Rangers 8, SC Bern 1
This game, above all else, was pretty good power play practice. It may have been a bit too easy, and may not really show where our PP stands because of the larger international rink, but the Rangers scored at will with the man advantage (especially in the 3rd). From the start the Rangers were owning the puck, and hitting any SCB player who came near it. Despite not being accustomed to international rules the Rangers did pretty much everything they could do in this game. It wasn’t exactly a blow out the whole way through, with it actually being a one goal game after an SCB goal in the third. The crowd was in this game the entire time, and probably even after the game ended, so it was a great atmosphere throughout.
Our defense seems to be of the higher scoring variety again early this preseason. Shots coming from the point pretty much every time the Rangers gain the zone. Players like Potter and Daniel Girardi have been able to keep pressure deep in the zone at times, and still manage to get back in position before any speedy SCB forwards can break out. Goals were coming from everywhere today (especially on the PP), but Petr Prucha still couldn’t break through despite numerous scoring chances. The term snake bitten has never seemed so sticky, but Prucha just can’t seem to get out of his funk. The guy gets as many if not more scoring chances per minute than anyone on this team, but goalies just seem to thwart him at will.
Dmitri Kalinin, Wade Redden, and Michael Rozival all had their best games of the preseason. Redden was dropping beautiful dimes to his teammates any time the puck touched his stick, and to add to that the fact that he was sniping from the point made it quite easy to see why he was brought in this season. Rozy, who has been a bit shaky this preseason coming off offseason surgery, was firing the puck, using his body to gain possession, and just over all playing the position well by not giving any room to the SCB players. Kalinin played a solid game, and seems to be a great third pair guy (Mara almost seems like an odd man out after Potter and Fahey have shown so much promise this preseason). He seems offensively minded, and sometimes has trouble in his own zone, but he finds a way to make the plays needed on his shifts.
The pairing up of Brandon Dubinsky and Niko Zherdev could possibly lead to the most explosive line I’ve seen with the Rangers. Both players can take the puck from one end to the other, and develop a scoring chance single handedly, while they also both possess great team play sensibilities, and have great vision to go with their unbelievable puck handling. I hope Tom Renney keeps these two together (Voros works great with them too). Both players had great plays in this game, most notably Dubinsky carried the puck in the zone against two defenders who left their feet, and slid behind the goal line, leaving B-dub alone with the goalie who didn’t stand a chance. Zherdev did a similar play, but after getting almost everyone on SCB to dive to the ice he found a wide open Dubinsky for the goal. Love the chemistry.
Ryan Callahan has been great this preseason. I’ve heard people say that he’ll pick up where Avery left off, and so far I can see what they mean. He’s a skilled player, that grinds the game out. Cally may not have as big a mouth as Aves, but he sure is just as energetic and scrappy. I feel bad for the players opposite of Callahan this preseason because he has been a man possessed, throwing the body, streaking down the wings on the rush, maintaining possession against the boards in the offensive zone, finding space for open shots, screening the goalie, Callahan is everywhere.
The fourth line played a solid game. Blair Betts, who knows Petr Nedved isn’t taking his spot now, was throwing his body at any SCB player that touched the puck. Colton Orr was skating particularly well, and Dan Fritsche is an offensive dynamo, getting things done any time he has the puck in the offensive zone. The way Fritsche and Korpedo have been playing this preseason it’s hard to imagine a lot of playing time for Frederick Sjostrom, who has been playing fine, but not as high a level as these two. It’s nice to have a glut of young, energetic forwards because there will always be injuries during the hockey season.
The power play was great, the offense flowed, the defense was rough, and this team pulled out a great victory in front of a great crowd. Anyone who missed this game, missed a fun one. Let’s hope the Rangers can keep this up (6 goals in the 3rd!).
By Jeffrey Paul Louis Schiller
