en-us
Stockton’s responses have been more or less incoherent, but we appreciate the effort by C-Webb. Of course, it might be TNT execs whispering in Webber's ear to bring up the fact, on air, that Stockton’s heyday was a quarter century ago.

Hell, the guy was flubbing names in 1996 and was married to Lesley Visser back when Lesley Visser wasn’t made out of recycled Vitamin Water bottles. In other words, thanks for the memories Dick, but you’re past your prime.


 


A look at a few other sports announcers who might and/or should be nearing the end:
 
Chris Berman
Age: 57
Boomer isn’t getting the discount at the Denny’s in Bristol just yet, but "age is nothing but a number."

You know that friend that constantly references to drunk episodes on his 21st birthday, only brings up girls that he dated when he was 19 and has an iPod that’s filled with nothing but early ’90s R&B?

Well, get him to take a class at Connecticut School of Broadcasting because in 30 years, he’ll be the current day Boomer Berman. Draconian references for all!

Sadly, ESPN won’t be pulling the plug on Boom anytime soon. His contract filled with once a year SportsCenter assignments and contracted home run derby’s is almost certainly a lifetime deal.
Can you imagine what this trainwreck is going to look like in 2032?
 
 
Don Criqui
Age: 72
For some ungodly reason, Criqui has been doing Patriots pre-season games since the Parcells era. He then makes the smooth transition to Notre Dame football on the radio and pops up on CBS NFL telecasts for D-list games.

Here's a little known rule: if Don Criqui does more than one of your favorite NFL team's games during the regular season, your NFL team sucks.

It’s been getting sloppy lately for Don, even if no one is around to hear it.

 
Tommy Heinsohn
Age: 77
Heinsohn is beloved by Celtics fans and loathed by everyone else. You really could make the case for re-shaping the Celtics logo after Tommy at this point ... though, if you think about it, it wouldn't really take much - just toss a pipe in his mouth and call it a day.

If you want to witness homer-ism at its finest, order the NBA package for a month or two next season (we’ll reimburse you, promise), sit back and get pissed off at a 77-year-old man who is always four or five J&B scotch's away from landing in a nursing home.

 


Marv Albert
Age: 70
This one hurts, it really does, considering I believe Marv-elous to be the best ever. Yup, he’s shockingly 70-years-old now even though he is showing no signs of slowing down. But in the back of my mind, I know the end is near.

He’s known mostly for his NBA work but I challenge anyone to find a football announcer who was as good as Marv was in his prime with the old NFL on NBC with the AFC package in the 1990s.
Ironically, his career played out in similar fashion as that of Michael Jordan (Marv called nearly all of Jordan’s big games for NBC).

Jordan missed two years of his prime after “retiring,” the first time, from basketball in 1993. Marv, meanwhile, lost his spot as NBC’s lead announcer for a couple of years after sexual assault charges in 1997.
If it just wasn’t for that one time he put women’s underwear over his crum and took a big bite out of some girl’s back, he would today, hands-down, be universally regarded as the greatest sports announcer of all-time.

Like Jordan, most say he is the greatest today. But you’ll get a few differing opinions here and there.
If it wasn’t for those two prime years off? Discussion over.

Tebowing. Really?

We all cringed a few weeks ago when Celtics star Paul Pierce was caught "Tebowing" after making a few clutch shots against the Atlanta Hawks.

Apparently, he also did a killer Borat impression and shouted, "Yeah-ah!" "WHAT?!" "Okay!" Lil' John style in the postgame press conference as well to show just how out of date he truly is.

Pierce, however, was outdone over the weekend when a high school kid getting his diploma Tebowed on stage in front of the graduating class.

His punishment was cleaning the gym but here's saying that slight electric shock would have been more appropriate.

Follow Matt Burke on Twitter @BurkeMetroBos ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143852--old-senile-sports-announcers-and-people-still-tebowing-unfortunately Wed, 23 May 2012 11:36:53 -0400 MATT BURKE, MATT BURKE http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143852--old-senile-sports-announcers-and-people-still-tebowing-unfortunately
That was Jeter’s batting average when he came to the plate with nobody out and the bases loaded in the fifth inning.

He delivered a game-tying single that was the type of big hit the Yankees had seemingly waited an eternity to get. After Jeter poked a slider into right field, it seemed like a weight had been lifted for the Yankees.

Not quite, but the Yankees did manage to get a 3-2 victory over the Royals last night with the go-ahead run coming on a Curtis Granderson groundout.

“You can’t go up to the plate thinking about what happened in the previous game,” Jeter said. “Every time you’re up you have the chance to do something for the team. Fortunately, I found a hole.”

“Huge,” Alex Rodriguez said of Jeter’s hit. “It felt really good to win a game. Sometimes you need a game like this to kind of get you on a roll. Hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come.”

Jeter’s hit was his first in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position. It also was his 15th in 64 at-bats since having a .404 average on May 4.

It was the Yankees’ first hit in 13 at-bats with the bases loaded and just their second in 21 plate appearances with the bases full. It also was the type of hit that made manager Joe Girardi believe more runs were coming.

“I did,” Girardi said. “I think you always got to think positive in this game because there’s too much failure in this game not to. If you don’t, it’s going to really wear at you. It’s going to eat at you all the time. So you have to think positive.”

The rest of the Yankees would love to have a slump that keeps their batting average well over .300, but for now they were content to escape despite going 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-13 with men on base.

“I think so,” Girardi said of one win relieving some pressure from his team. “It doesn’t matter how it happened. Crazy things happen and pop ups are dropped; it doesn’t really matter. You just kind of relax the guys a little bit.”

That never happened as Granderson’s RBI groundout lowered his average to .252. Robinson Cano, who hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, was intentionally walked to get Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez justified that decision by striking out with the bases loaded for the second straight night.

The strikeout also made Rodriguez 6-for-37 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-6 with the bases full.

The struggles were overcome because Phil Hughes pitched well.

Hughes allowed two runs and five hits while striking out seven over six innings. He also was given the benefit of the doubt after loading the bases in the sixth and successfully made it through by retiring Irving Falu on a fly out to left field.

The Yankees also excelled at run prevention in the late innings. They got two great defensive plays by first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Teixeira ended the eighth by spearing a liner by Mike Moustakas and starting a double play to finish an inning that saw Cody Eppley and Clay Rapada throw four pitches. He ended the game by fielding Rodriguez’s off-balance throw on a hard-hit Alcides Escobar grounder that helped Rafael Soriano convert his third save.

“Whoo,” Rodriguez said. “It was just a great play especially for Tex. I knew he was going to be hauling [butt] down the line. He hit that slider off his front foot. I had two choices, but it was a good play.

“When you’re hitting like [junk], sometimes you have to help the team win like that.”


Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143827--jeter-carries-struggling-offense-to-3-2-win Tue, 22 May 2012 21:54:35 -0400 LARRY FLEISHER, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143827--jeter-carries-struggling-offense-to-3-2-win
Creative director of the Madden franchise, Michael Young, tweeted (@MySportsPhotog) several days ago that “Tebowing is in for #madden13.” It is a sign of just how popular Tebow and his faith are in today’s culture that the creators of an institution like the Madden franchise include “Tebowing” in one of the country’s most popular video games.

“In Madden we are very passionate about delivering everything you see on Sunday in the real NFL.  Everything from playbooks, uniforms, equipment, stadium chants and more all need to match real life,” Young told Metro New York.

“Each year we look to add animations that capture memorable moments from the previous season.  It can be a catch animation like the David Tyree catch from the Giants’ Super Bowl [XLII]. It can be a play like the surprise onside kick from the Saints’ Super Bowl [XLIV], or as in this case, a memorable celebration.”

Young said that the nod to Tebow and his faith falls in line with similar moments that Madden tries to include in their game, such as the Mile High Salute for the Broncos or player specific ones such as Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz’s salsa dance or Rob Gronkowski’s spike of the ball.

“Well, ‘Tebowing’ is a natural fit for the game because Tim Tebow does it in real life. If he stopped ‘Tebowing’ it would no longer be important to our game. I always say that our job is to get everyone’s favorite player and team as authentic as possible,” Young said.

“So if you are a Tebow or Jets fan you expect to see and hear everything you see on TV or at the stadium in our game. ‘Tebowing’ fits that criteria.”

During tense moments of a game, it was not uncommon to see Tebow on one knee, prayerfully watching the action, something that likely won’t be a part of the Madden game. According to Young, “Tebowing” will occur in the game “most of the time” after he scores a touchdown.


Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143806--madden-puts-tebowing-in-the-game Tue, 22 May 2012 20:00:36 -0400 KRISTIAN DYER, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143806--madden-puts-tebowing-in-the-game
Angel was the second ever designated player signed by the Red Bulls, the mechanism commonly referred to as the “David Beckham Rule,” which allows MLS teams to sign marquee names.

“I loved my time here. I have a lot of respect for the fans, that they embraced me and treated me well right from the beginning. I come in now with a different badge on my chest,” Angel said. “It’s emotional.”

Angel came to the league with a strong pedigree in England’s Premier League and a record of scoring goals for his country, but he never rested on his laurels. Instead, he became team captain through his tireless work and production on the field.

“If you came here at 8:30 and we have training at 10 or 10:30, Juan was already in the gym sweating, and working out,” Thierry Henry said. “That’s him. He does the same thing on holiday. That’s the type of person he is.”

It was his constant passion that quickly won over the fans.

“I honestly don’t know what is going to be the reception, but the one thing I can tell you is that I have a lot of respect and appreciation for what they did for me,” Angel said. “They welcomed me with open arms.”

Following the 2010 season, the club cut ties with Angel, choosing not to renew his contract. He signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, but struggled and was traded midseason to Chivas USA.

Angel has yet to make a return trip to Red Bull Arena to be saluted by the New York fans because the Galaxy didn’t travel to the area till late in the year and Chivas USA played the Red Bulls in May.

On Wednesday night, the Red Bulls’ hardcore supporters in the “South Ward” are planning a display to honor the legendary No. 9. Henry sees and understands why.

“I’ll be honest, I was a bit upset with myself when I came here. I wanted to give him more, but I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have the preparation; I came here too early,” Henry said.

“That was very difficult for me to handle, but I wanted to please him and make him stay longer here and score more goals. But you know, he had to go, for some reason, you can ask him about it. But he was a great guy — a great guy in the dressing room, a great professional.”


Follow Red Bulls beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143800--angel-returns-to-face-red-bulls Tue, 22 May 2012 19:36:09 -0400 KRISTIAN DYER, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143800--angel-returns-to-face-red-bulls
Girardi has always displayed an even-keeled and optimistic approach. When he was addressing the Yankees current hitting struggles, that’s exactly how he handled the topic.

“You might have a few more conversations with players when they’re struggling,” he said. “I’m not a guy that’s going to turn over a table. I’m not a guy who’s going to jump on a table when we win either and do a dance.

“That’s not who I am. I’ve found managers that have that pretty constant personality are the ones that get the most out of their players.”

That also seems to be the tactic taken by the ownership group of Hal Steinbrenner, which is a change from when George Steinbrenner would publicly admonish the team and struggling players.

The most communication Girardi has had from ownership were a few text messages from Felix Lopez, the Yankees’ executive vice president, that included some congratulations about Andy Pettitte’s first win since his return.

No surgery yet for Mariano

The crutches were gone, but the limp was still there for Mariano Rivera, who is awaiting surgery on his torn ACL.

It has been nearly three weeks since Rivera suffered the injury shagging fly balls in batting practice. He has yet to have the procedure because the blood clot still exists.

Rivera is working on getting the knee stronger through various motion exercises, while taking blood-thinning medication. Although it might seem frustrating not to have to procedure yet, Rivera does not see it that way and remained upbeat.

“It’s not frustrating, because you can’t do anything about it,” Rivera said.

Rivera’s demeanor also remained upbeat about the team, which has dropped 10-of-18 since losing him.

“We don’t have to feel sorry for ourselves,” Rivera said. “We have to continue to play hard and we’ll do it. I have seen it before, many times, so I don’t worry about it. As long as our mentality is good, everything will pass.”

Francouer relates to Yankee struggles

Believe it not, the Royals can relate to what the Yankees are going through right now. They began this year with 10 straight home losses, with seven coming by two runs or fewer.

Kansas City struggled in virtually all facets during those home losses. They lost two home games in which they scored a combined 16 runs and had seven other defeats when they scored three runs or fewer.

“I read some stuff that Jeter was saying, ‘I’m saying the same thing every night,” Royals outfielder Jeff Francouer said. “I know we felt like that when we were 0-10 at home.”

Francouer also conceded it was bizarre to see the Red Sox and Yankees at the bottom of the standings, but seeing teams with lower payroll gives him hope that the Royals’ marketing slogan of “Our Time” will eventually come true.

“We got a lot of arms and a lot of talent,” he said. “Guys are getting an opportunity to show what they can do on the big league level. So you do play teams with a lot of experience and a lot of money, but I think more important you’re seeing baseball. You look at the standings in the NL East, the AL East — all these teams are right around each other. It’s starting to even out I think, the playing field.

Francouer, who was popular with the media when he spent parts of 2009 and 2010 with the Mets, says he keeps in touch with several ex-teammates, including David Wright, whom he hopes the team locks up to a long-term contract.


Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143797--yankees-notebook-girardi-remains-calm-rivera-waits-on-surgery Tue, 22 May 2012 19:25:23 -0400 LARRY FLEISHER, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143797--yankees-notebook-girardi-remains-calm-rivera-waits-on-surgery  
What is known is when the championship round games will begin.
 
The NHL announced the schedule for the Stanley Cup finals Tuesday afternoon. Game 1 is next Wednesday at either Madison Square Garden or the Prudential Center due to the Rangers and Devils finishing the regular season with higher point totals than the Los Angeles Kings or Phoenix Coyotes.
 
All games will start at 8 p.m. NBC will air Games 1 and 2, and, if necessary, 5, 6 and 7. NBC Sports Network will broadcast Games 3 and 4.
 
The Kings lead the Coyotes, 3-1, in the Western Conference Final. Game 5 was Tuesday night in Phoenix.
 
Tortorella 'prays' for offense
 
The Rangers have marginally outscored the Devils, 9-7, through the first four games. Five of the Rangers’ goals have come from forwards, led by Chris Kreider (three goals), while Artem Anisimov, Ryan Callahan and Ruslan Fedotenko have solved Martin Brodeur once.
 
The Rangers’ top-six forwards are going to need to contribute offensively for the franchise to advance to its first Stanley Cup finals appearance in 18 years. Marian Gaborik, Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin do not have a point, while Brad Richards has no goals but three assists in the series.    
 
“Pray,” John Tortorella said when asked what could be done about the top-six forwards’ lack of production. “I don't know what else to tell you. We're going to keep on trying to play, pray, and hopefully something good happens to them.”
 
The Devils’ forecheck has been problematic for the Rangers, who have spent much of the series in their end of the ice.   
 
“We don't have the puck enough. Jersey has [had] the puck a lot more minutes than we do. I think that's something we need to try to change,” Tortorella said. “It's getting out of your end clean. It's holding on to pucks in their end when they have opportunities. It comes just within your play. So there's no one particular thing. But it has been a series so far of them having the puck a lot more than we have. And that's what we're going to try to change.

“I think it's tactical, execution [and] willingness,” Tortorella said. “All sorts of things come into play as far as territory and puck  possession. It's just a simple fact. We need to get better at it.”
 
Injuries progressing
 
Tortorella said that both Brandon Dubinsky and Mats Zuccarello participated in the Rangers’ brief practice at the Garden on Tuesday. He said he had “no update” on the forwards’ availability as he had not spoken with head trainer Jim Ramsay.
 
The coach was pleased with his team’s mindset at practice.
 
“I think our meetings were good today. I think our practice had some jump. I just like watching the attitude of players. I think they're looking forward to playing their next game, as all of [the players] are this time of year. They don't want to spend too much time waiting around. They want to play. I felt we had a really good day today,” Tortorella said. He also noted that there was not a video review session of what transpired in Game 4.


Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143789--rangers-notebook-stanley-cup-schedule-rangers-pray-for-scoring Tue, 22 May 2012 17:56:49 -0400 DENIS GORMAN, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143789--rangers-notebook-stanley-cup-schedule-rangers-pray-for-scoring
Yet the Rangers and Devils both say what took place is history as both teams head into tonight’s Game 5 at the Garden with the series tied 2-2.

“I don’t think it’s anything I need to let go or our team needs to let go,” said Mike Rupp, who was involved in a notable skirmish when he took a shot at Martin Brodeur, after practice yesterday.
Although the Devils were off yesterday, Travis Zajac, Zach Parise, Martin Brodeur, Bryce Salvador and coach Pete DeBoer spoke with reporters.

Ryan McDonagh fought Adam Henrique in the first period, and Stu Bickel and Ryan Carter each earned 10-minute misconducts late in the game following Rupp’s jab to Brodeur. Ilya Kovalchuk and Ryan Callahan exchanged punches and shouts during a scrum in the second period that saw both assessed with roughing minors.

“We play each other so often and every game is a war against those guys,” Zajac said “So it’s easy to get emotionally involved in playing these guys. For me it was the first year. You have your leaders like Marty and Patty [Elias] and those guys and see how they compete against that team. It makes it easy to, like you said, get involved and hate that team.”

That the Atlantic Division rivals are separated by just 14 miles and the Hudson River certainly helps to ratchet up the mutual loathing. So, too, does cuffing a future Hall of Famer.
 
Midway through the third period, during one of the few shifts in which the Rangers were able to get the puck deep, Rupp steamrolled Peter Harrold with what appeared to be a hard, legal check. Rupp was called for roughing on the play.
 
As he skated around the net, he exchanged words with Brodeur before punching the Devils’ netminder. A fracas ensued that saw Rupp drop a flying Steve Bernier with a right hand while Bickel and Carter paired off.  
 
Rupp had two stints with the Devils, including being a member of the franchise’s 2002-03 Stanley Cup championship-winning team. He also played for the Devils between the 2006-07 and 2008-09 seasons.
 
When Brodeur was asked about his former teammate after Game 4, he said, “Rupp doesn’t matter. I never got punched like that in my career. [I’m] just happy I didn’t get hurt.”
 
The incident sparked a shouting match between DeBoer and John Tortorella, with the Rangers coach forcefully and emphatically jabbing his index finger towards his counterpart.
 
The coaches elected not to speak about the episode after the game. Yesterday, DeBoer said “emotion takes over” when asked about the confrontation. He added that he “took offense at what happened on the ice, and that was my outlet, right or wrong.”


Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143780--rangers-shout-at-the-devils Tue, 22 May 2012 17:50:27 -0400 DENIS GORMAN, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143780--rangers-shout-at-the-devils "Party at Jose’s House!!! Party at Jose's House!!!
 
You bring the tequila, I’ll bring the syringes, Knobby’s got the HGH. Oh, and don’t tell your wife!"
 
Apparently this is how Major League Baseball’s elite partied in the late ’90s. You remember the late ’90s right?
 
I mean you can just picture Chuck Knoblach and David Wells holding Jose Canseco up by his cargo shorts as he gets to 14 seconds on a keg stand while Mr. Vegas plays in the background.

 





Unfortunately for us, cell phone cameras and social media did not exist back then. So if you, say, bumped into Wade Boggs at a Tampa Hooters back in the day, unfortunately there is no other evidence than the grainy, bleu cheese-stained photo that remains on the wall of the men's bathroom. Nothing for your own personal collection.
 
We are pretty sure that athletes party as hard today as they did back then. But now, save for Patrick Kane, they’re just smarter about it.
 
Nevertheless, this summer, warm up the record button on your iPhone, these guys could be right around the corner:
 
Paul Pierce
Party history: 7
Pierce has calmed down a ton since the early days of his career. And thankfully so.
But just last week, Metro reported him pounding Red Bulls and playing poker at a D-list Philadelphia casino, just hours after scoring 24 points against the Sixers.
He also used to hang out with Antoine Walker, exhibit W of how not to live your life as a multi-million dollar hoops star.
 
Matt Geiger
Party history: 6
Yup, finding the randoms are the best.
I once spotted Geiger smoking a gargantuan cigar on a random street corner while on spring break. He was all by himself, which would have been strange other than the fact that several hundred drunk 19-year-old girls were staggering up and down the street in front of him.
I somehow got him to talk about the 2000-01 blockbuster trade that he somehow ruined (he was non-apologetic), but all in all, Geiger seemed to be in a good place.
As 7-foot tall, bald, goateed white guys go, it sure appears that Geiger still doesn’t mind being the center of attention.
 
Stan Van Gundy
Party history: 2
Doesn’t Stan Van look exactly like the guy you somehow always end up next to at the beach, just because you don’t want to walk 10 feet further while lugging your 500-pound cooler?

You know it’s only a matter of time before large, hairy beach guy takes his shirt off and the sea gulls prepare to nest on his chest. Unfortunately for NBA fans who enjoy his sideline antics and beach goers everywhere, Stan Van will be out and about this summer after being fired Monday.

Curt Schilling
Party history: 5
Schilling has said in the past that he would throw a few back in the clubhouse following a start. Those “few” Budweisers could become “lots” of Busch Lights if things don’t start to pick up for his floundering video gamecompany, 38 Studios.
 
Jose Canseco
Party history: 9
We begin and end with Jose. What else is new?
It’s obvious that Canseco won’t last long in Worcester, Mass. (not exactly South Beach in the party scene category) as he tries his hand, again, at Quadruple-A league baseball.
In the least surprising news of the last 24 hours, Jose is now striking out with waitress’ at local restaurants. The summers never end in Worcester.
 

No love for Philly

Philadelphia sports was riding high last Friday night as the 76ers stunned the Celtics with an epic comeback win in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series and Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon shut down his former 'mates from Boston to earn the save.

And then, in the span of 72 hours, everything came crashing down.

First came word of Will "I'm not gay" Smith being kissed on the lips by a man and then Kevin Garnett called Philly fans "fair-weather" after the Celtics took Game 5 of the series.

Strangely enough, this all may have been sparked by Bobby Valentine's bizarre hopping routine at Citizens Bank Park over the weekend. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143732--sports-figures-who-will-dominate-summer-2012 Tue, 22 May 2012 10:22:07 -0400 MATT BURKE, MATT BURKE http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143732--sports-figures-who-will-dominate-summer-2012  
He made it abundantly clear Monday morning that he made modifications to the Devils’ lineup.
 
Dainius Zubrus replaced Ilya Kovalchuk as the Devils’ top line right wing for Monday night’s Game 4. Kovalchuk skated on the second line with Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias, while Jacob Josefson replaced Petr Sykora in the lineup.
 
Last night’s game was Josefson’s first game action since suffering a broken wrist in the Devils’ 3-1 win over the Islanders on April 3.
 
“Sykora's out and Josefson is in,” DeBoer said during his morning availability. “I had a brief conversation with [Josefson] yesterday. [I] basically [told him to] bring us some energy [and] play like you did the last three, four weeks of the season. He's had a tough year between the injuries and the adversity, really over the last two years. I really felt the last two, three weeks of the season he had re-found his game and his confidence. If we can get a version of that player in the lineup tonight, we'll be a better team.”
 
DeBoer said the decision to make the lineup alterations had to do with the Devils having been shutout, 3-0, in Game 3 despite outshooting the Rangers, 36-22.
 
“It was tough to shake things up in that I felt we played a solid game,” DeBoer said. “What pushed me in this direction is just the availability of another very good player in Josefson. He hadn't been available up until this point. So he's available. It's tough decisions when you're sitting out Sykora, who has played well for us this year and scored some goals. But those are the decisions we have to make.”
 
Prust change still open

Rangers head coach John Tortorella did not tip his hand regarding who would replace the suspended Brandon Prust in the lineup for Game 4 during his media availability Monday morning.
 
“I don’t know what my lineup is,” Tortorella said.
 
Stu Bickel, who was replaced in the lineup by Steve Eminger for Game 3, dressed last night.
 
Tortorella said he had “no update” on the condition of Brandon Dubinsky. Dubinsky injured his right foot during the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against Ottawa. He missed the entirety of the seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal series against Washington and the first three games of the Eastern Conference finals.
 
Dubinsky has been skating with the Rangers, and began to participate in contact drills.
 
“Nice to be back with the guys; nice to shoot some pucks at the goalie. It just feels good to be around,” Dubinsky said after Sunday’s practice at the Garden. When asked for his status, Dubinsky said he was going to follow Tortorella’s rules again: “No timeline.”


Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143721--rangers-notebook-devils-lineup-changes-dubinsky-practices Tue, 22 May 2012 09:39:54 -0400 DENIS GORMAN, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143721--rangers-notebook-devils-lineup-changes-dubinsky-practices
“The biggest thing is to have a good start [and] get some momentum,” Dan Girardi said after the Rangers started slow and were thoroughly outplayed for the fourth straight game in dropping Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Devils, 4-1. The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 Wednesday night at the Garden.
 
“We had bad starts here,” Girardi said. “Give them some credit. They’re big; they come hard.”

Bryce Salvador, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise scored for the Devils. Parise scored twice, including a late empty-netter. Martin Brodeur made 27 saves in the win.

The 40-year-old didn’t have to work especially hard as the Rangers generated only 28 total shots. The Rangers did not record their first shot until Carl Hagelin’s 38-footer 10:21 into the match.

By then, the Devils had a 1-0 lead on Salvador’s seeing-eye wrister that rolled under Henrik Lundqvist’s (26 saves) pads.

Zajac’s game-winning goal 3:49 after Salvador’s score ended any pretense of drama. Michael Del Zotto, who struggled all night before being benched for much of the final two periods, gave the puck away to Parise which created a 2-on-1. Parise feathered a cross-ice pass to Zajac, who one-timed a shot from the left faceoff circle that Lundqvist had no shot at stopping.

“It was a struggle for a number of our guys,” Rangers head coach John Tortorella said. “It was a struggle for [Del Zotto]. He hasn’t had many games like that this year. I had an extra [defenseman] dressed (Stu Bickel, who replaced the suspended Brandon Prust). We figured we’d take a little pressure off of him. He’ll bounce back.”
 
Parise’s power play goal 2:41 into the third increased the lead to 3-0. It was the Devils’ second man-advantage goal in 14 opportunities and Parise’s first since May 1. Parise added an empty-net goal with 1:29 remaining.
 
“Your best players have to be your best players,” Devils head coach Pete DeBoer said about Parise. “I knew he would respond. I knew it was a matter of time. He was playing well. He was getting  opportunities.”
 
The Devils’ newly created top line of Parise, Zajac and Dainius Zubrus combined for three goals and two assists and were plus-three.
 
“I didn't find the right mix for him as early as I probably should have,” DeBoer said of Parise and the revamped top line. “But I thought he had some really good chemistry tonight with those guys.”

The teams’ on-ice animosity finally matched their coaches’ off-ice war of words. Ryan McDonagh fought Adam Henrique 9:26 into the game, and Ryan Callahan and Ilya Kovalchuk were given matching roughing majors. Both led up to a shouting match between opposing coaches from their respective benches at 6:18 of the third following Mike Rupp’s left to the jaw of Brodeur. Rupp received a four minute minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.

“It’s playoff hockey,” Callahan said. “It’s a series. You play these guys every other night. You’re going to have games where it’s chippy. I think it was one of those games.”
 
Rupp, through a public relations official, elected not to talk to reporters. When asked about the tete-a-tete with DeBoer, Tortorella said, “I’m not going to answer any questions on that.”   
 
The Rangers coach did said he was “very optimistic” going into Game 5 and added that his team “always find[s] a way to find a good game. I am truly confident we’ll answer it the right way.”


Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman. ]]> http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143714--devils-even-series-in-physical-game-4 Mon, 21 May 2012 23:17:02 -0400 DENIS GORMAN, NEW YORK http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1143714--devils-even-series-in-physical-game-4