Orlov trips up Devils in low scoring game in overtime

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Derek

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1378146611520544771?s=19

Offense was hard to come by. For sixty minutes, it was virtually nonexistent in a tight checking game between the Devils and Capitals. Only two goals went in during regulation. That would change during the three-on-three with the Caps prevailing on a Dmitry Orlov ripper high bar and in past Mackenzie Blackwood in a frustrating 2-1 overtime loss at The Prudential Center.

This wasn’t exactly a Picasso. The Devils have had trouble beating their old Patrick rival all year in this eerie season. They aren’t a high scoring team to begin with. So, it wasn’t exactly a revelation that they only were able to beat Caps rookie goalie Vitek Vanecek once in 64 minutes and 39 seconds. It was the second time they’ve fallen to their Kryptonite in the artificial three-on-three crap that isn’t hockey.

By now, it probably sounds like a broken record to Hasan. The Devils are 0-7 versus Washington with only Sunday’s rematch left in Newark. If they can win, they would avoid losing all eight meetings. To get technical, they’re 0-5-2 against an otherwise flawed team that has taken full advantage of the Devils and NHL doormat Sabres. They’ve banked 25 of 26 points versus the seventh and eighth place teams in the East Division. That’s basically half their point total of 52, which for now has them in first place over the idle Islanders and Penguins.

Are the Caps good? Having seen them implode a couple of times against the Rangers, I’m not so sure. If you’re winning most of your games versus inferior competition, that means you can’t be a great team. But it also means you’re beating the teams you’re supposed to. After giving up a ridiculous 13 goals in consecutive losses to the Rangers and Islanders including eight on Thursday night, the Capitals played more defensive minded against the Devils. It was good enough to win.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1378142994323374080?s=19

Even though they were outshot in every period, the Devils were able to draw even when Mike McLeod rebounded home a Jesper Boqvist shot for his sixth at 12:53 of the second period. It answered a John Carlson goal in which he got loose in front to put away a Lars Eller feed at the doorstep for his 10th a few minutes earlier. That was it for the scoring in regulation.

Despite getting outshot 37-20 in the three periods, the Devils had a couple of opportunities to win the game. Especially what has to be a frustrated Jack Hughes, who despite getting some quality chances, remains without a point over the last eight games. It’s been a tough go for the 19-year old former top pick. It was during the third when he was able to get to a bouncing loose puck in the slot and fire a quick shot that rang off the goalpost with a few minutes remaining. It wasn’t the only great look he had.

There also was the offensive to the eyeballs Andreas Johnsson, who can’t put the puck into the ocean. Oh. He got five shots on net. But none went in. Acquired by GM Tom Fitzgerald from the Maple Leafs to boost secondary scoring, the 26-year old left wing has been the biggest disappointment for the Devils. He remains stuck on three goals and five assists in an exasperating 35 games. Interestingly, his last goal came in a loss to the Caps on Feb. 21. Coincidentally his only two-point game of a lost year. Johnsson had one good chance in front when he was one-on-one with Vanecek during OT. Hughes found him isolated, but Johnsson lost control of the puck after trying to make a move. That sums things up in a nutshell.

Without Blackwood, who was very steady in finishing with 38 saves on 40 shots, the Devils don’t get a point. More often than not, it’s the play of the young netminder that keeps them in games. He can’t do it by himself. He’s a very good goalie. Without run support, it’s tough to win in this league. Over his last three starts, he’s faced 40-or-more shots. That included a 40 save shutout of Boston. Blackwood has stopped 122 of 128 shots in those games, but only has one win to show for it.

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In the overtime, the best chance came when Hughes was in alone on Vanecek. He made a good move going to a backhand deke. However, the Caps first-year goalie was able to get a pad on it to deny Hughes’ bid. Prior to Orlov’s winner, the Devils had one more great opportunity to finally beat Washington. P.K. Subban came in with under a minute left and waited before making a good centering feed for a cutting Travis Zajac. But Zajac’s point blank chance was stoned by a sprawling Vanecek.

Orlov picked up the loose puck and rushed up the ice with only rookie Yegor Sharangovich back. Orlov pulled up and fired a pea past Blackwood short side top shelf that was in and out so fast, neither Steve Cangialosi or Ken Daneyko realized it was in. It was a great shot from a defenseman that isn’t exactly Carlson or Sergei Gonchar for the Caps. Even he was surprised by what he did, giving an oh shucks look before smiling following his overtime winner with 21.7 seconds left.

Sometimes, it’s like that when you’re losing games. It’s also worth noting that Blackwood had to deny Conor Sheary right at the beginning of extras. Off the draw at center ice, Carlson slipped a backhand pass past Damon Severson sending Sheary in. Blackwood made a terrific save. So, Sheary got to play in three-on-three. Strange stuff.

Rookie defenseman Ty Smith took two 20-second OT shifts. Lindy Ruff opted to use Subban and Severson mostly. Dmitry Kulikov was on for a 54-second shift. Much of the three-on-three depends on puck possession. With so many mind numbing resets, it doesn’t make for good hockey. That sometimes can limit how much a player plays. They really need to go back to four-on-four. It was much better.

As for the Devils, they have 21 games left including Sunday’s rematch versus the Caps. That game will conclude the season series. They remain at 13 wins up and 16 down with six more defeats coming in extras. So, they’re really 13-22. Not good enough. With 32 points, they’re essentially playing out the string. It’ll be interesting to see which players are available over the next week. The trade deadline is April 12. It’ll be here before you know it.

Of all 31 teams, the Devils lead the NHL in rookie scoring. They’ve totaled 61 points (22-39-61). In fact, 26.2 percent of their goals (84) have come from rookies. The Blackhawks are second with 55 and the Senators rank third with 50. At least there’s a commitment to playing their young players.

Both Aarne Talvitie and Tyce Thompson recently signed two-year entry level contracts. Nikita Gusev cleared waivers and was assigned to the Taxi Squad.

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Quinn’s puzzling lineup decisions with the Kid Line overshadows a not so impressive overtime win over the Sabres

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Derek

Artemi Panarin and overtime hero Mika Zibanejad are all smiles following the Rangers’ 3-2 win over the Sabres. If only it was all positive for the team when it comes to the in game adjustments from David Quinn and Teflon assistant David Oliver. The good, The bad and The Ugly for a team that isn’t doing Alexis Lafreniere any favors. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images

If you watched last night’s game, here is the positive:

  • The New York Rangers won a game they had to have.
  • Their best players combined for the game-winning goal in overtime win by Mika Zibanejad with Artemi Panarin setting him up for a one-timer past losing Buffalo goalie Dustin Hasek Tokarski at 4:32 to deliver a 3-2 victory over the Sabres.
  • Adam Fox continued his emerging Norris candidacy by making a subtle defensive play to send Zibanejad and Panarin on a two-on-one rush for his 27th assist and 31st point.
  • Igor Shestyorkin won his fourth straight decision by making some big stops in a flat start en route to 21 saves.
  • Ryan Strome extended his point streak (2-14-16) to 11 straight by recording an assist on Colin Blackwell’s ninth goal that tied the game in a dominant second period that saw the Blueshirts outshoot the Sabres 15-2.
  • The ninth goal from Blackwell continued his career season that’s seen him produce 13 points in 27 games while making a strong case to stay.
  • With the victory, the Rangers cut the deficit to three behind the Bruins, who were 4-1 losers to the Pens.
  • Filip Chytil scored for a second consecutive game thanks to some splendid work from Alexis Lafreniere and Julien Gauthier.

Now, for the negatives:

  • Another lackluster start allowed the Sabres to get the first goal only 2:06 in when Rasmus Asplund was able to score on a rebound from Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin, who was allowed to take a wide open shot that created the goal.
  • For some reason, the Rangers couldn’t connect on any passes in the early going, causing sloppy turnovers that allowed a more focused Sabres to generate quality chances against Shestyorkin, who really made some key saves when his team looked like it was elsewhere.
  • The power play again saw its collective shadow by over passing so much that it looked like a bad repeat, which begs the question what exactly is offensive guru David Oliver doing to change the mentality of a top unit that refuses to shoot the puck.
  • A lost defensive draw by Zibanejad allowed Sabres forward Tage Thompson to tie it up with four seconds remaining.
  • The total ice times for the Kid Line are as follows:

A. Filip Chytil 10:02

B. Alexis Lafreniere 8:11

C. Julien Gauthier 7:16

Only Chytil received a brief 10 second shift on the little used second power play. How is this helping develop the young players? The handcuffs are on. They may as well be stapled to the bench.

  • Following that third line working hard to create Chytil’s go-ahead tally at 6:17 of period three, Lafreniere received only one more 52-second shift between the 12:26 mark and 13:18 mark of the third. He totaled 2:07 in the third period. Hardly enough trust even though it was his stick to it ness that lead to the Chytil goal. That is an epic fail by David Quinn.
  • If you’re wondering about Gauthier, who got even less time, his last shift following the second Rangers goal came between 12:14 and 13:14 of the third, totaling 60 seconds. He wound up with 2:23 played in the period.
  • Chytil, who was one of their most effective skaters, wound up with four shifts and 3:22 with 3:12 at even strength in the third. He barely played in three-on-three.

How is this helping the development of the young players? Even Kaapo Kakko, who seems to be fitting in well on the second scoring line with Panarin and Strome, was shortchanged in extras. He never took a shift after getting 5:04 in the third. That included a 29-second power play shift when the scarcely used second unit was given a chance. He totaled 18:29 overall including 1:45 on the man-advantage.

I’m all for sticking your best players out during the three-on-three due to how crucial the extra points are. But if the coaching staff can’t send out Kakko for one lousy overtime shift, what the heck is going on? Lafreniere scored a pretty goal in that very rink for his first NHL point from Blackwell. Now, he never sees the light of day in OT.

It’s puzzling the way this crack committee is handling the kids. I understand they’re prioritizing winning games due to how mediocre the Bruins and Flyers are. They feel they can sneak into the playoffs. Is it worth it? Not at the expense of the young players, who are the key to “The Rebuild.”

It doesn’t feel much like one anymore. For all the gaudy numbers Foxy is putting up while proving to be an elite defenseman, there is a level of concern with a majority of fans who want to see the younger forwards play. Here’s a sampling of how some of us felt despite the win.

https://twitter.com/TheEsq_of_212/status/1377834694935339011?s=19

https://twitter.com/TheEsq_of_212/status/1377816528712835074?s=19

I can easily cite a lot more examples of how JD, Reaper and Esquire (Mike) feel. And we aren’t alone in this thought process. Even David Shapiro of Blueseat Blogs was mystified at the lack of playing time for the Rangers’ top pick who showed a willingness to attempt shots and make a good play around the net that allowed Gauthier to dig out the loose puck for Chytil’s goal. You can’t be oblivious to what’s happening.

If the goal is to squeeze into the postseason and likely get demolished by either the Islanders or Penguins, who I think will pass the flawed Capitals (13 GA in consecutive losses), then they could be successful. I’m not saying that a real playoff experience for players like Fox, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, Shestyorkin, Kakko, Chytil, Lafreniere and Gauthier wouldn’t be beneficial. Playing in a true best-of-seven first round series would teach them a lot about how they need to play to win in the trenches.

However, I almost feel like winning at this point should be secondary. It’s the development of the kids that is most important to the Rangers’ future. Not the other way around. With apologies to the brilliant Bread Man, Zibanejad, Kreider, Strome, Buchnevich, Foxy and Jacob Trouba, who actually got a shot on goal, it truly should be about the players who this rebuild is supposed to focus on. If the Stars can do it when they’re a team trying to avoid a Stanley Cup hangover, why can’t the Blueshirts?

I can’t take all the East/West nonsense anymore. The reluctance to shoot is driving a portion of fans who love this team batty. To become successful, they have to have the right combo. That means a more straight ahead North/South style of hockey. You do need skill and can use it in certain instances like in transition and on the forecheck when it tires out opponents. But there are too many moments where you want to pull your hair out or toss the remote control when the players pass up wide open shots from scoring areas to pass the puck around like a grenade. That doesn’t work in the postseason.

You need to possess those gritty players like Blackwell, who lays it all out there to help the team win. That’s why I’m in favor of retaining Blackwell. When is the last time a secondary player scored nine goals including two on the power play off tip ins while wearing the Blueshirt? Jesper Fast did the nuts and bolts, which he’s continuing to provide in Carolina. He did in the Blackhawks with a half minute left in regulation for his fifth goal. He’s also scored a pair on the power play because coach Rod Brind’Amour knows how to use Quickie. I view what I’ve seen from Blackwell as similar. Keep him. Case closed.

Brendan Lemieux didn’t feel he was given an opportunity to show what he could provide. His role decreased under Quinn, who flat out lied about wanting to utilize Lemieux even in a top six role with power play time. He once received second duty as a net front presence like Kreider. But after the big addition of Panarin, things changed. He didn’t quite finish the way he hoped. However, the In-Grate One played with the necessary edge you’d expect from the son of Claude Lemieux. Pepe as he became known to teammates, was popular in the room because he never backed down from anyone. He played on the edge and agitated opponents. In the end, he realized he needed a change. So, he asked for a trade. He didn’t debut with LA yet due to the annoying quarantine. Good luck to him.

What about Brett Howden? Is he gonna get back in for Phil “One Goal” Di Giuseppe? This isn’t a knock on PDG, who plays a hard-nosed game and certainly mixes it up during scrums. I liked his shove on Dahlin in the first that ticked off the underachieving Sabres former top pick. He competes and is solid on the checking line with the reliable Kevin Rooney and versatile Blackwell, who at least Quinn realizes he can bump him up like Fast when he needs a spark. That’s why Blackwell should stay. As for Howden, get him back in over PDG. He’s younger and plays the game honestly. Even if it looks like he could be in danger of being moved soon.

Somehow, the team must take a look at each young prospect. What are they waiting for with Vitaly Kravtsov? It’s been over two weeks and he still is waiting…The 21-year old Russian who they selected ninth overall before Oliver Wahlstrom, must play. Find out where he is in his development, which could be accelerated due to a strong season with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL. By continuing to screw around, they risk losing Kravtsov. He wants to play for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League!

Find out about Morgan Barron too. He has done well thus far in limited action with the Wolf Pack. Get him into the lineup. Ditto for Tarmo Reunanen. If it means a well respected veteran like Brendan Smith sits or winds up elsewhere because I can think of some teams who can use him, so be it. If they can finally see what they have in Libor Hajek, the they sure as heck can do the same for Reunanen, who only recorded his first NHL point by assisting on a Bread Man goal.

This blog is already too long. It isn’t about the game. They won. Big deal. They had a wide margin in shots over the second and third. I think the third was 21-8. So, that means they outshot the Sabres 36-10 over those two periods. It was Buffalo’s third game in four nights. They definitely looked shot in the second half. Credit Tokarski for Turning Back The Clock into Habs mode when he replaced Carey Price in the Eastern Conference Final seven years ago. He played well. That it required overtime due to a lost face-off is sad. But face-offs don’t matter according to analytic enthusiasts. Sure.

No three stars tonight. Only some very valid points about the confusing direction of this team. That finger is pointed directly at both John Davidson and Jeff Gorton. If they can’t see it, then it’s an issue.

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A Foxy and Bread Man Special, Shestyorkin comes up big early in comeback win over Caps

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Derek

Igor Shestyorkin gets a hug from Alexis Lafreniere. He deserved it. AP Photo by New York Rangers courtesy Getty Images

It was a strange night at 33rd and 8th. For starters, the Rangers looked dead in the early going against the visiting Caps. Washington jumped all over them by scoring twice less than two minutes apart. In fact, they had the game’s first nine shots. In what could’ve easily been a four or five goal first period, Igor Shestyorkin wouldn’t let it happen. His outstanding play allowed the Rangers to regroup and pull out a well deserved come from behind 5-2 win over the Caps.

If ever a starting goalie made a difference, it was in this one. Following early tallies from T.J. Oshie (power play) and Nic Dowd (five-on-five), it was the Igor Show at Mask Square Garden over Penn Station. He stopped the swarming Caps in their tracks like a speeding train suddenly halted. The Amtrak to Washington won’t be as smooth for Alexander Ovechkin and the Caps. They couldn’t put away the Rangers early. Shestyorkin stopped them from a runaway train. Otherwise, maybe it’s a one-sided game and bad night we’re talking about. He halted 10 of 12 shots to stem the tide.

After the Capitals jumped out to a 9-0 lead in shots, the Rangers finally woke up from their malaise. Filip Chytil scored a big momentum turning goal and the Blueshirts got 10 of the final 13 shots of the strange opening period. Things sure changed. In more of a defensive minded second period that saw the Caps hold a 10-6 shots edge, time and space was taken away. There was no room to make plays. Both old Patrick Division rivals buckled down to turn it into a tight checking affair. The kind that was expected following Sunday’s chaos.

If you want to point to where this game was won, it was probably during the halfway point of the first. But Shestyorkin made a few key stops in that middle stanza with 10 altogether. He gave them a chance. After being criticized repeatedly by an incensed Joe Micheletti on the MSG telecast, the Blueshirts finally responded by shooting the puck in a resounding third period which saw them methodically outscore the Caps 4-0 to take the pivotal game.

It was important to bounce back following the lost weekend where they fell by a goal to both the Flyers and Capitals. As strange a game as it was, they persevered in a superb final period to grab the two points from their DC rivals. It was the Foxy and Bread Man Special. Of course, I’m referring to Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. Their impact was the difference in a four-goal third that put the Blueshirts back over NHL .500 (16-15-4). Points 35 and 36 helped them stay within striking distance of the Bruins, who rallied past the Devils to win 5-4 in a shootout. They trail Boston by five points for fourth and remain two behind idle Philadelphia for fifth in the East Division. Boston has three extra games left. The Rangers have two more regulation wins with 14. But it won’t matter unless they catch up. There are 21 games remaining.

Let’s get to the eerie particulars of this game. For some mystifying reason, the Rangers weren’t ready at puck drop. With Shestyorkin back in net following the Keith Kinkaid debacle, he was on his own for a while. Demonstrating how out of sorts they were, Kevin Rooney took a lazy holding minor penalty by reaching out with his left arm on Nick Jensen.

The game was barely two minutes old when Oshie struck for his ninth on the power play at 2:23. The penalty kill allowed too much gap space. John Carlson got the puck to Nicklas Backstrom, who waited for Oshie to skate out high so he could make a perfect seam pass that Oshie buried top shelf for a 1-0 lead.

Keeping with the momentum, the Caps broke out in transition and scored their second goal in 1:59. This was a weird one. Garnet Hathaway was able to get a step and try a backhand stuff that Shestyorkin got. However, with the puck not fully covered and Libor Hajek not doing a good enough job of pushing the puck under Shestyorkin, Dowd was able to score a gritty goal by stuffing in the rebound. The odd part is the officials stopped play and then noticed that the loose puck was under Shestyorkin’s skate over the goal line. Wisely, the league initiated a review and after careful consideration, correctly ruled it a good goal. That put the Rangers in a two-goal hole.

Still struggling with an aggressive Washington attack, they ceded the blue line and kept allowing point blank opportunities. Shestyorkin made at least five quality saves to prevent a Caps destruction. It easily could’ve been four or five zip. Oshie nearly had his second of the period when Ovechkin tried to get a pass across for what looked like a gimme. But a good defensive play broke up the chance.

With the team unable to test Vitek Vanecek during a lopsided first half, Kaapo Kakko had one of those WTF moments that drives fans nuts. After making a good move into the slot, he waited too long before predictably having his shot blocked. It really was frustrating. Sometimes, you have to simplify things. Something a perplexed Micheletti repeated throughout the first two periods. I don’t know if it’s due to their style. The Rangers have a tendency to over skate and pass too much. They also defer often to key shooters Panarin and Mika Zibanejad on the only five man full two-minute unit. That’s how long they overstay their shifts. It’s kind of ridiculous.

What looked like a potential blowout turned around following a Washington bench minor. Predictably, the five man PP unit accomplished nothing. Aside from Panarin hitting a crossbar with the whole top half of the net to shoot at, it was mind-numbing. There wasn’t enough execution. So much so that again like a broken record, Micheletti called out the power play. They only went 0-for-2. But it was the level of frustration that was evident. You can’t be so deliberate on every five-on-four. Is it any wonder assistant David Oliver was back from COVID? Not to blame him solely. But he is the guy drawing it up. If it’s not working, make an adjustment. Or try Pavel Buchnevich, Kakko, Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller.

Speaking of Chytil, he turned the game around. On a poor play at the point from Dmitry Orlov, an aggressive Chytil stripped him of the puck and broke in on Vanecek for a beautiful snipe. He faked and went to a forehand deke to beat the Czech rookie netminder at 15:36. His sixth goal was unassisted. All due to a great read and strong defensive play. Maybe that goal he had last week from Lafreniere was a confidence boost. The team needs Chytil to perform. That goal was the single biggest moment of the game. It also came right after Backstrom hit the goalpost. Had he scored to make it 3-0, who knows. Instead, Chytil made a game changing play to give his team momentum.

It’s not even worth going over the second man-advantage Zdeno Chara gave them late in the first with it extending to the start of the second. That’s how awful it was. Like the Groundhog seeing his shadow. Until Quinn and Oliver change it, don’t expect much. It’s hit or miss.

The second period was way different. There was less time to make plays. Both teams adjusted their strategy by playing better defensively. Something I anticipated. Honestly though, the Capitals blew their chance in the first. They should’ve been up more. Only Shestyorkin prevented it. He finished with 30 saves and won his third consecutive game since returning. A great sign.

The reason the Rangers only got half a dozen shots on Vanecek was again due to their predictability. Their refusal to shoot was not only driving fans crazy, but Micheletti cuckoo. How many times can a Rangers skater pass up on a wide open shot? Buchnevich did it at least twice. He deferred once to a covered Zibanejad. Of course, the pass never got through. He entered with 31 points in 33 games. To quote the late great Bill “The Big Whistle” Chadwick, “SHOOT THE PUCK PAVEL!!!!!” Of course, it was Shoot The Puck Barry (Beck).

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Wayne Gretzky

It definitely was exasperating. In an evenly played period they still trailed by a goal thanks to more splendid goaltending from Shestyorkin when the Caps turned a power play into a shooting gallery, the Rangers were their own worst enemy. Had Shestyorkin not made some of the saves he did with Phil “One Goal” Di Giuseppe off for tripping Backstrom, it’s a different ballgame. He was great. He denied Oshie on a similar set up and gloved a Evgeny Kuznetsov try. Thanks to Igor, the Rangers still trailed by just one after two periods of play.

Whatever they did wrong over the first 40 minutes, they did right in the final 20. What a third period it was. For eight straight periods, Panarin had been awfully quiet. He hadn’t done anything. In the third, the Bread Man rose like baked bread. Although I can’t have any due to Passover. Happy Passover to those who celebrate. Finally, Panarin made an impact.

On a very bad Chara turnover at the Rangers blue line, Panarin intercepted the pass and took off to start a quick transition. He moved the puck down low to Ryan Strome, who found a driving Kakko (will wonders ever cease) for an easy finish for the tying goal at 4:10. It was a splendid play by all three. With the primary helper, Strome extended his point streak to 10 straight. Over that span, a pleased Sam Rosen said Strome has 15 points. To his blind cynics, is last year still a fluke? He might not always hit the net. But boy is he consistent. He’s turned the awful “hot takes” beet red. They are probably fuming. And they call themselves “fans.”

With the game tied, Panarin wasn’t done. Following a good play from. Ryan Lindgren, Panarin was somehow able to slip the puck to a pinching Fox, who was in alone with Vanecek. He made like another unnamed Rangers all-time great defenseman and faked before whipping a beautiful backhand top shelf. “Where Mama Hides The Cookies!” I had to get a reference in from legendary and poor Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret. He doesn’t do many games anymore with it being his 50th season. But if they’re at home, you can sometimes luck into catching Rick do his thing. He still has the voice. I wish to God the Sabres end their losing streak against the Flyers and not versus us. Pretty please. They’re next up on the schedule.

What can be said about Foxy. He’s been unbelievable. All those points he’s racking up aren’t by coincidence. He is the only true offensive defenseman this team has. They lean on him so heavily for everything. From five-on-five to penalty kill to power play, Adam Fox is proving he can do it all. He’s third now among NHL defensemen in scoring. He’s now a candidate for the Norris. Yes. It’ll probably go to Victor Hedman, who’s far and away the best defenseman in hockey. But Fox is sure to get some votes. Where he winds up I don’t know or care. But it’ll be interesting to see him finish in the upper echelon. He’s definitely in the Top 10. I had him ninth a few days ago. He keeps rising. I’ll save the other candidates for another day.

Anyway, Fox’s fourth from Panarin and Lindgren (2 assists) came at 6:32. That’s 2:22 after Kakko got his fifth to knot up the game. Did he ever need it. You don’t measure success by scoring against teams in the NHL basement. Let’s just say that Kakko goal is more meaningful because of who it came against. Especially after he refused to shoot the puck. That was bigger than Fox continuing his Norris candidacy.

One of the things I really liked about this period was the Rangers’ relentlessness. They didn’t stop attacking. Lafreniere attempted a couple of shots. A welcome sight. He actually had a good one earlier when nobody was shooting. He did receive over 10 minutes tonight. It was positive. Julien Gauthier got a little less, but remained effective playing on the Kid Line.

The Capitals did up their play following Fox’s goal. But any shot they sent towards Shestyorkin was repelled with confidence. He got stronger as the game went on. He turned aside all 10 Washington shots in the period. He got some insurance from the one and only Bread Man.

With Washington pressing the issue down a goal with under five minutes left, Brendan Smith was able to thread a great stretch pass for a sneaky Panarin, who got behind the Caps’ defense. It was the second time I can remember Smith making such a great pass that lead to a goal. This one sent the Bread Man in on a breakaway. With the 1,761 fans making noise, he didn’t disappoint by pulling off a shoulder shrug and wicked backhand top cheese for his ninth with 4:19 remaining. That gave him three points with all of them coming in the third. Clutch. He’s now up to 32 points (9-23-32).

There would be a little bit of animosity late. With Vanecek lifted for an extra attacker, Smith gave Oshie a hard crosscheck from behind to give the Caps a power play with 70 seconds left in regulation. It wasn’t a good play. Not surprisingly, Tom Wilson didn’t like it. He had words for Smith, who’s made it a habit lately of agitating one of the game’s toughest power forwards. Wilson had recently served a seven-game suspension for a high hit that injured Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. He actually is finally back for Boston. In the end, cooler heads prevailed.

With the Caps skating six-on-four, the Blueshirts knew they could shoot for the empty net. As usual, the penalty kill forced a turnover that allowed Buchnevich to fire the puck down for the empty net to close it out with 35 seconds left. Lindgren picked up his second helper. He quietly has 11 assists for the season. A solid number for the physical warrior that pairs up with Fox, who gets most of the ink. Don’t forget what Lindgren has meant. What a gem he’s turned into since coming over from Boston as part of the Rick Nash trade. One of GM Jeff Gorton’s best with him eventually turning Ryan Spooner into Strome. Hahahaha Edmonton. Holy moly.

This was a nice win at the right time. A third period comeback too. Of course, Wilson did act up following the Buchnevich empty netter, earning an early start on his shower. If you didn’t enjoy it, then you’re in the wrong line of business. I also enjoyed watching UCLA hold off Michigan later. Sorry to all the Blue fans out there. They gagged it up.

I guess at least one team rocking the blue mattered on this night. 😁 Next up are those Sabres for a daily double on Thursday and Saturday. I’m only gonna say this once. Especially after they blew a three-goal lead at home to the fragile Flyers at home. The Blueshirts don’t want to be the team that loses to the Sabres. Let’s Go Buffalo tonight!

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Adam Fox, NYR (game-winning goal for 4th of season, +2 in 23:11)

2nd 🌟 Igor Shestyorkin, NYR (30 saves on 32 shots, 3-0 since his return)

1st 🌟 Artemi Panarin, NYR (3-point third 1-2-3, +3 in 19:44)

Funny. Kaapo Kakko. A Man of Few Words.

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Devils illusory junktime surge ends in Beantown

Posted on March 30, 2021 by hasan4978

In the previously on part of this blog, to recap since it’s been a while – the last time I really paid any serious attention to a Devils game was the Ranger weekend fiasco. I mentally shut off entirely after the Islander three-game sweep, only paying cursory attention on Twitter and to recaps for reasons I already got into before. After losing three straight to the Isles, this team went on its now usual junktime surge beating the Pens two of three, finally squeezing out a win over the Sabres, beating the Flyers and their tire fire goaltending and then shutting out the Bruins on Sunday. Of course we lost twice more to the Caps but when don’t we lose to the Caps this season? Literally we’ve lost in every which way to them this season, from blowing leads to falling behind and coming up short in a comeback to losing late, and more recently giving up entirely in a 4-0 whitewashing at the end of a six game in nine day stretch. And oh joy – we get them twice more on deck.

Still, it seemed this team was picking up their play against everyone else to the point where yes, tonight I turned the game on when we were up 3-1 on the Bruins (again) in the second period. Our bizarre season-long hex of the Bruins aside, another win over them would have given us six in nine games and represented a true cause for optimism. I was even starting to write a more positive blog at 4-2.

Then the Devils proceeded to remind me why they suck and I emotionally had peaced out on the season weeks ago.

Maybe it’s not fair to ask them to beat the Bruins for a fifth straight time (4-0-1 in our first five with them this year) but watching the Devils blow it at the end just annoyed me though, in a manner I haven’t been annoyed this year other than the Ranger sweep. I said after the Ranger sweep I was checked out to the point where I don’t even feel like ranting, welp here comes one now. First of all, the last two seasons are proving why you can’t go nuts over second-half surges when the team’s long since out of the playoff picture. They’re the very definition of low-pressure, low-expectation games. As a Jet fan I saw how meaningless an illusory second-half surge was in 2019 when the 2020 season capsized on an iceberg. Clearly the Devils’ 2020 second half didn’t have much relevance when 2021 blew up after our illusory first several games of the season.

I really wanted to be sitting here talking about the positives from the last few weeks – how Jesper Bratt’s all-around game has been picking up since a temporary demotion to the fourth line (albeit he still has only three goals, but he’s putting up assists and actually playing well away from the puck for maybe the first time in his career), how Mackenzie Blackwood until tonight looked back to his early-season form in recent games, how Dmitri Kulikov has become a more stabilizing defensive presence we needed. In other words actually enjoying this team again.

Instead I’m sitting here cursing them out after blowing it in the third period, in no small part due to the NHL’s worst special teams….again. It figures that right when I saw the graphic about how we’re only killing off 73% of penalties my thought was at least that’s an improvement from the 60% or so it was for a while. Then of course we give up another PP goal right after I had that thought. It didn’t help that Blackwood had an off night, giving up at least a couple of goals he’d like to have back and getting straight punked in the shootout. It would be nice if this team could give him enough support to pick him up on an off night though. And it actually looked like that was going to happen at 4-2.

Of course it would also help if your PP could actually you know, get some quality chances on net and occasionally score on one. Considering we have one of the best scorers in NHL history (Mark Recchi) coaching our PP you would think, even factoring in the lack of practice time that he’d be able to draw something up on the blackboard in-game or over Zoom that’s better than the crap the Devils have been putting out game after game on the man advantage. Failing on consecutive power plays late in the third AND in OT without getting diddly poo in terms of quality chances is the perfect coda for our special teams of doom this year. Maybe better personnel choices would help too, I’ll forever like Sami Vatanen for what he did in 2018 and the fact he’s a fun personality but I’m sorry, 2021 Vatanen and crest-killer Damon Severson (who is good otherwise but historically has stunk on the PP) shouldn’t be getting PP minutes over Ty Smith, who’s our leading scorer on D this year. I did at least find it somewhat amusing that the Bruins fans obsessive booing of P.K. Subban at the end of one power play made it sound like a crowd at the Rock booing our ineffective man advantage.

Speaking of crest-killers, it’s time for our only healthy #1OA pick to start producing like one. I realize we’re barely into his second season’s worth of games, but Jack Hughes’ production has been straight out disappointing to this point. So far in his career he’s been a guy who flashes for 8-10 games of a season then craps out after that. Obviously there are different reasons for it this year, compared to last year but at some point if you’re going to be a star player you need to be a heck of a lot more productive and consistent. After his first eight games this year things looked great with three goals and five assists. Since then, he’s produced just four goals and four assists in 26 games getting consistent first-line minutes. Before the haters come at me with ‘but he had COVID! but the schedule sucks!’, I understand that – I’m in no way saying Hughes is a finished product. But for a guy who’s supposed to be an elite playmaker, he hasn’t been able to lift the level of his wingers so far and he sure as shooting hasn’t shown enough of a scoring touch to match his supposedly great analytical numbers – which dovetails right into another pet peeve of mine.

And before the nerds come at me for ranting on analytics, I understand they should be a part of the game as a complement to the eye test and intangibles. My main consternation with analytics is twofold – one, they sure as shooting aren’t perfect yet. It’s hard to expect any metric to be perfect with a game that has as many variables as hockey, and for the people that are the analytics believers to treat them as if they are some perfect finished product that can’t be questioned is mind-boggling. My other annoyance with analytics is people who believe in them give them more weight than actual production and any deviance from the belief that analytics = good player gets dismissed as just luck. If you have bad analytics and are producing it’s just unsustainable luck, it you have good analytics and aren’t producing you’re unlucky. It can’t possibly have anything to do with actual talent or on and off ice stuff that hasn’t been measured with a stat yet.

So when I hear Hughes or Bratt have such great analytics and it’s only a matter of time before they score I roll my eyes, even if there might be some truth to that. It’s hard to take the stat nerds seriously when I had to see things like them saying Hughes was a good player LAST year, when he had 21 points in 61 games and did nothing else particularly well. I don’t deny that he’s looked much better than last season in 2021, even if his recent 20+ games haven’t exactly shown that but that’s also a very low bar to clear for a #1OA. And as far as Bratt goes, this idea he’s going to have a scoring breakout isn’t borne out by his career where he hasn’t hit twenty goals or forty points yet. He’s put some assists (and one very big goal) up on the board in recent games, and all credit to him for improving his all-around game in recent weeks but long-term I’m not sure how sustainable his point production is unless a goal spike also happens. You don’t often see ten goal, forty-five assist forwards in the NHL.

Welp I’m about tapped out on this one…I suspect the next blog I post will be a trade deadline preview (or recap since it’s only two weeks away now) and more griping about how deadline day is once again the highlight of our season.

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When the message is off tangent

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Derek

Alexis Lafreniere will need to play more down the stretch regardless of where the Rangers are in the division playoff race. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images

Entering Tuesday’s return match against Washington, who hung on for a 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon, there are twenty-two games remaining for the Rangers to decide who they are. At this point, we don’t know.

Oh sure. They tease you to death with mesmerizing performances in blowout wins over the Flyers. Then fall flat in consecutive losses to that same strange opponent and mount a furious rally in a bizarre final period before losing 5-4 to the Capitals. In doing so, they dropped two more one-goal games to fall to 3-12 in such instances. The brownie points don’t count in my book. All those defeats mounting for a mediocre team that finds itself at NHL .500 with a 15-15-4 mark through 34 games.

What are they? On some nights, the Rangers have proven fully capable of competing with the upper echelon in the confusing East Division. They’re three up and two down versus those first place Caps, who visit Madison Square Garden later tonight to conclude a two-game series. They’ve taken three of six against the Flyers, who they blew out twice by a combined 17-3 football score. The pair of Mika Zibanejad natural hat trick, six-point games that allowed the number one center to snap out of it. Also big games from Ryan Strome and Adam Fox, who took home First Star of the Week honors for his 11 points (1-10-11). Fox is a rising star who will receive some Norris votes.

Here’s the frustrating aspect. As well as they’ve played in some wins, there are still too many instances where they lose in crushing fashion. The Flyers rematch on Saturday was one of those. A game they didn’t play well enough in due to not matching their upset rival’s intensity. It showed in the lack of shots and over passing. It also was on display when they completely fell apart in a dizzying second period that saw the Caps outscore them 3-0 following an even first period where nothing happened. Then there was the wild and wacky third that saw Tom Wilson make it 4-0 before Colin Blackwell scored twice to spark a last ditch effort that fell short. T.J. Oshie’s redirect that made it 5-2 proved too much to overcome despite goals from Alexis Lafreniere and Chris “PPG” Kreider.

Speaking of Lafreniere, he received a shade over eight minutes of ice time on Sunday with head coach David Quinn finally back behind the bench. This followed even less time versus the Flyers under Hartford coach Kris Knoblauch, who had the top pick in single digits three different times. So, this isn’t just a Quinn thing. It’s organizational. Here’s what the coach offered to reporters including Vince Mercogliano of USA Today.

“He and I talked actually before the last Philly game, and you can just see he’s frustrated. This is a hard league. I know we’ve all talked about how it’s a hard league to step into in these circumstances. It’s hard enough when you get a one-week training camp, you don’t have any exhibition games and you have to hit the ground running. It’s just a really strange year, and it’s a hard year for rookies. You can see that he’s getting frustrated, and to me, it’s the mental aspect of what he’s going through right now. We’ve just got to help him through it.”

A lot of what Quinn said is right. This isn’t a normal season. Especially for a teenager who went number one overall in a hyped 2020 NHL Draft. Only three draft picks are playing. Tim Stutzle of the Senators has fared well so far in a more defined role for the true rebuilding Ottawa. Jamie Drysdale has debuted with the Ducks scoring his first NHL goal and adding an assist while getting ideal shifts on the back end of Anaheim, who are one of the worst teams. It’s much easier for Drysdale and Stutzle than Lafreniere, who can hardly get any power play time due to who’s ahead of him. That isn’t his fault.

It’s the way the Rangers are constructed. They can continue to insist they’re a rebuilding team. But how can they be when they doled out all that money on Artemi Panarin and then overpaid Jacob Trouba? With decisions looming on key restricted free agent Pavel Buchnevich and potential 2022 UFA’s Zibanejad and Strome, it’s hard to gauge what they are. Kreider was re-signed last year prior to the Trade Deadline. He decided to forego free agency and take a home discount. He didn’t have to. If they’d subtracted him, nobody could’ve filled his role as the power forward who scores goals in the trenches while screening goalies.

Let’s not forget that the organization had zero idea they’d luck into the top pick due to a flawed two part lottery system. By getting swept by Carolina in as uncompetitive a three-game Play In Series as possible, they actually wound up winners by landing Lafreniere with the first pick last October. However, he hasn’t found it easy. With no AHL options due to a different set of rules for junior hockey players who played in the QMJHL, he’s played in all 34 games with mixed results. There are some shifts where you notice him like the four-game point streak he put together. Then there are times you don’t know he’s out there. That’s if he’s playing.

At only 19, the first-year left wing from the Province of Quebec is still adjusting to life in the NHL. With five goals and five assists, Lafreniere hasn’t quite lit the world on fire. However, all 10 of his points have at even strength including the memorable overtime winner in an exciting road win at Buffalo. That was before the Sabres went into the tank literally. He did score on a rebound of a Julien Gauthier shot to make things interesting the other day. Then Kreider scored his team-leading ninth power play goal. He leads the team with 17. A good number for a streaky scorer. Especially given the leadership he provides.

When you have a young core that features a game changer in Panarin, who is paid handsomely, it changes the expectations. For all the emphasis on the youth movement that includes steady D tandem Fox and Ryan Lindgren, plus K’Andre Miller, there still are more experienced players the Rangers are relying on. So, while they handle Lafreniere cautiously due to where he is in his development, the reliance on top two centers Zibanejad and Strome is a significant gap from Filip Chytil. A young player who showed promise at the start prior to his injury, the 21-year old former first round pick has yet to prove he can supplant Strome, who has superb chemistry with Panarin. When his sidekick was out, he proved he could still produce by working well with Kreider.

With Buchnevich taking a leap up with 31 points over 33 games, he’s increased his value this summer. A year away from unrestricted status, he can either be traded or re-sign for a nice raise. With the team still waiting for Kakko to start finishing more consistently and Vitaly Kravtsov on deck for his anticipated NHL debut, it’ll be interesting to see how the team handles this final stretch. While they’ve gotten good production from Buchnevich, Kreider, Panarin, Strome and Zibanejad, they’re still looking for improvement from Kakko and Lafreniere. Their progression is the key to the future. One that is more vital than any present success.

When it’s hard for the coaching staff to find enough power play time for the kids, it doesn’t bode well for their development. How many other teams lean so heavily on a top unit that remains puzzling? No matter how many power play goals they score, the five man top unit of Fox, Kreider, Panarin, Strome and Zibanejad have been consistently inconsistent. There are moments where they connect and others that are mind-numbing due to the reluctance to shoot the puck. The little used second unit that sometimes has either Kakko or Lafreniere on gets the remaining scraps. It isn’t a recipe for success. When they do start a man-advantage, there aren’t enough reps which hurt chemistry.

Even though the forward depth has improved thanks to key additions Blackwell and Kevin Rooney, there are too many instances where a young player finds themselves in a reduced role. How do you explain Julien Gauthier? He has created offense off his size and speed when he’s in the lineup. However, Gauthier has taken bad penalties that found him scratched despite his contributions. Then there are games like Sunday where he doesn’t receive enough ice time in a back-to-back where some of the core were sluggish. That included Panarin, who had a second straight poor game without a point. Even Fox had a tough day. A rarity.

Then there’s the decision to start Keith Kinkaid over Igor Shestyorkin. If it was only due to his one successful outing in a 3-1 win on 3/20, it wasn’t the right choice. However, if it’s because they didn’t want to use Shestyorkin for a third straight start after coming off his groin strain, that’s more understandable. Especially with the amount of shots he faced against the Flyers. There’s a recent injury history with the starting goalie that isn’t too comfortable. If he’s going to take the reigns, they need him to be healthy moving forward. That’s a requirement for any good starter in the league. That Kinkaid had a tough game allowing five goals on 22 shots didn’t help matters. On Sunday, Quinn felt more comfortable starting his third string goalie on the depth chart due to Alex Georgiev’s struggles.

This is his third year behind the bench. Quinn said before the game that he wants to use his best players. But then chose Kinkaid for a game they needed to win. You can’t have it both ways. That also applies to the situation with Lafreniere, who did score a goal despite having his role reduced. He might not be as good overall as Kakko is in his second year. But Lafreniere has two more points than the 2019 second pick who blew a one-on-one with Ilya Samsonov by refusing to shoot the puck. Instead, he opted for a fancy deke that an aggressive Samsonov poke checked away. It’s those scoring opportunities that Kakko must start burying with regularity. The Rangers didn’t draft him for his Corsica possession statistics or defensive play.

It’s also perplexing that Quinn didn’t feel Kravtsov was ready to help the team. He hasn’t had enough discussions with the first round pick due to having COVID-19. However, it’s not like the 21-year old Russian prospect hasn’t been practicing. He can speak to him on the phone, through text or Zoom. Something he did to communicate with other players. If for some reason Kravtsov doesn’t debut this week, it could be to make sure they get enough games in for other players due to the Expansion Draft. While it is a tacky reason, it’s understandable. Does playing Phil Di Giuseppe really matter at this point?

Brendan Lemieux was traded to LA due to a numbers game. That was understandable. He will get an opportunity for more of a role with the Kings, who are trying to chase down both the Blues and Coyotes for the fourth and final spot in the West Division. Quinn also referenced Brett Howden, who is ready to return to the lineup following COVID protocol. The organization also wants to take a look at Morgan Barron. A ’17 sixth round pick out of Cornell who’s played well in the AHL. In a dozen games with Hartford, he has seven goals and three assists. Considered a two-way center, Barron definitely deserves to play. That way they can better determine what he is.

With well respected veteran Brendan Smith up after the season, he could be a trade candidate. He’s done a solid job filling in on the blue line. Even with a mix up on the Flyers’ winning goal on Saturday between him and Libor Hajek, it’s hard to critique him. The effort is always there. It’s a positive development that the Rangers have now seen Hajek enough to decide his future. One that probably will be elsewhere. If they do move Smith by the April 12 Trade Deadline, they can play Tarmo Reunanen in more games. He recorded an assist in his one game.

Over the next month, the Rangers will face many tough decisions. Whatever is going on in the standings, they must choose the future. It’s a lot wiser than a hope and a prayer.

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Rangers left blue after costly one-goal loss to Flyers, Morin gets winner to ruin good game from Shestyorkin, Adios Lemieux! Hell-o Kravtsov!

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Derek

Sam Morin said his first NHL goal (seen above) is “probably the best moment of his career.” The second best one was provided by the clueless NHL Player Safety making this magic moment possible. Or ugly one if you root for the Rangers. AP Photo by Flyers courtesy Getty Images

This is one to forget. The Rangers should burn the tape or DVD. In what amounted to a costly one-goal loss, they fell to the Flyers 2-1 in Philadelphia this afternoon. That ended their recent dominance over the Flyers, who were much more determined throughout and earned the win in front of some home fans.

Even worse, Sam Morin got the game-winner with 4:27 left in regulation. The same big physical defenseman who was let off the hook by NHL Player Safety. Somehow, they didn’t think an irate Morin instigating a fight and pulling Brendan Lemieux’s hair while driving him into the ice, merited a suspension.

This is the total ineptitude you’re dealing with. It’s been that way for years. They might be called “Player Safety.” But it’s a crock. The NHL doesn’t care what happens to its players. Or how many more dirty hits will noted headhunter Ryan Reaves get away with? I guess because he plays for Vegas, it doesn’t matter. It’s a serious issue that isn’t going away. Neither are cheap shots like the slewfoot Travis Konecny delivered on Mika Zibanejad post whistle to take him down.

None of this explains why the Rangers lost to an opponent they dominated the last two games. But I warned that they had to be ready to play in the Saturday early matinee rematch. There was no way they were going to blow the doors off their Philly rival a third straight time. It was unrealistic. That’s why I expected it to be a closer fought lower scoring game. However, for as glass half empty as I can be considering some fan expectations, I thought they’d win. I told my brother 4-2. In fact, I might’ve tweeted it. Oh well.

It didn’t matter that Igor Shestyorkin played well throughout finishing with 35 saves on 37 shots. An all too predictable goal from the player who shouldn’t have played wound up as the deciding tally. As easy as it is to blast the league for another failure to discipline a player, it’s even easier to blame the Rangers for allowing this clown to score his first NHL goal. If I sound mad, it’s because I am. How did they let Morin beat them? Never mind. Is it really a surprise considering how many first goals this team has given up over the years?

That assessment above from lone goalscorer Zibanejad sums up what happened perfectly. It’s unacceptable at this point in the season for the team to get out-worked and out-grinded. Give credit to the Flyers for deciding to show up and save Alain Vigneault’s job. Well at least for now. They remain three behind the Bruins due to Boston scoring twice in a come from behind 3-2 win over the Sabres, who have now lost 17 consecutive games. Or if you’re one of those nerdy reporters who must go by the ridiculous NHL logic, winless in 17 (0-15-2). Whatever that means. 🙄 If you’re like me, you don’t care about such warped logic.

What else would you expect from a league that celebrates every little thing except ever daring to recognize mental health. I’m not knocking them for acknowledging how important Black History Month and Women’s Month are. They’re well done along with Hockey Fights Cancer, which really should have an entire month to itself. That affects all people. My point is the NHL should have a Mental Health Awareness night or week. Canada does it with its #BellLetsTalk initiative. How come it’s never recognized in the United States where many are suffering from anxiety and depression? Go ask Daniel Carcillo how he feels about this hypocritical league. Or do I have to cite the tough guys who they pushed that are no longer with us? It’s too sad.

I think I made my point. That is probably going to be better than the actual game of which I saw little of until the determining third period. All I had to do was watch it to realize one thing. ‘They’re not winning this.’ I was just hoping for them to take it to overtime. If only that had been the case. We wouldn’t be sitting here perplexed by the end result. One that damaged their playoff hopes. You know my feeling on this team. It hasn’t changed. Beating out the Bruins would be miraculous. They have games at hand and still play the Sabres six more times. I don’t think the Flyers are making it unless they catch fire and beat out the banged up Pens.

I know the Flyers were the much better team today. I saw the commentary in our fun group chat on Twitter. Here’s a sampling from the level-headed people who live and die with this team.

https://twitter.com/TheEsq_of_212/status/1375897837301604353?s=19

https://twitter.com/Hartykyle1/status/1375891561611857924?s=19

https://twitter.com/TheEsq_of_212/status/1375893317376950278?s=19

Michael is usually on the money in his assessments when it comes to our team. AKA Esquire. He doesn’t pull any punches. Neither does JD. The bottom line is if you’re facing the same opponent you just embarrassed for a second time in over a week for a combined score of 17-3, there’s no way you can’t expect an opponent that’s a close rival to push back. The Flyers took liberties at the end of the last game some 36 hours ago. The message should’ve been received. Why the players were so unprepared I don’t know. Maybe they thought it would be easy. Or perhaps they forgot it was Kris Knoblauch behind the bench and not David Quinn, who could be back for tomorrow’s do or die match-up against the Caps. A team that only loses to the Rangers. But beats everyone else. You know Alexander Ovechkin will be out for redemption.

The Rangers are 3-1 versus Washington. The next two are against the Caps with Tuesday’s rematch at Mask Square Garden sponsored by CDC and PCR. What a joke that is. I don’t think it’s fair to be honest. I wouldn’t even have fans. This country is so backwards in dealing with the pandemic. Look at Canada. There are no fans at arenas yet. As it should be. They actually care about health and safety first and don’t con fans, who are spending more money. I will never attend a game until this whole ordeal is over. When that is I have as much of a clue as President Biden and Corrupt Cuomo. I don’t believe in putting myself at risk. To those who do, good luck. Be careful.

As you can tell, I don’t have much to say about this game. I’m going to make some general comments. I know Zibanejad scored again to give him 15 points (7-8-15) versus the Flyers. That’s over half his production. For the year, he’s up to 11-16-27 in 33 games. The two gigantic natural hat trick, six-point performances largely responsible for his turnaround. It’s great to see him playing like the dangerous top center we saw last year. Interestingly, he has four points (2-2-4) in 4 games vs the Caps. Everyone else in the division, it’s two or fewer. Obviously, he must continue his re-emergence when they play the other five opponents following the pair against the boys from DC.

Zibanejad scored the Rangers’ only goal on the power play. It was again from Ryan Strome and Adam Fox. The identical combination who were involved in all three of Mika’s power play goals for his second hat trick against the Flyers since the Saint Patty’s Day Philadelphia Massacre. While it’s nice to have our top three guns of late involved in the scoring, that means they got nothing out of Artemi Panarin, Pavel Buchnevich or Chris Kreider. Two of which didn’t record a single shot. That can’t happen. This team plays much better when both Buchnevich and Kreider are involved. Neither registered a shot. As a team, the Blueshirts got 25 on Brian Elliott including just 19 at even strength. He must’ve felt like he was on vacation.

From what I gathered, there was too much passing going on. Not enough shooting or urgency. That is usually a recipe for disaster. The Flyers outshot the Rangers 37-25 for the game. They also controlled play at five-on-five by launching 31 even strength shots at Shestyorkin, who only permitted the weird one to sniper Morin which frustratingly determined the outcome. Maybe if Libor Hajek and Brendan Smith didn’t screw up on the coverage, that goal never happens. I fail to see how the fourth line was caught on for that late goal. That’s a complete failure. I can’t put it on Quinn. So I guess Knoblauch screwed up. That isn’t the first time that’s happened. Buchnevich was on with Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell, who might come out of the lineup for Vitaly Kravtsov. If logic prevailed, that’s what should happen. But these are your New York Rangers. Where Alexis Lafreniere winds up with 11 minutes and not a single second on the little used second power play unit. And we wonder why the much ballyhooed top pick hasn’t reached double digits in points. What a joke!

That’s what happens when you have a confused organization that can’t decide if they’re going for it or developing the kids like Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and Kravtsov, who continues to play The Waiting Game. As if he isn’t good enough to crack a lineup that ices Brendan Lemieux and Julien Gauthier, who somehow got under nine minutes in the loss. He’s too young. He may as well have one foot attached to the bench. Or be handcuffed. Aside from the way they’ve handled the young D corps that features Fox, Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller, nothing makes sense. They also have to play Shestyorkin in net or I’m sure they’d play “Head Games” with our Russian too. A little 80’s musical reference for anyone with knowledge.

Let’s be clear here. If they lose tomorrow while likely playing either Alex Georgiev or Keith Kinkaid, who deserves the nod for how well he’s played, the team needs to stop fussing around and do what’s best for the future. That means making hard decisions on good team guys like Smith and Rooney by making them available for the April 12 NHL Trade Deadline in two weeks. They could aid a playoff contender and free up spots for younger players to fill. I know I can’t be alone in wanting to see more of Tarmo Reunanen. Ditto for Gauthier even if it’s in a limited role. I also would put Lemieux up as well because I don’t see much of a future here for him. You don’t think a team would have interest in a gritty player like Blackwell? Meanwhile, Brett Howden is wasting away in the press box. There will be a lot of decisions coming soon.

UPDATE: Well, it looks like I was proven right about Lemieux. He was dealt while I was writing this. Lemieux goes to the Kings in exchange for a ’21 fourth round pick. I called this one. It’s for the best. He was never as good as he was supposed to be. Maybe a scenery change will help. That frees up a spot for Kravtsov. He should debut tomorrow. A big plus.

As far as the Flyers go, they drew even in the second period on a Nolan Patrick power play goal. With Rooney off for tripping Shayne Gostisbehere, the Philadelphia Ghost took a point shot that Patrick had way too much time to redirect past Shestyorkin. He was all alone. What was Smith doing on that one? At least Jacob Trouba covered someone in front. He was on Sean Couturier. Simply put, Smith failed to take Patrick, who even though he hasn’t found it yet after missing all those games, has good hands in front. He nearly had one last game too only for Shestyorkin to deny him. If I’m the Flyers, I wouldn’t give up on that kid. He could be a good finisher. Particularly on the power play. It’s eerie how similar his NHL career has been to Nico Hischier. They went ahead of Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar and Elias Pettersson. It just goes to show you what can happen. There wasn’t a person alive who would’ve took those three players over Hischier and Patrick. Ditto for Jack Hughes and Kakko. I’ll withhold judgment on Lafreniere because of what his role is. We know how good Tim Stutzle is.

The third was evenly played. Both teams had eight shots. The Rangers failed on one power play halfway through with Scott Laughton in the box. Again, it was the top unit that was over passing the puck. They let Elliott completely off the hook. Panarin tried a pass at one point that didn’t work. Sometimes, I wish he was more selfish. I don’t want him to lose his creativity. But he has a good enough shot as he’s proven. If he fired it more, we could be talking about a 35-goal scorer. The turnovers have been more noticeable in his second year despite the production.

Following the Flyers mugging Morin after his first career NHL goal that put them ahead, the Rangers’ best chance came when Lafreniere created it during a rare late shift. He made a good pass that almost resulted in the tying goal with around two minutes left. He also got another opportunity, but his sneaky play didn’t go. I wish he could get more ice time. I know what the situation is. Hopefully soon.

The biggest disappointment was the Rangers not being able to handle the aggressive Flyers’ forecheck. They couldn’t get out of their zone. Somehow, Fox made a diving save on an empty net attempt. He also blocked two others with time winding down. While this was going on, leave it to Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti to joke around about Fox as if he should play goalie. I didn’t find it funny. They’re about to lose and these two yo-yo’s are laughing. Come on!

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1375893589629280257?s=19

I don’t even remember how it ended. It wasn’t good. The only thing that stands out is that lovable Morin being mobbed by Laughton and the other Flyers on the ice for his goal. And he got to be the game’s First Star and skate out in front of 2,000 or so fans. I’m sure they enjoyed it along with Gritty. I bet Colin Campbell and George Parros did as well. They may as well have been in on the fun. An Orange Party for everyone.

No. I’m not bothering with the Game’s Three Stars. Screw it. They may as well be Moe, Larry and Curly. In this case, Parros, Campbell and Morin. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Adios to the In-Grate One. Hell-o! Vitaly Kravtsov. Or Привет (Privet) Виталий Кравцов!

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Deja Vu All Over Again! Zibanejad records another natural hat trick in another destruction of Flyers, Fox and Strome continue dominance in Shestyorkin return

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Derek

When you beat the same opponent twice in virtually identical fashion, what more is there to say? It was Deja Vu all over again. The Rangers thoroughly turned the Flyers into pumpkins for a second straight meeting. This time, it came in enemy territory. A week after destroying the Flyers 9-0 highlighted by a Mika Zibanejad natural hat trick and six points, they repeated it in an 8-3 destruction in Philadelphia.

Once again, Zibanejad was the biggest star. His second natural hat trick in nine days against the same defensively inept Flyers was the story. In two games (both wins by a combined 17-3), the top center has now posted a dozen points (6-6-12) in blowouts that were never close. Even if Philadelphia decided to start trying once they fell behind by a touchdown on Thursday night, it was way too late.

Not with Igor Shestyorkin showing no rust in his first start since March 4. In a bizarre game that saw the Flyers double up the Rangers in shots 44-22, it didn’t matter due to the steady play of the 25-year old Russian netminder. Even though it turned into a rout, Kevin Hayes tested him early by attempting to go five-hole on a wrist shot. But Shestyorkin closed the door to get a whistle at the first stoppage. He made a few more good saves with none better than his point blank denial on Claude Giroux with the score still 3-0. That proved to be the biggest save on a night he turned aside 41 of 44 shots.

What a weird game it was. Not because the Blueshirts thumped the Flyers. Just the way it happened. If you didn’t watch, you wouldn’t understand. Truthfully, the Flyers played the Rangers even in the first seven minutes. But once Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin combined to easily set up an unchecked Ryan Strome for his 11th goal at 8:01 of the first period, the Flyers came unglued. On the goal, Fox made a diagonal pass to Panarin, who waited for Strome to sneak into the picture. Jakub Voracek watched instead of taking him as the Bread Man threaded a perfect backdoor feed for a Strome tap in.

When you face a fragile team like the Flyers, who are giving up goals at an alarming rate, you have to put the pedal to the metal. The Rangers did. Shortly following Strome’s goal, it was Zibanejad and Chris Kreider combining to set up Pavel Buchnevich for his 12th for a 2-0 lead only 52 seconds later. This was another complete Flyers breakdown. With one defenseman trapped, it was a two-on-one for Kreider and Buchnevich. With only Ivan Provorov back, Kreider dished across for a quick Buchnevich one-timer that was in so fast that neither Carter Hart or Sam Rosen saw it.

In regards to Rosen, it’s not good to continue hearing him make mistakes. He never picked it up. All you saw was Buchnevich’s reaction and the red light go on. Joe Micheletti told him it was in. For as hard as it is to listen to him because of how much he talks, Micheletti at least knew it was a goal. I wish I could say the same for the way he and Rosen talked over a scrap between Brendan Smith and a visibly frustrated Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the following shift. They didn’t even mention that each received matching five-minute fighting majors. It was sad.

This broadcast has never been worse. I wish Rosen didn’t have Micheletti as a partner. I also feel bad knowing he’s lost so much off his fastball. He still has his moments. But some are hard. No matter what, Sam Rosen will always be forever remembered by every Rangers fan. He’s been a great broadcaster and voice of the team for over three decades. If he ever decided it was time, I’d be happy for him and his family. Kenny Albert has been waiting patiently while doing a good job on the radio. He’s certainly getting plenty of work on NBCSN. Deservedly so.

When it’s going bad, nothing goes right. With Flyers coach Alain Vigneault staring at the scoreboard every time the Rangers scored, it looked like a repeat from the last two years when he was behind our bench. He never seems to have any answers. Asked recently what’s gone wrong in his second year with Philly, he said if he had the answers, he’d have figured out why. Instead, it’s the same old thing Vigneault did here. He doesn’t know. He never does. For as successful an NHL coach as he’s been with Stanley Cup trips in Vancouver and New York City, he sounds clueless. You can bet his old failed assistants Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo aren’t helping. The Flyers are a mess.

Take nothing away from the Rangers. They went in and did what they had to do. Not only were they opportunistic on their shots that beat both Flyers goalies for eight on 22 shots. But they also went three-for-five on the power play. The man-advantage is where Zibanejad did all of his damage. After Kaapo Kakko drew a tripping call on Justin Braun, the Rangers went to work. It wasn’t until Fox waited for teammates in transition to get onside and set it up. The abysmal 25th ranked Flyers penalty kill let them work the puck quickly. A Strome pass for a Fox one-timer was redirected past Hart for number one for Zibanejad at 13:36. It was a good low shot that Zibanejad must’ve just gotten a piece of. Fox picked up his third assist of the period while Zibanejad earned his third point. Strome had two.

As much as this was headed the same way as the St. Patrick’s Day Philadelphia Massacre, Shestyorkin still had to come up with saves. He really looked sharp following the three week layoff. It was impressive how well he moved. It would be easy to overlook his performance because ultimately, the Rangers won the game by five goals. However, at one point, the Flyers finally started to wake up when the game looked over. They peppered our goalie the last two periods with 36 shots. He was excellent. Had they gotten it to 6-3 before the end of the second, it could’ve gotten interesting. I never panicked because I knew how susceptible the Flyers were.

They continued to mystify. Towards the conclusion of the first, a heated James van Riemsdyk nailed Ryan Lindgren from behind to earn two for cross-checking with 48 seconds left. The Blueshirts set up one good shot that Hart stopped before time expired. They still had 1:12 remaining on the five-on-four. Somewhat predictably, the Rangers got the Flyers running around. With Hart scrambling following a close call, it was Fox who found an isolated Zibanejad for a wicked one-timer inside the near goalpost for his second of the night at 54 seconds of the second period. Strome added another assist.

Things got even nuttier when the recently recalled Sam Morin roughed up Julien Gauthier, who was allowed to drive around the matador Flyers defense and force Hart into a save. That handed the Blueshirts another power play. This didn’t take too long. This time, the identical combo of Fox and Strome were able to find Zibanejad in the slot for an accurate one-timer past Hart to complete his second natural hat trick in two games versus the Flyers. Sure. They were over a week apart. But the mere fact he wound up with identical 3-3-6 games against them is no coincidence. That is almost half his 26 points. He’s now up to 10 goals and 16 assists. It’s insane what he’s done to the Flyers.

Of course, Vigneault continued staring at the scoreboard as if the replay was going to change. He never used a timeout. He didn’t pull Hart yet. The same Hart who was in for four Devils goals in which they did whatever they wanted before the Flyers made things interesting the other night. I don’t know what the thinking is in Philadelphia. Or if there is any at all. But GM Chuck Fletcher is the same guy who screwed up the Wild, who have since recovered under Bill Guerin to become a playoff contender. He didn’t have a good off-season.

It doesn’t explain how little the Flyers compete under Vigneault. We’ve seen this story before. His transition system exposes the defense and theirs isn’t good. It’s very plodding and easy to play against. Right now, I think playing them is easier than the Sabres, who continue to lose. The Rangers have had an easier time with the Flyers, who they’ll face on Saturday afternoon. If there isn’t a response, I think Vigneault is gone. They really need to replace Fletcher too.

With Philly punch drunk, even a weird K’Andre Miller shot went in at 2:42. That one came 36 seconds after Zibanejad’s third of the game. On the bizarre play that made it 6-0 after only 22 minutes and 42 seconds, Brendan Lemieux picked up a helper and of course Zibanejad did, upping his total to five on the night. This was way too easy. Almost too much so. For all intents and purposes, it was already Game Over. I don’t mean Triple H either.

By that point, Brian Elliott had replaced Hart (5 GA on 11 shots). He was in for Miller’s third. Rudely welcomed by a team that has the Flyers’ number. No wonder the Rangers are back in the divisional playoff race. They got a little help from the enemy Islanders, who recovered from a two-goal deficit to win 4-3 in overtime over the Bruins, who have now lost all five games to the Isles. Boston is still a few points up for fourth place.

Despite trailing by a touchdown, Philadelphia mounted a rally. Well, they at least made an attempt at one. Over a minute following the Miller goal, Hayes found Giroux in front for a goal at 3:46. It was his eighth from Hayes and Joel Farabee. Predictably, the Rangers relaxed with the big lead. It’s only human to. They started turning over pucks to cause Flyers chances. Shestyorkin was there to cover up the mistakes.

However, a needless Lemieux hooking minor resulted in a Hayes power play goal that suddenly made it 6-2 with 6:26 left in the period. For the rest of that second, the Flyers took it to the Rangers. They seemed to invite their wounded opponent to take their best shot. As if it were Rocky versus Clubber Lang in the rematch. All they needed was some Rocky music and shouting from Apollo Creed. They had opportunities with Smith (roughing) and Jacob Trouba (holding) taking penalties. Despite outshooting the Rangers 18-7, the Flyers still trailed by four after 40 minutes.

While some of our schizo fans were concerned, I was relaxed. I knew all it would take was a goal to calm everyone down. This wasn’t the Canadiens they were playing up in the House of Horrors like that Saturday night up north when they blew a five-goal lead to lose in overtime. As if they needed a reminder of how bad the Flyers are, Buchnevich scored a shorthanded goal just 33 seconds into the third to make it 7-2 good guys. Again, Fox picked up an assist (5) and Zibanejad added point number six.

Of course, the Flyers scored on the same power play with Sean Couturier getting his ninth from Travis Konecny and Shayne Gostisbehere. That made it 7-3 with 18:32 to go. But that was as close as they came. Instead, things got interesting.

During a scrum in front of Shestyorkin, Strome had enough of the pesky Aube-Kubel. He was ready to go. They each received two for roughing. Even as they piled up the shots, Igor was equal to the Flyers’ challenge. Nice of them to show up once they were down half a dozen. If that doesn’t tell you something’s wrong, I don’t know what to say. They look to have quit on Vigneault. It’s unbelievable. This is Year Two. He’s signed for three more years. If they lose again badly to the Rangers, is that it? We’ll see. If you’re our players, expect a better game. They need to be ready and roll with Shestyorkin.

Of course, the nastiness wasn’t over. Following a smart play from the very quiet Alexis Lafreniere in which he was able to set up a much needed Filip Chytil goal from behind the net to make it 8-3, here came a furious Morin going right after Lemieux. He just drives people crazy due to his antics. Some of which I don’t like. He takes liberties and is borderline dirty and probably psychotic. But he can be effective. On a soft team, you still need that. I don’t think he’ll be here by the summer. Think Seattle.

During this crazy sequence that saw Morin lose it during a one-sided fight where he pummeled Lemieux to the ice, the crazy sideshow pulled Lemieux’s hair and went too far. I thought Lemieux started with him. Maybe not. But this was absurd. It should result in NHL Player Safety having a hearing with Morin. I’ll say no more. While this went on, Van Riemsdyk was livid and tried to start something with Kevin Rooney. Nothing materialized. Rooney was sent to the locker room while Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl earned early showers.

Once the madness was over, the teams played the rest out. The Rangers running the clock down while on a power play where Smith got a shift. They then celebrated another lopsided victory with winning goalie Shestyorkin, who proved he’s back. They’ll need him for any kind of chance.

I’m not going to bother with the playoff race. All I know is the Rangers have tied the Flyers in points with 34. They passed them for fifth by virtue of two more regulation wins (13). A sweep on Saturday would keep the momentum going. With Fox, Strome, Buchnevich, Zibanejad, Kreider and Panarin all rolling, things are pointing upward. We’ll see what happens this weekend.

Don’t forget the NHL Trade Deadline is April 12. So, there’s still some time to figure out if they should be buyers or sellers. I think they have to sell due to the roster and cap situation. They have to stop screwing around with Vitaly Kravtsov. He’s practicing and they’re keeping the kid gloves on. He’s had a good professional season in the KHL. They need to stop the bullshit crap and play him. See what they have. Or are they going to wait for Oliver Wahlstrom to play himself into the Calder conversation with the Islanders? If you don’t think that matters, then you haven’t been paying attention.

While it’s nice to see this team coming together and winning under Kris Knoblauch, who must think he’s living a dream, they must remember to develop the kids. We need to see Kravtsov in the top nine and if he’s good enough, on the power play. I want more from Chytil, who hasn’t looked right since returning. At least he got the monkey off the back. Ditto for Lafreniere and Kakko. That’s what can make this team a legit contender in the future.

I’m glad to see Shestyorkin back and looking good. Now I say play him and see if he can handle the workload. As for who backs up, I don’t care. At the moment, Keith Kinkaid has outplayed Alex Georgiev. So, he should be the backup by that logic.

One last thing. The Rangers got Jacques Martin and Greg Brown back from COVID Protocol. Martin was back behind the bench with Knoblauch and Chris Drury. Brown was upstairs. They’re still waiting to clear coach David Quinn and assistant David Oliver. Isn’t it funny how they’ve erupted for all these goals including on the power play minus Quinn and Oliver? It sure makes you wonder.

What I like most is Knoblauch doesn’t mess too much with the lines. He kept Kakko with Strome and Panarin while sliding Colin Blackwell down to the fourth line. Gauthier stayed on the Kid Line. They seem to be executing better and just playing. They also seem to be having fun. There are a lot more smiles. It helps that Zibanejad woke up. Buchnevich has earned his next contract. We’re talking in the neighborhood of $5.5 million on average. The question is what will the organization decide.

For now, we may as well enjoy the rest of the hockey. There’s 24 games left on the schedule. Let’s see what happens. Happy Birthday Dad! It was his birthday on Wednesday. He sure doesn’t like AV. But he also loved seeing our team humiliate the Flyers again. If only Toronto and Montreal would’ve lost. He can’t stand either. That’s how you know he’s an old school hockey fan. Original Six!

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Ryan Strome, NYR (11th of season plus 3 🍎 in 17:09)

2nd 🌟 Adam Fox, NYR (5 🍎 in 21:55)

1st 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, NYR (second natural hat trick and six points vs Flyers in over a week, 12 of his 26 points in two games)

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Sharangovich sparks Devils past fading Flyers for fourth win in five, Blackwood makes 33 saves

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Derek

One of the stories not being covered is the play of Yegor Sharangovich. The 22-year old Devils rookie forward has been playing well of late. At the moment, it’s the play of the STK Line that’s sparked some improvement.

It was on display in the Devils 4-3 win at the fading Flyers to give them their fourth victory over the last five. The line featuring the budding Sharangovich with fellow rookie Janne Kuokkanen and veteran center Travis Zajac combined for six points (2-4-6) and a plus-three to highlight the club’s 12th win in their 30th game.

In holding off a late Flyers’ push thanks to ace goalie Mackenzie Blackwood making 30 saves on 33 shots with none bigger than holding his near goalpost on a good short side attempt from James van Riemsdyk with under a minute left, the Devils pulled within six points of fifth place Philadelphia. With 26 games remaining, they trail the COVID stricken Bruins by eight points for fourth place in the unpredictable East Division. The Rangers are four up on them for sixth and have two games versus the Flyers later this week.

With only nine wins in regulation and not enough consistent offense, the playoffs are a reach. Even the odds are against the Hudson rival Rangers making it due to Boston still having seven games remaining against the woeful Sabres. A lot of crazy stuff would have to happen to alter the top four that features the Islanders, Capitals, Penguins and Bruins, who remain idle with just 28 games played. With regulation wins the number one tiebreaker, it’s highly unlikely that the Devils aren’t sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline.

That could mean proven finisher Kyle Palmieri goes to a contender. Both the Bruins and Islanders should be interested. Boston lacking secondary scoring and the Isles needing a replacement for captain Anders Lee. Plus there’s the Lou Lamoriello factor. Connect the dots. Palmieri, who scored what amounted to a big go-ahead goal with 5.8 seconds left in the first period, could wind up elsewhere. He’s up at the conclusion of the season. Even though it hasn’t been a good year for him, Palmieri can still bring valuable assets back.

Facing a struggling rival that’s imploded recently, the Devils took advantage of some lackadaisical defense to win on the road for the eighth time in 13 games. Remarkably, they’re 8-3-2 away from The Prudential Center. If they played better at home, who knows. For whatever reason, coach Lindy Ruff’s team plays its best hockey on the road.

In a first period mostly controlled by the New Jersey side of the I-95 Turnpike Rivalry, the Devils started out well. Checking center Mike McLeod started the scoring at 9:52 when he took a good pass from rookie Ty Smith and broke in behind the Flyers defense to beat Carter Hart. It was a nice finish with McLeod able to go upstairs for his fourth from Smith and Andreas Johnsson. The goal broke an 16-game drought. His last pair came at Buffalo on 1/31.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1374507547260899330?s=19

With not much happening for the Flyers, they got a boost from Smith who interfered with Jakub Voracek. On the ensuing power play, a Voracek shot rebounded to Joel Farabee, who had three whacks at it before the puck squeaked by Blackwood to tie the game at 12:43. They used only 50 seconds to convert on the man-advantage.

But in a period where the Devils were the better attacking team, Mikhail Maltsev was able to draw a holding minor on an incensed Travis Sanheim with 1:26 left. He and Flyers bench boss Alain Vigneault might not have agreed with the call, but it was the right one.

With time winding down in the first, Kevin Hayes tried to glove down a loose puck and move it to a teammate. However, two Flyers penalty killers fumbled it allowing a pressuring Kuokkanen to steal the puck. He passed it to Jesper Bratt, who quickly dished across for a Palmieri one-timer that found its destination past a stunned Hart at 19:54. His sixth goal was a big one. It gave the Devils momentum.

Following some power failures on consecutive chances early in the second period, some more good work from Kuokkanen and Zajac on the forecheck resulted in a beautiful goal by Sharangovich to make it 3-1 at about the halfway point. On the scoring play, they applied strong pressure on defenseman Philippe Myers, who coughed up the puck along the boards. That allowed Kuokkanen (2 assists) and Zajac (goal and assist) to combine to set up Sharangovich for his seventh in the slot. A perfect one-timer that gave him his third goal in six. He’s been getting chances almost every game.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1374517898480259078?s=09

While the Devils played well offensively, Blackwood did his part making some key stops to keep them ahead by two. It was another Flyers defensive breakdown late in the period that lead to a huge insurance marker from Zajac.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1374516576079126537?s=19

On some more poor defending by the Flyers, the Devils out-hustled them to get the all important fourth goal. It was a forechecking Sharangovich who started a nice play to Smith, whose centering pass was tipped in by an open Zajac at 19:36. It was the 35-year old veteran’s fourth. He doesn’t get many goals anymore, but nobody can question Zajac’s effort. With a goal and helper, he very quietly has 14 points (4-10-14) in what could be his final season in New Jersey. A very good Devil who’s played all 1,016 games with one franchise after going number 20 in the ’04 NHL Draft, the two-way pivot needs two more goals for 200. He’s posted a respectable 544 points (198-346-544). He’s a good leader for the kids to follow.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1374522601276502018?s=09

The third period was predictably more quiet for the Devils. With that dreaded “three-goal lead,” as the legendary Stan Fischler would always say during telecasts, they sat back a little bit. Maybe it wasn’t by design. Sometimes, it just happens.

They still got seven shots on Hart, who held his team in from further embarrassment. This is after all a team that’s allowed an inordinate amount of goals during a very bad stretch that saw them give up a nine spot to their next opponent as well as six to the Islanders in another lopsided loss before playing them on even terms in a 2-1 overtime loss on Monday night.

With all of the play at even strength, it didn’t look like the Flyers had any intentions of a comeback. During the first half of the period, the Devils did a solid job protecting the house. However, Sean Couturier made things interesting when he scored the first of two with 8:23 left to cut it to 4-2. On a quick hitter, Travis Konecny was able to make a good centering feed down low for a Couturier tip in.

After getting scored on, New Jersey responded with a couple of good offensive shifts. They then defended well in front of Blackwood to keep the lead at two. It looked like it would stay that way.

However, the Flyers wouldn’t go away easily. With Vigneault lifting Hart for an extra attacker with 2:42 left in regulation, Philadelphia started to apply the pressure during a six-on-five. Following an icing, they used their timeout where veteran assistant coach Michel Therrien drew up a play.

On it, Couturier was able to beat Zajac with help from Konecny. On a quick Claude Giroux one-timer that Blackwood kicked out, a good recovery from Van Riemsdyk allowed Voracek to find Couturier open for a one-timer that gave him his second goal of the period with 62 seconds remaining.

Just like that, the Devils’ lead was down to one with enough time for the Flyers to force extras. However, it wasn’t to be. On a last ditch effort, the Flyers created an opportunity off a rebound. Blackwood held his near goalpost to deny a Van Riemsdyk bid. That clutch stop clinched the victory.

Following a big clear, the Flyers tried to fire down. Hoping for a player to direct the puck in, it missed connection leading to an icing with a few seconds to spare. With the face-off back in their end, the Devils were able to kill the remaining time to earn the win.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1374545631453253635?s=19

They deserved to come out on top. They were the better team overall and out-worked the Flyers for most of the game. Philadelphia didn’t do enough to get back on track. Instead, they lost for the third time in a row and fourth over five. In the four defeats, they’ve allowed 21 goals with the 9-0 drubbing at the hands of the Rangers on Saint Patty’s Day their version of the Philadelphia Massacre.

For the Devils, it was a good win. They have played better hockey. Even with Jack Hughes struggling to put up points, they’re getting good production from Kuokkanen, Sharangovich and Zajac. It helps that Blackwood has returned and won his two starts after Scott Wedgewood spelled him. He’s been sharp by stopping 65 of 69 shots. Exactly what they need from their starting goalie.

Next up for the Devils are the Caps tonight and Friday in DC. With the Bruins also scheduled for two in Boston if they’re ready by Sunday, and then the Caps visiting Newark for a two-game series on April 2-4, these six games will be a big test. It could determine what GM Tom Fitzgerald decides to do at the trade deadline on April 12.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Ty Smith, Devils (2 🍎, +3 in 19:17)

2nd 🌟 Travis Zajac, Devils (goal plus 🍎, 2 SOG, +1 in 16:18)

1st 🌟 Yegor Sharangovich, Devils (7th goal plus 🍎, 4 SOG, +1 in 16:05)

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Happy Kakko ends scoring drought with two goals in win over awful Sabres, Kreider notches a pair on power play, Knoblauch makes smart move

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Derek

Nobody needed a game like this more than Kaapo Kakko. The 2019 second pick had been in a bad scoring slump. In fact, it was exactly two months since his last goal. That drought ended tonight with Kakko coming through in a big way with two goals during a Rangers’ 5-3 win over the awful Sabres at Madison Square Garden.

It’s kinda funny too. Early into the game facing an opponent that entered winless in their last 13 (0-11-2), I had this thought on Twitter. One which proved prophetic.

As you can tell, I got my wish. Many fans of this team have wanted to see Kakko get another chance playing with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Thankfully, Kris Knoblauch noticed that Colin Blackwell was ineffective for some shifts and finally stuck Kakko on the second line. Off a Strome face-off win in the Buffalo zone, Panarin was able to get the puck in front to an open Kakko, who was able to beat Sabres third string goalie Dustin Tokarski to tie the score with his third at 7:13 of the second period.

By that point, the game was a bit unpredictable as well as ugly. Despite a territorial edge during a first period that saw them outshoot the Sabres 10-5 including at one point 9-1, the Rangers couldn’t break through on either starter Carter Hutton (2 saves) or injury replacement Tokarski. Let’s get to what happened to Hutton first.

On just hideous transition defense by Buffalo, they allowed Julien Gauthier to skate right past and get off a good shot that Hutton stopped. However, Rasmus Ristolainen shoved him right into Hutton, who was in immediate pain. Unable to continue, he was helped off the ice while limping badly. It’s an apparent leg injury. Maybe the knee or something else. It was as ugly as it looked.

It became a battle of goalies who were third on the depth chart at the beginning of the season. With Keith Kinkaid looking good in his second straight start with Alex Georgiev backing up, the former Devil was finally challenged early in the second. After having not much to do in a lopsided first where the excellent penalty kill took care of a Jacob Trouba hooking minor on Jacob Bryson, Kinkaid was pretty busy early. He made some outstanding saves to keep the surging Sabres off the scoreboard.

There were two great stops. First, he denied Bryson on a breakaway by getting a piece of his backhand deke attempt to nudge it wide. It looked like it might’ve hit the crossbar. At least from the sound of it, that’s what Sam Rosen thought. It definitely made a distinct sound. So it’s possible Kinkaid made the save and had some puck luck thanks to his goalpost. It was fantastic. Notice I didn’t say what Joe Micheletti always says. The word “FABULOUS,” which Sean M always makes light of in his blog has gotten to the point where if you played a drinking game, you’d be passed out drunk from taking shots every time Micheletti says it. It’s FABULOUS!

I normally steer clear of this stuff. But even I noticed that Joe Micheletti was overdoing it. This was against the Sabres. Technically, they are listed as an NHL team. You just wouldn’t know it by how poorly they play defensively. I really feel bad for old friend Dan Girardi. He’s now an assistant coach on the Sabres trying to fix all the dreadful mistakes they make. The Rangers could’ve named the score. That’s how many point blank opportunities they had. It was absurd.

Kinkaid still deserves a lot of credit for staying focused. He made another unbelievable save to rob the hexed Jeff Skinner of a sure goal. On a defensive breakdown, he was all set up for a gimme. With Kinkaid down and the top of the net to shoot at, Skinner fired a laser only to see an acrobatic Kinkaid make a ridiculous glove save to commit highway robbery. The fans that were there sure appreciated it. Everyone who watched did. Trust me. We were not believing our eyes either in our Twitter game chat. It was tremendous.

As what usually happens when the goalie is making great saves, they get beat on a fluky one. That’s exactly what the Sabres were able to do to jump in front 1-0. On kind of a strange play off a forecheck behind the net from Victor Olofsson and Riley Sheahan, Buffalo lineup insert Rasmus Asplund found a loose puck beside the net. With nobody else including Kinkaid aware of where it was, he calmly retrieved the puck and stuffed it in short side at 3:52. It was a slick play by a young player who was in the lineup for Kyle Okposo. Of course, that goal had many fans wondering. I wasn’t one of them. But you couldn’t help but laugh at it.

The Sabres once led in shots 5-0. But that sure turned around rather quickly. Following a stoppage, Knoblauch made the line adjustment I was hoping for. Prior to the face-off, MSG Network caught all three forwards discussing the play they executed. It started with a Strome win and then Panarin getting the puck and finding enough room to pass for Kakko for his first goal since Jan. 22 against the Penguins. The look on his face told the story. He sure needed it. It was nice to see. Good job by Knoblauch recognizing that Kakko was going and getting him out there. That one goal could be important for his confidence.

After being outshot 5-0 at the start of the period, the Rangers proceeded to outshoot their defenseless opponent 17-3 the rest of the second. They flat out dominated the Sabres, who may as well have had Rochester on their jerseys. I wish I was kidding. They might be an NHL team with some good players. But you wouldn’t know it by the way they play. What a fragile team. An interim coach isn’t fixing that mess either. They really need to get a proven coach in there. It’s a nightmare. To quote our close friend Brian, “What a disgrace.” I don’t know how he does it. They’re going to go exactly a decade without a postseason in Buffalo, which is a great sports town. I would know. I went to a Bills game and met these fans. They are the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen. At least their football team is on the right track.

How bad are they? When you’re bad, you find ways to lose. Former top pick Rasmus Dahlin took an unnecessary interference minor on Kevin Rooney in a tie game. After giving Rooney an extra shot, Dahlin got a strong response from Brendan Lemieux. Lemieux got into it with Tage Thompson, who wanted to go. It probably wouldn’t have been wise for Thompson. Of course, the refs broke it up because modern NHL crap. They each were sent off for two apiece for unsportsmanlike conduct. Phooey. With Dahlin serving his penalty, Bryson slashed Strome during the five-on-four. That handed the Blueshirts a 19-second five-on-three.

If this were any other opponent, no way what happens does. On another face-off win back to Adam Fox, who was celebrating his 100th career NHL game, the top defenseman got the puck over to Panarin, who easily fed an open Chris Kreider for a tip in. His team-leading seventh power play goal 16 seconds into the two-man advantage gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead. All he did was park in front and neither Buffalo defenseman bothered to check him. It was easy. Still on the power play, they could’ve had more. But Pavel Buchnevich took an undisciplined hooking minor in the offensive zone when he got his stick caught between Brandon Montour.

The teams skated four-on-four for the next 1:16 until the Sabres got an abbreviated five-on-four power play. They did nothing with it. Prior to the power play, the four-on-four looked like a Rangers power play. It really was bad if you were a Sabres fan. As usual, the penalty kill got it done against a Buffalo power play that’s been in a funk without Jack Eichel. I think it’s something like 0 for the last 24 now. They were 0-for-2 officially.

Late in the period with the Rangers toying with their overwhelmed opponent, Mika Zibanejad and Buchnevich combined to set up Fox for his third goal in front of Mom and Dad at 18:18. They definitely looked overjoyed to see their son already up to 60 points in his second year. He’s in elite company among Rangers defensemen. I don’t have to rattle off the names. Besides, I don’t love the comparisons. Adam Fox is a splendid hockey player. The Rangers are lucky to have him. He wanted to play for his hometown team. He sure has been well worth those two second round picks to Carolina. Foxy produced a three-point night and was named the game’s First Star.

I’ll be honest. With the game looking over, I didn’t put it back on in time for the third right away. To my amusement, the Sabres came back to tie it by scoring their two goals on two shots. Dylan Cozens and Skinner each tallied 3:13 apart to suddenly make it 3-3. What I did notice was my alerts in our Twitter game thread with a few fans going off over it. All I could do was chuckle. If you can’t laugh at it, what’s the point? All I’ll say is people need to understand where this team is. They’re not a playoff contender. If they somehow managed to get in and beat out the idle Bruins (COVID) and the Jekyll and Hyde Flyers, that would be quite an accomplishment. Boston still has five seven games left with the Sabres.

So, when they were handed another power play, I pretty much figured they’d score the go-ahead goal and put this one to bed. It was another Kreider specialty. On a simple play by Fox and Strome with the latter taking a wrist shot that Tokarski couldn’t control, the rebound went right to Kreider who steered it in for his team-leading eighth power play goal and team best 16th at 5:47.

Speaking of which, where are all the Kreider critics? The fools who bash him when he doesn’t score and think he doesn’t do anything. Nowhere to be found. So what if Kreider’s a streaky scorer. Many players are. Where would this team be without those 16 goals, or all the grunt work he provides along with the veteran leadership? I’m glad they kept him. He’s the unofficial captain of this team. Wouldn’t it be something if he somehow got to 30 in a shortened season? Let’s enjoy what Kreider means to the Rangers for a change.

They could’ve had more goals on Tokarski. Give him credit. Aside from the bad rebound on Kreider’s winner, he actually gave the Sabres a chance. His team was outshot 40-19. He faced 37 of those 39 and did well. If not for him and the Blueshirts thinking they were the Harlem Globetrotters Mighty Ducks, it could’ve wound up a more crooked number. But that’s how our team plays. They must pass the puck around like it’s a Broadway show instead of sometimes simplifying their approach. There’s not much more to add.

With over a minute left in regulation, Tokarski was lifted for an extra attacker. Knoblauch did another wise thing. He put Kakko out to help protect a one-goal lead. He didn’t disappoint. On good defensive plays from Strome and Panarin, they got the puck over to Kakko for the empty netter with 58 ticks remaining. Just that easily, he doubled his goal output. It had to feel good for the 20-year old Finnish right wing. He was all smiles.

That’s going to do it for now. For the time being, the Rangers are over NHL .500 at 14-13-4. With 25 games left on the divisional schedule, they’re up to 32 points and 12 regulation wins. One more than both the fifth place Flyers (2-1 overtime losers to Islanders) and the fourth place Bruins. Philadelphia has 34 points in 30 games. Boston has 36 in 28. They don’t know when they’ll play again. All the Rangers can do is win the two games at the Flyers coming up on Thursday and Saturday. Get that pair and then let’s talk.

At the moment having won four of six, they’re feeling better about themselves. With Zibanejad looking much more in form and the top line on a good roll, they finally have the dangerous top six they boasted last year. Even more encouraging, Kinkaid has supplied a spark in net that Georgiev wasn’t. More often than not, he’s coming up with big saves at key moments. That’s all you can ask. With Igor Shestyorkin inching closer to a return, that’s good news.

The only other notable is that the reason Gauthier was back in the lineup was due to Brett Howden being unavailable. I don’t know the details on why. But seeing a few foolish fans act like it was great made me roll my eyes. Howden was playing his best hockey recently with two assists and an empty netter while continuing to provide strong penalty killing. I don’t like when fans celebrate such stuff. It’s ridiculous. Enough already.

The Rangers next face the Flyers in two days at 7 PM. It’s officially Tuesday. The rematch is another HSIAM on Saturday. If you’re looking for a translation, it’s a partial reference to the late great George Carlin, who did real comedy unlike the crap that’s around now. Boy. Would he be ashamed. I sure miss him. But he’s always a click away on YouTube.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Chris Kreider, NYR (2 power play goals for team-leading 15th and 16th)

2nd 🌟 Adam Fox, NYR (3rd of season plus 2 🍎)

1st 🌟 Kaapo Kakko, NYR (2 goals to finally end his scoring drought)

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Revenge Served Cold! Zibanejad’s game-winner on Brenden Dillon gives Rangers a satisfying victory over Caps, Kinkaid makes 28 saves

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Derek

Sometimes, the best way to get revenge is on the scoreboard. In a tight checking rematch that featured some big time goaltending from Keith Kinkaid with the game up for grabs, the Rangers got revenge against Brenden Dillon thanks to Mika Zibanejad scoring his biggest goal of the season. His unassisted goal in which he stripped Dillon and fired a pea past Ilya Samsonov with 2:32 left in regulation gave them a well deserved 3-1 victory over the Caps.

Similar to Friday’s one-goal gut wrenching loss due to Alexander Ovechkin, this was a defensive battle between old Patrick Division rivals. In fact, only one goal was scored during the first two periods. It came courtesy of leading scorer Pavel Buchnevich, who finished off an Adam Fox feed for his 11th with 2:11 remaining in a tactical first period. Zibanejad helped set it up. He was the game’s First Star with his clutch game-winning goal and a helper.

This was better than the six-point second period in which he recorded a natural hat trick in a 9-0 laugher over the Flyers. The same team that got blasted by the Islanders in a rematch 6-1 on Long Island. With two points following their toughest loss, the Blueshirts would soon pass the Flyers for fifth place in the East Division. At 13-13-4 with 30 points in 30 games, they trail the Flyers by three points. With the fourth place Bruins having their games postponed due to COVID, they trail fourth place Boston by six in the standings.

If they want to make a push, now is the time. Even if it seems far fetched, the reality is they trail the idle Bruins by six. That isn’t insurmountable with 26 games remaining. With the lowly Sabres coming in for a game Monday, it’s an opportunity to take advantage. Buffalo has lost 13 straight games. Of course, they haven’t all been in regulation. Since defeating the Devils 4-1 on Feb. 23, they’re 0-11-2. They have fired Ralph Krueger and replaced him with interim coach Don Granato. They play hard, but are fragile due to defensive lapses and undisciplined penalties. The key is to jump on them early.

Following Monday’s game, the Rangers will visit Philadelphia for a two-game series on Thursday and next Saturday. The two rivals have split the first four games. Then they close March with two more at the Capitals. A team they’re now 3-1 against. To be honest, they should be four-for-four. But Ovechkin willed his team to a comeback win on Friday.

When I’ve discussed the Caps with Sean McCaffrey of bluecollarblueshirts.com, I’ve repeatedly told him I am not overly impressed with them. I see a flawed team that can be exposed by a good skating opponent. Is it any wonder the skilled Blueshirts seem to have their number? They use their speed and skating to attack Washington’s slow defense. They also have limited Ovechkin from his office and completely shutdown the Capitals on the power play. With Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Jakub Vrana, T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson and John Carlson, they have capable players. But Evgeny Kuznetsov has had a bad season. The D even with Zdeno Chara isn’t great. I don’t view them as a playoff contender.

The Rangers match-up well. They continued to do a good job in front of Kinkaid until a key stretch during the third period when the Caps finally made a push for the go-ahead goal. Following another rebound goal this time from Carlson off relentless forecheck pressure that Wilson and Backstrom were involved in against a tired Jacob Trouba and Brendan Smith, it was gut check time for Kinkaid. Suddenly faced by an onslaught of Washington shots and rebounds, Kinkaid stood up to the challenge with his best save coming against Ovechkin on a difficult backhand from the slot. That sequence of stops set the stage for a dramatic conclusion.

It was earlier in the game that Dillon hit Ryan Lindgren from behind face first into the boards for an obvious boarding minor penalty during the second period. It was a dirty play by a cheap player, who obviously was seeking more retribution for Lindgren’s clean hit on Ovechkin. Ironically, when asked about the hit, Ovechkin took no issue with it the previous night following his heroics. That’s why he’s so highly respected. Obviously, nobody can say the same for Dillon, who fittingly turned into the goat of Saturday’s game.

On a matter of fact play where he was chased in his zone by an aggressive Zibanejad, Dillon got stripped of the puck and watched as the Rangers top center rifled home a wrist shot top shelf on Samsonov at 17:28. Poetic justice. I gotta admit when Zibanejad chased him, I was yelling at the TV for him to get the puck. Sure enough, he did and when he scored, I went nuts and screamed some obscenities that can’t be repeated in this space. That’s how pumped up I was to see Zibanejad victimize Dillon for the clutch winner. It was beautiful.

This time, there was no way they were blowing it. The Rangers closed it out in fine fashion. On a clear from Buchnevich to Ryan Strome up ice, he could’ve shot the puck into the vacated net. Instead, the very unselfish center saw Brett Howden ahead and passed it to him for an easy one-handed goal that lifted a heavy weight off his shoulders. Just his emotional reaction to the goal said plenty. It meant a lot to the hardworking Howden, who’s been playing better since being reinserted into the lineup. He had two assists recently and now finally has his first goal of the season. Good for him.

I really loved what Strome did for Howden. A total team guy. He knew how badly Howden needed that. Say what you want. Howden always works his butt off while playing on the fourth line and killing penalties which he excels at. He also has been drawing a few. He wins face-offs when called upon. I don’t know what the future holds for him in NYC. But I was happy to see him smile and get razzed by both Strome and Zibanejad.

What does this win mean? It was nice to see them bounce back after a hard loss. It’s exactly the kind of strong response that the Rangers must have to stay afloat. I would’ve loved to see the Kid Line of Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere get rewarded. Lafreniere came close prior to the Zibanejad heroics. He was set up in front. But a sliding Samsonov just got enough of his shot to send it wide. Kakko also had a great chance on front earlier in the contest. But his forehand deke was denied by an aggressive Samsonov. There also was a three-on-two rush where he wasn’t ready to shoot. Kakko must become more instinctive.

Overall, this is a good win that the Rangers can take with them. To prevail in a tight checking game where real estate was at a premium is a plus. It felt like something out of the John Tortorella Era. Sometimes, you have to rely on your defense and goalie to win low scoring close games. I think Steve Valiquette might’ve mentioned that on the postgame.

Give Kinkaid some kudos. He got it done. What a character too. You can tell how much be loves coming to the rink and playing. For Kinkaid. 👍😎🙌🖐⭐✨

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Pavel Buchnevich, NYR (11th goal plus 🍎, +2 in 19:59)

2nd 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, NYR (scored game-winner with 2:32 left in 3rd, plus 🍎, +2 in 21:30)

1st 🌟 Keith Kinkaid, NYR (28 saves including 11 of 12 in 3rd)

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