Crawford announces retirement from hockey, Wedgewood now Devils backup goalie

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Derek

After taking a few personal days to be with his family, goalie Corey Crawford decided to announce his retirement from hockey. It wasn’t a surprising decision. The 36-year old proud veteran two-time Stanley Cup winner realized that he had nothing left to prove.

A very good netminder who spent his whole 10-year career with the Blackhawks, Crawford realized that there was nothing left to give. Rather than continue his hockey career with the Devils where he signed a two-year contract worth an average of $3.9 million, he wanted to spend more time with his family. Considering his injury history which included multiple concussions, it isn’t shocking.

Unfortunately for the Devils, they are still on the hook for the $3.9 million salary cap hit due to Crawford’s age. He’s over 35. It doesn’t seem fair. It should be something they should change in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This per CapFriendly.

https://twitter.com/CapFriendly/status/1347963312420626433?s=19

I don’t see why a team should be held responsible if a player they signed changes their mind. It isn’t like Crawford was already under contract having played x amount of seasons. This is a different situation. He never played a game for the Devils. That’s why the 35 and over clause in the CBA should be adjusted under such special cases.

Correction: Following that information, CapFriendly posted a retraction. The Devils aren’t on the hook for the Crawford contract. His $3.9 million cap hit comes off. I knew it didn’t make sense. So, it frees up more cap room. I was wondering why PuckPedia had more cap space with Crawford not listed.

With Crawford doing what’s best for him longterm, I give him credit. He didn’t try to stick around too long. If you’re not fully committed, then the best decision to make is to retire. That way the team can move on.

The Devils currently have Mackenzie Blackwood as their starting netminder. He’s signed for three years at an AAV of $2.8 million through 2023. Scott Wedgewood is now the backup. He’ll make $700,000. He’s had a good training camp. For him, it’s another opportunity to play in net for the Devils. We’ll see how it goes.

For his NHL career spent with the Devils and Coyotes, Wedgewood is 7-10-5 with a 3.05 GAA and .903 save percentage over 24 games. His first four came in New Jersey back in ’15-16 when he went 2-1-1 with a 1.25 GAA, .957 save percentage and a shutout. He spent most of his time with Binghamton in the AHL.

In other recent Devils news, they brought back defenseman Sami Vatanen. The veteran right D agreed to a one-year deal worth $2 million. He’s an experienced player who can play on the bottom pair and penalty kill. It’s a smart low risk move that is an upgrade over extra Connor Carrick. If they fall out of playoff contention, the Devils can always trade him to a contender.

Crawford finishes his 10-year NHL career with 260 victories, a 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage and 26 shutouts. He played all 488 games with the Blackhawks where he won two Cups in ’12-13 and ’14-15. He’ll always be a champion in Chicago hearts.

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As training camp opens, Kreider a sounding board on Lafreniere and Rangers

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Derek

The look on the bench says it all. A wow moment is coming for some new Rangers. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Twitter.

Hockey is back. For a few teams, they already officially started the abbreviated training camps early due to not qualifying for the postseason. Now, all 31 NHL teams are back to work in preparation for the start of a 56-game 2021 season. The fun begins on January 13 for some teams while for others, it’s Jan. 14.

For the Rangers, they’ll have the top cross-town rival Islanders on the schedule in 10 days. The countdown is on. Even if it’ll once again be without fans due to COVID-19 restrictions, it all starts up for real. Fifty-six games with every single one against your own reformed divisions. That means we get Rangers/Islanders eight times. That includes the first two to start. You better believe it’ll be fun.

Chris Kreider is looking forward to it and a lot more as he and his teammates which include top pick Alexis Lafreniere get ready for what promises to be a four month sprint from Winter to Spring. Basically, going from ice cold to warmer temperatures in May. If they’re lucky, they’ll get to continue the journey further.

By that, I’m obviously referring to the ultra tough East Division. It’s an eight team division that includes the old Patrick Division of the Capitals, Devils, Flyers, Islanders, Penguins and Rangers. Plus two classic Adams rivals in the Bruins and Sabres. Both of who should fit in. Especially when you factor in the history between Boston and New York along with the classic Bruins/Flyers battles. The Sabres get to stay in state and form even more intimidate rivalries with the Islanders, Rangers and the Devils. They certainly have had some epic playoff series versus the Flyers along with heartbreak to the Pens. There’s something for everyone in this division that featured five legit playoff teams last year. What does that mean for the Rangers, Devils and Sabres? It won’t be easy.

But to hear Kreider tell it, he can’t wait. You know a player who’s been around for nearly a decade loves the idea of playing all these rivalry games. He definitely sounded enthusiastic in the Zoom conference above when speaking to reporters about a variety of topics. That included the excitement surrounding Lafreniere, who he praised for his skills. When talking of the newest Blueshirt, he spoke highly of how the puck just is on a string when the teenager has it. He’s played with him before. So, he knows what the kid from Quebec City is capable of.

When asked about how he handled last year with questions surrounding his contract status, he was very candid in acknowledging that after 20 games, he was able to refocus and do what he knew he was capable of. As Kreider basically pointed out, you can only control what you can. Something he’s seen plenty of times with former teammates. He didn’t need to cite any names. Instead, he spoke of the hard cap and how from year to year, they know the roster isn’t going to look the same. He spoke from experience on how other players handled the pressure and weight of expectations and uncertainty due to free agency. Not knowing isn’t easy. That the now Rangers’ leader was able to reach agreement on a new contract that keeps him on Broadway had to be a relief. He’s seen many popular teammates leave due to such complicated situations.

For the most part, the Rangers are intact for the upcoming season. However, Kreider was also asked how strange it was not to see [Henrik] Lundqvist, [Marc] Staal and [Jesper] Fast. Of course, all three are in different situations. While Staal prepares with the rebuilding Red Wings and Fast gets going with the contending Hurricanes, who are in a different division due to realignment, Lundqvist won’t be donning a Washington Capitals number 35 jersey. It’s still hard to believe that the affable 38-year old all-time Rangers franchise great needs open heart surgery. He will miss the season. What that means for his career, who knows. It could be over. I would love to see him come back only if he’s medically cleared for ’21-22. He’ll be 39. We can only hope and pray as fans that the final game wasn’t a loss to the Hurricanes in a very brief stay at the Toronto bubble.

Listening to Kreider, you can tell the team misses all three. He called them three of the nicest people he’s ever known. That speaks to the quality of Lundqvist, Staal and Fast. They were important locker room leaders who set a good example for a younger roster to follow. Having also watched former Ranger Mike Rupp talk about Lundqvist, he heaped high praise on how committed and competitive his former teammate was while discussing him on NHL Network. This is a former Stanley Cup hero in ’02-03 who used to play on the other side of the Hudson rivalry. He wasn’t a Ranger too long, but certainly respected what Lundqvist brought to the table. Listening to him speak was as good as it gets. I’ve heard Kevin Weekes channel similar thoughts about Hank.

It definitely sounds like all three players will be missed from a leadership standpoint. However, that means more significant roles for some key Rangers. While coach David Quinn tries to figure out if the team will have a captain, they’re still waiting on top finisher and number one center Mika Zibanejad to report. He’s been delayed due to quarantine. In the meantime, Brett Howden has taken practice rushes with Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. For now anyway, Kaapo Kakko has supplanted Fast as the right wing on the second line with Ryan Strome and leading scorer Artemi Panarin. Basically, that means Quinn prefers continuity for now with the top six.

It also would mean Lafreniere starting on the third line alongside Filip Chytil and Julien Gauthier. While I understand why Quinn would want to keep the top two lines intact, I believe longterm, you’ll eventually see Lafreniere bumped up. He’s got too much skating, talent and playmaking ability to be on the third unit. However, if that’s where he starts it could benefit Chytil, who really must step it up. He needs to prove he can be relied upon as a center. That means more consistency and some improvement on face-offs. It really is an important year for Chytil, who could replace Strome if he’s moved.

The Rangers center situation remains a question mark entering the New Year. Strome fit in well with Panarin last season producing career bests. On a deeper team, he’s better suited on the third line. There certainly will be added pressure to perform now that he got a bump up in pay over the short-term. We’ll see what he can do for an encore.

In order for the team to have success and seriously challenge for a top four spot, they’ll need both Kakko and Chytil to perform well. They must show improvement so that Quinn isn’t always throwing all his eggs in one basket. Ditto for Buchnevich, who must prove he can start off better than past seasons. This is a contract year. With recent first round pick Vitaly Kravtsov is playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, Buchnevich could be a goner if he doesn’t prove himself. Sure. He’s been a much better second half player and adjusted to Quinn’s no-nonsense approach. But it’s about consistency. Will he be worth that next contract or does he become a cap casualty due to the likely stagnant $81.5 million max?

If they are to become a more balanced team up front, that means Lafreniere positively impacts who he plays with. It also means either Gauthier or Brendan Lemieux improve. Lemieux is the more hard-nosed forward who plays on the edge. He must remain more disciplined and be on the right side of the ledger when it comes to drawing penalties and not taking them. It also means chipping in a few more goals. Something he’s capable of. He’ll start on the fourth line with Howden and possibly Kevin Rooney or Phil Di Giuseppe. Morgan Barron will also try to make the club out of camp which will include a couple of game like scrimmages. There is no preseason.

For now, Quinn has decided to shift Tony DeAngelo to the left side where he’ll get a chance to pair up with Jacob Trouba. That will be worth following. I liked what I saw when Quinn tried DeAngelo with brilliant rookie Adam Fox in search for more offense. Both are superb skaters who can transition the puck quickly and create puck possession and offense. Maybe the second pair of Ryan Lindgren and Fox eventually gets split up. I could potentially see Lindgren getting a shot with Trouba as a shutdown first pair while DeAngelo-Fox work together to form a very fast second pair who can turn defense to offense. It all depends on what happens early.

If Quinn is committed to a team top four D, what about his bottom pair? It can’t possibly be veterans Brendan Smith and Jack Johnson. I don’t see that working out well for either. Keep an eye on K’Andre Miller and Tarmo Reunanen. The best hope for the team is Libor Hajek shows enough improvement to break into the lineup. He’s a good enough skater. The defense is a concern. If he can make the leap, then they’re not relying as much on Johnson and Smith. They even signed vet Anthony Bitetto as insurance.

The organization boasts plenty of promising defense prospects. They include Nils Lundkvist, Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, Miller, Reunanen, Braden Schneider and Hunter Skinner. With Schneider having a good game for Canada in the U20 IIHF WJC semifinals against Russia, there’s a lot of promise for the future. Jones has also been a fast rider with his improvement at UMass-Amherst. We’ll see about how ready Miller is. He’s young. There’s no reason to rush him unless he forces his way into the conversation.

As for the goalies, it’s all on the Russian tandem of Igor Shestyorkin and Alex Georgiev. There will surely be more pressure on both with the recently turned 25-year old Shestyorkin expected to be the starter. Georgiev has been a good backup. Now, there’s no security blanket with Lundqvist no longer around. They’ll have to push each other and be consistent. We know the capability of Shestyorkin and it’s exciting. This time, there are expectations.

That’s all for now. You pretty much got the full breakdown. We know the East Division will be tough. I’ll examine it more this week.

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Devils begin new year with anticipation and questions

Posted on December 31, 2020 by hasan4978

Well the moment is finally upon us, and I don’t mean the merciful end of 2020 in a few hours, but rather the moment hockey has finally come back for the Devils and six other teams whose last time on the ice as a team was in March – before the COVID pandemic changed the world as we know it. Hopefully most of those changes won’t be permanent. This is the first year in a long time I’m not at a friend’s house for New Year’s and I’ll quite possibly go from this March to next October in between physically attending a game at Prudential Center, since it’s not likely we’ll have fans in the arena till late in the condensed season, if at all.

Sure these are relatively insignificant problems compared to the physical, mental and economic problems many have been suffering from in the year of COVID. Still, we could all use more of a return to normal when and where we can get it, whether it’s in sports or otherwise. Of course a lot about what will be the 2021 NHL regular season is going to be necessarily abnormal. It’s still our team coming back and hockey at the highest level though. And in the Devils’ case, it’s also the beginning of a new regime in charge after a tumultuous 2019-20 season that saw the Devils fire their GM Ray Shero and coach John Hynes, and part ways with the one-time franchise face in Taylor Hall as well as their long-time stalwart and captain Andy Greene.

Of course there are plenty of holdovers as well, looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2019-20 season which began with high hopes, but those crashed to earth in a matter of weeks. And camp hasn’t been completely free of angst either, with Nico Hischier nursing an undisclosed leg injury suffered in training which was called ‘week-to-week’, not exactly ideal considering the season is less than two weeks from officially beginning. Also, winger Jesper Bratt is still missing from camp being an unsigned RFA and having to go through quarantine once he does sign and come back. So there’s a decent chance two top six forwards can be on the shelf for our first game in ten months.

Having a two-week (or less) camp is problematic for everyone around the league but honestly I think it’s more problematic for a team like the Devils, and not just because we’re one of the unlucky seven that haven’t played since March but also because there are a lot of younger players who could use the normal routine of camp to win jobs and open eyes. Perhaps with the injury to Nico and delay in Bratt’s return a couple of those guys will get chances anyway. It would be nice to be able to treat the first 5-10 games of the regular season as an extended preseason, the way it would be in a normal year but with only 2/3 of a season and division play only it’s pretty much imperative to come out of the gates as ready as possible.

Not as if I expect the team to make the playoffs anyway or anything like that, but you at least want to see this team be more competitive than they’ve been the last two years. Of course in that vein, I’ve heard and read more than once in the last twenty four hours on the interwebs that ‘I don’t care what this team’s record is, as long as I see development from the kids’…that’s one of my biggest pet peeve fallacies. If your team is terrible it’s more than likely a reason why is you’re not getting enough development from key pieces – especially when said key pieces include two #1 overall franchise centers, a first-round defenseman finally looking to stick with the big club this year, and a 24-year old goalie. You need to be more competitive than doormat territory precisely because it’ll show improvement from guys you want to be a part of the long-term solution.

I kept putting off a further preview of this team in 2021 because I still expect more moves and PTO signings, especially with the forwards. I doubt much will materially change at this point though, particularly in the back where they have six vets under contract, and 2018 1st rounder Ty Smith came off a season where he was named the WHL’s top defenseman, so there are hopes he’ll stick with the big club this time after coming up short of making the team in his first two camps. Not that having vets mean things are entirely settled on the blueline.

Coming off a career-worst season, one-time Norris winner PK Subban needs to bounce back this year, particularly given his status as the most experienced defenseman we have. A Subban bounceback plus trade acquisition Ryan Murray staying healthy would go a long way toward improving the blue line from the wild inconsistencies of the last few seasons. Of course Subban is only signed for two more years and Murray through this season so improvement from the younger defensemen is also paramount going forward. Damon Severson flourished after the coaching change last year, but there is a bit of a sense of when a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s around to hear it, did it really fall? Meaning it’ll be nice to see him produce when we’re not just playing out the string in front of relatively nobody (as opposed to the literal nobody that’ll be in the stands this year). Will Butcher’s taken a step back the last two seasons from a solid rookie campaign, while Connor Carrick and Dmitry Kulikov are decent back six options.

Goaltending should be the most improved area on the team with another year of experience for Mackenzie Blackwood, as well as the signing of vet Corey Crawford – although the health of the latter (who just turned 36 today and hasn’t played more than forty games in the last three years) is by no means certain. Still, Crawford gives us a far better ‘on paper’ option than all of our non-Blackwood goaltenders gave us on the ice last year.

Up front, the most succinct way to describe it as question mark upon question mark, with the two most important question marks being our aforementioned #1 overall picks. Will Nico make the jump from good to great in his age 22 season? Can Hughes make the jump from not ready for the NHL to becoming at least a solid NHL player in his second season? At least Hughes is off to a good start off the ice, putting on some needed bulk.

Of course with Nico the long-term question is shelved for the moment given the short-term concern over his injury. Another important question mark is offseason trade acquisition Andreas Johnsson. Can he be a Blake Coleman replacement, perhaps? After a solid 20-goal season as a rookie he took a step back, slowed by injury last year. Will in-season trade acquisitions Janne Kuokkanen, Nick Merkley and Nolan Foote be able to win spots on the roster this year? Foote has the highest celing of the three but is likely a year or so away of contending for a full-time role while the other two are closer to earning bottom six forward minutes.

With almost everyone else that’s assured of a roster spot you pretty much know what you’re going to get. Kyle Palmieri will put up his 25 goals and 55 points, or whatever the 56-game version of those numbers are, while Nikita Gusev came on strong toward the end of his first NHL season…with both those players the questions are more off ice since neither is signed beyond this season. Travis Zajac is a pro’s pro, but he’s 35 this year and also a free agent at the end of the season, perhaps this will be the end of the road for #19 in the red and white? I’ve pretty much given up on perennial teases Pavel Zacha and Miles Wood being any more than they are – which is limited bottom six forwards, but there is still time for both to prove me wrong.

Other than goaltending perhaps, coaching is the key area where the team should be improved over recent seasons. Not that Lindy Ruff was everyone’s first choice this offseason (hand raised) but perhaps he’ll prove to be the right choice for us, given his work with younger teams in Buffalo and Dallas and a long track record of regular season success. Not to mention in a season that’ll be filled with more volatility and unpredictability, having a steady hand behind the bench can only help matters.

No season preview would be complete without an overview of the division at large. For all intents and purposes we only have to worry about seven teams this season, the other teams in the temporarily conceived East division. If you’re a NHL historian think of it as the old six-team Patrick Division, plus Boston and Buffalo. Of the other seven teams, I think for the moment you have to consider the Flyers and Capitals as playoff definites (although in such a stacked division there might be no such thing as a definite) with an aging Boston, the Islanders after their stellar bubble run, and Pittsburgh in the second tier as teams that can make it but can also fall back.

Then you have the Rangers who can easily muscle into that second group, but they’re also reliant on young goaltending and forwards (including #1 OA pick Alexis Lafreniere) plus Artemi Panarin keeping up the Hart-like pace he had in his first season with the Rangers. Bringing up the rear are the other locals, Buffalo who can never seem to get out of its own way – and it’s almost fitting Taylor Hall wound up there – then us. While we’re almost certainly the seventh or eighth best team in the division on paper, anything can happen in a short season.

Shoot, the 2015-16 Devils – who had no business being in a playoff run during Shero and Hynes’ initial season here – would have been right in the mix for a spot after 55-60 games with contributions from the likes of Wild Thing Bobby Farnham and journeyman Lee Stempniak, among others. Of course the division-only schedule itself is the bigger cause for concern given who the other division teams are. If you want an inspirational address for a team accused of being misfit toys, Lou Brown from the movie Major League can probably do better than I can:

I guess that was my microwave version of a preview, fitting for a microwave version of a season and camp.

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Rangers prospects score nice goals, tracking WJC ’21 and some NHL notes

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Derek

With both the KHL season and U20 World Junior Championship going on, there’s more hockey for fans to gloss over. That means plenty of highlights from games and enough time to track your team’s prospects.

Thus far, the IIHF WJC ’21 is in its fifth day of preliminary action. We’ve seen a few big performances with none better than Senators ’20 third pick Tim Stutzle dominating Slovakia in a big 4-3 overtime win yesterday to give Germany a huge two points in Group A. He looks like the real deal.

For more extensive coverage on the tournament, please refer to my hockey prospects blog. I do game reviews and add details on some of the top prospects playing in the WJC over in Edmonton. Each game takes place at the Oilers home rink Rogers Place. USA defeated Czech Republic 7-0 earlier. They’re now 2-1-0 with the big New Year’s Eve match versus Sweden. In the second game, Canada leads Switzerland 1-0 in the first period. Game Three is later pitting heavy underdog Austria against Russia.

For Team USA 🇺🇸, the Rangers are represented by ’20 fifth round pick Brett Berard. The under sized gritty forward has been good so far. He posted a goal and two assists in an 11-0 blowout of Austria. That included this highlight reel goal below.

An effective player with good speed and a willingness to drive the net and get dirty, you can see why the Rangers like him. He also set a good screen on Russian netminder Yaroslav Askarov on a goal that made USA’s first game against Russia interesting. The distraction allowed John Farinacci to pot a rebound to start a third period comeback. Ultimately, they fell short in a 5-3 defeat on Boxing Day.

Berard has drawn raves for his scrappy play. He’s around the puck a lot and makes things happen. He set up Bobby Brink’s tally today versus Czech Republic.

It’s looking like Berard could be a steal. Of course, it’s very early in his development. He is in his freshman year for Providence College. It’s definitely nice to see him be a factor on a good American team that features future star Trevor Zegras, Alex Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Matthew Boldy and Cam York. He assisted on a Brink goal today.

The Rangers also have Braden Schneider playing for Canada and Dylan Garand backing up for the defending champs. Schneider returned earlier from serving a one game suspension for a high shoulder hit that caught the head of an opposing player in Canada’s first game. He didn’t leave his feet. But anytime you make head contact, intentional or not, you’re going to pay the price. He took responsibility for the tough hit prior to puck drop versus Switzerland.

He’s a big and strong guy. The play was unfortunate. That’s hockey now. They have to protect player safety. Imagine if Scott Stevens played now. Exactly. The game has changed. Schneider had some kind words in a taped interview about the Humboldt Broncos, who are fondly remembered by the hockey community.

In recent KHL action for Traktor Chelyabinsk, Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov scored a nice goal the other day in Russia. He’s turned it around recently with goals in three of his last four games. Kravtsov is up to 12 on the season. That leads Traktor.

It’s nice to see him rounding into form. The KHL season has about two months left. It’s possible he could debut with the Rangers after the Traktor Chelyabinsk season concludes. We’ll see. He just turned 21 before Christmas.

Speaking of birthdays, tomorrow Igor Shesterkin will turn 25 on Dec. 30. The Rangers new starting goalie is getting ready for the abbreviated divisional format 56-game season which begins on Jan. 13. The Blueshirts start up versus the Islanders on 1/14.

NHL training camps officially opened up for the teams who didn’t qualify for last year’s expanded playoff format. Moves continue to be made as some organizations prepare to make room in compliance with the $81.5 million salary cap.

We’ve seen the Lightning get the Senators to take the contracts of Cedric Paquette and Braydon Coburn with a 2022 second round pick in exchange for basically retired forward Marian Gaborik and backup goalie Anders Nilsson. The Sens also did the Coyotes a favor by taking the remaining year of veteran center Derek Stepan for a second round pick. It didn’t make a ton of sense, but Stepan can add some leadership to a young rebuilding team that needs it. His remaining cap hit is $6.5 million before turning unrestricted next summer. Does the former Rangers fan favorite have something left at age 30?

We’ve also seen the Blues reach agreement with former Senator and Panthers finisher Mike Hoffman on a pro tryout. With Vladimir Tarasenko out long-term along with Alex Steen, both will be on LTIR which will create room to fit Hoffman in for one year. The cost is expected to be $4 million. He’s betting on himself to reset the market and gets to play for a good team that won the Cup in 2019. It’s a smart move by both parties.

In unfortunate injury news, Blackhawks’ 2019 third pick Kirby Dach suffered a fractured hand on a hit in Canada’s final exhibition game versus Russia. His hand wasn’t in a good spot and caught the brunt of a hit. The timetable for the Hawks second center isn’t good with the team revealing that he couldn’t begin “hockey related” activities until four to five months from now following successful surgery yesterday. What a big blow that is.

Even more worrisome, captain Jonathan Toews announced that he’s taking time away from hockey to address an unspecified injury. I have no idea what that means, but it doesn’t sound good. Sending all the best to one of hockey’s good guys and classy superstars.

I’ll have more news and notes in the coming days. Enjoy the WJC. Happy Holidays!

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Lundqvist to have open heart surgery, an emotional time for Rangers great

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Derek

In more stunning news, Henrik Lundqvist revealed that he will have open heart surgery. The former Rangers all-time great posted a tweet detailing the upcoming procedure.

The 38-year old Swede needs an Aortic Valve replacement, Aortic Root and Ascending Aortic replacement. He still remains positive despite this potentially life changing obstacle. He has a great attitude. It’s admirable the way he’s approaching this.

It’s hard to believe Lundqvist had a heart condition throughout his brilliant 16-year NHL career. A former seventh round pick by the Rangers in the 2000 NHL Draft, he won 30 or more games his first seven seasons and 11 of the first 12. The backbone of the franchise totaled a team record 459 wins (2nd active), which ranks sixth on the all-time NHL list. He also established franchise marks in games played (887), minutes (51,818), shots against (25,610), saves (23,509) and shutouts (64).

A Vezina winner in ’11-12 when he won a career best 39 games with career highs in goals-against-average (1.97 GAA) and save percentage (.930) with eight shutouts, he finished third for the Hart Trophy. It was his splendid goaltending under former coach John Tortorella that allowed the Rangers to finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference. What made it special is they were a year removed from squeaking into the playoffs and losing in the first round to the powerful Capitals led by Alexander Ovechkin.

After coming back to edge the Senators in seven games and avenge the loss to Washington by prevailing in seven, they fell short in the team’s first Eastern Conference Final appearance since ’97. A gut wrenching six game series loss to the Hudson Rival Devils. It wouldn’t be the last time they reached the Final Four. The biggest highlight coming two years later under coach Alain Vigneault when they eliminated the Flyers in seven and then dug deep to rally back from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Penguins in an emotional second round.

They did it by going into Pittsburgh and winning convincingly in Game Five. Then faced adversity with the death of Martin St. Louis’ Mom France. After attending the funeral service, they won an emotional game on Mother’s Day with St. Louis scoring the first goal in Game Six. The Garden shook. They would complete the franchise’s first ever 3-1 comeback by edging the Pens 2-1 with St. Louis setting up close friend Brad Richards for a power play goal late in the second period of Game Seven. Lundqvist did the rest in a nerve racking third where it felt like an eternity.

They defeated the Canadiens in six to win the Conference Final. It wouldn’t have been possible without an acrobatic Lundqvist save to rob Thomas Vanek. The game’s only goal came from Dominic Moore off a Brian Boyle set up from behind the net. A near flawless third allowed Lundqvist to earn the 1-0 shutout win before a loud MSG that again shook.

In their first Stanley Cup appearance in 20 years since they last won, they came up short in a closely fought five game series against the Kings. The difference was LA’s resiliency. Three times on home ice, they came back from deficits and won Games 1-2 and 5 in sudden death with Alec Martinez playing the ultimate hero. It was a cruel ending for the Rangers.

A year later, they nearly returned. But a bad third period on home ice in a do or die Game Seven allowed the Lightning to advance to a Stanley Cup Final against the Blackhawks. Little did we know that would be the final time those teams made it so far.

The bitter end came two years later in a six game second round defeat against the Senators. A very winnable series. There’s nothing more to say.

The past few years have been tough on Lundqvist. He saw his playing time dramatically reduced under coach David Quinn. The emergence of backup Alex Georgiev and heir apparent Igor Shesterkin made it hard on the prideful veteran who was used to a heavier workload.

It had to be heartbreaking. At the very least due to a Shesterkin injury, Lundqvist got into two of the Rangers’ postseason games against the Hurricanes. Though he didn’t win either, he gave the team a chance. Simply put, they were overmatched. Carolina swept the best-of-five Play In Series.

Knowing the writing was on the wall, Lundqvist informed teammates that he had played his last game for the Blueshirts following Game Two. He was bought out during the first period last Fall. Eventually, he landed on his feet with the Caps signing him on the first day of free agency to replace departed vet Braden Holtby. He was real excited for the next chapter and posted some cool videos on his Twitter account. It was nice to see.

When we learned recently that he would miss the upcoming 2021 season, it was a bummer. I was really looking forward to seeing Lundqvist in Caps threads. It would’ve been interesting to see how he did working with Ilya Samsonov. Instead, here we are a week later wondering if we’ll ever see Lundqvist in a number 35 uniform playing another NHL game. It’s sad.

The only thing we can do is wish him the very best and hope for a full recovery. His health is first over anything. This is serious stuff. My heart goes out to him. God bless 🙏 our beloved Number 30. Forever King Henrik.

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Kravtsov scores a beauty

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Derek

On Day Two of the World Junior Championship in Edmonton, there still is other hockey being played overseas. The KHL is in full swing.

Rangers prospect Vitaly Kravtsov recently turned 21 on Dec. 23. The ’18 first round pick scored a beauty for Traktor Chelyabinsk today in Russia. He made a great move outside in and surprised the goalie with a nice backhand for the goal.

In 32 games, Kravtsov entered with 10 goals and five assists totaling 15 points with eight penalty minutes and a plus-six rating. He’s up to 11 markers in 33 contests following today’s action.

That’s good production for the kid from Vladivostok, Russia. Former Devil Sergey Kalinin had 11 goals to pace Traktor coming in. He played the previous two seasons with CSKA Moscow.

Kravtsov ranks eighth in team scoring with 16 points.

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A good change by NHL on offside rule, the crazy Rangers schedule, Kucherov surgery and WJC

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Derek

One of the biggest gripes over the past few years was how often the offside challenge overturned goals. My view on it was when it’s obvious, that’s what it’s there for. When it becomes confusing for both players, coaches and even broadcasters plus fans, then there’s no point. The NHL made a good change regarding when a player is onside that should have a positive impact on games.

Hockey reporter Mollie Walker perfectly tweeted out how the new onside rules will work. It should be easier for refs and linesmen to determine if a player is onside or offside. What that means is less of a delay during coach’s challenges.

As long as the player has yet to break the plane and is on their own side of the blueline. It shouldn’t be as complicated. This is something that they needed to adjust moving forward. Nobody likes when you have lengthy reviews that take forever to determine. It slows down the game to a crawl and it’s not fun for anyone. Let’s hope this will help everyone and make it easier to tell if a scoring play is onside.

In regards to the 56-game schedule, Hasan did a good job breaking it down yesterday. By recreating new divisions to help make it regional and severely cut down on travel due to COVID-19, the league also threw a few wrinkles in that will emphasize the importance of rivalry games. For the Rangers, that means hosting a two-game series at MSG on January 14 and 16 against the Islanders to begin the ’20-21 season. Talk about a great way to kick things off. You will see games between divisional rivals bunched up.

Never is that more apparent than between April 13 thru 18 when the Devils and Rangers hook up for a unconventional four game set that may as well emulate baseball. It starts with the Rangers visiting Newark on 4/13. Then, they’ll host their Hudson rival twice at The Garden on 4/15 and 4/17. It concludes with the Rangers visiting the Devils on Sunday, Apr. 18. Wow. That’s what you’re looking at. It’s worth noting that by limiting the schedule to division only, you’re looking at eight match-ups between teams in the East, Central and West. All consist of eight teams. For the North which features all seven Canadian teams, that means more than eight games. At least nine or even 10 in some cases.

Some highlights of the Rangers schedule includes two at the Penguins on Jan. 22 and 24. Then they go to Buffalo for two against the Sabres 1/26 and 28. The Penguins then visit 33rd and 7th for two on 1/30 and 2/1. This is how crazy the schedule will be for each team. What I like is how they spaced it out. For the most part, back-to-back nights are limited. The Blueshirts have only six. They are:

Saturday 2/20 @ Capitals

Sunday 2/21 @ Capitals

Thursday 3/4 vs Devils

Friday 3/5 @ Devils

Saturday 3/27 @ Flyers

Sunday 3/28 @ Capitals

Thursday 4/8 vs Penguins

Friday 4/9 @ Islanders

Saturday 4/17 vs Devils

Sunday 4/18 @ Devils

Wednesday 5/5 vs Capitals

Thursday 5/6 @ Bruins

Aside from the fact that by adding both Boston and Buffalo, the decision is tough. Especially when you have five playoff teams from this past year in the Bruins, Caps, Flyers, Islanders and Pens. Even the Rangers qualified for the Play-In Round. The Sabres just missed, getting edged out by the Canadiens in the expanded format. They should be improved due to key additions Taylor Hall and Eric Staal. Dylan Cozens could also make his rookie debut. With both Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin a year older, they could compete for a playoff spot in the loaded East Division. It’ll depend on goalie tandem Linus Ullmark and Carter Hutton.

On paper, the Bruins, Caps, Flyers, Isles and Pens will be the favorites to earn the four spots. We’re still waiting on the Islanders to re-sign Mat Barzal and make it official with Matt Martin. Due to the salary cap holding steady at $81.5 million, you still have some teams scrambling to get key RFA’s done.

The Lightning were able to re-sign Anthony Cirelli to an AAV of $4.8 million through 2023. Even with the strange news that star forward Nikita Kucherov is expected to miss the regular season due to needing hip surgery, they still have to make a couple of moves. Obviously, Kucherov will go on LTIR. That’ll save the Bolts $9.5 million in cap space. According to puckpedia.com, they still need to clear $2.89 million. Puck Pedia notes that Tampa Bay can be $9.5 million over to begin the season. They’ll figure it out.

There is also the 2021 U20 World Junior Championships going on in Edmonton. Preliminary action will officially begin tomorrow on Christmas Day. The big game is between Team USA and Russia at 7:30 PM in Group B. Earlier action from Group A includes Switzerland taking on Slovakia and Germany battling Finland. USA, Russia, Austria, Sweden and Czech Republic are in Group B. Group A features defending champion Canada, Finland, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland. Obviously, Group B is way tougher.

Canada will be without captain Kirby Dach. The gifted center suffered a fractured right wrist on a hit he took during an exhibition game against Russia yesterday. He will miss time for the Blackhawks, who are banking on the former 2019 third pick to help boost their playoff aspirations in the new Central. It’s a big blow. It looks like the Rangers were right not to send top pick Alexis Lafreniere for that reason. Especially with things getting worked out.

One other important note is after much discussion about whether some Canadian teams would host games in their location such as British Columbia with the Canucks, they agreed to do so. So, there won’t be any concerns right now about where to play games.

In other news, the Devils signed first round pick Dawson Mercer to an entry level contract. He’s one of the key stars returning for Canada’s gold medal defense. That’ll do it for now. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Devils schedule is out, Blackwood signs three-year extension

Posted on December 23, 2020 by hasan4978
https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1341850216752951300?s=20

I have to admit to still feeling mixed emotions over the recent news that the 2021 NHL season will finally begin in about three weeks. Oh it’ll be nice to see the Devils back on the ice finally, since it’s been about eight months between watching games. Even if like most teams, we won’t be having fans in our arena for the immediate future. Without fans, the Devils announced that all season ticket costs will be rolled over to 2021-22 with further ticket payments frozen till then – and they threw in a $150 food and beverage credit for that season which is nice. I hated they got rid of the f/b credit for season ticket holders in the first place.

I’m sure some fans would rather have a refund but that wasn’t realistic. Besides, I look at it this way – at least I don’t have to pay for a season that’s likely going to be another one in the wilderness, especially playing fifty-six games in a brutal division. Whereas next year we’ll hopefully be back to a normal-ish schedule, and the younger guys will have another development year under their belts. Hopefully, we’ll be that much closer to getting out of the wilderness by then. For now, we’re the bettor’s choice for eighth in an eight-team division, even behind Buffalo (who along with Boston, has temporarily taken the place of Carolina and Columbus in what was formerly known as the Metro).

Of course I’ll be tuned in to our season opener(s) against the Bruins on January 14 and 16 – both at an empty Rock, assuming those games happen which is the real cause of my mixed feelings. By all acclimations the NHL and NBA did a wonderful job with their playoff bubbles in the summer, and in each case getting a deserved champion out of the interrupted 2019-20 season. And yes, we’re getting closer to a publicly available vaccine – but it’s not quite here yet. Both the NHL and the NBA are playing outside of a bubble in 2021. While it’s been messy with postponements and moved games up the wazoo, MLB and the NFL have both powered through to this point with no evidence of in-game transmission, but neither is an indoor sport the way the NHL and NBA are. With the NBA starting earlier than the NHL we got another reminder of just how perilous things still are when it only took till the second night of the NBA season for a game to get postponed.

I suppose it’s our turn to ride the uncertainty merry-go-round every other major sport is dealing with. At least the NHL smartly reduced travel and kept flexibility by following the MLB template of keeping the schedule as geography-based as possible, with everyone playing only six or seven other teams throughout the season and the first two rounds of the playoffs as well. None of those cross-over series this year, each division will send one team to the final four, and none of the last four teams will have played each other previously. If you’ve ever wondered what the Original Six NHL was like, we’ll all get to find out this year when we only play seven division teams eight different times – including one four-game ‘series’ with the Rangers in April – then the first two rounds of the playoffs will stay in-division on top of it.

Ironically without having to worry about paying for or spending time going to games, and with the long delay between even seeing the Devils I probably won’t be sweating results as much this year, although it’ll be nice to start winning sometime soon. Maybe when it gets closer to the season I’ll give more of a preview. There won’t be any real ‘preseason’ to evaluate younger players, which sucks even worse for a team like us that has a lot of guys that need experience. Not to mention a new coaching staff, although at least with a vet like Lindy Ruff he won’t need much time to get things implemented. I’m sure there’ll also be a flurry of moves around the league now that teams know there will be a season and what the parameters will be. I’m not sure how many of those moves we’ll be making, though we do have enough cap space to take on another contract or two if the opportunity comes up.

At least the team did make some news today, re-signing RFA Mackenzie Blackwood to a three-year deal.

It’s been a meteoric rise for the former second-round pick who got off to a slow start in the AHL and was demoted to the ECHL less than three years ago, before breaking out in 2018-19. Blackwood got the callup early that season, got off to a strong start and never looked back. Of course like most of the team he got off to a slow start last year, but picked it up and at least for the first time in the last few years the Devils have no questions about their goaltending with Blackwood and UFA signing Corey Crawford giving the team a potent tandem on paper.

Even without much of a camp to work with, questions still need to be answered in the three weeks before the season. What young players will be able to show enough in the mini-training camp to earn spots on the roster? Blackwood may have been signed but fellow RFA Jesper Bratt is still pending, and GM Tom Fitzgerald admitted it was unlikely (given current protocols) and the pending nature of his deal that Bratt will be able to attend much of preseason camp. Not ideal with a thin team if you’re possibly missing a middle six forward at the beginning of the season. There’s also the question of contracts for pending UFA’s Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev. Finally, there’s the matter of what the team decides with the captaincy with Andy Greene having been traded last spring, and still an unsigned FA now.

Hopefully we’ll have a bit clearer picture of what 2021 will look like for the Devils on the ice by the time they’re ready to begin again on January 14.

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Hockey will finally return in January

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Derek

It’s back. Following a lot of negotiations, the NHL and NHLPA reached agreement for a 56-game season over the weekend. Right on the cusp of Winter, hockey is coming back. On Solstice Day, we can at least have the sport we love to look forward to. Four days until Christmas when the U20 World Junior Championship begins in Edmonton, the NHL will finally return in January.

As had been reported first by Pierre Lebrun, the two sides agreed to a January 3rd date for training camp with Jan. 13 the beginning of the abbreviated 2020-21 season. Well, really NHL ’21. Just like the EA Sports game we enjoy. I’m still a sucker for NHL ’94. It’s still hooked up on my old Sega Genesis. That’s my go to.

How are we feeling on this Monday afternoon in the Big Apple? Or in the Garden State? Or any city that has NHL hockey for that matter? Everyone’s excited. The wait has been long, but expected given the lack of revenue that’s expected. Without fans in arenas, it is much harder for all 31 teams to survive. Gate revenue and concessions along with merchandise are huge for hockey. They don’t have a great TV contract or huge advertising like the NFL or NBA. That’s why it took so long. There had to be a give and take. Without the players working it out with the owners, there’d be no season.

In regards to the realignment due to COVID restrictions and keeping the games more regional, it is out of necessity. We all heard the proposal of the new four divisions for 2021. I admit to at first being skeptical. However, I understand why they’re doing it. The prospect of an all Canadian Division is cool. Even if they refer to it as the North which makes no sense, it definitely is intriguing. In one huge change, you’ll have all seven Canadian teams playing each other in the same division. That would be Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg. Wow. It sure will be different.

There also are a few adjustments to the other divisions. The East will feature the Bruins, Capitals, Devils, Flyers, Islanders, Penguins, Rangers and Sabres. Add Boston and Buffalo in an old school Patrick Division to the unique rivalries you already have and it feels even better. You mean to tell me that in addition to eight games versus the Islanders, Devils, Flyers, Pens and Caps, the Rangers are gonna play eight against Boston and Buffalo. It sounds great. Those are upgrades over Carolina and Columbus.

As for the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets, they’ll move to the Central which also includes the defending champion Lightning, runner-up Stars with the Blackhawks, Predators, Panthers and Red Wings, who get to be out West again. That means the Blues and Avalanche are in the West with the Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Golden Knights, Coyotes and Panthers. Yes, the state of Florida same division.

How it looks on paper:

EAST

1. Capitals

2. Devils

3. Islanders

4. Flyers

5. Penguins

6. Rangers

7. Bruins

8. Sabres

CENTRAL

1. Blackhawks

2. Predators

3. Stars

4. Red Wings

5. Blue Jackets

6. Hurricanes

7. Lightning

8. Panthers

WEST

1. Coyotes

2. Ducks

3. Golden Knights

4. Kings

5. Sharks

6. Avalanche

7. Blues

8. Wild

NORTH (CANADIAN)

1. Canadiens

2. Canucks

3. Flames

4. Jets

5. Maple Leafs

6. Oilers

7. Senators

My only question is with the Canadian Division. They have one less team. Will they just play each other more? Probably. Since it’s regional, that makes sense. What about British Columbia possibly forcing the Canucks to play elsewhere due to COVID restrictions? I have no idea. As they draw nearer, we’ll have a definitive answer. Personally, I think that’s ridiculous. Especially if everyone is tested daily with vaccinations coming soon.

One more question. How will teams look without no preseason? It’s a good question. They’re not even having any tuneup games. At least the NBA had a few exhibitions. I honestly feel hockey is rushing back too soon after scrambling to get this done. There should be camps and at least four preseason games. That would allow players to get into better game shape and up to speed. You could see more injuries. Or more rust. Don’t be surprised if there are some slow starts. It’s bound to happen.

The trade deadline is April 12.

The regular season concludes May 8.

The final day of the playoffs would be July 15.

The Seattle Kraken expansion draft is July 21.

As far as the playoff format, it’ll be divisional for the first two rounds. Only the top four teams will make the postseason in each division. So, that will make it even tougher for the Rangers and Sabres, who are in a very tough division that features the Bruins, Capitals, Flyers, Islanders and Penguins. One of those teams isn’t making it. Maybe even two. That will depend on how well the Rangers, Sabres and Devils play.

It’ll be more challenging for the fringe teams who are on the cusp to make it. That will make for intense races from the very start. With an emphasis on divisional play, that means a lot of four point games. Some three pointers as well. You have to get off to a quick start. If you fall too far behind, it’ll be hard to catch up.

All of this will make for a compelling season. It’ll be a sprint to the finish.

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Lundqvist reveals news that he can’t play truly stunning

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Derek

When you get hit by the first snowstorm courtesy Nor’Easter Winter Storm Gail, it is already daunting with the calendar still in December. While the snow totals might not have been as bad here in Staten Island or even areas of New Jersey where more was expected, it’s a lot to digest on the East Coast. We don’t get many early winter storms.

However, the major news that Henrik Lundqvist revealed this afternoon was truly stunning. The former New York Rangers legend, who was all set to debut with his new team in the Washington Capitals, announced that he won’t be able to play this season. One that’s hopefully expected to kick off on January 13 with the proposed 56 game schedule. That feels like it doesn’t matter anymore.

The 38-year old posted a message to both his Instagram and Twitter accounts that he cannot play in 2021 due to a heart condition that was discovered. Apparently, the risks are too high for Lundqvist to partake in an abbreviated 2020-21 NHL season. He visited many specialists before reaching this tough decision.

It’s sad. I really was looking forward to seeing him play for his new team. Even if it was for the rival Caps, who wasn’t excited to see Lundqvist wear his traditional number 35 in new Capitals threads including their classic reverse retro jersey? It’s hard to believe he can’t play. He received so many well wishes from the hockey community, who all come together when something like this happens. Look at how everyone reacted to Oskar Lindblom returning from bone cancer last summer. We were all #OskarStrong.

Now, this late into a brilliant career that should one day see him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and have his number 30 hang from The Garden rafters sooner rather than later, Lundqvist will try to get better. I sure hope he makes a full recovery and can go out on his own terms. It’s not the way anyone envisioned. Of course, health comes before anything.

Lundqvist never once uttered the ‘r’ word. He intends to return. I want that for him. This is a prideful man who gave his heart and soul to the Blueshirts. It was blood, sweat and tears for King Henrik on Broadway. A remarkable story as a seventh round pick taken in 2000 by the Rangers. He won a Vezina, was a finalist five times and even up for a Hart Trophy. Lundqvist established many franchise records by a Rangers goalie, easily surpassing the franchise’s best in appearances, wins and shutouts. He also has the most saves and is obviously the postseason leader among NYR netminders. It’s all been echoed before.

We all are rooting for him. Here is a video message he recorded along with some well wishes from the NHL community.

https://twitter.com/AGoToGuy321/status/1339699121385566208?s=19

Interestingly, some of the team’s rivals responded quicker than the Rangers. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. I can only imagine the news came as a shock to his former team. It’s stunning for everyone. Lundqvist is very loved and respected by the hockey community. That story Ray Ferraro told about him stopping to sign 50 to 75 autographs before a home playoff game says it all. He truly got it. That’s so rare in sports these days.

No matter what the future holds, Henrik Lundqvist is a champion at life. Nothing will ever change that. Sending my absolute best to him and praying he can come back and finish a great career. I hope it’s still with the Caps.

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