How to be a Successful Rangers' Head Coach

There is no doubt that being the head coach of the New York Rangers is one of the most coveted positions in the National Hockey League.

The team has been blessed with hockey coaching legends such as Lester Patrick, Emile Francis, Herb Brooks, Roger Neilson and Mike Keenan. Not only are four of these coaches in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but two of them managed to win the Stanley Cup (Patrick and Keenan), something the Rangers have not done a lot of in their 87-year history.

There is nothing like being a head coach and winning a championship in New York. With that said, the Rangers’ head coaching position is also one that comes with a lot of pressure and demands.

If a coach is not able to win, he will be gone as quick as Bryan Trottier was during the 2002-03 season. One can also look at what happened to the likes of Colin Campbell, John Muckler, Ron Lowe, Tom Renney and of course, John Tortorella.

In order to get this coveted and pressure-packed role with the Blueshirts for the 2013-14 season and possibly beyond, he better be able to do the following:

Get the Power Play Working

It is no surprise that the Rangers’ power play was abysmal both in the regular season and the postseason this year.

In the regular season, the team finished 23^rd on the power play as they clicked on just 15.7 percent of their man advantage opportunities. In all, the team scored on just 24 of their 153 power plays and even allowed four shorthanded goals in the process.

In the playoffs, the Rangers took their power play to a whole new sinking level. The club went just 4-44 on the power play and never really came through when the team needed it the most.

The team’s new head coach, whoever that may be, must figure out a way to get the team’s power play working not only if they want to have more success during the regular season, but more importantly, in the playoffs when it matters the most.

It can be said that this year’s power play was the Rangers’ undoing and why they will be sitting at home for the rest of the playoffs.

Get the Offense to Be Consistent

Looking at the Rangers’ roster, it is clear that the team has some talent up front.

If put in the right situation with the right linemates, Rick Nash can be a 40 to 50-goal scorer and absolutely light it up on Broadway.

Brad Richards is someone that should be putting up 70 to 80 points every season and someone who should be playing with gifted and consistent goal scorers. He may have been absolutely dreadful this season but Richards is not a fourth line player and needs to play with other offensive players in order to succeed.

To go along with Nash and Richards, the Rangers also have the talented Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan Derick Brassard, Carl Hagelin, Mats Zuccarello, Brian Boyle, and Chris Kreider. All of these players can produce if put with the right players and given a chance to succeed with those said players.

The offense can also click if the new Rangers’ coach decides to implement a more offensive style system. Time and time again, the Rangers were defense-first under former head coach John Tortorella and while that was not a bad thing, it came at the expense of the club’s potential offence.

The new head coach must let his team’s offensive players do what they do best because if he does that, everything else in their game will follow.

Give the Youngsters a Chance

Since the lockout, the league has seen the development and progression of its younger generation.

The game is faster, wide open and is now more of a young man’s game. Every team is giving its youngsters a chance to play and is learning how to adjust and win with those youngsters.

While Tortorella certainly used a lot of young players during his tenure on Broadway, he certainly had them on a short leash. The perfect example of this is the 22-year-old Kreider.

Kreider burst onto the NHL scene in the playoffs last year and did extremely well in scoring five goals and adding 

two assists for seven points in 18 games. During that time, Kreider showed a knack for the net, had a terrific shot and had a lot of speed.

When Kreider struggled out of the gate this season, he was quickly benched by Tortorella and even sent down to the team’s farm club in Connecticut. Kreider did not exactly light it up down in the AHL as it was clear his confidence had been rattled.

However, in Game 4 against the Bruins, Tortorella inserted Kreider back into the line-up and put him with Nash, Brassard and sometimes Stepan. Kreider looked like a much different player with those three offensive-oriented NHLers and ended up scoring the overtime winner to give his team a 4-3 win and keep their playoff hopes alive at the time.

Put it All Together

If the Rangers’ new head coach can put all of these three things together and implement a system that fits the composition of his roster, there is no reason why the Ranger should not be able to take a step forward next season and be a team that is relevant not only in the regular season, but come playoff time as well.

NBA Western Conference Finals - Postmortem

Well, that was easy. The San Antonio Spurs obliterated the fine line of being considered an “old” team and being considered a “veteran” team, staking an overwhelming claim for the latter in their systematic disposal of the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals.

Memphis came into this series winners of 8 of their last 9 games, carrying momentum on the court and favor in the media. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol seemed unstoppable on the glass and in the paint. Mike Conley looked to be a budding star, coming into his own on the national stage. Their defense seemed capable of stifling any offense thrown their way. Lionel Hollins was auditioning to be the top choice for any coaching vacancy this offseason. They had also won 19 of their past 20 games at FedEx Forum, dating back to the regular season.

San Antonio took a chainsaw to everything we thought we knew. 

It all started in Game 1, a 22-point thumping in San Antonio. Glaring statistics for San Antonio, like 14 made 3’s and 53% shooting from the field made the result of this game easy to chalk up as an anomaly. Heck, Matt Bonner even made it rain with 4 triples. San Antonio had to win Game 1 to have a chance against the mighty Grizz – whether it was by 2 points or 22 points... said one internet blogger that will remain nameless.

Game 2 appeared to bring more of the same, with San Antonio simply dominating for two-and-a-half quarters, led by court General Tony Parker who ended up with 15 points and 18 assists. Memphis had its best run of the series over the final quarter-and-a-half, erasing an 18 point deficit and staring a series-shifting comeback win in the face. For the first time it looked like they had woken up and were up to the task of taking down the seasoned Spurs.

And then Tim Duncan continued his emergence from the fountain of youth by taking over overtime with 6 huge points, including an awkward-but-effective runner in the lane that served as a symbol of the first two games of this series.  Everything was falling for the Spurs. Memphis could muster just 4 points in that overtime, and order was restored for San Antonio as they took a commanding lead to Memphis. 

Yea, well a series never really starts until the home team loses a game. Memphis just needs to hold serve at home and bring it back to San Antonio 2-2… said that very same anonymous internet blogger, let's just call him Jon - no 'h'.

Well, I guess you could say the series promptly started after Game 3 – with Memphis blowing a blistering start and coughing up an 18-point lead in their home gym, en route to a completely soul crushing overtime defeat.

Once again it was Tim Duncan leading the way in overtime with Tony Parker and Tiago Splitter, combining for a staggering 18 points during the extra session. Once Quincy Pondexter fouled out of this game the Grizzlies had absolutely zero presence from the perimeter. That being said, how can a team lean so heavily on Quincy Pondexter? Rudy Gay, you are missed.

And then there was the death blow in Game 4. This was really just a formality. The Spurs raced out to a quick 10 point lead after the first quarter, and Memphis held its last lead of the game at 6-4. Tony Parker continued to take advantage of a brilliant offensive scheme, scoring 37 points and finding openings all over the Grizzlies defense to shoot 15-21 from the field - an effort so efficient that his girlfriend couldn’t resist the urge of meeting him at the end of the tunnel and greeting him with a kiss after the win. 

A true championship effort by the Spurs. Gregg Popovich flexed his coaching muscles in this series, dominating every step of the way. In fact, with the exception of the 4^th quarter of Game 2 and the 1^st quarter of Game 3 the San Antonio Spurs embarrassed the Memphis Grizzlies in the other 14 quarters and 2 overtimes, outscoring the Grizz by 72 points.  

The Spurs did what every experienced champion does to an inexperienced upstart – keep them at an arm’s length, and when they inevitably get close crush their souls. San Antonio seemed to be nursing a 10 point lead the whole series, and when the Grizz went on their runs and gave the impression they were shifting the tide of the series, the Spurs showed them – and the basketball world – why they are the ones with 4 rings in the past 15 years.

I have spent a lot of time hating the Spurs over the last 15 seasons. Those emotions have faded as the team has aged, and I have cultivated a nice respect for what they have done, sustaining a presence at the top of the ultra-competitive Western Conference for so long. 3 or 4 years ago it would have been blasphemous for me to say I was rooting for the Spurs, but you can find me in this shirt starting next Thursday.

Bruins Too Much to Handle for Blueshirts

The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers’ series may have been five games but not matter what way you look at it, the Bruins were the much better hockey team in every way this series.

In almost every aspect of the game, the Bruins dominated the Rangers. This was very apparent in their series-clinching 3-1 win over the Blueshirts in Game 5 at TD Garden on Saturday evening.

Offensively, the Bruins were all over the Blueshirts. The Bruins were not afraid to throw pucks on Rangers’ all world netminder Henrik Lundqvist, they controlled the play along the boards, they used their point-men extremely well in this series and ultimately, were able to cash in on their opportunities.

This was the case in their win this evening. Down 1-0 in the second period and awarded a power play when Mats Zuccarello took a two minute minor for hooking, Bruins’ defenseman Torey Krug came through once again and scored his fourth goal of the series to tie the game.

The Bruins also went to the net a ton this series and made life miserable for Lundqvist. In Game 1, Brad Marchand won the game in overtime when he drove to the net and put in a beautiful Patrice Bergeron pass to win the game.

Saturday night, the Bruins did the same exact thing but it was a different player that came through. This time around, it was Bruins’ forward Gregory Campbell (two goals tonight) who scored his second goal of the series by driving to the slot and beating Lundqvist to his blocker side to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.

The Bruins’ defensemen also dominated this series, especially when it came to scoring goals. In five games this series, Bruins’ defensemen combined to score seven goals, with Krug scoring four of them.

The Bruins also proved to have a lot more depth than the Rangers in this series. Every line contributed for the Bruins this season as guys like Marchand, Campbell, Daniel Paille, Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin, Krug, Johnny Boychuk, Zdeno Chara, etc., all scored goals in this series.

Simply put, the Bruins were the better hockey team. They generated a lot more offence, played a much better defensive style of hockey, played more physical and were much better in cashing in on their opportunities when they had them.

The Bruins will meet their match in the Eastern Conference Finals as they will take on the first place Pittsburgh Penguins. Only time will tell if they can prove to be the better team in that series. 

About Last Night

It is not very often that when you sit out someone who is an offensively gifted player, your team finds a way to win a hockey game.

With Brad Richards as a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, the New York Rangers found a way to win Game 4 last night at Madison Square Garden by beating the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3 in overtime.

Scratching Richards was probably one of the toughest decisions that head coach John Tortorella had to make in his coaching career but it turned out to be for the best.

With Richards out of the lineup, the Blueshirts found a way to succeed for three reasons.

Better Offensive Lines

It is easy to see that Richards is simply not a fourth line player. He is an offensive minded NHLer that needs to play with other offensive players in order to succeed.

With Richards gone, Tortorella managed to find the right line combinations. This was especially the case for youngster Chris Kreider.

Kreider moved up and got to play Rick Nash and Derrick Brassard. This line generated a lot of sustained offensive pressure and played a big role in Kreider’s overtime winning goal.

In all, the line of Kreider (one goal), Brassard (two assists), and Nash (one assists) combined for four points and also had nine shots on goal. If Richards was in the lineup, this line may have never come to fruition.

A Better Power Play

While the Rangers power play is still dreadful and only has three goals on 40 or so chances, it was a lot better tonight without Richards on the ice.

The club’s power play managed to put six shots on goal, have better puck possession, have a lot more moment and more importantly, it happened to come through when the team needed it the most.

With the team down 3-2 in the third period and Bruins’ forward Tyler Seguin serving a too many men on the ice penalty, Rangers’ forward Brian Boyle made them pay with his third goal of the playoffs. The team’s power play may have been 1-4 on the night but in the end, it ended up coming through.

A Real Fourth Line

As mentioned above, Richards is NOT a fourth line player.

Richards is not someone who is going to play a physical brand of hockey, get into a fight or play less than ten minutes in a hockey game.

However, Kris Newbury, Derek Dorset and Michael Haley are. These guys can hit, provide energy, go after pucks and be fine with playing around eight minutes a game.

This line may not produce a lot of offense but they fulfill the roles of what is supposed to make up a fourth line.

Boston Bruins

Speaking of three reasons, the Bruins made three costly mistakes last night that ultimately ended up costing them the hockey game.

The Bruins were controlling the hockey game up until about 8:30 into the second period Rangers’ forward Carl Hagelin got a lucky bounce and managed to put one past Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask. 

On this particular play, it looked like Rask lost his balance and was then not able to stop Hagelin’s soft backhand shot from going into the net to cut the Bruins’ lead to 2-1.

The next Bruins’ mistake was made 1:15 into the third period. Bruins’ defenceman Zdeno Chara, an all-star and a Norris Trophy winning defenceman, took the puck from Rask from behind the net and ended up having his pocket picked by Rangers’ forward Derek Stepan.

Stepan was then able to take the puck and slide it past a sliding Rask to tie up the game at 2-2, wiping out a 2-0 Bruins lead.

The Bruins’ managed to get a power play goal from Seguin to go up 3-2 with a little less than 12 minutes to go in the hockey game. The Bruins worked hard on that power play and were able to finally get one past Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist after he had made a few terrific saves.

Unfortunately, another Bruins’ error would prove to be costly 47 seconds later. At that time, the Bruins’ would take a bench minor for too many men on the ice.

Up until this particular point in the game and even in the series, the Rangers’ power play had not been successful. In fact, some would seven say that it was pathetic as it had only converted 2 of its 40 or so chances.

With that said, the Rangers’ power play managed to click and for the Bruins, it came at the wrong time. Derek Stepan was able to get the puck, go the net with it and then make a pass out front to Brian Boyle who took a snap shot and beat Rask for the tying goal.

Three of the Bruins’ mistakes ended up in the back of their net. Not only that, but the team also managed to blow two leads in the game as well and then lose the game 4-3 in overtime.

If the Bruins want to wrap up this series in Game 5 at home tomorrow evening, they must find a way to limit their mistakes and hold onto a lead when they have one. If they are not able to do that, memories of their 2010 blown series to the Philadelphia Flyers might begin to rise to the surface.

Lack of Effort Hurts Rangers in Game 3 Loss to the Bruins

With the New York Rangers down 2-0 to the Boston Bruins in the second round and back at Madison Square Garden in front of their home crowd for Game 3, one would think that the Blueshirts would have been raring to go and firing on all cylinders to get back into the series.

Unfortunately for the Rangers and their fans, neither happened as the team now finds themselves down 3-0 thanks to a 2-1 Bruins’ win. It may not have been pretty but unlike the Rangers, the Bruins worked hard, threw a lot of pucks on net and scored when they needed to.

There were several reasons why the Rangers lost this hockey game. For starters, there were several defensive miscues.

While it is okay to rely on netminder Henrik Lundqvist to make the big save, it is another thing to completely leave him alone, which is exactly what the Rangers did tonight. In the first period alone, Lundqvist made two dynamite breakaway saves to keep it at 0-0 heading into the second period and had they gone in, the game could have been a Bruins’ blowout.

During the next two periods, it was much of the same from the Rangers’ defense. The Bruins had players all over the slot, were able to get pucks to the net from all angles and were able to create shooting lanes for themselves by driving to the net and the Rangers did not seem to have an answer to any of that.

Another problem for the Rangers on the defensive side of the puck was their inability to cover the point. For the third straight game, a Bruins’ defenseman found the back of net when Johnny Boychuk scored his fourth of the postseason and his second of the series, with a shot from the point that beat Lundqvist cleanly.

Secondly, the team’s offence just was not there. The Rangers had just 24 shots on Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask but not many of them were of the quality variety and for most of the game, made things very easy on the Bruins’ defence and their netminder.

Speaking of the Rangers’ offence, one has to wonder where they have gone in this series. The team has not gotten much from the likes of Derrick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Ryan Callahan, Brian Boyle, Carl Hagelin, and 

Mats Zuccarello.

When the team is not getting scoring from Rick Nash, who did not play badly tonight, someone else needs to step up and start producing offensively and that is simply not happening for the Rangers right now. Through three games, the Rangers have been outscored 10-5, which is obviously not going to get it done against a much deeper Bruins hockey club.

Lastly, the Rangers’ play in the third periods of this series have been dreadful. In that particular period, the Rangers have been outscored 4-1 and in their last two games in this series, it has been their undoing.

The only positive to come out of this game for the Rangers was the play of Lundqvist. After struggling a bit in Game 2, Lundqvist was on top of his game in Game 3 and stopped 32 of 34 shots.

With the Rangers now one loss away from being swept by the Bruins, the team must find a way to score some goals and play better defense in front of their netminder. If they cannot do that on Thursday night, the lights will go out on Broadway until October.

NBA Playoffs - Conference Finals Analysis and Predictions

Once again the NBA had an uncharacteristically quick turnaround for the first game of the Western Conference Finals, only to give us nearly a 2-day lull before another game was even played – what’s up with this Heat-Pacers series not starting until Wednesday? Anyway, I made sure to get my quick picks in before tipoff this past Sunday, so please don’t chuck rocks at me for being late with the analysis.

Let’s recap my picks from the Conference Semifinals:

Conference Semifinals Series	John’s Pick	Result
Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat	Heat in 5	Heat in 5
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks	Pacers in 7	Pacers in 6
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder	Grizzlies in 7	Grizzlies in 5
Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs	Spurs in 6	Spurs in 6

Almost nailed the picks down to the game, certainly much better than the 5/8 showing I had in the first round. Here are some quick takeaways from the 2^nd round:

·       Without Derrick Rose, Chicago is a poor man’s version of the Indiana Pacers.  The physical play of the Bulls should serve as a prerequisite to the Heat for their showdown with Indiana.  I think this was one of the best things to that could happen for them, since Indiana, and whoever they meet in the finals, will bring the same brand of ball.

 

·       Roy Hibbert is a matchup nightmare.

       ·       Kawhi Leonard was the steal of the 2011 NBA Draft.

·       The Grizzlies would have beaten the Thunder with Russell Westbrook – that’s how well they’re playing right now.

Now on to the analysis and picks:

Eastern Conference Finals

Indiana Pacers (3) vs. Miami Heat (1)

Much like their layoff between Rounds 1 and 2, doesn’t it seem like the Heat has been licking its chops for a week? While Erik Spoelstra’s boys have had time to rest following their 5-game tune-up against the Bulls, the Pacers were wrapping up a long, physical series with Carmelo Anthony –errr, I mean, the New York Knicks.

There are elements of this series that throw up red flags for the Heat. First, Roy Hibbert. The Pacers absolutely exploited the monumental mismatch of Hibbert and a not-so-healthy Tyson Chandler and just destroyed the Knicks on the glass and in the paint. Miami doesn’t match up well with size and quick guard play – just as the very same Tyson Chandler, Dirk Nowitzki, and the 2011 Dallas Mavericks.

The second red flag is that the Pacers are an elite defensive team. Hibbert, David West, Lance Stephenson, and co. treat their games like heavyweight slugfests – again, a style of play not suitable for Miami.

The Pacers appear to be the most formidable threat to the Heat in the East, but their major Achilles Heel is their inability to consistently score. As we saw in Game 2 against the Knicks, the Pacers are prone to long offensive dry spells. This will be their ultimate downfall in this series. Let’s not forget, the Heat is a very good defensive basketball team in their own right. I think they come up with more than enough ways to force those dry spells and pull away from the Pacers.

The Pick:  Heat in 6

Western Conference Finals
Memphis Grizzlies (5) vs. San Antonio Spurs (2)

The Grizzlies gave us a taste of their potential against the Clippers in Round 1.  hen they gave us a whole plate of their potential in their dismantling of the defending Western Conference Champs in Round 2. It’s time for the Grizzlies to rise up and realize their ultimate potential against the ultimate Western Conference powerhouse of the last 15 years, the San Antonio Spurs. 

If the Spurs are going to win this series they’re going to need Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan to be at their best for 7 games. In recent seasons this hasn’t been the case, and it has ultimately led to them falling short of the Finals. Duncan will be worn out the deeper this series goes – every time he’s on the floor he is either going to have to deal with Z-Bo or Gasol.

The Spurs had a resounding win in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon, but do you really see them hitting 14 3’s and shooting 52% from the field for the whole series? Like the Pacers, the Grizzlies are an elite defensive team, they will make the necessary adjustments to prevent the Red Mamba from hitting 4 triples ever again.

Randolph also had a woeful Game 1, recording just 2 points.

The Pick: San Antonio needed to take Game 1, whether by 2 points or 22, to have a chance here.  I think the Grizzlies bounce back and eventually win the series in 7.

NBA Conference Finals - Quick Picks

Full analysis coming this week - here are the quick picks...

Matchup	The Pick
Indiana Pacers (3) vs. Miami Heat (1)	Heat in 6
Memphis Grizzlies (5) vs. San Antonio Spurs (2)	Grizzlies in 7

The Fall of Brad Richards

When the New York Rangers’ signed Brad Richards to a nine-year deal in the offseason of 2011, the team thought that they were getting one of the top players in the game as well as a player who could take them to that next level.

At the time, Richards was coming off a rather successful season with the Dallas Stars. In 2010-11, Richards finished the season with 28 goals and 49 assists for 77 points in 72 games.

For the Rangers, Richards, 33, was supposed to be the No.1 center that they had been missing for years. Richards was going to make every player around him better and was going to put up similar numbers that he did when was with the Stars and with the Lightning.

Well, if we are looking at what Richards was supposed to bring and do for the Rangers, than this deal has to be looked at as a disappointment. Yes, it is still early on in the deal and yes, he had some big goals for the team last year in both the regular season (nine game winning goals) and the postseason (game-tying goal with 6.6 seconds left to go in Game 5 against the Washington Capitals) but judging from what he has done this year as whole, it appears that Richards’ play is on a downward spiral.

For the first time in his career, Richards looked completely lost on the ice in the regular season. He was afraid to shoot the puck, he could not handle being the quarterback on the power play, he was benched a few times and his confidence looked shot.

In 46 games in the regular season, Richards had 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points. Those numbers may not look bad but a lot of them came during the last week of the season against some of the weaker teams in the league.

Unfortunately for the Rangers’ and Richards, his struggles have carried over into the postseason. In eight games, Richards has just one goal on just 15 shots and is a -1.

In this postseason, Richards has not generated many scoring chances, has not been a factor on the team’s power play and much like he did in the regular season, looks like a player that has lost confidence in himself to do what he needs to do to be a good hockey player. For Richards, his poor play has led to head coach John Tortorella decreasing his minutes.

In his team’s 1-0 victory in Game 6 over the Capitals in the first round, Richards played just 9:34 minutes. While there were several penalties that kept Richards off the ice, Tortorella used the right guys in that game to sustain offensive zone play and at the time, Richards was not the right guy to be using.

In that Game 6, Richards played on the fourth line with Chris Kreider and Arron Asham. For a former Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the league’s most valuable player in the postseason in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, this was a strange site to see considering that Richards used to be a player that was a top line guy who could produce in all situations.

For someone that works hard and has had a lot of success in his career, it is unfortunate that Richards has not turned out to be the player the Rangers thought they were getting. What makes matters worse is that the Blueshirts may never end up getting to see that Richards at all.  

Cool Moments in Rangers' and Bruins' Past

With Game 1 between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins set for Tonight at the TD Garden in Boston, we figured that now was as good a time as ever to look at some cool moments from the past involving these two Original Six Clubs.

Rangers Lose Cup to the Bruins in 1972

Going into the 1972 postseason, the New York Rangers were one of the heavy favorites to win their first Cup since 1940. The team had the likes of Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield, Brad Park, Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, Ratelle missed much of the postseason due to an injury and was not himself when the team took on the Bruins in the Final. With Ratelle not himself, the team had to worry about great players such as Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, John Bucyk and putting the puck past netminder Gerry Cheevers.

The Final ended up with the Bruins winning their second Cup in three years in six games and the Rangers having to wait seven more seasons before returning to the Final.

Rangers Beat the Bruins the following Year in the Postseason

After losing in the Cup Final to the Bruins in 1972, the Rangers made the postseason again in 1973 and this time knocked the Bruins out in four games.

In that series, the Rangers outscored the Bruins by a 22-11 margin. The Rangers got an excellent performance between the pipes from Ed Giacomin as he finished that postseason with five wins, a 2.56 GAA and one shutout.

Prior to this upcoming series, this was the last time the two teams met in the playoffs.

Bruins Trade Phil Esposito to the Rangers

Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s, hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito was one of the NHL’s greatest goal scorers.

Back then, it was hard to imagine trading someone like Esposito considering the size of the league but believe it or not, that is exactly what the Boston Bruins did. On November 7, 1975, the Boston Bruins traded Esposito and defenceman Carol Vadnais to the Rangers for Jean Ratelle and defencemen Brad Park and Joe Zanussi.

In an interview with NHL.com, Esposito said the following regarding the big trade:

"I remember pulling on the sweater and thinking, 'What is this? Where's the spoked B and my No. 7?" Esposito said. "Prior to being traded, all I knew about New York was between 7th and 8th Avenues and 33rd and 34th Street, Madison Square Garden. We stayed at the hotel across the street and flew home on the shuttle after games. When I did learn the city, it was, oh my God, the greatest city and the greatest fans and we had some good years."

The Brawl in 1979

Being that both teams have been in the league so long, the team’s have a history that features a lot of great players, performances, and memorable moments that helped shape each hockey club.

There is one memorable moment that stands out as being the one that shows how competitive the two teams were and that when things got tough, they were ready to square down.

On December 23,1979 at Madison Square Garden, the two teams had a brawl for the ages. It all began when Esposito, than a Ranger, slammed his stick and went to the locker room after being stopped on a breakaway in the last few seconds of the game.

Shortly after that, Bruins’ left winger Al Secord punched Rangers’ forward Ulf Nilsson. A scrum ensued and while that was going on, a 30-year-old fan by the name of John Kaptain reached over the short glass on the Bruins’ bench and started hitting Bruins’ tough guy Stan Jonathan with his game program.

Then, the Bruins’ real tough guy, Terry O’Reilly, confronted the fan. O’Reilly recounted the following to The New York Times back in 2009:

“There was no way he was going to strike one of my teammates and steal his stick, wield it like a weapon and then disappear into the crowd and go to a local bar with a souvenir and a great story,” O’Reilly said. “As soon as I got him into a bearhug, I felt like I was being pummeled by multiple people. All I could do was cover up.”

The Power 10 - May 15, 2013

In case you blinked, or have been submersed in the always-thrilling NBA and NHL Playoffs, the MLB season is nearly a quarter of the way through.  This is the point where April’s red flags can no longer be labeled as insignificant, and by the end of the May alarms will sound… I’m looking at you Angles. And you, Blue Jays.  And you, Dodgers.  These three sexy World Series picks are nowhere near this list, and have made the early-season ups and downs in D.C. seem utopic.

Team	Win – Loss	Run Differential	Previous Ranking
#1 – Texas Rangers	25-14	+37	5
Since Last Time: The highlight for the Rangers since the last Power 10 was a sweep of the Boston Red Sox in early May, but the real glaring mark for this team’s staying power is its 15-6 record against the AL West. They have used this dominance to build a 6 game lead, and if they sustain it they will be awfully tough to catch. Another promising stat for Texas is that they have only played 15 home games (11-4) compared to 24 away from Arlington.   How They Have Done It: In addition to their dominance within their division, the Rangers rank 4th in the majors in both ERA and home runs, and 2nd in team batting. Yu Darvish is making a strong early-season case for Cy Young, with an astonishing 80 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched, to go along with a 6-1 record and a 2.73 ERA.
#2 – St. Louis Cardinals	25-13	+51	8
Since Last Time: Mike Matheny’s boys have been on a blistering run since the last Power 10, going 15-5 with sweeps on the road in Washington and Milwaukee. In fact, at 14-7 the Cardinals hold the best road record in the majors.   How They Have Done It: Rookie Shelby Miller and Adam Wainwright held the Rockies offense hitless for 49 consecutive at bats over two games this past weekend – the longest hitless streak in the majors since 1981. In a nutshell, that’s all you need to know about why this team is where they are. The Chris Carpenter-less Cardinals pitching staff has a 3.03 ERA, allowing 125 runs (112 earned) while throwing 7 shutouts and 4 complete games – all leading the major leagues. Their +45 run differential is 2nd in baseball.
#3 – San Francisco Giants	23-16	+15	3
Since Last Time: The Giants weathered a 5-game losing streak immediately following the first Power 10 and have since gone 10-3 over their last 13 to barely hold on to their #3 ranking. A major determining factor was winning the last 3 games in their 4 game series against Atlanta this past weekend by a combined score of 23-4. They are also 15-6 against NL West opponents.   How They Have Done It: Led by Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey, the Giants offense surprisingly leads the NL in batting average, and is 2nd in hits. Madison Baumgarner (4-1 2.18 ERA) has done more than enough to lead this staff in the early going, and to compensate for a slow start from Matt Cain (2-2 5.04 ERA). Two consecutive promising starts from Cain have the defending champs setting their sights even higher.
#4 – Detroit Tigers	22-15	+62	10
Since Last Time: Sweeps of both Atlanta and Houston (sigh) have vaulted the Tigers in both these rankings and their division. Losing 4 of 5 through this past weekend has opened the door for a hot Cleveland team, who will host the Tigers for two games next week, after Detroit does battle in Texas this weekend. Needless to say, the Tiger’s plate will be full.    How They Have Done It: You mean, other than Miguel Cabrera already driving in 300 runs?  The reigning Triple Crown winner has been absolutely incredible in the early going, posting astounding numbers across the board (.369/.441/.584 with a league leading 41 RBI) to anchor an offense that leads the majors in average, on base percentage, runs, and hits. Oh, and the pitching staff leads the AL in ERA and strikeouts.
#5 – Cincinnati Reds	23-16	+36	6
Since Last Time: The Reds have posted a 12-8 record since last time, nearly identical to their 11-8 start, which was made possible by winning 7 of their past 9 games - including sweeps of the Cubs and Brewers. The Reds have taken advantage of their early season home schedule, posting an NL-leading 16-6 record at Great American Ballpark.   How They Have Done It: Johnny Cueto hasn’t pitched since April 13, yet the Reds still have the 3rd best ERA in the NL, trailing only St. Louis and Atlanta. Joey Votto, Shin-Soo Choo, and Brandon Phillips lead the offense which is 1st in the NL in runs scored – thanks in large part to a league leading 31 RBI from Phillips.  How is DatDudeBP leading the league in RBI? Choo and Votto have on base percentages of .451 and .444 respectively, so ducks are on the pond quite often for the Reds cleanup hitter.
#6 – Atlanta Braves	22-17	+28	1
Since Last Time: Well, a lot has happened since the last edition of The Power 10 for Atlanta. Not only have they gone 9-12 since our last rankings, but they have gone 10-16 since their blistering 12-1 start. Coming back to earth was to be expected, but they have quickly relinquished their advantage in the NL East. Things began going south the final weekend in April when they were swept into reality by Detroit, and that ugliness returned when they were slaughtered in San Francisco this past weekend.   How They Have Done It: After 3 remarkable starts to begin the season, Paul Maholm has gone back to being Paul Maholm, going 1-4 with an ERA just south of 7.00 in his last 5 starts. Last year’s pitching sensation Kris Medlen is winless since April 9, and is just 1-5 for the season – especially glaring since he was 9-0 in 12 starts last year.   Despite their recent struggles, obviously there’s still a lot to be happy about in Atlanta. Mike Minor looks like the real deal, and despite blowing 3 of his last 6 saves, Craig Kimbrel is still as rock solid as they come. Justin Upton also launched his 1st home run since April 27 on Monday night.
#7 – Baltimore Orioles	23-16	+30	NR
Since Last Time: At 23-16 the O’s have been steady and consistent since day 1, helping to dispel (for now) theories of their demise after a season that included a bloated record in one-run and extra-inning games.   How They Have Done It: The Orioles have an extremely well-balanced offense, which has led them to being 3rd in the majors in runs scored. Led by Chris Davis’ astounding 37 RBI, the Orioles starting lineup has 5 guys with over 20 RBI – plenty of production to go around. No sophomore slump for Manny Machado, who gives us every indication that he will be a force in this league for a long, long time. Jim Johnson had been 14/14 in save opportunities before letting one slip away last night.
#8 – New York Yankees	25-14	+26	NR
Since Last Time: I have waited long enough.  It is time to acknowledge the Yankees as one of the Power 10, regardless of the laundry list of injuries that have plagued them since Spring Training. After starting the season 1-4 the Yankees have gone 24-10, the best record in baseball during that stretch – also outscoring their opponents by 42 runs. Another feather in their cap – the Yankees have won games started by Justin Verlander, David Price, Felix Hernandez, and R.A. Dickey this year. Not a bad start to this “down” year for the Yanks.   How They Have Done It: In case you missed my post from 2 weeks ago recapping the first month of the season, I cover their early-season success in detail. They have simply kept stride in May, doing those very same things that helped get them out of the gate. Their pitching has been brilliant, really providing a nice safety net for the injury-plagued lineup. In addition to their highly praised starting rotation, Yankee relievers have posted a 0.77 ERA in the month of May, including an active scoreless streak of 23.2 innings - so when they have a lead they’re not giving it back. They’re also winning the close games, going 8-2 in one-run games. Of course, Mariano Rivera going a perfect 16/16 in save opportunities helps. Amazingly, Mo has more saves this season than the Angels, Mets, Marlins and Astros have wins!
#9 – Washington Nationals	21-18	-10	9
Since Last Time: Watching Bryce Harper go full speed into the wall at Dodger Stadium symbolizes the Nats season-to-date perfectly - going all out, but in a reckless, inexperienced manor and getting a surprising smack in the face. The Nats have the look of a team walking off the field with a bloody neck, as they continue to sleepwalk through the season’s first two months, going a pedestrian 11-10 over the last 3 weeks.  Their hold on this spot is tenuous to say the least, but I refuse to drop them out of the Power 10 with the roster they bring to the table every day.  There’s just too much talent on the field to meander around .500.  Are they one of the 10 best teams in baseball?  Of course they are, now it’s time for their record to reflect that.   How They Have Done It: Gio Gonzalez and Dan Haren have strung together a couple of good starts lately, but both came out of the gate shaky. Jordan Zimmermann’s blistering start (7-1 1.69 ERA) has helped keep the starting rotation afloat. Stephen Strasburg has not won since Opening Day, and the Nats have scored just 15 runs in those 7 winless Strasburg starts.
#10 – Boston Red Sox	22-17	+18	2
Since Last Time: Since the last edition of The Power 10 the Red Sox are 10-11, which like the Nats isn’t awful, but when you add the footnote that they were at one point 20-8 and have gone 2-9 over their past 11, that is a cause for concern. A faulty bullpen is usually a catalyst to long losing streaks, making the loss of Joel Hanrahan that much harder to swallow for Red Sox Nation. Tazawa and Uehara are going to need to really step up to ensure this team holds late leads.    How They Have Done It: Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are a combined 11-0 in 16 starts this year, with Buchholz sporting an eye-popping 1.69 ERA and Lester giving up 2.73 runs per 9. Can they sustain this level of dominance? If the Red Sox want to remain a contender, they better at least come close. Their offense has been getting on base, they’re 2nd in the majors in On Base Percentage, and guys like Mike Napoli are taking advantage – the Sox currently rank 6th in the majors in runs scored.

Dropped from last rankings: Oakland A’s (#4), Colorado Rockies (#7)