Rangers Re-Sign Rempe and Robertson

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Derek

On the summer solstice, the Rangers were in the news for the second time in three days. They agreed to terms on a two-year contract with restricted free agent Matthew Robertson earlier today.

The first year of the deal is two-way, with Robertson able to still play for the Hartford Wolf Pack. The second year of the deal is one-way. That means if he’s still around the following season, Robertson won’t be eligible to be sent down.

Originally selected with the number 49 pick in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft, the 24-year-old defenseman finally made his Broadway debut this past season. In two games, he finished with a plus-3 rating. It remains to be seen if Robertson is in the Rangers’ plans. However, he will remain with the organization making the league minimum ($775,000).

Rempe Re-Ups for Two Years

In related news, the Rangers re-signed restricted free agent Matt Rempe. His new contract is for two years with a $975,000 cap hit.

A former sixth round pick selected 165th overall in 2020, the 22-year-old Rempe established himself as a hard-working player on the fourth line. Known for his physicality due to big hits and fisticuffs, Rempe showed improvement in the second half of the season by setting career highs in goals (3), assists (5), and points (8). He also finished a plus-7 in 42 games.

After serving an eight-game suspension for an illegal hit from behind on Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, Rempe made an adjustment to his aggressive game. For the most part, he played within the boundaries to become a more trusted player under former Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette. He cut down on going out of his way to hit defenseless players who were in a vulnerable position.

Aside from showing the ability to learn on the fly, he also demonstrated that he could become a factor on the forecheck. His skating improved enough for that to happen. It even led to Rempe scoring on a breakaway in a 5-1 win over the Islanders on Feb. 25. A game in which he finished a plus-3.

Unlike the beginning of his career, Rempe didn’t fight as much in 2024-25. In fact, he only had two majors over the final three months. Unlike 2023-24 when he had five fighting majors in 17 games, Rempe finished with just four fights in 42 games. Instead, he stuck to playing hockey by picking his spots when he went to finish a check.

In order for him to stick, he’ll have to continue to do that. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits in new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan’s plans.

Changes Are Coming

As a busy off-season continues to approach, with some teams already making some noise via trades and early signings, which won’t become official until July 1, Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury continues to work the phones.

It’s no secret that Drury wants to keep making changes to a roster that got stale. It was eight days ago that Chris Kreider signed off on a trade to the Ducks. He joined former teammates Barclay Goodrow, Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, and Jimmy Vesey as key players that relocated over the last year. All seven appeared in the Eastern Conference Final in 2023-24.

K’Andre Miller could become the next domino to fall. A key restricted free agent, the 25-year-old defenseman is expected to price himself out of the Big Apple. Following an inconsistent season that saw him make $4.65 million with a $3.87 million cap hit, Miller reportedly wants to sign a long-term deal that could pay him more than the organization thinks he’s worth.

Despite Miller being the only candidate to join Adam Fox on the top pair, the Rangers have been holding trade discussions. If you believe Frank Seravalli, as many as a dozen teams believed to be interested in acquiring Miller. On Seravalli’s updated top 35 players list of trade targets, Miller’s ranked number 4.

If Miller had shown improvement in his fifth season, he wouldn’t be available. The primary concern of the organization is defending better in front of Igor Shesterkin. There were too many instances when opponents were allowed to roam free, leading to Shesterkin’s numbers ballooning to a career worst 2.86 goals-against-average and a career low .905 save percentage in 61 starts. No goalie faced more shots (1751) or made more saves (1584) than Shesterkin in 2024-25.

The Blueshirts are expected to be in on free agent defensemen Vladislav Gavrikov and Ivan Provorov. Gavrikov is a lot better than Provorov, who’s a year and a half younger. Gavrikov will turn 30 in late November. If they sign him, there’s always the risk of committing too many years and dollars to a player who’ll be entering their 30s. Gavrikov had a $5.875 million cap hit with the Kings. He’s going to be seeking a long-term deal in the neighborhood of $8 to 9 million per season. Isn’t that exactly what the Rangers did with Trouba under former GM Jeff Gorton? At least they got two playoff runs out of the former captain.

Between now and the first day of free agency, there are going to be a lot of rumors. Make sure they’re from reputable sources.

Devils Unload Haula to Predators

In an easy move from their vantage point, the Devils were able to trade Erik Haula to the Predators in exchange for a 2025 fourth round pick and minor league defenseman Jeremy Hanzel on Wednesday.

In three seasons with the Devils, Haula was a solid contributor. His first two years were similar, with Haula recording 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 2022-23, and 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points in 2023-24. He was excellent on faceoffs, winning over 52 percent in all three years. He also was a good penalty killer, scoring three shorthanded goals as a Devil.

His best moment came during the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Haula tallied four goals and two assists for six points in the Devils’ seven-game series win over the Rangers. That included a big goal in Game 7 that put the series away on May 1, 2023.

In 2024-25, Haula saw his numbers decline. He had 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points in 69 games. In the Devils’ first round series loss to the Hurricanes, Haula had one assist.

With a year remaining on his contract, he was a primary candidate for team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald to offload. That’s exactly what he did, dumping the $3.15 million salary on the Predators. It’ll be the second time in Haula’s career that he’ll join the Predators. He also spent a year in Nashville in 2020-21.

The Devils are expected to try to dump the contract of Dougie Hamilton. He has three years remaining with an expensive $9 million AAV that doesn’t expire until 2028. They’ll probably have to pick up a portion to find a taker.

Luke Hughes is a big restricted free agent. He’s expected to get a significant contract this summer.

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Rangers Trade Kreider to Ducks

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Derek

In what amounted to a salary dump, the Rangers officially moved on from Chris Kreider. As was reported on Tuesday, Kreider was traded to the Ducks in exchange for prospect Carey Terrance. The teams also agreed to a mid-round pick swap in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft. The Ducks sent a third round pick to the Rangers in exchange for a fourth round pick.

After taking a day to think about it, Kreider decided to waive his modified no-trade clause. The Ducks had been on his 15-team no-trade list. My guess is that he realized that moving on was the best outcome for him and the Rangers. Especially after how he was treated by Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury. Once Drury leaked the memo to the rest of the league that made Kreider available last November, his days were numbered. It was like walking on eggshells. He didn’t speak to the media after games the rest of the season.

Kreider decided to follow Jacob Trouba to Anaheim. It was last Dec. 6 that Drury forced Trouba to accept a deal to the Ducks for Urho Vaakanainen and conditional 2025 fourth round pick. He was threatened with being placed on waivers by the narcissistic Drury. Had that happened, Trouba would’ve been designated for assignment to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

That’s how Drury operates. He doesn’t care how bad it looks. After screwing up last summer with both Trouba and Barclay Goodrow, Drury was desperate to get out of those contracts. It’s his way or the highway. It didn’t matter that the 2023-24 New York Rangers had plenty of success by winning a Presidents’ Trophy before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. Drury completely sabotaged the 2024-25 season due to his inflated ego. It created unnecessary distractions off the ice which affected the team’s performance.

In dealing away Kreider, Drury was able to get the Ducks to absorb the entire $6.5 million cap hit that has two years remaining. He cared more about freeing up necessary cap space than getting a better return. Had the Rangers retained 20 percent of Kreider’s remaining salary, they actually could’ve gotten better value back. Not in Drury’s world. It’s all about July 1. I don’t know what they have planned. But it better not involve using the money on a veteran who’ll enter their 30s over the long-term. That’s exactly what they’ve been trying to escape. See Zibanejad, Mika. Kreider’s close personal friend has a full no-movement clause on a contract that doesn’t expire until 2030. Good luck convincing him to waive it.

If they’re going to improve, it’ll involve drafting and developing better players. They still don’t know what Brennan Othmann is. He remains without a goal in 25 career games. The 2021 first round pick is essential to the team’s future. Unless they’re going to package him for a restricted free agent (J.J. Peterka, Marco Rossi, Gabe Vilardi, Morgan Geekie), which would mean further weakening a weak farm system, it’s hard to envision the Blueshirts without both Othmann and Gabriel Perreault as part of the new core moving forward.

In adding the 20-year-old Terrance, the Rangers are hoping that he can become part of the team’s future. Terrance is viewed as a two-way center who projects as a third line player that can kill penalties. His offense stagnated for the Eerie Otters in 2024-25. He went from scoring 29 goals and adding 23 assists in 2023-24 to putting up 20 goals and 19 assists in 2024-25. Terrance didn’t play as many games. He scored twice for Team USA in their run to the gold medal at the 2025 World Junior Championships.

Considering that they lack centers in the system, let’s hope that Terrance pans out. He signed his entry-level contract with the Ducks in April. He’s ready for the next chapter in his career. Selected by Anaheim with the 59th pick in 2023, Terrance is listed at six-foot-one, 186 pounds. He’s most effective in a North/South style. That sounds like most USA Hockey players. They emphasize getting pucks deep and generating scoring chances off the forecheck. That’s the direction the Rangers should go. They must become harder to play against. There was too many one and done last season.

Emotional Kreider Says Goodbye

On a conference call with reporters, an emotional Kreider said goodbye to the only organization he’s known.

“I think I’ve kind of gone through the spectrum of emotions: anger, sadness, grief. Whatever you want to call it. But I keep on arriving at gratitude for how I was treated, the opportunities I was given, for the connections I was able to make, the relationships, the friendships, the experiences I was able to have: playing in front of that fanbase, at that arena, playing in some of the games I was able to play in. Stuff that is so memorable and means so much and stuff that I’ll take with me for the rest of my life.”

Kreider also appreciated how it was handled. “There was a lot of communication from Rangers’ management, Chris Drury in particular, about where they stood.”

“It was done in a really respectful fashion by the New York Rangers.”

End Of An Era

When he scored his 326th goal and picked up his 256th assist against the Lightning on Apr. 17, Kreider likely knew that was it as a Blueshirt. It was a fitting conclusion to his final game as a New York Ranger.

He finished his Rangers career with the third most goals (326) in franchise history. He’s tied with Camille Henry for the most power-play goals (116). His 50 game-winning goals place second behind Rod Gilbert. He finished with 13 shorthanded goals to rank fourth on the franchise list. Zibanejad to Kreider became a theme on the penalty kill. Even in a down year in which he only had 22 goals and eight assists, Kreider finished with four shorthanded goals, trailing team leader Vincent Trocheck (6).

It truly is the end of an era. When he joined the team straight out of college after winning a national championship for Boston College, Kreider scored five goals during the Rangers’ run to their first Eastern Conference Final since 1997. He showed a lot of poise and maturity during that run in 2012.

Two years later, Kreider was front and center in a six-game triumph over the Canadiens in the Conference Finals. He led all Rangers forwards with three goals and five assists for eight points in helping them reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

A year later, with things looking bleak against the Capitals, Kreider delivered one of his biggest goals. With the Caps protecting a 1-0 lead, Kreider buried a Derek Stepan feed to tie the score in Game 5 of the second round. At the time, the Rangers were staring elimination in the face with less than two minutes left in their season. That all changed when Kreider scored with 1:46 remaining. A Stepan drop pass led to Ryan McDonagh scoring in overtime to save the Rangers season. They rallied from a 3-1 deficit to come back and take the series in seven games. Stepan notched the winner in overtime of Game 7.

When I think of Chris Kreider, I’m reminded of that night. There were a lot of emotions in the building on May 8, 2015. It felt like they needed a miracle. Stepan to Kreider provided it. It’s still fondly remembered by many diehard fans.

Kreider provided us with his memorable natural hat trick against the Hurricanes on May 16, 2024. It looked like the Rangers were in trouble. After grabbing the first three games of the second round series, they couldn’t put the pesky Hurricanes away. Carolina was a period away from forcing a deciding seventh game. But Kreider had other ideas. With the Rangers trailing the Hurricanes 3-1, he sparked a four-goal third period.

The turnaround started innocently enough when Kreider was able to stuff in a rebound past Frederik Andersen that cut it to 3-2. On the power play, he was parked in front when he tipped in an Artemi Panarin shot to tie the score with 8:06 left. A few minutes later, with the game on the line, Kreider put away a rebound of a Ryan Lindgren wrap-around to get the series clincher with 4:19 remaining. A Goodrow empty netter sealed the stunning victory with less than a minute left.

Ironically, none of these players are left. Goodrow was unceremoniously dumped by Drury in an underhanded waiver deal to the Sharks, who were on Goodrow’s no-trade list last year. Lindgren was traded to the Avalanche in a five-player deal on Mar. 1.

Now, Kreider is off to the Ducks to try to help them return to the playoffs, alongside former teammates Trouba, Ryan Strome, and Frank Vatrano. All of which were members of the 2021-22 roster that also went to the Conference Finals. In that one, the Rangers blew a 2-0 series lead to the two-time defending champion Lightning in an excruciating six-game defeat. There’ll be a reunion in Southern California this fall.

Kreider A Duck

The next time Kreider plays, it’ll be as a Duck. He’ll wear the familiar No. 20 in those cool bright orange jerseys with the original Ducks logo. It’ll definitely be strange.

In an interview with Ducks host Alexis Downie, he said he was excited about the direction of the team. That will include playing for new Ducks coach Joel Quenneville. The less said about that, the better. I am not exactly thrilled that Quenneville is back behind the bench. But he was reinstated by the NHL.

I’m curious to see who Kreider will play with. The Ducks boast some really good centers. That includes Leo Carlsson, Strome, and Trevor Zegras. Kreider and Strome didn’t play together on Broadway. I’m not sure they will in Anaheim. I kind of like the idea of Kreider with Zegras on a second line. We’ll see what Queeneville decides.

Good Luck, Kreids

It goes without saying that Kreider was my favorite player on the recent Rangers teams. I followed him since he teamed up with Stepan to win a gold medal for USA at the World Juniors in 2010. During that run, he scored six goals. USA defeated Canada 6-5 in overtime on John Carlson’s winner.

Kreider has been part of all five Rangers’ Conference Final appearances. He’s the only player who can say that. That included three with Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist and two with Igor Shesterkin. He’ll bring that big game experience with him to the Ducks.

Anaheim finished with five less points (80) than the Rangers (85) last season. They’re an up-and-coming team headed in the right direction. Unlike the Rangers, who need to get younger and faster, the Ducks boast a lot of promising talent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them make the playoffs next season.

A lot has been made of Kreider’s dramatic drop-off. He went from scoring 39 goals and 75 points to 22 goals and eight assists. He didn’t forget how to play. Injuries limited his effectiveness in the 68 games he played. If he returns healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t return to scoring 30. He won’t have the luxury of having Panarin or Adam Fox set him up on the power play. But the Ducks should be a good fit due to the speed and skill they possess.

Best of luck, Kreids. You handled yourself with class. See you soon.

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Kreider heavily rumored to Ducks

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Derek

It’s the second week of June. With the Stanley Cup Finals going on, other stuff is happening. While the Oilers and Panthers battle it out for Lord Stanley, there are plenty of trade rumors being reported from insiders.

The Rangers have been mentioned a lot this off-season. A few days ago, K’Andre Miller was a name that’s been discussed. The 25-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent who is arbitration eligible this summer.

According to NY Post columnist Larry Brooks, Miller’s name popped up at last week’s NHL Combine. Considering that he might not be agreeable to a short-term deal with a lower cap hit, it makes plenty of sense. Miller could price himself out of New York City. He’s also a candidate for an offer sheet. It looks like he could be headed elsewhere.

Alexis Lafreniere is also available. Just last year, Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury signed Lafreniere to a seven-year contract extension with a $7.45 million AAV. The 23-year-old former 2020 number one overall selection struggled mightily after signing the contract. Unless they can put Lafreniere in a package to acquire the very available Jason Robertson (RFA), it doesn’t make much sense to move him. I’d wait it out and see what he does in Year 1 of his new deal. Especially with new coach Mike Sullivan arriving.

Kreider Headed to Anaheim?

Last night, Frank Seravalli reported that the Rangers and Ducks were in advanced discussions on a trade that would send Chris Kreider to Anaheim. This is from Seravalli’s story on the possible deal.

The most recent discussions centered on Ducks prospect Carey Terrance, an upstate New York native and 2023 second-round pick, heading to the Rangers in a swap that would see the Ducks take on Kreider’s contract in-full. Kreider, 34, has two years remaining on his contract at $6.5 million per year. He was ranked No. 2 on Daily Faceoff’s most recent Trade Targets board.

If it comes to fruition, the Rangers are expected to acquire Carey Terrance. A 2023 second round pick, he followed up a 29-goal, 52-point 2023-24 season with 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points in 2024-25 for the Eerie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League. The 20-year-old Terrance scored two goals as part of USA repeating as champions at the 2025 World Junior Championships.

The Ducks would assume the remainder of Kreider’s contract. He has two years remaining with a $6.5 million cap hit. Kreider would have to agree to waive his no-trade clause to go to Anaheim. They were on his 15 team no-trade list. If he does, Kreider would be reunited with former teammates Ryan Strome, Jacob Trouba, and Frank Vatrano.

Anaheim is an up-and-coming team that features a young core that includes Leo Carlsson, Lukas Dostal, Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, Trevor Zegras, and Olen Zellweger. Adding a proven player like Kreider would solidify their playoff chances.

How Kreider Should Be Remembered

If it does happen, Kreider will have a new home in 2025-26. Since being selected with the 19th pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, he’s been one of the best players on the Blueshirts.

A power forward who’s still a good skater, Kreider has scored at least 20 goals or more in 10 seasons. His best year came in 2021-22 when he scored a career high 52 goals to tie Adam Graves for the second most by a Ranger in a single season. He also added 25 assists to set a career best with 77 points. That season, Kreider broke Jaromir Jagr’s franchise mark with 26 power-play goals. The most by a Ranger in a single season. His 26 PPG’s and 11 game-winners led the league.

Kreider helped lead the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final. He scored 10 goals during that run. He and Mika Zibanejad tied for the team lead in goals. Zibanejad paced the team in scoring with 24 points. Kreider tied with Artemi Panarin for third with 16 points. Ultimately, the Rangers were eliminated in six games by the two-time defending champion Lightning.

Kreider continued to produce at a high level over the following two seasons. That included 36 goals and 19 assists in 2022-23 and 39 goals and a career high 36 assists in 2023-24.

After the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy, they made another deep run by reaching the Conference Finals last year. It was in the third period of Game 6 against the Hurricanes that Kreider delivered a signature performance. With the team trailing the Hurricanes 3-1, Kreider scored a natural hat trick on the road to lead the Rangers to a thrilling come from behind win that helped them advance to the Eastern Conference Final. It was a memorable game for the longest tenured Ranger. When the Hurricanes looked like they were on the verge of coming back from an 0-3 series deficit to force a deciding Game 7, Kreider stepped up in the clutch.

When they needed him most, Kreider came through. Great at tipping shots in due to his hand-eye coordination, he’s been one of the league’s best net front players. Even in a down season that was marred by injuries, he still had 22 goals with six coming on the power play. The sixth power-play goal came on Feb. 22 against Buffalo. It probably turned out to be final one of his Rangers career. Kreider tied Camille Henry for the most power-play goals (116) in franchise history.

Where Kreider Ranks

Aside from sharing the top spot with Henry in power-play goals, Kreider ranks third in Rangers franchise history in goals with 326. In fact, he went out in style by scoring in what was likely his final game as a Blueshirt in a 4-0 win versus the Lightning on Apr. 17. He scored and set up a Zibanejad goal in the victory.

Kreider ranks eighth in games played with 883. He’s 10th on the franchise scoring list with 582 points. His 197 even strength goals rank fourth behind Hall of Famers, Rod Gilbert, Jean Ratelle, and Andy Bathgate. Kreider’s plus-121 rating is sixth best. His 13 shorthanded goals place him third behind Mark Messier and Graves. Kreider also ranks second in game-winning goals (50), trailing only Gilbert. His 2160 shots rank fifth on the franchise list.

Kreider also recorded six hat tricks. Only Bill Cook, Gilbert, and Zibanejad had more as a Ranger. If it’s indeed over, No. 20 will be fondly remembered by the fans. He was part of five teams that reached the Conference Finals. They don’t make the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 without him. Thank you, Kreids.

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Rangers Announce New Assistants on Sullivan’s Staff

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Derek

A month after making it official by hiring Mike Sullivan as their new head coach, the Rangers announced the new assistants on his staff on Thursday, Jun. 5.

Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury made the announcement by revealing that David Quinn, Joe Sacco, and Ty Hennes were hired assistant coaches.

Quinn rejoins the organization after coaching the Rangers from 2018-19 through 2020-21. During his three-year tenure, he went 96-87-25. The Rangers failed to qualify for the postseason in all three seasons, including the Covid interrupted 2019-20 when they lost in the Stanley Cup qualifying round to the Hurricanes. Since then, Quinn coached the Sharks for two seasons and then served as an assistant coach under Sullivan with the Penguins.

Hennes also served as an assistant for the Penguins the last two years after serving in a different capacity in the organization. Previously, he played his collegiate career for Boston College. That included winning a national championship in 2001.

Sacco has coached in the past. A decade after being the bench boss of the Avalanche for three years, he replaced Jim Montgomery in 2024-25. Sacco had served as an assistant coach for the Bruins since 2014-15. After he took over, the Bruins went 25-30-7 to finish last in the Eastern Conference. A former player who has a lot of experience behind the bench, he’ll join the Rangers under Sullivan in the Big Apple.

Overall, it looks like a good coaching staff. While neither Sacco nor Quinn had much success as head coaches, they are better suited as assistants. When he returns, Quinn will see some familiar faces. That includes Adam Fox, who won a Norris Trophy when Quinn was the bench boss.

Pens Hire Dan Muse as Coach

Meanwhile, Dan Muse landed on his feet in Pittsburgh. The former Rangers assistant was hired by the Pens as their new head coach. He’ll take over for Sullivan, who now coaches the Rangers.

It’s funny the way things work out. Muse served as an assistant under Peter Laviolette the past two years. Now, he gets the opportunity to run things in Pittsburgh. Considering all of the success Kris Knoblauch has had with the Oilers, who are battling the Panthers in a Stanley Cup Finals rematch, it’ll be interesting to see how Muse does. He’ll get to coach Sidney Crosby.

As for Knoblauch, he and the Oilers are deadlocked with the defending champion Panthers 1-1. Both games went to overtime. Leon Draisaitl won Game 1 on the power play. Brad Marchand won Game 2 on a breakaway in double overtime. It’s been a great series so far. We’ll see what happens when it shifts to Florida on Monday.

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Relentless Panthers Break Leafs’ Hearts Again in Dominant Game 7

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Derek

For the second time in three years, the Panthers advanced to the Conference Finals by eliminating the Maple Leafs in the second round. Unlike the five-game triumph two years ago, they did it in seven games to break Leafs’ hearts again.

Following a 6-1 win in Game 5, the Panthers were shut out 2-0 at home by a more determined Leafs last Friday night. In an elimination game, Auston Matthews scored the winner with 13:40 remaining in the third period. Max Pacioretty added some insurance with a nice redirection for his sixth point of the series. Joseph Woll stopped all 22 shots for his first career postseason shutout. That set the stage for a do-or-die Game 7 back in Toronto on Monday night.

Playing their biggest game in 23 years since they came back to defeat the Senators to advance past the second round, the Leafs were dominated by the battle tested defending champion Panthers, losing Game 7 by an identical 6-1 score at Scotiabank Arena. Frustration boiled over for over 19,000 fans who hoped to witness a much different result that would send their team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Instead, furious spectators booed the Leafs off the ice, with several misguided fans throwing jerseys and beer. It was an embarrassing way for the season to end.

Cats Came Out Ready

Whether it was pregame jitters or just some apprehension due to the enormous pressure of the moment, the Leafs didn’t start the game off right. Instead, it was the more aggressive Cats who came out ready to do battle.

Skating with more purpose and showing urgency, the defending champs dominated the first half of the opening period. Continuing to get pucks in and aggressively forecheck, they put the Leafs on their heels. In fact, the Panthers not only registered the game’s first seven shots. But they out-attempted the Leafs by a wide 25-1 margin.

The Leafs held on due to their willingness to block shots and rely on Woll for big saves to keep the game scoreless. Eventually, they settled down and started to turn the tide.

Bobrovsky Denies Leafs’ Bids

Towards the halfway mark of the first period, the Leafs began to create more offense that led to some dangerous scoring chances. That included Matthew Knies and William Nylander each missing wide along with Simon Benoit. All three were excellent opportunities to give the Leafs the lead.

Having not been tested for over the first 11 minutes, Sergei Bobrovsky delivered when the Panthers needed it most. He denied some strong Leafs’ bids. That included a Nylander point blank chance, with the Florida netminder able to squeeze his pads together on the Leafs’ first shot. He was just getting warmed up.

Scott Laughton was unable to beat him on a mini break, flubbing a backhand with the Panthers caught up ice. After making a pair of stops on Bobby McMann, Bobrovsky’s biggest save of the game came when he thwarted Steven Lorentz on a breakaway.

After being outshot 7-0, the Leafs had the next seven shots. But they couldn’t beat a sharp Bobrovsky, who finished the game with 19 saves to send the Panthers to a third straight Eastern Conference Finals where they’ll meet the Hurricanes for the second time in three years.

Ref Chris Rooney Leaves Game with Injury

After the Leafs killed off a bench minor to conclude the first period, the second started in startling fashion. On an accidental play behind the net, Niko Mikkola had his stick make contact with ref Chris Rooney, injuring him just 13 seconds into the period. Rooney suffered a cut near the eye on the play and had to be helped off the ice. He received stitches for the cut. Emergency ref Garrett Rank replaced him for the remainder of the game.

Fortunately, the news was encouraging on Rooney. He didn’t suffer any eye damage. He had a black eye and hopes to return to work the next round.

It was a scary moment during the game. Even officials are at risk when they’re on the ice. Thankfully, Rooney will be okay.

Jones Breaks the Ice

Only a few minutes into the second period, Seth Jones broke the ice by scoring the first goal of the game. On a good defensive play started by captain Aleksander Barkov, he moved the puck out of his zone for Evan Rodrigues who made a nice backhand pass to lead Jones in on an odd man rush. Jones made a good wrist shot from the right circle high past Woll to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

On the play, two Leafs forwards were beaten up the ice. That included Matthews and Matthew Knies, who got caught deep. A trailing Mitch Marner was back to help pick up Sam Reinhart, giving Jones the shot. Arguably the Panthers’ best player in the series, Jones scored his second on a perfect laser past Woll. The 30-year-old veteran defenseman made it difficult on the Matthews line during the big matchup. Jones had two goals and two assists while pacing the Panthers in ice time (25:48).

He wasn’t done getting involved offensively. Jones later picked up a key secondary assist on the Panthers’ third goal of the second period. It was his on-ice awareness that allowed Jonah Gadjovich’s goal to hold up. On a play in the neutral zone with Florida ahead 2-0, Jones patiently waited for Gadjovich to tag up to get back onside before touching the puck that led to the Panthers increasing their lead to three. The Leafs wisely didn’t challenge for offsides.

The Rat Haunts Toronto Again

When they acquired Brad Marchand from the Bruins for a 2027 conditional second round pick, it was for big moments like last night. Throughout his career, the scrappy 37-year-old veteran has been a thorn in the side of the Leafs. He previously had defeated them four times with the Bruins, including last year in the first round. All four of those series went to Game 7.

Once again, Marchand was front and center in an elimination game against his hometown team. Like a broken record, the Rat haunted Toronto again. Over four minutes following Jones’ goal that opened the scoring, Marchand outskated the Leafs during a dominant shift that led directly to Anton Lundell making it 2-0.

Marchand skated into open ice and fired a wrist shot that Eetu Luostarinen got a piece of to make it a difficult save for Woll. He gave up a rebound which Lundell buried to give the Panthers a two-goal lead. It was Marchand who created the goal out of sheer hustle and smarts.

In the third period, with Max Domi temporarily giving Leafs fans hope by beating Bobrovsky on a breakaway to cut the deficit to 3-1, Marchand quickly silenced the crowd by having his shot tipped in by Luostarinen to restore a three-goal lead. The Leafs killer would later put the exclamation point on the victory with an empty netter – giving him 37 points versus the Leafs in the playoffs. That ranks second all-time versus the Leafs, trailing only hockey legend Gordie Howe (53).

Marchand led all skaters in scoring with eight points, including a goal and two assists in Game 7. He became the first player in NHL history to win five Game 7’s against the same franchise.

After the game, he spoke about if he enjoys beating the Leafs more than any other team due to an interaction that he had with a frustrated Toronto fan as he left the ice.

“I think the thing about Toronto is the fans are very … They’re in your face. So, they’re aggressive. They let you hear it all the time. It’s just fun to interact. Everybody that I think knows me is that I interact with a lot of fans and I enjoy that part of it. … There’s moments that you need to enjoy. Years fly by. I’ve been in it a long time and I’ve been very fortunate. It’s almost over and I can’t believe how fast it’s gone by.

“I wish I was able to enjoy more and more moments. And actually, look back and take moments that I took for granted, I wish I could have over. But you don’t get that opportunity and that’s one of them. I grew up a Leafs fan. I enjoy playing against the Leafs and I enjoy interacting with fans. It’s fun. It’s not something I’ll forever get to do. And I don’t take myself too seriously. I love getting made fun of. I love making fun of people. And if you can’t take it, then so be it. But I can’t. So, I’m going to enjoy the moments that I have and that’s one of them.

“When I come in here and I get booed and I get that award in the game, I’m going to show it and I’m going to enjoy that. Yeah. It’s just about not taking yourself too seriously in the game. Like yes. We all want to win and chase the Cup. But you don’t always get to do that. So, you got to enjoy the process and the steps and the days that you have throughout that journey.”

Reinhart Erases Any Doubt

With the Panthers leading 4-1 in the third period, Sam Reinhart erased any doubt by tacking on by beating Woll off a Barkov faceoff win. It happened so fast that the NHL On TNT missed the goal that made it 5-1 with 10:36 remaining.

They were preoccupied showing a replay when Reinhart took the Barkov pass off the offensive draw and fired a wrist shot past Woll to put it out of reach. The audio was scratchy, making lead analyst Ed Olczyk sound like he was under water. It was a rare miss for the normally reliable network. Good thing it wasn’t a close game.

Marner’s Final Game as a Leaf?

As time wound down, there was some discussion about whether it was Marner’s final game as a Leaf. If it was, he went out very quietly by finishing without a point, two shots, and a minus-2 rating in 18:43.

A star right wing who set personal highs in assists (75) and points (102) in the regular season, the 28-year-old Marner finished with a goal and four assists for five points versus the Panthers in the second round. However, he only had one point over the last four games. It was a primary assist on Matthews’ winner in Game 6.

An unrestricted free agent this summer, Marner is set to make a lot of money. Considering how much he’ll command along with a disappointing conclusion to another postseason as part of the Leafs core, it probably was his final game as a Leaf.

Following another postseason disappointment in which they failed to advance past the second round, there will be changes coming in the off-season. John Tavares is also an unrestricted free agent. He is a better bet to return for less money if he decides to stay home. Knies is a key restricted free agent who is due a significant raise. By letting Marner walk, they’ll have enough room to give Knies the contract he deserves.

Panthers Face Hurricanes in Conference Finals

For the second time in three years, the Panthers will face the Hurricanes in the Conference Finals. When they met two years ago in the same round, the Panthers swept the Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Golden Knights.

Similar to that series, the Canes will have home ice. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals begins tomorrow night at 8 PM in Raleigh. After defeating the Devils in five games, the Canes eliminated the Capitals in five to set up a rematch of two years ago. They’ll look for a better result against the defending champs.

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Leafs’ Legacy on The Line

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Derek

In just over a couple of hours, a big game will be played in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers look to close out the Maple Leafs in the second round of the postseason. After falling behind two games to none, they’ve won three in a row to put the Leafs on the brink of elimination.

When the puck is dropped later tonight, the Leafs’ legacy will be on the line. After blowing a 2-0 series lead, they look to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive in Game 6 of the Atlantic Division Final. The biggest question is how they will respond to the 6-1 humiliation that prompted a couple of disgusted Leafs fans to throw jerseys on the ice at Scotiabank Arena the other night.

The pivotal Game 5 was so uncompetitive that little used veteran Matt Murray replaced Joseph Woll following a goal from A.J. Greer that made it 5-0 with over 13 minutes left in the third period. The Leafs were so bad that the Panthers got contributions from other unlikely sources. Dmitry Kulikov, Jesper Boqvist, and Niko Mikkola all scored during a lopsided second period that led to the Leafs being booed off the ice.

It got even worse when Greer was allowed to put in a rebound as the Leafs just watched. Sam Bennett added further insult to injury by scoring a power-play goal to make it 6-0. Bennett has been public enemy number one after getting away with an elbow on starting goalie Anthony Stolarz back in the first period of Game 1. Stolarz has been out since with a suspected concussion. He also took a hard shot off the mask earlier in the game. Whether or not that caused the injury isn’t fully known. Bennett’s undetected elbow didn’t help matters. Even if he claimed wasn’t deliberate with Stolarz being a former teammate.

After he took over in net, Woll’s been good enough for the Leafs to win the hard-fought series. In the 2-0 loss in Game 4, he was superb making 35 saves on 37 shots to give his team a chance. The issue was the lack of offense, with both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner being blanketed by a stingy Panthers defense that’s led by the trio of Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, and Seth Jones.

Matthews and Marner Must Deliver

It’s no secret that neither Matthews nor Marner have played well enough for the Leafs against the Panthers. If they’re to go into Florida and save their season, that must change starting tonight. Both Matthews and Marner must deliver in a pressure packed spot for the Leafs.

For whatever reason, Matthews has never scored a goal in the second round during his career. It’s just the second time that this Leafs core has advanced past the first round. The 27-year-old Leafs captain has struggled to produce in the series. Matthews enters Game 6 with only three assists in the second round. Despite leading them in shots (20), he hasn’t been able to finish. Even if something’s hindering him, he must have an impact on the biggest game for the franchise in quite some time.

Marner must rebound from an atrocious Game 5. With his team already trailing 2-0, he didn’t absorb a check and threw away a lazy backhanded pass into the neutral zone that led directly to Reinhart feeding a cutting Boqvist, who easily beat Marner to the net to make it 3-0. Normally a responsible two-way forward, Marner made two critical mistakes on the play, which drew the ire of Leafs Nation.

After starting well enough with all four of his points in the first three games, Marner has been held scoreless with only one shot over the last two. So much of what the big line does is due to his skating and creativity. When he’s engaged, the 28-year-old right wing is one of the game’s most dynamic players. His 75 assists and 102 points paced the team during the regular season. They need the best version of Marner to be successful.

Nylander and Rielly Leading the Way

Unlike Matthews and Marner, both William Nylander and Morgan Rielly have led the way for the Leafs. Their leading goal scorer during the season, Nylander has continued to produce with his three goals and three assists for six points pacing the Leafs in the second round. If there’s a big play to be made in tonight’s game, expect Nylander to be heard from.

Rielly has been right behind him. A good postseason performer, the offensive defenseman has posted two goals and two assists from the back end. He frequently jumps up on the rush and gets involved. While he hasn’t had the best defensive series, Rielly remains a good bet to score for the Leafs to send the series back to Toronto on Sunday.

Pacioretty’s Experience A Factor

When they signed him out of training camp, the Leafs were hoping that Max Pacioretty could supply some offensive support. The 36-year-old veteran has done better than expected. His goal and four assists give him five points in the series, which trails only Nylander.

Pacioretty has mostly played with Nylander and John Tavares on the second line. A hardnosed player who gets the jersey dirty, his experience has been a factor. With it being one of the final shots for him to be on a winner, Pacioretty will leave it all out on the ice tonight.

Tavares Needs to be Better

When he gave up the captaincy for Matthews, it was an unselfish move from Tavares. He’s been a good Leaf since signing with them seven years ago. A star player who flies under the radar due to all the attention Matthews and Marner receive, this could be his final game as a Maple Leaf.

So far in the second round, Tavares has a pair of goals which he got in a tough 5-4 overtime loss in Game 3. He hasn’t done anything else. When he decided to leave the Islanders for Toronto, it was with the hopes of leading his childhood team to its first Stanley Cup since 1967. A future Hall of Famer, here’s a chance for Tavares to show why he returned home. He’s never played in a bigger game.

Leafs Must Solve Bobrovsky Puzzle

If they’re to win tonight and force a deciding seventh game, the Leafs must solve Sergei Bobrovsky. Following a tough start to the series, in which he allowed 13 goals on 81 shots, he’s returned to form by only giving up one goal on 55 shots over the last two games. In fact, it took until there was 1:06 left for Nick Robertson to beat him to end his bid for a second consecutive shutout.

The Leafs didn’t start well in Game 5. Instead, they allowed the more confident Panthers to carry the play. Bobrovsky only faced six shots in the first period on May 14. Florida outshot Toronto 13-6, with Ekblad scoring the only goal to put the Leafs behind. Similar to Game 4, they chased the game, which played right into the Panthers’ hands.

A better start is required for the Leafs to have success on the road. If they can get to Bobrovsky early enough, then their fans who made the trip should be heard from throughout the game.

Leafs Flashback

It’s been 23 years since the Maple Leafs made a trip to the Conference Finals. Ironically, they came back from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Senators in the second round the last time it happened. That team went into Ottawa and came back to defeat the Senators 4-3 to win Game 6 on May 12, 2002. Led by a pair of goals from Game 6 hero Alexander Mogilny, the Leafs shut out the Senators 3-0 on May 14, 2002.

In another irony, the Hurricanes are waiting in the Eastern Conference Finals. When the Leafs last went that far, they were eliminated by the Hurricanes in six games that year. If they were somehow able to come back and beat the defending champion Panthers, it would set up a rematch 23 years later.

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Devils’ offseason begins with GM admitting changes are needed and coach calling their season average

Posted on May 8, 2025 by hasan4978

If you want to have a single takeaway from the 40-minute joint presser with GM Tom Fitzgerald and coach Sheldon Keefe, it’s that both are on the same page that this year while it wasn’t a disaster – also wasn’t satisfactory either. While the GM admitted that clearly the roster wasn’t good enough to win a Cup because they went out in five games in the first round, the coach was also closer to drilling down on my feelings when he said basically ‘we finished 16th out of 32 teams which is average, we don’t want to settle for being average’.

I was at least glad the question was asked why did things get worse right after Christmas, and Keefe gave the expected corporate answer of that being something we have to drill down on and look into. I do wonder why it took nearly a full two weeks after the playoffs for us to finally hear from both the GM and the coach when there was always going to be very little in terms of substantial news out of it. Besides the injury news – which I’ll get to in a moment – the most noteworthy tidbit was Fitz all but admitting that 2023 second-rounder Lenni Hameenaho was likely to be playing in North America next year.

Perhaps he’ll be part of the answer to the depth up front issue that clearly plagued the team this year even before the late-season injury to Jack Hughes, the Finnish winger put up twenty goals and fifty-one points in 58 games for his Finnish pro team this year and he’s obviously our most promising forward prospect at this point along with the recently signed Arseny Gritsyuk, a 2019 fifth-rounder only coming overseas for his first North American season next year after putting up seventeen goals and forty-four points in 51 games for his KHL team, a season just concluded a few weeks ago. Not sure if those two and/or retaining the likes of Cody Glass and Daniel Sprong will be enough to address the depth issue but it’s at least a hopeful start.

Injury-wise, no matter how bad you expect things to be after a full NHL season plus playoffs, they always wind up being worse than you fear with the latest examples being the revelations that Simon Nemec never truly healed from his offseason shoulder issue last year, and Jesper Bratt also had a shoulder procedure done. With Nemec, you wonder what this organization is thinking sometimes when it comes to player management…it’s one thing when you have guys playing through injuries while in the NHL lineup but why not have a surgery once he started the season off poorly and was demoted?

Never mind the injuries we already knew about, which were bad enough in addition to the confirmation that Johnny Kovacevic (knee surgery) wouldn’t be ready for camp which is four months away. In happier news, it does seem like Brendan Dillon’s neck injury shouldn’t be an issue by the beginning of camp. While neither Hughes brother met the media after the season for seemingly obvious reasons – injury rehab being the stated excuse, but I’m also sure nobody was sorry that they avoided the inevitable Quinn questions after Jim Rutherford’s silly comments this offseason – at least it seems like both should also be ready for camp.

How well the two Hughes we currently have will be able to stay healthy – given that both have had multiple shoulder problems already – is a severe question, but one that’s also kind of hard to really address. Clearly both will need to stay healthy for this team to make deep playoff runs in the future. Right now, it feels like this was just a wasted year with a wide-open Eastern Conference with the talented but mercurial Leafs seemingly the best bet to go to the Finals over a banged up Panther team and two decidedly mediocre Metro clubs.

I’ve thought about doing a deep dive on this team but it really won’t be anything I haven’t said in the majority of these blogs from December on. We need more from our forward group in the playoffs – while Nico Hischier clearly showed up and was the best player for the Devils, the Devils’ other top players either weren’t around, or just didn’t play like it enough during the Canes series and really going back to the 2023 playoffs as well. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered this year with the Devils’ other issues, but they’ll need more from guys from Bratt (who was possibly inhibited by the deteriorating shoulder), Timo Meier and obviously good health from both Hughes brothers. Obviously we need to improve the depth up front at all levels of the organization.

They obviously need more consistent goaltending from Jacob Markstrom, who’s still under contract through next year and they have to make a decision on his backup given that Jake Allen is a UFA. Will next year finally be the one they entrust the backup role to one of the younger goalies like Nico Daws, or will they just re-sign Allen or another stopgap and essentially render Daws (who I believe is waiver-eligible next year) trade bait? Defensively don’t expect many changes there unless we do flip Dougie Hamilton, who’s got a comprehensive NTC, but even with him the transition game from the blueline needs to improve.

There aren’t seemingly many avenues to address this deficiency with the amount of defensemen – Hamilton, Kovacevic, Brett Pesce and Jonas Siegenthaler – signed to long term deals, not even including Luke, who hopefully will sign long-term soon himself. Dillon is also signed for the next two years, so there isn’t even really an open spot to retain playoff revelation Brian Dumoulin at the moment. If a change is made, it should be to open up a spot for Nemec somehow, after his return to last year’s form in the playoffs. Nemec alone might help the transition game but probably not enough, another change might need to come but again it’s hard to see where that comes from at the moment.

Fitz definitely has his work cut out for him…at least I didn’t have to pay attention to the NHL Draft Lottery this year, a lottery the Islanders somehow won but one without a clear standout player it would seem. Oh well, the time’s well past to hope for draft picks to be anything other than supplemental players and trade depth. We had a fast, speedy team two years ago and a slow, grittier team this year but we need to recalibrate and have some elements of both in the lineup. And also do a deep dive medically why this group seems to have so many doggone shoulder injuries.

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An Epic Conclusion to Memorable First Round for Stars and Jets

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Derek

On consecutive nights this past weekend, an epic first round concluded with a pair of memorable deciding Game 7’s that’ll be fondly remembered by both the Stars and Jets.

It was on Saturday night that the Stars and Avalanche squared off to determine who would advance to the second round. They’re still talking about the third period in hockey circles 48 hours later for plenty of reasons.

Mikko Rantanen put on a heroic performance to lead the Stars back from a two-goal deficit to stun the Avalanche with four unanswered goals to win 4-2 at a noisy American Airlines Center in Dallas. Following a Nathan MacKinnon tally 31 seconds into the third period that put the Stars behind by two, Rantanen took over the game by delivering a hat trick and assist to shock his former team.

It was earlier this year that Rantanen was dealt by the Avalanche to the Hurricanes for a package that included Martin Necas and Jack Drury. After deciding against signing long-term with the Hurricanes, Rantanen was traded to the Stars on Mar. 7 for Logan Stankoven, a pair of conditional first round picks and third round picks. After reaching a contract extension with the Stars, Rantanen suddenly played on a close division rival. Little did anyone know that he would wind up facing his former teammates who he helped win a Stanley Cup with in 2022.

With the Stars trailing the Avalanche 2-0, Rantanen started the comeback when he ripped a perfect wrist shot past Mackenzie Blackwood to cut the deficit in half with 12:11 remaining in the third period. The Avalanche still led by a goal and were on a power play, but Cale Makar took down Roope Hintz negate it.

Following a brief four-on-four, Rantanen turned on the after burners to tie the game. Taking a pass from Thomas Harley, he exploded into the Colorado zone and went by Ryan Lindgren before having his wrap-around deflect off the skate of Sam Girard to tie the score with 6:14 left. At that point, Rantanen’s two goals were already a clutch performance with his team facing playoff extinction. What happened next was even more startling.

Drury was called for holding Tyler Seguin with only 4:13 remaining. Back on the man-advantage, it took the Stars just 17 seconds to grab the lead. Rantanen started the play with a good pass down low for Matt Duchene, who then dished across for Wyatt Johnston, who scored the go-ahead goal from a tough angle to suddenly give the Stars a 3-2 lead with 2:56 left in regulation.

It was a stunning turn of events. With the Avalanche on a six-on-five, they were unable to force overtime. Instead, Esa Lindell and Seguin combined to clear the puck out of the zone ahead for Rantanen, who completed the third period hat trick into an open net with three seconds remaining as hats flew on the ice.

Rantanen’s three goals and assist over a 12:08 span flipped the script to send the Stars into the second round while eliminating the Avalanche. Even more remarkable, he recorded 11 points over the final three games for the most points ever recorded in Games 5-7 in a single playoff series in NHL history.

When asked about the handshakes with his former teammate by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, he was very complementary and respectful. He has a lot of close friendships with the Avalanche, including captain Gabriel Landeskog, who came back from missing the last three regular seasons in the first round. They had a nice exchange during the traditional handshakes.

When asked specifically about it being Rantanen who scored the big goals including the hat trick that finished off his team, Landeskog pointedly said, “I could care less who it is.” His frustration was understandable. The Avalanche rented Brock Nelson from the Islanders. He finished with no goals and four assists. They also traded for Lindgren, who had three assists and a plus-five rating in the seven-game defeat. Necas finished with a goal and four helpers in the loss.

Jets Stun Blues Late in Regulation to Win in Double Overtime

If you thought what happened in Dallas was incredible, then what the Jets did on Sunday night was even more unbelievable. The Jets stunned the Blues late in regulation by scoring twice in the last two minutes with Connor Hellebuyck pulled for an extra attacker – leading to an improbable 4-3 win in double overtime to advance to the second round.

Hellebuyck had been front and center due to being pulled in all three Jets’ defeats at St. Louis. A great goalie who doesn’t have the best track record in the postseason, he gave up 16 goals on 66 shots on the road in the back and forth first round series against the Blues. There was even some discussion from people in the media who wondered if the Jets would be better off benching Hellebuyck in favor of backup Eric Comrie for Game 7. It was a ridiculous suggestion due to how much Hellebuyck has meant to the Jets this season. He’s the biggest reason that they won the Presidents’ Trophy. Hellebuyck is up for both the Hart and Vezina, with the latter he’ll win with ease for the third time in his career.

A bad start put the Jets behind early. Jordan Kyrou tapped in a Colton Parayko feed into an open net to give the Blues a 1-0 lead just 70 seconds into Game 7 in Winnipeg. Hellebuyck had no chance on that one. However, he allowed Mathieu Joseph to beat him unscreened to put the Jets in a two-goal hole to stun the home crowd. In fact, the Blues controlled the first period by outshooting the Jets 7-3.

On the power play halfway through the contest, Cole Perfetti got one back by neatly tipping in a Kyle Connor shot pass to make it 2-1. It wouldn’t be the last time Perfetti would be heard from.

Following Perfetti’s power-play tally, it was the Blues who responded with some more aggressive play in the Winnipeg zone. They were more dangerous and had the better of the puck possession. A costly mistake late in the period nearly derailed the Jets’ comeback hopes. Nik Ehlers couldn’t handle a tough pass in the neutral zone, leading to a turnover that the Blues quickly turned into a goal that put them ahead 3-1 with under 35 seconds remaining in the second period.

Nathan Walker picked up the loose puck and found Radek Faksa open for a shot that beat Hellebuyck upstairs to restore a two-goal lead. It was a save Hellebuyck needed to make to bail his team out. He didn’t come out and challenge. Complicating matters, Ehlers took a tripping minor with 30 seconds left to put the Blues on the power play. However, they were unable to capitalize at the start of the third period. That would prove pivotal.

With the Blues opting to sit back and protect a two-goal lead, they allowed the Jets to get some momentum. For most of the third, Jordan Binnington was making the big saves to keep the Jets at bay. Despite that, a very supportive crowd continued to chant, “Go Jets Go, Go Jets Go!!!” as it came down to crunch time.

Finally having to lift Hellebuyck for an extra attacker, the Jets got the big break they needed. On a Neal Pionk pass down low for Vladislav Namestnikov, he had his shot bank off Ryan Suter’s stick and in to make it a one-goal game with 1:56 left. Urged on by the Canada Life Centre fans, the Jets found a way to tie it in the waning seconds.

Jets coach Scott Arniel wisely decided not to pull Hellebuyck for a six-on-five at center ice following the Namestnikov goal. That proved to be the right decision due to the Blues having early puck possession. Hellebuyck finally came off when the Jets had the puck. The Blues had two opportunities to end it. Robert Thomas sent a shot wide for an icing. With approximately 45 seconds left, Pavel Buchnevich iced the puck. He could’ve skated it out. By icing it instead, that proved costly.

On what can best be described as a broken play full of chaos and desperation, an Adam Lowry backhand pass came back to Ehlers with time winding down. After fanning on his attempt, he sent the puck across for Connor, who made a brilliant shot pass for Perfetti to tip in with 1.6 seconds left, sending the arena into bedlam. Here’s how it looked and sounded in Winnipeg.

Astonishingly, the Jets scored twice with Hellebuyck on the bench in the final two minutes to force sudden death.

In the first overtime, they had 11 shots to the Blues’ four. Binnington made some big saves. On the flip side, the Blues had some close calls including a Gabe Vilardi giveaway that led to a goalpost. The top line with Thomas, Kyrou, and Buchnevich was dangerous in extras. But they were unable to connect due to some diligent backchecking from the Jets. The Blues pinched their defensemen, with Parayko missing wide.

Hellebuyck settled in and made a couple of crucial stops on Blues’ chances. He looked more relaxed. Both goalies were sharp in overtime. Binnington made a diving pad save to deny a bid. He was superb finishing with 43 saves, including 18 in sudden death. Unfortunately, it was a cruel fate for the gold medal-winning netminder of 4-Nations.

On what was the best Jets’ sustained pressure of the second overtime, they had the Blues pinned in on a great shift. Connor moved the puck over for workhorse Pionk, who played a game-high 46:15 due to Josh Morrissey exiting the game back in the first period due to an upper-body injury on a big hit. At the point, Pionk fired a wrist shot that changed direction off Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist, with the puck also deflecting off Lowry in front for the dramatic winner in double overtime at 96:10.

It was madness in Winnipeg as they celebrated one of the biggest wins in franchise history. For the first time in five years, they advanced to the second round. The Jets will take on the Stars in an exciting matchup.

Both teams have overcome injuries to reach this point. The Stars defeated the Avalanche without leading scorer Jason Robertson or top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Both are expected back for the second round. The Jets battled through without top center Mark Scheifele and Morrissey. Scheifele missed the final two games of the first round. Along with Morrissey, his status is uncertain for the next round.

Panthers and Leafs Kick Off Second Round

The second round begins tonight with the Maple Leafs hosting the Panthers. It should be quite a battle between two excellent teams.

The Leafs have home ice due to winning the Atlantic Division. They’ll try to dethrone the defending champion Panthers, who looked all the way back in a five-game first round win over the Lightning. It promises to be a back and forth series.

On Tuesday night, the Capitals and Hurricanes get going in the Metropolitan Division Final. Out West, it’s the Golden Knights hosting the Oilers.

The Stars and Jets doesn’t start until Wednesday night.

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Rangers Name Sullivan 38th Coach in Franchise History

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Derek

A day after ESPN’s Emily Kaplan broke the story, the Rangers made it official by naming Mike Sullivan the new head coach. He becomes the 38th coach in franchise history.

A former assistant who served under John Tortorella, Sullivan returns to the organization a decade later as the leading man in charge. His greatest success came with the Penguins who he guided to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. After getting eliminated by the Capitals in the second round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Pens never made it out of the first round again. That included blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Rangers in 2022.

Despite having future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Sullivan couldn’t get the Pens back to the postseason the past three years. Even though Crosby continues to defy logic by playing at a high level, the Pens have been in decline over that period. Malkin and Kris Letang aren’t the same players anymore. Neither is Erik Karlsson, who can still produce offensively but isn’t good defensively.

When Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas decided to part ways with Sullivan, it was the end of an era. After taking over for Mike Johnston and becoming the sixth coach in NHL history to be hired during mid-season and win the Stanley Cup, Sullivan lasted a decade in the Steel City. In 753 games as Penguins coach, he went 409-255-89 for a .602 win percentage, with two Stanley Cups and seven playoff appearances. Well respected by his peers including Crosby, who he has a strong relationship with, Sullivan moves on to a new challenge in the Big Apple.

Drury Gets His Guy

When Peter Laviolette was relieved of his duties following two seasons, it was no secret that Sullivan was at the top of Chris Drury’s list. Once he became available, the Rangers team president and general manager got his guy in quick fashion.

In a press release, Drury extolled the virtues of what made Sullivan the best choice for the job. “Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier coaches in the NHL.

“Given his numerous accomplishments throughout his coaching career – including two Stanley Cups and leading USA at the international level, Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. I’ve gotten to know Mike very well over the years, including as teammates at the 1997 World Championships, when he coached me as a player in New York and through our shared time working together with USA hockey.

As we began this process and Mike became an available option for us to speak with, it was immediately clear that he was the best coach to lead our team.”

It would seem that Drury wasn’t interested in anyone else. He could’ve waited for the Lightning season to end and see if assistant Jeff Halpern was available. The Lightning were eliminated by the Panthers on Wednesday night. Rather than find out about Halpern or any other top assistants who could be ready, Drury had to have Sullivan. At least he was their first choice.

Summer Plans

Sullivan will take over a team that’s coming off one of its worst seasons in recent memory. The Rangers went from winning the Presidents’ Trophy to failing to qualify for the postseason – dropping from a league best 114 points to 85 in one colossal failure.

Given the nature of breakup day, there’s no way it’ll be the same roster when they break training camp in September. The good news is that’s a long way off. Maybe some of the players can book tee times with the Devils now that they’re on summer vacation. All kidding aside, neither team can be satisified with how their seasons went.

While the Rangers and Devils watch from a nice location on a beach, the Hurricanes and Capitals will be doing battle to see which team advances to the Eastern Conference Finals. If you followed the first round, there’s only one way to root. Here’s hoping Tom Wilson sends noted diver Sebastian Aho overboard. It would be nice to see Alex Ovechkin make another run at the Cup. Since breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record, he’s shown no signs of slowing down.

The winner between the Hurricanes and Caps will take on the winner of the Panthers and Maple Leafs. The Western Conference is all but decided except for one matchup. The Avalanche and Stars will meet in a deciding Game 7 on Saturday night. The Jets look to put away the Blues in Game 6 later tonight. The Golden Knights will meet the Oilers in the second round. I should’ve known better than to pick the Kings. Their coach really cost them big-time in that first round meltdown with that ridiculous coach’s challenge in Game 3. That swung the whole series.

Parssinen Extended Two Years

In a little business, aside from hiring Sullivan, the Rangers announced a two-year extension for Juuso Parssinen. Set to become a restricted free agent, he re-signed for a $1.25 million cap hit through 2027.

Originally acquired from the Avalanche as part of the Ryan Lindgren deal on Mar. 1, Parssinen recorded two goals and three assists for five points in 11 games with the Rangers. We’ll see if the 24-year-old center can find a home in New York City. He’s best suited in a checking role.

Moving Forward

Unlike the last time they replaced a coach, which was Gerard Gallant following a seven-game first round ouster to the Devils, the Rangers have moved forward very quickly.

What can another experienced coach with a championship pedigree accomplish with the roster? We know it won’t be entirely intact. Both Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad could be moving pieces this off-season. Kreider doesn’t hold all the chips like Zibanejad, who indicated that he wants to be here. He has a full no-movement clause. On the other hand, Kreider can be moved to any team that isn’t on his 16-team no-trade list.

For now, a lot will remain the same. The real drama won’t unfold until around the NHL Draft and July 1.

No Torts

Despite some reports indicating that Tortorella might also be rejoining the organization, that turned out not to be true. Indeed, there will be no Torts when Sullivan takes over behind the bench. Despite them having close ties, he won’t be part of Sullivan’s coaching staff.

Personally, I’d like to see Tortorella move upstairs for an organization. He’s a bright mind who knows the game inside out. If that doesn’t pan out, we could see Tortorella back on camera. He certainly doesn’t lack personality. His gig with ESPN was entertaining. What about a shot in the dark? Imagine Torts on MSG between periods. They’d never go for it.

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Micheletti Announces Retirement From Broadcast Booth

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Derek

Exactly two weeks after Sam Rosen broadcasted his final game for the New York Rangers on MSG Networks, partner Joe Micheletti announced his retirement from the broadcast booth.

After 19 seasons teaming up with Rosen to do Rangers games, Micheletti has decided to call it a career. Before getting the chance to work with Rosen, Micheletti also provided color commentary for the Islanders telecasts from 1998 through 2006. He originally worked with the legendary Howie Rose, who remains an iconic voice for his memorable call of Stephane Matteau’s winning goal against the Devils in double overtime of Game 7 of the 1993-94 Eastern Conference Finals. Rose still calls Mets games on the radio.

Prior to joining MSG Networks, Micheletti worked for the Blues as their radio analyst for two years when he broke into the industry in 1985. After serving as a Blues assistant coach for three seasons, he returned to the booth for the Minnesota North Stars in 1991-92. He then returned to the Blues where he served as a TV analyst from 1992-98. When he joined Fox Sports Net New York in 1998, it started a journey that would last the remainder of his career in the New York area.

After winning two national championships with the University of Minnesota in 1974 and 1976, Micheletti spent three seasons in the NHL as a defenseman for both the Blues and Colorado Rockies. After retiring, he became a fixture up in the booth. He also served as a reporter for the NHL On Fox.

Now 70, he decided now is the right time to call it quits. In many aspects, it feels fitting. A lighthearted and knowledgable person, he was more critical of the Rangers this past season. Like most fans, he saw the writing on the wall with the team’s performance. He remained an entertaining listen who worked well with Rosen, who himself always kept things light. In what turned out to be the final season of their outstanding careers, their patience was tested. It sure came out during games.

Kenny Albert Waiting in The Wings

As we’ve known for some quite some time, Kenny Albert is waiting in the wings to take over on the TV side for Rosen. The radio voice of the Rangers has the same winning personality as his predecessor. Albert currently is the lead voice of the NHL On TNT, which has the Stanley Cup Finals in June.

The question is who’ll replace Micheletti upstairs with Albert. The obvious candidates are Dave Maloney, and Brian Boyle. Maloney has worked well with Albert on the radio side for two decades. Boyle did well in his first season analyzing games on MSG. He brings a lot of knowledge and experience. His heavy criticism of the Rangers and most specificially Mika Zibanejad was loud and clear on the most recent Up In The BlueSeats podcast. Boyle would be a good choice if they decide to keep Maloney on the radio with replacement Don LaGreca.

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