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It's disappointing to realize, but the Rangers offseason is now upon us, and there are many questions the organization will need to answer.
Of course the biggest question is what will the Rangers do about Jaromir Jagr? Decisions also have to made about Sean Avery, Michal Rozsival and Paul Mara, just to name a few. And what if Brendan Shanahan retires, and Martin Straka goes back to Europe?
With all these questions to ponder, I brought in Dave Maloney for some insight.
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Down 2-0, Game 3 Tuesday night is a virtual must-win for the New York Rangers.
Dave Maloney and I discuss the adjustments the Blueshirts need to make to get back in the series.
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For just the third time in their last 21 games, the Rangers failed to pick up at least one point with a 3-1 loss to the Penguins Sunday afternoon.
Dave Maloney and I break down the game and look ahead to Monday's Rangers-Penguins showdown.
Watch postgame reaction from Tom Renney, Brendan Shanahan, Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist by CLICKING HERE.
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Against a very solid Carolina team, the Rangers played a strong game and won their third straight, 4-2, Thursday night.
Both Dave Maloney and I were very impressed with youngsters Nigel Dawes and Marc Staal, as well as the newly acquired Fredrik Sjostrom and Christian Backman. Watch postgame reaction from Tom Renney, Henrik Lundqvist, Sjostrom and Backman by CLICKING HERE.
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Henrik Lundqvist stopped all 23 shots and Scott Gomez notched a goal and two assists as the Rangers blanked the Panthers 5-0 Sunday night, for the Blueshirts second win in as many days.
Earlier in the season, the Rangers had trouble scoring, but in the last five games, they have scored 22 goals. Dave Maloney and I discuss the reasons for the recent scoring proficiency.
Watch postgame reaction from Tom Renney, Marek Malik, Jaromir Jagr and other Rangers by CLICKING HERE.
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The Rangers scored four goals in the first period, leading to an overwhelming 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres Saturday afternoon.
John Giannone and I were most impressed by Brandon Dubinsky, who is quickly becoming a top player for the Blueshirts.
Watch postgame reactions from Tom Renney, Brendan Shanahan, Henrik Lundqvist, Dubinsky and Jaromir Jagr by CLICKING HERE.
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On a night where the two high-priced free agent signings for the Rangers, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, reached 500 points in their careers, Tom Renney's crew stayed unbeaten against the Devils with a 3-1 win at Prudential Center.
In Dave Maloney's and my opinion, the duo has to be a big part of the Blueshirts' success.
Watch postgame reactions from Tom Renney, Henrik Lundqvist and Brandon Dubinsky by CLICKING HERE.
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Now that's more like it!
The Rangers rebounded from Tuesday's missed opportunity in Carolina with a resounding, 4-0 victory in Philadelphia last night, their sixth straight win in the City of Brotherly Love.
Tom Renney's tweaking of the forward lines paid immediate dividends, as each member of the newly formed Nigel Dawes-Chris Drury-Petr Prucha unit scored the first three Ranger goals.
Dawes opened the scoring with one of the prettiest goals of the season. Skating down the left wing, Dawes showed great patience, waiting for Antero Nittymaki to make the first move. Dawes held onto the puck, maneuvered around the Flyers goaltender, and shot the put into the net from a nearly impossible angle.
 Question for Ranger fans who remember the first round upset of the Flyers in 1986: Did the Dawes goal remind you of Mark Osborne's third-period clincher in Game 5? Same city, different building, similar play.
Kudos to Steve Valiquette, who recorded his first NHL shutout at the age of 30.
After facing an early barrage of shots (seven over the first eight minutes), Valiquette had a relatively easy night. Sitting on the bench for 44 of the first 53 games has not been easy, but Valiquette has handled his role like a true professional.
Each of the 18 Ranger skaters made a bee-line for the crease after the final buzzer sounded to congratulate Valiquette, who has now recorded three of the eight Blueshirt wins on the road this season.
It was good to see Drury named the first star last night. The center played with authority, scored a power play goal, assisted on Dawes' tally, and finished the evening with a plus-2 rating.
Brandon Dubinsky had another strong game, using his speed to create chances, and continues to play with extreme confidence. Prucha has regained his scoring touch, with five goals in the last 14 games. Brendan Shanahan has scored in two straight after going eight games without a point. Marc Staal had another strong game last night, and will be an anchor of the Ranger backline for years to come.
One Ranger who did not record a point last night: Jaromir Jagr. So, it means another day tied for 39th place with my radio partner Dave Maloney on the all-time Ranger scoring charts with 295 points.
I will quietly point out that the former Rangers captain recorded his 295 points in 605 games, while it has taken the current captain 248 games, but who's counting.
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There have been special celebratory nights here at The Garden and there is another one on tap Thursday, when Brian Leetch's No. 2 is raised to the rafters.
Dave Maloney and I discuss the man who's worthy of such an honor:
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Chris Drury got the scoring started early, but it was the Rangers' third line of Petr Prucha, Nigel Dawes and Brandon Dubinsky that impressed Dave Maloney and I the most in the Blueshirts' 4-1 win over the offensive-minded Canadiens at The Garden Saturday night.
Watch postgame reactions from Tom Renney, Henrik Lundqvist and Drury by CLICKING HERE.
Things looked great for the Rangers early on in last night's contest as Ryan Hollweg scored twice before the 10-minute mark of the first period.
But it was a totally different story after that. The Flyers went on to score six unanswered goals to beat the Rangers, 6-2.
Dave Maloney and I explain what went wrong for New York after the first 60 minutes. Watch postgame reaction from Tom Renney, Henrik Lundqvist and Chris Drury by CLICKING HERE.
With a sick wrist shot on a breakaway, Brendan Shanahan gave the Rangers a 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens Sunday at The Garden.
Dave Maloney and I discuss what strong wins on back-to-back nights do for a team, while looking ahead to the Rangers Western Canadian road trip.
Watch postgame reaction from Tom Renney and Brendan Shanahan by CLICKING HERE.
The Rangers dropped their third straight game, 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators, Sunday night at The Garden.
Sean Avery made his return to the lineup, and even though the Rangers lost the game, he had a big impact on the tilt. Dave Maloney and I explain. Watch postgame reaction from Tom Renney and Jaromir Jagr by CLICKING HERE.
The Rangers found themselves down 1-0 early in the first period of a 5-1 loss to Wayne Gretzky's Coyotes Sunday, and Dave Maloney and I believe Tom Renney's lads have to be able to dictate the pace early when they host the Penguins on Tuesday.
Click here to watch postgame reactions from Gretzky, Renney, Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez.
Brendan Shanahan snapped the Rangers' three-game losing streak with an overtime goal against the Devils Sunday, but it was Henrik Lundqvist who impressed Dave Maloney and I the most in the 1-0 Blueshirts win.
Last season, the Rangers lost the first three games they played against the Islanders, then earned points in four of the last five against their biggest rivals. The Blueshirts hope for more of the same this season -- beginning tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Isles have won the first three against the Rangers -- all by one goal -- and are coming off a shootout victory over the Ottawa Senators last night.
 Both teams have had trouble scoring goals this season: the Rangers have tallied more than two goals in only nine of their 24 games this season. The Islanders have not scored more than two (excluding shootouts) in any of their last ten games, but have still played better than .500 hockey (5-4-1) during that stretch.
While the Rangers will be without Sean Avery (wrist surgery), they will get Ryan Callahan back in the lineup. Callahan missed 16 games with a knee injury suffered in a collision with teammate Nigel Dawes. Callahan will play on a line with Chris Drury and Petr Prucha, while Marcel Hossa replaces Avery on the left side with Scott Gomez and Brendan Shanahan.
Expect Prucha to have a bigger role on the power play tonight. After scoring 16 of his 30 goals as a rookie on the man advantage, Prucha saw his PP minutes diminish last season due to the arrival of Brendan Shanahan. Shanahan did not disappoint, scoring a team-leading (tied with Michael Nylander) 14 PPG's last season. But Prucha's total was halved to eight, and he is still in search of his first power play goal this season.
Martin Straka, in his third game back following a hand injury, will most likely co-anchor the first power play unit, playing the point opposite Michal Rozsival.
The Rangers begin a six games-in-ten days stretch tonight, and hope to get back on track with their first victory of the season over the Islanders. You can catch the action on MSG, while Dave Maloney and I will have the radio call on 770 AM.
So, away we go. Another camp is in the books and it is off to the regular season for the Blueshirts.
 It was evident at camp that a long-term plan is nicely rounding into form. The younger players were competitive from the get-go, winning in Traverse City.
Since the lockout, Ranger management has worked hard to create a culture of commitment, pride and responsibility. This camp clearly showed that these three important intangibles were taking root.
On the big club, the additions of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury have caused warranted excitement. Both are winners. Gomez’s exuberant attitude will work in the locker room, while Drury may very well be the best three-zone player in the NHL.
Say what you like though, the keys to the season will continue to be Henrik Lundqvist and Jaromir Jagr. Your goaltending can’t be just good to win. It has to be great. From December on last season, few were better than King Henrik. He will have to be that good again.
Despite a deeper and a more diversified supporting cast, all still revolves around the talented Ranger captain. Jagr is in tremendous physical condition and all signs indicate that he is on a mission.
Good news for those of us in Ranger Land.
To quote my radio partner Dave Maloney, who sat to my left at Monday's Rangers-Islanders preseason game at Nassau Coliseum: "The 1970s have broken out."
A total of 165 penalty minutes, including 10 fighting majors and six game misconducts, filled the final box score of the Islanders' come-from-behind, 5-4 overtime victory.
One thing Rangers fans do not have to worry about this season: Even in September, this club sticks up for one another.
Some examples:
 Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton ran Ryan Callahan into the boards in the opening minutes. Before the end of the shift, Colton Orr dropped the gloves with Sutton.
Early in the second period, Ryan Hollweg and Chris Simon exchanged hits (remember last March 8?). Orr stepped in and fought Simon.
Midway through the second, all heck broke loose. Hollweg and Simon dropped the gloves in front of the Islanders goal. Jason Strudwick jumped in and grabbed Simon from behind. Rick DiPietro then bear-hugged Strudwick.
Down the ice came, Rangers' goaltender Al Montoya, who took what seemed like hours removing his blocker, catching glove and mask while DiPietro waited patiently. Then, the two netminders attempted to throw punches before rolling around on the ice. Both were ejected.
Now, to the skilled portion of the game:
Nigel Dawes was impressive. Playing on a line with Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan, Dawes drew two penalties 24 seconds apart early in the second period, leading to goals by Drury and Hollweg.
Drury made a great pass to Thomas Pock, who scored to give the Blueshirts a 3-1 lead midway through the middle stanza.
Callahan extended the Rangers lead to 4-1 before the Isles scored four in the final 23:29. The Isles' top line of Bill Guerin-Mike Comrie-Ruslan Fedotenko scored four goals, including Comrie's OT winner.
The other Ranger lines:
Marcel Hossa-Artem Anisimov-Callahan
Hollweg-Blair Betts-Orr
Dane Byers-Brandon Dubinsky-Lauri Korpikoski
Defensive pairings:
Marek Malik-Strudwick
Pock-Michal Rozsival
Marc Staal-Andrew Hutchinson
CHECK OUT THE PHOTO GALLERY OF THE FIGHT-FILLED CONTEST
With the recent agreements with Marcel Hossa and Sean Avery, the Rangers have all personnel under contract for the upcoming season.
On paper, the Blueshirts sure do look to be stronger and more competitive, but there have been plenty of Ranger teams of recent past that have looked strong on paper and well… you know.
In the meantime, if one was to expect Avery’s negotiation to go without some contentiousness one would not have followed the feisty forwards pro career too closely. Or for that matter, know that GM Glen Sather never minded getting involved in the nitty-gritty as a player or as a general manager.
The downside of player-initiated arbitration is the fact that some things will be said that perhaps, under most circumstances might be better left unsaid. Well, when it comes to business, and yes, despite loyalty and all that, hockey is at the end of the day a big business. All is fair, like love and war.
The arrival of Avery in early February of last season gave a tepid group of forwards an identity that was sorely needed. He is most effective being an abrasive player who walks the fine line between contribution and detriment. While much is made off his in-your-face play, his skill sets are most impressive when you observe him play over the course of time. As they say, “his games’ got game.”
Having him back in the fold is important and the work of Tom Renney and his staff will be equally important when it comes to managing Sean Avery. Avery’s presence was certainly instrumental during the late season run of last year’s campaign and one does hope that his contribution will be equally effective during the upcoming season.
At the end of the day you can have all the firepower up front and all the strength on the blueline you want, but if you don't have a goaltender that is capable of stealing games, all is to no avail.
Hence, you can say what you want, but the most important Blueshirt-inked contract so far was that signed by Henrik Lundqvist.
 While it is just a one-year deal, it does buy Glen Sather and his staff some time to work out a longer term deal while working around any cap issues of the upcoming season.
Coming off a brilliant rookie campaign, King Henrik struggled early in his sophomore season. What impressed most was his ability to stay the course, despite his early struggles. There wasn't a day during that period that he did not believe in his ability to play.
To his credit, and also to the credit of goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, there was no panic button pressed. Lundqvist will be a better goaltender in the long run as a result of the struggle of his sophomore season.
When pundits comment on the state of the good ship Ranger, most opine that there still is a weakness on the blueline. If there is, which I don't believe is so, having the talent of Lundqvist minding the nets will certainly make up for any perceived deficiencies in the Rangers end of the ice.
One only has to look across the Hudson to see how a talented netminder can make a suspicious blueline look a lot better.
While it is hard not to get excited about the new Rangers personnel, I would be remiss in not acknowledging the contributions of a couple of guys who have moved on to other teams.
 I guess it is another sign of the times that roster turnover will likely include teams that are good, as well as those that are trying to figure it out.
Michael Nylander is off to the nation's capital to suit up with the great Alexander Ovechkin. Since the lockout, a lot has been made of the different attitude around the Rangers and you would not have had to look far beyond Nylander to appreciate where the change had come from.
There was not a harder working player over the course of the past two seasons than Michael. It is obvious how important he was to Jaromir Jagr, but the example he set from a work ethic standpoint will be most missed.
Jed Ortmeyer will be blocking shots and killing penalties in Nashville next season. It was great to have him back in the lineup last season after missing the first half of the campaign with a pulmonary issue. He was a guy that cut his teeth in the Rangers organization and there was always a little extra energy in the locker room when Jed was around.
 Finally, between the emergence of Henrik Lundqvist and injuries, Kevin Weekes did not get as much playing time as I am sure he would have hoped during his past two seasons with the Blueshirts. That being said, he was an important guy in the scheme of things.
An erudite, thoughtful man, Kevin was always willing to engage in conversation on a wide range of subjects. There was not a better guy to chat with about our great game.
All three guys were passionate, professional and cared about being a Ranger.
Coming out of the lockout when no one gave the franchise much hope for success, Nylander, Ortmeyer and Weekes were all part of the group that began to turn things around. For that, they should be thanked and wished nothing but success down the road.
With all due respect to Emile Francis, for all intents and purposes, John Ferguson was the first coach and GM that I played for. And what a character Fergie was. There was never a more honest, fun-loving, loyal guy in the sport than he. And boy did he hate to lose!
They are numerous fond memories, but the Monday morning optional practices under Fergie will always stay with me.
 The older guys were the only players that were allowed to exercise their option of not practicing on those Monday optionals. For the younger guard, there was really no option available and we were expected to be at practice.
Anyway, it was just a fun scrimmage. Fun that is until Fergie decided to suit up and join the scrimmage! He played as though every shift were the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final.
Take the puck from him and you could expect to get whacked good! Remember, he was not that far removed from his playing days and the competitive fire still burned brightly.
Playing with pain was a badge of honor according to Fergie. "Tape an aspirin to it," and "It is a long way from your heart," were two of his favorite exhortations when injuries were a subject of discussion.
He really did represent a frontier spirit when it came to the game. You were expected to compete hard and honestly. You were expected to be mentally stronger than your opponent. You were expected to know that there was to be no other reason to compete but to win.
While his sense of humor and mischief will always endure, at the end of the day it was loyalty that was John Ferguson. I can remember him being enraged when he found a New York Rangers jersey on the floor of the dressing room. The sweater was to be hung in a place of respect when not worn. And wearing the jersey was the ultimate badge of honor.
I was a young lad when I had the opportunity to play for him, but to this day being loyal means a ton, and for that I will forever treasure the time I shared with Fergie.
The frenzy of the free agent signing period has come and gone and by most accounts the Blueshirts fared well in what has become a "Christmas in July" shopping spree.
The additions of both Scott Gomez and Chris Drury strengthen the Rangers down the middle, an area where many thought the club lacked talent and more importantly depth.
 The open ice dynamic play of Gomez will be thrilling to watch in the upcoming seasons. He may be as dangerous player through the neutral zone as there is in the league today. Who can't help but remember how he used to cause most Ranger fans shortness of breath as he wheeled through the middle of the ice as an opposing Devil?
While Tom Renney and his staff will have plenty of time to tinker, it will be fun to see how he and Jaromir Jagr will tee it up together.
Meanwhile Drury brings a game that is absolutely rock solid in all three areas of the ice. A threat on offense, Drury is defensively responsible enough to warrant ice time against an opponent's top scorer. He impresses as a star that does not need the top billing and he sure comes with well documented winning credentials.
A winning team needs top players with an ability to play in any situation. And believe me, Drury is just that guy.
It is hard not to think that a couple Eastern conference opponents have been weakened by the signings of Gomez and Drury. While the Devils have done a decent job replacing Gomez and Brian Rafalski, it will be hard to think that the Sabres won't be a different team without Drury and Daniel Briere.
Right or wrong, that is the way the game is now played during the frenzy of free agency.
Editors Note: Dave Maloney's blog entry initially ran on May 28, following Brian Leetch announcing his retirment after 18 NHL seasons.
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's players were to act as though scoring a touchdown was what one was supposed to do. Excessive celebration was not necessary as the accomplishment of scoring made the penultimate statement. One can't help but observe the same quiet acceptance of success in Brian Leetch's game.
You get the sense that he believed his game was good, knew it was good and was not surprised by his accomplishment. There was no sense of arrogance. It was almost as though he knew that someone had to be good, and why not that greatness be him? Brian was a throwback to the day when it was okay to be humbled by the game and yet still be one of the game's greats.
In hockey, winning teams have a great player in net, a great player on the blueline and a great player in the middle up front. Montreal: Dryden, Robinson, Lemaire. Islanders: Smith. Potvin. Trottier. Edmonton: Fuhr. Coffey. Gretzky. '94 Rangers: Richter. Leetch. Messier.
Well amongst others, Mike Richter's number is up in the rafters and so is Mark Messier's. Two very important cogs from '94.
Over the past 50 years the franchise has been blessed with some great players on the blueline. Harry Howell. Brad Park. Ron Greschner. What will the future hold for the Blueshirts on the backline? Who will be the guy to carry on the torch of excellence for the franchise? Fedor Tyutin perhaps? Maybe Marc Staal? Or how about Bobby Sanguinetti?
One thing is for certain. Whoever assumes the mantle won't be wearing No. 2. That number will be the next one in the rafters representing the best Ranger defenseman of all time. A third most important cog from 1994. Brian Leetch.
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