Game-Winning Goals, The Potential Return Of Tim Erixon And Marc Staal's Status
by Joe Fortunato on Dec 18, 2011 10:28 AM EST
in New York Rangers Analysis
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PrintWhen the New York Rangers heard the explanation that Brad Richards' backhanded shot from the corner actually crossed the goal line with just .1 seconds left to play the bench exploded. As did John Tortorella, who did a fist pump in excitement over the Rangers' 3-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.
That's how much this game meant to the Rangers. That's how much a win meant to the Rangers.
After once again conceding a shorthanded goal which tied the game at one late in the first period, the Rangers found themselves down 2-1 entering the third period because of another late goal, this one banged home by Cal O'Reilly to end the second.
But the Rangers' offense came back in the third, thanks to a beautiful finish off a turnover from Marian Gaborik which opened the door for Richards' heroics in the last seconds of the game. Let's take a moment to give Gaborik a ton of credit. Gaborik scored two pretty goals last night, raising his season total up to 17 -- for the record Steven Stamkos leads the league with 20 goals.
Join me after the jump for more.
Michael Del Zotto also had another fantastic game, compiling an assist in 25 minutes of work. Del Zotto is another answer to the "who is going to rack up all these minutes on defense" question, and he's done a great job thus far. There are certain people out there who think Del Zotto isn't doing a good job this year. Simply put, they're dead wrong. Oh yeah, Del Zotto has a goal and nine assists his past 11 games to boot.
Speaking of the defense, Tortorella told the media after the game that Steve Eminger would be out "a while." Eminger, who separated his shoulder, has no timetable for a return.
I would have to assume this opens the door back up for Tim Erixon, who the Rangers sent down right before their matchup with the Coyotes. Erixon has played in nine NHL games this year, and averaged 15 minutes of ice time per game. In the AHL, Erixon has played in 14 games compiling a goal and 11 assists. I expect to see Erixon in the lineup for the Rangers' matchup with the Devils.
Andrew Gross also gives some very good news about Marc Staal:
The upside for the Rangers is that Staal continues to skate hard without setbacks and is intensifying his off-ice workouts to regain strength and conditioning. He's still out indefinitely but the signs are definitely there that he'll be able to return to the Rangers' lineup, possibly still with a good portion of the season left to be played.
Thoughts on all this guys?
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Joe, I criticized MDZ big-time when it was warranted. I also have praised MDZ when it is warranted. I have also trashed Dubi who is my 2nd favorite Ranger on the team after the King because it is warranted. This business of “hate” on players may apply to certain fans but not to me. I call it like I see it and MDZ has played extremely well the last few games. He has found out that playing physically makes up for his average skating ability as well as proper positioning. He has figured it out so to speak and the Rangers will need him no question. The Rangers need a new PP coach because Sullivan is deplorable in this area and is making his players look bad on the PP. It is hard to assess how good MDZ could be on the PP because of the coaching in this area, for example.
Whoever decided to put EC on the power play should be questioned. EC didn’t play a regular shift in the 3rd. Hopefully the beginning of the end.
by It may HAVE to Last a Lifetime on Dec 18, 2011 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
I totally agree, enough with this guy. I, like other fans, have seen enough of this guy. I would much rather have Avery or a hungry guy from the Whale in the line-up. Trade him if you can or just send him down.
by Richter1994 on Dec 18, 2011 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
I thought when we brought up Mitchell and Hagelin and they played well, that I would never have to see that waste of a sweater Christensen again. He must have pictures of Torts or something.
by Will to Win on Dec 18, 2011 12:16 PM EST up reply actions
I think Avery brings much more to this team than EC. I can’t fathom why he is even up with the big club. I’d rather see another call up get the minutes.
Absolute Worst Ranger Fan!!!!!!....yet incredibly realistic and usually correct.
I was thinking this for a long while now, but is it possible that something could have been said/done by avery in the lockerroom or elsewhere and thus he’s being punished. It really comes down to, we don’t know everything that happens, even with HBO in the room, maybe its just something outside of hockey.. we just don’t know. I don’t know the circumstances but I think torts is an excellent coach and anything we can see, I’m sure he can see. Thats all..
by nhl_legendz on Dec 18, 2011 5:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I disagree. (I’m not pointing a finger at you or saying you ever even brought this specific thing up) Why is there a conspiracy that Tortorella hates Avery? He is a stubborn jackass sometimes but I highly doubt he’d have the backing from the players he coached if he just benched Avery for the hell of it. There HAS to be something else.
Torts hates Avery. Hates him. When he was a broadcaster Torts said that Avery should not be in the league. You don’t think coaches use their power to satisfy personal agendas? Look no further than Anaheim where Carlyle thinking he had full power after just signing a 3 year extension could do whatever the hell he wanted was using Bobby Ryan as his whipping boy and got canned for it. Ryan is a star. Avery isn’t. So Sather is not going to do anything about the coach over Avery. No way, no how. It’s not worth the battle. Torts hating Avery is the ONLY possible reason for suiting up EC over him. Benching a $2M cap hit player over a stiff like EC has to be a reason. And that reason is the coaches personal feelings. The players know who’s in charge and they are not going to buck him over Avery either.
If Torts ran the team based on personal agendas like that, he would lose the locker room pretty quickly, like Carlyle did. If the players thought Avery was essential to their chemistry, and Torts was abusing him, we’d see some discord in the locker room.
I’m all for having Avery in the lineup over EC… but I’m not gonna act like that roster change is going to make or break the season.
That’s accounting for the days he spent with the Whale. His full season hit would’ve been 1.9375m, and that’s the amount used for pro-ration during the course of the season.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 18, 2011 9:05 PM EST up reply actions
It's good to see that they can win without Avery
Stall is still not imminent, particularly given Crosby’s relapse. I agree DelZotto has been really good. If Mark Sanchez could throw a pass between the safeties like the one he hit Gaborik with on the PP the Jets would have a shot this year.
Keeping up this pace now with 3 defensenen out will be a challenge. Erixson will be tested
Anyone else say “of course he did” when Sam says “Dubinsky shoots wide”?
by It may HAVE to Last a Lifetime on Dec 18, 2011 11:01 AM EST reply actions
The Rangers are 11-4 with Avery in the lineup. Avery is scratched after the Buffalo game and the Rangers proceed to lose 2 and barely beat an average team. There’s no denying the Rangers record over the years with him in the lineup. But yet, the Avery hate continues.
There is, however, good reason to question Avery’s role in every one of those wins.
by Zuppa Di Pesce on Dec 18, 2011 2:27 PM EST up reply actions
There’s plenty of reason to question the record with Avery in the lineup on his second tour of duty.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 18, 2011 2:37 PM EST up reply actions
arent u the guy that believes that numbers are everything? ohhh i guess not in this case since u dont agree with them
by nyrangerfan521 on Dec 18, 2011 5:08 PM EST up reply actions
arent u the guy that believes that numbers are everything?
Everything? No. Important, yes. Some numbers are also more important than others, and some are less important than what you can see.
ohhh i guess not in this case since u dont agree with them
What don’t I agree with? On his second tour of duty (what I said), the Rangers record is worse with Avery in the lineup:
90-75-16 with (88.79 pts per 82)
53-32-12 w/o (99.75 per 82)
Of course, record w & w/o players is somewhat comical to determine effectiveness, especially now when you’re talking about the 5min/gm version of Avery as opposed to the 16-20 min a night guy. I mean, I don’t see anyone giving MVP votes to Jeff Woywitka (18-5-1 w/ him, 0-3-3 without him)
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by George E. Ays on Dec 18, 2011 5:22 PM EST up reply actions
I mean, I don’t see anyone giving MVP votes to Jeff Woywitka (18-5-1 w/ him, 0-3-3 without him)
Well I was going to…but since you said that…
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
by Kevin Power on Dec 18, 2011 5:45 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
LOL. But no denying the record. They simply win with him in the lineup. So they overcompensate for him and win when he’s in the lineup yet they can’t overcompensate for him when he’s not in the lineup I suppose?
I’m laughing out loud that you can take the “statistic” of record with Avery in the lineup, and make the absurd leap to assuming that he is somehow the game changer in those wins.
I never said he was a game changer. Did I? But he’s played pretty solid hockey this season when he’s been given the opportunity. I can’t think of a shift where he’s made any blatant mistakes or taken a stupid penalty. He has certainly played a helluva lot better than EC. You can’t discount the record.
they also put 6 up on the best team in the South East
Avery wasn’t in the line up then…how quickly we forget that
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
by Kevin Power on Dec 18, 2011 4:13 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
It's good to see Staal skating hard.....
But he still needs to be cleared for contact and until that happens I’m not going to count on his return any time soon
"I was reloading my weapon"- Artem Anisimov on 24/7
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by RichieToGabbySCORE on Dec 18, 2011 12:20 PM EST reply actions
do not be surprised if he is not a factor this year at all. even if he comes back then he could be one hit away from a major relapse.
by Richter1994 on Dec 18, 2011 12:33 PM EST up reply actions
He could also come back and be better than both Girardi and McD
by Zuppa Di Pesce on Dec 18, 2011 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
No doubt, I’m just pointing out that right now everything is speculation. Plus every concussion is different. Steve Young was talking on ESPN the other day about his and he referred to his as “vanilla concussions”. He had like what, 74 concussions in his career? So even if the symptoms reoccur or if you’re reconcussed (real word?) its still on a person by person basis. Cindy might be getting the worst of it but who knows how Staal handles his concussion because Staal finished the season last year, when Crosby couldn’t.
by Zuppa Di Pesce on Dec 18, 2011 2:47 PM EST up reply actions
damn Eminger down too?
that sucks
MDZ is really stepping it up and that is relieving to say the least
gotta see what Erixon can do, 1st round talent
its nice having all of these Dmen after so many injuries this year but the young talent is there
Bruce Carter+Sean Lee=BRUCE LEE!!!!
RDD=REAL DEAL DEMARCO!!!!
by Archie Barberio on Dec 18, 2011 2:30 PM EST reply actions
what is up with Time Warner by the way
if I lose MSG I will be so f’n pissed off
Bruce Carter+Sean Lee=BRUCE LEE!!!!
RDD=REAL DEAL DEMARCO!!!!
by Archie Barberio on Dec 18, 2011 2:30 PM EST reply actions
Yeah that would suckkkk. And my Time Warner internet is slow as snail shit today.
While we are at it, what’s up with NBC Sports? When the NHL signs a broadcasting contract with a network, they need to require more games to be televised. Seriously. Has there been a weekend game on NBC yet? And they only play games on Versus one night per week? It is serious horseshit. They should be required to nationally broadcast on Versus two nights per week and on NBC once per week.
NBC has always did their games once the football season ends. They don’t even bother competing with the NFL
by Zuppa Di Pesce on Dec 18, 2011 3:22 PM EST up reply actions
This is true
And the NHL is already shown on Versus twice a week, sometimes it will be three times a weej,
Proudly suffering as a Ranger fan.
Can people shut up about Avery??? He’s not making this team win every game or lose every game, he’s not that important. I see people attributing the last two losses to not having Avery in the lineup, well what about Toronto and Tampa? he was in the lineup then, did he simply will his team to victory because he’s got those super Avery powers? No he did not, he actually wasn’t a factor at all, as well as any of the wins that he didn’t score in he hasn’t been much of a factor either. Simply put people need to stop their love affair with a marginal 4th line player, because quite frankly I’m sick and tired of hearing about this bum and how he’ll be our savior, its borderline insanity.
he’s not a savior but if he yaps at opponents then he yaps at his teammates when they don’t perform well. it’s a motivating type of thing. again, I’m not a big fan but sometimes you need guys to rile up the others is all. he came out of the line-up and the Rangers got soft so playing the Devs, Isles, and Flyers next week I want the Rangers playing with an edge again or next week will not be a good week.
Im not saying he is useless ala EC, but people on here make it seem like he is the only reason why we lost games is because he wasn’t in the lineup its absolutely ridiculous and annoying to see, he is not that good. He can be effective but he’s not effective night in and night out.
by CrazyRangerFan on Dec 18, 2011 3:05 PM EST up reply actions
no I don’t believe that at all (savior or game changer). I do believe that he should be playing instead of EC. There is no excuse for that. Now with Rupp in the line-up making Avery the 14th forward then that’s different. But EC for Avery? What possible logic is there for that line-up change especially when the Rangers were rolling when Torts made the switch? Why screw with the chemistry? Torts over-coaches sometimes.
Torts
Is a blow-hard and hates Avery. As long as someone else is in instead of EC works for me. He brings absolutely nothing to the table. He is a waste of a roster spot.
OUCH MY ELBOW HURTS!
I agree that Avery is not the reason the teams wins, but he brings much more to the rink than EC, who is a ghost.
Absolute Worst Ranger Fan!!!!!!....yet incredibly realistic and usually correct.
I agree with everybody who would rather have him in the lineup instead of EC, but they way other people talk they make it seem like avery is our best forward behind Gabby and Richie.
by CrazyRangerFan on Dec 18, 2011 3:47 PM EST up reply actions
No. He’s not the best forward. He’s just better than EC.
by It may HAVE to Last a Lifetime on Dec 18, 2011 5:02 PM EST up reply actions
Avery is not the answer some of you think he is and he has no future with this team. Whether this has to do with Torts liking him or not is erroneous.
by OhCallyMyCaptain on Dec 18, 2011 3:38 PM EST reply actions
Erroneous! Erroneous! Erroneous on both counts!
by Zuppa Di Pesce on Dec 18, 2011 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
avery is so much better than EC it’s not funny. people who think avery is unimportant don’t realize how much he brings to a team. if you know anything about hockey, you would realize all of the things he does on the ice that are positive. yes, he does dumb things, but this year he has minimized those things.
he makes the people who play with him better.
if he has the puck in the neutral zone, he almost never gives it away and at the very least he gets the puck deep.
he forechecks as well as anyone.
he will fight for his team and defend any player.
he puts the other team off of their game.
EC does nothing in regulation. who would you rather see play?
Shoot the puck Barry!!!
I’m sorry, we are talking about the same guy right? The one who either hits the goalie right in the chest with the shot or misses the net entirely?
Yes, he is better this year, yes he is a catalyst and we need that energy, no he is nowhere near the reason why we win or lose a game.
^ this. I wasn’t comparing Avery and EC, nor do I care to. I agree Avery has the intangibles you mention and the positives that he brings to any team but, like I said, there is no place for Avery on this team anymore. Actually, to maybe sate your thirst for Avery/EC talk, I’ll say this; fuck em both.
by OhCallyMyCaptain on Dec 18, 2011 10:02 PM EST up reply actions
no mention of haeglin?
i personally thought he was the most noticable ranger (Gabby aside) on the ice …the guy has done nothing but impress everyone since his call-up. he even got double shifted a couple of times last night…his work ethic along the boards and willingness to chase any puck down in any given situation fit right into the rangers “defense first, forecheck hard, cycle hard” attitude.
this is a great win because it is yet another one that last year’s rangers would have probably lost…
and with the devils finding their groove as of late…is there a tougher division in hockey than the ATL? not imo….
by #17ToTheRafters on Dec 18, 2011 5:09 PM EST reply actions
i thought he was the only good forward in the dallas game too
by nyrangerfan521 on Dec 18, 2011 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
no erixon
NYDNRangers Pat Leonard
The Rangers have recalled D Stu Bickel from AHL Connecticut to replace Eminger (shoulder). He is 1-3-4 w/80 PIM in 27 games for the Whale.
Thank god for the Rangers..
I’m on my way back from Giants game and that team is DOA. What a waste of 9 good drinking hours.
by Gabby the Gutless Sniper on Dec 18, 2011 5:33 PM EST via mobile reply actions
your ID name is appropriate in talking about the Giants because they were gutless. they should be ashamed of themselves. The sure TD drop by Nicks on the first drive was a prophetic play. It’s not all his fault but it’s time to clean house with Coughlin and his staff. The whole team did not show up today. Just terrible.
I don’t know how much more I can take of Coughlin either. I actually like him, but I do not like Fewell that much and I absolutely despise Kevin Gilbride. Then again, you couldn’t actually believe they’d make this easy on themselves and control their destiny. Come on, the Giants NEVER make it easy on themselves, always the hard route with everything
It’s not Coughlin’s fault but his 2nd half of the season collapses are well documented (other than the super bowl season of course) and his coordinators are stiffs. it’s been almost 10 years as coach so it’s time. Time to make Bill Cowher an offer he can’t refuse as the Giants’ job is one of the very few he would consider.
more than anything else, Avery influences the Rangers’ chemistry. The coach dislikes Avery, and Avery dislikes the coach. Those factors will not change. Avery’s on-ice contributions are underrated in my view by the coach. Avery also adds to the team off-ice, his presence, his personality, it affects the team’s overall chemistry and that is something that nobody else on the team does in that way. Personally, I like Avery as a player, I accept most of his “penalties” because he plays the game a certain way. Many players around the league don’t like Avery on the ice. Most of the referees don’t like Avery on the ice. The chemistry aspect is so very important in a game that is best played with emotion. That is why Avery is more valuable to the team than most people think, in my opinion.
"From what I see there's still a little hope
that's if we don't hang from too much rope" -- big audio dynamite
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