Live from Edmonton: Valiquette to start, Lisin returns

Thursday November 5, 2009 2:59 PM By Steve Zipay

              G Steve Valiquette will make his first career start at Rexall Place. "We had said he was going to get one game on the trip and this it it," said coach John Tortorella. Henrik Lundqvist, therefore, will get the nod on Saturday in Calgary.

               Enver Lisin (instep) will play on the left of Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan..."He rested one game, he's fresh, got lots of power," said Lisin's unofficial Russian spokesman Artem Anisimov... Ales Kotalik (took shot in right leg) and Wade Redden (ice on right shoulder) didn't skate in the optional but will dress...

             Here's Sean Avery on Saturday visit to Dion Phaneuf's world and scene of  last year's "sloppy seconds" remark:  "I won't even think about Calgary when I get there...except for the game."          

              Classy Tom Renney stopped and took questions and schmoozed with Rangers broadcasters and writers on walkway from rink after Oilers skate. About's tonight's game, he said: "I can't fib. It's been on my mind. I want to get it over with." He said he spoke with Jaromir Jagr about six weeks ago. Jagr's KHL contract ends this season.  "He's on our radar. He's got NHL years left in him. He can still play, no question."

             Dane Byers, suspended, won't dress, and it appears that neither will Donald Brashear....Rangers are expected to stay here overnight and then travel to Calgary tomorrow. 

             More from the scene, Renney, Jason Strudwick, Tortorella on Brandon Dubinsky,  swine flu, the lines, coming up right here in a bit.... 

             Also remember: twitter.com/stevezipay

Rangers 1, Bruins 0

Sunday November 1, 2009 6:23 PM By Steve Zipay

                  In warmups, Henrik Lundqvist wore a special mask to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Jacques Plante donning a mask for the first time in an NHL game. Then he went back to his usual attire.
                   “I wore it twice in practice,” said Lundqvist. “I hope they took pictures of it. I just wasn’t comfortable with it.”
                    Against the Bruins, Lundqvist was comfortable enough, worthy of a comparison with Plante, stopping 29 shots for his first shutout of the season in a gritty 1-0 victory. Marian Gaborik, returning to the lineup after missing two games with a sore knee, scored the game-winner on a one-timer from the slot at 15:51 of the second period.                    
                  “It was just a matter of me making the pass (from the left boards) and him hitting the shot,” said Vinny Prospal, who has developed some chemistry with Gaborik. “Even though it wasn’t a rocket, it found a way through traffic and into the net. Maybe if it somebody else shot it, maybe it would go somewhere else.”
                      But it was the Slovak right wing, with 11 goals and tied for third in the league with 19 points, who has cashed in for the Rangers this season.  He has points in 12 of 13 games this season, and without him, the Rangers scored three goals in losses to the Islanders and Wild.
                     “I think everybody feels a little more confident with a guy like that in the lineup,” said Lundqvist, who made two key stops on Mark Recchi on a second-period power play backhander and in the final minute to preserve his first whitewash since a 3-0 defeat of the Devils here on March 30.  “He’s been hurt here and there, but he has been very focused when he came back.” The Blueshirts are 9-3 with the Slovak sniper in the lineup.
                      “Halfway through the warmup, I felt good enough to play,” said Gaborik. “I’m not where I want to be but I will go out there and help anyway. It was a huge team effort and started with Hank. We have a tough road trip coming up, so this was a huge two points.”                    
                       With Chris Higgins (foot) and Sean Avery (knee) returning as well, the Rangers (9-5-1) left last evening for the longest trip of the season, a week-long, three-game journey into western Canada to face Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.
                      “It needed to be a patient, grinding-type game,” said coach John Tortorella, whose team was 1-4-1 coming in. “We almost tried to dumb it down a little bit and simply play up the wall and grind with them. They force you to play that way, so we said ‘Let’s join them’ and maybe it will cure some of our problems.”

****
                 Ryan Callahan played a rugged 17:46, with five hits, battled with 6-foot-7 Zdeno Chara, and had a team high six shots. “Cally was a warrior tonight,” said Prospal…The Rangers are 6-2 at home and 3-3-1 on the road…It was Lundqvist’s 20th shutout and 150th career victory…When scoring first, they are 7-0…Enver Lisin was hit in the foot by a shot and played just 1:55 in the third period. Center Artem Anisimov moved between Prospal and Gaborik on the No. 1 line…Rookie LW Dane Byers played a team-low 5:57 in his second Rangers game…Donald Brashear (right wrist) and Aaron Voros (healthy scratch) did not dress.
 

Practice report: Gaborik, Callahan under the weather

Wednesday October 21, 2009 2:13 PM By Steve Zipay

                 Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan, the team's top two right wings and integral parts of the power play, were sent home, even before meetings this morning. "They were sick, colds or something, and we wanted to get them out of here to keep them away from the other guys," said coach John Tortorella.  How they feel tomorrow will determine whether they face the Devils.

               "We're not gonna overreact after one loss," Tortorella said after a fast-paced hour, which featured one drill where after a rush, the backcheckers skated hard down the ice and took a knee in the slot. "The middle of the ice is the most important part and it's to make sure they stop there," Torotorella said.

              With the RW pair missing, the lines were Prospal-Dubinsky-Lisin;  Avery-Drury-Kotalik,  Higgins-Anisimov-Voros; Brashear and Boyle were spares. This could totally change tomorrow, depending on Gaborik and Callahan, although there were no callups at the moment.

             Dubinsky, for one, enjoyed the Tuesday off as a mental break from work. "We came back strong today....we don't want to lose two in a row especially on home ice," he said.

              Lisin, who has two goals in the last two games, said he prefers to be on the ice every day. "I'm used to it," said Lisin, who grew up in Moscow. "When I was little, we would be outdoors playing or watching from like 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.," he said. Instead, he used the day to sign a lease for an apartment in White Plains.

Scenes from Air Canada Centre...

Saturday October 17, 2009 1:14 PM By Steve Zipay

           Mixed bag....

            Ales Kotalik skating on third line with Artem Anisimov and Sean Avery. Could be interesting. Envir Lisin on fourth line with Brian Boyle and Donald Brashear, which signals that Aaron Voros will be a healthy scratch again. Henrik Lundqvist will start in net.

          With the No. 1 and 2 goalies injured, Joey MacDonald will start and James Reimer (pronounced Rhyme-er), the MVP of the ECHL who had a good camp, according to Leafs coaches, will be the backup. “Maybe they ought to bring in Johnny Bower, I bet he’s still in shape,” said Pete Stemkowski, who is here as part of the broadcast crew. 

         Christopher Higgins recalled the Montreal-Toronto battles that he experienced as a Canadien: “It didn’t matter if one of us was in first and other was in last.”  Although the media frenzy was less, well, frenzied, Higgins said of tonight’s matchup: “We just beat them 7-2 on our own ice. To take them lightly would be a major mistake.”

         In one corner of the visitors’ dressing room were lockers for Lisin, Anisimov, Brashear and Valiquette. Joked with Lisin that it was “the Russian corner”. He agreed, noting that Brashear speaks Russian and Steve Valiquette played there for one season.

         While the Leafs skated before an invited crowd of several hundred, including youngsters wearing their hockey team sweaters, Mark Messier arrived, and all the heads turned. Messier sat in the stands for photographs, as each team flocked to him like seagulls. Adam Graves also is on the trip.

         More, including some of coach John Tortorella’s pre-game thoughts, soon….

 

Penalties a thorn in rosy start.....

Friday October 16, 2009 2:50 PM By Steve Zipay

                    This we know:  The revamped power play is quicker and more potent.

                    The goalies are surrendering just two goals a game.

                    From Wade Redden to Matt Gilroy, the defense is adapting to coach John Tortorella’s style.

                     But the Rangers are walking on a high wire with penalties.
                     During the 4-2 defeat of the Ducks on Wednesday, the Rangers were called for eight penalties, including seven straight in a stretch from 2:17 of the second period to 19:24 of the third. In three of the seven games, they’ve committed eight or more penalties.

                      They're averaging 15 minutes a game in the box, the 10th highest in the league, and because Tortorella uses many of his top players on the penalty-kill units, the extra ice time is wearing them down for even-strength play.

                      “I’m concerned about the penalties, our discipline, that’s all,” said Tortorella, “We’ve taken some offensive zone penalties, which usually end up in the back of the net. That’s what I’m concerned about: losing the flow of the game by penalties, especially in the third period. It comes down to the dynamics of the team.” The Rangers have committed 13 of their 42 penalties in the final 20 minutes.

                       And there will be no break on Saturday in Toronto against the rugged, winless Leafs, who rank sixth in sin-bin time per game and will be scrapping for points.
 
Odds and Sods

                    The coach didn't say it publicly, but Henrik Lundqvist (5-1, 2.35 GAA, .924 save percentage) is expected to start in goal....LW Donald Brashear (soreness), who didn’t play against the Ducks, said he felt “fantastic” and is ready to play…Judging by the combinations in practice, RW Ales Kotalik (3-4-7 and plus-1) will move from the fourth line to the third line with C Artem Anisimov and LW Sean Avery to get some well-deserved even-strength minutes…Either Aaron Voros or Enver Lisin will be a healthy scratch. My guess? Voros.

 

Scrimmages, cuts to 29, 30 today

Thursday September 17, 2009 8:44 AM By Steve Zipay

                 The scrimmages are at 9 and 1, cuts late afternoon.

                 Unless something happens today, here's one (semi-alphabetical) school of thought on the 29-30 initial keepers:

                 Upfront: Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery, Tyler Arnason, Donald Brashear, Brian Boyle, Dane Byers, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Christopher Higgins, Marian Gaborik, Evgeny Grachev, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin, Jordan Owens, Vinny Prospal, P.A. Parenteau, Aaron Voros

                 Defense: Michael Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy, Dan Girardi, Corey Potter, Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Marc Staal, Bobby Sanguinetti, Mike Sauer, Nigel Williams

                  Of course, Henrik Lundqvist, Steve Valiquette (and maybe Chad Johnson)

                  Back later....

Shorts from Torts....

Wednesday September 16, 2009 5:39 PM By Steve Zipay

                  From the coach:

                  Lundqvist/Chad Johnson will play 30 minutes each tonight here at The Rock... "Vinny Prospal will center (Sean) Avery and (Enver) Lisin and you may see Grachev a little on the right side"...Only switch is Jordan Owens in tonight for Dan LaCouture. "We wanted to see him in a National Hockey League game..."I thought Anisimov played well (vs Bs), the line struggled at certain times, but played pretty well. Brian Boyle? Much better second half, good shifts in the third period." He said Boyle won't be on the roster as a swing C/D. "If he's gonna win a job on the team, it's gonna be there (at center)..."  Sanguinetti: "I want to see more of Del Zotto and Gilroy right now, but that doesn't knock him out. He's gonna get a game." Seemed lukewarm on Heikkinen...Marian Gaborik: "He skated again today. I haven't thought about him or anybody else as far as Detroit/Boston games...He had another hard skate today. Hasn't been any complaints."

Wednesday Topics: Dubinsky, Anisimov, Forrest Gump and golf

Wednesday September 9, 2009 3:14 PM By Steve Zipay

 
                                  
                     A buffet of items, some more interesting than others….


                     With camp officially opening on Saturday, “it’s coming down to the wire,” said Brandon Dubinsky after a workout at the training complex in Westchester. “Something has to give.”
                     Unsigned and a restricted free agent with offers on the table, Dubinsky said, “This is like my July 1,” referring to the annual day of free agency. If no agreement is reached by Saturday, Dubinsky would need an invite to camp, (like the one Brendan Shanahan spurned last year after working out with the team here) and pay for his own insurance.
                     But the center again said it won’t come to that. “We’ll be fine,” he said.                        

****
                     Just spoke with Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark in Traverse City, who thinks Chad Johnson will be in goal against Detroit tonight at 7. Even with a Carolina (2-0) loss and a Rangers (1-1) victory, they would not play in the championship game because the ‘Canes youngsters beat them 5-3 and would win the four-team division. Will post his assessments of Mike Del Zotto, Evgeny Grachev and others here later.

****
                     Enver Lisin---a very engaging kid---was surprised when I asked him if he was nicknamed “Webster” (like the dictionary) by Coyotes captain Shane Doan, as was reported in Arizona media. “No, I think that was (Daniel) Winnick,” Lisin said. “I’m a quiet guy and he called me Gump, Forrest Gump or “Helmet” for my hair (which had a distinct shape after skating)…They would say, “Take your helmet off…And when the team would exercise together, they would tell me, “Go Forrest, Go.”
                   After the workout, Lisin lost a hit-the-crossbar contest to the more accurate Artem Anisimov, who had scored during the scrimmage on a slick move, and dropped to the ice for pushups.

****
                     Goalie Miika Wiikman shared time with Matt Zaba, even changing on the fly once or twice….Brian Boyle and Chris Higgins (who has looked solid every day) scored notable goals….One of Anisimov’s passes was blatantly kicked in by Ryan Callahan. Waved off, even without officials…One line was Brashear-Owens-Byers….Vinny Prospal was to arrive today….The skate is set for 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, before the team’s annual charity golf tournament in Rye…Six-four Marc Staal was lobbying for a quality lefty club rental, unlike last year. “I was like this,” he said, bending forward and mimicking a stroke with a two-foot-tall putter…
 

Talking with Enver Lisin

Tuesday September 1, 2009 5:50 PM By Steve Zipay

            You want to know about Enver Lisin? Start with YouTube.
            Kid can fly. Has the hands. Goes to the net. Could be money in shootouts.
            But defensively? Uh-oh. Has to be better than minus-13.
            The 23-year-old Russian right wing has been in town last week since arriving from Phoenix, where he  settled his affairs. He also had been training in Moscow with players such as former Sabre Maxim Afinogenov, Anaheim’s Evgeny Artyhukin and Alexander Radulov, who left the Predators for the KHL.
             Yesterday, Lisin (13-8-21 in 48 games) told me that although he had an offer from a KHL team (reportedly Atlant Mytischi) while with the Coyotes last season, “the NHL is my first priority.”
             After his second consecutive group workout with the Rangers in Westchester, Lisin declared that “playing in New York is big for me. I was at a PA meeting in Europe when I found out about the trade (that sent Lauri Korpikoski to Phoenix on July 13.) I knew a lot about the Rangers, an Original Six team. It will be an honor to play here.”
            If anything, Lisin---a second-round pick in 2004 who has a very nice upside, especially if he can click with center Artem Anisimov---gained experience in Phoenix.
            “I learned that I have to play better the next game, every game in the future,” said Lisin, who at first blush reminds me of Fedor Tyutin, a polite youngster who says coming here won’t be a major change.
             “Not like first coming here from home,” said Lisin, who nonetheless returned home when he decided not to report to the AHL’ San Antonio Rampage in 2006 and was suspended by the Coyotes. Yet in March 2008, Wayne Gretzky said Lisin, who played with Evgeni Malkin on the Russian National Team, had matured and that his forechecking had improved.
             Publicly, Lisin wouldn’t say anything negative about Phoenix, but from reports, he really sought a change of scenery.
            Lisin, who wore 18 in Phoenix (Marc Staal’s digits here, so he’ll wear 81) isn’t a lock for staying on Broadway in October. And he’s aware of that. “I’ll try to show every night that it’s really important to me to be here,” he said, “to do whatever I can to contribute.” 
            At $790,000 this season---and an RFA in 2010-11---Lisin could be motivated, and a bargain if he can build on the point totals of last season
 

Scenes from pre-camp Day 2....

Tuesday September 1, 2009 2:14 PM By Steve Zipay

           From behind the glass, scribbling away and now the translation:

           Chris Drury, Sean Avery and Steve Valiquette (absent yesterday) were on the ice for the loose, close to two hour-session....Vinny Prospal eventually will be en route from Tampa,  Ales Kotalik due in tomorrow....Drury at one point was centering Marian Gaborik (on the left) and Ryan Callahan...Avery moaned when he clanged a wrister off the crossbar behind Matt Zaba...In one of the lighter moments, Avery was flying toward Dan Girardi down the left wing when Girardi tumbled. As Avery flashed by, Girardi snapped his skate with a stick and Avery splashed, complaining and gesturing from his back for a penalty call while Girardi laughed...No refs, Sean!...From the left side, Gaborik ripped a wrister that beat Valiquette stick side about an hour in....Valiquette and his wife, FYI, welcomed a son, Dalton Robert, on June 1....Girardi was paired with Wade Redden for part of the skate...Michal Rozsival skated on his own afterward...Dubinsky centered Brashear and Pat Rissmiller...Aaron Voros was helping out, arranging for a car wash service after the workout.... Spoke briefly with speedy Enver Lisin, who reminds me a little (OK not the speed part) of Fedor Tyutin...Check back here for that and thoughts from Marian Gaborik....

At the Rangers scrimmage...

Monday August 31, 2009 2:56 PM By Steve Zipay

                  Okay, away we go...

                  Today's morning on-ice scrimmage was organized by the players---no coaches are allowed there yet---and had one goaltender: Matt Zaba. The other net was protected---except for the corners---by the canvas shooting cover.

                   Among the defensemen taking shifts: Marc Staal, Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Dan Girardi, Bobby Sanguinetti, Matt Gilroy, Corey Potter, Michael Del Zotto, Ilkka Heikkinen. Pulled in a tad late, may have missed a few who were in the facility for workouts or testing...

                  Wrote about Dubinsky previously. Other forwards: Marian Gaborik, Chris Higgins, Donald Brashear, Ryan Callahan, Evgeny Grachev, Pat Rissmiller, Brodie Dupont, Andres Ambuhl, Brian Boyle, Enver Lisin, Jordan Owens, Dane Byers. 

                Unseen for today (but will be around later in the week apparently): Lundqvist, Valiquette, Drury, Prospal, Kotalik, Avery....

****

                Main locker room layout has changed:  Drury's spot has shifted away from the crowded main entrance a couple spots to the left,  Higgins is in Orr's ex-locker next to Drury, Staal is in Gomez' slot a few down....Brashear's space is across the room next to Dubi and near Lisin...Gaborik is in Naslund's old space, next to Prospal; Kotalik's No. 12 is in Staal's old spot; Rissmiller wearing 19; Potter (44) is in Sjostrom's former locker; Arnason (39) in Betts'....One of the informal lines was (don't read anything at all into it): Brashear-Dubi-Lisin...        

****

                   Not a lot of access, some introductions, but gave players their space. Many left right after the skate..Had short conversations with Staal, Redden, Potter, more on that coming up

Questions as a busy day draws down....

Monday July 13, 2009 11:36 PM By Steve Zipay

Random thoughts in the mist before calling it a night:

Did Ryan Callahan cash in by an extra $500,000 a year? Maybe. But assume the Rangers look on it as an investment.

Prediction: I don't think the dough goes to his head.

Enver Lisin for Korpi. If Lisin can rachet up his D, I'm told, he will be a keeper. If not here, elsewhere. One thing: Korpi should get more minutes in the desert than in the Apple, maybe with Petr Prucha.

Some intriguing possibilities in the Garden with Marian Gaborik, Artem Anisimov, Ales Kotalik, Lisin, and down the pike, Evgeny Grachev.

Just read some comments around the ether-sphere. Had to chuckle at the couple who moaned that now the Rangers have too many shooters and not enough passers. The polar opposite of the wails last year. Can't please everybody.

Tomorrow, if I feel the urge (maybe one of you perfessers out there will grab the torch), just total the shots from last year's roster before the trade deadline to this year's roster so far. If the Rangers proved anything last year, it's that you can't pass the puck into the cage. Unless it's vacant.

Oh yeah, what pulled me through the brutal traffic yesterday? Darden Smith's "Native Soil"; Roger McGuinn, who turned, my god, 67, and the underrated Guy Clark.

"The shrimpers and the ladies

Are out in the beer joints

Drinkin' em down, for they sail with the dawn

They're bound for the Mexican Bay of Campeche

And the deckhands are singing "Adios Jole Blon...."

Lauri Korpikoski traded to Coyotes for Enver Lisin

Monday July 13, 2009 8:59 PM By Steve Zipay

The Korpedo is headed to Phoenix.

Korpikoski, 22, was 6-8-14 in the regular season and had two assists in the playoffs. Korpikoski, a restricted free agent who was given a qualifying offer, earned slightly over $1 million last season.

He was the Rangers first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2004 Draft, when Don Maloney was assistant GM in New York.

Lisin is 23, 13-8-21 last season and 18-10-28 in 78 NHL games. He earned $850,000 last season. The Moscow native is an RFA.

Wonder if he'd have some chemistry with Artem Anisimov?