Blueshirt Banter: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
New Blog: Anonymous Eagle covering Marquette!

Rangers News: Morning Updates

Photo

More photos » Frank Franklin II - AP


Andrew Gross from Ranger Rants has some updates from yesterday's practice: (click link for full story)

Off the ice, captain Chris Drury (concussion), who has missed the last three games and does not have a timetable for returning, will visit the doctor this afternoon, which the Rangers are taking as a potentially hopeful sign.

Good to hear there seems to be progress with Drury. With the Rangers traveling next week, my uneducated guess on Drury would be Monday November 30th at home against the Penguins. Dubinsky is still about a month away. Ok, here is more from Andrew:

On the ice, Tortorella put the Rangers through a spirited, hard-skating, point-making 50-minute practice today. But when it was over, it was over. Everybody was off the ice as a group, something that’s rarely seen at an NHL practice. Usually, a group of players will linger to take shots, either against a goalie or on their own. Some players will work on a specific area like faceoffs. Essentially, that post formal practice is like free play in the schoolyard. But the coach has been talking lately of trying to get his players a break as the long season grinds on. One way is to not have them in their practice gear all the time.

As far as the abrupt end to practice, Steve Zipay also said that the Rangers locker room door was shut for about five minutes before the reporters were allowed in. Not sure if it all ties together somehow, but its fun to speculate.

I would not call this earth-shattering news, but Dan Rosen at NHL.com talks about how the lack of secondary scoring is killing the Rangers.

Michael Obernauer says the Rangers are looking to Del Zotto to ignite their slumping power play.

0 recs  |  Comment 2 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

Secondary scoring

Callahan and Higgins both having abysmal shooting percentages right now (relative to their careers). If they keep shooting, those pucks will start finding twine. Dubinsky’s 21 shots in 18 games is terrible, when he comes back that will have to change.

It’s really not the only problem though.

First 8 games: 26.3% PP, 88.1% PK, .937 sv%, 13.6% shooting percentage
Last 13 games: 18.8% PP, 81.5% PK, .896 sv%, 8.2% shooting percentage.

The offense should come around….shots wise the team is virtually identical, they’re just not finding the net. If you really look at it, look at the run of goaltenders they’ve faced before and after the ‘collapse’:

Before:
Fleury, LeClaire, Brodeur, Theodore, Giguere, Toskala, Ersberg, MacDonald

Nabokov, Brodeur, Price (who we lit for 4 goals), Bryzgalov (lit for 5), Roloson (1 goal, like 5 posts that game), Backstrom, Thomas, Raycroft, Khabibulan (lit for 4), Hedberg (3g), Elliott, and Varlomov.

I mean, they’ve run into a big of a buzz-saw with elite goalies which certainly contribues to the lower shooting percentage and lack of PP scoring. Against the below-average goalies, they’ve had success similar to the initial streak.

The hidden problem:

PK with Drury and Dubinsky: 71/82: 86.5%
PK w/o Drury and Dubinsky: 10/14: 71.4%

In those 3 games w/o the D’s: 2 EN goals, 4 ES goals and 4 PP goals.

Throw in a Redden mistake, and the team has allowed 3 even strength goals in the last 3 games, a formula for success, whether they are scoring or not.

Small sample size to be sure, but somebody needs to step up to fill those PK roles, or more losing will be on its way.

Camp Tortorella - Where Vomit is a Mainstay

by RangerSmurf on Nov 20, 2009 12:53 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SBNation home for the New York Rangers, where the next Stanley Cup is only 38 years away.
Start posting about the Rangers »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

Connect_with_facebook

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Small
What's worse? The Avery Rule, or the Matt Cooke Rule.
Small
My Theory: Glen Sather is an Addict
Maximilian_schell1_small
I want to thank you all...
Small
my take on tortorella
Small
Avery v Torts - Sather has to go!
Small
Lines for Tonight With Sean Avery Benching
Small
Top Prospects in College Hockey (CCHA, WCHA)
610x_small
My early off-season for the Rangers
Small
DEAR RANGER FANS.. (DIFFERENT VIEW)
Small
The Rocky Future for Henrik Lundqvist

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Atlantic Standings

GP W L OTL PT
Pittsburgh 68 40 23 5 85
New Jersey 67 40 24 3 83
Philadelphia 67 36 27 4 76
New York Rangers 68 30 29 9 69
New York Islanders 68 27 32 9 63

(updated 3.14.2010 at 9:01 AM EDT)

30 - 29 - 9

Won 1

SBNation.com Recent Stories

Colorado Avalanche players Matt Duchene, left, and John-Michael Liles celebrate the goal by  Duchene in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif.  on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, in Anaheim, Calif. ( AP Photo/Christine Cotter) link

Myers, Howard or Duchene? A Look At The Calder Trophy Race

Boston Bruins left wing Milan Lucic, right, and Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Colton Orr exchange punches during a fight in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Thursday, March 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Krupa) link

The Biggest Hockey Brawls Of The Last 23 Years

Toronto Maple Leafs' Mikhail Grabovski, center right, scores his team's fifth goal against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jeff Deslauriers (38) as Oilers Theo Peckham, left, Maple Leafs' Luca Caputi, second from left, Oilers' Marc Pouliot, second from right, and Tom Gilbert, right, skate in during second-period action of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Saturday, March 13, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Chris Young)

Leafs Top Oilers In Battle Of Basement; World Keeps Spinning

More from SBNation.com >


Captains

Blueshirt_banter_small Jim Schmiedeberg

Gabby_small Joe Fortunato

Alternates

Manicranger_small Ryan McFadden

Drurybloodsmall_small Rob Luker

61_small NYRBlogger

Beersm_small Eddie "The Mouth" Gieck

Twitter_pic_small Laurie Carr