Yardbarker: Michal Rozsival

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…

The Mark Of A Good Team - Rangers@Capitals Post Game Thoughts…

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:04:19 -0500

After tonights game, I really have a good feeling about this club. Not because they played a particularly great game. When they weren’t taking retarded penalties they had Michal Rozsival there to have stupid turnovers. But what I really was amazed to see last night, was here was a team that had their goalie…the man who has basically carried this sad lot on his shoulders for the past several years give up a bad goal…and they didn’t lose. Just chew on that for a while. W...

Playoff Tickets...

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:10:08 -0500

I got my playoff ticket invoice today. Madison Square Garden is telling me that for $3,888, I can 2 tickets to 16 home playoff games. That assumes that not only will they have home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, but that every series will go 7 games.?
Home ice advantage? They aren't even technically in the playoff picture, although they do have a game in hand against the Penguins. The thing about games-in-hand is that you have to win them. They had two objectives today - get 2 points, and stop the Carolina Hurricanes from getting any points. They failed in both.
But don't worry. If I pay nearly four grand, anything left over from games not played or series (don't know the plural of "series") not played goes towards my tickets next year.?
All of this on a day when the offense thought Tom Renney was behind the bench. And to be honest, with all the ice time - and power play time - that Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden had, I thought Tom Renney was behind the bench. Wasn't one of his biggest problems his over-reliance on players who didn't ever help the offense? John Tortorella comes in claiming "change" and "hope" and "a better economy" and we get #33 passing the puck continuously and #6 getting busted on goals time and time and time again.
The first period of tonight's game was sporadically exciting but mostly boring. The second period I enjoyed, very fast, up-and-down. Steve Valiquette was excellent for most of the game. The 3rd period made me wish I hadn't napped earlier in the day. It was boring, horrendous hockey with uninspired play.
Wade Redden is making $6.5 million dollars this year (or enough to buy 3,433 people playoff tickets for all 16 home games). Maybe he can take some of that money and buy some heart.

Rangers Postgame Video: Loss to Maple Leafs

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:47:55 -0500

Michal Rozsival, sporting his new No. 33, tied the game late in the third, but the Rangers could not pull out a victory on Bathgate-Howell Night as the Leafs scored an OT powerplay goal to win 3-2.

Rangers 3, Officials 2...

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:08:25 -0500

This post will NOT be about the "officiating" in tonight's Rangers game in Chicago, where Chicago had five 5-on-3 power plays.?
But, let's get it out of the way first. The NHL say there is no bias against the Rangers, and I agree. However, I think there IS a bias FOR certain teams, namely Pittsburgh and Chicago. The NHL (and former NBA shill Gary Bettman) love young teams in cities that had awful attendance in the early part of the decade, we know that.?
Let me take you to the final game of the Rangers-Penguins series last year. Ryan Malone's stick gave Chris Drury a blade-shaped cut on his face. He gushed blood. The game was stopped for a few minutes to clean the ice. No penalty called. At the end of the same period, Drury's stick hits Malone. Four-minute penalty going into overtime with the series on the line.
Let me take you to the Winter Classic this year, when Detroit was called for 4 penalties in the first period on what the NHL wants to be their biggest stage. Chicago scores 2 power play goals (and another even-strength).
So it should be no surprise when playing the Blackhawks or Penguins that your team is unfairly penalized while the opposition skates punishment-free.
What I want to write about is Tom Renney. A few games ago - to be honest, I forget after which game - he said that he should be more vocal in arguing with the referees in hopes to get some calls go his way. Makes sense, no? Remember how vocal Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello was to the referees? Then, magically, Michal Rozsival gets called for a high-sticking penalty. Not only was his stick on the ice, it never touched an opposing player. But apparently, referees make up calls when a playoff game is tied 2-2 after the GM rips you apart.
Well, after Chicago tied the score at 2 in tonight's contest, Renney got madder than I had ever seen him. Sure, we've seen him yell, and even question a referee before. But never had he John Tortorella-ed and completely flipped out on the refs. Okay, okay, he didn't do that today, but when he ran to the bench door and opened it, I thought he was going to go out and physically attack one of the referees. What Renney said was not fit for TV, and I'm surprised MSG wasn't ready with a pixelating device to cover his mouth up.?
What happens soon after he throws a hissy fit? Chicago is called for a penalty, which can definitely be seen as a make-up call.
And in overtime, a Ranger had their stick broken. The referees obviously missed it (after all, why would they be watching the puck carrier?), but the players reaction - stick thrown down, hands up while looking at the ref - made the referee blow the whistle even if he didn't see it.?
So, class, let's recap. Renney stays quiet, Drury gets his face cut open in the playoffs. No penalty. Renney attacks the refs verbally, a Rangers' stick gets slashed, 2 minute penalty. In overtime, no less.
Let's hope that Renney keeps this newfound passion. I'm not looking for make-up calls, all I'm looking for is fairness to both teams. But since that is few and far between, and since the refs genuinely blow a lot of calls on accident, it's nice to see him getting worked up about it. I hate watching him casually shake his head time after time on a bad call. It's nice to see him get angry.

Glen Sather Should Read This Blog...

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 01:31:11 -0500

Here's what I wrote about Wade Redden in June 2008, when he technically was still under contract to the Ottawa Senators...
June 27 - "Don't be duped by him."June 30 - "Wade Redden was bad at 31. How bad is he going to be at 35?"
And in July...
July 1 - "A history of injury? A poor work ethic? Oh but don't worry, he had one point in the playoffs last year. This is disgusting. It's an insult to the fans. You know ticket prices are going up again this year. This is why. So a player who doesn't want to work can make his guaranteed money."
"I declare this the worst day to be a Ranger fan since Brian Leetch was traded."
Before and during the free agent period, me and my Islanders-counterpart Bryan spoke about how bad Redden was. Yes, I also lamented the Michal Rozsival signing as well, but 1) he isn't making as much money as Redden and 2) we all knew Rozsival was bad, but some fans (and apparently Sather) thought Redden was good based on past performances.
When bloggers and beat reporters are begging for a 24-year-old rookie (Corey Potter) to stay in the lineup so that Redden can take a seat, I think it's fair to say he is a bust, and he will never be a good player in New York. People can tell me that it's only half-of-a-season, but really, do you want to see how bad he can become in the next 5 and a half seasons?
Of course, that would mean Sather would have to admit to making a mistake. However, as past examples Jamie Lundmark and Hugh Jessiman taught us, it takes him a minimum of four years for Sather to admit he erred.

Tons of trade rumors today

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:22:55 -0500

via Ottawa Sun: There's a lot of talk the Rangers are looking to move either D Wade Redden or D Michal Rozsival. Both were signed to new deals in the off-season, but Redden, who agreed to a six-year, $39-million deal, has a no-movement clause in his contract, making it more likely that Rozsival ...

Sather to step down, Burke to step in?

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:50:32 -0500

It's definitely a rumor that is gaining alot of steam since it was announced, that's for sure!

Yesterday on ESPN, Scott Burnside said that Rangers GM Glen Sather and former Ducks GM Brian Burke have been spending a ton of time together and recently just came back from a hunting trip.

This is ...

Rangers Sign Wade Redden

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:20:51 -0500

According to TSN, the Rangers have signed 31-year-old Wade Redden to a six-year deal worth $6.5 million per. The deal comes just hours after the team announced it had re-signed Michal Rozsival to a four-year, $20 million contract. Meanwhile, it was only moments ago that I got through telling you good people that Rozsival's deal reduced the chances of the team adding another top-tier defenseman. I guess next time I should wait for these things to play out? Redden should help fill a huge void on the blueline, where the Rangers have lacked a true point man for the powerplay since the NHL emerged from its lockout. Of course, the question becomes whether or not Redden can fill that void to the tune of $39 million. The answer? Probably not. Redden's 38 points last season tied him for 21st among NHL defenseman with Atlanta's Tobias Enstrom and - guess who - the Rangers' Michal Rozsival. Those aren't numbers that cry out 'SIX YEARS' or '39 MILLION' to me. Still, the Rangers had a need and it seems they've been aggressive here in addressing it. The money only becomes a factor if the offseason progresses and the team finds itself struggling to squeeze under the cap. I don't love it, I don't hate it. Most of all, I'm anxious to see what's coming next.

Rangers Re-Sign Rozsival | Rolston Returns to Jersey

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:00:26 -0500

The Hudson River rivals agreed to a pair of four-year, $20 million deals today with defenseman Michal Rozsival returning to the Rangers and Brian Rolston returning to the team with which he began his career. In the duel of duplicate deals, the Devils come out on top here, adding a player who has scored 30+ goals in each of the last three seasons to their anemic offensive, not to mention a player who they already know will thrive in their system. Meanwhile, Michal Rozsival hits pay dirt with the Blueshirts. Here's what I had to say on the prospect of Rozsival returning back in early May: "One has to imagine that Rozsival will be seeking a sizable raise over the $2.3 M he earned this past season, especially given the fact that [Christian] Backman is pulling in $3.4 next year. Putting aside my personal feelings on Rozsie, the defenseman played first-pair minutes all season-long and appeared in at least 80 games for the Blueshirts for the third consecutive year. He's scored roughly 40 points in back-to-back seasons, and while his goal-production slowed considerably in the season's second-half, his 13 tallies was still good enough for 12th overall amongst NHL defenseman and puts him in the company of some of the league's premier offensive-dmen. If Mathieu Schneider can earn $5.750 million from Anaheim, why should Rozsival sign for anything less than $4 million?" As it turns out, Michal will be pulling in $5 million per, putting him at a pay-scale commensurate with some of the league's elite defenseman. Back in May I presumed that such a hefty raise would price him out of Glen Sather's plans. Unfortunately, as it turns out, it's the Garden that will be signing those fat checks. Needless to say, this move doesn't please me. The fact that Rozsival is now being paid like a No. 1 or 2 defenseman reduces the chance that the Rangers will go out and acquire a legitimate first pair d-man, whether via trade or free agency. Moreover, in my mind, Rozsival is not a top-pair defenseman, and in fact, following the Blueshirts' season-ending postseason loss to the Penguins, I cited Rozsival as one of the more overmatched players on the ice. In Rozsival's defense, he clearly played the Pittsburgh series though injury and underwent hip surgery in the offseason. To me, however, injury doesn't excuse timid and undisciplined play.

Hot Stove: Rangers Trade Rumors

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:04:06 -0500

The most recent rumor has been that the Rangers are targeting Dan Boyle of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Boyle is in the final year of his contract and it is likely that any deal he signs will be worth about $6 million per season, which means he would probably only be a rental for the Rangers. Boyle also has a no-trade clause in his contract, although according to the NY Post, he is willing to waive that in order to become a Ranger. The Blueshirts have also made an offer to the Buffalo Sabres for offensive defenseman Brian Campbell according to the Toronto Sun. Campbell is another potential unrestricted free-agent on the lookout for a big contract this off-season. Because the Rangers are restricted on cap space and already need to resign Michal Rozsival, Campbell would likely only be a rental player, but one who could have a great effect on the Rangers' power play.

Sather Wants the Moon for Malik

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:17:58 -0500

I must admit, my oatmeal went down a bit funny when I read this line from Larry Brooks' report: "Sather, we're told, is demanding the equivalent of a top-four defenseman in return for Malik, who carries a cap charge of approximately $950,000 the remainder of the way for this, the final season of his contract. While there is widespread interest around the league in Malik, no GM has been willing to meet Sather's requirement for making a deal." Well I should certainly hope not! Honestly, what's Slats thinking here? You may have been able to pass Malik off as a top-four defenseman a year or two ago when he was playing every game with Michal Rozsival on the team's top defensive pair, but during a season in which Malik has bounced in and out of the lineup, effectively serving as a sixth or seventh man on the blueline, even Glen Sather couldn't have the audacity to demand a top-four defenseman in return, could he?

Fantasy Hockey 101: These Three Turkeys

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:27:57 -0500

The turkeys are loose again and running all over...but we caught the three we needed to for this week's turkeys of the week.