FROM THE CREASE with BRUCE BERLET

BY: Bruce Berlet

Lights. Camera. Action.

Yes, more than the usual number of faces was on hand for the opening of the New York Rangers’ training camp Friday at the Madison Square Garden training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y.

HBO has begun filming the Rangers for the second season of “24/7: Road to the Winter Classic,” which will keep Blueshirts fans across the country glued to their television sets this winter. The Rangers will play the Philadelphia Flyers in the fifth Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park, though official announcement of the game might not be made until the end of the month. It originally was to be played at Lincoln Financial Field on New Year’s Day, which is when the Winter Classic has always been played. But the Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to play at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 1, so the game was moved back a day.

FROM THE CREASE with BRUCE BERLET

BY: Bruce Berlet

While the Rangers tried to peddle Evgeny Grachev for a year before trading the forward to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, they have no interest in dealing fellow Russian and former Hartford Wolf Pack center Artem Anisimov.

That’s hardly surprising after how much Anisimov improved last season, especially when skating between former Wolf Pack players Brandon Dubinsky and alternate captain Ryan Callahan, the team’s top two scorers.

GRACHEV SENT PACKING

We hate to say we told you so, but we told you so.

For all they press attention that surrounded Evgeny Grachev, repeatedly Howlings readers were told that it was just that – Hype.

While we’re completely sure that he won’t ever say so publicly or otherwise, we’d be willing to bet that the happiest man in the New York Rangers organization today is Connecticut Whale head coach Ken Gernander.

Why?

1ST RD: GAME ONE – ’57 MINUTES NOT ENOUGH!

    VERSUS   

Thursday night the Connecticut Whale returned to the playoffs after a one year absence, the first in the team’s history, only to have the first game turn into a microcosm of their entire 2010-2011 season. The Whale didn’t put out a full sixty-minute effort, couldn’t capitalize on their own chances, didn’t get consistent pressure in the offensive zone and penalties from a lack of discipline led to their dropping the first game of the Best-of-Seven series with the Portland Pirates 3-2 in front of 2,171 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

VERSUS

With under five minutes to go in the game Friday night and the Connecticut Whale trailing 0-2, some of the 5,862 fans at the XL Center began filing out of the building…wonder how they feel now after the home team scored two goals in 1:13 to tie it, played perhaps the most exciting overtime period in recent memory and won it in the shootout over the visiting Charlotte Checkers 3-2.

CHARLOTTE’S PERSPECTIVE

VERSUS

WHALE STUN CHECKERS W/COMEBACK SHOOTOUT WIN Checkers earn point; magic number now 8 points

HARTFORD, Conn. – After erasing a 2-0 deficit in the final 2:21 of the third period, the Connecticut Whale got shootout goals from John Mitchell and Evgeny Grachev to earn a 3-2 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Friday night.

FROM THE CREASE with Bruce Berlet

By Bruce Berlet

Connecticut Whale rookie goalie Cam Talbot paid defenseman Pavel Valentenko quite the compliment Sunday.

“He blocks shots so well it’s like having three goalies,” Talbot said after watching Valentenko doing plenty of just such dirty work in a 3-1 victory over the Springfield Falcons.

IT WASN’T PRETTY; THAT’S FOR SURE!

VERSUS

“That was what  we call in hockey, ‘a greasy win,’” Connecticut Whale Assistant Coach J.J. Daigneault said his team gutted one out and defeated the Springfield Falcons 3-1 Sunday afternoon in front of 4, 985 at the XL Center. “But we’ll take it,” He said with a smile.

A WHALE OF A WIN

VERSUS

Playing on ice that more closely resembled a Coney Island sno-cone than an American League hockey rink, the Connecticut Whale overcame a two goal deficit and came back to beat the Providence Bruins 4-3 in a shootout at the XL Center in front of 9,103 Saturday night.

VARSITY AND JV BOTH WIN

VERSUS 

Saturday hosted one of those rare nights where both the NHL and their AHL affiliates would squared off on the same day. The AHL Connecticut Whale did their part with a 4-2 victory, their fifth in seven tries, against the Worcester Sharks. After that game concluded, some three hours later the parent New York Rangers went on to beat the San Jose Sharks in a shootout 3-2.