccesarily win for me to be proud of them… they just have to play like they are interested in beating teams and proving everyone wrong (or right?).
Newman – You truly have a selective memory. I had valid reasons for Prucha playing.
1. Shanahan has 7 goals in his last 20 games.
2. Straka has 2.
3. They are both 35+ years old and have played PP, PK and ES minutes, which takes a toll.
4. If there’s an injury, do you want a player inserted into a playoff lineup that hasn’t seen any game action for 1+ months? I don’t.
You riff and rant and whine about other people’s realistic arguments and insert your own wild innuendo as if we should all bow to your fountain of knowledge.
You can be a blind faith fan if you want, it doesn’t mean you have to knock those who have worries about the team based on fact. WANTING the team to win is one thing…Believing they CAN win is something entirely different. If you watch games and think this team, playing as it is now, can make a DEEP playoff run, then you don’t really know anything about the sport.
have you seen bernier play a lot. well i have. I see all sharks games. he is nowhere near as valuable as avery. bernier has size, he can score some, he can forecheck, and he will fight. BUT, he does it sporadically. he has trouble putting good games in a row. he tends to go invisible for games at a time. he has been sent down by the sharks for that reason, he has been sat out for that reason. and he will always be an inconsistent, wish he would do it more often type of player.
he played a good game in his buffalo debut, then went invisible for several games, then got a groin pull and sat out. that is him in a nutshell.
I have seen both players a lot, and Avery is way more of a winning factor and team uplifting catalyst than Bernier is, believe me.
Howe was 16 and SKINNY, which is why the Rangers passed on him. As though he would never fill out.
Omaha was a Montreal farm club in the original Central Hockey League. The Rangers were in St. Paul, the Bruins had Minneapolis, the Leafs had Tulsa, etc.
Bernier is 22 – his focus will come up to the level of his natural ability, in time. Avery is peaking right now. The reason Sather did not make this deal is simple – he thinks the Rangers have a real shot at winning the Cup with Avery, this year. Rather fanciful wish, considering all the teams ahead of the Rangers on the Las Vegas odds board. But when did reality ever impress Sather. And where the hell does he think Replacements for Jagr and Shanahan are coming from. First he doesn’t like to promote from withing the Rangers system, except for injury call-ups. Now, one the few times he should trade for an outside organization player he doesn’t do it – because Bernier is YOUNG. Too young, at 22, and Sather hates anyone who is younger than Abe Lincoln.