With Gerard Gallant Official, changes are coming for Blueshirts

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Derek

Two days ago, Gerard Gallant was finally introduced as the new coach of the Rangers. The former bench boss of the Golden Knights becomes the 36th coach in franchise history.

He is a good man who deserves this unique opportunity to guide a talented roster back to the playoffs. He had some interesting things to say during the Zoom Conference with Team President and GM Chris Drury.

In regards to what he wants, Gallant was very direct and pointed in his remarks. Emphasizing a team concept, his goal is to turn the Blueshirts into a successful unit that will all be a part of it moving forward. He didn’t just highlight the top players. But rather everyone. From 1 through 23, the no nonsense 57-year old coach expects his new team to become a true T-E-A-M. Something I agree on.

“I want them to be the hardest working team in the league.“-Gerard Gallant on the New York Rangers, June 22, 2021 during introductory press conference.

That right there is what must happen. In order to be successful in this league, you need every player to buy in. It doesn’t matter who it is. From the stars to the role players. It should be the same. Look no further than the Islanders, who are still alive after surviving Game Six to force a deciding Game Seven against the Lightning tomorrow night. They’re a game away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final due to that same approach under Barry Trotz. It’s where the Rangers must get to. Earn respect.

For the new Rangers’ head man, he certainly is excited to get to work. Why not. There’s good talent on the roster to work with. As he highlighted, Gallant is hoping to take the next step. Or to phrase it the way he did. Hopefully, a big step. There’s little doubt that he’s coming in with higher expectations.

One thing we know is that part of the roster will change. Especially due to the upcoming Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. It’ll be interesting to see who stays and who goes from a Rangers perspective. I’m not going to get into the likely candidates in this post. We already know who they are. With the Kraken naming former Flyers bench boss Dave Hakstol as their first coach to negate the rumors of David Quinn to Seattle, the NHL’s newest franchise will be one to follow over the summer. Just imagine if they had picked Quinn. That would’ve been ironic.

Gallant talked about the aggressive style he likes to play. Something that was on display in Vegas when he took a bunch of misfits to a Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. It was impressive. It’s worth noting that even after Peter DeBoer replaced him a year and a half ago, the Misfits Line of William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault have stayed intact. Gallant knew Panthers’ duo Smith and Marchessault from coaching them in ’16-17 before getting unceremoniously dismissed. That never made sense. It’s interesting how Florida asked Vegas to take both former Panthers. Gallant knew who they were and look how it turned out.

He also proved he could develop young talent in Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Something that should excite Ranger fans when it comes to a deep crop that includes Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller, Zac Jones, Vitali Kravtsov and veterans Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. That could also feature Swedish import Nils Lundkvist, who’ll be competing with Jones for a spot on the blue line. Even Igor Shesterkin is only entering his second full season. There’s considerable young talent to work with alongside Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome and key RFA Pavel Buchnevich.

When it comes to the kids, Gallant was pretty pointed in his remarks. He believes in playing them. They’re going to make mistakes. It’s how quickly they learn from them that’ll determine the true growth each young player. With Gallant, he would like to turn his new roster into complete 200 foot players. That means no shortcuts. It also would result in a harder team for opponents to play against.

For a team that wasn’t as hard to play against, there will need to be some adjustments. Especially with Gallant and Drury on the same page. Drury addressed how much he’s noticed the amount of physicality in the postseason. That’s a key area the Rangers must get better at. He also emphasized naming a new captain. They haven’t had one since Ryan McDonagh was dealt to Tampa after The Letter. That same hard-nosed defenseman who’s been a very dependable player for the Lightning defensively. The Rangers have yet to benefit from the trade that didn’t help former GM Jeff Gorton keep his job.

There’s no question that it’s time for the franchise to name a captain. Both McDonagh and now retired current NHL Network analyst Ryan Callahan were good leaders. There was excellent leadership in the locker room and on the ice from those successful Blueshirts’ teams that made deep runs in ’12, ’14 and ’15. You had nuts and bolts glue guys like Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, who were instrumental when the Rangers seriously competed for a Stanley Cup. If you look back to the past season, they definitely missed Staal in the room. Brendan Smith provided a lot of leadership. He’s an unrestricted free agent. I would consider bringing him back if he can accept a part-time role. There will also be other physical defensive defensemen available who can aid the defense.

As for who should get the captaincy, that remains to be seen. While many detractors are against Kreider due to his streaky scoring, choosing a captain isn’t about it being your best player. Kreider has been here the longest. He’s been front and center as a key Ranger the media went to for answers the past few years. This is a valuable power forward who provides the net front presence that nobody else does. He has always had good answers following tough losses. He’s definitely one of the locker room leaders along with Jacob Trouba and Zibanejad. The latter might not be the best choice due to his contract status. He will enter the last year of his deal and can become unrestricted next summer. Strome is also a good quote before and after games. But he’ll be in the same situation as Zibanejad.

There’s been a huge push for Fox to become captain. While there’s no doubting the importance of the most valuable Blueshirt with a Norris likely following an outstanding second season, it might be a bit premature to put a ‘C’ on his jersey. At 23, Fox is a superb defenseman whose best years are ahead. However, he’s only been in the league two years. Why put that extra pressure on him? He definitely became more of a vocal leader following games in the second half when he made his push for the league’s best defenseman. Fox is up against Victor Hedman and Cale Makar for the prestigious award. If he gets it, it’ll be well deserved.

Another player fans have taken to is the hard hitting Lindgren. Why not. He plays that in your face defensive style while getting underneath the skin of opponents. I like the way he plays. If he can agitate Brad Marchand, who’s a top star, that says a lot about Lindgren’s character. However, similar to Fox, he’s only been around for two full years. If it were up to me, I can see giving an ‘A’ to either Fox or Lindgren. They both should be Rangers a long time. The more pressing concern is Drury getting Fox signed to an extension. The sooner, the better. Don’t wait until next summer when the price will go up. Get it done.

Who ever Gallant and his coaching staff select, that is what matters. Not who we the fans want. I’ve already seen too many debates about who it should be. I’m for a proven veteran like Kreider or Trouba. A few years from now, who knows. Maybe it’s Lafreniere who grows into that role. That’s why I wouldn’t make a rush to judgment and put that extra weight on a Fox or Lindgren. Lafreniere has a chance to be special. What we saw in the final month was the growth and maturity of a special player who began to show why he went first overall. Look also at where he gets his goals from. It’s a similar quality to Sidney Crosby. In no way am I comparing the two. I’m only pointing out that Lafreniere has a willingness to go to the dirty areas and score goals. He also has remarkable vision as we saw in a few games at the end. The talent and intangibles are there when you watch him play and when he talks.

The interesting part of bringing in Gallant and hearing Drury discuss how hotly contested these playoffs have been is an awareness of what they lack on the current roster. From the number one line to the fourth line, they must become a much harder team to play against. That’s a good indicator that you could see a few players go and some new additions via free agency and possibly a trade. It isn’t only about winning those key board battles. But doing better on face-offs. It all translated to becoming a tougher team.

It can’t be only a few guys. It has to be everyone. Seeing how hard even a Mat Barzal is willing to battle should be an eye opener. He could’ve been suspended for his vicious crosscheck on Jan Rutta. He was fined $5000 instead and played a huge role in the Islanders’ comeback win last night. Without him, they would be booking tee times. This isn’t a suggestion that Panarin should get involved in that stuff. We saw what happened to him against the nutty Tom Wilson. But certainly a Zibanejad is big enough to mix it up. Meaning don’t back down when things intensify. We know Strome and Buchnevich will get involved. There can’t be any passengers.

Building a winner is tough. It was never going to be easy. That much we are aware. While the Rangers were close the last two seasons, they ultimately fell short due to that lack of grit. I would love to see Kevin Rooney back in a fourth line supporting role. He was an effective player who excelled on the penalty kill. But that’s not my call. Maybe it falls on Morgan Barron or another available veteran like current Bolts’ center Barclay Goodrow. There will be plenty of options available.

Blake Coleman was a key part of Tampa winning the Cup last year. Let’s just say that overtime shift that led to Anthony Beauvillier scoring wasn’t his most memorable. But he’s an effective player, who normally doesn’t make such mistakes and plays on the edge. So does key supporting Hab Joel Armia. Montreal wouldn’t have a chance to reach their first Stanley Cup Final without his contributions. We’ll see if they can wrap it up against the Golden Knights at Bell Centre later tonight.

The bottom line is every good team needs those key role players, who can check effectively and contribute. It isn’t only about skill, but about will. How far are they willing to go to win games. That’s what these big games are all about. Just getting there will be a challenge for the Blueshirts. Changing the mindset is a good start.

There should be plenty of excitement surrounding the Rangers. The off-season is almost here. There will be many important decisions coming up for Drury and Gallant. That’ll include Gallant picking his coaching staff. He’s hoping it will take two weeks. But it could take longer. The assistants are just as crucial. That means having the right mindset to execute the system Gallant wants to play. It pertains to who handles the defense pairs, who handles the power play and penalty kill. It also means not getting destroyed on face-offs. Especially in the defensive zone. Maybe hiring a face-off specialist might help. Brian Boyle? You know how I feel about the former key member of the ’13-14 Rangers. He still wants to play. Is it realistic?

Whatever happens, it is a good time to root for this team. The present is now going to be more emphasized when it comes to the future of this club. That’s a good thing.

Sorry for the delay. I needed some time to gather my thoughts. I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the Islanders and Lightning. Let’s hope the Scott Mayfield cheap shot on Nikita Kucherov doesn’t cost the Bolts tomorrow night. If it does, God help us.

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Podcast: The Islanders Game 5 meltdown against Lightning, first thoughts on Gerard Gallant as new Rangers coach

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Derek

Earlier, I put up a two part hockey podcast. In the first segment, I broke down the Islanders getting blown out of Tampa 8-0 in Game Five last night. Steven Stamkos finally broke out with two goals and Brayden Point continues his torrid scoring to tie Reggie Leach for most consecutive playoff games with a goal. What went so wrong for Barry Trotz’ club? Is tomorrow the end at Nassau Coliseum? Plus some thoughts on Vegas and the Canadiens after Game Four. Game Five is tonight.

In the second segment, I give my initial observations on the official hire of new coach Gerard Gallant by the Rangers. He becomes the 36th coach of the franchise. Gallant had some very interesting things to say about what makes a team successful. He wants the Rangers to be the “hardest working team in the NHL.” Strong words that are meaningful for the direction they need to take. Team President and GM Chris Drury wants the team to have a new captain. Something that’s necessary for the locker room and during games. I give my suggestion. Plus more thoughts on the roster moving forward.

To listen to the podcast, you can click on the above Anchor link above. Subscribe to the podcast or find DFlex’s Pushing Buttons on Spotify or Google. Catch any podcast.

I’ll have more later on the new Rangers coach Gallant.

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The Greatest Trades In Devils and Rangers History

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Derek

With the official start of the summer upon us in the heat of two closely fought Stanley Cup Semifinals, I decided to look back at the ’92-93 Canadiens on hockey-reference.com.

I don’t know why, but maybe seeing how close the current Habs are to reaching their first Stanley Cup Final since that year had me thinking. They were very close to taking a three games to one lead on the Golden Knights last night. Nicolas Roy changed that in overtime. Will Montreal regret losing Game Four? That remains to be seen. The current roster is here due to the brilliance of Carey Price. Similar to Patrick Roy in ’93 when he carried Les Habitants to a record 24th Cup. The last time a Canadian franchise won.

As I navigated through that ’92-93 championship roster, the names of Kirk Muller, Vincent Damphousse, Brian Bellows, Eric Desjardins and Mathieu Schneider were recognizable. So were Guy Carbonneau, Mike Keane and John Leclair. It’s easy to forget that they had a good roster with both Damphousse and former Devil Muller topping 90 points. They led the way for the Canadiens in the postseason along with overtime heroes Leclair, Desjardins and of course Roy, who went an incredible 10-1 in sudden death. He won his last 10 overtimes that postseason en route to the Conn Smythe.

As I looked back at that team, my mind wandered to two former Habs who won the Stanley Cup with the ’95 Devils. Of course, I’m referring to Claude Lemieux and Stephane Richer. I decided to look at who they were acquired for. While the Devils parted with Muller in the Richer deal which benefitted both teams, former Team President and GM Lou Lamoriello stole Lemieux for former 30-goal scorer Sylvain Turgeon.

Astonishingly, the brother of Pierre Turgeon once hit 40 goals twice with the Hartford Whalers. He scored 30 or more four times including his one season in New Jersey. In 72 games, he had 30 goals and 17 assists in ’89-90. Originally acquired by Lamoriello for Pat Verbeek, he atoned by getting the clutch Lemieux. Unfortunately, Turgeon never recovered from an abdominal injury early in his career. He only scored 14 goals in 75 games with Montreal before being taken by the Ottawa Senators in the Expansion Draft. He lasted three more seasons before finishing his career overseas.

As for Lemieux, a Stanley Cup winner with the ’85-86 Canadiens and runner-up in ’89, he became a significant player for the Devils. The super pest who could raise his level in the playoffs scored 30 or more three times as a Devil including a career best 41 in ’91-92. Best known for his Conn Smythe performance in helping lead the Devils to their first Cup during 1995, he rebounded from only scoring six goals in the shortened season by notching 13 during that run. That included the crushing goal at the Flyers in Game Five where he beat Ron Hextall through the wickets. The Devils wrapped up the Eastern Conference Final at home in Game Six.

Following a successful five-year run in the Garden State, Lemieux held out as a restricted free agent. Lamoriello moved on by sending him to the Islanders for Steve Thomas in a three team trade that saw Lemieux luckily wind up on the Colorado Avalanche in their first season after leaving Quebec. They sent Wendel Clark to the Islanders to complete the transaction. Lemieux wound up winning back-to-back Cups. Eventually, he returned to the Devils in ’99-00 with Lamoriello acquiring him from Colorado for Brian Rolston and a swap of first round picks plus an Avalanche second. As fate would have it, Lemieux played a secondary role on his third Cup winner in 2000, winning twice in New Jersey.

Looking back at what the Devils originally traded for Lemieux, it has to go down as one of the greatest trades in franchise history. He not only was productive. But antagonized opponents with his agitating style. He also nearly did in the ’93-94 Rangers in the memorable Game Seven of the Conference Finals. It was his second effort that resulted in Valeri Zelepukin tying the game with 7.7 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime. He really was a good player. You despised him if he was playing against your team. But loved him if he was on your side. Something I’m sure well respected Devils blogger Hasan would echo. They don’t win that first championship without Pepe.

Now that I’ve illustrated the art of a lopsided deal that helped one area local to go on and win, it’s time to delve further into the topic. What are the greatest trades the Devils and Rangers have ever made? What I’ll do is highlight a few each time I post. In this debut, let’s look at some trades that worked out well for each team. Since I already started with one of the best moves the Devils ever made, let’s do the Rangers.

As a diehard fan of the Blueshirts for over three decades, I’ve seen my share of good and bad trades. However, this isn’t about the negative. We know that quite well. I’m going to focus on the positives. Something that’s hard to do considering they’ve won one Cup in the last 80 years. Absurd. They did come close a few times prior to winning in ’94. They couldn’t quite close the deal.

Luck was part of it with Hall of Famer Jean Ratelle returning hurt for the ’72 Stanley Cup Final they lost to Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and the Bruins. In fact, our father was in the building the night the Bruins skated the Cup at Madison Square Garden. Hard to fathom. Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there! I hope it treated you great. We are very lucky to have such a great Dad. That Theo Fleury photograph taken at the old Borders bookstore remains one of my favorites of us.

I’ve heard many tales of the worst trades in Rangers history from our Dad. It’s been gone over time and time again. You could spend hours upon hours. I’ve experienced a few of these trades. It sure explains a lot. So, where to start. It would be easy to begin with the most obvious one. I’m not going there in this first post. Instead, I’ve decided on a couple of different moves that turned out good for the franchise.

In the summer of ’91, Adam Graves was a year removed from helping the Oilers win their fifth Stanley Cup. Part of the famed Kid Line with Joe Murphy and Petr Klima, who were all acquired by Edmonton from Detroit for Jimmy Carson, Kevin McClelland and a ’91 Edmonton fifth round pick, Graves played a key secondary role in winning the Cup in 1990. He tallied 11 points (5-6-11) in 22 postseason games. Only 23, he turned a restricted free agent the following summer.

Having been the Director of Scouting for the Red Wings who took him number 22 overall in the 1986 NHL Draft, Rangers Team President and GM Neil Smith thought enough of Graves to sign him to a five-year offer sheet worth $2.44 million. While it was a signing, I consider it a trade due to the compensation the Oilers received. In return for Graves, Edmonton got back Troy Mallette.

At the time, the 21-year old Mallette was actually an established enforcer with scoring touch. In his first couple of seasons, he hit double digits in goals and topped 20 points like Graves. The biggest difference was he had a combined 557 penalty minutes. Back then, those kind of tough guys had value. So, it essentially became Graves for Mallette, who only lasted 15 games as an Oiler before being shipped to New Jersey in ’91-92. What a turn of events that was for Edmonton, who would later have a much bigger botch.

As for Graves, Smith was ultimately proven right. He went from 25 points in his last year for Edmonton to 26 goals, 33 assists, 59 points, 139 penalty minutes, plus-19 and four shorthanded goals in his first season on Broadway. Originally deployed as a checking forward, Graves was so successful that he finished fifth for the Selke Trophy in ’91-92. A key part of the President’s Trophy team, a controversial suspension in the frustrating Patrick Division Final defeat to the whiner Mario Lemieux and the Penguins helped prevent the Rangers from possibly winning the Cup that year.

Despite that, Graves would go onto become a good finisher who topped 30 goals four times including a then single season franchise record 52 goals during the ’93-94 campaign. During their Cup run, he scored 10 goals and added seven assists for 17 points. The most memorable came in Game Seven when he scored a power play goal versus the Canucks to make it 2-0. The Rangers would hang on for a 3-2 victory at MSG to win the franchise’s fourth Cup.

For a decade, the generous Graves who was the best at giving back to the community (King Clancy Winner), scored 280 goals with 227 assists for a total of 507 points in 772 games as a New York Ranger. He concluded his career with the Sharks and retired at 35. Graves currently serves for the Rangers as a special assistant with Prospect Development and Community Relations.

Throughout the 50’s and early 60’s, Andy Bathgate was known as a star for the Rangers. An established forward who led the team in scoring eight straight years including tying for the league lead in scoring with Bobby Hull who won the Art Ross due to more goals, the popular Bathgate got tired of losing in the big city. The Rangers sent the former Hart winner (’58-59) to the Maple Leafs on Feb. 22, 1964. The full trade was Bathgate and Don McKenney to the Leafs for Arnie Brown, Bill Collins, Dick Duff, Bob Nevin and Rod Seiling.

While Bathgate helped Toronto win the Cup in 1964 on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame and named as one of the NHL’s Top 100 Players All-Time, both Nevin and Seiling along with Brown became key players on contending Rangers’ teams that were successful. Nevin scored an overtime winner against the Leafs in ’71 that sent the Blueshirts to the Semifinals against the Blackhawks. The same playoffs where Pete Stemkowski scored two overtime winners including his memorable triple overtime goal at The Garden to extend that series. Ultimately, they fell short losing to Chicago in six. Seiling became a good defenseman for the Rangers, who was part of the ’71-72 team that lost to the Bruins for the Cup. Brown was swapped for center Bruce MacGregor, who had a good stint with those Emile “Cat” Francis teams.

Had Jean Ratelle been healthy for that Stanley Cup, it could’ve been a different outcome. He basically returned and played on one leg, producing only an assist. The Rangers lost to the Bruins in six games. It remains a heartbreaking memory for people like our father and the older generation. Those were some great teams.

So, I highlighted two key trades that steered different Rangers’ teams in the right direction. One led to a Cup while the other just came up short. Now, I’ll do one more Devils trade.

An underrated move by the Devils that helped bring credibility to the struggling franchise came when Lamoriello in his first year over from Providence College decided to trade for forward Patrik Sundstrom. A proven five-year veteran with the Canucks who once had 93 points in a season, the Swedish center was acquired on Sep. 17, 1987. The full deal included both Greg Adams and Kirk McLean going to the Canucks with an ’88 second round pick for Sundstrom, a second and fourth round pick in the same draft. None of the draft picks panned out.

While both Adams and McLean became very successful players in Vancouver by helping them reach the Cup Final in ’94, Sundstrom helped change the Devils. Once called by Wayne Gretzky as a “Mickey Mouse Organization,” that changed during their first season under Lamoriello and coach Jim Schoenfeld. Once Schoenfeld took over for Doug Carpenter, the Devils made a remarkable run. After squeezing into the playoffs for the first time on John MacLean’s overtime winner at Chicago on the final day of the season, the Devils went on a Cinderella run.

After eliminating the Islanders in six games, they defeated the Capitals in the Division Finals by winning in seven games. The biggest highlight was a record performance from Sundstrom. In a 10-4 win over the Caps on Apr. 22, 1988, he set a playoff record by recording eight points with a hat trick and five assists in Game Three of that series. That broke Gretzky’s record of seven points, which he did three times with Edmonton. That eight-point game helped Sundstrom pace the Devils in scoring with 20 points (7-13-20) that postseason. Along with former USA gold medalist Mark Johnson, MacLean, Sean Burke, Aaron Broten, Muller, Verbeek and a variety of other key players including Ken Daneyko and Bruce Driver, the Devils went all the way to the Wales Conference Final before losing to the Bruins in seven. It was an amazing run.

Condolences go out to the family of Tom Kurvers. The former Devils’ defenseman who was a key part of that run passed away at age 58 earlier today. He succumbed to lung cancer. Even though Kurvers was better known for a Lamoriello trade to Toronto that turned into future Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Scott Niedermayer, Kurvers was a good player who did well that season. He led all New Jersey defensemen with 15 points (6-9-15) that postseason. That included seven against Boston which paced the club in that series. He also was part of the ’92-93 Islanders’ run to the Conference Finals.

Sundstrom spent four more years playing for the Devils where he continued to produce well. In five years with New Jersey, he wound up with 86 goals, 160 assists and totaled 246 points. At 30 in ’91-92, Sundstrom only got into 17 games, tallying a goal and three helpers. He left the NHL to return home to Sweden where he concluded his career playing for IF Bjorkloven for his final two years.

Without players like Sundstrom and Kurvers, the culture in New Jersey might not have changed. Along with former Quebec Nordiques legend Peter Stastny, they helped provide the leadership that developed into a Devils juggernaut over the next decade.

That’ll do it for this post. We’ll call it Part 1. There’ll be more to come. Enjoy tonight’s crucial Game Five between the Islanders and Lightning in Tampa. The series is tied at two games apiece. The pressure is squarely on the Bolts. We’ll see if the defending champs can respond. In the other Stanley Cup Semifinal, Vegas evened it up by coming back to defeat the Canadiens 2-1 in overtime. Nicolas Roy got the OT winner. Game Five is tomorrow at Vegas.

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The Block

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Derek

If you caught the dramatic conclusion of Game 4 between the Islanders and Lightning At Nassau Coliseum, then you saw one of the best defensive plays ever in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If Marc-Andre Fleury has The Save, then Ryan Pulock is now the owner of The Block. With his team clinging to a one-goal lead, the Lightning pressed for the equalizer. Despite being shorthanded with Victor Hedman off for tripping, they managed to get Andrei Vasilevskiy off for a fifth skater. That made it five-on-five with an empty net.

There wasn’t much time left. Not with the Islanders channeling Four Corners which Kenny Albert wisely referenced Dean Smith. It looked like they’d get no crack for a third straight goal in a furious third period comeback after they spotted the Islanders three in the second period. But a funny thing happened. Nikita Kucherov was able to find Ryan McDonagh wide open one on one with Semyon Varlamov. What would happen next?

There were four seconds remaining. It would either be a tie hockey game headed to overtime or an Islanders win by the skin of their teeth. That was due to goals from postseason force Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson two and a half minutes apart that forced Barry Trotz to use his timeout with over a dozen minutes left. The three-goal lead they built thanks to superb plays resulting in goals from Josh Bailey, Mat Barzal and Matt Martin, was in serious jeopardy in those final frantic seconds. No lead is safe against these Lightning, who can strike as quickly as a Lightning bolt. Usain Bolt would approve.

Despite a lengthy shift from the Identity Line of Casey Cizikas, Martin and Cal Clutterbuck that essentially killed two minutes, here they were at the mercy of McDonagh. The former Ranger defenseman who’s had a good series, hasn’t had to be counted on for offense from Jon Cooper. But he’s made good pinches and looked for it. So, it was McDonagh versus Varlamov with the game on the line. Who would’ve thought?

An aggressive Varlamov came way out to challenge. That took away McDonagh’s first option. Improvising, he had the presence of mind to do a full spin-a-rama to get by Varlamov. With the puck on his backhand and still over a second left, it looked like McDonagh would score one of the best goals the postseason has ever seen. He went Bobby Orr and Denis Savard on Varlamov to create a glorious opportunity at scoring to force overtime.

The Islander net was vacant. McDonagh fired his backhand that seemed destined for the back of the net. It was going to sudden death. Surely, he had pulled off an incredible move. One we’d never seen him do in his time spent in the Big Apple when he was not only a defensive force, but very good offensively. He was about to become a likely hero for Tampa, who probably would’ve finished off the comeback had it gotten to overtime. Or so we thought.

Before McDonagh’s shot could go in past the goal line sending Islander fans into full panic mode, here came a diving Pulock. From out of nowhere, the solid two-way defenseman sold out to save the game for the Islanders. In a play symbolic of what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are all about, Pulock made a diving save and a beauty to rob McDonagh of a certain tying goal. It was astonishing. At first, I thought McDonagh had somehow hit the goalpost. How did it stay out? It was only following replays that I realized what had happened. Unbelievable.

The Block is what it’ll be forever known as to the 12,000 Islander fans who made thunderous noise as the horn sounded. That along with an unexpected, “Oh, Ohhhh”, from both Ed Olczyk and Brian Boucher, who couldn’t believe what they witnessed. As I’m sure even the biggest Long Island fan that bleeds Islanders blue and orange couldn’t even believe. This was a moment for Ryan Pulock, who was mobbed by excited teammates after his remarkable stop.

It truly was unbelievable. Pulock bailed out his goalie, who had been good in another must win game coming off a Game Three loss. This could’ve been the final home game at The Barn. Instead, it isn’t. Once again, the scrappy Islanders found a way to win the all important Game Four. They did it by turning the tables on the Lightning, who once led in shots 17-4.

A dominant second period saw the Isles score three consecutive goals. First, the quiet Bailey finally got one to go thanks to a great backhand pass from Brock Nelson. He used McDonagh as a screen by firing a rising laser between his skates and past Vasilevskiy. Then, with Barry Trotz making a good adjustment by moving up Kyle Palmieri, a Clutterbuck shot with Palmieri in front leaked right to Barzal, who deposited his sixth while Point didn’t take him. The third one came from the gritty Martin, who took a pass and rifled a perfect backhand inside the bar.

Game over? Not so fast. The one thing about the defending champs is they’re explosive. At any moment, they can erupt. Just ask both the Panthers and Hurricanes. Especially Carolina, who thought they had Game Four before the Bolts came roaring back to win 6-4. If you let up for a moment, enter at your own risk. That’s how dangerous the Lightning are. They didn’t need any power plays to come back either.

With all five Islanders back in position, here came a free skating Point into the zone. With nobody to pass the puck to, he took a good wrist shot that nicked off Andy Greene and past Varlamov. Islanders 3. Lightning 1. Then, Jon Cooper made his own counter move to one up Trotz. On a shift by the fourth line, Kucherov came out with Ross Colton and Tyler Johnson. He found Johnson wide open in the slot for a wrist shot high glove that suddenly made it 3-2. Bailey lost his check.

That quickly, the Islanders’ lead was down to one with lots of time remaining. Trotz took his timeout to settle his team down. Something he did against Boston last round. They held on to win that one. This time, Tampa continued to attack and look scary. If you were an Islander fan, the clock wasn’t moving fast enough. Even with the unreal shift by Cizikas, Martin and Clutterbuck, it didn’t feel safe. They had two good shifts in a row to dwindle the clock to over two minutes left. But anything could happen.

What if they didn’t call Hedman for a tacky tripping minor with 72 seconds to go? Who knows. The game felt over. The near 13,000 fans celebrated. But the job wasn’t done. On a traditional five-on-four, the Islanders wisely played keep away. By maintaining puck possession, it meant time would continue to run out on the desperate Lightning. But eventually, they were able to get the puck and clear it down. Off came Vasilevskiy. Out came the extra skater. It was now five-on-five.

It looked like the Islanders would protect the one-goal lead without a problem. However, any time Kucherov is out for a shift, watch out. Sure enough, the puck came to him behind the Isles’ net. Drawing attention like the superstar he is, Kucherov made a good backhand feed for McDonagh. The rest was history.

He made a great move to get around Varlamov and sent his backhand shot towards the empty Islander net. The only way it didn’t go in was a last second diving effort from Pulock to block the shot. Time ran out. The buzzer sounded. The Islanders had won this dramatic Game Four to send the series back to Tampa Bay tied at two apiece.

Wow. It was astonishing. I’ve watched plenty of playoff hockey for over 30 years. I’ve never seen a play like that. The Save by Fleury on Nick Lidstrom to preserve a one-goal win over the Red Wings in Game Seven at Joe Louis Arena allowed the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. That was more dramatic given what was at stake. It’s hard to fathom Fleury might sit for Robin Lehner in a huge Game Four at Bell Centre later with the Golden Knights trailing the underdog Canadiens two games to one. More on that another time.

Pulock’s save was great. He saved the Islanders’ season. Now, it’s a best two of three with the pivotal Game Five tomorrow night in Tampa. Can the Isles continue their run of not losing games after falling behind 2-1? Or have they met their match? Either way, it’s been a terrific series to follow. That’s a lot to admit from a Rangers fan, who doesn’t want to see the Islanders win. I respect the way they play. How hard they work under Trotz. That kind of grit and hustle is rewarded at this time of year.

Don’t think they can win? You must be living in a cave. This was always going to be a closely fought series. It’s a rematch. I still maintain it’ll go seven. Who wins I can’t or won’t say. It’s hard hat hockey. Pulock proved it with The Block. Who wants it more? Get your popcorn ready.

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Podcast: The Montreal Miracle, Canadiens two wins from reaching Stanley Cup Final

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Derek

In the latest podcast on DFlex’s Pushing Buttons, I review the improbable win by the Canadiens last night over the stunned Golden Knights. The Habs came back to win Game Three 3-2 in overtime on ultimate hero Josh Anderson’s winner. His tying goal with 1:55 left in regulation was a gift from Marc-Andre Fleury.

Montreal leads the series two games to one. Can they continue this amazing run behind the red hot Carey Price? He made 43 saves yesterday and gave his severely outplayed team a chance to steal the game in front of 3,500 screaming fans at Bell Centre. Price is having a Patrick Roy postseason. How will Vegas respond?

Plus observations on the awful Vegas power play, Mark Stone and Peter DeBoer’s response to the rare Fleury gaffe. The Montreal penalty kill. And the kid. Cole Caufield. Where can Game 4 of the Lightning and Islanders be found? It took me a while. Can the Islanders again rise up or might this be the last game at Nassau Coliseum? We’ll see.

To listen or subscribe to my podcast, you can click on the above link at Anchor. Or find it on Spotify under DFlex’s Pushing Buttons. Here is the link to the page with all shows listed starting with the Montreal Miracle at the top.

Find DFlex’s Pushing Buttons where podcasts are available including Google and Apple.

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Bolts edge Islanders to quiet The Barn in Game Three

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Derek

The excitement was palpable. The first big game hosted by Nassau Coliseum in 28 years lived up to the hype. With the Islanders competing in the Conference Finals Stanley Cup Semifinals for a second consecutive year outside the bubble, it gave Long Island fans a chance to be heard.

They were into it for Game 3 against the Lightning. The chants were loud at The Barn in Uniondale. The randomness of a packed crowd that was nearly 13,000 strong did their part. However, the Islanders weren’t quite able to deliver in a tough 2-1 home loss to the Bolts. Tampa Bay took back home ice by winning for the second straight time.

Now comes the true test for these scrappy Islanders, who fought back from the same predicament in the previous two rounds to beat Pittsburgh and Boston in six games. Basically, they responded to the challenge by running the table in Games 4-6 against the Penguins and Bruins. Can they do it versus a better team with a championship pedigree? We’ll have a better answer tomorrow night.

For the Isles to have success against the more skilled and equally stingy Lightning in this series rematch, they have to forecheck consistently and get enough traffic on Andrei Vasilevskiy to score the dirty goals they’re accustomed to. It would also help if the Killer Bees Line of Brock Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey get going. With the exception of Nelson, both Bailey and Beauvillier have been quiet. Particularly Beauvillier, who found it tough to find space last night against the Lightning defense. He was blanketed.

There were only three goals scored for the second time in three games. But it was the Isles who had the better of it to take Game 1. The Lightning responded by taking Game 2 with a better effort to win 4-2 and tie the series. Last night, they withstood the expected good start from the Islanders, who fed off the crowd. With Vasilevskiy locked in making key saves, it allowed the Bolts to find their footing.

The game’s first goal was created off the doggedness of Blake Coleman. After gaining a step through the neutral zone, the former Devil got a shot on Semyon Varlamov and then outhustled the Isles to a rebound. From a tough angle, he sent a dish across for an open Yanni Gourde, who was able to bury the one-timer past an outstretched Varlamov for the lead. It was the second effort from Coleman that made the scoring play possible. If you’re going to beat the Islanders, you need that extra effort to win these games. It came from the gritty third line.

In the second period, the Islanders began to dictate the terms. Boosted by the Identity Line of Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck, they forechecked effectively. Their hard hat style of physicality and tenacity gets the fans going. They buzzed around the Tampa net for several shifts. It would be a harbinger of things to come. While the second line was kept in check, Mat Barzal created some scoring chances from his superb speed and strong skating. He had a near miss on one shift with his shot whizzing just over the net. Barzal and Leo Komarov were good. The line of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac struggled for a second consecutive game. Expect Barry Trotz to reinsert Oliver Wahlstrom for Zajac in Game 4. They need his offense.

With the Islanders turning up the heat, they tilted the ice after being outshot 17-10. It was finally a strong shift from the Cizikas line that netted the tying goal. On what was a good cycle down low, they got a break. Under pressure during an extended shift in his zone, surprising Game 2 goal scorer Jan Rutta panicked with the puck. He attempted to tuck it into Vasilevskiy’s pads. However, it was not done well. Instead, the Tampa netminder couldn’t get a handle which allowed the loose puck to get through him for an unpredictable tying Islander goal. Clutterbuck was credited with it. It was not a good play by Rutta. Given how well Vasilevskiy was playing, it was probably the only way the Isles could’ve scored.

With the building rocking, the momentum was short lived. An Adam Pelech interference minor penalty gave the dangerous Bolts a power play with over two minutes left in the second period. Although they didn’t convert, the skilled Lightning kept moving the puck around until it came to Brayden Point in the slot. As the power play expired, he was able to get off a tough shot while taking a crosscheck. The shot beat Varlamov, who was dealing with Anthony Cirelli after Andy Greene shoved him into the crease from behind. He didn’t make contact. Even if he had, Point’s latest clutch goal probably would’ve been held up. Had Greene not pushed Cirelli, Varlamov had a chance to make the save. Instead, the puck squeaked through with 17.3 seconds remaining. A crusher.

That’s who Point is. He scores clutch goals. He did it during the Bolts’ run to their second Cup last summer. That included overtime winners against the Blue Jackets and Islanders, finishing both off. How good is he? Point scored for the sixth consecutive postseason game. The last player to accomplish that was Martin Havlat with Ottawa during the 2006. It’s Point who leads the ultra talented Lightning in goals. He gets it done. I’ve always been a big fan of his. A tremendous two-way pivot who is good at even strength, the power play and can kill penalties. He also wins face-offs. He remains a bit overlooked due to Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos.

The good news for the Islanders is they still had the third period to rally. They’ve proven they are capable of coming from behind this postseason. The big tying goals they scored in huge wins over the Pens and Bruins are proof. Facing the defending champs down a goal, it wasn’t as easy to get the looks needed to beat the unflappable Vasilevskiy. There’s a reason he’s up for another Vezina along with finalists Marc-Andre Fleury and Philipp Grubauer. Even though he didn’t have to stand on his head, Vasilevskiy made the big stops to help the Lightning protect the lead.

There were a few close calls. Barzal had one and Komarov got two good opportunities, but wasn’t able to finish. One was set up by Jordan Eberle, who’s been quiet so far. He will need to find twine soon. Believe it or not, Greene had two chances in tight. But the veteran defenseman was turned away by Vasilevskiy and then missed high. There weren’t enough pucks on the right Islander sticks.

With the crowd urging them on, they couldn’t quite draw even. The Lightning also have a good defensive structure. They bent, but didn’t break. In particular, Ryan McDonagh had a strong game. He was very good at breaking up plays in his end and in the neutral zone. We even saw flashes of the old McDonagh, who pinched in and went for the jugular with a high tester on Varlamov that he coolly gloved. The former Ranger has been very good this playoffs. He’s played with an edge and done a good job at five-on-five to relieve pressure from Victor Hedman.

A Kucherov forecheck bothered the Islanders, who were in full scramble mode to get Varlamov off for the extra attacker. You never had a sense the Isles would tie it. That’s how solid Tampa was at protecting a one-goal lead. They didn’t give them much. It was that gritty style that won them the Cup last year. While it’s easy to highlight the stars who we all know, it was the attention to detail that won this game. They matched the Isles’ work ethic and quieted the crowd. No small feat. That’s why they’re defending champs.

It’ll take a lot more from the Islanders to even the series. We know the fans will be going nuts. They will try to will their heroes to a Game 4 victory like they did the previous rounds. The atmosphere at Nassau Coliseum is like that of a soccer game. With random chants and stuff you don’t see in other arenas. That is a credit to the Islander fan. Even if there are some bandwagon fans like just about every team, they’re very loud and are truly a factor. You wonder though if that even affects the Lightning. They are tough. It will not be easy.

For the Islanders to tie the series and possibly avoid playing the last game at The Barn, they need better performances from Beauvillier, Bailey and Palmieri. Pageau is playing banged up. He still looked okay yesterday. However, he’s a key shooter and reliable face-off guy who can be a factor. We know he goes to the net and can get the dirty goals. If Wahlstrom returns tomorrow, he’ll replace Zajac on that third line with Palmieri. Wahlstrom is a great shooter who can add a weapon to the power play. The Isles can use his offense. They’ll also need Barzal to continue to hit the score sheet. When he does, they’re pretty successful.

If there’s an Achilles heel, it’s that the defense doesn’t contribute enough offense. Ryan Pulock scored his first goal of the playoffs in Game One. That turned out to be the game-winner. Pulock has a good shot and has provided offense before. But he hasn’t been as consistent. Nick Leddy is a good skating D who can get involved. But it’s usually on passing. Scott Mayfield can shoot the puck if he has time. He can hit the net. Pelech is a shutdown D whose primary role is to check opposing scorers. He isn’t accurate from the point. Noah Dobson is probably the future of the Islanders’ blue line offense. He’s picked up some assists, but isn’t good defensively. He was beat by Coleman on the Goodrow goal. Greene is a defensive defenseman who blocks shots. It’s a bonus if he creates any offense.

Where as the Islanders don’t have that one offensive weapon from the back end, the Bolts boast the imposing Hedman, who’s put up most of his points on the power play. A superb skater who can be counted on for big minutes at five-on-five, power play and penalty kill, the former Norris winner and Conn Smythe winner is a player to be reckoned with. He’s not 100 percent. But he is a gamer. McDonagh doesn’t put up as much offense anymore. But he still pinches effectively and can contribute. Mikhail Sergachev hasn’t done much offensively despite being a superb skater. If he gets going, it could be lights out. Cernak and Rutta are not asked to contribute offensively. But you already have seen Rutta score a big goal in this series. David Savard was a good pickup from Columbus due to his penchant for blocking shots

Goaltending hasn’t been an issue. Varlamov has performed well. But he’s matched up against Vasilevskiy. He’ll probably have to steal a game in order for the Islanders to pull the upset. You have two of the game’s best coaches in Barry Trotz and Jon Cooper. Trotz will make adjustments for Game 4. Cooper is good at the chess match. He definitely has the pulse of his team.

Game 4 should be interesting. Especially with the Isles in the same predicament as the prior two rounds. Can they rise up and do it again? We shall see.

As for other hockey related news, Rod Brind’Amour won the Jack Adams as Coach of the Year after re-signing with the Hurricanes. It’s where he wants to be. A well deserved honor for one of the game’s good guys. More awards will continue to be revealed. The big ones likely coming next week.

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The Final Four: Awful Officiating a factor in Lightning Game 2 Win over Islanders, Remembering Amirante Anthem in ’94, Rangers still haven’t made Gallant hire official

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Derek

Let’s start off this post by recognizing what’s going on. The Stanley Cup Semifinals have begun. Or the Final Four. Personally, I prefer the latter. It doesn’t matter that it’s been used for the NCAA Basketball Tournament forever. It just sounds better. I can’t get used to the new name due to the crossover without conferences. It’s strange not to have a Conference Finals. There. I said it.

So far, three games have been played. Two between the Islanders and Lightning. One featuring the Canadiens and Golden Knights. Vegas took the opening game against the underdog Habs without a problem. They got contributions from their active D with both Shea Theodore and Nick Holden (ahem) scoring. William Karlsson and that line featuring Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault continuing to look good. Plus the brilliance of Marc-Andre Fleury. He is amazing. Thirty-six and still playing like he’s in his prime. A Conn Smythe candidate for sure. Wouldn’t it be something if he finally won the Vezina? He’s up against Andrei Vasilevskiy and Philipp Grubauer. Vasilevskiy is the favorite.

What can Montreal do tonight for a response? Well, it could be a different lineup with Jeff Petry possible along with Jon Merrill. Petry would help the back end. Carey Price can’t just do it by himself. He needs help. Not just from Nick Suzuki, Tyler Toffoli and Cole Caufield. We’ll see who steps up.

The Islanders were the better team in Game 1. They were battle tested and took it to the defending champs to gain the split needed to gain home ice. In Game 2, the Lightning fought back by showing more urgency to prevail 4-2. Unfortunately, the officiating was a factor. Not the positive kind. The refs were equally bad for both sides. With the Lightning up a goal from Brayden Point, they got it wrong when Point bumped into Semyon Varlamov. Replays clearly showed that the Bolts’ top center was shoved from behind by Adam Pelech. Varlamov was a dead duck. Of course, Point was penalized for goalie interference. Predictably, Brock Nelson tied the game on the gift power play. That wasn’t all.

In the second period, you had a great stretch pass from Victor Hedman to game breaker Nikita Kucherov. Drawing two Isles including Mat Barzal, he made a perfect feed for an Ondrej Palat go-ahead goal. However, replays showed that the Lightning had too many men on the ice. When the TV replays show seven skaters, that’s brutal. How did the linesmen miss it? Of course, Barry Trotz went ballistic twice having some choice words for the officials. It was one of the worst officiated playoff games. You can’t miss that and get the interference penalty wrong. Two goals happened due to NHL incompetence. It shouldn’t happen. It’s embarrassing for the sport.

Good thing the Bolts put the game away in the third period. Both defensemen Jan Rutta and Hedman scored. Rutta with a point blast from Barclay Goodrow through a Josh Bailey screen. Hedman on the power play thanks to a great Kucherov pass through the seam. Kucherov finished with three assists. He’s a magician with the puck. Scary on the power play with potent weapons Hedman, Point and Steven Stamkos. The Isles took too many penalties. The Bolts went 1-for-5.

A Barzal goal late made it interesting. It was a good follow-up by the Islanders’ first center. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. The Lightning defended well against the six-on-five to kill off the final three minutes for the win to square the series. There were some pleasantries exchanged at the conclusion. Travis Zajac took down Anthony Cirelli. He went down awkwardly. You had Matt Martin trying to get at Goodrow due to a hit he delivered in the third on Barzal. Pat Maroon challenged the Islanders by basically trolling them. He fought Martin during the game in what was a more heated contest. The Bolts had to respond by being more physically engaged. They proved why they’re the rating champs. This is a rematch for a reason. Now, the series shifts to The Barn in Nassau County. That place will be rocking for Games 3 and 4 in Uniondale. Thursday night is going to be interesting.

As much as it was about the refs last night, Vasilevskiy still came up big by robbing the dangerous Anthony Beauvillier before the second period expired. On a weird misdirection play off a face-off, the puck came to Beauvillier with under two seconds left. He let go of a good wrist shot that Vasilevskiy was in perfect position to pad away. That was the turning point. Had Beauvillier scored, it’s a tie hockey game headed to the third. Instead, the game’s best goalie delivered. It was much better than Game 1 when he let in a bad goal to Ryan Pulock. That actually proved to be the game-winner with Point getting a late tally with Vasilevskiy on the bench.

Goaltending is crucial in this series. After Varlamov went to the locker room to be checked on for concussion protocol, Ilya Sorokin did a great job relieving him by playing poised in net. In a tough circumstance, he made key stops to keep the game tied at one after a period. Varlamov was okay and returned for the rest of the game. He played well following the break. But ultimately, it wasn’t enough against a better Lightning. It’s his series unless there’s a slip up. We know it’s Vasilevskiy for the Bolts.

Earlier this weekend, some fans recalled the ’94 Stanley Cup championship team. Astonishing to think it’s now been 27 years since the Rangers won Lord Stanley. Unfortunately, they’re halfway to another 54 years. Something no Blueshirt fan wants to acknowledge. We don’t really want it “to last a lifetime,” like Sam Rosen’s memorable call on MSG. We’re lucky that local networks could still broadcast those big games that far into the Playoffs. Those days are long gone. What lasts is the memory which includes those memorable calls from Rosen and John Davidson on TV. Of course, Howie Rose best known for the “Matteau, Matteau, Matteau,” call in Game 7 against the Devils. Marv Albert had the call on WFAN in New York. It’s crazy to think he’s hanging up the mic after TNT wraps up its NBA Playoffs coverage. He’s been the voice of so many generations forever. I met him once in the city when I was working my old job out of college. It was brief as he headed into Starbucks near his luxurious apartment on Columbus Avenue. That was cool. I’m glad I’ve gotten to talk to his son Kenny a few times at MSG. He’s great. It’s nice to see him doing well.

As much as we all make a huge deal out of June 14, 1994, I feel like John Amirante flies under the radar. I know he’s been gone a few years already, but the great national anthem singer is best remembered for turning it up several notches when the electric atmosphere drowned out his anthem. Yet you could still hear him belt it out. I always loved the energy and passion he had whenever he performed. Madison Square Garden was always better with Amirante there. Nothing compares.

Rosen summed it up best. When it was over, he talked about how long he’s been coming to that building. To quote him directly, “I have never seen anything like it.” Perfectly said. It best describes what that night was like. I can only imagine what those fans were feeling inside. I know how we felt watching it on MSG. The nerves were so intense. So much anxiety. What a moment. Thank God they won. Who knows what we’d be talking about now.

One of the things I love about that era were the T-shirts and hats. They truly are a unique collector’s item. Sure. We all bought them and wore them proudly. But the design for the shirts and caps were perfect. Justin was smart enough to get an extra Cup T-shirt which is still in great condition. Along with the memorable, “Oh Baby,” VHS Rangers Stanley Cup video, it’s quite the items to have. I bought the Stanley Cup Program off eBay. I also have the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals one which I purchased at Game Three. If only they’d won that night. Speaking of Amirante, here’s how he sounded for the memorable 2014 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 clincher against the Canadiens.

It was a different crowd. We were still loud. It just doesn’t measure up to the chaos of Game 7 on 6/14/94. There’s something about Amirante. His anthems were great. I smile when I see him pull out and wave the Let’s Go Rangers rally towel. Of course, they’ve been saved. I wonder how different it would be had they won it in ’14. It would’ve been fitting. Twenty years later. It was a great run. Many of us still feel that team should’ve won. It just didn’t happen. I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I still don’t like Alec Martinez. But I respect him as a player. I wish they could’ve won that Cup with Henrik Lundqvist. So close. I’m thankful for those teams. They feel like a lot longer when you consider where the current state of the franchise is. It’s headed in the right direction. It just takes time.

As far as Gerard Gallant goes, we are still patiently waiting for the Rangers to make it official. Maybe they want to do it on a quieter day. Who knows. There’s so much to do once Gallant is announced. It all is too much to think about right now. Let Chris Drury worry about it. There really is no news to report. Adam Fox is up for the Norris. It’ll be revealed if he won next week. I like that they’re revealing award winners during the playoffs. It’s better than some cheesy award show.

UPDATE: They must’ve heard me. Gerard Gallant now Official.

It’s not surprising that much of what we already knew was confirmed about David Quinn. He tried too hard to please everyone. Eventually, his style led to a division with the veterans. We know who they are. They better get used to what Gallant wants this Fall. He will not treat them like college kids. But as equals. Jaromir Jagr praised the move. He feels it’s a good hire and spoke about how he enjoyed playing for him in Florida. Jagr put up 66 points and finished fourth for the Hart in his 40’s. Amazing. He played with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Both established stars now. He indicated that Gallant being a successful former player for the Red Wings helped him understand his players. He had a good career. He also will bench anyone if they’re not performing. But it’s forgotten the next game. Jagr emphasized that Gallant prefers not to tweak his lines too much. That should be better for team chemistry.

All of this doesn’t matter at the moment. We will have to remain patient. If the last 16 months have taught us anything, it’s that you have to be. It’s nice to see things opening up and more fans attending games. I couldn’t do it. Maybe if it’s back to a real normal. God bless those who do. Until next time.

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Rangers hire Gallant as new head coach

Posted on June 14, 2021 by Derek

The New York Rangers have made it official by hiring Gerard Gallant as their new head coach. He becomes the 36th coach in franchise history.

A more proven coach who’s guided both the Panthers and Golden Knights to the postseason, the 57-year old Gallant was the top candidate to succeed David Quinn. Gallant got his coaching start with the Blue Jackets. It took him eight years to get another opportunity in Florida. In ’15-16, he guided the Panthers to first in the Atlantic Division with a 47-26-9 record. However, they were eliminated by the Islanders in the first round. After only 11 games the following season, he was unceremoniously fired. A perplexing move.

One year later, Gallant landed on his feet by becoming the first ever coach of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. Under him, they became a close knit unit that came together. In their inaugural season of ’17-18, Gallant led the Knights to a stunning 51-24-7 record to win the Pacific Division. That earned him the Jack Adams Award as Coach of The Year. Even better, Vegas reached the 2018 Stanley Cup Final in their first year of existence. They lost to the Capitals in five games.

After another successful year, Gallant saw his team blow Game Seven to the Sharks in crushing fashion in a wild first round. San Jose scored four times on a five-minute major. Even though Vegas forced overtime, they lost in sudden death. It was a bitter disappointment. During Year Three, the Knights were up and down in the first half of ’19-20. Following a fourth straight loss, Gallant was fired and replaced by former San Jose rival coach Peter DeBoer. In 213 games as Vegas coach, Gallant went 118-75-20.

He most recently coached Team Canada to the gold medal at the World Championships. After having a good first interview with the Rangers, Gallant had his second interview via Zoom Conference. The only other candidate they interviewed twice was former Coyotes’ bench boss Rick Tocchet. The only surprise is they didn’t wait to see what’s going on with Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour. He just completed his third season and is up for a new contract following their second round elimination to the Lightning.

The news of the Gallant hiring came down at 5 PM. Larry Brooks of the NY Post broke the story. He’s been pretty accurate recently.

The Rangers have yet to make an official announcement on Twitter. It’ll probably come tomorrow. Oddly enough, the Gallant hire comes on the 27th Anniversary of their last Stanley Cup. Hard to believe they’re halfway to 54 years. They better hope it doesn’t last a lifetime to quote Sam Rosen.

This is a good move that should change the way the Rangers play. Gallant is a no nonsense coach who expects a lot. He emphasizes a hard forecheck. Something that’s needed. There should be more defensive structure and accountability. I’m curious to see who Gallant hires as his assistants. Only Benoit Allaire was retained as goalie coach.

Will the franchise change the roster to become tougher? It would seem likely considering how easy they were to play against. Look no further than the three Islanders games that saw them outclassed. Ironically, the Islanders are back in the Final 4 and lead the Lightning one game to none. Maddening. Imagine if they win the Cup in the last year of playing at Nassau Coliseum. Yikes.

What happens next won’t be until the Stanley Cup Playoffs conclude. The off-season promises to be busy. Between the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft, NHL Draft and free agency, it’ll be an action packed summer.

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Springtime thoughts – playoffs, draft and otherwise

Posted on June 12, 2021 by hasan4978
Reliving Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, the Devils' defining moment – The Athletic

We say this a lot about things as we get older, but I can’t believe it’s been eighteen years since I was at Game 7 of the Devils’ most recent Stanley Cup championship against the Ducks. Besides the actual game and postgame celebration itself, the thrill when I heard the pre-game scratches and realized fan favorite Ken Daneyko was not among them in what would turn out to be his final NHL game, those thundersticks and trying to get pictures with my box camera all throughout (remember those?), what I remember vividly is dragging myself to the game flu/bronchitis-ridden. My parents were hemming and hawing with me on not going but despite my ill state and the Devils’ tradition of success over the previous decade, I said something pretty clear-minded to the effect of – it might be another hundred years before we get a Game 7 at home for the Cup, I can’t miss out on this.

Obviously I haven’t had the chance to experience a championship since then for any of my sports teams (in-person or otherwise), rendering my decision to gut it out that night the correct one. I don’t want to think about how I would look back on that night if we’d somehow lost, or even if I had just taken the path of least resistance and missed out on a potentially once-in-a-lifetime moment because of being in a sickbed. After the events of the last year plus I’m glad that situation happened in 2003 and not 2021, because at this point going anywhere the slightest bit under the weather wouldn’t even be allowed.

Which also leads me to what was actually a bigger surprise, realizing that the anniversary of a Cup win in Game 7 of a normal playoffs was three days ago, while we were still finishing the second round of the playoffs this year. A reminder that while things are speeding back to normal, we aren’t quite there yet. Buildings are more packed but for the most part not sold out. I haven’t even been to a game of any kind – hockey, baseball or football – since a few days before the country stopped last March. It didn’t seem worth it for the Devils this year, all things considered, both because of ambiance and the team’s current position in the standings. I may wind up going to a Met game sooner or later in the next few months but despite being eligible to buy tickets because I’ve been vaccinated, that still has its own issues atm – re: long subway rides and mask-wearing still being necessary on them in the dead of summer.

By the same token, I don’t want to wait until October or whenever next season winds up beginning to go to a game of any kind now that I’m more or less getting back to normal everywhere else. Being able to go inside most places without a mask in New Jersey felt like almost as big a milestone as being vaccinated. It still remains to be seen how much this pandemic will have changed our lives forever. Hopefully it’ll mean eliminating long commutes for people and fewer people going to work and school while sick. There can be some good that comes out of this, if people and businesses allow it.

It will probably take till October for me to really get back into hockey in any case. I didn’t even remember when the draft lottery was until I started seeing Tweets on it the day before. Although I did wind up watching it on my phone while enjoying a nice night at the park, I wasn’t super invested emotionally, although I was kind of happy we stayed at pick #4…partly cause winning another lotto would have been a bit embarrassing at this point, and partly for the realistic chance we wind up getting Jack Hughes’ brother Luke. Unlike previous lottos, this one sprang up no real surprises this year, only flip-flopping Seattle and Anaheim one spot.

As far as the playoffs themselves, I obviously haven’t been emotionally invested in them either, although the Isles’ second straight run to the Conference Finals was a bit annoying in part because the pick we acquired for them plummeted to the bottom of the first round after they beat the Penguins and Bruins in succession to earn a rematch with the Lightning in the Conference Finals. Or just the semifinals, whatever they’re calling it this year since we have non-traditional divisions. Montreal, the worst team in the playoffs and who probably wouldn’t have even made a traditional playoff is also in the last four of this year’s postseason. We see Cinderella runs every year in the spring, but this one was practically baked in with how weak the North division was combined with the Leafs’ propensity for choking. And once again the NHL’s division-laden postseason led to two of the five best teams in the league (arguably the two best in this case) meeting before the third round of the playoffs, although Vegas wound up faux sweeping the Avs after dropping the first two of their showdown series. For all the Avs’ hype they haven’t taken that next step or even won a tough postseason series yet.

I look all over the postseason and I see prominent ex-Devils everywhere, which makes this postseason more annoying. Particularly on Long Island, which is Devils south with ex-president and GM Lou Lamoriello bringing in former Devils Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac and Andy Greene to supplement their playoff runs the last two years. I’m not even gonna count Cory Schneider who was once a big acquisition here, but is now just a bit passenger there. I want to root for Zajac and Greene to do well since this might be their last, best chance for a title but it’s just too freaking painful to even see them in those uniforms.

Greene Reunited with Palmieri and Zajac

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth reiterating – I now know exactly what Derek was going through when the Lightning became Rangers south a few years ago. It’s quite similar, seeing a bunch of fan favorites lead a quasi-rival to success. If anything the Isles are more of a daily rival to us than the Lightning to the Rangers, on the other hand the Lightning actually beat the Rangers in the Conference Finals with some of the ex-Ranger contingent. Now that the position of the first round pick is no longer a major factor, I’m still quite conflicted whether I want to see the Isles win or not. Apart from selfish reasons, having the Isles win a championship would only complicate things for us fanwise even more in the next generation. We already have a handicap going against the Rangers in the same market but were helped in the last generation by the Isles running in place while we won consistently. Now having the Isles win on their way into a new building while we still run in place makes it harder to keep building the fanbase for the next generation.

Still, Greene and Zajac were loyal soldiers for a long time, and both are really at the end of their careers. I would be happy on some level if they won, no matter the uniform. Palmieri has some time left in his career, so I’m not as invested in him winning. Especially after he turned full heel in a late-season matchup with us and started going after our players for no apparent reason. There’s also the matter of ex-Devils on other teams in the postseason. Although Blake Coleman got his Cup last year with Tampa, he’s always worth rooting for.

And then there’s ex-coach Pete DeBoer with Vegas. Might we get the Finals matchup of DeBoer versus former key players Greene/Zajac and his former boss, who once fired him over Christmas break? For the issues I had with DeBoer after 2012, he was definitely just in the wrong place at the wrong time toward the end here, and clearly there were more issues with the organization than any coach was going to solve. He was always a solid coach for a vet team, and a good man who deserved more chances to win, which he’s gotten in San Jose and now Vegas. Amazingly, this year will be the fifth time in nine seasons DeBoer’s reached the last four of the Stanley Cup playoffs…with three different teams. Twice he’s been to the Stanley Cup Final and both times came within two games of the Cup, and his team is favored to beat the Habs (the only team without a big ex-Devil connection although one-time prospect Jon Merrill is on the roster as a depth d-man). Maybe third time can be the charm for ol’ Pete? I wouldn’t be against that.

It just occurred to me without the traditional conferences will they have the Prince of Wales and Campbell Conference trophy presentations this year? Perhaps not, although it would be momentarily hilarious to see Montreal get the Campbell Conference bowl. Also, having no Doc Emrick for the playoffs this year makes it even harder to listen to. The closest I’m gonna get to listening to one of my current or former announcers is Steve Cangialosi doing EURO2021 games, which coincidentally is happening now since he’s doing the Wales-Switzerland game on ESPN. There’s always PK Subban doing ESPN studio work during the playoffs if you wish, though I almost look at him at this point as more of a media personality than a Devil. It would probably help if he or the team could get something accomplished during his tenure here. Still, he’s a good guy who deserves the King Clancy for his charitable work, and we could do far worse than have him as a representative for the franchise at this point.

Hopefully things will get better soon and I can be more invested in the playoffs (and less invested in the draft) when we’re a part of them again.

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The NHL Semifinals: Islanders face Lightning in rematch, Canadiens heavy underdogs versus Golden Knights, Thoughts on Avalanche and Bruins, Fox up for Norris

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Derek

Twenty-four hours apart, the final two teams of the NHL Semifinals finished off their second round series by closing out Game Six at home. With both the Islanders and Golden Knights taking care of business to prevent Game Seven in enemy territory, the Final 4 is all set.

It’ll feature the Islanders again challenging the defending champion Lightning on one side. Even better, home ice will matter. The Bolts are the higher seed and have the luxury of a deciding seventh game in Tampa. However, the Islanders host Games 3-4 and 6 (if necessary) at Nassau Coliseum. The Barn has rocked this postseason by hosting closeout games against the Pens and Bruins. The atmosphere was raucous. You better believe the Islanders want to go out with a bang in its final season in Uniondale. It should be interesting.

On the flip side, it’ll be a David versus Goliath match-up featuring the heavy underdog Canadiens looking to continue their magical run against the very formidable Golden Knights. While the Habs made quick work of the Jets following the four-game suspension of Mark Scheifele for his foolish hit that injured Jake Evans, Vegas showed how tough they truly are by digging out of a 2-0 hole by winning four consecutive games to eliminate the Avalanche in six. It was a heck of a series. The difference was the superior depth and grit of Vegas. Both the Knights and Lightning are back in the Final 4 for a second straight year. Will we get a potential heavyweight match-up between Vegas and Tampa for the Stanley Cup? Who knows.

It’s very hard to predict what will happen. Conventional wisdom says the Lightning and Golden Knights will advance and play for Lord Stanley. However, you can’t underestimate how well the Islanders are playing. Especially being a four line team who boast three scoring lines along with shutdown center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who paces them in scoring while getting it done against Patrice Bergeron. Ditto for the Cinderella Canadiens, who have been carried by Carey Price. He’s having a Patrick Roy like playoffs. Think ’93. The offense has mostly come from the top line and the veteran laden fourth line. They’ll need more from key cogs Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson to pull it off.

Keys to beating the Lightning. It’s simple. Stay out of the box. The Lightning 🌩 boast the best power play. They’re lethal. With leading scorer Nikita Kucherov not missing a beat with 18 points, Steven Stamkos in his office, Victor Hedman running the point, Brayden Point in the slot and Alex Killorn again raising his level, they are scary. As Carolina found out in the momentum turning Game Four that saw them blow a 4-2 lead due to penalties, you cannot put Tampa on the man-advantage. Enter at your own risk.

If they can play them at five-on-five, the Islanders have a chance. Barry Trotz is a mastermind when it comes to game planning and making key adjustments. He realized against the Bruins that Pageau was the better center to match up versus the Perfection Line. That took pressure off Brock Nelson, who was huge in getting the key insurance marker that wound up as the game-winner in Game Five, and scoring another huge goal in the series clincher. He steps it up along with Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey. It was also crucial that Mat Barzal got it going. His huge goals and big assists helped turn the series around. Game Four was his coming out party. He was the best player scoring a goal and adding an assist while drawing a penalty on David Krejci due to mixing it up.

What makes them so hard to play against is Trotz’ commitment to the details. In shutdown tandem Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, he has a strong top pair that he trusts to neutralize opponents’ best scoring lines. You can bet they’ll see a lot of Kucherov and Point. Expect Scott Mayfield to draw the assignment against Stamkos. He did a splendid job shadowing Taylor Hall.

For Trotz, he never gives much away. When asked about who his goalie will be for Game One on Sunday, he only indicated that it’ll be a left catching Russian. The dry humor of the Czar again on full display. Bank on Semyon Varlamov being in net versus Russian counterpart Andrei Vasilevskiy. Varlamov won four of five starts after replacing first round hero Ilya Sorokin. He was splendid in the last two games. Trotz can always make a change if his team needs it. He’s never afraid to roll the dice.

After Team President and GM Lou Lamoriello acquired Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the Devils, neither really distinguished themselves in the remainder of the regular season. However, here is Palmieri scoring big goals in the playoffs. He has seven. His hit to Charlie McAvoy post scrum should be reviewed. It was a head shot. Palmieri isn’t dirty. But neither was Scheifele. Zajac has fit in with Palmieri and Pageau on that checking line. He got his first goal the other night and continued to be a reliable checker and penalty killer. One question is what if Oliver Wahlstrom is ready. Knowing Trotz, he’ll stick with what’s worked. If they lose, you’ll see Wahlstrom back in.

Don’t forget the Identity Line of Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. Cizikas is winning over 60 percent of his face-offs. He’s a key penalty killer and trusted defensive center, who Trotz knows he can put out to protect a lead. Martin and Clutterbuck are the Mighty Ducks’ NHL version of the Bash Brothers. They hit and hit hard. Every check is finished. Clutterbuck leads all players with 66 hits while Martin ranks third with 59. Their physicality has made a difference. Leo Komarov also is up there along with Pulock. That grinding style can wear down opponents.

Aside from the explosiveness of Kucherov, Point, Hedman and Stamkos, the Lightning boast great depth that can make an impact in these big series. Ondrej Palat has been relatively quiet. He is a good player who complements Point and Kucherov well. Both Blake Coleman and Yanni Gourde are solid checking players who like to get dirty in front of the net. Look for both to make life for Varlamov tough. Anthony Cirelli anchors the second line with Stamkos and Killorn. Cirelli is a strong two-way player with good speed. On the blue line, it isn’t only Hedman that must be accounted for. Ryan McDonagh has quietly had a good postseason. He’s played superb in his end stifling opponents with the overlooked Erik Cernak. McDonagh has stepped up his physical game playing with the edge he once did in the Big Apple. Mikhail Sergachev is a strong skating D who can contribute offensively. His defense has improved, but expect the Isles to go after him and Hedman.

The Golden Knights are a handful. As the Avalanche found out the hard way, there’s no quit in Peter DeBoer’s relentless club. They could’ve melted following a tacky call that led to Mikko Rantanen scoring on the power play to beat Vegas in Game Two. They couldn’t crack Philipp Grubauer until the third period of Game Three. The turning point was Jonathan Marchessault banking one off Grubauer to tie the score. The winner came 45 seconds later. That swung the momentum. After taking care of business to even the series, the the Knights again used a third period rally to stun Colorado in Game Five. Goals from Marchessault and Alex Tuch off bad Avalanche turnovers tied the score. In overtime, a Max Pacioretty block on Ryan Graves allowed him to pass for captain Mark Stone, who got into the clear and went high bar on Grubauer to win the game at 50 seconds of sudden death. It was the brilliant play from Stone, whose line shutdown Nathan MacKinnon, that turned the tables. The Avalanche didn’t get enough run support from the secondary players. Aside from Brandon Saad, they didn’t have enough without Nazem Kadri. While MacKinnon picked up two helpers in the 6-3 loss last night, he didn’t score a goal after the Game One blowout. He was held to three assists over the last five.

While Marc-Andre Fleury shined in net with timely saves including his huge stop on Valeri Nichushkin to preserve a 4-3 lead, Grubauer couldn’t prevent Vegas from finishing it off. A goal from William Carrier off a face-off win made it 5-3. Max Pacioretty added the empty netter to seal it. He’s made a big difference. Since returning and scoring in Game Seven to oust the Wild, Pacioretty has eight points in seven games. Along with Stone, Marchessault, Karlsson and Reilly Smith, the deeper Knights are very tough. Especially when you factor in the fourth line and a balanced defe se that features Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez. Even Nick Holden has contributed a couple of big goals and a few helpers. The depth they possess should make them very difficult for the Habs to beat.

This is the first Final 4 for Les Habitants since 2014 when they lost in six to the Rangers. This time, Pacioretty is an opponent. The subplot of him facing his former team while former Vegas first round pick Nick Suzuki goes up against the team that drafted him is intriguing. Suzuki anchors the top Canadiens’ line that also includes brilliant newcomer Cole Caufield. The former Badger has four assists including a beauty across for leading scorer Tyler Toffoli that won Game Four in overtime at Bell Centre to sweep Winnipeg. That’s quite a top line. Along with the cohesive checking line of veterans Eric Staal, Corey Perry and Joel Armia, they’ve done the bulk of the scoring. That must change this round. Phil Danault has centered a superb checking line that includes Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher only has four points so far. The Montreal captain must be a factor along with Josh Anderson to have a chance.

In net, we know how well Price has played. Once again, he’s reaffirmed why many consider him one of the best netminders in the NHL. While his regular season numbers have suffered, it’s astonishing how well Price has played since returning after a concussion kept him out. The fact he can deliver the clutch stops gives the Habs a psychological edge. It might explain why they haven’t trailed once during their seven-game win streak. The second longest such streak without trailing in playoff history. Price has always been able to elevate his game come postseason. He’ll have to stand on his head and steal multiple games against Vegas.

The defense hasn’t really done a whole lot offensively. Jeff Petry and Shea Weber aren’t scoring much this Spring. We know Weber logs big minutes and gets the tough assignments along with underrated former Stanley Cup champ Joel Edmundson. Ben Chiarot is asked to play a ton. He’s turnover prone. You better believe the aggressive Knights will look to pounce on any mistakes. Can the Habs hang with the Knights? Only if key players step it up. That includes Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

The thinking is Golden Knights in five. The Islanders force the Lightning to go seven. I haven’t decided who will prevail. You know who I’m pulling for. The prospect of the Isles playing for the Cup is daunting. Go Bolts.

In terms of disappointment, is there anyone that sounded more down than MacKinnon? Following the Game Six second round elimination to the tougher Golden Knights, the Avalanche captain remarked how he’s been in the league eight years and “hadn’t won shit.” It was a very candid observation from a superstar who expects more from himself along with his team. Somehow that led to this ridiculous question from troll Adrian Dater. 🙄

How is this clown allowed to have a press credential? He’s been around a long time. Could he at least try to be professional? The reaction from MacKinnon says it all. I don’t blame him. The truth is Colorado blew it. Costly mistakes in Game Three turned it around. Ditto for Game Five when the Avs fell asleep after leading 2-0. You have to continue to execute in the neutral zone and get pucks deep. Gabriel Landeskog made a bad turnover inside the Vegas zone when his pass was behind Ryan Graves. That allowed the Knights to counter and tie the game on a gorgeous set up from Karlsson to Marchessault. Stone then worked some overtime magic. In a back and forth game Thursday night, the Avalanche couldn’t put the Golden Knights away. Eventually, the deeper and harder forechecking team finished them off.

For Colorado, it comes down to improving the back end and adding more grit. Not having the suspended Kadri hurt. Will they keep him? Too bad Erik Johnson can’t stay healthy as he’s the exact kind of defenseman they could’ve used. What about Jared Bednar? Is his job safe? Or does this team need a change. Would John Tortorella fit? Who knows. Bednar got outcoached by DeBoer.

This key bit of information from Rask, who may have played his last game for the Bruins. The 34-year old wants to stay. Hopefully, he does. Here’s what he played through.

Hockey player. 🏒 It sure explains why Tuukka struggled in the Islanders’ series. Particularly in the last game where two uncharacteristic miscues resulted in costly goals against. Rask has been a great goalie in Boston for a decade. He’s won a Vezina and reached two Stanley Cup Finals as the starter. He’s been a model of consistency and strong in the playoffs over his career. And yet you still have a few knuckleheads who don’t fully appreciate his body of work. I’m glad someone does.

Where was the Boston secondary scoring? Why did Hall turn into a ghost? Of the second line that fared so well in the first round triumph over the Caps, only David Krejci had a decent series. Krejci remains a solid two-way pivot who wins draws and a very good passer. Aside from deciding on Rask and Hall, who both have indicated they want to stay, the Bruins face a tough decision on Krejci.

While Bergeron didn’t quite have the series he wanted, Marchand was superb. He scored big goals including the OT winner in Game 3 from a tough angle. He also scored in Game Five and Six when he was the one Bruin who factored in. The Rat 🐀 remains a top five player among forwards. It’s due to his unique combination of skating, twists and turns, grit, goal scoring and playmaking. He really is the straw that stirs the drink. Along with Pastrnak, who also was very good in the playoffs, they’re the top two Bruins with the older Bergeron third. It’s kind of ridiculous that Trotz’ gripes resulted in Bergeron getting tossed from a few face-offs. Bruce Cassidy was right to stick up for him. He’s one of the best two-way players and very easy to respect.

For the B’s, not having Brandon Carlo really hurt. Once he went down on a clean Clutterbuck hit, it effected the Boston defense. Particularly the penalty kill where they got burned for three power play goals in the disappointing Game Five loss. One which Cassidy went off on the officiating for by referring to the Islanders as the New York Saints. They have a good reputation as one of the league’s least penalized teams. But you have to wonder if part of it is due to who the GM is. The Isles defend well. But you can’t tell me they don’t get away with stuff. It’s again a matter of consistency with the stripes. Something that never happens. Like Groundhog Day.

Finally, Adam Fox was named as a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the season’s best defenseman. The candidates he’s up against are Hedman and Cale Makar. In my opinion, he should win. As he was the best of the trio nominated. My top five:

1. Adam Fox

2. Victor Hedman

3. Shea Theodore

4. Cale Makar

5. Charlie McAvoy

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