The Daily Sports Rant

Trying to get back in the game.  Have not been asleep but working 24 hours a day.

Yanks blow but too much time to go.

Nice 4 - 2 victory last night over the Islanders, but the presence of  Sean Avery was definitely a factor.  When guys go out of their way to try and hit him, it totally gets them off their game.  All in our favor though…2 wins in a row and a tough test on Sunday with Boston Bruins.  A character game for us and a chance for the 3 newest players to gel together.

As a reward, I bring you a cheerleader and some model pics below.  You may not have even read what I have written but that’s ok.  I know where your head is at.

You cannot resist us!

And the cheerleader. Its a sport after all.

Go Suns! Its hot in here

Rangers pick up 2 players today to fit 2 immediate needs at the Trade Deadline. Center Nik Antropov from the Maple Leafs (6′6″ monster with a scoring touch, but enigmatic - sound familiar?) and Defense Derek Morris from the Phoenix Coyotes. Big D with a big shot, which addresses the need on the PP…

Big Nik

The Rangers gave up a 2nd Round Pick to the Leafs and 3 package deal of D. Kalinin, Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha. Prucha finally gets a chance to play somewhere, but will really miss Dawes. Had great scoring ability, but his size prevented him from playing the top 2 lines.

Love the moves, especially with getting Avery earlier in the week. Now, if Torts can get them all to play their real games, we have a bright future. At least in in the 2009 season.

Derek Morris Welcome to New York

I think we are still short of the Devils, Bruins and Capitals and even the Pens if they make the playoffs, but I still think this puts us in a much better place. Will showcase the new players tomorrow night against the beloved Islanders on short island.
Later foolz.

Sean Part Deux!

In the most unsurprising move of the 2008-09 Rangers season, Sean Avery is back on the Rangers.  Thanks to some underhanded dealings from Glen Sather to the Dallas Stars (to be revealed after the season is over I am certain).

Now for a brief but glorious bio of his Ranger days:

Sean Avery has skated in 86 career regular season games with the Rangers, collecting 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points, along with 212 penalty minutes.  The Rangers were 50-20-16 with him in the lineup, and posted a 9-13-3 record in the 25 games he did not dress.  In addition, he has tallied five goals and seven assists for 12 points, along with 33 penalty minutes in 18 career post-season games with the Rangers.

Sean Avery Back

Last season, he skated in 57 games with the Rangers, registering 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points, along with 154 penalty minutes.  He ranked second on the team in penalty minutes (154), sixth in plus-minus rating (plus-six) and tied for third in game-winning goals (four).  He established a career-high with four game-winning goals.

And not to mention, helped the Rangers totally dismantle the hated New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs.  Guided by the “Avery rule” against Marty Broduer.

This is likely the first in a serious of smaller moves on the trade deadline, scheduled for this Wed.   The Rangers unfortunately are just at the cap level, otherwise we will see more dead wood unloaded…You know who you are!!

Can Tortorella do it?

So is this the man that will lead the New York Rangers to the promised land?  In Rangerland, the expectations have been so dampered, that we are just hoping to make the playoffs.  I knew that we would cool after the hot 10 -2 start, but never figured we would stop scoring altogether.

Sather is a total Stooge.  I dont know what scouting reports he is reading or what game of fantasy/reality hockey he is playing when he signs these players.  The fans are not dumb anymore and tired of the team not producing again.  At least if the effort was there and it was all home grown talent, we would totally be onboard.

In years past, the Devils employed a Defense only approach and capitalized on clutch/grab hockey on route to giving up 18 shots a game.  Net results, Devils win 2-1, and so on.

Now, if you sneeze on a player, you are in the sin bin.  I am not changing the subject here, because this Ranger team has no tradable assets, even if we wanted to package a 3 for 1 deal for a player.

I do see Avery as a nice catalyst, a big IF, if we can get him.  But all the high priced FA’s need to start playing to their contracts.  This reminds me of Wall Street execs asking for bailout money then at the top of this list for Fat Cat bonuses earlier this year.  I am in the wrong line of work, for sure…Too bad I dont know finance or cant skate well enough…

In short, Tortorella, back on his second stint, should be able to breathe life into this team, but the true test will see who we can trade for next Wed at the deadline.

Just need 2 - 3 wins in a row to lock down this spot.  A broken record at this point!!!

Later dogs.

Your New York Rangers get big win this week over Capitals in wild & wacky Shootout 5-4…I think more luck than anything else since their PP went o-fer again (a huge gap in this team’s success).  Maybe Sean Avery will give the spark they need but still too many parts from competing.    That is, if we get him past waivers!

Still the playoff push begins now and just about 10 wins away from locking up a spot.  I’ll take 8th at this point.

Wondering who we will trade for.  I heard that Chris Pronger is available, but outside of money and picks, we dont have much to offer.

More to follow after this weekend.  Cheers all.

If the Rangers ever needed a HEART (See below), it is now.  5 Losses in a row including their unispired effort last night against the Devils.  Shut out 3 - 0.  Ughh.

How many more 50 shots can we take and hope to score???

I hate to say this, but the more losses we have, the more desperate we will be now as the trade deadline approaches.  Looking more like Sean Avery will be back in the fold in a few short weeks.

Still need to address the Power Play and playmaking.  Jagr, yes we miss you.  Markus Naslund should be on the most wanted list along with Gomez.  What a collection of bank robbers we have on this team. Outside of the rookies and 2nd year players, no one is playing hard on this team.  But none of these guys are game breakers.  No one can carry the puck out of the zone either.  Poor Marc Staal….Pathetic.

Too much time left to panic but we need to wake up today!!

If I only had a heart!

As always, Rangers do up it up with class and with the classiest Ranger ever (at least in the pas 20 years).  No one worked harder and fought for teammates better than Adam Graves.

Not just talking about the goals he scored, but what he meant to the team overall.

I remember when we got him from Edmonton and was waiting for him to blossom here in NY.  It took a year but it was one of the best trades ever made for us.  Back when we made great trades before we starting trading for Jari Kurri and Marty McSorley (ughh)!

But I digress.  Next to Mark Messier and Leetch, the most important Ranger and should have been named Captain after Messer Part 1.  Great night and should inspire this team to play better.

#9 up to the Garden Rafters

here is the man…

Gravy Train New York Rangers

Pic from the parade yesterday and a cool new t-shirt available with the slogan “Yes We Did”….

It was unofficially ‘no work day’ in Pittsburgh as 350,000 lined the streets for the Parade.  Try gettin all New Yorkers in one place.  Would need all of Manhattan and a lot of big screens.

Check out Post-Gazette.com/Steelers for details. I am not making a penny on this. Just a really cool shirt.

The drive for 7 starts tomorrow…

Super Bowl MVP Holmes

And this…

Yes We Did Logo

Too many heroes to call out but Big Ben, Santonio Holmes, James Harrison and Woodley all had montster games.  The Cardinals played pretty good too at the end.  If there was one minute on the clock it could have been a different story.  What a beautiful end to a very hard fought 2008 Season,

Final Score:

Steelers  27  (Super Bowl Champs!)

Cardinals 23

So Sweet - Championship #6