Though Valentenko had his best statistical season in five in the AHL despite missing 16 games because of injury, he never got called up by the parent New York Rangers. Valentenko had the hardest shot on the Whale but was rarely used on the power play largely because he was so valuable on the penalty kill thanks to his shot-blocking ability. He tied his career high with five goals, had career highs in assists (16) and points (21) and shared the team plus-minus lead (plus-12) with wing Carl Hagelin, who was called up in late November. Valentenko also had three assists and was plus-2 in nine playoff games. 

But since being acquired on June 30, 2009 as part of the “steal of a deal” that Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather pulled off to rid the team of high-priced but unproductive Scott Gomez and land Ryan McDonagh, currently the Blueshirts best defenseman, Valentenko never played a game on Broadway.

The 24-year-old Valentenko will join a Omsk team where future Hockey Hall of Famer Jarromir Jagr played for four seasons, three after leaving the Rangers after the 2007-08 season. It’s also the franchise where Rangers’ first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov died after collapsing on the bench during a game against Vityaz Chekhov on Oct. 13, 2008. He had played a shift with Jagr, and the two were talking on the bench shortly after they left the ice when he suddenly collapsed. After being attended to on the bench, he was carried to the dressing room where he was revived for several brief moments before finally being rushed to an intensive care unit, but it was too late. The ambulance normally at all games had already departed and had to be called back. Doctors arrived 12 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, and the battery on the defibrillator used to try to shock Cherepanov’s heart back to life was drained. It took approximately 20 minutes to get him to a hospital. While in the care of Chekhov doctors, he was again resuscitated briefly on two occasions before dying. On Dec. 29, Russian investigators revealed Cherepanov suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart and he should not have been playing professional hockey. The federal Investigative Committee also announced a chemical analysis of Cherepanov’s blood and urine samples allowed experts to conclude “that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in doping.” Official sources stated the banned substance taken was nikethamide, a stimulant, and that it had been taken three hours before the game in which he died.

I had a feeling something was up with Valentenko on the Whale’s “breakup day” on Monday when he went out of his way to say goodbye to myself and other members of the media, whom he had become more comfortable talking to since his English vastly improved in recent years. He was always one of the team’s most positive and upbeat players, especially since he became a father for the first time when wife Ekatrina gave birth of daughter Polina on Feb. 8. Whenever I asked how his child was doing, Pavel always broke into a wide smile, and Polina’s birth likely played into his decision to return to his homeland. He already returned to Russia earlier in his career while in the Montreal Canadiens organization because of hardships at home.

Another indication that Valentenko, a restricted free agent, might not be returning next season is he wasn’t one of nine Whale players selected to join the Rangers as part of their taxi squad during the NHL playoffs. Two of the nine call-ups were rookie defensemen Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath, former first-round picks of the Calgary Flames and Rangers who are in their early 20s and obviously ranked ahead of Valentenko on the Rangers’ pecking order.

In his Twitter goodbye, Valentenko said, “It was two great seasons for me here, in Hartford! I was proud to be one of the part of Wolf Pack/Whale team! Thanks everyone for support!”

Thank you, Pavel, for being a terrific team player and so cooperative with myself and others in the media. Here’s hoping you have a long, productive career in your homeland with plenty of love with your new child and perhaps a few more in the future.

ADMIRALS, MARLIES ROMP IN OPENERS

The Whale obviously didn’t take much out of the regular season champion Norfolk Admirals in their tough six-game series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Defenseman Mike Kostka had two goals and was plus-4 as the top-seeded Admirals scored the first five goals in a 6-1 rout of the second-seeded St. John’s IceCaps in the opener of their best-of-seven finals series Thursday night.

Keith Aulie, Ondrej Palat, Jean-Philippe Cote and Michael Ouellet also scored and AHL MVP and All-Rookie selection Cory Conacher, Trevor Smith and Tyler Johnson each had two assists for the Admirals, who got 29 saves from Dustin Tokarski.

Zach Redmond had the IceCaps goal. Eddie Pasquale allowed four goals on 21 shots before being pulled for David Aebischer, who had 10 saves. Game 2 is Saturday night in Norfolk, Va.

The second-seeded Toronto Marlies had an equally easy time, routing host and top-seeded Oklahoma City 5-0 behind 31 saves by Ben Scrivens. Marcel Mueller, Nicolas Deschamps, Jake Gardiner, Joe Colborne and Matt Frattin scored for the Marlies. Yann Danis had 27 saves for the Barons. Game 2 is Friday night in Oklahoma City.

HAMDEN’S QUICK HELPS KINGS MOVE WITHIN A WIN OF FINALS

Hamden native and former Avon Old Farms and UMass standout Jonathan Quick made 18 saves to help the Los Angeles Kings move within one win of their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals in 19 years in a 2-1 victory over the visiting Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night.

Quick has allowed only three goals as the Kings have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and can reach the finals Sunday with a victory in Game 4 at the Staples Center.

The Coyotes scored first when Daymond Langkow broke in between the defense pairing of Willie Mitchell and Slava Voynov and fired a shot that trickled through Quick’s legs for his first playoff goal since April 20, 2008. Langkow had moved up in the lineup from the fourth line to replace the suspended Martin Hanzal, who was suspended for a game after a hit from behind on Kings captain Dustin Brown late in third period of Game 2. Langkow’s goal ended Quick’s shutout streak, which dated to the second period of Game 1, at 102:58.

But the Kings’ first deficit since Game 1 of the second round against the St. Louis Blues lasted only 127 seconds. Brown sent Anze Kopitar on a breakaway with a long outlet pass, and the Slovenian center coolly slipped a backhander between Mike Smith’s legs at 3:10.

The Kings then won their eighth straight game since their clincher in the first round against the top-seeded Canucks in Vancouver when rookie Dwight King beat Smith high to the glove side at 1:47 of the third period, capping a great shift as the third line, led by center Jarret Stoll, had a huge night causing havoc for the Coyotes’ defense. It was King’s fourth goal in the last three games and fifth of the postseason, most for any rookies. He had five goals in 27 regular-season games, though he scored 24 for the Manchester Monarchs last season.

If the Kings complete their second straight series sweep, they will advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since the days of Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille and face the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Rangers and New Jersey Devils. That series is tied at 1 heading into Game 3 on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

“It’s exciting, I think for everyone in here,” Brown said of the Kings’ 10-1 playoff run. “There’s a lot of guys that haven’t experienced this and a lot of guys that have. The thing that’s made us successful as a team is handling that success. We’ve put ourselves up 3-0 again. It’s not only an opportunity but now a responsibility to prepare ourselves to have a good game.”

Several Coyotes players and coach Dave Tippett, the former Hartford Whalers center, said this was their best effort of the three games, but the Kings smothered them in the final 38 minutes and they needed great goaltending from Smith to keep it from getting out of hand. The Coyotes had never reached the conference finals in the history of the franchise, which began as the original Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association. They have two days to try to figure out how to slow the Kings juggernaut and get this series back to Arizona.

“We’ll take a couple days here and rest up,” Tippett said. “What do we got to lose? Might as well come and play as hard as we can. They say, ‘One game at a time.’ We got nothing to lose. We might as well come and make sure we give a real honest evaluation of who we are and how we got here. It’s as simple as that. Play as hard as we can, we’ll see what happens.”

Jaromir Jagr left the New York Rangers to play for four seasons at Avangard Omsk. This franchise is the same where on October 13, 2008,  then first round pick Alexei Cherepanov died after collapsing on the bench during a game against Vityaz Chekhov.

Valentenko said his goodbye with the following tweet from his twitter account:

“It was two great seasons for me here, in Hartford! I was proud to be one of the part of Wolfpack/Whale team! Thanks everyone for support!”

Valentenko’s wife recently had their first child, a beautiful baby girl, and that likely played a major factor in his decision to return home. The logjam of defensemen the franchise has now was also likely a determining factor as well.

Valentenko was acquired on June 30, 2009 as part of the trade that sent Christopher Higgins, Doug Janik, and star defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the New York Rangers for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Michael Busto.

(Photo courtesy of newyorkrangers.com)

Here’s a quick guess as to who they will resign and why. It’s not based upon ANY inside information or any such thing as that, just our guesses.

After looking at it, let’s here what you think.

The following guys are already signed and will be back with either the Rangers, the Whale or Greenville:

(Rangers in Blue, Whale in Green, Greenville or other in Red)

F Ryan Bourque, D Tim Erixon, F Tommy Grant, F Carl Hagelin, F Chad Kolarik, D Dylan McIlrath, F J.T. Miller, G Jason Missiaen, D Jyri Niemi, D Blake Parlett, D Wade Redden, G Scott Stajcer, F Christian Thomas, F Jason Wilson, F Andrew Yogan

Restricted Free Agent:

D Lee Baldwin - He played well in short spurts but not consistent enough. Might be signed and sent to Greenville as a reinforcement in case of injury.

F Francois Bouchard - When the Whale traded Tomas Kundratek for him they were looking for more of a scorer than he turned out to be. He’ll be turned loose.

D Sam Klassen – Klassen showed consistent improvement and will likely be one of the top six for the Whale next season.

G Cam Talbot - Talbot had a strong last month of the season and was solid in the playoffs. He will compete with Stacjer and Missiaen for the top spot next season. Early prediction, he will be the starter with Stacjer as the number two.

F Andreas Thuresson - Was okay. Didn’t really do anything to excite the team one way or the other and with so many good youngsters coming up, there’ not likely to be room for him.

D Pavel Valentenko - The man with a “Russian Missile” has apparently, according to Evgeny Belouslav, signed with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. Laurie Carr, who is fluent in Russian reports that the deal is for two years.

F Casey Wellman - What’s not to like about Casey Wellman? Did everything he was asked to do and it was his goal that won the series against Bridgeport. Rangers traded Erik Christensen to get him and have to be pleased with the upgrade.

Unrestricted Free Agent:

F Jonathan Audy-Marchessault - 100% the Whale Rookie-of-the-Year. You could make a strong argument for MVP as well. He came from out of nowhere and was super. Needs to work a bit more on his consistency. Plays a VERY similar game to Mats Zuccarello but is stronger on the puck and plays much bigger than his size. Question is because of his size can he go to the next level? That remains to be seen. His agent will most certainly get a green light from the Rangers.

D Brendan Bell - Solid citizen and a warrior playing hurt in Game Six against the Admirals and a good leader in the room, but at his age and with the mental errors that he makes, but with Redden likely to be here for two more seasons, depending upon how the CBA works out, he will likely be let go for a younger player to take the roster spot.

F Andre Deveaux – When he threw a flagrant elbow to Florida Panthers forward Tomas Fleischmann and earned himself a three-game suspension, as he said, it likely cost him his spot in New York and more likely a ticket out of Connecticut. At times was incredible and at others completely invisible and other times seemed like he was just going through the motions. Great guy, but probably headed elsewhere.

F Marek Hrivik - You can bet your bottom dollar that this late season signing will be back. Word has it that the Rangers have already contacted his agent about next season. Would not be a surprise at all if he didn’t get a call-up at some point next season. The only thing that could keep him out of here is if he decides to sign elsewhere.

G Chad Johnson - Likely headed elsewhere. Johnson told Howlings that he feels he’s ready for the next level and wants to get with a team that can afford him that opportunity. He likes the Rangers organization, but with Marty Biron and  the best goaltender in the business in Henrik Lundqvist ahead of him in New York, there’s probably no chance at all that Johnson stays with the organization. 

F Chris McKelvie - Nice guy…tries hard and is versatile but too many more talented guys in front of him. He’ll sign somewhere but not here. 

F John Mitchell - Quite possibly the biggest question mark in the entire organization. The Rangers will have players in Hartford that are pushing for that fourth line spot. Coach John Tortorella and Jim Schoenfeld like him, but is it enough to keep him here? We’re going to guess that it isn’t. 

F Steve Moses - Interesting young player. Showed some talent in the limited time he was on the ice in the Whale sweater. Like Mitchell, was it enough? We’re guessing it was.

F Randy McNaught - Who? Enforcers are a dime a dozen. He won’t be back.

F Kris Newbury - Without question will be the toughest call of  all these players. Newbury is a mixed bag. On the plus side of the ledger, he has good offensive instincts. He’s a REALLY good passer and excellent on face-offs. He’s solid defensively and a good penalty killer with speed. He plays with grit and has no problem with dropping the mitts when necessary. Newbury’s also well respected in the room and a definite leader on the team. On the other hand he takes a TON of penalties and a very high percentage of them are really bad penalties and often come at really bad times. How many times this season did a Newbury penalty put the Whale down two men? How many momentum killing penalties did he take and how many of those penalties wound up with pucks in the Whale net? An awful lot! A lot will depend upon how much money Newbury wants or thinks he can get. His family has settled in to Connecticut and that could play a factor as well. It will most certainly be a huge decision and the one to watch for the Whale fans this summer.

D Jared Nightingale - Has been a solid citizen and a stand-up guy for his teammates. He’s well-liked among the media and especially in the locker room by his teammates. He fights for his teammates and plays a decent defense, but his chances of making it as an NHL’er are remote. Might be resigned, but not likely.

F Jordan Owens - Jordan Owens was one of the most underrated contributors on the team this season. Combined with Kelsey Tessier, the two were phenomenal on the penalty kill. Owens is fast, strong defensively, tough as nails and can put the puck in the net from time to time. His resigning will depend upon what other forwards the Rangers choose to ink. Owens is the kind of player that Gernander likes – he works hard every shift and does the things he’s called upon to do. 

F Jeff Prough - Apart from dating Chris Berman of ESPN’s daughter and being ripped like a bodybuilder, Prough didn’t really do much of anything for the Whale in the time he was here. He wasn’t bad; he just wasn’t good either. He’s really an ECHL player. If He does stay in the organization, it’ll be in Greenville.

F Scott Tanski - This was a good freshman year for Tanski. He’s a tough kid who may be a bigger contributor in a sophomore year. He played a lot of fourth line minutes this season and showed that he can play big games as he did in the series with Bridgeport. He is also the biggest optimist you will ever meet. His mantra is, “Stay positive” and he’ll likely be repeating it in the Whale locker room next season.

F Kelsey Tessier - He earned our vote for the second year in a row for the “Unsung Hero” Award. Tessier does everything well, but nothing great. He’s probably going to be a career AHL guy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Tessier is the kind of player every coach and especially every teammate wants  to have in the room. He does everything that he’s asked to do and doesn’t hurt you in any of them.  He plays terrific defense. He can score goals. Tessier is also surprisingly fast and is unafraid in to go into the dirty areas to battle for pucks and to score goals. Unless something incredibly bizarre happens, he’ll be back.

D Mike Vernace - Quality guy, quality player. He’s been a bit of a journeyman and that will likely continue as the organization has some quality young players that are ready to step up on defense.

F Mats Zuccarello - Very tough to predict what Zucc is going to do. He certainly won’t be coming back to play in Hartford. Zucc believes that he is an NHL ready player. What he will have to see is if the Rangers agree with him and sign him as such or if another franchise wants to sign him strictly at the major league level. If that doesn’t work out according to his plan, expect “The Norwegian Hobbit” to go back to Europe where he’ll be better compensated and play in an environment where he’ll be happy.

Unsigned Draft Pick

F Shane McColgan: An unsigned draft pick, McColgan got some time in with the Whale and looked pretty good. We’re not sure if he is still eligible to go back to juniors or if he is to come up to the AHL level. If he is coming out, then likely he’ll get signed and perhaps start the season with Greenville and get called up if he excels there.

We’ll take a look at the free agents from the Road Warriors and the Rangers in the coming days. In the meantime what are your thoughts…???

VERSUS     

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: GAME TWO
NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
Eastern Conference Final, Game 2
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
(Series tied 1-1)

Team Notes:

The Rangers were defeated by the New Jersey Devils, 3-2, tonight at Madison Square Garden in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final. The series is now tied at one game apiece.

New York is now 207-223-8 overall in postseason action, including a 116-87-2 mark at home.

Twelve of the Blueshirts’ 16 playoff games have been decided by one goal.

The Rangers tallied one power play goal in four attempts (7:02), and are now 2-8 (25.0%) with the man advantage in the series.

Marc Staal recorded the Rangers’ first goal of the contest to increase New York’s league-leading total to 10 goals scored by defensemen in the playoffs.

Player Notes:

• Chris Kreider notched a power play goal, registered three shots on goal and was credited with three hits in 18:14 of ice time to earn second star honors. With the goal, he tied the NHL record for most playoff goals and points by a player who has never skated in a regular season game, with four goals and six points in postseason action. Kreider has registered three points (two goals, one assist) in the last two games, and is now tied for the lead among league rookies (11th overall) in goals (four) and ranks third in points (six).
• Marc Staal tallied the Rangers’ first goal at 2:23 of the second period, registered three shots on goal and two blocked shots in a game-high, 27:26 of ice time. He has recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in the last six games, and is now tied with teammate Anton Stralman for first among NHL defensemen with three goals in postseason action.
• Anton Stralman registered a power play assist, and was credited with two hits and two blocked shots in the contest. He is now tied for the NHL lead among defensemen with four power play points (two goals, two assists) in the playoffs.
• Artem Anisimov tallied a power play assist and was credited with two hits in the contest. He has recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in the last six games, including three points (one goal, two assists) in the last two games.
• Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves and is now 24-27 overall in the playoffs, including a 14-12 mark at home.
• Brad Richards tallied the primary assist on Staal’s goal and registered three shots on goal in 21:22 of ice time. He leads the team and ranks sixth in the league in scoring with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in the playoffs.
• Dan Girardi recorded an assist and was credited with two hits in 25:20 of ice time. He has tallied six points (one goal, five assists) in the last seven games, and now leads all NHL defensemen in scoring with 10 points and eight assists in the playoffs.
• Ryan McDonagh was credited with a game-high, eight blocked shots, and tied for the game-high with five hits in 24:33 of ice time. The eight blocked shots tied his playoff career-high.

Post-Game Quotes:

Ryan Callahan on the team’s mentality heading into Game 3 …

“We’ve been in this situation before. We just have to go into Jersey and try to get that next game. We can’t get down. Like I said, we’ve been in this situation before, and we’ve come through. We’ll get a day off tomorrow, and be ready to work on Friday.”

Carl Hagelin on the importance of the first goal of the game …

“It seems to be like that in the playoffs, the team to get the first goal seems to play a bit more relaxed. They don’t have to take many chances to get chances. Then you just play well defensively.”

Team Schedule:

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, May 19, at Prudential Center (1:00 p.m.), in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. The game will be televised live on NBC, and can be heard on ESPN Radio 98.7FM.

(Notes provided by the New York Rangers)

NY RANGERS vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS

• All information through NHL games on May 14.

TONIGHT’S GAME:

The Rangers will face-off against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden (8:00 p.m.; TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7FM), in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Blueshirts opened up their third round series with a 3-0 win over the Devils in Game 1 on Monday at Madison Square Garden. New York has now won six of their last nine opening games of playoff series dating back to the 2007 playoffs. The Rangers enter the contest with a 207-222-8 record all-time in 437 playoff contests (116-86-2 at home; 91-136-6 on the road). New York has posted a 45-48-2 record all-time in Game 2 of playoff series.

New York entered the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference having posted a record of 51-24-7 overall (27-12-2 at home; 24-12-5 on the road) for 109 points. The Rangers’ 51 wins ranked second in franchise history, while their 109 points tied for second all-time. The Blueshirts finished second in the NHL overall, tied for first in wins and led the league with 47 wins in regulation and overtime. New York is one of four Eastern Conference teams to have posted 40 or more wins in at least six seasons since 2005-06, and one of four teams in the East to have advanced to the playoffs in six of the last seven years.

ALL-TIME RANGERS PLAYOFF RECORDS:

• Overall — 207-222-8
• Home — 116-86-2
• Away — 91-136-6
• Goals for — 1,207
• Goals against — 1,198

ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORDS — RANGERS vs. DEVILS:

• The Rangers and Devils are meeting in the playoffs for the sixth time overall and the third time in seven years. Their last postseason encounter was in the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a series won by the Rangers, 4-1. Overall, the Blueshirts have a 4-1 playoff series record vs. the Devils, posting a 17-12 mark in 29 postseason contests.

RANGERS vs. DEVILS:

• All-Time (Regular Season):
  101-84-27-6 overall (56-30-20-2 at home; 45-54-7-4 on the road)
• 2011-12: New York was 3-2-1 overall (2-1-0 at home; 1-1-1 on the road). Four of their six meetings were decided by two goals or less. Carl Hagelin led all skaters with six assists and eight points in the season series. Henrik Lundqvist was 3-2-0 with a 1.41 GAA, .940 sv% and one shutout, while Martin Biron made 26 saves in his only appearance (4-3 shootout loss).
• Thirteen of their last 17 regular season meetings have been decided by two goals or less
• The Blueshirts have seven players with previous playoff experience against the Devils, led by Brad Richards (11 GP) who had registered three goals and eight assists against New Jersey entering the series
• New York lists one former Devil on their roster: Mike Rupp (2002-03 – 2003-04, 2006-07 – 2008-09)
• New Jersey lists one former Ranger on their roster: Petr Sykora (2005-06)

INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. DEVILS (Regular Season):

• Henrik Lundqvist — 41 GP, 25-11-5, 1.79 GAA, 6 SO
• Brad Richards — 38 GP, 5-28-33
• Marian Gaborik — 24 GP, 8-12-20
• Ryan Callahan — 25 GP, 7-9-16
• Dan Girardi — 35 GP, 1-13-14

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Rangers are 4-1 in games when out-scoring their opponent on special teams in the playoffs.

• Power Play:  The Rangers tallied one goal in four power play attempts (7:36) in Game 1, and are now 10-61 (16.4%) in 15 playoff contests. New York is 1-1 in five-on-three situations (0:40; last – 4/23 at OTT), and 0-1 while skating four-on-three (0:30; last – 4/23 at OTT). Shorthanded goals allowed (0).
• Penalty Killing:  The Blueshirts held the Devils scoreless in four shorthanded situations (6:38) in Game 1, and are now 42-50 (84.0%) in 15 playoff contests. New York is 1-1 in three-on-five situations (0:33; last – 4/28 vs. WSH). Shorthanded goals for (0).
• Four-on-Four: New York did not skate in a four-on-four situation in Game 1. The Rangers are plus-one in nine four-on-four situations (10:22). Four-on-four goals for (1): Richards (4/30 vs. WSH). Four-on-four goals allowed (0).

HOME SWEET HOME:

• The Rangers have won their last seven playoff series in which they held home-ice advantage, including a 4-3 series win against New Jersey in the 1994 Conference Final.

OPENING ACT:

• The Blueshirts have opened six of their last nine playoff series with a win in Game 1. The Rangers’ 3-0 win vs. the Devils on Monday was the 12th shutout by the Rangers in series opening games all-time. New York is 8-3 in playoff series when posting a shutout in Game 1. Overall, the Rangers have posted a 32-11 series record when winning Game 1, including wins in seven of the last eight playoff series in which the Blueshirts won the opening game.

MILESTONE WIN:

• The Rangers won their 100th victory all-time against the New Jersey Devils franchise on Feb. 27. The Blueshirts held the Devils to a season-low, 13 shots against in the 2-0 victory, the fewest shots allowed by the Rangers in a game since they held Calgary to 11 shots on goal on Jan. 19, 1981 at MSG. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau

SINCE 2007-08:

• The Rangers are 20-8-3 overall (11-4-1 at home; 9-4-2 on the road) against the Devils in the regular season since 2007-08, dating back to a 2-0 win on Oct. 25, 2007. Henrik Lundqvist is 20-8-2 with a 1.96 GAA, .929 sv% and six shutouts in 30 games over the span.

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

• Henrik Lundqvist has faced-off against Martin Brodeur in 34 career regular season games, posting a record of 23-6-5 with a 1.73 GAA, .935 sv% and five shutouts over the span.

IN-KREID-IBLE:

• Rangers rookie Chris Kreider notched his first goal at Madison Square Garden with the game-winner, and added his first career assist in Game 1 vs. Washington. He became the youngest Rangers player to record two points in a playoff game since Niklas Sundstrom on May 11, 1996, and the first Blueshirt rookie to register a multi-point effort in the postseason since Brandon Dubinsky on May 1, 2008. Kreider is the first New York rookie to register two game-winning goals in the postseason since Mike Allison in the 1981 playoffs. In Game 1 of the Conference Final, Kreider tallied his first career power play goal and added the primary assist on the game-winning goal to become one of four players in NHL history to have notched at least three playoff goals before skating in a regular season game, and one of four such players to have registered at least five points. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau

KING HENRIK’S ASCENSION:

• Henrik Lundqvist continues to climb the Rangers’ all-time playoff leaders list in several goaltending categories. He posted a 21-save shutout in Game 1 of the Conference Final, moving into a tie with Ed Giacomin and John Ross Roach for third in franchise history with five career playoff shutouts. He also passed Dave Kerr for second on the Rangers’ all-time total shutouts list with 48 in his career (43 regular season, five playoff). In the first round, Lundqvist passed John Vanbiesbrouck for third in franchise history with his 39th career playoff appearance in Game 4 at Ottawa, while his 25-save effort in a 3-2 win in Game 6 of that series moved him past Dave Kerr for third all-time with 18 playoff victories.

COOL UNDER PRESSURE:

• Henrik Lundqvist has posted 30 or more saves in the playoffs 14 times, posting a 7-7 record with a 1.69 GAA, .948 sv% and two shutouts in those contests.

BROADWAY HIT:

• New York leads the league with 521 hits in the playoffs. The Blueshirts have five players ranked in the top 10 in the NHL – Ryan Callahan (1st, 68), Michael Del Zotto (5th, 51), Brian Boyle (6th, 46), Brandon Prust (T-7th, 45), and Dan Girardi (T-9th, 43).

BLOCK PARTY:

• The Rangers rank second in the NHL with 293 blocked shots in the playoffs, paced by Dan Girardi (1st, 52), Ryan McDonagh (2nd, 42), Marc Staal (T-7th, 31), and Ryan Callahan (10th, 26). Ruslan Fedotenko (18) and Brad Richards (15) also rank third and sixth, respectively in blocked shots among NHL forwards.

SEVENTH HEAVEN:

• The Rangers advanced to the Conference Final behind a pair of 2-1 Game 7 victories, defeating the Ottawa Senators in their Conference Quarterfinal series and the Washington Capitals in the Conference Semifinals. New York remains undefeated in Game 7s played at MSG, having posted a record of 5-0 in those contests. The Rangers are 5-5 all-time in Game 7s, with eight of the 10 games being decided by one goal. Head Coach John Tortorella is 4-1 all-time in Game 7s, with the final score of all five contests being 2-1.

KING HENRIK’S ASCENSION:

• Henrik Lundqvist continues to climb the Rangers’ all-time playoff leaders list in several goaltending categories. He posted a 21-save shutout in Game 1 of the Conference Final, moving into a tie with Ed Giacomin and John Ross Roach for third in franchise history with five career playoff shutouts. He also passed Dave Kerr for second on the Rangers’ all-time total shutouts list with 48 in his career (43 regular season, five playoff). In the first round, Lundqvist passed John Vanbiesbrouck for third in franchise history with his 39th career playoff appearance in Game 4 at Ottawa, while his 25-save effort in a 3-2 win in Game 6 of that series moved him past Dave Kerr for third all-time with 18 playoff victories.

COOL UNDER PRESSURE:

• Henrik Lundqvist has posted 30 or more saves in the playoffs 14 times, posting a 7-7 record with a 1.69 GAA, .948 sv% and two shutouts in those contests.

BROADWAY HIT:

• New York leads the league with 521 hits in the playoffs. The Blueshirts have five players ranked in the top 10 in the NHL – Ryan Callahan (1st, 68), Michael Del Zotto (5th, 51), Brian Boyle (6th, 46), Brandon Prust (T-7th, 45), and Dan Girardi (T-9th, 43).

BLOCK PARTY:

• The Rangers rank second in the NHL with 293 blocked shots in the playoffs, paced by Dan Girardi (1st, 52), Ryan McDonagh (2nd, 42), Marc Staal (T-7th, 31), and Ryan Callahan (10th, 26). Ruslan Fedotenko (18) and Brad Richards (15) also rank third and sixth, respectively, in blocked shots among NHL forwards.

SEVENTH HEAVEN:

• The Rangers advanced to the Conference Final behind a pair of 2-1 Game 7 victories, defeating the Ottawa Senators in their Conference Quarterfinal series and the Washington Capitals in the Conference Semifinals. New York remains undefeated in Game 7s played at MSG, having posted a record of 5-0 in those contests. The Rangers are 5-5 all-time in Game 7s, with eight of the 10 games being decided by one goal. Head Coach John Tortorella is 4-1 all-time in Game 7s, with the final score of all five contests being 2-1.

FOLLOW THE LEADER:

• New York has tallied the game’s first goal in 10 games during the playoffs, posting a record of 8-2 in those contests.  In their Conference Semifinal series against Washington, the team that scored the first goal of the game was undefeated.

CLOSE CALL:

• Eleven of the Rangers’ 15 playoff games have been decided by one goal, including four that were decided in OT. The Blueshirts and Capitals were separated by one goal in six of seven games, with two games requiring OT, and were tied or separated by one goal for 91.1% of the total playing time in their second round series.

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET:

• Brad Richards’ goal with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation in Game 5 was the latest game-tying goal scored by the Rangers in the playoffs in franchise history, and the sixth game-tying goal tallied by the Blueshirts in the final minute of regulation all-time in the playoffs. Below is a complete list of last minute, game-tying goals by the Rangers in postseason action.

RANGER’S TRIPLE OT GAME THREE WIN NOTES:

• Was the fifth longest game in franchise history at 114:41
• Marked the seventh time the Rangers skated in a game that required at least three OT periods
• Was the longest Rangers game since Mar. 21, 1939 (119:25, 2-1 loss vs. Boston)
• Was the second longest game resulting in a win for the Rangers all-time (Mar. 26, 1932; 119:32, 4-3 win at Montreal)
• The last triple OT game for the Rangers was a 3-2 win vs. Chicago on Apr. 29, 1971, in Game 6 of their Semifinals series at MSG. Pete Stemkowski tallied the GWG at 1:29 of triple OT to send that series into a Game 7.
• Was the longest NHL game since May 4, 2008, when Dallas defeated San Jose, 2-1, at 9:03 of the fourth OT*
• The last NHL game that required at least three OT periods was on Apr. 22, 2010, when Ottawa’s Matt Carkner tallied the GWG at 7:06 of the third OT in a 4-3 win at Pittsburgh*

*courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau

INJURIES:

• Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5) — 15
• Mats Zuccarello (fractured wrist, 3/23) — 15
• Brandon Dubinsky (injured, 4/26) — 8

Total Man-Games Lost (Regular Season): 237
Total Man-Games Lost (Playoffs): 48

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

May 14 — Recalled Cam Talbot, Tim Erixon, Dylan McIlrath, J.T. Miller, Kris Newbury, and Casey Wellman from Connecticut (AHL)

(Pre-Game Notes courtesy of the New York Rangers)

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Marek Hrivik and Chad Kolarik will also be joining the six mentioned in this story in New York.

Here’s the official release:

WHALE ANNOUNCE ROSTER MOVES

*           *           *           *

Six Recalled by Rangers, Moses, Yogan Released from ATOs

HARTFORD, May 15, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld today announced eight season-ending Whale roster transactions.

The parent New York Rangers have recalled six players, goaltender Cam Talbot, defensemen Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath and forwards J.T. Miller, Kris Newbury and Casey Wellman, from Connecticut.  Additionally, the Whale has released forwards Steve Moses and Andrew Yogan from their Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreements.

The Whale’s 2011-12 season ended this past Friday, with a 2-1 overtime loss at Norfolk in Game Six of Connecticut’s Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the regular season AHL-champion Admirals.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

The Whale were defeated by the Norfolk Admirals, four games to two, in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals series to end their successful 2011-12 season. Connecticut fell short in a must-win Game Six on Friday in Norfolk, losing 2-1 to the Admirals in overtime. Marek Hrivik and Casey Wellman shared both the Whale team points lead in the series, Wellman with 3-2-5 and Hrivik with 1-4-5, and overall in the playoffs, as Hrivik notched 5-4-9 and Wellman 4-5-9 in nine games. Cam Talbot was a playoff hero for the Whale in goal, picking up two shutouts in the postseason and earning all five of Connecticut’s playoff wins, compiling a 2.10 goals against average and a .939 save percentage in nine games. The Whale escaped the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season, thanks in part to twelve goals and eleven assists from rookies this season. 

Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Norfolk (best-of-seven):

Game One                  Wed., May. 2       Norfolk Scope                         CT 3, NOR 2 (OT)
Game Two                 Fri., May. 4            Norfolk Scope                       NOR 4, CT 1
Game Three             Sun., May. 6          XL Center                                 NOR 4, CT 3
Game Four               Mon., May. 7         XL Center                                 CT 4, NOR 1            Game Five                Wed., May. 9        Webster Bank Arena            CT 0, NOR 4 Game Six                  Fri., May. 11          Norfolk Scope                         CT 1, NOR 2 (OT)

(Norfolk wins series, four games to two)

It’s never too early to think about a Whale ticket package for the 2012-13 season.  For information on season seats, mini plans and group discounts, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

Recent Transactions:

• Tim Erixon – recalled from the Whale by the NY Rangers May 14
• Dylan McIlrath – recalled from Whale by the NY Rangers May 14
• J.T. Miller – recalled from the Whale by the NY Rangers May 14
• Steve Moses – released by the Whale from ATO agreement May 14
• Kris Newbury – recalled from the Whale by the NY Rangers May 14
• Cameron Talbot – recalled from Whale by the NY Rangers May 14
• Andrew Yogan – released by the Whale from ATO May 14
• Casey Wellman – recalled from Whale by the NY Rangers May 14 

“Whale TV”, presented by Webster Bank:

• Every week, CPTV Sports will air an edited re-broadcast of a Whale game, on “Whale TV Replay”.  CPTV Sports is available on Comcast cable channels 185, 187 and 744 and on the Cox Communications cable system channel 144.
  • This Tuesday night at 7:00 PM, Whale TV Replay will re-live a thrilling overtime battle with the GEICO Connecticut Cup-rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers from this past November 18 at the XL Center.

Whale Tales:

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

The AHL’s Connecticut Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin and Howard Baldwin, Jr.. The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated nearly $21.4 billion in sales and has transferred more than $7.2 billion to the state’s General Fund. Prizes have exceeded $12.3 billion. Purchasers must be 18 years or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238. For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, visit CTLottery.org.

CATCH THE WHALE AT CTWHALE.COM

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS – GAME ONE

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
Eastern Conference Final
Game 1
(NYR lead 1-0)
Madison Square Garden
New York, NY

Team Notes:

• The Rangers opened the Eastern Conference Final with a 3-0 win against the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 tonight at Madison Square Garden, to take a 1-0 series lead.
• New York is now 207-222-8 overall in postseason action, including a 116-86-2 mark at home.
• After 40 minutes of scoreless hockey, the Rangers registered three goals in the third period.  The three goals tied the Blueshirts’ playoff-high for most goals in a single period.
• The Blueshirts have opened six of their last nine playoff series with a win in Game 1.  New York has posted a 32-11 series record when winning Game 1, including wins in seven of the last eight playoff series in which the Rangers won the opening game.
• Tonight’s shutout was the 12th by the Rangers all-time in series opening games.  New York is 8-3 in playoff series when posting a shutout in Game 1.
• The Rangers’ three-goal win was their largest margin of separation in the playoffs thus far.  Prior to tonight’s contest, eleven of the Blueshirts’ 14 playoff games were decided by one goal, including four games that required overtime.  The other three games were decided by two goals.
• New York improved to 8-2 in games when scoring the first goal of the contest in the playoffs.
• The Rangers out-shot the Devils, 28-21, led by Michael Del Zotto’s playoff career-high, six shots on goal.
• The Blueshirts tallied one power play goal in four attempts (25.0%), while holding the Devils scoreless in four shorthanded situations.  The Rangers improved to 4-1 in games when out-scoring their opponent on special teams in postseason action.
• The Rangers out-hit the Devils, 35-21, including seven players who registered at least three hits in the contest.  New York also held a 26-15 advantage in blocked shots, led by Dan Girardi and Marc Staal who tied for the game-high with five blocked shots apiece.
• The Blueshirts posted a 59% success rate on face-offs, winning 36 of 61 draws in the contest.  Brad Richards led all skaters with 14 face-off wins in 21 attempts (67%).

Player Notes:

• Henrik Lundqvist turned aside all 21 shots he faced to post his fifth career playoff shutout, and his second shutout of these playoffs.  He is now tied for third in franchise history in playoff shutouts, along with Ed Giacomin and John Ross Roach, and passed Dave Kerr for second on the Rangers all-time in total shutouts with 48 in his career (43 regular season, five playoff).  Lundqvist improved to 24-26 overall in the playoffs, including a 14-11 mark at home.  He currently leads all NHL goalies with a 1.57 goals against average, is tied for first in wins (nine) and shutouts (two), and ranks third with a .940 save percentage in postseason action.
• Dan Girardi notched the first goal of the series at 0:53 of the third period, registered a power play assist, and posted a plus-two rating in a game-high, 25:11 of ice time.  He has tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in the last six games, and is now tied with teammate Michael Del Zotto for the NHL lead among defensemen in playoff scoring with nine points (two goals, seven assists).  Girardi also tied for the game-high with five blocked shots, as he increased his league-leading total to 52 blocked shots in postseason action.
• Chris Kreider tallied his first career power play goal, added the primary assist on the game-winning goal and was credited with three hits in 15:39 of ice time.  He is one of four players in NHL history to have notched at least three playoff goals before skating in a regular season game, and one of four players to have registered at least five points.
• Artem Anisimov recorded a power play assist and added an empty net goal with 1:27 remaining in regulation.  He has now tallied four points (two goals, two assists) in the last five games, and is tied for fifth on the team in playoff scoring with eight points (three goals, five assists).
• Michael Del Zotto registered an assist on the game-winning goal, led all skaters with a playoff career-high, six shots on goal, and was credited with four hits in 22:41 of ice time.  He has tallied eight points (two goals, six assists) in the last 10 games, including three points (one goal, two assists) in the last two contests.  Del Zotto is now tied with teammate Dan Girardi for the NHL lead among defensemen in playoff scoring with nine points (two goals, seven assists).
• Brian Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko each tallied an assist on Anisimov’s empty net goal.  Boyle also registered four hits in 15:21 of ice time, and is now tied for eighth on the team in playoff scoring with five points (three goals, two assists).
• Ryan Callahan led all skaters with five hits and was credited with three blocked shots in 20:51 of ice time.  He leads all NHL skaters with 68 hits, and ranks first among league forwards with 26 blocked shots in postseason action.

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on playing in tight games …

“We’ve been in these games all playoffs, with some of the experiences we’ve gone through.  I have a tremendous amount of confidence in our conditioning, and, more importantly, in our mental makeup, as far as handling the situations.  And I looked at our third period in Game 7.  I thought it was probably one of our best periods, eliminate Washington, and I thought tonight’s third period was a really good one also.”

Brad Richards on the team’s intensity in the third period …

“It was there the whole game. Fans were in it probably a little more, and we scored some goals. It just feels like that. It’s a total different game with the pressure they bring compared to what Washington did, so we had to get a handle on that, and get a feel for that, and we just stayed with it.”

Brian Boyle on Henrik Lundqvist …

“We want to play well in front of him. He bails us out; it’s huge. You think about the end of the game when you don’t want to have to put him in situations like that. We know what we have in him, and he’s been huge for us all year long.”

Ryan McDonagh on Chris Kreider …

“It’s awesome. He’s got a lethal shot and if he gets a second to get it off, scary things can happen. We just told him to keep moving his feet and keep moving his legs and get in on the fore-check. Him and Hags (Carl Hagelin) are key guys for us and it’s great for him to score that goal.”

Team Schedule:   

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, May 16, at Madison Square Garden (8:00 p.m.), in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final.  The game will be televised live on NBC Sports Network, and can be heard on ESPN Radio 98.7FM.

(Notes courtesy of the New York Rangers)

BY: Bruce Berlet, Exclusive to Howlings

No ice in the XL Center, no merchandise for Connecticut Whale players to sign, no Jim Schoenfeld on the premises.

It seemed an appropriate scene Monday as the Whale players had their exit meetings with coach Ken Gernander and assistant J.J. Daigneault while Schoenfeld, the Rangers assistant general manager and assistant coach and Whale GM, was in New York as the parent club prepared for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference final against the New Jersey Devils.

“The Rangers are kind of preoccupied right now with a couple of other things,” Gernander said with a smile.

The XL Center ice had been melted away before the arrival of the circus, which forced the Whale to have to play their third “home” game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Norfolk Admirals on Wednesday night at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport. The Whale lost that game 4-0 and then was eliminated Friday night when the Admirals rallied for a 2-1 victory on Richard Panik’s goal at 13:01 of overtime.

So no more ice would be needed in the XL Center until October, when the Whale will begin its 16^th season since replacing the NHL’s Hartford Whalers in 1997. While most of the players headed for locales around the globe with conditioning instructions and advice with the coaches, the major off-ice question is if Whalers Sports and Entertainment will still be running the team’s marketing side. Chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin Sr. announced last Monday that his son, Howard Jr., was stepping down as WSE president and COO. Baldwin Jr. remains a liaison between WSE and its financial partners, but many other questions surround the company, notably how they’re going to pay off mounting debts, which led to the closing of the team store on Pratt Street on May 4 in favor of online sales.

Mark Willand, who has been with the company since its inception and is currently WSE’s senior vice president of business operations, replaced Baldwin Jr. and is handling the day-to-day chores. The Rangers and several local partners invested in WSE reportedly wanted a change, and Baldwin Jr. also had a strained relationship with AEG, which runs the XL Center, so Willand should provide a smoother ride.

Willand insists WSE will be back next season, though the XL Center leases, management and AHL contracts expire in 2013. The Rangers are hoping WSE can reverse a losing financial trend, but it will need to reduce its $25,000 lease payment per game – about three times the AHL average – if it hopes to accomplish that. If WSE can’t reach an agreement with AEG, the Rangers, who own the franchise, have several options that include leaving after next season, though the NHL team has always shown an interest in Hartford because of its proximity to New York.

Willand said talks already have begun with AEG, with WSE hoping to get concessions in the XL Center. He also hopes WSE can attract more investors, dasher boards and building deals if the University of Connecticut joins Hockey East and plays games in Hartford. LAZ Parking reportedly is interested in investing, though it has been seen as a rival to Baldwin for several years. But with WSE having money issues, the Rangers have told the company that it wants its house in order as soon as possible.

The team’s financial instability has led to stories that the Rangers will move their AHL affiliate to Glen Falls, N.Y., after next season. The Philadelphia Flyers moved their top affiliate to Glen Falls, where it became the Adirondack Phantoms, after the Spectrum was closed and then razed. The Phantoms were originally scheduled to play in Glen Falls for two years while a new arena was being built in Allentown, Pa., but construction was delayed, and the building might not be finished for the 2013-14 season. On May 7, two townships in the Allentown area rejected the city’s latest offer to settle a lawsuit that halted a $220-million arena project. Attorneys for the two townships informed Allentown that the offer to return all current earned income tax collections to the townships and share some future revenues had been rejected, though talks continue.

Meanwhile, Gernander and assistants Daigneault and Pat Boller continued to help build the Rangers into a serious Stanley Cup contender as defenseman Stu Bickel and forwards Carl Hagelin, John Mitchell and Mats Zuccarello started the season in Hartford but are with the Rangers, though Zuccarello is expected to be out several more weeks with a broken left wrist. Hagelin is signed for next season, while Zuccarello is a restricted free agent and Mitchell and Bickel are unrestricted free agents.

The early-season graduates will be joined in New York by nine Whale players – goalie Cam Talbot, defensemen Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath and forwards Kris Newbury, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Casey Wellman, Chad Kolarik, Marek Hvirik and J.T. Miller, though Newbury will be delayed in his arrival because he needs dental work after having several teeth damaged when hit in the season finale Friday night. Though only 19, Miller, the Rangers’ first-round pick (15^th overall) in 2011 who joined the Whale after Plymouth was eliminated from the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, could play in Hartford next season because he was originally drafted by an American team and played in the United States National Team Development Program.

Kolarik didn’t play all season after he sustained a torn ACL in his left knee when his skate caught a rut in Rangers training camp Sept. 21. He had surgery Oct. 5 but wasn’t on an AHL roster by Feb. 27 to be eligible to play at the end of the season and in the playoffs. Still, Kolarik maintained a positive attitude right through “breakup day” and fortunately will be among the nine Whale players to get a look in New York for at least several weeks.

“I wouldn’t say it was frustrating; it was a learning experience,” Kolarik said. “It has already made me a better player and better person for it, and when you look back on it, I’ll probably laugh about it. I’m chomping at the bit and can’t wait for training camp to start. Even before I hurt my knee, I was struggling a little bit play-wise. It wasn’t what I expected because I knew I could play better and proved it last season when I played (while battling hamstring problems).

“It’ll be nice to actually start playing some games again. I put in long, long hours (with trainer Damien Hess and strength and conditioning coach Mark Cesari) into this, so I think we’re ready. And I don’t feel sorry. You can only feel sorry for yourself for so long.”

Gernander and his assistants will take turns working out the “Black Aces,” who will practice after the Rangers each day and be eligible to play in the NHL playoffs if the parent club is hit with a rash of injuries. Erixon, the son of former Rangers wing Jan Erixon, began the season with the Rangers and had several call-ups before finishing his first go-round in North America in Hartford.

“I thought it was great that some of the young guys were leading the way in the playoffs,” Gernander said. “Somebody is going to have to step up in the course of a playoff, and some of the young guys like Hrivik did that. And that was the first AHL playoff experience for (goalie) Cam Talbot, and he stepped up. It’s a little different than in the NHL where you generally have your veteran guys who have been through it before and done it before that step up, and then you always have kind of a darkhorse who kind of comes out of nowhere. The career span in the AHL is such that it’s got to be someone young who steps up and makes a difference.”

Wing Steve Moses, who signed an amateur tryout contract after completing his career at the University of New Hampshire, denied a report that he had already signed with Jokerit Helskinski in the Finnish Elite League. He admitted he has an offer from the team but also received inquiries from other NHL teams before he signed his ATO with the Whale.

Veteran defensemen Jared Nightingale and Brendan Bell, who missed four of the six games against the Admirals with a lingering hip problem, said they felt the Whale exceeded expectations at the end of the season. The Whale led the Northeast Division through the end of 2011 and then had their longest losing streak in franchise history in January (0-6-2-3) to fall behind the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

“It was hideous, the longest year I’ve ever had,” a smiling Gernander said, alluding to the winless 41/2 weeks that included having to deal with disrupted/suspended/soon-to-be-departed Sean Avery. “But I thought it was really special how the guys pulled together at the end of the year. Whatever challenges or adversity that we seemed to face during the season, they always rebounded well and gives you a pretty good feeling about how they came together.

“I really appreciated the way the guys finished the (regular) season in Syracuse (a 2-1 shootout loss). It wasn’t going to change our position in the standings, and it meant a great deal to Syracuse as far as their push to get in the playoffs. We were missing a lot of bodies because of legit injuries, and I thought they really played their hardest and that kind of set the tone going forward into the playoffs.”

The Whale and Sound Tigers battled to the final week of the season before Bridgeport won the division by five points. But the sixth-seeded Whale swept the third-seeded Sound Tigers in the first round, led by the first back-to-back playoff shutouts in franchise history by Talbot in the first two games.

“I don’t think anyone, besides the guys in the room who believed in themselves, thought we’d be as deep as we were at the end of the season,” said Nightingale, alluding to the additions of Moses and junior players Hrivik, Miller, McIlrath, Christian Thomas, Andrew Yogan and Shane McColgan. “I was satisfied with my play, but the best part of the season was going to the rink with a good group of guys. You always miss that the most, especially on the back end with Wade (Redden), Beller and Tank (Pavel Valentenko). I’ll miss those guys a lot because we really had a unique bunch with some older guys. It’s the best camaraderie that we’ve had by far in my (four) years here. Guys wanted to play for each other, and you tell that on the ice.”

“We were hot and cold through the course of the season,” said Bell, who admitted being unhappy with his play after December because of injuries that caused problems, especially with three games in three days. “January was disaster, but things got a heck of a lot better in February and March. We tailed off a bit, then we had a good playoff run and kind of surprised some people and opened some eyes, including taking the best team in the league to Game 6 in overtime. I’d say that was pretty good, especially since we weren’t really that deep all season. We did a pretty good job of hanging around and overcoming some adversity. I thought it was a pretty good group based on who we had and what we did.”

The goaltending tandem of Talbot and Chad Johnson and an experienced defensive corps was expected to have to carry the Whale until mostly young forwards got settled, and that’s what happened. The Whale was hurt by the loss Kolarik but that was offset by the addition of free-agent Audy-Marchessault, who was offered a two-year contract in training camp but signed for one year so he could try to prove himself and earn a better offer in the second year. The gamble proved a terrific move as started on the fourth line, worked his way to the top trio, tied Newbury for the team scoring lead (24 goals, team-high 40 assists) and earned a spot in the AHL All-Star Classic.

“My goal was to play 76 games in the AHL, and I did it,” Auby-Marchessault said. “I’m really satisfied because I had a good season and got a lot of things that I wasn’t expecting. A lot of bonuses came with the season, so I think I can go home (to Cap-Rouge, Quebec) and be proud of myself. I like Hartford and the New York Rangers are a good organization and a good place to play, but you’ve got to think what’s best for you, and that’s why I’m going to talk to my agent and my family.”

Johnson said this year’s team was “the tightest group” in his three seasons in Hartford but struggled for find its game and fought to get wins after the first three months before the strong finish.

“It was rocky for the most part,” said Johnson, who was satisfied with a vast majority of his games while compiling a 22-18-6 record with a 2.49 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and one shutout but didn’t play in the postseason. “There were great times and bad times. When we were really good, we were really good. When we were really bad, we were really bad. I thought we were really good early on, and then January got us going the wrong way and it was tough for us to kind of get things together and fighting to get wins the rest of the way. We found it at the end and got our game right at the right time.”

Talbot also emphasized a strong finish for himself and the team.

“We didn’t finish the way we wanted to, but only one team finished on that (winning) note,” said Talbot, who was 5-4 with a 2.10 GAA, .939 save percentage and the two shutouts in the playoffs. “Nobody really expected us to beat Bridgeport because we hadn’t won there all season, then we had a good series against them and took one of the best teams in the league to the brink pretty much. So we came on strong on the playoffs when it really mattered but just came up short. But there’s a reason they won (a North American professional hockey record) 29 games in a row. It doesn’t happen by accident.

“But I was pretty pleased with the way things went for me. It’s tough, kind of heartbreaking, to lose on an overtime goal, but overall I really can’t complain with my play. I thought I did a good job giving us a chance to win down the stretch and into the playoffs. Down the stretch is where I really gained my confidence, so I tried to carry that over and give us a chance to win every night. I think I did a pretty good job of that, so I would hope they re-sign me.”

Newbury, an alternate captain when not on recall to the Rangers, also hopes to be re-signed and said his agent has already had some preliminary talks with the parent club.

“It was one of the best years I’ve ever had so I take positives from that,” Newbury said. “I thought my point production was really good and my consistency was better than most years. But there’s also some things that I can work on like my defensive zone coverage, and that’ll be in the summer workouts.

“For the most part, I thought our team played well. I think we were the underdogs going in against Bridgeport and gave Norfolk a good shot. I think if we had played just a little bit better in the second round, I think we would have had a really good shot. Give them credit that they were good, but we hung in there and anything could have happened. Goaltending was unbelievable in the playoffs, so we learn from our mistakes and be positive and know we can be better.”

Redden has two years left on a six-year, $39 million contract that he signed with the Rangers in 2008 and continues to hope to return to the NHL. He and other veterans could be helped by a new collective bargaining agreement that might include buyouts that don’t count toward the salary cap, which could increase to $69 million. The current CBA expires Sept. 15, and the NHL certainly wants to avoid a lockout like the one that occurred for the scheduled 2004-05 season.

“Hopefully this summer is different than the last with the new CBA coming,” said Redden, who will turn 35 on June 12 and become a second time father in six weeks. “Hopefully something happens for a person in my position where it frees up the team and myself.”

Redden also stressed the Whale played their best hockey at the end of the season, which coincided with his best play in a season marred by several injuries, notably when he crashed into a post and was out 25 games with an ailing knee.

“We played well and played hard and just came up against a good team in Norfolk and couldn’t get it done,” Redden said. “I felt good when I came back from my injury and had a good finish. My knee doesn’t bother me now, it’s not something that lingered, so that’s good. My No. 1 option is to get back in the NHL somewhere, but after that, I’ll weigh all my options.”

Gernander said every season is a learning experience for everybody, and this one had more than its share of challenges.

“I don’t think I could come up with a concrete rule or theorem on what I experienced in January,” said Gernander, who just completed his fifth season as Whale head coach, the longest stint in franchise history. “But I would think at some time that I’ll be able to draw upon that experience and make a decision or some sort of judgment derived from that situation. As the season progresses you’re always assessing a situation and trying to do something that will enhance the team or better the situation. Then in the off-season, when you can look at the whole comprehensive package, you can always look in retrospect how something could have been done differently or how something really worked well and I want to remember for next year to spruce things up, so you definitely reflect on what you did throughout the season.

“I’m content where I’m at right now, but every day is challenging, so it’s not that I need more challenges. By no means has it become stagnant or there’s no challenge here. I love the area. Obviously I feel strong about this franchise, and I have the highest regard for the New York Rangers and their franchise, so to be a part of all that is also important and I’m happy where I’m at right now. I’ve got challenges within my job, I’m learning while doing my job and I have great people to work with, so there’s a lot that I have to look forward to in this job.”

The following is the contract status of Connecticut Whale players for next season:

Signed

F Ryan Bourque, D Tim Erixon, F Tommy Grant, F Carl Hagelin, F Chad Kolarik, D Dylan McIlrath, F J.T. Miller, G Jason Missiaen, D Jyri Niemi, D Blake Parlett, D Wade Redden, G Scott Stajcer, F Christian Thomas, F Jason Wilson, F Andrew Yogan

Restricted Free Agent

D Lee Baldwin, F Francois Bouchard, D Sam Klassen, G Cam Talbot, F Andreas Thuresson, D Pavel Valentenko, F Casey Wellman

Unrestricted Free Agent

F Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, D Brendan Bell, F Andre Deveaux, F Marek Hrivik, G Chad Johnson, F Chris McKelvie, F John Mitchell, F Steve Moses, F Randy McNaught, F Kris Newbury, D Jared Nightingale, F Jordan Owens, F Jeff Prough, F Scott Tanski, F Kelsey Tessier, D Mike Vernace, F Mats Zuccarello

Unsigned Draft Pick

F Shane McColgan

     VERSUS      

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 7
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

(NYR win 4-3)

Team Notes:

• The Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals, 2-1, tonight at Madison Square Garden, in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series.  The Blueshirts won the series, 4-3, to advance to the Eastern Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils.
• New York is now 206-222-8 overall in postseason action, including a 115-86-2 mark at home.
• The Rangers remain undefeated in Game 7s played at Madison Square Garden, having posted a record of 5-0 in those contests.  New York improved to 5-5 all-time in the seventh game of playoff series.
• Eight of the Rangers’ 10 Game 7s in franchise history have been decided by one goal.
• The Rangers out-hit the Capitals, 37-33, led by Brandon Prust’s game-high, seven hits.  The Blueshirts lead the league with 453 hits in postseason action.
• Eleven of the Rangers’ 14 playoff games have been decided by one goal, including six of seven games against Washington.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau, New York and Washington were either tied or separated by one goal for 91.1% of the total playing time in the series.
• The team that scored the first goal of the game in the series was undefeated.
• The Rangers out-shot the Capitals, 31-23, including a 23-15 advantage after the first period.  New York held a 212-179 advantage in shots on goal in the series, and out-shot Washington, 149-113, after the first period.
• New York out-hit Washington, 33-27, in the contest, and held a 19-15 advantage in blocked shots.  Michael Del Zotto, who notched the game-winning goal, led all skaters with a playoff career-high, eight hits, while Marc Staal was credited with a game-high, five blocked shots.
• The Rangers registered a 54% success rate on face-offs, winning 27 of 50 draws.  Brad Richards led all skaters with 14 face-off wins in 24 attempts (58%).
• Head Coach John Tortorella improved to 4-1 all-time in Game 7s.

Player Notes:

• Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves to improve to 23-26 overall in the playoffs, including a 13-11 mark at home.  His eight playoff wins are tied for fourth on the Rangers single season wins list, while his 14 appearances are tied for fifth in a single postseason.
• Brad Richards notched the game’s opening goal at 1:32 of the opening frame, registered four shots on goal, won a game-high, 14-24 face-offs (58%) and posted a plus-two rating in 22:03 of ice time.  He is tied for fourth in the NHL in playoff scoring with 11 points, and tied for third in the league with six goals.  Richards has now tallied 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in the last 11 playoff games in which his team faced elimination.
• Michael Del Zotto tallied the game-winning goal at 10:05 of the third period, added an assist and was credited with a game-high, eight hits in 23:16 of ice time.  He has now recorded seven points (two goals, five assists) in the last nine games, and leads all league defensemen in playoff scoring with eight points (two goals, six assists).
• Carl Hagelin recorded a career-high, two assists, and posted a plus-two rating in 18:21 of ice time.  He ranks third in the league among rookies with three assists in postseason action.
• Marian Gaborik tallied the primary assist on the game-winning goal, registered a game-high, six shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating in 19:32 of ice time.  He recorded a point in six of seven games against Washington, and led all players with seven points (three goals, four assists) in the series.
• Ryan McDonagh led all skaters with 29:37 of ice time, and was credited with three blocked shots in the contest.  He led all skaters in average ice time per game in the series with 28:33 of ice time per game.

Post-Game Quotes:

John Tortorella on the Richards-Gaborik-Hagelin line…

“We doubled them up right away. With Richie, we’ve talked about shooting the puck right away and not hesitating. They block shots very well and we needed to try to get more shots through. The first goal of the game was a very important goal. Hags doesn’t end up with many points, but he ends up with a couple tonight. He’s been very good this series as far as chasing down pucks and I thought that was key tonight. And Gaby was skating tonight, so to get a lead against that team is very important.”

Henrik Lundqvist on tonight’s game…

“They were coming hard. We talked about it going into this game, there will be moments when we have success and we need to capitalize when we have that stretch. The same with them – they are going to have minutes where they are just going to come hard and we need to make sure we don’t get hurt. For me, there, I just try to stay focused and I know we are going to take it over sooner or later.”

Ryan Callahan on the atmosphere in the Garden…

“It was great. It was awesome – MSG, Game 7. Right from the anthem and warm-ups, it was loud. This is what you play for all year. To have that home ice advantage to make sure that if you get to a game seven it’s in your barn.”

Team Schedule:    

• The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the New Jersey Devils on Monday, May 14, at Madison Square Garden (8:00 p.m.), in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.
• Due to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center, the New York Liberty will play its home opener against the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, May 19, at 4:00 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.