Need Not Apply : Offensively Skilled Forwards

It's become apparent to The Mouth that if you aren't a proven big ticket free agent offensive talent Rangers coach John Tortorella is not going to play you.

The Mouth sometimes gets the feeling Tortorella would even bench Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards at times if not for fear of hearing it from Glen Sather.

In Tortorella's world every player must be a tenacious forechecker and back checker and get to the net with pucks. I guess that's a possible standard to strive during a playoff series, but to expect that over an 82 game NHL schedule is frankly hilariously insane.

Tortorella is so obsessed with being teacher and disciplinarian of what he calls Jam and Juice that he has forgotten that not every player is blessed with the cerebral mentality of a coach and that some are just gifted with an ability to hang around, score goals and make "pretty" plays. 

Not only does he discipline his players by giving them minutes they can count on one hand but he will at times publicly and on purpose ostracize them.

Recently he has insinuated that injured forward Wojtek Wolski is milking his injury status by saying " I can't even get him out of the tub."

His handling of Mats Zuccarello has been awful, Zuccarello has had tremendous success in the AHL but is never given the sufficient minutes or line mates that is needed for a true evaluation.

Ranger players that think offense first regardless of what you or The Mouth think of them are continually called out, remember when Michael Del Zotto was chewed out on the bench in front of 17,000 at Madison Square Garden ?

By the trading dealing if not sooner Wolski and Zuccarello will no longer be Rangers if Tort's has his way.

The Mouth in the following video explores this amongst other things as well as the mystery of all mystery's of why Eric Christensen an offensive type who produces no offense still remains on the big club's roster.

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" as Rangers Go with Youth

The Mouth is a real avid movie buff, besides being a insanely rabid fan of the Blueshirts.

Recently he found himself musing that the current Ranger situation is somewhat like the 1945 film  "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."

A Tree grows in Brooklyn is about a idealistic young girl named Francie who has a luckless father who also is an alcoholic.

Despite all the dysfunction around her she still remains extremely optimistic and even finds comedy despite all the hardships that befall her and her family.

The worst of which is when their favorite tree is taken down located right outside their window.

Francie plants seeds in hopes of growing a new tree, and with all the odds   against another tree growing in Brooklyn, one does !

The Ranger fan has remained steadfast and loyal through a decade of Glen Sather's buffoonery and finally in 2011 it looks like the Rangers might be turning the corner to success with their massive infusion of youth.

I think "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is a perfect parable on how we Ranger fans have felt for years and finally now with the arrival of all the young players featured in the video below the seeds have been planted.

Perhaps we will get a chance to see our tree grow on 33rd street in Manhattan.

Long Island Media Has No Hockey Sense and Why Should They ?

Long Island media has no hockey sense and why should they ? There is certainly is no hockey being played professionally on Long Island.

They have a NHL franchise that takes up space at the Nassau Mausoleum, a franchise that is a John Tavares and Matt Moulson away from being basically the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. 

The New York Islanders are a shambles and what makes things worse for them and their fans is that nobody cares in their community.

Their failed Lighthouse project tried to drum up support but nobody cared, Nassau County doesn't want their tax burden and could care about Charles Wang's proposals and idle threats to move.

Finally in this embarrassing demonstration below you can see on a local broadcast how much people care about the game of NHL hockey.

I'm pretty sure local Kansas City TV anchors will verse themselves a helluva a lot more in the great sport of Hockey then these Long Island Losers.

To get some added comedy watch the video full screen

MSG Egghead Announcer John Giannone's "From The Side !" Video

I don't have anything against Ranger fill in announcer John Giannone personally , but as a collector of vintage Hockey videos and a ardent follower of the TV Hockey announcers from the 60's to present, John Giannone comes across as a monotone company guy with no real passion for the game or the team he has been affiliated with for forever.

He does have a couple advantages over regular Rangers play by play announcer Sam Rosen.

Unlike Toucan Sam, Giannone knows the names of players on the visiting teams and can keep up with the action instead of editorializing like Sam does while scoring chances are happening live on the ice.

He also isn't as follicley challenged like Sam, who for some reason won't remove that horrible rug from his dome.

But enough about Sam. John Giannone has decided that "From the side" is an actual area on NHL rinks. So a fellow Ranger fan from HF boards AOWRanger decided to make a video commemorating Johnny G's work.

The video is quote memorable and has become somewhat of a You Tube sensation.

I think you will like it and enjoy it, especially from the side !

Henrik Lundqvist Does Martha Stewart Holiday Style

Usually when Ranger fans talk about Henrik and Martha it's usually in the context of Hanks utter domination of New Jersey Devils netminder Martin "Martha" Brodeur when it comes to their head to head play on the ice.

However, this time "The King" took to the kitchen to go head to head with home guru Martha Stewart.

Lundqvist appeared on the Martha Stewart program last week, showing off his cooking skills and promoting the Garden of Dreams foundation.

Henrik who in The Mouth's opinion hasn't been at the top of his game for most of his starts, joined Martha to make a Holiday dessert called Apple Crostata.

The always affable Henrik as you can witness for yourself in the 10 Minute video below gets along with Martha swimmingly.

Henrik also mentions where he is opening up his new Tribeca restaurant for all you stalkers.

Sean Avery KO's Ladislav Smid : Afterwards In Dressing Room Erik Christensen Pulls a Fredo.

 

Recently The Mouth has noticed that any time a Player gets hit viciously along the boards whether it be legal or illegal, the team of the victimized player takes it upon themselves to start World War III.

Last Sunday on November 14th, during a Ranger drubbing of the young upstart Oilers, Sean Avery flattened Oiler Colin Fraser with a tough legal check.

For some reason Fraser's teammate Ladislav Smid decided to drop the gloves with Sean Avery to avenge what really was just a clean hard hit.

What transpired on the ice after that everybody and their mother has an opinion on.

It also appears that even off ice opinions ran strong as Avery's fellow teammate and resident Ranger lack of confidence headcase Erik Christensen told both TV and Ranger beat reporter "Dancin" Larry Brooks that Avery sucker punched Smid.

The Mouth breaks the whole altercation down in usual skewed fashion and even includes the hard to find footage of Christensen speaking to Rogers Sports Net about the Avery decking of Ladislav Smid.

Blueshirt Banter Radio Hosts Ranger Viewing Party November 26th in New Jersey with Ranger Alumni !

On Friday November 26^th, Blueshirt Banter Internet Radio, the one true voice of the Ranger fan, is hosting its very own game viewing party as the Rangers take on the Florida Panthers at the Bank Atlantic Center.   

The viewing party will take place at Poitin Still Irish Restaurant and Pub in Hackensack, NJ, and will start at 5:00 PM.   

Admission is free and the event is open to all ages. 

Poitin Still features about 30 television sets, as well as a big screen, to ensure everyone gets a good view of all the action.

Because of the huge success of the show with the fans, the fellas have booked some of the most popular Blueshirts of all time to make it a can’t miss event.   

On hand will be special guests, former Rangers alumni, Ron Greschner, Nick Fotiu and Chris “Kotsy” Kotsopoulos.

The guys will be there and signing autographs for fans for a really phenomenal price.

For 35 bucks you get all three players autographs which also includes Three awesome individual photos for them to sign it on !

The event will also feature a question and answer session with the guys between periods where you, the fan, can ask any questions you would like.

The viewing party will also include a live pre-game broadcast on site of the Blueshirt Banter Radio show by hosts Jim Schmiedeberg and Eddie “The Mouth” Gieck.

If you are planning to get there early and have dinner, we advise you to make reservations as tables are filling up fast.  The number to call for reservations or directions or any other questions is (201) 487-0660. 

Poitin Still Irish Restaurant and Pub

774 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ

http://www.poitin-still.com/index.html

Message From The Mouth

Due to computer problems, which involves my motherboard being fried, I have not been able to post lately to the website.   

Once I am fully operational again, I will begin posting videos again.  Be patient my brothers and sisters.

The Mouth's Friday After School Special : The Rangers Home Opener Video

What a glorious time of year, the crisp fall weather can be felt in New York City as the smell of soggy pretzels permeate the air, it can only mean one thing..

Rangers hockey has returned to Madison Square Garden.

Although the Mouth will not be in attendance. most of the crazy people you see above will be.

Ranger fans after ONLY two games are once again questioning the sanity of their coach, targeting their new whipping boy on defense and ready to give rookie Derek Stepan the loudest welcome he has ever received in his hockey life.

For The Big Man all is right in the world.

To celebrate his good mood and to commemorate the seasons first home game, The Mouth presents his take on the home opener along with this fine 2010-2011 season preview video done by the great Ranger video editor LoFFen.

Caught On Tape : Stepan and Mom Sensation & Gord Dwyer - Sean Avery Bias Condemnation

Two games into the season and the Mouth is already professing his prognostications for the Rangers season as well as his affections for err.. umm.. Derek Stepan's Mom !

It seems The Big Man is a smitten kitten with both Derek's play and his Mom's million dollar smile.

We think you will find The Mouth's forecast for the 2010-2011 season is somewhat on the cautious side this time around, compared to last years ambitious Kool-Aid gulping crystal gazing.

On the serious side of things, which is also covered  in the clip below, The Big Man addresses the Sean Avery bias that every Ranger gets to see almost nightly at the hands of NHL officials.

The Mouth certainly knows that Sean is no angel and is an awful trash talker and most times when he is asked to drop gloves and throw the dukes more often than not skates the other way as fast as he can.

Sean Avery is not a dirty player. He doesn't stick swing, doesn't slew foot and doesn't deliver head shots.

Avery is merely a player who yaps unsportsmanlike things to the opposition whose main modus operandi is  to goad opposing players into bad penalties while he skates away scott free.

Is it honorable ? Probably not, but is gamesmanship? Hell yes.

NHL referees for the most part have decided to have developed a different rule book where Avery is concerned.

The on ice officiating in Sean's case considers themselves a extension of the player rather than impartial judges, which is what they are paid to do.

They hear what Avery is saying during play and for the most part they think it's cheap and vulgar and his actions not honorable.

So they have taken it upon themselves to let opposing players take liberties with him to both Sean and the Rangers detriment.

A perfect example of this happened on October 13th at the Mausoleum when Islander assistant captain and blueline chucklehead James Wisniewski made an obscene gesture at Avery, right in front of referee Gord Dwyer's face.

The NHL did the right thing a day later and suspended the dopey Wisniewski for two games.

But at the time of the classless incident nothing was called not even a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty even though referee Gord Dwyer obviously saw it.

Check it all out in the video below :