My Analysis on the Chara/Pacioretty Hit

I know this does not involve the Rangers in any way, but I feel it needs to be addressed.

On March 8th, 2011, Zdeno Chara took out Max Pacioretty along the boards against the glass between the benches. Pacioretty went face first into the glass, and was carted off the ice on a stretcher and brought to the hospital. He suffered a concussion, and a fractured vertebrae in his spine. The only punishment given out to Chara was a 5-minute game misconduct penalty. Recently, he has come under scrutiny from the media that it was a dirty hit, and rumors have circulated that the police might even get involved. Here is my opinion on the entire matter.

The play has been called a "hockey play" by much of the media, and they are right. Chara cannot be blamed for being a lot bigger than Pacioretty, or stronger for that matter. And Chara has a lot more to think about when he's on the ice; he cannot be expected to know exactly where the pane of glass is at all times. But was the play dirty? A little of yes, and a little of no.

The reason I say no is because like I said before, it is a hockey play. Chara was just finishing his check, and that is normally encouraged among hockey players. His hit just happened to come in the worst position on the ice, which is not his fault either. What I feel was dirty about it was the timing of the hit. If you watch the video, you will see the hit happen near center ice. At the time of the hit, you can see the puck is clearly past the blue line. That to me signals a late hit, which would give it the title of a dirty hit. Along with that, and this is a stretch but not out of the realm of possibility, perhaps Chara felt he was going to get beaten to the puck, and just tried to interfere with Pacioretty's progress. But, if that is the case, it is still a dirty hit, because the puck was still past the blue line when the hit occurred. However, I can not confirm that because I cannot tell what Chara was thinking at that moment. And, I am not trying to call Chara a dirty player either.

Do I believe Chara is a dirty player? No I do not. Was the play a dirty hit? Some aspects were, but overall, thats the sport of hockey. Should there be a harsher penalty for Chara? Absolutely not. 

Chara was merely playing the game the way it is suppose to be played: physically. Chara has no track record of being a dirty player in the entirety of his 13-year career in the NHL. I do not believe that there was any intention by Chara to hurt Pacioretty, and the punishment of a 5-minute game misconduct penalty is the appropriate penalty that should be given to Chara. The idea of this hit being looked at as a crime is absurd, and the police and NHL should not waste their time investigating anything.

I wish Max Pacioretty a speedy recovery so he can hopefully return this season. If that is not possible, next season I hope to see him back to top performance.

3/9/11 Rangers vs. Ducks

Stayin' up late tonight.

Rangers against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Rangers got the best of fortune last night when most of the teams they needed to be defeated were. Now, they have a chance to really pull away from the pack. Coming off a 7-0 bludgeoning of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Rangers are looking prime for the playoffs, which the WILL make. Ryan Callahan had four goals in that game, and Mats Zuccarello had two. The Rangers have become aware of the urgency of their playoff situation and turned on the jets when needed most last game. Not to mention, it seems the cohesiveness that made this team so dangerous before half the lineup went down due to injuries has returned. Nearly everyone in the lineup is looking healthy and working as hard as they can.

The Ducks are dead even with the Rangers in most categories. However, they have had some goaltending issues as of late. In order to solve those problems, the Ducks have called up Ray Emery from the AHL, who will more than likely be in-between the pipes tonight. Along with that, they have had some good scorers come from everywhere on the ice. Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, and Teemu Selanne have all eclipsed 20 goals so far this season.

My Diagnosis


The Rangers are going to have to play very tightly on defense. With veteran Bryan McCabe now in the lineup, that shouldn't be such a daunting task to this young defensive core. Along with that, the Rangers are going to need scoring from Marian Gaborik tonight in order to come out on top. The Ducks have a lot of firepower, so the only option for the Rangers is to fight fire with a lot more fire.

My Predictions


Rangers win 3-1

Ryan Getzlaf will get the opening goal for the Ducks early in the 1st period.
Derek Stepan will tie the game up late in the 1st.
Marian Gaborik will pick up a goal as well coming in the 2nd period.
And finally, Bryan McCabe will get his first goal as a Ranger late in the 3rd.

Enjoy the game!

Why Ryan Callahan Should Be Made Captain

Following up on yesterdays comments about me wishing Ryan Callahan should be made captain of the New York Rangers, I figured I would back up my reasoning today.

Now let the record show, I'm not going off one day of performance on my selection. I believe I touched on this in the article where I announced Drury's latest injury.

However, this is something that I feel needs to happen for the good of the team. I do not wish to bash Chris Drury's captaincy abilities, but I believe that his ship has sailed, and the team needs a fresh leader. This team has showed that they are on the brink of being a very good hockey team. One thing missing from their credentials however, is a captain who embodies the teams personality. The Rangers have grown into a full -blown "blue collar" team, that works for every goal, every possession, and you can just tell leaves everything on the ice when the game is done. Ryan Callahan has exhibited that persona from day one of this season.

A captain is someone who can be looked upon as a centerpiece, and a threat when other teams look at the team. Thats something that Chris Drury's zero goals and four assists on this season will not accomplish ever. Ever since his overtime winner in Pittsburgh, Ryan Callahan has exhibited poise, maturity, and skill in every game he has played. He has matured before the Gardens eyes, and its time he earned the prestige that comes with all of his hard work.

In my opinion, Drury's should be relieved as the captain for the Rangers before the playoffs start, which the Rangers WILL make. this shake up in the leadership could serve as a catalyst for the opposing team, as well as bolster and encourage the rest of the Rangers lineup.

However, my dreams are very unlikely, and Drury will probably remain in his captaincy for the rest of the season. But come next October, Callahan will be wearing the 'C' on his jersey, mark my words.

Recapping the Rangers/Flyers

I wish I would have woke up early enough to write my pre-game post.

Big, big win for the New York Rangers today, as they wore their away jerseys at home against the Philadelphia Flyers. Rangers scored seven goals, while the Flyers scored zero. Four of those goals came from someone who I believe will be the future captain of the New York Rangers, Ryan Callahan. Callahan tallied his first career hat-trick in the second period, and added one more for good measure. Along with that, Mats Zuccarello got his first two-goal game for the Rangers as well, scoring the 3rd and 7th goal of the night. Artem Anisimov also capitalized on being left completely in the open by the Flyers to pour some more sauce on at MSG.

And ALONG with all of that good news, Brandon Dubinsky and Mike Richards got acquainted again in the second period. It was a good scrap, and Dubinsky managed to bloody Mike Richards on the bridge of his nose a little, despite his flimsy visor. Check out the link above to see the bout. 

This was a big win for the Rangers, as it gives them a little room between them and the Hurricanes/Sabres. The Rangers do not have another game until Wednesday. Until then, I will keep you updated as best I can.

GO RANGERS!

I'm Still Alive!

Sorry about the lack of post yesterday, I was a little downtrodden about the Wild game, and was also too busy channeling my inner Patrick Roy at my rec-centers hockey rink.

The Rangers finally managed to get some separation between them and that Sabres. Although Carolina is right up against them, that separation from the 9th place is big right now. As I am writing this, Philly is beating them 2-0. And, as much as I hate rooting for Philadelphia, I'm very happy that they are winning. Although, that will not be the case come Sunday when the Rangers face them for the final time.

I'll be ready with my pre-game post on Sunday. Don't you fret!

3/3/11 Rangers vs. Wild

Get back to where you once belong.

Rangers against the Minnesota Wild.

The second and final meeting between these two teams will take place at MSG tonight. Tonight is just one more big game that the Rangers need to pull out a victory to keep them in the race. Why is tonight so important? Because 8th place Carolina and 9th place Buffalo are playing each other. Either outcome of that game will put strain on the Rangers if they do not come out with a win tonight against the Wild. The Rangers have managed to fare some of the storm, and there are bright points in their game. For one, goals are going in for the Rangers. The problem exists on defense. The Rangers have had the most trouble keeping it out of their own net. The blame is widespread too; not one player is to be blamed for it. Its been an all out disaster for the Rangers in their own zone. The main key for the Rangers to come out victorious tonight will be to get back to that ultra-grind game they've perfected since the start of the season. The Minnesota Wild is not a team that likes to hit or take blocks. Therefore, taking them off their game by doing those things can help throw them off.

My Predictions


I've become a victim of trend here. Unfortunately, I do not see the Rangers coming out on top tonight. No matter how much I hate to admit it, I feel like they are going to drop this very important game.

Wild win 2-1

Martin Havlat will get the first goal for the Wild early in the 1st.
Derek Stepan will get the goal for the Rangers in the 2nd.
and finally, Kyle Brodziak will get the final goal for the Wild.

Recapping the Rangers/Sabres

Tough loss tonight on Free Pancake Day at Ihop for the Rangers.

The Buffalo Sabres came out hungry tonight, and did not hesitate when given an open opportunity. Early penalty troubles got the Rangers into a deep hole, that made it much harder for them to come back.

In the Sabres defense, Ryan Miller was exceptional. Stopping Zuccarello late in the 3rd period might have been the highlight to end all highlight reels of him this season.

With the Carolina Hurricanes also winning tonight, the lower portion of the Eastern Conference is tighter than ever. It is going to be very interesting to see what happens down the stretch for the Rangers, and the rest of the Eastern Conference as the games wind down in the final month of regular season for the NHL.