If this is it for Kreider, it’s been fun

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Derek

I am going to start off this post by saying I don’t know anything about what’s going on between Chris Kreider and the New York Rangers. As fate would have it, it’s right down to the wire.

In about 20 hours, it’ll all be over. At approximately 3 PM tomorrow on the Trade Deadline. A day that’s become like a holiday for hockey fans around the world. Everyone is watching and waiting to see what happens on Monday.

Already, we’ve seen some moves by teams. The Bruins traded for Ondrej Kase from Anaheim by unloading David Backes contract, a first round pick and defense prospect Axel Andersson. That likely takes them out of the Kreider trade talks. That’s assuming the situation doesn’t change between tonight and tomorrow afternoon.

That Tweet from the normally reliable Darren Dreger came four hours ago. Even the TSN insider got duped earlier this week when he believed the rights to top Islanders Russian goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin was about to be moved to the Blackhawks. The hot rumor was a reunion with popular goalie Robin Lehner and perhaps another piece going to the Isles to help their playoff push. Instead, Dreger recanted.

It just goes to show that sometimes, even the best reporters can be wrong. Most of their sources are accurate. But there have been moments where a trade rumor didn’t go through. The Devils were very close to dealing Scott Gomez in 2003 to San Jose in a move that would’ve acquired Patrick Marleau. It never happened. Instead, Gomez helped the Devils win a Cup.

Sometimes, the best moves are the ones you don’t make. I can’t speak for what the Rangers are thinking. They can either sign Kreider to a contract extension or trade him by the deadline. There is no in between here. They cannot wind up keeping him unless the two sides reach agreement on a new deal that would keep Kreider on Broadway.

If you read between the lines, the two sides are apart on salary and term. Similar to what happened in 2014 with Ryan Callahan. The big difference is they’re not a veteran team pushing for a Cup. There isn’t going to be a scenario where they get a Marty St. Louis in a captain for captain deal that included one too many first round picks.

That still was a memorable time to root for the Rangers, who rallied around St. Louis following the death of his Mom France to comeback from a 3-1 second round series deficit and stun the Pens. They would defeat the Canadiens with Kreider playing a significant role. Montreal is still bitter over the unintentional incident that ended Carey Price’s postseason. Apparently, Alexei Emelin did nothing wrong. I bet they’d love to have a player of Kreider’s unique talent. If only he could’ve converted that breakaway in sudden death on Jonathan Quick in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final that year.

When it comes down to it, maybe Kreider hasn’t reached his full potential. I pegged him as a 30 goalscorer and 60-65 point scoring forward. However, he developed into a strong power forward whose deadly combination of size and speed make him a rare player. A five-time 20 goalscorer whose previous career high is 28 coming in both ’16-17 and ’18-19, the former 2009 first round pick taken 19th has been one of the most successful players the Rangers have chosen in Round One.

A point-per-game pace since the second week of December has him on track to finally reach 30 goals. By going 18-14-32 over the last 32 games to help get the team back in playoff contention, he’s been dominant. The chemistry Kreider has had with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich is undeniable. They’re a dynamic trio that feed off each other.

The great thing in watching the KZB Line is seeing the growth of Buchnevich, who’s finally matured into a better player by using his size and physicality to become more responsible. It’s the best hockey of his career. Not bad for someone I’ve critiqued in the past for inconsistency. Ironically, his dramatic improvement came while joking that he was number 12 on the TSN trade list. I don’t see Buchnevich going anywhere.

Unfortunately, his close friend and linemate Kreider could be. If he goes, it’ll be emotional for teammates, coaches and fans. We’ve seen him grow into a better player who’s become a team leader. It wasn’t long ago that he barely was noticeable doing postgame interviews. That all changed last season. He has been front and center along with Zibanejad following games. Win or lose, they’ve been at their lockers discussing what went right or wrong. If Kreider agreed to stay, he could become the next captain. The Rangers have been without one since trading Ryan McDonagh at the 2018 deadline.

However, in the event he does move on due to the two sides not being able to iron out a new deal, Zibanejad looks like the best candidate to be named the next captain. He is over a point-per-game and needs only two goals to hit 30 for the second straight season. Don’t forget he missed time due to an upper body injury. He has 60 points (28-32-60) in 48 games. Thankfully, he’s signed for another two years at a friendly cap hit of $5.35 million through 2022. What a bargain.

If this is it for the 28-year old Kreider, who’ll have his age 29 season next year, he will finish with 24 goals and 21 assists for 45 points including 15 even strength goals and nine power play with a team-leading five game-winners. Overall, he’s played in 520 games and has 157 goals with 159 assists for a total of 316 points.

A good playoff performer who is best remembered for scoring five times during the 2012 run out of Boston College, he put up 13 points (5-8-13) during the 2014 run at age 22. There will always be the clutch tying goal he scored in Game Five of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinal versus the Caps when they were staring at elimination. They came all the way back again to win that series making NHL history.

Derek Stepan set him up and The Garden went nuts. I was in the building for that. They would win the big game on a McDonagh goal in overtime that also was set up from Stepan. They were a dynamic duo from the time they teamed up to help Team USA win the World Junior Championship in 2010.

Eventually, Stepan was traded with Antti Raanta to the Coyotes for Tony DeAngelo and the first round pick that became Lias Andersson. That started the rebuild. When Derick Brassard was dealt to Ottawa for Zibanejad previously, he eventually became the new center for Kreider. The amount of high praise Kreider paid him recently sums up their relationship. So did the hug following an emotional win over the Sharks on Saturday.

Breaking up is hard to do. We’ve seen it a lot in recent years. From Callahan, McDonagh and JT Miller to Brassard, Stepan and Mats Zuccarello, it’s become part of the story due to the salary cap. It forces teams into hard decisions like the one facing the Blueshirts.

At this point, it sounds like Kreider could be on the way out. I’ll definitely miss him. He’s been one of my favorite players since he arrived. The intangibles he brought makes him unique. It’ll be hard for the Rangers to replace that. It’s not only about statistics with Kreider, but the other things he does like stand in front of the net and screen goalies or tip pucks. The forecheck pressure he can bring due to his size and speed can transition from defense to offense very quickly. Plus how good he’s been in the room.

Whoever gets him winds up with a very good player, who will improve them. If this is indeed the choice the organization has made, it’s another example of them unwilling to pay top dollar for one of their own. Even if they’re up against it due to the immovable Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal and key Group II free agents Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo.

They have no problem overpaying for other team’s players. At least with the dynamic Artemi Panarin, he’s worth it. Most haven’t been. Case A. Jacob Trouba. Eight million dollars. Say that like a New York Lotto commercial 10 times fast and you’ll be sick. All they do is come up with excuses for him. It’s all due to Brady Skjei. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Both have to be more consistent. Especially for the money Trouba is making.

The reality is the Rangers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. We don’t even know if Jesper Fast will still be here tomorrow either. He’ll be cheaper to re-sign. But he is more replaceable compared to Kreider. Both are well respected. Fast is that hardworking gritty, two-way type of forward every team can use. That’s the argument for moving him. He has value.

Unless Lundqvist winds up moved instead of being the uncomfortable third wheel in New York City behind new heir to the throne, Igor Shesterkin and second-year man Alex Georgiev, there’s literally no way they can keep everyone.

So if this is goodbye, thank you Chris Kreider for nine great years. Number 20 will always be fondly remembered in this city.

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Trade deadline eve musings

Posted on February 23, 2020 by hasan4978

Before we even get to the trade deadline, I want to do something I almost never do here anymore – talk about something NHL related that isn’t the Devils.  Granted this is meant to be a local coverage type blog first, but Derek I’m sure would have been all over last night’s happenings in Toronto himself if the Rangers weren’t also playing at the same time.  If you’ve been off social media and TV for the last twelve hours, here’s what you missed…the Hurricanes needed a so-called ’emergency goalie’ to play in Toronto last night when both their goalies had to leave the ice due to injury in the first period and a half.  A 42-year old Zamboni driver named David Ayres was on call, and took full advantage of his fifteen minutes of fame by saving eight out of ten shots, and getting credit for the win as Carolina embarassed the Leafs 6-3 – prompting cheers for the Zamboni driver wearing a Toronto Marlies mask to finish off a great story, a minor miracle if you will on the 40th anniversary of the original Miracle On Ice.

This kind of thing just cannot happen in any other sport and what helps give the NHL a cool factor.  What’s really the comparable…a position player being forced to pitch in relief of a late inning in baseball?  We’re still talking about a major league player and top athlete who’s already on the roster.  Same with an NBA G-leaguer or a Jeremy Lin-type that suddenly gets thrust into the spotlight.  A running back or wide receiver playing quarterback in football?  Well those guys aren’t gonna throw much, just wildcat plays.  You don’t have random 42-year old guys coming out of the stands to play the most important position in a game, and get the win no less.  I hope he and his family enjoy the spotlight and he gets a nice cut of the jerseys and shirts that are now going to get sold with his name on it.

On a normal Saturday, Alex Ovechkin hitting 700 goals against the Devils would be the story of the night.  And surely it’s a tremendous accomplishment, ironically the Great 8 became the eighth player to hit that milestone number and he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.  I don’t remember when I started thinking the Great One would be in reach for the Great 8 but Wayne Gretzky’s 894 NHL goals are certainly within reach for Ovi at the rate he’s going, and I hope he gets there.  Everyone knows Gretzky was the greatest offensive player this sport has and probably will ever see, Ovi breaking his goalscoring record doesn’t change that, but it would create a real argument for Ovi being the best goalscorer in NHL history.  Not only would he have the numbers, but he’s also played in an era where it’s much tougher to score goals than it was during the ’80’s and early ’90’s when Wayne starred.

Almost incidentally – except perhaps to them – the Devils managed to spoil the party for the Caps in the end with Damon Severson’s late power play goal leading them to a shocking 3-2 win.  Again, Mackenzie Blackwood starred and in a time where the Devils are clearly rebuilding again, it’s nice to know we at least have the young goalie who can match up with other young goalies in the division like the Rangers’ Shesterkin, the Flyers’ Hart and the Caps’ Ilya Samsonov, who Blackwood managed to outduel yesterday with 33 saves on 35 shots.  As much of a skeptic as I am about Alain Nasreddine becoming more than the interim coach going forward, again you gotta give him credit for the way the team continues to respond giving max effort in almost all these games, or at least the ones I’m paying scant attention to.

With it looking more like Tom Fitzgerald could be the full-time GM going forward there’s at least a theoretical possibility he likes Nas enough to give him a short-term deal, especially after the acting GM recently stated that the team was looking to be competitive the next couple years, but there was no real chance of being a contender (code for: maybe they’ll scrap their way over NHL .500 but don’t expect playoff appearances).  Of course there’s a lot of big-name coaches out there that are available as well, with Bruce Boudreau being the latest after getting whacked by Bill Guerin in Minnesota despite favorable recent results.  How many of them will want to take over what’s clearly a rebuilding job though?  So we might be stuck with Nas or another facsimilie.

As far as what can happen tomorrow, I’m kinda over speculating and waiting, let’s just get this over with and see what happens.  Certainly UFA’s to be Sami Vatanen (despite his injury) and Wayne Simmonds should be on the move by 3 PM tomorrow.  Of course after Blake Coleman got moved to Tampa, I’m also preparing for the total blowup scenario of fellow late 20’s players Kyle Palmieri and/or Nikita Gusev also getting moved a year plus away from free agency.  I feel like I’m talking into a hundred-mile and hour tornado complaining that we need to keep someone around besides the two centers and goalie, if nothing else to have people these kids can play off of and develop with.

Perhaps the biggest fallacy perpetuated by fans of a rebuilding team is that you can just put junk or short-term patches around our key prospects and they’ll develop fine.  That’s not neccesarily the case, as the Oilers, Sabres and other perpetual rebuilders have shown.  Heaven forbid both Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier have unproductive wings on their flank next year the way Hughes has this season with a declining Simmonds and a guy who can’t score or play as physical as his size in Pavel Zacha.  Maybe you’ll get lucky and have a 2015-16 type Lee Stempniak come into camp on a PTO.  Or likely you won’t, sure we can overpay on short-term deals but how many guys worth a darn are gonna want to come here on a one-two year contract just to hopefully get deadline dealt to a contender?

I’m not saying I’m totally against dealing Palmieri or Gusev, god knows I was against dealing Coleman but the return made it impossible to argue with.  That’s what needs to happen here too, IF we trade Gusev or especially Palmieri, it’s gotta be a no doubt about it overpriced return.  Perhaps this may be our one chance to speed up the rebuild Rangers-style cause I’m not really in the mood for another five years of hoping for a maybe.  Especially when you see other teams turning it around much faster than that.  I’ll have more comment after the deadline when whatever happens, happens.  For now, just wake me when it does.

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Game #61 Shesterkin steals the show as Blueshirts show guts in huge 3-2 win over Sharks, Four out of wildcard, Fast comes up clutch

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Derek

The game’s First Star Igor Shesterkin salutes the crowd following another jaw dropping performance. He made 44 saves to improve to 9-1-0.

AP Photo credit New York Rangers

It’s not always going to be easy. Playing for the second consecutive night and third day over the last four, the Rangers were far from perfect on Saturday night’s final game before Monday’s trade deadline. In fact, they were downright awful for almost two periods.

However, thanks to the brilliance of sensational rookie Igor Shesterkin and the character this improving team has, they were able to pull out a gutty 3-2 win over the Sharks at home before a louder atmosphere. Indeed, fans are buying in. Why not? The way they’ve played on the road and since the break, the Rangers deserve the kind of support they got at The Garden.

Let’s Go Rangers chants were heard finally through the TV. The crowd helped their tired team rally to defeat the Sharks, who played about as well as they can. They might not be the same team that reached a Stanley Cup Final and Conference Final. However, they sure made life tough. Even without Erik Karlsson, Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, San Jose was the more rested team.

It showed early and often. In about as lopsided a first period as you can have, the Sharks were all over a flat Rangers, who had no legs. They looked like Deontay Wilder, who got dominated and TKO’d by Tyson Fury in a one sided heavyweight championship prize fight I watched just before.

The difference is the hockey team was able to survive the 22 shot onslaught by the Sharks in the early going. They were outshot 22-3. However, Shesterkin wouldn’t allow his team to get overwhelmed. They should’ve been dead and buried after one. Instead, they somehow were tied at one.

Sometimes in hockey, the play of the goalie can be the great equalizer. Shesterkin made more NHL history by becoming the first netminder to win nine of his first 10 starts. He also is the only player to ever have four 40-plus save games in such a brief span at the start of a career. The show he put on was jaw dropping. He made 44 saves to improve to 9-1-0. It was his seventh straight win.

Nearly half those saves came in that crazy first. He stopped 21 of 22 Sharks shots from all angles. The best of the lot coming on Evander Kane when he flat out robbed him on a breakaway with a great glove save that got the MSG crowd up chanting, “Ig-or, Ig–or!” In a word, astonishing is how I’d describe the play of the poised 24-year old. He doesn’t look like a first-year player. Maybe all the pro experience dominating in the KHL for St. Petersburg SKA has helped. He did the same thing with Hartford that he’s now doing with the Blueshirts in the NHL.

If Steve Valiquette can see it, anyone can. Shesterkin is the real deal. The calm with which he plays along with the lateral movement makes it very hard on opponents. It has to feel good if you are his teammate. He is quick and pushes off well while reading and reacting. The way he performed yesterday was similar to the kind of games a much younger Henrik Lundqvist used to give this team. Great goalies can steal games. That’s exactly what Shesterkin did to get the Rangers up to 70 points. They’re four behind the Islanders, Hurricanes and Blue Jackets for the wildcard.

Right now, it’s the Islanders in the first wildcard due to one less game played than the Canes, who got an unreal 6-3 win at Toronto due to emergency backup David Ayres, who had to come in and make eight saves due to injuries that knocked out both James Reimer and Petr Mrazek. The Hurricanes occupy the second wildcard. The Isles host the same Sharks Sunday evening at 5 PM. By virtue of one point in another three point game, the Blue Jackets also have 74 points. But with only 19 games remaining and just three points during an eight game winless streak, they’re in trouble. They lost to Nashville in a shootout 4-3.

With both the Leafs (72 points) and Panthers (70) still struggling, the Rangers have to feel good about their chances. The issue is they have to climb over three teams in the Metro Division to make the playoffs. With 21 games remaining including a huge game at the Islanders that our Dad is going to on Tuesday, it’s all in front of them. They still have three games left with the surging third place Flyers, whose 4-2 home win over Winnipeg pulled them within only three points of first place.

Both the Penguins and Capitals lost in regulation. The Pens got routed at home by the Sabres while the Caps gave up a late power play goal to Damon Severson in a one goal loss at the Devils. That tarnished a great moment for Alex Ovechkin, who finally scored his 700th career goal to become the eighth member of the 700 Goal Club. Jaromir Jagr was the last.

Congrats go out to Ovechkin on reaching 700. It obviously has been a distraction for the Caps, who haven’t been playing well. The Pens had until the last two games. This division is wide open. Anything can happen. Though I do expect either the Caps or Pens to still win it. The Flyers are a bad road team. So, I don’t think they’ll do better than third.

Ten total points separate first place from seventh. The Rangers still are seventh, but have made up a lot of ground. They’re now 10-3-0 since the break. Their 29 wins in regulation are more than anyone else inside the division. That in itself is nuts. The Caps have 28. Everyone else has 26 or less.

That’s another reason why the league needs to change the point system. Stop rewarding teams for making overtime. That’s the only way to separate the contenders from the pretenders. In fact, only the Bruins, Lightning and Avalanche have more regulation wins than the Rangers in the entire league. Craziness.

Let’s get into the game. After beating Carolina 5-2 on Friday, the Rangers knew the importance of this one. Every point matters. But to win, sometimes you gotta be lucky. They were. That’s how great Shesterkin was. There are way too many examples of him standing on his head. In fact, I was so disgusted when they fell behind by a goal, I Tweeted out this during the second:

I meant it too. I was pretty annoyed after Joe Thornton scored his second of the game on a neat redirect of a Brent Burns one-timer that made it 2-1 San Jose at with 6:13 left in the second. Following that power play goal, I immediately went downstairs to put on the TV. I had watched the first half on my Android that I use to do most posts. I didn’t know if I would put the hockey game back on. That’s how disgusted I was.

After some channel flipping, I eventually gave in and put on MSG. I wasn’t expecting much to be honest. A funny thing occurred with only 2:33 remaining. Kane had the puck behind his net and looked like he’d get it to a teammate to get out of trouble. Only in the blink of an eye, Artemi Panarin stripped him and then for what felt like an eternity, he sent a brilliant pass across for Mika Zibanejad. The play felt like it was in slow motion. When he received the pass, Zibanejad quickly fired the puck in past a shocked Aaron Dell.

It was that stunning. I don’t know why. But it just developed slowly for me. Maybe it was different for fans who attended, or others who watched this strange play. I was really surprised when Zibanejad scored to tie the game. It felt like they were down by much more. That’s how well the Sharks played and how bad the Rangers were. To be fair, Dell made some good stops in the second. I didn’t even realize it was the Blueshirts who led in shots 16-10 for the period.

All I knew was they made a lot of mistakes. Turnovers. Bad penalties. Hardly any puck possession. Every time the Sharks had the puck in the Rangers end, I felt doom. The only reason they survived was the play of Shesterkin. Although the players also did a better job getting in front of San Jose attempts. The attempts felt like 134665857 to 17 in favor of the Sharks. I’m not kidding. They seemed to be firing shots from everywhere. Somehow, they only wound up with 46 on goal compared to the Rangers registering 33.

At one point, I think San Jose led in shots 27-8. It was that pitiful. But they somehow managed to find their legs and game. Even in between the undisciplined penalties that threatened to ruin this all important 61st game. I even commented that they seem to play better on the road. Look at the proof. They tied a franchise record with a seventh consecutive win away from MSG. All three defeats since returning have come at home. Those came versus Dallas, Boston and that woeful dud against Buffalo. The Jimmy Vesey revenge game.

The Rangers blocked 16 shots. Another 13 Sharks attempts missed completely. So that’s 29 shots that never reached Shesterkin. Total attempts actually wound up 75-50 San Jose. If you were using Corsica to measure this game, you lost. Nerdy statistics like that don’t apply when you have a great goalie who’s in a zone. Look at how many times Carolina over passed the other night. That even included Sebastian Aho. This is exactly how opponents used to treat Lundqvist in his prime. They start over thinking.

If not for the goalie, the game could’ve been decided early. Instead, it was actually the Rangers who got on the board first. On an absolutely brilliant play from Panarin, he somehow managed to make a ridiculous pass through Dell to an open Fast for his second goal in two games at 9:35. Ryan Strome did a nice job setting it up by passing the puck across to Panarin, who worked his magic. That dynamic play was literally the only scoring chance they had in the first.

But in a mistake prone period, a turnover allowed Thornton to get a step following a Timo Meier lead pass and surprise Shesterkin by beating him through the five-hole at 17:55 to tie the score. Mario Ferraro picked up the secondary helper. In a period where they had nothing, somehow they were even.

They continued to look like they were skating in quicksand at the start of the second. But Shesterkin kept them in it. Despite having to kill off a pair of Sharks power plays, they remained tied until Tony DeAngelo took a needless delay of game minor penalty. Finally, the Sharks connected thanks to some good puck movement. Area local Kevin Labanc passed for a Burns one-timer that the big Thornton tipped in for his second of the game. He entered with only two goals. By night’s end, Jumbo Joe doubled up his output. Was it the final game he played in teal? That depends if the Sharks decide to hold him out later today. The future Hall of Famer could get moved to go chase a Cup.

In a period they had played better in as it went on, the Rangers were unable to cash in on a boarding penalty taken by Jacob Middleton. Full credit to Dell, who’s now the Sharks starter over Martin Jones. Someone might want to cue Valiquette in. He referred to him as a backup. Not now Mr. Chart Nerd. Maybe he can go work on some more clear sighted shots and screened shots for a weird graphic. Of course sponsored by Bud Light. They now are pitching seltzer. Holy moly. You wouldn’t catch me passed out on that crap. I hardly drink as it is.

Shortly following the power failure, here came the play that swung the momentum. It was Kane with the puck in good position. However, he relaxed. He thought he had more time. That laziness got him benched. Not with the Bread Man around. Panarin took the puck away and in one motion made that pass across to Zibanejad that felt like it was in slow-motion. Just like that, tie game. I didn’t even go crazy. I was in a state of disbelief. I just did a short hand pump.

Zibanejad’s 28th goal from Panarin came at 17:27. Over a minute later, Adam Fox sent Julien Gauthier in on a breakaway. He was hooked from behind by Middleton. Penalty shot! The most exciting play in hockey. Bidding for his first NHL goal, Gauthier made a good move by faking forehand and going for a backhand. But his shot wasn’t high enough, allowing a cool Dell to get across and make the key stop with 1:26 left.

I know he hasn’t played a lot due to being on the fourth line. I really like what I see from Gauthier so far. He’s got good size and good speed. It’s obvious that he has a scorers instinct. That’s a plus. Whatever happens in two days (60 hours), this kid looks like he has a bright future.

The whole third period felt like one of those games in the early Lundqvist Era. It was tight. Very nerve racking. Every time the Sharks got the puck in and forechecked, I was concerned. They didn’t play like a team that’s out of it. You even had old hat Patrick Marleau gaining the zone and testing Shesterkin with low tough shots that he handled with ease. Marleau even drew a tripping minor on Fox, who was up and down.

It was nitty gritty time. The Sharks couldn’t quite setup Burns for his rocket shot. However, he tried for some redirects on shot passes. But a couple missed the mark including one for Meier, who should have more than 20 goals. Last year, he got 30. That sums up things for San Jose.

Whenever they generated chances, Shesterkin was there to shut it down. The same way Team USA pulled off the memorable Miracle On Ice 40 years ago yesterday in Lake Placid. It would’ve been nice if MSG had shown their video tribute to that team in 1980 coached by Herb Brooks. Of course, they didn’t. I don’t get it. That remains the greatest upset of the 20th Century. Even more than Buster Douglas shocking Mike Tyson. I wish I could do a tribute to that special moment. It deserves its own post. I was only three.

What makes USA stunning Russia great is they came back and won Olympic gold against Finland. Had they not, it wouldn’t be as fondly remembered. Al Michaels said something about it in a tribute that airs Monday. He is the legendary voice of that Miracle. It’s hard to believe they showed that game on tape delay. But back then, the NBA Finals were shown on tape too. Crazy stuff.

Still tied at two, the Rangers got a key offensive draw in the Sharks zone. This is an area they’ve been better at. Winning big face-offs to set up goals. Sure enough, Strome won it back to Jacob Trouba, whose shot caromed out to Fast. He doesn’t score pretty goals. He scores dirty ones. He did it again by outworking Sharks in front to chip a rebound past Dell and in for the go-ahead goal at 6:54. For a guy that isn’t a big finisher, he sure can deliver in the clutch. That gave him his third goal in two games.

Don’t forget his hustle that led to Derek Stepan dropping the puck for Ryan McDonagh in overtime to stun the Caps in Game Five of the 2015 Conference Semifinal. That isn’t possible without Fast keeping the play alive. That’s who he is. I have no idea what will happen on Monday. But hopefully, it’s not the last time we’ve seen Fast or top deadline target Chris Kreider in a Rangers jersey. They’ve been instrumental during this turnaround. Kreider at a point-per-game for over two months. Fast as the perfect complement to Panarin and Strome.

When he scored his 11th, you better believe I pumped my fist and let out a “Yeah!” It’s been a while since I was that excited about this team. They’ve made it that way. Fifteen points to the 85 point prediction. Hopefully, they’ve got more in them than that.

The remaining 13:06 felt like forever. I was locked in on every shift. Whenever the Sharks attacked, I found myself talking to the TV giving instructions. It was nuts. Don’t do that. Do this. Come on.

I haven’t been like that probably since 2015. I knew it was over after that. That’s how emotionless I became. So, yeah. This means something. It’s not supposed to happen yet. That’s what makes it so much fun. For those naysayers or foolish bloggers who are never happy, go root for someone else. Or just do us a favor and don’t watch. If you can’t get excited for this, you are a fraud. I think anyone who reads this space knows exactly who I’m referring to.

The teams were evenly matched in the final period. Shots were 14 apiece. The Rangers could’ve had more. However, Dell Computer wouldn’t allow it. My lame attempt at humor. I had to get that in at some point. Pavel Buchnevich got a good shot off that Dell denied. There was a close call for Kreider, who I wish had scored. Nobody knows if he’ll still be here on Tuesday night in Long Island. Shout out to Leslie who is the biggest Kreider fan I know. Follow her on Twitter.

With each passing minute, the clock wasn’t moving fast enough. But that’s how it’s supposed to feel now. These games matter. No matter what happens, this is going to be a great experience for the younger players. Nobody can predict what will happen. I’m talking about the playoffs.

Not more trade bs. I wish people would just shut up already. The deadline is too early. Don’t tell NHL brass. They’re bleeping clueless.

When the final clear was made, it was great. What a win. It doesn’t matter who it is against at this time of year. They’re all worth the same amount of points. I have run out of things to say. This post has gone long enough. I said enjoy this weekend for what it is. They got it done. Four more points. Inching closer.

Let’s Go Sharks! Hahaha.

Battle Of Hudson Three 🌟

3rd 🌟 Artemi Panarin, Rangers (2 great assists that were breathtaking including the unreal play to setup Zibanejad, up to 83 points in 60 GP)

2nd 🌟 Jesper Fast, Rangers (2 goals including the game-winner with 13:06 left in regulation, clutch stuff)

1st 🌟 Igor Shesterkin, Rangers (44 saves including 21 big ones in a lopsided first, 9-1-0 in first 10 games)

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Buchnevich distracted by Canes cheerleader, Mrazek save of the game, the reason Lundqvist was a healthy scratch

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Derek

During last night’s game, Pavel Buchnevich was a little distracted coming off the ice following the second period. And for good reason.

https://twitter.com/maxtoscano1/status/1231017092754935809?s=19

The Storm Squad Hurricanes cheerleader was noticeable at the end of the first period too. Apparently, the attractive blonde caught Buchnevich’s eye as he walked back to the Rangers locker room. Who could blame him? He’s a 24-year old single Russian hockey player. Way to go Captain Happy.

Apparently, this isn’t the first time that cheerleader drew the eye of a Ranger. It happened last year as well when Kevin Shattenkirk also took a glimpse of her coming off the ice.

The good thing is it didn’t distract the team from getting the job done. They came into Raleigh and won 5-2 led by Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin and Ryan Strome. Now, the focus turns to the Sharks later tonight at The Garden. Another big game for them before the trade deadline on Monday.

Win and the game at the Islanders becomes very interesting on Tuesday. Even if they do take care of San Jose on Sunday, the Rangers will very much be in play for the playoffs.

Also of note, let’s give Petr Mrazek credit for the save of the game. His team was on the short end, but he made a sensational glove robbery on Zibanejad to deny his bid for a second goal while on the power play.

It was pretty impressive. Zibanejad had a lot of room to fire a perfect cross ice pass into the back of the net from close range. But an athletic Mrazek was able to push off and do a full stretch to get his glove across and get the puck before it crossed the goal line. For a goalie that’s not considered a good number one with he and James Reimer taking turns, it’s a great save.

It at least gave the Hurricanes a chance in the third period. Ultimately, the Rangers took care of business to get a huge win and complete a season sweep of Carolina. They doubled them up basically in goals and got brilliant goaltending in all four wins including the first three from Henrik Lundqvist.

Speaking of which, did he really suggest Alex Georgiev back up due to putting in extra work at practice and in the weight room as reporters suggested? Well, more than one Tweeted it. David Quinn confirmed it in the postgame.

I’m not going to make more out of it than it is. I felt sorry for Lundqvist’s Mom. She looked miserable except for when the team scored goals. It can’t be easy to see her son reduced to a spectator. I don’t know if the Rangers handled this whole situation correctly. I guess we’ll find it more once the season is over.

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Game #60 Rangers sweep season series from Hurricanes to pull within five points of wildcard, Panarin hits 400 points, Quinn says extend the Moms Trip

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Derek

The happy Moms pose after a successful 2-0 road trip. David Quinn joked that they should keep them the rest of the season. AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

Dominance. That’s one way to describe the mastery the Rangers have over the Hurricanes. It doesn’t seem to matter who plays in net. They own the Canes. That point was proven emphatically in a huge 5-2 win at Raleigh to sweep the season series. They outscored Carolina 17-9 in the four games.

By winning a remarkable seventh consecutive road game to tie a franchise record, the Rangers drew closer to the wildcard. Even though the Islanders took care of business against the dreadful Red Wings to move into the first wildcard, the suddenly hot Blueshirts have pulled within five points of the second wildcard. The slumping Blue Jackets occupy it with 73 and only 20 games left. They’re winless in seven and lost leading finisher Oliver Bjorkstrand for likely the rest of the season.

Right now, you have to say the playoffs are a possibility. With teams ahead of them continuing to struggle including the Canes, who badly miss Dougie Hamilton, why not? It’s the Rangers who are playing the best hockey right now. They improved to 9-3-0 since returning from the break. They’ve banked 18 of a possible 24 points. Next up are the Sharks tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden. That one is another big game. They all are now.

Here’s the thing. By winning as much as they have, they’ve put more pressure on management, who have a very difficult decision to make by Monday. What will they do? Let’s leave all the discussion for other people. Because that’s all it is. Talk. Ultimately, it will come down to what Jeff Gorton, John Davidson and David Quinn think is best for this year and the foreseeable future. It won’t be an easy decision.

On a night Henrik Lundqvist was a healthy scratch for the first time in his illustrious career, Igor Shesterkin again starred in goal. The poised rookie netminder made 27 saves. That included a three save sequence on a dangerous Canes power play in the first period. He robbed fellow Russian Andrei Svechnikov of a sure goal by getting across to make a sparkling glove save on a good one-timer. The first Carolina power play was real good at moving the puck and setting up shots. Shesterkin made at least five quality saves to keep it scoreless.

This was a important game for the Canes too. A win would’ve kept them in the wildcard and moved them ahead of idle Columbus with 74 points. However, they had trouble solving the puzzle that is Shesterkin. When you have Anson Carter on the MSG postgame already sarcastically calling him, “Vezina,” that tells you everything you need to know about the goalie. All he’s done is win eight of his first nine starts by playing so well that even superb scorers like Sebastian Aho don’t know what to do. There’s little doubt he’s the real deal.

The penalty kill continues to get the job done. They successfully killed off a pair of Jacob Trouba interference penalties. Even though they would finally allow a power play goal to Aho in the third period for the first PPG in nine games, it was earned by the Carolina top goalscorer. Getting the kind of superb goaltending they are helps any penalty kill. Along with a more disciplined and aggressive unit under assistant Lindy Ruff, they’ve improved.

On the second and final night of the Moms Trip, they again gave them plenty to cheer for. Mika Zibanejad made a great defensive play to strip the puck at his own blueline and break in on Petr Mrazek. He went to his patented backhand off a nice deke top shelf for an unassisted goal with 3:19 remaining in the first. His 27th goal gives him goals in three straight and seven in the last eight games. He’s been on a tear. He followed up a four point game at Chicago with three more tonight. That’s seven points in two wins. In fact, Zibanejad has five multi-point games over the last nine. That’s 16 points (7-9-16) over a dominant span.

A real good road period had the Rangers up a goal headed to the locker room. It could’ve been more early in the second. Jordan Staal got his stick up on Zibanejad as he fired a shot leading to a tacky slashing minor. To be honest, I thought the first Trouba penalty in the first was soft as well. The officiating wasn’t great. They would later miss a Justin Williams hi-stick on Ryan Lindgren, who again bled like the Warrior he is. He would stay on the ice and kill a Julien Gauthier penalty for delay of game.

Rather than increase their lead, the Rangers wasted the power play opportunity. With it close to expiring, rookie Kaapo Kakko made a mistake. Instead of taking an open shot at Mrazek from the circle, he opted for a low percentage pass across to a well defended Pavel Buchnevich at the doorstep. It resulted in a turnover. After Jaccob Slavin got the puck to Staal, who came out of the box, he dished for Brock McGinn, who cut in on a backing up Trouba and fired a good wrist shot high glove side on Shesterkin. That goal tied the game at 3:25. The puck might’ve deflected off Trouba’s stick.

With the game tied up, Jesper Fast took a lazy tripping minor in the offensive zone. He protested due to feeling his stick was being held by Joel Edmundson. It probably was. But they got Fast on the reaction taking down Martin Necas. Fortunately without one of their top penalty killing forwards, the Blueshirts were able to get the minor killed. Shesterkin didn’t have to stand on his head.

Following that, the Rangers had the edge at even strength. They were doing a good job on the forecheck against the Canes. Eventually, some of that hard work paid off. On a good keep from Trouba on a pinch, the puck came to Artemi Panarin. A magician with the puck, he passed it over for Fast, who had his return feed bank in off a Cane past Mrazek for his first goal since Jan. 13 against the Islanders. It snapped a 14 game drought. Though he doesn’t have the skill of Panarin or playmaking of Ryan Strome, Fast remains a good fit on that second line due to his willingness to get dirty. It was nice to see him rewarded with his ninth goal at 9:48.

The assist was the 50th of the season for Panarin and 80th point. It also was his 400th career NHL point. By accomplishing that in his first five seasons, the Bread Man joins exclusive company that features Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Connor McDavid. Those five are the only active players on that list. It says a lot about Panarin and how consistent he’s been. What a remarkable player. He also would later score his 31st goal in the third to tie his career high. That’s 81 points in 59 games. Wow.

With the Rangers up 2-1, the game became physical. You had your big hits and board battles as well as entertaining scrums. Exactly what you’d expect between two division rivals fighting for a playoff spot. In particular, Svechnikov was finishing checks. He is pretty feisty to go with his world class skill. Eventually, a big hit led to him and Trouba exchanging pleasantries. They each went off for coincidental roughing minors to create a four-on-four.

In a period largely controlled by the Rangers, Mrazek was the busier goalie. He had to make some tough saves. His team was outplayed by a significant margin. The Rangers held a 19-8 shots edge. They played the way they had to. With urgency. Continuing to do a good job of skating into open space and cycling the puck effectively, they caught a break when Brady Skjei took a Strome feed and circled around the Canes net and had his centering pass for Strome take a lucky bounce off a defenseman and by a shocked Mrazek. The huge goal was his eighth coming with less than four minutes left to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead. Zibanejad started the play to get a secondary helper.

By now, the Hurricanes were clearly frustrated. The normally cool Justin Williams took a needless slashing minor in the offensive zone with 39 seconds left in the period. Even though they didn’t score before the conclusion of the second, they would make Williams pay for his undisciplined penalty that was reminiscent to him losing his head against pest Brad Marchand last Spring.

On what was a very good play started by Kakko to Filip Chytil behind the Carolina net, he passed for Zibanejad in front. Tightly covered, the first center wisely made a no look backhand pass to an open space. The puck came right to Panarin, who made no mistake burying his team-leading 31st past Mrazek at 1:10. It was a terrific play by all three players. Unfortunately, Chytil would exit the game with a lower body injury. Quinn didn’t know how long he’ll be out. Chytil is day-to-day.

Following the Panarin tally that made it 4-1, newcomer Gauthier got nabbed for getting his stick on a loose puck and firing it out for a delay of game minor penalty. During the same play, Lindgren took an errant high stick from Williams bloodying him. He looked around with a disturbed look on his face to no avail. They didn’t see it. Being the tough minded plays he already is, he came back out to kill the penalty. That’s why he’s the Warrior.

This time, the Canes found a way to connect on the power play. It took a second effort from Aho to put home a hard Svechnikov shot that Shesterkin stopped on a nice setup from Slavin. He didn’t have the puck covered, allowing Aho to jam it in for his 35th goal to cut it to 4-2 with 14:48 remaining.

Rather than carry momentum from the goal, Carolina took some bad penalties. They really shot themselves in the foot. They looked dangerous and obviously knew they were capable of coming back. However, a dumb tripping penalty on Warren Foegle in the offensive zone slowed them down. He slew footed Adam Fox. It was a dirty play that was totally unnecessary. Even though they didn’t score on it, Fox paid back the Canes by cleanly decking McGinn with a good shoulder to chest takeout as he was trying to clear the puck. There was nothing malicious here. It was just a good hit. That’s why there was no response from the Canes.

Shesterkin would make a couple of key stops to prevent any Carolina thoughts of a comeback. He’s very composed. Following another bad penalty by Aho for tripping Brett Howden, Tony DeAngelo got into it with Nino Niederreiter. With the teams back at even strength, Niederreiter left his feet to hit DeAngelo against the boards for charging. Never one to shy away from a confrontation, he gave Niederreiter a chop for slashing. Both were taken off the ice. DeAngelo was yapping away at Niederreiter in the penalty box.

Eventually, Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour pulled Mrazek for an extra attacker. The Rangers made some good defensive plays in their end. First, Lindgren skated around the net away from two attackers for a key clear with help from Fox. Then, Trouba cleared the zone allowing a hustling Strome to get to the loose puck and score his 16th into an open net with 1:48 remaining. That sealed it.

It was amusing watching DeAngelo trash talk and point up the scoreboard. He’s a classic. Brendan Lemieux also mocked the Canes home celebration as the buzzer sounded. They’re a bunch of characters who are close together on and off the ice. This group has great chemistry. They genuinely like each other and their improvement has been a direct result.

https://twitter.com/TonyDee07/status/1231055558591078400?s=09

They continue to play hard for Quinn, who’s remarked to reporters recently how proud he is of this group. It’s obvious that they have something going on. I don’t know what the organization will decide. But they have played themselves back into the playoff picture.

https://twitter.com/Kovy274Hart/status/1231045417472872448?s=19

The Rangers have earned it. It’s a lot for the positive fans to be proud of. Maybe our friend Jon is right. Maybe they can pull this off. We’ll have a better idea on Tuesday.

Battle Of Hudson Three 🌟

3rd 🌟 Ryan Strome, Rangers (16th goal plus 🍎 to boost his career best total to 53 points in 60 GP)

2nd 🌟 Artemi Panarin, Rangers (career tying 31st goal plus 🍎 for points 80 and 81 in 59 games, 401 career points in first 5 seasons)

1st 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, Rangers (27th goal plus 2 🍎 giving him 7 points in the last 2 wins)

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Rangers healthy scratch Lundqvist

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Derek

For the first time in his 15-year career, Henrik Lundqvist is a healthy scratch tonight for the Rangers against the Hurricanes. It was revealed by the media who cover the team before the game.

Making it more interesting is how well Lundqvist has performed against the Canes. He was a perfect 3-0 with a 2.33 GAA and. 947 save percentage. It didn’t matter. Coach David Quinn opted to go with new number one goalie Igor Shesterkin in the biggest game of the season. They trail the second wildcard Canes by six points.

It should be noted that not once did MSG mention the lineup during the pregame show. How embarrassing. They cannot ever address this story due to how they cover Lundqvist.

I know it’s tough. However, this is a major story. The Garden has become pathetic. It’s been okay for them to use Lundqvist for everything for over a decade including tickets, merchandise, etc. But god forbid the network cover such a big story on the future Hall of Famer. Not as long as Steve Valiquette is on MSG.

Obviously, with Alex Georgiev backing up Shesterkin for the first time tonight, it’s a huge story. I’ll have more on it and the game later.

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Kevin Weekes talks Lundqvist and Kreider

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Derek

Kevin Weekes is a busy man. The former goalie of the Rangers is everywhere. As the studio color analyst of NHL Tonight on NHL Network, he’s always up to talk hockey. Especially with the trade deadline around the corner.

Weekes did a guest spot on WFAN with Marc Malusis and Maggie Gray to discuss the latest regarding former teammate Henrik Lundqvist. He also put out an interesting Tweet regarding the status of top trade target Chris Kreider.

The bottom line is he is in the know and understands the situation with the Rangers. In the second full year of a rebuild, they’re going to do what’s best for the team moving forward. A future that doesn’t include Lundqvist. A very popular star player who’s given everything to the franchise for 15 years.

As he approaches his 38th birthday, it’s up in the air if this is it for Lundqvist on Broadway. It’s painfully obvious that the organization sees what it has in bright rookie Igor Shesterkin. A young netminder who’s won seven of his first eight starts while putting up sparkling numbers. The big 24-year old Russian is going to be the starting goalie for a long time.

When it comes to Lundqvist, Weekes wisely emphasized communication between the two sides. Have they been transparent with a player who will one day see his jersey number retired up in the Garden rafters? That’s a question for coach David Quinn, GM Jeff Gorton and Team President John Davidson. While the coach has been open on the topic, there’s been deafening silence from management. We’ve seen it before when Glen Sather dumped Brian Leetch to Toronto on his birthday without any communication.

Weekes gets what Lundqvist has meant to the Rangers on and off the ice. No matter how you feel towards him currently due to the one year remaining on a contract that has a cap hit of $8.5 million with a full no-movement clause, the former 2000 seventh round pick from Frolunda, Sweden has been a staple forever. He was the backbone to the good teams they had which included two Conference Finals and one Stanley Cup Final within a four year span.

It would be a lot different had they won one Cup with Lundqvist. As much as Game Six in 2012 and Game Five in 2014 sting, the way they lost in Game Seven of 2015 hurts more. That was their best chance in my estimation. I’ll leave it at that. With King Henrik currently third on a two goalie rotation (at least it seems that way) consisting of Shesterkin and 24-year old Bulgarian Alex Georgiev, the big question is how many starts will he get over the remaining 23 games.

The Rangers are in a unique situation where they’re very much in play for the wildcard. With flawed teams like the Blue Jackets, Islanders and Hurricanes struggling in front of them, they have to feel they have a chance. The game at Carolina is huge later tonight. As well as Lundqvist played in beating the Canes three times earlier this year, the start should likely go to Shesterkin. He’s earned it. He’s the best of the three goalies.

With 66 points and more regulation wins than some of the teams they trail, it’s not impossible for the Blueshirts to make it anymore. The pack has come back. That also includes the Panthers, who slipped back to fourth in the Atlantic. They’re fighting for third with the flawed Leafs. They have 70 points. By virtue of their overtime win at Columbus due to old friend Kevin Hayes, the Flyers are now in third place in the Metro with 75 points. The Blue Jackets are clinging onto the first wildcard with 73 points while the Hurricanes have the second wildcard with 72 and two more regulation wins (24-22) than the Islanders.

The Hurricanes and Islanders each have 72 entering Friday’s games. The Isles have an easier opponent in Detroit at home following an awful road trip that saw them score only two goals in 12 periods. San Jose visits them on Sunday after they invade MSG. So, they have favorable match-ups that could get them out of their slump.

For the Rangers, it’s all in front of them. Take care of business tonight at Carolina and beat the Sharks tomorrow and they would be at 70 points with still 21 games remaining. If only it were that simple. They have to play much better than what we saw in a defenseless 6-3 win at Chicago.

In regards to what Weekes tweeted about Kreider, he’s not lying. The truth is both the Avalanche and Bruins are great options if the Rangers decide the cost is too much to keep the valuable power forward, who’s been brilliant for two and a half months. I would lean towards Colorado due to star Mikko Rantanen being out for at least a few weeks. They’re also without Nazem Kadri and are down to Pavel Francouz due to starting goalie Philipp Grubauer being injured. Despite the goalie situation, they aren’t a landing spot for Lundqvist, who’s hardly played since Shesterkin got recalled on Jan. 6.

Kreider though would certainly interest them. Right now, Andre Burakovsky is playing on the top line with Hart candidate Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog. If they decide to upgrade, it would make sense to acquire Kreider, who can bring his strong combination of size, strength and speed to the Avalanche for a run at the Cup. He also is so good in front of the net at screening goalies and tipping in shots for goals. The big left wing drives possession and has come into his own while forming great chemistry with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Imagine him with MacKinnon and Landeskog.

I threw out some suggestions for a trade in last night’s lengthy game review. I’m not going to speculate anymore. I’ll leave that to the other yo-yo’s who spread false propaganda to get clicks. I’m not about that. I just want to enjoy whatever happens this weekend and on Monday. Let’s see what the next 72 hours brings us.

My advice to any loyal True Blue Ranger fans is to sit back and try to relax. Don’t check Twitter every 30 seconds. We’re probably not going to know anything until Sunday evening at the soonest. Root for the team to get more wins. They deserve a ton of credit for how they’ve played since the break. I think Quinn, the staff and the leadership that includes Kreider, Zibanejad, Ryan Strome, Jesper Fast and Marc Staal should be praised for what we’ve seen. Ditto Lundqvist, who’s biting his tongue under a rock and a hard place.

Weekes also went out of his way to heap praise on Artemi Panarin. Why not? Like he accurately stated, he’s been the best star addition since former teammate Jaromir Jagr. The Bread Man doesn’t get enough credit for how hard he plays defensively. He doesn’t stop skating. He competes extremely hard in all three zones. Just because he doesn’t kill penalties doesn’t mean he isn’t working his tail off.

I can’t predict what will happen. Nobody can. I just want the team to keep playing well by winning games and making it interesting. They’re just ahead of my 85 point target. I also hope the organization does what’s best for them for the next few years. Whatever that is, we’ll see.

Enjoy the best weekend of the year.

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Game #59 Defense optional as Rangers double up Blackhawks, Kreider dominates, Mama Strome celebrates with Moms

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Derek

Ryan Strome scored a goal for a new career high in points. His proud Mom celebrated along with the Moms as the Rangers outscored the Blackhawks 6-3 in a defense optional affair. AP Photo credit NBCSN

This was one that the coach won’t be too happy with. In what amounted to a old fashioned Texas style shootout, the Rangers doubled up the Blackhawks 6-3 to win the first of two games on the Moms road trip.

While Ryan Strome scored a goal to set a new career high in points (51), Mama Strome celebrated her son’s goal along with five others in the stands at the United Center. She gave a high five to Pavel Buchnevich’s Mom following a goal he scored in a wacky third period that saw the Original Six teams combine for seven goals.

Anything went following a 1-1 tie through two periods. The reason only two goals were scored was the play of netminders Igor Shesterkin and Robin Lehner. They each had to be outstanding at different points to keep their teams in the game. In the first period, it was Lehner who had the tougher saves. The second was a role reversal with Shesterkin called on to make some key stops.

Playing his first game in over a week due to an ankle injury, the unflappable 24-year old rookie was brilliant finishing with 37 saves. He made some beauties including a strong glove denial on a Hawks shot deflected by his own teammate Brady Skjei. Skjei has succeeded before at beating his own goalie in bizarre fashion. Good thing Shesterkin was ready for it. There also were other big time saves on plenty of dangerous Blackhawks chances.

With the exception of Hawks rookie Dominik Kubalik, who beat him twice, Shesterkin was unreal. Despite the back and forth hockey especially in the third, he didn’t let it bother him. The remarkable poise the Russian goalie plays with is hard to ignore. It was pointed out several times during the NBC Sports Network telecast by Doc Emrick and Eddie Olczyk. They also liked his work with moving the puck. A strength as opposed to Henrik Lundqvist, who at this point knows how it’s going to end. His brilliance throughout a great 15-year career shouldn’t be forgotten. This can’t be easy for him watching David Quinn give Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev all of the starts.

I doubt Lundqvist is going anywhere by Monday. He has barely played since the New Year, only getting four starts. There aren’t said to be many suitors due to the lack of activity. Factor in that contract and the no-movement clause and it becomes complicated. The 37-year old’s best days are behind him. If he wants to keep playing, he needs a fresh start with another team willing to take a chance. My guess is he’ll be bought out in the offseason. Not the same as being waived unceremoniously like Eddie Giacomin.

It happens. No star athlete ever stays on top forever. As sad as it is watching him on the bench helpless, this is what he chose. He knew the team was in rebuild mode. They asked him if he wanted to move. He didn’t want to do it. The loyalty is understandable given how well he’s been treated. Even if he is gone, that’ll never change. One day, his number 30 will hang from the rafters, joining the likes of Giacomin, Mike Richter along with other legends Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, Rod Gilbert, Andy Bathgate, Jean Ratelle, Harry Howell, Vic Hadfield and Adam Graves.

That day could be coming soon. Maybe by 2025. It’ll depend on how long Lundqvist decides to stick around. For now, there are 23 games remaining on the schedule. How many games will he get? Maybe a couple at home late in the year as a send off. That’s a possibility.

While the Lundqvist issue remains, the Rangers have plenty of business to tend to. With Monday’s trade deadline a few days away, they have to figure out what they’re doing with Chris Kreider. He’s not making it easy. He flat out dominated the Blackhawks tonight going for a goal and two assists. The three point effort was the latest example of how in demand the power forward is. His play with linemates Pavel Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad was splendid. They couldn’t be stopped by the inept Chicago defense which got pinned in for long stretches. Never more evident than after they cut the deficit to 5-3, Quinn sent out his top line. They immediately put together a strong shift down low in the Hawks zone. Eventually the puck came to Buchnevich, who turned and fired a shot pass off Zibanejad in front for a 6-3 lead.

The Hawks just don’t have the guys to prevent such a forecheck. Nobody could take Kreider off the puck on that shift. He also couldn’t be stopped from somehow taking a tough pass at the Chicago blue line and keeping the play onside to break in behind the defense and score another highlight reel goal past a taxed Lehner. It was another example of how good Kreider is. It’s not only the size and strength. But also the explosiveness due to his skating. His skill is high end.

Any contender would love to add him. But it’ll come at a steep price. Listening to TSN insider Bob McKenzie between periods, the Rangers want a NHL roster player, a first round pick and a conditional pick. They may even ask for a prospect and lower secondary pick as well. So, it could cost four pieces. How many teams are willing to do that? Given the injury status of Mikko Rantanen, the Avalanche could be at the top of the list. They possess good young players like Valeri Nichuschkin, Tyson Jost and young prospects like former first rounders Martin Kaut and Alex Newhook. Are they all in? It’s worth finding out.

Speaking of which, the Avalanche won at home tonight over the reeling Islanders 3-1. The Isles scored two total goals in 12 periods during a winless road trip. They went 0-4-0 to slip to the second wildcard. They have 72 points which is tied with both first wildcard Carolina and sixth place Columbus, who have lost six in a row. Of the three teams, they have the least amount of regulation wins (22), which could come into play. However, they do have 23 games left along with the Hurricanes. The Blue Jackets only have 21 remaining.

Given what’s been happening in front of them, the Rangers have to feel like they have a shot. Up to 66 points with 27 wins in regulation dwarfing the teams ahead, all they have to do is win games and make up ground. Friday’s game at Carolina is huge for both teams. We’ll see if they can continue their mastery over the Canes. I doubt Lundqvist will start despite his dominance over them. It has to be Shesterkin at this point. That’s how good he is.

By winning ugly on Wednesday night in Chicago, they gave themselves a chance. With only two games left before the trade deadline, it’s hard to predict what will happen. Can the Rangers figure out a way to keep Kreider and work out a new contract? Or is it gonna cost too much? I wouldn’t want to be either Jeff Gorton or John Davidson right now. How good has he been? Since my birthday on Dec. 8, Kreider is up to 32 points (18-14-32) over the last 30 games. By far the best stretch of his career.

Kreider was very good at assessing the win with his candid evaluation of what wasn’t a complete effort by any stretch.

He’s right. If they play like that versus a desperate and better Canes, they’ll get run out of the building. I don’t care what the record is. They will have to show more urgency. Especially at five-on-five where there were too many gaps that allowed the highly skilled Blackhawks to get three past Shesterkin. If he wasn’t so calm in net, it easily could’ve been more. Maybe even a 6-6 game with overtime required just to get points. That’s how lousy the defenses were. When I say that, I also mean the forwards. It was bad all around.

Prior to the game, NBCSN highlighted Mrs. Strome introducing the Rangers lineup that included her son Ryan along with Artemi Panarin, Jesper Fast, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and Shesterkin. The way she announced each starter was hilarious, adding a little punchline for all including a funny moment with Shesterkin.

The hug and kiss for her son was a touching moment. Afterwards, Strome joked that it only aged him five years in a nice postgame interview. He really has a good sense of humor and a pulse on the team and the way they’ve been playing. It sure is nice to see a good guy get rewarded with a new career best in points for a season. With 23 games to go, he has a chance to add to it and have an important role in big games. That’s if he stays. Like I said, I have no idea what the Rangers will decide between now and Monday afternoon.

The game started well. On an early shift less than two minutes in, Filip Chytil took a Kaapo Kakko pass and carried in around Adam Boqvist and fired a good wrist shot that beat Lehner five-hole for his 13th goal. Tony DeAngelo picked up a helper in his first game back after missing the previous two with an upper body injury. He didn’t miss a beat tallying two helpers for points 44 and 45. Every point is a new career high for the arbitration eligible offensive right defenseman. The price is going up.

Following an early power play with Slater Koekkoek (Cuck-oo) off for interference where they over passed and didn’t shoot the puck, they played a solid period. But as I noted at the top, this wasn’t a defensive game. It was defense optional. Each team skated into open ice and generated scoring chances. The goalies were good.

The Rangers were able to successfully kill off a phantom slash on Brett Howden late in the first. It was one of those where he gets a stick up on Alex Nylander and barely taps him. Of course, the arm automatically came up like a programmed robot. Alex DeBrincat nearly tied it, but had his one-timer ring off the goalpost. That’s the kinda year it’s been for him. He’ll bounce back next year. Sophomore slump be damned.

As for the tacky call on Howden, this isn’t hockey anymore. Not when Jonathan Toews can later back into Shesterkin and get a stick up on our prized goalie and not receive anything. What a joke. That had to be something. They only look for the tugs and less dangerous infractions.

If the first favored the Rangers, the second was mostly Blackhawks. They came out sharper and immediately tested Shesterkin, who was cool as a cucumber. Nothing seems to bother him. Not even Toews knocking into him before recovering to stay in the game.

Chicago would tie the game at even strength thanks to Kubalik. Playing on the top line with Toews and Patrick Kane, he got open to put away a perfect Duncan Keith cross ice feed past an outstretched Shesterkin. Kane picked up a secondary assist. Though he only wound up with one point, he was dangerous throughout. It’s a shame that he now is being wasted with some peak years left due to the ineptness of Teflon GM Stan Bowman.

A foolish hi-sticking minor on Brendan Lemieux that was drawn by Drake Caggiula, who was one of the better Hawks, handed the Chicago hosts a power play 10 seconds after the Kubalik goal. They passed the puck around well, but a disciplined Blueshirts penalty kill led by Lindgren and Fast got a big clear to help kill off their 16th straight. They would go a perfect three-for-three on the night to make it 17 consecutive penalties killed.

Credit much critiqued assistant Lindy Ruff for the improvement. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that since Lindgren was added to it, the PK has been much better. When you have heart and soul types like Marc Staal, Fast, Zibanejad and The Warrior selling out, it’s going to improve. It’s also an area Howden excels at. Too bad he was in the box twice for ill advised minor penalties. That cut into his ice time. Howden plays on the fourth line. Tonight, he was with mostly Lemieux and newcomer Julien Gauthier, who looked good in only 7:18 played. Wearing number 12, he showed off his speed with a power move around a defenseman and got off a tough one handed shot that Lehner stopped. I would like to see more of him. It’s a good sign that he nearly scored in his Rangers debut.

When the Hawks weren’t controlling puck possession which they did for a vast majority of the middle stanza, they had to deal with a Lehner roughing minor against the pesky Lemieux. That’s his game. Agitate the opponent. Sometimes, he agitates me due to his penchant for bad penalties. He will have to mature in that part of the game. Learn where to draw the line. Right now, he’s a fourth liner struggling to score and get consistent minutes. He’s not the same guy we saw in the first half.

The Rangers weren’t able to do anything on their second power play. It was a little frustrating. After building no momentum off the missed opportunity, they did too much watching as Shesterkin did his best Dominik Hasek impression. He stopped 15 of 16 shots in a hectic period where there was zero attention to detail. When NBCSN rover Brian Boucher spoke to Quinn, he sounded annoyed and referenced how he felt they had gotten away from how they’ve played recently. It was very pointed.

It didn’t change much either. Another Howden penalty which this time was for taking the wrong route on rookie Kirby Dach to get nabbed for tripping, forced the penalty kill back into action. They didn’t allow much with Shesterkin only forced to make two saves from the outside on Kane and DeBrincat.

When Shesterkin wasn’t vacuuming Chicago shots, the Rangers were delivering a few hits to survive the period. They were outshot 16-10. But this was truly lousy hockey. They were lucky not to be down a couple. By the same token, I felt they could’ve been up by more than one after the first. Shots might’ve been even at 12 apiece, but the Blueshirts had the better of the chances on Lehner. Like I said, a total role reversal.

A last second shot by Phil Di Giuseppe was denied by Lehner to keep the game even at one headed to the third period. What a period it was.

After only combining for two goals the first 40 minutes, the teams went bonkers. Offense was aplenty in a seven goal third that was so wide open, it may as well have been pond hockey. I believe either Doc or Olczyk referred to it. That’s how crazy the style was. There was no checking and no whistles for a while.

A dominant shift from the KZB Line resulted in Buchnevich putting home his 14th on a continuation play from an active Kreider. Originally, it looked like Kreider would score from Buchnevich on a great backdoor feed. But he just missed. However, he kept going and worked the puck with Zibanejad behind the net before sending the puck back out to an open Buchnevich, who beat Lehner with a quick wrister at 2:33.

The madness continued. On the very next shift, a hustling Gauthier drew a hold on Olli Maatta. After toying with an exhausted Hawks penalty kill, DeAngelo and Zibanejad combined to create a wide open chance for Strome. He finished off his 15th of the season for a career best 51 points. The power play goal gave the Rangers a two goal lead.

It didn’t last long. On just some poor puck management in the neutral zone, Buchnevich turned it over to Toews, who got the puck to Caggiula. He led Kubalik, who completely undressed Jacob Trouba and then Staal, who came on for Skjei. Kubalik deked and tucked in a backhand for his second of the game and rookie-leading 25th at 6:05. The goal came 2:04 after Strome’s tally.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier, it did. On a good play through the neutral zone, Staal passed for Zibanejad who was able to hit Kreider at the Chicago blueline. It wasn’t the best pass, but Kreider somehow managed to control the puck with his foot to keep the play onside. I knew what was next. Flying as only he can, he completely dusted the Hawks D and went to his bread and butter backhand move and had the puck bounce in off Lehner for number 24 at 8:48. Olczyk wondered if the Hawks would challenge for offside, but replays showed it wasn’t. Just a mesmerizing play by a unique player.

The roof caved in on the Hawks. Just over a minute later, a total misplay behind the net led to former Blackhawk Panarin scoring unassisted for his 30th of the season. That made it 5-2. He is one off his career high of 31 established in his second NHL season with Chicago while teamed with Kane. They were so dominant together in just two years that they combined for 346 points. NBCSN had the graphic for each. It’s 195 for Kane and 151 for Panarin. Crazy stuff. If there were no cap, they’d still be playing on the same team. Yikes.

Leading by three, the Rangers couldn’t even get comfortable. A great pass by Toews from behind the net after he spun off a Lindgren check led to Caggiula finishing off his seventh just 1:58 later to make it 5-3 with 8:21 remaining. It was brutal coverage with Lindgren, Fox and Zibanejad all caught behind the Ranger net. No chance for Shesterkin, who was getting the full Ranger experience after missing the past three games.

But in a period largely controlled by the aggressive Rangers forecheck, they finally put it away thanks to another dominant shift from the first line. Right on cue, the KZB Line pinned the Hawks in deep. On a good pass by Kreider to Buchnevich in the slot, he turned around and had the presence of mind to fire the puck for a cutting Zibanejad, who was to the side of Lehner. The puck went off his skate and in for his 26th from Buchnevich and Kreider.

The big goal came exactly 1:58 following the Caggiula one. How’s that for irony? Caggiula followed up Panarin in the same span. Strange. That was this game and especially the third period.

Shesterkin continued to stop shots like Velcro. Even though his team was up by three, he remained locked in. That’s the most impressive thing. This guy plays like he’s been in the league a lot longer than the eight games he’s gotten in. That’s why he’s won seven of eight starts and has excellent numbers that include a 2.28 GAA and .939 save percentage. He faced 40 shots and made 37 saves to pick up the win.

At one point during the game, Emrick paid homage to Shesterkin. He alluded to how fans can be impatient during a rebuild. Especially in New York. The Rangers have missed the playoffs two years running and it could very likely be three. But Doc was quick to point out the positives such as what Gauthier showed in his debut and how good Igor was in net. Throw in the development of Fox, Lindgren, Chytil and Kakko, who’s continued to look more confident in the offensive zone. I think it’s only a matter of time before he starts finishing.

There is a lot to like with this group. That’s why I’m torn on what’s going to happen. I don’t want to see anyone go. Between Kreider, Strome and DeAngelo, they all deserve raises and would be excellent guys to continue building with. But there’s virtually no way they can retain everyone. That could signal the end for a well respected two-way guy like Fast, who has value on the market. He won’t cost as much as Kreider.

It’ll be interesting to see what they do. I’ll hope for the best. Especially with the team showing signs of getting back in the playoff race. We have to wait and see what they do in the next two games. Carolina tomorrow and San Jose Sunday. Win both and who knows.

The truth is the Rangers must do what’s best for the franchise long-term. We can’t lose perspective. I’ll end it with that.

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd ⭐️ Dominik Kubalik, Blackhawks (2 goals for rookie best 24 and 25, 3 shots in 14:18, originally a Kings 7th Rd Pick in 2013)

2nd ⭐️ Pavel Buchnevich, Rangers (goal number 14 plus 🍎 giving him 3-3-6 over last 5 games and 7-5-12 in last 12 GP since 1/21)

1st ⭐️ Chris Kreider, Rangers (goal number 24 plus 2 🍎 giving him 32 points over last 30 games)

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Rangers make smart move swapping Joey Keane for Julien Gauthier, Lindgren takes high road on Marchand, confusing playoff system, awful Leafs and Canadiens

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Derek

A minor trade that could help the Rangers at forward could impact what happens with Chris Kreider (seen above with Derek Stepan).

Much earlier on Tuesday, the Rangers decided to make a trade that could immediately impact the future. In fact, it could signal what the organization decides between now and next Monday’s Feb. 24 trade deadline.

In the second trade between the Rangers and Hurricanes with the first being acquiring Adam Fox last summer, they swapped defenseman Joey Keane for forward Julien Gauthier. In sending the 20-year old Keane to Carolina and picking up 22-year old Gauthier, who has a good resume, it looks like the Rangers are preparing for the worst in five days.

On the subject of an interesting deal, they traded from an organizational strength. Even with Keane putting up good numbers with eight goals and 22 assists for a total of 30 points in 49 games for Hartford, it was obvious that the first-time AHL All-Star was blocked due to the excellent depth the team has at defense. Only 20, it’s a good opportunity for Keane, who will continue his first pro year with Charlotte in the AHL.

The issue was that the Rangers had Fox, Jacob Trouba and Tony DeAngelo ahead of him on the right side. With a key decision still looming on leading D point getter DeAngelo soon, and Nils Lundkvist possibly coming over next season as a 20-year old right defenseman, there is no room for Keane, who hopefully will continue to progress and become an NHL regular.

Factor in K’Andre Miller and Matthew Robertson as part of the future left side of what should be a revamped blueline by 2021-22, and the Blueshirts are in good shape. The biggest weakness is lack of forward depth. Even with Vitali Kravtsov in his first pro year along with rookie Kaapo Kakko, the truth is they lack a lot up front. Particularly on the wing where they should at least have Kakko, Pavel Buchnevich and superstar Artemi Panarin penciled in.

The thing is they invested in Panarin for top dollar knowing this realistically wasn’t a playoff team. They spent 22 million on the salary cap for both Panarin and Trouba. You don’t do that unless you’re serious about improving quickly. The last thing they want to do is waste the prime of the Bread Man, whose 78 points (29-49-78) have him on pace for a 100 point season.

If they have come to a decision on Chris Kreider, who has plenty of interest from four teams including the Bruins and Islanders, then they must add NHL ready talent to the roster. In acquiring Gauthier, who’s scored a combined 69 goals in the AHL for the Checkers the last three years, the former 2016 first round pick of the Canes seems to check all the boxes.

He’s got the size and strength the Rangers need. Listed at 6-4, 227 pounds, the big right wing represented Canada twice at the Under 20 World Junior Championships. In 2017, he had five goals and two assists. His pro career has been similar. Gauthier has 69 goals and 34 assists. That includes 26 goals and 11 helpers in 44 contests this season. He’ll join the Rangers in Chicago for Wednesday Night Hockey against the Blackhawks. He’ll wear number 12.

In five NHL games this year with Carolina, Gauthier has an assist with six penalty minutes. Now, he’ll get a chance with the Blueshirts. We’ll see what kind of first impression he can make tonight. It’ll be interesting to see where they slot him.

On the front of the Original Six match-up that seems to always be nationally televised by NBC no matter how crazy it’s become, we’ll know more later in regards to DeAngelo and starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin. David Quinn said he expects DeAngelo to play on the road trip which also includes a stop in Raleigh on Friday.

They will then return to The Garden Sunday for the Sharks. By then, we should have a clearer idea of the organization’s plans for Kreider along with trade candidates Jesper Fast and Ryan Strome.

Considering how the coach has handled the net with Alex Georgiev playing the last three games while Henrik Lundqvist is reduced to a helpless spectator, I don’t think Georgiev is going anywhere. Despite all the contrived crap from other spaces, it seems that they’ve made up their minds. That could lead to a split by the summer between Lundqvist and the Rangers. It doesn’t make sense to keep him around as a third wheel for that cap hit of $8.5 million.

There’s this false narrative that the Rangers have to be loyal to Henrik for the whole duration of the contract. Not if he’s not playing. It’s too much of a distraction moving forward. So if they do decide to buyout the franchise leader in victories and shutouts, it’s going to still save some money. Albeit not a lot due to the dead space. He needs to find a new home where he can go play out whatever is left of his brilliant career.

If Glen Sather can treat the franchise’s greatest player in Brian Leetch like crap by not even informing him he was being traded on his birthday to the Maple Leafs, then they can part ways with Lundqvist in the pressure packed salary cap era. These aren’t easy decisions. But it’s about logic. Even Larry Brooks can see it.

Next order of business. On Sunday as you know, Brad Marchand trash talked Ryan Lindgren following the couple of run-ins they had on Hockey Day In America. After his crosscheck to the back of Lindgren during a scrum, Pavel Buchnevich came to Lindgren’s aid by knocking down Marchand from behind. As well as he’s played since the second half began, this was Buchnevich’s finest moment as a Blueshirt. It showed character and the kind of passion that’s been critiqued in the past. He’s finally getting it.

It would’ve been very easy for the younger Lindgren to fire back at Marchand after The Rat called him a solid defenseman that he didn’t see having a long NHL career. Instead, the 22-year old poised rookie took the high road. Here is what he told New York Post reporter Mollie Walker:

That’s exactly the kind of response you want. There’s no reason to get into a war of words with the master troll. Marchand is a top 10 player who seems to take great joy in mastering the art of agitating, talking and making fools out of fans who run their mouths on social media.

That’s who he is. He’s the type of player you love if he’s on your side, but hate if he isn’t. I rather get a kick out of him. He might talk, but he can back it up. Too bad there’s no more games versus the Bruins on the schedule.

Finally, a parting shot at the confusing NHL playoff system. When they first announced the move to the divisional format for the first two rounds, it made me flashback to the good old days in the 80’s and early 90’s. However, back then it worked better due to way fewer teams. There also wasn’t any free reward for reaching overtime. Either you won, lost or tied. If you won or lost, it was still a four point swing if it was a game inside your division. Two points or none.

That’s the real issue. All the free point does is reward mediocrity. The Islanders have less wins in regulation than the Rangers. So do the Maple Leafs, who gave another pathetic effort in a lopsided 5-2 loss to the Penguins on NBCSN. They remain in third place in the soft Atlantic Division where as long as you finish in the top three, you automatically qualify for the postseason.

How do you think fans of the Flyers, Blue Jackets, Islanders or Hurricanes will feel if say their team doesn’t make it. But the Leafs or Panthers do even if they wind up with less points or the first tiebreaker of regulation wins? Someone could get screwed.

Heck. If the Rangers played in the other division, the playoffs would be a real possibility. What does that exactly say about the current system? It isn’t working. They have to go back to seeding it 1-8. Then the tiebreak would be easier. I still point to the cheap reward of a brownie point for getting past regulation. Three-on-three is nice to watch. But it’s not hockey either. They should go back to four-on-four.

Make it harder. No free point. You play for two in the overtime. Forget the shootout. It should be two points, one or none. Separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Toronto is a fraud. They don’t play any team defense. They don’t backcheck. Defense optional. They leave both Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell out to dry. They remind me of the early 2000’s Rangers teams that were all offense and zero structure. The Panthers are similar despite similar top tier talent. They overpaid for Sergei Bobrovsky and he’s been abysmal.

Someone has to get third in that mediocre division. The same one the lowly Red Wings swept Montreal for the first time ever. The same one the Senators put up a touchdown and extra point on the Sabres in when a win of any kind would’ve meant they’re back in the race. Instead, they gave up three goals within a 1:14 span up two and four straight to end the first period down 4-2.

I can’t believe I took the Leafs to the Cup. Good god. What was I thinking? I really thought it could all line up for Toronto. All that talent. Adding Tyson Barrie and Alex Kerfoot for Nazem Kadri. It turns out he was more important than previously thought. Ask Colorado. The defense is so bad without Morgan Rielly, you would think he was a world beater in his end.

The coaching change might’ve worked initially. However, not even replacing Mike Babcock with Sheldon Keefe can cover for how defensively inept the Leafs are. It doesn’t matter how skilled they are led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares. They’re still too easy to play against even with the wise addition of the edgy Kyle Clifford.

At what point does the finger get pointed at the top? Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan are failing. If they were to miss the playoffs, it would be a disaster. Heads would roll.

It seems like Claude Julien will lose his job in Montreal. They routinely blow two and three goal leads in games they should win. He’s also run Carey Price into the ground. Literally. He was last seen melting oh the ice like the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz. Despite having a very talented rookie forward in Nick Suzuki, they’re not good enough to compete.

They’ll blame the coach. When does the GM lose his job, or is that not allowed? It’s the Canadiens. The NHL’s best franchise in league history. The winner of a NHL record 24 Stanley Cups. The last one being in ’92-93 when legend Patrick Roy carried them. That’s also the last Cup a Canadian franchise has won.

https://twitter.com/JessHa6s/status/1229963896490012674?s=19

At some point, the Habs have to stop being a punchline. They’re so much more to the league. Price is now 32 and being wasted. This could be the third straight season he doesn’t see the playoffs. He made one Conference Final in 2014. He was part of the 2010 run too but that was all Jaro Halak. That’s it for the best goalie Montreal has had since Roy.

Here’s a question for fans of the Canadiens and Maple Leafs fans. What does your team need to do to become a serious contender for Lord Stanley?

Posted in Battle News, Column, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rangers make smart move swapping Joey Keane for Julien Gauthier, Lindgren takes high road on Marchand, confusing playoff system, awful Leafs and Canadiens

Devils’ Sunday makeover and shootout win combine for a wild night

Posted on February 16, 2020 by hasan4978

Coming home to write this blog about one of the wildest days ever as a Devils fan, I figured I’d try to just go through what happened and my feelings in chronological order, and I’m still going to try to do that.  I’m just not sure I can remember everything exactly in order or completely given how the news has been coming fast and furious all night, along with loosely trying to actually watch the hockey game in front of me – at least in the last two periods and OT/SO of the Blackwoods’ shootout win over the Blue Jackets.

Let’s just start with the pregame, I was preparing to eat dinner at home around 4 PM and leave right after that for the Devils’ game against Columbus with a 6 PM start time when I saw the notification surfing Facebook – Devils trade Andy Greene to Islanders for a 2nd rounder and defenseman David Quenneville.  It was another ‘huh?!’ moment.  Not that I was entirely surprised to see Greene dealt, in fact if you had to put odds on it they would have been high that he would get dealt to the Islanders who have a certain GM that knows Greene very well.  Especially given the convenience factor for Greene’s family not having to move or be seperated since he could stay in the area.

I can’t exactly complain about the price either – a 2nd rounder for a depth defenseman seems more than fair although the fact the 2nd rounder is in 2021 instead of this year is meh, but whatever…can’t be too picky given that I’m sure the list of teams Greene would waive his NTC for was probably short and I’m not sure we get a 2nd from a GM that isn’t Lou Lamoriello since Greene was pathetically underrated in hockey circles for years in his prime.  Not to mention over-the-top complaining by Devil fans since his prime, because given the state of our defense he had to remain on the first pair with no better options when he would have been better served as a second-pair defenseman, which he probably will be for Lou’s team.

Perhaps the only thing that bugged me about the deal was the timing.  After all, we already fired a GM and a coach literally around two hours before a home game that same night, now we’re going to trade our captain two hours before a game too?  I know we’re not exactly trying to win, but you can’t reasonably expect your locker room to be completely ready to play a game when you throw something franchise-changing into their lap.  Especially for guys like Travis Zajac, who pointed out simply in the postgame that he’s spent fourteen years with Andy, since both were rookies in 2006.  Not to mention the broadcast team, who’s also known Andy longer than most of the current players.  According to people who were watching, both Ken Daneyko and Bryce Salvador had red eyes in the pregame, no doubt emotional over the Greene trade.  Especially in Sal’s case, the dude actually played with him, and was succeeded as captain on the team by #6.

Honestly this night should have been a proper tribute for a solid player and better person who played over 900 games as a Devil, served admirably in both the good times like the 2012 playoff run, and under trying circumstances like the last couple years.  Greene made himself into a valuable NHL player from being an undrafted free agent signed by Lou in 2006 after four years of college at Miami of Ohio.  It took a few years for Greene to fully break out but he did so in 2009-10 with a 37-point season.  Scoring wasn’t exactly his game though, after all he put up just one assist in 24 playoff games during the team’s 2012 playoff run and his career high in points was during that 2009-10 season, yet was a valuable member of the team nonetheless as a first-pairing shutdown defenseman who was a stout penalty killer.  Surely there’ll be more time for reflection when the Islanders come to the Rock in late March and Greene gets a deserved ovation.

Yet I hadn’t even had much time to process the Greene trade (basically a half hour) when the Blake Coleman rumors started to hit the Twitter-sphere.  My feelings turned from resignation to annoyance at that point.  Even if the initial rumor from Renaud Lavoie of Coleman being dealt to Colorado proved to be incorrect, there was definitely smoke around the rumors when Coleman was scratched from the pregame lineup due to ‘precautionary reasons’ – which is generally code for a trade’s coming.  GM Tom Fitzgerald’s message was basically clear at that point, this was going to be another long-term rebuild if a guy like Coleman was on the block.

Granted, I could understand trading Coleman from the purely theoretical perspective.  He’s a middle six player who’s only got one guaranteed year under control beyond this season before he plays his way into a nice free agent deal.  Still, a guy like Coleman is someone you’d like to keep even if you’re in a rebuild.  He’s 28 which isn’t exactly old, and has become a real heart and soul guy over the last three seasons, being a modern-day John Madden with terrific penalty killing and shutdown ability.  Coleman also improved his offense every year though…from 13 goals and 25 points in his first full season two years ago to 22 goals and 36 points last year, and was set to improve yet again with 21 goals and 31 points in 57 games so far this year including great skill moves like this memorable goal on Opening Night, which proved to be the apex of the Devils’ season.

Arguably Coleman was the team’s MVP this year or at least just behind Mackenzie Blackwood.  It was going to take a big package for me to be okay with trading him.  I didn’t think the Coleman question would be resolved tonight though, in fact I was also annoyed the Coleman rumors kind of put a wet blanket over the Greene departure.  It seems like a guy who’s been a Devil for a decade and a half deserved better than basically an hour or so of attention before the even more attention-grabbing deal hit the wire.  Ironically, Coleman also went to college at Miami of Ohio, so they have that in common besides being traded on the same day – though unlike Greene he was drafted in the third round. Coleman still (like Greene) basically came from being an unheralded prospect to make himself into a solid NHL player.

With all this swirling around I drove to the arena, and did at least luck out by finding a free parking spot on the street that was easy to get into, near where I usually go into my $7-10 lot.  I guess there’s at least one advantage to attending a game on a Sunday night with a holiday the next day (not that I’ll benefit, having to go to work then) since generally it’s a little harder to find parking spots near the arena.  I also got there early enough to get the PK Subban special bobblehead, and to see a couple of friends in the pregame.

Really I paid scant attention to the actual game during the first period and there wasn’t exactly much to watch, to be honest.  It looked like it was going to be another typical Devils-Blue Jackets game where they kicked the hell out of us physically and wasted us on the scoreboard 5-1 or 6-2, especially after trading the captain and scratching one of your better players.  It’s not exactly ideal when 10% of your lineup only knows it’s playing 60-90 minutes before the game.  I saw an acquaintance I’d only met the previous day and when she made a comment about loving Coleman I just…didn’t have the heart to tell her he was about to be traded.

Little did I even know about to be traded meant literally in the middle of the second period.  First, the Devils actually got me back into the game emotionally briefly when a couple of the young guns – Joey Anderson and Nick Merkley – scored in the first four minutes of the period.  These are the kinds of guys who are going to have to pan out if what’s now become officially rebuild 2.0 is going to have more hope of succeeding than former GM Ray Shero’s initial de facto five-year plan.  Or maybe rebuild 2.5 considering Lou tried to rebuild the defense and goaltending but the forwards were a wasteland at the end of his tenure.

Anderson was a third-round pick in 2016 and was highly talked about last year before a gruesome leg injury slowed his progress as a rookie, however he put up 15 goals and 34 points in 44 AHL games before getting called up again, and he’s responded with two goals and four points in 7 games so far.  Merkley on the other hand was thought to be a throw-in of the Taylor Hall trade despite being a one-time first-round pick (2015), and injuries slowed his progress during his first two years as a pro.  However, as a Devil he’s shown fast improvement with seven goals and eighteen points in twenty-one games for Binghamton before getting called up a few days ago, and registering points in each of his first two games as a pro.  Merkley got a nice, deserved ovation for his first NHL goal tonight and eventually second star of the night.

Just when I was back into the game and somewhat pumped up over the young guns striking, then word came that the Coleman trade was official…not to Colorado but to Tampa Bay.  It didn’t take long before the return got leaked out, and I have to admit as much of a skeptic as I was over trading Coleman (and as annoyed as I still am that we’re now looking at yet another long rebuild), the actual return surprised me in a positive way.

I vaguely remembered Foote being a good prospect, and sure enough he’s a big left winger who Tampa took in the first round this year, and reports are high on him.  Former Devils social media host and current prospect blogger Julie Robenhymer (among others) offered this glowing review of Foote:

To get essentially TWO first-round picks for Coleman was more than I thought was possible, to be honest.  Especially for one full year of control plus another playoff run.  Certainly Tampa is in go for it mode though, and a guy like Coleman really can make a big difference for their team, which has been accused of lacking grit and toughness.  Coleman will bring both in spades, and pickle juice too.

Image result for blake coleman pickles

Trying to assess the trade and process it, I went back to not paying as much attention to the game and reading the online stuff on the Coleman deal.  Kyle Palmieri did score to give the Devils the lead later in the period but it was almost bittersweet in a way, now that I’m wondering how long I’ll get to enjoy HIM here since K-Palm’s also a free agent like Coleman after next year.  Of course I got his jersey autographed at a recent team event and am wondering if I’ll get to wear that before he gets traded, since my next home game in attendance won’t be till after next Monday’s deadline.  Like with Coleman, I’ll understand a K-Palm deal in theory as part of ‘the process’ (yuck) but that one would hurt even more than Coleman since K-Palm’s a Jersey boy and was one of our biggest rays of hope the last five years after Shero’s first big move was to trade for him at the 2015 NHL Draft, and he grew up as a player and person here.

As if there was any doubt as to ownership’s intentions after the Coleman trade, the below tweet from beat writer Abbey Mastracco that I saw during the third period seemed to confirm that the answer was that, in fact ownership was lying after the Shero firing when they claimed they intended to win now or as soon as possible.  Cynically, I figured this might happen one the season ticket ‘two year loyalty lock’ season ticket plan got advertised, not to mention things had been quiet on the homefront since Shero got replaced.

If the rest of the night was a bit abnormal, our third period was completely normal for the 2019-20 Devils as we again fell back on our heels, again blew a third period lead.  It was only Blackwood who kept us from being bombarded, as despite giving up three goals he made a staggering fifty saves in regulation.  Even though we got outshot 53-23 in regulation, the Calder-eligible netminder somehow took us to overtime.  Although we managed to get the better chances in the three-on-three, we somehow failed to convert then went to the dreaded shootout.  Despite the questionable choices of Damon Severson and Pavel Zacha among the first five shooters in what turned out to be an excruciating seven-round duel, it was Blackwood along with Nikita Gusev and Jesper Bratt who saved us in the skills competition, and the Devils stole a win from a Blue Jackets team fighting for a playoff spot.

Though I was happy over the win, I wasn’t exactly doing the ‘Let’s Go Devils!’ chant out the door like many of the fans were.  At this point in the season, it’s more either contentment over wins and resignation over losses.  I was just glad after a three-hour game it was still only 9 PM with clear roads up to Broad Street and out of Newark.  Then on my drive home, my buddy Rudy was giving me the blow-by-blow of Fitz’s postgame press conference (initial YT above) and when I saw that Fitz said he was hoping to compete in the near future, I just rolled my eyes…this was basically an hour after reading that Abbey Tweet above where Fitz said we weren’t going to be a contender in the next couple years!  I mean is this guy running for public office or something?

Don’t get me wrong, I approve of the return in both deals and would like to see Fitz get the full-time job but my goodness gracious, we’ve been put through the ringer enough for one day already!  If you’re going to attempt to be transparent, at least be honest about it.  As much as I like what I’ve heard about Nolan Foote, is that really enough to move the needle from ‘we’re not going to be competitive for a couple years’ to ‘we’re hoping to compete soon’?  At least I’m glad Fitz managed to get enough of a return for Coleman to not have me hate the trade.  Nor do I hate the idea of rooting for Coleman to be the missing piece for Tampa.

Whew…now comes the attempt to decompress.  Unless the Devils made another trade in the last hour I’ve been writing this <goes to check Twitter>.

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