No, fellow William & Mary students, I am not talking about President Gene Nichol's resignation.
Rather, I am talking about the great game of hockey, specifically the NHL (and even more specifically, the New York Rangers, though this won't be exclusively Blueshirt-focused).
I realize it's been a very long time since my last post – almost a full month. I told myself I'd be better about updating this when I started. But even though I was motivated multiple times to make this entry, I couldn't sit down and formulate my thoughts. But after the past week or so, things are a bit clearer.
Well, in the world of the New York Rangers, a whole ton of stuff has happened over the past month – but nothing that I speculated on. The Rangers have still yet to make a move, and the trade deadline is approaching very quickly (though the New York Mets did acquire Johan Santana, but I digress...). Jaromir Jagr is still wearing Broadway Blue, as is embattled defenseman Marek Malik. In the past month (well 28 days), the Rangers have gone 6-4-2, and their record currently stands at 28-24-7. Not terrible. But not great. And certainly not great enough for them to make a realistic push into and through the playoffs.
Even their most valuable player, stand-out goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, has experienced a sharp decline in his play. He's gone 4-4-1, with a GAA of 2.43 and a Save %age of 0.904. These numbers are all worse than his overall season averages, as well as a major decline from his numbers at the beginning of the year. During Lundqvist's slump, backup Stephen Valiquette has performed admirably, shutting out the Flyers twice and falling in overtime to the Southeast Division-leading Hurricanes.
Back to the slump. There are several reasons why Lundqvist could be faltering at this point in the season. He's started the majority of the games for the Rangers, so perhaps his body is fatigued. It certainly appears this way. It could be the mental pressure of getting the Rangers back into the playoffs after an improbable surge last season. Or perhaps it could be his Father. Back in Sweden, Lundqvist's Father is recovering from a brain aneurysm. Lundqvist refuses to acknowledge that his Father's health is related to his play – but it's hard to believe it's not a contributing factor. Playing hockey, especially goalie, is as much mental as it is physical. The failing health of a loved one weighing on your mind is enough to distract even the greatest athlete. Also, contract negotiations have been swirling around Lundqvist. Due to be a restricted free agent over the Summer, the Rangers finally agreed to a contract today – 6 years, $41.25 million. Maybe the new contract will relieve some of the pressure from Lundqvist. Now he can concentrate on just playing the game. Having back to back games off could certainly help, as well.
Enough about Henrik Lundqvist. I'm confident he will regain his true form soon. It's really not Lundqvist I'm worried about. It's Jaromir Jagr. Yes, I addressed him in my last post, and I do believe he's still an issue now. Since my last post, Jagr has been even worse than Lundqvist. He's posted only 2 goals and 5 assists (7 points) in 12 games, including a 7-game long pointless drought. This is not the production a playoff team needs from their Captain and scoring threat. At the end of the season, Jagr will be an unrestricted free agent, and there hasn't been much talk about moving him before the deadline. At this point, I don't think he's going anywhere. Which is definitely a negative for this team. He's aging, and he's obviously past his prime.
I'm not saying Jagr's tenure with New York has been a total wash. Quite the contrary, in fact. Other than this season, Jagr has been the most dynamic player on the Rangers. He brought the team out of their losing ways following the lockout. His play pushed the team into two playoff appearances. He was the face of the franchise for two season. He was the leader and the inspirer, and he was (and still is) a great locker room presence. But unless he can put together an incredible stretch of scoring prowess (he must score 37 points in the remaining 23 games, and the Rangers must win a playoff round for him to gain an extension), it is likely his career with the Rangers ends with the season.
Out of all the players mentioned in my last post, none of them have been brought to Broadway, and bit's unlikely any of them will be. I don't foresee a lot of activity at the deadline, especially not with the Rangers. But there are two names I'd pay attention to, one on the Rangers and one off the Rangers. The first is Al Montoya. Montoya, the Rangers' first round draft choice back in 2004, was projected to be the number one goalie a few seasons down the road, filling the shoes of Mike Richter by providing the Rangers with a true Franchise goalie. But no one expected Henrik Lundqvist, a seventh round choice in 2000, to play the way he has. Now with the contract extension of Lundqvist and Valiquette's solid play, it looks like Montoya could be on his way out. He's posted strong numbers for the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), and he's still only 23 years old. But the longer he sits in the AHL, the lower his value becomes. Besides, a talent such as Al Montoya deserves a true shot at the NHL, and he's not going to get that with the Rangers. Along with Marek Malik, Montoya is the only Ranger I see moving at the deadline. The other name I see holding importance to the Rangers is Atlanta's Marian Hossa. At only 29 years old, Hossa is still in the prime of his career, and he's one of the most dangerous wingers in the NHL today. His numbers are down a bit this season, but there is no denying his all-star abilities. He's also due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season; Atlanta continues to negotiate a contract with him, but in the case that they fail to sign him, I see Hossa either coming to the Rangers at the deadline (for possibly Jagr and Montoya) or as a free agent, replacing the departing Jagr. Either way, I think Marian Hossa will be a Ranger by the start of the 2008-2009 campaign. But for now, it's entirely possible that the deadline comes and goes without any significant trades by the Rangers.
Now for some little odds and ends about the past stretch of Rangers games...during those 12 games, the Rangers won the games that really mattered – Atlantic Division matchups. The Atlantic has been one of the most competitive divisions in hockey this season. The Rangers took care of business on this front, shutting out Philly twice and defeating New Jersey on the road. They got big back-to-back wins against the Atlanta Thrashers, and they won an impressive come-from-behind victory over Montreal, scoring 5 unanswered goals. With the 6 wins, however, came 4 regulation losses and two OT/SO losses. They dropped back-to-back games to the Bruins, who are tied for 9th place in the East with the Rangers. They lost games to Carolina and Washington, both only trailing the Rangers by 3 points. And they lost to the worst team in the NHL, the Los Angeles Kings, as well as defending Cup champ and Western powerhouse Anaheim Ducks. The Rangers could have separated themselves from the pack with victories over Boston, Carolina, Washington, and LA. A victory over Anaheim would've shown that the Rangers can compete with the best teams in the League. But up to this point, they have been and continue to be the definition of mediocrity in the League. A great team on paper, an average one on the ice. This pattern must change, and it must change now if the Rangers want any chance at a playoff berth.
On a happier New York Rangers' note, Brian Leetch's #2 Jersey was retired on January 24th. Leetch was one of the greatest defenseman to ever play the game; as skilled offensively as he was defensively, Leetch was the consummate hockey player. He represented the New York Rangers, the Eastern Conference, the NHL, and the United States of America. Here are a few of Leetch's career highlights:
981 career points in 1,129 career games from Feb. 29, 1988, to March 2, 2004 (as a Ranger)
Holder of more than 40 Rangers' Team Records
Six-time Rangers' MVP
11-Time NHL All-Star
Three-time U.S. Olympian
Captain of 1996 U.S. World Cup champions
Two-time Norris Trophy winner as NHL's best defenseman
1988-89 NHL Rookie of Year
1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP
It's easy to see that Leetch was the best defenseman to ever play for the Rangers, and one of the best in the history of the league. He deserves to have his name and number immortalized in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. This was a special night for all involved, but one guest in particular was also honored on this night. Midway through his speech, Leetch made an announcement: fellow Rangers' great and former teammate Adam Graves will have his #9 retired sometime next season. Truly an honor for such a deserving individual. On and off the ice, Graves was the epitome of class and dedication. I look forward to another great ceremony next season.
The last thing I have to discuss here is without a doubt the most serious. As many of you may or may not know, a terrible accident occurred in the NHL on February 10. Midway through the third period of the Florida Panthers vs. Buffalo Sabres game, Florida forward Richard Zednik severed his carotid artery. As Zednik was skating in the corner of the Buffalo zone, teammate Olli Jokinen was leveled, causing him to fly headfirst into the ice – his skate catching Zednik in the neck. Zednik somehow got up and skated back to the Florida bench, clutching his neck, leaving a trail of blood behind him. The scene was gruesome, and the building went quiet. Zednik survived the incident, thanks to the great trainers and doctors in Buffalo. Though he lost a gallon and a half of blood, he's recovering very quickly, and he'll probably have the opportunity to return to NHL action next season. For those of you who haven't seen the incident, the video is below. But I warn you, it's a bit graphic – not for the faint of heart.
You see an injury like that, and you can't help think of Clint Malarchuk. A goalie for the Buffalo Sabres during the 1980s, Malarchuk had his jugular vein severed in a game against the St. Louis
Blues. Blood poured from his neck, and numerous people became ill, including players on the ice. Some audience members passed out, and some even suffered heart attacks. Because of the quick action of trainers, Malarchuk survived – he received 300 stitches to close his wound, and he returned to NHL action merely 2 weeks later. The video of Malarchuk's injury is below – this is even more graphic than Zednik's, I warn you of its content.
I just find it surprising that the league continued the game. It was obvious that the players were in shock, and for the remainder of the game, they were merely going through the motions. But Zednik is now doing much better – he's out of ICU, and from what I understand, requested Buffalo Wings and pizza today. I have faith that he will be able to return to the NHL, possibly even this season. But in an interview with Malarchuk, it became clear that it wouldn't be a physical impediment holding back Zednik – it would be mental. Malarchuk talked about nightmares, inability to sleep, and a constant feeling of uneasiness. He also says that "I feel sorry for Richard Zednik. But I also feel sorry for Olli Jokinen, the Florida Panthers and the Buffalo Sabres. There's not only one victim in this type of situation. Nobody gets out unaffected. You cannot be directly involved in something like that and not be profoundly affected by it. You cannot see something like that and not be profoundly affected by it. Thankfully, Richard Zednik will live. He'll play again. But what happened ... I can tell him from firsthand experience, it's something that never leaves you."
I feel that this injury give the League a very good reason to strongly suggest, if not mandate, throat guards. You never see many players wearing one at the professional level, but many younger players do. It's there to prevent a cut to the neck, to lesson the impact of a puck to the throat, and/or to soften the blow of an elbow or stick coming up in the wrong place. They may not be the most fashionable, but they certainly would be helpful in preventing many serious injuries.
And with that, I believe I will leave you. A very long post, for sure, but one that I had to make. Hockey is, as you can all tell, something I am truly passionate about. To close it out, I will just say thank you to the William & Mary Club Ice Hockey team for having me once again as a manager. Despite the season not going as well as we planned, we'll come back stronger from it next year, I'm sure of it. I would also like to take this time to declare my intention to play for the Tribe Hockey team either next Fall or next Spring. Wish me luck. On that note, I leave you to ponder the usefulness of throat guards, the impending trade deadline, and the future of Jaromir Jagr. Til next time...
1 comment:
Thanks for writing this.
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