Ever since there started to be talk that the Rangers might open next season in Europe, there has been an obvious expectation that their preseason schedule would include a date with Frolunda HC, the team that Henrik Lundqvist began his career with in Gothenburg, Sweden.

An announcement on Frolunda's website says that the exhibition will go forward, taking place on either September 29 or 30. The problem with that is that the Rangers already have a confirmed date with HC Sparta Prague on September 29 -- tickets already are on sale for the game in the Czech captial, in fact.

Peter Gyllander, the director of communications for Frolunda, replied to an e-mail from the Daily News asking about this conflict, writing, "We will play Rangers on Friday the 30th. All this was finally set up today, I was told earlier today. We will make a correction next week."

It still seems odd that the Rangers would wind up playing on back-to-back nights in different countries on a European tour. Prague-to-Gothenburg is a 90-minute flight, so it's doable, just strange, especially since the Rangers open their regular season in Stockholm on Oct. 7. Are they really going to stay in Sweden for a whole week, or will they tour on from Frolunda and return to play against the Los Angeles Kings in the Swedish capital?

There has yet to be any announcement from the Rangers or the NHL on a Blueshirts vs. Frolunda game.

Get news from the Rangers beat as it happens by following @NYDNRangers on Twitter!

After a couple of days to sort of mentally decompress from the off-ice happenings of the last two weeks, let’s get back to the Blueshirts Blog season review series. This is actually the 16^th entry, which is incredible, because it really does not feel like the Rangers’ season has been over for long enough to get that far with this. But here we are, ready to take a look at Dan Girardi’s campaign.
 
The most obvious bullet point on Girardi’s work in 2010-11 was that he led the NHL in blocked shots with 236 – well ahead of runner-up Greg Zanon’s total of 212. That was not the only way that Girardi threw his body around, as he also ranked ninth among defensemen with 195 hits. The sum of 431 hits and blocks easily led the league, as Toronto’s Luke Schenn was the only other player to crack 400.
 
Willingness and ability to take or give a bruise do not necessarily make a defenseman good at his job, but for Girardi, that part of his game is just the hallmark of a work ethic that has brought him from being undrafted out of the Ontario Hockey League to a cornerstone of the Rangers’ defensive plans for years to come on the top pair with Marc Staal.
 
Girardi averaged a career-high 24:35 per game this season, playing against the best forwards the opposition had to offer. From the start of the season to the finish, he probably was the steadiest performer the Rangers had, never posting a negative rating in more than back-to-back games. For the season, Girardi was plus-7, and while that statistic can be misleading a lot of the time, that is not the case here.
 

The family of Derek Boogaard issued the following statement Friday through the National Hockey League Players' Association:
 
"We would like to express our appreciation for the outpouring of love and support for our family during this difficult period as we grieve the loss of Derek – our son and brother.   We are deeply saddened by this unimaginable loss, but we are grateful for the expression of support that has given us strength as we go through this tragic time.

It is very comforting for our family to know that, while Derek’s life was far too short, he had a great impact on many people who he came into contact with.  We are proud that Derek was able to live his boyhood dream to play in the National Hockey League. We are even more proud of the fact that Derek was dedicated to making a difference in his adopted communities of Minnesota and New York City, through his countless hours of charitable work.   

Earlier today, we received the results of Derek's toxicology report at the time of his accidental death.  After repeated courageous attempts at rehabilitation and with the full support of the New York Rangers, the NHLPA, and the NHL, Derek had been showing tremendous improvement but was ultimately unable to beat this opponent.  While he played and lived with pain for many years, his passion for the game, his teammates, and his community work was unstoppable.

Our family would like to like to thank the New York Rangers, the Minnesota Wild, the National Hockey League Players’ Association, and the National Hockey League for supporting Derek's continued efforts in his battle.  

Derek will be greatly missed and will never be forgotten by his fans, friends, and teammates, and especially by us – his family. We respectfully ask for continued privacy as we grieve the loss of Derek."

It is easy enough to see the potential in Matt Gilroy as an NHL player, as he continues to get better defensively after spending the better part of his storied college career at Boston University as a forward. The question is whether that potential will be fulfilled, and if so, if it will happen with the Rangers.
 
Gilroy played 58 games this season, almost exclusively as a third-pair defenseman, and at times had to shift from his natural right side to the left. He played hard when given opportunities, and did not complain when he spent long stretches as a healthy scratch. While he struggled at times, Gilroy did not hurt the Rangers with stupid penalties – he had only 14 penalty minutes all season.
 
The three goals that Gilroy scored this season all came in a two-week stretch – a pair against the Islanders on Dec. 27 and one against the Hurricanes on Jan. 5. On two of the three goals, as well as the one that he scored in Washington in Game 1 of the playoffs, Gilroy took a pass from a forward deep in the offensive zone, and fired a quick shot. That takes some skill, and it also makes you wonder why Gilroy was not able to contribute more on the power play – averaging 1:14 per game with the man advantage, he contributed no goals and one assist.
 
John Tortorella was impressed with Gilroy’s performance in the playoffs, but not so much that he got to play more. Gilroy’s 15:40 average ice time in the five playoff games was the lowest among Rangers defensemen, and it was not as if Bryan McCabe was setting the world on fire at even strength or on the power play.