Eddie Cahill has made guest appearances on many popular television series, including Sex and the City and Friends. The native New Yorker currently plays Detective Don Flack on CSI: NY and will be following his hometown Rangers throughout the Playoffs.


Well, I’m back again, looking forward to another Rangers’ run. I’m glad you’re back, especially you Rangers fans, and hopefully what we saw last year can be built upon by the boys in blue. In fact, I’m almost counting on it.


First of all, I got to about five Rangers games live this season, and there was definitely an overall increase in speed. And actually, I think this season is the first time I’m looking at a complete team. Lines 1-4 are made up guys who know how to play: hockey players.

What is so valuable about that is that Jagr can take a bit of a back seat – and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I think that he’s got support all around him. I’m concerned that Shanny looks slow, but I think going into the Playoffs he’s the guy you want on your team. What Renny has been doing with Shanny heading into the playoffs is indicative of what he plans to do with him in the playoffs, I think, and with that I think we’re in good shape.

He’s a leader; he can tell the boys which way to go.

That will be valuable because this team has no shortage of talent – it just might be a little young. But then, even the young guys have experience. You look at a guy like Gomez; the speed of that guy blew my mind from day one and he’s a guy I’ve been watching a lot this season and he keeps getting better. He’s one of only a few players left in the league who can take the puck from end to end.

Speaking of Gomez, I also wanted to mention our other new addition, Chris Drury. And I have to be honest here: I actually despised Drury before he joined the Rangers, but I’ve grown to love him. I’m still adjusting to the fact that guys move around so much, I think. And saying that, I don’t think I quite got him until later in the season.

My memories of Drury are of him beating us with seven seconds left in the game, he used to be the one killing us every night, and now lately, he’s started to do that for us. I never fully appreciated his leadership ability or his smarts, and he’s another guy – like Shanny – who will be valuable leadership piece of the Rangers’ puzzle.

There are a lot of valuable pieces on this team, which has been a change coming for some time. No longer do we rely on guys like Jagr and Lundqvist to do all the work, there are guys on every line who can play and who can make a difference.

I love Renney for this. I think the guys started to get it; it’s not about one guy, it’s about team depth and strength as a whole. The salary cap has put a lot into perspective for me; with the elevation in competition, everyone has to play an equal role.

In 2006 when we were swept by the Devils, we got into the playoffs on the back of two people and I don’t feel that way this season. In 2006, Jagr’s shoulder goes out in the first game and we get swept, but this year, I believe if something bad happens to one of our top players, we’ll have guys all over the lineup ready to step up.

Just look at the younger players on this team. The fact that these young guys, these “kids” have looked better and better every game of the season for me, has been a huge boost to the rest of the team. And I love that each one of these young kids is a product of the system – they come through Hartford and they’ve fit right in.

Now, saying that, New Jersey still has a very dangerous team. First of all, you have to shut down Parise. He’s fast and he has a good eye for the net. And he’ll be a major part of their offense. Because with these guys, you know it won’t take more than two or three goals to give themselves a good chance to win. Brodeur is that good.

Brodeur’s the guy – that’s a no-brainer. He doesn’t scare me as much now as he did in recent years – he’s always scare me in the past – because this season I think we’ve gotten to him. And we have someone in our net who is good, very good. Maybe not as good as Brodeur, but to be honest, nobody really is.

That’s it for now – my early thoughts on the series. Things may change as we go along but for now, like I said, I’m cautiously optimistic. Thanks for reading along, and if you made it this far, thank you – and I hope you come back.

If you have any questions or comments, leave them, and if I have time, I will try to answer a few.

But now, here, a final thought: different team, different makeup, looking for a different result.

Let’s go blue.