Likely Final Game as A Ranger Leaves Mark for Kreider

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Derek

When the Rangers took on the Lightning on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, a familiar face was back on the same line with his closest friend.

For nearly a decade, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad have been inseparable. Ever since former Rangers team president and general manager Jeff Gorton acquired Zibanejad from the Senators for Derick Brassard on July 18, 2016, he’s spent most of his time playing with Kreider.

Whether it was at even strength, on the power play or penalty kill, No. 20 and No. 93 formed a dynamic duo for the Blueshirts. As far back as eight years ago, Kreider set up Zibanejad in overtime to beat the Canadiens in Game 5 of the first round on Apr. 20, 2017. The Rangers closed out the series two days later to advance to the second round.

A lot has changed since then. The only constant has been Kreider and Zibanejad. There have been plenty of moments where they delivered in the clutch. However, Kreider’s been a Ranger longer than anyone on the current roster. Ever since he joined them fresh out of Boston College that spring in 2012, he’s scored plenty of goals at key moments. Long before Zibanejad formed their partnership, there was a 21-year-old Kreider scoring five times during the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Following some struggles in 2012-13, Kreider went onto score 17 goals with 20 assists for 37 points as a rookie in 2013-14. He recorded his first career hat trick in a win over the Canucks on Nov. 30, 2013, which fittingly came against former coach John Tortorella. There would be bigger moments that season. He scored three goals and added five assists for eight points in the Rangers’ six-game series win over the Canadiens to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Ultimately, they lost to the Kings.

Who could ever forget Kreider’s game-tying goal against the Caps in Game 5 of the second round in 2014-15? Staring at playoff extinction, Kreider took a drop pass from Derek Stepan and beat Braden Holtby to tie the game with 1:41 left in regulation. The Rangers came back and won in overtime on a goal from Ryan McDonagh. Buoyed by a pair of Kreider goals, they went into Washington and took Game 6. Stepan scored in overtime of Game 7 to send the Rangers back to the Conference Finals.

Following a first round loss to the Pens the following season, Zibanejad replaced Brassard. Ironically, it was Brassard’s team that eliminated the Rangers in the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s four goals in Game 5 for the Senators turned out to be the end for an old core that included Stepan, McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Henrik Lundqvist, Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello. J.T. Miller was part of that roster. By the midpoint of the next season, both he and McDonagh were gone.

The Letter

When the organization decided to trade McDonagh, that signaled a shift in philosophy. On Feb. 8, 2018, The Letter was released to the fanbase revealing that the Rangers would rebuild. At the time, McDonagh was the captain of the team. That all changed when he was traded with Miller to the Lightning on Feb. 26, 2018. Nash would also get rerouted to Boston in a deal that netted Ryan Lindgren. The following season, Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes were subtracted. Kevin Shattenkirk was bought out during the summer of 2019.

While they reconstructed the roster through trades and the draft, Lundqvist was near the conclusion of his career. When Igor Shesterkin signed and came over from the KHL in 2019-20, he played so well that the writing was on the wall in the Covid abbreviated season. Lundqvist played his final game in the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round. By that point, Rangers Team President John Davidson helped them sign Artemi Panarin. Gorton also traded for future captain Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox. Those were the big moves that transformed the team back into a contender.

Kreider and Zibanejad were there for all of it. That included no playoffs from 2018 thru 2021. The conclusion of the 2020-21 season was the tipping point. The lack of a response to Tom Wilson beating up Panarin convinced Garden CEO James Dolan to make sweeping changes in the organization. Head coach David Quinn was fired and both Davidson and Gorton lost their jobs. Chris Drury took over as both team president and general manager. Gerard Gallant took over behind the bench.

Kreider Has Career Season

In 2021-22, under the guidance of Gallant, the Rangers emerged as one of the league’s best teams. During that campaign, Kreider had a career season. He posted career highs in goals (52) and points (77) while breaking Jaromir Jagr’s franchise record for power-play goals in a single season with 26, which led the NHL. His 11 game-winners also paced the league. He also led the Blueshirts with three shorthanded goals.

That postseason, the Rangers came back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Penguins in the first round. In their 5-3 win in Game 6 that forced a deciding seventh game, both Kreider and Zibanejad scored a pair of goals, including one each on the power play. With the game still tied late in the third period, Kreider scored the deciding goal from Zibanejad. Andrew Copp added an empty netter. In Game 7, Panarin’s power-play goal in sudden death sent them to the second round. Zibanejad forced overtime by scoring with 5:45 left in regulation.

In a second round battle against the Hurricanes, the home team won the first six games of the series. In Game 7, Kreider led the way with two goals as the Rangers eliminated the Hurricanes 6-2. Zibanejad picked up three assists.

Facing the Lightning in the Conference Finals, the Rangers held serve by taking the first two games. However, the defending champs picked themselves up off the mat by scoring three straight goals, including Ondrej Palat’s winner at 19:18 of the third period to take Game 3. That was the turning point. After they evened the series, Palat broke Ranger hearts by scoring with 1:50 remaining in Game 5, which the Lightning took 3-1. Steven Stamkos’ series clincher came with over six minutes left in Game 6.

Despite both Kreider and Zibanejad tying for the team lead in goals (10), the Rangers didn’t get the chance to play for the Stanley Cup. Kreider finished with 16 points during the run, which was the best of his postseason career. Zibanejad paced them with 24 points.

Laviolette Replaces Gallant with Early Success

Following a disappointing first round exit to the Devils a year later, several players voiced their displeasure with Gallant, leading to his dismissal. Peter Laviolette replaced Gallant behind the Rangers bench. A proven winner, he had some early success last season.

Under Laviolette, the Rangers finished with the league’s best record to win the Presidents’ Trophy – setting franchise marks in both wins (55) and points (114). Kreider put together another productive season by notching 39 goals and tallying a career-high 36 assists for 75 points. His seven game-winners and 18 power-play goals led the team.

Panarin exploded with his best season – finishing with career bests in goals (49), assists (71), and points (120). The biggest difference was that both Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck produced like stars to form a potent top line. The Rangers were able to lean heavily on strong special teams, with the third ranked power play carrying them.

Even though Zibanejad and Kreider started to show signs of slowing down at five-on-five, the Rangers made it all the way to the Conference Finals for the second time in three years.

Kreider’s Natural Hat Trick Propels Blueshirts

After jumping out to a 3-0 series lead against the Hurricanes in the second round, the Rangers had trouble finishing them off. After the Hurricanes eeked out a one-goal win to take Game 4, they erupted for four goals in the third period to take Game 5. Clearly with the momentum, the unthinkable started to look possible.

When the Canes got the first two goals of Game 6, it really felt like they’d have a shot at making history. Even when Trocheck cut the deficit in half, Sebastian Aho answered to restore a two-goal lead headed to the third period.

At that critical point, the Rangers had been severely outplayed. It was the goaltending of Shesterkin that gave them a chance at a comeback. When they got back into the locker room, a confident Kreider felt that he had some goals in his stick. That turned out to be prophetic.

With things looking bleak, Kreider went out and led by example when his team needed it most. On a play in transition, Zibanejad wisely threw the puck into Frederik Andersen’s pads from behind the net. Before he could freeze it, Kreider was able to get a backhand that squeezed through Andersen to cut it to 3-2.

Still trailing by one, the Rangers needed something on the power play, which had cooled off considerably. Shut down by the Canes since Game 2, a familiar hero emerged. On some excellent puck movement, Panarin fired a shot pass that Kreider tipped in to tie the score with 8:06 remaining. He’s always been a master at getting his stick on shots and deflecting it home. He’s made a career out of it.

With the crowd still buzzing due to the Ranger fans who attended, Kreider wasn’t done. On a play started by Jack Roslovic, he moved the puck for Lindgren who went around the net and sent a perfect pass in front for Kreider to put home to give the Rangers a 4-3 lead with 4:19 left in regulation. Kreider’s natural hat trick propelled the Blueshirts to the Eastern Conference Finals.

An empty netter from Barclay Goodrow sealed a dramatic come from behind 5-3 win to take Game 6 and eliminate the Canes.

Clawed By the Cats

In the Conference Finals, the Rangers responded to a Game 1 loss by taking the next two games in overtime. But unlike the script for Games 2 and 3, the Panthers turned the tables by taking Game 4 in sudden death.

A fantastic effort from Kreider turned in a shorthanded goal that put the Rangers in front early in Game 5. His partner in crime, Zibanejad picked up the only assist. It was a sweet finish from Kreider, who became a weapon on the penalty kill.

However, three consecutive goals from the Panthers put them in the driver’s seat. Following a Sam Bennett empty netter, Kreider and Zibanejad combined to set up Lafreniere for a goal that cut it to one with 50 seconds remaining. They weren’t able to force overtime.

Goals from Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko proved to be too much along with the stingy Panthers defense. Had it not been for the brilliance of Shesterkin, the Rangers would have gone down easier. With him on the bench, Panarin got his first of the series to cut it to 2-1 with 1:40 remaining. That was as close as they came.

When the series was over, the trio of Kreider, Zibanejad, and Panarin came under criticism for not being able to score in the series. Kreider was held to a goal and assist. Zibanejad was held without a goal and two assists. Panarin was limited to a goal and three assists. The Rangers’ best forwards were Trocheck, Lafreniere, and Goodrow.

Ultimately, the Rangers were clawed by the Cats. They were the better team and proved it by dominating most of the play. The Panthers went on to win their first Stanley Cup.

Drury’s Memo Ruins Season

As has been well documented in many posts in this space, and from excellent reporters who cover the team, such as Mollie Walker of the NY Post and Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports, Drury has been responsible for most of the Rangers’ demise.

While the way he got rid of Goodrow, who was popular in the room, didn’t sit well with teammates, it was the way he handled both Trouba and Kreider that really destroyed the team. After an unsuccessful attempt to trade Trouba last summer, an impatient Drury sent out a memo to 31 teams that made both the Rangers captain and Kreider available. Something that should’ve been handled internally became public, fracturing the locker room.

Following a 12-4-1 start, the Rangers were never the same. They went 4-13 following the ill-fated memo. Drury’s memo ruined the season.

Not only did it hurt two locker room leaders who were a big part of two successful seasons, but it really messed up the chemistry. Say what you want about how both Kreider and Trouba performed. From a psychological standpoint, it had to be weighing on their minds. The team broke down and never recovered.

A long winter followed in a season of discontent. How bad was it for Kreider? He stopped making himself available following games in the locker room. Similar to Trouba, who eventually accepted a trade to Anaheim, he looked disinterested at times. Aside from the unnecessary off ice distraction, an achy back caused him to miss some games. Even when he returned, you never got the sense that he was ever fully healthy.

Perhaps that helps explain why Kreider accepted Laviolette’s demotion to the fourth line. Combined with the reacquisition of Miller, he lost his spot on the top power play unit. By that point, the once vaunted power play sunk faster the Titanic. The Rangers went from third in 2023-24 to 28th in 2024-25. Nothing worked. They also became so bad that during one critical stretch, they gave up more shorthanded goals than scoring on the power play. It became a disadvantage by the end of season.

Kreider Ties Camille Henry

Entering the season, it looked like a certainty that Kreider would pass Camille Henry for the most power-play goals in franchise history. Before the new calendar year, he scored the 115th PPG of his career versus the Panthers on Dec. 30.

It took Kreider almost two months to tie Henry. On Feb. 22, he scored his sixth power-play goal of the season in the second period versus the Sabres. Unfortunately, the Rangers were blown out 8-2 in Buffalo. Ironically, Zibanejad also scored in the same game. Despite tying Henry for the most power-play goals (116) in Rangers history, an injury cost Kreider the next seven games.

When he returned following the trade deadline, he was never the same. Whatever ailed him affected his play. He went long stretches without scoring. Eventually, he saw his ice time cut at even strength. He wasn’t featured as much on the power play. That more than anything is why Kreider never set a new franchise record.

Going Out the Right Way

Even though his role diminished, Laviolette made sure that Kreider would take one more regular shift with Zibanejad in the Rangers’ final game of the season. Two days after recording two assists for the only time in 2024-25, he went out the right way.

With the Rangers facing the Lightning on Apr. 17, they led 1-0 on a Trocheck shorthanded goal through two periods. Just over four minutes into the third period, a Zibanejad pass came to Kreider, who had his first attempt come back to him. The second one was a rocket that hit inside the goal and came out quickly. There was a bit of confusion from both refs. However, they correctly blew the whistle to review the play.

Even legendary Rangers announcer Sam Rosen hesitated when calling Kreider’s shot a goal. Of course, the video review confirmed that Kreider had scored the 326th goal of his career. All have come as a New York Ranger. If it was his final game as a Blueshirt, he finished in style by also setting up Zibanejad for his 20th goal.

When he got back to the bench, Kreider sat there very quietly next to his teammates. He hasn’t shown much emotion this season. After he scored his 22nd of the season, Will Cuylle grabbed the puck for him. One of the few bright spots in a lost season, Cuylle registered the first 20-goal season of his young career. A gritty player who also doubles on the penalty kill, Cuylle could become a possible replacement for Kreider. He picked up an assist on the goal.

Following the game, all the players stayed out for Blueshirts off their backs to lucky fans on the Garden ice. That included Kreider, who spent a lot of time out there before exiting. The game’s third star was well received by the appreciative fans who attended. He’s meant a lot to the team for over a decade. He has been part of five teams that reached the Final Four. That included the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014.

The franchise’s third all-time goal scorer is probably going to move on in the off-season. With two years remaining on a contract with a fair $6.5 million cap hit, Kreider has a partial no-trade clause. He will celebrate his 34th birthday on April 30. By the summer, he could have a new team.

Where Kreider Ranks

If it is over for him in the Big Apple, Kreider ranks third on the all-time Rangers franchise list in goals with 326 – trailing Hall of Famers Jean Ratelle (336) and Rod Gilbert (406). Here’s where he ranks in other categories.

Games Played 883 (8th)

Points 582 (10th)

Plus/Minus 121 (6th)

Even Strength Goals 197 (4th)

Shorthanded Goals 13 (4th)

Game-Winning Goals 50 (2nd)

Shots 2160 (5th)

Hat Tricks 7* (Tied for 2nd)

*Including playoffs

Whatever the future holds, Kreider has always been a good Ranger. He’s carried himself well on and off the ice. It might be over for him in New York City. But he deserves to be recognized when he returns. Even if his number isn’t retired by the franchise, expect the Rangers to pay tribute to Kreider in the future.

No. 20 will always hold a special place in this fan’s heart. Good luck, Kreids!

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Finally, the Rangers’ season is over

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Derek

This team was very hard to write about. As difficult as they were to watch, I found it much more challenging to put my thoughts together.

The 2024-25 New York Rangers will go down as one of the biggest failures in franchise history. From the GM and coach down to the players, everyone is to blame for this mess. Mess is the operative word when it comes to describing the Rangers, who went from one of the league’s best teams to one of the most dysfunctional.

From the very beginning last summer, Chris Drury drove a stake through the heart of a team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. He unceremoniously dumped Barclay Goodrow in a prearranged waiver deal with buddy Mike Grier to the Sharks, who were on his 16-team no-trade list. That move left a bitter taste during the summer.

Then, came the leak of trying to force captain Jacob Trouba to accept a trade to the Red Wings. He wasn’t willing to go, making the situation untenable during the first part of the season.

Despite having a good record, the Rangers weren’t playing well defensively. They relied mostly on Igor Shesterkin to carry them to victories. He and Jonathan Quick provided the big saves early. Eventually, they fell victim to all the defensive breakdowns in coverage.

There was the ill-fated memo to the rest of the league that made it public that both Trouba and Chris Kreider were available. That was a public relations disaster that only further divided the locker room. Eventually, Drury forced Trouba to accept a trade to Anaheim by threatening to put him on waivers. It really was a cold way to do business and treat a well-respected locker room leader. Drury didn’t care enough about how bad the optics were.

While Kreider was dealing with a back injury, he clearly wasn’t the same player. There’s no question that memo really affected his play. The longest tenured Blueshirt was treated like crap. Considering how he was used down the stretch by Peter Laviolette, it was almost as if they were deliberately trying to sabotage the third highest goal scorer in franchise history.

After becoming a healthy scratch for a game, Kaapo Kakko lashed out at Laviolette through the media by accurately pointing out that it’s always a young player who is used as the scapegoat. He signed his walking papers. Kakko was dealt to Seattle for Will Borgen and picks. He played more freely with the Kraken finishing with 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 49 games.

Although Borgen came over and formed a solid partnership with K’Andre Miller, his game fell off after signing a five-year contract extension. Speaking of which, maybe Drury shouldn’t hand out extensions. Alexis Lafreniere all but disappeared after getting one for the next season. He was so unproductive and at times looked completely checked out. It was a lost season for the failed 2020 top pick.

Drury also made Shesterkin the league’s highest paid goalie. Starting next season, he’ll have a cap hit of $11.5 million. While the consensus is that he’s a top three goalie, his play has become inconsistent. He doesn’t always make the stops you come to expect. Part of the reason is that assistant Phil Housley’s defensive system fell apart in Laviolette’s second year. There were so many blown assignments, with even Adam Fox starting to question the system. Laviolette never considered adjusting from man-to-man to zone to help the team.

There were so many bad losses that it became hard to keep track. When they got blown out by the Sabres on home ice, that was a sign of things to come. There was the awful defense in a high scoring loss to the Kraken. Checking was optional. The Devils’ humiliation before Christmas. Losing to the Blackhawks at MSG was also mind-numbing. They even were shut out by the lowly Predators.

I could easily list more brutal defeats in the second half, with quite a few blown third period leads. Those were the valuable points they left on the table that cost them the playoffs. The ironic part is that I concluded they weren’t making it as far back as the first week of December. The chemistry had fallen apart, and the team structure was nowhere to be found. Players clearly tuned out Laviolette, who kept making changes to the lineup, which led to no cohesion. It was the complete opposite of last year.

Few players performed up to expectations. Mika Zibanejad struggled to score goals and fell off dramatically defensively. Vincent Trocheck wasn’t as consistent despite playing mostly with Artemi Panarin, and Lafreniere’s season long slump eventually led to him being taken off the scoring line. When they were together, they were getting scored on frequently. The magic from 2023-24 wasn’t there.

Zibanejad and Kreider struggled mightily at five-on-five. Kreider hardly produced with his play tailing off. He still wound up tying Camille Henry for the most power-play goals in franchise history. But he was eventually removed from the top unit. Something nobody could’ve ever predicted. Kreider also scored four times shorthanded to give him 13 for his career. Even in a down year that saw him wind up with 22 goals and only eight assists, he ranked third on the team in goals and power-play goals, and his six game-winners ranked second behind Trocheck.

If last night was the end of his career as a Ranger, Kreider made sure to go out the right way by scoring his 326th goal and assisting on a Zibanejad tally in a 4-0 win over the Lightning. Most notably, they won in Sam Rosen’s final game of his brilliant career calling Rangers games. It was nice to see Kreider and Zibanejad combine for one more goal. Zibanejad scored twice to reach 20 goals for the season.

J.T. Miller was a positive after coming over from Vancouver for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a top 13 protected first round pick in either 2025 or 2026. He averaged over a point-per-game after Drury acquired him from the Canucks. Miller was the driving force behind an abbreviated Rangers revival that even saw them get back into the wild card. However, it was short-lived due to the team’s inconsistency. They never won three in a row after Nov. 14-19. Even Miller couldn’t save the season.

If there was a move that never worked out, it was the trade for Carson Soucy. Once he arrived, that spelled the end for Calvin de Haan, who in a brief cameo looked good with Zac Jones. The team went 2-0-1 before de Haan came out of the lineup for good. It was a puzzling decision that never made sense. Eventually, de Haan voiced his displeasure to reporters who cover the team. He showed plenty of class by getting out in front of it on Twitter/X. Most fans were in agreement with de Haan about how he was handled. It never was fair.

Jones also went public in February after falling out of favor. He was out of the lineup for an extended period. You could understand the frustration. He probably thought he’d be a regular in the lineup for most of the season. That’s not how it played out. Instead, Urho Vaakanainen replaced him and was mostly used with Braden Schneider. Vaakanainen contributed offensively but had issues defensively. He’s signed for another year. Jones is a restricted free agent. It doesn’t look like he’s in their plans.

Aside from all of the distractions, there was Laviolette’s reluctance to play Gabriel Perreault after he signed his entry-level contract. With the Rangers playing out the string, there was no reason he shouldn’t have played more. It didn’t make sense to sit both Perreault and Brennan Othmann for three games in the hope of some miracle. It was an insult to the fans. Laviolette went down by sticking to his mantra that got him fired in Washington. He favored veterans over kids. Clearly, that philosophy needs to change for the organization moving forward.

At the very least, they sent Rosen out the right way. He deserved all the attention he received. That included Zibanejad gifting him the stick from the five-goal game he scored against the Caps on Mar. 5, 2020. It was a memorable night that still ranks as my favorite moment from all the regular seaaon games I’ve attended. Maybe it was fate that he did it against Alex Ovechkin, who became the greatest goal scorer in NHL history. It was a great game.

There’s so much more to say about Rosen, who was selected as the game’s first star last night. He got a standing ovation during a TV timeout with his partner Joe Micheletti, leading the applause up in the booth. Rosen passed the baton to Kenny Albert, who deservedly will take over. He’s been calling games on the radio for three decades. He’s the perfect replacement. Albert also serves as the lead broadcaster for the NHL on TNT. They have the Stanley Cup Finals this year.

There’s so much more to say. I deliberately left out the Panarin nonsense because it doesn’t belong in this post. That’ll be addressed separately. I also will have more on Kreider, who clearly is going to be gone. What a mess.

It’s going to be a long off-season.

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Devils begin postseason this weekend with a cloud of uncertainty

Posted on April 17, 2025 by hasan4978

In my recap of Devils-Canes playoff history I pretty well glossed over the most recent of the series, and the only one where a majority of the players were involved with – the second-round matchup two years ago. With good reason obviously since the Devils quickly and quietly got drubbed in five games. That’s the only way you can really describe a series where you lose three blowouts and were never realistically in the series apart from winning Game 3 to give themselves a chance to even the series at home, but a 6-1 pasting was unfortunately the last time they were on home ice in one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history.

I’m not going to say 2022-23 was the most successful regular season even though they set records for wins and points – in part because they didn’t win a division, plus the 3-on-3 OT and shootout wasn’t a thing in 2001 when the most talented Devils team of all time had a 111-point season, one shy of the total two years ago. Of course a lot of time has passed since then, for both teams. Our future doesn’t look quite as rosy as it did in the wake of that series defeat, even if they seemingly have better talent at key positions. But I’ll get to the team inquest when and if they have the quick playoff exit I fear. For now I guess we’ll just look at this year’s matchup.

As much as I’ve complained about the Devils struggles it’s not like the Hurricanes are hot going into the playoffs either, finishing the season at 1-5-1 in their last seven games. Of course most of those losses came when their playoff seeding went from highly likely to mortal lock so I don’t really take that with the same meaning as I do the Devils going 17-19-4 over a forty game stretch (which doesn’t even include the 1-3 to end the season once the Devils were also locked into the third seed). We haven’t had longer than a three game winning streak this season, to be honest it’s kind of amazing the Devils were largely not threatened in terms of making the playoffs from about November on despite that long stretch of mediocrity.

Still, I don’t want to hear the complaining from certain fanbases and media markets such as ‘oh, what a shame Calgary missed the playoffs with 94 points while we had an automatic division berth with 91, the worst point total of any playoff team’…well yeah of course the West playoff teams are going to have higher point totals – all the truly dross teams are in the West! San Jose (52 points), Chicago (61) and even Nashville (68) all had significantly worse point totals than the East’s worst teams with the Bruins and Flyers both on 76 points. The fact the worst team in the East has 76 points is itself an indicator of parity – not to mention the OT and SO loser points goosing the total a bit. You play an 82 game season to determine the best team over seven months, as much as I’ve complained about the second half of the year, the first half counts too, at least going into the playoffs.

As I’m typing, the first round schedule has come out so might as well post that here…an Easter Sunday afternoon start isn’t exactly ideal but I guess this is one time I’m glad a series is starting on the road, hah

Of course, starting in Carolina isn’t exactly ideal for the team itself given our sordid playoff history down in Raleigh but I’ve already gone over that in a previous blog. It’s kind of hard to get a true read on either team this year given the major changes that have happened over the last few months, us due to injury and them due to the Mikko Rantanen trade(s). One playoff story that’s been undersold – at least till this point – is the fact we have at least three former Canes on the roster now including Erik Haula, and more recently Stefan Noesen and Brett Pesce, both of whom were on the 2023 team that beat us up in the second round. I guess it can’t hurt having so many players who’ve been a part of that team and that system when you’re trying to play a seven-game series with them.

Conversely the most famous ex-Devil who’s in Carolina now is a more distant figure of the past in Taylor Hall. While he’s 33 years old now and certainly not as dynamic or effective as he was during his 2017-18 MVP season with us, you know he’ll want to turn back the clock and impress, just like our former Canes will try to do the same. I doubt any of those players wind up deciding the series in the end, but in a two week span, anything can happen after all.

What’s more likely to decide the series is goaltending. All year long I erroneously have heard that ‘at least the Devils will have the advantage in net’ when fans were looking ahead to the Carolina matchup…but will we really? With Freddie Anderson back healthy for Carolina, they’ve stabilized in net – even after struggling in his last three games (all dead rubbers) his GAA is a more than respectable 2.29 with a .907 save percentage in 21 starts. His issue is generally health rather than talent, as evidenced by the fact he’s played in just 72 games over the last three seasons. Of course, we’ve seen how good a healthy Andersen can be two years ago in the playoffs.

After it seemed like Jacob Markstrom had found his game a couple weeks ago, he lost it again with a horrible performance against Boston just before we’d officially clinched a playoff spot. At least his last game before the playoffs was a 1-0 loss – but being that was a dead rubber game I didn’t watch, so I can only assume he played well enough by the scoreline. Wisely, the Devils rested the 35-year old Markstrom (and his still questionable lower body injury) in the last two games before the postseason…but given that the playoffs start on Sunday hopefully a week off won’t be too much rust. While 1B goalie Jake Allen has played better than Markstrom for much of the season, he struggled a bit down the stretch. I still think he gets the call if Markstrom struggles early much like Akira Schmid two years ago, but it’s more likely than not that the series comes down to one of the two 35-year old starters in net.

Defensively the edge is pretty close to even, at least in terms of defending with the Devils having allowed 222 goals this season and Carolina 226 (with one game to play), and those totals are with Carolina playing the shaky Pyotr Kochetkov in net for 47 games. Where Carolina’s defenders have the edge is in helping the offense and the transition game. For us, Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton both have 40+ points despite missing double digit games, but nobody else on the blueline has more than 22…and Brian Dumoulin had most of those in Anaheim. While Carolina only had one 40-point scorer on D in Shayne Gostisbehere, they also have three other blueliners in the high 20’s. While the additions of guys like Pesce and Brendan Dillon have certainly improved our defending, our transition game has suffered a bit going older and slower on the blueline. Against a quick, counterattacking team like Carolina hopefully it won’t come back to bite us.

Up front, the story will be about who’s not there for both teams. In Carolina’s case, they likely aren’t as explosive now after initially trading Martin Necas in a deal for Mikko Rantanen, then after it became obvious Rantanen wouldn’t resign there, flipping him off for futures at the deadline. While the latter deal improved the team chemistry seemingly (and gave them back forwards Hall and young Logan Stankoven), you’d still like to have either of the first-line forwards in a playoff situation.

Still, Carolina scored nineteen more goals than we’ve had this season with one game still left to play for them and if they’re missing a top line forward from Opening Night, then so are we with Jack. Top-line production is pretty thin on both sides with them having two players above sixty points (Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis), then a big dropoff to the #3 scorer Andrei Svechnikov with 46 points. We have Bratt with 88 points, Nico with 70 and Timo Meier with 53, including 26 goals so maybe we have slightly more top line production on paper but those guys have to play like it in the playoffs, unlike two years ago when none really did in spite of our series win against the Rangers.

After Timo, the scoring drops off pretty quickly with Noesen’s 41 points being good enough for third among active forwards, just ahead of the disappointing Dawson Mercer with 36. Big-game performer Ondrej Palat only had 28 points despite playing a lot of top six minutes this season, can we really count on him or Noesen to lead the way? As much as I think both can contribute, we’re gonna need the big guns to score big goals at some point. Obviously the same is true for Carolina, but given their playoff history and the fact their offense has been slightly better than ours, you still have to give them the edge up front until the big guns show up in big games.

Special teams might be the one clear edge I can see, at least the power play which was third in the NHL with a 28.2 conversion percentage compared to Carolina’s 26th rated power play at 18.5 percent. On the PK, both teams rank 1 and 2 respectively so you’d hope ours would be able to shut down their power play for the most part. If that doesn’t happen, or if their PK finds a way to shut us down then it could be problematic. I can’t give us a coaching edge either, as much as I like Sheldon Keefe at best it’s a wash between him and Rod Brind’Amour, who almost always gets the most out of his team when the chips are down while Keefe really hasn’t in the second half of this season.

Basically doing this preview pretty much confirmed my initial bias to begin with, or doomerism as an apologist fan might view it. I can’t see a clear edge for us apart from comparing power plays, and certainly historically we haven’t matched up well with this team. Despite Carolina’s bad form once they clinched, we’ve had longer mired in mediocrity since the new year. I’d love to be wrong but in spite of Carolina not looking quite the same themselves as they have been the last couple years, this series screams five games at best, basically a rerun of 2023 only likely without as many goals given up and closer games. Win one of the first two and it can be a long series. If that doesn’t happen then you’re likely looking at a rerun of 2018 against Tampa, or 2023’s Carolina series where we’re playing not to be swept as opposed to playing to win.

It’s now show-me time for a lot of these players after a disappointing 1.5 seasons following the 2023 playoffs, show me why I should believe again in you guys. I don’t want to hear about Jack being out, or even the refs not calling stuff…it’s time to find a way to beat this team. Especially with them being a clear favorite for once in a matchup with us. And while they do have an edge or are even with us in almost every area, it’s not by a wide enough margin where great individual performances (or slumps) can’t stem the tide. But for that to happen, this team needs to show the spirit and fire they’ve largely lacked over the last two seasons.

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De Haan Voices His Displeasure, Robertson to debut for Rangers

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Derek

There are two games left in the Rangers season. With that in mind, Peter Laviolette announced that Matthew Robertson will make his NHL debut when the Rangers take on the Panthers in the sunshine state on Monday.

A 2019 second round pick, Robertson is in his fourth pro season with the Hartford Wolf Pack. In 60 games, he has a goal and 24 assists for 25 points with 55 penalty minutes and a minus-5 rating. His 24 assists and 25 points pace all Wolf Pack defensemen. He’s been recalled before but never gotten into a game for the Rangers. That’ll finally change later tonight.

Braden Schneider won’t play in the final two games. He’s been playing through an upper-body injury this season. That might explain some of the inconsistency he had in his fourth season. He still established new career bests in goals (6), assists (15), and points (21) while finishing with a plus-9 rating on a bad team. According to Rangers beat writer Mollie Walker of the NY Post, he should be ready for the start of next season.

De Haan Vents Frustration to Reporters

Speaking of Walker, she’s been quite busy the past 24 hours. She broke the story on Sunday that Calvin de Haan wasn’t happy with how he’s been treated by the Rangers. A well-respected veteran defenseman, the 33-year-old de Haan approached beat writers before yesterday’s practice and vented some frustration over how he’s been handled.

Since playing in three games, which the Rangers went 2-0-1 in, he hasn’t played in another one. That included consecutive 4-0 shutouts over the Predators and Islanders on Mar. 2-3. The Rangers lost 3-2 to the Caps at home in overtime on Mar. 5. It never made any sense why de Haan came out of the lineup. He was much better than Carson Soucy, who hasn’t distinguished himself since Chris Drury acquired him at the trade deadline. I never understood the rationale behind the move. It felt like overkill for a player who’s in decline.

To his credit, de Haan got out in front of it. After being asked by the Rangers PR not to talk about it, he decided that he’d wait until the season concluded. However, he made a well thought out post on Twitter/X expressing how he felt about the situation. It was very classy.

“I was hoping that I would have been able to express in a scrum setting versus a quote as I was going onto the ice and having it on the Internet 30 seconds later. I said what I said because I am frustrated , and any competitor who says that they would be happy in this position would be lying to you. After playing 3 games for the team and going 2-0-1 , I thought I maybe would have got an opportunity to jump into the lineup and help win some games.

Did I help win those games I played, maybe? Maybe not? But we still won and collected some crucial points to climb the standings. I understand the youth movement in the nhl, and I’m getting older in hockey years and I may not play every single night. I feel like I can still contribute and help teams win. I know I’m not going to play 20 minutes a night in the role I’ve been in the past few years , but again I feel like I can still keep up and help a team in certain facets of the game.

I’m not trying to be the villain or gain attention or throw shade on the organization , I would have preferred a scrum setting to chat about how my time with the rangers has gone. As a player you have to respect the lineup decisions whether you like them or not, it’s just been frustrating not being able to compete and do what I love to do. I hope everyone understands.”

What de Haan said is exactly how most of us have felt watching this team. Many fans have questioned why he remained out of the lineup. It has been a very frustrating and long year.

Things have been so badly handled by Drury and the organization. It’s almost as if they are oblivious to how things look. De Haan became the sixth player to voice his displeasure. You could go all the way back to Barclay Goodrow last summer in that ridiculous waiver deal Drury set up with Mike Grier to send him to San Jose, who was on his 16-team no-trade list.

That set the wheels in motion for the toxic environment at MSG. Jacob Trouba had to have his name muddied due to both the leak to NY Post columnist Larry Brooks and then the mistimed league memo that made both him and Chris Kreider available. There was Kaapo Kakko showing his frustration over coming out of the lineup. He was justified in pointing out that it’s always a younger roster player over a veteran. Zac Jones then spoke out about not being used. Now, de Haan came clean.

How many players feel this way about the organization? It’s become a serious issue. Is it as simple as James Dolan is back in control of the operation? Since Glen Sather retired, things have taken a turn for the worse. The Rangers have gone from one of the most respected teams to a circus very quickly.

I’m sure more will come out after they play their final game.

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Rangers’ Season Finally Goes Up in Flames

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Derek

It’s finally over.

The Rangers were officially eliminated from the playoffs in a 7-3 loss to the Hurricanes in Raleigh yesterday. Now, a long off-season that promises to be filled with changes awaits.

For months, it was painfully obvious that they weren’t a playoff team. There were too many issues that boiled to the surface to ruin the season. Somehow, they became unwatchable a year removed from having the league’s best record and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

In doing so, the Rangers became only the fourth team to go from winning the Presidents’ Trophy to missing the postseason the next season. They joined the 1992-93 New York Rangers, 2007-08 Buffalo Sabres, and 2014-15 Boston Bruins to make the wrong kind of history.

Considering how awful they were since late November, it’s a relief that there won’t be any more games after this Thursday. Fans who supported the team were sick of watching them. They became my least favorite team. Even the teams from the Dark Ages (1997-98 – 2003-04) were more interesting to watch. As bad as that era was, they didn’t look disinterested. This team looked like it couldn’t wait for the season to end.

The saddest part is that there are two games left for Sam Rosen to call. As much as he hoped he could drag them to the playoffs, they embarrassed the jersey instead.

Where did it all go wrong? Was it the way Chris Drury handled Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba last summer? After Goodrow was unceremoniously dumped in a waiver move to the Sharks, who were on his no-trade list, Drury failed to trade Trouba to the Red Wings.

Perhaps it was when Drury sent a memo out to the rest of the league that both Trouba and Chris Kreider were available. What followed was a futile 4-15 stretch that they never recovered from. There were so many bad losses. They looked like they didn’t care. By the end of 2024, Trouba was gone. He accepted a deal to Anaheim on Dec. 6. On a conference call, he admitted that the way the off-season was handled became a distraction.

There was also the way Kaapo Kakko was handled by Peter Laviolette. After a good start, he saw his role decrease. When he was made a healthy scratch, Kakko voiced his displeasure. That led to him being traded to Seattle on Dec. 18.

When Zac Jones hardly played for nearly six weeks, he went public as well. A restricted free agent with arbitration rights after the season, his days are numbered. He probably can’t wait to find a new team.

Even the way Gabriel Perreault and Brennan Othmann have been handled hasn’t made sense. Since signing his entry-level contract, Perreault has only played three games. At least he will get into the final two. Othmann has shown some capability. But he still hasn’t scored a goal. Why is it so hard for the Rangers to play their first round picks consistent minutes? All of this needs to change next season.

For Chris Kreider, he might have played his last game as a Ranger. He hasn’t looked right most of the season. He missed some time due to two different injuries. He went from scoring 39 goals and recording a career best 36 assists last season to having 21 goals and just five assists in 66 games this season. For a while, he’s had his ice time reduced while playing with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe on the fourth line. Kreider has still been featured on the power play and penalty kill. With nothing left to play for, he could sit out the final two remaining games.

Is there any reason for Adam Fox to play? Ever since he absorbed a knee on knee hit from Sebastian Aho last year, he hasn’t been the same player. Ironically enough, he took another one from current teammate Nicholas Aube-Kubel in the first round against the Caps. Fox has still paced all Rangers defensemen in scoring with 61 points (10-51-61). But he looks compromised. He probably needs to have surgery.

Mika Zibanejad has played in every game. Despite struggling to score goals and rapidly declining defensively, he’s never been made an example of. It isn’t about questioning his effort. However, why has he escaped any discipline? What’s become clear is that he’s more effective playing the right side over playing center. Either way, he’s overpaid. What does the future hold for a player with a full no-movement clause? Would he be willing to waive it for a fresh start elsewhere? Or are they stuck with him?

On Saturday, the Rangers lost 7-3 to the Hurricanes who swept the season series by outscoring them 18-7. In a way, they got a measure of revenge for getting eliminated in the second round. They’ll take on the Devils in the first round while the Rangers book tee times.

After starting out by testing Pyotr Kochetkov with some good shots, the Rangers fell apart again. Once Jalen Chatfield got the Hurricanes on the board with a shot from long distance, the Rangers were dominated for the remainder of the first period.

With Vincent Trocheck in pain during a defensive shift, Sebastian Aho took advantage by finding Seth Jarvis alone in front to make it 2-0. Both Braden Schneider and Urho Vaakanainen chased Aho behind the net, which allowed Jarvis to easily score his 32nd with 2:14 remaining.

Aho forced a turnover that led to the Canes’ third goal just over two minutes into the second period. He took the puck away from K’Andre Miller to keep a forecheck alive. Eventually, Jackson Blake had his centering pass bank off Jarvis right to him for his 17th. On the play, Zibanejad got caught napping when Blake came around the net and put in the loose puck to make it 3-0.

After Artemi Panarin came close to cutting the deficit to two, with his shot hitting the crossbar, another strong shift from the Hurricanes resulted in Mark Jankowski putting them ahead 4-0. The Canes’ fourth line cycled the puck down low. Tyson Jost worked the puck to William Carrier, who then centered it for an easy Jankowski finish. Sam Carrick got caught out of position on the goal.

If there was a bright spot on a forgettable day, Will Cuylle got his 20th with 15.5 seconds left in the period. On a play created by J.T. Miller, Cuylle picked up a loose puck at the blue line and beat Kochetkov with a low shot from the left circle to make it 4-1 headed to the locker room.

A great solo effort from Jordan Staal restored the four-goal led for the Hurricanes less than four minutes into the third period. Following a takeaway inside his own blue line, Staal blew past Schneider and then beat Shesterkin upstairs to make it 5-1. Schneider took the wrong angle and was beaten badly by Staal, who got his 13th unassisted. Shesterkin didn’t play the shot well. He crouched down and bit on the fake leaving the top of the net open for Staal to pick.

It felt like the game was over. But a Miller power-play goal cut it to 5-2. Following a faceoff win, Trocheck made a nice one touch pass for Miller to blast past Kochetkov for his 21st. It was his 12th goal since coming over from Vancouver. In 30 games, he has 32 points.

Less than three minutes later, Fox took a nice Panarin feed down low and scored his 10th on a backhand to suddenly cut it to 5-3 with 10:58 remaining. It was a brilliant pass from Panarin, who is one point shy of reaching 90 points for the fourth consecutive year. Since joining the Rangers, he’s posted four seasons of 90 points or more. The only season he didn’t do it in was the Covid abbreviated one in 2020-21 when he recorded 58 points in 42 games.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour made a puzzling decision to challenge the goal for goaltender interference. On the goal, Trocheck’s skates came together with Sean Walker who bumped into Kochetkov. Replays on ABC showed that it was incidental and wasn’t goaltender interference. The amount of time Brind’Amour took before challenging was too long. The league needs to reevaluate how long coaches should have to challenge a call. There should be a 90-second window.

Despite getting a power play out of it, the Rangers were unable to capitalize. That was their last gasp.

Laviolette made the curious decision to pull Shesterkin early. Despite his team continuing to attack the Hurricanes and get chances, he went for a six-on-five with over three and a half minutes remaining. Ryan Callahan was proven correct in his assertion that he wouldn’t have lifted Shesterkin so early.

A Fox pass to Kreider saw Staal aggressively force Kreider into a turnover in the neutral zone. The puck went right to Jordan Martinook who hit the empty net to make it 6-3 with 3:33 remaining. A frustrated Fox slammed the puck into the boards. Logan Stankoven added another empty netter.

The season was over. The look on his face summed it up. It’s been that kind of year. The most disappointing since 1992-93. Save the comparisons. That team didn’t need to make many changes to the roster. They had a captain. Listening to Mark Messier on an intermission segment criticize the Rangers spoke volumes. They don’t have a captain. Who is their leader? Is it Trocheck or Miller? Those are the only two candidates.

One thing that is obvious is that Laviolette will not be back. Judging from his body language on the bench, he looks like he needs a vacation. He’s never coached a team that tuned him out in the second year. As Mollie Walker highlighted in her excellent piece in the NY Post on Sunday, there’s been a serious disconnect between the coach and players.

Leah Hextall reported on ESPN that the Rangers bench was “church-like” during the game and Laviolette hadn’t said more than two words.

That checks out, considering the writing has essentially been on the wall for the second-year coach since December.

“Even tonight, we didn’t do the right things well enough to be successful,” Laviolette said. “We give up three goals point blank in front of our net. Can’t happen. It’s been pretty consistent all year, we just haven’t played well enough to win hockey games. That’s what makes it frustrating and disappointing.

“I believe that this team is good enough to win hockey games, good enough to play in the playoffs, but we’re not in it. That’s the reality of it. We didn’t do the right things. We didn’t do them enough.”

The Rangers have been a fundamentally flawed team all season. Even when they were winning games to at one point to start 12-4-1, both Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick were bailing them out. There were too many mistakes made in coverage and not enough backchecking. They were careless by turning over pucks and not always hustling back.

The defensive system assistant coach Phil Housley had broken down. Eventually, so too did the goalies. The power play became abominable, going from ranked in the top three to near the bottom a year later. Even the penalty kill deteriorated recently, falling out of the top 10 despite having a league-leading 16 shorthanded goals.

In short, they fell apart. On a Masters Sunday, it’s appropriate that there’s golf on. That’s where they’re headed next weekend.


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Rangers Clinging to Life Entering Weekend

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Derek

If this were James Bond, Die Another Day would apply to the Rangers who enter the weekend clinging to life. After humiliating the Islanders 9-2 to keep their grim playoff hopes alive, they got help on the scoreboard tonight with the Senators defeating the Canadiens 5-2.

The tragic number remains at 1. When they visit the Hurricanes for a 3 PM game on ABC, the Rangers must win in any fashion. Considering how bad they’ve been against playoff teams, don’t bet on it. Carolina doesn’t have much on the line due to the Devils being unable to catch them for second place in the division. They’re locked into the 2/3 first round matchup versus the Devils (4-2 losers to the Pens).

In three previous meetings, the Rangers have been outscored by the Canes 11-4 in three losses all coming in regulation. Carolina’s superior puck possession and more structured system have been the difference. Their best players have all performed well in the season series, with Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov all averaging at least a point-per-game. Artemi Panarin has been held without a point with a minus-4 rating.

Freddie Andersen won the last matchup 2-0 making 22 saves. He’s been the better goalie for the Canes. Pyotr Kochetkov has struggled losing three of his last four starts. However, Brind’Amour might decide to start him tomorrow due to the Canes hosting the Maple Leafs on Sunday. They could give Andersen the tougher opponent this weekend.

At this point, it’s Igor Shesterkin for the Blueshirts. He made 44 saves to win his 26th game of the season against the Islanders, who peppered him the final two periods. Unlike the dominance he’s had in the postseason, Shesterkin’s 0-3 with a 3.42 goals-against-average and .888 save percentage versus the Canes this season. Much of that can be attributed to the defensive woes in front of him. Inconsistent and unsteady play has been a theme throughout a disappointing season. There have been way too many breakdowns in coverage. Combine that with the rapid decline on the power play and recent issues on the penalty kill and it explains why they’re on the outside looking in.

As for the lineup, it’s anyone’s guess what Peter Laviolette will do. He made the head scratching decision to scratch 2023 first round pick Gabriel Perreault the last two games. So much for letting the 19-year-old play after burning a year off his entry-level contract. It took only three games for Laviolette to have Perreault sit in the press box. Brennan Othmann joined him on Thursday night at Elmont. Othmann has failed to score a goal in 20 games. Despite that, he has positive possession numbers and is a plus-8.

With Brett Berard recording his first two-goal game, including a nice backhand finish off a Matt Rempe pass, the fourth line should remain intact. Laviolette’s gone back to shifting Mika Zibanejad to the right side on a line with J.T. Miller and Will Cuylle. The trio combined for two goals and four assists in the Rangers’ rout of the Islanders. Cuylle snapped a 10-game goal drought by notching his 18th in a four-goal first period.

Even little-used Jusso Parssinen managed to score on a wrap-around that made it 5-0. After going without a point in his first eight games, he managed to pick up a goal and two assists against the Islanders’ AHL goalies. Marcus Hogberg allowed eight goals on 30 shots. Patrick Roy replaced him with Tristan Lennox following Berard’s first of the game that made it 6-1. After Berard beat Lennox to make it 7-2, Roy replaced him with Hogberg, who finished the game. The move opened Roy up to criticism from frustrated Islanders fans, who watched the Rangers sweep the season series for only the third time. The Rangers outscored the Islanders 23-5 to win all four matchups.

Panarin scored twice to hike his team-leading total to 37 goals with three games left on the schedule. If he can get three more, he’d join Jean Ratelle and Mike Gartner as just the third player in Rangers franchise history to record consecutive 40-goal seasons. Gartner holds the team record with three straight from 1990-91 to 1992-93.

If they find a way to earn two points at Carolina, that would pull them within four of the Canadiens. Montreal visits Toronto on Hockey Night In Canada. With the Red Wings also coming back to win in overtime over the Lightning, they’re also still alive. The Blue Jackets have four games remaining entering the weekend. They host the division-leading Caps at 12:30 PM on Saturday. Columbus must win to stay alive. They’re currently tied with the Rangers and Red Wings in points (81). Even the Islanders haven’t been officially eliminated. But they need to run the table and have the Canadiens lose out in regulation, which is highly unlikely.

Any Montreal win in regulation will clinch the final wild card. It would take them to 89 points. Even if Columbus somehow ran the table and tied them in points, they’d lose out on the first tiebreaker. The rest can only get to 87 points. The Rangers are still alive due to having more regulation wins. If by some miracle they make it through the weekend, they then would have to go into Florida and beat the defending champs on Monday night. The Canadiens host the Blackhawks at the same time.

If all of this seems like a waste of time, that’s because it probably is. Everyone who roots for this team knows that they don’t deserve to make the playoffs. Laviolette’s puzzling lineup decisions remain frustrating. At this point, fans want to see what Perreault can do. Nobody cares that Alexis Lafreniere scored his fourth goal in over 30 games. As well as he’s played, nobody is invested in Jonny Brodzinski. There isn’t any rhyme or reason to why Carson Soucy remains in the lineup. I don’t even know why Chris Drury traded for him. Calvin de Haan performed better. He’s since vanished into witness protection.

Can anyone explain why Jonathan Quick started the Flyers game? Better yet, if he was so rusty, why didn’t Shesterkin replace him? Only Laviolette knows the answer. Maybe we’re better off not knowing.

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Sam and JD Deliver One Last Rangers Game

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Derek

It was like old times at Madison Square Garden. For the first time in almost 20 years, Sam Rosen and John Davidson were back together in the broadcast booth calling a Rangers game.

The final act took place thanks to the NHL On TNT. Knowing it was Rosen’s swan song after 40 years calling New York Rangers hockey, the network executives decided to have Sam and JD reunite for a nationally televised game on Wednesday, Apr. 9. For 20 years, they supplied Rangers fans with so much hockey knowledge and sarcasm that was always dripping through the TV set.

You wouldn’t have known that they hadn’t done a game together since Apr. 29, 2006. As usual, they played off each other so well. You had Rosen setting things up for Davidson who supplied the color commentary with the same unique style that made him the best in the business. The Hall of Fame duo called the action just the way you remembered it. Sam and JD once again made you feel like you were there. The way they delivered it had that next door neighbor appeal, as if two old friends were back in town to greet you after not seeing them in quite some time.

Even on a night when the Rangers continued to commit folly after folly en route to an ugly 8-5 loss to the Flyers that sealed their playoff fate, it didn’t matter. For once, it wasn’t about the mistakes they made that have been all too common in a lost season. It was all about hearing Rosen on the call with Davidson there to chime in. They always did it with class. If the opponent picked up their game like the Flyers did in the second and third period to come back and earn the win, they sang their praises.

In this one, it took a high scoring third period to change the script. The old school rivals were dead even at two after two periods. Vincent Trocheck’s shorthanded goal had the Blueshirts on top in a strong opening period that also saw Mika Zibanejad miss wide on a penalty shot. Following his miss, Rosen said, “That’s been the story of his season,” to Davidson. Despite finishing with four assists, Zibanejad remained stuck on 17 goals with four games left in the season. He hasn’t scored fewer than 20 since 2016-17 when he notched 14 in 56 games.

In the second period, Tyson Foerster got the scoring started for the Flyers when he fired home his 20th. It was a harbinger of things to come. Later in the period, with the game still tied, the Rangers continued to struggle on the power play. Having already given up a breakaway with a shot hitting the goalpost, this time they allowed Garnet Hathaway to score shorthanded to put the Flyers ahead 2-1. His shot trickled through backup Jonathan Quick.

Less than two minutes later, Panarin scored his team-leading 35th goal. After picking up a Zibanejad drop pass, Panarin made a nice move, cut towards the net and went to the backhand to beat Flyers rookie Aleksei Kolosov with 1:28 remaining. It was the 300th goal of his career.

The teams were tied at two headed to the third. Nobody could have predicted what happened next.

In what became a wide-open game minus any semblance of team defense, the teams combined for nine goals with the Flyers outscoring the Rangers 6-3. Travis Sanheim put in a loose rebound of a Noah Cates shot after Quick made an acrobatic save on to put the Flyers back in front. Sanheim beat rookie Brennan Othmann to the spot for his eighth.

However, the Rangers responded quickly to tie up the score again. After taking a pass from Urho Vaakanainen, Jonny Brodzinski fired a wrist shot from a sharp angle past a screened Kolosov for his career best 11th of the season. Brodzinski’s been one of the few bright spots on a roster full of underachievers. There’s little doubt that he deserves to have a starting role next season. He’s always played with consistency and energy. On his goal, Matt Rempe helped screen Kolosov, who couldn’t quite pick up Brodzinski’s shot which changed direction to beat him upstairs.

Just over a minute later, Will Cuylle and Zibanejad combined to set up a quick Miller one-timer that surprised Kolosov to put the Rangers up 4-3. But just as PA announcer Joe Tolleson was announcing the goal, Jakob Pelletier escaped Panarin and had an Owen Tippett rebound take a funny carom off him past Quick that tied the score a minute later.

With the game tied up again, Matvei Michkov took a Travis Konecny feed and sent a wrist shot towards the net. Quick overplayed it, leaving a juicy rebound for Flyers captain Sean Couturier to deposit to make it 5-4.

The scoring binge continued when Foerster got his second of the game. Sanheim was allowed to come off the wall by Vaakanainen and made a sweet pass across for a Foerster blast that extended the Flyers lead to two with 4:27 remaining. It was pretty bad defense by Vaakanainen. Trocheck was also a spectator.

Trailing by two, the Rangers lifted Quick for an extra attacker. Some excellent hustle from Adam Fox kept the puck in allowing Zibanejad to set up Kreider for his 21st goal with 1:50 left in regulation. That was as close as they got.

Both Foerster and Tippett added empty netters in the final minute to seal it. Tippett’s goal was pretty cool due to him spinning around and firing the puck off the crossbar and in from long distance. Both Rosen and Davidson chuckled.

When it was over, TNT went back on camera one last time to show Rosen and Davidson talking about their reunion. It was a special moment for both of them.

In many ways, it felt like being in a time warp. Seeing them together took me back to watching Rangers games growing up. The really great part is that they were able to turn back the clock and recapture the magic that made them the best in the game. Even that sounds biased, that’s because everyone knows who Sam and JD are. They’re legendary broadcasters and wonderful people.

We’ve been really lucky to have Rosen call our games for so long. Even now, he still has that youthful enthusiasm that’s made him a fan favorite. I can only think of one other legendary hockey broadcaster who had that. That would be the retired Doc Emrick. Whatever side you rooted for on the Hudson, it’s been a blast. When Rosen calls his final game on Apr. 17 against the Lightning, it’ll be emotional for both him and the fans. I hope the Rangers win that one for him. He deserves to go out with a victory.

I can’t say enough about the NHL On TNT. They did an outstanding job with the broadcast last night. Their coverage is superb. Thank you for bringing back Sam and JD for one more game.

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Rangers’ Disappointing Season Coming to An End

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Derek

It’s been increasingly hard to put into words how disappointing this season has been for the Rangers. At this point, they’re playing out the string with five games remaining. On a special night when Sam Rosen and John Davidson will reunite one last time thanks to the NHL On TNT having the good sense to have them do a game together, the Rangers take on the Flyers at Madison Square Garden.

At least we’ll get to hear and see Sam and JD team up. Outside of that, there’s nothing to get excited about. If you’ve followed this team, then you know how messed up things have been. Even J.T. Miller couldn’t prevent the inevitable from happening. It was apparent as far back as December that the Rangers would go from Presidents’ Trophy winners to failing to qualify for the postseason. You could probably pin it on Chris Drury for the mistimed memo that made both Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider available before Thanksgiving. It created a domino effect. Storm clouds hung over the team from that point on.

Drury desperately attempted to remake the roster by subtracting Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, and Filip Chytil. It produced mixed results, with Will Borgen and Miller having positive impacts. Unfortunately, the malaise known as Rangeritis also affected both Borgen and Miller. Even Igor Shesterkin can’t escape it. He’s gone from a former Vezina winner to a mere mortal. The defensive system they play under assistant coach Phil Housley hasn’t helped. How many instances have we seen opponents left wide open for goals due to players failing to make switches in coverage? The man-to-man defense has been abysmal. Head coach Peter Laviolette never made any changes.

If you’re still trying to understand how we got to this point, it’s quite simple. The Rangers haven’t shown any real desire to play with more consistency and urgency needed to make the playoffs. Instead, they’ve fallen apart due to many established players underperforming. I refuse to use the word stars when discussing this miserable team that’s embarrassed the jersey. Not even Artemi Panarin escapes criticism. For all the offense he’s provided since March, he also looked tuned out during the winter.

The main culprits have been Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad. Only Kreider has been punished by the selective Laviolette, who’s refused to make an example of Lafreniere for his many failures since getting a significant raise at the start of next season. When Lafreniere received a misconduct in a miserable loss to the Lightning, he never missed a single shift. Two goals over the last 25 games and three over a longer stretch sum up his lackluster effort, which has been on full display in the lack of hustle back on defense. For a former consensus top pick, he sure leaves a lot to be desired. Does he even care? How did he go from a breakout season in 2023-24 to this? Is Lafreniere channeling Alexandre Daigle?

As for Zibanejad, he had a nice run while shifting to the right side to play with Miller when he was quite productive. When Laviolette decided to move him back to center the third line in hope of more offense, Zibanejad reverted back to the form that made him one of the league’s most disappointing players. He might not even reach 20 goals. Zibanejad entered Wednesday with 17 goals and a team worst minus-22 rating. At least he had the good fortune of a puck bouncing off him for a rare power-play goal against the Lightning on Monday.

In what really proved to be a do or die game, the Rangers got shut out by the Devils 4-0 this past Saturday. A Zibanejad miscue led to a Jesper Bratt shorthanded goal in the second period. With the top unit again getting nothing done, Zibanejad made a bad read with both Miller and Kreider caught behind the net. That allowed Nico Hischier and Bratt to come out on a two-on-one against Adam Fox, who couldn’t prevent Hischier’s pass from hitting Bratt to make it 2-0. It was the third shorthanded goal they allowed in four games. Two days later, Brandon Hagel came close to making four shorthanded goals in five games, but his shot hit the crossbar.

In the 5-1 loss to the Lightning, it was the penalty kill that got victimized. The explosive Bolts power play struck three times. A lack of discipline led to Nikita Kucherov power-play goal and a pair from Brayden Point. For once, the Rangers didn’t play poorly at even strength. They outshot the Lightning by a healthy margin. However, Andrei Vasilevskiy was on top of his game finishing with 38 saves.

While they continued to lose in bad fashion, the Canadiens have all but wrapped up the second wild card. They deserve a lot of credit for how well they’ve played during the final stretch. Most impressively, they swept a home-and-home series with the Panthers. Nick Suzuki rescued them late in regulation and then got the overtime winner last week at Bell Centre in the rematch. Suzuki has become a star for the Habs. Along with Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson, who really deserves to win the Calder, they’ve carried them to a six-game winning streak. Sam Montembeault has made the clutch saves in five of the six wins. When they defeated the Red Wings 4-1 yesterday, Josh Anderson got the winner. He and Brendan Gallagher have delivered in the clutch.

Unlike the Rangers, who can’t seem to be bothered, the Canadiens play with a lot of heart, determination, and grit. That’s why they’re in position to clinch. They’ve separated themselves from the pack of pretenders, which includes the Rangers, Red Wings, Islanders, and Blue Jackets all tied in points (79) with time running out. Somehow, the Sabres are only three points behind. They’ve played the best out of everyone, scoring goals and having won five in a row. To put into perspective how bad a season it’s been for the Rangers, they haven’t had a three-game winning streak since Nov. 14-19. They’ve earned their trip to the golf course.

Even with them essentially playing out the string, Laviolette decided to healthy scratch first round pick Gabriel Perreault. It took only three games for Perreault to go from a role in the top six to sitting out. The Rangers enter play with a tragic number of two. What’s the point of burning a year off Perreault’s ELC if he isn’t going to play? Meanwhile, other recent college players like Jimmy Snuggerud and Ryan Leonard aren’t sitting while playing for good teams headed to the postseason. Logic doesn’t seem to apply when it comes to the Rangers.

Some will wonder why it couldn’t be Kreider that sits. Laviolette healthy scratched him once earlier in the season. Or what about making an example of Lafreniere? Not with this coach. Even Trocheck has been underwhelming. He entered tonight with 52 points, which is way down from the 77 he posted while centering Panarin and Lafreniere last season. The trio were the best scoring line at five-on-five and largely responsible for the Rangers having a record-setting 55 wins and 114 points in 2023-24. It’s hard to believe that a year later, they were so ineffective that they were broken up. They were on for too many goals against, leading to the change.

Laviolette never considered sitting Zibanejad. Is that because he’s considered too fragile? Win or lose, he’s usually there to answer questions following games. It isn’t a criticism of him, but rather a question about his mental state. At 31, he shouldn’t look finished as an impact player. With the season drawing to a close, his numbers keep declining. Since putting up a career-high 91 points in 2022-23, he’s fallen off a cliff.

MENTAL MIKA

Year GP Goals Assists Points +/-

2022-23 82 39 52 91 25

2023-24 81 26 46 72 15

2024-25 77 17 35 52 -22

Zibanejad has an $8.5 million cap hit that doesn’t expire until 2030 with a full no-movement clause. If the Rangers decide to attempt to move him in the off-season, he’ll have to agree to waive it. When Drury acquired Miller from Vancouver, he waived his NMC to accept a deal to come to New York City.

The more likely player who could be gone is Kreider. A year ago, he was the toast of the town for recording a natural hat trick in the third period of Game 6 against the Hurricanes to send the Rangers to the Conference Finals. He scored 39 goals and posted a career-high 36 assists for a total of 75 points last season. At 33, it’s been a nightmare of a season with Kreider having only five assists to go with 20 goals in 63 games. At times, he’s looked mentally checked out. That could have to do with having his name muddied due to Drury.

Kreider’s also battled injuries which have limited his effectiveness. He tied Camille Henry’s franchise record for the most power-play goals (116) in Rangers history. Even in a down year, his four shorthanded goals lead the team, and the 20 goals rank third – trailing only Panarin (34) and Trocheck (23), who scored a shorthanded goal against the Flyers in the first period of tonight’s game. With a $6.5 million cap hit and two years left on his contract that includes a modified no-trade clause, it’s very likely that Kreider’s in the final stage of his Rangers career. He’s been used mostly on the fourth line while continuing to receive both power play and penalty killing time. Kreider will turn 34 on April 30.

By the weekend, the Rangers could be eliminated. If they lose to the Flyers, all the Canadiens need to do is earn one point over their final four games. The Habs magic number to clinch is three. It’s a far cry from where the Blueshirts were 12 months ago. That team had character and a lot of resolve. They were never out of a game. Too often, this year’s version has quit. The Lightning scored three goals over a 1:45 span in the first period to break open a scoreless game. At times, it’s looked like they’re going through the motions.

I still haven’t figured out what their identity is. We’re at game 78 and there isn’t one. Laviolette had the remarkable quote the other night that he doesn’t go into the locker room after games. Is that due to how tired he is of repeating the same things following losses? He’s been a very successful coach. Never has a team quit on him in the second year the way the Rangers have. Why should they get to choose another coach? It’s Gerard Gallant all over again. As much as I didn’t like him, he’s been proven right about one thing. You can have all the talent in the world. But without players who work and forecheck consistently, you won’t be successful.

This team has sucked the life out of me. There’s a reason why I’ve hardly posted anything over the last month. They lack passion and enthusiasm. Other teams have more excitement after goals. They don’t look dead on the bench. This is easily my most hated team out of all the years I’ve been following them. All things being fair, half the roster deserves to go with Laviolette. We know Drury isn’t going anywhere. If he even considers hiring another retread, I will stop watching. There needs to be a fresh voice who has a pulse. The roster needs to be overhauled. Whoever takes over, they better have the patience to play kids like Perreault, Brennan Othmann, and Brett Berard.

The 2024-25 New York Rangers deserve to rot.

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In memoriam: Ray Shero (1962-2025)

Posted on April 9, 2025 by hasan4978

A lot of times in media, people use the words stunned or shocked a little too liberally but it’s not hyperbole to say pretty much me and the entire hockey world was shocked to see the news of Ray Shero’s passing this morning, originally posted on the Wild’s Twitter account since he was currently a senior advisor there to ex-player and current Minnesota GM Bill Guerin. There was no indication as far as I know of him being sick and he was only 62 years old (I’d guesstimated late 50’s, early 60’s without looking it up) so it’s useless to speculate, I’m sure at some point we’ll get an indicator over what led to this sudden passing.

His tentacles were spread far and wide in the hockey world, starting with his dad former NHL coach, GM and broadcaster Fred Shero, who was a bit before my time so unfortunately so I know very little about him apart from his role in building the expansion Flyers to a two-time Stanley Cup winner in the mid 70’s, then later going on to coach the Rangers and work on the Devils’ radio network after his NHL coaching career had ended. It sounded like he had a very gregarious personality though, which I’d believe judging by his son’s own career and media persona. It is a bit eerie his dad also passed away in his mid 60’s (due to stomach cancer), but it’s entirely possible that isn’t related to Ray’s untimely death.

Like many people, I first heard of Ray Shero when he became the GM of the Penguins, although before that he played a key role as an AGM in building up both Ottawa (from 1993-1998) and Nashville (1998-2006) as expansion teams so taking over a Pittsburgh team in need of a ground-up overhaul was something he was clearly qualified for, albeit one with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin already in place from the previous two drafts. Still, Shero built around them – eventually piecing together a two-time Eastern conference winner and Stanley Cup champion in 2009. Pittsburgh never was able to match the success of the 2007-09 seasons though, and Shero was eventually let go after 2014.

Just one year later, he was tasked with yet another rebuild – the Devils, a team in transition after moving on from Lou Lamoriello as franchise czar and appointing Shero the new GM in May 2015. My initial post on his hiring is still up here (though some of the links have since expired) so I’ll re-post it now. There were certainly ups and downs of what wound up being a nearly five-year tenure as Devils GM. Some would argue his most consequential moves revolved around Taylor Hall, first in trading Adam Larsson for the future 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner with this evergreen Bob McKenzie tweet saying it all:

Hall would become the first – and as of now still only – Devil to win the Hart Trophy for league MVP in a transcendent 2017-18 season, which led to a surprising playoff berth in year three of the Shero tenure here. Unfortunately, Hall’s injury the next season derailed the Devils and a series of win-now moves failed to rejuvenate a stalled rebuild, eventually leading to Shero’s dismissal in January 2020. To his credit, at least Shero didn’t give Hall a stupid contract trying to retain him and wound up working out a good deal with Arizona once he cashed out, getting back defensive prospect Kevin Bahl along with the picks that eventually turned into Dawson Mercer (draft) and Jonas Siegenthaler (pick trade).

I would actually argue his most important move as the Devils GM was drafting Nico Hischier over Nolan Patrick in 2017. It wasn’t a slam dunk move, indeed Patrick was thought of as the clear #1 when we won the first of two draft lotteries in Shero’s tenure. However, once we won the pick gradually word started to leak out we might prefer the young Swiss center over the anoited big North American kid. To his credit, Shero and the people who worked for him – including then-AGM Tom Fitzgerald – had a conviction and stuck to it. While Patrick’s career sadly stalled due to injuries (definitely a pre-draft concern), Nico’s become one of the best two-way players in the game. Shero, and some lottery luck are fully responsible for that guy being in red and white.

I actually thought he’d get one more crack at being a GM after his Devil tenure ended, in spite of my ambivalence over his up and down track record, but it never did. I guess we’ll never know if he just didn’t want to be part of the grind or the league was done with him. While I understand him wanting to stay involved with a front office – going to Minnesota as a senior advisor – it is kind of unfortunate for the rest of us that Shero never got involved in the media aspect of the league, he certainly had enough of a personality that he could have become a good media person if he’d wanted to. Exhibit A being his response to the rumor that holdout RFA Pavel Zacha (Shero’s first-ever draft pick as Devils GM) was considering a move to the KHL.

In a sad irony, the Devils play the Penguins in Newark on Friday – and a lot of people on both sides of the blueline have personal connections to Shero including Crosby and Malkin for the Penguins, and current GM Fitz along with many of the players for the Devils. Among others, Jesper Bratt took to Instagram to leave a note of thanks for Shero, the man who drafted him in the sixth round and saw him develop as an NHL player here. Before a lot of games there’s a moment of silence for someone around the sport who’s passed, but the one before Friday’s game will have a more poignant resonance for everyone in the building.

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As jekyll and hyde Devils zig zag toward the postseason, Carolina ghosts loom large

Posted on April 8, 2025 by hasan4978

Despite the Devils’ inconsistency for the last three months, a playoff berth is all but sewn up now with the magic number at two, where it’ll probably remain with the Devils behind 3-0 in what sounds like a flat effort against the Bruins three days after thumping the rival Rangers all but out of the postseason chase themselves in a 4-0 win where the score was far more dominant than the performance – but by the same token, the Devils never really looked threatened themselves apart from a few minutes early in the second period when the Rangers were on the front foot. Still, if anything shows the inconsistency of the 2025 Devils it’s comparing that result to tonight’s flat performance with a potential playoff clincher in the offing.

At least Saturday was an electric home atmosphere a la the Columbus game a few weeks back, and because of the Devils largely getting themselves off the griddle Saturday was one of the few games I’ve legitimately looked foward to in the last few months. Of course, now barring an unprecedented meltdown on either end of the spectrum we’ll be getting ready for Devils-Hurricanes part VI – a saga that has mostly negative vibes for Devils fans. Because I want to get this over with well before the actual playoffs, might as well go down the rabbit hole now of our playoff history where we’ve somehow met Carolina more than any team other than the Rangers in the postseason. Let’s just face the demons head on and go down memory lane before we go forward with either an exorcism, or just more of the same.

Of course, the first matchup came in 2001 – the only one the Devils won. But even that series was tinged with a warning for what was to come as the upstart Hurricanes came back from 3-0 down to win two games against the most talented team in Devils history…sorry 2022-23 version, you may have the wins record but you still can’t hold a candle to the collection of talent on that team. For the first three games of the playoffs, the Devils played like the defending champs and 111-point team they were, outscoring Carolina 11-1 with the most memorable moments coming from a pair of Scott Stevens hits on Ron Francis and Shane Willis (hits #4 and #6 on this list, respectively).

In many ways though, those hits were a villain origin story for the Canes and their fans developing a generational hatred for the Devils, and while they did circle the wagons in that series winning two tight games to annoy us, our talent eventually won out with another romp in Game #6. Next year was another story though, with the Devils struggling into the playoffs with a sub-100 point season, but still favored over the Canes (despite their having home-ice advantage thanks to winning the Southleast division). Carolina won a couple of tight 2-1 decisions in Raleigh before the Devils romped in two games at the Meadowlands, prompting a goaltender change from Arturs Irbe to the now-ubiquitous Kevin Weekes, who’d already had a bit of a journeyman career with the Hurricanes being his fourth NHL team to that point.

That series made sure Devils fans remembered his name forever though, as Carolina won a third straight one-goal game at home, then sealed the series with yet another one-goal win, a drab 1-0 shutout at the Meadowlands, best remembered as the game where Petr Sykora sealed his ticket out of New Jersey by not trying to play with a foot injury. I’m guessing that was more of a last straw type of deal than an actual reason for trading him for Lou Lamoriello since the vaunted A-line had already been broken up that season with the earlier trade of Jason Arnott to Dallas, and Sykora’s numbers were down that year as well.

Carolina had their revenge, but it wasn’t until 2006 where the rivalry started to take on mythic proportions. This time they were favored, but not by much considering the Devils had won fifteen straight games heading into their second-round series with the top seeded Hurricanes, including blitzing the rival Rangers with a four-game destruction in the first round. Of course, the Canes put a quick and painful end to our white-hot streak, beating us down 6-0 in Game 1…but it was Game 2 that hurt far more. With a tight 1-1 game seemingly headed to overtime, Scott Gomez scored to give the Devils the lead with just over twenty seconds remaining to seemingly stun the Hurricanes and even the series going back to New Jersey – right?!

Not exactly…for the first time (but surely not the last) in this saga, Eric Staal broke Devil hearts all over the east coast with a late third-period goal to restore the tie in a ridiculous finish.

Niclas Wallin’s OT winner seemed more of a formality than anything else after that, and Carolina eventually disposed of us in a quiet five games. Then of course came 2009…the gold standard for not only Devils-Canes playoff heartbreak, but perhaps the worst series loss in the entire Devils franchise history. After all, 1994 against the Rangers may have lasted a lifetime for Ranger fans waiting for their only Stanley Cup since 1940 but it was a legitimately great series against the best team in the NHL when we were just entering the upper echelon of the league, where we’d stay for the better part of two decades. If there was any need for redemption, the Devils got that in 1995. Of course we’ve blown other series as an even higher seed before – 1997 against the Rangers losing on yet another OT wraparound was infuriating, 1998 against the upstart Senators was bad, and 1999 against the bankrupt Penguins with Jaromir Jagr beating us on one leg was annoying as were the other series with the Canes, but no playoff loss – at least in my Devils fandom – compares to 2009.

What makes that ending so gut-wrenching is in part due to the fact that 2008-09 was a dream season in a lot of ways for Devils fans – highlighted by the Cinderella rise of career minor leaguer Scott Clemmensen to step in the breach for the great Martin Brodeur when he missed four months due to injury and win twenty-five games, being the only goaltender other than Marty to lead the team in wins for two decades. Brodeur of course came back late in the season, and did so with a vengeance charging to the all-time goaltender wins record, eventually setting it on a magical St. Patty’s Day where our Patty – Elias, also set the franchise record for career points. Although we’ve had other more dominant regular seasons, 2008-09 went into the annals as one of the most unexpectedly fun ones as a fan.

Then the old nemesis came to town for another playoff series (in the first round this time). After a dominant Game 1 win, the Devils suffered a flat tire with yet another OT loss to Carolina in Game 2. However, this time the Devils showed some resiliency other Devil teams hadn’t had – returning the favor in Raleigh with Travis Zajac’s OT goal in Game 3 giving the Devils back the series lead, and their first playoff win in Raleigh since Game 6 in 2001. Predictably with the Canes a more desperate team in Game 4, the Devils came out flat and trailed 3-0 in the third period until again stunning the home crowd with three goals. Once again, a Devils comeback had seemingly sent a stunned Canes crowd into OT – key word being seemingly. Once again, last-second (or really, last millisecond) heroics from Jussi Jokinen saved the Canes and incensed Brodeur.

For how the series ended a week later, Game 4 gets overlooked by comparison but if the Devils had ever gotten that game to OT with the momentum, perhaps they steal another one there and actually kill off Lazarus once and for all. While we let them off the hook in Raleigh, Brodeur channeled his endgame indignance over Jokinen’s pre-goal contact outside the crease into a legendary Game 5 performance, a 40+ save shutout with the only goal coming from David Clarkson as the Devils won and took their third lead in the series. Of course, Carolina came back to tie the series for a third time with the only forgettable game of the series, a 4-0 curbstomping…which is really what Game 4 should have been if not for the fluke late rally against the run of play, setting up the first Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown moment of the series.

Still, it was a one-game series now, this time in New Jersey where the Raleigh ghosts weren’t going to travel with the team…or did they? In a back-and-forth game, the Devils eventually nudged ahead 3-2 in the middle of the second period and stayed there through the rest of the middle frame and for most of a tense final twenty minutes of regulation. Then came a ghastly final eighty seconds of the third period, seared in every Devils fan’s memory forever – particularly those in attendance like yours truly.

And it was ghosts of playoff failures past again coming back to haunt us with none other than Jokinen scoring the tying goal after a desperate diving play by Tim Gleason saved a clearance with the empty net looming. Of course, it was the future HOF’er Staal who wound up with the winner when the Devils again lost their focus late in a game and Staal found a sweet spot through Marty’s arm with just thirty seconds left, completing a truly stunning turnaround. Less than one minute of gametime in between one team being an empty-netter or eighty seconds from winning the series…to losing the series. It wasn’t even an OT heartbreak this time, though Brian Gionta shockingly almost scored to revive a corpse and draw out the tension even longer. Of course it wasn’t to be, and the Devils suffered yet another devastating loss to the Hurricanes with coach Brent Sutter – who arguably lost the series with regressive line matching – cowardly running home the first chance he got after just two years behind the bench in New Jersey.

Thankfully it was another fourteen years before we again met the Canes in the playoffs, of course mostly due to the fact that both our teams really didn’t make the playoffs much in the 2010’s. In what was a quasi-rerun of 2006 the Devils would roll into the playoffs on the back of a franchise record winning season, and then win an emotional come from behind battle against the Rangers in the first round, seemingly growing up in a hurry before a more experienced and battle-hardened Carolina team throttled us rather easily in five games, with three of the wins (and also our lone win) being in blowouts. Only Game 5’s OT loss was close, but the series was all but decided by then anyway with it being obvious who the better team was.

Maybe I’ll do a proper preview of this year’s playoff closer to the series, but I will say there haven’t been many times where they’ve been THE clear favorite. We were clear favorites in the first two series and in 2009 as well. 2006 and 2023 you could justly say they were slight favorites but given our injury issues and their better record, they’re going to be far more of an experts’ pick this time around. Even if the rumors are true about a possible Dougie Hamilton return for the postseason, there’ll be more pressure on them to win, especially after being a playoff team for longer without any real success yet. Of course being in that building isn’t ideal but maybe it’s better for the start of the series at least to have the pressure on them to get off to a good start.

As far as the present day, of course the Devils wound up losing to the Bruins 7-2, so no playoff clincher today. Maybe Friday when I actually am in attendance again, oh well. Just do it, and we can fully worry about the Hurricane ghosts at that point.

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