Battle Of Hudson

Stanley Cup: Methodical Lightning Take Game One over Canadiens 5-1

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Derek

We’ve finally arrived at the epic conclusion to this long, strange season. The Stanley Cup Finals began last night in Tampa. It pits the Cinderella Canadiens versus the heavyweight defending champion Lightning.

If we were to base it on Game One, then the Bolts are an overwhelming favorite to repeat. However, one game doesn’t make a series. Especially when the Habs have already gotten this far. They proved they were resilient with lots of character in their 3-1 comeback over the Maple Leafs in the first round. Then after sweeping the Jets, they won twice in Vegas and then wrapped up the Stanley Cup Semifinal upset of the Golden Knights in six games thanks to overtime hero Artturo Lehkonen.

The real question headed into Wednesday night’s Game Two is how do the Canadiens respond to losing Game One 5-1. It wasn’t so much a blowout as much as it was the thorough Lightning methodically pulling away from Les Habitants for the victory on home ice. They did what they were supposed to do.

The Bolts were led by the potent top line of Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Matched against the Habs’ top scoring line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Tyler Toffoli, the more experienced cohesive trio won the match-up with ease. They were on for three of the five goals highlighted by Palat setting up defenseman Erik Cernak for the series’ first goal, along with Kucherov tallying twice including off a Point face-off win that made it 4-1 in the third. He also got credit for the second goal when his shot caromed off Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot with Palat in the vicinity. They originally awarded it to Palat, who seemed to get a piece of it. But changed it later.

That wasn’t the only goal that was changed. With Tampa leading by one in the second period, a good forecheck resulted in Blake Coleman looking to have gotten his first of the series. He fired a loose puck past Carey Price at 5:47 for a 2-0 lead. But it was later credited to Yanni Gourde, who drove the net to distract Price. Apparently, the puck went off him. He is up to six goals with his most notable the shorthanded clincher in Game Seven against the Islanders.

For much of the second, the Bolts started to take control. They were using their team speed to create tough scoring chances on Price. The Montreal netminder was sharp. He gave his team an opportunity to come back with his best save coming when he denied Tyler Johnson on the doorstep. It was a superb pad stop to stop a backhand in tight that would’ve made it 3-0.

Instead, the Canadiens caught a break when thanks to Shea Weber jumping into the rush with Jesperi Kotkaniemi, a Chiarot shot banked off a Tampa player and past Andrei Vasilevskiy at 17:40 to cut it to 2-1. Things got more interesting when a lob pass for a breaking Brendan Gallagher got to him onside. In on Vasilevskiy, he got off a contested backhand thanks to the back checking Ryan McDonagh. It didn’t have enough to beat Vasilevskiy, who turned it away. That was the Canadiens’ best chance to draw even.

Earlier in the period, he denied a Weber bid one on one. He didn’t make a lot of saves, but finished with 18 overall. No clean shots beat him. It was on Tuesday that the former Vezina winner finished second behind Marc-Andre Fleury for the 2021 Vezina for the game’s top goalie. Vasilevskiy has been in the top three the past three seasons. He won it in ’18-19. Last year, Connor Hellebuyck won the award.

The game changed in the third period. One thing that didn’t was the physical play. There were plenty of battles during and following plays. You had your share of scrums. These teams didn’t have any feeling out process. They finished checks and hit hard throughout Game One. In fact, they combined for 115 hits. It definitely heated up in the final 20 minutes thanks to some inconsistency from the officials Gary Bettman believes are the best.

Before the fireworks started, Mikhail Sergachev jumped up and got the puck to Kucherov. With Palat driving the net, he threw the puck there. Looking for a deflection, the Russian scoring wizard had the puck go off Chiarot and past Price for a 3-1 Lightning lead at the two-minute mark. As I noted earlier, it really looked like Palat touched it. But they would change the scoring to Kucherov from Sergachev.

Things intensified when Eric Staal didn’t take kindly to Cernak roughing him up. They mixed it up with each being sent off for matching roughing minors. Cernak wasn’t done. He would later be involved in a controversial play with Kotkaniemi that incensed the Canadiens’ bench.

Before that occurred, acting Montreal coach Luke Richardson didn’t adjust the match-up of Suzuki against Point. It had been advantage Cooper all night. On a key draw in the Montreal end, Suzuki got beat cleanly by Point, who won the puck back to Kucherov. Before he even shot, I called goal. He was too wide open from an area he does damage. Even though he didn’t score a goal versus the Islanders, he picked up plenty of assists. This time, he had enough time and space to fire a laser past Price for his seventh of the postseason at 11:25. That made it 4-1.

Then came a battle in front of Vasilevskiy between Sergachev and Gallagher. Already in a foul mood, he was accidentally cut by Sergachev. Coleman was sent off for roughing to hand Montreal a key power play with 6:18 remaining. Richardson didn’t pull Price right away for a six-on-four. Instead, the Lightning did a good job on the penalty kill. They went 2-for-2 on the night.

Before the final stoppage following the successful penalty kill, Chiarot leveled Kotkaniemi against the boards with a high hit. While he did finish his check, it looked suspect. That’s because it was. Predictably, an infuriated Kotkaniemi retaliated by hi-sticking Cernak to get the reaction minor penalty with 4:09 left. When NBC returned, replays showed that Cernak got his elbow up into Kotkaniemi’s kisser. It should’ve been a penalty on Cernak. Instead, Kotkaniemi was in the box as Montreal fumed.

Even though the penalty was killed, Joel Edmundson roughed up Gourde to send the Lightning back on the man-advantage. The Habs’ penalty kill has been well documented. They only had allowed three power play goals all playoffs and were clicking at 94 percent.

Maybe that’s why Cooper went with his number one unit. It worked with Point and Kucherov combining to set up Stamkos for a one-timer that went through Price at 18:50 for a 5-1 finish. Price had previously robbed Stamkos much earlier one-on-one with an amazing glove save. But this was different. It was Stamkos in his office with the game already decided.

Kucherov is up to a postseason leading 30 points (7-23-30). He’ll top many lists for the Conn Smythe. I would still put Price if his team pulls this off or Point over Kucherov. Point is an amazing player, who does so many things well. He centers that line and is splendid as well as clutch. The nine-game goal streak he had that fell one short of Reggie Leach’s postseason record speaks volumes. It’s astonishing that Tampa stole Point in the third round of the ’14 NHL Draft. Yikes.

It’ll be very interesting to see how Montreal responds later tonight. They didn’t play well in a 4-1 loss at Vegas in the first game either. But that didn’t stop them from posting a big road win to even that series. Most would agree the Lightning are a step up. They’re more skilled, grittier and even tougher. Will Richardson adjust the match-up so he can keep Suzuki, Caufield and Toffoli away from the Point line? What about Phillip Danault, Gallagher and Lehkonen? They normally draw the checking assignment against the top scoring line. Will it become a chess match? That remains to be seen.

Two quick notes. Habs interim coach Dominique Ducharme can return from COVID protocol for Game Three when the series shifts to the Bell Centre in Montreal. Joel Armia didn’t play on Monday night due to the protocol. Jake Evans returned to the lineup and played with Staal and Corey Perry. Armia is an important energy player, who provides a combination of grit, size and speed. He also is a good penalty killer and effective on the forecheck. I would think he’ll be back if he’s cleared.

McDonagh had another strong defensive game for Tampa logging 22:00 including 2:36 shorthanded. No Bolt received more even strength time (19:24) than the former Ranger who again is facing the team that drafted him. His defense has been splendid. It’s been nice to watch him flourish in a better situation. Even if it’s a little gut wrenching, I’m glad he gets the chance to shine. He already helped the Bolts win one Cup in last year’s bubble. This is different because they’re playing in front of fans. It makes a difference.

I’m hopeful that Montreal will allow more fans to attend the Stanley Cup Finals than just 3,500. Look how many fans hung outside the building when they wrapped it up against Vegas. The 3,500 fans had to stay inside until things were safer so they could exit. Fireworks were set off. Just imagine what the scene will be for Game Three. It’s going to be chaotic. They’ve waited a long time for this. Twenty-eight years to be exact. Some of my close Habs friends like Anne have never experienced this. I would love to see them win. It’ll be tough.

Here’s hoping for a much better Game Two. Hockey deserves it. That includes the four blind mice. I couldn’t resist. 😁 Enjoy the second game.

Posted in NHL Playoffs | Tagged 2021 Playoffs, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Artturi Lehkonen, Bell Centre, Ben Chiarot, Blake Coleman, Bolts, Brayden Point, Brendan Gallagher, Canadiens, Carey Price, Cole Caufield, Dominique Ducharme, Erik Cernak, Game One, Habs, Jake Evans, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Joel Armia, Jon Cooper, Les Habitants, Lightning, Luke Richardson, Mikhail Sergachev, Montreal, Nick Suzuki, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Phillip Danault, Ryan McDonagh, Shea Weber, Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley-Cup, Steven Stamkos, Tampa, Tyler Toffoli, Victor Hedman, Yanni Gourde | Leave a comment

Gourde’s shorthanded goal leads Lightning over Islanders in Game Seven, Stanley Cup Final pits Canadiens against defending champs

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Derek

The Lightning are going back to the Stanley Cup Final. The defending champs bested the gritty Islanders in seven hard fought games thanks to Yanni Gourde’s shorthanded goal last night at Tampa. It was his goal would the Islanders were on the game’s only power play that proved to be the difference in a Lightning’ 1-0 shutout to take the deciding Game Seven.

For most of the game, the Bolts had the better of the play. They dominated in puck possession and led in shots by a wide margin. Despite a 15-5 edge in shots during a strong first period, they couldn’t beat Isles’ goalie Semyon Varlamov. The starting netminder played very well in stopping 30 of 31 shots in a losing effort. Overall, the Islanders were outshot 31-18 including 27-11 through two periods. They weren’t able to mount much of an attack.

That was largely due to the superior skilled Lightning, who were bolstered by leading scorer Nikita Kucherov returning to the lineup along with key defenseman Erik Cernak. Even though Kucherov didn’t factor into the scoring, just his presence gave his team an emotional lift. After only taking one shift in Game Six before leaving with an injury, he was good enough to play on Friday night. That allowed coach Jon Cooper to have his regular lines including the top one that features Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Kucherov.

It wasn’t the top guns who were big factors in the Bolts’ second straight series win over the Islanders in the third round. Rather the supporting cast. Gourde was one of their best players along with Anthony Cirelli, Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Johnson, Ross Colton and Pat Maroon. The third and fourth lines were very effective throughout the game due to Cooper using them more.

Along with an outstanding performance from Ryan McDonagh (5 blocked shots in 22:10), Tampa smothered the Islanders with their forecheck, physicality and defensive play. They blocked 21 shots. Of the Isles’ 49 attempts, 31 never made it to Andrei Vasilevskiy, who turned aside 18 shots for the shutout.

In a game where the defending champion Lightning controlled most of the play at five-on-five, they held a 30-15 edge in shots. The other shot came while shorthanded early in the second period of a scoreless game. With Goodrow in the box for cross-checking Adam Pelech, this was the opportunity for the Islanders to score.

Instead of taking the lead, they had an attempt blocked by McDonagh. He then moved the puck to Alex Killorn for a counterattack. After Killorn got a pass over to Cirelli, he drew three Islanders including Josh Bailey, who puck watched. Off the Tampa bench came Gourde to take a Cirelli feed and in one motion, one-timed the puck past the glove of Varlamov for a shorthanded goal at 1:49. That proved to be the only goal.

Still on the power play, the Islanders got a couple of scoring chances. The best one came when Mat Barzal passed down low to an open Anthony Beauvillier at the side of the Tampa net. However, the Game Six hero had his redirection go right off the near crossbar and stay out. It was that close.

The Lightning outshot the Islanders 12-6 in the second. They continued to generate chances, but Varlamov held them off the scoreboard. The Isles found it extremely tough to do anything. When they weren’t pinned in their end, they were unable to have any sustained pressure. Outside of an early Vasilevskiy pad save on Beauvillier in the first period, they were severely outplayed by a better team. The Bolts’ championship experience showed up in the do or die game.

The third was more interesting. With the Lightning beginning to back up, a desperate Islanders started to mount an attack. They fired many shots towards Vasilevskiy. But only seven made it. He calmly stopped everything. When it was over following a frantic Isles’ last second push, the Tampa goalie improved to 13-0 following losses since last year’s playoffs. An astonishing mark.

There were some close calls. Bailey had a good chance in the slot a few minutes into the third, but fired high and wide. The best chance came when Barzal looked to have an open net. Following a Pelech shot that caroled towards him with Vasilevskiy in full scramble mode, Barzal had the bouncing puck go underneath his stick. He fanned on it completely. It was a home bounce for the Lightning.

Afterwards, the Bolts finally strung together some good shifts in the Islanders’ end to nearly kill off the remainder of the game. Even with Barry Trotz lifting Varlamov for an extra attacker with over two minutes remaining, the Islanders hardly got anything.

If not for some hustle plays in their zone to prevent an empty netter, the Isles would’ve never even had a last ditch effort to tie it. But with under 25 seconds left, they finally got the puck into the Lightning end. Beauvillier had the best look. With under 10 seconds left, he threw a sharp angle shot towards Vasilevskiy that didn’t go. A final attempt towards Barzal in front was intercepted by Kucherov and cleared harmlessly away. That ended the suspense.

The Lightning all celebrated the hard fought victory over a resilient opponent who wouldn’t die. The Trotz Islanders remind me of Freddy Krueger, Jason and Michael Myers. They got blown out 8-0 in Game Five. But found a way to rally from two goals down to pull out Game Six on a Beauvillier overtime winner. It proved to be the final game at Nassau Coliseum. Maybe that’s why some of their fans crazily tossed beer on the ice. Whatever the reason, it was a proper sendoff which Trotz enjoyed. He likes beer. Cool.

In the end, the better team won. The rematch was exactly what I thought it would be. When asked by people what I felt before the series, I said it would go seven games. I didn’t pick a winner due to superstition. If you root for our Rangers, you understand why. The Islanders playing for a Cup for the first time since 1984 wasn’t a comfortable thought. No matter what you think of them mostly due to some of their fans, the Islanders played superb hockey to reach this point. I can only tip my hat to them. They worked their tails off for Trotz.

Let’s remember one thing. If it weren’t for the bitter rival Islanders from Long Island, the Rangers don’t clean house. Those three lopsided games were a total embarrassment. It showed how far our team still has to go. In a way, we can thank Trotz and his Isles for waking up MSG. The time is now for them to take the giant step back to the playoffs under Gerard Gallant. We know Chris Drury will be busy over the next month. It’ll be interesting to see what he does with the roster.

One final thought on Trotz. I felt he made a mistake not inserting Oliver Wahlstrom into his offensively challenged lineup. He could’ve made a difference with his big shot and helped their awful power play. Even Barry Trotz has flaws. Many coaches stick with their guys who got them there. In my mind, Trotz made a mistake. I would’ve dressed Wahlstrom over either Leo Komarov or Travis Zajac. Their third line centered by Jean-Gabriel Pageau along with Zajac and Kyle Palmieri cost them in that series. Pageau played through an injury and didn’t record a single point. Palmieri never scored after producing in the first two rounds.

At the end of the day, no tears will be shed here. But I saw an awful lot of our fans celebrating the Isles’ loss as if it was a win. In no way shape or form was it that. Unless the Blueshirts are competing for the Cup, I don’t care about our rival losing. It’s more relief than anything. Leave that garbage for some Islander fans and a few Devil fans. I guess at the end of the day, our fans are just as guilty of it. I don’t take any satisfaction in our rivals’ losses. It’s not the same feeling as seeing our team win a big game.

Well, the Stanley Cup Final in set. It’ll be the Montreal Canadiens challenging the Tampa Bay Lightning for the most prestigious trophy in sports. Can the Bolts repeat? Or are the Habs led by Carey Price, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Tyler Toffoli a team of destiny? I think it’ll be a good series. I wonder if the Islanders took something out of the Lightning. That was a very physical series. Four of the seven games were decided by a goal. Outside of the Tampa 8-0 laugher, it was a very good series.

This is the first time since 1993 that Montreal will play for the Cup. They won their record 24th championship by defeating the Wayne Gretzky Kings in five. I still remember it. I was rooting for Gretzky. He willed LA past the Doug Gilmour Maple Leafs. That was the year the Leafs should’ve won. Instead, they’re in a 54-year drought. Cruelest irony of ironies.

Instead, Patrick Roy was unbelievable winning 10 consecutive overtime games. He went 10-1 in OT. The Habs used an illegal stick by Marty McSorley to tie up Game Two. Then Eric Desjardins won it in sudden death after tying it. The Kings never recovered. John Leclair also scored a big goal in OT. The Habs won four straight after losing Game One to win Lord Stanley.

Coincidentally, the Canadiens are the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup. We’ll see if they can bring it back home. The Stanley Cup Final begins on Monday with Games 1 and 2 in Tampa. It should be exciting. Price versus Vasilevskiy in net. The two best goalies no matter what all the uneducated cynics say about Price. Now, you see why. Defense and timely scoring against speed, skill and grit. Get ready.

Even though I still love McDonagh and miss him especially when I notice how well he’s playing, I am gonna support the Canadiens. I am close with a few Habs fans. They’re as passionate as it gets. Most of our fans will be pulling for the Lightning due to the old rivalry with Montreal. That includes my Dad and brother. One of our good friends is a Lightning fan. If they win again, I’ll be happy for him. Hoping we get a classic seven-game series. Let’s enjoy it.

Posted in NHL Playoffs | Tagged 1993, 2021 Playoffs, Adam Pelech, Alex Killorn, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Anthony Beauvillier, Anthony Cirelli, Barclay Goodrow, Barry Trotz, Bolts, Brayden Point, Carey Price, Chris Drury, Cole Caufield, Doug Gilmour, Eric Desjardins, Erik Cernak, Game Seven, Gerard Gallant, Islanders, Isles, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, John LeClair, Jon Cooper, Josh Bailey, Kings, Kyle Palmieri, Leo Komarov, Lightning, Long Island, Maple Leafs, Marty McSorley, Mat Barzal, Montreal Canadiens, Nick Suzuki, Nikita Kucherov, Oliver Wahlstrom, Ondrej Palat, Pat Maroon, Rangers, Ross Colton, Ryan McDonagh, Semyon Varlamov, Stanley Cup Final, Tampa, Tampa Bay Lightning, Travis Zajac, Tyler Johnson, Tyler Toffoli, Wayne Gretzky, Yanni Gourde | Leave a comment

Montreal Canadiens advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in 28 Years

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Derek

The Montreal Canadiens advanced to their first Stanley Cup Final in 28 years. They did it last night in dramatic fashion by defeating the Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime of Game Six before 3,500 screaming Habs fans at Bell Centre.

Artturi Lehkonen scored at 1:39 of sudden death to complete the stirring upset of the heavily favored Knights in six games. The series clincher came on a perfect counter play up the ice from the reliable checking line that features center Phillip Danault, Brendan Gallagher and Lehkonen. The trio have successfully shutdown Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and now completely shutout Vegas star Mark Stone in the Stanley Cup Semifinal.

It was fitting that the low scoring defensive line would be the one to punch Montreal’s ticket to their first Stanley Cup appearance since winning the chalice in 1993. Coincidentally, they’re the last Canadian team to win the Cup. Now, they’ll aim to bring Lord Stanley back to Canada and win a record 25th Cup.

What a story it would be. After struggling for most of the second half without Carey Price, the Canadiens figured it out just in time by climbing out of a 3-1 first round series deficit to upset the Maple Leafs. They never trailed in the last three games and carried that momentum forward by sweeping Winnipeg in the North Division Finals. That set up the Stanley Cup Semifinal against powerful Vegas. However, the Habs proved they belonged by winning twice at T-Mobile Arena including a convincing 4-1 win in Game Five.

With a chance to clinch last night, they twice took leads against the Golden Knights. First on a Shea Weber power play goal. But Reilly Smith was able to tip in a Shea Theodore pass for the quick reply. In the second period, rookie sensation Cole Caufield continued to wow observers by blowing past Brayden McNabb and roofing a shot past the glove of Robin Lehner to make it 2-1. The former Wisconsin standout who won the Hobey Baker scored four goals in the series. He looks like he’s going to make some general managers regret passing on him in the 2019 NHL Draft. He fell to number 15 where the Canadiens were only too pleased to scoop him up. After spending two years in college, Caufield looks poised to light up opponents’ nets for years.

Speaking of making teams pay, Nick Suzuki did in the team that took him in the first round. Sent to Montreal with Tomas Tatar for Max Pacioretty, who’s been a very good player for Vegas, Suzuki got the better of the match-up highlighted by a three-point Game Five. He centers Caufield and Tyler Toffoli, who has been a bargain after signing with Montreal. That top line has been instrumental in why the Habs will play for the Cup.

To their credit, the Knights didn’t quit. They played a very good third period. In fact, Alec Martinez was able to get to a loose puck of an Alex Pietrangelo shot and beat Price through the five-hole to tie the score at 1:08. But despite an edge in play with a few good scoring chances to go ahead and possibly force a Game Seven back at the Fortress, Vegas couldn’t find another goal past the brick wall known as Price. He’s been lights out during this special run. When his team needed him most, he came through by making 14 of 15 saves in a busy third. For the game, Price finished with 37 total including one more denial on Martinez that led to the transition up ice for the Lehkonen winner.

Carey Price leads his team to the Stanley Cup final.

How does he celebrate?

By saying how proud he is that his mom was re-elected chief of her FN, while dropping some of his traditional language. #GoHabsGo #Habs pic.twitter.com/s3QWNPzDu8
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) June 25, 2021

Following a strong Price save on a high Martinez shot, out came Gallagher with the puck to center ice where he led a three-on-two rush. After moving the puck for an attacking Danault, the center made a great pass across for a quick Lehkonen one-timer past Lehner into the top portion of the net. It happened that quickly. This is what the goal looked like along with the reaction of the crowd at Bell Centre.

And here it is, the goal that sends the @CanadiensMTL to the #StanleyCup Final.

Bravo, Artturi Lehkonen (@arsilehkonen)! pic.twitter.com/LfHHQCdfgz
— NHL (@NHL) June 25, 2021

https://twitter.com/ianwcanucks/status/1408321700660322305?s=19

#Habs Lehkonen’s GWG announcement coming way after the game was over with fans still in the stands. They can’t leave yet because there are so many people outside the Bell Centre. pic.twitter.com/lzlQ6SQ2pL
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) June 25, 2021

Some have called the Habs’ run improbable. It is. It was unexpected. However, this was a roster many thought would contend in the new North Division. They got off to a good start under former coach Claude Julien. But soon, they slumped and really struggled mightily. Eventually, it led to Julien’s dismissal. Interim coach Dominique Ducharme took over. They weren’t any better under him going 15-16-7 following a 9-5-4 record under Julien. However, they had to play without Price, who was concussed. Jonathan Drouin also had off ice issues and opted out. Key players missed time including Gallagher, Weber and Ben Chiarot.

Interestingly, even without Price, backup Jake Allen won enough to get them into the playoffs by beating out Calgary by four points. Caufield got into 10 games and scored four times. Trade deadline acquisition Eric Staal looked finished only scoring twice and going minus-10. GM Marc Bergevin also added Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson to a blue line that included Weber, Jeff Petry, Chiarot and Joel Edmundson, who was a good pickup last winter. Along with top finisher and scorer Toffoli, they were good moves by Bergevin, whose job was on the line. Now here they are two months later awaiting tonight’s Game Seven winner between the Islanders and Lightning.

bergevin giving lehkonen a lil smooch through his mask pic.twitter.com/GmCAwMxt0I
— noah (@capsboybebop) June 25, 2021

How big is Montreal being back in their 34th ever Stanley Cup Final? Here was some reaction from some fans including two who were there to witness the magical scene.

🗣OLÉ OLÉ OLÉ OLÉÉÉÉÉÉ#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/itIYTHm66r
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 25, 2021

#WATCH: Montreal celebrates as the #Habs eliminate Vegas and move on to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1993. Video credit: @by.ariane #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/9M5mVR5Nri
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) June 25, 2021

CAREY PRICE IS GOING TO THE STANLEY CUP FINALS
— Anne, PhD (@AnneLaur) June 25, 2021

🔵⚪️🔴 pic.twitter.com/Ly6zpeFuqZ
— Christina Marie (@ChristinaS_40) June 25, 2021

https://twitter.com/JessHa6s/status/1408285007840436227?s=19

https://twitter.com/JessHa6s/status/1408274084438364160?s=19

👀 immediate addition to my lawn at the new house pic.twitter.com/g0PDwFSZQf
— Caitlyn Golem 🏒⚾🩴 (@CaitlynGolem) June 25, 2021

Thanks Derek! 🏒 This is exciting!
—  Sabotek 👩🏼‍💻📸🎥🏒🎶⛳️ (@sabotek) June 25, 2021

Thanks Derek…. I respect and appreciate your opinion and feedback and for true hockey fans, you're a great follow on Twitter
— #Habs Luckycharm🇨🇦🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@Habs_luckycharm) June 25, 2021

https://twitter.com/JessHa6s/status/1408262136506241025?s=19

Seeing the amazing excitement of an overjoyed loyal fan base that has waited a long time to see their team get back to the Stanley Cup Final brings a smile to my face. Even if you aren’t a fan of the Canadiens, how can you not feel happy for them? Unless you’re from Toronto, I understand. I know what that’s like. Our father never thought he’d ever see the Rangers win a Cup. Now, it’s the Maple Leaf fans going through a 54-year curse of their own. Technically, 53 seasons. But still. That’s insane. They haven’t won since 1967. Also the last time they beat the Canadiens. Yikes.

I think both Christina and Jess in their emotional reactions summed up what every Habs fan was feeling in that moment. It’s one I got to experience with my Dad, brother and friend on a hot May summer night at Madison Square Garden in 2014. Ironically, it came against Montreal in a Game Six. It was surreal. Everybody went crazy in that memorable moment. There were hugs, high fives, tears of joy, thunderous applause and fireworks inside the building. It was the best moment ever as a sports fan for me personally. I didn’t go to any Yankees games in the 90’s. The Rangers are our number one team. If they ever won another Cup, that would be priceless. Hopefully, one day it’ll be them.

I also got a kick out of the Clarence Campbell Trophy being presented to Weber and the Canadiens. Usually, it would be the Prince of Wales Trophy. Due to circumstances, it was the Campbell which the team didn’t touch and took a picture with. A poignant moment. Most teams won’t touch that trophy due to superstition. For them, the job isn’t done. They’ve won 12 games. Not 16. The mission is 16. The goal is the Stanley Cup. The holy grail of trophies.

Congratulations to the Habs and their great fans. Now, they find out in a few hours who they’ll play.

Posted in NHL Playoffs | Tagged 2021 Playoffs, Alec Martinez, Alex Pietrangelo, Artturi Lehkonen, Bell Centre, Ben Chiarot, Brendan Gallagher, Canada, Canadiens, Carey Price, Clarence Campbell Trophy, Claude Julien, Cole Caufield, Dominique Ducharme, Eric Staal, fans, Game Six, Golden Knights, Habs, Islanders, Joel Edmundson, Lightning, Marc Bergevin, Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens, Nick Suzuki, Phillip Danault, Reilly Smith, Robin Lehner, Shea Theodore, Shea Weber, Stanley Cup Final, Stanley Cup Semifinals, Tyler Toffoli | Leave a comment

With Gerard Gallant Official, changes are coming for Blueshirts

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Derek

#NYR 36th head coach Gerard Gallant and GM Chris Drury pic.twitter.com/cujdegTrQf
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) June 22, 2021

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.

Gerard Gallant on what he wants the #NYR identity to be:

"I want them to be the hardest working team in the league."
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) June 22, 2021

“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.

"I know we're going to take a big step, and hopefully it's a real big step."

Gerard Gallant's introductory press conference airs tonight.

⏰ 8:00 PM | 📺 MSG pic.twitter.com/PcpBG1vpYl
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) June 22, 2021

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.

Some takeaways from the Gerard Gallant/Chris Drury Rangers' press conference today:

1. Gallant thinks NYR are ready to take the next step. "Hopefully it's a big step."

2. Gallant thinks they can play like the Golden Knights did under him; fast, aggressive all over the ice, etc.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) June 22, 2021

and we expected everybody to play a 200-foot game. Everybody good defensively, everybody good offensively, everybody to have a role in your hockey team. That's what's important for me. It's not going to take 15 guys to win, it's going to 23 guys."
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) June 22, 2021

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.

Chris Drury on #NYR naming a captain:

"For me, it's a priority. But at the end of the day, it has to be the right person. I'm not interested in just giving it to somebody to say we have a captain. But I think we have a lot of leaders in our room."
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) June 22, 2021

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.

Posted in Battle News, NYRangers | Tagged 36th head coach, Aaron Ekblad, Adam Fox, Aleksander Barkov, Alexis Lafreniere, Anthony Beauvillier, Artemi Panarin, Barclay Goodrow, Blake Coleman, Blueshirts, Brendan Smith, Canadiens, captain, Chris Drury, Chris Kreider, development, franchise history, Gerard Gallant, Golden Knights, Islanders, Jacob Trouba, Joel Armia, Jonathan Huberdeau, Jonathan Marchessault, Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller, Kevin Rooney, Lightning, Mika Zibanejad, Morgan Barron, new coach, Nikita Kucherov, Nils Lundkvist, Panthers, Rangers, Reilly Smith, Ryan Lindgren, Ryan Strome, Scott Mayfield, Vegas, Vitali Kravtsov, William Karlsson, Zac Jones | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in Podcast | Tagged 2021 Playoffs, Barry Trotz, Brayden Point, Canadiens, DFlex's Pushing Buttons, Game Five, Gerard Gallant, Golden Knights, Hockey, Islanders, Lightning, Podcast, Rangers, Steven Stamkos | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in Devils, NYRangers | Tagged '93-94, '95, 1971, 1972, Adam Graves, Andy Bathgate, Arnie Brown, Bill Collins, Blackhawks, Blueshirts, Bob Nevin, Bobby Orr, Bruce Driver, Bruce MacGregor, Bruins, Canadiens, Canucks, Claude Lemieux, Column, compensation, Conn Smythe, Devils, Dick Duff, Don McKenney, Emile "Cat" Francis, Greatest Trades, Greg Adams, Hartford Whalers, Jean Ratelle, John MacLean, Ken Daneyko, Kirk McLean, Kirk Muller, Lou Lamoriello, Maple Leafs, Neil Smith, New Jersey, Oilers, Patrik Sundstrom, Pete Stemkowski, Peter Stastny, Phil Esposito, playoff record, Rangers, Rod Seiling, Sean Burke, Stephane Richer, Sylvain Turgeon, Tom Kurvers, Troy Mallette, Wayne Gretzky | Leave a comment

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.

ABSOLUTE CHAOS!

RYAN PULOCK MAKES THE SAVE AT THE BUZZER. #Isles | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/wJgSFreCZ4
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 20, 2021

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.

Posted in Column, NHL Playoffs | Tagged 2021 Playoffs, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Barry Trotz, Bolts, Brayden Point, Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck, Canadiens, Casey Cizikas, Column, Game 4, Game 7, Golden Knights, Islanders, Isles, Jon Cooper, Josh Bailey, Kyle Palmieri, Lightning, Long Island, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mat Barzal, Matt Martin, Nassau Coliseum, Nick Lidstrom, Nikita Kucherov, Penguins, Red Wings, Robin Lehner, Ross Colton, Ryan McDonagh, Ryan Pulock, Semyon Varlamov, Stanley-Cup, Tampa Bay, The Barn, The Block, The Save, Tyler Johnson, Victor Hedman | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in NHL Playoffs, Podcast | Tagged 2021 Playoffs, Canadiens, Carey Price, Cole Caufield, DFlex's Pushing Buttons, Game 3, Game 4, Golden Knights, Islanders, Josh Anderson, Lightning, Marc-Andre Fleury, Montreal Miracle, Nassau Coliseum, Podcast, Preview | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in NHL Playoffs | Tagged 1993, 2021 Playoffs, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Anthony Beauvillier, Anthony Cirelli, Barclay Goodrow, Barry Trotz, Blake Coleman, Bolts, Brayden Point, Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas, Game 3, Identity Line, Islanders, Isles, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Jon Cooper, Jordan Eberle, Josh Bailey, Kyle Palmieri, Lightning, Mat Barzal, Matt Martin, Nassau Coliseum, Nikita Kucherov, Oliver Wahlstrom, Ryan McDonagh, Semyon Varlamov, Stanley Cup Semifinals, The Barn, Travis Zajac, Victor Hedman | Leave a comment

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 official.

Welcome to Broadway, Coach Gallant! It’s been waiting for you. pic.twitter.com/yJn1WV6zMo
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 16, 2021

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.

Posted in Column, NYRangers | Tagged '93-94 New York Rangers, 1994, 2014 Rangers, 2021 Playoffs, Adam Pelech, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Anthem, Anthony Beauvillier, Anthony Cirelli, Barclay Goodrow, Brayden Point, Brock Nelson, Canadiens, Carey Price, Chris Drury, Cole Caufield, David Quinn, Final Four, Game 7, Gerard Gallant, Golden Knights, Henrik Lundqvist, Howie Rose, Ilya Sorokin, Islanders, Jan Rutta, Jeff Petry, John Amirante, John Davidson, Jonathan Marchessault, June 14, Kenny Albert, Lightning, Marc-Andre Fleury, Marv Albert, Mat Barzal, Matt Martin, Nick Suzuki, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Pat Maroon, Reilly Smith, Sam Rosen, Semyon Varlamov, Shea Theodore, Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup Semifinals, Travis Zajac, Tyler Toffoli, Victor Hedman, William Karlsson | Leave a comment

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Battle Of Hudson

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The Block

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

Bolts edge Islanders to quiet The Barn in Game Three

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

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