Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Wayne Simmonds and Sean Avery: Yet Another Controversy


Once again, Mr. Sean Avery has found himself at the center of controversy this year.

It was reported by Avery that Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds used a homophobic epithet as an insult against Avery during the Flyers preseason 5-3 victory over the Rangers. The moment came after both teams had gotten into a skirmish after the soon-to-be-suspended-because-Shanny-don't-take-no-crap Flyers forward, Tom Sestito, boarded Rangers center Andre Deveaux. Avery grabbed Simmonds, and the two began yapping. During said yapping, Simmonds shouted the bad "F" word at Avery, and Avery did not like it one bit.

Monday, September 26, 2011

It's Finally Confirmed: Rangers and Flyers Playing in the Winter Classic

Ever since the schedule for the 2011-2012 season was released, and people noticed that the Rangers and Flyers were scheduled to play on January 2nd, the speculation that this match was the Winter Classic for this season swirled. A little while after, the fans kind of realized that it was going to be and just waited for the league to officially confirm it. Now, that time has come, and the Rangers and Flyers are set to square off on a national outdoor stage in one of the greatest hockey traditions that's ever been thought of.

The game was announced at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, by members of the Flyers organization, along with Glen Sather, who did his share of trash-talking, claiming that the Rangers will win on January 2nd, and that the Yankees will also win their title, more than likely at the Phillies' expense. Both of these claims were greeted with gallant boos from the crowd, which Sather just used as fuel to get people excited for the game.

The game itself is very exciting because of both of the circumstances of both the Rangers and Flyers. The Rangers are a settled group now. It seems like everyone on the roster has formed into this identity of a real "blue collar" hockey team, and they are finally gaining traction in the Eastern conference. The Flyers however, are an entirely different team. After trading away ex-captain Mike Richards and noted goal-scorer Jeff Carter to make room for their new addition, Ilya Bryzgalov in goal, along with the signing of  Jaromir Jagr on his return to the NHL, this team is completely retooled from the team that they had in the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago. These two teams fought hard in their games that they played each other in last year, so it will be interesting to see how they play with the added incentive of this prestigious event.

Along with that, the main question that is now on everyone's mind is "is there going to be a Rangers/Flyers 24/7"? And the answer is yes, the Rangers and Flyers will be followed around by HBO and filmed behind the scenes to show the fans of both teams what these teams are like in all of their uncensored glory. Which means be prepared for a lot of F-bombs. Seriously, you don't stick a camera around John Tortorella, Sean Avery and Chris Pronger and expect Shakespearean dialogue, do you?

But regardless, this is exciting for both franchises, and it will make this season all the more eventful. Fans who are interested in buying tickets should look now, because they will not be here for long!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Rangers Preseason Recap 9/21/11

Do not fret Rangers fans, it is only preseason.

The Rangers fell to the New Jersey Devils in their first preseason game today by the score of 2-1 on an overtime goal by Patrik Elias. The game was evenly played for a majority of it, very tightly defended and some stellar goaltending was displayed. Petr Sykora opened the scoring for the Devils early in the game to give them a lead that would last until the final five minutes of the 3rd period when Dale Weise scored to tie the game up. Early into overtime, Zach Parise got control of a turnover and passed it ahead to Elias who tapped it in for a victory.

Why Ranger fans should not be upset about this loss was because of a lot of facts. First off, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal and Brad Richards were not on the bench tonight, while the Devils had both Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk on the ice tonight. The fact that the Rangers, with a team of kids on defense took this Devils team to overtime shows that the depth on the blue line is looking sharp. Now, if the Rangers get pounded with another storm of injuries this year, they can rest assured that they won't have to make a hard decision on who to bring up because they will have so many options to choose from.

Focusing on some of the individual efforts tonight, I liked how Michael Del Zotto played. You can tell he has a chip on his shoulder because of how badly last year went for him. Del Zotto was everywhere tonight and he looks much better. Another looker was goaltender Cam Talbot. Talbot made some incredible stops tonight, and it is good to know that the Rangers have another option just in case an injury like Martin Birons last year happens again. One disappointment was Tim Erixon for me. I caught a glimpse of the Traverse City Tournament this year, and when the Rangers played, I heard Erixon's name all over the place. He was not very noticeable tonight and that is why I was a bit let down. However, it is a long time until the regular season, which means they're is still plenty of time for him to prove himself, along with all of the other kids that have played.

New York Rangers Hockey Is Back! Preseason Begins Tonight!

Its finally here! After a long off-season, Rangers hockey returns tonight in their first preseason game against the New Jersey Devils.

This game is exciting because it is the first time we as Rangers fans we will get to see the up-and-coming potential roster players like Tim Erixon get to play on a big stage, as well as new additions like Mike Rupp and Brad Richards make they're New York Rangers debut.

The Game will be broadcast on MSG in the New York area at 7 P.M. I will do more analysis later tonight after the game because I do not have much to work with right now, so I would rather give my opinions after the game. This is just a notice for all fans, NYR hockey is back!

Friday, September 16, 2011

New York Rangers 2011-12 Season: A Fans Perspective

With this off-season bringing in some new additions to the New York Rangers, as well as some subtractions, many Rangers fans are starting to get anxious from hockey withdrawal as they fantasize about the upcoming season. Some new additions like Brad Richards and Mike Rupp will add some depth to the Rangers lineup, but at quite a price for both of them. As for subtractions, Vinny Prospal and Matt Gilroy have flown the coop to make room for some future new additions. With help from the New York Rangers Facebook Group, I've gathered some information on what some of the true Blueshirt Faithfuls feel is going to happen in the upcoming season, as well as their opinions on certain moves by the Rangers organization.


How do you feel about the signings of Brad Richards and Mike Rupp?


"Brad Richards was a needed sign. Rangers have not had a play making center since Nylander, granted Nylander played with Jagr and Straka, but a #1 center was definitely needed. Gaborik will benefit the most because they will most likely play on the same line. Richards will also help the PP since he can play the point. I think if he plays forward on the PP that will help more. Richards is an underrated defensive forward and defense is not looked at much in Hockey but Hank will like his back-check. Since the line he centers will get the most attention, Dubi, Double A, and Cally lines should thrive." -John Yun, South Korea *salute to the troops*


"I'm a little hesitant on the Richards signing primarily because of the length of it - we've seen how the DiPietro contract has worked out to date, so if it turns out to be a Very Bad Signing, that's a lot of dead weight cap space wise. That said, I think the Richards contract has more benefits than drawbacks overall. For Rupp, I think it was a solid move - its not overpriced considering the market this year, and having better depth in the back six is never a bad idea if it won't be a hardship. I am worried about his heart condition, but he's been dealing with it since 1998 (his entire professional career) so its probably a non-issue." - Dan Sweikata, Cincinnati OH


Well, my opinion on Richards is that coming off an injury bothers me a little bit. He still has some juice left in him but I really don't think he is the "saver" of obtaining the Stanley Cup this year. Although he will be a great asset and help out a lot but he is NOT the whole team - it is a group effort. However, I also think the he can help Gabby get out of slump and work well together. Time will tell." -Andrea Sherman, Ocean Township NJ


"I love the additions of Richards and Rupp. Richards fills the two most glaring needs (the third being a crease clearin D) as he is a true #1 play-making center, and powerplay QB. Rupp is a mean S.O.B who will add grit and chip in offensively, but I see our third line of Prust, Boyle, Rupp / Fedetenko as the best in the NHL. I'm excited about having a top line finally since the Nylander/Jagr/Straka days". -Dan Van Bomel, Bronx NY


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

My Review of EA's NHL 12

Like many hockey fans, and fans of good sports games fans, I ran to my local gamery today and picked up the latest edition of EA's long running NHL series. Being a big fan of NHL 11, I was quite eager to give the new edition a try and see if I can hone my skills and have some fun with the updates EA put into their game. And like the many editions before it, NHL 12 did not disappoint me. The new tweaks and additions put into the game allow for a nice breath of fresh air from NHL 11 which I played to death, and found myself longing for more than just 1-on-1 on Xbox Live. There is so much to do, and is so perfectly executed that it just adds to the already stellar track record of the NHL series.

Lets take a look at some of the good things they added to the game this year.



Monday, September 12, 2011

Ryan Callahan Becomes the 26th Captain of the New York Rangers

"Come next October, Callahan will be wearing the 'C' on his jersey, mark my words".

That was a quote from an article I wrote during last season entitled "Why Ryan Callahan Should Be Made Captain". And I am so happy this prediction came true.

Ryan Callahan has been appointed the 26th captain of the New York Rangers, filling the void after veteran Chris Drury's contract left the position open. It was released today that Callahan would get the 'C' and both Brad Richards and Marc Staal would be getting the assistant captains. It has been a debate that has been going on non-stop since the word of Drury's buyout was in the works who should get the 'C', especially if your a member of the New York Rangers Group on Facebook, and there were rumors that it may be headed to newcomer Brad Richards for his experience and skill. But the Rangers went with what seemed like it fit, and that is Callahan.

Callahan has become the poster-boy for this new groups of young and talented Rangers. He exemplifies what it means to play in New York, and what is expected by his examples. Callahan showed he would do nearly anything to win last season after going down to injuries twice while trying to block shots from Kris Letang and Zdeno Chara. Not even the man who can shoot the hardest slapshot in the NHL strikes fear in the heart of Callahan, and that heart is what makes him such a perfect captain for the Rangers to have. He works 100% every single night, and will never ever quit.

So let this add to your new season excitement Rangers fans! Theres a new sheriff in town, and his name is Callahan.