What to do with Rozsvial?

Michael Rozsival was picked up off the scrap heap by Glen Sather prior to the 05-06 season. It is perhaps Sathers best move as GM. With Rozsvial about to become a free agent the Rangers need to figure out it his value and if it fits into the budget next season. Yes the cap is going up but the Rangers are going to lose cap room because of Shannys contract. I think the Rangers should offer Rozsival "Kubina money" 4 years 5 million a year. Is it to much money? Yes, but that's the market for defenseman in this league. Does anybody really doubt that if the Rangers tank during the next few seasons Rozsivals contract couldn't be moved? Jesus, Kubina name is on the block right now and he has a Non-Movement clause...

Season Series vs Pittsburgh

Oct. 23 Rangers 0 vs. Penguins 1 at Pittsburgh
Nov. 8 Rangers 4, Penguins 2 at MSG
Nov. 17 Rangers 4, Penguins 3 (OT) at Pittsburgh
Dec. 18 Rangers 4, Penguins 0 at MSG
Jan. 14 Rangers vs. Penguins at Pittsburgh
March 18 Rangers vs. Penguins at MSG
March 30 Rangers vs. Penguins at Pittsburgh
March 31 Rangers vs. Penguins at MSG

Those 3 games at the end of March are huge which is why tonights game is so big. The Rangers need to steal 2 points tonight...

A few random thoughts

The Rangers got very lucky Saturday night. "oh how could i say that?" very easily....They needed to stay out of the penalty box and it's going to be a theme down the stretch of the season.

Lundqvist was not really tested by any weird shots (shots off a skate, stick, defenseman etc)

I'll have more later after the writers update the blogs and lineups for tonight. The only change i expect is Shanny for Greg Moore...

Tom Renney switches up the defense

http://ordinaryleastsquare.typepad.com/blueshirtbulletin/





Malik Rozsvial

Tyutin Mara

Staal Girardi



Not bad in my opinion. Yes, Malik has problems and as Dubi over at BB says "Renney is squarely in the crosshairs of second guessers" with these moves.....I say....GOOD FOR RENNEY. The pairings and defense as a whole has looked terrible over the past 2 weeks or so.



The forward lines should look something like..



Straka Gomez Jagr

Hossa Drury Moore

Dawes Dubinsky Prucha

Hollweg Betts Orr



I'd personally switch Hossa and Dawes but to each his own...



The Rangers one key tonight is to stay out of the penalty box at all costs tonight. With Avery and Shanny out and Straka returning from a concussion (doubtful the staff wants him to block shots first game back) a thin penalty killing corp just got thinner. I'd expect the penalty killers tonight to be Drury, Hossa, Betts, Moore, and Gomez....

Montoya thoughts....

Going back to 2004 I liked the Montoya pick. Leading up to the draft Olesz was the guy I wanted the Rangers to pick (I'd still love to see him land on Broadway) but I understood the Montoya selection. I understood it because at that moment I knew Blackburns career was probably over. If Blackburn doesn't get a fluke injury the Rangers probably grab Olesz or Stafford and the Blackburn Lundqvist scenario plays out....Anyway...Flash forward to this season and Montoya when healthy has been very uneven. I think if Lundqvist bombs tonight against Montreal it's very possible Montoya is recalled to get a game this upcoming week.

Renney and Gordie Clarke talked about it during training camp as a possibility. (I'm sure not under these circumstances.) Montoya has nothing left to prove at the AHL level which is I why I think his play has suffered. Lundqvist needs to clear his head and perhaps some competition snaps him out of his funk.

First entry!

Tonight the Rangers face the Montreal Canadiens in a huge game at the Garden. After losing 5 in a row the Rangers NEED a victory.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog/

Steve Zipay Reports Grandpa Shanny is out tonight, Straka and Malik are both in the lineup. My take is this...

Shanny is obviously hurt and I have a hunch he goes on IR when Avery comes back.

If Martin Straka was born in raised in Western Canada he would be a legend in this league. I'm not sure I've seen a tougher Rangers player in my 20 years watching this team. He can take a pounding and as I liked to say in my former posting days, toughness in the NHL shouldn't be measured on how hard you hit a guy.

Strudwick sucks and Malik isn't going to make things better...If I'm the Rangers I give Ivan Baranka 5 to 10 games to recover from his latest injury then re-call him from Hartford. Marek Malik playing tonight is one of the many reasons I question whether Tom Renney is the right man for the job going forward. I understand Malik isn't as bad as the idiots that boo him at the Garden make him out to be....BUT.....the last thing this team needs right now is the distraction of Malik getting booed.

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts later..