Round One: NY Rangers @ Washington

Callahan is Rangers' under-radar MVP

Pierre Lebrun ESPN.com, April 17, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On a team with big names and even bigger contracts, it's a player earning $600,000 who one New York Rangers observer said Friday "was this year's MVP next to Henrik Lundqvist."
Ryan Callahan still flies under the radar nationally, but that won't last long. Again in Game 1 on Wednesday night, he was one of the more noticeable Rangers, throwing his body around with unrelenting force, making the Washington Capitals earn every inch of ice around him.

"He's had a great season," linemate Markus Naslund said Friday after practice at Verizon Center. "He's been good in every area. He's killed penalties for us, he's scored some big goals, and he's obviously a hard-working guy who finishes his hits and plays that kind of game, too."

The 24-year-old winger is the engine of New York's forecheck and has a knack for scoring big goals. He led the team and was fourth in the NHL with 265 hits this season. He also led the club with a plus-7 rating.

When the Rangers need something to happen, Callahan is invariably involved.

"He's a guy that does everything," Rangers coach John Tortorella said.

"He's in every situation. He's earned the responsibility and the chance to be in those situations because he's succeeded. Players sometimes need to believe they can score regularly; I think he's beginning to realize that and believe in himself.

"But he also does other things away from the puck. Last-minute situations, penalty-killing, blocking shots, finishing checks -- he's becoming a complete package and still very early in the process."

Do you sense the coach likes this kid? You better believe it. And the feeling is mutual. Callahan played well for former coach Tom Renney as well, but under Tortorella, the 5-foot-11, 188-pounder believes the new coach's more aggressive system is right in his wheelhouse.

"I'm a type of guy who likes to get hard in on the forecheck and create chances off the bat," Callahan said Friday. "I'm a go-go-go type guy. This system suits me pretty well for that."

The native of Rochester, N.Y., scored 22 goals and racked up 40 points in 81 games this season, his second full year in the NHL.

People have taken notice.

"Ryan had a big breakout season for the Rangers," Brian Burke, the GM of the U.S. Olympic team, told ESPN.com on Friday. "He has put himself into contention for Team USA in Vancouver."

Callahan is just the type of player Burke likes to have on his team, a guy with some sandpaper who can also score a big goal. It would be surprising if Callahan didn't warrant at least an invite from Team USA for its orientation camp in mid-August in Chicago.

Tortorella credited assistant coach/assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld for Callahan's development. Schoenfeld was the head coach for the team's AHL affiliate in Hartford in 2006-07 when Callahan scored 35 goals in 60 games.

"Schoeny has done a great job with some of the kids when he coached in Hartford," Tortorella said. "Schoeny has had a number of different job titles within this organization, but some of the kids that he developed, he gave them a great foundation, and Ryan is one of them."

The kid could always score. He tallied 52 goals in 62 games in his final junior season with the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm in 2005-06. But like many young players, he needed to find his confidence with the puck once he got to the NHL. He had eight goals in 52 games last season but took huge strides in 2008-09.

"This year coming in, I wanted to try and contribute more offensively," Callahan said. "I feel like I've done that. Last year was tough. I had a knee injury early in the year. I just feel more comfortable and confident this year. The guys I've been playing with have been great, too."

The veteran Naslund, who skated on a line with Callahan and the banged-up Chris Drury at practice Friday (still a game-time decision), said Callahan has grown in confidence.

"I think he's realized that he's a good player," Naslund said. "I think that's a big part of coming in as a young guy and getting some confidence and believing you can score and contribute. It's been good to see."

Callahan agreed, saying there was a growing period before he hit his stride.

"You don't realize how you don't have that much time with the puck like you do in junior or the AHL," he said. "There's guys always on top of you [in the NHL] and you have to know what you're doing with the puck before you get it. It was a long learning curve for me.

"But I feel right now like I'm playing the type of game I want to play, and that's throwing my body around a bit and creating chances off of that. I know I can put the puck in the net, and they started to go in, so that was good."

Did we mention Callahan is a restricted free agent July 1? Cha-ching. He will no longer be a $600,000 player.

Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com.

Callahan is one of the reasons why Washington is behind 2-0 in the series.

On the other side, the Capitals' 'role players' aren't getting it done.

That sounds eerily familiar. One-line teams have a tough time in the post-season.

wprager wrote:That sounds eerily familiar. One-line teams have a tough time in the post-season.

Prags, don't know if you watched this one, but what shocked me was that after the first period, it looked like the only one putting out any effort in a red jersey was Ovie...and he was constantly surrounded.

Beyond an impressive array of regular season marksmen, the Caps have given the distinct impression--both in Game One and Game Two--that they aren't prepared to do what's necessary come playoff time...

...that is...to stop making fancy plays and just get dirty.

If Washington does not give itself a wake up call, they could be gone before they have a chance to use the return portion of their tickets to New York.

Johnny Torts and his Manhattan Mob will aim to mug them at MSG on Monday...the way they muzzled them today.

No, unfortunately missed it. It's obvious what's happening, but I am still appalled that it is.

Ovie and Varlamov might have been the only two that showed up, feel bad for the kid in his first game, but he held his own, just wasn't good enough to beat King Henrik.

Here's the view today from Manhattan by the reknowned hockey historian, colour commentator and columnist Stan Fischler, AKA "The Maven":

Rangers: Will MSG Prove to Be Sweepsville USA?
Washington's gunners have Cap pistols

Posted on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 4:34 PM
from Game On! by Stan Fischler

http://blogs.msg.com/gameon/2009/04/18/rangers-will-msg-prove-to-be-sweepsville-usa/


Should Alex Ovechkin's name be changed to Ov-NYET-kin?

That's NYET, as in nothing. Zip. Zilch goals in two playoff games as he heads for Broadway looking more like a bit player hidden among the headlining Rangers as Henny Lundqvist blanked Ovie and his Capitals, 1-0, on Saturday in our nation's capital.

"We battled all three periods" says the Blueshirts' behemoth blocker. "I was aware of Ovechkin but I felt sharp and confident."

Perhaps it's a bit cruel to demean Ovie, the NHL's most feared shooter, as the Blueshirts prepare to host the National Hockey League's most colorful — give or take Pittsburgh — team on Monday night at The Garden.

Where once The Maven's suggestion of a New York sweep — made here last Wednesday — seemed the stuff of fairy tales, it now seems very possible, if not probable. As I said in my original forecast of an opening round triumph for John Tortorella's team, GOALTENDING is the be all and end all of playoff superiority.

The Blueshirts boast what Torts touts as "the best" big-league goalie.

Try denying that now while Washington alternates between Jose (Am I A Revolving Door, Or What?) Theodore and a third-stringer, Simeon Varlamov, who at least proved in Game Two that he was an improvement on Theodore.

Meanwhile, the Rangers actually improved artistically — if not numerically — on their Game One victory and, if you don't believe it, just check in with Lundqvist.

"In the first game we were a bit nervous," Henny allows. "This time we were better, all around."

Can New York turn into Sweepsville, USA?

In The Maven's eyes, the Capitals look like a collection of Nervous Nellies.

Be that as it may — in April — Washington's coach Bruce (What Do I Do Next?) Boudreau has a dilemma on his hands with no immediate solution at hand. If his once trusty, dusty, big-time scorers can't score, what in George McPhee's name is he going to do to avoid a sweep on Seventh Avenue?

Neither the bewitched, bothered and bewildered Boudreau nor his general manager will get any help from John Tortorella whose fingers are on all the bright, Broadway buttons.

When Torts needs a goal, he presses the button marked CALLAHAN or when he needs perfect penalty-killing he hits the same button.

The Rochester Rocket got the Rangers going in the first period converting a two-on-one and contnued to excel into the second frame when a pair of sequences essentially defined the contest.

It began with a late period penalty to Mike Rozsival, which set the stage for the ONCE-vaunted Caps power play.

Instead of the Rangers suffering a case of nerves, it was Washington which came down with the heebie-jeebies.

Clearly, the Rangers forced a power outage, compelling the home club to take bad angle shots, making Ovechkin look like a hypertense American Leaguer and the entire Washington PP was indecisive and inept.

That done, Nik Antropov was whistled in the final minute for another minor and all the Rangers did was foil Cap attempt after attempt until the second period buzzer sounded although the PP carried over to the next session.

Nothing worked for Ovie early in the third as the popgun Caps appeared in need of a portable generator. Ditto later in the third when another Caps man-advantage resulted in Ovie choking on a set-up pass in front of the net. He fanned completely and the NHL's best penalty-killing combo deflated Washington's best PP like a punctured balloon.

As I stated at the outset, Tortorella is a better coach than Boudreau and this is becoming more and more apparent as the series evolves.

"What's different about this team now," Lundqvist explains, "is that Torts has us checking harder. We don't allow them (the Caps) to get going. You could see that right down to the end after they pulled their goalie. We had the hard forecheck and it worked."

All of which sets up a bedlam brigade of Blueshirts fans on Monday night where MSG ultimately could be the scene of a sweep. That now seems almost as easy to accomplish as the broom job two years ago when Atlanta went down submissively in a quartet of contests that established Sean Avery as the ultimate Rangers
rabbit's foot.

The Great Gabbo remains a force; maybe more so now that he has modulated his efforts. Sean has become more subtle and more defense-minded, but a positive force nonetheless.

But enough of that ; let's get back to the idea of a SWEEP possibility which I originally mentioned and, in turn, received landslide guffaws many days ago.

Four straight Rangers wins grows as a likelihood because FRUSTRATION has engulfed the Caps. They are playing dumb-and-dumber hockey. The frustration also stems from Ovie's hit crossbar late in the third period on Saturday and Mike Green's inability to justify his recent Sports Illustrated feature. Right now he looks like a flummoxed rookie and FRUSTRATION is Washington's middle name.

You could see it with time winding down late in the game when Nik Backstrom split the Rangers defense, unleashed a forehander from fifteen feet which Lundqvist plucked out of the air like picking a cherry from a tree.

Two down, two to go.

By Wednesday night, at about 11 p.m., we may be chortling, "How SWEEP It Is!"

A little Wang for a guy who doesn't have to lace them up and go into the corners. I hope Boudreau hangs that up in the dressing room.

wprager wrote:A little Wang for a guy who doesn't have to lace them up and go into the corners. I hope Boudreau hangs that up in the dressing room.

Fischler's glib, but he knows from whence he speaks.

He knows more about hockey you and I can ever hope to know. Read some of his books if you are interested.

Yes, and Boudreau will need to hang SOMETHING...ANYTHING...up in the dressing room...

From Manhattan, Stan 'The Maven' Fischler weighs in with his take on tonight:

Rangers: Are the Caps Weaker Than We Think?

Defense, second and third-liners suspect

Posted on Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 11:57 PM
by: Stan Fischler GAME ON!

http://blogs.msg.com/gameon/2009/04/19/rangers-are-the-caps-weaker-than-we-think/


If the Washington Capitals aren't nervous about becoming victims of a first-round sweep, they should be.

When the teams take the ice at The Garden on Monday night, the previously weak underbelly of Bruce Boudreau's team may be exposed more than ever.

Actually, that should be plural — as in weak underbellies. Namely a shabby defense and mediocre third and fourth-liners.

You may be wondering — now that the series is two-zip in New York's favor — why Washington's weaknesses haven't been more actively advertised.
The answer is evident: so much hype has centered on Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green & Co. that the automatic tendency is to overlook the fact that hockey still is a team game.

Therefore, if you have a sieve for a goaltender, an inept defense and generally weak support beyond Ovie and friends, the chances are that you're going to be susceptible to defeat. And since Alexander The Great scored in neither of the first two games, Washington's Achilles heels were egregiously exposed.

In Game One, Brandon Dubinsky undressed Caps defenseman Jeff Schultz before depositing the winning goal behind Jose Theodore. That was enough to prompt Boudreau to give Jose the bye-bye for Game Two, substituting raw rookie Simeon Varlamov.

The switch has the utmost significance for Game Three.

• SIGNIFICANCE ONE: It tells Theodore that his coach has absolutely no confidence in him and — for all intents and purposes — renders Jose useless for the rest of the series.
  
  
• SIGNIFICANCE TWO: It means that the onus is on a Russian kid who allowed only one goal in Game Two but was barely tested. If he was nervous in his playoff debut, imagine how shaky he figures to be from here on through the first round; assuming that he gets that far.
  
  
  

What's even worse — for Varlamov — is that he's backing one of the most pedestrian defense corps in the entire National Hockey League. And that's why Washington lost its second game.

If Schultz blew it in Game One it was the highly-publicized Green who committed the blunder that led to New York's two-on-one; otherwise known as Markus Naslund to Ryan Callahan to back of the net.

Be it Tom Poti or Milan Jurcina, nobody on the Caps backline impresses as a DEFENSEMAN. John Erskine gives an effort but we're talking about a fellow who couldn't even last on the Islanders varsity.

Meanwhile, the Rangers defenders have grown as a group. The previously-booed, former Ottawa D-man now is Wade Redden-hot. Mike Rozsival has found his game and the rest of the blueline brigade are unified into a workmanlike corps.

To a man John Tortorella's forwards have lifted their intensity. The Rangers version of a rabbit's foot, Sean Avery, is due for a big goal, which I expect in Game Three.

The sum total has brought concern to its highest level in Washington. My buddy, Scott Strauss, in the nation's capital, underlines the point.

"Boudreau's window to find a solution is closing fast," says Strauss. "After two games, the team's predicament can best be summed up by that noted philosopher, Yogi Berra: For the Capitals, it appears to have gotten 'very late, very early.'"

Translated, it means Ovie's pals fear a sweep.

Based on the aforementioned facts of hockey life, they should!

The caps have to win this one in MSG or they are in dire straights, I believe you still go with Varlamov, but Ovie has to find a way to put the puck past Lundqvist, and this is the playoffs, beating King Henrik will not beat easy, he is in the zone.

SensFan71 wrote:The caps have to win this one in MSG or they are in dire straights, I believe you still go with Varlamov, but Ovie has to find a way to put the puck past Lundqvist, and this is the playoffs, beating King Henrik will not beat easy, he is in the zone.

You mean to say the Caps have to win this one at the Garden or they are royally--as in King Henrik--screwed LOL.

Agreed - tonight is a must win for the Caps, because if they lose and go into a 0-3 hole, Game 4 in NY will be TOTAL BONKERS with the crowd going crazy pushing the Rangers to finish them off at home.

davetherave wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:The caps have to win this one in MSG or they are in dire straights, I believe you still go with Varlamov, but Ovie has to find a way to put the puck past Lundqvist, and this is the playoffs, beating King Henrik will not beat easy, he is in the zone.

You mean to say the Caps have to win this one at the Garden or they are royally--as in King Henrik--screwed LOL.

in a more straightforward way, you are definitely right, Henrik is on a mission.

As discussed before, the real problem with the Capitals is their entire team defense--Theo is only one aspect.

Washington ranked only 10th out of 15 Eastern teams and 20th overall, in GA this year. Not good enough.

You can't just 'score your way' to playoff victories.

davetherave wrote:You can't just 'score your way' to playoff victories.

At least, not any more...

wprager wrote:A little Wang for a guy who doesn't have to lace them up and go into the corners. I hope Boudreau hangs that up in the dressing room.

I typed co-cky. Dang this smut filter. There should be a white list for allowable words (like Hitchc-ock, and co-cky).

wprager wrote:

wprager wrote:A little Wang for a guy who doesn't have to lace them up and go into the corners. I hope Boudreau hangs that up in the dressing room.

I typed co-cky. Dang this smut filter. There should be a white list for allowable words (like Hitchc-ock, and co-cky).

Just use numbers to replace letters.

Hitchc0ck, c0cky... does the trick quite well.