Shea Weber is staying in Nashville. The All-Star signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers worth $110 million over 14 years. The Nashville Predators had the ability to match this offer. That is exactly what they did.
This is great news for Atlantic Division teams; except for the Flyers of course. As a Rangers fan this is great news. The Flyers would have been a very strong team if they landed number 6. Imagine him defending and being on the same line as Hartnell and Giroux.
The Predators needed to keep Weber. They have been making some runs lately. With Pekka Rinne in goal and Weber in the back, they have a strong core to build around.
With this news, it seems as though every team has gotten weaker, except for the New York Rangers. The Islanders had a strong draft class. But the lack of confidence and skill in goal is a big problem. The Islanders can't just rely on John Tavares to win them games alone, even though he is one of the best scorers in the league.
It is going to be a fun season, for some. The off-season is finally starting to pick up. I know all Rangers fans and other Atlantic Division fans are thanking the Predators for keeping Weber over the Flyers.
Yesterday the New York Rangers GM pulled off an unbelievable steal of a deal from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The long wait from the beginning of the Off-season until now had many wondering if the Rangers were after Nash, Doan, both or neither of them. After acquiring Nash on Monday, the question now is "Are the Rangers done?"
Shane Doan, the captain of the Phoenix Coyotes, hasn't budged on whether or not he wants to leave Phoenix. He met with the Flyers and Rangers and said he liked New York better but does not want to lead anyone in a direction that he wants to leave. Doan is just exploring options but is very comfortable with the idea of staying where he is.
If Sather could land Doan, the Rangers would acquire a great teammate and mentor in the locker room. Not only that, but Doan is one hell of a player. He definitely seems like a John Tortarella type of player. One who will do anything to win.
Of course I would love for the Rangers to have Doan. A part of me thinks he will end up staying in Phoenix. However, with his career coming to an end in a few years, Doan may be looking at his last chance at the Cup. The Nash deal might have intrigued the veteran center into leaving Phoenix and signing with the Rangers. If Doan really wants to win, then I think he should sign in New York.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have reportedly traded Rick Nash to the New York Rangers for Brandon Dubinksy, Tim Erixson, Artem Anisimov and a 1st rounder. Everyone was awaiting a Rick Nash trade after he made it relevant that he wanted out of Columbus and wanted to be either a Ranger or a Detroit Red Wing. The Rangers were in desperate need for a consistant scorer. Especially with Marian Gaborik about to start the 2012-13 season injured.
With Nash in a Rangers Sweater, the Blueshirts become much more intimidating. With a scorer like Nash, a defense who is known for blocking shots and a Goaltender who is arguably the best in the league, the Rangers have to be one of the favorites for the cup especially with a great regular season last year.
Now the Rangers gave up 3 players and a pick for just Rick Nash. Anisimov is a good player but he is nothing more than a 3rd liner. Dubinsky has been good for the Rangers but his lack of scoring and injuries have been a concern. Erixson is not really anything special and the Rangers are more than happy to get rid of him.
In all honesty, Glen Sather (Rangers GM) has royally screwed the Columbus Blue Jackets. 3 3rd/4th line players and a draft pick for a great scorer. Its pathetic that Scott Howson even considered this when he originally wanted Kreider, McDonaugh or Stepan. No complaints here! It is also believed that Sather will try and reel in Coyotes vet Shane Doan. With the Nash addition, Doan might be more open to this idea.
This just gets me more excited for Hockey Season!
Welcome to New York Rick Nash!
HBO’s finale of 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic airs tonight at 10:00 P.M. It has given viewers access into the behind the scenes of professional hockey players in the NHL. We have seen the funny, the sad, the bad and the downright weird events take place the past few weeks. You don’t have to be a fan of either team to enjoy the show. The production team did an amazing job putting the show together.
The first episode, viewers encountered the “many face” of Flyers goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov. His popular “universe” rant had people talking for days. The first episode also featured Flyers on a hot streak. It seemed as though they were winning every game. Viewers were than introduced to their post game routine. After each win, the Flyers would play “Knock Knock” by Mac Miller. The Rangers started the series off slow. They lost 3 out of 4 games shown on the first episode. 
In episode 2, the Rangers coach John Tortarella and young Rangers fan, Liam Traynor, sparked new emotions for the show. Liam, 10, suffers from cerebral palsy. This does not stop him from cheering on his favorite hockey team every night. Viewers saw the true relationship between Traynor and Tortarella. Liam explained that Tortarella would send him a text before each game. In regards to their relationship, Traynor said “It really means the world to me actually. It really does. How he watches after me and how he protects my back.”In episode 3, the Rangers “ugly sweater party” was the talk of the show. Each player dressed up in wacky sweaters and clothes. The winner of the ugly sweater award was Ryan Callahan. (Middle) Others like Brian Boyle and Brandon Dubinsky dressed up a Christmas characters. (Buddy the Elf and Santa Claus) For the Flyers, the return of Claude Giroux was the talk of the episode for their fans. His first game back, Giroux put up a 4 point effort. The Rangers were shown beating the Devils, Islanders and Flyers in this episode.
The episode tonight should prove to be the best out of the series. With each team playing a game or two before the classic, most of the episode should be of the outdoor game between the two. HBO must have been so happy the game was a well fought one. With the game coming down to a last second penalty shot, what more could you ask for.
I really do enjoy shows like this. I wish the radio would have programs like this. Uncensored live games would be amazing. This is what fans want to see. We want all access to our favorite teams. We want to know the athletes personalities and behind the scene actions.
Enjoy the show tonight. I hope it is a good one!
Over the past five years, I have grown to love the sport of hockey. I have cheered for my beloved Rangers through the ups and downs. Before the beginning of the season, I told my buddies to mark my words: "the New York Rangers will win the Stanley Cup this year." Now it is too early to make any valid statements of where teams will end up in the standings. The Rangers, however, do happen to sit atop the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers have the least amount of losses in the league and find themselves with an astonishing division and home record, both of which have been lacking these past couple of years. This past Monday at the Winter Classic, the Rangers gained their Assistant Captain, Marc Staal, backed from a concussion injury which occurred last year. This event was like making a blockbuster trade without losing anyone. With the great success shown so far, the addition of Staal to the lineup should only improve the Rangers play.
Getting back to the Winter Classic, as most of you may know, HBO has been documenting the last few weeks of the Flyers and Rangers schedule in their show "Rangers Flyers 24/7, Road to the Winter Classic.” The show is highly similar to HBO's "Hard Knocks." The show allows its audience a behind the scenes look to their favorite teams. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the series and can't wait for the finale on Thursday at 10:00 P.M. EST.
When talking to hockey players or coaches, you will often hear them say to throw the puck at the net and good things will happen. Mike Rupp of the Rangers did exactly that. 30 seconds after the Flyers 2nd goal, the Rangers bruiser threw the puck at the net and beat Bobrovsky. He then sparked tension after imitating Jagr's celebration after the goal. The goal kept hope in the Rangers locker room. 2 minutes and 41 seconds into the 3rd period. Rupp strikes again making the score 2-2. A few minutes later, off season acquisition, Brad Richards, bangs in the third Rangers goal. Things continue to go back and forth until the last five minutes of play.
There in a hooking call against the Flyers on Ryan Callahan, however the referee also calls Callahan for holding onto the stick, sending both to the penalty box. The first problem I had with this was that the Flyers net was empty and Callahan was on his way to scoring the empty nether. Second problem was that the stick started on Callahan's waist and caught him in the face, but no high sticking was called. Later into the period, there was a scrum by the Rangers net, Ryan McDonagh of the Rangers saved the game when a trickling puck squeaked past Lundqvist and headed for the net. McDonagh dove for the puck and covered it up. After a melee by both teams to save and mock the puck in, the referees called a penalty shot for the Flyers.
Like usual, John Tortarella, Head coach of the Rangers, voiced his disgust to the refs. Even the quiet Rangers goalie was shown screaming at the refs. Nonetheless, there was a penalty to be taken. Briers skated down toward Lundqvist, wound up and fired a shot right into the chest of Lundqvist. With 19 seconds left on the clock all the Rangers had to do was hold the puck. That is exactly what they did.
The performance of the referees was questioned by many after the game. John Tortarella and Henrik Lundqvist had some remarks that might reward them with a fine. But when I sat on the edge of my seat watching the game, I was also disgusted with the calls. Not because they were against my Rangers, but because it took the control out of the players hands. The refs were controlling the game. There were not 46,000 people in the stands t watch referees make awful calls. They are there to watch hockey. John Tortarella felt that the refs and NBC, this year's Winter Classic broadcaster, conspired to fill the game with the drama of overtime. Let the players play.
All in all, the Winter Classic was a huge success. The Rangers won, hockey was the topic of the day and I can happily watch it again on HBO's "24/7." I hope the Rangers will be able to play in another Winter Classic soon. I would not be surprised if The Yankees try and hold one at the Stadium in the upcoming years.
For highlights, follow the link
http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020569
For highlights, follow the link
http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020569
5 days until the 2011-2012 NHL season opens up. I am really excited about this season. It has been a successful off season for hockey. Hockey has finally left Atlanta. The Winnipeg Jets are back! The Winter Classic was also announced. It will be held in Philadelphia at Citizen's Bank Park. The Philadelphia Flyers will host the New York Rangers.
NHL 12 also came out this September. A bunch of new features were added. Goalies can now fight. The nets are movable and the goalies can be touched while crashing the net. The Winter Classic was also integrated into this year's game. The hits are more realistic. If you hit someone near the benches, the player will flip over in several different realistic ways. The glass around the rink can also be broken by a strong hit. These features have definitely made the game more realistic and fun.
The season opens up this Friday October 7th at 1 PM EST. The Buffalo Sabres will host the Anaheim Ducks in Finland. There are five other games premiering that day from Sweden. The New York Rangers will play the L.A. Kings at 1 PM EST, the Lightning play the Hurricanes at 7 PM, the Senators play the Red Wings at 7 PM, the Predators play the Blue Jackets at 7 PM, and the Dallas Stars host the Blackhawks at 8:30 PM.
