Thanks for finally showing up! Too bad the rest of the team is exhausted (Photo: Melissa Andus)

So… this is starting to look familiar, isn’t it? The Rangers opening their series on the road with two straight losses. While I think the Rangers are looking much better in the second round than they did in the first, drawing out the first round to seven games didn’t do the team any favors in terms of fitness and reserves. So, we’re still missing Clowe, Staal, and Powe, the defense is clearly exhausted, and a 1 in 5 road record is… not great.

Well, let’s beat this dead horse!

» Continue reading “Not Even Nash Can Save Rangers In Second Loss To Boston”

At least he’s working out off ice… (Photo: Melissa Andus)

Honestly, there wasn’t much news from the Rangers practice earlier today. No one new was on the ice so the lineup is expected to remain the same for game two tomorrow, a game the Rangers kind of have to win.

As for updates on our injured players, Marc Staal snuck on the ice towards the end of the optional skate the Rangers held yesterday but was not out there today. The good news is he did skate and is in Boston. Another player in Boston is Darroll Powe, who was seen doing off-ice workouts yesterday as well. Ryane Clowe, on the other hand, is still in New York (or at least I assume he’s in New York since he isn’t with the team in Boston). That isn’t good news.

The only other news to come out of practice today was this quote from Tortorella:

» Continue reading “Practice Updates: News On Staal, Clowe, Powe + Off Ice Adjustments Needed?”

Welcome back Staalsie!(Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Lost in recapping the heart attack the Rangers gave fans last night, I only briefly mentioned that Marc Staal did indeed rejoin the lineup. He played 21 shifts for a total of 17:17 of ice time – fourth highest among the defense. (John Moore and Michael Del Zotto played less although Del Zotto only played 12 seconds less.)

As to why I didn’t mention this in the recap? Well to be honest he didn’t stand out. Considering what I was expecting, I think that is a good thing. Sure he wasn’t the Marc Staal we all know and love but he was far from a liability and given time, I think he’ll be back to that point soon enough. But watching him during post game interviews – I hadn’t watched video of him recently – you can’t even tell which eye is the issue. Honestly, I’m just glad this wasn’t as serious as it first looked. As Stepan said after the game “everybody really adores Marc” and that includes the fans so I’m just happy to see him back. (Side note: Can Stepan be any more a-dork-able if he tried?)

» Continue reading “Welcome Back Staal + Other Injury Updates”

Sounds like you will be wearing something else when shown on the screen tonight. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

Wait…who’s that guy out there in warmups? He’s about 6’4″ and has red hair. He looks familiar. Maybe he has brothers in the league?

Kidding aside, the rumor is we may witness the return of Marc Staal tonight. I’ve already given my views on this but in case you missed it, you can read them here. I just really hope he isn’t rushing back because the Rangers lost the first two games. And if he is doing that, I hope the team isn’t jeopardizing him in allowing him to do so. (No, I don’t trust the Rangers medical staff. They have given me no reason to the past couple of years.)

Either way, between seeing he was taken off IR on the Rangers website and after reading this tweet, I’m thinking his return is all but confirmed:

I like the way he phrased that. I’ve been wrong about using a lot of guys in the playoffs (see: Kreider, Chris). I hope I’m wrong on this one too.

This man and his mustache might be close to returning. He isn’t the only one. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Today’s practice brought some good news for the Rangers. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was out on the ice preparing for tomorrow’s important game two.

Marc Staal continues to skate in full practice, contact and all, even though there is still no update on his return. (I would love to see him in this series. Unless there is a lot more we don’t know, I don’t expect to.)

Brian Boyle joined him for the second day in a row, skating and wearing a regular jersey that is. He might be the closest to returning although I still don’t know what exactly his original injury was.

For the first time in his Rangers career, Derek Dorsett was also in a regular jersey meaning he is getting closer to a return. Honestly, unless there is a setback, I expect to see him later in the series.

And lastly, Ryane Clowe rejoined practice for the first time since his injury during the end of the regular season. Afterwards he didn’t rule himself out of game two but since he was wearing a non-contact jersey during practice, I can’t see him playing tomorrow. Stranger things have happened though.

So which of these players do I expect to play tomorrow? None…but it does sound like the team is getting close to healthy. That said, anything is possible especially considering what Tortorella said to the media today:

“Because if we don’t win, we’re done. So I don’t give a damn about the conditioning. If I think a player’s going to help us, he’s going to play.”

While I still wouldn’t put Staal right in if he says he’s healthy, he has a point.

Please don’t rush back. That doesn’t help anyone. (Photo: Melissa Andus)

There’s been a lot of talk regarding if Marc Staal will return for the first round or the playoffs at all. When asked today he said he probably wouldn’t play tomorrow but the beat writers got the sense he feels he’s close. It kills me that we have to go through this again with him but at this point, there’s nothing we can do. If Staal is healthy, he will return. There is no question in my mind on that. The question I have is should he?

Let me start by saying of course I want Staal to play as soon as he is healthy enough to. He makes the Rangers defense that much better and hello…he’s Marc Staal. The key in that is his health. Forgive me for questioning them but I’m not fully confident that he will be ready even if he and the trainers say he is.

Everything I have read says that Staal is progressing. That’s great news. But the next sentence is always something along the lines of him needing to get used to his vision being blurry while on the ice. I’m sorry but if his vision is blurry meaning the man can’t see, why are we even discussing his return? I get that these guys are competitors and can play through a ton of different injuries but not being able to see just doesn’t seem like something someone can play through.

If you look at my picture on the right hand side of the page, you will notice I wear glasses. I have since I was in grade school. I would love to say I could see without them but the truth of the matter is the most I could do is walk down an empty hallway. Why? Because everything around me is blurry. If I had to navigate more, could I? Sure, I could try. I mean I wouldn’t drive a car without them but I guess I could walk a little bit further if necessary. Could I track a 3″ black piece of rubber with two guys barreling down on me (assuming I could do that in the first place)? Absolutely not. And we shouldn’t be expecting Staal to do that either.

» Continue reading “Should Marc Staal Return For The Playoffs?”

Congrats on the latest edition to your family! (Photo: Melissa Andus)

I always love when I can place Dan Girardi and Marc Staal in the same sentence, especially when it’s regarding good news. Yesterday, the New York Rangers’ chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association announced that Staal had been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and Girardi was the recipient of the John Halligan Good Guy Award.

» Continue reading “Congrats to Staal, Girardi, Asham + More Rangers Notes”

Get well soon Boyler! (Photo: Bridget Samuels/ flickr)

Some quick hits before tonight’s kind of important game against the Panthers. (I don’t want to call it a “must win” but they have to win.)

It was announced this morning that Brian Boyle would be out indefinitely with a “lower body injury”. It is believed to be a right knee issue. Out indefinitely probably isn’t good news but he has been seen around the training center the past two days and did walk out of the arena after the game Tuesday night on his own so fingers crossed it’s nothing serious.

In his place, the Rangers recalled Chris Kreider. My initial reaction? Pretty sure you all know what it was. We’ll see what happens but if Boyle is okay in a couple of days and he gets sent back down, I give up. I just think at this point he needs to be in one place and stay there. Maybe this isn’t a temporary injury, though, so they wanted to bring someone up they knew could adjust quickly. Either way, he better not be on the fourth line tonight.

In other news, Derek Dorsett has been skating the past two days (he got to do the infamous training camp drills today) but still can’t take contact. It sounds like he’s on track though so hopefully he will be ready in the next week or two. Marc Staal has also been skating, with contact, even though he can’t see completely out of his injured eye. For now, I’m not touching that but needless to say I don’t get it. I want Staal back but if he can’t see, keep him off the ice. But I guess he and the doctors know something I don’t. You can read about what he’s going through (just typing it worries me) and all today’s other news here thanks to Andrew Gross (who is a must follow for Rangers fans, if I haven’t implied that already).

Hail to the king, baby! (Photo: Screen shot from Maple Leafs game overtime/ BlueShirtsUnited.com)

I should know better than to crow about any victory against the Penguins, no matter how big or small it is. Because that second game against the Penguins was no fun, no fun at all! So, the Rangers dropped in the standings, but are still hanging on to a playoff spot. They face the Islanders tomorrow, in what will be a great match up of long time rivals.

Good. Bad. I’m the guy with the keyboard. It’s the week in review:

» Continue reading “The Week In Review: Army Of Snarkness”

Is there a chance before the end of the regular season you will be on the ice rather than looking at it? (Photo: Melissa Andus)

There was some good news around the Rangers yesterday, which I was too pissed off after the game to remember to include in my recap so now I’m playing catchup.

First, Henrik Lundqvist was named the NHL’s third star of the week last week after going 3-0-1 with a .962 save percentage and 1.22 GAA. Not bad numbers. I still think he needed a rest and shouldn’t have played last night. (No, I’m not saying it would’ve made a difference in the outcome. He just needed the rest since he won’t be getting much the rest of the way.)

Then after the game, this report came out from Nick Kypreos saying that Marc Staal could be back before the regular season is over. Word was, assuming everything continues to go as planned, Staal could be back on the ice in the next seven to ten days and be ready to play the last week of the season. I’m not looking to rush him but if he is going to play again this year, it would be great if he got some games in before the playoffs (assuming the Rangers manage to make them, which I still think they will).

Then today news came out that the report was completely false…because Staal skated this morning before practice.

» Continue reading “Catching Up On Some Great News With The Rangers (Staal Is Skating!)”