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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Rangers implode following Zibanejad’s first even strength goal in bad 5-1 loss to Penguins

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Derek

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368758281318072324?s=19

It started out well enough. On Jacob Trouba’s first shift back from a broken thumb, he made a good defensive play to Pavel Buchnevich, who made a strong play along the boards to send Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere on a two-on-one break. This time, Zibanejad out waited Pittsburgh starting goalie Casey DeSmith and went short side top shelf to finally get his first even strength goal of the season at 1:18.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368724822595887104?s=19

Unfortunately, wasted opportunities following that goal proved costly for the Rangers, who had a three-game win streak snapped in a bad 5-1 loss to the Pens in Pittsburgh. It all fell apart suddenly. After getting nine of the first 10 shots on DeSmith, who was a bit lucky as Zibanejad sent a point blank backhand rebound just wide of the net, the Rangers imploded.

With Sidney Crosby in the penalty box for tripping up Chris Kreider, the Blueshirts were miserable on the power play. They got nothing set up and were sloppy on entries, resulting in easy Pittsburgh clears. Only a Kaapo Kakko unscreened shot from the left circle was on goal with DeSmith easily smothering it. The power outage and Zibanejad near miss turned the game around.

Following Evgeni Malkin falling into the Rangers net occupied by Alex Georgiev, who David Quinn gave a second consecutive start in a back-to-back, Ryan Lindgren took a lazy penalty when he took down Crosby to put the Pens on the power play.

Even though the Rangers did a solid job on the penalty kill, Pittsburgh would strike late. As the power play was expiring, defenseman John Marino took a wrist shot from a good angle with traffic that beat Georgiev far side over the blocker at 16:13. It wasn’t a great goal. Georgiev was off his angle a little bit to give Marino enough room to tie the game up with 3:47 left.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368730820136075264?s=19

What happened next was inexplicable. Following a stoppage, a neutral zone face-off turned into a fire drill. A Malkin pass off the boards trapped two Rangers. Then Jared McCann passed for an open Kasper Kapanen, who escaped K’Andre Miller. Miller fell down to cause a breakaway for Kapanen. In alone on Georgiev, he picked high glove on a good deke to put the Penguins ahead 39 seconds later. Georgiev hasn’t been good on breakaways this year. He isn’t making enough critical stops. Though it’s hard to put it on him. It was a total breakdown.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368731601790771208?s=09

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368731853889413121?s=19

As if that weren’t bad enough, Crosby then struck only 22 seconds later to give the Pens three consecutive goals over a 61-second span. On the scoring play, this was some very poor defense from the reliable top pair of Adam Fox and Lindgren. After Kris Letang passed the puck to D partner Brian Dumoulin, he made an outlet for an attacking Crosby, who blew past a passive Fox and split Lindgren to fire a wrist shot past Georgiev for his eighth with 2:46 left. It was again a high shot glove side that got past the backup goalie. All three Pittsburgh goals went high.

At that point, Quinn had seen enough. After allowing three goals on six shots, Georgiev was lifted in favor of former Devil Keith Kinkaid. A well traveled veteran since his miraculous run where he backstopped the Devils into the postseason a few years ago, Kinkaid was the backup with Igor Shestyorkin still out due to the mild groin strain he suffered on Thursday night. It’s interesting to note that Kinkaid had a winning record versus the Pens in his career. Much of it coming for New Jersey. Ultimately, Quinn opted to stick with Georgiev, who continues to struggle in back-to-back games.

I know this will sound like the ultimate second guess. But prior to the game, I actually thought they should’ve given Kinkaid the start. Sometimes, the element of surprise is good. He won both his starts with Hartford and is capable. Maybe it was just a hunch.

In a game I didn’t see much of following the promising start, it sounds like Kinkaid played well in relief. He had to contend with a Pittsburgh five-on-three power play thanks to another bench minor followed by a Zibanejad slash. He made nine saves in the second period to keep his team afloat. That included a couple of key stops. Overall, Kinkaid made 16 saves on 18 shots. The two that beat him late in the third weren’t his fault.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368752661449818113?s=09

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368755408991625217?s=19

One of the most disappointing aspects of the loss was the Rangers reverting. They had too many costly defensive miscues that led directly to goals against. If you really break it down, four of the five goals the Pens scored weren’t earned. That’s goals two through five. The defense was lousy. It started with Miller tripping and watching Kapanen score. Then Fox and Lindgren stood and let Crosby go by for a goal. The fourth and fifth goals were brutal.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368732351862300672?s=19

In a game where they didn’t establish much of a forecheck, they melted down to turn it into a blowout. On more poor defense from Lindgren and Brendan Smith, Malkin was able to easily bury a Kapanen pass across for his sixth at 13:57. Token resistance.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368756790146523136?s=09

Then, Zach Aston-Reese got behind Smith and Libor Hajek to break in and beat Kinkaid for his fifth from Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev with 3:23 remaining for the fifth straight Pittsburgh goal. Awful.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1368758930596302856?s=19

It was a night to forget. I saw a lot of overreaction to this loss from our schizo fan base. Sometimes, teams have bad games. Had they been able to get that second goal on DeSmith (23 saves), maybe we’re talking about a different game. They did a lot of good things in the first period before that bad minute. Something Trouba referenced when discussing his return with Mollie Walker. But they weren’t able to recover.

What they must do is put this one behind them. It happened. There’s no sense dwelling on it. There’s a rematch tomorrow night. It’s imperative for them to win that game. Especially with what’s ahead. At the moment, the Rangers are two up and seven down against Pittsburgh and Boston. Sure. They got some points in three. Who cares. They need to turn that around.

In this division, you can’t just rely on beating the bottom feeders. Here’s a kicker. The Devils picked themselves up and went into Boston and shutout the Bruins behind Scott Wedgewood. They’ve won three games out of four versus them. Go figure. Anything can happen in these divisional match-ups. That’s proof.

I didn’t quite understand playing Phil Di Giuseppe (9:53) over Colin Blackwell. Sure. He’s cooled off. But he plays with grit and brings energy. Is it that important to roll out Brett Howden every night for his penalty killing? Ditto for Brendan Lemieux.

Quinn told reporters he was undecided about who would get the start on Tuesday. Shestyorkin did travel with the team. My advice is simple. Don’t rush him back. Groins can be tricky. It’s not worth the risk. If I were a betting man, I’d expect Kinkaid to get the rematch with Georgiev backing up.

This was the seventh consecutive game Artemi Panarin missed. I have no idea what’s going on there. It’s obviously a very personal matter. Family comes before anything. Let’s hope he doesn’t miss too much more. I hope it gets resolved. They need him.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 John Marino, Pens (tying goal, +3 in 20:38)

2nd 🌟 Kasperi Kapanen, Pens (breakaway goal plus 2 🍎, +2 in 14:39)

1st 🌟 Evgeni Malkin, Pens (goal plus 🍎, +1 in 16:49)

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Trouba returns and Blackwell a scratch for Di Giuseppe

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Derek

Jacob Trouba is ready to return to the lineup tonight when the Rangers visit the Penguins. Face-off is after 7:30 PM.

He missed less time than first thought after sustaining a broken thumb on Feb. 4 against Washington. Trouba was expected to miss four to six weeks with the injury. Instead, he healed faster and returns to the defense for the first of two over three days versus Pittsburgh.

Coming out of the lineup is veteran Jack Johnson to make room for Trouba. Interestingly, he played better this time. He didn’t make any glaring mistakes while paired up with Libor Hajek, who scored his first goal of the season in Saturday’s 6-3 victory over the Devils. Credit to Johnson for doing a solid job. Also nice to see the coaching staff stick with Hajek, who has made the most of his second chance.

While Trouba returns, that likely means K’Andre Miller paired back up with the physical right defenseman. Brendan Smith can slide down to pair with Hajek. Smith has done an admirable job filling in on the top six. He remains a hardworking player David Quinn trusts. Good for him.

That won’t be the only lineup change. When asked about it, he told reporters Phil Di Giuseppe would be back in for this game. Colin Blackwell comes out. He’s cooled off during the team’s first three-game winning streak. However, I would prefer him be part of the lineup.

It is what it is. Quinn will keep Brett Howden in due to his penalty killing and fourth line role. He’s centering the checking line that right now includes Brendan Lemieux and Di Giuseppe. PDG brings similar skating and energy as the gritty Blackwell. Lemieux stays in due to his straightforward hard checking game even though he’s been a disappointment.

Obviously, Kevin Rooney has proven he belongs in with the strong penalty killing and forechecking he provides. He’ll continue to take draws for Filip Chytil on the third line that includes Julien Gauthier, whose two assist game was not unnoticed. He would’ve played more if he didn’t go for x-rays during a portion of the second period yesterday. Gauthier’s emergence is a positive development for the Rangers. He is a former first round pick of Carolina. His size and speed are intriguing.

After some consideration for Keith Kinkaid, who has a good record versus the Pens, Quinn will stay with Alex Georgiev tonight. He’ll oppose Casey DeSmith.

This will be a good test for the team to see where they are. Two against the Pens followed by a pair in Boston are no picnic.

I’ll have more later.

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Blueshirts make it a clean sweep of listless Devils in Newark, Chytil has a goal and assist to deliver first winning streak

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Derek

Well, it took long enough. The Rangers officially have their first winning streak of the season. In defeating the listless Devils by doubling them up 6-3, they made it a clean sweep of the two-game series in Newark this afternoon.

Their third consecutive win put them over NHL .500 (10-9-3) for the first time. Winners of four of the last five, things are looking up. Three of those victories have seen them score six goals. That included the two games versus their Hudson rivals at The Prudential Center. They outscored the Devils 12-5 to even the season series. The road team has won all four meetings. Four games remain.

While it’s a positive development for the Rangers, the Devils have astonishingly dropped nine straight home games. That in itself is absurd. Their last win on home ice came against the Islanders on Jan. 24. In fact, the Devils went 0-5 on their five-game home stand. They didn’t earn a single point with every loss coming in regulation.

The latest defeat dropped the Devils to 7-11-2. After a promising start that included a 3-2 triumph at Boston on 2/18, they’ve lost eight of nine since. This one was actually than the final score indicated. Remarkably, they were more competitive in Thursday’s 6-1 loss than today’s 6-3 defeat.

Sloppy is how to describe the first period by both teams. Particularly the Devils, who picked up where they left off less than 48 hours ago. They took ill advised penalties and frequently turned over the puck, leading to Rangers goals. It was a poor effort. For the game, the Devils had 26 giveaways. The Rangers weren’t much better either winding up with a ridiculous 24. Many coming in a cringe worthy opening 20 minutes.

Before the game was two minutes old, defenseman Sami Vatanen hi-sticked Brendan Lemieux drawing blood for a double minor. The Rangers were only too happy to cash in on the first half of the four-minute power play.

On just an Alex Georgiev outlet pass, Adam Fox carried the puck through four motionless Devils penalty killers and went in and beat Mackenzie Blackwood through the wickets at 2:06. Token resistance allowed Fox to cruise in for the breakaway goal. His second of the season. It was Fox’s first goal since Jan. 22 at Pittsburgh. Ironically, that’s where the Rangers travel to next for games tomorrow and Tuesday night.

With their fragile opponent struggling to establish anything aside from a bakers dozen of turnovers, the Blueshirts took full advantage of the poor start by the Devils. On just another awful giveaway by Pavel Zacha, Kaapo Kakko stole the puck along the wall and got it to Chris Kreider. He quickly fed an open Ryan Strome in front for a backhand goal at 7:15. It was Kakko’s first point in his return.

The Rangers could’ve easily had more. With the Devils continuing to mishandle pucks and play lousy defense, they had some glorious chances to increase the lead to three or four. There were odd-man rushes and break ins. But Blackwood was able to stifle both Filip Chytil and Brendan Lemieux to keep the deficit at two.

That would pay off. In what can best be described as a lapse in concentration, the Rangers gave up two consecutive goals over a brief 17-second span. On the first one, a Jesper Bratt forecheck allowed Zacha to pass up top for a P.K. Subban rising one-timer that snuck past Georgiev high blocker at 14:54. It was one he should’ve had.

On the following shift, the Devils fed off the momentum to tie the score. On a defensive breakdown, Nathan Bastian found Mikhail Maltsev behind the Rangers defense. He broke in and beat Georgiev with a good wrist shot over the right pad for his third goal at 15:11. Yegor Sharangovich started the scoring play to earn a secondary assist. He played well along with Maltsev and Bastian in the game. They were the best line for the home side.

But before they could keep the momentum, the Devils again fell apart to hand the lead back to the Rangers. Less than two minutes later, Julien Gauthier sent Chytil on a two-on-one with Kevin Rooney. He made a perfect backhand feed across for a Rooney go-ahead goal with 2:54 remaining in the wild period. It was the former Devils’ fourth. He continues to play well in a supporting role under David Quinn.

Thankfully, the ugly hockey played in the first ended with the Rangers ahead 3-2. They outshot the Devils 14-5. But only were up a goal. To be honest, that was one of the worst periods you’ll ever see in an NHL game. I wouldn’t recommend revisiting it. In a first intermission interview with Devils reporter Erika Wachter, Subban called himself and the team out for how badly they played. He didn’t pin it on coach Lindy Ruff. It was pretty telling. Ruff didn’t pull any punches afterwards.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1368313627514667009?s=09

As expected, the second period was lower scoring. However, it got off to a rough start for New Jersey. On a Pavel Buchnevich forecheck, he got the puck to K’Andre Miller. Miller then fed an open Libor Hajek at the point for a good wrist shot that found twine thanks to a great Alexis Lafreniere screen on Blackwood. He never saw it. Lafreniere jumped up making it impossible for the Devils starter to track the puck. Hajek’s first came at 1:05 from Miller and Buchnevich to make it 4-2.

A Dmitry Kulikov hold on Chytil put the Devils on the penalty kill. They were able to successfully kill it off.

The Rangers tried a different look with Strome on the offside and Mika Zibanejad at the left point. Strome got one good set up to Kreider in the slot for a shot that deflected wide. It’s obvious that Quinn is looking for more. Zibanejad continues to fire blanks like he did on the third power play a bit later. He also passed up a shot in the first period that allowed the Devils to clear the zone.

At least Zibanejad is still good at killing penalties. He and Buchnevich were standouts on a good kill of a Miller tripping minor penalty when Zacha caught the rookie defenseman flat-footed. The Devils didn’t do much on that chance. They were too passive, allowing the aggressive Rangers foursome to limit shots on Georgiev and get key clears.

When he was called upon, Georgiev was sharper in the second making 12 saves in a strong period. His best one came on Jack Hughes, who he denied on a rebound in tight. He did a better job staying square to the shooter. For the game, he stopped 24 of 27 shots to pick up the win. With Igor Shestyorkin out due to a mild groin strain, it’s his net for now. He’ll be in there again Sunday for Part One against the Pens. They were 4-3 winners over the Flyers this afternoon.

To the credit of Blackwood, he made some important saves as well to keep the game within striking distance. The Devils continued to give up two-on-one opportunities. It mystified Ken Daneyko. There was a goalpost hit by a wide open Strome. Strome wound up tallying twice including the empty netter that sealed it late. He could’ve had a hat trick.

Throughout the game, the third line of Chytil, Rooney and Gauthier was particularly dangerous. They were all over the puck attacking a struggling Devils defense. In the final period, Chytil would get his first goal since returning due to a strong play from Gauthier.

On a face-off in the neutral zone, Damon Severson gave up the puck to Gauthier. Gauthier skated around the net before setting up Chytil in front for his third goal in eight games. He was able to go to the backhand and beat Blackwood high short side for a 5-2 lead at 8:38. The improving 21-year old Czech recorded a goal and assist to earn the game’s First Star.

The rest of the period was irrelevant. Nothing really happened. Georgiev made some saves. He also had help from the quick stick of Miller, who made a great defensive play to get a piece of a Kyle Palmieri rebound that left him bent over in dismay. Miller still makes mistakes, but is so fundamentally sound, it’s scary. Once he matures, he has the tools to become a first pair shutdown defenseman with offensive potential.

With time winding down, Bastian was able to beat Georgiev on a weird shot that might’ve changed direction with 2:12 remaining. Travis Zajac and Jesper Bratt earned helpers on Bastian’s second goal that cut it to 5-3. That’s as close as they got.

With Ruff lifting Blackwood for an extra attacker with two minutes left, Strome took a Fox pass and scored into an open net with 1:13 left to put an exclamation point on the win. With 11 points in the last eight games, Strome is up to 17 (8-9-17) for the season. He’s really picked it up and is proving he can produce without Artemi Panarin. Another lazy narrative from a misguided faction of ‘fans’ who need their eyes checked.

All in all, the Blueshirts did what they had to do. They took two games from a rival that’s really struggling. The Devils were lousy today. At least they competed for two periods the other day. They were worse in the rematch. Uncompetitive.

Give credit to the Rangers for winning the games on the schedule. That’s a requirement. You don’t get any freebies. Even if these two games felt like it. Their top players excelled sans Zibanejad, who might never score at five-on-five again. Good thing Buchnevich, Kreider, Strome, Fox, Lafreniere and Chytil continue to perform at a high level.

They’re winning without Zibanejad doing much. What if he scores one? Will it turn around his year? This disappearing act isn’t helping him for his next contract. A year away from unrestricted free agency, he might have to wait until sometime next season to see if the Rangers want to keep him. Strome continues to do all the things necessary to justify his two-year contract that also expires in 2022. Things could get interesting.

In regards to where things are, give the team plenty of credit. Led by Kreider, they’ve figured out how to win without Panarin. Who knows how much longer he’ll be out due to the outside distraction back home. I thought he’d miss at least six games. Tomorrow would make it seven. We’ll see if his status changes for the upcoming week.

At least I don’t have to link up the classic Major League 2 video about a “winning streak.” They took care of that.

Now, it’s time to find out where exactly they are against better competition. It’s the Pens for two in the Steel City followed by two more versus the Bruins on March 11 and 13 up in Boston. The Rangers are a combined 2-3-3 against those opponents. Basically, they’ve won twice and lost six. Let’s see if they can improve.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Julien Gauthier, NYR (2 assists, +1 in 18 shifts-9:38)

2nd 🌟 Adam Fox, NYR (2nd goal of season plus 🍎, +1 in 22:57)

1st 🌟 Filip Chytil, NYR (goal plus 🍎, +1 in 14:25)

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Di Giuseppe a healthy scratch for today’s rematch

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Derek

The Rangers take on the Devils in a little while at The Prudential Center this afternoon. It’s a rematch between the Hudson rivals.

New York took the third meeting 6-1 highlighted by a Chris Kreider hat trick and Igor Shestyorkin making 32 saves. He left the game with 5:52 left due to a mild groin strain. A fortunate outcome considering the amount of pain he was in leaving the ice.

Alex Georgiev gets the nod versus Mackenzie Blackwood in the fourth meeting of eight against the Devils in Newark. A Ranger win would even the season series. The Devils took the first two at MSG.

With the return of Kaapo Kakko to the lineup, coach David Quinn has decided to healthy scratch Colin Blackwell. One of his best players this season. It is puzzling. Blackwell is a hardworking gritty forward who has five goals and three assists. That includes two power play goals off redirections Phil Di Giuseppe.

UPDATE: Apparently, Quinn changed his mind on Colin Blackwell. I never understood why he was considering sitting a player who has five goals including two on the power play plus three assists.

What about Brendan Lemieux? A player who’s underachieving. He took a bad penalty in the offensive zone. Even though it didn’t lead to a goal, he hasn’t done enough to justify staying in the lineup over Di Giuseppe, who brings a more consistent game. I prefer what PDG has added to this team. He has assisted on some goals and finishes checks. He got credit for his first goal recently by going to the net. Instead, he’s the odd man out.

With Kakko back, he’ll play with the sizzling Kreider and Ryan Strome on the second line. He missed over a week due to COVID-19. He was eligible to return a few nights ago, but needed some practice time. It’s a golden opportunity for the second-year Finnish right wing to tale advantage. He should also see power play time.

Julien Gauthier has earned a further look in the lineup. He will continue to play alongside Filip Chytil and Kevin Rooney. Chytil is centering the third line. Rooney will take the face-offs. Gauthier will look to continue his improvement.

Brett Howden stays in the lineup due to his penalty killing. The Rangers rank fifth in the league due to a more aggressive kill that doesn’t give opponents a lot of time. Howden is part of an effective unit that features Rooney, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Strome and Kreider can also kill penalties. It’s mostly Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox on defense out getting the job done. Brendan Smith and Jack Johnson kill penalties as can K’Andre Miller.

Zibanejad picked up an assist on Alexis Lafreniere’s fourth goal. He is still without an even strength goal. He remains centering the first line with Lafreniere and Buchnevich. Both are playing well. Lafreniere has a four- game point streak (3-2-5). Buchnevich has nine points over his last eight.

The game starts after 1 EST.

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