Vinny Prospal Discusses His Road To The Rangers!!

Head over to the New York Rangers official website to see a pretty unique interview with Vinny Prospal.  He discusses everything that led him on his road to the Rangers.  They have a pop-up that in his words he talks about many moments and experiences that led him to where he is now.  Each of the 13 voice clips are from 30 seconds to a minute long.  This is episode 6 in the "series" but the last one was from Dubinsky in February.  I would really like to see them do some more of these.  I definitely suggest that all Rangers fans head over to the site and check it out.

Crazy And Great Shootout Stats!!

An NHL.com article on the history of the first five years of the shootout inspired this article.  After I read it, I decided to do some research and found out some crazy information.

Adding a shootout to the end of tied games was one of the major rule changes put in place after the 2004-05 Lockout.  Prior to the lockout if a game went through 65 minutes, the game would be a tie and both teams would get only one point.  Now all games have a winner with the shootout in place and one team always gets two points.

The shootout is no secret to Rangers fans as they are tied for the most shootouts played in the last five years.  The Rangers, Oilers and Bruins have all participated in 65 shootouts.  Approximately one out of every six regular season Rangers games have been decided by a shootout since the lockout.

Some fans hate the shootout and some love it.  I am on the side that it is better then ties and until we have a better system in place, I am all for it.

We all have our favorite shootout moments whether it be Marek Malik ending the longest shootout in history or Crosby winning the first Winter Classic in a shootout.

So the NHL.com article inspired me to look up some shootout stats so join me after this for some great/crazy shootout stats and some videos... I definitely encourage you to check out the article...

Reminder: NHL.com 30 in 30 Look At NYRangers Up Today!

Today on NHL.com they continue there look at 30 teams in 30 days with the New York Rangers.  The series has been a great look at all 30 teams in the NHL so I definitely suggest you take a look at it.

They have an article by Dave Lozo on how all the small changes might help in getting us into the playoffs this season.

They also have a look at Chris Kreider!

A brief history of the Rangers by Michael Stainkamp!

Dave Lozo had this to say about Michael Del Zotto: "Michael Del Zotto, of the 879 players eligible, only seven had worse plus-minus ratings than Del Zotto's minus-20. Struggles are to be expected from rookie defensemen, and Del Zotto was no exception. There were many times he was caught out of position by more experienced forwards, and the Rangers paid as Del Zotto learned on the job. But the talent is there, as evidenced by his 9 goals and 28 assists; only Buffalo's Tyler Myers had more points than Del Zotto among rookie defensemen. If Del Zotto can tighten up his defensive game, he could find himself in the Norris Trophy discussion in a few years."

They also have some of the best highlights from the Rangers season including Drury's backhand goal while kneeled on the ice and some more.  I would suggest all Rangers fans take some time and go check it out.

NYRangers Pound 4 Pound Prospect Edition: Devin DiDiomete!

Today I will be looking at 2 Rangers prospects separately in my NYRangers Pound 4 Pound series and first is fireball Devin DiDiomete.

This kid can definitely throw the punches. Devin was signed by the Rangers in 2008.  This upcoming season will be the last year of his 3 year contract.  It is not likely that this kid will play in the NHL this season and he might never but he definitely could fill the role of the enforcer that the Rangers have spent the last 2 seasons trying to find since Colton Orr signed with Toronto.

He played a combined 49 games between the ECHL and AHL last year.  In those 49 games Devin was involved in 25 fights.

Devin is not rated among the Rangers top 20 prospects by HockeysFuture but he is only 22 and has some time to grow.  In his last season in Juniors he put together 56 points in 56 games.  I could see Devin becoming the same style of player as Brandon Prust.  And Prust didn't break into the NHL until he was 23 and BP will be assuming his first full time role this season(most likely).

Here is Devin's Talent Analysis from HockeysFuture:

The left winger is gritty and tenacious, and plays with an edge to intimidate his opponents. He does have some offensive skill, and his play along the boards is excellent. Occasionally, he does take bad penalties, which will hurt his future progress. However, if he can harness his emotions and play a gritty, smart game, Didomete could be an effective two-way professional player.

Future: A potential third to fourth-line player, DiDiomete has the toughness and agitating ability that could earn him a spot on the Rangers roster in two to three years.

Tale Of The Tape:
Height: 5'11
Weight: 200
Age: 22
# of AHL/ECHL Fights: 50 (2 Seasons)
# of OHL Fights: 86 (4 Seasons)
Total # of Fights: 136 (6 Seasons)

Join me after this for some of DiDiomete's best fights....

Friday News/Links All In 1 Post!! (AGAIN)

Just a bunch of News and Links surrounding the NHL and Rangers today.  Sorry for no posts today, I have been sick all day but will be back on it tomorrow.

NHL Player Agent Allan Walsh posted a picture of Tomas Kundratek from a game today.

Today is NYRangers Captain Chris Drury's birthday.  He is now 34 years old.....

The NYR Blog has an article up about Henrik Lundqvist and his knee problems and an article about and one about Stepan and MZA maybe starting in Hartford.

Check out The Rangers Tribune for a rant on why the Rangers will be better then the 13th seed this season.

Check out Puck Daddy for a post about following Adam Burish during his day with the Cup!

The NHL.com NYRangers 30 in 30 will be up tomorrow so go check it out.  It's been a pretty good look at the teams and should be know different for the Rangers!

Again sorry to my readers for no posts today but I will be back on it tomorrow for you guys!

NHL Twitter Update!!

I will run an NHL Twitter Update about twice a month for now on.  Once at the beginning of the month and once sometime in the middle.  I recommend you join Twitter if you haven't already as it is a great source for information and news and a place to talk to some of your favorite NHL players.  You do not have to Tweet yourself if you do not want to but follow others for news and information. I will give you a list of all the new NHL players (only ones that have been confirmed/verified and no fakes) who have joined Twitter and some of what they have to offer.  Also I will give some of the best Tweets from Players/Writers/Reporters from the past half month during each write-up.  Since August 4th we have had 8 NHL players/prospects join Twitter.

Bobby Ryan(Anaheim Ducks) (U.S Olympian) twitter.com/b_ryan9

You know it's jersey when a door opens and a wave of humidity almost knocks you over.less than a minute ago via EchofonBobby Ryan
b_ryan9

Join me after this for rest of the NHL Players/Prospects who have joined twitter...

Reminder: NHL 11 Demo Available Tomorrow!!

The NHL 11 Demo will be available tomorrow Tuesday August 17th in North America for both PS3 and Xbox360.  The team at EA Sports has yet again made vast improvements to the game like the new physics engine and a new game mode called Hockey Ultimate Team.  But unlike in Madden and Fifa, the game mode will come free with the game. 

The demo will feature short demo version of Ultimate Team that if you happen to complete, you will receive a bonus Starter Pack for the game mode when the full version hits stores.  You will also get to play the final 5 minutes of the 3rd period of a Battle For The Cup Mode Game 7 between the Flyers and Blakchawks.  The demo is free so go ahead and download it to get a taste of the game.  The full version of the game comes out on September 7th for $59.99.

Here is a preview of Hockey Ultimate Team:

Friday News All In 1 Post!!

Sorry to all my news and loyal fans/followers for no posts today but I have been spending the whole day down at the Jersey Shore with my friends.  But I have found some time to basically do a roundup/grouping of all the days news and events.

Dan David did an article on newyorkrangers.com today on Rangers Blueliner Dan Girardi.  Here is some of what Dan had to say:

"No matter what you do during the summer and how hard you train, nothing is like Torts' camp, really," he said. "I was prepared for it last year, but no matter what you do it's just so different when you get out there with the guys. It's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, for sure. You try to do some hard skates on the ice during the summer, but it's not the same as when he's out there and the coaches are out there and everyone else is out there. The summer skates around here are not the caliber of what I will experience in camp, so I try to push myself as much as I can, and I've found that I try to do a little extra when my workout's done. Just to kind of get ready for that skating and the running."

He also continues to be on the side of almost all players and coaches in saying he likes the fact they have brought a core back and how it will signifacantly impact the team.  "There are a couple of new faces, but I'm also glad the main group is still together," said Girardi. "We can try to jell and improve every season going forward."

Stan Fischler did Part 2 of his sit down with John Tortorella today on msg.com!  They spoke about Del Zotto, Gilroy, Redden, Drury, White, McDonagh and Stepan.  It's a very good read so definitely go ahead and check it out.  Here is some of what Torts said about Drury:

In a frank admission that only a Tortorella can divulge, the coach noted, "Chris and I have grown and I can say that I now understand him a lot better.  He's not a rah-rah guy, but he is a great guy; a thinker and he cares so much. He's still growing as a captain and I know that he wants to score more in the new season. He got bounced around last year, but he'll get his chance to redeem himself offensively."

Click here for Part 2 of the interview!

HockeyBuzz.com's Juile Robenhymer(I hate HockeyBuzz but Julie is actually one of them that I respect and she does some interesting pieces) did a piece on Chris Krieder today! I found it interesting so I think you guys should check it out also.

Patrick Kane continued his bad luck in his hometown of Buffalo.  Last offseason he beat up a assaulted a cab driver over 20 cents and today he got stuck on a fire truck ladder while on his one day with the Stanley Cup. The truck apparently got stuck while going up but after about 20 minutes they were able to get him down.

Newyorkrangers.com Interview With Ryan Callahan!!

Another post about Ryan Callahan today. Dan David had an article on newyorkrangers.com where he had an interview with Callahan.  Callahan is one of the Rangers key young core players and could play a huge role on this team when we become contenders, hopefully in the next few years with all the young talent we have coming up.  Callahan will be an RFA after this season and look for the Rangers to lock him up as he will be a very useful player in the future.  He has shown a scoring touch with 22 goals and 19 goals the last two season respectively.  Here is some of what Callahan had to say:

“I'm gearing up for a hard training camp,” said Callahan, who has spent the off-season in his native Rochester, N.Y. “But from previous summers, not too much has changed for me workout-wise or in terms of conditioning. I think in previous summers I pushed myself hard and got myself ready for camp. It's just status quo with the way I lift and the conditioning that I do."

"I think one of the biggest things about last year is that even though we didn't make the playoffs, we have all of these core guys coming back and we'll use that as motivation," said Callahan. "Everybody knows what we went through last year and what a disappointment it was at the end of the year. So it's pretty important that we're all still together and we all can look back on previous years and what we've been through together. I think we're all definitely a lot more hungry. It was tough and I know, personally, it has been a long summer. I think the biggest thing is coming back and not looking at not making the playoffs as a negative, but to turn it around and take it as a positive and as a learning experience."

It seems like everyone is behind the fact that the Rangers are going to be bringing back a core group of players which they have not done in recent season.

"I think a big part of why we started off the year so well last year was that everybody came in early and was prepared and ready to go right from day one of camp," said Callahan. "Hopefully, we'll have the same result going into this year."

 For the full article you can click here!!

Are The NYRangers Planning On Giving Redden A Legit Shot At Training Camp!!

All signs point to the Rangers sending Wade Redden down to Hartford during Training Camp.  They will most likely need the $6.5M cap hit to sign Staal and stay under the salary cap.  But Larry Brooks(who I hate) had an interesting line in his column the other day.

"What if Redden plays well in camp?" Well what if he does? Not only that but he said, "What if Gilroy/Eminger don't impress? And what if Staal isn't signed yet?"  All of those scenarios are likely and very possible.  The Rangers will be giving Redden a shot at training camp but is it a legit shot? Even if he plays well the Rangers will still need some cap space to sign Staal.  You would have to think Staal will be signed by opening night.

So in the end it isn't really a legit shot to stay as even if he plays at the top of his game, I do not see the Rangers dumping players just to fit him and Staal under the cap.  Unless they plan on dumping Rozsival in the minors or trading him.  I really cannot find a situation where he stays on the roster even if he plays well and better then others.  And once Redden is sent down, if we call him back up, some team has the opportunity to get him at half price through recall waivers.  Hopefully he continues to play like shit and we see him in a beautiful Hartford Wolf Pack jersey or whatever there new name might be!

Video: Dylan McIlrath New York City Bus Tour!!

From rangers.nhl.tv... Dylan was given a tour around NYC on the top of one those double decker buses.  I believe it was his 1st time in NYC so obviously it was an amazing experience. Enjoy!!