Metro Pucks: Report Cards, Awards and Analysis

The Rangers did not win a game. The Islanders and Devils did, but not after enduring the embarrassment of getting shut out before capacity crowds at their home openers. What was learned from the first six games of the season for the Rangers, Devils and Islanders? Not much in the 82-game big picture. But for the faithful who couldn’t wait for the second weekend in October, hockey provides plenty to analyze.

Grades

Rangers: Their two-game stand in Stockholm was nothing to write home about. The Rangers failed to protect a 2-1 lead Friday against Los Angeles and lost in overtime. Brad Richards scored late to tie the game against Anaheim on Saturday, but the Rangers lost in a shootout. Without Henrik Lundqvist’s heroics in net, they would have returned to New York pointless. Next up: a week of workouts in Westchester before facing the Islanders on Saturday at the old barn on Hempstead Turnpike. C-plus

Devils: They played their opener Saturday against the Flyers as if they were still in the exhibition season. “It looked to me like we were at practice speed and they were at N.H.L. game speed,” said Devils Coach Peter DeBoer said. Their 4-2 win over Carolina on Monday was imperfect, but important because they were led by their best forwards. Zach Parise had two goals and Ilya Kovalchuk scored the game-winner. Johan Hedberg was solid in goal. The Devils host the Kings on Thursday. B-minus

Islanders: They weren’t ready to play their home opener in front of a Nassau Coliseum crowd on Saturday packed with true believers. An injury-prevention preseason schedule – with most of the Islanders’ best players participating in only two games – may have been the reason the Panthers skated circles around them. But they got off the mat to beat Minnesota, 2-1, on Monday. The Islanders’ penalty-killing units were exceptional. Still, the team played only one strong period – Monday’s first – over the first six of the regular season. They’ll need to do a lot better when they host Tampa Bay on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday. B-minus

Metro Puck Player of the Week(end)

Al Montoya, Islanders: Jack Capuano’s No. 1-for-now allowed a combined three goals over two games and none of them were softies. He may not have made the spectacular stops Lundqvist made in Sweden, but he was poised and in control of his rebounds – exactly what the Islanders’ defense needs. Among the appointed No. 1s, including Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur, only Montoya earned his team a win. In this era of shootouts, when standing points are handed out in the N.H.L. like Snickers on Halloween, a win still has to mean something.

Trending

Up: Zach Parise, Devils – In a positive development for a team that badly needs him back at his best, Parise scored two goals in the Devils’ win over Carolina. “He was everywhere on the ice,” DeBoer said. Parise has shown no ill effects from the torn meniscus that kept him out of all but 13 games last season.

Down: Evgeni Nabokov, Islanders – The longtime first-string Sharks goalie said and did all the right things in training camp, but still finds himself sitting in a luxury suite during games as the No. 3 behind Montoya and Rick DiPietro. You have to wonder how long the 36-year-old Nabokov will stand for getting fewer reps in practice as he makes barely over the league minimum while his family stays in California. Right now it looks as if it will take an injury to one goalie and substandard play by another for Nabokov to get regular action. Let’s see how patient he is.

Theories

It took Adam Larsson all of, well, about two shifts to establish himself as the Devils’ No. 1 defenseman. The assistant coach Larry Robinson provided the 18-year-old from Sweden an average of 23 minutes 10 seconds over his team’s first two games of the season – most among Devils defensemen. Especially since New Jersey has plenty of capable defenders, this seems like too much, too soon for Larsson. The N.H.L. season is 82 games plus playoffs. Not including his work for the national junior squad, Larsson played a combined 86 regular-season games over the last two years in the Swedish Elite League.

After 65 games this season, count up the games lost to injury by the Islanders’ top three defensemen: Mark Streit, Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald. If the combined total is fewer than 20, the Islanders will still be in the playoff hunt.

The Rangers waited a year to get Richards to center Marian Gaborik. They will now probably spend the better part of this season finding the most effective left wing to play with Gaborik and Richards. John Tortorella will grow tired of thinking and talking about it, and he will not be alone.

Spin vs. Straight Talk

Spin: In explaining to Howie Rose of the MSG Network why the Islanders were carrying three goaltenders on their roster, Capuano used a football analogy:

“Look at the Indianapolis Colts.”

The Islanders coach was referring, of course, to the Colts’ lack of depth at quarterback with Peyton Manning probably lost for the season. But there is no comparison between the talent pools of N.F.L. quarterbacks and N.H.L. goaltenders. The Lightning reached the Eastern Conference finals last season behind Dwayne Roloson, acquired on Jan. 1 from the Islanders for the low cost of a minor prospect. The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2010 with two goalies, Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton, who have been regular residents on the waiver wire. When the Islanders ran out of healthy goaltenders in February, General Manager Garth Snow acquired Montoya from Phoenix for a sixth-round draft pick. Now Montoya is the starter.

The N.F.L. doesn’t have 32 first-rate quarterbacks, let alone backups skilled enough to take a team to a title. Capuano has three goaltenders because the Islanders already had two when they decided to take Nabokov off waivers after he signed with the Red Wings. Montoya, Nabokov and DiPietro are good goalies, but are replaceable. Manning is not.

Straight Talk: When the Rangers had completed their 12-day European trek through the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden, Tortorella had some lovely words in praise of the cities they visited, arenas they competed in and people they met. But he also did not hold back his feelings on Saturday about getting back to New York and a more typical practice routine and travel schedule:

“I just want to leave.”

Metro Pucks: Tavares and Isles at Head of Class

Our weekly review of the performances of the three local N.H.L. teams.

Grades

Islanders: In their two games after Columbus Day weekend, the Islanders won one by blowout, the other in a nailbiter, and both impressively. They put away Tampa Bay early on Thursday, 5-1, by jumping out to a 4-1 lead after the first period. The Islanders beat the Rangers on Saturday, 4-2, by carrying play in the third period of a game tied at 2-2 after two.

Coach Jack Capuano’s first line of John Tavares centering Matt Moulson and P. A. Parenteau was the difference in both games. The Islanders also received quality goaltending —Al Montoya against Tampa Bay, Evgeni Nabakov against the Rangers —and committed team defense. After the big dud in their home opener against Florida, the Islanders ran off three straight wins at the Coliseum. The road schedule begins this week with games Thursday in Tampa Bay and Saturday against the Panthers. Grade: A

Rangers: The loss to the Islanders gave the Rangers a record of 0-1-2 to start the season. The European trek may have disrupted their preparation and the Rangers are without top defenseman Marc Staal, but no one is going to feel sorry for Coach John Tortorella and his winless club. Staal is not coming back any time soon and the club had a week at home to prepare for the Islanders.

They weren’t terrible in Uniondale, but their forward lines have not been able to string together effective shifts. Their best all-around player on Saturday was Derek Stepan, the second-year pro out of Wisconsin who does everything well and without the flash. Brandon Dubinsky, among many others, needs to be a lot better. Wins will not come any easier as the Rangers leave the country again for a Canadian swing that begins Tuesday in Vancouver. Grade: C-minus

Devils: After a shootout win at home over Los Angeles on Thursday, the Devils really demonstrated guts and spunk two nights later by coming back from a 2-0 deficit after two periods to win in a shootout in Nashville. New Jersey tied the score when Mattias Tedenby threaded a perfect pass to David Clarkson, who scored with 2 minutes left in regulation.

Since they’re relying primarily on Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise for goal scoring, the pressure is on the New Jersey defense. So far, it has been solid. The front six on the blue line — Adam Larsson, Mark Fayne, Anton Volchenkov, Andy Greene, Henrik Tallinder and Bryce Salvador — are among the league’s most underrated. The Devils do not play a game until Friday, when they host the San Jose Sharks. Grade: B-plus

Metro Puck Player of the Week

John Tavares, Islanders: He was the best player among the three locals in a landslide and deserving of consideration for player of the week in the N.H.L., awarded on Monday. Tavares had five goals and three assists in the victories over Tampa Bay and the Rangers. The highlight of his hat trick Saturday was his game-winner on the power play early in the third period to break a 2-2 tie. The best illustration of how far this elite talent has come in just over two seasons of pro hockey came later in the third as he bounced off a big check from a Ranger, kept his balance and set up yet another scoring chance for his linemates. If Tavares plays this way on the road, New York will have a new hockey superstar. Here’s the hat trick:

Trending

Up: Devils’ Shootout Prowess – How’s this for a fast and simple recipe to earn the second standings point in the postgame skills competition? Have Kovalchuk and Parise score on world-class moves and sit back and relax as Johan “Moose” Hedberg stops both opponents. In the Devils’ shootout victories on Thursday and Saturday, the third inning was never needed. For his N.H.L. career, Hedberg is now 20-7 in the shootout.

Down: Rangers’ Toughness – So maybe Sean Avery has lost enough of his edge for the pesky wing to no longer merit a job as one of the Rangers’ top 13 forwards. But something is amiss with the Blueshirts. It’s one thing to be winless in three games to start the season; it’s unacceptable to be an easy team to play against. The Rangers need to upgrade their toughness quotient or opponents will continue to skate into their end without a care in the world. Calling up Kris Newbury and demoting Mats Zuccarello to the minors, as Glen Sather did after the loss on Long Island, is not enough.

Up: Capuano’s Gut – The likeable Islanders coach often describes his decision-making process by saying, “I had a feeling in my gut.” Lately, his tummy is on fire. Capuano is a perfect 4 for 4 in his starting goalie selection this season, making the surprising decision to give Evgeni Nabokov his first game as an Islander against the Rangers on Saturday. He and his staff have also made wise in-game adjustments, like placing brawny fourth-line forward Matt Martin just outside the crease to distract Henrik Lundqvist during an Islanders power play.

Theories

The Rangers need to return from their four-game Canadian trip with more than just their first win of the season. They do not want to finally open at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27 with a sad record and no momentum. Anything less than five points earned from the games in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg — the last three  are especially winnable games — should be considered a failure.

The Islanders should be pleased with winning three of the four games of the season-opening homestand. When they take their act on the road, however, they will need production from players other than the members of their first line. Through four games, Tavares, Moulson and Parenteau have a combined 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points. No one among the Islanders’ other forwards has more than one point. Just two, Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen, have scored.

Kovalchuk’s Good Deed

Like many in the hockey community, Ilya Kovalchuk lost a lot of good friends when the airplane carrying the K.H.L. club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed in Russia on Sept. 7. Kovalchuk is raising money for a victims’ family fund by sending autographed photos to supporters who contribute at least $17.

“This was a big tragedy that affected so many lives,” Kovalchuk said. “We should do everything we can to help.”

Those interested in donating and receiving a signed photograph of Kovalchuk should send an e-mail to info@puckagency.com. You will receive a response with details on how to make your contribution.

Jim Harbaugh irritates Jim Schwartz after 49ers-Lions game [video]

San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, excited after his team's victory over the previously undefeated Detroit Lions, celebrated little too excitedly after the game for Lions Coach Jim Schwartz's tastes, as you can see in the video below.

Harbaugh bounded to midfield and gave Schwartz an enthusiastic handshake, followed by a hard slap to the back.

Schwartz then chased Harbaugh about 40 yards downfield to the players' tunnel and made a number of attempts to get at Harbaugh.

"I went to congratulate Coach Harbaugh and got shoved out of the way," Schwartz said. "And then I didn't expect an obscenity at that point, so it was a surprise to me at the end of the game."
 
Asked for further details, Schwartz said: "I'll just leave it right there. I'm sure it's on video."
 
It sure is:

 

--Houston Mitchell

 

Dan Wheldon killed in Indy Car crash [video]

Dan Wheldon, the 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner, died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a multi-car crash on Lap 13 of the IndyCar Series season finale.

Officials decided to call the race, but the drivers did a five-lap tribute to Wheldon. IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard made the official announcement of Wheldon's death without further comment.

"IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries," Bernard said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today. IndyCar, its drivers and owners, have decided to end the race. In honor of Dan Wheldon, the drivers have decided to do a five-lap salute to in his honor."

The crash and its aftermath are in the top video below. Below that video is a second video, this one celebrating Wheldon's Indy 500 win.

 

 

Indy 500 victory:

 

--Houston Mitchell

 

 

LSU is No. 1 in first Bowl Championship Series standings

What conference did you expect would top the first release of the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday . . . the Sun Belt?

It seemed fitting that the Southeastern Conference, which has won the last five national titles and seven of the 13 BCS title games played, should boast this season’s first BCS No. 1.

In fact, the SEC opens with the top two schools.

Louisiana State, which won national titles in 2003 and 2007, is No. 1 with a total of .9522, followed by conference-mate Alabama at .9519 and Oklahoma of the Big 12 at .9301.

Oklahoma State, also of the Big 12, is fourth at .8568, followed by Boise State at .8027.

Rounding out the first BCS top 10 are Wisconsin, Clemson, Stanford, Arkansas and Oregon.

There are 10 undefeated schools remaining, although half of those will be involved in “knock-off” games.

LSU plays Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 5 in a game that has been anticipated for months.

Kansas State, which debuted at BCS No. 11, still has Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to play, while Oklahoma closes the season at Oklahoma State on Dec. 3.

The BCS is a rankings system introduced in 1998 as a way to pair two teams for a “national title” game while preserving the decades-old bowl system. College presidents have long opposed a more traditional playoff format in the major division.

Before 1998, national champions were crowned independently by the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. In 1998, the Rose Bowl agreed to join an alliance that would release the Pacific 10 or Big Ten champion to a title game if it finished No. 1 or No. 2 in a BCS rankings system that incorporated polls and a computer component.

--Chris Dufresne

Photo: Running back Spencer Ware and LSU came out on top in the first BCS standings released Sunday. Ware, fending off Tennessee's Curt Maggitt, had two touchdowns in a 38-7 win over the Vols on Saturday. Credit: Wade Payne / Associated Press

Was Schwartz Justified in Being Upset With Harbaugh?

Lions Coach Jim Schwartz chased after Niners Coach Jim Harbaugh and shoved him after what he apparently felt was an overexuberant celebration by Harbaugh following the 49ers’ 25-19 victory on Sunday.

Harbaugh rejoiced with his players, jumping up and down, as he crossed the field to meet Schwartz. Harbaugh shook Schwartz’s  hand vigorously (to put it mildly), backslapped him (again, vigorously), then continued celebrating. At that point, Schwartz snapped and had to be held back by his players after he accosted Harbaugh and jostled him a few times.

Harbaugh admitted he slapped Schwartz’s hand too hard.

SFGate.com:

“I was really revved up. That was on me a little, too hard a handshake there.” Harbaugh then said he got a jostled by Schwartz after Schwartz chased him 40 yards down the field.

“I do get emotional, I do get fired up. A lot. I not going to apologize for that. If that offends you or anybody else, so be it.”

Harbaugh has ruffled feathers before (see video below). As coach at Stanford, he had a testy exchange after a 55-21 victory over Pete Carroll’s U.S.C. Trojans. Stanford went for a 2-point conversion in the second half during the rout. “What’s your deal?” Carroll said when they met at midfield after the game.

Football isn’t a  genteel sport, but apparently Schwartz considered Harbaugh’s behavior a breach of decorum.

We’ll get Schwartz’s reaction soon. But for now, do you think Schwartz was justified in being upset?

6:10 p.m. | Updated Schwartz has been quoted as saying: “I went to congratulate Coach Harbaugh and got shoved out of the way. And then I didn’t expect an obscenity at that point, so it was a surprise to me at the end of the game.”

It’s a puzzling statement because the video doesn’t show Schwartz being shoved, unless he construed Harbaugh’s hard backslap as a shove. And there’s no way to know, for now, what he meant about an obscenity. Maybe he’s suggesting that Harbaugh used a swear word while whooping it up.

Kiwanuka and Ballard Give Giants Lift Against Bills

A capsule look at the Giants’ 27-24 victory over the Bills on Sunday:

KEY PERFORMANCE

Mathias Kiwanuka was originally a defensive end before shifting to linebacker, but Sunday he spent time at his old position, playing on the line as the Giants frequently used their nickel defense. Kiwanuka recorded six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, showing he has not forgotten any of his old techniques.

NOTABLE NUMBER: 81
Jake Ballard is quickly shedding the label of “blocking tight end.” He recorded 81 receiving yards, and his 24-yard reception in the first quarter brought the ball to the 1-yard line and set up Ahmad Bradshaw’s first touchdown run. Ballard was sure-handed all afternoon, catching all five passes thrown his way.

TALKING POINT
Defensive end Justin Tuck said definitively that he would play in two weeks against Miami. With Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul playing well, how will the Giants manage their top defensive talents once everyone is healthy?

Bills at Giants: Matchup to Watch

Bills (4-1) at Giants (3-2), 1 p.m. Eastern, CBS

Matchup to Watch: Eli Manning vs. Bills’ secondary

Interceptions have not been nearly as great an issue for the Giants this season as they were in 2010, but if ever there was a game for a relapse, this would be it. The Bills have 12 interceptions (and 16 takeaways over all), with safety George Wilson recording an interception each of the last three weeks. On Sept. 25, Tom Brady threw four interceptions against the Bills, so Manning must beware.

Number to watch: 75
Say this for the Giants and Bills: They don’t pass up opportunities to score. In 20 trips inside the opponents’ 20 this season, the Bills have scored 15 touchdowns, giving them the N.F.L.’s best red-zone efficiency at 75 percent. Right behind them? The Giants, who have 10 touchdowns in 14 red-zone opportunities (71 percent).

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

“Fitz is finding everybody — we all want to get into the stands and celebrate with the fans.”
Bills receiver STEVIE JOHNSON, on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s accuracy in the red zone.

Niners-Lions: A Rarely Relevant Rivalry

It would seem unlikely that over the course of 62 seasons, two N.F.L. teams could combine for eight championships but manage to play each other in 50 largely irrelevant games. But mediocrity has been the standard when it comes to games between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers.

The 4-1 49ers will be in Detroit today to take on the 5-0 Lions, and two former N.F.L. West rivals well separated from their glory days find themselves in a rare spotlight.

As this New York Times graphic illustrates, the teams have played each other 61 times in the last 62 seasons and just 11 times have both squads had winning records coming into the game. Today’s game will be the twelfth time.

Fans who have come to the game more recently probably blame Detroit for the irrelevance of the rivalry, but before the Bill Walsh-led renaissance, the 49ers carried their fair share of bad records into the matchups, and recently the franchise has been nearly as bad.

The one exception to the rule has been the playoffs, where the teams have faced each other twice, with both games being rather memorable.

The 1957 Lions engineered a fourth-quarter comeback against Y.A. Tittle’s 49ers in the first round despite not having star quarterback Bobby Layne. Detroit went on to win the N.F.L. championship against the Cleveland Browns.

The 1983 49ers were trailing the 9-7 Lions in the fourth quarter of the division round when Joe Montana connected with Freddie Solomon for a touchdown to tie the game, with kicker Ray Wersching’s extra point sealing Detroit’s fate. The 49ers went on to lose to the Redskins in the N.F.C. championship game.

With many football fans tuning in to see if these teams are for real, it will be a good chance to show off how far both teams have come from their recent doldrums.