Yardbarker: Sandis Ozolinsh

Tom Renney...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:21:00 -0500

Last time two Edmonton faced the Rangers, the Rangers lost in a shootout. Last time, they fired 42 shots on net and scored on only 2 - on a backup goaltender. Ah, the Tom Renney era...

Well, tomorrow, the Rangers meet Tom Renney again, and while not many current players were there for a lot of his reign (Henrik Lundqvist and Michal Rozsival were the only ones there from his first full season in 2005-06), it should be an emotional night for him. Imagine if the game were at Madison Square Garden?

While I rip on Renney a lot here, I do think he was a very good coach, and I'm sure he will be sometime soon. There are a few coaches who will "always be a Ranger," no matter where they wind up coaching or working. Mike Keenan, though he only had 1 season, is one of them. Renney is another.

No coach could have done what he did after the lockout. He took a team destined to fail -at least according to the experts - and brought them into the playoffs, one point away from winning the division. He got 123 points out of Jaromir Jagr - a man who would have refused to return to the NHL if he wasn't playing for Renney in New York, he once said. He turned a team of veterans - Rucchin, Jagr, Straka, Rucinsky, Kasparaitis, Nylander - and young no-names - Jay Ward, Ortmeyer, Dom Moore, Hollweg, Orr, Prucha, Betts - into a contender.

I still say that if not for the Olympics, the Rangers could have gone far that year. Jagr and Lundqvist came back injured - Jagr with hip and groin problems, Hank with headaches from grinding his teeth. And then there was Sandis Ozolinsh, who seemed like a good trade at first until he came apart in the Devils' series and cost the team 2 games.

Still, Renney was a huge part of the rebuilding process. While they rebuilt, he brought them into the playoffs. He just wasn't a good fit for the team last year and going forward. His style had stopped working, and he continued to play people based on their paychecks rather than skill (see: Wade Redden on the power play while Petr Prucha sat in street clothes).

For all the good he did, he will be remembered for 2 things: being fired when the team couldn't score and for Game 5 in Buffalo, where Fedor Tyutin and rookie Dan Girardi were on the ice with 30 seconds left with a 1-0 lead. When they iced the puck, Tyutin and Girardi had to stay on, they couldn't clear the puck, and Chris Drury scored.

Besides that being the one game that still upsets my stomach (and the only time I ever lost sleep over a sports event), you know that if they won that game and went up 3-2 in the series, they would not have lost Game 6 at MSG. I'm not saying they would have won the Stanley Cup - hell, they might not even have beaten Ottawa in the Conference Finals - but they would have beaten Buffalo. And maybe Chris Drury never would've been signed the following summer, and maybe everything would've been different.

But this is how it's played out, and I wish Tom Renney the best in Edmonton - no matter how often I make fun of his healthy scratches or his power play.

Tom Renney…

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:21:00 -0500

Last time two Edmonton faced the Rangers, the Rangers lost in a shootout. Last time, they fired 42 shots on net and scored on only 2 – on a backup goaltender. Ah, the Tom Renney era… Well, tomorrow, the Rangers meet Tom Renney again, and while not many current players were there for a lot of his reign (Henrik Lundqvist and Michal Rozsival were the only ones there from his first full season in 2005-06), it should be an emotional night for him. Imagine if the game were at Madison Square Garden? While I rip on Renney a lot here, I do think he was a very good coach, and I’m sure he will be sometime soon. There are a few coaches who will “always be a Ranger,” no matter where they wind up coaching or working. Mike Keenan, though he only had 1 season, is one of them. Renney is another. No coach could have done what he did after the lockout. He took a team destined to fail -at least according to the experts – and brought them into the playoffs, one point away from winning the division. He got 123 points out of Jaromir Jagr – a man who would have refused to return to the NHL if he wasn’t playing for Renney in New York, he once said. He turned a team of veterans – Rucchin, Jagr, Straka, Rucinsky, Kasparaitis, Nylander – and young no-names – Jay Ward, Ortmeyer, Dom Moore, Hollweg, Orr, Prucha, Betts – into a contender. I still say that if not for the Olympics, the Rangers could have gone far that year. Jagr and Lundqvist came back injured – Jagr with hip and groin problems, Hank with headaches from grinding his teeth. And then there was Sandis Ozolinsh, who seemed like a good trade Continue reading Tom Renney…

Western Canada Road Trip...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:39:00 -0500

Ah, the dreaded Western Canadian Road Trip. Remember last time, in January of 2008 when they got 1 points in 3 games?

They ran into a red-hot Calgary team featuring Kristian Huselius, who had 4 points in the 4-3 game, including a goal from behind the goal-line that somehow sneaked past Henrik Lundqvist.

Steve Valiquette had no offense in a 3-0 loss to Vancouver.

And if not for Chris Drury scoring with 7 seconds left to force overtime, they would've left with 0 points instead of 1 (Edmonton was monstrous in the shootout in '07-'08, partially because then-rookie Sam Gagner was unstoppable in the tiebreaker).

Last night against Vancouver felt like that trip all over again. The Rangers applied little pressure, even in the 2nd period when the shot-counter went in their favor. Sure, they fired 14 shots in that frame, but how many were legitimate scoring chances? Two? Maybe just one?

They ought to have pounced on Vancouver, especially in the 3rd. They had, what, 4 power plays in a row, including a double-minor to end the 2nd period? And they couldn't do anything with it. Vancouver was shorthanded for 8 minutes, had good players in the penalty box, had Henrik Sedin and Willie Mitchell playing at 40% because of injuries, and still, no good opportunities. Other than Chris Higgins, who worked hard for Goal #1, there were a handful of Rangers who actually showed up. Matt Gilroy was one of them; he looked fantastic. Mike Del Zotto wasn't a standout but played good. Ryan Callahan played hard, again, and couldn't score, again. And Brandon Dubinsky... is on the trading block?

You would have thought that the big brawl would have fired them up, but it really just jazzed up the Canucks as it seemed the Rangers were content bringing the game to overtime and settling for a point - or a shootout.

* * *

I love that Dane Byers is in the lineup. As opposed to Evgeny Grachev or Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Byers is never going to light it up in the NHL, so he doesn't need to "dominate the minors before becoming an NHLer," and the old "it's better to play 20 minutes a night in the AHL than 7 minutes in the NHL" adage doesn't apply to him.

I would rather have Byers in the lineup over Donald Brashear any night. Maybe Brashear of 2003 or 2006, but not the 2009 version, where he is slow, shows the same hockey sense as Colton Orr, and doesn't fight - and when he does, he loses. Byers showed fire last night. Sure, he didn't win the fight, but he was out there battling, starting stuff, and showing that he belongs in the NHL. Even John Tortorella gave him a "good game" en route to the locker room - although Tortorella's good game pat fell in an awkward spot.

* * *

Last time Edmonton faced the Rangers, the Rangers lost in a shootout as well. They fired 42 shots on net and scored on only 2 - on a backup goaltender. Ah, the Tom Renney era...

Well, tomorrow, the Rangers meet Tom Renney again, and while not many current players were there for a lot of his reign (Lundqvist and Michal Rozsival were the only ones there from his first full season in 2005-06), it should be an emotional night for him. Imagine if the game were at Madison Square Garden?

While I rip on Renney a lot here, I do think he was a very good coach, and I'm sure he will be sometime soon. There are a few coaches who will "always be a Ranger," no matter where they wind up coaching or working. Mike Keenan, though he only had 1 season, is one of them. Renney is another.

No coach could have done what he did after the lockout. He took a team destined to fail -at least according to the experts - and brought them into the playoffs, one point away from winning the division. He got 123 points out of Jaromir Jagr - a man who would have refused to return to the NHL if he wasn't playing for Renney in New York, he once said. He turned a team of veterans - Rucchin, Jagr, Straka, Rucinsky, Kasparaitis, Nylander - and young no-names - Jay Ward, Ortmeyer, Dom Moore, Hollweg, Orr, Prucha, Betts - into a contender.

I still say that if not for the Olympics, the Rangers could have gone far that year. Jagr and Lundqvist came back injured - Jagr with hip and groin problems, Hank with headaches from grinding his teeth. And then there was Sandis Ozolinsh, who seemed like a good trade at first until he came apart in the Devils' series and cost the team 2 games.

Still, Renney was a huge part of the rebuilding process. While they rebuilt, he brought them into the playoffs. He just wasn't a good fit for the team last year and going forward. His style had stopped working, and he continued to play people based on their paychecks rather than skill (see: Wade Redden on the power play while Petr Prucha sat in street clothes).

For all the good he did, he will be remembered for 2 things: being fired when the team couldn't score and for Game 5 in Buffalo, where Fedor Tyutin and rookie Dan Girardi were on the ice with 30 seconds left with a 1-0 lead. When they iced the puck, Tyutin and Girardi had to stay on, they couldn't clear the puck, and Chris Drury scored.

Besides that being the one game that still upsets my stomach (and the only time I ever lost sleep over a sports event), you know that if they won that game and went up 3-2 in the series, they would not have lost Game 6 at MSG. I'm not saying they would have won the Stanley Cup - hell, they might not even have beaten Ottawa in the Conference Finals - but they would have beaten Buffalo. And maybe Chris Drury never would've been signed the following summer, and maybe everything would've been different.

But this is how it's played out, and I wish Tom Renney the best in Edmonton - no matter how often I make fun of his healthy scratches or his power play.

Hockey Notes - July 8th

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:42:00 -0500

SANDIS OZOLINSH SIGNED CONTRACT TO FINISH CAREER IN KHL WITH DINAMO RIGA SANDIS OZOLINSH SIGNED CONTRACT TO FINISH CAREER IN KHL WITH DINAMO RIGA - The big news Tuesday, at least in Republika Latvijas, was the return of former San Jose Sharks defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh to the professional team where his career began in 1990. Dinamo Riga, now a part of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), signed the 37 year old Ozolinsh after a 1 year absence from hockey. In an open letter on the team's...

Don't Buy!...

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:53:11 -0500

As we all know, the NHL Deadline will be here Wednesday at 3, formerly Tuesday at 3 p.m. but since there was a big slate of games on Tuesday, they pushed it back to a more open day.
The Rangers, by and large, always buy, with the rare exception of 2004, when they had to get rid of contracts because of the upcoming salary cap. That year, they dumped Petr Nedved, Greg de Vries, Vladimir Malakhov, Brian Leetch, Chris Simon, Jussi Markkanen, Matthew Barnaby, and Martin Rucinsky for prospects, picks, Blair Betts, and Steve Valiquette. (I will have a post on this later in the week).
In 2006, they traded Ville Nieminen for a draft pick, then used that pick to get Sandis Ozolinsh, who, during the first round against New Jersey, did more damage to the Rangers than Jaromir Jagr's shoulder or Henrik Lundqvist's teeth-grinding-induced headaches did.
In 2007, Aaron Ward got shipped off for Paul Mara. They also traded Pascal Dupuis (formerlly Adam Hall) to Atlanta for Alex Bourret (since traded away). A pick also exchanged hands in the Atlanta trade, but I don't know who received it. I think it was a 3rd rounder.
Last year, Christian Backman came to the club for a 4th-round pick. No, he wasn't good, but he did add depth and it was cheap.
This year, the team needs more than a mediocre defenseman. They already have Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Eric Reitz, and Dmitri Kalinin playing that role.
Yet, what they do need will be expensive, and to be honest, won't work.

Mark Bell...

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:59:55 -0500

So John Tortorella thinks Sean Avery should "stay home" because of a bad joke he made about an ex-girlfriend (comments he made on TSN), but apparently being arrested for a hit and run made while driving under the influence is perfectly acceptable.
Why do the Rangers need another 3rd/4th line winger? Are Nigel Dawes, Lauri Korpikoski, Ryan Callahan, Petr Prucha, Colton Orr, Fred Sjostrom, and Aaron Voros not enough? Not to mention Avery in the wings if he doesn't get picked up by another team on his way up.
Were Theo Fleury and Sandis Ozolinsh not available?
Unless he goes straight to the AHL, or unless this is a prelude to a trade where the Rangers unload a bunch of players, this makes no sense at all. It's not like he's a great value. For Christ's sake, Toronto didn't want him!?
Wasn't this the Rangers' problem in the beginning of the year? Too many forwards signed for no reason (Voros, Pat Rissmiller) that there wasn't room for everyone?

Ducks Gameday—Burke Week #5: Finale

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:28:00 -0500

Colorado Avalanche (9-10-0, t-12th in west) at Anaheim Ducks (11-8-3, t-4th in west)Ah, we finally arrive at the conclusary installment of Burke Week, a five-day gander back at the Anaheim legacy of Brian Burke.Part I: Defending three "bad" Burke moves that I don't think were that bad.Part II: Criticizing three Burke moves that I don't think get enough flak.Part III: Nothing but shout-outs.Part IV: What I like about Burke the roster-builder.And now we arrive at Part V: Scatt...

Ducks Gameday—Burke Week #5: Finale

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:28:00 -0500

San Jose Sharks: Doug Wilson's Next Steps

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:08:10 -0500

Today we add a new writer to TCS, MJ Kasprzak. MJ can be found writing pieces at Bleacher Report and on his personal blog called MJK. Take a look, he's a great writer and we hope to add him as a regular writer to The Cold Shoulder. Doug Wilson's Next Steps By MJ Kasprzak Special to The Cold Shoulder It is officially the off-season for the Sharks. The first move general manager Doug Wilson has made to prepare for next season was firing head coach Ron Wilson.

Avalanche 3 ? Sharks 1

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:34:29 -0500

Well obviously this was a disappointing loss with some VERY frustrating occurrences throughout the game. It will take a lot of will power to focus on the positive throughout this summary; I'll save my frustrations for another posting. The Sharks began the first period much like they begin most games? slowly. They were out shot 13 to 4 going into the first intermission. The high point of the period was definitely Mike Grier's fighting major for his altercation with Cody McLeod in which he avenged the uncalled high stick causing Joe Thornton to miss a shift so the trainer could stop the flowing blood from his nose. The lone goal scored in the period by Ben Guite was actually pretty impressive display of hand eye coordination as the puck was redirected just centimeters before it found the safety of Evgeni Nabokov's glove. For the second period the Sharks found their groove and began making up lost ground at a furious pace out driving Colorado 16 to 5. This is where the Sharks only goal of the game was scored, Sandis Ozolinsh froze the goalie with a shot turned pass the left the net wide open for Patrick Marleau to shovel one home. Even though the Sharks were able to basically dictate the pace of the period they were still unable to keep the Avalanche from scoring a power play goal on a T.J. Hensick redirected shot from the point. The third period was fairly uneventful as the Sharks posted a lukewarm effort to even up the score again out shooting the Avalanche by a smaller margin of 11 to 7. The last minute of the period was a nail-biter as the Sharks pulled Nabakov in favor of the extra attacker. The Sharks failed to capitalize and with the clock winding down Jeff Finger scored an empty net goal. As I mentioned in the beginning of this I witnessed some VERY frustrating things that I feel are worthy of an article in themselves. I was already on edge from what I'd seen in the Caps vs. Flyers game earlier in the day, and I'm not even attached to either of those teams. Quick Summary In the Net: Evgeni Nabokov (SJ) 24s ? 2g.a. Jose Theodore (CA) 31s -1g.a. San Jose Playmakers: Joe Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo, JOE PAVELSKI, Sandis Ozolinsh and last but not least Mike Grier. San Jose Icebox: Ehrhoff (constantly caught out of position), Rissmiller (Who?), Carle (what happened to the old offensive-defenseman Carle?) and Bernier (Usually a dominant physical presence.... getting knocked around like a rag doll).

NHL Quotes of the Week: December 2, 2007

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:38:01 -0500

Armed robbery. Cheating husbands. Judy Garland. We've got it all covered in the latest edition of NHL Quotes of the Week.

Week 7 Waiver Watch

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:38:42 -0500

One of FIO's weekly fantasy hockey columns, staff writer Rob Edwards clues you in on some possible fantasy free agents to lookout for in Week 7 - check to see if any of these guys are on your league's waiver wire.

The Monday Ice Water Cooler....

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:52:57 -0500

With temps dropping out west...and the trout on my hook....it must be that close to hockey season....time to put some ramblings together and have a little fun too.