I hope you all enjoyed George Grimm’s interview with Billy Fairbairn. There will be another piece of George’s work on Monday. For now, a clean slate to get you through the weekend.
I hope you all enjoyed George Grimm’s interview with Billy Fairbairn. There will be another piece of George’s work on Monday. For now, a clean slate to get you through the weekend.
197 responses to “NEW POST”
Good morning Boneheads 1st?
Good morning, boneheads!
I think so, St Pete.
Olga: “Actually I was hanging out with E3. He wasn’t hanging out with me. Let’s get the story straight.”
Good to hear you’re both hanging together. A capitalist will sell the rope.
SkjeL!
Baked Stuffed Skjels
Gimme SkjeLter
Skjalom!
Guess what day’s today?! It’s “LIKE” a comment day! So go out there and LIKE someone’s comment!
“The streets have shallow boundaries
For the war that’s everyone
What a wasteland for
Broken dreams and hired guns
SkjeLter me, baby skjeLter me
When I’m sitting like I’m losing ground
SkjeLter me
Alex wrote: “Teams don’t win championships by consistently trading 1st and 2nd rd picks and we’ve traded them quite often.”
Depends on what you mean by “consistently”, but if you look at the likes of Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles these are teams that traded first round picks (and second round picks) and won Cups. The key is making sure you hit on the picks you do have – whether they be first, second or later round picks.
Even when Chicago was making picks some of them were as sketchy as hell. In 2006 & 2007, they draft Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane – great picks. In 2008, Kris Beach in the 1st (no 2nd). In 2009, Dylan Olsen (1st) and our buddy Brandon Pirri (2nd). In 2010, our boy Hayes (1st) and then drafted four players in the 2nd – a group that has played 76 NHL games (75 by Stephen Johns with Dallas). In 2011, Mark McNeill and Phillip Danault in the 1st and take Brandon Saad and Gerund in the 2nd.
What we should take away is that you have to hit on the picks you have. Chicago was fortunate to bead enough to be in position to draft Toews and Kane. They did a good job prior to 2006 drafting Keith, Seabrook and Crawford in 1st or 2nd rounds, but they also managed to hit on later picks, make good trades and solid free agent signings.
The rangers problem is that we keep acquiring their failed 2nd round (Pirri/Gerund) and 3rd round (Michael Paliotta) picks.
If Joey Crabbe made the team we could have the Crabbe-Skjel pairing
Great points, Anthony. And just to add to your point obviously the Rangers haven’t had the opportunity to draft a top/can’t miss kind of player. When they’ve been in the top 10 over the last 10+ years they’ve made questionable (poor) selections or didn’t have a very deep pool to draft from
If you decided to lay 0ff seafood, you might have a Soft SkjeL Crabbe Fast
Seabrook-skjel
Skjel-Weber
Ruby’s Oyster House in Rye..Skjels galore in that place
Percy SkjeLLey
All this skjel talk is making hungry
Ruby has a local oyster house? The guy who shot Lee Harvey Oswald?
C’mon, guys! Skjtop skjlacking off! Its LIKE a comment day! LIKE each other’s comments! …and your own!
Part of Skjei’s game should be slowed down. They should put clamps on the half SkjeL
When are we out from under Lundqvist’s albatross contract?
It ain’t over until the Ancient Mariner sings.
SkjeLLy Winters
I am in turtle awe over how much traction this SkjeL thing has gotten.
Anthony
Excellent post. Agree 100%. I posted a shorter and not nearly as eloquent version last night.
Booby
You’re welcome. 😉
Carp
Beat wide
Pageau
SkjeLter Island
Don’t flatter yourself, booby. It’s the off-season.
(:
Will some of you all knowing posters do me a solid and rank (in your opinion) our d men?!
I keep seeing some say skjeL is our 2nd best but they say staal is still top 3 or 4 in the league and where does that put shattenkirk?
since there is no real hockey news..until the games today.
Grabner’s response to Kevin Hayes Birthday cake tweet was pretty funny.
Tomb
What did he say?
Bdl
Grabner 😉
Trade Skjei.
Helter SkjeLter if the Rangers miss the playoffs!
McD
Smith
Shattenkirk
Skjei
Staal
Holden.
I just remembered the Jets owner is literally named Woody Johnson
McD
Shattenkirk
Skjei
Smith
Staal
Holden
I need some more information regarding your ranking request, Wick. Do you want it based on offense, defense, skating, puck moving, physicality, lack there of, lateral movement, snow angel ability or how great of a family (Sam) they come from?
I’d put Skjattenkirk on the fourth line.
C3 STOP liking my comments. You’re like this friend of mine that kept texting me pictures of Christopher Walken
Better yet, make Skjattenkirk our #1 center!
Hey if Stu Bickell could do it then so can Shatty. Fast-Shatty-Grabner….I like it
Defensively speaking, I would think the appropriate ranking would be McD and then throw 5 darts at the wall.
Staal’s dart would go over the wall.
LOL, Grabner seems like a real ball buster. I like it.
LMAO, COOS
Except that it’s hard and maybe futile to try to teach old dogs new tricks, Nash or Shatty at center just might work.
Had we patience, love, and time
This gambit would be no crime
Stall would try to poke check an oncoming railroad train.
James hates LIKE a comment day 🙁
LOL you’re even liking your own commnents?
That’s what LIKE a comment day is all aboot! Get into the spirit, James!
I like it.
The loonies are officially running the asylum. About damn time!
Wick – Thanks for the praise, although I think you hinted I was long-winded (which I am) 🙂
I’d like to see what the pairings are at the start of the year before ranking the d-men. If you put Shattenkirk with Smith then it is possible Shatty would be ranked higher than if you put him with a Staal or Holden. In a way, I guess that means Smith could be 2nd since he would raise/help Shatty’s game. I would have to agree with BDL’s rankings in that case.
I am most interested to see what the blueliner kids do in training camp. I really hope that they push the bottom end of the spectrum because a little job insecurity (For Staal playing it is playing time. For Holden it is being dealt to same nether region) will do wonders to improve play – and I think it will.
The Rangers might be a little light in terms of young forwards to push some of the more established forwards. All the years Marek Hrivik put in at Hartford and this would have probably been his best chance to stick – especially with Fast out to start the season. We are going to need a Boo Nieves type to make the jump or Ryan Gropp to show that he can contribute at the NHL level sooner rather than later – even if he starts the year in Hartford. The Rangers expectations are helped tremendously if Lias Andersson shows he can handle 3rd line duties (at the very least).
Mcdonagh
Skjei
Shattenkirk
Smith
Tony from AZ (refresh,refresh, refresh)
Bereglazov
Pionk
Staal
Holden
SkjeLter for Unemployed Defensemen.
SkjeLtuary for Teamless Players.
James
All things considered…being multi dimensional would seem to warrant a higher ranking than being one dimensional. 😉
I’d go with the following at this point…
Mcdonut
Shattenkirk
Smith
SkjeL
Staal
Holden
The rest
– Some day we will all die.
– True, but on all other days we will not.
Smith is not better than Skjei. Who got beat wide for the last goal of the season? This is based on my foggy memory and not confirmed, but I remember the Smith getting smoked.
I liked Shatty when he was in Denver and Cursed Sakic for letting him go. I had no idea at the time how great of a GM Sakic was. I still think Skjei is a better defenseman than him.
We really should refer to Anthony DeAngelo as Tony from AZ from now on to honor the man. Great job, Tomb.
Most would/could argue Shatty is a third pairing guy on a properly built blueline.
Wick, multi dimensional is a player that can do multiple things very well. We seem to have a fair amount of D men who do one or two things pretty well and the rest so-so
Good idea – or maybe just Refreshx3
“I can be multi dimensional. but most of what I do is pretty mediocre”….
Dmen are like Offensive linemen in the running game they can be praised for opening a hole like a Dmen in Ozone making a play and in the passing game they are usually only noticed when they screw up like the Dman getting beat wide.
.
Is it football season yet??
NYR management plays within the 4th dimension; time, as in 1 Cup every 77 or so seasons.
.
The 5th dimension sings it allows one less bell to answer….
Rod Serling assured me there is a 5th dimension beyond that which is known to man.
Wow, I didn’t get the Tony from AZ joke until Booby spelled it out. Well done, Tomb. Maybe DeAngelo will Refresh Refresh Refresh his personality now that he’s here.
I love me a defenseman that I don’t notice. Know who I rarely noticed as a Rangers Dman? Kevin Lowe. Rangers Dmen should try to keep that kind of company.
Not going to associate Tony from AZ with that unproven little turd until he shows me he’s worthy 🙂
You know what would make the blog better? If we could Like each other’s Likes. Would really help spread the Like around here.
Thank you, James. Took the words right outta my mouth.
he was “Tony in AZ… ”
It just came to me. All my intentions were good.
I LIKE (LOVE!) that idea, Rob!
I’m likely to LIKE your LIKE everytime you LIKE my LIKE!
we don’t like Deangelo? Because he said and did a few stupid things as a teenager? Raise your hand if you didn’t do or say something stupid as a teenager. No hands in the air? Thought so.
Totally meant that light heartedly, Tomb. No offense meant.
BDL much as you said about the idea of having one of Stone, Neal, Atkinson, Kane or Hornqvist to replace Nash…DeAngelo doesn’t excite me…
James,
I’m going to wait and see before I make a judgement. I am rooting fir him, and I hope he plays well and forces his way into the opening night lineup.
Love this place. Buchnevich is an over hyped 4th liner after 41 games in the NHL but some kid who we don’t know anything about aside from the fact that he can flirt with Amanda Borges and that his attitude has gotten him moved out of two organizations at the age of 21…There’s someone we should have some faith in.
I’ll hope for the same, BDL. Honestly. I am of the opinion that we have some good prospects on the blueline and would like him to be a part of that.
BTW, BDL I for one mastered saying/doing dumb things in my teens, 20s and 30s. I’m staying positive about my 40s though 🙂
I like Smith, and was happy when they signed him, but I wonder if the Rangers had a do over would they still sign him. I’m thinking they did not expect to sign Shatennkirk, so they made sure to keep Smith. If they had known or believed the were getting Shattenkirk, I don’t think they sign Smith.
Yeah James,
Sorry for the overreaction. I just proved you can say dumb things in your 50s.
Lias on NHL Network right now. Sweden vs Canada.
I do not think….listen/read closely…”at this point in their careers” that skjeL is a better all around d man than smith.
I do agree with bdl though re the smith/shattenkirk situation
Has he scored yet? If not he’s a bust.
Me too.
Re: Smith/Shattenkirk
Wicky
I think a large amount of fans get ahead of themselves when viewing a young player. OF course smith is a better all around player than Skjei is right now. So is Shatennkirk. Let’s have Skjei Do it for 82 games before we put him up at 2
I’ve never seen Deangelo play to dislike him.
Bdl
I couldn’t agree more re your 1:24. Lets give the kid a couple more seasons before we go crazy about him. Has very good upside.
Someone might be called Number 2 or First Pair if he’s playing with McDonagh, but he might be just the complementary choice and not necessarily any better (or even the equal of) #3 or #4.
Girardi and Donuts were once a shutdown pair. Big time. What happened to Girardi – age, injury, brain-farts, shot-blocking mania…? Unlikely that the injury thing is debilitating in that he was re-signed elsewhere. He seemed suddenly to make all the wrong decisions, unusual for a wily vet.
I have been called number two a few times
Goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lias Anderson
Elite sniper.
NOt a bust!
Kid may be okay, but sounds like he doesn’t have the sign of the rat. We need one.
Too bad we can’t double like a post 😉
HAV
he is good. Doesn’t look NHL ready, at least to make an impact.
he is on the second PP unit for Sweden. Scored a PP goal, positioning made it.
I will be surprised if he makes it past the 10 game tryout.
Is Kerfoot coming?
Lias Anderson is the Swede who will lead us to the Cup and not the “other” Swede.
Hagelin?
Stralman?
Stalberg? Lindberg?
Damnit doodie, I miss machine
So will the timekeeper in the home penalty box.
Badly, Wick. I really wish Vegas would have taken Grabner so Oscar could be our 3C this year and beyond.
much rather they had taken Fast.
Carp wishes Vegas took Wicky…
Wicky wishes he was taken.
Yeah, Fast is the lesser of the 3, but I just have a thing for him.
Yes, I do
Not like the Rangers couldn’t find a way to keep Oscar.
Swedish kid reputed to not like the walls or the front of the net. He’d better start liking or disappear. We don’t need any more of those.
EU countries and the USA are producing more and more pansified skaters.
We now have “men” with vaginas giving birth to people of the future. Expect more pansification.
Prust to be on a PTO with LA….
Is LIKE-A-POST DAY over?
lol James… “like a day” is never over! In fact, I EXTENED it for another day! JOY JOY! HAPPY! HAPPY!
Like a POST day, damn it!
POSTpartum depression?
Washington Post reporter: “Pardon me, I have to take a leak.”
Hello?
Is that you Wicky?
In keeping with the theme of these NHL Dog Days of summer, I would just like to say:
Lindy Ruff, Jay Beagle, Curtis “Cujo” Joseph, all of the Arizona Coyotes, and the since the “Big Wolf” Kevin Hayes is now our 2C-Woof!
Also, Alex Semin. Daddy of the Woofs.
Dion Phan-woof.
Ro-skjeL, Ro-skjeL the Musical.
Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky.
Woof. Woof. Woof.
Callahan?
Maybe we have a different definition of woof?
Actually, I like Dubi a lot, but just read his $5.85 M for 4 more years is considered Blue Jackets worst contract. He’s 31.
Yeah. Meant contracts Carp. Cally was a great Ranger while he was here, but his current contract stinks for TB, as does Gabby’s for LA.
contract is awful. NYR actually offered more than he ended up getting, shortly before trading him that day. Imagine that contract?
Mi-skjeL Bergeron. Mi-skjeL Petit.
Not looking forward to McDonough’s next contract, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Tax free wanted to leave. Should have been a Ranger for life ( or till he was bought out). He was either a dumb guy, or got bad advice from his agent.
Tax Free wanted to stay, but wanted to be paid even more.
Isles may have to move out of Brooklyn, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Tax Free injury prone with a choking contract, but I haven’t seen his electric, lead by example, dynamic shift by shift all-out effort here since.
Combination girlfriend/hockey player/telephone company/Beatles’ song: MiSkjeL Ma Bell.
The thing of it is Coos….TB hasn’t seen it in a while either…
Tax Free did not like being a 3rd liner with no PP time under AV. His contract demands were nuts and I assume that was one of the tools he utilized to get himself out of NY. Guess I was wrong about that if CARP says he really wanted to stay.
‘You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine and the next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well, come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?’
TYM,
I happen to think you are right about tax free. He wanted out. He wanted the fan base and the media to think otherwise. I don’t think he wanted to traded, and was surprised when he was. I think he wanted to play out the season with the Rangers, and then leave as a UFA. I also believe Buffalo was his preferred choice, and when he was told that Buffalo was going with Gionta instead, he stayed in Tampa.
Is the Tampa airport Tampax?
Well, it sure seemed like he wanted to stay … but, as I said, the $$ was more important.
Money aside, he’d still be one of NYR’s best forwards.
… forgot to add “IMO.”
… also, *-if healthy.
Pageau.
Bdl
It’s me
Sigh. So . . . Bozak’s really not coming?
Hockey world is pretty quiet. Good time for a European vacation. I’ll check in on the HAV in a few weeks.
Europeans vacation in Chevy Chase, Md.
Long way down holiday roaaad. Whoaaaaa
Oct. can’t get here fast enough!
“I also believe Buffalo was his preferred choice, and when he was told that Buffalo was going with Gionta instead, he stayed in Tampa.”
———————————–
That’s interesting since Callahan and Gionta are buddies.
Fast IS Callahan light. If Cally – sandpaper #3, Fast – #2. Besides, Fast’s Sweden grandma is not as tough as Cally’s.
Michael Skjel, SNL newsman
If Sweden doesn’t wake up, sooner rather than later, there will be no Sweden.
If this blog doesn’t wake up soon…ah never mind
Lazy slugs
The early bird skjeLdom misses the worm.
The skjeLs are out of balance with this cotton candy team!
Mikko Makela: The European Vacation.
Best nickname ever.
And liberal world laughed at POTUS for pointing out that Sweden is fugged… he was right. Again.
what happened?
Lundqvist retired and is going back to Sweden.
freeing up $8.5M in cap space forever.
Extortion 17…6 years ago.
See you in Valhalla brothers!
Not too often will you hear, ‘I want to go to Buffalo.’
I thought that’s what everyone said when they wanted wings
Shuffle off to Buffalo
You might be able to Buffalo Bill, but you can’t Con Edison.
Muck wanted to go to Buffalo.
I have family in Valhalla. Plus the Babe is there.
An old friend had a big job at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. He had thousands under him.
Buffalo Bill’s got nuthin on Buffalo-Killer MacKenzie Skapski.
He used to roam the plains where he stone-walled the likes of Sam Reinhardt and jack-wagon Pat Kaleta! “Go-on! Git!” he’d say as he cleated the crease.
A true North American hero he was!
Muck once made a staff member drive from NYC to BUF and back just to get his meds.
I remember that very strange story.
People are figuratively…err literally dying to get into Gate of Heaven.
The bitter sight for me today is to see Lundqvist at #8 position, BEHIND Cam Talbot (#7) in the list of 10 best goalies by NHL Network version.
4ever
Many of us saw that a couple years ago.
Truth to power
Three Stars:
3. Ser Bronn of the Blackwater
2. Arya Stark
1. DROGON
Don’t forget to vote!
Lundqvist is old.
Crosby turns 30 today
Rob
Well done sir.
I had the same 3 as you…in no particular order.
I gave a HM to Jamie
Just checkin’ in. What’d I miss? That bad, eh? Oh, well, back to summer…
Lundqvist > untradeable contract. Talbot was better when he was traded but who would have seriously taken Hank in a trade. And besides the NYR did not have the seeds to trade him anyway!
I thought that was you Wicky.
*NEW POST THAT DOESN’T SUCK AND IS ACTUALLY REALLY AWESOME*
I entered Franzl’s in Valhalla on a Friday night in 1978 ..consumed many Hacker-Pschorr’s (Hockey Shorts)
I have not returned…