The summer is a time for metropolitan hockey fans to regroup and see what changes their respective teams make. For each organization, they reevaluate things and decide what the best plan going ahead is in preparation of the upcoming Fall.

Amazingly, training camp is approximately seven weeks away. It will be here before you know it. The question is how have the Devils, Islanders and Rangers done in upgrading their rosters this offseason? Let’s take a quick glance at each thus far:

Devils- added veteran centers Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik and re-signed Jay Pandolfo, Bryce Salvador and David Clarkson while Karel Rachunek and mainstay Sergei Brylin left for Russia.

Analysis: The additions of former first Cup members Rolston and the battle tested Holik are smart moves by Lou Lamoriello as that should greatly improve the Devils up the middle. Rolston’s addition will provide offensive balance while Holik should be an upgrade on the fourth line. We’re not crazy about giving Salvador four years though. Still, the Devs should be vastly improved.

Grade: B+

Islanders- added defenseman Mark Streit along with veteran pivot Doug Weight while re-signing forwards Sean Bergenheim and Jeff Tambellini. Forwards Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan left for Pittsburgh and backup goalie Wade Dubielewicz went overseas to Russia. Still looking to replace Ted Nolan behind the bench due to philosophical differences.

Analysis: While Garth Snow made out alright overpaying power play QB Streit, he hasn’t really done anything else that makes you believe the Islanders won’t finish in the Atlantic cellar. The coaching change was predictable as Nolan rubbed people the wrong way even though he did an admirable job. The question is who will replace him? Bob Hartley, Paul Maurice and John Tortorella are all available. The team wants to rebuild. So figure it will be someone patient.

Grade: C+

Rangers- added forwards Markus Naslund, Aaron Voros, Patrick Rissmiller and acquired forwards Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche for defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. Overpaid severely for former Ottawa D Wade Redden while re-signing Michal Rozsival and Paul Mara. Also added former Sabre Dmitri Kalinin and re-signed backup Stephen Valiquette and F Nigel Dawes. Traded Ryan Hollweg to Toronto for a 2009 fifth round pick. Lost star forward Jaromir Jagr to OMSK-Avangard and  Sean Avery to Dallas.

Analysis: Welcome to the world of the Rangers where much has changed. No longer will the team be relying on Jagr, who in the end decided to go back to Russia for megabucks. The entire look of the roster has changed due to this and it looks like Brendan Shanahan will not return either due to limited cap room. Instead, Glen Sather’s banking on Russian enigma Zherdev to fulfill potential and Naslund to be rejuvenated after playing a boring style in Vancouver. But unless Redden rediscovers his game, the Blueshirts aren’t better.

Grade: C

Tom Renney almost never uses timeouts during a game. However, last night was the exception to the rule as the affable coach realized a crucial Atlantic showdown against the dangerous Penguins was about to slip away.

Following a superb first 20 in which the Rangers were in control up a couple courtesy of goals from Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan, Renney watched the Pens get two quickies 3:11 into the second to suddenly tie it.

So many times, I’ve asked him to use a timeout to settle down his team and he never listens. This time, as I sat near some of my good friends in Section 411, I didn’t have to even utter a word. Neither did Mike, Jill or her good natured old man as Renney realized the magnitude of the game. They had come off an awful weekend in Southern Florida. The gap was narrowing with hunters Buffalo, Washington and Florida creeping up on them, the Bruins and Flyers.

As if by magic (well who knows as the second period was really weird), Renney’s team responded immediately by getting the go-ahead tally courtesy of recent deadline addition Fredrik Sjostrom. The energizer who wears the same No.20 as countryman Jan Erixon did on Broadway capitalized on an abominable turnover and deked Ty Conklin tucking a forehand off both posts and in just 44 seconds for his second as a Blueshirt (both on home ice).

It turned out to be the deciding goal as the Rangers rebounded to play a great third period against a quality opponent getting tallies from Avery and Marty Straka.

It all added up to a much needed 5-2 victory, giving them two big points and moving the team into sole possession of sixth place in the East with 85 points and nine big divisional games left including a pivotal showdown versus the first place Devils (90 pts) in Newark later tonight.

They will put their perfect 5-0 record on the line against Marty Brodeur and Co. A win in regulation and they’re right back in the thick of the Atlantic race with two more left against those Devs including the final game of the season at The Prudential Center.

We’ll see what happens later tonight.

If the lost weekend in Southern Florida was a total failure, then the next couple of days back in the tri-state area for the New York Rangers are a huge test which could go a long way to determining their playoff fate.

That’s how close the Eastern Conference race is. Had they taken care of business against Southeastern foes Florida (2-3) and Tampa Bay (0-3), we could be talking still about the realistic possibility of the Blueshirts challenging for the Atlantic and the conference’s top spot where the Devils, Penguins and Canadiens are separated by one total point.

The Devils lead the East with 90 points while the Pens and Habs each have 89 with two and a half weeks to go in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Rangers find themselves tied for sixth in the conference with Boston as both Original Six clubs have 83 points.

The slumping Flyers sit in the final spot with 80 clinging to a one point lead over Buffalo with fast comers Florida and Washington two out with 78 points.

Who wants it the most? That’s what it comes down to at this crucial time of year where we’re witnessing one of the more exciting races in quite a while.

Not much is certain except that you figure the Devs, Pens, Habs, Senators and Southeast-leading Canes will all find their way into the playoffs claiming at least five spots which leaves the final three up for grabs.

The Rangers and Bruins still have things in their favor with a four-point lead over the Sabres and five better than the Caps and Panthers. They also both have 37 victories which gives them a heads up on all competitors including Philly (35 W).

However, as many puck fans know, this topsy turvy race can change like the snap of a finger. Win and you’ll be okay and possibly move up. Lose and you can drop like a rollercoaster jeopardizing your chances.

Having been outscored 6-2 over the weekend snapping a 13-game unbeaten streak which saw them climb up the standings, the Rangers must have tonight’s Atlantic showdown against the Penguins. That means putting the clamps down on Hart contender Evgeni Malkin, who enters fresh off a two goal, two assist performance in a 7-1 home rout of the Flyers on NBC.

The 2006-07 Calder winner has been red hot and trails fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin by two points in the NHL scoring race. AO leads with 99 points including a ridiculous 57 goals. Malkin has 41 goals and 56 assists for 97 points along with a respectable plus-16 rating.

The 21 year-old seems to fare better when last season’s Hart recipient Sidney Crosby is out. Go figure.

Lately, Malkin and resurgent sniper Petr Sykora (2-2-4 in 7-1 win over Flyers) have been on a roll. They have teamed to form a solid chemistry with Ryan Malone. Needless to say, it’s vital for the Rangers to contain that line and for Henrik Lundqvist to be razor sharp tonight.

He could also use some support from Chris Drury, Marty Straka and Brandon Dubinsky as the important trio of forwards have gone quiet lately. Particularly Drury and Straka, who are such integral parts of this team. Rookie pivot Dubinsky needs to be more aggressive shooting the puck instead of dangling it.

The Blueshirts could also benefit from the return of defenseman Marek Malik. While it might pain many Ranger fans who only see what they want to, the team is better on the Blueline with the lanky positional D who works well with Michal Rozsival allowing promising rookie Marc Staal to play on the third pair with Christian Backman. That gives the Rangers more balance and keeps slow footed reserve Jason Strudwick upstairs. While the likeable vet is a great team guy, he can’t be relied on to play big minutes.

Malik also logs important minutes and is actually pretty good at keeping the puck alive in the offensive zone unlike Strudwick.

Hopefully, the Rangers get him back as he’s been more aggressive since returning last month. They could use a boost.

It also wouldn’t hurt for loyal coach Tom Renney to reinsert forward Petr Prucha on the fourth line. The feisty Czech can inject some much needed energy and has good speed and also can play power play. Let’s face it. The Jaromir Jagr pass oriented unit isn’t getting it done. Stick Prucha back on it.

The Rangers will visit the Devils tomorrow night as well. So, these are enormous games against the top two teams in the Atlantic. Win both and they’re right back in the hunt for the division. Lose both and suddenly, who knows if they even make the playoff cut.

It’s a fine line. We’ll see what they’re made of the next two nights.

With the 3 PM deadline coming and passing, a huge deal was completed by the Pittsburgh Penguins. They acquired star right wing Marian Hossa and left wing Pascal Dupuis from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for center Erik Christensen, right wing Colby Armstrong and prospect center Angelo Esposito along with a 1st Round Pick.

Analysis: It was rumored last night that Hossa’s likely destination would be the Canadiens. Instead, the former Senator is on his way to the Penguins to team up with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. For as good a player as he’s been, Hossa’s never fared too well in the playoffs. We’ll see how he does this time around surrounded by superstar centers.

A couple of other deals went down as well:

1.NYR acquire D Christian Backman from Stl for a 4th Round Pick.

Analysis: The Blueshirts desperately needed another defenseman with Paul Mara sidelined and get a serviceable one for a cheap price.

2.Pit acquires D Hal Gill from Tor for a 2nd Round and 5th Round pick.

Analysis: The Pens get the physical stay-at-home defenseman to bolster their blueline. Leafs do alright getting two picks in return.

There’s less than an hour left until today’s 3 PM deadline and already we’ve seen some pretty significant deals go down.

Let’s take a quick look and break them down: 

NHL DEADLINE DEALS 

1.TB trades C Brad Richards and G Johan Holmqvist to Dal for G Mike Smith, F Jussi Jokinen and C Jeff Halpern. 

Analysis: As expected, Richards became a Star. Now the former Conn Smythe winner will be looked to put Dallas over the top. Recent first round exits factored in. They didn’t lose any prospects. Just some decent players. Tampa gets a decent package. Jokinen’s a nice player but the deal hinges on Smith, who must fill the void in net. Why didn’t they get any draft picks???

2.Buf trades D Brian Campbell to SJ for F Steve Bernier and a 2008 1st Round Pick.

Analysis: Another Sabre leaves Buffalo. If you root for them like new blogger Sambone does, you got to wonder when exactly they try to win. Oh. The return’s solid. But still, the more things change… the Sharks add a quality blueliner who can boost their PP.

3.Mtl trades G Cristobal Huet to Wsh in exchange for a 2009 2nd Round Pick.

Analysis: Can anyone explain this one?!?!?!?!?!?! So the Habs are pinning their Cup hopes on rookie Carey Price already? Is he the next Roy? Maybe the Caps have had enough of Olie the Goalie.

4.CBJ trade C Sergei Fedorov to Wsh for prospect Theo Ruth.

Analysis: No surprise that the experienced 38 year-old Fedorov was moved. He can still help the Caps. Especially being united with fellow Russians Ovechkin, Semin and Kozlov. Who is Theo Ruth and is he related to The Babe?

5.CBJ deal D Adam Foote to Col for a 2008 or 2009 1st Round Pick

Analysis: Another experienced Cup winner leaves Ohio to try to rekindle the magic with the Avs. With Foppa back too, when are Roy and Val Kamensky unretiring?

6.Ott gets F Martin Lapointe from Chi for a 2008 6th Round Pick.

Analysis: Former Wing gets another chance to win another Cup. How much does the gritty forward have left to help revive suddenly struggling Sens?

7.Blues acquire F Cam Janssen from NJ for D Bryce Salvador.

Analysis: The writing was on the wall for Janssen with Devs all set up front. He goes back home while Lou Lamoriello adds another average blueliner. Could signal the end for Vitaly Vish-crapsky.

8.Chi acquires F Andrew Ladd from Car for F Tuomu Ruutu.

Analysis: One gritty complementary forward for the other. Unless there’s something I’m not seeing, I don’t see how this benefits either team.

9.Van trades C Matt Cooke to Wsh for F Matt Pettinger.

Analysis: Why would the Canucks deal away Cooke? Pettinger is okay but it just doesn’t seem to make much sense. Salary dump???

10.SJ trades F Rob Davidson to NYI for a 7th Round Pick.

Analysis: Just a depth forward for bruised and battered Isles. Given that they inexplicably re-signed Mike Comrie for one-year $4 million, it seems like they’re content.

11.Fla trades D Ruslan Salei to Col for D Karlis Skrastins and a 2008 3rd Round Pick.

Analysis: I kind of like this deal for the Panthers as Skrastins isn’t too bad and they got nice value for Salei. Avs are loading up but who’s stopping the puck?

12.Fla trades for D Wade Belak and sends a 2008 5th Round Pick to Tor.

Analysis: Panthers acquire character goon. One of the most popular Leafs heads south. At least it’s not Darcy Tucker.

That’s all I have for now. If there are any more as I’m sure there will be, I’ll try to update if I can from work. I have a playoff basketball game and an Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood concert tonight at MSG. So I’m not sure when I’ll be back tonight. But I’ll definitely have more on what happens including deadline winners and losers.

Stay tuned! :D 

If you’re a diehard puck fan, then today’s your day. The NHL trade deadline has become a holiday of sorts for hockey fans. Though there might not be as many of us as say baseball or football, believe me, we are verrrrry passionate about our teams on the ice and the sport itself.

I really wish I could be around for all the madness which will most likely ensue this afternoon before the 3 PM deadline. Even if Mats Sundin and the re-signed Dan Boyle are off the block, you know there will be other key players who find new teams which could make an impact down the stretch.

Names to look for who could be on the move include former Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards, superstar forward Marian Hossa, Cup winner Rob Blake, Brian Campbell and possibly Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle.

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see veterans such as Sergei Fedorov, Michael Peca and Robert Lang all on the move. Other names who could find new destinations include Mike Comrie, Ruslan Fedotenko, possibly Brian Gionta (for the right center though I have my doubts), Yanic Perreault and Ladislav Nagy.

There are only so many places you can go to keep track of all the chaos which is about to happen several hours from now.

I highly recommend my good friend Patricia Greuter’s 2Man Advantage site. She and her writers are excellent and will be around tracking all the deadline deals. If you like creativity as well, she’s just totalllly awesome!

You can also check out sites such as TSN and TFP for any trade rumors. Don’t bother with Sportsnet as they aren’t the most reliable IMHO.

I’m sure my good buddy Greg Wyshynski will be keeping close track of everything that goes down.

Before I go get some sleep (only got 9,000 different things to do today), I just wanted to pass along some info from yahoo blogger Ross McKeon.

It looks like the Stars are aligned for Brad Richards and the Canadiens are about to land Hossa. If he gets these two right, then he’s certainly a leg up on the competition!  

In case you missed it, the Flyers acquired forward Vaclav Prospal from the Lightning for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a conditional 2009 pick. If Philly makes the Eastern Conference Final (how likely is that considering how depleted their roster is), then the Bolts would get a second round pick as well.

Prospal can help Philly for sure. He’s having a nice bounceback season and should do alright as a replacement for the Flyers’ best player Mike Richards who’s sidelined with a torn hamstring.

The Boyle deal was six years worth a reported $40 million. Geez. Overpayment much? Oh. He’s good. No doubt. But he’ll be 32 by next Fall. To commit that many years to a defenseman at that age is insanity. And the price. Wow. Campbell’s asking price just went through the roof! Bye bye I guess to Buffalo.

Meanwhile, the Blues re-signed defenseman Barret Jackman to a four-year deal. He wasn’t all that great to begin with. I’m not certain why they felt obligated to do this.

Oh well.

So, will the locals be involved today? A quick look at what each team needs: 

Devils- they’ve had a tremendous run to the top of the conference but Lou Lamoriello should prioritize a top four defenseman and possibly one more gritty forward who can contribute. They’re winning because of Brodeur and the resurgence of John Madden. That might not work in the playoffs if they run into a deeper team. Replacing Vitaly Vishnevski (Vish-crapsky) is a must. A Perreault or Lang wouldn’t be a bad pickup. As for the D, who knows what Lou’s thinking? He’s always making deals nobody sees coming.

Rangers- there’s no doubt they’ve underperformed but lately aside from that awful five-goal collapse in Montreal, they’ve looked like the Cup contender most thought. Still, they desperately need a physical defenseman. Especially with Paul Mara sidelined a couple of weeks due to facial surgery. Marek Malik’s picked it up. So he’s probably staying put. Also, they need another gritty forward for the fourth line. Might Martin Lapointe interest them?

Islanders- it’s amazing to think that Ted Nolan has this team in playoff contention when his blueline is so beat up. The loss of Mike Sillinger up front hurts big time. But somehow, with Rick DiPietro standing on his head and just enough scoring, they’re in the race. Do you unload Comrie, Fedotenko and possibly future UFA Miroslav Satan? Or do you add more pieces and take a shot? If you’re Garth Snow, after how you got burned last year with Ryan Smyth, he’ll be more careful. Plus the farm’s kind of thin. Don’t expect too much.

There are beat writers and columnists who cover sports. Then there’s SportsFan Magazine’s very own Greg Wyshynski. The gifted Wyshynski has been publishing his “The Jester’s Quart” for 11 years running. It’s a satire look at sports, the pop culture and my all-time fave aspect of why NHL commish Gary Bettman is a jackass.

His column is always an entertaining read never to be taken too seriously. He also covers the Washington Capitals and contributes a daily NHL column to The Fourth Period (TFP). But that’s not all folks. He is also a frequent contribute to AOL’s FanHouse Sports Blog and chimes in today on the trade status of Tampa Bay center Brad Richards.

With the NHL trade deadline a little over 24 hours away, the avid Devil fan took time out of his hectic schedule to join us for an interview about this hockey season as well as what we could see take place tomorrow.

Hitting Back: What are your thoughts on the Eastern race at the top?

Greg Wyshynski: I’m not sure what the larger stunner is: The Devils playing as well as they are with that defense, or the Penguins hanging as tough as they are without Crosby and with Conklin. In the Devils’ case, it’s classic New Jersey hockey: A different hero every night, and Brodeur playing out of his mind when they need him. The goals are coming easier than expected — I just don’t believe they’ll continue to flow without a little deadline upgrade.
 
I think it’s rather important that the Devils win the division this season, because a 4-5 series against either Montreal or Ottawa would be a very tough draw compared with one against the Rangers, Boston or Buffalo.

As for Pittsburgh, I’m a ConkBlock believer. He is no longer ConkSuck.

HB: Are you surprised that the Senators have comeback to the pack? Will they still finish with the East’s best record or do you see the Habs, Devs or Pens overtaking them?

GW: I don’t believe they will finish with the best record for one reason: Their schedule the rest of the way. Boston four more times, Montreal at least three more times and a West Coast swing in March. It’s a very tough draw.

HB: What is the biggest surprise?

A.The Canadiens rise in the conference.

B. Evgeni Malkin’s dominance since Crosby went down taking the Pens on his back near the top.

C.The Devils continued success despite not a great blueline.

I’d go with C, because this is the weakest group of defensemen Marty’s ever had, on paper and in reality. Look at 1995 and look at this year, and you’d think Marty signed with an ECHL team.

HB: Seven points separates first from fourth in the Southeast. Who do you see taking the division?

GW: Carolina’s playing miraculous hockey right now without Brind’Amour. I still believe Washington will win the division, but the Caps need to play more consistent hockey and must, must, must win their next two games against the Hurricanes.

HB: If the season ended today, who would be your MVP?

GW: Marc Andre-Fleury, for having the good sense to get injured.

HB: Who’s better? Malkin or Ovechkin?

GW: Ovechkin is a more complete player, but Malkin’s ability to use his body and strength is something special. I’d still give the nod to Ovechkin, especially after seeing what kind of tail he pulls.

HB:  What do you think the three metro area teams need at Tuesday’s deadline?

GW: Devils — A veteran scorer to solidify a second line or a second power play unit.

Rangers — There are two many holes to address any specific needs. Maybe someone dumb enough to take Jagr off their hands.

Islanders — Some help on the blueline after these injuries.

HB: Which star do you see most likely getting moved?

A.Mats Sundin

B.Marian Hossa

C.Brian Campbell

D.Rob Blake

GW: Well, obviously not Sundin, whose selfish personal pride screwed the team he claims to love. Certainly Hossa, though.

HB: Given their recent struggles, does Detroit need to make a trade?

GW: I believe Detroit is a team that needs to figure out what changed from the ass-kicking group that was dominating the league for five months to this inconsistent team playing today. But another big body up front would help, too.

HB:  What is the biggest surprise out West?

GW: That the best stories in the West – Phoenix, Colorado, Columbus, St. Louis, and Chicago — all could finish outside of the postseason, rendering the Western Conference playoffs rather tedious.

HB: If you had to pick one team to win the Western Conference, who would it be?

GW: If San Jose makes the deadline deals I believe it could make, the Sharks are still my Cup pick. But now that they have a fully armed and operational battle station, it’s the Ducks.

HB: Final question: Can Marty Brodeur start every game and take his team through three rounds to another Cup Final?

GW: Of course. Marty’s better.

Evgeni Malkin or Alexander Ovechkin??? If you’re a true puck supporter, then you know who we’re pumping up here. Only arguably the two leading candidates for the Hart Trophy as league MVP.

If you know Russian as I do, here’s it in simpler terms?

Malkun-Da y Net

Obechkun-Da y Net

Both Russian superstars have lit the NHL on fire taking still a predominantly North American influenced league by storm. With a less than two months remaining in an exciting regular season, it’s no surprise that these two high caliber players are 1-2 in the NHL scoring race.

With another virtuoso performance notching a tying goal on a breakaway and assisting on two others including teammate Sergei Gonchar’s power play winner with under 10 minutes left in the third period of a great 5-4 win over the Canadiens Thursday night, the 21 year-old Malkin became the first player this season to reach 80 points. In fact, his 35 goals and 47 helpers for 82 points pace the league.

Since last year’s Hart winner Sidney Crosby went down to a sprained ankle, the super soph has taken it upon himself to carry his team on his back lifting them to a first place tie with the Devils and within a point of conference leader Ottawa. It was the eight multi-point game of what’s been a brilliant month in which he’s registered a point in all 10 games.

Just how remarkable has he been? According to Elias Sports Bureau, Malkin was tied for 13th in league scoring with 58 points at the end of January. That means that in only 10 games so far in February, he already has 24 points (8-16-24) with still four games left to play including an afternoon home tilt against the Senators with the top spot up for grabs.

While Malkin has stepped out of Crosby’s shadow, his Russian comrade Ovechkin has been having his own special season with the Capitals. The former 2005-06 Calder winner is trying to get his team into their first postseason since 2002-03.

Even without free agent pickup Michael Nylander (out for season), the 22 year-old former Caps’ first overall selection has been flat out awesome in his third NHL campaign. He leads the league in four different offensive categories including goals (48), power play goals (17), shots on goal (328) and is tied with Calgary’s Jarome Iginla and Dallas’ Niklas Hagman for game-winners (8).

It’s no wonder Washington rewarded their electrifying franchise superstar with an NHL record 13-year contract worth over $124 million almost six weeks ago.

Why not? In not even three full seasons, Ovechkin has scored 146 goals, tallied 130 assists already totaling 276 points in just 224 games.

His 78 points (48-30-78) trail only Malkin putting him four behind for the league scoring race. It looks like Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier (32-45-77) could be the only marquee player who stands between the exciting Russian pair from going 1-2 in points.

However, unless his spiraling team does a remarkable turnaround, Lecavalier’s name won’t be coming up for the league MVP.

The real question is who deserves it more? Hard to say. There’s little doubt that Malkin has a better supporting cast. However, when Crosby went down, he suddenly became his team’s best player and stepped up forming solid chemistry with linemates Ryan Malone and Petr Sykora. How do you think Sykora went from close to done to suddenly reemerging as a reliable threat? He’s on pace for his best season in at least five years while Malone needs three more goals to set a new career high.

When Crosby returns, there’s no way coach Michel Therrien can break up the trio. So, will the Pens be a better team when he comes back? If he’s soooo great, then he should be able to play with any other two forwards on their roster.

Ovechkin’s team must win their division to make the postseason. They currently sit second in the Southeast with 63 points trailing first place Carolina by four. The good news is they have three more games remaining than the Hurricanes, who have just 18 left. The bad news is they have 28 wins- three less than their rival with Wins being the first tiebreaker if the teams finish tied on the final day of the season.

It’s a dumb rule. One NHL brass needs to change. Why should that decide who gets in? It should either be who wins the season series or a play-in game. I personally like the second option. Make it like baseball. One game with the winner going on a la the Rockies last Fall. The loser goes home. It would work.

I’ve said in this space before that if Ovechkin gets his team in, he should win the Hart. No player means more to his team than AO. His 48 goals have accounted for 28.1 percent of Washington’s 171. The next highest goalscorer on their roster is fellow Russian Alexander Semin with 17 and he’s only played 42 games. Defenseman Mike Green is third with 15.

In case you’re wondering, you won’t find a larger discrepancy between the top finisher and second scorer on any other NHL roster. Out of curiosity, Malkin’s 35 of the Pens’ 176 is a shade under 20 percent.

So, who is the better player? Most including yours truly would’ve laughed at this same question if it were posed to us a couple of months prior.

It’s no laughing matter anymore. Just two of the league’s elite players who have one thing in common. They’re both Russian.

Ochenb ochenb xorosho!!!!!

Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole! In a game they once trailed 5-0, the Montreal Canadiens rallied from that deficit for the first time in their proud history to comeback and defeat the New York Rangers 6-5 in a shootout before an electric capacity home crowd of better than 21 K.

This was one of the wackiest games you’ll ever see. How unpredictable was it? It started when Ranger rookie Brandon Dubinsky and Sean Avery got their team on the board with goals 14 seconds apart.

With the momentum theirs, Brendan Shanahan’s one-timer blast off a nifty Jaromir Jagr setup with Alex Kovalev in the box made it a three-goal lead sending rookie netminder Carey Price to an early shower.

When Shanahan redirected his second of the night off a Paul Mara shot pass to make it 19 consecutive seasons with at least 20 goals, it looked like the rout was on. Especially when Chris Drury later also scored on the back end of a double minor penalty for his 20th popping one top shelf.

But a resurgent Habs team rallied thanks to a couple of strong shifts by their fourth line resulting in a couple of Michael Ryder tallies before the second period was done.

Three goals with a period left was no longer insurmountable. Not with the kind of speed, aggressive attack and grinding they had. Continuing to batter the Rangers, they kept getting pucks in and having great shifts resulting in chances. When Kovalev notched his first of the night off an Andrei Markov pass, suddenly it was 5-3.

They weren’t done. Just nine seconds later, another Ryder shot ricocheted off Mark Streit’s leg past a stunned Henrik Lundqvist. They were within one with over 13:00 to play. Could the Blueshirts hang on for dear life? The answer was a resounding no thanks to Kovalev, who whipped a one-timer via Montreal’s No.1 ranked power play past Lundqvist for his 29th. It was shot so hard and accurately that the ex-Blueshirt fell over before celebrating with teammates.

The OT was almost all Habs as well with the exception of one solid Scott Gomez chance but the playmaking pivot couldn’t redirect a Shanny slap pass past Cristobal Huet instead pushing the puck wide.

And so, this topsy turvy edge of your seat thriller needed a shootout to decide the outcome. Not surprisingly, Les Habitants prevailed thanks to a breathtaking two deke forehand finish by captain Saku Koivu. Jagr’s backhand deke missed everything and the Habs celebrated like they’d won a Stanley Cup.

Why not? It’s not every night a team comes back from that kind of deficit. Never in their history had they and never had the Rangers ever blown a five-goal lead to lose.

The history book was re-written thanks to a great performance by the Canadiens who fed off their rabid fans.

I’ve been talking up this team for a while and for good reason as it was on display allowing them to keep pace with Ottawa for tops in the conference.

Can you think of any other team who would’ve been able to pull that out? I can’t.

Kudos to them. For the Rangers, it’s back to the drawing board wondering how the heck could they have allowed this to actually happen. Oh. The Habs are good. Better than them. They might only trail the Habs by seven points in the standings but it’s for good reason.

This was the Habs’ night. Let’s leave it at that.

For more on this exciting game and the entire Eastern playoff picture, please refer to our BONY blog game recap. 

More HB reaction: This game had it all. Quick end-to-end action. Plenty of goals along with stuff you just don’t see. It’s rare that teams score so quickly as these two teams did in this game. It’s hard to score 14 seconds apart let alone a ridiculous nine which the Habs pulled off to make their comeback chances realistic.

Even more, I loved the feistiness. It felt like a playoff game. You had nastiness. There was Dubinsky and Mike Komisarek getting together for a scrap which the nasty Montreal blueliner easily took. The goalies had to be on their toes. It was that on your edge. This was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen. I’d love to see these teams have a playoff series rematch. Preferably in the second or third round. Just wait and see.

Dubi also went for a Gordie Howe hat trick scoring and setting up the first couple of goals. The former second rounder in 2004 is going to be the Rangers’ next home grown star. It’s a rarity for them to produce any forwards. Well, he’s the exception because he has all the tools to be a really good second line center. Playing with Jagr and pest Sean Avery hasn’t hurt. He has really played well.

The Habs got their only win tonight in the four-game season series. They’re tied with the Sens with 75 points- two more than both the Devils and Pens, who each lead the Atlantic.

The Rangers are sixth with 68 points- two better than both the Bruins and Flyers. With so many teams in this wild race, it’s going to be interesting to see which teams are buyers at the deadline. Who will sell? Not Mortimer.

It had to happen some time. For once this season at least, the Rangers can actually say they beat a Western Conference team. Having entered this afternoon’s home tilt against the visiting Sharks 0-7-2 against the West, it was their final opportunity to come away with two points versus the other conference.

Thanks to inspired performances from forwards Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan along with reliable goaltending from recently re-upped No.1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist, the Blueshirts cameback from a goal down to post a hard fought 3-1 win over San Jose at Madison Square Garden.  

It was their second straight victory temporarily moving them into sixth in the East two points clear of the Flyers, who at last check trailed the Canadiens 2-1 after one period. With 67 points and 21 games remaining, New York trails the division-leading Devils by four points and second place Pittsburgh by two pending the result between the Pens and Sabres tonight. The Penguins led 2-1 in the third.

After permitting the game’s first goal on a nifty Joe Thornton backhand setup to finisher Jonathan Cheechoo, a determined Ranger club cameback to tie it when Chris Drury got to a loose puck and found Ryan Callahan all alone in front for his fourth.

Lundqvist was strong in net for the second consecutive day of a challenging back-to-back allowing only one goal as he had in a 5-1 home win over Buffalo yesterday. The 25 year-old Swede came up with a large save on Milan Michalek’s shorthanded bid getting a pad on it. It would prove pivotal as his teammates went the other way three-on-two with leading point getter Scott Gomez setting up a Drury right wing power play slapper past San Jose netminder Evgeni Nabokov at 5:44 of the second. It was Drury’s seventh goal in the last nine games.

With a focused Lundqvist standing up to the Sharks’ challenge in the third (12 saves) and a solid Blueshirt D doing an excellent job in their end, Callahan salted it away with an empty netter with two seconds to go for his second of the day concluding a very productive weekend.

“These are two big wins to build on,” the 22 year-old Rochester native noted to the Associated Press after recording his fourth goal in five following a lengthy 25-game drought.

“We have a long road ahead of us, but we can move forward and go from here. We have a lot of character in this room from top to bottom. You have to follow your leaders and go from there.“

Lundqvist outdueled Nabokov (30 saves) finishing with 29 stops altogether in notching his 26th win of the season.

If the Rangers are to continue to climb up the competitive East, they must continue to get solid goalkeeping from the former 2000 seventh round pick who was nominated for the Vezina as the league’s top goalie the past two years.

They also must continue to play as fundamentally sound as they did this weekend. Now, the Blueshirts hit the road for a game Tuesday at Buffalo and then go across the border to play Les Habitants next Friday.

We’ll see how they fare. 

For more on this game and how close the Eastern playoff race actually is, please refer to my other blog over at Battle of NY.