Garden Thoughts on Rangers and Sens

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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.

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Five Intriguing Players

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Written on 9/24/2009 by Jim Cerny


With the first puck set to drop on the 2009-10 National Hockey League season in exactly one week, I got to thinking about some of the players I am really intrigued to see play---for one reason or another---this season.

Of course, it is always exciting to see the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, etc. ply their craft, and I am always intrigued to see how their seasons play out. But this list of five isn't necessarily about being a superstar.


Matt Gilroy-D-New York Rangers: Last year's Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey's top player, Gilroy (pictured above) is a unique rookie in the fact that he is 25 years-old, and brings a maturity to the game that most rookies do not posess just yet. He also brings something quite unique to the Rangers current crop of defensemen---a willingness and ability to jump into the rush, and often lead the rush, to create scoring opportunities. With coach John Tortorella's constant encouragement to remain aggressive, Gilroy has been exciting to watch during the pre-season---witness this awesome goal against the Devils---and is going to play very important minutes on Broadway this season. Dare I say that the Rangers have not had a defenseman with this set of offensive skills since Hall-of-Famer Brian Leetch? Gilroy is not at that level yet, but he is a lot better offensively than what the Rangers have had since Leetch skated away several years ago. Though in excellent physical condition, one question will be how Gilroy adjusts to the grind of a long 82-game NHL season after playing almost half that amount in college.

Pascal LeClaire-G-Ottawa Senators: If LeClaire is healthy, the Senators could be one of the surprise teams in the Eastern Conference this season. But when discussing LeClaire, his health is always a big IF. Last season he was limited to just 12 games of action---and none since December 18---because of an ankle injury that eventually led to surgery over the winter. Ottawa took a chance and traded for LeClaire a month or so after the surgery in a deal that sent Antoine Vermette to Columbus. LeClaire says he is healthy, and has looked decent in pre-season action, so far. But remember that he has played more than 33 games in a season only once in his four previous NHL seasons. However, in that one season where LeClaire remained healthy, he proved he could be a solid goaltender in this league, justifying the high expectations placed upon him since he was the 8th overall selection in the 2001 draft. In 2007-08, LeClaire sparkled in 54 appearances, posting a tidy 2.25 goals against average, .919 save percentage, and 9 shutouts for the Blue Jackets. It is that Pascal LeClaire the Senators are looking to this season. And if they get that type of performance from their #1 goalie, the playoffs are not a farfetched possibility.

Mike Modano-C-Dallas Stars: This team no longer revolves around Modano, now a 39 year-old veteran of 1,400 NHL games with 543 goals on his resume. Last season, Modano accepted a lesser role with more defensive responsibilities and fewer offensive opportunities---15 goals in 80 games---and that will be his lot again this season as he slots into the third line behind top-two centers Mike Ribeiro and a healthy Brad Richards. What makes him intriguing to watch is that he burns for one last go at it with the United States Olympic Hockey Team. And no matter the considerable intangibles he would bring to Team USA, Modano is aware that he still needs to show the powers that be some on-ice production, as well. So will we see a gung-ho Modano trying to recapture a bit of his past? And will he get enough of that opportunity from Marc Crawford in Dallas? And what happens if Modano does not make Team USA, will he be so upset that his play slips down the stretch of the NHL season? These are all intriguing and realistic questions to ask. The answers will play out once the puck drops for real. Modano is a player I have always respected, and my hunch is that he will deliver a strong season and then lend an important supporting role on Team USA in Vancouver.

Jonas Gustavsson-G-Toronto Maple Leafs: Yes, yes, I know that this 24 year-old from Sweden underwent a minor heart operation---can you really say "minor" when speaking about a heart procedure?---and that there is a good chance he will not even be on the Leafs opening night roster, and that Vesa Toskala is the current #1 goalie in TO. But so many teams had interest in this free agent over the summer, which leads you to believe there is something pretty special here. Of all the moves Leafs GM Brian Burke made this wild off-season---including the recent trade to acquire sniper Phil Kessel---the one he might be most remembered for is winning the Gustavsson sweepstakes. By all accounts he is NHL ready, if healthy, though a brief run in the AHL might not hurt his adjustment to North America. But I would expect any journey to the minor leagues to be a short one. For some reason I just keep thinking of how Henrik Lundqvist arrived from Sweden five years ago and was prepared to make an immediate impact in the National Hockey League. Lundqvist did that, and has not looked back since. I think we will be saying the same things about Gustavsson soon enough.

T.J. Oshie-F-St. Louis Blues: First of all, I just love watching this kid play. His combination of energy, determination, grit, and skill makes him a joy to watch each and every time he is on the ice. Oshie had an impressive rookie campaign a year ago with 14 goals, 39 points and an impressive +16 plus/minus rating. However, he was limited to 57 games and you do have to wonder how much of a toll the hard-charging style Oshie plays takes on his smallish frame. The Blues reached the playoffs last season, in part, because youngsters like Oshie, David Perron, David Backes, and Patrik Berglund all delivered strong seasons. For the Blues to remain a playoff team, those kids will have to take another step forward in their collective development. And since Oshie might have been the biggest surprise of that bunch a year ago, he will be the most intriguing of the group to watch as this season unfolds to see if he has what it takes to be, just say for argument's sake, a 20-goal scorer.

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Ottawa Finally Rids Itself of Heatley

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Written on 9/12/2009 by Jim Cerny

On his club's first day of training camp, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray was finally able to purge his team of disgruntled star winger Dany Heatley. In exchange for the former 50-goal scorer, Murray was able to pick up wingers Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo, along with a second round pick, from the San Jose Sharks.

Was it a good trade for the Senators? Value-wise, not so much. But Murray had to unload Heatley. The soap opera surrounding Heatley's desire to be traded---which was first raised in May---had gone on far too long and had been enough of a distraction for the team. And with camp beginning, the negativity of Heatley needed to be eliminated from the equation in Ottawa.

Thing is, Murray's first trade of Heatley---to the Edmonton Oilers for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Ladislav Smid earlier in the summer---was a better deal for the Sens than the one Murray was able to swing today. Heatley, of course, refused that trade. And Murray still has to be pissed with Heatley, who claimed that he only wanted "more options" to consider.

In truth, Heatley wanted no part of Edmonton.

So Murray and the Sens end up with a worse deal---plus two extra months of agita---and the Oilers have to explain to three vital cogs of its team why they were almost traded away.

And Heatley? He gets what he wants. He is out of Ottawa, where he complained that coach Cory Clouston had "limited" his role too much. And he winds up in a beautiful city that features one of the league's elite regular season teams, albeit one that still needs to find its way in the playoffs, where he likely will skate alongside one of the NHL's top playmakers in Joe Thornton.

"I don't think I did anything wrong in asking for a trade," Heatley told reporters today. "I have my reasons for it. If people think differently of me, that's fine. But I believe I did nothing wrong, and I am happy to move on."

In the 29 year-old Cheechoo, the Senators do receive a former 50-goal scorer, though that incredible 56-goal campaign is now four years removed, and his goal totals have dropped each year since to a low of just 12 last season. He is a hard worker, and maybe the change of scenery will do him some good.

Michalek is more likely the bigger catch for Ottawa in this deal. Still just 24 years-old, the former 6th overall pick has put up three straight 20+-goal seasons. He looks capable of being a 30-goal man.

Credit Sharks GM Doug Wilson for being patient on this deal, and certainly for not giving up Patrick Marleau, which had been rumored repeatedly. Wilson also added only $1 million to his payroll. Heatley makes $8 million this year, but the two players Wilson dealt to Ottawa combined for $7 million. That's a good job of managing.

Now let's see if the President's Trophy winners, fortified even more by the Heatley addition, can figure out a way to navigate the post-season.

Or is the Sharks next move to reel in a proven winner---perhaps at the expense of a Marleau---to show the others---Heatley included---what it takes?

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