New York Rangers: Better Know a Ranger on the Bubble - Brandon Prust

Currently a restricted free agent, Brandon Prust made half a million dollars last year playing for the New York Rangers.

At the age of 26, Prust has newly come to the New York Rangers by way of Calgary. The trade sent underachievers Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik to Alberta in return for Olli Jokinen and Prust.

A developing player with 115 NHL matches under his belt, Prust was given a chance to contribute...and contribute he did.

Prust’s game is simple and has few unnecessary parts in it. He works tirelessly, keeps his feet moving, delivers crunching body checks any chance he gets, and should someone in the lightweight to middleweight divisions get out of hand - keep the peace. Prust was assessed with 25 major penalties for fighting last season. Of those 25 times Prust bested his opponent or held his own 18 times (If you don’t believe me, check it out at hockeyfights.com). Prust took on the job of Sheriff of Rangertown after his predecessor, veteran tough guy Donald Brashear failed to keep the peace on Broadway. Prust sent the message that any grievous offenses against his Calgary and New York teammates would be unacceptable, with severe consequences for offenders.

In addition to the tough rugged game he plays, Prust also actually knows how to play hockey. Yes, hockey - skating, passing, and shooting. In his 26 matches with the Rangers, Prust scored 4 goals along with 5 assists for 9 points. Not bad for a tough guy. In addition, Prust finished +3 in plus minus, on a Ranger team that had a habit of bleeding goals at inopportune times.

Near the end of the season formed a potent checking line with Jody Shelley and rookie center Artem Anisimov that not only stayed the opposition, but also added goals. The Anisimov/Shelley/Prust line experiment was considered a limited success in a season where success often went wanting.

Prediction:

The Rangers opt to retain Prust.

The Rangers would be insane to not resign this player. Prust has proven his commitment to the Rangers, often with his own blood, bumps, and bruises. I believe that Prust would re-sign for a modest to decent raise, which I believe that he has earned. The bargaining leverage is a little bit in Prust’s favor as not only did he do very well in defending his teammates and add a bit of scoring, but that the Rangers don’t necessarily have a replacement enforcer on standby as Kris Newbury and Jody Shelley are also free agents with little organizational depth behind them in the tough guy department.

World Cup 2010 South Africa: Second Round Matches June 28th

NED 2:1 SVK - Arjen Robben’s 18th minute goal today in Durban set the tone for their elimination match with Slovakia. The Slovaks fresh off of their recent giant-killing of Italy began the game playing beautiful and composed football, with good passing and combination play. After Robben’s goal though, the Dutch seized the match by the scruff of the neck and went into tactical counterattacking mode. Although the Dutch had more quality chances at goal, Stekelenburg did well to keep out the few dangerous chances created by the Slovaks. For long periods of the game the action was mired down, not because of any lack of skill or effort, but just the opposite. Both sides were working so frantically to put their stamp on the match that they were canceling each others efforts. Sneijder added a second for the Dutch off of a counterattack on 84 minutes. Stekelenburg did make one error late in stoppage-time, fouling Jakubko in the area. The Dutch goalkeeper was booked for his trouble and conceded a penalty that was ably converted by Vittek. After the penalty was scored, the referee blew for full-time. The late penalty makes the match look closer than it actually was, as the Netherlands had the overall edge from the run of play. Vittek seems to have written his own ticket, and may have several attractive offers from big clubs. Small consolation for the Slovaks who are now eliminated. On another day, this match might have gone very differently. Cheers to the Slovaks for their incisive and pacy football. Netherlands advance to the round of 8.

BRA 3:0 CHI - In an evenly played match in Johannesburg, Brazil managed to dominate on the scoreboard. This match appeared to be an example of similar efforts from both sides, with the only difference being that Brazil finished their chances, while Chile were unable to. Brazil advance in the tournament thanks to goals by Juan, Luis Fabiano, and Robinho, all of which were scored between the 35th and 59th minutes. The Samba Kings advance to the round of 8, surprise surprise.

Tomorrow’s matches will round out the remainder of the round of 16. Paraguay will face Japan in Pretoria, and Spain will take on fellow Iberians Portugal in Cape Town. The Japanese have nothing to lose and only respect to gain. They are the only Asian side left in the tournament. Paraguay, you would think, will be expected to win. I expect an even and difficult fight between the Paraguayans and the Japanese. In the late match it will be the relentless attacking style of La Furia Roja pitted against the fluidity and deftness of touch that are hallmarks of the Portuguese game. As the two nations share a peninsula and are adjacent, we will see if familiarity indeed breeds contempt.

New York Rangers: Rangers draft for toughness and grit, Sanguinetti traded

NHL Draft day in Los Angeles...The Rangers are on the clock...With the Ranger brass about to select 10th in the first round it seems that Windsor Spitfires and USA World Junior standout Cam Fowler is still available...the breath of collective fans catches...and then the club selects Dylan McIlrath of the Moose Jaw Warriors. A player sometimes called “The Undertaker”, McIlrath was assessed 19 fighting majors last season for the Warriors. My first thought was something along the lines of “What the What!”

At the conclusion of the Draft, it became a bit more clear that it was the Rangers intent to draft for both skill AND toughness. Judging by the way Philadelphia edged the Rangers for a playoff spot this Spring, perhaps this was a good direction to go in. General Manager Glen Sather, Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark and their entire staff of scouts seem to be making a bold statement that softness will no longer be generally tolerated. The scouting contingent had apparently focused their attention on a handfull of players who had made recent dramatic improvement. This included McIlrath who had won most improved player twice in two years at Moose Jaw.

Perhaps the writing was on the wall when the trade with Calgary that sent Higgins/Kotalik to the Flames for Prust/Jokinen that the Rangers were trying to harden themselves up for the future. The later acquisition of Jody Shelley would seem to show that the Rangers were looking to add toughness without sacrificing skill...a more difficult thing to do than you would imagine.

It remains to be seen what the overall effect this draft class will have on the future of the organization. But it seems like the message to prospects in the Rangers system is a very loud and clear statement of “Play up or we’ll find you another place to play!”

During the draft, defense prospect Bobby Sanguinetti (2006 1st round/21st overall selection by the Rangers) was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 6th round pick in this draft and a 2nd round pick in next year’s draft. Sanguinetti, a New Jersey native and lifelong fan of the Manhattan club, was envisioned as a Rangers puck-rushing defenseman of the future with big offensive upside. It has been speculated that Sanguinetti showed up for camp out of shape last year, and had been tagged as a consistent under-performer at the Rangers AHL Hartford affiliate. Time will tell what the impact of this deal will be.

Here are the latest additions to the Rangers burgeoning stable of up and coming prospects:

1st Round/10th overall pick - Dylan McIlrath, D, Moose Jaw Warriors

2nd Round/40th overall - Christian Thomas, RW, Oshawa Generals

4th Round/100th overall - Andrew Yogan, C/LW, Erie Otters

5th Round/130th overall - Jason Wilson, LW, Owen Sound Attack

6th Round/157th overall - Jesper Fasth, RW, HV 71 Jr. (Sweden)

7th Round/190th overall - Randy McNaught, RW, Saskatoon Blades


What all of this might mean:

McIlrath, should he be true to his press, can put a guy through the boards, score a goal, and then defend a teammate with his fists before the horn finishes blowing.

Thomas and Fasth are known as very good skaters and goal scorers.

Yogan and Wilson seem to be gritty pluggers that can put the puck in the net.

McNaught seems to be a straight-up enforcer.


Central Scouting capsules of these players are available for viewing at the following URL:

http://rangers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=532791

If’n you like the fisticuffs, there is a You Tube video of a fight between McIlrath and McNaught that sort of gives you the idea that neither of these gentlemen puts up with much nonsense on any given night. Good times.

World Cup 2010 South Africa: Second Round Match Summary for June 26th & 27th

Uruguay 2:1 Korea - Through a driving rain in Port Elizabeth, Uruguay managed to eliminate Korea through a late Luis Suarez winner. Suarez hit the second of his goals in the 80th minute, this one to seal the win. Korea made a game effort though, answering Suarez’ first strike in the 8th minute, with a Chungyong goal scored in the 68th minute, twelve minutes before Suarez completed his brace. Suarez’ quality was the difference in what was an extremely tight game. The Celeste see their way through to the last eight.

United States 1:2 Ghana - In Rustenburg, the venue that saw America successfully deadlock England, a quite different result played out against the Black Stars of Ghana. Ghana would get off to a shock start with a 5th minute goal from Kevin Prince Boateng. The Americans reeling from the goal that was set up off of a Ricardo Clark turnover in midfield, doubled their efforts in an attempt to level and settle the match. In the 62nd minute Dempsey was fouled in the penalty area by Ghanian defender Jonathan. This set up a spot kick for Donovan which he ably converted, beautifully bending the football off the inside of the post to level at 1:1. No one could have forseen the strike by Gyan, three minutes into stoppage-time that would put Ghana ahead 1:2. With literally seconds left, there was no time for the Americans to answer. The inconsistency in the American defense was their undoing. The Americans, fresh off their Group C victory, found themselves shattered and going home. Though the bulk of the match was evenly played, United States would once again experience football’s cruel nature, as their quality could not carry them past the unpredictability of the Ghanian attack. For the second World Cup in a row, America would see themselves sent home by Ghana, by the same 2:1 score. Ghana advance to the final eight.

Germany 4:1 England - Bloemfontein saw perhaps the most controversial refereeing decision of the World Cup thus far. Klose and Podolski staked Germany to a 2:0 lead on 32 minutes that would be halved 5 minutes later by Upson. With the Germans leading England 2:1 late in the first half, Lampard smashed a shot off of the crossbar. With the rebound clearly deflecting to the ground behind the goal line, play continued with no goal being counted to England. Müller would smash two more goals for the Germans in the 67th and 70th minutes. Though the statistics show the game as more or less evenly played, Germany were evidently more precise with their finishing. We will be left to wonder if the match would have been different had Lampard’s strike been correctly counted to level the match at 2 goals each. Germany’s achievement of 4 goals truly reflects their quality and it is a shame that this match will be remembered for an English goal that should have been counted, and not Germany’s sharp finishing. Die Mannschaaft advance to the last eight...with an asterisk.

Argentina 3:1 Mexico - In Johannesburg, CONCACAF would see their last remaining representative drummed out of the World Cup. Other than an early Mexican effort smashing off the crossbar, this match was all Argentina, all the time. Though Mexico saved some face with a late consolation goal, it was clear from the first goal that Argentina were the superior side. Argentina’s opening goal from Tevez seemed to be definitively offside though the officials made no call. Would it have made a difference...who knows?

Stay tuned over the next two days for the rest of the second round results.

World Cup 2010 South Africa: End of Group Summary for Groups E - H

Group E:

Denmark 1:3 Japan - Despite the Danes superior possession and gritty tackling, Japan found themselves leading Denmark 0:2 in Rustenburg on 30 minutes. John Dahl Tomasson got one back for the Danes on 81 minutes, but Okazaki would hit a 87th minute dagger to end the match at 1:3. Japan punch their ticket to the second round 6 points to the good.

Cameroon 1:2 Netherlands - Though the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon made a game effort in Cape Town, they simply couldn’t get past the Dutch. Though many aspects of the match were dead even, the Dutch enjoyed the more frequent and dangerous goal scoring opportunities. After van Persie opened with a goal in the 36th minute, Cameroon gamely answered with a Thomas Eto’o penalty on 65 minutes. It was Huntelaar who would hit a late winner in the 83rd minute sinking Cameroonian hopes in South Africa. Netherlands cruise into the second round on maximum points.

Group F:

Slovakia 3:2 Italy - In a fantastic result that no one could have predicted, the scrappy Slovaks edged out the experienced Italians in Johannesburg, not only knocking the Italians out of the match, but knocking them out of the tournament. Vittek opened with two for the Slovaks in the 25th and 73rd minutes. Italy, out of sorts and with little time remaining, hit back in the 81st through Di Natale. Seemingly Italy was gearing up to try and eliminate the Slovaks on grit and pride alone. Kopunek promptly answered on 89 minutes with a dagger of a goal seemingly closing the door on Italian World Cup hopes. Quagliarella would hit a second goal for Italy in stoppage-time, but there just wasn’t enough match left for the Italians to level. The only way the Italians could’ve gone through was with a win. Instead the Squadra Azzuri return to Italy eliminated and heartsick. Slovakia through to the second round on 4 points.

Paraguay 0:0 New Zealand - After a scoreless draw in Polokwane, New Zealand finish a performance that saw them exceed their wildest dreams as they managed to go unbeaten in the group stage of a World Cup Finals. Unfortunately they didn’t win any matches either, and Paraguay cruise into the second round on 5 points.

Group G:

Portugal 0:0 Brazil - A scoreless draw in Durban was all that Brazil and Portugal needed to see them through to the round of 16. It was an ill-tempered standoff with seven total players booked. Though Brazil dominated possession and chances at goal, the two sides finished level.

DPR Korea 0:3 Ivory Coast - This match in Nelspruit was largely a formality with neither Ivory Coast nor North Korea starting the match in a position to advance, regardless of the result. Goals by Yaya Toure, Romaric, and Kalou earn respectability for the Ivorians, but not a second round World Cup berth. Chelsea and Ivory Coast standout Didier Drogba was named Man of the Match. North Korea ended a lackluster tournament that included a low point against Portugal where they were overwhelmed by a margin of 7:0.

Group H:

Chile 1:2 Spain - Pretoria hosted a match between group leaders Chile who were on 6 points and second place Spain, just behind them with 3 points. David Villa opened for Spain on 24 minutes. Iniesta would add a second in the 37th minute. Despite Millar’s 47th minute strike for Chile, Spain would prevail seeing the two sides tie for first on points. The tie was broken on goal difference with Spain’s +2 bettering Chile’s +1. This result saw both Chile and Spain through to the round of 16.

Switzerland 0:0 Honduras - This match in Bloemfontein was rendered meaningless by the Chile/Spain match. Honduras and Switzerland played to a mostly listless scoreless draw. Though both sides demonstrated flashes of skill, there were no goals to be had on the day. Both the Swiss and the Hondurans crash out of the tournament. Honduras particularly disappointed its supporters as they failed to score a goal in the tournament. Despite an early shock victory against the Spaniards, Switzerland were unable to find enough consistency to advance despite earning a respectable 4 points in group play.

World Cup 2010 South Africa: End of Group Summary for Groups A - D

Group A:

Mexico 0:1 Uruguay - Uruguay finished group play undefeated by defeating Mexico in Rustenburg. Luis Suarez scored on a nifty header in the 43rd minute. Uruguay won the group outright with two wins and a draw and will advance to knockout play. Though Mexico did not earn a result, their points from previous group matches were enough to send them through to the round of 16.

France 1:2 South Africa - In Bloemfontain, France were defeated by hosts South Africa. First half goals by Khumalo and Mphela were too much for Les Bleus to overcome, though they hit back for one in the 70th minute through Malouda. Though South Africa were level on points with Mexico at 4, their goal difference of -2 wasn’t enough to beat Mexico’s +1 in the tiebreaker. South Africa played with a lot of heart, and a fair amount of style. Only their 0:3 loss to group winners Uruguay prevented them from advancing. France could not overcome poor form, (1 point from a possible 9) results, and their efforts were undermined by infighting within the squad and staff.

Group B:

Nigeria 2:2 Korea - In Durban, Korea had the twice as many meaningful chances as their opponents, the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Nigeria struggled to keep up, giving two fouls for every one by their Korean counterparts. Uche opened the scoring for Nigeria on 12 minutes, but Korea roared back scoring in the 39th and 49th minutes to take a 1:2 lead early in the second half. Yakubu’s penalty would tie the match on 69 minutes. Despite a few game efforts following this, neither side could hit a winner. Korea advance to the round of 16 with 4 points.

Greece 0:2 Argentina - Roundly outplayed, Greece succumbed to Argentina in Polokwane. Goals for the Albiceleste were scored by Demichelis and Palermo. Total shots 7:22 in favor of the Argies. Argentina on maximum points breeze into the round of 16.

Group C:

Slovenia 0:1 England - England, through a bit of magic from Jermain Defoe edge upstarts Slovenia in Port Elizabeth. Though the match was dead even in many respects, England enjoyed a 2:11 advantage in corner kicks. This result puts England through to the round of 16.

USA 1:0 Algeria - It wasn’t to be for the Desert Foxes, as a dramatic stoppage time goal from Landon Donovan saw the Americans not only through to the next round, but also gave them the title of group winners in a World Cup Finals for the first time in the history of US Soccer. Although the match was mostly dead even, Algeria had to foul twice as often as the Americans to deal with their quality.

Group D:

Ghana 0:1 Germany - The Germans seemed to have trouble with Ghana’s pace and unpredictability, and Ghana had trouble with Germany’s quality. At full-time in Johannesburg, Özil’s goal for Die Mannschaaft on the hour mark was the only thing separating these two game contenders in a match that could’ve gone either way. Germany and Ghana find themselves both through to the round of 16, with Australia’s win over Serbia ensuring the Serbs elimination.

Australia 2:1 Serbia - The Socceroos took a bit of their own back in Nelspruit, handing a defeat to a Serbian team that looked unbeatable during qualifying. A late Serbian goal by Pantelic in the 84th minute, couldn’t undo Aussie strikes by Cahill (69’) and Holman (73’) that saw the Serbs out of the tournament. Unfortunately for the Socceroos, their -3 goal difference compared to Ghana’s even one at zero, wasn’t enough for qualification to the second round. Too little too late for Oz.

New York Rangers: Better Know a Ranger on the Bubble - Brodie Dupont

At the tender age of 23, Brodie Dupont’s career with the New York Rangers hockey club is at a crossroads. He is now a restricted free agent. His salary last year was $62,500.

What he’s done so far for the Rangers organization is to play three yeoman-like seasons for the Hartford Wolf Pack, the club’s AHL affiliate. He has played 225 matches for Hartford in the left wing position (Though he is able to, and has played at center), racking up 44 goals and 59 assists for 103 points. He has logged 311 minutes in penalties, which suggests that he has a reasonable amount of grit.

Prediction: Rangers retain Dupont

Although the Rangers have great depth at the center and left wing positions within the organization, Dupont seems to actually have a shot at making it in Manhattan. In addition, Dupont is a proven player at the AHL level where his contributions are consistent, as befits a professional player.

Dupont is going to want more money, so the Rangers will have to give it to him if they want him to stay. If Dupont demands a 1-way contract, all bets are off and Dupont will likely be cast adrift to be replaced by a forward from the new wave of entry-level talent who might fill in quite well at the AHL level once their amateur preparation is complete.