Devils fall to Sabres in shootout despite resilient effort

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Derek

On Saturday afternoon up in Buffalo, the Devils battled back to grab a point against the Sabres. Ultimately, their effort wasn’t good enough to get the second point in a 4-3 shootout loss.

Despite dropping a third straight game, there were some positives to come out of the game. Twice, they came back from a one goal deficit in an entertaining game against the Sabres, who they’ll again face this afternoon in a rematch. Some new players contributed during a seesaw third period that saw each team score twice.

Skating without team leader Travis Zajac, the Devils were able to finally get goals from newcomers Andreas Johnsson and Janne Kuokanen. They also continued to see the promise of rookie Ty Smith. The defenseman scored on the power play to add to his impressive start. So far, the 20-year old former ’18 first round pick leads all rookie defensemen with seven points (2-5-7) in his first eight NHL games. In fact, he’s tied for first in rookie scoring with Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov (2-5-7).

Following a scoreless first period, the teams traded goals in the second. Facing former Devil Taylor Hall for the first time, the Devils got to see what the onetime Hart winner can do. Although he hasn’t started great in the goal department, Hall has been chipping in offensively. Recently taken off the top line by Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger, he’s responded well to being moved onto the second line. Hall would be a factor throughout the game.

On a rush started by Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour, Hall came in and fed an open Eric Staal for a quick snapshot that beat Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood for the game’s first goal at 9:03. It was a well executed play in transition. Not enough players were back for the Devils. That allowed Staal enough time and space to rifle home his third.

Late in the period, an iffy hooking call on Staal allowed the Devils to draw even. Having failed to score on a full two minute five-on-three in the first, the Devils desperately needed their struggling power play to come through. On a good play between P.K. Subban and Pavel Zacha, Subban worked over a nice pass for a Smith one-timer through traffic that beat Sabres starter Linus Ullmark with 1:25 left in the stanza. Miles Wood provided the screen in front to help tie the game headed to the third.

In a game where he changed his lines, coach Lindy Ruff tried the slumping Johnsson with Jack Hughes. It worked like a charm. After taking a Damon Severson feed up ice, Hughes gained the Sabres zone and made a good pass across to Johnsson at the opposite circle. Using Montour as a screen, he ripped a wrist shot high glove past a surprised Ullmark at 1:37 to give the Devils the lead. It was his first as a Devil.

However, it didn’t take long for the Sabres to reply back. Less than a minute later, a good forecheck from Colin Miller and Cody Eakin led to Eakin dropping the puck for a Tobias Rieder shot that beat Wedgewood to even the score at two apiece.

Although they played a good period and held a 15-8 edge in shots, they were kept off the scoreboard until later. That was due to Ullmark, who robbed Hughes of a sure goal by getting across to get a pad on his pointblank shot. He did shoot the puck back into him, but it still was a great save. Ullmark has faced a lot of rubber so far and has fared well.

A phantom hooking call on Smith halfway through the third period resulted in a Buffalo power play goal. With the dangerous Sabres top unit working the puck around, Hall and Rasmus Dahlin finally got it over to dangerous shooter Victor Olofsson in the right circle. He let go of an absolute rocket with Rasmus Ristolainen in front to beat a screened out Wedgewood top shelf. That put the Sabres back in front with 9:04 to go.

Needing another goal for an offensively challenged team still without Nico Hischier and now Zajac due to Covid Protocol, the Devils looked to some different faces to get it tied. On sorta a strange play started by Nathan Bastian, Mike McLeod was behind the net in a tough spot. He made an innocent looking drop pass to Kuokanen, who shot the puck from a sharp angle that banked in off a leaning Ullmark to magically tie the game with 5:19 remaining in regulation. The Sabres goalie didn’t cover his near goalpost to give Kuokanen just enough real estate to score his first NHL goal.

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Before they could even reach overtime, they survived a Severson minor with 1:52 left when he took down Jack Eichel. Fortunately, they were able to kill off the penalty and escape.

There weren’t many shots in the overtime. Once it became three-on-three, it was tactical. The back and forth contest needed a shootout to decide a winner.

In it, Eichel beat Wedgewood with a good wrist shot off the post and in. The Devils goalie stayed too far back and should’ve challenged. Having had a good game, Jesper Bratt was selected by Ruff for the first shot. He made a good move, but Ullmark beat him to keep Buffalo ahead after Round One.

Following a Wedgwood stop on Dahlin, Nikita Gusev was denied in tight by Ullmark to keep it 1-0 Sabres. After Wedgewood did his part to stop Olofsson, the Devils’ last chance was the eerily quiet Kyle Palmieri. He made a good move looking to go backhand, but just missed with Ullmark sliding over to end the game.

The Devils will look to avenge the loss at 1 PM on Sunday. They’re 3-3-2 with eight points in eight games.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Janne Kuokanen, Devils (1st career NHL goal to tie game at 14:41 of 3rd)

2nd 🌟 Ty Smith, Devils (power play goal, +1 in 17:50)

1st 🌟 Taylor Hall, Sabres (2 assists in 22:00)

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Rangers latest loss to shorthanded Pens self inflicted

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Derek

So much for all the enthusiasm over Alexis Lafreniere scoring his first NHL goal in an exciting overtime win. It was back to reality for the Rangers tonight. They suffered a cruel 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins at Madison Square Garden.

Back home after a four game road trip where they won only one game, the Rangers couldn’t take advantage of a shorthanded Pens team. If there’s a troubling trend, it’s their penchant for blowing leads in the third period. It happened for the fourth time in eight games. That’s almost unthinkable. In what was an ugly played game full of bad turnovers, a lousy third led to the Rangers’ demise.

After playing a good second where they scored three of four goals against the Pens, who lost top defenseman Kris Letang to an injury in the first period, the Rangers forgot to play the final 20 minutes.

To hear Chris Kreider say it during the postgame, it’s the same thing over and over again. He has spoken at length about needing to play a certain way for 60 minutes. They did it against the Sabres the other night. Instead, they reverted to old habits by not getting pucks deep to protect a one goal lead Artemi Panarin provided them on the power play to end a long drought at five-on-four.

Also down a skater due to key sparkplug Colin Blackwell going down after four shifts (2:53), they had the full allotment of defensemen. Simply put, they weren’t good enough. Tony DeAngelo, Brendan Smith and Adam Fox were all victimized on goals against. The DeAngelo-Smith pairing is so bad, it makes one long for Marc Staal. They might not have thought it through. DeAngelo is an offensive defenseman who needs a stable defensive partner. Smith is serviceable, but can’t log the necessary minutes to make it work. He’s a good extra D. On this roster due to the misguided Jack Johnson signing, he is being asked to do too much. If Libor Hajek can’t crack this lineup, that’s an indictment on the organization.

As bad as the defense was, it was a lost defensive draw by the invisible Mika Zibanejad to Sidney Crosby that allowed Jake Guentzel to get three whacks at the puck behind Fox before finally putting it in past Alex Georgiev with 10:42 left in regulation. As responsible as he was for Crosby’s overtime winner, Georgiev allowed the Rangers to get a point in a lopsided period. The Pens outshot the Blueshirts 16-7. They generated enough chances to win it in regulation. But Georgiev had a strong third to earn his team a point.

If you had a question for David Quinn, why did he go back to Georgiev following a good performance from Igor Shestyorkin in his first win? His explanation didn’t make much sense. One would think that Shestyorkin should be given every chance to establish himself as the new number one goalie. Instead, he wasn’t allowed to build on Thursday. Very strange.

There were plenty of goals in this one. Jason Zucker got it started when he was able to redirect home a Pierre-Olivier Joseph pass at the doorstep. The play was made in transition with the disastrous Smith-DeAngelo caught on with the second line of Panarin, Ryan Strome and Blackwell before he got hurt. Kasperi Kapanen started the play to pick up a secondary assist.

On the next shift, Crosby hooked into Zibanejad for a lazy minor penalty off the face-off. It was very uncharacteristic for him. But that’s how the Pens have been playing so far. They are down a lot of defensemen including key blue liner Brian Dumoulin. But the lazy penalties and play they’ve gotten from even Crosby and ghost Evgeni Malkin are very odd. It’s almost like they’re trying to get coach Mike Sullivan fired.

Given a power play, the Rangers were unable to capitalize. The two units certainly got good looks, but weren’t able to beat Casey DeSmith, who had a good game. He made some strong saves including on Zibanejad, who can’t seem to find his scoring touch. He hit another goalpost and misfired on a few other setups.

Interestingly, it was some hard work by the fourth line that evened the game. Following a pass from Ryan Lindgren, Phil Di Giuseppe gained the Pens zone and fired a low shot that deflected off a driving Brendan Lemieux for his first goal. It was a hardworking goal for a gritty player, who plays the game honestly. They need more dirty goals like that. Lemieux is the guy who can do it.

Late in the period, a face-off loss came back to haunt them. Brett Howden was unable to beat Teddy Blueger. Blueger worked the puck back to Joseph for a shot that Brandon Tanev was able to deflect past Georgiev at 19:20. Tanev is a gritty forward, who works extremely hard. He beat DeAngelo to the spot and got his third from Joseph and Blueger. That gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead to the locker room.

The second was better for the home team. With Smith off for tripping, some sloppy play by the Pens allowed the Rangers to score shorthanded. Having already given up a breakaway to Pavel Buchnevich, who was stopped by DeSmith, they were even worse on the same shift. Bryan Rust made a back pass to nobody at the vacated point. Then, the defenseman fell down allowing K’Andre Miller and Kevin Rooney to come two on zero for an easy shorthanded goal. Miller patiently waited before dishing across for a Rooney finish. It was his fourth career shorthanded goal. Four of his 11 NHL goals have come down a man.

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Before you could look up, Malkin sent Kapanen on a breakaway behind Smith. He didn’t make any mistake by going top shelf on Georgiev to give the Pens their third lead at 9:42. But the Rangers got it right back on the next shift. Miller passed over for a Jacob Trouba shot that Kreider was able to steer in on the rebound just 43 seconds later. It was a good hardworking goal from Kreider, who definitely played better. Kaapo Kakko was also around the net as the play developed.

The assist gave Miller his first career two assist game. He’s up to a goal and three assists. More often than not, the 2018 first round pick has been on for goals for as opposed to against. In his eighth NHL game, he had two helpers and finished plus-one in 20:49 while receiving 30 shifts including 1:40 on the penalty kill. Even though they’re 2-4-2 with only six points, Miller has been a bright spot. If he continues to improve, maybe he’ll even be in the Calder conversation with Devils rookie defenseman Ty Smith.

A very bad penalty on Pittsburgh defenseman John Marino handed the Blueshirts another opportunity to go ahead. Marino had already took a bad one for delay of game. This time, he played the puck without a helmet to earn another two minutes in the sin bin. On the fourth power play, the Rangers made it work thanks to some good patience and execution from Panarin and Buchnevich.

After DeAngelo fed Panarin, he realized he didn’t have an open shot and passed down low for Buchnevich. Buchnevich then was able to pass right back for a quick Panarin one-timer past DeSmith over the shoulder. It was his fourth goal coming at 16:01 from Buchnevich and DeAngelo, who picked up his first point on an otherwise forgettable night.

A Cody Ceci tripping minor late was canceled out by a bad Kreider cross-check at the conclusion of the second during a scrum. That created a four-on-four starting the third. The penalties were eight seconds apart.

The third period was horrible. Whatever they did right in the second, they did wrong. Way too many turnovers and lazy plays that allowed a more energized Pens to take control. Georgiev had to come up with a number of tough saves. He got no support. Finally, Zibanejad lost a face-off so badly to Crosby that Guentzel was able to tie the game after deflecting a Ceci shot and rebounding it twice with Fox beaten on the play.

Quinn fumed at the refs on the bench due to them missing a Guentzel high-stick that cut Lindgren prior to the tying goal. There’s no way the two refs or two linesmen should’ve missed it. He swung the stick and connected right underneath Lindgren’s visor to draw blood. Unbelievable. The Rangers had a legit beef. It figured Guentzel would score the big goal.

The Pens continued to buzz around Georgiev’s net, but he made some key stops to get the game to overtime. In it, the trio of Panarin, Zibanejad and DeAngelo got trapped out in the Pittsburgh zone. The Pens were able to make a couple of changes until Crosby came out. Finally, Joseph passed for Crosby, whose low wrist shot went right through a clearly frustrated Georgiev for the winner at 2:27. Crosby’s fourth came from Joseph and Rust.

It’s back to work for the Blueshirts, who have no time to hang their heads. They see these same Pens again Monday. They’re 0-1-2 versus them so far. Hardly good enough. With the Capitals coming up and then the Devils and Islanders, they have to pick themselves up.

So upset with the defeat that during his press conference, Quinn called the Rangers’ third the worst period of the year. It was that bad. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond in the rematch. The Pens are not that good. However, they’re finding ways to win games and earn points by coming back.

One thing to remember is this is for the most part a young roster. You have a number of second-year players, rookies and even some who are in Year Three. There’s a lot of frustration in Rangers Land. It isn’t only the goalies. It’s the players. It’s the gaps they leave along with crucial mistakes. It’s everything. It is a learning curve for a good part of this roster. We must be more patient.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 K’Andre Miller, Rangers (career high 2 assists, +1 in 20:49)

2nd 🌟 Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Pens (career high 3 assists, +3 in 25:58)

1st 🌟 Sidney Crosby, Pens (overtime winner, 11-and-4 on draws, +1 in 18:50)

Stat of Game:

Giveaways

NYR 19 (Miller 5, Fox/Zibanejad 3)

Pens 12 (Ceci/Zucker/Joseph 2)

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Lafreniere scores memorable first NHL goal in overtime to give Rangers big 3-2 win over Sabres

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Derek

Alexis Lafreniere sits in the Rangers locker room with the puck of his memorable first NHL goal that came in overtime to defeat the Sabres. The victim was Linus Ullmark. AP Photo by New York Rangers courtesy Getty Images

This one was badly needed. That it was delivered by the future of the franchise was special. Playing in a tie game during three-on-three overtime despite dominating it, the Rangers got a badly needed 3-2 win over the Sabres thanks to top pick Alexis Lafreniere. He scored his first NHL goal at 2:47 to deliver a memorable moment.

The magic moment came when coach David Quinn showed faith in the 19-year old kid. Rewarding Lafreniere for his good play which included some pointblank chances that were thwarted by red hot Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark, Quinn sent the rookie over the boards with surprising revelation Colin Blackwell. Immediately, Blackwell made two good defensive plays with the second leading to a two-on-one. He made the perfect pass for Lafreniere, who waited before firing a great wrist shot upstairs to beat Ullmark for the overtime winner.

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Mobbed by excited teammates who poured off the bench to congratulate him, Lafreniere was all smiles. He sure deserved it. Despite not having a point in the first six games, his confidence never wavered. Lafreniere continued to skate well and go to the hard areas in search of his first NHL point. Whether it was a goal or assist, he was doing the right things. That’s why Quinn decided to keep him on the first line with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. He could’ve had it sooner if not for Ullmark flat out robbing him on a great set up. There was also a rebound opportunity that was denied.

The only reason the game required overtime was Ullmark. After fighting the puck early on in his second start versus the Blueshirts in three days, he became a brick wall. His team was so badly outplayed that shots were 15-5 in the first period and 24-9 after two. For the game, Ullmark made 36 saves with every one coming in regulation. Some of the spectacular variety. He once again turned into Dominik Hasek wearing those classic Sabres throwbacks.

It was all Rangers in the first 40 minutes. After easily killing off a foolish cross-checking minor from Brendan Lemieux, they dictated play throughout the first period. With newly formed lines that included sparkplug Blackwell playing with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin while Chris Kreider worked with Brett Howden and Kaapo Kakko, who had an active game, the Rangers came out aggressively. Hungry to the puck, they won most of the battles against a flat Buffalo team that didn’t look ready to play. The fourth line consisted of Lemieux with Kevin Rooney and Phil Di Giuseppe.

A sustained attack allowed them to finally get on the scoreboard first. With Buchnevich still on, he drew attention before passing down low to Panarin. The Bread Man then fed Strome for a nice finish to put the Rangers ahead 1-0 at 9:44. It was Strome’s second goal. He is still without an assist, but his confidence is coming back.

If not for Ullmark, they could’ve had more. Instead, the Sabres number one goalie kept his team afloat. A rookie mistake by K’Andre Miller hurt the Rangers near the period’s conclusion. After his hard dump in came all the way around and out, it fueled the Buffalo transition. The puck came to Sam Reinhart, who pulled up inside the Rangers blue line and centered a pass in front for Jack Eichel, who got position on Miller to put the puck home with 21.3 seconds to go. A bad break. Miller was unable to deny Eichel, who scored for a second consecutive game.

With the contest all even, the Blueshirts continued to play well in the second period. They had some power play opportunities including one in the first minute. The problem was they couldn’t cash in. Quinn changed up his top unit by deciding to move Buchnevich up and Strome down. He also threw a different look by teaming Tony DeAngelo and Adam Fox at the points. Kreider was moved to the second unit. Throughout, they generated scoring chances and plenty of looks. But nobody could score on it. An issue that still must be resolved when they return home starting Saturday for four of the next five games.

With the defense not giving up anything, the Rangers held the edge in territorial play. Ironically, it was during four-on-four with less than five minutes remaining that they were able to retake the lead. Both Blackwell and Jake McCabe were taken off the ice for interference and slashing minors with 5:43 left.

Less than two minutes later, Panarin had a puck bounce back to him due to a Matt Irwin miscue. It worked like a pass with Panarin quickly firing a wrist shot in short side for his third unassisted with 3:50 left in the period. A Strome slashing minor 61 seconds later was easily killed off by the Rangers penalty kill. The unit included Buchnevich and Kreider with both doing a good job. So did Brendan Smith and Jacob Trouba.

Through 40 minutes, Igor Shestyorkin had hardly been tested. He had eight saves. The only blemish was not his fault. It was a tip in from Eichel at 19:38 of the first. He still looked calm and more focused despite the lack of activity.

An undisciplined Ryan Lindgren minor penalty for cross-checking Kyle Okposo from behind into the boards was mind numbing. Not only because it was dangerous given Okposo’s history and where it was. But due to it being unnecessary. Lindgren’s second penalty of the night cost the team.

As good as the penalty killing had been up to that point, they were unable to get the job done. Just 20 seconds into the minor, Taylor Hall and Victor Olofsson combined to set up Reinhart at the doorstep for a neat deflection inside the goalpost. The power play goal tied the score at two with 15:13 remaining.

Afterwards, the play was more even. It was a little wide open with the teams combining for 29 shots. Buffalo held a 15-14 edge after only totaling nine entering the third. However, Shestyorkin didn’t allow the Reinhart power play goal to deflate him. He made some quality stops to keep Buffalo in check. So too did Ullmark, who was never better than on a Rangers power play.

Following Jeff Skinner foolishly clearing the puck into the stands, the Blueshirts had a golden opportunity to reclaim the lead. After a timeout from Sabres coach Ralph Krueger, Quinn sent out his new top unit. They did everything but score. Controlling possession for the full two minutes, they had good shots on Ullmark. It didn’t matter. Nobody could beat him. Even with DeAngelo teamed with Fox at the points looking better than what they had, nothing got past Ullmark. There were a couple of passes from Panarin and Fox that probably should’ve been shots. However, they couldn’t have had a better power play. It was the brilliant play of the goalie that kept it tied up.

Eventually, the game would need overtime. Quinn featured Panarin with Mika Zibanejad and Fox. He also used Buchnevich with Kreider and DeAngelo, who had a good game despite not hitting the score sheet.

When it was time to put another combination out there, Quinn didn’t hesitate to throw Lafreniere out with Blackwell. It was curious to see Blackwell chosen over Strome, who’s a good skater in three-on-three. However, Quinn knew. As if to confirm it, Blackwell stole the puck from Eichel and then calmly set up Lafreniere for the overtime winner. His first NHL point was an overtime goal. One he’ll remember forever.

It ended a four-game losing streak. It came at a perfect time. The Rangers really needed this one. They needed two points. Even if there’s no way Buffalo should’ve gotten a point, that’s what a hot goalie can do.

Seeing the poise with which Lafreniere finished off his first goal and handled his interview with CBC was great. He’s a very mature kid. There is a lot to like. This one is special.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd 🌟 Artemi Panarin, Rangers (3rd goal of season, assist, 4 SOG, +2 in 21:06)

2nd 🌟 Linus Ullmark, Sabres (36 saves including 22/24 1st two periods)

1st 🌟 Alexis Lafreniere, Rangers (overtime winner for 1st NHL goal, 4 SOG, +1 in 15:27)

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Reality bites: Devils swept by Flyers

Posted on January 28, 2021 by hasan4978

After a 3-1-1 start, things were looking up for the Devils. Especially with the surprise return of Jesper Bratt to the lineup the first day he was eligible to come back with the team for tonight’s second game against the Flyers in three days. Maybe it shouldn’t have been as much of a surprise that he was rushed back without a real practice under his belt because this team is desperate for offense, as tonight’s dreadful 3-1 loss proved. It probably shouldn’t have been a surprise the Devils lost both games – at home! – to a talented Flyers team who finished with the top seed in the conference last year. Especially with slanted officiating that even coach Lindy Ruff couldn’t help but make a snide remark about in the postgame after Wednesday’s 5-3 loss, where a string of questionable calls led to the Devils giving up three straight goals in the third period of what was a 2-2 game. Doesn’t sound like today was much better, so I guess working the refs (who were the same refs with travel restrictions) didn’t help in this case.

Of course bad goaltending on Wednesday and a popgun offense also didn’t help our cause in either game, along with our disasterous special teams which have been a problem the whole year. Other than maybe the special teams (when we had a returning coach for the PK and one of the best scoring forwards of all time running the PP), I can’t say this should have been a surprise coming into the season. Obviously the first five games inflated expectations a little, but the problem with just attributing our last two losses as regressing to the mean is that we’ve had zip, zilch and nada from many of our veteran leaders, specifically Kyle Palmieri and P.K. Subban. Palmieri’s beard has become the new MB30 helmet of bad juju. Catty references aside, perhaps his impending contract status is weighing on him. Subban, on the other hand doesn’t have that excuse. Maybe he’s just shot and still hasn’t figured how to adjust his game after his back issues which started at the end of his Nashville tenure. Whatever the reason, we need more from our highest paid player – offensively and defensively.

As far as the goaltending, it’s hard to get annoyed other than at our current situation where we’re playing a career journeyman. It would be nice to get consistent goaltending from more than one guy one of these years. Admittedly it’s hard to fault Scott Wedgewood on much tonight, but after what we saw from Mackenzie Blackwood early in the season (and Wedgewood on Wednesday) it’s hard to make the case goaltending hasn’t mattered in these two games. Presumptive backup Aaron Dell is still a week away after – finally – getting his own visa situation resolved.

Offensively the power play woes have been well documented but other than Jack Hughes there hasn’t really been a lot of production from anyone offensively, man advantage or no man advantage. New acquisition Andreas Johnsson had his best game as a Devil by a country mile but it still didn’t materialize in points. After a hot early start benefitting from playing regularly in the KHL before camp, it looks like Yegor Sharangovich is turning back into a pumpkin. Speaking of guys whose contracts might be weighing on them, what exactly happened to Nikita Gusev? Hopefully Bratt’s return will help a little but three goals in two games – leaving out that junkiest of junktime Pavel Zacha goals on Wednesday night – just won’t cut it. Especially in a game where the Devils dominated for two periods, but couldn’t put more than one past a previously slumping Carter Hart. The minute we botched a 4-on-1, or 5-on-1, whatever the heck it was late in the second period I should have shut the TV off right then. I knew we were gonna bite the dust in the third, and we did.

Back at .500 now, this weekend’s two-game block (I still find myself reflexively saying home and home with back to back games) at Buffalo is vitally important. Particularly coming on the front end of an eight game out of ten road stretch. The fact it’s Taylor Hall’s first game against the Devils means very little at this point, what matters is if the Devils are going to hang around the race long enough for reinforcements to potentially matter, they need to grab points against teams at their level. Going 0 for 4 against the Flyers at home was bad enough, things will look really bleak with a similar weekend in Buffalo.

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Jack Johnson out for tonight due to groin strain

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Derek

When the Rangers take on the Sabres in the rematch upstate, they’ll be without Jack Johnson. The veteran defenseman will miss his second game of the season. Unlike the first time this past Sunday at Pittsburgh, he won’t be a healthy scratch. He’ll be out due to a groin strain.

While it’s no cause for celebration, the injury to Johnson likely gives another opportunity to Brendan Smith. He’s been the extra defenseman David Quinn isn’t shy about using. Smith played twice in place of Tony DeAngelo and once for Johnson. If he is in, then the third pair will have DeAngelo with Smith. DeAngelo is still without a point having struggled. Not having a consistent partner hasn’t helped.

Another option the Rangers could consider is taking another look at Libor Hajek. Once thought as a good prospect due to his performance a couple of years ago at the World Junior Championship, he’s become the forgotten guy. Someone the organization wanted included in the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller trade to Tampa that netted Brett Howden and two draft picks (Nils Lundkvist and Karl Henriksson, the 22-year old Czech didn’t establish himself last year. He got into 28 games and recorded five assists. Hardly enough of an impact to merit the Rangers’ faith in him.

I’d be for seeing Hajek get another crack. He was a second round pick by the Lightning in 2016. The Rangers took him due to former Tampa GM Steve Yzerman’s unwillingness to include D prospect Cal Foote. Former Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov was also in the trade. He was a solid top nine forward who killed penalties well. Eventually, he was dealt to Ottawa. He’s currently a Red Wing.

The issue with that trade is the Rangers so far have received very little in return for a top four defenseman in McDonagh and a top six forward in Miller, who now plays on the Vancouver top line with Elias Pettersson. Howden is a bottom six player who currently is centering the third line in place of injured center Filip Chytil.

That means Lundkvist and Henriksson better turn into good players, or it’ll go down as one of the worst trades in franchise history.

As for who is in net, it’s Igor Shestyorkin. He gets the start still searching for his first win. That means more consistency. Alex Georgiev hasn’t been lights out either, but has been steadier and has the team’s only win. If he wants to grab the starting job, this is an opportunity to do it.

The Rangers are 0-3-1 in their last four and desperately need a win. It’s up to the top guns to start playing up to their contracts. We’ll see if Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome, Jacob Trouba and DeAngelo can get it going.

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Groundhog Day for Rangers in another exasperating one goal loss to Sabres

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Derek

Getty Images

By show of hands, who is surprised that the Rangers lost another close game? I think by now, we are getting used to it. The ineptitude of this team is mind-boggling. Of course, they once again finished with more shots on goal than their opponent. Simply put, it doesn’t matter. Throw all the crappy statistics out. You can take all the possession garbage and chuck it.

Right now, the Rangers are a bad hockey team. They fail to execute when it counts. Undisciplined penalties. Lousy special teams. Awful turnovers. Blown coverages. That is how I’d describe this team. They do just enough to lose. It truly is Groundhog Day. David Quinn is Bill Murray character Phil Connors as the main star. His day keeps repeating over and over like a bad dream. His players are the costars with Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome, Jacob Trouba and Tony DeAngelo continuing to under perform. Jack Johnson is the Tinman.

When your best players are not showing up regularly, you aren’t winning many games. Six games in, the Blueshirts are 1-4-1 with three points out of a possible 12. They sit in last place in a competitive division where the Devils are improved and even the Sabres are better at taking advantage of mistakes to win some games. That’s what they did tonight to pull out a 3-2 home win.

The difference truly was glaring Rangers mistakes that led directly to all three Sabres goals. They again didn’t play badly. But it was another blown lead that wound up in an all too predictable result. They’re now winless in four (0-3-1) with the rematch on Thursday.

It doesn’t matter how you lose. Like a broken record, Quinn and the players keep saying the same things. They need wins. Finding a way to do it is the key. It doesn’t help when they lose these games the same way. Neither the Penguins or Sabres are great teams. The Devils aren’t either. However, they all are finding ways to earn enough points in a division only schedule that means three and four point games.

When Panarin had his shot attempt blocked at the buzzer on a six-on-four, time ran out on the Rangers. They couldn’t take advantage of a bad Taylor Hall boarding minor that came with 1:37 to go. It was mostly the same players who failed to get anything done. More often than not, Quinn is gonna go with his guys. They are Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider, Ryan Strome and Adam Fox on the top power play unit which failed in three chances.

Rookie Alexis Lafreniere was on for Alex Georgiev late as the extra attacker. He was calling for the puck from Panarin, who didn’t get it there. Lafreniere had a couple of close calls where he almost had goal number one. It just isn’t going in. He was robbed by Buffalo starter Linus Ullmark, who had himself a night by finishing with 28 saves. That included stopping 15 of 15 in a lopsided third where his team sat back. He looked like Dominik Hasek at times. That’s not a good sign.

As usual, it wasn’t all bad for the Blueshirts. Playing for the first time without Filip Chytil, they got off to a good start thanks to Quinn finally listening to me. He put the first line back together. With the more effective Pavel Buchnevich back with Zibanejad and Kreider to reform the KZB Line, they went to work. With the Sabres trying to get the puck out, some strong Buchnevich back pressure created a turnover off Kreider’s skate. That kept the puck in. Buchnevich skated into space behind the net and centered for an easy Kreider finish at 6:28. It was his second goal and first since the Devils loss.

In a period that was closely fought with Georgiev sharp early, another mind numbing penalty from Jack Johnson caused trouble. Following his trip of Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin at the Rangers blue line, the Sabres went to work on the power play. It wasn’t the top unit that did the damage. Believe it or not, Sabres coach Ralph Krueger had enough faith in his second unit. A radical idea Quinn doesn’t believe in. Taking a feed from Rasmus Ristolainen, Eric Staal setup a wide open Dylan Cozens for a one-timer in the slot past Georgiev to tie it up at 12:50. It was Cozens’ second goal.

The fourth line had another strong game. With Strome on for Kevin Rooney, the grinders Brendan Lemieux and Colin Blackwell went to work down low. Eventually, Blackwell passed the puck up top for a quick K’Andre Miller shot that got by Ullmark with seven seconds to spare. The goal was the first of Miller’s career. He sure deserved it. He has been brilliant after an okay first game. Indeed, the future looks bright for the Rangers ’18 first round pick. It’s a good thing they traded up to select Miller at number 22. He has it together.

For Blackwell, it gives him points in his first two games as a Ranger. Not bad for a short guy who prior to arriving, had totaled 10 points in 33 NHL games with the Predators. Ten (3-7-10) came last season. I like how hard the 27-year old forward competes. He is willing to go the dirty areas and hustle. That work ethic has been missing from most of the top Rangers. Lemieux always does that too. But he just isn’t a Quinn guy. Guess he isn’t skilled enough. He picked up an assist in his return to the lineup.

The Rangers took a 2-1 lead to the locker room. They had to be feeling pretty good about themselves. That’s what made the second period inexplicable. Buffalo got nabbed for a bench minor for one too many skaters to hand the Rangers a golden opportunity to take control. Instead, they fired blanks. The first unit again was on for most of it. They’re not going in for Zibanejad from the off circle. Following a clear, out came the second unit. It still was the same with Buchnevich, Kakko, Lafreniere, DeAngelo and Trouba. Why they continue to throw Trouba out there I have no idea.

Naturally, as the penalty was expiring, the puck came to Trouba. Predictably, he missed it and then here came Tobias Rieder following a Matt Irwin clear past Trouba. Rieder had a clean breakaway and patiently out waited Georgiev with a nice fake to wrap the puck around and tuck it in at 6:03 of the second. Somehow, it was DeAngelo’s fault according to MSG Network apologist Joe Micheletti. He was supposed to know Trouba would get caught pinching in to hand Rieder basically a shorthanded breakaway goal. Only by the time he scored, the power play expired. At that point, I turned off the Rangers feed for the Sabres. I cannot stand what the Rangers telecast has become. Invent more excuses for why Trouba looks like an $8 million mistake.

It’s just embarrassing how bad MSG has become with this team. They never even provided an update on the longest tenured Garden employee after Sam Rosen and Walt Frazier. We have no clue what happened to Al Trautwig. I understand that maybe whatever is wrong, he wants kept private. I know I’m not alone here when I say I miss Al. He was great on these telecasts. He brought a sense of professionalism to the games. Only John Giannone does. The rest are a horror show. I also enjoy update man Bill Pidto, who brings both professionalism and a keen sense of humor to MSG.

When you are going bad, you can’t get out of your own way. On a night he scored his special first NHL goal, Miller was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking Cozens. Two young American rookies battling. Both taken in the first round a year apart.

On the first Sabres power play goal, Phil Di Giuseppe didn’t close out Cozens fast enough. On the second Sabres power play goal which took only 13 seconds, Buchnevich was too late to Jack Eichel, whose one-timer from the identical slot area beat Georgiev for the key go-ahead tally at 7:31. Victor Olofsson set it up. Dahlin assisted on it following an Eichel face-off win against Zibanejad. It was Eichel’s first of the season.

Face-off issues continue to plague this team. You can cite all the nonsensical Corsica possession statistics and the shot differential improvement. Until this team fixes its biggest problem in the dot, they’re going to continue to give up goals due to losing critical draws. They were so bad that the Sabres won a ridiculous 70 percent. That translates to 39-for-56. That means the Rangers only won 17. Abominable. Strome lost 11 of 15. Zibanejad wasn’t much better losing 15 of 21. Howden went an okay 5-and-8. Rooney was 2-and-2. Eichel went 11-and-8. Staal was a perfect 5-and-0. Cody Eakin went 12-and-7.

There is a big difference when you are losing most of the face-offs. Especially at key moments. How many Rangers power plays do we have to see start with a loss and clear down the ice? It’s been like this for years. Until it improves, you have to wonder if there’s any work being done to fix it. Ditto for the lousy special teams with the penalty kill a number of words I can’t publish.

Basically, special teams cost the Rangers the game. It really is frustrating. You want a further breakdown of Tuesday night? Here you go:

Five-On-Five

Rangers 2 goals on 23 shots

Sabres 1 goal on 15 shots

Five-On-Four

Rangers 0 goals on 7 shots

Sabres 2 goals on 9 shots

Face-offs

Rangers 17

Sabres 39

You aren’t winning consistently unless these numbers change. The third isn’t even worth discussing. The shots were 15-2. That means the Sabres led in shots 22-15 after 40 minutes. They just opted to protect the lead. It worked due to Ullmark and the Rangers’ ineptitude.

There’s nothing else left to add. Who gets the rematch? Igor Shestyorkin. Does it even matter? I’m fed up.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

3rd 🌟 K’Andre Miller, Rangers (1st NHL goal, 3 SOG, +2 in 17:41)

2nd 🌟 Dylan Cozens, Sabres (power play goal, 3 SOG, +1 in 10:12)

1st 🌟 Linus Ullmark, Sabres (28 saves including 15 of 15 in 3rd)

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Quinn better hope reinserting Jack Johnson doesn’t result in another loss

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Derek

It’s only the beginning of Year Three for coach David Quinn behind the Rangers bench. He’s done an admirable job developing some young players so far. Let’s not ignore the development of Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Tony DeAngelo, Alex Georgiev, the injured Filip Chytil and improved Pavel Buchnevich. Igor Shestyorkin we still have to wait on due to his start following the nice 12 game run last year.

Despite some positives including the emergence of rookie blue liner K’Andre Miller in the top six, patience is wearing thin on Quinn. It has to do with his questionable lineup decisions and in game adjustments. Case in point, Jack Johnson will be back in for Brendan Smith tonight at Buffalo. The question is why.

Part of the blame has to go to the Rangers organization. For some reason, both Team President John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton thought signing Johnson as a Marc Staal replacement would be good. They talked up his character and experience. While both are true, if his early play is an indication, nothing has changed. The Penguins and their fans couldn’t wait to get rid of him. It was one of GM Jim Rutherford’s worst signings. They laughed at the Rangers for signing him.

We’ve already seen why. Paired with Tony DeAngelo, it’s been a disaster. It seems like they’re both on for goals against. Having Johnson with DeAngelo is like putting Tanner Glass on a scoring line. It’s not conducive. DeAngelo’s strength is his skating and offensive capability. If he’s with Johnson, he’s stuck defending on the worst pair. He has no points so far and is minus-five. DeAngelo also sat out twice due to a temper tantrum, which resulted in an extra minor penalty during a lifeless 4-0 loss to the Islanders.

Quinn made an example of DeAngelo. But it took him five games to scratch Johnson. This is the same coach who treats Brendan Lemieux with kid gloves when he takes a penalty. If only that same standard applied to everyone on the roster. You wonder how some of the players feel towards Quinn, who by all accounts is a good man with character. However, he’s not Mike Keenan, Pat Burns or John Tortorella.

Speaking of Lemieux, he comes back into the lineup to play on the fourth line. How much he will play is anyone’s guess. Will he break seven minutes? That’s the confusing part of how Quinn handles the bench. His fourth line played well the other night thanks to the addition of Colin Blackwell, who scored in his first game. With Brett Howden elevated to the third line, it’ll likely be Kevin Rooney centering Blackwood and Lemieux, who is capable of playing a bigger role on a team that isn’t hard to play against.

If Pavel Buchnevich remains with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin, then top pick Alexis Lafreniere will again start with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who shifts to the right side. My apologies for indicating in another post that it was the other way around. If the top six stays the same, then you’re likely looking at Howden centering Phil Di Giuseppe (PDG) and Kaapo Kakko.

The question is for how long until Quinn tinkers with the lines. Something he does too much of for the players to find chemistry in this abbreviated 56-game schedule. He seems to prefer Fox on the point for the top power play unit which isn’t scoring enough given all the chances. It’s too right-handed. Strome is being wasted because he never shoots on the right side. It’s always deferring to either Panarin or Zibanejad, who every opponent knows are the trigger men. It’s only when Fox shoots that it looks good. I will continue to suggest Buchnevich in place of Strome because he’s a left shot on the right side who can one-time the puck or pass across.

The second power play unit rarely gets enough ice time. Although in the previous game, they actually got more time. But weren’t able to do much. Another thing I disagree with is this insistence on using both DeAngelo and Jacob Trouba on the points. Trouba already has too much responsibility. He should be only utilized at even strength to match-up and on the penalty kill. DeAngelo is an excellent power play quarterback due to his ability to get his shot through while also finding open teammates. If they flipped Buchnevich and Strome, the second center provides a capable face-off man for the second unit. Howden has been used due to being reliable. But he’s not a power play player.

There should be a better balance for both power plays. Quinn is over relying on the top one. That leaves little time for Buchnevich, Kakko, Lafreniere and DeAngelo to make an impact. I didn’t agree with Chytil hardly seeing any power play time.

Quinn has managed Johnson’s shifts. He’s used on the third pair and on the penalty kill. An area he excels. My question is why was it necessary to sign him when they had Smith, who has been a better fit. He also kills penalties well and fills in admirably. He also doesn’t take himself out of position frequently like Johnson, who goes for big hits.

The truth is they should’ve not signed Johnson. It’s like Libor Hajek has vanished. We knew that wasn’t a good trade. But you’re telling us he can’t do worse. Or at least try Anthony Bitetto. At this point, I don’t care.

The Rangers can ill afford to lose more games. They have two against a beatable Sabres team. They better hope Johnson isn’t an issue.

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Rangers lose Chytil for four to six weeks

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Derek

The news is not good on Filip Chytil. He’s expected to miss four to six weeks with an upper body injury. It happened when he collided with Evan Rodriguez on Sunday.

Now, the Rangers face some adversity. Off to a slow start having lost four of their first five, it becomes all about the veterans who must pick it up. They face the Sabres tonight in Buffalo where they’ll be for two games.

Mika Zibanejad knows he has to be better. He’s sitting on one goal and an assist in five games. It’s time for the top center to elevate his game along with Chris Kreider, who’s been all but invisible with just the one power play goal against the Devils. They need much more consistency from both. Restoring Pavel Buchnevich on the line should be the way to go.

David Quinn has yet to find the right combination for Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. While Panarin has six points (2-4-6), he hasn’t been as effective at five-on-five. There have been too many passes into the middle that get intercepted. Four of his six points are on the power play. Strome picked up his first goal the other day on a rebound set up by Panarin. He’s looked better the last two games.

They still need someone to complement the line. Jesper Fast is missed. It’s up to Quinn to figure it out. Maybe it’s Phil Di Giuseppe. He has four assists all at even strength. He plays on the third line with Kaapo Kakko and the injured Chytil, who was off to a good start with two goals and an assist. Di Giuseppe can play either side. If not, maybe it’s time to see if Kakko is up to the challenge. He has two goals and has looked more engaged. Certainly, it would be a great opportunity to play with Panarin and Strome.

Brett Howden will move up to center the third line. Is it with Kakko or Di Giuseppe? What about Alexis Lafreniere? The lineup is more complicated without Chytil due to the lack of center depth. Kevin Rooney can center the fourth line. But there isn’t the same balance when you subtract Chytil.

It will be interesting to see what the Rangers do. They need to start winning games. It’ll have to be without Chytil.

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Chytil out for Tuesday at Buffalo, Georgiev gets the start

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Derek

Following the hard collision with Evan Rodriguez during the second period of Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Pittsburgh, Rangers center Filip Chytil will not be available for tonight’s first of two at Buffalo. After looking like he had the wind knocked out of him, the 21-year old center took one more shift before exiting the game.

According to New York Post reporter Mollie Walker, Chytil was sent back to New York for tests to find out the extent of his “upper body” injury. Hopefully, the team doctors don’t find anything too serious. With the team struggling to establish itself at five-on-five, Chytil has been one of their most effective forwards. He was off to a good start with a pair of goals and an assist. He found good chemistry with Phil Di Giuseppe and Kaapo Kakko.

Now, it’ll likely fall on Brett Howden to move up and center the third line. Something he’s done before. The hardworking fourth line player has proven to be a good forechecker who brings a strong work ethic. He had some success last year playing with Kakko. Maybe he gets another shot to work with the improved second-year right wing.

The question is does David Quinn keep the complementary Di Giuseppe with that unit or perhaps he sticks rookie Alexis Lafreniere back on the left side to see what he can do on the third unit. Lafreniere has been featured on the right side with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider while Pavel Buchnevich has been working with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. I’ve suggested reuniting Buchnevich with Zibanejad and Kreider, who both are struggling. The KZB line should be back intact.

I would try the hustling Di Giuseppe with Panarin and Strome. He probably is the best fit to replace Jesper Fast. He’s a good enough skater and plays responsibly. It might be worth a look. Especially if it means Lafreniere plays his natural position and gets to work with Kakko and Howden on the third line. They won’t draw the hardest assignment. That could prove beneficial as it had for Chytil and Di Giuseppe. Getting a more favorable match-up might be a good way to finally get Lafreniere going. He’s done some good things, but still is without a point in his first five NHL games. I’ve long wanted to see him play with Kakko.

In terms of the fourth line, Quinn has a choice between Julien Gauthier or Brendan Lemieux. Personally, I’d prefer both in the lineup so we can find out what they are. Particularly Gauthier, who has gotten the short end of the stick from Quinn. Ditto for Lemieux, who’s the exact kind of edgy North American player the roster lacks. They can use his personality and willingness to get the jersey dirty. I simply don’t understand Quinn, who punished Lemieux for one penalty. If only the same standard applied to other guys on the team.

With Colin Blackwell scoring in his first game as a Ranger, he will be back in the lineup. I would think you’ll see Kevin Rooney too, leaving a spot for either Lemieux or Gauthier. I would lean towards Lemieux, who can make things happen while also providing energy. He needs to play.

It’ll be Alex Georgiev getting the start over Igor Shestyorkin, who got a lot of criticism for Sunday night. Granted. He allowed two bad goals in the third period. But don’t forget he didn’t have any preseason and has been splitting duty with Georgiev. It’s not easy to get into a rhythm. I’ll admit that his start has been disappointing. However, there’s no reason to panic five games in.

Remember when John Vanbiesbrouck and Mike Richter were in the exact same situation? It’s unbelievable how quickly Blueshirt fans forget. Either that or they’re not old enough to remember. That worked itself out. I have no problem with Quinn going back to Georgiev for his third start. He’s had the one quality start with a shutout win over the Islanders. I’d hardly pin the 4-3 loss to the Devils on him. There were some tremendous breakdowns in that game with Jack Hughes dominating for three points.

My curiosity is how the goalie situation plays itself out. Quinn must handle both well. Communication being the key. Georgiev will turn 25 next month. So, they’ll each be the same age as the Rangers’ goalie tandem. We’ll see how things go.

The Rangers have dropped three in a row going 0-2-1 since the 5-0 shutout of the Islanders. Despite improved shot differential and better possession numbers, they haven’t been good at even strength. It’s not just goaltending either. There have been too many defensive breakdowns, undisciplined penalties and sloppy turnovers like the Panarin pass to no one on Sunday that lead directly to Bryan Rust scoring on a breakaway.

The bottom line is their best players have to be better. That includes leading scorer Panarin despite his six points. He needs to stop telegraphing passes and be more of a shooting option. It also means improvement from Kreider and Zibanejad, who was such a huge part of ’19-20. He didn’t look pleased in the MSG postgame via Zoom the other day.

It can’t only be the young guns such as K’Andre Miller, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren leading the way. They need more consistency from Jacob Trouba and Tony DeAngelo, who must produce even if his ice time has been cut. They’re 1-3-1 with last all to themselves at the 2-3-1 Sabres. A team that boasts dangerous scorers Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall with support coming from Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson. Keep an eye on rookie Dylan Cozens, who got his first NHL goal recently.

Buffalo doesn’t have a lockdown defense either and the goalie duo of Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark sharing the net. It could be Ullmark based on his shootout win over the Capitals. Hutton boasts a good career record versus the Rangers. You have to figure he’ll get one of the games.

The Sabres are led by Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Dahlin on the back end. Game time is 7 PM EST.

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Rangers fall apart in loss to Penguins

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Derek

This one was bad. Once again, the Rangers blew a lead after two periods. Only this time, they allowed two goals including a Jake Guentzel game-winner late in regulation to lose to the Penguins 3-2. So, in two winnable games against a mediocre opponent that didn’t play well, they found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Just call it a lost weekend. The Rangers wound up with one point in the two-game series at Pittsburgh. Through five games, they’re 1-3-1 with three points. Good for last in the old Patrick with Boston and Buffalo added to the mix. Five games doesn’t make a season. But if they keep blowing games, it’ll get late early as Yogi Berra used to say.

Making matters worse, their most effective center Filip Chytil left the game in the second period. He got injured on an accidental collision with Evan Rodriguez, who hurt his knee and also didn’t return. Chytil stayed on the bench and took one more shift before exiting. That left David Quinn scrambling the lines even more. It was a mess. Hopefully, Chytil isn’t out too long. They need him.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353523137892278272?s=19

Right now, Mika Zibanejad isn’t going and neither is Chris Kreider. The two veteran leaders have been ineffective at five-on-five. Kreider didn’t even register a shot in a game I half watched with a hopeful eye on Brian’s Bills. Too bad they fell apart at the seams even worse in the AFC Championship Game at the Chiefs. It made for a frustrating night. I was really bummed for both Brian and our friend Rob. Oh well. Hopefully, they’ll be back next year and win the big game.

I’m even disappointed in Artemi Panarin so far. Sure. He is a point-per-game and even set up the first goal for the slumping Ryan Strome to put the Rangers up 2-1. But his play at even strength hasn’t been good. There’s nothing happening. It was his lousy turnover on a back pass to Brendan Smith that resulted in Sidney Crosby sending in Bryan Rust in for a breakaway goal that tied the score at one earlier. He needs to stop over passing and shoot the puck more. Something that’s becoming an issue for this team.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353515032127139840?s=09

When your key top guns aren’t clicking on all cylinders at five-on-five, you aren’t going to be successful. By that, I mean Zibanejad, Kreider, Panarin and Strome. All of who have been underwhelming in the early going. Even the power play which has connected a few times hasn’t been as good. Too much overloading to the off side for the right shots of Panarin and Zibanejad. It’s too predictable. Move Pavel Buchnevich up to the top unit and Strome to the second unit. That way you have a left shooter from the opposite circle.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353502908109746181?s=19

At least the new fourth line did their part. An effective checking unit throughout, they forechecked well and got rewarded with the game’s first goal. On an Adam Fox point shot, new Ranger Colin Blackwell got in front and redirected the puck past Tristan Jarry for his first goal of the season. He was a factor all night in the nearly nine minutes he received. Blackwell played mostly with Kevin Rooney and Brett Howden, who picked up an assist on the goal. He would later be bumped up in Chytil’s place.

The trouble for the Rangers is they never built a lead. The Pens came back to tie it on the Panarin turnover where Smith couldn’t handle a tight pass. Crosby quickly retrieved it and found a wide open Rust, who walked in and beat Shestyorkin with a good low wrist shot. Rust was easily their best player in the two games, scoring twice. He never takes a shift off and works extremely hard. More than you can say for Evgeni Malkin, who was a ghost while getting caught on for both Rangers goals against. The one year I take Malkin in fantasy and he looks completely disinterested.

The Rangers reclaimed the lead in the second period when off some sustained pressure from Buchnevich, a Jacob Trouba shot caromed out to Panarin, who set up Strome for his first in front of a sprawled Jarry. It was a hardworking goal by the line. While I like how Buchnevich has played, he needs to be back with KZB Line members Kreider and Zibanejad, who seem lost without him. Buchnevich is making things happen. Quinn must put them back together and stick Alexis Lafreniere back at his natural position of left wing with Kaapo Kakko and either Chytil or Howden.

I would try complement Phil Di Giuseppe with Strome and Panarin. He seems to make it happen and is noticeable at even strength. A good skater who’s unselfish and solid defensively, maybe that would be a better fit for that line. Similar to Jesper Fast last year. Or just try Kakko with them and see if it clicks. He’s been better.

I am not a big fan of moving Lafreniere around as much as Quinn is doing. I understand he wants to get the kid going. But line chemistry and consistency matter. It’s one critique of Quinn. He needs to show more patience. Give lines a chance to get. I feel similarly about the D pairs.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353501456062676992?s=19

Right now, Fox and rookie K’Andre Miller have been the best defensemen. Fox more so offensively while logging big minutes. Miller looking more well rounded due to his unique combination of size, speed and physicality. He really looks the part so far. I just wonder if maybe it would be better to have him work with Tony DeAngelo, who is being wasted with either Smith or Jack Johnson. Neither are the steady influence that Marc Staal was. Yes. They miss Staal. DeAngelo also is off the top power play with Fox replacing him. No issue with that. But if you signed him due to his big career year, then put him in a better position to succeed.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353523936986804224?s=19

Nothing makes sense right now for the Rangers. Not the lineup. Not the way most top players are performing. And definitely not Igor Shestyorkin, who had a heck of a time allowing two awful goals in a forgettable third period. He somehow fanned on an excuse me forehand knuckle puck from Jared McCann to let it go in to tie the game. Granted. It nicked off DeAngelo, but there’s literally no way that should go in. He lost concentration.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353530913905405953?s=09

Then, you had the Guentzel winner with over 90 seconds remaining in regulation. On a good forecheck from Crosby, he dropped the puck for Kris Letang who centered a pass for a Guentzel shot that went through Shestyorkin for the game decider. Yes. There was traffic. However, it was a clear shot that he saw and it went right between the pads. He hasn’t looked right since the injury that kept him out of those two Play In games before the Hurricanes smoked him.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353524203853647872?s=09

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353531146177552385?s=09

I don’t know if it’s a timing or confidence issue. Right now, he’s not the same goalie. I imagine they’ll go back to Alex Georgiev on Tuesday against the Sabres. If they can’t beat them or put together some big points over two games, then it might be panic time already.

Three Stars of the Game

3rd 🌟 Jake Guentzel, Pens (game-winning goal, +1 in 21:05)

2nd 🌟 Bryan Rust, Pens (breakaway goal, 3 SOG, +1 in 20:07)

1st 🌟 Sidney Crosby, Pens (two assists, +2 in 19:44)

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