Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

For all I know, Brandon Dubinsky may not have meant to hurt Scuderi but the video does suggest otherwise. It was bad enough that the former Ranger hit him from behind but to drive the veteran defenseman’s head into the glass only makes the situation worse. While Scuderi was able to skate off under his power and return to the game being the warrior he is, he was left with a black eye. Hopefully the ramifications of said hit don’t affect Scuderi’s game but at this point, that has yet to be determined.

Having said that, I do have to give kudos to Mike Richards for stepping up for his fallen teammate by dropping the gloves with Dubinsky and kudos to the officials for handing the Blue Jackets forward a five-minute major a game misconduct. But to end the punishment there just isn’t right. Yes, Dubinsky’s $10,000 lighter but given his salary, that’s peanuts.

How could the NHL be so irresponsible? With an issue as intractable as concussions and on a play where the end result could easily led to a concussion, next to nothing was done. Brandon Dubinsky had the sheer gall to pull a Peter Lorre (Google it) and in return, he gets a menial slap on the wrist. Something surely doesn’t add up here and the league’s chief disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan ought to have a viable explanation for letting Dubinsky off the hook. Being suspended for five games is harsh enough during an 82-game season so just imagine what kind of impact a ban of said length would have on a 48-game season. The NHL had a chance to really make a statement had they give Dubinsky a ban of five games but not even giving him a single game to think about his actions should leave them feeling disgraced.

Perhaps it was because Rob Scuderi was fine that resulted in Brandon Dubinsky not receiving further discipline. If that is the case, then how would the NHL have reacted had Scuderi suffered a concussion? Also, if that is the case, I don’t buy it because not punishing a player simply because the other player was okay is simply unacceptable.

Again, it was great of Mike Richards to step up for his teammate and I hope, if anything, the Kings can build a greater sense of camaraderie because of last night’s incident. So, while there is a potential silver lining, I am still very upset that Brandon Dubinsky got away with what he did especially considering how important Rob Scuderi is to the Los Angeles Kings.

While I’m not suggesting that any bad blood will boil over to the next meeting between the Kings and Jackets, I do find it appropriate to remind Brandon Dubinsky to keep his head up because if he thought he dodged a bullet today, he’ll be in for a rude awakening the next time he shares the ice with the silver-and-black.

The New York Rangers are a team everyone loves to hate. The Rangers have always been a high-paying team that throws cash at free agents and roster players alike. Glen Sather has something less than a spectacular reputation in the Big Apple, and some of his hideous roster moves are still haunting the Rangers. Wade Redden is only the most recent example of ludicrous mismanagement, but there are plenty. If the Rangers are going to do anything at all, they’ll need to rid themselves of the off-ice distractions, get another full-year of play from Gaborik, and have the pieces come together in just the right way, at just the right time. Oh, and Lundkvist doesn’t hurt.

Overview:

The best thing I can say about the Rangers is that they provide excellent fodder for anyone with a pulse. Mismanagement is something that, until recently, we could empathize with here in Los Angeles, but the team this year has some interesting pieces. Unfortunately they are fairly shallow at all positions, and important injuries at bad times could be crippling for their chances of making the playoffs. If Gaborik goes down and takes his scoring with him, there’s nobody on the roster that can fill that hole (not many in the league that could fill that hole, but still). The Rangers are not in the worlds easiest division either, and may struggle to make a serious impact in their own division, let alone the conference.

Key Players:

Marian Gaborik, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Alexander Frolov

Offense:

Gaborik is one of the most electric forwards playing in the NHL these days. His skill and skating ability are nearly unmatched, but he has been injury-prone through most of his career. Of course it’s possible he just hated playing in Minnesota, so took any chance he could get to stay out of the lineup… suffice it to say, if Gaborik is in your lineup, you’ve got a gamebreaker suiting up. That’s good news. The bad news, is that behind Gaborik, the Rangers are somewhat lacking. Frolov will be suiting up for the Rangers this season, his first after departing Los Angeles. If he can finally capture what some have seen in him for years, he could be dangerous playing in NYC. Brandon Dubinsky, Vinny Prospal and others will provide supporting offense, and then of course there’s Avery. Yea, there sure is.

Defense:

Obviously starting from the crease, the Rangers look good. Lundqvist is a potential Vezina Trophy winner, and has some serious ability to steal games in New York. Martin Biron behind him isn’t great, but he’s a backup and will probably snag 12-15 games in relief and can do a serviceable job to be sure. In front of that duo, the Rangers will dress a crew of players including Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto. I see Del Zotto taking a bit of a step backwards in his second year in the league, but Girardi and Staal are both talented players. Here again they are susceptible to the injury bug. Losing Stall for a significant period of time could be devastating, and leave Lundvist dangerously exposed.

Prediction:

The Rangers appear to be cursed. Unlike other teams, the curse facing the Rangers is almost entirely self-inflicted. They overpay for every player (except the ones they actually need), and no matter how good the team looks on paper they somehow manage to screw it all up. It’s kinda sad watching from the outside. Could they do better this year? Sure, and the Cubs might win it all next season. C’mon though, it’s not going to happen. I see them finishing behind the Flyers, the Devils and the Penguins. Might they get into the playoffs? Sure, it’s the East, who knows. Don’t count on it though. Good work Sather…