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Goal Line Report

An Interview with a Rangers Blogger

by Patrick Hoffman on 03/31/09 at 12:17 PM ET
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We all know that the popular hockey rumors site, HockeyBuzz.com, gets mixed reviews around these parts. With that said, however, there are some knowledgeable hockey bloggers on the site and I was lucky enough to do an e-mail interview with one of them: Scott Gallof, the New York Rangers blogger for HockeyBuzz.

Enjoy!

PH: How did you first get into hockey?
SG: Wow, hmmm. I don’t think I could give any specific info where hockey first surfaced growing up. Growing up as one of three brothers, hockey as with any sport was just always there. My earliest memories would be watching B.D. and his friends playing roller hockey in the middle of the block. Later on it would be me and my friends playing in their stead. Growing up, it turned out that hockey was really the only sport I didn’t completely suck at.

PH: How did you become a Ranger fan? We know your brother, B.D. Gallof, is a huge Islanders fan so what gives?
SG: Well Patrick, turns out unlike my heathen brother… I have good taste in hockey teams.
When I was young, I really never even knew about the Rangers. Growing up on Long Island in the 80’s all you would ever hear about was the Islanders and their silly cup runs. My father and brother were both Islanders fans, so by proxy I was too. When I got a little older I discovered there was a team that played in Manhattan. As a youth stuck in the suburbs I was fascinated with the big city. Little did I know many years later I would be stuck commuting there every damn day. In fact, I am typing this out right now sitting out an overcrowded LIRR train. Someone’s elbow keeps hitting the tab key…
A short time after that one of my good friends in my impressionable years was a huge Rangers fan and his enthusiasm rubbed off on me and I started watching this “other” team more closely. I was hooked forever more. I remember cheering for guys like Troy Mallette, Chris “Knuckles” Nilan, Bernie Nicholls and of course Leetch and Richter. I have to admit I also liked how much it pissed off both B.D. and my father. I broke from the family mold and I took my younger brother with me too.

PH: How did you get into being a hockey writer/blogger?
SG: I can answer that in one word for you, “Nepotism.”
B.D. started blogging when his gonzo style approach took off and Eklund asked him if he wanted to cover the Islanders. Not long after, with some badgering from B.D. to check out the site, I showed up as just a thread poster. Basically my plan was to just tangle with Islanders’ fans and start fights with them, a long time hobby of mine. But, to my surprise, I found instead, (of course there were some exceptions) a very educated fan base on Hockeybuzz. I would find myself just getting into normal hockey conversations with fans of all teams, including rival clubs. I also found a fine Rangers’ blogger there that I started reading religiously and taking part in those comment threads. You may have heard of the blogger, his name was Patrick Hoffman.
Patrick moved on after a while and a vacancy opened up for a Rangers’ team blogger. Again, after some badgering from B.D., I took the job and have been doing it ever since.

PH: Tell us about your gig with HockeyBuzz. What are you trying to bring readers who visit your Rangers blog?
SG: I’ll tell you, it’s not an easy gig. I had no idea what it took to constantly keep up and write for a team and with such a knowledgeable audience base. The trick is to assume that the readers pretty much have most of the information you have. The average Hockeybuzz reader will be up to date on the game, what Steve Zipay wrote, what Larry Brooks wrote, etc. etc. My challenge is bringing something else to the table, whether it is with humor, Photoshop art or just with my warped perspective on things.

PH: Where do you think hockey blogs are going in the future? When will hockey bloggers be taken seriously by the league and members of the MSM?
SG: Blogging is still a new medium so there’s going to be bumps, rises and falls for a while. I think eventually it will as more established journalists are jumping over into the medium. Steve Zipay, Larry Brooks, Greg Logan have all embraced the format and even though they primarily write for print, they give a little something extra for the web users.
The problem lies in those who feel they have paid their dues and resent these new blood bloggers suddenly in the mix and gaining entry into the press box. It may be an uphill climb for a while but I think as more time passes, blogging will be more and more accepted.

PH: Now for some actual hockey talk. Why do you think the Blueshirts struggled under Renney this season?
SG: Probably for many reasons, but I think the biggest flaw was in the philosophy of Glen Sather against Tom Renney’s own coaching style. Where Renney is a completely defensive mined coach, Sather brought in players like Gomez and Zherdev who are more offensive-minded.
Sather also made some poor choices in his management of the free agents over the last few seasons, over paying and bringing in some overrated talent. *Cough, cough Redden, Kalinin cough* which certainly did not help Renney’s job. He also locked up his own payroll so making adjustments became even more difficult in this new cap era.
As for Renney himself, he seemed to be the wrong coach to snap some of these players out of their lethargic funk. In spending too much time punishing players like Petr Prucha than addressing issues with the more established talent, he enabled bad habits.
Lastly, he seemed to be too dependent on Perry Pearn running the power play that had obvious flaws for the last two seasons. With that being said, Tom Renney is a great coach and with the right team and management, he can do very well. I am sure that he will surface up somewhere in the league in the future.

PH: How has the team improved under new head coach John Tortorella?
SG: I think they have, though obviously from the last two games things are not exactly hunky-dory with our beloved Blueshirts, though last night’s game against the Devils was a fine bounce back. Just wish the boys could do it more consistently.
Tortorella definitely brings in accountability for players and a refreshing demeanor. Too many times I screamed at the screen in rage and then was even more incensed when I would see the calm, cool and collected Tom Renney behind the bench. I sometimes need a coach who gets as angry as I am when the team is under-performing.
I think the younger players are responding very well to Tortorella. The biggest example would be Ryan Callahan who has been phenomenal since the coaching change. I think we’ll get a better look once we get into next season and the team has finally the time to fully adopt the new style.
I will say personally I prefer the Tortorella style to Renney’s. I like a two-man forecheck and constant unrelenting offensive pressure; to me it makes for more exciting games.

PH: Look into your crystal ball: Assuming that the Rangers make the playoffs, who will they take on in the first round?
SG: I think it is destiny…a rematch against the Devils. It will be a tough series too, possibly a 7 game series that will leave the victor worse for wear. Honestly, I think the Rangers will be the team to pull through. After watching the game tonight, even though the Devils have been in a recent slump, Sean Avery just seems to get under that team’s skin. Could very well be the deciding factor as long as the Rangers can keep that forecheck going and not go stale in the third periods.

PH: Any words of wisdom for readers on Kukla’s Korner?
SG: Words of wisdom… Hmm, you might have picked the wrong person to be spreading wisdom around. Instead, I will leave with a quote: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
 Tags: HockeyBuzz.com, New+York+Rangers, Scott+Gallof,

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About Goal Line Report

Patrick has a tremendous passion for hockey. Besides covering the Rangers and the NHL for Kukla’s Korner, you can also find Patrick’s work over at Sportsnet.ca, The Red Light District Hockey Blog, NHL Home Ice, and Liam Maguire’s Ultimate Hockey web site.

Prior to writing for the above mentioned outlets, you could find Patrick’s musings at hockey web sites/outlets such as TheHockeyNews.com, TheFourthPeriod.com, Spector’s Hockey, Hokeja Vestnesis, Blueshirt Bulletin, SNYRangersBlog.com and many more.

For questions, comments and hip checks, feel free to e-mail Patrick at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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