Another "Datsyukian" Deke...

Surprise, surprise, Pavel Datsyuk does it again.

The fact that Datsyuk has the cahoonas to pull off a move like this during an important NHL shootout at a time where the Wings badly need points just goes to show how confident he is in his hands. The guy is constantly working on bettering his hands and his overall game - and boy, does it show when he lands a move like this one.

Flashy Swedish forward Linus Omark pulled off the same move against Switzerland in an international exhibition game back in March.



I'm not a big fan of the shootout, but you cannot deny it's good entertainment.

All the King's Men Falter

If I were to tell you Henrik Lundqvist's stat-line for the last two Rangers' contests looked something like this...

- 0.48 Goals Against Average
- .987 Save Percentage
- 1 Shutout
- 3 of 4 Shootout Attempts Stopped

You'd probably think the Rangers would've come away with at least 3 of a possible 4 points. Well, unfortunately, outside of the crease the Rangers' stat-line looked like this:

- 0.00 Goals For Average
- 0.00 Shot Percentage
- 2 Shutouts...Against
- 0 for 4 in the Shootout

I could deal with the 1-0 shootout loss to the Devils. Yes, it was a hard fought loss at the hands of one of our top rivals, but it was a very entertaining game and we still came away with a point.

But last night's loss to a short-handed Senators team that was without its entire top-line, it's starting and back-up goalies, as well as one of their top defenseman was inexcusable. The New York offense was abysmal, failing to register enough scoring chances to beat a goaltender that was playing in just his second NHL game - a goaltender that spent the entirety of last season in the ECHL.

Figuring out why the Rangers have so much trouble scoring is far from rocket science. After Marian Gaborik the Rangers are void of any game-breakers or scoring threats that the opposition needs to worry about. Gaborik has scored 23.33% of the Rangers' goals this season, and has figured in on the scoring for a staggering 45% of their 120 team markers.

That's not the recipe for sustainable success.

The Rangers should make the playoffs - Lundqvist and Gaborik are that good - but they are destined for another first or, if lucky, second round playoff exit. This team cannot generate enough offense, their power play has cooled significantly since its quick start, and there is way too much pressure for Lundqvist and Gaborik to be near perfect every night.

I would never desire my favorite team to miss the playoffs. However, as things stand, the chances of the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup are slimmer than the chances of Tiger Woods winning Time's Man of the Year Award. The New York Post's Larry Brooks recently wrote that the Rangers should be looking to be sellers, not buyers, come trade deadline day, and one can't help but wonder if that might be the best course of action.

The biggest problem for the Rangers will continue to be bad contracts. Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Ales Kotalik, and Chris Drury are unmovable. The only players that rival GM's are inquiring about - Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, and Marc Staal - are assets that Rangers GM Glen Sather has no desire to move.

As much as I'd like to see Redden sent down to the minors, the only option left which would allow the Rangers to get his ugly contract off the books, I can't see it happening. If Sather were to tell Rangers Owner James Dolan that he needs to send a guy making $6+ million a year down to ride the buses in Hartford, there's a great chance Dolan would show Sather to the door.

The Rangers will continue to be stuck in mediocrity until significant changes are made. Until changes are made, we Blueshirt fans will just have to accept our position - never real contenders, but never looking towards the future.

The Burrows / Auger Debate

The NHL is abuzz with news and interpretations about the Alex Burrows vs. Stephane Auger confrontation.

Here's a few takes:

- Bob McKenzie
- Ray Ferraro
- Puck Daddy

It's certainly worth nothing that Auger has a shady history, which includes the recent no-goal call in Detroit that was simply asinine, along with the infamous Shane Doan 10-minute misconduct for allegedly throwing out a racial slur against French-Canadians - a slur Doan has repeatedly and vehemently denied saying.

This will be a sticky situation for the NHL. Burrows is a player who tends to rub a lot of people, players, and certainly officials the wrong way, while Auger's past isn't exactly endearing to those trying to formulate their own opinions about the situation.

There's a lot of "he said / she said" going around between two unique characters, and it should make for a very interesting story going forward...

U.S.A. Takes Home Gold - WJC Roundup

Another U.S.A./Canada WJC contest, another dandy of a game.

John Carlson's overtime marker broke Canada's streak of five straight gold medals, and handed the U.S.A. their second gold medal in seven years.

There were several heroes that emerged throughout the game: Carlson's OT winner, 17-year old Jack Campbell relieving Mike Lee and stopping 32 of 34 shots, Jordan Eberle once again accomplishing the miraculous by notching two goals with under three minutes left to tie the game for Canada...the list could go on.

It was a truly great game and a magnificent tournament.

Derek Stepan (USA-F)
7gp, 4g, 10a, 14pt, +9
- The American Captain was his team's top performer throughout the tournament, and if not for two late Jordan Eberle goals in the Gold Medal Game, would undoubtedly be taking home MVP honors. Stepan looked to be the complete passage from the tournament's start until the tournament's finish. He plays a great defensive game, is a very efficient playmaker, and seemed to bring the intangibles that every team needs. Glen Sather and Rangers' Management will be extraordinarily pleased with Stepan's WJC exploits.

Jordan Eberle (CAN-F)
6gp, 8g, 5a, 13pt, +3
- There's not much that can be said about Eberle that hasn't already been stated. The guy has already cemented himself as one of the most clutch performers in Canadian international play, ever. His two goals in last night's game show that he is not only unbelievably skilled, but also has that "it" factor - the guy just knows where to go on the ice.

Jerry D'Amigo (USA-F)
7gp, 6g, 6a, 12pt, +7
- Stepan's partner in crime, D'Amigo put forth an excellent effort throughout the tournament. He came up with huge goals in both the semi-final game against Sweden, as well as the final against Canada. D'Amigo played a solid, simple game, and showed the ability to bury big chances at big times.

Taylor Hall (CAN-F)
6gp, 6g, 6a, 12pt, +3
- Next's year potential number one pick had a very strong tournament. While he had some lapses in his play, and didn't have the strongest game in last night's final, I was still very impressed with his speed, skill, and willingness to go into traffic areas. After watching this tournament I'm not completely sold that he will be NHL-ready next season, but he still has a lot of room to grow and get strong before September of next year.

Alex Pietrangelo (CAN-D)
6gp, 3g, 9a, 12pt, +9
- Easily the top defenseman in the tournament, Pietrangelo had a coming out party of sorts during the WJC. After suffering an early injury during the '08-'09 season with the Blues, and being in and out of the Blues' lineup this season, it was important for Pietrangelo to re-establish himself and gain back some confidence and swagger. Pietrangelo has great size, hands, and moves the puck very well.

John Carlson (USA-D)
7gp, 4g, 3a, 7pt, +8
- Carlson's offensive prowess was on full display in last night's final. I thought Carlson looked like a man playing amongst boys in the American's first game, but also felt that his play regressed a bit until last night's final. Now, that's not to say he was "bad" in those games - far from it. But with his size, skill, and experience, I was perhaps unfairly expecting him to standout in every game like he did last night. This much is clear - John Carlson is a sure-fire NHL defenseman, and should be a damn good one, too.

Cam Fowler (USA-D)
7gp, 0g, 2a, 2pt, +8
- While the offense might not have been there for Fowler, the defensive play certainly was. As the tournament progressed, I became more and more impressed with Fowler - his mobility, his speed, his outlet passes, and his overall defensive play. Fowler should be a top-five pick in next year's draft, and his performance in this year's WJC solidified that.

Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi (SWE-F)
6gp, 3g, 7a, 10pt, +6
- In the games I got a chance to watch Sweden, I was fairly impressed with Svensson-Paajarvi's game. His speed is phenomenal, and his skills and smarts are clearly above average. I am completely sold that he is a sure-fire NHLer. However, I am still unsure if he will be a high point producer. Either way, he will be an impact player at the NHL, due in large part to his ability to play at both ends of the ice.

Nikita Filatov (RUS-F)
6gp, 1g, 5a, 6pt, +3
- Filatov's play in the WJC was far from what was expected of the talented Russian. As the tournament progressed, his frustration seemed to mount, and his shifts became longer. In Russia's final game, he was even stripped of the captaincy. It should be interesting to see what possible effect this tournament could have on Filatov's return (or not) to the NHL.

Kirill Petrov (RUS-F)
6gp, 4g, 6a, 10, +7
- Stealing some of Filatov's thunder was Kirill Petrov, who used this WJC as a coming out party. Petrov's skill level is uncanny, and his offensive ability definitely projects as NHL caliber. It will be interesting to see if and when the Islanders can get him over to North America.

Jordan Schroeder (USA-F)
7gp, 3g, 5a, 8pt, +6
- Schroeder had a decent tournament - far from bad, but far from great. His hockey IQ and offensive talent both project as NHL level, but I wonder if his play is going to pick up. I see little difference between the player that took part in this year's WJC and the player that took part in the last two WJC's. I still like Schroeder's game, but wonder if he will be able to elevate his play sometime in the near future.

Ryan Ellis (CAN-D)
6gp, 1g, 7a, 8pt, +2
- Ellis is hard to pinpoint in regards to his NHL future. His offensive game is phenomenal - he can run a power play better than anyone his age by a wide margin, and his passes are crisp and firm. However, in both games against the Americans, he looked a bit out of place too many times defensively, and I wonder how he'll be able to get by defensively at the NHL level. He has plenty of time to mature and develop, as Nashville is deep at defense, so it may be a long time before we see if he can play adequately in his own zone in the big leagues.

Nazem Kadri (CAN-F)
6gp, 3g, 5a, 8pt, +1
- I liked Kadri's effort throughout the tournament. His skill level will never be in question, but his desire to give 110% at all times will be. When Kadri's going, he's throwing the body, chirping opponents, and always keeping his legs moving. I saw a lot of that in this tournament.

Kyle Palmieri (USA-F)
7gp, 1g, 8a, 9pt, +8
- As I talked about before, the comparison of Palmieri to Chris Drury is a good one. His play at both ends of the ice is very solid, but also plays with a snarl that many players lack. He should fit in well with the rough and tumble Anaheim Ducks.

Jason Zucker (USA-F)
7gp, 2g, 0a, 2pt, +/-0
- While his stats may not seem special, I was very impressed by the effort and tenacity put forth by this draft eligible player. Zucker's play reminds me of Steve Ott's (without the fisticuffs...yet, anyway), as he goes all over the place on the forecheck, getting sticks in lanes and hitting anything that moves. He goes to the net, and plays a sound game along the boards.

Chris Kreider (USA-F)
7gp, 6g, 1a, 7pt, +6
- Kreider had a phenomenal tournament. He used his world-class speed to forecheck and backcheck, and displayed a nice scoring touch from game one to game seven. I still see a lot of Chris Higgins in Kreider, but hope that he will prove to be a more proficient scorer at the NHL level than Higgins, something he showed he could potentially accomplish based on this tournament.

Brandon McMillan (CAN -F/D)
6gp, 4g, 4a, 8pt, +6
- McMillan had a very impressive tournament. Not many players can turn around in a Gold Medal Game at this level and move from forward back to defense. He's a very savvy player who seems to be able to slot into almost any situation.

Luke Adam (CAN-F)
6gp, 4g, 4a, 8pt, +9
- Adam used his size and skill to piece together a very solid WJC. I didn't know much about Adam coming in, but was impressed with his size and board play.

Danny Kristo (USA-F)
7gp, 5g, 3a, 8pt, +5
- Kristo showed a high aptitude for two-way play, high energy forechecking, and above-average penalty killing. While many players of Kristo's age and speed level have yet to figure out how to utilize their speed, Kristo seems to have a good grasp of how to move around the ice efficiently.

Tyler Johnson (USA-F)
7gp, 3g, 2a, 5pt, +4
- Johnson was named one of the Americans' top three players by Coach Blaise with good reason. His penalty killing was magnificent, his points came at big times for his team, and his speed was an asset for the U.S.A. throughout the tournament.

Goin' for Gold

After Canada's handling of a short-handed Swiss team and the U.S.A.'s 5-2 victory over Sweden, the stage is set for an all North American final.

Canada's path has been an unusual one - they've played just one close game (a 5-4 victory versus the U.S. on New Year's Eve) and essentially got a free-pass to the gold medal game thanks to the Swiss' upset over Russia.

The U.S. has had a surprisingly good tournament. The combination of smarts, grit, and attention to detail has resulted in the States' first trip to the gold medal game since the infamous Marc-Andre Fleury own goal in '04. While star-power may be lacking compared to some more recent WJC U.S. rosters, this team has really come together and gotten the job done.

Following tonight's gold medal game, stay tuned for player and team analysis.

Enjoy the game - it should be a dandy.