The grades are in

Part of the inherent responsibility of being a journalist is to be a bit of a contrarian, to not break out the pom-poms and be a rah-rah writer. Pointed analysis is more the norm these days, not feel-good fluff.

So, having watched the Rangers' first 41 games, I'll admit I'm still not sold on this team and that I believe, as presently constituted, this team will not go deeper in the playoffs than the last two editions, which both bowed out in the Eastern Conference semifinals (the second round). There are too many warts in their defensive play, on their power play and, as evidenced by a league-high 12 shorthanded goals, by their play on the point on the power play. This is a self-described - by coach Tom Renney - low-scoring team despite the additions of Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev and the presence of Scott Gomez.

On the other hand, I often catch myself thinking that perhaps because I see this team on a day-in, day-out basis, I'm too critical in how I view the situation. After all, after the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals and the Devils 3-2 loss at Carolina Tuesday evening, this Ranger squad enters tomorrow's match against the Montreal Canadiens tied with the Flyers for first in the Atlantic Division with 51 points, though Philly still has one game in hand.

Much of this thinking was sparked by reading Dan David's fine first-half review on the Rangers' web site. Simply put, David notes that, with 51 points, this marks the Rangers' best first half point-wise since 1995-96.

Again, being the contrarian, I think it's fair to say that given the wretched state of the franchise from the 1997-98 season through the lockout, maybe that's not saying all that much. Still, that means this season has been better than the previous two.

Often, too, do I hear Bill Parcells barking, "You are what your record says you are." If so, then maybe we should just give the 24-14-3 Rangers credit for being a first-place team.

Except the expectations coming into this season had been raised considerably (and further still after a very good October), even with the departures of Jaromir Jagr, Sean Avery, Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan. Much of that is based on the fact that, at age 26, Henrik Lundqvist is entering his prime as an elite NHL goalie, one who no doubt could carry a team to a Stanley Cup in the right circumstances. And while nobody in the organization has/would/will say this but Renney's job probably is on the line if the Rangers don't advance further this season.

So with all that on the table, Ranger Rants presents its first annual midseason report card...

C Blair Betts: The epitome of a hard-working defensive center and top-notch penalty kill. Things rarely go wrong on the ice when Betts is out there. He's looked for scoring opportunities more this season and his four goals has already doubled last season's output. A-minus.

RW Ryan Callahan: After splitting time the last two seasons between the NHL and Hartford (AHL), Callahan has emerged as the Rangers' sparkplug - and with 11 goals one of their better goal-scorers. Frequently, he'll get the Rangers mentally into a game with a huge series of first-period checks and solid shifts. Exactly the type of solid role players that good teams need. A-minus.

LW Nigel Dawes: Three goals and three assists in his last five games but the Rangers expected/needed more production out of him. He's playing with confidence now and getting to the net but it took him too long to find that confidence. C.

C Brandon Dubinsky: His production has fallen off with Jaromir Jagr playing in Russia. Immensely gifted at age 22 and perhaps a future team captain, Dubinsky still sometimes gets lost defensively. But his toughness is never in question. B-minus.

C Chris Drury: As captain, he certainly has his teammates' respect as a leader, even if his public personna is deliberately soft-spoken. A major contributor to the team's excellent penalty kill unit, he's been streaky offensively as he's played both center and wing. More is needed, though. B-minus.

LW Dan Fritsche: At times has shown an ability to take a hard shot. But many of his shots have come from sharp angles and he's given the coaching staff not much reason in his 15 games (his last being Nov. 30) to restore him to the lineup. D.

D Dan Girardi: Has blossomed into an above-average NHL defenseman in his third season. Steady for the most part in his own end and able to start the transition with swift passes, Girardi also gets high marks for helping partner Wade Redden start to turn around his game. B-plus.

C Scott Gomez: Injuries have negatively impacted his play over the first half  and he missed five games from Nov. 12-22 after originally getting hurt on Oct. 18. He still goes the length of the ice as well as anybody in the NHL and he finally seems to have developed some on-ice chemistry with another Ranger in finding a steady linemate in Markus Naslund. B-minus.

D Dmitri Kalinin: Prone to turnovers and susceptible to forechecking pressure, Kalinin has not provided the strong defense the team requires. Known to have decent offensive skills, it's only been recently that he's started displaying his shot. D.

LW Lauri Korpikoski: The rookie has been given every opportunity to become one of the team's major contributors yet, except for sporadic games, he has not seized the opportunity. He was better in the second half last season at Hartford. The thinking is, with increased confidence, his production will rise accordingly. C-minus.

G Henrik Lundqvist: Just the fifth NHL goalie to reach 20 wins in his first four seasons, he's seen way too man odd-man rushes and open shooters around his crease. A rough December (36 goals allowed in nine games) bumps his grade down but he should still be named an All-Star on Thursday. A-minus.

D Paul Mara: Much stronger thanks to an exhaustive offseason workout regimen that has significantly improved his physique, Mara has been a much more valuable Ranger this season. His defensive play has been very solid, he's been getting up to blast his hard slap shot and he's protecting his teammates. B-plus.

LW Markus Naslund: Has 14 goals which gives him a solid shot at reaching 30 for the first time since 2005-06. And 30 goals was probably the expection after the former Vancouver Canuck captain signed a two-year deal worth $8 million. Still, playing with Gomez, the pair has not given the Rangers a top-flight top line while being a defensive liability at times. B-minus.

RW Colton Orr: He is what he is and that's much better than what the Rangers got when they picked him off waivers from the Bruins in 2005. His skating is much improved and he's been called one of the smarter players on the team in terms of pure hockey Xs and Os. Despite his role as an enforcer, you never see Orr playing dirty. B.

RW Petr Prucha: Why Prucha has not played more this seasoon has been one of the season's big questions. Part of the blame is Prucha's for not scoring in his first eight games (played over the Rangers' first 27). He plays with all the pent-up, hellbent energy he's always had, yet without power-play time, he wasn't getting/manufacturing scoring chances. With two goals and an assist in his last three games, he should remain in the lineup for the time being. C.

D Michal Rozsival: Signed to a four-year deal worth $20 million, off-season hip surgery slowed him at the start of the season and he seemed to lose confidence through that period, earning the wrath of the fans. He's been better lately, with four goals and two assists in his last six games. C-minus.

D Wade Redden: The former Ottawa Senator has endured a rough start to his Rangers career after signing a six-year deal worth $39 million. Too frequently, he's taken the long way to the puck - or just handed it over - and he has not provided the Rangers with the power-play point presence they need. Still, he's been better since a three-game West Coast swing in mid-December and has reduced his defensive mistakes. C-minus.

LW Fredrik Sjostrom: There's nothing to dislike about Sjostrom's game and he's a solid piece to the fourth line puzzle. But while he's good on shootouts and goes hard to the net, it does not appear there's much more latent offensive skill just waiting to bust out. B.

D Marc Staal: Doing everything imaginable to justify his status as a former first-round pick. Always steady in his own zone and does not panic while being forechecked. He'd be even more valuable to the team if could contribute more in the offensive zone but he does not seem to be able to get his shot away quickly. A-minus.

G Stephen Valiquette: A capable fill-in who perfectly understands his role. In his seven starts, he has one shutout, allowed two goals three times and three goals once. The real negative was the five-goal, third period implosion at Toronto Nov. 1. B.

LW Aaron Voros: Just like last season with the Minnesota Wild, Voros was good at the beginning but then his game flat-lined. Or dipped. What he needs to do is simple: get to the net and bang in pucks. If he's not doing that, he's not adding much to the team. C-minus.

RW Nikolai Zherdev: Mercurial in every sense of the world. He has as much stickhandling and skating ability as anybody on the team - and more than most players in the NHL - and can be dominant at times. But it seems like it's when he wants. Laid-back off the ice, he's still prone to freelancing on it while taking shifts off. B.

Coach Tom Renney: Incredibly cerebral and possibly loyal to a fault. He talks about using the hammer of threatening playing time but, save for a shift here and there, has not carried through on that. Then again, he's working with the roster handed to him and there are constraints: six defensemen and only 22 players, one short of the league maximum - Corey Potter being held at Hartford for salary cap purposes. Perhaps changes his line combinations too quickly. Has the requisite thick-skin needed to coach in New York yet maintains the respect of his players through strong communication and a humble personality. B.

GM Glen Sather: With the salary cap either remaining flat or decreasing, Sather's decision to spend $11 million annually on Redden and Rozsival while bestowing three-year, $3 million deals to both Voros and the since-demoted Patrick Rissmiller have left the Rangers very little cap wiggle room. Naslund has been a decent signing. Kalinin can be excused since it's a one-year deal but, 20/20 hindsight, how would Mark Streit have looked in a Blueshirt instead of Redden? C-minus.

Comments

[graves9]

Gomez and Drury get a B is a joke. Drury has struggled in all areas on the ice(except the pk) Gomez has been a turnover machine who has had no chemistry with really any of his linemates. Zherdev has been as advertised highly skilled but maddeningly inconsistant, turnover prone and he disappears alot and only competes for a handful of shifts a game. Girardi got off to a great start with 15 points in 23-24 games but his offense has dried up. He is caught out of position as much as any dman in the league. He is also quite turnover prone. He is nowhere near the defensive stalwarth he was in 06-07. Prucha's grade is a joke too. He has played well every game he's played in but his coach wasn't willing to give him a fair shake. Now that he is look how well he's playing. Dubi is suffering from the mother of all sophmore slumps (not unlike the ones Zajac had last year and Carter and Richards had two years ago) Renney deserves some criticsm for not making vets accountable. I also find it laughable when he sends the 4th line out for offensive zone draws. Betts an d Sjostrom are good pkers but they add nothing 5 on 5. Betts has embarrasing offensive numbers even for a 4th liner(he's not even a good faceoff man) I wish Dominic Moore was here over Betts. Sjostrom has great speed but so what? He might have the worst hands on a pretty bad offensive team. Staal, Lundvist and Cally have easily been the best players.

[graves9]

Oh yeah I'd give Sather an F for the moves he's made the last two Julys.

[graves9]

Agree on the grade for Dawes he stink the first two months but has the been really good the last month.

[Jess]

Sorry Andrew but the Rangers are not a first place team, they are in second place thanks to the Flyers having a game in hand.

We can play numbers games all we want but that if not for the shootout the Rangers would not be at 51 points.

Take away the Gary Bettman Shootout point and the Rangers only have 41 points, they do not have 24 wins they have only 14.

That Ranger "article" forgets that prior to 2005-06 there was no shootout so comparing the current team record to years past is not only misleading but also insulting to the Ranger fans.

To give Tom Renney a "B" is also mind boggling where is his accountability?

Who gets the blame for a team that plays so inconsistent, for giving up 12 short handed goals, for making promises about changes and then doing nothing?

The Rangers made a big thing about this being Tom Renney's team now that Jagr and Avery were gone so why aren't things better?

At best Renney deserves a "C-" for the way Prucha has been used, for the constant line changes, for the failure on the the power play as well as the already mentioned shorthanded goals.

Take those 10 shootout wins into account when realizing that this record is beyond fragile.

[Dave]

Come on now... Redden a "C-" & Renney a "B" WTF? And then give Sather a "C-" he deserves an "F" just for Signing Redden and Keeping Renny.

These are the most RETARDED grades I have EVER seen. Have you ever even watched a game?

[Gaurav Ahuja]

You are not critical enough of the Rangers. They have been declining by quite a bit lately. Also, Glen Sather's draft was not good. And Chris Drury's must be one of the worst first or second line centers in the N.H.L. Henrik Lundqvist should have the C. Chris Drury can take an A on his shirt. You should have given more Fs. This is the case when you average up all the grades. Does this look like a B team to you? It looks like a C team to me. I am glad I wasn't the only one that recognized the grading deficiency.

[LI Joe]

andrew - see what you started. unlike others i think you were all in all fair in your assessment. as far as future capt i see staal not dubi. of course we're talking 4 or so yrs away.

i would lower betts, dubi, redden, renney and sather but not by much for all except betts where i'd put a b-.

[LI Joe]

have to say jess makes some fair points about the role of the shootout in getting us to the points and wins levels we are at. makes comparisons to previous versions tougher and misleading.

league should change to make every game 3 pts with win in reg 3 pts, win in ot or shootout 2, loss in ot or shootout 1. would see a lot of going for it in last 10 minuters of regulation. i think they like to keep teams bunched which the present system allows.

[Lumberg]

Keep in mind people that these are FIRST HALF grades. Not "last 3 week grades". No difference in grading them for the first 3 weeks and the last 3 weeks.

Shootout points are there for the entire league. Doesn't matter how you get your seeding in the playoffs. Just get there, then it starts all over again.

[Marty]

The grades seem objective unlike other bloggers/writers who are too critical or drink the local cool aid of the team they cover.

I also think the rangers are no better then 2nd round and out come playoff time.

I expect the teem to come together and player better down the stretch with Rozy's hip getting better and Redden regaining some confidence. The young guys are starting to show their potential.

Montreal will be a good test to see if what they are made of. If you can't get motivated for a team that has embarrassed you recently then who can you get motivated for?

[Matty]

enough about what the Rangers record would be WITHOUT a shootout ... there fact is that there IS a shootout ... ALL 30 teams have the shootout ...

So please, enough already ... ifs don't matter here because the fact is that you cannot take away those wins ...

I am not happy with this team but I won't belittle their record as "If it wasn't for a shootout then it would be ..." because guess what they aren't the only ones who have A LOT of wins due to the shootout ... please see NJ and others as well who have great SO records

[Chris QCT]

I can understand not going overboard with the "historic start" stuff. But for how many seasons are we going to say "Well if there was no shootout, our record would be..."

There IS a shootout. It COUNTS in the standings. I feel like I have been hearing this all over the place. No one is going to recalculate the standings back to the pre-lockout days before the Playoffs start.

What would their record be if the zones went back to their origional dimensions?

What would their record be if we took away all their goals that resulted from a two-line pass?

What would their record be if hooking/holding/interference were allowed again?

You'd have to include all of those calculations as well. Or do we just want to use the stat that would make our record look worse? It's ridiculous...

[Chris QCT]

HA! I agree with Matty. I clicked submit and forgot to enter in the code until I came back to this page....

:)

[Chris QCT]

HA! I agree with Matty. I clicked submit and forgot to enter in the code until I came back to this page....

:)

[LI Joe]

matty true - but when trying to compare records vs 10 yrs ago when there was no shootout and teams actually tied games it is fair to mention the shootout effect. leaguewide a true .500 in this day and age is approx 92 pts over a 82 game season.