Miss me? I’ll tell you what though, doing back-to-back double blogs wore me out! I was as wiped as Henrik Lundqvist carrying his check to the bank!
What’s up everyone and welcome to another blog here on BlueCollarBlueShirts.com. When I last left you, nearly two weeks ago, the final nail in the coffin of the Rangers 2017-2018 season was being hammered down. In the time that has since passed since my last blog, the NHL has moved on without the Rangers. We’ve already seen teams eliminated from the playoffs and before you know it, the second round of the NHL playoffs will commence.
However, before getting into the NHL playoffs and what’s been going on in the league, of course, we must talk about our beloved Rangers. While NHL playoff games are being aired on the GOLF channel (not a joke, this is a sad truth) the Rangers are still getting coverage on the NHL Network.
I hate to say I told you so, then again, maybe I don’t. A few big stories were reported this week, from the professional curmodgeon himself, Dan Boyle’s favorite reporter, in a one Larry Brooks. As I’ve been saying on this blog for a while, outside of Larry Brooks, no one in the NYR media reports any stories. All these news outlets that we get our Ranger news from, are essentially messenger pigeons. Even Larry Brooks, when he’s given a bone, is given news that the team wants out there.
To his credit, Brooks is the lone reporter with strong relationships with people in the Garden, but at the same time, Brooks knows where his bread is buttered. In other words, Brooks won’t go against the grain. Brooks wouldn’t dare disrespect the mandate sent down from the Mount Olympus that sits on 33rd and 7th.
That said, when it comes to news the Rangers don’t want out there immediately, it’s usually Bob McKenzie or one of his TSN homeboys that breaks it. Look no further than the firing of Alain Vigneault. Brooks and the NYR media didn’t have that one. Just like trades, the news comes from the country sitting north of these United States.
I’ve talked about this subject, concerning the NYR media, in full, in prior blogs. You can get the full rundown on the NYR media and the propaganda they are given, by checking the archives.
Speaking of prior blogs, in case you forgot or jumped off the Titanic months ago, here are my most recent blogs:
BCBS 4/11 Blog: All The Latest News/Rumors/Quotes/Opinions in RANGERSTOWN, Looking at the Firing of Alain Vigneault & His Potential Replacement, Gorton’s Media Tour, Kovie to NYR, Lundqvist’s Selfishness Strikes Again, Fake News Larry Brooks, Silly Shirts, Complete NHL Playoff Preview & Stanley Cup Predictions (Bolts Zap The Cats) and More Thoughts About the League
NYR/PHI 4/7 Finale Review & The 2017-2018 New York Rangers Report Card Double Blog: Rangers Brutally Embarrassed In Their Finale, Lundqvist’s Elite 3.00 GAA, The Unjustified Firing of Coach Alain Vigneault, Grading Every Ranger, MVP Awards, The IIHF Worlds, Lundqvist Loses A Dubious Distinction, Humboldt Broncos/Pierre McGuire, FB Groups for NYR Fans During the Off-Season & More NYR News/Notes/Opinions
NYR/NYI 4/5 Review: A Low Point For the Rangers vs Islanders Rivalry; Isles Remain Undefeated vs NYR in Brooklyn, Halak Ness Monster Shines Again, McGregor Steals All The Headlines At Barclays, Saying Goodbye to the M$G Networks, King Raanta Gets His Contract, John Tavares as a Blueshirt, Reality Setting In, One More Game Remains & Tons More NYR News/Notes/Opinions
NYR/NJD 4/3 Review: The Devils Pitchfork The Rangers For 60 Minutes; Scorch & Torch Lundqvist, NYR Media Failing The Fans, Lettieri Watch, Injuries Claim Fast & Zucc, Young Kids Take The Heat, In Defense of AV & More From a Hellish Nightmare at The Rock
NYR/CAR 3/31 Double-Blog Review: Lundqvist Shines Against The Candy Canes, But Turns His Back on His Kingdom of Fans at M$G, The Steven McDonald Award & What Legacy It Should Truly Leave, The Plight of Some NYR Fans, AV’s Top Ten Milestone, NYR Behind the TB & PITT Curve, Goalies of Rangers Past, The TB Rangers, Kevin Hayes, 9 More Periods Left in the Season & Many More NYR News/Notes/Opinions
Larry Brooks was quite the busy bee this week and it was the Rangers that gave him the honey pot of news. Not only did Jim Dol-Un give Brooks an exclusive interview, James Dolan confirmed a report that friend of the blog, Ricky Otazu, first reported weeks ago, concerning Lundqvist.
Since we’re all used to the bullshit that spews from Lundqvist, let’s start with the Jim Dol-Un interview first. After all, it’s very rare for Dolan to speak about the Rangers.
When you read the following quotes from Dolan, you might say, “Hey, this guy actually knows what he’s talking about and is more informed than I thought.” You might even find yourself nodding along approvingly.
However, keep in mind this short list of Dolan follies:
— This is the same man who keeps on rehiring Isiah Thomas, despite multi-million dollar litigation and payouts.
— This is the same man who got into a public altercation with Charles Oakley, even kicking Oakley out of M$G.
— This is the same man that has given Glen Sather a lifetime job, a lifetime that seems like it will never end. Don’t forget, Glen Sather is the longest tenured GM in the history of sports in NYC, to not win a championship. The benefactor of Gretzky and Messier in their prime, is still the Team President of NYR.
— This is the same man that despite a combined 48 seasons as the owner of the Knicks and the Rangers, has never won a championship.
— This is the same man that oversaw the renovations of M$G, raised ticket prices through the roof and provides one of the worst fan experiences in the league.
— This is the same man that has destroyed the NY Knicks, where the NBA had to question if Dolan knew what he was doing.
— This is the same man who doesn’t even know every Ranger under his employ.
So while yes, while Dolan may be giving some right answers here, keep in mind of his past. Plus, he’s coached by the PR department, and Glen Sather, during these types of interviews.
The following interview with James Dolan comes from Larry Brooks of the NY Post. It was printed on 4/18. You can read the article that Brooks wrote by going here: https://nypost.com/2018/04/18/rangers-owner-reveals-what-he-wants-in-the-next-coach/
For the purpose of this blog, I will be including Dolan’s words from this interview with Brooks in italics. My comments will be in bold. Without further ado, here’s the Dolan interview:
On the next HC of NYR: “We’re looking for someone who can develop players and develop a team. We want someone who is going to be able to work with young players — all of our players, really — so that they and we improve from one stage of the season to the next and we’re better at the end of the year than at the beginning.”
As you’ll see as you read along, Dolan mimicked many of the thoughts that Brooks has put out in his columns. He also would reiterate what Jeff Gorton has said publicly. This above quote is a prime example of that. Of course you want a coach who can develop players and a team. What else is Dolan supposed to say here? “Eh, we’ll get some fuck that I’ll overpay?”
“We need a coach who is going to be able to coordinate with the assistants and the training staff in putting a program in place. He’s going to have to be able to delegate authority in identifying deficiencies and fixing them. Scolding a player doesn’t fix the problem. He can’t try to do everything by himself. The job is just too big.”
Obviously, this applies to any coach in any league. The biggest takeaway here is Dolan alluding to Alain Vigneault scolding younger talent. However, in AV’s defense, when you keep saying how the window isn’t closed and you’re here to win now, what is AV supposed to do? Of course, this same logic doesn’t apply to Lundqvist, who has no problem publicly shaming and scolding his teammates.
“I think having some experience on NHL ice is valuable, but that will be up to Jeff. We want to get the best guy. I don’t care where he comes from. We’ve got a list of candidates, but it’s not closed.”
Again, not much here, Dolan is saying what anyone in his position would say. He also left the search open-ended, as he is allowing Gorton to pick the coach. Whether the coach has experience or not, isn’t a make or break deal.
“I think Alain was a great coach, but a great coach for a developed team. Even though he probably didn’t mean to, he sort of affirmed that himself when he talked after the last game about how he didn’t have the players this year. He was probably correct, but the next coach is going to have to be able to take the players we have, the young guys we have, and get them to the next level. I liked what I saw in the young guys and so did the staff.”
Again, what was AV supposed to do? All we hear about is how “WE GOTTA WIN A CUP FOR LUNDQVIST” and all that blah blah rah rah. AV was never given a chance to show that he could be a coach that could develop players, because that wasn’t the mission at hand. If Dolan could name one of the young guys, I’d be impressed. Of course, Brooks didn’t press him to name any of the players. I would’ve liked to hear what Dolan liked. Dolan strikes me as a Mike Francesa type – “THAT CAWL HAGELIN IS FAST!”
“The guy we hire has to be a developmental coach, I can’t stress that enough.”
The key word is “develop”, as develop or development were used a lot in the interview. That’s probably because Dolan was coached before this interview and that’s what whomever coached him told him to say. I would like to hear Dolan’s thoughts on how one develops a player. Furthermore, with all this talk of development, it still makes no sense to keep Henrik Lundqvist or Marc Staal here. Adding Kovie would make less sense, if the whole plan is to DEVELOP.
On the topic of regrets & the moves made at the deadline: “None at all. It was the right time for us and we did it the right way. We were straightforward with it. We didn’t want to be in a situation where we had our own people guessing about it.”
If this rebuild was done the right way, Staal and Lundqvist wouldn’t be here. How do you not have any regrets – YOU NEVER WON THE STANLEY CUP! You cast away a whole era of players that came up short. How is that not bittersweet? How are you okay with losing?
“Our intention isn’t to be at the bottom but we’re going to do this the right way. I think we have good young talent here, we’ve got a lot of draft picks coming up and maybe we’ll get lucky and win the lottery, but we’re obviously not counting on that.”
What exactly is the right way? Can Brooks ask a follow-up here? As you see, Dolan couldn’t name one player, as he opted to use the phrase “young talent” throughout the interview. I am surprised Dolan knows about the lottery and I’m even more surprised this asshole isn’t trying to charge fans to watch it.
“We have the plan. Now we have to carry it out. We have to be smart.”
Four Cups in 91 seasons. I’ll hold my breath on these idiots being smart. After all, as you’ll see later on in this blog, the Rangers offered Lundqvist a chance to leave. Instead of telling him he has to leave, the Rangers were willing to move on and were just as willing to keep him. That doesn’t say smart. That says indecisive.
“We need strong leadership in the locker room. I don’t think we had great leadership last year. I think maybe we added a burden to Ryan when we made him captain that affected him on and off the ice and kind of changed his own perception of himself. But he was a really good player for us for a long time.”
Dolan calls out McDonagh here, but not a peep about his crybaby diva goalie and all the antics Lundqvist provides daily. I know it’s popular for some in the fanbase to lambast McDonagh, but he was hurt a lot this season too. Furthermore, if it wasn’t McDonagh, who were you making captain? Nash? Staal? Zuccarello? Granted, McDonagh’s game did change, but did it change because of mileage and injuries?
“And I know we need that one great player who can make a difference. We’ve identified some who might become available, and if they do, we want to be in position where we’re able to get them. We’re building a lot of data and analytics into our decision-making. And it’s important for the new coach to embrace that.”
I hope this is code for JOHN TAVARES, not only as a future Ranger, but as the Captain of the Rangers. All my bellyaching will subside if the Rangers can somehow lure Tavares here.
Also of note, was Dolan talking about data and analytics. This is the same team that employs Steve Valiquette in their game coverage, but ignores his CSA advanced stats company. I think the advanced stats are overblown and stuff that you can use to explain things after a game. I don’t see how knowing these advanced stats help you while in a game. I don’t see how advanced stats can change a game, the way those stats can swing a baseball game or a football game. Hockey is just too fast.
“We’re committed to winning the Stanley Cup. I can’t give a timetable, but I also think we can compete for a playoff spot next year and sneak into seventh or eighth place. We’re rebuilding but it doesn’t have to take forever.”
Four Cups in 91 years. That’s one Cup every 23 seasons. If you do the 1940 math, then 1994 + 54 (the amount of years between the last two Ranger Cups) then you’re looking at the year 2048. Lundqvist will be 66 years old in 2048 and the Rangers will still be blaming everyone else besides him for a lack of a Cup.
Dolan also said he doesn’t mind sneaking “seventh or eighth place.” I doubt he knows how the Wild Card works, but we know what he means. Dolan obviously wants the playoffs next season, because with his Knicks as an utter disgrace and a black eye on the entire NBA, he needs something to make money in the months of April and May. Billy Joel can only do so much.
My final thoughts on James Dolan is that nothing has changed. He still is the worst owner in sports today and quite possibly the worst owner in all of sports history. He’s destroyed a once proud Knicks franchise. Every time you whine or get upset about the Rangers, just imagine if you were a diehard Knicks fan. They have it 786789678968968 times worse.
Dolan said a lot of the right things, but I don’t know if he even know what he meant when he said the words that he was coached to say. I’ll give Sather and John Rosasco (Senior VP/Head of Talent Relations) credit – they had their lumpy little man ready for this interview.
As we all know, actions speak louder than words, and we will see where this team is, come the first few weeks of July.
In the past, I have shared tweets and comments from my friend Ricky Otazu. I’ve known Ricky for nearly 20 years, as we first met during our days in the professional wrestling business. As time moved on, Ricky became a source of hockey news. Ricky, to his credit, broke the story of Torts being fired, which is perhaps the biggest story, at least Rangers related, that Ricky ever broke.
Around the trade deadline, Ricky reported that the Rangers asked Lundqvist to waive his NMC and made it clear that they would trade him if Lundqvist obliged. Of course, the Hankholes and Hankflakes, (Credit Nick Adams) that linger around like a nugget in a toilet, were the first people to smite Ricky for his report.
Now, with the season over, Larry Brooks had another big story, weeks after Ricky first reported it – the Rangers in fact, did ask Lundqvist to waive his NMC.
You can read the entire report from Brooks here: https://nypost.com/2018/04/19/henrik-lundqvist-couldve-left-at-trade-deadline-if-he-wanted-to/
Worth mentioning, notice how I keep crediting Brooks for reports. The rest of the NYR media wait patiently for the Rangers to tell them what to report. They are nothing more than mere lapdogs, of the yellow journalism variety.
Here’s what Brooks reported:
The Rangers presented Henrik Lundqvist with the option of moving at the trade deadline, but the 36-year-old franchise goaltender declined while citing his commitment to the club’s rebuild, Garden executive chairman Jim Dolan told The Post on Wednesday.
“We told Hank that if he didn’t want to ride it out through this process, we’d find a good landing place for him,” Dolan said during a conversation at his MSG office. “But he said that he wanted to stay and see it through.
So what does this tell you? It tells you that the PLAYER and not the TEAM, makes decisions here. The Rangers should’ve told Hank, we need you to waive your NMC. If he refused, you bench him or scratch him, until he waives his NMC.
It also tells you what a diva Lundqvist was, especially post trade deadline. Now that it’s officially confirmed from Dolan himself, that Lundqvist refused to waive his NMC, Lundqvist had no right to make faces, finger-point, blame his teammates in interviews, scream, run to the locker room and do all his other cunt-like behavior.
For the fans that say, “I FEEL BAD FOR HANK, blah blah blah”, your feelings of remorse are unwarranted. Lundqvist said he wants to be here. That said, he knew the deal. When Lundqvist acted like a yellow-striped bitch, after every time a DEVELOPING defenseman made an error, what good did that do for the team?
For a team that Dolan said needed leadership, what lesson was Lundqvist teaching his team when he ran to the locker room after being pulled from games? What great knowledge was imparted when Lundqvist blamed his defense in post-game interviews? What valuable words of wisdom were passed on when Lundqvist slammed his stick and screamed like a puss after every bad goal allowed?
Sure – there will be fans who will still give Lundqvist a free pass and talk about how loyal he is. But really, he was the highest paid goaltender for the last few years, (He will be second highest paid next season) has an Original 6 team bent over his knee, gets all the credit after every win but none of the blame after a loss and has a city wrapped around his finger. Why would he want to leave?
In a different market, Lundqvist wouldn’t be given the same luxuries or the “Get Out of Jail Free Card”, that he gets from the majority of the NYR media and fanbase. Leaving NY would expose him as just an aged out and middle of the pack goalie. He wouldn’t be able to conjure memories of his Vezina or All Star seasons elsewhere.
Just like his contract negotiations of 2013, this is more proof that winning a Cup is secondary to Lundqvist. Being the star of NY, something that feeds his massive and brittle ego, is more important to him, than winning a Cup. Backing up Murray in Pittsburgh, Rask in Boston, going to the Devils or perhaps even going to St. Louis, is not an option. Berating your teammates is more important.
What drives me nuts, is Larry Brooks. I mean, can’t you ask a follow-up question? The first question I would’ve asked, is what deal were you looking at? Who were you looking to trade Lundqvist to? More pressing – what NHL team would want to take Lundqvist’s contract and what would they give up for it? I mean really, RIGHT NOW, what team would want an $8.5M cap hit for a 37 year old goalie, come next season’s playoffs?
The Rangers, being the Rangers, who coddle Lundqvist at every turn, wouldn’t have treated Lundqvist like Stepan or Raanta, by shipping him off to the desert. After all, the arid and humid air would wreak havoc on the girly locks of Lundqvist. No, Lundqvist’s opinion would’ve factored into a potential new home.
As I wrote in January (just check the archives) the best place for Lundqvist would’ve been the Devils. In fact, that’s where the Rangers traded their best goal scorer to, as in the first ever trade between the Rangers and Devils, the Rangers shipped Michael Grabner to Newark. While Grabner hasn’t worked out for NJD (He’s been scratched in half the games of the NJD/TBL series) he was a stud for the Rangers. The Rangers didn’t disrupt his home life too much by trading him to a team that plays 5 miles away.
I wonder if the Rangers were thinking about the Devils, in regards to a potential Lundqvist trade. To make things work, cap wise, I’d assume the Rangers would’ve took Schneider, reuniting him with AV. This is just another “what if”, or a “what could’ve been.”
This Lundqvist news also tells me that the Rangers know they gotta move on from Lundqvist. You can’t sit here and preach the words “rebuild” and “develop”, while having Lundqvist out there. He’s a detriment to the team, especially with his attitude. Furthermore, by keeping Lundqvist as your starter, you’re taking a year of DEVELOPMENT from a young goalie. Of course, in RANGERSTOWN, the rules need not apply to the Swedish diva.
For the record, what isn’t known, is if Marc Staal was asked about a potential trade. I could see the Rangers buying him out this summer if they can’t find a trade partner. While Staal was better this season than the season prior, again, if this is a rebuild and about developing new talent, Staal is taking a job & time from somebody else.
If you follow me on the social media, I posted a nice little rant about Marc Andre Fleury vs Henrik Lundqvist. In case you missed it, here it is:
MAF made a deal to leave Pittsburgh at the end of the 2016-2017 season . In turn, he willingly gave up his starter job to Murray. Pittsburgh went on to win the Cup. MAF restarted his career, now as the face of VGK, where he’s now an early Conn Smythe contender.
In NY, NYR will build around a 37 year old selfish egomaniac diva soft Swedish goalie, who told the team he would not waive his NMC. The Rangers have now seen two of their back up goalies become successful starters.
NYR hasn’t won a cup in the Hank era, despite everything else changing besides the one losing constant in the limp wristed Swedish goalie.
Hank’s numbers continue to decline, which have bloated his career averages.
King Fleury is enjoying a career renaissance.
Despite what goes on in the league, NYR will ignore everyone else’s success and continue to build around a career loser.
SAD!
What prompted this rant were Ranger fans, after the VGK sweep over LA, saying how Lundqvist is still better than MAF. It’s funny that how when MAF and VGK advanced to the second round, the loyal legion of Lundswiss lowlifes, did whatever they could, to disparage MAF.
Put it this way, when it’s all said and done, who will rest easier at night – MAF or Lundqvist? MAF with 3 Cups to his name and part of one of the most feel-good stories in sports history, or Lundqvist and his bed of excuses?
Both goalies are Hall of Famers for sure, but when the games mattered most, MAF clamped down. He also is a great teammate and beloved around the league. I can’t say the same for the guy who should’ve waived his NMC this season. MAF has always put the team in front of personal records, and in turn, “The Flower” has been flourished with success.
It wasn’t long ago that people wondered if MAF was done, especially after struggling tremendously in a playoff series with the Islanders in 2013. Since that time, MAF was part of two more Cup runs, allowed a younger successor to take his job and went on to become the face of Vegas. In the same time, Lundqvist got two coaches fired and has extended his pointer finger more than any other athlete in all of sports. SAD!
As the Rangers conduct their search for the next head coach, other teams around the league are looking to change their head coaches as well. Ken Hitchcock, after only one season in his return stint, retired from the Stars. The Flames canned their coach, in Glen Gulutzan, while Bill Peters resigned from the Hurricanes.
The NY Post continues to report that Torts will be done with CBJ, despite no other media outlets reporting that news. It seems like a done deal that Trotz will be out in Washington.
In other words, as HC vacancies open up around the league, the Rangers hope their job is the most attractive. Obviously, Keefe, who is getting more buzz than Billy Beane in 2001, is a popular candidate for the jobs in Dallas, Carolina and NY. As stated in prior blogs, due to Lundqvist, I don’t see the Rangers getting a hard ass coach, whether that be Torts (Lundqvist got him fired the first time) or Patrick Roy. I also don’t see the Rangers giving a guy with no NHL coaching experience a job, like a Mark Messier (that ship has long sailed) or a data/analytical guy, like a Steve Valiquette.
Speaking of Valiquette, many fans have campaigned for him to get a job on the coaching staff. Again, I’m not big on the advanced stats, but you can’t argue that Vally is ahead of the curve in this department. He also knows the team in and out. I found this interview with Vally to be interesting:
ICYMI: @VallysView of was on the Power Play with @LaughlinSXM and @realPOSULLIVAN taking Lundqvist, #NYR, Elliott and much more! https://t.co/TtcffpQRtAhttps://t.co/JhmSV2AA1A pic.twitter.com/x44a1yIUKG
— SiriusXM NHL Network (@SiriusXMNHL) April 13, 2018
When Steve is away from the tight grip of the M$G Networks, he’s able to speak more openly and freely. I think he pretty much nailed NYR in a nutshell. It’s NY, long rebuilds won’t work, NYR needs that one superstar and the letter, which led to the trade of McDonagh, was a way to soften the blow. Vally’s interview reminded me a bit of Neil Smith, who is always frank about talking about the Rangers. However, I’ve never heard Vally say one cross word about Jim Dol-Un. Can’t say the same for Smith!
With Bill Peters, who Sam and Joe rave about glowingly and lovingly, any time the Rangers play Carolina, leaving the ‘Canes, Peters, in theory, would be a new candidate for NYR. However, it seems that he’s already linked to the Calgary job. Time will tell.
Let’s talk a little about the playoffs, shall we?
What’s known (and I’m writing these words during Game 5 of NSH/COL) is that Nashville will play Winnipeg in the second round. In my prediction blog, I figured this would happen, just like many of you did. For the Jets, they draw the short straw, as they probably match up better with VGK or SJS. However, they would have to knock off Nashville eventually. They just have to do it a round sooner. As stated in my prediction blog, I don’t see any team in the West knocking Nashville out.
The Vegas Golden Knights continue to be the Disney story of the NHL. In a series dominated by goaltending, MAF posted two shutouts and only allowed 3 goals in the four wins over LA. The VGK will look to avoid being bit by the Sharks in the second round. The Sharks, who scored 16 goals in the first round, seem to be the better team. However, how can you bet against VGK this season? Furthermore, we’ve seen ELITE goaltending, like Quick in 2012, carry teams to Cups. If MAF can keep it up, the Sharks may find themselves out of the waters of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This will be a fun series to watch.
Over in the East, as I told you in my last blog, the Capitals and Bluejackets have been the most intense series. I said this would go 7 and right now it’s tied 2-2. If the Caps don’t make the SCF, I see Barry Trotz on the unemployment line. However, for some reason, only Brooks and Crygalis, of the NY Post, are reporting that Torts will be fired too. Why? Furthermore, no other news outlet is reporting this. What has Torts done wrong in Columbus, outside of being in the same division as Crosby and the Penguins?
I still see the Caps winning in 7. The winner of Caps/CBJ will draw the winner of Pittsburgh and Philly. I thought Pittsburgh would win in 6 games, and after tonight, there is a good chance of that happening. Philly blew their load today, beating the Pens in Game 5. I just don’t see Pittsburgh losing in Game 6. I thought Philly, due to the rivalry, would stave off a four game sweep and steal a game or two. What will most certainly be unfortunate, is when Pittsburgh plays the Caps or CBJ. Who in their right mind would bet against Pittsburgh in that second round series?
Moving to the Atlantic division, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins both have 3-1 leads, over the Devils and Maple Leafs, respectively. While I could see the Devils and Leafs winning their Game 5’s, I don’t envision the Devils or the Leafs playing in the second round. I’m more surprised with the Leafs, as I thought they’d be better. I guess I underestimated Boston. I’ll tell you what – the Bolts vs the B’s is going to be some great hockey.
One trend to be aware of in all of these playoff games is that scoring is at a record high. You’re seeing many 4 goal and 5 goal games. Granted, some of these high scores are due to empty netters and in some cases, two empty netters per game. However, the goals are being scored at a record clip, which shows you that you have to have a great offense to win a Stanley Cup. Just relying on goaltending will get you nowhere. Take notice Jim Dol-Un.
Like many of you, I’m bandwagoning the Lightning to the Stanley Cup. It is bittersweet and annoying though. Every time I see Girardi block a shot, or any time I see McDonagh shut down the Devils or any time Miller collects a point, I just think of what could’ve been. Callahan, who’s missed a few games with injury is also there, as well as Anton “WE NEED DAN BOYLE” Stralman, who is also playing extremely well.
Sure, Stammer and Kucherov carry this team, but watching a team built correctly is infuriating, in the eye of the Ranger fan. As stated a million times, regarding their goaltending, the Bolts dumped Bishop and his money and went with the younger Vasilevskiy. That gave them money to keep Stamkos, as well as put talent around him.
As Ranger fans, we must become Lightning fans, because they are the only team in the tournament that benefits the Rangers. If the Bolts win the Cup, NYR gets their first round pick. Any other team winning the Cup does OOGATZ for NYR.
So, in closing on this playoff talk, fuck Puddy, fuck the Devils and Let’s go Lightning! #GOBOLTS!
The saddest news to report here on this blog is the passing of John Amirante. I’m sure you’ve seen this a million times by now, but what’s one more viewing:
There were plenty of tributes and testimonials on behalf of John Amirante. I thought Adam Graves wrote the best one, and you can read it here: https://nypost.com/2018/04/17/rangers-legend-pays-tribute-what-john-amirante-meant-to-me/
While some fans kind of exaggerate these deaths, make no bones about it, John Amirante was an important fiber in the fabric of the NY Rangers. What I mean by exaggerate, is that I saw many fans, just like when Steven McDonald died, campaign for the Rangers to give Amirante a banner in the rafters. While I’m not opposed to either of these men being honored, how about honoring Frank Boucher, Ron Greschner and Bill Cook first? That stated, Amirante and McDonald belong there more than Phish. Seriously, every time I see that Phish banner at M$G, I get a rash.
Amirante will surely be missed. I’m sure the Rangers will do the right thing and honor him on Opening Night. It would be nice if the Rangers did what the Yankees did with Bob Sheppard, when Sheppard died and Derek Jeter was still active. It doesn’t have to be every game, and I do enjoy when they get the Garden of Dreams kids to belt out the Anthem, but it would be nice, every once in a while, to have a recording of Amirante before a game.
And hey, how about that 1994 SCF Game 7 rendition? Can you imagine M$G being half as loud in the present day? I can’t.
RIP John Amirante, we hope those rally towels will wave again soon.
As we hit the home stretch here, what’s sadder than airing playoff games on the GOLF channel, is the fact that NBC may have the worst crew of commentators in all of national sports. You have two different Micheletti’s. You got Milbury. You got Pierre. Outside of Eddie O., is there anyone really likeable there? Maybe JR? Maybe Doc?
I just don’t get, how in 2018, NBC thinks that two Micheletti’s and one of the worst GM’s of the modern era, in Mike Milbury, are the go-to voices for the sport. I just can’t fathom this idea at all. It’s time for NBC to reshuffle the deck here.
I think that’s enough moaning and groaning for one night. Let’s talk about what’s upcoming on this site. I’ll be back sometime next week to talk more about the playoffs, as well as talk about any other Ranger news item. I also have a bunch of DVD’s from last summer that I have to catch up on, for the DELOREAN blogs. Those are my favorite to do, and all my kvetching about these current Rangers are eliminated from those blogs.
I know I said I wouldn’t do a 1994 game, because it’s so cliche, but with all this losing and no sign of winning in sight, I’m going to pick a 1994 game to do this year. I’m really trying to find a copy of a Rangers/Wings game from November of 1955. However, it’s so hard to find full game footage from that era. That’s a game where Howe scored two goals. If anyone can find any Ranger games from the 1950’s, LMK. Oh, and if you’re reading Mike Jurkowski, I can’t wait to see your library once again!
I also have a few books to catch up on, including an autobiography from Gilles Gratton and a book about the California Seals. That may have to wait until the summer, when things are really dead.
Until next time, “LET’S GO BOLTS!”
Thanks for reading.
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC on the twitter machine
Call me crazy but I love mike milbury for destroying the Islanders. 🙂