REPORT: Panarin expected to miss remaining three games

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Derek

According to a report from the well trusted Elliotte Friedman, it looks like Artemi Panarin might be done for the rest of the season. It was during the second period when the Rangers’ top scorer got involved during a scrum with Caps’ pest Tom Wilson. He drove Panarin face first into the ice. He didn’t return to the game.

Panarin picked up two assists prior to the fracas with Wilson, who delivered cheap shots on Pavel Buchnevich, Ryan Strome and then Panarin. The Rangers were calling it a lower body injury following the game. What that means is anyone’s guess. It could be a leg injury or who knows. If Friedman is correct, don’t expect to see Panarin the remaining three games.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1389446498518282241?s=19

Obviously, with the rematch not until Wednesday night, this allows the NHL enough time to decide what kind of supplementary discipline Wilson should face. Having already been suspended earlier this season, he could be facing a lengthier ban that could extend into the playoffs. A repeat offender who can’t seem to stay out of trouble despite being a key contributor to the Caps, it looks like Wilson could earn the entire first round off.

If he is suspended, then the Rangers won’t be able to get retribution for Wilson’s disrespectful actions. However, the calendar could be circled the next time they meet the Caps in ’21-22.

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Lack of Toughness exposed by psychotic Wilson in an embarrassing loss to Caps

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Derek
Capitals thug Tom Wilson went nuts during a scrum in the second period without any response from the Rangers. AP Photo via Getty Images

There was a brief moment in the second period where Alexis Lafreniere set up Kaapo Kakko for a beautiful goal that had fans excited about the future. A brilliant play from Lafreniere, who patiently held onto the puck and stepped around Zdeno Chara before making a wonderful backhand pass for a sweet Kakko finish that made it three straight goals for the Rangers.

At that point, they led after trailing by two early Caps’ goals. Mika Zibanejad remembered to show up with two goals including one on the power play off a great Ryan Strome feed. Then, you had the 2020 top pick combining with the 2019 second pick on a highlight reel goal that put the Blueshirts in front 3-2. For that one moment, you felt good about the team even though they were missing the postseason.

It all vanished into thin air rather suddenly. Once Tom Wilson decided to bully Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin following a save from Vitek Vanecek, they got exposed by the NHL version of Max Cady. Unhinged following a roughing minor on Adam Fox that resulted in a Zibanejad power play goal, the psychotic Wilson went after Buchnevich post whistle. After knocking him down to the ice, he punched a defenseless Buchnevich face down. It was a mugging on 33rd and 8th.

That wasn’t all. After Strome got involved in the scrum, Artemi Panarin jumped on top of Wilson, who was only too happy to manhandle the Rangers’ leading scorer. He threw him down to the ice and delivered a cheap shot on Panarin, who left the game with a “lower body” injury. Mind you this all happened while the Rangers were on a power play. Wilson’s despicable actions had no repercussions. He was assessed a double minor for roughing and misconduct, earning 14 penalty minutes. They didn’t eject him. Instead, he had a evil grin standing up in the penalty box like he was a proud guilty criminal on trial.

https://twitter.com/HockeyHoundShow/status/1389403960746852355?s=19

The ugly display was sickening. Wilson took both Buchnevich and Panarin off what became a five-on-three power play. Brendan Dillon was also involved with Buchnevich and got two for roughing. That’s where the complexion of the game changed. While Wilson got off easy for his chaotic antics, the Rangers were unable to score on the abbreviated five-on-three. Even if it was for only 27 seconds, they never made the Capitals bully pay.

Of course, nobody made Wilson accountable for his actions when he returned two minutes into the third period of a tie game. Tied due to the gritty Washington fourth line completely manhandling the Rangers’ Zibanejad line on a dominant shift. Nic Dowd easily took the puck away in the corner and then Garnet Hathaway had three cracks at it before his backhand rebound beat Igor Shesterkin on just an awful shift. One where K’Andre Miller got beat and then both Zibanejad and Vitaly Kravtsov were lost in coverage. Hathaway’s game-tying goal from Dowd came with 90 seconds remaining in the second period.

Most humiliating was that the Rangers had no response to Wilson in a pathetic third that saw the Caps outscore them 3-0. Remarkably, it was the Capitals that scored four unanswered including a Wilson empty netter that was a fitting way to end an ugly game. Wilson got the last laugh. Who cared if he absorbed a couple of clean checks from Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell. Like that’s going to bother him. He picked up a goal and assist along with 16 penalty minutes including the chaotic scene that boiled over in Rangerstown. It was downright sad.

Playing without tough customers Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren and power forward Chris Kreider, the Rangers had no one who could respond to what Wilson did. Maybe just Brendan Smith. But he had his own issues when a flubbed pass up the middle allowed Daniel Sprong to score unassisted at 4:37 of the third on a shell shocked Igor Shesterkin. That proved to be the game-winner.

It was mostly the Caps’ grinding secondary scorers that did in the Rangers. Dowd scored and set up a goal. Conor Sheary scored a goal set up from ex-Flyer Michael Raffl and the universally loathed Wilson. Former Blueshirt Carl Hagelin assisted on a goal and was on for another as part of the very effective Washington fourth line. Hathaway got his sixth on a ridiculous defensive sequence that may as well have been a bad flashback to the prehistoric times during the Dark Ages (’98 thru ’04). Then you had Sprong getting his 12th on a gift from Smith.

This game was all about the lack of toughness the Rangers don’t possess. As humiliating as the Islanders debacles were in getting shutout by a combined 7-0, this was worse. They were so Charmin Soft that MSG Network may as well have gotten KFC And Carvel to sponsor this fiasco. Because that’s what it was. A total and complete FIASCO! You talk about a sad result. They went out like a bunch of chickens. It doesn’t make me happy to say that.

I want to see this team respond. They have one more game against the Caps. If Mason Geertsen isn’t recalled to go after Wilson ‘if’ the joke that is NHL Player Safety doesn’t discipline him, what does that say for the Rangers organization? On Pride Night no less, they got the pride kicked out of them by one player. What pride was there in seeing this team pushed around? I’m sick of it! Many loyal fans are.

I don’t care what is said about Wilson. Trying to compare him to a Raffi Torres or Matt Cooke isn’t applicable. He lost his cool. But let’s not act like he committed an assault. He’s a polarizing player who enjoys getting away with this crap. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times the NHL suspends him. I want him to be accountable for his actions. If the Rangers have any backbone, Geertsen will be in the lineup on Wednesday. I want retribution. An eye for an eye. Mobb Deep style. I don’t normally advocate violence. What I would like to see is Mason Geertsen versus Tom Wilson. One on one. That’s the only way to settle these disputes. Not through suspension. Think Wilson won’t try it again next season?

If John Davidson and Jeff Gorton don’t address the lack of team toughness and grit this off-season, then they’re completely lost. This vanilla cupcake stuff doesn’t work. You can’t have Wilson running around going after our team’s best players. Even the mild mannered Steve Valiquette called him out for this crap. He even texted former Blueshirt enforcer Colton Orr and revealed what he said. Then Valiquette called Wilson an idiot. There was nothing wrong with it. It sure beats his usual statistical Chartographology analysis. Sometimes, you must pull no punches. That’s exactly how Dave Maloney reacted as well. What was Wilson thinking? His asinine cheap shots could lead to a suspension which might include the first round. But does anyone think Player Safety has the balls? We know better.

It’s very hard to recap anything else about this game. It truly is an embarrassment to fans of this team. They want to say thank you for sticking with them on Fan Appreciation Night? Then get Geertsen up and go after the punk Wilson. And win the damn game. Enough of the cliches about going out the right way. This was PAAAAA–THHHH—ETTTT—-IC!

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A telling quote from Strome, important off-season is ahead for Blueshirts

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Derek
There are plenty of building blocks for the Rangers who have a bright future led by Adam Fox. The maturity of young players such as Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere will help determine if they can reach the postseason next year. AP Photo by Rangers via Getty Images

Following last night’s 3-0 shutout loss to the Islanders, Ryan Strome was made available to the media in the postgame. He had an interesting assessment on why the Rangers struggled to win games against their Long Island rivals.

“They are built to have a good playoff run, and it’s a good lesson for us. “Anytime we play these games, it shows what it takes, I think, moving forward. I don’t think we need to play like these guys, but I think there’s a lot of good attributes they have that we can learn from.”

Strome added that the Islanders take away the middle and don’t beat themselves. Something coach David Quinn lamented in his press conference. While both he and Strome noted that it wasn’t as bad as Thursday’s no show at home, one point that hit home was the team’s struggles with getting pucks out of their zone.

The Islanders were harder on the puck and forced the Rangers into some mistakes that created long shifts. One such instance saw rookie Tarmo Reunanen pinned in his end for two minutes. Even though they didn’t score, such extended play wears on an opponent. Especially when they’re trying to come back. The Isles’ Identity Line had good sustained pressure due to their physicality. One shift led to Cal Clutterbuck hitting the goalpost.

It’s that attention to detail for Barry Trotz’s club which make them hard to play against. Especially for a team with the speed and skill of the Rangers, who rely too much on the East/West style. While it’s fun to watch when it works, hard nosed defensive teams like the Islanders make life difficult. They take away the passing lanes and minimize the stretch passes that lead to odd-man rushes and breakaways. Something the Blueshirts didn’t have much of. Even Mika Zibanejad was caught from behind by Nick Leddy, who lifted his stick to negate a chance.

Like a broken record, Quinn has preached playing a more simple game against the Isles. That means chipping pucks in and recovering them. Something Strome pointed out. Playing more of a North/South style is less risky. It can lead to more forecheck pressure and force opponents to play in their end. The lack of forecheck in the two games was their own doing. Only the fourth line was willing to do what it took. An indictment on the top six that features Artemi Panarin, who had no shots on goal in the two losses. He found little operating room and was ineffective.

It should be noted that Zibanejad had a team high seven shots on Semyon Varlamov last night. So, he did get some opportunities unlike previous match-ups. But there was no finish. One goal and two assists in the eight-game season series was hardly enough from the 28-year old top center. In the eight games, he registered 30 shots with only an empty net goal. While he had a shooting percentage of 30.4 against the Flyers (7 goals on 23 shots), Zibanejad wound up with a 3.3 against the Islanders.

Even Panarin found it tough to be consistent. He didn’t miss any games versus the Rangers’ Kryptonite. In eight matches, the Bread Man went 2-2-4 and a minus-six versus the Islanders. Disappointing production for an elite player who usually is able to make a difference. This wasn’t last year when he made a diving pass back for a great Zibanejad overtime winner at Nassau Coliseum which closed the gap for the Rangers prior to the stoppage. In three games versus the same opponent last season, Panarin dominated with three goals and five assists. Zibanejad went 2-3-5 in four meetings. What a difference a year makes.

It’s not easy to understand what changed. At one point, the Rangers were 2-2 in the first four head-to-head meetings this year. However, they proceeded to drop the last four including a crushing overtime loss. Over the final four games of the season series, they were outscored 16-3. In all eight games, the team that scored first won. Maybe the most mind numbing number is how many total goals the Rangers got in the six losses. That would be a grand sum of three. They were outscored 22-5 and shutout four times. All by Varlamov, who’s done most of his damage against them. He leads the league with seven shutouts.

The sad part is had they played better in any of the final three meetings, maybe the Blueshirts are very much alive for the postseason. Instead, they could be eliminated completely on Monday. Either a point from Boston or any kind of loss to Washington will officially end the season. It’ll be a long summer. One the key players will be left to wonder about.

How can they get better? That’s a tough question for GM Jeff Gorton and Team President John Davidson. Are they looking to make an adjustment to the roster that could finally get them back in the playoffs for the first time since ’16-17? If not and they stay the course, are they banking too much on the young players improving enough to get through the grind of a likely return to an 82-game schedule?

We know the leadership must be better. If not, the rebuild will be at a crossroads. The Letter was sent out three years ago. While the organization subtracted key parts of a successful roster that advanced to a Stanley Cup Final and was within a period of returning, they did a good job restocking the farm system. It’s Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Igor Shesterkin, Vitaly Kravtsov and Filip Chytil who are very much the keys to the future. K’Andre Miller and Zac Jones will be part of that core which should include Nils Lundkvist. Will Brett Howden still be here along with newcomer Morgan Barron? What about Libor Hajek and Tarmo Reunanen? Chytil could be a potential trade candidate.

The bottom line is there are many questions that’ll get answered this off-season. The Rangers can’t be on the outside looking in next year. They have to take the next big step. The postseason becomes a necessity. If Quinn is returning, there will be a lot more pressure. That goes for management too. It’s up to them to make the right decisions.

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Rangers blanked again by Varlamov as grinding Islanders clinch playoffs in final game at Nassau Coliseum

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Derek

Unlike Thursday’s travesty which was a total humiliation, tonight was predictable. Skating without physical cogs Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and Ryan Lindgren, the Rangers were no match for the Islanders. Behind 28 saves from Semyon Varlamov, they blanked the Rangers 3-0 in the final game between the archivals at Nassau Coliseum.

It clinched a playoff berth for the Islanders. It also was the second straight shutout for Varlamov over the Rangers. Astonishingly, he shut them out four times this year. There isn’t much to say. In eight meetings, the Rangers won only two versus their number one rival. They finished 2-5-1 against them. That included three straight losses in regulation. They were outscored 13-1.

In between beating up on the division cupcakes, they lost three games in bad fashion to a stingy, tight checking opponent that limits time and space. That’s the major difference between the two teams. Until Rangers management addresses the lack of grit and grind, it’ll remain the same. They can’t compete with the Islanders, who struggle against the Caps and Pens. But have zero problem with our soft team.

In actuality, it wasn’t a fair fight. Without Trouba and Lindgren, the defense got exposed badly. So did the team’s youth. Particularly K’Andre Miller. It wasn’t a good game for him. His partner Zac Jones fared better. He looks like a good skating D who can find offense while using his speed to recover. One rookie has only been here a week while the other has played all year. Make whatever conclusion you want.

With the exception of one scoring chance he created when the game was decided, it was another no show for Artemi Panarin. So much for him making a difference in these big games. Swarmed by Barry Trotz’s flock of interchangeable parts, Panarin went a second game in a row without a shot. His line with Ryan Strome and Vitaly Kravtsov were on for two goals against. That included Ranger killer Anthony Beauvillier scoring the first of a pair 4:39 in. A play where both Kravtsov and Strome got lost in coverage.

There wasn’t much to like. Although they didn’t quit like the MSG embarrassment, the Rangers were unable to make a dent in the Islander defense or Varlamov. It was the NHL debut of Morgan Barron. He wore number 47 and played the left wing in place of Brett Howden (broken leg) on the fourth line. He was one of the bright spots along with Kevin Rooney and the out of jail Julien Gauthier, who actually was the team’s most noticeable player. This after missing 14 straight games because he couldn’t crack the lineup. He drew a penalty and created a scoring chance out of sheer hustle. If only more Blueshirts had followed suit.

In the rematch, Alex Georgiev got the nod against Varlamov. It didn’t matter what his career record was versus the Islanders. They got to him early thanks to a blown coverage and scored three times on 25 shots. It wasn’t his fault. The team lost too many battles early which made life tough for Georgiev. He dealt with traffic all game and was forced to make hard saves while Varlamov had another easy night.

On the game’s first goal, Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey combined to set up Beauvillier in the circle. After both Strome and Kravtsov failed to check him, he released a good wrist shot that snuck in far side for his 12th goal. Ironically, he now has 12 career goals against the Rangers after getting another in the second period. A good player, he does his best work in these rivalry games. If only that were true for Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.

With little physicality, it showed. The Rangers had no grind to their game. If you can’t win the one-on-one battles through the neutral zone, you’re toast. There was a lot of nothing going on. Once the Islanders got the first goal, the game was over. They are great front-runners. The fact is they hardly lose when they score first. Combined with a great record on home ice, it looked like the JV versus the Varsity. Without Lindgren, Tarmo Reunanen was reinserted into the lineup. He looked alright in 17-plus minutes. He didn’t make any glaring mistakes. A positive for it being his second NHL game.

On a quiet night where the refs decided to put away the whistles, that favored the more physical and plodding team on Long Island. The only power play in the first was drawn by Gauthier on Kyle Palmieri. But with a chance to tie the score, the top power play unit couldn’t get it done. They wound up with four shots on goal. But you never got the sense they’d score. Not with Panarin doing nothing. And not with Adam Fox again turned into a non-factor. As well as he’s played against the rest of the division, Fox wound up with only one assist in eight games. The Islanders have a way of shutting down players.

Shortly after Palmieri returned, a misplay at the Isles blue line allowed Mat Barzal to steal the puck from Brendan Smith. Taking off like a rocket, he broke in and beat Georgiev on a breakaway by going to a backhand tuck at 16:22. The issue was a risky pass from Miller that put Smith in a bad spot. Bailey forced the turnover and that allowed Barzal to score uncontested for his 15th. Joe Micheletti went nuts over the poor puck decision. The kind of high risk pass that doesn’t work against the Islanders. East/West nonsense.

At that point, there really was no reason to watch. Of course, I kept it on. I’ll be honest. When Beauvillier made it 3-0 only 62 seconds into the second period, I thought about turning it off. If the Islanders had gotten a fourth goal, I would have. It just isn’t fun watching your bitter rival beat up on the team you cheer for. Especially given the circumstances. The final game of a near 50-Year rivalry at that old barn and this is what we got. It really was mind numbing.

When Steve Valiquette is making good points about how they defend and screen out their own goalie by giving opposing shooters more room like on goals 1 and 3 for Beauvillier, it really hits home. That’s how far away this team is. The talent is there. But the will isn’t. Nobody stepped up in these games without Kreider or Trouba. I’m not referring to the kids either. Alexis Lafreniere wasn’t intimidated by the Isles. He set up a good chance for Pavel Buchnevich. It was a quiet game for the top pick. But he didn’t look out of place.

Until the late stages, Kaapo Kakko wasn’t heard from. He got one power play shift. Of course, he was set up but missed. I couldn’t understand why Kravtsov saw no power play time. What’s the point of overusing Colin Blackwell? The season is over. He hasn’t exactly been filling the score sheet. Not a whole lot makes sense. That’s my biggest criticism of Quinn. At this point, it’s time for change. Especially with the elimination number at one.

The best chance was Lafreniere finding Buchnevich open for a point blank opportunity against Varlamov. He was thwarted by the Isles starter. That was it. The Rangers had 10 of the 14 shots in the third. It didn’t matter. They never had any chance of scoring. It was a clinic by the Islanders defensively.

I said this wouldn’t be long in a tweet. I wasn’t kidding. There’s nothing left to say. At least they competed. But if there aren’t any changes in the off-season, I don’t think I’ll be alone in wondering why. They can’t roll back the same roster. It’s not good enough.

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Rookie standout helps Devils take two from Flyers

Posted on May 1, 2021 by hasan4978

Finally, the long local nightmare is over. The Devils’ losing streak mercifully – and barely – stopped at ten straight games after a wild home win over the Flyers on Tuesday where they blew 3-0 and 4-3 leads. Fortunately, the Devils counterpunched quickly with Yegor Sharangovich’s 12th goal of the season just eleven seconds after the Flyers tied it in the third period, and they went on to win 6-4 in a game that must have been more of a relief than a celebration for everyone involved. When Miles Wood was asked earlier in the week what his individual goals were for the rest of the season he answered ‘honestly, my goal’s just to win a game right now’. Not quite Jim Mora on an emotional scale, but certainly similar in terms of meaning.

As so often happens once the pressure of ending a long dry spell is over, the team relaxed on Thursday and pumped home five goals on just nineteen shots in their second straight win over the Flyers. Wonder of wonders, both games were at the Prudential Center where the Devils have only won six times all year, two of them coming this week. It was the amazing Sharangovich who got the Devils off and running on Thursday, after scoring the winner in Tuesday’s game he added two more in the first period the other night. Even more shockingly, both goals were on the power play – a sore spot for the Devils and their fans all season. Back to back games, the Devils managed to win in regulation and never fell behind. Though it was just an afterthought at this point, eliminating the Flyers from postseason contention is a nice reward for a young team that is hanging in there in a hopeless cause.

A team meeting, that was held after one of the most desultory losses of all last Thursday in Pittsburgh seemed to help matters. Again, surprisingly it was the 25-year old Wood (who’s earned more of a leadership role this season) that summed up the current state of the team well:

“We all called the team together. And I was basically saying that these last 10 games are a tryout for each player on this team. You can’t take a game for granted, and that’s exactly what I said. This is the best league in the world, we’re all here to play hockey but at the end of the day, they’re trying to find out which players they want to keep here. And I basically said this is it, this is your 10-game tryout. See what you can do in the last 10 games.”

To be fair, it was also good timing to have a meeting right before your only NHL goalie in Mackenzie Blackwood returned to the lineup last Saturday. For whatever ills the Devils had in the previous few games it’s hard to expect anyone to compete when you know the third-rate goaltending’s gonna spot the other team a field goal before the game starts. Ironically you’re seeing this in the team we played this week too, the Flyers’ goaltending has been awful all season though unlike the Devils right now, they’ve almost completely checked out on the season. I’d hardly call Blackwood great in his post-injury starts but you can certainly see the difference with both goaltending itself and the team at large merely having an NHL-caliber player in the net.

It was telling that coach Lindy Ruff played Blackwood in a back-to-back immediately after returning to the lineup, and said he would play the vast majority of games remaining in the season. Coach Ruff was clearly getting tired of substandard goaltending putting the team behind the eight-ball, not to mention desperate to finally break the losing streak. Which they should have last Sunday before finally breaking through at the Rock this week. Perhaps the only good thing about this season’s current predicament is when the team does win you can invariably point to younger guys playing well as a main reason why.

Pavel Zacha, back at home on the wing has contributed a goal and an assist in back-to-back games. Fortunately now that we have all our centers back, the staff can finally admit the obvious, that Zacha is a winger going forward and not a center where he’s just never produced the way he has on the wing this year. Wood, Jesper Bratt, Jesper Boqvist and Mikhail Maltsev also scored goals in the Devils’ modest two-game winning streak over the Flyers as did journeyman Connor Carrick whose two-point effort on Tuesday represented his first points of the season, including this crucial goal in the third when the Devils were reeling.

Of course if there was a such thing as a ‘combined first star’ for the two wins, it would be Sharangovich – who scored three goals in the two games upping his season total to 14. He may not win the Calder trophy that’s earmarked for Kirill Kaprizov in Minnesota, but if there was an award for most value from a rookie draft pick, the 2018 fifth-rounder Sharangovich would be right in the mix for that. For a guy who only had ten goals and twenty-five points in 57 AHL games last year, this season’s pro breakout in two leagues was completely unexpected and in many ways underappreciated. If you combine his NHL and KHL numbers, Sharangovich has put up 31 goals and 51 points in 82 professional games this season. Not bad for a 22-year old who wasn’t even supposed to make the team this year.

It’s also nice to have a player whose professed goal for the rest of the season is to ‘score more goals’. For too long the scale between playmakers and scorers on this team has been tilted too far toward playmakers and not enough to actual scorers. In many ways Sharangovich has given us what Kyle Palmieri was supposed to have given us this season, although he’s not quite up to the 55-point level peak K-Palm gave us, he’s certainly provided the goalscoring of previous seasons K-Palm. His breakout, Zacha’s finding himself on the wing and Bratt’s improvement has made our outlook for wingers a bit better going into next season at least. On a team where the top two centers are set, that’s not insignificant.

Of course for all the young forwards we have, we still need to beef up the defense. Although Ty Smith’s had a terrific rookie season (.5 PPG), even he’s still playing somewhat protected minutes. Damon Severson continues to be what he is, someone whose skill set is there but is very inconsistent in practice, and those were our best two defensemen available this week. Against a better team with actual NHL goaltending I’m not sure we’d have broken the losing streak yet, with PK Subban still in recovery from COVID, rotating other guys in and out of the lineup. Prospect Kevin Bahl even made his NHL debut the other night, after an uneven first full season in Binghamton. Our defensive struggles surely haven’t made Blackwood’s life any easier, as he’s arguably taken a step back this year because of the one-two punch of COVID combined with our penalty kill/overall D – particularly post-deadline.

I’m not sure what the D can really do over the final May stretch of six games to make me feel better about their prospects for next season, but if the forwards continue to play well and Blackwood doesn’t completely implode, I suppose that’s all you can ask for what’s essentially become the beginning of the 2021-22 preseason.

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The Time is Now for Rangers to give kids a real look

Posted on May 1, 2021 by Derek
The future remains bright for the Rangers thanks to promising young talent featuring Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere and Igor Shesterkin. AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

Coming off the worst loss of this 56-game season which pretty much ended any playoff aspirations, the Rangers have five games remaining. With the pressure off following the 4-0 home debacle, they’ll try to move on.

That begins Saturday evening at Nassau Coliseum where they’ll meet the rival Islanders for the final time off the Meadowbrook Parkway. The next time they’ll see their blood rival, it’ll be at the new state of the art UBS Arena at Belmont Park in November 2021. It really looks like the end for the classic rivals playing at the old barn. It would be nice to go out the right way with a win. Especially after the last two lopsided defeats by a combined 10-1.

With that stated, this is a chance for the Rangers to give a real look at the young players who’ll be what it’s all about when the franchise is finally ready to compete. That would include Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Vitaly Kravtsov, K’Andre Miller, Zac Jones and Morgan Barron, who was finally recalled from Hartford. He’s expected to make his NHL debut later today.

Not included are Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and Igor Shesterkin. The organization already knows what they are. Particularly Fox, who’s already become a special player to build around on the blue line. You can add the same for Shesterkin, who should finish in the top three for the Calder Trophy. The 25-year old Russian looks to be a future top goalie. It’ll be interesting to see if Alex Georgiev will stay as the backup. Having recovered from a slump, it would be wise to protect him. He’s likely to get the nod in goal against an opponent he’s done well against.

While there’s been so much hoopla surrounding Broadway star Artemi Panarin, his showing on Thursday night was the worst of the two-year run so far. The Bread Man didn’t have one shot on goal and was blanketed by a disciplined Islanders defense. It wasn’t his best game. That can also be said of Mika Zibanejad, who at least had a few shots that got through on Semyon Varlamov. However, the top center only has an empty net goal and two assists in the season series. He wasn’t much better versus the Penguins, going 2-1-3 with a minus-seven rating in eight games.

The 28-year old Zibanejad is extremely likable and says the right things. He admitted that the Isles are tough and frustrate them. While that’s true, it doesn’t explain his performance against them. It’s very hard to understand his uneven year. COVID might’ve played a role in the first two months. A year away from unrestricted status, is it in the team’s best interest to give Zibanejad a long-term contract that could pay him upwards of $8.5 to 9 million into his 30’s? That’ll be left for management.

If Panarin and Zibanejad are the 1-2 punch currently, then Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Strome are the next two key forwards along with Chris Kreider. Kreider was badly missed on Thursday. There was no pressure on Varlamov, who didn’t have to contend with any net front presence. Neither Buchnevich or Strome established themselves. Buchnevich is having a career year. Due a raise as a Group II free agent this summer, will he be kept or dangled by GM Jeff Gorton to potentially upgrade the lack of grit? As for Strome, he will also turn unrestricted next year. The decision making by the organization will help shape the roster for the future beyond 2022.

For most of the season, coach David Quinn has relied heavily on the Fox-Lindgren tandem along with the top six for the bulk of the scoring. That includes the power play where he has leaned on the top unit that’s mostly featured Fox, Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider and Strome. The other day, they decided to utilize Buchnevich in Kreider’s spot. Needless to say, it wasn’t effective. Even though they only had two power plays, it hinged too much on the top guns. In a game where nobody was going with it out of reach, would it have hurt to see what Lafreniere, Kakko, Chytil, Kravtsov and Jones could’ve done? Those are the kids who deserve more of a chance in the final five games.

We already have learned how confident Lafreniere has become. His game has taken off since being moved onto the Zibanejad unit with Buchnevich. The 2020 top pick has shown enough improvement in his game to demonstrate why he’ll become the on ice leader in the next two years. It’ll be as much about him as Fox. With 10 goals and eight assists including 2-2-4 over the last four games, the 19-year old Canadian isn’t shying away from the battles during and after whistles. With four of his 10 goals game-winners, Lafreniere has what it takes to become a star.

Even though he’s only credited with a goal and two assists due to the NHL taking a helper away from him, the 21-year old Kravtsov looks to be very poised with and without the puck. It hasn’t mattered which line he’s played on. Even with Quinn using him on the fourth line mostly with Brett Howden and Kevin Rooney, his skating and skill set show a mature player who makes teammates better. He should continue to have an increased role in the last five games. Kravtsov was used on the Kid Line with Chytil and Kakko. They were a lot more effective than the top two lines.

The statistics have Kakko at eight goals and eight assists in 44 games. Although he’s shown improvement with his overall game and skating, there will be more expectations on the 20-year old former second pick in 2019 to perform at a consistent level. Toss out the metrics. It will be about an increase in shots and production. Make no mistake. While the second-year Finnish right wing has worked hard, Kakko must become a better scorer next season. If not, then maybe he’ll never become the player he’s supposed to be.

There are moments where Chytil gets fans out of their seats with his explosive skating and scoring chances. Over the first part of his career, that’s produced some exciting goals off the rush. The 8-12-20 in 37 contests are okay. If you prorated it over 82, he’d top 40 points. A marked improvement from what he’s done thus far. A promising player who’s still just 21, the former ’17 first round pick still has areas to work on if he’s to become a reliable top nine forward. That includes face-offs and board battles where he struggles. Is Chytil truly a center? Face-offs have been a team issue again. When does the organization bring in a face-off coach who can help improve the centers on key draws? Brian Boyle fits the bill. I’d love to see the former Ranger back teaching an important part of the game.

If we already have a good idea of how good Fox is and appreciate how tough Lindgren is even though we’re unlikely to see him after that hit with Cal Clutterbuck that saw Lindgren injured due to the plexiglass, it’s time to find out more about Jones. An excellent skater with offensive instincts, he needs to get more power play time. It’s also time for Quinn to play him more at five-on-five. See what he can do. He did it with Libor Hajek, who’s at least proven to be an NHL defenseman. The smooth skating Jones is a player with upside.

When it comes to Year One for Miller, the 21-year old defenseman shows flashes of the potential he has. At times, he uses the 6-5, 210 pound frame well by delivering checks and blocking shots. The 85 hits and 69 blocks are nothing to sneeze at. That proves Miller can become a good top four defenseman. There are moments where he relies too much on that reach. That sometimes gets him caught out of position. Taking the right angles and utilizing more of the physicality are areas he must improve on. The skating at times can also be an issue. However, he has the capability to jump into the rush and create offense. The Wisconsin product must become a two-way player the Rangers can rely on.

With the injury to Lindgren, we could see Tarmo Reunanen again. The forgotten player who picked up a helper on a Panarin goal in his first game. He looks like more of a good skating left defenseman with offensive instincts. Given that it’s only a matter of time before top European D prospect Nils Lundkvist signs, what exactly is his role? Is there a future on Broadway or perhaps another NHL city due to the numbers game? The same can be echoed for Matthew Robertson. There are a lot of young defensemen in the Rangers system. We know Jacob Trouba isn’t going anywhere. His physicality, grit and veteran leadership are missed in the games we’ve seen against the Islanders. He has formed a good partnership with Miller on the second pair. Undoubtedly, the top four should remain intact for ’21-22.

The play of well respected veteran Brendan Smith cannot be ignored. He has been a solid contributor for this team. Even if he never lived up to the contract they gave him after the 2017 Playoffs, somehow Smith has persevered to fill whatever role they’ve asked him to. From being a part-time fourth line wing to moving back into the top six, he has been a good leader on and off the ice for a young team. When interviewed, Smith always has good things to say. He’s never a bad quote. Is there a place for him when his contract expires? He would likely be asked to accept a lesser role as the sixth defenseman until a kid grabs it. I feel he could attract interest from other teams due to what he brings. The Players Player brings edge and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s been an unsung hero this year. Whatever he decides, good luck to him.

The Rangers know what Brett Howden is. Even though he’s never followed up his rookie year with consistent offense, the hard work he puts in make him a solid player. The thing is he’s the best face-off guy the team has. Only he’s played a lot of left wing due to the strong play from Kevin Rooney. It’s not about numbers with Howden. He provides the intangibles by sacrificing for the team. Whether with a good check or key block, he’s always willing to get dirty. I have changed my mind. I would keep him because of the North/South mindset he has. With Barron ready to play, we’ll get a look at him. I see nothing wrong with having both on the roster entering next season.

When it comes to the youth movement, there’s a lot to like. At this point, I expect Julien Gauthier to wind up with the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft. It would be best for his career. He looks like the odd man out. That’s too bad. They can’t keep everyone. The question is what other moves will the team make in the off-season. That will be the focus in a future piece as the season winds down.

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No Extra Effort Required: Rangers outclassed by grittier Islanders, Playoffs?!?!

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Derek

What followed after Adam Fox was presented the Steven McDonald Award was a total letdown. Or meltdown. Your choice. In what amounted to a clinic from a grittier and hungrier opponent, the Rangers were outclassed entirely by the bitter rival Islanders. They did whatever they wanted in a 4-0 shutout that was so uncompetitive, you half wondered if the guys wearing the Blueshirt stayed in the locker room.

There was no Extra Effort required. This was a stinker from start to finish. Without Chris Kreider (day-to-day) and Jacob Trouba, the Rangers were flat from the outset. How bad was it? NYPD Officer Conor McDonald showed more passion through a mask (Covid crap) when making another splendid speech about what the Steven McDonald Award means. If only there weren’t so many passengers in a humiliating performance that essentially ended the miniscule playoff hopes they had. PLAYOFFS?!?! Not in 2021. That better not be the case for next year. The excuses end.

What we got instead of an inspired effort was a vanilla game that just won’t cut it against the Islanders. Say what you want about them. They don’t have a great offense. They struggle against almost everyone else who are playoff bound. It doesn’t matter. The Islanders are the Rangers’ Daddies. That’s the bottom line. They play the physical North/South game that is successful once the playoffs begin.

Throw out whatever the shots were. Look more at the face-offs and hitting. The blocked shots. The checking. That’s where the Rangers struggle. It’s why they’ll miss a fourth straight postseason. Forget last year’s fake play in. You saw what happened against the Hurricanes. It wasn’t even a contest. The same thing happens when they face their Long Island nemesis in a big game. Dominated. Outscored 10-1 in nearly six periods since Matt Martin injured Trouba on a vicious hit.

They got exposed last Tuesday in a mind numbing 6-1 loss. This was worse. At least they had a chance entering the third period. Before that game got away, they had 10 good minutes and nearly cut the deficit to 3-2. Tonight was so bad, mad and sad that it bordered on absurd. Simply put, the best players didn’t show up.

Artemi Panarin was the worst one too. Did he even attempt a shot? He was blanketed and looked useless. Mika Zibanejad at least had three shots including the best one on a power play one-timer that Semyon Varlamov denied. Outside of that, it wasn’t good enough. Pavel Buchnevich? Forget it. Even Fox struggled. You know he gives the effort, but only has one assist in seven games versus the Islanders.

When asked during the postgame press conference about his team, David Quinn said there wasn’t much to like about their game. He had no answers. Zibanejad said, “They (Islanders) don’t give you much. … We weren’t quick enough and let them forecheck. ” He was correct. The decision making wasn’t crisp. Too often, they were two steps behind a team that doesn’t possess their explosive speed or skill. It was the Islanders who dictated the terms. They were superior. Every battle was won by the hated rival. The key face-offs. It resulted in an easy night for Varlamov, who recorded his third shutout of the season versus the Rangers. Ridiculous.

By the time Leo Komarov scored on an easy one-timer past Igor Shestyorkin off a horrible play where the Rangers stick checked including Kaapo Kakko, it was one and done. It was way too easy for their opponents, who do far better when leading. Instead of coming out flying following the nice pregame ceremony, they looked like mice. It was inexplicable.

Not only were they severely outplayed. But took a pair of undisciplined penalties that gave the Isles momentum. Panarin was one of the guilty parties early when he carelessly took down Noah Dobson less than three minutes in. It was lazy. That typified his night. You could make a case that was the worst game Panarin played as a Ranger.

Even though the Islanders got nothing on the power play, it created momentum. They tested Shestyorkin early. He wasn’t the issue. Anyone who thinks it would’ve been any different if Alex Georgiev played is completely lost. This was all about the 18 skaters with the top guns underwhelming.

On the Komarov goal, Nick Leddy was allowed to skate through multiple Rangers including Zibanejad and Kakko to easily access the zone. He left the puck for Jordan Eberle, who easily found Komarov for a good shot far side at 6:27. Of course, it was his first goal of the year. He hadn’t scored in over a year. A Ranger specialty. Both Brendan Smith and K’Andre Miller couldn’t prevent it. Smith got mixed up down low and Miller wasn’t able to prevent the pass. The start of a forgettable night.

With still nothing going on, Buchnevich took the second ill advised offensive zone penalty when he tripped up the annoying Mat Barzal. Of all the Islanders, I can’t stand him. I’ll withhold anymore on why. Handed a second man-advantage, this time the Islanders made it count. Back in the lineup for Travis Zajac, Oliver Wahlstrom took a Brock Nelson drop and skated around a slight pick to fire a shot that Shestyorkin had a hard time picking up due to Brett Howden and Ryan Lindgren accidentally screening him. It went short side for Wahlstrom’s first in a month. That two-goal edge felt like a lot more.

I can’t think of one good scoring chance the Blueshirts had in the first. Filip Chytil made a good strip of the puck and put a backhand on Varlamov. His line with Kakko and Vitaly Kravtsov was effective. Ditto for the fourth line which included Phil Di Giuseppe, who returned to the lineup to play with Kevin Rooney and Howden. That was the trouble. The top two lines struggled mightily. The only guy who really was noticeable was Alexis Lafreniere. He would set up a Zibanejad chance later on during a four-on-four that Varlamov stopped.

The battle level needed to pick up several notches. Instead, they let the Isles’ Identity Line take it to them on the first shift of the second period. On what can best be described as a disaster, Ryan Strome lost a defensive draw cleanly to Nelson. He won it back to Scott Mayfield, who had enough time and space to find a wide open Anthony Beauvillier for a 3-0 lead. The back breaking goal came only 63 seconds in. It was a brutal sequence.

When you have these Chartographology Statmastah nerds claiming face-offs don’t matter, they are clueless. Joe Micheletti was all over the team for how anemic they were on face-offs. It was ugly. Where do you think puck possession starts? What was most disturbing was how little the other four Rangers battled. It was too easy. Beauvillier is a known Ranger killer. That goal took the wind out of their sails.

Then Buchnevich got into it with Wahlstrom behind the net following a hit. Both went off for two each. That allowed for some four-on-four. With more open ice, the Rangers got the best chance. On a good rush behind the net by Lafreniere, he fed Zibanejad in the slot for a shot that Varlamov stopped. There really wasn’t anything else substantial that happened. The two minutes eventually expired and both players returned.

With not enough happening at even strength, the Islanders opened the door when Beauvillier hooked into Panarin halfway through the contest. The best opportunity came when Zibanejad got a good pass from Strome in the slot off the rush. But his one-timer was too low which allowed Varlamov to deny it. It had to be higher. MSG analyst Steve Valiquette noted that Zibanejad does most of his damage on one-timers. But he didn’t get low enough for the puck to be higher. That was a missed opportunity. If he connects there, you have almost half the game left to make up a two-goal deficit. There weren’t many primary chances. That was one.

The exasperating thing was the lack of forecheck. It was too much one and done. One of the most effective players was Kravtsov. Noticeable when they had any kind of pressure, he was in battling and got himself a chance. One-on-one with Varlamov, he took a low wrist shot from the circle that the Islanders goalie easily gloved. Of course, there was nobody in front. Why would there be? It was a point even Valiquette made during the second intermission. Chris Kreider can’t be the only net front presence on the roster. John Davidson and Jeff Gorton have a lot of answering to do this off-season.

The third was an eyesore. While Shestyorkin had to make a few tough saves, Varlamov could’ve had a lounge chair, put on some shades and had a cocktail. He only faced two shots in the first nine-plus minutes. The shots were 6-2. It really spoke to how fully in control the Islanders were. Not even some interesting line tweaks from Quinn worked. He finally bumped up Kravtsov to the second line with Panarin and Strome. Panarin did nothing. It was not his night. You could say that for many Blueshirts.

As they continued to struggle with the Islanders’ defensive structure, Ryan Lindgren was hit hard by Cal Clutterbuck in the first few minutes of the period. He went down due to where he was struck. That part of the glass by the side near the bench that doesn’t give. Helped off by team trainer Jim Ramsay, that was the end of his night. It looked bad. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see Lindgren this weekend. It was that tough a check. When asked about his status, Quinn didn’t know. Trouba is close to returning. Whether he’s ready for Saturday’s rematch remains to be seen.

With under eight minutes left, Barzal hit Smith from behind for a boarding minor. Before the power play, the Rangers didn’t take too kindly to the cheap shot. Barzal takes a lot of dumb penalties. Usually, they involve stick infractions in the offensive zone. Not dirty hits like the one that angered the players. Lafreniere had some words with an Islander.

Instead of making Barzal pay for his foolishness, the top Rangers unit which had Buchnevich replacing Kreider, accomplished nothing. They stayed on for the full two minutes. With Shestyorkin off for an extra skater, it was six-on-four. Lafreniere came on. It didn’t matter. Once they killed the penalty, Mayfield got the puck over to Barzal, who easily fired it into an open net with 5:34 remaining.

Nothing else to see. It was a thorough beat down. Unfortunately, the Rangers got exposed. Whatever fans were there sounded like a morgue. That’s how lackluster it was. It was disappointing. I’ll be honest. As much as other fans looked forward to this game including my brother and father, I was more guarded. Maybe I knew better. They have teased us all season. Nothing changed. You can’t rely on beating the cupcakes. Eventually, you have to win versus the good teams.

Right now with five games remaining, they are what they are. A good team that’s incredibly flawed. Until that changes, it isn’t going to be much different. At some point, this group needs to learn the lesson on how to win. 4-15 in one-goal games including last week’s Flyers debacle. Five defeats to the Islanders. If they don’t win in less than two days, they’ll clinch at the Rangers’ expense. That would be fitting.

As discouraging a defeat as it was, the truth is they would’ve probably gone out in the first round. When your best players in an important game are youngsters like Kravtsov, Chytil, Lafreniere, Howden (especially him), Zac Jones, that doesn’t say a whole lot for the leadership. The one veteran who gave a good effort was Smith. Maybe he should win an award. He busts his ass every shift. Players Player.

The Rangers have five games left in their season. One against the Islanders. Two versus the Capitals. Two against the Bruins. Now is the time to find out about their younger players. If they don’t, then it’s a bit ridiculous. It’s all over.

GOATS OF GAME

3rd 🐐 Mika Zibanejad

2nd 🐐 Pavel Buchnevich

1st 🐐 Artemi Panarin

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Steven McDonald Award Goes To Adam Fox

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Derek
Adam Fox is presented with the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images

In an emotional ceremony befitting of this year’s winner, NYPD detective Conor McDonald made an emotional speech in presenting Adam Fox the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.

With Conor McDonald speaking through a mask behind the netting alongside his wife and Mom Patti, the son of former detective Steven McDonald spoke about how this award is more significant than the hero his father was. It’s about the brave men and women of the NYPD who lay it all on the line every day. He mentioned Officer Anastasios Tsakos, who tragically passed away due to a drunk driver on Tuesday night. It was very emotional.

Once he discussed what the Steven McDonald Award embodies, Conor McDonald explained why Fox deserved to win the prestigious trophy. Mentioning that it he’s a Long Island native, you knew who was winning the Award. Pointedly saying, “He’s the best defenseman this season,” McDonald announced Adam Fox as this year’s winner. To cheers from those who are in attendance at Madison Square Garden, Fox accepted the award and said thank you to the McDonald Family.

There’s no doubt that Fox has been brilliant in his second year. Playing remarkably well all season, he’s been the most consistent Ranger and a leader. With five goals, 42 assists and 47 points along with a plus-23 rating to match his jersey number and age, Fox is in the running for the Norris Trophy. If he wins it, it would be deserving. The competition will come from Victor Hedman, Shea Theodore and Kris Letang.

While it’s nice to think about individual accomplishments, let’s be honest. It pales in comparison to team achievements. I doubt Fox cares about that as much as MSG Network. That’s all they talk about. Fox’s effort both offensively and defensively has merited all the praise he is receiving. It’s the way he handles the puck under pressure that is notable. What a special player he already is.

Congratulations to Adam Fox on winning the Steven McDonald Award! Now go out and lead the Rangers to a comeback victory against the Islanders, who as usual are being a thorn in the side of this mystifying team. It’s embarrassing so far. I hope I have something better to write later than what’s happened so far. Let’s hope so.

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Shestyorkin backstops Rangers to much needed win over Sabres, Lafreniere scores winner, Smith the Players Player plays pivotal role

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Derek

Make no mistake about it. The Rangers are still alive thanks to the brilliant goaltending of Igor Shestyorkin. Without some gigantic saves in a 3-1 win over the scrappy Sabres, this easily could’ve been a bad loss. Instead, he made 36 saves on 37 shots to help the team keep pace with Boston.

In a strange game that had peaks and valleys, it was Shestyorkin whose star shined brightest under the spotlight of the World’s Most Vaccinated at 33rd and 8th. In a puzzling first period that saw the Sabres dominate play, it was Shestyorkin who made 16 saves to keep the game scoreless. He held a sub-par Blueshirts in after they only got six shots on Buffalo rookie netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Following the ho-hum first, the Rangers finally showed some urgency in a much busier second period. Instead of the passive aggressive style they’re known for, they took a different approach. The end result was a 20 shot period where they tested Luukkonen early and often. That effort paid dividends when offensive dynamo Brendan Smith scored the game’s first goal unassisted at 2:22. On a strong shift from first-year defenseman K’Andre Miller, he carried the puck deep before losing to Dylan Cozens. Cozens tried a low percentage pass up the middle that went right to Smith, who wisely blasted a shot through a screen to beat Luukkonen. The goal was his fifth tying a career high set with Detroit. Smith had a superb night and would be a factor later.

Not much happened in a listless first which saw the Rangers turn over pucks and allow a more aggressive Sabres to sustain an attack. They were on their heels most of the period. I counted only two good offensive shifts from the guys in the Broadway Blueshirt. It sure looked like it was the Sabres who were the desperate team trying to cling onto faint playoff hopes. It was hard to understand. The best thing that can be said is they escaped to the locker room with the game scoreless.

After the goal, the Sabres came back with a strong shift. Something that impressed Sam Rosen. Honestly, it was expected. The good news is they didn’t score a minute or two following the Smith tally. Something we’ve grown accustomed to. The period would see a lot of shots with the teams combining for 32. The Rangers outshot the Sabres 20-12. Most of the play was strictly five-on-five with no penalties called for almost two full periods. Unfortunately, the lone exception allowed Buffalo to tie it in the waning seconds.

Before that, the Rangers had several opportunities to expand the lead. That included an absolutely dominant shift from Adam Fox. He totally controlled the puck possession and had the Sam Reinhart line caught on for a lengthy 2:15 marathon shift. In the period of the long change, a visibly tired out Sabres could not get the puck out. This led to a few shots on Luukkonen who did his part. After only facing six in the opening period, he faced 35 the rest of the way. He was strong in stopping 38 of 41 shots in his MSG debut. That included a how did he save that later on Fox that had him shaking his head. It appeared that his shot went off the Finnish goalie’s mask and out of play.

Despite flat out dominating a good chunk of the play, the Rangers couldn’t get the next goal. That left the door open. Sure enough, following a failed clear, Filip Chytil took a needless tripping minor penalty on Reinhart with over 30 seconds remaining in the period. On what can best be described as a brutal sequence, both top penalty killing forwards Pavel Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad made passive stick checks on Reinhart. Undeterred, he got the puck over to Casey Mittlestadt who fed him a perfect pass for an easy one-timer past Shestyorkin with 3.2 seconds left to tie the game. This was mind numbing. It was bad enough Chytil took a lazy penalty. But then Reinhart made both Buchnevich and Zibanejad look bad on his 22nd goal and fifth in the last three games.

I don’t know about anyone else. But the way that period concluded, I was not a happy camper. In such moments, they can ill afford to give up such goals. How many times have we seen this team allow goals in the final minute of a period over the past few years? It’s the same tired story. It still happens too frequently. It doesn’t seem to matter that the starter is now Shestyorkin with Henrik Lundqvist unable to play for the Capitals due to not being cleared by his doctor. Bummer. I hope he can get clearance to return for one more season. It would suck for him not to be able to go out on his own terms. Enough about that.

All I cared about was the third period. I wasn’t the only one. Steve Valiquette is normally very calm in studio. Even he was on edge and had pointed words for the Rangers about how they had to play better in the third. Finish the job. To their credit, the Sabres play hard under interim coach Don Granato. The way they talk about him, you’d think he was the second coming of Scotty Bowman or Toe Blake. When even Valiquette sounds off the alarms, you know it’s put up or shut up time for this team. Fortunately, they did enough right to get the win.

With the game and their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Rangers could count on Igor Shestyorkin. He was money all game. From his six stops on the ever dangerous Jeff Skinner to denying Tage Thompson, he was terrific. I can’t underline how vital he was. No Shestyorkin. No two points. There would be basically nothing to play for. Instead, even with the Bruins winning 3-1 over the Penguins, they have hope. I don’t want to get into it yet. Leave it for later.

In a game where David Quinn started to mix his lines up, you found Alexis Lafreniere moved around. He took a shift with Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. He eventually would wind up with Ryan Strome and a very quiet Artemi Panarin. Let’s just put it this way. Panarin, Zibanejad, Buchnevich, Chris Kreider and Strome hadn’t done enough up to that point. Quinn didn’t use Vitaly Kravtsov a lot in the third. He also limited Zac Jones. This was him shortening up the bench and trying to get his horses going. Thankfully, it worked. Fox was on the ice a lot out of necessity. He nearly played 27 minutes. It didn’t matter. That’s how brilliant he was. Only Miller received over 21 minutes on the blue line with him putting forth his best effort in quite some time.

The Rangers finally got their first power play when Skinner held Libor Hajek. With Quinn mostly relying on the five man unit of Fox, Kreider, Panarin, Strome and Zibanejad, they moved it around good. However, they were unable to beat Luukkonen. So, the game remained tied. Not long after, Kevin Rooney boarded Drake Caggiliua from behind. With him about to go to the box, Cozens challenged him. He started it. They each fought near the benches before being separated. What I didn’t understand is why it wasn’t even up. Cozens should’ve received two for roughing with each off for seven minutes. Instead, they gave each offsetting fighting majors with Rooney serving the extra penalty for boarding. Mindless. Thankfully, the Sabres didn’t convert on their second power play. I would’ve been livid.

Following the successive kill, Lafreniere would make something happen along with Strome. Having told Strome prior that they would get one, Lafreniere was prophetic. After Fox got the puck behind the net to Strome, he was able to escape a check and make a great centering feed for a perfect Lafreniere one-timer that Luukkonen had no chance on. His big go-ahead goal came with 10:11 remaining. It was his 10th of the season. Quinn continued to heap praise on the top pick for his improvement. His maturity and confidence are big pluses. What a time for a huge goal. Fox drew the secondary helper for assist number 42. Strome finally ended a four-game drought without a point.

With Shestyorkin continuing to hold off the Sabres with some clutch stops, it was the Players Player who impacted the game. I’m referring to Brendan Smith. On just a great open ice hit, he absolutely freight trained Thompson at the Rangers blue line. Incensed, Thompson went after Smith and cross-checked him. Smith sold it like a fine actor and then looked at the official for the call. An enraged Thompson tried to goad Smith into an even up penalty. But he wasn’t biting. That’s why I love Smith. He has gone from an afterthought to a key member of the top six. I would love to see him re-up this summer. That’s up to him. What a great T-E-A-M player.

Already on the power play, the Rangers got a little help from Caggiula, who took a delay of game minor with Buchnevich pressuring him. The Sabres felt Buchnevich deflected the puck. But it didn’t look like it. That gave the Blueshirts a five-on-three. Even though they didn’t score with Panarin firing two wrist shots wide, they continued to possess the puck. Still on the five-on-four, they finally got the look they wanted. On a Strome pass to Kreider down low, he whirled around and made a great backhand feed across to a wide open Zibanejad, who fired in a wrist shot for his 20th at 13:49. It was the sixth season he’s scored 20 or more. A sigh of relief came over me. It was 3-1. Crisis averted.

From there, the Rangers closed out the Sabres to earn the all important victory. They’re now up to 58 points with six games to go. What lies ahead are two MONSTER games against the hated Islanders. I don’t have to tell you what must happen. With the Isles getting shutout 1-0 by the Capitals to drop all three games to them, they’re only five points up on our team. Believe it or not, this is a golden opportunity for the Rangers to reel in the Long Island nemesis.

I’m only going to state this once. In order for that to happen, they must play much better hockey to win the upcoming two-game series that begins Thursday night at MSG and ends Saturday at Nassau Coliseum. There’s nothing else to say. If they want to accomplish it, they must adjust their style and prove they can outwork and out-grind the Islanders. As futile as their offense is at times, they are battle tested and a good team. They humiliated the Rangers a week ago, which looked to have buried them. Especially after that Flyers loss. Instead, the Blueshirts have won three in a row and are still alive like Jason or Michael Myers. How many lives do they have?

It’s real simple. Win these two games in regulation. That would give them a realistic chance. In order to accomplish it, Zibanejad must not disappear like he has in the previous six. Don’t believe me? Take a look at his statistics versus the Islanders. Even Fox only has one assist in the season series. The best players must show up. Will Quinn give Alex Georgiev the next game? He seems to have the Isles’ number while Shestyorkin has had some uneven games. That’s a great question. I think he’ll definitely be in for one of the two. If they don’t win Thursday, none of it will matter. It’s time to go to something classic. “Win. Win!”

That says it all. Now let’s get it done.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Brendan Smith, NYR (5th of season to match career high, 3 hits, one big penalty drawn, 4 SOG, +2 in 20:22)

2nd 🌟 Alexis Lafreniere, NYR (10th of season for game-winning goal at 9:49 of 3rd, +1 in 14:57)

1st 🌟 Igor Shestyorkin, NYR (36 saves on 37 shots including 16 for 16 in big 1st)

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Zibanejad’s hat trick and Kakko pair enough to hold off Sabres

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Derek

Mika Zibanejad’s hat trick highlighted a 6-3 Rangers’ win over the Sabres. The top center had a big day against the improved Buffalo team who never quit despite falling behind 4-1 and 5-2. His third three-goal game of the season along with a pair of goals from Kaapo Kakko were enough to get the victory at 33rd and 8th.

Coupled with a Bruins’ 1-0 loss at Pittsburgh, the Blueshirts are still clinging on to miniscule playoff hopes with seven games remaining. They’ll have to win out and hope Boston continues to lose. It isn’t likely. The Bruins have nine left including two with the Sabres and two against the awful Devils, who dropped their 10th straight in brutal fashion to the Flyers. The only thing that matters is wins for the Rangers. They want the last two games against Boston to matter.

Facing an opponent who have played better under interim coach Don Granato, the Rangers knew they couldn’t afford to mail it in. The Sabres came in fresh off beating Boston 6-4. They’ve been respectable since the coaching change. That work ethic showed in the early going. They got some shots on Igor Shestyorkin, who was solid during a strange period where the shots were 12-11 in favor of the Rangers.

The first goal of the game came on a good play in transition. Ryan Lindgren pushed the puck up to Alexis Lafreniere, who gained the Sabres zone and skated into open ice. He found a trailing Zibanejad for a perfect pass that allowed him to fire a wrist shot past Dustin Tokarski far side at 4:49. A well executed scoring play from Lafreniere and Zibanejad. It was his 17th of the season. He was just getting started.

Before they could get too comfortable, it was the Sabres who responded less than 90 seconds later when Jeff Skinner was able to stop a Colin Miller shot and fire a backhand past Shestyorkin to tie the game at 6:16. This was a good play by a former 40-goal scorer. Skinner has struggled to finish. However, his work ethic hasn’t gone away. He was dangerous in a couple of other games against the Rangers. The goal was his sixth from Miller and rookie Jacob Bryson at 6:16.

After the Sabres evened the score, the play was okay. Nothing special. One theme that didn’t change was Adam Fox being split up from Lindgren. Fox mostly took shifts with Libor Hajek while Lindgren and Zac Jones worked together, leaving K’Andre Miller mostly with Brendan Smith. There were good shifts and bad with most of the negative in a puzzling third period. That’s what you get with this team. For all the cliches about them being a playoff team if Artemi Panarin didn’t miss time or Zibanejad didn’t look lost early on, there are too many lapses during games that better explains their record. Every team has injuries or off ice issues. Enough with the excuses.

In the second half of the first period, it was all Rangers. They scored twice and easily could’ve led by more when it concluded. One young player who had been cold in the goal department was Kakko. He had picked up a few assists, but entered without a goal in his last 10. That changed thanks to a great read from Fox. After receiving a pass from Filip Chytil, Fox made a diagonal feed to Kakko for a spectacular finish. Unlike other instances where he’s not ready to shoot, Kakko released a good one-timer from an angle and past Tokarski, who had no chance. It was his seventh from Fox and Chytil at 12:02 to give the Rangers the lead.

Over five minutes later, Zibanejad would get his second of the period on the power play. He drew an interference minor on Rasmus Dahlin. It took the Blueshirts 53 seconds to convert. After the Sabres took away Chris Kreider on the man-advantage, they didn’t close out Zibanejad in the slot. Fox moved the puck over to Panarin. Instead of shooting, he wisely found Zibanejad in the middle for a perfect deflection that went top shelf on Tokarski with 2:50 left. The assist was Fox’s 40th of the season. He would later add a third. He leads all defensemen with 41 helpers and 46 points. At a plus-23, there is every bit a good chance he’ll be nominated for the Norris. Unlike the MSG broadcast with them feeding Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti stats every nanosecond, I won’t take any personal joy if Fox wins. It’s an individual award. Any fan would trade that for the playoffs. Enough with the propaganda. We all know and appreciate how good Fox is.

Early in the second period, things didn’t get any better for the Sabres. On what can only be described as a horrible goal to give up, Tokarski completely misplayed a Zibanejad shot by letting it go through him at 2:05. His hat trick came due to a quick lead pass from Fox up to Pavel Buchnevich. He then was able to make a pass to Zibanejad that the center had to adjust on. He made a good move to create a shooting angle and just let it go. Right through the wickets of Tokarski, who wanted it back. That quickly, it was 4-1 Rangers. Some hats were tossed on the ice from the 1,800 pleased fans in attendance. At the bench, Buchnevich had fun at Zibanejad’s expense by placing a hat on his helmet. I loved the reaction of Lafreniere when he got the third goal behind the Buffalo net. It was basically, “Wow!” He had another good game. Things are moving in the right direction for the top pick.

As usual, the game wasn’t over. Consecutive minor penalties on Ryan Strome (tripping at 10:49) and Buchnevich (hi-sticking at 12:53) allowed the Sabres to grab the momentum. After killing off the Strome penalty, the Rangers’ penalty kill was unable to bail out Buchnevich. With only six seconds remaining on the power play, Victor Olofsson drove a one-timer past Shestyorkin for his 13th to make it a two-goal game with 5:13 left in the period. Casey Mittlestadt and Sam Reinhart set it up to pick up the assists.

In particular, Reinhart would be a thorn in the Rangers’ side for the rest of the game. He is an restricted free agent this summer. Let’s just say he has really boosted his stock. A year away from unrestricted status, the 25-year old has shifted back to center and done well without Jack Eichel. If he became available, Reinhart is the kind of player I’d like to see the Rangers in on. I won’t say anything else because it’s not the right time.

As for the last five minutes go, it wasn’t good enough. The Sabres used the momentum from the Olofsson power play goal and really took it to the Rangers. Every time his line was out there, Reinhart was a factor. He’s a good player who’s been overlooked due to Eichel. Rookie Dylan Cozens also looked good throughout. A former teammate of Lafreniere when they won gold at the 2020 WJC, he centered the top line and generated chances. At one point, he and Lafreniere got tangled up during a shift for a while. It definitely distracted Rosen, who never even saw Vitaly Kravtsov trip up Dahlin in the third period. It was a bad look. We all love Sam. But it really is time. Ugh.

Shestyorkin had to contend with 14 Buffalo shots in that second. That’s because his team isn’t consistent shift to shift. You never know what you’re getting. It’s like they stop playing and allow the opponent to take control. Even though this wasn’t his best game, credit Shestyorkin for making some key saves to hold off the Sabres’ charge. They might not have won if not for the goalie. He finished with 31 saves on 34 shots. Too many from primary areas. Don’t let the 6-3 final score fool you.

The third was tense. The Sabres weren’t going away. That much they proved. They’re a lot tougher to play now. They’ve beaten both Pittsburgh and Boston. There’s a reason they’re about to pass the Devils in the standings. Even with some of the obvious defensive flaws, they gave the Rangers all they could handle. Expect the rematch to be similar.

Fortunately, Kakko picked a good time to have one of his best games in his two-year career. With Anders Bjork off for taking down Smith, the Blueshirts went to work on their third power play. Having already converted on one of two, this time the production came from the second unit. One that featured Lafreniere, Kakko and Jones. On a Jones setup for Buchnevich, Tokarski left a juicy rebound. With both Lafreniere and Kakko in the vicinity, it was the 20-year old second-year Finn who steered in the rebound for a huge power play goal at 7:06. It was his second two-goal game of the year with both coming against Buffalo. The best part was Jones earned his first NHL point with an assist.

I know I’ve been tough on Kakko. Over the last 12 games, he has nine points (3-6-9). A good improvement for the 2019 second pick. He still needs to get more shots on goal. An area that will need to be better in Year Three. However, Kakko is finally getting rewarded for his hard work. That’s significant. When over half his 16 points (8-8-16) have come over the past month, that’s encouraging. It means he’s doing better. The overall play has been a constant. Let’s see how he finishes the last seven games.

Not surprisingly, the Sabres came back strong. For whatever reason, the Rangers again took their foot off the gas pedal. Reinhart had a couple of great chances. That followed a Chytil turnover at the Buffalo blue line. Something that can’t happen. After a good forecheck where they applied all kinds of pressure, Reinhart hit the crossbar. The Sabres stayed with it with Dahlin setting up Reinhart for his 21st goal at 10:34. Once again, it was a two-goal game. Too close for comfort.

Things got edgier when Kravtsov took down Dahlin with 5:31 remaining. That was the same exact shift where Lafreniere and Cozens got tangled up, leading to both Rosen and Micheletti not paying attention to the penalty. Mindless. The Rangers penalty kill came through. That left only three and a half minutes for the Sabres to work with.

With Tokarski off for an extra attacker, Strome took a needless hooking minor on Reinhart at center ice with 1:32 left in regulation. He had an atrocious game. No points for a fourth consecutive game and two lousy penalties. The kind he has stayed away from. The irony being he won eight of 13 face-offs. A sore spot for him. Go figure.

With the Sabres on a six-on-four, this allowed the Rangers to take free shots at the empty net. Brett Howden won a defensive draw and a battle to get the puck over to Kevin Rooney. Rooney fired the puck down straight into the net for the team’s eighth shorthanded goal. As was noted on the telecast, a few of the shorthanded goals have come courtesy of empty netters. That doesn’t matter. The penalty kill has been splendid all season. It’s a reward for the hard work they put in.

That goal allowed them and fans to breathe easier. They rarely make it easy. Whether or not a Miracle On 34th Street happens over the next two weeks, that must change in Year Four. Assuming David Quinn stays. There’s no reason to think he won’t be back. I haven’t always agreed with his lineup decisions. But he’s remained patient and done a good job managing the new players. That can’t be overlooked.

Let’s enjoy the rest of these games. Whatever happens happens. Now, the Rangers return to the ice Tuesday against the same Sabres for the eighth and final meeting. That same night, the Bruins are at the Penguins. I don’t need to spell it out. Following that game, it’s a pair against the despised Islanders. I want to see how they play those games. Some key players haven’t performed well versus the blood rival including Zibanejad, whose scored 14 of 19 goals against bottom feeders. It also includes Fox (1 assist) who has done much better versus every other division opponent. If they want to give us something, go out and win those games.

That’s all. I think I said plenty in that last paragraph. Seven games remain. The Rangers are 25-18-6 through 49 games with 56 points. Let’s see if they can finish strong.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Sam Reinhart, Sabres (21st goal plus 🍎, 8 of 9 on face-offs in 21:02)

2nd 🌟 Kaapo Kakko, NYR (2 goals for numbers 7 and 8, +1 in 13:05)

1st 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, NYR (goals 17, 18, 19 for 3rd hat trick of season, 7 SOG, 8 of 16 on face-offs, +1 in 17:41

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