Getting A Raw Deal

This title is two-fold and here's why..

For starters, I wish Dan Fritsche the best in Minnesota. He was never given a fair shot to succeed here, I believe. Say what you want that, in the games he did play, he didn't make enough of an impact to stay in the lineup; it's a fair argument. However, look at the players he played with. Drury was terrible early on in the year. Dawes goes through stretches where he thinks he's Harry Houdini. Plus, Fritsche was also a victim of falling into the same mold as almost every Rangers forward on the team; undersized, 3rd line caliber players. He never had a spot on the team and it was unfortunate...

The player the Rangers did get back for Fritsche, D Erik Reitz, isn't getting the shaft, so to speak. He was brought to be the Rangers 7th defenseman in case one of the Rangers All-Star Defensemen miraculously doesn't play well enough (hmm). Plus, from various reports, Reitz has a reputation of playing with toughness and a physical edge to his game, something rangers fans aren't used to when hearing about Rangers defensemen. The one who's getting the raw deal is Corey Potter.

In the few times Potter did play this season, he played the game calm and poised, much like his teammate Dan Girardi. He didn't make any glaring mistakes where you could question his effort. he also recorded his first NHL assist It makes me question what the Rangers coaching staff didn't see in him to at least give Potter a shot at being the team's 7th defensemen.

It Is Alive!!

After a month long hiatus, I think its time to get back to this blogging thing I do...

By the way, I have debuted a new radio show at my University called The Neutral Zone with my classmate James Peterson. It'll be primarily Hockey talk with other sports mixed in. So, expect lots of tid-bits to complement the show. Hopefully we don't make fools of ourselves, either. 

As for the Rangers, their season begins tonight at the garden against The Gale Force Winds...eh, excuse me Hurricanes. Forget the hot start they had. Forget the defense's struggles early on. Forget it all. What matters now is what the Rangers do from here on out. Under perform and they're out. Play solid hockey and they'll be in the playoffs. They have the benefit of being in a better position than the last 2 years at this point in the season. However, they don't Have Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, and Sean Avery on the team.

My x-factor for the rest of the season is Nik Zherdev. If he can start to put the puck in the back of the net consistently, he'll open up space for other players and give the Rangers the offensive threat they desperately need.

Until next time...

J.W.