Heartbreaker in Boston

A tough week for the Rangers got tougher on Saturday as they lost a 1-0 battle with the Eastern Conference-best Bruins in Boston. Not only did they not get a point, but they also were shut-out by not Tim Thomas and not Manny Fernandez but Tuukka Rask. Rask was making just his fifth NHL appearance. Rask was strong, stopping all 35 shots and the Rangers lost their second in a row after getting pasted by the Penguins earlier this week.

Things also got bad for the Rangers when Dmitri Kalinin went down with a knee injury in the first period and did not return. Now, Ranger fans are probably rejoicing over the fact that Kalinin may be out for a bit because he was the brunt of boo's almost as bad as Marek Malik this season. However, he had been playing much better as of late and has improved his plus/minus slowly but surely.

If he misses time, newly-acquired defenseman Eric Reitz will likely fill his spot. Should be interesting to see if he can provide a spark at the blueline. Either way, the Rangers are slumping a bit right now. They get an easier opponent with the Thrashers as they celebrate Adam Graves Night, but they can't look past them. I'll write a piece on Graves night, which I will be attending, later in the week.

Red Hot Knicks

On a night when the Rangers collapsed again at the Igloo in Pittsburgh and Syracuse basketball could not win on the road at Providence, it seems only fitting to talk about the Knicks, who won their second straight game and fifth in the last six, 112-104 over the Hawks. Not only did the team improve to within five games of the .500 mark, but they leapfrogged into a virtual tie for 8th place in the East with the Bucks.

Even though the Bucks own the tiebreaker, it still puts the team in a position where even the most pessimistic Knicks fan has to believe this team has a true shot at making the playoffs. Let's take a glimpse at some of the teams the Knicks have beaten since the start of the new year:

-100-88 win vs. the Celtics, who are 2nd in the East, at MSG
-101-95 win vs. the Hornets, who are 3rd in the West, at NOR
-114-109 win vs. the Suns, who are 7th in the West, at MSG
-104-98 win vs. the Rockets, who are 6th in the West, at MSG
-112-104 win vs. the Hawks, who are 4th in the East, at MSG

If one thing stands out to me, it is that the Knicks are playing much better at home, feeding off a newly energized crowd and taking care of business, even against some of the best in the league. Now, while there are losses in that mix to teams like Washington and Oklahoma City, there is a clear step in the Knicks game right now. And to me, two players have been the key factors in this.

1) David Lee: The forward from Florida is the workhorse for this team, posting double-doubles night after night (9 straight now), no matter if the team wins or loses. He's competed with the best in the league down low, and it is clear how much his game has improved. I've already commented on this blog that he should be an all-star this year, and we'll find out soon whether or not he will be. He's been a catalyst and has done everything asked of him and more!

2) Chris Duhon: Coming into a new system and a new team after serving as a back-up with the Bulls, Duhon has put the team on his shoulders and helped control each game. He's averaging close to 13 points and 8 assists a game, helping share the ball (unlike Marbury) and hitting big shots, especially at the free throw line (where he's 86.9% on the season). He's arguably the most valuable player right now on Mike D'Antoni's team.

There's no question the impact guys like Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler, and Al Harrington have had on the team. However, Lee and Duhon have risen their game in such a short amount of time to the level it needs to be if this team wants to succeed.

After a road game at Indiana, the Knicks will be tested to the max, facing the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics in a five-day span. In case you didn't know, those are the three best teams in the league. Fortunately for the Knicks, they are all at home, where the team is 14-9 this year compared to a dismal 6-16 on the road. The team has to improve away from MSG, but winning at least two of these three games at home would be a huge statement as to how good this team really is.

Start Me Up!

After the All-Star Game this past weekend in Montreal, it's time to look forward to what the second half of the season has in store for New York area hockey teams. While the Islanders are clearly out of it (barring a miraculous comeback...which is highly unlikely), the Rangers, Devils, and Sabres are all clearly in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Here's an outlook on the second half for each of the teams and what their goals should be (records and standings include Tuesday night's games):

New York Rangers (29-16-4, 62 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East)
Analysis: The Rangers started the year sky high, from their opening games in Prague through the first few weeks. However, the Rangers have since returned to earth but are still proving they are a solid team. This team has a great mix of veteran leaders (Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Markus Naslund) along with solid young talent (Nikolai Zherdev, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Nigel Dawes), and good goaltending (Henrik Lundqvist, Steve Valiquette). The team's had stable defense and tremendous penalty killing, but the power play has been inconsistent and often times, the team struggles to score. Still, they've won 5 of their last 6 and find ways to win games.
Second Half Goals: Find consistency on the power play, shoot the puck more, maintain solid penalty kill, and earn home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

New Jersey Devils (30-15-3, 63 points, 1st in Atlantic, 3rd in East)
Analysis: The Devils haven't done anything except get better after Marty Brodeur went down early in the season with an injury. The Devils have found the net and played great defense, getting great goaltending from Scott Clemmensen in Brodeur's absence. The power play and penalty kill are both good but could be better. They also have a good mix of veterans and younger players. When Marty Brodeur comes back, if he can regain the Hall-Of-Fame form he's had, even at his age, the Devils will be very hard to beat.
Second Half Goals: Improve the PP and PK, continue scoring, do not burn out Scott Clemmensen, and finally, win the Atlantic Division.

Buffalo Sabres (25-18-5, 55 points, 3rd in Northeast, 7th in East)
Analysis: Right now, the Sabres are the closest to falling out of the playoff race. Like the Rangers, their penalty kill has been excellent, and like the Devils, their power play has been above average. They've struggled to score at points this year, and the defense has been inconsistent. Basically, inconsistency is the best word to describe the boys from Buffalo. Their big struggle has been holding leads. They only have a .600 win percentage when scoring first. That's been one of their biggest problems.
Second Half Goals: Find ways to maintain leads, improve the power play, stay healthy, and hold onto a playoff spot while praying not to finish 8th and being forced to face the Bruins (most likely) in the first round.

And because I shouldn't leave them out...

New York Islanders (13-29-5, 31 points, Last in Atlantic, Last in East, Last in NHL)
Analysis: It's another one of those years for the team on Long Island. Aside from problems scoring goals, they've allowed a ton, and just haven't been able to develop any momentum. Oh, and on top of that, their starting goalie is done for the year with persistent problems from surgery, and their back-up was injured against their arch-rivals and will also miss time. And, on top of that, they couldn't regain their former back-up because he was picked up off waivers by the Blue Jackets. Oh, and on top of that, there have been rumors they might move to Kansas City. Just complete disaster right now at the Nassau Coliseum...or Mausoleum.
Second Half Goals: Get some talent at the trade deadline, avoid serious injury, develop the talent of younger players, get started on the Lighthouse Project, and get on a winning streak that could start a miracle run to the playoffs.

Pettitte Puts on the Pinstripes One More Time!

A deal has finally been reached on Monday afternoon and Andy Pettitte will come back to pitch one more year in pinstripes. Anyone who has followed the ongoings of this entire drama knew that he would come back to the Bronx. That's where he wanted to play, and while it looked like money was a big factor in all of it, Pettitte made sure he came back to help open the New Yankee Stadium.

Reports that I've heard are that the deal will be incentive-laden, guaranteeing $5.5 million, which is less than the previous offer of $10 million the Yankees had on the table. However, with incentives, the final figure could increase up to $12 million. That is if Pettitte remains healthy and puts up solid numbers. He will likely be the fifth starter in a rotation that as of now already includes C.C. Sabathia, Chien Ming Wang, A.J. Burnett, and Joba Chamberlain.

I think this was the right way to sign Pettitte to a deal. Let's be honest, at his age, he's not worth double-digit millions of dollars. He just simply is not that dominating despite some flashes he showed last season. In addition, at his age, who knows if he can continue to stay healthy? Giving him a decent amount of money up front with the ability to make more than was originally offered if he stays healthy and performs makes sense.

If Pettitte can remain healthy and win his fair share of ballgames, he'll be a great fifth starter for the Yanks. He brings a veteran prescence into the clubhouse to not only help continue mentor the young pitchers in the team's system but also can help in the adjustment process for newcomers C.C. and A.J. I was certain a deal was going to get done, as were many, and now that it is, Yankee fans can rest easy knowing who will more than likely be their starting five in 2009.

Rough Week for Syracuse

Well, all the good feelings the Orange and their fans must have had after they romped Notre Dame last Saturday at the Carrier Dome are likely gone. Since that win, they were beaten 78-60 at Pitt on Monday and then again today 67-57 at home against Louisville. While both opponents were ranked highly, the 8th-ranked Orange still have to be frustrated to not have earned a win in at least one of those games.

Now, let's be realistic, there was no way SU was winning at the Petersen Events Center on Monday. Pitt is too good at home and despite a great performance against Notre Dame, the Orange could not handle DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields. Pitt did lose to Louisville, but after today's game, it doesn't seem so shocking anymore.

Syracuse once again was stymied defensively by the Cardinals and had trouble with Earl Clark. Andy Rautins was a shocking 1-6 from 3-point range and left the game with an injury. Who knows where that will leave 'Cuse if he's gone for any length of time?

The schedule doesn't get easier. The Orange travel to face a Providence team that's 5-2 in the Big East. Then they host a West Virginia team that won at Georgetown. Following that, they visit Villanova and Connecticut, both of which are ranked right now, before coming home for a Valentine's Day affair against the same G'town team that romped the Orange 88-74 back on January 14th. Oh, then they play Nova again. At least that one will be at home.

This should be a fun few week Syracuse fans. It's time for the Orange to prove whether or not they are a legitimate contender or pretender as one of the elite teams in the Big East.
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Who do you think has been the MVP for SU so far this season? Vote over on the right-------------------------------------->

Yanks Front Office Moving Day

No big news today, so I'll write a short piece on the Yankees front office moving today from the Old Yankee Stadium to the New Yankee Stadium. Nothing huge, but a monumental event considering the Yanks have spent the last 85 years in one stadium and are now moving to something new.

The biggest thing was seeing employees moving World Series trophies from 1977 and 2000. Videos and photos are posted on Newsday's site as well as several others from newspapers and stations in the New York Area.

For me, while I loved the Old Stadium and called it my second home for 20 years, I certainly am excited to see the grandeur of the New Yankee Stadium and this is just another step toward the eventual opening. It's a small event, but seeing pictures updated frequently of the construction continues to impress me and get me excited. Hopefully, the new place will create just as many memories as the old one did!

Manny a Met? Why Not? (UPDATED)

Since not much is going on in the New York sports world today, I figured I'd focus on talks surrounding Manny Ramirez becoming a New York Met...or lack thereof.

According to Mets Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon, GM Omar Minaya hasn't even brought up the idea of signing the free agent left fielder. My question is: WHY NOT?

The Mets are in need of a power hitter in their line-up, especially as they move into the hitter-friendly Citi Field. Not to mention, the team needs another outfielder and one that can stay healthy after the few disastrous seasons with injury-riddled Moises Alou. In addition, players such as David Wright have said that they would be happy with Manny in the clubhouse.

Of course, Ramirez brings with him all the "Manny Being Manny" antics that have made him infamous over his career. The Red Sox wanted him away from their clubhouse and made sure it happened. However, Manny played great in the National League for the Dodgers, and could likely do the same with the Mets despite playing in a significantly tougher division.

If the Mets are smart, adding another big-name guy like Manny Ramirez, who consistently posts great numbers, will not only bring an added buzz to the "other" New York team but will also fortify a line-up that is not as scary as it once was and help support a rotation that was not as stellar as it once was.
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UPDATE: The Mets have made a signing. No, it wasn't Manny. The team agreed on a minor league contract with Pitcher Freddy Garcia. He will compete for a rotation spot with the team as expected. The Yankees were among the other finalists for the veteran, who had shoulder surgery in 2007. A fine signing for the Mets if he can return to be the 17-game winner he was in 2006 with the White Sox.

Could Marbury Finally Be Gone?

Reports are saying it is possible the Knicks guard could be headed to Greece. The Greek club Olympiacos spoke with the Knicks earlier in the day about a possible move to get Marbury to play across the Atlantic. The team lost star Josh Childress to surgery for a sports hernia and are looking for a replacement.

The Knicks need to get this move done and get him out of town. He's not distracting the team because they've been playing well as of late, and he's been nowhere in sight. However, it is ridiculous that the team is paying him close to $21 million to not come anywhere near the team. A buy-out needs to happen and he needs to get as far away as possible. Therefore, his name and stories about him will not be the daily ritual.

Sticking with the Knicks, I'm impressed with their play as of late. With their 114-109 win over the Suns on Wednesday, they hit the half-way mark with a record of 17-24, just two games behind the Nets for the 8th spot in the East. While it's not amazing, you have to notice the improvement. They're just six wins shy of last season's final total with 41 games left to play. Is it safe to say they'll improve on last year's record?

My other question is: Does David Lee deserve to be an All-Star? If you ask me, I say yes. The guy is averaging over 15 points and 11 rebounds a game and has 30 double-doubles this season. Only Dwight Howard has more. Not to mention, he just outdueled Shaq at the Garden, with a 25-point, 16-rebound performance. Those are all-star numbers folks! He puts bodies in the seats at Madison Square Garden and ignites the team with his energy night-in and night-out. He has my vote!

Let me know what you think!

DP Done...Again! And Yanks/Mets Signings

Sorry to share the news Islander fans, but goaltender Rick DiPietro, the face of the franchise, will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season due to continuing problems with his left knee. DiPietro had surgery on the knee in June, but swelling has continued throughout the season.

According to the team, they felt it was the best decision for him considering the team is not in playoff contention. General Manager Garth Snow commented, "This will allow Rick ample time to make a full recovery for next year." With the problems he's had recovering from other injuries, the Islanders are smart to let him take all the time needed to get fully healthy.

DP was signed to a 15-year contract in 2006 and since that point has had to have four surgeries. His hip was repaired once, along with his right knee as well as left knee twice. With all these problems, even DiPietro himself knew this was the right move. "This has been one of the most frustrating situations I have ever had to deal with, but this is the right decision for me and the team," said the 27-year old goalie in a statement on Tuesday.

For the sake of Islander fans everywhere, DP and the team definitely made the right choice. The team is going nowhere higher than the bottom five teams in the league. Rather than risk further injury, let him rest and recover as best as he can and be ready for next season. Then again, who knows with DP?
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Briefly just wanted to note some contract signings the Yankees and Mets made today. The Bronx team agreed on a one year $6.65 million deal with Outfielder Xavier Nady, avoiding arbitration. This allows the Yanks to move him a bit easier now that he has a set salary. However, I wouldn't be shocked if both he and Swisher went to camp as Yankees. Melky Cabrera also signed late today. Not sure how much the deal was for. Report is that he asked for $1.7 million while the team offered $1.2 million. Shocking considering he made just $461,200 last year and was flat out awful. The other Yankee who went to arbitration was Brian Bruney. He apparently request $1.55 million while the team offered $1.1 million. No deal was done as of yet.

As for the Mets, they avoided arbitration with Ryan Church and Angel Pagan. Church got a one year $2.8 million deal while Pagan got $575,000 for a year. Both players suffered from injuries last year. Church played just 90 games due to a pair of concussions while Pagan appeared in only 31 before having surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Rex Ryan Goes to the Jets

Well, that certainly happened in a flash.

Not even a full day after the Ravens lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, Baltimore's Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan has agreed to become the next Head Coach of the New York Jets. Ryan's deal is said to be a four year contract, similar to the one Steve Spagnuolo got from the Rams to coach there. That deal was worth $11.5-million.

When it came down to it, I thought the best candidates for the Jets job (once Cowher took himself out and Shanahan wanted to go on vacation) were Spagnuolo and Ryan. I liked Spags' recent success with the Giants and how he won over a lot of respect from his defense. However, it showed this year that without Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, the defense struggled late in the season and in the playoffs.

Rex Ryan was the easier option because he ran a 3-4 in Baltimore already and the Jets had been running the 3-4 since Eric Mangini came to town. Ryan has also been the forefront of the Ravens' success because their defense has been one of the stingiest in the NFL. The team has been one of the top teams defensively year after year and Ryan's aggressive style is something the Jets needed after this past season's collapse.

The biggest thing with Ryan was that he was also an Assistant Head Coach to John Harbaugh. Now, that's not necessarily experience as a Head Coach, but I'm sure it helped better prepare him for what he'll face as a head honcho. Being in New York is definitely a tough place to be a head coach. This past year, Willie Randolph, Eric Mangini, Ted Nolan, and Isiah Thomas all lost their jobs. Ryan's seat will be hot from the start, especially with the quarterback situation so cloudy. He'll need to take a team with significant talent and mold it into a true playoff team and Super Bowl contender. It may not happen in Year 1, but I think he can definitely take this team deep!

Big Red = Red Hot

No team in College Hockey is any hotter right now than the Cornell Big Red Men's team. With a 3-0 blanking of the RPI Engineers last night, the Big Red improved to 13-1-3 on the season and remained unbeaten in ECAC play at 8-0-2. Their 18 points are good for first in the conference and they're ranked 5th in the nation. Pretty impressive start for the club.

Cornell, has only lost on the road at powerhouse North Dakota, losing 7-3 but rebounding the next night to win 2-1 against the same Fighting Sioux team. The Red haven't lost at historic Lynah Rink, their home, which happens to be one of the rowdiest places in college hockey. However, all the team's success comes down to the man between the pipes: Ben Scrivens.

The Junior from Spruce Grove, Alberta has built off of success early in his career and is off to a stellar start in 2008-09. He's started each game for Cornell, posting an unbelievable 1.18 Goals Against Average. Want an even more shocking stat? His GAA in conference play: 0.69! That's best in all of college hockey. Impressive numbers in goal for him, and he is the sure-fire reason why Cornell has been so strong to start the year.

This team has great leadership, vision on the ice, and overall excitement night in and night out. I pose to you: go to a game and see for yourself. This team is for real and will be a big contender all season long! Not to mention, Lynah Rink's one of the best places to go watch a college hockey game.

To get a closer perspective on Lynah, take a look at this feature I compiled along with two buddies of mine.

First Post (Updated)

Alright, so for my first post, I'm gonna focus on a game I attended today that was quite the good time. The site was the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY where #8 Syracuse hosted #12 Notre Dame in a huge Big East match-up. Not only was the place amped up for the implications of a win here, but 30,021 people filled the Dome to watch this game. It wasn't the biggest crowd ever at the place, but my goodness, 30,000+ people to watch a basketball game?! That's impressive! It's hard to think how loud Madison Square Garden can get when there's a sold-out crowd of 19,763 and then you add another 10,000+ to that to get the size of the dome!

Syracuse dominated ND 93-74 and the place was rocking from start to finish. I give the 'Cuse a lot of credit. After a sloppy showing against Georgetown earlier in the week, they came out and exploited the Irish from start to finish and got help all around. Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson both played strong and dominated Luke Harangody down low. Kyle McAlarney was solid for the Irish, but Johnny Flynn played great once again as well.

My game ball goes to Jim Boeheim, the Orange Head Coach, however. Twice late the game, the Irish were threatening to tie the score, and Boeheim called much needed time outs. After both stoppages, Syracuse came out flying and dominated Notre Dame, energizing the crowd and separating the two teams once again. Great job by Syracuse, who I would not be shocked to see beat Pitt on the road Monday night. Still not likely, but I wouldn't be as surprised!

Other Tidbits:
For you football fans, the Giants lost defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to the Rams today. Now, we'll see if the G-men D can still be as good as they were. The pass rush was pretty abysmal against the Eagles and it showed how much Osi and Strahan meant to that team. As for Jets fans, it seems pretty obvious Rex Ryan will follow Eric Mangini's reign in New York. He's a fine choice, especially with how good the Ravens have looked. He could be hired as early as Monday if Baltimore loses to the Steelers tomorrow.


And finally, Knicks lottery pick Danilo Gallinari took the floor tonight against the 76ers at MSG, his first action since October 31st, which coincidentally was also against Philly (a 116-87 road loss in which he had 2 points in just under 8 minutes). The Italian had 6 points in 15:14, shooting 2 of 4 from the field with both baskets coming from downtown. Good start for him. For the Knicks' sake, I hope he starts doing well. This team could surely use something positive to build on and look forward to!

One other thing, you really gotta feel bad for the Islanders. They sign Wade Dubielewicz to play goal for them with Rick DiPietro and Joey MacDonald already out with injuries. However, a rule said he must go through waivers first, and of course, he gets picked up by the Blue Jackets to back up Steve Mason. Tough break for Dubie who wanted to go back to the Isles, and even worse for the team, who had to recall Peter Mannino to back-up Yann Danis. Can things get worse for this franchise? Maybe they should move to Kansas City after all!

That's all folks. Until Tomorrow!

Welcome

Hey Everyone,

I'm Michael Polak. I reside in New Hyde Park, NY, located in Nassau County on Long Island. I have recently been inspired to start my own little blog, focusing on the New York sports scene. You may think it's just going to follow the nine pro sports teams that call the metro-NY area home. Oh No! I will be covering everything from pro to college and maybe even some high school as well. We'll see where life takes me.

I'll be doing my best to post daily, trying to focus on the big news from teams in the metro-NY area and all around New York state. Sometimes, I'll focus on one team for that day. Other days, I'll spread it out and cover several. Posts also might be more than once a day. Sports never sleeps, so when I find out about something big, I'll do my best to post it here.

Keep an eye out for my first post either later tonight or tomorrow! Feel free to comment on anything I post here. Enjoy Everyone! This Blog's For You!!

-Mike