Rangers get good news, Shestyorkin has mild groin strain, Kakko to return Saturday

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Derek

The news is better than expected on goalie Igor Shestyorkin. After leaving last night’s game with less than six minutes left in the third period, it looked like a potentially serious injury. He was helped off the ice.

However, the Rangers got good news on the starting goalie who made 32 saves in a 6-1 win over the Devils. After learning more about his leg injury suffered with 5:52 left, it turns out he suffered a mild groin strain. Rather than being out long-term, the team announced that Shestyorkin is “day-to-day.”

Phew. That’s a relief. Especially when Shestyorkin looked to be in serious pain bent over. He couldn’t put any weight on it as he exited with the help of Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay.

Groin injuries are tricky. The Rangers will approach it with caution. We’re talking about a 25-year old netminder who’s still in the early stage of his NHL career. It’s the future that’s most important for him. They shouldn’t rush him back.

With a busy schedule that includes a return match tomorrow afternoon against the Devils followed by games on Sunday and Tuesday at Pittsburgh, they shouldn’t take any chances. Alex Georgiev is a capable backup goalie who can fill in for the time being. He’s 2-2-2 with a 2.76 GAA and a .908 save percentage over 9 games. Eight starts.

Think of it this way. When Shestyorkin was injured in the car accident last year and missed time, David Quinn turned to Georgiev mostly with Henrik Lundqvist as the backup. He did a good job. Of course, there will be more pressure. He’ll have to do a good job with his rebound control.

If Shestyorkin has to miss two weeks including the games at Boston, so be it. It’s not about this season. Even at 9-9-3 thanks in large part to Chris Kreider’s hot streak, the team isn’t expected to make the playoffs. They’ll have to leap two good teams. It won’t be easy.

The Rangers should thank their lucky stars it isn’t an ACL or knee. For now, it’s Georgiev’s net with veteran Keith Kinkaid the likely backup.

As far as Saturday goes, it looks like coach David Quinn has made a puzzling decision to sit out Colin Blackwell. With Kaapo Kakko set to return after practicing with Ryan Strome and Kreider, the gritty Blackwell was the 13th forward behind Brendan Lemieux and Brett Howden. How is that possible? Never mind.

It won’t take Quinn long to realize Blackwell belongs in the lineup as a regular. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see what he brings. Figure Jonny Brodzinski to be ticketed for Hartford.

The defense will remain the same. Jacob Trouba is back practicing, but in a non-contact jersey. It looks like he could be back sooner than expected. A good thing for the back end. That would move Brendan Smith down to the third pair and likely push Jack Johnson to the press box.

That’s gonna do it for now. All things considered, the Rangers got the best possible news on Shestyorkin. That’s a big positive.

Posted in Battle News, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kreider’s second hat trick of season highlights Rangers 6-1 win over Devils, Shestyorkin injury a concern

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Derek

AP Photo by New York Rangers courtesy Getty Images

Statistics don’t always tell the whole story about games. If you were to look at the box score of tonight’s game, you wouldn’t have believed the Rangers wound up running away from the Devils to win comfortably 6-1 before fans at The Prudential Center in Newark.

In the third meeting between Hudson rivals, the Rangers took full advantage of the chances they got to earn their first win of the season against the Devils. In fact, it ended a three-game losing streak that dates back to last year versus New Jersey. They were due. Even if conventional wisdom says that getting outshot almost double (36-19) on the scoreboard isn’t the best recipe for success. It didn’t matter.

Highlighted by Chris Kreider’s second hat trick of the season, great goaltending from seriously injured starter Igor Shestyorkin (32 saves before leaving in the third), and strong special teams, the Blueshirts put four past Devils starter Mackenzie Blackwood (11 saves on 15 shots) to chase him. Kreider was the best offensive star. He continued his rampage by getting numbers 11, 12 and 13 to give him a ridiculous eight goals over the last five games. In Artemi Panarin’s absence, the true leader of the Rangers had stepped up to bring them back to NHL .500. At 9-9-3 with 21 points, they’re no longer out of it in the strange Patrick (East) Division. They suddenly are within six points of both the third place Flyers and fourth place Bruins.

Let me preface this by stating the obvious. If not for a world class performance from Shestyorkin, who was utterly brilliant during a lopsided first period, they don’t win this game. Unlike previous head-to-head match-ups against Blackwood, he got the better of it. The Devils were way better than the Rangers in a first period that saw them get the game’s first goal from overdue number one center Jack Hughes and hold a 14-6 edge in shots. Hughes nearly had a pair, but his early opportunity went off the goalpost. The same post Dmitry Kulikov hit during the first as well.

Outside of the third and fourth line along with K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox, the Rangers were badly outplayed in the opening 20 minutes by a Devils team that wanted to end their losing streak. Oddly enough, the only shot that beat Shestyorkin was of the fluke variety. On a long Sami Vatanen outlet pass that took a strange carom, the puck bounced right to Hughes in front for the game’s first goal. He beat Shestyorkin point blank for his fifth at 7:12. It was his first goal in six games.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1367631759387549704?s=19

But in a period where the Rangers could get nothing going, Shestyorkin stood up to the challenge by turning away Devils’ scoring chances with relative ease. He was so calm in net that even some very bad defensive breakdowns that lead to dangerous chances didn’t bother him. Focused is how to describe the 25-year old Russian netminder who still earned the Broadway Hat despite being forced to exit the game with 5:52 left due to a “lower-body” injury.

https://twitter.com/HockeyHoundShow/status/1367665151466409991?s=19

What a shame too because it didn’t look good. Facing an odd-man rush led by Damon Severson, he went to push off on a high shot and took a funny stretch that left him in writhing pain. He was helped off the ice by Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay while unable to put any weight on one leg. It looks like either a groin or an ACL. Hopefully, it’s not the latter because that would be a long-term injury. There’s also the possibility it’s a knee. We’ll wait and learn more tomorrow. Regardless, Shestyorkin won’t be back for Saturday’s afternoon rematch. It looks like the goaltending will fall largely on the shoulders of Alex Georgiev. He made three saves in relief the final 5:52.

Obviously, the injury to Shestyorkin overshadowed a great game from Kreider, who wasn’t buying the narrative about struggling teammate Mika Zibanejad. As expected, he stuck up for Zibanejad when asked about him. The much maligned first center again had a tough night. He was so quiet during the first that coach David Quinn benched him for over 10 minutes in the second period. Number 93 missed a few shifts while Filip Chytil got the call in his place. The encouraging part was when he returned to action, Zibanejad responded well. He did wind up setting up Alexis Lafreniere for the sixth and final goal late in regulation. Zibanejad played only 13:04 for the game. His minutes have decreased over the past few games.

When pressed on what he wasn’t seeing from Zibanejad by Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic, Quinn indicated that he didn’t like his center’s game early. He felt that Zibanejad is letting the stats affect him. If you saw Lafreniere on the bench following a goal next to him, it’s true. While the budding rookie who also made a great pass on a Pavel Buchnevich goal for a two-point game was beaming, Zibanejad looked like Zibanesad or Zibanemad. He’s mostly been Zibanebad. For whatever reason, it’s not going well for him.

The good news is the brilliant play of Kreider along with the marked improvement from Lafreniere have sparked the team. Buchnevich has also had a revival with his goal and assist giving him nine points (4-5-9) over his last eight. With Ryan Strome chipping in with two more assists to give him a line of 2-7-9 in the last eight, the Rangers are finally getting production from key players. That should buy Zibanejad some time to get his game in order. It has also allowed Quinn to mix and match with the top six that’s still without Panarin and Kaapo Kakko. It’ll be interesting to see what he decides if they have Kakko back for Saturday.

With pseudo Jesper Fast replacement Colin Blackwell able to be plugged anywhere in the lineup, Quinn has managed him well by using the gritty forward in the top six and on the power play. His impressive play has moved him ahead of the puzzling Brendan Lemieux, who just might be the odd man out for the Expansion Draft when the Seattle Kraken pick from an unprotected list. Lemieux took one of those needless offensive zone penalties 180 feet away from the Ranger net in the third. He also upset P.K. Subban with a tough hit that saw the veteran defenseman skate off with back pain. He stayed in the game.

It’s hard to explain what happened in the second. It wasn’t so much that the Rangers played well. However, they were better than that mess of a first period. They still were susceptible to the Devils transition due to lapses in D coverage. Particularly from Brendan Smith, who struggled with the speed of the younger Devils. He misjudged a Kyle Palmieri rush allowing him to cut inside and make a power move towards Shestyorkin, who turned him away. There also was a big save on a Hughes breakaway later.

If something changed, it was the execution of the special teams. A lazy Palmieri slashing minor when he knocked out Chytil’s stick turned the game around. On just a great rush from their end following a Devils clear, an on-rushing Buchnevich dropped off the puck for Strome at the right side. He made a perfect centering feed for a cutting Kreider, who beat Blackwood for his 11th at 8:28 on the power play. Just a great play by all three with Strome executing a great pass for the Kreider finish. It was Buchnevich who replaced an ineffective Zibanejad on that power play.

A little over six minutes later, another strong transition resulted in the second Kreider goal of the period. After Strome missed on a good opportunity wide with a shot, the puck was recovered and passed back to Ryan Lindgren. He took a point shot that somehow Kreider was able to deflect home. The later Devils replays broken down by MSG analyst Bryce Salvador showed how Kreider was able to score the goal. Damon Severson didn’t tie him up, allowing Kreider enough time to set up in front and redirect the puck for his 12th at 13:57.

By that point, the Blueshirts had taken control. Even a Libor Hajek cross-checking minor with 5:03 remaining didn’t swing the momentum. Instead, the Devils found it very tough on the power play due to the aggressiveness of the Rangers on the penalty kill. They were kept to the perimeter and hardly even got shots through on Shestyorkin. The penalty killers which include ex-Devil Kevin Rooney, Brett Howden, Zibanejad and Buchnevich, did a good job taking away lanes. They also got key clears.

Despite a 9-6 edge in shots, the Devils trailed by a goal after two. The third was one no one could’ve predicted. It certainly stunned Ken Daneyko on the Devils television feed. To summarize, the Devils imploded. They got outscored 4-0 in a forgettable period. The crazy part was the Rangers scored their four on only seven shots with two beating Blackwood and a couple beating reliever Aaron Dell.

Sloppiness was on display from the beginning. As Hasan mentioned in his quick assessment of what went wrong, Pavel Zacha committed an awful turnover in front of his own net. After he lost the puck, Chytil intercepted it and fed an open Kreider for a quick one-timer that got by Blackwood just 23 seconds into the third. That gave him his second hat trick of the season and fourth of his career. He’s doubled it up recently with his torrid play. He might not have a ‘C’ on that jersey. But by now, everyone knows who the captain is of this team. He not only says what they have to do to become successful. But is getting it done as a leader.

It was a few minutes later that Lafreniere made a good defensive play to stop Hughes in his own end. After denying the Devils’ top threat, Lafreniere came away with the puck and created an easy goal for Buchnevich. Skating in and gaining the New Jersey zone, he drew attention long enough to make a bullet pass across for an open Buchnevich, whose one-timer beat Blackwood to chase him. It was his seventh from Lafreniere at 3:57 that gave the Blueshirts a 4-1 lead.

Not long after, Mike McLeod delivered a dangerous hit from behind on Smith into the boards. Not pleased about it, Smith dropped the gloves with McLeod for a brief scrap. Each received five minutes for fighting. Somehow, McLeod didn’t receive an extra two for the hit from behind. An obvious boarding which amazed Daneyko, who admitted that he got away with one.

A Lindgren hooking minor handed the Devils another chance on the man-advantage with less than 13 minutes left. They did manage to get some setup time. But few attempts got through. It was again the Rangers penalty kill that did a good job. They adjusted their strategy by taking away rookie Ty Smith. He’s a good shooter who the Devils like to run the top of the power play through. He attempted some shots, but they were blocked. Only one shot made it to Shestyorkin, who made a nice kick save.

Like I said earlier, the special teams were a noticeable difference in this game. While the Rangers went 1-for-2 on the power play, the Devils took the collar in four chances. That really impacted what happened. It didn’t matter that they had so many more shots. With the penalty kill strong and Shestyorkin even stronger, it all contributed to a great third period for the guests.

McLeod would later cut across the crease and bump into Shestyorkin for a goaltender interference minor with 6:54 left. Before he made his way to the box, Kreider had words for him. That’s exactly the kind of response needed when that happens. McLeod plays a chippy game. He was obviously trying to create some energy for his team. But you can’t let him run around without letting him know about it. Smith did following the cheap hit. So did Kreider even with McLeod off for a penalty.

Even though they didn’t convert on it, the Rangers added insult to injury soon after it expired. Smith finished off his second from Phil Di Giuseppe and Rooney to make it five unanswered goals. Just 62 seconds later, it got even uglier for the Devils when a persistent Zibanejad took a puck away and passed across for a Lafreniere laser that was in and out of the net so fast, Dell never had a chance. It was a lethal wrist shot high cheese. Lafreniere is up to four goals and three assists with the points coming now.

Unfortunately, the win came at the expense of Shestyorkin. He went down at the 54:08 mark due to trying to prevent a Devils odd-man rush. It falls on the defense for the injury to our goalie. Only a forward was back on the play. They relaxed. That was costly. I don’t know how long he’ll be out for. But my dire feeling is we might not see Shestyorkin again this year. I hope I’m wrong.

It was a nice win. A rare blowout even if it was a bit eerie given what happened. The game was close until the last period. Then all hell broke loose. Losing a good starter like Shestyorkin stinks. Don’t forget the accident he got into last year with Buchnevich. He went down and Georgiev took over and did a good job. They got back into the race. They’re gonna need Georgiev to deliver here. If not, the season will be a short one.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Alexis Lafreniere, NYR (4th of season plus 🍎, confidence is growing)

2nd 🌟 Igor Shestyorkin, NYR (32 saves on 33 shots before leaving with injury, brilliant on a bittersweet night)

1st 🌟 Chris Kreider, NYR (goals 11, 12, 13 for 4th career hat trick, second of season)

Posted in Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Empty feeling still prevalent in Newark

Posted on March 5, 2021 by hasan4978

In this of all seasons it’s hard to know where criticism will diverge from reality. I was gonna be even harder on the Devils in the headline, but before even getting to criticisms I have to remind myself that yes, over half this team had COVID in-season and it’s not always gonna be smooth sailing for a team I and many others expected to finish either last or next to last even before that disaster. Certainly guys like Mackenzie Blackwood and Travis Zajac are a couple of the more glaring examples – not that Zajac was playing all that great before the pause himself, but Blackwood’s game has certainly taken a hit since that unfortunate team-wide absence.

That said, when too many veterans are passengers for extended periods – you get nights like tonight – and it just reminds you we’re going on eight years of almost constant losing hockey aside from the one Taylor Hall-led blip of life on the radar screen. I haven’t been watching as much lately so some of my angst has dissipated for that reason but not watching tonight had to do more with both my annoyance over the Nico Hischier injury and needing to take a long nap after a lack of sleep last night. Literally I slept through the game. So upon waking up I did what all the kids do and checked YouTube first – to see if the Devils postgame had anything up online before bothering to check the result on my computer. When I saw it was 6-1 I rolled my eyes. Then I turned the postgame highlights on, albeit a Devils highlight show but then I was actually surprised, this was a 6-1 game?! Especially seeing the 36-19 shot total in favor.

Then my mind immediately went to quitting, which perennial losing teams tend to do. Certainly Pavel Zacha’s turnover on goal #3 early in the third was ugly and I’m now back off the bandwagon after his fluke point scoring streak ended, that was more of the same old Zacha I’ve come to know and loathe. Hence my wanting to call the piece loser mentality instead of empty feeling. Whatever you want to call it, the Devils have now lost eight straight regulation home games including back to back beatdowns from their two local rivals in our first games with fans back in the building. This whole season has had a Charlie Brown-like feel to it…seemingly on the verge of becoming relevant again after the 6-3-2 start and now this – double digit points out of the playoff race and sinking in the standings faster than a skydiver after seven losses in their last eight games.

More than anything outside of maybe the COVID pause, it’s the Hischier thing that’s just put a total wet blanket over the season though. Derek chronicled his season of hell in a previous blog but we’ve certainly hit all the different ways to miss a game eh? Injured off the ice before the season, sick off the ice during it and now injured on the ice, from his own teammate no less. Finally the diagnosis came back on a fractured orbital bone and being in concussion protocol, so basically this was a worst case scenario. A fracture AND concussion-like symptoms from it at the very least. I almost titled this blog mutually assured destruction though, since the Rangers had a key loss of their own during the game. I did get the Rick DiPietro heebie jeebies seeing the highlights of Igor Shesterkin suffering a goalie’s worst nightmare of an injury. Hoping for the best, but at the very least it looks like he’s not going to play in the rematch Saturday afternoon.

Not that it’ll matter for that game since our special teams sucks, scoring sucks, right now goaltending sucks and on top of all of that it’s another retro uniform night where we’re guaranteed to suck in general. It didn’t even matter that Lindy Ruff put all our lines in a blender and hit the mix button before the game with some panic-looking combinations. You could say they responded, at least early judging by the shot totals but it obviously didn’t help create offense in the end. Credit Shesterkin obviously but there’s a lot of good goalies in this division, you gotta start scoring sooner or later. We were predictably shut down on Tuesday by the Isles, lost to both Capital goalies over the weekend and got whipped in the third tonight. Overall the Devils have scored just sixteen goals in their eight-game slide (1-7), including twelve in the seven losses while our lone win and four-goal performance in it was extremely fortunate after the Linus Ullmark injury, to put it mildly.

Both the best and worst thing about the remaining part of the season is the compressed schedule. One bad game turns into three turns into five with the snap of a finger, which is very frustrating and going to color the evaluations of a lot of guys in the end. Certainly our slow-starting vets like PK Subban, Kyle Palmieri, Nikita Gusev and company aren’t going to have a lot of time to salvage their season. On the other hand there’s only about two months left of games because of it so it really isn’t that long a time frame for the fans to deal with more losing. In a normal season that’s eighteen games old we’d be in late November and still be staring down the barrel of four plus months of hopelessness. So that’s good I guess.

Still it’s very discouraging, sure there are isolated positives to take out of the season so far but they become less and less meaningful surrounded by the tide of negativity and disappointment. Especially considering Blackwood’s backslide and Hischier’s injury. You want to see stuff from the younger guys and for different reasons two of our franchise keys going forward aren’t helping the cause right now. Even Jack Hughes was slumping on the scoreboard for a few weeks now, but by all accounts was a lot better tonight, including an electric goal that actually gave the Devils the lead for a while. As Edmonton fans or Buffalo fans can tell you, one young center isn’t enough to turn things around though. There just isn’t a lot else to say…Derek can handle the game recap from the winning side today and Saturday. I’m just played out with this team right now.

Posted in Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Devils lose Hischier to sinus fracture

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Derek

In a recent game against the Capitals, Devils captain Nico Hischier took a hard P.K. Subban shot right to the face leaving him bloody on Feb. 27.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1365762954243768321?s=09

The key center hasn’t played since. It appears that’ll be the case for a little while. According to Devils reporter Corey Masisak of The Athletic, Hischier has been placed on IR due to sustaining a sinus fracture. He’s considered “week-to-week” in concussion protocol.

Having only played five games due to a broken leg and COVID-19, the young center will miss more time. Something that’s unfortunate for the Devils, who are a better team with him than without. Hischier has two goals and an assist this season.

Without him again as they enter tonight’s match versus the Rangers, it’ll be up to the Devils core to step up. That includes Jack Hughes, who has only five points (1-4-5) in his last 11 games following a hot start. He has just one goal since Jan. 24.

Coach Lindy Ruff held a meeting with the leadership earlier yesterday. That included Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Subban, Damon Severson and Hughes.

The Devils host the Rangers in Newark for the first of two at 7 PM. The rematch is Saturday. They’re 2-0 versus them, taking the first two at MSG.

Posted in Battle News, Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blueshirts skate by lifeless Sabres in a sleep fest, Mr. Happy has a goal and assist in one-goal win, Chytil returns, Buffalo misery

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Derek

Two points is two points. You don’t get style points for winning a hockey game. Even if it left a lot to be desired. The Rangers skated by the lifeless Sabres for a 3-2 win at MSG. They did what they had to do to defeat a miserable opponent who looked like they couldn’t beat a peewee team.

That doesn’t matter. It wasn’t memorable hockey played at 33rd and 8th. It didn’t have to be. Boosted by the return of Filip Chytil, who looked good despite not taking face-offs, they bounced back from Sunday’s ugly loss. It was a must win.

Now, they’ll try to get a victory for the first time this year against the Devils. They’re 0-for-2 so far. The Blueshirts have two more chances this Thursday and Saturday against their Hudson rivals, who are struggling. They lost to the Islanders 2-1 with a Miles Wood goal with 12.3 seconds left in regulation preventing a shutout. We’ll see if our side is more successful in the upcoming two-game series with both in Newark.

This tweet I posted doesn’t say much about tonight’s game. The mere fact the Rangers only could muster eight shots the final two periods against the Sabres isn’t encouraging. They got lulled to sleep in a very dull game.

Buffalo might be the worst NHL team. They’re leaderless due to captain Jack Eichel deciding to go through the motions. He really looks disinterested. Outside of setting up a Sam Reinhart goal to tie the game in the first wild minute, the much discussed number one center was invisible. I don’t want to hear any trade rumors about him the rest of the season. If that’s how he wants to play, count me out. I don’t think it makes sense for our team. That’s all I’ll say. He isn’t going anywhere until the off-season.

As for the game, what can be said? Pavel Buchnevich had his best night in a while scoring and setting up a goal in a good first period. He got the scoring started at the 28-second mark when Mika Zibanejad sent him in behind a putrid Sabres defense and he beat Carter Hutton with a quick snapshot. Adam Fox picked up a secondary assist.

But before Sam Rosen and the ridiculous Joe Micheletti could stop crowing over how this could be the night for Zibanejad to finally score a goal, the Sabres replied back on the next shift. On a quick counter in which Brendan Smith fell down, Eichel and Victor Olofsson combined to feed Reinhart for his eighth at 55 seconds to tie the score. All I could do was laugh.

Proving how bad they are, the Sabres donated the goal right back. Less than two minutes later off a Zibanejad forecheck, a Buffalo turnover allowed Buchnevich to steal the puck and patiently wait for Brandon Montour to go down. With Hutton dead to rights, Buchnevich shot in front with the puck deflecting off Alexis Lafreniere and in for his third at 2:36. It gave the 2020 top pick a three-game point streak for the first time in his career. He has a goal and two assists.

Things are starting to click for Lafreniere. He’s starting to look more comfortable playing with Buchnevich and Zibanejad. The improvement from the rookie left wing even saw David Quinn reward him with the most ice-time among Ranger forwards with 18:35. He was even out protecting the one-goal lead on the second to last shift of the game. That shows more confidence in an evolving young player, who’s finally starting to get it. The best sign to come out of the win.

In terms of storylines, there wasn’t a whole lot else. Chytil returning meant Jonny Brodzinski sitting out as a healthy scratch. However, with Kaapo Kakko finally removed from COVID Protocol, look for him to be cleared soon. When he is, someone else will sit. The candidates are Brett Howden and Julien Gauthier. I’m not going to comment on this. Let’s wait and see what Quinn decides. Here were how the lines looked:

Lafreniere-Zibanejad-Buchnevich

Kreider-Strome-Blackwell

Rooney-Chytil-Gauthier

Lemieux-Howden-Di Giuseppe

With Chytil unable to take face-offs, Rooney filled in. After having two strong games in a row, he didn’t win a single one in six draws. Not good. At least Zibanejad had a good night, going 8-for-11 while Ryan Strome broke even winding up 7-and-7. The top two centers combined for 15 of their 18 face-off wins. Overall, the Rangers went 18-for-44. Hardly a good outcome. The only thing Eichel did well was win draws going 10-and-8. Otherwise, you hardly noticed him.

Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. The Rangers had one good period. They played well in the first period, eventually settling down to outshoot the Sabres 11-9. Afterwards, Buffalo held a 15-8 edge in shots the rest of the way. That won’t cut it against real competition.

To be honest, they were lucky to win this game. If not for Hutton completely missing a Chris Kreider long shot off a simple play near the midway point of the game, they could’ve lost. Kreider’s shocked reaction summed it up. His wrist shot that beat Hutton high glove proved to be the game-winner. Make it six goals and seven points over his last five games. He’s always been a streaky scorer. Right now, he’s hot. His best stretch has allowed the Rangers to win twice without exiled top scorer Artemi Panarin. He’s up to 10 goals.

Where are all the Kreider critics? Did they go into hibernation like hopefully winter? Let’s face it. This team doesn’t have many finishers. Where would they be without him? I’d rather not imagine. Even without a stitched ‘C’ on his jersey, it’s number 20 who is the emotional leader of this roster. He usually nails it when interviewed in this COVID Era. Win or lose, he tells it like it is. He might not have been made available following the game. Instead, Buchnevich and Igor Shestyorkin talked along with Quinn.

It was kind of interesting to see Mr. Happy answer questions from reporters via Zoom Conference. He didn’t smile once. This after a very good game in which he could’ve had a hat trick. He missed a great chance on a Zibanejad feed with an open net. He also had another great opportunity that went by the wayside at the end of the game. Maybe the Rangers should hire a shooter tutor on empty nets. If you’ve seen Buchnevich and Strome in action, it might be a good idea.

Listening to Quinn following the game, he basically acknowledged the obvious. That for whatever reason, they didn’t play close to their best game. He doesn’t seem to understand why his team looked like it has over the last two. I don’t know what to say. He’s the coach. You’d think by Year Three, Quinn would have more of a grasp on his roster. Even if it’s young, there are enough players he knows to get a good read on things. They better not pull that next game versus the Devils. They won’t be so lucky.

With the Rangers ahead by a pair, it was the Sabres who nudged closer in a sleep inducing second period. A Tobias Rieder long shot from inside the blue line went through a good Dylan Cozens screen past Shestyorkin to cut the lead to 3-2 with 3:39 remaining. Igor picked up the shot late due to traffic. Even though he was hard on himself during the postgame, I don’t fault him for that one. It was a good play by Rieder to shoot with Cozens doing the grunt work. Rasmus Dahlin and Rasmus Ristolainen picked up the helpers.

I know he didn’t face as overwhelming workload. But Shestyorkin made some key saves throughout. His best coming when he thwarted the hexed Jeff Skinner pointblank off a great pass. That critical stop kept the Rangers in front by a goal prior to Kreider sniping. There were other big stops as the 25-year old Russian netminder had a good night finishing with 22 saves to pick up the win.

It’s funny how Skinner never is used with good players by Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger. He was easily their best forward throughout. Playing mostly on the third line with Curtis Lazar, he had three shots and nine attempts. Some of the misses dangerous during the third when the Rangers only had three total shots. The crazy part is the Sabres themselves only had five. How do they expect to tie the game with such a lackluster effort? Even Teflon MSG analyst Steve Valiquette took a shot at them.

https://twitter.com/TheEsq_of_212/status/1366940933116334084?s=19

To summarize, Valiquette said that it looks like the Sabres have given up on the season. Think about that for a minute. They just got finished playing Game 20 of a 56-game schedule. They’re now 6-11-3 and dead last in the new Patrick Division. I refuse to refer to it as East. That’s ridiculous.

The Rangers themselves improved to 8-9-3 in 20 games. Hardly anything to write home about. They have 19 points to the Sabres’ 15. But when you watch Buffalo play, you begin to understand why they’re so bad. There’s not much fire. Give Cozens credit for accepting Ryan Lindgren’s challenge and throwing down. That kid has spunk. He even got the better of the exchange.

Who else on the Sabres played well? Not Eichel. Certainly not the misplaced Taylor Hall, who found himself with Kyle “Zero Goal” Okposo. What kind of circus are they running over there? They sat Casey Mittlestadt so Okposo and Cody Eakin could play. That’s insane. Mittlestadt actually had played well since returning. Surely, they can’t keep Krueger as coach. He’s misusing a lot of key guys they spent money on. No wonder Eichel wants out.

When I’m spending more time on the opponent than the Rangers, you know how bad it is. My best friend is a huge Sabres fan who has no hope. He barely watches them. Can you blame him? How many years can they keep missing the postseason and be in the Lottery? What is their plan? A 20-year rebuild? It’s absurd. That team has no structure and hideous defense. They lost guys to injuries including Jake McCabe and Will Borgen. It’s no excuse for how poorly they play.

The Rangers were lucky they played such a pathetic opponent. They got away with playing down to the competition. I’d rather play more competitive teams and win those games. The win over the Bruins was that. You know for as bad as they’re struggling, the Devils will be ready to go in less than 48 hours. They just aren’t scoring much. But I’m sure their eyes will light up when they see the Rangers logo. They’ve already handled us twice at The Garden. That was bad enough. This is a chance at payback.

With the team getting healthier, they have a chance here to get back to NHL .500 and above. Get the next two games and they can get right back in it. The Flyers, Pens and even Caps don’t exactly look like juggernauts. There’s ground to make up. But it’s not too late. You can get back in it quickly with all these divisional match-ups.

That’s all I have to say. If they’re gonna make a run, now’s the time for it. Two against the Devils followed by a pair versus the Penguins. Assuming Panarin doesn’t return by Saturday, that’s another two games without him. It’s another opportunity for other Blueshirts to step up. We’re still waiting on you, Zibanejad.

Before I forget, Happy Birthday to Henrik Lundqvist! It was his 39th birthday yesterday. Hope he enjoyed it. It’s nice to see him back skating. Best wishes to King Henrik.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Igor Shestyorkin, NYR (22 saves including 14 of 15 the last 2 periods)

2nd 🌟 Adam Fox, NYR (2 assists, +1 in 23:47)

1st 🌟 Pavel Buchnevich, NYR (goal plus 🍎, 4 SOG, +2 in 18:11)

Posted in NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Devils swept by Caps as the regression continues

Posted on February 28, 2021 by hasan4978

There isn’t much good to say about this weekend losing another two games to the Capitals and failing to carry over any momentum from the wild Thursday win over the Sabres. Indeed that win proved to be the only one during this six-game stretch of only playing Washington and Buffalo. 0-3 against the Capitals is understandable, albeit still annoying. Sure they’re a better team than us but you’d think we could get a lousy point or two considering all three times we were in one-goal games in the third period. 1-2 against the Sabres is inexcusable considering they seemingly can’t even score a goal against anyone else. Maybe if we weren’t under NHL .500 and sinking I’d say okay maybe there were some moral victories to be had in the two games, specifically in rallying back from an 3-0 deficit in the Saturday game to come within inches of tying it. I’m tired of tauting moral victories though, especially when too many key guys have stopped contributing or have been negatives from the start.

I’ve been pro-Lindy Ruff for most of the season so really the first thing I’m seriously gonna ding him on was from today’s game, specifically playing Mackenzie Blackwood for a fourth game in six nights today. I mean we’re only in the middle of a schedule where we’re playing 43 games in 76 days or some ridiculous combination of numbers. Maybe it’s 46 in 73, I don’t care. Either way are we just ignoring this kid had COVID and had only played a handful of games in the previous eleven months? Sure maybe he’s not tired now but you’re managing a goalie for three months, not three weeks here. Blackwood also hasn’t been as good this week as he was earlier in the season or right when he came off the COVID list, today was his fifth straight game of allowing three goals or more. Goaltending isn’t just about how many shots you face in a game, it’s about the mental grind of staying on point game after game. This isn’t exactly the playoff stretch drive either, even in a short season.

It would also be nice to get the disappointing PK Subban off of the first power play unit and give Ty Smith some run there. When PK isn’t accidentally hitting his teammates with shots, he’s missing the net entirely. Not that he doesn’t have plenty of company in the latter at the moment. I get you don’t want to overload the rookie but it’s only another minute a game since he’s already getting PP2 time, and the second power play unit has been better than the first in recent games, though neither really did well today. At least our PK for penalty kill actually made it through the weekend without allowing a PP goal. Baby steps, although glass half empty it’s discouraging we still managed to give up eight goals even without our PK unit subverting us.

Losing teams find different ways to lose every game, that’s basically what we’ve gone back to being in the blink of an eye. Yesterday we got rolled in the first period and spent the rest of the afternoon in a futile jog uphill only to fall right when we got near the summit. Ironically the spectacular breakdown on a breakaway goal from Jakub Vrana that put us behind by two in the third period yesterday might have influenced today’s gutless third period when the Devils – again trailing by one going into the third – for the longest time managed only one shot on net. Sure, holding the Caps to zero shots over that same sixteen minute or so stretch was nice but I’m sure they’d take the tradeoff of only giving us one shot on net for much of the third period when we’re down a goal. At least try to press the issue sooner than the last five minutes. The fact we had so many ‘shot attempts’ in the third only serves to underscore the uselessness of that stat. What’s the difference if you attempt shots that don’t even get through to the net? When you put pucks on net at least you can score, but having blocked and missed shots help nothing.

Of course having injuries in a short, compressed schedule doesn’t help either. Right when poor Nico Hischier finally returns to the lineup and starts scoring (with his first goal of the season on Saturday) he gets hit up high in the mouth/nose area with a deflected puck off a 100-MPH Subban slapshot late in Saturday’s loss. He couldn’t have gotten hit with a Mike Mottau quality shot instead? I might have to explain that joke so look up Bobby Holik’s comment about how Mottau couldn’t hurt a fly with his shot and you’ll get the reference. Of course with the quick turnaround Nico missed today’s game. Almost as if the hockey gods were torturing us, we ended another loss to the Caps with another puck to the head of a key player injury – this time with Miles Wood getting hit on the ear from an attempted Zdeno Chara clear…sorry, I can’t think of a non-rhythmic way to put it.

I could rag on guys like Kyle Pamieri, whose horrible attempt on goal late in the game with only John Carlson’s turned body between him and an open net is symbolic of his struggles. Nikita Gusev getting a couple of junktime goals become much more annoying when he fails on an open net early in the third period of Saturday’s loss when a goal there could have tied the game. Subban’s offense has almost completely dissapeared other than the odd assist here and there, and his defensive game which was never strong to begin with has been more subpar as the season’s gone on. I want to give Sami Vatanen more time (and some PP time perhaps as well) but he hasn’t looked good the last few games either. As much as I love Travis Zajac we need more from him with two goals and three points in thirteen games. Really though what’s the point of going nuts over any of these guys? Other than Subban none of these guys are signed beyond this year and Subban’s only under contract through next year. None are going to be long-term solutions.

Which is why it’s more imperative we get guys like Blackwood, Jesper Bratt (one goal in eleven games this season), and Jack Hughes – just five points in his last twelve games – either producing or back on the beam. Hughes did start the season well, Nico was coming around before his latest injury and Ty Smith has started the season consistently well, all good signs but if they’re gonna engender hope in the fanbase for the coming seasons all the younger players need do to even more and get us out of what’s already become an extended bad spell of five losses in six games. If there was ever a bad time for the Devils to get fans back in the building, it’d be this week off a slump where we’re playing our two NY rivals. Is it possible we get 50% of Islander or Ranger fans in the building for a crowd of only about 1000 or so? Guess it depends on how many season ticket holders bought off the presale and how many individual seats had to be sold after it.

I’m not really in full rant mode but tbh part of that is how little I’ve watched of the last few games. Plus as excited as the hot start got me I never fully bought in, proof of that was just how negative I was after the first loss of the string (the initial Sabres game last week) when we were still 6-4-2. I’ve seen this script before, which is part of it. 2013 we started 8-3-3 and finished under NHL .500 in a 48-game season. 2016-17 we started something like 10-6-3 and finished with another 70-ish point season. 2018-19 we dominated our first four games outscoring the opposition 18-4 but fell off swiftly and severely after that. I already wasn’t expecting a lot from this team, the 6-3-2 start was a bonus in a way but now reality’s hitting hard, especially given this schedule will not give us any kind of a mental or physical break this season.

This season is ultimately only going to be as good as our younger players make it, especially with younger players being the majority of the team plus the amount of vets on one year contracts that may or may not get sold off at the deadline. For all the talk about how this year was different than last year we may well wind up with the same conclusion in the end – a massive liquidation sale of expiring contracts at the deadline followed by some junktime wins after we’re well out of the race. If anything I’m getting too tired and jaded of this script to complain about it.

Posted in Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bruins shutdown Blueshirts in rematch, Georgiev okay

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Derek

The rematch between Boston and New York two days later went to the bad guys up in Massachusetts. After getting outscored 13-4 in their last two losses including a 6-2 trouncing on Friday night, the Bruins responded resoundingly with a convincing 4-1 win at The Garden.

Unfortunately, it was expected. There was no way the Bruins were going to be as miserable. They’re too good a hockey team. Skating again without Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil, the Rangers were outclassed by a more focused opponent that were harder defensively and better at even strength. The end result was as predictable as a Mika Zibanejad shot hitting the back of the net. It was another mysterious disappearance from the imposter wearing number 93.

Instead of going back to Igor Shestyorkin, coach David Quinn stuck with Alex Georgiev for a second consecutive game. Unfortunately, an accident that saw Nick Ritchie fall down and cut him would eventually lead to Georgiev exiting for concussion protocol. Initially, he did stay in and allowed the game’s first goal to Charlie Coyle at 6:41.

Shestyorkin would enter the contest as his teammate was checked out. He only faced two shots, but one went in. Trent Frederic was able to deflect in a Connor Clifton shot at 18:14 for a back breaking goal that put the Boston guests up a pair after a period.

Following a first period that saw Ryan Lindgren respond by earning an extra two minutes for roughing with Ritchie after the incident, Georgiev returned to the net for the second. Afterwards, he told reporters he felt alright. He certainly played okay although he wasn’t happy about letting in the Coyle shot on the first goal. For the game, he made 31 saves including stopping 16 Bruins shots in a busy third that saw Boston outshoot New York 17-6. Coyle added a shorthanded empty netter with 1:55 remaining.

The issue for the Blueshirts was they couldn’t match the Bruins’ intensity. To hear Brendan Smith put it during the Zoom Conference, they didn’t get inside enough on a stingier Boston defense that checked harder. He also indicated that they knew the Bruins would come more prepared off the previous two losses. He felt they needed to be grittier. Something that remains an issue for this team. It helps explain why they can’t put together a consistent stretch of good hockey. It’s a lesson to be learned.

The entire second period was played at five-on-five. It was Boston that held the edge in shots, 12-6. There was a lot of physical play. The Bruins like to take the body. On Friday, it was the Rangers that out-hit them. In this one, the Bruins had 43 hits to the Rangers’ 37. They were led by both Brad Marchand and Sean Kuraly, who each had five hits. It was Lindgren and Brett Howden that paced the Rangers with five apiece.

When there needed to be a well executed scoring play, it was Bruins ace center Patrice Bergeron winning an offensive draw back to Marchand. He got the puck to David Pastrnak, who found defenseman Charlie McAvoy open for a one-timer that beat Georgiev at 10:20 for a 3-0 lead.

It was that kind of game. Rather than go to Rangers killer Jaro Halak, Boston coach Bruce Cassidy stuck with starter Tuukka Rask. It wasn’t his fault on Friday. The team stunk. So, Rask got a second consecutive start. He was hardly tested. Through two periods, he stopped all 15 shots. Rask only faced 21 total with just the gritty Colin Blackwell beating him halfway through the final period off a great back pass from improving rookie Alexis Lafreniere. That was it.

There wasn’t much special teams. For once, every Ranger played over 11 minutes. Quinn rolled all four lines and played the three defensive pairs. He still didn’t get much from Zibanejad, who at this critical point looks lost. He wound up registering three shots on goal. But there are too many shifts where you hardly notice him. Even reuniting Zibanejad with Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich didn’t produce much.

With not much happening, K’Andre Miller made an outlet for Lafreniere. The top pick skated into open ice to gain the Boston zone. He then backed up defenseman Brandon Carlo and dropped the puck for Blackwell, who moved in and fired a pea past Rask to the blocker side for his fifth with 9:13 left in regulation. It was a nice play by Lafreniere, who picked up an assist for the second straight game. The first time in his NHL career he’s posted points in consecutive games. He played well and was noticeable on the forecheck, nearly setting up Ryan Strome for a chance.

As for Blackwell, he continues to be a revelation for a team that can use more players with his hustle. Not the biggest guy who perhaps is 5-9, he brings it every shift by skating hard and winning puck battles. He’s also producing. The fact he has five goals while Zibanejad has two with none at even strength tells you everything. Blackwell is making a case to stay. Will the Rangers protect him? It’ll be an interesting decision.

Following the goal, his momentum carried him into former Ranger Greg McKegg to knock him down. He didn’t take kindly giving Blackwell a chop. Somehow, the refs also penalized Blackwell for roughing when he really did nothing. Both went off for matching minors to make it four-on-four over the next two minutes.

Somewhat disappointingly, Quinn didn’t use Lafreniere or Blackwell until the four-on-four was expiring. Instead, he predictably went with his top four forwards including Zibanejad. Of course, nothing happened. Why would it? There’s something wrong with him.

When Craig Smith got an unsportsmanlike conduct for going after Kevin Rooney, it handed the Rangers a power play with less than four minutes left. We knew at some point Quinn would lift Georgiev for a six-on-four advantage. But he again sent Zibanejad out with the top unit. He was so inept that he misfired wide on a perfect set up. It’s increasingly frustrating to watch him struggle. He didn’t play as much receiving 17:29 (2:59 on PP).

With Georgiev on the bench for the second half of the power play, the Bruins predictably scored a shorthanded empty net goal to seal the victory. Kuraly got the puck over to Coyle, who fired it from the center of his own blue line straight into the net for his second of the game at 18:05. That concluded the scoring.

There isn’t anything to add. I didn’t see the first two periods, but the highlights were easy to catch. At least Georgiev played well. He made some good saves in the third to give his team a chance. Plus Lafreniere had another good day. He got over 16 minutes. Close to two more than his average. And set up the only goal.

Before it ended, Lemieux was sent out to avenge Georgiev. With a second left, everyone knew what was coming. He asked and the much bigger Ritchie obliged. The game ended with Lemieux taking his lumps against Ritchie. It had to happen considering what Ritchie did to Shestyorkin two games ago. That’s making him accountable. Give Lemieux credit for hanging in there.

Once it ended, the teams separated and left the ice. That’s the way it should be. It doesn’t make the defeat any better. It proves how far the Rangers need to go. They played well winning three of four entering play. But exited losers in two of the last three.

The question for the coaching staff is if Chytil is ready for Tuesday against the Sabres, would they consider giving Zibanejad a night off? I don’t think they have the guts. A game off might give him a mental break. He’s been brutal. There’s no other way to slice it.

If Chytil returns and Kakko is cleared, that opens up two spots in the lineup. Jonny Brodzinski would come out. Who’s the other candidate? Is it Howden, who Quinn likes? Or perhaps Phil Di Giuseppe. Another hardworking player who fits the bottom line well.

I am in favor of scratching Zibanejad. They can’t keep giving him all these minutes if he can’t produce. Maybe a game off would be for the best. The Rangers got the Devils this Thursday. They haven’t beaten them yet. Mackenzie Blackwood has outplayed our goalies.

You can’t say the next two games aren’t winnable. The Sabres are down starting goalie Linus Ullmark, a few defensemen and captain Jack Eichel returned from whatever injury he had today. They’re currently trailing 3-0 to the Flyers. Buffalo is one of the worst teams in the NHL.

It goes without saying that the Rangers must win on Tuesday. No excuses. As for the Devils, they play teams tough. Especially our team. Lindy Ruff has done a good job. Pavel Zacha has a 10-game point streak including an assist today. However, they are beatable.

If there’s to be any chance of a season, the Blueshirts need both games. We’ll see what happens.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd Star David Pastrnak, Bruins (2 🍎, 4 SOG, +2 in 15:12)

2nd Star Charlie McAvoy, Bruins (goal and 🍎, +1 in 22:21)

1st Star Charlie Coyle, Bruins (2 goals on 5 SOG, 6-for-9 on draws, +2 in 15:52)

Posted in NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Strome’s three-point night and Kreider highlight convincing 6-2 Rangers’ win over Bruins, Lafreniere picks up first NHL assist

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Derek

Alexis Lafreniere waves his stick up to the very loud and supportive 2,000 fans who made a difference in the Rangers’ 6-2 win over the Bruins at MSG. AP Photo by New York Rangers courtesy Getty Images

This was way different from the last time these teams met. Playing without Artemi Panarin for a second consecutive game, the Rangers beat up the Bruins soundly by posting a rousing 6-2 win before 2,000 fans at a lively Garden. They made their energy felt and the Blueshirts fed off it by totally outplaying a listless Boston team that just lost 7-2 last night to the Islanders.

It was a terrific game by the good guys on Broadway. They didn’t show any carryover from the ugly nature of the Flyers game. Two nights later, it was a different team. They showed up ready from the outset by getting a few shots on Tuukka Rask and leveling their wounded opponent with some huge hits. Ryan Lindgren set the tone with a clean check on David Pastrnak against the boards that gave the fans something to cheer about. It was a chippy game where they didn’t back down.

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/1365510216763068423?s=09

In winning for a third time over the last four games, the Rangers set the tone by going right at a team that loves to play physical. Between the noise following the national anthem which a few players referred to including number one star Ryan Strome, and the huge Lindgren hit on Pastrnak, they were ready to play. Coach David Quinn even was surprised by how much of an effect the support of 2,000 fans had on the team. It was evident by how they responded.

One key was getting K’Andre Miller back. He really stabilized the defense by playing a steady game while paired with Brendan Smith. What a difference a young and poised player can make. The gifts the 21-year old possesses are special. He recovers quickly on plays and makes good reads. It helped big time. Even with Jack Johnson remaining in the lineup over Anthony Bitetto to work with Libor Hajek, the blue line was way better. That was highlighted by the very active Lindgren and skilled partner Adam Fox, who assisted on a pair of goals.

Alex Georgiev had an easy night. He wound up making 31 saves, but there weren’t many tough ones. That’s how well the team played. Both the D and forwards were on the same page. That made it a winning proposition for Georgiev, who did give up some rebounds in a busier second period. However, his teammates did a good job clearing the front of the net. Something that indicated they played with more structure.

As much as the victory was about Strome, who recorded his eighth career three-point game (goal plus two assists), and Chris Kreider (goal, assist to give him six points over last three), it also included some noteworthy performances from the supporting cast.

Start with Julien Gauthier, whose quick turnaround shot with traffic went in and out of the net so fast that the refs couldn’t tell he scored his second career NHL goal at 13:16 of the first period. It was a wise decision to surprise Rask with a good high shot short side that his teammates knew went in to halt play. Both of his goals have come against the Bruins. But this one came in a win. He seems to deserve a permanent spot in the lineup. That includes when Filip Chytil comes back and maybe Kaapo Kakko and hopefully Panarin. We’ll see what happens.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1365461377347956738?s=19

How about the improvement from Alexis Lafreniere? The top pick looked much more comfortable in front of the home crowd by playing a very effective straightaway game. In the same period, he nearly had his third goal when he stole a puck in the neutral zone and came in two-on-one and faked Rask out by going to a backhand that unfortunately hit the crossbar. He also almost set up one later in the stanza. At the start of the second, a nice drop from Kreider allowed Lafreniere to record his first NHL assist with a great pass that set up a Strome goal. The best Rangers’ center at the moment going high glove on Rask for his sixth at 2:32.

The only slowdown was when during a mix-up in coverage resulted in Brad Marchand starting a scoring play by dishing across for David Pastrnak, who in turn made a good shot pass for an open Patrice Bergeron tap in that made it 2-1 just 1:30 later. On the play, Smith made a bad read stepping up to leave Fox by himself. His snow angel didn’t prevent the pass and left only Colin Blackwell back to cover two players in front.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1365469515522461696?s=19

Interestingly, the game stayed 2-1 for a while. With the Bruins upping their intensity, they started to get more shots through. Georgiev made the key stops to keep it a one-goal contest. When the goalies weren’t busy in a period that saw the teams combine for 31 shots (16-15 Boston), there were plenty of physical battles during and after shifts.

Of course, Marchand was involved. He dished it out and took plenty of it from the Rangers, who weren’t going to allow the pest to get them off their game. Something he successfully did to Mika Zibanejad last time out during warm-ups.

The officiating was iffy. They twice got the wrong guy on penalties. First by sending Kevin Rooney off for an errant Johnson high stick. Then it was Marchand who earned a minor for roughing when it was really deterrent Jack Studnicka, who stepped in and knocked down and bloodied Lindgren during a scrum. Marchand did give Lindgren a crosscheck in response to a hit.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1365471153465266180?s=19

Regardless, the Rangers couldn’t take advantage of it on the power play. Too much deferring to Zibanejad for his usual blanks that either miss the mark or get blocked. Everyone knows by now what the top unit is doing. The other strategy is for Fox to get a wrist shot through with Kreider screening. The frustrating part was Lafreniere didn’t get out much on the early power plays. Quinn preferred to stick with his first unit even though Strome wasn’t a shooter. They made a key adjustment later that lead to a better result.

With almost every forward except Zibanejad playing well, you had four good lines getting into the Boston end and forechecking. That included the effective third line centered by Rooney which had Brendan Lemieux and Jonny Brodzinski on it. The fourth line led by Gauthier, Brett Howden and Phil Di Giuseppe was strong throughout. Just to note, they changed the Gauthier goal to Di Giuseppe. He must’ve gotten a piece of it.

Both bottom lines saw extended duty during the third when Quinn opted to rest Zibanejad for approximately eight minutes. The start of his shifts were 5:11 and 13:24 when he returned. A wise move since he wasn’t doing much.

There was more dirty work during a competitive middle period. They nabbed Lemieux for roughing during another scrum. It really was just a board battle. The penalty was questionable. The good news is that while the annoying Joe Micheletti tried to push the lame narrative that Lemieux can’t take those penalties while other more established players do with regularity and he says nothing, the penalty kill got the job done. They’ve really been a great unit. They allowed two to the Flyers in eight chances last game. But for the most part, have been superb. Credit the personnel and assistant Jacques Martin.

Off a face-off in the Bruins’ end, Marchand took a bad penalty when he carelessly high sticked Kreider to earn a trip to the sin bin. It was again more of the same as Quinn rolled with his five man unit. He watched Zibanejad have one-timers blocked or stopped by Rask. It didn’t fool anyone. It was a wasted two minutes off the clock. Lafreniere should’ve replaced Zibanejad by that point. At least Boston didn’t gain any momentum from it.

In the offensive zone, Nick Ritchie lazily tripped up Smith to hand the Blueshirts another chance with 1:18 left in the period. With it still a one-goal game, finally they did something thanks to the gritty Blackwell. On a Strome pass up top, Fox had his one-timer redirected in by Blackwell for a power play goal for a 3-1 lead with 1:08 remaining. That really was the beginning of the end for the Bruins.

On the very next shift just a dozen seconds later, Kreider had a sharp angle shot deflect off Charlie McAvoy and in for his team-leading ninth at 19:04. Strome picked up the lone assist giving him three points. Over the last four games, he has seven points (2-5-7). He’s up to 13 for the season. While a mistaken faction get on his case, it’s Strome stepping up his game while Zibanejad tries to find his. Right now, your best center is Strome. He’s doing it without Panarin. A positive sign. They’ve needed it.

By the end of the period, the Bruins were visibly frustrated. Before its conclusion, Johnson decked Trent Frederic from behind with what amounted to a dirty crosscheck. Frederic responded with a slash as things heated up. Each received matching minors and went to their respective locker rooms. Frederic was basically trying to goad the Rangers into bad penalties during the third. To their credit, they didn’t take the bait.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1365479183858753538?s=19

If there was gonna be a Boston comeback, it never materialized. Playing for a second night in a row after the Islander debacle where they got blitzed 5-0 in the third, they put up token resistance against a locked in Rangers. A Fox nice pass across for a Buchnevich tip in made it 5-1 at 1:45. It was a simple give and go where Buchnevich went unchecked by both John Moore and Jakub Zboril for his ninth goal.

They weren’t done. On a Smith pass for an attacking Rooney, he had plenty of time and space to center for a sliding Brodzinski, who was able to get his stick on the puck to score his first despite being tackled by McAvoy less than two minutes later. Just like that, they scored four straight goals to turn it into a laugher.

Nothing else happened. It was just quiet shifts by Boston, who may as well have skated with their tail between their legs. Although Marchand would convert his 300th career goal on a weak Georgiev rebound of a Pastrnak shot a few minutes later, that was all they got.

It was a very satisfying win for the Rangers. They’ll see the same Boston team again in 36 hours. The question is will the suddenly slumping Bruins show up at around 12:30 PM on Sunday. The game will be televised by NBC and called by Kenny Albert.

Thank God. Neither Micheletti or Sam Rosen even realized Zibanejad missed a few shifts by design. He didn’t look particularly good when he returned for a power play, turning over the puck for an easy Boston clear. Quinn rewarded some of the role players with a shift on the man-advantage including Smith and Rooney. Why not. They deserved it.

If Chytil returns, who comes out? I would think Brodzinski. But he scored a goal. They seem to continue to run out Howden, who works hard. He just can’t score. But he’s a center that can take draws. Though it’s been considerably less lately with Rooney establishing himself as a trusted checkout center. We’ll see.

Maybe Kakko will be cleared too. It’s not too serious according to MSG. As for Panarin, your guess is as good as mine. I would expect Igor Shestyorkin to be back in net versus Jaro Halak. A bit of a nemesis for the team. It would be nice to see them light him up and get back to NHL .500.

Enjoy tonight. This was fun.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Alexis Lafreniere, NYR (recorded 1st career assist, 2 SOG in 6 attempts, +1 in 14:19, played like a top pick)

2nd 🌟 Adam Fox/Ryan Lindgren, NYR (4 total assists, 4 hits and 4 blocked shots, combined +5 rating)

1st 🌟 Ryan Strome, NYR (6th goal plus 2 🍎 for 8th career 3-point game, 5 SOG, +2 in 16:12)

Posted in NY Rangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chytil close to being ready as Rangers take on Bruins tonight and Sunday as fans return

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Derek

For the first time in nearly a year, there will be fans at Madison Square Garden when the Rangers host the Bruins tonight and Sunday. A limited capacity crowd of approximately 2,000 spectators are allowed to attend the home games. They’ll have to wear protective masks and be socially distanced due to the pandemic rules.

To me, that hardly sounds like fun. But if people want to go and support the team or as we’ve seen this week with the Knicks, God bless them. I just hope they’re truly safe and don’t have any health issues.

Personally speaking, I don’t think it’s worth the risk. If you’re like me and have trouble breathing through the masks for long periods due to anxiety or other health related issues, there’s no option. That is too bad. The daily stresses of mental health have taken a toll on many people.

I’m sure the players will get a lift from the supportive fans who will attend this weekend. Maybe it’ll help struggling first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere. He has two goals and no assists so far in his first 17 games.

The Rangers bring their 6-8-3 record into play against the very tough Bruins. They should be in a foul mood after getting spanked 7-2 by the Islanders on Thursday night. They gave up five unanswered goals in the third period. So, expect a better effort from a good team that’s lost three of their four games in regulation to the Isles. The other coming recently to the Devils.

In the first two match-ups earlier this month, Boston swept the pair at MSG by scores of 3-2 (Brad Marchand in overtime) and 1-0 (Jaro Halak shutout). The Rangers were without Artemi Panarin in the rematch that turned nasty. It featured three scraps including Pavel Buchnevich mixing it up with Jeremy Lauzon, who’s out with an injury. You also had Trent Frederic acting psychotic following losing to Brendan Lemieux, insisting they do it again. The rematch could come later. If not, you have the early matinee on Sunday.

Whatever the case is, the Rangers need to win hockey games. They were able to squeak out a shootout victory at the Flyers and beat the Capitals for a second time. But instead of following it up with an actual winning streak, they were too sloppy and undisciplined in an ugly 4-3 loss to the Flyers in a rematch. Igor Shestyorkin was hung out to dry. He faced multiple breakaways and did his best to keep his team in it despite giving up a bad short side goal to Kevin Hayes that held up as the winner.

The big takeaway from the latest one-goal loss was the improved play from streaky power forward Chris Kreider. He was flying literally during that game and recorded his third career hat trick. Two came on the power play and one at even strength. All within a few feet of Brian Elliott. Kreider has four goals over two games and now leads the team with eight. He’s certainly raised his level since the Panarin news broke on Monday. He remains out with not much in the way of updates. Hopefully, that issue goes away soon. It doesn’t sound bad.

Regardless, the Rangers must prove they can win without Panarin. They’re 0-3 this season when he doesn’t play. Counting the only game he missed last year, that’s 0 for 4. Obviously, it’s a big loss. He leads them in points with 18 including 13 helpers. He’s so dynamic that he’s a scoring threat in almost any shift. Opponents must game plan for him.

Without the Bread Man, it’ll continue to fall on the aforementioned Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, who had an up and down game on Wednesday. The good was he set up two goals thanks to his shot. The bad being he failed on two breakaways and lost 12 of 14 draws in the dot. Zibanejad still is without an even strength goal. We’re talking about over a quarter of the schedule played.

The Rangers could be getting some good news soon. Filip Chytil has finally been cleared and practiced yesterday full contact. He has been sorely missed. The 21-year old center was off to a good start with two goals and an assist in five games. He was looking more confident with and without the puck. It’s important to get the third line pivot back. That would give the team three scoring lines. Chytil is such an upgrade over the offensively challenged Brett Howden. He’s not expected to go tonight. But Sunday is a possibility. It depends if he’s ready.

Without Chytil and again no Kaapo Kakko or K’Andre Miller due to COVID Protocol, it could very well be the same lineup we saw the other day. That could mean little used Jonny “Soda” Brodzinski on the fourth line. I don’t see why they can’t try Morgan Barron.

The same for Tarmo Reunanen after how bad the defense looked outside of Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and Brendan Smith. There’s not enough pop coming from the back end. It remains problematic when David Quinn must ice a lineup with Jack Johnson, Libor Hajek and Anthony Bitetto, who didn’t look as good on Wednesday.

UPDATE: K’Andre Miller was taken off the protocol list. That is good news. He should be in tonight.

Truth be told, Miller makes a difference. His skating and poise are missed. Hopefully, he’ll be back soon. They’re already down Jacob Trouba and the dismissed Tony DeAngelo, who continues to wait at home doing nothing. It isn’t a coincidence that the scoring from the defense has regressed since his departure. I know so many people couldn’t wait for him to go, but wouldn’t you say Marc Staal is missed? Badly.

I’ve caught some Hurricanes games. Former Blueshirt Jesper Fast is fitting in nicely over in Raleigh. He’s up to three goals with a couple of assists playing in the top nine. Coach Rod Brind’Amour even rewarded him with power play time where he scored one and set up another PPG. Good for Quickie. They never replaced him. From a leadership standpoint, he’s missed. He was also that versatile two-way forward who the coaching staff could slide up and down the lineup.

Colin Blackwell is a revelation thus far. He’s filled in nicely. Quinn is using him in the top six minus Panarin and Kakko. He’s even earning power play time and helped assist on Kreider’s third goal versus the Flyers by throwing the puck towards the net. Never a bad play. If only more Blueshirts had that simplistic approach. Paging Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Strome. Both could have more goals if they thought shoot first. Strome hasn’t buried some scoring chances while Buchnevich is too pass happy.

The Bruins remain without David Krejci. A key second line two-way pivot behind Patrice Bergeron. They do still have Charlie Coyle who remains overlooked. He’s solid overall and is effective. They’re looking for more offense from Jake DeBrusk. A streaky scorer with a nice touch. He’ll be featured on the second line and power play.

Of course, Bergeron will center Marchand and power forward David Pastrnak. The Perfection Line. Kinda cheesy if you ask me. Why not something more Boston such as the New England Clam Chowder line or Beantown Line? It’s not a good nickname. It comes off forced. They’ll definitely be motivated off last night.

Charlie McAvoy anchors the defense. He really is blossoming into one of the game’s most complete defensemen. Big, strong and physical, the right defenseman also combines smooth skating with smart defensive positioning and is a good offensive contributor due to his booming shot. He hasn’t missed a beat since Zdeno Chara departed for Washington.

Given that Halak threw a fit after being in for all seven Islander goals which led to him breaking his goal stick, it’ll be Tuukka Rask for the B’s tonight. I’m sure the Rangers will see their Kryptonite on Sunday at high noon.

Maybe they can take advantage of Boston being short some guys. Their defense hasn’t been as good lately. That requires a strong forecheck with persistence and net front presence. If they can win the board battles, then it’s possible they can win. But they’re down significant pieces which puts a lot of pressure on the top guns.

Will anyone take up for Shestyorkin after Nick Ritchie bumped him last time?It should make for an interesting game. Face-off is approximately 7:08 PM with coverage on MSG starting at 6:30. We’ll see if the crowd makes a difference.

Posted in Game Preview, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Devils rally to salvage a split with Sabres despite still problematic special teams

Posted on February 26, 2021 by hasan4978

Despite the Devils’ 6-3-2 start my confidence in this team was – and is – exceedingly fragile. Even after their first loss to the Sabres last week, I feared the worst and it seemed as if the worst was happening with a three-game losing streak heading into tonight’s third game against the Sabres in a week span, and being stoned (again) by Linus Ullmark in the first period when he started out hot with a fifteen-save first. Of course, we caught a break in that one of those saves – a ten-bell one on Nico Hischier – injured the Sabres goalie and he didn’t return after the first period. Sabres’ franchise center Jack Eichel was also a last-minute scratch after warmups with a lower body injury.

If we couldn’t beat the Sabres without Ullmark or Eichel that would have been extremely problematic, but we were up against it after falling behind in the first period, predictably due to more PK hijinks. No not our hideous penalty kill but a PK Subban turnover behind the net that wound up on the stick of Riley Sheahan for an easy goal in front. Of course the actual team PK was no better either, giving up goals in both the second and third period as our historically bad penalty kill continues to roll along.

Fire This Is Fine GIF by MOODMAN - Find & Share on GIPHY

It’s really hard to pinpoint who to scapegoat for this unmitigated disaster, but when you’re at about 60% as a team and falling sixteen games into a season that’s not just bad, it’s historically awful. It just seems like a perfect storm of awfulness right now – having to replace key PK’ers like Blake Coleman, Andy Greene and even Kevin Rooney in a short season without much of a camp to implement the system or without practice days in-season to adjust and fine-tune things. Do we finger Lindy Ruff, whose PK’s have been bad all over the map the last several years? Assistant Alain Nasreddine, who was surprisingly kept after an outside hire (Ruff) this offseason?

Obviously the players themselves get some blame too, but what can really be done at this point? If you fire Nasreddine, how is a new coach going to implement a system in a season where you’re only playing games with few off days, and your so-called practices consist of Zoom calls and iPhone diagrams? You could try to switch around personnel but that’s already happened to an extent with most of the regulars back in the lineup, but things are only getting worse. It might have to fall on GM Tom Fitzgerald to make some roster tweaks at this point.

Fortunately the Devils showed the resilience tonight they have for much of the season and somehow overcame their awful PK, the ‘somehow’ best translated as a newly constructed line of Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha. Hischier predictably had struggled his first few games back after being on the shelf, Bratt had no goals in his first eight games and Zacha had been demoted to the fourth line as recently as a few games ago coming off the COVID break, but putting all of them together produced magic tonight. Bratt got the Devils on the board early in the second (and got off the schneid) with what can best be described as a video-game goal

After the Devils’ penalty fail put them behind again in the second period, Miles Wood tied the game early in the third period – first by earning a four-minute power play, then he got rewarded for his trouble by getting a nice rebound goal in front. It would be Hischier who put the Devils in front with a nice effort play a couple minutes later, diving to keep the puck in the zone then getting back to the net and taking advantage of good puck possession and a nice pass from Zacha to also score his first of the year. Of course the penalty fail lived down to its name once again with Sam Reinhart tying the game at 15:30. Thankfully the Bratt and Zacha combo re-ignited in OT when Bratt drew the defenders and left a drop pass for an open Zacha, who didn’t waste a golden chance to end the game and score his fifth of the season (and his third point of the game overall).

I may have to eat some crow on Zacha soon, quietly he’s had 10 goals and 26 points in his last 35 games from the end of January last year to now. I’m still not a full believer, but shockingly it’s the quiet Czech winger (seemingly now moved there from center) who leads the team in points with 12 in 15 games this season. For all the players like Damon Severson, Ty Smith and others who have had an obvious jump in their games post-coaching change last year, why can’t Zacha be another one of those guys who breaks out with this staff?

One thing’s for sure, tonight’s win couldn’t have come soon enough for the Devils’ ticket reps with sales on March home games beginning for season ticket holders today and the general public tomorrow. For a cliffs notes version of things, while prices are normal enough all things considered it’s the fact you have to buy at least two tickets with them being totally digital and non-transferable that’ll probably keep me out of the building this season. Not that I’m looking to flip tickets in this environment mind you, but it’s hard to find people willing to go to games under these circumstances. I don’t mind going by myself in a normal season – but I’m not going to go myself if I have to buy two tickets in a staid environment. Plus technically all you’re supposed to be part of the same household to use so-called block tickets but I have no earthly idea how they’d ever enforce that.

Hopefully there will be enough fans in the building next Tuesday to make themselves heard. I might have to wait till October for that, ideally this season can be a stepping stone to bigger and better things from next year on when I have already paid for season tickets, but things aren’t gonna get any easier for the moment with this schedule and our PK woes. Next up another two-game ‘series’ with the Caps, who put up a cool three PP goals on us in a single game last weekend. Hopefully it won’t be that bad at least this weekend…

Posted in Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment