http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/players/marc_staal/23292 Recent articles about Marc Staal en-us With the New York Rangers’ season on the line tonight, their alternate captain will not be in the lineup to do battle with them. No, I’m not talking about Marc Staal, who is sidelined indefinitely with an eye injury. I’m talking about Brad Richards. You know – the guy who signed a mega contract two [...] Thu, 23 May 2013 17:27:30 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/healthy_scratch_of_richards_latest_sign_that_torts_needs_to_go/13681922 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/healthy_scratch_of_richards_latest_sign_that_torts_needs_to_go/13681922 Healthy Scratch Of Richards Latest Sign That Torts Needs To Go http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/healthy_scratch_of_richards_latest_sign_that_torts_needs_to_go/13681922 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/6/b6d7cff7ff32c9b596eac3613f2c05bd4ce8c21a/mini/6239976.jpg While there's next to zero chance he plays in tonight's Game 4, there was some good news on the Marc Staal injury front as he reported some progress with his blurred vision and altered depth perception after practice today (via Bergen Record)... “That week after the game I didn’t play [Game 4 against the Capitals], I had some ups and downs and I took a few days off to let things settle down. The last two days have been better so we’ll go from there. It’s worse to sit and watch than it is to deal with the eye." ...really excited to hear that there's some improvement. I'm still very concerned that he'll never regain 100% of his vision. But if he feels comfortable playing again by next fall I'm confident he can still be a very productive NHL player for the Rangers. ...and if not, I'm sure the Carolina Hurricanes will want to trade for him anyway, just to say they have all the Staal brothers on their team. Remember to follow me on Tw... Thu, 23 May 2013 14:51:16 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_reports_progress_with_vision/13680707 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_reports_progress_with_vision/13680707 Staal Reports Progress With Vision http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/staal_reports_progress_with_vision/13680707 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/3/73eb2c3a7b4e8d826daad69b9a00790b6d59d48b/mini/Pittsburgh_Penguins_v_be66.jpg When you're up against a team as physical and as deep as the Bruins, you'd like to have all hands on deck. Unfortunately for the Rangers, two guys they couldn't afford to not have in the line-up for this series are sidelined indefinitely. The absence of Marc Staal and Ryane Clowe in this series has been obvious. Their big bodies and toughness is sorely needed. Way too often I'm watching the Bruins bullying the Rangers with no response. Think about having Clowe out there to match Milan Lucic's nasty, grinding style and challenge him when needed. Or Marc Staal being paired with Dan Girardi to form a shutdown pair that wouldn't allow players like Brad Marchand and Gregory Campbell to roam free in front of the net. Plus it would allow John Tortorella to cut Michael Del Zotto's minutes. I also think they would have been able to help the Rangers anemic power play. Staal's puck moving ability is sorely needed on the man advantage as the R... Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:51 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/rangers_really_missing_staal_clowe/13655140 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/rangers_really_missing_staal_clowe/13655140 Rangers Really Missing Staal & Clowe http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/rangers_really_missing_staal_clowe/13655140 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/2/424e4536f44a88376832d4f8d2e74df68f06daff/mini/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f96500399.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921A343B2C87A49D8F5E0BC0ADE8274FCA878A7CC930AC93D1E4BD1F214B4E4A556.jpg Al Bello/NYDN Something that was very obvious during yesterday’s loss was that the Rangers defense had a lot of trouble matching up and shutting down the Bruins forwards. Prior to the series, coach John Tortorella swapped his defense pairings to prepare for a much deeper Bruins club. In doing so, he split up Dan Girardi/Ryan McDonagh, and put Girardi with Michael Del Zotto. Let’s be clear about one thing, Del Zotto is a top-four defenseman in this league. He’s a top-50 guy, which puts him in the upper echelon of second pairing defensemen. He’s not perfect, he’s not going to do well against the top scorers in the league, but he will be able to hold his own. That said, the pairing of Del Zotto/Girardi has never worked. It didn’t work two years ago, it didn’t work last year, it won’t work this year. Neither defenseman is perfect, and both have flaws that can be easily exploited by smart teams. We saw this last night. Girardi was on the ice for all five goals, and MDZ for four. We can spe Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:49 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/until_marc_staal_comes_back_the_defense_will_struggle_against_deep_teams/13654699 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/until_marc_staal_comes_back_the_defense_will_struggle_against_deep_teams/13654699 Until Marc Staal comes back, the defense will struggle against deep teams http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/until_marc_staal_comes_back_the_defense_will_struggle_against_deep_teams/13654699 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/2/424e4536f44a88376832d4f8d2e74df68f06daff/mini/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f96500399.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921A343B2C87A49D8F5E0BC0ADE8274FCA878A7CC930AC93D1E4BD1F214B4E4A556.jpg Same lines same d-pairs for Rangers. No Marc Staal on ice. Matt Gilroy is the seventh d-man on ice. — Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) May 18, 2013 ...and Staal not practicing with the team is exactly why I didn't get excited about him skating yesterday. I've all but stopped expecting him back in the playoffs. ...no news on Clowe isn't very encouraging either. Haven't even heard that he's in Boston with the team working out. Not good. Arthur Staple at Newsday notes that John Moore lost six teeth (two upper, four lower) in Game 1 after taking a puck to the face. ...who says hockey players aren't the toughest of all the professional athletes? Meanwhile, in his post practice press conference John Tortorella, after stating that the power play stinks and that Carl Hagelin might be inserted on one of the units, hinted that the team needs to make adjustments on and off the ice (via Bergen Record)... “I’m not a big adjustment guy. You look a... Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:12 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/no_staal_moore_loses_teeth_off_ice_adjustments_needed_redden_game_time_decision/13646227 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/no_staal_moore_loses_teeth_off_ice_adjustments_needed_redden_game_time_decision/13646227 No Staal; Moore Loses Teeth; Off Ice Adjustments Needed; Redden Game Time Decision http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/no_staal_moore_loses_teeth_off_ice_adjustments_needed_redden_game_time_decision/13646227 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/2/d294698da144409c5c87b1ca63427cd7d8d6758c/mini/New_Jersey_Devils_b2a0.jpg During today's very optional practice for the Rangers, Pat Leonard at the Daily News reports that Marc Staal was one of the few Rangers players skating. ...i refuse to get overly-excited about this. Just because he's skating doesn't mean he feels comfortable in game action. Especially against a physical team like the Bruins. ...while I feel the Rangers have been fine defensively without Staal, his ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone is sorely missed especially on the power play where the Rangers have found it very difficult to enter the opponent's zone cleanly. Meanwhile, it looks like the Bruins backline might be a bit more healthy on Sunday... #NYR #BOS Julien said it's premature to speculate on status of Seidenberg, Ference, Redden for Gm 2, but said return is a "possibility" — Katie Strang (@KatieStrangESPN) May 17, 2013 ...not sure how truthful Julien is being, but I'd kill to see Redden take the spot ... Fri, 17 May 2013 15:32:30 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_skates_bruins_getting_healthy/13640578 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_skates_bruins_getting_healthy/13640578 Staal Skates; Bruins Getting Healthy http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/staal_skates_bruins_getting_healthy/13640578 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/2/424e4536f44a88376832d4f8d2e74df68f06daff/mini/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f96500399.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921A343B2C87A49D8F5E0BC0ADE8274FCA878A7CC930AC93D1E4BD1F214B4E4A556.jpg While it's great to hear that Marc Staal was back on the ice this morning, that's pretty much where the good news ends as far as his return from an eye injury. After announcing that he will not play in Game 5 tonight he added this about what went into his decision to pull himself from Game 4 (via NHL.com)... "On the ice it didn't go particularly well, and as the day went on I just couldn't see myself getting into a game situation. It's tough. You get excited to get in that one [Game 3] and have to sit and watch the next [Game 4]. It's certainly not easy." He added this about his status for the remainder of the series... "I'll wake up [Saturday] and go at it again," Staal said. "With this thing, the way I've been dealing with it is I wake up in the morning and take it from there. I couldn't speculate one way or the other." Pat Leonard at the Daily News has the full transcript of Staal's po... Fri, 10 May 2013 13:19:14 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_out_for_game_5_maybe_series/13591034 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_out_for_game_5_maybe_series/13591034 Staal Out for Game 5, Maybe Series http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/staal_out_for_game_5_maybe_series/13591034 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/2/d294698da144409c5c87b1ca63427cd7d8d6758c/mini/New_Jersey_Devils_b2a0.jpg Paul Bereswill/Getty Images Last night, Marc Staal was a last-minute scratch from Game Four, forcing Steve Eminger back into the lineup. In Games One and Two, Eminger got enough ice time to give the others a rest, playing 10 minutes in Game One and 14 minutes in Game Two. After sitting out Game Three (with Staal in the lineup), Eminger played just six minutes in Game Four, and didn’t see the ice after a gaffe in the offensive zone that led to the Caps first goal. Perhaps that is just a one game benching, much like we had seen with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik this season. But we’ve also seen the other end of the spectrum (see: Bickel, Stu) where repeated gaffes led to barely five minutes of playing time per game. Eminger has seen his fair share of benching, but he has also seen top-four minutes under Torts. The problem here lies with how Torts will deploy his defensemen if Staal is still uncomfortable playing with his blurred vision. We all remember (perhaps remember too well) ... Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/with_staal_out_and_eminger_benched_the_bottom_pairing_becomes_a_problem/13584332 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/with_staal_out_and_eminger_benched_the_bottom_pairing_becomes_a_problem/13584332 With Staal out and Eminger benched, the bottom pairing becomes a problem http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/with_staal_out_and_eminger_benched_the_bottom_pairing_becomes_a_problem/13584332 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/3/7/37969327ff1db1669d795b6660277fe7a98578f5/mini/Tampa_Bay_Lightning_c746.jpg In a surprising development before last night's 4-3 Rangers victory over the Capitals to tie the series at 2-2, Marc Staal (eye) was a late scratch. In his post game interview, Ryan McDonagh told Rick Carpiniello at the Journal News that after skating at the morning optional, Staal pulled himself from the line-up upon arriving at MSG for the game. Andrew Gross at the Bergen Record says the reason Staal did not play in the final two games of the regular season was that after his eye appeared to be better, he had a setback before it again improved enough for him to play in Game 3. ...i guess it could be possible that his eye was acting up again. Or maybe he just didn't feel very confident and/or comfortable on the ice Monday night because, to be honest, he sure didn't look it. ...either way, with Del Zotto's poor postseason play and now Torts' unwillingness to let Eminger fight through a mistake, Staal is needed more than ever. Hope this isn&#... Thu, 09 May 2013 09:00:13 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_pulled_himself_from_the_line_up/13581875 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_pulled_himself_from_the_line_up/13581875 Staal Pulled Himself From The Line-up http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/staal_pulled_himself_from_the_line_up/13581875 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/2/d294698da144409c5c87b1ca63427cd7d8d6758c/mini/New_Jersey_Devils_b2a0.jpg Marc Staal returned last night, will Ryane Clowe follow on Wednesday? (Photo: Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports) What, you thought this was going to be easy?  The 2011-2012 Rangers came within two points of winning the President’s Trophy and still needed two seven-game series to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, so why would the 2013 version, which had to scratch and claw just to get into the postseason, have an easier time? So far in this series, all that’s happened is that each team has held its home-ice advantage.  New York must simply continue that pattern tomorrow night to even the series and there were plenty of reasons to believe that’s possible during last night’s thriller. The power play, which had been the greatest source of frustration through two games, directly led to two goals and generated all kinds of pressure.  Conversely, the Rangers finally figured out that they need to stay out of the box against the NHL’s best power play.  It’s no coincidence that th... Tue, 07 May 2013 10:00:38 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/some_problems_solved_in_game_three_but_a_big_new_one_emerges/13566371 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/some_problems_solved_in_game_three_but_a_big_new_one_emerges/13566371 Some problems solved in Game Three, but a big new one emerges http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/some_problems_solved_in_game_three_but_a_big_new_one_emerges/13566371 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/2/424e4536f44a88376832d4f8d2e74df68f06daff/mini/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f96500399.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921A343B2C87A49D8F5E0BC0ADE8274FCA878A7CC930AC93D1E4BD1F214B4E4A556.jpg from Howie Kussoy of the New York Post, Staal played 17:17, alongside Anton Stralman, and said he felt good physically and with his conditioning, while acknowledging his timing needs improvement, particularly in making his return to the faster pace of the playoffs. Staal said his return was delayed by issues that arose with his eye last week, which have since cleared, but the game he returned to was not the game he had been seeing since he was a child. “I could tell on the ice, it’s different,” said Staal. “You play your whole life with 20/20 vision and then you step out there and things definitely have changed. There are certain plays I saw a little different, but nothing I can’t get used to. “You’re not used to playing, so that’s what’s constantly in your head, as to where if you don’t have it you’re just reacting, playing and your instincts just take over. I just want to get to that point as soon as possible.” more Tue, 07 May 2013 08:10:08 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/marc_staal_sees_a_different_game/13565618 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/marc_staal_sees_a_different_game/13565618 Marc Staal Sees A Different Game http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/marc_staal_sees_a_different_game/13565618 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/8/c/8c50a4fd0476fd457409b9832cca03d9ba29a0db/mini/6071192.jpg Key defenseman Marc Staal is back in the New York Rangers lineup Monday night for the first time since he was struck near his right eye by a deflected puck on March 5. Staal is returning to action at a critical time for the Rangers, who entered Game 3 against the Washington Capitals down 2-0 in the best-of-seven, first-round series. New York has scored only one goal in the two games, including a 1-0 loss at Washington on Saturday. The Madison Square Garden crowd cheered wildly when Staal, who is wearing a visor, was shown on the center-ice video board as part of the starting lineup before the national anthem. Steve Eminger was scratched from the lineup to make room for Staal. Rangers forward Ryane Clowe (suspected concussion) remained out for New York. Mon, 06 May 2013 20:48:58 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/nyrs_staal_returns_from_eye_injury/13563395 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/nyrs_staal_returns_from_eye_injury/13563395 NYR's Staal returns from eye injury http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nyrs_staal_returns_from_eye_injury/13563395 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/2/424e4536f44a88376832d4f8d2e74df68f06daff/mini/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f96500399.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921A343B2C87A49D8F5E0BC0ADE8274FCA878A7CC930AC93D1E4BD1F214B4E4A556.jpg Over at Blueshirts United, Jim Cerny reports that Marc Staal's conditioning and on-ice play look stronger by the day, and he got a great workout Monday defending against the Rangers top power play unit in the second part of practice. Here's Staal on his status... "I haven't written myself off," Staal said of possibly playing at some point against in the Capitals series. "As of right now I have not made a decision one way or the other. Just every day I get more work in and try and improve and get ready." ...yesterday, I was convinced that Staal would not be available for the series, but this report has at least given me a glimmer of hope. Different perceptions of Staal's injury from the beat writers is making it tough to gauge his status. To me the main concern is obviously whether he's comfortable with his vision. Even if he has a minor doubt, I hope he's kept out of the line-up. Here's Staal on those concerns (via ... Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:21:30 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_looking_stronger_hasnt_written_self_off_for_caps_series/13518962 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/staal_looking_stronger_hasnt_written_self_off_for_caps_series/13518962 Staal Looking Stronger, Hasn't Written Self Off for Caps Series http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/staal_looking_stronger_hasnt_written_self_off_for_caps_series/13518962 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/3/73eb2c3a7b4e8d826daad69b9a00790b6d59d48b/mini/Pittsburgh_Penguins_v_be66.jpg Larry Brooks at the New York Post says that after witnessing the Staal Family Reunion in Carolina on Thursday, the Rangers should be worried — very worried — about losing Marc Staal to the Hurricanes when the defenseman become a free agent in two years. Staal's cap hit is $3.975 million per. ...to be honest, the last thing I'm worried about right now is whether Staal stays with the Rangers in two years. I'm way more interested in his health and if he'll be a part of this year's playoff run. ...the Rangers have been able to get by without Staal so far, but I think they're really going to miss his ability to battle against Ovechkin in their first round match-up. Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at nyrfan94@yahoo.com. Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:00:26 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/the_rangers_should_be_worried_about_losing_staal_to_canes/13505309 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/the_rangers_should_be_worried_about_losing_staal_to_canes/13505309 The Rangers Should Be Worried About Losing Staal to Canes http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/the_rangers_should_be_worried_about_losing_staal_to_canes/13505309 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/2/d294698da144409c5c87b1ca63427cd7d8d6758c/mini/New_Jersey_Devils_b2a0.jpg Visors aren’t mandatory in the NHL, but the league might reconsider now. Rangers defenseman Marc Staal took a puck to the eye area on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. Check out a photo of the moment of impact below. document.getElementById('wpcom-iframe-form-2f93c010aaa483bf555a03855db2a4b6').submit(); Photo via Twitter/@liam_mchugh Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:53:31 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/rangers_marc_staal_hit_in_eye_by_slap_shot_video/13062415 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/rangers_marc_staal_hit_in_eye_by_slap_shot_video/13062415 Rangers Marc Staal Hit in Eye by Slap Shot (video) http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/rangers_marc_staal_hit_in_eye_by_slap_shot_video/13062415 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/d/ed950618eaf00d1aaf778b1269eeba0c18d194f1/mini/ms.jpg