This Week on the Blog

Interesting week, as the Rangers kept winning, the Knicks kept competing, the Giants won, and the Yanks remained ponderous.  We may have an even bigger week coming right up.

Rangers:  The Rangers just won via the shootout in Ottawa.  It was tied 1-1 after one, and stayed that way.   It was good that the Rangers were able to get the win, because the refs screwed them early and often.  Kreider scored the first period goal on a power play. In the second period Zach Smith gave Derek Stepan a blindsided hit to the head along the boards.  Kreider immediately dropped his gloves and beat the crap out of Smith.  In fact, had Kreider not shown mercy, Smith would have been serously injured. After tagging Smith with rights that left him shaky, Kreider ragdolled him flat on his back and climbed on top, where he could have literally killed Smith, but he did not.   That said, the refs didn't penalize Smith for the cheap shot to Stepan's head, and left Kreider in the box for 17 minutes.  Fortunately, the Rangers hung in there, and Boyle got the game winner in the shootout.  I think Kreider has served warning.  Rangers have to keep improving.

Yanks:  This week the Yanks made one fairly meaningless trade, where they got Pirella off the 40 for a AA pitcher, and then made a ponderous trade, where they sent 24 year old John Ryan Murphy to the Twins for 26 year old Aaron Hicks.   So, not only did they trade young for less young, but they traded from an area of weakness, catcher, for more in an area of surplus, OF.   And make no mistake, the Yanks are weak at C now with only Sanchez right behind McAnn, and then Louis Torrens, well down on the farm.  Romine is a replacement level guy and is not depth.  Meanwhile, the trade also seems to mean the Yanks will trade Gardner, or if they're lucky and there's still stupidity in MLB, Ellsbury.   They were also said to be listening to offers on Andrew Miller, and after seeing the Red Sox lop off the top of their farm for Craig Kimbrel, the Yanks must be salivating over what they can command for Miller.

Giants:  The Giants got more bad news this week when Will Beatty opted for more surgery over trying to play through a torn rotator cuff.  I have torn both of mine and would have tried to play, all I couldn't do anymore was throw strikes, I could still channel my strength.   So, that's another crucial guy on IR.  And there's still no telling when Prince or Cruz will return, if ever.  Tomorrow, they face the Pats.  After seeing what Brees did to these Giants two weeks ago, you have to shutter at thinking what Brady might do.  This team does not have the D to stop Brady, so this could be ugly.  Though it still won't undo what the Giants did to them in 42 and 46.  

Knicks: The Knicks have been competitive this year.  Unfortunately, their coach seems to push all the wrong buttons, rotationally, so their record does not reflect their vast improvement over last year's squad.  Fisher needs to get better or get gone.  The Knicks will keep improving as long as Zinger, Galloway and Grant keep playing.  It would be nice to see O'Quinn in that group, but he's been losing minutes to Amundsen under Fisher's nutty scheme.  But it is good to see the other kids play and grow, and it would be great for the Knicks to trade for more picks.  Meanwhile, expect for more 4th quarter collapses as Fisher makes all the wrong moves.

Have a great week everyone!