Tuesday Tidbits on Komisarek, HNIC, the Isles, Rangers, and More

Written on 11/03/2009 by Jim Cerny

There are so many things I want to get to, and each one could fill a blog entry by itself, but instead I will provide a bunch of NHL quick hits, with a longer column on a singular topic---the Minnesota Wild---tomorrow.

First off, after a long, long day of travel, and travel delays, returning from Minnesota on Saturday, my Halloween night could not have been spent in any better fashion than watching the Canadiens and Maple Leafs duke it out at the Bell Centre on Hockey Night in Canada.

The game had everything you could want. Great rivalry. Back and forth action. Plenty of scoring. Mike Komisarek's first return to Montreal since departing as a free agent on July 1, with the home-town fans spewing their anger at him at every turn. Beleagured Leafs show no quit by scoring twice late in third to force OT. Numerous scrums, much vitriol, and 36 combined penalty minutes.

And finally a shootout victory for Les Habitants.

Great Stuff. Great Theater.

And great throwback candycane-striped jerseys by the Canadiens.

This was not an artistic gem, but it would be awesome if this type of battle was the norm as far as the NHL regular season goes.

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By the way, great work by the HNIC studio crew disecting the issues surrounding the NHLPA. There was good substantive debate, with Glenn Healy's passion for the topic at hand really standing out. I know most fans would rather tune in to Don Cherry's weekly segment, but this was HNIC at its absolute best and most compelling.

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Speaking of the NHLPA, I had a chat with Hockey Hall of Famer Andy Bathgate at Madison Square Garden on Sunday and he had nothing but contempt for how the current players ousted Paul Kelly as Executive Director.

"I bet you these players don't even realize the role Paul Kelly had in improving this player's association by prosecuting (former union head) Alan Eagleson years ago," Bathgate told me. "They have no sense of what has happened before. Just as long as they can count all their money at the end of the day."

Pretty strong stuff, though to be fair, many of the players from the '50's, '60's, and '70's are somewhat bitter that the current crop of NHLers is so much better compensated than the oldtimers ever were.

By the way, Bathgate will be joining me and Steven Gelbs on Rangers Radio over at the Rangers official web site, NewYorkRangers.com, this Friday afternoon. Don't forget to check it out.

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As for the Rangers, don't expect winger Enver Lisin to play tonight in Vancouver. His foot is still sore after blocking a shot Sunday against the Bruins. Christopher Higgins, reported to be on the trade block according to the Ottawa Sun, might get a crack to play on the top line with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal tonight.

Prospal, by the way, has been named as an alternate captain, and very deservedly so, by John Tortorella. Prospal has emerged as a true leader and powerful voice in the Rangers dressing room, not to mention a strong presence on the ice. He joins Ryan Callahan as an "A" serving under team captain Chris Drury.

One other quick Rangers nugget: 19 year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto today was named as the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October. Though scoreless in three straight games, Del Zotto closed out his first initial month in the NHL with four goals, eight assists, and 12 points in 14 games.

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And how about those Islanders? Winners of four in a row, after last night's 3-1 home-ice win against the Oilers, the plucky Isles find themselves tied with the Flyers at 15 points for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

In 14 games so far this season, the Islanders have won only five, true, but they have lost only four in regulation. This is a gritty, hard-nosed team, one that was decidedly tougher than the Rangers in a 3-1 win last Wednesday and the Sabres in a 5-0 shutout victory last Saturday.

Seeing Kyle Okposo---no heavyweight---fling Sam Gagner to the ice after a whistle in the final minute last night was awesome because it showed the fire, passion, and desperate nature of this young team. Seeing unheralded Jeff Tambellini notch a hat trick on Saturday, and veteran defensive-minded defenseman Brendan Witt pot a pair last night, makes you think that the Hockey Gods are finally smiling down on Long Island's team.

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Ok, enough for now, though I could go on and on....

On Wednesday I'll have a piece for you on the new-look Wild, featuring interviews with freshly-minted captain Mikko Koivu and long-time favorite Andrew Brunette.

Posted in Andy Bathgate, Glenn Healy, Kyle Okposo, Michael Del Zotto, Mike Komisarek, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, NHL, NHLPA, Rink Rap, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vinny Prospal | Comment Now!

Monday Musings on the Avs, Bruins, and More

Written on 10/19/2009 by Jim Cerny

Posted in Boston Bruins, Chuck Kobasew, Colorado Avalanche, Craig Anderson, John Tortorella, Matt Duchene, Michael Del Zotto, New York Rangers, NHL, Rink Rap, Ryan O'Reilly | Comment Now!

The Kids Start Off Alright

Written on 10/05/2009 by Jim Cerny

John Tavares (photo left) did not disappoint in his NHL debut on Saturday night. The first overall pick in this past NHL Draft---and annointed savior of the Islanders franchise---notched a pair of points, including his first NHL goal, against Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins at the Nassau Coliseum.

If you haven't yet seen Tavares' goal, check it out here. He displays a quick set of hands, turning a broken play into a big goal. True goal scorers---whether they have played ten years in the NHL or ten minutes---instinctively know where to position themselves to get the prime scoring opportunities.

Rangers coach John Tortorella says that, "the puck just follows these kinds of players...it finds them all of the time."

John Tavares is that kind of player. Right spot, natural instinct, great hands.

Good for the Islanders and their fans to have landed Tavares following years of misery on The Island.

Bad for the Islanders that not long before Tavares and his 'mates took to the ice on Saturday, team owner Charles Wang spoke in bitterly disappointed tones that the Town of Hempstead had not met his October 3rd deadline to resolve whether or not his planned Lighthouse Project---which includes a new arena for the Islanders---would go forth. In grave tones, Wang spoke of options such as selling the team or relocating it to another city.

Veiled threats? Perhaps so. But threats nonetheless as far as the dispirited fans on the Isles are concerned.

Chris Botta over at NYI Point Blank and BD Gallof at The Hockey Independent are the two reporters who have covered this story the best---really for years now---and the best part is they usually offer up very different views on the goings on. That makes for some fun reading, while also providing a wider scope of opinion. Go check them out if you have not already.

Anyway, getting off topic here, it's a shame that Tavares' debut was pretty much overshadowed by arena politics. As Arthur Staple wrote in Newsday, "I went to a hockey game and a press conference broke out."

Good stuff that Tavares scored a goal and an assist in his NHL debut, even if he failed on a couple of other prime scoring chances and muffed his shootout attempt.

And JT was not the only youngster making a positive early impression over the weekend. Both Victor Hedman, the second overall pick right behind Tavares, and Matt Duchene, chosen No. 3 this past June by Colorado, had nice starts, as well.

Though he was a minus-two in Tampa's season-opening 6-3 loss to Atlanta on Saturday night, Hedman played confidently, and he played a lot. Coach Rick Tocchet used Hedman in all game situations, and the kid led the Lightning with nearly 27 minutes worth of ice-time. He also picked up his first NHL point, assisting on the Lightning's first goal of the season, and was second on the team with five shots on goal.

Duchene, one of two 18 year-olds in the Avs lineup along with Ryan O'Reilly, earned an assist in his NHL debut last Thursday, and played 15:29 in Saturday's win over the Canucks. O'Reilly, the Avs second rounder this year, has seen far less of the ice than Duchene, but he also earned an assist in his NHL debut against the Sharks last Thursday.

Another member of the 2009 draft class---Atlanta's Evander Kane, selected fourth overall---made a neat play to also earn an assist in his first NHL contest on Saturday. Kane stole the puck at the Lightning blueline, burst past the defenseman to drive towards the net. Though goaltender Mike Smith poked the puck off Kane's stick, Rich Peverly was there to clean up for the Thrashers and hand Kane a point.

Two other kids have impressed right from the get-go, Philly's James Van Riemsdyk (first round in 2007) and Michael Del Zotto (first round in 2008) of the Rangers. Van Riemsdyk, who is in the perfect situation, I think, surrounded by such a deep and talented group of teammates, has three points already in his first two games. In Saturday's win over the Devils, he notched a pair of assists and was a plus-three.

Del Zotto is clearly still adjusting to the speed and intensity of the pro game, but there is no denying his offensive skills. The 19 year-old defenseman is playing on the Rangers' top power play unit, and looks comfortable doing so. He also picked up his first NHL goal on Saturday in the final minute of the second period against Ottawa. You can check out Del Zotto's first goal here.

Early samplings for sure, but so far, the kids are looking alright at the NHL level.

Posted in Charles Wang, John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Michael Del Zotto, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, NHL, Rink Rap, Tampa Bay Lightning, Victor Hedman | Comment Now!

Garden Thoughts on Rangers and Sens

Written on 10/04/2009 by Jim Cerny

It struck me last night as I sat in the press box high above Madison Square Garden, that the first Rangers' home opener I covered as member of the media was 20 years ago---October of 1989!

There have been some very memorable ones for sure, most notably in 1991 when Mark Messier skated out in pre-game introductions to a thunderous standing ovation, just days after being acquired from the Oilers in a trade that would change the course of franchise history. There was a bevy of former Ranger captains on the ice that night to welcome Mess, who dramatically undid a safety pin on his jersey during pre-game ceremonies to display the "C" on his blue Rangers sweater as the crowd absolutely came unglued.

Then, of course, there was the home opener on January 20, 1995---the team's '94 Cup banner raising delayed by the lockout. It was a bit over the top, but to see the Stanley Cup lowered from the rafters on to a table at center ice was pretty cool. And to witness the emotion on the faces of the long-suffering Rangers Faithful as the banner was raised was very special.

And personally for me, perhaps the most memorable Rangers' home opener I worked was on October 3, 1997. That night I stepped into the full-time role as the play-by-play broadcaster for the New York Islanders, and, as luck would have it, the first game of the season was a New York-New York battle at MSG.

I had served as the back-up play-by-play Voice of the Isles for a few seasons to that point, and had been host of the club's pre-game, in-between-periods, and post-game shows. My goal, though, was to land a pbp gig of my very own, and that opportunity was finally afforded me in the summer of '97. And to have my maiden broadcast at The Garden---the building I grew up in as a kid---made the whole experience that more special.

Nonetheless, there I was at MSG last night for the Rangers 2009-10 home opener against the Ottawa Senators, reminiscing a bit, albeit with Blue Man Group performing a drum routine during the pre-game festivities!

Some observations from last night's game (but first some trivia...can you name the longest-serving captain currently in the NHL? answer below...):

• The Rangers were not introduced to the crowd individually as is usually done on an opening night. Instead they were introduced collectively as "the 2009-2010 New York Rangers", and skated on to the ice as a group. Clearly that is John Tortorella's touch, an opportunity to stress the team ahead of individual players. Nice touch by the Rangers to skate to center ice and salute the fans with raised sticks prior to the game, the same routine they do after each home win at MSG.
• It's only two games, but Brandon Dubinsky looks awfully comfortable playing on a line with veterans Vinny Prospal and Marian Gaborik. That line scored four goals in the Rangers 5-2 win last night, with Dubi netting a pair to go along with an assist. I thought that Torts said exactly what I was thinking after the game, "He just has a different look about him, even when he's not playing, just how he is handling himself." I have observed the same thing since Dubinsky ended his contract holdout a couple of weeks ago.
• Torts on the Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik line: "The thing I like about it, and that is our top line right now, I think it's one of the hardest-working lines, too, which is very important."
• Both the Rangers and Senators allowed far too many odd-man rushes, and as Torts said of his team, "We have to button up some things", but boy was that fun hockey to watch! Both teams were uber-aggressive in pushing their respective offensive games, and goalies Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers and Pascal LeClaire of Ottawa both had to make a basket-full of great saves. There were probably more odd-man rushes----both for and against---in last night's game than in the first 20 or more Rangers games I covered a year ago when the team played a much-more buttoned down style under Tom Renney. Last night was fun stuff for the paying customer---and those of us in the media---to watch.
• Though Dubinsky (photo above) was selected as the game's No. 1 star, in reality that honor belonged to Lundqvist, who was sensational in goal, in particular in the second period when the Senators blitzed him with 20 shots, and he denied all but one. Somehow the Rangers managed to outscore the Sens 3-1 in that middle 20 minutes. No matter how much this team improves offensively, Lundqvist remains the single most important Ranger.
• I thought LeClaire had a very strong first period, most notably when he stopped all 13 shots he faced during the first period. Eight of those shots came during Rangers power plays and were of high-quality. In the second, the Rangers may have found a bit of an achilles heel in LeClaire's game, twice beating him up high over his gloved hand.
• The Rangers power play was 0-5 last night, and is 0-9 to start the season, but there is no reason for the team to panic. They are moving the puck well, controlling the attacking zone, and creating excellent scoring chances. "But again, you have to score," noted Torts, who did praise his team's power play, as well.
• Ottawa wisely re-signed the rugged Chris Neil in the off-season, but he logged only seven-plus minutes last night as Cory Clouston shortened his bench once the Sens fell behind. Still, Neil was credited with a game-high six hits in that span.
• Very quiet debut for Alex Kovalev. Ottawa signed him to a nice free agent deal in the off-season, and other than being whistled for the game's first penalty, he was pretty invisible with his 20 minutes of ice-time.
• And congrats to Rangers 19 year-old rookie Michael Del Zotto, who scored his first National Hockey League goal in only his second NHL game. And it was a timely score, too, coming with under a minute to go in the second, right after the Sens had cut the Rangers lead to 2-1. "That made it that much bigger, the fact that it was such a big goal, a little insurance goal there," Del Zotto told me after the game. "And the fact that we got the win made it even better." Torts was lukewarm about DZ's all-around game over 11-plus minutes, but did add, "I am happy for him scoring a goal."

My complete game story can be found over at the Rangers official team site.

Trivia Answer: Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, who scored his club's first goal last night, is the longest current-serving captain in the NHL. He was appointed Sens captain in October of 1999.

Posted in Alex Kovalev, Brandon Dubinsky, Chris Neil, Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik, Michael Del Zotto, New York Rangers, NHL, Ottawa Senators, Rink Rap | Comment Now!

Del Zotto and Schremp Get Different New York Calls

Written on 9/29/2009 by Jim Cerny

It might have been a foregone conclusion once the Rangers re-assigned Bobby Sanguinetti  to Hartford in the American Hockey League last week, but head coach John Tortorella made it official today that 19 year-old blueliner Michael Del Zotto (photo right) will be on the club's opening night roster.

"Based on his play, he has made the club," Tortorella said of Del Zotto this afternoon. "We feel right now he has played well enough to be with the National Hockey League team."

Del Zotto, the club's first round pick in the 2008 draft, has displayed much poise and confidence during camp and the pre-season games. And he has also show that he is as-advertised as a highly-skilled puck-moving defensemen.

Tortorella places much emphasis on having his defensemen join, and often lead, the rush. Now he has added two rookies who are more than willing to do that in Del Zotto and the 25 year-old Matt Gilroy, who also had a splendid pre-season.

There will be a big learning curve for Del Zotto---especially on the defensive-side of his game---but there is a tremendous upside, as well. There is the chance he does not spend the entire season in the NHL because he still is eligible to play for his major junior team in London, though he will start the season as a New York Ranger, and will be evaluated closely from that day forward. The Rangers can play Del Zotto in nine NHL games without him losing his junior eligibility and before his entry level contract kicks in.

Mark my words, though. If Del Zotto proves he can play in the NHL over those nine games, Tortorella will keep him. His age and inexperience will not matter. Torts just lights up when he speaks about Del Zotto and Gilroy quarterbacking things, both at present and in the future.

If Del Zotto is overwhelmed during his indoctrination to the NHL, he can still go back to London and play 30 minutes a night, knowing that a return engagement in the National Hockey League is coming as soon as 2010-11.

"I'm just taking it one day at a time," Del Zotto told me. "They could send me back before nine games, or even tomorrow, for all I know. So I am here to prove myself every day. My goal is to be here all year."

I have more on Del Zotto in a feature I wrote today over at newyorkrangers.com.

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Smart pick-up by the Islanders today, claiming center Rob Schremp off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. The 23 year-old has been a big disappointment since being Edmonton's first round pick in 2004. Schremp has played in only seven NHL games---picking up three points, all during last year's four-game stint---and has not come close to resembling the 58-goal, 145-point player he was with London in the OHL back in 2005-06.

But Schremp does have a 20-goal season under his belt at the professional level (23 in the AHL two years ago), and, well, he'll always have that monster season in junior on his resume, making him worth a second look.

With the Islanders, Schremp should land some quality ice-time, including important power play time, which should jumpstart his confidence, as well as his offensive production.

Katie Strang of Newsday caught up with Schremp earlier today as he was driving down from his home in upsate New York to Long Island, and he was predictably excited about the opportunity with the Islanders.

"It's exciting," Schremp told Katie. "It's a new situation...I'm excited to be an Islander."

Unless someone moves to the wing, the Islanders are putting together a pretty interesting young nucleus down the middle with Schremp, first overall pick John Tavares, and last year's No. 1 Josh Bailey. Throw 25 year-old Frans Nielsen into the mix, along with veteran Doug Weight, and, well, at least it's better than what they had last year, and they could be developing a decent nucleus moving forward.

Schremp will get his opportunity on the Island. Let's see what he does with it.

Posted in John Tortorella, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, NHL, Rink Rap, Rob Schremp | Comment Now!