Blue Notes

In a move that is certain to leave some who tout the Rangers youngsters---such as our pals at Blueshirt Bulletin--- scratching their heads, C Ryan Russell was traded to Montreal for a seventh round pick.

Russell is not big, and the Rangers have front-liners of his size, but....who knows?

Here's the official release;

RIGHTS TO RYAN RUSSELL TRADED TO MONTREAL
Rangers Acquire 2007 Seventh Round Draft Pick

New York, May 31, 2007 -- New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has traded the rights to unsigned prospect Ryan Russell to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Montreal's seventh round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Russell, 20, appeared in 58 games with the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season, registering 30 goals and 46 assists for 76 points, along with 40 penalty minutes. In seven postseason games, he collected three goals and six assists, along with two penalty minutes.

The 5-10, 165-pound center has skated in 263 career games with Kootenay (WHL), totaling 98 goals and 118 assists for 216 points, along with 115 penalty minutes.

Russell was originally a seventh round selection of the Rangers, 211th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Mark Messier isn't throwing his hat in the ring for Don Maloney's job.

In an interview on WFAN this afternoon, Messier, working the Finals for Versus, said that the job would be very time consuming and at this stage in his life, he wasn't ready.

So the logical list of in-house candidates now includes Gord Clark, Jim Schoenfeld and longshot Adam Graves.

In a front office shakeup, Rangers assistant general manager Don Maloney has been named general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes and will be introduced at a team press conference tomorrow.

Maloney, the Rangers' vice president of player personnel, was one of three finalists for the Arizona post.

The vacancy means that Mark Messier, who in February said he was interested in the Rangers' GM job, is a leading candidate.

At the time, Sather -- who allowed Maloney to seek the Coyotes job where he will work with Wayne Gretzky -- said Messier needed some apprenticeship.

The former Rangers left wing has been with the Rangers front office since 1997 after serving as Islanders' assistant GM and GM from 1992 to 1995. At age 32, he was the league's youngest GM.

Read more about the Maloney departure here.

I like this kid, he's got snarl and size and has improved offensive numbers each year.

Here's the official release;

Dupont, 20, skated in 70 games with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this past season, registering 37 goals and 33 assists for 70 points, along with 90 penalty minutes and a plus-23 rating.
While serving as one of Calgary's alternate captains for the second consecutive season, Dupont led the Hitmen with 37 goals and ranked second on the team in scoring with 70 points. His 37 goals tied for ninth in the league. He also shared the team-lead with 11 power play goals and tied for second on the club with a plus-23 rating. In addition, Dupont recorded an 11-game point scoring streak from October 8 to October 30, collecting eight goals and eight assists over that span. In the postseason, Dupont led the Hitmen in goals (nine) and points (16), and helped his team reach the WHL's Eastern Conference Finals. His nine goals tied for sixth among all WHL players in the playoffs.

The 6-2, 210-pound forward has skated in 214 career games with Calgary (WHL), registering 81 goals and 68 assists for 149 points, along with 324 penalty minutes. His 81 career goals currently rank ninth among Calgary's all-time leaders. In 43 career playoff games, he has collected 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points, along with 78 penalty minutes.

Born in Russell, Manitoba, Dupont was originally a third round selection of the Rangers, 66th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

BRODIE DUPONT'S AMATEUR RECORD
Regular Season Playoffs
Season Club League GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
2003-04 Calgary WHL 2 0 1 1 0 - - - - -
2004-05 Calgary WHL 70 14 11 25 111 12 2 8 10 21
2005-06 Calgary WHL 72 30 23 53 123 13 4 5 9 24
2006-07 Calgary WHL 70 37 33 70 90 18 9 7 16 33

Memo to NBC: Please relinquish the rights to the NHL----or at least plan ahead.

Pulling away from today's overtime in Game 5 of the EC Finals for 90 minutes of Preakness previews wasn't exactly "Heidi" redux, but it was painful. And unnecessary.

We know NBC doesn't get ratings from Canada; still, how about starting the game earlier than 2 p.m. in case it went to OT?

Shifting to Versus and local coverage in Buffalo at the end of regulation tells you how much the NHL is worth to the Peacocks.

Very bleepin' little.

Next time the network shills tell you how much they love the game, point out the afternoon of Game 5 to them.

Also, tell the Commish where to go when he lauds the TV deal. It's really working out well, isn't it?

Imagine if the Rangers or Islanders were in the game? People would be stoning NBC headquarters in Manhattan. And the NHL offices too....

Ottawa advances to the Finals, courtesy of the best line in the NHL: Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson. Sens were called for five consecutive minors in the thrid period and Sabres scored just once---seconds after a 5-on-3 ended. Ryan Miller did his best in OT, but looked like he was fooled on the series-winner.

Don Maloney is one of three finalists for the Coyotes' GM job, the Arizona Republic reports, and he will return for a second interview with team officials early next week.
Boston Bruins GM Jeff Gorton and Kevin Cheveldayoff, general manger of the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League are the two other finalists.

FYI: To the posters who rail at Kevin Weekes: He won't be traded. He's an unrestricted free agent. He'll land somewhere.

in Hartford....

According to Bruce Berlet of the Hartford Courant, who says a multi-year deal with new arena owners will be announced today

Good news for the fan base there, and metro-area fans who want to take in a game

Anybody see Aaron Ward in versus studio the other night? He may eventually get into TV or radio. Guy does love to talk...

Anybody surprised by Detroit's 5-0 win? I was; thought it would be much closer.

Anybody think Buffalo can save face and win one in Ottawa? If they get a lead, there's a chance...

Your thoughts...

A rare weekend off is just finishing....

Watched Ducks win Game 2 in OT. Massive win for Anaheim at the Joe.

It's pretty clear that the four best teams are in the conference finals.

Rumor mill may pick up next week....

Heard a familiar name flipping through the channels, but it was Dan Ortmeier, a right fielder for the Giants

Sounds like the Wolfpack will be in Hartford for at least one more season...

Thanks Nick, and others, I had already changed my "Toronto Sun" ref to "Edmonton", and as you probably know, Terry Jones is a Mess family pal.

For the sake of accuracy, Sather spoke to all the New York beat writers and others one night after the hoo-hah. It was in the Meadowlands and we all reported his silence on Maloney. As they say, you can look it up.

One other clarification: I wrote "discovered AND developed." Of course, European players were scouted by others and Renney did scouting as well. In fact, Renney said on breakup day that he would be making some trips this summer.

And there's no doubt that Maloney has been slogging to Hartford and elsewhere regularly in the last few years, keeping tabs on the salary issues, the prospect landscape, and has been a presence at the draft and on trade deadlines.

Sure, he's made some mistakes. But he's a key figure in the organization who seems to be getting the shaft, which is really unfortunate.

One of the of-season issues that has gone under-the-radar is the future of long-time Rangers assistant general manager Don Maloney, who does a helluva lot of legwork in the Glen Sather regime.

Turns out Maloney is one of the nine candidates being interviewed for the Phoenix GM vacancy, according to the Hockey News.

In the past decade, the former Rangers winger has helped discover and develop prospects, especially in the last five years: Think Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi, as well as Henrik Lundqvist, Fedor Tyutin and Petr Prucha. And what about the five or six youngsters bubbling under---led by Marc Staal---who will be future Blueshirts?

If someone tabs Maloney and he bolts, would you blame him?

Remember the hubbub in early February when Mark Messier told the Edmonton Sun he was ready to step in as GM, and then Sather said he might need some apprenticeship? And Sather didn't endorse Maloney?

Something's cooking. Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Ryan Callahan is supposed to play this afternoon for the U.S. team in the Worlds against Finland.

Should the Americans win---Adam Hall's on the roster as well---the U.S. would face Russia, with Fedor Tyutin, on Saturday.

Argggh. Had laptop problems yesterday after filing a breakup-day story for the paper and newsday.com and had some appointments today, but we're back up and running, so....


***
As I first wrote in a sidebar after Game 6, free-agent Michael Nylander wants to stay here and play with Jagr. Who wouldn't? There was an offer on the table near the end of the season, but it was put on hold. Nylander wanted to wait. In an ideal world, the Rangers offer him a one-year deal, like Straka, with an option, but Nylander would fetch more dough elsewhere.
Here's where it's tricky: Nylander will be 35 at the start of next season. But unless the Rangers are absolutely sure they'll land a No. 1 free-agent center, they can't let Nylander walk. That would require signing two top centers, and that's not going to be possible financially. Throw in the Jagr factor: He endorses Mikey.

***
Fact: Everybody loves Marc Staal. I noticed one poster mentioned the Toronto Star piece.
Fact: The Rangers are trying to keep expectations under control. When I asked Tom Renney about what the 19-year-old needs to do to make the team in camp, he said:
"It's the adult game, he has to show the ability to cope with that. Strength is a big issue, when Marc plays in the NHL, he's going to have to play against bigger, stronger forwards. He's a very good passer; we're just making sure he's mentally and physically ready. We won't force-feed Marc the NHL."
Renney cautioned not to compare the rapid adaptation of brothers Eric and Jordan to the NHL because they are forwards. A defenseman, he said (which we realize) needs to make quicker decisions and is more exposed on mistakes.
Wouldn't be shocked if Staal begins next season in Hartford or wherever the AHL team is and is brought up before mid-season.

****

The Coyotes have a new owner, a perennial losing record and a top draft pick next month in Columbus. There have been rumblings that the Rangers might consider packaging Al Montoya, Petr Prucha and a pick/prospect for the Yotes' spot, which could turn into Kyle Turris or Pat Kane. Neither will be Sidney Crosby, but the talent thins out after No. 7, supposedly. Makes some sense.

***

Sean Avery's vision for next-season's Rangers:
"We should be blue-collar guys and not take any s--- from anybody and just play hard and be determined from October on."


***
Fedor Tyutin could join the unbeaten Russians in the World Championships...Jagr will hang in New York for a few weeks before heading to the Czech Republic...I'm predicting the Senators and the Ducks will emerge from the conference finals...

***

Catchy tune of the week, from The Format's "Interventions and Lullabies"

Strike up the band, deprive my sleep
Cause there's no love like apathy
The bell that tolls rings loud enough
That it should have woke us up...

I'm a cash machine
I'm the color green
And you should have seen
The looks I just received
I need a reason to let go.....

****

Till next time, ladies and gentlemen....

Yeah, both Shanny and Renney said Ruff told them the Rangers "scared the hell out of them". I had that quote in my story today, not sure if it was cut for space with the Clemens news.

As in any elimination game, there are dozens of quotes from players and coaches and stats that never see the light of day. I'll post some here later...

Dropping the semis to the Sabres 4-2 isn't the best way to end the season, but life goes on, folks.

And so will Blue Notes, which will continue in the offseason with news, rumors, observations and more as the playoffs continue, the draft approaches and the Rangers regroup. Thanks for reading and we hope you stick around as the Rangers get younger and presumably, better.

Breakup day is tomorrow in Westchester and as reported in today's editions, Shanahan and Nylander would like to be back. I'm thinking we may have seen the last of Weekes, Rachunek and Ortmeyer.

Aftonbladet, a Swedish newspaper says the Rangers want to sign Lundqvist to a 7-year contract extension worth $32 million. Not surprising.

As I've written, Rangers will likely make runs at Drury and/or Gomez if they're available on July 1.

Would like to hear your thoughts on what the Rangers need as another page turns on this storied franchise...

More later...

So a few minutes ago, I posed the question to Tom Renney directly:

Why would you change the lineup?

"That's why I'm contemplating not," he said.

Nigel Dawes and Thomas Pock practiced with the team yesterday, but it would uncharacteristic of this coach to change things. I mean, they were 7.7 seconds away from a third win, right?

"Especially at this stage of the game," Renney agreed. "I thought last year (against the Devils) we could have done some tactical things...."

"The big thing is you've got some continuity going," Renney said.

In his contemplation, he said a lineup change would be to "maybe keep the opponent off balance. Can you add a little twist...I'm gonna skate what I skated in practice yesterday and make a game-time decision"

The Rangers have won nine straight at MSG.

So, all that's left is for the Rangers to avoid being deep-sixed.

Not a gloomy puss in the training center today, which seems to be the way these guys have approached the last couple months. In fact, my pinch-hitting presence for Zip today drew the Jagr Quip of the Day.

Upon seeing me, Jagr said, "Oh, great. Bad luck... First he kills the Giants' season, now us."

Always nice to be remembered...

Jagr practiced on his sore left knee, which he pronounced, "Still there." Fedor Tyutin rested his sore leg and Henrik Lundqvist rested his sore body from taking 38 pucks last night.

Biggest change was Nigel Dawes skating on the left side with Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan, with Martin Straka back up on the top line and Marcel Hossa skating with the fourth line. Brad Isbister -- you remember him, right? Goalie interference penalty, standing in no-man's-land on the tying goal? -- was just skating.

Renney wouldn't commit to any changes yet. "We've gone to war with this group," he said, though he added he wanted to see Dawes out there with the regulars. Dawes had a goal in eight games with the big club back in October and was the Wolf Pack's leading scorer in the regular season (27 goals, 33 assists) and in the playoffs (five goals, six assists).

It was explained to Jagr that the guy wearing the 'C' has to say certain things when his team is down 3-2 in a series.

"I feel like ----," he announced to the locker room. "That's a guarantee."

The Rangers have blown a lot of two goal leads, but last night's inability to hold a one-goal lead put their backs against the wall.

The spell at HSBC Arena was almost broken, and with it, the Sabres resolve.

Henrik Lundqvist was spectacular and the Rangers were not, especially the power play, which failed on seven attempts when one score could have changed the momentum of the game.

Well, it's down to Sunday afternoon.

Can't say we didn't expect it.

But for the players and coaches and fans, this one hurts.

Don't believe anything else. The series was in their grasp and they let it slip away, losing a faceoff, failing to clear. The Sabres were desperate. The Rangers will have to match that Sunday, and get a bounce or two.

Flu-ravaged Michael Nylander was the last one to arrive on the ice for the morning skate and the last to leave.
"I feel better, that's the good part," he said afterward.
But the Swedish center, who was ill in Game 4 and didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday, is not 100 percent after catching the flu from sharing water bottles with his daughters while watching one of his son's youth hockey games in Connecticut. "That was not good," he said.
Once she felt under the weather, he knew what was coming.
"The kids at home, they all had the same, so it was just a waiting time for me."
But No. 92 will play tonight.
"He was sick, he didn't practice, but he survived," said Jaromir Jagr. "He did a great job. It's not easy to be sick and play at such a high level. Hopefully he's going to be healthier today."

Jagr, Lundqvist and Rozsival skipped the optional skate. C Jarkko Immonen made the trip in the event that Nylander can't go.

****
The Jagr moment of the day: One Canadian reporter asked if the team was changing hotels and pregame meals in order to break the pattern of not winning here.
"Why would we do that?" asked Jagr. "Maybe I'm just going to eat pasta."
"You don't eat pasta?" the reporter asked.
"No, just mashed potatoes," said Jagr.

****
Over on the Sabres side: C Paul Gaustad, who has missed three months with a severed ankle tendon, skated and has been cleared to play, but Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was at least publicly, non-commital.
Asked what the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Gaustad would bring to the table, Ruff said: "His strength down low in and around the net, his ability physically, because of his size, to garner some control. If he plays, it'll be nice."
"Paul is a guy who leads our team in that type of area," said Adam Mair, who said that Gaustad could help "wear down the defense and create space for our forwards." Drew Stafford will likely be a healthy scratch if, as expected, Gaustad dresses.

****
Ruff said he thought the power play would be better. "We have overplayed and underplayed some situtations," said Ruff. "We spent two days talking about it. I don't think it's about effort. Our power play was a bit about effort. I don't think we worked hard enough on our power play....We talked about effort, retrievals and getting pucks to the net. Those are the only changes we made."

****
"We always have pressure, the only thing you can control is how hard you work. Sometimes you're gonna get the bounces, sometimes you don't," said Daniel Briere.
Until the last half of the third period in Game 4 in New York, he said, "It was almost as if we'd forgotten how we can play and how we can skate. The way we finished, we can't wait to get it going again. I think everybody's gonna play with more desperation."

Two other loose ends:

When J-News scribe Sam Weinman blogged that I was "optimistically dressed", he was referring to me wearing shorts and sandals at the rink in Westchester the other day, so it was some type of weather reference, as in: "You won't be wearing those in Buffalo."

Actually, it's sunny and mid-60s here today, should have packed the shorts.

And Effigy, your playlist is still posted. Check again.

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man."
----Winston Churchill

I'll give you my picks for Saturday's Kentucky Derby tomorrow, but decided to ask Jagr at practice if he even knew the name of any horse in the running.
"Barbaro" he said.
When reporters told him that Barbaro was dead, he asked: "Does that mean he can't win?"
"Not unless he's got a great jockey," I said.
Then the Rangers' captain replied: "There's only one horse: It's me."

****

C Michael Nylander, still under the weather with flu symptoms, missed practice. Michal Rozsival (left knee) skated only for a few minutes, but coach Tom Renney said both will be fine for tomorrow's Game 5. Blair Betts subbed for Nylander on the No. 1 line and Jarkko Immonen, on the taxi squad from Hartford, was on the fourth line.

****

Expect both big Paul Gaustad, who will bring some intnensity to the Sabres, and Maxim Afinogenov, who has not, back in the Sabres lineup tomorrow. The Rangers will need to weather the first-period storm. If they can, even down 1-0, they will have a puncher's chance.

*****

One theme today was the effectiveness of the penalty-kill (22 of 25 vs. the Sabres) and why. For more on that, see my piece in tomorrow's paper.

Gotta run, leaving for Buffalo shortly.

No chicken wings tonight, a few of us have a reservation at a place called Bacchus. Will let you know if it lives up to its name.

Rangers skating at 11, check back here for a report....

Yes, we have "Prairie Wind"...and Effigy? Nice playlist, but I grew up listening to a broader spectrum of sounds.

Don't you also post around as "Nailed to Gold" in tribute to Metal Blade? Think I gotcha!

0 for 4.
That's where the Rangers stand at HSBC Arena this season and post-season.
They will need to be at least 1-for-5---and possibly 2-for-6---to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, possibly against Ottawa.
Should the Rangers somehow oust the Sabres, they will have accomplished far more than most imagined this season, especially back in the dreary days of December.
"We're in a hell of a series," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged after the 2-1 Rangers win in Game 4. "Don't forget, they were one of the best teams down the stretch."
That said, having to beat the Sabres twice on the road in five days isn't a welcome proposition---which is why scoring first, taking defensive control of Game 5 on Friday night in Buffalo and avoiding as many turnovers as possible---is critical.
A home loss would deflate the frustrated Sabres and give the Rangers a chance to finish them off at MSG in Game 6 on Sunday afternoon.
"It's not a whole new series," said Brendan Shanahan in the dressing room on Tuesday night. "You always take little bits and pieces of previous games, but certainly, now it's two out of three with two of those three in their building."
Given the circumstances, the Rangers will need at least two goals---I'm guessing three unless Henrik Lundqvist plays on an even higher level---against what will be a hard-charging team, one that goaltender Ryan Miller said "needed a little desperation" on Tuesday night.
The Rangers need to match that desperation; and hope that the favored Sabres are squeezing the sticks a little too tight.

***
MSG Network director Bobby Lewis correctly predicted that Michael Rozsival and Brendan Shanahan would score the game-winners in 3 and 4. Well, the pressure's on him for a Game 5 selection. If he hits that one, I'm handing him my pen and the racing form for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Then it's straight to OTB.

***
Couple folks have asked what tunes have been on my SUV CD player, so:
Amy Winehouse, the young and troubled London-bred retro soul/jazz singer whose voice and style harkens back to Billie Holiday and some girl groups of the 50s and 60s. "Back to Black" is her second LP, and there's a couple videos you can sample online: a solo "Valerie" on The DL Show; "Rehab" live on the Brits Music Awards, and with Jools Holland's band and the great Paul Weller on "Heard It Through the Grapevine" and others. Worth sampling.
Also: Richard Thompson's "Walking the Long Miles Home", Peter Case's "Beeline", Neil Young and Crazy Horse "Live at the Fillmore East 1970"; the Kottonmouth Kings' "Positive Vibes", guitarist Tinsley Ellis' "Trouble Time".
****
It's $10 to watch Game 5 on Gardenvision at MSG. Graves, Gilbert, Glenn Anderson will be on hand. Tix went on sale today at Ticketmaster and the box office.

Madison Square Garden boss Jim Dolan wasn't rinkside to watch the Rangers edge the Sabres in Game 4 on Tuesday night, and for good reason: The Cablevision board was putting the finishing touches on a plan to take the company private.

The impact of the deal on the Rangers, Knicks and the Garden itself isn't immediately clear. A Garden spokesman said he was looking into the issue and would get back to us.

Cablevision has been weighing either a $400-million renovation of the current Garden or joining a public/private partnership to build a new arena as part of the massive James Farley Post Office project across Eighth Avenue.

In the past, Dolan has said that if Cablevision decides to renovate, it would do so during one or two Rangers/Knicks off-seasons. But suppose the Dolans now decide to speed up the renovation?

Where would the teams play temporarily?

Just speculation, but consider this: The Rangers in the Meadowlands (the Devs will be in Newark next season) and the Knicks at Nassau Coliseum, which we presume is available. Of course, each would need league approvals for scheduling purposes.

Or, as some Wall Street analysts have speculated, the company could spin off the teams and concentrate on the cable biz.

More later...

...along with Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff and Roberto Luongo. No other Ranger---or Islander for that matter---is a finalist for the other top annual awards.

Not official, but probable.

Colton Orr, Ryan Hollweg and Thomas Pock were the players who remained skating after practice.

Most of the players who opted out of yesterday's practice skated this morning: Avery, Shanahan, Cullen, Callahan, Straka, etc.

Michael Nylander, who apparently had a touch of the flu and didn't skate for the past two days, is fine, according to coach Tom Renney.

The Rangers' taxi squad of Hartford callups was to skate this afternoon under the supervision of the Wolfpack staff. The ten players are Alex Bourret, Dane Byers, Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Jarkko Immonen, Hugh Jessiman, David Liffiton, Al Montoya, Greg Moore, and Hannu Pikkkarainen. If necessary, Renney could pick one or more of them to skate with the big club.

The players are all repeating essentially the same mantra: We've only got one win, we have to bring our A-game, the Sabres will be ready, the crowd's going to be great.

Can't disagree with any of that.

Prediction, and just a feeling: Cullen has a big game.

More later...