Wedgewood, Devils shut down Islanders

Posted on January 24, 2021 by hasan4978

Going into tonight it’s been a glass half-full and half-empty start for the Devils. Good, obviously to be 2-1-1 and have 19-year old Jack Hughes producing at a franchise center level. Of course, the bad being Mackenzie Blackwood’s absence for at least a second straight game due to being placed on the COVID list. There’s no official word yet on Blackwood’s status, but backup goalie Scott Wedgewood may have spilled the beans in the postgame when he referred to Blackwood needing to take care of his health. So odds are he did flunk a COVID test, unless I suppose he’s got a non-COVID illness and has to quarantine out of caution. At least so far nobody else has had to be placed on the list, but as has been the case the last year everyone’s day to day, particularly when it comes to that.

With preseason backup Corey Crawford now retired and presumptive backup Aaron Dell still in visa limbo, it fell to Wedgewood to man the crease for a second straight showdown against the Islanders. Suffice it to say, after the result a couple nights ago I wasn’t much of a believer in a revival tonight. However, if this team is proving one thing it’s that they’re far more resilient than they’ve been the last couple years. To put it mildly, a 2-0 shutout for the career journeyman in the rematch at the Rock was a pleasant surprise to me. Maybe this year under Lindy Ruff one and two-game losing streaks won’t turn into five and six gamers that easily. Coaching matters.

I did see the latter half of the game, but missed the two first-period goals which turned out to be the only ones of the night – and in what might have been the biggest shocker of all, one of them was even A POWER PLAY GOAL! Yes our power play has been so bad I channeled Sam Rosen for that one. If you were to pick a guy to end our power play drought though, Hughes would be near or at the top of the list right now with the level he’s playing at. A big part of my preseason pessimism had to do with the fact I wasn’t expecting much from our #1 overall franchise centers out of the block with Nico shelved entirely while Hughes looked like he had a long way to go just to be an NHL player last year. He certainly used the long pause well though, it’s been night and day to watch him last year and then see his growth this season.

Hughes’s third goal of the season (seven points in five games total) came with just three minutes remaining in the first period, but there was still time for the home team to tack on another crucial goal exactly two minutes later – doubly crucial because of who combined for the goal. Our second/third line with Pavel Zacha and Nikita Gusev had so far been invisibad but Gusev showed flashes of his late season form from last year when he deked out a defender at the point and got a shot on net, then Zacha put home the rebound for his first goal of the season while Gusev got his first point. Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Ty Smith assisted on both goals, giving him an unreal six points in his first five NHL games.

Even against a low-scoring Islanders team, I didn’t think two would be enough all things considered – but the journeyman goalie with twenty-two career starts kept their more seasoned rivals at bay, with the help of a rebuilt defense. I probably haven’t said enough about the D through the first few games, particularly all the new additions which have stabilized the back end arguably more than it’s been at any point since the Islanders’ GM was still our GM. I could be catty and say Tom Fitzgerald’s done more for the D in one offseason than previous GM Ray Shero did in five, but I’d rather give the players and coaching credit tonight. Specifically new acquisitions Ryan Murray (trade) and Dmitry Kulikov (FA signing), who’ve both consistently played 20+ minutes a night including the bulk of shorthanded time, and added much-needed complements on the left side of our D to top four RD’s PK Subban and Damon Severson.

It was the big four who coach Ruff leaned on to help Wedgewood secure his third NHL shutout after a 28-save performance. Smith has also added some offensive punch though he and partner Matt Tennyson didn’t see much icetime in the final two periods as the game became a defensive struggle. You’ve also got to give the coach himself credit too, for having this team ready to play. In part, he changed the lines up with an odd promotion of Janne Kuokkanen to the second line while deservedly bumping an ineffective Andreas Johnsson down to the fourth line. He also scratched Jesper Boqvist in favor of Nick Merkley. Seemingly everything the coach did worked tonight and Wedgewood got a deserved first star with the on-ice interview with Erika Wachter.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1353534082949533696?s=20

Going forward it seems like Wedgewood will have a few games to gain a foothold on the backup job. Maybe he’s this season’s version of what Keith Kinkaid was in 2018, or Scott Clemmensen in 2009. You gotta feel good for a kid who was a third round pick of the Devils a decade ago, and got off to a good start in 2016 when he started four games (including a shutout in his second start, ironically) but two years later in Arizona things didn’t go so well and he hasn’t played in the NHL since, until this week. Although I actually kind of do feel bad for Dell by the same token. Through no fault of his own he may well have lost a golden opportunity to reestablish himself as an NHL backup, after being let go by both the Sharks and Maple Leafs. Of course neither would likely be playing if Crawford hadn’t peaced out before the season.

We just need to keep eNJoying the ride I guess.

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Quinn sits Johnson for Smith, Blackwell in for Lemieux, Shestyorkin starts

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Derek

In less than five hours on NFL Championship Sunday, the Rangers face the Penguins again in Pittsburgh. It’s the second meeting over three days at the Steel City. They’ll look to rebound from a tough 4-3 shootout loss where they blew a two goal lead.

Even though they outplayed the Pens, the hosts got a couple of breaks to come back and win on Friday. They then went to work on Igor Shestyorkin in the skill competition with both Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang beating the Russian netminder with nice backhand shots for the win. Perhaps Shestyorkin’s unfamiliarity hurt him against those shooters. He’ll make his second consecutive start versus them tonight.

The Rangers outshot the Penguins 34-28. But penalty trouble resulted in Jared McCann getting credit for an own goal by Ryan Lindgren. He tried to push the puck into Shestyorkin to get a whistle. Instead, it went in to swing Friday’s game.

Instead of sitting Kevin Rooney for his minor penalty that lead to that crucial power play goal, David Quinn has decided to bench Brendan Lemieux. Citing a penalty he took, he isn’t happy with the one energetic forward who plays with edge. This is a player who has laid out to block shots while hobbled. He’s also a physical player who can provide a lift and draw penalties. But Quinn hardly used him last game.

One has to wonder what Quinn has against Lemieux. The Rangers aren’t a hard team to play. They’re still too reliant on their skating and skill. In Lemieux’s place, Colin Blackwell will make his Rangers debut. The coach praised his work. We’ll see how much he plays and how he does.

In another move that’s unsurprising, Jack Johnson comes out of the lineup. Brendan Smith is back in for his third game. Having been more effective so far, good for Smith. He deserves it. He’ll pair up with Tony DeAngelo, who’s off to a slow start. Pairing with Johnson couldn’t have helped. Johnson is a minus-four while DeAngelo is a minus-three.

DeAngelo must produce offensively. Even if he’s on the third pair, he plays second power play due to Adam Fox supplanting him. That’s cut into his minutes. A player with a good shot and superb passer and skater, he needs a good game.

Ryan Strome is another struggling Ranger entering play. Without a point in four games despite 10 shots on goal including a breakaway Tristan Jarry denied him on, he feels his line needs more simplicity. There is such a thing as being too fancy. Artemi Panarin hasn’t been as effective at five-on-five. He’s getting points on the power play. But we haven’t seen the same dominance at even strength. Perhaps they miss Jesper Fast.

Chris Kreider certainly can do more. It’s not only him off to a slow start with linemate Mika Zibanejad also off slowly. Three combined points between both isn’t going to get it done. Does Quinn put KZB Line back together? Pavel Buchnevich has been a bright spot. Maybe he should.

The question becomes what to do with line two. Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko are playing well enough to swap onto the Panarin line with Strome moving down to Phil Di Giuseppe and Alexis Lafreniere. That depends on who Lafreniere starts with. He’s still searching for his first NHL point.

By continuing to rotate guys in and out, Quinn isn’t giving the fourth line any chance to gel. I have no idea what Julien Gauthier has done to merit not playing. He went from having a good season debut to having his minutes sliced in half. Now, he’s missing his second game in a row. Isn’t the whole point to find out what he can do?

At least K’Andre Miller is evolving after recording his first NHL point on a secondary assist on a Kakko goal. He is now paired with Jacob Trouba. If Miller continues to excel, there’s cause for optimism.

Lindgren will work with usual partner Fox, whose four points have all come on the power play. That’s nice, but the team needs to be more successful at even strength. They also continue to struggle at face-offs. When Brett Howden is your best and he is on the fourth line and penalty kill, that’s a problem.

I would expect the Pens to give Jarry another start. He played well to get his first win of the season making 31 saves including denying both Zibanejad and DeAngelo in the shootout. He’s supposed to be their number one goalie.

The Rangers can’t expect Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to be as quiet as they were the other day. They better be on their toes.

After this game, they have two against the Sabres coming up this week.

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HARD HITS: Blue Jackets trade of Dubois to Winnipeg involving Laine is a 2016 Draft redux

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Derek

Getty Images

It was only five years ago (really four and a half) that following top pick Auston Matthews to the Leafs, Patrik Laine went second to Winnipeg and Pierre-Luc Dubois went third to the Blue Jackets. That top three of the 2016 NHL Draft have fulfilled expectations. While Matthews has been a big scorer for Toronto, Laine has finished for the Jets and Dubois had become a good two-way center for Columbus.

Now, it’s late January 2021 and Dubois was traded for Laine on Saturday. However, Winnipeg so valued the big 22-year old center that they included Jack Roslovic and a ’22 third round pick. Basically, the Jets felt they needed Dubois to balance out the roster enough to include former first round pick Roslovic, who the Jackets immediately signed for two years at an average cap hit of $1.9 million. Plus a third round pick. Adding Dubois improves the Jets center depth with Mark Scheifele anchoring the top line and Paul Stastny moving to line three.

For the Blue Jackets, they certainly got a good package for the disgruntled center. Here’s the thing that doesn’t make sense. Why did Dubois not only sign the two-year contract worth an average cap hit of $5 million? But why did he bother to buy an apartment in the Columbus area if he knew he wasn’t staying? Very strange.

Listening to captain Nick Foligno talk about it briefly following a 5-2 home win over the Lightning, you could tell how much of an unnecessary distraction Dubois had become. They even had removed his image from photos. That’s how annoyed his former teammates were with his self-serving attitude. That they responded by taking three of four points from the defending champs says a lot about their character. It’s obvious they moved forward.

In receiving Laine, who is on the hook for $6.75 million before becoming restricted in the off-season, the Jackets get a proven goalscorer who has hit at least 30 or more in three of four seasons. The 140 goals and 250 points rank behind Matthews (160 goals and 290 points) in the ’16 Draft Class. By comparison, Dubois is sixth in total points with 159 (66-93-159) in 239 games. Laine has played the most games (306). Dubois was brought along more slowly. It’s not often two such high draft picks are swapped for each other. That’ll make it interesting to follow how they each perform for their new teams.

The wildcard is Roslovic, who had desired a better role that he had with Winnipeg. He’s never had more than 29 points in a season. That was last year when the 23-year old center established career highs in goals (12), assists (17) and points (29) over 71 games. He tallied two assists in the playoffs. Also a former first round pick in the 2015 Draft, now the local kid from Columbus, Ohio comes home. Ironically, he spent a year playing college hockey at Miami University (Ohio). It has to be a dream scenario for Roslovic. Let’s see how he takes to the hard-nosed John Tortorella. Max Domi has struggled to adjust after coming over from Montreal for Josh Anderson.

If both Laine and Roslovic buy in, the Jackets should become an improved offensive team. They rely a lot on top pair Zack Werenski and Seth Jones. Neither had a point until yesterday with Werenski scoring his first goal and Jones picking up a helper. So far, former second rounder Alex Texier has taken a leap up with three goals and five points in six games. Oliver Bjorkstrand is tied for the team lead in scoring going 2-3-5. Now, they’ll have help from Laine, who will add the dangerous scorer they lack. Foligno (3 goals) and Boone Jenner (2-2-4) are off to good starts while Cam Atkinson only has two assists. Liam Foudy is a ’18 first round pick who also plays center.

Columbus has a nice mix of young players and proven vets. They also boast a good goalie tandem with Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins sharing the net. Ironically, former Tortorella student Michael Del Zotto is on the blue line and has started well with four assists. It’s an interesting team that should compete for the playoffs in the new Central Division which features the Lightning, Stars and Hurricanes. You also have the Predators, Panthers, Red Wings and Blackhawks.

Winnipeg plays in the very challenging all Canadian North. They’re off to a good start having won four of five. Already boasting enough scoring courtesy of stars Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor and Nik Ehlers, it’s all about improving the defensive play in front of Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck. That’s why they thought it was worth it to acquire the well rounded Dubois, who plays with some edge. Though it sure was lacking in his final game as a Blue Jacket that earned him the last two periods off. I don’t agree with what he did. But he got his wish.

The Jets defense isn’t great due to not having a lockdown defender. Josh Morrissey is their anchor with Neal Pionk the number two. They’ll rely on veteran Derek Forbort and look for young guns Sami Niku and Ville Heinola to evolve into regulars. They could really use another top four defenseman.

When assessing the Jackets and Jets, it’s hard not to like what Columbus added. They already have a good defense and goaltending. The offense has been lacking. If it works out, it could be a steal. We’ll see what happens with both Laine and Dubois.

Body Checks

The news that NBCSN is done at the end of 2021 is sad. Originally the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) when they started before becoming Versus and eventually NBC Sports Network, hockey has been on the network since returning in ’05-06. While the coverage improved thanks to upgrading the studio and hiring better studio hosts and co-hosts, it isn’t a good look for the NHL. Games will move to USA Network and Peacock with ESPN potentially in play for next season.

The tantrum from a visibly upset Carter Hart following a lopsided 6-1 loss to the Bruins is not what you want to see from the Flyers. They’ve been on the wrong end of a couple of touchdowns given up. Is it the pressure, the layoff or the very aggressive system employed by coach Alain Vigneault that’s causing so many defensive breakdowns? Stay tuned.

Without David Pastrnak, no problem for either Patrice Bergeron or Brad Marchand with both doing their part in the Boston rout of Philly. They’re tremendous players, who are complete in every way. See the shorthanded goal Marchand set up Bergeron for last week at the Devils.

Tyler Toffoli had a field day against his former team the Canucks. In the three game series that Montreal took two games to one, Toffoli recorded seven points (5-2-7) highlighted by a hat trick in his first game versus Vancouver. One the Canucks still pulled out in a wild high scoring shootout. Defense was optional. You could say that for most of the North with teams like Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and even Ottawa not known for their team defense. At least the rebuilding Senators try. It’s wide open.

Congrats to Dylan Cozens on scoring his first NHL goal. A beauty where he went top shelf in the Sabres’ shootout loss to the Capitals. If only legendary Buffalo voice Rick Jeanneret had called it.

Recently, the Maple Leafs fielded a lineup that included John Tavares, Matthews and Joe Thornton. All three centers went first overall in their drafts. They also had Jason Spezza in too. He went second back in ’01 behind Ilya Kovalchuk. I wonder if Kovalchuk will one day make the Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s returned to the KHL this season. We’re still waiting on them to do the right thing and induct Alex Mogilny.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1353135974293843969?s=19

Good on Joel Edmundson for stepping in and challenging Tyler Myers to an early fight for his tough hit that concussed teammate Joel Armia. Even if NHL Player Safety got it right by deeming the hit which was called a major not a deliberate blow to the head due to Myers contacting the upper chest, Myers was accountable for his actions. Edmundson did well. The Canadiens win the rubber match. Oddly enough, Myers had a miserable night finishing minus-four with a lost fight. Montreal is a very together team.

Inject Nick Suzuki into my veins.

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Younger Blueshirts bright spots in tough loss to Penguins

Posted on January 23, 2021 by Derek

By now, all the yo-yos complaining over spilt milk have calmed down. A 56-game schedule means it’s too early for panic. Especially four games into the new season.

A 1-2-1 record at the start isn’t what the Rangers wanted. That’s where they are following Friday night’s tough 4-3 loss to the Penguins in a shootout. The rematch is Sunday evening. I don’t know how much I’ll watch due to my rooting interest in the Bills versus the Chiefs.

I’m not ready to hang David Quinn from the guillotine. But he needs to figure out lines that work. Yesterday wasn’t his fault. They deserved a better fate than blowing a two goal lead to a very mediocre Pens, who looked disinterested until they got a break on a lucky Jared McCann goal. Ryan Lindgren accidentally put the puck in past Igor Shestyorkin to change the complexion.

The Rangers had plenty of chances to score more than the three goals they had in the second period. Ryan Strome can’t buy one. He was in all alone on Tristan Jarry and was stopped. He’s now without a point in four games. Whatever chemistry he had with Artemi Panarin looks gone. Quinn tried him with Pavel Buchnevich and the surprisingly consistent Phil Di Giuseppe on the third.

Chris Kreider is off to another slow start. Aside from his bank pass for his one goal on the power play in a 4-3 loss to the Devils, he’s hit a couple of posts and been denied by a quick Jarry. At even strength, Kreider hasn’t done enough. Neither has Mika Zibanejad. It seems like the key veterans only connect on the power play. Panarin isn’t shooting the puck enough. He must be better.

While only Buchnevich has shown rapid improvement thus far out of the experienced players, it’s the younger Blueshirts who are starting to be noticeable. With a power play goal on a good one-timer off a Panarin feed, Adam Fox has four points in the four games. He stuck on the top power play unit which got one past Jarry.

On a terrific forecheck from Di Giuseppe, he stole the puck and sent Filip Chytil in on a mini-break. The 21-year old took his time before going to a beautiful forehand backhand tuck that mirrored Peter Forsberg. It showed a lot of poise and skill which the budding Chytil has. He is looking more confident. It’s possible he could get an opportunity to center Panarin with another young player who looks better.

That would be Kaapo Kakko. Remember how lost he was most of his rookie season? That no longer is the case. Kakko has improved his skating and is more aggressive shooting the puck and attacking the net. His second of the season was a direct result of driving the net to put home the loose change created by a smart low shot by Di Giuseppe. It was as much of a shot pass knowing Kakko would be there for the goal.

On the subject of kids, K’Andre Miller celebrated his 21st birthday on Thursday. So, why not give himself a present by playing so well that he recorded his first NHL point on the Kakko goal. Confident with the puck all night while being teamed up with Jacob Trouba again, he transitioned up ice and dropped the puck for the Di Giuseppe shot that resulted in a goal that made it 3-1 Rangers. Not only was he good offensively, but splendid defensively where he checked Pens’ forwards and separated them from the puck. An excellent sign for a first round pick who looks the part.

It would be easy to point out the negatives from Friday. They didn’t finish off the dangerous Pens, who rose from the ashes to find the two goals they needed to force extras. The frustrating part was it wasn’t the big guns who did the damage. Sidney Crosby was not too involved. Strange to see. Evgeni Malkin was a non-factor. The goals came from Bryan Rust (11 shots), McCann and Teddy Blueger, who benefited from a fortunate bounce off the back boards for an easy put away. You can’t do anything about such goals. It happens.

The Rangers were the better team for most of the 65 minutes. Buchnevich had a bevy of chances to score. He couldn’t. Jarry finally played better to give his struggling team a chance. The Pens are without three starting defensemen. They still have Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin and John Marino. Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker still play for them. But there’s something wrong. They didn’t show much urgency until Lindgren scored on his own goalie. After that, they finally woke up.

If there’s a silver lining, the young Rangers played well. Even if Alexis Lafreniere needs to shoot the puck more instead of always passing. He’s still without a point. The top pick is getting enough shifts with Quinn even trying him out with Zibanejad and Kreider. Unfortunately, they didn’t do much and were caught on for two goals against. One was Jack Johnson losing a board battle which led to Cody Ceci firing a shot that was double deflected with Rust getting it. The other was the wide carom right to Blueger.

The question is why aren’t the big guns doing anything at five-on-five. Chytil, Kakko and Di Giuseppe have been the best line. Quinn broke it up due to wanting to see what the pair of young forwards could do with Panarin. It’s worth exploring further. Di Giuseppe is the kind of player, who can work with anyone. That’s probably what Strome needs.

There really isn’t much to be upset about. Other than Quinn sitting out Julien Gauthier for Kevin Rooney, whose penalty helped get the Pens back on track, they did enough to win. Sometimes, that’s hockey. Instead, Guentzel and Letang solved Shestyorkin in the shootout with backhands high short side. Only Panarin scored on Jarry, who stuck with Tony DeAngelo to stop his forehand deke in Round Three.

I would’ve loved to see Chytil get a shot. But Quinn went with his top three from last year. We’ll see how they respond in the rematch tomorrow night.

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Rangers should forget the polarizing Dubois after Blue Jackets travesty

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Derek

I’ll be honest. I never came out pro or con regarding Pierre-Luc Dubois. At age 22, he is a skilled two-way pivot with size and speed. I admire those qualities including his grit which is more of a North American style many teams covet. If only it were that simple.

A former third overall pick in the ’16 NHL Draft, the kid from Quebec is acting like an entitled, spoiled brat. With only three NHL seasons worth of experience, Dubois has already publicly stated his desire to leave Columbus for a bigger market. So much for loyalty to the team that believed in him enough to grab the fourth-year forward third in a Draft Class that featured Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine going 1-2. Matthew Tkachuk went sixth and Clayton Keller seventh. That’s quite a list to be part of.

While it’s true a couple have been signed long-term while Laine is on a one-year deal earning more money with each goal scored, that doesn’t excuse Dubois for his laziness in a Blue Jackets’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Lightning. On only his fifth shift of the game in the first period, he dogged it so badly that no-nonsense coach John Tortorella had seen enough. He justifiably glued his top center to the bench. The footage speaks for itself.

If that’s all Dubois is willing to give, he becomes as unlikable as one of those NBA superstars we hate so much. I don’t have to name names. The last thing hockey fans want is for the sport to become as utterly predictable as basketball. So, if you’re on the Go Get Dubois side, you can stop reading right now. After seeing that travesty, I don’t want any part of Dubois in NYC. As good a player as he is, that isn’t what we want to see from any Rangers. It lacks character and class. It’s also completely disrespectful to his teammates, who worked their butts off to earn a point against the defending champs.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1352436935025975299?s=19

It isn’t like Dubois is getting paid peanuts. He makes $5 million on average through 2022. The Blue Jackets didn’t have to pay him. But despite the public demand from a young player who hasn’t been around that long, they settled on two years for their best forward. If he really cares, he should play hard the way he indicated prior to the start of the season. Instead, he’s already become a distraction five games in. That doesn’t look good, or help his value.

One of the rumored teams interested are the hometown Canadiens. Naturally, they’d love to have a player of his talent. Even if he won’t be the biggest point producer, he’s the kind of guy who can step up his game when it matters. His 19 points in 26 career postseason games prove that. Last summer, he still was a point-per-game (4-6-10 in 10 GP) minus former superstar Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene.

Here’s the thing Rangers fans must consider. He costs $5 million against the cap. It was reported that Columbus asked for Habs center Nick Suzuki, another young roster player plus more. They wisely turned it down. The word insane comes to mind. Suzuki will be a better scorer than Dubois. He already is good. It’s not worth it if that’s the asking price. In all likelihood, the Canadiens should be a playoff team despite playing in a challenging all Canadian North Division.

What would the Rangers equivalent be to acquire such a polarizing player? Don’t insert Ryan Strome and think that’s going to work. Dubois BTW has one more goal/point (1) than the struggling Strome, who’s pressing. They would probably start with Kaapo Kakko or Vitaly Kravtsov, K’Andre Miller, a first round draft pick and probably someone else due to the young Blueshirts being unproven. Say, maybe Pavel Buchnevich? I think the Rangers would reject that on principle. Want to pawn off Tony DeAngelo? What will the defense look like afterwards? It already is sub-par due to Coach Quinn’s reluctance to sit Jack Johnson. Nobody knows why he’s in for Friday’s game at Pittsburgh. Good luck to DeAngelo, who returns following a two game absence.

The truth is this. Let’s say for arguments sake they are in on Dubois. The Blue Jackets aren’t taking back an unsigned Nils Lundkvist, who isn’t even playing in North America. Forget it. They want NHL players with at least one established along with another asset. You aren’t getting a 50-60 point player for a favorable package. Here’s a suggestion. How about waiting and seeing what this roster is capable of. They’re only entering Game 4 tonight and Game 5 this weekend. Try having patience.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1352455026522906630?s=19

A final point on the Dubois debacle in Columbus Thursday night. I watched Tortorella’s postgame. He calmly answered reporters for nine minutes via Zoom Conference. He was very diplomatic and pointed out how he’s handled Dubois or for that matter, any other player. Tortorella demands respect and wants his team to be hard to play against. Whatever that was where Dubois gave up so easily against the smaller Tyler Johnson, was a disinterested player going through the motions. It was brutal. He earned a seat on the bench. Who knows? If Quinn can sit DeAngelo, then Torts can healthy scratch Dubois.

Don’t forget that at $5 million AAV, Dubois is only locked in for two seasons. What do you think he’ll command by the summer of 2022? Exactly. The Rangers have a better top line center in Mika Zibanejad, who will deserve a nice raise this off-season. Extending him is important. That way he’s not playing out the final year of his contract. Buchnevich also needs to get paid this summer. Especially if he keeps producing. He’s stepped it up.

Don’t forget the salary cap is likely staying put at $81.5 million. So, that makes it harder to make such big moves. Like it or not, the Rangers remain a young rebuilding team searching for an identity. They play in a brutal division that’s been upgraded with the addition of the Bruins. A proven winner that’s tough to play against. The Sabres are more on the Rangers level, but boast a top 10 superstar in Jack Eichel along with scoring forwards Taylor Hall, Victor Olofsson and Jeff Skinner, who figures to get moved up eventually.

With two unproven goalies, rookies Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller along with Filip Chytil, Kakko and key second-year tandem Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren, the Rangers realistically speaking aren’t a playoff team. Unless a team ahead of them falls like the sketchy Penguins or low scoring Bruins, the Blueshirts will have an uphill battle to finish in the top four.

Is it worth sacrificing the future for a guy who might not be around in two years? I would pass.

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Devils get dumped on with a bag of cold reality

Posted on January 21, 2021 by hasan4978

I have to admit my pessimism about the 2021 season was slowly turning into guarded optimism, with five points in our first three games coupled with the welcome news Jesper Bratt is only days away from returning after finally getting his visa following a camp holdout things were looking up – at least until about four hours ago when the news dropped that Mackenzie Blackwood was placed on the COVID list. Not that there could have been any good timing for this news, but this quite possibly could have been the worst timing, both with Blackwood being on a hot streak to begin the season and with our backup situation still being unsettled. We’re still waiting on presumptive backup Aaron Dell (claimed after the Leafs dropped him), so in the pipes tonight for our first showdown with the Isles was Scott Wedgewood.

Tonight’s loss – yeah I know as I’m writing there’s still about twelve minutes left but let’s get real, we ain’t coming from three down against a Trotz team – was probably inevitable, especially after the Devils came out flat in the first period. No doubt the team was as floored by the Blackwood news as the fans were. Even under the best of circumstances the Isles have pretty well whipped us in the last few years regardless. With it being long-time Devil Andy Greene’s first game against his former team, there was even more emotion on the side of the home team tonight. I knew what was coming and peaced out of watching early, I didn’t even turn the game on until after the Devils showed some signs of life early in the second period and broke Semyon Varlamov’s season-long shutout streak with a goal from Nathan Bastian.

Ironically Bastian made a mistake that gave the Isles their second goal on the final shift of the first period. The fact Lindy Ruff put his line on the ice after that shows he’s at least going to give younger players a chance to get out of the doghouse rather than banishing them for the night after one mistake. This team is still very much a work in progress though, especially on the not-so-special teams, which have both been putrid this season. Our PK gave up another two goals in the third period while our PP is still scoreless and nearly gave up another shorthanded goal on top of it when PK Subban flopped a pass into Yegor Sharangovich’s chest that bounced away and led to a two-on-one. Fortunately Subban did his job at the other end taking away the pass on the play but overall he’s been dreadful again this season.

Really there are a lot of vets that need to pick it up, starting with the $9 million man. Maybe if Subban had just a couple of his elite seasons with us I’d be a little more inclined to give him slack the way I am Kyle Palmieri, but he’s been nothing but a massive disappointment so far in his Devils tenure. Yes he can eat minutes but with the ineffectiveness he’s played with on both ends of the ice, that’s like lauding a bad starting pitcher for eating innings (think Rick Porcello). As a Met fan with Roberto Alomar and a Jet fan with Brett Favre, I’ve seen this script before – the great player who then comes to your team and does squat. So far the only game Subban’s been good at here is the social media game.

Not that he – or Palmieri for that matter – have been the only disappointments. Our entire third line looks lost, especially wingers Nikita Gusev and Andreas Johnsson. Ineffective on both ends of the ice, for the second game in a row they’ve been benched for long stretches. This is more than a little problem considering Johnsson was one of Tom Fitzgerald’s big acquisitions this offseason while Gusev was supposed to be a lock top six forward, but instead is only inviting more questions over whether to re-sign him at the end of the season.

I can’t say tonight’s game really annoyed me, especially since I only watched about a period’s worth of action tonight. Once the Isles scored early in the third it was good night to lights. We’ll get another shot at the Isles at the Rock this weekend in Greene’s return to NJ (where it’s unfortunate he won’t get the fan ovation he deserves) but now we’ll have to play at least in the immediate future with either Wedgewood or waiver pickup Eric Comrie who just was eligible to be placed on the NHL roster yesterday. I’m not even going to bother to look at Wedgewood’s goals given up or try to rate them, what’s the point? The dude hadn’t played an NHL game in three years, was the third goalie for most of camp and will be the third goalie again when Dell gets here. Not that Dell’s great but at least he’s been an NHL backup.

Most of my annoyance comes with the forced limbo we’re now in, wondering which of the many possible reasons listed above caused Blackwood to be placed on the COVID list. A positive test, an inconclusive test or quarantining after a close contact? There’s already enough mystery around this virus in and of itself, having to wonder whether we’re talking about days or weeks when someone does get it. But also having to wonder about whether someone has it at all or is merely a precautionary quarantine just adds to the angst around this uniquely maddening season.

While in general we might be ready to at least start to turn the corner back the other way on the virus in terms of vaccine distribution ramping up, it’s still a long road ahead, one that’s not going to be finished before the end of the season in April. This was part of the reason I was and am still a bit ambivalent about the season but at least watching Blackwood and Jack Hughes was making the season interesting. Now we don’t even have the former to look forward to in the immediate future.

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Mackenzie Blackwood on COVID list, out for tonight

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Derek

In tough news that just came across in Twitter land, the Devils will be without starting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood for tonight’s game versus the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. Unfortunately, the hot goalie was put on the COVID list by the team, making him ineligible to play. Thanks to Devils blogger Hasan for noting that he’s out.

That’s a bad break for the Devils. They bring a 2-0-1 mark into their fourth game of the season. Without Blackwood, they’ll either look to Scott Wedgewood or Eric Comrie in net. Hopefully, Blackwood won’t miss significant time.

The NHL is taking no chances with the pandemic. They recently fined the Washington Capitals $100,00 for not following proper safety and protocol due to four key players hanging out in a hotel without masks. The four players are Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitri Orlov and Ilya Samsonov, who is positive for COVID-19. Not good. Meanwhile, Ovechkin, Orlov and Kuznetsov will miss the next four games. Yikes.

In better news, Devils coach Lindy Ruff revealed that Jesper Bratt will make his season debut tonight. He won’t. Amanda Stein tweeted the lineup which has Wedgewood in net.

For the Islanders, Josh Bailey was cleared for the game.

The Devils take on the Islanders at 7 PM. Face-off is approximately 7:08 EST.

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Hughes led Devils get litmus test against Islanders

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Derek

The Devils are off to a good start in this shortened 56-game season. With second-year center Jack Hughes leading the way with six points (2-4-6) including a statement two goal, assist game in a 4-3 win over the Rangers on Martin Luther King Day, he looks much better than his rookie season. The improvement in strength and skating has been noticeable for the ’19 top pick. It could be a significant breakout year for the Devils’ top gun.

With Hughes centering a cohesive top scoring line with Kyle Palmieri and promising Russian rookie Yegor Sharangovich, it looks like the Devils could surprise some people. They definitely have more structure under proven NHL coach Lindy Ruff. Even if it got dicey late at MSG due to penalty trouble and the ice being tilted, they bent but didn’t break to improve to 2-0-1 versus the Bruins and Rangers. Five out of six points earned.

Mackenzie Blackwood is a big reason for the good start. He was up against it on Monday night. Despite facing 50 shots including 21 in the third period, Blackwood stood up to the challenge to make 47 saves in the one goal victory. He’s started all three games and posted a 1.90 goals-against-average (GAA) with a .948 save percentage. It translates to 109 of 115 shots stopped. The only even strength goal he’s allowed came in the third period versus the Rangers when Filip Chytil beat him on a rebound. The other five have come on special teams including four power play and one shorthanded. If he can continue to consistently stop the puck, then the Devils should be in a lot of games.

Another positive has been the quick start from Miles Wood. An agonizing player due to his penchant for bad penalties (two goalie interference minors), he is capable of scoring between 15 to 20 goals and being an effective top nine forward. That he’s scored three goals including the power play game-winner along with a helper, is a good sign. If any coach can get something out of him, it’s Ruff, who knows a thing or two about squeezing the most out of gritty players who play the game aggressively like Wood.

Rookie Ty Smith is off to a great start with points in his first three NHL games. He’s shown off an uncanny ability to get his good point shot through. It’s resulted in his first NHL goal, a deflection and a rebound goal from Hughes off a Sharangovich face-off win. A superb skater, Smith is proving why the Devils took him in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft. Maybe the extra year of development in juniors at Spokane was better for him.

The best aspect is they’re doing this without key top nine forwards Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt with the latter almost ready to be cleared due to the self quarantine. Hischier could miss at least a month due to his injury. Ruff hasn’t been shy about using Travis Zajac as his number two pivot while Pavel Zacha and Mike McLeod are the third and fourth centers depending on each game.

The defense is comprised of Damon Severson, Ryan Murray, P.K. Subban, Dmitry Kulikov, Smith and Matt Tennyson. They’re still waiting on veteran Sami Vatanen, who’ll likely replace Tennyson and work with Smith on the third pair. Will Butcher looks like the odd man out. That’s too bad for a player who once showed promise offensively. Maybe he’ll get moved.

New Jersey did add goalie Eric Comrie to the roster. So, they now have three goalies. Scott Wedgwood has yet to get a start. With the schedule spread out this far with two games against the Islanders over four days, there’s no reason not to stick with Blackwood. He is by far their best option.

After two days off, the Devils travel to Long Island to battle the rival Islanders, who have won two of their first three. When Semyon Varlamov starts, they have yet to permit a goal. The number one goalie indeed has two shutouts and been perfect. He is the proven vet, who’ll help guide fellow Russian countryman Ilya Sorokin in his first NHL season. A goalie match-up of Blackwood versus Varlamov is appealing. They’re both playing lights out. So, it should be interesting. Will they oppose each other in both games with the rematch not until Sunday back in Newark? We’ll see.

The one thing about the Islanders is they’re extremely detail oriented. Under Barry Trotz, they make it tough on opponents due to their patient defensive system. Coming off their first trip to the Conference Finals since ’93, they’re out to prove that run wasn’t a fluke. If they’re on their game, they’re hard to beat. It’ll be a good litmus test for the Devils.

Mat Barzal centers Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle. Brock Nelson anchors the second line which will be without key setup man Josh Bailey, who’s in COVID protocol. A few hours ago, Trotz provided no update for tonight. This is what part of the lineup could look like courtesy of Arthur Staple.

It’s worth noting Leo Komarov passed through waivers unclaimed while Oliver Wahlstrom has yet to play a game this year. Casey Cizikas anchors the very effective fourth line with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders are a four line team, whose identity is to outwork opponents and force them into mistakes.

Former Devils captain Andy Greene faces the Devils. That’ll be an intriguing storyline. He’s part of a solid defense that features Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, Nick Leddy, Greene and Noah Dobson.

We’ll see how the Devils do against a good opponent.

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Kreider is right about this loss being a learning experience

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Derek

AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

It’s easy to get caught up in the end result. By the end of the night, the MSG scoreboard read: Devils 4 Rangers 3. It would be easy to point out the negatives of losing the first of eight games versus the Hudson rival. But that’s not the point.

Three games in, the ’21 New York Rangers are 1-2-0 with two points. They’re a work in progress. In the first game, they forgot to show up. The second was total domination to gain a split versus the Islanders. It showed what they’re capable of. Game 3 of 56 was a mixture of good and bad. Even with some of the mistakes that resulted in four Devils goals including a beauty from Jack Hughes, there was more good than bad.

The Rangers outshot the Devils 50-28 and out-attempted their Newark rival 81-46. On most days, that’s going to be good enough to win. They were done in by two Devils. Hughes, who was spectacular with his first two goals and a great setup for Miles Wood’s game-winner. Mackenzie Blackwood, who was remarkable in stopping 47 of 50 shots. He finally gave up an even strength goal in the third period to Filip Chytil, who was a bright spot in defeat. In particular, he and Kaapo Kakko earned more ice time in a dominant third that saw the Blueshirts tilt the ice.

Shots favored the Rangers 21-8 in the final period. However, they were only able to get the one goal from Chytil, who was able to come off the bench on a line change and follow up a Phil Di Giuseppe rebound that was all set up by a brilliant back pass from Pavel Buchnevich. He was shifted on to that line by David Quinn on the third. The improving Russian forward is making things happen. A good sign for him. He’s gotten off to slow starts in the past. He is 2-2-4 so far in the three games. Maybe he’ll find himself on the big top unit over an ineffective Ryan Strome by Friday at Pittsburgh. The power play connected twice in six attempts, but could’ve had more. They failed to tie it late.

When asked to assess only taking two of a possible six points at home, Chris Kreider chose to be more philosophical about his team’s start. Remembering that they are one of the NHL’s youngest teams, the 29-year old veteran talked about it being a “learning process” for the new players. He’s right. It’s still quite an adjustment for rookies Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller, who continues to look more comfortable as he gains valuable experience. Neither saw many shifts late with Quinn opting to ride his big guns. However, they each received over 14 minutes, which is fine.

I’d like to see Lafreniere more utilized on that power play which saw Kreider, Strome, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox log over seven minutes each. As time moves forward, the third-year coach will have to trust kids like Lafreniere, Miller, Chytil and Kakko if he wants the team to succeed. That means being willing to let them learn from mistakes without being punished. Which reminds me. Why is it always the same players who are made examples? I would expect Tony DeAngelo to return to the lineup on Friday. Perhaps veteran Jack Johnson sits. You can’t have both Johnson and Brendan Smith in the lineup. It’s not sustainable.

The thing is despite doing many things right, the Blueshirts found themselves on the wrong end due to costly mistakes. Not only from the easy target. But Jacob Trouba, who didn’t have a good night. Neither did partner Ryan Lindgren, who by the game’s conclusion was back with Fox. They each were victimized for two goals against including a jaw dropping highlight reel goal from Hughes. Having already tallied his first on a face-off win by rookie Yegor Sharangovich, he blocked a Trouba point shot and broke up ice flying past a chasing Lindgren to dust Alex Georgiev with a beautiful move, going backhand five-hole to make it 3-1 Devils.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1351700545568911361?s=19

He wasn’t done. After Zibanejad connected on a great Fox diagonal feed for his first on the power play to cut the lead to one, Trouba hi-sticked Hughes. The undisciplined penalty took only 22 seconds for Hughes to find just enough wiggle room to put a pass by Fox past an out of position Johnson to Wood, who was able to get enough of the puck with his stick to put it in off his skate. That made it 4-2. It matched his career high of three points (2-1-3). Hughes nearly had point number four on a setup feed of a P.K. Subban one-timer past Georgiev. However, a successful coach’s challenge overturned the apparent goal due to Kyle Palmieri being offside.

Despite the Devils’ best attempts to hand them back the game, the Rangers didn’t take advantage. Even if a couple of calls against New Jersey like the one on Mike McLeod were questionable which led to Kreider banking in his first goal off Ryan Murray, they kept taking foolish penalties. But a bench minor, a Ty Smith hold and a last gasp Nathan Bastian hook weren’t enough to come back.

At least Quinn finally realized both Chytil and Kakko were going. He rewarded each with more shifts in the final period with Kakko even getting power play duty. A makeshift line of Buchnevich, Di Giuseppe and Chytil combining for the only goal despite a strong edge in play. Blackwood stood tall in net by making 20 of his 47 saves in the third. He really did a great job as did a few teammates, who blocked 18 shots including a game high five from Damon Severson.

Lindy Ruff’s team did just enough to get the win. Sure. They held on. But they cashed in on Rangers mistakes and got better goaltending from Blackwood, who was named the game’s Second Star behind Hughes. It wasn’t Georgiev’s best night. He allowed four goals on 20 shots including a pair of rebound goals to Travis Zajac and Hughes. While it was far from his fault, he was replaced by Igor Shestyorkin, who turned away all eight Devils shots in period three.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1351741780920836099?s=19

So, Ruff got the better of Quinn in the first of eight big Battle of Hudson match-ups. He has to feel good about how his team’s played. They took three of four points from the Bruins and improved to 2-0-1 in three games against teams that are supposed to be better than them. Maybe adding the former Rangers assistant, who’s best known for the great job he did in Buffalo, is going to make them a better team. On this night, they had the two best players. Hughes and Blackwood carried them to victory.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1351734045722505219?s=09

Two of six points isn’t a good start for the Rangers. However, three games doesn’t make a season. Even if it’s only 56 matching Joe DiMaggio, there are still 53 left to play. All against division rivals including the Bruins and Sabres. Now, they must turn the page and get ready to play two at the Penguins this weekend. It’s part of a four game road trip that includes a stop in Buffalo following a big weekend for that city. Good luck to the Bills.

It promises to be interesting over the next few months. They must trust the process.

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Quinn to stick with lineup for tonight’s Hudson battle between the Rangers and Devils

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Derek

It isn’t a revelation that the Rangers will go with the same lineup that won convincingly over the Islanders this past Saturday. Coach David Quinn usually will stick with what works for the short-term. How can anyone argue this early in the season?

When the Rangers host the Devils at MSG tonight, it’ll once again be Alex Georgiev in net. He is coming fresh off a 23 save shutout. Igor Shestyorkin will be the backup. Given that the Devils, who are off to a good start after taking three of four points against Boston, they’ll likely roll with starter Mackenzie Blackwood in goal. He’s looked excellent so far only allowing three goals in two games.

With Quinn liking how well his team responded, Tony DeAngelo will again sit out. The defense pairs will be the same. That means the new top pair of Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba. A tandem I’m not against. Especially if they want to have a shutdown D pair. Both worked well together in the 5-0 win over the Islanders.

By keeping them together, it allows rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller to have less pressure while paired with Brendan Smith, who had an excellent season debut. He picked up the lone assist on Artemi Panarin’s breakaway goal and played a simple game while mixing it up. The tandem finished plus-three each.

That also means veteran Jack Johnson works with Adam Fox for a second consecutive game. With Johnson making no mistakes next to Fox, he stays in the lineup. There’s nothing wrong with it as long as they monitor his ice time. He kills penalties as does Smith. It’s all about finding the right match-ups at five-on-five. The Rangers are the home team and have the last change.

Regarding the power play, Quinn is happy with it despite going 1-for-8 on Saturday. He felt both units had enough looks. There is a possibility Pavel Buchnevich could move up to the top unit in place of Ryan Strome. That would give the first unit another left shot. Normally, it’s only net presence Chris Kreider with right shots Panarin, Strome, Mika Zibanejad and DeAngelo, who for now is out. Instead, Fox is on the point in his place. He usually is on the second unit.

The second unit had a different look the other day. Brett Howden was added to that unit and was effective due to winning offensive draws. He’s over 54.0 percent so far which leads a face-off challenged team. That might be why he’s been receiving more ice time including the penalty kill where he’s been a fixture. If only he had more scoring touch.

Quinn has expressed an interest in seeing what Filip Chytil can bring to the second power play. More of a skilled offensive player, he isn’t as effective in the dot. He’s winning below 30.0 percent. That’s an area he must improve on. Given the skill he can bring, if they did flip Buchnevich with Strome, the second line center could take the draws. That would work. Without DeAngelo, Trouba has gotten point time on the second unit. Brendan Lemieux was used in the second game and Alexis Lafreniere has been featured.

If there is any other change, Kaapo Kakko could eventually get back on the man-advantage. He alternated during the morning skate. Kakko belongs on the power play with there more operating room for him to be a shooting threat. Especially after notching his first of the season on a well executed play through the neutral zone from Chytil and Phil Di Giuseppe. It’s only a matter of time before Kakko is teamed up with Lafreniere on the power play.

With Quinn sticking with the same lineup, that means more of Lafreniere on line two with Panarin and Strome. The 19-year old top pick is still looking for his first NHL point. He’s had chances. Maybe it happens later tonight. Strome also is without a point in two games.

The third line of Chytil, Di Giuseppe and Kakko will stay intact after a good game. Hopefully, they’ll be able to get more shifts. They didn’t see as much ice time due to all the power plays. Plus none of the three kill penalties. Something Howden does while anchoring the checking line. He’ll again be teamed with Lemieux and Julien Gauthier, who hopefully will find more shifts. They need to find about him.

As for the Devils, keep an eye on the top line centered by sophomore Jack Hughes. He comes in looking more confident and stronger, having set up three goals. So far, Lindy Ruff has used Hughes with promising rookie Yegor Sharangovich and Kyle Palmieri. They have good chemistry.

It’s the play of that line that is worth watching. Especially Sharangovich, who scored his first NHL goal with 1.7 seconds left in overtime to defeat the Bruins over the weekend. He’s a very good skater that’s very fast and skilled. He scored 17 goals in the KHL this season before being recalled.

Without Nico Hischier, it’s Pavel Zacha centering the second line and proven veteran Travis Zajac anchoring the third line. Here’s how the lines looked during yesterday’s practice.

A rookie defenseman to watch is former first pick Ty Smith. He scored his first goal and followed it up with an assist. The left shooting defenseman can get his shot through and has shown confidence. He is paired with Matt Tennyson, who has supplanted Will Butcher on the third pair.

The Devils are still without Jesper Bratt, who must wait until being cleared due to waiting on visas. If he was playing, he’d be in the top nine. Ditto for veteran D Sami Vatanen.

P.K. Subban is looking for a bounce back year. So far, he’s been shutout in the goal department. Even though he isn’t what he once was, you always have to account for his big shot. Especially on the power play.

Damon Severson came up with a big assist to lead Sharangovich in for his overtime winner. It was a quick no look pass. He now is being used in more of a leadership role with an alternate. A good skater, Severson can be an offensive factor.

It’ll be Blackwood making his third straight start. He’s really been sharp thus far. Scott Wedgewood backs up.

This is the first of eight meetings between the Hudson rivals.

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