Reality bites: Devils swept by Flyers

Posted on January 28, 2021 by hasan4978

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

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

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

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

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

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Jack Johnson out for tonight due to groin strain

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Derek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Derek

Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Five-On-Five

Rangers 2 goals on 23 shots

Sabres 1 goal on 15 shots

Five-On-Four

Rangers 0 goals on 7 shots

Sabres 2 goals on 9 shots

Face-offs

Rangers 17

Sabres 39

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

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

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

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

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

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

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

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Derek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Rangers lose Chytil for four to six weeks

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Derek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chytil out for Tuesday at Buffalo, Georgiev gets the start

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Derek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Rangers fall apart in loss to Penguins

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Derek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three Stars of the Game

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

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

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

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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.

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

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.

Posted in Column, Hard Hits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments