Rangers have all the components needed for a Stanley Cup team.
Except for the most important.
Balanced sweatshirts lack a true leader. They need a leader. right Now!
Sure enough, some clever Rangers watchers — Larry Brooks of the New York Post, or one of them — think otherwise. They figured that a bunch of pseudo-captains – guys with an “A” on their shirts, not a “C” – would suffice.
no.
They won’t win a cup without a captain because nobody does that anymore. In fact, my Filbert boss, Al Greenberg, told me the last Cup winner without a captain was the 1972 Bruins, led by Bobby Orr.
The Mave and Greener provide these tips to GM Chris Drury: Get a Captain or Forget the Stanley Order for the 28th year in a row.
“That’s one of the reasons the Rangers need one,” notes Greenberg, who traces back to ancient history from another century. “When they last did the trick, Marc Messier was a leader and effective – on and off the ice.
“Same for Dennis Botvin and the Islanders in a straight quad and Stevie Liserman in Detroit. The last Rangers leader, Ryan McDonagh, did one good job. So, don’t tell me there’s no one on the current roster worthy of a repeat McDonagh experience.”
A captain doesn’t have to be a seasoned warrior. Yzerman had just ran out of underwear when Wings gm Captain Jim Develano gave him him.
“Age wasn’t the issue,” Jimmy Dee explained. “Stevie was the best player on the team and we saw that he could lead. He definitely did.”
It is happening now. Conor MacDavid and Gabe Landeskoog were 19 when they were named captain of the Oils and Avalanche, respectively. At age 21, Yzerman began his 20-year running of the Wings at age 21.
Highlights the absence of the Rangers captain. Former coach David Quinn didn’t consider it a priority, but it should be.
Greenberg: “The captain has to put the lid on internal squabbles or player-coach issues and make sure they stay in the room. The Rangers room in 1994 under coach Mike Keenan wouldn’t be described as a lair of love.
“For the current blue shirts, it should be noted that many of the captain’s duties have not been designated for the commission. I cite private discussions with young people as an example.”
The Vandal would choose Adam Fox to lead the team for the same reason that Devilano chose Isersman and Bill Toure appointed Denis Botvin.
“Chris Kreider would be a good candidate, as would Jacob Troupa,” Greenberg says.
The coach Gerard Gallant panel’s approach is the same he used with the Stanley Cup Finalist Golden Knight. Respected Galant players Bus coach.
And here’s where I echo the Pal Al theme: “Galant players need a leader!”
I just say:
* Jack in the Box: Jack Eichel’s re-joining with his new pals in Vegas should be fun. Eshel’s return as a full-time player is nothing short of simple. Plus, knights don’t need it. they who – which good.
* Chance Toka: Talk about a smart job in planning his future. Tuukka Rask, Boston’s all-time winning guard, has taken care of his medical and thought he would be ready to come back in January. At the exact time! (And for a wooden change: $545,000!
* Hot tip: Let’s all forget about Dave Tibbett getting the gate. Either end the season or I’ll be a New York American fan again!
* Chicron’s dilemma: I enjoyed THN colleague Matt Larkin’s recent article on teams interested in dealing with talented defender Coyotes Jacob Chychrun. What caught my eye was one of Matt’s points: “The idea of having it available even in September 2021 seemed ridiculous.”
My point is: If Jumpin’ Jack is a cornerstone of the Arizona franchise, why would the club want to get rid of it? At this point in his career, Chychrun reminds me of Denis Botvin in 1974-1975, the third year of the defender’s career.
GM Bill Torey was building his ultimate dynasty franchise around Botvin and would never have dealt with Dennis. I see the same similarity with wolves.
Or to paraphrase Larkin’s sentence, the idea of dealing with Jake seems silly to me.
Today, tomorrow and next year.
*Winner vote: If you need another reason why about 30 teams want Tom Wilson on their roster: Saturday’s right wing goal against the Islands was a 2-0 win of the game; Plus someone else is open netter.
* Don’t worry about oil spills – yet: While I may be in the minority, I’m still convinced Edmonton will make the playoffs. February would be a more realistic time to hit the P button all over the place.
* SORRY MC’D and D CARTEL: For the moment, forget about Captain Oilers and his faithful friend, The Lion Draisaitl, when it comes to Hart Trophy talk.
* Nothing KREI has about him: I’m listening: Tell me – is there a better left winger in the NHL today than Chris Kreider? Please, don’t say Gabe Landskog.
* A good pair of specifications: Mark Spector of Sportsnet is one of my favorite journalists. The latest double dip smashed me: “The Oilers aren’t just terrible. Something south of that!”
Opposites attract: Unlike skilled Mark Spector, Zach Cassian’s piercing post-match loss to Ottawa was “I’m running out of things to say”. (This is a frank admission, and I don’t mean maybe either.)
* Evander – Kane in the neck: Before discussing whether the controversial Kane deserves another – how many are there? – Chance, we’d better ask which team Is that true He wants the only left wing.
* Minor interests section: Seriously, is it you or you or you, Worry about whether the salary cap will go up or down? (Shh: I’ll let you in on a personal secret: my aspirin bottle is not on the table because of this problem.)
Genius Genius: In all fairness, how about a standing ovation for Evgeny Malkin’s enthusiastic return.
* Recipe for oils: If any left winger can catalyze an Edmonton revival, his name is not Ryan Nugent Hopkins but he is Zach Heyman!
More on ESPN’s performance: Our TV critic Jack Eyeon is adding a few more comments to ESPN’s ballooning list of hockey broadcasters. See what you think of these:
A.J. Mleczko and Cassie Campbell-Pascall: “They fit in really well from day one. Their comments are strong and confident. The fact that they were both in situations as players gives them credibility in analyzing the men’s match.”
Emily Kaplan: “It didn’t take her long to adapt to a growing role on camera. She helped move the conversation in her early appearances on The Point and has continued to evolve in her work between the seats.”
Steve Levy: “He’s got good pipes and a solid call. He’s exceptional as a table preparer for his analysts.”
Brian Boucher: “I love his work so much. He’s not flashy but he’s always working on goal. He knows the league well and is appreciated more than ever.”
red letters: Each week we are honored to run Doc Emrick’s ideas on a variety of hockey topics. In this third episode, the legendary NBC Hall of Fame announcer shows some of the changes in the game of ice over the past half century.
“50 or so years ago, there were about six American-born players in the NHL and hardly any other nationalities. Now we have nearly 20 different countries represented in the NHL.
“When I started streaming, the average player was 5-10, 185lbs. Now it’s 6-1, almost 6-2 and over 200lbs. They are now faster than ever. That doesn’t reduce the value of the game at the time. Compared to the game now. It’s just Different.
“It took a tremendous amount of courage to play the ancient game. As Islanders coach Barry Trotz told me, the courage to play now is to block shots, drive into the net, take sticks and keep getting back into tricky areas.
“Previously, the courage required was just to survive the night. Discussing different NHL eras reminds me of a country music star who once said, ‘You can’t set foot in the same river twice.'” “It’s the same way in hockey, it’s always changing.
“I admire athletes today as much as I did in the early years. I remember lines like the Flyers and the famous LCB Line (Reg Leach, Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber) and see how much effort these guys and their teammates put into the games.
“It was a tougher match at the time as there was almost no protection for the players now. There were a lot of physical sacrifices and permanent scars due to the lack of face shields and helmets were not mandatory as they are now.
“But the shirts were just as wet at the end of the night as they are today.”
(Editor’s note: In the next installment, Doc Emrick will tell you what it was like for him at the play-by-play booth.)
Who said it? “Six feet behind the moose.” (Answer below.)
What makes a COUSIN BRUCIE TICK?
The Canucks rush since Bruce Boudreau moved behind the Canucks bench has people wondering what kind of magic Double B conjures up to produce a winner.
Temporary Panthers coach Andrew Brunet knows Bruce’s cousin well and provides some answers via my friend at Sunrise, Alan (himself) Greenberg. check it out:
“Bruce is one of a kind,” says the brunette. “It’s a return to old-school hockey. He’s been called the ‘fun guy’ and his enthusiasm – positive – reflects on his group. He loves offensive hockey and the guys love playing that style.
“He also communicates with his players every day. He believes that every player should be talked to or at least tapped on his shoulder with a ‘good game’ or something else. He shows a lot of love to his players.
“His motto is ‘You’ll play hockey; have fun, but we’ll work hard. Plus his teams are very well-adapted and probably skate harder than anyone else in the league more often. It’s just fun to be around.'”
The answer to whoever said it: The islanders asked Clark Gillis, left wing, about the location of his hometown of Moss Joe, Saskatchewan.