image: TSN

Gaborik was a major part of helping the Rangers end their three-game losing streak but the night didn’t end well for the star player – he limped off the ice with an undisclosed injury in the third period.

Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and he’ll be back in action in no time.

Post from: Hockey Beat

image: Zuma Press

I know he wasn’t exactly on fire with his 19 goals and 26 assists (in 82 games) but that entire team was uninspired.  Besides, they went through coaches like tissues in the last year and a half and I’m not going to even go into what I think of the owners at this point.

Either way, Prospal has found a new home and I’m happy for him.  The Czech Republic native has been signed to a one-year, $1.1 million veteran contract with the New York Rangers.  I think this is a good deal for both the Rangers and Prospal.  The club gets a proven scorer for a relatively low price and Prospal continues to play.  Plus, he’ll probably do well playing for John Tortorella again.

GM Glen Sather said: “Vinny is a highly-skilled player with good offensive instincts and the ability to play on the wing or at the centre position.  We think he will give us added flexibility and brings a veteran presence to our lineup.”

It’s great too that the Rangers have added Mark Messier to their management.  I’m hoping that this is going to be a better year for the team.

Post from: Hockey Beat

Of his return, Messier said: "I couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity to move back to New York with my family, to learn from Glen and to work for the Rangers.  I’m going to come in and get my feet wet and get an overview of how the business runs and how the team runs and take it from there."

I’m glad that he’s looking to learn something since he must see from his pal Wayne Gretzky’s experience with coaching the Phoenix Coyotes that managing and coaching a team is very different than playing.  Still, Messier seems confident in his abilities: "I think I have a pretty good eye for talent, but really, there are so many things about the management and business side of the game that I’ve never been exposed to. So I’m going to soak it all in and learn as much as I can about what it takes on that end to build a champion.  I think I bring a little different perspective to the organization after and playing in the NHL for 25 years and playing in New York for 10 years.  I understand what a player needs to succeed in this environment that’s riddled with pressure to win."

It does help that he has played in New York so he understands the feel of the team and the fanbase which I think are really important elements.  Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’s won the Stanley Cup six times (with Edmonton in 1984, 85, 87, 88, 90 and the Rangers in 1994).  He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

I checked out the Warren 77 website and I couldn’t help but scan through the menu.  I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.  While there are some more chic offerings which is a good idea in New York City, there are game-friendly items like Warren St. Wings, Grilled Cheese Soldiers with Tomato Soup, Dini’s Mac and Cheese and, of course, steaks and fries (I didn’t see any ribs, though).

Anyway, I was sent a video from the opening.  I tried to embed it but you can check it out on the Rangers video site!

image: Warren77NYC.com

Post from: Hockey Beat

Gomez didn’t have the greatest season last year (just 58 points) but Bob Gainey seems excited to add him to the roster: "We are extremely pleased to have acquired a player of the caliber of Scott Gomez. He is an outstanding playmaker and an excellent skater. Having won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils, he brings to our team a lot of playoff experience. Scott is an elite player who will certainly contribute to the success of our team for years to come."

The Habs have made all kinds of changes – the team was sold to the Molson brothers, they got a new coach and now they are updating their roster.  As with every team, the goal is to make it to the Stanley Cup finals and, clearly, it’s beneficial to have players on the team who have playoff experience.  Gomez won the Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils but he comes at a hefty price – he’s signed through 2013-2014, at a salary cap hit of more than $7.35-million.  Let’s hope it pays off.

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

"I would like to sincerely thank Glen Sather and the New York Rangers for giving me the opportunity this past season in New York," said Naslund in a statement.  "I would also like to thank the Vancouver Canucks and all of their fans for their support over the 11-plus seasons I was a part of their organization, as well as to the Pittsburgh Penguins where I began my NHL career."

Naslund was with the Vancouver Canucks (where he served as captain until the 2007-2008 season) for most of his impressive career during which time he amassed 395 goals and 869 points in 1,117 games.  I thought he had another year or two left in him but I guess the guy knows when he’s played enough professional hockey. 

Instead of buying out his contract, the Rangers have elected to save the money and have some room in their salary cap for the 2009-10 season.

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

Last night, the Caps took on the New York Rangers, knowing it was their last chance to keep their playoff hopes alive and they did, overcoming about a million odds.  With just 4:59 left in the third period, Sergei Federov, put one in New York’s net.  Meanwhile, rookie goaltender, Simeon Varlamov, held off the Rangers allowing the team to celebrate a 2-1 victory.

This is one of those series that had me all worked up and I made some mistakes in judgment along the way.  The most important thing I need to take back are all of the inflammatory comments I’ve made about Bruce Boudreau as a coach.  I was furious with him for pulling Jose Theodore from the starting lineup because I really didn’t have a lot of faith in Varlamov.  I’m a big enough person to admit that I was wrong.  He’s been solid between the pipes and I think he played a HUGE role in helping the Capitals head to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in more than 10 years.

With the New York Rangers out of the playoffs, it will give the league some time to figure out what to do with Sean Avery and will allow coach John Tortorella time to go off and lick his wounds.  Who knows if either of them will be with the Rangers when next season starts.

Looking forward, I’m pretty excited about the showdown between Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby since the Capitals will face the Pittsburgh Penguins this Saturday in Game 1 of the semifinals.  Somewhere I swear I hear Gary Bettman drooling over how many viewers this series is going to attract.

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

It’s been an intense series for the two teams but things have really escalated in the last two games.  The Caps fans were basically allowed to harrass the Rangers, the plexiglass behind their bench had to be replaced, they were spit on and someone poured beer on John Tortorella.  The Rangers allege that Washington’s security failed to intervene when they were asked to do something about the fans.

They also allege that obscene comments were made: “According to Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay, one patron was screaming at the team, in graphic language, about whether defencemen Dan Girardi and Marc Staal have a sexual relationship,” New York general manager Glen Sather wrote in a letter to Bettman that the team released Sunday.  “This was within earshot of several children seated nearby.  Several other fans also made repeated homophobic remarks.”

People came to the defense of John Tortorella, who was banned from one game after he threw a water bottle at fans (among other things).  “I know the heart of the guy and I know the thing that triggered him,” interim assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld said. “It wasn’t any sling to him, and there were many. It was what was said about one of his players. It’s easy to say you’ve got to be in control, you’ve got to keep it in check, you’ve got to turn the other way. There are rules… You can say what you want to Torts … call him whatever you want. He’ll tell you what to do with your horse, but he’s OK with that. Don’t get down on the people he cares about. He will fight for them, and that’s what he did.”

The Rangers feel that they were not properly protected during Game 5 (the league has since increased the security at their games) and they feel that Washington should be penalized for allowing it to happen since it eventually led to the suspension of Tortorella.  “We will follow up on the Rangers’ request, as appropriate,” NHL spokesman Frank Brown said. “We had already implemented additional security procedures for Games 6 and 7 and we don’t anticipate any further problems.”

As if that wasn’t enough, the league is now looking into the behavior of Donald Brashear (Washington) who has a hearing today regarding his actions during Game 6.  He not only got into an altercation with Colton Orr during the warm-up but he also delivered a hit on Blair Betts, who suffered a broken orbital bone.

I hate when a playoff series gets ugly.  It just ruins it for both teams.  It’s a privilege to play in the postseason and I hope the Caps wake up and realize that.

images: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

The New York Rangers had an opportunity to eliminate the Washington Capitals but, with Sean Avery back in the lineup and coach John Tortorella suspended for one game, it looked like they were a bit lost.  The Caps took full advantage of the situation, winning the game 5-3.

It’s not that the Rangers didn’t try hard (32 shots on goal) but they just got outplayed.  The Caps really showed that they want to stay in the playoffs and they came out strong, scoring three goals in just the first period.

Similarly, the Carolina Hurricanes were eager to hold off the New Jersey Devils and they did it in a big way.  Yesterday’s 4-0 win was the biggest victory the Hurricanes have had this series and I’m stunned that they not only continued to beat goaltender, Martin Brodeur, but I’m also disappointed that the Devils didn’t try harder (28 shots on net).  It was a game filled with penalties for both teams but the Devils really outdid themselves, spending more than 30 minutes in the box.  I hope their coach has a long talk with them because it was pretty ridiculous.

Tuesday, April 28 is going to be a big night in hockey with these four teams battling to advance to the second round.  I hope they bring the intensity because there will be no more chances.  Leave it all out on the ice, boys!

images: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat

During the game, the Capitals fans right behind the Rangers bench got so out of control that the glass had to be replaced.  One guy, who had clearly had too much to drink, allegedly dumped his bottle of beer on Tortorella.  After enduring this and trying to keep his players focused on the game, Torty grabbed a hockey stick and turned to fight with the fan.

As if that wasn’t enough, people who were at the game are claiming that Tortorella was squirting water at the fans through the space between the panes of glass and then got so fed up that he actually hauled off and threw the water bottle at them.  Some people feel that he should be suspended and I’m the last person to defend him but when does taunting and abuse from the fans become intolerable?  If they were pushing on the glass so much that it had to be replaced, isn’t that a bit ridiculous?

Watch Tortorella wave the stick at the fan who would definitely fail a breathalyzer:

Watch the water bottle-throwing incident where it looks like Tortorella climbs up on the bench and takes aim at the Capitals fans:

*UPDATE* Tortorella was suspended for one game by the NHL.  What do you make of that?

image: TSN

Post from: Hockey Beat