COVID outbreak hits Rangers with Fox and Buchnevich out tonight

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Derek

For 26 games, the Rangers weren’t affected much by COVID-19. Outside of Kaapo Kakko missing a week and K’Andre Miller who sat out a couple of games, the key players haven’t had to deal with the pandemic too much compared to other teams.

However, that’s changed as they prepare to host the Flyers tonight at 7 PM. A day after it was revealed that forward Phil Di Giuseppe was placed on COVID Protocol, the Rangers learned that both Adam Fox and Pavel Buchnevich had to be put on the COVID Protocol.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1371574718604718081?s=19

So, that’s their leading scorer and top defenseman who’ll miss the game. Without both, the Blueshirts recalled defenseman Tarmo Reunanen for the game. It’ll be his NHL debut. A 2016 fourth round pick, the 23-year old Reunanen registered two goals and three assists in eight games for the Wolf Pack.

Without Fox and the injured Jack Johnson, who cleared waivers to the Taxi Squad, the Rangers will lean heavily on Miller and Trouba, who are coming off their best game of the season. They each logged over 23 minutes and went plus-two in a 4-0 shutout of the Bruins. Miller scored his second goal and Trouba assisted on a goal.

Ryan Lindgren will be without his sidekick in Fox, who plays in every situation including the top power play unit. They’ll be hard pressed to replace the Steven McDonald frontrunner. Who plays with Lindgren? We’ll see what David Quinn decides along with Jacques Martin.

Given that Brendan Smith has worked well with Libor Hajek, maybe they keep them together. That would mean trying Reunanen with Lindgren. He’s a right pair left shooting defenseman who’s a good skater. We’ll see.

As for Buchnevich, he’s been a consistent scorer for this team. His 22 points (8-14-22) pace the club. Playing at a point-per-game clip for a while, Buchnevich has boosted his value in a contract year. He recorded a goal and assist on Saturday.

Quinn had just reunited the KZB Line. They had a great game with Mika Zibanejad picking up two assists and Chris Kreider adding a goal and helper as the whole line was on for three goals for. Now, they’ll have to adjust the lines again. Does that mean Kakko moves up? It would make sense to give him another look.

Without Di Giuseppe, Julien Gauthier is back in the lineup. So will Brett Howden. So, you’ll likely see Howden play on the fourth line with Brendan Lemieux and possibly Gauthier. Perhaps Kevin Rooney gets bumped up to the Filip Chytil line. Or they could put Gauthier there with Alexis Lafreniere and Chytil.

Whatever they decide, this game and the next one on Wednesday will determine if the Rangers can give themselves a more realistic chance at the playoffs. Still a long shot given their track record. Plus they still must play the Islanders four consecutive games. Yikes.

Keith Kinkaid gets the start. No surprise. He’s played well since replacing an ineffective Alex Georgiev, who must find his game. The team also placed Igor Shestyorkin on the injured reserve due to his groin strain. So, it’ll be a little longer before he returns. The safe play.

What concerns me is the COVID-19 outbreak. That’s three players who are out. Hopefully, the Rangers are taking every precaution possible. You don’t want another Sabres/Devils scenario.

The game can be seen on MSG. It’s also an NBC game on NBCSN. I would imagine blackout restrictions apply. I’ll have more following the game.

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Kravtsov arrives in NYC, tempering expectations, Johnson on waivers

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Derek

The Russians are coming. The Russians are coming. As I teased in a recent post, the Rangers will be adding another young Russian prospect to the NHL roster. Following Igor Shestyorkin’s early success in ’19-20, Vitaly Kravtsov arrives with much fanfare in NYC.

A former first round pick selected ninth overall by the Rangers in the 2018 NHL Draft, there’s plenty of excitement to see what the 21-year old right wing can do. Following his KHL team Traktor Chelyabinsk losing in the first round of the Gagarin Cup Playoffs in Russia, Kravtsov concluded his season with two goals and two assists in the first round. It followed his most productive year in the KHL where he tallied career bests in goals (16) and points (24).

With the Rangers wanting to see what the former first round draft pick can do, it didn’t take long for him to arrive. His plane landed in JFK Airport yesterday. The team couldn’t wait to hint at the news that he was coming over to North America.

Here’s the deal. Kravtsov must quarantine for seven days. Once he does and of course without testing positive for COVID-19, he can join the club at team practice. That’ll be imperative so he can learn a new system. Even if I’ve been a vocal critic of the lack of structure under David Quinn, there’s sure to be an adjustment period for Kravtsov. Once he gets in a few practices and is up to speed, the organization will want to get him in NHL games and see what he can do.

It’s important to remember that he’ll be going from a wider ice surface to a smaller one with more emphasis on physical play and tight checking that limits time and space. How quickly the 6-3, 189 pound left shooting forward adjusts will determine what kind of role he’ll have. Given that he’ll be behind a top six that includes Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Buchnevich, Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome and Kaapo Kakko, perhaps he can slot in on a third line with Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil. That’s assuming he’s ready.

For the time being, Quinn will likely roll out the same top nine that dominated the Bruins in Monday’s match-up hosting the Flyers. That would feature Kreider, Zibanejad and Buchnevich reunited while Panarin and Strome work with gritty forward Colin Blackwell. Chytil centers the Kid Line that features 2020 top pick Lafreniere and 2019 second pick Kakko.

The fourth line was comprised of Brendan Lemieux with Kevin Rooney and Phil Di Giuseppe on Saturday. We’ll see if Quinn sticks with it. It doesn’t seem fair to Julien Gauthier, who has done nothing wrong. He’s clearly gonna wind up elsewhere due to the organizational depth. Ditto for Brett Howden, who just hasn’t shown enough offensively speaking.

By bringing Kravtsov to the Big Apple, the Rangers placed veteran defenseman Jack Johnson on waivers Sunday. If he passes through unclaimed, the Rangers can move him to the Taxi Squad to save money on the salary cap. Something they’ll need for maneuverability the rest of the season.

The following was posted by PuckPedia two days ago about how Kravtsov will fit into the Rangers cap. With Johnson figuring to clear, it’ll create more room. So, there isn’t much to be overly concerned about.

If there is one point I want to make before finishing this up, it’s to emphasize how different playing in the NHL is from any other league. Look no further than how difficult Kakko is finding it to score. He has 12 goals in 85 career NHL games. Despite some noticeable improvement in both skating and overall play, he’s only got two goals and two assists this year. Still only 20, the talented Finn is 12-15-27 thus far in a season plus.

It hasn’t come easy for top pick Lafreniere either. The 19-year old from the Province of Quebec has four goals and three assists in 26 games. His best stretch coming when he put up five of his seven points over a four-game point streak between 2/26 thru 3/4. Since then, he’s gone five straight without a point. It speaks to how hard it is for young players who were very hyped entering the league.

Even Devils top pick Jack Hughes hasn’t lit the world on fire. After struggling in similar fashion to Kakko during his rookie year, the 19-year old first line center has cooled considerably following a hot start. While 14 points (6-8-14) rank second behind Pavel Zacha in team scoring, Hughes has only two goals and an assist over his last 11 games. During that tough stretch, he’s a minus-seven. Prior to that, Hughes was off to a good start going 4-7-11 and a plus-five with nine of his 11 points coming at even strength.

What it shows is how challenging it is to be consistent. Granted. Nothing has been normal for either Hughes or Kakko due to the pandemic that caused a big interruption in their development. Something other top picks didn’t have to deal with.

A closer look at the top candidates for this year’s Calder Trophy outlines how the more experienced players are succeeding. You have Kirill Kaprizov at age 23 coming off dominating the KHL as the leading candidate for the top rookie. He leads all rookies in scoring with 23 points (10-13-23) including his first NHL hat trick. His teammate goalie Kaapo Kahkonen is 24 and has 11 wins with a 2.19 GAA and .922 save percentage for the playoff contending Wild. Kevin Lankinen is another goalie candidate for the surprising Blackhawks, who boast several first-year players contributing without captain Jonathan Toews.

Perhaps having that necessary pro experience will help Kravtsov for what’s next. I wonder though how he’ll be handled. You have to wonder about that due to what we’ve seen with Kakko and Lafreniere under Quinn, who’s fared much better with more mature players in young defensemen Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller.

In any event, I’m just keeping expectations down for that reason. The Rangers might insist they’re in a rebuild. But they do rely heavily on proven performers including the electrifying Panarin, who took the NHL by storm at age 24 with Chicago after dominating in Russia. That is a perfect example of an NHL ready talent who went undrafted. All he’s done is post at over a point-per-game clip with 434 points in 406 career NHL games for the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets and Blueshirts. A unique player with a very high skill level.

Whenever Kravtsov makes his Broadway debut, let’s be realistic about it. If we are, it’ll be better. Especially given the condensed schedule. Welcome to Manhattan Виталия Кравцов!

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King For A Day: Kinkaid pitches shutout in total Rangers domination of Bruins

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Derek

It all went accordingly for Keith Kinkaid and the Rangers in a rematch with the Bruins at Boston. Buoyed by a tone setting message delivered by Jacob Trouba to Patrice Bergeron on the first shift, Kinkaid stopped all 18 shots while the Rangers thoroughly dominated a flat Bruins in a 4-0 shutout. That ended a three-game losing streak.

Let it be known that Game 26 of 56 was the best effort of the season. After three miserable defeats, the Rangers responded to the return of Artemi Panarin by turning the Bruins into ‘Ruins literally. That’s how badly they outplayed the Boston hosts. It didn’t matter that Jaro Halak started once again. He had no help from his team, who opted to take the afternoon off. Had their been a crowd, they would’ve heard it.

This was a beat down minus any fights. Or a TKO by submission. It also was the coming out party for K’Andre Miller. Having slumped recently with inconsistency, the rookie defenseman stood out in this one. Not only did he score a goal that proved to be the game-winner in the early going. But he was dominant defensively with partner Trouba, who delivered one of his best games since joining the Rangers a year and a half ago. The dynamic duo combined for a goal, assist, 10 attempts, eight hits, five blocked shots and a plus-four rating in over 23 minutes of work.

It was a welcome sight. Normally, the story has been the top pair of Adam Fox and physical partner Ryan Lindgren. However, they got plenty of help from the second pair. Miller and Trouba were so good that it allowed David Quinn and assistant Jacques Martin to work in Libor Hajek and Brendan Smith without too much pressure. A strong top four can have a positive impact.

Making his second start over three games, Kinkaid was sharp throughout to record his first shutout as a Ranger. He didn’t have to stand on his head due to how well the team played in front of him. However, he made the key saves when called upon. None bigger than his great stop on a Brad Marchand one-timer during a Bruins power play. He got across and shut the door to keep the Bruins best player off the scoreboard. That was huge.

Prior to opening face-off, MSG Network revealed the healthy scratches with Panarin finally returning after a nine-game absence. Surprisingly, Julien Gauthier sat out along with Brett Howden, who remarkably had played in 113 straight games. Leave it to Joe Micheletti to put a spin on Howden finally sitting.

Howden hasn’t scored a goal and has two assists. The bottom line is as much as he hustles and helps kill penalties or win face-offs, it’s not enough to justify playing him every day. They better hope Nils Lundkvist is as good as advertised. I don’t know enough about Karl Henriksson yet. Just that he’s considered a two-way center who Sweden missed at the recent World Junior Championship won by USA.

As for Gauthier getting the day off, I didn’t understand that at all. He’s improved recently and been noticeable. But for whatever reason, Quinn decided to reinsert Phil Di Giuseppe and stay with Brendan Lemieux, who I’ve become increasingly frustrated with. His hit from behind on Trent Frederic near the benches was unnecessary. A ridiculous penalty taken by an irritating player who hasn’t been up to par.

Of course, she’s right. Emily knows hockey. But like I said, he wishes he had an ounce of his father’s talent. At least Claude backed it up. I really didn’t care for that hit. Nor did I like Lemieux mixing it up with the Bruins at the conclusion of a dominant first period. Why even do that? Don’t wake them up. Lucky for him, the Boston malaise lasted the entire 60 minutes. They must’ve forgotten their Ovaltine.

As far as the lineup went, here’s how it looked:

Kreider-Zibanejad-Buchnevich

Panarin-Strome-Blackwell

Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko

Lemieux-Rooney-Di Giuseppe

Lindgren-Fox

Miller-Trouba

Hajek-Smith

Kinkaid

Georgiev

As both Sam Rosen and Micheletti noted, the Rangers are almost back to full strength. Only Jack Johnson and Anthony Bitetto are still banged up. They’re finally a healthy team. Given that Hajek can fill in fine for Johnson or Bitetto, they’re basically back where they need to be. The only key missing player is starting goalie Igor Shestyorkin, whose mild groin strain might keep him out a bit longer. That’s not too surprising given the tricky nature of groin injuries. They shouldn’t rush him back. The postseason is a reach despite what Rosen and Micheletti say while waving the Rangers pom poms. The less said about it, the better.

At least the telecast was watchable thanks to former captain Ryan Callahan doing his second straight guest appearance in studio with host John Giannone and Steve Valiquette on Zoom Conference from his home office. It was much better. Having Callahan provide insight and work with Valiquette gave the broadcast more balance. You can only take so many of Vally’s charts. Plus you have a popular Ranger who had a good career here before finishing up with the Lightning. Captain Cally knows the important details during games and has been a welcome addition to NHL Network where Ken Daneyko also doubles when not working Devils games. NHL Network has gotten much better due to the variety of former players they have. It starts with Kevin Weekes. They are a good watch for in game updates and more. I hope we see more of Callahan on MSG.

Where to start on today’s game? The Rangers showed up ready to go while the Bruins must’ve thought the game was optional. Either that or they didn’t set their alarm clocks. They stunk. You would never have guessed that this was the same team that dominated the Rangers by taking four of the first five meetings. Full credit to Quinn and his staff for having the team prepared. They were aggressive from the outset quickly getting good chances on Halak, who had a strong first period. If not for him, the Rangers could’ve put up a field goal.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1370800405224038402?s=09

Instead, they settled for a Miller goal off a face-off win from Mika Zibanejad. Reunited with KZB line members Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich, he played much better. He won an offensive draw back to Buchnevich, who got the puck to Miller at the right point. The defenseman let go of a good shot with Kreider providing a screen on Halak in front. It found its way into the net for his second goal. The first since before the Tony DeAngelo fiasco. A frustrated Halak felt Kreider interfered, but he did not. He simply stopped right in front and that was enough for the game’s first goal. What else can you expect from the unofficial team captain? He does the dirty work.

The Rangers had to kill off a Smith minor for smothering. My way of describing what he did to Sean Kuraly. Without him, the fourth ranked penalty kill went to work. While the Bruins looked like they were skating in quicksand, our players seemed to be flying. It was the skaters in Broadway Blueshirts that were moving in unison. They took away virtually everything the Bruins like to do. A strong unit led by Kevin Rooney, Colin Blackwell, Zibanejad, Buchnevich, Trouba, Miller, Fox and Lindgren shined throughout the game. The Bruins went 0-for-5 on the power play and were held to just five shots.

Following a power outage of their own, that also included an abbreviated Bruins man-advantage with Alexis Lafreniere off for hooking Urho Vaakanainen (must be fun for Bruins homer Jack Edwards to pronounce). When they played at even strength, the Blueshirts were superior due to limiting time and space from the dangerous top line of Marchand, Bergeron and David Pastrnak. The so-called Perfection Line was anything but. They were hounded by relentless Rangers checkers all day. It was a welcome change from what we’re used to. Marchand played through whatever was nagging him. He was still his rat self later showing frustration by taking a pair of undisciplined penalties. If you can get him off his game, you have a pretty good chance of shutting down the Bruins. It’s my opinion that he’s their best player. As he goes, so do the Bruins.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1370804677944696834?s=09

While Kinkaid cruised to an easy six save first period, Halak had to work harder for nine saves on 10 shots. Given the difference in quality, it felt like more. He made a couple of key stops to prevent an early Ranger rout. Unlike most starts including the previous two where he pitched shutouts, he got no support. As disappointing as Alex Georgiev was on Thursday, the Rangers scored zero goals before he was chased out of the net. They got blanked. Today, they returned the favor to the Bruins. I know we all mocked Smith for his captain obvious quote that if you don’t score, you can’t win. But it proved to be prophetic. Maybe his future career is as a fortune teller. Imagine the perks. Free Chinese fortune cookies with every Smith prognostication.

The second period would start with Lemieux pulling his usual shenanigans. After mixing it up with a few angry Bruins at the end of the first, he couldn’t help himself by boarding Frederic from behind at the conclusion of his shift. It was idiotic. But that’s what you get from the In-Grate One. At times, he can be effective when he sticks to a wiser straightforward approach and draws penalties by agitating opponents like his better Dad. Then there are other instances where you wonder what the heck he’s thinking. He plays on the edge, but still hasn’t figured it out. By now, that shouldn’t be the case. I once supported him. Now, I would prefer not to see him. Though I do want Frederic to get revenge in the final two games at Boston. We’ll have to wait for that. By day’s end, refs Chris Rooney and Wes McCauley had seen enough of each, sending them to the showers.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1370836156443676682?s=19

It didn’t matter that Lemieux took an unnecessary penalty because the penalty kill bailed him out of jail. Kinkaid made one save while the killers did the rest. They really dominated the Bruins power play. They barely got any setup time. It’s a credit to how locked in the Rangers are while shorthanded. They even had a couple of attempts on Halak due to their aggressive mindset. It really is the biggest improvement. Martin is a lot better at the defensive aspect than Lindy Ruff, who never was a great fit in that role. He’s better as a head coach. Although the Devils sure are making life miserable for him lately. That’s an even younger roster than ours.

The game’s second goal was provided off some superb work from the top line. On a good Buchnevich back pass to Trouba at the point, he moved the puck down low for a forechecking Zibanejad. On just a great saucer pass that was basically a timing play with his teammate cutting to the net, he made a soft feed just by the diving Jakub Zboril to Kreider for a sweet finish at 5:42. It broke a four-game goal drought for the Rangers’ top finisher. Kreider is now up to 14 goals with 10 coming in the last 11 games. As a team, they’ve won five of the past six when Kreider scores. The lone exception being his first hat trick of the season at the Flyers. Coincidentally, the next opponent. They better follow this game up with a victory on Monday. The next two are against Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden.

Not long following the Kreider goal that made it 2-0, Marchand took a bad hi-sticking minor on Lafreniere. However, nobody realized that Lafreniere was cut. It was while on the bench that he had blood wiped from his nose that a visibly upset Lafreniere couldn’t believe it wasn’t a double minor. It should’ve been. The Rangers got some looks on their five power plays. They moved Zibanejad more to the slot area for shots while Panarin occupied the off wing. Ryan Strome was in his spot along the right boards while Fox was at the top with Kreider in front. Strome had the best chance, but his low shot was padded away by Halak, who did a good job keeping it close.

The only difference from the opening period was the Bruins’ eagerness to pick up the physical play. Might that have had anything to do with Lemieux? Boston loves to muck it up in the corners and turn it into a dogfight. The Rangers never backed down. They kept attacking at five-on-five where they did a better job. There were no odd-man rushes on Kinkaid. The best chance came with Fox off for hooking (really Lemieux’s penalty). They finally were able to work the puck across for a Marchand one-timer that Kinkaid got across on and stopped. That’s the save they haven’t gotten from Georgiev, who likely will have the next game off too.

Outside of the Marchand opportunity, Boston could establish very little. They were outshot 11-5, meaning the Blueshirts led in shots 22 to 11 after two periods of play. Had their been fans, they would’ve been booed off the ice. That’s how futile they looked. Boston skated without Jake DeBrusk, who after finally ending a long goal drought, was out due to COVID Protocol. They don’t have a great offense to begin with and have relied on David Krejci and the annoyingly effective Nick Ritchie. I’ll get into that guy more later.

At the start of the third period, Marchand suckered Lindgren into a holding minor nine seconds in by skating underneath him along the boards. Lindgren inadvertently took him down for the easy call. It is what makes The Rat so effective. He knew his team had nothing and drew one to see if they could get back in it. But a disciplined Rangers penalty kill wouldn’t allow it. When Kinkaid wasn’t called upon for saves, the four skaters did a masterful job of pressuring the Boston five man unit. In particular, Miller made some superb plays while teamed with Trouba. He’d been struggling of late. This game was an indication of what kind of player he can be. That’s why I believe he has a high ceiling. He’s still learning.

The Boston frustration boiled over when even Bergeron was whistled for an offensive zone interference minor. He set an illegal pick on Zibanejad, who was at his best in this game. Even though he didn’t finish, he set up a pair of goals and his line was on for three goals for. They each were plus-three and impacted the game. Zibanejad also nearly went .500 on draws (13-and-14).

As for the newly minted Kids Line, Kaapo Kakko had the best chance. But his good wrist shot was foiled by Halak, who made 29 saves in a losing effort. He sure was frustrated by the end of it, slamming his goal stick after the Rangers’ fourth goal from Buchnevich. The thing with Kakko is this. He’s played in 85 career games and scored only 12 goals. As much as I like the improvements in his overall game, the former 20l9 second pick has to start finishing. He’s only 20 and I get that it takes time. But Kakko was selected to score goals. If he can’t, then it’ll be a colossal disappointment. Jack Hughes isn’t lighting the world on fire yet either. But he’s shown why he went first and has that extra gear. He also has more pressure.

After failing to capitalize on a power play, Strome finally got his 10th. On a great second effort from Panarin, he found an isolated Strome across the ice for a nice one-timer past Halak at 8:03. Blackwell made it possible with some hustle at the end of his shift to get the puck to the Bread Man. He has such great vision that it was an easy pass for his first point since returning. He looks like the same dynamic player. Despite missing nine games, Panarin did what he does best. Create time and space while finding open teammates. The ultimate team player.

Marchand slashed Miller for another penalty with 7:30 remaining. It was one of those penalties he’ll take when the game isn’t winnable. He isn’t as dirty. But he’ll take liberties with players. That included Hughes in a loss to the Devils a while ago. I would say he’s very sneaky. But this also is one of the game’s best players. The unique combination of skill, grit and speed he combines with his physicality makes him a royal pain in the ass. He’s the kind of player you love if he’s on your side. But hate if he isn’t. No wonder I’m a fan. He doesn’t get enough credit for how great a player he truly is.

With the game all but decided and Sam and Joe yucking it up, they didn’t even realize Buchnevich scored on a quick snapshot from Kreider with 3:48 left. What’s the point of them calling the action if they’re so easily distracted? It’s pretty sad to hear Rosen like this near the conclusion of a brilliant Hall of Fame career. I blame MSG for turning the telecast into a three-ring circus. It’s so ridiculous that it makes me long for the lunacy of the Bruins called by blatant homer Jack Edwards. Micheletti doesn’t help either. This is what Dolan created.

Buchnevich continues to pile up points. With two more, he’s up to a team-leading 22. I still don’t know what they should do with him this summer. With Vitaly Kravtsov arriving soon and it being so crowded at the wing with them expecting more out of Lafreniere and Kakko, Buchnevich might become a cap casualty. If you can use him in a trade for a center, don’t think twice. We’ll have to wait and see how things play out.

Finally, I want to call out Ritchie for his cheap shot on Kakko. Hitting an opponent is one thing. But doing it from behind is another. This guy is my number one target when the teams meet up for the final two times. I’m sick and tired of his act. All he does is run around and take shots at our guys. I know it’s not only the Rangers. I really would love to see either Trouba or Lindgren knock him out.

Oh well. That’s going to do it for this game review. It was a lot of fun to do. Hopefully, they can follow the victory up with one on Monday versus the struggling Flyers.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Keith Kinkaid, NYR (18 saves for 1st shutout as a NYR)

2nd 🌟 Jacob Trouba, NYR (assist, +2 in 23:24)

1st 🌟 K’Andre Miller, NYR (2nd goal of season, +2 in 23:36)

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One year ago – then and now

Posted on March 12, 2021 by hasan4978

Coming up on the first anniversary of when the world as we know it changed in a dramatic way, I was debating whether to do a blog on the impact of our ongoing battle with the COVID-19 virus that stopped first the sports world, and then the country at large in its tracks at this time last year. I haven’t exactly gone out of my way to look for coverage of the one-year anniversary, but ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcast on March 11 was quite good and worth the hour listen. March 11, 2020 for this generation was as symbolic as September 11, 2001 for the last generation and even more so in a lot of respects. Anyone like me who’s lived through both knows there are a lot of similarities, and a lot of differences – it’s not worth going through all of them here. Both were truly shocking and rocked our collective belief in being safe and secure. Of course September 11, for as horrific as it was still didn’t change as many people’s daily lives in as many ways as the pandemic has over this last year.

You need to only look at sports as a prism for this difference. Just ten days after the attack on the twin towers, there was a baseball game in a packed stadium in New York City. One made truly iconic, magical even by Mike Piazza’s game-winning HR that started the healing of millions of grieving citizens, for mostly intangible reasons that are hard to put into words. Of course you still couldn’t help but feel a difference in the air that September and October as both baseball teams played on with increased security and reverence for our police and firefighters. While the Mets’ season ended after September, the Yankees went back to the World Series leading to another breathtaking moment before Game 3 when then-president Bush stood on the mound alone, giving a still-grieving nation a defiant thumbs up before throwing a first pitch strike to the cheers of a sold out Yankee Stadium.

Of course, sports’ return to the field last year wasn’t so easy or cathartic.

It wasn’t even a sure thing that sports would return after the events of early March. Just like people of generation X will never forget where they were and what they were doing when the world stopped on September 11, 2001 – people won’t soon forget what they were doing on March 11, 2020 either. Sure, we had a bit of a warning this was coming unlike what happened in 2001 but it was a really slow rampup to where we got in one crazy day. Outside of sports, you had the WHO officially calling the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic earlier that afternoon. That evening, acting icon Tom Hanks announced he and his wife both had the virus. Those two things alone might have started our collective alarm bells sounding, but for a lot of people nothing hit harder than when the NBA canceled its season after a player tested positive for COVID-19, and everyone realized all sports (and a lot of other entertainment) would necessarily have to follow soon enough.

I know I sure wasn’t taking this virus as seriously as we all would be taking it a couple of days later. The night before the country stopped, I was out at a packed bar doing trivia with a couple of my friends and hugged them both hello (one was a little nervous about the virus, the other wasn’t yet), the way I’d done on Mondays or Tuesdays for many weeks before that. Actually, I had already gone to the Devils game against the Penguins but my friends Kyle and Justine wanted to do trivia at the last minute and I would rather have done that then be at another meaningless game by myself, even if the Devils were playing better then. So I pulled a first and left the arena soon after arriving to go see my friends instead. I did at least make the right decision on that score as it turned out, considering the Devils lost 5-2 and I wouldn’t see either of them for a few months after that night. My last official game was thus on the 9th last year, when the Devils actually beat the Blues.

Part of our collective naivete was that we just didn’t know the extent of how much the virus was already here. After all, we didn’t have rapid testing then or for weeks after. One of my older friends (a Devils season ticket holder) recently told me he and his wife probably had the virus a couple weeks before the pause but were never tested for it. Don’t get me wrong, I did get the sense when I left the Rock for the final time on the 10th to head off to trivia that I might not be back for a while, with teams like the Sharks and NBA’s Warriors already announcing they wouldn’t have fans in the building for their upcoming games. I thought we were headed for a imminent future where we’d have to play sports in empty buildings. I didn’t fully comprehend the possibility there might not BE sports at all, or a lot of other things we take for granted in daily life such as hanging out and being social, or going for rides on crowded subways. I love going to NYC but I can’t rightly remember the last time I was there, perhaps it was for a Met game in July or August of 2019, or a random trip to the city soon after.

On March 11 itself I was at home when all this news came down the pike, learning about it mostly through seeing stuff on Twitter through the prism of the NBA game in Oklahoma City that got postponed, and would instantaneously lead to the pause of the entire NBA season. It was a surreal atmosphere considering other NBA and NHL games were being played that night. Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban’s visceral on-camera reaction in real time was fitting for a whole nation in shock.

With the NBA season on pause, the NHL followed suit the next afternoon – today is that dubious anniversary, in fact. So did March Madness and other major sports although I have to give a tip of the cap to Wimbledon which actually insured itself against a global pandemic so they didn’t feel the pinch like the rest of sports did having games canceled and fans barred from buildings. Over the last year we’ve learned more than we ever wanted to about mask wearing, social distancing and the differences between indoor transmission and outdoor transmission. Not to mention the merits of Zoom.

We also learned about bubbles in large part because of the NBA and NHL, which both returned to empty buildings in secure locations to hold its respective 2020 postseasons. Many NBA and NHL teams returned last summer to muted anticipation and champions were crowned, but for the also rans like us who didn’t have bubble basketball or hockey it would be a much longer wait. We all learned to make do in different ways. One of my unexpected favorite things about having no live sports is when sports shows, which had nothing other than the NFL offseason to cover figured out they could use memory lane (discussing old games with guests) as a way to both fill airtime and provide entertainment to the fans. As someone who likes sports history this was right down my alley.

This isn’t to minimize all we’ve gone without since that day. Even if you’re one of the lucky ones like me who haven’t gotten the virus or lost any loved ones to the disease yet, there is going to be an incalculable mental and emotional toll to account for once this is all over, to varying degrees for everyone. At least it does feel like there’s an end coming in the not too distant future with the president’s announcement yesterday that all states are being instructed to make vaccines available to the population at large by May 1. That’s not to say we’ll all be vaccinated then or soon after, I’m sure the line’ll be long and annoying even with a (too high) number of anti-vaxxers who won’t bother to get it, but it’ll be worth the hassle of trying to get the vaccine to get past this so that in 2022 we won’t still be talking about restrictions and social distancing.

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A play that sums up latest embarrassment to Bruins, lack of production a concern for kids, DeAngelo missed

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Derek

I’m not exactly feeling great tonight. So, I’ll make it quick. You don’t need to over analyze every game. Some losses speak for themselves. Case in point, the 4-0 humiliation to the Bruins.

It doesn’t matter how you start a game if you don’t score. The Rangers sounded good early with five of the first six shots and more hits. But they couldn’t get to kryptonite Jaro Halak, who again shut them out. So, whatever good they did was for naught.

After Alex Georgiev gave up his daily beach ball- this one to top Bruins finisher David Pastrnak from way out without a screen- they fell behind by a goal. They didn’t respond well. Something that’s occurred several times before against quality opponents. This wasn’t a total meltdown like that 5-1 drubbing to the Pens. But it wasn’t close enough.

On a power play with an opportunity to tie the game, the Rangers again fell apart by allowing a crushing shorthanded goal for the second straight game. This is the play that summed up their night. Watch closely.

You’ll see Brad Marchand skate into open ice in transition with Adam Fox backing up inside his zone. That’s the first problem. Then, Marchand skates towards Pavel Buchnevich, who’s back. In this spot, you want a defenseman to be covering in front of the net.

Marchand wisely isolated Buchnevich so he could attack him. What happens next is just a lazy effort from a good offensive player. On a strong move by the dangerous Marchand, who’s the best shorthanded player since he entered the league, Buchnevich makes a lazy effort at stopping him.

The end result of Buchnevich giving up on the play is the smaller and grittier Marchand going around him like he’s the Tinman. He then finds a wide open Patrice Bergeron in front for an easy put away on a shorthanded goal that put the Bruins up 2-0.

How was he so open? Fox dove down and did a snow angel taking himself out of the play. That’s the Rangers top defenseman. If he’s going to play such a critical play that softly, you’re not gonna win many games.

Fox is easily the best D they have. He’s had a very good second year. However, the lack of physicality is an area he must improve on. Fox entered with single digits in hits. That’s not his game. He needed to be stronger on this particular play by staying on his feet to protect the house.

The shorthanded goal from Bergeron was one the Rangers never recovered from. They would proceed to give up two more Boston goals in a lackluster second period.

First, David Krejci got his first goal of the season on the power play off a one-timer to increase the Bruins lead to 3-0. Then, Jake DeBrusk finished off his first even strength goal in front. He was a healthy scratch last game at the Islanders. He had no trouble getting his second thanks to token resistance from a lost team mentally. That goal finished the Rangers off.

There really was no point in tuning in for anything else. Other than to see if they could spoil the all too predictable Halak shutout. He’s now shutout the Rangers in his last two starts to increase his great record versus them. Is there anything more to add?

Jaro Halak is the Rangers’ Daddy. Pedro Martinez would be proud. Especially with it being Boston versus New York. The only difference is he pitched for the Red Sox against the Yankees. He did at least win a World Series in 2004 to help Boston end the Babe Ruth curse. Sadly, Halak isn’t even close to Martinez in his sport. You’d never know it watching him continue his mastery of the Blueshirts. It never fails.

What did fail was David Quinn, whose new lineup that included the returns of Brendan Lemieux, Libor Hajek and the clearly struggling Georgiev, produced a mind numbing loss. Their third in a row to drop to two under NHL .500. The season is slipping away.

Take a listen to what special guest analyst and former captain Ryan Callahan had to say about that deflating shorthanded goal.

Of course, he’s right. Someone needed to step up and be vocal on the bench. Or lead by example. They didn’t get that. They only totaled 13 shots following a first period that saw them outshoot the Bruins 14-9. They only registered three total shots in the second. That won’t get it done.

Neither will Quinn shuffling his lines like a drunken sailor. It was like he was blindly tossing darts or picking out of a hat. I don’t need to explain any further. It was strange. I want to also point out a very pointed tweet from Steve Vogel. He’s usually on the money. I happen to agree with this harsh assessment.

He’s not wrong. I’ve seen enough Senators games and just enough of the Red Wings to notice a difference in how they play. They aren’t as talented. But the way they attack is a lot more entertaining than how the Rangers or brutal Sabres play. When you look at this team, one of the first things you notice is the lack of structure. Even with the rapid improvement on the penalty kill and defense allowing fewer shots or high danger chances, the lack of structure is still noticeable.

It’s Year Three of “The Rebuild” under Quinn. By now, this shouldn’t be an issue. Yet it still is. So is their mental state when things don’t go right. They fall apart too easily. Until this changes, you can’t feel too confident in the team’s future. They’re wasting the young talent which is under performing. At what point do Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere start to resemble number two and number one picks? It’s concerning.

Why can’t Mika Zibanejad put the puck in the ocean? Don’t use the tired Covid excuse anymore. It’s lazy. What’s happened to him? Granted. His shooting percentage was going to come down from what it was last year. It wasn’t sustainable. But we’re talking about a player who is stuck on three goals and six assists while centering good players. Maybe he should be moved down the lineup.

Aside from the perplexing lack of production, the lack of emotional response against an old rival that beat them for the fourth time in five meetings is demoralizing. Why is this team so easy to play against? They’re not any closer to seriously competing. Hence my tweet on how I feel about a very important off-season this summer.

It’s nice that they now have four lines. I hope they hold onto Julien Gauthier. He continues to improve. I wouldn’t mind Brett Howden or Lemieux going. The latter needs a scenery change while Howden’s offense is nonexistent. Two assists and no goals isn’t progress. This isn’t a knock on how hard he competes. He’s an honest hockey player. But at some point, there has to be some improvement.

Pretty soon, the Rangers will have another former first round pick in Vitaly Kravtsov among the mix of talented young forwards. Is he going to struggle too or will he look more NHL ready due to being 21 and coming off his best pro season for Traktor in the KHL? At some point, these “prospects” have to perform more consistently. As much as I’ve seen growth from both Kakko and Lafreniere, production becomes vital. Filip Chytil has looked better. But he’s in Year Three.

Most discouraging is where they are right now. This isn’t to suggest the year is over. The Rangers played Game 25 of 56. 10-12-3 with 23 points. Nine behind the Bruins and six off the Flyers, who sit on the outside of the top four in the division.

There’s still room for improvement. Here’s the thing. The Rangers have a brutal record versus the Pens and Bruins.

NYR vs Pens 1-3-2

NYR vs Bruins 1-4-0

So, they’ve won twice in 11 games against two of the top four rivals. That won’t get it done. The seven regulation losses make up over half the dozen defeats they have in 60 minutes. Six out of a possible 22 points is putrid. Anyway you slice it, it’s a losing formula.

I’m going to close with this. Unrelated to the hockey, I was already frustrated after watching my Alma mater St. John’s lose in overtime to Seton Hall. That one was tough. They didn’t play well enough to get the win and give themselves a chance at the NCAA Tournament.

At least the young kids showed growth under coach Mike Anderson. If you polled me before the season in which they were picked ninth out of 10 Big East teams, I would’ve gladly signed up for a 10-win season in the division and 16 victories. They will accept a postseason invitation to the NIT if it’s granted. That’s progress for a program that’s not had much going for it.

The point being is at what point do we start to question the Rangers organization on this rebuild. How many more years are they going to finish out of the playoffs? Last year doesn’t count. They got shellacked by the Hurricanes with old friend Brady Skjei ending Jesper Fast’s Rangers career in Game One. Now, they’re reunited in Carolina on a Stanley Cup dark horse. Fast is continuing to do the same things he did here. Think they miss him or Marc Staal?

Is Tony DeAngelo still to blame for everything? They have one good offensive defenseman who’s a legit top pair player in Fox. The rest are not that. That includes the rugged Ryan Lindgren, who I love. It also includes K’Andre Miller, who’s not been as good since his return from COVID Protocol.

Love or hate him, DeAngelo brought more skating and possession along with offense from the back end. Or did we conveniently forget he was fourth among all NHL defensemen in scoring last season? He did a lot of damage at five-on-five and was a good power play quarterback. Fox is too. But imagine not having to misuse Jacob Trouba or Miller on the second unit?

DeAngelo also brought this with him against opponents who took liberties.

He went and challenged a legit heavyweight in the crazy Ross Johnston last year following the Brock Nelson hit on Zibanejad. How did the Rangers do in those games versus the Islanders? Much better.

Until they alter the roster, it’s going to be more of the same. Opponents running roughshod by bumping into the goalies and targeting their top players. It matters.

No three stars or anymore game breakdown tonight. It speaks for itself. The rematch is Saturday afternoon. We better see a response.

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The Russians are coming

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Derek

It was yesterday that Artemi Panarin returned to practice with the Rangers. He greeted his excited teammates the way you’d expect. With the same flair and pizzazz that makes him unique.

After over two weeks away due to the off ice issues concerning a dubious rumor dating back to his KHL days a decade prior, Panarin had to take care of what’s most important in life. His family back home in Russia. Although he didn’t go home because that would be crazy, the unnecessary distraction was one that kept the affable 29-year old superstar out the past eight games. With things squared away, Panarin is close to a return.

It won’t come tonight when the Blueshirts visit the Bruins up in Boston for the first of a two-game series over three days. Rather than rush him back, coach David Quinn will let Panarin work his way back in. Another practice and he should be ready to go for Saturday’s rematch. That’ll be a matinee. Without the Bread Man, they’re 4-4 during this stretch. That included the first three-game winning streak that put them over NHL .500. It also meant consecutive losses to Pittsburgh to fall back under .500.

At least they learned how to win without their best player. Credit Chris Kreider for stepping up in his teammate’s absence. Ditto for Adam Fox, Ryan Strome, Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Lindgren. They got support from Kevin Rooney, who’s part of a much improved penalty killing unit that ranks fourth in the NHL. They’ve killed off 48 of the last 51 penalties.

Not only will the Rangers get Panarin back soon. But Igor Shestyorkin is almost ready to return from a mild groin strain. For now, it’s Alex Georgiev who must respond to some adversity. He’s struggled lately with consistency in net. That included getting chased by the Pens in his last start for three goals on six shots. Keith Kinkaid did a solid job in his first start making 23 saves in a tough 4-2 loss to the Pens. He’ll be the backup tonight.

Once Shestyorkin is ready to go, he’ll be back in goal. The clear number one goalie brings a calm steady presence to the net. He was starting to find his groove when he suffered the injury against the Devils. Fortunately, it wasn’t worse as first feared. A good thing for the Blueshirts.

Not only are we on the lookout for current Russian Rangers. There’s also a glimpse into the future. With his KHL team Traktor Chelyabinsk getting eliminated today by Salavat Yulayev 3-2 on a Markus Granlund penalty shot goal in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs, Vitaly Kravtsov may have played his final game for his home team in Russia. The 21-year old Rangers prospect had a good season for Traktor by posting a career high 16 goals and 24 points in 49 games. In the five-game series loss, Kravtsov recorded two goals and two assists for four points.

Selected by the Rangers ninth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, he is expected to join the club sometime later this month. If he does, we could finally see Kravtsov make his NHL debut. When that comes remains to be seen. Assuming they get him to come over, Kravtsov will have to go through a quarantine. Then adjust to the team’s system with a few practices. If they’re lucky, maybe they’ll see him in an NHL game by April.

For the future of the team, it’s important to see what the former first round pick can bring. He should be ready to show what he can do. However, fans should temper their expectations. Kravtsov is another young player who’ll be adjusting to life in North America. Look no further than recent first round picks Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere for proof. Neither has taken the league by storm.

It takes time for most young players to learn the NHL game. While younger kids Kakko and Lafreniere develop a bit more slowly, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren have proven themselves as a capable defensive tandem. Both are a couple of years older which helps. The coaching staff knows they can rely on them.

The most crucial thing is getting Panarin back into the lineup. Along with Shestyorkin, they’re keys to any kind of run in the second half. Right now, they aren’t a playoff team in a competitive East Division. It’ll prove tough to jump over two teams. That includes the Islanders, Capitals, Flyers, Pens and Bruins, who hold a 3-1 record versus the Rangers into tonight’s action. That must change over the next few days.

However, it would be exciting to see Kravtsov play in that Broadway Blueshirt jersey. He should be in the top nine. How he’s handled will be crucial. The future is bright in Manhattan.

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Blueshirts make too many mistakes in another loss to Penguins to spoil Kinkaid’s first start

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Derek

Alright. I’ll come right out and say it. I’m sick and tired of losing to the Penguins. I could care less if the Rangers have been competitive in four of the five losses to our old Patrick Division rival. It’s now bordering on absurd how they lose these games.

The final statistics said they held a 35-27 edge in shots, out-attempted their opponent 65-48 and out-hit them 58-37. They even won more face-offs going 35-for-64. The numbers lied. So, they won at everything except where it mattered most. The final score. The Pens won the sixth meeting by hanging on for a 4-2 home win in front of limited fans. Don’t let the 4-2 score fool you. It was really another one-goal game the Rangers lost until Sidney Crosby scored into an empty net in the waning seconds.

The truth is this. When push comes to shove, the Rangers aren’t on the same level as a flawed Pens team that got enough big saves late from Tristan Jarry to pull out the win. In six of eight match-ups against them, the Rangers have one total win so far. Just embarrassing. Any way you slice it, it’s bad. I could care less if they got two extra points in overtime and shootout defeats. It still counts the same. They can take their 1-3-2 record and stick it where the sun don’t shine. In reality, they’re 1-5 versus a bitter rival. There are two games left at MSG. Who cares.

By predictably losing for a second straight time to their Kryptonite, the Rangers are back to reality. They’re again under NHL .500 at 10-11-3. Even better, they next must face the Bruins in Boston for a two-game series on Thursday and Saturday. They’re 1-3 versus them. So, if you figure it out, this team has two victories in 10 combined games against Pittsburgh and Boston. That’s why they are where they are in the division.

If you can’t beat the good teams consistently, you won’t have any shot at the playoffs. Not that I was expecting it. I’m not like other people or Larry Brooks, who got fooled into thinking this team was good enough. On what planet are they better than the Islanders, Bruins, Penguins, Capitals or Flyers? It’s going as expected. The next game will be the 25th of 56. We’re almost at the halfway mark. That’s a good indicator of where the Rangers are.

By committing one too many mistakes, they spoiled an otherwise good Rangers debut from veteran goalie Keith Kinkaid. Making his first start in over a year, the former Devil acquitted himself well. None of the three goals the Pens scored were his fault. In fact, if not for some clutch stops including a big one on a clean breakaway, the Rangers would’ve trailed 3-1 a lot sooner than they did. Kinkaid made the saves he was supposed to against a familiar opponent he’s had success against. He finished with 23 saves on 26 shots to fall to 6-4-2 against Pittsburgh.

The problem was the costly errors the team made. They got off to a good start thanks to former Pen Jack Johnson having his shot deflect off Pittsburgh defenseman John Marino past Jarry for a 1-0 lead at 9:16 of the first period. Chris Kreider made a good hit to take a Pen off the puck and set up Julien Gauthier for a shot that came back to him. The right wing then skated around the net and passed for a vacated Johnson, whose shot went in for his first as a Ranger. He deserved it. Johnson has been better lately even if he’s played through an injury according to David Quinn.

It was mostly Pens in the first with them establishing a forecheck. Thinking shot first, they bombarded Kinkaid with 16. He was very sharp. In fact, had his team not imploded with over a minute left, the Blueshirts take a one-goal lead to the locker room. Instead, Ryan Lindgren was checked off the puck by Sidney Crosby. Sure. His stick broke as excuse maker Joe Micheletti pointed out. But if Crosby hadn’t pressured him along the boards, his composite stick doesn’t break. He failed to clear the zone. Crosby perfectly passed across for Jake Guentzel, who whipped a laser top shelf inside the bar past Kinkaid to tie it up with 1:06 left.

Kinkaid wasn’t the only lineup change. Johnson returned for Libor Hajek, who got the night off. Colin Blackwell also replaced the ineffective Brendan Lemieux on the fourth line. By now, the coaching staff should realize that Blackwell adds more than Lemieux, who I wouldn’t mind sitting out again on Thursday. But they’ll probably reinsert him for Phil Di Giuseppe even though he had seven hits. Brett Howden isn’t coming out because they prefer him to center the fourth line and kill penalties. He won four of seven draws.

If there was a sore spot in the loss, it was the dreadful power play. Although they did eventually get back in it on their third attempt when Ryan Strome had his shot pass bank off Marino in the third period, the first two power plays stunk. They got nothing accomplished on either. The first was your typical Strome pass for a misfired Mika Zibanejad dying quail into the glove of Jarry. Had he got good wood on it, he could’ve scored. The short side was open. But Zibanejad can’t score even when the opportunity presents itself. What a waste.

A Mike Matheson trip of Howden 55 seconds into the second in a tie game should’ve resulted in something positive. Instead, the second power play unit turned over pucks repeatedly until they handed Teddy Blueger a gift. On several fumbles where they couldn’t get out of their own way, Blueger eventually came out with the puck on a pass from Brandon Tanev. He then completely abused a flat-footed K’Andre Miller, going right around him and in to beat Kinkaid for a shorthanded goal at 2:40. The sad part is it came directly after they let defensive defenseman Brian Dumoulin get a good shot on Kinkaid. It was an embarrassment.

They weren’t done making mistakes. In an evenly played second period where the Rangers had a slight edge in shots (13-10), they were unable to establish a good cycle. It was a lot of one and done. The third line featuring Gauthier, Filip Chytil and Kevin Rooney (8-and-3 on face-offs) was their best. They got things done and were effective. Kaapo Kakko was very noticeable too. He was active during offensive shifts and did some good things. If only they could’ve forced Jarry out of his comfort zone.

The game remained one-goal until the final minute of the period. On relentless forecheck pressure from the Evgeni Malkin unit, the top pair of Adam Fox and Lindgren got pinned in their end with the third line. Struggling to clear the zone or even take an icing, eventually they got burned. With both Lindgren and Fox gassed, Malkin got the puck in front to Kasperi Kapanen, who made a nice move around Fox and scored from the slot with just over 20 seconds remaining. It was a backbreaking goal that gave Pittsburgh a two-goal lead entering the third period.

If you’re a good team, you can’t give up goals like that. Not in the final minute. And definitely not like the ridiculous shorthanded goal they handed to Blueger as if he were Mario Lemieux. They were the better team when it mattered. Even if they’re not quite what they were, their best is still good enough to win these games. It’s why it’ll probably go down to the wire for the playoffs between them and one of the other top four.

In the third, the Pens opted to sit back. It almost proved costly. A lazy Crosby holding minor at the 3:11 mark allowed the Rangers to pull within one only seven seconds later. A face-off win allowed them to get set up. Fox passed for Buchnevich, who got the puck over for Strome. He clearly intended to take a low shot for Kreider in front. However, his low shot went off Marino and in for his first power play goal of the season at 3:18. It was his ninth. After a slow start, Strome continues to perform well. So does Buchnevich, who picked up an assist to give him a team-leading 20th point.

In a period where they had their shots (15) and chances, the Rangers never could break through. For most of it, the Pens had at least three guys back to limit the damage. Jarry made the stops when he had to. It wasn’t until the final frantic minutes that things got interesting.

With the Pens not registering one shot on Kinkaid, the Rangers kept coming. They were more aggressive than prior. But when they finally generated the high danger chances they wanted, Jarry made the save of the game by stoning Buchnevich on the doorstep. Off a great pass across from Zibanejad, Buchnevich looked to have the game tied up. Instead, a sliding Jarry got over to deny his bid with over two minutes left. He would get one more that Jarry also got. Jacob Trouba would do his usual and send a shot wide.

It really felt like they would find a way to force overtime. But it wasn’t to be. Instead, Crosby scored unassisted from center ice into a vacated net with 33 seconds left to ice it. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Another frustrating loss to the Pens. Two in a row after their first winning streak. Even if it came against worse competition. Ultimately, they were outscored 9-3 in the two games. That won’t get it done. Period.

I don’t give a crap if Artemi Panarin missed his eighth straight game. Of course, they’re a better team with him. But every team is without good players in this crazy year. For the Rangers, even crazier. That’s all I’ll say. I have no clue when Panarin will be back. Hopefully, it gets straightened out soon. For now, they have to find a way without him.

It would help if Zibanejad didn’t have nine points (3-6-9) in 24 games. I know it’s a bit early. But who would you rather keep? Strome, who produces better and is more involved with an average cap hit of $4.5 million. Or Zibanejad, who is clearly not the same player we saw last year, and has an AAV of $5.35 million. Right now, that’s up for debate. You know who’ll cost more over the long-term. Zibanejad is more dynamic having recorded 41 goals last year including a five-goal game. Strome has proven he doesn’t need Panarin to produce. He fits in.

The Rangers must also make a tough decision on key restricted free agent Buchnevich, who should command around $5.25 million. Maybe more depending on the negotiating. He can sign for a year and turn unrestricted like the aforementioned Zibanejad and Strome next year.

There are going to be some interesting choices management will have to make starting this summer. Not that that matters right now. If they can’t get one of the next two games at Boston, maybe the season is over. At some point, they have to make up ground. That can’t be done by only winning games versus lowly Buffalo or dominating the Devils, who don’t forget took the first two at MSG. There are more games left with the Flyers, Caps and Islanders. Those are the ones they must do better in.

Right now, they’re mediocre. I’m not here to spin it like Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti do on MSG. That’s for losers. You are what your record says you are. 10-11-3. Really 10-14. That’s not good enough.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Teddy Blueger, Pens (shorthanded goal, 2 SOG, 2 blocks, 9-and-5 on draws in 15:37)

2nd 🌟 Brian Dumoulin, Pens (assist, 6 hits, 3 blocked shots, +3 in 22:44)

1st 🌟 Tristan Jarry, Pens (33 saves including 14 of 15 in 3rd)

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Devils show life on the road, with likely nobody watching

Posted on March 9, 2021 by hasan4978

I’ll just say this right up front…if you were watching the Devils at all the last three nights after their ugly 0-5 homestand, which culminated with an embarrassing sweep by the Rangers over the weekend, then you’re either a better fan than I or more masochistic (if not both). Even the Devils’ 1-0 shutout win in Boston on Sunday didn’t really engender much excitement from me although at least they deserve some credit from rebounding from what was likely the rock bottom moment of the 2021 season. After all, we’re double digit points out of the playoff race already and you could pretty much chalk our success against the Bruins this season to a bit of a fluke (especially after a 40-save shutout by Scott Wedgewood of all people in TD Bank), sort of like when we had other terrible teams the last few years but would somehow almost always stick it to the Penguins. Or when the Islanders frequently beat us when they were awful and we were good.

I did actually listen to most of the Ranger disaster on the radio Saturday, and still couldn’t recall what the exact score of both games were – I thought they outscored us 11-5 in the two games, but it was actually worse than that (12-4). I’m not sure how much really improved in Boston other than the goaltending considering Mackenzie Blackwood is still recovering from his COVID-induced month off. I was actually glad Lindy Ruff didn’t just stick with Aaron Dell by rote and gave Wedgewood another shot yesterday when it was time for another backup goalie start. I was also glad he gave Wedgewood the second start, more to give Blackwood an extended blow than even the fact that Wedgewood had a 40-save shutout on Sunday.

Goaltender wasn’t the only change the coach made after the Ranger fiasco, he yanked (and that is the right word) Will Butcher from the lineup after eviscerating the third pairing of Butcher and Sami Vatanen in the postgame Saturday following a rough afternoon where they were both benched for a time, as the coach tried to go with four defensemen to stay in the game. Butcher’s not the only underachiever that’s earned his way on the outs lately, Nikita Gusev has played like a guy who’s going back to the KHL next season with just two goals and five points in sixteen games, and the majority of those points have been in 6-on-4 situations down two goals, i.e. borderline junktime goals. Offseason acquisition Andreas Johnsson has also been awful in every way imaginable with just three goals and six points in 21 games, but even that wasn’t as bad as his total see no evil, hear no evil act of skating away from the carnage when Brad Marchand cheapshotted prize rookie Ty Smith on Sunday. If you’re not gonna produce, at least show some effort and grit. Johnsson had another rough game tonight, earning himself an in-game benching and probably a trip to the scratch box. Woof, what a waste of $10 million.

Seemingly like his first stint in the lineup earlier in the season, Wedgewood came crashing back to earth after a first appearance shutout as the Caps predictably ran riot in the first two periods and went up 3-0 and 4-1. I can’t even call the Caps a jinx team for us, cause they really are that much better of a team at this point. Which renders what happened in the third period inexplainable, did the Caps just turn a switch off, or did the Devils just play with a nothing-to-lose swagger? Whatever the case, the Devils made a furious rally. Somewhere Stan Fischler, who’s known for saying ‘the three goal lead is the worst in hockey’ was smiling as the Devils roared back with goals from Miles Wood, Yegor Sharangovich and Damon Severson to tie the game. I was only paying enough attention to occasionally check my Twitter feed, and less as the Caps built their early lead. I did see the score at 4-2 in the third but resisted the temptation to turn it on until after I saw that the game was tied. I wound up only really watching the final couple of minutes and OT.

It turned out to be too much viewing for the night.

You would think after scoring three goals and coming back to tie the game the Devils wouldn’t have come out as tentative as they did in the OT, trying to make the perfect play. I get you have to be careful in a 3-on-3 but at a certain point you just gotta start putting pucks on net against a goalie who just gave up three third-period goals. Predictably once they passed up a couple of chances in the offensive zone it took the Caps just one breakdown to get a breakaway goal from Jakub Vrana, who’s becoming a Devil-killer even by Caps standards as Vrana turned up the jets like he hit the turbo button on PlayStation to speed past Ty Smith for the game-winner.

In this season with this schedule there’s no rest for the weary though, hopefully Blackwood comes back from his four-day break rejuvenated on Thursday when we play the first of three straight games with the streaking Islanders. As I said before, they weren’t even a good matchup for us when they were bad. Now that they’re good and you know any Lou team will want to stick it to us whenever they can, forget about it. Even if Wedgewood actually got his other shutout of the season against the Isles (which was actually our last home win of 2021 at this point). Our last game against them is more what you can expect, a game where they play like the 1995 Devils against us and wait for us to make the mistake we’re inevitably going to make or allow a bad goal, and voila you’re looking at another loss. Or three, as it were.

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Kinkaid time for Rangers in rematch versus Penguins

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Derek

It’s official. Keith Kinkaid will get the start when the Rangers face the Penguins in a rematch tonight.

Coach David Quinn confirmed that Kinkaid would get the opportunity after relieving Alex Georgiev (3 goals allowed on 6 shots) in a disappointing 5-1 loss on Sunday night. Kinkaid played well after coming in. He allowed two late goals with both coming on odd-man rushes. But made 16 saves on 18 shots.

For the prideful 31-year old from Farmingville, New York, it’s a chance to prove he still belongs in the NHL. A veteran with 158 games including 137 starts underneath his belt, his best run came during ’17-18 when he carried the Devils to the playoffs. Kinkaid won a career high 26 games and posted a 2.77 GAA with a .913 save percentage in 41 appearances (38 starts).

Even though he couldn’t duplicate the success he had that season, Kinkaid was a popular teammate in the locker room due to his personality. He also would entertain fans with his unique tweets following wins which included emojis describing who had good games.

After spending six years in the Devils organization, Kinkaid was part of the Canadiens in ’19-20. Although it didn’t go well with him struggling in five starts, the Rangers signed him as insurance for Hartford.

With the injury to starter Igor Shestyorkin, Kinkaid will make his Rangers debut as a starting goalie tonight at a special start time after 6 PM in Pittsburgh. It’s an opponent he knows well. Kinkaid has had success versus the Pens posting a 6-3-2 career record as a starter. That included going 6-1-1 as a Devil between ’17-18 and ’18-19.

Can he produce similar results as a Blueshirt with Shestyorkin on the mend and Georgiev needing to find his game? We’ll find out soon enough.

There could be more lineup changes for the game. At the moment, nothing has been revealed. If there is, expect Colin Blackwell to return. For who remains to be seen. The Rangers are more effective with him in the lineup. On Sunday, they played one of their worst games. Coincidence?

Either way, they’ll be searching for their second win against the Pens in six meetings. They enter play 1-2-2 thus far. The final two match-ups are April 6-8 at MSG next month.

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The loss of former Ranger and USA Hockey hero Mark Pavelich a haunting reality for ignorant league

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Derek

Getty Images via New York Post Associated Press

On March 4, the hockey community lost an American hero in Mark Pavelich. He was 63.

A key member of the 1980 USA Hockey Miracle Team that stunned Russia 41 years ago and went on to win Olympic gold in Lake Placid, Pavelich assisted on two goals including Mike Eruzione’s memorable game-winning goal to highlight a come from behind 4-3 stunning upset of Russia. Team USA’s dramatic win over the heavily favored Soviets was the upset of the 20th Century. Coached by Herb Brooks, they won the gold medal by defeating Finland 4-2 by rallying for three goals in the third period.

Like many great hockey fans, I’ve seen the footage a lot. I was only three at the time when the Americans pulled off the huge upset over a great Russian team that featured Slava Fetisov, Alexei Kasatonov, Valeri Kharlamov, Sergei Makarov, Vladimir Petrov, Boris Mikhailov, Vladimir Krutov, Aleksandr Maltsev, Sergei Starikov and Vladislav Tretiak. They were coached by Viktor Tikhonov. He called pulling legendary starting goalie Tretiak for Vladimir Myshkin due to a last second tying goal by Mark Johnson after the first period “the biggest mistake of my career.” Johnson got between two defenders to steer in a Dave Christian rebound that Tretiak misplayed.

The Americans still rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the third on goals from Johnson and Eruzione to win the great game. Jim Craig was the goaltender who made huge saves with 11 coming in a lopsided second that saw Russia score the only goal and outshoot USA 12-2. He was the winning netminder for the Olympic semifinal and of course the gold medal game against Finland.

Notable USA players such as Pavelich, Mike Ramsey, Christian, Craig, Neal Broten, Johnson, Ken Morrow, Jack O’Callahan and David Silk went onto NHL careers. That included Brooks, who coached Pavelich and the Rangers between 1981 to 1985. Under Brooks, who knew him well from the Miracle Team, Pavelich performed well for the Blueshirts. Over the first three seasons, he was nearly a point-per-game.

In his rookie year of ’81-82, Pavelich posted 33 goals with 43 assists for a still Rangers’ rookie record 76 points and a plus-19 rating over 79 games. That included 12 power play goals and three shorthanded goals along with 67 penalty minutes as a 23-year old to finish fifth for the Calder. The 76 points tied him with teammate Ron Duguay for second in team scoring behind Mike Rogers.

He followed it up by scoring a career high 37 times while adding 38 assists for a total of 75 points in 78 contests during ’82-83. That included two shorthanded goals and six game-winners. Pavelich was recognized for his season by finishing 10th for the Hart and 24th for the Selke. He also was 14th for the Byng. He recorded his only two NHL hat tricks that season with three against the Islanders and a franchise record five goals against the Whalers. Only two other Rangers have achieved it in a single game. They are Don Murdoch and Mika Zibanejad, who did it last year on March 5, 2020 versus the Capitals.

In ’83-84, Pavelich continued to produce at a high level. His 82 points were a career best. So were his 53 assists. For the year, he went 29-53-82 with 96 penalty minutes, a plus-12 rating, 12 power play goals and a shorthanded goal that gave him six total for his NHL career with all half dozen coming in the first three seasons. Of Pavelich’s 53 assists, 39 came at even strength. He was a superb even strength player producing 209 (79-130) of his 318 points at even strength over five years with the Rangers.

He continued to perform well his last two seasons on Broadway. But injuries limited him to 48 and 59 games respectively. He wasn’t big in stature. Listed at just 5-8, 170 pounds, the right center from Minnesota was part of the fun Smurfs teams under Brooks. They made the Division Finals in ’83 losing to the hated Islanders in six games. In an ’84 Division Semifinal rematch, they fell in a deciding five games with former Olympic teammate Morrow scoring the crushing overtime winner on April 10, 1984.

Pavelich paced them in postseason scoring with two goals and four assists for six points in that series. By then, the popular Duguay was gone. He was dealt to the Red Wings where he had his best seasons. By 1985, the Brooks Era was coming to an abrupt end. After getting eliminated by the Flyers in three games, Brooks was replaced by Ted Sator. A different style coach who preferred dump and chase to the emphasis on skating, speed and playmaking that fit the game of Pavelich so well.

After tallying 40 points (20-20-40) over 59 games, he was traded to the North Stars for a second round pick in ’88. Pavelich only played in 12 games for Minnesota registering four goals and six assists while reunited with Brooks.

He would travel overseas the next two years to play in Italy for HC Bolzano. His final stop was with the expansion Sharks in ’91-92 where he picked up an assist on the first ever San Jose goal scored by Craig Coxe. Pavelich only played two games before calling it quits.

Following his hockey career, Pavelich remarried for the second time to Kara Burmachuk in 1994. However, her tragic death on an accidental fall from their second story balcony in Lutsen, Minnesota on Sept. 6, 2012 had a deep impact on Pavelich. A former hockey player who suffered from mental health issues stemming from behavioral changes that sister Jean Gevich noticed, he was a troubled person. She believes he might have suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).

On August 15, 2019, Pavelich was arrested and charged with four felony counts of assault when he injured a neighbor while fishing. That included possession of short-barreled shotgun and possession of a firearm with a missing serial number. When his trial came up later that year, it was suspended before the judge ruled that he was mentally unfit to stand trial. He was declared mentally ill and incapable of partaking in the defense due to not understanding the proceedings.

A year later on Aug. 12, 2020, Pavelich was granted court approval to be transferred to the state’s high security mental health facility for less restrictive treatment. He passed away on March 4, 2021 at the residential treatment center in Sauk Center, Minnesota.

The real sad part about this awful tragedy is he didn’t get any support from the NHL, USA Hockey or the New York Rangers. One of the biggest issues off the ice is the league’s total failure to assist any former players who have suffered from mental illness and health issues stemming from CTE.

They all but ignored Daniel Carcillo, who’s since recovered well from his physical ailments due to concussions by experimenting with psilocybin mushrooms. It includes preclinical trials on psychedelic drug-assisted therapy to help treat recovering people from traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

A vocal critic of the NHL for not being more hands on with former Hawks defenseman Steve Montador, who passed away at 35 on February 15, 2015, Carcillo founded Wesana Health as a way to help many players suffering from post-concussion syndrome, anxiety and depression. It was discovered that Montador had CTE. He left behind a son who was born four days to his girlfriend after his death.

Since the NHL settled a lawsuit stemming from the degenerative brain condition, they’ve remained mum on any correlation linking hockey to CTE. In November of 2018, the league announced an $18.9 million settlement with 318 former players who were part of the lawsuit involving the dangers of concussions linking it to CTE. Regrettably, many of these players have experienced symptoms due to head trauma.

This includes a testimony from former Devils Stanley Cup champion Mike Peluso, who told a earth shattering story of being knocked out cold in a fight, but sent back on the ice to fight again. Back then, it was considered bravery for tough guys to play through such risky head injuries. Physical play has always been a selling point for hockey.

However, things are different now. If a player isn’t right, they have concussion spotters on site to put them through concussion protocol. It’s taken much more seriously. If only they had handled it with the same kind of fragile care when you had players getting crushed and returning as if nothing ever happened.

In a scathing post, former Rangers teammate of Pavelich, Barry Beck ripped into the NHL, USA Hockey and the Rangers for not checking up on Pavelich. It’s extremely eye opening and mind numbing.

“The Rangers and USA hockey are accountable for Marks death,” Beck wrote in a 946-word post that appeared on Facebook with excerpts in the New York Post. “The NHL has to grow a set of balls and take action.”

Referring to the NHL as “cowards” who only care about money coming in, Beck pulled no punches on the seriousness of the issue they continue to shy away from. That included current Rangers Team President John Davidson, who never returned an email.

“Well JD did not even return my email. I guess he was too [f—ing] busy,” wrote Beck, a Rangers defenseman from 1979-86. “He should have picked up the phone and called me. That would have been the right thing to do as we were teammates and he certainly would have my back right?“

Although it was learned by The Post that Davidson had been in direct contact with current NHL Alumni Association President Glenn Healy, I can understand Beck’s frustration. A former close friend and teammate should’ve had better care from the league, who is to blame for this mess. They make it almost impossible for their teams to keep tabs on former players due to the conflict of interest.

Obviously, it’s a very sad story. Carcillo recently noted that he’d been in contact with the NHL about discussing his new treatment therapy further to assist troubled players.

The lesson in all of this is accountability. It’s high time the NHL did a much better job taking care of their own. Stop pretending that everything is okay. These are tough players who sacrificed for their teams due to the way the game was played. Their long-term health has been impacted.

How many tragic tales do we have to hear or read about? Derek Boogaard. Montador. Wade Belak. Rick Rypien. There are others who are still around that are suffering. It’s time for the NHL hierarchy to take responsibility. Do the right thing.

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