Roblogg’s Panthers Portal

Tomorrows transfer deadline will be eagerly anticipated by hockey fans everywhere with a mixture of dread and hope. Some General Manager’s will be more active than others and some will want to get their deals done already. In fact, some have. Here are the deals made today:

Sean Avery claimed by NY Rangers on re-entry waivers

No surprises here. The New York Rangers are obviously desperate and need any help they can get. From a financial (rather than sporting) viewpoint, this is a good deal for the Rangers. They get a big nasty centerman that can help them in their playoff bid and only need to pay half the bill. Dallas will lovingly pick up the other half, seeing as he was claimed on re-entry waivers. Avery has a $ 3.8 million yearly wage and it runs for another 3 year’s after this season. Coach John Tortorella who said Avery “doesn’t belong in this league” will have to learn to love Sean the way GM Glen Sather does…

Meanwhile, another recent Rangers waiver claim, Mark Bell, is sent to Hartford in the AHL to make room for Sean’s princely salary.

Nicklas Backstrom locked up in Wild

After a season of speculation that the Minnesota Wild may have to trade their All Star goalie Nicklas Backstrom on the deadline, if he didn’t sign a new deal – a new deal was signed. It’s a four-year deal worth $ 24 million, which will keep the inspirational netminder locked up to the organization for the foreseeable future. Nicklas had always said he’d like to remain with Minnesota and the Wild clearly wanted him to stay too. This is a great deal for Minnesota’s GM Doug Risebrough and the franchise.

Calgary claim D Nycholat on waivers from Canucks

The Flames were looking for some added defensive depth and got it for free as they claimed Lawrence Nycholat on waivers from the Vancouver Canucks, TSN reports. Calgary GM Darryl Sutter said in a statement: "We were prepared to give up a draft pick to acquire a depth defenseman." Well he got what he wanted and got to keep the draft pick; sounds like a good deal to me!

High profile players placed on waivers

In an attempt to shed salary before the trade deadline, some high profile players have been placed on waivers by their respective teams, TSN reports. The four most notable are:

Miroslav Satan was placed on waivers by Pittsburgh. The Penguins had hoped he’d take a wing spot next to Crosby, but the $ 3.5 million winger didn’t get any chemistry going with Sidney – and now he’s on waivers…

Brendan Morrison was placed on waivers by Anaheim.The Ducks need the cap space because of players returning from injury and Brendan never really got going in Anaheim.

Gary Roberts was placed on waivers by Tampa Bay. The 42-year old veteran forward is expected to attract some attention from tams around the league, including Calgary; where Roberts won the Stanley Cup in 1989.

Martin Gerber was (again) placed on waivers by Ottawa in the hope that someone would take his wages from their hands. Whether anyone is willing to gamble on the out-of-form Swiss netminder this time around however; remains to be seen.

More waiver-claim-eligibles: Brenden Bell was also placed on waivers by Ottawa, Aaron Voros by the New York Rangers and Erik Reitz and Eric Perrin by the Thrashers. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks put Craig Adams on waivers, while Islanders did the same with Jon Sim.

Burrows signed to new Canucks deal

The Vancouver Canucks gritty winger Alex Burrows was signed to a new four-year deal. The 27-year old has managed to work himself up from the ‘energy’ lines up to the top lines and is now rewarded with an $ 8 million dollars worth 4-year deal. It had been rumored the Canucks would trade Burrows if no deal was signed, but now those fears are dispelled in Vancouver and some will sleep a bit sounder tonight.

Well, actually, Rangers can score – just not very often.

So, when they started aggressively and got the early opener on Tomas Vokoun’s back-up Craig Anderson – after a mere 17 seconds – everyone was stunned. The referee’s too it seemed and the Brandon Dubinsky re-direction of Paul Mara’s shot was deemed to be a high sticking – no goal!

Chris Drury getting off a shot against the Panthers, in the game at Sunrise, against a brave Ballard - to no avail.

Nevertheless, the Rangers pressed on undeterred and were the dominant team in the first period. After 7:34 of play Markus Näslund stormed onto a rebound from Anderson and got the deserved home lead. This goal too went to review, but Markus wasn’t adjudged to have kicked the puck in to the net on purpose, so this goal would stand. Näslund was the best hometown players on the night and this after getting in to his first fist fight, the day before in Toronto, since his rookie season back in 1992. It seems John Tortorella’s appointment as Rangers coach has worked as an added incentive for Markus Näslund – at least.

The Florida Panthers then escaped a bombardment of the net in the second period and early in the third unscathed; much due to Craig Anderson between the pipes. Craig was ever-present and, with the help of a much more solid defense than we saw in Boston, he wouldn’t allow the Rangers to score again. The Cats even survived 49 seconds of 3on5 early in the final period. And it’s not that the New Yorkers didn’t try or work hard enough that they failed to score that all-important second goal: They just don’t seem to have any confidence whatsoever, when they are to put that final touch to the puck in front of the net.

Keith Ballard had a very good game at the NY Rangers, protecting the puck well and playing hard. Here he is being forechecked by Lauri Korpikoski and Ryan Callahan in the previous meeting at the B.A.C.

Someone else that hasn’t had much confidence in front of the net of late is Florida’s David Booth. After having double-digit games without scoring any goals to add to his 20 on the season, David turned up early for some shooting practice by himself, and, his dedication and professionalism finally paid dividends on the night. Paired with Stephen Weiss, he received a nice flick pass from his centerman, 11:50 in to the third period, put the puck on his backhand at the right circle and managed to get off a shot hard enough to squeeze in between Henrik Lundqvist’s pads.

It was bittersweet for the Rangers, but the Panthers gained additional fortitude from the goal and quickly moved in for the next blow. It took a mere minute for Florida to tumble NY’s house of cards, as Richard Zednik circled around the net, fed Nathan Horton in the slot, and Horty made no mistake – flicking up the puck behind Lundqvist and putting the Cats in front, 2-1.

Nathan Horton on the fly. He got the 2-1 winning goal at the Rangers. Here with Scott Gomez in the previous game.

The wind was firmly knocked out of the Rangers’ sails and they couldn’t muster a comeback. The fans didn’t help either, and rather than spurring their trodden side on, scattered booing and calling for General Manager Glenn Sather’s resignation came hailing down instead from the stands. It’s a fickle crowd up North and failure is not an option. If he hadn’t before; John Tortorella will start feeling the heat now after two consecutive defeats to Toronto and Florida.

Yet, if the Rangers can only start scoring a few goals, perhaps work on their conditioning (they looked tired in the second half of the third period), they could still stage a comeback and make the playoffs. This game, despite the result, was in some ways a step forward – they created some very good chances – now they “just” need to take a leaf out of David Booth’s book; go beyond what’s required and practice shooting in their spare time! If so, it will come — if not — maybe next year…

For the Florida Panthers, the importance of this win was obvious. Had they lost, the team would again have found themselves outside of the playoffs; looking in. But, rather than falling down to ninth, the Cats now pass the Rangers and are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. It is a very congested table however, and while Florida is now a mere point behind Montreal in fifth; they are also a paltry point ahead of Carolina in ninth (this after the Hurricanes beat the Sabres, 2-1, in a shootout yesterday).

Next for the Panthers is a stern test against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, with Martin Brodeur back between the pipes, who won their game last night against Colorado, 4-0, the same tally that Florida beat the Devils with in Sunrise last week. Yet, with the inspirational netminder Brodeur back and getting shutouts already; New Jersey will be vying to settle that score tomorrow. And it doesn’t get any easier either as the next game is played on Sunday in Washington (who beat Atlanta 4-3).

Nonetheless, whatever happens over the weekend, yesterday’s victory in the Madison Square Garden, while neither beautiful nor deserved, was a crucial win for the Panthers and their playoff hopes this season. It was also a hammer blow to the confidence of the reeling Rangers and it will be interesting to see how they respond to this latest defeat.

“I tell you right now — there will be some bumps” – John Tortorella

When thinking of the NY Rangers and the on-goings at the club these days, you can’t help but think of, and be reminded of, that awkward kid in the early teens that suddenly; from being a shy, reticent kid, unexpectedly turns up at school with spiked hair and a new in-your-face attitude to accompany the outward image transformation. Yet, you know, below the hairdo and whatever /gothic/punk/indie/ style that happens to be in fashion at the moment and accompanies the makeover; beneath this polished shell is still that self-conscious little kid that gets pushed around a lot by the big bad bullies.

Self-confidence is at a premium when it comes to the New York Rangers these days. Especially when it comes to scoring goals and picking up points, which of course is at the very core of the fundamental nature of the professional game.

Appointing John Tortorella, after the cautious Tom Renney, is a desperate move to try and transform the team’s fortunes on the ice and make the playoffs – despite the recent abysmal form. The Rangers want a new image; a less hesitant defensive and a more aggressive offensive style. It may work, it may not. Either way; New York is in for a bumpy ride with the emotionally involved and expressive Tortorella behind the bench. There will be no yawning when he’s around and the players will quickly find out that times have changed: “They are going to be held accountable,” John promises.

While the Rangers’ fans may be delighted to get a coach that blends so effortlessly in to a big city mind-set and the New Yorker mode; they must also be aware that if Rome wasn’t built in a day – neither was what once went under the name of New Amsterdam. He’ll need some time to evaluate his players, find what makes them tick and push those buttons and get them firing on all cylinders – before the playoffs disappears in the rearview mirror.

“There may be some conflict along the way, but I don’t think we should be afraid of conflict” – John Tortorella

John is a restive character and one that certainly isn’t afraid of heated altercations and clashes of personality. It can get him in trouble, and at times seemingly losing control of the dressing room, but it can equally egg on and lift players to play a more adrenalin fueled brand of hockey. Without a doubt this is the kind of play that Tortorella is accustomed to and prefers to employ, as he’s also quick to affirm: "I have always liked the pressure game so we are going to try to pressure and we’ll see how our guys can handle it".

A criticism that sometimes is thrown in Tortorella’s direction, with some sense of accuracy it must be said, is that he is a somewhat one-dimensional coach. There isn’t much of a B-plan always; or a different path to success with John. It’s his way – or the highway. Or at least that’s how it used to be. Maybe he has gained some wisdom from last season’s failure with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has definitely had some time to dwell on that letdown anyway.

Certainly it seems to be what he is alluding to when acknowledging that his preferred tactic doesn’t work for all teams; a lesson he learned the hard way by his own admission: “I have to be careful because I made a major mistake last year with our team in Tampa where I was too aggressive and our ‘D’ couldn’t handle it and it cost us”.

On the other hand it helped the Bolts lift the Stanley Cup back in 2004, so if the circumstances and team-chemistry is right; this could possibly be a good fit for the Rangers and a winning formula. But, that remains to be seen – as of yet.

What also remains debatable is if this is a major change of direction – a shift in hockey philosophy for the Rangers, or merely a makeshift makeover. Desperate times call for desperate measures they say, and this seems to fit snuggly in to that category. It will be interesting to watch how this gamble pans out. For now, it’s a case of ‘he who lives to see – will find out’….

Baby Steps

Yesterday, John Tortorella made his debut behind the Rangers’ bench (although he did have 4 as a caretaker coach back in 2000) and came away from Toronto with a precious point. Even so, Tortorella won’t be satisfied and would most certainly have wanted two for their troubles. As often is the case with a new manager who wants to change things in a radical new direction; the first baby steps can be a bit crude and wobbly, but will improve with time and practice. Unfortunately for John he won’t be given much of that precious commodity as a hectic schedule descends upon the NY Rangers.

Next follows the crucial home bow against fellow playoff hopefuls the Florida Panthers. This will truly be John’s baptism through fire. Having been Tampa Bay’s head coach for so many years; it will be a familiar meeting for him with an undertone of seething animosity. Expect John to be animated behind the bench and scolding his players if they don’t give it their all.

The importance of the game is clear to everyone; neither team can afford to lose pace on one-another or drop points to the chasing pack; headed by Buffalo, Carolina and Pittsburgh. Only three out of these five playoff contenders will eventually make the post-season. It is likely that this chase will go down to the wire – and a point or two – may very well be all that separates them in the end.

Whether or not John Tortorella can be the difference-maker for the Rangers – we will soon see, but the challenge before him is a massive one and not one for the faint-hearted. It’s a pot-holed course that will swing all sets of supporters from hope to despair; but it is games and challenges like these, which make hockey fans – players and coaches – itch with anticipation for each and every game. John will no doubt play his part in the unfolding drama and will make it just a little bit more colorful of a spectacle, for us all.

Who needs Sean Avery, after all, when you have John Tortorella behind the bench?

Tomas Vokoun is arguably in the best form so far of his early Panthers career; having one solid performance after another. Coming off a 4th shutout win of the season, against Carolina, he had an equally adept goalie on the other side of the ice yesterday; in the form of Ny Rangers Henrik Lundqvist.

It quickly become apparent that these two goaltenders were going to have a private battle in this game; one trying to out-do the other with plentiful and brilliant saves. It was a forwards nightmare as the netminders wouldn’t give them any opening to aim at.

The contest itself was a very tight affair, as could be expected between two teams that puts its defense first and has had a lot of success in doing so. Yet there was also plenty of open play and the puck was continuously being hauled back and forth in search of those elusive goal scoring chances which both sets of forwards were craving. Both teams also had sustained spells of pressure in one-another’s zones – cranking off hopeful shots that the goaltenders easily snapped out of the air.

It was the visitors that finally could draw first blood when Fredrik Sjöström had a shot that squeaked in behind Vokoun, after the Rangers players had been left alone to jab at him from within the crease. Both Tomas and the puck were in the end knocked over the line. It wasn’t pretty, but the Rangers seldomly care about cosmetics and were happy just to be on the board.

The New Yorkers go-ahead goal came late in the first period and early in the second period the Panthers had leveled affairs. Michael Frolik scored again, this time picking up the puck from a nice feed from behind the net by Stillman. Frolik turned around and snapped his shot along the ice – beating Lundqvist between the pads.

The goal electrified an otherwise subdued crowd and the rest of the game became a thrilling hunt for what everyone more or less understood would be the winning goal; seeing as how well the two goaltenders were playing. In the third period Vokoun and Lundqvist exchanged saves and the contest went first to overtime and then the shootouts.

The Florida Panthers have not done well in shootouts this year and were now facing the best team in the NHL in this respect. Much of the Rangers success is due to Lundqvist, who stopped the first three Panther shooters; Stillman, Horton and Weiss. He could however not stop the red-hot Richard Zednik who scored on Florida’s fourth attempt. Tomas Vokoun meanwhile did his job more than well and fended off all four Ranger shooters: The Cats won a shootout!!

Credit must go to Vokoun for the victory, but everyone on the team played well and matched the Rangers line-for-line; despite playing that crucial game away to Carolina just the night before.

Now follows a day’s well earned rest and then the Washington Capitals come to town for another match-up. It will be a very tough game for the Panthers, but one I think everyone now believes we can win if we just get a couple of pucks bouncing our way – and not in the Caps direction – as in the previous meeting a week ago today.