Oh My God Don Cherry and I Agree on Something!

The NBC broadcast showed a tape of Don Cherry giving his thoughts on the big game today from the set of Hockey Night in Canada. Cherry was wearing a funky red velour jacket with a red Maple Leaf on his tie. Vintage Cherry! I made the same point on my blog this morning about Miller. I’ve posted an old picture of Don in case you’re never seen him before. I would love to meet Mr. Cherry one day.

“You have to let him [Miller] see the puck. Cause if he sees the puck, he’ll stop it.”

Team USA Plays Team Canada Today at Canada Hockey Place at 3:00 EST PM for Olympic Gold Medal – LET’S GO USA!

Team USA plays Team Canada for the Gold Medal today at 3:00 PM EST and will broadcast on NBC. Team USA will need to play a perfect game and goalie Ryan Miller may have to stand on his head for a goodly portion of it. It was amusing watching Rick Nash not crash the net when playing against Zdeno Chara of Team Slovakia, who my Wife calls “The Human Wall.” You could see Nash purposely skate around the net when he looked up and saw Chara in front. Nash will no doubt crash the net and slam into Miller today. Every time Nash and Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby come in down low they slam into Miller. A Team USA stick or elbow hits them and they use that as an opportunity to slam into Miller. Cindy has not been that effective and may be missing his buddy Malkin. Team USA will need to keep the crease open for Miller to see the pucks flying his way and to take chances selectively. I love the play of Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan. Callahan hits everybody who are almost always bigger then him. I am not looking forward to Doc, Edzo and dopey Pierre McGuire calling the game. I would love to see John Tortorella reach over the boards and slap the hell out of McGuire the first time he starts yapping about Team USA’s defensemen pinching into the offensive zone and not staying back. This should be an excellent game and I’m looking forward to it. I hope they can wear their throwback white jerseys again. LET’S GO USA!

Team USA Plays Team Finland Today at Canada Hockey Place at 3:00 EST PM – LET’S GO USA!

There will be three New York Rangers on the ice today for the first semifinal game. Two Rangers will be playing against another as Team USA plays Team Finland in the first Olympic semifinal game today at 3:00 PM EST. Team USA will have Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan playing against Team Finland and Olli Jokinen. The two New Jersey Devils on Team USA, captain Jamie Langenbrunner and alternate captain Zach Parise have been playing very well. Goalie Ryan Miller has been awesome.

Team Canada Shutout Team USA in Heartbreaking Loss in Women’s Ice Hockey 2-0 and Won Olympic Gold Medal at Canada Hockey Place Thursday

Team Canada defeated Team USA in Women’s Ice Hockey 2-0 yesterday to win the Gold Medal in front of their home crowd in Vancouver. The “Go Canada Go” chants were loud and clear throughout the game. Both teams played conservatively in the 1st period, not wanting to make the first mistake. Team Canada went with their young goalie who came into the game with an unreal 0.50 goals against average. Poulin of Team Canada scored both goals in the 1st period. Team USA’s power play was ineffective but their penalty kill was excellent. The hitting and dirty play started in the 2nd period and continued for the rest of the game. The linesman missed about 19 or more offsides where Team Canada clearly brought the puck in across the blue line with a player already in the zone by at least 2 or more feet. NBC didn't miss the opportunity to show Team USA players crying on the ice afterwards. They played their hearts out and took needed chances, to the dismay of dopey Pierre McGuire. This knucklehead was questioning the pinching in of Team USA’s defensemen with less then 12:00 minutes left in the 3rd period. Note to Dopey: they were down 2 goals and needed to take chances and score. Watching the Team USA Women was great, even with this dope between the benches. I wonder how much trouble Team Canada will get in for drinking and smoking cigars on the ice after the game? Nice, the kind of stuff you will be telling your kids about in future years, eh.

Jayson Williams Hall of Shame Inductee #6 with Shame-O-Meter Rating of 10

Jayson Williams is the sixth inductee into my Hall of Shame. The former New Jersey Net star was sentenced today to five years in prison for the fatal shooting of chauffer, Costas Christofi, at his home in Alexandria Township, NJ in 2002. Williams tried to cover-up the shooting to prosecutors. It is a real shame that he chose this life as the sky was the limit when he played at Christ the King High School and St. John's University, both in Queens, NYC.

• On January 5, 2010 Williams drove his SUV into a tree on the FDR Drive in Manhattan. He was later charged with DWI
• As reported by the New York Daily News in April 2009 Williams was in found in a Manhattan hotel room with empty pill bottles and suicide notes on the floor. His friend called 911. When the NYPD arrived Williams refused transport to the hospital and shot with a taser gun. He needed two sets of handcuffs
• A month after the Manhattan hotel room taser incident he was arrested for allegedly punching a man outside a bar in North Carolina
• In his biography Loose Balls, Williams confessed to nearly accidently shooting former New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet at a shooting range

Team USA Stuns Team Canada in 5-3 Victory at Canada Hockey Place Sunday

It was truly Miller Time last night in Vancouver as Ryan Miller was excellent in goal for Team USA. Miller had 42 saves with most being of the stellar variety. He didn’t appear rattled, fully expecting the onslaught from Team Canada. I was watching the game with my Wife and said “thank God that dope Pierre McGuirre isn’t between the benches.” McGuirre kept yapping to “Edzo” about how Team USA kept pinching their defensemen during their last game. That was a direct knock on defensive unit coach John Tortorella, who was standing about 15 feet from him. I wonder if it was a coincidence that Pierre wasn’t there on Sunday. Former Devil and now Red Wing Brian Rafalski scored two goals and assisted on another. He’s been terrific and had tons of ice time. Rick Nash and Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby were both minus-3 for the game! Each time Team Canada scored Team USA scored a goal right back. New Jersey Devil goalie Martin Brodeur showed his arrogance Sunday. He wrote USA on the end of his stick before the game, as he wanted to keep it as his personal trophy. He procures all the sticks from his big game victories and fully expected a win no doubt. Marty should have signed it and skated it over to Ryan Miller! What he didn’t count on was playing horribly in his home country, giving up 2 soft goals, 4 goals against on the game. I said to my Wife after the game “that’s it for Marty, Luongo’s back.” It’s great watching pathetic Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby dive all over the ice and not get the call. He slid underneath a Team USA defensemen, taking him down, as he charged the net in the closing minute of the game. Cindy and Rick Nash slam into Miller any time they’re near the net and feel a stick or any pressure from a Team USA player. No call and real cute. Let’s see Nash do that with Alex Ovechkin on the ice in a couple of games. New York Rangers Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan had great games as well. Drury scored a goal and he and Callahan played well on the penalty kill. Chris Pronger has been completely invisible.

Final 1:30 of Miracle on Ice and Celebration

Today is the 30th Anniversary of the Miracle on Ice Where the USA Olympians Defeated the Soviet Union 4-3

I remember this game like it was yesterday. We were screaming and going crazy, praying as the last few minutes of the game ticked away. That game stunned the Soviets and gave something for America to cheer. The Soviets played the game like a well oiled machine and were considered unstoppable. What many people don’t know is that more than half the USA team went on to play in the NHL.

Here are a few of the notable players and the local teams that benefited: 

• Ken Morrow – Won four straight Stanley Cups in a 10 year career with the New York Islanders
• Mark Pavelich - Played 5 seasons with the New York Rangers
• Neal Broten – Won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995. Broten played 2 plus seasons in total with the Devils in a long career spanning 1,099 games
• Mike Ramsey – Played most of his career for the Buffalo Sabres. Lost in the Stanley Cup Finals playing for the Detroit Red Wings in 1995 against the Devils. Ramsey had a stellar NHL career spanning 1,070 games and a 10 year NHL coaching career after he retired as a player
• Dave Silk - Played 2 seasons with the New York Rangers
• Rob McClanahan - Played 2 plus seasons with the New York Rangers
• Dave Christian – Played a long NHL career of 1,009 games, mostly with the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals
• Jack O'Callahan - Played 2 seasons with the New Jersey Devils
• Bill Baker - Played 1 season with the New York Rangers
• Mark Johnson – Played 5 solid years with the New Jersey Devils in their lean years before they starting winning. Head coach of the 2010 US Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team
• Herb Brooks (Head Coach) – Head coach of the New York Rangers for 4 seasons and the New Jersey Devils for 1
• Craig Patrick (Assistant Coach) – Worked in the front office of the New York Rangers. Also head coach for the Blueshirts for parts of 2 years

Rangers Defeated Penguins 3-2 and Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby in Overtime Friday – Dubinsky Said of Crosby That “He’s Such a Little Baby Sometimes”

The New York Rangers played an excellent team game last night for 61 plus minutes, including overtime to beat the hated Penguins 3-2. Sidney (aka Cindy) gave Brandon Dubinsky a cheap shot with his stick after the whistle at the faceoff dot late in the 2nd period. During the 2nd intermission Dubinsky was asked about it and said of Sidney (aka Cindy) that “he’s such a little baby sometimes.” My Wife and I fell off the sofa! It was great. Late in the game he tried to wind up for a slap shot from the slot and fell over Brandon Prust as Wade Redden hit him hard. It looked like the old schoolyard trick where one guy kneels down behind someone and another pushes him over from the front. I saw Sidney (aka Cindy) immediately look for the ref behind the goal line, anticipating the ref’s hand would be up for a penalty. He gave this look of agony which is a complete joke. None was called. Sidney (aka Cindy) plays like such a girl and such a diver. Marian Gaborik tried to make a go of it but couldn’t after 4:02 ice time. Rookie Michael Del Zotto fell on top of Malkin’s skate as they slid into the end boards and lacerated his side in the process, playing just 1:20 in the 1st period. The Penguins outplayed the Rangers in the 1st period and took the lead 1-0 on a goal by Sidney (aka Cindy). You can’t leave him alone in the slot. Pittsburgh was up on shots at the end of the 1st period, 12-11. The Rangers owned the 2nd period and the 3rd period was close a draw. Brandon Dubinsky scored a goal on a beautiful blind pass to the low slot from Chris Drury who was behind the net at 1:28 in the 2nd period. A Pittsburgh defenseman was skating gingerly to the bench and Vinny Prospal came over the boards and streaked towards the net. At 9:44 of the 2nd period Prospal took the pass from Artem Anisimov and shot a wrister into the net to give the Rangers the lead 2-1. Midway through the 2nd period Matt Cooke of the Penguins shoved Drury to the ice and held him. On the way up Drury dropped his gloves and Cooke went after him, then shoved him down. Michal Rozsival stepped in and pulled Cooke off him. Rozie took a 10 minute misconduct penalty and the Rangers were lucky he wasn’t bounced out of the game. The whole team should have been on the ice and I am so glad Rozie took that penalty. The Blueshirts were down two defensemen and Gaborik but kicked the Penguins butts up and down the ice after that. Marc Stall gave a nice high stick to that mutt Matt Cooke for payback and went off. Naturally Sidney (aka Cindy) was in front and got the tip it, game tied 2-2. The game went into over time and Olli Jokinen was the hero with the game winning goal at 1:02 of OT. Johnson started in goal for the Penguins but was pulled late in the 2nd period for a “lower body injury”. Fleury came in and only gave up the game winner. The three stars of the game were Jokinen, Sidney (aka Cindy) and Dubinsky.

Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby's Penguins Play Host to Rangers at the Igloo Friday in Pittsburgh

The New York Rangers face Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby and his Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at the Igloo. In his rookie year the dopey former Penguin head coach Michel Therrien named Sidney (aka Cindy) an alternate captain. As reported by the Hockey News the great Mario Lemieux had to sit Sidney (aka Cindy) down and explain the way of the NHL to him and specifically not to dive so often. I guess Mario picked his spots when he dove.

As a tribute to the greatest diver the NHL has seen in the past five years I’ve posted pricecarey’s video:

St. John’s Red Storm Defeated Louisville Cardinals 74-55 in Big East Battle at Garden Thursday

St. John’s blew out Louisville last night at the Garden 74-55 last night at the Garden. The Red Storm go 13-10, 3-8 Big East on the year. This was a huge and needed win in the Big East for the Johnnies. D. J. Kennedy led the way with 15 points on the night and my favorite player Justin Burrell scored 14 with 8 rebounds. Louisville coach coach Rick Pitino said it was the Cardinals worst loss of the year but gave all the credit to St. John’s tight defense. St. John’s played a complete game for 40 minutes which made the difference. In the 2nd half they shot 14-of-24 (58.3%) from the field and 13-of-16 (81.3%) from the free throw line. This was the first game in a while where the Red Storm did not fade in the 2nd half. It was a great win over a Louisville team that was ranked #37 in the nation and especially with members of the 1984-85 Redmen in attendance.

WE ARE ST. JOHN’S - AP Ranked #3 1984-85 St. John’s Redmen Honored Tonight at Halftime as St. John’s Hosts Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden

Twenty-five years ago it was impossible to get a ticket to a St. John’s game on campus at Alumni Hall (renamed Carnesecca Arena) and equally impossible at Madison Square Garden. The Redmen (now called Red Storm) were ranked #1 during that year and ended up ranked #3. The Redmen were led by the following starters: shooting guard Chris Mullin, center Bill Wennington, power forward Walter ("The Truth") Berry, small forward Willie Glass and point guard Mike Moses. Mark Jackson came off the bench and was the starting point guard the next two seasons. Back then the Redmen owned the city. Chris Mullin played the final couple of years at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, my alma mater. He used to play against Mark Jackson when Jackson played for Bishop Loughlin, also in Brooklyn. I was glued to the TV every time the Redmen were on. It was great watching the battles against Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas & Pearl Washington and the Syracuse Orangemen. Chris Mullin was perfection, Walter Berry was smooth and Willie Glass was slick. St. John’s went to the 1985 NCAA Final Four and lost to Georgetown in the semi-finals. They were quite a team in the infancy of the Big East Conference. WE ARE ST. JOHN’S!

“Enforcer” Donald Brashear Asks Rangers for Trade

After being a healthy scratch in 11 of the last 12 games, Donald Brashear asked the New York Rangers for a trade as reported to the Bergen Record. “That’s more likely why I’m not playing any games," he told the Record. "Usually, when you ask for a trade, they don’t play you."

TSN reports that the Rangers have put Brashear on waivers. The problem is since he is over the age of 35 his salary will still count against the team salary cap even if he’s waived. I was at the playoff game last year when he gave that unbelievable cheap shot to Blair Betts and stunned when Sather Sather singed him in the offseason. Brashear hasn’t been able to fight and is a shell of the dirty enforcer he was for the Canadiens, Canucks, Flyers and Capitals. I really wish Colton Orr was still a Blueshirt like in the picture above. Good riddance and I hope I don’t see him at the Garden anytime soon. The writing was on the wall when they got Brandon Prust in the Olli Jokinen trade. Here’s a picture I took of Prust and Avery as they sat in Ranger penalty box last Saturday night.

New York Giants Release Defense Captain Antonio Pierce

As reported by nj.com:

After five seasons, a Super Bowl championship, a tumultuous 2008 season, an air horn in the locker room, a serious neck injury and plenty of other ups and downs as an outspoken defensive captain, Antonio Pierce's time with the Giants is over.

The team has released its middle linebacker, Pierce confirmed Thursday afternoon.

"They obviously wanted to move in another direction. I have no animosity," Pierce said by phone. "If anything, I’m excited about it. One thing about it – I’m at peace with it, because I know for five years I gave this organization, this city, everybody, I gave everything I had. I don’t regret anything. Any situation, even the negative with the Plaxico (Burress) situation."

Pierce, 32, had one season remaining on the contract he signed as a free agent in 2005. But a bulging disk suffered last season might have played into the Giants' decision to cut him now.

Predators Defeated Rangers 2-1 at Garden Wednesday as Blizzard Hits New York City

The 13,128 at the Garden who braved the blizzard saw another very good performance by goalie Henrik Lundqvist went unrewarded. The Nashville Predators defeated the New York Rangers 2-1 last night. Once again the scoring was MIA and it didn’t help that top sniper Marian Gaborik was out with a lacerated thigh suffered in practice by Henrik Lundqvist’s right skate during practice Tuesday morning. The power play was mildly successful going 1-for-6. The defense could have been better and resulted in Lundqvist making stellar saves on multiple Nashville breakaway scoring chances. The Rangers called up defenseman Corey Potter from the Hartford Wolf Pack, going with 7 defensemen for the first time this season. Captain Chris Drury moved from the 4th to the 1st line to play in Gaborik’s absence. After the game Lundqvist said it was “painful” to see his offense not score in front of him and I can completely indentify with that feeling. Backup goalie Dan Ellis got the start for the Predators and was excellent with 37 saves and 18 in the 3rd period alone. Vinny Prospal scored the lone Blueshirt goal at 9:48 in the 2nd period on a 5-on-3 power play. The puck banked off of Ellis and Vinny pushed it in for the score. He worked well down low and earned the goal. The Rangers killed off 3 minor penalties in the 1st period and that took any wind out of their sails. The killer was rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto taking a hooking penalty at 12:34 in the 2nd period and yapping about it to the referee. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and ended up with a double minor. Earlier in the game he yapped to the refs on a play where he felt he was hooked behind his net. The Blueshirts did a great job killing it off for 3:50 until the puck hit off of Ryan Callahan’s arm on a clearing attempt. Colin Wilson’s wrist shot got past Lundqvist to give Nashville the lead 2-1. As Del Zotto skated back to the bench I told my Wife “I bet he gets benched” and sure enough, six seconds later John Tortorella yelled some explicatives and directed Del Zotto to the end of the bench. Del Zotto got ice time in the 3rd period as he’s too valuable to the team. The Blueshirts are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and currently out of the playoffs. Next stop is the Igloo in Pittsburgh Friday night for a game against Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby in a must win division game. The three stars of the game were Pred Dan Ellis, Pred Colin Wilson and Henrik Lundqvist.

Saints Win First Super Bowl Championship - New Orleans Unofficially Kicked Off Mardi Gras a Week Early

The New Orleans Saints strutted their stuff aboard Mardi Gras floats and unofficially kicked off Mardi Gras a week early. It all began when Sean Payton was stripped of his play calling duties in 2002 with the New York Giants by head coach Jim Fassel. The next season Bill Parcells brought Payton to Dallas. Owner Jerry Jones didn’t want to pay Payton so he left to become head coach of the New Orleans Saints in 2006. First order of business was to bring in Drew Brees as quarterback and mold the offensive around him. The offensive numbers have been off the scale since then and last Sunday New Orleans won their first Super Bowl Championship. Seeing Drew Brees hold up his son Baylen right after the victory and show tears of joy was amazing. I liked the smarts Brees showed in having his little boy wear earphones as it was deafening on the field. The Saints are no longer the Aints and the fans don’t have to wear paper bags over their heads any longer. Their defensive game plan against the Peyton Machine was excellent. Congratulations to a job well done.

The Coronation of Peyton Manning (aka King Baby) as “The Greatest Quarterback of All-Time” is Postponed

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (aka King Baby) was classless after his Super Bowl loss on Sunday. Storming off the field before the game clock ticked down to zero and not shaking the hands of the Saints speaks volumes. Sure he gave credit to the Saints in his press conference after the game but walking up to a player and saying so right to his face is important. Watching the Manning Clan, led by younger brother Eli, jumping around like a bunch of school girls after the Colts scored their first touchdown was priceless. I wish they had the camera live on them after that interception that sealed the deal for the Saints. Why does everyone give such credit to Manning as being the most cerebral quarterback of all time: studies tape, ready for every situation, changes plays at the line. However no credit was given Tracy Porter’s preparation the week before and knowing that Reggie Wayne’s getting that ball. Manning was lucky he wasn’t picked off in at least two other times in the game. Manning’s blamed his defenses since his days at the University of Tennessee. Watching him play offensive coordinator with the Colts offensive line sickened me. When he has a puss because the play didn’t go as planned and it was “obviously the fault of the receiver running the wrong route” disgusts me. He would have most likely would have been Super Bowl MVP had the Colts won the game. Peyton has a long time to play catch with Eli. Maybe he can teach Eli to throw a spiral longer then 15 yards this offseason.

Rangers Defeated Hated Devils 3-1 at Garden Saturday to Maarr-ttyy Chants

The New York Rangers defeated their hated rivals from across the Hudson River, New Jersey Devils at the Garden last night 3-1. Special thanks go to my Cuz again for getting the tickets and all of us having such a great time. My Second Cuz christened her brand spanking new white road Ranger jersey that Mom got her with a Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar. We sat in the front row VIP seats right next to the Ranger penalty box. In fact the ushers asked me to stop hitting the glass in the 3rd period. My other Cuz and Family sat in Section 65 just to our left. It was amazing to see the speed of Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Gaborik as they skated right in front of us. Dan Girardi did an excellent job of blanketing Kovalchuk, even with his 8 shots on goal. The Blueshirts put bodies on bodies and that was the difference defensively. Henrik Lundqvist was at his best with 41 saves. He was great with his glove as the Devils kept shooting high on that side. I thought the Devils 14 shots in the 1st period were a lot until they had 20 shots on goal in the 3rd! Excellent games by all Ranger defensemen including Michael Del Zotto, Marc Staal, Wade Redden and Matt Gilroy. Brandon Prust had two fights with Andrew Peters in the 1st period, drawing a 10 minute misconduct on Peters during the second scrap. The Blueshirts penalty kill was excellent, killing off all minors. Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury scored within 2 ½ minutes in the 2nd period which brought the crowd to its feet with accompanied Maarr-ttyy chants. Bryce Salvador had a solid game for the Devils on defense and led the team in ice time. Girardi led the Rangers with almost 19 minutes ice time. It was Devil Patrik Elias’ first game back in three weeks after suffering a concussion and he had a great game playing alongside Kovalchuk. With just over 2 minutes left in the 3rd period Sean Avery got under the skin of Kovalchuk and he dropped his gloves, but Avery did not. They both got double minors for roughing which was a joke. I let Avery and one linesman know that as they were right in front of me. Avery went right up to the linesman after the game to give him an earful. It was a great win for the Rangers in a playoff type atmosphere at the Garden and it was cool having a front row seat to it all. The three stars of the game were Lundqvist, Callahan and Gaborik.

Heading to Garden Today as Rangers Host Hated Division Rival Devils

My Wife and I will be meeting my Cousin and her Daughter for dinner and Ranger game tonight. It’s my second Cousin’s first Ranger game and I hope the Blueshirts are ready for a tough battle. Thanks to my Cousin for getting great seats so we’ll be able to see newest Devil Ilya Kovalchuk up close and personal. In fact my other Cousin (huge Ranger fan too) will be at the game with his Family and Nephew so it should be a family affair.

NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY FRIDAY, 02.05.10

I received this from my Cousin. Our families grew up in Brooklyn on the same block and our brownstones were about 80 feet apart. I miss my Cousin very much. Please read this and pass it on.

National Wear Red Day

Hello All:

I hope you all are well. I wanted to reach out and tell you about National Wear Red Day, Friday, Feb 5th.

Did you know that heart disease is the No. 1 Killer of women in America? I and my family didn't know it until 5 yrs ago last month when my Sister died of a massive coronary. She had an enlarged heart. Her general practitioner had diagnosed her with indigestion, possibly Reflux. A heart condition was never discussed.

My Sister was a beautiful, active and happy woman, 43 yrs of age at the time of her death. She was also a mom of 4 children. I am not writing to bum you out, but rather ask you to think about the women in your life. Your Wife, Mom, Sister, Cousin, yourself. As we reach the age where doctors start to prod and poke a little more closely, many people, men and women fail to think of women as candidates for Heart Disease. No guarantee, but I think if I had more knowledge about women and heart disease when I last visited my Sister in Florida, I might have said something when she wasn't feeling well.

Be aware of the possibilities, ask questions and WEAR RED FRIDAY February 5th - YOU MAY HELP SOMEONE SAVE A LIFE.

Pass it on.


Thanks

One of the Top Snipers in the NHL Ilya Kovalchuk is a New Jersey Devil

Ilya Kovalchuk is a New Jersey Devil as reported by nhl.com. I’m wondering how he’ll play in the defensive minded Devils system and what GM Lou Lamoriello will need to offer him to stay. Maybe he’ll only be around for the playoff run as he’s an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. I can see him scoring 20 goals down the stretch for the Devils.

The Atlanta Thrashers dealt their captain, an impending free agent, to the Devils on Thursday night for a package that includes defenseman Johnny Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, junior prospect Patrice Cormier and New Jersey's first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Defenseman Anssi Salmela, traded by the Devils to the Thrashers last March for Niclas Havelid, will return to New Jersey as part of the deal. The teams will also flip second-round picks.

"This wasn't an easy deal to make," General Manager Don Waddell said Thursday night. "Ilya Kovalchuk has been with us for eight years. He's been the face of our franchise and done so many good things for us, on and off the ice.

"We tried everything we can. I had great support from ownership. We offered him over $100 million in a long-term contract. He had said he wanted to be a Thrasher for life. We tried to make that happen, but unfortunately we couldn't reach a deal.

"It's disappointing, but we have to turn the page," Waddell said. "He's been a great captain for our team. We thank him for everything he's done for us. Now we look forward to the new guys coming in."

Own a Piece of Jets History with Meadowlands Memorabilia!

If you’ve recently hit the Lottery or are independently wealthy you can buy a couple of seats and bolt them next to your Shea or Yankee Stadium seats. If they’re not in the budget you can go with a piece of framed turf. I like the coasters! I wonder how much they’ll charge for the field goal posts? Can you image one of those in your back yard! The Mets were selling the foul poles last year so why not the uprights? I guess they’ll rip everything out of the stadium that can be sold before the start demolition. I will miss it but will welcome the new Meadowlands Stadium next season. It was weird walking off the train last May and not seeing Shea Stadium for the first time. I miss Shea but now love Citi Field. It was a long time coming as Shea had seen better days many years ago. I think Jet and Giant fans may feel the same way.

Red Hot Capitals Defeated Rangers 6-5 in Heartbreaker at Garden Thursday

It was a tough loss for the home team at the Garden where Alex Ovechkin thrives on the boos and loves playing. The Blueshirts defense gave up too many odd man rushes and a ridiculous 9 penalties. The Rangers alternate captain Vinny Prospal had a 4 point game with 2 goals and 2 assists, his best as a Ranger. New addition Olli Jokinen had a 2 point game with 1 goal and 1 assist. The best part of the game was seeing the Ranger power play score 4 goals where they hadn’t had one in the previous 7 games. Unfortunately one of the best penalty killing teams in the NHL couldn’t stop the amazing barrage from the Capitals on their power play as they Caps scored 3 in the game. A horrible goal was given up with 9 seconds left in the 2nd period as Ovechkin got the puck, came down the left side, pushed the puck through Michal Rozsival’s legs and shot the puck towards the net with one hand. The puck hit Henrik Lundqvist’s stick and flipped over his shoulder into the net. A nightmare goal that cut into the Rangers lead and the score was 5-4 after at the 2nd intermission. The Rangers outshot the Capitals 38-32 and got bodies to the net. The Caps Niklas Backstrom was a monster who had the winning goal in the 3rd period with 4 assists for a 5 point night. The Blueshirts needed that game and it would have helped going into the Saturday night game against the hated division rival New Jersey Devils. The Blueshirts giving up 9 minor penalties is terrible and that gave the game to Washington. Olli Jokinen took 3 of those unfortunately. Jose Theodore (aka Three-or-More, as in goals allowed) has been stellar in the past 2 plus weeks, with last nights game the most allowed in that stretch. The three stars of the game were Alex Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom and Vinny Prospal.

Hartford Wolf Pack Defeated Lowell Devils 3-2 in Overtime at Prudential Center (aka Rock) Wednesday

The Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Lowell Devils last night at the Rock 3-2 in overtime. It was an excellent game and we’re glad we went. The attendance was higher at this game then the last time they played at the Rock last month, 5,458 officially. I noticed a lot of guys not on the ice for the Wolf Pack and read today that they started the week without P.A. Parenteau, Corey Potter, Bobby Sanguinetti, Dale Weise, Mathieu Dandenault and Mike Hoffman. Weise came back but Michael Sauer and Ryan Garlock went down. Steve Valiquette was injured in Saturday’s morning skate. Weise played last night and had a strong game. Lowell scored the first goal of the game at 16:19 on a power play in the 1st period. They crashed the net and it was too much for Wolf Pack goalie Matt Zaba to handle. Zaba was unreal in the net in an up and down the entire game. Hartford tied the score at 1-1 on a goal scored by Derek Couture at 4:14 in the 2nd period. The Wolf Pack took the lead 2-1 on a power play goal scored by Brodie Dupon’s at 12:16 of the 3rd period. The Devils took their goalie out of the net before a faceoff in the Wolf Pack’s zone with just under two minutes left in the game. With another skater on the ice they tied the game at 18:53 in the 3rd period. Dupont won the game for the Wolf Pack at 4:40 in overtime, scoring his second goal of the game. It was an excellent game and in fact my friend said he had as good or better time then watching the Blueshirts at the Garden! The Wolf Pack killed off 5-of-6 minor penalties. Along the way there were two fighting majors with a lot of tough play by both teams. Matt Zaba had 37 saves and was excellent in stopping rebounds. These games are great and I hope they schedule more. We sat in the club seats ($250 for Devil games, if not season’s ticket holder) on the red line 16 rows up. Let’s see them play a home and home at the Rock and the Garden one day. The three stars of the game were Dupont, Zaba and Lowell Devil Perkovich.

The Lowell Devils Host the Hartford Wolf Pack Wednesday Night at the Prudential Center in Newark

The Rangers and Devils farm teams play against each other again tonight at the Rock. The tickets are only $15.00 and worth the trip. I’m going again with my Wife and friend. Let’s see if the Wolf Pack can even up the series at the Rock and come out with a win.

Kings Defeated New Look Rangers 2-1 at Staples Center in LA Tuesday

The New York Rangers lost to the red hot LA Kings 2-1 last night in LA. Olli Jokinen centered the top line to start the game but didn’t amount to goals scored. Jokinen transposed his number is wearing #12, Ales Kotalik’s old number. He had 4 shots on goal in the loss. With the game in a scoreless tie John Tortorella played 5 forwards and paid the price. The Blueshirts gave up a breakaway shorthanded goal to King Anze Kopitar at 16:43 in the 2nd period. Drury was on the point while Jokinen tried to play the 2-on-1. Henrik Lundqvist gave up the goal high on his glove side. The entire league knows to shoot there to score on Henrik. The Blueshirts power play was 0-for-3 last night and has been MIA for weeks. Both goalies faced 21 shots on goal and it was Lundqvist’s first game back after missing two due to the stomach flu. New 4th liner Brandon Prust took a boarding penalty on a viscous hit behind the Kings net in the 1st period. His toughness will be welcome as the Rangers host the Washington Capitals at the Garden on Thursday night. Torts shifted lines again all night and captain Chris Drury centered the 4th line for the majority of the game. The three stars of the game were King Anze Kopitar, King goalie Jonathan Quick and Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defeated St. John’s Red Storm 84-72 Tuesday at RAC in Piscataway

The Red Storm lost to a red hot Mike Rosario who had a career-high 33 points for the Scarlet Knights as they win over St. John’s 84-72 at the RAC. Rosario was hitting everything in the first half and started to cool off in the second. Rosario scored 21 of his points in the first half. The Red Storm lost its fourth straight game and goes 12-9, 2-7 on the season. D.J. Kennedy had a great game for the Johnnies finishing with his career-high 27 points with 9 rebounds. He nailed five 3-pointers. Sean Evans had 11 points and 9 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass. The Red Storm shot only 33% from the field in the first half and simply couldn’t convert. They also had to contend with Rutgers center Hamady Ndiaye who finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 5-of-6 from the free throw line and 9 huge blocks. He reminded me of Patrick Ewing when he played at Georgetown. The Johnnies cut the Scarlet Knight lead to 6 late in the 2nd half but came up short. I was planning on going to this game but decided to watch on TV instead. The RAC is very loud but last night the crowd seemed subdued. The Red Storm play another Big East Conference game as they host #6 West Virginia this Saturday at Madison Square Garden for a noon matinee.

New York Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan Fined $50,000 by the Jets for Flipping Bird in Miami

Coach Rex Ryan was fined $50,000 by the Jets today for flipping the bird towards Miami fans on Saturday. Ryan was the guest of a mixed martial arts event where former NFL running back Herschel Walker made his debut in winning fashion. I can see the NFL fining him as well next week after the Super Bowl. Rex was the instigator by telling the crowd on mic that the Jets will beat the Dolphins in both games next season. Woody Johnson wasn’t thrilled about it. Rex had to let this stuff go. It doesn’t help his image or the Jet organization. I wonder how much he made for the appearance?

New York Rangers Trade Christopher Higgins and Ales Kotalik to Calgary Flames for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust

The New York Rangers trade a player who wasn’t playing and another who worked hard for the most part but didn’t finish and score goals. Ales Kotalik was brought in to bring his big slap shot to the power play and Christopher Higgins was part of the Canadiens trade that sent overrated Scott Gomez (aka Lazy Boy) packing. Trading the bloated Gomez contract allowed the signing of Marian Gaborik/ Kotalik was shooting the puck on the pass and scoring in the first 11 games of the year. Since then he was too inconsistent and was brutal at playing two-way hockey. He stopped playing one-way hockey! Higgins worked hard but simply couldn’t score. I lost count of the scoring chances where Higgy would miss the net by many feet. Jokinen has talent and will most likely center the top line. He wasn’t thrilled about the trade and took it as a slap in the face but is looking forward to playing with Gaborik. Prust is ranked second in 5 minute fighting majors in the NHL this season and is two-thirds the age of current Ranger enforcer Donald Brashear. Someone will be scratched on the 4th line and I hope it’s not Aaron Voros. He’s one of the few players that’s gives 100% every shift in limited ice time. The Blueshirts need a solid shutdown defenseman in the image of Jeff Beukeboom. Both players should be in uniform and ready to go in LA tonight. The Kings are playing very well and I hope it’s a good game. I can see Olli wearing his #21 since Higgy had it before.